After another snowstorm, everyone around here has had enough. You can tell because after the first one everyone does a really neat job shoveling. Paths are pristine, driveways completely clear. This time around there’s just enough room to walk down the path and big clumps of snow at the end of the driveways.
Hear that! Spring is in the air . . . but it's flight is delayed.
One day, we’ll be living on other planets. When that happens I’m sure there’ll be pets along with us. Of course, it will bring a whole new dimension to the words, pooper-scooper.
I know, I know, I should have thought of it before we left.
Well, we went back to North Shore Animal League and this time came home with, what my mom would call, a “Heinz 57 varieties” puppy. “Matilda” just seemed to fit.
Once home, Matilda was introduced to the two cats. Stanley shrugged it off with resigned indifference but Tea Leaf didn’t come out for a day. They’ve progressed to where they can all eat in the same room without Tea Leaf’s tail expanding three times it’s normal size with fright. Matilda’s got a crush on Stan and loves to follow him around.
A one-sided love affair.
Women’s hats are making a come back. Since fashion runs in cycles, and “what’s old is new again,” will we see a new age of “flappers” in the 2020′s?
We had an old family friend, Joe Kerrigan, he was definitely one for the history books. Joe was the quietest, most self-effacing fellow I’ve met. He was always in the midst of some exploit, scuba diving out to the Lusitania (he gave assistance to the BBC movie about the sinking), being the first man to build and fly his own hang glider in Ireland (he was 65 at the time), founding member of the Cork Flying Club (they used a car to tow the glider around a field. Joe was president because he had been for a ride in one and no one else had), teacher, collector, and all round Irishman. Joe’s uncle was J.M. Kerrigan a character actor in Hollywood, J.M. was in Gone with the Wind, 20,000 leagues Under the Sea and over 120 other films and T.V. shows. J.M. often played parts similar to Alan Hale, that “Friar Tuck” kind of sidekick. He even appeared in “The Sea Hawk” with Errol Flynn and Alan Hale.
Now, you won't be findin' me hanging from that!
A friend from Australia sent me some photos of a “Bull Nose” Morris. Variations of this car were built from the Teens into the Twenties. Most cars have a “face,” but this one would make a great character.
Excuse me, I'd prefer "ethyl."
Tetra-ethyl lead was added to fuel to increase it’s octane rating. It’s still used in aviation fuel for piston-engined aircraft.
Our dog, Suki, passed away a couple of weeks ago. She was over 15. We planned on getting another but thought we would wait a while. Turns out we’re so use to having something shedding, we couldn’t wait any longer. So, for Valentine’s Day we went to the North Shore Animal League to see if we could find a puppy to chew on the furniture.
We're breaking out of here tonight. You look cute and, when they open the gate, I'll clear the path. Then it's every dog for himself.
I wonder if they'll notice?
One job I don’t envy is that of the IT technician. Information Technology is still a mystery to most people. Many of today’s computer users know how to e-mail jokes, search the internet for more jokes, and occasionally write a report (with jokes) in Word. How it all happens is magic. It’s the unappreciated IT guys back behind the boiler room that keep it all functioning. No one pays much attention to them . . . until the whole house of cards falls to pieces.
Right. Have you checked that it's plugged in?
We’ve come to expect that free speech is a fact of life in the U.S. Yet, there are people that deem it essential to remove books from libraries to protect us from alternate points of view. Some have been removed after one complaint. The offending book may be placed in a secure section where the patron must specifically ask for it or removed from the library completely. In 2007, ”Eloise in Paris” was removed from the Sims Elementary School library in Bridge City, Texas. In the book, Eloise visits the Louvre and views the famous paintings, some of which show unclothed people. The title has been removed for “sexual” content. Surprising for a book first published in 1957.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Is a quote often attributed to Voltaire (but actually an interpretation written by his biographer). Voltaire wrote, “I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.” Which, in this case, is even more appropriate.
Oh, no, a book! I might learn something!