I had an interesting conversation with a granddaughter the other day who happened to run into a girl who she knew when she was young. They met because her grandmother (one of the other g'mas) was briefly married to this girl's dad. The girls are sort of the same age and our granddaughter would have technically been her niece and playmate for a few years, but that's another story.
It was a lively, the-world-is-small-isn't-it story and the retelling brought a new perspective to knowing how the other family handled the break up. As I listened, I wondered if it is ever a fair toss or an even draw when it comes to who was hurt the most. Most of the time we forget entirely about the coin having a second side.
This old complicated organic world has natural restrictions and consequences. All of life preys on itself: bigger-smaller, stronger-weaker, smarter-simpler, taker-giver. Kids think the world is no bigger than the arms of their embrace, even in this day and age of trying to be socially acceptable and championing for fairness and impartiality. I'm glad for that. And as for adults, I believe now it is cowardly to turn away from what we do not want to know just because it makes us sad.
I wish there was an island where everyone everywhere got what they wanted and everyone won through compromise and mutual regard. I would buy my ticket early and stand in line for days until they called my name. I would step inside and listen to the balanced sounds of harmony and smell the honeysuckle scented air. And with closed eyes I would let it seep into my heart, a lesson in righteous goodness and peace, to take back to the world I know and make it better.
God bless us anyway.
Sep 29, 2010
Sep 24, 2010
Far and Wide
Thirty years ago I was selling a car and this really nice man came to look at it. It was to be a gift for his wife and he drove it and paid me full price and later returned with his wife and drove it away.
It was a Saturday and he paid by check. Back in those days there wasn't an ATM depository or debit card safety net. Banks had, well, banking hours: 10am to 3pm M-F. People thought I was some kind of crazy to hand my only asset over to a total stranger.
I waited for the bank to open on Monday and the check was good, just as I expected. So here we are in this day and age with all the same cautionary tales of people being taken for a ride, or worse. But I am still unconvinced. Last year I again sold a car to a really nice man from CraigsList with no money down.
What is up with me? I remain unsullied by that thick outer layer of mistrust that others seem to wear. I believe in people and have total faith and optimism in their goodness.
But then again I like knowing the French are nicer than their reputations and that people mostly honor their promises. I like believing that when life knots up it will eventually untangle itself. I like people responding with reciprocity. I like being right most of the time.
It's true that trust has caused some of the most excruciatingly painful and heartbreaking times of my life. But when all was said and done, Love and Faith prevailed with Optimism intact. So let me just sprinkle a little of it that over here, and savor the gratefulness of it, even the scars.
It was a Saturday and he paid by check. Back in those days there wasn't an ATM depository or debit card safety net. Banks had, well, banking hours: 10am to 3pm M-F. People thought I was some kind of crazy to hand my only asset over to a total stranger.
I waited for the bank to open on Monday and the check was good, just as I expected. So here we are in this day and age with all the same cautionary tales of people being taken for a ride, or worse. But I am still unconvinced. Last year I again sold a car to a really nice man from CraigsList with no money down.
What is up with me? I remain unsullied by that thick outer layer of mistrust that others seem to wear. I believe in people and have total faith and optimism in their goodness.
But then again I like knowing the French are nicer than their reputations and that people mostly honor their promises. I like believing that when life knots up it will eventually untangle itself. I like people responding with reciprocity. I like being right most of the time.
It's true that trust has caused some of the most excruciatingly painful and heartbreaking times of my life. But when all was said and done, Love and Faith prevailed with Optimism intact. So let me just sprinkle a little of it that over here, and savor the gratefulness of it, even the scars.
Sep 23, 2010
Be the 'Do'
I was in the turn lane heading over an overpass the other day and thought about how we exercise personal restraint. We're trained to believe in rules and face collisions if we ignore them. We're pretty good at them, I thought, as I crossed 3 lines of traffic patiently respecting my green arrow.
I've had a little collision (again) with the notion that America perceives itself by-and-large as a place of tolerance and understanding, and takes pride on taking the high road. I would have liked being part of what is a just and honorable country, that altruistically steps up anywhere there is need.
This is an America not of that ilk. People are burning the Quron and sending hate mail to elderly people under the guise of political rhetoric. In poverty-stricken Louisiana our help after Katrina was modest at best and third world countries were left suffering from famine and genocide with no oil rich reserves to offer up in thanks.
Today's America is driven by the business of compassion, the 'what's-in-it-for-me' element. (Lucky for us the Middle East has something to offer or there'd be no war.)
A man stepped down yesterday from a business he spent a lifetime to build. I knew him fairly well, a decent, caring and honorable chap currently in the midst of a contentious divorce full of ugly innuendo and accusations. Stories like this get us to wondering if this is a strategy by his wife's lawyer to get around a pre-nup, or if it's true, instead of asking ~ can any future exoneration undo the damage already caused to this man's life and career?
No.
A counselor at a school where I once worked was accused of inappropriate behavior with a student. He was put on leave and the whole matter was investigated, very public, very ugly, leaked interviews and a court case. Months after it began and under cross-examination in court, the girls who reported the incident admitted they concocted the story because they were mad at not being put in the same class.
There is no question he was ruined by it.
The truth is there is no truth in the media. They report ... a bias, a suggestion of impropriety, with a likely little smirk. As sensationalism topples life after life with hushed whispers and wagging fingers I wonder where the rules are they live by? Not the ones stretched out of shape under the first amendment, but the underlying values of honesty, fairness, and impartiality? What is the media's carbon footprint on the lives of those judged before they have their day in court?
It was once said to young parents that criticizing a child one time takes twenty positive gestures to correct. How does the media make amends when they are wrong?
It would be so much easier to see them exercise personal restraint and journalistic integrity by honoring the rules of the road we all share, namely to become the 'Do' in Do Unto Others:
I've had a little collision (again) with the notion that America perceives itself by-and-large as a place of tolerance and understanding, and takes pride on taking the high road. I would have liked being part of what is a just and honorable country, that altruistically steps up anywhere there is need.
This is an America not of that ilk. People are burning the Quron and sending hate mail to elderly people under the guise of political rhetoric. In poverty-stricken Louisiana our help after Katrina was modest at best and third world countries were left suffering from famine and genocide with no oil rich reserves to offer up in thanks.
Today's America is driven by the business of compassion, the 'what's-in-it-for-me' element. (Lucky for us the Middle East has something to offer or there'd be no war.)
A man stepped down yesterday from a business he spent a lifetime to build. I knew him fairly well, a decent, caring and honorable chap currently in the midst of a contentious divorce full of ugly innuendo and accusations. Stories like this get us to wondering if this is a strategy by his wife's lawyer to get around a pre-nup, or if it's true, instead of asking ~ can any future exoneration undo the damage already caused to this man's life and career?
No.
A counselor at a school where I once worked was accused of inappropriate behavior with a student. He was put on leave and the whole matter was investigated, very public, very ugly, leaked interviews and a court case. Months after it began and under cross-examination in court, the girls who reported the incident admitted they concocted the story because they were mad at not being put in the same class.
There is no question he was ruined by it.
The truth is there is no truth in the media. They report ... a bias, a suggestion of impropriety, with a likely little smirk. As sensationalism topples life after life with hushed whispers and wagging fingers I wonder where the rules are they live by? Not the ones stretched out of shape under the first amendment, but the underlying values of honesty, fairness, and impartiality? What is the media's carbon footprint on the lives of those judged before they have their day in court?
It was once said to young parents that criticizing a child one time takes twenty positive gestures to correct. How does the media make amends when they are wrong?
It would be so much easier to see them exercise personal restraint and journalistic integrity by honoring the rules of the road we all share, namely to become the 'Do' in Do Unto Others:
- Do be mindful of what is said and implied.
- Do remember lives hang in the balance.
- Do follow the rules of fairness and impartiality.
- Do respect the law and wait for the process to conclude before drawing conclusions.
- Do not chase windmills.
- Do recognize and discount gossip.
- Do know the difference between real life and a reality show.
Sep 21, 2010
DailyFinance
This today from DailyFinance:
While the National Bureau of Economic Research announced Monday the recession ended in June 2009, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says unemployment in the U.S. may stay above the pre-crisis level until at least 2013, with long-term unemployment remaining a concern.
"Supported by substantial stimulus measures, the U.S. economy has started to grow again after one of the most severe economic crises it has faced since the Great Depression," the OECD said in its latest U.S. Economic Survey -- a 142-page report full of assessments and recommendations. But the OECD projects a slower pace of growth than past expansions as the economy remains constrained by the "significant tightening of credit and the loss of one-quarter of household net worth between the middle of 2007 and early 2009." The OECD projects economic growth of 2.6% in 2010 and 2011.
"We don't see a risk of a double-dip recession," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. "That said, we don't see either a recovery that is strong enough to put a significant dent in unemployment."
The survey explains that as unemployment rose for two and a half years before peaking in the fourth quarter of 2009, "it could be early 2013, at best, before the rate returns to its pre-recession level," because of sluggish demand while Americans put their finances in order. The jobless rate will average 9.7% this year and 9.0% in 2011, according to OECD.
The OECD welcomed near-term support for the labor market, such as the extension of unemployment benefits, but to combat long-term unemployment, such measures should slowly return to pre-crisis level. The survey also recommends prolonging training and education programs for the unemployed.
Similarly, other stimulative and supportive moves are warranted in the short term. However, "the groundwork for withdrawing the very accommodative stance of monetary policy has begun and should be continued," the report added. Gurría welcomed the administration's plan to reduce the deficit to 3% of GDP by 2015.
While the National Bureau of Economic Research announced Monday the recession ended in June 2009, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says unemployment in the U.S. may stay above the pre-crisis level until at least 2013, with long-term unemployment remaining a concern.
"Supported by substantial stimulus measures, the U.S. economy has started to grow again after one of the most severe economic crises it has faced since the Great Depression," the OECD said in its latest U.S. Economic Survey -- a 142-page report full of assessments and recommendations. But the OECD projects a slower pace of growth than past expansions as the economy remains constrained by the "significant tightening of credit and the loss of one-quarter of household net worth between the middle of 2007 and early 2009." The OECD projects economic growth of 2.6% in 2010 and 2011.
"We don't see a risk of a double-dip recession," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. "That said, we don't see either a recovery that is strong enough to put a significant dent in unemployment."
The survey explains that as unemployment rose for two and a half years before peaking in the fourth quarter of 2009, "it could be early 2013, at best, before the rate returns to its pre-recession level," because of sluggish demand while Americans put their finances in order. The jobless rate will average 9.7% this year and 9.0% in 2011, according to OECD.
The OECD welcomed near-term support for the labor market, such as the extension of unemployment benefits, but to combat long-term unemployment, such measures should slowly return to pre-crisis level. The survey also recommends prolonging training and education programs for the unemployed.
Similarly, other stimulative and supportive moves are warranted in the short term. However, "the groundwork for withdrawing the very accommodative stance of monetary policy has begun and should be continued," the report added. Gurría welcomed the administration's plan to reduce the deficit to 3% of GDP by 2015.
'Paper Clips'
 |
| Norway invented the paper clip |
And so she sent the Assistant Principal on a mission: to travel to schools in bigger cities and come back with an idea that would do that. He came back inspired by the lessons of the Holocaust and in 1999 the project began. At first the children struggled to conceptualize that anyone could exterminate millions of people, or even what 6 million of anything looked like. And so the children set out to research what they could collect six million of, to help them understand.
Their research led them to learn about the paper clip. The paper clip was invented in Norway and used by Norwegians as a silent protest to their country's occupation during WWII. The children adopted it as their symbol: one paper clip for each Jew murdered by the Nazis in the concentration camps.
They wrote to communities, movie stars, world leaders, and businesses for donations and paper clips began to pour in. The children counted and catalogued every one, and stowed them away. Soon packages with stamps from all over the world began to arrive. Some of the paper clips had notes attached with stories and photos and names of actual people who had perished.
Something was clearly going on here. Holocaust survivors in America learned of the project and German news journalists came to meet the children. It was headline news across America. The entire world seemed to become involved in this small town in the Heartland.
 |
| Documentary Movie Logo |
By 2004 and the filming of the documentary, the students had received, counted and catalogued over 24 million paper clips and there was no more room to store them. Over dinner one night, the idea was hatched for a Holocaust Memorial that could also store the paper clips. The German couple spearheaded a search in their own country for what the school leaders wanted to symbolize the Memorial. (You have to see the movie: it's a surprise.)
Today it is the students who teach the lessons of tolerance for visitors who come. And inside are thousands of letters and satchels and photos and stories along with 6 million whose paper clips, one for each Jew, and the 5 million more, gypsies and others who were also killed by Hitler during that time.
http://www.oneclipatatime.org/
Sep 20, 2010
A Pirates' Intention
Once upon a time there were 30-something and 40-something people who used their hard-earned money to invest for retirement. Some bought a home or two and diversified part of it into stocks and bonds. Some of them went the government route and those enduring jobs and highly-sought-after retirements. And everyone was promised something really wonderful, a personal thanks from Uncle Sam himself, a little hedge against inflation called social security and a pat on the back.
But there were dark days ahead. There were pirates lurking about disguised in suits. They saw all the money lying about and decided to take it for their bounty. They sat at their desks and ate in their fancy restaurants with other pirates and hatched a scheme so they could carry away sacks of cash for themselves.
At first they were armed. They were sure someone would ambush them because they were carrying out sacks of gold and investments. But no one ever did. Night after night they carried out all this money completely unnoticed.
The pirates filled their cars and houses and storage units to the top with money and ran out of where to put it. So they started buying bigger houses and nicer ships and sending it to offshore accounts. The pirates put their guns away and filled their pockets to bursting with all the money they found.
There was more than enough money for the whole world but the pirates wanted more. So they turned some of their workers into pirates by making them say the pirate oath. They gave them Armani suits and alligator shoes to walk among the people. They showed them how to sell loans so they could reach into the purses and wallets to take what was there. This is how the pirates came to have all the money in the world and even the company that prints the money.
One gloomy day it was discovered these men were pirates in disguise, and everyone became afraid. The pirates began to point at each other and to quarrel over whose fault it was, and everyone joined in, businessmen and families and the government leaders. And while all of this commotion was going on, the pirates quietly slipped out and hired on elsewhere as CEOs with a salary of ten million a year.
The End.
But there were dark days ahead. There were pirates lurking about disguised in suits. They saw all the money lying about and decided to take it for their bounty. They sat at their desks and ate in their fancy restaurants with other pirates and hatched a scheme so they could carry away sacks of cash for themselves.
At first they were armed. They were sure someone would ambush them because they were carrying out sacks of gold and investments. But no one ever did. Night after night they carried out all this money completely unnoticed.
The pirates filled their cars and houses and storage units to the top with money and ran out of where to put it. So they started buying bigger houses and nicer ships and sending it to offshore accounts. The pirates put their guns away and filled their pockets to bursting with all the money they found.
There was more than enough money for the whole world but the pirates wanted more. So they turned some of their workers into pirates by making them say the pirate oath. They gave them Armani suits and alligator shoes to walk among the people. They showed them how to sell loans so they could reach into the purses and wallets to take what was there. This is how the pirates came to have all the money in the world and even the company that prints the money.
One gloomy day it was discovered these men were pirates in disguise, and everyone became afraid. The pirates began to point at each other and to quarrel over whose fault it was, and everyone joined in, businessmen and families and the government leaders. And while all of this commotion was going on, the pirates quietly slipped out and hired on elsewhere as CEOs with a salary of ten million a year.
The End.
Sep 17, 2010
Nuts to That
The following quote was put out there, asking voters to agree or disagree, and a whopping 88% agreed that 'A rich person is not the one who has the most, but who needs the least.'
That's a popular philosophy, and we have learned nothing from these past few years if not the importance of needs-vs-wants and living within our means. Money money money. Too much, too little, all of life seems to be about trying to figure out where the line is between comfort, hoarding and abject poverty.
It's a contributing factor in every big worry, divorces and family feuds, education, estate lawsuits and our children's future. We resent it and conversely pay homage to it as the declining resource it is. There are articles quite literally telling us to cut up our own chickens, average our utility payments, drop Direct TV and quit going out for meals.
After the terrible fire in San Bruno that levelled 50 homes and killed and injured numerous residents, PG&E came rushing in with a solemn promise to do anything for this community. And right on the heels of that, literally a few days later, they were back on the news alluding to increases that will be necessary to address and replace the 216,000 miles of 50 year old pipeline. Like they never knew the pipeline was rotting beneath our feet. Like it is our responsibility for them not spending the last twenty years changing all of them out.
I am outraged to see them stand hat in hand before the state's beleaguered workers, many working and many who are not, to foot the bill for their maintenance mismanagement. Hadn't PG&E recently announced record quarterly earnings?
PG&E, fix your own damned mess. And that goes for our elected officials, too: give back your perks and fancy retirements and AIG insurances and use that money to re-invest it into the business of solving the financial crises you have caused. They'll get by alright with social security and medicare and the government subsidies. Everybody's gotta be cutting up their own chickens.
I want enough for a comfortable life, whatever that is, and health insurance and food and a home I can count on with running water and heat; an occasional dinner out and holidays with friends and family eating pasta and playing cards; books to read and cards to send.
I deserve to keep the nuts I stashed and to know it will not be looted by utilities or the state or the federal government who already devoured theirs and didn't plan ahead. Don't come calling: I've got nothing to give.
That's a popular philosophy, and we have learned nothing from these past few years if not the importance of needs-vs-wants and living within our means. Money money money. Too much, too little, all of life seems to be about trying to figure out where the line is between comfort, hoarding and abject poverty.
It's a contributing factor in every big worry, divorces and family feuds, education, estate lawsuits and our children's future. We resent it and conversely pay homage to it as the declining resource it is. There are articles quite literally telling us to cut up our own chickens, average our utility payments, drop Direct TV and quit going out for meals.
After the terrible fire in San Bruno that levelled 50 homes and killed and injured numerous residents, PG&E came rushing in with a solemn promise to do anything for this community. And right on the heels of that, literally a few days later, they were back on the news alluding to increases that will be necessary to address and replace the 216,000 miles of 50 year old pipeline. Like they never knew the pipeline was rotting beneath our feet. Like it is our responsibility for them not spending the last twenty years changing all of them out.
I am outraged to see them stand hat in hand before the state's beleaguered workers, many working and many who are not, to foot the bill for their maintenance mismanagement. Hadn't PG&E recently announced record quarterly earnings?
PG&E, fix your own damned mess. And that goes for our elected officials, too: give back your perks and fancy retirements and AIG insurances and use that money to re-invest it into the business of solving the financial crises you have caused. They'll get by alright with social security and medicare and the government subsidies. Everybody's gotta be cutting up their own chickens.
I want enough for a comfortable life, whatever that is, and health insurance and food and a home I can count on with running water and heat; an occasional dinner out and holidays with friends and family eating pasta and playing cards; books to read and cards to send.
I deserve to keep the nuts I stashed and to know it will not be looted by utilities or the state or the federal government who already devoured theirs and didn't plan ahead. Don't come calling: I've got nothing to give.
Sep 15, 2010
The Sounds of Quiet
I am watching a hummingbird this morning drink from the feeder. There are six openings and plenty to go around no matter how many want to feed here, but he fiercely chases intruders off. Some days he spends all of it protecting the right to lord over this little plastic hanger rather than sitting long enough to enjoy the nectar inside. It seems incongruous for such beautiful and delicate birds.
I caught an episode of How I Met My Mother the other night, a sitcom with a central character who's a pretty cerebral guy (and also the narrator) and is surrounded by friends: a hedonistic opportunist, a quirky married couple and a former girlfriend who is very grounded. It's a witty and edgy show, clearly not for everyone, but this episode was about finding a way to let go of trying to control life to sometimes just enjoy the ride.
It is reminiscent of lyrics by John Lennon from Beautiful Boy, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans."
Maybe all of these reminders helped awaken a grateful heart today, a quiet appreciation for God's many gifts, for my husband and kids, friendships and good health, even for the need to diet. It is so easy for life's blessings to be overlooked. But for some reason today was the day I noticed while sipping coffee with the red and green throated hummingbird sipping his morning nectar, that both of us were grateful.
I caught an episode of How I Met My Mother the other night, a sitcom with a central character who's a pretty cerebral guy (and also the narrator) and is surrounded by friends: a hedonistic opportunist, a quirky married couple and a former girlfriend who is very grounded. It's a witty and edgy show, clearly not for everyone, but this episode was about finding a way to let go of trying to control life to sometimes just enjoy the ride.
It is reminiscent of lyrics by John Lennon from Beautiful Boy, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans."
Maybe all of these reminders helped awaken a grateful heart today, a quiet appreciation for God's many gifts, for my husband and kids, friendships and good health, even for the need to diet. It is so easy for life's blessings to be overlooked. But for some reason today was the day I noticed while sipping coffee with the red and green throated hummingbird sipping his morning nectar, that both of us were grateful.
Sep 13, 2010
The Porta-Potty
My brother turned somewhere around 60 the other day, and at his party I got to talking with a man who does triathlons. He's an interesting guy ~ and his developing philosophy of competition was really interesting. Here is his story:
His first triathlon was a strenuous circuit that any new athlete would find challenging, and he stopped in a porta-potty a few miles into the race. He was beginning to panic that he would not be able to finish. It occurred to him that this porta-potty was the only place along the circuit where could he sit unobserved. If he stayed here, no one would know he quit.
His thoughts turned to the family and friends somewhere along the route waiting to cheer him on, and so he pressed on. Each mile he would pass that blue and white porta-potty, and each mile it would say to him, come and rest, no one will know. Mile after mile he saw them, and each time thought about how easy it would be to quit. The porta-potty had been put there as an aide for the athletes but it nearly undid him.
His first triathlon was a strenuous circuit that any new athlete would find challenging, and he stopped in a porta-potty a few miles into the race. He was beginning to panic that he would not be able to finish. It occurred to him that this porta-potty was the only place along the circuit where could he sit unobserved. If he stayed here, no one would know he quit.
His thoughts turned to the family and friends somewhere along the route waiting to cheer him on, and so he pressed on. Each mile he would pass that blue and white porta-potty, and each mile it would say to him, come and rest, no one will know. Mile after mile he saw them, and each time thought about how easy it would be to quit. The porta-potty had been put there as an aide for the athletes but it nearly undid him.
The Concert
At Thunder Valley Casino the other day was a concert with Davy Jones, Rick Springfield and Peter Noone. We had been to oldies concerts before and so went with some expectations for a really good time.
There's a moment when knowing and feeing older collides, and that moment was when Davy Jones stepped out on the stage. Oh, it wasn't good. It was embarrassingly apparent this icon had not graciously withstood the test of time. He limped through a 45 minute set, and I averted my eyes from time to time out of respect. He didn't play many of the old hits from the Monkees, and frankly that's all we went there to hear.
There's a moment when knowing and feeing older collides, and that moment was when Davy Jones stepped out on the stage. Oh, it wasn't good. It was embarrassingly apparent this icon had not graciously withstood the test of time. He limped through a 45 minute set, and I averted my eyes from time to time out of respect. He didn't play many of the old hits from the Monkees, and frankly that's all we went there to hear.
Sep 10, 2010
Admissions Day
It's the old getting something for nothing lesson comin' around, and I hate it! How can anyone be learning how to cook deliciously while trying to master portion control?
A few ugly things have happened recently. There have been a lot of references to 'sir and ma'am' by waitpersons and even an unsolicited offer to apply the senior discount at the movies. We are clinging to the hope it's just the extra weight that makes us look older. (Shhh! Just shhh!)
The extra poundage definitely makes us feel older and we've realized how stupid it is to choose food over health. Just cutting back hasn't worked. Our lifestyle includes fresher foods and we already exercise at the Y, so things are moving in the right direction, but there is a need for something more, something organized and scheduled and self-limiting, like a diet ...
(In whiney pitiful tones:) Whatever happened to the days when we could will ourselves thinner by adding a little exercise to lowered portions and watch the unwanted girth melt away? Ohhhh, that was when our metabolism wasn't hard of hearing. {What's that, you say??}
It's been great fun learning to cook a broader selection of foods with fresher ingredients. I've got loads of time to play around. But now's not the time for enticements and it will have to wait for when the hard work is over, maybe once a week or when we hit a weight loss goal.
Today begins the earnest search for an actual diet that we can agree on, and live with, and adapt to, and succeed at, so we make it to the elimination round. Because in addition to the other humiliations we endure, we even failed the vet test.
THE VET TEST: Stand behind your dog and place your thumbs on the spine midway down the back. Fan out your fingers and spread them over the ribs. With your thumbs lightly pressing on the spine and fingers on the ribs, slide your hands gently up and down.
In normal sized dogs there is a thin layer of fat. You can feel the ribs easily, although you won't see them. If your dog is overweight, you will not be able to readily feel the ribs, and the tissue over the ribs may feel smooth and wavy.
Did someone mention ribs??
A few ugly things have happened recently. There have been a lot of references to 'sir and ma'am' by waitpersons and even an unsolicited offer to apply the senior discount at the movies. We are clinging to the hope it's just the extra weight that makes us look older. (Shhh! Just shhh!)
The extra poundage definitely makes us feel older and we've realized how stupid it is to choose food over health. Just cutting back hasn't worked. Our lifestyle includes fresher foods and we already exercise at the Y, so things are moving in the right direction, but there is a need for something more, something organized and scheduled and self-limiting, like a diet ...
(In whiney pitiful tones:) Whatever happened to the days when we could will ourselves thinner by adding a little exercise to lowered portions and watch the unwanted girth melt away? Ohhhh, that was when our metabolism wasn't hard of hearing. {What's that, you say??}
It's been great fun learning to cook a broader selection of foods with fresher ingredients. I've got loads of time to play around. But now's not the time for enticements and it will have to wait for when the hard work is over, maybe once a week or when we hit a weight loss goal.
Today begins the earnest search for an actual diet that we can agree on, and live with, and adapt to, and succeed at, so we make it to the elimination round. Because in addition to the other humiliations we endure, we even failed the vet test.
 |
| (this would resemble our dog if we owned one) |
In normal sized dogs there is a thin layer of fat. You can feel the ribs easily, although you won't see them. If your dog is overweight, you will not be able to readily feel the ribs, and the tissue over the ribs may feel smooth and wavy.
Did someone mention ribs??
Sep 9, 2010
The Shakedown
Let me vent a little, will ya?
In 1973 I was at a stop sign and it was really early and when the left turn lane went so did I. That was exceedingly unfortunate for the little car in front of me because we weren't in that lane. I was going about 4 miles an hour and it cost me out of pocket $300 to have their bumper replaced. My car, I left with the dent. We left insurance out of it.
The same scenario happened with a couple of parking fender benders up until the 1990s. My only real live accident was in 2006 when several cars were primarily involved and mine was collaterally hit. A gentle collision is a weird description with freeway speeds, but we were going about the same speed and I kept control of the vehicle as we went off road, slowed and stopped. No one needed an ambulance which was remarkable with a dozen cars involved and strewn on both sides of the freeway. And then this guy who hit me claimed an injury and fabricated his story to make it appear to be my fault. Fortunately reason prevailed and I was exonerated but only after a court battle and more expense. The whole thing was ridiculous.
In 1973 I was at a stop sign and it was really early and when the left turn lane went so did I. That was exceedingly unfortunate for the little car in front of me because we weren't in that lane. I was going about 4 miles an hour and it cost me out of pocket $300 to have their bumper replaced. My car, I left with the dent. We left insurance out of it.
The same scenario happened with a couple of parking fender benders up until the 1990s. My only real live accident was in 2006 when several cars were primarily involved and mine was collaterally hit. A gentle collision is a weird description with freeway speeds, but we were going about the same speed and I kept control of the vehicle as we went off road, slowed and stopped. No one needed an ambulance which was remarkable with a dozen cars involved and strewn on both sides of the freeway. And then this guy who hit me claimed an injury and fabricated his story to make it appear to be my fault. Fortunately reason prevailed and I was exonerated but only after a court battle and more expense. The whole thing was ridiculous.
Sep 8, 2010
The Sure Bet
This space has needed a proper name for a while now; it has not been happy with Absolutely or The Journey, and will try on this new name to see how it wears. I am reviewing earlier comments about the economy and foreclosures, and softening my stance in the deepening depression with so few financial options. We are suffering greatly.
People on TV seem to promote the idea that the American people were duped into getting themselves deeper in debt than they realized and that is the root cause of this entire mess. Credit was cheap and easy to get, but something doesn't equate. Are they trying to say that consumers didn't understand as they wore out those credit cards and took purchases to their cars that they would have to pay for them at some future point? Seriously?
However, California real estate is a different animal altogether. For a non-coastal state, it is hard to explain the 'expected' and rapid increases in value and how it puts families nearly unable to afford homes and apartments because landlords take advantage of the opportunity to continually increase rent.
In crazy California, as hard as it is for a family to justify committing themselves to a mortgage that is beyond their reach, there comes a point when they realize they are being priced out of the rental market, too. Add to that the feds encouraging home ownership with tax shelters, and all that is left to do is find a sympathetic lender before diving right in. We now know there were big, and I mean BIG, financial incentives to entice unscrupulous lenders to make credit available to just about anyone, but that does not relieve the consumer of their heavy burden for signing on.
People on TV seem to promote the idea that the American people were duped into getting themselves deeper in debt than they realized and that is the root cause of this entire mess. Credit was cheap and easy to get, but something doesn't equate. Are they trying to say that consumers didn't understand as they wore out those credit cards and took purchases to their cars that they would have to pay for them at some future point? Seriously?
However, California real estate is a different animal altogether. For a non-coastal state, it is hard to explain the 'expected' and rapid increases in value and how it puts families nearly unable to afford homes and apartments because landlords take advantage of the opportunity to continually increase rent.
In crazy California, as hard as it is for a family to justify committing themselves to a mortgage that is beyond their reach, there comes a point when they realize they are being priced out of the rental market, too. Add to that the feds encouraging home ownership with tax shelters, and all that is left to do is find a sympathetic lender before diving right in. We now know there were big, and I mean BIG, financial incentives to entice unscrupulous lenders to make credit available to just about anyone, but that does not relieve the consumer of their heavy burden for signing on.
Crafty great grandmother mends broken hearts - with glue gun
Written by Marc Acito, September 7, 2010
"So many people need someone to talk to," says Reva Hoewing of Poolesville, Md. "I just listen."
The 76-year-old owner of Crafts-a-Plenty does a lot more than that. The mother of five, the grandmother of 12 and the great-grandmother of eight, she still works five days a week in the crafts shop she opened over 30 years ago.
Back then, Hoewing worked as a teacher in a program for underprivileged children. Her crafts lessons proved so popular that locals in her small town of 5,000 began asking her for classes.
"So many people need someone to talk to," says Reva Hoewing of Poolesville, Md. "I just listen."
The 76-year-old owner of Crafts-a-Plenty does a lot more than that. The mother of five, the grandmother of 12 and the great-grandmother of eight, she still works five days a week in the crafts shop she opened over 30 years ago.
Back then, Hoewing worked as a teacher in a program for underprivileged children. Her crafts lessons proved so popular that locals in her small town of 5,000 began asking her for classes.
Sep 7, 2010
Cover Yourself
We were gone a week and there were changes. The stay of layoffs and cutbacks hitting everywhere eventually caught up with a little successful business near the top of the heap. Randy's job is still safe, thankfully, but not all were spared.
We said goodbye yesterday to a friend who has owned the vintage State theatre in Woodland for over a decade. The State was one of our first dates; we loved the faded glory of this grand old gal that charged just $5 for first run movies, and bought concessions from Mike in appreciation of that.
So many things to be thankful for.
Take for instance this morning's fender bender. We were getting gas ... had just pulled in to Arco and I was fishing for the credit card ... when an impatient Dodge truck behind us didn't realize the front pump was non-operational ... and tried to squeeze by ... at the precise moment Tim swung open the passenger door to step out ...
We said goodbye yesterday to a friend who has owned the vintage State theatre in Woodland for over a decade. The State was one of our first dates; we loved the faded glory of this grand old gal that charged just $5 for first run movies, and bought concessions from Mike in appreciation of that.
So many things to be thankful for.
Take for instance this morning's fender bender. We were getting gas ... had just pulled in to Arco and I was fishing for the credit card ... when an impatient Dodge truck behind us didn't realize the front pump was non-operational ... and tried to squeeze by ... at the precise moment Tim swung open the passenger door to step out ...
Sep 5, 2010
Readin' Up
Just starting the House of Mirth. But before I do ... let me say ...
Eat Pray Love was a wonderful flick. I am surprised the movie (and book) can't stand as a different perspective on life and its spiritual interpretations without eliciting such a strong reaction. But maybe fine movies do that, no matter which side of the fence you're on, and the discussion that follows is the really meaty stuff worth discussing.
We both enjoyed the movie, the Democrat Cat and Republican Dog, enough to go out the very next day to pick up the book and see it again when there was an opportunity. (For those unfamiliar, it is the story of a woman's miserably failed life and her decision to tackle the issues head-on. The book chronicles her explorative year long journey: four months in Italy, four in India and four in Indonesia, to help her heal.)
Eat Pray Love was a wonderful flick. I am surprised the movie (and book) can't stand as a different perspective on life and its spiritual interpretations without eliciting such a strong reaction. But maybe fine movies do that, no matter which side of the fence you're on, and the discussion that follows is the really meaty stuff worth discussing.
We both enjoyed the movie, the Democrat Cat and Republican Dog, enough to go out the very next day to pick up the book and see it again when there was an opportunity. (For those unfamiliar, it is the story of a woman's miserably failed life and her decision to tackle the issues head-on. The book chronicles her explorative year long journey: four months in Italy, four in India and four in Indonesia, to help her heal.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)