Linda Roorda

On 1/1/2024 at 12:16 PM, Twin Tiers Living said:

By now the seed catalogs are likely showing up in your mailbox, and dreams of what to grow, what to try begin to fill our minds.

This year’s gardening megathread is now officially open, so let’s hear what you’re planning, doing, and harvesting throughout the yea

No seed catalogs at this house!! I've always looked forward to their arrival to peruse again and again, dreaming of bright and beautiful flowers to come... and now, even tho I made some purchases last year, but no catalogs have arrived to date and likely will not be coming...  Otherwise, will just work with what I've got or look at those companies online of last year's catalogs and see if there's anything I can add to the gardens.  A far cry from years ago when I grew a very large garden to can and freeze the produce. Cannot do that anymore, sadly.  

On 1/13/2024 at 6:36 PM, Chris said:

Man, I just spent a lot of time looking at the r/aquariums one. We still have our aquarium supplies downstairs and I would love to have just a school of neon tetras:

They were always my favorite.

Then I remembered what a pain in the ass it was and how much trouble I had with the water quality. I got over it.

Theres a lot of cool stuff on that list though.

Yeah, I'm with you there! Still have my 20-gal, and 10-gal (which was a birthday gift as a youngster). Used to have tropical fish in the 20-gal tank when my kids were young; love watching the fish swim around and have seriously considered setting it up again... but the I, too, remember all the work involved, and not sure I want to start up this venture again!

8 hours ago, Chris said:

The leaves generally start to fade about this time of year, but some of them seem to be turning earlier than usual. I noticed this particularly up along the lake.

We could very well have a cold, snowy one. 

My sugar maple has a small section near the top that I just noticed today has begun to turn ever so slightly... summer went by all too fast!

...and Why It Failed"  -- Have read considerably on the American Civil War, been to Gettysburg on our honeymoon, stood on top of the rocks overlooking the field where Pickett's Charge took place. Researched and wrote for my Homespun Ancestors blog about the battle and Lincoln's short and to-the-point simple but reverberating speech to commemorate those who gave their lives in this important battle.

This book by Carhart is key to understanding Gen. Robert E. Lee, a highly respected West Point graduate, who thoroughly studied and put to use Napoleonic battle plans which won for the Confederacy. Lee lost Gettysburg because of two main side failures which were to have supported Pickett for a major win - one of which became a great triumph for the Union's Brig. Gen. George A. Custer. A man of great valor, courage and bravery, he, too, studied at West Point, thus also knowing how to win in various battlefield situations. With far less men on the field, he stopped J.E.B. (Jeb) Stuart's advance to meet Pickett's men by also using Napoleonic battle plans... based on centuries' old tried-and-true methods.

I was impressed with the extensive research by Carhart. Impressed with his writing and detailed explanations of the battlefields before these armies converged at Gettysburg. Impressed with both Lee and Custer's bravery and skill on the battlefield. As I was intrigued from previous readings about Custer, he was a great soldier before arrogance caught up with him at the Battle of Little Big Horn - a battlefield my daughter and I visited in 2004 enroute from her job in Calif to S.D. for grad school. Standing at the rise which overlooks a wide open plain where the Native Americans had encamped, seeing behind us the gravestones of every one of Custer's men made me wonder "what was he thinking"?!

A must read for all Civil War buffs!

My family's order of 3 doz mixed baby chicks arrived safe and healthy with no dead little ones back in the spring of 1970... and as a teen, I commenced a crash course from my Dad on how to care for them once my Mom said they were old enough to be put out in the newly remodeled old chicken coop. And I learned responsibility and a love for my collection of mixed breed hens!  Too many people, like Rosenthal, think they know better how to run our lives than we do!!!

I, too, enjoy reading several sections, read state rep updates, enjoy the efforts of other Local Writers and greatly appreciate the readers of my own columns, and often peruse the daily chit-chat tho I seldom respond to comments there - and would hate to see you end this project!

They are beautiful, magnificent, elegant creatures!  A month before she passed in '03, my daughter's in-laws took her to see moose in the mountains northwest of where they live in Maine. Poor Jenn only got to see the "moose's butt" heading back into the woods, as she put it! A year after she passed, Ed and I visited her in-laws up in Maine, inland from Portland, with me hoping to see a moose in Jenn's memory. And yes, I did, traipsing thru the property across the road, something Jenn's in-laws have never seen there in all the years they'd lived there. Seeing only its big hindquarters, I thought, "What's that big horse doing out wandering?!"  Going to the window to get a better look, there was a full-sized moose quietly walking from that yard, across the road, and into the side yard and woods next to Jenn's in-laws' house!  Talk about excitement to see one that close!! On the other hand, as Jenn's in-laws related to us, they are magnificent, but also a nuisance and dangerous entity on the highways, causing worse accidents than deer.  

5 minutes ago, Chris said:

And of course if poured yesterday, so we'll see what happens I guess. I think the potatoes are ready to pull either way. 

Nice you got pouring rain in your area! We got maybe a few little drops and that was it. Not even enough to wet the dust...

On 5/15/2022 at 11:14 AM, Chris said:

I read Maggie's book and it's a hoot. This award is very well deserved. 

I wish we could snap her up from Mountain Home. 

So I went and read the rest of the above news article, and three of her stories including "Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut" - hilarious!!  Great sense of humor...!

Enjoyed this post! I was amazed to see that several of the chicken breeds I raised in my flock as a teen are either threatened or recovering. Sad to learn what's happened to alot of the traditional breeds of many livestock, not just chickens, but glad that those chicken breeds are recovering. My dad had an old book on chicken breeds and care thereof from his 4-H days as a teen in NJ and he won judging contests at the local fair, netting a trip to the Boston chicken show in the latter 1940s. Sadly, the book has been lost over the years.

On 7/7/2021 at 9:20 AM, Ann said:

Last week we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Blue Dolphins.  The service was prompt and the food was delicious and portions very generous.

I especially enjoyed the Greek salad.  I'm not a big fan of vinegret dressings but this was wonderful.  I told Hubby I would go back just for that salad.

We've eaten there several times in the past - love their food too!

I can still remember the old Newberry's which we frequented after we moved to Lounsberry in '69 - got some really good items there, including a suitcase that's still in great condition! Have been thru the Antique store a couple times and really like the items and diversity... but didn't buy.

I'm sorry, but I don't have time to visit the site every day, tho I enjoy reading other Local Writers and news reports and the chat threads. I often don't think I have much to add to what y'all discuss, but appreciate the comments and feedback here. Really don't know what else you could add, but do like your format and columns/articles. I need to remember to promote this site on my FB page every so often too. But you get my congrats for what you've put together on this site!!  Now I'm heading out to sub at school 🙂

Glad to hear this, but...  My husband has had problems breathing with it on - gets very hot, sweaty and clammy, feels like he can't catch his breath. Tho he only goes out to doctors' offices, he'll have to keep wearing it. With both of us having been vaccinated, it'll be a nice respite for me as a sub in the schools here, and hope the vaccine is truly safe and effective because covid would be deadly for him.

On 4/26/2021 at 8:59 PM, Hal said:

Thanks Linda , I rather liked the setup they have and everyone was so friendly ! Ann hasn’t quite made up her mind for sure yet on the when . I get my second on 5/17 so you can tell me about how you and Ed make out after your second shot . I’m sure things will be alright 👍! 

Thanks, and glad to hear your vaccine went well, Hal, and that you liked Guthrie's setup too!  Yes, they were very friendly, helpful, etc.  And I can totally understand Ann's indecision on getting the vaccine. Been there - but subbing in the school system, I can't take a chance on getting covid, spreading it, or giving it to Ed for whom it would be deadly.  We got our 2nd Pfizer shot at Guthrie's K-Mart setup this past Wed, with NO side effects other than a minor sore arm and perhaps some mild diffuse body aches. 

19 hours ago, Hal said:

Heading down there tomorrow AM Linda . Ann says she will wait a week then get hers . 

Hope your 2nd one goes well with no side effects Hal!  Our 2nd will be Wed afternoon.  All our best to Ann in getting hers too 🙂

We've not been big fans of the vaccines, but believe we needed to do this. Yes, we're getting our vaccines "across the border" with Guthrie because with our, especially my husband's multiple co-morbid health conditions, Guthrie's Covid Vaccine Clinic at the former K-Mart has a better situation than what I've seen at a minimally staffed typical pharmacy, or perhaps a health department clinic.  Guthrie's vaccine clinic was fully staffed by all medical personnel with an ambulance parked outside just in case - exactly what we needed. Second vaccine coming up this week for both of us.

That's cool, including what Ann saw! Yes, me too! Living in Lounsberry from '69 to '74 on River Road, we could see the truck stop lit up after it was built, the trees along the hiway being way shorter and non-existent than now. One night, looking out at the stars in early '70s (no idea what year, perhaps '72-'73 based on my Dad's local then OTR driving) I noticed two bright lights close to each other in a certain spot, hovering above Rt. 17.  It moved a little to the side, then went straight up until it faded from sight. My Dad said he'd seen things in the sky as an OTR trucker that made him think he saw UFOs too.  So, I did my oral book report on an in-depth book about UFOs, only to be laughed at by classmates.

On 3/25/2021 at 11:32 PM, Kevin said:

Disney + is not available on cable.  It is a streaming platform like Netflix. I have 4 streaming services and no cable. 

Thanks very much Kevin! but I haven't a clue how to do streaming services. My husband is blind and I'm not tech savvy. I've struggled with using DVDs, and even stopped doing that.

22 hours ago, Kevin said:

Dr Pol is on Disney + if you can stream

Thanks Kevin - Don't get Disney on our cable; don't know what streaming is 🙂

Welcome to Haefele! We're very pleased with what they have, tho Nat Geo and Nat Geo Wild are gone and the Mets baseball channel has been gone awhile, and we miss our Dutch Dr. Pol vet. Have had Haefele cable TV now for several yrs. Tempted to get internet too and use Frontier only for landline, but not looking forward to the hassle of changing all our many email user connections to a new name, so haven't switched. We get MeTV under Binghamton's ch.12.3 (I think it is - Ed's my DJ), and we really like the music channels too as my resident DJ toggles btwn different venues we like should a not-so-good song start playing LOL! Enjoy!!

On 2/24/2021 at 5:31 PM, Jack said:

Sorry but any Buick gets my heart pumping.

That's how my Dad felt for a bit - I remember his Buick Special and Roadmaster, both late '50s models back in the early to mid '60s.

Great video! I'd love to have chickens again, but... This brought back alot of memories! I took care of 3-doz-plus chickens of mixed breeds (aka straight run!) that arrived as baby chicks in the mail too, 6 Muscovy "ducks" with one who set and raised ducklings (yes, they were delicious albeit greasier than chickens), plus one guard goose who my toddler brother named "Honk" and the name stuck! Both my parents knew how to care for them - my Dad grew up in Clifton's city life, but, with farming in his blood, raised chickens under his Mom's tutelage, winning 4H competition with his prized birds such that he won a trip to Boston competition as a late teen. My Mom helped care for 3000+ chickens in varying stages on their dairy farm during the Depression; her Mom did the candling, and they took "tons" of eggs into Albany to markets every week. We kept our chicks with the lamp, feeder, and small waterer similar to this video - but in a big tall box in back corner of our farmhouse kitchen. When she deemed them old enough, I put them into the re-claimed chicken coop that my Dad had remodeled/updated/reroofed, using glass eggs found in the nesting boxes from the former owner of our property - supposedly they help the pullets know where to start laying eggs. They were my responsibility as a teen and I loved them! We also knew some were meant for the freezer, so my sister and I were the "dunk and pluck" crew. Dressing one old hen, my Mom showed us the raw forming eggs minus the shells in varying sizes - really cool! Maybe someday again... 🙂

I saw it on FB and agree with the original post by Carano, who I know nothing about, not even that she is/was an actress. She was fired because she was not being "politically correct." Since I was a teen, I read extensively on the attitudes of hatred and extermination pre-/during WWII, and both of us had paternal families emigrate to the U.S. from Holland post WWI to seek a better life, their other family and friends going thru it again during WWII.  I own Corrie ten Boom's books, including why she and family were sent to concentration camps for protecting Jews. I have childhood friends whose parents left Holland after WWII, their mother losing a sibling to sniper bullets while trying to flee a war scene. I find what was done in the hate/violence against Jews, or anyone who supported them, back then is not essentially different from the hatred and violence now perpetrated and espoused against opposing views. We are losing our freedom of speech... and thought!  I see it amongst my childhood and high school friends on FB, but have remained friends by no longer speaking up against their hatred of opposing conservative viewpoints like mine...  to my regret at times for not standing up more for my own beliefs.