Things

 I always find it odd that contestants on Wheel of Fortune choose things as their bonus round topic... Why? There are trillions of things in this world....everything is practically a thing!  Then I think about all the things in my house....Once again, everything is a thing. Why in the world do we need so many things. Being at the end of my tenure on earth, I 'm thinking a lot about what will happen to my things. My kids don't care about my things, my grandkids don't really care about my things and my husband doesn't care much about anything...OK maybe his things!  Sadly, I still have my Mom and Dad's things and some of their Mom and Dad's things.  Basically, my point!  I made the monumental decision to start donating, throwing, burning and paring down all things.  If there are trophies, credentials, certificates, awards and paper memorabilia, I will be photographing them and organizing them in to a Shutterfly book that I can hand to my grands.....which they will inevitably hand to their grands and it will be thrown away in the 2070s. At least I will feel accomplished even knowing the destiny of those artifacts. 

 I Just found my grandmother's high school diploma.....from 1910.  Various insects and time have air-conditioned it. I covered it in clear plastic! For what? My mother kept everyone's marriage, graduation, engagement, wedding, birth and death announcements from the newspapers. Ok, there's a page in my book....maybe.....I don't even know who some of the people are!  

Pictures- here's where it gets really tricky. I have gone to such lengths as using a magnifying glass to see if the folks in pictures from the early 1900s look like any relatives I remember.... That was a certain waste of time. If there is no identification on a photo.....it's gone! There are few actual interesting pictures from that time period. Most folks look alike and nobody carried a camera on their adventures. I do have a photo of my great aunt and her pals smoking in their bathing suits and another of an unknown family member standing next to a giant hanging shark.  That's about as adventurous as it gets.  I'd really like to find photos of my relatives stealing horses with the Rockefellers or some back room politics at the state capitol with my great grandfather.  Assuming they were intelligent enough not to photograph those events.

Most things in this house, if out of sight, would be out of mind. As I peruse my desk, I can count 17 things I don't need and haven't used but have been here for years.....3 rulers, 3 chap sticks, 2 candles I have yet to burn, crayons, flash cards for the US states, my father's paperweight and ashtray, a needle and thread (seriously?,) 6 pens, 2 bottles of lotion, a rock, lavender spray, a penalty flag and a miniature pitchfork...WTF!  See, things...and that's just one area of one room.  

Things are described as a material things without life or consciousness and something that could be an actual object of thought.... So for the next month, I will be purging many of the objects without life or consciousness in this house.  I am keeping body parts off the list for now but hey, you never know, if it has no life (or use) it will be out the door. Even people aren't safe here anymore!

Till Death Do US Part

 Mating Season!  As I age, I contemplate way too many weird things.  Like finding a mate for instance.... We see so many TV programs that have just that as their premise.  It doesn't seem that the process used to be so manipulative.  Although, my new found interest in period series set from the 1500s through the 1900s, shows exactly that manipulation. You were promised (betrothed) practically from birth.  Eeeeewww!  Marriages were arranged and actually carried out from age 12 into their teens.  I can't even imagine... a 12 year old barely knows how to brush their teeth properly much less any marital task....and that brings me to another point.... If it's a task, you're with the wrong mate. 

Fast forward to the 1900s....which is sadly my time period. I remember recently seeing a handbook on how to be the perfect wife in the 40s.  Pretty sure I would have been either jailed or banished if I had married in the 40's.  Although, I assume I acquired many of my skills, or lack thereof, by watching my elder relatives....most of whom I surmised really didn't care for each...at all.  I realize there were few PDAs (public displays of affection) in the early 1900s but the only proof of any affection were the offspring....and I'm not sure the parents liked them either....

Then it was the 60s and 70s...everybody loved everybody then.  It was the Age of Aquarius. That, btw, was our Senior Graduation song! Marriage became less important but mating was still high, and I use the term lightly, on many people's lists.  Most men loved most women and vice versa.....maybe it was because it was so hard to tell the difference.  Birth control was a thing, if you remembered to take it, and if not, well you either walked the halls with a big belly, were sent away to deliver or just became a single parent.  It was the age of nobody really caring what you did.

Fast forward 50 or 60 years...yikes!  We have the Bachelorette, The Bachelor, 90 Day Fiance', Married at First Sight, Sister Wives...etc.. WTH.  Interesting...ok not that interesting.  We must remember that this generation only knows what they've seen (or lived) and their requirements (if they have any at all) are often far different than other generations.  Women want men who are handsome, employed, will let them have a mind of their own and are well endowed....not necessarily in that order. Men want someone who will wash their clothes, cook their meals, birth their children all while earning a comparable salary...oh, and large boobs!  Through family experiences, salary seems to trump most of the listed female qualities.  

Mating legalities..... there appear to be few. If you're not happy with your choice in a mate, dump them, divorce them or bury them... Three interesting choices.  My answer to the entire fiasco is "DO NOT MARRY. I'm pretty sure Holy Matrimony is less than holy these days and the institution of marriage is just that...an institution.  Who needs a piece of paper to love (and live) with someone?  Who needs to say in sickness and health or for better or worse or even till death do us part...Nobody!!!  It's too expensive to get in and it's too expensive to get out!  Now you may think I sound pessimistically against love....not at all but I am intellectually against hypocrisy.  I also have always been one to steer my own ship. I have been fortunate but not naive. Life is short!!  If you're not entirely happy, your partner most likely isn't either.  If your heart says you love a woman and you ARE a woman, go for it and vice versa.  If your heart says, move on, move on!  Spark is important but but sparks are seldom forever. If your fire continues to burn, you're a lucky soul. If not, build another fire or get a blanket. You're dead for a much longer time than you're married.... Use your head and heart in unison and remember nothing lasts forever..............unless it does♥

2021.... that's odd!

 Pretty sure that 2021 is going to be another extremely ODD year......odd in so many ways.  We all are turning an odd number; 5, 69, 71, 15, 43...That's odd as they total an odd number too. It's odd (sort of) that school is from home and it's odd that that is becoming accepted as normal! It's odd that wearing a mask EVERYWHERE is now normal... Catalogs and ads offer masks to match your outfits...WTF.  It's odd that you can catch (or spread) Covid standing next to a restaurant table but not sitting at the table.  You can also spread the virus at church but not so much at Wal-Mart....I try to avoid both places...Sorry God but I pray at home....a long, sad, evening prayer that includes and asks for help for way too many people.  It's odd that at nearly 70, I continue to oversee the safety and well-being of children (and adults!)  My recliner time, reading time and quiet time have been shortened rather than lengthened.   That's odd!  It's odd that I now enjoy period movies and series that depict history and at the very same time I count the hours until a football game appears on my screen......both are relatively violent at times and quite entertaining.  It's odd that I'm losing interest in soap operas as my own life is often more drama filled and slightly more entertaining. It's odd that the cold doesn't bother me but ice terrifies me, staying home makes me happy and travel unnerves me and the news disappoints me while game shows entertain me...... Maybe I have a bit of a spelling problem (just kidding) and things really aren't all that ODD...I'm just OLD.  Regardless, I think we're in for 12 more months of life continuing to be an oddity.  I have decided to just sit back and go with the flow.  After all, you have to be ODD to be number one...... right Dr. Seuss?

Hindsight

 Whew, we made it...I had my doubts at times.  Unfortunately, things are pretty much exactly the same as they were 4 days ago.  Just like being a teen on the night before your 18th birthday and automatically being an adult the next morning...Nope......or wearing your mask into the restaurant so you won't be at risk but you're fine the minute you sit down at the table....Nope.....or putting students in the classroom puts them at risk but it's fine for staff and faculty to report.....Nope....I have no answers so it appears fruitless for me to question anything anymore.

I guess I'll focus on the things I can manage.  I'll pay my taxes with the $1200 I received from the government.....Not sure where the other $3800 will come from but I'll use the money I already paid tax on to pay my taxes....WTF!  

I did manage to take the Christmas decorations down in the house and on the porch.  Each year I swear I'll be more organized and meticulous on how I label and pack them away....maybe next year:-/

I was successful with my Fantasy Football this past season.  I won last year and I WON THIS YEAR TOO. See, it wasn't a fluke even though I drafted with my heart for a couple players (Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs (Bills players) rather than my head.  All my choices were pretty reliable and helped me squeak through for several weeks.  Already looking forward to next fall and a new season.  Go Buffalo in the next couple of weeks!!!!!!!

Hoping we can all stay healthy throughout the winter. Jeff is still doctoring and we're hoping for an improvement. Lee is planning on heading south for a couple of trap tournaments. That's MY vacation!! Bailee is continuing to flourish in her studies.....in her bedroom. That's definitely a day-to-day scenario. I would hate to be a school administrator!!!

Not sure what my next project will be..... I need something occupy this aging brain.  Maybe I'll finish my book about JimBob and maybe come up with some new creative yard decor to keep him looking fresh!

As always, I'll be looking forward to my time here at EIEIO during any season. This is my happy place and I'm thankful to be here every day!  Hindsight is a good thing if it make foresight better....As a friend recently imparted....Knowledge speaks....but wisdom listens.. She rocks....literally!!!!♥