My "whine moment today." What's yours?

cwille,

Hahaha, ironing sheets!

My husband’s grandmother was so mean to her housekeeper that she wanted everything ironed, even her husband’s boxers! Who irons underwear?

I just ironed my summer sheets before putting them away GA, but I admit that's not something I would usually do 😆

CountryMouse, on the subject of ironing hair...I remember a neighbor living in an apartment next door way back when in the mid to late 1960s.  She had a young daughter who like many young women that age wanted to sync with the latest hair styles. 

So her mother ironed her hair, on the ironing board.  She leaned over the board and her mother ironed her hair.   I wasn't really surprised b/c at that time young women (early teens) were ironing their hair.  I just wondered how hard that would be on hair, and whether or not it eventually would begin to break off from the heat of an iron.

On another subject, I also remember ironing pillow cases and sheets!   I doubt if anyone does that now, unless they live like the Downton Abbey family.

I started on The Crown and the PBS series on HenryVIII’s wives.

Thanks for suggestions! Will check them out.

Running out of end of the evening TV binge-worthy stuff. Did anyone see Dr. Foster (Netflix, BBC) by the way. Two seasons of 5 episodes each?????

Wonderfully acted, and not your typical "cheating hubby" (or is he) confection.
Everyone says The Queen's Gambit is great? Who has seen it, and is it??
Covid is stopping a lot of production companies from making stuff. I do hear that plans are on for another Ozark, with last Season coming, and staff planning to isolate, basically, in order to shoot.

Honey, No

He says, nothing is spiritual but GOD. I told him, "You are right, my handsome Native American, baby.

Amen

It can be *extremely* offensive, CW, I agree, and people should be very careful before they splash symbols, characters and images over t-shirts without the least idea what they mean or what significance they might have.

Also careful before they well-meaningly wipe them off, as I nearly did before I realised just in time that my Jain neighbours had chalked swastikas on their own doorsteps in celebration of a festival.

I am not dismissing real concerns but I am saying these are the concerns that BELONG to the cultural groups involved, sorry. Not a bunch of liberal white folks. I allow the cultures to do this.
Cultures in SF vary, and do cultural groups. For instance, take Dia de Los Muertos. It has become a city wide celebration of all cultures. Even the Mission Cultural Center uses their altars, made by all races creed and colors, to educate and to share, not to shut out and judge.
The person who is complaining needs to be of the culture itself before I listen; and sorry, as far as the left wing of the party I love, my eyes don't only roll, they quite often literally spin.
Just my opinion. Not running for office. Don't really care about "popularity". Have only one vote.
And yeah, for the most part, I find the wing nuts of my own party often as dippy as I find the wing nuts of the party I don't belong to.
Not dismissing cultural concerns, but I agree with Ed Abbey who has a marvelous writing about how dangerous "culture is" and how GOOD "civilization is". He loathed culture, and believes it holds the civilized back. I agree with him for the most part. His long diatribe can be found in his marvelous book Desert Solitaire, about his years spent alone in the desert, if anyone wants to seek it out. Too long to copy.
Our cultures should be celebrated, not "used" as weapons.
But again, just my never to be humble opinion. We all have one. Perhaps mine is formed in some way of a solid thorough Germanic background. Spare me the how wonderful the Germans are; I have heard that a few times. I don't much care for the cultural norms overall, and have never got over the history that occurred in my lifetime. At 78, unlikely I will.
But for me, Culture, meh! Civilization, go.

Alva, my then 14 year old daughter saved her allowance up to get her hair braided. If she wanted to spend her money on this, I thought, I should allow her her choice. I overheard her on the phone, making the appointment with our local specialist salon, no problem there. She was a little anxious on the day, though, so I went with her.

As soon as we were through the door I realised that there was a very major problem: the young stylist gazed at Daughter in horror and fled to the back room. The customers present... I didn't properly appreciate at the time what a gravely serious matter hair was to them and took their stares for outright hostility - it probably wasn't, it's just, as I now understand it, that they consider hair salons no place for levity. Or uninvited interlopers of any colour.

The owner-manager rose superbly to the occasion and took over Daughter's appointment herself, gently explaining that Daughter really ought to have mentioned that she had European hair, because some of the junior stylists wouldn't be used to handling it. Which I thought outstandingly tactful and kind of her.

It took hours, amazing craftsmanship, beautiful work, but though I never said so I thought Daughter ended up with a startling resemblance to Medusa.

After that she took to ironing her own head because hair fashion switched to dead straight... I have to admit I wished she'd appropriate a culture that goes for medium weight with a bit of a wave to it.

OK I have an issue with dismissing cultural approbation as a kooky far left agenda, these are issues raised by many different minority groups that have pointed out how often we thoughtlessly use cultural objects, some of which are held as sacred, for decorations, costumes or just plain ridicule. I used to roll my eyes too but I have since been educated as to why it can be offensive.

Haileybug, Your husband then MAKES MY POINT!
NO ONE believes in spirit animals any more! It is just nonsense. Fun stuff. The argument here is, is it "cultural appropriation" to say in fun "What's your Spirit Animal?".. That is to say is your husband furious that I STOLE his own right to have his own cultural spirit animals which is not my right because I am not a Native American.

Liberals on the far left believe in "cultural appropriation" and that it is a very very nasty thing. It can go as far as "fabrics" believe it or not. Knowing how absolutely gorgeous some of the patterns are on the dresses of African women, one fabric company here made so bold as to order bolts of the fabric. Then it came to be a big thing that women WITHOUT African heritage should NOT be buying and sewing clothes with this fabric as it was "Appropriating the culture" they had no right to. That is how totally odd it can all get.
Or this one. In San Francisco many have this whole ritual of "ridding rooms of bad juju"; So they BURN SAGE. (I know. Nonsense). Turns out that has some Native American background as well. So here come all the WHITE entitled liberals chanting about how wrong and bad this is. That it is "Cultural Appropriation".
It covers everything. You know, dreadlocks. A white woman with dreadlocks, braiding, etc. It just goes on and on and on.
To me, do something useful. Get out and have REAL conversations with people with differing cultural heritages. Our city is FULL of them. You cannot work anywhere here without working with a myriad of cultures. In the second (usually) and third generation (almost always) they are almost ALL Americans. One of the pure joys of our country. One of the things that makes it GREAT.
As you said, your Husband is Native American. He doesn't DO spirit animals. I mean who really does. It is just nonsense. We have lost our humor, our sense of play, unfortunately. Not everything is life and death. Covid is life and death, but not everything is.

Alva,

As you know, I live in New Orleans but years ago my mom, dad and I took a drive to Franklinton, Louisiana for a parish fair. I was in my 20’s at the time.

Daddy wanted to go check out this fair in a more rural area of Louisiana. Daddy grew up in a rural area in Florida. Mom grew up in New Orleans.

There was a Native American exhibit. They were cooking food and served sassafras tea.

Daddy and I tried it everything. Mom didn’t. It was delicious!

The tea tasted like root beer. Have you ever had it?

My husband is a Native American .... thank God he doesn't believe in spiritual animals.

GA,

Wow! You’re very creative when it comes to mice!

In the heart of our city there has always been a ‘rat’ problem!

Mice seem so cute next to rats, right?

My oldest daughter had a hamster. I had three hamsters as a kid. My youngest daughter had mice as pets.

Mine were named, Charlie, Oscar and Seymour! Hahaha

My daughter named her mice, Snap, Crackle and Pop!

My other daughter named her hamster, Fluffy because it had long hair. It was a ‘teddy bear’ hamster.

Alva,

Yeah, having mice that aren’t pets would be upsetting.

Have you named them? Just kidding!

I hate killing anything too. I think about certain Buddhist that don’t kill anything because they feel it may be an ancestor.

You know, one day my grandma whom I absolutely adored, said to me after my grandfather died that she felt a fly that had been buzzing around her was my grandfather! It kind of shocked me because my grandmother was a ‘no nonsense’ tough but very loving German woman.

I loved her so much that I didn’t dare criticize her. If she felt the fly was my grandfather it was fine with me. LOL

She was a level headed woman until she just dropped dead of a heart attack at 85. I wish she could have lived long enough for my children to meet her.

My cousin was pregnant with her daughter and named the baby after her. She died when my cousin was six months pregnant. She knew the baby would have her name. She was happy about it.

It’s funny, I am more like my grandma than my mom is. Grandma was upbeat, strong woman but extremely loving.

GardenArtist. Not ready for poison. But closer. I swear, any animal I have had to kill ever has become a bit of a "spirit animal" (offensive word or not) in that it has stayed right with me forever. A rat poisoned from next door dying in my yard that I had to put out of his misery. A rattler who kept hunting under our country cabin furnace and I was afraid would get the dogs, a rattler with a broken back on the roads of the Southwest. They are just RIGHT HERE with me. I hate to kill things.
But really breeding mice under the counter cannot long be continanced.

SendHelp, not many actual Native Americans buy into the whole left of the left wing ideas about people "patronizing" their long time traditions. Especially the activists of them today are a much more pragmatic bunch with much more on their plates than worrying these things to death.
Because my Son in La has all his life (retires next year) taught on Native American Reservations in both the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest I am familiar with many tribes, their traditions, and their people.
I am familiar with your "thinking" on the subject, because I live in the very liberal San Francisco where I, liberal myself, often count as a conservative. However, familiar as I am with your thinking, I don't "subscribe to it". In fact, I do all I can to ignore it. As do most Native American Tribes.
But perhaps if "spirit animal" is offending you so much, we can change it to "What animal do you identify with, and why?" Might that work for you?

AlvaDeer, on the subject of mice...my sister's area (much more upscale than mine!) had a mouse problem at one point.   When I found evidence of them having been on the kitchen counter, I took drastic steps and bought D-Con.   At that point, I had no idea where they were coming in although most of them seemed to be in the basement. 

The whole neighborhood had been built by a sloppy builder, who had been sued, and most of the neighbors did extensive work on their homes.  I suspect mouseproofing was one of the tasks.

I learned that they have good culinary taste:  they like chocolate.   I put some plain D-Con out and some blended with soft chocolate, although I don't remember what I used specifically.   I think I used some Reese's cups as well.    The little buggers took the bait and soon they were gone....until another neighbor hired a pest service which chased them out of her house, and a whole brood of them was back in my sister's basement again.

I don't like to use poisons, but at some point, our health is more important than theirs.

Kellse,

So sorry that your dad falls for these scams.

I made it this far not knowing what my spirit animal is so I think I'll be okay not knowing from hereon out. Just saying...............:)

Send, Great answer.

Spirit Animals is a bastardization of a collection of traditions among some Native American tribes. The use of spirit animal in popular culture infantilizes and patronizes a long standing indigenous belief system and contributes to the religious and cultural oppression of indigenous peoples.

Read more at World Religion News: "“Your Spirit Animal” Is Not a Joke It’s Oppression" https://www.worldreligionnews.com/?p=41509.

These long standing indigenous belief systems are not what I believe in, however, protection of another's belief is important to freedom of religion in America.

Promoting your 'Spirit Animal' is the same as a Christian 'prosyltizing' their beliefs on this forum. imo.

Thank you Stacy, that sounds a little too complicated for me.

Cwillie, if you want to be technical, there are 3 animals, the spirit animal, your totem and your familiar. Look to your birthday, dreams and what crosses your path often.

Mice were a way of life in our old farm house but ours were very polite mice, they seldom invaded our living space but instead were confined to rattling in the walls, the basement and up in the attic - my mother's rule about no food outside the kitchen and dining room probably had something to do with that because once I was old enough to ignore the rules I had one run across me in the night. Needless to say I stopped snacking in bed!

My father is now on scammer number 3 *sigh* from a dating web site

The new series of The Crown is on! It’s where Prince Charles meets Diana. I have not followed The Crown but am going to watch this series, then backtrack I guess.

OK, on to a SERIOUS subject.
Mice.
We always had a dog, or were fostering a dog. First year without one, and it is the season in SF that the mouse want to come in. The building is from the 1870s, so it goes without saying that every single access point is not going to be found in this old two story.
Between terriers or my cat when she was living there wasn't a problem. But now there is, and over a month I have caught humane method 2 regular size and two babies. The two babies let me know that I have a loving couple who has plans to populate the world.
Now what. We are both big babies, cannot bear to kill, and esp with the gruesome things available such as poison or sticky tape. And we used snap traps to no avail, those plastic humane (nothing) and Tomcat traps (one).
My best method so far is tall garbage can, rope down side of it. Bait inside (you know, nuts and things). Then transport away to a wonderful living space outdoors. WAY outdoors.
This happened ONE time before. We hired an exterminator. He came with those old wooden snap traps that don't work for us.
Who has the best ideas.

CWillie, you get a Wiccan to tell you! They would have to spend some time with you to do this.
OR you go on a quest to the mountains, and sit. Think LittleBigMan. No food and water. About three days without food and water, and lots of animals will come to you. One will be your spirit animal.

OK I have to ask, how do you find out what your spirit animal is?

Alva

Well your spirit animal is way better than mine. Gee, I wish my spirit animal was an owl. They can see a mouse move under leaves a mile away in the dark. In other words, they see things were others can't and that is me; however, mine is a crow. Crows can be nice when they need to be and they can be down right mean when they need to be. Example, I had a cat name Tigger. There was these two crows trying to get something out of our yard (don't know what they wanted), but Tigger decided that he was going to get himself a bird (as he was a very good hunter) well the crows got him instead. One crow got Tigger's front elbow. I kid you not, Tigger had a hole right were his elbow was, I could see the bone. He needed 4 stitches & meds. It cost me 200.00 dollars! After that, the crows would chase him under cars or where ever he could hid. The pair would tag team him. The two crows did this for a month. Tigger wasn't allow outside for 3 weeks. By time he could go back out the two crows moved on-thank God! Crows can survive anything. They are very smart even known to be very clever. But no one likes them though I am sure they don't care who likes them or not. They are also known to be trickters. But let's be honest they are not very good looking birds:(