C is for Cawing Crows and Crumbs

Day 3 of Blogging from A to Z.  Today’s letter is C
C is for Cawing Crows and Crumbs

Cawing crows announce
Hard crumbs strewn across the yard
Birdbath’s now bread soup

Mother’s back yard is a sanctuary where all the leavings of the table are tossed out to the enjoyment of every bird, squirrel, and heaven knows what other creatures venture on the periphery of the perpetual feast she provides.

The crows fascinate and annoy.  There is always a lookout, and when the bounty appears, the call goes out.  The flock arrives swiftly and and perches on the high wires and in the trees then descend together.

They don’t like old bread much less that that is gone hard as croutons.  We watch in fascination as one by one they take the large pieces of old bread and dunk them in the birdbath until it a veritable bread soup.

B is Balm, of Banal, Banter

Day 2 of Blogging from A to Z.  Today’s letter is BB is for Balm, Banal, Banter

The balm of banal banter has it place in our lives. Such conversations serve a purpose because they are safe in settings where opinions on more weighty matters such as politics and religion could verge on anger or violence.

In social settings, such conversations serve to break the ice between strangers at cocktail parties and events; build relationships with the service person at a store you frequent; the bartender at your local bar; the waitress at your favorite restaurant; the maintenance man; landlord, or the yardman.

It cost little to make small talk and smile, and the dividends are huge.

In personal settings, such conversations can ease misunderstanding in tough personal interactions and begin to heal some wounds after a disagreement or falling out with a family member or friend. 

It’s a bridge called civility that allows both people involved, when they meet in public, to be civil and converse without the ‘you’re wrong/no, you’re wrong’ finger pointing.

The Balm of Banal Banter has its place in our lives, costs nothing, and can build bridges and mend fences that no other type of conversation can.

A is for Ancient, Artifacts, Archaeology.

 Day 1 of Blogging from A to Z.  Today’s letter is A

A is for Ancient, Artifacts. Archeology

“The oldest known set of footprints… are 117,000 years old and thought to be those of a woman and possibly a child…” (New Scientist magazine, 31 January 1998)

I had and still have a fascination with ancient things, lives lived, and languages spoken. Knowing that things pass out of knowledge and leave only traces for us to piece together if we care haunted me as a child. 

As a child I imagined myself to be an archaeologist.  And although I was never encouraged in this dream for an adventurist future, I climbed all over the Sandia Mountains with my friends searching for artifacts.  I collected odd rocks with markings I imagined to be etched by some ancient woman late at night in her cave.  In my mind there was always the woman in the starring role – my dream, my way.

Reading that story in New Scientist Magazine in 1998, awakened that dreaming, storytelling child and I wrote a small story called, Ancient Footsteps which found its way into an anthology.

Ever blocked or been blocked on Facebook? Solution.

Caution!  This is a rant!  Have you ever blocked or been blocked by someone on Facebook?

Trolls - should be blocked.

The trolls that stalk women on-line should be blocked.  I've had more than my fair share lately. My procedure is simple when I get those strange requests. No one should automatically click yes to a friend request without checking them out unless they know the person. When in doubt, do the following:

• Check the picture - No picture – no way.
• Check out their About tab and see what they’re about.
• Note when they joined Facebook. Most of these guys are real new.
• Check their friend list. There are usually very few and almost always women recently acquired.
• Decline and when they try again, and they do – block them immediately and consider reporting.

Friend (or so you thought) - who block you.

There are two people who blocked me after what I thought was a silly difference of opinion.  I know – so junior high - but what can you do.  I was okay with that until I found out that once blocked:

• They can still see me if they choose, but
• I cannot see them – trust me.  I ran an experiment with a friend, so I know it's possible.

Unacceptable.  No hard feelings, but if I can’t see you, I’ll be darned if you will be privy to my posts or comments.  Solutions abound - I love the internet.

Thing is, once someone has blocked you, there is only one way to return the favor. You have to have their exact FaceBook contact and/or FaceBook email which is on their ‘About’ tab under Contact Information. If they have already blocked you, you can’t see that page, so you must use other options to find it.

Option 1

• Type their name along with FaceBook into Google search.  This works for uncommon names.
• Copy the url given before clicking on it to see if it takes you to their page.
• Getting on their page says you have the wrong address.
• Getting a Facebook ‘sorry broken’ message means you have the right address.
• Proceed to the dropdown box under the little padlock (top right), select ‘how to stop people from bothering me’ and paste the address in it. Confirm and you’re done.

Option 2 - if it's really important to you.

• Open a brand new page with another e-mail address and go find them this way (delete this page when done).
• Go to someone’s page you have in common (a real friend or sibling).
• Scroll through all their friends until you find the person in question.
• Go to that person’s About tab on their page and voila.
• Copy their contact info (whichever one has FaceBook as part of their name or email).
• Close this temporary page and log back onto your account.
• Proceed to the dropdown box under the little padlock (top right), select ‘how to stop people from bothering me’ and paste the address in it. Confirm and you’re done.

Success!  No more peek-a-boo.  I know - so Jr. High.  End of Rant/Tutorial.

Question:  Have you had occasion to block another or have you been blocked, and if so, what did you do. I’d like to hear your story.