Out with the old,

In with the new, or at least the working used.

For a couple of years now I have been struggling with alarm clocks. My old faithful – bought way back in 1984 (yes – happy wedding anniversary to my brother and sister-in-law!) has over the years, understandably, taken a few knocks. It has woken me up in many places throughout the world as I travel, never mind many a morning at home.

Indispensable that clock.

Now I know that the way to go is one’s smart phone, however, its’ owner not being quite so smart did not know until my sister enlightened me a few days ago, that the alarm rings even if one has it on mute. Who knew?

The other function of the old clock that is almost as precious as its’ alarm is the easy-to-push-in-the-middle-of-the-night top bar. It lights up the screen so that one can see if one has half the night left, or only an hour or two. My source of good rest is that top button.

So it was my safety blanket, my one and all, my be all.

Ever since the back half broke I have been looking to replace it. One would be amazed at the lack of those two functions on modern alarm clocks: either there is no convenient button to light it up in the dark or the sound on the alarm is so low that I miss it half the time (yes I will freely admit that I have slight hearing problems, but one wouldn’t wear hearing aids to bed in any case, would one?). Then the back broke off entirely, then the cover for the battery disappeared so half the time the battery blinks out by just picking it up. In short it was no longer a viable alarm and I had had to haul out one of my larger ones, albeit one without a convenient light-up button.

Knowing that my sister would be coming this way for Christmas I checked the Radio Shack store online and found one exactly like the old one. It only existed in white – never mind, I requested that she purchase it and bring it.

She did better: she also brought her old travel alarm (same model as mine!). Life would be good as I now am probably “in alarm clocks” for many years. I could wish to outlive them, but that may be pushing it if they last as long as the last one as I would be around 150. Still stranger things have happened and at least I would be able to wake myself up or orient myself in the middle of the night.

Won’t however throw out the old until I am sure that the used and new actually work.

Out with the old, in with the new!

Too trite to be true... but hey, having spent all my philosophical thoughts on the past year...

Trying to determine the origin of this statement led to some very interesting trivia, including one person who maintains that it originated with Lee Douglas IV – of the 5^th clan of the Doogals, who eventually became the Douglas clan- its meaning being ‘out with the old‘ (his mother who was a lady of the night) and in with the new (his mistress). Hmmm...

So then I went on to “wiping the slate clean” as that is what I have done in preparation for THE NEW YEAR.

Finally able to see the design on the bulletin board!

Command central.... ready for 2014

 Now last December 31^st after the death of my sister, I reckoned that 2013 was going to be a good year. Maybe I shouldn’t be making predictions as it was a very mixed year at best.

However, “hope springs eternal” (to use another cliché… maybe my goal should be not to use clichés in 2014? At least I know the origin of this one – Alexander Pope in An Essay on Man) and I am going to think that the possibilities for a lovely year in 2014 are endless.

So greetings and best wishes from my own village!