My birthday was two days ago, April 22, better known as Earth Day, so my daughter always calls me and says, "Happy B-earthday, Mom!" We BVG's love BVG Demographics, and here's a new one:
50% of the BVG's are now 66
And here are two more:
75% of the BVG's are in their 60's
75% of the BVG's watch "American Idol"
But back to my birthday, or more specifically, being 66. One friend kindly said to me, "Well, it's better than being 666," and she wasn't referring to 666 years old. Then she said, "Sorry, the devil made me say it."
It has occurred to me that come this September I will be the only one of my siblings still in her 60's. Wasn't it just the other day I was the only one left in her teens? Her 20's? Her 30's? Her 40's? Her 50's? I have two older brothers and two older sisters. This year they will be 77, 74, 72 and 70. Funny how those ages used to sound so very old. Not so anymore.
And what of 66? It's really not a milestone year like 65 was. My motto last year was "Sixty-five and staying alive!" It was a milestone because my husband and I and many of our friends signed up for Medicare. I could say that turning 66 is momentous because this is the year the Class of '66 turns 66. But my sister Lin sent this birthday message to me, and she summed up beautifully what this coming year should mean to me, and this is exactly how I am going to approach it.
ROUTE 66
Heaven & Earth join forces this day to place YOU on an exalted plane...
Let's call it ROUTE 66...
I hear it is scenic and famous and winding and long,
So it will be a very lovely journey for you to take.
Take your time to enjoy the ride,
For you will be on this road for an entire year!
It will not be lonely at all, I assure you,
For your fellow travelers will be well chosen,
To bring you maximum pleasure and remarkable joy.
Look for me along the way, too,
For I have plans to cheer you on throughout the year-long drive.
Thank you to my sister for these inspiring words.
And thank you to the Bethel Valley Girls for my birthday luncheon at Home Made Café and for their willingness and excitement to join me on this journey along Route 66. I think they remember the line from the 1946 song, "Route 66," (it's older than I am!!) that says, "Get your kicks on Route 66." In the coming year I will be keeping track on our blog just what kind of 'kicks' j and I are getting out of being 66.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_(song)
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
Facebook Without a Face: Good Plan!
Due to a recent text from Elletu, I have been reading up on Heartbleed, which can compromise websites (like Pinterest), accounts (like financial dealings), e-mail (like Gmail) and social media (like Facebook). Recalling BVG demographics of the past and a fact that has not changed, 75% of the BVG's are on Facebook. I am the 25% without a Facebook page. I wonder how many Facebook users know their pages may have been compromised? Hackers can get in and steal your identity through things like Heartbleed. It amazes me how much people reveal of Facebook. That could all come back to haunt them if Heartbleed Hackers have their way with them.
Our blog is like Facebook but without a face, unless, that is, there are cucumber slices placed strategically over the eyes. We were very wise when we decided to not show our faces on our blog. We were also thinking ahead when we made the decision to use our BVG code names instead of our real ones.
I say go ahead Heartbleed Hackers, try to steal the identity of Firstelle, Elletu, Cool and j. Sure, go ahead and try to link us to LL Cool J. It won't work. Look at our hands, look at our feet, look at the hands of two of the BVGO. Try to look at the records of who lived on Bethel Valley Lane back in the early '80's. I guarantee you aren't going to find the records of who was renting all the units back then.
And one more thing, Heartbleed Hackers: No use trying to go after our money, because we don't any of us have a lot of money. So I guess all you can get would be our names, and do you really want to walk around with the name Firstelle, or Elletu, or Cool, or j? I didn't think so.
So what are the BVG's up to currently? Of course our readers are dying to know. Personally, I'm just looking forward to the arrival of our very first BVGOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Try to hack that, you Heartbleed Hackers!!)
Our blog is like Facebook but without a face, unless, that is, there are cucumber slices placed strategically over the eyes. We were very wise when we decided to not show our faces on our blog. We were also thinking ahead when we made the decision to use our BVG code names instead of our real ones.
I say go ahead Heartbleed Hackers, try to steal the identity of Firstelle, Elletu, Cool and j. Sure, go ahead and try to link us to LL Cool J. It won't work. Look at our hands, look at our feet, look at the hands of two of the BVGO. Try to look at the records of who lived on Bethel Valley Lane back in the early '80's. I guarantee you aren't going to find the records of who was renting all the units back then.
And one more thing, Heartbleed Hackers: No use trying to go after our money, because we don't any of us have a lot of money. So I guess all you can get would be our names, and do you really want to walk around with the name Firstelle, or Elletu, or Cool, or j? I didn't think so.
So what are the BVG's up to currently? Of course our readers are dying to know. Personally, I'm just looking forward to the arrival of our very first BVGOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Try to hack that, you Heartbleed Hackers!!)
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Modern Technology & the Vindication of j
First of all, Cool had this response to my blog posts on grammar:
"I never knew my grammar nor my granddad."
That's cool, Cool.
Now, for the "Vindication of j" who meant chic, not sheik. Turns out it's not her misspelling at all. She speaks her texts, therefore it is her cell phone that thinks I am the leader of a Muslim group.
"I never knew my grammar nor my granddad."
That's cool, Cool.
Now, for the "Vindication of j" who meant chic, not sheik. Turns out it's not her misspelling at all. She speaks her texts, therefore it is her cell phone that thinks I am the leader of a Muslim group.
Grammar Snob - Part 2: Big is a Verb! Chic is a Verb!
While I'm on the subject.............
Being a stay-at-home mom as I was while raising my children (even through all the years of being a piano teacher), volunteering at my children's schools was always a priority. My volunteer opportunities were varied, including: classroom helper, library assistant, pianist for the elementary music teacher, helping in the Reading Assistance Program, PTA secretary, field trip driver, being on the Gifted Education Task Force and the music curriculum committees for the school district and on the redesign committee for the elementary school, and assisting the junior and senior high school band directors in many capacities.
Although my children were not part of the Reading Assistance Program, I took great pleasure in listening to children read and helping them master new levels so they could advance in their regular classrooms. I remember a particular day when the teacher was teaching the meaning of 'being verbs,' as in 'the act of being.' She wrote this sentence on the board:
THE HOUSE IS BIG.
She dissected the sentence to show the example of a 'being verb.' That was a fine idea, only she took her chalk and underlined the word BIG. Then she told the class, "The being verb is BIG." What? Big is a verb? I don't think so!!! She repeated this several times. I knew better than to refute her assertion in class, so I kept quiet and waited for the class to end. After the children had filed out I went up to her and said, "I realize it's been a lot longer time since I was in school than you were, but when I look at that sentence I don't see BIG as the being verb." She replied, "Yes, it is. BIG is the verb. It is the act of being big." I was incredulous.
I could not let this go. I asked to see a grammar book, but there was none in the classroom. As the school was open concept at the time, I could easily walk around the school and asked two different teachers what they thought. One, who was my son's teacher, agreed with this teacher. Oh dear! Another said, "Um, I'm not sure." No one had a grammar book in their classroom. I still could not let this go. I went to the office and finally found a grammar book. Fortunately, I was able to prove my point with the grammar book, and the following day the teacher began the class period by correcting herself. Now she didn't give credit to the stay-at-home mom school volunteer for proving that point, but I didn't care about that. I didn't want kids running around thinking, "BIG IS A VERB!"
Like I said, grammar snob. It's a whole lot better than being a grammar slob, don't you think?
And honestly, already this morning I had to pull out my red pen and correct something j texted to me. Oh dear, BVG's, I cannot help myself. My mother made me this way. Here's what happened:
Last night I took my third selfie. Once I learn something new I have to keep doing it over and over again until it becomes second nature. That way I won't forget how to do it. I recently got my hair cut and added bangs back in the mix. Elletu says I did it to copy Michelle Obama, but that is not true. I am copying Elletu! I love her bangs, so now I have Elletu bangs, something that used to be part of my hairstyle. And though I have had glasses for 25 years, I always wear my contacts when I am out in public. But yesterday, wanting to give my eyes a break from my contacts, I wore my glasses to the store for the very first time since going to contacts. I took a selfie last night with my bangs and glasses and texted it to the BVG's first thing this morning.
Not to pick on j, but she responded, "Very sheik!" Well, a sheik is an Arab chief, ruler or prince, a leader of a Muslim organization or group. I think j means 'chic,' which is defined as 'elegantly and stylishly fashionable, and that's an adjective.
"Firstelle is very chic."
CHIC IS A VERB! THE ACT OF BEING CHIC!
I'm having a hard time getting the red ink off my cell phone screen.......
Being a stay-at-home mom as I was while raising my children (even through all the years of being a piano teacher), volunteering at my children's schools was always a priority. My volunteer opportunities were varied, including: classroom helper, library assistant, pianist for the elementary music teacher, helping in the Reading Assistance Program, PTA secretary, field trip driver, being on the Gifted Education Task Force and the music curriculum committees for the school district and on the redesign committee for the elementary school, and assisting the junior and senior high school band directors in many capacities.
Although my children were not part of the Reading Assistance Program, I took great pleasure in listening to children read and helping them master new levels so they could advance in their regular classrooms. I remember a particular day when the teacher was teaching the meaning of 'being verbs,' as in 'the act of being.' She wrote this sentence on the board:
THE HOUSE IS BIG.
She dissected the sentence to show the example of a 'being verb.' That was a fine idea, only she took her chalk and underlined the word BIG. Then she told the class, "The being verb is BIG." What? Big is a verb? I don't think so!!! She repeated this several times. I knew better than to refute her assertion in class, so I kept quiet and waited for the class to end. After the children had filed out I went up to her and said, "I realize it's been a lot longer time since I was in school than you were, but when I look at that sentence I don't see BIG as the being verb." She replied, "Yes, it is. BIG is the verb. It is the act of being big." I was incredulous.
I could not let this go. I asked to see a grammar book, but there was none in the classroom. As the school was open concept at the time, I could easily walk around the school and asked two different teachers what they thought. One, who was my son's teacher, agreed with this teacher. Oh dear! Another said, "Um, I'm not sure." No one had a grammar book in their classroom. I still could not let this go. I went to the office and finally found a grammar book. Fortunately, I was able to prove my point with the grammar book, and the following day the teacher began the class period by correcting herself. Now she didn't give credit to the stay-at-home mom school volunteer for proving that point, but I didn't care about that. I didn't want kids running around thinking, "BIG IS A VERB!"
Like I said, grammar snob. It's a whole lot better than being a grammar slob, don't you think?
And honestly, already this morning I had to pull out my red pen and correct something j texted to me. Oh dear, BVG's, I cannot help myself. My mother made me this way. Here's what happened:
Last night I took my third selfie. Once I learn something new I have to keep doing it over and over again until it becomes second nature. That way I won't forget how to do it. I recently got my hair cut and added bangs back in the mix. Elletu says I did it to copy Michelle Obama, but that is not true. I am copying Elletu! I love her bangs, so now I have Elletu bangs, something that used to be part of my hairstyle. And though I have had glasses for 25 years, I always wear my contacts when I am out in public. But yesterday, wanting to give my eyes a break from my contacts, I wore my glasses to the store for the very first time since going to contacts. I took a selfie last night with my bangs and glasses and texted it to the BVG's first thing this morning.
Not to pick on j, but she responded, "Very sheik!" Well, a sheik is an Arab chief, ruler or prince, a leader of a Muslim organization or group. I think j means 'chic,' which is defined as 'elegantly and stylishly fashionable, and that's an adjective.
"Firstelle is very chic."
CHIC IS A VERB! THE ACT OF BEING CHIC!
I'm having a hard time getting the red ink off my cell phone screen.......
Grammar Snob - Part 1: Your Unique
Seen on the marquee outside a Bremerton business:
ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR UNIQUE,
JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE
I love the humor in that sentiment, but it has been up there for a few weeks and have the owners not yet realized that it should be "you're" instead of "your"? Or did they do it wrong on purpose so grammar snobs like yours truly would be bugged enough to write about it in a blog?
Another pet peeve of mine is the wrong use of the apostrophe as seen on house signs around town. Not to slam a family I know, but it should be "The Olsons," not "The Olson's"!
A grammar snob walks around with a virtual red pen in her brain. I know this to be true, because I am one. If I were a grammar slob I would put it this way: I know this to be true, because I are one. It don't matter to me if it don't matter to nobody else. I seen the President on TV a few months ago and even he said something about it being Febuary. Why do people leave the brew (bru) out of February? Drink up, and pronounce it right!
I remember back when my middle son was in seventh grade. He came home with a paper from his history class, and the teacher had written 'A' on it in red. As I read through this paper I was appalled at my son's poor grammar, incomplete punctuation and spelling errors. This was not a rough draft but rather the finished product. Without hesitation I pulled out a red pen and began correcting the grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors in his prize-winning paper. I didn't mean to burst his bubble, but I knew the importance of being able to write as well as speak correctly. I congratulated him on knowing the history topic but then challenged him to rewrite the paper in order to receive an 'A' should that same paper be presented to his English teacher.
Then Open House happened. I swear I wasn't the one to initiate this conversation, but I remember my son's English teacher making this statement:
"We don't really teach grammar at the junior high level. Grammar isn't important. What's really important is being able to express your ideas."
No, English teacher, grammar IS important, and I'm glad to have this opportunity to express my ideas about it.
ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR UNIQUE,
JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE
I love the humor in that sentiment, but it has been up there for a few weeks and have the owners not yet realized that it should be "you're" instead of "your"? Or did they do it wrong on purpose so grammar snobs like yours truly would be bugged enough to write about it in a blog?
Another pet peeve of mine is the wrong use of the apostrophe as seen on house signs around town. Not to slam a family I know, but it should be "The Olsons," not "The Olson's"!
A grammar snob walks around with a virtual red pen in her brain. I know this to be true, because I am one. If I were a grammar slob I would put it this way: I know this to be true, because I are one. It don't matter to me if it don't matter to nobody else. I seen the President on TV a few months ago and even he said something about it being Febuary. Why do people leave the brew (bru) out of February? Drink up, and pronounce it right!
I remember back when my middle son was in seventh grade. He came home with a paper from his history class, and the teacher had written 'A' on it in red. As I read through this paper I was appalled at my son's poor grammar, incomplete punctuation and spelling errors. This was not a rough draft but rather the finished product. Without hesitation I pulled out a red pen and began correcting the grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors in his prize-winning paper. I didn't mean to burst his bubble, but I knew the importance of being able to write as well as speak correctly. I congratulated him on knowing the history topic but then challenged him to rewrite the paper in order to receive an 'A' should that same paper be presented to his English teacher.
Then Open House happened. I swear I wasn't the one to initiate this conversation, but I remember my son's English teacher making this statement:
"We don't really teach grammar at the junior high level. Grammar isn't important. What's really important is being able to express your ideas."
No, English teacher, grammar IS important, and I'm glad to have this opportunity to express my ideas about it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Selfeeties!
Thank you, j, for this contribution. I have to HAND it to you, this is pretty funny. It is quite a FEET when you leave me practically speechless. No further comments necessary.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
My First Selfie!
This is the selfie our drinks took at Elletu's granddaughter's baby shower two weeks ago. I was seated at a table with Cool, Elletu and three of her other friends. I was a little self-conscious admitting that I didn't know how to take a selfie, but Cool was kind and encouraged me. I took one of us together, and it turned out great. Of course we don't show our faces on this blog unless we have cucumbers over our eyes, and since there were no cucumbers around at this baby shower, my selfie can't be posted. But then our drinks said, "We want to do it! We want to do it! We want to do it!" (There were, after all, three of them.) So I gave them my phone, and with very little instruction they did it. I thought they did a good job centering themselves.
So perhaps you caught in my first sentence that Elletu's granddaughter is having a baby, very soon in fact. That's right, Elletu is going to be a great-grandmother!!!!!! She's always been a great grandmother, but now she is going to be a great great-grandmother!.
The Bethel Valley Girl Offspring continue to grow!
Back from my sabbatical...
Dear Readers,
Paris was lovely, Venice was divine,
Switzerland was breathtaking----if only in my mind.
Back from sabbatical, eight months abroad,
If I said I was in Europe, I would be a fraud.
The truth is, my computer sadly bit the dust,
It was the end of last summer, yes, it was in August.
Off it went to the computer shop for what was an extended stay,
And when it finally came home, that was a happy day.
Short-lived, however, was the joy in my heart,
For it had to go back--it was a mess!--and again it was taken apart.
This time I went along to show the guy my concern,
And he promised it would all be fixed by the time we would return.
We sailed right through the month of September,
And then it was ready to come home in October.
But we weren't home, we were California-bound
For our grandson's first birthday and our daughter's ultrasound!
Good news there--our first granddaughter was on the way,
And we came home to a fixed computer, fixed in almost every way.
But our Favorites list was wiped out, and I couldn't access this blog,
And with 14 coming for Christmas, my mind was in a big fog.
But before they all came, starting the 20th of December,
Our son moved his family from Hawaii to here in November!
They had eight days with us then moved to their Seattle home,
And my incredible joy can't be adequately expressed in this impromptu poem.
Such a memorable Christmas, all of us together here,
Including our two grandsons and each loved one we hold dear.
Two weeks of joyful times, they just went by too quickly,
And sadly, before they left, we realized we were really sickly.
So January was a time to work hard toward our healing,
Which was hard to imagine, considering how we were feeling.
But by the time the first of February rolled around,
We noticed our good health was on the rebound.
Thought surely in February I would return to my blogging ways,
But I was still cleaning up from Christmas, yes that filled my days.
Then lo and behold, three weeks early, quite a surprise,
Our granddaughter was coming, so we took to the road, not the skies.
Drove to California, hoping to make it straight through,
But we got incredibly sleepy so we stopped---what could we do?
An hour and forty-five minutes, that was the length of our rest,
Then we talked to our daughter, who was holding her daughter--oh, that is the best!
So back on the road, too excited to sleep, and eventually we were there,
Holding our precious granddaughter close and covering her with prayer.
Our time with her and her brother was beautiful, over before we knew it,
So hard to say goodbye, to leave, but we always have to do it.
Then March brought spring but way, way too much rain,
And back-to-back tragedies put us all in so much pain.
A Seattle TV helicopter crash took two lives and devastated another,
And four days later a massive landslide took so many others.
And as April arrived, with Easter just a few weeks away,
We want to be joyful, but still we need to reach out and to pray,
As searchers keep looking for victims hour by hour, day after day.
All over the area people are pulling together to see what they can do,
And we are all reminded that life is fragile, and our days could be so few.
So you see, Readers, these past eight months I haven't been vegging out,
I've been busy and involved in so many things I could easily blog about.
I'm back now for good since I figured out how to get in here,
Back to the blog, ready to write about the BVG's--never fear!
They've been up to their usual, with their usual flare,
So stay tuned for future posts--I can't wait to share!
Paris was lovely, Venice was divine,
Switzerland was breathtaking----if only in my mind.
Back from sabbatical, eight months abroad,
If I said I was in Europe, I would be a fraud.
The truth is, my computer sadly bit the dust,
It was the end of last summer, yes, it was in August.
Off it went to the computer shop for what was an extended stay,
And when it finally came home, that was a happy day.
Short-lived, however, was the joy in my heart,
For it had to go back--it was a mess!--and again it was taken apart.
This time I went along to show the guy my concern,
And he promised it would all be fixed by the time we would return.
We sailed right through the month of September,
And then it was ready to come home in October.
But we weren't home, we were California-bound
For our grandson's first birthday and our daughter's ultrasound!
Good news there--our first granddaughter was on the way,
And we came home to a fixed computer, fixed in almost every way.
But our Favorites list was wiped out, and I couldn't access this blog,
And with 14 coming for Christmas, my mind was in a big fog.
But before they all came, starting the 20th of December,
Our son moved his family from Hawaii to here in November!
They had eight days with us then moved to their Seattle home,
And my incredible joy can't be adequately expressed in this impromptu poem.
Such a memorable Christmas, all of us together here,
Including our two grandsons and each loved one we hold dear.
Two weeks of joyful times, they just went by too quickly,
And sadly, before they left, we realized we were really sickly.
So January was a time to work hard toward our healing,
Which was hard to imagine, considering how we were feeling.
But by the time the first of February rolled around,
We noticed our good health was on the rebound.
Thought surely in February I would return to my blogging ways,
But I was still cleaning up from Christmas, yes that filled my days.
Then lo and behold, three weeks early, quite a surprise,
Our granddaughter was coming, so we took to the road, not the skies.
Drove to California, hoping to make it straight through,
But we got incredibly sleepy so we stopped---what could we do?
An hour and forty-five minutes, that was the length of our rest,
Then we talked to our daughter, who was holding her daughter--oh, that is the best!
So back on the road, too excited to sleep, and eventually we were there,
Holding our precious granddaughter close and covering her with prayer.
Our time with her and her brother was beautiful, over before we knew it,
So hard to say goodbye, to leave, but we always have to do it.
Then March brought spring but way, way too much rain,
And back-to-back tragedies put us all in so much pain.
A Seattle TV helicopter crash took two lives and devastated another,
And four days later a massive landslide took so many others.
And as April arrived, with Easter just a few weeks away,
We want to be joyful, but still we need to reach out and to pray,
As searchers keep looking for victims hour by hour, day after day.
All over the area people are pulling together to see what they can do,
And we are all reminded that life is fragile, and our days could be so few.
So you see, Readers, these past eight months I haven't been vegging out,
I've been busy and involved in so many things I could easily blog about.
I'm back now for good since I figured out how to get in here,
Back to the blog, ready to write about the BVG's--never fear!
They've been up to their usual, with their usual flare,
So stay tuned for future posts--I can't wait to share!
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