Tag: blog

Minimalist Challenge, Day 27 Bye Bye!

Apparently in the world of the minimalist challenge there are such things as bye days. These are days that a participant might be awarded due to the excellent nature of a previous day’s offering. On a bye day, said participant doesn’t have to purge anything!

Great news, eh? Well, not exactly because the award left me high and dry in the blogging arena. I’ve begun to use the challenge as something of a reliable crutch and all of a sudden it was knocked out from under me. I’m limping badly here.

In case you wondered, this is the display for day 26 that earned me the bye. It was impressive, even if I do say so myself.

I’ve already prepared for day 28, so I’m taking the day off. Bye for now!

Behold The National Rifle Association’s Worm in the Florida Apple

https://www.msnbc.com/stephanie-ruhle/watch/new-yorker-nra-lobbyist-in-fl-has-unprecedented-power-and-influence-1168600643717

Watch the entire video link from MSNBC, and see why I am fuming.

I live near Tallahassee, Florida, and have personally attended hearings on gun laws at the Capitol. On my first visit the bill being considered in our House of Representatives was to allow open carry in our state. The opening process was mundane–lots of parliamentary procedures and much palavering.

Then one by one people from both sides of the argument were called upon to explain in front of a panel of legislators why they either were for or against the right of Floridians to openly carry firearms. One older woman wearing a red hunting jacket and sporting a grey pageboy style haircut sat right up front, not quite part of the panel, but not a part of the regular gallery like myself. It was Marion Hammer.

I heard during this hearing that Marion, who is NOT a duly elected official in the state of Florida, had helped craft this open carry bill. Every time there was a proposed change to the bill or a question about what was included this woman was called forward to consult with our ELECTED lawmakers. She holds an immense amount of power, but again, IS NOT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

There is something rotten about a system that gives one person the power Ms. Hammer wields. Didn’t Americans launch a revolution based on our right to be represented by duly elected officials? Right now her favor or lack of it can make or break a politician in this state. She needs to go.

Minimalist Challenge, Puttin’ on the Ritz Day 26

Last night Studly Doright and I were watching the University of Kansas basketball team play Texas Tech for the Big 12 championship on television. It was a great, too-close-for-comfort game, and Studly worked up a powerful hunger while cheering for the Jayhawks.

Late in the second half he asked, “Do we have any snacks? I feel like I need to eat something if we’re going to win this game.”

Rather than throwing something at him or telling him to get his own damned snack I hoisted myself out of my chair and went in search of some munchies. The first likely snacks I came upon were several boxes of Ritz cheese crackers and a few more of the peanut butter version.

We don’t normally keep these on hand, but I recalled buying them in preparation for hurricane survival last summer. There’s nothing like a Ritz cracker to see you through the dark times, am I right?

Before asking Studly if the crackers would fill the bill for his snack I thought to check the expiration dates. November 17, 2017, was stamped on each box. So while they didn’t get to fulfill their destiny as snacks, the crackers were pressed into service for today’s minimalist challenge.

Twenty-three packages of Ritz crackers plus three of the boxes in which they were stored makes a total of 26 items for February 26.

I found Studly another snack, and the resulting energy revived him enough to power the Jayhawks through to a two-point victory over the Red Raiders and KU’s 14th straight conference championship. I doubt they’ll publicly thank us, though.

Minimalist Challenge, Day 25: A Sticky Situation

On day 25 I’m getting rid of items I used while working for a reading research program in Tallahassee. These stickers along with the non-refillable mechanical pencils and the plastic box I toted them around in, have been hanging around my closet for the past year doing absolutely nothing except taking up space.

My youngest grandchild might want the stickers, the regular pencils, and the pink box, but the mechanical pencils are going into the trash.

I suspect that if I’d counted individual stickers instead of sticker sheets I could have scored a lot more points, but honestly, who wants to do that? Plus, I’m not too worried about having enough detritus to meet my goals. This has been much too easy, and that’s kind of sad.

Peace, people!

Minimalist Challenge, Day 24

Today I’m ridding myself of a group of decorative items, a couple of pieces of clothing, three Texas license plates, an empty perfume bottle, and half a dozen empty boxes. There are actually more than 24 items in the mix on this 24th day of February because once again I made a purchase (perfume, because the old bottle was empty) that was merely a want and not a need; although, some would argue that perfume is a must have. I love to smell pretty, but I don’t mind going sans scent, either.

About half of today’s haul will go to Goodwill and some will go to the recycling bin. As long as they’re all gone, I’m a happy camper.

There are only four more days to go in the February challenge, and I feel like I’ve barely made a dent in the acclimated clutter. I’m still trying to decide if I’ll begin anew in March.

Spring for Some

Spring for Some

By Leslie Noyes

Spring comes early in Florida.

Flowers blossom and the grass grows taller. Bees pollinate, birds court, squirrels scamper. It’s a time of life and renewal.

But as I walked around my yard today taking these photos I was overcome with grief. Surrounded by this display of life in bloom, I stopped to pray for those whose lives were cut short by a gunman last week in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people who won’t experience spring’s beauty. Young people who will never get to hold their own babies or experience the joy of being a grandparent, growing old with their spouses. I prayed, too, for their families whose lives will never be the same.

One individual with a high-powered rifle ended the hopes and dreams of 17 people in less than five minutes. Was he mentally ill? Perhaps. Did society fail him? More than likely. Did numerous agencies fail to do their jobs? Perhaps, but until someone commits a crime these agencies often have their hands tied. If he hadn’t had easy access to guns would he have found another way to attack? It’s possible. BUT, he DID have easy access to guns, and this access allowed him to literally destroy 17 lives and figuratively destroy hundreds of others.

So stop with your second amendment talking points. Let’s do the right thing and begin looking at real solutions to gun violence in this country.

Peace, please, people.

Minimalist Challenge, Guinness Day 23

I promise these Guinness bottle caps have been collected over many, many weeks, not a matter of a few days. There are 23, plus eight to compensate for two frivolous purchases I made on Thursday.

These bottle caps have been taking up space in a kitchen drawer and will be forwarded to Studly Doright’s youngest sister, the beautiful and witty Amy, in Texas. Amy is a creative soul who will turn these Guinness caps into a work of art.

Of course, some would argue, they already are a work of art. And the Guinness? Sublime.

Peace, people.

A Long Walk

On Wednesday, February 21, I took a long walk up Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee. It wasn’t for exercise; although, my heart rate certainly sped up as I strode across a bridge on my way to the historic capitol building.

Students representing Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, the site of our nation’s most recent school shooting, traveled more than six hours to the state capitol this week. Some of the survivors of the shooting met with state legislators in small groups on Tuesday, petitioning their representatives in Florida’s House of Representatives to take up a proposed ban on semi-automatic weapons.

The representatives ignored the students’ pleas, but hey, they did vote to ban pornography, so there’s that. I hope you can read the anger in that sentence. That action, that slap in the face the legislators handed these young people, spurred me to drive into Tallahassee on Wednesday to support their cause as they marched to the capitol. I wasn’t the only one.

There were no available parking places near the capitol grounds.After driving around for about 45 minutes in search of a parking spot, I finally found a shaded place in the Chili’s parking lot half a mile away. As I locked my car I crossed my fingers that the car wouldn’t be towed during my trek. I had some place special to be, and if I got towed, so be it.

The crowd grew as I got closer. People were pouring in from every direction. Some were gawkers, but most were there to offer support. We were all inspired. These teenagers spoke passionately, articulately, and with a maturity that puts a certain current president to shame. They are fired up and angry. Many will soon be able to vote. And they won’t forget the snubs of their elected officials.

Peace, for our kids’ sake, people.

Minimalist Challenge, Day 22: A Disturbance in the Force

As I journey deeper into February with the Minimalist Challenge, I’ve begun to realize how much I cling to certain unnecessary things: empty boxes, shopping bags, expired spices. Ridding myself of those kinds of items, though, caused me little to no angst. Today’s choices, by comparison, almost made me cry.

I’m a Star Wars geek, having lost count of the number of times I’ve watched episodes IV, V, and VI. And during the desolate years between the film Return of the Jedi (episode VI) and the prequel series beginning with The Phantom Menace (episode I), I consoled myself by reading books about the Star Wars universe.

The collection pictured above is but a drop in my personal Star Wars bucket. The books commence where Return of the Jedi ended and follow the intrepid rebels and their imperial enemies on one adventure after another. Some of the books are outstanding, stand alone novels that would have made great follow up movies to the original series. I fervently hoped the story lines in these George Lucas approved novels would be pursued on the big screen. Alas, the writers and directors went a different route.

I’m going to see if my grandson wants these books. If he doesn’t I’ll donate them to the Goodwill book store. Farewell. May the Force be with them.

Peace, people.

Wakulla Springs Ride

Yesterday while poor Studly Doright had to toil away at the office I rode my CanAm Spyder RT out to Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park. From our home outside of Tallahassee it’s only about 42 miles to the park, and best of all, most of the ride was on shaded back roads with very light traffic.

Once at Wakulla Springs I walked around the park, had a light lunch, and enjoyed the scenic boat ride before starting home. I had intended to take photos for the blog, but using my cell phone as a gps ran my battery awfully low, so I only snapped a few pics:

A beautiful blue heron

A not-so-beautiful, but impressive gator

A tree framed by the window of the boat

Next time I’ll take along a charger for my phone. There were so many more shots that had to be foregone.

This was my second adventure on my Spyder, and I’m really beginning to enjoy the ride. I’m much more visible to drivers on this machine, and that’s always a good thing. The Spyder has plenty of power, and I feel comfortable in the seat. The only thing I haven’t tested yet is its performance on the interstate. Soon.

This is me pre-ride on the Spyder, before I put on all my gear:

My brother commented that I look tiny on the bike. Yay! For once something makes my butt look small.

Peace, people.