Category: Shower Thoughts

Posted in 2026, Shower Thoughts

The Spider

Posted on by nancyb422

This morning, while washing my hair in the shower, I noticed a spider working its way up the half wall in the back of the shower.

I thought it was just some house spider and I was not surprised to see it in the bathroom. I think that the louvers of the exhaust fan bring them down from the attic. I just looked up “spiders found in homes” and yes, there is one called the American House Spider.

I know a few people who would have gone running and screaming out to the street after burning their house down if they saw a spider in the shower with them. I am not one of those people.

I watched the spider make its way up the wall to the ledge and then move on to the glass. That’s where his attempts to get out of the shower ended. His spider legs didn’t have any grip on the wet glass and he continually fell back to the ledge. He would crawl along the ledge and try another section hoping for better results, but no, back to the ledge.

Towards the end of my shower, he walked along the tub ledge at the base of the shower door, hoping to find another way out.

My shower was over and I had a decision. Let the spider crawl freely around my house and worry about whether it was really an innocent American House Spider, not something much worse, or do what I usually do. I did what I usually do. I grabbed a piece of toilet paper, squished the spider, and dropped it into the toilet.

I know there are more where he came from. Maybe when one appears in warmer weather, I’ll toss it out the window instead.

Posted in 2025, life, Shower Thoughts, thoughts, Writing

Planned Parenthood

Posted on by nancyb422

I recently had my annual gynecologist appointment and it got me thinking….

I used Planned Parenthood in my early 20s when I had no idea where to go for my reproductive health.

My mother was still taking me and my sisters to our pediatrician in our teens and our last visit there was when we turned 18. I remember him telling my mother, “well, this will be the last time I see them.”After that, or even maybe even before, we probably should have started going to a gynecologist but no one ever initiated it. Not us, not my mother.

There was some risk involved being sexually active with no birth control and I got tired of taking that risk. But where do I go? I was not very good with talking about things I was uncomfortable with, or something that might get shot down or questioned. (I really don’t like to be questioned – if I finally speak up about something, I’ve usually made up my mind and I’m not looking for approval!).

Maybe someone where I work suggested it, maybe I found it on my own. But I found it and they were great. I got my annual checkups and my birth control there and it was affordable. I was glad they were there for me when I needed them.

As of 2022 there are more females than males in the United States. Every month once we hit puberty, we all (generalizing) go through the same thing. But yet, roadblocks are thrown up to prevent many women from getting the basic care they need. I was glad to read that Planned Parenthood has a presence in all 50 states. I think we need it more than ever.

Posted in 2023, Shower Thoughts, Writing

What’s In a Name Leads to Phonetics Questions

Posted on by nancyb422

Shower thoughts. We’ve all got them right? Here’s mine from today….

I want to send a thank you card to a remodel company owner and staff who hosted an open house when I was in Ann Arbor Michigan last week. Actually, it was in my reminders for Monday, but life and that “jump into routine” mode got in the way. Hence, me thinking about it in the shower!

His name is Jef. Short and sweet. But where’s the customary second F? Was he born Jef? Jefrey? Jeffrey shortened and dropped the second F? So many thoughts none of which turned into actual questions!

That lead me down the rabbit hole to vowels, consonants and what happens when you put them together.

We learn in elementary school that a vowel followed by 2 consonants will give the vowel a short sound. But a vowel followed by one consonant gives it a long sound. Right?

I started going down the list of names in my family. Nancy – the A has the NC before the Y. Cool. But Janice only has the C between the I and E which signals a long I. JanIce. Hmm what’s up with that?

Steven – gives a long E but Stephen? Well, that’s pronounced the same but shouldn’t because of the PH!

Mark – no surprise, Cody – the same, but what’s up with E-m-I-l-y! No wonder words are hard for a beginner!

My first item of business today will be my thank you card to Jef!