Bfth's Boring Blog

  Yes, I usually try to be a positive person.  Usually at the end of the year I'm looking at the blessings that the year has brought and focusing on all the good that will come in the new year.  Well, this year has done me in.  I've had it!    This has officially (at least in the book of Bfth) become the WORST year in in the life of Bfth and I while I'm trying to be hopeful for 2023, I'm also a little apprehensive.  (PLEASE!  After this horrible year, we NEED a really good, or dare I say it, GREAT 2023.) So I'm sending off 2022 with 22 reasons why the year SUCKED for me personally (and perhaps you too.) My mom died.  That alone could make  this a horrible year, but there was so much more. My cousin's mom died in January.  I ADORED her mother, who before dementia took it's toll was an incredible (and fun) woman. Two of my mom's dearest friends died in the months that followed and one of my husband's dearest friends passed away suddenly at the age of 6

Let me start by saying that 2022 was one of the toughest/crappiest years of my life.  I dealt with a lot that I wish I hadn't had to.  However, I am glad to say that even when times were rough, there were some excellent books out there that took me away from the stress of life and carried me into another world. I'd also like to say that unlike other year end wrap ups, this is NOT about books that were published in 2022, but about books that I discovered and read during the year.  So there are definitely some books on this list that have been around for a awhile, as well as some fresh stories that appeared on the shelves for the first time this year. In no particular order they are:   Wonder by R.J. Palacio :  This young adult novel has been on the periphery of my life for a while and 10 years after it was published I finally managed to sit down with it.  Although perhaps a bit simplistic by its conclusion, it carries a message that we should all try to adhere to.  It also insp

  I'm not going to lie, I knew this wasn't going to be a great, or even a good Christmas.  This year has been horrible with the death of my mother in July and two family friends passing away just weeks ago.  Not to mention that I just found out that another of my mother's dearest friends died just two months after my mom.  One of my son's top college picks is closing its doors and we are still anxiously awaiting the response of another.  (I KNOW letters were mailed out on Wednesday and there was no Christmas miracle on our mailbox.)  The rain meant flooding down at the shore, followed by brutal cold, so that the water that did not recede was frozen over.  I did not feel that we could go down and see my father for Christmas.  Which sucks because it's been 3 years since we had a full family holiday, and I didn't truly appreciate the holiday at the time.  Oh, and my left knee is still bothering me. (Although it's much better than it was at the beginning of the

  Dear Mom, Another season is about to be upon us; our least favorite. The solstice is officially at 4:47 pm and it will be dark.  The shortest day of the year.  (Yuck!)  Only 90 days till spring. The holidays are almost here too.  Thanksgiving was strange without you and I'm sure that Christmas will be the same.  I can't believe that the last "real" Christmas we had together was in 2019.  (And even that was a little off, since you and dad had to drive an hour and a half each way to get to us instead of just walking over.)  You never know what life will hand us, so we need to appreciate each precious moment.  (I say that, will I do it?  Probably not.) I, like you, will never be a fan of the cold.  This Christmas is supposed to be brutal, but with no snow.  However, there will be torrential rain (and wind) in the days prior which means when the temperatures plunge it will all turn to ice.  Maybe we should all just stay inside, cuddle up and watch Christmas movies.  (As

  I don't think I need to say more, you SHOULD know what I am talking about. Though not the first movie I ever saw, it The Sound of Music was the first movie I saw from a balcony when I was very young.  (I may not have even been in elementary school yet.)  I remember my mom took me and (I believe) my friend Sandy.  I think we arrived a little late, the theater was already dark and the movie may have already started.  (This was a long time ago.)  Back in that century, movies were often re-leased, so this would not have been the film's first go round.  I saw it again when I was older (though still pretty young) at a movie theater that was closer to my house.  I had been called in by the television commercial which showed Julie Andrews walking down the long church aisle in her ivory wedding dress. My mother had the original Broadway album, as well as the movie soundtrack.  For my 7th birthday (I think) I got a cassette recorder (how’s that for old school?) and The Sound of Music

 I sent you (and your family) a Christmas card last week, just like I always do.  Made sure that I included my son's senior photo because I knew you would want to see it.  And I expected that within the next few weeks I'd get a card back from you, full of your enthusiastic writing.  I didn't know when I put sealed it up and mailed it out that you you’d had a seemingly simple surgery (is ANY surgery simple?) that lead to horrible complications.  I didn't know that you would never see my annual holiday greeting and my wishes for a better 2023 seem trite and unkind. I didn't know when we spoke in July that it would be our last conversation.  How ironic that the call was about my mother's passing.  I never bothered to ask about your own health challenges.  But then that wouldn't have been something you talked about.  I don't recall you ever been focused on you; it was all about family and despite the fact that we lived over 2000 thousand miles away and rarel

Today, my 17 year old son's alarm went off at 6 AM. Charlotte Bacon's did not. Today, my 17 year old son reluctantly got out of bed. Daniel Barden did not. Today, my 17 year old son got dressed in one of his favorite t-shirts, a sweater he had darned, and jeans that he had patched (not because it was needed but because he is creative with fashion).  Olivia Engel did not. Today, my 17 year old son ate yogurt and drank some coffee that my husband had made.  Josephine Gay did not. Today, my 17 year old son brushed his teeth and combed his (mop like) hair.  Dylan Hockley did not. Today, my 17 year old son put on a warm(ish) coat, scarf and gloves before heading out the door.  Madeleine Hsu did not. Today, my 17 year old son was handed gas/breakfast money by me.  Catherine Hubbard was not. Today, my 17 year old son drove "his" car to get gas and breakfast before he went to school.  Chase Kowalski did not. Today, my 17 year old son will probably go out during his study hall

  The "S" word had been in the forecast for several days.  However, I wasn't worried.  They said that it would be snow much further north of us and we would get rain.  (Or at least that's how I interpreted it).  We didn't get rain.  (Well, maybe we got a little.)  We got snow yesterday.  It snowed on and off, in varying degrees of intensity, for most of the day yesterday. For the most part it didn't stick.  My son wanted to go out last night and I was not very keen on the idea.  I had already blocked his car in with mine.  However, another friend was willing to drive (who has about the same amount of experience as my son).  I wasn't thrilled about the idea, but I let him go.  And I have to say I was relatively pleased that he was  home a half an hour BEFORE when I had asked him to be home.  (All too often he is late.)  Furthermore, he said that they had noticed that the conditions were getting worse, so they decided to call it a night.  (Is that the full s

  So here I am a week out with the knee problem and I am so very tired of this all.  I know that I am whining and that there are a lot more problems in this world, but I am fed up with not being able to do much of anything.  And when I DO managed to do SOMETHING, I am miserable. I spent Monday-Thursday pretty much sitting on my behind.  I couldn't make it to choir on Tuesday  night. (The rehearsal ended up being cancelled...a pretty big thing in the middle of Advent.I didn't go to the office on Wednesday because I didn't think I could handle the bus and walking to the office.  Even if I drove, I don't know if I could have managed it.   Even parking in the garage that is part of the building, there would be the walk up to the main floor, then onto the elevator and over to my chair.  It's not far, but it IS far these day. It's sad and pathetic to say it, but my work station is on the opposite side of the the floor from the ladies room and that would have been a pr

 ...the college search process. The college search and application process isn't an easy one.  I never thought it was.  I knew it would be stressful for us all and that the stress wouldn't end even after my son was accepted into the school(s) of his choice.  (Waiting for news is killing me, that's another story.)  My son had filled out applications to his top three schools, with two more to consider applying to.  We were on a good path. Then there was the monkey wrench. It came in the form of a message from a good friend of mine from college.  (Is there some kind of irony there?)  She sent it last night, but I didn't see it until I woke up this morning.  It read: "I seem to remember Cazenovia being one of the colleges J was looking at. Just saw this on the news if you haven’t seen it yet:  https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/cazenovia-college-to-permanently-close-after-spring-semester/amp/ " You can click the link (I know I immediately did), but the

  What I WANT to be doing; not what I am I am not athletic.  I played no sports in high school (Unless you count marching band and you SHOULD because it could be pretty intense.)  I was/am bad a pretty every sport.  I could kind of play tennis (I still can't serve) and when we did aerobics I got into it.  But for everything else I was hopeless. I was always a walker, but I didn't become a serious walker until 2011. During the warm months I try to put in 3-5 miles (or more) a day.  During the colder/darker months, I do walk aerobics inside.  Or a use a portable exercise bike pedals. I have never in my 50+ years had a real sports injury.  There was one time almost 10 years ago when I was in a hurry and tried to run home and ended up pulling something that put me in pain and had me going to the doctor, but that was it.  Not to jinx it, but I haven't had a (confirmed) broken bone.  (I may have broken my little toe on my right foot in college, but I never saw a medical professio

  I've lived in the same town for all of my life.  (Pretty boring right?)  For the majority of my life I've lived on the same street.  Which means for most I've my life I've lived less than a mile away from a castle that I never really knew about until 2017.  Or at least it wasn't until then that I got interested in exploring the grounds.  So for about 50 years there was a magnificent piece of history practically in my backyard and I pretty much ignored it. The "castle" I'm talking about is  Kip's Castle , which is now part of the Essex County Park system.  Now in my deference for most of my life the place was a private residence.  As a result I feel that most of the story is unknown.  Built in 1905 by Frederic Ellsworth Kip, the property was sold in 1926 after Mrs. Kip passed away.  From what I have found after that it that it continued to be a private residence owned by the Munoz family until the 1970s.   (I'll admit my "research" i