• Saturday, June 27, 2009 - heat wave in june
It's June and we're at the tail end of a heat wave. It's been over 90 degrees for over a week now. While many others complain, I really don't mind the hot weather. That's because I can't help but remember January when we were buried in ice with no electricity and freezing cold conditons.
Besides, this is the time of year that tomatoes, peppers, green beans and all the good stuff from the garden becomes ripe!
I was outside today enjoying the scents of the garden. I trellised the tomatoes, which were determined to grow to a new zip code. Last week, an attempt to drive bamboo stakes into the ground was met with near disaster after one of the stakes broke and left me on all fours on the ground. (yes, shoulders still hurt!)
But, while cleaning the house and moving things around, guess what I found? The heavy HAMMER that I couldn't find last week! With twine, scissors and the heavy hammer in hand, I went outside and drove the stakes into the ground. With a sturdy 'fence' now placed among the tomatoes, I cut twine and moved the branches off the ground so the fruit would receive better air circulation and I could easier pick once everything is ripe. And THAT won't be long from now! LOL!
Tomatoes have an odor all of their own. In the warmth of the late June sun, I relished the smell of green branches and tomatoes mingling with the warm earth odors. So good and full of promises of tomato salsa, fresh cut tomatoes on sandwiches and stews full of summer's richness this winter.....
Over in the green beans, I found another handful of beans to add to what I found the other day. I LOVE fresh green beans cooked with fresh onions. That is an astounding taste! Even better, when tomatoes ripen, to add a bit of bacon to the mix. Oh yum! Delicious!
Another bag of raspberries! If I can just get another two or three, I'll have enough for my raspberry jam! The jelly jars are so ready, willing and able to be put to good use in this fashion! I bought the quilted kind - only because they were on sale. But they add a jewel facet to the deep, rich colors of the fruit jewels I'll soon put inside the jars. I've already made blueberry, cherry and blackberry jam. Still thinking about strawberry and rhubarb mix into a jam....have enough to turn that creation into reality....
Ah, three fat blueberries hid deep in the shade of their shrub. Others are turning red and purple. Soon, there will be more fat berries to pop into my mouth. But today, the three were quickly dealt with in a satisfying pop inside my mouth. Ahhhhh! The summer's warmth bled with deep juiciness....
Van will soon be repaired. Needed new transmission. Well, that's not what it's gonna get. Instead, will be rebuilt transmission. LOL! MUCH cheaper to go that route than to put in brand new one. If I can just get this tank to limp along until I can afford something different, that's all I ask.
Took granddaughter to the river front in Henderson, Kentucky earlier in month. They have a nice water spout park on the river front. It's enjoyable to sit there, getting splashed with cooling water, and watching the kids play. It's free and everyone has a blast going there for cooling fun. Even me!
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• Thursday, June 25, 2009 - Something's rotten here!
• Thursday, June 25, 2009 - June
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Can it be nearly the end of June already? Where does the time go? The older I get, the faster time flies.
But today, it's hot and sunny. As soon as I walk outside, the smells cooking under a hot June sun assault my senses. I can smell rotting grass and warm earth. I can hear the birds and other summer noises that I forget about over winter.
Today, I checked the green bean patch. The beans, small just a day or so ago, have grown fat and long under the sun's warmth. I began to pick, thinking there were likely not more than a handful. Surprise! There were enough to can, were I were so inclined. But I'm not. I'm more inclined to snap them up for dinner with onions - my mouth watering with the thought of fresh green beans. The season's first!
I checked the tomatoes. They too have exploded on the vine. I checked the spot where I fell trying to put in stakes Saturday. Since I couldn't find the heavy hammer, I decided the ground was soft enough to stuff stakes into the ground. One of the stakes snapped in two or three pieces, and I landed square on my hands and knees.
My sore shoulders continually remind me of that mishap. Looking at the partial bamboo stake remaining in the ground, I'm lucky my shoulders are my ONLY reminders of that day! The jagged edge is much higher and more pointed than my memory gave me.
Through the grass, I meandered toward the blueberry shrubs. Shrubs is a good term for them. Planted just a few years ago, they struggle for growth and barely reach my hips in height. They are offering blueberries, but in slow motion. Only two blueberries are ripe enough to pick. It's a good thing I already bought blueberries for jam and didn't rely on these small shrubs, I think to myself. I popped the two blueberries into my mouth where they gush warm and juicy between my teeth. Yum!
Back over to the raspberries I wander. They seem to be exploding in their place! I take note to remember to move them this fall, as they have outgrown the space where I planted them just two years ago. Meanwhile, I dig into the canes, looking for the tell tale deep red of ripened raspberries. Sometimes, this requires practically standing on my head to spy the well-hidden fruit. Raspberry canes are hard put to give up their treasures!
Meanwhile, the birds are hard put to allow me to pick 'their' patch! They chatter and screech at me about their starving babies. But I pay no mind. After all, we have this same conversation each and every summer when the fruit begins to ripen. I remind them that there is always enough to go around, and besides, wasn't I generous with the cherries earlier in the month and haven't they already stripped ONE of the blueberry shrubs clean in spite of the so-called bird netting I threw over the shrubs last month?
The warm metal bowl fills with juicy raspberries. True to my word, there are several ripened berries left on the canes. Inside, I measure out the treasure. One more bag. That's two in the freezer. My hope is to get enough for raspberry jam...but I wonder if I'm going to have to break down and buy a bit of the fruit to have enough? Or, perhaps these raspberries will produce again in the fall? I'm trying to remember the ways and wiles of Heritage raspberries....but my mind fails to help me out.
Before returning to the shadows of the cooler kitchen, I visit the blackberry canes. Now, these are wild blackberries! While they produce large, juicy berries that everyone loves, and produce the fruit in such large numbers I can make syrup AND jam, they also produce painful thorns that latch onto anything: Hair, clothing and skin. Those thorns aren't the least bit picky.
I told a neighbor I'm going to move some of those canes to the back fence - the one that I constantly fight neighborhood idiots over because they don't like the fence. They've attacked it and broken one spine on the fence I hand built. They also climb it, weakening and breaking more rails. They don't like the fact I stop them from driving thru the area on their four-wheelers, cars and trucks. Well...duh....like I want to encourage such antics! Especially on dark, rainy nights, like the one when I was nearly hit by someone cutting thru in their truck....and I had JUST stepped out my door!
I think with pleasure of the first time one of those thugs tries to climb the fence and a blackberry cane latches on to his 'thinking end.' LOL! While my neighbor objects, saying the idiots will 'steal' the berries, I remind him I don't think that scene is likely. I can't imagine folk, who want to take the easy way out, wanting to work that hard to avoid the thorns....
Ah, the garden grows nicely. It has gifted me with some type of vegetable or gourd. I'm not sure which. Perhaps I'll find pumpkins this fall. Perhaps not. But a large vine wiggles it's way among the Kentucky mint and tries to find a way to get closer to the sun. The mint scents the air in a cooling way. For the moment, all is well in my world.....
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• Monday, June 22, 2009 - This is too important not to pass on
• Sunday, April 26, 2009 - Granddaughters and taxes...
Well, tax season 2009 is over. Thank goodness! I hate tax season because I worry about paying anything I might owe. Lately, I get a very small amount from the feds, but owe the state a couple hundred dollars. Grrrrr!
I posted a deduction for pets. I think pets should be deductible. Of course, they're not. BUT, with this country over run with unwanted pets, I believe the problem would be solved if we could deduct their care. Dang! Don't work that way, does it?
I don't have many deductibles. Work gives me some, as I don't have a company car. I use my own car - which is why I had to go out and buy a new van in 2007. I was on my way home to let dog out and then going to work - only the guy who ran the red light interrupted that plan.
He also killed my car. Totally.
I have no children at home. So, I'm NOT considered head of household. I HAVE a household, which I hold entirely on my own. Yet, I'm not considered head of that household. Go figure....
I have grandchildren, but they are their parents' tax deduction. So, I'm left only with the ability to deduct interest on the house, work related deductions and so forth. Sigh...
Meanwhile, life goes on. I had my two year old granddaughter today. I took her fishing and taught her a new song. She was busy singing, so I thought I'd join her. She rudely told me to 'shut up!' She was singing and planned to sing along.
I stopped the car abruptly.
'Excuse me?' I asked her. 'Where's my please?'
I figured that would be enough to elicit that please from her and we'd both go on about our business.
Instead, she sat in stoney silence.
'Young lady,' I scolded, 'Where is my please?'
'In my mouth. It's stuck there,' she said, opening wide and pointing the back of her throat.
I nearly lost it right then and there. But I knew I couldn't give in to the laughter I felt inside. I had to remain the stern Nannie and make her mind...not that I wanted to...
Eventually, I got the please, but her singing stopped. Until we got back to her mommy and daddy's house. That's when she began to sing the new song I taught her - in French. In English, it translates to 'Brother John.' In Little Bird language, it translates in neither French nor English...at least, I don't think so....
The song she sung for mom and dad went, 'Ferry Doctor. Ferry Doctor. Door the Food. Door the Food. Sandra wants a donut. Sandra wants a donut. Dim Dang Duh...'
It's tough being hard and demanding of such a funny little squirt.... |
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• Friday, April 10, 2009 - The chocolate pie
 Funny that how as we age, some of those priceless childhood memories come to the fore front. There was the time my older sister made us a chocolate pie for dessert. Us younger kids sat there drooling through the entire dinner. Never did a meal last so long! Finally, the moment we waited for arrived. Dad picked up the pie and brought it to the table like a gift to the Gods. He gently laid it on the table. To my younger sister and I, it seemed the moment of arrival to the table top took years - even worse, we now had to wait for dad to get the long silver knife to cut the pie into servings for all of us. Mom got out her best dessert dishes for the occasion. Imagine! Judy's FIRST PIE! It was a moment in history, to be sure.... At last, with licking lips, we watched as the knife sliced into the that pie and dad took the first long cut across the top to make it two equal halves. That's when the moment took a terrible turn....because that's when the pie slipped readily out of the shell and sat perched atop dad's knife - the ENTIRE PIE! My younger sister and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry....but that didn't matter for long, as dad began to laugh out loud as he shook the rubbery mass atop his knife - like a King with his royal scepter. 'You know, I think I can use this to plug the hole in the floor,' dad announced. Was it that moment or a second or two later that Judy ran from the kitchen, tears streaming down her face as she wailed on high? Her screams of sorrow and humiliation pierced our ears and hung heavy in the air. Mom shot dad one of 'THOSE' looks and went after Judy. Meanwhile, my younger sister and I, hearts downtrodden, could only dream of what could have been....as dad began to measure just how large that floor hole was.... |
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• Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - What does St. Pat's Day have to do with education?
Today is St Patrick's Day. Happy St. Pat's, everyone!
There's lots of lore surrounding St Pat and how he drove the snakes out of Ireland. I long for a modern St Pat - to drive the snakes out of education! Snakes, in my sense, being the government.
Way back in the 1950s, my mother was the PTA President. This back when PTAs stood for something beyond having kids sell things for their school fund raiser and was a real arm of school power. My mother worked very hard to keep government out of public schools. She said once government took over the schools, education would decline.
Son of a gun! Mom was right! Education eventually was taken over by government - not local parents, teachers and community who believed they should dictate what was taught in their own schools. And education has indeed declined!
How do I know? Because last week, for four days, I taught students in our public schools how to save lives through CPR and First Aid classes. This wasn't rocket science. It was fairly simple tactics guiding people how to be there and help in event of emergency.
The students appeared to get the lessons. They could tell me how to do this and that. The problem was when they took their tests. If I had ten students, a good four either could NOT read or could NOT comprehend the written word. We're not talking the words written in foreign languages here. It was English - their birth language.
I was so upset by this revelation that I vented to others about the neglect these kids receive in the public schools! That's when I learned what 'No child left behind' really means. It means, don't worry about whether or not the child can do the grade work. The schools aren't paid for that - instead, they receive money for each child promoted - or should I say PUSHED - forward to the next grade level. Worse, many of the parents active in the local schools can't read themselves. Give me a break!
Better yet, give the kids a break! What a disservice to these kids! They talked about college. They talked about becoming teachers and doctors and such. Now, just how on earth are these kids going to compete in anything beyond flipping burgers in a place where they further don't have to think, as even change is automatically figured up on a machine for them?
This is ridiculous! Little wonder parents who want their child educated opt to go for private schools, if affordable, or to home school!
I've also taught this side of education more than once. The kids are well behaved, attentive and more importantly, can READ and COMPREHEND!
Just what exactly is wrong with holding a child back when they didn't comprehend the grade work? Both my kids were held behind one grade. What a difference that meant down the road, as they were more mature than their classmates and ended up in careers that required not only thinking, but the ability to read. Their egos did NOT suffer because they repeated a grade. Instead, their egos became stronger because they weren't struggling with something they couldn't understand and could have success in school.
Granted, there was a year when I thought it was wasted due to a lousy teacher - but we're not talking total loss. I knew I wanted my kids educated. I knew what that meant. And I cared enough to go down to that school and fight for my child - changing things for the better. I cared enough to take a stand and make a stink and get it set right. Period! But why any parent should have to do things like that is beyond me....
The bottom line in the public schools, as I viewed it, was all about money. It costs too much to do this or that. But I was an advocate for my children. I could care less what on earth it cost the system - because I wanted my children to learn, for heaven's sake! Not become a statistic for the schools!
Still, government throws more money at schools that can't perform. The truth gets hidden in the agenda. Kids are NOT being taught! Kids who need help aren't being HELPED! And education, just as my mom predicted, is tossed by the wayside.... |
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• Thursday, March 12, 2009 - Why feed the birds
I feed the birds all winter long and especially into the spring. Why is that? Because there is very little food available for migrating birds this time of the year. The flowers aren't quite out, the bugs are still hibernating, seeds from last year are beaten down by storms and possible no good at all.
We also had bad storms here the end of January. What habitat was there is also beaten down and broken by that storm. There will be little to no recovery for years to come. That means less food, less shelter and more deaths among our feathered friends.
I help them best I can. While almost everyone else was busy cutting up and leaving their damaged branches and trees at the curb for the city to pick up - an expensive proposition, to say the least - my neighbor and I simply piled the broken bits in the corners of our yards. Why? Because the birds can use that for shelter from the weather, predators and places to build their nests.
We also put out bird seed. She told me about a place that offers high quality seed for low cost. We want high fat and high sugar content to help the birds begin the nesting season strong and healthy. Peanut butter stuffed with seeds, suet of any kind, cut up fruits, nuts and high fat seeds are placed out there for the birds to eat.
Studies have shown that birds with feeders nearby their nesting sites will produce an extra chick per clutch. Those chicks will be healthier than nests without feeders available, because those parents won't have the added boost to help them through this lean time.
Both our places also boast hummingbird feeders. The hummers began arriving here between mid-February and early March. I've also added oriole feeders, as they begin their migration to SW IN from early to mid-March. They love sugar water, jelly and fresh oranges. Right now, oranges and such are cheap in the stores, as there is an over abundance of fruits going bad and few buyers.
In the summer, once again, I'll grow sunflowers for bird feed. They are easy to grow and can add a nice decorative touch in other wise plain areas. I save the seed from year to year and end up with plenty of seed for both feed and replanting. I plant the seeds around the front deck, creating a pleasant place on those hot July days to sit and have a cup of tea or coffee while reading, as the sunflowers - all and leafy - will provide a bit of shade and plenty of privacy for my otherwise open deck. I also took an old gate a neighbor was going to toss, tied it to another area of the porch and plant cardinal vine to climb up the 'trellis.'
Cardinal vine is another plant that produces plenty of seed that can be harvested and replanted year after year. Just wait until the flowers form seed pods, turn brown and easily crumbly, run between your fingers to remove the black seeds within the pods. You can keep them in an envelope for the following season - or if you're lazy like me - I put them in the top of the fan, where there's a space for the remote I lost long ago. LOL!
Hummers and butterflies love cardinal vine. And I love the soft green, lacy leaves and bright red trumpet flowers. Between the sunny sunflowers and the red of cardinal vines, the porch becomes a haven not only for the birds, but for me as well.
In the garden, I've planted prairie flowers of coneflowers, herbs, sunny correopsis, lilacs and other plants that provide me with cooking herbs, medicinal herbs and more food for the hummers and butterflies. There's plenty for all of us! When the birds drop seed and that seed grows into more plants and seeds, I leave them. It may not be that attractive to those who think neat and green grass is the best at all times, but they are attractive to me, the nature lover, who knows that seed will provide food for the migrating birds of late summer and fall.
So, buy a feeder. Hang it out of the way of where people walk. That not only helps cut down on disturbing feeding birds, but protects humans from possible diseases, such as histoplasmosis, from birds. (80% of people living in the Ohio River valley have evidence of exposure and it can be deadly to small children) Set out a birdbath - which can be a fancy thing bought in a store or as simple as the clay dish water catcher for potted plants. That's what I use. Birds don't care!
Buy the highest fat content seed you can afford, also hang out peanut butter smeared on pine cones or straight on a branch, and stuffed with seed. Hang out homemade or store suet. And while you're at it, provide some nesting places to help our feathered friends this spring and summer, in particular..... |
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• Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - Gardening in small spaces
It's been warm the last several days. We've enjoyed temperatures in the 70s and near 80 degrees on some days. It was wonderful.
Of course, this time of year, this never lasts. So, last night, storms moved in and about blew us into the next state - or at least the next county over. Today, it's overcast and we're back to winter. Brrrr!
But all is not lost. I had a roast lurking in the back of the freezer for several months now. That means it needs to be cooked, or lose it to freezer burn and the dried death of doom. So, today, it's slow cooking in the oven with potatoes, carrots and onions. The house smells like heaven today!
That may well be my last roast for quite some time. That's because any extra money I have, I'm sending to my son and his family. I don't have much to begin with. But I'm sure every little bit will help, as they don't have the extra money for food or gas, since his hours were cut in half recently. With two small boys and a girl on the way, I worry. I know those kids need good food and if they don't have the money for gas, if there is any work available, my son won't be able to get there.
I've been talking to them quite often now, as a result. Hoping they'll put in a garden this summer, as that's one way to get good fresh veggies. When DIL said they didn't have the room, I told them they indeed did! Bush green beans could go along the fence lines, with squash trellised up the fences behind the beans. Potatoes could neatly fit in along the garage wall, with tomatoes, onions, peppers and such growing in a small unused spot behind the garage. All are easy to grow and big producers. The boys, although small, can help with the garden and that will make them feel they are contributing to the family, as I know they're likely worried about everything going on. People often think little kids don't worry or aren't affected, but they pick up on parents' fears and worries. I remember those feelings quite well when I was small.
Meanwhile, I learned these gardening techniques from one of my favorite aunts - Aunt Margie. I remember going there and she would have fresh peaches, strawberries and cherries. I'd look out into her yard and wonder where exactly she had her garden, as all I saw were the few trees and yard with grass. One day, she had me go outside with her to gather the strawberries. Ah ha! The strawberries were growing low along the chained link fence. They had plenty of sun and were thriving in two narrow rows right there beside the fence. No danger of them being trampled or anything accidently being mowed in their small protected space.
Dad would do much the same thing. By the back door would be his prized tomatoes and peppers. Along the garage wall would be onions and rhubarb - something he utterly loved! In a very small space, he would haul in quite a yield. I know that only because I, often as not, received a portion of the huge tomatoes and some other garden produce as the season went on.
One summer, we were challenged by an English teacher to grow some beans and work on them all summer. This was based upon Thoreau's philosophy he wrote while working in a bean field. I was one of those kids who took things to heart, and so, that summer, along the fence row at the side of the house, green beans were planted, tended and harvested by me. That began a long love affair with gardening and a curiosity about what else I could grow.
But, no, I didn't get a bit of inspiration to write any philosophy. In fact, I wondered what all the fuss was about. BUT, I could tell the teacher I worked in a bean 'field' that summer when school began again. And those green beans sure were good!
So, lots of things can come from small spaces. Sometimes, it takes thinking outside the box to figure it out - or reading some philosophy might lead you to the same place... |
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• Thursday, March 5, 2009 - Intro to my house
When I moved from the house up north, I got an apartment. One bedroom, no less. I literally had boxes stacked from floor to ceiling with a pathway through the apartment and a little window built among the boxes so I could watch TV. No joke! And I'd pared down quite a bit before the move!
Well, I pared down even more and still had too much stuff. So what did I do? Buy another house. This one a house from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks.
For nearly a year, I had groups of young men showing up on my door step at odd hours. I also heard comments about this being the 'Twenty Dollar Bill House.' I just went, 'Huh???'
About 18 months after moving in, met a neighbor. After talking for a bit, she decided I was 'normal,' what ever that means. Anyway, I began to hear about MY house - like how it was the star, apparently, of an 'America's Most Wanted' segment and the FBI, CIA and SWAT were here because the idiot who lived here - an art student - apparently put her skills to use by creating counterfit bills - with the help of her boyfriend. AND, he was already wanted for something else. AND, they also dealed.
And I'm not talking cards here, okay?
Neighbors swore there was a body in my back yard. I did dig into the neatly placed 6x4 foot hump, but found no bones. 'Course, I wasn't ABOUT to go too awfully deep, either....and no, I didn't believe her mother when she told me some hogwash about her daughter trying to build a 'pond.' I never heard of a pond being ELEVATED! How the heck does a hump hold water anyway?
Then, I learned from a teacher EVERYONE in town knew about the 'Dance House.' That's where I lived! Oh cool! Why did no one bother to tell ME before I bought it?
Once people decided I was 'normal' and okay to talk to and trust, I began to get the questions: Did I find any money? Did I find any plates? (Only the broken dinner plates in the garden area - never did figure out why those were buried there) Did I find any drugs? No, but I DID find a used needle and several condoms....also used....ugh!
This place has slowly yielded its wares as rains and snows have washed layers off of discarded beer cans, more broken crockery, odd screws, a weird thing that kind of looks like it was meant to chain someone somewhere....I shudder to think about it further...and things of that nature.
But nothing valuable...of course....unless you count the HUGE chunk of concrete I wrestled to the curb for Spring pick up. (Believe it or not, the city actually TOOK it! Evidence, maybe?)
Oh, and I didn't tell you the best part, did I? Must save the best for last! The neighbor a few doors down turned out to be an ex-con of a rather violent nature. Neighbors saw the idiot sitting out on the porch that day with several rifles and knives, but for some reason, this didn't make them think it might be a good idea to call the cops and alert them....SOOOOOOO, that evening, he took a mom and one or two little kids hostage. That meant I had police with bull horns, a standby ambulance AND I lost count of the squad cars parked out front and in my drive and helicopters buzzing overhead. That was all night, I might add. Didn't sleep too well that night for some reason...
Oh, and don't forget the arson dude across the street. The lady behind me who beat up her grandma and was mad the old lady lived - because dang it all - she ratted out the granddaughter....poor kid. (NOT!) Then there was the drunk who loved to beat up women and thought he could intimidate me. Another great big NOT! I don't intimidate....I'm too mean and ornery myself. LOL!
Luckily, those idiots are all gone. The police and SWAT came out and removed them two years ago or so....and things have calmed down a good deal. Not even had an arson or another hostage situation to write home about. But we DID have a flood...so I guess not all is lost....
Anyway, I'm still paring down. I do think this is a never ending process. I can hardly wait for the grandkids to get homes - boy, am I gonna get this place emptied out THEN! Too bad they're all still toddlers...ahem...by then, I might even be able to hand them down antiques!
Let me think here...exactly how old do things have to be to qualify as really, REALLY old and antique??? |
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• Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - No voice
 I've lost my voice. Actually, I know where it is - it's locked up with whatever is going on in my voice box. But it's been a very long fall and winter, as my voice has come and gone and come and gone - now to apparently go on an extended vacation. My voice has been gone close to a month with no signs of returning. This has made things interesting, to say the least. Just like when electric is lost, we have no idea how much life is made simpler, easier and faster until something important is gone. We talk on the phone, tell kids what they can and can't do, communicate with clerks, other people and just plain talk. But I can't do any of those things. Yesterday, I went to get a few groceries. The clerk asked me what my zip code was. I was dumbfounded. What on earth kind of question is THAT? Just when I thought I could slip in and out, I'm stopped by a question that requires a voice, and apparently, the transaction can not continue until the coveted postal code is given. This is RIDICULOUS! So, there I am, using my fingers to give the clerk the stupid zip code while everyone in the entire store is watching. I was quite peeved, to say the least. Then there's the ordering of something to someone behind a counter. They look tired and act like they don't care. No smiles. Just a bored expression on their face as I struggle to communicate my needs. I ask for a salad. I get a chicken sandwich. I try to exchange the sandwich for a salad, only to get the same teenaged clerk looking at me like I came from Mars. I tried writing a note BEFORE communicating in these situations. So many of the people taking these jobs do NOT speak English well. READ something in English? Again, I get the look as if I've dropped in from another planet. THIS IS AMERICA, for cry'n out loud! Why on EARTH are otherwise (I assume) smart people putting others in slots dealing with the public when they don't have the basic necessities to UNDERSTAND the public they are supposed to serve???? That, of course, brings me to a whole other blog, but I won't go into that....not yet.... I had my granddaughter for two days. What fun when Nannie has no voice. She pushed the envelop, to say the least. But I found a way to communicate with her - she knows 'One, Two, THREE!' means you'd best listen! I held up a finger. Thankfully, she understood and backed down on her desire to continue the game. She did make me laugh, however. She informed me she could 'count backwards.' Did I want to see? Well, of course! So, first she counted forward with one, two, three, four - all the way to 12. The entire time, she did a little march. I assumed it was helping her keep count, as she's only two. If I'd had a voice, her next antic would have had me laughing out loud! That's because she turned around and began to march backward. And I clearly heard, 'One, two, three' - all the way to 12 once more. With a huge smile on her face, she turned and told me counting backward was easy. Oh, if only talking were as simply solved for me..... |
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• Sunday, March 1, 2009 - Interesting article
I found this on Yahoo news today. Thought it was an interesting article. It's hard to accept ourselves. I think it might be an inner acceptance that will allow us to be happy with our images more than anything else. While I'm losing weight for health reasons, it's certainly not due to any ideals I have about how I should look. It's because this weight is turning out to not be good for my health, which I believe it how it should be viewed. Not to compare us to the likes of Hollywood stars and models. That's a phony ideal:♥
Healthy Living☀
Sunday, March 1, 2009☺
User Post: What is my ideal weight? 5 tips for finding your happy weight
by Karly Randolph Pitman, on Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:06am PST
If you're trying to lose weight, you probably have a goal, your ideal weight, in mind. A good question to ask yourself is, "Where did I get this number?"
Is it what you weighed in high school? Is it what health experts suggest you should weigh, based on your age, body frame and body type?
While weight loss is an admirable goal for a woman who is truly overweight, many women who want to lose weight don't need to. In study after study, researchers have found that the majority of normal weight women think they need to lose 10 or 15 pounds: what I call vanity pounds.
Why is this a problem?
If our happy weight is based on unrealistic expectations, it will cause us much pain and suffering. We'll exhaust ourselves, trying to achieve the impossible. We'll live in fear: when we've lost weight, we're fearful of gaining it back; when we've gained a few pounds, we're fearful that the scale will keep rising. We may delve into all sorts of whacked out behaviors: crash dieting, food obsession, fasting, and overexercising in our desire to reach our goal.
Unrealistic expectations can create an unhealthy focus on our appearance. You can only be 10 pounds underweight if you're working very, very hard: by exercising for hours a day and being very stringent about what you eat. These behaviors can easily morph into an eating disorder.
The flip side, accepting a realistic happy weight, may mean giving up our wishful thinking of being a size 2. This can be painful; I know. But the rewards of letting go of our impossible expectations are many: vitality, feeling satisfied by the variety and amount of food we eat, energy, stable moods, confidence and a healthy appreciation for our appearance instead of obsession. It's also a sure way to temper the jealousy you may feel about other pretty women.
How can you find a weight that is realistic for your body? Here are 5 tips:
1. Look at the unique factors of your body. Self magazine has a calculator to determine your happy weight which takes into account your age, exercise habits, and if you've had children. You can also factor in your eating and self-care habits: Do you have ways of comforting yourself without turning to food? If not, accept that this may mean weighing a bit more than you'd like until you have stronger nurturing skills. As you learn how to care for yourself, your weight may go down. But accept where you are right now. Then, as Maya Angelou says, as you know better, you do better. And then you can adjust your goal. Having realistic expectations is about looking at what is - not what you'd like to be - and using that information to shape and mold a positive, yet honest expectation for change.
2. Aim for a healthy body fat percentage. One of the best ways to compute a realistic happy weight is by basing it on a healthy body fat percentage. Start by figuring out your current body fat percentage. Then, you can use this number to figure out how much of your weight is comprised of core, lean mass: your organs, muscles, water, and tissues, and how much of your weight is fat. It can also tell you if your body fat percentage is in a healthy range. So, if you want 22% body fat, which is considered a healthy body fat percentage for a woman, you can see whether you need to lose a few pounds, or if your body is healthy just as it is. With hard data, and real numbers, you can see if your expectations are realistic.
3. Look at media images of women with a critical eye. Look at window mannequins in most women's clothing stores, and you'll see a woman whose body fat would make her underweight. Likewise, the "ideal body" that is touted in the movie industry, fashion industry and media is also underweight. This skews our perception, where, as Stanley Tucci's character in The Devil Wears Prada famously quippped, a size 2 is the new 6; a size 6, the new size 14. Separate yourself from these images by recognizing them for what they are: unrealistic. This doesn't mean turning into the body image police. When I see celebrities who look clearly underweight, I bypass judgment. But I do feel compassion for them -- think of the enormous pressure they must feel to always look their best. I know I wouldn't want to live with that kind of scrutiny on my appearance.
4. Give yourself enough time to lose weight. If you are wanting to lose weight, one of the best ways you can support yourself is by giving yourself time to accomplish your goal. You didn't gain weight overnight; you won't lose it overnight, either. If you're holding onto an unrealistic expectation about how quickly you can lose weight, you'll either be discouraged and frustrated because it's taking longer than you think it "should," or you'll delve into drastic measures to lose the weight faster, such as starving yourself, purging, or overexercising. This is being kind to yourself, allowing time for changes to manifest. It's nature's way - growth and change take time.
5. Recognize that your happy weight will change over time. Health is dynamic, not static. Our bodies are always changing, and life is always in flux. The media focus on Jessica Simpson was ridiculous because it denied this basic truth. It is normal for our weight to go up and down, particularly as women. One year you have a baby; another year, you have major surgery and have limited exercise capabilities; another year, you're under tremendous stress and gain weight. All of these things can effect what a realistic weight is for your body at this moment in time. Accepting that your ideal weight may be higher than you'd like - for now - doesn't mean that this will always be the case. Accept the ebb and flow; the highs and the lows, and learn to love a weight range for your body, not just one ideal weight.
We are so much more than a number, but as women in an appearance-conscious society, it is very, very eased to get hooked by the promise of an ideal body. It's easy to believe that it will solve all our pain - our confidence, our needs, our desire for intimacy, acceptance, and belonging.
These needs are valid and important. But the problem is when we use our bodies to feel these needs, instead of our innate worthiness, our beingness. It creates too much pressure, too much focus on one area of our lives. It keeps us from enjoying the present moment, trapped in a place where we are never satisfied; always striving to improve. It keeps us from appreciating what our bodies can do, how we live in them and enjoy their many gifts.
It's a gift to live in a female body. Our beauty should be cherished and appreciated; our sexuality, enjoyed; our strength, celebrated. Yes. While we are not our bodies, we do live in them --- and when we love and care for them, we send a message of love and care for our entire selves.
So, yes, love and care for your body as a loving caretaker, even as a mother lovingly cares for her children. Exercise. Move, sweat, dance, run play. Rest when you're tired. Eat when you're hungry. Feed it whole foods that nourish your particular body (because no one diet is right for everyone.) Breathe. Dream. Release your hurts.
But do so with detachment. Do it out of love, not out of hatred, fear, jealousy or disgust --- I am such a fat cow! ... I am going to run 5 miles because I ate that pizza last night.... I am so sick of being fat ... I hate that skinny b***ch. Love your body with acceptance, embracing every stage and weight of your body, recognizing that your real worth has nothing to do with a number on a scale.
Other articles you may like:
The Love Your Body Series
Why Beauty Matters
Make Small Changes to Improve Your Body Image
How to Feel Good About Yourself When You Don't Love Your Body
Get a Positive Body Image by Adding Discipline
Are You a Perfectionist? 3 Ways to Relax Your Expectations about Your Body
Want more of First Ourselves? Want to transform your relationship with food, your body, and your children through self-care? Sign up for our free newsletters on loving your body, overcoming sugar addiction, and self-care. Or download our free books on body image and sugar addiction.
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• Saturday, February 28, 2009 - Adjustments
Emma has come home at last. It's not like before. She's wobbly and sometimes topples over, but she's improved a great deal since Monday. Yesterday was better than today. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better than today. But at least she's home with me and acts like we should be skin to fur at all times. LOL!
Now, onto other subjects. There was an email at a Senior site about how to deal with loneliness and such. The guy was doing things he didn't like just to be with other people - and often as not, he didn't like the people, either. So, he asked for advice.
This is a common theme not only for Seniors, but for other groups as well. It's tough to become single at any age, no doubt about it. But it seems to be particularly hard on us Seniors. I think part of this is due to the fact we're no longer young and meeting tons of people because of kids' activities and other social outlets.
I didn't have a good marriage. That's why I was so taken aback when I suddenly became single when he had a massive heart attack and stroke. It was a shock. I frankly thought he would live to 90 - just to drive everyone else in the world nuts. That's because he was a difficult man. He was depressed and liked nothing better than to sit in the dark, all shades and drapes drawn, and stare at TV - having utterly no clue what he was watching.
He was also an angry person. He had held a grudge against some kid he knew when they were six years old. Good grief! That's when I knew there wasn't a chance for that marriage to work - and soon after learning that, he died.
Now, wouldn't you think I'd be happy to be free and single again? Well, I was on one hand. But what was odd was learning how much his depression had shaped and formed my own life and identity. Often as not, I was gone from the house doing something so I wouldn't have to see him sitting in the exact same position in the exact same chair with the exact same expression and outlook on life every single day.
I took to calling him, 'Eyore,' like the depressed purple donkey that lives in the Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie the Pooh and Piglet and Christopher Robin and the rest....
Eyore wasn't a pet name. It was really a way to say out loud what I thought without giving out further information. People could take it any way they liked. Often as not, they figured it was a pet name.
Well, not quite.
Anyway, there I was, suddenly sitting in the house he wanted to die in - the sole survivor of that marriage. As odd as that may sound, I WAS the sole survivor. I didn't expect to have the house and everything with it. I didn't quite know what to make of that - nor what to do with myself now that there was no longer a drive to escape a bad situation by keeping busy.
I thought I had so many likes. I thought I loved nothing better than to be out and about. I thought I had so many friends. But the reality was this: I was doing things and involved in things I didn't care a whit about - only to have a reason to go somewhere. So, with that reason gone - exactly who was I?
The other part of this was the surprising realization I was going to go through a grief so pronounced, I couldn't begin to sort it out. Who knew? No one told me about these things. As time went on and I talked to good people, I realized the grief was actually the death of hope. I secretly hoped that a miracle would occur and one day, he would realize he was wasting his life and want to have one. But death meant not only the end of his life, but the end of that secret wish.
Death also meant I realized I was defining myself according to his personality. I'd walked on eggs for so long, run for so many years, watched my words very carefully so an explosion wouldn't take place that I had become shaped by his moods.
So, who was I? That was a great mystery. I felt so lost.
And silly me. I honestly thought one year would be the magical limit of that confusion. Ha! Joke on me! It probably took ten years. But I'm beginning to settle into me. I find I'm outspoken, funny, love sunny days, independent and very talented in many areas I never had a chance to explore. I've taken painting classes, computer classes, explored the country side, moved, taken chances - some turned out good, some not so good - but I'm LIVING MY life - not living according to someone else's moods and whims. Therefore, I'm also feeling very free and happy and stable and competent and strong and interesting and so many things I never had a chance to feel or explore. It's likely very much how people who are suddenly freed after captivity feel - a shock that they're free and now what? And slowly, evolving into ourselves - changed by the experience, but stronger for it.
A long time ago, someone I met would say he explored the world without ever leaving home. He talked about the world that lived in a simple drop of water. I took it to heart to also mean we don't have to travel far and wide to have adventure. Adventure can occur right within ourselves.
So, what did I recommend to that lonely Senior? To give himself time. To explore many things until he finds the things that make him feel free and happy. For me, it's nature photography. I feel so much peace as I walk or wander the countryside, seeing things through my camera. Some are good photos, some aren't so good - but all are saying something about me. I like to watch the green things grow and watch the birds and how they fly, flit or interact with each other. I'm very aware of the small changes from day to day - like how the sun comes in at different angles in various seasons and how in winter, it seems veiled, but in summer, it seems sharp and bright.
I used to feel guilty about negative people and I would allow them into my life - dreading each and every contact with them. But the day came when I just refused to be around negative types - people who need to much and want drama in their life - it upsets my inner peace. They are no longer allowed to waste my time - or theirs. So people in my life are those who are positive people and also interested in life and such - such as Sue in Ireland - just as an example.
I learned I love nothing better than to be inside on snowy or rainy days or night. I love to light candles on those kind of nights and snuggle down with a brain game or a book. I love my dog. I love my cats. I don't feel any need to change anyone - and resent anyone who wants to change me. I tell people when they are over-stepping boundaries - MY boundaries. I hold no court for those who would harm or molest another.
I used to bake and cook and always had fresh baked things on hand.
Not anymore. Who knew? I am NOT Suzy Homemaker! LOL! I could care less about the house, decorating or baking. I have built bookcases, patios and fences. I love the smell of freshly sawed wood. I enjoy knowing I can not only use tools, but can use them properly and do something with them.
I have learned to knit. Okay, not my favorite thing to do, but something that I've found is soothing when it's been a hectic day. I'm not rich by any means. Things can be tough, at times - particularly since the accident and health issues. But it doesn't get me down. I figure things will work out - so who knew? I also found I have a strong faith - just not like many other people of faith. It's my own - just like my life..... |
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• Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - Emma update
| It has been an emotional roller coaster. Blood tests on Emma came back good, but with high sugar. Meanwhile, she wasn't much improved this morning when the vet called. Worse, she was still refusing to eat or drink. About the only good news I had was that Emma wasn't throwing up anymore. But was that really good news, since she was given a 24-hour shot to prevent that?
When the vet called and said Emma wouldn't eat or drink, I asked if I could try. After working this AM, I went home, cooked up the best hamburger and put swiss cheese on top. I also grabbed some cheese sticks, some treats, her bed and a pillow from the couch. Drove to the vet's carrying all this into their office - even a toothbrush for Emma. It looked like I was moving in, instead of trying to entice a dog to eat!
At first, she treated that food with indifference. She was happy to see me, however. The tip of her tail wagged, which was an improvement from yesterday when her tail hung between her legs as though she was being beaten. She wobbled to and fro, but it seemed her head wasn't listing off to the left as bad. But maybe I just wanted her to be better - wishing it so hard, I was imagining things.
I sat on the floor in front of her open cage. I tucked the pillows inside. I tried to offer her food again, with no luck. So, I laid my head on her head, kissed her head and told her how much I loved her. The staff gave me those 'looks.' The kind that say, 'Poor lady. You're dog isn't going to make it.'
Several minutes passed. I choked back tears. I just sat on that hard tile floor giving Emma perhaps the last of the love I'd ever be able to offer her in life. That's when she moved her muzzle down between my knees and her cage. To my shock, she stole a dog treat! With joy, I offered her the hamburger, but she turned away from it. My spirits were crushed.
But a few minutes later, Emma again sniffed the floor, this time stealing the hamburger and gobbling several bites down. What possessed me to ask for some water for her? I don't know. But a small bowl appeared and Emma greedily emptied the bowl and looked for more. No more - just in case. Best to go slow, rather than risk her vomiting again. But Emma wasn't done. The food bowl of their dog food was by the cage. She reached into that and hungrily began to down that food, too!
I began to laugh, telling the dog in ridiculous fashion, 'Good job!' It was as though she was my granddaughter and I was praising her wonderful behavior. The truth is, I was! I was so pleased to see her eat and drink! My heart took a leap and I wanted so much to spring Emma from that cage and just take her home, but I know she needs to heal some more....
This morning, I was in tears and feeling glum. This afternoon, I was feeling like I was walking on clouds, but it's been tempered with the realization the tide could still turn against us both. Is this the rally before death? I've seen people do that. Do animals do that, too? The staff was happy, but they said she wasn't out of the woods just yet.
Just yet....
Funny words, when I think about them. I'm hoping against hope that just yet turns into good news and I can bring my baby home tomorrow - my birthday. What a wonderful gift that would be!
If she dies later, it will still be hard. But I'm hoping she'll quietly go in her sleep here at home with me right by her. I don't want to have to make that horrible decision to put her to sleep. I also don't want her to die away from me and home and comfort. She's my girl. She's given me so much. I just want her to have peace in her final times....
Meanwhile, thanks to all who have offered prayers and thoughts and kindness. The roller coaster ride isn't over yet...but I do hope we've crested the final hill before it stops.... |
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• Monday, February 23, 2009 - Emma
| There are special friends that come into our lives. When they leave, there is a very large and sore hole left behind. That is what I'm feeling today.
Emma has been with me since 9 months after I became a widow. She'll be 13 years old this summer. So, she's been my protector, companion, confidant for a very long time. Because she's been at my side, I felt safe to go out on my own, to sleep at night - to do so many other things others take for granted.
Emma's a service dog. That makes her extra special. I've relied on her and never wanted to think of the end. But in spite of trying not to think of it, time has a way of putting reality in our way.
Last night, Emma began having a great deal of difficulty walking. This morning, she no longer would eat or drink and couldn't stand on her own. Her eyes darted back and forth and back and forth in dizzying fashion.
I thought she might have had a stroke. I dreaded that call to the vet this morning. I was call and collected, until I actually made the call. Then, I fell apart. Keys....where are the keys? What do I need? How do I get to the vet?
It seemed my mind raced from thought to thought, never spending long on any one thought or standing still long enough to collect my thoughts. Neighbor and SIL showed up on my porch. They got Emma into the van and drove us to the vet. Each roll of the wheel seemed harder and harder to me...as I sat and held my old girl. At least I could hold her, couldn't I? I could pet her and maybe provide some small comfort....
We were ushered quickly into a room. Sterile. I never noticed that before. No water. Emma needed water....even if she wouldn't drink, I thought she needed water. Small yelps came from her throat as she panted. I noticed her pants were dry.
It seemed forever for the vet to come in. It seemed forever, and not long enough. I was both anxious and dreading the moment the vet's footsteps could be heard. They sounded like loud thuds, although I'm sure they weren't. I was hyper alert. I was holding my girl on the floor. I was crying my heart out.
Vet entered. Gentle hands she has. I turned my girl over to her. She listened, looked, prodded and poked. Might be a stroke. Or it might be something called Old Dog Syndrome. Never heard of it. My mind reeled. What to do? What to do? Someone please tell me what to do....okay?
Emma was admitted to go on IVs to help her through this spot. Her heart was strong. Blood work-up might tell more. Am I only causing her to suffer longer? Am I only postponing the inevitable? Vet said, 'If she were my dog, I'd give her this shot. Perhaps she'll recover.'
But I'm not so sure recovery will arrive. Emma isn't doing any better this evening. In fact, she's worse. She began to vomit soon after I left. She still can't walk on her own. She's laying in a cold cage. I know she's confused and wondering what's going on, and I'm not there to comfort her.
Wednesday is my birthday. I hope my gift is to see my girl well once more, but I dread that day. I'm not so sure I'll get my wish. I'm not so sure my birthday memories won't be of having to say goodbye to my girl.
People are offering me dogs already. They tell me about rotties and other Labs and all manner of dogs needing homes. But I only need one dog - I need Emma. I don't want to say goodbye yet. I don't want to come home and not have her here to act like an idiot because I'm back with her again. But I don't want her to suffer. I don't like to hear she's confused. I don't want to be apart....I want to bring her home and keep her safe. I want to shut out the world and say 'leave us alone!'
But we can't do that, can we? |
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• Tuesday, February 17, 2009 - St Valentine's Day
 Hope everyone enjoyed a great Valentine's Day. I've been down with the flu. Slowly getting better and will return on line once I'm well.
Meanwhile, friend sent me the following copy of someone's blog. I didn't get a name with the posting. I figure the guy might have been too embarrassed to leave his name. LOL!
Deer Hunting COWBOY style
This is for all you Deer hunters out there.
DO NOT HUNT DEER WITH A ROPE
I had this idea that I was going to rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it
up on corn for a couple of weeks then kill it and eat it.
The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since
they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me
when I am there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the
bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should
not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to
calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home. I filled the cattle
feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the
roping thing before,stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After
about 20 minutes, my deer showed up -- 3 of them. I picked out..a likely
looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope. The
deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist
and twisted the end so Iwould have a good hold. The deer still just stood
and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole
rope situation. I took a step towards it...it took a step away. I put a
little tension on the rope and then received an education.
The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there
looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you
start pulling on that rope. That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned
is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt in
that weight range. A cow or a colt I could fight down with a rope and with
some dignity - a deer-? No chance. That thing ran and bucked and twisted
and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to
it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground,
it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an
idea as I had originally imagined. The only up side is that they do not
have as much stamina as many other animals. A brief 10 minutes later, it was
tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I
managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was
mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that
point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to get that
devil creature off the end of that rope.
I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it
would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no
love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and
I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual. Despite the gash in my
head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's
momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me
across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that
there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility
for the situation we were in, so I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a
slow death. So, I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and
the feeder - a little trap I had set beforehand, kind of like a squeeze
chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my
rope back.
Did you know that deer bite? They do! I never in a million years would have
thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when I
reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist.
Now, when a deer bites you, it is not
like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and then let go. A deer
bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull. They bite hard and it
hurts. The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze
and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking instead. My method was
ineffective. It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several
minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a
deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I
kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my
left hand and pulled that rope loose. That was when I got my final lesson in
deer behavior for the day.
Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their
back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves
are surprisingly sharp. I learned a long time ago that, when an animal --
like a horse --strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away
easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an
aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back
down a bit so you can escape. This was not a horse. This was a deer, so
obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I
devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and
run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a
horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you
in the back of the head Deer may not be so different from horses after all,
besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I
turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.
Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately
leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they
do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying
there crying like a little girl and covering your head. I finally managed to
crawl under the truck and the deer went away. So now I know why when people
go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope to sort of even the odds.
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• Sunday, February 8, 2009 - Storm melting..
The print is from the Audabon collection and shows the common red poll. A small bird and member of the finch family, the small bird winters in our area and visits local bird feeders. A polite visitor, so unlike the sparrows and gackles, this bird will soon be enjoying summer in the far northern reaches of our hemisphere.
Meanwhile, the ice and snow are melting memories in our area. The storm devastation is not a memory and likely will not be so for a long time to come. While we're back on line, as far as electricity, our neighbors to the South are not. There are many areas where power, water or phone service will return until some time in March. The storm has been marked as the worse in recorded memory, although I remember a six-inch ice storm when I first moved here. However, the devastation of power and property was not as great an issue in that storm.
I finally got out for groceries late in the week. I was surprised to see shelves totally bare of water, batteries, dairy products. I've not witnessed anything like this.
Spring is trying to arrive, but she is a fickle temptress. We were greeting 63 degrees yesterday and near 60 again today with sunshine. It can lull us into thinking spring is finally arriving, and such a welcome visitor to this area after our storm. But winter is not over and will fight for territory and the right to remain here to make our lives miserable.
Typically, our final frost in the first or second week of April. We think of planting our corn, beans, tomatoes and peppers around here - or, at least I do. I look at the garden, neglected through the winter, and long to dig in the dirt and get things ready. But I know darned well it's too early and too wet out there. It's better to wait, and so I will.
Just for today, I'll enjoy spring's teasing - knowing full well winter's grip is still strong and willing to fight... |
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• Saturday, January 31, 2009 - The birds
I have a bird feeder outside the large front window. It's freezing cold to sit there, so I keep a small electric throw there and a small quilt to help keep anyone sitting there warm.
I find myself sitting there quite a bit as the birds entertain me for hours on end. The small sparrows, Carolina wrens, tufted titmouse, cardinals, dark eyed juncos and many others come calling. There has been a starling or two and a squirrel. Now, when the squirrel arrives, I get peeved. The seed is for the birds and the greedy squirrel will sit on the trays and eat EVERYTHING! I must look like a maniac, as I pound on the window and growl loudly when the squirrel sits down for brunch. Grrrr!
I must keep constant vigil for that squirrel. Just when he thinks it's safe to come out, I'll see him ready to pounce from the broken holly tree or swishing his red tail from the fallen branches below. He's so desperate to reach the feeder, I'll hear feet scampering across the roof and suddenly icicles will come crashing down. I look up and who is peering over the edge, hoping to take a flying leap for the feeder? Yup! That danged squirrel!
He's not welcome, thank you very much! No room at THIS table! Now scram squirrel!
I keep my camera handy to get photos of the welcomed visitors. Or I simply sit on the couch and watch the antics of the company.
The tufted titmouse will sit on a branch and eye the scene. Is it safe? Is that lady still in the window? Sheesh! Doesn't she EVER sleep????
The cardinals, dressed in deep reds and the less colorful females, will do much the same. They see any movement, and they're off like shots. The titmouse is a bit less timid. They'll eye me for a bit, decide I'm an okay type and come over to the feeder for some grub.
The tiny sparrows are surprisingly mean! The push and shove and flap their wings in indignation that their friends are so danged rude! They will flap about the feeder when others are there, come up and shove someone away from the tray or beat each other over the head with wings.
Dark eyed juncos are happy to gather up what falls to the ground. They hop about on the snow, showing sharp contrast between their dark grey and the white snow, as they hop about looking for any dropped seeds. They are very polite and share with all their friends.
The Carolina wren is hilarious! I watch as those tiny birds fly to the feeder, picking carefully through the seed to find the perfect one. Then they'll fly up to a nearby branch and beat the seed on the icy branch. That branch isn't working? Maybe the one up higher or further back will be better! Tiny feet gripe the branch as they tap the seeds along the branches.
I can practically hear them asking, 'Is it open now? Is it? Is it?' They turn their heads in quick movements, as though they can assess the seed in their beak with better precision if their head is turned just so. I can only marvel that their little feet don't freeze on those icy branches!
Yesterday, Little Bird was here. We watched the birds for at least an hour. I told her the name of each bird that arrived at the feeder.
'What's that one?' I'd ask as birds flew off and new ones arrived.
'Cardinal!' she'd yell out. 'He's red like a strawberry!'
Little hands would clap and a broad smile would play across her small face. She became quite versed in the names of the birds. But my favorite will always be her yelling, 'Oh look, Nannie! A mouse!' That was for the tufted titmouse.
Ah, well a two-year old can only hold so much information, I reckon.... |
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• Friday, January 30, 2009 - Emergeny measures
I know this won't apply to everyone, but those dealing with downed power lines and this ice storm can use this valuable information. Meanwhile, SIL totaled out his truck last night on way home from work. He hit a patch of black ice and kissed a concrete barrier. Thankfully, he's okay. Just the truck is dead. But it sure was bad to get that phone call in the middle of the night from the hospital. Argh! Poor DD had to get Little Bird up to go to the hospital to pick her DH up and bring him home.
1/29/2009
Dear Friends,
I’m not sure how many of you will get this. I am one of the many people still without power at home, so I can see this warning not getting out to many of you in time. Still, if you have power and receive this message, please share the information with friends and family that may not have electricity or e-mail service.
First: here is a link to the Extension Disaster and Emergency Management website, specifically, the winter storm page: http://www.ces.purdue.edu/eden/disastertopics/winterstorms/index.html . There are links to all sorts of information, including horticultural (ice and trees, etc.) as well as home (dealing without electricity, etc.).
If you are without power, one of the things you need to think about is keeping your refrigerated food safe. The USDA has a good article on this that we are referring callers to:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Keeping_Food_Safe_During_an_Emergency/index.asp
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has an article on the hazards of portable generators:
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/portgen.pdf . Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a serious risk, as is setting fire to your home.
Ice-covered trees are a big problem with this storm. Some general tips:
1. Stay away from downed power lines!!! If you have a damaged tree tangled in power lines, do not attempt to prune it or otherwise clean it up!!! Wait for the power company to get to it. There is no way to know, short of grabbing it and dying, if the power line is charged or not.
2. Be extremely careful with branch cleanup. Completely downed limbs can be cut and moved off of roads and driveways. If the branch is broken but not completely down, be super careful! The vibrations of you cutting off that limb could be enough to shake down another damaged, ice-covered limb.
Also, I’ve seen some bent limbs that aren’t quite broken, but are blocking roads. Be aware that there is tremendous tension on these bent limbs. Cutting into them can cause the branch to spring up/back, causing injury to any human flesh in the way. Think of what happens if you were to start sawing into an archery bow....
3. Don’t try to shake or hit the ice off of your trees and shrubs. The most likely outcome is the branch will snap. If you don’t snap the limb, you may still be doing damage to the cambium and sapwood directly under the bark.
As often as I can get to my office (and electricity), I’ll keep in touch with you on any developments through Hort Alert e-mails. I’m going to be hard to reach by phone or e-mail for the next few days, but my office is open and taking messages, and I’ll eventually get back online to check my e-mail. Please keep warm and safe, and remember, the Purdue Extension Service is here to help.
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• Thursday, January 29, 2009 - Solitude of storms
It is cold today. Snow and ice remain deep. It is all still causing problems with downed trees, no power and temperatures that keep the ice solid.
In all of this, there is beauty. Last night, I looked out the window to see glistening trees in the street lights. It was just gorgeous! Hard to imagine that beauty is also treacherous.
Many places remain closed today. If people can get in, there is no power or no computers or no something that is important to running their daily lives. It's hard to believe how our lives come to such a halt when these things are removed from our day-to-day lives.
Life has changed a great deal in the last few decades. I remember when my kids were growing up. We had TV, but if the power went out, it was simply an adventure. We pretended to be in pioneer times and hunkered down under lots of blankets and held on. I remember one bad blizzard when power was lost for a week. My son and I stayed all but a few hours in that cold house. We had plenty to eat. We went to bed early and read by kerosene lamp. Other than being cold, we just sat and watched the world go by at a very slow pace.
We had little choice. There was no where to go, as no one else was going anywhere either. All roads in and out of our small town were shut.
When I was a kid, if power was out, I don't recall. We didn't get TV until I was older. Books were far more important to me than TV. I could do well enough without it, unlike my younger sister who wailed on high when TV was off or taken away. I'd simply shrug and pick up a book - my favorite companion anyway.
My aunt told me about the day they received the power of electricity when she was small. She said she could play under the table and still see. That was thrilling for her, as she'd never been able to see under anything at night with gas lamps.
She talked about riding in carriages pulled by horses. Heck, even mom talked about something called "Isinglass." That's what windows were made from in carriages and early cars. To this day, I have no idea what Isinglass is, let alone what it looks like. Does it give one a different view of the world?
Yup, much has changed in a very short span of time. Unlike when power went out when I was younger, it seems people are so much more impatient. Power is out. Phones are off. Cable won't work. Even cell phones are down due to tower damage. People were complaining on the news about how they can manage a few hours, but much longer? How were they going to contact family? How were they going to maintain their lives? How were they going to keep themselves sane?
I didn't feel myself growing impatient. I found myself settling down with kerosene lanterns and camping things with a good book. I found myself marveling in the absolute quiet and dark of the world. My power outage only lasted a couple of hours. Other than being cold, and I didn't even have a chance to get THAT cold, I didn't miss a thing - other than the newspaper. I could have done with a good crossword puzzle..... |
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