We Adjust

To those that remember these times….

Pizza Hut, McDonald’s,and instant coffee were unheard of.

How Old is grandma? Stay with this — the answer is at the end. It will blow you away. One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. The Grandmother replied, “Well, let me think a minute, I was born before: ‘television ‘penicillin ‘polio shots ‘frozen foods ‘Xerox ‘contact lenses ‘Frisbees and ‘the pill There were no: ‘credit cards ‘laser beams or ‘ball-point pens Man had not yet invented: ‘pantyhose ‘air conditioners ‘dishwashers ‘clothes dryers ‘and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and ‘ man hadn’t yet walked on the moon Your Grandfather and I got married first, and then lived together.Every family had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, “Sir.” And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, “Sir.” We were before gay-rights,computer-dating, dual careers,daycare centers, and group therapy. Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions. Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were those who closed front doors as the evening breeze started. Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends -not purchasing condominiums. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CD’s, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to Big Bands, Jack Benny,and the President’s speeches on our radios. And I don’t ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey. If you saw anything with ‘Made in Japan ‘on it, it was junk. The term ‘making out’ referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald’s,and instant coffee were unheard of. We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar,and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn’t want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. You could buy a new Ford Coupe for $600,but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon. In my day: ‘“grass”was mowed, ‘“coke” was a cold drink, ‘“pot” was something your mother cooked in and ‘“rock music” was your grandmother’s lullaby. ‘“Aids” were helpers in the Principal’s office, ‘“chip” meant a piece of wood, ‘“hardware”was found in a hardware store and. ‘ “software” wasn’t even a word. And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us “old and confused” and say there is a generation gap. How old do you think I am? I bet you have this old lady in mind. You are in for a shock! Read on to see — pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time. Are you ready????? This woman would be only 59 years old, Born in 1952 -OUCH THAT HURT!!!.

Just A Pea In A Pod

Budget (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

English: This was dinner last night: Morningstar Farms Tomato&Basil Pizza Veggie Burgers garnished with onion, ketchup and low-fat cheddar. The “bun” is two portobello mushroom crowns, lightly steamed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Something has been bothering me about our greed here in our country. I can not speak for other countries as I live in the USA.

I went to the store yesterday to purchase one more box fan. Yes, I have central air, but with Al and I on medicare budgets, watching money is something I should be practicing more. I have used my air when it was triple digits, but now trying to count on fresh air and a bit lower temperatures.

So, I went to buy the same exact brand fan as I had bought in the late spring, and it was now five dollars higher. It causes me to stop and think of the greed in businesses.

Our country claims that we, the people, are in stress. Jobs are being tossed, people landing outside of their familiar work doors. Budgets being cut for teachers, causing learning disabilities upon our youth. Government still able to drive their cars, not having to pay attention to the price of gasoline, while we, the consumers, sometimes, don’t have enough pennies in our holy pockets to put five bucks in our tanks.

We have been in a drought here in Indiana for the past few weeks. We were warned that we could not have fireworks in some areas, but if you were part of a big national company, then it was alright to light the fireworks off, whether it endangers homes and people or not.

It seems to me, that summer brings higher prices of food, gasoline, motel,and hotel rooms, vacation spots in the country. Why? Money in someone’s pockets.

The fan that is five dollars higher than two months ago was raised because why? hot heat, the need for people to try to keep cooler. Let’s take advantage of their needs. Let’s raise the prices on things that consumer needs.

We are to eat healthy, this is what the media preaches at us. No more meat, potato, and vegetables. Let’s buy meat replacements like Veggie burgers, turkey hamburger, and this will keep us healthier, why? so we can live longer, give more money to the insurance companies? I don’t know, but it seems to me, being a diabetic, and also my brother, we are to purchase sugar-free foods. I don’t know about you, but if I purchase sugar-free foods so we stay healthy, I may not have the means to get both of us to our doctor appointments.

At the end of this summer, I will once again look at the clearance clothing, and try to pick up some new things and hang on to them for next summer. I am always amazed at how low the clothing can be bought for. We really are at others mercy, when we buy anything. I can get clothing  for sometimes seventy-five percent off, the same clothing that was that much higher one week ago, and the store is still making a profit at this huge discount. Summer time grills will be laughingly cheap. Lawn and garden can be bought for pennies on the dollar.

I never touch politics on public blogs, because for one I am not intelligent enough to defend myself with the comments that can be thrown at me. This blog tonight comes only from a common folk. An older female, who is trying to take care of a brothers illness, keep up with the doctors visits, the co-pays, buy groceries, and pay the bills that come with living inside of our four walls.

This gripe and complaint is for no other reason, than to show that even the name without a clout behind it is smart enough to realize that we are being taken advantage of. If our country is stating daily, that money is tight, our medicare can and might be cut, then why doesn’t everyone work together, to make sure the NEEDS, not the wants are at least being able to be bought. Don’t raise the prices of the fans, just because we are suffering from triple digit heats………

Alone, Outside

English: One of many garbage bags at a sports event. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Before, I say anything, I just want to let you know that I am in a good mood. Although, having to go outside and pick up crap was not fun.

After getting up this morning,and realizing no one was going to be stopping by, I took my time drinking my coffee and enjoying my blogging friends. I even showed off one of my granddaughters earlier this morning.

The sun was hinting to me that it was warming up as the central air kicked on. I fought it very hard, but inside my heart, I knew I needed to get outside to clean the yard before I turned into a roasted marshmallow!

You realize this is the same thing we do with God also. We know what we need to do. It is right there in our mind and our heart, but we fight it and fight it. We either turn our backs on God and turn into a disappointment, or we listen to him and do what is right, and move in his work and word.

So, I get myself dressed in a one piece romper, terry cloth. I know I do not have the figure to wear it, but who is going to see me?, a passer-by, the squirrels, or maybe an old lady peeking out of her window? haha. I walk outside and I feel the heat. I have my flip-flops on. I know I should be wearing my shoes and socks, because I have diabetic Neuropathy, but gosh darn, it is hot, and my feet were begging me to be free. I felt the sun beat down on my delicate little fat toes, and I quickly moved to the shaded areas to start my job.

I believe this is the fourth clean-up job for me,although the other three were done together with other helping hands, so it is just me out here alone. I do what I tell others never to do. I work for a while, and then look at what is ahead of me yet. I do know that doing this makes me more tired than I was a moment ago. Never preach what you will not practice.

As I moved inch by inch, I was picking up nails, staples, little pieces of tar papers, and single pieces of shingles, and some of them were double shingles. I filled up three bags and a garbage can of trash. What made me a little irritated, wasn’t the fact I was cleaning up from the roof left overs, but I was picking up the guys junk also. Water bottles, bottle labels, cigarettes and food wrappers. Are you serious? I have to touch those dirty butts that someone else sucked on and had in their mouth? Cooties for sure! LOL. I know they deserved to smoke, and drink, and even eat, but something about touching those ciggy butts made me ill, and I smoke, so it must be a germ thing.

I had two small piles on the cement where the car sat, and I tried a couple of times to sweep them into the bag with my broom and a dust pan, but I could not keep the flimsy plastic trash bags open, and they are even Hefty ones, strong, powerful, made to do any job! Not!

I go inside where Al is sitting all nice and comfy in his recliner, in the cool air, and ask him if he can help me outside. He didn’t want to go, not so much because of the Parkinson’s, but he didn’t want to help, but he came out. I don’t know what was going on. Maybe it was the mental challenge, or the heat or the Parkinson’s or the idea he didn’t want to help, but it was a useless idea. He could not or would not hold the bag open for me, and when I tried putting the dust pan inside of the bag, it would only catch half and the other half went back to the ground. Now it is 91 degrees out here in the shade. I can’t do this. Diabetics, at least me, do not do well with our sugar management when we are over heated. I sent him back inside, and went to the natural scooper, my hands, and got all of the big stuff, then used the broom and dust pan for the final touches.

I put all the tools away, swept off the porch, ran the broom around the edges where there were millions of tiny pieces of sparkles and little beads from the old shingles. The edges of the house were coated so that the color of the house looked like black mold. After doing the sweep thing, all color came back. I picked up all extension cords, boom boxes, and walked all around the house with my little black bags. If a child would be a passenger in a car going by, he would wonder if I was Santa. My skin was turning red from the sun but I had a black goodie bag, instead of a red one!

After three hours, and a mild sun-burn so far, and a nice cool shower, and clean clothes, I have finished the project. Now I am going to post this and take a nap on my couch with the air running and a light weight blanket covering me with my own soft pillow. See you all later on, after Al wakes up from his nap!