changes in Latitude, changes in Attitude

[digitS']

I know that I am kind of stuck in the '50's Sunday drive sort of thing. Hey, I wasn't rolling anywhere yesterday - not 1 inch. Still, it isn't very expensive and I hope not terribly wasteful of resources to take a 25 mile drive. There is nearly always a walk in a park or along a hiking trail as a part of it. And, we see some lakes!

No, we aren't crossing any borders or lines of latitude . . . this time .

Not all that long ago, DD was coming back from a trip and we were sharing text messages thru the 5 hours. Knowing about where she was, I asked her about the lake along side the highway. "I don't know. Guess I missed it."

I mean, the lake stretches for 7 miles right along the roadway. She was a passenger, how does she not notice it?! She has always been like this and very rarely enjoyed any road trips no matter how short or far. "Are we there yet?"

She seems to be getting better but what I'm almost thinking I'll hear from her someday: "It is beautiful out! Think I'll walk around outdoors and look at my phone."

DS is visiting. I have asked him 3 times during these visits if he'd like to go on 1 of these short, Sunday drives. "Nope." Criminitaly! Four walls and a computer screen are a better choice?

These are my offspring! Imagine how much different others might be . . .

Anyway, off for a drive, by a couple of little lakes and a walk in a park !!

Steve

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

have fun on your trip Steve! i'm off to run through town to get to the hardware store to help brave the 'storm' they say is coming.

 

[thistlebloom]

She seems to be getting better but what I'm almost thinking I'll hear from her someday: "It is beautiful out! Think I'll walk around outdoors and look at my phone."

Haha! That cracked me up!

We do that, you know , the Sunday drive thing. We have our favorite routes, but sometimes we explore and find interesting new places for a hike, or a few pictures. My husband calls these trips "barn hunts", because I just love old barns and like to take amateurish pictures of them.

I won't even get started on the digital habits of people dear to me. ...okay, just one... -
We met some relatives in Yellowstone several years back, and one very young relative kept his face glued to his Game Boy the entire time. I was aghast, and said so to my dear relative, who was mildly offended at me for being so, ... er, outspoken about it. I mean , here we were, in a place like no other, and not a place you get to see every other day of your life and he was completely absorbed by some mindless game!

Oh well. I'm just a hopeless gawker, and prefer my husband drive so I can oogle at everything out the windows.

 

[Carol Dee]

Digit and Thistle
I am Sooo with you My DIL has a phone to her ear or fingers to key pad 99.9 % of her life. Even at the table when eating here. We have them over for a visit and she would rather be playing games on her phone or texting friends than anything we might be doing. Pretty sad. This younger generation and some of the older ones are going to miss so much. Mother Nature can put on a show way better than any elecronic gadget ANY day. Sunrise, sunset, storm, birds, bees, trees, flowers. You know
This week I could have shot the inventer of Facebook (and DIL) as our Son had a truck accident ( Thank goodness he is O.k. even if his truck is not!) I was asked by a friend if he was o.k. when I arrived at a meeting, she had seen on FACEBOOK that he went to hospital to be checked out after the accident. Of course it was news to me. (Thank goodness I did know about the accident and that he was o.k. before that.) Oh=Well. My sister will argue with me. She feels I should facebook so I would be in the loop. Hmmm. me thinks I would rather not. Usually too much information I DO NOT need to know. Ooops sorry about the tangent!
Hope you all have a relaxing evening and a beautiful sunset.

 

[Southern Gardener]

Yup. All my siblings kids have their noses stuck in their phones ALL the time - it drives me nuts!! Very sad and very scary!

Thistle, I'm also a gawker. Just this morning dad and I were on our one hour scenic drive to our deer stands; well, what did I see on the way? A large semi-circle of old toilets in someones yard!! Now I tell ya, that was worth seeing!

 

[digitS']

There was certainly a barn but nothing so interesting as a semi-circle of toi . . . wait a minute, there was a toilet in a yard, and only about 100 yards down the road .

What I did get to was a good long walk! Lakes, creek, we passed the 1 mile marker so it must have been about 2.5 mi, round trip. That's quite a walk for a guy who often has trouble getting out of his chair .

You know, DS is no kid. He hasn't been a kid in 20 years. But, I guess he gets a fair amount of exercise. Good to know that your DS wasn't injured, Carol Dee! And yes, electrons fly at the speed of light!

Staying in touch is important and I can think of worst behavior from young people. DD, for example, used her day off to visit the mall . . . of course, the telephone will replace that activity and her children won't be joining her in shopping. That'll teach her!

Looking back into history, no doubt the advent of the telegraph was seen as an unwelcome intruder in family life when Morris the Cat first used it to order a can of 9Lives.

Steve's digits, the rest of him is too tired to move

 

[Smiles Jr.]

We have two of our grands (9 girl and 12 boy) who live about 20 miles away. I won't allow them to bring ANY electronics, including cell phones, when they visit. The seem to enjoy the break from those terrible things because they are always eager to stay with us for a weekend. They come about every 3 to 4 weeks and we explore the woods, the corn and bean fields, the lakes, my gardens, and we make all sorts of things. I've been teaching them to shoot and hunt. Many nights we lay out on blankets or sleeping bags and study the stars and constellations. Grandma has been teaching them cooking, baking, canning, knitting and sewing. Last spring we had some very dry wheat left over in a barn and they got to hand grind it and make pancakes with it. We just love them to pieces and they really enjoy spending time with Gram and Gramps. My DS and DIL are kind of weak on manners and the two kids get some very strict lessons when they are here. They actually like it!?!? Go figure. I'm sure it's the one-on-one attention they get here as their mom and dad live in that fast-paced run, run, run world that is destroying our nation. Many of the youth today have closer emotional ties with their smartphone than they do with siblings and parents.

 

[Carol Dee]

You know, DS is no kid. He hasn't been a kid in 20 years. But, I guess he gets a fair amount of exercise. Good to know that your DS wasn't injured, Carol Dee! And yes, electrons fly at the speed of light!

Thanks, Steve, We where pretty relieved he was O.K. after seeing the truck!

And Smiles, You have some pretty lucky Grandchildren.

 

[catjac1975]

Thats a wonderful life. As a middle school teacher for 34 years, and seeing my children change attitudes in the mid teen years. Don't take it too hard if things change for a while in the coming years. They may move a bit a way from you emotionally, but they will return. My oldest daughter spent 10 years several states away. The most wonderful complement she ever gave me was when she and her husband were planning to move back here. She wants to have her kids have the kind of life she had. My 2 darlings 2 and 5 are hunkered down with G&G during the hurricane. Parents are working from home today. No more missing work for a silly thing like a hurricane with computers. Well we will have all the fun! They love the animals and the gardens. They know more about pollinating daylilies than most adults!

We have two of our grands (9 girl and 12 boy) who live about 20 miles away. I won't allow them to bring ANY electronics, including cell phones, when they visit. The seem to enjoy the break from those terrible things because they are always eager to stay with us for a weekend. They come about every 3 to 4 weeks and we explore the woods, the corn and bean fields, the lakes, my gardens, and we make all sorts of things. I've been teaching them to shoot and hunt. Many nights we lay out on blankets or sleeping bags and study the stars and constellations. Grandma has been teaching them cooking, baking, canning, knitting and sewing. Last spring we had some very dry wheat left over in a barn and they got to hand grind it and make pancakes with it. We just love them to pieces and they really enjoy spending time with Gram and Gramps. My DS and DIL are kind of weak on manners and the two kids get some very strict lessons when they are here. They actually like it!?!? Go figure. I'm sure it's the one-on-one attention they get here as their mom and dad live in that fast-paced run, run, run world that is destroying our nation. Many of the youth today have closer emotional ties with their smartphone than they do with siblings and parents.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

Thats a wonderful life. As a middle school teacher for 34 years, and seeing my children change attitudes in the mid teen years. Don't take it too hard if things change for a while in the coming years. They may move a bit a way from you emotionally, but they will return. My oldest daughter spent 10 years several states away. The most wonderful complement she ever gave me was when she and her husband were planning to move back here. She wants to have her kids have the kind of life she had. My 2 darlings 2 and 5 are hunkered down with G&G during the hurricane. Parents are working from home today. No more missing work for a silly thing like a hurricane with computers. Well we will have all the fun! They love the animals and the gardens. They know more about pollinating daylilies than most adults!

We have two of our grands (9 girl and 12 boy) who live about 20 miles away. I won't allow them to bring ANY electronics, including cell phones, when they visit. The seem to enjoy the break from those terrible things because they are always eager to stay with us for a weekend. They come about every 3 to 4 weeks and we explore the woods, the corn and bean fields, the lakes, my gardens, and we make all sorts of things. I've been teaching them to shoot and hunt. Many nights we lay out on blankets or sleeping bags and study the stars and constellations. Grandma has been teaching them cooking, baking, canning, knitting and sewing. Last spring we had some very dry wheat left over in a barn and they got to hand grind it and make pancakes with it. We just love them to pieces and they really enjoy spending time with Gram and Gramps. My DS and DIL are kind of weak on manners and the two kids get some very strict lessons when they are here. They actually like it!?!? Go figure. I'm sure it's the one-on-one attention they get here as their mom and dad live in that fast-paced run, run, run world that is destroying our nation. Many of the youth today have closer emotional ties with their smartphone than they do with siblings and parents.

I was surprised when I got an email from my oldest son mentioning the Sunday drives we used to take, he is 31. It sure gave me a boost to know that it did create good memories for him (as well as for ol' dad). You never know just which seeds you plant will grow. When I dropped the boys off for school I always wanted my hugs, they didn't think it was "cool" till one day when my son was walking away with his friend and he remarked "gee I wish my dad would do that", now I get squished by a 6'4" grown man, love it. Maybe they'll even try gardening. . . .