MRB's Talking Fingers

When do the wonderful men in our area have the most fun? When they are working on a project together. Some are ranchers, working together to drive cattle from one feeding area to another, or loading the animals to transport them to market. They also work together at branding time, and the women join in by supplying meals for them. What about the guys in the neighborhood who are not ranchers? When we first moved from the city to our rural location, we were all 'displaced' city slickers and had to learn to do rural stuff… building fences, plowing snow, mowing weeds on the sides of our roads. They rode dirt bikes together along the river and up and down the hills, stopping occasionally to catch a trout in the 'Blue-ribbon Bow River. In the winter, the snowmobiles were well-used. Dads and kids had a lot of fun together, but the kids are all grown up now, and busy with their own families. Few of those kids live in the neighborhood, a few are in the city, and many live in a d...

A message to my friends is long overdue and I decided to write an “update” blog. Where has the time gone? I do drop by almost every day to pick up my “mail” and reply where necessary, but then off I go to other areas of interest on the Internet. Like what, you ask? If you have been 'messaging' with me, you may already know some of my story. I love to read, and even though I had cataract surgery this past year, it didn’t turn out the way it was expected, so I still read on my tablet or computer. I like to learn new things, most especially computer related. However, I’m beginning to realize that I am often relearning something that I used to know how to do, but either my software is too old since upgrading my computer to Windows 10, or “Use It or Lose It!” is a quote that is certainly my case. I have a passion for photography, and have been enjoying our “old” photo albums, and have been re-learning how to restore damaged and faded vintage family photo treasures. I am so thankf...

I have a question! Has Spring arrived at your location? OK, we live in different areas, some even in the southern hemisphere, so you can tell me what season you are enjoying. The one thing that we do have in common is the world-wide pandemic. Perhaps I should ask if the pandemic has arrived in your neighborhood. Do you have a family member, a neighbor, a co-worker who has been diagnosed with coronavirus? If you have been separated from your family or living alone, how are you spending your day? Are you content, thankful, bored, or lonesome? Has your home ever been as clean as it is this month? As of this week, my husband has not left our property, has not been in a vehicle, and spends hours every day in his shop. I have dropped by several times, and he tells me that he is cleaning, repairing, building and organizing his ‘stuff’, and probably even having an occasional nap. There is music playing in the background, and he tells me that he is content. After his health challenges last su...

I have been enjoying some quiet hours this last while, as we have are adjusting to our self-imposed “quarantine”. Hubby and I are finding our “quiet spots” in an effort to divert our attention from worrisome and sometimes depressing news that tries to invade all of our waking hours. It seems that the more we hear, the more questions we have. Which of the announcements and reported as facts do we believe? Where do we go to find a reliable source of information? Even for those of us who have a spiritual awareness are confronted with many questions within ourselves, and from those around us. What do we do now? Last Sunday was the final day of Lent, and the places of worship where Palm Sunday would be celebrated were ordered to be closed. Were the services shown on TV, with the pastor, priest or other spiritual leader and the cameramen the only people present in a huge auditorium, authentic and meaningful or just a waste of time? For many, Easter has become more and more a celebration of...

Years ago, I met a lady in Scottsdale, Arizona who did seminars on how to be a good household organizer; organize your purse, organize your kitchen, organize your closets, organize your shop, etc. I still remember some of her ideas. To give an example… if sorting through a closet or a room, have three boxes/baskets that are labeled, 'Put Away', 'Give Away' and 'Throw Away'. It works well and if you haven't heard of it before, it could help pass the time these days while spending a lot more time at home. My husband and I have changed the categories a bit, when trying to “down-size” in my storeroom and his shop. The categories are 'Useless' (Why have I kept this for so long? It’s broken and/or useless), 'Under-Used' (I can’t remember the last time I’ve used this!), and 'Useful' (I’ll keep this, or if I don’t need this anymore, someone else could make good use of it.) Some things we have sold, but most things are put in boxes, bags, or...