When thinking about seasonal weather forecasts, it is enjoyable to check in with The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It has become a regular habit … although I can’t say how accurate year to year how close they are to what really happens? I’d venture a guess that they are probably more accurate than hurricane forecasting. […]
It really hasn’t been that long ago that I’ve recoated the garage workbench with Zip Guard. Since 2020 (4 years), there has been enough scraping and dripping of liquid on the work surface to make me think, “a little more protection won’t hurt.” Besides, the last of my Zip Guard in the jar was looking […]
Katelyn, my now 38 year old adult daughter, read yesterday’s wedding ring and capsized Trinka dinghy sailing memory and mentioned that I should have included her 7th grade “Time In A Bottle” artwork. She reminded me that it was a “traumatic” incident in her young life (although personally, I did feel that I had everything […]
The “flowers photo” was not the purpose of this post, but because the tiny purple flowers looked so nice this past weekend, I took a photo (I should know the name or at least take the time to look it up … but I’m not). BUT the real reason was to archive the very messy […]
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The Oostras are vacationing back in Minnesota and enjoying time “stomping” around the areas near Minneapolis (and in Wayzata) where they spent a few years early of marriage. They initially spent some time with friends “in the city” then up with cousin Justin and Katie Howard and their family of five now at at their […]
Yesterday’s failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler Pennsylvania will forever be burned in our memories and another dark stain in our divisive politics (unfortunately it has happened throughout history … no matter the country). The soon to be Republican nominee for POTUS (the GOP convention is this week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), was targeted […]
Yes it is hurricane season … and yes, the water temperatures are above historic norms … but climate change alarmists pretending to be CNN journalists are blaming fossil fuels directly. This isn’t factual or sound science. There are those who study climate change and global warming who hypothesize that the use of carbon-based fuels and […]
Where have the years gone? My college friend and all 4 years roommate (the absolute best) from Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio were back from Idaho Falls, Idaho to visit with family … and this trip they decided to drive down to see us (the last time was in 1986 when we were living […]
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This chainsaw has been on my tool wishlist for a while and when I mentioned to Brenda that it was $50 off over Memorial Day, she told me, you should get it. This small 12 inch Ridgid Chainsaw is not the “do everything” tool or even as robust as the bigger twin battery Makita, BUT […]
Another reminder that Liberty Township, Ohio is becoming less rural and a bit more suburban as the years go by. Commercial development is creeping closer to our neighborhood as the barn has been torn down after the passing of our farmer (turned doghouse builder) during COVID. ☹️ I thought for a moment that a new […]
Although it is not an immediate need, the “want” in me is growing. My 2017 iPhone 7 plus is really starting to feel old; even my daughter mentioned that my shared photos were not the quality that they should be — she has a fair point. Phone cameras aside, the device I use the most […]
Upstairs in the Western NY Farmhouse Barn’s workshop in 2013 In keeping with the occasional ThrowBack Thursday #TBT, the above was a pano photo of DadH’s workshop after he passed away. I mentioned to Brenda that I wondered how he was able to climb the stairs of the barn and work on such a large […]
While picking out a card for “the mother of my grown children” this year, I couldn’t help notice how inflation has impacted the price of greeting cards. Perhaps when I was in the business of putting ink on paper, the price per sheet as it were, I wasn’t really given too much thought to each […]
Who isn’t … or more appropriately wasn’t … fond of listening to the interesting and smooth-toned audio that was part of National Public Radio (NPR) in the previous century. I spent an exorbitant amount of time in my car back then and listened to static-riddled politically conservative radio talk shows on AM radio and liberally […]
The weather up north is … well wintery and cold … so we are not complaining this year in our escape to Delray Beach, FL. We are disappointed as usual to see the substantial amount of plastic washing up on the beach during our walks. It reminds me of growing up in the 1960s and […]
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It is humorous to see just how much a bird can put in the bluebird birdhouse that the granddaughters and I made back in 2020 (hence, the Throwback Thursday #TBT photo at left from 2020). It was completely stuffed full when I took it down from the pole at their house last week. My plan […]
Depressing for those of us who grew up in the Jimmy Buffett mindset and have enjoyed his music, concerts, ambitious lifestyle and attitude for our college and adult lives, but his passing on September 1, 2023 hit home. Unfortunately it is starting to feel like the norm (but 76 is way, WAY, too young)? I […]
I really did have the best of intentions to used the new knobs from Rockler to upgrade my existing router table fence, but after putzing around with my 40 year old angled aluminum non-adjustable fence, decided that an upgrade from the Amazon Warehouse (Outlet) for $133.64 made sense — although I could be wrong? The […]
One of the frustrations in setting up tools of any kind is to get the settings precisely adjusted quickly and accurately on the first or at least close to the first try. For years I’ve struggled with my old questionable router table (35 years old) and dislike a few of the set up items. I […]
Obviously this is a first world problem, but it is frustrating that with all the computer power and connected technology in the shipping and delivery business, FedEx can’t tell me when to expect a package. It was scheduled to be delivered on Thursday, August 17th. It’s not like this is the first time FedEx has […]
As My Desultory Blog approaches 8000 posts, it has become increasingly clear that tags and categories are becoming worthless. Besides having too many, they are all too full and do little for me to find anything (or anyone else). The search feature has always been a problem and makes it difficult for even me to […]
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There are plenty of books on my Kindle, in my “ebook pile” and “printed paper” book pile to read, but most of them are not particularly enjoyable “to me” to read. They either arouse political anger and frustration in the direction our country is being lead … or personal improvement books that “I interpret” as […]
I needed another book to read like a hole in my head as the idiom goes, but since the newly released book by Marco Rubio called “Decades of Decadence” hit the bookstore today, I figured that I would “get on the list” at my local library. Lo and behold it was available on Hoopla as an […]
It is hard to believe Taylor, our youngest, is celebrating another birthday (although better than not having them) and that he was born AFTER the long running television show (1952-1989) American Bandstand ended. It just so happens that Taylor was born a month after Dick Clark finished the final episode … it does not seem […]
Although it is not unusual for news organizations to let very popular news opinion personality go … with FoxNews I can recall Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly … most regular viewers were probably shocked to see Tucker Carlson let go on Monday (April 24, 2023). It was interesting to hear Glenn Beck comment on it […]
We are looking forward to seeing Taylor’s new condominium in Cincinnati for the first time this weekend. He informed us that he “has the keys to the castle” a couple days early (negotiated current tenant move out date). We can’t wait. It also came on the same day Katelyn and Drew forwarded a photo of […]
It was an ugly day on Wall Street as investors reacted to comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell who indicated “that the Federal Reserve must continue to raise rates” and “hold them at a higher level until they are confident inflation is under control.” Some economists highlighted in Barron’s Magazine last week, have suggested that […]
If the Edgar Winter Group performing “Free Ride” doesn’t make you at minimum tap your toe or move some part of your body a little bit … then I suspect your life is near its end. The song and group are just another in the long Music Monday list from the 1970s. That’s not to […]
Dorothy Jean Gerber passed away peacefully at her home on May 30, 2020, in Twinsburg at the age of 93. Jean, as the name she went by, was born August 2, 1926 in Moran, Kansas to Reverend Roy and Bessie Truesdale. After graduating from McPherson High School in Kansas, she went on to attend Kansas […]
While listening to background music this past weekend (working on taxes), it became an easy decision post something on music. Next … decide which group and song to include without repeating something mentioned before on My Desultory Blog? How about Three Dog Night??? The rock band was not necessarily in my record (or cassette tape) […]
The financial markets continue to hold their own, which considering the continued of negative news we’ve hearing is amazing. Gold and especially silver (at a 31 year high) have become safe haven investments for some investors concerned that the economy will stumble and inflation (or likely ‘stagflation’) will be what we’ll see in the second […]