The Country Store

Yesterday, I read a blog post about abandoned country stores.

It brought me back to a post I wrote in August of 2013.  If any of you have memories of the 1970's and 1980's "back to the land movement",  my spouse and I were part of that.

Not in a "hippie" way.  We weren't hippies - no, we were far from it, probably about as far from it as you could get.  But here we were anyway.

We were afraid the economy was tanking, along with a lot of other people.  Although we were in our late 20's, we found ourselves trying to prepare for a future that was uncertain.  Part of it was reading a magazine called "Mother Earth News" and deciding we were going to "live off the land". Oh, and by the way, neither of us had any relatives that had ever pursued the rural life.  We were fully urban. 

And yet....we had dreams of self-sufficiency, of living the "organic way", and Arkansas turned out to be the place where we were going to make them come true.  My spouse was in the Air Force, he was stationed in Wichita, Kansas and his enlistment was going to be up in another year.  We went on a vacation in 1979 and bought land.  We moved a year after my spouse left the military, and gave it a good shot.

We lasted five years.

It was five years we are proud of.  We learned skills, we learned there was courage in us we didn't think we had, and we learned that failure means only that you tried, and you need to do something different.   I should remember that leap of faith I took back in my 20's now, as I draw closer to retirement.

A life without trying and failing is not a life at all.

You know what?  Our dreams really did come true in theyears after we left.  My spouse and I are still married.  We have a grown son, born after we left and returned to New York State.  We are still curious, still wanting to champion the sustainable lifestyle.

Why did we fail?

We were too unprepared, still too immature.  And, Arkansas wasn't ready for us, either.

We and Arkansas both changed between 1979 and 2013 when I made the trip I'm going to mention.  We moved towards each other in those years.  Maybe we didn't meet in the middle, but we did meet.

So I wanted to take you on parts of the drive we made in late August of 2013, the first (and only) time we returned after we left.

Northwest Arkansas has grown tremendously since we left.  Just from 2000 to 2010, the population grew 71%.

But, at some point in the nearly 27 mile drive from Fayetteville to our former land, it was almost like time had stood still.  The roads were back down to two lanes.  Farmers drove slowly.  The traffic lights disappeared. Round hay bales stood in the fields.  Cattle grazed.

We went through Canehill, an incorporated place that could have been great except for the Civil War.   Several historic buildings, in ruins, the remnants of its former history as a college town, and a ruined mill, can be seen if you know where to look.  And we did know, even though we had never bothered to investigate its history when we had lived near there.

Then we made the turn into the small town of Morrow.

We passed what used to be the Morrow Cash Store, a true general store. (We didn't go in).  More about the Morrow Country Store in a moment.

Then, we turned onto the road where we lived.  A little of it is paved now, but most of it is still unpaved.  Just like when we left.

So let me tell you what we found. 

We had two neighbors.  One (we had found this out right before we left) died in 2012 and the other died several months before we made the 2013 trip.

The house of one of them (he and his wife had moved before we did) was gone  - absolutely no trace of it, or his barn.  No foundation, no nothing.  As of 2012 the other neighbor's widow was still living exactly where they had been. I don't know if she, as a widow, moved, but, but her trailer was there.

The cabin my spouse built with the help of a neighbor's son and we lived in - gone.  Our chicken house - gone.

The peach tree we had planted - gone.  My roses.  My flower beds.  Gone.

Our garden areas - gone.  Our raspberries - gone.
 
We will never return to Morrow.  There is no need.  Only ghosts of our past remained, and we let them go.  They flew away in the hot, late August breeze, dust in the wind.

So, when I read the blog post about abandoned country stores, my memory went right back to this trip.

I did a search for the "Morrow Country Store" and found it on Facebook. I found that it had still been in the family that owned it back when we bought our land in 1979.   But....I found it too late.

It closed in June.

It has new owners, but it has a new name and its business model has changed.


But what was once there...gone.

Oh Tannenbaum 2019 #WordlessWednesday

Before I begin, I wanted to thank everyone who commented on my blog post yesterday about the ordinary nature of hate and how a local synagogue has had to lock its doors to those wanting to visit a Hanukkah museum on their premises, so they can control entry.

Your messages of support mean a lot to me and my readers.

How can I repay you?  How about with some pictures of beauty?

For years, the Tioga County (New York) Historical Society has featured an annual Christmas Tree auction they call Oh Tannenbaum.  The exhibit is free to the public.  You can bid on whichever tree (normally, if you win, you just get the decorations, so the museum can reuse the tree) you like.  Proceeds go to charity.

This year's program ended on December 14:  here are some highlights.

Imagine several rooms full of trees.

Some are patriotic.

Some are whimsical.

Some are wreaths.

Some have beautiful toppers.

And some are a bit unusual.

But all express the beauty of the season.

Linking up with Sandee for her #WordlessWednesday

The Ordinary Nature of Hate

Is it the most wonderful time of the year?

This holiday season is not the usual type.  While many celebrate with wonderful traditions, fear has come to certain populations of the United States.

It's become a holiday tradition on my blog, when the Jewish holiday of Hanukah draws close, to blog about an annual museum in Binghamton, New York.

Hanukah House is located in a historic mansion now owned, and part of, Temple Concord.

Here is an outside picture.

During late November and into late December (days vary each year), Hanukah House operates as a museum dedicated to the Jewish holiday of Hanukah.  It's the Festival of Lights, a celebration of rebellion and religious freedom (and a miracle).  Each year its exhibits change.

Here are some of my previous posts.

From 2012

From 2015 

Would You Help a Neighbor? (from 2016)

And then there's this:  The Ordinary Nature of Evil (from 2016)

That was only the beginning, that ordinary nature of evil post.  Times have changed, my reader friends.

At one time you could just walk up to the door and open it, and walk into the museum/synagogue.

No more.

Now, the door to Hanukkah House is locked.  You have to ring a bell, and there is a security camera where the volunteers inside can view you, and decide if they will let you into the building.

Hatred has become so ordinary.  Someone with a gun, a car, a knife, could decide to put their hate into action at the mall, at your church, at your synagogue, at your mosque, at your local big box store, at your local TV station, at a concert, a movie, a grocery store, or even at an office Christmas party.

Just because.

It's so ironic that a woman whose dollhouses and dolls are part of Hanukkah House's exhibits was herself murdered in a mass shooting on April 3, 2009, in an adult classroom in Binghamton, New York.

We all pay the price of the haters among us.

Each and every day.

Even in a museum celebrating a fight for religious freedom.

Christmas of Songs Written By Jews #MusicMovesMe

It's the third  Monday of December and it's time for #MusicMovesMe.   It is time for something that has become one of my favorite seasonal blog posts, updated a little each year. 


It may surprise you that White Christmas, the most popular Christmas song in our country of all time, was written by a Jewish song writer, Irving Berlin.  Not only that, but Jewish composers are responsible for many other beloved Christmas songs.

My quest to find out more started in 2010, reading a NY Times Op Ed.  There are a number of these songs, and other bloggers and writers have done the research for me:  I thank them, including the  this article. (a must read, based on extensive research).

Here is another, more recent article on the topic.

Why would Jews write Christmas songs?   Well, think of the themes of these songs:  Missing your home.  Childhood nostalgia.  Enjoying a season of lights and happiness. The different child (or reindeer), scorned by others, who becomes the best of all.  These are universal themes, and this is why these songs, I think, are so appealing, no matter who wrote them. 

Now, when hatred seems to be swirling around us more and more, I think it's more important than every to listen to these songs.

After all, It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, written by two Jewish composers, Edward Pola and George Wyle.

In addition to featuring "White Christmas" this year (later in this post), I chose another Irving Berlin song, "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep", sung by the incomparable Bing Crosby.  This may not be a true Christmas song, but many people consider it one.

Johnny Marks was responsible for three of the greatest secular Christmas songs - Jingle Bell Rock, A Holly Jolly Christmas and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  This year, I chose the Rudolph song sung by the late Dean Martin.

In 1944, Mel Torme and Robert Wells, both Jewish, wrote "The Christmas Song", a personal favorite. I choose the version by Nat King Cole.

Last week, I mentioned Santa Baby, a 1953 song made famous by Eartha Kitt. Both its composers, Joan Javits and Phillip Springer, were Jewish.

I also featured a satire of the song "Winter Wonderland", another song written by two men, one of whom, Felix Bernard, was Jewish.  Here is "Winter Wonderland", sung by Tony Bennett.

Finally, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas", and I decided to feature a cover sung by a Jewish singer, Barbra Streisand.  I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the video, but close your eyes and listen to the singing.


Thank you for joining me for another episode of Music Moves Me.  We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only,  please! Non-music posts are subject to removal or labeling as "No Music".)   First, there is XmasDolly.  Her chief co-conductor is Cathy of Curious as a Cathy. Her other co-conductors are Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, and me.  

And that's a Christmas wrap! 

Next week, Hanukah songs.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day-December 2019

Winter has come to the Southern Tier of New York, and my zone 5b garden has nothing to show outside.   The pansies, still alive, have no flowers.  My early blooming Christmas Rose has no buds yet (that will come in January, when they play games with the snow - some years they bloom and other years the winter cold gets them.)

But inside, things are blooming.  Welcome to my house this 15th of December, the last Garden Bloggers Bloom Day of 2019. 

Another African Violet

Another African violet.

Finally, my specialty African violet from Lyndon Lyon greenhouses.  A local nursery gets these beauties in twice a year.   The leaves are variegated and an unusual shape.  These are not grown for their flowers.

Red and white speckled poinsettia (the actual blooms are in the center of the picture - the red and white bracts are just lovely, specialized leaves.

 A white Phalaenopsis, which I bought at Home Depot on Black Friday.  I couldn't resist the flowers and the price ($5), and figured, if it lasted a couple of weeks, it would be work it as a bouquet for my table.

Pink Thanksgiving cactus.  My Thanksgiving cactus, and my one Christmas cactus, aren't having a banner year the way they did last year.

But I did find blooms on one of the red cactii.

White poinsettia.

Red Poinsettia, 99 cents at Home Depot for Black Friday.

Finally, for some reason, I can't get a sharp picture of this, a variegated geranium I brought in for the winter.

I bought an amaryllis bulb Black Friday (nothing fancy) and need to get that going.  Other than that, I will wait for those first days of spring.  I don't force Ziva paperwhites because I can't stand the smell - I'm one of those unfortunates for whom paperwhites smell like a garbage dump.  I can't seem to find any other locally, and I don't feel like mail ordering.

I hope this floral beauty has brought a smile to your face this Sunday.

Thank you once again to Carol at May Dreams Gardens, for hosting this 15th of the month meme.  See you next month!

Misty Saturday.

Just two weeks after a major snowstorm, it was a foggy, warmish day in the Southern Tier of upstate New York.  Later in the day it would rain, but for now, my spouse and I walked in the misty air.

We walked across the Bridge of Locks I've blogged about, and the trees disappeared into the mist.

The trees were stark against the grey sky.

Owego, New York, "Oh Tannenbaum", Tioga County Historical Society

You could have imagined yourself on a planet in a galaxy far, far away.

Johnson City, New York, a couple of weeks ago

But at least the snow of a couple of weeks ago has finally melted.

Now, it's been raining hard for a while.  But I know winter will be back (yes, I know it is still fall) soon, maybe by Monday, when we are supposed to get ice.

Owego, New York, "O Tannenbaum", Tioga County Historical Society

So let's get back into the holiday spirit, shall we?

Owego, New York

And tomorrow, it will be December 15, and time for the last Garden Bloggers Bloom Day of 2019.  Come back tomorrow for more beauty.

Seeing the Sunrise and Sunset #SkywatchFriday

It's been so cloudy in the past couple of weeks, here in the Southern Tier of upstate New York.  It's been a rare thing to see a sunrise and a sunset.

Yesterday, I got to see both.

Yesterday morning, it had gotten cold (a good sign for clear skies) but I didn't want to stand outside.  So I missed the best of the pre sunrise reddish color.

But I did get to see this before I headed to work. I need to explain that there are six Bradford Pear trees that I like to track through the seasons.  They are just about the only landscaping left from a flooded historic factory building on this property that was torn down several years ago.

From the east, just before sunrise.

And this view from the west.

Then, when I got out of work, the sun had just set, but I was treated to this.

And this.

Nothing unlucky about posting this on Friday the 13th.  I hope we get to see the sky today, but the prediction is rain. (At least it isn't snow.)

As always, each Friday I join the skywatching bloggers who are part of Yogi's Skywatch Friday.

Skies of Grey and Blue #ThursdayTreeLove

I love the look of snowy trees.  As much as I detest winter, there is a certain beauty in these pictures.  I live about 150 miles from New York City, on the edge of the upstate New York snowbelt.

Getting lots of chances to see snow on trees doesn't diminish my enjoyment.

The time of day brings contrasts, too.   Watch.......

In the morning, the trees and sky look silvery grey.

After sunset but before dark, everything is tinted in blue.

And the trees themselves, having shed their leaves and entered their winter hibernation...do they know what is going on around them?  What do they dream as they sleep?

Do they dream of spring, as I do?

For more lovely trees from all over the world, visit Parul's Happiness and Food for Thursday Tree Love every second and fourth

Things Remembered #WordlessWednesday

I was in our local mall this past weekend, admiring the holiday decorations.

Our mall is under new ownership, and they have made quite the production of decorating, especially where children can have pictures taken with Santa.

In fact, a local florist was involved in setting this up.

And it is beautiful.

I should mention that our local mall, like many in the United States, has been declining for several years.  We have lost many stores, including three of our four anchors.

So, when, on Sunday, a man stopped my spouse and me and said "There used to be a store which would engrave gifts, wasn't there?" I had to tell him, yes there was, but it closed about a year ago.

It was called Things Remembered.

And, in fact, nothing is forever, including our Forever 21  store, which is closing "forever" soon.

It will be joining the other stores which are Things Remembered.

Joining Sandee for #Wordless Wednesday.

Kindness Month

Today, I received an email about December being a "Month of Kindness"  I've seen various calendars now, with each day of December being devoted to an act of kindness.

For December 10, one website asked that I "Fill out a survey at a store and complement an employee who was good to you".

I probably won't be in a store today, but I still want to blog about the kindness of an employee.

Today, one of my cousins is undergoing surgery for cancer, and my mind thought back to a special day back in 2014.

  

On that day in 2014, I was shopping for a card for a friend who was about to undergo cancer surgery in the near future.   I  ended up seeing a ring, one that had the cancer loop on it. The employee asked if she could help me - I couldn't find it in my size.  I told the sales clerk about the woman who was going to undergo the surgery, and I burst out in tears.  Both of us ended up hugging and crying right in the middle of the store.  I don't know the name of this woman but knew just what to do at the emotional moment of a customer.

I don't know if I will ever meet her again.  I never have seen her again in that tore.  I hope she finds out, somehow, how much what she did meant to me. 

In November of 2010, I also experienced a random act of kindness in a local store, this time by a customer   Today, I wonder how the man in this story is doing.  Is he better off?  Despite what must have been hard times for him, he had such an upbeat attitude.

Here's some of the post I blogged about him from 2010:

 ******

I saw something inspiring, as we get closer to the Thanksgiving season, this afternoon.

I had gotten out of work early for a couple of appointments.  After the appointments, spouse decided we should get our Thanksgiving turkey.  We did so, and then remembered that a nearby Aldi had good sales on fresh cranberries and also celery.

I don't know if you have an Aldi's where you live.  Aldi is actually a huge chain in Germany, with stores in various stores on the Continent and also in Great Britain.  In the United States, for some reason, they initially came in as a "bargain" store, with (in my opinion) dirty, ill lit stores.  I would not shop there for years.  The employees "did it all", the same people doing store cleanup, stocking, and cash register.

When my son took German in school, his teacher came in one day with an Aldi ad from Germany.  What a difference!  Aldi in Germany is almost like a combination grocery/department store.  But meanwhile, back in upstate NY...

Due to that ad, we gave them another shot.  'They had seriously upgraded the stores in the meantime, with better lighting and edible produce. So we do shop there (in 2019) all the time. You can't beat their prices, and they do have a number of really decent store brands.

Over the years, I have experience many kindnesses at Aldi.  This is just one of them.

We were getting ready to check out.  We only had three items.  The line was long, although the lines there tend to move quickly.  The person at the back of the line had an overflowing cart. "Here, go ahead of me."  The next person also let us in, and also let go ahead of him a person right behind us who had two items.  That man's clothes were a little dirty and he walked like he had a stiff leg, with a limp.

My spouse and I struck up a conversation with the man with the limp.  He had some extra money because he had sold two cars at auction today.  He had been up since 5 am.  It was a good day for him, because he was able to buy another car to fix up and sell.  Best of all, it was his birthday.  He couldn't see why he should spend $30. at Texas Roadhouse [a steakhouse chain in the U.S.] when he could buy some frozen steaks and cook him at home (we don't know if he had a loved one waiting for him.  I hope so).  He was so glad to be spared a few extra minutes on line, so he could get home and rest.

I hope the gentleman who gave up his place for a couple of tired near senior citizens and a man with a limp had a wonderful rest of the day, due to this random act of kindness.

Are you going to spread kindness in December, a time when so many of us are stressed and extra-stressed?  Or, would you like to comment about a kindness done to you?

Offbeat Christmas#MusicMovesMe

It's the second Monday of December and music lovers everywhere have geared up for the holiday season.  It's time for Music Moves Me.  No grinches, please!

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only,  please! Non-music posts are subject to removal or labeling as "No Music".)   First, there is XmasDolly.  Her chief co-conductor is Cathy of Curious as a Cathy. Her other co-conductors are Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, and me. 


Today, I am going to be a little different.

There are a lot of Christmas classics that aren't your normal hymns or praises for the holiday season.  These are a bit....offbeat?  Some are novelty songs, and some are novelty songs that may not be totally politically correct.

Some of them are songs that deserved more fame.  Some, you'll either like or you won't.

The first one is one of many classic Christmas parodies by a retired radio personality, Bob Rivers.  This may be one of his "suitable for work" songs - some are not.  I bring you "The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen", which, apparently, has a lot of covers on You Tube.  But this is the original. (More Bob Rivers later.)

This next song is a Bob Dylan song.  Yes, it really is!  Bob Dylan and "Must Be Santa" from 2009.  Accordion lovers, rejoice!

Let's lighten it up with Snoopy's Christmas - Royal Guardsmen.  Peace on Earth to all the world...and good will to men.

How about another notch?

Chipmunks and Christmas.  Well, there is Alvin and his friends, but there is also Bob Rivers.  Here's one of his best:  Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire.

Weird Al Yankovic is another classic master of parody.  Christmas At Ground Zero - this one is not a funny topic at all, but Weird Al pulls it off.

And now, kicking it up one more notch.

I'll close with one that you either love or don't.  I love it.  Walking 'Round in Women's Underwear" - one more by Bob Rivers.

There was one more song I wanted to include in this, but decided it didn't quite fit, so blogged about it yesterday - Fairytale of New York.  I invite you to read my post and decide what you think.

And it's a wrap.  A Christmas wrap.

See you next week - same time, same place!

Not Quite a Fairytale

Nothing like controversy when it comes to Christmas songs.

Last year it was Santa Baby, written by now 93 year old Phil Springer (interviewed last year) and famously recorded by Eartha Kitt and many others.  When it was released in 1953 it was controversial because of its sexy overtones ("Santa Baby, hurry down the chimney tonight...".  And, it became controversial at times over the years, including last year.

And then there is this year's controversy, at least on the other side of the pond.

This is a 1987 song by the Pogues called Fairytale of New York.  I had run across it while researching my Music Moves Me post for tomorrow.  I had never heard of this song, which is said to have originated with a bet between Elvis Costello and the frontman of the Pogues, Shane MacGowan.

When Americans hear this song, they are more puzzled than anything, and I admit, I was one of them.  At first.  By the second hearing, I was in love with it.

But now it has become controversial.

You may not like it at first, especially given that there is a questionable lyric in it, but please stick with it.   I understand it was the most played Christmas song on British radio last year.  To me, it's a powerful song.  Others want it banned.

The song is sung, in alternating fashion, by Shane MacGowan and the late Kirsty MacColl.

I hope you will give these songs a listen.

I am not into banning songs, but am curious to know what you think.

Remembering Another Pearl Harbor Anniversary

December 7, 2019, 78 years after the day that would live on in infamy - the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

 Pearl Harbor Day was the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which was not yet one of the 50 United States.  Japan declared war on the United States shortly after the attack. The United States declared war on Japan the next day, and Germany declared war on the United States three days later.

The official death toll of Pearl Harbor was 2,403.

December 7 is a day meaningful to the generation that preceded mine - the generation that is sometimes called "The Greatest Generation".  In the same way, November 22 is that date for my generation -  the day that President Kennedy was assassinated.  For a newer generation, January 28 is the date the shuttle Challenger exploded not long after liftoff.  There is September 11, 2001. For the people of India, there is what they call "26/11" in their way of writing dates, the terrible Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008.

But the anniversary of Pearl Harbor may not live on for too much longer.  Eyewitnesses to the attack are dying of old age.  When I looked at this in 2017, for example, five survivors of the sinking of the USS Arizona were still alive.  Today, only three are still alive - two died this year.

Overall (apparently) there may be only 11 survivors of the attack, although that depends on how you define who is included.

One of those, Lauren Bruner, was the second to last man to escape the burning Arizona.  He lived to age 98, and passed away in his sleep in September.

Any survivor of the USS Arizona's sinking has the right (as of 1982) to be interred on the wreckage of the ship, which still lies in Pearl Harbor and is visited by upwards of a million people a year.  The same right is granted to the survivors of another ship, the USS Utah.  So far, 44 deceased survivors have been so interred.

Lauren Bruner will be the last man interred on the Arizona, as the three remaining survivors plan different final resting places.  His ashes will be placed by divers inside the wreckage later today in a sunset ceremony.

Another survivor of Pearl Harbor, Joseph Iscovitz, died in June at the age of 103.

Others of the Greatest Generation leave us daily.  This year, this included:
John "Jack" Lyle, one of the decorated African-American Tuskogee Airmen, at the age of 98.
Dick Churchhill, the last of the survivors of the "Great Escape", in February, at age 99 (no, he wasn't related to Winston Churchill). 
Richard Cole, last of the Doolittle Raiders who bombed Japan four months after Pearl Harbor in a daring raid that raised American morale, in April, at age 103.

To all the men and women who served in World War II, we remember your service today. 

Snow of the Season #SkywatchFriday

Winter arrived for good where I live in upstate New York Sunday and Monday.  We received about 1/2 inch of sleet and freezing rain Sunday, and once it turned to snow, things got going - 11 inches (29 cm) worth of snow on top of it.

So of course you want to see pictures.

The first few are in downtown Binghamton, New York.

To me, almost looks postcard-worthy.

Tuesday morning, the Broome County Courthouse, downtown Binghamton, New York.

A better view of the gazebo to the left of the courthouse.  It's hard to see, but there's a small Christmas tree inside the gazebo.

After a day of work, a different view, as the sun sets.

And a last view of a sun setting.

You know what I'm going to say next, so I will say it.

Join Yogi and other sky loving bloggers for #SkywatchFriday.  You'll be glad you did.

The Peleton Controversy

Would you like an exercise bike that costs around $2,245 (or more) whose main selling feature is a large internet enabled screen that allows you to stream live or taped exercise classes (via subscription), so you spin along with others while an exercise instructor motivates you, like in a live spinning class?

A company called "Peleton" which makes and sells such bikes has suddenly become a household name, due to a commercial which has gone viral - for some of the wrong reasons.

As someone who 1.  can't afford a Peleton exercise bike and 2. someone who used to own an exercise bike, which ended up as a device to drape my clothes all over when I was too lazy to hang them back up, I am watching, with great amusement, the controversy over a Peleton exercise bike.

The original commercial is at the end of this news feature, but first, you can enjoy some of the paradies it has inspired   Be aware, some of them contain strong language and are Not Suitable for Work.

The comments at the end of the news article I linked to are...kind of interesting.

Normally, I don't have much interest in what goes on in the Twitterverse (after all, I have a full time job) but this one caught my attention.

My thought? I think, whatever kind of exercise you do and keep on doing is the right exercise for you.  I did water aerobics once to twice a week for almost 20 years but finally quit it.  Now, I walk and do some exercises to relieve back pain and to help with a frozen shoulder I've had for a year or so.  (Both exercise routines came from physical therapy, I might add.)  I also do some balance exercises learned at a balance program for seniors I attended in 2015.

But some people need a lot more than that.  And, how would you feel if the love of your life got you an exercise machine?  Would you be thrilled?  Or insulted?

In case you want to exercise in other ways, that can easily cost zero. (iPhone and sports equipment optional.)

Remember this commercial for the iPhone 5 from 2014?  I was one of the "Chicken Fat" generation, as I was in elementary school when this Meredith Wilson song came out in 1962.

In all honesty, if my spouse bought me an exercise bike, I would probably slug him with it (if I could lift it....hmmm, about that weight work I need....)

I say, instead, "Go, you chicken fat, go!" It's such a catchy song.

So, I will ask my readers (especially any who may own one of these):  what do you think about the Peleton controversy?

When Snow Feels Like Forever #WordlessWednesday

Some of my Wordless Wednesday readers have never seen snow, except in photos.  For some reason, seeing pictures of it gives them pleasure.

I get it.  I wish all the snow I saw was in pictures.

Alas, if you live in New York State that wish will never come true.  On Monday, this is what I came home to (the blue color is due to the "blue hour" light after sunset, which seems to be magnified by recent snow cover.)

Between Sunday and Monday we got 11 inches (28 cm) of snow on top of about 1/2 inch of sleet and ice.

This is what is left of my front flower bed.

Nothing is forever - not spring, not summer, not fall.  Somehow, winter always returns.  Here, this Norway Maple still hadn't shed its brown leaves.  You can barely see them inthe center and left corner of the photo.

When snow comes, it comes, and it feels like forever.

At least, until March.

Joining up today with various Wordless Wednesdays:

Sandee at Comedy Plus

Esha at The Skygirl and Natasha of Natasha's Musings.

A New Task for St. Anthony

I first blogged this in 2018.  My mother in law passed away last year, but since then, we've had a couple of more encounters with St. Anthony (and yes, he found the lost items every time).

Should I give him one more challenge (at the end of my post)?

I really don't want to run him ragged, and I do need to thank him again, so I am repeating this post.

Sometimes, the strangest (or should I call it "strange"?) things happen in life.

We were desperate, that day in May 2018.  My 90 year old mother in law had been rushed to the emergency room (they call it the ED, or Emergency Department) at 1:30 am on Friday in breathing distress.  No one is thinking straight at 1:30 am, I can assure you.  All we knew is that my mother in law's glasses, and another item that was valuable to her well being, had gone to the ED with her.  Then, a nurse had put them into a hazardous waste bag (why? because there was no other bag available).

But then, they vanished.

Family members spent the next couple of days trying to look for the items, even notifying hospital security and the nurses at the front desk of the unit she is in.  They looked and looked.  Nothing.

Today, Sunday, was Sacred Sites Sunday in New York State, where various houses of worship open their doors for several hours and hold open houses.  In our area were a synagogue, a mosque, and a number of Christian churches of various denominations.

I am not Catholic, but my mother in law was.

I woke up that morning with a vague memory, of what Catholics sometimes do when something is lost and can't be found.  I did an online search and I found it.  Pray to St. Anthony.

I was going to several church open houses anyway.  When we visited my mother in law (who doesn't see well, and these glasses were so important to her well being) we mentioned St. Anthony and right away she said yes, please pray to him. (I also contacted asked the hospital, which is a Catholic hospital, if they could get someone to pray with my mother in law for the return of these objects).

St. Mary of the Assumption Church Binghamton, New York

As it happens, at this church, we talked to a church historian for this and another area church - St. Anthony's (which wasn't open for the open house).  And, in comparing notes, we discovered her husband used to work with my brother in law - in fact they were born one day apart.  So, well, I had prayed already to St. Anthony, but what harm would a reminder prayer do?  So I prayed.

We left the church about 4pm.

Well, about 5pm, we got a phone call from the hospital.

They had found her missing items.

You could have knocked this Jewish gal from the Bronx over with a feather, as the old saying goes.

So....yes, there are some things in this world that aren't easily explained.

December 2, 2019 - 11 inches (29 cm)

Now...if only St. Anthony could find spring and bring it to us here in upstate New York.

Oh Christmas Trees #MusicMovesMe

It's the first Monday of December and music lovers everywhere are gearing up for the holiday season.

It's time for the Holiday Spectacular of Music Moves Me!

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only,  please! Non-music posts are subject to removal or labeling as "No Music".)   First, there is XmasDolly.  Her chief co-conductor is Cathy of Curious as a Cathy. Her other co-conductors are Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, and me.  

December is reserved for "Santa and his Christmas Tunes" so shall be get going?

Today I want to concentrate on Christmas Trees because I loved them so as a child.  Even the fake white ones, which I have a bit of a fondness for.

Let's start off trimming our musical tree with Perry Como and "It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas", a song not exactly about Christmas trees, but they are mentioned.  After our storm, it sure is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Nothing hits the spot like a good old fashioned song like O Tannenbaum, from 1824, as covered by the great Nat King Cole. 

Because this first video has to be played directly on You Tube, I also have uploaded another one.

Trimming the Christmas Tree song from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (I think the song is called Trim Up the Tree).

And, from my childhood, Brenda Lee's Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree.

Speaking of Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, this reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time, Home Alone.  Here's a clip (trigger alert, some move gun violence) with the famous "Keep the change, you filthy animal!"   I wish I could have found the clip with Rockin' in it, but I couldn't.

Finally, just because, I am including two bonus songs.  First, 1944's movie Meet Me in St. Louis features Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" to Margaret O'Brien.  O'Brien is still alive at age 82.

And last, for fans of the 40's, Les Brown and his Orchestra and "When You Trim Your Christmas Tree". (I love the video!)

And that's a Christmas Wrap!

Same time next week, same place!
 

Small Business Saturday

I know.   Officially, Small Business Sunday was yesterday.  But something happened today that, to me, outlines a difference between local merchants and perhaps some larger chains.

We are under a winter storm warning today, where I live in the Southern Tier of upstate New York.  It's been spitting sleet, and we've had a little snow, and things are really slick out there.

Which is why one local business (OK, I'll name them - Tioga Gardens) first decided to postpone an open house they were supposed to be holding today, in the name of safety.  And later, they made the decision to close early.

Isn't this ceramic dog at Tioga Gardens' Entrance cute?

This is a business that has flooded several times over the years, but they have always come back.

So I want to tell you about my experience with them recently.

Back in early November, I bought a fancy African Violet from them, after a lot of thought.  A woman working there stood with me, answering my questions, and waited patiently as I made up my mind.  I had fallen in love with a couple of them and just couldn't decide.

After I made up my mind, I discussed self watering pots with her.  She discussed my needs and decided I should not buy one for my desired plant yet.  Wait, what? Trying to discourage a sale?

Anyway, spouse and I went back yesterday and the woman was there, tending some plants.  I told her I was ready for the pot.  She recommended the size, showed me how to use it, and even suggested a color based on the appearance of my pot.  So, she made the sale.

Would I have used her and then bought it online?  No way.

Now I know I made the right choice.  I applaud Tioga Gardens and another local business, Black Bear Winery (also out in the countryside) that decided not to open today at all.

This is income out of their pockets.  This is not to say a large big box store would never close due to inclement weather, but they can better afford the loss.

Yes, I admit it.  On Black Friday I did buy from several large chains, because I knew what I wanted, and they had specials that saved me a lot of money.  And, I do recognize that they provide employment in our community, too. But I also gladly participate in Small Business Saturday.


I think this dog would agree.