Bfth's Boring Blog

  This morning I dropped my son off at school (or a block away from school because the drop off at the high school can get really congested) and headed back home to start my day.  I headed home to start my day and when I turned on my block I had to stop because there was an SUV turning around. Or should I say attempting to turn.  It was a larger SUV and I could tell the driver was a small woman.  So it took a couple of back and forths for her to get it to where she wanted it to go, which was in front of a neighbor's house.  I realized that the person behind the wheel was a high school senior and she was picking up her girlfriend, who came bounding of her house with a big smile on her face.  All of this brought a smile to my face (and my heart) too. Can you remember when you first got your driver's license?  When it was such a big deal and exciting moment to get behind the wheel and go?  For me, taking my son to school was a chore.  For th...

 Let me take you back to another century; another time...Lets go back to 1977. I was still in elementary school and the Nancy Drew series of books were my favorite.  (They still rank up there.)  In January of that year, ABC was going to be airing a new series,  The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries .  I had read some Hardy Boys, but wasn't moved.  Nancy Drew was my idol; so I was anxious to watch the show which aired at 7 PM on Sunday nights.  Each week would be either a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boy "show" and I was disappointed to find that the Hardy Boys were the first up.  I watched the first episode, and as was obviously carefully plotted by network execs, I was hooked on the handsome duo.  When the Nancy Drew episode aired the next week I was disappointed.  I LOVED the books so much and the show did not match up.  I didn't have such an association with the Hardy Boys, so it didn't matter if characters were different than they were in ...

 I read A LOT.  I read more than I used to mostly because I have a digital reading device which makes it easier (for me) to get and read books.  Also with  Goodreads  I see what my friends are reading and recommending, which also encourages me to try new titles.   Goodreads  also makes recommendations for me (some good; some not so) based on what I have read.   However, with all that said, I do still like to have a physical book sometimes.  I really like to have one or two on hand when I am heading to the shore...I always need to have a book in my beach bag and when I don't; it's a problem ( https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/addicted.html ).  While I LOVE my local library, when I don't want to take a library book to the beach or even on vacation, in case something happens.  I am lucky that I volunteer at my local thrift shop and we have a LOT of books (Most of which we sell for under $1...talk about a bargain!...

  Oh, my poor white mailbox; over the years of wind and rain the red letters on you have faded away.  No longer can you clearly read the word   MAIL.   Perhaps that's why the mailperson didn't know what you were and instead threw my mail (my beloved tax documents) on the cold brick stairs.  Perhaps she did not know that the piece of mail that I left in you was there for her to pick up.  (She must not like American Express.)  Or perhaps she thought the one small patch of ice on the step was too much to handle while talking on the phone? (Though she stomps across the uneven lawn with its patches of ice and snow with not a care in the world.) I love you poor white mailbox. You hold firm to the front of my brick home, even as the weather batters you and the elements taunt you.  Even though at least once a month the mail person chooses to ignore you. (Such as she did on December 28, 2021...I love you so much that I keep track of these things.) P...

  Today we "celebrate" Martin Luther King Jr Day.  I put "celebrate" in quotes because I don't think it's a day that we should be having some sort of massive party, but should be a day of honor, remembrance and service.  To fulfill his dream that still has not completely come true.  Perhaps we could "celebrate" by reaching out to our fellow man in service?  (That service might look different for each person; and that's okay.)  It is also Betty White's 100th birthday.  She didn't make it to 100 (and I blame People Magazine for that...I say that only partially in jest), but to honor her you can take the Betty White Challenge and make a donation (suggested at $5 or more) to your local animal shelter.  I have done so in her honor and think that perhaps this should be an annual challege.  Think of all the good that could be done. So today, I am thinking of Martin Luther King Jr and Betty White.  What do they have in common?  Simply put, ...

  The other day I was sitting front of my computer wanting to write something.  But no topics came to mind.  I had nothing to say, so why even try to write a post? Then a friend posted on social media that it should have been her son's 21st birthday.  That got me thinking and just as I was putting something together in my mind, I got an email from my cousin saying that her mother had died the night before.  That really got me thinking.  Two people; one way too young and one old who had nothing in common.  Or did they?  In honor of both of them, I offer these thoughts/suggestions. Be kind:  It doesn't matter how old or young you are; being kind is something we can all do.  Being kind can be as complicated as volunteering to help with a challenging task or as easy as offering a smile.  There are many things in this life that we don't have a choice about; being kind is not one of them.  Be kind....

    It's no secret that I am not a math person.  I have math-phobia.  I am completely serious...just asking me to add together a bunch of numbers makes me break out into a sweat.  It's not that I don't know that one plus one is two, it's just that putting it in front of me sends me into a panic.   (Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit there, but not much.)  Even the word “math” makes me feel anxious! I have TRIED not to pass my math-phobia onto my son.  The good news is that my husband is pretty good at math.  However, there have been times when we have needed a tutor.  We have been lucky enough to find someone who is not just educated in the subject, but can work with people.  (Which is a big piece of the picture.)  She has often pointed out that when my son needs help, mostly what he needs is a boost of confidence and a reminder to double check his work.  His biggest flaw, for the most part, is making little...

  I like technology.  Or at least I like most of it.  I mean typing a blog and posting it for anyone to read is a great use of technology.  Being able to track my walks and see how many miles I do (and how quickly I can do them) is great.  Listening to music or talking on the phone when I do this is all great too. Our lives are and can be greatly enhanced by technology.  Think of all the advancements we have made in the past century.  It's hard to fathom that electricity wasn't always part of our homes.  Landlines might be "old school," but there was a time when phones weren't in everyone's home and lines were shared.  (Go check out the Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie "Pillow Talk".)  I think we can all agree that our lives have been made easier by technology, at least for the most part. My immediate family generally embraces technology.  Specifically, my husband REALLY embraces it.  As such "A" runs our household. I'm NOT goi...

  I am a stressed sandwich.  Yes, you read that right, I am a stressed sandwich. In case you didn't know, there is such a thing called the "sandwich generation" and I fall into that category.  What exactly is this?  To quote from the Pew Research Center:  "Adults who are part of the sandwich generation—that is, those who have a living parent age 65 or older and are either raising a child under age 18 or supporting a grown child—are pulled in many directions. Not only do many provide care and financial support to their parents and their children, but nearly four-in-ten (38%) say both their grown children and their parents rely on them for emotional support."  This article, originally published in 2013, goes on to say:  "Presumably life in the sandwich generation could be a bit stressful. Having an aging parent while still raising or supporting one’s own children presents certain challenges not faced by other adults—caregiving and financial and emotion...

 I don't like January.  I'm not particularly fond of February either.  March has its ups and downs, but March brings forth spring; even if it doesn't always feel like it. The cold months have always been difficult for me.  It's not so much the cold; it's the gray. (Although I confess that I am NOT a fan of cold; is it any wonder that I take hot bathes at the end of the day and there hurry off to bed in warm jammies?  Who even wants to get out of bed when it is dark and cold?  Burrowing down under the covers just might be a national pastime!) January and February are to me, the grayest months of the year and I am not a fan of gray.  I like the white of the snow when it falls from a gray sky, but all too soon that that fluffy white turns to gray.  Is there anything more depressing than gray skies and gray ground?  Most of the trees are barren and gray; even those that keep their green needles seem to have a grayish tint. I know the days are get...

  This is what a peaceful protest looks like:  (Please note these  below photos are not mine.) This is what a peaceful protest/demonstration looks like during a pandemic: This is NOT what a peaceful protest looks like: Get the picture? I know that you do... Protests should be respected.  Insurrection should not.  Discourse should be encouraged.  Threats should not.  We are allowed to have differing thoughts and opinions.  We should share them; with consideration. Peaceful protest can change the world for the better.   Sedition will not. Be the person that your parents and your children can be proud of.  Act as you would want and expect them to act.   Change is possible...but not with violence. Peace.  

  I am well aware that today is January 4, 2022.  (Although every time I type the year I end up typing 2002...I'm not sure why and I'm AM sure that it means something, but I don't know what.)  As much as I want to type/write something along the lines of Happy New Year, it just feels "blah" to me.  It doesn't feel new or fresh. Let's face it the year hasn't felt new or fresh since 2020.  I can recall New Year's Eve 2019 very clearly.  My son, dressed in his finest, went to a party at a friend's house.  It was a big deal; he was a freshman and most of the attendees were upperclassmen.  He was active and engaged with some great people.  As we moved into a new year, things seemed good.  I remember marking the new day with a walk around town in a new sweater that my son had bought me.  It was cold, but it was good to greet the New Year with a walk.  Later in the day (once my son finally rose from bed), the two of us went out for a...