What I’ve Learned Since January 1, 2024

My BLOG has been out of commission for more than a week.  So, today, now that it is up and running, again, I decided to send the BLOG that you would have received last week, Wednesday, September 4.  As you will be able to tell, I’ve been on the West Coast for a short while.  But, as Daughter #1 was driving us back from our trip to Seattle and Portland, I thought about these things.  So, here goes …

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Things I’ve Learned Since January 1, 2024

1.  When renting an AirBnB, always ask if there is an “X” on the roof indicating a flight path for commercial airplanes flying into and out of the local airport every five minutes.
2. Leave the planning for trips to the kids.  They do a great job.
3. Always make sure you have the Tahoe serviced to prevent unexpected car trouble.
4. Wind the clock.  It’s what you use to tell time.
5. Bake muffins for your neighbors.  They like that.
6. Put out the Japanese beetle traps.  Even if you have had the insecticide beetle  prevention stuff put on your grass to kill the grubs, the beetles that you catch (from the neighbors’ yards) will never reproduce.
7. Wear Skeecher shoes.  You never have to bend over to put them on, take them off, or tie them.  In fact, you don’t tie them.
   
8. You can get through back surgery with no pain.  Yes, no pain – believe it or not.
9. Be a good navigator when traveling.  Know how to read a map.  GPS isn’t always right.
10. Driving through Washington, getting to the coast, is like driving on the East Coast.  You know that on the other side of those tall trees that line the road, there may be thousands of people living their lives.  You just can not see them.
11. After traveling, surrounded by trees – trees – trees, getting back home and seeing the wide-open spaces is great!
12. Learn to say, “No,” as hard as that may be.
13. Let people know you care about them.
14. Talk to strangers, but choose wisely.
15. When you don’t get your income tax info prepared on time, pray that your CPA (as wonderful as she is) will not hate you and tell you to find someone else.
16. Seattle is not on the Pacific Ocean.  Years ago, I was in Seattle for a conference.  I took a ferry ride from Seattle to another city, across the water.  I thought I was on the Pacific Ocean.  I was not.  Seattle is about two hundred miles inland.  Before journeying to Seattle (again), I looked at a map to see where I was going.  I could not find Seattle on the coast – because, of course, it is not on the coast.  When I did find Seattle on the map – surprise!
17. If you take care of your car, it will take care of you.
18. Washing house windows is over rated.
19. When you can’t have your own dog, borrowing one from a neighbor works just fine.
20. My tee-shirts tell all about me.  “Instant human. Just add coffee.”  “20^th Anniversary Fukuhara Art Workshop.”  “This shirt saves lives (from St . Jude’s).”  “Becker – Colorado.”  “This grandma votes because my granddaughters’ rights depend on it!” 
21. In Seattle, every street from the city center is up – sometimes, straight up.  And pedestrians walk them.  Sometimes, one person has to hold the hand of the other person and pull them up the hill.  One person told me that she has seen people crawling on their hands and knees to get up the sidewalk.
22. Milk weed plants are invasive.  After allowing them to grow, willy-nilly, in my yard, this is the third year I’ve been working to contain them in one small area of the front garden.  They are good for butterflies.
23. I have been given the very best family, neighbors, medical folks, and friends in the world.  They take care of me.
24. The older I get, the more I realize that birthday celebrations are wonderfully necessary.
25. At Pike Market in Seattle, the fish-throwing guys only throw fish when someone buys something.  People stand around, not buying fish, waiting for the fish throwing.  They applaud when a fish is thrown.
26. Once in a while, I do something right.  When friends and neighbors leave my birthday party at Los Portales, to each other they say, “See you next year.”
27. Tell people you love them.
28. Riding in the back seat of the car or in the front non-driver seat has advantages.  You can look out of the window and see things you’ve never had time to see while driving.
29. When you travel, be organized.
30. Talk to little children, but only when they are with their parents or another adult.  And, don’t “talk down” to them.  Not just about how old are you.  What grade are you in school?  Have a real conversation. 
31. When you take a toddler to a restaurant, take Cheerios.  Crackers are too messy.
32.  Sketching in the car while traveling does not need to include every detail.
33. Lots of people have tattoos, today.  I will write about what they tell me in a future BLOG.
34. When traveling, reserve rooms at a motel with care.
35. Eat a healthy diet.  It pays off in the end.

That’s all for now.  Maybe, there will be more later.  It is, after all, only the first of September.

Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

The big thing I’ve learned during these eight months is   – I NEVER, NEVER WANT TO LIVE IN SEATTLE!

 

Be safe and be well.

 

The Cranky Crone

Thoughtful comments are appreciated.