The Grass Is Always Growing

 

The grass is always growing. And I wish it would stop, or at least slow down.

This is a backyard view, the stepping stones leading to the area where our dogs would play, sniff, and use the outdoor facilities. Right now, it is relatively short, as I mowed it just a few days ago.

However, near that last stone, you can see it is already starting to rise again.

It doesn't help that we have had a lot of rain prior to the current week. And it really doesn't help that we have such a high percentage of fast-growing weeds, especially in the dog yard.

Based on my walkabouts and other observations, a brief survey of my area indicates this as a reasonable estimate - out of every fifty residences, 15 or so have their yards done by hired professionals, 34 use riding lawnmowers, and one lone fool uses a push mower.

And guess who that one lone fool is?

Yep. You guessed it. That one lone fool is me. 

At least it is electric. I used to use a gas mower, and whether I could crank it to start was always a mystery. The electric starts easy, so I'm not already exhausted from just trying to start it.  

It's also self-propelled, a real blessing.  

The battery range is about an hour. That's a good match for me because that's about as long as my battery lasts.

I'm not precisely sure of my yard size. It's less than an acre, but not dramatically less than that.

It takes three days (or three sessions) to complete the yard.

I try to do it early in the morning. That strategy is only partly effective now, as the heat and humidity are constant.

I tend to suffer heat exhaustion very easily, so by the time I've done the three sessions, I'm pretty wiped out. This last Saturday, I was dizzy and daffy for the rest of the day.

Whenever we talk about moving (a ways off), we talk about condos and townhouses with a tiny backyard for our mostly indoor dogs. 

Some place where even if the grass is always growing, I don't have to stress about it much.

It's Another Manic-less Monday!

 

This view greeted me as I left the carport for my early morning roundabout.

My legs and knees feel much better, thank you very much. They're not perfect, but I am mobile, which feels good!

I just saw my health profile results from a recent testing. Blood pressure? My best reading in years! Blood glucose and A1C? For me, they were much better than I expected! They are still prediabetic readings, and I need to use caution. But I don't think there is a good case for medication. If I'm smart and continue to improve my diet and exercise, I can manage it independently.

Yes, my health situation is pretty good, given my age. My boys are scattered, but they are great people, and I love seeing them when I can. And I am one proud Grandpa!

The following are musings, which some consider negative or whining, so please bail if you don't want to read this stuff. Sometimes I kvetch. Fact of life.

Now that I've sold a large portion of my comic collection and have had some time to relax and enjoy life, I'm thinking about what to focus on next.

I hear about it and also sometimes meet seniors who still work - some out of necessity and some because their personalities drive them to it. For example, the two partners in my old firm may never quit - they wouldn't know how to fill the time if they did.

I don't have a problem with filling time, and Alison assures me that there is no necessity to me working,

Nevertheless, it would be nice to help build up our resources so we could do more traveling. And to provide whatever support we can to help Benjamin in his last year in college and his transition to a career,

Because travel is crucial to what I want to do, tying me to a regular employer and reporting to a workplace on a full or part-time basis doesn't seem very desirable.  

I don't want to do any accounting. I got my fill of that. I served my time in it and don't want to return to it.

If I had to grade my accounting ability, I would give it a gentleman's C. I did enough to contribute and keep a job, but there was no way I was ever going to shine. My natural abilities weren't great, and I would never put in the 12 to 16-hour days that some do in that profession.

I once told my employer that I was probably the lowest-paid full-time CPA in Georgia. He did not disagree. He also did nothing to change it. So, if anyone wonders where my sense of inferiority comes from - waalaa! That's a good chunk of it.

Even though I have given up accounting, I have grandfathered in the Treasurer's position at church. Recently, I have made some mistakes that made me aware of my limited abilities and have left me embarrassed and humiliated. It reminds me of why I no longer want to be an accountant.

I love writing. Most of the time. I would give my writing grade a B+.

But, so what? Many A-grade writers have trouble getting published.

I have shown no ability to market my books. My salesman grade would be a D-. That includes the ability to sell me and a book to a literary agent or publisher.

I have had a few things happen recently that have caused me to question my writing ability, which has shaken my confidence.

Nevertheless, because I love to write, I will continue to do it, and maybe I will stumble on a way to make a little bit of money off it.

I love acting. I would give myself an A grade unless dancing is involved.

Currently, I will be starting rehearsals for Harvey. I am playing the same part I did in 9th grade, that of an 80-year-old Judge. The significant change is, this time, I will need less makeup.

I have never figured out how to make money off of acting. Again, that requires a level of self-promotion I do not possess. There is a TV and movie industry in Georgia. Unfortunately, most of it is farther north of where I am, and the commuting costs would negate whatever meager money I might make.

I can't rule out being an Extra in something someday, but the odds are relatively low.

The one thing I can do at an A+ level is read aloud. Having a podcast, reading for audiobooks, posting children's stories - all that would be the balm. Besides my inadequacies in self-promotion, the only thing that stands in my way is technological issues. Can I, within my own home, create a studio with the right equipment and soundproofing to do what is needed for a quality reading?

There are considerable obstacles to making it work, but if I had my choice, it is what I would love to do.

--------------------

I may not achieve a moneymaking level with any of my creative solutions. But I'm going to try. And that's half the battle.

Or maybe 35%. Who knows? My math/accounting ability is quickly fading.

Anyhoo, y'all have a great day!

Thanks for reading.

I'll keep the blog on for ya!

Happy Day

 Have a happy day!

More to come!

Going to try to restructure my time to post more often.

Wish me luck!

The Inclusionary Oasis

 

This is a picture of Grace Epeiscopal's Reverend Kit at the Waycross/Ware County library as she donates a bicycle to a library patron in need. That kind of generosity makes me proud to be a member of Grace.  

Behind her, draped across the windows behind the library service counter, is a rainbow display meant to represent the diversity of library patrons and that all were welcome. And, yes, that includes the LGBTQ+ community.

It is a group of people that are often excluded, ignored, and, yes, demonized by some.  But that symbol lets them know that they are welcome at the library. They, and all others, are included in the library community.

Recently, one person objected to the rainbow display.  I won't go into all her objections.  The bottom line is that she wanted to exclude a group of people, at least in making them feel welcome.  To me, wanting to remove the rainbow display was just the beginning of what she would like to exclude.

She signed up to be a speaker at the next public meeting of the library board.  When this was known, the forces that wanted to stay inclusionary let the word out, and other speakers signed up, all to oppose her exclusionary point of view.  Even though they were only hours before the deadline to sign up to speak, over half a dozen signed up, including me.

By the time of the meeting, word of the meeting had gotten out.  I had never seen so many people at a library event (except Comic Book Day, which is more of a convention/festival).  They filled the room of the meeting.  They had to bring in benches.  They even had an overflow outside of the meeting room. And the crowd was overwhelmingly for inclusion!

The exclusionary woman had her say.  Again, I won't characterize all she said.  She was polite to the board, but she made it clear that her feelings were rooted in her faith, and she dropped the "indoctrination" word. There were visible groans at that monstrously inaccurate phrase.  I could write volumes on how nasty that is, but I want to stay focused.

Amazingly, when she was done, she and about a half-dozen of her friends left before she could hear any other speakers.  It was one of the rudest things I've ever seen.

Every speech given on the inclusionary side was heartfelt and compelling.  Whether members of the LGBTQ+ community or their allies, they all stressed what the open library meant to them.

I am posting my speech here mainly because it's the one I have a copy of.  This may not be word for word what I said.  I had a minute to speak and edited on the fly. Nevertheless, here it is -

When are there too few to count?

If there are only three patron families of Asian heritage, is that too few to have a display for not just May's Asian/Pacific Island Heritage Month but year-round?

If only two patron families have Native American heritage, is that too few to be welcomed, display their culture and accomplishments or their woes like the Trail of Tears?

If there is only one Jewish family, is that too few to be welcomed? Should their contributions be ignored, and no mention made of the Holocaust or one of the most important books of modern times, The Diary of Anne Frank?

The answer is clear. There is no such thing as too few. Everyone should feel welcome every day, all year round. Everyone counts—every single person.

It's interesting to note that the rainbow flag has black and white bars, representing allies of the LGBTQ community. And when you include these allies and supporters, I dare say they may very well represent the majority of the patrons walking through this library's doors.

That's interesting, but even if it was just one solitary individual, battered and badgered by some who may even consider them diseased and unwanted, who came to the library and saw the rainbow flag, knowing …Here, they are welcome…Here, they are respected…then it would be worth it.

Because in the rainbow of diversity that is our open, public library, everyone counts. Every. Single. Person.

The library board will not decide until its next meeting in October.  I hope the powers of inclusion are greater than the forces of exclusion.

We shall see.

Stockholm Swedrome

 

Benjamin's in Sweden!

Yep.  My 21-year-old baby boy is in the middle of a one-month visit to Sweden!  Except dips into Canada with us, it's his first visit to a foreign country.

I would love to show you dramatic pictures of Stockholm and the Swedish countryside, but that's not the pictures we're getting back. Instead, the picture above indicates where he's spending the most time - the Dragon's Lair, a gaming shop where they can play Magic and D&D*. 

I don't think he's having too many language issues.  Many speak Swenglish, a combination of English and Swedish.  The signage is often in English as well.  If not, his Swedish friends help him translate.

Benjamin also spends time eating.  This, I believe, is an entrance to one of those restaurants.

And what else would he get there but...Swedish meatballs!

Benjamin is not alone there.  Here are some of his Swedish friends.  He is staying at the home of his friend, Eddie, and Eddie's family.  Eddie is the blond on the left (?).  Yes, some Swedes are blond.  Is that a big surprise?

This is another restaurant.  It almost looks like something out of an amusement park.  Or Dave & Busters.  

We're glad Benjamin is having a great time.  He should be back a couple of days before returning to Milledgeville for his last year of college.

After that, who knows?  He'll have a degree that might allow him to work wherever he wants.

And the way things are going in this country, it's almost understandable if he leaves.  That is not what Mama and Dad would like.  We know he won't stay in Blackshear, but some places he's considering now seem so far away.

But, what we really want, is for him to be happy.

That's the important thing.

New York State of Mind

Pictured above are Alison and Benjamin.

Welcome to the Catskills!

My middle son, Doug, and his beautiful wife, Paige, moved from the Atlanta suburbs to New York last September.  They have a cabin on several acres in the Catskill mountains.

They have expanded their agricultural interests, including fruit trees and many planted fruits and vegetables.  I was able to swipe some fresh strawberries on the vine.  Tasty!  

Of course, our trip up there was not just to see Doug and Paige, as lovely as they are.  No, there was a little something more.

IT WAS TO SEE MY BRAND NEW GRANDDAUGHTER!

RETTA LOCKETT STRAIT

Two of my three sons, Benjamin and Doug.

I can't show you pictures of her, but trust me, she is gorgeous, the sweetest little baby I ever did see!

Just over three months, she smiles and responds. They sing a song to her about being the littlest wolf in the wolfpack and then sing "A-roo!" Retta will often repeat what they say.  It's a rudimentary imitation, but nevertheless, she is repeating it.  First word Mama and/or Dada?  No, it's a wolf howl!

I was able to read to her.  I'm not entirely sure what she got out of it, BUT I did hold her attention.

They got me a t-shirt that said " I'm not retired...I'm a professional Grandpa!" That is a shirt I will wear with great honor and pride!

The pictures that I do have were given to me by Alison.  They are from a nearby park called Pratt Rocks.  

I did not go on that trip.  My knees were still aggravated, and I was unsure how they would respond to the climb.  I took Prednisone, and that helped limit the pain. However, nothing was going to stop me from seeing my granddaughter.

The food was amazing, most prepared by Paige, including Pad Thai Ew and two types of chicken salad; we also had huge bagels (each big enough to feed a family of four) and some delicious ice cream sandwiches from a local dairy store.

It was a wonderful trip; we're already plotting how to get back there soon.  

I really am looking forward to being part of my granddaughter's life.

Thank you, Doug & Paige, for inviting us up there!

See y'all again soon!
 

Easing On Up

 

I'm back!

Well, it's still something I need to take day by day, but the good news is, my foot and knee pains are substantially reduced.

Don't get me wrong. I still need to use caution. And that means I'm still not back to my desktop as much as I want. And I'll need to watch the time I'm on it and take breaks -walk, move, whatever's needed - so it doesn't accelerate again.

I was able to enjoy my trip to the Catskills to see my Granddaughter. My foot doctor gave me something, Prednisone (which, trying to recall off the top of my head, I usually call PregnantZone), a steroid-type series of pills that at least kept my pain in check during my visit.

Even though I can't show pictures of her, I hope to be able to write a post soon about the trip.

We're going to be checking into my desk and chair and see if we can't come up with a more ergonomic setup that causes less pain. I'm not sure how to come up with the right thing, but I'm hoping we can get some guidance to a more comfortable solution.

Besides my Grandaughter, I hope to write soon about my son Benjamin's trip to Sweden!

Other topics I hope to get -

 - the miseries of lawn care

- the terrible, no-good, awful Supreme Court

- the overwhelming evidence of Trump's guilt

- supporting the strength and diversity of our public libraries

- another trip across the streaming universe

- and let's not forget the magnificent dog on the Otto-Man...Boss-A-Man!

Well, I probably should get up now.  Here's a blessing for you - most of my posts should be much shorter now!

Until next time.

T. M. Strait