Finding a Connection

Some of my very favorite books were written by Maeve Binchy, who passed away this year.  She was born and lived her whole life in Ireland, which was a big part of all her stories.  She made Ireland seem like the best place in the world, with the funniest, sweetest people.

So I am pleased for no good reason, to find an ancestor in my family tree who came to America from Ireland.  My friend researched genealogical records for me to demonstrate what genealogy is - and found a great-great-grandfather who was a stone-mason from Ireland.

One website used is called familysearch.org and it's free of charge and easy to understand.  It feels like being a detective, with each bit of information leading to the next, and bringing up long-forgotten snippets of parents' conversations.  It was a lot of fun and interesting.

Maybe I'm really related to Ms. Binchy!  At any rate, I'm Irish for sure, even if it's just a tiny bit. 

There Are A Few Minutes to Smile

Today's weather was the exact opposite of the great fall blue skies and sunshine we've had for several weeks - it was gloomy and cloudy, spitting rain occasionally and a little chilly, upper 50s maybe.  It was a lot of fun to drive around doing errands and not have to squint.  More relaxing. 

The big Sundance catalog arrived in the mail.  It has beautiful photography and unusual products and inspiring artisan jewelry.  As i glance through a lot of ideas pop up for working on similar designs of my own.

We watched the news at 5 o'clock this evening and wondered why the stock market went down today - we thought the Thanksgiving shopping and the after Thanksgiving shopping and the internet shopping had all gone very well this year - wasn't that the shopping news everyone was waiting for?  I imagine that there is just no pleasing that stock market.  As much as we buy groceries, gasoline, products for work, gadgets for grandkid, toilet paper, paper towels and hairspray, stock market is still not happy.  I'm doing all i can to help him, he needs to just pull up and straighten up and stop causing so much trouble!

If someday this old grammaw begins to understand the stock market, I will undertake to explain it here on the bloggy, and that way I'll be passing down some useful information to posterior.

Posterity hates being called that. 

Timeshare Pirates

We just watched the docu-movie The Queen of Versailles.  Twice.  We couldn't believe it the first time.  What couldn't we believe?  That two adults of evidently normal sanity would allow their lives to descend into utter neglected filth and chaos, simply from having an unlimited amount of money at their disposal.

They had unlimited ability to dispose of money.  But the main point of the show that resounded with me was the insider's view of the source of their wealth, the timeshare-selling industry.

Las Vegas tourists are lured into a sales presentation with the promise of a free ticket to something.  Then the high pressure sales staff, shown being coached to use any means short of murder, goes to work hammer and tongs to force the sale of what is essentially AIR.  They are promised a luxury week every year in any resort owned by the conglomerate.  Once they sign a contract and make a downpayment, the contract is sold to investors as if it was an actual mortgage on a property.

The CEO and Founder has his son running the schooling of the predators, I mean, sales staff.  He excuses the use of intimidation by explaining that the prospective buyers are "mooches" who are "greedy," because they wanted a gift in return for attending a sales presentation.

The customer encounters myriad heartaches ever after the sale, as they try to use the guaranteed vacation they think has been promised.  But the movie doesn't go into that.  The info addressing timeshare owners' problems can be viewed easily online, to the extent that this timeshare sales survivor cannot believe these ogres are still able to sell such a bogus "product" in this information age.

A Good Habit Can Be Addicting

Recently i decided that a worthwhile goal for me to set for myself is writing a post for my blog every day.  It's not easy to pick a topic, they aren't just hanging in the air waiting to be expounded upon.  This morning as i reflected yet again about my addiction to eating more than is good for me, the thought occurred that there are some good habits getting established that i feel addicted to, as well.

One is getting my bed made before leaving the bedroom every morning.  I became convinced of the value of having the bedroom looking neat and nice, after reading feng shui books!  Now the habit is established at last - and i feel addicted to that good feeling i get when i go through the bedroom.

The other has to do with getting up at a regular time every morning, and going to bed early enough to feel good when six a.m. arrives!  I'm addicted to morning coffee, and when that alarm sounds, the thought of coffee is a huge motivation to get moving and feel happy to greet the day.  There is much more time to get things done when feeling energetic enough to use the morning hours.  The whole house looks better.  Laundry is caught up - the washer gets up as soon as i do. 

So i like having a coffee addiction and changing from a surly riser into an early riser, yes!

Five Minute Friday - THANK YOU

  It's Friday after Thanksgiving Day, so Thank You is a great subject for Five Minute Friday.

To my two good old hands, thank you for doing whatever i ask of you.

Thank you to my good old husband, who works hard for us and laughs a lot with me.

Thank you to my family all around the world for being a part of my life, and thank you to the internet for helping us keep in touch.

Thank you to Blogspot, a terrific and helpful website.

That's five minutes! 

I Wish Petraeus Had Paid Attention to This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqW1crr1TZc

Ace of Bass

You know I just hate to complain about anything! BUT, the school my granddaughter attends has put her in a huge catch 22 over the orchestra class and the instrument she plays, which is the Double Bass.

 

There are many problems resulting from trying to be a bassist in the school orchestra.  A double bass is too expensive to buy to have in the home for the musician to practice with, in order to make good grades in orchestra.  The only practice she gets is in school, in the class!

 

Her grandfather and I could have made arrangements to provide one. But the main problem is keeping it safe at the house from getting broken by curious siblings.

 

I often wonder how this is handled in other families.  People do study and learn to play musical instruments as they are growing up - but maybe they are all kids with no sibs!