Learning

Before Laptop Computers, This Movable Typewriter Was All The Rage

/ Ally Bean / 15 Comments

[A bit of background: Cheri at Naples Girl Blog went on a trip to Cuba a few weeks ago.  Since then she has been writing about what she saw and including photos in her posts.  When I read her post, Hemingway and Cuba,  I knew that it was a sign for me to write the following.  You see, Hemingway had a typewriter just like the one that I inherited from my Dad’s side of the family.  Kind of cool, eh?]

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My grandfather was a shoe salesman who travelled around a three state region.  This is a photograph of his Corona typewriter that he used for work.

This particular model of typewriter folds shut making it portable.  It was referred to by Corona as The Personal Writing Machine.  Over a 30 year period of time, 700,000 of this model were made.

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I did some research online and found a copy of the original instruction manual: How To Use CORONA, The Personal Writing Machine.  The last page of the manual says the following… which seems as applicable to today’s portable technology as it did back in 1920 when this manual was written.

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I like this little typewriter.  It’s a fun example of something practical + quirky from the past– favored by Hemingway, used by traveling businessmen.  And I think that it’s kind of cute– in a WALL•E sort of way.

The “Ten Things You May Not Know About Me” Meme

/ Ally Bean / 16 Comments

I may not be the fastest when it comes to doing things, but I am one of the most sincere– which must count for something.  Sorry that it took me so long, Polly….

Last June, Polly at caughtwriting gave me the Beautiful Blogger Award.  I knew that I wanted to participate, but just didn’t feel motivated to think about it until this week.

So without further delay, and only a few months late, please allow me to:

  • thank Polly for thinking of me;
  • tell you, my gentle readers, what I’m supposed to tell you about myself;  &
  • suggest that six of you bloggers out there do this meme, so that I might pass this award on to you, too.

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1.  I minored in Political Science in college.

2.  I’m a fan of The Big Bang Theory.  But then, who isn’t?

3.  My current favorite lip color is Spicy Honey Almost Lipstick by Clinque.

4.  I like Zagnut candy bars.  [If you only click on one link here, this is the one to pick.  Funny old commercial.]

5.  I use our Kindle more for playing games than for reading books.

6.  I don’t suffer liars easily.  [Good information here about “the most reliable indicators of lying.”]

7.  I don’t like the current trend of wearing lots of bracelets on your wrist.

8.  I’ve managed to keep the Christmas poinsettia that I bought late last November alive all year.

9.  I’m not now, nor have I ever been, a floozy.

10.  I am learning how to make origami cranes.  So far, not so good.

 

Another Sunday, Another Walk In A Park

/ Ally Bean / 12 Comments

“I know nothing.”  ~ Nancy Botwin, Weeds

Years ago Zen-Den and I went to a garden show that was held in a city park.  I’ve always wanted to go back to that park and see what else was there beyond what we saw during the show.

I was convinced that the entire park was a nice, manicured city park which would be a lovely place to go for a stroll on a gorgeous fall afternoon before we headed to the grocery to do some shopping.  So on this past Sunday afternoon Z-D and I made our way back to that city park where we quickly figured out that I was wrong.  There was a lot more to this park than I realized.

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Despite appearing on the surface to be civilized, it turned out that many parts of this city park were more rugged than paved.  In fact, in some places it was almost creepy with a dirt path through overgrown vines + shrubs + HUGE trees blocking out all the daylight.

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Just about the time that Z-D and I were beginning to wonder what we’d gotten ourselves into with this walk, we came back around a trail loop and found ourselves walking through this stretch of well-maintained park.  Looking at the colorful leaves was mesmerizing, and made the effort to get there all the more worth it.

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When we got back to our car we realized that we’d wandered, trudged & walked for over one hour and had seen HALF of this city park.  Apparently this park is quite large.

Our Sunday afternoon in the park might not have been the adventure that I thought we were going to have, but it was fun nonetheless.  Turns out that sometimes [many times?] not knowing where I’m going, works in my favor.

Odds & Ends

/ Ally Bean / 21 Comments

::  ON SUNDAY I MADE a Ratty Apple Pie.  That’s my name for an apple pie made from a mix of not so good-looking apples.  My pie included 2 Melrose, 1 Granny Smith, 2 Red Delicious + 1 mystery apple [Gala?] that was in our frig.  Then I put what my Betty Crocker cookbook describes as French crumb topping on the pie.  The pie was yummy.

::  I READ AN ARTICLE in the Sunday paper about the increase in incivility in daily life.  It rang true with me.  I know that in the last few years I’ve encountered rude drivers, indifferent sales clerks, one incredibly hostile bank manager, a couple of ill-mannered [former] friends, and countless offensive individuals shrieking about politics.

My guess is that after watching violent movies, viewing rude tv shows & absorbing the hostility inherent in extremist political views these annoying people are so desensitized that they don’t know that they are, indeed, rude & uncivil.  The sad part is that I’ve come to realize that sometimes being rude right back to an uncouth person is the only way to accomplish anything because these. people. do. not. get. kindness.   

::  WE HAVE AN INFESTATION of icky miniature fly-like bugs in our house.  The man who washes our windows was here yesterday.  He told me that the bugs, which are coming into the house through the holes in the mesh of the screens, were from the Hackberry tree.

[Having never heard of a Hackberry tree before I googled it.  Natch.  I learned that it is sturdy;  produces tiny dark-red colored berries for the wildlife to munch on;  provides a safe haven for birds in the winter;  was cultivated in 1636;  & in pioneer days was used for making barrel hoops.]

As for getting rid of the icky little bugs– not going to happen until we have a hard frost, the window washer man tells me.  Seems that the dumb little bugs are impervious to all types of removal– including my withering gaze and vacuuming the screens.