Shadow Shot Sunday

Good morning. For this Shadow Shot Sunday I would like to give you a choice of seating.

Would you like a seat in the waiting room?


Or one out on the deck?



Or perhaps you would rather have one under the trees.



Or maybe you'd rather come to the party, because I have a second set of shadow shots today.

My daughter in California sent me these.

She and her husband gave an Obama party last week. Almost everything they ate started with an O - They baked bread in an O shape, pizza, donuts, apple rings, etc. They invented games around Obama and Bush, had Obama masks, etc. they must have had a really good time. The pictures are just a few of the decorations making shadows. She suggested that I might want to use them as shadow shots.




























Tracey hosts Shadow Shot Sunday from her home in Australia, at Hey Harriet. Please join us with your shadow shots, or visit us to see what others have for you this Sunday.

Thematic Photographic #34

The theme for this week's Thematic Photographic is Simple. To see other photos on this theme, go visit Carmi at Written, Inc.


My first photo on the theme is not one I took myself. I'm sure it was originally taken by a professional, soon after my husband's ancestors arrived in this country from Italy. These are the young cousins, children of my husband's grandfather and great-uncle. It's message is very simple: Most of these young people are holding an object, or in the case of the young lady, standing beside an object representing a skill. My husband's father is the youngest among them, and is holding a carved horse, which I assume was a favorite toy.



I did not take the second picture either. One of my daughters took it. It is a simple greeting, left in a place she had enjoyed, meant for whoever else might happen along.



My next picture represents a simple, spontaneous and affectionate act between another daughter, and my grandson, her nephew, more than three years ago.




And last, is the same grandson, growing up as you can see, with his pet. Again, showing a simple sign of affection - and something more, I think. His mother took this picture.




These are some of my favorite photographs. I think that each represents the theme of simplicity rather well, each in its own way.

Equal Pay

Today is the day, ladies! Today President Obama will sign the bill that guarantees women equal pay for equal work! And about time too!


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For anyone from my neck of the woods - Please be aware that Mr. LoBiondo chose to vote NO on this bill.

Sky Watch Friday

Once again it's time to scan the skies. And thanks to Fishing Guy, Ivar, Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Louise, we have Sky Watch Friday where we can enjoy beautiful photos from all over the world.


These photos were taken a few months ago, before winter brought us gray and brooding skies. I took them looking over the Delaware Bay, along Beach Drive, where local residents like to sit and look out over the water, and wait for the sunset each night.



A single gull sails over the water, beneath the gathering clouds.

Remember Summer?

Well, I do. I just went to the Cape May County Herald site and enjoyed a video of scenes from summer in Cape May County, complete with the sound of surf. It was a delightful few minutes. Beach time, dolphins, dune grass waving in the breeze.

I may just go back and watch it again.

I Wonder Why?

I wonder why the phone may not ring all day, but as soon as I start something that requires all of my attention or have my hands full, someone calls?


I wonder why, when I call the doctor's office at least a half hour after their hours have started, I get their Answering Service?


I wonder why my pen never runs out of ink until I have started to write a check - and usually when I have finished only half of my signature?


I wonder why, as in my previous post, Blogger decides that I should do it in three different type sizes?


I wonder why my head is chock full of trivia, but I cannot recall things that are really important to me?


I wonder why my neighbor's cats lie on my deck or my front step and refuse to move when I approach and try to get into my house, but if they are looking cute and I pick up my camera, they immediately run off?


I wonder why I always look my best and my healthiest when I feel my absolute worst?


I wonder why, although I rarely go out without my camera, any time that I do leave it at home, a marvelous photo op presents itself?


I wonder why, if something happens to my internet connection and a window pops up to tell me what to do about it, that window disappears before I could possibly have time to read all of the instructions? For that matter, even when those pop up windows appear with only a sentence of few words, they pop up and disappear in a few seconds. I never do have time to read them.


I wonder why, when I lose something (like my keys), I can look in the same place twenty times without finding what I'm looking for, and later find it exactly where I have already looked?

A Secretary of the Arts

PETITION SEEKING SIGNATURES FOR A REQUEST TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

TO APPOINT A SECRETARY OF THE ARTS.

Quincy Jones, famed musician, has started a petition to ask President-Elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts.  While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, The United States has never created such a position. We in the arts need this and the country needs the arts--now more than ever. Please take a moment to sign this important petition and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues.

Thank You!

http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html




Received this from my daughter, Kathryn.
Please feel free to copy and paste to your blog.

Snow

Guess it shows how listless my imagination has become that all I could come up with for a title to this post is "Snow". It isn't as if we have a whole lot of snow. When I read and see photos of the snow most of my blogging friends have near their homes, I feel ashamed to complain. I guess what is happening to ME, near MY HOME seems more important to me. Not very caring or compassionate of me.

Winter has seemed to drag on for too long. This year it has hit me harder than before. When I take a breath in the cold, crisp air, instead of being refreshing to me this year, it almost
immediately starts angina pain, and prevents me from any activity I might have had in mind. This morning I woke up to find the first real snow we've had so far this winter. It has hit other places not too far from us, but has missed us up until now. We got about a half inch this morning. They say there will be more tonight, but then turning to rain tomorrow. (My daughter, Rita, took the picture.)

So much for the weather report. I'm sure no one needs to hear more of that.

Several bloggers have been complaining that they are getting really anxious for spring. Me too. I just feel all out of sorts and can't decide what to do with myself. Can't even think of anything interesting to write about. I'm doing the memes I've started participating in. They seem to be as much interest as I can drum up. I need a pep pill.

OK. A friend did send me a very funny email. At this point, maybe that's the best I can do. So, here it is:

Pilot's Conversations

Can you tell that the weather turned icy, slick and cold? I've spent the day at the computer and all of you get the results. But here are some more real life funnies or not???

Tower: "Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o'clock, 6 miles!"
Delta 351: "Give us another hint! We have digital watches!"

"TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees."
"Centre, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?"
"Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?"

From an unknown aircraft waiting in a very long takeoff queue: "I'm f...ing bored!"
Ground Traffic Control: "Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!"
Unknown aircraft: "I said I was f...ing bored, not f...ing stupid!"

Control tower to a 747: "United 329 heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, one o'clock, three miles, Eastbound."
United 239: "Approach, I've always wanted to say this... I've got the little Fokker in sight."

A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down. San Jose Tower noted: "American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able. If you are not able, take the Guadalupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights and return to the airport."

Allegedly, a Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following:
Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"
Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."
Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany. Why must I speak English?"
Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the bloody war."

Allegedly, while taxiing at London's Gatwick Airport, the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727. An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming: "US Air 2771, where the hell are you going?! I told you to turn right onto Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right there. I know it's difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!" Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: "God! Now you've screwed everything up! It'll take forever to sort this out! You stay right there and don't move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about half an hour and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?" US Air 2771: "Yes, ma'am," the humbled crew responded. Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US Air 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out around Gatwick was definitely running high. Just then an unknown pilot broke the silence and keyed his microphone, asking: "Wasn't I married to you once?"


Well, I thought it was pretty funny. Hope you enjoyed it.

Mellow Yellow Monday #3

Thanks to Drowsy Monkey Mellow Yellow Monday is here again.

My offering this week is a photo of my grandson, taken on a local beach on his last visit. He seems to be having a pretty good time. The wheel on his beach toy is bright yellow.





You may recognize the beach scene from my Shadow Shot Sunday offering this week.


Why not join us with a photo of your own, so long as it contains something that is sunshine yellow.

Simple Gifts

If you would like a reprise - on Mimi Writes today, you will find the music, and some really wonderful photos from the occasion: Itzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill, and, of course, President and Mrs. Barack Obama. I enjoyed them so much, I wanted to share them with everyone.

Shadow Shot Sunday

The end of our week in the U.S. is the beginning of the week in Australia, which means, of course, Shadow Shot Sunday. That means that Tracey is going to host the meme on
Hey Harriet and we will all have fun searching for shadows.


It was a cool day last fall when my grandson was visiting, and despite the cool weather, a beach visit was called for. I enjoy the shadows in these pictures, especially the shadow of the sand, leaving his shovel.






My daughter, Rita, took these pictures.

Familiar Things Are Disappearing

First, I must thank Kenju at Imagine for giving me the material for this post. I just plain stole it from her. I hope she doesn't mind. Today she wrote a great post on things that they say will soon be extinct in America. Oh, I hope "they" are wrong! I just have to expand on the comment I left on that post.


The number one item on the list was the family farm. I think this is most likely to happen, and I think that it is the most tragic. We need our farms! Today's farms, more and more, are the huge corporate managed farms. The smaller family farm is, indeed, disappearing. I happen to live in Cape May County, NJ, where there are three major sources of income: the tourist trade, and the two things that have been on-going since the beginning - fishing and farming. I know some of the families who have farmed this land for generations. They are good, hard working people who love what they are doing. In some cases, the present generation has just sold off their land to developers, and are enjoying the profits. But most are still struggling on, praying that they will not lose what they hold so precious. And the rest of us, who enjoy the fruits of their labors, are praying with them. We mourn the loss of the beautiful fields and forests that have been replaced by rows of houses and garages and swimming pools. We miss the wildlife which has had to find new habitat. And we miss the many farmstands which offered us fresh, delicious produce, sending us to the supermarket to pay higher prices for inferior veggies. Thank heaven, we do still have a number of wonderful family farms nearby.


Another item on the list was hand written letters. Well, they at least will never be truly extinct so long as I'm around. I cannot imagine not sending a hand written note of thanks for a gift or deed from a kind and loving friend or family member. And what a wonderful reward it is when there is a reaction from that person. It's a bit sad though, because their surprise at receiving such a note would not be there if they received them routinely. The doctor who cared for me during one pregnancy was so very kind and caring for both me and my baby that I sent him a thank you note. Never saw anyone so grateful for a simple note. He said it was the first time anyone had ever sent him one, and he had been in practice for many years. I know that I was always very grateful during the years I worked for our municipality, whenever someone took the trouble to send me a note of thanks for my help. This sort of thing gives you quite a lift, and makes you feel it is all worthwhile. It doesn't take much time or effort, and can mean so much.

I cannot imagine not sending a letter of consolation to someone who has experienced the loss of a family member. I do understand how difficult some people find this. They can't find words. If it is someone you know casually, a card can suffice. But for someone close to you, surely you can find something to say, even if it's only a sentence or two. Just "I'm so sorry". The fact that you take the trouble to send it means everything sometimes. I know. I've been on the receiving end.

And what about love letters? Do people write love letters any more? Love letters between lovers, of course. But I consider them love letters if they are from Mother to Child, or vice versa, or between any two people who truly care for one another. I don't believe I could ever be so happy or satisfied with such things done by email, or (God forbid) by text messaging.


There were many other items on the list. The only one that I would be happy to see go would be the TV news. If that means what they continue to call "news" today, I say good riddance. It isn't news at all. It's geared to either entertainment, or is slanted to favor the opinions of whoever owns the station, or is simply an attempt to stir up fear or horror in their viewing public in the belief that this is what brings them back to watch or listen. If something is really news, the public deserves to hear it NOW, not having to tune in at 11: o'clock.



Well, thank you, Kenju. I think I've got it out of my system now. There were many other items on the list, but none that touched me to this extent. VCR's - I haven't used mine for a long, long time. But I have no idea what to do with all these tapes. Drive-In Theaters - I thought they were gone long ago, and I am sorry because I really enjoyed them. Checks - I wouldn't like to see them go. I hate putting my fnancial business on line, but I suppose I could live with it. There were other things that would make me a bit unhappy, but change is inevitable. Just don't ask me to stop writing letters now and then. We have to keep the Post Office in business for something other than catalogs and circulars.

Thematic Photographic

Carmi has given us our new theme for the week. It is Surprise.

My most recent surprise came when I brought my mandevilla plant inside to over-winter. It took off right away, and hasn't stopped growing, but in such an unusual and ridiculous way that I'm not sure what to do with it. I will be further surprised if it actually survives and blooms again in the spring. This is how it looked last week, but of course it's still growing, inches every day. I've been calling it my Dr.Seuss plant.




My next photo has appeared before, in the Camera Critters meme. I took this picture at Leaming's Run Gardens. It involves a triple surprise. First, an elderly couple who had passed over the bridge before I arrived there, looked back over the water and saw me there. They called across to warn me that there was a snake on the bridge. I surprised them because, instead of retreating as they expected me to do, I hurried toward the bridge to see it. Next, I was surprised by the size of the snake, and by its locaiton on the railing. And third, Mr.Hognose was very surprised to see me approaching, and decided not to stay.



You can see more photos on the surprise theme at Written, Inc.

Sky Watch Friday

I love to watch the skies, but cold and wind have kept me inside a lot lately. I did get out the day these pictues were taken, because, despite dire predictions by the weatherman of sleet and snow, the day dawned bright and sunny. By afternoon it was a little cloudy, but not very, as attested to by these photos.








But today, and every day, skies will seem brighter now that Barack Obama has become our President! and, "We have chosen HOPE over fear."


Let us see your skies. Ivar, Fishing guy, Klaus, Louise, Sandy and Wren host Sky Watch every week for us.

Indulge Me - I'm a Grandmom

OK - I just had to do it. This picture was on my daughter's blog today, and I just had to print it here too. This is my grandson.


The mask is left over from the Peace March that was held in their town on Monday, which was, of course, Martin Luther King Day. She has some pictures from the march, and if she doesn't get around to posting them, I just might do that too.


Sorry. I just happen to think he's cute, even behind a mask.

Let's Get On With It

I like the way Ben Sargent says it.

And if you'd like it in words instead - please visit CR at Little Bang Theory today.

Later - Same Day

Well, I thought OK, now I can write about it. But maybe I can't. It is still pretty overwhelming.

He said, "We have chosen HOPE over fear." Yes, please God.

He said, "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off..." and get on with it.
That sounded so good to me.

He told the bad guys, "Your people will judge you on what you build, not what you destroy."
Couldn't have said it better than that.

He said, "What is required of us is a new era of responsibility." (Gee, I hope Mr. Bush was listening.) That is so precisely what we need to recognize. What Congress needs to recognize.

Yes, I wrote down some of the things he said. I couldn't see too clearly what I was doing, I was too teary eyed.

What a day this is!

Inauguration Day

I have no more words this morning.

It is too overwhelming.

The Presidency

For the first sixteen years of my life, I knew no President of the United States except Franklin Roosevelt. He was elected the year I was born, 1932, and remained President until his death, four terms later.

I do remember the day he died. I was a teenager, completely oblivious to the world of politics. I went down the street to buy myself an Italian hoagie for lunch. (For those who do not come from my corner of the world, a hoagie is probably called a submarine sandwich.) The little old Italian lady in the shop was behind the counter constructing a row of hoagies to fill a telephone order, and sobbing uncontrollably. I asked her what was wrong and between sobs she told me, "He's-a dead! He's-a dead! Ef-a Dee-a Rrrrrr!" I had heard him speak on the radio, and had seen him in the movies (No one I knew had a TV back then.), and I liked him, so I was saddened to hear this news.

I remained pretty much disinterested in politics for a long time. When I was twenty, in 1952, I was dating a boy named Bob. I remember a night after a date when we were sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee. He was very eager for Adlai Stevenson to be elected. Frankly, I could not have cared less, but I enjoyed a good argument, so was coming out as hotly for Dwight Eisenhower. Eventually I tired of the argument and told him, "Well it doesn't really matter. I'm not old enough to vote anyway." Bob nearly dropped his coffee cup and yelled, "You aren't 21?!" He said good-night, and I never saw Bob again. It didn't exactly break my heart. In fact, I was rather amused by the whole incident.

The next year I was old enough to vote. Since my father was a staunch Republican, who thought anyone claiming to be a Democrat was only a step away from treason, I of course registered as a Democrat. I remained a Democrat for many years. My husband was registered Republican. Both of us always voted for the man rather than the party, and we always seemed to agree as to which man that should be. In the election of 1960 I became very much more interested in the political scene, and was very thankful that John Kennedy became our President.

In 1982 I went to work for our local municipality. On the day I started my job there, I also went to the Election Board and switched my registration to Independent. I did not want to be part of the petty - and sometimes not so petty - political nonsense that went on there. I never regretted that decision. Probably missed out on a couple of raises and bonuses, depending who was in office at the time, but I could look at myself in the mirror every morning without flinching. And when the bigwigs wanted a straight answer instead of someone telling them what they thought they wanted to hear, they came to me more than once.


I have never in my life been so aware of the general public being so excited about an up-coming Presidential Inauguration as this one. This time it's different, and it is so exciting! Never have I been so involved emotionally in the election of the President. I think that is true of an amazing number of people. This time, it really mattered, and we all knew it. And we did good!

Barack Obama has before him a truly staggering job. I cannot imagine how anyone can handle it. But you know - I believe he is capable of it. This is a good man! I am sure there will be times when he is all but overwhelmed, and he may stumble a bit now and then. He isn't Superman. But I honestly believe that he will do it, in the end. We have to be supportive, try not to be hyper-critical, but also let him know if he gets off-track and insist that he make good on his promises. It may be that more is expected of this man than any other in our history. But I do believe first, that his intentions are good, and second, that he WILL do it. We have to believe. He may be our last hope after what has gone down in the past eight years.

Mellow Yellow Monday #2

Second time around for Drowsey Monkey's new meme. Mellow Yellow Monday is going to be fun.

I love Paddington Bear. I have two little Christmas ornaments of Paddington, but decided that I like him too much to put him away until next year, so I put him up on the shelf of my computer desk. One Paddington has a lovely yellow hat.




Find yourself some pretty yellow, and join us, or just follow the link to see what the rest of us have come up with this week.

Sick Days

So many people are taking sick days lately. It seems everyone is sick - or was sick - or thinks they are getting sick. I'm hearing of them from all over the country. I blame it on the weird weather. A few days of warmth and sunshine, followed by a deep freeze for a while, then back again. Maybe if it stays really cold for a while, all will be well again.


Oddly enough, when I think of times that I was sick as a child, they are mostly good memories. I know that sounds strange, but I really don't remember many bad times, except that one Christmas when I was too sick to care about gifts under the tree. I'm sure there must have been days when I felt terrible, but I don't remember them.


I had all of the usual childhood diseases of the day: measles, mumps, chicken pox, whooping cough. Didn't miss a one. And I would be put into bed for the duration. But what I remember of that is cool, crisp, clean sheets that felt so good, and pillows to prop me up. And little meals on a bed tray. My mother would always make me Junket custard, which I loved. And she would give me Saltines with currant jelly on them - another favorite. She would tell me that jelly was made with pectin, and that would settle the stomach.


The family doctor would be called to come out. I loved him. He looked as if he'd just stepped out of a Norman Rockwell painting. He would sit by my bed and poke and prod a little, and maybe tickle me, listen intently with his stethoscope and take my temperature. No matter what else he prescribed, no matter what was wrong with me, before he left he would reach down into his bag, and produce a vial of his famous pink pills. He would shake a few into my hand. They were delicious! And they never failed to make me feel better. Just as my mother believed in pectin, the doctor believed in potato soup. It was a little routine. He would tell my mother to make me potato soup, she would tell him I didn't like it, and he would then tell her to make me mashed potatoes.


In those days, all of the aforementioned childhood diseases also required quarantine, with the Health Department plastering a warning on the front door.


For as long as I was required to remain in bed, it also meant a series of small gifts brought to me by various family members. My favorite was paper dolls. I had many, many sets of paper dolls, including Shirley Temple. A few years later (I think it was when I had measles) the big hit was Gone With the Wind. Of course, I knew nothing of the book at that time, but the movie had just come out. There were so many characters in that story, and so many clothes - hoop skirts and parasols.


Some times my sister would help me make my own paper dolls and tons of clothes to be put on with those little paper tabs. Drawing them and coloring and cutting out whiled away many hours in bed.


My other favorite occupation while sick, was the picture box. Mother never had photo albums, but she had dozens of photographs, kept in a large dress box. Some were from her childhood, some from her courting days with my father and their friends and his family. And of course there were our own family photos. I would ask about the people I didn't know, but I could never keep them straight in my mind. My Grandmother had died when my mother was 18 months old, and Grandfather traveled with a vaudevillian quartet, so she was raised by a foster family. She made no distinction when talking about brothers or sistes, or even cousins, and I could never figure out which were "real" relatives and which from the foster family. And as for my father, he was one of nine children. Several had died, so I never had met them. My confusion about relationships didn't bother me until much later, when I was trying to make a family tree.


While recuperating, I enjoyed many hours with that picture box and my paper dolls and my books. It was really very pleasant. Children today do not have so many of these illnesses, thank goodness. When they do have colds or flu, are they kept in bed for long periods of time? I don't think so. I do know that their doctors don't make house calls any more. I guess they never get to know the pleasure of those magic pink pills.







The photos are of my grandmother, my brother and sister in the 20's, and of my brother, sister, and me in the 30's.
Rockwell painting courtesy of Google.

Speaking of old photos - Did you see Villas Girl's pictures yesterday?

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadow Shot Sunday is a fun meme, hosted at Hey Harriet, from Australia, where it is, indeed, Sunday, although it is still Saturday in the States. Please visit the site and join in the fun, or go there to see many beautiful shadow photos.

When I last visited the Eye Doctor, the sun was very brightly shining through her front windows. I tried one angle, then another. She has lovely lace valances on the windows. The sun is so bright that you can barely make them out. But their shadows on the ceiling make an interesting pattern.

Thematic Photographic #30

Once again, Carmi, over at Written, Inc. has given us a theme for the week. This time the theme is Aged.

The first thing I thought of when I learned of this theme was the little "Gingerbread Church" up in Cape May Point. The church was built in 1876. It has weathered 133 years of wind and storms. At one point, it had to be moved back from the sea to its present position, across the street from the dunes. My great-grandfather preached there when the family came down to the shore from Philadelphia, for summer vacations long ago. So here it is - St. Peter's By the Sea.

























I also thought of the many lighthouses that stand along our shores. And then I remembered one that no longer stands, but we can still see the remnants of it out in Delaware Bay. This is Crossledge - now just a roost for sea birds. But I find it rather charming.


You can see it if you take a Lighthouse Cruise in the Delaware Bay, out of Cape May, NJ.



I have one more well aged item that I would like to show you. This is one of my favorite pieces of furniture. It is a nursing chair, well over 100 years old. It was made by hand by some member of the family, and somewhere (I wish I could locate it) I have a picture of my mother sitting on it when she was about a year old. My mother is the baby in the center of the photograph. That photo is also well over 100 years old.

Sky Watch Friday

Once again time for Sky Watch, hosted by Sandy, Louise, Wren, Ivar, Fishing Guy and Klaus. Please go here to participate or to simply view some wonderful skies, world wide.


My entry this week is very similar to last week's pictures. When I stepped out on my front step, one early evening last week, I looked up through the plane trees, and saw the moon rising above me. Couldn't resist the shot. So here it is. Please realize I have only a little point and shoot camera.




I'm glad I did take the photos when I did. We never got to see the full moon because of the heavy cloud cover the next few days.

Introspective

You started it, Dianne! Well, no. To be honest, I started it myself. You just sort of pushed me over the edge. I guess I started it a few days ago when I started talking about my mother and others talking about dying in the near future.

The times we're living in today, the general state of the world, and of this country in particular - just not conducive to optimism and good cheer. We start to take it personally. Begins to make us start wondering if we're doing it all wrong. And maybe, in the case of much older people, like myself, makes us start to wonder if we want to keep on going at all. We don't always acknowledge even to ourselves that we're thinking that way, but that's what it amounts to in the end.

My physical state at the moment is not all that wonderful. Winter has a lot to do with it. I ache and I creak and I'm so very tired. Between arthritis and angina and a myriad of lesser problems, it just seems sometimes to be too darned hard to get up in the morning and face another day. And when I do, I hear about war and political shenanigans and global warming and economic disaster, and I want to go back to bed.

I think maybe that's why I've started doing memes like Shadow Shot Sunday, and Mellow Yellow Monday. They not only distract me from what's going on out there, they are actually fun and cheery, and often beautiful. I know it's why I don't want to watch anything on TV in the evenings except inane sitcoms. I don't want to go to bed thinking of anything serious. If there's anything of import that I'll want to see, I record it for another time. On a night when everything on the air is violent or suspenseful, I just don't turn on the TV. I find the Britcoms on PBS the most entertaining. And I love Big Bang Theory. Ooops. I shouldn't say that. Whenever I start talking about a series I really like, it goes off the air. Hope I didn't jinx it.

There are a number of blogs that I turn to for beauty and inspiration as well. They keep me going through the day. And people like Dianne and Gina and Deborah and Ann and Sylvia, David and Ralph and Cliff - OK I'll stop, even though I haven't mentioned nearly all of them. And there's my family (which includes Lisa). But there are days when they just aren't enough.

Once we accomplished our goal of getting Mr. Obama headed to the White House, there was a terrific let-down. Felt like nothing left to do. I know. There are many things left to do - but that's how it felt for a while. And the way things have come about, January 20th will only be the start of a very long, difficult road over the mountains of problems that will have to be overcome. It isn't as if we've reached the peak, and it's all downhill from here.

OK. Have I brought everyone down to my level? Wow! Talk about depressing. Well, I'm not going to delete it all now. Just let me say - if I skip posting some days except for the memes, you probably wouldn't want to read it anyway. It would be like this one. When I start reminscing again, or thinking about my grandson, I'll write some more. (Yes, I have good days as well as bad, even in the winter.)

Want to cheer up a little? Here are a couple of pictures of said grandson - for no particular reason except that they cheer me.

Mellow Yellow Monday

A new meme! It sounds to me like a fun one. Yellow is the color of sunshine! Thank you for creating this one, Drowsy Monkey. I wish you well with the new venture. I'm sure it will be a success. And thanks to the Pagan Sphinx for introducing it to me through her entry.

My first entry is a photo that has appeared in my blog in the past. it is from one of my visits to the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse gardens this past summer.