A POST FROM MY SOAPBOX

Just a few recent deliveries

When we moved to this little house 15 years ago, it wasn't a month until the catalogs and junk mail began to arrive. Mike found a website called “Catalog Choice," and I was assigned to follow through. By selecting the catalog on the website, I opted out of receiving it. The process was easy and fun for a while.

But – as time went on, it seemed like the more catalogs I reported, the more we received. Many weren’t listed, and then I could report them by listing the name and address. For others, I might receive a message that this company would not respond to Catalog Choice and I should contact them myself. Instead of opting out with a simple click of my mouse, the process became time consuming and less satisfying. And then, like any non-profit, “Catalog Choice” began to ask for money so that they could continue their work. While the website became more complicated, the work seemed less effective. I quietly gave up and just put the catalogs into recycling.

Of course, I like catalogs from my favorite companies, especially autumn, Halloween, and Christmas issues, but for the most part, I don’t shop by catalog any more. I shop online. I should really eliminate more catalogs because I swear some companies send them every other week.

And then there’s the junk mail. I mostly eliminate what we receive on a daily basis by shredding and tossing. There’s a psychology to mailings from non-profits, and I resent it. They write monthly to tell you that you haven’t renewed (they call your annual donation a renewal) when you have, and you just know they’re taking advantage of the fact that you don’t remember and will probably send money again. Those folks meet their match in Mike’s meticulous record keeping. It's further confusing that some organizations have names that are suspiciously alike. To thwart your effort to shred the envelope before opening, they include things that can’t be easily torn, like stickers and decals. I’m looking at one right now that says, “Save the Honey Bees!”

Many companies send mailing labels as a “free gift.” Mike says he only wants the ones that print his name as “Mike Warnock.” All others are tossed. I also toss those that aren’t what we’re about, such as horses, military symbols, etc. And I’m surprised that some organizations will actually apply Mike’s name to lovely floral labels. That’s just – well, inappropriate – and it seems like a no-brainer to me. And besides, in reality we send so little mail. I suspect we have enough mailing labels on hand for the duration.

There are other types of free gifts, such as greeting cards and wrapping paper. What does this free gift cost, anyway? I just wish they wouldn’t because honestly, I don’t want them.

Lastly, our children have never lived at this address, but one of them receives junk mail here regularly. I have interrogated him under bright light, but he claims not to know how this happened. I have taken to contacting these organizations and respectfully requesting removal of his name from their mailing list, pointing out that it’s a waste of their resources. My efforts will probably be rewarded with more junk mail. KW

PORTABLE HAND MIXER

Snowing as I post this

My friend Chris is a pied piper of appliances. When she gets something new, her enthusiasm is so infectious that I will follow her right to the store. I’m thinking of the Cuisinart food processor, Instant Pot, and Brother PE770 embroidery machine. Oh, she never steers me wrong. It’s always great stuff!

Black & Decker Performance Helix Hand Mixer

Recently, though, I did my own thinking and bought a portable hand mixer. When Mike and I were married, our blended appliances included two portable hand mixers. His was white while mine was avocado green, but because we had a stand mixer, I rarely used the portables and eventually got rid of them. Fast forward 43 years, and now it seems sorta silly to use that big stand mixer to beat a small cake or a couple of eggs. And sometimes I need two mixtures at once, as for Mystery Pecan Pie, and then I’m juggling the mixer bowl. In an “aha” moment, I realized a hand mixer would meet the need and be cheaper than a second mixer bowl.

“Good,” said Mike. “They don’t cost much. Get one.”

Container keeps mixer and accessories together and upright

So, when we were at Walmart the other day, I made my selection. True to form, I had no idea which would be best, so I selected by price – a middle-of-the-road Black and Decker Turbo Mixer. As soon as we got home, Mike took it out of the box and set it up, anxious for me to try it out. I don’t expect to use it much, but it should be used early on so that we can return within 30 days if something is wrong with it. I did use it to mix a little cake batter the other day, and it worked fine. It’s only going to see light duty, and I have every confidence it will be fine.

Another winter storm is predicted. It’s snowing and blowing now at 31 degrees. KW

PRESIDENTS DAY

Image from Wikipedia

When I was growing up, we didn’t have designated Monday holidays. My research shows that the Uniform Monday Holiday Act did not take effect until Jan. 1, 1971, which was about the time I was finishing college. Anyone born after the mid-1960s doesn’t remember when we didn’t celebrate most every holiday by means of a 3-day weekend. This recollection slips a little more from collective memory with each passing year.

Yesterday was Presidents’ Day, a Monday holiday giving some workers a three-day weekend, but when I was in elementary school, we celebrated Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12 and Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22. I remember considerable focus on both Lincoln and Washington in February. Discussion and art projects were based on the lives of these famous presidents. Bulletin boards were decorated with Lincoln / Washington symbols, such as a "stovepipe" hat for Lincoln and cherry trees (hatchets?) for Washington. We did not have those days off but rather focused on the historical meaning of the day at school as our shared heritage. [Actually, the history of Presidents Day as a three-day holiday is more complex than I care to discuss here, but you can read about it at this link.]

I can’t say how it is in the schools today, but I rather think it’s different now, and who am I to say whether that’s good or bad. Now we know that “Washington chopping down the cherry tree” was likely a myth, and so we don’t know whether he told lies or not, but somehow I love that old familiar tale. And I rather think that Martin Luther King Day overshadows Lincoln’s birthday -- Lincoln, who would walk miles to right a wrong.

Over the weekend, I tried in vain to find television programming on a president – any president. I did learn that for whatever reason, there is no movie based on George Washington. Well, be that as it may, we do have presidential documentaries, and I couldn’t even find those. (Yes, I know, I can watch practically anything anytime on my computer screen. I just didn’t want to do it that way.)

As retired people, we barely notice a Monday holiday in our world. Mike tried to call Regence yesterday and was taken aback to receive a “we’re closed today” message. I explained that it was Presidents Day, a legal holiday, and he was incredulous that some businesses were closed, and even more, that we wouldn’t get mail. (Getting our junk mail out of the box is always a highlight of our day.) Later in the afternoon, as Mike was mounting his motorcycle to visit the library, it suddenly occurred to him that he should check to be sure they were open. That was good – because all regional libraries were closed. I suggested he ride someplace else, but he said it was too cold to ride for fun. He backed his motorcycle into the garage and removed his helmet. KW