I read. A lot. In looking back through the books I’ve read in the past 5 years (yes, I keep a list), I see that I’ve read a number of very good ones. So, when I say a book is the most enlightening one I’ve read in 5 years, that’s saying something. “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America” by Colin Woodard has completely changed how I see the…
It has been announced numerous times in the media that people who support Donald Trump for president admire him for “telling it like it is.” In my mind, and through the contradictory and often inflammatory things Trump says, “telling it like it is” means saying whatever is on your mind, regardless of the consequences. Trump doesn’t seem to care for the consequences of what he says, angrily balking at criticism, yet he also seems to…
I’m having a day off from the world, doing whatever strikes my fancy without working through a To Do list. While the freedom of this is heavenly, it’s not always easy to decide how to spend my time without a list. (Ah, the life of an adult!) First I wrote a list of all the things that I find relaxing, mostly as a reminder to myself when I get stressed out, not as things I…
I have been working on our taxes for the past couple of days. Thankfully, I’ve gotten through the federal forms, just the state left to do. Taxes sap my mental energy such that I have difficulty contemplating the following conundrum: Why is an off-brand (in this case Food Club) of gelatin called gelatin, but the Knox brand (which is synonymous for gelatin) called gelatine? I would assume the extra ‘e’ on gelatin is Knox’s way…
This morning, a little after 8 a.m., the power went out in our little hamlet. Flicker of the lights, beep of the smoke detectors, thought it might come back right away, but no. Time to call the power company. Ah, but the home phone has an electric base, so there was no way to call out from it. Naturally, the internet and television were inoperable as well. Good thing we get a paper bill…