🐑 March 2024 FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

 🐑 March 2024

I’ve been to different churches in my life.  Some have been enlightening and others have not.  I was sharing with my daughter one I’d been to a while back.  She asked, “What time did it start?”  I told her, “Oh, about 11:00.”  She replied, “O.k.  I know how you are about sitting for a long time and a speech getting to the point.  Soooo, what time did it end?”  She watched my face as I said, “When the minister ran out of breath, and I think prayed for every living creature on Earth!”

Bumper stickers can give you some reading material while you’re waiting for the light to change, a train finish traveling in front of you, or while you’re stuck in traffic.  Here are some I’ve seen:  KEEP HONKING AND ROAD RAGE WILL COME TO YOUR WINDOW; TURN SIGNALS---NOT FOR JUST SMART PEOPLE ANYMORE; DAISIES: NATURE’S SOPHISTICATED HUMOR TO ‘EENIE, MEENIE, MINEE, MOE’; HOME IS WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR REAL NAME---YOUR FUN NAME, AND THE ONE YOUR PARENTS CALL YOU; I saw this on a VW Beetle---BACK OFF OR THERE WILL BE BUG GUTS ON YOUR WINDSHIELD.  It made me laugh out loud because I used to have a red VW Bug and loved it.  FAIR FOOD SURVIVOR; I saw this on a “Smart car”----MOM WASHED ME IN HOT WATER, I USED TO BE A LIMO L. 

We had a beast of a television in the late 60s---Magnavox I think. There was a big TV in the center of the long, wooden cabinet, record player with a large space for records below on the right, AM/FM radio below on the left. It took my dad, my brother and two neighbors to move that monstrosity.  We never worried about anyone stealing it, either.

Daddy was a very organized man.  He believed and lived “There’s a place for everything and everything has its place.”  I don’t know if he was obsessive-compulsive or just very neat, but you could bet if you put something back he’d put in a place, it better be in that place when you return it.  I didn’t know how very precise he was until he asked me to go to the basement and get something from a long, multi-doored, and multi-shelved cabinet he had.  He told me exactly where it was.  I followed his directions, found it, and got curious as to what was on some other shelves.  He had put dates on the packages of the items I saw.  He called out, “Did you find it?”  I responded I had.  I returned to his side with the item.  He wondered out loud why I was taking so long.  I said, “Daddy, you have so many things in that cabinet.  Some of them have not even been opened, and they are years old.”  He grinned and said, “Yes, I know I haven’t used them, because I never know when I might need them.”  I think he’d, also, had been a boy scout and embodied their motto-- “Always be prepared”.

I went over to my friend, Dianna’s house.  She’d called me and told me she was finished with her canning for a while and needed my help putting the lids and rings on the jars. She had some carpal tunnel issues and couldn’t twist the rings closed.  I thought it was a bit strange because in all the years I’ve known her, she never mentioned, nor did I see, any canning she’d done.  I walked into the kitchen and there on the table sat empty bags of M&Ms, tiny Tootsie Rolls, gum drops, Good & Plenty, Mike and Ike’s, cinnamon Tamales, Junior Mints, peppermint discs and spearmint discs, and Smarties.  Neatly lined-up were quart jars filled with the assortment on the table.  Next to each jar was a flat lid and ring.  I couldn’t stop laughing at her idea of “canning”.  She enjoyed my amusement.

“One who tells the truth doesn’t mind being questioned.  One who lies does.” Give that thought, a lot of thought.

Aint Daisy called me to come over.  She’d made two pies, one of which was cherry (my favorite), and needed to have someone help her eat a bit of it.  “Aint Daisy, are you in here?” I called out at the front door.  “Oh Chile, ye jes come on in here to the kitchen and set a spell.  I got the pie all cut and ready fer ye to share with me.  I want to talk over what someone said to me recently.  I had t’ get a little snippy with my reply t’ ‘em, and it’s been a-botherin’ me some.  Emma Jane called me an’ started tellin’ me about her teen chile who’d done sompin’ wrong.  She told how she scolded her and told her chile how much the doin’s had embarrassed her ‘cause every body’s gonna know about it an’ not think she was a good mama.  I let her talk, then got a bit tired a-her tearing the chile apart with her words.  I told her, when she took a breath, ‘Don’t be a-givin’ a scoldin’ to one who needs a hug, instead.  The chile knows she done wrong an’ yer disappointment at her choice.  Jes give her a hug, tell her ye love her, an’ to think about how she’s a-gonna act the next time.’  Emma Jane hung up without sayin’ ‘Bye’.  I recon she was irritated with my response.  What do ye think?” she asked.  I told her, “Your response was wise and kind.  The daughter will be better with a hug than a scolding.  As always, you provided wisdom to another.  You are our Lady of the Holler.”

I will leave you with this thought as reflected in what Aint Daisy said:  Often, some people don’t realize how their words and/or actions affect others.  Be careful what you say and do.  It’s not always about you.  This parallels what Thomas A. Edison said:  “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Brenduhh came over all excited, huffing and puffing and could hardly tell me what she needed to say.  "Trute!!!  I just saw a police car with two ducks in the back seat.  I asked the officer why they were there.  He said, 'These two were walking around the bank watching people and making their usual noises.  So, being the suspicious people we cops are, I arrested them.'  I asked the cop, 'Why are you arresting them?'  He told me, 'It is believed they are safe quackers.'"  Brenduhh was very excited that she'd seen the arrest; I went to fix myself a cup of tea.  Sometimes I think, “If that girl’s brain was butter, it couldn’t cover a Wheat Thin.”

A chef on TV said, “Where there’s fat, there’s flavor.”  My body abounds with flavor!

You know it’s going to be an interesting day when you dial your TV remote and no one answers.  I found a new channel, though.

As most of you know, I like unusual words.  I saw a picture of a bathroom which had toilet paper dispensers on and all over every wall and the ceiling.  I wondered if there was a phobia for fear of not having toilet paper.  Holy Charmin, Batgirl, there is!!!

ACARTOHYGIEIOPHOBIA is the word, which made me wonder if there was a word for “fear of extra long words”.  There are two!!  HIPPOPOTOMONSTROSESQUIPPEDALIOPHOBIA and SESQUIPEDALOPHOBIA.  I hope you don’t have ATHAZAGORAPHOBIA which is the fear of being forgotten or forgetting something.  You’re welcome.

 

Peace and smiles to you until next month.  Trudy

💞 2024 February FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

 

         💓💝💞 2024 February FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

Brenduhh returned from her trip to Tibet where she’d visited a monastery where small land squirrels were sacred and ran all over the grounds.   It was located on top of a mountain and served delicious food to the tourists.  She ordered some thinly, sliced fried potatoes which were only prepared by one certain monk.  She said they were delicious.  I said, “It sounds like they are more like chips than fried potatoes.”  She said, “Yes that’s true.  I think he was known as the ‘chip monk’.”  I’m sure you’re familiar with the eye rolling some people do.

Memories---they take us back to a time or times which we want to remember.  However, some memories bring tears.  That’s all right because I believe when there are tears at a memory, more than likely it is because it was then you had what is missing now, and you wish then was now.  I’ve had those memory tears, and a bit later a small smile comes.

When I was in my early 30’s I taught swimming to children and adults.  The parents sat in the balcony watching.  I was at the grocery store in line with my toddler son in the seat and a basket full.  A little boy ran up to me and hugged me.  I returned the hug.  I noticed the father was watching, stepped forward and asked how his son knew me that he would hug me and I return the hug.  I smiled and said, “No worries for you.  I’m Trudy, I teach your son swimming at the pool.”  The man smile and said in a rather loud voice, “Oh Trudy!!  I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.”  You should have seen the looks and heard the snickers. 

Tongue twisters have always been fun and even more fun when they are made up.  Some I’ve had fun with are from my demented mind:  SHIFTS FISH STICKS; WRITE WHITE WRONG; SHIFT FISH; SUE’S SIX SICK SHEEP’S SHEETS; BUSY BOSSY; BEAR BRAYERS; TWIZZLER TWISTERS; DOUBLE DOUBT DOWN; GLUTTON GULP; OOZE OZ’S OHS.  I was mentioning these to a dear friend, Carole.  She said, “Trudy, you’re bored.  Take a nap.”

As I approached the little house with the front porch holding 4 rocking chairs, I noticed Betty Ann coming out the front door.  Aint Daisy was walking close behind her nodding her head while Betty Ann continued to chatter.  “You take care o’ yerself and them young’uns, ya hear,” said Aint Daisy.  She saw me coming up the irregular stones placed for a sidewalk.  I noticed she didn’t say, “Y’ll come back real soon” to Betty Ann as she does to most who visit.   Betty Ann passed me, muttered, “Hi Trudy, how are you?  I have to get going to----”.  I didn’t hear everything after “to”, but I knew there was a lot more.  Aint Daisy greeted me with a smile and a “come on in” wave of her hand.  She didn’t say anything, just motioned for me to sit down at the kitchen table.  “I’ll be right back,” she softly said.  There was time for me to watch the squirrels scamper around the corn cobs on spikes and the different kind of birds come and go at the feeder with favorite seeds.  “How ‘bout some tea an’ cherry pie, Chile?  The pie’s from this mornin’, so’s it’s fresh an’ I got plenty,” she said as she got two dishes and two mugs down from the cupboard.  “Oh Aint Dasiy, you know I’ll never turn down your pie.  Yes, thank you.”  She served us both, sitting down across from me.  She was quiet, and I could tell she was thinking.  “Are you all right, Aint Daisy?  It’s not like you to be this quiet,” I softly inquired.  “Yes, I’m jes fine.  ‘Jes enjoyin’ the quiet and yer comp’ny, Chile.  Betty Ann was here, as ye know.  My oh my, that girl can talk the bark off’n a tree,” she said slowly shaking her head.  “Ya know, the good Lord gave you two ears to larn with an’ one mouth to tell about it. It’s best t’ use ‘em ears more ‘n the mouth if’n ye want people to enjoy yer comp’ny, often,” she said with a sly grin.   Ahh, more wisdom from the Lady of the Holler.

“Schlemiel!  Schlimazel!  Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!”  It was the silly little chant said by the actors Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams at the beginning of their show, LAVERNE & SHIRLEY.  Did you ever wonder what they were saying?  Schlemiel means a clumsy, inept person----like a klutz.  Shlimazel is someone with constant bad luck.  Both words are Yiddish.  Hasenpfeffer is a traditional Dutch and German stew made from marinated rabbit, cut into stewing-meat sized pieces and braised with onions and a marinade made from wine and vinegar.  Now you know.

My daughter Tara was talking about someone we both know who was quite upset about someone’s treatment of another person.  Tara said, “I hope she doesn’t lose her screws.”  The upset person is known to tell another person what is, in no uncertain terms.  Later on, Tara mentioned how she was sad she couldn’t help our friend.  “Mom, do you think you could help her?” she asked.  I said, “Not really, unless I give her a screwdriver.”  Tara laughed out loud.

I have a friend who seems to frequently give a positive response to an insult from another.  I was with her the day a person made a snide remark about, she'd observed my friend wearing the same garment two days in a row.  Had it been directed at me, I probably would not have been as gracious as my friend, Debbie.  She gently smiled at the insulting one and said, "Thank you so much for noticing me."  We walked away.

While talking with a friend’s daughter, she revealed to me her mother was abusive to her.  I let her talk about the abuse and listened carefully.  I didn’t want to smile or scoff at all the “abuse” she told me about:  “making my bed every morning, picking up and putting away the things on my bedroom floor, emptying the dishwasher, putting my dirty dishes IN the dishwasher, doing my laundry, removing my clothing from the washer and dryer in a timely manner, telling where I’m going and calling if I will be later than the set curfew my parents made.” Of course she went on and on.  When she finished she asked me if I thought she was being abused.  I told her, “Not any more than I was or my children were.  I think we have all turned out pretty fine.”  I asked her if she wasn’t “being abused” what she’d be doing with that time.  She told me, “I’d be texting my friends or taking a nap.”  Gods!  Turning into a teenager, I rolled my eyes twice.

The subject of heritage came up in a conversation with my friend.  I told her, “I have so many ethnic groups in my lineage that if I got offended about a snide remark of them, I’d be honked 24/7.  She told me she was talking to one of her grandchildren and told them she was part Blackfoot Indian.  The little fella told her, “Mimi, because I’m just a little guy, I’m a Blacktoe but, when I get grown, I’ll be a whole Blackfoot.”

Smiles and Peace to you until next month.  Always, Trudy J