April 21st, 2022
“ Dobroho ranku”, or “Good Morning!” in Ukrainian, an Eastern Slavic language spoken mainly in Ukraine. I have decided to maintain the UJT will focus on Ukraine until we can all rejoice in the end of hostilities. It has been 56 days since Russia attacked Ukraine.
I hope everyone has enjoyed or is enjoying the holidays of this time of year. We have Ramadan, Passover and Easter celebrations all happening at the same general time. All of these celebrations are great excuses to bring family together. For me that is the most important part.
Well, the furniture is here, the old stuff has been taken away and everyone seems to like the new stuff better. Now the “tooing-and-froing” are all about the coffee table and end tables. “I think they look nice but they are hard to keep clean.” Another view, “No. They don’t go with the new furniture.”. Still another view, “I think they go and I think I know how we can keep the clean.” Tug and pull .. back and forth we go.
This Friday will be 52nd Earth Day that I have observed. Every year I try to do something, even a little thing, to reduce my impact on the planet. I think that first year, I promised myself to stop leave my cigarette butts on the ground everywhere I went. Until I quit smoking, I always found several butts in my pocket when I got ready for bed. One year I discovered just how many light bulbs we have in our house by replacing them all with less consumptive technology. This week, started living on power generated by the sun. We have had solar panels for several years but we added batteries that allow us to power the house at night from battery and charge them up when the sun is shining. It was not free to do but it was a much better alternative than any of the power loss generator solutions I could find. We are also collecting food waste separately from other trash or recycling, so it can be made into compost to perhaps heal some of the damage we are doing to the worlds topsoils. This is the start of Birthday Season for our clan. We have 6 birthdays between now and August. I found a pretty earthy way to do birthday gifts. I donated planed trees on their behalf. And OneTreePlanted will send them a e-card certificate on their birthday if I get it done in time:) Here is a link if you know someone who might enjoy planting some trees for their birthday or any other occasion. If you click the link you can plant a free tree yourself. Is there something you could do?
This week I learned some stuff:
• April 21st is the 111th day of 2022. Just 257 days till Christmas! Today in 735BC, Romulus founds Rome; Today in 1509, Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII; Today in 1836, the Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat troops under Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna;In 1918 on this day, German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as “The Red Baron”, is shot down and killed over Vaux-sur-Somme, France; Today in 1972, Astronauts John Young and Charles Duke fly Apollo 16’s Apollo Lunar Module to the Moon’s surface, the fifth NASA Apollo Program crewed lunar landing.; In 1989 on this day, in Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang; Today in 2014, Flint, Michigan switches its water source to the Flint River, beginning the ongoing Flint water crisis which has caused lead poisoning in up to 12,000 people, and 15 deaths from Legionnaires disease, ultimately leading to criminal indictments against 15 people, five of whom have been charged with involuntary manslaughter;Born today in 1838, John Muir, Scottish-American environmentalist and author: Born today in 1882, Percy Williams Bridgman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate ; Paul Karrer, Russian-Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate was born today in 1889; Anthony Quinn, Mexican-American actor was born today in 1915; Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist and screenwriter was born today in 1922; Born today in 1926, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and her other realms; Diana Darvey, English actress, singer and dancer and regular on The Benny Hill Show was born today in 1945; Mark Twain, American novelist, humorist, and critic passed away today in 1910; John Maynard Keynes, English economist and philosopher died today in 1946; We lost Edward Victor Appleton, English-Scottish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate today in 1965; And lastly, today in 2015, Prince, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor passed away in his home outside of Minneapolis, MN.
Website Update:
This week:
• A new Vocabulary Quiz Yeahhhh!!! The crowd goes wild!!!
• Last week for our Musical Trivia Quiz.
• No new recipes were posted on the UJT this week.
• The Home Page quote this week is from this week’s Good News newsletter. Famous author (Animal Farm, 1984, etc) Aldous Huxley said, “There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” True Dat!
Writing, Ceramics, Stained Glass and Painting Update:
• I have adding more colors and layers to Lori’s Barn and Chris’ Sunset in the mangrove images. I also am still experimenting with the neurographic images. I am not in love with it yet.
• I have slacking off lately on the paper editsof Grandpa Stories. I need to carve out some time this weekend for some more chapters.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• This week I have been pondering just how fortunate I am. Every week my friends impress me more with their shining minds and kind spirits. My home is so enjoyable, I seldom leave it unless it is for a doctor’s or Pulmonary Rehab. My last rehab is tomorrow. I have found my replacement center. I have silver sneakers so I have 3 fitness centers within 5 miles to choose from. I chose the LA Fitness near me. Great facilities and old guy classes too. It just feels so weird to be in such a good place right now. My arthritis is less painful, my breathing is much improved, I stopped drinking mostly and it feels a little strange being so comfortable in my own skin.
Music Update:
Today UJT Radio also returns to its normal waltz through my musical archives with an eclectic selection for you. I am really pleased with this mix. I hope you are too.
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
• Fleetwood Mac – Fast Talking Woman Blues— I thought I knew every FM song by heart but then my little brother Mike sends me another of his Pandora-o-gram texts and blows we away with a “new” FM song. Actually, this is an old song. It is from their 2001 release, “Men of the World: The Early Years”
• The Zombies — Time of the Seasons — They alway ssid there would be flashbacks! This is song that is part of my psychedelic soundtracl. When I hear it I can almost remember what is like to be 16 dazed and glazed. This is from their, 1968 release, “Odyssey and Oracle”.
• Loggins and Messina — Long Tailed Cat — This one of my favorite songs by these boys. I can’t help myself. I am taping my foot and singing along in just a few bars. This song comes from their 1972 release, “Loggins and Messina”.
• Prince and the Revolution – Raspberry Beret – Such an amazingly talented man! It seems impossible that it has been six years today that his light left our world. This is from their 1985 release, “Around the World in a Day”.
• John Mayer – Why Georgia — I am pretty sure this is the very first song I ever heard by John Mayer. I was in stop and go traffic on the I-5 south heading to SeaTac for a flight out. I pulled off at a mall, found a music store and bought what became one of my favorite albums, “Room for Squares” in 2001. “… am I living it right???”
• Sting — Brand New Day — This is one of my favorite Sting songs. There is just a whole lot to love about this music. As always, his music is so tight and clean .. but the addition of Stevie Wonder on Harmonica puts a good song over the top. This is the title cut from his 1999 release. It won him a couple of Grammys.
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; Always remember… The best is yet to come! As always, thank you for being my friend!