Blog Action Day

A memory to commemorate Blog Action Day. There are things that I remember from my childhood that often make me go "hmmm". For instance, as a child (around 5 years old and painfully shy) I would not hug my grandmother's brother because he could not talk due to a stroke and to this day I regret it. In middle school, my mother arrived home to me crying uncontrollably about a commercial I had just seen. I believe the commercial was for a telephone company but it had a elderly man asking his daughter where his hat was. "Dad its on your head." Looking back, the man had Alzheimer's Disease. The "hmmm" of this story is that my first job out of college and for the next eight years was working with elderly individuals in a adult day care. Many of them attended the center due to strokes and Alzheimer's Disease.

How does this relate to Blog Action Day? Here is my next "hmmm" story. To those of you who know me, know I love whales. I have a tattoo of one. I have gone on whale watching tours. I adopted one. I own Free Willy and the Life magazine about Kiko. I yelled very loudly for my boyfriend to hurry up on the Oregon Coast because I saw one. I admit I cried after watching the orca show at Sea World.
I grew up in Tazewell County, many miles from an ocean much less a whale of any kind. I don't know what triggered my whale obsession. I remember having a book but not what it said. I don't know if Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom had a special but, I remember a time when I was in elementary school where I decided to make flyer's and post them around my neighborhood (a dead end dirt road with thirteen houses on it, two of them being family in addition to my neighbors). My flyer's were to "Save the Whales" with a crude drawing of a sperm whale on it. I am sure I drew the spout also. I wonder what my neighbors thought?! It's amazing that these animals are still such a fascination for me: ask Todd about my excitement in Oregon. They also still need my (our) help. There are nine species of whales on the endangered list. Currently there are 936 endangered animals on just the vertebrae list. It is us who is taking away their habitat, needing makeup from their fat, or polluting the waters that are endangering these animals (and plants). Research how you can help. Look at other blogs that participated in the Blog Action Day. Make a contribution. Any small amount is a step in the right direction.

Should have paid attention

Growing up, my paternal grandmother lived across the street. Mamaw Dixie was what every grandmother should be: patient, kind, gardener, good cook, quilter, etc. I remember Mamaw trying to teach me how to quilt, crochet and other not so interesting things to a pre-teen and teenager. I also remember her in the garden bright and early before the heat of the day. She always wore a straw hat. As I have grown older, my southern roots have really taken hold of me (you know the ones I so desperately tried to escape in college). I try to garden (I can grow tomatoes but not zucchini...how is that possible?). I started making baby quilts for my girlfriend's babies. I learned to make jam and tonight my first attempt at making apple butter. Anyway, the point of my post, is that I regret not taking the time to learn then. Now, it is all trial and error. (Seems to be lots of error.) I haven't quite mastered the edging on quilts. It has gotten better but, after nine quilts, you would hope so. I have no idea whether the apple butter is the right consistency. I can only assume it will thicken when it cools off. I bet you Mamaw Dixie would know.