Pitcher and wallpaper

Snow scene

A modest proposal

The State of Delaware is subsidizing a fuel cell plant in a novel way:  customers of  Delmarva Power will pay an additional sum on their monthly bills--perhaps $1.00 a month--for 21 years.

Perhaps the citizens of Delaware might come up with more worthwhile projects that need to be subsidized. Wait--one taxpayer has a suggestion, from a letter to the editor of the local paper:

My terra cotta sewer line just died after 50-plus years of service. This is going to cost a large amount of money that I don't have laying around. So I came up with a solution -- a 5 cent tax on all New Castle county sewer users added to their bills. This could be a one-time tax. Then I can get back to using my sewer line and keep the economy flowing so to speak. Delmarva Power does it. Banks get bail outs. Why would anybody have a problem with this?

Perhaps, when they have finished with that, they might like to upgrade my kitchen?

Occupying the weather

My prediction:  the Occupy (name of Northern city) movement will last until the first, or maybe the second, really rotten stormy day.  When the leaves have all fallen and are being blown around by fierce winds and driving rain, all these people will go home.  Anybody want to occupy Cleveland when the wind comes roaring down from Canada?  Remember the sunshine patriot and the summer soldier.

The ones in Florida, California, and Texas will stay put for a while.

Thief

A few years ago, my elderly uncle, who lived alone and was in poor health, needed an aide to help him with daily tasks.  The family was lucky enough to get Lisa, a graduate student.  She was a wonderful caretaker, caring and compassionate; we all said that she saved Ed's life.

Ed then moved into assisted living, and when he wrote a check, the bank returned it.  He had insufficient funds.  Lisa had emptied his bank account.

But she was such a warm, caring person!

The scenario repeated itself on Long Island, where the husband of a friend of mine found that his home health aide, like Lisa a wonderful, caring person, had stolen the pain pills he relied on for relief of the pain of cancer.

Something similar happened to me.  An aide I hired to help Mr Charm, whom he liked a lot,  was competent and took good care of him.  I wonder how she cared for the gold jewelry and pain pills she stole from me.

It really hurts when someone you like and trust betrays your trust. 

Collecting

I started collecting just after I moved to Delaware. I had a shortage of drinking glasses, so I went to a nearby Good Will store and bought a dozen. I saw a couple of soup bowls I could use, and bought them too. Soon I started collecting things that were of no earthly use to me because I liked the look of them. I now have collections of teacups, pink depression glass, Carnival glass, small figurines, souvenir plates, and music boxes. Objects to appear in my paintings. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention books, which I actually read. Sometimes. Every shelf in the house is full.

Just as there seemed to be no reason to start collecting things, there seems to be no reason to stop, except lack of space, but that's a compelling one. Some of my stuff has taken up residence in the garage, including my grandmother's samovar.

I finally got the brilliant idea of photographing potential subjects for my art work instead of buying them and bringing them home. The pitcher above is something I resisted buying.

So I am the eccentric woman furtively photographing objects on the shelves at a Good Will store near you. Now you know.

Inventions useful and useless

I have been assigned the task of picking out a hearing aid for Mr Charm, courtesy of his doctor.  I've been researching these gizmos, asking people with hearing aids what kind they like best, and nobody has a good word for any of them.  My late father owned several of them and left them all in the drawer.  Apparently the technology is unsatisfactory and they are disliked by users and non-users alike.  Only cable providers are more unpopular.

So I got to thinking about gadgets--which are satisfactory, and which need more work?

Here's my list.  You might have one of your own.

Great inventions:  Flat screen tvs, dishwashers, air conditioning. microwaves, eyeglasses, and above all iPhones all do what they are expected to do and then some. 

Need more work:  garbage disposals, digital thermostats, electric cooktops, hearing aids, Bluetooth devices, and above all, pantyhose.