Out in front of an electronics store, the TV cameras showed an orange and yellow tent. Its occupant, a man with longish hair, who was first in line said that he had camped out before Black Friday for years. He ate his Thanksgiving meal there, as did his family who came to spend time with him. He had a heater inside and a little stove. Nobody said anything about a bathroom. That would have been my first concern.
For him, the holidays are all about STUFF. All about being first to get more STUFF, cheaper STUFF, and plentiful STUFF. For his family who seem to support his obsession, Christmas is all about STUFF too.
It's empty and sad, if you ask me. All that time he sits in that tent waiting for the store to open, he could have been spending that time with his own family making memories. I wonder if any of them could even list one thing they got five years ago after waiting in front of a store through a beautiful holiday.
Last night at our house, fake food was flying all around the room as Uncle Greg was pelleting Drew with one thing after the other and Drew was taking refuge behind a chair. There were shrieks of delight. And after a while, I even got into the act, chasing three munchkins across the basement floor to the steps, warning them that they had to stay on the landing, "or else."
Of course, I was baiting them, and they loved every single minute of it.
From my own memories, I know that it isn't the things that made the holidays; it was always the people. Can you pick a year when you were say, 10, and name even one thing you got that year? I can tell you one thing I received at age 13 because it was a sewing machine and I still have it and use it. And because it was one of my mother's last Christmases.
We could all do with less STUFF. I realize that, but the measure of the problem is whether YOU own the stuff or the STUFF owns you. This year for Christmas, an early present, I bought us some new coffee cups and we used them yesterday. They are large and hold a good deal of coffee, plus hold the heat pretty well. Since we got the Keurig, we were limping along with a hodgepodge of cups that were of different sizes, shapes and colors. The new ones are just lovely and I think everyone enjoyed them. It was a good decision.
Have a great Saturday, Sunday and Monday -- everyone -- and I'll be back Tuesday. Go Bucks! And I pray that they find the missing OSU player.
Light of Christ
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Friday, November 28, 2014
What Some Braved
As I walk into church this Sunday, I'm going to think about how easy we have it. I walk up the steps, grab a hold of the door handle and pull. The huge door breaks inertia and moves toward me, and I enter into the church.
The smell of the church is distinctive -- a combination of old and incense and beeswax candles. The Stations of the Cross are lit by low watt bulbs, giving them a beautiful glow. The altar is adorned in autumn colors.
There is no one standing outside telling me I can't go in. There is no one with a gun threatening my life if I enter the church. There are no bars on the door.
But these are things that faced the Mexican people in the 1920s. Being Catholic was against the law. Many, many people were killed for their faith and their refusal to deny it. And there is a movie that chronicles this awful time in history.
It is called, "For the Glory." It was recommended by a friend of mine from church. She said she was glad she watched it, that she never thought so deeply about what some have had to experience to keep the faith, but she isn't sure she would ever watch it again. "It's too rough."
Last week, Fr. Kevin told us about the saint for that day -- a man who lived in those perilous times in Mexico and was martyred for the faith. He would disguise himself so he could go out among the people and distribute Communion or say Confessions. Mass would be moved around here and there and always held in secret. He escaped with his life more than once from their clutches, sometimes with help from the people in that town.
He died with the name of God on his lips, by firing squad with no head covering. He looked his assassins in the eye, but also forgave them. Sound familiar?
At any rate, I am just echoing the message of Thanksgiving and taking it into another time/day. This Sunday. Like someone always says and it is so true -- we should be thankful every single day for all of our blessings.
The movie Pollyanna -- do you remember that one? She was always looking for something to be grateful for rather than pouting about what she didn't have. Her attitude changed a whole town! It's corny, sure, but who says we can't become more happy, more positive, more grateful?
A researcher person was on TV yesterday talking about how when we smile and look happy, we actually begin to change inside.
Four weeks until Christmas. The time for family gatherings and present giving, but also a time to remember to be thankful, grateful. To share with others. To pray for others. To forgive others.
Take care, faithful readers.
Karen
The smell of the church is distinctive -- a combination of old and incense and beeswax candles. The Stations of the Cross are lit by low watt bulbs, giving them a beautiful glow. The altar is adorned in autumn colors.
There is no one standing outside telling me I can't go in. There is no one with a gun threatening my life if I enter the church. There are no bars on the door.
But these are things that faced the Mexican people in the 1920s. Being Catholic was against the law. Many, many people were killed for their faith and their refusal to deny it. And there is a movie that chronicles this awful time in history.
It is called, "For the Glory." It was recommended by a friend of mine from church. She said she was glad she watched it, that she never thought so deeply about what some have had to experience to keep the faith, but she isn't sure she would ever watch it again. "It's too rough."
Last week, Fr. Kevin told us about the saint for that day -- a man who lived in those perilous times in Mexico and was martyred for the faith. He would disguise himself so he could go out among the people and distribute Communion or say Confessions. Mass would be moved around here and there and always held in secret. He escaped with his life more than once from their clutches, sometimes with help from the people in that town.
He died with the name of God on his lips, by firing squad with no head covering. He looked his assassins in the eye, but also forgave them. Sound familiar?
At any rate, I am just echoing the message of Thanksgiving and taking it into another time/day. This Sunday. Like someone always says and it is so true -- we should be thankful every single day for all of our blessings.
The movie Pollyanna -- do you remember that one? She was always looking for something to be grateful for rather than pouting about what she didn't have. Her attitude changed a whole town! It's corny, sure, but who says we can't become more happy, more positive, more grateful?
A researcher person was on TV yesterday talking about how when we smile and look happy, we actually begin to change inside.
Four weeks until Christmas. The time for family gatherings and present giving, but also a time to remember to be thankful, grateful. To share with others. To pray for others. To forgive others.
Take care, faithful readers.
Karen
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thanksgiving
There's not much to say today except, "Happy Thanksgiving," to all of you faithful readers.
I like that tradition that some families have of everyone at the table sharing that which they are most thankful. It's always heartwarming to hear children say that it is their family.
Someone we know is more than 40 and expecting her sixth child. She is joyful. One of her children made a sign that said, "Happy Family, Healthy Baby."
On one of her Facebook postings she mentioned that one year ago to that day she was getting rid of all of the baby stuff in the house. Isn't that always the way it is?
So whether you watch the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade which should be stepping off soon, or check out a football game, or take that much needed nap, or cook all day with an apron on, or just wait patiently until someone calls out, "Supper's ready," enjoy yourself and remember why we have this day.
It is to thank God for all of our blessings. Just as General Washington did in 1777 when his troops paused for a moment in a frozen field to offer their gratitude, and when Abraham Lincoln made it formal many years later -- creating Thanksgiving -- we acknowledge that there is a God and that He has blessed us.
I'll be back tomorrow!
Karen
I like that tradition that some families have of everyone at the table sharing that which they are most thankful. It's always heartwarming to hear children say that it is their family.
Someone we know is more than 40 and expecting her sixth child. She is joyful. One of her children made a sign that said, "Happy Family, Healthy Baby."
On one of her Facebook postings she mentioned that one year ago to that day she was getting rid of all of the baby stuff in the house. Isn't that always the way it is?
So whether you watch the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade which should be stepping off soon, or check out a football game, or take that much needed nap, or cook all day with an apron on, or just wait patiently until someone calls out, "Supper's ready," enjoy yourself and remember why we have this day.
It is to thank God for all of our blessings. Just as General Washington did in 1777 when his troops paused for a moment in a frozen field to offer their gratitude, and when Abraham Lincoln made it formal many years later -- creating Thanksgiving -- we acknowledge that there is a God and that He has blessed us.
I'll be back tomorrow!
Karen
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Eyewitness
Many years ago in a class at Kent State, it might have been English, the door of the classroom suddenly opened and a guy walked across the room, dropped off something and exited very quickly.
We were all a little stunned and waited for the professor to say something. What he did say was that our job was to write a full description of the man who had just crashed our class (he had it set up). So we started -- hmmm, did I actually see his eyes? Was he medium-height or taller? What kind of shoes was he wearing?
Quite soon, it became obvious that we all saw something different from one another, and it was also quite obvious that we were not trained observers of life. After about 15-20 minutes or so, when we'd finished our descriptions, the professor had the young man come back in again. Yep, we'd gotten it wrong in many different ways.
Yet, it has taken courts and police and just about everyone else a long time to admit what should have been obvious all along -- eyewitness observations are not very accurate. What our eyes tell the brain is not always what is. Given time and the input of others, what we saw or though we saw had become even more skewed, and can even become false memories (that is, something that never happened at all.)
People have spent years and years in prison because of inaccurate eyewitness testimony. Most courts now cast doubt on cases using mostly eyewitness statements and well they should.
There is a CSI game that is on sale this Christmas. It makes a person use their powers of observation, and that can't be a bad thing for anyone -- kid or adult. It makes the mind keener, more alert, more involved. We could all use a little of the CSI game.
And another thing we could use -- an admission that what we see isn't necessarily what happened. We need to understand that in a moment of fear or surprise, the events might not have unfolded as we remember.
With the advent of video cameras everywhere hiding in peoples' phones, and cameras on many streets, why try to use only the observations of a witness when you can see the actual thing? Or check DNA instead of relying on someone's memory?
A guy from our general area went to prison years ago because his relative named him as the killer in a particularly gruesome murder. He always proclaimed his innocence and he was finally exonerated. In Cleveland last week, the identification by a 13-year-old was finally thrown out because the boy, now a man, admitted he hadn't told the truth. So two more people went free.
Helping kids learn to use their eyes might be a good to learn in school. Not to find criminals necessarily, but just because it makes good sense! It's better than having their faces glued to a phone screen.
I'm going to check on the CSI game. Meanwhile, test yourself. See what you can notice. Challenge someone as to who can get the most information.
God gave us eyes and ears to pay attention with. We might as well use them to the fullest.
Take care -- talk to you tomorrow.
We were all a little stunned and waited for the professor to say something. What he did say was that our job was to write a full description of the man who had just crashed our class (he had it set up). So we started -- hmmm, did I actually see his eyes? Was he medium-height or taller? What kind of shoes was he wearing?
Quite soon, it became obvious that we all saw something different from one another, and it was also quite obvious that we were not trained observers of life. After about 15-20 minutes or so, when we'd finished our descriptions, the professor had the young man come back in again. Yep, we'd gotten it wrong in many different ways.
Yet, it has taken courts and police and just about everyone else a long time to admit what should have been obvious all along -- eyewitness observations are not very accurate. What our eyes tell the brain is not always what is. Given time and the input of others, what we saw or though we saw had become even more skewed, and can even become false memories (that is, something that never happened at all.)
People have spent years and years in prison because of inaccurate eyewitness testimony. Most courts now cast doubt on cases using mostly eyewitness statements and well they should.
There is a CSI game that is on sale this Christmas. It makes a person use their powers of observation, and that can't be a bad thing for anyone -- kid or adult. It makes the mind keener, more alert, more involved. We could all use a little of the CSI game.
And another thing we could use -- an admission that what we see isn't necessarily what happened. We need to understand that in a moment of fear or surprise, the events might not have unfolded as we remember.
With the advent of video cameras everywhere hiding in peoples' phones, and cameras on many streets, why try to use only the observations of a witness when you can see the actual thing? Or check DNA instead of relying on someone's memory?
A guy from our general area went to prison years ago because his relative named him as the killer in a particularly gruesome murder. He always proclaimed his innocence and he was finally exonerated. In Cleveland last week, the identification by a 13-year-old was finally thrown out because the boy, now a man, admitted he hadn't told the truth. So two more people went free.
Helping kids learn to use their eyes might be a good to learn in school. Not to find criminals necessarily, but just because it makes good sense! It's better than having their faces glued to a phone screen.
I'm going to check on the CSI game. Meanwhile, test yourself. See what you can notice. Challenge someone as to who can get the most information.
God gave us eyes and ears to pay attention with. We might as well use them to the fullest.
Take care -- talk to you tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Mr. Gilly
There's a great children's book called, "Trashy Town." It was one of the picture books included in a set of 100 different books on CD that I bought years ago.
Mr. Gilly is the garbage collector in Trashy Town and he has an important job to do -- pick it up, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town.
Ella loves the book! Part of it is that the clever art work is paired with clever music as Mr. Gilly goes bouncing along down the road, with a pair of mice on top of the hood of his trash compactor. The mice are the narrators of the story.
Monday is trash day in some parts of Canton, and on our way to Ella's school we see all of the full cans out by the street. Then we watch for Mr. Gilly all the way to school, and sometimes we do see him -- or one of the many different trash trucks.
When we do see one of the trash trucks, Ella gets so excited. And we say the little rhyme -- pick it up, smash it down, drive around the trashy town.
Drew was surprised to learn that there is a trash truck that stops at Ella's school. Actually, I think he thought that the REAL Mr. Gilly was going to Ella's school. It doesn't matter to Ella if it is Kimble or Republic or something else. She just likes trash trucks.
After we watched Mr. Gilly, we watched another cute book, "Say Goodnight to a Dinosaur." Pretty soon, the sounds from this book brought Drew over and he took a spot on the couch. As a little boy turned into a dinosaur, I heard him mumble, "How did he do that?" He's still at the age when his imagination and reality haven't necessarily collided yet. Isn't it great?
But yesterday brought some good news, some excitement. A few months ago, I nominated Mark, Dani, Drew, and Ella to be one of the featured families at the 2015 Winter Walk for the Epilepsy Association out of Cleveland. The whole family has been attending Epilepsy Association events for years, but especially the winter walk. I don't know how they do it, but whatever date Epilepsy Association picks, the weather is absolutely horrible. One year we couldn't even get out of our driveway to attend, but other than that, we've gone every time. The event is MC'd by Tracy McCool and Bill Martin and this year they are having it only at the Strongsville mall, rather than also in a Cleveland area eastern suburb.
Yesterday, we found out that the Tarles are going to be one of two featured families this year!! I'm really happy for them and it will help make the winter just a little bit brighter this year. We'll make sure that one of our vehicles is at the top of the driveway so we can get out, no matter what!
Ella loves the winter walk, but especially she loves spending time with her cousins and the whole family. Here are the folks who attend: Mark, Dani, Ella, Drew, Grandma Sue, Grandpa Phil, Uncle Dave, Aunt Megan and their three children, Uncle Greg, Aunt Joanne and their Lauren, Grandma Karen and Grandpa Eric -- and maybe this year a few more friends will join the parade. It is that kind of event, and there are lots of smiles to go around.
Have a great day and watch out for Mr. Gilly!!
Mr. Gilly is the garbage collector in Trashy Town and he has an important job to do -- pick it up, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town.
Ella loves the book! Part of it is that the clever art work is paired with clever music as Mr. Gilly goes bouncing along down the road, with a pair of mice on top of the hood of his trash compactor. The mice are the narrators of the story.
Monday is trash day in some parts of Canton, and on our way to Ella's school we see all of the full cans out by the street. Then we watch for Mr. Gilly all the way to school, and sometimes we do see him -- or one of the many different trash trucks.
When we do see one of the trash trucks, Ella gets so excited. And we say the little rhyme -- pick it up, smash it down, drive around the trashy town.
Drew was surprised to learn that there is a trash truck that stops at Ella's school. Actually, I think he thought that the REAL Mr. Gilly was going to Ella's school. It doesn't matter to Ella if it is Kimble or Republic or something else. She just likes trash trucks.
After we watched Mr. Gilly, we watched another cute book, "Say Goodnight to a Dinosaur." Pretty soon, the sounds from this book brought Drew over and he took a spot on the couch. As a little boy turned into a dinosaur, I heard him mumble, "How did he do that?" He's still at the age when his imagination and reality haven't necessarily collided yet. Isn't it great?
But yesterday brought some good news, some excitement. A few months ago, I nominated Mark, Dani, Drew, and Ella to be one of the featured families at the 2015 Winter Walk for the Epilepsy Association out of Cleveland. The whole family has been attending Epilepsy Association events for years, but especially the winter walk. I don't know how they do it, but whatever date Epilepsy Association picks, the weather is absolutely horrible. One year we couldn't even get out of our driveway to attend, but other than that, we've gone every time. The event is MC'd by Tracy McCool and Bill Martin and this year they are having it only at the Strongsville mall, rather than also in a Cleveland area eastern suburb.
Yesterday, we found out that the Tarles are going to be one of two featured families this year!! I'm really happy for them and it will help make the winter just a little bit brighter this year. We'll make sure that one of our vehicles is at the top of the driveway so we can get out, no matter what!
Ella loves the winter walk, but especially she loves spending time with her cousins and the whole family. Here are the folks who attend: Mark, Dani, Ella, Drew, Grandma Sue, Grandpa Phil, Uncle Dave, Aunt Megan and their three children, Uncle Greg, Aunt Joanne and their Lauren, Grandma Karen and Grandpa Eric -- and maybe this year a few more friends will join the parade. It is that kind of event, and there are lots of smiles to go around.
Have a great day and watch out for Mr. Gilly!!
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Pumpkin
Isn't the taste of pumpkin something special? I always wonder why we reserve this time of year to make pies when we could enjoy a good pumpkin pie just about any time. But I'm as guilty as the next one.
We will have two of them on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when the whole clan shows up for the holiday experience at our house. It's usually chaos with kids running all over, cats hiding under every piece of furniture, and the downstairs warm from a fire in the wood burner.
It's a simple time with lots of conversation and maybe some football here and there. It's a prelude to the Christmas season, although my favorite radio station already converted to 100% Christmas music already. I turned it off yesterday as soon as I heard it. Really. I'm just not ready for that and they play the same 50 songs over and over again. When was the last time you heard a really good NEW Christmas song? I think it might have been Kelly Clarkson about four years ago. Otherwise, it's the same old, same old.
When I forgot and turned it on again later in the day, it was Elvis Presley singing one of his classics. By the time Christmas comes around, I can barely stand it anymore.
They do play, "Oh, Holy Night," on the station which is wonderful whether it is Josh Groban's version or someone else's. In fact, any of the REAL Christmas music that celebrates the birth of Jesus is fine by me. It's the silly stuff I can do without.
Thanksgiving barely gets an aisle in the stores before it is marked down 50% and then taken over entirely by the Christmas stuff. This year I don't think I am getting one thing for decoration. Usually, I'll find some doo-dad but this year I made things and will have a good time trying them out. There was a great idea on the Internet for cranberry/popcorn garlands and I made about 12. It was rather tiresome crocheting all of the individual popcorn pieces, but the result is good and will last for years and years. Stores easily too and the garlands don't tangle either.
I love candles and will use some of them this year as usual. The glow is so peaceful and calm. We have a few battery operated ones for use around the kids.
Well, today is OSU football and they claim that the team can clench the Big-10 (really Big 13) with a win over Indiana today at noon. Or that's what I saw when I was looking up the game time.
Now it's off to do the bathrooms and the tub, and some other stuff too. I sold my first painting! A guy from my high school class bought one of them. We were conversing via email about one of our deceased classmates and he asked me what I'd been doing. I told him about our wonderful watercolor class and he wanted me to send him some pictures. So I did. And now he bought my "Yellow Coneflowers at Stan Hywet," painting. I told Peg that this will be known in the future as our "Stan Hywet Period." Of course, we laugh about this. We laugh about a lot of things while we are working on our art. It turned out to be the best class ever!! And I did send a picture of the coneflowers to my University of Akron continuing education art teacher who now lives in Illinois and she loved it. That was really awesome for me.
I'll find some cardboard and pack up the watercolor to send to Bay Village, and I sure hope Mike and his wife like it.
Have a wonderful weekend!!
We will have two of them on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when the whole clan shows up for the holiday experience at our house. It's usually chaos with kids running all over, cats hiding under every piece of furniture, and the downstairs warm from a fire in the wood burner.
It's a simple time with lots of conversation and maybe some football here and there. It's a prelude to the Christmas season, although my favorite radio station already converted to 100% Christmas music already. I turned it off yesterday as soon as I heard it. Really. I'm just not ready for that and they play the same 50 songs over and over again. When was the last time you heard a really good NEW Christmas song? I think it might have been Kelly Clarkson about four years ago. Otherwise, it's the same old, same old.
When I forgot and turned it on again later in the day, it was Elvis Presley singing one of his classics. By the time Christmas comes around, I can barely stand it anymore.
They do play, "Oh, Holy Night," on the station which is wonderful whether it is Josh Groban's version or someone else's. In fact, any of the REAL Christmas music that celebrates the birth of Jesus is fine by me. It's the silly stuff I can do without.
Thanksgiving barely gets an aisle in the stores before it is marked down 50% and then taken over entirely by the Christmas stuff. This year I don't think I am getting one thing for decoration. Usually, I'll find some doo-dad but this year I made things and will have a good time trying them out. There was a great idea on the Internet for cranberry/popcorn garlands and I made about 12. It was rather tiresome crocheting all of the individual popcorn pieces, but the result is good and will last for years and years. Stores easily too and the garlands don't tangle either.
I love candles and will use some of them this year as usual. The glow is so peaceful and calm. We have a few battery operated ones for use around the kids.
Well, today is OSU football and they claim that the team can clench the Big-10 (really Big 13) with a win over Indiana today at noon. Or that's what I saw when I was looking up the game time.
Now it's off to do the bathrooms and the tub, and some other stuff too. I sold my first painting! A guy from my high school class bought one of them. We were conversing via email about one of our deceased classmates and he asked me what I'd been doing. I told him about our wonderful watercolor class and he wanted me to send him some pictures. So I did. And now he bought my "Yellow Coneflowers at Stan Hywet," painting. I told Peg that this will be known in the future as our "Stan Hywet Period." Of course, we laugh about this. We laugh about a lot of things while we are working on our art. It turned out to be the best class ever!! And I did send a picture of the coneflowers to my University of Akron continuing education art teacher who now lives in Illinois and she loved it. That was really awesome for me.
I'll find some cardboard and pack up the watercolor to send to Bay Village, and I sure hope Mike and his wife like it.
Have a wonderful weekend!!
Friday, November 21, 2014
The Graduate
In the 1967 movie, The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols, Benjamin has just graduated from a college in the northeast and is drifting. He did everything in school, being a star on the track team, working on the school newspaper, and a host of other involvements. Too many for any college student I could imagine, perhaps done that way intentionally in order to create contrast.
While Benjamin is supposed to be selecting a graduate school in order to use the prestigious scholarship he won, he doesn't seem to have a clue as to what to do next. He camps out at his parents' house, avoids meaningful conversation with adults, and worries despite the advice of some that he should just sow his wild oats for a while.
His father's partner's wife enters the picture -- the infamous Mrs. Robinson -- and Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson begin seeing each other in secret at the Taft Hotel. When the Robinsons' daughter returns from Berkeley, Benjamin is pressured by his parents to take her on a date. Despite his attempts to be rude and uncaring, he ends up having feelings for Elaine. And this sets off a firestorm in Mrs. Robinson who is normally so cool and collected.
At the end of the movie, Benjamin is able to win his Elaine, much as he won the scholarship and the accolades in college. Elaine who believes that Benjamin loves her deep in his heart is beginning to realize at the end of the movie that Ben simply wanted her because he couldn't have her.
Now that he has realized his ambition, he and Elaine sit in the back of an old bus heading down the road from Santa Barbara to nowhere. He doesn't have a job. His Alfa Romeo is out of gas somewhere on a roadway in the other direction. Elaine is wearing her wedding dress, has no luggage, and they have no money to speak of. Benjamin's quest is over; he sits calmly and in a daze.
There are plenty of people who might not go to the extremes that Benjamin did, but nonetheless they are on a race towards what they think they want -- and it becomes an obsession.
Some might even say, "Yeah, I rode on that bus." And I'm going to tell you that I DID ride on that bus. The crazy story though it sounds made-up is true. Kent State was looking for some buses and needed them in a hurry. The campus had grown in 1968 and students were complaining about the long walk from the far away dorms. KSU bought a number of rust-free buses from California -- and you guessed it -- one of them was used in filming the last scene in The Graduate. No lie.
And I rode on that bus many, many times during my senior year in college. How did I know? Because Kent put a placard on the bus where advertising was probably placed over the years that told us just that. And a number of couples chose to ride in the rear seat just for fun.
The obsession of Benjamin's kind of goes along with that old saying, "Be careful what you wish for." But on the other hand, Benjamin went far beyond wishing, and sometimes so do we.
Always we must keep in mind what we learn in the Bible, "Do all things to the glory of God." If we do that; if we stay the course; if we persevere, then we are in the race all right, but we are in the right race. We have no idea of what is going to happen to Ben and Elaine when reality continues to set in. It's one of those mysteries. Optimists might point out that the two of them had more in common than not. The pessimists might point out that Ben and Elaine don't have a future whatsoever.
"Do all things to the glory of God."
God Bless.
While Benjamin is supposed to be selecting a graduate school in order to use the prestigious scholarship he won, he doesn't seem to have a clue as to what to do next. He camps out at his parents' house, avoids meaningful conversation with adults, and worries despite the advice of some that he should just sow his wild oats for a while.
His father's partner's wife enters the picture -- the infamous Mrs. Robinson -- and Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson begin seeing each other in secret at the Taft Hotel. When the Robinsons' daughter returns from Berkeley, Benjamin is pressured by his parents to take her on a date. Despite his attempts to be rude and uncaring, he ends up having feelings for Elaine. And this sets off a firestorm in Mrs. Robinson who is normally so cool and collected.
At the end of the movie, Benjamin is able to win his Elaine, much as he won the scholarship and the accolades in college. Elaine who believes that Benjamin loves her deep in his heart is beginning to realize at the end of the movie that Ben simply wanted her because he couldn't have her.
Now that he has realized his ambition, he and Elaine sit in the back of an old bus heading down the road from Santa Barbara to nowhere. He doesn't have a job. His Alfa Romeo is out of gas somewhere on a roadway in the other direction. Elaine is wearing her wedding dress, has no luggage, and they have no money to speak of. Benjamin's quest is over; he sits calmly and in a daze.
There are plenty of people who might not go to the extremes that Benjamin did, but nonetheless they are on a race towards what they think they want -- and it becomes an obsession.
Some might even say, "Yeah, I rode on that bus." And I'm going to tell you that I DID ride on that bus. The crazy story though it sounds made-up is true. Kent State was looking for some buses and needed them in a hurry. The campus had grown in 1968 and students were complaining about the long walk from the far away dorms. KSU bought a number of rust-free buses from California -- and you guessed it -- one of them was used in filming the last scene in The Graduate. No lie.
And I rode on that bus many, many times during my senior year in college. How did I know? Because Kent put a placard on the bus where advertising was probably placed over the years that told us just that. And a number of couples chose to ride in the rear seat just for fun.
The obsession of Benjamin's kind of goes along with that old saying, "Be careful what you wish for." But on the other hand, Benjamin went far beyond wishing, and sometimes so do we.
Always we must keep in mind what we learn in the Bible, "Do all things to the glory of God." If we do that; if we stay the course; if we persevere, then we are in the race all right, but we are in the right race. We have no idea of what is going to happen to Ben and Elaine when reality continues to set in. It's one of those mysteries. Optimists might point out that the two of them had more in common than not. The pessimists might point out that Ben and Elaine don't have a future whatsoever.
"Do all things to the glory of God."
God Bless.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Rhoda Again
Suzanne Stratford of Fox 8 has done another story on the Rhoda Wise Home in Canton, Ohio. After her first series of stories more than a year ago, many more people came to the modest home off 25th Street to see what all of the buzz was about.
In her life, Rhoda Wise helped many people by her prayerful and faithful life. She was healed twice of serious health problems in the very house where she lived with her husband. She died in 1948 and 14,000 people attended her funeral.
Rhoda bore the hallmark of many saints -- the stigmata. That is, she bled from her hands and her forehead without any explanation whatsoever.
One woman who heard about the Rhoda Wise Home visited because she was having problems. The next time she saw her cardiologist, she was floored when her doctor said that her condition -- a heart valve problem -- was gone. Not a little better, but gone. Other radiologists and doctors looked at the results of her tests and all said it was a miracle because valves just don't spontaneously fix themselves.
She gives all the honor and glory to God, and knows that her visit in the Rhoda Wise Home was the catalyst for her healing. While she was there, she smelled roses to the point that it was overpowering. It was St. Theresa, the Little Flower, who promised the rose petals that fell in the house once when a little girl came for a healing and got one. And so it is the smell of roses that tell some visitors that their visit was blessed.
I believe that Rhoda Wise is a saint, and investigations by the Diocese of Youngstown may herald that acknowledgement at some point in the future.
When I visited there, there was a combination of awe because the place definitely touches hearts, and mixed emotions because the place is so ordinary, other than the altar in her bedroom and the large statues.
But when the woman who runs the home told us that there are no roses anywhere in the home, and people sometimes smell roses -- I knew that something was happening at the Rhoda Wise Home in lowly Canton. Because I smelled the overpowering scent of roses when I was there!!
Many people leave the Rhoda Wise Home without a cure, but never without hope. The woman who so patiently endured the pain and suffering of illness and the taunts of people who would not or could not believe has left her mark on this world.
God Bless You.
In her life, Rhoda Wise helped many people by her prayerful and faithful life. She was healed twice of serious health problems in the very house where she lived with her husband. She died in 1948 and 14,000 people attended her funeral.
Rhoda bore the hallmark of many saints -- the stigmata. That is, she bled from her hands and her forehead without any explanation whatsoever.
One woman who heard about the Rhoda Wise Home visited because she was having problems. The next time she saw her cardiologist, she was floored when her doctor said that her condition -- a heart valve problem -- was gone. Not a little better, but gone. Other radiologists and doctors looked at the results of her tests and all said it was a miracle because valves just don't spontaneously fix themselves.
She gives all the honor and glory to God, and knows that her visit in the Rhoda Wise Home was the catalyst for her healing. While she was there, she smelled roses to the point that it was overpowering. It was St. Theresa, the Little Flower, who promised the rose petals that fell in the house once when a little girl came for a healing and got one. And so it is the smell of roses that tell some visitors that their visit was blessed.
I believe that Rhoda Wise is a saint, and investigations by the Diocese of Youngstown may herald that acknowledgement at some point in the future.
When I visited there, there was a combination of awe because the place definitely touches hearts, and mixed emotions because the place is so ordinary, other than the altar in her bedroom and the large statues.
But when the woman who runs the home told us that there are no roses anywhere in the home, and people sometimes smell roses -- I knew that something was happening at the Rhoda Wise Home in lowly Canton. Because I smelled the overpowering scent of roses when I was there!!
Many people leave the Rhoda Wise Home without a cure, but never without hope. The woman who so patiently endured the pain and suffering of illness and the taunts of people who would not or could not believe has left her mark on this world.
God Bless You.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
The Hawk
At this time of year, what I'd like to do is be oblivious, go down the basement, and sit in front of the far doing some crochet work. Sometimes I can.
But living here, there isn't much chance of that a lot of the time. Why? Because I have to be like a hawk and watch what the weather is doing. Thankfully, down in the basement the big window doors of a French door allow me to see if it is snowing. And I glance over that way a lot. Another thing is that our cat, Fred, believes that the weather in Ohio changes even more often than it does.
He goes nuts being stuck in the house and he thinks that if he just tries the door one more time, it will be something more tolerable. He has this whine that is just the absolute worst in terms of annoying. It just grates on my nerves! So then, say, I do let him out for a bit. He'll either run up the steps and crouch pitifully by the front door or he'll run out into the yard for some distance and stand there, sizing up the situation.
Another one of our cats has assumed the job of being a look-out for Fred, and he runs his paws up and down the glass if Fred is outside and wants inside. They don't even like each other!! Go figure.
When I do see the flakes of snow starting, I become the hawk and determine just when it might be time to move the car up to the top of our hill. That way, no matter where or when I might have to leave, the car is already up there ready to go. And that spares my husband the unenviable job of bundling up and getting out the monster snow blower thing we have -- an auger-type fitted to the front of a garden tractor. The noise is unbelievable so we try not to bother the neighbors too early in the morning.
Once he gets going, it doesn't really take him all that long. Then he has to get out the seed spreader and load it with safety salt, then go up and down the hill to evenly disperse it. Using the spreader saves a lot of money! Of course, with the car up at the top of the hill, that means that it is often covered with snow when I need it. And that means a thorough sweeping and cleaning of the car before I leave.
I saw someone the other day in a tiny car and it had about a foot of snow on the hood and the roof. She had maybe half of the windshield cleaned off but not well and it looked like a snowball going down the street. It's just not safe!
So we all have our challenges, I guess, and I'm grateful for a warm house and something to eat. We are so blessed. They showed a hotel in the Buffalo area this morning and the parking lot was covered in three feet of snow. A bus was trying to get through on the roadways and finally stopped in a four foot drift, unable to go farther. The entire load of passengers had to get out and make their way to the hotel, many not wearing good snow clothes. They were freezing and exhausted when they got to the hotel, but they too were grateful for a warm place to stay and food.
Poor Buffalo. They get hammered a lot with lake effect snow. One other city around that same area got 60 inches of snow. The folks there must be hardy and they too must take on the hawk persona at this time of year -- making good decisions about when to leave the house and how far to go.
So be careful out there, and dress warmly or at least have warm stuff with you. A blanket, some water, and all of that emergency gear is an excellent idea. If you have someone on your Christmas list that travels a lot, an emergency car kit would make an excellent gift.
God Bless.
But living here, there isn't much chance of that a lot of the time. Why? Because I have to be like a hawk and watch what the weather is doing. Thankfully, down in the basement the big window doors of a French door allow me to see if it is snowing. And I glance over that way a lot. Another thing is that our cat, Fred, believes that the weather in Ohio changes even more often than it does.
He goes nuts being stuck in the house and he thinks that if he just tries the door one more time, it will be something more tolerable. He has this whine that is just the absolute worst in terms of annoying. It just grates on my nerves! So then, say, I do let him out for a bit. He'll either run up the steps and crouch pitifully by the front door or he'll run out into the yard for some distance and stand there, sizing up the situation.
Another one of our cats has assumed the job of being a look-out for Fred, and he runs his paws up and down the glass if Fred is outside and wants inside. They don't even like each other!! Go figure.
When I do see the flakes of snow starting, I become the hawk and determine just when it might be time to move the car up to the top of our hill. That way, no matter where or when I might have to leave, the car is already up there ready to go. And that spares my husband the unenviable job of bundling up and getting out the monster snow blower thing we have -- an auger-type fitted to the front of a garden tractor. The noise is unbelievable so we try not to bother the neighbors too early in the morning.
Once he gets going, it doesn't really take him all that long. Then he has to get out the seed spreader and load it with safety salt, then go up and down the hill to evenly disperse it. Using the spreader saves a lot of money! Of course, with the car up at the top of the hill, that means that it is often covered with snow when I need it. And that means a thorough sweeping and cleaning of the car before I leave.
I saw someone the other day in a tiny car and it had about a foot of snow on the hood and the roof. She had maybe half of the windshield cleaned off but not well and it looked like a snowball going down the street. It's just not safe!
So we all have our challenges, I guess, and I'm grateful for a warm house and something to eat. We are so blessed. They showed a hotel in the Buffalo area this morning and the parking lot was covered in three feet of snow. A bus was trying to get through on the roadways and finally stopped in a four foot drift, unable to go farther. The entire load of passengers had to get out and make their way to the hotel, many not wearing good snow clothes. They were freezing and exhausted when they got to the hotel, but they too were grateful for a warm place to stay and food.
Poor Buffalo. They get hammered a lot with lake effect snow. One other city around that same area got 60 inches of snow. The folks there must be hardy and they too must take on the hawk persona at this time of year -- making good decisions about when to leave the house and how far to go.
So be careful out there, and dress warmly or at least have warm stuff with you. A blanket, some water, and all of that emergency gear is an excellent idea. If you have someone on your Christmas list that travels a lot, an emergency car kit would make an excellent gift.
God Bless.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Ferguson
Boy, I'd be worried if I lived in Ferguson. The lives of the people there have certainly been changed by everything that has transpired, and soon the Grand Jury's decision will be made known.
The case shouldn't be tried in the court of public opinion, but that is what happens so often these days. We all know a lot of details about this situation, just from watching news stories. A young man and his accomplice robbed a store of tobacco products and walked out into the street. A policeman got the call on the radio about the robbery when the owner of the store notified police. An officer just coming back on duty after answering a call, saw two guys walking in the middle of the street and he stopped them.
At this point, there is some disagreement as to what happened next. Either the young thief reached into the cruiser and tried to grab the officer's gun which went off in the vehicle, and then the officer got out of the cruiser and confronted the thief -- and fearing for his life since the young man was charging him -- shot him.
OR, the young man and the officer got into some kind of entanglement, and the young thief decided to raise his arms in surrender, but the officer shot him.
Both accounts state that the young man was unarmed, but he was big and strong, a football player.
So ... the Grand Jury convenes and considers all of the evidence brought forth by the prosecution. The defense attorneys do not present their case at this time in the justice system. Based on the amount and veracity of the evidence brought forward, the Grand Jury votes by a count of at least 9-3 to either charge the officer or not to charge the officer for his role in the shooting.
Apparently, in this case since the federal system has become involved, even if the Grand Jury chooses not to indict the officer, the U.S. Attorney General plans to bring the matter to a federal Grand Jury for their review.
When the incident happened, it wasn't just locals in Ferguson who chose to riot and loot. It was outsiders too who probably used the whole thing as an excuse to get something out of one of the stores. Charged up on adrenalin, hatred, and who knows what else, a lot of people acted out and broke the law. This behavior didn't help the family of the deceased young man, and certainly didn't help the citizens of Ferguson whose town's reputation has been totally trashed.
Who would want to buy a house in Ferguson now? Or open a business? Or join the police department? Or go to school there?
We'll just have to see what happens either tomorrow or the next day ... because the decision is supposed to be coming soon.
I just pray for Ferguson and all of those who call it home. Stay home, mourn, pray, deal with what happened in some meaningful way. Let the system work.
There just isn't room for taking the law into one's own hands.
Take care, readers. Talk to you tomorrow then.
The case shouldn't be tried in the court of public opinion, but that is what happens so often these days. We all know a lot of details about this situation, just from watching news stories. A young man and his accomplice robbed a store of tobacco products and walked out into the street. A policeman got the call on the radio about the robbery when the owner of the store notified police. An officer just coming back on duty after answering a call, saw two guys walking in the middle of the street and he stopped them.
At this point, there is some disagreement as to what happened next. Either the young thief reached into the cruiser and tried to grab the officer's gun which went off in the vehicle, and then the officer got out of the cruiser and confronted the thief -- and fearing for his life since the young man was charging him -- shot him.
OR, the young man and the officer got into some kind of entanglement, and the young thief decided to raise his arms in surrender, but the officer shot him.
Both accounts state that the young man was unarmed, but he was big and strong, a football player.
So ... the Grand Jury convenes and considers all of the evidence brought forth by the prosecution. The defense attorneys do not present their case at this time in the justice system. Based on the amount and veracity of the evidence brought forward, the Grand Jury votes by a count of at least 9-3 to either charge the officer or not to charge the officer for his role in the shooting.
Apparently, in this case since the federal system has become involved, even if the Grand Jury chooses not to indict the officer, the U.S. Attorney General plans to bring the matter to a federal Grand Jury for their review.
When the incident happened, it wasn't just locals in Ferguson who chose to riot and loot. It was outsiders too who probably used the whole thing as an excuse to get something out of one of the stores. Charged up on adrenalin, hatred, and who knows what else, a lot of people acted out and broke the law. This behavior didn't help the family of the deceased young man, and certainly didn't help the citizens of Ferguson whose town's reputation has been totally trashed.
Who would want to buy a house in Ferguson now? Or open a business? Or join the police department? Or go to school there?
We'll just have to see what happens either tomorrow or the next day ... because the decision is supposed to be coming soon.
I just pray for Ferguson and all of those who call it home. Stay home, mourn, pray, deal with what happened in some meaningful way. Let the system work.
There just isn't room for taking the law into one's own hands.
Take care, readers. Talk to you tomorrow then.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Animals
My granddaughter got to meet a German Shepherd puppy yesterday when she got out of school. He was on a leash held by the father of one of her classmates. The puppy was so pleased to be at school. He showed it by every move he made and by the cock of his head, the sharpness of his eyes and his ears which stood at attention.
He was adorable.
He kept stopping along the sidewalk to look at me. I don't know why he thought I was interesting, but we had a moment. I liked the dog. It happens once in a while that I feel a connection to one of our beautiful living creatures. Then when my granddaughter came out of school, she made a bee line towards the dog to pet its head. The dog was absolutely happy at being surrounded by a bunch of kids, a good sign as to what kind of animal he's going to be.
When we got in the car, my granddaughter was telling me that the dog was one of God's living creatures.
And then she said, "God must loves dogs a lot, because D-O-G is G-O-D backwards."
When you go to someone's house who has a pet, and the pet has obviously become a special member of the family, you can tell. The family knows the pet, every nuance of its personality, its likes and dislikes, fears. The family is respectful of the pet's fears, and helps the pet in a variety of different ways. The family speaks to the pet in a loving manner with nicknames and gestures.
The family has stories to tell about the pet, usually very funny ones!!
Getting to know a pet helps children learn how to know other people. When you pay attention to your pet and spend time noticing little things, it carries over into the rest of life, does it not?
Sometimes when I'm cleaning the house and encounter some cat fur, my feelings are not quite so generous, but then I think -- what would our lives be like without the cats?
Not nearly as interesting or as full, I suspect. And they are a good way for the rest of the family to get to know each other -- through meeting the cats, laughing at the cats, etc.
I'm always amazed when they show the cats and dogs on TV that are looking for a good home. The price is usually $40, but there was one event this weekend for only $10 for a cat. There isn't another choice you could make that brings as much joy and humor into a household as a pet. And I know that it's not for everyone, and I respect and understand that. Some days it's not so much for me either, but we shoulder on and better days come.
So today we go to Cleveland to get a rescued kitten and take it to its new "forever" home.
Wonderful!!! I'm excited.
He was adorable.
He kept stopping along the sidewalk to look at me. I don't know why he thought I was interesting, but we had a moment. I liked the dog. It happens once in a while that I feel a connection to one of our beautiful living creatures. Then when my granddaughter came out of school, she made a bee line towards the dog to pet its head. The dog was absolutely happy at being surrounded by a bunch of kids, a good sign as to what kind of animal he's going to be.
When we got in the car, my granddaughter was telling me that the dog was one of God's living creatures.
And then she said, "God must loves dogs a lot, because D-O-G is G-O-D backwards."
When you go to someone's house who has a pet, and the pet has obviously become a special member of the family, you can tell. The family knows the pet, every nuance of its personality, its likes and dislikes, fears. The family is respectful of the pet's fears, and helps the pet in a variety of different ways. The family speaks to the pet in a loving manner with nicknames and gestures.
The family has stories to tell about the pet, usually very funny ones!!
Getting to know a pet helps children learn how to know other people. When you pay attention to your pet and spend time noticing little things, it carries over into the rest of life, does it not?
Sometimes when I'm cleaning the house and encounter some cat fur, my feelings are not quite so generous, but then I think -- what would our lives be like without the cats?
Not nearly as interesting or as full, I suspect. And they are a good way for the rest of the family to get to know each other -- through meeting the cats, laughing at the cats, etc.
I'm always amazed when they show the cats and dogs on TV that are looking for a good home. The price is usually $40, but there was one event this weekend for only $10 for a cat. There isn't another choice you could make that brings as much joy and humor into a household as a pet. And I know that it's not for everyone, and I respect and understand that. Some days it's not so much for me either, but we shoulder on and better days come.
So today we go to Cleveland to get a rescued kitten and take it to its new "forever" home.
Wonderful!!! I'm excited.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Rescuer
My niece is a rescuer. She has been doing it for years. Their neighborhood, for some reason, was home for a number of feral cats and the cats returned to her backyard area to have their babies.
My niece always seems to know that there are kittens and where to find them. She waits for about three weeks and then takes the kittens away from the feral mother and introduces them into a comfortable room in her house. She feeds them bottled formula from the vet's office, lavishes affection on them, carries them around the house, and plays games with them. In time, they follow her all over the place and they play games like fetch.
This particular little group of four, two boys and two girls, are just beautiful, she says. They have long fur and beautiful eyes. She notes that the long-haired cats don't shed as much and when they do, the fur is fine and doesn't tend to stick. She said that they are amazingly soft and their fur doesn't mat. She saw the father hanging around and she says that he is a beautiful cat as well.
Friends and acquaintances who have adopted these kittens say that they grow into amazing adults, playful and very attached to their owners. They are very intelligent.
My niece has an arrangement with a reputable pet shop in her area, and they really love getting the kittens that she has raised. She doesn't charge them a bit, and she also sees that all of the kittens that she raises see the vet and get their first shots.
She has them eat different foods as they transition to solids, so that they aren't picky eaters and will go for most all cat foods.
I've seen her with kittens before. They just gravitate towards her and love spending time with her. Her husband is in on this task too, and he spends as much time with the kittens as she does. This makes it good for dads in the family where they go -- because sometimes the lower voices scares kittens.
She has caught many female feral cats and had them spayed, but this particular mother she hasn't been able to get a hold of.
We have four cats already. I know we don't need another one, but it is tempting, believe me!!
The other night my husband had Sassy on his lap and I had Gracie. Then a little while later, Gracie left because she can only take so much body heat, and Fred came along. So of our four cats, we have four that love to spend time close by or in the lap. Nice! It's great on a snowy evening when it's cold outside and we are just relaxing. Happy cats, happy family!!
My niece always seems to know that there are kittens and where to find them. She waits for about three weeks and then takes the kittens away from the feral mother and introduces them into a comfortable room in her house. She feeds them bottled formula from the vet's office, lavishes affection on them, carries them around the house, and plays games with them. In time, they follow her all over the place and they play games like fetch.
This particular little group of four, two boys and two girls, are just beautiful, she says. They have long fur and beautiful eyes. She notes that the long-haired cats don't shed as much and when they do, the fur is fine and doesn't tend to stick. She said that they are amazingly soft and their fur doesn't mat. She saw the father hanging around and she says that he is a beautiful cat as well.
Friends and acquaintances who have adopted these kittens say that they grow into amazing adults, playful and very attached to their owners. They are very intelligent.
My niece has an arrangement with a reputable pet shop in her area, and they really love getting the kittens that she has raised. She doesn't charge them a bit, and she also sees that all of the kittens that she raises see the vet and get their first shots.
She has them eat different foods as they transition to solids, so that they aren't picky eaters and will go for most all cat foods.
I've seen her with kittens before. They just gravitate towards her and love spending time with her. Her husband is in on this task too, and he spends as much time with the kittens as she does. This makes it good for dads in the family where they go -- because sometimes the lower voices scares kittens.
She has caught many female feral cats and had them spayed, but this particular mother she hasn't been able to get a hold of.
We have four cats already. I know we don't need another one, but it is tempting, believe me!!
The other night my husband had Sassy on his lap and I had Gracie. Then a little while later, Gracie left because she can only take so much body heat, and Fred came along. So of our four cats, we have four that love to spend time close by or in the lap. Nice! It's great on a snowy evening when it's cold outside and we are just relaxing. Happy cats, happy family!!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
No Explanation
Yesterday, the Lions were screening eyes at one of the schools. A child's outcome was extremely poor, at a level that would make it very difficult to perform well in school not to mention being a safety hazard.
The school nurse remembered that the child should have had glasses and asked about it. The child affirmed that he has glasses. The nurse asked him where the glasses were -- and he said that they were at home and his parents told him he doesn't need them!!
This has happened before. It isn't a common occurrence but it has happened often enough. Why would someone do this to their child? Because they are in denial that the child needs help? What? I'd like to understand what goes through people's minds on something like this. Meanwhile, the poor kid is at school not being able to see distances, probably missing a great deal of what is being shown to him by the teacher.
A lot of times the situation seems to be that the parents have trouble getting through life themselves. Their denials also extend to their own performance, their own perceptions of themselves, their own failures. So why drag an innocent kid through their own mire?
The school nurse was obviously upset by this, and the parents will be getting a call from the school. But the school nurse has no real clout. She can't do much more than make repeated calls, and they often do this. There is little recourse.
My husband feels that when children are not being cared for properly at home, not sent to school with the tools they need for success, and not being adequately understood by their parents -- it is enough of a red flag that child protective services should be brought in. Probably the only thing that would scare these parents into doing the right thing is if someone got extremely tough with them.
No one wants a kid to have to wear glasses. My grandson just got them a few weeks ago and I feel bad that he has to wear glasses, but on the other hand he notices how much better he can see with them. At first he was just wearing them at school but now he carries them back and forth in his book bag because he wants to be able to wear them at home while riding his bike or doing other activities. In time, maybe he'll get a pair of sports type glasses that can take a little more of a beating. So far, he has been kind to the glasses and they are holding up pretty well.
His mother wears glasses and so she figured that maybe one of the children would end up needing them. That's why they were already getting yearly eye exams besides the screening being done at school.
That's what parents are supposed to do -- care for their children and deal with what comes along -- not bury their heads in the sand and tell the children obvious lies. When the child took the exam and knew he did badly -- how could he not -- then he has already gotten a taste of the fact that he can't trust his parents to do right by him. That will translate into a whole host of other problems that will dog him throughout life. Not fair, is it?
I'm with my husband. A warning sign of abuse whether physical, emotional or by means of neglect is not seeing that a child has the tools needed for success at school. If not heeded, the warnings are there for yet another generation sent out into the world damaged and failing.
Makes me angry!!
Let's say a prayer today for all of the children who have this situation at home. May God's love permeate the lack of care and attention at home and show this child through someone in their lives that God loves them dearly and cares about them dearly. And may God awaken their parents to the role that they must play in their children's lives!!
Amen.
The school nurse remembered that the child should have had glasses and asked about it. The child affirmed that he has glasses. The nurse asked him where the glasses were -- and he said that they were at home and his parents told him he doesn't need them!!
This has happened before. It isn't a common occurrence but it has happened often enough. Why would someone do this to their child? Because they are in denial that the child needs help? What? I'd like to understand what goes through people's minds on something like this. Meanwhile, the poor kid is at school not being able to see distances, probably missing a great deal of what is being shown to him by the teacher.
A lot of times the situation seems to be that the parents have trouble getting through life themselves. Their denials also extend to their own performance, their own perceptions of themselves, their own failures. So why drag an innocent kid through their own mire?
The school nurse was obviously upset by this, and the parents will be getting a call from the school. But the school nurse has no real clout. She can't do much more than make repeated calls, and they often do this. There is little recourse.
My husband feels that when children are not being cared for properly at home, not sent to school with the tools they need for success, and not being adequately understood by their parents -- it is enough of a red flag that child protective services should be brought in. Probably the only thing that would scare these parents into doing the right thing is if someone got extremely tough with them.
No one wants a kid to have to wear glasses. My grandson just got them a few weeks ago and I feel bad that he has to wear glasses, but on the other hand he notices how much better he can see with them. At first he was just wearing them at school but now he carries them back and forth in his book bag because he wants to be able to wear them at home while riding his bike or doing other activities. In time, maybe he'll get a pair of sports type glasses that can take a little more of a beating. So far, he has been kind to the glasses and they are holding up pretty well.
His mother wears glasses and so she figured that maybe one of the children would end up needing them. That's why they were already getting yearly eye exams besides the screening being done at school.
That's what parents are supposed to do -- care for their children and deal with what comes along -- not bury their heads in the sand and tell the children obvious lies. When the child took the exam and knew he did badly -- how could he not -- then he has already gotten a taste of the fact that he can't trust his parents to do right by him. That will translate into a whole host of other problems that will dog him throughout life. Not fair, is it?
I'm with my husband. A warning sign of abuse whether physical, emotional or by means of neglect is not seeing that a child has the tools needed for success at school. If not heeded, the warnings are there for yet another generation sent out into the world damaged and failing.
Makes me angry!!
Let's say a prayer today for all of the children who have this situation at home. May God's love permeate the lack of care and attention at home and show this child through someone in their lives that God loves them dearly and cares about them dearly. And may God awaken their parents to the role that they must play in their children's lives!!
Amen.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Bones Tell Stories
There is an article on the fox.com website this morning about two infant skeletons found in Alaska. The bones were well preserved and the infants were buried with darts, another weapon, and salmon. They are native American bones, but they will do further DNA testing on the bones to verify all of that.
There was care taken in the burying of these children. One of them was stillborn, the other died at around three months, and they were both buried in the summer.
So isn't it absolutely amazing what stories the bones can tell? I think it is fascinating.
How would they know, for example, that the child was stillborn? It might have something to do with the skull but I am only guessing.
The scientists are particularly excited about this find because these are the oldest remains they have found of infants. They were buried more than 11,000 years ago.
-----
On another subject, when I was a kid we celebrated Armistice Day. That was changed to Veterans Day to honor all vets, not just those who fought in the WWI. I thought that there were a lot of really good programs on yesterday to honor our vets, and news shows mentioned them. There seems to be much more of a sense of appreciation for our vets than ever before, or at least possibly since WWII. That would be my take on it anyhow. And that is a good thing.
A guy from the American Legion was on radio on Monday talking about the role they play in aiding our servicemen. The vets of the American Legion make it their business to find the families of men currently serving and make sure that they are doing all right.
One troubling statistic, however, is that there is a growing number of homeless among American women who served their country. Is this another example of untreated PTSD or what? I didn't get a very good explanation.
So today promises to be a good one -- a nice, brisk walk this morning with a friend. Then get something done around here. I have a jeans dress that I bought and really like but it is just that much too long. I have to find a way to hem it without destroying the thing. And I've spent some time trying to figure out what I'm going to do, but there is no good answer. I'll give it a try today and see what happens. I know what I SHOULD do and that would be to take it over to Karen's Sewing in Canal Fulton and have her do something, but with the holidays coming and everything, I just don't want to spend the money. I'll update you on this exciting project ... excuse the lack of enthusiasm in my typewriter voice.
So take care, all of the blog friends!! Stay warm.
There was care taken in the burying of these children. One of them was stillborn, the other died at around three months, and they were both buried in the summer.
So isn't it absolutely amazing what stories the bones can tell? I think it is fascinating.
How would they know, for example, that the child was stillborn? It might have something to do with the skull but I am only guessing.
The scientists are particularly excited about this find because these are the oldest remains they have found of infants. They were buried more than 11,000 years ago.
-----
On another subject, when I was a kid we celebrated Armistice Day. That was changed to Veterans Day to honor all vets, not just those who fought in the WWI. I thought that there were a lot of really good programs on yesterday to honor our vets, and news shows mentioned them. There seems to be much more of a sense of appreciation for our vets than ever before, or at least possibly since WWII. That would be my take on it anyhow. And that is a good thing.
A guy from the American Legion was on radio on Monday talking about the role they play in aiding our servicemen. The vets of the American Legion make it their business to find the families of men currently serving and make sure that they are doing all right.
One troubling statistic, however, is that there is a growing number of homeless among American women who served their country. Is this another example of untreated PTSD or what? I didn't get a very good explanation.
So today promises to be a good one -- a nice, brisk walk this morning with a friend. Then get something done around here. I have a jeans dress that I bought and really like but it is just that much too long. I have to find a way to hem it without destroying the thing. And I've spent some time trying to figure out what I'm going to do, but there is no good answer. I'll give it a try today and see what happens. I know what I SHOULD do and that would be to take it over to Karen's Sewing in Canal Fulton and have her do something, but with the holidays coming and everything, I just don't want to spend the money. I'll update you on this exciting project ... excuse the lack of enthusiasm in my typewriter voice.
So take care, all of the blog friends!! Stay warm.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Stan Hywet
In September on a day warm enough to make us sweat, my friend and I went to Stan Hywet. I told you about it before, but the dividends of that trip keep paying off. It's like the trip that keeps on giving.
We took photographs -- maybe 37 of them in my case. They were thoughtfully taken, not helter-skelter but with some sense of balance and color. Peg took one of the steps leading down into the English Garden. Then at my class for class she sketched the scene with a lot of care and attention to detail.
Then she masked in some areas that she wanted to keep white. This is done with masking fluid that goes over the watercolor paper and seals it. It's removable at a later time when the artist is ready.
After that she started on the stairs and then the walls, weaving in purples and greens for shadows and moss. The final area was in a corner where a large plant dominated the scene. She recreated the leaves of the plant perfectly!! When you look at the picture, it takes you right back to the English Garden, but no one would mistake it for a photograph.
Some realists achieve something akin to that -- a photograph. While it is technically amazing, there is something missing when we don't get a hint of the artist's eye in the work. Peg's has all of that in spades! It is a real achievement for her in the painting that we do on Thursdays. You might say that she has graduated!!
I was kidding the other day when I commented, "We are sure pleased with the teacher that we hired." Of course, there is no teacher -- it's just us. But boy, have we learned. Trial and error sometimes, videos on the Internet, books, magazines. It is all starting to make so much more sense.
With acrylics, for example, you move from the dark background to the lighter in the foreground. With watercolors it is just the opposite. Light in the background and then successive washes and details in the darker colors.
The painting I chose from Stan Hywet is Birch Allee. It is a wonderful scene in fall of the birch trees leaning over the pathway, still mostly green but with dropped yellow leaves built up on the sides of the concrete path. The birch trunks are very visible among the chaos of the leaves, lights, darks, and shadows. It's early in the process, but so far I'm liking it a lot.
We have two more classes left before we take a holiday break. Both of us have the usual holiday preparations to make, including cookies and shopping, wrapping and cooking. The art work would suffer for the lack of concentration. We'll start again in January and we can figure out how we will do this to work around the weather and my driveway.
What a wonderful plus the classes have turned out to be! I have had a great time learning and experimenting as an artist and finally feel some confidence that I can pull something off decently well.
Here is something really strange -- it wasn't until several years ago that I found out my mother used to paint. I think she did watercolors too! Isn't that crazy? She had done a couple of landscapes and had them framed for our living room, and how I wish we still had them. For some reason, she didn't continue on with her hobby. Maybe she was a little like me -- she tried violin, did the watercolors, landscaping, then wood burning, and then she painted on wine bottles. I could concoct a list something like that, but now I think maybe art will always be a part of my life, as long as I'm around.
God Bless all of you today. Enjoy the weather. Say a prayer for our veterans.
Karen
We took photographs -- maybe 37 of them in my case. They were thoughtfully taken, not helter-skelter but with some sense of balance and color. Peg took one of the steps leading down into the English Garden. Then at my class for class she sketched the scene with a lot of care and attention to detail.
Then she masked in some areas that she wanted to keep white. This is done with masking fluid that goes over the watercolor paper and seals it. It's removable at a later time when the artist is ready.
After that she started on the stairs and then the walls, weaving in purples and greens for shadows and moss. The final area was in a corner where a large plant dominated the scene. She recreated the leaves of the plant perfectly!! When you look at the picture, it takes you right back to the English Garden, but no one would mistake it for a photograph.
Some realists achieve something akin to that -- a photograph. While it is technically amazing, there is something missing when we don't get a hint of the artist's eye in the work. Peg's has all of that in spades! It is a real achievement for her in the painting that we do on Thursdays. You might say that she has graduated!!
I was kidding the other day when I commented, "We are sure pleased with the teacher that we hired." Of course, there is no teacher -- it's just us. But boy, have we learned. Trial and error sometimes, videos on the Internet, books, magazines. It is all starting to make so much more sense.
With acrylics, for example, you move from the dark background to the lighter in the foreground. With watercolors it is just the opposite. Light in the background and then successive washes and details in the darker colors.
The painting I chose from Stan Hywet is Birch Allee. It is a wonderful scene in fall of the birch trees leaning over the pathway, still mostly green but with dropped yellow leaves built up on the sides of the concrete path. The birch trunks are very visible among the chaos of the leaves, lights, darks, and shadows. It's early in the process, but so far I'm liking it a lot.
We have two more classes left before we take a holiday break. Both of us have the usual holiday preparations to make, including cookies and shopping, wrapping and cooking. The art work would suffer for the lack of concentration. We'll start again in January and we can figure out how we will do this to work around the weather and my driveway.
What a wonderful plus the classes have turned out to be! I have had a great time learning and experimenting as an artist and finally feel some confidence that I can pull something off decently well.
Here is something really strange -- it wasn't until several years ago that I found out my mother used to paint. I think she did watercolors too! Isn't that crazy? She had done a couple of landscapes and had them framed for our living room, and how I wish we still had them. For some reason, she didn't continue on with her hobby. Maybe she was a little like me -- she tried violin, did the watercolors, landscaping, then wood burning, and then she painted on wine bottles. I could concoct a list something like that, but now I think maybe art will always be a part of my life, as long as I'm around.
God Bless all of you today. Enjoy the weather. Say a prayer for our veterans.
Karen
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Absentminded
Walked out and left my street shoes at Curves. That's really not so bad, is it? Hitched a ride into town to get them with the old man who lives at this address and drives a white truck. His hair kind of matches the truck, come to think about it.
A few snippets from a household that has cats. When your cat is a little "under the weather," and of course, we know already that cats have staff, it's amazing what you will do to comfort the furry little creatures.
My cat, Sassy, is Siamese, an apple-headed Siamese. What does that mean? She does not have the skinny body, skinny elongated face, etc. She has a full face and a nicely rotund body, honed from years of relaxing and lack of exercise. Her choice. She gets some when the grandchildren come over and she gets caught in the basement! Oh, my yes. Never saw a cat move up a set of stairs like Sassy does when kids come over here.
Well, I figured that Sassy needed to eat. It's important. Cats are one creature that without eating for a few days can actually DIE. They just quit eating permanently. She's been down this "I'm sick and not eating" road before and needed shots to get her going again. This particular day she was doing one of her usual things -- she climbs under the Matelassé coverlet on our bed and gets herself as cozy as a cat can get. Her head is pointed towards the point of exit. Or I was hoping it was her head.
So I picked out a select grouping of her favorite cat treats and delivered them to her -- oui la -- a cat's breakfast in bed.
She made a little noise to let me know she was still alive and then beneath the covers, I could hear it for sure! The sound of crunching. Yep, she was definitely dining on the treats. Once I knew she was eating, I knew that she was on the mend from her sneezers that she had the other day. You've got to give me some credit -- didn't I train well?
So she now has her shots current, and her sneezers are gone and her eye is better. Fred got his shots and his eye is better. He's very concerned about an interloper on the property -- a dark tabby cat that is certainly male and certainly a predator. Fred came to an arrangement with him over the spring/summer that he could have the backyard and Fred can have the front. That agreement was reached after a couple of fights. I HATE cat fights.
But the interloper doesn't respect the terms of the agreement and keeps encroaching. Fred is aware of this and is hyper-vigilant these days, especially since Blackie isn't around. He's been looking for her, but as I mentioned, she was buried last weekend.
The interloper is really afraid of people -- he runs even if all I do is open the sliding glass doors in the backyard. So this might be good because I don't really want any more fighting around here.
Why don't we just keep Fred indoors? Oh, yes, in theory it sounds good. We did try. It was a terrible experiment and didn't work out well at all. Fred's temperament hit an all-time low and he was taking out his frustrations on everyone. It was most unpleasant. So the logical thing was to allow Fred to be the cat he came as -- an indoor-outdoor cat. That costs at least $20 a month for flea treatments, but he is in a much better mood.
Well, have a good Saturday. The last of the leaves are being removed as I speak. The "old guy" doesn't do too bad and I kind of like him.
Take care, friends.
A few snippets from a household that has cats. When your cat is a little "under the weather," and of course, we know already that cats have staff, it's amazing what you will do to comfort the furry little creatures.
My cat, Sassy, is Siamese, an apple-headed Siamese. What does that mean? She does not have the skinny body, skinny elongated face, etc. She has a full face and a nicely rotund body, honed from years of relaxing and lack of exercise. Her choice. She gets some when the grandchildren come over and she gets caught in the basement! Oh, my yes. Never saw a cat move up a set of stairs like Sassy does when kids come over here.
Well, I figured that Sassy needed to eat. It's important. Cats are one creature that without eating for a few days can actually DIE. They just quit eating permanently. She's been down this "I'm sick and not eating" road before and needed shots to get her going again. This particular day she was doing one of her usual things -- she climbs under the Matelassé coverlet on our bed and gets herself as cozy as a cat can get. Her head is pointed towards the point of exit. Or I was hoping it was her head.
So I picked out a select grouping of her favorite cat treats and delivered them to her -- oui la -- a cat's breakfast in bed.
She made a little noise to let me know she was still alive and then beneath the covers, I could hear it for sure! The sound of crunching. Yep, she was definitely dining on the treats. Once I knew she was eating, I knew that she was on the mend from her sneezers that she had the other day. You've got to give me some credit -- didn't I train well?
So she now has her shots current, and her sneezers are gone and her eye is better. Fred got his shots and his eye is better. He's very concerned about an interloper on the property -- a dark tabby cat that is certainly male and certainly a predator. Fred came to an arrangement with him over the spring/summer that he could have the backyard and Fred can have the front. That agreement was reached after a couple of fights. I HATE cat fights.
But the interloper doesn't respect the terms of the agreement and keeps encroaching. Fred is aware of this and is hyper-vigilant these days, especially since Blackie isn't around. He's been looking for her, but as I mentioned, she was buried last weekend.
The interloper is really afraid of people -- he runs even if all I do is open the sliding glass doors in the backyard. So this might be good because I don't really want any more fighting around here.
Why don't we just keep Fred indoors? Oh, yes, in theory it sounds good. We did try. It was a terrible experiment and didn't work out well at all. Fred's temperament hit an all-time low and he was taking out his frustrations on everyone. It was most unpleasant. So the logical thing was to allow Fred to be the cat he came as -- an indoor-outdoor cat. That costs at least $20 a month for flea treatments, but he is in a much better mood.
Well, have a good Saturday. The last of the leaves are being removed as I speak. The "old guy" doesn't do too bad and I kind of like him.
Take care, friends.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Ben Carson
Have you ever heard of Ben Carson? He is definitely a person who is worth getting to know something about. There is going to be an ABC special paid broadcast of a new documentary -- Ben Carson: A Breath of Fresh Air.
Ben grew up in a city environment where a lot of the kids in his neighborhood were getting into troubles of all sorts. Ben's mother wanted more for her two sons and so she set down some rules. Only one hour of TV per day. And after school, homework, reading, or going to the library. The boys thrived in the library and both excelled in school.
You may know Ben Carson as the brilliant surgeon who became Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the famous Johns Hopkins. One of his specific skills was in separating Siamese twins.
A movie was made about the life of Ben Carson and my husband and I were lucky enough to come across it one night on TV. At one critical juncture in Carson's when his temper flared up against a kid on the streets, he chose to try and stab him. One might say that God intervened that day because the boy's belt buckle prevented the knife blade from puncturing the skin and preserved Carson's spotless record. It was a lesson that he never forgot.
Carson is affable, interesting, and very conservative. He also has that rare quality that everyone admires -- common sense. He also has a sense of humor and he NEVER loses his cool.
He does not want to run for president, but as he stated recently, there are those who are "clamoring" for him to do so. And he just might decide to enter into the 2016 race as a Republican candidate for President of the United States.
Currently, Carson is working towards modifying and rectifying all of the errors that were made in creating the Affordable Care Act. He has a political action committee that was formed for that purpose. When you hear him talk about what could have been in this program and how it can be bettered, it gives a person hope that we can turn all of this mess around.
If we happen to be one of the 22 states where the documentary is being aired (we can't seem to find specific information right now), you should check it out. This guy is the real deal.
Well, that's about it for today. Got my license plates. GIU3717. So using one of my favorite tools for remembering things -- mnemonics -- I have come up with something that is a sure-fired way of spitting out my license #. "Girl in underwear." My husband is such a guy -- he says he will remember it too!
Wrote to Toyota about the RAV4, not that it will do the least bit of good, but it made me feel better. So lately I've been on a careful crusade to see if I can spot any other 2004 RAV4s out there. So far in the past week or so, I have seen exactly ONE. So my mechanic's suspicion that this was a fairly universal engineering flaw is holding water. I used to see them all the time.
The sad thing is that for you or me, there is no way that we can know something like this going into a purchase. Absolutely no way. It's like a spin of the wheel of fortune.
I've been working on a project that is begging for my attention. It involves an Irish angel. So wait until you hear this -- I went to my holy hour at the chapel last Friday and I walked over to the bookcase to get a book. Lying on top was a white/blue book, very inconsequential looking. I didn't think it would amount to much but I opened it up and glanced at the page.
It was about an Irish woman who from an early age saw angels. No kidding. I know now that I've got to finish this project and take it much more seriously. God wants me to write this!
We only have so many chances to bring hope to the world through our own actions, using our own talents or whatever we happen to have. Use yours!!
Ben grew up in a city environment where a lot of the kids in his neighborhood were getting into troubles of all sorts. Ben's mother wanted more for her two sons and so she set down some rules. Only one hour of TV per day. And after school, homework, reading, or going to the library. The boys thrived in the library and both excelled in school.
You may know Ben Carson as the brilliant surgeon who became Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the famous Johns Hopkins. One of his specific skills was in separating Siamese twins.
A movie was made about the life of Ben Carson and my husband and I were lucky enough to come across it one night on TV. At one critical juncture in Carson's when his temper flared up against a kid on the streets, he chose to try and stab him. One might say that God intervened that day because the boy's belt buckle prevented the knife blade from puncturing the skin and preserved Carson's spotless record. It was a lesson that he never forgot.
Carson is affable, interesting, and very conservative. He also has that rare quality that everyone admires -- common sense. He also has a sense of humor and he NEVER loses his cool.
He does not want to run for president, but as he stated recently, there are those who are "clamoring" for him to do so. And he just might decide to enter into the 2016 race as a Republican candidate for President of the United States.
Currently, Carson is working towards modifying and rectifying all of the errors that were made in creating the Affordable Care Act. He has a political action committee that was formed for that purpose. When you hear him talk about what could have been in this program and how it can be bettered, it gives a person hope that we can turn all of this mess around.
If we happen to be one of the 22 states where the documentary is being aired (we can't seem to find specific information right now), you should check it out. This guy is the real deal.
Well, that's about it for today. Got my license plates. GIU3717. So using one of my favorite tools for remembering things -- mnemonics -- I have come up with something that is a sure-fired way of spitting out my license #. "Girl in underwear." My husband is such a guy -- he says he will remember it too!
Wrote to Toyota about the RAV4, not that it will do the least bit of good, but it made me feel better. So lately I've been on a careful crusade to see if I can spot any other 2004 RAV4s out there. So far in the past week or so, I have seen exactly ONE. So my mechanic's suspicion that this was a fairly universal engineering flaw is holding water. I used to see them all the time.
The sad thing is that for you or me, there is no way that we can know something like this going into a purchase. Absolutely no way. It's like a spin of the wheel of fortune.
I've been working on a project that is begging for my attention. It involves an Irish angel. So wait until you hear this -- I went to my holy hour at the chapel last Friday and I walked over to the bookcase to get a book. Lying on top was a white/blue book, very inconsequential looking. I didn't think it would amount to much but I opened it up and glanced at the page.
It was about an Irish woman who from an early age saw angels. No kidding. I know now that I've got to finish this project and take it much more seriously. God wants me to write this!
We only have so many chances to bring hope to the world through our own actions, using our own talents or whatever we happen to have. Use yours!!
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Dreary
It's a gray, dreary day so far. The leaves are all down, some still in the backyard but my husband got most of them in front. I can look through the woods and see the edge of the neighbor's pond again. The colors went from verdant green in summer, to the reds/yellows/oranges of fall and now we are in the between time.
That is, between fall and Christmas time when we bring green back and pair it with maroon or red. We must just love color; it is inherent in us. Every holiday has a color associated with it. In March when we long for the spring, we have the shamrock green of St. Patrick's Day. In the throws of winter, we have Valentine's Day and enjoy the brightness of red. And then just before we really feel the warmth of the sun again, we enjoy the pastels of Easter.
Colors mean a lot. The experts say not to paint a room with too much yellow -- it' makes a person uneasy and a bit agitated. And they warn against too much yellow in a restaurant; you want people to feel calm and rested.
Pink is soothing and quieting, which is why that color is used in places that require all the help they can get -- for example, prisons or jails.
Red is rich and warm but too much and it is also uncomfortable.
When we went through the green and gold era in the 1970s, it just seemed like the world couldn't get enough of it and then all of the sudden we came to our senses -- but not in time to prevent the green and gold appliances unfortunately.
What we don't necessarily have to put on the walls, we can add with pillows. It is used over and over again in decorating -- a neutral pallet with splashes of color in the artwork, pillows, rugs, and lamps.
What color is your world? Sometimes a splash of color in a room you use a lot is a great way to get perked up. Scent is another one. Personally, I love natural fragrances like pumpkin, apple, vanilla. And then there is music -- again, it has an effect on us in a variety of ways. The producers of Hollywood movies have been doing that to us for a long time. Remember the movie, Dr. Zhivago? That movie was as much the music as it was the unbelievable scenery. The sound track sold very, very well.
So when things get a little dull in your life, spice it up with color, scent, and sound and have it at the ready!!
Well, here's a tip from a lady who doesn't like to clean sometimes. When her house is starting to look really cluttered and it needs a good going-over, she turns on an episode of "Hoarders" and boy, does she get a jolt of energy. She said after watching just one episode, she can go for hours!!
Well, I am off to Curves this morning and then we have our makeshift art class this afternoon. I get to enjoy again the colors of the seasons anytime I want in the art. I think today I'll work on a watercolor of Birch Allee, from a photograph I stood at Stan Hywet in September. Hope it turns out decent.
Take care, and keep praying!!
That is, between fall and Christmas time when we bring green back and pair it with maroon or red. We must just love color; it is inherent in us. Every holiday has a color associated with it. In March when we long for the spring, we have the shamrock green of St. Patrick's Day. In the throws of winter, we have Valentine's Day and enjoy the brightness of red. And then just before we really feel the warmth of the sun again, we enjoy the pastels of Easter.
Colors mean a lot. The experts say not to paint a room with too much yellow -- it' makes a person uneasy and a bit agitated. And they warn against too much yellow in a restaurant; you want people to feel calm and rested.
Pink is soothing and quieting, which is why that color is used in places that require all the help they can get -- for example, prisons or jails.
Red is rich and warm but too much and it is also uncomfortable.
When we went through the green and gold era in the 1970s, it just seemed like the world couldn't get enough of it and then all of the sudden we came to our senses -- but not in time to prevent the green and gold appliances unfortunately.
What we don't necessarily have to put on the walls, we can add with pillows. It is used over and over again in decorating -- a neutral pallet with splashes of color in the artwork, pillows, rugs, and lamps.
What color is your world? Sometimes a splash of color in a room you use a lot is a great way to get perked up. Scent is another one. Personally, I love natural fragrances like pumpkin, apple, vanilla. And then there is music -- again, it has an effect on us in a variety of ways. The producers of Hollywood movies have been doing that to us for a long time. Remember the movie, Dr. Zhivago? That movie was as much the music as it was the unbelievable scenery. The sound track sold very, very well.
So when things get a little dull in your life, spice it up with color, scent, and sound and have it at the ready!!
Well, here's a tip from a lady who doesn't like to clean sometimes. When her house is starting to look really cluttered and it needs a good going-over, she turns on an episode of "Hoarders" and boy, does she get a jolt of energy. She said after watching just one episode, she can go for hours!!
Well, I am off to Curves this morning and then we have our makeshift art class this afternoon. I get to enjoy again the colors of the seasons anytime I want in the art. I think today I'll work on a watercolor of Birch Allee, from a photograph I stood at Stan Hywet in September. Hope it turns out decent.
Take care, and keep praying!!
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Results
So apparently the people have spoken; they are not happy with the direction that the country has been taken.
Now it is SO important for all of those who were elected to listen, to be active, and to engage in the process of leading. It is important for them to have a clear idea of what voters were thinking when they cast their ballots. It is important for them to stick to their values, their beliefs, their honesty. And they all need our prayers.
This past year, and we're not over with it yet, has been a trying one.
I'm very concerned at this point about the president's announcement that he is going to do something major in terms of the illegal persons residing in the United States. All this does is put out a blanket invitation for everyone who isn't happy where they are living to cross the border illegally and come here, waiting for their own stay to become legitimized.
There is a front door and my grandfather used it. My husband's father used it. Almost everyone I know could point to one relative or another and say that they came in the front door.
Times might be different, conditions might be different, but there is still a front door to gain access to the United States. Our soldier Tahmooressi took a wrong turn and ended up at a Mexican checkpoint. He was jailed for close to 300 days. He was probably ill treated and possibly beaten. So this is how Americans can be treated for an illegal entry; Tahmooressi had firearms with him. Not against the law in the U.S. but against the law in Mexico. Thank God he is out now and can get the psychological treatment that he needs for his PTSD. Meanwhile, we are handling the situation of a porous border by not manning it well enough, a border that can give entry to people who have nothing but hatred and ill will for America.
If the president goes through with his plans, I think that it will cause a much greater divide in the U.S. on a variety of topics and will likely cripple his party for years to come, if not generations. One thing for sure, only American citizens should be voting! This appears to be a move designed expressively to gain votes, whether legal or illegal. It's wrong for America.
The best way to help people who are living in poor conditions is where they currently live. The United States has been incredibly generous with foreign aid for a long, long time. Countries expect it, and unfortunately much of the aid never reaches the people for whom it is intended. I am one who thinks that either the money is used to alleviate suffering or no more money goes over there. Otherwise we are just padding the pockets of people who don't care about their own poor and suffering and what kind of message does that send?
And talk about the environment? Apparently the pathways taken by those seeking illegal entry into the country are littered with all sorts of refuse. It is a terrible mess and who is going to clean that up?
Yep, it bothers me. I am not insensitive to suffering, but there is a way to go about helping and opening up our southern border is not the way.
So I will be praying for those elected yesterday, that they keep their promises and not succumb to Washington pressure.
Take care, and have a great Wednesday. It's chilly but not raining at least.
Now it is SO important for all of those who were elected to listen, to be active, and to engage in the process of leading. It is important for them to have a clear idea of what voters were thinking when they cast their ballots. It is important for them to stick to their values, their beliefs, their honesty. And they all need our prayers.
This past year, and we're not over with it yet, has been a trying one.
I'm very concerned at this point about the president's announcement that he is going to do something major in terms of the illegal persons residing in the United States. All this does is put out a blanket invitation for everyone who isn't happy where they are living to cross the border illegally and come here, waiting for their own stay to become legitimized.
There is a front door and my grandfather used it. My husband's father used it. Almost everyone I know could point to one relative or another and say that they came in the front door.
Times might be different, conditions might be different, but there is still a front door to gain access to the United States. Our soldier Tahmooressi took a wrong turn and ended up at a Mexican checkpoint. He was jailed for close to 300 days. He was probably ill treated and possibly beaten. So this is how Americans can be treated for an illegal entry; Tahmooressi had firearms with him. Not against the law in the U.S. but against the law in Mexico. Thank God he is out now and can get the psychological treatment that he needs for his PTSD. Meanwhile, we are handling the situation of a porous border by not manning it well enough, a border that can give entry to people who have nothing but hatred and ill will for America.
If the president goes through with his plans, I think that it will cause a much greater divide in the U.S. on a variety of topics and will likely cripple his party for years to come, if not generations. One thing for sure, only American citizens should be voting! This appears to be a move designed expressively to gain votes, whether legal or illegal. It's wrong for America.
The best way to help people who are living in poor conditions is where they currently live. The United States has been incredibly generous with foreign aid for a long, long time. Countries expect it, and unfortunately much of the aid never reaches the people for whom it is intended. I am one who thinks that either the money is used to alleviate suffering or no more money goes over there. Otherwise we are just padding the pockets of people who don't care about their own poor and suffering and what kind of message does that send?
And talk about the environment? Apparently the pathways taken by those seeking illegal entry into the country are littered with all sorts of refuse. It is a terrible mess and who is going to clean that up?
Yep, it bothers me. I am not insensitive to suffering, but there is a way to go about helping and opening up our southern border is not the way.
So I will be praying for those elected yesterday, that they keep their promises and not succumb to Washington pressure.
Take care, and have a great Wednesday. It's chilly but not raining at least.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Say Goodbye to Blackie
I've told you about the feral outside cat we called Blackie. He came to be a special little creature for my husband and me, and we fed him for more than two years. The regular feedings saw him through two injuries, one serious enough that the cat dragged his back leg behind him for about a month. Last winter he used our heated cat bed to survive the brutal weather, and it was in that same heated cat bed where he died on Saturday afternoon.
We had gone to my grandson's 7th birthday party which was great for kids but kind of mass confusion for adults. There were about 16 kids there!! Thank goodness for the garage and a space heater or two. Along with the sixteen kids were at least 12 adults. My daughter-in-law had really gone all out with party preparations that included a pot of chili, sandwiches, dirt pudding, snacks, games, prizes, decorations, and music. The kids ran around the cul-de-sac in a wonderful game that worked a little like musical chairs except that the safe places were driveways.
Drew loved his party!!
Well, the party was supposed to be from 5-7 p.m. and right around 7:00 p.m., I saw that look of tiredness on my husband's face. We needed to get home to check on Blackie anyhow because she wasn't doing well at all. Over the course of the last month, her health had taken quite a tumble and she was drinking an excessive amount of water -- a sign of either kidney failure or diabetes.
We tried to catch her later last week in order to take her to the vet's office to have her put to sleep. But she mustered enough energy to outwit us and went under the deck. She last ate on Thursday, I think.
For Friday's trick or treat night, we barricaded the front door with porch furniture and a sawhorse, and set the candy out on a lawn chair with a sign for the few that usually make the trip down our hilly driveway. That way Blackie could stay in the heated house and wouldn't be frightened or upset by the strange voices and noises.
When we started down the driveway Saturday evening at around 8:00 p.m., Eric noticed first that the lid of the Styrofoam cooler that held the heated cat bed was ajar. He had been worrying because we left food out and he was afraid that a raccoon had come along and bothered Blackie. We went into the house through the garage door and then both of us headed to the front porch. Eric lifted the lid and called out to Blackie a couple of times. I didn't hear anything and Eric said she was gone.
I'm sure you know the book and movie, Heaven's For Real. Well, in that book the little boy who had a near death experience of some kind saw lots of animals in heaven -- wild ones and tame ones both. It says in the Bible that the lion will lie down with the lamb. All will be at peace with one another in heaven. So I believe that Blackie went there. It didn't matter that he only felt the touch of human hands for the last week or so before he died or before that the only affection he knew was the sound of gentle, kind voices speaking his name that he knew. It didn't matter that he lived outside. He belonged to someone and he was loved by someone. And he was aware of it.
I told my husband that when our time comes, we will be surrounded by cats who have been waiting for us and Blackie will be there among them.
If Blackie had made it through the weekend, we were going to find a way to get her to the vet's office today. They knew about the situation and had been very kind and accommodating for Blackie.
Blackie was buried on the little slope on the other side of the driveway, the last place I ever saw her walking from towards home, the same slope where Puddin'Head, Shimmer, Girlie, Ugly and Tigger are buried -- the Nelsen pet cemetery.
So rest in peace sweet Blackie. Your pain is over and your time to rejoice is here.
We had gone to my grandson's 7th birthday party which was great for kids but kind of mass confusion for adults. There were about 16 kids there!! Thank goodness for the garage and a space heater or two. Along with the sixteen kids were at least 12 adults. My daughter-in-law had really gone all out with party preparations that included a pot of chili, sandwiches, dirt pudding, snacks, games, prizes, decorations, and music. The kids ran around the cul-de-sac in a wonderful game that worked a little like musical chairs except that the safe places were driveways.
Drew loved his party!!
Well, the party was supposed to be from 5-7 p.m. and right around 7:00 p.m., I saw that look of tiredness on my husband's face. We needed to get home to check on Blackie anyhow because she wasn't doing well at all. Over the course of the last month, her health had taken quite a tumble and she was drinking an excessive amount of water -- a sign of either kidney failure or diabetes.
We tried to catch her later last week in order to take her to the vet's office to have her put to sleep. But she mustered enough energy to outwit us and went under the deck. She last ate on Thursday, I think.
For Friday's trick or treat night, we barricaded the front door with porch furniture and a sawhorse, and set the candy out on a lawn chair with a sign for the few that usually make the trip down our hilly driveway. That way Blackie could stay in the heated house and wouldn't be frightened or upset by the strange voices and noises.
When we started down the driveway Saturday evening at around 8:00 p.m., Eric noticed first that the lid of the Styrofoam cooler that held the heated cat bed was ajar. He had been worrying because we left food out and he was afraid that a raccoon had come along and bothered Blackie. We went into the house through the garage door and then both of us headed to the front porch. Eric lifted the lid and called out to Blackie a couple of times. I didn't hear anything and Eric said she was gone.
I'm sure you know the book and movie, Heaven's For Real. Well, in that book the little boy who had a near death experience of some kind saw lots of animals in heaven -- wild ones and tame ones both. It says in the Bible that the lion will lie down with the lamb. All will be at peace with one another in heaven. So I believe that Blackie went there. It didn't matter that he only felt the touch of human hands for the last week or so before he died or before that the only affection he knew was the sound of gentle, kind voices speaking his name that he knew. It didn't matter that he lived outside. He belonged to someone and he was loved by someone. And he was aware of it.
I told my husband that when our time comes, we will be surrounded by cats who have been waiting for us and Blackie will be there among them.
If Blackie had made it through the weekend, we were going to find a way to get her to the vet's office today. They knew about the situation and had been very kind and accommodating for Blackie.
Blackie was buried on the little slope on the other side of the driveway, the last place I ever saw her walking from towards home, the same slope where Puddin'Head, Shimmer, Girlie, Ugly and Tigger are buried -- the Nelsen pet cemetery.
So rest in peace sweet Blackie. Your pain is over and your time to rejoice is here.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
A Grand Parade
The best things about life in a small town are the traditions that carry on from year to year. One of them is SS Philip & James School's costume promenade. The kids put on their outfits and at 2:00 p.m. head out the front doors of the school class by class.
They head down High Street and walk all around the little downtown area. Isn't that neat? A couple of outfits that caught my eye were two little ones wearing policeman uniforms. These weren't just your run-of-the-mill police uniforms; they were authentic looking with the proper hats and badges. The first boy was maybe in kindergarten and he passed by the intersection where I was waiting (my holy hour starts at 2:00 p.m.) and then straggling along in the back with the dad was another little policeman, this one around three years old.
Really cute!!
It's obvious that the kids are in their element and having a wonderful time, and the adults who go along are also enjoying every minute of it. The rain held off for them to finish the event and then the classes went to their rooms for their parties. You could hear the laughter of children out into the street by the school. How neat is that?
As the children are walking down High Street, they pass lovely old homes that have been there for probably close to a hundred years old. In the downtown, they pass buildings that were built in 1845. History is alive in Canal Fulton and if you just took away the cars and replaced them with carriages and horses (and covered up the tattoo parlor signs), it could pass easily for a late 19th Century village.
These are the kinds of memories that the children will carry with them, that sense of being out among the town, walking free and entertaining virtually everyone whether watching from the houses or in cars. You could NOT see them go by without smiling.
My holy hour yesterday was very special. A lady who I've known for many years now came by to replace the water in the holy water container in the chapel and we talked for a bit. You aren't really supposed to be talking there, but this was a special conversation punctuated at times by prayer.
Well, I promised to write a little more today and I kept that promise. A little later it will be time to head to church again for the All Souls Day Mass where we remember all of those who have died in the past year. My friend, Peg, and I are playing for the Mass.
Hope you have a good weekend. It will be cold and possibly wet, but weather doesn't have to be the determiner of time well spent. We're going to my grandson's 7th birthday party this afternoon and it should be interesting. He's very excited, but not so much so when I told him that I know what his dad is getting him. He said, "You do?" And I said, "Yes, and it's red." "Well, what is it?" he asked.
And I told him the same thing I told my own two sons a bunch of times; "It's a kick in the butt machine."
He laughed. His dad's already been using that line on him and sometimes in good fun pretending he already has one!!
They head down High Street and walk all around the little downtown area. Isn't that neat? A couple of outfits that caught my eye were two little ones wearing policeman uniforms. These weren't just your run-of-the-mill police uniforms; they were authentic looking with the proper hats and badges. The first boy was maybe in kindergarten and he passed by the intersection where I was waiting (my holy hour starts at 2:00 p.m.) and then straggling along in the back with the dad was another little policeman, this one around three years old.
Really cute!!
It's obvious that the kids are in their element and having a wonderful time, and the adults who go along are also enjoying every minute of it. The rain held off for them to finish the event and then the classes went to their rooms for their parties. You could hear the laughter of children out into the street by the school. How neat is that?
As the children are walking down High Street, they pass lovely old homes that have been there for probably close to a hundred years old. In the downtown, they pass buildings that were built in 1845. History is alive in Canal Fulton and if you just took away the cars and replaced them with carriages and horses (and covered up the tattoo parlor signs), it could pass easily for a late 19th Century village.
These are the kinds of memories that the children will carry with them, that sense of being out among the town, walking free and entertaining virtually everyone whether watching from the houses or in cars. You could NOT see them go by without smiling.
My holy hour yesterday was very special. A lady who I've known for many years now came by to replace the water in the holy water container in the chapel and we talked for a bit. You aren't really supposed to be talking there, but this was a special conversation punctuated at times by prayer.
Well, I promised to write a little more today and I kept that promise. A little later it will be time to head to church again for the All Souls Day Mass where we remember all of those who have died in the past year. My friend, Peg, and I are playing for the Mass.
Hope you have a good weekend. It will be cold and possibly wet, but weather doesn't have to be the determiner of time well spent. We're going to my grandson's 7th birthday party this afternoon and it should be interesting. He's very excited, but not so much so when I told him that I know what his dad is getting him. He said, "You do?" And I said, "Yes, and it's red." "Well, what is it?" he asked.
And I told him the same thing I told my own two sons a bunch of times; "It's a kick in the butt machine."
He laughed. His dad's already been using that line on him and sometimes in good fun pretending he already has one!!
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