WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR NEW YEAR'S?

    Well, another year down the drain, it sure went quick.   It's not that big a deal for me, because I'm a homebody, who would rather stay in than go out and celebrate. So I'll be working this weekend, and that's fine with me. I had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, so I have no complaints.

     What do you like to do on New Year's Eve? If you watch much TV, you can watch a marathon of various shows. I watch Twilight Zone, and more than one channel shows the Three Stooges past the bewitching hour of Midnight.  I don't watch the ball drop, though I do think it's pretty.  A long time ago I used to love "NICK AT NITE", the TV channel that had all the old shows on. During New Year's Eve, they had the Nick at Nite re-run countdown, and lots of good shows were in it: Green Acres, Car 54, My Three Sons, Mr. Ed, Dragnet, Dick Van Dyke Show, and many more too numerous to mention.

   However you spend your day, be sure to bid adieu to 2011, and , lets look forward to 2012!

I'm hoping to win the raffle our lottery is running--7 million for the winner, and some smaller prizes.  If I win, expect that I will take some time off!

HAPPY NEW YEAR< EVERYONE!!

Feeling good that 2011 is coming to a close!

     I don't know about you, but for some reason, just knowing the year is almost over is a big relief.

I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that Christmas, and it's stresses, are over.  For reasons I have yet to figure out, I get a big burst of ambition AFTER the holiday. Like I want to go shopping and buy everything half-price, wrap and store away next year's gifts, so I won't have any last minute shopping woes. Of course it never happens, but it's nice to think about.

    I had to work today, but I stopped at CVS to see what was marked down before I went to work. The pickings were pretty slim!  No lights or decorations to speak of and it was only 7:30 am. They weren't even open yesterday, so how did they sell out so fast?  Oh well, I'll have to try Walgreens tommorrow.  The wrapping paper and cards weren't even marked down yet.

     I have a little time to write today because I had the week off from class.  I almost hated to have the week off because I didn't want to lose the momentum I had of managing my time. It's not easy balancing work/ home responsibities and still have time or energy to devote to hobbies.  A chronic procrastinator like me has to constantly push themself to stay on course, or else spiral out of control, and fall hopelessly behind.  Time managment is a skill that not everybody has, but I'm working on it. 

     At the end of the year, people tend to reflect on what has happened during the past 12 months, whether they achieved any of their goals. Then we make lists of what we would like to accomplish for the upcoming year.  I'm not going to do that here. That would only be setting myself up for failure in front of a large audience (well, my audience isn't really that large, but the potential is there!) I have 477 page views since my blog debuted in October. But probably 100 of them were me- I thought I had clicked "do not count your own page views" on my settings, but alas, no.  But I can say that I have readers in America, Germany, Bermuda, Russia, and Latvia.  Most of the Americans are local, even members of my family, which is nice. When I'm writing, I don't really write for a specific person or audience. I write about what interests me. Hopefully, you are finding it worthwhile.

     In a nutshell, the new year brings us hope. Hope that we can start fresh, and no matter how drab or disappointing life is, we can change ourselves for the better.  How we can feel inspired this way in the cold of January, I'm not sure. Maybe it's because we're gaining back a minute of light each day, and we know from past experience that we can overcome any obstacle if we put our mind to it.   There are a lot of things I would like to change about myself, and things I would like to learn how to do to better myself.  I hope that by this time in 2012, if the world does not end as predicted, I will have accomplished these changes. But I hope that even if I don't, I would still be accepted as I am, with all my flaws and failures. That would give me the hope and inspiration to keep on fighting and never giving up.

     Happy New Year, and here's to starting anew!

NOW it's time for Christmas!!!

     Hi everybody!  I'm happy to report that it is officially the holiday season. I realize that most people have already finished the Christmas card writing and sending, the shopping, and party planning. Your tree or other decorations are up , and the house smells like cinnamon, pine, and cookies. Well, if that's true, I'm really happy for you, and I envy you as well. You're one of the smart ones!

    I have not done any of these things yet. But I hope to get to a lot of it today.  I got up at 9:00 am on my day off, that's not too bad. It's bright and sunny, windy and in the low 40's. So I went down cellar to round up the outdoor Christmas lights and decorations. I found my bright snowflake. I plugged it in, and it must need a new fuse. There are two, so I'll have to find some new fuses, and then, figure out which one to replace. Wish me luck! The other set of colored icicle-style lights still work. So I just need some little nails or tacks to put in the side of the house. I want to buy new lights, but I'm too cheap. I usually get my lights, decorations and wrapping paper 50-75% off after the big day. But then of course some of what I want is gone, and I'm out of luck.  The prettiest new thing I've seen this year are lights that look like dripping icicles. I may just break down and buy a set at full price. My fiber-optic trees also need new bulbs, I just have to pry open the base, and that's not easy to do.

    Baking is one of the things that makes Christmas "Christmasy" for me. But I haven't found the ambition to attempt it yet. I have the best recipe for a pineapple/macadamia nut fruitcake, and I really want to make it. Ditto for the British shortbread squares my Dad loves. They are cinnamon infused, studded with chopped pecans, and drizzled with chocolate. Maybe later I'll post these recipes so you can try them, in case I don't get to send you any this year (You know who you are!)  I love Christmas cookies, and the concept of holiday baking in general, because it's a way to recognize and remember past Christmases, and the people who are no longer with us.

     Part of the reason I haven't celebrated much in recent years is because my grandparents are gone. When I was a child, it was the only day in the year that they and my uncle would come to our house,, and we would have dinner. It was a big deal, because it meant my Grandmother would be able to see my cats!! Bigfoot would never disappoint her, he would jump up on her lap, and that made us all happy.  When I started working in the nursing home in 2000, I usually had to work on the holiday. So we often postponed our visits until the weekend after. This worked out well for me when it came to getting things marked down!

     After my grandparents died and my uncle moved, there wasn't as much for me to do in the way of gift-giving and cooking. In the later years we went to her house, and I would bring most of the meal, and she would cook the meat. That was always hectic, but it was fun when we all sat down in her kitchen and enjoyed the meal.  Now I don't have to do anything but show up at my sister's house. Her and my brother-in-law do all the entertaining. It's fun, and great to see my niece and nephew. Since they moved away, I miss the day-to-day growing up. It's sobering for me to realize that the little girl I babysat from 3 months to three years is almost out of high school! She's old enough to drive, and has a boyfriend.  I'm very proud of her and my nephew. Anyway, I feel melancholy as we drive to their house because I miss my grandmother so much.

     Shopping for gifts should be something I get over with early, but for one reason or another, never manage to do. All I can say is thank God for gift cards! They really do serve a valuable purpose. I prefer to make homemade gifts, especially for my closest friends. But again we run into the time issue. I still have time to do this, I just have to follow through!! I'm lucky that my friends and family know how I am, and let me off the hook with late gifts. Maybe this year I'll surprise them and be on time!

     I could spend the whole day writing about Christmas traditions. But a blog is supposed to be concise, so I'll remind myself of this-"Jesus is the reason for the season".  It's not supposed to be about buying presents for people, though I think we want to buy gifts for our loved ones because it's an expression of love. I'm not a parent, but I'm sure there must be the pressure of trying to make Christmas magical for your children. You want them to have everything their hearts desire.  My parents made Christmas very nice for me and my sister. Another day I might go into my favorite memories. But today I have to get moving on all the things I need to do to make THIS Christmas a one to remember!  I plan to be back before 12/25. But if  not, I will wish you a memorable, happy, and joyous Christmas right now! God bless you.

Sincerely,

Karin

                                       Here is a Norelco ad from 1986.  I always loved these. Enjoy!

I Started my online class yesterday, goodbye, free time!

This post will be very short, because I'm short on time, short on nerves, and just plain pooped! Despite that, I'm excited because I actually started my class for Activity Director Certification. It looks to be fun, informative, and worthwhile. But I can see it's going to be eating up my free time for the next 16 weeks. So bear with me while I get this done. Fewer blogposts are likely until I get used to things.
To all of you who have been so supportive of me over the years, through good and bad, I sincerely thank you! I won't let you down.
Love,
Karin

A Chronological History of my Photographic Journey

     Welcome to the first in a series of articles that will celebrate our technology today.  Most of the time, I am a technophobe. I didn't even start using a cell phone until about 2 years ago, and mine isn't really "smart". I got one for $20 a few months ago that I can check my e-mail on, and it has a 2.0 mega pixel camera in it. But that's old news to you, I'm sure. The phones most people have now do everything but cook meals for you. I just want to be able to make a phone call home if I miss the bus. Anyway, I'll probably do an article about the telephone another day. Today I want to talk about cameras!

     The camera has evolved quite a bit since I was a kid. But the changes made only in the past five or six years have been amazing.  My first camera was a 126. Does anybody out there remember those? It  had a little film cartridge, and -get this- flash bulbs!!! The pictures it took were actually pretty good. They were square. I'm getting very nostalgic now as I write this, because some of the pictures I took were of my cat Bigfoot, and my grandmother. In those days, 99% of the pictures I took were of my cats, and the other 1% were of spring flowers and trees, and the occasional landscape. (see pictures at the end of this article.)

     My second camera was a 110. The big improvement? A telephoto lens! So now I could have close-up shots. And a built in flash, wowee. My third camera? A Kodak 35 mm. I had arrived! I learned how to thread the film without ruining it, and I took the same types of pictures I always did, but they were a little bit better.  I always had the point and shoot kind. I never learned how to use a "real" 35mm camera, with all those dials and settings. In retrospect I wish I had. That type of photography takes real skill. Back then I wasn't too interested in photography as an art form, I just wanted pictures of certain things to remember them.
     Photographs, for better or for worse, record what is there. They say the camera doesn't lie. It captures one moment in time. That moment would otherwise be gone forever. The picture you took helps you remember that moment. That's why I like candid shots. I also like to take a picture of the same place at different times of the year, year after year. It's interesting to see how things change, physically, without you really noticing until you compare. Then you have situations where buildings are torn down. Then it's nice to have a recorded history of what it used to look like.

    Does anybody else remember the disc camera? My Mom had one of those. The film was wheel shaped. Maybe she should dig it out of the cellar and try to sell it on e-bay.  Before that, I don't know what she had, I just remember her thumb being in the corner of every shot (sorry, Mom!)

     The main drawback to being a photographer in those days was the expense. Film was not cheap, even if you bought it on sale.  And there were at the most, 36 exposures on a roll. You had to pace yourself, or risk wasting your precious film. When I take pictures now, I could take 36 shots in a couple of minutes, in the quest for the perfect angle. 
     As I sit here and compare the old vs. the new way to take pictures, I have to say that there were some good things about the old way. First, there was the ultimate thrill I got from getting my pictures back in the mail. I usually dilly dallied for at least six months before mailing the film, so I would not remember very much about what was on the roll. It was fun to open the packet and see the pictures I had forgotten about. On the other hand, it could be very disappointing when I opened the package and discovered that I got a bunch of credits for pix that didn't come out. But that wasn't as bad as seeing a bunch of photos that looked like crap: under exposed, blurry, crooked, etc. Back then, you had to look through the viewfinder. I haven't looked through a viewfinder in so long now, I'd forgotten they even existed! Thank God for the 3" screen in the back of the digital camera!
     I hate to admit it, but the digital camera made me a better photographer. First, because I am able to see how the picture came out right away. If it's no good, I can delete it immediately. No need to waste film, because there isn't any! That is still amazing to me. The worst that can happen is to run out of space on your memory card. I don't re-use my cards, I save them, just in case my computer crashes.
     I just love digital photography because you can take much better pictures. More clear, and you can crop them right in the camera. And no running out of film. That said, I still feel bad when the old ways of doing things become obsolete. Hearing that Kodachrome is no longer being made makes me sad. History is being lost. I hope that there are still some real photographers out there to keep history alive.
    The big project I have ahead of me is to get a digital converter to transfer my old pictures onto my computer. My old pictures may not be as good a quality, but the images cannot be replaced. My kitties are longer with us, and my niece is all grown up. The yard looks different now with some the trees needing to be cut down. But luckily, I got them saved for posterity.

 This is Bigfoot. Too bad you can't actually SEE his big foot! At the time the internet did not exist, and I had no idea I would someday be sharing his image with the entire world! He was the best cat in the world. Look at the intensity in his eyes! I think he was four years old in this picture (circa 1981-82).

 Here is my wonderful grandmother. She is holding her cat, Tora, She did not like to have her picture taken, so I cherish every picture I have of her, especially the ones I took.  It was easier to get her to agree to a photo if she had a cat on her lap!

Here is Bigfoot again. See how grainy a non-digital photo is? Actually the original hard copy doesn't look this bad.

See you next time! Don't forget to take lots of pictures of your family, friends, and pets. You won't regret it!

    

Can we finish with Thanksgiving before we start on Christmas, please?!

         It's only November 11th, but it's time to rush into Christmas. Needless to say, I do NOT approve. I'm one of those crazy people that doesn't want to hear an endless loop of Christmas songs until it's actually Christmas time. That means December first, or after Thanksgiving at the very earliest.  It seems like we were only talking about Halloween the other day (because we were!). 

        I hope I don't sound like Scrooge here.  I LOVE Christmas.  But wouldn't it be better and more meaningful to celebrate Thanksgiving first?  That is still a couple of weeks away. It's not like the time doesn't fly by so fast that we have to speed things along a little.  People can still buy gifts early if they want, and prepare for the big day by decorating, putting up lights outdoors, and even get a head start on baking.
     All I find offensive is having the holiday shoved down my throat before I am ready to deal with it.  This means I do not appreciate seeing displays of wrapping paper, ornaments, etc when it's still October.  I don't need to hear Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is coming to town", or any other Christmas song ad nauseum before middle December.

     I don't know how it is where you live, but here, the Christmas carols came on 24/7 on the local oldies channel. I have managed to avoid it until today, they started on Monday, I think. I haven't had the nerve to check their competition, who  in the past decided to do the same exact thing. You'd think they would want to play regular music, for people like me.   Maybe I'm in the minority, because they wouldn't be doing this unless it was profitable and getting good ratings. 
     I think the thing that bothers me the most is that by the time Christmas actually happens, it's anticlimactic at best. I'm so fed up and happy to finally be done with it so I can get on with my life. That's not what Christmas is supposed to be about.  In addition to that, I get annoyed that despite the saturation of holiday commercialism, I don't find time to do what I need to do.  I always end of waiting until the last minute to shop, and I don't make time for the things I want to do--mainly baking cookies and special fruitcakes,  writing out Christmas cards, and making hand made gifts for my friends. Decorating? Forget it.  Well, I'm going to try to get it done this year, but I'm not making any promises.
     Compounding my distaste for holiday overkill is the fact that I work in a nursing home, so we are basically celebrating Christmas non-stop from December 1st until the 26th. That doesn't include Hanukkah, either.  It's great that we are able to make things enjoyable for the residents.  I just need a little time to breathe between parties!
     How do you feel about Christmas time?  Do you think the media ruins the day by starting too soon?  How do you enjoy celebrating? How do you get into the spirit?  In a future column I will elaborate on what makes Christmas time so special. 

Back to Eastern Standard Time Again

     Wow, did it get dark early tonight, and it's only going to get darker for the next couple of months.  Last night before you went to bed, hopefully you remembered to turn back your clock one hour, so you didn't get up earlier than you had to. I had to work this weekend, and I did set the clock back , but then failed to set the alarm! Luckily, I got up in time to catch the bus.

     I think a lot about turning the clocks back in the fall because it's the day I always dread. It comes a lot later than it used to these days, but still, when this day arrives, you know it's all downhill where the weather is concerned.  Before you know it, it will be dark by 4:00, and cold, dreary, wintery. Yuck.

     My grandmother hated to see this day coming too.  We used to complain about it together, and on that Sunday each year, we always made sure to visit Grammy, so we could suffer through it together. When we were sitting in her livingroom, I sat next to her on the divan, as she called it, and she in her wing chair.  I wouldn't notice what time it was, or the fact that it was already dark. I was too busy drinking tea and eating a piece of her cake.  Somehow it seemed less painful when we dealt with it together.

     Grammy had a clock in the kitchen that played bird songs instead of chimes. Every time we had to turn the clock forward or back, the bird chirps would end up being wrong.  I was able to fix it once, but after that, my uncle would just remove the batteries for an hour, and they kept the inaccurate chirps from then on. 

     As the weeks went on, slowly we gained back minutes in the morning and at night. I always loved the way my grandmother kept track of how much we gained back, and in turn, how many days until spring.  She wrote it in on her calendars, and every time I went to visit, I could keep track. When we chatted on the phone, she'd always let me know how many minutes we were towards daylight savings time. Boy, do I miss my grandmother.

    Do you ever get caught up in the nonsense that happens when you change from daylight to standard time?  You can't help telling yourself "It's really ten o'clock, not eleven". I don't think I ever really gained an hour of extra sleep, because I justify staying up because I won't actually lose any sleep.  Then when we lose the hour of sleep but gain the hour of light, I probably lose two hours of sleep, because "it's really midnight, not one o'clock".  I go back and forth with this conversation in my head for a couple of weeks before I let it go. But I should remind myself that Eastern standard time is the real time, and Daylight savings is not.

     In keeping with the theme of this blog, there are some good things about it getting dark, and the onset of winter. With the leaves off the trees, you can see more of the sky, and that means beautiful sunsets. I am lucky that my office at work is on the third floor, and with a picture window. The photo above was taken from the office, I think in 2010. The flash kind of ruins it, but you get the idea. I tried to insert a cropped version of this photo, but it didn't work.

   
     Another advantage of fall? Without leaves to get in the way, you can see the skeleton of a tree, and all those branches silholetted against the sky.  In dim light, it's really beautiful. In the above shot, you can see a bird in an upper branch.

We also have fall foilage. This year, I hate to say that it's November 6th, and many leaves are still green!! It ain't happening this year. But I will be sure to appreciate it more next year.

     How do you feel about losing that hour of light today? Does it bother you? Do you look forward to daylight savings in the spring?  Share your thoughts with me!
One last thought before I go- at least I'm not getting up in the dark for the next couple of weeks!
Take care until next time.
Karin

Is it me, or are there too many Zombies out there?!

     Happy Halloween, everybody! As I think I mentioned before, this isn't my favorite "holiday", I think it's really overly hyped.   I don't begrudge other adults from enjoying the day, it's just not my cup of tea, But since I work in a nursing home, (in activites), it's part of my job to make it fun for the residents. Today we had a costume contest. I lost my Groucho glasses, so I did the next best thing and went as a hippie!  All I needed was a tie-dye shirt, jeans, a bandana, and  glasses. Simple, and most everybody thought I fit the part! Others thought I was supposed to be an indian! Maybe that's a thought for next year, if the  PC police will allow it.

      We don't get many trick or treaters around here. We don't bother buying candy anymore, since nobody ever knocks on the door.  When I was a kid, going out for candy was fun, and more worthwhile with full sized candy bars.

       Anyway, I'm kind of glad Halloween is over tonight-there's been so many horror movies on over the past few weeks, the same ones repeated over and over again.  The Halloween francise, The Friday the 13th series, etc. I haven't really seen too many of the newer horror movies, because I'm not interested in gory, bloody violence. I prefer the  psycological thrillers.

     Some of the better ones I've seen include "The Haunting"; the original version from 1963,  "Phantasm" from 1979. Both of these are pretty creepy, and you have to be in the mood for them.  A few years ago I saw "The Ring" and that was kind of scary. It could have had a happy ending but they decided to go in the other direction, so they could have a sequel.  Another scary movie worth seeking out- "Dead of Night" an old B&W classic from the 40's. It has 3 or 4 stories intertwined, and has great atmosphere!  Not having to do with Halloween, but still scary, is "The Other" from 1972.  The details are sketchy now, but it had to do with twin brothers, one of whom was evil. I was only 8 or 9 when I first saw it, and it really scared me for a long time. I don't think it made total sense to me. I'll have to try watching it again.  If devil worshippers scare you (as they should) another movie that will creep you out is "Race with the Devil" from the early 1970's. It had Loretta Swit, Peter Fonda, Warren Oates and I think Susan George.

The last scary memory I have was from the movie "Magic". I never saw the movie, but the film ads with the ventriloquist dummy scared the heck out of me! Many a night alone I was kept awake by that stupid thing (I was only a kid, after all.)

     My main gripe that I almost forgot about was zombies and vampires!! Maybe I missed something, but why are zombies so in vogue right now? WHAT IS THE ATTRACTION?! Granted they ARE scary, at least to look at, or in premise. But do we really need to see them everywhere? They are mainstream now, and it kind of bothers me. I'm not too fond of vampires either. My old boss was obsessed with the "Twilight" saga, and the only way I stayed on her good side was to pretend I was interested. I guess I just don't understand.

     On that note, I hope you have a Happy Halloween, and don't eat too much candy!!! 

    

Monday Night Musings

     Hi Everybody! It's been a few days since my last posting, so I thought I'd better get to work.  I have to do a better job with proofreading, because even when I use the spellcheck, sometimes there is a wrong word, a result of a typo, that the spellcheck doesn't catch.  I have tried to go back and fix the mistakes, but haven't figured out how to do it yet.

     I feel pretty good after a 10 day bout with a cold. I hardly ever get sick, and will never take a flu shot. But colds are annoying, and I had forgotten how nice it is to be able to breathe through my nose until I couldn't do it anymore! I hate to say my six plus years without a call out came to an unceremonious end last Tuesday. Since I never got any recognition or financial reward for it, in retrospect I wish I had called out all the times I felt crummy!!

     I've been brainstorming for ideas for future articles, and hopefully have come up with some good ones.  I feel kind of impatient, because as a writer, one likes to get feedback on their work.  I have told quite a few acquaintances about this blog, and even e-mailed them the first couple of posts. I was hoping everybody would "follow" me, and make comments, but that hasn't happened yet.  My Mom, who I didn't actually tell about this project until the other day, was nice enough to sign up, but she hasn't posted any comments either. Why should she? She can just talk to me the next time I walk by! 

      Anyway, I think I'm a bit envious because I've started looking at other people's blogs, to get a feel for what blogs are all about. So many of these people have anywhere from 50 to hundreds of followers. I really don't like that word, because it sounds like a cult, or a herd of sheep!  Maybe "subscribers" would be a better word, because they are people who are looking to read each new article you have created.

     It makes me happy that so many people are still writing for the fun of it. That actually surprises me.  Some of these writers also list the blogs that they read, and I don't know how anybody has the time!  I would like to read some, but I have too many other things to do first, like my Bruins newsletter. (I used to have so much fun publishing my cute little newsletter "What's Brewin'"!)

     I accidentally discovered the other day that there is another Karen (spelled with an E) who has a blog with a similar title, "Life is what YOU make it".  I can't accuse her of stealing my title, because she was there first.  I had to think of a title fast. If I had it to do over again, I might call it something else.

     I tried to add more "gadgets" to the blog to make it more visually appealing, but it seemed that "cute puppies" were more of a distraction, so I took them down. In the months to come, I'm sure I will find the right touches to make this blog a success.

    Why not get me off on the right foot by commenting, so I know you are actually there? Thanks a lot!

See you next time!

Karin

Wonderful World of Videotapes

     Does anybody else remember what the world was like before the VCR was invented? Videotape players seem quaint now, maybe even obsolete. But at the time, boy, were they exciting. It was 1981 or so, and I was probably 12 years old. My dad brought home a beautiful Sony Beta max!!! It was stainless steel, and primitive by today's standards. It had push down buttons, like the kind you see on an audio tape recorder. It only had one speed, Beta 1, which was fast, and recorded 90 minutes.
     It was such a novelty to be able to record programs that you wanted to see again. I'm trying to remember what's on some of our oldest tapes. American Graffiti, old B&W movies with Cagney and Bogart, Andy Griffith. We had lots of bits and pieces that today are irreplaceable: clips from local news broadcasts, music videos from MTV when they actually showed music! (Joe Jackson's Steppin' Out, Steve Winwood's Still in the Game, are etched in my mind forever. I wonder how MTV went down the tubes, but that's an article for another day).
    One of the funniest clips on an old tape was from "Dick Clark's bloopers and practical jokes". It may have been a dumb show, but the clip of local Boston clown Willie Whistle laugh/whistling as a huge boa constrictor is crawling down his pants has to be one of the funniest moments in TV history. The last time I saw it I laughed so hard I cried. I don't know where that video is now, because the Beta machines (we had at least 3 or 4 of them) have long since been stored away. The newest one is underneath a VHS, a DVD/VHS combo player, and the regular DVD player. It would be great to use it, but we'd have to re-wire the cables, and that's too much trouble.  Before I post this, I'm going to see if Willie Whistle's clip is on you-tube. It's worth seeking out!
     I got the original idea for this article a few minutes ago, as I dug through a pile of VHS tapes. Whenever we run out if DVDs to watch, we plug the VCR in, and watch one of thousands of tapes that are piled up all over the place. One thing about having a VCR and blank tapes, I had a penchant for recording everything, or so it seems. And I didn't always have the brains to mark the tapes. So we have lots of great programs that I will never be able to find, unless it's by accident.   Then I have that I have recorded multiple times, "just in case" one gets lost, or recorded over by accident. That happened a lot too.
     When VCRs first came out, remember how expensive the blank tapes were? You had to be a little bit selective in what you chose to tape, and take the ads out so there would be enough time (especially if it was a movie.) Our brand of choice was TDK, and we always went with the high grade tape. I don't care what anybody says, Beta was far superior to VHS as far as I'm concerned. VHS won the popularity contest, and when Beta was phased out, we ended up getting one. The tapes were bigger, took up more space.
    When DVD players came out, (and video discs before them), some people abandoned their video collections to go to the new format. Just like when Cd's replaced cassettes in the music world.  But not us- we still use our videotapes to this day. Blank tapes are still available, but not as easy to find.  DVDs do have two things going for them- smaller size and not having to re-wind. But videotapes are good because you can stop a show and it stays where you stopped.
    At work we have hundreds of videos that we can't use since we got all new large screen Hi-def TV's.  We need a combo player. Pronto. My boss is working on it.
    The video tapes at my house are stacked all over, like building blocks, and some are nicely organized in boxes, never to see the light of day unless I finally get to that winter project- viewing all the ones that are not labeled, finding rare clips of old snow storms and old baseball and hockey games.  I miss the past, but it's all there. I hope some historian doing an archaeological dig 1000 years from now finds my video tapes. They will enjoy that Willie Whistle clip!!!!

     I'm so excited I found the clip! See if this doesn't make you laugh out loud!!!! Enjoy!

I'm surrounded by TV towers!

    Well, another week down the drain. It's hard to believe how quickly time passes by. One thing I can say is, you never know what's going to happen when you get up in the morning. Not to be a fatalist, but you never know if this day will be your last.  Only God knows, and he's not telling!

      The reason I bring this up is because there was a tragedy that happened very close to home this week. The whole thing gives me the creeps. I got up for work as usual, and when I was going to the bus stop, I noticed a "basket" hanging from the tower, and it was coming down, it was attached to the wires. It's kind of a novelty to see people on the tower, though I'm sure it's regular maintenance. Anyway, I grabbed my camera and snapped three or four pictures. It wasn't bright out, so even with the zoom in, you couldn't see the worker's faces, just silhouettes. You can probably see where I'm going with this story.

     Later, we found out that one of the workers had fallen off the tower at least 500 feet. The stories varied between his being electrocuted first, and falling over 1000 ft. Regardless of the details, the poor guy was dead. It really disturbed me. It made me want to immediately delete those pictures I had taken earlier in the day. There's no way to tell if the people I photographed included the man that fell, because there were a few people up there.

     The TV trucks were in the parking lot across the street all day and through the night. It was weird seeing  my neighborhood on TV. We found out that the man was a contractor from Iowa, but that was about all. OSHA is investigating and all work on the tower suspended until further notice.

     I'm very familiar with death. I work in a nursing home, so hardly a week goes by that I'm not saying farewell to somebody. But sudden, violent death is foreign to me, and I guess I don't know how to deal with it. It just reminds me that you have to be prepared to die, spiritually, as well as having things in order for your family. If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I'd not have anything in place. No funeral home, no will to explain who to leave all my prized possessions to, etc. I like to think I have the spiritual things in place, but I'm not taking anything for granted. The Lord is my savior, but that's no guarantee I get to heaven, is it?

      This news story is also an excuse for me to write an essay about the TV towers. I've lived here all my life, and you can't escape them. From my house, there is a tower to see from just about every window. Thank God for summer, when the trees leaves obscure them from view. Even though I hate them, I have a morbid curiosity about them, especially the one closest to us, the one the man fell from. They call it the old WHDH, or Channel 5 tower. A little further away is what they call the UHF Candelabra. I always called it "The Fork Tower" because it has three prongs. Or I should say, it used to. Sometime while I  was at work, or in the middle of the night, they took down the other prongs. Boy, does it look ugly. And there is only one light at the top now. At first, I thought the changes were only temporary, but when I looked online, I read all about the changes that were made.

     That's one good thing about the Internet, you can research just about anything and get answers fast. I found a website that told all about all the towers in the area. Learning more about them took away some of the mystique, some of the creepiness.

     But still, I can't end this story without mentioning my nightmares about them. I've had countless dreams where the towers were right up against my windows, and scared the heck out of me. Others where planes fly into them, and others where I can see up close and there's offices and people up on the platforms.

       Then there's the real life, awake nightmares- I used to be mortally afraid to look at them through binoculars. The sight still shocked me. But still, it was fascinating. Another time I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I looked out the window, and was really surprised to see a bright light shining on and off up on the tower. I imagine they were doing some kind of maintenance. But at the time I was terrified!

     I guess I've come to a peace with the towers. If it was up to me, they wouldn't be here. I'm sick of the sight of them. I love it when it gets really cloudy, and my Dad jokes that they had to take them down! I always wanted to see what the view was like from up there-anybody ever think to take pictures or video? I did once see a view from Bing maps- I almost jumped out of my skin, because I wasn't expecting to see the tower, then it was right in my face, bigger than life (this was the fork tower, before they messed it up).

I hope they find out what happened with the worker, and I hope nobody else ever gets hurt up there again. My Dad told me stories of when the fork tower was being built-he and a co-worker saw someone falling off, but thankfully not landing. That would give me nightmares forever.

     If you live around here and are familiar with the towers, tell me what you think. Can you relate to anything I've said? I've added a few pictures for you to check out. Sorry most of them are sideways, but you'll get the idea. YouTube has a video of a person climbing a tower similar to ours, and it's a view from his helmet-cam. Pretty scary stuff.

   Till next time, take it easy and make every day count!

What's on my mind today

     I hope you are enjoying a taste of summer this weekend if you live in the Northeast! I hate to say that I am already accustomed to the chilly weather. The A/C is already shut off, and the heat on at my workplace.  But it's going to be in the 80's on Sunday! 

    Today I have some random thoughts.  First, my heart is saddened by the loss of a dear friend. I can't talk about it because of hippa regulations, but he was quite a guy.  He knows who he is, and I hope he is where he should be, free of pain. Carl will be sorely missed by his many friends, but will never be forgotten.

     Do you enjoy getting bargains? I love a bargain, and today I scored a couple: Staples had a great deal on 8 1/2 by 11 glossy photo paper. After the rebate, they only cost me $1.00 for a pack of 50 sheets! I bought three packs.  CVS has a markdown table on  most  days.  It's hard to resist buying things I probably won't even use, just because it's 90% off! I have gotten some great gifts for people this way, and I always planned on reselling things I didn't want at a garage sale or online. But all that's really happening is that all that "stuff" is accumulating and taking over the house!

    Last item on my mind today, some ideas about the blog. I was thinking of having a theme for each day of the week. Maybe food and recipes one day, sports another, home and garden, and "open forum" on the others. Let me know what you think!

    Still working this weekend, so I may not be back until Monday. I have a date with "Breaking Bad" Sunday night, the season finale.  Next season will be the last-BOO! But on the other hand, there's only so much you can do, and this show has to end. Any of you out there watch it? It can be far fetched, but it is very suspenseful.   I am also excited to see that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" is on TV Land! Very funny show.

Take care, and see you soon!

Karin

    

Time to Stop Procrastinating!

     Today I decided to try and stop procrastinating. It's easy to put things off, especially when that's what I am used to doing.  I have lots of goals, and there's no way I'll ever accomplish anything if I don't get started soon. Do any of you have this problem? How have you handled it?
      It gets more aggravating when the things you put off are related to your career (in my case, taking the activity director certification course). There are a lot of well meaning co-workers who want me to succeed, and ask me on a regular basis "What are you waiting for?" or "When do you start your class?" Every week that goes by that I don't do it (did I also mention I need $600?) I feel like a failure because not only have I let myself down, I've let down other people as well. But somehow that doesn't translate into accomplishing my goal. I feel sorry, try to explain why I haven't done it yet without crying poverty, or making a lame excuse. Nobody wants to hear excuses. Especially me- I have to live with myself.
     My hope in starting this blog was to get myself back on track with my writing, and in turn inspire myself to "just do it" as the sneaker ad once advised. If I hold myself accountable by having my goals as public record, maybe I will at least get started. Today I went online and reviewed the information I need to sign up. It only takes 16 weeks to complete the first part, I could've done it 100 times in the 11 years I've been in this job. When I think of that, it makes me really annoyed with myself. But is that counterproductive? Probably. God knows it hasn't helped me get ahead by picking on myself.
      Once again getting back to the title of my blog, I'm trying to make something of my life. I'm very lucky to have a great family, a good steady job doing something that helps people, and friends and colleagues who care enough to keep hounding me until I "just do it".
    When it's done, I'll get back to you!

I can't believe it's October already!!!

    Well, here it is, October 2, 2011. Is it me, or does it seem like it was only April a few days ago? Summer here in Newton wasn't too bad, as far as scorching heat went, though those humid days really got me pining for winter.  We had a successful garden, which is the most important part of summer to me.  Picking those ripe tomatoes and fresh basil are what makes all the sweat seem worthwhile.
     Other highlights of this summer? What happened right before the official start, of course: The Bruins won the Stanley Cup!!!!  This was a dream finally realized. Not that I had any control over it, of course. Being a Bruins fan for the majority of the 39 years since they won it, I feel like I paid my dues. So I am very thankful that the Bruins were able to pull it off despite the odds against them. You have to appreciate it while we have it. It doesn't seem possible that the new season starts this Thursday, and we defend our title.  I made a promise to old friends that if the Bruins won the Cup, I would publish a special edition of my newsletter, "What's Brewin". I haven't come through on that promise yet, but I am working on it. My hat is off to the Bruins. They really made a lot of people happy, and brought the Cup all over the place to their fans.
   Fall is traditionally a time of melancholy (at least for me). I love the change of seasons, and the fall foilage, apples, pumpkins and all that. But it makes me sad when it gets dark by 6:30, and my once vibrant garden looks sickly and withered. I'm also not that fond of  Halloween. I think it's a great holiday for kids, but they really need to upgrade the size of "fun size" candy bars. How is is "fun" to get something that small?!  Mainly, I don't like having to dress up at work, but it's part of the job, and I should learn to love it. I think this year's costume is going to be a pair of Groucho Marx glasses with the mustache and eyebrows.
    Going with the title of this blog, life IS what you make it. So I'll look on the bright side and try to relish all the good things about autumn and winter. Gotta go- time to pick a few tomatoes and make BLT's for supper tonight!
See you soon!
Love,

Karin

Today is the first day of the rest of my life!!

     Hi there! You know who I am, because right now this is a private blog. I still don't know what I'm doing, so this will be a learning experience for me. I have invited you to read and contribute to this blog, and I sure hope you will enjoy it!
     I plan on writing about a lot of different things, since I have a lot of interests that I would love to talk about. Broadly, just a few I can think of off the top of my head are: gardening, Boston Sports, cooking and recipes, animals (with my pets in particular), photography, movies, music and TV. I have a tendency to ramble on, so I will try to keep it concise.
    I am honored to have you as my friend, and I love hearing from each and every one of you. I hope you will respond to my posts, and will find them interesting, thought provoking, and entertaining. Over the coming weeks, hopefully there will be photos, links, and everything else a blog is supposed to have. Any suggestions you have will be welcomed.
Take care, and see you soon!
Love,

Karin (& Cindy!)