Thursday, March 17, 2022

A Channeling Katie Weekly Link Round-Up

 


It's been an interesting week here at Casa Kittling. Denis pulled a muscle along his ribs doing something that he shouldn't have done, although I know why he did. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but we've had big plastic bins of Christmas ornaments stacked in the craft room, but neither one of us has been in any real shape to get them hauled out of the house and into the shed. Well, I figured out how to get it done in such a way that Denis didn't need to help. Even though I told him my plan, the poor guy's been feeling so useless that he decided to ignore me. He went out, opened the shed door, and hauled out a big hand truck and wheeled it into the house. I'd forgotten we had one and was going to use the mini-shopping cart I'd recently purchased.

Let me tell you, that hand truck more than -halved the time it took me to get all those bins out to the shed. The next hurdle was getting them into the shed. Don't forget, I'm doing this while seated on an electric scooter. Since Denis's back ailments, I've been getting my upper body and arm strength back with a vengeance because I can't use my legs as I have done all my life. Denis came out (drat that carport security camera!) when I was finishing up. I made him sit down because there was no way on earth I was going to let him try to pick up one of those fully loaded bins. Denis couldn't figure out how I was getting the bins into the shed. One at a time, up and over the front of the scooter, and down on the shed floor just inside the door. In stacks of three. Now, since I couldn't get into the shed, how did I finish up? 


Kathryn Seger Brookshier

 
By channeling my Great-Grandmother Brookshier, that's how. Grandma Brookshier was four foot eight, and all the local farm families knew that when they needed any sort of doctoring, all they had to do was "Go get Katie."

In her later years, she had to use two canes to walk. (Lordy, what she could've done with my scooter!) One day, my mother went to visit her and found her out back planting her garden. Grandma Brookshier was using one cane to make a hole in the soil, and the other cane to move the seed into the hole and tamp the soil down. Well, I just so happen to have a purple cane, and I used it to find the sweet spot on each stack of bins and push them back into the shed exactly where I wanted them. Right out of Katie Brookshier's playbook. I think Denis was rather impressed even though he didn't say anything.

So I'd like to thank Grandma Brookshier for that shed-loading pointer. Never underestimate the power of a good cane! As the years advance and joints you've greatly abused in the past decide they no longer want to work, do not despair-- there's usually a work-around that will get just the results you were looking for. I'm fortunate that I had inspiration from an expert ancestor.

Enjoy the links!


►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
 
►Book Banning◄
 
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
 
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
  • A bat falcon has been spotted for the first time in the United States.
  • A man in Oakland created a custom handheld feeder for a hummingbird that keeps returning to his yard.
  • Sneaky magpies are outwitting scientists by removing their tracking devices. (If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: Dumb animals, eh?)
  • A disabled opossum named Kewpie is learning to walk again thanks to a custom wheelchair.
  • Do birds have language?
  • A 500-lb. bear known as Hank the Tank was blamed for numerous break-ins in the Lake Tahoe area. DNA evidence says otherwise.
  • Should we kill every mosquito on earth?
  • Dogs may mourn the deaths of other household pets.
 
►The Black Experience◄
 
►International Women's Day◄
 
►I ♥ Lists◄


Whew! There's a bumper crop of links this week, isn't there? Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch for your surfing pleasure.

 Stay safe. Stay healthy. And don't forget to curl up with a good book!

21 comments:

  1. Poor Denis. He wants to be helpful, productive and contributing to your household and assisting you. He has worked for his adult life and now is retired, and probably feels the need to do some things that need doing and also help you. It is very nice of him.
    But he has to learn his limitations so he doesn't injure his back more.
    Aging has its problems and readjustments are needed.
    Like the links, especially for Black History Month and International Women's Day. Some fascinating people.
    I have read some and will return to read more.
    Hope everyone's health issues improve.
    Maybe you should both lie on the couches/recliners with iced tea and snacks and read and watch movies and give up the work for awhile.
    A late friend used to say that housework was the last priority in life. I think my mother concurred. And often when I have limited energy or don't feel well, I follow that advice.

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    1. It might say too much about me that housework has never been a priority in my life-- unless I have company coming to stay!

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  2. Wow, what a story, Cathy! I am so glad you had that inspiration, and I love it that you learned from your ancestor. I think we all have ideas and creativity we don't know we have (well, we don't know it until we need it). I do feel for Denis, though! I hope he feels better soon, poor guy. He's been through enough. Well, glad to hear you were able to get the job done. Lots of interesting links here, too. I think I'll learn more about those Faberge eggs. And I want to know more about how Black dolls were used to tell history. Fascinating!

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    1. The article about the Black dolls was one of my favorites this week.

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  3. I read Between Two Kingdoms and Finding Freedom last year. Both good memoirs.And some of your Book Tidbit links were fun to read. Hope you and your husband will be feeling better soon.

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  4. Cathy, I loved the story about your great-grandmother and also with a picture. What a treasure! You two take care there. Would love to see you at a mystery conference next year....

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  5. Your great-grandmother sounds like she was quite the lady!

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    1. She was, and all her nine children loved her deeply. I wish I'd gotten to know her personally, but she died when I was a toddler.

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  6. Definitely a bumper crop of links - lots to check out!

    I loved the story about your great-grandmother, and seeing her photo certainly added to the impression of how capable and determined she was. Having that link to the present is a moment to treasure. And since you need to have a cane around, I'm glad it's purple :)

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    1. Yes, purple canes have some extra je-ne-sais-quoi. ;-)

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  7. Good for those Texas students and their banned-book clubs.

    I've been following the stories about that Bat Falcon on the border. It has certainly created quite the stir among birders. And, of course, birds have language! How can anyone doubt it?

    That's a wonderful story about your great-grandmother. What an impressive looking woman.

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  8. I was meaning to say what a force of nature was your great grandmother. It seems like you take after her in terms of getting htings done no matter the obstacles.
    And I read Between Two Kingdoms, very good.

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    1. Thanks for the compliment, although I have the feeling that Grandma Brookshier was tougher than I've ever thought of being.

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    2. My Jewish immigrant grandmother was definitely tougher than I am. She started out as a garment worker and the other women came to her with their grievances as she was not afraid of anyons, certainly not by any garment bosses.
      By the way I spent a lovely evening at the PP with several authors, Barbara and Patrick. And no expense to me.
      Did you get to see Donna Leon yet?

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    3. No, I haven't. Denis has been hospitalized since Wednesday evening, so I've had a few other things on my mind. One good thing about those events is that they will still be there when I'm ready for them.

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  9. The Gardener Museum Heist has long interested me--it is often mentioned in mysteries. I'm in favor of eliminating mosquitoes and hope the article won't dissuade me. Off to check the links!

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    1. Part of me wants to blast all mosquitoes off the face of the earth. The other part of me knows that everything on this planet was put here for a reason. What part of the biodiversity of this planet would be upset if mosquitoes no longer existed?

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  10. What a terrific round up and share. My mom (almost 89) didn't love her cane until we got her a "standing" one, with 4 little feet. Her favorite use for it is tilting down the bird feeders so she can fill them, pushing flower pots and then pushing laundry baskets out to the garage. She also carries it at night to ward off the random javelina that have decided that her yard is a perfect snack station. (The other day there was a pack of 17 in the side yard.) She doesn't need the cane really at her home, but she's become quite the innovator of creative uses!! Take care and enjoy our Spring. (Our lemons, grapefruit and orange trees smell divine!)

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    1. My lemon tree and the sweet acacia smell sublime-- and I would love to have a pack of javalina frequent my yard! They might persuade the feral cats to stay off the property.

      By the way, my purple cane is a standing one, too.

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