Of Earworms and Other Things!

Wow! What a day it's been today - and yesterday too, for that matter! I'm gonna be playing catch up ball for a long time now I think!

First off, Debo - so you too really saw the resemblance between my son and grandson? It is so funny - really - how much they do look alike! But then, the little guy also looks almost identical to his big sister and she was like a carbon copy of my older daughter when she was a baby and toddler. And to make things even a tad wilder -we took some photos of the granddaughter (taken at about 3-4 months), put them beside photos of the older daughter at about that age and added into the mix, photos taken of me when I was around 4-5 months old and it was really downright scary! Even more so too if you were to see a picture of my Dad's youngest sister as a toddler because you can tell we are all from the same family straight off there! I have a picture taken of my Dad -at about age 17-18 or so, standing behind a sled in which my youngest aunt is just a toddler and it really gives you the willies! Not only can you see the family traits from my aunt to me, to my daughter, to my grandkids, but the picture of my dad, if compared to a photo of my son at about that age - from the hair style, to the way my Dad was standing in the photo to his shirt not wanting to stay tucked in at the waist, and just the general facial expression and you can see my son right then and there! THings like that just absolutely amaze me.

And to take that family trait thing a tad further, here's a little funny story about a cousin of my Mom's. This cousin had a few issues in the learning department due to an illness he had as a baby that affected his abilities somewhat but he developed over the years a habit of always trying to figure out who, in his opinion, this, that or another family member looked like. Some of his comments there would often be a trifle outlandish and as such, kind of became a bit of a family joke thing. When I was between 12-14, I had to take Confirmation Classes at church to become a full-fledged member of the Lutheran Church and one time, while my Mom's oldest brother and his family were here visiting for a weekend, my Uncle happened to see the book we had to study - I don't remember the name of it exactly, but it was something or other written by or about Rev. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran church and the jacket of the book had a drawing type picture of Martin Luther on it. My Uncle picked that up, studied the picture a bit and made the comment about how this cousin was always saying this relative looked like this or that person and how he had said that our Aunt (my great-aunt -sister of my grandfather) Esther looked like Martin Luther. And, my uncle then made the comment that by gosh, by golly, he thought that the cousin was really on to something there because yes indeed, she did look like Martin Luther! Needless to say my Mom and the rest of her siblings all got a very big charge out of that statement by my uncle - but my grandmother was about ready to rip my uncle limb from limb because she thought he was committing sacrilege!

Now, on to other things today!

Reading other blogs today - the THursday Thirteen thing really proved one thing for sure to me - you can learn a heck of a lot from reading blogs! Don't let anyone every tell you that blogging is a hobby that has no real worth to it because that is far from the truth. I learned all kinds of neat things today!

For instance - Debo at A Blue State of Mind had some really interesting "random thoughts" that really had me wondering when I read it if she actually wrote that or if some strange person had entered her body today and was putting out all these crazy, random thoughts. Made me see a totally different side to her but not anything bad - just really funny to read those things coming from someone besides me on a rant!

Then there's Claire over at A Little Piece of Me who posted thirteen words in slang from Merry Olde England and their meanings that was very entertaining - and very educational - good to know and remember should I ever hit the lottery and can afford a trip to England!

Moving on down my favorite blogs to East of Oregon I came across a list of things with the letter M in some important word (place, thing, etc) that was really an interesting piece to read. I especially liked her referencing the Monogoheala River in there simply because it's in Pennsylvania and so am I but I also enjoyed reading about Independence, Missouri and the connection between Missouri and the Oregon Trail and other routes to the west way, way back in the really olden days!

But the one I totally enjoyed of the Thursday Thirteens I came across today - and this is not meant to deter from the ones aforementioned here either - was Gene's posts pertaining to what he would do "If I Were King" at Turning the Pages of Life. Not only did I really enjoy Gene's thirteen things he would do, I would recommend him for the position of King if that ever became a part of our way of life! But even beyond that, reading his title there created one of those silly little "earworms" in me then as ever since I read his post tonight, I've had that song from the Wizard of Oz - sung by Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, going round and round in my head. And lo and behold, when I hit into Mau's blog at It's About Time who asked the question of what "earworm" was rolling around in people's minds right now! Psychic, really psychic she was there don't 'cha think?

And this isn't a Thursday THirteen poster today but just wanna tell you all to drop by and wish Vic at Caribou Ponderer a happy, albeit it now, belated Happy Birthday and welcome to the 60's!

All that and more I learned in my reading travels amongst the bloggers today!

And, since I'm now a day behind in my posting and missed the Bushism for THursday - it's now Friday -so here's a double dose of Words of Wisdom by the DUBYA. Who knows, I might run out of time tomorrow to do a post cause I have an appointment in the morning with the eye doctor and then, need to finish scarf #3 of the knitting projects plus I'm really embroiled now too in sifting through tons of old photos, scanning, posting pics to a photo website I'm setting up for family right now to see all kinds of pics of all sides of my family trees plus bunches too in preparation for my45th class reunion coming up in June!

And now -heeeerrrree's George's sayings for today and Friday:

March 8, 2007
"There's a huge trust. I see it all the time when people come up to me and say, "I don't want you to let me down again." Boston, Massachusetts; October 3, 2000.

and
March 9, 2007
"States should have the right to enact reasonable laws and restrictions particularly to end the inhumane practice of ending a life that otherwise could life." Cleveland, Ohio; June 29, 2000.

Nite all!

Thirteen Things

Lots of people whose blogs I visit daily are doing a little MEME thing every Thursday called Thursday Thirteen or some title something along those lines. I have never figured out how to go about signing up to do one of those things but today, I decided to copy off thirteen things from someone else's blog to a word document and then, go in and put in thirteen newsworthy, exciting bits of information about ME and copy my end product over here for everyone who visits my blog to see. So, with that announcement being made, and this being understood that this is not an "official" part of that particular meme, here's my Thirteen Things for today!

Thirteen Things about Me –Jeni Hill Ertmer

1. I have a degree in Rehab Counseling frin a Big Ten University
2. I graduated from college when I was 50 years old.
3. I was never able to get an interview for a job in my field which leads me to believe strongly that age discrimination is indeed rampant!
4. I am the “semi-permanent Secretary” for my Mom’s family’s annual reunion.
5. I have been a fan of the Washington Redskins since back when they were lovingly called “Otto Graham’s Deadskins.” (You do the math there on that one.)
6. I believe the most important subject, above all others in school, should be reading because if you can’t read, how can you learn other subjects properly.
7. My favorite columnist is Leonard Pitts, Jr.
8. My favorite humorist would have to be Dave Barry.
9. .I believe whoever – doctor, scientist, anyone –finds a cure for the pain caused by shingles, long after the shingles themselves have healed, should receive the Nobel Prize for Medicine!
10. I am a dog lover from way-way back!
11. I have three children, all grown, girl, boy, girl, three grandchildren –boy, girl, boy and 3 step-grandchildren, girl, girl, boy.
12. I love practical jokes and will go to all lengths to get even with other practical jokers.
13. I will NOT try to get even though with people who do things, even mean, nasty things, to me because any time I tried in the past to get even in that respect, it would backfire and I decided – finally – revenge, if it is justified, belongs to One much higher than me!

And there you have it folks! That's me!