Greeting card oddities.

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Sadly, it’s been a while since we’ve had to send any Mother’s Day cards.

I lost my mom in 2014, the husband lost his a few years later in 2017.

But I fondly remember choosing pretty, heartfelt cards expressing love, thanks and gratitude for selfless maternal sacrifices.

Though by the looks of the recent advertising I’ve seen online?

Things have clearly changed since then.

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Crabs?

If we’re wishing our mothers crabs…

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And cat turds?

Things really have changed.

🤣

A solemn day.

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My husband took a long weekend trip recently.

A 12 hour drive to Washington DC, or more precisely…

Arlington Cemetery.

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I’ve never been, and wanted to go… but the 12 hour drive down and 12 hours back for a one day stay that involved hours of walking and standing is more than my bad knee can bear.

My husband went to Arlington for the funeral of his old commanding officer. The full bird Colonel he stood next to after recovering the bodies of six Marines killed in the Beirut bombing in 1983.

Never having been there before, he arrived early and explored.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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Famous graves.

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Robert E. Lee’s former home.

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And then it was time.

My husband is a Marine. They’re pretty stoic fellows. But a full honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery of a man he greatly respected?

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Even my husband choked up.

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Do you know the significance of the backward facing boot on a riderless horse?

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The boots are placed backwards in the stirrups of a riderless horse (or “lone charger”) to symbolize that a fallen warrior or leader is taking their final journey and will ride no more. The reversed position represents the deceased looking back at their troops, family, or comrades one last time. 

It’s probably a good thing I didn’t attend, because that’s enough to make me weep like a baby.

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A solemn day indeed.

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Around town funnies.

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Every once in a while I check out local Facebook pages… you never know what you’ll find.

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Exciting.. and quite possibly dangerous.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if my husband has something similar in our cellar.

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I didn’t know this was a thing.

But I am hoping that isn’t the (newly painted) mortar round from the previous story.

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Send recommendations, but please be quiet about it. The poop requires silence.

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Did your mother have a button box, drawer or tin? I don’t remember my mother sewing very often when I was a child, but we were never allowed to throw out a button.

Waste not, want not.

😉

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News you can’t use.

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This first story isn’t useful, but it definitely made me chortle.

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Yes, you read that correctly.

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I don’t know how I managed to miss Sirocco’s escapades the first time around, but rest assured I won’t allow that to happen again.

I dare you not to laugh.

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https://youtu.be/9T1vfsHYiKY?si=l5G8m1i7x9FHZBaR

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Science.

It’s a beautiful thing.

🤣

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Not soap. Not shampoo.

Not remote controls or coffee makers.

It’s towels. And apparently people are swiping them at alarming rates.

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It is a stupid song .

With stupid, annoying, nonsensical ear worm lyrics.

It’s Horse With No Name by America.

Long live the ban.

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To what…

Please don’t pee on us?

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Don’t bother, there are plenty of brainless donors in Washington DC right now.

Let the harvest begin.

😉

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April Fools! But not…

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Two things happened yesterday that should have been April Fools Day pranks but weren’t.

First… we had our taxes done. This is always cause for mutual grumbling and groaning because we never see a refund and always pay, pay, pay.

So when the preparer tallied everything up and handed us this?

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We were stunned.

Yes, it cost us $410 to find out, but … refunds! Not one, but two. We almost fell off our chairs.

It was also the first time my husband had to admit that this full time retirement thing might not be so bad.

😉

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The second thing that I was sure was a prank was this…

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Okay Oreo, ha ha. Funny joke.

But no….

They actually sold this monstrosity.

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For one day only. On April 1st.

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Blech!

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A complete abomination and one that is sure to kick my dormant pickle algorithm into high gear.

Sigh.

🥒

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Lights, indoor and out.

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I can’t remember who it was, but someone requested photos of our newly installed wall sconces when lit.

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Seeing that it’s rarely going to happen due to the stupidly placed switch, this will be a one off.

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I started with 40 watts which was way too bright, then dropped down to decorative 25 watt bulbs …

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Which honestly, I still think is too bright.

Oh, well.

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The sunrise light is always prettier.

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And much more colorful.

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☀️❤️☀️

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