Any idea what this is?
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.**
Monday, April 29, 2013
More Questions
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.
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.
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."
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