Saturday, April 08, 2017

Saturday 9: Work from Home

Saturday 9: Work from Home (2016)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a woman who doesn't get to see her lover often enough because he's on the night shift. Have you ever worked nights?

A. Yes. When I was an active news reporter, I covered many night meetings, some of which ran long into the wee hours of the morning. Election night coverage was difficult until the paper changed its delivery date from Thursday to Wednesday; after that, we didn't have to stay at the polls to write up the results for the Thursday paper and meet the early Wednesday morning deadline.

2) She promises that if he takes the day off, she'll make it feel like a vacation. Have you traveled anywhere fun so far this year? Do you have any leisure trips planned for 2017?

A. We have not made any travel plans for 2017 nor have we been anywhere outside of the local area. We want to go inland, like to Tennessee or Kentucky or somewhere in that direction this year. Any suggestions?

3) The ladies of Fifth Harmony are enthusiastic supporters of the Girl Scouts, rewarding troops who excel in fundraising activities with free concerts. The Scouts' best-known fundraiser is their cookie sale. What's your favorite cookie (Girl Scout or otherwise)?

A. Chocolate chip. Preferably, a homemade one.

4) Fifth Harmony also participated in Goodwill's Fall Haul campaign. They encouraged high school students donate as many items as possible to Goodwill, and the winning school got a free concert. When did you last take gently-used items to a resale organization?

A. Back before the holidays, or immediately thereafter. I can't remember which.

5) Do you ever shop second-hand or thrift stores?

A. Generally I do not. I am highly allergic to molds and dust and I find those places trigger my asthma. Even Goodwill tends to smell like old musty cardboard.

6) Fifth Harmony member Normani Kordei competes on Dancing with the Stars this season. Would you do better on DWTS or The Voice? In other words, are you a better singer or dancer?

A. I am a better singer than dancer, but I do not consider myself to be someone who excels at either.

7) In February 2016, when this song was first released, The Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl and Spotlight won the Best Picture Oscar. Can you recall who won the 2017 Super Bowl and Best Picture Oscar, just two months ago?

A. The Super Bowl was the Patriots and La La Land won the Oscar. I didn't look it up. How did I do? (*Ok, I went and looked. I failed the Oscar one. Moonlight apparently won that.)

8) 2016's most popular TV show was Game of Thrones. Are you a fan?

A. Oh yes. However, I do not have a favorite character as they all tend to die in that show.

9) Random Question: What's the subject line of the newest message in your email spam folder?

A. HARP Refinance Program Has Helped Millions, See If You're Eligible

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.


Friday, April 07, 2017

World Health Day 2017

Today is World Health Day, a program of the World Health Organization.

This year, the topic is depression. WHO estimates more than 300 million people have depression, an increase of more than 18% since 2005. In my opinion, this is a low estimate.

In the United States, people often lack of support for mental disorders. People who have mental health concerns often fear the stigma associated with depression or other mental concerns. This  prevents many from seeking the treatment they need to live healthy, productive lives.

Society needs to address issues of prejudice and discrimination with regards to mental illness before this issue will be properly addressed. A person who is depressed needs someone to talk to, a person to trust.

Admitting the problem is often the first step towards treatment and recovery.

Additionally, governments at all levels need to invest more in mental health support. Even in high-income countries, nearly 50% of people with depression do not get treatment. On average, just 3% of government health budgets is invested in mental health, varying from less than 1% in low-income countries to 5% in high-income countries.

Here in Virginia, we've seen how the lack of government involvement in this very serious issue adds up to bloody fatalities. In 2007, Virginia Tech lost 32 students in a mass shooting by a student known to have serious mental health issues. However, teacher concerns were not addressed.

In 2014, Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds was brutally attacked and stabbed by his own son, who then killed himself, after the young man was released because local resources could not find a safe place for him.

Those are just two incidents that readily come to mind when one thinks about depression and mental health issues today.

Treatment involves either a talking therapy or antidepressant medication or a combination of the two.  More than 90 countries, of all income levels, have introduced or scaled-up programs that provide treatment for depression and other mental disorders.

Failure to act is costly. According to a WHO-led study, which calculated treatment costs and health outcomes in 36 low-, middle- and high-income countries for the 15 years from 2016-2030, low levels of recognition and access to care for depression and another common mental disorder, anxiety, result in a global economic loss of a trillion US dollars every year. The losses are incurred by households, employers and governments. Households lose out financially when people cannot work. Employers suffer when employees become less productive and are unable to work. Governments have to pay higher health and welfare expenditures.

Additionally, there are strong links between depression and other non-communicable disorders and diseases. Depression increases the risk of substance use disorders and diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. People with these other conditions have a higher risk of depression.

Depression is also an important risk factor for suicide, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year. It is a common mental illness characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that people normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for 14 days or longer.

In addition, people with depression normally have several of the following: a loss of energy; a change in appetite; sleeping more or less; anxiety; reduced concentration; indecisiveness; restlessness; feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness; and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

If you or someone you know suffers from depression, help is available. In Virginia, Veterans may call the Veterans Crisis line 1-800-273-8255, press 1 or visit their website at www.veteranscrisisline.net/.

Others can contact a local public health office for more information. This website lists local health districts for Virginia.

You can also find additional information at the National Alliance on Mental Illness website.



Thursday, April 06, 2017

Thursday Thirteen

On April 6, 1896, the first modern Olympics took place in Athens.

Here's a look at some sporting events that are no longer used in the competition:

1. Distance Plunging - Seen only in 1904, this Olympic sport required athletes to dive into the pool and coast underwater without moving their limbs. After 60 seconds, referees measured the distance the athletes had drifted.

2. Live Pigeon Shooting - Used in the 1900 games in Parish, this sport meant gun enthusiasts took aim at live moving targets. According to reports, more than 300 birds were killed at the event. After that, Olympic officials skipped lived targets.

3. Deer Cardboard Cut-Out shooting - Following the dead bird debacle in 1900, the Olympics in London in 1908 featured "running deer" as targets. However, the targets were cardboard cut-outs, not live animals.

4. Tug-of-War - This game appeared at the 1900 Olympics in Paris and remained on the roster through the 1920 games in Antwerp. An eight-man team had to pull the opposition team six feet in order to win. If neither team failed to do that, the team that pulled the other the longest distance won. The British team, which generally used London City police officers, excelled at the event.

5. Rope Climbing - This game was in the first modern Olympics in 1896. Climbers raced to th etop of the rope. This game remained on the roster until 1932.

6. Solo Synchronized Swimming - This game women debuted at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and remained on the roster through the 1992 event, even though it is hard to synchronize with one's self. After 1992 the event became a team sport for women. Men have never participated in any form of synchronized swimming in the Olympics.

7. Croquet - This sport made a one-time appearance in Paris in 1900. It is thought to be the first Olympic sport in which women participated. Only French competitors signed up for the event, and only one spectator purchased a ticket to watch the game.

8. Rogue - A cousin to croquet, this sport made the Olympic roster in 1904 in St. Louis. Only Americans played this time, and the game did not make another appearance.

9. Dueling - Pistol dueling put in an appearance in the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens. The event consisted of shooters aiming at plaster dummies instead of real people. The event only took place once.

10. Horse Long Jump - Using a horse to make a long jump took place at the Paris games of 1900. The winning leap was 6.10 meters, compared to the human leap of 8.95 meters. The game never returned. Another horse-related event, equestrian vaulting, took place in the 1920 games in Antwerp. In this sport, riders performed pirouettes, handstands and other acrobatic feats on top of a horse's back.

11. Singlestick - In this game, competitors attempted to hit one another with a club was held in one hand. The game was played in 1904 at the Summer Olympics in St. Louis.

12. Dog Sled Racing - The Olympics tested dog sled racing during the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. The event took riders over a 25.1 mile course that traversed country roads and horse paths. The event was considered a demonstration.

13. Firefighting - This event took place at the 1900 Paris Olympics in both professional and volunteer classes. The professional event was won by Kansas City Engine and Hook and Ladder Company #1. Portugal won the volunteer class.

_______

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 494th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Birds

A yard full of  . . . something. I thought they were starlings but after looking at my guide book I think they are something else. Maybe a boat tailed grackle?




 
These are photos of a northern flicker, a type of woodpecker (I think).
 


Monday, April 03, 2017

April Means Giraffe

I confess.

April the giraffe has caught my attention. I tune in once a day (sometimes more) to see her wander around her cage.

April lives at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY. She is 15 years old and this will be her 4th calf. She has never lost a baby.

She has been pregnant for 15 months! Yikes.

Even though she was supposed to give birth about six weeks ago, she is still carrying around her baby. This baby supposedly will be six feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds when born.

Having seen many dogs and cows give birth, and even a deer once, I have not seen signs that indicate this giraffe is going to drop her calf anytime soon. But I am not her veterinarian, who continues to assure the 150,000 people who are always watching that birth is imminent.

You can see April live at this link.

Meanwhile, I did a few still captures of her as she was trying to eat the camera (or something close to it) and then messed with them creatively (mostly because it is my understanding that once I turn them into something else I'm not violating any copyright).  I also grabbed one of her standing far away because, well, long neck and legs and all.

Giraffes are kind of cute. She has really long eyelashes, but you can't tell that in these touched up pieces.







Sunday, April 02, 2017

Sunday Stealing: Cannon Fodder

Sunday Stealing: The Cannon Fodder Questions

1. Is there someone you'd like to be kissing right now?

A. I have a sinus infection. I don't think anyone wants to be kissing me right now.

2. When you're being extremely quiet, what does it mean?

A. I am generally quiet anyway, being an introvert, so I am not sure how to answer this. I suppose if I am thinking hard about something, or trying to write, I am "extremely quiet."

3. What are you listening to right now?

A. The wind. She is whistling as she wraps herself around my house and moves on.

4. Are you a big fan of thunderstorms?

A. I rather like them, yes. I have never been able to capture a good lightning bolt on camera, though I have on video. It's on my "do it" list.

5. Do you believe in perfect?

A. It is a goal, but I don't think achievable. It is one of those things that exists in the eye of the beholder, so therefore something one cannot define.

6. Are you a jealous person?

A. I hope not.

7. What was the first thing you thought this morning?

A. "I slept for seven hours straight! I can't remember when I last did that."

8. What do you think about when you are falling asleep?

A. Usually I run through my day, think about whatever I want to do the next day, then try to picture something lovely, like a meadow, and if I'm not in dreamland by then I start focusing on my breathing and counting until I do fall asleep.

9. Are you satisfied with what you have in life?

A. I am sure there are few pieces of the puzzle that are warped or waterlogged, but all in all it is good.

10. Do people ever think that you're either older or younger than you actually are?

A. I don't know. I don't ask people how old they think I am.

11. Do you think men truly understand women?

A. It depends on the man.

12. How about women understanding men?

A. It depends on the woman.

13. Did anybody ever call you handsome or beautiful?

A. My husband does. He needs glasses.

14. What is one fact about the last person that called you?

A. He is a gentle soul.

15. Other than your current one, tell us about the longest relationship you have had either a romance or a particular good friend.

A. I have been friends with Leslie for 33 years, just a few months less than I have known my husband. We worked at the same law office for two years before I stupidly left. We stayed in touch, though, by phone, mostly, and having an occasional lunch. Leslie is incredibly smart. She reads constantly, loves dogs, and takes care of her mother. She has been a good friend to me, listening to me whine and encouraging me as I have careened like a pinball from one life event to another.

Saturday, April 01, 2017

Saturday 9: Polka

Too Fat Polka (1947)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) Have you ever danced the polka?

A. Can't say that I have. I wouldn't even know where to start.

2) The centerpiece of a traditional Polish polka band is the accordion. The accordion is a substantial instrument. Have you ever tried to play it?

A. I confess I used to play one, a very long time ago. I never played it very well, but I could manage a tune or two. (At one time I could play almost any instrument I picked up, back in the day.) They are heavy and require a bit of coordination to get the wind in and out properly so the sound flows.

3) The plump lady of this song cannot fit into the singer's car. How many passengers does your car comfortably seat?

A. Four comfortably. But you could do five in the front and probably stuff a couple in the trunk. It has a big trunk.

4) Would you like to lose a few pounds?

A. Yes.

5) In the long ago 1940s, this song was considered amusing. Do you think it's still funny today?

A. No.

6) Arthur Godfrey, who recorded this song, was a popular radio and TV host from the 1930s to the 1970s. Before this week's Saturday 9, had you ever heard of him?

A. Yes.

7) One of his more popular radio shows was Talent Scouts. A 1940s-50s version of American Idol, this show gave previously unknown singers their first national exposure. Godfrey could point with pride to having helped discover Tony Bennett and Patsy Cline, but he made a mistake by rejecting Elvis Presley. Tell us about something you'd do differently if you could get a "do over."

A. Go to college right out of high school.

8) In 1953, Godfrey made news by having one of the nation's very first hip replacements. Have you ever been/would you be part of a clinical trial, either for a new drug or a new medical procedure?

A. I was part of a clinical trial back in the 1990s. I was in the "control group" in a test that had to do with testing urine for pregnancy and certain types of pregnancy issues that could show up that way. I'd had a hysterectomy at the age of 29, so I wasn't going to have a baby and couldn't mess up the control numbers. I think I was paid $5 per pee bottle or something like that.

9) RANDOM QUESTION: You and a friend are shopping. She tries on an expensive sweater and enthusiastically asks what you think. You think it looks awful. Do you tell her the truth?

A. I would say, "Well, you could go with that, but what about this one here? It has this blue/green/orange that really flatters your hair/eyes/whatever. And feel how soft/warm/cozy it is." :::holding it up::: "Why don't you try this one on too, before you decide?"

And if pushed for more of an answer, I would say, "It's really not my style, but you know yourself best." Or something.

So I guess no, I wouldn't tell her the truth. Everyone has her own taste.

_____________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.

Friday, March 31, 2017

Can't We Look At the Big Picture?

The front page of the Virginia Department of Health's web page says:

OPIOID ADDICTION IN VIRGINIA
Learn More

You can find information there about how this issue has been declared a public health crisis (November 2016). New rules are in place that now keep primary care physicians from managing their patients' chronic pain and instead they will have to send them to a pain specialist.

I feel for anyone who loses a loved one for any reason. But opioids are not the only reason people die. People die from gun shots, too. More people die from gunshots, actually, than from opioid overdose.

Many stories I am reading indicate that people with chronic pain issues are being caught up in this government effort to crack down on opioid drug use. However, from what I have read much of the problem is coming from heroin addicts and people using synthetic opioids brought illegally into the state, not people who are receiving prescription medication from their doctors.

Apparently the government is not making this distinction even though their own reports indicate this to be so:

“As we see the nature of drug addiction shift, from prescription opioids to heroin and synthetic fentanyl, we must be vigilant and ready to respond quickly,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel in a news release from the Virginia Governor's Office.

Even the White House thinks the problem is not with prescription drugs - "In a Wednesday press briefing . . . the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, blamed the crisis on "cheap heroin" flooding the market . . ."

So the opioid drug addiction and overdose problem is really . . . what? Prescription drugs or not?

This article from the People's Pharmacy explains how chronic pain sufferers have been caught up in this opioid crack down. "Many patients suffering long-term severe pain are having a hard time getting relief. We have heard from hundreds of people who never abused opioids or increased their dose," The Peoples' Pharmacy writes. The article then lists numerous stories from folks who feel they are now suffering because the actions of others have made it harder for them to receive the medication they need to live a better life.

Here is a chart from the Virginia Department of Health on Opioid Deaths. According to this information, 801 people died in the state in 2015 from opioid overdose.




Here is a chart that lists the number of gun deaths in the state of Virginia, current as of 2014. According to this information, there were 889 gun deaths here compared to 733 opioid deaths that same year.


As you can see, more people die from gun shot wounds than from overdosing on opioids.

However, there is little discussion (practically nothing) on the Virginia Department of Health's website about guns at all.

In fact, in their list of "health concerns" from A-Z, there isn't a mention of firearm safety or guns.

There is stuff on nuclear power plant accidents, fish consumption, and radon. I wonder how much any of us worries about nuclear power plant accidents. I know they don't cross my mind at all.

In the search box, I finally pulled up a .pdf on firearms, apparently last updated 11/10.

It says this on the .pdf -


I don't know if overdose and poisonings are the same thing in the eyes of the VDH.

Here's the whole .pdf, which I snagged as .jpg before it disappears -




I know there is a second amendment argument in the U.S. Constitution about gun right ownership, but I don't see how we can look at one thing that kills people when a similar amount of people - more, even - are dying from something else.

Isn't that like pointing to a pigeon while denying that blue jays exist?

Personally, I do not know anyone who has died from an opioid overdose, or at least I am not aware of it. My husband who is in emergency services sees it and he says overdoses do seem to be occurring more frequently but he says it is due to heroin, not prescription pain killers. Perhaps if there was not a drug available to "bring back" those who overdose, the number of deaths would be significantly higher.
 
But his squads also run many gunshot wound calls, most of which never make the news. Those folks are also saved by medical intervention, so feasibly gun death numbers would be higher, too, if our medical heroes didn't have so much expertise at fixing up holes in people.

While I know no overdose victims, I know people who have been affected by gun violence. My friend's son was dating one of the victims killed at Virginia Tech in April 2007. He was shaken to the core. One of my husband's firefighters, long ago, killed himself - he was a nice guy and his wife and I had a lot in common. That shook me to the core.

A very long time ago, one of my father's friends accidentally shot himself in the leg during a poker game. I had nightmares about it for years. I sometimes still do.

About 18 months ago, I was watching TV when two local news reporters were shot live on the air. I am friends with some of the staff of that TV station, and they will never be the same. I'm not sure I will be, either. As a print news reporter myself, it certainly has left me thinking twice about whether or not I want to be out in the public, open and available, a target to anyone.

Why are we emphasizing one cause of death and ignoring another? Shouldn't we try to combat all of them in some fashion (including vehicle deaths, which I know someone will bring up, and heart attacks, etc.) 

Let's follow the money to see who gains from this particular war on drugs, because in the USA it's always about the money. Pharmaceutical companies. Here's an article dated 3/29/17 that says Big Pharma is really behind this problem, the result of a concentrated marketing program.

An article in the same publication notes that the remedy to an overdose, introduced in 2002, "has generated $1-2 billion a year in revenues, first for its initial British manufacturer, Reckitt Benckiser, and the Richmond, Virginia-based company that it spun off two years ago, Indivior."

That sounds like a good reason to sell one drug so you can sell another drug to fix the first drug, doesn't it? Billions of dollars.

The article also claims the remedy is as addictive as the drug it is saving the person from. So more sales.

The pain doctors will have more patients. They are specialists so many patients' co-pays for insurance will increase. (In my case, my co-pay would increase from $30 to see my primary care physician to $50 to see a specialist of any kind, as an example.)

Fighting drug wars in America has always been a losing proposition. From LSD to marijuana to cocaine, efforts to remove drugs from communities have only enriched drug smugglers and criminal organizations.

Wars on drugs don't work.

With Republicans in control of the federal government and many states, gun laws are off the table. The Republicans don't even mind if you're mentally ill and you own a gun.

These are not separate issues. These are one and the same. Both of these issues are about people dying and they are about money. Neither is about your right to live or my right to live, because the people who make the rules really don't give a crap about that.

They just care about their big donors, and unless your name is Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, that isn't you.

We already have gun laws. You can't legally own an automatic rifle, or a Sherman tank. You can't legally own a rocket launcher. I don't want you to not have a gun if you want one. I am a crackerjack shot with a .22 rifle.

But stiffer background checks might save a life, just as making it hard for Grandma to get her pain killers might save a life. So why is Grandma suffering while Joe Gunslinger isn't even having to wait more than 20 minutes to pick up his new firearm?

I could not find a chart that compared opioid overdoses to firearms for Virginia. I did find one for Colorado that I want to share with you. It is from the Colorado Department of Health (apparently they do keep track of gun deaths there.)


 
 
Personally, I think this chart really says all that needs to be said. We're chasing after farts and rainbows, people.
 
Somebody, please, stop and think about what is really going on here. FOLLOW THE MONEY. And always remember that your life really doesn't matter to anyone but you, no matter how smooth the huckster talks. Your life sure as hell doesn't matter to anybody in Washington DC or to anyone who runs a drug company. They just want whatever money you have left.
 
This issue matters to me. It is personal. I know people who are affected by this new "war on drug" episode. They are hurting and will hurt more.
 
Maybe the government is hoping grandmas and grandpas will shoot themselves when the pain becomes more than they can stand.
 

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Thursday Thirteen

In the year 2018
what was good was now ugly, not clean
with the rules all sent out the door
the middle class all became poor.

In the year 2019
All was brown, nothing was green.
The streams ran brown with dirt and slime.
And no one called it a crime.

In the year 2020
America was no longer the land o' plenty
Nothing there unless you were the 1 percent
Most folks couldn't pay their rent.

In the year 2021
No more elections, Democracy was done.
They tore down the Statue of Liberty
Because the copper was worth money.

In the year 2022
The people cried out, what can we do?
No one heard their simple pleas
So they turned to anarchy.

In the year 2023
While the rest of the world feel to its knees
American bombs made the sky sing
The guy in charge named himself king.

In the year 2024
Europe decided it wouldn't take any more.
Their forces gathered one by one
To teach America that it was done.

In the year 2025
The old king fell over and died.
His sons and his daughter too
Took over so they could rule.

In the year 2027
All the religions preached about heaven
said this time was the judgement day
so we should all fall on our knees and pray.

In the year 2028
Spite and malice, and lots of hate
were the things that people felt
as all the ice caps were lost to melt.

In the year 2030
With the streams and air both too dirty
people dying in the streets in pain
their skin burned up by acid rain.

Now it has been 13 years
In that time humanity disappeared
We sat and watched while the world was destroyed
by the corporate good ol' boys.

They died too with their money in hand
It couldn't save them from a polluted land.
But now the Earth, free of humanity
Will make herself green and clean.

Woe woe.


With much apologies to "In the Year 2525" is a 1969 hit song by the American pop-rock duo of Dennis Zager and Rick Evans. I wrote this in 10 minutes (this morning!) whilst under the spell of a mild fever because I have some kind of respiratory thing and this is part of my feverish visions.

_______

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 493rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Cardinal in the Green Grass




Monday, March 27, 2017

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Sunday Stealing: The Kathy Aay Questions

Sunday Stealing: The Kathy Aay Questions

1. What is the meaning of your blog’s name?

A. Blue - my favorite color. Country - where I live. Magic - I love the idea of magic and believe that life can be magical. If you look out of the corner of your eye you will sometimes see that a leprechaun in watching you.

2. Why did you start your blogging?

A. I initially started blogging in 2003 as a reaction to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which I opposed on the grounds that the terrorists came from Saudi Arabia. As a news reporter in a very red area I couldn't speak out about it and maintain my objectivity, so I needed some other way to express my frustration. I got it out of my system and then switched over to AOl Journals. I turned that into a creative outlet because writing stories about local government was making me weary. After AOL decided to close its journal product, this blog came about.

3. What’s your usual bedtime?

A. Anywhere from 9:30 to midnight.

4. Are you lazy?

A. I don't think so, but I do think that being unwell has made me less enthusiastic about doing things than I once was. I don't think it's laziness so much as being zapped of energy by pain and medication.

5. Do you miss anyone right now?

A. Not at the moment, no.

6. How would you describe your fashion sense?

A. Terrible.

7. What are your nicknames?

A. My husband calls me Baby, Pookie, and Sweetie Pie. I also answer to "Hey, you!"
 
8. Are you a patient person?

A. Generally speaking. It depends on the situation and who is involved.

9. Are you tight-fisted or frivolous?

A. Tight-fisted.

10. What magazines do you read?

A. Reader's Digest and O! in print form. I sometimes pick up Progressive Farmer and Beef Today flip through them. I read the New York Times online and the local daily in print form every day, and the weekly paper in print form when it comes out. I also read articles from The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Slate, Salon, Vox, and whatever else of interest crosses my path.
 
11. Are you stubborn?

A. I can be. But not as stubborn as my husband.

12. When is your birthday?

A. I am a Gemini girl.

13. What book are you currently reading?

A. Hold Still, by Sally Mann. It's an autobiography of a famous photographer who went to same college I did.

14. What phone do you have?

A. I have a flip phone. It's a Nokia. I have had it for about five years, maybe longer.

15. Do you have any pets?

A. We have about 45 cows (most have calves) and two bulls. They are not exactly pets but they come running when they hear the tractor start up.

16. Do you have siblings?

A. I have a brother who is three years younger than I am.

17. Any children or grandchildren?

A. None of the above. I have a niece and four nephews, though.

18. What do you order at Starbucks?

A. I don't go to Starbucks. There isn't one nearby.

19. What did you do for your last birthday?

A. I was sick last year on my birthday. I spent the morning at the doctor's office and the rest of the day in bed.

20. What’s your occupation?

A. I am currently the bookkeeper and chief bottle washer for our farm and my husband's septic tank installation business. I am a freelance writer by trade. I did that for 30 years, mostly writing for newspapers and local magazines, and made a decent living at it until the recession. After that the jobs dwindled - our area had a glut of laid-off newspaper people - and then I became ill. I might go back to writing someday. Or not. I have also worked at other jobs, including for lawyers, in retail, and in industry. I had planned to become an adjunct instructor at the community college and had just been hired to do that when I became sick. I taught two classes and then was waylaid by illness.

I consider myself a jack-of-all-trades (master of none) because I have many interests, although lately I have heard people like me called "scanners" or "curiousity seekers" or "multipotentialite."

21. Do you live in the country or the city?

A. Thank God, I'm a country girl.
 

Women With Swords