It's a fine line.

 I had my second Covid shot yesterday and, really, I haven't had any problems.  My arm is a little bit sore and I have felt very tired all day, but certainly not incapacitated.  About that tiredness, I must admit that I may be "milking" the situation.  I opted for couch church this morning because I just felt too tired to get dressed up and drive the eight blocks to church.  Or, did I use that perceived weariness as an excuse to stay at home?  Oh well, that's enough soul searching for one night.  I had my second Covid shot yesterday and I'm really tired.  

cutting the cord

 I decided today, after a lengthy conversation with Manny (yes a real live person) at Frontier, that I will discontinue my land line service. This is a bit of a jolt since I have had this land line number for 39 years but I think I will adjust. A Frontier service person is coming on Thursday to update, at no charge, my internet service and my land line won't be disconnected until then, so I have a little time to consider my decision.  I have, however, been considering this move for some time.  When I asked my daughter for advice she just said keep your cell phone charged.  Not a problem.  My son's reaction was "I didn't know you still had the land line."  The truth is the vast majority of my phone-type communications are done on my cell phone, often by text.  As I said, I have been considering this for some time and not just because I can save $50 a month.  I had been sensing for some time that my land line was becoming more of an irritant than a convenience.  So I did a little survey. Over the last two weeks my land line has rung 62 times.  Of those calls I only answered three, because I knew who was calling. None of the other calls left messages.  Several of them showed "possible scam" in the caller ID line or the name of a city.  That one always makes me laugh.  It's hard to imagine a whole city calling me.  Do I really need this service?  I think not.

Show Choir then and now

 This evening I attended a performance of the Carroll Show Choir which is quite good and has won several awards this year.  My granddaughter is in the show choir band which means I couldn't see her but I could hear her clarinet solo.  From Girl Scouts to Batman, I enjoyed the whole show.  I did have to reflect though on how things have changed.  When I was in high school I sang in the choir.  They didn't call it show choir, just choir. I stood in the back row because I was one of the tallest and we all stood still in rows and sang show tunes.  One year it was My Fair Lady and another year it was The Music Man.  We didn't move, we certainly weren't choreographed.  We just stood in rows and sang. 28 years later I watched the Carroll Show Choir perform when my son was in the show choir band.  They were already winning prizes and moving in nice dance moves around the stage but nothing like tonight.  I came away feeling like I had been watching a Broadway show.  Between the rap tunes, the rapid costume changes, the constant movement on stage, and some great solo voices it was "a really good show."

motivation

 I admit I am a less than zealous housekeeper.  I don't feel compelled to keep the place looking perfect all the time.  Life is too short.  However, with the proper motivation, I can spring into action.  Today for example a friend was planning to stop over about 4:00 this afternoon, so I got busy and did some dusting and vacuuming (well actually Rhoda the Roomba did the vacuuming) and picking up.  By 3:00 things were looking good.  At 3:30 my friend called and cancelled.  She had a valid reason and we will reschedule so I was not upset.  In fact, as I looked around the living room I was impressed by how nice it looked.  I really should do this more often (have company I mean).  Happily many of my friends have now had both of their shots so maybe, just maybe, having company will become part of the new normal.  Hold that thought.

I don't usually hold a grudge.

 About 15 years ago I had a frustrating experience at Meijers and I haven't shopped there since, until today.  It was Christmas time, my first Christmas as a widow, and two of my grandchildren, ages three and five, were living with me while their mother was deployed in Iraq.  So yes, looking back on it, I was probably feeling a little stressed.  I had selected some really great gifts for my grandchildren, including one very large package, a foosball table, and was in line to check out.  During the check out process I was asked if I wanted to apply for a Meijer's credit card.  I was assured that I could save 10% on my purchase. I thought ok, I'll save a little money and pay it off next month and it was a large enough purchase that 10% would make a difference.  So I said "Sure, sign me up."  Then I was told that I would need to go to the service desk to do the paper work.  So I did, pushing my very bulky overflowing shopping cart, filled out the paperwork, was assured that I was approved, got back in line and finally made it to check out where the cute young clerk told me that I could not use my new credit card for more than $60 on my first use.  It was a rule.  No one had mentioned that little fact.  have you heard of seeing red?  It really happens.  I wasn't about to put back that foosball table so I paid for my purchases on another card, walked out, loaded my car, and never went back to Meijers again.  I guess you might say I've been holding a grudge and I supposed I was for the first several years then I just got out of the habit of going there.  Today, though, I went to Meijers.  Only because a friend who doesn't drive needed a ride.  Since I was there I actually went inside for a while.  I bought three items, did self checkout (not taking any chances on someone offering me a credit card) and walked out.  I think I'm good for another 15 years.  

Too much of a good thing?

Today is Read Across America Day.  It's also National Old Stuff Day.  That seems like an appropriate combination since my shelves are filled with old books.  Not antiques mind you, just old, some that get re-read and others that are simply kept for sentimental reasons.  But back to this idea of reading across America.  I know that for some it means bringing celebrities into classrooms to read to the students, which is a great idea, but I have a friend who has a different interpretation. She is a travel buddy of mine and I have watched her read not only across America but also across a good part of the world.  This lady always has a book in her purse and on busses, ships, trains or planes, while others are sleeping, enjoying exotic or dramatic scenery or taking pictures she's reading.  She always packs seven or eight paperback books for any trip and reads them all.  Now I will admit that I have read books in airports on four different continents but there really isn't that much to see in airports unless you like to shop, and that's a whole other story.  I guess the moral of this ramble is moderation.  Reading is wonderful, but there is a time and a place for everything.  

not such a great idea

 The idea of legally raising chickens in your back yard, in town, seems to have come up again.  They call them 'urban chickens.'  They are talking about it on the evening news.  My question is why?  I know that the idea of "free range" chickens roaming around you (hopefully fenced) back yard sounds enticing.  Fresh eggs whenever you want them, well whenever you want them if the chickens are laying.  Did you know that eggs don't come out of the chicken all clean and candled (if you don't know what that is you should learn)?  And, if these are truly free range chickens, they won't always lay their eggs in the cozy little coop you have built for them to keep them alive during Indiana winters. In the hot summer they can get quite smelly if you don't find them hidden in the grass, and inspire  your father to say some colorful words if he runs over them with his lawnmower (the eggs not the chickens). And then, of course, there is the lure of roasting your own home grown chickens, that is if you haven't made pets of them.  If you plan to eat them, don't name your chickens.   You probably should practice plucking a friend's chicken before you invest in a flock of your own. Did you know that they really do run around after their heads are cut off?  My husband's mother raised chickens in their backyard when he was very young and he was allowed to play with those cute little chicks.  He never could stand to eat chicken.