Comments on pictures and manners and son Barry's green thumb

By Olivene Godfrey

The pictures posted yesterday were taken by son Barry after supper so I could show you my new haircut.  But, I hate pictures of myself now.  I know I can't expect to look like a young  or even middle-aged woman at my age (I'll be 84 December 10.) Still, I'm always surprised that I look so old! I'm like the old man who said he felt like a young man with something terribly  wrong with him.

           ---------------------------------
Let's think a moment about manners.  I don't think anyone enjoys being around a pretentious person. And I think some technically correct rules of etiquette are not only unnecessary but ridiculous in this Internet age.

But, while my views regarding manners may be old fashioned, I am still attracted to persons who are mannerly, considerate, honest, yet kind and tactful. I guess my definition of good manners is simply being kind, having an innate feeling of what is right toward others.

A knowledge of the rules of living in society does make us feel more comfortable . Yet, there are always rebels in any society. And some of these people possess brilliant minds of society despite their eccentricities. But. most us realize that we must learn the socially accepted ways of living with others in no matter what society we move.  And even in primitive societies there are such rules, often more complex than our own.

Amy Vanderbilt, etiquette authority, said that only a great fool or a genius is likely to flout all social graces with impunity.  And she adds that neither one, doing so, makes the most comfortable companion. Emerson said. "Good manners, the happy way of doing things."

            ------------------------------

With a frost forecast one day last week, Barry brought the patio plants into the garage for the upcoming winter , The plants are huge and the Season Cactus plant is covered with buds and should be in full bloom by Thanksgiving, then again at Christmas. And,last Easter it bloomed then.  Barry will bring the plant into my office in front of a window that get full morning sun and that I can admire all day when it is in bloom.

Inside, Barry's green thumb is also evident by the Peace Lily which has five blooms on it as I write this and just blooms it heart out year round.  Outside my window in the den, I have a view of a large holly shrub covered with red berries and is so pretty. 

See you next time.

New Hairstyle

Olivene's  new hairstyle.

Things just happen to me.

By Olivene Godfrey

Years ago, Earl Wilson, in his syndicated column, wrote
"A small town's a place where you can chat on the phone for an hour or so, even if you get a wrong number."  I've had a number of interesting telephone chats as a result of dialing the wrong number.  Several times strangers have dialed my number by mistake and we've winded up chatting for 15 or 20 minutes.

But then Things just seem to happen to me.  Like, I'm in a shop minding my own business when a perfect stranger will walk up and ask my advice about an item they may be considering purchasing.  I don't understand it.  I don't think I have a wise look about me.

Actually, I can just stay inside my own home and Things still happen, like, did you ever spray your hair with air freshener
instead of hair spray?   Well, I did one day to my dismay!

Did you ever reach up on a high shelf for a can of used cooking grease and have the can slip out of your hand, spilling the contents on your hair, face and body? Yep! I did that one day too.

Years ago, I used to travel a great deal by bus.  I heard some mighty fascinating stories from passengers who would sit in the seat beside me on buses. 

And, then there was the spring night when I left the car windows open.  The next morning I discovered our cat had given birth to a litter of kittens in the back seat of my car.

Oh, well  at least my life is seldom dull.

When I was "expecting" my son, and living on a Florida beach, I spent hours working crossword puzzles.  After awhile, I became pretty good at it and graduated to crossword puzzle books as I soon learned most words in my daily newspaper puzzle.
Why do we enjoy puzzles? What's the fun in being frustrated as we try to solve a puzzle.? Maybe it's a challenge. Whatever the reason a puzzle is hard for most of us to resist.

See you next time.

Sue's exquisite red roses & Barry's Facebook brings comments & New hair-do and a bit of guru philosophy

By Olivene Godfrey

Each moment I look st the bouquet of exquisite red roses on the table beside my recliner, my heart is warmed not only by the beauty of the roses but of the lovely lady who grew them and sent them to me. She is the mother of my wonderful helper,
Tam.  Sue is bravely fighting cancer.  Yet, she still thinks of others. Please remember Sue in your prayers.

A huge thanks to those who responded to Barry's Facebook link to this blog. And a special thanks to Barry's co-workers, Kym and Denise, and to Stephanie, president of the company that employs them, for their kind comments and support of Barry.

Last Friday, Tam drove me to the Dalton beauty shop where her daughter, Carrie, works as a hair stylist.  Carrie shampooed my hair and gave me a good haircut. And, when Carrie shampoos your hair you can be sure your scalp and hair are very clean which is the way I like it.  Tam, who has cosmetology training,
told me she would use the curling iron and hair dryer when I wash my hair if I want her to. I've told you previously that
Tam is a lady of many talents.  I don't know what we would do without her now.  Barry liked my hair and made a picture of me which we may show you if I like it.

A bit of guru philosophy that I agree with.  One of the guru's mental exercises is to relax and not take life too seriously.  Ask yourself: "What importance will my worry have 100 years from today?"

Another exercise is not to let yourself get into mental ruts. Don't say, "I can't."  Just go ahead and do it and then you'll see how easy it is.

I wish everyone in the world would adopt this portion of the guru philosophy --- avoid classifying things in terms of opposites.  Nothing is all good or all bad. A person is not completely beautiful or completely ugly. Guru's suggest that instead of looking at one side or the other, try to see how each side is dependent on the other for its existence.

See you next time.

Role of sexes getting mixed up

By Olivene Godfrey

A number of years ago in the waiting room of a doctor's office, I overheard a small boy ask his father, " Daddy, if you call a lady ballet dancer a ballerina, what do you call a man ballet
dancer?"  The father thought for a few minutes, a puzzled expression on his face and, and answered, " Well, I don't really know".  The youngster persisted, " Do you call the man a balleter or a balleteer?"

The father laughed and replied he didn't think so.  I smiled listening to the conversation, thinking of the hundreds of questions son Barry asked when he was a child that I couldn't answer.  Then, I thought, "Well, what do you call a male ballet dancer? This was before the personal computer and Internet  so I looked up "ballet in World Book encyclopedia and found no simple answer.

"Ballerina",female ballet dancer, and "Prima Ballerina, the principal dancer of a ballet terms were listed,but no mention of a male ballet dancer. Out of curiosity recently, I asked Barry to do some research on the web about ballet terms. According to this information, Italy and France, have various terms for male ballet dancers. But, in the English speaking world, boys or men who dance classical ballet are referred to as male ballet dancers.

Speaking of World Book, Barry who has since childhood had a thirst for knowledge, was about eight years old  when we bought the encyclopedia. And, he spent that summer reading all the volumes.  To this day, if I ask him a question, no matter the subject, he usually knows the answer or he will look it up right away.  I call him my Mister Encyclopedia.

See you next time.

Are the livers in your home always compatible?

By Olivene Godfrey

Is breakfast time at your house happy and serene or does the day start with squabbling and stormy scenes?  According to a magazine article the reason for early morning quarreling is that some people's livers wake up much later than the rest of their anatomy, while other people's livers are all bright and  brisk when they hop out of bed.

And woe is the family that contains both snappy livers and sleepy livers! Accordingly to the article it's hopeless to hope for harmony in the mornings when the livers in a family aren't compatible.

                    ----------------------------

Did you ever tie a string around your finger to help you to remember? In olden days, the string was red and was always used on a finger of the left hand.  In those days folks believed that the heart was on the left side and that it was the seat of all knowledge gained through memory.

The phrase, learning by heart, also comes from that belief. A red string was thought to be best because that was the magical color in folklore.  Primitive persons believed that if the "spirit of life" was kept in one area, that spot would be cured and pain  kept from spreading. So, they tied anklets, bracelets and pieces of cloth about the painful parts of the body. The habit of string-tying probably originated from that practice.  A string on the finger was thought to keep the thought there, to be remembered later.

             ---------------------------------

October with its bright blue skies and sunshine ushered in fall with a crisp cold snap yesterday and today.  Son Barry and I are shivering even while we have the heat turned on.  After the long hot summer we had, we welcome cooler weather, but  with my arthritis it is a mixed blessing.

See you next time.