Stilettos, Squints, and Kibbles and Bits
Guess what! I'm still here. It has been a very busy week, and I've had to put blogging on the back burner for a while. So I'm popping in to post here finally.
Thank you to those who have emailed and contacted me this week. It's nice to know my blogging friends are thinking of me, and I appreciate all of you. It is so nice that you care. I am still around, and I'm doing fine. I've been a little overwhelmed lately, but I am fine. (Well, actually, I did break a mirror this week. So I guess I'm in for seven years of bad luck? Other than that I'm fine though.)
I was sorting through old photographs and letters that my parents had saved. I relived a lot of memories and shed more than a few tears. Emotionally, this was a tough day, but it was good to see my brother and nephews, and the memories I relived were good ones. Lots of folks don't have good things to remember from their childhoods, but I have tons. I am very fortunate in that way.
I did have a few laughs mixed in with the tears while at my Mom's house. I thought you might get a laugh out of some of the pictures I came across.
This is a picture of me when I was very young with my short curly hair going all which ways, and I'm styling it up right in my light blueish/white framed glasses and checked pinafore dress.
My dad was forever lining us kids up in a row facing the sun and then telling us to look at the camera and smile at him. We always ended up squinting into the sun with ridiculous forced smiles on our faces. It must have been a particularly bright and sunny day when this photo was taken. I'm winking with one eye shut and my siblings are both squinting so much it looks like they have their eyes closed. I'm on the left, my sister is in the middle, and my brother is on the right. We are standing in front of some really tall sunflowers that were growing out behind our garage.
This picture was taken when I was in high school. My brother, my sister, my mom, and then me on the right side.
This picture is of me on the day of my high school graduation.
Now if you didn't get a laugh or at least a smile out of those pictures, then you're a tough nut to crack in that department. Here are a few other things that made me laugh this week.
My younger son has started back to school and things have been going well. The other day he asked me if I was going to the store soon. I told him I could if necessary and asked if there was something that he needed.
He said, "Yes, I need a stiletto for school."
I said, "You need what?"
"A stiletto," he repeated.
OK, so I had heard him correctly, but I was still completely puzzled. A stiletto? Was he talking about a high-heeled shoe?
Or a knife?
Somehow, neither one seemed like something he would need for school. I felt that we weren't communicating very well.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"You know, a stiletto," he said, "a stiletto pad."
His girlfriend was sitting next to him on the couch, and it suddenly dawned on her what he was trying to say. She began to giggle uncontrollably. (Have I mentioned how much I love this girl?)
"He means steno," she got out between giggles. "He needs a steno pad for school."
My son started to laugh and so did I. "Yeah, that's what I meant to say," he said a little sheepishly.
I have to admit I was a little relieved to find out what it was that he really needed.
His malapropism reminded me of Norm Crosby. Does anybody remember him? He was the king of malapropism comedy. Here's a quick clip of Crosby in a Red Lobster commercial.
I'm a little tired at this point, but I'm not too tired to sway. I'm in the mood for Satchmo to sing some romantic music to me. "I Get Ideas" is the name of the song. I really like the lyrics to this one, which I won't print below, because they are included on the video. I hope you enjoy it. I also hope you are all enjoying the extended Labor Day weekend.
Thank you to those who have emailed and contacted me this week. It's nice to know my blogging friends are thinking of me, and I appreciate all of you. It is so nice that you care. I am still around, and I'm doing fine. I've been a little overwhelmed lately, but I am fine. (Well, actually, I did break a mirror this week. So I guess I'm in for seven years of bad luck? Other than that I'm fine though.)
* * * * *
Today was a busy day. My brother and two of his sons were here to help me sort through some things in my mother's house. So much we accumulate over a lifetime. In the end they are all just things, none of much importance really. More important are the memories that are attached to the things.I was sorting through old photographs and letters that my parents had saved. I relived a lot of memories and shed more than a few tears. Emotionally, this was a tough day, but it was good to see my brother and nephews, and the memories I relived were good ones. Lots of folks don't have good things to remember from their childhoods, but I have tons. I am very fortunate in that way.
* * * * *
I did have a few laughs mixed in with the tears while at my Mom's house. I thought you might get a laugh out of some of the pictures I came across.
This is a picture of me when I was very young with my short curly hair going all which ways, and I'm styling it up right in my light blueish/white framed glasses and checked pinafore dress.
My dad was forever lining us kids up in a row facing the sun and then telling us to look at the camera and smile at him. We always ended up squinting into the sun with ridiculous forced smiles on our faces. It must have been a particularly bright and sunny day when this photo was taken. I'm winking with one eye shut and my siblings are both squinting so much it looks like they have their eyes closed. I'm on the left, my sister is in the middle, and my brother is on the right. We are standing in front of some really tall sunflowers that were growing out behind our garage.
This picture was taken when I was in high school. My brother, my sister, my mom, and then me on the right side.
This picture is of me on the day of my high school graduation.
Now if you didn't get a laugh or at least a smile out of those pictures, then you're a tough nut to crack in that department. Here are a few other things that made me laugh this week.
* * * * *
My younger son has started back to school and things have been going well. The other day he asked me if I was going to the store soon. I told him I could if necessary and asked if there was something that he needed.
He said, "Yes, I need a stiletto for school."
I said, "You need what?"
"A stiletto," he repeated.
OK, so I had heard him correctly, but I was still completely puzzled. A stiletto? Was he talking about a high-heeled shoe?
Or a knife?
Somehow, neither one seemed like something he would need for school. I felt that we weren't communicating very well.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"You know, a stiletto," he said, "a stiletto pad."
His girlfriend was sitting next to him on the couch, and it suddenly dawned on her what he was trying to say. She began to giggle uncontrollably. (Have I mentioned how much I love this girl?)
"He means steno," she got out between giggles. "He needs a steno pad for school."
My son started to laugh and so did I. "Yeah, that's what I meant to say," he said a little sheepishly.
I have to admit I was a little relieved to find out what it was that he really needed.
His malapropism reminded me of Norm Crosby. Does anybody remember him? He was the king of malapropism comedy. Here's a quick clip of Crosby in a Red Lobster commercial.
* * * * *
* * * * *
I haven't given you any dancing music for a while, but I wanted to leave you with some tonight. It has taken me so long to post this that I started it on Saturday night and am finishing it up on Sunday early morning. I need to get to bed because later today (now that it is Sunday) my older son will be leaving here and returning to his college dorm for the school year, and I need to get some sleep.I set out a bowl of Kibbles 'N Bits dog food like this for my dog Max.
Later when I returned, I found this---a bowl with the Kibbles and Bits all gone except for the tan ones.
Apparently he isn't particularly fond of whatever flavor the tan colored bits are (or are those tan ones the Kibbles? Hmm...I'm not sure.) Max always gets a mouthful of dry dog food from his bowl and then takes it elsewhere to eat it. Does your dog do that? We have owned other dogs that did that too. I have never understood why they do that.
Anyway, I also found several of the tan colored bits on the floor where he had carried them off in a mouthful, but had spit them out and eaten the rest of the bits (or are they Kibbles?) leaving the tan ones behind. Persnickety, fussy, little pup. HA HA HA!
Later when I returned, I found this---a bowl with the Kibbles and Bits all gone except for the tan ones.
Apparently he isn't particularly fond of whatever flavor the tan colored bits are (or are those tan ones the Kibbles? Hmm...I'm not sure.) Max always gets a mouthful of dry dog food from his bowl and then takes it elsewhere to eat it. Does your dog do that? We have owned other dogs that did that too. I have never understood why they do that.
Anyway, I also found several of the tan colored bits on the floor where he had carried them off in a mouthful, but had spit them out and eaten the rest of the bits (or are they Kibbles?) leaving the tan ones behind. Persnickety, fussy, little pup. HA HA HA!
* * * * *
A cricket came from behind Charlie the lizard, climbed up his tail, and then sat on his back between his shoulder blades where Charlie couldn't get to him. HA HA HA! I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a shot of the cricket on his back, but here's Charlie.
* * * * *
A cricket came from behind Charlie the lizard, climbed up his tail, and then sat on his back between his shoulder blades where Charlie couldn't get to him. HA HA HA! I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a shot of the cricket on his back, but here's Charlie.
* * * * *
When you work at a library, you can almost always tell when there's a full moon out because all the loonies come in then. Apparently that was the case this week. (This is how the moon looked tonight when I went for a walk. It was very yellow, almost orange looking.)
One day when I was working, there were three different people who went and took chairs from around the little reading tables where they belong, carried them over to where the book stacks are, then set them down in the middle of the book aisle blocking anyone from walking down it. They then pulled a book off the shelf and sat down on the chair in the middle of the aisle in the stacks and began to read the book they had chosen. I thought this was very odd behavior. Most people take a book off the shelf and then carry it over to the table and chairs to read it. To have three people do this all on the same day just seemed very strange to me. It was strange enough to give me a laugh.
One day when I was working, there were three different people who went and took chairs from around the little reading tables where they belong, carried them over to where the book stacks are, then set them down in the middle of the book aisle blocking anyone from walking down it. They then pulled a book off the shelf and sat down on the chair in the middle of the aisle in the stacks and began to read the book they had chosen. I thought this was very odd behavior. Most people take a book off the shelf and then carry it over to the table and chairs to read it. To have three people do this all on the same day just seemed very strange to me. It was strange enough to give me a laugh.
* * * * *
The same day as the chairs in the stacks incident, I had to put on my mean old librarian lady act and boot three kids out of the building. I mean, I didn't physically boot them
(although I felt like I wanted to), but I asked them to leave, and they did. I don't like doing that, but they were being very disruptive. Before giving them the boot, I had warned them twice to stop what they were doing, and other patrons were complaining about them.
Later I found out that my supervisor had booted those very same kids out the day before, and that the reference librarian had booted the trio out the day before that. HA HA HA! Knowing that, I didn't feel quite so bad about having drawn the line. Little hellions. Obviously, I wasn't the only one who felt they were delinquents.
(although I felt like I wanted to), but I asked them to leave, and they did. I don't like doing that, but they were being very disruptive. Before giving them the boot, I had warned them twice to stop what they were doing, and other patrons were complaining about them.
Later I found out that my supervisor had booted those very same kids out the day before, and that the reference librarian had booted the trio out the day before that. HA HA HA! Knowing that, I didn't feel quite so bad about having drawn the line. Little hellions. Obviously, I wasn't the only one who felt they were delinquents.
* * * * *
I'm a little tired at this point, but I'm not too tired to sway. I'm in the mood for Satchmo to sing some romantic music to me. "I Get Ideas" is the name of the song. I really like the lyrics to this one, which I won't print below, because they are included on the video. I hope you enjoy it. I also hope you are all enjoying the extended Labor Day weekend.
