What I Heard This Week! 05-13-2021
In the past, I have mentioned that People magazine is the only trash in my life. Well, it may not be the only trash, but I do love reading it. This past week there was an article about country singer Thomas Rhett. I think he is so cute and reminds me of my son. He said his favorite quote right now is “Be where your feet are.” Ahh. Great words. He follows with, “I’m trying to work on my brain and my feet being in the same place. You really are not promised anything except for today. I’m going to do the best that I can to live it to the fullest, and love to the fullest. I feel like I’m living the most present that I have been in a very long time.” Are you listening? Sometimes I feel myself just going through the motions of listening to things that I should put my whole heart, ears, and soul into, but instead I am planning my grocery trip.
My stomach is flat. The “L” is just silent.
Dylan Dreyer from the Today Show is pregnant with baby number three. Houston Public Radio is 50 years old. The FDA says children 12 to 15 years of age are now eligible to receive Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Some pediatricians already have the vaccine on hand for older teens, so some doctors may choose to exercise their own judgment and begin vaccinating 12-15-year-olds right away. That is another 5% of the U.S. population. In France, 15 volunteers spent 40 days in a cave without clocks or light. It was part of an experiment monitoring the brain’s perceptions of time in isolated environments. Florida is one of 14 states predicted to face high risk water shortages by 2050. The state’s water is primarily drawn from the Floridan Aquifer as well as from the St. Johns River, the Suwannee River, and the Ocklawaha River. Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit was allowed to enter the upcoming Preakness Stakes race, with conditions, despite having tested positive for a restricted drug after the horse’s Derby victory. Good, I was afraid I was going to need to give back the fifty dollars I won at the Derby party.
All my life I thought air was free, until I bought a bag of chips.
About a third of Americans will choose bottled water over tap water. Why? Most believe bottled water is safer, which can be true, but not always. Most major bottled-water suppliers have an incentive to do all they can to sell safe drinking water, but there are hundreds of lesser-known bottlers that do not have to worry about public confidence in a brand name. If need be, they can stop using one label and start under another name without ever changing their water source. We are trusting and will be none the wiser. Some brands have revealed bacteria, arsenic, or chemical contaminants, way above a suitable level. The FDA also allows bottlers to use tap water. Some of the water may be pure when it is bottled, but if it is stored in a hot place, there is a risk of chemical agents in the plastic leaching into the water. I always think about the pallets of bottled water that sat in the garden area of Lowe’s during one of the emergencies that plagued Lake Jackson the past few years. What about the 18-wheelers that bring the water – it must be so hot in those trailers. Just thoughts. There is an interesting book, Troubled Water: What’s Wrong with What We Drink, by Seth M. Siegel. He explains how we got here, and what we need to do to make it better. If you think that drinking water problems started and ended in Flint, Michigan, think again.
It does not bother me that Disney has given me unrealistic ideas about men. I am more annoyed that no matter how much I sing, woodland animals have not once helped with my housework.
Two country boys were sipping some shine on the front porch when a truck went past loaded up with rolls of sod. “I’m a-gonna do that when I win that there lottery,” announced country boy #1. “Do wut?” asked country boy #2. “Send my lawn out to get mowed.” (I loved this…)
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Bruce Boxleitner is 71. Singer Eric Burdon is 80. The Animals, War. Singer Stevie Wonder is 71. Composer Burt Bacharach is 93. Singer Steve Winwood is 73. Country singer Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn is 66. Drummer Eric Singer of Kiss is 63. Actor Pierce Brosnan is 68. Actor Debra Winger is 66. Singer Janet Jackson is 55. Singer Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block is 51. Actor Dwayne Hickman of Dobie Gillis is 87. Country singer Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys is 73.
Actor Mr. T is 69. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman of Yes is 72. Country singer George Strait is 69. Musician Pete Townshend of The Who is 76. Singer-bassist Dusty Hill of ZZ Top is 72. Singer-actor-model Grace Jones is 70. Singer-actor Cher is 75. Guitarist Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s is 63. Singer Susan Cowsill of The Cowsills is 62. Singer Ron Isley of the Isley Brothers is 80. Singer Leo Sayer is 73. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. Comedian and former U.S. Senator Al Franken is 70. Actor-director Richard Benjamin is 83. Actor Barbara Parkins of Peyton Place & Valley of the Dollsis 79. Songwriter Bernie Taupin is 71.
What is forest bathing? The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries created the term shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing or forest therapy.” It doesn’t just mean to be in nature, it means to be a part of nature. The sounds and the scent of the trees, the sunlight, fresh clean air. It is hard to put into words, but it is connecting through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93% of their time indoors. But a two-hour forest bath can help you to de-stress and relax. Great health benefits. Be sure to leave your phone and camera behind and follow your nose. You don’t need a forest, just trees. I tried it late Saturday afternoon on the creek bank. Those chiggers sure do like me.
Do you remember My Little Pony? My daughter just loved hers when she was little, brushing the colored mane and petting the small plastic pastel body. One woman has spent over $27,000 on her collection because some of them are now worth hundreds of dollars. She set up a business called My Little Stable to help people who “share a love for toys from the past” to find special items. Yes, I still have a plastic storage container full of Beanie Babies that I was going to use to fund my children’s college. It seemed so likely then. I was just so sure! Seems like such a funny story now.
This is important: The Lake Jackson Historical Museum will accept your worn out, tattered, or faded American flags. They will be held in safekeeping until the Boy Scouts conduct a retirement ceremony.
The highly contagious triple mutant Covid variant spreading in India is being reclassified as a “variant of concern” at the global level. As you are aware, India has a second wave of COVID catastrophe that is killing about 120 people an hour. Horrible weeks and month are ahead for the country, and they are a major supplier of vaccines. India has been called for nationwide lockdown to contain the COVID crisis. Now its neighbors Nepal and the Maldives are seeing a surge in their case numbers. Please wear your masks until more people are vaccinated. Please get your vaccine. Be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Lead by example. Experts estimate that between 70% to 85% of the US population needs to be immune to the virus, through vaccination or previous infection in order to control the spread, so we do not have to go through this again in the fall. I understand people that are skeptical of politicians telling them what to do, but we should listen to the doctors and the scientists.
At the office this morning, we were conversing about all the calls we get on our cellphones about credit cards, car warranties, hotel deals, and so on. Some calls are from our area, and others from the cities of Fulshear, Bay City, Utopia, Wharton, Baytown, and you can name-it 800 numbers. When I sat down at my computer moments later to delete emails, it was the same thing. E-mails from every crooked walk of life… young, orphaned woman needing my help to distribute $16 million dollars because we might be related…we are not. The lead line on one was “This man offered his wife to the African tribesmen as a gift in exchange for their secret manhood elongation ritual.” Believe me, that one piqued my interest, but I did NOT inquire further even though all the spelling was correct. Then First National Bank of South Africa, Investment Standard Bank of UK has received the authority by US America Federal Reserve Bank in-conjunction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to finally release all pending Lottery winning payments, contract payments, Inheritance funds, loan payments, ATM card claims, and all pending payments… they are just waiting for my banking details to release funds. Such opportunities. Oops, I can’t forget Mr. retired government official from Syria who needs a foreign partner (me!) to enable him to move investments because he does not have bank accounts outside Syria. He will be buying property, houses, real estate, and some tourist places with his US$38,000,000.00 million. Because of the current pandemic, he feels this is the right time. He is waiting for my reply with details about my family. Yikes, my Amazon account has been locked and will only be unlocked after I complete my account verification. If I wait longer than 24 hours, account will be permanently blocked.
In Puerto Rico, a 60-year-old man was golfing at a well-known resort when a stray dog took his ball right before it went into the cup on hole number 11. Witnesses say that he took out a 9-mm pistol and shot the dog once, then went back and shot him two more times, then continued playing golf. At my house, a ball, any ball, is playtime. The man says he shot the in self-defense. There were witnesses.
The debris from the controversial 20-metric-ton Chinese booster rocket that fell uncontrolled to Earth, did not hit land but instead splashed down in the Indian Ocean. More space junk.
It is kitten season. At my house, we have Sully and Winnie who were found almost drowned during Harvey, at almost 3 weeks old. If not for Orren, Margaret, and Google, we could not have saved them. We finally got them to suck on a bottle, taught them how to potty and litter box training was easy. Having them in our lives during Harvey was such a blessing because we had something to worry about and take care of, besides ourselves. Then we fell in love. Big HUGE gigantic love. The following Christmas Oliver Twist appeared at my office and it was instant love…he came over to LJ in the engine of an SUV from Wild Peach, arriving with scorched paws and burnt whiskers. Years later, he is still afraid if you make a sudden move, eats just about anything, including Teller’s food, but is just the sweetest little boy ever with his crooked tail. Where am I going with this? The SPCA needs you to help find homes for some of the sweetest kittens and cats that you have ever seen. If you cannot adopt, then please have your pets neutered or spayed…please. I know that some of you think that the males do not require it, but without males the females wouldn’t get pregnant, and some females get pregnant by more than one male. It also prevents testicular cancer and prostate problems, which means fewer medical bills. Spaying of females helps prevent uterine infections and breast tumors. Number #1 reason is because it is the responsible thing to do for your pets. Just think of all the joy they bring you and your family. If you cannot adopt, then donate when you can. The SPCA is doing one heck of a job finding homes for all.
My son is graduating from UH this week. Yes, I am very proud of him, but if I had to give one bit of advice, it would be to keep moving after they hand him his diploma; do not stop to shake hands or have your picture made, just in case they try to take it back. I love you more than you will ever know. Mom
