Colors. Colours. Whichever spelling you use, color has an incredible effect on our lives. I like color. I am a painter. Watercolor painting is my favorite. Although, I’ve painted with acrylic (which, as you may know, can be thinned to act much like watercolor). I do not, however, really like to paint with acrylic! No! No! Give me watercolor any day.
Here is a caution! This is a rant. Read at your own risk.
Since my retirement (2002), I have been a recipient of the federal Social Security benefit – the retirement benefit that I paid for for twenty-four years. I was still working in a State job, and at that time, I received my full benefit. When I retired from a State job that was covered by the Public Employee Retirement Association (another retirement benefit that I paid for), my Social Security was reduced by one-third. Double-dipping was the reason given. Not allowed to receive retirement from the feds and the state. I had worked under Social Security for twenty-four years; it was as though I had not worked in that system for eight of those years. It didn’t matter that my hard earned dollars had paid for both of these benefits. Then, some people started calling it an “entitlement.” Social Security was NOT an entitlement – I paid for both of my retirement benefits.
Daughter #1 wrote with news that the third bald eagle chick was about to hatch in the Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. It is about 145 feet up in a Jeffrey Pine tree. Imagine bringing up baby 145 feet up in the air! Also, imagine the chore of setting two cameras 145 feet up in the pine tree so that all who wish may watch this spectacular hatching and raising of our national bird. Ten inches off of the floor does it for me!
So many things – products, buildings, environments, activities – have left our lives and been replaced by something else. I started wondering …