An Unplanned Party

I feel good today.

Monday, a co-worker at the food bank gave me a couple of boxes of cookbooks. She's trying to downsize.

Yesterday, Gwendy and Sara came over to go through them with me. They each brought wine. After golf, Gil came over, then Dale followed George in. The party started. The phone rang. Beth asked if we were home and could they drop something by.

Bill and Beth brought smoked salmon and cream cheese. I even had capers!

Sara called Nate and told him to bring himself over.

Voila! From three of us looking at cook books to an instant party!

One of the many things I love about living here is having friends close enough by that these things CAN happen.

I feel as if I am more open to possibilities here. Of course, not having to get up and drive 30 miles through Southern California traffic to work helps too.

Thought for the Day -- Good or Bad?

It occurred to me today that I myself, as a percentage of the entire population of the planet am so infintesimal that I may not actually exist. Even if EVERYONE who knows me is added to the equation, the percentage is still too small to register on most hand-held calculators. (In fact, is there a hand-held that can register the population of the earth as a whole number?)

So, as a point of perspective, is that good or bad?

Neither, I suspect. Why should a moral value (good or bad) attach to a percentage number?

Morality does not depend on percentages. Morality is the ultimate undefinable.

A "Good" person may do a bad thing. A "Bad" person may do a good thing. Somethng done with good intentions may have a bad outcome. The reverse is also true. What I preceive as a good and moral act may be preceived by another party as the opposite.

Think about it. When you watch television, almost all of the speakers use the same voice, the same accent. Occasionally, a different speech pattern will be introduced for effect. (frequently comic) Our usage, our structure, our English has become homoginized. That is good. It means that a phrase can be understood in every part of the country.

But what have we lost? Once upon a time, a Southerner, a New Englander and a Mid-westerner were all very, very readily identifiable by their speech. Today, we all sound alike.

Guys - remember when every year, car models changed, and ever line of cars was entirely distinct?

Good, or bad?

Or is it simply the way things are?

Thought for the day: Even if, in a global population perspective, I don't exist, I still want to be myself and perhaps make some difference in the people around me by what I say, what I do, and what I blog.

Manners

When do you speak out, and when do you remain silent?

In a social situation, an individual makes a statement that you, personally find offensive. Do you say anthing? Do you take that person aside later and explain that their statement offended you?

These things are/can be incredibly nuanced.

Years ago, when I was still working, I attended a "Diversity Day" observance. Throughout the day, various ethnicities and cultures that we regularly encountered in the workplace did presentations. Most of the presentations were cultural. There were songs and dances by a variety of groups.

Before lunch, a prayer was offered by one of the Native American presenters. The prayer was evangelical Christian.

Why would I find this offensive?

REGARDLESS of my own beliefs, this was a gathering celebrating a multiplicity of cultures. I found the prayer to be highly exclusive as a reflection of multi-culturalism. There were persons there who were not evangelical, nor even Christian.

I also found it offensive that a Native American who had been invited to share something of their culture that had not been assimilated into western european culture was evidencing a rejection of any pre-anglo religious beliefs and practices they might have still retained.

I said nothing. I did nothing. I did not even discuss it (until now).

Was I a coward?

Subsequent to the observence, a co-worker commented very derogatorily regarding two of the different dance troups. With respect to one, he opined;"I could do that dance. There was nothing to it!" The steps might have been simple. But his demeaning it indicated that he took away NO comprehension of the type of culture where such a dance would develop.

With respect to the second troup, my co-worker stated that if we had heard one of the (absloutely outstanding) dancers speak, we would have known that he was gay. (This co-worker was extremely homophobic.)

I have always regretted that I did not speak out to my co-worker. Whether or not the dancer was straight or gay had NO bearing whatsoever of a striking performance.

I was a coward. My co-worker's comments offended me. There I had NO excuse for not stating that the simplicity of the steps of a dance might have indicated the hardships of the life in a culture where such a dance developed. The sexual orientation of a dancer takes nothing away from the admiration of the performance.

So, the question remains, when I hear somone espousing a position that is not representative of EVERYONE in the room, should I speak up, or just quietly wince and castigate myself later?

Decadence, here I come!

Had dinner at a French resturant. For desert, had a crepe aux trois creme. FABULOUS!! So, I want a recipe for trois creme. Googled it. No luck. Will have to try on my own.

What is it? A combination of cream cheese, sour cream and heavy cream with lemon zest.

I'm figuring on making minature cream puffs, filling them with trois creme and dusting them with powdered sugar (perhaps with a touch of lemon zest in the sugar as well.

Sound good?

The 3/50 Project

My niece in Wake Forrest, NC is soon opening a new business. On her facebook page, she referenced the 3/50 project. What she said sounded interesting, so I looked it up.

What three locally owned business would you miss if they were gone?

The key is LOCALLY owned. The project has statisticts about what dollar amounts remain in a community from purchases at a national (or even multi-state) chain as opposed to a fully local business.

They then encourage you to spend $50 per month at the LOCAL enterprises.

More figures follow as to the dollars that remain in the community.

The web site also has flyers for the local businesses to use to promote the concept.

I spent over $50 today at a local business. My gym is local, and my membership each month is $40. Of course, the Country Club is locally owned. We pay our monthly dues, and probably more than $50 a month on food and beverages (small club, no resturant, no food minimum)

But I suggest that you google "the 3/50 project" It could be the start of something very, very good in your community.

Yes, it's the little things....

When the joker took my purse, he also took my course card with my number for entering my golf scores! Damn!! He could be posting scores to my number and messing up my handicap!!!

So many, many details to consider.

Had to re-key the house and the car. Had to get a new dirver's license. Luckily, our proof of insurance expired on Saturday and we had not yet put the new ones into our wallets. So that was one item that DIDn't cause a problem.

Thought Bank could just put a watch/hold on the series of checks that were in the check book. No such luck. Tomorrow, I have to get a new checking account. Only problem is direct deposit of my pension. Found PIN in retirement paperwork to change routing numbers.

Had to buy a new purse and wallet. Normally, a new purse is a long-considered purchase. I like to really, really think about a main purse and how it and I fit together. Not this time. Cheapo that will do. For now at least. Who knows, I may learn to love it.

Only other potential problem is medical insurance card. And I have a Dr. appt on Monday, the 30th. Don't know if I have a duplicate card here somewhere or not.

But, on the VERY bright side, George's neice Christina and her husband Peter will arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday for an extended stay! Life really does look good!!

Sometimes we encounter these little problems...

My purse was stolen today. I was at the food bank for a photo of us getting a check from a local group. The food bank itself was not open. We work out of the annex (rec room) of a local church. The seniors were having an event to box cookies to send to the troops. Thanks to the mail drive, we had gotten in a truck load of food that was totally eclectic. After the picture was taken, some of us who work with the food bank were moving the food drive into the storage room, trying to sort it out an stocking the (almost) empty shelves.

I left my purse on a table in the front (public) area.

Later, my purse was missing.

Two of the other people had seen an individual who was not affiliated with either group (the food bank or the seniors) who was sitting by the door. Someone even asked him what he was doing there. "Waiting for my ride" That individual is the prime suspect. My purse was leather, and could be either a purse or a back pack.

I spent the afternoon calling credit cards, banks, gas cards, etc. Mostly a pain.

George has currently forbidden me from returning to the food bank.

First thing tomorrow, we have to go to the bank, tell them what outstanding checks are valid, and get a new checking account. Of course, his Social Security and my pension are direct deposited. FUN!! Then, since my car keys are also missing, as well as the remote keyless thingie, must call and find out how to re-key car (a Saturn, with nearest dealership 90+ miles away now) etc.

Oh yes, did I also mention that my drivers license is gone? Another thing to replace.

What else was in there? An OLD folding umbrella, a tube of SPF 30 sun-screen, a picture of George taken in 1964 (which I can't replace), my CA bar card (maybe THAT will give someone pause) and, unfortuneatly, an address book. I have to e-mail a bunch of friends to ask them to re-mail me their snail-mail addresses.

Fun, fun, fun.

Thank God, I hadn't taken my cell phone with me!

First hope was that the jerk had only taken the cash and would toss the rest. No such luck. He (?) was on-line, down-loading stuff and charging it to one of my cards when I called to cancel that card! Of course, with a down-load, you need at least an Appellate Court decision to get the ISP to divulge any information. Fat chance!

So now, I need to re-key my car, the truck and my house. In the meantime, the house alarm is set at all times!

Ain't life grand?