Time and China on my Mind, Part 2

If two is coincidence and three begins a pattern, then

 I owe it to myself to buy one more clock, made in China,

to see if my two inaccurate “Chinese clocks” were a fluke.

That was my thought process when the next store I went

to clock shop had no alternatives-all their clocks were

Made in China!

As I put the new red trimmed with white face clock on

my kitchen wall, I admired how handsome it looked-Now

if it will only tell time! Preferably, accurate time.

Since I had time on my mind, I decided to do an inventory

of my clocks and see where they were made. Many I had

had over a decade and they worked well enough for me

not to notice. Clocks that I thought were Made in America

because of their names: Timex, Westclox and Waltham

printed on their faces, upon closer inspection had Made in

China printed on their backs!

How long had this been going on? I am talking about five clocks

that I’ve had for years that were living like immigrant spies with 
 me and I never even suspected…

As I complained to various friends, one of my male friends

asked me if I had noticed the f/s switch on the back. I have

noticed that and never knew what it meant. According to

him it is the faster/slower mode. If your clock has it (not

all clocks do) you have some control over accurate time

keeping. The first clock I looked at didn’t even have it,

but I’ve had that clock at least 15 years and always corrected

it with the dial on the back. It keeps pretty good time.

Its face says: Timex. On the back it says: Made in China.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not against importing

manufactured goods from foreign countries. I wouldn’t object

to time pieces from Switzerland or Germany, for instance.

It’s just that I’ve recently had a raw experience with clocks

Made in China and my trust needs to be renewed.

ABC news has a Made in America campaign hosted by

David Muir. The mission is to bring jobs back to America.

 I haven’t been on their website to check it out, but it will

 be my next stop. Not everything made here is superior,

 however our laws help us keep real junk off the market.

Time to sign off, but if this third clock Made in China

fails me, you’ll be reading about it! Let’s see, it could

go either way: Three times a charm or Three time loser…

I do wonder which it will be...   Raintreepoet, reporting.

Time & China on My Mind

I am on clock # 2, purchased at the same discount store

Clock # 1 was stylish in a traditional way and I hung it

Above a kitchen still life painting next to the sink

It looked so designer pretty, I kept it in place

Weeks after I discovered it did not keep time

Finally, I put it in a Goodwill sack and installed

The new find, a sassy red frying pan clock with fork

& knife hands from the same discount store

When the second clock stopped working within

A matter of weeks I began to ponder where

To throw blame!

It is my way to analyze before casting aspersions:

·       Both were made in China

·       Both came from the same discount store

·       Both were well designed, pretty to the eye

·       Both stopped working in a matter of weeks

In the spirit of research, I visited the store again and

Looked closer at their clocks-All were made in China!

Deduction: I’ve decided to take the time and trouble

To find my receipt and return that dang clock!

I am resigned to paying more for a clock

Made in the USA or Switzerland

Because no matter how stylish and pretty

A clock is

What good is it, if it does not tell accurate time?

raintreepoet

December 2014

Baby, it's Cold Outside, Part 2

Brrr! I have many layers on. Weather person said that it was 23 degrees this morning. That is too dang cold for me! I get home this afternoon and hot cocoa drifts into my mind.
Happily, I have an exquisite recipe for you:


 Hot Cocoa with Peppermint

•  1 cup boiling water
•  1 heaping tsp. cocoa powder (unsweetened)
•  1 tsp. honey 
•  1 peppermint tea bag

optional: whipped cream on top!

Directions: combine and steep for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove tea bag, stir well and serve. Yum.
You may wish to top with whipped cream.
 If you want plain, dark chocolate hot cocoa, leave the tea bag out.

As you enjoy this steaming mug of bliss, be grateful that it is simple and not filled with fillers that are not good for you and that food companies will charge more for anyway. Perhaps the best things in life are not quite free, but you may have quality for less if you do your research.
Put on your wool socks and bundle up because Baby, even when it's cold outside, you can be warm...

G'Day,
raintreepoet

Singin' the Blues

With the upcoming holidays, some will not have the usual celebrations we see in Hollywood movies. Some will have to deal with drunks and/or druggies. God Bless and keep us all!

 

      

My caller ID does not work properly,               

Without my reading glasses

I cannot see, anyway

I pick up

It is you

Dread creeps over me

Like a dark, dense fog

We have a history

You were my friend

Once upon a time

Much water has flowed

Since then

In your glory days

You were a public servant

As was I

You had the well paid job

And built your dream home

On five acres

We had music in common

And share zodiac signs

I remember your birthday

You never remember mine

Once you gave me a key

To your big house

Said to stay any time

I liked

Later you demanded your

Key back

Saying I came too often

I was puzzled, since

I hadn’t been there

In six months

Another time, I house-sat for you

And your then husband

While you vacationed

In Mexico

Before you left, you said:

I don’t want you to have visitors

Secretly, I was incensed, so

I screwed my boyfriend

In every room!

Take that! I said

Of course, I never told you

You had fabulous clothes,

An impressive walk-in closet

And you performed on stage

Like a rock star

Your songwriting was

Filled with supportive rants

For the underdog

I admired that-

Because you never were

Band members came

And went, because

You had to have

Total control

Collaboration was

Never your game

The irony of your

Last Band Squeeze

Leaving you in the dust

Was probably only

Noticed by me-

Years ago, you stole him

From his wife…

You haven’t been friendly

With me in years-

Out of the blue,

My phone rings and

You pour out your soul:

You say you’ve been in jail,

Incarcerated for brandishing

Scissors and telling your

Live-in lover: I could

Kill you

You further confess

You’ve been in rehab-

For prescription drug abuse

You ask for my

Reassurance-that I am

Your friend

Never do you ask: How has

 your life been?

I realize, at that point,

That you’re no different than

My ex, who was an addict, too

I am barely getting by

I have learned my lessons

The hard way

And this I know for sure:

I cannot let another addict

Into my life

I try to be nice,

But you ask for my address and

I don’t want you to know

Where I live

I fear your boundaries are gone

That you’ll show up, uninvited

While I am so

Very overwhelmed

With my own life

Why wouldn’t you?

You call uninvited and

Manipulate me into

Listening to your blues

And staying on the phone-my

True friends know I loathe long

 Phone conversations…

Your blues make me sick-

You’ve had many opportunities

I have not

And you snivel and whine

About how hard your life is

You sound like addicts

I have known-narcissistic Takers,

Who profess friendship,

 While they suck, like a vampire

On my soul

My tallest mountain to climb

Is saying what really is

When you ask: Don’t you

Want to be my friend?

It is on the tip of my tongue-

I cannot quite say it, but

My mind screams: No!

I want to say: I am not

A professional,

You can afford counseling-

Please do yourself a favor

 And get some

I cannot have your addict salt

Rubbed into my old wounds

I am getting stronger,

Healing from not having

To deal with dark addict souls

Do I want to be your friend? You Ask-

My reply: Thank you, but no…

RMK 24 November 2014