Chilly Sunday Morning

As usual, the world news continues to remind us that we're probably going to blow things up sooner or later. Too many thugs out there convinced they need to kill everyone they can. What's the solution? Darned if I know.  If they couldn't wipe out these mental defectives after the Twin Towers was taken down, they need to rethink their plans of attack.  Somebody had better take the bull by the horns and get down to brass tacks on this ongoing threat to all of us.

Listening to Bernie Sanders this morning discuss that climate change is contributing to the problem. Perhaps.  But I think it goes deeper than that.  Basically, too many people just have no tolerance and lack common sense and a gene allowing kindness.  But enough sadness for now. On to topics closer to home.

Maybe it's the cold weather but I suspect I'm working on my first bug of the season.  I hope not. I do hate having a cold.  I've been tired all week.  Nothing new there. I'm getting older and slower and the lower temperatures only remind me.  Sitting here watching the birds in my back yard.  A whole lot of them.  No seeds are hung but there must be bugs and worms aplenty among the moss and dandelions as they're quite busy fluttering from spot to spot.  If I had a cat, she'd probably be going nuts watching from the window.

I'm sitting here at the kitchen table right next to the heat vent and am working on my second cup of coffee.  I think I got enough sleep but you'd never know it by how many times I've yawned in the last hour.  I'm probably going to need an early afternoon nap.  Some days I can get by without one but more often than not, I find myself heading to the recliner. Always reminds me of my dad. He always needed more sleep as he grew older.

I've been sewing more than usual the last few weeks. I'm in the middle of a quilt now called Stepping Stones.

I only had enough material to make six 18" blocks so I went to Goodwill yesterday and found some material to add as borders and make the blanket about twin size or so.  Been listening to audio books as it helps pass the time. Sometimes the discs skip or won't play (always a problem with public ebooks) but the library has a big supply so I just take them back and carry home an armload of new ones.  Picked up nine books yesterday afternoon so that ought to keep me going for a while.

I continue to play with my ancestry notes and do a little research here and there and I suspect that particular hobby will be with me until the day I die.  I'm also thinking I might begin work on a cookbook.  I've been making cookbooks for a long time.  Here's a picture of two Betty Crocker books that are from 1956 AND 1976.

I guess it was in the 70's when I first starting typing up my own cookbooks.  On a typewriter no less. Before computers came along.  I put the pages in a book report binder of sorts and gave them out as gifts. Lame.

I made a new book every few years adding or taking out certain recipes. Always called my books "And the dish ran away with the spoon."

The table of contents for this particular masterpiece was called "Baldridge Bunch Cookbook." I was ever so proud of them at the time.  Now.  Not so much. Ha Ha   Even my latest book needs revision...

I've been looking over my Christmas gift stash on the top shelf of the closet in the sewing room.  They're slowly adding up.  Since money is a tad tight these days, I'm also thinking I just might start wrapping up favorite "things of mine" to recycle as gifts too.  I've got a whole lot of cute stuff here and there.

Been browsing, as usual, on Facebook looking at photos that people are sharing. Found this one of Dr. Schaill and his wife.  My Dr. Welby. Sure wish I could find another doctor like him. Don't we all?

I also saw this photo which caught my eye because of the schools in the background.  Anybody recognize him?  I thought he was standing somewhere around Ruth's house up on Gise.

Stopped at Fil Bygolly shop (in my neighborhood) yesterday and picked up one Christmas gift. Phyllis Johnson Kendall (from PT) is the owner and always has a huge selection to choose from.

In my search for Charlie Blankenship, I continue to have my doubts that I'll ever find out what happened to him or who exactly he was.  I took the picture of my g.grandparents, Lewis M. and Jane Downs Blankenship and compared them side by side from their wedding photo to one in old age. Either Jane aged quickly and was ill or (could it be?) this isn't the same woman.  All indications are that it is indeed her but still.....  maybe having all those kids contributed to her aging.

If you're so inclined (or interested) go to www.originalmmc.com and read up on the old mouseketeers.  I saw a story on MSNs website about "whatever became of the old mouseketeers" so I clicked on it only to find it was not really my "old" mouseketeers. They discussed newer ones like Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, Christina Aguilera, and Keri Russell.  I wanted to know about the ones from the fifties. They were all born in the 1940s.

I started looking up various mousketeers from my era: Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Lonnie Burr, Tommy Cole, Annette Funicello, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O'Brien, Karen Pendleton, Doreen Tracey, and Cheryl Holdridge.  Fascinating reading if you're into that kind of trivia.  I read an interview that Cubby gave, (popcultureaddict.com) among other things.  Darlene ended up in prison, Cheryl died of lung cancer, Annette died of MS, Bobby married the daughter of Myron Florens of the Lawrence Welk Show, Cubby played for the Carpenters and Bernadette Peters, and Karen ended up paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

And that's about it for this morning. Guess I'll scoot on back to the sewing room and see what damage I can do there.  Keep warm.

By Favorite saying for this week:  (seen on a t-shirt)