Me In A List

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Courtesy 0.s3.envato.com

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know some things about me. You know that I’m disabled, that I have two younger sisters, and that I have a canine daughter named Maggie. For this post, I thought I’d tell you a little more about myself.

  1. Pansies are my favorite flower (they look like they are smiling).
  2. I took two years of French in high school, but other than merci and bonjour, the only thing I remember is pig. (Not very useful in a conversation. Unless you were talking about sandwiches. Or farm animals.)
  3. My 13/14-year-old “celebrity” crush was Prince William (that was pre-bald).
  4. I think about 95 is the perfect temperature.
  5. I think hobos are scary. Clowns too.
  6. I have never seen “Star Wars.”
  7. I have done several 5ks.
  8. I need a white noise machine to sleep (it drowns out Maggie’s snoring).
  9. Our family has never been without a dog.
  10. My favorite pizza topping is pineapple.
  11. I never learned to whistle.
  12. I think I’ve seen “Toy Story” at least 100 times.
  13. I love tiny houses, but couldn’t ever live in one.
  14. My family and I were guests at the White House.
  15. I could live in Target.
  16. I love “Say Yes to the Dress,” but don’t get how anyone could pay $10,000 for a dress you wear once.

14 Reasons I Want to be Royal

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I want to begin by saying Happy 90th Birthday to Queen Elizabeth.

Now, reasons I want to be Royal:

 

I would get to travel all over the world. For free.

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courtesy tumblr

I could play with the royal corgis.

 

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courtesy pinterest

Two words: Personal stylist.

 

 

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courtesy pinterest

Cute hats—I mean, fascinators.

 

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courtesy chicagotheaterbeat.com

Millions of people all around the globe would love me. I suppose it’s improper of me to call them my subjects, but that’s what they would be.

 

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courtesy adage.com

I would get to be in People.

 

Personal chef.

 

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courtesy pinterest

When I got married it would practically be a national holiday.

 

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courtesy popsugar.com

Same with having a baby.

 

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courtesy wikipedia.org

If I got sick of where I was living, there are lots of other palaces I could go.

 

accents

courtesy purplesailcreative.com

MY ACCENT!!

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I could make announcements on the royal balcony.

 

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courtesy expressco.uk

Have fun with George and Charlotte.

 

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courtesy eonline.com

Have designers vying for me to wear their clothes.

 

 

There Should Be a Kindle 12-Step Program

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I, Erin Tharp, am an addict. Or perhaps a hoarder. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s not alcohol or pieces of trash that are my demon. It’s Kindle books.

I know I have a problem, yet I continue to buy. I already have some good ones in there: To Kill a Mockingbird. The Grapes of Wrath. And I’m reading a really cute cozy mystery now. Yet it isn’t enough. Start one, like it, and now I have every book he/she has ever written.

I remember as a kid trips to the library weren’t quite on par with Disneyland, but they were very close. I would check the books out (shows my age), knowing full well there was no way a fourth grader could read six books in two weeks (also in the days before online renewal). Hunting the library shelves (and now Kindle store) was a lot of the fun.

My sisters swear by the show “Intervention.” I’m not that bad. But I guess admitting that I have a problem is the first step.

And You Are…?

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Courtesy: colenesmith.com

St. Patrick’s Day was yesterday and I’m happy to report that besides my name (which actually means Ireland), fair complexion, and green eyes, I actually have Irish ancestry on Mom’s side. Also Scottish, a tad French, and mostly English, but that doesn’t count on St. Patrick’s Day. On Dad’s side it’s some German then a bit from here and a bit from there (my sister’s boyfriend got her a DNA kit for Christmas, although the thought that she and I share the same DNA is scary). It was her gift, but I had fun with it, too.

I think that stuff is so interesting. How did your family live, such a long time ago? My great-great grandma, who passed away days after I was born, came to California from Kansas in a covered wagon. I think one of my ancestors was one of the people who, during the Boston Tea Party, dressed as an Indian and threw tea off the ship from England. On Dad’s side, somebody fought for the Union army. He actually said above the bed at his great grandparent’s was a sword from the Civil War. Dad is also distantly related to Amelia Earhart.

Now, who are you? I recommend “Genealogy 101” from Universal Class if you enjoy the thrill of the hunt. It’s an instructor-led course. You go at your own pace and have six months to finish the class. Or Ancestry.com. I’m enrolled right now. It’s neat how you get to see the actual documents on the computer screen.

If you are trying to find out your ancestry, I hope that was helpful. Happy hunting!

An Open Letter to KABC’S Weather Team

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Dear Dallas Raines, Bri Winkler, Danny Romero, and Jonathan Novack:

I have been watching KABC’s “Eyewitness News” for as long as I can remember. Saying that, you can tell that I am very impressed with your anchors. Notice how I didn’t mention the weather “team.”

If you were a true team, you four would live your lives on the bench. Take this El Nino farce. You made it sound like in February each of us would need to buy arks. February was the hottest February on record.

Then, March was going to the rainy month. Okay, three rainy days so far. But none in the next week.

And 1/10 of an inch is not a storm. A drizzle for ten minutes is not a reason to go on “Storm Watch.” I can feel the rest of the rest of the country laughing at us. “Those weak Southern Californians,” while the east coast is mopping up after record rains. FEET of rain, not a miniscule amount.

A final thought: A Magic 8 Ball might not be the best “helper” for your forecasts.

Sincerely,

Erin Tharp

Now

By Posted in That's Just my Opinion Tagged , , , , , 2 Comments
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Miss it? Don’t worry–it’ll be back next summer.

This post uses the photo challenge title “Now” as inspiration, but I’m obviously not using photography.

 

At this moment, here I sit in the kitchen, the house in disarray as the Christmas decorations come down. I hear the zipping of the bag containing our tree. Yes, it’s fake, something my 29-year-old sister is horrified at.

 

This time was always sad as a kid. Christmas was really over. Eleven more months, which was an eternity. Now, it’s kind of like, “The show’s over, back to your lives!” Almost a relief to return to normal.

 

Time flies at the age of 32. Although it’s dreary and bitter cold, by Southern California standards, it could be May 2015—seven months ago. Or at least it seems like it could be May. Or should be May.

 

So, with that logic, I guess Christmas will be back next summer, fake tree and all.

 

Image courtesy of historybuff.com

Wait A Minute

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keep-calm-and-wait-a-minute-9Politically, I would consider myself fairly middle of the road, yet leaning to the right. Most times I can find valid points from the Democratic side (don’t tell my Dad, who is a staunch Republican—if I told him the other side had a few good points he might disown me).

But why does every single thing that happens in the United States have to be turned into a political issue? Take what happened in San Bernardino. The details were barely known, yet the presidential candidates were using it to talk about their platform.

Come on! Fourteen people died, and many others are still in the hospital, including children.Can’t arguing about terrorism, immigration, and gun control wait? I’m guilty of posting a few conservative based-things (Dad would be proud) on Facebook, but I shouldn’t have. Politics can wait.

Today, let’s remember the victims.

 

Image: sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk

December Is The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

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At church, our priest discourages his parishioners from doing any Christmas-related activities until after Thanksgiving, especially Black Friday shopping (although since Walmart offers Black Friday deals all day long on Thanksgiving, I suppose you could call it Black Thursday. Or Black Thanksgiving.). My family has always waited to decorate or listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, but to the majority of Americans, Christmas starts after Halloween. Okay, I know I’m exaggerating, but it sure feels like it. Right after Halloween, up went the Christmas decorations in our city. Sirius/XM started playing Christmas music (actually that might been before Halloween!), and Christmas trees, along with Santa in some cases, graced every mall.

 

Aren’t we forgetting something? Oh yeah. Thanksgiving. How did a nice holiday, complete with good food, family, and a good message, get swept away like that? Being thankful for what you have shouldn’t be one of those calendar-filling holidays like, say, Arbor Day. And if you are giving thanks, Christmas just might be a little more special.

 

Happy Thanksgiving, readers!

Halloween, Circa 1994

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Erin the Picnic, Kelley the Hula Girl, and Sarah the Bag of Jelly Belly's.

Erin the Picnic, Kelley the Hula Girl, and Sarah the Bag of Jelly Belly’s.

Ah, Halloween. It was the one night when bedtimes didn’t matter (within reason), and a sugar rush was acceptable—almost expected. And for one night you could experience being somebody other than yourself.

Then comes the year when you stop trick-or-treating altogether (I was probably in junior high). I felt so grown up—trick-or-treating was so juvenile! But being on candy patrol wasn’t as much fun, as it turned out.

Today, HALLOWEEN, PERIOD, even if I dressed up, just isn’t the same. There are just too many creeps who are ready to “pounce” on unsuspecting children partaking in an innocent pre-November tradition. You see on the news the stupid people hiding razors and things in candy or lacing it with drugs.

I know I sound like an old geezer, but I miss the innocent days. My sisters and I got costume ideas from American Girl magazine, Dad was the designated pumpkin carver, and a fun-size Reese’s Cup made my night.

I’m now 32 and my sisters in their late 20s. I’m positive they would wholeheartedly agree when I say I wish I appreciated those days of trick-or-treating, when my only problem was which candy bar to eat first.