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Post by auntkelly on Jan 9, 2024 4:21:55 GMT
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 9, 2024 3:37:58 GMT
I’m watching and cheering for the Huskies. After the first few minutes of the game, I thought it was going to be a blowout, but it’s turned out to be a close game.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 9, 2024 3:29:53 GMT
I read Unscripted by James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams. The book follows the last years of Sumner Redstone, the founder of Paramount Global, whose holdings included CBS and Viacom.
Redstone was a heartless father and often humiliated his adult children, telling the press they were unfit to succeed him, despite the fact that they were both respected lawyers. Redstone had a stable of younger women that he dated and often changed his will, to name his latest paramour as the primary beneficiary of his will. At one point, when he was in his nineties and infirm, he was virtually held hostage by two of his girlfriends. They cut him off from his family and convinced him to give them over 100 million dollars.
His daughter Shari eventually emerges as the hero of the story after she takes control of her dad’s medical care and business affairs. Her biggest opponent at Paramount was Les Moonves, the head of CBS who was forced to resign after allegations of his sexual misconduct became public during the Me Too movement.
The book confirmed my belief that money doesn’t buy happiness and rich people don’t always make good decisions.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 7, 2024 15:47:47 GMT
I can’t stop thinking how miserable it must have been to be on that plane, aside from the terror of wondering if you were going to survive-the sudden change of pressure, the cold, and the noise! busy I hope you make it to the game!
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 4, 2024 19:23:33 GMT
I would set up appointments w/ at least three real estate agents to view your house. I would explain the situation to them and ask them what absolutely needs to be done in order to sale your house for a fair price. I would make sure I understood why they were making each recommendation. Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions and take notes.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 3, 2024 15:11:30 GMT
I will say prayers.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 2, 2024 20:12:02 GMT
I read The Penance by Eliza Clark. I thought it was a good fictional crime book that read like a non fiction true crime book.
I would have given it four stars, but it had a really weak, contrived plot twist at the end that I thought was silly and unnecessary.
I love a good plot twist now and then and I think an unreliable narrator can make for a really interesting story, but I'm really tired of these two elements being a part of almost every modern novel I read. A plot twist and an unreliable narrator are not necessary to every story, and when they are not well done it can ruin a good story.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 2, 2024 19:06:07 GMT
I have no scientific basis for this, but I think people experience earth quakes differently. A few years ago, we were having a lot of earthquakes in Oklahoma, probably due to oil industry practices. I always felt like I could hear the rumble of the earthquake before I felt the shake. The rumble upset me more than the shake.
My friends and family all looked at me like I was crazy when I described the rumble. The only sounds they heard were objects shaking as the ground shook. The sound I always heard was the earth rumbling before I felt the shake.
It was strange too how I'd be out w/ a group of friends and someone would say "Did you feel that? Another earthquake!" Half the people wouldn't have felt anything. We'd look it up on the earthquake app and sure enough there had been a small earthquake near us.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 1, 2024 15:45:22 GMT
We did not have snow in Central Oklahoma, which is not unusual. We only have a few snow days a year, so if we do have a white Christmas it’s very exciting. It was unseasonably warm on Christmas, but now the predicted highs for the week ahead are in the 40s.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 1, 2024 15:38:36 GMT
I had two favorite nonfiction books:
The Wager by David Grann. The Wager tells the story of the shipwreck in 1742 of a British ship on a secret mission to capture a Spanish ship laden with treasure. The Wager wrecked on an island off the coast of Patagonia. Six months later a rag tag group of thirty survivors on a raft washed up on the shores of Chile. They returned to England as heroes. Then a few months later, a group of three survivors washed up in Chile, claiming that the other thirty survivors were not at all heroes, but were actually mutineers. The group of thirty claimed that the other group of three were murderers. A trial was held in England to sort things out. A movie is in the works.
The Art Thief by Michael Finkle The Art Thief is truly one of those stranger than fiction true stories about a man and his girlfriend who walked into museums all over Europe and walked out with millions of dollars worth of art works. The story of how they were finally caught is fascinating. It’s a fast and very entertaining read.
Fiction
Demon Copperhead by Barbera Kingsolver was my favorite fiction read. Demon Copperhead is a modern day retelling of David Copperfield. I was really touched by how forgiving Demon was of the people who cared about him, but weren’t in any shape to help Demon when he was a child and desperately needed help.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 31, 2023 19:36:04 GMT
I personally believe there should be 5 bowl games. Top 10 teams. Then from there weed down to play offs. Next year there will be 12 teams in the playoffs.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 31, 2023 15:35:35 GMT
I think there are a lot of pros and cons to a twelve team playoff system. One big advantage is that we won’t see any players opting out if their team makes the playoffs.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 31, 2023 15:19:13 GMT
If I were your DH I would plan a week long visit w/ my brother at my parents’ place. If at all possible, I would set up appointments w/ their doctors and accompany my parents on those visits. It is amazing how the doctor’s tone can change from “you’re doing great, just keep taking your meds” to real concern when a family member is present to say things like “I’ve observed mom doing . . . “
I’m sure your DH and his brother are very concerned about their father and I think they need to have some conversations w/ him when their mother is not present. No one should have to live in an abusive situation.
It sounds to me like one or both of the parents need a higher level of care than just having someone come in and cook and clean for them. I feel for your DH and his brother. It’s very time consuming finding the right care facility and it’s very difficult to convince an older person that they are not capable of managing on their own.
When my aunt, who has no spouse or children, first started showing signs of Alzheimer’s, I tried to manage her care from 100 miles away and it was exhausting. I feel for your husband and his brother. I can’t imagine trying to care for aging parents who live in another part of the country.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 30, 2023 18:11:13 GMT
My Oklahoma Sooners lost to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.
Our new 5 star recruit quarterback threw too many interceptions to count.
I hope it was first game jitters and not a sign of things to come.
BOOMER!
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 30, 2023 15:19:34 GMT
I enjoy managing the family finances, together w/ my husband.
I love paying bills, making investment decisions, managing our insurance and even planning our estate.
It gives me a sense of power and security that many females in previous generations of my family didn't have.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 30, 2023 14:51:05 GMT
It’s a messy situation. I don’t necessarily agree with your father’s choice, but it’s easier to understand, now that you’ve added that the step sister’s are going to inherit a large amount of money from another source.
I think the step sisters are being unfair to you and your siblings. You said your dad left them a significant amount of money, though it was a lesser amount than he left his biological children. That was his decision to make. It’s not your fault the will was written that way. The stepsisters are essentially asking the other siblings to give them money. I think they are putting their step brothers and sisters in an unfair situation. They shouldn’t expect their siblings to undo their stepfather’s decision.
I doubt they will offer to share their inheritance from their biological family with their step siblings.
It’s too bad that money always brings out the worst in everyone.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 28, 2023 14:11:09 GMT
When I was a little girl, I used to watch the Smothers Brothers with my grandmother. We both thought they were hilarious.
My grandmother was very upset when they came out against the Vietnam War. She let me continue to watch the show, but she didn’t enjoy it anymore.
As an adult, I realize how easy it would have been for the Smothers Brothers to keep their beliefs about the war and civil rights to themselves. They were brave to have spoken up.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 28, 2023 14:01:06 GMT
We went to a big family gathering on Tuesday night. After we’d been at the party for about two hours, one of my nieces told me her family was leaving because her eight year old daughter wasn’t feeling well. My niece said her daughter had been sick for three days (during which they had attended multiple family gatherings). My niece even said “look, she’s wearing her coat indoors because she is cold.”
I’m not paranoid about catching Covid or any other illness, but I am careful because I visit my aunt at her memory care center every other day. I just can’t believe how thoughtless some people are about needlessly exposing others to illness. My little great niece has probably been in close contact with 50 other people over the last few days while she has been running a fever. Her parents both have college degrees and understand how viruses are spread. They obviously just don’t care.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 24, 2023 0:32:58 GMT
I’m so sorry. I hope your husband is home from the hospital soon!
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 23, 2023 15:16:15 GMT
I hope everyone born on December 21st had a wonderful birthday! Thank you so much for including my daughter destined2bmom!
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 19, 2023 22:38:55 GMT
Your Santa cookies are darling. How long it takes you to decorate a dozen of them?
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 19, 2023 22:31:26 GMT
I think it's sweet that you thought of the MIL and I know she will appreciate whatever little gift you choose.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 19, 2023 22:26:54 GMT
I'm not a Harry fan at all so I didn't think he was miscast. I don't think the writers were fans either as they didn't exactly portray him in a good light. I liked that they showed the cracks in the brother's relationship. They showed Harry as the angry one and William as the more sullen and introspective one. To me that tracked. I thought all in all, the series writers were pretty kind to the royal family this season. They presented the story of Diana and Dodi from the royal family's point of view-Diana just considered Dodi to be a friend, she never intended to marry him, she wasn't pregnant and the wreck was due to Henri Paul's drinking. William was very likeable and dutiful. Harry was a brat. Camilla came off well. I've never been a fan of Camilla, but I almost teared up when Charles got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Kate was sweet. The only person who might be very unhappy w/ the last few episodes (other than Harry) is Kate's mother. They were rough on her. (Although I have always wondered if she did convince Kate to go to St. Andrews in hopes that she would strike up a romance w/ Will).
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 19, 2023 22:08:45 GMT
I thought Jonathan Rhys Meyers did a great job of playing Henry VIII in the Showtime series The Tudors, despite the fact that the director didn't try and fatten Rhys Meyers up at the end of the series when he was playing an aging Henry VIII. Instead of wearing a fat suit or trying to gain 100 pounds, Rhys Meyers gradually began walking and moving like an older man and used his facial expressions to show he was in constant pain. I thought he was convincing as both a young and an older Henry VIII.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 19, 2023 21:47:43 GMT
Assuming you can't get extra tickets. and assuming your daughter is close to her grandparents, I'd probably split up w/ my husband. One of us would sit in the main room w/ his mother and one of us would sit in the overflow with his father. My reasoning would be that the grandparents had gone to a lot of effort to attend and I'd be afraid they might feel slighted if they both had to sit in the overflow room.
I'm sure a lot of people will disagree w/ me and say the parents should sit together at the actual graduation, and neither parent should be required to sit in the overflow room. I don't necessarily disagree, it's just that my mother and my husband's parents were wonderful grandparents and we would make sure that at least one of them had a seat at the actual graduation.
I would plan a special dinner at a restaurant or some other type of celebration so that all your kids feel included.
When my son graduated from college, we hired a local photographer to take pictures of my son and the rest of our family on various spots around campus. In some pictures he wore his cap and gown and in some he wore his regular clothes. The photo session was a lot of fun for all of us and those are still some of my favorite family photos.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 17, 2023 18:36:07 GMT
Congrats!
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 17, 2023 18:34:50 GMT
Hope you are feeling better soon!
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 17, 2023 18:19:34 GMT
I, too, think Harry is miscast. I think his dialogue is ridiculous as well. Harry was in high school at the time of the first couple of episodes and he’s making all these witty quips that a thirty year old character in an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel would make. I just don’t buy it at all.
I also agree that the queen mother is miscast. She’s not given any good lines either. I’ve always imagined the queen mom as being witty and fun., even in her old age. (I’ve only seen the first three of the latest drop, so maybe she gets some better lines?)
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 13, 2023 3:55:26 GMT
My favorite fictional book was Demon Copperfield by Barbara Kingsolver.
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel was my favorite nonfiction book.
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Post by auntkelly on Dec 11, 2023 16:41:47 GMT
I think it’s too late to ask for payment at this point.
I would just consider it a lesson learned and decide now what your response will be when others ask you to craft something.
I believe this incident just verifies the old adage about there being two types of people in the world-the givers and the takers. I think the takers see nothing wrong with asking you to make something for them for free. Most of them wouldn’t be willing to pay the cost of the raw materials, much less the price of labor.
If I made beautiful crafts, I would much rather surprise a giver who would treasure my craft than make isomething for a taker who was paying a pittance for my time and even then probably thinks they’re overpaying.
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