If it's not the deer eating my roses, it's this:
Squirrels have been gnawing on the wood frame of my back door.
A woodpecker has devastated one of the trees in the back yard.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Congratulations, Emory!
Yesterday, my nephew, Emory, graduated from University of South Carolina. He is studying to go into the medical field and will be continuing his education at the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina - Charleston.
It seems like just yesterday he was a little toddler trailing after his uncle and his granddaddy while they worked on the farm.
I am so proud of the young man he has become. He's worked hard to get through college, taking pre-med and very hard classes in chemistry, biology, etc.
Emory yesterday as he walked down the aisle (screen capture from online video of his graduation).
It seems like just yesterday he was a little toddler trailing after his uncle and his granddaddy while they worked on the farm.
I am so proud of the young man he has become. He's worked hard to get through college, taking pre-med and very hard classes in chemistry, biology, etc.
Emory at Christmas, 2009.
High School Baseball 2008.
At his high school graduation party, 2009.
Emory and his brother in 2006.
Emory kills his first buck, 2007.
Emory with a guitar that his aunt helped him pick out in 2010.
Emory at Christmas, 2012.
Emory yesterday as he walked down the aisle (screen capture from online video of his graduation).
Emory and his brother Chris yesterday, photo from Chris' FB page.
Well done, young man, well done!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Book: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
By Cheryl Strayed
Copyright 2012
346 pages (e-reader)
Cheryl, in her memoir, tells us the story of her life up to her mid-20s. After her mother dies, she falls apart and ultimately ends up hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which is the west's version of the Appalachian Trail.
It runs from lower CA to Canada or thereabouts.
Anyway, the author sets out on this 1,000-mile hike about as unprepared as anyone can be. Her shoes are too small and her backpack too heavy. She comes across as very ignorant about a great many things. She says she spent six months "preparing" by going to various camping and hiking stores and receiving all kinds of advice, and not once did she think to load her pack or try on her shoes? Really?
My book club is reading this book for its May selection, so I finished it completely. Oprah also chose the book for her book club, which I am sure boosted the book sales tremendously. But I am not sure that I would have (a) read this book as a personal choice and (b) finished it if I had. However, I would have missed out had I not read the book. At least sometimes I think that. I have some ambivalence about this story.
It is well-written, but I grew tired of the character's whining. I think every other page was: Four years before I decided to hike, my mother died, so I broke up my marriage. My mother died, so I tried heroin. My mother died, so I lost my job. My mother died, so my family broke apart. You get the picture.
There were a good many physical complaints, too, about her feet (she ended up losing her toenails because her shoes were *that much* too tight!) and the heavy backpack. As far as I was concerned, these were things that were within her control and she chose this suffering for whatever reason. The woman was one class shy of a college degree, for heaven's sake. She wasn't - or shouldn't have been - as ignorant as she made out to be.
The character had a tough childhood, which accounts for a great many things, but after 300 pages I was a little tired of the pity party. I kept waiting for the epiphany that I knew from page 5 would need to happen, and when it finally did, I wiped my brow and said aloud, "Whew, this train wreck is finally coming to a close."
The book has over 1,000 five-star ratings, and about 125 one star ratings on Amazon. I fall somewhere in between. I'd give it a 3.5 perhaps, not because it is an enjoyable read but because it tells a story that I think needs to be told.
She doesn't make the obvious connections between her parental neglect and her train wreck of a life, but they are there for the discerning reader to see. I think I would have liked for her epiphany to have pointed this out more, but it didn't, though it alluded to it. I think parental neglect is rampant in the United States, and poor parents are everywhere. In fact, I think the entire country is suffering under the burden of these grown-ups who were never nurtured properly and so they take out their anger and frustration on everyone around them. Only instead of hiking some trail, they go into politics.
Because the message is so necessary, and because I didn't know there was a Pacific Crest Trail until I read the book, I suggest reading this story. However, I tell you that with this caveat: I don't know that you will enjoy it. You will, though, learn something, if you read with an open mind.
By Cheryl Strayed
Copyright 2012
346 pages (e-reader)
Cheryl, in her memoir, tells us the story of her life up to her mid-20s. After her mother dies, she falls apart and ultimately ends up hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which is the west's version of the Appalachian Trail.
It runs from lower CA to Canada or thereabouts.
Anyway, the author sets out on this 1,000-mile hike about as unprepared as anyone can be. Her shoes are too small and her backpack too heavy. She comes across as very ignorant about a great many things. She says she spent six months "preparing" by going to various camping and hiking stores and receiving all kinds of advice, and not once did she think to load her pack or try on her shoes? Really?
My book club is reading this book for its May selection, so I finished it completely. Oprah also chose the book for her book club, which I am sure boosted the book sales tremendously. But I am not sure that I would have (a) read this book as a personal choice and (b) finished it if I had. However, I would have missed out had I not read the book. At least sometimes I think that. I have some ambivalence about this story.
It is well-written, but I grew tired of the character's whining. I think every other page was: Four years before I decided to hike, my mother died, so I broke up my marriage. My mother died, so I tried heroin. My mother died, so I lost my job. My mother died, so my family broke apart. You get the picture.
There were a good many physical complaints, too, about her feet (she ended up losing her toenails because her shoes were *that much* too tight!) and the heavy backpack. As far as I was concerned, these were things that were within her control and she chose this suffering for whatever reason. The woman was one class shy of a college degree, for heaven's sake. She wasn't - or shouldn't have been - as ignorant as she made out to be.
The character had a tough childhood, which accounts for a great many things, but after 300 pages I was a little tired of the pity party. I kept waiting for the epiphany that I knew from page 5 would need to happen, and when it finally did, I wiped my brow and said aloud, "Whew, this train wreck is finally coming to a close."
The book has over 1,000 five-star ratings, and about 125 one star ratings on Amazon. I fall somewhere in between. I'd give it a 3.5 perhaps, not because it is an enjoyable read but because it tells a story that I think needs to be told.
She doesn't make the obvious connections between her parental neglect and her train wreck of a life, but they are there for the discerning reader to see. I think I would have liked for her epiphany to have pointed this out more, but it didn't, though it alluded to it. I think parental neglect is rampant in the United States, and poor parents are everywhere. In fact, I think the entire country is suffering under the burden of these grown-ups who were never nurtured properly and so they take out their anger and frustration on everyone around them. Only instead of hiking some trail, they go into politics.
Because the message is so necessary, and because I didn't know there was a Pacific Crest Trail until I read the book, I suggest reading this story. However, I tell you that with this caveat: I don't know that you will enjoy it. You will, though, learn something, if you read with an open mind.
Friday, May 10, 2013
The River James
The James River flooded earlier this week, reaching flood stage of about 21 feet. We went to Buchanan to view the river late in the day, and the waters had already receded several feet and flooding was no longer a danger to the town.
In 1985 the river overflowed its banks and nearly wiped out both Eagle Rock and Buchanan. That flood remains a high water mark for those communities, and those of us who remember that dreadful November day recall it with a shudder.
When we were by the water's edge, the river was lower, but still angry, and you could smell the sludge and stench of flood waters.
You can see from the wet marks on the piling that the river had been much higher before we arrived.
From news footage, I know that the water was around this sign and up on the grounds we were standing on earlier in the day.
An angry river is not something to dismiss. It's very dangerous.
The entire parking lot was underwater earlier in the day.
Normally the whole of this sign is visible, and the ground beneath it is dry.
From The River James
By Mary Johnston
. . .
"Three hundred miles
Runs the River James
Bubbles cool the mountain springs,
Slides the narrow stream.
Maidenhair and rhododendron,
Flame azalea, dogwood, laurel,
Roots of helocks,
Giant hemlocks,
Where the Indian kneeled,
Cupped his hand and drank cool water
. . .
"Danger and woe!
Flood - Flood -
Flood in the James,
The ancient, mighty, tawny James!
Over the rocks at Richmond,
Between green islets,
Murmuring, rushing,
Beneath the city of the dead
. . .
"The children play,
The lover smile,
The old folk rest,
Beside the James."
In 1985 the river overflowed its banks and nearly wiped out both Eagle Rock and Buchanan. That flood remains a high water mark for those communities, and those of us who remember that dreadful November day recall it with a shudder.
When we were by the water's edge, the river was lower, but still angry, and you could smell the sludge and stench of flood waters.
You can see from the wet marks on the piling that the river had been much higher before we arrived.
From news footage, I know that the water was around this sign and up on the grounds we were standing on earlier in the day.
An angry river is not something to dismiss. It's very dangerous.
The entire parking lot was underwater earlier in the day.
Normally the whole of this sign is visible, and the ground beneath it is dry.
From The River James
By Mary Johnston
. . .
"Three hundred miles
Runs the River James
Bubbles cool the mountain springs,
Slides the narrow stream.
Maidenhair and rhododendron,
Flame azalea, dogwood, laurel,
Roots of helocks,
Giant hemlocks,
Where the Indian kneeled,
Cupped his hand and drank cool water
. . .
"Danger and woe!
Flood - Flood -
Flood in the James,
The ancient, mighty, tawny James!
Over the rocks at Richmond,
Between green islets,
Murmuring, rushing,
Beneath the city of the dead
. . .
"The children play,
The lover smile,
The old folk rest,
Beside the James."
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Thursday Thirteen
1. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, as proclaimed by the POTUS at the end of April. You can find information at the National Institute for Mental Health website (NIMH) and the information below comes from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Here are some common myths and facts about mental health.
2. Myth: There's no hope for people with mental illnesses.
Fact: There are more treatments, strategies, and community supports than ever before, and even more are on the horizon. People with mental illnesses lead active, productive lives.
3. Myth: I can't do anything for someone with mental health needs.
Fact: You can do a lot, starting with the way you act and how you speak. You can nurture an environment that builds on people's strengths and promotes good mental health. For example:
• Avoid labeling people with words like "crazy," "wacko," "loony," or by their diagnosis. Instead of saying someone is a "schizophrenic" say "a person with schizophrenia."
• Learn the facts about mental health and share them with others, especially if you hear something that is untrue.
• Treat people with mental illnesses with respect and dignity, as you would anybody else.
• Respect the rights of people with mental illnesses and don't discriminate against them when it comes to housing, employment, or education. Like other people with disabilities, people with mental health needs are protected under Federal and State laws.
4. Myth: People with mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable.
Fact: In reality, the vast majority of people who have mental health needs are no more violent than anyone else. You probably know someone with a mental illness and don't even realize it.
5. Myth: Mental illnesses cannot affect me.
Fact: Mental illnesses are surprisingly common; they affect almost every family in America. Mental illnesses do not discriminate-they can affect anyone.
6. Myth: Mental illness is the same as mental retardation.
Fact: The two are distinct disorders. A mental retardation diagnosis is characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and difficulties with certain daily living skills. In contrast, people with mental illnesses-health conditions that cause changes in a person's thinking, mood, and behavior-have varied intellectual functioning, just like the general population.
7. Myth: Mental illnesses are brought on by a weakness of character.
Fact: Mental illnesses are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Research has shown genetic and biological factors are associated with schizophrenia, depression, and alcoholism. Social influences, such as loss of a loved one or a job, can also contribute to the development of various disorders.
8. Myth: People with mental illnesses cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.
Fact: In essence, all jobs are stressful to some extent. Productivity is maximized when there is a good match between the employee's needs and working conditions, whether or not the individual has mental health needs.
9. Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who have received effective treatment and have recovered, tend to be second-rate workers on the job.
Fact: Employers who have hired people with mental illnesses report good attendance and punctuality, as well as motivation, quality of work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees. Studies by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) show that there are no differences in productivity when people with mental illnesses are compared to other employees.
10. Myth: Once people develop mental illnesses, they will never recover.
Fact: Studies show that most people with mental illnesses get better, and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. For some individuals, recovery is the ability to live a fulfilling and productive life. For others, recovery implies the reduction or complete remission of symptoms. Science has shown that having hope plays an integral role in an individual's recovery.
11. Myth: Therapy and self-help are wastes of time. Why bother when you can just take one of those pills you hear about on TV?
Fact: Treatment varies depending on the individual. A lot of people work with therapists, counselors, their peers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers in their recovery process. They also use self-help strategies and community supports. Often these methods are combined with some of the most advanced medications available.
12. Myth: Children do not experience mental illnesses. Their actions are just products of bad parenting.
Fact: A report from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health showed that in any given year 5-9 percent of children experience serious emotional disturbances. Just like adult mental illnesses, these are clinically diagnosable health conditions that are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, social, and sometimes even genetic factors.
13. Myth: Children misbehave or fail in school just to get attention.
Fact: Behavior problems can be symptoms of emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders, rather than merely attention-seeking devices. These children can succeed in school with appropriate understanding, attention, and mental health services.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 293rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Here are some common myths and facts about mental health.
2. Myth: There's no hope for people with mental illnesses.
Fact: There are more treatments, strategies, and community supports than ever before, and even more are on the horizon. People with mental illnesses lead active, productive lives.
3. Myth: I can't do anything for someone with mental health needs.
Fact: You can do a lot, starting with the way you act and how you speak. You can nurture an environment that builds on people's strengths and promotes good mental health. For example:
• Avoid labeling people with words like "crazy," "wacko," "loony," or by their diagnosis. Instead of saying someone is a "schizophrenic" say "a person with schizophrenia."
• Learn the facts about mental health and share them with others, especially if you hear something that is untrue.
• Treat people with mental illnesses with respect and dignity, as you would anybody else.
• Respect the rights of people with mental illnesses and don't discriminate against them when it comes to housing, employment, or education. Like other people with disabilities, people with mental health needs are protected under Federal and State laws.
4. Myth: People with mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable.
Fact: In reality, the vast majority of people who have mental health needs are no more violent than anyone else. You probably know someone with a mental illness and don't even realize it.
5. Myth: Mental illnesses cannot affect me.
Fact: Mental illnesses are surprisingly common; they affect almost every family in America. Mental illnesses do not discriminate-they can affect anyone.
6. Myth: Mental illness is the same as mental retardation.
Fact: The two are distinct disorders. A mental retardation diagnosis is characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and difficulties with certain daily living skills. In contrast, people with mental illnesses-health conditions that cause changes in a person's thinking, mood, and behavior-have varied intellectual functioning, just like the general population.
7. Myth: Mental illnesses are brought on by a weakness of character.
Fact: Mental illnesses are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Research has shown genetic and biological factors are associated with schizophrenia, depression, and alcoholism. Social influences, such as loss of a loved one or a job, can also contribute to the development of various disorders.
8. Myth: People with mental illnesses cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.
Fact: In essence, all jobs are stressful to some extent. Productivity is maximized when there is a good match between the employee's needs and working conditions, whether or not the individual has mental health needs.
9. Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who have received effective treatment and have recovered, tend to be second-rate workers on the job.
Fact: Employers who have hired people with mental illnesses report good attendance and punctuality, as well as motivation, quality of work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees. Studies by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) show that there are no differences in productivity when people with mental illnesses are compared to other employees.
10. Myth: Once people develop mental illnesses, they will never recover.
Fact: Studies show that most people with mental illnesses get better, and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. For some individuals, recovery is the ability to live a fulfilling and productive life. For others, recovery implies the reduction or complete remission of symptoms. Science has shown that having hope plays an integral role in an individual's recovery.
11. Myth: Therapy and self-help are wastes of time. Why bother when you can just take one of those pills you hear about on TV?
Fact: Treatment varies depending on the individual. A lot of people work with therapists, counselors, their peers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers in their recovery process. They also use self-help strategies and community supports. Often these methods are combined with some of the most advanced medications available.
12. Myth: Children do not experience mental illnesses. Their actions are just products of bad parenting.
Fact: A report from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health showed that in any given year 5-9 percent of children experience serious emotional disturbances. Just like adult mental illnesses, these are clinically diagnosable health conditions that are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, social, and sometimes even genetic factors.
13. Myth: Children misbehave or fail in school just to get attention.
Fact: Behavior problems can be symptoms of emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders, rather than merely attention-seeking devices. These children can succeed in school with appropriate understanding, attention, and mental health services.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 293rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Monday, May 06, 2013
Looking for Water
Among my many skills is the ability to dowse for water.
Dowsing for water, graves, or precious minerals is a long-standing tradition. It is also called divining or divination or water witching.
This is not something I do often. I have located a few wells for family and friends, but that's about it. So far my success rate is 100 percent.
First I need a dowsing or divining rod. I always use a fresh Y-shaped branch from either a willow tree or a peach tree. You could also use an apple tree. Some people use metal L-shaped rods but I have never had much luck with those. Others use a pendulum but I have never tried that. I am more keyed into nature and find the natural abilities of the wood work well. Why mess with what works?
When you find the branch, you strip it down so that you have a nice dowsing rod.
This is how you hold it. When there is water, the rod will move. Sometimes the stick practically jumps out of my hands. A strong pull indicates a good water source.
Generally speaking, I wander around in the area someone tells me they want to drill until the stick pulls down. The stick also sort of leads me in the right direction with a gentle tug as to which way to go. (I had no idea my hair was so gray. Wow.)
This is a "hit." The stick jumped up to tell me there is something there. It was a little close to a power line, though. So I kept looking. (Photos courtesy of my husband.)
I'm not sure the power lines didn't mess up the dowsing process. That will be my excuse if the well driller does not hit water, anyway. You never know what will interfere.
I do not believe this is magic. I think there are magnetic or other "pulls" that allow people to locate things beneath the earth, much like I get a headache from barometric pressure changes in the weather. I think it is the same principle. I think the stick works for me because I think the stick is seeking water because it has been cut off from its sap source. I have no idea if this is right or not and no way to prove it, either.
There is an American Society of Dowsing, if you can believe it. I don't belong but found it when I was looking up dowsing on the Internet. They have more information about this if you're interested.
Dowsing for water, graves, or precious minerals is a long-standing tradition. It is also called divining or divination or water witching.
This is not something I do often. I have located a few wells for family and friends, but that's about it. So far my success rate is 100 percent.
First I need a dowsing or divining rod. I always use a fresh Y-shaped branch from either a willow tree or a peach tree. You could also use an apple tree. Some people use metal L-shaped rods but I have never had much luck with those. Others use a pendulum but I have never tried that. I am more keyed into nature and find the natural abilities of the wood work well. Why mess with what works?
When you find the branch, you strip it down so that you have a nice dowsing rod.
This is how you hold it. When there is water, the rod will move. Sometimes the stick practically jumps out of my hands. A strong pull indicates a good water source.
Generally speaking, I wander around in the area someone tells me they want to drill until the stick pulls down. The stick also sort of leads me in the right direction with a gentle tug as to which way to go. (I had no idea my hair was so gray. Wow.)
This is a "hit." The stick jumped up to tell me there is something there. It was a little close to a power line, though. So I kept looking. (Photos courtesy of my husband.)
I'm not sure the power lines didn't mess up the dowsing process. That will be my excuse if the well driller does not hit water, anyway. You never know what will interfere.
I do not believe this is magic. I think there are magnetic or other "pulls" that allow people to locate things beneath the earth, much like I get a headache from barometric pressure changes in the weather. I think it is the same principle. I think the stick works for me because I think the stick is seeking water because it has been cut off from its sap source. I have no idea if this is right or not and no way to prove it, either.
There is an American Society of Dowsing, if you can believe it. I don't belong but found it when I was looking up dowsing on the Internet. They have more information about this if you're interested.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Sunday Stealing Questions
More Q&A on Sunday from Sunday Stealing:
The Wish List Meme, part two
26.) If you had to order from a kid's menu, what would you get?'
A hot dog with catsup and relish only.
27.) Do you speak any other languages?
A little Spanish but nothing to brag about.
28.) Do you use Twitter?
I have an account.
29.) Do you go onto YouTube?
Sometimes I like to watch music videos.
30.) Do you play Angry Birds?
Never.
31.) Do you like theme parties?
No. I don't party. I lead a very boring and incredibly ordinary life.
32.) Do you like current cartoons?
I didn't know they still made cartoons.
33.) Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
No. I have never been that happy.
34.) Who would you like to see in concert?
Melissa Etheridge or Sheryl Crow.
35.) Can you swim well?
I would not drown. Soon, anyway.
36.) Ever won a contest?
I've won some writing awards, some of which were contests.
37.) Ever won a giveaway?
Not that I recall.
38.) Do you get a full 8 hours of sleep every night?
I get an interrupted 8 hours of sleep, usually getting out of bed at least once if not twice.
39.) What tea do you like?
Lipton orange pecoe or black tea (decaf) but I am also partial to ginger teas and herbal concoctions.
40.) What mixed drink do you like?
I don't drink alcohol. It doesn't go well with some of my prescription medication.
41.) Do you shop at Walmart?
Unfortunately, yes.
42.) Do you shop at Target?
Unfortunately, yes.
43.) What do you order at your local coffee shop?
Tea.
44.) Do you drink bottled or tap water?
Both. But the tap water is filtered.
45.) Do you like homemade meals?
I must since I fix supper at least 6 nights a week.
46.) Do you like homemade baked goods?
Depends on the cook. Some of the stuff from a mix or a store tastes a lot better than homemade things if it is not made properly.
47.) Do you shop online?
Yes.
48.) Name 3 stores online stores you would like to shop at:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and I can't think of a third one. Best Buy, maybe, or an Apple store.
49.) What holiday don't you like?
Mother's Day
50.) What do you eat more when you're sick?
Crackers or potato chips along with ginger ale
The Wish List Meme, part two
26.) If you had to order from a kid's menu, what would you get?'
A hot dog with catsup and relish only.
27.) Do you speak any other languages?
A little Spanish but nothing to brag about.
28.) Do you use Twitter?
I have an account.
29.) Do you go onto YouTube?
Sometimes I like to watch music videos.
30.) Do you play Angry Birds?
Never.
31.) Do you like theme parties?
No. I don't party. I lead a very boring and incredibly ordinary life.
32.) Do you like current cartoons?
I didn't know they still made cartoons.
33.) Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
No. I have never been that happy.
34.) Who would you like to see in concert?
Melissa Etheridge or Sheryl Crow.
35.) Can you swim well?
I would not drown. Soon, anyway.
36.) Ever won a contest?
I've won some writing awards, some of which were contests.
37.) Ever won a giveaway?
Not that I recall.
38.) Do you get a full 8 hours of sleep every night?
I get an interrupted 8 hours of sleep, usually getting out of bed at least once if not twice.
39.) What tea do you like?
Lipton orange pecoe or black tea (decaf) but I am also partial to ginger teas and herbal concoctions.
40.) What mixed drink do you like?
I don't drink alcohol. It doesn't go well with some of my prescription medication.
41.) Do you shop at Walmart?
Unfortunately, yes.
42.) Do you shop at Target?
Unfortunately, yes.
43.) What do you order at your local coffee shop?
Tea.
44.) Do you drink bottled or tap water?
Both. But the tap water is filtered.
45.) Do you like homemade meals?
I must since I fix supper at least 6 nights a week.
46.) Do you like homemade baked goods?
Depends on the cook. Some of the stuff from a mix or a store tastes a lot better than homemade things if it is not made properly.
47.) Do you shop online?
Yes.
48.) Name 3 stores online stores you would like to shop at:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and I can't think of a third one. Best Buy, maybe, or an Apple store.
49.) What holiday don't you like?
Mother's Day
50.) What do you eat more when you're sick?
Crackers or potato chips along with ginger ale
House for Rent
Old farmhouse for rent, $700/mo. 2-3 bedrooms, 2 baths. Lots of space.
New paint!
No smoking, no pets.
Credit check and references required.
Rural living at its best. Email me for information.
New paint!
No smoking, no pets.
Credit check and references required.
Rural living at its best. Email me for information.
Friday, May 03, 2013
One Ugly Mug
Since I am nearing the mid-century mark of my life, there are some things I need to take care of. Physicals, colonoscopies, eye exams, mammograms, etc., are all in the works or have been completed.
The other thing I had to do was renew my drivers license.
My license already looked pretty bad, what with me staring into the camera and appearing all bug-eyed and surprised. But the new VA drivers licenses are just awful. Mine came in the mail yesterday.
They shimmer and are kind of see-through. I think they are horrid looking. And it is good through 2021! So I'll be carrying this thing around a while.
I would show you mine but of course I don't want to advertise the number and information to the world, so I won't. I wish you could see the ugly mug on the card, though. Yikes.
Turning 50 is no fun!
The other thing I had to do was renew my drivers license.
My license already looked pretty bad, what with me staring into the camera and appearing all bug-eyed and surprised. But the new VA drivers licenses are just awful. Mine came in the mail yesterday.
I would show you mine but of course I don't want to advertise the number and information to the world, so I won't. I wish you could see the ugly mug on the card, though. Yikes.
Turning 50 is no fun!
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Thursday Thirteen
Thirteen random photos:
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 292nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 292nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
It's Ok in the End
The exam was on the 17th, and I got the call-back about a problem on the 18th. I had not anticipated that.
I tried to tell myself it was nothing to worry about. But I had a long wait - 13 days. I could not get in for retesting until yesterday.
Most of the time I tried not to think about it. Maybe it was nothing serious. A shadow. But try as I might I could not shake the worry.
My home is full of clocks, because I love clocks. My office resonates with a steady tick, tick, tick. So sometimes when I wasn't expecting it, the noise turned into a chant of sick, sick, sick - which I quickly turned into no, no, no, when I realized what I was hearing.
I spent a little time thinking about my life. Had it all been a waste, these last 49 soon-to-be 50 years? And how would I react if I received the most devastating of news? I remembered my mother on the day she learned she would die, and her subsequent reactions - not all of them good. Everyone takes it in in her own way, I suppose.
I wondered who, if anyone, would stand by me. Would someone be with me at the end? Would someone hold my hand when I needed it, or would I cry alone in the night? Would I be strong enough to dispose of the things I cherish - my journals, my books, my photos, my personal property - or would I have to leave it for some unknown someone to dig through someday?
So many coulda, shoulda, woulda's - too many, really. Too many to count, to pass on, to act on. I thought about how I would like to live another 30 years - and is that too much to ask?
A line from Melissa Etheridge's song Come to My Window kept running through my brain: Nothing fills the blackness that has seeped into my chest. I remember reading an interview where she wondered if, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, had she called it to her by singing that song. I wondered if I had called it to me, somehow, maybe with bad poetry. I didn't think so, but you never know.
My time filled with things to keep me preoccupied - a little writing, a little reading, cleaning the house, my physical therapy, unnecessary trips to Kroger. More video game hours than normal, because that's a time-sucker if there ever was one. I thought maybe I should start putting my life in order, but I did not. I listened to the clocks instead, hearing them grow louder, tick, tick, tick.
I made no bargains with God. My thought was that I already had so many things wrong with me - enough to fill a Thursday 13 of its own, it's such a long list - that maybe one more wouldn't matter. But maybe one more would break me completely. Or maybe I had met my quota of aches and pains, and the universe would skip over me this once. I think I yearned for the last one, a reprieve.
Bad news has followed me around for years. I've been stoic each time I've heard the doctors make their pronouncements: you have asthma, you have endometriosis, you need surgery, you may die. This time, with my 50th birthday just six weeks away, and with my body aging and my most recent disease diagnosis literally and figuratively riding hard on my back, I felt the expectation of this new test failure in my gut. It was like the second-hand of the clock constantly pricking me, quietly determined to split me open. Sick, sick, sick.
My husband listened to me wonder what would happen. How would he cope? He dismissed my concerns. "You will be all right," he said. Time and again. Convincing himself as much as me.
Monday was especially bad. I was afraid and too tough to tell anyone how scared I was. I moved through the day as if I were buried in sand, already at the bottom of the hourglass. But I woke yesterday morning full of energy, raring to go and eager for the hours to pass. To get it over with. To know.
And when the nurse came in before the tests began anew and said the doctor thought it was a cyst, not cancer, I was relieved, then angry. How dare they call me like that? For all they had said was that the mammogram had a problem, there was a spot, something was wrong, I needed to do it again. They used the word "density" and I conjured up dire, despair, and darkness.
The new tests confirmed the doctor's suspicion. Nothing to worry about, this time. I could move along, go ahead with my life. But it is tough to get back to the routine now. I think about women who are not so lucky, who have to face every day with a brave, strong heart. I remember my mother and how cancer took her, and how hard she fought, failing, in the end.
There really are no words. There is not a sound I could make that would bring comfort and hope. There is only the silence, the ticking of that clock. That interminable, never-ending noise.
**I understand that great strides have been made in the care and treatment of breast cancer. It is imperative that all women keep up with their self-exams and scheduled mammograms. These days the prognosis is good even if the news is not. Do not be afraid. Easy for me to say, I know.**
I tried to tell myself it was nothing to worry about. But I had a long wait - 13 days. I could not get in for retesting until yesterday.
Most of the time I tried not to think about it. Maybe it was nothing serious. A shadow. But try as I might I could not shake the worry.
My home is full of clocks, because I love clocks. My office resonates with a steady tick, tick, tick. So sometimes when I wasn't expecting it, the noise turned into a chant of sick, sick, sick - which I quickly turned into no, no, no, when I realized what I was hearing.
I spent a little time thinking about my life. Had it all been a waste, these last 49 soon-to-be 50 years? And how would I react if I received the most devastating of news? I remembered my mother on the day she learned she would die, and her subsequent reactions - not all of them good. Everyone takes it in in her own way, I suppose.
I wondered who, if anyone, would stand by me. Would someone be with me at the end? Would someone hold my hand when I needed it, or would I cry alone in the night? Would I be strong enough to dispose of the things I cherish - my journals, my books, my photos, my personal property - or would I have to leave it for some unknown someone to dig through someday?
So many coulda, shoulda, woulda's - too many, really. Too many to count, to pass on, to act on. I thought about how I would like to live another 30 years - and is that too much to ask?
A line from Melissa Etheridge's song Come to My Window kept running through my brain: Nothing fills the blackness that has seeped into my chest. I remember reading an interview where she wondered if, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, had she called it to her by singing that song. I wondered if I had called it to me, somehow, maybe with bad poetry. I didn't think so, but you never know.
My time filled with things to keep me preoccupied - a little writing, a little reading, cleaning the house, my physical therapy, unnecessary trips to Kroger. More video game hours than normal, because that's a time-sucker if there ever was one. I thought maybe I should start putting my life in order, but I did not. I listened to the clocks instead, hearing them grow louder, tick, tick, tick.
I made no bargains with God. My thought was that I already had so many things wrong with me - enough to fill a Thursday 13 of its own, it's such a long list - that maybe one more wouldn't matter. But maybe one more would break me completely. Or maybe I had met my quota of aches and pains, and the universe would skip over me this once. I think I yearned for the last one, a reprieve.
Bad news has followed me around for years. I've been stoic each time I've heard the doctors make their pronouncements: you have asthma, you have endometriosis, you need surgery, you may die. This time, with my 50th birthday just six weeks away, and with my body aging and my most recent disease diagnosis literally and figuratively riding hard on my back, I felt the expectation of this new test failure in my gut. It was like the second-hand of the clock constantly pricking me, quietly determined to split me open. Sick, sick, sick.
My husband listened to me wonder what would happen. How would he cope? He dismissed my concerns. "You will be all right," he said. Time and again. Convincing himself as much as me.
Monday was especially bad. I was afraid and too tough to tell anyone how scared I was. I moved through the day as if I were buried in sand, already at the bottom of the hourglass. But I woke yesterday morning full of energy, raring to go and eager for the hours to pass. To get it over with. To know.
And when the nurse came in before the tests began anew and said the doctor thought it was a cyst, not cancer, I was relieved, then angry. How dare they call me like that? For all they had said was that the mammogram had a problem, there was a spot, something was wrong, I needed to do it again. They used the word "density" and I conjured up dire, despair, and darkness.
The new tests confirmed the doctor's suspicion. Nothing to worry about, this time. I could move along, go ahead with my life. But it is tough to get back to the routine now. I think about women who are not so lucky, who have to face every day with a brave, strong heart. I remember my mother and how cancer took her, and how hard she fought, failing, in the end.
There really are no words. There is not a sound I could make that would bring comfort and hope. There is only the silence, the ticking of that clock. That interminable, never-ending noise.
**I understand that great strides have been made in the care and treatment of breast cancer. It is imperative that all women keep up with their self-exams and scheduled mammograms. These days the prognosis is good even if the news is not. Do not be afraid. Easy for me to say, I know.**
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