It's time for the February edition of Wacky Wednesday:
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| Thanksgiving 2021, I received this amaryllis that bloomed at Christmas and again last Valentine's Day. I looked online and followed the instructions to force it to bloom again at Christmas, but nothing happened. Last week, I decided the bulb was dead and that I should throw it away, but I procrastinated the task. It must have read my mind because a few days later, it sprouted! Maybe it will bloom for St. Patrick's Day. |
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| While perusing books at the library, I came across this trigger warning inside a book. That was a first. |
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| One night while watching TV in our bedroom, I heard a loud crash. Half of my husband's closet came down. That was an unexpected home project and not as easy of a fix as one would think. It was so poorly constructed that it's surprising it held for however many years. |
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| I'm currently reading this book and realized the second time I picked it up that I recognized that bridge. It spans the Cuyahoga River in our nearby national park. |
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Here's a picture I took some years back and posted on my blog. Oddly, the book keeps referring to it as a trestle bridge, but I'm not certain it is? Maybe an engineer (Craig?) knows the answer. |
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| A few weeks ago I was at the grocery store with blackberries on my shopping list. There actually wasn't any berry in sight. At the moment I'm standing there, the PA system announces, "Stop by our produce section for blackberries, on sale for $2." I looked around, but no one else was paying attention to the irony of the situation. |
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| I had my first visit with an endocrinologist in January and heard the entire conversation of the doctor and patient in the room next to me. The person was arguing with the doctor that because she was eating a gluten free diet, she was not eating any carbohydrates. Nothing the doctor could say would convince this woman otherwise. Everyone's a nutritionist these days! |
Very cool about the amaryllis! I think it may have subconsciously heard you decide that it was dead and you were going to throw it away and it made a quick comeback! LOL! And yes, sometimes procrastination does pay. Like this!
ReplyDelete"While perusing books at the library, I came across this trigger warning inside a book. That was a first."
OMG, I am so over all the "let's make sure you're always politically correct and that you don't offend anyone" paranoia, by prefacing everything you say with a trigger warning. I mean, why publish the book if you have to preface with a warning like that? I used to work with someone who would always preface everything she said with, "Oh, I hope what I'm about to say doesn't offend you."
"Here's a picture I took some years back and posted on my blog. Oddly, the book keeps referring to it as a trestle bridge, but I'm not certain it is? "
That is BEYOND incredible! It truly does look like the same bridge.
When I was a kid, I remember seeing those Goodyear balloons flying overhead during the summer months.
"because she was eating a gluten free diet, she was not eating any carbohydrates. "
OMG, that is too damn funny!!!
I haven't noticed that our grocery store shelves are empty. But what I have noticed are the price increases on EVERYTHING whenever I go back to shop. I have a cold Kombucha tea that I like to drink that went from $3.59 to $6.00!?!
As always, fun post my friend! X
Isn’t that so funny how the amaryllis seemed to read my mind? LOL! I really was going to throw it away last week. That would drive me nuts to have someone preface everything with, “I hope this doesn’t offend you.” THAT would offend me! The trigger warning is just silly on a book that you can just stop reading if it bothers you. So weird.
DeleteI’m certain the bridge picture is the same bridge. Even the foliage is the same. I just didn’t think it was a trestle bridge like the story keeps talking about.
The grocery prices are out of control. Everything I buy has pretty much doubled in price. But I’m still shocked at how much is out of stock. Last week, the store had no celery or carrots. Every week, there are at least two or three things on my list that I can’t buy and it’s very random. Happy Wednesday!
I've had that experience with plants, too. I think they sense when they'd better put up or shut up. I do think there's communication between humans and plants!
ReplyDeleteI do recall telling my husband that I thought the bulb was dead just a few days beforehand. So strange.
DeleteThat is funny about the Amaryllis. It sensed you were going to dump it if it didn't produce. I'm so tired of trigger warnings and so many people getting offended by everything. People don't seem to realize you don't have to read it, watch it, listen to it if you don't like it or it 'triggers' you. Crazy!! I saw a meme the other day that said "This generation has Miley Cyrus telling them to buy their own flowers. My generation had the Dixie Chicks who taught us how to get rid of Earl. We are NOT the same." It just cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteThat does look like the exact same bridge. So cool you recognized it. Our grocery store is hit or miss especially in the produce isle. I'm already planning a bigger garden for this summer. Have a great day Bijoux!!
Exactly! If something bothers you, stop reading or watching it. I understand warnings for children, but it’s ridiculous for adults. That is a funny meme, though I’m not familiar with the Miley flower business, and I probably don’t want to know! Lol! Good idea on the bigger garden! We are limited on space here in that regard, but what we do grow is wonderful to have.
DeleteI'm a bit baffled by trigger warnings. You can't include every possible thing someone might be triggered by. It would be easier to say "Something in this book might offend you or upset you. If it does, then stop reading." Procrastination can be productive. While I'm putting off solving a problem, the answer to the problem pops into my head. Or what I thought of as a big problem suddenly seems quite trivial.
ReplyDelete‘ . . . then stop reading’ is the most logical thing to do. I don’t think an author should have to apologize for what they write. I love it when procrastination pays off. You’re right that sometimes the answer suddenly becomes obvious. It’s good to think things through and wait it out.
DeleteI think procrastination can pay sometimes, like it did for you and your amaryllis! I have never recognized a picture of the cover of a book. I read the one you posted, too. Trigger warnings don't really bother me. Not sure they are necessary sometimes.
ReplyDeleteOh, did you like it? I’m almost finished and figured out who killed the daughter fairly early on as the clues sort of hit me in the face. I’d rate the book as just okay.
DeleteYes, it was ok. I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads. It's been a while since I read it so I can't remember why but if a book keeps me interested front to back, I usually rate it a 5.
DeleteThat is the funniest thing I've heard today, "Doc, I am eating gluten free how can I possibly be eating any carbs!"
ReplyDelete"Did you try reading the labels?" No wonder people have such horrible diets.
People are clueless. They will join the bandwagon for all sorts of diet fads without really understanding the consequences.
DeleteI hate the whole idea of 'trigger warnings'; it assumes that all readers are fragile children whose psyches just can't handle troublesome ideas. That's why Huckleberry Finn (which may be the Greatest American novel) can scarcely be found in school libraries anymore. Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteSince I've been called out personally, I can say with some certainty that the bridge is not a trestle bridge - though I'm not a bridge engineer, and don't know the exact name for what kind of bridge it is, the arches say it's not a trestle bridge. Obviously, you sold your photo for the book's cover. . .
Oh, don't get me going on cheap building practices. Our house was actually decently well-built back in the 1920s, but at least one previous owner was an unbelievable cobbler, and we've been undoing the damage for the 23 years we've lived here. . .
Rolling my eyes at gluten-free/carb-free. . .
It would be interesting to see what sort of trigger warning they’d put on the classics. Ok, thank you! I also thought it couldn’t be a trestle bridge because of the arches. I don’t know why a cover photo was used without considering how it didn’t fit with the actual novel. Trestles are often used by railroads, if I’m not mistaken. Our bridge is just a two lane road; no trains.
DeleteI had to chuckle at your previous owner being a ‘cobbler.’ Hilarious, Craig!
Hooray for your plant hearing your plan and responding just in time. So funny.
ReplyDeleteOh brother - I can imagine the headache of re-configuring/ rehanging the shelf in that closet. We mounted all the Irish dancing trophies on shelves in the girls' room about 5 years ago. Their was no space to walk in their room. A tornado came though our yard in June of '19 and a week later the shelves ripped out of the wall in the middle of the night. We think the tornado shook the house enough that it loosened the shelves. I had a professional put them back up and recently they ripped out of the wall again. Trophies raining down from a wall is 1. loud, 2. hazzardous. Currently shopping for a used furniture cabinet with glass (no one wants to dust those babies) to display them in the basement.
I'm in a writing group and one person insists on trigger warnings before we read. I'm the most squeamish person alive and I just don't get it.
I have celiac and some of the food I eat definitely includes carbs. The bandwagon folks drive me nuts. Some restaurants cater to people who avoid gluten, which means they aren't overly careful when they prepare GF options, making it dangerous for those of us who cannot have gluten. Eating out makes me very nervous lately.
Oh wow, the whole trophy shelf thing sounds like a headache. My kids’ trophies are in boxes in their closets. Nobody is willing to throw them in the trash! Lol! I think a furniture cabinet with glass is a fantastic idea. My husband did something interesting with the kids’ medals. He cut the ribbon down and re-sewed them shut and turned them into Christmas ornaments. They were happy to get them last Christmas.
DeleteI guess trigger warnings with writing is not a new thing. I had just never seen it in the beginning of a book.
The gf bandwagon people must be super annoying to those with Celiac. I once overheard a group of teenage girls asking what was gf while we were at Olive Garden. My son and I were cracking up.
Nice job on the amaryllis! You've got a green thumb.
ReplyDeleteThe book warning was odd, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised ("fat-phobic?") Good catch with the bridge book cover (how's the book btw?)
Tough break about the closet breakdown. I'm just so not into DIY repairs that I can't give you any advice.
I've seen the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge that connects Brooklyn to Staten Island on at least two book covers. Kinda cool.
I don't worry about eating glutens.
Hope you get your blackberries!
Fat-phobic is a thing! I’m waiting for skinny-phobic so I can be offended! I’ve traveled on the Verrazzano (I could not have spelled that on my own) and it would make a great book cover. Blackberries have been back in stock, but suddenly there was no hummus today. What can you do?
DeleteSo, I have no experience with amaryllis, but I believe my mother mentioned that a family member who lived in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio used to give my mother amaryllis every year. Nevertheless, your amaryllis and the Cuyahoga River bridge in one post made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteThat bridge, by the way, is stunning.
I bought a narcissus at Trader Joe's about a month ago. Narcissus is something I always get mixed up with amaryllis. Like the lady with the gluten-free and low-carb. đŸ˜’
Well, that’s coincidental! I love CFO, as they sometimes call it. The Front Street area is so nice now with breweries, restaurants, and shops. I’ve posted about my adventures there a few times. The waterfalls (literally, the Cuyahoga Falls) are scenic year round. Narcissus vs Daffodils confuse the heck out of me.
DeleteDoes procrastination pay? Sometimes, I'll get back to you on that
ReplyDeleteDo you appreciate trigger warnings? I'm indifferent to them
Have you ever recognized a book cover photo? No, and I'm sad about that
Are your grocery shelves still empty? Some are, like for PB and jam
Do people like to tell you that they are gluten free? Yes they do, but to what end I can not say
I was tickled about the book cover. Usually, they seem to be generic illustrations, so this was a treat. We seem to have plenty of jam here, but the PB is definitely lacking. It started with that recall, but then never really came back. IMO, people love the attention when they think they’re ‘special.’ But maybe I’m a cynic?
DeleteI have only had one amaryllis plant which was received as a birthday gift a few years ago. It bloomed and I discarded it afterwards, never thought that it could re-bloom, so good for yours, Bijoux!
ReplyDeleteNot sure of the bridge type either, but sure you will let us know when you find out. It is a beauty.
I always try to keep flowers by planting them outdoors, but the deer always seem to get to them. When I read up on the amaryllis, it suggested keeping the bulb in the pot as it would not survive our winters. Craig, my blogger resident engineer, confirmed that it is not a trestle bridge due to the arches.
DeleteI bought some blackberries and blueberries and made a little homemade whip cream to go with them. Sorry to hear about the closet situation.
ReplyDeleteYum! I try to eat some type of berry every day. The closet is now repaired, although it took 3 trips to Lowe’s and Home Depot because we never know what we’re doing!
DeleteDoes procrastination pay? For you it did. That is quite the timing. I am not recalling any recent efforts where my stubbornness or laziness paid dividends.
ReplyDeleteDo you appreciate trigger warnings? I am fairly open-minded and usually know what I am getting myself into but I would probably appreciate them if I was in a foreign country where things are a little different than what I am used to.
Have you ever recognized a book cover photo? Just a few sports books with a stadium on the cover.
Are your grocery shelves still empty? Yep. It seems to be a different group of products every week.
Do people like to tell you that they are gluten free? Of course. They need to let everyone know that they are gluten free.
Take care.
I think I told you how my 20 year procrastination on my impacted wisdom teeth paid off? Score! We are suffering from the same grocery shelf issue here. It’s completely random what is missing week to week. So I suppose you know who is vegan as well? Lol!
DeleteThe amaryllis is stubborn; I recognize that trait!
ReplyDeleteTrigger warnings. *sigh* I'm so over it all. We've softened up so much, it's ridiculous!
It appears your husband has too many clothes. (Ha-he probably tells you that) So it looks like a closet system upgrade is happening?
Laughing at the berries and the PA knowing what you needed. So, you never found any? They were all gone because of the good sale?
The Non-Carb Gluten lady:::: People are funny!
As a matter of fact, my husband does have too many clothes. I do not exaggerate when I say he has twice as many as me. Of course, when one is able to buy shirts without trying them on, it makes it easier. I usually walk into a dressing room with 12 items and only one fits me right.
DeleteThere were NO berries (black, blue, raspberry or strawberry) that day. I’m assuming the truck didn’t show up. We are always without something, every single week since Covid. It’s gotten old.
Oh my gosh, the berries irony! Hilarious!
ReplyDeleteAlso, my closet did that EXACT SAME THING. Just... crashed, completely, after being just fine for more than a decade. That's the big project for this weekend: fixing the closet.
How bizarre that it happened to you as well. Our house is 30 years old and I’m assuming the closet system is original. I guess it got tired!
DeleteFunny about the amaryllis, and the blackberries. Cool bridge! Many years ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. It was not a carb-free diet!! In fact, I had to make it low fat to lose weight while on it. I did tell people, just because back then it wasn't quite as easy to do gluten-free as it is today and was a bit overwhelming. It wasn't for attention. As it turns out, further testing later on determined it was not a celiac issue so I'm back to eating all the things. LOL If others tell me they have restrictions for whatever reason, I'd try to accommodate them for meals or eating out.
ReplyDeleteI shop at a variety of grocery stores and have been able to get pretty much everything, but a friend of mine tells me her local store is always out of a few items regularly.
How bizarre that your original testing was wrong! I had a friend whose 10 YO son had celiac and he could never gain weight and was very sickly. This was the late 90’s and she had an awful time finding foods he could eat back then. It’s strange how some stores are still struggling to keep their shelves stocked while others have no issues.
DeleteThat's such happy news about the plant! I'm doing a battle of wills with an orchid currently. It was in bloom when I received it on my birthday in September 2021. Hasn't bloomed since, but the leaves are still alive. Maybe some day I'll get a flower again?
ReplyDeleteTrigger warnings make me sad. Not because there's questionable content, necessarily, especially as what was listed there didn't seem so bad, (if drug and alcohol use is a trigger, some people need to stay off pretty much all media except kid shows) but that we've gotten to be so sensitive about everything. Well, sensitive or complain/sue-happy.
Ironic about the berries. That's something I would have posted about too!
Amazing about the bridge! The only thing I can equate is seeing places in movies that I recognize in real life, like a house in Napa I'd driven by many times was in ... some movie.
That must have been super frustrating for that doctor. Ugh. Dumb people.
I have struggled with orchids for years. I received my first one in 2012 as a housewarming gift and that sucker bloomed constantly for a few years. Then, it died so I bought another. I have never had one re-bloom again. So frustrating because I’m not doing anything different from the first one.
DeleteNapa? My favorite place on Earth. Not kidding. My husband and I have gone three times and would keep going except the prices have gone from $10-20 tastings in 2006 to $50-150 tastings currently. Total rip-off. Makes us sad, but now we go to more affordable wine regions. But nowhere is as beautiful as Napa and Sonoma. Well, probably Tuscany, but we’ve never been.
Oh, such a bummer about the absurd price hike! So sorry for you. I hope your more affordable places are (almost!) as nice. :)
DeleteShortly after publishing my novel, my grandmother got ahold of it. She did not like it - said the writing was fine, but some of the themes (sex/violence) did not resonate with her. And then, Tara's grandma read it and had the exact same response. That prompted me to create a little promotional ad that read "Not Grandmother-Approved." Not a trigger warning per se, but along those lines! I've always enjoyed sharing that story and never took offense to the fact that neither grandmother was a fan. I'm just glad they were both interested enough to read it!
ReplyDeleteThat is funny and an appropriate warning, for sure!
DeleteOooh, I'm glad the bulb is still thriving! What a happy surprise.
ReplyDeleteThat book cover almost is the same as the the pic you took. If you tilt it a little and crop your photo, it could pass as the photo on the cover.
I'd be irritated over the berries not being in stock then getting teased by the loud speaker and none in site. Then again, berries here are always a lottery if you're going to get any this time of year or not.
I don't need a trigger warning on anything I read, though I know some people do. I will be making signage for our shop this summer that states that our products do contain language that could been deemed offensive to some. If you're sensitive to profanity, this may not be the shop for you. I have cutting boards that say "no bitchin in my kitchen and bakin and burnin shit, nothing off the wall, but some little old ladies get very upset by them. Also, a few f bombs on a couple of key chains, so nothing glaringly offensive, but I do think it triggers some folk. So, signage to keep them moving it will be.
The bulb growth is now almost two feet tall! When they take off, they really take off. I’m hoping for flowers in a few weeks. Isn’t it crazy how my photo is identical to the book cover? That spot is a popular place to take photos in our humble National park (that most folks in the USA don’t know exists). Yeah, the berries are hit or miss this time of year.
DeleteI’m cracking up at your products . . . If my kids were walking by your shop, they’d make a beeline to buy me something! LOL! Many years ago when we were at Wall Drug in South Dakota, there was a store that sold ‘inappropriate’ fridge magnets and they secretly bought me some for Christmas. They are still hanging on the file cabinet in our office and make me chuckle. I don’t remember the store having trigger warnings, probably because this was before such a thing existed. Ahhh, simpler times. XO
I just added a few inappropriate magnets to our display today. Husband said they are selling really well, but it's the minority that are usually the ones that complain the most. This summer I overheard some man tell his wife, "My, some of the language here! Hmph!" Whatever, keep moving buddy. You're obviously not my target market LOL. Love that your kids have a good sense of humor and feel comfortable buying you "inappropriate" word gifts. My daughter bought me an adult swear word coloring book a few years back and it's one of my favorite gifts ever!
DeleteNot everything is for everybody! Lol! That coloring book sounds amusing! Have a great weekend!
DeleteI think procrastinating with plants tends to pay off. I will procrastinate getting rid of plants sometimes, just in case they come back, which paid off with some kind of potted daisy we had outside.
ReplyDeleteAs long as it’s not something that ruins the plot, I think trigger warnings can be a good thing. That one isn’t much longer than most dedications, and it’s shorter than what so many books have at the end, thanking quite literally everyone the author has ever known. I had to look up Khmer Rouge. Since they were responsible for torture and genocide, I can’t imagine why anyone would be bothered by a trigger warning about that. Someone who lived through that could still experience PTSD, so it’s really not as simple as “stop reading” for them. There’s a big difference between “this plotline sucks” and a plotline stirring up memories of being tortured or seeing your family murdered. Reading a trigger warning is a choice, but experiencing PTSD isn’t. My thoughts are, I skip the dedication and all of the thank yous at the end because they irritate me, so someone else can easily skip a trigger warning if it irritates them, while someone else can use the trigger warning to make an informed choice about whether or not they want to read the book. Apparently, I have a lot of thoughts on trigger warnings.
That is so strange to announce a sale on an item you don’t have! Were they at least handing out rainchecks for the blackberries? That would make a little more sense. It seems to have gotten a little better here with things actually being in stock, but it does seem like some stores are carrying less variety than they did before. We had a Chewy order delayed and tried to get some cat food from two different stores, but neither of them had the kind we needed. And it seems like a lot of things are a lot closer to their expiration date. I do a lot of Wal-Mart pickup orders, and the last few times, there has been at least one thing that expires within a day or two, which is kind of annoying.
Aren’t things like rice and oatmeal gluten-free? I know they’re carb heavy. It seems like everyone on any special diet thinks it only works if they broadcast it to the world. Low-carb, keto, gluten-free, vegan, etc., apparently aren’t effective unless you manage to tell enough people. I’m really beginning to think that some people believe that.
That's funny that you've experienced the plant procrastination, too. The funny thing about the trigger warning for me is that I'd never seen one in a book before, especially considering it was a fictional romance novel. I guess we will probably be seeing it more and more.
DeleteNo rainchecks on the blackberries, but you're right on the expiration dates. My daughter, who has 3 little kids has been doing grocery store pickup since Covid and has had a TERRIBLE time receiving expired food. She's complained to the store via phone and email and nothing helps. I told her she just needs to do the shopping herself, but she is stubborn.
People most definitely think a diet doesn't work unless they announce it to the world. LOL!
Interesting note in the book. Might give you pause.LOL on the balloon in Akron. Good luck with the shelf project, bet the noise scared you. One of friends down here brought her Amarllys from home and it nothing beyond about an inch of green coming up from the bulb..........now it's flourishing sitting in front the sliding door, so it gets lots of good light. Last night when we were there for dinner, there were 6 blossoms.
ReplyDeleteSandy's Space
My husband completed his closet renovation. So far, so good. My amaryllis is now two feet tall! I hope for flowers in a few weeks.
DeleteI haven't read the comments so for all I know, you already know this -- but that is most certainly not a trestle bridge! It is an arch bridge, and a very fine example of one at that! Gorgeous both on the book and in your picture. All the gluten-free nonsense bores me. Full stop. xoxo
ReplyDeleteYes! Craig concurs with you about the bridge. I'm over the GF nonsense as well. I've noticed people now using the term, 'gluten-sensitive' LOL!
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