Happy Holidays!

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanza!  The gourdaments pictured here are this year's crop, which I was inspired to complete following, "Don't Get Off the Bus."  I've already started on next year's, since I seem to be on a painting roll and have never, in two-plus decades of painting ornaments, started preparing for Christmas in July, which is always one of my New Year's Resolutions.  I've gotten used to having gourds hanging around, plus I'm sick of storing the 30-some unpainted ones purchased in 2020. 

Advertisers are getting in their licks.  Personally, I'm sad over the Pearl Milling Company's syrup commercials.  Sad that after becoming Politically Correct by re-naming Aunt Jemima, it appears their sales are down; otherwise why would they have to add a little box on the bottom of the screen explaining, "Same great taste as AJ, only renamed," or something to that effect.  I've turned to Log Cabin, primarily because I've been familiar with the bottle shape, graphics AND name since childhood.  When you're losing your memory those things become important. This potential exodus would ultimately equate to lost jobs, and who's happy about that?  I'll make it a point to grab a bottle of Pearl.

It's 50 degrees here on the Oregon Coast, when the rest of the country is experiencing bitter cold, freezing everything and lots of bummed passengers awaiting Santa in the airports.  I went grocery shopping the other day because we were supposed to get some of your frigid weather, but as the Managers wrote yesterday (they always send updates about weather and outages), "We're apparently in the banana belt of Oregon."

My work schedule is very light, since Winter hours are shorted by one hour, plus we have additional Workampers to cover any unforseen absenses (like when I was sick with that flu for 2 weeks, or Workampers requesting vacation time).  Last week I walked the beach for the first time since I last went with BC.  She wasn't crazy about walking on the beach so we rarely went, but I needed flat rocks for more animal portraits.  I walked with one of my co-workers.  It was a beautiful day, as you can see; but not having previously gone to the beach in the winter, I dressed like Nanook of the North. That's not politically incorrect, read up on it.

It's hard for me to get a handle on the new pronouns for gender-neutrals:  their, them; but is it we and our when it's/they're a group, or is it like Queen Victoria's famous quote, "We are not amused."  It's hard enough for me to remember instructions for the reservation software used in the lobby...I can't help it if someone unidentifiable comes in and I accidentally call them Ma'am or Sir, my bad for being polite.

Grinch and Max 2-sided ornaments

Two kids ran through the lobby the other day, and neither Rick nor I could decide which bathroom to send them to.  It's not a personal slight, for heaven's sake.  We have to get rid of some old memories to have space for new ones, I've always thought, and some of have difficulty making decisions.

What did I just hear...they're going to allow full frontal views on television?  Doesn't surprise me but doesn't make me happy, for a couple of reasons:

1. Who's going to be totally naked, svelt models or anyone and everyone on TV?  If we're supposed to be encouraging a positive body self-image (I don't know the right words), won't naked models, like the anorexic ones featured in high-end perfume commercials, create additional angst for regular and trans young girls?

2.  If it's the everyday slob like the rest of us, who wants to see them/us completely naked?  I'm not crazy about staring at my own figure in a mirror; I certainly don't want to see other flabby, gravity-affected bodies

It's a lose-lose situation.  Speaking of pride in your appearance, the other day I fell into one of those online slide shows:  "Seventeen fashion mistakes that make you look older," and I realized 16 of them are in my closet or my reflection.  I vowed to acquire a sense of style.

"Get back on the bus!"  And stop acting like Grandma!