I thought I would answer some more questions. Some days it is tough to come up with something to say.
1. Which do you remember the longest: what other people say, what other people do or how other people make you feel?
I suspect I remember what people say much longer than I should. I have a mind like an elephant - I seldom forget. It's helpful in my work as a news reporter, maybe not so much in my life.
2. What are the key ingredients to having a good relationship?
Trust, Respect, Empathy, and Laughter
3. Is there a cause you believe in more than any other cause?
I believe in efforts to bring equality to women, so yes. Women's rights.
4. What does each decade make you think of:
The 19..
20's: - Flappers
30's: - Great Depression
40's: - World War II
50's: - Downtrodden Women
60's: - Freedom
70's: - Me Generation
80's: - Free-for-all
90's: - Growth and prosperity
2000s: - Fear and timidity
2010's: - Unrest and discord
5. Which decade do you feel the most special connection to and why?
The 1970s. That is when I was coming of age, finding myself, and freeing myself from the grip of my parents.
6. What is your favorite oldie/classic rock song?
American Pie by Don McLean. You can watch it here.
7. What country do you live in and who is the leader of that country?
The USA under President Barrack Obama.
If you could say any sentence to the current leader of your country what would it be?
Mr. President, what do you think you are doing?
8. What's your favorite TV channel to watch in the middle of the night?
CBS, but I am seldom up late.
9. What Disney villain are you the most like and why?
Jafar. I am trapped by my own self.
10. Have you ever been a girl scout/boy scout?
No.
11. If you were traveling to another continent would you rather fly or take a boat?
Boat
12. Why is the sky blue during the day and black at night?
The sky is blue during the day because we are really living in the eye of a huge giant; we are but the atoms on a tiny little speck of dust. When the eye is open, we see the blue of the giant's eye. When the eye closes, we see darkness. The stars are really the dust specks on the giant's eye lid.
13. What does your name mean?
Grace or gracious
14. Would you rather explore the deeps of the ocean or outer space?
Space. The Final Frontier. These are the voyages . . .
15. Word association
What is the first word that comes to mind when you see the word:
Air: Water
Meat: Cleaver
Different: Odd
Pink: Flesh
Deserve: Earn
White: Black
Elvis: Dead
Magic: Witch
Heart: Barracuda
Clash: Flash
Pulp: Orange
16. If you could meet any person in the world who is dead who would you want it to be?
Mary Queen of Scots
17. What if you could meet anyone who is alive?
Diane Sawyer
18. Is there a movie that you love so much you could watch it everyday?
Any of the three movies in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
19. You are going to be stuck alone in an elevator for a week. What do you bring to do?
Books to read. Note that, unless there is electricty, an e-book reader simply would not do; it would run out of juice (as would anything else - cell phone, computer). I'd also want a notebook to write in.
20. Have you ever saved someone's life or had your life saved?
Yes. If you want details, you should phrase the question better.
These questions are part of a series of questions called 5,000 questions, which you can access here. These were questions in the 30s and 40s.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Sunday Questions
I haven't done a meme in a while, so I thought I'd see what was offered at Sunday Stealing. This is today's (for once I am doing it at the appropriate time!).
The Wish List Meme, part one
1.) What are 3 things on your Wish list and why?
a. To write a book - because I am a writer
b. To visit the pyramids in Egypt - because they are there
c. To visit Scotland - because my lineage lies there
2.) What do you miss about your childhood?
I miss having a healthier, skinny body.
3.) What do you do on your spare time on the weekends?
Read, write, play on the computer, work in the yard, go out to dinner, shop.
4.) What do you appreciate most in your life?
My husband.
5.) Would you rather be rich or healthy?
Healthy. Although healthy and rich would be nice.
6.) If you could go back in time would you and why?
I would if I knew I would come back to my present. I would like to meet the Bronte' sisters. Actually I think I would rather go into the future than the past. The future is such an unknown ...
7.) Favorite game as a child?
Monopoly.
8.) What is your dream career?
Owning and writing a newspaper. I guess to be cool it should be like the Huffington Post these days. Except I would pay the people who write for me, not take their words for free. That is so not cool.
9.) What do you do in your free time?
Read, write, play on the computer.
10.) Favorite clothing stores?
It used to be J C Penny but that was before they went bonkers and changed everything. Now I guess it is Belk.
11.) What TV shows can't you live without?
None of them. I don't watch that much TV and there are very few shows I make a point of seeing. Right now, Game of Thrones is a favorite, and I am eager to see the next season of The Newsroom when it starts this summer.
12.) 3 things you need in your life are:
Better health
More money
Lots and lots of hugs
13.) What can't you sleep without?
My Tri-core neck pillow.
14.) What are you currently a nerd for?
Um. I am not sure what this means. You mean, like, do I want a smart phone or an iPad or something? I am an old nerd from way back. (Apparently I am a nerd about this question, because I have come back and edited it four times now and still don't know how to answer it.)
15.) What is your favorite seasoning?
I hate to confess this, because it isn't really a seasoning, but I love Mrs. Dash original blend. It spices up anything.
16.) What is your favorite wild animal?
Deer. I think deer are my totem animal.
17.) Name 3 of your favorite childhood shows:
Land of the Lost
The Brady Bunch
Charlies Angels
18.) If you could live as a character in a movie who would it be?
Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) from Pretty Woman, after she's stopped doing tricks and been swept off her feet by Edward Lewis (Richard Gere).
19.) Favorite vegetable?
Cucumber
20.) Favorite Fruit?
Watermelon
21.) If you had a dragon what would you name it?
Fredricka
22.) What do you put on hotdogs?
A bun, a weiner, pickle relish, and catsup. That's it. Sometimes I go wild and use a little mustard.
23.) Do you play online games?
Not much. I prefer the single player role-playing games, which I understand are not sold anymore (they're all hooked into online subscription things, aren't they?). I haven't bought a video game in at least five years. When I do play online games, it is a puzzle or match-3 (Bejeweled) - also solitary - and I seldom participate in those chats that come with those games.
24.) What's your favorite way to get inspired?
Read something wonderful.
25.) Do you have a middle name?
Yep. And wouldn't you just like to know?
The Wish List Meme, part one
1.) What are 3 things on your Wish list and why?
a. To write a book - because I am a writer
b. To visit the pyramids in Egypt - because they are there
c. To visit Scotland - because my lineage lies there
2.) What do you miss about your childhood?
I miss having a healthier, skinny body.
3.) What do you do on your spare time on the weekends?
Read, write, play on the computer, work in the yard, go out to dinner, shop.
4.) What do you appreciate most in your life?
My husband.
5.) Would you rather be rich or healthy?
Healthy. Although healthy and rich would be nice.
6.) If you could go back in time would you and why?
I would if I knew I would come back to my present. I would like to meet the Bronte' sisters. Actually I think I would rather go into the future than the past. The future is such an unknown ...
7.) Favorite game as a child?
Monopoly.
8.) What is your dream career?
Owning and writing a newspaper. I guess to be cool it should be like the Huffington Post these days. Except I would pay the people who write for me, not take their words for free. That is so not cool.
9.) What do you do in your free time?
Read, write, play on the computer.
10.) Favorite clothing stores?
It used to be J C Penny but that was before they went bonkers and changed everything. Now I guess it is Belk.
11.) What TV shows can't you live without?
None of them. I don't watch that much TV and there are very few shows I make a point of seeing. Right now, Game of Thrones is a favorite, and I am eager to see the next season of The Newsroom when it starts this summer.
12.) 3 things you need in your life are:
Better health
More money
Lots and lots of hugs
13.) What can't you sleep without?
My Tri-core neck pillow.
14.) What are you currently a nerd for?
Um. I am not sure what this means. You mean, like, do I want a smart phone or an iPad or something? I am an old nerd from way back. (Apparently I am a nerd about this question, because I have come back and edited it four times now and still don't know how to answer it.)
15.) What is your favorite seasoning?
I hate to confess this, because it isn't really a seasoning, but I love Mrs. Dash original blend. It spices up anything.
16.) What is your favorite wild animal?
Deer. I think deer are my totem animal.
17.) Name 3 of your favorite childhood shows:
Land of the Lost
The Brady Bunch
Charlies Angels
18.) If you could live as a character in a movie who would it be?
Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) from Pretty Woman, after she's stopped doing tricks and been swept off her feet by Edward Lewis (Richard Gere).
19.) Favorite vegetable?
Cucumber
20.) Favorite Fruit?
Watermelon
21.) If you had a dragon what would you name it?
Fredricka
22.) What do you put on hotdogs?
A bun, a weiner, pickle relish, and catsup. That's it. Sometimes I go wild and use a little mustard.
23.) Do you play online games?
Not much. I prefer the single player role-playing games, which I understand are not sold anymore (they're all hooked into online subscription things, aren't they?). I haven't bought a video game in at least five years. When I do play online games, it is a puzzle or match-3 (Bejeweled) - also solitary - and I seldom participate in those chats that come with those games.
24.) What's your favorite way to get inspired?
Read something wonderful.
25.) Do you have a middle name?
Yep. And wouldn't you just like to know?
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Thursday Thirteen
This is National Infertility Awareness Week. My husband and I tried for years to have a child. It is a concern that I hold close to my heart and I feel for those women who want a baby but cannot have one.
So I thought I'd offer up some facts about this problem.
1. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse (six months if the woman is over age 35) or the inability to carry a pregnancy to live birth.
2. Infertility affects 7.3 million people in the U.S. This figure represents 12% of women of childbearing age, or 1 in 8 couples. (2002 National Survey of Family Growth)
3. Approximately one-third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, one-third attributed to the male partner and one-third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or, is unexplained. (http://www.asrm.org/)
4. A couple ages 29-33 with a normal functioning reproductive system has only a 20-25% chance of conceiving in any given month (National Women’s Health Resource Center). After six months of trying, 60% of couples will conceive without medical assistance. (Infertility As A Covered Benefit, William M. Mercer, 1997)
5. Approximately 44% of women with infertility have sought medical assistance. Of those who seek medical intervention, approximately 65% give birth. (Infertility As A Covered Benefit, William M. Mercer, 1997)
6. Approximately 85-90% of infertility cases are treated with drug therapy or surgical procedures. Fewer than 3% need advanced reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF). (http://www.asrm.org/)
7. The most recently available statistics indicate the live birth rate per fresh non-donor embryo transfer is 41.2% if the woman is under 35 years of age and 31.6% if the woman is age 35-37. (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, 2009)
8. Fifteen states have passed laws requiring that insurance policies cover some level of infertility treatment: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and West Virginia. (For more on this visit the insurance coverage section of resolve.org.)
9. Offering a comprehensive infertility treatment benefit with appropriate utilization controls may actually reduce costs and improve outcomes by eliminating the inappropriate use of costly covered procedures and allowing specialists to use the most effective, efficient treatment for a specific type of infertility. (Infertility As A Covered Benefit, William M. Mercer, 1997)
10. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (August 2002) found that the percentage of high-order pregnancies (those with three or more fetuses) was greater in states that did not require insurance coverage for IVF. The authors of the study noted that mandatory coverage is likely to yield better health outcomes for women and their infants since high-order births are associated with higher-risk pregnancies.
11. In 2013, infertility websites indicate that there will be legislation introduced in every state that could negatively impact access to family building options. That includes personhood legislation, which generally undermines access to safe and reliable infertility medical treatments.
12. Some of the questions created by current legislative efforts regarding personhood and abortion include these:
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 291st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
So I thought I'd offer up some facts about this problem.
1. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse (six months if the woman is over age 35) or the inability to carry a pregnancy to live birth.
2. Infertility affects 7.3 million people in the U.S. This figure represents 12% of women of childbearing age, or 1 in 8 couples. (2002 National Survey of Family Growth)
3. Approximately one-third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, one-third attributed to the male partner and one-third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or, is unexplained. (http://www.asrm.org/)
4. A couple ages 29-33 with a normal functioning reproductive system has only a 20-25% chance of conceiving in any given month (National Women’s Health Resource Center). After six months of trying, 60% of couples will conceive without medical assistance. (Infertility As A Covered Benefit, William M. Mercer, 1997)
5. Approximately 44% of women with infertility have sought medical assistance. Of those who seek medical intervention, approximately 65% give birth. (Infertility As A Covered Benefit, William M. Mercer, 1997)
6. Approximately 85-90% of infertility cases are treated with drug therapy or surgical procedures. Fewer than 3% need advanced reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF). (http://www.asrm.org/)
7. The most recently available statistics indicate the live birth rate per fresh non-donor embryo transfer is 41.2% if the woman is under 35 years of age and 31.6% if the woman is age 35-37. (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, 2009)
8. Fifteen states have passed laws requiring that insurance policies cover some level of infertility treatment: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and West Virginia. (For more on this visit the insurance coverage section of resolve.org.)
9. Offering a comprehensive infertility treatment benefit with appropriate utilization controls may actually reduce costs and improve outcomes by eliminating the inappropriate use of costly covered procedures and allowing specialists to use the most effective, efficient treatment for a specific type of infertility. (Infertility As A Covered Benefit, William M. Mercer, 1997)
10. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (August 2002) found that the percentage of high-order pregnancies (those with three or more fetuses) was greater in states that did not require insurance coverage for IVF. The authors of the study noted that mandatory coverage is likely to yield better health outcomes for women and their infants since high-order births are associated with higher-risk pregnancies.
12. Some of the questions created by current legislative efforts regarding personhood and abortion include these:
- Could miscarrying women be subject to criminal charges?
- Would women with fibroids or other uterine abnormalities be forbidden to try to have babies because the problems with their uteruses reduce the chances that an embryo will successfully implant after IVF or an insemination?
- Would women who have ectopic (tubal) pregnancies after IVF be able to receive life-saving treatment, or would the embryo’s legal rights have to balanced against hers?
- What will be the ramifications for fertilized eggs that have been created in the course of fertility treatment but have not been transferred to a woman’s uterus? Who will have legal responsibility for them?
- Will these laws take from people the rights of disposition over their embryos? Could someone claim the embryos require a disposition other than what the parents want? Could couples and their embryos be adversaries in a legal proceeding? Is this a desirable outcome?
- Will cryopreserved embryos have a right to be transferred to someone’s uterus for birth?
- Not all frozen embryos thaw successfully. Could embryo freezing be prohibited as too risky?
- If embryo freezing is prohibited, what will happen to women who experience hyper-stimulation during an IVF cycle and for whom the medical recommendation is to freeze and not transfer the embryos right away? Will they have to transfer the embryos and risk harm to their health?
- Will patients be prevented from donating their frozen embryos to research after they complete infertility treatments?
- Will patients’ medical records be subpoenaed to ensure that no one violated the embryos’ constitutionally guaranteed right to life?
- May women who live in states where personhood laws pass travel to other states for IVF, or would their embryos still be restricted by the law of their home state, such that they could not obtain treatment elsewhere? Would they be forbidden to move any currently frozen embryos to another state to continue their treatment?
- If infertility patients in personhood states cannot afford to live in another state during treatment, will they simply have to forego the dream of having a family?
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 291st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
He Called It "Pruning"
I planted my forsythia, which runs along the side of the driveway, about 25 years ago.
Early on, it was four separate bushes. But over time, they grew into a single hedge.
My husband stopped trimming it back because, according to him, the overgrowth would keep the snow from drifting into the driveway.
Last year, the hedge had overgrown so much that the deer found it a wonderful place to live. They moved in, complete with fawns, and proceeded to do their business in the area. In hot weather, it smelled like a zoo outside when you went out the back door.
So I told my husband the forsythia should be pruned back this year, as soon as the blooms were off, so that the deer would live elsewhere.
He agreed. And while I was out one day, he began to work . . .
He took a chainsaw too it. Yeah. He called this "pruned."
Early on, it was four separate bushes. But over time, they grew into a single hedge.
My husband stopped trimming it back because, according to him, the overgrowth would keep the snow from drifting into the driveway.
Last year, the hedge had overgrown so much that the deer found it a wonderful place to live. They moved in, complete with fawns, and proceeded to do their business in the area. In hot weather, it smelled like a zoo outside when you went out the back door.
So I told my husband the forsythia should be pruned back this year, as soon as the blooms were off, so that the deer would live elsewhere.
He agreed. And while I was out one day, he began to work . . .
He took a chainsaw too it. Yeah. He called this "pruned."
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month.
To celebrate, I thought I'd share with you an old poem I wrote back in 2007. I shared it then and will share it here again today:
To celebrate, I thought I'd share with you an old poem I wrote back in 2007. I shared it then and will share it here again today:
You must have your cookies on*
Attention winner, you have been approved
but your account needs to be updated.
I looked at your pictures.
They are hot.
I have an inheritance
to invest in your country
but we were unable to process your most recent payment.
Now add this gem to your radar,
realize your manhood's full potential.
All signs show that this one is going to Explode!!
You can use it as a lovely gift;
give me a call;
Our agent will immediately commence
the release.
Attention winner, you have been approved
but your account needs to be updated.
I looked at your pictures.
They are hot.
I have an inheritance
to invest in your country
but we were unable to process your most recent payment.
Now add this gem to your radar,
realize your manhood's full potential.
All signs show that this one is going to Explode!!
You can use it as a lovely gift;
give me a call;
Our agent will immediately commence
the release.
*I wrote this from the spam in my email.
Monday, April 22, 2013
The Greening
Spring is moving through the area at a rapid pace.
The trees are leafing out with barely a nod to the blossoming season.
The dogwoods and redbuds are giving way.
Soon the leaves will be out completely and the mountains will be sheathed in deep, brilliant green.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Books: The Postmistress
The Postmistress
By Sarah Blake
Copyright 2010
369 pages
Pay attention. That was the message secreted in The Postmistress. While the book was about three women at the edge of America's involvement in World War II, it was also a message for today. Be alert, see what is happening in the world around you. For God's sake, pay attention.
Frankie Bard is a journalist who broadcasts with Ed Murrow from London in 1941, as the city is being blitzed nearly nightly. Emma Fitch is the new wife of the town's doctor in a sleepy Cape Cod town. Iris James is the town's postmaster.
It seems unlikely that Frankie Bard would have cause to meet the other two women, but that meeting is the point of the novel. Most of the story leads up to their inevitable conversation in Emma's living room.
The story on its surface hinges on the supposition that Iris James did not do her job and deliver a particular letter. However, the journalist is unable to do her job, too, and perhaps even the doctor's wife fails unintentionally in her new role as caregiver to the caregiver. What is it like to be human?
Here is the book blurb for this novel:
I found the book to be very cerebral, not emotional. I like to read the reviews of various books and I was struck by the fact that the reviews on Amazon.com for this particular novel were all over the place. I can't recall ever seeing a book receive over 330 reviews and have them be nearly even for every number, one through five.
The reviews that gave the book a "1" degraded it for its lack of emotional involvement with the character. The reviews that gave it a "5" called it a wonderful blend of literary fiction and women's fiction.
I liked it because I could tell it was well researched. I bonded with Frankie Bard right away, being a journalist myself, but in a cerebral, "ah ha, yes I understand why you would do that," sort of way. Having been a reporter who chases story - and one who has, on occasion, left them sitting solidly in my notebook, never to see the light of day - I understood the need to speak the truth and yet run from it, too. And I never dealt with war zones like Frankie Bard did.
I thought author Sarah Blake did a good job of capturing these women, the journalist and the postmaster. Her failure, I suspect, was not in better detailing the emotional state of the doctor's wife, and in the ending. I have read worse endings - this one just made me sigh and go, oh well, I'm not sure what else she could have done to wrap this up. But it did seem like an awkward finale.
So I would give the book a 4, because of the research and the two characters I most enjoyed getting to know.
Plus I loved the idea of a female broadcast journalist in 1941. How could I not?
By Sarah Blake
Copyright 2010
369 pages
Pay attention. That was the message secreted in The Postmistress. While the book was about three women at the edge of America's involvement in World War II, it was also a message for today. Be alert, see what is happening in the world around you. For God's sake, pay attention.
Frankie Bard is a journalist who broadcasts with Ed Murrow from London in 1941, as the city is being blitzed nearly nightly. Emma Fitch is the new wife of the town's doctor in a sleepy Cape Cod town. Iris James is the town's postmaster.
It seems unlikely that Frankie Bard would have cause to meet the other two women, but that meeting is the point of the novel. Most of the story leads up to their inevitable conversation in Emma's living room.
The story on its surface hinges on the supposition that Iris James did not do her job and deliver a particular letter. However, the journalist is unable to do her job, too, and perhaps even the doctor's wife fails unintentionally in her new role as caregiver to the caregiver. What is it like to be human?
Here is the book blurb for this novel:
In 1940, Iris James is the postmistress in coastal Franklin, Massachusetts. Iris knows more about the townspeople than she will ever say, and believes her job is to deliver secrets. Yet one day she does the unthinkable: slips a letter into her pocket, reads it, and doesn't deliver it.
Meanwhile, Frankie Bard broadcasts from overseas with Edward R. Murrow. Her dispatches beg listeners to pay heed as the Nazis bomb London nightly. Most of the townspeople of Franklin think the war can't touch them. But both Iris and Frankie know better...
The Postmistress is a tale of two worlds-one shattered by violence, the other willfully naive-and of two women whose job is to deliver the news, yet who find themselves unable to do so. Through their eyes, and the eyes of everyday people caught in history's tide, it examines how stories are told, and how the fact of war is borne even through everyday life.
I found the book to be very cerebral, not emotional. I like to read the reviews of various books and I was struck by the fact that the reviews on Amazon.com for this particular novel were all over the place. I can't recall ever seeing a book receive over 330 reviews and have them be nearly even for every number, one through five.
The reviews that gave the book a "1" degraded it for its lack of emotional involvement with the character. The reviews that gave it a "5" called it a wonderful blend of literary fiction and women's fiction.
I liked it because I could tell it was well researched. I bonded with Frankie Bard right away, being a journalist myself, but in a cerebral, "ah ha, yes I understand why you would do that," sort of way. Having been a reporter who chases story - and one who has, on occasion, left them sitting solidly in my notebook, never to see the light of day - I understood the need to speak the truth and yet run from it, too. And I never dealt with war zones like Frankie Bard did.
I thought author Sarah Blake did a good job of capturing these women, the journalist and the postmaster. Her failure, I suspect, was not in better detailing the emotional state of the doctor's wife, and in the ending. I have read worse endings - this one just made me sigh and go, oh well, I'm not sure what else she could have done to wrap this up. But it did seem like an awkward finale.
So I would give the book a 4, because of the research and the two characters I most enjoyed getting to know.
Plus I loved the idea of a female broadcast journalist in 1941. How could I not?
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Professional Therapies
Back in November, my primary care doctor sent me to a specialist to see about a problem with my back. The specialist sent me to physical therapy, the first step in a long process necessary to help me with my health care issue.
Unfortunately I've had a number of physical problems besides my back show themselves in the last several months. At the moment my physical therapist is juggling orders for me from three different doctors, all of whom want various body parts strengthened or functioning better. It is a lot of work and requires a lot of attention from my physical therapist.
I am visiting Professional Therapies in Daleville. Occasionally I like to applaud people who are doing good things in the area, and I have to tell you, the ladies at this health care facility are excellent. They are there to help you, not just take your money and send you on your way. The personal care is exceptional.
From Lisa at the front desk to Audrey, my terrific physical therapist who takes care of me, I have had nothing but wonderful attention and great communication.
This is a company that lives up to its claims on its website. They really do care about people and want to make lives better. I have seen this not only with myself, but also with others as I have watched the various therapists while I am there. They display infinite patience while dealing with cranky people who are in pain and are not at their best.
I have been visiting long enough now that even therapists I have not worked with know my name. It is not unusual for me to be doing some type of activity in the common room with the equipment and hear one of them call out,"That's great, Anita!" or "Good job!" I am a champ at some of the balance exercises; others, not so much. But that's okay because I am trying.
My progress has been steadily incremental, if not fantastic, and those small improvements have been applauded. When I am unhappy because it seems to be taking forever to improve, Audrey reminds me of the small amount of weight that I could lift when I first came in. Now I am lifting almost 10 times that. I have been very grateful for her positive attitude and those reminders.
I cannot imagine how difficult the job of physical therapist is. Messing with people's bodies, dealing with folks who are in pain - it can't be pleasant. Plus you have to keep up conversation all day and there is only so many ways to discuss the weather. They have herculean tasks before them with every patient, and each physical therapist works her way through it, one labor at a time. I am amazed every time I go in for my work out.
These ladies work with people of all ages, from tiny children to white-haired old ladies who are scared of falling. Not once in all the time I have been visiting have I heard them raise their voices, lose their temper, or be unkind.
I wanted to take a moment to laud these unsung heroes of the health care system. If all health care was like this - wellness assistance provided by people who really do want to see you improve - I think we would all be much better off.
Unfortunately I've had a number of physical problems besides my back show themselves in the last several months. At the moment my physical therapist is juggling orders for me from three different doctors, all of whom want various body parts strengthened or functioning better. It is a lot of work and requires a lot of attention from my physical therapist.
I am visiting Professional Therapies in Daleville. Occasionally I like to applaud people who are doing good things in the area, and I have to tell you, the ladies at this health care facility are excellent. They are there to help you, not just take your money and send you on your way. The personal care is exceptional.
From Lisa at the front desk to Audrey, my terrific physical therapist who takes care of me, I have had nothing but wonderful attention and great communication.
This is a company that lives up to its claims on its website. They really do care about people and want to make lives better. I have seen this not only with myself, but also with others as I have watched the various therapists while I am there. They display infinite patience while dealing with cranky people who are in pain and are not at their best.
I have been visiting long enough now that even therapists I have not worked with know my name. It is not unusual for me to be doing some type of activity in the common room with the equipment and hear one of them call out,"That's great, Anita!" or "Good job!" I am a champ at some of the balance exercises; others, not so much. But that's okay because I am trying.
My progress has been steadily incremental, if not fantastic, and those small improvements have been applauded. When I am unhappy because it seems to be taking forever to improve, Audrey reminds me of the small amount of weight that I could lift when I first came in. Now I am lifting almost 10 times that. I have been very grateful for her positive attitude and those reminders.
I cannot imagine how difficult the job of physical therapist is. Messing with people's bodies, dealing with folks who are in pain - it can't be pleasant. Plus you have to keep up conversation all day and there is only so many ways to discuss the weather. They have herculean tasks before them with every patient, and each physical therapist works her way through it, one labor at a time. I am amazed every time I go in for my work out.
These ladies work with people of all ages, from tiny children to white-haired old ladies who are scared of falling. Not once in all the time I have been visiting have I heard them raise their voices, lose their temper, or be unkind.
I wanted to take a moment to laud these unsung heroes of the health care system. If all health care was like this - wellness assistance provided by people who really do want to see you improve - I think we would all be much better off.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Ain't She Purty
This is the neighbor's cow. She struck a dainty pose for me the other day while I was outside with the camera.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Thursday Thirteen #290
Thirteen things I am suspicious of:
1. Anything coming out of Congress. More than half of Americans think government officials are corrupt (or they did in 2011, when the distrust level was 84%!). I am one of them.
2. Anything with a link on it on Facebook.
3. New drug claims. Half of them don't work now, and if you read up on these things, many drugs are only slightly better than placebos.
4. Claims from the right wing half of the country.
5. Claims from the left wing half of the country.
6. People who tell me how great they are. Don't tell me, show me!
7. Car dealer claims and pricing. (At the link: 12 ways dealerships scam you.)
8. Claims that something is "organic." You know that is mostly BS these days, right? It's turned into a marketing ploy.
9. Vitamin cure claims. They may give you some nutrients and help with something like scurvy, but they are not cures.
10. Taking any drug that has "potential death" as a side effect.
11. Back surgeries.
12. Twenty-four hour news channels, FAUX News in particular and the rest of them in general.
13. My husband's general agreement to "fix something" right away. Nag nag nag nag nag! And then maybe he'll get it done.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 290th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. Anything coming out of Congress. More than half of Americans think government officials are corrupt (or they did in 2011, when the distrust level was 84%!). I am one of them.
2. Anything with a link on it on Facebook.
3. New drug claims. Half of them don't work now, and if you read up on these things, many drugs are only slightly better than placebos.
4. Claims from the right wing half of the country.
5. Claims from the left wing half of the country.
6. People who tell me how great they are. Don't tell me, show me!
7. Car dealer claims and pricing. (At the link: 12 ways dealerships scam you.)
8. Claims that something is "organic." You know that is mostly BS these days, right? It's turned into a marketing ploy.
9. Vitamin cure claims. They may give you some nutrients and help with something like scurvy, but they are not cures.
10. Taking any drug that has "potential death" as a side effect.
11. Back surgeries.
12. Twenty-four hour news channels, FAUX News in particular and the rest of them in general.
13. My husband's general agreement to "fix something" right away. Nag nag nag nag nag! And then maybe he'll get it done.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 290th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Deer Watching
It seems inane to post pictures of deer when people are dying from bombings in Boston. Senseless, stupid tragedies all around. Today is also the anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech, which happened in 2007. And just a few days ago there was a shooting in Christiansburg on the New River Valley Community College campus.
Apparently we as a society are incapable of learning from these types of incidents, since they continue to happen. I tend to see these things as symptoms of how sick our country is, from the top down. It's like having water in the tea kettle - every now and then the thing has to blow off steam. The fact that these types of horrific actions take place more and more by scared and fed-up people indicate to me that the heat on society is growing hotter all the time.
The people in power need to take heed instead of placing bandages on each incident. We need major change in economic and societal policies in the United States. The media needs to change it rhetoric so that individualism is not key, but community is. We need to stop vilifying one another and embrace other people as our friends and partners, not as our enemies.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Weighting the Watch, Watching the Weight
Yesterday I signed up for Weight Watchers. Again.
This is my second-go round with WW. The first time was in 2011, and I lost weight on the program, but I have gained it all back (and then some).
My weight was under control, more or less, until I started trying to have a child. When I underwent endometriosis and fertility treatments, my hormones went bonkers. One of the drugs I was on packed pounds on me - I remember I gained 30 pounds in six weeks on one of the medications. The doctors said "Oh no, it's not the medicine," but years later a study indicated that the particular drug could nearly double a woman's weight. At the time I was taking massive doses of this drug, too - way more than they recommend now. It was a new thing at the time and I was, more or less, a guinea pig. They have the drug under better control now, and I suspect it is also not a first-line drug of choice these days.
I was not raised up eating right. My mother worked a full-time job and after a certain point in time, we fed ourselves. For a long time I thought a bolgna, ketchup, and mayonnaise sandwich on white bread met all four food groups. Swanson's frozen dinners were a girl's best friend.
Today I know better but I still struggle to put the knowledge into action. I have trouble with the trans fat thing, and sweets. I am a certified chocoholic, and the best thing I can do is just leave the stuff alone completely. It is easier when other things in my life are going well.
It would also help if I could actually cook. Oh, I can roast things or whatever, but I do not make complicated, tasty dishes. Plain Jane, that's me. I don't like to read recipes and I don't like playing with my food. Maybe I need cooking lessons.
My struggles with weight have been going on now for 25 years - half of my life. The first half of my life I was in good shape, but I have not done so well with the last half. I am a sedentary person - I prefer reading to running a marathon - and I have other health issues that must be addressed, too. It is tough to walk when your foot is swollen, and it is hard to lift weights when your shoulder and back hurts.
Anyway, I am writing this as a shout-out to anyone else who might be doing the weight thing. Perhaps we could hold hands and jump together? I will try not to write about this struggle too much as I don't want to bore anyone, but I make no promises. This might be my last refuge.
All support welcome.
Happy Monday.
This is my second-go round with WW. The first time was in 2011, and I lost weight on the program, but I have gained it all back (and then some).
My weight was under control, more or less, until I started trying to have a child. When I underwent endometriosis and fertility treatments, my hormones went bonkers. One of the drugs I was on packed pounds on me - I remember I gained 30 pounds in six weeks on one of the medications. The doctors said "Oh no, it's not the medicine," but years later a study indicated that the particular drug could nearly double a woman's weight. At the time I was taking massive doses of this drug, too - way more than they recommend now. It was a new thing at the time and I was, more or less, a guinea pig. They have the drug under better control now, and I suspect it is also not a first-line drug of choice these days.
I was not raised up eating right. My mother worked a full-time job and after a certain point in time, we fed ourselves. For a long time I thought a bolgna, ketchup, and mayonnaise sandwich on white bread met all four food groups. Swanson's frozen dinners were a girl's best friend.
Today I know better but I still struggle to put the knowledge into action. I have trouble with the trans fat thing, and sweets. I am a certified chocoholic, and the best thing I can do is just leave the stuff alone completely. It is easier when other things in my life are going well.
It would also help if I could actually cook. Oh, I can roast things or whatever, but I do not make complicated, tasty dishes. Plain Jane, that's me. I don't like to read recipes and I don't like playing with my food. Maybe I need cooking lessons.
My struggles with weight have been going on now for 25 years - half of my life. The first half of my life I was in good shape, but I have not done so well with the last half. I am a sedentary person - I prefer reading to running a marathon - and I have other health issues that must be addressed, too. It is tough to walk when your foot is swollen, and it is hard to lift weights when your shoulder and back hurts.
Anyway, I am writing this as a shout-out to anyone else who might be doing the weight thing. Perhaps we could hold hands and jump together? I will try not to write about this struggle too much as I don't want to bore anyone, but I make no promises. This might be my last refuge.
All support welcome.
Happy Monday.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Yay Spring!
Check out that yellow mustard in our hay field. It's pretty to look at but doesn't help the hay crop.
Lawn's bane, the dandelion.
Trees getting ready to put on their summer clothes.
Redbud bloom up close and personal.
Wood Anemone (I think).
Bloodroot (I think).
The butterflies are out!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Books: Influencer
Influencer: The Power to Change Anything
By Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, et al
Copyright 2007
8.5 hours on audio
Read by Eric Conger
Make the undesirable desirable. Use social motivation. Change the environment to achieve results.
These were some of the ideas touted by the authors of this book. They set out to help you become a person who institutes change, even within yourself.
We all have ingrained behavior, some of which, it seems, will never be changed. The authors suggest we constantly ask ourselves two questions before we set about making a change:
"Can I make the change?" and "Is it worth the effort?"
Those answers, of course, vary from person to person, and change for one person may not be worth it to another. So how do you turn around an entire group of people?
The book uses a variety of studies from psychology, organizational theory, history, and sociology to make its point and to illustrate what makes people behave like they do.
One thing this book made apparent is that constructive change takes a lot of time, effort, and money. Constructive change does not happen over night. One must identify the problem, look for positive deviants (people in the group who are already performing as desired), and then create and implement a plan to target one or two behaviors at time. You cannot change the herd en mass.
I listened to the book while I was driving in the car, so I could not take notes. There were a few things that I thought were noteworthy, but much of the book seemed out of my reach. I am not, for instance, in any sort of position where I can influence a huge group of people. I might be able to influence my immediate family, and perhaps I could influence a few of you, dear blog readers, but I doubt that anything I write is going to move you to do much. I may be able to convince you that such-and-such is a worthy charity, or point out that the the state's House of Representatives is moving to vote on thus-and-so and a call from you would help the yay or nay, but I am not sure what influence I might have beyond that, if that.
It would be nice if I could, say, influence people to stop shooting one another, or if I could influence people to stop and think before they speak. But I don't have any idea how to go about that, not even after listening to this book, and apparently neither does anyone else.
However, I learned a lot while listening to this book, especially about specific social changes in the world, and how we all really could have a decent and good life for everyone if people cared enough about one another and their goals to take the time to make the effort.
One thing I learned about was something called guinea worm disease. This is a parasite that once was rampant in Asia and Africa, but it has virtually been eliminated through humanitarian efforts promoted by the Carter Center (as in Jimmy). Experts predict it will be the first parasite to ever be completely eradicated in humans in the near future.
Another thing I learned about was Grameen Bank in Africa. This bank was established specifically to help the poor and disadvantaged through an ingenious network of support. Today Grameen Bank is owned by the rural poor whom it serves. Borrowers of the Bank own 90% of its shares, while the remaining 10% is owned by the government (from the website). I had never heard of this and couldn't help but wonder, what if OUR banks loaned out money to people with ideas, to help them get started, instead of denying them because they weren't already rich? What an amazing idea! I have to wonder why we don't have banks like that. The answer, of course, is that is not in the capitalism code. Too much like socialism, I guess.
I also learned that one reason families have become less structured is because of the microwave oven, which allowed for single-preparation of meals, and that one level of influence - societal pressure - has lessened in part because of the "action hero" in movies, who never needs anyone. You know, Iron Man is more popular than the Fantastic Four, that sort of thing. We don't need no stinkin' team players in our lives, right? We pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and do it ourselves (wasn't that part of the screams and moans during the most recent presidential campaign?). And while the authors never once mentioned this, it was obvious to me that workers have suffered and are suffering because of the loss of influence of the labor unions.
The book attempted to bring massive social change initiatives back around to a person level by using someone trying to lose weight as their subject matter. I do not think the authors were overly successful in that effort. A person would need to change their environment, create a support system - in other words, pretty much change their life - if they have a weight problem. Most of us fat people already know that. So the book told us what we were supposed to do, like most of them do, but just like my doctor who says, "go on a diet" there isn't much advice as to how exactly one does that, other than "don't buy junk food" and "put the treadmill in the TV room."
At the end, the book touted a website with additional resources. But that website doesn't exist anymore and instead it takes you to what I presume is the authors' website. There is an offer there for some free stuff if you give your name and email, but I haven't signed up for it.
In case you were wondering, the blub on the back is what enticed me to pick this up. It says, "robust strategies for making change inevitable in your personal life, your business, and your world."
I see they have a more recent book out called Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success and I think I will add that one to my list of books to read in the very near future. Maybe it will address the "how to change" issue a little better.
*The link at the picture of the book above goes to the Kindle edition, which is the cheapest way to obtain this book.*
By Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, et al
Copyright 2007
8.5 hours on audio
Read by Eric Conger
Make the undesirable desirable. Use social motivation. Change the environment to achieve results.
These were some of the ideas touted by the authors of this book. They set out to help you become a person who institutes change, even within yourself.
We all have ingrained behavior, some of which, it seems, will never be changed. The authors suggest we constantly ask ourselves two questions before we set about making a change:
"Can I make the change?" and "Is it worth the effort?"
Those answers, of course, vary from person to person, and change for one person may not be worth it to another. So how do you turn around an entire group of people?
The book uses a variety of studies from psychology, organizational theory, history, and sociology to make its point and to illustrate what makes people behave like they do.
One thing this book made apparent is that constructive change takes a lot of time, effort, and money. Constructive change does not happen over night. One must identify the problem, look for positive deviants (people in the group who are already performing as desired), and then create and implement a plan to target one or two behaviors at time. You cannot change the herd en mass.
I listened to the book while I was driving in the car, so I could not take notes. There were a few things that I thought were noteworthy, but much of the book seemed out of my reach. I am not, for instance, in any sort of position where I can influence a huge group of people. I might be able to influence my immediate family, and perhaps I could influence a few of you, dear blog readers, but I doubt that anything I write is going to move you to do much. I may be able to convince you that such-and-such is a worthy charity, or point out that the the state's House of Representatives is moving to vote on thus-and-so and a call from you would help the yay or nay, but I am not sure what influence I might have beyond that, if that.
It would be nice if I could, say, influence people to stop shooting one another, or if I could influence people to stop and think before they speak. But I don't have any idea how to go about that, not even after listening to this book, and apparently neither does anyone else.
However, I learned a lot while listening to this book, especially about specific social changes in the world, and how we all really could have a decent and good life for everyone if people cared enough about one another and their goals to take the time to make the effort.
One thing I learned about was something called guinea worm disease. This is a parasite that once was rampant in Asia and Africa, but it has virtually been eliminated through humanitarian efforts promoted by the Carter Center (as in Jimmy). Experts predict it will be the first parasite to ever be completely eradicated in humans in the near future.
Another thing I learned about was Grameen Bank in Africa. This bank was established specifically to help the poor and disadvantaged through an ingenious network of support. Today Grameen Bank is owned by the rural poor whom it serves. Borrowers of the Bank own 90% of its shares, while the remaining 10% is owned by the government (from the website). I had never heard of this and couldn't help but wonder, what if OUR banks loaned out money to people with ideas, to help them get started, instead of denying them because they weren't already rich? What an amazing idea! I have to wonder why we don't have banks like that. The answer, of course, is that is not in the capitalism code. Too much like socialism, I guess.
I also learned that one reason families have become less structured is because of the microwave oven, which allowed for single-preparation of meals, and that one level of influence - societal pressure - has lessened in part because of the "action hero" in movies, who never needs anyone. You know, Iron Man is more popular than the Fantastic Four, that sort of thing. We don't need no stinkin' team players in our lives, right? We pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and do it ourselves (wasn't that part of the screams and moans during the most recent presidential campaign?). And while the authors never once mentioned this, it was obvious to me that workers have suffered and are suffering because of the loss of influence of the labor unions.
The book attempted to bring massive social change initiatives back around to a person level by using someone trying to lose weight as their subject matter. I do not think the authors were overly successful in that effort. A person would need to change their environment, create a support system - in other words, pretty much change their life - if they have a weight problem. Most of us fat people already know that. So the book told us what we were supposed to do, like most of them do, but just like my doctor who says, "go on a diet" there isn't much advice as to how exactly one does that, other than "don't buy junk food" and "put the treadmill in the TV room."
At the end, the book touted a website with additional resources. But that website doesn't exist anymore and instead it takes you to what I presume is the authors' website. There is an offer there for some free stuff if you give your name and email, but I haven't signed up for it.
In case you were wondering, the blub on the back is what enticed me to pick this up. It says, "robust strategies for making change inevitable in your personal life, your business, and your world."
I see they have a more recent book out called Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success and I think I will add that one to my list of books to read in the very near future. Maybe it will address the "how to change" issue a little better.
*The link at the picture of the book above goes to the Kindle edition, which is the cheapest way to obtain this book.*
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Thursday Thirteen
Good grief, I don't know what I can do for Thursday Thirteen today!
How about what's on my desk? That's on my mind because the darned thing needs a good clearing off.
1. Tums, two bottles of nasal spray, and Rescue Remedy.
2. An empty bowl, a spoon, and an empty glass.
3. My evaluations from my most recent course I taught at the community college.
4. My Nikon Coolpix P500 and my Nikon Coolpix S3200 cameras.
5. A small pile of Fincastle Heralds, the local weekly newspaper that I sometimes write for.
6. A notebook listing the things I purchase online.
7. My journal.
8. A print-out from the 1902 edition of the Tazewell Republican.
9. Instructions for a video game.
10. Three ink pens (Pilot G-2 (05), I only use the extra fine) and a pencil.
11. A blank yellow tablet.
12. A Gateway netbook.
13. Binoculars.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 289th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
How about what's on my desk? That's on my mind because the darned thing needs a good clearing off.
1. Tums, two bottles of nasal spray, and Rescue Remedy.
2. An empty bowl, a spoon, and an empty glass.
3. My evaluations from my most recent course I taught at the community college.
4. My Nikon Coolpix P500 and my Nikon Coolpix S3200 cameras.
5. A small pile of Fincastle Heralds, the local weekly newspaper that I sometimes write for.
6. A notebook listing the things I purchase online.
7. My journal.
8. A print-out from the 1902 edition of the Tazewell Republican.
9. Instructions for a video game.
10. Three ink pens (Pilot G-2 (05), I only use the extra fine) and a pencil.
11. A blank yellow tablet.
12. A Gateway netbook.
13. Binoculars.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 289th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Siblings Day - Yeah, I Got One
Apparently today is National Siblings Day, as declared by some nonprofit somewhere and not by any goverment thing, but what the heck. I have a sibling. I celebrate his birthday with him by sending him a card and giving him a phone call, but he is good for another day.
My brother Loren is the little fellow in the car seat in the photo to the left, taken circa August 1966 or thereabouts. That's me, the big sister, giving the camera the evil eye whilst I am holding my favored Grandma Doll.
About two years after this picture was taken, my brother pushed a chair over to the counter and climbed up on the stove after a cookie or something. In so doing, he turned on the stove eye, which then set fire to another of my dolls that my mother had recently rescued from a dog and which needed a little stitching. He nearly burned the house down.
Not long after that he swallowed a bottle of children's aspirin, which I saw him do and immediately tattled on him. I saved his life. And what thanks do I get?!?
Now this is my brother with his Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots, somewhere about 1973. That would make him seven years old in this Christmas photo.
I am sure we had many fights and arguments over those Rock 'Em Sock 'Ems. I mean, they weren't any fun with just one kid, so that meant we were probably screaming at one another while we were playing. I imagine we mimicked the commercials with "I'm going to knock your block off." I can see my mother rolling her eyes now.
Seems to me like he also received an Erector Set around the same time. He always received the good toys. Who wants an ol' doll for a present when you could be building something really cool, like a Ferris wheel?
In 1976 my brother had a little accident with a farm tractor that put him in the hospital. It was very scary. At the time they didn't let kids under 16 in to visit patients, and I was only 12, so I didn't get to see much of him until he came home a week later. He came home with goggled eyes from a hit on the head and had to undergo therapy for that. Apparently they fixed it, though they couldn't do much about the fact that he was a little boy with cooties. Just kidding, brother!
Oh, the incidents I could recall about my brother. Like the time he got mad at me on the school bus and called me a "Playtex Deodorant Tampon," even though he had no idea what that was (or so I thought, anyway). I remember the horror on the faces of the teenage girls and the laughter and hoots coming from the boys (one of which was my future husband). I recall my face turning scarlet with embarrassment. What a brat, eh?
Or the time he got left behind at school and I nearly got kicked off the school bus trying to get the driver to turn the bus around. Or the time he nearly got his head knocked off by an older boy and I went after that kid like a firecracker on the tail of a cat. Nobody picked on my little brother, nobody.
Anyway. We grew up. It happens.
My brother sang at my wedding. He had - and still has - a good voice. I always enjoyed hearing him sing, though he didn't do much of it. He did a nice job at my wedding, though, not fumbling or being a doltish little brother or anything. I hope I thanked him properly for that.
I moved out of the house and away from home before he turned 18. That was 30 years ago. We have always lived fairly close to one another but with jobs and life, and his children's many outside interests, we don't see much of one another. We talk on the phone a couple of times a month.
This is my brother and his daughter in 2008, five years ago, now.
We both grew out and not up, I'm afraid. Family trait. Sometimes those genes are hard to overcome.
This is him as Santa Claus in I think 2011, singing with the local community choir.
This is him dressed in costume at the daddy-daughter dance that he performed with his daughter for her dance recital.
My brother Loren is the little fellow in the car seat in the photo to the left, taken circa August 1966 or thereabouts. That's me, the big sister, giving the camera the evil eye whilst I am holding my favored Grandma Doll.
About two years after this picture was taken, my brother pushed a chair over to the counter and climbed up on the stove after a cookie or something. In so doing, he turned on the stove eye, which then set fire to another of my dolls that my mother had recently rescued from a dog and which needed a little stitching. He nearly burned the house down.
Not long after that he swallowed a bottle of children's aspirin, which I saw him do and immediately tattled on him. I saved his life. And what thanks do I get?!?
Now this is my brother with his Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots, somewhere about 1973. That would make him seven years old in this Christmas photo.
Seems to me like he also received an Erector Set around the same time. He always received the good toys. Who wants an ol' doll for a present when you could be building something really cool, like a Ferris wheel?
In 1976 my brother had a little accident with a farm tractor that put him in the hospital. It was very scary. At the time they didn't let kids under 16 in to visit patients, and I was only 12, so I didn't get to see much of him until he came home a week later. He came home with goggled eyes from a hit on the head and had to undergo therapy for that. Apparently they fixed it, though they couldn't do much about the fact that he was a little boy with cooties. Just kidding, brother!
Oh, the incidents I could recall about my brother. Like the time he got mad at me on the school bus and called me a "Playtex Deodorant Tampon," even though he had no idea what that was (or so I thought, anyway). I remember the horror on the faces of the teenage girls and the laughter and hoots coming from the boys (one of which was my future husband). I recall my face turning scarlet with embarrassment. What a brat, eh?
Or the time he got left behind at school and I nearly got kicked off the school bus trying to get the driver to turn the bus around. Or the time he nearly got his head knocked off by an older boy and I went after that kid like a firecracker on the tail of a cat. Nobody picked on my little brother, nobody.
Anyway. We grew up. It happens.
My brother sang at my wedding. He had - and still has - a good voice. I always enjoyed hearing him sing, though he didn't do much of it. He did a nice job at my wedding, though, not fumbling or being a doltish little brother or anything. I hope I thanked him properly for that.
I moved out of the house and away from home before he turned 18. That was 30 years ago. We have always lived fairly close to one another but with jobs and life, and his children's many outside interests, we don't see much of one another. We talk on the phone a couple of times a month.
We both grew out and not up, I'm afraid. Family trait. Sometimes those genes are hard to overcome.
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