Share Your World

SHARING THE WORLD – Marilyn Armstrong

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Share Your World 9-23-19

It has been a bumpy ride recently. The good news is that we are getting 2/3 of the house fixed and with a little luck, the last piece in the spring, The bad news? The weather is weird. Instead of getting colder, it’s getting warmer.

Chipping Sparrow

The bird feeders are back up and the birds are visiting. Not as many as last year, but it has just begun, As the year progresses, we’ll have a better idea of how many bids we’ll have. Right now, I’m seeing a lot of Titmice, Nuthatches, a few winter-colored finches, two different woodpeckers. They are still very shy. They get less shy as the season progresses and they are more familiar with us.

QUESTIONS:

When was the last time you face palmed?

I honestly have no idea. Not recently for sure.

If there were commandments for the modern-day world, what should (could, would) some of them be?  Get creative!

Greed is NOT good. It is the single destroyer of the best parts of our world and always has been. Always will be. If you are rich, can you ever be rich enough? When does the rest of the world get a shot at a decent life? How much is your greed killing us all off?

Greed is destruction and it is ugly. Take what you need and leave the rest. We all need and deserve a decent life. No one needs billions. Moreover, whether you have one or two billion is not going to make you more or less happy!

What did you Google last?

Bottlebrush. Mine wore out and I need a new one. Since then I googled “52 mm lens cap” because I need one. Exciting, eh?

When is censorship warranted? Ever?

I think spouting hatred should not be legal. But I understand those who disagree. It IS illegal in many other democracies for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that inflammatory language tends to wind up with inflamed people. Rioting. Lynching. Murder. Encouraging it has not won us any friends, either.

But, as I said, you don’t have to agree with me. That’s just how I feel about it.

Gratitude is an attitude.

I agree. I also think that not everything we feel is appropriate for posting. Some of it is private and personal. I actually have a good deal for which to be grateful but it is not (in my opinion) suitable for sharing. Sorry.

SHARING MY WORLD OR YOUR WORLD OR THEIR WORLD – Marilyn Armstrong

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What traditional Christmas decoration is actually a parasitic plant?

I do believe that is mistletoe.

Name something about this holiday season (whatever version you may celebrate) that most people like, but you dislike?

Wrapping packages. I hate wrapping packages. I used to like it but over the years, I would just as soon just hand out the gifts and say “hope you like it.”

What’s your favorite – or least favorite –  song is sung traditionally at this time of year?

“Angels We Have Heard on High.” I used to love singing it. All those glorious Ooooohs!

And the last one ———>  In the song “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” what “incriminating” evidence was found on Grandma’s back?

Hoofprints on her forehead and Claus marks (what are they?) on her back.

What would you like to share with the world, if time or cost were no object?

Freedom. For everyone. And enough money to live comfortably.

And may we all feel better and more festive very soon!!

SHARING MY WORLD – Marilyn Armstrong

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Share Your Merry World 12-10-18

What’s the worst topping you could put on popcorn?   (credit to Teresa for this one)

Anything other than salt and maybe butter. But I can’t eat it anymore. Too slivery for aging gums.

In what country did Silent Night originate?

I was sure it was Germany, but am now told Austria. Go figure, right?

WARNING! The following question is NOT meant to start a fuss.  It’s merely a good discussion question in my opinion.  Most everyone knows where I stand on this. If you feel like arguing about it, please give it a pass.) We’re all adults and sensible ones at that.  We can be mature about such things, right?

How would you react if there was irrefutable proof that God doesn’t exist? How about if there was irrefutable proof that God does exist?

I wouldn’t believe it regardless. You can’t prove (or un-prove) faith. It’s an opinion, yay or nay. Unless God personally drops by and shows me his a photo ID, it’s faith.

What is the scariest non-banned item you could take on to a plane?

I haven’t the slightest idea. I’m not even sure what IS banned and I have no intention of traveling by plane.

Which version of the holiday celebration do you and your family enjoy?  By this I mean do you follow Jewish traditions with Hanukkah; Christian celebrations with Christmas and (for those over the pond) Boxing Day; or some other festivities that I’ve overlooked?   Please do share with everyone!  I truly feel that this sort of question lets us know a little more about our fellow bloggers without getting too personal (i.e. revealing too much of private lives, which some folks prefer to keep private.)

We just have a little tree. We watch old holiday movies. Garry loves Christmas Eve church, but it always gets held right at dinner time, so we never get there. Which is a pity, because regardless of religion, I love Christmas Carols and know a ton of them. I learned them for Glee Club in elementary school. That was before we weren’t allowed to learn anything with religious content. I didn’t even know the songs were Christian. I just thought they were pretty.

Actually, thinking about it, I know more religious music than most people because, as a music major, I spent years learning Gregorian chant and other early Western music. I’m sure I had my mother very worried.

If you study music, an awful lot of it is religious. Western music started as chanting and “grew up” in churches. When you study music, it’s a long time before you emerge from religious music to “modern” music … and a lot of our modern music is based on old church music too.

I don’t think anyone should be forced to follow anyone else’s religion, but I also think trying to remove all traces of religion from the world is silly. You can’t do it. Religion and religious thought are woven into the way we think. It’s organic. Nor do I think there’s any reason why you can’t believe in god or gods — and yet be a scientist or mathematician. I have never understood why one thing negates the other.

Not all of the things we believe are Judaic or Christian, either. There’s a lot of much older stuff woven into modern thought. There are many reminders of more ancient religions which are part of “modern” thinking.

Sorry for going on so long. This was what I studied in school. It began with music but moved into religious philosophy. I wrote papers about it. I still dream about it.

The near decade I spent in Israel was no coincidence. Despite what I may have said, my travels had nothing to do with how many times I read “Exodus” (the novel by Leon Uris, not the second book of the Torah).

I needed to be there. Because I needed to understand. Things.

WORLD SHARING AS NOVEMBER ENDS — Marilyn Armstrong

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SHARE YOUR WORLD 11-26-18


There comes a time when you no longer know what you are doing, only that you are always doing something. This has been one of those weeks. Between doctor appointments, pharmacy runs, shopping, and just keeping the house from becoming a massive dirt zone, there’s not a lot of time left over. Add it taking some pictures, processing the pictures, writing some stuff for the blog, there’s even less time. 

Then there’s a leave a little time for just relaxing, reading a book.  I was up until 2 last night clearing out email. It comes by the hundreds per day and there’s no way I can manage it. So far, nothing has gotten it under control.

If you, as a five-year-old, woke up in your current body, what would happen, what would you say?

Holy shit! Where did I get all these scars? What HAPPENED?

What is a relationship deal breaker for you?  Whether you are talking about a romantic one, a friendship or a related to sort of relationship?

Unreliability, rumor-mongering, and trust-breaking.

Unreliability takes a long time. It can take years for me to realize that this person is never going to be where he or she says she or he will be, or do what was promised. It’s a slow deal breaker, where I gradually give up calling, stop setting dates. Recognize it will never change. These relationships stay pleasant but become less and less important.

Rumor-mongering — especially in combination with eavesdropping — is a killer. Once is enough. People who talk behind my back are not my friends. Actually, they aren’t anybody’s friend.

Trust breaking is a business thing. Like dealing with a company for a long time, then realizing they are gradually losing the qualities that made you work with them in the first place. Deliveries are late or don’t arrive. Contracts are, if not ignored, then dealt with sloppily. It is another version of unreliability but in the business arena. Ultimately, it means you won’t use their services. It may take a while before you replace them, but it will happen. You can’t continually disappoint customers without payback. Heads up businesses. It can happen to you, too.

The old 14Z in its youth …

My current best example is Dell. I bought their computers for years because you knew you’d get a good product. Originally, you also got good service. First, the service departed without leaving a note behind. Next, the quality of the product weakened … but not the prices or service contracts. Now, they are a shadow of Microsoft and I expect they will vanish in a few years. What a pity!

Is there something out there, a thought, an idea, a current event, or a fear that you find deeply unsettling?

Yeah, like realizing our home planet is being destroyed by idiots.

And for something more whimsical, if you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family assume you had done?

Caught raiding a pharmacy for asthma medication. No jury would convict me.

What were you grateful for this week?  Something that brought some joy into your world? 

Yesterday this was a mere bud!

Birds, bird feeders, cameras, and flowering Christmas Cactus.

SPOOKY SHARING ON HALLOWEEN – Marilyn Armstrong

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Share Your World

“Spooky”  Share Your World

Today is Halloween! Got your costume ready? Stocked up on candy? Good. I’m looking forward to a bag full of candy. Yum.

Name something you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building.

I wouldn’t BE in a dark forest OR an abandoned building. Especially not in combination.

Share the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone.

I found a spider in my bed. I screamed, then I dislodged it. I have no rational fear of spiders. I’m just scared to death of them. Mindless paranoia.

What would you like your last words to be?

See you soon!

Do you believe in any ‘mythical’ monsters like chupacabras or shadow people?

No.

How long do you think you would last in a horror movie?

I wouldn’t even be in the audience, much less the movie.

Are you afraid of or find clowns creepy?

I find clowns weird, but not necessarily creepy. But I also don’t find them particularly funny — even when I was a kid.

In the zombie apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice?

First, I plan to be living in one of the world’s best anti-Zombie apocalypse location on earth.

Other than that, I figure a paint gun with iron filings in the paint. You know, all creatures from the Never world are terrified of iron.

Have you ever had your tarot cards read?

I used to read them. I creeped myself out.

Anyone know the reason behind putting candles in jack-o-lanterns?

I assumed to make them light up in the dark. No?

Do you think putting special emphasis on certain holidays – like Halloween is ‘spooky’ for example — is a good idea or just more mindless entertainment for the masses? 

I like Halloween when I was a kid, but it wasn’t nearly the big deal it has become. The problem in this country is that every holiday eventually becomes another way for malls to draw crowds. People actually sent Halloween cards. Halloween cards? Really?

Share a positive thought or message or something that’s inspired you this week.

The Red Sox did it! Their best team ever took the World Series, their fourth win in 14-years. Yay Sox!

SHARING MY WORLD – Marilyn Armstrong

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From Melanie, these are the second set of her questions. I feel like I should copy Fandango’s answers because basically, they are my answers. However, I’ll try to say something original.

Original. Hmm.

Okay, at least not exactly the same.

This Week’s Questions:

Are you a better listener or speaker?

I am probably a better speaker, but I listen. And I hear not only what someone says to me, but what they didn’t say.

Photo: Garry Armstrong – Chatting about flowers

You might say I hear between the lines.

If you were asked to design a warning label that would be tattooed on your skin, what would it say? 

I have a tattoo. It’s a Phoenix. I got it after I survived my third near-death experience.

I didn’t know I had a couple more to come. I actually (haha) thought I was done.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about writing. Blogging is what I’m doing this time, but I have always written, professionally and just because. Even when I was earning my living as a technical writer, I also wrote funny stuff and free-lance news pieces … and some really good letters.

You could say I’m also passionate about taking pictures, but that has more of a hobby/enthusiast status.

Really, though I am most passionate about learning. I’m a born-again researcher. I will track an idea as far as I can until I’m satisfied that I’ve learned either 1) everything I want to know about it, or 2) I’ve learned everything there is to know about it. For now.

Whatever “it” might be. I do not understand people who lack the curiosity to discover what is going on in the world.

I suppose one of the things that upset me about younger gens is their lack of interest in concepts and ideas. Philosophy. Their minds do not seem to wander into strange and wondrous places. I hope there are some —  hopefully many — who do wander because they will save us all

If you could change one thing about your world, what would it be?

No Trump presidency.

What gave you a reason to smile this past week?   

I think the Red Sox have the Eastern Division in the bag. It doesn’t mean we will win the post-season games. Post-season is another season, but at least it means we’ll get to the post-season.

When life otherwise sucks, there are sports.

TIME TO SHARE MY WORLD AS AUGUST ENDS – Marilyn Armstrong

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Share Your World – August 27, 2018

Is summer almost over? How did this happen? I’m not ready. Hold back the snow … I’M NOT READY!

Do you prefer eating foods with nuts or no nuts?

Do I like to put nuts in my food?

Not unless the recipe calls for nuts and to be fair, other than pine nuts, I can’t think of a recipe that requires nuts. This is not to say I don’t like nuts. I particularly love cashews (though someone assured me cashews are really a fruit, but they sure do crunch like a nut).

This kind of peanut?

And then there are pistachios. There was a time, when I lived in New York with my first husband, when we found a place in lower Manhattan where they sold five pounds of in-the-shell pistachios (with green tint or not) for $10. We would take them home and eat all five pounds of them in a day or two.

My fingernails would be sore from prying open pistachios. The were empty shells everywhere, too. Behind every sofa cushion on in every corner, nut shells.

Can you overdose on pistachios? I’m pretty sure you can’t because if you could, I’d have already done it.

Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

Until people started asking this question online, I never thought about it. If they were open, that was okay. Closed? That was okay too. I don’t have a thing about it. I don’t care.

Open closet

I never thought demons were hiding in my closet. Unless you count my father, of course.

Are you usually late, early, or right on time?

I was always early and Garry was always late. These days, we are almost always slightly early, depending on traffic.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? 

We got a new-er car. I’m still tickled pink about it. Or, in this case, tickled Orange Crush.

SHARING MY WORLD AND A NEWER CAR – Marilyn Armstrong

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SHARing my WORLD – AUGUST 20, 2018

Which tastes better: black or green olives?

Yuck, ick, feh. I don’t like olives, green, black or any other color. I also loathe anchovies. Slimy salty nasty stuff. Yuck, ick, feh.

What’s your favorite room in your home?

The living room with the bedroom coming in a solid second. But I really like most of the rooms. It’s just that we don’t use all of them anymore.

This house is bigger than we need.

What fictional family would you be a member of?

Fiction family? How about the Plantagenets? Can I be Eleanor of Aquitaine puleeze? Raise an army, live a really long time when everyone else is dying before me? So that all the people who hated me are long since deceased before me?

Orchard house where the Alcott (March) girls grew up. It’s in Concord, Massachusetts

Other than that, I could be one of the March sisters. Guess which one?

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week?  

We bought a newer car. More to come on this, but it was fun. Also, there was something unpleasant happening in the rear end of the older car. Possibly the differential or maybe more bearings. Whatever it was, expensive.

But now, NO problems. We have a three-year newer car for the same price and it only has 28,000 miles on it and … it’s so very ORANGE.

The Orange Renegade! You can see the red Patriot through the window.

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN – CEE’S SHARE YOUR WORLD – Marilyn Armstrong

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Share Your World – August 13, 2018

I want to start off — again — with the Garry cochlear implant update.

He is doing better. He is less wobbly, can usually get up and down the stairs, but I’m glad we have a handrail. His ear is still sore.

Not internally, but externally and I suspect it’s his addiction to wearing headphones for watching television that is preventing it from healing as fast as it otherwise would. In the end, he’s a big boy.

He has to make his own decisions. I don’t think the irritation he’s causing is serious. There’s no sign of infection or oozing or any of the things that would normally alarm me, but it is definitely redder and more sore-looking than it was earlier in the week. It might be better if he left it to heal, but hey, it’s his ear.

Overall, things are gradually getting more normal. Not “normal, normal,” but close to what I think normal might be — for us.

Finally, we are close to his getting all that fancy techno-headgear that should enable him to really hear. Pretty exciting!

Garry will get his own superpower.

A class you wish you would have taken?

I still wish I’d taken a few photography courses so I’d have a better grip on the terminology of photography. I know how to do most of the stuff, but I often have no idea what it’s called. I took one course, a long time ago on wedding photography, but that was more than 50 years ago.

I decided to take a webinar given by Topaz this week on how to use the filters to make the pictures better, but more natural. There are a lot of free webinars online and I usually skip them because I’m at a point where “going to school” is on the bottom of my to-do list.

But since I don’t have to travel and it’s free, why not? Maybe I’ll learn something useful! Can’t hurt, can it?

Are you scared of heights?

Not as much as I was when I was younger. I get dizzy on the edge of a drop and I have what I think is a healthy fear of falling. That includes falling individually or falling in a car or on a horse or any old way.

Falling off horses is what did my spine in the first time around. I hesitate to imagine what it would do to me now.

Ouch.

Are you a good cook? If so, do you consider yourself a chef?

I’m a good cook. I’m definitely not a chef because I’m simply not careful about measuring quantities and reproducing the same recipe the same way each time — and that is the difference between a cook and a chef. (An actual chef taught me that.)

 

Measuring.

Making sure the same recipe comes out the same way each time. I’m much more of a “what do I have in the fridge?” kind of cook. With a couple of exceptions, I doubt any two meals of mine have ever come out the same twice!

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? 

 

I was very happy with the Manhattan chowder. I should have cooked the bacon longer, but otherwise, it was as good as any red chowder I’ve ever tasted.

THE UNOFFICIAL SHARING MY WORLD – Marilyn Armstrong

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From sparksfromacombustiblemind come some questions. And since I don’t have any other brilliant thoughts, I figured I’d answer them!

I want to start out by answering the big question of the month for this household.

How is Garry doing?

Garry is fine for a guy recently out of surgery. The pain is past, but the imbalance is not. This is a common side effect of surgery to ears because that’s where our little gyroscope is.

Looking pretty good

That gyroscope is the thing that lets us keep our balance. He will regain balance eventually. I’m hoping sooner rather than later, but what will be will be.

He isn’t writing much because part of the lack of balance is linked to him having trouble finding the keys on the keyboard. This too shall pass.

So Garry isn’t driving and is uncomfortable on the stairs. I’d rather he not do anything that would cause him to fall, so basically, we aren’t doing much. Visitors are welcome, but we are not traveling.

Have you ever been in a food fight?

Do you count trying to feed a one-year-old baby?

How do you deliver bad news?

Simply. Because bad news doesn’t get better when you make it more complicated and a lot of sighing, moaning, and crying probably makes it worse.

What (if anything) do you think is beyond the stars?

I would guess more stars.

What “redneck” (unsophisticated) activity do you like to do?

I’m not sure what I do is particularly sophisticated, unless reading, writing, and taking pictures are sophisticated. I also think, but I used to believe that this was one of the privileges of being a human. Apparently, I was wrong about that.

I still eat, sleep, use the bathroom. I scrub the floor just like the rest of the world. No house cleaners, yachts, or fancy cars. Not that I would mind having any of the aforementioned, mind you. I just can’t afford them.

Is there a scary scene from a movie (or book) you viewed a child that still haunts you?

Nope. Not much of a scary movie watcher. Probably because if I watched those movies, the scenes would bother me.

If I don’t watch them, no problem.

Last (rock trivia courtesy of Glyn), which true to form I won’t answer.  I wanna see if anyone (besides Glyn) knows the answer:

Seal’s ‘Kiss From A Rose’ was the theme from which film? 

Batman Forever?

SYWBestUnoff

WORLD SHARING: V 07.23.2018 – Marilyn Armstrong

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Share Your World – July 23, 2018

In regards to puzzle what’s your choice: jigsaw, crossword, word search, mazes, logic or numeric puzzles, something else, or nothing?

Puzzles used to be crosswords, but it’s hard to find good ones anymore. They are either way too easy, or way too hard. I like ones that are challenging, but not impossible. I used to be a serious devotee of the crosswords in the New York Times, but the guy who wrote them passed on and no one else has done nearly as well with them.

These days, I settle for almost any word game. Again, most of them are either far too simple or close to impossible. Otherwise, I can play pretty much any card game including bridge and any board game, even digital versions. But mostly, I haven’t had any time to play anything lately.

I feel just a little bit like a hamster on a wheel. I keep running and the wheel keeps turning. I sure hope I’m at least generating some electricity!

List at least five favorite treats and it doesn’t necessarily have to be food.

Sushi is always a treat unless it’s really bad. One of this week’s more astonishing moments was when Owen and I went to the cafeteria and discovered that they had three REAL LIVE JAPANESE SUSHI CHEFS preparing FRESH sushi. At UMass Memorial Hospital cafeteria.

You could have knocked my socks off.

It was one of the strangest meals of my life: perfect futomaki … and a great cup of New England Clam Chowder.

You got two treats right there. Great New England Clam Chowder — there are several other types of clam chowder including New England, made with milk or cream. Rhode Island, made with a sort of spicy broth, and many others which use some kind of broth or a tomato-soup base.

They all include clams and potatoes, though. Which makes them some kind of clam chowder. New Englanders might challenge that assumption.

In the rain – Photo: Garry Armstrong

Other treats? That depends on the season, the time, my mood, and what’s available. In the fall, I’m thrilled by the change of color of the foliage. A lot of times, the treat is the opportunity to photograph something sublime.

On a good day, it’s getting out of bed and realizing nothing hurts! That’s a very BIG treat.

Clean — for at least 10 minutes!

Vacuuming the rug and watching the dog hair vanish and realizing the rug really isn’t gray, but actually, is a black background? That’s a treat!

Waiting to be put on the bed! These are great AND not expensive (Amazon).

Fresh, brand-new percale sheets are beyond a treat. They are a luxury. Nothing feels as good as they do, especially if you have just taken a hot shower.

What is your favorite type of dog? (can be anything from a specific breed, a stuffed animal or character in a movie)

Terriers and hounds are my favorites, though, in the name of continuing our sanity, we have moved on from hounds and have two black Scottish Terriers, Bonnie and Gibbs. We also have a very strange cross-breed named (by Garry so don’t blame me) The Duke after “Mr. Tall In The Saddle, Duke Wayne.”

Crazy Duke

Gibbs

Bonnie

Duke is not tall and doesn’t ride a horse. No one knows what he is, but the consensus is that he is a cross of two Asian breeds, possible both purebred. An accidental love match of maybe a Chin and … a Lhasa Apso? Something mid-size because Duke is just about 35 pounds of wild enthusiasm, stubborn determination to do it his way, and a passionate eagerness to be the family’s Top Dog.

Lucky neither Bonnie nor Duke is a fighter. For that matter, lucky for everyone Duke is stubborn and smart, but not a fighter. If we were more agile, Duke is a dog who would like being trained.  He needs a job and unfortunately, we don’t have one for him.

I suggested he rewire the house, but Garry didn’t think that was such a good idea. I can’t imagine why not.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week?

Right before Garry’s surgery, we took Duke and Mr. Gibbs in for grooming. Duke had never been groomed. He isn’t a dog who really needs it. A regular brushing and the occasional bath would do it for him. Or, as the groomer said, “He is a once-a-year customer.” Gibbs has finally calmed down and stopped giving them a really hard time, but that’s okay since Duke tore the place down.

Busy clipping

But when they came out and after I tried not to faint from the price (it takes at least two people to work on Gibbs and it took three for Duke!), they felt delightfully soft and clean.

And they SMELLED good, too.

WORLD SHARING – IT’S A BIG WEEK HERE AT KACHINGEROSA! – Marilyn Armstrong

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After a lifetime of being hard of hearing, then much more hard of hearing and eventually, downright deaf, Garry goes into the hospital this coming Friday for cochlear implant surgery. It is supposed to be a “day surgery.” The actual operation, including preparation and setting up anesthesia and whatever tests they might run means it will most likely take around three hours.

About an hour after waking from sleep, Garry should be ready to come home.

Not surprisingly, he’s anxious about the surgery and worried about the changes he will need to make. We will both be making a lot of changes. All of this isn’t going to happen all at once.

There will be a month just waiting for the bandages to come off and another two weeks before the new “equipment” is installed. Then, over a period of months, as Garry should regain real hearing for the first time in his life.

Life will, I fondly believe, get better. But it’s also going to take some getting used to!

Share Our World

Since we are approaching the hottest part of our summer in the northern hemisphere, what’s your favorite ice-cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet flavor?  (Those of you who live down under I’m sure you remember what it is like in the hot summer months).

Definitely yogurt. And our personal favorite is black raspberry swirl!

How often do you people watch?

Here in Uxbridge, hardly at all. There aren’t a lot of people around to watch, especially not in this part of the neighborhood. But when we are in a mall or the grocery store — someplace where you can see people — then we watch.

Photo: Garry Armstrong – Two guys fishing by the river

When we are taking pictures, Garry is the one who usually shoots people. I think it’s a remnant of television shooting.

If you had a choice which would be your preference saltwater beaches, freshwater lakes, ocean cruise, hot tub, ski resort or desert?

I love saltwater for swimming. It’s “bouncier” than fresh water. But I don’t like having to get the salt out of every tiny part of me. So I guess you can say I like both, for different reasons.

Swimming on a cruise ship gives you saltwater to swim in without the sand. I guess I should pick that. Except we are nowhere near going cruising.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? 

I found my inability to know what day of the week it was hilarious. I’ve also been enjoying our very retro retreat into favorite old Westerns. The news has been so appalling and it seems to get worse each day. We need to get our heads back on straight and remember other days and other times.

It’s not easy to do this time around. We have to work at it. So it has become a daring combination of as much baseball as we can push into one day, followed by at least one good western. Now that we’ve signed up with “FilmStruck,” Garry has easy access to all those old movies he loves. Mind you, we already OWN half of them.

Maybe more than half. More like 75%. But he really likes not having to fiddle with the DVD. Having all these movies “on call” is an improvement. Also, many of them have been very nicely cleaned up for both sound and picture.

WORLD-SHARING 2.02.4 – Marilyn Armstrong

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Share Your World – July 9, 2018

What would you name the autobiography of your life?

Serendipity.

Which do you prefer sweet, salty or buttery?

All of the above, in varying combinations. I do not, however, like “sweet-salty” combinations such as chocolate covered salty pretzels. I do like sweet-bitter combinations like bitter orange, lemon … to a point. I’m not an extremist. I don’t like intensely bitter orange or super-soured lemon. I sort of appreciate subtlety in foods.

As for buttery? Not so much these days. When I was younger and didn’t mind fatty foods, I was more butter-inclined. Fonder of “slathered in butter.” Not much these days. I’m more temperate. I like a little bit of this, that, and the other thing. Too much of any single thing is … well … too much of a good thing.

What’s the finest education?

For what? Law? Medicine? Software Engineering? Physics? High Mathematics? History? Economics?

Even amongst the top schools for each subject, you could argue which was which THE school. Do you like MIT or Cal Tech? Harvard or Yale? Cambridge or the Sorbonne? Julliard? Oberlin?

Photo: B. Kraft

I think the best education for me or you would be the best we could get out of what happens to be available. I’ve met some really ignorant PhDers and some incredibly smart people without any formal education.

Still, that being said, a really excellent education at a top school for whatever you are studying can’t possibly hurt, right? So if you can get into the right school, definitely go. And I don’t mean online. I mean GO. Because there’s more to college than classes.

What made you smile this past week?

When we got home from the hospital — it was a long day — I found a package. It was the fancy Red Sox 2018 shirt I ordered for Garry. A bit more than I would normally spend on a shirt, but I thought he needed something to perk up his world. He has been so worried about this surgery, he needed an “upper” and I thought this would be it.

You think? It certainly made Garry smile  😎

SHARING MY WORLD – Marilyn Armstrong

/ Marilyn Armstrong / 16 Comments
Share Your World – July 2, 2018

Tell us about your first bicycle or car?

My first bicycle was much more interesting than my car. It was a Dutch racing bike. I don’t know where my father got it, but it was nothing like any of the other bicycles my friends had.

Looked a lot like this, but no handbrakes

They had standard Schwinn-type fat wheeled bicycles. Mine was a true racing bike except it had a single gear — high. And, oddly, coaster brakes. It was a titanium frame, so it weighed almost nothing. I really loved that bike.

I was only 10 when I got it and it had a 22-inch frame, so it was five years until I could sit on the seat and peddle at the same time. It got old and eventually, the frame was so twisted I couldn’t ride it anymore. I never found another bike like it.

It was black and it was called a “Tiger” racer. Every other racing bike I’ve seen had gears and handbrakes. Except for mine. I’ve actually tried to find information about it online but never found anything. If by some chance you know anything about mid-1950s European racing bikes, I’d love to hear about them.

What fictional world or place would you like to visit?

Neverland

Neverland. I want to fly there, too.

Flying to Neverland

If you could have someone follow you around all the time, like a personal assistant, what would you have them do?

I can’t imagine wanting someone following me around, not even fictionally. That would totally creep me out. I wouldn’t mind some help at home, taking care of cleaning and even cooking. But everywhere?

I don’t think so.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? 

Just when I thought we were in this dry hot spell for a few more days, I heard thunder and literally, out of the blue, it started to pour.

Suddenly, it rained

The garden is happy and I could feel the air cool down. I don’t know if the hot spell is completely over, but we sure did need that rain!

WORLD SHARING AND ANOTHER MONTH PRETTY MUCH GONE – Marilyn Armstrong

/ Marilyn Armstrong / 12 Comments
Share Your World – June 25, 2018

Where has this first half-year gone? Whoosh! It was winter that never ended, a muddy, windy spring … now summer. Whoosh and it will be autumn. Why does winter last forever, but summer and fall are gone in a flash?

If aliens landed on earth tomorrow and offered to take you home with them, would you go? (remember this is SYW, they are friendly aliens)

I need to ask a few questions. HOW friendly are these aliens? Are they likely to love me so much they want to have lunch with me — as the main dish?

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

Can they make me young? Cure all ailments? Can I bring Garry? Can I bring the dogs?

I’ve been waiting for the Mother Ship for years. I won’t let it go without serious consideration. As long as I can take my family and not become lunch, that is.

How tall are you? Are you satisfied with your height?

I’m SHORT. I used to be short, but not quite THIS short. I’m barely 5’2″ these days.

On the deck, I look NORMAL. On the ground, I am squat.

I can’t reach the top shelf of my kitchen cabinets. Am I satisfied with my height? Hell no.

Do you think you could live without your smartphone (or other technology items) for 24 hours? 

I could. I have. Sometimes, I look forward to it. I live without a smartphone anyway because although I have one in my bag, it’s off. It is my emergency phone and I rarely use it. 

I don’t think I could do without a camera, though. That would be painful.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week?  

Seeing the fourth orchid come to life, getting the lawn mowed (love the fresh grassy smell) and finally setting the deck to rights.

Four orchids

One of the really positive parts of having real company is that you do the things you’ve been putting off. If no one ever visits, you can let them slide.

SHARING MY WORLD WHEN HALF THE YEAR IS DONE – Marilyn Armstrong

/ Marilyn Armstrong / 8 Comments
SHARING MY WORLD WHEN HALF THE YEAR IS DONE

You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what is it? Sushi? Scotch Tape?

I’ll go with money on this one. Unlimited money would buy me a lot of sushi or sticky tape.

Teleportation or flying?

Teleportation if available. Small, non-commercial aircraft otherwise.

Would you rather live where it only snows or the temperature never falls below 100 degrees?

Snow. I don’t like snow, but I’d melt in that kind of heat. Not to mention that I have lived in that kind of heat and it was all the time. Winter in the middle east is not bad. A lot of rain, but between the rains, it can be quite lovely.

One hundred degrees all the time? No thanks. In that kind of heat, I’d never leave the house at all.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week?  

Not a smiley week. I discovered there was another $4500 in what is now being called “identity theft.” It has all been covered by the credit card companies, but now I know the names of all the cops. I can even spell their last names.