Taking a Break

Blogs in order to be good need a certain amount of work.  They need to be freshened, updated, and cared for.  The writer needs to find something for inspiration, interest, and knowledge.

For a little more than two years now I've enjoyed writing this blog.  It has been a wonderful experience and what I appreciate most is YOU.

Lately, it's been pressing on my heart that I need to finish my project about angels.  It's not that the blog takes up so much time; it's that the blog and the project are vying for the same time slot and the same kind of creativity and energy.

So with that -- I think maybe I will take a break.  I'll leave the blog up for a while without updates and see how long the project takes.  Maybe leaving it there will remind me that I have to get going on it and not just use the time for some other purpose.

We'll see.  In any case, I will sure miss this and I will sure miss you.

Perhaps the one thing that I would leave you with at this closing is the realization of how much attitude governs much of our lives.

It isn't just having a Christian attitude; that's hugely important.  It's also having a positive Christian attitude.

After my friend, Bacari's, facebook posting of a few days ago where he showed such an amazing power for believing in good and in rejoicing with each little step forward, I'm very sure that part of my Lenten experience is going to be trying to be that person -- the one who keeps their head up and a smile on their face.

Were it not for his wonderful positive outlook, the flat tire and the lack of a wrench and the interruption of a planned trip would have made for angry outbursts and flashes of frustration.  And his fiancé would have been sitting in the car afraid to smile about anything.  The whole experience would have turned into something that both of them would want to soon forget.  But in one degree weather, it just didn't create in him that reaction.  Instead, he kept running for the prize and we know what that is, don't we?

"We are called; we are chosen; we are Christ for one another," are the words from a wonderful hymn.  With that, my official break from Life in a Small Town starts today.

So yours in Christ,

Karen

Home Sweet Home

Got home at around 4:15 p.m. yesterday afternoon.  Eric is very, very happy, taking his medications and loving every minute of being home again.

The hospital did a very good job of trying to make things nice.  One of the best parts of Mercy is their food ordering system.  They come to your room and take your order and never get it wrong.  If I would want to eat a meal with Eric from the cafeteria, all I have to do is call a number and order, and pay with a credit card.  It is only $6.50 for a full meal and that's not bad!!

One nurse sticks out in my mind as being exceptional.  Dan.  Dan took his job very seriously and was amazing in how he listened and responded to his patients.  I saw him take a seat by one patient and just listen to what the patient's concerns were, and then he empathized.  He admitted that he loves his job and that is marvelous!!

Well, the horn just went off again and the cats scattered in all directions.  The sound comes from a device that works with the inhaler and it sounds exactly like a pitch pipe.  Loud too.  The respiratory therapist shared with my husband that the inhalants in most cases go into your mouth and bounce off the roof, never getting to the lungs where they need to go.  He gave my husband a plastic device invented by Phillips so that the inhalant is more effective.  My husband said that this one piece of information and assistance was worth the whole trip.

The smoke cessation program at Mercy is free and offers information plus support for anyone who wants to take part. 

So, we are home and I also slept great last night, didn't hear a thing.  The cats are so happy that their other owner is home!! 

So that's about it for today.  I'm going to get some work done around the house, feed the birds, manage to get the spreader out and put down some salt and do this before my husband goes out.  He SHOULD NOT be out in the cold just getting over pneumonia, but he is a stubborn man.

Take care, everyone.

Karen

Update

Eric will be coming home today, and I hope the doctor makes it over to his room to sign discharge papers as soon as possible.  He is really anxious to return home.

They wanted him to stay one more night to get some IV antibiotic, just to be sure this pneumonia that came on so strong is really gone.

So it's time for the morning chores -- did the litter, fed the cats, and now it is on to taking garbage can up to the street and feeding the birds.  Oh, and sweeping the mudroom.

I'll be back at 'ya tomorrow at some point.

Now it might just be breakfast time and that sounds good to me.

For two days I ate a Subway 6" sandwich toasted on Italian herbs and cheese bread -- turkey with spinach, tomato, banana peppers, pickles, black olives, and cucumber.  Pepper jack cheese.  Pretty good, but time for a switch.  It's weird because I like Subway, but then when it is time to order, none of the meats sound all that good to me.  I don't know why.

Mercy used to have a McDonald's and the doctors just hated that it was there -- bad diet you know.  But day after day, you could probably find a little more variety and it is cheaper.

Maybe if we have to stay all the way through lunch, I'll just go down to the cafeteria and get something.  That might be good.

Take care everyone.  I thank God for helping me these last days get everything done and feel good, and get in and out of the deck, and all of that good stuff. 

Karen

Break

Taking a little break this morning -- my husband ended up going to ER on Sunday night due to shortness of breath, no chest pain.  It was a small spot of pneumonia on his one lung that was really getting bad fast.  He has been a smoker for years and years and continues to smoke.

In fact, I called the EMS to check him out fearing that something would happen on the ride over to Mercy.  But I did drive him, although they thought he should definitely go.  He was admitted and is doing much, much better.

However, I have birds to feed, cats to feed, stuff to do so I can get over there this morning and bring him home (I hope).  He REALLY wants out of there now. 

Everyone at Mercy has been more than nice.  It's a wonderful hospital.

So talk to you tomorrow if all is more normal.  If you don't hear from me, then things are still a bit hectic.

Bye for now,

Karen

Good news is he has been cigarette free since Sunday night and is considering an attempt at quitting again, I think.

Lent

(Sorry, went over to my son's house this morning because he had a bad sore throat and needed to go to the doctor.  If I hadn't gone, he would have had to get the kids up and take them to the doctor with him at 8:15 a.m. when the temp was about 11-15 below zero.  So I have a pretty good excuse for being late.)


So I have figured out what I am doing for Lent.  It was an obvious choice and one I actually started about a week ago.  I am NOT buying anything on the Internet.  Nothing.  Unless it has extreme importance to the running of this household.

Getting new underwear does not count.  Neither does a pair of slip-on boots.

When I get a little down in the dumps or feel this certain frenzy coming over me, the relief is to buy something on the Internet.  The good feeling doesn't last much past the click to purchase.  The good feeling is replaced by regret and anger at myself.  One day I kind of figured it out.

When I was a little kid and my mom was really not well due to high blood pressure and strokes, we'd get the Montgomery Ward catalog.  She would have me go through it to get ideas on what I wanted for my birthday or Christmas.  And then I imagine she'd call the store and order the item and it would be delivered in a big truck when I was at school.  At any rate, shopping via catalog became kind of a balm to deal with my concerns for my mother and stresses of other kinds.

Now that I've arrived at what the trigger is, I think maybe this time I can gain some control over it and with God's help and some prayers stay away from making anything but necessary purchases.  And besides that, perhaps I can think of something good to do for someone else.

I do not have a large credit card debt or anything like that.  I've always controlled it to be able to pay off the card at the end of the month.  But that doesn't say much for my self-control, just keeping even.  I should be saving something and that's important!!

So far, so good.

I hope you have come up with something for your Lenten journey.  When you think about the start of each day, it is truly another chance to do better, to get things right.  A chance to use more patience, a chance to think of someone else's problems or pain, to say some prayers, to talk to God and to take time to be quiet and listen for an answer.

--------------------

Another topic.  Did I tell you about the Flamm Kuchen?  Okay, well here it goes.  I was looking up Wissembourg, France the other day.  Wissembourg is the largest city near where my grandfather was born and raised.  I'm sure he spent time there as did his mother and father and siblings.  It is lovely with a river going through town and quaint old buildings lining the square.  I found a video that a tourist made about a day in Wissembourg.  There was a market day going on and at one of the booths, a young woman was ladling out a white sauce on flat dough and then they put something else on it and it went into a brick oven fired with wood.  Soon they took it out and served it to their customers along with a big stein of beer.  Looked great!!!  So I wanted to find out more about Flamm Kuchen.

It turns out that the dough used for Flamm Kuchen was actually the tester to see if the oven was hot enough for bread.  An enterprising woman figured she had some items on hand and would just use them to bake the tester into something edible for her family.  Flamm Kuchen was born and it is like fast food in this part of France.

I found a recipe on line for the dough which in this case is yeast-free.  Then you put crème fraiche on top.  Crème fraiche is pronounced, "Crem fresh."  To make it, you use 1 cup whipping cream at room temperature and one tablespoon of buttermilk or sour cream at room temperature.  Place mixture in a jar with a lid and shake 15 seconds.  Then set aside (at room temp) for 24 hours or until very thick.  Stir once or twice during the 24 hours.  Cream will thicken faster if the temp in the room is warm.  Stir crème fraiche well.  Refrigerate at least six hours before serving.  Cover tightly and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  (Make more if you are making more than one Flamm Kuchen.)

Okay -- so you take the unbaked dough and make rectangles out of it.  Then ladle on some crème fraiche.  Top with very finely cut onion and pieces of bacon.  Put in 500 degree oven until ready.  Shouldn't be very long.

Doesn't that sound wonderful?  You can look up Flamm Kuchen yourself if you like or take the little tour of Wissembourg like I did.  Happy travels.

Timing is Everything

The kids in Perry Schools got an announcement at the very end of the day, sparing the school teachers and administrators from the resulting euphoria.  Thing is, they didn't think about the stalwart bus drivers who had to deal with the celebrating children after such an announcement.

So it was a frazzled ride for them as they wound their way around allotment streets and down main drags to get everyone home safe and sound.

The announcement was heralded because it was not only ONE day but TWO days of no school, due to the severe wind chills and additional snow falls.

This is one of those days when all a body ought to do is find a cozy chair, get out an afghan that is not too hot, not too cold, and make a big mug of hot chocolate.  Then just gaze out the window at Alaska and be happy you don't have to go out in it!!

In fact, our temperatures have beaten Alaska this year which is pretty amazing.  Although, they have certainly had their years of weather woes, so maybe they deserved a break. 

The two shows about Alaska on TV these days don't convince me even one little iota to think about a move there, or even a visit.  It is just too isolated and forboding for me.  Spellchecker says forboding isn't spelled right; who cares?  You know what I mean.

The roofers in the Boston area got more business at this time of year than they would have ever imagined.  They are getting up on the roofs to remove snow before the whole things collapse.  The Bostonians who escaped the winter for a warmer clime still have to worry about the homes they left behind.  Snowplow companies have gotten plenty of business and city/state workers have gotten overtime.

So in this kind of a winter, there are the winners and there are the losers.  The losers are the poor folks who fell in the snow and ice.  One of those people is a woman who goes to Curves and fell and broke her wrist and needed pins.  The emergency rooms have been inundated with fall victims with all sorts of breaks including hips which is a bad one!!  Hard recovery, rehab, pain.

Yesterday, I took the garbage can up the hill for today's pickup.  My husband was out doing some eye screening.  I started up the incline and lost footing right away, so I had to scooch both me and the can over to a more central area of the drive where it wasn't as slippery.  Then imitating Igor in Frankenstein, I dragged my back foot planted sideways and slid my front foot to get to the pavement underneath.  I didn't look ahead at how far I had to go, and just kept going, thinking about how funny I must have looked.  Made it!!  That was a good feeling because I almost quit down at the bottom area.  Apparently, my first attempt left suspicious marks in the snow because the first thing my husband said when he got in the door was, "Did you fall?"  Believe me, if I had fallen there would have been something far more than suspicious.  There would have been a LARGE scuffed up space left behind.

Well, that's about it.  It is good to know that no matter what gets thrown at us, we will get through this and have a wonderful spring to enjoy. 

Take it easy, friends.

Karen

Ash Wednesday

Got back from church -- the children from SPJ did the singing today and Peg and I played for them.  It was very nice.  Then we stayed and practiced some new hymns and Mass music.

So I'm home right now for a little bit.  The car is on top of the hill, ready to go to pick up Lauren and then that's it for the day.

Watch out tomorrow.  If you don't have to go anywhere, don't.  The wind chills are going to be terrible and the temperatures will likely set new records.  It will begin later tonight, I guess.  So I am not going to my other son's house tomorrow to relieve him so he can head to work.  He will probably cancel for the evening anyhow.  His clients won't want to try and come for a workout in this weather either.  It's never worth risking your life for that.

The ISIS situation is getting worse.  Probably because they got quite a rise out of the burning of the pilot, they went ahead and burned some Kurds yesterday.  And then the 21 beheadings from the day before.  The toll is now around 62, I think they said.

A woman who speaks for the State Department said that we need to work on getting jobs in other countries.  She said, "We can't kill our way out of this war."  Interesting she even used the word "war" isn't it?  Well, with that attitude, we sure won't be able to win much of anything.  And it signals weakness to those who hate us and would do harm to us.

Sun Tzu (writer and general) once said, "Know thine enemy," in his book, The Art of War.  There is much truth in that.  It is impossible to fight something that is undefined and misunderstood.  Suppose we were only speaking of ourselves and we said in simple language, "I need to improve myself."  Well, if you don't know yourself well enough to define the faults that need improvement, I'm betting about $100 that you don't improve.

This is really the same thing.  When we fought in Vietnam, we ran into problems not only because the military was hampered from fighting their own fight but also because we did not understand the culture of the Vietnamese well enough.  For one thing, we felt that if we befriended them and gave them gifts as we entered their village, they would still be our friend tomorrow.  Shockingly, during the night the Viet Cong would enter the same village and would stay there for the night.  Why?  Because the Vietnamese were too used to fighting, too used to having this one and that one show up and tell them what to do.  They gave up trying to pick winners and simply existed in the topsy-turvy world they lived in.

The Islamic Jihadists are not completely understood and need to be named as the combatants.  Then we need to understand every nuance of their mindset.  This is when academia could have a strong impact, by imparting the knowledge that would help decision makers understand this growing enemy force.

Well, it is Ash Wednesday, first day of Lent.  What are you giving up?  The children at Mass this morning focused most often on technological gadgets -- my tablet, my iPad, my notebook, TV, video games.  A couple picked sweets.  Last year I quit playing Solitaire on the computer.  I can do that again, I suppose, but it would seem to me that I could come up with something more profound.

I'll think about it the rest of today and have something going by tomorrow.  Best of luck to all of you with the weather pattern!!  Let's vow to hang in there and get through this together!!

Art Supplies

As far as art supplies go, there are so many that never make it to the "toy" shelves but make great kids' entertainment.

I saw one the other day in the Dick Blick catalog (no kidding, that's the name) and it was for some modeling compound that never dries out and always remains pliable.  This is NOT your typical Play Doh.  It was fairly cheap; I think somewhere around $8 for a large gob of it.  It is cheaper than therapy.

The commercial use for it is to create scale models of things, to see how they look and how they could be made to look better before you spend the big bucks. 

Another idea is some stuff that you can find in paint stores.  It is somewhat the same thing and can be used like a modeling compound.  I do think this one dries out though.  This one could be applied to canvas or paper and left to dry to create a more three-dimensional work of art.

As far as watercolors go, there are so many to choose from these days.  There are the cakes which some professional artists even like, the tubes which concentrate the color in an easy-to-use and carry form, and there are the liquids which are easy to blend.  They don't have to cost a fortune and again, make wonderful amusements for kids.  Get watercolor paper though; it does make a difference.

Good brushes are expensive, but there are a range of decent synthetic brushes that can be found in the art department.  The brushes that come with the typical Prang watercolor set just don't give the user a full range of possibilities.  The more fun a child has with something, the longer they stay with it.

Another cheap but fun idea is to use a little salt with watercolors.  When wet, sprinkle just a bit of salt on the painting and see what happens.  Kids will like this.  It is to paper what special effects is to movies.

Speaking of movies, we watched an older one (Rescue Dawn) last night about the true story of Dieter Dengler.  He was an American pilot (born in Germany) shot down in Laos and managed to survive 23 days in the jungle before being rescued.  It gives a very realistic feel for what the jungle must have been like, the heat, the wet, the unrelenting scourge of snakes and bugs (some of which he had to eat).  Apparently, one of the POWs who was housed with Dengler never made it back.  He'd been incarcerated for three years!  He was never heard from again and his family felt the portrayal of him was inaccurate.  Apparently, he had gone out of his way to be kind and generous with other POWs.  So that was one of the reasons why the film probably didn't get its due. 

So that's about it for today.  I think maybe if we can just survive another couple of weeks, we should see a change in the air temperatures.  At least that's what they are saying.  It may be we are surviving the coldest winter ever recorded.  Isn't that something?

Take care.  Stay warm. 

Cold, cold, cold

So today and tomorrow for sure, and probably a number of days yet to come, we will dress as Nanook of the North in order to venture out.

I figured we ought to know something about this Nanook so I did a little digging. 

Nanook was a member of Itivimuit tribe in Quebec, Canada.  In around 1915 and 1916, a man named Robert J. Flaherty was hired as an explorer and prospector along the Hudson Bay for the Canadian Pacific Railway.  He took a three-week class in cinematography before he left and brought along a Bell & Howell movie camera to record the Eskimos.

Flaherty really got into it and spent two years recording the lives of the people, getting to know them and their ways.  However, in 1916 a dropped cigarette caused the destruction of 30,000 feet of film that had already been developed and printed.  Four years later, he finally got sponsorship from a French fur company and returned to start anew.

This time he focused his energy on one Eskimo family -- the husband known as Nanook -- whose real name was Allakariallak.  He took movies of this man's family and their lifestyle, including the building of an igloo and hunting and fishing.

Although this silent film was named as one of the first 25 to be preserved in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, it was "Hollywoodized" by Flaherty in a number of different ways.

Flaherty took liberty in filming Nanook.  The tribesmen were completely engaged in the process serving as his film crew and in fact, they knew the camera's operation better than Flaherty.  The access they provided Flaherty made the movie possible.  He had Nanook use the time old methods of hunting as had his ancestors, when actually Nanook normally used a gun when he went hunting.  When they built the igloo for the cameras, they couldn't get enough lighting inside to show the actual construction inside, so they build a three walled section for that portion of the film.  Flaherty also took liberties with casting.  The wife of Nanook was actually one of Flaherty's common-law wives.  And in the end, Nanook is depicted as dying of starvation as a testimony of the hardships of the Inuit people, while he actually died in his own home of tuberculosis.

And yet, many were enthralled with this movie that did not claim to bring no harm to animals.  When Nanook went out to kill the walrus and seal, the animals that he killed were the real thing. 

He staged one scene where the Eskimo entered into the trade post only to see a gramophone for the first time.  They feigned surprise and amazement when in fact, Nanook knew exactly what a gramophone was already.

Now when I don my snow pants, insulated snow boots, down-filled coat, insulated gloves with a "hottie" inside each one, and my winter hat covered with the coat's hood -- and I say -- Nanook of the North is going outside -- I will know for the first time what it really means.  And maybe so will you. 

In 1999 Nanook was remastered and is available on DVD as part of the Criterion Collection.  You can purchase it on Amazon for $9.95.

Say a prayer for the folks in Boston and its environs.  They are really in a perilous situation.

Wolf

Back in the 1980s we went to see a movie called, "Never Cry Wolf."  It was kind of an educational movie, mixed in with some adventure and a big shot of humor.

The scientist wanted to embed himself with the wolves for a set period of time.  He was dropped off in no man's land, and then waited for a helicopter drop to bring his temporary home and the supplies he needed for his work.

The scientist's idea as he waited to have a little more contact with the wolves was to urinate all over his territory, kind of like he'd seen them do.  For this purpose, he drank a lot of tea, went about his business, and was rewarded with some reaction from the wolves who began to see him more like another, albeit strange, animal.  He could get in closer and observe better.

He ate what the wolves ate and that was pretty funny but gross.  During the nice warm summer he got rid of most of his clothes.  He found that wolves dine on mice mostly and are really good at finding them.  He watched them raise their young. 

He happened to be on an open stretch of land when a herd of buffalo ran by and it was a near miracle that he wasn't trampled.

He debunked the savage image of the wolf, at least in his own mind.  But we all know that any hungry animal is likely to be quite savage in order to survive.  What got wolves in trouble as the west was settled was that they just couldn't leave the chickens, calves, and lambs alone.

So this morning, I see that a roaming female gray wolf that had made its way hundreds of miles from her home, a tagged animal, was shot and killed by a hunter that mistook her for a coyote.  The first wolf that had come to the area in 70 years!  How sad really.  It's the kind of story that makes me realize that the animals have a lot of enemies to confront.  Not only hunger or the need to find a mate, but certainly people who don't do them any favors. 

So this wolf's life has ended.  The hunter could get jail time.  He doesn't get the pelt.  No one should.  Early settlers killed the bison off.  The desire for a beaver fur hat almost did that species in.  There's nothing wrong with hunting for our need, but not to the point of extinguishing an entire species for it. 

That is just being boorish and hoggish, note the comparison to other animals. 

Like hunting sharks only for their fins.  Disgusting.

I'm not writing a very uplifting story today, am I?  I'll try harder tomorrow, Saturday, a day when we are probably going to get a little more snow.  The schools are in session today == all the class valentine's day parties are going to be held.  I hope every child comes home with a ton of valentines and a feeling that his or her classmates like them a lot!

Take care.  Talk to you tomorrow then.

SAD

Yep, we are talking about SAD again; it happens at this time of the year.

Seasonal Affective Disorder -- SAD

Apparently, the lack of sunshine may trigger something akin to depression for some individuals.  I've seen advertisements for a special kind of light that the sufferer sits under for a period of time each day.  I don't know if it really works but it would be great if it helps.

On a segment of Normal or Nuts on FOX the other day, someone said that they tend to get a little blue at this time of year and reflect on their lives -- what they've done and maybe what they wish they would have done or could have done.

The psychologist said that is normal.  We do tend to review our lives in down times, less active times.  My viewpoint is that this kind of inventory is good, but much, much better if it produces some kind of result. 

Suppose during one of these life reviews a person decides that they need to get off their duff and start volunteering somewhere.  Or making a gift for someone special.  Or helping someone who needs it.  Now, that kind of reflection is wonderful!  A change in the life!  Even something for themselves that would make a difference in their attitude and mood -- like exercising.

Which is exactly what I should be doing this morning, but the drive is covered AGAIN.  For me SAD stands for something else -- SNOW AGAINST DRIVING.  Yikes, I'm tired of being stuck down in this hole when I could be going to Curves.  Instead, I sit around the house doing this and that and invariably finding a magazine or a catalog somewhere -- and then going on line and buying something.  Not good.

SAD is actually serious business -- it probably causes people to miss work, miss appointments, and worse -- not engage and interact with their family members as they should.  It would be nice to figure out how it happens and then find something to counteract it.  I mean, we aren't going to change the weather here in Northeastern Ohio, are we?

From the days in the seventh grade when my toes were frozen going to school in little pointy toed flat shoes to today, my attitude about winter hasn't changed all that much.  Other than gazing out the window first thing in the morning after a tree-clinging snow, it is just a nuisance for me. 

My husband said that he talked to someone the other day and there are a LOT of folks who have just about had it with the weather and are really considering a move.  A guy at my granddaughter's school told me the other day that he and his wife had decided on Arizona.  For real.  I wonder what the results of such a move would be.  Would it make a huge difference?  Would it be worth it to be away from family?

I have a sister who moved to Arizona about eight years ago or so.  She hasn't mentioned missing Ohio even once.  Even when the temps in her area are 100 plus.

There is one place that seems to have its act together -- Western Maryland -- and specifically Deep Creek Lake.  In this locale with 80 plus inches of snow per year, they have it down pat.  They have found ways to enjoy all four seasons and do it in style.  They have skiing, fishing, skating, swimming, and a host of other activities in both spring and fall to round out the year.  They seem to have a can-do attitude about the weather.  We actually considered moving there about 30 years ago.  The lake has about 68 miles of shoreline and is it is beautiful.  The people were friendly.  There was a lovely, old Catholic Church in nearby Oakland which we attended on vacations. 

One of these days we'll go back and see it again.

Look at pictures of blue water and greenery.  It will help.  SAD -- SAD go away.

Got to Hurry

The cat just threw up in the bedroom and I've got to get going because my friend down the street and I are walking at the mall today.

Yikes!

I was just trying to change my university password (they change every six months) and of course, the system is all plugged up with people who just started work at 8:00 a.m.  So I'll wait until all of the hullaballoo is over with and get it done then.

So -- hope you are doing well.  Hope you enjoyed the best laid plans story.

The driveway is still a sheet of ice at the end on top of the gravel.  I just hope that we can get it melted off soon.  I'd be willing to put some toxic cat litter up there and see what that does.  Then when about a half dozen stray cats show up, we'll know.

The washer and dryer came right on time and we are all set now.  I always had this feeling that I couldn't throw in a load because of the dryer making that terrible noise.  It's so nice to have that out of the way now.  The new pair fit in better and look very nice.  We had painted the mudroom a while back and put in some new cabinets that Eric made.  It really does look so much more "done."

So I'm on the way out now.  Got to get my clean-up supplies out and hope that the stain comes out first time.

Take care.  Talk to you tomorrow then.

Best Laid Plans

So you know the old adage about making plans.  We had a semi-firm one to finally get a washer and dryer that match in about six months or so.

Now, mind you, I don't really care all that much.  I mean, we haven't had a matching washer and dryer for 30 years so why start now?  But it had finally gotten on my husband's nerves, and it doesn't help that our washer and dryer happen to be the first things you see when you enter into the house via the door that everyone uses.

At least they were both white; that was something.

Well, Sunday when I got home from church I saw that my husband had the dryer apart.  It had started making this cat screeching sound several months or so before but after a while it would die out and then stop completely.  However, it drove the cats crazy, especially one of them who instead of going away from the sound seemed pathetically drawn toward it.  And then that made her sidekick who always looks out for her and protects her come along too and the two would stand together while Sassy meowed.

He was trying to fix things, truly he was.  But you know how it is when you finally go to repair something and then it just gives out?  That's what happened.  We got it back together, no easy feat, and then thought we had aced it.  We were putting a load in to dry when he noticed that perhaps it wasn't making the usual sound as it spinned.  So he says, "Is that thing going around?  I opened the door and it was just all sitting there.  The motor was going and the heating element was heating, but at this rate, we'd have to wait for hours and hours for anything to dry.

So two loads of wet wash are in a laundry basket with a plastic bag inside waiting for help.  It's coming -- this morning!  We went over to Home Appliance in Massillon and got a new pair that match!  And they are taking the old ones away.  Including a washer that was doing just fine.  We got it used about a year ago.

I guess it will be all right.  We'll just owe $851 and some change and after a while, it will be all paid for. 

It's been an expensive period of time lately around our house.  First, my car.  Now this.  With a few little things thrown in for good measure.

We take a washer and dryer pretty much for granted.  They are the workhorses in the house that we depend on each week.  My mother had a wringer-washer and it was a hideous and scary thing.  We had no dryer; the clothes either hung in the basement or out on the line in the backyard, like most everyone else's did, or maybe it just felt like everyone else did it that way.  The towels were like cardboard, but that was okay too.

When we did get a dryer, it was some big commercial thing that took up half the basement -- a Bendix.  There's an old brand name for you.  My older sister who now lives in Arizona was a nurse.  She cleaned up her nurse's oxfords and polished them up nice, and then thought she'd wash the laces.  You guessed it.  She threw the laces in the Bendix, a dryer that was big enough to fit a kid easily, maybe two and then went around and around until they were ready to go.  Energy conservation.

Take care.  Hope it goes well this morning when they come and install everything. 

I won't know how to act.

A Jordanian Friend

If you want to learn about other countries first-hand in a big hurry, spend some time at The University of Akron.  Many of the students who attend UA come from other countries and they joke that they chose UA because, "It was at the top of the list in the alphabet." 

One young woman came from Jordan.  This was unusual.  I think in all my time at Akron, she was the only one who had come to study at UA from this country. 

She used to work in our our small four-station computer room and she was employed in the department across the hall, or that's my recollection.  We all knew her.  One day she arrived with a thick wad of pictures and told me she had some to show me.  Her pictures were of home and included a number of scenes from the Jordan River -- which she knew had significance to a Christian. 

She showed me the area where Jesus baptized John.  She pointed out other key areas from the Bible.  She had a very good understanding of the Christian faith and had respect for it.

I imagine that she was a Muslim but I am not at all sure.  She was well spoken, funny, and very intelligent.  She told me one day that when she saw people, she saw an aura around them that told her much about them.  She said she saw an aura around me, but I was a little afraid of what she might say.  I didn't ask and now I wish I had.

She was one of our Fulbright Scholars, I think.  At least that sounds right in hindsight.  And I know her career aspiration was to finish her degree and get a job at the United Nations.  She would have been perfect there!!  I know she did get her MBA from Akron.  Maybe I'll ask someone in the College of Business if they hear anything from her.  She was one of the brightest spots, someone we would all remember.

There was another thing I remember about her time with us at UA.  She had hospitality!!  She showed me her family's house.  It was brick or stone of some kind and three stories tall.  There were some trees and such around the home but it was fairly plain.  She told me that if I ever wanted to visit her in Jordan, just let her know and she would love to have me come.

Isn't it funny that we tend to frame our impressions about a place by who we know who came from there?  It is impossible not to.  She put a human face on a country that I'd only seen on a map.  Suddenly, Jordan was a real place but a place that had history going back beyond 2,000 years.

She was a confident, caring person who had some charisma.  She was a sharer, a giver.  Weren't we lucky to have had the chance to get to know her?

Well, I've been bad!  Forgetting to do my blog for a couple of days now.  Strange how a habit that you've had for two years can just disappear!  Maybe that's a sign.

Well, take it easy.  We had another snowy week coming in the forecast.  And one night with really cold temperatures.  And yet, we did hear the birds singing the other day.  I know that was an omen of better times to come!

He Has a Name

Muath al-Kasaesbeh

The Jordanian pilot appears to have gotten the worst punishment to date by ISIS captors.  The young man held in a cage was burned alive with cameras apparently recording not only the sights but the sounds.

ISLAMIC TERRORISTS is what they are.  They believe in the Quran; they are Islamic; they do not claim otherwise.  But they are terrorists and claim as the basis for what they do their belief system.

What is a terrorist?  I found this definition online in a couple of places word-for-word. 

Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts (or threat of violent acts) intended to create fear (terror), perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal, and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (e.g., neutral military personnel or civilians). Another common definition is political, ideological or religious violence by non-state actors. Some definitions now include acts of unlawful violence and war.

The pilot was apparently carrying out a mission to deter or destroy ISIS members or holdings.  He was not a non-combatant, but in previous acts, ISIS members have beheaded a number of non-combatant individuals who were captured and taken against their will.

I was born in 1946 -- the year after WWII ended.  Our government and other governments were still trying to sort out the despicable and horror-filled deeds of the German dictator and his henchmen.  The Germans were organized and kept excellent records and therefore, the names of all of those killed in the gas chambers and then burned in the crematoria were known full well.  Even after what some of our soldiers saw when they liberated the concentration camps, the extent of the holocaust was still sending out shock waves a year after Germany fell to the allies.

Bits and pieces of what happened in Nazi Germany were being reported by journalists in 1946.  My mother would have been trying to understand what happened in a faraway place where many of our men died.  Unbeknown to her, the home of my father's relatives was taken over by the Nazis and the woman who lived there was forced to live in the basement and cook for them.  A little farther away from that village, an entire segment of my father's family was executed on a December day by the Nazis.

What we are seeing is horribly disturbing to me.  We studied WWII extensively especially because it had only ended less than 20 years before I went to college.  It had been filmed and documented.  It involved most of the countries of the world in one way or another.  One of the main things we learned was the total failure of appeasement.  Town-by-town in Germany, the residents did nothing as the Nazis came and took over and ferreted out the Jews.  So that was their part of appeasement.

The English prime minister, Chamberlain, wanted no part of war.  He was one who thought that if they just gave in to Hitler, offered him another country, everything would be all right.  He would leave them alone.  It only fueled the fires of his hatred and desire for more land, more power.  Winston Churchill was on the other side; he wanted no part of appeasement.  He thought that England needed to fight.

What are we seeing now?

I hate war.  I can't imagine many who do.  I don't want our servicemen and women to die.  Again, I can't imagine many who do - other than the ISIS members who see the United States as their ultimate foe.

Passivity will get us nowhere, I fear.  The image of that young pilot in the cage awaiting a horrible death will stick with me.  I hope it sticks with a lot of people, because it is a sign of evil.

ISIS now has managed to infuriate the Japanese and the Jordanians.  We should be furious for what they have done to ours.  Little by little they are involving country after country; they are forcing a solidarity and in some cases, one of strange bedfellows.

We need to pray; all of you, please pray.

Snowy, Snowy, Icy, Icy

The evolution of the weather yesterday certainly was strange.  The last chapter, the one with the freezing rain, sure did a number on the driveway but my husband did one last plowing/salting before it changed over.  So all we needed today was to spread more safety salt.

My car is kind of like an off-white ice cube so we are waiting until we can get it down the hill and into the garage for a well deserved thawing.

The Super Bowl on Sunday evening was interesting for a couple of reasons:

• My favorite part -- the ads -- was disappointing.  The ads were as someone said "somber" and actually kind of depressing at times.  If ads reflect the overall society's take on things today, then it means that we are collectively down in the dumps.  I'm surprised that advertisers didn't do more with children, God's natural funny people.  I'm surprised that the winning ad only cost $2,000 to make, a great slap in the face to the millions that some companies invest.  I'm surprised that companies didn't take a page from the Great Depression and try to build us up, bring us some fleeting happiness, like the golden age of Hollywood did.
• The last couple of minutes of play was interesting.  The Pat rookie who managed to grab the pass from Seattle with them threatening on the one-yard-line can take his place in the 49 year history of the Super Bowl.  He was probably completely unaware before the game that he might have such a moment.  The Pats' fans were jubilant, and now we get to hear about Deflate-gate without the Super Bowl in the offing.  Wonder what comes out of it?
• The Budweiser ad with the dog was heartening.  That's the mood I was looking for, I guess.  So in a previous bullet point I said that someone should have used kids, but animals are a great second choice for something to tug on the heart strings. 
• My husband struggles with Roman numerals, so no matter how many times I tried to explain it to him, he didn't get it.  Wonder where he was when they went over that stuff in school?  Of course, his dyslexia probably goes into overdrive with Roman numerals.  So the 49 in Roman numerals, XLIX, is an elusive thing for many.  Next year it will be easy -- L.  Won't that look odd on the jerseys?  Bet they go with 50 instead.
• Finally, I'll comment briefly on the halftime show.  I'm not much of a Katy Perry fan but I will give it to her for having the guts to ride on top of that amazing looking lion, and also for standing on the tiny platform hovering a couple of stories over the floor of the stadium.  The music as a whole was boring for me.  When has there been a Super Bowl halftime show that really wowed the crowd?  I can't remember.  It sure wasn't Janet Jackson.

So that's about it for today -- Tuesday -- and I'm going to my son's house to help him out for a little bit and then may return in the afternoon if needed.

Stay warm.  Tuesday is supposed to be snow-free so it would be a good day to get to the grocery store or the gas station before we get some more of the white stuff.

A Lovely Winter Walk

Today is the Epilepsy Association's annual Winter Walk, and we will be leaving at 7:30 a.m. to get to Strongsville for this event. 

Today Mark, Dani, Ella and Drew are one of two featured families at the walk.  A few days ago, a letter from Danielle appeared as an invitation for the Winter Walk, and I thought I'd share it with you.  I apologize that the fond goes larger and smaller, etc.  This thing has a mind of its own sometimes. 

Epilepsy was a condition that had no meaning in our family until December 2, 2004. On that day we witnessed what would be the start of a long, hard, and scary journey. Our daughter Ella, who was 6 months old at the time, had her first seizure. This single moment changed our lives forever. This once foreign condition became something all too familiar to our entire family.

Our sweet Ella is now 10 years old. Over the years she has had thousands of seizures which lead her to endure multiple ambulance rides, hospital stays, medical tests and procedures, and blood draws. For the last 10 years we have tried everything to make Ella's seizures stop: multiple cocktails of medicines, the Ketogenic Diet, and surgical options. Epilepsy is a frustrating conduction because after everything Ella has endured we still don't have a definite cause of her epilepsy and her seizures continue to be uncontrolled.

 Ella suffers from several different types of seizures: grand mal, partial complex, and absence seizures. Her seizures have been as short as 1-3 seconds and have gone as long as 90 minutes.  Ella began her life developing as a normal child, now, unfortunately, after so many seizures and years of them being uncontrolled, she has developmental delays and permanent changes to her brain. As a result, she will always need our care.

Despite all she has been through, Ella remains a happy, loving young girl. When times get tough, we all try to remind ourselves of her strength and we are thankful for every day she is a part of our lives.

 We need to continue to raise awareness and funds to assist those who live with this challenging condition. Seizure disorders affect thousands of people and it does not discriminate against age, sex, or race-it can affect anyone at any time.

We are so proud to be one of the 2015 Winter Walk Featured Families; and we are walking on Saturday, January 31 for our daughter, Ella, and other who are living with epilepsy. We hope you'll join our family and help us fight to raise awareness and funds for this condition. Our hope is that one day there will be a cure and kids will be able to live a life without the fear of having a seizure.

We look forward to seeing you at the 10th Annual Winter Walk!

Sincerely,

The Tarle Family

Let me note that the other day I saw a small article in the Beacon Journal.  The category that medical marijuana used to occupy made it difficult to get funding for research.  Thankfully, due to the outpouring of letters and communication from families whose children have uncontrolled seizures made the government take another look at it and medical marijuana was moved to a category that will allow for much more exploration.  Believe me when I say that this could be a blessing for Ella!!!

Have a great day, everyone.

Karen

  

The Mansion

There was a horrific fire in Annapolis, MD a couple of weeks ago.  The fire destroyed a beautiful home called "the castle" by neighbors, and the worst is that the fire also took the lives of six people -- the owners and their four grandchildren.

The house was the last one on an outcropping of land and was on the water.  The husband did well for himself in the IT area and the home was worth millions..

A couple of years ago someone they knew was trying to set up a class reunion.  The wife volunteered the house.  The woman found herself taking a lot of interior pictures while she was there and she shared them with the media.  I happened upon them yesterday.  First, photos of a four-alarm fire and then photos of an amazing architectural design.

Apparently, the dry Christmas tree ignited due to an electrical problem and trapped the family upstairs.  The grandchildren were all between the ages of eight and six and probably had been having the time of their lives on this visit.

Life can turn on a dime it says in a song, and isn't that the truth?  We just never know what could be around the corner.  And yet we need to have a rock upon which we build our lives or nothing makes any sense.

What makes the most sense to me is my faith.  It is the one constant; the one element of my life that remains the same.  God does not change but pours out His love for us constantly.  He showers us with His love.  It is just what we need, as balm or salve, as a lift and an encouragement, as the soul's sustenance.

Well, got to go.  I have to play/sing for the 9:00 a.m. mass this morning and my car is on top of the hill awaiting some cleaning off.  And I need a cup of tea to get going too.

Take care, and have a good one. 

Karen

Dream On

Just when there was quite a long period of time when I didn't remember my dreams, I had a real night of it a few days ago.  Woke up remembering a couple of them very vividly.

The first dream is that I was trying to complete some kind of degree and had a certain number of courses to complete.  In previous semesters, apparently I chose to ditch a couple of the classes and never attended.  Is this starting to sound like the old "college dream"?  So now it was time to see what was left by doing an inventory of what I had taken and what I had not taken.  When they brought over the results, the classes that I'd ditched were carried on a large wooden contraption, kind of like a tray.  And on the tray was the obvious evidence that I had blown off the classes altogether.

I was afraid to learn how much I had to finish for the degree.  But the trays were brought over and that bothered me.  I had this sense of failure and cluelessness -- and this overwhelming feeling of why in the world had I blown off the classes?

So, yes, it was the old college dream again, only this time it was much more intense and pressing.  I've been working on a project for the last few months and have made some progress.  It's a book.  And it's about angels.  Pray that I get on track to work on it and finish it.  It is important for me to do this -- because for one thing I know God wants me to.  Since coming up with a title and a plot, angels have been showing up everywhere.  In an issue of The Liguorian dedicated to angels.  In the intentions book at the chapel at church.  All kinds of references to angels.  One week when I went to the chapel, I grabbed the first book on the shelf sitting out front on a short stack.  What was it about?  Angels.

As part of the research I've been doing, I found out that St. Thomas Aquinas is considered to be one of the foremost experts on angels.  His work, Summa Theologica, has a 75-article section on angels where he has cited material from a diverse list of sources. 

From parts of that work that I found on the net, he makes the claim that:

• Angels cannot change man's will, but can a human's imagination and senses to make a point.
• Inferior (lesser) angels can never enlighten superior angels, but they do communicate with one another.
• All angels are subject to God, their creator.
• Men are guarded by angels.  Each person has a guardian angel, usually one of the inferior angels.
• Angels do not grieve, for all that happens is under God's care.
• Dionysius categorized nine divisions of angels -- cherubim, seraphim, thrones, dominions, angels, archangels, and I can't remember the other three.

My second dream does not have much consequence, but it was also very vivid.  I had been out and about with some people and when I got home realized that I had about a 12-inch nose hair growing out of one nostril and it was white.  I plucked it out.  The thing was enormous, and I was mad at my friends for not telling me about it and subjecting me to ridicule.  Although no one said a thing. 

Wonder what on earth that means?  Freudians -- cease and desist!

So that's it for today.  Stay warm.  We've just got February to get through and things will get better!!  And thank God that New York/ New Jersey were spared the worst of the blizzard.

Karen

Blame it on Curves

Went to Curves yesterday morning and came home...and that was it apparently.  As far as the blog is concerned anyhow.

I was in a creative bent and spent the time when I should have been writing on learning more about making cards.  There's more to creating a card than one would think.  Usually, I get ideas from the pictures in the Stampin' Up catalog and then go from there, but I'm trying to think of my own ideas. 

So today is Saturday and I'm off to Curves again.  The rule is eight visits per month at the minimum, and that is doable, unless you have terrible weather and the flu like I had in December and early January.  So now it's time to get busy and make up for it.

The women who go to Curves definitely have more energy and are more agile than a lot of women their age.  A new lady came yesterday and Mike, the owner, was teaching her how to use the circuit equipment.  She moved slowly and somewhat tentatively.  I'm going to try and pay attention to how she does if I see her regularly, and enjoy the progress that she makes.  Being agile and having flexibility means fewer energy and fewer falls.  It means having strength to do household tasks with much more ease.  It means staving off the winter blahs and blues that often overtake us at this time of year.

One of my friends, my neighborhood walking buddy, walks all around her house for a period of time each day.  At least she used to until her husband started staying home all day long.  He used to go to a daughter's house and spend the day, but for some reason he quit that regimen.  But she would get her exercise whether or not she went to Curves or somewhere else.  It made her feel better.  And she has some steps at her house that she used for part of her exercising as well. 

Walking is really the more perfect exercise.  It doesn't load up the joints with a lot of pressure, and it is a natural movement.  In fact, I saw an article that said that walking provided just as much benefit as jogging or running.  A brisk walk is an excellent way to get some exercise.  I am excited for the warmer weather so we can get back on the canal pathway.  It's a neat place to find peace and quiet and nature along with your walk.

So that's about it for today.  I'm keeping up with the news on TV but lately I realize that it starts bothering me.  It's not good to bury one's head in the sand, but on the other hand getting addicted to a 24-hour news cycle is not healthy.  I try to keep it to no more than about an hour a day.  That's enough.  Plus, when I log into the computer to start my blog or check emails during the day, the foxnews.com website is my default.  So that also keeps me up on the latest goings-on.

Take care -- have a great Saturday.  Today is the Pinewood Derby races for my grandson, Drew, and his dad.  The car has licks of fire on it and looks pretty tough.  It weights 4.7 ounces, and the limit is 5 ounces so it should move decently well down the track.  It's a great day for a race!!

Karen

The Fake War

For quite some time now, we've been hearing about the "war on women."  I just don't see it.  So, this day's posting is going to be about how we don't have a war on women and how the terminology is a political ploy used to "gin up" the women's base.  Or in other words, use women for someone's political gain.

Why is that bothersome?  It is bothersome on a number of different levels.

• One area where there has allegedly been a "war on women" is in the workplace.  I can attest to the fact that a male working in a job was paid more than a female doing the same job.  It happened to me back in the 1980s, in fact.  To some degree the situation still exists but things are much better than they used to be.  I'm not sure how it developed; it might even go back to WWII when the women took the men's places in the workplace so the men could go fight.  At any rate, I'd hardly call that a war, would you?  It is an inequality in some cases but certainly not a war.
• When politicians declare a war on something, watch out.  The words are chosen carefully to elicit a response and there are plenty of women who fell for the bait.  This so-called war is in part supposed to be about a women's right to choose.  They have that choice, unfortunately, and can choose to end a baby's life through abortion.  And no one talks about or seems to care what sorts of ills that brings to the woman who makes that choice.  Women have easy access to a number of different pills for birth control and the cost is rather small even without insurance.  Women receive benefits to get a mammogram each year on insurance policies, and cancer screening.  They receive benefits to get reconstruction after breast cancer.  Women's health buildings separate from the rest of a hospital are much more common today.  I can't honestly say I've seen a men's hospital or wing.
• Whereas women often stayed home to take care of the children and the house in the 1950s, women make up a large portion of the workforce these days.  In fact, a number of women have opted to go back to the 1950s model and have found that in many instances, they can save money by staying home, especially if there are small children involved. 

Women have this marvelous gift; we can bear children.  Take a group of elderly people and bring a child into the group and watch what happens.  It's like turning on a light in a dark room.  Children are the best comedians there are.  No day goes by without something to laugh about with a child nearby.  Their innocence is such a great contrast to today's world, and rather than enjoying what they bring, too often children are marketable for products/toys/services.

The real war that is being waged is that women have allowed themselves to be duped into thinking that they can do whatever they want without facing the consequences.  There are consequences for both men and women but women seem to be fighting for their chance to swing the pendulum towards them.  Right now, I'm thinking about the female college students who choose to get into binge drinking.  I'm thinking about the use of language.  I'm thinking about the lack of modesty.  I'm thinking about the lack of respect towards their own bodies and those of others -- and the "it's all about me" attitude that is so prevalent these days. 

A war on women or are women actually at war with themselves?   As my boss at work always said, there is a big difference between men and women and the physical differences are just the start.  In the Christian life, we can find a way to live an abundant life, a fulfilled life, a joyful life.  It is not an empty, confrontational, antagonistic, me-me-me, demanding, defensive and worthless existence.  It follows the priorities set by God -- God, family, friends, work.  Femininity is embraced and not for spike heels, fragrances, a myriad of skin products, and the latest clothing trends. 

If a person spends a lot of their time waiting for someone to offend them, look at the time they have wasted on sharing a little joy in the world?

Today I will be joyful!!  I thank God for my children and grandchildren. 

I wish for you a day of joy too.

Karen

Cat Saves Baby

A news story from Obninsk, Russia told of a 12-week old boy who was left at the bottom of a stairwell in below freezing temperatures.  A stray cat who lives in a box at the apartment complex  cuddled with the child and kept him warm, and had also started loudly meowing which got the attention of some of the apartment dwellers.  The cat was normally very quiet, so one of the residents started to worry that Masha had gotten hurt and went out to check on the cat.

She found Masha and the baby and called authorities.  The baby was left with a bag containing some food and diapers but would probably not have made it through the night without the warmth that the cat provided.

Masha had grown attached to the baby and when the ambulance came, the cat followed the child to the ambulance and tried to get in.

Now Masha is a celebrity in Russia and who knows -- may get a forever home because of it.  I hope so.  No cats belong living outside.  Domesticated cats can survive but it is a cruel and lonely life.  Over the course of time, they often become ill due to exposure and a lowered immune system.  They also get frostbite just as we do and the areas most likely to be affected are their tails and their paws.

The baby is doing well.  Authorities are looking for the parents, but it would seem as though they didn't want the child.  And that's pathetic.

You have a child and a cat that were more or less throw-a-ways and they somehow found each other.  It is an amazing story of kindness and hope.  Even people who don't like cats would have a hard time not finding a soft spot in their heart for Masha. 

I pray that the little boy is well cared for and loved by someone -- and I wish the same for Masha.

Hope you are doing well, and getting along this winter.  I'm trying to look on the bright side.  It's almost the end of January.  Then we have February and usually by March we are starting to warm up a little bit.  This morning I'm safe in the house working on the blog and looking outside at the accumulated snow.  We're going to have to clean up out there; I left my car in the garage last night and thought that the snow wasn't starting until around 7:00.  It must have started a little bit earlier so that by the time I woke up, we had a good coating on the driveway already.

The temperature is 30 but there is some wind today.  So bundle up.

Back to the chairs -- the one seat-less chair is still sitting there awaiting some TLC.  It is possible that today might be the day I get something done on it.  But who knows?   I don't like half-finished projects but at the same time I do want to do this right.  As they often say, timing is everything.

Oh -- one other thing.  My son spilled some Super Glue on the formica in their kitchen.  Do you know what removes it?  Nail polish remover.  Interesting.  So put that in your "hints from Heloise" list.

Karen

Tweets

The dumb thing called tweeting has come of age, I suppose you could say.  People are just tweeting about everything to everyone.  Thing is, just like every other posting you could create, a tweet lasts forever and is "out there" for all to see.  It's hard to withdraw words on a page.

The impulse to just lash out and write something down is hard to resist apparently, but for safety's sake and all kinds of other considerations, do resist.  Save tweeting, if you must tweet, for the inane things that go back and forth like, "There's a nice sale at Sears."

I don't tweet.  I don't have a twitter account, and at this stage of the game, don't expect to ever request one.  My facebook page is simply like a book marker in my life.  It connects me with people I like and enjoy and reminds me of birthdays to refresh connections with others.  There are no status updates for me on facebook.  It just sits there, full of postings from other people, some of which don't reflect the views of the facebook page holder. 

For me twitter is just a waste of time.  I'd rather empty wastebaskets.

And speaking of work around the house, I made a decision some time ago to recover the dining room chairs.  The fabric from around 13 years ago is still solid, but it just doesn't cut it with the new wall paint and the carpeting that we should be getting this spring.  So we began -- got the first chair and removed the seat.  Easy.  Then we started removing the staples that hold the cloth to the seat.  Oh my goodness.  The chair company from Berlin, Ohio, went the extra mile and probably put about 15 staples per SIDE of the seat.  Plus a couple of extra at the corners.  The staples were put in with an electric or some other type of stapler that is of the commercial variety, not like our handheld model.  So they are really in there and hard to get out. 

We got one chair seat ready for recovering and now have to get down to the basics of how to fold the corners, following the old one as a sample.  I will use something truly useful -- Youtube -- and find a video that might show me what needs to be done.

And so that was two days ago.  First, we needed some Scotch Guard to make sure that the fabric repels stains to a degree.  I did that.  And now the one chair sits without a seat at all.  I hid the seat because foam is attractive to cats and they would likely claw the stuff to pieces.

So the day after the seat was removed, I'm watching the one cat, Sassy, as she moves through the dining room at a pretty good clip.  And she's heading for -- the dining room chair without a seat.  Yep, she went right through.  And then apparently did the same thing again the next day.  Another cat, Gracey, was moving even faster and about halfway through her leap realized that there wasn't anything there.  So far, no humans have made the same mistake.

So maybe today or tomorrow we can get to the job at hand -- finish ONE of the chairs.  Then move to the next.  I thought this was going to be a one-day job, folks.  ONE DAY.

So if you relate to this posting -- and I hope you do -- no need to tweet anyone about it.  We can just keep this to ourselves.

Karen

Korea

I was writing this in the morning, and then realized that it was time to get to church.  Peg and I were to play for the 9:00 a.m. Mass.  So I meant to come home and active this and kind of forgot.  Sorry.


We visited with my sister yesterday and took her out for lunch at Bob Evans.  She really enjoyed herself and then gave us stuff that totally loaded up the car for the trip home.  She's cleaning out her house from the ground up and getting rid of a lot of things.

So I have items to spread out among the family or give to the Salvation Army as I choose.

During our conversation yesterday, she reminded me about Don Heubel, a friend of hers from high school.  Since my sister was 14 when I was born, I got to know some of her friends if they happened to come over.  One of those visitors was Don, and when I was about two and a half, he started coming over to visit with me on the front steps.

He would ask me a lot of questions -- I can remember that much -- and then he would laugh like crazy.  I loved the attention and was rather surprised at his reactions to my statements since they sounded pretty obvious to me.  My sister was always so surprised that he'd come over to see me, this little kid, when she was pretty and 16.  Funny huh?

Well, Don was adopted only he didn't know it.  One day during his senior year in high school, he happened upon some paperwork at his house that showed he was the adopted son of the parents he thought were his "real" parents.  He was very upset with them.  So upset, in fact, that he enlisted right afterwards in the Marines.  After graduation in June, he went to basic training in August, came home for one brief visit and then he was off to Korea.  He got caught up in that horrible fight in Korea in November 1950 when we lost so many men at one time. 

My sister said it was very cold in Korea when Don was killed.  She said that at 82, she still thinks about him shivering and cold and away from home.  I told her that I hoped he had a moment's time or two to think about the adoptive parents who loved him so much at home and that maybe he could forgive them and think that if he got out of that place, he'd go home and make amends.

I don't know.  We'll never know. 

After Don's death, maybe a year or so later, we went to visit his mother.  My sister took me and told me not to mention Don.  And there were pictures of him everywhere, my friend Don.  I remember the conversation as being friendly and nice, but a little tense and stilted.  I remember being uncomfortable, not knowing what to say and feeling sorry for his mother.

Don is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC.  His name is displayed at the peace statue in downtown Cleveland at the base with all of the other local men who gave their lives in Korea.

These are the stories that just get to a person.  Such a miscommunication and misunderstanding.  And what a sad outcome of it all.  God understands our hurts and He relates to our hurts because God in the person of Jesus experienced those same hurts.  There were miscommunications and misunderstandings among his disciples. 

I hope that while he was in Korea, Don came across a dedicated chaplain somewhere and found God.  And that when he was alone in the foreign country, he wasn't really ever alone.  No one is really ever alone, even though it might feel that way.

Have a great day.

Just Wandering

We watched American Idol last night and it's very early in the game.  They are still doing the city-by-city auditions.  One young man with long blonde hair wearing a red shirt stood out among the others.  He is homeless.  He is homeless by choice.  By his own words, he was a rebellious young man and chose to leave his family behind because he didn't want to listen.  So he took to the road with his guitar, a sleep mat and some sort of covering.  He goes from town to town playing and singing and people throw money into his open guitar case.  At night he sleeps outside of town on the ground.

If he makes enough money, he buys a bus ticket. Otherwise, he usually hitchhikes.  He ties all of his belongings to himself with string at night so that if someone comes along and tries to take what he has, he at least has a warning and can possibly stave off the robbery.

He misses his family and home and he says that he's planning a trip there too.  But he stays no more than 3-4 days in any place.

He did get the golden ticket to Hollywood, but I'm just not sure that with his nomadic tendencies, he'd be able to stay in a hotel, be part of a group effort, and even practice basic hygiene.  The one judge said he was pretty ripe.  He may not even be aware of it, because when people are out on the road, they get used to the smell and just don't think anything of it.  But other contestants will!!  And they will be very judgmental.

He just looks like a lost soul who could use some help.  The golden ticket might bring him recognition but it might not be the kind he wishes for.

Well, we did go to the mall and I got sheets.  They are wonderfully comfortable and not slippery either.  They were "on sale," but that didn't mean so much.  I just glad that I don't have to buy them that often. 

My neighbor likes silk pajamas and she had gift cards so she got four pairs.  She was going home to pitch her old ones and was happy as a clam.  We had a very good time and it was good to be out and about.  We walked for an hour before we shopped, so that was good too.

Today we are off to see my sister in Westlake.  It should be a good day.  The weather will be crisp but not frigid and there should be no snow. 

Hope you have a good day today.  Five months to strawberries!!

Take care, Karen

Mall Walkers

My neighbor and I are going to Belden this morning to walk inside the mall.  This weather has put a serious crimp in our exercise program -- it's time to overcome the cold and move forward!!

My neighbor got a Macy's gift card for Christmas and she wants to do a little shopping while we are there.  I think that sounds like a great idea.  We need sheets.  There should be a white sale going on that I can take advantage of and that's all good.

Thing is -- sheets aren't just sheets anymore.  It's become a very complicated process and I am almost weary of it.  A couple of weeks ago, I went online in anticipation of buying a set of sheets.  Oh, my goodness -- what a complication.

Here are a few points:

1. No, we don't have a California King bed, so scratch that.
2. We do have a double sided quilt-top mattress with a drop of about 14 inches.  So the sheets have to be able to accommodate that, and a lot of the packages don't say that they do.
3. No, we don't want flannel sheets.
4. No, we don't want slippery, hot polyester sheets.  We want COTTON.
5. No, we don't want white sheets.  That's all there were for years and years.  I can remember when the first "designer" sheets came around and it was amazing.  Sheets didn't have to be white after all.  Then underwear didn't have to be white either.  It was a new age.
6. I don't know what 300, 400, etc. means and apparently, the industry hasn't been that careful with these designations.  I've read that they don't mean that much, and to be careful not to be misled.
7. I don't know what Egyptian cotton is.  American cotton would be fine, if we could find it.
8. I don't need four pillow slips.  Also, we use regular pillows, not King size, so that means I have to shorten them too.  Yikes.
9. I don't really care if the sheets have a "name" attached to them.  Kohl's sell Jennifer Lopez sheets.  What, she personally selects them?  Oh, brother. 
10. And last, I just want some nicely made, very washable, comfortable sheets -- one fitted, one regular, two pillow cases.

Let's see how this works out.  Oh, and I forgot.  I only want to spend about $40.  Hah!!!

That's the best one of all.

Be careful out there.  A lot of the communities apparently didn't take advantage of the day when the roadways were mostly slushy ice and now all of that stuff froze solid.  There are ruts, and dangerous icy spots galore.  It is a nightmare on my son's road in Canton.  I had to put my car in just such a way that my granddaughter could get off the bus and make it to the car without getting into the thick of it.  We did okay, but boy, it's not nice.  The bus driver, Susie, was also loudly complaining.

Take care.  Karen

OSU -- Rah, Rah, Rah

Whenever I do one of my retro cheers, my granddaughter looks at me like I am nuts.  Rah-Rah-Ree -- Hit 'em in the knee.  Rah-Rah-Rass -- hit them in the um other knee.  She doesn't get some of the humor in it yet.

Rah-Rah-Rah -- Siss, Boom, Bah.  What on earth was that?  But it's funny and it goes back a LONG way -- to raccoon coats and people dressed to the nines at games and gentility and camaraderie.

OSU had all of that minus the corny cheers last night in their defeat of a formidable Oregon foe.  A Polynesian quarterback from Hawaii playing for Oregon made a valid effort and has nothing to be ashamed of.  OSU's defense simply put on a show, and their offense led by an amazing front four made holes for valiant #15 who took every chance he got to get a yard.

It was a great game, a fun one to watch.  Unlike other games watching the Bucks, I wasn't really nervous for them at all.  It was such an improbable season, losing two great quarterbacks and relying on a third, virtually untested one, they had already beaten the odds to get to the game.  I was glad for them.  The coach says they are a close-knit group and I think that showed.

So hooray for OSU -- hooray for the State of Ohio -- hooray for the end of all of the disputes on who was really the best in college football.  We know who it is and it's US.  I have a theory.  It doesn't matter which college you attended, or even if you attended college.  When OSU plays, we all went there in a sense, all of the brave souls born and raised in Ohio.  O -- H -- I -- O.

And yes, I did make it to Joanne's the other day.  It was a fairly quick trip.  I got some yarn, a picture frame, and an alphabet block printing set.  All good purchases.  I have the frame ready to go, have selected the appropriate art work, and it is ready to be put together and hung on the wall.  It should look nice, kind of fill out an empty space.

Then I made some cards for birthdays and get-wells and it was fun.  Nice colors cheer up a body in the dead of winter.  It makes up for the frozen landscape outside, and the "frozen tundra."  Did you ever wonder what that is?  When you hear those words, "I'm going out into the frozen tundra."  Well, here is your definition.  The arctic tundra is an area with clumps of native grasses and hardy plants growing on it.  It is frozen most of the year.  It crunches when you walk on it.  There are actually three types of tundra, but I think the one they are referring to (as in walking into desolation and frigid conditions) is the arctic tundra.

Lots of missed school; the kids are going nuts.  They are bored and today they got to return to their schedules.  The day for a snow day would have been today, so the kiddos could have watched their state make history.  But that's okay.  I guess they would have been happy to walk for a while in the frozen tundra. 

So have a happy day today -- and let's be glad we live in Ohio.  Want me to list a few reasons why it is good to be a Buckeye?

• Very few poisonous snakes.
• Only maybe one poisonous spider.
• No scorpions.
• Fewer microscopic creatures that invade the body (like Monsters Inside Us)
• Less mudslides.
• Plentiful water supplies.
• Plentiful rainfall.
• Good growing soil and season.
• Vast array of plants and animals.
• Great colleges and universities (Go Zips)

So that's pretty good if you ask me.  Take it easy.

Karen

Saturday for Joanne's

Today I might get to Joanne Fabrics finally.  I have a gift certificate that's been burning a hole in my pocket and I really would enjoy the break.

Yesterday was holy hour and I did make it.  My husband surprises me sometimes because he has a lot of stamina despite the COPD.  I don't know if I could do what he did, and I'm supposed to be reasonably in shape.  The chapel was so quiet and peaceful.  It was just lovely and I got a lot out of it.

Here are a few of the things I gleaned from yesterday's visit:

There was a neat poem about how the cardinal got a red breast.  The legend is that a bird tried to remove one of the thorns from the ugly crown on Jesus' head and as he pulled the thorn out, he was washed with Jesus' blood.  And this is how the cardinal became the red bird that we love so much.  I have watched cardinals for years and I can tell you some interesting things about them.  They mate for life.  They are non-combative birds and usually like feeding off the ground rather than vying for space at the feeder.  The Bluejays dominate them.  They stay together in the trees around the feeder and make a beautiful scene.  They like sunflower seeds.  They are very territorial and that's why we always have a grouping of probably not more than 10 or 12 pairs.

Another little gem I read was from a book that dealt with Reconciliation.  It said that we should welcome the chance to go to Reconciliation, not "have to but we "get" to.  And that this is a special Sacrament and one where we not only encounter the priest, but Christ in the presence of the priest.
The book went on about the nature of sin and how we have so many opportunities to say yes to God, but choose to do otherwise.  So it isn't just willfully disobeying God, doing what we know is wrong.  It is also the many chances we have to live a different kind of life and we don't.  It gave me a better picture of service to God.

So that's about it for today.  I'll head off to Curves and get a work-out in first, then stop at home and get all my coupons, etc., and go to Joanne's.  Then when I get home, I'm going to make some cards for people I know who need a little comforting. 

I hope you have a great Saturday.

Just think -- it could be Alaska.

Karen

More Cold

Another day; another opportunity to whine for a second or two.  I'm supposed to have my holy hour today and I don't want my husband to go out and clear off the driveway.  It's just too brutal and dangerous and he has COPD.  I think all of you know that we have a hilly driveway and that without getting it shoveled off, a car just can't make it up there, even a four-wheel-drive one.

I think I will call the adorer who has the 1:00 slot and the adorer who has the 3:00 p.m. slot and let them know.  He's making noise that he will listen to the weather forecaster -- oh brother.  I know what that means - he wants to get the driveway cleared off and he's just looking for a good excuse.

So let's see -- what else can I mention that might get some humor flowing this morning.  Oh, yeah!  The cat threw up on the bedroom again.  How's that for hilarious?  This time I'm getting out the trusty Hoover carpet cleaner after doing the obvious solids removal first.  And then Fred, the cat, is going to be in great humor after I put Laxatone on his paws.  Let's see how that works out.

See -- here's the routine.  He gets up and he eats.  Then he comes into the bedroom and gets on the bedside stand right next to me.  He looks outside for something interesting, like maybe a fox or a coyote.  Apparently, there aren't too many of them around so he just kind of has a dumb look on his face.  And then he starts retching and if I didn't get him off the bedside stand, he would throw up BEHIND it where there is a heating duct and lamp cords.  Yikes.  That would be a mess!

Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm really nice to Fred and I love the old guy.  He's my buddy and he sleeps by me every single night.  He purrs himself to sleep he's so happy, so you don't need to be concerned that Fred has a bad life here or something.

Still -- I'd much rather have the alarm go off playing WHBC music.

Oh, here's another thing.  The other night we got ourselves a Netflix selection.  It was a football movie called, "The Underdogs."  The movie starts out with a scene of WHBC and I'm thinking -- there's another one somewhere?  And then at the beginning, it says that the story is by Ben Suarez.  Yep, Ben Suarez from Stark County and SCI Corporation.  Then we got to see scenes from the Hoover plant, the Central Catholic stadium, St. Thomas Aquinas, and I'm not going to spoil the rest of it for you.  It wasn't a bad movie either.  The song selection was actually very good and WAY better than 100% of the selections we found from Hallmark movies and a few other assorted bombs.

So that's it for today.  Off to the kitchen to make some cream of wheat for breakfast.  With weather like this, hot cereal is a great idea!!

Well, maybe there is one other thing.  My sister got me a cookbook for Christmas.  It's a Gooseberry Patch cookbook.  What I like about it is that the recipes are easy to make and don't use exotic ingredients.  Most of the time you have the majority of ingredients in your house already and only need a couple of things.  Like one I'm going to make is sweet potatoes with a sauce on top made with crushed pineapple.  Doesn't that sound good? 

Bye for now -- smile a little when you think about Fred, okay?  And say some prayers today to help me make up for missing holy hour if that is what happens.

Karen

Quick Post

Just a quick post here to say hello and complain about the cold.

Sometimes I like to whine; it just happens.

I worked in the same department with George Prough and I know I told you about him before.  He died about three years ago from Parkinson's and put up quite a fight.  Well, yesterday we saw in the Beacon Journal that his son's wife died unexpectedly, leaving two children.  She was only 42 years old.

It is always so sobering and sad when someone so young dies.

The obituary said that she knew her Lord and Savior on a personal basis since 1982.  That's just glorious!  And at the end of the obit, there was a quote from the Bible.  Probably my favorite.

"All things work into good purpose for those who know and love the Lord."

The quote they used was just a little different but the meaning is the same.  No matter what happens in this life, we must hope and believe that there is a God who knows about it and cares.  He doesn't want us to be sad but he knows we will be.  He was sad when his friend Lazarus died.  He cried.

And then He told us that it will be all right; every tear will be wiped away; He will make all things new.

What an awesome promise!

Stay warm; be careful; wear gloves.

Karen

So -- it's Wednesday

I'm off to a slow start this week.  Yesterday we went to church to clean out the choir loft storage area.  It was a mess with discarded electronics (dated and dusty), wood pieces, and way too much sheet music!  One of our group had already spent more than three hours cleaning out the lateral file cabinet.

It looks a lot better but it would be even better yet with some carpeting and some new shelving, but that would cost money.

Today, we have two funerals, one at 10 and one at 2.  I feel sorry for the families with the weather because going to the gravesites is going to be really cold.  It would just seem to make the death even more somber.  I figured there would be no school again with the cold temperatures, but apparently almost every school in Stark County is in session today.

Did you make up any New Year's resolutions yet?  The Beacon Journal had a back page on the community section all set up for listing resolutions and all sorts of information, apparently to make the one listing feel more accountable.  That's just it.  In most cases the only one who is accountable is the person who makes the list with such examples as losing weight, eating more healthy foods, and quitting smoking.  Involving a spouse in the resolutions can cause problems because pretty soon the list holder is feeling resentment toward the spouse for the reminders and the not-so-subtle encouragements.  An argument is probably not too far behind. 

So let's see ... I didn't do any resolutions yet.  I think I should though, so maybe this Friday at my 2:00 Holy Hour, I will do some thinking about it and let God have a chance to give me some input too.  I'm sure there are many, many things that should be on the list.  However, just as a polite warning that I knew before but also saw an article about -- don't try to tackle too much, too soon.  In other words, you should resolve to do something that you actually have a chance to complete.  It should be articulated and measurable, so that at the end of 2015, you know that this resolution has been completed.  Better that than having three or four difficult resolutions and not even making a dent in any of them.

I could list a few resolution examples for you to make things move along a little faster, if you like.

1. I resolve to avoid any sports bars where Johnny Manziel is a patron, lest he make a gesture at me and I would feel the need to spill my drink on him and then be ejected.
2. I resolve not to waste one iota of sweat on whether or not the Cleveland Browns win any games in 2015-16.

Now, as for a couple of REAL resolutions:

1. I resolve to waste LESS time doing dumb things like playing Solitaire.
2. I resolve to be more of a glass full kind of person.

Okay, so maybe you've already noticed that the second resolution is hard to measure.  I mean, how can I be sure that my attitude reflects a more positive stance in life?  So that one probably shouldn't make the final cut.

You know, our loved ones would probably be better at giving us ideas for our resolutions.  They know us in a different way than we know ourselves and can be more honest than we often are.  But then, that takes us back to one of the earlier paragraphs, doesn't it?  The one where we might get a little short tempered when hearing something we don't want to hear?  Don't open that door unless you are ready, willing, and able to listen and take their suggestions to heart.

Resolutions are difficult, aren't they?  However, we need to work on improving ourselves, especially in the realm of God.  Are we the best Christian that we can be?  And we all know the answer to that one.

So good luck with your resolutions and I'll talk to you tomorrow. 

Karen

Black Ice

It wasn't until some years ago that I'd ever heard the term, "black ice."  A news person was using the expression to explain a terrible traffic accident that had occurred.  The driver of the car didn't have a chance, never saw it coming.

Just because I'd never heard black ice before doesn't mean I didn't know something about it.  Let me share a story from my days at Kent State.

I lived in Beall Hall, an eight-story dormitory on campus and was heading to my first class of the day.  The easiest way out rather than an elevator was to take seven flights of stairs all the way down and then exit the extreme side exit closest to main campus.  This door linked up to the concrete pathway that extended from the side entrance of the building to the side door and then beyond.

I had rubber boots on that day, knowing that the weather was cold, and I was dressed in warm clothing including gloves and probably a hat, though I don't remember it.  As soon as I flew out of the door, there was trouble.  The whole sidewalk was coated with ice that you could not see.  It was also dusted with a little bit of snow that looked like powdered sugar.

Known for one who has good balance, I went on about a 20 foot gyration of movement trying to regain control of myself.  It was one of those moments that you just couldn't believe was happening, and I was waiting to wake up out of my dream any second.  At the end of the "body goes this way, then that," segment of the event, gravity finally won.  I ended up in a snow drift by the side of the walkway placed like a dog, in the crawling position.  How mortifying!

The first thing I did was look around to see if someone had noticed.  Sure enough, a boy walking from one of the other dorms was staring holes through me.  He didn't say a word.  He probably still laughs to himself if he gets reminded of it.  I hope he enjoys it!

Well, I buried my pride and got up from my degraded position, gathered my books and notebooks and purse, and righted myself.  My knee was a little bloodied and stayed that way for the rest of the day.  My panty hose had the start of a run that got longer and longer as the day went by.  I felt damaged.

A few days later, it started to be funny.  These days, it's hilarious!  Never overlook the power of a sense of humor.  It can carry a person through almost anything.

So on that day of the black ice, my carefully planned morning was thrown into chaos.  Lots of things have happened since then that make that morning pale in comparison.  And yet, there was a lesson to be learned.

The bottom line is we have to realize that there are things that are just out of our control.  You know, the Serenity Prayer?

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen

Thing about it and say it -- memorize it -- at least the first part.  God's grace is enough for right now.  It doesn't work on yesterday and it can't cover tomorrow.  But today, His grace is enough.