Monday Musings

As this week begins these are the things I am currently thinking about.

1) I went on a field trip with Preston's class last Thursday. While there I managed to pass out. It was a combination of being a bit dehydrated, over dressing and being very hot and forgetting my marching band training and locking my knees. Thankfully the kids couldn't see me from where I was standing.

2) I am worried that Preston's Xbox is dying. We had a really hard time getting it to recognize the game disc yesterday. It was Clark's original one so it is probably 8 or 9 years old so we did get our moneys worth.

3) We had our first snow fall yesterday. It has melted now but I did have to send Preston to school with his winter gear today. I am really not ready for this.

Here are the pictures for the week.

Loving his new football gloves that dada bought him.

Things that make you go hmmmm.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Once again it is time for Joyce's Hodgepodge.

1. Besides Thanksgiving, something on your November calendar you're looking forward to? 

Our 22nd wedding anniversary is on the 8th and hubby's birthday is on the 16th.

2. Dictionary.com's word of the year is '6-7'. Huh? 

Is it even a word??? I had to consult the internet to find out it's meaning because apparently I'm old and this particular slang is not part of my vocabulary. Is it part of yours? According to the article I read, it's a viral term, more of an inside joke with an unclear meaning driven by social media.

What do you think? 

Dictionary. com says it's selection each year is a 'linguistic time capsule reflecting social trends and events, but they also admitted to being confused by '6-7'. Some say it means so-so and is sometimes accompanied by the up and down hand motion we associate with the phrase so-so.

What word do you think would have made a better choice? 

I have heard the term but thankfully I have not heard my teenager saying it! I am not sure what else I could come up with though.

3. What's a food, trend, activity, or thing people love but you think is just so-so? 

I never understood the avocado toast thing. I find avocados disgusting.

4. Are you a tea drinker? Hot or cold? How do you like yours and at what time of day? Do you like flavored teas or teas billed as calming, energizing, healing, etc? 

I used to drink iced tea but have not in a while. I want to be the kind of person who drinks hot tea but I just cannot do it.

5. The November Hodgepodge has always included a weekly gratitude question. Here's the question for today-what are three things that make your heart sing? 

When Preston gives me a hug and tells me I am the best mom in the world, listening to Clark and Preston laugh when they are actually being nice to each other and when my hubby comes up and hugs me from behind and kisses my hair.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

There is snow forecast for this weekend and I am really not ready for it. 

True Life Tuesday: Pierre Loutrel

Pierre Loutrel, also known as Pierre le fot (Crazy Pete), was the first public enemy #1 in France. He was born on March 5, 1916 in Chateau-du-Loir, Sarthe, France. He was born into a peasant family and started committing petty crimes at an early age. During the German occupation of France during World War II he worked with the Carlingue, a part of the gestapo, from 1941-44. He gained a reputation as a cold blooded killer During this time he also made connections with the criminal underworld. Feeling that the Germans were turning against him he joined the French resistance. After the liberation of France he once again began his work with organized crime. He ended up committing racketeering and was a pimp. His reputation as an unscrupulous crime lord grew. He ended up forming the Gangs des tractions who ended up becoming infamous. The gang partially dismantled after a raid in Champigny. He was considered to be dangerous and incontrollable and other criminals would no longer work with him. This caused him to once again turn to petty crimes. On November 6, 1946 he tried to rob a Parisian jewelry store while drunk and ended up shooting himself in the bladder. He died from his wound on November 11, 1946.     

Monday Musings

As the first week of November begins these are the things currently on my mind.

1) I really hate this time change. I can not stand the fact that it gets dark so early.

2) It was a rough start to my work day this morning. I was having a lot of technical difficulties but thankfully the day got better.

3) My great nephew will start playing on a 2-3 year old baseball team this weekend. I really want to go to one of his games. I bet this is going to be hilarious!

Here are the pictures for the week.

A boy and his pumpkin. 

Peely at the costume parade at the school.

With his new NFL gloves that he conned daddy into buying him.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It is once again time for the Hodgepodge.

1. Are you a risk taker? To what degree? 

I am definitely not a risk taker. The thought of taking a major risk causes me a lot of anxiety.

2. What's your favorite candy? Would you say you have a sweet tooth? 

I will eat pretty much anything that is not a sour candy but my 2 favorites are Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Milky Ways. I have a major sweet tooth. There are a lot of sugar lovers on both my mom and dad's sides so I come by it naturally.

3. Somewhere you've been recently that had you feeling 'like a kid in a candy store'? 

There is not anything that really comes to mind. I may need to remedy that.

4. What do you think is the most effective way to make a positive change in the world? 

To have empathy for others. To be kind to everyone you meet. 

5. Do you like surprises? 

Not really. I have already told my hubby that if my sister even hints at throwing me surprise party for me next year when I turn 50 he is to tell her absolutely not. I do have one surprise though that I love - Preston.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

I find question #4 a bit ironic since I have been really struggling with things going on in this country. The cruelty and hatefulness of the president, his cronies and followers just boggles my mind. It is so hard to be an empath and highly sensitive person with all of the crap going on. Below if just one meme that wraps up how I feel except I think the wor=ds "might be" should be replaced with "are".

True Life Tuesday: The London Beer Flood

The London Beer Flood took place on October 17, 1814 at Meux & Company's Horse Shoe Brewery in London. The brewery was bought by Sir Henry Meux in 1809. He constructed a wooden vessel the was 22 feet tall and able to hold 18,000 imperial barrels. They only brewed porter which would be left in the vessels for up to a year to mature. Behind the brewery was a small cul-de-sac which was part of the St. Giles rookery, a decaying slum.

Around 4:30pm on the day in question the storehouse clerk, George Crick, noticed that one of the 700 pound iron bands around the vat had slipped. This would happen a few times per year so he was not overly concerned but still alerted his supervisor. The supervisor told him not to worry about it and to write a note to one of the partners, Mr. Young, to have it fixed. About an hour later Crick was standing on a platform about 30 feet from the vessel when it burst. The force knocked the stopper off of a neighboring vessel causing it to also lose its contents. Between 128,000 and 323,000 imperial gallons of porter ended up being released. The force of the flood destroyed the back wall of the brewery which was 22 feet high and 2-1/2 bricks thick. A wave about 15 feet high swept into the street. Two homes were destroyed and two others were damaged. Eight people, adults and children, were killed. All of the people in the brewery survived but three workmen did have to be pulled from the rubble. There were stories of people collecting the beer and drinking so much they died from alcohol poisoning but this was never mentioned in the newspapers. Watchmen at the brewery charged people to view the remains of the vats and several hundred people did so. Many of the deceased were laid out in a nearby yard where the public came to view them and donate money for the funerals. 

A corner's inquest was held on October 19, 1814. The inquest was led by George Hodgeson, the coroner for Middlesex. The jury returned a verdict that the victims lost their lives "casually, accidentally and and by misfortune." Meux & Company was not required to pay any compensation since the verdict was that this was an act of God. However, the costs to repair the building, rebuild the vats and the loss of the product almost led the company to bankruptcy. They were saved by a payment from Parliament. The brewery went back into business but was closed in 1921 when Meux & Company moved production to another brewery in Wandsworth. The Dominion Theater was eventually build on the site of the brewery. Meux & Company went into liquidation in 1961. Because of the accident wooden tanks were phased out and replaced with vessels lined with concrete. 

Monday Musings

As we wind up the month of October these are the things currently on my mind.

1) My routines are starting to slip away again. I did so well over the summer and the start of the school year but the last couple of weeks have been a struggle.

2) I do not know why this always comes as a surprise since it happens every year at this time.

3) I am really feeling down about how many people in our country can be so cruel and uncaring toward their fellow humans. Being an empath and highly sensitive person is extremely hard during these ridiculous times.

Here are the pictures for the week.

Riding the penny horse at Meijer.