My Family

My daughter and her kids and my son, his wife, and their son came down yesterday for fun and games.  We went to eat at the Mexican restaurant where I used to play trivia.  Yes, I do plan to go back and play again.  Then we came back to my house and played "Apples to Apples" and "Family Feud."   Lots of laughter and loudness!  Since our reunion, I've gone to my daughter's the day after Christmas for the last ten years.  However, this year they came here.  I'm not ready to drive a few hours during holiday traffic yet.  It really does take a long time to recover from this surgery! 

Another reason, I haven't had them here was the condition of my house, which looked like a hoarder lived in it.  I really did feel much worse than I realized.  After my helpers cleared out numerous trash bags filled with clothes, papers and stuff that filled my brother's truck several times to take to recycling, Goodwill, and/or the dump, my house was ready for company.  I couldn't have healed after I got home from the  hospital if it had been the way it was.  Such a relief!  That's why I'm not a hoarder because I wanted the clutter gone and am thrilled to have space again! 

So they were all here together for the first time.  It was great!  From the left, across the table and back up to the front:  My son Brian, older granddaughter Kelsey, daughter-in-law Melissa, daughter Kathy, older grandson Luke, younger granddaughter Kari, youngest grandson Brendan.  This is at the restaurant.   

Holidays

How was your Christmas?  Any plans for New Year's Eve?  I've made a few goals (instead of resolutions).  More on this later.  What about you? 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all!  Hope everyone is safe, warm, and loved!  That's what it's all about.  All my best to you and yours this holiday season! 

Tribute from The Voice

Star Trek Trivia

The name of the USS Enterprise in the original draft for the Star Trek TV series was the USS Yorktowne.

Pranks

I don't like practical jokes and am not sure why they are called that.  I've never thought it was funny to intentionally embarrass people or make them look like fools.  I put up with them from people who pulled them on me and laughed or shrugged or whatever it took to move on because when pranksters know they can get to you, they are encouraged to do more.  The few times I tried to reciprocate and pull a prank, it sort of fell flat since I don't have the attention span to orchestrate anything strategic or complex.  Besides, that's not how I want to spend my time.  Pranks and put-down "humor" both seem mean-spirited to me.  What motivates them?  Do you think it's funny?

The nurse committed suicide who was the object of that prank played by the Australian radio show DJ's.  The head of the station approved airing the piece.  Something should be done to punish them.  I don't know what, but something.  Maybe they should all be fired.  I don't know.  What do you think?


 And, no, I never watched it.  

Spare Joey Trivia

A kangaroo mother holds a reserve embryo inside of her after her first baby has crawled into her pouch.This serves as an emergency back-up baby, should the first one die prematurely.

Nashville

I've been watching the series Nashville mostly because it's filmed there, and it's fun to see familiar places and to try to figure out where some of the scenes are shot.  The Tennessean (Nashville daily paper) keeps track of the show and lets us know information about it, such as where they are filming and some inside stuff.  I also watch it because I like Connie Britton and loved Friday Night Lights, which she was on.  Callie Khouri created and produces the show.  She writes episodes and won an Oscar for screenwriting Thelma and Louise.  T. Bone Brunett, multiple Grammy winner and brilliant, is the executive music producer of Nashville.  I just recently learned that they are married, which I think is so cool!

They filmed at the actual Bluebird Cafe for the pilot but built an identical set when the show was picked up.  The Bluebird is a vital part of the Nashville music scene.  It's actually called a listening room, and customers/audience members are supposed to be quiet and listen during performances.  They are asked to be quiet and if they don't, are asked to leave.  Strict!  It shows respect for performers.  I like it.  Sometimes several singer/songwriters perform in the round and take turns singing their songs.  Their banter is fun to watch.

I'm glad Nashville is shown fairly accurately in many ways.  There are some things that fit in more in other places like L.A. since we don't have paparazzi bothering stars around here.  They are left alone and can go most places without incident.  They take their kids to school, grocery shop, eat out, and other regular things.  They cover that in the show except for the young country pop performer (Hayden Panettiere) who was dating a pro football player.  There seemed to be just one photographer who got them, though.  That seems about right.   It's mostly a night-time soap opera that is a lot about the music business and politics in all its forms. The actors do their own singing and have released an album.

Now you know.



 Bluebird website HERE. 

Southern Liberals

This article "A New Southern Strategy" by Karen Cox for the NYTimes, echoes my sentiments exactly.  We Southerners are lumped into the same ignorant redneck group together.  During the election I got so tired of hearing about this and the other demographics who don't represent me.  I'm white, over 65, female, and live in a small town in the South.  This means I should have voted for Romney, except that many of my friends, relatives, and acquaintances didn't.  Guess since I'm single, I fell into that group who voted for Obama.  I'm not saying we don't have an abundance of ignorance, racism, bigotry, and fundamentalists here.  We do.  Unfortunately, they are in other regions, too. 

Here's an excerpt from Cox's article:

That we are still using the term “Confederacy” to describe the South and pointing to slave maps says a lot about how hard it is for the region to move beyond its historical reputation, however richly deserved, for one that reflects more current realities.

Voters in Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, Birmingham, Ala., and even Jackson, Miss., gave Mr. Obama substantial majorities, not because they are out of step with the rest of the country but because they are part of the same urban-rural divide that drives voting everywhere.

So if we’re going to apply the term “Confederacy,” then perhaps we can all agree that while a majority of Southern white voters seem intransigent to change, the region is nevertheless being transformed by its changing demographics.

This is a good article and worth reading.  We Southern liberals are capable of critical thinking and making informed decisions. 

Molly Ivins said, " I believe all Southern liberals come from the same starting point -- race. Once you figure out they are lying to you about race, you start to question everything."