| I Hear Dead People | |
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Betty Fasig Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4334 Registration date : 2008-06-12 Age : 81 Location : Duette, Florida
| Subject: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 1:59 pm | |
| Since I have dug out of the drawer the left hearing aid that my ex-husband's wife sent to me, I have heard 'voices' coming out of the appliances. The dryer has a wheeze and the dishwasher is into opera music. They all have a kind of T. S. Elliot kind of cadence. I hear the washer recite J. Alfred, and the dishwasher knows all kinds of stanzas of The Wasteland. My computer sounds like waves hitting the sand on the beach. Peaceful, it is.
Perhaps I need more personal encounters. If any of these lovelies come out and materialize, I will let you know. Love, Betty |
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alj Five Star Member
Number of posts : 9633 Registration date : 2008-12-05 Age : 80 Location : San Antonio
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:31 pm | |
| It is amazing what our appliances can tell us.I have been living alone for some time now, but it has only bee the last couple of years that I have been working at home all day as well. Until now, I have either had a paying job, or volunteer activities during most of the day.
A quiet house is a weird thing. The extra fan I keep in my office has a roar that no longer bothers me as I have adjusted to it. The refrigerator's whirr, most of the time, assures me that it is doing what it is supposed to do.The AC's let me know when it is time to clean the filters. My phone gives out different little beeps for different messages. Some of them come at a regular time of day, so I no longer need to wear a watch to know what time it is. Others signal breaking news or a new email.
They are all my friends. The house would be unbearably quiet without them.
And, yes, I am turning 70 in 5 days.
Annie |
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Betty Fasig Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4334 Registration date : 2008-06-12 Age : 81 Location : Duette, Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:59 pm | |
| Happy birthday my good friend Annie. 70 is the new 31...so I hear from the washing machine. Love, Betty |
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dkchristi Five Star Member
Number of posts : 8594 Registration date : 2008-12-29 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:34 pm | |
| You guys are a hoot! I only commune with my Irobot vacuum. That's quite reasonable. It seems to sense where I am going and is determined to hit my feet. Then I tell it not to go under the chair and sure enough, it makes a beeline for the chair and gets stuck. One day I was standing beside my bed and forgot it was running around. Next thing I knew, I felt like someone was grabbing my feet from under the bed. I screamed and it scurried in the other direction.
A colleague of mine wrote a story, Bitter Secrets, about hearing voices in a tree. You would both like her story, I think. I sure enjoyed it. She was a finalist in one of those book award things for Indie authors.
Good luck with your appliance friends... :-) |
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Betty Fasig Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4334 Registration date : 2008-06-12 Age : 81 Location : Duette, Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:53 pm | |
| DK, My robot is lovely. It does not like hair and will choke up, but most of the time she is like yours. I named her Hazel after my demented mother. I will look for bitter secrets. Love, Betty |
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dkchristi Five Star Member
Number of posts : 8594 Registration date : 2008-12-29 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:03 pm | |
| Mine is quite upset with my long, auburn hair also. But then, so is the main vacuum. I refuse to change my hair to suit my vacuums.
This is my third. The other two had names. This one is nameless. No wonder it hits my feet and scares me. |
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Betty Fasig Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4334 Registration date : 2008-06-12 Age : 81 Location : Duette, Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:11 pm | |
| Dear DK When she does that, you have to say, "How do you do? I am sure she will blush and try to run away, but you must stand in front of her and say with a kind voice, "I know I have neglected giving you a name". Then you must get out your most wonderful wand-like thing (it would be nice if it had lights) and waft it over the poor little, hard working machine and say "By the grace of Wooffer, I bestow the name ( You can call her Betty ) upon you." Then you must turn away, because she will cry. She would not like you to see her cry. Do not be surprised if she just goes to dock and blink a while. She is, after all, an emotional machine. Love, Betty |
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dkchristi Five Star Member
Number of posts : 8594 Registration date : 2008-12-29 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:54 pm | |
| You do understand these little machines. She may be afraid because I wore out those who came before her. I am more gentle now, only leaving the master bedroom in her charge and using the big time vacuum for the rest of the house. I will name her next time. I'll clean her thoroughly, charge her up fully, so she feels quite powerful and then as she gets ready to roll, I'll bestow her name. That should make up for this long time nameless. Maybe then she will not chase me around or scare me from under the bed. Thanks for the advice - interesting that you knew she was a she. My other two machines, one was a he and the other a she. |
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Abe F. March Five Star Member
Number of posts : 10768 Registration date : 2008-01-26 Age : 85 Location : Germany
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:07 pm | |
| I think I entererd the twi-light zone. |
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Betty Fasig Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4334 Registration date : 2008-06-12 Age : 81 Location : Duette, Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:29 am | |
| Come right on in, Abe. Love, Betty |
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dkchristi Five Star Member
Number of posts : 8594 Registration date : 2008-12-29 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:35 am | |
| It may be a feminine thing - Abe, check with your wife and her relationship with her appliances. I think most women talk with them and listen to them to some degree........
On the sailboat I often spoke with the watermaker. It was very touchy (made a tiny little stream of fresh water from a gusher of salt water). |
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Betty Fasig Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4334 Registration date : 2008-06-12 Age : 81 Location : Duette, Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Fri Aug 02, 2013 5:48 pm | |
| Dear DK, I surely do wish I could have had those adventures with you. You are the most daring person I have ever met. I wish you had kept a log of your ocean voyage. It would be a great book. Not many people even consider such an excursion. I still have the recipe for the key lime dip for the cookies. You are such a unique person. I know that is true. If ever you doubt your beauty, remember that I told you so and when you are famous...I wish I could waft a wand...remember me. I love you! Betty |
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dkchristi Five Star Member
Number of posts : 8594 Registration date : 2008-12-29 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:05 pm | |
| I did keep a log - and I borrowed from it for the adventures of Melani in Arirang: The Bamboo Connection. I wish you had downloaded the ebook when it was free. I still have a couple free days left. I'll make it free again before long.
I especially liked the parts of being alone in the harbor and learning to fillet a fish after releasing them from the fish trap. Or the time I figured out how to repair a radio myself. Or the terrifying storms. Or the the beautiful children and the teachers in the Bahamas.
I am fortunate that my life was rich with experiences to which I can escape going through the boxes I cannot bring myself to throw away - but I must. Because along with the rich experiences are losses - and it just seems we can't have one without the other.
Thanks for your kindness. It matters to me, it is a "matter of consequence." |
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Al Stevens Five Star Member
Number of posts : 1727 Registration date : 2010-05-11 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:22 pm | |
| Judy's broom makes noises. But only when she blows the horn or uses the turn signals.
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Abe F. March Five Star Member
Number of posts : 10768 Registration date : 2008-01-26 Age : 85 Location : Germany
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Fri Aug 02, 2013 11:54 pm | |
| - dkchristi wrote:
- It may be a feminine thing - Abe, check with your wife and her relationship with her appliances. I think most women talk with them and listen to them to some degree........
On the sailboat I often spoke with the watermaker. It was very touchy (made a tiny little stream of fresh water from a gusher of salt water). I do recall my wife talking to applicances as well as cabinets, however it is usually when things don't go as she planned. She claims not to be religious, but frequently uses the word God in her discourse. |
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dkchristi Five Star Member
Number of posts : 8594 Registration date : 2008-12-29 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Sat Aug 03, 2013 7:22 am | |
| Yes, I think religion has a definite place in some of the conversations, although I remember the garage was also a pretty religious place. |
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Betty Fasig Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4334 Registration date : 2008-06-12 Age : 81 Location : Duette, Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:31 pm | |
| Dear Al, The turn signals are there for the joy of the broom pusher. I always thought there should be a speedometer, too. Then sweeping could move to a another level and become a sport...maybe be in the Olympics right next to Curling. What excitement! Love, Betty |
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Betty Fasig Five Star Member
Number of posts : 4334 Registration date : 2008-06-12 Age : 81 Location : Duette, Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:39 pm | |
| Dear DK, When it comes to "matters of consequence" your friendship is no small matter. Your beautiful mind inspires me with every post you make. When The Little Prince was presented in the book store as a 50th aniversary, I bought it for my daughter. At the time it cost, (on sale) fifty dollars. It was a beautiful hard bound book in giant proportion. I wish I could write like that. Such simple words that tell a powerful story that affects everyone who reads it in a profound and life altering way. Love, Betty |
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dkchristi Five Star Member
Number of posts : 8594 Registration date : 2008-12-29 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: I Hear Dead People Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:18 pm | |
| They had it here in a pop out book for the same anniversary at a ridiculous price - it was beautiful! I wanted one so badly but could not justify the cost. So glad you did.
The second translation is not as poetic as the first, and I don't like it as well. Now, the only way to get the original translation from the French to English is to buy one out of print. Alas, some improvements are not an improvement at all.
His wife wrote a lovely memoir, too. You might like it also. Much of the inspiration for The Little Prince came from his romance with his wife and its complications - as he loved danger and was a complicated person himself who died young.
Did you see the movie with Bob Fosse? Oh, it was so wonderful I cried a bucket of tears. I was in a theater in S. Korea with a Korean friend and my young son and neither could understand why I was crying in a children's movie. I believe that Michael Jackson modeled his moves on those of Bob Fosse who was a dancing marvel. The whole movie was magnificent. Many scenes are available on Youtube. I look at them now and then just to weep....:-) |
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