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Worlds End Every Day

As I lay in bed in the early hours of the morning, my thoughts drifted to my childhood and school lunches. At our grade school; that's what we called it in those day, grade school, lunch was awesome. Served in our cafeteria, on melmac trays with real tableware, cooked by smiling ladies who knew their way around a kitchen, and presented with a half pint of milk. There was always a main dish, a vegetable, a fruit and a dessert. Of course, you could bring a lunch from home and many did, but gettingn the hot lunch was a treat.

Everything was prepared from scratch. I know this because I washed dishes in the cafeteria. This was a sought after boon for the older children. If you were lucky you might take a turn at rinsing the trays, placing them in the dishwasher, pushing the start button, and stacking the clean trays when the washing was complete. You gave up a portion of the after lunch recess, but were rewarded with a new set of skills and a sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing that a job is well done.

The idea of a dishwasher was a revelation to me. They were certainly not in evidence in any homes I knew. The sounds! The steam! The aroma of clean trays and silverware.

As I recalled those days, I felt sorry for today's children who will never know that simple world, now gone into history.

We walked to school every day with all the other children in our neighborhood, greeted and watched by every mother along the way. We spoke politely to all adults and collected our friends with joy as we headed to school. We and our parents thought nothing of this normal process. Children in past versions of our world traveled much farther in harder conditions. Education is important. It was your job and privilege as a child to go to school and become educated. Each of us would know members of our family who had not had the opportunity to finish sixth grade, let alone high school or college.

When it rained, we walked in our slickers and rain boots. Joy! When the mood took us, we ran or raced a block. There was not very much traffic in our neighborhood. Most people had already gone to work by the time we were walking to school.

Today's children do not know the power and freedom we had. They are not trusted to be responsible and smart. When did we stop teaching our children self reliance and common sense?

The halcyon days of youth always seem golden in memory. In truth, there was poverty, and loss, and plenty of struggle for families then too. We feared the atom bomb and anticipated World War Three, which thankfully hasn't yet happened. Floods and fires occurred. Parents lost their jobs and homes. Many of our neighbors worked in agriculture. As now, people soldiered on believing that you can make it if you work hard and keep at it.

The world of my grandparent has faded into the mists of time and fable. The world of my parents is history and ancient history to youth. The world of my childhood is equally ended. The world of my youth has become the tired, terrified world of today. 

Worlds end every day and become new worlds little by little. Some place or custom you've known all you life is suddenly gone. Where did it go? When did it go? 

A new year, a new outlook

Happy 2015, Blogosphere!

In this new year I am taking a new approach to my blog. It has always been about sharing my thought and experiences, This year I share my musings on topics big and small. I do not ask readers to agree with me; nor do I expect to become, in the words of Gallinda the good, "POPULAR". All I ask is that our discourse be polite as befits people of character and good will.

Thanks, Chris Rock

I am grateful to Chris Rock for his clearly stated comments on the recent events in Ferguson and New York in the recent Rolling Stone interview. His vision is clear and he spoke to my heart and the hearts of many saddened, confused and frightened people.

Hats off, Chris.
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/chris-rock-the-rolling-stone-interview-20141203?page=4

Crafty people

I've been meeting the most interesting people through crafts. In the last several months, each visit to a local yarn shop (JoAnn Fabrics, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Knitique, Anna's, etc.) has led to fabulous conversations and shared tips.

Just today I got a great tip about using my Black and Decker Workmate (available at Sears, Home Depot, Amazon, etc.) with my Addi Express knitting machine. What an awesome idea!


What awesome tip have you learned lately?

My thanks to all the crafters who've shared their time and passion with me.

Now, here's a yarn

I haven't been blogging much, I am very busy with knitting and crochet projects. I've met a wonderful bunch of women at the Martin Luther King, Jr. library that knit, crochet and pursue any manner of wonderful crafts.

I'll be posting about our projects and experiences.

Now that I'm semi-retired, I can put a little more time into my blogs. If you are checking them out you will hear a lot about some of the following:

• Crafts (I knit, crochet, quilt, embroider, etc.)
• Things made of wood ( I'd love to sculpt, and want to learn to use a lathe.)
• Books (Those I'm reading and authors I like. I'll make recommendations.)
• Food (What can I say? I love food.)
• Topics that engaged me (This could be anything from politics, to human interest, to cryptids)

I hope you'll drop by now and then to read what I've been up to.

Do you Wiki?

I have been pretty lazy about this blog lately, thank you social networking!

I did find this interesting. If you enjoy going to Wikipedia, now you can express your enjoyment in a contribution. What I like best abt Wikipedia is that everyone can contribute their own two cents.

The State of Things

I have been jst too busy to keep up. I have a little more breathing room right now.

More to come...

Just got tuned to MyLikes.com. You can sign up and share information about things and places you like. Naturally, Chris Pirillo is where I heard it. The dude is bonzo! Check him out on FaceBook or at http://www.chrispirillo.com

What America Idolizes

Sorry, folks, but I just had to jump into the American Idol (AI) season eight discussion. While I am not addicted to the show, I do generally tune in during the last few weeks. This season I was for Adam Lambert all the way. He was by far the most interesting, talented, engaged personality among the contestants. But an article by Josh Tyrangiel published in the May 18 issue of Time Magazine, magazine made me review the seasons of American Idol that I've watched. People, AI is a celebration of the bland! There are no two ways about it, the voters seem to prefer someone that's just "good enough". If you've every watched and said, "My cousin Betty sounds that good", or "Heck, I could sing better than that!", you are seeing a potential winner.

Just like in the job market, or the race for promotions on the job, the people who vote don't likie to be challenged. I've seen no statistics, but anectdotal information suggests that most of the voters are teens, pre-teens and children. Metro PCS with unlimited texting, anyone? On a local radio show the hosts shared that they didn't vote, but their daughters did.

I suspect that Adam Lambert will do just fine. Queen could use a front man since losing Freddie Mercury, and Adam had a blast with them. Several of the runners up hve easily eclipsed the season winner.

I'll be a little less inclined to watch American Idol in the future because we have enough bland in entertainment and our culture today. Where are the geniuses of arts, literature, science and phiosophy going to come from in this hideous, timid, politically correct age?

Just my two cents! :-)

Dining Atlanta

Fresh To Order is an awesome little restaurant in the Cumberland Mall in Smyrna GA.

Delish! Fresh ingredients cooked quickly and well. The herb crusted pork loin with raisins and apple is lovely. The mac n cheese is worth -the visit. Grilled veggies are plump and tasty!

Ceasar salad was just OK not nearly as good as Carrbba's. If you happen to be in Smyrna, give both a try.

Ninth tee box

Easter Sunday morning golf! What Could be better? Turkeys, ground squirrels, hawks and song birds. Balm for the spirit as well as the eyes.



Jim and Leonard helped make it a great day of golf. The SALE table at Mather Golf Course offered up tasty items of apparel at bagain prices. Adidas spikeless golf shoes on sale! Wahoo!

Chicago, Chicago

Dateline: March 3, 2008

Wow! If you've never visited Chicago, you've really missed something special. I visited in conjuction with a training assignment and only got the barest taste of what Chicago has to offer, but I love what I got.

First and foremost, I stayed at the fabulous Hilton Palmer House on E. Munroe. This fabled hotel is not to be missed. Not only is it a feast for the eyes and senses, it has a wonderful history. Also not to be missed is the enchanting Lockwood Restaurant (http://www.lockwoodrestaurant.com/) inside the hotel. Thanks to Chef Phillip Foss I can say I've dined. The food is truly world class.

Not to be outdone, Chicago also served up Petterino's, 150 N Dearborn StChicago, IL 60601(312) 422-0150, a truly welcoming pre-theatre treat! Kudos to Tim, my urbane and elegant server for recommding the tomato bisque. http://www.petterinos.com/

To top it all off, I saw Wicked (http://www.wickedthemusical.com) at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theater, 24 W. Randolph Street. It met all my expectations.

On the road again!

Dateline: January 21, 2008

Today I'm at the lovely indoor pool and spa at the Wyndham Las Colinas in Irving, TX.

While cold and wet outside, it is nice in here! This is a lovely hotel with very nice staff.

Beatiful Vancouver

Dateline: February 15, 2008

I am just back from a training trip to British Columbia. I got to visit Burnaby, BC, a small town just outside Vancouver. This picture is from the departure terminal in the Vancouver Airport. The airport is fantastic. There was a waterfall in the arrival terminal!

BC is just lovely. The weather was cold but clear and very nice in all. Burnaby has a very large Asian population which makes for excellent food choices. I stayed at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown which has a great Asian food court and market. You can get all your favorites and some new things too! The congee (jook) was great! Check it out http://www.thecrystalmall.ca/.

Happy trails!

Desert dreams

The hubs and I visited my in-laws in Arizona for Thanksgiving. It was my first time in Phoenix/Scottsdale and I enjoyed cool weather and didn't suffer from dryness.




We had a lovely dinner, reconnected with family and made some new friends. Best of all, we got in a round of golf at Troon North, a Tom Weiskopf course. It was a great afternoon on the links with fantastic views of the desert and the resort community.

I didn't see a single lizard or coyote!

Three Monkeys

There is a hot new restaurant in Sacramento, CA, called Three Monkeys. Located just off the K Street Mall near 7th Street, it features an eclectic California menu which includes sushi.

My handsome husband and I found this by accident. We were on the way back from the IMAX theater when I noticed the sign on the mall. The entrance actually faces the outdoor ice rink that the City creates each winter.

We had sushi and seared Kobe beef. Both were excellent. More than excellent are the friendly and attentive staff.

North Carolina Golf

I played 18 holes of golf at a local course named Knights Play. This is Hole 8. Isn't it beautiful.

Knights play is a very challenging par 54 course (all par 3 holes), hilly with contoured greens.

Dining out in Cary, NC

Mike shucking oysters at Tony's New Orleans Style Oyster Bar, a raw bar. This is something I've only encountered in the Eastern US. Fresh seafood cooked while you wait. Yumm