Half Century, part III

This is the week I turn 50. On my natal day, I will be in the car with my kids and granddaughter, heading to the Bay Area for a vacation.... mind you, this is a get-away, not a rest. Anyone who's driven in a car for any long period of time with a six year old knows there is no rest to be had! hehehe

And I keep looking at things, and thinking "how did I become this old?" Now it's not a matter of parents being 50 and "old"... its ME! And there are things about it I don't like: creaky bones in the morning, muscles that I had lost for a time make an appearance every now and then when I least expect it, eyes that don't work as well as they used (or many other parts as well!), telltale wrinkles, and funny brown spots. But there are things that I like about it as well: "I'm old, go get ~fill in the blank~ from the car for me."

It's funny when you think about time. Take old cars for example. You might see a sign that says "vintage cars"... but the cars that are really there? Are the ones you admired, desired or actually drove yourself! When did ~we~ become vintage? And what about your handwriting? I can remember signing my name and thinking I had a nice Capital L and D .... and now, its beginning to look more like chicken scratch! Or foods on a restaurant menu.... it's not about ordering the food we want any more. When did foods become 'too rich'? We never had to think about this before ... food was just there. Same with the weather channel. In my early 20's, I never considered the weather, it was just there ... and we dealt with it. Nowadays, I can gauge my outings by the weather: too hot? I'll wait. Rain? I can get what I need tomorrow. And when visiting the old home town, you know it's 50 when you hear yourself describe a new store as what used to be there. "Go up to the corner where Rogers' Drugstore used to be... "

50 is asking yourself whether people today would ever go into a bookstore if they couldn't get biscottis, videotapes, CD's and espresso.

50 is looking at the new fall fashions and thinking: Who are they making these for?

50 is when there is no one in the world to tell you what your bedtime is-- you are always in bed before bedtime.

50 is quoting the country music line: "My heart's not ready for the rocking chair..... "

And that, dear readers, is the bottom line....
I may be 50 in chronological years, but my heart isn't!!!

HUGS to everyone!

Just a note....

Just a quick hello, readers! It's Thursday, at noon, and I am at the library on a long lunch hour, studying for the final --- which is in two days. I can't tell you how ready I am for math to be over with. But I also know that when it's done, I'll be wondering what I'm supposed to do with all this extra time on my hands!! There's always a strange lull, a feeling that you're supposed to be doing something, when a class ends. Or maybe its just me; I tend to put myself into a rigid routine of getting assignments done. Here's why:

When I was growing up, my folks took us to church every Sunday. One of my Sunday school classes was taught by the Pastor. As it is with pre-teenagers, some can never resist asking questions. And he was always wonderful about being honest in answers, which is probably what made him such a likeable person. Anyways, someone asked him how he came up with topics for writing sermons, and the conversation came around to waiting til the last minute, or being done on a schedule. He told us that if he didn't have his sermon written by Friday night, he had a horrible nightmare about having to give his sermon in the nude, and that's what kept him on his rigid schedule of making sure it was done on time :)

Since hearing that story, I never wanted to have nightmares like that! And in growing up, I was almost always good about having assignments done on time; I was never the kind who would have a late night cram/jam session! Which means most times, I slept well, and didn't have the nekkid nightmare ... at least, I didn't have it because I didn't get my assignment done on time! The whole speaking in public thing.... that was a different matter!

HUGS to everyone!

9 days and counting....

It's Thursday afternoon, and I'm at the library where I thought I'd get in a little math study time, maybe finish off some homework assignments -- if I'm lucky, pass a quiz or two!! *sigh* This wasn't meant to be. I logged in to my on-line course. Waiting for me is a long memo from the teacher to all students about the class we're required to attend on Saturday, along with a list of assignments that is huge!!! (ok, does 10 count as huge? I guess it depends on what we're counting *chuckles*)

Each of these are study hints and practice problems (most are 4 pages long!), and one of them will be identical to the final. Which is on the 18th!! I didn't realize it was coming up this fast... that means my final in NINE days! omg. *panic*panic*panic* While the teacher doesn't usually have tests with a great number of problems, statistically speaking if there are only 10 problems and you miss one (or two or three or four!), your percentage falls! And our final is 20% of our grade. *sigh*shudder*sigh*

On top of that, the last assignment is to learn how to do a linear regression problem on our TI-83 Calculator (that has enough buttons and functions to operate a small aircraft, I'm certain!) With one page of notes on how to attempt to make this function work, I sat struggling with the commands as written on out. Now, I'm a literal type person, if it says push "A" , that's what I'm doing. Needless to say, I was a bit frustrated and trying to find simpler instructions via Google. I must have been sighing out loud, more likely muttering to myself loud enough for the guy next to me to ask what I was working on, and attempted to help me. We found we have a few things in common... he had just taken this class in the fall, and is now in English 102 (one of my next classes!) It was nice to be able to share a little school chit chat {grin} Oh, yeah, I finally figured out the right steps, and my calc screen had the right data on it, but I still haven't figured out how the numbers relate to the questions being answered. Hopefully, Saturday's class will. :)

HUGS to everyone!!

The pen is .....

mightier than the sword! I've looked that up online and cannot get a definitive answer from wiki as to the source of the quote. But we've all heard it, and understand its meaning. My angle is, of course, about the pen. How many of you readers keep a journal? scrapbook? or blog? When someone mentions the journals of famous people, Anne Frank for example, do you think to yourself "great, but look at the history they were living through?" I know that I do from time to time.

If you think about it, "history never looks like history when you're living through it. It always looks confusing and messy, and it always feels uncomfortable." However, some day someone may want to know your thoughts: what it was like to live through 9/11. Or the recession of 2008/2009. Or how it felt when the US elected its first black president. Important moments are remembered like this: Where were you when JFK was shot? Where were you when you heard Elvis died? Where were you when you heard Michael Jackson died?

There is nothing more precious, more sacred, than words from a past generation passed on down for someone to read. A phone call is in the moment, and greatly treasured, certainly faster than something written. But something written is for all time, to be enjoyed over and over again, or to pass down to generations to come. If you watch Antique Roadshow, you know the value of the written word at the time; it can enhance the value of an item by dimes or dollars ... the use the word provenance for that. But even more so, it increases the sentimental value ten-fold with words from a relative that make it personal.

One woman declared to type 10 minutes a day, random thoughts, silly notes, song lyrics, whatever came to mind. Just for 10 minutes. But, it all adds up, and she had an impressive stack of notes to be handed down. Just imagine if that was yours from a grandmother, or great grandmother, with thoughts of the times she was living in!!

So I'm here to encourage you to get started, put your stamp on life, your thoughts on paper, your words on a blog! Just... write it!! You can do it! Generations to come may thank you one day :)

Journal'd {{hugs}} to everyone!!

PS: August is "Journal Month" for me
watch for topics and sample questions to get started :)

My Most Memorable 4th

It was 1996, and the trip of a lifetime. Early on the morning of the 4th, I hopped a plane to Dulles Airport. When I arrived, I rented a car and made my way toward Washington DC. Unsure of myself, where I was going, or what I would find, I parked the car and made my way to a Metro station, little muni trains to take me to The Mall. Once there, I was amazed at all the people, all the things to see. It was hot, there were vendors everywhere selling water, lemonade and the likes. I walked and walked, seeing everything I could: the Viet Nam wall; the Lincoln Memorial; the Washington Memorial; the reflecting pool. It was a life changing experience, and I did this alone! What an adventure! An announcement regarding a parade was made, and I flopped where I was in the grass, my head resting on my purse.... and promptly fell asleep! Guess it wasn't out of the ordinary, no one bothered me! However, I missed the parade, and got up to make my way to some shade for relief from the heat.

There's something special about being in what would be considered a very patriotic place for the 4th. If your imagination works overtime, you get a sense of the history, the people, who forged a country out of nothing but a few beliefs. If you're considering a trip to DC, make it a reality. It's definitely worth it.

I had hoped to get there again while living in Ohio, but that's another story .... :)

Patriotic HUGS to everyone!

Half Century, Part II

In looking at this important upcoming (looming? haha) landmark of life, I can't help but wonder what future generations will think of this one. And ... what would they want to know about it?

Nothing lasts forever until you write it down. When I look back at generations, I find myself wishing that I had a journal from one of my ancestors. What was it like to travel from another country and begin a life here in the US? How did you meet your spouse? How did you know it was love? What was it like to grow up in a time when we didn't have "modern conveniences" ?

Consider this: When I look back, I recall funny little things, like not having a color television until I was 12. Or, when 'portable phones' came out, they were huge, and you carried a battery pack. Compare that with today's tiny cell phone that does everything! ... and you have innovation and technology carried into the future. Would my granddaughter's granddaughter want to read stories about how I used a phone that hung on a wall with a really long cord so I could sit on the floor and be comfortable while I was giggling on the phone with some boy from school? (And yes, I still remember his name, David B. *grin* )

Family stories that get told time and time again should be written down for future generations. Will they make the NY Times best seller list? Probably not. However, I think that they're more precious than a best seller. Not to knock them, I'm an avid reader and love books, but there's something about a journal that holds me spellbound. Mostly because it gives insight into the person writing it; not just the actual events, but thoughts and feelings as well, from the author. Like the book "Bridges of Madison County", a son and daughter learn about a slice of life from their mother's viewpoint; shocking as some of it was (mothers don't have feelings like *that* do they? kids never think so), they learned things that made their mother real in a way they never knew.

I've kept journals for years. One just for quotes and sayings that I like, that speak to me. One that was just for really rough times, like divorce. With current technology, I do much of that sort of writing here in my blogs ... one public, one private. And one day, someone will know the secret parts of my own story as well.

HUGS to everyone!