SQUIRRELS ARE TELLING US SOMETHING

Most of us agree this has been a weird year, weather wise. A long, hot summer extending into November, and lots of rain. All of which has produced a bumper crop of acorns and walnuts falling from our neighbors’ trees and cluttering up our walkways. The squirrels have been busy, reaping the benefits. For weeks now, they’ve been scampering across our fences and lawn with cheeks bulging. They’re storing up food all over the place, and from the looks of it, they’ll have enough to last the winter. When you consider what’s going on in this covid-19 pandemic world, it seems the squirrels are telling us something : Stock up on food now, because it’s going to be scarce.

Many supermarket shelves have empty spaces, and what products are available go up in price every week. I’ve recently noticed my shopping cart is much fuller than it used to be. I’m not consciously emulating the squirrels, but I seem to be buying a lot more of everything. Instead of one can of vegetables or beans, I’m coming home with three or four. Probably have enough toilet paper to last until spring. It’s not actually hoarding, because that would mean I’m getting stuff I will never have a chance to use.

For example, during world war II sugar was rationed. My mother’s best friend was childless, and apparently had more disposable income than we did. She and her husband began hoarding sugar in huge tin storage cans up in their attic. Lift the lid on their piano bench and you could see it was packed to the brim with hard candy. They didn’t eat the candy, and the woman seldom baked. As I remember, she never offered to share as much as a cup of her sugar. .

When the war was over, she invited me up to her attic to see all the sugar she had stored for the duration. It was hard and lumpy, and I think it was drawing ants, so she threw it all away. The candy had melted together during the summer months with no air conditioning, and so it, too, went into the trash pit.

Squirrels are telling us something. Time to stock up for the winter. — Squirrels are telling us something. Now is the time to store food for the winter.

In comparison, my overbuying isn’t really what you would call hoarding. I’m just filling my cupboards to the brim. Nothing will go to waste. But I’m bracing myself for a long hard winter of shortages and higher prices on everything we buy. The squirrels are telling us something.

Food shortages are coming.

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021

DO CELEBRITIES COMMIT MANSLAUGHTER?

Usually, if someone accidentally kills another human being, there is some kind of investigation to determine if charges should be filed But, when actor/director, Alec Baldwin, accidentally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the sheriff immediately stated it was an accident and there would be no charges filed. This type of exoneration doesn’t usually happen to an ordinary person. Here in Indiana, I know of at least two cases where accidental deaths resulted in someone going to jail. I guess it depends on who you know, how much money you make, or how famous you are. Do celebrities commit manslaughter?

The first case that comes to mind is a young woman who accidentally killed three children running to catch a school bus. She was taking a child to the baby sitter, while rushing to her low wage job. The sky was pitch black and it was raining. She mistook the light from the school bus for something else. She wasn’t drunk or drugged. Didn’t intend to kill anyone. It was a terrible, tragic accident, but she was sentenced to four years in prison.

The next case was an accident involving two teenagers. The older boy’s mom had left a loaded gun in her bed table, and gone on vacation , leaving the kid with the house all to himself. Naturally, he had a party and yes, there was drinking. Sometime during the night the kid started fooling around with the mom’s gun, thinking it wasn’t loaded. But it was, and he killed his best friend. Yes, he did go to prison, but his parents must have hired some good lawyers because he got out on probation after awhile.

These three scenarios have all the earmarks of manslaughter. But only one has escaped culpability for being involved in a tragic accident. I’m sure all of these people are immensely sorry, and probably none of them will ever be the same. But two of them went to jail and other one won’t.

October 25, 2021October 25, 2021

CREEPY GHOST MALLS A SCARY SIGN

When was the last time you visited a shopping mall? For me, it had been almost two years, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. I knew things had been doing downhill before that, when Macy’s closed and Sears pulled out. Still it was a bustling place with rows of boutiques and specialty shops to meet every need. Retail therapy was alive and well. Now fully vaccinated, I drove across town to look for a new fall sweater. Drove around to Penny’s and found they’d blocked the back entrance. The front entrance was lit up as always, and my spirits lifted as I walked in the door. Headed straight toward the inner mall. Then, the shockwaves hit. Most of the stores along the hallways were dark and empty. Gone forever! Only a few holdouts remained; surprisingly, a shoe store and a nail salon. A wave of apprehension washed over me. Creepy glost malls are a scary sign.

Creepy Ghost Malls Are a Scary Sign — Creepy Ghost Malls Are A Scary Sign. Will the economy really bounce back from all that loss?

I needed something to bolster my spirits. Coffee! Headed for the food court. None of the three remaining food bars served coffee. Only bottled beverages. The seating area was deserted.. That made everything seem worse. But of course, it made sense. How many people sit down to eat in a dying mall?

Of the three boutiques left that sold women’s clothing, none had a black cardigan. The merchandise was all picked over, and there were sale racks everywhere. I saw more clerks than customers. Empty handed, I returned to the car. Now I was hungry, but most of the nearby restaurants were shut down. Finally drove to a Chick Filet, where they no longer sell chicken salad sandwiches. Only fried stuff. Most of the seating area closed, Lots of people ordering carryout. The cashier checked in the back and found me some coffee, so I sat down and took off my mask to drink it, along with some little chicken nuggets.

Why is the stock market at an all time high, and home sales booming? The feds tell us everything is coming up roses. But how? Millions of dollars in merchandise, jobs, and potential income have been lost forever in the mall and surrounding areas. Some of that brick and mortar money went to e-commerce, but not all. There has to be a lot of empty pockets. Are we headed for a recession? I don’t know, but creepy ghost malls are a scary sign.

October 22, 2021October 21, 2021

FLU SHOT PACKS A WALLOP

Most of us didn’t have a flu shot last year, and yet, we didn’t get the flu, either. That was one benefit of the Covid-19 pandemic. No one went out in public, unless they had to. And everyone wore masks. We still are in the midst of a pandemic, but most people we know are vaccinated, and so we’re more relaxed about going places and doing things. All of which has the CDC worried that the plain old flu is going to make a comeback, so they urged us to get a flu shot this year. My husband got his in September, but I put if off until this week. Why? Because the flu shot packs a wallop. It always makes me sick for a day or two.

I had mostly forgotten about the flu shot side effects, and convinced myself it wouldn’t be so bad. Started the day with a swim. Stepped out into the sunlight, and walked along the river. Felt optimistic that my immune system was ready to take on a flu shot. Bravely walked into my favorite CVS store and bared my arm to the dreaded needle. And woke up the next morning with nausea, fatigue, aches and pains that have lasted for two days.

Flu shot packs a wallop. Some get sick for two days afterwards. — FLU SHOT PACK A WALLOP. Some are sick for a couple of days after receiving one.

My husband was proud of me for doing my duty; protecting myself and fellow human beings. He has never experienced a single side effect from a flu shot, and as far as I can remember, , in 33 years of marriage, has never had a case of the flu.

Conversely, I have come down with the flu in spite of getting a flu shot, and gone years without getting the flu, even when I didn’t get a shot. Which brings me to the issue of mandated Covid vaccines. I can totally understand why people don’t want to get vaccinated, if they have strong reactions the way I do. I did have side effects from my second Covid shot, but it was not nearly as bad as how I felt this week.

Why do some people get sick after vaccines and others don’t? I’ve done some research. Women have more reactions than men, because of male and female hormones. Apparently, estrogen promotes a more vigorous immune response than testosterone. , I should appreciate having such a strong reaction. They say it means my body is producing lots of antibodies.

All I know is that– for me– the flu shot packs a wallop. I have to brace myself for a couple of lost sick days after any vaccination.. But it’s my patriotic duty. That’s what I keep telling myself.

October 20, 2021October 20, 2021

WARNING! YOUR WATER MAY BE DIRTY

It all started about a month ago. I noticed a thin black line rimming the water in our toilet bowls. Cleaned them, didn’t think much about it. Maybe caused by a new cleaning product. The dark line returned a few days later, upstairs and down. Cleaned them again. Same thing. Started getting a bit worried that something was wrong. Bought a case of bottled water for drinking. Decided to call the water company. They said I probably wasn’t cleaning the toilets right , but they’d send someone out to take a sample. Warning! Your water may be dirty. And it’s not because you’re a poor housekeeper.

Waring! Your water may be dirty — Warning! your water may be dirty. If you notice black rings in your toilet bowl. call the water company for testing.

Received a call the next morning. Two trucks from the water company were out in front, and said they were flushing our water line. That seemed like a pretty drastic response to my complaint. Do you shut off the water and flush a line just because someone isn’t cleaning their toilets correctly? Turns out there was, in fact, sludge in our water line. What I was seeing was manganese. Scary. Water company service attendant assured me it wasn’t at a dangerous level. He said all water has some manganese.

How did our water line get filled with sludge? Possibly, due to the boondoggle at the military reserve building across the street. They’ve been drilling and jackhammering and digging for the last three months, at least. May have shaken up our water line. We haven’t the slightest idea what they’re doing, but they’re not done yet. Lots of expensive equipment and manpower at the taxpayers’ expense. Hope it’s worth it.

The lesson here is clear: if you notice some strange discoloration in your toilet bowl, call the water company immediately, and don’t let them try to blow you off. I had to insist that they come out and test the water. They grudgingly agreed. Now, I’ve learned that too much manganese in the water can affect your health, so hope I called before we suffer any ill effects. Warning! Your water may be dirty.

October 18, 2021October 18, 2021

ATTENTION WINTER FLOWER GARDENERS!

In my working years, I always had a group of African violets in the window. They didn’t need much of anything but water, and they were there to cheer me up on dreary winter days. They even did double duty as table decorations if someone came to dinner. That all changed when we retired. Going South for two or three months in the winter wasn’t conducive to indoor gardening. But there comes a time when you can’t make that long trip back and forth every year. The good news is that you can have indoor plants again. Attention winter flower gardeners! Now is the time to pot your amaryllis bulbs.

When the pandemic came along in the winter of 2020, the plants that kept me going were the amaryllis I’d saved from last year. They aren’t like any other indoor plant.. They’re magical and mysterious, and only bloom for a short time. But when they blossom on a freezing day in February, they will lift your spirits like no other. Because they’re gorgeous.

Attention, winter flower gardeners! Time to pot your amaryllis bulbs. — Attention winter flower gardeners! Now is the time to start your amaryllis bulbs to bloom during the holidays.

This is the month for amaryllis lovers to get busy. Right now, I have ten bulbs stored in the basement from last year’s crop. There’s plenty of potting soil in the garage, but I must think about pots. I have lots of those little plastic flower pots, but a few of them are black. Ugh. That’s not very decorative. Took them out on the deck and sprayed them with some bright green paint left from last spring. Now is the time to plant.

Attention winter indoor gardeners — Attention winter flower gardeners ! Moisten the soil, fill the pot a little more than half full and set the bulb on top. Add more soil, leaving the top 1/3 of the bulb exposed.

You want some amaryllis blooming for Christmas, and others to come out all winter until daffodils bloom in the Spring. Here’s the trick. Once you plant the bulbs , you stagger their growth, which won’t happen until the potted bulb is heavily watered, just that first time. And then you wait. It takes 6 to 8 weeks for leaves to emerge before the flowers actually bloom. During that time, it will need very light watering, only once a week.

I’ll start one pot every week beginning in late October. If I’m lucky, four or five will be in bloom during the holidays. Come January, I’ll start one more. Then another in February. . Sometimes, an old bulb will let you down. It may only produce leaves, or not grow at all. That’s part of the mystery.

Toward the middle of December, stores like Menard’s and Wal Mart are selling amaryllis bulbs at half price. So of course, I’ll replenish my supply and rotate their growth during the winter months.

Attention winter flower gardeners! Get those Amaryllis bulbs out of the closet.

October 15, 2021October 16, 2021

HELP! KROGER RAN OUT OF GAS

Most people can’t remember when someone pumped your gas for you. It was one of those services that most of us took for granted. Often, I put 50 cents worth of gas in my dad’s car, and the attendant didn’t blink an eye. Then came the rise of self service filling stations in 1971, and I’ve never really gotten used to it. Pumping gas is a smelly business, and often, I spill some on my shoes. That’s why I wait until the very last minute to fill my tank. Yesterday, I was down to about 20 miles worth of gas. That’s when I discovered I was out of luck. Help! Kroger ran out of gas.

In all of the decades I’ve lived on this earth, I’ve never encountered such a situation. There was no warning sign posted anywhere. But the filling station was eerily empty. Plastic traffic cones had been placed beside each pump. Still, I didn’t put everything all together. Thought maybe it was some new policy to keep people from hitting the pumps. Inserted my credit card, which told me it was approved. And yet, it stopped there, and wouldn’t let me start filling up. I looked around in confusion while another car pulled up and stopped. Seeing my dilemma, a gentleman got out of his car and explained that Kroger was out of gas. Then he showed me how to retrieve my credit card by hitting “cancel” then “clear.” . Thank heaven for the kindness of strangers.

Was this situation an anomaly or will it become commonplace in the coming months? There’s a shortage of truck drivers to transport gas from the pipelines, and across the nation. And cyberattacks are hitting the pipelines and shutting them down. Adding insult to injury is the fact that prices are higher than they’ve been for years.

Help! Kroger ran out of gas. It's a sign of the times. — HELP! KROGER RAN OUT OF GAS. During the gas shortage, some drivers may start hoarding gas.

I suspect some people may start hoarding gas by filling up 5 gallon containers and storing them in their garage. All of which won’t help matters at all. Who is to blame? I guess the obvious scapegoat is the Biden administration. Shutting down the Keystone pipeline, cyberattacks, paying people not to work, the Covid -19 pandemic….. Figure it out, based on your political leanings.

All I know is this: I will not wait till I’m almost on empty before filling my gas tank. I won’t complain about having to pump my own gas. And, hopefully, that’s the last time I have to cry, ” Help! Kroger ran out of gas.”