Not Like I Used To #MFRWAuthor

Welcome to Week 22 of the 2020 MFRW 52-week challenge. The topic is "How Do You Get Your News."

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Although there is still a city paper for the nearest city, I live in the adjoining county. The paper doesn't cover any news beyond the city limits or from our side of the county line. So, no getting news from a local paper. By the time the weekly county paper is printed, the news is a bit stale. The other paper that covers the local area is primarily for legal notices and an occasional press release from some business miles away.

Which leaves broadcast media (television, radio), online, or social media. Social media is out. As a former correspondent, I know immediate information isn't always accurate. I do end up watching a regularly-scheduled local news program. A certain family member has to watch it, no matter how many times I beg to change the channel or have him watch it from another room. Other than the weather, for much of the reporting it seems the rules by which I was taught including, "Don't interject your own opinion." are broken on a regular basis. In fact, some reporters brag about their activism. Even before today's acrimonious political climate, one channel's  (won't say which public broadcast station) news borderlined on brainwashing.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Then there are the network stations. When there is a break-in of regular non-news programming for a news flash or the wall-to-wall" coverage of a storm, you can often hear me paraphrase what is being said.

"Something happened. We don't know what, but we have to say something , so we're saying something. Once we know something, we will say something, but until then we'll keep talking even though we don't know anything."

Then there is the interview which is basically nothing except:

"Give me XXX. Even though I haven't earned it, I am entitled to it because I want it. So you need to give me XXX, no matter what the cost."

So, how do I get my news. Any place I can get it in a fairly timely fashion, accurate and without bias. Sometimes I even get it from local residents.

~till next time, Helen

Cruising? Maybe? #mfrwauthor

Welcome to Week 21 of the MFRW 52-week challenge. The topic is "Love Cruises Or Not."

In order for me to answer this prompt a cruise has to be defined. The first thought was one of the immense floating cities with pools, zip lines, and for entertainment Broadway shows or reunions of big-name bands. I can't answer if I love them or not because I've never been on one and most likely never will. Besides the costs and logistics, a spouse who couldn't sit still for the 7 or 14 days would argue against such a trip. News of reports of passengers and crews stranded aboard ship for weeks due to COVID-19 is another strike for cruising.   Although I admit the writers' retreats/conferences aboard ship sounds intriguing.

Then there are what I call tourist cruises. Smaller vessels geared toward specialty itineraries. The themes could be food and wine or a specific area such as up close to glaciers, a paddlewheeler up the Mississippi River, or a windowed boat up the Rhine. I think I would enjoy all three, especially the castle cruise up the Rhine River.
 

The last type of are local, short cruises, with to without a meal being served. Over the years a few have been part of our vacations and were enjoyed. Before we moved, we took another kind of cruise. Although we had talked about it for years, we had never taken the plunge to buy tickets for the 4th of July fireworks cruise to New York City to see the Macy's display. The trips were rain or shine, and since tickets had to be purchased well ahead of time, it was a roll of the dice. No rain for the trip to Manhattan, nor the hours waited for the fireworks, and even the several fireworks displays on both sides of the Hudson went off fine. However, returning to the dock, a storm rolled in and the ship was pounded. The night ended with dashes to the parking lot to drive to the pickup zone rather than everyone walking back to the cars. The commuter ferry we were on was large enough that other than watching rain on the windows the storm wasn't bad. I felt sorry for the people on the smallest of the three ships. Intended for the short run from northern New Jersey across the river, there was less interior space and commuters generally sat aside. Not a pleasurable thing in bad weather.

~Happy sailing from a landlubber, till next time, Helen

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Dead Plants and Weeds #mfrwauthor

Welcome to Week 20 of the MFRW 52-week challenge. The topic is "How (what) does your garden grow and why." The topic is similar to one in a previous years challenge, whether gardening was pleasure or a pain.

Brown... that is the color of my thumb. It has been said that I could kill a cactus. In point of fact, I have done so. At present I have an ivy and an African violet in my home. But they don't constitute a garden.

I've tried growing tomatoes and peppers in containers. I succeeded in feeding the birds and squirrels who took great pleasure in sneaking in to steal the items just before they could be picked.

In my younger days, I grew up on a farm. Besides the fields of wheat, rye, and corn raised for sale and seed, there was a plot next to the house. We grew a variety of vegetables that we ate straight from the garden and canned or froze the rest for eating in the cold season. I remember pulling weeds, canning pickles, and making ketchup.


Perhaps the most interesting thing about the garden was the plants that weren't planted. Tomato plants grew up from seeds dropped by the local critters who plucked their meal, took a bite or two, then dropped the rest onto the ground. Peelings from potatoes were tossed in a corner of the garden to create compost. We didn't use the more modern potato peeler but a small knife. And the peelings weren't always thin slicings and sometimes contained an eye. Not surprisingly, potato plants appeared in that area the following year.

~till next time, Helen