Patricia - I think you'll enjoy seeing your DNA results.  Some results are very predictable, like AJ's, but  mostly the countries of origin are more spread out than you would have thought.  Sounds like you inherited DNA from a different part of the family, from your two sisters?  My two daughters and I, (and my late mother), all have the same body build, weight, and height within an inch of each other.  The men in my family and AJ's were or are, from about 5'10" to 6'4", so our son at 6'3" is what would be expected.

It really is a fascinating subject, and I do hope you send for your kit.  When you get the results, it opens up hours scrolling through the endless list of names of cousins, that you never knew existed!

Marilyn, both Annie and James were mostly interested in Sue's birth family background, more than the genealogy, but now they are interested in both.  About a half hour ago, Sue called to tell me she had met her biological cousin.  She may send me some pictures and she said the newfound cousin is going to visit her soon and Sue will take her to meet her adoptive mother, Carol.  Carol has been for the contact all along and I think Sue was afraid of hurting her parents so never pursued things.  Also the records were sealed, so DNA is and was the way to go.  Sue has a brother, also adopted, and he met his birth mother several years ago.  She has visited him and picnicked with Carol. 

I felt AJ would have some Scandinavian ancestry because of the "sen" in your last name.  Usually "sen" is Danish and "son" is Swedish.  And Norwegian can be either.  Our last name is not Danish, however, where my grandfather was born was Denmark at the time.  When that area was awarded to Germany after the Prussian War, the family moved to the Jutland peninsula of Denmark and several children were born there. 

In 2000 Sue's mother, Carol, and I went to Denmark and Germany for a visit.  Carol and her husband had a Japanese exchange student who they kept in contact with.  The student, an adult by then, was with the Japanese embassy, based in Copenhagen at the time.  She wanted Carol to visit, so Carol suggested I go too.  She wondered if there was any place else I'd like to visit.  In 1999 we had a visit from some distant relatives from Germany so I suggested we go to Hamburg and those were our two main places - Copenhagen and Hamburg in the two weeks we were there.  My only problem was walking; they walk everywhere in both countries and my feet suffered.  I had a blister on a callus and that was not fun, but I'd do it again if I were 17 years younger!

It is interesting that you are part Native American, but if you knew your grandmother's heritage, it is not surprising. 

Yes, Patricia, have your DNA tested.  It is interesting.  As a member of Ancestry, I can check the family trees for various family members.  Some people delve very deeply into their family history but I have not.  I have seen where my parents lived in MN and WI and I saw the house where I was born.  I have met some of my great-aunts and -uncles and that is all I care about.  Someone may care about deeds to properties owned, but I do not.  I have been fed a lot of information about family members - names, that is - and I've met some of my second cousins (most have died).  I'm content with what info I have and if someone wants to add to my info, OK, but I'm done hunting.

Darn, another book!

Mary Ann

Thanks, MaryAnn, but up until the large acreage burnt in 2004 and 2005, we would have summers that were more in the nineties and sometimes plus 104 and thereabouts with a rainy summer like this one about every three or four years.

My toe, was still throbbing and sore so I suspected a bit of sock or leftover scrap of the nail was embedded. I boiled a needle, tweezers and a small pick and then cooled them down in hydrogen peroxide. When I placed a small hole, I could tell it was infected so I carefully reopened it and drained it. I couldn't find anything left in the wound so flushed it and now am soaking my toes in more hydrogen peroxide. It already feels back to normal.

It isn't worth paying a doctor because I can access and treat it. My mother had lots of experience, especially with my younger sister who almost made a game out of which body part to injure next and she, mom,  made sure we had basic home care knowledge and that we all took first aid classes in school and in Girl Scouts as she was our troop leader.

Marilyne, I have a strong interest in history, my degree is in history and I also love trivia so this is a match made in heaven for me. The early Celtic people came over the Russian Steppes before reaching their present homes and the Vikings loved to plunder Ireland because of the multiple nunneries and monasteries with all the gold and jeweled alter pieces and slaves. So you have to wonder.

I had a maternal uncle, died in 1963 who forwent a wife and child for his obsession with the family. He took both of my maternal sides back to sixteen hundred Ireland and wrote what he found down, self-published it and gave a copy to each of the nine heads of the family at the time. My sister and I are listed in the "begets" but my younger sister is not. Our family was transported by the English from Ireland in the mid seventeen hundreds to Charleston, S.Carolina.

My father's family was more interested in surviving so nothing much is known there altho a male relative contacted my older sister a number of years ago. She wrote me and asked permission to tell him about my daughter but I don't know what happened if anything with that.

Now, to add another chapter as MaryAnn would say; my father was 6'5" and he was one of 16 kids. 12 survived to adulthood but not all, WWII. Nine married and had kids. All were and are farmers in and around Missouri or N. California or were when I was young. Everyone was tall in that family. Even the daughters were all at least 6 foot. My dad at 6'5" was certainly not the tallest. Everyone also was dark even if they had really pale skin like mine, their hair and eyes were dark.

Now my mom was one of 12 I think but only three reached or survived adulthood. My grandfather was 5'7" and a farmer and known for being able to bring someone down descriptively without once using a curse word. He could have been an Irish rapper!    My grandma was probably five foot.

My uncle was 5'8"  &  my aunt was 5'7" and my mom lied when she said she was five foot. Everyone was either a blonde or redhead, blue-eyed, except my mom was dark and blue eyed. and was very pale.

So there you have it. Everyone, my dad's side and my mom's side were all farmers from the sixteen hundreds to my generations. The majority still are.

MaryAnn, as you can see, I like books. I was originally interested in genealogy because of suspicions, even after seeing photos of my grandmother, about being adopted. Then as I got older, I could see facial and body similarities on both family sides so it became medical after my daughter. And then simply want to know as it is a "thing" on both sides about being all Celtic, Irish or Welsh but also some Scottish with the Black Watch Johnstons.

Somehow I don't believe we are all that pure. There is also some spirited discussion whether we are, (were); lace curtain Irish or shanty Irish. My cousin who is married to a very tall, very dark Black man has told us recently that he has gotten into the act by telling her sisters that his family traces their roots all the way back to Ireland as well. He has been married to my cousin for 23 years, is well adored by her family,  and is known for a very dry, droll wit.

Patricia, the DNA test will show if you have African ancestry, but Africa is a big continent and it could mean Egyptian as well as South African.  I went back to my results, looking for an ancestry name (not in my genealogy) - not the name of a person but a nationality or religion, but I could not find it.  It starts with A and I think refers to Jewish ancestry.  I have 293 4th cousins or closer listed.  I have identified a few of them, but when they start out, often there are no names given so I don't know their family tree.  And the names of the people are far removed from the common ancestor so I have no idea where they fit in.  A few have contacted me and I've written to some who I knew were relatives.

I have a picture of my grandfather standing in front of his shoe repair shop and it is obvious that he was a short man, probably the same height as my dad.  I think my dad's brother was an inch or two taller than dad.  His wife was tall for a woman and all of their children (my first cousins) were tall (one is still living).  My uncle died at 76 but his wife lived to be 100 plus five months.  Their son died in 2014 at age 97. 

Time to put the cat to bed!

Mary Ann

Well Angel, since you are blue eyed and I too am blue eyed that means somewhere back in our past we had a common ancestor so i read the other day.  Seems we all originated from Northern Europe.

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/all-blue-eyed-people-have-common-ancestor-0/

I only have one child with blue eyes.....

I've read that Hal. Cousins somewhere down the line? You do know that the Celts weren't the only ones traveling Russia's Steppes.

MaryAnn, my first cousin is married to Enteki. He was being his normal droll self as he is from the Sudan or at least his grandparents emigrated from there. He is from Kansas via his dad's military service. Would I be his cousin in law?

The two main types of Jewish ethnicity are Ashkenazic and Sephardic that represent two subcultures of Jewry. Bubble can correct me if I am wrong. I believe that the Ashkenazic are more East European and have issues with sickle cell anemia and the Sephardic are more Middle Eastern. Again I'm sure Bubble could correct me if I'm wrong.

And right you are, Angel

Hi Everyone.  It is going to be another sunny and hot day in the high 80's or low 90's.  I have nothing on my schedule that requires me to leave the house today.  I am glad as days I am away for a couple of hours or more seem to now require a day of rest following.  Yesterday went as planned.  I did get to coffee and the Wisdom class.  Just as I got home Scott was about to drive away after installing the slide out shelves but got out of the car and gave me a big hug and came back inside for a few minutes. 

Mary Ann, computers and computer users have certainly come a long way from those early days of computing.  Glad you had some time with Annie yesterday. In teaching seniors to use computer I found one of the hardest concepts was for folks to understand file structure and how to be organized.

Joan, unfortunately the obsolesce factor remains unchanged today from those early days regarding computers and other electronics. 

Jean, like you once I had high speed internet I sure didn't want to go back to dial-up.  When the worldwide web was introduced it opened up the world. The iPads are very nice and now I find I don't use mine very much as I can do the same things on my iPhone. 

Marilyne, I have never found doing genealogy to be fascinating. I know a number of family and friends who have done a lot of genealogy work.  When I was in Salt Lake City on business years ago I had the opportunity to visit the LDS library that has the huge genealogy collection. 

Beverly, glad things are back to normal for you and good to see your posting. 

Patricia, I can't imagine most Americans going for blood pudding. Also the idea of kidney pie does appeal.  Two or three times Pat has gone to a tea room with friends and they have had a great time.  The last time the place had a lot of hats and the ladies got to put on different hats and a lot of pictures were taken.  So sorry about your toe.  It sounds like you have a likely chance for a free lunch regarding your upcoming summer.

Very interesting postings about family backgrounds.   

Hal, I have blue eyes, as do most of my family.  My eye drops to deter glaucoma are said to change the color of the pigment of my eyes and eventually I would have brown eyes.  I would not use the drops for some time because of that.  May be foolish, but that is the way I felt.  I have been taking the drops for a few years now.  There must be some of the OCA2 gene in the drops to make that possible (you can see I am not into genetics!).  I have always said my eyes are grey-blue and recently a woman told me I had such pretty blue eyes.  I know both of my folks had more blue than I have and my paternal grandmother wrote about her grey-blue eyes.  I think Norm's eyes were more blue than mine.

Patricia, this is the one I meant - Ashkenazic - it only said I did not have any of that tribe in my ancestry.  Thanks for the information. 

Ayres Department Store in Indianapolis used to have a Tea Room and it was very popular.  My aunt would take me there when I would visit her and we always dressed very properly - dresses, dress shoes.  I don't recall wearing a hat because I would not have taken a hat with me, but it was not a place for shorts or jeans.  Food would have been finger sandwiches and chicken salad and similar foods.  The store is still in operation in malls but I don't know if the Tea Room is still operating.  My aunt is long gone.

Larry, I probably have been "fed" 95% of the genealogy information I have, or I found it on the internet while browsing.  I'd say my only claim to fame was my 3x great-grandfather who family lore said was either the oldest or last (or both) survivor of the Revolutionary War.  He was Lemuel Cook of Clarendon NY who was born in 1759 and died in 1866, three months before his 107th birthday.  Records since have disproved both facts, but he was close in both categories.  I don't know if my uncle being Business Manager of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN counts, but the Clinic is well known.  One of my ancestors was accused of being a witch, but she was acquitted - Winifred Benham, wife of Joseph Benham.  (Senior moment - I can't think of her maiden name - and it doesn't matter).

Patricia, I guess you could say that Enteki is your cousin-in-law, but I have never referred to my cousins' spouses as anything other than my cousin's wife or husband.  I also have not seen the term in print.  But actually, that is what Enteki is - your cousin-in-law.

We're into cooler weather now, but the sun is shining so it will be a beautiful day!  We need rain so badly and it often shows up in the forecast for three or four days ahead and when we get to that day, no rain. 

I think I'll quit while I'm ahead!

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - I'm sitting here laughing, over your story of the eye drops!  The same exact thing happened to me.  When I developed glaucoma, and the doctor prescribed drops, he told me they would eventually turn my eyes brown.  I had the prescription filled, but couldn't bring myself to ever use it! It was a personal feeling - that I had lived all my life with the eye color that I was born with, and wanted to someday die with my own natural eye color. (which is a pale green/blue) 

I asked the doc for different eye drops, and the one he prescribed is called Timolol. He said it was one of the original/oldest of the glaucoma drops, and that it would work fine, and wouldn't effect eye color.  I've been using it for about five years now, and it has kept my pressure down where I belongs.  I think that doctors tend to prescribe the newest and latest medicine, for their patients.  Usually the old tried and true meds work just as well, and are much more reasonably priced.

Just for the record . . . I love brown eyes! I think they are beautiful.  But I believe that each of us is born with a specific eye color that is meant for us individually, and that's the way it should remain.

Good morning, usual Interior weather and usual cat pose directly in front and meowing if eye contact is made. I really think it is treats that Farrah is expecting and that I haven't purchased or given her this time. She only eats about 2/3rds cup of food each day and I would rather it was more nutritional. I have at times purchased small 3-ounce cans of tuna which she likes and have spread each can over a week. However, that is about as bad as a treat for cats if you give them canned tuna. So there you have it.

Thanks, Bubble, I remembered the earlier discussion in photos. Hopefully, that was in that forum. I just remember the discussion.

My first husband was German, redheaded and had green eyes with gold flecks. My daughter inherited both. My three nephews and two nieces all have blue eyes which is a recessive gene. Genetics and DNA are fascinating for me and I look forward to finding out more.

My youngest sister is 6', redheaded and her hair is tight and more of an afro. She has a long nose and dark eyes with high cheekbones. She married a 5'9" blonde blue eyed man and their daughter is short, 5 foot and blue-eyed, taking after dad. However, in March of this year, she married a 6' 5" blonde and so it goes.

Larry, I've always said I have a magpie nature with a love of bright and shiny and that is why I love history and genetics and one of my favorite thoughts or words have been "Why?" Hal's link sent me off for some time yesterday discovering new bright and shiny ideas and why I often answer people's suppositions even if they may not have indicated a need. It is one of the reasons I'm always taking classes or subscribing to journals or doing daily quizzes or vocabulary words. All that bright and shiny out there.

Now for one sister, it's cooking, she's a chef, studied in Italy and France. For my other sister, it's home improvement, she has built houses, rehabbed more and is knowledgeable about stuff I have no real clue about. Each one of us came from the same set of parents and the same upbringing and took off in totally different directions. I love how we, all of us, have so many differences. Yet, ultimately come together with so many similarities.

Marilyn, my eye drops are Lantanaprost (or something like that), a generic for Travapost.  I don't look at my eyes that much so I don't know if there has been a change in shade.  I will say I had never had anyone tell me I had such beautiful eyes! (male or female - and this was a female). 

I don't think I've written this recently; Norm's first wife had beautiful hazel colored eyes and their first son had dark brown eyes.  I think her father had brown eyes.  I assumed Annie had blue eyes and it was only two or three years ago that I realized her eyes were a light brown.  When I asked her about them, she said she wondered where her brown eyes came from and I told her about her grandmother.  Annie also has a nose like no one else in the family and that could be from her mother's birth family.  I also like brown eyes; it's just that I wanted my own blue eyes!

Patricia, I think I've mentioned this before too:  All of the short genes of both my dad's and mother's families seems to have concentrated in our family.  All of my cousins, male and female were on the tall side.  Norm was 5'7" or 5'8" and I may have been 5'0" in my prime.  Mother was about 5'4".  Annie is tall and slender, James is shorter and heavier.  Sue is about 5'7" (Annie's mother) and Tom is probably 5'8" or 5'9".  Tim and Terry were about the same.  Terry's two kids are both tall but under 6'.  My cousin in Indps and I had similar coloring, but she was much taller than I.  When I was with Jim (her husband), we'd look like Mutt and Jeff.

Annie's mother called me yesterday.  She has gotten wonderful results from the DNA test.  She has auburn hair, James had carrot red hair when young, but has auburn hair now.  His wife has orange/red hair and the twins have red hair.  Annie has kind of strawberry blonde hair.  Sue was wondering if we had any redheads in our family and we do not. 

The DNA tests can be what people make of them.  I look at the names and trees (if there) of 4th cousins or under but 5th cousins or more are too far from me as far as I am concerned.    Patricia, I think it is interesting that your and your sisters' interests went in such different directions. 

Mary Ann

MaryAnn, also one likes horses, one likes dogs and I like cats.

Well, I bit the bullet so to speak, but unfortunately, it bit back. Everyone is probably well aware and familiar with my not having had a television since 1997. That television was a 19" color TV by Magnavox that took two people to move. I had in the past tried free trials of Hulu and of Netflix but didn't even watch more than one show so nixed those ideas.

Anyway, a woman had recently moved her disabled mother into a third-floor apartment only to have her mother fall ill and she had to move her to a nursing home where the mother died suddenly. To make a long story short, the daughter had one month to vacate her mother's apartment so as to not incur additional fees. So all furniture and accessories were priced to move quickly. I went with others to "just look."

I purchased the smaller of three TVs and a small television stand for eighty bucks and was assured by one of the security people that it worked great. I was surprised at how light it was and there was only a screen, remote and of course the rolling stand. I did wonder why someone would need THREE TVs in a one bedroom apartment. But I have three Kindles and two computers so have no room to judge.

Back to the bite back; I got it home, plugged it in, tried the remote and got an onscreen message that says no signal! It turns out and everyone thought I already knew, that you need to go out and buy a box that unscrambles the signal! Who knew? Before, I just plugged it in. So now, anyone has any advice for me?  Click on link below to open

[attachimg=1]

I wish I could help you, Patricia.  I have a flat screen TV and I am renting a box to get HD.  If you haven't, go to the Q and A in S&F, several people you would recognize post there and are very helpful.

Mary Ann

I placed a copy in the TV discussion MaryAnn.

Go back and get the box it was hooked to.  You should be entitled to t.

Hal, she had a computer and three televisions......I imagine the box was returned to the company.

Angelface - You need to have some sort of antenna or cable that brings the signal to your TV. Talk to your building manager about what to do. They may have cable access for the apartments.

edit: If there's a TV station in your city, you may be able to have some sort of small antenna arrangement (like rabbit ears.)

I wanted to thank everyone for their help as I was essentially clueless. Our building manager was out sick today but I was able to buttonhole one of the security gals. They share a space with the mailroom, maintenance, and housekeeping.

You can get an antenna that brings in about 30 channels for 5. or 10. dollars. There are also two dish companies and one satellite company but that won't work here. Otherwise, there are two Alaskan cable companies, ACS or GCI.

Then there is AT&T or newly arrived last year, Verizon which may only be phones, I'm not sure about them. There are four local television channels and one PBS channel affiliated with the University here. There is also evidently some type of military channel available off base as well.

Anyway, I have time as it will be next week before I can do anything.

MaryAnn, I don't know what HD is, is that a type of hard drive? This TV must be a flat screen as it is larger than my 22" flat screen computer monitor, flatter as well and has a stand but no body. It does come with a remote. I have three types of HD and one CC and one something else and something that just says TV when you go to settings. You can go to settings or TV but they all default to no signal after only a moment or so.The wheeled stand I also purchased, had her microwave on it in that apartment.

I have a Roku that I received when I started my Internet service that is supposedly able to switch your computer screen to your television screen. At least that has instructions!  Well, here's hoping everyone has a good night!

Good Morning, all. It has turned cool again with the temp dipping down to 49 yesterday morning. I haven't checked the weather yet today, except that it looks a bit cloudy this morning.

Friday morning I stood out in the yard before dawn to see the stars. For all the light pollution around here there were quite a few visible. My current favorite, Orion, is again visible in the pre-dawn sky as are Castor and Pollux, Cassiopeia, Eridanus (though all but the "top-end" is down below the tree line), Syrius and Aldebaran too. Those are just the easy ones to pick out.  No planets in view yet this time of morning (4:30am). I can't believe it is still dark, now, at 6:30am, but just, because it is now 7:30am and already light.

Angel, HD means High Definition. I had to replace my TV last year, so I got an HD SmartTV. The TV upstairs was given to me several years back and is also HD, but only at the low end. I have a Roku attached to that one. HD gives you a much sharper picture and eye popping colors - an amazing difference from the old standard tube TVs.

I am pretty much addicted to YouTube on the big screen these days. It is nice to be able follow knitting and crochet instructions that are big enough to truly see what some of the instructors are doing. And then there are the amazing travel clips of all the wonderful places around the world. Through those I have seen places in Africa, South America, the US, and have ridden the rails in several US and European countries, including a rail tour through a cavern system (though I forget where exactly). So, now I not only explore the Internet on my computer, but I also explore the world through YouTube via my TV.

Yardwork is beckoning, but I will wait until after lunch, I think, when things are a little warmer. My arthritis kicked up too much yesterday.

Hi Everyone.  We are to get a break in our high temperatures today as expect only the low 80's with a slight possibility of some rain.  I do have a busy morning planned for today but the rest of the day should be quiet. I will watch some college football this afternoon.

I had never heard that about the eye drops for glaucoma before in terms of changing eye color.  I think my eyes are a greenish brown in color although I really don't pay much attention. 

Mary Ann, we are also in need of rain and like your area they predict it but often it doesn't materialize or just bypasses us. 

Marilyne, if a older drug does the same job it sure is a shame that the doctors don't consider our pocketbooks and prescribe the newest and most expensive thing. 

Patricia, it is great that you have an active interest in so many different subjects and have a keen curiosity. You really surprised me when you wrote yesterday about getting the TV.  I hope you get an antennae or the needed box so you can see it.  The HD refers to a High Definition picture and this is much brighter and sharper picture.  To determine the size of the screen just measure the picture area from the lower corner diagonally to the upper corner.  You probably can find answers to many of your questions with a quick Google search.  If I can't remember how to do something I just do a search and almost always find the answers I need and often with a video demonstrating what is needed. 

MarsGal, I wouldn't be able to name one star much less a whole bunch as you have done.  Was this an area of study for you or just something that is interesting.  My wife watches quilting videos almost daily on her computer and often quilting shows on YouTube or some channel.     

Patricia, my HD post has been answered by others so I won't get into that except to say the picture is much better.  Before I got the box, the people were much wider, even those I knew were more slender. 

MarsGal, we have light pollution here too and on a clear night I might be able to see one star and don't ask me what it is.  I am able to see the moon if it is in my viewing area.  I am in a hollow and have a few trees in the way, but at least I can see the moon.

I've showered and washed my hair and now I'm drying off. 

Later Tom and I will go to Meijer to look at phones.  I  have a 3-phone set and only one works on everything.  One phone will allow me to see who is calling and the #1 phone will let me answer it but I can't pick up a message from the phone; I have to use the base.  I'd like to get a 4-phone set so I can have a phone in the living area too.  I don't get many calls, but I don't like to have to go from point A to point B to answer it, especially when it is a robo call that I don't answer. 

Mary Ann

Larry, I just like to look at the stars, but I don't belong to the local Astronomy Club nor have I studied. Just an interest. Occasionally I must check my app on Kindle (Distant Suns) to remember names. For instance, I can call up the three of the four main stars on Orion (Betelgeuse, Bellatrix and Rigel) but I usually forget the fourth which is Saiph. Sirius is hard not to see or remember. It is the brightest star in the sky. Eradinus is to the right and down as I look at Orion. I am becoming acquainted with it and Fornax (partly encircled by Eradinus) because some of it's stars featured in a SciFi series I read. Sirius is to the left as I face Orion Castor and Pollux are a bit farther and feature Castor and Pollux (the brightest of the two). Those are my central area of "exploration" because they are easy to spot from my front yard or upper window when I like to look. The others are usually obscured by trees or are at a time of night I am not looking.

I like the Distant Suns app. I tried Stellarium, which is highly rated, but I could never figure out how to use it well. There is a lot to see up there, even with the naked eye or binoculars. If I lived out in N. Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, etc. I think you might not get me in at night. The number of stars is mindboggling, and to see an arm of the Milky Way is difficult here. https://www.space.com/14249-milkyway-galaxy-photos.html   https://www.universetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Milky-Way-artist-ESO-FINALlabeled_edited-1.jpg We are within the Orion Arm of the Milky Way which appears to be a minor arm. Here is another chart: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Milky_Way_Arms_ssc2008-10.svg  Maybe I'll try harder this winter to pick it out.

Oh, you mentioned your wife watches quilting stuff on the computer and YouTube. My Mom was a quilter. By the time she became acquainted with computers, she wasn't up to quilting anymore. I have a quilt she made for me over 50 years ago. It is still in great shape.

Good morning from a dark, dank, Interior. My balcony says 29 while the "official" airport temperature says plus thirty-three. Our projected high will be plus 43. I never turn the heat on here but often run a small heater for about a half hour each morning this time of year.

Farrah is working off some predatory instincts. A whole lot of deep hoarse growling going on while mad dashes predominate. This seems to be her way to start the morning off right these days.

As to the television, it reminds me of when I first got an android cell this past spring. And now I have two. It's just that I have been a bit of a Philistine about not having a television and the news about all the reality shows and breathless feuds turned me off. I never really watched back when I had a television and do not know if this will be different.

I looked into the cable offerings in about '05 or '06 but saw too much junk such as soap operas and old, old sitcoms rather than the A&E and the History channel or even the Western channel my dad who died in 1995 was so fond of. So I didn't buy my neighbor's television back then. It, the Television offer came at the same time my Internet company was offering increased speed and 200 cable channels. Now it offers Rokus and newer Kindles.

I was used to four regular channels, PBS and then cable. Now it appears that cable is essential. I am rather like a magpie when it's all bright and shiny. However, I still cannot comprehend this woman needing three TVs in a one bedroom apartment with the largest one being 44 inches! This one I measured diagonally,(30" so perhaps 26" or 28"?); per Larry and it was the smallest of the three!

MarsGal, I wonder if your Sirius is our "Morning Star"? Here the Milky Way has centered almost directly above and Venus is often visible. I don't really notice the stars as it is daylight in the summer and cloudy most of the winter, but what is very noticeable here is the movement seasonably of the Sun and Moon rotations.
It moves or seems to, to the right or northwest in the fall and to the north in the spring.

MarsGal (Marge?), when I was young, we had no street lights on our street and we could sit outside and see the Milky Way and all sorts of stars and formations.  Then we got a street light directly across from us and away went the stars.  We weren't too interested in stars then anywy, but then came Sputnik Echo and others and we'd go out in the back yard to wait for them to come along.  I had a cottage and we could look for them there too, absolutely no street lights.  Now I am in a condo where we have lights galore.  If I look out my front door to the south, I sometimes am able to see one bright star when/if it's there - and that is it!

Patriia, I do have this flat screen TV and I think it is a 40=inch.  I have my favorite programs - Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, the Weather Channel especially during storms and hurricanes, PBS and a extension PBS channel, the Golf Channel - but I am not on it constantly.  I do not have the TV on all day as some people do.  I am listening to one of the Music Choice channels where I can listen to the music and don't have to wath it

I understand cable is on its way out in favor of streaming, but I don't know what that is all about.  Progress has outpaced me!

Mary Ann

Thanks, MaryAnn. I have multiple Youtube subscriptions but steaming is like your music channel perhaps? I'm not sure either. I guess I'll find out more in the coming weeks. I'm a lot like my mother was as she always sat on the couch, reading a book or magazine occasionally glancing at the screen.

However, it sounds more interesting now than it did back then and we didn't grow up with television as my dad didn't care for it. We did get one after the flood in 1967 so discovered Disney, Vic Morrow in Combat and the Dean Martin show. Sunday nights after dinner dishes and homework, the couch was prime real estate.

My older sister has never had a television that I know of and my younger sister who was four in 1967 and discovered Saturday morning cartoons, has always had one. She leaves it on all day for "the noise" she says.....


I would love to be able to see the eclipses, stars, meteors and other space phenomenon but we are simply too far north and as I said, it is bright daylight in the summer almost 24/7 and in the winter, the clouds come down. If it does clear to blue skies in the winter, you know it's going to get obscenely cold so winter clouds are nice to have! 

Patricia, I wish I could remember all of the details of our first TV.  I know it was black and white and my dad bought it when I was on a trip to the Rockies, US and Canada.  Somehow I realized the salesman was a man who was a counterpart of my boss in another division of the company.  He had been released for some infraction.  When I could, I told him who I was because I had talked to him many times as an employee but I did not mention his being fired.  Anyway, the year was 1966 and shortly after that I went to one of our wholesalers and bought our first color set.  It was lovely, in a mahogany-color cabinet with doors.  I have no idea how much more it cost retail, but I bought it at the wholesale price - much less.  The color was wonderful, much better than today's sets. 

I've had a TV ever since, hardly ever turn it on in the morning, maybe early afternoon, except for the music channel.  Norm used to have the TV on all day, even without the sound.  I do not do that.  Maybe it's because I face the TV and I don't like the action that I can see but do not watch.  Picky, picky!!!

We just got back from buying a 3-phone set and I'll install it tonight before I go to bed.  Tom has put things together.  The hardest part will be putting the plug in the outlet because of the location.  I have installed phones before.  I wanted a 4-phone set but they didn't have one and I decided I could do away with one in my bedroom.  I have in the past, especially since my bedroom phone quit working, taken one of the handsets to my bedroom at night - just in case. 

We've had a lovely day with the temperature at 65 degrees.  I think I can get by with wearing a sweater to church; I'm not ready for a coat yet.

Mary Ann

Angel, I think the term "streaming media" had a broader meaning earlier on, it mostly is used to refer to music or video over the Internet now. YouTube is one, as is Amazon Prime (video and music), Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and a huge bunch of others. If you use a Ruko devise, Chrome stick, or the like, you are getting streamed media. I wonder if the On Demand feature that cable companies offer is a form of streaming.  Some of the news channels are now live streaming their programs as well as broadcasting.

Well, I've got Lucy set up to go to the vets next week to check on her sniffle/sneezes which she usually isn't prone to get. Oscar goes on a different day for his annual checkup. I could have scheduled them at the same time, but a cat and carrier are a bit heavy for me anymore. That's what I get for not exercising anymore.