My granddaughter’s advanced placement English class performed Our Town last night. We were there in force to cheer her on and had a wonderful time. There was one thing that I found extremely annoying. The use of I-phones was really distracting. The child behind us kept up a constant stream of beeps and flashing lights while she played games rather than watch the play. This was not an antsy three-year-old. The little girl was at least ten. There were plenty of adults checking in on their phones as well. I find it difficult to believe they were all people waiting for life and death messages. Most likely, they were just rude. Ah well. I guess I’m turning into one those crusty old ladies, bemoaning technology and complaining about how the old days were better.
Yesterday was one of those days for getting out-of-sorts. I received a call letting me know that the old homestead where I purchased the nifty book had a dumpster in place and anything left behind was getting tossed. I ran up and did a quick walk-through. I took a van-full of sheets (those lovely, heavy cotton sheets that I remember from my childhood), blankets and heavy comforters home with me. These weren’t the cheap, department store comforters but really heavy and well-made. I also took a box of wash cloths and towels, lots of curtains and a big box of cleaning supplies. Much was left behind. It’s so sad to see the flotsam and jetsam of a person’s life reduced to garbage. I don’t need the bedcloths but I couldn’t bear to see them go to the landfill. Someone, sometime will be happy to have them. I am always aware that should something major happen, my kids and grandkids will all end up here. I can sleep a lot of people in a pinch and an extra set of sheets could come in handy.
Seeing that dumpster put me in the mood to clean. I emptied out and washed several kitchen drawers and then took down my curtains They’re a bit frilly actually and I realized that I had brought home a set that would look much better. It was a good drying day so I got them washed and hung up and I think they look much lighter and fresh for spring.
The boiling is going well but it’s very time intensive. The sap should run like gang-busters today. I’m planning to go to work for a couple of hours, then run home to empty buckets. My DIL asked if they could come on Saturday morning for a French toast and maple syrup breakfast. That sounds like such fun.
I’ll be light on posting for a week or two. I have two big food preservation classes to teach this month and I need to get them organized. My equipment needs to get polished up and I have to update my supply list. Both are new venues for me and I want to make a good impression. I was so disappointed in the NOFA conference and I want to make sure there is never a repeat performance.
March 7, 2012 at 8:19 am
Oh, I’ve become a grouchy old woman, too, and I’m not yet forty.
What a wonderful rescue from the homestead.
March 7, 2012 at 9:17 am
wanna sel the bedding? I could use some in my storage…
It IS sad to see what happens to the stuff peope have spent a life time collecting. Makes me determined to collect only practical things.
March 7, 2012 at 9:52 am
If the things left behind are useable they should be donated to charity so someone else can use them. Only trash should go to the landfills. I told my kids that when I kick off they should have a sale for anything they don’t want and donate the rest to Salvation Army or the Goodwill or both. Things they don’t see a value in might very well be something that someone else would want.
March 7, 2012 at 9:53 am
It makes me crazy that parents no longer teach their children manners!! Playing games on phones and such is so rude, adults doing it is the height of rudeness. Our kids and now grands know how we fell about the texting, game playing and all, they know they better be leaving that junk in their cars when they are in our home, nobody in our family is a dr for heavens sake!! So sad to see things go to the dump that were loved by someone else, glad you were able to pick it up and pass it on to someone in need
March 7, 2012 at 10:11 am
Just cleaned out my Dad’s trailor and was so greatful he wasn’t a pack rat. Not a lot to keep though. He led a simple life out of choice and necessity. Glad I have those Genes.
Not grouchy old woman at all. The smart phones are very distracting, even when used as cameras or video recorders.
March 7, 2012 at 12:37 pm
A good friend of mine insisits every message is sooo important – she disrupts dinner parties, meetings etc. She has been taken to task to no avail – it is all more important to her than thee people around her – you just never know when then news of your winning the lottery is transported by phone! I’m with you on your dismay of these bad manners. I’m just not sure where the remedy lies.
March 8, 2012 at 9:05 am
I parked downtown last evening to meet a friend at a local restaurant. When I got out of the car I looked around and noticed six people – five of whom were either talking on a phone or staring at a phone screen. I don’t get it. You’d think they were little dialysis machines or something. Personally, I don’t need to be in touch 24/7, and I don’t need constant entertainment. Just walking down the street (or seeing a play) and eating dinner with a friend is entertainment enough.
March 8, 2012 at 12:31 pm
The phone thing is very obnoxious. I have been known to sweetly ask people to turn it off as it is disturbing me.
Spring cleaning! Yay! And what a gorgeous day today…very springlike here near Boston.
March 8, 2012 at 3:03 pm
It’s amazing how ten years ago, many people didn’t even own a cell phone. How did we survive?! Now I have a cell phone and no landline, haha…