Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Cake Decorating
I went to a local church last night to watch one of the members decorate a cake. She had baked a large cake and surrounded it with numerous cupcakes. She explained that she had cut the top slightly to make the correct shape so that it would look like a tiger and had brought strips of licorice and numerous colored jelly beans, and some chocolate icing. The cake had already been decorated with yellow icing and she took a small brush and painted on some chocolate lines for whiskers and then pulled apart the licorice for decoration. After placing the first couple of licorice strings she licked her fingers. I thought it was done in a moment of absent mindedness, but amazingly each time she placed the licorice and jelly beans she would lick the stickiness off ! I looked at my neighbor and raised my eyebrows and she started to giggle slightly.
After the decorating was finished we all admired the cake and it did look very nice. I was new to the group so there was no way I was going to speak up, and in any case, the point was moot after the first few licks. I made up my mind there was nothing that would induce me to eat any of it. Apparently everyone else felt the same way. The woman who had done the decorating left after she had finished, while the rest of us stayed for another talk, and the cake remained untouched on the table. I joked to my neighbor, "Want some licky tiger cake ?" and we both had a good laugh. I imagine the cake ended up in the trash bin. What a waste !
After the decorating was finished we all admired the cake and it did look very nice. I was new to the group so there was no way I was going to speak up, and in any case, the point was moot after the first few licks. I made up my mind there was nothing that would induce me to eat any of it. Apparently everyone else felt the same way. The woman who had done the decorating left after she had finished, while the rest of us stayed for another talk, and the cake remained untouched on the table. I joked to my neighbor, "Want some licky tiger cake ?" and we both had a good laugh. I imagine the cake ended up in the trash bin. What a waste !
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Politics, the government debt bailout
I just arrived home to find that my next door neighbors had a McCain, Palin sign posted on their front hillside. I was rather shocked !! It's the first one I've seen although there is an Obama sign just down the street. Actually I had not completely decided who I was going to vote for until McCain chose Palin. I am getting bad vibes from her, rather like I have been getting from President Bush so now have come down decisively on the side of Obama. It is unfortunate that the process of choosing a presidential candidate is decided the way it is. I don't think I would have chosen either candidate.
Of the two, Obama is a much more interesting speaker in my opinion. I've found McCain's speeches somewhat lacking on the whole and he is inclined to be repetitive. Obama has a great voice and knows how to project his personality to inspire people. Of course we all know they can rarely follow through on their campaign promises, maybe that's why they both seem to be avoiding policy speeches and concentrating on 'picking' on each other. With all the major problems facing this country their behavior is unbelievable.
Unfortunately President Bush has really divided this country. Even though I am a person who tries to be open minded I find it hard to feel any connection with anyone who admires him. I have a friend who is barely on speaking terms with her sister, since the sister still likes Bush and approves of his policies, whereas my friend is appalled and upset. She has said several times that she can't believe someone raised in her family can't see him for what he is !! When he was reelected 4 years ago it was unbelievable to me. How could someone I could see so clearly was a ghastly mistake get reelected ?! Even the word 'bush' gives me a bit of a start nowadays. That's another unfortunate thing, the way words get corrupted. The word 'gay' is a case in point. (I have a cousin in England called Gaye).
It appears that the government is doing a great job of destroying this country, particularly in the last 8 years. However, I don't mean just the present administration, since each seems to manage to make missteps, including Clinton with the Glass Seagal act. Of course it is easy to look back and see things in hindsight. Now we appear to be nationalizing debt while the fraudsters get away with millions.
I was reading that the wealthy are the ones who cause most of the earth's pollution, and I am not surprised. My handyman said he has seen numerous examples of the wealthy, who when they put their houses up for sale redo everything to appeal to a buyer. After the house sells, he is often referred by the previous owner and everything is torn out and redone.
Seems to me we would be better off without political parties - and instead each appointed lawmaker should be elected for their ability to represent the average Joe and Jane instead of the present situation where they seem mainly to represent wealthy businessmen.
Of the two, Obama is a much more interesting speaker in my opinion. I've found McCain's speeches somewhat lacking on the whole and he is inclined to be repetitive. Obama has a great voice and knows how to project his personality to inspire people. Of course we all know they can rarely follow through on their campaign promises, maybe that's why they both seem to be avoiding policy speeches and concentrating on 'picking' on each other. With all the major problems facing this country their behavior is unbelievable.
Unfortunately President Bush has really divided this country. Even though I am a person who tries to be open minded I find it hard to feel any connection with anyone who admires him. I have a friend who is barely on speaking terms with her sister, since the sister still likes Bush and approves of his policies, whereas my friend is appalled and upset. She has said several times that she can't believe someone raised in her family can't see him for what he is !! When he was reelected 4 years ago it was unbelievable to me. How could someone I could see so clearly was a ghastly mistake get reelected ?! Even the word 'bush' gives me a bit of a start nowadays. That's another unfortunate thing, the way words get corrupted. The word 'gay' is a case in point. (I have a cousin in England called Gaye).
It appears that the government is doing a great job of destroying this country, particularly in the last 8 years. However, I don't mean just the present administration, since each seems to manage to make missteps, including Clinton with the Glass Seagal act. Of course it is easy to look back and see things in hindsight. Now we appear to be nationalizing debt while the fraudsters get away with millions.
I was reading that the wealthy are the ones who cause most of the earth's pollution, and I am not surprised. My handyman said he has seen numerous examples of the wealthy, who when they put their houses up for sale redo everything to appeal to a buyer. After the house sells, he is often referred by the previous owner and everything is torn out and redone.
Seems to me we would be better off without political parties - and instead each appointed lawmaker should be elected for their ability to represent the average Joe and Jane instead of the present situation where they seem mainly to represent wealthy businessmen.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Lost Art of Letter Writing
My mother will be 100 years old this year. Goodness, that makes me feel old too ! I have applied for a congratulatory letter from The White House and, since she was born in England, one from the Queen (actually my brother put in that application). I am not an admirer of President Bush, but have put aside my political feelings, since I know it will please my mother !!
Last year, when she was 98 1/2 (yes, as you get very old you go back to halves !!) I could no longer care for her, so with very mixed feelings, and a great deal of guilt, I found a small board and care home for her. After doing so I had to pack up all her possessions so her house could be rented out to provide income for her care. My mother had kept most of the letters sent to her over the last part of her life, and a few from earlier years, and they are all piled in a large purple plastic container. Yesterday I decided to go through them to discover any snippets of information about our family history, that they might contain.
That got me thinking about the fact that no one writes "real" letters any more. It used to be such a thrill to go to the mailbox and find a handwritten letter from one of the family, or an old friend. Even a typed letter, though not as personal, was exciting to receive. Sometimes I print out my own email letters, or email I receive, if I think they might be interesting for posterity, but somehow a handwritten letter is much nicer. Handwriting is so distinctive and just holding a handwritten letter brings strong memories of the person in a way that a typed letter doesn't. Just one glance and you can tell who it is from if you have seen their handwriting before. I have some books on handwriting analysis and it gives amazing insight into a person's personality.
The purple box is filled to the brim with letters from some of my mother's brothers and sisters (she had seven), letters from myself, my children, my brother, some of her old friends. There are letters from my stepfather, written in the early years of their relationship when my mother visited family in England on several occasions. Letters from an old boyfriend and his mother. It is sad to think that since the advent of email all that will be lost. I am just as guilty as the next person, since I haven't written a personal letter for some years and even when I do I almost never use a pen, since I have arthritis in both the middle fingers of each hand, which makes my writing look rather crabbed unless I am very careful. It also seems that writing a letter with a pen provokes more thought and brings forth more detail than one would write in an email. You have a piece of paper of a certain size to fill, so look for information that will fill it up.
Unfortunately over the past ten to 15 years all that has been lost. Time to rummage for some writing paper and start again !!
Last year, when she was 98 1/2 (yes, as you get very old you go back to halves !!) I could no longer care for her, so with very mixed feelings, and a great deal of guilt, I found a small board and care home for her. After doing so I had to pack up all her possessions so her house could be rented out to provide income for her care. My mother had kept most of the letters sent to her over the last part of her life, and a few from earlier years, and they are all piled in a large purple plastic container. Yesterday I decided to go through them to discover any snippets of information about our family history, that they might contain.
That got me thinking about the fact that no one writes "real" letters any more. It used to be such a thrill to go to the mailbox and find a handwritten letter from one of the family, or an old friend. Even a typed letter, though not as personal, was exciting to receive. Sometimes I print out my own email letters, or email I receive, if I think they might be interesting for posterity, but somehow a handwritten letter is much nicer. Handwriting is so distinctive and just holding a handwritten letter brings strong memories of the person in a way that a typed letter doesn't. Just one glance and you can tell who it is from if you have seen their handwriting before. I have some books on handwriting analysis and it gives amazing insight into a person's personality.
The purple box is filled to the brim with letters from some of my mother's brothers and sisters (she had seven), letters from myself, my children, my brother, some of her old friends. There are letters from my stepfather, written in the early years of their relationship when my mother visited family in England on several occasions. Letters from an old boyfriend and his mother. It is sad to think that since the advent of email all that will be lost. I am just as guilty as the next person, since I haven't written a personal letter for some years and even when I do I almost never use a pen, since I have arthritis in both the middle fingers of each hand, which makes my writing look rather crabbed unless I am very careful. It also seems that writing a letter with a pen provokes more thought and brings forth more detail than one would write in an email. You have a piece of paper of a certain size to fill, so look for information that will fill it up.
Unfortunately over the past ten to 15 years all that has been lost. Time to rummage for some writing paper and start again !!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Grandchildren
Although I loved being a mother, I wouldn't want to do it again. Not for lack of physical energy, but the strain of being on call 24 hours a day and coping with all the traumas of childhood: falls, emotions, tantrums, illness, sibling rivalry, fights, etc. I have tremendous respect and admiration for grandparents who raise their grandchildren, often with the added burden of very little money.
I adore my own grandchildren and when they arrive for a visit I am delighted, but when they leave, it is so peaceful ! Something all my adult children expect me to do, is talk to their tiny children on the phone. I can seldom understand a word they say and what they do say is usually at full decibel. Rather the way the British were renowned in the mid 20th century for shouting at foreigners, as if that would make up for the lack of comprehension.
When my second child was born, I had the naive expectation that she, as a tiny baby, would be exactly the same as my firstborn. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but it still amazes me, with each baby born into the family, how each one differs so much, almost from the very first day. My firstborn, a son, was a screamer who had a hard time digesting his food even though he was being nursed. Until he was about two years old he hated to be cuddled, unless he was being fed, since he saw it as restrictive. At 6 months I stood him up in his crib to show him that he could see out the window into the garden, and after that nothing stopped him. He would haul himself up and stand there, shaking and wobbling until he fell over from exhaustion. He was a very quiet child, and would play for hours by himself. He didn't speak clearly until he was almost 5 years old, when he learned to read in just a few weeks. I had never taught a child to read before, so didn't realize how unusually fast he was learning. By the time he started school he was reading at a 6th grade level.
My second child, my first daughter, had to be woken for each meal. She slept almost round the clock for the first few months, and grew fat and sassy until she started crawling, when she slimmed down. She never sat down to play, but was always roaming about looking for mischief !!
I adore my own grandchildren and when they arrive for a visit I am delighted, but when they leave, it is so peaceful ! Something all my adult children expect me to do, is talk to their tiny children on the phone. I can seldom understand a word they say and what they do say is usually at full decibel. Rather the way the British were renowned in the mid 20th century for shouting at foreigners, as if that would make up for the lack of comprehension.
When my second child was born, I had the naive expectation that she, as a tiny baby, would be exactly the same as my firstborn. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but it still amazes me, with each baby born into the family, how each one differs so much, almost from the very first day. My firstborn, a son, was a screamer who had a hard time digesting his food even though he was being nursed. Until he was about two years old he hated to be cuddled, unless he was being fed, since he saw it as restrictive. At 6 months I stood him up in his crib to show him that he could see out the window into the garden, and after that nothing stopped him. He would haul himself up and stand there, shaking and wobbling until he fell over from exhaustion. He was a very quiet child, and would play for hours by himself. He didn't speak clearly until he was almost 5 years old, when he learned to read in just a few weeks. I had never taught a child to read before, so didn't realize how unusually fast he was learning. By the time he started school he was reading at a 6th grade level.
My second child, my first daughter, had to be woken for each meal. She slept almost round the clock for the first few months, and grew fat and sassy until she started crawling, when she slimmed down. She never sat down to play, but was always roaming about looking for mischief !!
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