Dragon Mood? -- sleepy
I woke up before 5 this morning -- the dog and I both had nature calls. It was still quiet outside -- and rather cool for mid-June -- but there was already light in the sky. Surprise! Sunrise probably wasn't until around 5:30 or 5:45, but the sun's rays had already chased the dark-blue of night away.
And then ... the birds began to sing. Ahh, sweet sounds of birds!
Summer is such a delight! Why can't it be like this more of the year??
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Today is June 7th!
Dragon Mood? -- a little peevish this morning
Today is June 7th. It's a Wendishday!
Here are some things I'm thinking about, remembering, looking forward to:
Today is June 7th. It's a Wendishday!
Here are some things I'm thinking about, remembering, looking forward to:
- Today is/was my mom's birthday. She would have been 77 today. Hard to believe! In my mind, she will always be 63. Actually, I remember her best in her fifties -- where I am now!
- Today is a big day for my brother-in-law and sister. Paul is interviewing for a job in the Chicago area. Ruth is waiting at home in Virginia, trying to act like things are "normal" -- sort of? I hope Paul's interview goes well for him. I'm trusting that things will work out as they are supposed to work out.
- I'm meeting with my long-time friend, Carol, this evening. She is visiting from the Twin Cities. It's an unexpected get-together; I'm looking forward to meeting with her and catching up on news in her life.
- Last and least important, we all survived the "Devil's Day" or June 6, 2006 ... 6-6-06. The news was full of "light-hearted" accounts of peoples' thoughts on the day. Personally, I think those articles were an insult to the true and real presence of evil in this world. Let's not make light of it, shall we, folks?
Friday, June 02, 2006
Friday noon-ish
Dragon Mood? -- gearing up, adrenaline pumping
So ... now with our computer "down" here at the pied-a-terre, Friday noontime is becoming like my Saturday mornings used to be ... a time to relax and post my thoughts. Except today, I don't really have time to relax as I need to work out on the treadmill, gather my things together, maybe catch a quick bite to eat and hit the road before traffic becomes hellacious here in the Motor City.
Weekends at the country home in the pines feel a bit funny these days without access to a computer. I didn't realize how much I associated 'relaxing' with time spent on the computer, surfing, blogging, downloading photos, uploading photos to Flickr, et cetera. I do miss it. I do have more time, however, to play the piano, sit outside on the deck, listen to the fountain, read books or -ugh- clean house.
Tomorrow afternoon, S and I are going to the wedding of Kathy and Jesse. Kathy is the daughter of our good friends and neighbors, Jan & Tom. They were kind and gracious enough to invite us to this significant event in their lives. We're looking forward to meeting some of their crazy, wonderful family including Tom's five (macho) brothers and Jan's crazy Ffffrench family, the LaBelles! I'm looking forward to it!
I'll be back later Monday. Monday morning is TEETH-cleaning time! Wish me well -- "look, Mom, no cavities!"
So ... now with our computer "down" here at the pied-a-terre, Friday noontime is becoming like my Saturday mornings used to be ... a time to relax and post my thoughts. Except today, I don't really have time to relax as I need to work out on the treadmill, gather my things together, maybe catch a quick bite to eat and hit the road before traffic becomes hellacious here in the Motor City.
Weekends at the country home in the pines feel a bit funny these days without access to a computer. I didn't realize how much I associated 'relaxing' with time spent on the computer, surfing, blogging, downloading photos, uploading photos to Flickr, et cetera. I do miss it. I do have more time, however, to play the piano, sit outside on the deck, listen to the fountain, read books or -ugh- clean house.
Tomorrow afternoon, S and I are going to the wedding of Kathy and Jesse. Kathy is the daughter of our good friends and neighbors, Jan & Tom. They were kind and gracious enough to invite us to this significant event in their lives. We're looking forward to meeting some of their crazy, wonderful family including Tom's five (macho) brothers and Jan's crazy Ffffrench family, the LaBelles! I'm looking forward to it!
I'll be back later Monday. Monday morning is TEETH-cleaning time! Wish me well -- "look, Mom, no cavities!"
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Our wonderful adventure in WISconsin II
Dragon Mood? -- more dragon downloading or catching up, as it were
...so here's the "more"...
After leaving the Farmer's Market, we headed to the famous Madison Brat Fest to eat brats and drink beer.
Let's be clear about this: the Brat Fest was ALLLL about how many brats Aaron could/should/would consume. The night before at the bier garten, Aaron, Yosh and the penultimate pot-stirrer, S, had pondered, argued and laughed over numerous wager schemas. I listened and when asked, always responded, "I don't want Aaron to get sick!"
I wish I had $10 for every wager I heard considered. I could take a whole 'nother ferry ride. Anyway, at the last moment, S removed herself from the negotiations (thank you!) and Josh and Aaron agreed on an 8/2 wager. If Aaron ate less than 8 brats, Aaron owed Josh $50. If he ate at least 8, it was a "push" where no money exchanged hands. If he ate 8+2 for 10 brats, then Yosh owed Aaron $50.
We all watched curiously, carefully as Aaron ate the first four brats in the first 10 minutes. Oh yeah, that was the other part of the bet; it all had to happen within the course of two hours.
Suffice to say, that Aaron ate just (he would roll his eyes at the word, "just") 8 brats, although he said the last one was pretty hard to get down. The brats had ceased to have any taste for him and he said the texture was rather repulsive. Yosh bought him bottles of water and I rubbed his back lightly, which according to massage therapist Lina, stimulated his parasympathetic nervous system and may have helped his poor, unsuspecting GI tract deal with the five pounds of brats it suddenly received(!)
We lay on the grass, listened to so-so local bands, watched people, talked and snoozed. There was a nice breeze and it was fun to be outdoors, even though it was getting more and more humid.
We hit the infamous Woodman's on the way home to stock up on --what else?-- beer and popsicles (don't forget the popsicles!). It rained and got even steamier. I took a nap, S took a nap, and the young'uns watched a movie, I believe.
A fitting finish to such a fine day was our giving the old German card game, Sheep's Head or Schafskopf a try. Here's the website (Milwaukee Sheepshead) we used as our reference. It's an unusual game but we kept at it and finally started getting the hang of it. I had fun and I think everyone (except perhaps S) did too -- we played until after 2 a.m.!
Sunday was slow and hot and languorous as all family gathering Sundays should be! We made numerous pots of crack cocaine Alterra coffee, drank even more glasses of iced coffee and got ready for the Indy 500. Aaron and Lina did a high technology installation of Yosh's old-but-new TV, which involved allowing the flux capacitor to warm up (according to Aaron!). Lina made a whiz-bang frittata filled with tomatoes, green onions, black olives, ramps, green pepper and more lovely vegetables that I can't remember. I fried a whole pound of lovely saturated-fat bacon and another half-pound of heart-healthy turkey bacon. We ate like proverbial kings and queens ... and every bit of it got eaten!
And then, we all sat in Lina's cozy living room, in our jammies and tank tops and shorts, unshowered and unshaved, drank more beer and watched the Indy 500. I'm proud to say it was the first time I ever watched that race from start to finish. And, given the excellent company, I enjoyed it all!
At the end of the race, which Sam Hornish won in a squeaker over newbie Marco Andretti (see -- I really DID watch the game!), we all dispersed and headed our separate ways. Bye kids, I love you!
...so here's the "more"...
After leaving the Farmer's Market, we headed to the famous Madison Brat Fest to eat brats and drink beer.
Let's be clear about this: the Brat Fest was ALLLL about how many brats Aaron could/should/would consume. The night before at the bier garten, Aaron, Yosh and the penultimate pot-stirrer, S, had pondered, argued and laughed over numerous wager schemas. I listened and when asked, always responded, "I don't want Aaron to get sick!"
I wish I had $10 for every wager I heard considered. I could take a whole 'nother ferry ride. Anyway, at the last moment, S removed herself from the negotiations (thank you!) and Josh and Aaron agreed on an 8/2 wager. If Aaron ate less than 8 brats, Aaron owed Josh $50. If he ate at least 8, it was a "push" where no money exchanged hands. If he ate 8+2 for 10 brats, then Yosh owed Aaron $50.
We all watched curiously, carefully as Aaron ate the first four brats in the first 10 minutes. Oh yeah, that was the other part of the bet; it all had to happen within the course of two hours.
Suffice to say, that Aaron ate just (he would roll his eyes at the word, "just") 8 brats, although he said the last one was pretty hard to get down. The brats had ceased to have any taste for him and he said the texture was rather repulsive. Yosh bought him bottles of water and I rubbed his back lightly, which according to massage therapist Lina, stimulated his parasympathetic nervous system and may have helped his poor, unsuspecting GI tract deal with the five pounds of brats it suddenly received(!)
We lay on the grass, listened to so-so local bands, watched people, talked and snoozed. There was a nice breeze and it was fun to be outdoors, even though it was getting more and more humid.
We hit the infamous Woodman's on the way home to stock up on --what else?-- beer and popsicles (don't forget the popsicles!). It rained and got even steamier. I took a nap, S took a nap, and the young'uns watched a movie, I believe.
A fitting finish to such a fine day was our giving the old German card game, Sheep's Head or Schafskopf a try. Here's the website (Milwaukee Sheepshead) we used as our reference. It's an unusual game but we kept at it and finally started getting the hang of it. I had fun and I think everyone (except perhaps S) did too -- we played until after 2 a.m.!
Sunday was slow and hot and languorous as all family gathering Sundays should be! We made numerous pots of crack cocaine Alterra coffee, drank even more glasses of iced coffee and got ready for the Indy 500. Aaron and Lina did a high technology installation of Yosh's old-but-new TV, which involved allowing the flux capacitor to warm up (according to Aaron!). Lina made a whiz-bang frittata filled with tomatoes, green onions, black olives, ramps, green pepper and more lovely vegetables that I can't remember. I fried a whole pound of lovely saturated-fat bacon and another half-pound of heart-healthy turkey bacon. We ate like proverbial kings and queens ... and every bit of it got eaten!
And then, we all sat in Lina's cozy living room, in our jammies and tank tops and shorts, unshowered and unshaved, drank more beer and watched the Indy 500. I'm proud to say it was the first time I ever watched that race from start to finish. And, given the excellent company, I enjoyed it all!
At the end of the race, which Sam Hornish won in a squeaker over newbie Marco Andretti (see -- I really DID watch the game!), we all dispersed and headed our separate ways. Bye kids, I love you!
Our wonderful adventure in WISconsin
Dragon Mood? -- catching up
It's been eight days since I last posted -- yikes!@@#!@#
S and I traveled to Milwaukee last Thursday via the Lake Express ferry. It's the first time I ever took this high-speed ferry across Lake Michigan and I highly recommend it. The ferry is nicely appointed, the ride was smooth, and most of all, it felt like an overdue adventure S and I needed to jazz up our boring, over-employed and unemployed existence.
We arrived after midnight in Milwaukee and promptly crashed at Yosh's apartment. He worked Friday morning while we caught up on our beauty sleep and moseyed through the morning. S and I walked the few blocks to Alterra, where we enjoyed their fragrant yet powerful coffee. S bought four bags of this infamous Milwaukee "crack cocaine" and a sweatshirt to boot.
Yosh picked us up once again, we grabbed up our things at his place and headed to a nearby Mexican restaurant called Cempazuchi. We sat outside in the sun and enjoyed margaritas, Mexican beers and appetizers. I would love to go back and have dinner there sometime.
We hit the road and headed west to Madison. It was lovely to ride as a passenger and have time to catch up with Yosh. S snoozed in the backseat until a quasi-political/economic conversation caught her ear; then, she couldn't be silenced! Oh well ... so much for the nice conversation with my son -- sigh!
We barged into Lina's place, all cool and tidy with her white-tornado efforts. She has such a knack -- or better yet, a gift -- for creating a welcoming environment. I love her for that! Aaron arrived from Chicago about a half an hour after us. We gathered our sunglasses and cameras and cell phones and bottles of water and hiked over to Capital Brewery for some traditional "bier garten" drinking. Lina had prepared a veritable smorgasbord (to mix our northern European eating/drinking vocabulary) of snacking foods, which we dove into with relish (enthusiasm, not pickles!).
S and I, being the old codgers that we are, cashed it in around 11, went back to Lina's and crashed. It was more hot and humid than one could imagine, so we stripped down as much as we dared, pulled back Lina's lovely chintz drapes and set the box fan in the window. Ahh, lovely late night cool air! I slept so hard I never heard the "kids" come in. About 1:30 though, up for a beer pee, I found all three of them crashed in various poses around the living room, lights on, Comedy Central blaring and half-eaten pizza looking abandoned and forlorn. Curiously, it's a sweet memory, these three young adults, asleep, looking so vulnerable and worn out, as only hard-playing children can.
Saturday morning was rather relaxed. Usually, we're up-and-at-'em right away, but I think the heat and the previous night's beer took its toll. We eventually pulled ourselves together and headed downtown to the Farmer's Market. I love the "ritual" of circling the capital, moving slowly with the crowds, peering over people's shoulders at the inviting produce and baked goods, sampling this, noshing on that. With five of us, we moved slowly, three steps forward, two steps back. We bought yummy cranberry-oatmeal bars and hot cheese bread and ate and exclaimed and tried to exercise discipline and failed and ... altogether, it was a lovely, family time. I can close my eyes and be there, smell the smells, feel the love and enjoy it all over again!
But wait!...there's more!
It's been eight days since I last posted -- yikes!@@#!@#
S and I traveled to Milwaukee last Thursday via the Lake Express ferry. It's the first time I ever took this high-speed ferry across Lake Michigan and I highly recommend it. The ferry is nicely appointed, the ride was smooth, and most of all, it felt like an overdue adventure S and I needed to jazz up our boring, over-employed and unemployed existence.
We arrived after midnight in Milwaukee and promptly crashed at Yosh's apartment. He worked Friday morning while we caught up on our beauty sleep and moseyed through the morning. S and I walked the few blocks to Alterra, where we enjoyed their fragrant yet powerful coffee. S bought four bags of this infamous Milwaukee "crack cocaine" and a sweatshirt to boot.
Yosh picked us up once again, we grabbed up our things at his place and headed to a nearby Mexican restaurant called Cempazuchi. We sat outside in the sun and enjoyed margaritas, Mexican beers and appetizers. I would love to go back and have dinner there sometime.
We hit the road and headed west to Madison. It was lovely to ride as a passenger and have time to catch up with Yosh. S snoozed in the backseat until a quasi-political/economic conversation caught her ear; then, she couldn't be silenced! Oh well ... so much for the nice conversation with my son -- sigh!
We barged into Lina's place, all cool and tidy with her white-tornado efforts. She has such a knack -- or better yet, a gift -- for creating a welcoming environment. I love her for that! Aaron arrived from Chicago about a half an hour after us. We gathered our sunglasses and cameras and cell phones and bottles of water and hiked over to Capital Brewery for some traditional "bier garten" drinking. Lina had prepared a veritable smorgasbord (to mix our northern European eating/drinking vocabulary) of snacking foods, which we dove into with relish (enthusiasm, not pickles!).
S and I, being the old codgers that we are, cashed it in around 11, went back to Lina's and crashed. It was more hot and humid than one could imagine, so we stripped down as much as we dared, pulled back Lina's lovely chintz drapes and set the box fan in the window. Ahh, lovely late night cool air! I slept so hard I never heard the "kids" come in. About 1:30 though, up for a beer pee, I found all three of them crashed in various poses around the living room, lights on, Comedy Central blaring and half-eaten pizza looking abandoned and forlorn. Curiously, it's a sweet memory, these three young adults, asleep, looking so vulnerable and worn out, as only hard-playing children can.
Saturday morning was rather relaxed. Usually, we're up-and-at-'em right away, but I think the heat and the previous night's beer took its toll. We eventually pulled ourselves together and headed downtown to the Farmer's Market. I love the "ritual" of circling the capital, moving slowly with the crowds, peering over people's shoulders at the inviting produce and baked goods, sampling this, noshing on that. With five of us, we moved slowly, three steps forward, two steps back. We bought yummy cranberry-oatmeal bars and hot cheese bread and ate and exclaimed and tried to exercise discipline and failed and ... altogether, it was a lovely, family time. I can close my eyes and be there, smell the smells, feel the love and enjoy it all over again!
But wait!...there's more!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Elders
Dragon Mood? -- aspiring to agile aging!
Our good friends, J & J, invited us over for Saturday evening dinner. Jeanne's dad, Dobie, was visiting. Dobie, believe it or not, is 101 years old. He's in remarkably good health, enjoys visiting with company and sometimes even likes to have a glass of beer with his meal.
Dobie and I visited for awhile after supper. I told him about my being unemployed. That was the cue he needed to begin reminiscing about people losing their jobs back in the 30's after the "crash" of 1929. Dobie would have been in his mid-to-late 20s at that time, by my reckoning.
From there, our conversation segued to banking, Dobie's day job for over 40 years. I asked him about credit unions, but Jeanne, who was cleaning up in the kitchen, stage-whispered, "He's a Republican; he doesn't believe in credit unions," or something to that effect. And sure enough, Dobie didn't really have much to say about credit unions. I didn't realize that I banked at such socialist organizations(!)
I noticed how difficult it is to have a conversation with Dobie. He's quite hard of hearing, making the normal rhythm of conversation difficult. I found myself having to repeat things frequently. Plus, with Dobie's hearing loss, he's also become quite soft-spoken, so that many times I had a hard time hearing him! All in all, hearing loss is extremely isolating, as if old age weren't isolating enough. And, just in the past several years, Dobie has developed quite a stooped-over appearance, with his head perpetually tucked down. Joanne attributed his spine "freezing" in this position due to his frequent sleeping while sitting in a chair.
Reflecting later on our time with Dobie, I realized that S and I have several quite "elder" people in our lives right now. We have Dobie at 101 years of age. We also have Grandma, aka Alice, Steph's 90-year-old grandma, who we see fairly regularly throughout the year. Grandma's hearing is fine, but we notice that she is becoming more and more dependent on others for care. She needs occasional help with shoes or reminders on medications. This last visit, Sally was giving her eyedrops several times a day because Grandma has recently had cataract surgery. She really needs help putting on some support hose to prevent clots(?); S literally had to don rubber gloves in order to have enough "traction" to get the damn hose pulled up on Grandma's calves.
The other elder person in our lives is our neighbor, Bill. S has lived in this house for 13 years, but Bill is someone she has only gotten to know in the past year. Bill is right around 80. He is a Korean War vet, like my dad. Bill has emphysema and can't walk much without beginning to wheeze. What he still does like a champ, though, is mow grass. After learning last spring that S was scheduled to have a hysterectomy, Bill offered to mow our almost-one-acre yard with his riding mower. S gratefully accepted. He not only mows the grass but catches all the clippings and has even put down fertilizer and weedkiller. S refers lovingly to him as our 80-year-old lawn boy. Bill and S enjoy drinking a beer together, talking about trees and plants and other neighbors. Sometimes I join their visiting. Many times, I leave them alone to enjoy each other's company.
But I do think it's somewhat unusual to have at least three people, 80 and older who we see and interact with on a regular basis. I wonder if other aging boomers are experiencing the same?
And it gives me a window-peek into the future, when I become one of the elderly old, past the "young" 60-year age, through the "middle" 70s and into the four-score-plus group. Imagine that!
Our good friends, J & J, invited us over for Saturday evening dinner. Jeanne's dad, Dobie, was visiting. Dobie, believe it or not, is 101 years old. He's in remarkably good health, enjoys visiting with company and sometimes even likes to have a glass of beer with his meal.
Dobie and I visited for awhile after supper. I told him about my being unemployed. That was the cue he needed to begin reminiscing about people losing their jobs back in the 30's after the "crash" of 1929. Dobie would have been in his mid-to-late 20s at that time, by my reckoning.
From there, our conversation segued to banking, Dobie's day job for over 40 years. I asked him about credit unions, but Jeanne, who was cleaning up in the kitchen, stage-whispered, "He's a Republican; he doesn't believe in credit unions," or something to that effect. And sure enough, Dobie didn't really have much to say about credit unions. I didn't realize that I banked at such socialist organizations(!)
I noticed how difficult it is to have a conversation with Dobie. He's quite hard of hearing, making the normal rhythm of conversation difficult. I found myself having to repeat things frequently. Plus, with Dobie's hearing loss, he's also become quite soft-spoken, so that many times I had a hard time hearing him! All in all, hearing loss is extremely isolating, as if old age weren't isolating enough. And, just in the past several years, Dobie has developed quite a stooped-over appearance, with his head perpetually tucked down. Joanne attributed his spine "freezing" in this position due to his frequent sleeping while sitting in a chair.
Reflecting later on our time with Dobie, I realized that S and I have several quite "elder" people in our lives right now. We have Dobie at 101 years of age. We also have Grandma, aka Alice, Steph's 90-year-old grandma, who we see fairly regularly throughout the year. Grandma's hearing is fine, but we notice that she is becoming more and more dependent on others for care. She needs occasional help with shoes or reminders on medications. This last visit, Sally was giving her eyedrops several times a day because Grandma has recently had cataract surgery. She really needs help putting on some support hose to prevent clots(?); S literally had to don rubber gloves in order to have enough "traction" to get the damn hose pulled up on Grandma's calves.
The other elder person in our lives is our neighbor, Bill. S has lived in this house for 13 years, but Bill is someone she has only gotten to know in the past year. Bill is right around 80. He is a Korean War vet, like my dad. Bill has emphysema and can't walk much without beginning to wheeze. What he still does like a champ, though, is mow grass. After learning last spring that S was scheduled to have a hysterectomy, Bill offered to mow our almost-one-acre yard with his riding mower. S gratefully accepted. He not only mows the grass but catches all the clippings and has even put down fertilizer and weedkiller. S refers lovingly to him as our 80-year-old lawn boy. Bill and S enjoy drinking a beer together, talking about trees and plants and other neighbors. Sometimes I join their visiting. Many times, I leave them alone to enjoy each other's company.
But I do think it's somewhat unusual to have at least three people, 80 and older who we see and interact with on a regular basis. I wonder if other aging boomers are experiencing the same?
And it gives me a window-peek into the future, when I become one of the elderly old, past the "young" 60-year age, through the "middle" 70s and into the four-score-plus group. Imagine that!
Monday, May 22, 2006
New cell phone
Dragon Mood? -- grouchy
PROS: Love the red metallic color! SO dragon-like! And I really like the screen on the inside; lots more lines of text.
CONS: It has very limited number of ringtones. Waaaaahh! I want my old Westminster chimes and my Rolling Stones "Start Me Up" ringtones BAAAAACK!
CONS: It has very limited number of ringtones. Waaaaahh! I want my old Westminster chimes and my Rolling Stones "Start Me Up" ringtones BAAAAACK!
Friday, May 19, 2006
DaVinci opens today!
Dragon Mood? -- mirthful at the thought of a flying meringue pie!
Here's a wonderful quote from Salon:
Here's a wonderful quote from Salon:
"The Da Vinci Code," a blend of pseudo-facty information and mischievous, provocative invention, is a flying meringue pie headed straight for the church's kisser.(laughing) Love it!
Spokes together in a wheel
Dragon Mood? -- this dragon enjoys musing on mystical readings
I found this at Flickr of all places and immediately loved the translation:
I found this at Flickr of all places and immediately loved the translation:
Tao Te Ching: Chapter 11
translated by Stephen Mitchell
We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.
We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.
We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.
~~~~~
translated by Stephen Mitchell
We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.
We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.
We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.
~~~~~
A pretty cool thing to think about over the weekend, eh?
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
appreciating how Noah may have felt
Dragon Mood? -- drying her scales, wanting to dance in the sun!
After six -- yes, I said SIX -- days of almost constant rain, the sun is out and shining.
Thank you, God, for all the wonderful, nourishing rain you provided.
And now, God ... thanks for reminding us that the sun is still there in the sky where you put it.
After six -- yes, I said SIX -- days of almost constant rain, the sun is out and shining.
Thank you, God, for all the wonderful, nourishing rain you provided.
And now, God ... thanks for reminding us that the sun is still there in the sky where you put it.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Grace, Will and you???
Dragon Mood? -- I like some gay people too!
From Deb Price's column at the Detroit News:
From Deb Price's column at the Detroit News:
University of Arizona researchers found that simply liking a gay-friendly TV character can make heterosexuals unacquainted with real gay people feel friendlier. Or, as communication professor Jake Harwood summarizes, "I like Grace. Grace likes Will. Therefore, I like gay people."
so-o-oooo sleeepy!
Dragon Mood? -- recalling memories, holding the sleepiness at bay
Yes, in fact, I'm so sleepy I added an extra 'e' to sleep and I'm not correcting it! Hmmph!
It's Monday, it's rainy, it's a bit on the coldish side ... and I'm in post-Mother's Day sleepy mode. Whew!
What a busy Mother's Day S had! -- and I watched. But don't get me wrong; that was fine with me! We negotiated earlier in the week that she would do all the party & food preparation for yesterday. As a mother, I'm at a point in my motherhood where I was ready to kick back and have people wait on me for a day, instead of the other way around. S was pretty determined to wait on the kids. Have at it, honey!
Actually, I must say (and I did say to her), "S, you did an excellent job!" The party was jumpin' and the food was good. Everybody showed up around 1 yesterday afternoon. S had made a big pot of chili the night before. She also prepared sweet 'n sour cukes-and-onions, jalapeno cornbread and a big batch of brownies. Of course, Tim dug into the brownies first. That was the first break in the chow-food dam. Then, everybody had to have a brownie, followed by chili, of course. Of course!
The house was literally filled with people -- every room had two, three, four or more. Preston, at a now totally mobile 14 months, was everywhere. S and I kept saying, "Sorry, the house isn't baby-proofed," as we moved this piece of pottery or snatched up those stray thumbtacks sitting on the coffee table(!) Thankfully, baby Preston was way-outnumbered by adults who can still reach places he can't reach! We kept one step ahead of him (barely) and kept him safe!
Of course, after the food gorging, there was a brief period of time while everyone lurched around, trying not to fall asleep as their blood sugar dropped. Then, suddenly, the dining room table was magically cleared and the call went out for "Euchre!" Six people showed up for a four-person game, while several others played the piano, played with the baby or played with their thumbs!
S's younger, somewhat estranged sister, Andrea, called unexpectedly from California, certainly a highlight of the day for S and her mom, Sally. They each got to talk with her for some healthy, "reconnecting" time.
And certainly a highlight for me was my unexpected nap with the baby. He and I got sleepy about the same time so I offered to lay down with him. He fought his sleepiness for a while, but warm milk in his tummy and a heavy head prevailed and he eventually conked out, his head on my arm. I listened to the sound and the feel of his breath on my face. Completely and utterly sweet! I couldn't think of a more timely gift than getting to nap with baby Preston on Mother's Day. It reminded me of all the times I watched my own children sleep their sweet sleep and rue that I didn't take even more time to watch them. Sleeping babies: peaceful, reposed, with such beautiful cheeks, delicate eyelashes and pouty pink- red lips. They are definitely one of God's most precious gifts to us unseeing, presumptuous humans.
I did get to talk with each of my now-grown babies, Lina in the morning with a clearly-intuited call while I was at Soldans and Josh while I drove to the pied-a-terre late last night. Talking with each of them definitely made my day complete. I felt special!
Yes, in fact, I'm so sleepy I added an extra 'e' to sleep and I'm not correcting it! Hmmph!
It's Monday, it's rainy, it's a bit on the coldish side ... and I'm in post-Mother's Day sleepy mode. Whew!
What a busy Mother's Day S had! -- and I watched. But don't get me wrong; that was fine with me! We negotiated earlier in the week that she would do all the party & food preparation for yesterday. As a mother, I'm at a point in my motherhood where I was ready to kick back and have people wait on me for a day, instead of the other way around. S was pretty determined to wait on the kids. Have at it, honey!
Actually, I must say (and I did say to her), "S, you did an excellent job!" The party was jumpin' and the food was good. Everybody showed up around 1 yesterday afternoon. S had made a big pot of chili the night before. She also prepared sweet 'n sour cukes-and-onions, jalapeno cornbread and a big batch of brownies. Of course, Tim dug into the brownies first. That was the first break in the chow-food dam. Then, everybody had to have a brownie, followed by chili, of course. Of course!
The house was literally filled with people -- every room had two, three, four or more. Preston, at a now totally mobile 14 months, was everywhere. S and I kept saying, "Sorry, the house isn't baby-proofed," as we moved this piece of pottery or snatched up those stray thumbtacks sitting on the coffee table(!) Thankfully, baby Preston was way-outnumbered by adults who can still reach places he can't reach! We kept one step ahead of him (barely) and kept him safe!
Of course, after the food gorging, there was a brief period of time while everyone lurched around, trying not to fall asleep as their blood sugar dropped. Then, suddenly, the dining room table was magically cleared and the call went out for "Euchre!" Six people showed up for a four-person game, while several others played the piano, played with the baby or played with their thumbs!
S's younger, somewhat estranged sister, Andrea, called unexpectedly from California, certainly a highlight of the day for S and her mom, Sally. They each got to talk with her for some healthy, "reconnecting" time.
And certainly a highlight for me was my unexpected nap with the baby. He and I got sleepy about the same time so I offered to lay down with him. He fought his sleepiness for a while, but warm milk in his tummy and a heavy head prevailed and he eventually conked out, his head on my arm. I listened to the sound and the feel of his breath on my face. Completely and utterly sweet! I couldn't think of a more timely gift than getting to nap with baby Preston on Mother's Day. It reminded me of all the times I watched my own children sleep their sweet sleep and rue that I didn't take even more time to watch them. Sleeping babies: peaceful, reposed, with such beautiful cheeks, delicate eyelashes and pouty pink- red lips. They are definitely one of God's most precious gifts to us unseeing, presumptuous humans.
I did get to talk with each of my now-grown babies, Lina in the morning with a clearly-intuited call while I was at Soldans and Josh while I drove to the pied-a-terre late last night. Talking with each of them definitely made my day complete. I felt special!
Friday, May 12, 2006
Colossal historical DISGRACE
Dragon Mood? -- despair and disbelief as she witnesses this cataclysmic disgracefulness!
I never would have found this article if it weren't for checking in at Blurbomat, husband and sidekick to dooce. Check it out. Here's an excerpt:
I never would have found this article if it weren't for checking in at Blurbomat, husband and sidekick to dooce. Check it out. Here's an excerpt:
George W. Bush's presidency appears headed for colossal historical disgrace. Barring a cataclysmic event on the order of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, after which the public might rally around the White House once again, there seems to be little the administration can do to avoid being ranked on the lowest tier of U.S. presidents. And that may be the best-case scenario. Many historians are now wondering whether Bush, in fact, will be remembered as the very worst president in all of American history.And ... I bet they haven't even asked Bill Maher or better yet, Steven Colbert!
From time to time, after hours, I kick back with my colleagues at Princeton to argue idly about which president really was the worst of them all. ... Was the lousiest James Buchanan, who, confronted with Southern secession in 1860, dithered to a degree that, as his most recent biographer has said, probably amounted to disloyalty -- and who handed to his successor, Abraham Lincoln, a nation already torn asunder? Was it Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson, who actively sided with former Confederates and undermined Reconstruction? What about the amiably incompetent Warren G. Harding, whose administration was fabulously corrupt? Or, though he has his defenders, Herbert Hoover, who tried some reforms but remained imprisoned in his own outmoded individualist ethic and collapsed under the weight of the stock-market crash of 1929 and the Depression's onset? The younger historians always put in a word for Richard M. Nixon, the only American president forced to resign from office.
Now, though, George W. Bush is in serious contention for the title of worst ever. In early 2004, an informal survey of 415 historians conducted by the nonpartisan History News Network found that eighty-one percent considered the Bush administration a "failure."
Monday, May 08, 2006
First bicycle ride of spring
Dragon Mood? -- a glorious feeling
Last Saturday, I pumped up the air in my bicycle tires and I went for my first ride of this year.
Wheeee-ee-eeeeee!
I LOVE riding my bicycle. I love the feeling of freedom, the wind blowing through my hair, the speed of flying through neighborhood streets after all the winter trudging through snowy streets. What a feeling!
I tied Cisco up so she wouldn't follow me on my maiden trip. Ohh, the whimpers, the cries, as my trusty bicycle and I flew out of the driveway! I felt only a little bit of guilt at leaving her behind. Finally, I returned to our house, untied the poor dog and then we took another turn around the "big" block of the subdivision. Oh, she was happy ... but not as happy as I was on my first bicycle ride of the spring!
Who says a fifty-something with achey joints and south-bound body parts can't feel like an eight year-old again?
Last Saturday, I pumped up the air in my bicycle tires and I went for my first ride of this year.
Wheeee-ee-eeeeee!
I LOVE riding my bicycle. I love the feeling of freedom, the wind blowing through my hair, the speed of flying through neighborhood streets after all the winter trudging through snowy streets. What a feeling!
I tied Cisco up so she wouldn't follow me on my maiden trip. Ohh, the whimpers, the cries, as my trusty bicycle and I flew out of the driveway! I felt only a little bit of guilt at leaving her behind. Finally, I returned to our house, untied the poor dog and then we took another turn around the "big" block of the subdivision. Oh, she was happy ... but not as happy as I was on my first bicycle ride of the spring!
Who says a fifty-something with achey joints and south-bound body parts can't feel like an eight year-old again?
Izzo to Kuwait
Dragon Mood? -- love our Coach Izzo!
From the Associated Press:
From the Associated Press:
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo will make a return trip to Kuwait this month.Hurray for Coach Izzo!
Izzo is one of several coaches headed back to the region for Operation Hardwood II from May 23-29, Michigan State's athletic department announced Thursday. Others going for a second time are Alabama's Mark Gottfried, South Carolina's Dave Odom, Charlotte's Bobby Lutz, Indiana's Kelvin Sampson and ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas.
They will be joined by Texas' Rick Barnes, Army's Jim Crews, Navy's Billy Lange, Kentucky's Tubby Smith, Maryland's Gary Williams and former Air Force coach Reggie Minton.
"Last year's trip to Kuwait was such an unbelievable experience that I'm very excited to have the opportunity to return," Izzo said in a statement.
The Spartans coach has described the first Kuwait trip to visit and coach U.S. troops in a tournament as a "life-changing experience."
Friday, May 05, 2006
Scary numbers regarding heart disease
Dragon Mood? -- dragon heart thumping a little faster now!
In an article from WebMD, a study done in Sweden evidently demonstrates that the risk of coronary heart disease passed from mothers is greater than the risk from fathers. Here's an excerpt:
Our mother had her first heart attack at the age of 52. (Ruth is 51 while I'm 53.) Mom died at the age of 63 from her second myocardial infarction. Her father, our Grandpa Rebsch, died at the age of 49 also from a heart attack. I never knew him.
Sometimes, in my more despairing moods (call me an Eeyore!), I have the sensation of tiptoeing through an age-related minefield of heart attacks and strokes waiting to go off. It's a scary sensation to say the least!
Thankfully -- this is focusing on the cup as HALF FULL -- Ruth and I are very close and provide lots of moral support and fervent health cheerleading for one another! We speak often of growing old together as sisters, sitting on a porch somewhere, overlooking a lake.
In an article from WebMD, a study done in Sweden evidently demonstrates that the risk of coronary heart disease passed from mothers is greater than the risk from fathers. Here's an excerpt:
Sons had a 41% greater risk of developing heart disease if their dads had heart disease and a 55% greater risk if their moms did, the study shows. Daughters had a 17% increased risk of developing heart disease if their dads had a history of heart disease and a 43% increased risk if their moms did.For my sister, Ruth, and I, those numbers quantify what we've been hearing from our respective family physicians. Ruth is being treated for hypertension; I'm being treated for high cholesterol and hyperlipidemia, which is too much "fat" in the blood.
Children with two parents with heart disease had an 82% increased risk of developing it themselves, the study shows. What's more, children whose parents developed heart disease at an early age (before they turned 55) had a 300% greater risk of developing the disease.
Our mother had her first heart attack at the age of 52. (Ruth is 51 while I'm 53.) Mom died at the age of 63 from her second myocardial infarction. Her father, our Grandpa Rebsch, died at the age of 49 also from a heart attack. I never knew him.
Sometimes, in my more despairing moods (call me an Eeyore!), I have the sensation of tiptoeing through an age-related minefield of heart attacks and strokes waiting to go off. It's a scary sensation to say the least!
Thankfully -- this is focusing on the cup as HALF FULL -- Ruth and I are very close and provide lots of moral support and fervent health cheerleading for one another! We speak often of growing old together as sisters, sitting on a porch somewhere, overlooking a lake.
Friday morning update II
Dragon Mood? -- ???
You know, I really hate it when I write gloom-and-doom posts. Disregard that darn post down there.
Life is good! I've got money in the bank to pay my bills, I have a partner who loves me and my painting skills, it's spring for crying out loud and the cup is way past HALF FULL!
Yup, that's my mantra for today: "Life IS good!"
... muttering to herself, "Life IS good, life IS good."
You know, I really hate it when I write gloom-and-doom posts. Disregard that darn post down there.
Life is good! I've got money in the bank to pay my bills, I have a partner who loves me and my painting skills, it's spring for crying out loud and the cup is way past HALF FULL!
Yup, that's my mantra for today: "Life IS good!"
... muttering to herself, "Life IS good, life IS good."
Friday morning update
Dragon Mood? -- tense dragon muscles
Usually Fridays evoke the upcoming weekend and gleeful, happy feelings.
For some reason, today I'm not feeling gleeful, not even happy. I suspect it has something to do with the lack of activity on the job-front. I've been a real slacker this week, concentrating instead on painting the dining room.
Methinks I must quit the painting scene and get back to full-time job hunting. Yup, I think that's what I need to do! That and my XHTML tutorials!
But first .... er, I have to run to Home Depot and buy another quart of Pale Sunshine. I have less than a cup of paint from the original gallon and I can't finish the job with that. ArrrghhhH!
And did I mention that I'm feeling a bit stressed about money? My "flush-ness" with money is eroding as the temporary job fades further and further into the past. I've paid my taxes, just paid two medical bills this morning (each in the $90 range) and have an unemployment check coming in the next couple of days. But I hate to see my checking account doing nothing but going down, down, down. You know, sometimes I think money (or the lack of it) just sucks. I wonder what it was like when people resorted to barter?
Usually Fridays evoke the upcoming weekend and gleeful, happy feelings.
For some reason, today I'm not feeling gleeful, not even happy. I suspect it has something to do with the lack of activity on the job-front. I've been a real slacker this week, concentrating instead on painting the dining room.
Methinks I must quit the painting scene and get back to full-time job hunting. Yup, I think that's what I need to do! That and my XHTML tutorials!
But first .... er, I have to run to Home Depot and buy another quart of Pale Sunshine. I have less than a cup of paint from the original gallon and I can't finish the job with that. ArrrghhhH!
And did I mention that I'm feeling a bit stressed about money? My "flush-ness" with money is eroding as the temporary job fades further and further into the past. I've paid my taxes, just paid two medical bills this morning (each in the $90 range) and have an unemployment check coming in the next couple of days. But I hate to see my checking account doing nothing but going down, down, down. You know, sometimes I think money (or the lack of it) just sucks. I wonder what it was like when people resorted to barter?
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Evisceration / Monologue
Dragon Mood? -- wow!
Frederick at Daily Kos has a transcript of Stephen Colbert's brilliant monologue/evisceration at the White House Correspondents Dinner. An excerpt:
Kudos to Stephen Colbert for his courage to speak the truth.
Frederick at Daily Kos has a transcript of Stephen Colbert's brilliant monologue/evisceration at the White House Correspondents Dinner. An excerpt:
Now, I know there are some polls out there saying this man has a 32% approval rating. But guys like us, we don't pay attention to the polls. We know that polls are just a collection of statistics that reflect what people are thinking in "reality." And reality has a well-known liberal bias.I watched the video in its entirety. So did S. We were both moved by its power and painful "truthiness."
So, Mr. President, please, pay no attention to the people that say the glass is half full. 32% means the glass -- it's important to set up your jokes properly, sir. Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that glass is my point, but I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually backwash. . .
. . . So don't pay attention to the approval ratings that say 68% of Americans disapprove of the job this man is doing. I ask you this, does that not also logically mean that 68% approve of the job he's not doing? Think about it. I haven't.
Kudos to Stephen Colbert for his courage to speak the truth.
Monday, May 01, 2006
!TRUMPS!
Dragon Mood? -- this tending-to-be-on-the-couch dragon needs to get out and MOVE!
I get these email newsletters from WebMD. One of their headlines caught my eye:
Here's the rest of the article:
I get these email newsletters from WebMD. One of their headlines caught my eye:
Exercise Trumps Diet for Weight Loss
Here's the rest of the article:
Active Monkeys Stay Lean, Sedentary Ones Get Fat -- No Matter What They Eat
By Daniel DeNoon
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Ann Edmundson, MD
on Friday, April 14, 2006
April 14, 2006 -- Active monkeys stay lean, while couch-potato monkeys get fat -- no matter how much they eat.
The findings come from a research team led by Judy Cameron, PhD, senior scientist at Oregon National Primate Research Center and professor of behavioral neuroscience and obstetrics/gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University.
"Far and away the biggest predictor of weight gain was how active the monkeys were -- that overrode how much food they were eating," Cameron tells WebMD.
The study may explain why people who try to lose weight by dieting alone rarely succeed.
"These findings were surprising to us as scientists," Cameron says. "We always assumed food intake was the main control of body weight and that dieting was the best way to control this. From these results, you are forced to think how active you are is more important than how much you eat."
Cameron and colleagues report their findings in the early online edition of the American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
Exercise Trumps Calories
Cameron studied 18 middle-aged, female rhesus monkeys. All of the animals had their ovaries removed to simulate human menopause. Earlier studies show that such monkeys tend to gain weight, as do middle-aged women.
The researchers put the monkeys on a high-fat diet -- that is, the 35%-fat diet of most women in the Western world. They let the animals eat as much or as little as they liked. And they let them exercise in their cages as much or as little as they wanted.
Over a nine-month period, the researchers measured the monkeys' activity level using a measuring device they wore around their necks. They also kept careful track of the animals' weight, food intake, and metabolic rate.
Some animals ate a lot. Some did not. It didn't make any difference in the monkeys' weight.
Some animals were very active. Some weren't. The difference was remarkable: The most active monkeys were eight times more active than the most sedentary monkeys. It made a huge difference in how much the monkeys weighed.
"We suspected if you ate a lot of food you would be more likely to gain weight. But we did not find that," Cameron says. "Some individual monkeys that ate a large amount did gain a lot of weight, but others who ate a lot gained virtually no weight. Very active monkeys did not gain weight over time. Very sedentary monkeys did gain weight, even if they were not eating a lot of food."
In a new study that hasn't been published, Cameron's team put overweight, inactive monkeys on a strict diet. They didn't lose much weight.
"I don't think most people who try to diet will be surprised," Cameron says. "The body immediately tries to compensate for calories you are not taking in by dropping your metabolic rate and lowering your activity level. There was no way to get around the fact that activity matters a great deal. Altogether, our feeling is that activity is very, very important in controlling body weight."
Can Obese Humans Become Active?
A lot of studies show that obese people aren't as active as lean people are. Cameron's study now suggests that it isn't obesity that turns people into couch potatoes -- it's inactivity that makes people obese.
However, it may not be a simple thing for overweight or obese people to become more active. Cameron says it's possible to predict how active monkeys will be when they're only 1 week old.
"Why are some monkeys more active? You would think it was what situation they were living in," Cameron says. "But we looked at monkeys with acres to run around in and many playmates. You would expect them to be very active. And if you move them indoors with fewer playmates, they should not be as active. But that was not true. A sedentary monkey was just as sedentary, and an active monkey was just as active no matter the setting. And we find this remains true over time."
It remains to be seen whether human couch potatoes can switch to an active lifestyle. But Cameron's work may have put one myth to rest: It's not your metabolism.
People who gain or don't gain weight often point to their inherent metabolic rate as the culprit. For monkeys, at least, this isn't so. Monkeys' metabolic rates didn't vary much. And those with the highest metabolic rate were no more likely to gain or lose weight than those with the lowest metabolic rate.
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