The Never-ending Song

Another angleworm wriggled in under my storm door today.  This one can barely be called a worm, for he is 1" long--oh wait, he is 2 inches long and thin as a thread.  Then I touched him with the tip of my finger and he became a more significant one inch again.  It is not raining today.  In fact it was 75 degrees with very little breeze , bright sun.  So what sent this tiny slip of a creature out onto the walkway and under my door?   I decided I would put this one into my large Geranium pot.  Gently I lifted him as he squirmed and curled into a mini ball of cool brown skin.  He dropped from my palm into the damp soil in the large pot.  I watched as he dug into the earth.  I hope he will find enough food for sustenance in there.  It should not take much.  His tunneling about in there ought to make the soil aerated and healthy for my plant.  I wonder if he will grow---and how rapidly.  I wonder if I will ever see him again.  If I do, I hope it will not be somewhere on the carpet as h

Nature is continually sending gifts our way.  We hear that all the time.  Yet lately there is so much sad news, gloom and doom, even far too much rain--wet basements, missing shingles and leaking roof, washed out roads.  And of course-here we are so close to Thanksgiving, the traditional family get-together time with so many not having seen family members for close to a year now, whom they won't be seeing this year either.   My sister wrote yesterday that her grown son's birthday is coming up.  He lives in the next state, not terribly far to drive, but they cannot leave their state to visit with him.  My son, also one state (and 3 hours drive time) from me has not been able to come in almost a year.  My daughter who lives only 45 mins. drive away and in the same state is not coming tonight as she usually does on Saturdays for dinner and a movie.  She is a health worker, working daily with the elderly and COVID 19 is  leaping through our county.  The ambulance just left Joseph&#

Women today are claiming more attention in the world of men and not in the sexist way.  They are now challenging men for position and power.  I hope in doing this they do not lose the nurturing, feminine side of being female.  In my lengthy lifetime I have known some very strong women who were also very much female.  An example: When I was in 7th grade, my home room teacher was also the math teacher.  Tall, white-haired, neat in dress, firm yet sympathetic in manner, she was on occasion, the brunt of our youthful, critical comments and snickering.  For one thing, her white hair was not always pure white, for it had a natural yellowish tinge.  So she did what was done at that time to alleviate the yellow.  She rinsed her hair with bluing.  Bluing is/was a dye used to whiten clothing which had developed that aged yellow hue.  Every now and then she overdid it, appearing in class with actual blue hair.  To our early teen minds that was hilarious.  We were brutal.  She never changed her ca

  I have spent more time watching TV the past 5 days than ever in my life.  I did not sit and stare at the screen, but had it chatting away in the background as I puttered about my small apartment. Today I guess it came to an end--well a few loose ends to tie up, but pretty much over either way.  I am aware of a lot of unhappy people.  People who did not like Pres. Trump as a person.  That could be extremely difficult.  I don't think he likes himself much.  However, there were many who did like the good things he accomplished.  They are concerned that the very likable gentle Joe Biden  will not be able to hold his own with the heads of China and North Korea, never mind Putin.  Anyway, it appears Biden will have his chance now.  So we will wait and see. I wish him well for the sake of the country and for his own sake.  I would not want anyone in my family to be in his shoes right now. I have not wanted to "talk" politics in public.  I have enjoyed the debates and discussio

Those of us who have raised or taught young children are very aware of the power of word or action association.  How quickly a baby learns the sound of the word "Mama"-his arms reach up and a smile lights his wee face.  The toddler knows when Mama goes to the jar which holds cookies. Just as a child learns, so do our pets.  The cat hears the can-opener and comes running , "OH BOy--tuna!"  The dog hears "walk" and wags his tail, looking expectantly as his person puts on a jacket. Even large animals--the cows, lazing about on the hillside, used to rise and head for the barn when my Dad stood atop the hill calling "Co Boss".  They knew it meant food.  My horses would bang their stall doors and whinny when they saw me approach the grain barrel. "It's about time you showed up!"   Food treats are used in training dogs and they quickly associate performing a certain move earns a taste of something good. I have seen, more and more, as peopl