For this week's post, I challenged myself to think of things that I literally cannot live without that my grandparents did not have any access whatsoever to when they were my age. At first, of course, technology came to mind. I'm sure that's what would come to anyone's mind when thinking of days past. But there are a lot of very common things that have existed or I've had access to my entire life, that my grandparents simply did without. Did they know they didn't have it? Of course not! Just like when my own grandkids talk about how they didn't know how I existed with the lack of convenience they think I had.
Before starting this blog post, I had a really fun conversation with my grandparents- one that included a lot of incredulous remarks from me such as "How did you get anything done?" or "How did you survive?" Haha! I am narrowing this list down to the 10 things that are most essential in my every day life, and my goal is to just have fun with this!
1. Appliances- In my college days, I used the microwave for every meal because, let's face it... who didn't? About the only thing I consumed daily in college that I did not microwave was beer (or "jungle juice" that we got at frat parties). My grandpa told me that they purchased their first microwave in the 1970's, and it was HUGE. So I asked "How did you heat stuff up?" (what an idiot.) Turns out, boiling some water or putting something on the stove does about the same thing! (I knew that, it just seems so much less convenient! What about Hot Pockets? Haha!)
2. Hair Styling Products- This one never dawned on me. On the days when I do decide to straighten or curl my hair, I plug the straightener or curling iron in, and about a minute later, I start styling. Back in the day, you had to strike the curling iron on the stove to get it hot enough to curl your hair (and how long would that take?)
3. Power Steering/Automatic Transmission- And this one is the main reason for this post, as I am currently without wheels, because my car is in the shop, due to a pretty severe power steering fluid leak, a leak that means that I can get a pretty good arm workout by making a right turn. While power steering was becoming more common around the time that my grandparents were in their 30s, it wasn't common. They said they purchased their first car in the late 50s that had power steering fluid, and it was an "up and coming" thing. Manual transmissions were about all that existed then as well.
4. COFFEE- This is another one that really surprised me (I mean, I took for granted.) They didn't have coffee pots? Nope. You put the pot on the stove and poured the water into the coffee. This is another one I already knew, but hadn't really let sink in in a good while.
5. (This one is my favorite) Cell phones, texting- There was a time in the past when, if you were running late to meet someone, you might not be able to tell them, because they may have already left their house, and you had also already left yours, and you'd just have to hope that they waited wherever you were meeting long enough to be graced by your presence! I know a lot of friends I might not have anymore if that were the case!
6. Car Seats- Oh my word. I think about the 5 minutes I spend every Monday strapping Julia's 5-point harness carseat into the backseat of my car. I put my knee in and pull on the seatbelt to make sure it doesn't budge AT ALL. And when I buckle her in, I check more than once to make sure that everything has snapped, and that the chest clips are directly aligned with her armpits (because that's what the internet tells us to do... more on that later.) Mamaw told me that when Steve was a baby, he was in a carseat, but a strap just went around the back of the seat. That was it. And when the kids were toddlers, they'd just put them in the middle and hold on to them! No seat belts! And now, we see a child without a booster, and PANIC! It's crazy!
7. Televisions- Papaw reminisced on his first television, purchased in the 1940s. It was 9 inches, and about 10 of them sat around to watch it. Next time I host a Colts party, I would encourage my dear friends to think of this before complaining about my little 32 inch flatscreen. :)
8. Mail- Forget email. Every single piece of communication that was not done in person or by phone had to be done by what we now call "snail mail." And I can guarantee with the nature of the other items in this post, it wasn't a process as easy as walking into the post office, having them scan the address you were shipping to, telling you a total and estimated date of delivery, and you swiping your credit card and being on your merry way. No, I don't guess it was like that at all.
9. Air Conditioning- Papaw described this one to me as a health benefit. Nowadays, air conditioning isn't negotiable- not in cars, not in homes, not in places of business. But back then? Movie theaters would attract potential patrons by advertising that it was 10 degrees cooler inside the theater than it was outside. So, on a 100 degree day, I could pop in for a film in a crisp, cool 90 degree theater! How refreshing!
10. Power Tools- Another one I hadn't thought of. I basically carried my power drill in my purse during those first few weeks of home ownership. My house was built in 1939, so the walls are plaster, so the ole "hammer and nail" procedure isn't really appropriate. I can't imagine having to actually turn the crank to drill a hole in the wall. When I asked Papaw about this, he simply said "We just didn't put much on the walls!"
So, that is the end of my list. This post was necessary for me today, as sometimes I feel like I am truly inconvenienced by this or that, when in all reality, these are things that are, for all intents and purposes, "new." People survived without microwaves, and Keurigs, and iphones, drills, Gmail, and air conditioners. And, finally, people survived without Google. How the hell did people survive without Google?
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
My Super Exciting Life
So, the title of this blog post is misleading. I actually do not have a super exciting life. But, if the past week counts, then I do. I thought all week about the direction I want to take this blog entry, and I still have no idea, so here goes. I've promised to do this once a week, so I must.
On Sunday (July 5) I went to Las Vegas with my teaching partner, the 2 first grade teachers, one of the first grade teacher's husbands, one of the second grade teachers, and my teaching partner's sister and friend. Those of us who are teachers attended the teaching conferences held at the Venetian in Vegas, which is where we also got to stay. Rumor has it, it's one of the nicer hotels in Vegas (especially for the girl who considers a $90 a night hotel to be "expensive" ((sidenote: when did i get like that? Ugh!)) This place is a little different than your typical "Holiday Inn" in that... it's not. It's like a small town, where inside there is a "canal", where people are actually taken on gondolas, led by men (gondoliers?) who sing at unnaturally high pitches while standing on the edge of a boat shaped like a banana. Much of this we witnessed while sitting at a Mexican restaurant, where I had the world's most interesting, delightful margarita, a Jalapeno- Pineapple Margarita. It sounds crazy, but it was delightful and it felt healthy (as healthy as margaritas can be.) I came home and Pinterested the recipe and, of course, it wasn't nearly as good, but I tried.
All of this took place the first night we were there. On Monday, our conferences began with a key note speaker, Todd Parr, children's book author. He writes some really interestingly-illustrated books for kids on sensitive topics like saying goodbye, families, and... underwear. He was fun to listen to. Sometimes I get wrapped up in the "job" of teaching Kindergarten, and it's nice to have a little reminder that to kids, underwear really is entertaining (and sometimes it is to adults as well.)
We decided to splurge and attend the Beatles: LOVE Cirque du Soleil Monday night at the Mirage. My aforementioned "frugal" spending attitude almost prevented me from attending this amazing show, but I'm glad I went for it. At $104, it was worth every single penny. (I definitely came home afterwards and googled Cirque du Soleil performers because I had to know exactly how people get into that business, how much they make, and if I could do it (just kidding on that last one, but it was so freakin' cool!) The entire show was choreographed to Beatles songs, and there was some acting, many set changes, and many stunts that made all of us about lose our breath or pee our pants. But none of those things happened, so that is fortunate. We were amazed! It's definitely an experience I'll never forget!
The rest of the week was a little more low-key, with conference sessions each day from 830-4ish, necessary pool time, dinners out as a group every night, and a few walks down the strip. If you ask me, it was the perfect mixture of a "business" and "pleasure" trip.
My head is still spinning with all of the new ideas I got from the conference, and I'm still trying to figure out which ones I'll be able to successfully implement, and how. I can't believe so many schools are going back in 2 weeks- we don't go back until August 17! I'm thankful to have that time to continue planning my "game plan" for a new school year and a new group of kiddos.
As my life goes, as soon as I got home from Vegas, life got back to usual. Well, as usual as life can get when you are still on "The Vegas" time zone. Friday night I went to bed at 10 Indy time and woke up ready for the day at 1 a.m... Saturday night I finally fell asleep at 3 a.m. Anyway, Saturday I drove 200 miles between checking on the dogs I'm dogsitting (there are 5), going to a family reunion, and then to a friend's birthday party. Sunday seemed a bit low-key with a sweet little baby shower to attend. Today things got back to normal watching the kids, with the added twist of also watching 5 dogs. (I'm trying to make it sound like all of this isn't a lot- it's reverse psychology.) :)
I feel like this post has been pretty boring, but I promise I'll redeem myself, eventually, when I have less than 4 people/animals to take care of, and more than 5 hours of consecutive sleep. :)
On Sunday (July 5) I went to Las Vegas with my teaching partner, the 2 first grade teachers, one of the first grade teacher's husbands, one of the second grade teachers, and my teaching partner's sister and friend. Those of us who are teachers attended the teaching conferences held at the Venetian in Vegas, which is where we also got to stay. Rumor has it, it's one of the nicer hotels in Vegas (especially for the girl who considers a $90 a night hotel to be "expensive" ((sidenote: when did i get like that? Ugh!)) This place is a little different than your typical "Holiday Inn" in that... it's not. It's like a small town, where inside there is a "canal", where people are actually taken on gondolas, led by men (gondoliers?) who sing at unnaturally high pitches while standing on the edge of a boat shaped like a banana. Much of this we witnessed while sitting at a Mexican restaurant, where I had the world's most interesting, delightful margarita, a Jalapeno- Pineapple Margarita. It sounds crazy, but it was delightful and it felt healthy (as healthy as margaritas can be.) I came home and Pinterested the recipe and, of course, it wasn't nearly as good, but I tried.
All of this took place the first night we were there. On Monday, our conferences began with a key note speaker, Todd Parr, children's book author. He writes some really interestingly-illustrated books for kids on sensitive topics like saying goodbye, families, and... underwear. He was fun to listen to. Sometimes I get wrapped up in the "job" of teaching Kindergarten, and it's nice to have a little reminder that to kids, underwear really is entertaining (and sometimes it is to adults as well.)
We decided to splurge and attend the Beatles: LOVE Cirque du Soleil Monday night at the Mirage. My aforementioned "frugal" spending attitude almost prevented me from attending this amazing show, but I'm glad I went for it. At $104, it was worth every single penny. (I definitely came home afterwards and googled Cirque du Soleil performers because I had to know exactly how people get into that business, how much they make, and if I could do it (just kidding on that last one, but it was so freakin' cool!) The entire show was choreographed to Beatles songs, and there was some acting, many set changes, and many stunts that made all of us about lose our breath or pee our pants. But none of those things happened, so that is fortunate. We were amazed! It's definitely an experience I'll never forget!
The rest of the week was a little more low-key, with conference sessions each day from 830-4ish, necessary pool time, dinners out as a group every night, and a few walks down the strip. If you ask me, it was the perfect mixture of a "business" and "pleasure" trip.
My head is still spinning with all of the new ideas I got from the conference, and I'm still trying to figure out which ones I'll be able to successfully implement, and how. I can't believe so many schools are going back in 2 weeks- we don't go back until August 17! I'm thankful to have that time to continue planning my "game plan" for a new school year and a new group of kiddos.
As my life goes, as soon as I got home from Vegas, life got back to usual. Well, as usual as life can get when you are still on "The Vegas" time zone. Friday night I went to bed at 10 Indy time and woke up ready for the day at 1 a.m... Saturday night I finally fell asleep at 3 a.m. Anyway, Saturday I drove 200 miles between checking on the dogs I'm dogsitting (there are 5), going to a family reunion, and then to a friend's birthday party. Sunday seemed a bit low-key with a sweet little baby shower to attend. Today things got back to normal watching the kids, with the added twist of also watching 5 dogs. (I'm trying to make it sound like all of this isn't a lot- it's reverse psychology.) :)
I feel like this post has been pretty boring, but I promise I'll redeem myself, eventually, when I have less than 4 people/animals to take care of, and more than 5 hours of consecutive sleep. :)
Friday, July 3, 2015
Today a really big, big super amazing thing happened. I went to Target. I was looking for a bathing suit. Just typing that sentence fills my brain with doom. I wanted something new for an upcoming trip, but knew that, as in most cases, my choices would be limited, as my booty tends to take up a little more space than the average gal... and Target just doesn't dress those gals apparently.
But then, this miracle happened. I found a suit ON CLEARANCE- 2 tops and 1 bottom that matched. 1 of the tops was too big (say what?), and the only one left was the RIGHT SIZE. So I figured I might as well spend a few hundred on some lottery tickets right then and there. (but I didn't... I bought a bottle of water and some contact solution to celebrate. oh, and I bought the suit, too.)
In the midst of this joy, I decided to try my luck at the mall to return some stuff from a particularly adventurous and regretful trip to Old Navy. While the line nearly wrapped around the store, it went fast. As I was walking out, I was behind a couple who was (V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y) walking through the mall. If I had to guess, they were in their 70s or 80s. But they were holding hands. And my heart just melted a little bit. I had a hard time with that instinct to take a picture of them... I figured I'd respect their moment, even though they probably would have no idea.
Today's blog is just a little light, and probably not a "page-turner", but I'm still trying to get myself back into this thing. I have thoughts throughout the day of things I want to blog about, but I also have the memory of a butterfly. The only reason I'm actually sitting down and remembering to blog now is because I just got a pedicure and really can't go finish up my few thousand steps to win my fit-bit challenge, or else my polish will chip. These are real problems, guys.
But then, this miracle happened. I found a suit ON CLEARANCE- 2 tops and 1 bottom that matched. 1 of the tops was too big (say what?), and the only one left was the RIGHT SIZE. So I figured I might as well spend a few hundred on some lottery tickets right then and there. (but I didn't... I bought a bottle of water and some contact solution to celebrate. oh, and I bought the suit, too.)
In the midst of this joy, I decided to try my luck at the mall to return some stuff from a particularly adventurous and regretful trip to Old Navy. While the line nearly wrapped around the store, it went fast. As I was walking out, I was behind a couple who was (V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y) walking through the mall. If I had to guess, they were in their 70s or 80s. But they were holding hands. And my heart just melted a little bit. I had a hard time with that instinct to take a picture of them... I figured I'd respect their moment, even though they probably would have no idea.
Today's blog is just a little light, and probably not a "page-turner", but I'm still trying to get myself back into this thing. I have thoughts throughout the day of things I want to blog about, but I also have the memory of a butterfly. The only reason I'm actually sitting down and remembering to blog now is because I just got a pedicure and really can't go finish up my few thousand steps to win my fit-bit challenge, or else my polish will chip. These are real problems, guys.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Day 1: Introduction, Recent Bio, Five ways to win your heart
I reopened this blog as I sat reflecting on how much I LOVE writing. It is about the only thing I can do for pleasure without falling asleep (I usually fall asleep with a book in my hand.) I was asked recently to start blogging again, and I thought "What in the hell would I blog about? Recipes? No, sometimes I STILL eat cereal for dinner. Crafts? No, I get all my ideas from Pinterest. No, no, no." So I decided to do what I usually do, which is google the phrase "blog ideas" and... here we are. I google my thoughts, and it gets me here.
I don't really expect anything from doing this... I don't expect to hit 100 followers, or have people copy the link to my blog in their instagram photos, but we'll see where this leads...
Introduction/Bio:
As I stated before, I'm a 32 year old woman. I am a Kindergarten teacher and have taught at the elementary level for 8 years. I am single, part by choice, part by pickiness. I refuse to settle, as I feel like I spent a great deal of my 20s doing so. :)
I own a home that I purchased right before I turned 30. I have a crazy ass dog that I adopted from the Humane Society in August 2013. When I say he's crazy, I'm being really generous. But I love him so!
I am very blessed with some INCREDIBLE people in my life. I have some really strong friendships, and I feel blessed to say I have many groups of friends all over the place. I feel blessed to have been able to keep in contact with friends through changing situations, locations, life, etc. I have friends who are married with several children, I have friends who are single like me, I have friends who are many years younger, friends who are older, and friends who are completely unlike me. I love them all.
Additionally, I have an awesome family. My immediate family- my mother, father, and brother- are priceless to me. They are truly some of my best friends. I'm also blessed with a close extended family.
I would say one of my favorite things in life is being with children. I love to teach them, and I love to spend time with them. This summer, I've been honored to get to spend a lot of time with many children who were in my class this past year.
I have 2 nephews that I adore. They currently live in New Mexico. I see them as often as I can, and enjoy keeping up with them. I have a little baby niece on the way as well. I can't wait to spoil her just the way I love spoiling the boys!
I feel there's a lot more I could add, but that might be boring. :)
Part 2:
5 Ways to Win My Heart:
1. Coffee
2. A Conversation that makes me forget to check my phone
3. Naps
4. Greek Salad
5. A trip to Italy
I promise next time will be more entertaining... maybe.
I don't really expect anything from doing this... I don't expect to hit 100 followers, or have people copy the link to my blog in their instagram photos, but we'll see where this leads...
Introduction/Bio:
As I stated before, I'm a 32 year old woman. I am a Kindergarten teacher and have taught at the elementary level for 8 years. I am single, part by choice, part by pickiness. I refuse to settle, as I feel like I spent a great deal of my 20s doing so. :)
I own a home that I purchased right before I turned 30. I have a crazy ass dog that I adopted from the Humane Society in August 2013. When I say he's crazy, I'm being really generous. But I love him so!
I am very blessed with some INCREDIBLE people in my life. I have some really strong friendships, and I feel blessed to say I have many groups of friends all over the place. I feel blessed to have been able to keep in contact with friends through changing situations, locations, life, etc. I have friends who are married with several children, I have friends who are single like me, I have friends who are many years younger, friends who are older, and friends who are completely unlike me. I love them all.
Additionally, I have an awesome family. My immediate family- my mother, father, and brother- are priceless to me. They are truly some of my best friends. I'm also blessed with a close extended family.
I would say one of my favorite things in life is being with children. I love to teach them, and I love to spend time with them. This summer, I've been honored to get to spend a lot of time with many children who were in my class this past year.
I have 2 nephews that I adore. They currently live in New Mexico. I see them as often as I can, and enjoy keeping up with them. I have a little baby niece on the way as well. I can't wait to spoil her just the way I love spoiling the boys!
I feel there's a lot more I could add, but that might be boring. :)
Part 2:
5 Ways to Win My Heart:
1. Coffee
2. A Conversation that makes me forget to check my phone
3. Naps
4. Greek Salad
5. A trip to Italy
I promise next time will be more entertaining... maybe.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)