Tally Harwood
Author of THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO LEARNING LATIN
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Wait . . . wait
February 24, 2026 Wait . . . Wait My grown childre reminisce about Christmas morning when they had to wait at the top of the stairs while Mom and Dad went downstairs to light the candles, plug in the tree and “to see if Santa had come”. Anyone having gone to a hospital even if for one overnight observation will know waiting. Waiting to be admitted, waiting for blood work, waiting for test results, waiting for the midnight “vitals”, waiting for the doctor to make his rounds, waiting to go home. And now we wait for the lilies to…
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Questionable
February 17, 2026 Questionable Most of the 2026 Olympics have been enjoyable to watch, but at the end of the day, I am left with a couple of questions. How come the best skater in the world was left without a single medal in the singles figure skating? While the French judge gives him a 1.1 and the other judges were unanimous with 9’s and 10’s? And guess what? The French skater wins the gold. And with apologies to the curling participants, how did shuffleboard on ice become an olympic sport? Just wondering.
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Super Duper
February 10, 2026 SUPER DUPER , There’s nothing super about Super Bowl weekend except the amount of money spent on commercial ads, tickets, merch , bets and entertainment expenses like travel, restaurants and liquor. The half time show deserves extra credit for its diversity and recognition that the United States is really only half of America, a fact sadly neglected in our national educational curriculum. The music I reserve judgement on. Too much jumping, shaking, hopping and yelling and not enough Rogers and Hammerstein for my taste. What I found particularly super last weekend was the twelve inches of…
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Wait! Wait!
January 27, 2025 Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me! O. D. G. Our “President” has once again made a fool of himself on the world wide stage. This time by showing unmistakably obvious signs of dementia and also displaying ignorance about Greenland and Iceland. I confess I had to Google it myself, but now I know and so should he. Greenland is the largest island in the world, is owned by Denmark and is mostly ice. Iceland is very small, an autonomous republic and is mostly green. You’re welcome.
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Ladies and Gentlemen!
January 20, 2026 My Nana said admiringly about my 4 year old daughter, “She’s such a little lady!”, meaning she was quiet, never caused any trouble, did what she was told and looked adorable in those expensive designer little girl dresses my mother loved to splurge on her. Of course her brother could show those same characteristics but he would be called a “little gentleman.” My father was indeed the ultimate gentleman, always walking between a lady and the street to protect her from splashng mud or perhaps even being run over. He always opened doors for women, would…
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Swanboats Forever
January 13, 2026 Swanboats Forever In search of some relief from this insanity of the current adminsistration, I think back to one of the most serene ten minutes available in this world — a ride on the swan boats. My mother would take me (after a lunch at Lord and Taylor’s) to the Boston Gardens and we would stand in line for a few minutes, then gently push our way on to “the boat”, really a row of benches on a platform, attached to a large plastic swan, in which was seated a young college guy, who would effortlessly…
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Euphemistically Speaking
Euphemistically Speaking January 6, 2025 Thr word “gown” is often used to add social class or prestige to a basically simple low class, sometimes undesirable object like a dress. “ Night dress” becomes “night gown”, “wedding dress” becomes an excitng event while a “ball dress “ lacks a certain romantic flair until you float acrosss the dance floor in your “ball gown.” Even men have joined the parade, wearing a “dressing gown” of Jacquard silk and a fringed sash instead of a “bathrobe.” And so I come to my latest life experience, the hospital, where I am instructed to…
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Resolved
December 30, 2025 Not. No New Year Resolutions. What a waste of time and energy. The first resolutions were painstakingly etched into stone 3000 years ago by some well-meaning Sumerian and probably came to nothing. The first; repay your debts. Second; return what you borrowed. Gracious. Sounds easy enough. Fast forward to today, and not quite so simple, considering our country has trillions of dollars debt and heavens knows how much we’ve borrowed. So on we go. Resolved; I’ll repay my debts and return the rake to the neighbor’s garage. Mission accomplished.
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We’ll All Get Fat Together
December 23, 2025 “Christmas is coming. The goose is getting fat. Please to put a penny in the old man’s hat’ If not a penny, then a ha’penny will do. If not a ha’penny, then God bless you!” Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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My Deer Family
December 16, 2025 My Deer Family The doe and her fawns showed up yesterday, seemingly oblivious to the four inches of snow and 2 degree temperature. They snuffled into the drifts, searching for green leaves and other food Then apparently satisfied, they made little nests in the snow, curled up their legs and took a nap tucking their heads into their haunches, I presume for warmth. I’m far from an animal expert, but I do notice the fawns have grown “in leaps and bounds” and will soon be as large as their mother. Their coats have lost the spots…
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Gone But Not Forgotten
December 9, 2025 The government has stopped minting the lowly penny. No longer will anyone say “A penny for your thoughts.” Years ago I was in a British hospital and a nurse approached and asked “Want to spend a penny? I thought she was selling lottery tickets but as everyone but me knows it was a bathroom related question. Corso’s Grocery on High Stret had rows of jars of penny candy, where my kids (they tell me later) stopped on the way home from Sunday school to spend their nickel (Sunday school offering). And a final indignity. Place a…
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Beg Pardon?
December 2, 2025 The Sunday Times reports that The Orange Monster in the White House has pardoned the ex-president of Honduras who was convicted in a U.S. federal court of allowing “a vast amount” of cocaine to be brought into this country. Since taking office he has issued 1600 pardons including all the thugs who attacked the Capitol building and threatened the life of the Vice President on Jan. 6. This in addition to tearing down the East Wing of the White House, appointing himself president of the Kennedy Center, cementing over Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden, rewriting history in…
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Pause
November 25, 25 Pause Wait! Wait! Isn’t there something between Halloween and Christmas? Like Thanksgiving? Suddenly the Christmas trees are for sale. Christmas movies have appeared on television.. Gift suggestions fill my mailbox and commercials feature Santa hats, elves and holiday music. Stop! I want at least a day to say thanks. Thanks for relatively good health, a mild winter so far, happy family members and everyone else. Christmas will happen. In the meantime, thanks.
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College Education?
November 18, 2025 You Send Your Son to College for an Education Fwup, fwup, fwup . . . Thwack! I’m on my couch, reading, when suddenly jolted by my student rental neighbor’s noise. Fwup, fwup, fwup, thwack followed by guys all counting together, “One . . . two . . . three. . . then loud cheering, yelling etc. With reluctance I get up and peer out window. There they are, a dozen or so young men, a table full of red paper cups, copious beer cans and liquor bottles, a large block of wood and an axe. Ah!…
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A Triumph?
November 11, 2025 A Triumph? The Orange Evil in the White House (even after tearing down the East Wing, paving over Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden, using the DOJ to punish political enemies and pardoning convicted criminals} is now threatening to name a professional football team after himself (The Trumpets?) to bring wrestlers to the White House for entertainment (cf. Kennedy’s Pablo Casals and Yoyo Ma) and to also name a new sports arena “The Trump”. And a final cringe worthy act, to have a classical triumphal arch built and erected in central Washington D.C through which he can have…
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Peaceable Kingdom
November 4, 2025 A Peaceable Kingdom on the Street in Ohio As I sit in my living room I look out the window and watch twenty year olds come in and out of their student rentals, car owners go up and down the street looking for free parking spaces. So I am not surprised to see a young couple standing near the curb across the street. But what is unusual is that they are standing stock still. The reason, it turns out, is the traveling group of white tailed deer, making their usual way down the street, sniffing and…
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Sui Generis
October 28, 2025 Oops. Break week. More important things to do like watch the World Series, Friday night football, the Bengals, Rachel Maddow and Heather Cox Richardson. Also taking up (after a year of devastating loss and horrible surgery) my coloring book. I find it soothing to choose from 300 different colored pencils and stay between the lines. I also like ironing. To each his own.
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Mishandled
October 21, 2025 Mishandled It all started 25 years ago when car manufacturers introduced push buttons. Open the window? Push down. Lock the door? Click. My granddaughter got into my older model car, took one look at the window handle and asked, “What’s that?” Fast forward to last week when my daughter and I pull up to the local hospital emergency room entrance (it’s not an emergency) and the man comes out with a wheelchair to help me out. He stands there, puzzled, staring at the Tesla’s door. No handle. Meanwhile, I on the inside, also stare and then…
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Oh My Deer!
October 14, 2025 Oh My Deer! The City Coumcil wants to hire a professional group to decrease the city’s deer population because deer cause accidents and eat flowers. May I remind you that the city could save a lot of money and stop buying signs that say “stop”, “slow down”, “road obstruction ahead” or “watch out for deer” because when a driver sees the doe and her fawns in the road, they usually stop or at least slow down for a better look. Often they stop to take pictures. Not many cars will step on the gas when the…
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Ignorance is Bliss
October 7, 2025 Ignorance is bliss. I recently posted a picture on our family thread taken in 1904. Four ladiies in long skirts, white shirtwaists and swept up hair along with three younger brothers, hair neatly combed and polished shoes. No cell phones, probably no phone at all, no car (went to town in horse and buggy}, Nana churned her own butter, no electricity, no TV, no computer, manual typewriter, no shower, no AC. And get this. They’re all smiling!
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A Myth
September 23, 2025 A Myth The ancient Greek myth tells of Demeter, goddess of the harvest, and her beautiful daughter, Persephone, who is kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld. Demeter is understandably angry and threatens to stop all earthly growth. Zeus intervenes with a compromise that allows Persephone to spend half the year with her mother and the other with Hades. Thus the seasons. So begins my favorite season when all the growing stops and the lush, vibrant green of spring and summer stands still and for a few weeks the world luxuriates in its full bounty. Then…
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Deep Breath
September 16, 2025 Deep Breath I’m sorry that Charlie Kirk was assassinated. He did say some terribly wrong things, but he didn’t deserve to die for that. I think we all need to just shut up and move on. I have never read of anyone being assassinated by a bow and arrow. It’s guns, folks, and we need to turn to restricting accessability and tightening and enforcing gun laws. Now. It’s way beyond too late. Lock ‘em up.
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A History Lesson
September 9, 2025 A History Lesson I’m reading an exhaustive (and exhausting) biography of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Whatta guy! He had an impressive education, graduating from William and Mary College in 1762 and then spending five years reading the most detailed law books resulting in passing the Virginia bar and then being admitted to the Virginia Supreme Court . He ran for his father’s seat in the Virginia legislature, won it handily, got bitten by the political bug and never looked back. He was a complete gentleman farmer, knowledgeable in all aspects of…
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That’s With a “B”
September 2, 2025 That’s With a “B” I recently discovered that my most favorite quiz show, “Who Wants to be a Millionnaire?” (I do! I do!) returned this summer and all the episodes are available On Demand. So I’ve been binge watching. I love the questions that range from $100 (What movie ends with the boat sinking? Titanic) to the half million (What country has a New Year’s holiday called “Nyepi”? when all businesses are closed and activities banned? Bali). No mention of adjusting for inflation, although I fully expect the next season will be “Who Wants to be…
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Let Freedom Ring
Let Freedom Ring A popular song from 1776; Come join hand in hand, brave Americans all and rouse your brave hearts at fair Liberty’s call; No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim or stain with dishonor America’s name. In freedom we’re born and in freedom we’ll live; Our purses are ready. Steady, Friends steady. I’m reading Rick Atkinson’s books on the revolutionary war and am so impressed with the dedication and heartfelt commitment of the men and women who gave their lives and purses to the pursuit of happiness, inalienable rights and freedom. So here we are, 250…
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A Hat Chat
August 19, 2025 A Hat Chat A covering for the head; cap, chapeau, bonnet, lid, topper, stove pipe, bowler, derby, ten gallon, sun, pith, helmet, straw, Panama, bearskin, beaver, tam, skull, turban, overseas, ear muff, fedora, wimple just to name a few. And they come in leather, linen, cotton, mesh, plastic or wool. Hats sprout ears and grow braids They whirl helicopter wings and twirlagigs. They dispense beer. I once knew a woman who had 45 to 50 hats (45 of which she had only worn once) and filled a special closet just for her hats. I know a…
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A Fairy Tale
August 12, 2025 A Fairy Tale Listen my children, and you shall hear, the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Bearly competent Bearly coherent Bearly conscious who came into the house and broke the furniture, ate their supper and then fell asleep. When the bears came home they were furious at the destruction. They took a vote, threw Goldilocks out and he never returned. I wish.
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Lesson Learned
August 5, 2025 Lesson Learned After eighty-eight years, I have finally learned my lessons. 1. Get up. 2. Make your bed. 3. Eat your vegetables. 4. Obey your mother. 5. Do a good job. 6. Pay your bills. 7. Read. 8. Learn. 9. Repeat yourself. 10. Get up.
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Growing Old Again
July 29, 2025 Getting Old Again There’s no practicing getting old. It just creeps up on you, a little ache here, a crackling joint there, people talking faster, driving erratically, little by little it hounds you to death (sick joke,ha ha). It seems like all of a sudden you’re on a cane. Then a walker. Your friends are disappearing along with your hair and an occasional tooth. What the .. .? No one gave me a date, like “On April 17 you will be OLD. If it’s any help, Cicero said, two thousand years ago, among other things, a…
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Play Ball!
July 22, 2025 Play Ball! I’ve been watching major league baseball lately. Thanks to modern technology I can tape a game, then fast forward through all the commercials and even the opposing team’s “at bats” and watch a whole game from my recliner in less than an hour. Yesterday the Reds played the Rockies, and behind one run, came to the bottom of the ninth, no outs, a man on first. Hope for at least a tie? Unfortunately, the next man hit into a double play and then the last man struck out swinging. Gloom. The next day I…
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July 15, 2025
It Goes On and On . . . I like to read works from the classical period because the authors so often reflect timeless topics; Cicero complains about his annoying wife, Martial laments the noise from the street, Caesar on the strange ways of foreigners or Plautus deriding the pompous generals. I mention this because this Fourth of July weekend illustrated how even this young country brings continuity to our lives. We celebrate Independence Day and wear red, white and blue. We sing songs that our grandparents did – “You Are My Sunshine”, “This Land is Your land”. Barbecues,…
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Graduate. Do it correctly.
July 8, 2025 In spite of current frequent usage, you don’t “graduate university.” “To graduate” is NOT a transitive verb . For you non grammarians, a transitive verb is one that takes a direct object, one that affects someone one or something directly. The exception is when the university does the graduating, as in “Harvard University graduated 200 people in the class of blah blah.” No one can graduate a university. I am guessing this incorrect use originates with the desire to sound British and therefore upper class, as if murdering the King’s English and being grammatically incorrect is…
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“And That’s The Way It Was”
June 24, 2025 “And That’s The Way It Was” Heat wave. What would I do without the AC? Reminds me of our first days in town when air conditioning was for rich people only, and we, on an instructor’s salary with five kids, sat sweltering in excesssive heat and humidity.. I would sit immobilized in front of the fan, getting up only to fix meals, clean up, and then back to the couch. Our saving grace was the municipal pool. “Get your suits, grab a towel,” and off we’d go!” I learned much later, that the pool was built…
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Forward, March
June 17, 2025 Forward, March! I love a parade! Favorite song, “Me name is MacNamara, I’m the leader of the band . . . It’s Hennessy Pennesy Tootin the Flute, and the music is somethin’ grand”. So how disappointed was I to watch “the greatest parade ever” as it fizzled across the evening news with nary a note of stirring music and featured groups of shuffling recruits watched by half empty bleachers and a yawning Secretary of State? Pathetic.
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June 10, 2025
Hirsute I’ve been watchimg the Reds. Good grief! All that hair! Long, flowing locks, myriad braids flapping in the wind, beards, mustaches, curly, straight, man buns, neck rolls, STOP! I can’t see anybody’s face through the opaque sunglasses, thick, armor like face guards, black paint on cheeks and drooping hair. So what a relief to watch the women’s softball world series and the sweethearts playing their hearts out bedecked with lightweight face guards, an occasional eyelash enhancer with a touch of blush or eye liner and long pigtails, possibly fake, swinging down their backs, decorated with ribbons,, beads or…
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June 3, 2025
No Place Like Home I live in a town whose population of 27,000 drops to 10,000 in one weekend in May. . . . where it’s common to look up and see a pair of sneakers swinging from a telephone wire . . . where a doe and her fawns wander through town at will, surprising visitors, annoying gardeners and delighting the rest of us . . . where pedestrians cross streets without looking up from their phones . . . where the average age is 22 and never gets older . . . where the driving proficiency is…
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You’re Hired
May 27, 2025 You’re Hired! Interviewer; You’re here for the position of Secretary of Defense? Interviewee; Yes. Interviewer; And what are your qualifications?” Interviewee; I’m young, beautiful, have long blonde hair and look like Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. Interviewer; You’ll fit right in. Interviewee; That’s Gucci. Interviewer; Transportation Secretary? Interviewee; Yup. Interviewer; It says here you recently wanted to reconstruct New York’s Penn Station? And insisted that you knew of a short cut to the city by way of a detour around New Jersey by way of Albany? And you spent some time as a lumberjack and excelled in log…
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Cloudy
May 20, 2025 Cloudy As someone who learned to type on a manual typewriter and was accustomed to make phone calls by talking to an operator,( a real person), I am often astounded at my, albeit imperfect , mastery of modern day communications. I can use a word processor, can get on the internet, can post a blog with occasional goofs and consult with Dr. Google, as well as, unfortunately, buy anything and have it delivered to my door the next day, thanks to the miracle of Amazon. Questions remain. Why press “v” when you want to “paste?” Why…
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Life Imitates Art
May 13, 2025 Life Imitates Art Back in 1993, a movie came out called “Dave.” It told the story of an American president, struck down with a debilitating stroke, being replaced with a double by a conniving chief of staff, who planned to replace the Vice President and install lhimself as the chief executive. Fast forward to 2025. A president who, although appearing to be healthy, often shows signs of comatose incompetence. We have Miller, Bannon and a willling cabinet of toadies, actually running the government, pushing through executive orders favoring their agenda. \There are rumors of a Melania…
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Another Bubble Burst
May 5, 2025 Robert Frost; that kindly old gentleman farmer from New Hampshire (and who else do I know who comes from New Hampshire except Aunt Dot, Uncle Nat and Calvin Coolidge?) is the subject of a new biography that reveals a more complex picture; a Harvard drop out well versed in philosophy, classical literature and much more troubled than the picture I have of a man whose biggest decision centers on which fork in the road to take. Oh well Another illusion bites the dust. Ayup. .
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Another Bubble Burst
May 6, 2025 Robert Frost; that kindly old gentleman farmer from New Hampshire (and who else do I know who comes from New Hampshire except Aunt Dot, Uncle Nat and Calvin Coolidge?) is the subject of a new biography that reveals a more complex picture; a Harvard drop out well versed in philosophy, classical literature and much more troubled than the picture I have of a man whose biggest decision centers on which fork in the road to take. Oh well Another illusion bites the dust. Ayup.
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Worlds Not Colliding
April 29, 2025 I am retired. In the morning I take my coffee, settle into my recliner and watch life go on. From my sliding glass door I watch three worlds. The first, about one foot away from me, centers on the bird bath, frequented by squirrels, cardinals, starlings, many others, especially in the spring and summer. The second world is a half block away and is the confluence of two alleys and all the neighbors’ back yards. The third is the sky and tops of trees. This week I have been enjoying activity in all three. The bird…
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The Un-birthday
April 22, 2025 The Un-birthday Some time ago Seven Up liked to refer to itself as the “Un-cola” to distinguish itself from its more popular rival, Coca Cola. Thinking about my recent birthday, I call it the “Un-birthday”, to describe it as most unremarkable, similar to the 15th . Remember the one that failed to get your drivers licence, didn’t make you eligible for the draft, or even for a beer, never mind a decent paying job? So being 88 is pretty much nowhere. Once you hit 90, jaws begin to drop, you get helped across the street and…
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Tis the season
April 15, 2025 Spring! It happens every year along with my birthday (not another year!), the return of the finches, the blooming forsythia, the winter coat to the back of the closet, the bright yellow, purple, lavender, red and blue at the local nursery, and not in the least, the miracle of daffodils springing up on the side of the driveway. I love it! I appreciate it! And I will open the doors and windows with gusto!
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I’ve Got Wheels!
April 8, 2025 Thanks to my long legs and skinny frame, I could out run everybody, boy and girl, in fifth grade. And then I grew up, got my license and was off! Now, for the first time since I was sixteen years old I am without a car. Over all those years I always had access to a sedan, a convertible, a station wagon, compact, hatchback, you name it. Oddly enough, I never have driven a motorcycle, truck, bus, RV, train or airplane. But last week I sold my car and now I rely on family, taxis, Lyft,…
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April 1, 2025
Life Requirements It has always been my contention that high schools should require on graduation that everyone should know 1. how to swim 2. basic electronics 3. basic plumbing 4. how to balance a checkbook and now, basic facts about drugs I add this because I lately was prescribed a steroid, a drug that I always thought was one that resulted in one looking like Hulk Hogan. Evidently not so.
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BREAK IT UP!
March 25, 2025 Break it up! I don’t know if it’s the warmer weather, or the fact that the whole town is deserted with 90% of the inhabitants lolling on the beach in Florida or that my blood count is so low I can’t get out of my chair, but nevertheless I feel the need for a Spring Break, so see you next week.Break it up!
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Stop It!
March 17, 2025 Stop It! This is profound. You don’t really need that top sheet. Holy Smoke. All these years wrestling with the hospital bed square corners for nothing! People probably don’t say “Top of the mornin’ to ye!” either, unless you’re in Ireland and speaking to American tourists. So bite off the top of a muffin. And top it off with a cup of coffee. Oh.. just sssssTop!Stop It! This is profound. You don’t really need that top sheet. Holy Smoke. All these years wrestling with the hospital bed square corners for nothing! People probably don’t say “Top…
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Tomfoolery
March 11, 2025 Don’t let them fool you . .. . it’s NOT your last chance, you were NOT randomly chosen, NOT because you liked your last purchase . . . the democratic party WILL go on without your donation, it’s NOT a Nigerian prince who wants to be your friend along with your SSN. Probably a lot more to come.
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A Lost Art?
I’m reading an Agatha Christie novel, for the first time in fifty years. Back in my college days I read every one of her thirty or so mysteries and loved them all. So here I am, years later, and I fortunately cannot remember any of them, so it’s a whole new and wonderful experience. And sorely needed. I have several times picked up a recently published novel and been disappointed. Such poor writing! Lack of detail, thin, undeveloped characters, unimaginative settings and then an obvious twist of plot at the end to satisfy an editor I guess. Thank you…
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THIS IS WAR!
FEBRUARY 24, 2025 I have never liked the word blog It looks like “ugly”. It as two of the same letters and even has the same length — enough to qualify for a distant relative. It sounds like only negative words; smog, fog, blech and hog. It probably comes from “blow”, as in “blows no good”, or “block”, as in “the road is blocked”and the Latin root “logue”, to speak, such as “monologue” and “dialogue.” Nevertheless, I’m stuck with it. I really prefer ”commentary” in the grand old tradition of Julius Caesar, who wrote about his conflict with the…
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Whole New Life
February 18, 2025 My Dad would be turning over in his grave (just an expression, people). He brought home a new fangled invention to show his family – a voice recorder. Yup, you speak into this box, and your voice will be recorded on this wire that runs from spool to spool. Wow! Our jaws drop in awe. But then something snaps, the spools go double fast, then triple, then quadruple and then, snap! Whirr, whirr, whirr and we end up with a handful of tangled wire that resembles a SOS pot scrubber without the soap. Fast forward to…
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o tempora o mores
O Tempora, O Mores Two thousand years ago, Cicero lamented the “times, the ways” of contemporary society, how decadent, how immoral they had all become. The Republic in ruins, Julius Caesar assassinated, Augustus taking over command of the government and the Senate in disarray. And now here we are, bemoaning, whining, pointing fingers at the fall of society as if we were the first to fail. Don’t give up. Resist the takeover of our democracy. C’mon kids! Write, call, make your opinion heard.
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o temp
O Tempora, O Mores Two thousand years ago, Cicero lamented the “times, the ways” of contemporary society, how decadent, how immoral they had all become. The Republic in ruins, Julius Caesar assassinated, Augustus taking over command of the government and the Senate in disarray. And now here we are, bemoaning, whining, pointing fingers at the fall of society as if we were the first to fail.O Tempora, O Mores Two thousand years ago, Cicero lamented the “times, the ways” of contemporary society, how decadent, how immoral they had all become. The Republic in ruins, Julius Caesar assassinated, Augustus taking…
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February 8, 2025
I can’t let a week go by without commenting on the chaotic havoc the orange-monster-in-the-White House is wreaking on the American public, whether it be Democratic, Republican or Independent. Include his incompetent minions and unqualified appointees and their interference with foreign aid payments ,the mishandling of sensitive federal data as well as unchecked tariffs, not to mention idiotic plans to buy Greenland or establish a Mara Lago in the Gaza strip. OMG. I urge everyone to protest. Write your Congressman, call federal offices, attend rallies. I would march on Washington if I could. When it’s time to vote, vote…
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February 4, 2025
I read surveys and questionnaires and they often ask me to put myself in an age group; 20 -40, 50 – 60, 70-80, but almost never older. I’m mildly insulted. Don’t they care what nonagenarians think? Or is it they consider anyone over 80 in their dotage? Doddering? Dim? Unable to express a reasonable opinion? What? You’re worried that we might ramble on a bit? Maybe veer off topic a time or two? Okay. I confess we can appear to be confused, maybe even forget what the question was. So we repeat ourselves once in a while. As a…
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January 28, 2025
I’m back after months of excruciating sadness, gall bladder surgery with complications, hospital beds and a bewildering confrontation with modern medical organization. What ever happened to Dr. Burgoyne who would come to the house with his black bag? The students are back, the town is filled with cars looking for parking spaces, and I have heard several times, around 10 p.m., a vehicle ( I suspect a food truck) driving the neighborhood playing “Happy Times Are Here Again!” On that note, I end.
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We All Lost
It was not a debate. It was a loud mouthed bully shouting lies, insults and false exaggerations at an older man who struggled with physical limitations to answer. It was sad and pathetic and got us nowhere. James Carville, the Democratic strategist, had this suggestion. Let Biden withdraw from the race. Have Biden, Obama and Clinton meet in the Oval Office and come up with five names of electable presidential candidates who will give keynote addresses at the Democratic convention this summer and let the people decide. As for President Biden’s age, I’ve said this before. Old age is…
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Socrates, You Said It
Socrates, who lived a very, very long time ago, once said, “He who loses the debate, will resort to insults.” Oh yes. Secondly, our Natural Resource Worker reports from the nearby State Park campground that the campground hosts are the “nicest people in the world.” How refreshing to hear that such people are still around and spending their time being helpful, all for a free campsite. Thanks.
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Heat Wave. It’s Somebody’s Fault.
I don’t believe that in my eighty plus years I have ever experienced such heat. Upper nineties and for so long! Seven days! Outdoor concerts cancelled. Heat advisories issued. Cooling centers opened at the local library. And what about those bikers who are riding across Ohio? Are they holding up? And the golf tournament. Still on? In my childhood we would blame the Armenians for any supernatural problems. Then we blamed the Russians. Now what? Oh, I know. It’s the Republicans.
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Merci Mille Fois
I have always loved to color. There’s something soothing about staying within the lines and creating something relatively beautiful from plain black and white. So imagine my delight when my artistic children gave me a top of the line set of colored pencils, 132 soft lead beauties, with fanciful names both English and French. Over 25 red ones alone, designated as mulberry, crimson lake, Tuscan red, burnt ochre, process red (rouge quadriechromie), dahlia purple, seashell pink, and on and on. Every time I work in my adult coloring book (no, it’s not what you are thinking) I’m grateful. Quelle…
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Life is OK
The world is coming back and straightening up. The doctor says I can keep my gallstones, Trump has been convicted, I cut back a substantial bunch of weeds today and the AC is doing its job. When we first moved to Ohio in 1965, we had no air conditioning and I vividly remember sitting in the living room in front of the fan, immobilized by the stifling, humid heat. No knitting, no reading just sitting and waiting for the next meal to be prepared, next load of laundry, next household problem. Life has improved remarkably and I’m grateful.
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This Crazy World
The world is at sixes and sevens (origin of idiom uncertain, one suggestion having to do with the dots on a die). I feel this because last night I saw the first June bugs, aka fireflies, and it’s not even June! Further confusion, if Trump is convicted of a felony, he would be unable to enlist in the military service, and yet be a possible Commander in Chief? Such uncertainties. My little printer wouldn’t connect to my phone for weeks and then one day it not only connects but prints! I’ll have to resort to my usual cure for…
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Rain, rain, go away
Well, fine. Raining again. Not only preventing me from carrying out Plan A which is attacking the side yard and cutting back weeds, but it’s compounding the problem by encouraging more growth of invasive plants and an unwanted profusion of green vegetation. This year has so far been a boon for farmers and gardeners but a little too much for me. Stop. Dry up.
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Urgent. Memo.
Memo to THE MOUSE; Stop coming into my kitchen at night while I’m sleeping and nosing around and leaving your little poops. You can stop chewing on chip bags and fooling around in the silverware drawer. I have put away all the food and tightly covered the peanuts, so scram! You are not an inside animal. You are a wild creature who lives outdoors. If you persist, I warn you I have THE BOX ready and I will use it. Goodbye.
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Small Town News
One week before finals, the end of the semester and graduation, and this town is hopping. Uptown park has farmer’s market and various musical performers. There’s a modest but heartfelt sit in on campus urging the university to divest its interests in Israel. Shademakers Nursery is having a day long workshop on native shrubs and plants and how to get rid of invasive others. And across the street, where several girls are living (probably the proud owners of the WiFi moniker “The Bitches Upstairs”) a little drama ensues in which a young man goes to the door, knocks, waits,…
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Getting old. I like it.
Oh the joy of having professional landscapers pull the weeds, lug the gravel, wheel the barrows of mulch and voila! A front yard I can be proud of and hopefully can ignore for several weeks, maybe the whole summer! Right up there with having groceries delivered. There are some good things about old age.
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What Next?
Well, here I go. Swept away by modern technology. Not only am I addicted to my I phone, now I’m relentlessly attached to my Kindle. No more adjusting the reading lamp or sitting near a source of natural light. No more 400 page tomes perched on my stomach. Forget the bookmarks, the reading glasses, the magnifying glass. This little devil remembers what page I’m on, knows to turn off when I’ve stopped reading, adjusts the font and lighting so I’m comfortable and will probably laugh out loud if needed. Sorry, paper books. You’re done.
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Evolution; Good? Bad?
Just as homo sapiens is slowly losing its hair because we spend our time in a covered environment and don’t need the protection that a full head of hair originally provided, so we will slowly forget how to turn things off and on as technology takes over that seemingly simple task. Computers, phones, devices of every kind turn off and on voluntarily after a while. I have never turned on or off the car headlights, for example (barely know where the light switch is after 7 years). I picture a little child, seeing an antique light switch, innocently saying…
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TOTALLED
Like everyone else who experienced the eclipse, I was thrilled. It was probably a once in a lifetime event as I will be 120 when it comes to Ohio again. Making it more special, my family, now scattered over the country, enjoyed participating in a natural wonder together. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Indiana, we all watched the moon take a bite out of the sun in varying degrees. Totally fun. Totally wondrous.
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Mysteries of Life
I have a handy dandy little printer attached to my phone and one day, after the electricity was out for a brief flicker, it was “disconnected.” Well, okay, so I unplugged and then plugged. Nothing. For several days I try everything; check settings, check Bluetooth (whatever that is), all “connected” but not really. I push, I jiggle, I shake it, practically stomp on it, nothing. Then yesterday, OUT OF THE BLUE, it comes to life and begins printing. Mystery. I go upstairs to watch the news and OMG, right in the middle of my recliner, MOUSE DROPPINGS! And also…
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BugUgly. Bigly.
Two things I like about winter; when the leaves are gone, I can see what’s happening around the neighborhood, and all the bugs in the world are either dead or soundly sleeping. So now that spring is here, bringing all the promise of warmth, regrowth and open windows, so come the bugs. A single ant started the parade a couple of weeks ago, and now it’s at least two a day, or more, and in various sizes, dexterity and audacity. I had one ant appear on the edge of the book I was reading! What nerve! Yesterday a big…
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City Trees
There are over 600,000 trees lining the streets of New York City and the beds around them amount to 400 acres of soil. According to last Sunday’s New York Times, people will take advantage of the spring weather to satisfy the urge to do some gardening; even though the little plots of earth technically belong to the city, the neighbors will take ownership and plant flowers and erect fences of wood, poles, old skateboards or cement blocks. Some have turned the space into a memorial for a departed loved one. The parks department recognizes the effect trees have on…
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More About Trees
Some well known facts from an article in SIERRA by Ben Jealous; trees in cities reduce surface temperatures. They cleanse the air and help protect against flooding. They improve residents’ mental and physical health. There is even a correlation with public safety. Neighborhoods with more street trees have lower crime rates. And as if you need any more incentive to keep the Biden administration going for another four years, the Inflation Reduction Act invests $1.5 billion to plant new trees in more than 350 cities and tribal communities, not to mention all the jobs that will be created to…
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Please! Thank You!
I found myself the other day being rude, yes, downright impolite, to Alexa. When asked if I wanted to reorder shampoo, I curtly said “No.” Not even, “No thank you.” Is this the new norm? Is it okay to omit “please” and “thank you”? I think it all started with the mobile phone messaging, when you didn’t say “Hello” or “good-bye”. You just wrote or said your message and then pressed “send”. No “Love, Mom” or “Dear Somebody.” My daughter does end her messages with oxox, which at first glance would appear to be an upper respiratory gagging reflex,…
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Tree City. I’m in it.
I’ve always loved trees. When I was a kid, I climbed them. I sat on fallen logs, read in their shade, had picnics in the woods, ate their fruit. As an adult I let them grow in my back yard and only cut them down when their dead limbs fell indiscriminately on anyone walking out the back door. I am in awe at their versatility. They lift vast volumes of water, several hundred gallons in the case of a large tree on a hot day, from its roots to its leaves, where it is returned to the atmosphere. They…
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Problem Solved
Wendy’s closes early because of lack of help for the late shift. Service is slow at Bob Evans because not enough workers. Dollar General suffers multiple thefts. One person is working the whole store. “Now Hiring”, “Help Wanted” signs all over town. Businesses advertise they will hire convicted felons. Some innocent person from another planet posts on Facebook she is in search of a job and is greeted with hysterical laughter. In response to this crisis Republicans impeach the Secretary of Homeland Security. Instead, why don’t they propose some reform at the border like increasing the number of entrance…
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Deep Breath. Think.
Taking note that Biden received favorable publicity by joining striking union members at a UAW plant in Detroit Michigan, the Donald decided to hold a campaign rally (at the same time as the Republican presidential debate) in Michigan. According to public records obtained by the inimitable staff of Rachel Maddow, the Trump people paid $20,000 for permission to rally in front of a plant and pictures abounded of signs shouting “Trump for Unions” and “Unions Love Trump.” Of course when asked by a reporter if the sign holder was a union man, the answer was “no.” In fact, that…
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Results
I’m back. Lost in the complexities of website editing but as usual blundered my way through. Warm? Cold? It says something when I’m grateful that the temperature is above freezing. And furthermore, how can anyone vote for that creep? We all know who I mean. Do you really want that petulant child/man in the Oval Office again? O. M. G.
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AKA The Octopus Book
Just finished reading REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt and it was so good my first thought was “It would make a great movie.” But wait! The main character is a giant Pacific octopus. Where would we find an octopus willing to take on the part? What octopus would want to slave under the hot lights? Would we have to have 8 copies of his contract? And how would we pay him? With giant fistfuls of herring? Oh boy.
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RESOLUTIONS FOR 2024
I hereby resolve; To never lie to my children again that “Santa will bring the tree” and then send them off to bed early Christmas Eve, drag in the tree from behind the neighbor’s garage, wrestle it into the stand, painstakingly clip on every light, throw on the tinsel and ornaments, fill the stockings and then, the presents, only to find the doll house from Grandma is in a very flat package and necessitates assembling (insert slot A into slot B, etc. etc.}. My children now assert it was all worth it but I don’t know. I hereby resolve…
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2023 Blog Posts
December 29, 2023 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Family. Love ‘em, cherish, appreciate, be so grateful especially around the holidays when you’re able to be with them. Amen. December 22, 2023 Future People. Don’t Look! Some time ago I read a prediction that through evolution of the species, over generations of development humans would be hairless from being inside too much and therefore not needing hair for warmth and have bigger heads from too much thinking. I’m afraid that was partly wrong. I think we definitely have less hair on top, but because we don’t use our brains…
Tally Harwood 