Am I the Only One Afraid of Facebook?

     I have to admit, it's tempting. I'm tempted to join Facebook, but so far, I've been able to resist. I don't know if it's a good idea. First, I keep hearing that it's a real time sucker. I don't have enough time for my current hobbies. Second, I don't know if I want to be "found" by long lost people. And I would feel guilty just ignoring them, which is what I'm told I can do when I ask Facebook devotees what I would do in that situation.  
     Then you have the awkwardness of co-workers and former co-workers. The whole thing is too political for me to even attempt. What if I was friends with so-and-so, who can't stand my boss, and vice- versa? What if my boss finds out and holds it against me, even without meaning to? 
     Bosses aren't even supposed to be friends with their staff. That is a good thing. Back when Facebook was new, people I knew felt obligated to friend their boss, and it was a total disaster. That day I vowed I would never join. But I'm starting to cave a little.
    Why? Mainly because I'm nosy. I want to see the pages of people I know, and used to know, even if I don't necessarily want to contact them. But if you don't join, you can't see very much.
     The other issue I have is how easy it is to goof up and share a private comment with everybody. I know there are privacy settings, but even then, mistakes happen. I wouldn't want to take that chance.   As it is, I've revealed more about myself in this blog than I planned on, and I don't like the whole idea that big brother is watching, recording every move I make online, even if I don't have anything to hide. Do you know where I'm coming from?
     At any rate, I may at some point sign up, put a generic profile up, and just use it to check out other people's profiles, though that doesn't seem right either.  If you're on Facebook, let me know how it works for you.  I'll let you know if I decide to join!

It's fun to learn new things!

    I feel so liberated this week, because I have gotten a lot accomplished. Aside from that, I have learned to do some stuff on the computer that was long overdue-like attach a photo file that had more than one photo on it. To me, this was huge!   
     Since I started this class, I have learned how to upload, which was easy, but I had never done it before. It turns out my browser was not up to snuff, and I had to upgrade to Chrome. All of a sudden, like magic, the uploads went on their way. What a  relief!
    I was kind of shell-shocked at paying over $100 for software, but I've needed it for a couple of years and was just too cheap to spring for it. It was only Microsoft Office, and it seems like it should be free when you buy the computer! Anyway, it does so much I may never finish learning to use all the features. It has power point, which I am also supposed to use for my class.
    The class itself is going well, I'm happy to report that I'm getting full grades-all possible points have been collected from each week's assignments so far-I'll get back to you when I finish the mid-term exam! I wish I had done this years ago.

    I'm also excited about getting a good picture that exceeded my hopes. This week I got a really nice shot of the moon setting in the early morning. My mom liked it enough to post it on her Facebook page. I am going to include it here. It's not close enough up here, but if you would like me to e-mail you the photo, you will be able to enlarge it enough to see the details! All 3 of these came in the span of a couple of minutes, but they don't look alike at all. Must be because it was getting bright out.
     Now I feel like I can tackle all  the other things I've been putting off, too! It's nice to feel optimistic.  I'll try to keep the good feeling going ! I hope your year is off to a good start, too!

There's a Hawk's Nest in my front yard!!!

     Yesterday was a beautiful winter day. It was bright and sunny, and mild for the second day of the new year.  It seemed like a Sunday, but it was actually Monday, an official holiday because New Year's Day fell on Sunday. Anyway, I was off after working the weekend.

     As is customary on my off days, I like to take my dog for a ride in the car. Nothing makes her happier-just say the words "Cindy, would you like to go for a ride... in the car?"  and she breaks into a smile, and runs down and waits by the door. She gets in the back seat, and we roll down the window and let her stick her head out the window. Her favorite destination is McDonald's. I go there for the coffee, which is any size for one dollar, which is a good deal, when you consider that in my opinion, it's better coffee than Dunkin Donuts, for half the price.  Cindy loves to watch any people, especially children, who might be walking past the car. If she's really lucky, someone might want to pat her, or at least admire her from a distance.

     Once I buy the coffee (and if Cindy is lucky, I will also get a $1 hot fudge sundae) it's back home again. Yesterday, we got home and I got out to put coffee down first, so I can then get Cindy out of the car.  As I headed for the front door, I looked up and what do I see? The nest I've been looking at since the leaves fell off the trees, has an occupant. A HUGE one, at that. It's a hawk! Beautiful, fluffy, and did I say HUGE?!
     I alerted my dad, who was still in the car. Then I ran in the house to get my camera. By the time got back out, he had flown away. But, he (or she) had flown up on the telephone pole outside our yard. I was able to got one shot, dark and a little fuzzy. Then it gracefully flew across the street and out of sight. Wow, why did this bird have to set up housekeeping here? I admit, I'm flattered it would want to live here. But I have an allegiance to my other feathered friends, the ones who have disappeared and who probably were eaten for lunch by "Hawkeye". 

     We decided to refrain from our winter hobby of putting out seed and suet. According to the advice I saw online, if there's nothing left for it to eat, it will go away on it's own. No use giving it bait every day. I'm worried about my cardinals, who have only recently returned. I was looking forward to a winter of bird photography (they are easier to film in winter because of the lack of foliage). Oh well, maybe next year-I guess I'll be taking pictures of the hawk instead.  There are lots of hawks around here. In the past we've had sharp shinned and last year a cooper's hawk, that swooped down and caught a squirrel (I only know because we found it under the bushes a little later.) I managed to get a picture of that hawk before it flew away-see above-my new hawk isn't loaded into the computer yet. We are reasonably certain it's a red-tail! Will be keeping a close eye on the sky until we are sure. I shoud get one of those camera setups that you put outside and it is motion sensored-needed it last summer to see what was raiding my garden.  Until next time, keep looking up! You never know what you are going to see!

    Here is a shot of Cindy from this past spring. She has a very serious look on her face when she is on a ride!

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