Thursday Thirteen

13 topics NORMA writes about in this blog
1. Current events. I read three newspapers and a number of political, technical and social blogs and web sites. I check out 3-4 magazines a week from the public library on business, health and politics. I occasionally listen to talk radio and I enjoy C-Span, particularly Book-tv. I’m a neo-conservative who would lean Libertarian if it weren’t for abortion. Even as a Democrat (most of my adult life), I was always pro-life. I grew up pacifist. I know nothing about fiction, popular music, sports, gaming and entertainment.

2. Libraries and librarianship. There are strange goings-on and wonderful technological advancements that I try to keep up with. A side issue is education, but it’s not a field I follow although I think it’s an important issue for everyone to know about. I leave that to other bloggers better informed.

3. Parenting. My children are adults (37 and 38) and have been on their own since they were 18, but I still remember the good, the bad, and the delightful. I am not a grandparent, so you’ll find no cutesy photos on my site. Our two oldest sons died, and occasionally I’ve mentioned it in blogging, but not often. Life if full of losses, and those were definitely defining events in our lives.

4. Finances. We’re living on pensions. It’s amazing how your vocabulary changes to Social Security, 403-b, 401-K, IRA, Wall Street, taxes, real estate, bonds, REITS, etc., when no one is handing you a paycheck for showing up. Neither one of us had any retirement plan until we were in our mid-forties. People coming up are much better informed about this than we were.

5. My family. I grew up in 2 small towns with three siblings, and lots of relatives near-by. I like genealogy and family stories, so I’m the keeper of the tales for my siblings and nieces and nephews. Also I write about my immediate family--husband of 45+ years, two adult children in town.

6. Travel. I’ve blogged about our Frank Lloyd Wright architectural tours and our trip to Germany and Austria, but I’ll blog about anything that takes us on the road or puts us in an airplane, train or bus.

7. My church and my faith. Most of this is at Church of the Acronym. I’m a Lutheran (ELCA), but always test high as a Calvinist (about 100%) if I take a theology quiz. I have zero interest in “end-times” stuff--Jesus is coming back and that’s all I care to know. Everything else is sheer speculation. I grew up in the Church of the Brethren, a tiny, Anabaptist denomination with a strong pacifist and outreach ministry. Now I like traditional services and liturgy and gripe a lot about current trends in music and worship. That’s probably either my age, or because I came to appreciate liturgy late in my life. I joined the choir 2 weeks ago. I could read Martin Luther all day--I think his published work runs to 55-60 volumes. Imagine if blogging had been available!

8. My interest in art. Sometimes I post my paintings here or those of my husband (who is a much better painter). We are both watercolorists, doing more now that we are retired, and are members of a Visual Arts Ministry that works out of our church.

9. My activities with friends. I loved my job as veterinary medicine librarian, but retirement is just plain fun. We're still in touch with our friends from grade school and high school through U.S. mail, via e-mail, and face to face visits when we return to Illinois and Indiana. Work friendships really are hard to keep going, so I’m always looking for new, interesting people to meet, but I hate to be busy so I‘m a careful scheduler.

10. Lakeside, Ohio. We have a summer home in a Lake Erie community on the Chautauqua circuit, so there are lots of activities and events to write about. During the summer months I write a lot of reviews of the entertainment. We’ve been vacationing there since 1974 and bought a home in 1988. A great place for children and for soaking up some art, music and lectures just by walking out the front door.

11. Pets. My cat, a Calico shelter cat, and my grand puppies Abbie and Rosa. My children have a tiny Chihuahua who just recently joined us, and a huge chocolate Lab, a forever-puppy. Growing up I had mostly dogs, and also a horse. I like to paint and draw animals, especially horses. I really enjoy the photos of animals I see on other people’s blogs. Especially cats. Most of them need to lose weight, however.

12. Health issues and research. Some of this is covered at my other blog, Hugging and Chalking. About half of my journal collection in the Veterinary Medicine Library was human medicine or hard sciences, so I got hooked on that topic. Did you know that many doctors write poetry and beautiful essays and publish them in boring medical journals?

13. Writing. Also the wonders and peculiarities of the English language. In addition to writing seven blogs, I’m in a memoirs writing group and occasionally participate in poetry readings using my own poetry. I’ve always written letters to my family and friends, to editors of magazines and government types; also essays and stories, and as a child I also illustrated them. I am an extremely fast typist, which certainly helps in the blogging business. I’ve published in journals you’ve never heard of unless you’re a librarian. I have boxes of half finished research that will never be published because scholarly publishing is a two way street, and the fast lane is intended to advance a career, which I no longer have.

Other readers and Thirteeners who have visited:

1. Joan, 2. Mar 3. R Cubed, 4. Dariana, 5. Mama Mel, 6. Denise, 7. Tanya, 8. Carol, 9. Uisce, 10. Shelli, 11. Nicole, 12. D., 13. Shelli, 14. Stacie, 15. Colleen, 16. Jane, 17. Courtney, 18. Killired. 19. Kelly, 20. Lazy Daisy, 21. Suz, 22. Eph2810 23. Eric, 24. Lena 25. Kontan 26. JK. 27. Kate, 28. Better Safe, 29. Kimmy, 30. Holy Mama, 31. Veronika,
32. Stacie, 33. Lyn, 34. Keb, 35. Ardice,


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