I have a pretty low tolerance level for noise. Yes, I love a good
concert now and then. And I watch more than my fair share of TV and
movies. I even listen to music in the shower. But I can’t sleep with
fans running or other “white noise”, and I’m not one to have the TV on
just “for background noise”. My laptop sound is kept off by default – I
only turn it on if I want to watch a video. At work, too much
noise/activity around my desk can derail me for an entire day.
concert now and then. And I watch more than my fair share of TV and
movies. I even listen to music in the shower. But I can’t sleep with
fans running or other “white noise”, and I’m not one to have the TV on
just “for background noise”. My laptop sound is kept off by default – I
only turn it on if I want to watch a video. At work, too much
noise/activity around my desk can derail me for an entire day.
Late at night, I love it when the house is perfectly still (okay,
there’s always a low electronic hum going somewhere, but overall it’s
silent) – it’s absolutely perfect for writing (or reading, or both). Our
house is nice in that it blocks out most of the noises from the
neighbor’s kids (not all unfortunately), but somehow the sound of lawn
mowers and other engines still manage to penetrate. It annoys me, even
though I know it shouldn’t.
there’s always a low electronic hum going somewhere, but overall it’s
silent) – it’s absolutely perfect for writing (or reading, or both). Our
house is nice in that it blocks out most of the noises from the
neighbor’s kids (not all unfortunately), but somehow the sound of lawn
mowers and other engines still manage to penetrate. It annoys me, even
though I know it shouldn’t.
In any case, while I like watching fireworks well enough, I really
hate all the noise (and firecrackers put me in a special kind of bad
mood – I abhor those things). If we could have the visual without the
noise, I’d be one happy camper. And so would the dogs. Alas, Thursday is
Independence Day here in the states – the day we officially declared
independence from Great Britain some 200 years ago (not really, but the
day we celebrate it, anyways). And what better way to celebrate war than
with “bombs bursting in air”, right? Like I said, love the visual,
would really, really prefer not to deal with the noise. So would my
dogs.
hate all the noise (and firecrackers put me in a special kind of bad
mood – I abhor those things). If we could have the visual without the
noise, I’d be one happy camper. And so would the dogs. Alas, Thursday is
Independence Day here in the states – the day we officially declared
independence from Great Britain some 200 years ago (not really, but the
day we celebrate it, anyways). And what better way to celebrate war than
with “bombs bursting in air”, right? Like I said, love the visual,
would really, really prefer not to deal with the noise. So would my
dogs.
My noise aversion could be due to the first 10 yrs of my life spent
in government housing – an apartment complex of many buildings, each
containing four units on the top floor, and four on the bottom. We were
on the top floor, and we were kids. So we were constantly being reminded
not to run, not to slam doors, and not to yell. Basically, to be quiet.
I have to tell you, it doesn’t matter how quiet you are, people living
below you will nearly always perceive you as the bane of their existence
(interesting, considering I always thought all of our neighbors were
noisy).
in government housing – an apartment complex of many buildings, each
containing four units on the top floor, and four on the bottom. We were
on the top floor, and we were kids. So we were constantly being reminded
not to run, not to slam doors, and not to yell. Basically, to be quiet.
I have to tell you, it doesn’t matter how quiet you are, people living
below you will nearly always perceive you as the bane of their existence
(interesting, considering I always thought all of our neighbors were
noisy).
One of the people who lived below us though became one of my mom’s
best friends. Her name was Faith, and she had two kids – one mentally
disabled and epileptic who requires 24 hour care (so she couldn’t work).
She was ex-military, smoked like a chimney, and was a stickler for
following the rules, but she was always nice to us, and spent a lot of
time making the gardens in front of our building look nice. She planted a
lot of different flowers, but my favorite as a child were Bachelor’s
Buttons – and she’s the one who taught me what they were and let me help
plant the seeds.
best friends. Her name was Faith, and she had two kids – one mentally
disabled and epileptic who requires 24 hour care (so she couldn’t work).
She was ex-military, smoked like a chimney, and was a stickler for
following the rules, but she was always nice to us, and spent a lot of
time making the gardens in front of our building look nice. She planted a
lot of different flowers, but my favorite as a child were Bachelor’s
Buttons – and she’s the one who taught me what they were and let me help
plant the seeds.
She babysat us on occasion, and was forever passing along bags of
hand-me-down clothing from her own kids and other people she
knew…always very much appreciated since we couldn’t afford new clothes
often. She was smart, had a very dry sense of humor, and always looked
on the bright side of things (which I dare say took some work given her
situation). It was a long time before she was able to move out of the
apartments, but my mom kept in close contact all those years, and they
shared a long friendship of the type that’s often hard to come by.
Recently Faith was teaching my mother how to crochet rugs from old
sheets & t-shirts.
hand-me-down clothing from her own kids and other people she
knew…always very much appreciated since we couldn’t afford new clothes
often. She was smart, had a very dry sense of humor, and always looked
on the bright side of things (which I dare say took some work given her
situation). It was a long time before she was able to move out of the
apartments, but my mom kept in close contact all those years, and they
shared a long friendship of the type that’s often hard to come by.
Recently Faith was teaching my mother how to crochet rugs from old
sheets & t-shirts.
Faith died late last week, and though I didn’t really know her at
all any more, I’m reminded of all she did for us when we were little,
and everything she was to my mom throughout the years. She may not have
had much, but what she did and who she was made a big impact in our
lives.
all any more, I’m reminded of all she did for us when we were little,
and everything she was to my mom throughout the years. She may not have
had much, but what she did and who she was made a big impact in our
lives.
I do believe I’ll put some Bachelor’s Buttons in the garden…
What else is on the list for this week? Let’s see:
– Write three serial scenes
– Send a finished short to the editor
– Finish the last holiday short to post Thurs.
– Work on finishing a couple more covers
– Keep the dogs from going too nutty on Thursday
– Workout x3 (weeding!)
– More laundry catch-up
– Work on some business-y projects I have going
I think that’s probably plenty. Oh! And on Thursday, all of my books will be free for downloading from the BSB store – just use code FREE2013 at checkout. Thursday only. If you’re a Smashwords shopper, there’s a promotion
going through the month of July and many of my books are either free or
discounted there as well. So if you’re running low on cash due to
summer vacations, and/or reading material, stop by one or both sales
this week – it doesn’t get better than that!
going through the month of July and many of my books are either free or
discounted there as well. So if you’re running low on cash due to
summer vacations, and/or reading material, stop by one or both sales
this week – it doesn’t get better than that!
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It is funny how diverse the population truly is. The sounds you can tolerate drive me smooth up the wall but white sound is the only thing that helps to calm my overwrought system. I do agree about having the television on just for background sound. I cannot hang with that at all.
The sound of fireworks do not bother me in the least but they scare my little dog to death so I always dread fireworks season. We had a lot of firecrackers going off last night and I don’t know who was setting them off as there are no children on our street.
I think that weedeaters, lawnmowers and especially leaf blowers need mufflers. They are rude sounding inventions although I understand that they make yard work much easier.
I am sorry to hear about Faith passing away. It is hard to lose someone special from your childhood even when you haven’t seen them for a while. There are some people who just leave their fingerprints on our hearts.
Hugs, Ardee-ann