Blast from the Past

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of running into an old high school teacher. Her name is Tina, and she taught me Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Trig. I was an A student and yes, teacher's pet.

She was a hard teacher, with the reputation to match it. I loved her and thought she was the best math teacher ever.

We have kept in touch all of these years, sending annual Christmas cards. In the last card, I noted that I wrote this blog, and Tina told me yesterday that she'd been reading it every day!

I was so surprised. What a wonderful compliment. She also told me to get off my butt and write my book. I wonder if that will be the nudge I need?

Below is a column I wrote in 2009 for The Fincastle Herald about my favorite teacher. I never put it on my blog but I will do so today, except I will leave out last names, since I don't want to post them on the Internet.

******

 

Students who attended Lord Botetourt from 1972 to 1984 might remember Tina F., one of the math teachers. I studied under her for three years, taking Algebra and Trigonometry.

Mrs. F. was either the dragon lady or one of the best teachers ever, depending upon your point of view.

I know quite a few students tend to recall her as the former while I always have thought of her as the latter.

She was a strict teacher and her subject matter was difficult. She expected and demanded the very best from her students. If you didn’t give it, she would know why. If you were capable of “A” work then you’d better darn well get that grade.

She was also very interested in her students and spent mornings, lunch and time after school helping me and others to learn the intricacies of X+Y-Z=3 or other unintelligible equations.

Mrs. F. had a strong voice and an even stronger personality. You knew when she was in the room. You didn’t dare misbehave for her wrath was real and fearsome.

I thought she was wonderful.

I was a teacher’s pet, I admit. I did my homework, I studied and I made good grades. Other kids called me names like “computer head” (or brainiac, as a cousin recently reminded me when I thoroughly trounced her in a word game on Facebook).

Teachers praised my work ethic and I lapped it up. Mrs. F. was judicious with her words and thus praise from her meant a great deal. I had earned it.

I turned to her for guidance for important and upsetting national events, like the murder of John Lennon and the shooting of President Ronald Reagan. I also went to her with personal issues, like a dating.

“You are one of the few that has spent 3 years with me and is still alive!” she wrote in my senior album.

She even took me out for a steak dinner to celebrate my graduation when the time came. She was the least surprised of all of my teachers when I chose not to go straight to college but instead decided to work a year. She didn’t blink when just a few months later I let her know I was getting married.

She knew me well.

As for Mrs. F., she remarried, becoming Tina W. It took me a long time to get used to her new name.

We stayed in touch with Christmas cards. She left LB to go to Roanoke City Schools, where she eventually worked her way up to assistant principle at Lucy Addision.

Her father for a time was head of the Roanoke City Fire Department where my husband worked. It was another bond between my old teacher and me. When he passed away in 1995 I went with my spouse to the funeral.

Tina told me later that when she’d given her father’s eulogy, she had been pleased to look out at a sea of firemen in uniform and see me amongst them, a favorite student from the past honoring her loss.

This December Tina sent me her cell phone number with my Christmas card. “I’m retired now. Let’s have lunch,” she wrote.

We met recently at Shakers for a reunion. She looked exactly like she did in high school, with her hair cut short and very few wrinkles. She pulled in the parking lot driving a hot little two-seater and I recalled she drove something similar when she taught at LB.

I could scarcely believe it had been over 25 years since I was her student. I can hardly find the words to say how grateful I am for her interest in me, then and now.

She has never been a dragon lady to me.

 

Snow, Then 55 Degrees

It was snowing when we went to bed Thursday night, though the forecast was for rain and sleet.

We woke to find nearly 4 inches of snow on the ground.

In the early morning, a little freezing rain fell. I couldn't see the mountains.

The rain stopped, and the sound of songbirds drew me out on the front porch. I found finches in the top of the blue spruce.

The snow was lovely.

It is hard to take a bad picture when the world is covered with a delicate white.

This is my neighbor's shed.

The fence out the back door.

Everything is beautiful, in its own way.

By 2 p.m., the temperature had climbed. The thermometer at the kitchen window read 55 degrees.

I noticed a deer had been in the backyard, searching for a little snack.

The scene out the front as the snow melted and the winds began to blow.

Gifts That Keep On Giving

I read recently a query from a bride-to-be who wanted to know from a professional advice columnist how to word her wedding invitation so that she received cash instead of gifts. She didn't want any of the items her friends or relatives might pick out for her; she wanted to buy her own things.

Perhaps there are good reasons to make such a tacky request; maybe you and your soon-to-be have been on your own a long time, and you don't need another blender. But a gift is a gift, and sometimes people give you things you aren't expecting and would never think of yourself.

My home is decorated with a number of items I received as a bride - a very long time ago indeed.

This clock hangs in my kitchen. It was a wedding present from long-time friends of my parents. As long as I keep the battery fresh, it keeps perfect time.

A friend of mine created this little fellow from a mold and gave it to me in honor of the fellow I was marrying.

A friend of my mother's gave me this lead-crystal squirrel. I keep it on my dresser; it's a handy holding place for pins or other small items.

I received this from a friend of mine from the place I worked; she was also the mother of someone I went to high school with. It's a small community; you know people. This sits on my husband's dresser. It's the same candle it came with 30 years ago.

My mother sent me off to be an adult with this pair of scissors, which originally belonged to my great-grandmother. According to family legend, my great-grandmother was sewing by the window during a storm when a bolt of lightning hit. The scissors flew from her hand. They have never needed sharpening.

This well-used crock pot was the wedding gift of one of my closest friends, who was also a coworker at the time. I keep thinking I should replace it but it still works in spite of the cooked-on stains, so I continue to use it.

These are the things I could quickly grab to photograph. I'm sure there are other items in my home that were given to me with thoughtfulness and love on the day I said my "I dos."

Such items mean much more to me than cash ever could. They may not be the most expensive, unique, or prettiest items, but they certainly are important to me.

Thursday Thirteen

In the news . . .


1. Rally Against Apathy Draws Small Crowd

2. Citizens: Move Deer Crossing to Area with Less Traffic

3. Hunter Attacked by Unarmed Bear

4. Winners of Drunk Driving Contest Announced

5. Lead-Lined Coffins Called Health Risk

6. More Janes, Less Dicks Needed in Politics

7. Troutt Named to Salmon Board

8. City Unsure Why the Sewer Smells

9. Truck Carrying Flame Retardant Catches Fire

10. Alleged Strip Search Prompts Proposal

11. Laid-Off Workers Recalled to Fill Diapers

12. Hackers Hack Online Anti-Hacking Session

13. Camouflaged Army Vehicle Disappears





Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 280th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Cows in Snow

Last weekend we had a little skiff of snow that brought us about an inch or so of the white stuff. The air was very cold.

When I woke, I saw that the momma cows had huddled over here in the sheltered glen in front of the house instead of by the barns. Maybe it was less windy here?

  Their babies were not in sight.

The cows had snow on their backs.

Not long after I took this picture, my husband went outside and started his pickup truck so the ice could melt off the windshield. The cows all stood up in unison, and the mothers went into the cedars to fetch their little ones. Not long after I watched them all, mothers and babies, move in single file toward the area where my husband feeds them hay.

The Monday Meme

Yeah, I got the questions from Sunday Stealing archive. I do them on Monday. So sue me.


1) What was your dream growing up?

A. To be a writer, actually, to write Nancy Drew books. I also wanted to be an archaeologist or a geologist at various times.

2) What talent do you wish you had?

A. I wish I could paint or draw.

3) If I bought you a drink what would it be?

A. A cup of hot chocolate complete with whipped cream and a cherry on top.

4) What was the last book you read?

A. Elsewhere, by Richard Russo. It was a memoir.

5) Worst Habit?

A. Ha. I initially read that as "worst Hobbit." I have two bad habits: I chew my nails and I eat too much.

6) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?

A. If I know you, yes. If I know your Mom or Dad, yes. If I know who you are by reputation and but have not met you, probably. But not if you're a complete stranger.

7) What is your favorite sport?

A. Ice skating. I became interested in it when Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding went at it in the 1990s. I eschew violence but I have to say that feud was the best thing to ever happen to that sport.

8) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?

A. Well, if you're a stranger we'd make small talk and if you were afraid I'd tried to calm you. If we know each other, then I guess we'd still make small talk and I'd try to calm you. All while trying to keep calm myself. Since I have a thing about elevators it could be quite difficult for me, so maybe you'd be making small talk and trying to calm me.

9) Worst thing to ever happen to you?

A. Some secrets are better left off the Internet.

10) Tell me one weird fact about you.

A. My left foot turns out when I walk, but the problem is in my knee, not my foot.

11) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?

A. If you're a stranger, I open the door a crack and ask you what I can do for you. I do not let you in. If I know you, I open the door and let you in. We'll have tea and discuss politics and religion. You'll leave either agreeing with me or angry.

12) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?

A. My weight.

13) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?

A. Probably your conscience. But it might depend on the crime, I do have a mischievous streak in me sometimes. If you want to go cow tipping, say, I might be your crime partner. But anything worse, probably not.

14) Ever been arrested?

A. No. I am a fine upstanding citizen.

15) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?

A. Pay off a loan and put the remainder, if any, toward a new vehicle.

16) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?

A. Read.

17) Biggest pet peeve?

A. People who drive slower than the speed limit.

18) In one word, how would you describe yourself?

A. Resilient.

19) Do you believe in/appreciate romance?

A. Yes.

20) Who wins the SuperBowl?

A. Baltimore won last night; I caught the last 12 seconds of the game. I watched pieces of it off and on but mostly wasn't interested. Maybe someone can tell me if Michael Ohr had playing time?

Come On, Spring

I understand the groundhog yesterday predicted a short winter. Even though we are having a relatively mild winter, I am ready for green grass and brilliant colors.

 

Although there is a little beauty in the snow, too.

Both of these images are from 2008.

Remembering Uncle Bill

The march of time continues moving us forward, and once again I am sad to report that one of the older relatives has passed away.

Uncle Bill died on Wednesday. He outlived his wife by two years and six days; Aunt Jenny died on January 23, 2011 and Uncle Bill on January 29, 2013. He is my husband's uncle, but that makes him mine, too.

I remember Uncle Bill as a very quiet fellow. He raised bees and when we first married I recall he had hives around his house. He was also active in his church and in the local volunteer fire department. I think he was also a Mason.

He was one of those people you relied on without realizing it. A solid presence who brought a bit of calm and sense into the room. I always felt safe when he was around.

I went to school with his middle son, Alan. Aunt Jenny was a substitute teacher in the school system and I remember having her, so I have known the family for a long time. And then of course, I married James nearly 30 years ago and Alan is also a member of the Roanoke City Fire Department and works with my husband.

James and I have both been lucky to have such extended families, with aunts, uncles, and cousins in our lives. It is so heartbreaking to see them leave us one by one.

Here is Uncle Bill's obituary:

William P. (Bill) Austin, 80, of Troutville, died on Wednesday, January 30, 2013. He was born on December 4, 1932, a son of the late, Earl I. "Pete" and Isabelle Switzer Austin. He was a lifetime member of Fincastle Baptist Church and Fincastle Fire Department. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Genevieve Firebaugh Austin; and two brothers-in- law, James Firebaugh Jr. and Courtney Austin.
He is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, William Michael Austin, Alan P. Austin (Susan) and Anthony S. Austin (Angie); sisters-in-law, Nancy F. Austin and Francina F. Foster (Dale), and Eunice T. Firebaugh; grandchildren, Stephen, Ashley, Sam, Isaac, Alicia, Elijah and Wyatt; aunt, Delphine Austin; special cousins, Nettie T. Boothe and Sara T. Kadec; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Thursday Thirteen

Riddle me this! Answers at the bottom.

1. What is red, blue, purple, and green, but no one can reach it, not even the queen?

2. There are two in a corner, one in a room, none in a house, but one in a shelter. What am I?

3. The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?

4. I am the begiing of the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?

5. I have an end but no beginning, a home but no family, a space without room. I never speak but there is no word I cannot make. What am I?

6. Whoever makes it doesn't tell. Whoever takes it doesn't know. Whoever knows it doesn't want it. What is it?

7. What always runs but never walks, often murmers, but never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?

8. What lives in the corner but travels the world?

9. If you drop me I'm sure to crack, but give me a smile and I'll smile back. What am I?

10. Feed me and I live, give me a drink and I die. What am I?

11. A man is writing a letter. The power goes out and then he dies. Why did he die?

12. What men go to the first thing in the morning and last thing at night no man nor woman will stop him from it. What you are doing while reading this. What is it?

13. I give milk and I have a horn, but I am not a cow. What am I?


Answers:

1. A rainbow.

2. The letter "r".

3. Darkness

4. The letter "e".

5. A keyboard.

6. Counterfeit money.

7. A river.

8. A postage stamp.

9. A mirror.

10. Fire.

11. He is in a plane skywriting.

12. Toilet (or sitting).

13. A milk truck.

I am no good at riddles myself. Hope you enjoyed them!

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 279th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Ice Ice Baby

On Monday, we woke to a thin layer of ice from freezing rain.

It was slick enough to close the schools, which initially were on a two-hour delay.

The sun peeped out around 10 a.m., and the forest began to sparkle.

The ice glimmered like zirconium in a poor woman's wedding band.

A fog soon settled in, and the next time I looked, the ice was gone.

The Moon at Daybreak

We had a bit of cloud cover this morning, but the moon kept peeping through.

She beckoned me outside (where it was quite warm) so that I might take pictures.

Because we all know I love to take shots of the moon.

She is not quite full, but close, lacking only a day or so of being at her finest.

As it is, she looks a bit like a snappy middle-aged woman who is moving on to the farther side of the numeric aisle.

You know, that age between not-so-young and not-yet-old.

When beauty is still in the eye of the beholder.

Remembering Challenger

Twenty-seven years ago today, the space shuttle, Challenger, took off from its dock in Florida.

Seventy-three seconds into its voyage, it exploded.

I was 23 years old at the time. I remember I was driving down Interstate 581 on my way to my part-time job after taking a class at Virginia Western Community College. I was listening to the radio report of the launch of Challenger, a space shuttle which would be taking a teacher into space.

I nearly wrecked the car when I heard the horror in the radio announcer's voice as he cried, "It's breaking up, it's breaking up! Oh my God!"

I cried so hard I could hardly make it into the office. No one else there seemed to share my horror and dismay, but I remember it as well as I do any other national tragedy.

You can watch two minutes of CNN footage here; the news media missed it a bit by not realizing that something terrible had happened. Of course, I have hindsight on my side: I know when I see the explosion what exactly has happened. As the NASA spokesperson says, "obviously there was a major malfunction."

This explosion and loss of a space shuttle was particularly hard on the nation because Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space, was on board. Lots of children were watching when Challenger suddenly burst into a ball of smoke and flame. All seven on board perished.

I have long been a fan of the space program and an admirer of people who would put their life on the line so that we might venture out into the great unknown. The space program, now defunded and derided by those who eschew knowledge and education in favor of fiscal prudence and safety, gave mankind many great innovations.

It also fostered hopes and dreams, and gave humanity a sense of purpose as exploration and accomplishments took place time and time again. If we could go into space, we could do anything. Space exploration was a tremendous step forward and an example of what we could accomplish when we worked together toward a common goal.

It was a glorious time in our history, even when bad things such as the Challenger explosion occurred.

I salute all of those heroes who set off in search of something more than themselves.

The Sunday Questions

I took this meme from Sunday Stealing.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

A. That would have been January 27, 2003. Looking back at my journals I apparently was upset with the political scene for one reason or another. Here is a sentence from that day:

"Bush is wading in with his sword of righteousness flaming and held high, ready to invalidate women. Should've know what was coming when John Ashcroft hid the titties on the Statue of Justice in Washington."

Looks like not much has changed there.

You might also remember that in March of 2003, we invaded Iraq. I was opposed to the war from the start, so I imagine I was somewhat agitated about that. The drumbeats of war never ring prettily in my ears.

And in just a few days, I would be upset because Space Shuttle Columbia had disintegrated over Texas, killing all the astronaughts aboard. That happened on February 1.

2. By this time next year, I ...

A. Hope to have lost weight, alleviated some health issues, and written a novel.

3. Do you think the United States will elect a female President in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing?

I certainly hope so. I was a big Hillary Clinton supporter in 2008 and was not happy when she did not win the nomination. I do not think that she will be president, however. I look for Elizabeth Warren to run for the next election, but I do not know if she will receive the nomination. That is a long time and a lot can happen between now and then. I daresay it will be another 12 years, at least, before a woman can be president in this country. I may be very old and shriveled before it happens.

I think it would be a good thing, yes.

4. Which fictional, TV show character you would shag anytime?

A. My husband would say it would be Legolas in the Lord of the Rings movie. He has often accused me of having a thing for Orlando Bloom. I am not saying what I would say.

5. Who is your greatest enemy?

A. Myself.

6. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles?

A. My husband and I went to Myrtle Beach in early October. We had a fairly nice time; I was sick which kept us from having a better time.

7. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?

A. Probably the dictionary though I use the thesaurus frequently, too.

8. Do you have a nickname? What is it?

A. My husband calls me Pookie.

9. What are you dreading at the moment?

A. Going to see the podiatrist on Wednesday.

10. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?

A. Ha. I have been writing in this blog for six years. It's a little late to worry about that, don't you think?

11. If you find an outfit you love, but the size on the label is larger than you want, do you buy the outfit? Why or why not?

A. No, I don't buy clothes unless they fit. That is a waste of money.

12. Even the biggest slackers are anal-retentive about something? What are you anal-retentive about?

A. I'll have to get back to you on this one. I strongly suspect I am anal-retentive about most everything so it is hard to come up with just a single example.

13. Out of all the books you read as a child, which one had the biggest influence on how you are today?

A. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgeson Burnette, followed by Nancy Drew books. The Secret Garden because it showed me how much better it was to be nice, and Nancy Drew books because they enforced my desire to write.

14. Which Golden Girl would you want to spend a night on the town with?

A. All of them.

15. What is the one product you would never buy in its generic form even if the generic is half the price?

A. I do not buy my thyroid medicine in generic even though it costs me extra. The generic doesn't work for me.

16. How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?

A. I still believe in the spirit of Santa. But I was five when I stopped believing he was a real person. I was too smart for my own good.

17. What is the one smell that turns your stomach without fail?

A. Sour milk.

18. If someone holds out a carton of milk to you and asks you to sniff it to see if its spoiled, do you?

A. No. I don't drink milk so I am not sure what it smells like when it's good.

19. You have a completely free day and $2000.00, What are you doing?

A. Putting the $2,000 in savings and reading a book.

20. What is the most used item in your home?
A. My desktop computer.

Virginia Politics Today

Here are few links to the political goings on in the state during this legislative session - in a world gone mad.


Virginia Advances Gangbanger Bill of Rights - another SAVE OUR GUNS bill except this one would make Virginia a safehaven for criminals. Because, you know, they like guns, too. One opponent to this bill suggests criminals would change the state motto to VA LOVES ITS GUNS.

They did this as Vice President Biden was next door talking about gun control:

Biden: Mental Health Check may have prevented VA Tech shooting

The legislators also want to mix up voting districts and change the electoral college. Interestingly, the electoral college distribution has been in place since the founding of the nation, but apparently it can be tampered with, unlike the U.S. Constitution, which is some sort of holy script that can only be interpreted one way (their way) and no other:

Virginia GOP sneaks gerrymandering bill through - The GOP wants to change the districts so they can win next time. The bill would eliminate Creigh Deeds' district (faithfully Democratic) altogether, and help other (Republican) representatives stay in office without moving around and declaring residences in places they don't really live. Because, you know, staying in office is more important than fair representation of the unwashed masses.

It's possible this won't progress in the senate, though:

Virginia Election-Rigging Plan draws opposition from two VA state senators


They also wanted to change the electoral college to better ensure a Republican win in the next presidential election, though it looks like that might fail:

Virginia bill on electoral college change appears headed for defeat

Bill to change electoral college in VA faces uphill battle


Virginia Governor Against Rigging Electoral College

Apparently, though, somehow a sense of fairness fell upon the Virginia Senate:

Virginia Senate passes LGBT protections for state employees

Nondiscrimination Bill Passes VA Senate

though the odds of this passing the House of Delegates (68-32 in favor of the Republicans) seem small.


And let's not forget the governor's plan to fix the transportation funding problems: drop the gas tax, penalize people who use hybrids and other alternative fuels, and raise the taxes on food, clothing, and other necessities. So that, you know, those terrible folks who don't drive or use the buses have to pay more then their fair share. It would also double-tax some folks, such as people who drive diesel fueled vehicles, who would still pay a gas tax AND the higher sales tax rates (and maybe pay a penalty, too!).

Virginia governor proposes fee for hybrids, electric cars

Where are the statesmen of the world who really do want what is best for the people they represent, and not what is best for themselves of some party to which they hold unfettered allegiance?

Books: Wives Behaving Badly

Wives Behaving Badly
By Elizabeth Buchan
Read by Justine Eyre
Copyright 2006
10 hours

This is the second Buchan book I've read, though apparently I forgot about the first one until I started putting things together to write this review.

Her first, Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman, I gave 3 stars in a review on this blog. I confess I don't remember it even after reading my rather skimpy review of it.

Anyway, that first book was about the same characters. Both of these books examine a marriage gone wrong, and deal with the first wife (Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman) and in Wives Behaving Badly, the second wife.

Wives Behaving Badly is told from Minty's point of view. She is the second wife who stole Nathan from Rose (the heroine of the first book). Minty is, to put it bluntly, a rather forthright and not-nice character. She is not evil, by any means, but she is very selfish and self-centered. She wanted what Rose had - a family - and so she took it.

We join the Minty as she tries to juggle marriage with Nathan, their two twin sons, and a job. At first she works part time but her heart is really in her career, not in raising a family. They are fairly wealthy, apparently, able to afford a live-in nannie/housekeeper, at any rate. I don't know too many people who can do that.

Unfortunately Nathan has a heart attack, and Minty finds herself relying on Rose, the jilted wife. The book offers up a bit of hope I suppose for damned relationships, and implies that there are some people who are in your life for a reason, and they will stay there, even if you're not sure why you are hauling them along.

The story is set in Britain, and the reader has a nice British accent.

I could not reconcile the title with the story, though. Wives Behaving Badly rather implies illicit affairs and other such naughtiness. That was not the case.

I will give this one 3 stars, too, but I am glad I am listening to these in the car. (My husband would not give it 3 stars; he listened to some of it while we were traveling last weekend and he did not care for it. But I pointed out it was a chick-lit book.)

This is the third book I have read this year. I am going for 50, so I am on track with one a week.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I will tell myself and my tooth about today's scheduled root canal:

1. Having this procedure will ensure you do not have unexpected future problems.

2. Fixing this issue now means you will be able to chew on a juicy apple without pain.

3. You might enjoy the laughing gas.

4. And then you have that pain-killing medication afterwards. Yeah lortabs.

5. It'll be great taking a day off.

6. These people are professionals. Of course they know what they're doing.

7. Better a dead tooth with a crown than a hole in the head.

8. No pain, no gain.

9. There, there. Here's a hot beverage.

10. The tooth fairy will not come visit for this, but maybe the husband will fix dinner (preferably soup).

11. It's the best thing to do under the circumstances.

12. Now you'll know what to expect if this happens again.

13. Oh Zombie Tooth, you served me faithfully and well
     Sorry that now you're just a calcium shell.
    But you can still do your duty, crunch and chew,
     And that is what a tooth was meant to do.

*Update* Well, after all that, the professional root canal fellow looked at everything and said I didn't need a root canal after all. So yay me.


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 278th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Snow in the Forecast

The weather folks are calling for more snow in our area for Friday. This morning it is downright chilly, with the thermometer sitting on 10 degrees when I slipped out of my warm bed around 6 a.m.

Health Care v. Dental Care

I was wondering recently why health care does not cover dental work.

My teeth, after all, are part of my body, too. And a very important part, I might add. I like to eat (obviously).

I decided to look this question up on the omnipotent Internet. I found some interesting answers.

For one thing, Medicare doesn't cover much dental work. There is some debate as to whether it covers some, but if it does, it doesn't cover much.

I find this unsettling because an abscessed tooth can kill you just as dead as gangrene in your toe. And we don't have separate digit insurance for those 20-odd items on the body, now do we?

Apparently it would take an act of Congress (for real) to change Medicare so that dental work is a covered service.

One reason I found said that dentistry is not considered medicine, so it isn't covered. However, I consider it medicinal. I mean, root canals are a type of surgery like taking a scope to your knee, isn't it?

There is dental insurance but generally policies do not cover major expenses. I suppose, like all insurance, dental insurance is only there to collect your money, not pay it out for the things you need.

Basically, all health care has become political in the United States, and thus what is or isn't covered depends on who has the most power and the ability to get what they want.

Some of the articles I read indicate that the medical profession didn't want dentists involved, so set about making sure insurance did not cover their services.

However, during my search I discovered that the Affordable Health Care Act passed in 2010 addresses some of the disparity in care for teeth as opposed to other body parts. If you're interested in a long discussion about it, I found a paper here that has a great deal of information.

If you are wondering what prompted this inquiry, the answer is a root canal scheduled for Thursday. I am terrified.

At least we are no longer in the day when one went to the barber shop to get a tooth taken care of. I am grateful for that.

Congratulations Mr. President

President Obama took the oath of office today for his second term. Congratulations!

I snapped the above picture this past weekend when I was traveling. I know there are some who believe this to be true - that all of their hardships began in 2008, when President Obama took office.

I am not one of them. I remember what the economy was doing in 2007. President Obama may not be doing the things I want that I think would make things better (which involves more government spending, not less), but he has made some movement forward. He inherited many problems.

Here are some of the highlights of President George W. Bush's last year in office:

In 2007, three million Americans lost their homes to foreclosure. This mortgage crisis in turn led to loss of jobs in the construction sector (see picture above). Other industries followed suit, including furniture (building and retail), real estate companies, mortgage companies, and banks.

The U.S. dollar decreased in value to its lowest levels since 1976.

The war in Iraq cost the US trillions (that is where the deficit came from, in case you have forgotten). The war forced up food and gas prices and took away resources that would otherwise have been used in the United States. Additionally, the governments (local, state, and federal) took to raising fees on this and that to make up for lost revenue, a kind of stealth tax that has eaten away at the middle class.

The unregulated banking industry led to deceitful banking practices that cost citizens money in fines and fees as well as their homes. Banks took predatory lending to new heights. As a result, many Americans lost their savings as well as their good credit.

The war on immigrants, lead by Bush, also added to the cost of food because farmers could not afford to pay someone else to do what the immigrants did.

Unemployment rose to new levels.

The middle class took a huge hit and the disparity between rich and poor grew larger.

That is what it looked like when President Obama took office.

Things are looking better. The stimulus did what it was supposed to - it wasn't meant to be a magic bullet - and the unemployment numbers are lower now than they have been in several years.

Here is a list of some of the things President Obama did for the economy in his first four years:

Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants…) US auto industry rescue
housing rescue plan
$789 billion economic stimulus plan (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), which saved jobs of police officers, teachers, firefighters, etc.
“Cash for Clunkers” program
“jobs summit” in 2009
The FDIC increased deposit insurance for a few years 
Loans for small businesses
Signed Jobs for Main Street Act
Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act
Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act
US Manufacturing Enhancement Act
Small Business Jobs Act
Extended unemployment benefits for one million workers
Wall Street reform bill
Agricultural credit to farmers
Funding for federal support of transportation programs
Cut payroll taxes for working families
Incentives to hire the unemployed
Reform unemployment insurance

There are many others. He has not been a "do nothing" president and while there is always more to do, and other ways to do things, at least he has not been sitting around.

Happy Inauguration Day, Mr. President.

Virginia Farm Show

Today we drove to Fishersville, which is near Staunton, to see the Virginia Farm Show. It probably should be called the Virginia Farm Machinery Show because that is mostly what it is.

Big tractor.

More tractors.

Monster tractor!

Hubby (left) and someone he knows.

Another big tractor.

Front end loaders on tractors.

Huge over-sized piece of machinery that does ... something important, I'm sure.

Another huge piece of machinery that most likely performs some necessary function. I just don't know what.

More farm machinery.