Computer Purge 2-2-2020

Thoughts and Quotes: China tea, the secent of hyacinths, wood fires and bowls of violets - that is my mental picture of an agreeable February afternoon.

                                                            Constance Spry

"And who," you ask, "is Constance Spry?" Yeah, I wanted to know too. Well, she was a busy lady, and I can see why she talks of hyacinths and violets; she was a floral designer and wrote books about it (and cooking, along with lots of other activities). She arranged the flowers for the Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Simpson's wedding. Check her out HERE. And she has a rose named for her, and a beautiful rose it is. Click HERE. 

Amazon has some of her books for sale, but very expensive. Sue Shephard wrote about her, The Surprising Life of Constance Spry: From Social Reformer to Society Florist. The Kindle version is $9.99, but a used copy can be had for about $8. I'd like to know more about the writing of the author before buying the book, so I ordered in Pickled, potted and canned: how the art and science of food preserving changed the world from my library consortium.

Gee, kind of sorry I chose that quote. I promised myself I'd read my own books from now on so I can clear out my shelves.

Time Flies for Sure: What happened to January? I spent a lot of time making cards and going through all the rigmarole of getting ready for cataract surgery this month. Now I'm ready to roll. Let's work on a Bucket List for February. I even fixed it with a place to check off each item. See how many you can finish.

FEBRUARY BUCKET LIST

___ Celebrate Mardi gras

___ Read a non-fiction book

___ Go for a winter walk

___ Try a new restaurant

___ Mail some valentines

___ Watch a romantic movie

___ Buy yourself some flowers for Valentine’s Day if you’re
       single

___ Then buy some for a single friend

___ Make a cherry pie on George Washington’s birthday

___ Organize your spring wardrobe

___ Try a new recipe (maybe soup or carrot cake – see below)

___ Get a jump on spring cleaning

___ Have friends over for board games

___ Plan your first vacation of the year

And if you have time, you can also celebrate the national days:

Monday: Carrot Cake Day

Tuesday: Homemade Soup Day

Wednesday: Nutella Day

Thursday: Frozen Yogurt Day

Friday: Wear Red Day

Saturday: Iowa Day - Congrats, Y'all

Sunday: Pizza Day

Time to Get Organized: I apologize for my lack of photos, but I've been clearing out and reorganizing instead of doing fun things. I completely reorganized my rubber stamps, my cutting dies, my hall closet and have a good start on my costume jewelry. Than I started cleaning up my computer and found all these great things I want to share - like Chinese New Year.

It's not over until February 8th. There's a wonderful website which is lots of fun, as well as being informative. Click HERE.

I also found some great information about fresh produce. For instance, if the code  number has four digits, it has been treated with pesticides. If it has five digits and the first digit is 8, the produce has been genetically modified. If the five-digit code begins with 9, the produce was organically grown.

Here's the Dirty Dozen list from last year (most pesticides): Strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes.

And the Clean Fifteen List (fewest pesticides): Avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbages, onions, sweet peas (frozen), papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplants, honeydew melon, kiwi, cantaloupes, cauliflower, broccoli.

If you're headed to Disneyland, Disneyworld, or Disney Cruises, click HERE. A great website for tips on transporation, accommodations, restaurants, menus, recipes, the rides, etc.  A fun place to explore. It's a blogger website. For the official Disney website, click HERE, but it's not nearly so much fun.



Now for some advice for the second half of your life - a list of four-letter words to guide you.  A little late for mine, but I'll work harder. Click HERE.

And now for a 25-minute tour of England's beautiful Lake District. Click HERE.

Another tour, but this time it's the Space Station (also 25 minutes). Click HERE.

Now a sweet and short video which will leave you smiling. Click HERE.

And lessons for life in 45 short sentences.

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19.. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business

30 Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved

39 Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

And now for 15 Reasons Why You Should Never Move to Missouri. Too late for me; I'm already here. Click HERE.

We need a little elegance, so take another look at this delightful Edwardian afternoon tea. Click HERE.

Last of all, appropriately, it's the history of and the words to TAPS. 

Day is done,

Gone the sun,

From the hills,

From the lake,

From the skies.

All is well,

Safely rest,

God is nigh

Go to sleep,

Peaceful sleep,

May the soldier

Or sailor,

God keep.

On the land

Or the deep,

Safe in sleep.

Love, good night,

Must thou go,

When the day,

And the night

Need thee so?

All is well.

Speedeth all

To their rest.

Fades the light;

And afar

Goeth day,

And the stars

Shineth bright,

Fare thee well,

Day has gone,

Night is on.

Thanks and praise,

For our days.

'Neath the sun,

'Neath the stars,

'Neath the sky,

As we go,

This we know,

God is nigh. 

‘Taps’ was composed in July 1862 at Harrison’s Landing in Virginia, but aside from that basic fact, the fanciful piece quoted above in no way reflects the reality of that melody’s origins.

There was no dead son, Confederate or otherwise; no lone bugler sounding out the dead boy’s last composition. How the call came into being was never anything more than one influential soldier’s deciding his unit could use a bugle call for particular occasions and setting about to come up with one.

If anyone can be said to have composed ‘Taps,’ it was Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield, Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, during the American Civil War. Dissatisfied with the customary firing of three rifle volleys at the conclusion of burials during battle and also wanting a less harsh bugle call for ceremonially signaling the end of a soldier’s day, he likely altered an older piece known as “Tattoo,” a French bugle call used to signal “lights out,” into the call we now know as ‘Taps.’

Summoning his brigade’s bugler, Private Oliver Willcox Norton, to his tent one evening in July 1862, Butterfield (whether he wrote ‘Taps’ straight from the cuff or improvised something new by rearranging an older work) worked with the bugler to transform the melody into its present form. As Private Norton later wrote of that occasion:

General Daniel Butterfield … showing me some notes on a staff written in pencil on the back of an envelope, asked me to sound them on my bugle. I did this several times, playing the music as written. He changed it somewhat, lengthening some notes and shortening others, but retaining the melody as he first gave it to me. After getting it to his satisfaction, he directed me to sound that call for ‘Taps’ thereafter in place of the regulation call. The music was beautiful on that still summer night, and was heard far beyond the limits of our brigade. The next day I was visited by several buglers from neighboring brigades, asking for copies of the music, which I gladly furnished. I think no general order was issued from army headquarters authorizing the substitution of this for the regulation call, but as each brigade commander exercised his own discretion in such minor matters, the call was gradually taken up through the Army of the Potomac.

‘Taps’ was quickly taken up by both sides of the conflict, and within months was being sounded by buglers in both Union and Confederate forces.

Then as now, ‘Taps’ serves as a vital component in ceremonies honoring military dead. It is also understood by American servicemen as an end-of-day ‘lights out’ signal.

When “Taps” is played at a military funeral, it is customary to salute if in uniform, or place your hand over your heart if not.

That's it. I wanted to get this to you in case you're not into football; something to read while everyone else is watching the Super Bowl.

Until next time -

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF

AND OTHERS

REMEMBER THAT IT'S LOVE MONTH

MAKE YOUR HONEY A ROMANTIC DINNER ON VALENTINE'S DAY

AND GO OUT TO DINNER THE NEXT WEEK

IT'S LOVE MONTH ALL MONTH LONG

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

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