tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21475243141331687562024-02-07T06:09:33.543-06:00Senior SecretsJust rambling through my unexplored regions of seniorhood. Not sure where it will take me, but grab a cuppa coffee and join me.Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-43086096469495557342016-08-25T11:22:00.001-05:002016-08-25T11:22:13.531-05:00Bon Voyage<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Well, I just realized I forgot to blog about something significant! I finally feel a real part of the senior set having gone on a Caribbean cruise for the first (and likely the last) time earlier this year. Overall it was an experience that I'm glad to cross off my bucket list. I loved getting away from home and all the usual daily routines. The scenery was beautiful. The company of family was also great. Possibly the most impressive part was the food! The quality, quantity, variety and easy access were amazing. I was told that most cruisers gain an average of 7 pounds in a week. So that brings me to the tough part which was the walking! I actually lost 5 pounds. I also was reminded that I am no longer the party animal that I was in my 20's. The loud music, dancing and noisy crowded pool area weren't "my thing". except for the people watching, (some of which made me want my eye wash along with my ear plugs). But my aunt and I managed to get in a lot of gin rummy at poolside anyway. Most of the evening entertainment was also good. Must say I hated going anywhere near the casino with the lousy smoke smell. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Well, that's my personal critique of my Caribbean cruise. I'm not sure what age group it's especially best for. My guess is that it's better suited for someone with more physical stamina than I have. And I would say it would be more enjoyable for a married couple or younger singles. Don't think I would take children on this cruise, maybe Disney, but then that's just me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">I did leave the ship in two of the three ports. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">There were a lot of commercial tourist shops with many diamond and jewelry merchants and some local vendors.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">The one activity that I liked the most was a buggy ride through parts of Belize City. It was interesting to see the churches and the schools with children in uniforms. The housing that we saw looked very poor, but all the children and other residents appeared happy and healthy as far as we could see. There were paid excursions available, but I didn't do any of those.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK8MDWnTbAzLA0NJwUidODSL-TE5WzUCKnRHmhd7rVBs2w56J9l3NVe3broLj-ZEJmYohyphenhyphentS57SYZ-6wjrvaDGEwFl1Wwx2wRJ1QIOPNJ5JNDgwacl7OXxKATbVZlDXXcNwh-7M4K7zs/s1600/IMG_1083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK8MDWnTbAzLA0NJwUidODSL-TE5WzUCKnRHmhd7rVBs2w56J9l3NVe3broLj-ZEJmYohyphenhyphentS57SYZ-6wjrvaDGEwFl1Wwx2wRJ1QIOPNJ5JNDgwacl7OXxKATbVZlDXXcNwh-7M4K7zs/s320/IMG_1083.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ready for a card game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buggy driver describing the sights in Belize</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Multifamily dwelling in Belize</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYjOilvvPnrQ0vFrHEcdDO_6km9-NHkdCeXHp8wahFr-ZBcWjLDP8T3owYLZORz5ItpclUOcITEPxy5SxCTwLQrJ6hBVzga7hE-fORPs2HWmo6buV66inXSGYDU2ZttQ9eDfohCpTWkU/s1600/20160305_064152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYjOilvvPnrQ0vFrHEcdDO_6km9-NHkdCeXHp8wahFr-ZBcWjLDP8T3owYLZORz5ItpclUOcITEPxy5SxCTwLQrJ6hBVzga7hE-fORPs2HWmo6buV66inXSGYDU2ZttQ9eDfohCpTWkU/s320/20160305_064152.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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Heading home</div>
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Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-78126192002828803682016-08-23T00:19:00.001-05:002016-08-23T00:19:34.369-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts on the Media</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A facebook friend posted the following Dan Rather statement:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dan Rather</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August 18, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If residents of Louisiana are watching television news, they must be feeling woefully forgotten. We have the worst natural disaster in years. People have lost their lives and families have lost lifetimes of memories under the waters. However, on cable news at least, the bizarre, apparently fabricated story of the discredited armed robbery of Olympic swimmers is getting almost wall-to-wall coverage. It is ridiculous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't mean to downplay the interest of a story like the one out of Rio. It is so strange that it is compelling. What were they thinking? I wonder that as well. But the news business should have higher standards. Technically the supposed robbery is news, but not when compared to what is happening in Louisiana. It doesn't take much imagination as a reporter to find gripping human interest stories there too, not to mention the headline-worthy state of emergency and the underlying take away about the specter of climate change on extreme weather.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course that kind of reporting requires resources and may not draw the easy ratings of pundits playing the schadenfreude game in air conditioned studios. But that doesn't mean it isn't important. It doesn't mean it isn't news. And it doesn't mean that news organizations can give it the second-billing it is getting. I must say that I had reason to be around many local newsrooms in Texas this week and they were dedicating resources to the disaster befalling the state to their east.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A final rhetorical question- if these floods were happening in New York City, or Washington DC or even San Francisco, do you think the coverage would be different?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Thoughts on the Media</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to Dan Rather for that statement! Maybe it's only we "seniors" who recall entirely different journalistic standards and priorities. Just a few of my own thoughts follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems a focus on compassion and true priorities is largely gone from the headline "news", and is perhaps missing from society in general. Can the media can no longer create enough public interest to profit from stories like the Louisiana flooding? Or is it just easier and more profitable to focus on sensationalism, crime, celebrities and immorality? Has politics become as "down and dirty" and slanted to extremes of right or left as the media reports it? It just seems almost impossible to find truth and relevance in any of these extremes. Has advertising profit become the guiding force in news reporting as it has in the rest of - well - just about everything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Journalism was a part of my English courses in high school. Truth and factual objectivity was most important. The content, ethical and moral standards that we were taught to expect are so lacking in most media news today. Profit and ratings seem to be the number one factor in reporting the so called "news". At least they seem to be imply that they report "what the public wants". Really? Not this member of the public! "Years ago the Rio Olympic "robbery" story would have been relegated to the sports section of any reputable news outlet, or maybe just in a gossip column! It is actually is more suitable for the tabloids except they've gone a step further into outright fiction and lies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I doubt I'm alone in my hunger for the old standards in journalism! I've developed a cynical attitude toward the media and politics. I'd like to see a change. But I think the media has to take the initiative to change and return to the old standards of objective, relevant and truthful journalism along with a more beneficial and educational focus, keeping the opinion pieces separate from the factual news, Hopefully the public will then re-capture a trust in media news reporting and find it to be the information source that is needed in a productive and educated society. We should have access to true factual news to enable us to form our own opinions and to conduct our lives. There is a need for comprehensive news of disasters such as the Louisiana floods. I sure didn't need headlines and continued updates about the supposed Rio robbery! Guess it's a matter of values but I agree with Dan Rather!</span>Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-81011064638869855962016-01-11T10:42:00.001-06:002016-01-11T10:46:49.322-06:00Tech Issues and Goodbye to a Friend<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, I'm back. Seems there was some "suspicious" activity and Google closed my account. I have a feeling the suspicious activity was me on my "smart" phone trying to access some Google thing and not getting the password right. How can "they" be so cruel, in cyberspace, to require a senior person to keep track of 500+ passwords? Then just try to unravel the secret of re-establishing a broken connection and coming up with an acceptable new password. That MAJOR undertaking was giving me anxiety attacks after hours at it, so I abandoned the project. Then Facebook adopted a new photo sharing system that required a google account. So I tackled this again and finally got my account back, including access to this blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I've aired that grievance, the only other thing to share for today is a view of our Iowa winter.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbt83ac76_N9FWY3dzuFkLPBp1SkTqgY74F8tnBIOz6aFpCdErxP78wu0M7dpQgTMiwKJP0Eon3YiW7Wrjt_CzpnnRN_6PKaii158yFKnWx9LBDm0MOaDwAjKEs_WMOjByDJKM58FpDng/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbt83ac76_N9FWY3dzuFkLPBp1SkTqgY74F8tnBIOz6aFpCdErxP78wu0M7dpQgTMiwKJP0Eon3YiW7Wrjt_CzpnnRN_6PKaii158yFKnWx9LBDm0MOaDwAjKEs_WMOjByDJKM58FpDng/s320/IMG_1055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm sorry to say goodbye to Clayton Kelly Gross who </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">has passed away. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was a fellow </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P-51 fighter pilot, who knew and flew with my Dad in WWII before my Dad was KIA. I was privileged to meet him at an Ace Pilot's gathering a few years ago and he shared experiences about the war. We then connected on facebook and I enjoyed his posts and tales of his poker games. His book, "Live Bait" has been so very special to me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o'er,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Dream of battled fields no more,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Days of danger, nights of waking.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>~Sir Walter Scott~</i></span></div>
Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-69208870172649550082015-06-22T12:35:00.001-05:002015-06-22T12:35:34.136-05:00ChangesHow do I explain an 18 month gap in blogging, or do I need to excuse myself? It's been an unusual time, mostly about my Mom, her escalating dementia and her final acute illness. I could try to describe my own feelings and stresses related to her illness, but they pale in comparison to the nightmare she must have been living with daily. Since her passing on March 31 this year, I have felt grief, but also a sense of relief for her escape into eternity in heaven. She struggled so valiantly to hang on to reality, but while losing that battle more and more, I know she longed to leave this life on earth behind. I've struggled with mixed feelings. From about 1998 when I moved back to Iowa, to live near her, until about 2012, we became more like friends than we ever were before. I miss those times terribly and wish we could have had more of that. But at the same time I want to forget the tough times of the last 2 to 3 years.<br />
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Somehow I need to close that door, let go of unpleasant memories, put the good ones in storage and open the door to life and new experiences again. It's not that I stopped everything these past months, but there was like a fog hanging over each day. First on the agenda is the continuing great crochet project. Mom left hundreds of skeins of yarn and 3 unfinished afghans. Two are finished and I'm about to finish the third. Then I'll decide what to make with the rest or give it away. Her estate matters are being settled and still need attention. Some of her remaining possessions have been added to my own clutter to be dealt with. Yes, I'm still a pack rat and still working on that.<br />
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Summer vacations will include a camping trip and a visit to my sis and family in IL. So it's like the fog is lifting and joy is seeping back in. Hope to continue sharing happy thoughts and some more lively experiences here without so much time between posts.<br />
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In Loving Memory</div>
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Lorriane</div>
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1922 - 2015</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."-Psalm 30:5</span></div>
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<br />Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-65896598628761607172014-01-11T13:58:00.002-06:002014-01-11T14:11:53.610-06:00Productive IntentionsThis seems to be occurring with more frequency as the years go by. I start the day with every intention of accomplishing something productive, but at the end, can't for the life of me name one really commendable thing I've done. The necessities seem to eat up all my time and energy (more emphasis on energy).<br />
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This week was typical. It's well into January and my Christmas tree seemed to be calling out to me to put it into storage. So after at least a week of exhausting procrastination I finally trudged upstairs to bring down the appropriate containers. While up there I decided to look for some wallpaper to patch a hole in my dining room wall (from a tree that hit the house last summer). That called for a flashlight which I was unwilling to go back downstairs to find. So I searched my son's room for his, but ended up picking up his trash and some dishes and observing his lack of housekeeping. Didn't find a flash light, so I went back to the store room and took out several rolls of wallpaper before finding the right one. What was it I came up here for? Oh yes, the Christmas storage boxes. There was a lot more rummaging through stuff and re-arranging things, but I couldn't say exactly what.<br />
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Having found the wallpaper and the boxes, I toted them downstairs in about four trips. Then I needed a break. Break time involves checking my email, the news and facebook. Two hours later it was lunch time. Then my recliner seemed to be inviting me to stretch out and crochet while watching a little TV. Everyone needs a bit of "me" time, right? So I stretched out in the recliner watching TV around the Christmas Tree and over the storage boxes stacked in the middle of the room. Three (or maybe four) hours later (did I fall asleep?) my son came home from work and it was time to fix supper. Then I remembered to check the mailbox. Stepping out my front door I noticed two neighbors still had their Christmas lights on! Well, might as well enjoy ours one more night. <br />
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So that was maybe Wednesday? It's now Saturday and I have removed all the ornaments and tinsel from the tree and had my son take the boxes back upstairs. (I'll need to go up and put them into the storage area where they belong.) The tree is still staring at me all bare and forlorn. I KNOW I've felt busy most of the time, so why can't I list more accomplishments? Maybe I need to do a time study like we had to do when I was employed as home health care nurse, listing each activity and the times. YUCK! <br />
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I'm retired and I've decided not to let my apparent lack of accomplishments bother me. Maybe I'll go back to making a daily "to do" list. Yes, that would be better. That helps to show what I've done as I cross off the items. I've just put off doing the list. First item, "breakdown and store Christmas tree". (Add and cross off: remove and box ornaments, find wallpaper to patch dining room wall, compose blog entry.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbcEAlKoEOcDIY9T1fv4oHPdEPmyCqqCzC3bdA1_FC1qbkwZoTVVrLKTl0Gz96JEotA-mp8D8AhHV6RZPo8xDVD7nlwAh3XsZKrSNjn_O37UHcCzyNcUJdL2vVR41pT7IO7cAugWfN7o/s1600/Productive+Intentions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbcEAlKoEOcDIY9T1fv4oHPdEPmyCqqCzC3bdA1_FC1qbkwZoTVVrLKTl0Gz96JEotA-mp8D8AhHV6RZPo8xDVD7nlwAh3XsZKrSNjn_O37UHcCzyNcUJdL2vVR41pT7IO7cAugWfN7o/s320/Productive+Intentions.JPG" /></a></div>Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-58364043281096831132013-12-24T22:16:00.000-06:002013-12-24T22:18:45.940-06:00Procrastination, Change and Technology"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow."<br />
~Mark Twain<br />
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I'm continuing to become more and more skilled in procrastination. I don't even want to look back and see how long I've put off coming here. I don't think I have a huge following that I need to apologize to. But I am puzzled about how I could find something so rewarding as blogging, then tire of it or let it go so quickly. <br />
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What's new in my life that might have gotten in the way? One thing stands out that's not so much new as as it is like a creeping growing storm cloud. My mother will be turning 91 next week, and our days of meaningful conversation are now infrequent and decreasing. My prayer is for her to have less depression, anger and suspicion. The confusion and disorientation aren't as troublesome as long as she is in a pleasant and contented mood. Some days I feel the burden of her, but most days I just feel the sadness of her slipping away. How is it that we have no real concept of this stage of life, hers or mine, when we are thirty something? I watched her care for her mother through the same things, yet my time for this seemed ages away, or almost like it would never happen. Not many days go by without a phone call from a nurse at the nursing home about Mom's illnesses, falls, medication changes or other reports. I automatically expect to hear a nurse's voice each time I answer the phone. I don't say it, but my thought is "what now?" followed by relief when it's something minor. It's reached the point where I can't call her on her phone. She doesn't answer or isn't in her room. Occasionally she has a good day and is able to call me, but most of the time says her phone doesn't work. The worst call from her was about a week or two ago. She got angry about something and I thought she hung up on me. But when I visited, I found the charge base for her phone way under her bed where she had to have thrown it. This just isn't the Mom I've known all my life. This dementia, or whatever it is, just keeps chipping away her personality like some gobbling monster. Well, now I've vented about the central current issue in my life. It does help to verbalize it even if just in written form.<br />
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Next thing with this growing procrastination might be the decreasing tolerance of technology changes. I find it hard to believe that I got a Dragon Speech Recognition Software gift for Christmas last year, yes 2012, and haven't used it at all yet. It was something I really wanted to help me write more here, and maybe even some more poetry or other writing. Well, a year has gone by and I've done less writing that ever. I could sit and try to think of the reasons or excuses, but that just seems unproductive. Oh well, why not evaluate the reasons! I've had two more computers wear out and had to buy one with Windows 8. Makes me sigh and wonder just how many more steep learning curves I will be able to conquer. I turned 70 last month and I'm very tempted to use age as an excuse for avoiding several things: snow shoveling, lawn mowing, new technology, spring/fall housecleaning, window washing, etc. The thing is, I really can still do these things with some limits, so I think I need to stay active if I want to avoid brain and body atrophy. Plus I don't want to depend on others for things I can still do. One thing I don't mind is using my age as an excuse for my inability to remember people or names. Secretly that has always been a problem for me, but I fudged it not wanting folks to be offended that I didn't think enough of them to retain their name. Now I think I have enough gray hair to get by with asking, "Excuse me but my memory has gotten so poor I've forgotten your name." So aging does have it's perks! <br />
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Now I'm into going through my Mom's 20+ photo albums, reminiscing and trying to recall faces, names and dates before they slip into permanent obscurity. And I do intend to learn how to use that voice recognition software now that I've spent 3 months unraveling the mysteries and demons of Windows 8. I refuse to let procrastination, life changes or technology rule my life or throw me off balance even if they do make my brain hurt sometimes.<br />
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Even not knowing the language doesn't hide the hilarity of this fellow's technological impairment.<br />
His daughter asks him how he likes the iPad they gave him for Christmas then the rest is obvious...<br />
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<iframe src="http://www.snotr.com/embed/8965" width="400" height="330" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-62975573199372106702013-10-05T12:29:00.001-05:002013-10-05T13:14:52.078-05:00Comfort Zones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8xDoZ3T99Lf9-tV8xGoY4kFm9LxGaQRZ2NB5XHYpHQNeOpHCnL6QCm2rJHdWRF6fdP2N3rdipfWPb5CCmgs_R2FLopI0NSxy9Y9lGfPV31GM2_znFKFML-dhQzYCIxn9M0Yjt8RKXnc/s1600/Comfort+Zone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8xDoZ3T99Lf9-tV8xGoY4kFm9LxGaQRZ2NB5XHYpHQNeOpHCnL6QCm2rJHdWRF6fdP2N3rdipfWPb5CCmgs_R2FLopI0NSxy9Y9lGfPV31GM2_znFKFML-dhQzYCIxn9M0Yjt8RKXnc/s320/Comfort+Zone.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This expresses my thoughts on Windows 8 (in addition to a few more that are unprintable)! Is this related to aging? Or is it just a price we must all pay for change? When do the benefits of change fail to outweigh the inconveniences and brain fatigue? Well, OK, moving on... I did finally figure out where my desktop is (on that crazy start up app page). Haven't had access to my email on the new computer since I got it set up two weeks ago though, and haven't got a photo editing program yet. I just unloaded a roomful of defunct PC parts and equipment and now have another crashed laptop and desktop to dispose of. <br />
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On a more positive note, I find myself spending less time on the computer. I have to use my son's laptop for email and solitaire and my new one for online games and such. I did get a new Wi-Fi device and figured out how to set it up all by myself! Even got a new book downloaded from Amazon and into my iPad! Yay! <br />
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It's hard to believe I've let this blogging go for about a year. I just retired from some online volunteer work that I did for 3 hours every other Sunday evening for about 4 years. I need to establish some other habit to add a little structure outside of my day to day life. Maybe getting back to doing this at least weekly would be a good idea. It does force me to think beyond the ordinariness of just existing. I've lost my creativity in the past year. Maybe it was too many crises or maybe just coasting along between them that made me so dull. Whatever the reason, I need to wake up and do something about it. Having to use my brain with the new computer and Windows 8 may have been just the spark I needed to make that move out of my comfort zone!Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-6409424311384911952013-09-21T19:58:00.001-05:002013-09-21T20:08:07.089-05:00Eric Bogle - The Green Fields of France<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DxkhBvO8_kM" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Birthday tribute to my Dad, Lt. Edward Rody Ryan 9/21/21 - 4/5/44.<br />
Looking forward to meeting you in heaven someday since we never<br />
met in person here.Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-1805306609111625582012-07-14T11:56:00.001-05:002012-07-14T16:42:53.964-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With my 50th high school class reunion and the big 3 day hometown 4th of July parade and celebration (picture above) behind me, I finally have time to put some thoughts in writing again. As usual, a casual post on facebook about fences and neighbors triggered a chain of memories of growing up on a farm in Iowa in the 40's and 50's.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Springtime was always welcome after what seemed to be endless hard winters. Are they much milder now, or is it just my perception? Anyway, the spring plowing done, Mom went at the gardening big time, planting enough of everything to put up canned goods for a year. I've always enjoyed planting things in the warm spring weather, the weeding and watering in the hot summer sun </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not so much</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. But weren't those fresh veggies just the best thing ever? Sweet corn dripping with real butter, and the raw green sweet peas just out of the shell were yummy! Oh, everything was m-m-m good! And we worked hard, ate big and stayed slim!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Summertime has always been my favorite season even with the increased work on the farm. The best memories are those of the co-op type togetherness of all the neighbors and relatives. The men joined together forming a threshing crew going from farm to farm to harvest the oats. With that it became necessary for the women to prepare enormous amounts of food. Without modern conveniences or a large house, we set up saw horse tables and a wash up area for the men outdoors. The noon meal always included fried chicken, ham, roast beef, mashed potatoes, potato salad, lettuce salad, vegetables, bread, pies and other desserts. I seem to recall beer being offered too before the meal, then coffee and cool aide with the dinner. Yes, it was called dinner and the evening meals were called supper. In between were the "lunches" or maybe called "coffee" - not coffee breaks. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The field work and cooking always started very early in the morning, so in addition to the huge noon meal, a "lunch" was prepared consisting of sandwiches of meat, cheese, egg or tuna salad, etc. in large quantities along with homemade cookies, cakes, pastries and fruit, coffee, cool aide and water, all carried to the men in the field in big baskets and buckets in mid morning and again in mid afternoon.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I remember chicken butchering time. Ugh! The night before we would round up the pullets, (young chickens raised from early spring babies) usually at least 3 dozen or more, and pen them up separate from the laying hens. (Pullets made the best fryers. For chicken soup or other cooked chicken Mom would use an older hen.) Early the next morning Grandma and the aunts would come to help (and receive a few processed chickens in return). Mom and the aunts stepped on the heads and used butcher knives, but grandma just wrung the necks then cut off the heads with a hatchet. What a sight to see a dozen headless chickens at a time flopping around the yard, blood spraying everywhere! When they stopped flopping they were dipped in boiling water and the feathers plucked. This is where the children were put to work plucking. Then the ladies spent the rest of the afternoon cutting up and packaging the chickens. Having no electricity in the earlier years meant taking them to town to a rented meat locker at the butcher shop, where they also stored our homegrown beef and pork. By the mid 1950's we were really "upscale" with electricity from the REA,our own freezer, electric lights and even running water in the kitchen sink! Somewhere in there we even got natural gas from the new pipeline that was laid.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We may have been cash poor, but with Mom's egg money for staples and all the rest homegrown, we never went hungry! Even a new skirt made from a calico feed sack made us feel rich. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I could go on, but the tales of growing up on a sharecropping farm in that era are about endless. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">So I'll save some more for later</span><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">.</span></span></span><br />
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<br /></div>Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-32029020389278532732012-04-28T12:24:00.000-05:002012-04-28T12:29:06.915-05:00On Becoming An Old FogeyOK I admit it. I'm guilty. Just when I crossed over I can't say, but I've become one of those. You know, the ones whos say, "Why back in my day...". Caught myself thinking that way a lot lately and even saying it once or twice.<br />
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I recall disliking old fogeyisms while growing up. If we complained about something, we'd get that, "Why when I was a kid I had to walk two miles to and from school" or "When I was your age... da da da da..." I'd groan (inwardly of course), and think here we go again, shut my mouth. <br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">(Nowadays kids don't bother to hide those feelings or complaints. - Oops, just regressed into fogeyism again.) </span>
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old fogey = someone who has old-fashioned ideas, especially someone who is old. People who are old-fashioned or do not like change: anorak, bogan, bore, conservative, diehard, dinosaur, drip, drongo, dweeb, fogey... :O( oh dear!<br />
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<b>Old Fogeyisms:</b><br />
back in my day<br />
when I was your age<br />
nowadays<br />
when I lived at home<br />
when I was a kid<br />
when I went to school<br />
new fangled<br />
good old days<br />
we never had<br />
(and so on...)<br />
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This awful revelation about myself came as I was thinking of all the Mom's across the country frantically preparing for junior or young misses' high school graduation. Before I retired I would hear fellow workers talk of all the heavy house cleaning, even some major home renovations, food preparation or even catering and other highly expensive party plans. I would think to myself, "Back when I graduated, my parents didn't go to all that trouble and expense! How wastefully extravagant!" I guess these were my first signs of passage into old fogeyhood.<br />
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Now when I had those thoughts again, as graduation time approaches, my "old days" suddenly came back to me bit more realistically. I DO recall our frantic housecleaning, baking and party planning for my high school graduation. The budget may have been a bit more restrained out of necessity, but the intensity and the importance of the event were the same. And that's a good thing. High School Graduation is a very significant event. It's usually the end of life at home as it was and passage into adulthood. It should be honored and celebrated. Also, perhaps the house did need major cleaning and renovation. (I should be so motivated!) So I'm dumping my old fogey critical thoughts about this subject. None of my business anyway!<br />
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This all makes me wonder how many other "good (or bad) old days" memories I've falsified. Maybe a lot of things haven't changed as much as I thought. Lesson learned, don't be critical based on distant (possibly clouded) memories. Even if something isn't like it used to be, it just might be better.<br />
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But I still say folks nowadays spend way too much on weddings! :O)<br />
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<br />Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-44866597609304725092012-04-11T12:54:00.003-05:002012-04-11T13:17:31.012-05:00Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4YzVD8cis7lPlw_ocF63W1KO99MYz5aOt8AIKNQlEZh5rFh4IA3WG8xpfToO2mk0q09crPXMT1-ZSTFIge6VDYNoKSeWmWNRW42gLFnsMqtvdJxtkwYS9EuZQDr6ruLnO5BtszbtyzQ/s1600/dictionary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4YzVD8cis7lPlw_ocF63W1KO99MYz5aOt8AIKNQlEZh5rFh4IA3WG8xpfToO2mk0q09crPXMT1-ZSTFIge6VDYNoKSeWmWNRW42gLFnsMqtvdJxtkwYS9EuZQDr6ruLnO5BtszbtyzQ/s200/dictionary.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Ever get on a winding endless trail of trivia on the net? I can blow a huge whole in a day doing that sometimes. This morning I started browsing through page after page of interesting lacy items on Etsy with the thought of gathering ideas for using and selling my crocheted lace. That led to googling for free patterns, which is always an addictive behavior for me, and eats away the hours. (Kinda recall doing that yesterday too.)<br />
<br />
Then I finally broke away to go clean another flower bed, but was soon back to check the latest news (you know, just in case some world shaking event occurred while I was away from my pc for a whole hour)! I read an article with the word 'eponymous' in it, so of course I had to look that up. Then that opened up another batch of fun things to do. <br />
<br />
BTW, just so you know, eponymous means giving one's name to a tribe, place, etc., example: Romulus, the eponymous founder of Rome. And then I found another good one! Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia = fear of long words. (Another obscure word that means the same is sesquipedalophobia)<br />
<br />
So now you cognize that! Aren't you glad you got your trivia fix for the day without hours and hours on your pc? :O) One of these days my mind is going to wander so far off course it won't find it's way back. But it sure is fun traveling in cyberland. Just wish someone would scurryfunge my house while I'm away! (hehe - now you can look that up)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLAjjWRlhJAsRePcJyLzchAEQWlAHMe6bRlsZSXjI0cJUnxNRpzZintSs0mocIwLUjgkyxNKasXIN0-CReHeomwpPY5UwYb-hbiVu4beOD8RktfzDLIUsnnAYrbzGtbBZDO4So9Dcx3M/s1600/Alice_in_Wonderland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLAjjWRlhJAsRePcJyLzchAEQWlAHMe6bRlsZSXjI0cJUnxNRpzZintSs0mocIwLUjgkyxNKasXIN0-CReHeomwpPY5UwYb-hbiVu4beOD8RktfzDLIUsnnAYrbzGtbBZDO4So9Dcx3M/s200/Alice_in_Wonderland.jpg" /></a></div>Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-51808469823690335602012-04-09T17:55:00.000-05:002012-04-09T17:55:24.804-05:00To Work Or Not To WorkI really love being retired, but once in a while I have a passing thought that I could have my nursing license re-instated and get a part time job. (That thought evaporates at the speed of light.)<br />
<br />
I found the following while surfing the net for my daily humor fix. With a little editing it kind of expresses the way I would think about applying for a job.<br />
<br />
<b>NAME:</b> Roberta Roddy [also known as Ma].<br />
<b>DESIRED POSITION:</b> Company's Chief Executive or Managing Director. But seriously, whatever's available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying in the first place - would I?<br />
<b>DESIRED SALARY:</b> $295,000 a year plus share options and a fully paid 30 day per year vacation package. If that's not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.<br />
<b>EDUCATION:</b> Yes.<br />
<b>LAST POSITION HELD:</b> Target for middle management hostility.<br />
<b>PREVIOUS SALARY:</b> A lot less than I'm worth.<br />
<b>MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT:</b> My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.<br />
<b>REASON FOR LEAVING:</b> It was a crap job.<br />
<b>HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK:</b> Any.<br />
<b>PREFERRED HOURS:</b> 1:30-3:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.<br />
<b>DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?:</b> Yes, but they're better suited to a resort type or retail environment.<br />
<b>MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?:</b> If I had one, would I be here?<br />
<b>DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 lbs.?:</b>Of what?<br />
<b>DO YOU HAVE A CAR?:</b> I think the more appropriate question here would be 'Do you have a car that runs?'<br />
<b>HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?:</b> I may already be a winner of the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes, so they tell me.<br />
<b>DO YOU SMOKE?:</b> Only if set on fire.<br />
<b>WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?:</b> Living in the Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy drop dead handsome billionaire who thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd like to be doing that now.<br />
<b>NEAREST RELATIVE:</b> ....11 miles<br />
<b>DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?:</b> Oh yes, absolutely.<br />
<br />
(borrowed and edited from: http://www.guy-sports.com/jokes/retirement_jokes.htm#Seven_Retirement_one-liners_to_work_into_your_speech_ )Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-1490071167261481052012-03-26T20:10:00.002-05:002012-03-26T20:20:18.414-05:00Cooking Healthy Can Be FunI love avoiding house cleaning and find that cooking helps me do that almost guilt free. <br />
After all I do have to learn to eat healthier. Right? So to sum up the guidelines are:<br />
<br />
1. Diabetes Type 2 - no sugar<br />
2. Obesity - cut carbs and calories<br />
3. Hypercholesterolemia - cut fats<br />
4. Hypertension and heart disease - cut salt<br />
...and so it goes. What is a person to eat?<br />
<br />
Well, I spent a lovely day reading recipes, shopping for ingredients and cooking what I consider a healthy and tasty soup, combining ideas from other recipes and just thinking up some of my own additions. You know - one of those looking through the spice cabinet kind of experiments. I've developed a love of herbs, especially those used in Italian cooking. Here's the recipe I came up with.<br />
<br />
Italian Vegetable Beef Soup<br />
Roberta Roddy<br />
3/26/2012<br />
<br />
1 1/2 lb. lean beef cut in half inch cubes<br />
1 whole chopped onion<br />
2 - 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil<br />
4 cups water<br />
1 qt box plus 1 can beef stock (0 fat) (or 3 cans)<br />
1 can chicken stock (0 fat)<br />
1 tsp lite salt<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 tbs parsley flakes<br />
1/4 tsp thyme<br />
1/2 tsp basil<br />
1 tsp Italian herb seasoning<br />
pepper to taste<br />
5 -6 stalks diced celery<br />
1 cup sliced or diced carrots<br />
1/4 to 1/3 head of cabbage cut/chopped<br />
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes Italian style<br />
1 6 oz can tomato paste<br />
<br />
Heat olive oil in large soup pot or Dutch oven. Sautee onion and beef.<br />
When beef is pale brown, add water, beef stock and chicken stock. <br />
Add seasonings and continue cooking while preparing vegetables.<br />
Add all vegetables and cook covered at med. heat at least 1 -2 hours.<br />
<br />
Nutrition Facts:<br />
12 to 13 ~ 1.5 cup Servings<br />
Amount Per Serving:<br />
Calories 156.1<br />
Total Fat 6.0 g<br />
Saturated Fat 1.3 g<br />
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g<br />
Monounsaturated Fat 3.4 g<br />
Cholesterol 33.0 mg<br />
Sodium 826.7 mg<br />
Potassium 587.9 mg<br />
Total Carbohydrate 8.1 g<br />
Dietary Fiber 2.8 g<br />
Sugars 4.2 g<br />
Protein 15.9 g<br />
<br />
It turned out very good in my and my son's opinions, and works with my nutritional needs. I fully expect it will be even tastier tomorrow, as soups usually are with all the seasonings more evenly blended.<br />
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Yep, I can live with this. (Too heavy on the sodium, but will look for Na free broth next time.) Looking forward to experimenting with more healthy cooking. I have one rule though, in addition to the restrictions, the food has to taste good!Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-66228351054771052332012-02-04T12:23:00.000-06:002012-02-04T12:23:33.720-06:00Change & LaughsWell, well, at least I didn't have to fight the crowds to get to my blog site! I do believe I've become invisible again. At least it's helped me make a decision to quit posting much here. From now on I'll continue to record my junk like music, art, etc. and a few stray comments here when I feel like it, but keep the personal thoughts in an offline private journal. Might even have to re-name the blog to match the change in content.<br />
<br />
I'm not afraid of privacy issues. I have nothing hidden or secret in my life that I'm afraid to share. I don't believe there's any kind of privacy in cyberspace anyway, so it's a waste of time to worry about security. But I feel stupid hanging my thoughts and such out here which are apparently of no interest to hardly anyone else.<br />
<br />
So for a transition to the new direction here's a joke that I enjoyed this week...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZcdjVqPLjHWLQ-U_TboAftA-5Ayw0zP1rD-rCBhv5aJ7YFFHOOdFiS0QM0GF1DKvjjX0x7UxqWFWZ9-vTUfgMn5NLIhaSZnoNtHl9WCTjjrRaUv4zzYncx6hc_szZQz6DoxmWgP5ag8/s1600/driving-in-snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZcdjVqPLjHWLQ-U_TboAftA-5Ayw0zP1rD-rCBhv5aJ7YFFHOOdFiS0QM0GF1DKvjjX0x7UxqWFWZ9-vTUfgMn5NLIhaSZnoNtHl9WCTjjrRaUv4zzYncx6hc_szZQz6DoxmWgP5ag8/s200/driving-in-snow.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A elderly lady driving a car became lost in a snowstorm. She didn't panic however, because she remembered she had once heard. "If you ever get stuck in a snowstorm, just wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. <br />
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Sure enough, pretty soon a snow plow came by, and she started to follow it. She followed the plow for about forty-five minutes. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-oVwF3-5Qr_nduhhsx7MuZuQJtBp9hBABd-4XUm9KBHFrD8hA5QWFyevP7vHWxvIPzTguzmjBzbPi_WnSuW3EVMMCDRs9XABHd09DCrytMZfLLpqjtl6fFhyWBErEjUb7L0m3DZwSMs/s1600/behind+the+snowplow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="120" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-oVwF3-5Qr_nduhhsx7MuZuQJtBp9hBABd-4XUm9KBHFrD8hA5QWFyevP7vHWxvIPzTguzmjBzbPi_WnSuW3EVMMCDRs9XABHd09DCrytMZfLLpqjtl6fFhyWBErEjUb7L0m3DZwSMs/s200/behind+the+snowplow.jpg" /></a></div>Finally the driver of the truck got out and asked her what she was doing. <br />
<br />
She explained that she had heard if she ever got stuck in a snow storm, to follow a plow. <br />
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The driver nodded and said, "Well, I'm done with the Wal-Mart parking lot, do you want to follow me over to K-Mart now?"<br />
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Have a nice day!Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-9301127821463889292012-02-03T14:02:00.005-06:002012-02-03T16:09:55.570-06:00What's Next?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeriwcFg4E1kR5yZJMitmF8DDR3Oob-qq-rbAwmXmKfdzkVj7yRHMOFCRRwxkdEeOQcpU5wfOqbrP1jXCIYrtD18aRJTjgfy-voTx4VwQ1iBdwQkOhaNapNeU3fKdPH5wy-aztmP-NmTs/s1600/map-and-compass1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="134" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeriwcFg4E1kR5yZJMitmF8DDR3Oob-qq-rbAwmXmKfdzkVj7yRHMOFCRRwxkdEeOQcpU5wfOqbrP1jXCIYrtD18aRJTjgfy-voTx4VwQ1iBdwQkOhaNapNeU3fKdPH5wy-aztmP-NmTs/s200/map-and-compass1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Yesterday as I was driving to pick up Mom at the care center and take her to her beauty shop appointment, my usual begrudging attitude about having to do this made me ashamed. I made myself think along other lines. I love Mom and I'm certainly glad to still have her in my life even with her extra needs. But what about me? Back to selfish again. I'm sometimes tempted to sell all and move far away to some tropical utopia. (Isn't everyone?)<br />
<br />
In looking back I have noticed a pattern in my life. (Wouldn't it be nice to have a life map and compass first?) About every decade, more or less, I have made a major change, some sort of thrilling like a beginner diving off a high board. The one that came to mind yesterday was the 1987 move. I had a respectable good paying job in 1986 and an almost paid off mortgage on my house, but it felt as if my head was bumping the ceiling. There was no way to expand my life in any direction. Plus I simply had an itch to move on, maybe menopausal madness?<br />
<br />
So in 1986 I decided to sell my house and move to Tennessee, partly to be close to a guy with whom had a long distance relationship. I'd adopted my foster son who was now about 9 years old and much adored by my Mom and step-dad. We all lived in the same small town, and I knew they would be overwhelmingly opposed to my plan to move at least 2 states away. So one weekend when they were on an out of state trip, I listed my house with a realtor and accepted an immediate offer. Done deal - almost. This was in the fall, and it actually got a lot more complicated involving a rental house and finally a move to Tennessee in the spring of 1987. (Would have been so much more romantic just to hop on the interstate, drive off and live happily ever after...)<br />
<br />
So anyway, I bought a house in TN, married my guy the following December, moved in with him, then moved back to my house in about March. So much for happily ever after - just couldn't make things work in the same house. Tried that again in 1989, but again it didn't work. So I bought a house in North Carolina, lived and worked there until 1997. I finalized a divorce, moved back to the town where my Mom still lived, and have been here since then. <br />
<br />
I've often thought about how badly I messed up those years, but yesterday as I question the meaning behind all this, I realize that the trapped feeling I have now would be a thousand times worse if I had never had that adventure. If I had never moved away, I would have stayed with the same job without any advancement, the same house, the same neighborhood, etc. And I would likely have always pined for adventure growing more and more frustrated each year. <br />
<br />
I guess the lesson is, even if life seems to be messed up, meaninless or wasted, there is always some good angle to it. Times of reflection often reveal gems of insight. Even when life seems stale and meaningless, I really need to appreciate and enjoy the now, because it does have meaning and value. If I can't quite see the broad picture clearly in this moment, I'll likely be able to see it later. I know I am where I'm supposed to be today, and my sense of purpose is recharged.<br />
<br />
Wonder what it would be like to live in Hawaii?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnKLWgMzkwzEGrjjBeTJ19eFQaeiQaYrwlrFnC5cFqAxgZSP0UEy1TjxVLzbZihVg2RVHx_XC8kRQ3KXIrvPfO6stNl8bGPU_7rB5TDB4MOIU1SbUS238eFXQenY8FjrDABLndtQMuNA/s1600/Feet+in+Maui.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="133" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnKLWgMzkwzEGrjjBeTJ19eFQaeiQaYrwlrFnC5cFqAxgZSP0UEy1TjxVLzbZihVg2RVHx_XC8kRQ3KXIrvPfO6stNl8bGPU_7rB5TDB4MOIU1SbUS238eFXQenY8FjrDABLndtQMuNA/s200/Feet+in+Maui.jpg" /></a></div>Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-63997656397556638912012-01-09T13:02:00.000-06:002012-01-09T13:02:53.305-06:00Just Mulling (AKA wandering mind)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkeAcXm-fiC7boVAiLGdvRdp6Ja2mS3wTBVeIl6lxnzqq77Lzi5pHP7SHHhWNYY_lALNTh-A7CS9yB0ENCpHUTnzpQPHtKXUc7UnWe7NJvdQ1vjjX7NF7U-dDMOPK52Jm5ra1CfeeSXo/s1600/Thinking1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="136" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkeAcXm-fiC7boVAiLGdvRdp6Ja2mS3wTBVeIl6lxnzqq77Lzi5pHP7SHHhWNYY_lALNTh-A7CS9yB0ENCpHUTnzpQPHtKXUc7UnWe7NJvdQ1vjjX7NF7U-dDMOPK52Jm5ra1CfeeSXo/s200/Thinking1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Just sitting here mulling over something. Hmm, mulling. Just what does that mean really? Mull, mulling, to mull, mulled. One of those words that sounds so silly taken out of context. I've heard of mulled wine. Is that when wine is deep in thought... or the wine drinker maybe? I have to go google that. Wait a minute, I'll be right back.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
OK, I'm back. Thanks google...<br />
mulling~ <br />
1. Think about (a fact, proposal, or request) deeply and at length: "she began to mull over the various possibilities".<br />
2. Warm (a beverage, esp. wine, beer, or cider) and add spices and sweetening to it.<br />
<br />
or...<br />
Mull - "An island of western Scotland in the Inner Hebrides. It is separated from the mainland on the northeast by the Sound of Mull. ..."<br />
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Dang! Now I forgot what I was mulling. Oh ya, bread baking. I thought about it, but last time I baked bread, as I posted somewhere, I accidently brushed against the temp control on the oven and shoved it up to 500 degrees. End result - 2 logs of charcoal. <br />
<br />
Then as my thoughts often do, they wandered off to mulling about charcoal. How is it that something that's burned beyond recognition can be used as fuel to grill food? Seriously, that's something really puzzling, don't you think? Well, anyway that's what I was mulling about. I really have to go now. This mulling is hard work! I think I'd like to go to the island of Mull someday. Wonder if the people there sit around thinking all day and if that's where that word came from? I think I'd like it there.<br />
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Calgary Bay Mull Isle<br />
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Maybe I should bake bread today. Na, let's not go there again!Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-60700834150732895192011-12-29T14:28:00.002-06:002011-12-29T17:10:45.012-06:00Christmas PastThe sun is shining in the windows lighting up the whole house. I stood at the kitchen window marvelling at the green, if somewhat beaten down, grass and the 52 degrees on the outdoor thermometer. For cripes sake it's December 29th in Iowa! It's supposed to be about 0 to 32 degrees with at least partly gray skies, or at least sunshine sparkling on snow. Oh well, it's a good day to go to the bank and do some other errands. But then the post Christmas doldrums settle over me like a blanket and I slump back into my chair in front of the computer in spite of the sunshine.<br />
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With nothing urgent to do, my mind wanders as it has been doing more often lately. I like to think of it as relaxing and meditating, but suspect it has more to do with aging. With 68 years piled up behind me there are many thousands of memories to pass the time with. Many of them are much more pleasant than current events, so it seems to be a natural place to go, Christmas' past for example. <br />
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With only a few family members remaining within visiting distance, our belated Christmas celebration yesterday was pleasant and simple. This was in stark contrast to years ago with 17 first cousins on one side of the family and 14 on the other, Christmas at the grandparents' homes was noisy, exciting and fun, at least for the children. There was not a dull moment with up to 17 children impatiently waiting for the tables to be cleared and dishes done so the gifts could be opened. Just before opening them though, grandpa would bring in a bucket of water and grandma would light the candles on the tree (no electricity). Then we had to sing carols. With our patience at an end, we finally got to pass out and open the gifts. Names were drawn among the children and the adults separately. In those days the men's gifts were mostly ties or cartons of cigarettes. Wrapping paper and bows were at least knee deep everywhere when the gift opening frenzy was over. Adults were busy helping the little ones, everyone was pleasantly tired and ready to go home to wait for Santa. It was a magical time. Then the next day we'd do it all over with the other side of the family with 14 children.<br />
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Coming back to the present, I've thought maybe I should find some greater purpose or excitement in my life, or not? Some folks talk about making a bucket list. I've given that some thought from time to time, and come up with things I'd like to do like take up gymnastics, back pack all over Europe, start a successful career in the art field (after obtaining a master's degree in fine arts of course), all total nonsense even though I feel thirtyish. How did I ever come to live in this 68 year old body? OK, revised bucket list: Stay alive until at least tomorrow, clean out the craft room, clean the basement, clean the garage, save money for a new front door... ho hum... Well, to pep it up a little bit I decided to blog all this. Now that's done, so I'm off to do the banking and errands. Retired life is really simple and good even if I am too young for my body! I have lovely memories. (And choosing to unremember the not so lovely ones is a gift!).<br />
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Have a very Happy and Safe New Year everyone! And be sure to make some lovely memories along the way!Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-89540716776284059842011-12-02T18:42:00.000-06:002011-12-02T18:42:08.565-06:00ForgivenessAdverse circumstances and conflict in my life have taught me some very valuable lessons. Some are practical and make sense, and some are difficult to understand or explain because they are spiritual in nature. Probably the most important thing I've learned has been the power and value of forgiveness. Without it I was headed down a path of bitterness and self-destruction in early adulthood. I've written a brief explanation here. I could write much more, and probably will. I believe it's good to meditate and explore the positives of life, even if they started as negatives.<br />
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Forgiveness brings the greatest reward to the soul when:<br />
1. It isn't requested.<br />
2. It makes no sense at all.<br />
3. It's humanly and emotionally impossible.<br />
4. It's given just because.<br />
5. It's a decision, not a feeling.<br />
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It brings:<br />
1. Release.<br />
2. New room in the soul for wonderful feelings.<br />
3. Peace that really is like a river.<br />
4. New order and control of emotions.<br />
5. Joy and healing.<br />
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And it might even bring about reconciliation in time, but if not the rewards<br />
are still immeasurable against the cost of holding on to the unforgiveness.<br />
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Forgetting the offense takes a little longer and will likely never be total. But the memories can only begin to fade into the background and lose importance with that first conscious decision to forgive.<br />
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I've been told and believe that forgiving also releases the offender to other<br />
consequences of their behavior. We are not to be our own avengers or carry that load.<br />
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Bottom line, forgiveness opens the door for us to move on and grow as opposed to being stuck in a negative place. I've been forgiven for so much, so how can I fail to do the same. Then there is the item of self-forgiveness, but that's a topic for another day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOkf18_HkUeigqM72tdYL9fX93WRw8PYMxvHgWSg4EFmQuP2kkcP5YD6y_42OFahXx8amyEh8pVh1C7PgEGecbyKLf2aFdJyzqokQz2AI83dbEr91bhb7Y3-_k21hwzrBu5m2KuoFXvI/s1600/forgiveness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="125" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOkf18_HkUeigqM72tdYL9fX93WRw8PYMxvHgWSg4EFmQuP2kkcP5YD6y_42OFahXx8amyEh8pVh1C7PgEGecbyKLf2aFdJyzqokQz2AI83dbEr91bhb7Y3-_k21hwzrBu5m2KuoFXvI/s200/forgiveness.jpg" /></a></div>Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-6723227845622752272011-11-19T09:43:00.002-06:002011-11-19T10:09:14.271-06:00It Is Well With My SoulMy mind has been wandering again. It hasn't gotten so far away (yet) that I couldn't find it. Whew! It usually indicates that I've neglected to take spiritual, emotional and mental time out recently. Some of the paths it's been wandering are sad, some humorous and some just don't make much sense, such as worry. And then there are those ugly critical thoughts of others that don't serve any purpose at all. That's a good time to do a blog, not to spew out negative emotions, but just to deal with them and turn them back to positive ones. Blogging is a chance to take out my thoughts, review, edit (really EDIT), discipline and organize them. Then I end up with something like a clean slate and a positive outlook - sort of.<br />
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Sad thoughts and feelings are circumscribed by really giving them the attention they need instead of stuffing them away in denial. A few tears never hurt anyone, and we can afford a few moments to mourn. It's that prolonged crying on the inside that errodes our souls. Whimsy and humor may seem callous in the midst of grieving, but they are really healing and who doesn't need that? Worries and judgemental attitudes are a terrible drain, a useless waste of mental energy and an affront to faith. My soul is calmed by remembering my rock, the anchor for my spirit and the One who is there to keep me where I need to be on all levels. <br />
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To sum it up, blogging (along with prayer and meditation) leads me to deal with the egocentric aspects of my thoughts and emotions, so I can put them in a drawer in a healthy way, at least for today. Then all is well with my soul and I'm free to focus outwardly on others and life as it is - until the next time I need to clean my inner house. <br />
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Rest in peace Uncle Ed. I know you will be rewarded for your loving kindness. You will be missed.Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-49268398504601942562011-11-01T14:14:00.000-05:002011-11-01T14:14:16.057-05:00Sentiments and GratitudeHere comes another winter, which is definitely not my favorite season as I get older. But before that it has been a beautiful fall. November, as someone pointed out today, is a month of gratitude. Contemplating on things I am grateful for has led to memories of past Novembers. It's always been a big birthday month. Growing up with 17 first cousins on one side of the family and 14 on the other, there were always birthday parties. There were 4 in November, mine being one. Now my son and a neice have November birthdays too. Along with those happy memories come some sad ones. Two very special people died in November, my grandmother and my brother.<br />
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I'm so grateful to have had my brother in my life both in his early years and then again in the 1990's when I lived near him in North Carolina. I had just finished serving 4 years in the USAF Medical Corp in November 1969 when he entered the Air Force, later to serve in Viet Nam. Mom always associates the song, "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" with his departure, and it brings back so many memories.<br />
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He returned safely and later married his beautiful wife Rita, settled in North Carolina and raised a son and daughter. His first baby granddaughter, Taylor, was just learning to walk when he passed away November 10, 2003 at the age of 53 due to diabetes and cancer from agent orange exposure in Viet Nam. Though the memories are both painful and bring tears, I'm grateful to have had those later years to get to know him better as an adult. And I'm so glad that he got to experience the joy of his first grandchild.<br />
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This is for you Steve ~<br />
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<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GYKJuDxYr3I?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GYKJuDxYr3I?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-10843594888209139322011-09-14T16:05:00.003-05:002011-09-14T16:23:03.810-05:00Yesterday's Wisdom for Today's World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpNcVuGHhK7-qSJPeDhDc9z4g_J8QoF2297FkFFi25iMKruh-UbLbdO_TZyZxi_av0JZG2XyRK0oVSStk08gnq3Ysoa0eADnj7xNDTOROYDsQSwIfcT6E9jhzaoAa7TgcjFS7ExryxtY/s1600/Thomas_Jefferson_Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpNcVuGHhK7-qSJPeDhDc9z4g_J8QoF2297FkFFi25iMKruh-UbLbdO_TZyZxi_av0JZG2XyRK0oVSStk08gnq3Ysoa0eADnj7xNDTOROYDsQSwIfcT6E9jhzaoAa7TgcjFS7ExryxtY/s200/Thomas_Jefferson_Portrait.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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I've always been amazed at the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson. Even though I haven't (and won't) turn this blog into a political outlet, I received the following email message that is just too good not to share here.<br />
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Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.<br />
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At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor.<br />
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.<br />
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.<br />
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.<br />
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.<br />
At 23, started his own law practice.<br />
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.<br />
At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America ” and retired from his law practice.<br />
At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress..<br />
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence ..<br />
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia 's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.<br />
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia , succeeding Patrick Henry.<br />
At 40, served in Congress for two years.<br />
At 41, was the American minister to France , and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.<br />
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.<br />
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.<br />
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions, and became the active head of Republican Party.<br />
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .<br />
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase , doubling the nation's size.<br />
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.<br />
At 65, retired to Monticello .<br />
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.<br />
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia , and served as its first president.<br />
At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, along with John Adams<br />
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Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future:<br />
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John F.. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."<br />
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The following are all quotations attributed to Thomas Jefferson, and certainly seem to be relevant to today's conditions:<br />
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"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe ." <br />
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"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."<br />
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"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."<br />
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"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." <br />
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"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." <br />
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"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." <br />
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"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."<br />
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"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." <br />
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"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."<br />
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Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:<br />
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"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.<br />
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If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-7985735326136463372011-08-31T12:02:00.004-05:002011-08-31T12:13:43.678-05:00Another Page in LifeWow, two days in a row, but something different occurred this morning. I've been writing about the role reversal that comes with an aging parent, but it's like I entered a new level of that in my unwilling mind this morning, and I've spent the last hour crying. Mom called and asked (for about the fourth time) if we have to meet with someone at the nursing home today. And for at least the fourth time I explained that we met with them last week, also that we met with the auctioneer yesterday and I'm coming to get her for her foot doctor appointment today . Her response has been the same, "Oh, I'm mixed up." (Even though she has a calendar with all appointments on it.) <br />
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Something that is more disturbing were her comments yesterday that she "just doesn't feel well", and feels like when she goes to sleep she'll just stop breathing. It isn't unusual for her to have numerous health complaints, but this one along with her increasing confusion just triggered the deepest grief this morning. I feel as if we've turned a corner, and Mom isn't Mom anymore as I've always known her. Of course she's aging and changing, and I must adjust as we go along that path, but this was more like an almost overpowering jolt as we turned over a new page in the process. The bottom line is, I just don't want to let go of my real Mom! Please don't go! To be truly unselfish, I should be thinking about it from her perspective and feeling her pain, but I can't even go there.<br />
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Well, the tears are over, and I'm taking deep breaths. Just writing this helps me get a grip and lose the self pity. I seem to have become the custodian of not only her photo albums with memories of many years, but also of her short term memory. There are some days that I feel I need help with my own organizational skills, but in some ways having these new responsibilities is forcing me to sharpen my brain. If anything is good about this, maybe that's it. With Mom and my son it's time to keep the old brains cells at attention and thinking for three. Maybe eat more fish? Well, at least just smile and move on. Life is better when we're needed.Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-60464499778233009142011-08-30T10:37:00.000-05:002011-08-30T10:37:40.138-05:00Shaking off the "Shoulds"I just read an interview of Amy Finley by Jennifer Merritt on iVillage. Amy Finley was the winner of "The Next Food Network Star" in 2007 on the Food Network, and was set up for her own show. Citing a "family crisis" she left her show. In summary, the interview focuses on her reasons for leaving this life changing opportunity, and what she is doing now.<br />
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The one statement that grabbed my attention was her reason for auditioning for the competition at the beginning. She states, "I was feeling lost in the period of stay-at-home parenthood, when you’re in a panic about who you are." The whole interview is interesting and I admire her for her values and priorities, but really identify with that lost and panicky feeling she had.<br />
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http://www.ivillage.com/amy-finley-interview-how-eat-small-country/3-a-355111<br />
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The lost panicky feeling has cropped up for me, not due to being a stay-at-home mom, but in the responsibilities of helping an aging parent and a handicapped son. I've sort of buried myself in my computer and housework since I retired about 6 years ago, partly because my self-image was so glued to my occupation. I was just beginning to come out of this land of "who am I really?", when Mom started having more needs for help. Like Amy Finley, my family is more important to me than anything, but I am finding it necessary to find and keep my own identity alive apart from being a caretaker. It's a process, and I am determined to consciously make time to do "my own thing" each day rather than let the hours get swallowed up in caretaking, housework or mindless computer time. I sure don't have a handle on that ideal yet, but I really want to get some creative projects back into my life. I have taken up crocheting again and I want to resume painting and writing - just for me. It's just another one of those things that we have to figure out as we go, but not get sidetracked by the "shoulds". You know - the "I <i>should</i> be doing this (or that)" thing. Then there are the "<i>have to</i>" things, but that's another level to deal with.<br />
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Well, that's enough for today's introspection. I <i>should</i> be vacumning the floors, doing laundry and <i>have to</i> meet with the auctioneer this afternoon about Mom's estate auction.<br />
Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-61722263649424163742011-08-19T11:24:00.005-05:002011-08-20T07:39:47.523-05:00One of Those DaysYesterday was one, but today is new and sunny! That's not saying all the circumstances are now in order and there's no sadness, but a new perspective has rolled away some clouds. There's not much to say about negative emotions except that they are not welcome, but sometimes enevitable. Sometimes circumstances trigger them and sometimes they just seem to rise up like fog for no apparent reason. Thankfully as I've aged this involuntary moodiness has all but vanished. I don't know if that's one of the perks of maturity or the death of the hormone roller coaster of youth and mid-life. Perhaps it's both. However, I found myself in the land of woe yesterday having a real honest to goodness pity party. I hadn't been there in a long time and forgot how much I dislike it. The good part is that I didn't even give a thought to my old coping tool, the cigarettes. I turned instead to Facebook.<br />
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The morning started with the failure of my son's bus to pick him up for work. I called and they did come an hour and a half late. In the meantime I received a call telling me an aunt had died unexpectedly following surgery. Then I had to relay the sad news to Mom, who is in the nursing home and coping with the sale of her house and upcoming household auction. I also had to notify my sister who just this week had to spend a night in the hospital with chest pain due to a stress related heart condition. After all this I entered this needy place wanting someone to say, "So sorry, I'm here for you and it will be alright." The mood wasn't totally attributable to the events, but more due to my disfunctional reaction to them.<br />
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I went on facebook and posted a couple of items, one about mothers and another U-tube funny. Got no responses to either and that triggered more disgusting self-pity. Then I posted a real self-pity note on impulse. Hanging my petty attitude out in public there without explaining is really stupid! I would have deleted it but got a couple of responses right away and didn't want to add rudeness to my indiscretion. I do apologize to all my friends for my whining. I'm alone about 90% of the time, so I do like having some connection to people, even if only in cyber-space, but it isn't exactly the best place to go when in that self-pity mode. My real help should come through my spiritual source of strength, but sometimes I have to learn that over again the hard way. He does often use friends to lift us up if we ask and then seek support in the right ways.<br />
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Before I get deeper into my rambling, the point is, I am so glad to have a much more stable emotional grip on life than I did in my younger years. And I'm grateful for God and friends who don't judge me when I do get under a cloud. God is my consistent source of comfort when I have the sense to turn to Him. Aging is not a negative thing, but a growing evolutionary new level of living. I am enjoying it even with a few bumps in the road and the loss of some physical abilities. Discovery of new perks with maturity is great, and I just have to keep looking for them on the flip side of those bumps.Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147524314133168756.post-21261179788640493852011-08-11T09:32:00.002-05:002011-08-11T09:32:10.675-05:00New ResolutionNote to self: The best people with whom to discuss politics are those with views identical to mine. But then what's the point? It may be better to just avoid the subject altogether. It's too stressful, and I've heard stress can contribute to weight gain. Hey, that's it! That's why I'm too short for my weight! Conclusion: Too much politics causes overweight! <br />
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I'm way too opinionated to discuss these things rationally anyway. My friends who have opposing views seem just as opinionated, so I wouldn't want to cause them stress and weight gain either.<br />
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I'm so glad I solved that problem. Now I'll have to find something less stressful to obsess about ...er... get interested in. Let's see, I quit Farmville and Mafia Wars. Could get cracking on some major housework. Naaa that's not going to happen. I'm already a black belt in procrastinating on (at, with...?) that one.<br />
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Well, at least I came up with a new resolution that will help uncomplicate my life. Avoid all political discussions. So no one send me any more of those provacative political emails even if it's something you think I can't live without knowing! And if someone sees me responding to a political post on Facebook, message me to stop it.Robertahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811645673319831214noreply@blogger.com0