Let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him. (Oswalt Chambers)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Monday Miscellany for July 26



This may look like a pretty cloud, but it's actually the humidity boiling up in SW Michigan.

It's been very very hot and humid for the past few weeks. Today high was in the mid 80s and it felt like a cool spell. 90s returning mid week.




When I hear the word "frontier", I think about Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, an old Disney series from my childhood when Walt Disney was still alive and TV was black and white.

So imagine my concern when we received a letter last week informing us that as of July 1 (a little late with notification, don't ya think?) Frontier, "more than just a communications provider, we're a conversation company", was my new land line telephone service provider. It was the first time I'd ever heard of Frontier.

After a little investigation it appears Verizon has sold our middle of nowhere, antique and inadequate phone lines to Frontier who "wants to bring high speed internet to rural America." Well, that's us. Bring it on.

Seriously, has anyone ever heard of Frontier? Could this possibly be worse than what Verizon was doing for us?


One of the advantages of aging is not having to go the polls and stand in line to vote. Anyone 60 and over can get an absentee ballot and vote at home in leisure. I love my absentee ballots and have the August 3 primary version sitting here by my side.

In Michigan we have a governorship up for grabs with so many candidates it's difficult to keep them straight for those of us who aren't serious political followers.

As soon as I get this posted, I'm going to look up a few candidates online and get the ballot marked.


Judy S. left a comment on blackberries:
Your blackberries must be gentler than ours are! Ours have the most wicked thorns and are not to be messed with. We often joke that they form the infra-structure of our state.......



If Judy's blackberries are nastier than ours, she's in serious trouble!

Ours have the ability to sense human warmth, grab the human to draw blood on bare skin and snag clothing where the human tried to protect itself. Unless the clothing is leather, a blackberry thorn can do both at the same time - pierce and snag the clothing and draw blood under the clothing.

This time of year, the blackberry stalks are arching over the mowed paths where the dogs and I walk. Before I mow the paths again, I need to go out dressed in armor and prune them back or they will attack me and the tractor.

And, even wearing armor I know they're going to get me.

7 comments:

Sue said...

Frontier is the provider for the southern suburbs of Mpls-St Paul. I have heard no complaints from my friend

Tah said...

I've heard of Frontier! We got the same letter last week...

Dorothy said...

We're another area that has been sold to Frontier. My understanding is that they dumped the whole state of Washington. It will be interesting to see if there are any service changes. We were so dissatisfied with Verizon internet that we switched to Comcast several months ago. Here's hoping this is an improvement. Blackberries are considered a weed here, but a delicious one!

Judy S. said...

Yep, your blackberries look lethal also! We'll have to post a photo; some of the vines/branches are very thick as they don't die back in our mild winters. Nobody cuts through our yard anymore though....

Anonymous said...

Isn't this the worst Summer ever for heat and humidity? We haven't been out of the mid-90's since May. No problem for me in selecting our next governor. I voted for my cousin.(LOL) He won by 66% from a field of 8 candidates.

Alwen said...

We just got switched to Frontier - it's the whole state of MI, I believe. I found this out when I could call out on my home phone, but it wouldn't ring in, and Verizon's website redirected me to Frontier.

I would call your blackberries black raspberries (hollow in the center when you pick them). I have those and what I call blackberries (the center stays in when you pick them).

Blackberries/brambles are part of the confusing genus Rubus, and I have both prostrate and caning varieties, and both thornless and wicked-thorny varieties, all growing wild. Maybe this will inspire me to take a picture.

Sonya said...

Parts of NE Indiana got sold to Frontier too. My library is now Frontier, but at home we've gone from Verizon to Embarq to CenturyLink over the last couple of years.