Random 5 for March 11 – Projects, off-mark, cancellations, garden show, old records

Gallery

Posted on by

This came home with me from our local flower show!

Keystone Kops? – It’s always humorous when older folks do something. Aging brings some deficits like hearing loss and a few other things that add to the confusion. We’ve had trouble with our GFI outlet by the pond. The outlet is outside and the electrical panel box is in the basement. I offered to yell down if the pond pump went on but the beloved husband figured out a way to do it without our usual “what did you say” or “I couldn’t hear you” or “I thought you said…” The problem is fixed. No Keystone Kops this time.

They were wrong – There were predictions of a storm this week. It’s been warm here with temperatures above freezing for over a week. I wasn’t too worried. Anything falling would melt fast but everything closed before the first flake fell. At the end of the day our area got 2”. The track moved farther south. Starbucks was closed for 2” of snow as was my gym and a whole lot of other places. Sometimes reacting to the hyperbole doesn’t work. However, south of us they got quite a bit. Hope they were prepared. I wonder if their Starbucks was closed.

The chaos after a “no storm” – There is still storm damage even if we don’t get the precipitation. Everything cancelled now has bunched up together in another week. Where is spring? Is she cavorting in the tropics again sipping margaritas?

Speaking of spring – We had our local garden show with weekend. The beloved husband and I went on “senior” day to get a discount. *bangs head on table* Not a good idea. It was jammed and everyone was old. There were walkers and wheelchairs. We had to wait outside 15 minutes in biting windy cold to get in. This is when my empathy collides with my lack of patience. It was worth it. Although small in comparison to the larger Philadelphia Flower Show, it’s nice to see plantings and ponds and gardening tools. I broke down and bought myself a shallow carrying container to bring tomatoes in from the garden without smashing.

Note from the rabbit hole – I found my grandfather’s draft registration from 1917. He was described as having gray hair, medium tall and stocky build. They didn’t use numbers back then. My family is not tall so I wonder what constituted medium tall. Height and weight would have been more definitive but perhaps people didn’t have scales hanging around the house to taunt them. Always interesting to look at this stuff.

So how was your week?

 

64 thoughts on “Random 5 for March 11 – Projects, off-mark, cancellations, garden show, old records”

  1. I don’t care for crowds anymore, old or young. Especially, the seniors, they seem ah, cranky.I keep forgetting to ask for a discount, and they don’t bother to offer it. I guess they think someone will take offense. Probably one of us cranky folks.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • We rarely go to concerts anymore because of crowds. I don’t like crowded restaurants so we avoid them on weekends. Unless I’m buying something expensive, I don’t buy on “senior” day because it’s to aggravating. Long lines, slow people who don’t exactly know what they want. Old is one of those terms. There isn’t an age associated with it but it’s more about behavior.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  4. Hmmm, this just showed up on facebook, but not my email in box!
    I too went to the flower show. I thought it was disappointing. But, maybe it was just me with a hurting foot.
    I need Spring…actually Summer would be good.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  5. Squeals for your bunny basket! It is adorable. Our local garden and home show was a couple weeks ago. With winter being so dry and still very much tan-hued (blech), it was absolute nirvana walking in and having my senses filled with the scent of flowering bulbs, mulch and peat. Ahhhhhh

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • It was but they have downsized the landscape exhibits. It must be incredibly expensive to create them with the big trees and all the out of season flowers blooming. It was a good time anyway. I adjusted my expectations.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  8. Your husband figuring out a new way to fix the electrical problem reminds me of my dad. He was a carpenter who often worked alone or with only one other person. He had to invent methods to get around the problem of working alone. One was a gadget he made so he could put up the walls by himself.

    How dare they close your Starbucks?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  10. I don’t like senior days. All those slow and loud old people get on my nerves. I much rather annoy the younger folks on full price days. I can hardly wait to go plant shopping. My balcony looks so sad. The unusually cold weather took its toll on my plants. Spring teased us a couple of weeks ago but should be back soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  11. I hope spring makes an appearance very soon! I think your Starbucks must be hoping for the same! I loved your reaction to senior day at the garden show. Very soon after we retired my husband and I went to “senior day” at the local theater and I was so excited, until we got into the theater and had several people who thought they were whispering, and definitely were still using their “indoor voices.” It’s an interesting balance!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  12. I have a feeling our weather chaos won’t happen until summer. It seems they close schools at the mere mention of the “s” word and use up all the snow days. The poor kids have to make up the time when it’s hot and humid.

    John and grandson David are driving to NY tonight. They’ll pass you in the middle of the night, so I did not mention waving. I didn’t want you to lose sleep waiting for them beside your window.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  13. I learned long ago to avoid “Senior Day” at any show. The few dollars saved are not worth the hassle. I much prefer “Retired Day” which is any day/time most other people are at work or otherwise busy doing other things. I’m glad that your area didn’t get the deluge that was predicted. We finally got some rain yesterday so I’m happy… although I worry that could be it for the rest of the spring and summer.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  14. Got indoctrinated to some of the humorous and eccentric behavior that older folks do on a bigger scale than we ever have before at a meet & greet potluck supper last night. We didn’t feel like we were older folks like them. Holy heck, I felt like I was back in my thirties. You know they were all vital and happy and I was ready to go home and crash on the couch! GFI outlets are little devils. Happy you didn’t get that wintry weather! Spring is cavorting in Florida-da-dee… CH just came back from the pool and I am 25 minutes away from wine time… 🙂
    Your Speaking of Spring Random… dying laughing… dy-ing!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  21. hmmm – 1917, my grandfather would have been 25 years old and already in Canada for 5 years. It would be another 3 years before my grandmother and their son (my father, who had not yet met his father) would join him.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • My grandfather was in his early 40s at the time. He died in the Spanish influenza epidemic the following year at 44. So your grandfather emigrated first, then brought his family over. There’s a story there. People have such a negative connotation to emigration when in reality all of us are immigrants. It’s hard and really tough to do. There is separation from all you know, doing menial jobs, struggling with language, etc. I have a lot of empathy for them.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  22. Poor nutrition probably made the general population smaller at the turn of the 20th century, right? So by our standards maybe he was “only” 5’10” but to 5’6″ corporal doing the measuring, he was medium tall.

    My husband’s father, fleeing war in a few different Asian countries in his youth, was only 5’4. But his American-born son? Andy is a giant among the Chinese! In Amsterdam he might be shorter than average, though. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I doubt very much that he was 5’10”. I’d put my money on 5’6″ tops based on his offspring. I thought either he had to go to a place to register that didn’t have measurements or someone came around the neighborhood signing men up (also without measurements). I had an adopted Korean woman work for me. She was all Korean and very tall. She was adopted and brought here as a baby just a few months old. She always thought it was the nutrition too.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

    • Thanks. I haven’t bought a door hanging in ages but I just loved the bunny or else I’m sick of winter and needed something springy. Either case works for me. Tomorrow is expected to miss us although they keep taunting us with the “the track might change.” There is another one Tues-Wed that might bring snow to Philadelphia (south of us) but should miss us. Both are coastal storms. #sodonewiththis

      Like

      Reply ↓

  24. Love the photo. Yes, the media, storm wise, fooled us again. As far as senior day goes, there’s always a downside. I say pay and avoid those wheelchairs. Now I understand why a guy I dated, he was 65 and I 40, an exciting older man at the time, never took advantage of his senior-hood. He said it made him feel too old. Now I get it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!