Our First TV

Back in about 1952 or near then, we moved into our new house on Reed Street. We had neighbors right next door who moved in around the same time we did.  They were near our age and we became friends immediately. 

At that time TVs were just becoming popular but neither we nor they (the neighbors)had TVs yet. I had a plan all figured out about how I was  going to arrange our living room when we did get a TV.  I excitedly told Jean, the neighbor, all about my plan.  Then it was a few weeks before we finally decided to get the TV. We had bought our TV and it was going to be delivered soon. Their Living room was almost identical in  dimension  and size to ours.

Would you believe, the week before our TV was to be delivered, I looked out one day and there was a TV truck next door with a TV in it and the antenna was all laid out in the yard ready to be installed.  This was all done without them telling us anything about it.

Later, after the TV was all installed, Jean asked us over to see it.   
I was shocked to see my  floor plan  all laid out exactly as I had described it to her. I was devastated.  She had stolen my idea!  They had beaten us to the punch on arrangement  plans. I think they had an idea all along to get their TV before we did, which was fine if they had not stole my idea for the arrangement of it. After that when

we did get our TV  we felt as if we had copied them instead of them copying us. After that I learned to keep my mouth shut about anything I didn't want them to copy! She
never mentioned anything about using my idea but I am sure she realized it was my idea.

The Cat's Pajamas

 Along with Bees Knees, its synonym, "The Cat's pajamas" is another 1920s adjective  used to describe someone , or something, that is great, incredible or special. Usually indicating stylishness or innovation. The term "cat" was beginning to be used as a term to describe the outgoing and unconventional jazz age flappers. Pajamas were a kind of new and in style garment which fit in with the idea of something  outlandish for that time.

Mr. Dorgan is attributed with the use of 'the cat's Pajamas in the 1920s also. Another coined word was "the cat's whiskers" which also had the same meaning. Why they picked the cat is beyond me! Anyway the term "the cat's whiskers" and "cat's
pajamas" fit's me to a T! That is what I am! Kidding.

Free as a Bird!!

I feel like the figure in the picture above! I went to my colon doctor yesterday,
Monday.

He told me to come back in a year for a colonoscopy.  That was music to my ears.  I didn't know what to expect he would say. I usually have to get a colonoscopy every two years.  When I go longer than that I usually have developed a pollop. I had  a
colonoscopy last March and I had  one pollop at that time.  The doctor removed it then. So I have had one year of non worry about my colon problem.  Now I have
another year to go before I have to worry again.  Actually, I never am completely  free from worry because I have a tendency to grow pollops for some reason. They are for
the most part non malignant.  I lose some of the worry for a while right after my
colonoscopy until it gets near the time for another one, then the worry starts again. Will I have another pollop?

Anyway, Yippee, I am free for a year!!

At least I am going to enjoy a year of worry free time!

The Bees Knees

Have you heard the saying, "The bees knees"? I happened to see it in the newspaper the other day and it got me to wondering how the phrase started and just what it meant.

According to Google a guy named Tad Dorgan, a cartoonist and sportswriter who was well known for coining phrases that didn't make much sense but were pleasing to the ear, started the Bees Knees back in the 1920s. Some think he meant it as shorthand for  "It's business" meaning it's great. Some other examples of his phrases were "The cat's pajamas" And  "For crying out loud". If you say the word business slowly it can be taken for Bees Knees.

Bees do have knees with sacks  about the midsection of the legs. They store the pollen they collect in the sacks. Since the pollen was so precious it was considered the height of excellence and greatness thus the Bees Knees became a meaning for being  highly regarded and excellent.

I will have to dig into some of the other sayings since some of them are interesting
and I would like to know their origins.

Aunt Irene

I

In the picture above is my Aunt Irene.  She was my mother's brother's wife. She died many

years ago when I was only about 6 or 7 years old.

I have hesitated to write this post because it is kind of gross to think of.  But it did happen and the memory of it has haunted me over all of the 75 plus years ago that it happened. So I am

going to tell it now.

When she died I attended the funeral with my family.  The funeral service was over and we 

were at the cemetery for the graveside service. I was standing near the casket and it had been

 opened for viewing. I was looking at Aunt Irene and I saw a yellowish fluid coming from one of

her nostrils, which was most likely embalming fluid. The undertaker  saw it also and he took a hanky from his pocket and wiped the fluid away and then tucked the hanky into the casket

underneath Aunt Irene.  I am sure several

 others must have seen it also. It was a very unpleasant thing to happen and I am sure that today they  have a way to prevent things like that happening . That was a terrible

 memory that I have had to carry along with me all of these years.

I try to remember her as she was , a very loving and nice Aunt!

Our Fantastic Weather

We are having a long streak of record breaking weather here. The warm weather we are having is really unusual for March. We have had weather breaking records for the hottest temperature for days, longest stretch of above 80 temperature days, and several other record breakers for March.
We all love it!  Eat your heart out Texas people! Several times in the past weeks my sister has told me that they are colder there than we are here in Indiana. Plus, we have not had nearly as much rain as usual.  We don't understand why it is happening but, I repeat, we are loving it; and our gas  heating bills are loving it.
I have lived in Indiana for 66 years and it  has never been this good before.  I am afraid we may be in for a bad April and May. we have never had this much good weather in march before. Anyway, I am hoping it all holds out for the rest of the
spring!

JCP ?

The gradual process of eliminating Mr Penney

Have you noticed lately that JCPenney has been using a new logo?  I saw some time  ago that they said they would start using the new one in February.

I looked in last Sunday's ad section and I saw this one ad that had a great big JCP up in one corner, nothing else to identify the store, just the JCP.  JCPenney came to my mind.  I looked all through the pamphlet and on the very last page there was a small mention of JCPenney.  It was as if they were making you guess who the store was.

What is wrong with JCPenney?  That is what they have been using for many, many years. Who or what is behind this big change? Mr Penney has been gone for many years so it is certain that it isn't his idea. It is  like Sears would suddenly came out with the name SAR (for Sears and Roebuck). That would be stupid!  Maybe it is a private matter. Who knows?

Anyway, I suppose now that I have discovered who JCP is and I see something I like there I will buy it; but for me it will always be JCPenney, not JCP!

MY MUSIC

I love music.  I always have.  Music is a big part of my life.  I have always wanted to be into it more than I actually have been.

I suppose I am too lazy to do what it takes to be a good musician, which is practice, practice, practice!  I did take a few music lessons at one time in my life.  I was too impatient to be able to play like I wanted to so I became discouraged and didn't keep
up with it.

Now my music is limited to what I can hear on CDs, records, radio or on my MP3
players. I can plug my ears with my MP3 player and drift off into a different world with
 the music which flows into my ears! They do it much better than  any music I  could
ever play myself.
I can be in a low mood and after a couple of minutes of listening to the music I am in a totally different mood.  If I am depressed, or lonely I can suddenly be in a festive, or
romantic, happy and much lighter mood.  The songs take me back to a much happier,
 fun loving time. I can almost relive my life just listening to the music. Each song brings up the memories from my past and I can fantasize living them again

I will never run out of music because I have several hundred vinyl records, 33s and 45s. cassette tapes and two MP3s filled with many of my favorite songs. It is too bad that at this time it seems  there are no new songs being written that can even touch on being as soothing and beautiful as those of the past.  I am sure the younger
generation would disagree with me. To each to his own.


I will always be a lover of music and I will always have my sources for listening to it. whether it be records, CDs, radio, MP3s or live music.  Give me a good, old fashioned song any time!

A Time Saver

I  love gravy; on toast, on biscuits, on mashed potatoes and  almost any other way.

Sometimes I want gravy on something  and I have not cooked any kind of meat to
make gravy with.  That is when the little packets above come in handy.  You just mix the contents of the package with one cup of water, I usually use part water and part milk, and cook it for about maybe five minutes and there is your gravy. It is enough
for at least two or three servings, maybe four if you wish They come in several
flavors, turkey, chicken, pork, beef and maybe others. I buy them when they are on sale at three for a dollar, very inexpensive and very delicious. Try them sometimes
and I am sure you will agree will agree with me!

Hair styles

Have you noticed the outrageous hair styles that some older women are wearing? I especially have been amazed at some of the older women reporters, such as Candy Crowley on Cnn and also Hillary Clinton.

I don't know if they are trying to look young or what but they are much too old for the new long and straight hair styles that are fine on young women but ridiculous on middle aged and older women.Even though they may want to look in style and up to date, they need to remember their age.  There are hair styles much more suitable for older women, which they definitely are!

Mixed up Nights and Days

The house in the picture is across the street from me, sort of catty cornered. I sit right by the window on my couch a lot (too much!). So I see much of what goes on over there.

Most of the time during the day they have their yard lights on.  There are lights on each side of the door and one over the garage.  The lights burn most of the day and then at night when they should be on they usually aren't.  I think what happens is that they notice them on in the late afternoon and decide to turn them off.  Then they go away, a lot, and don't turn the lights on before they go.  Many times they are not
home before midnight so it is totally dark there until they get back home. They go to work in the mornings and do not turn the lights off, so they burn all day. 
I know it isn't any of my business but it really bugs me! I do not like the darkness that surrounds their house at night. As far as during the day it doesn't really bother me but I am sure it bothers their electric bill!

I am tempted to buy them an electric eye for their lights for a Christmas gift (just kidding).

Poor Bunnies

My neice just sent me a picture of  a nest  of bunnies she found in her yard. It looked as if maybe three or four were there. 

She is lucky she found them the way she did; Ford, my husband, found them with the lawn mower  and a couple of them died. We felt terrible but there was no way we could have known they were there!

There is this certain spot in my yard that is a little low and I have filled it in several times with new dirt but somehow the dirt seems to disappear before too long and it is low again. So it was this spot where the mama bunny chose to make her nest.  For was mowing along and suddenly he hit this low spot and the bunnies were there.  The mother was not there but the babies were.  Two of them were killed and the other one or two were still in the nest. I suppose the mother came back, we never knew. 

I am glad you did not experience that with your bunnies!