“Editing Maggie. There is no life. Only the edits. It’s Maggie all the time. All Maggie.”
Thus spake House Andrews this morning. I do know for a fact they are also preparing a serialized Wilmington 3 to debut for the Horde around the winter holiday season, but their workload does mean you get me on the blog today.
Ilona has been spreading positivity and uplifting messages on the blog lately, sorely needed based on most of the emails we get from readers. I am more of a hater at heart, so although I do want absolutely everyone here to hang on, I will be sharing both positives and negatives of my autumn season so far.
New Mozart music
Wolfgang has done it again! Almost two and a half centuries after his death, the prodigy has dropped new music and the club is popping.
Ganz Kleine Nachtmusik is a string trio piece found in the archives of the Leipzig Municipal Library, believed to have been composed by a teenage Amadeus. The video linked is the official first hearing, violinists David and Vincent Geer and cellist Elisabeth Zimmermann are performing it on the steps of the Leipzig Opera.
We now share a common experience with 19th century people. I too was around when Mozart released a new single!
Fat Bear Week
Every October, the lovely people at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska open up the votes for the most important election of the year: Fat Bear Week, an “annual celebration of success”.
The Katamai brown bears are putting on weight before their winter hibernation and the public can vote for their favorite and most Rubenesque champion. For the bears, survival and thriving depends on putting on a year’s worth of weight in six months. (A challenge I personally have bested many times, but we’re not focusing on that right now.)
This year’s winner, Grazer, is a young mother raising her first cubs, actually the first mama bear to win the competition since its founding 10 years ago. That is already iconic and #girlpower of her, but it becomes even more inspirational when you learn that the opponent she out-thrived is the villain who killed one of her cubs earlier this summer. The bear gods give the rootinest battles to the tootinest cowboys.
What can I tell you, the world of ursine weight-gaining competitions is nothing if not filled with drama! Mark your calendars for next year.
We Must Cease
Some say the mightiest weapon ever forged was Anduril, the Flame of the West, the sword that was reforged from the shards of Narsil, which was broken at the siege of Barad-dur when Elendil fell to Sauron.
I say it’s the self control needed to not lose my absolute last drop of chalanterie when I am presented with food on anything except plates. Why are we still doing this?
No, I don’t want shepherd’s pie in teacups, cheese on roof tiles, hummus on a toilet brush or charcuterie in a jar. (You don’t understand, they actually called it jarcuterie! The only thing that was fit to feed was my anger.)
Please, food industry. We must cease. Humanity peaked at the chicken bucket. Let the rest of the “wacky presentation” horrors go.
Growing Older
This one is a mixed bag, and autumn always makes me keenly aware of the changes in myself. Growing old is definitely not for the weak, but it has its blessings.
Through no fault of their own, some of the blog readers are terribly young, so let me modsplain ageing to you. You know when that tiredness from a bad night’s sleep, or a particularly grueling work schedule? It’s that, except you never feel fully rested ever again, no matter what you do. No, none of your usual things work anymore. You can’t 24-step-Korean-skincare-routine your way out of this one.
Scientists have discovered ageing is not a linear process. We actually go through two “rapid ageing bursts“, one around 44 and one around 60 – and no, it’s not just for women and our troublesome biological processes. As in all things, apparently I am precocious about my ageing spike. But that’s ok.
Because on the other hand, I care so much less. I wouldn’t give up the self-comfort and the (little thimbleful of) wisdom I’ve gained with age for all the plump skin of my 20s.
May we all be unbothered and chalant for the winter to come!
Except the Wilmington serial. We can ofc freak out about that. Safe space!
Thank you for brightening my Monday!
Wow…how did I get to be first…
Woohoo!
First
In spirit!
Just finished a three weekend run of a community theater production of “Young Frankenstein”, working on the tech crew (spotlight operator). My body does not recuperate at 60+ the way it used to. But I’m still a techie!!
My brain is awake this afternoon, but my body is ready for a nap….🎭
I just saw the movie for the first time at 19!
Never disparage the older techies! We rule! From a stage/production manager for a touring symphony in the PNW.
I like the bear hibernation theory – get plumped up for winter….congrats to the momma bear!!
Love the Mozart music.
Jarcuterie? Oh No…. I take Tachi approved, please and thankyouverymuch.
and Wilmington 3? Oh, I have to start a reread asap 😄
Thanks for making our Monday a little better:-)
The weird food presentation- grrrr- And this getting older shtick isn’t for the fainthearted!
I love that we can chalant and freak out! The BDH are multitalented 😉
Mondays be tough and Mondays in mid semester with only Thanksgiving as the next holiday???
Thanks for the lift!
Spare a thought for us non Americans! We don’t even get thanksgiving to give us a mini break before year end.
Also our Black Friday sales are nowhere near as good
If you’re me, every Friday is Black Friday! There are always Amazon deals awaiting, my friend!
Piece of advice for the youngsters. Granted, you weren’t held hostage to watching commercials as we elders were, but if you do happen to catch a commercial about aging or the downsides of being old… DO NOT MOCK IT! Karma will write that down and wait until you’re the age in the commercial, and then she will gleefully remind you of what you mocked. I so regret laughing at the “gotta go, gotta go, gotta go” commercials. And although I haven’t yet reached the “help I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” stage, I’m getting there. When I go up or down stairs, I sound like a Rice Crispies commercial on a 33 playing at 45. (Something else you’re probably not familiar with, but trust me.)
Even worse, I move like a 45 playing on 33!
I feel ya, Tink!
Or maybe that should be, I hear your knees and raise you a chronically painful right shoulder (regarding which, after a more-thorough-than-it-probably-needed-to-be work-up instigated by my concerned PCP, the consulted orthopedist remarked gaily, “Welcome to middle age!”)
Tai chi! Helped my folks with balance and also their joint movement improved!
Tolkien, food trend snark, and animal videos – you hit all my nerd buttons and provided a lovely soundtrack too. Thanks Mod R, and happy Monday!
Happy Monday, Mod R!
The backache struggle is real. So is the insomnia and poor sleep at 40-60+. Work though, work is eternal and still capable of reproduction.
Mod R, you are hilarious. Also, are you SURE you wouldn’t like hummus on a toilet brush? You never know…
Lovely post. If you don’t mind I may appropriate the line about the chicken bucket. I laughed for several minutes! It must be preserved! Thank you!
I wonder if it was Wolfgang alone or if his sister had a hand in it as well? Jarcetuerie sounds like an abomination from a sales standup meeting. The fruit plate arrangement looks lovely.
jarcuterie?
the best thing about charcuterie is awesome meat & cheese & you can’t put THOSE together in a jar.
FML… I just turned 44.
Me too in January. If the perimenopause gets even worse. . .
No words.
Red haze murder, but only if I can do it slow mo with a mid rage nap and a lightweight chainsaw.
Nobody warned me that it can include real trouble sleeping and the random fun instant dashes to pee. Both enhance the insta-rage experience. At least I can report that it does (eventually) get better. So here’s the warning I never got. It’s not you losing it, just your body deciding that your life needs a second, weird puberty-like experience. And hair in new places you’d prefer it not be. Sigh. But reading about Kate killing monsters still helps, so there’s that.
Agree: it is totally puberty 2.0. Except you’re smart enough to know what’s happening. But that doesn’t help. At. All.
When all that happens, doing strength training helps. If you’re not into that, yoga stretching might help. If that doesn’t work, make bread or rolls by hand. My dad had hypertension (the ventricle kind, not the atrium kind), and he made bread by hand. It helped him calm down since he had to knead the dough using his hands.
I make rolls by hand. The only piece of equipment I use is a hand-held mixer to get the liquid ingredients together before the flour is added. Once the flour is added, the hands do the work. For me, it’s very relaxing to get my hands into the dough and get all the aggression out.
+1
My grandfather often said growing old was no disgrace, but it was damned inconvenient. Being well on that path, myself, I do agree with him.
Oh SOOO true! I’ll be 70 in November and my brain doesn’t think so, but my body…well it’s damned inconvenient!
Just hit the big 70 this month and I have to chuckle to myself hearing my Mom in my head tell me at 35 wait til you get my age (55) then you can complain about aching limbs.
Bless her memory, even years after her passing ….she is still in my head giving advice!
Yah! Grandpa was right on. However there are a few, very few, more convenient things. For example, now at 84 I damn well will sleep in if I want to. And as for eating at this age, if I can digest it and I want it, I WILL have it. In fact, I might have it even if I can’t digest it. No one said I had to get wiser. Mod R-you are terrific.
At 66, I wholeheartedly agree with the aging comments … always feel tired, getting arthritis in the joints and got to be careful I don’t put my back out. On the other hand, I dress how I like, I say what I think, and couldn’t give a rat’s arse about what other people think of me 😁
“You know when feel tired from a bad night’s sleep, or a particularly grueling work schedule?”
Totally resonated with me, woke up half-a-dozen times because it was impossible to get comfortable last night… then just as I found my fluffy comfy spot at 4am my geriatric Carin Terrier began insistantly ringing the bell on the backdoor knob to go outside. It makes me appreciate the deep refreshing sleep of long weekends and rainy days.
Similar happened to me a week ago – finally managed to fall asleep around 1am, after several nights of minimal sleep, and at 3am the Evil Kitteh decided to attack my knee. Meanwhile 5:30am is about the latest I can sleep in, because the hot flashes start up as dawn approaches, and it takes me a couple of hours to get through all the morning chores before work because stiffness. Deep refreshing sleep, lol. It could happen.
And I’m sure you will get a deep refreshing sleep at some point! If only because the universe wants to be sure you really appreciate the contrast the rest of the time. Also, I found keeping the house at 66’F at night helped a lot.
First time my tired mind combined Maggie (the undying) with Rod Stewart song and now it’s looping in my head 🤔.
The world of food presentation has gotten so off the rails. Dinner plates with mini portions of “la la frou frou” brought to one’s table under a glass dome that’s smokey until lifted of in front of you, hmm and *boots* jarcuterie out the back door.
Appreciate the update and haha on the bears.
Ahhh Mod R how right you are. Aging is not for sissies. I myself have decided to become a towhead one hair at a time.
As far “Jarcuterie in a Jar” It must be on the shelf next to the Fart in a Jar.
Yes, I’ve seen Fart in Jar for sale online. No, I did not buy one.
Thanks for sharing the music! Appreciate it! Love being older. No thanks to crazy youth.
I mean yeah, aging is inevitable. And skincare will only take you so far. But if someone really is feeling physically or mentally exhausted to the point of never feeling rested again (hyperbole aside lol).. it may be time for a doctor. Absolutely not trying to diagnose Mod R or anyone here, but feeling unable to feel rested at all is not necessarily “normal” aging.
It reminds me of being a teenager and everyone talking about “teenage angst.” While it’s true teenagers are going to be moodier, sometimes legitimate diagnoses get ignored based on these deceptive cultural ‘norms.’ (ie: undiagnosed depression in teens being dismissed as “teen angst.”)
You can be rested, even as you age. You don’t have to feel exhausted (or worse, in pain) constantly. And it’s good to check in with yourself to make sure you’re doing what you can to get enough sleep and have a healthy diet. It’s true that you can’t survive on pizza and gaming until 3am and be chipper anymore as you get older. But make sure you are still doing what you can to take care of yourself and recognize when things aren’t ‘normal’ (for you). Just my 2 cents.
(Although not having kids helps a *lot* with the not feeling tired, lol. Personally. :D)
I hear you on the aging part, my next birthday (10 months out still) starts with a six. ::groan:: I’m doing okay, though. at least I’m not having to take naproxen every day for general body aches like my husband does. Of course, I did not beat my body up for 20 years plus with medieval-style armored combat in the SCA. For anyone not familiar, real armor (homemade, mostly) is used, rattan weapons, combat is not scripted and is full speed though not full power. Usually. =)
I hope House Andrews is treating themselves well through all the edits a nd writing to come!
Ditto for an SCA renaissance dance enthusiast … Galliards are not as much fun with 68 year old knees and old ankle injuries coming “home” for a visit …
🤣🤣🤣
Even as an old man I still think I’m 20 something. It’s a surprise every time I pass a mirror (I don’t recommend it).
I too read about the aging micro bursts – at least, I hope they are ‘micro’:) And I want the Tachi Approved plate of fruit to appear on my table soonest, please & thank you. Looks very ‘anti-aging’, full of antioxidants, phytochemical immune boosters & fiber plus full of flavor. What’s not to like about that?
Getting older is not so bad if you can stay active. My husband and I are exercise addicts, and work out at least five times a week. I’m 65, he’s 71. Yes, I have an arthritic knee (I highly recommend PRP treatments for that malady) but staying fit keeps me occupied in my retirement and also healthy.
If you’re a novice, and you want to start exercising, start slowly. Add a minute or a tenth of a mile a day. I’m the only one in my family who exercised regularly, and am now the only one left. Connection?
I also feel free to eat what I want within reason because I know I will eventually work it off.
I have to exercise daily or I wouldn’t be able to move (spinal issues). I take Sundays off from most of it, but still do a couple of sun salutations (first one tells me how stiff I am, second one tells me how much better I feel after the first one) and walk a couple of miles.
The rest of the week I do 20-30 minutes of yoga and PT in between walking the dogs and breakfast. Then a couple of miles walking later in the day as time and weather allow. Within the past couple of weeks, I finally figured out that one of the main indicators on whether my BP stays down is whether I got to walk in the woods, out of sight of houses, rather than just up and down the road. That “forest bathing” effect is real.
The jarcuterie nonsense is new to me, but I recently skimmed and article on “fridgescaping.” Life is too short for me to read the whole thing.
“an” article. Geez.
Fridgescaping?! Is that like landscaping for refrigerators? 😀
Actually it is–arranging your frig to be aesthetically pleasing. As if I had the time…
The things I learn…
I guess too many people have too much time on their hands to do that.
I put it in the same category as those people who arrange their book shelves by colour or put all the books spine-in so it looks aesthetically pleasing. Tbh I’m not sure they deserve to own books. Definitely something to IGNORE.
I agree.
Spine in? I think the Horde would have a collective freak spree if they couldn’t see which book to read. That is very weird.
The one I saw had a picture of the fridge that seemed like someone accidentally put all their Halloween decorations in the fridge- then said, “um, yes, I meant to do that.” Life is too short…
I should add to my comment above – Staying active at any particular level is not always physically possible for everyone. I have friends with various autoimmune and/or metabolic conditions and old injuries that make it very difficult to function physically. Physical therapy, when available, can improve mobility only so far. Breathing exercises may be as far as someone can go. Not everyone has access to all of the resources that could help them. I don’t take my access or my mobility for granted. I know that I am very, very lucky to have as much as I do.
I remember when my husband asked me what having beginning cataracts looked like. I pointed at the sun glare film on a store window looking out into the sunshine and said it’s like looking thru that. I’m 71 now and it is still about the same. Yeah for now! New sewing projects on the way, I found a local charity that wants my 18 inch doll clothes with matching doll quilt sets for their next fundraiser. I’ve made an Addy’s Meet dress in a pink stripe with a matching doll quilt with Civil War reproduction fabrics so far. I don’t sell my work and it is nice to find homes for it. Have a lovely week everyone! And thanks for the little new Mozart piece!
lol 😂 aging is not for SISSIES
Your posts are informative and funny. You wrangle the Horde while Ilona and Gordon do the Maggie edits. The sooner the edits are done, the happier they, and the Horde, will be.
As for Wilmington 3 Christmas serial gift…squee! 🎉🥳🥰😎
The aging thing is real. However, I’m not letting it get to me.
When I read the section about the bears getting their weight on for the winter, I thought of another author’s book that had bears in it. Way to go to the mamma bear winning the contest. 🐻
Now off to being chalant and fluffy. 😁😂
This comment made me laugh. “charcuterie in a jar….”
Recently my TV remote led me to a show I never watch, two women in Kentucky. They were preparing and talking, pronounced it “char-coochie”. I died of laughter.
Mod R-if you need a translation please feel free to send me an email. However I believe you know the definition, you read a lot.
Fat Bear Week was even more odd this year. The start of it was delayed when one of the bears killed another right before the “competition” was set to begin. And since there’s a live bear cam at Katmai at Brooks Falls where it happened, it was on the live stream. No, I did not and will not watch it. I like to live in my world where the bears are fun and not deathly predators.
So happy Grazer won. I always voted for her.
Hi Mod R, thanks for bringing us chuckles on this Monday of Mondays. At the risk of sounding morbid, I will share with y’all what my brother told me, which changed my perspective on aging: “You may think getting old sucks, and sometimes it truly does. But it beats the alternative.”
My brother died young (colorectal cancer at 46), he was speaking from his heart there. May we all enjoy the time we have, as much as we can!
So sorry for your loss ♥️… your brother was a very wise man indeed! Let us enjoy every age!
My father died with only 42 years old, and I think he would have agreed wholeheartedly with your brother.
Now that I’ve achieved my bear week goals, do I get to hibernate for 4 months and emerge at spring bid weight?
Pedant’s Corner: W A Mozart died in 1791, so that would be 18th Century people!
Pedant Pedant’s Corner: Mozart music was discovered and debuted posthumously, so the last time someone felt this thrill it was the 19th century 🙂 . I do, on occasion, think about what I say.
🔥
My body is 71. My brain and attitude are late 30s. I could do without the arthritis, but I continue to improve, however slowly.
I agree with you about the weird food presentations.
I know we’re supposed to keep politics out of the commentary, but I have something to celebrate. My granddaughter has voted for the first time! And the ballot has been safely turned in!
Congratulations to her! Safe voting is definitely a worthy goal.
Grazed is not only the first mama with cubs to win Fat Bear Week, she’s a repeat!
She won last year—she was absolutely huge!—and we all suspected she would have cubs this year. Like Ginger Rogers doing everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels…
GrazeR. Automistake strikes again.
My goal is to age as gracefully as possible! So no complaining about having to wear different shoes, (bunions), always hold the handrail or walk a bit slower. I’m embracing always being comfortable in my clothes and not worrying about what others think. Sending good Autumn vibes to the far flung BDH as well as House Andrews. May there soon be hot tea and respite from The Edits. And the chicken bucket comment was gold😂
I’m in my 70s.
I can do anything I did when I was 18. It just takes days instead of minutes and I hurt like the dickens afterwards.
Thanks for the laugh…. in my head I am young but my bod just laughs at me when I think …..” I can still do that”. …. whatever physical chore in front of me that is more than a normal chore. ( Requiring balance or arm strength or ladders)
Damn lids that won’t budge!!
Mod R, I love you. You are a blessing to us and to HA. The Universe did amazing things aligning all the stars to match you with HA.
modsplain! Love it. As a dude who passed that 60 platform in the recent past, I can verify that that one did take me down a notch. Meanwhile I can’t wait for Wilmiongton 3, Maggie and whatever comes next! Much love to all!
Getting older isn’t easy but it’s certainly better than the alternative. Besides, “old age and treachery always overcomes youth and skill”. 😏
And speaking of old age and treachery, I’ve read and listened to “Killers of a Certain Age” – both versions are great!
1. I was rooting for Grazer ever since I heard about the Big Bad Bear who sent one of her cubs over the rainbow bridge. Yay!
2. Agreed re food presentation. Also pretty don’t mean nuthin’ if it tastes bad. So there!
3. Jeezeloueeze! Passed both leaps of aging. Is there an age after for Just Whining? I’m in that stage right now.
4. Serial! Serial! Serial!
+1
I… I hope Mozart skips the comeback tour. The world isn’t ready for that level of magic (though Ghastek might be)
this made me giggle, thank you.
It is so weird being the same age as old people
LOL. (And true. Sigh)
That time I noticed today’s SCA folks are a lot older than when I was in college…
+1,000
I like aging because of serenity (English is my second language so I’m not too sure about this expression) . I dislike aging because of increasing pain.
Being 59 I have now another burst? Oh my. Hopefully more psychic than physical.
Serenity is certainly a reasonable translation for that effect of aging known as “no longer giving a [term of your choice].”
Then I had serenity in my late 20s/early 30s. After the mess I went through in my early 20s, I didn’t care what people thought. Still have that thought process. 😀
Me at 43, already dealing with 60-year-old-like chronic back pain: is this a joke? 😭
Dearest House Andrews, I completely understand and commiserate with you. I am more advance in years than you. I know it doesn’t help the perpetual tiredness but my way of thinking about it is; I am blessed to be “older”, there are many that do not achieve this feat and live such short lives. You have achieved and received much; living the life you wanted, watching (and still watching) your children’s lives unfolding, a great success in your employment endeavors and just plain surviving everything this world has thrown at you. Last but oh not the least…blessing many thousands of us with fantastical, incredulous and addictive stories that make our lives, short and long, more enjoyable. Because of your literary efforts, you will be remembered for a very long time.
Re ageing…I did not notice the first spike at 44-too busy enjoying myself. Nor the 60 one-too busy. But Oh Boy watch out for the one at 86!!!Ok I am lucky to live this long and very healthy if not fit until that age-but all the woes my friends have had since their 60’s have happened to me in the last year. What a wallop!!. But still reading and thank god for the Andrews!!! Keep up with the books- I may not have much time left. Where is Maggie? Wilmington3??
Sorry to be so selfish. Take your time……
This. Is. Awesome.
I am not sure which word I liked more, “chalanterie” or “modsplain”. Please keep up with the new words, we’ll have our own BDH approved dictionary soon!
Fun fact: This page is now the second result when you Google “chalanterie”. Plus the first result is in French so most English speakers will probably skip that one. ;P
Aaahhh I thought the rapid aging bursts were some AI ploy to get me to buy super amazing results providing skincare products b/c I turn 44 in December 😩
Why can’t I get an award for being so well prepared for winter? (Or any other season for that matter.) 😉
You can modsplain to me any day! So funny. And perimenopause is the worst.. where was the warning?! That particular Christmas came a little early and as a complete surprise to me.. enough so that it’s become a regular, conversational PSA. No new gifts of music from me. I come bearing coal 😅🤦♀️
I’m wondering just how old you are. My mother, at 91, told a sales lady in a department store to stop bringing her things to try on that a little old lady might like. She certainly wasn’t dressed like one.
At almost 79, I feel a lot better than I did in my forties; a little arthritis, but generally in better shape, and mentally in a much better place. Age is much more a state of mind than a state of body. But I agree with you that with age and, if you’ve allowed yourself to grow from your mistakes, you gain a true picture of what is essential and what is merely widow dressing.
Menopause doesn’t affect everyone equally. So age isn’t more a state of mind than of body, it’s maybe more a matter of genetic luck. I have one friend who has had no problems at all from menopause. Then there is me, my mom and other friends who feel we’ve suddenly been run over by a truck.
I ended up with a certain sympathy for teenage boys I’d never had before. My major symptom when I went through menopause was being constantly horny.
I was married at the time, but it wasn’t very long before he started hiding from me.
The “jarcuterie” made me think of the Put it on a Plate song by John Finnemore on his sketch show.
Love!!
Fantastic post! Exactly what I needed.
Another aging ‘fun fact:’ things you never realized were hazardous suddenly become so. Like sneezing. Seems simple, easy, low risk? Not when you get older. Suddenly things pop, sprain and leek! What fun.
But yeah, not giving up the peace, the wisdom, and the stability I have now for all the collagen in the world.
Fun blog, ModR! Thanks!
Loved all of this. Thanks, Mod R! 😀
Punctuation is important. I read this initially as New Mozart Fat Bears.
I’m now trying to decide just what kind of music group the New Mozart Fat Bears are. 🙂
I’m imagining the bears in We Bare Bears in New Romantics rock glam and playing modern Mozart remixes 😂 https://youtu.be/DS0JC7J2cFY?feature=shared
“Ice Bear loves Mozart.” hehehe
ModR, your writing is puissant and true! When do we get a novel from you?
I will read it! No pressure though. My family keeps trying to get me to write books, and I would so, so much rather read them.
Modsplain and jarcuterie 😝 Thank you I needed that laugh today.
I voted for Grazer as well. You go girl!
On weird (bad) food trends, could anything be worse than a butter board?
Why oh why.
At 70 my knees are getting arthritic so stairs up or down bring so much joy. You do tend to sleep for shorter periods of time as you age. I’m trying to exercise more for both the knees and sleep benefits. Outcome TBD. Hibernation at this point sounds great.
Somewhere along the way I lost energy and stamina. My brain, however, still cooks up new crafty adventures it wants to take so I’m permanently frustrated by all the stuff on my to-do list.
The best part of getting older is another thing I lost – my filter. At some point after 40 I stopped caring what other people thought and say what I think. It’s delightful.
Now I just have to get my hedge witch clothes right and….
Wilmington 3!!!!!!!
I’m over 40 and waiting for my big helping of “no longer cares what other people think”. I got a tiny helping, but it has not made a dent in my “I care way too much” bucket. Maybe I’m a late bloomer and it will come when I’m 50.
I got my “I don’t care anymore” at 50. Or maybe it’s “Can’t be bothered”?
ModR, being a BDH member of a certain age, I have to give you umpteen thumbs up for your blog contribution today! You are hilarious (as usual) and (also as usual) spot on.
Thanks for a fun read (like others here, I’m waiting for your book) (no pressure 😉
MOD R you make me cry! Menopause made me feel like a post-Shift skyscraper fell on me. And now you tell me I can expect another rapid aging event in less than 2 years when I hit (literally hit, like running into a brick wall) 60?! I am tired ALL THE TIME. HRT does not help with the fatigue. I’ve seen it described online as “crashing fatigue”. Well, at least I have the Wilmington 3 serial to look forward to.
love love love the video. It certainly has all the flavor of Mozart. It was good that teenagers played it! LOL I know they are not teens. As for the aging. :::sighs::: Great blog Mod!
Thanks Mod R! You are amazing and wonderful!
Mod R, whenever I read your lovely posts I always think that one of the reasons House Andrews must have chosen you for this job is that they recognized some of the same spark of humor, creativity, and wonderfulness in you that we all know and love in them from their books. Thanks for brightening the world and I hope this fall brings you much coziness!
That’s such a massive compliment, thank you so much! ☺️
I agree with you, Claire. Mod R for the win! 🎉
Well said Claire! Spot on!
Truth!
Re: “Growing old is definitely not for the weak, but it has its blessings.” — two comments
1. The reason it’s not for the weak is because they didn’t last that long.
And apropos of that:
2. Growing older beats the alternative.
As I duly remind myself every time my feet, ankles, knees, lower back and neck remind me that the bill is now due for my reckless youth, especially all the high school soccer injuries and the three whiplash injuries to my neck and back in car crashes…
Rootinest to the tootinest is extreme level English-slinging!
Oh no- I watched the Grazer bear fight on Reddit. The commenters were debating whether the baby cub survived or not. None of us wanted to get confirmation that it had died.
I’m glad she got her revenge though. She was so fierce in defending her babies.
Aging – “Behold my field of fucks. See that it is barren. Ye verily. Barren AF. WHY does everything need to hurt? “Doing well for my age, looking GREAT!” is not a category I EVER wished to ace…
But IF there’s a magic wand available for duty, I’d really enjoy my 10 year old metabolism and knees and hair. TYVM!
Posts here always make my day regardless of if they are direct from House Andrews, or Mod R, on behalf of. Thank you for brightening my week with random lil tidbits.
“Humanity peaked at the chicken bucket.”
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ugh! Foods served in a jar and deconstructed foods are annoyances I find at restaurants trying to be trendy/different.
Actually, Sauron fell to Elendil
I beheld the last combat on the slopes of Orodruin, where Gil-gald died, and Elendil fell, and Narsil broke beneath him; but Sauron himself was overthrown, and Isildur cut the Ring from his hand with the hilt-shard of his father’s sword, and took it for his own.
JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, George Allen & Unwin 1954, emphasis mine
I feel you on the aging. I’ve recently scared my younger coworkers silly by gleefully describing my perimenopause symptoms. Don’t judge me, I am getting older and have to get my joie de vivre somewhere.
I so agree with your ‘we must cease.’ What I find more annoying though is the course in a spoon which many degustation meals seem to do. How can something so small be considered a meal? On a brighter note really looking forward to the serial and hoping the Andrews get enough of a break after the stress of Maggie.
The aging sequence is so very real!
As always you nailed it.
We love you, Mod R. You can Modsplain anything you want to us and we will drink in the wisdom.
P.S. On aging, the observation that Gravity is a Heartless Bitch explains SO much. My knees! My back! All of me feels the constant pull and drag…
But I’m still on the right side of the dirt, so it’s all good. 🙂
I have embraced aging because the alternative isn’t acceptable. Alas, we may have ghost writers, but I’ve yet to hear of ghost readers.
When told to grow old gracefully…
Growing old? Check.
Gracefully? I need ballet lessons
If you ever get a chance, go to Katmai. It is wonderful to spend time there. Just a warning for those who live in the lower 48, bears don’t smell very nice up close.
😂😂😂 I love you, Mod R. I’m so glad you’re part of the gang!
And YES!!! WILLLLLMIIIIINGTOOOOONNNNN!!!!
I needed that. I taught middle school today!
Mod R, I empathize with the precocious aging. I am 63. I needed cataract surgery at 54—more than 20 years earlier than my grandma—and hearing aids last year at 62—around 15 years earlier than grandma. (Mom died at 71 and still didn’t need either of these). Aging isn’t for the timid. I’m fine with getting older, but do we have to **age**?!
Mod R,
I wish you would post more often as I really enjoy what you have to say! Thanks for the info about Mozart’s lost and found music. I particularly liked the Tachi plate (and they would love it!).
Hang in there – you’re doing a wonderful job and the BDH adore you!!
Judith
What an entertaining post! Thank you, ModR, for the morning fillip!