Sinus Trouble

I was sidelined most of yesterday with a sinus problem.  While the basement wood burner is just the most wonderful thing, it does cause some problems here and there -- sinus problems can be one of them.  The heat is very drying and there is some smoke from when you open the door to add a log.  That adds up to sinus congestion sometimes, and so we have to give it a rest for a day or so.  PLUS, my sinuses were already messed up from the cold/flu I had last week.

My problem yesterday was a headache and my head felt weird because of what the whole thing was doing to be sense of equilibrium and then what that was doing to my stomach.

We're going to give it another try today with the help of some medicines.

So that's about all I've got today for you.  Sorry, I am such a DUD.

I will share a little story from my days at work at The University of Akron.  One day I had a splitter of a headache.  I felt horrible all over!!  While standing by the mailboxes at the front desk area, I was lamenting my problems and our graduate student from the Ukraine was asking me about my situation.

I told him I had a sinus headache and just wished that I could take a drill and make a tiny hole in the front of my head to drain the sinus pressure and congestion.

He got kind of quiet for a second and then said, "Oh, well, that's what we do in the Ukraine!"

Wow.  That got my attention.

Recently, I've heard ads on radio for balloon rhinoplasty.  Sounds kind of strange, doesn't it?  But what they do is open up sinus passes with the use of a surgical grade balloon which stretches out the sinus passageways that might have gotten smaller from years of sinus trouble and infection.

Apparently, it is supposed to work.

Also, on the stop smoking front, someone we know is going to have laser therapy for smoke cessation.  It is a little like the acupuncture they were doing some years ago but permanent.  Apparently, she knows someone who had it done and when she walked out of the clinic, she was a non-smoker and has remained as such.  If this seems to work, we will check into it for my husband.  The cost is around $225.00.

Thanks everyone.  Talk to you next week!!

The Memories Made at Christmas

I hope that you had a chance to make memories on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  The winds that we had been warned about for more than a week did come, but they were not nearly as damaging as they had suggested. 

By the time our family members were leaving on Wednesday night, the roaring sound that the wind makes going through our woods was very audible, but it was more of a sense of awe than of fear.  A good thing being as though we've had our run-ins with trees since building our house here in 1987.

A wonderful kind of surprise is that Ella was doing so well on Wednesday that she got to come over.  She hadn't been running a fever for a couple of days already!!  Oh, thank you God for giving us the time together.  She was a very good girl; all the kids were good.  They opened their presents in order, patiently waiting for their turn.  It made the whole process so much more fun!!

We chose to have spaghetti and sausage, garlic bread, and salad for dinner.  The sausage is Sicilian and comes from a wonderful old market in North Hill, Akron, called Devitis.  The taste is just amazing, especially when cooked over a low fire in the sauce all day long.  What makes the sauce taste so good is the aged Parmesan cheese they sell at the store.  It isn't cheap -- somewhere around $20 a pound, but its flavor just does wonders to the mixture of tomato sauce, paste, and diced tomatoes.  We brown the sausage in onions and that's another element to the flavors.

My sister gave us a wonderful gift -- a set of soup bowls that have the thick handle on the one side.  We usually end up putting bowls on a dinner plate to keep from getting burned.  I can't wait to try them out.  I think maybe when we've done something with the leftover sauce and sausage, we'll christen them by making some potato/ham soup.  It will be wonderful going into New Year's Eve.

Years ago, we used to do something on New Year's Eve, but those days are over.  We love being at home.  Plus we'll watch the OSU game that evening and stay up as long as we possibly can, maybe for all of it if we get a little nap in there somewhere. 

I hope your holiday was very blessed and merry, and that you have memories that you can "treasure in your heart," like Mary did.  These memories are of love, care, forgiveness, acceptance, and joy.  And they might fade a little, but they last! 

Christmas morning Mass was beautiful.  When we were concerned that Christmas was going down the tubes due to the flu, I kept holding onto the fact that we would be attending Mass and that we would be spending time in our special church with people we've known for years.  There were a few babies there, but for the most part, it was adults. 

So now we are moving towards 2015 rapidly.  A new year that should be marked by something far more important than doing taxes and changing calendars.  I wish all of you a glorious 2015, and I pray that the United States find its way back to God.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas to all of you! 

One little message that resonates with me today is about attitude.

Having a positive attitude affects virtually EVERYTHING around you.  Studies have shown that being more positive and hopeful is better for your health.  Families do better when there is positive thinking.  Children thrive on positive thinking.  And our society needs it desperately.

The joy of the Christmas season is that we are loved by God and that He showed that love by sending His beloved son to earth to be one of us and to die for our sins. 

It just seems to me that God wants me to reflect that love and show it to others.  One way is by trying to have a good attitude and to try and find good rather than seeking out things to complain about.

I made a mistake the other day coming home from my son's house.  I meant to return via Portage and then stop and get gas at BJs.  I didn't zig and ended up exactly where I didn't want to go.  Belden Village on Monday at around 1:45 p.m.

What a mess.  And in the middle of that the rescue squad needed to get down Dressler.  People were treating the oncoming ambulance the way that people used to cross the railroad tracks before a train came.  It was crazy.

When I got through the bottleneck, I was so thankful to be heading home.  Home where there is some peace and quiet and sanity. 

We are a little sad this year.  Our precious Ella came down with the flu and is contagious so she won't be able to come over tonight for Christmas Eve.  I talked to her on the phone yesterday and she didn't want to hang up.  She sang songs for me and talked, said hello to her cousin, and wished us Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  She has a great attitude almost all of the time.

I'm going to so miss her tonight!!  Because that's what the holidays are all about.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your blogger friend, Karen

I'll try and get back with you on Friday.

Germaphobia

I am not a germaphobe -- honestly.  But after listening to the news the last couple of weeks and hearing about all of the stuff out there, it's hard not to think about the microbial world that operates under the radar.  It's a good thing that our eyes aren't more keen because who would WANT to see all that stuff?

The flu -- it's BACK.  Apparently, this year's flu shot didn't quite get it right and we have a strain that it more or less misses.  Today I perused the CDC's information brochure online that discusses all of the whys and wherefores of the flu. 

And a few other sites just to be sure I'd be thoroughly confused.

Here's what I can tell you about the flu for 2014 that is going around, shutting down schools, and wreaking havoc on Christmas plans in families all across America!!

1.  So what if I am exposed to it?  You'll have to wait from 24 hours to 4 days to find out if you get it or not.

2.  So then what?  Well, if you do come down with it, you could expose everyone around you a day before you  show signs of it yourself.  That's reassuring.

3.  And if you get it?  Well, you get tested at the doctor's office or stat care or the ER by means of a nasal swab which will show the presence of the virus. 

4.  And?  Then you get a prescription for Tamiflu which should shorten your flu by about 2-3 days as long as you went for treatment within a couple of days.

5.  How long does it last?  5-7 days

6.  How long are you contagious?  Maybe 7-10 days if you are a kid.  If you are a grownup, shorter time period.  Or go with the one website that declares that if you have not had a fever for 24 hours without use of medication, you are probably okay.  It probably would help if you aren't coughing or sneezing though.

7.  How do you get it?  Exposure to the virus that is in the droplets of liquid that come from your nose when you sneeze or that are expelled when you cough.  Apparently, and this is the good news, casual contact is not generally enough.

8.  Does this mean that I might want to don a mask if I'm caring for sick kids, etc.?  You are DARN RIGHT it does.  This is my own opinion; I didn't see anything about masks, and actually, the little viruses are probably smaller and would go right through. 

9.  Does this mean that the entire family needs to know if someone has the flu or has been exposed?  Again, see the answer to #8.

10.  Does this mean that Christmases all over the U.S. are probably on hold in some cases?  Yep, it does.

What about Santa?  I'm not too worried about that right now, how about you?

So that's my best take on the whole thing, but if you are confused as to whether or not you have a cold or the flu, the symptoms are about the same in a lot of cases.  Helpful, aren't I?  Here's the big difference.  If you get the feeling that you've been hit by a Mack truck and symptoms come fast and furious, you probably have the flu.  Colds come on gradually, one symptom at a time.  The flu hits hard.  Headaches come early.  The nasal discharge is thinner, I'm thinking.

So consult the doctor, for sure.  But maybe this will help you decide if you have a problem or not.

My granddaughter, Ella, was diagnosed with flu yesterday afternoon.  So she won't be over for Christmas Eve and I'm so sad about it.  I'm sad that my daughter-in-law won't be over either.  And if Ella's brother comes down with it in the meantime, he might not be able to come either.  This is turning into a weather mess for Christmas Eve and a sickness mess!! 

Take care, good friends.  We're getting to the end of another blogging year and I want to thank those of you who keep reading.  We'll talk about 2015 soon.

Peter Pan?

(I'm feeling under the weather today -- cold.  So this is late getting posted and it might serve for tomorrow's post too.  I've got to get to feeling better before the holiday hits.  So bear with me, everyone!!)

I's deja vu all over again!!  When I was a little kid, the Broadway version of Peter Pan was brought to the TV screen.  Like Broadway, Mary Martin was the actress who played Peter Pan.  It was live TV back then and the performances were shown in 1954, 1955 and 1960.  I'm sure I saw at least two of them.

As a seven-year-old, watching Peter Pan was interesting.  I'd heard of the story through the Disney version that came out in 1953 and was pretty neat!  The thing is, though, pretty early in the whole play Mary Martin bothered me.  I knew she was a woman playing the part of a boy, and it just didn't jive for me.  I was uncomfortable, maybe even a little embarrassed for her, especially when she did the "I've Gotta Crow," thing.

Coincidentally, Cathy Rigby was tapped to be the next Peter Pan on Broadway in 1990 -- the year Mary Martin died.

Rigby played the part for 30 years!  And she was on television with it too.  I was still uncomfortable although she did a pretty darn good job of "flying" due to her amazing gymnastics talents.  No matter -- Rigby was a girl playing a boy.  Just didn't work for me.

And so we have a third iteration of the whole deal.  And who did they pick for Peter Pan?  The daughter of Brian Williams -- another woman playing a boy.  And this one, sad to say for her, seemed to have neither the talent of Mary Martin nor the gymnastics ability of Cathy Rigby.  The whole production got criticized quite a bit by the critics. 

And they made fun of Carrie Underwood in Sound of Music?  Are you kidding me?  Underwood's performance to me was a LOT better.  The sets were terrific and the actors believable in their roles.

Christopher Walken was born in 1943.  He was chosen for the role of Captain Hook.  Really?  My granddaughter was going into whoops of laughter telling me that Captain Hook kept calling Smee, "Schmee." through the whole thing.  "It's SMEE," she said with an eight-year-old's authority.

I like Christopher Walken, but this just makes no sense at all.  None.  That goofy guy that used to be married to Katy Perry would have worked at least in the face.  For Peter Pan, who would you have picked.  Are you telling me that there aren't some guys out there who took dance lessons for about 12 years and who can sing reasonably well who could play Peter?  How about that kid who was runner-up for American Idol a few years ago -- David Archuleta?  He's short (5'3")and kind of cute.

Justin Bieber comes to mind, not that he'd take the part, mind you. 

But I think you can see where I'm going here.  James Barrie wrote a wonderful story for kids, absolutely wonderful.  Do it right.  Do it some justice!  Get a better casting director for heaven's sake -- because you know it's going to make it's way around again.  Why?  Because it's a story that pits good against evil, leadership against following, cowardice against courage.  It's a take-off on those stories where there are things that go bump in the night.  In other words, just outside the front door, a kid might never know what he will find.

I hear the dog was really good.

A Biblical Marketplace

My granddaughter came over last night after school and showed me what she had made at a very interesting and special place -- on a field trip.

She said that they passed by her tumbling studio on Manchester Road to get there, but beyond that she didn't know where they went.  She said the place took up two floors.

Her class went to a recreation of a biblical marketplace, something like what Jesus would have experienced as a child.  She was absolutely enchanted by the place, and learned a lot in a short time.

She made a placemat (I think it was) by weaving strips of cloth in between slits in another piece of cloth.  She said that this craft represented the art of weaving which would have been a very important part of a woman's life in Jesus' time.

She made a bracelet out of different beads which would have been yet another commodity at a marketplace. 

And somewhere along the line, she got a dreidel which is the main part of a game that Jesus would have played.  It's like an early die (singular of dice) that the children would toss.  Today it is still used by the Jewish people during Hannukkah, the festival of lights. 

For my granddaughter, Jesus was now a real boy, playing with toys and living near a bustling marketplace with all sorts of sights and sounds.  It brought Jesus' humanity to life for her -- a wonderful experience!!

We can read all kinds of books about what life was like in the time of Jesus, but there is nothing like experiencing it in some fashion.

I read an article the other day about children and how our society tends to "push" them with educational experiences too early.  The article said that children should be playing prior to school.  Children learn through play.  Have you ever watched a kitten?  Everything that a kitten needs to know in order to defend itself is learned during play.  Maybe that's a good comparison to what play is for children.  They learn the typical give and take of games, and develop their verbal and nonverbal skills to a much higher degree.  They also learn to read the faces and cues of the other children around them.  This is unbelievably important in life.  It helps make sense of all social situations.

Children who don't get that time to play and just be a kid are stifled in a number of important ways.  We need to get over this competitiveness about our kids and just enjoy them and let them develop as God intended them to.  Children are ready to read when everything else is ready for them to read; their eyes, parts of the brain, and even their motor skills.  Pushing them to read sooner does real damage, the article suggested.

I think the biblical marketplace was ingenious and wonderful.  It will be something my granddaughter and her classmates won't soon forget.  Learning by doing.

Take care and have a good Thursday, everyone. 

Wild Wednesday

I lied.  It isn't too wild, but it is Wednesday and there is always promise that comes from the dawn of a new day. 

Today I have a recipe to share.  The reason is because this recipe makes even an average cook come out a winner. 

I found it in a Woman's Day issue recently and thought it deserved a TRY.  I do say TRY because some of my attempts at desserts haven't exactly hit the mark.  But they promised that this one would be worth the effort.  Best part -- there isn't even much effort involved.

You should have a candy thermometer to make it, but they are actually pretty cheap, all things considered.  If you don't, I'd just stir until the mixture thickens and slightly changes color and take a chance.

Chocolate Crackle Toffee

Cooking Spray
1 stick butter
1 can Eagle condensed milk
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp kosher salt (I used regular)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups rice crispies (no sugar)
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Line 9 x 12 pan with nonstick foil and spray with cooking spray.

Melt butter in heavy bottomed saucepan.  Add condensed milk, sugar and corn syrup.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 240 degrees on candy thermometer.  Remove from heat.  Add salt and vanilla, then cereal.

Put mixture into lined pan.  Spread evenly and cover immediately with chocolate chips.  Let stand 5 minutes, then spread melted chocolate evenly over toffee using the back of a large spoon.  Let cool at room temp until firm, at least 3 hours (more actually).  Remove from pan, cut into pieces.

34 cal per piece.

It is DELICIOUS and it keeps well.  You could probably freeze it too.  Great candy.

So have a wonderful day, everyone.

Rating the Colleges

There is a Princeton Review that rates various graduate programs.  There are a myriad of accreditation processes to see that colleges provide a rigorous enough program of study in a specific undergraduate area of study, i.e., business.  There are statistics of graduation rates, employment rates, and other indicators of success in colleges. 

So guess what?  Now the White House, that ever-present, invasive, in-your-face group that seems to want to weigh in on virtually everything has gone off and decided to unveil a college rating system this month that the 7,000 colleges will be measured against. 

Why does that bother me?  Because there is no absolute rating system that is ever going to get close to measuring the worth of a college or university.  Look at the way that football programs are rated.  There have been arguments and all kinds of suggestions for YEARS about how to pit the best against the best at the end of the season.  For a while it was the BCS, and now this year it was a 12-man panel that determined the top four.  And there is griping galore on the new system already.

What rating systems can do is really harm an institution.  It is also costly, because in order to provide the data by which to be rated, someone is going to have to pore through all sorts of materials to get what the rating system needs. 

At the end of the day, a college is like a pair of shoes.  For some a pair of loafers is just great.  For others, they would prefer a more sturdy feel.  For yet others, they would like New Balance sneakers.  For others, they like spike heels.  The student is ultimately the best judge of his or her own experience at college.  And college, just like all of the rest of life, is what you make out of it.

If a student takes the minimalist approach and does ONLY that work that will get him or her the grade, and not one extra thing, then they shortchange themselves.  The rating system just doesn't apply, does it?

I think the White House has enough to worry about right now and should stay out of the rating business.  Let the private think tanks and other commercial services rate colleges and universities as they have.  Prospective parents can find out a great deal about a possible choice by doing any of the things listed below:

1. Talk to someone who went there recently.  Ask them all kinds of questions.
2. Get statistics about what graduates of the college are doing. 
3. Find out about internships and how those are handled.  What percent of students get an internship?  Who is offering them?
4. Take a look at the faculty listing for the student's possible major and see what their credentials are. 
5. Look up faculty on one of those social media rating systems to see how they fare.
6. Make a good campus visit.  Do a little exploring of your own. Go off the beaten path.
7. Find out about crime on campus and the police department on campus.
8. Find out about the grading system.  It is just letter grades, or do they provide plus and minus?
9. Check out the library and see if it seems to be a good place to study and find related materials.
10. Find out about computer labs, computer testing, and quiet places for doing homework.
11. Ask about tutoring for the basic classes that are often stumbling blocks for new students.
12. Gauge the friendliness and manners of current students while on a campus visit.
13. See what the bookstore looks like; if you can, ask existing students if they like the bookstore or where they do buy books.  (Books are a HUGE cost in getting higher education.)
14. Is the campus clean.  Are restrooms well cared for? 

So this is just a scratch at the surface of learning about a college. 

See what I mean?  We don't need another rating system.  There are better ways to handle this situation!!

Did you start your cookies?  I baked Saturday and am pooped from it.  The "killer brownies" from West Point Market that I tried turned out okay, but not as good as I'd expected.  Somewhere along the line, something wasn't done properly.  I take blame.  But everything else turned out good and I'm nearly done with all of that stuff.  Whew!!!

Take care.

Retirement

One of the least understood processes in life is retirement.  People talk about it longingly for years before its arrival, but once it happens, then you can separate the girls from the women, the men from the boys.

We prepare to enter the work force for YEARS, right.  But how much time does the average person put into preparing for retirement?  That tells the story right there.

It isn't magic.  It isn't serendipity.  It isn't happenstance. 

I don't know who it was who shared some snippets of wisdom with me, or maybe it was reading some articles about it in the paper or magazines, but I knew that retirement was going to be a challenge at first.  And it was.  Even though I had cultivated several decent time-gobbling hobbies, the first weeks of retirement were confusing and emotional.

In short, I missed everyone.  The camaraderie, the discussion, the humor, the companionship.  It was all gone in a flash.  It felt like being rudderless.  Kind of like riding down a hill on one of those round sleds.  There is no steering one of those (I found out).

Someone said that getting used to being retired would take a couple of years.  After all, when a person has been getting up early and going to a work environment for almost 30 years without stop, it would seem logical that an abrupt stoppage of this would be a shock.

But here we are now -- I'm about five years into it -- and it feels good.  Sure, I waste time but I did that before too.  And yet, there is a cadence and a rhythm to it now.  A rise and a fall.  A few peaks and valleys.

My husband does a lot of eye screening as part of his retirement.  His first so many years of retirement were full of catching up around the house.  There was a lot to finish and to repair.  But now he really seems to like going to the schools and screening eyes.  He knows it helps children, that it gives them a better chance at school and in life.  And at the end of one of those days, tired, he comes back to the place where he is most comfortable but as he says, "It's a good tired."

In retirement, there is more time for reflection and for prayer.  More time to give of oneself.  More time to donate to a cause. 

Yesterday I went to visit with my sister and also saw my niece.  It was a relatively short, but very nice visit.  It's one of those things that would never happen before retirement.  It's a blessing.

Keep praying for the people on Mrs. Barkey's prayer list, for the people who are really ailing at this time of year, for those who aren't able to enjoy the holidays anymore. 

And we do all for the glory of God!!

Postponing Growing Up

We've all heard the sayings offered when a person needs to become more adult. "Get over yourself," is one, and of course, "Grow up."

The younger generation seems to have a tougher time than older folks did when it comes to the necessary acceptance of responsibility.

I cite two instances lately that have come to my attention.

1.  Students at Columbia School of Law were offered a chance to postpone their exams if the situation at Ferguson and in Cleveland were upsetting to them.  Honestly.  A few years ago a few universities made it known that a student's dies, he/she could postpone exams.  Ditto for a death in the immediate family.  The latter examples are simply kindness and understanding, something that most professors would offer without a rule about it.

But if a student is so upset about Ferguson and Cleveland to the point where he/she can't study, or if a student is willing to dump study time to demonstrate for three days, then life is going to be very, very difficult.  Megan Kelly made a little fun of the situation last night on Fox.  She was indicating that during her days as an attorney, any such excuse would have been unthinkable.  She wonders too what these coddled students are going to do when they get a full bore dose of the "real world."  How long will they last?

2.  There was an article in the Beacon Journal the other day about students being upset that they couldn't graduate in four years.  Why?  Because the student in question changed her major three times.  Oh, my goodness.  That should not be a shock to anyone.  It is common sense.  When a person changes their major, it necessitates an entire schedule change with a new list of courses and prerequisites.  Depending on how radical a change is made, this can add some length to obtaining a bachelor's degree.  The young woman in question should have been able to accept that she was the cause of the delay in getting her degree, and if she incurred additional costs that added onto her student loans, then she needs to be able to accept that.  What could a university do about that?  The article never should have been printed in the first place.  It's more of the "entitlement" thinking out there. 

So in both cases the first statements I listed apply -- "Get over yourself," and "Grow up."

I empathize with students who have student loans that they will be paying off for years.  It is difficult, but again, college is an option.  There have been some proposals made that students willing to work in certain areas for a period of time could get their loans forgiven.  I would be in favor of that.  An example might be a student who works in a legal free clinic, or in a school that has a high drop-out rate, or who works as a nurse in the poorest areas of the U.S.

Well, that's about it for today.  Time to bake cookies!!

I have a take-away for you from the Magnificat breakfast that I attended this past Saturday at Walsh.  Kitty Cleveland, the speaker, was talking about her tendency to worry into the future about things that might not even happen.  I've heard that called "disasterizing."  It isn't just a negative outlook; it's wallowing in negativity.  Nothing good comes from it.  Kitty said that she realized something one day like a bolt of lightning.  God promises us grace to get through TODAY.  There is no future grace, so when we allow ourselves to project into the future, we aren't covered with His marvelous grace.  We're out there alone.  Doing that means we aren't enjoying life to the fullest right now, and we are treading in dangerous territory.  It takes work to stop being a disasterizer but it can be done.  She has managed to identify the problem in her own life and take the steps to address it.

God Bless all of you today!!  The manger scene is up in Canal Fulton at the corner of Cherry and Canal Streets.  When the bank burned down several months ago (and it has now been razed), the Lions lost their central location for the manger scene.  So thanks to the businessman who allowed it!!

A Look at Troubling Incidents

All of this talk about police who abuse their authority has made me take a look at some of my family's dealings.  It wasn't pretty and has left some bad feelings.

Some people shouldn't be teachers; some shouldn't be priests; some shouldn't be parents; and definitely, some should not be policemen or policewomen.

First Situation:  One of my sons was delivering appliances for a big box store driving a 24-foot box truck.  One day his boss asked for a favor -- take some appliances to Oakwood Village in Cleveland.  This is an area that borders Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights.  He agreed and his assistant came along to help.  When they entered Oakwood Village on the town's main drag, they heard a police siren but at first didn't see the patrol car because it was in the truck's blind spot.  When he did see the police, he went to the nearest drive and pulled in.  The officer was hostile and asked him why he hadn't pulled over immediately.  My son told him he must have been in the blind spot because he didn't see him at first.  The officer accused my son of fleeing.  Think about that for a second -- fleeing in a 24-foot box truck clearly marked as belonging to a big box store.  Wow.  Then he accused my son of driving a truck through Oakwood Village without reason, on a no "through" street.  My son said he had a delivery to make and had a manifest detailing that information.  The officer didn't want to hear that.  He cited my son for willful fleeing and that meant an appearance in Oakwood Village's stellar Mayor's court.

It was one of those times when I wished so much that we had some collective money to hire an attorney and get some real justice in this situation.  To prepare for his appearance, my son got a statement from his co-worker signed and notorized giving his account of the day's events.  He had to take off work to go to Mayor's court.  The Mayor seemed to realize full well that the officer was lying and as much as said so.  But then he said, "Well, we can't just let you go, can we?"  So he levied a $100 fine on my son, payable to the Policeman's Association which is apparently illegal. 

Second Situation:  My other son was moving back to Canal Fulton from Buffalo.  He rented a truck and got his dad to help him with the move.  Everything was going along fine until they had a flat tire on the way home.  A policeman came along to find out what was going on, and they told him about their situation.  He immediately decided they were suspicious characters and asked them about drugs.  At some point, he decided to call in the drug sniffing DOG to take a look inside the box truck.  Meanwhile, the temperatures that fall which had been very nice during the day and early evening began to drop and neither my son nor his dad had coats.  They were freezing.  The dog jumped into the back and began digging through the contents of the truck which had been packed carefully enough.  After a long search outside the truck and inside, nothing was found.  The officer, however, was undaunted in his vigilance that these two adults were hiding something; he just couldn't find it.  That's what he said -- no apology offered.  Just a snide comment that he KNEW they had drugs.  So with that and a long, long delay, they waited for the repair truck to come and fix the tire and then headed home, finally getting back after midnight.

Third Situation:  Another member of the family was going somewhere and had a rifle in his truck.  He made a big mistake and had the ammunition and the gun in the same area.  They are to be separated.  So he was cited for that.  When he went to court, however, the two police officers who had cited him lied outright in the court, each one backing the other's story that made the situation worse for this person. 

Fourth Situation:  There is one more situation that I won't go into that happened in Akron when I worked there.  At the end of that horrible day, the police captain or person in charge of the officers I encountered called to apologize to me. 

So let's summarize.  In the first instance, the officer in Oakwood Village was in the wrong line of work, or he needed to attend an anger management course of some length. 

In the second instance, the officer who was bent on finding drugs instead of meeting his first obligation that he swore an oath to -- to protect and serve -- abandoned that in favor of something that would get the adrenalin going a little more.  Again, this is someone who is in the wrong line of work or needs some kind of special training to work towards an attitude adjustment.

In the third instance, lying, these two police officers did not distinguish themselves.  They violated their own code by their behavior -- a worse offense than the person who made the mistake of not separating the weapon from the ammo. 

Perhaps as we have this discussion of the police, their militarization, and their training -- rather than immediately jumping to a racial motive -- we ought to demand that much better screening be done of those who would seek to be police officers. 

I can cite many kind and caring police officers, like the ones who found my ID card/car keys when it was stolen at the JAR Arena while a group of us was walking. He found it in a wastebasket and then returned them to me.  Or Doug Swartz from Canal Fulton -- we were in the same juvenile justice class at the University.  When I see him, he gives me a hug.  And there are others. 

What is my responsibility if I have any dealings with police?  My responsibility is to show respect, to answer politely, to do as asked.  And I will continue to do that.  My charge from Jesus Christ is to forgive those who did wrong, and I'm working on that.

Meanwhile -- we need to be sure that whomever is hired to be a police officer is fully vetted and it is determined that this person has the right attitude and tolerance for the job.

Message for Us

In last night's Christmas program at SS Philip & James School, the little play and music included four students who were supposed to be working on art that depicted the first Christmas.  One of the children couldn't seem to get an idea going until the very last minute.

When he finally unveiled his painting, the other three children stared at it.  One said, "That looks like our school."  Another said, "There's Father Kevin."  And another said, "I think that's my sister."

It was really funny and cute.  Then the three quizzed the boy as to why he chose to paint his school and church rather than camels or a stable or stars or angels.  He said it was because the first Christmas is alive in his school, in every teacher, in every child, in Father Kevin.

A simple message; a profound truth. 

When someone dies, there is almost always a card or a message that says that the person didn't really die because he lives on in the hearts of those who loved him.

How about us and Jesus?  He should live in our hearts and occupy first place.

We are all guilty of trying to squeeze in some prayers, but there should be a time for prayer already carved into our lives.  Because of Jesus, we know that there is salvation, there is mercy, there is LOVE.

While people march and protest in different locations all over the United States, one minister had a different message.  He said that everyone needs to look in the mirror and see what they need to do to improve.  He said that blaming others, protesting, and all of that doesn't fix the problem when the problem IS within each person.  His video messages have gone viral and he's been a guest on a number of TV shows recently.  He said very simply that words of hate never come from God. 

People hunger for God in different ways, but our need for God is innate.  There is no substitute.  At this time of Christmas, keep alive the message that Christ's birth brought. 

Today was born a savior, Christ, the King.

I don't know about you, but a recording of the Halleluia Chorus would be appropriate right about now.

Breathe in a deep breath when you feel stressed and say something like, "Jesus, bring calm into my life.  Help me to remember what is important."

Have a wonderful Friday!!!

Interpretation

There is an episode in the Bible when a Syrian woman is begging for the Lord to remove a demon that had possessed and was tormenting her daughter.  His disciples begged him to send her away because she was bothering them with her constant crying and carrying on.

Jesus then told her that he had come to feed the children first, that is, the Israelites.  But the woman's faith in Jesus' ability to help her daughter did not falter, for she told him that even the dogs get to eat the children's crumbs under the table.  She was saying that she was a gentile (the word for dog was used to indicate a gentile), true, and not one of the chosen people but if even the dogs get the crumbs from the table, could he not help her?

He relented and at that moment her daughter was healed.  He may well have been testing her faith, but he may also have been testing his disciples' faith as well, showing them that the gentiles had a place in his kingdom.

It occurred to me that there is something interesting here.  If we place ourselves where the Lord is feeding his people, no matter our circumstance, we will ultimately find what we are looking for. 

Let me say that again, "If we by our own volition place ourselves where the Lord is feeding his people, we will ultimately find what we are looking for."  It might not be an immediate thing as was the healing of the woman's daughter, but the blessings will pour forth.

So what I've said pertains to church, to holy places, to reading the Bible where we are also fed, where people are praying, and to other situations that may apply.  By looking for those crumbs, by asking for the crumbs, we humble ourselves before the Lord of Hosts and beg for his mercy.

We do not look to man to do the work of God, for what we want and need is to be saved from our sin.

Each time you sit down for dinner, think about that space under the table, the space where perhaps a pet waits hoping for someone to remember it with a little morsel.  And remember that those of us who ask for his help, who put ourselves in the places where the Lord is feeding his people, will find the answers we seek.

The Lord is so good, oh, so good to us.

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

His goodness and mercy last forever.

God Bless You,

Karen

Starting Over

My beautician's fiancé has a couple of houses that he rents out.  He always does a 30-day inspection after he rents to someone new and he made one the other day.  The woman welcomed him in and said immediately, "I apologize that we don't have a lot of things yet.  We're starting over."

There was one mattress in the master bedroom, none in the children's rooms.  There was not one dresser for clothing.  The house was clean enough but it was obvious that this lady was going through hard times.

When we talked some more about the situation, my beautician and I agreed that it would be wonderful to offer a Christmas gift to the renters of the two houses -- gift cards for Giant Eagle.  That way they would be sure to get some food for the holidays coming and their children would also benefit.

That sentence the woman used, "We're starting over," has a ring to it, doesn't it?  The deal from God is, we have a chance to start over every single day.

We watched a movie the other night about a woman who was touched by magic in the middle of a crowded department store in New York.  As a result of the spell that was cast upon her, she had to relive the same day over and over again.  She had to start over.

In fact, she had to start over 12 times, like the 12 days of Christmas song.

The movie was corny (we watch a lot of them, it would seem) but it had a message to offer.  The final time she had to go through the day again, she had managed to help the main characters that she encountered over and over again.  Her list included a fellow shopper who came to her aid, a neighbor who baked cakes to cover over her loneliness, a woman whose boyfriend kept making her the same gift every Christmas, her parents, her old boyfriend she had started out to win back, and a blind date that she had initially and unceremoniously dumped.  She kept learning from her mistakes and making improvements..

She started over just like we can.  We can have more patience, more kindness and show more love.  The more you give, the more that comes back to you.  The more you think about others and pray for them, the less you concentrate on yourself and your own problems.

So I hope that the renter's "starting over" is just a first step in a wonderful magical time of her finding all of those things that endure. 

Last year my beautician gave one of the renters a candle -- she cried.  I think there will be some tears this year when they receive the gift cards!! 

Thank you God for being so patient with us as we "start over."

Busy Tuesday

Well, here I am finally.  It was a busy day already and it's not even half done. 

I went to Curves this morning to get rid of some of that pumpkin pie, and then came home to decorate.

It sure seemed like there were more boxes that came down that went back up, but that's a good problem to have.  Everything went up fast once I got the basics done, like removing non-Christmas items and dusting the surfaces underneath, then putting on tablecloths, etc.

The only thing left is the porch but that won't take but about 15 minutes tops.  It's just so cold out there that I'll wait until I feel like putting on the gas furnace thing that heats the room nicely.  Of course, it does make it look neat and clean, but the on/off dial is located in the back of the unit near the floor.  So you have to stretch yourself over the heater and reach way back there to control it.  The dial for how warm you want the unit to get is handy.  Strange, right?  But probably safer for kids.

I thought it was very, very sad that they found the body of Kosta Karageorge just one day after the OSU/Michigan game.  His life was gone and his body was found in a dumpster.  What a sad ending for a guy who had obviously been in sports his whole young life.  He had been a wrestler at OSU and then joined the football team as a walk-on in August.

They said he had a history of concussions.  We have not been informed as yet where these concussions occurred -- in high school or during college years.  It is yet another indication that we do not understand the human brain nearly well enough.  There is a unit that teams can purchase for right around $700 that will indicate the presence of concussion much more accurately than any doctor or team trainer could.  But it isn't just what happens right after a concussion, but what seems to follow years after the events. 

Kosta's mother said that he had a history of concussions and that sometimes he suffered from confusion.  There is a strong link between concussion and depression, I understand.  It certainly seems that this young man was in the throes of something very intense and serious.  All indications point to it being suicide, and the location of his body suggests that he got into the dumpster to shoot the gun into his head.  Like he was garbage.  Like his life didn't matter.  And he'd left his mother a voice mail, I believe it was, saying that he was sorry for the troubles he had caused.

That would have just broken my heart and my heart goes out to his mother, no matter what sort of relationship they may have had. 

Where was this large guy going at 2:00 a.m. on Thursday?  And why was he upset?  And did he have someplace to go for Thanksgiving?

So many questions, not many answers.

We need to work harder to protect the brains of our athletes, starting from the very beginnings of their participation.  Any hit to the head should be taken seriously.  And maybe some sports just aren't worth it for younger kids.

Apparently, there is another young man missing, this one from Philadelphia.  Isn't there something so pathetic about an individual who can't be found, and especially around the holidays?

We hear the stories, but these are peoples' lives!   For someone or a group of someones, life is never going to be the same. 

So I'm going to say some prayers for Karageorge and the guy from Philadelphia.

Take care, and remember that without God, there is no joy.  I pray that those who are suffering find that joy.