Erin go bragh! My Irish policeman grandfather taught me to say this Irish greeting when I was young. Grandpa was perhaps the most dependable, kind, and loving man I have ever known. Grandpa loved St. Patrick's Day, and had a kelly green corduroy shirt he wore only on this holiday. As was common in the old days, grandparents taught grandchildren all sorts of things through conversation. Whether it was family history or historical world events, my grandparents shared this information with my brother, Bill, and I. Grandpa told me the names of his grandparents who came from County Donegal, Ireland, as well as the names of other ancestors and relatives. Apparently, these Irish ancestors came to America prior to the Great Famine.
As I have mentioned before, Grandpa loved to fish. Normally, he and his brother John fished in the Allegheny River near New Kensington, PA. He also enjoyed going to my uncle's hunting and fishing camp on the northern shores of Lake Ontario. The only time I have fished in Canada was trolling in a boat with my grandfather. Maybe that is why I love to fish today - good memories of a really good man.
Grandpa also loved playing cards, especially cribbage, and he would attempt to entice any visitor to play a game with him. The only times I know of that Grandpa indulged in alcohol were at the Elk's Christmas party and the times when the whole family gathered to play cards. I never saw him drunk, only a little "happy".
My brothers and I were his only natural grandchildren (were the others unnatural??) and he often did little things that showed us that we were special to him.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Last year, fishermen of the Alle-Kiski Valley were asked to give fish from the Allegheny River to environmentalists of the Allegheny Township Environmental Advisory Council. This group wanted to study the possibility of toxic elements in the river, as so many industries have dumped waste products into the Allegheny. Their results show very high levels of selenium and mercury in the river, particularly in the Kittanning/Ford City portion of the river. Expectations were that the levels of these materials would be highest in the Pittsburgh area, but that has been found to not be the case. Tomorrow evening, March 16, the results of this study will be presented to the public at the Allegheny Township Environmental Advisory Council meeting. I plan to attend, even though I haven't fished the Allegheny in years. I would like to fish there one day, and would like to know if the catch would be safe for human consumption.
With the weather moderating each week, I am walking once again. The excess weight gathered to my bones over the very cold winter months needs to be shed prior to hot weather, and walking seems the quickest way to do that short of starvation.
As I type this, I am watching a series of tv programs on China. Fascinating. This very old culture, one which I have always believed pre-dated those labeled "ancient" by Western civilization, has levels of sophistication never matched in other old cultures. Not being an anthropologist, I venture to say the Chinese culture is perhaps the oldest in the world, not Africa as some folks are currently saying. Tell me if you have concrete evidence to the contrary.
With the weather moderating each week, I am walking once again. The excess weight gathered to my bones over the very cold winter months needs to be shed prior to hot weather, and walking seems the quickest way to do that short of starvation.
As I type this, I am watching a series of tv programs on China. Fascinating. This very old culture, one which I have always believed pre-dated those labeled "ancient" by Western civilization, has levels of sophistication never matched in other old cultures. Not being an anthropologist, I venture to say the Chinese culture is perhaps the oldest in the world, not Africa as some folks are currently saying. Tell me if you have concrete evidence to the contrary.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Appliance Repair Lady
I wanna hear three cheers for this old lady! After being without my clothes dryer since I moved in November, I decided something needed to be done before the weather gets hot and humid. I surely don't want to have wet clothes hanging indoors in warm weather. The first thing I did was call a local appliance parts and service company to get some prices. The cost of the part was quoted at $15, and the cost of having a repairman come out and fix the dryer was $125. No question as to what I was going to do! I bought the part.
When I began to remove the old part, the nuts wouldn't come loose, so I blasted them with WD-40 and when that didn't work, I tried PB Blaster. Nothing. I didn't have nut drivers, so I was using pliers to try and loosen the nuts. I finally gave up and went to K-Mart and bought a nut driver set that cost me about $25.
When I came home, I blasted the nuts again and then tried the nut driver and after a while, they came loose. One of the wires had burnt off, so I used one of those connectors that you heat with a lighter til the plastic and metal melts and fuses the wire to the connector. I began to reattach all the wires to the new terminal block, but then discovered one nut was gone. I went to my tool box and found a couple of nuts and tried them, but they were either too small or too big. So off I went again, this time to the hardware store. I bought new connectors that were heavy duty because I was worried the one I had attached might not be heavy enough. I also searched for brass nuts. I felt incredibly stupid having to ask how you found the right size (I had one from the dryer with me). Turned out it was simple to get the right ones.
I came home and attached the new connector and began to reassemble everything. I then attached the dryer vent, plugged in the dryer, put in some towels, and turned it on. Then I waited to see if anything caught fire. So far, all seems ok and I finally have a dryer again.
I decided that if my brothers all all good at doing this kind of stuff and if intelligence runs in families, then there isn't any reason that I can't learn to do what they can do, within reason. You must remember that I do not enjoy doing mechanical things. However, without a husband or boyfriend or willing friend who wants nothing in return (if you know what I mean), getting things fixed is a real problem for women who cannot afford to pay a man to come and fix something.
Incidentally, was my work worth the $85 I saved doing it myself? You bet your sweet bippee it was. From now on, I demand to make as much money as a man makes! Even those without degrees make a lot more than I do, so I want some equality here.
Needless to say, I am quite proud of myself. And I have a nut driver set ready for the next project.
When I began to remove the old part, the nuts wouldn't come loose, so I blasted them with WD-40 and when that didn't work, I tried PB Blaster. Nothing. I didn't have nut drivers, so I was using pliers to try and loosen the nuts. I finally gave up and went to K-Mart and bought a nut driver set that cost me about $25.
When I came home, I blasted the nuts again and then tried the nut driver and after a while, they came loose. One of the wires had burnt off, so I used one of those connectors that you heat with a lighter til the plastic and metal melts and fuses the wire to the connector. I began to reattach all the wires to the new terminal block, but then discovered one nut was gone. I went to my tool box and found a couple of nuts and tried them, but they were either too small or too big. So off I went again, this time to the hardware store. I bought new connectors that were heavy duty because I was worried the one I had attached might not be heavy enough. I also searched for brass nuts. I felt incredibly stupid having to ask how you found the right size (I had one from the dryer with me). Turned out it was simple to get the right ones.
I came home and attached the new connector and began to reassemble everything. I then attached the dryer vent, plugged in the dryer, put in some towels, and turned it on. Then I waited to see if anything caught fire. So far, all seems ok and I finally have a dryer again.
I decided that if my brothers all all good at doing this kind of stuff and if intelligence runs in families, then there isn't any reason that I can't learn to do what they can do, within reason. You must remember that I do not enjoy doing mechanical things. However, without a husband or boyfriend or willing friend who wants nothing in return (if you know what I mean), getting things fixed is a real problem for women who cannot afford to pay a man to come and fix something.
Incidentally, was my work worth the $85 I saved doing it myself? You bet your sweet bippee it was. From now on, I demand to make as much money as a man makes! Even those without degrees make a lot more than I do, so I want some equality here.
Needless to say, I am quite proud of myself. And I have a nut driver set ready for the next project.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
I just finished reading an article in a local paper that reports the investigation of the alleged ghost(s) in Slippery Rock University's Miller Auditorium. It seems unexplainable things happen there, though I don't recall any while I was a student. A paranormal research group from northern PA spent Saturday night collecting data using all manner of equipment to detect that which cannot be seen or heard by most human eyes. Reportedly, a 14-year old psychic accompanying the group saw several apparitions, including a tall man with dark hair sitting in a front row seat of the auditorium. The group claims it will take several weeks to analyze the data. It will be interesting to see the results.
Winter has a stronghold on western PA. Sub-zero temps the past few days makes it seem as though spring will never come. At least we didn't get the heavy snows the coast received. Warmer temps are forecast for the weekend, and I will be one happy woman if that happens.
Was anyone else as disturbed by The Bachelor's final night as I was? I couldn't believe Jason actually broke up with Melissa on the air. How humiliating was that for her? She is a beautiful and sweet young woman and I certainly hope the best young men of American agree and go after her. I personally don't care for Molly - I don't think she really cares that much for Jason and his son, but Jason made his choice and I doubt will ever be able to get Melissa back. What is it with a second finale tonight? More surprises? Maybe he decided to go back to Deanna. I just don't like it when these reality shows with big audiences cut into other reality shows with the same audiences. Idol time should be sacrosanct.
Nuff.
Winter has a stronghold on western PA. Sub-zero temps the past few days makes it seem as though spring will never come. At least we didn't get the heavy snows the coast received. Warmer temps are forecast for the weekend, and I will be one happy woman if that happens.
Was anyone else as disturbed by The Bachelor's final night as I was? I couldn't believe Jason actually broke up with Melissa on the air. How humiliating was that for her? She is a beautiful and sweet young woman and I certainly hope the best young men of American agree and go after her. I personally don't care for Molly - I don't think she really cares that much for Jason and his son, but Jason made his choice and I doubt will ever be able to get Melissa back. What is it with a second finale tonight? More surprises? Maybe he decided to go back to Deanna. I just don't like it when these reality shows with big audiences cut into other reality shows with the same audiences. Idol time should be sacrosanct.
Nuff.
Monday, March 2, 2009
SEO and Twitter and all things Networthy
It amazes and astounds me the way the Internet has changed since I first connected in 1994. It was obvious back then that anything was possible online because there was so much ROOM! I thought it would be a great way to do research but realized it took time to input a lot of data, and it did. Today a searcher can find just about anything, except for that elusive something that you need but cannot locate. Though many hours are wasted looking, the search can take you to many interesting places.
Back in those early days, the only internet providers for the average person were Prodigy, Compuserve. and AOL. I tried them all, but ended up using AOL for a few years. My youngest daughter was a teenager then, and that fact coupled with the limited number of hours one could spend online (like about 4) could, and did, spell financial disaster. Three-hundred dollars later, I put passwords on everything, including the log-in. That didn't do any good - she figured it all out. The next best thing was to disconnect the phone cord (everything was dial-up in those days) and take it with me. I was so happy when unlimited Internet use for a set monthly fee came into being!
When I began to do freelance writing online, I found I had an information deficit. SEO, keywords, social networking - all those terms were new to me, and I am still trying to figure them out. The whole concept of social networking seems to be lacking in substance to me and I suppose that is because it is so different from everything I have learned in life. Kind of like what many freelancers do when writing an article. Instead of diligently researching many sources, including the READING of those sources, and making sure those sources are sound and not written by yet another careless freelancer, today's content writer seems to go the quickest route possible. The result is frequently, judging by much of what I read online, a piece with poor grammar, spelling, and incorrect information. Surely the educational system hasn't lowered standards so much that correct use of our language is no longer important. I hope not, because the written word is such an important part of communication. The purpose of punctuation, particularly the comma, is for clarification of meaning.
I suspect more than a few English teachers were a bit weak on grammar rules and the result was several generations of high school graduates who didn't know the rules. How sad. That said, mea culpa for any errors I have made here.
Back in those early days, the only internet providers for the average person were Prodigy, Compuserve. and AOL. I tried them all, but ended up using AOL for a few years. My youngest daughter was a teenager then, and that fact coupled with the limited number of hours one could spend online (like about 4) could, and did, spell financial disaster. Three-hundred dollars later, I put passwords on everything, including the log-in. That didn't do any good - she figured it all out. The next best thing was to disconnect the phone cord (everything was dial-up in those days) and take it with me. I was so happy when unlimited Internet use for a set monthly fee came into being!
When I began to do freelance writing online, I found I had an information deficit. SEO, keywords, social networking - all those terms were new to me, and I am still trying to figure them out. The whole concept of social networking seems to be lacking in substance to me and I suppose that is because it is so different from everything I have learned in life. Kind of like what many freelancers do when writing an article. Instead of diligently researching many sources, including the READING of those sources, and making sure those sources are sound and not written by yet another careless freelancer, today's content writer seems to go the quickest route possible. The result is frequently, judging by much of what I read online, a piece with poor grammar, spelling, and incorrect information. Surely the educational system hasn't lowered standards so much that correct use of our language is no longer important. I hope not, because the written word is such an important part of communication. The purpose of punctuation, particularly the comma, is for clarification of meaning.
I suspect more than a few English teachers were a bit weak on grammar rules and the result was several generations of high school graduates who didn't know the rules. How sad. That said, mea culpa for any errors I have made here.
Friday, February 27, 2009
I started a new website, one that will be primarily about art. Hopefully, it won't take me too very long to get it up and running.
Until then, I am still doing freelance writing. I enjoy working on my own schedule, not someone else's. Of course, artwork is always in progress at my house. Currently, I am working on a pastel portrait and some pencil drawings.
After not doing much cooking or baking for the past ten years, I have been inspired by The Food Network to do some experimenting again. The bad part about it is that I eat what I make, and that can be a bad thing for a diabetic! I think my new kitchen inspires me, too. It is so easy to work in there. I have a lot of herb seeds that have germinated and I can't wait to get them planted outdoors. After they grow a bit, I won't have to buy fresh herbs for awhile. There is nothing better, in my opinion, than fresh basil and fresh dill in a salad. Or the basil in anything and everything!
Finally, the winter weather is moderating and the temps are hovering in the 40's and low 50's during the day. Hope the trend continues because I am wanting to be out fishing! It seems like a long time since I cast a line into the water. In fact, this winter seems to have gone on forever. It is the Lenten season again, so fish on Fridays is the rule in my house. I will finish up some of the trout still in my freezer from last year. Hope it is still good.
I miss my kids and grandkids. None of them have seen my new house.
Until then, I am still doing freelance writing. I enjoy working on my own schedule, not someone else's. Of course, artwork is always in progress at my house. Currently, I am working on a pastel portrait and some pencil drawings.
After not doing much cooking or baking for the past ten years, I have been inspired by The Food Network to do some experimenting again. The bad part about it is that I eat what I make, and that can be a bad thing for a diabetic! I think my new kitchen inspires me, too. It is so easy to work in there. I have a lot of herb seeds that have germinated and I can't wait to get them planted outdoors. After they grow a bit, I won't have to buy fresh herbs for awhile. There is nothing better, in my opinion, than fresh basil and fresh dill in a salad. Or the basil in anything and everything!
Finally, the winter weather is moderating and the temps are hovering in the 40's and low 50's during the day. Hope the trend continues because I am wanting to be out fishing! It seems like a long time since I cast a line into the water. In fact, this winter seems to have gone on forever. It is the Lenten season again, so fish on Fridays is the rule in my house. I will finish up some of the trout still in my freezer from last year. Hope it is still good.
I miss my kids and grandkids. None of them have seen my new house.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Herbs
My first indoor plantings of basil, dill, cilantro, and parsley are all from 1" - 3" tall, and as soon as the secondary leaves appear, I will thin them out. Today, I planted more dill, plus chives and sweet marjoram. Tomorrow, I will plant some more. I can't wait until it is warm enough to start planting outdoors. I love my new house and am excited about planting herbs and flowers that will just make it look more beautiful outside. Many of the perennials I want to plant I will get at a garden shop, probably in April. Today, I looked at the agricultural supply store on River Road, but they didn't have any herb seeds. I will probably have to buy the rest of my herbs as established plants.
The cold weather seems to have settled into SW PA again, and the forecasts show 40 degree highs. Of course, that is better than the 0 or 10 degree highs! When can I fish again? (I can technically fish now, but it is too cold for me.)
Comcast Cable sent out someone on Monday to see what was wrong with my cable tv hookups. The DVD and VCR players didn't work, nor did the volume controls on my remote. The guy they sent did a great job, and took the time to explain how to use everything. Comcast is different from Armstrong and Adelphia were, and is more complicated when using DVD and VCR players. Anyway, the DVD player works great. When I tried the VCR, however, there was a tape stuck in it from goodness knows how long ago. It finally came out, but now the tapes won't stay in. The little door won't come down. Rats. My stuff is getting old just like I am, and I wish I knew how to fix everything. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have gone to college but rather, would have gone to a tech school and learned how to do all this stuff.
New disappointment of the day: Consumer Reports says their tests on wrinkle creams prove they don't work.
The cold weather seems to have settled into SW PA again, and the forecasts show 40 degree highs. Of course, that is better than the 0 or 10 degree highs! When can I fish again? (I can technically fish now, but it is too cold for me.)
Comcast Cable sent out someone on Monday to see what was wrong with my cable tv hookups. The DVD and VCR players didn't work, nor did the volume controls on my remote. The guy they sent did a great job, and took the time to explain how to use everything. Comcast is different from Armstrong and Adelphia were, and is more complicated when using DVD and VCR players. Anyway, the DVD player works great. When I tried the VCR, however, there was a tape stuck in it from goodness knows how long ago. It finally came out, but now the tapes won't stay in. The little door won't come down. Rats. My stuff is getting old just like I am, and I wish I knew how to fix everything. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have gone to college but rather, would have gone to a tech school and learned how to do all this stuff.
New disappointment of the day: Consumer Reports says their tests on wrinkle creams prove they don't work.
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