FEAR FACTOR

More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! More powerful than any elected official! Able to change the future with the spoken or printed word! Look, on the internet, on the television, on the radio, in the newspaper- it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman, no… it’s the MEDIA!!!! Most will agree, I think, that it’s not the President, nor is it congress or even the Supreme Court who hold the greatest influence on our nation. Yes, ultimately these people will govern our land, but it is the media who hold the power to truly change the course of the future (by dictating to the voting public who to elect to those offices). The media tells us what to wear, what to eat, what is “in” and what is “out”. Our expectations of how much is “too much” to pay for gasoline or what makes for a successful day on Wall Street. The media decided early on that Barak Obama would be our next president. Watch any news show, read most any newspaper or magazine and you will find the assumption that it is already a done deal. In the bag. I’m sure Michelle has already contracted with her design team for her inaugural ball gown. She probably already has the window measurements of the White House and will soon be ordering new drapes and china. I had an interesting conversation with my boss the other day, and he thinks that McCain is going to pull it off. My shock and surprise at his statement just confirmed that I, too, have been brainwashed by the media to be resigned to the fact that O will probably be elected. The two magazines that I read weekly are Time and Newsweek- both of which should be relegated to the status of the Sears catalog (for you city folk, that’s what country folk used for personal hygiene products in the days of the outhouse). But I digress. Both these magazines are so flaming liberal, and of course have pretty much elected him all by themselves. Now here we are 12 days out from the election, and the media have come up with a new scare tactic that seems “safe” and nonbiased. Long lines at the polls. Oh my goodness. Now we have millions of Americans who have had it drilled into their heads that Obama is leading, it’s not even close any more, and now not only are we inundated with how much money the NRC has spent on the Palines’ wardrobes (who cares?), now we are being told to expect six to eight-hour waits at the polls. This is sure to discourage McCain voters to stay home in their warm fuzzy house-robes and drink coffee instead of waiting for hours in the (many places) cold weather to cast their vote for a man who hasn’t a snowflake’s chance in Hades to win anyway. Right? Supposedly even the early-voting polls are experiencing one to three-hour waits. Like many other tactics, it is a very cleverly-disguised shot aimed at a large group of McCain supporters- the older generation. I my own personal old self would find it difficult to stand in line for longer than an hour (and wouldn’t be very patient even then!), so I don’t imagine there are many of the really older generation who would be willing or even able to stand in line for that long. So, in predicting excruciatingly long waits, the media are guaranteeing that many McCain voters will be discouraged from voting. Call it the Fear Factor. What a brilliant strategy. Let’s hope the old folks will prove them wrong and get up early, eat their Wheaties, grab their ear muffs and head on out to the polls. Maybe take their folding lawn chairs and a good book. Or Newsweek and TIME magazine. I’m sure there will be Porta Potty stops along the way.

On a much more brighter note, I had the pleasure of sharing a dinner table at the Subway last night with an old friend, whom I have become reacquainted with. He was actually probably my very first next-door-neighbor. My parents rented a house next door to his, and that’s where they were living when I was born. We grew up in a small town, though it had been many years since I had seen him. A while back I saw him at church, and now we usually chat for a few minutes before or after the service on Sundays. Between jobs last night, I ran in to Subway for a sandwich, and found him just sitting down for dinner. I invited myself to join him, and we had a really nice visit. It was a wonderful change to have a real, live, adult conversation with someone other than Whitney. Of course we talked about much the same thing as I have written about above, the political challenges we are facing, and decided that he and I need to run the country and straighten things out. I think I’ll order some campaign buttons and bumper stickers. Now if we could just get the media on our side.

Calling In Sick

Man, I hate to call in sick to work. Doesn't matter how badly I feel, and I feel rotten today, I still hate it. My boss usually isn't pleased about it either. Not just for me, but whenever anyone is out sick, he doesn't like it. I don't like it either. If I'm not at work, I'd rather it be a vacation day- not a day that I don't feel like doing anything. All that aside, today was one of those days. I've been nursing a sinus cold for almost two weeks, but thought I was much better. I woke up around 4 this morning with my head throbbing, my sinuses pouring and in general feeling bad all over. To make things worse, around 10:30 last night Whitney discovered that Leyland was burning up with fever (103.5) and having shaking chills. She had been fine all evening. She was feverish all night and again this morning. Corey has a stuffy nose and has been irritable, and Whitney isn't feeling well either. So, it has been a REALLY FUN day here at our house. Leyland went to the doctor this afternoon, and she has a red, tender throat, (Rapid-Strep negative, thank goodness!), but she has the virus that causes conjunctivitis (or chunkyvitis, as Whitney used to call it), and her eye is starting to "pink" up. He prescribed eye drops for that, but the viral thing will just have to run its course, and he told Whitney to expect the fever to go up again. She's just now home from the doctor and already starting to warm up. Poor bunny. It's almost time for my evening shift at the hospital, and I'm really dreading it. What I'd like more than anything this evening is a nice cup of hot chocolate, a darkened room and my comfy bed. Oh and my miracle bottle of Afrin.

A Very Busy Day!

The day started pretty early at my house, like all my Saturdays. After my morning shift for the hospital ended, it was time for some major cleaning. Whitney and Dustin took the kids to the Fall Festival in Watkinsville today. (Mary is here this weekend and was so excited about going!!) So I had the house to myself for a few hours, which made it easier to get some chores done. I'm still looking at a pretty big mess in my office, though, and I haven't seen the top of my desk in days. I'm about to take care of that right now, do some work for Dr. F., then perhaps I might actually make it to the craft room later this evening. Unless I'm just too doggone tired to attempt it. Leyland has so much fun when Mary comes to visit. For some reason, she has always called her "B". Now she has advanced to "Maaeee" (Mary without the r sound). She just shrieks and howls with laughter and gets so excited she looks like she will jump out of her skin. They're really cute together. I got a few good photos of them this morning watching tv and "reading". I'll post them here as soon as I get them uploaded. Tomorrow will be another busy day- church in the morning, then work in the afternoon/evening. Monday will be here before I know it, and time to start all over again!! I'm wondering how Joe The Plumber is doing this weekend. He's had a pretty rough couple of days, I'll bet. He probably wishes he had never heard of Obama or McCain. Enough procrastinating- I must finish my chores and settle in for the evening. I hope I can stay awake for Sarah's debut on SNL. That will hafta be hilarious. Happy Saturday Night!!

Joe The Plumber

A new icon for the 2008 election was introduced last night. Joe The Plumber. If you haven’t heard of him yet, you will. I thought it was a very effective move on McCain’s part to bring Joe into the picture. Now I don’t argue that big businesses need to pay their share of taxes. Not at all. Everyone should pay taxes. I’m surprised the media didn’t jump on Obama’s statement “I don’t mind paying a little more”. Of course he doesn’t mind. He’s all about Spreading The Wealth. Joe The Plumber made a good point this morning on GMA: (loosely quoted) “Why should I pay a higher tax rate just because I work hard and am successful?” He wouldn’t disclose who he is voting for, which is probably a good thing. Joe is now a famous person, supposedly representative of working-class America, whose endorsement would be huge. Poor Joe. I’ll bet he has already had to change his phone number. For we Average Joes at home, it is so difficult to form an opinion about whose ideas are better, especially on taxes and health care, when the candidates can apparently spout of facts and figures, regardless of their accuracy. I used to hate it when the news commentators would come on afterwards and dissect every word, but now I kind of enjoy it. Especially when they do the Fact Checks. Both candidates are guilty of making false statements. So what does the average Joe Plumber believe? I am a McCain supporter, and as stated above, thought his bringing Joe The Plumber into the ring was a great move. However, wanting to know more, I found the complete Joe/Obama exchange on YouTube. (Watch it here.) Again, remembering that the candidates often don’t tell the truth, and pander to the audience at hand, the entire conversation between Joe and Obama sheds a little different light on the subject than the clips you will see on TV. Joe will pay 33% taxes on his company’s income up to 250K. The money that he makes in excess of 250K will be taxed at 39%. The way the McCain campaign has presented it is that all of Joe’s money would be taxed at a higher rate. So- if Obama is telling the truth, then while it is still unfair and leaning toward a socialist ideology, it’s not quite as bad as I had thought before. However- Joe had another very valid concern this morning: Right now Obama says it is 250K. What if in the future he decides- well 250K is a lot of money, so let’s lower it to 100K. That would hurt a lot more people. How are we supposed to trust that? And how can we trust something we don’t understand? The other day I asked my boss (a very successful orthopedic surgeon) if he understands McCain’s health care/insurance reform proposal. He laughed and said he doesn’t think anyone understands it. I have looked at the websites of both candidates, and I really can’t make heads or tails out of it. Negative campaign? We NEED negative campaigning. Otherwise, we would only see the sugarcoated promises of the candidates. I want to know the down side of McCain’s proposals. I want to know the downside of Obama’s. Do you think THEY are going to tell us? Nuh Uh. Of course, the negative jabs aren’t always true either, but I think it kind of evens it out, and gives us cause to question. My mama used to tell me- If sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. I’m just ready for it to be over. And let the bleeding begin. Because bleed we will. In the meantime, Joe my friend- get out there and do the American thing. Capitalize on your new name. These folks are already doing it. Hurry and copyright Joe The Plumber (think Dale Earnhardt) and make yourself some money. Just be sure you don’t make over 250K and you’ll be fine.

Bringin' Home The Bacon

So somebody else can cook it.

Yippeee!! I get to watch the debate!!! I had been trying to figure out how I was going to work four hours tonight, go to ensemble practice, and watch the debate- all within a six-hour period (assuming I would get to bed by midnight). I have been asked by the hospital to work 20 hours per week for them. I had been averaging about 12-15 per week, which sometimes was tough, but I think I have arranged the week to allow me to work the hours they have requested. Dr. Fennell has returned from medical leave, though only part time, so I’m trying to squeeze in a little time each week for him as well. It makes for a pretty grueling work week, but in my line of work, prudence dictates very careful consideration before turning away clients/work opportunities. I know that going into winter and flu season there will probably be enough work to keep me busy those 20 hours, but then there will be times in the spring and summer that I can go back to fewer hours. Though a struggle at times, it really is a win/win for me. The compensation is excellent, and it is work I can do from home in my jammies. I miss sleeping in on Saturdays, but I find as I get older that I simply can’t loll about in the bed until noon anyway. Maybe there is some urgency that I don’t have as many years in front of me as I do behind me, so I don’t want to spend it sleeping in? Maybe. At any rate- this morning there was an e-mail from Tammy, transcription supervisor at the hospital, that the work load is manageable for them today and I can be off tonight! How cool is that!!

The Pumpkin Patch

Scrapbook pages of children in pumpkin patches are some of my favorites. This year I decided we would have some of those pages in our books. Saturday afternoon, Whitney and Dustin took the babies to the Pumpkin Patch in Watkinsville. Miss Leyland was in a rebellious mood and refused to pose for pictures (except for one, which was worth the wait, it’s so cute!), so we have lots of action shots of her. Corey was strapped to his mommy’s chest in the Snugli, so we don’t have many shots of him. The folks over at the pumpkin patch have got a really good thing going on. For $8.00 a head (no charge for the kidlets), you can pet some farm animals, let the kids roam through a hay-bale-maze, slide down a really big slide (Dustin wouldn’t let Leyland do that), and play in a ball pit- only instead of balls, it’s dried up corn kernels. (Whitney had to stand guard very carefully- we didn’t want any nose-stuffing going on in the corn pit!) There’s also a 30-minute hay ride. They had a really good time, and came home with enough pictures, I think, to do a nice layout. We also hope to get up to Hoschton to see the scarecrows and maybe have some photo ops there. The folks who bought Ms. Grace Roberds’ house have a nice pumpkin/scarecrow display in their yard. Maybe we’ll stop by and ask of we can photograph the babies in their yard. I am GOING to have those layouts! In the meantime, here’s a few pics of the Pumpkin Patch trip.

View From The Top

Well, I guess it's official. I'm an old codger now. Yep, Over The Hill. You know The Hill I'm talking about.

And it is wonderful! I'm thankful to have lived one half of a century, and look forward to many more birthday cakes. It has been a lovely life so far, and I have been very blessed. Not without its bumps and rough patches, of course, but they say mistakes are only mistakes if we don't learn from them. I should be brilliant by now. With age comes wisdom. And wrinkles. Things that sag. And empty spots in the brain. I must say, it's rather nice to have something upon which to blame my senility. Honestly- I was so excited yesterday to have gotten so much work done. I worked for the hospital in the morning, for Dr. F. in the afternoon, and in between patients I got my laundry done, and my clothes sorted for the week. Doesn't get much better than that. One of my constant nagging worries is whatever to wear to the office. My wardrobe is not so much to choose from, it is simply finding a clean blouse that will match the clean slacks. And then there is the ever-so-impossible task of finding the proper footwear. I can usually manage to keep up with my shoes, but my socks, hose and trouser socks are another challenge altogether. So you will understand my delight at having all my laundry done, clean socks/hose/trouser socks, and all my shoes tucked nicely away in their respective slots on my over-the-door-shoe-holder-thingy. Ready for the work week. This morning, after the usual girly stuff with the hair and the face, I dressed quickly and efficiently and went about my morning, happy to be on time for work. Oh My Goodness. As I walked across the parking lot, I happened to look down and noticed One Blue Sock and One Black Sock. Too late now, I wasn't about to drive 44 miles round-trip just to change out one sock. So, I just laughed it off, showed my co-workers my faux pas, and marked it up to senility. I can do that. I'm An Old Lady Now.

Goodbye Michelle

Is it possible to love someone you've only "met" through the internet? I'm not talking about internet matchmaking or e-dating. I'm talking about learning to love someone who doesn't even know you exist, except for comments left for her to read. For the past several months, I have faithfully read the blog of a woman named Michelle, a young mother of two children, former university professor at UNC. "Former", because she has been fighting a debilitating, terminal illness called scleroderma. You may have read an earlier post by me describing her blog. If not, you can find it here.

Upon checking her blog for today's entry, I was very saddened to read that her journey ended yesterday afternoon. Sad for very selfish reasons. You see, I have indeed come to love this woman. As a mother, I cannot imagine how horrible it would be to know that you are dying and will leave your children motherless. I remember when Whitney was a little over a year old, finding a lump in my neck and the suffocating fear that I would die. Not because I am afraid of death. I don't WANT to die just yet, but I do not fear it. No, the suffocation that I felt was not my leaving my family, but that my child would never know me, nor the depth of my love for her. Thankfully, obviously, the lump was nothing with which to be concerned, but it took nine different physician opinions to finally convince me of that. At any rate, the thought of dying and leaving one's children motherless has to be one of the most frightening things I (and probably many mothers) have ever experienced.

Michelle has known for a very long time that she would die. She was a professor of public health at UNC, and her husband a physician, so their clinical knowledge of what she was facing was both helpful and discouraging, I would imagine. She decided to keep a blog/journal of her recollections of her childhood, her life's journey through college, marriage, diagnosis of her illness, motherhood, and finally the debilitating part of the disease and the suffering of the latter days. It is not morbid, as one would think. Her writing is very inspiring, often hilarious, sometimes of course sad, thought-provoking, and in general makes me want to be a better person. Most people just go through life "existing" from one day to the next. We are so wrapped up in our own worlds that sadly, when we leave this earth, it is only those within our own world that will miss us or even know we were here. Not so with Michelle. There have been so many "strangers" who have written beautiful comments on her blog, that it is easy to see that her words, her life, her experiences and her willingness to share herself so openly have indeed touched the "worlds" of many, many people. As I stated in my original post about her, her language is sometimes strong, and it is difficult to tell where her religious thoughts go sometimes, but if one can see above the differences in her life and one's own, the blog is an absolute life-changer. I know it rocked my world. I am happy to see that her husband is going to keep the blog up, as many people will continue to discover it even after her death. It is unbelievable how she tried to prepare her family for the inevitable, and she went so far as to create treasure boxes for each of her children with special things to remember her by. She purchased and wrapped gifts, (including cards with letters/notes inside) for special occasions such as birthdays, to be opened at the proper times. She created a slideshow for her funeral. She wrote a goodbye message to be read at her funeral, which will be posted on the blog after the service on Thursday. So many things she did to make it easier for her family after she was gone. I promise you, if you want to be inspired, if you want to learn how, not to DIE, but to LIVE, then check out this blog. You will laugh, and you will cry. And you will read of courage, strength and a mother's love so strong it will amaze you. Yes, it is possible to love someone you only "know" through the internet. Though I am happy that she is now at peace, I loved her, and I will miss her.

If you would like to meet one of my heros, visit her blog, Diary of A Dying Mom.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

I’ve celebrated lots of birthdays in my life, and I’ve received some really nice gifts through the years. However, there are two that stand out as my all-time favorites. The first is difficult to describe. It’s a miniature Christmas tree, about 9” tall, made out of strands of tiny glass beads that have been looped or crocheted into a tree form. Tiny little decorations adorn the tree, complete with a star on top and a tiny set of lights, so small you can barely see them even when they are lit. I had seen this kit at Michael’s back in the fall of 1995. I had surgery that October, and while I was recovering, my mom took Whitney shopping, and she bought the kit for me with her very own money. I was so surprised, and even to this day, it’s one of My Favorite Things. Underneath the tiny little tree with the tiny little ornaments, are tiny little gifts, a tiny little rocking horse, and a little tiny train on a little tiny track. My mom and dad gave me the base with the glass-dome thingy that covers it and protects it from the vicious dust bunnies that live with me. This is Favorite Birthday Present Number One. Not because I saw it, I wanted it and I got it… but that my sweet daughter KNEW that I wanted it, and got it for me with her own money. Back up a few years to the time I turned 30 years old. For some strange reason, I have simply never felt my age. (Oh yeah, I’m starting to feel some old-age things NOW, but still don’t feel as old as I really am!) When in high school, the kids one year ahead of me were like… ancient adults, so “mature”. When I entered the work force, I was the “new kid” and everyone else so much older. The doctors coming out of school were older. Yeah… that has changed too. Now I’m old enough to be the mother of the new doctors coming out of school!!! Anyway, I digress. The year I turned 30, it was a mental thing for me, and I remember thinking, “Yippeee, I’m finally an adult now!” Of course it is a rite of passage to be the brunt of all kinds of jokes when one reaches that milestone in life, so I was delighted to turn thirty and think that people would consider me a grown-up now, and enjoyed the Over The Hill jokes and remarks. I don’t remember any great fanfare on the big day, no flashing signs in my yard, no black roses or balloons. I don’t even remember where my husband took me to dinner, but I remember exactly what I wore, which tells me that we didn’t go anywhere fancy. My sister-in-law, Norma, gave me the most perfect gift, and it remained Favorite Gift Number One for all those years, until the Tiny Little Christmas Tree knocked it down to the still highly-esteemed Number Two slot. It was simply a white sweatshirt with a row of fluffy pink bunny rabbits across the front. Right smack in the middle, sticking out like a sore thumb, was a silver bunny. The caption read: (I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now!) OH NO, A GREY HARE!!!!! I laughed and laughed until I thought I would cry when I opened it. I wore it proudly out to dinner that evening, and nearly wore the print off the shirt from all the washin’ and wearin’. I still have that sweatshirt. It is safely packed away in a box somewhere, as I couldn’t convince myself to throw it in the Goodwill bag, no matter how much too small it became, or how threadbare. I wish I could find another one like it. The only difference would be that, 20 years later, those little “hares” have been very fruitful. And multiplied.

A Good Week So Far!

Ahhh… my week of culinary delight continues… Birthday dinner at my mom’s last night was not very carb-counter-friendly, but I didn’t do so badly. A family favorite- hot smoke links, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy. Can you say YUM-YUM!!! I warned my mom that she needed to buy lots of smoke links in order to avoid a fork-fight. I wasn’t in the mood to be extracting metal objects from the fingers of my loved ones. Thankfully there were plenty to go around and no fork-fighting ensued… though we came close when it was time to divide the spoils and fix doggie bags. After dinner we enjoyed some chill time, and Leyland adopted Ryan to be her Pal For The Night. It was a really nice evening. We were missing Linda and Tori, but all the rest of the gang was there. Making it an even more wonderful evening was the surprise waiting for me at home. My daughter had cleaned my kitchen! I mean CLEANED my kitchen! There’s actually a small countertop beside my fridge! It’s been a while since I’ve seen it. Not only that, she baked the birthday cake for desert, using the old can-of-Sprite-trick, so it wasn’t so fat-and-calorie-laden. She was a busy bee yesterday, even with two little ones underfoot. Thanks, Whit!!!! Tonight Grey’s Anatomy comes on TV, and I’ll get some laundry put away. It has been a good week so far. Wonder what’s for dinner tonight….

The Morning After / Bon Appetit!

My thoughts on the debate last night are surprisingly few. If I had his ear this morning, this is what I would say to our republican candidate: Senator McCain, you should forfeit your spot on the podium this coming Wednesday night and let Sarah do your debating for you. I’m still voting for you, and I still think you’re the lesser of the two evils, as it were, but man you gotta do something about your public persona. Your delivery stinks. I have tried to be very diligent to bone up on policies (both sides, not just yours), and though I’m not crazy about (what I understand of) all your policies, I am even less so with Obama’s. It’s a done deal for me. I’m voting for you. But there are still a large number of undecided people out there, and regardless of your platform, there are people who are going to vote for you (or not) based on how they perceive you as a person. You need to take charisma lessons from Senator Obama, who has fooled millions of people with his smooth-talking, winning ways. Of course running the country is more than being voted “Miss Congeniality”, but before you can hold the office, you’ve got to win the election.


Now, a shout-out to my lovely daughter!For the past two evenings, my palate has been delighted with the culinary achievements of my firstborn. Actually, my only-born. Like her ability to solve math problems even in her sleep, she has swam outside my DNA pool to inherit a knack for cooking. And doggone it, she has surpassed even my mom on two dishes. Well, one’s a dish, one’s a bowl. Her chicken stew could pass muster with even Daddy Bill, I believe, and her meatloaf is to die for. She was a bit distressed last night, saying she didn’t have enough bread crumbs, so she substituted crushed up Corn Flakes. (We decided not to tell Dustin until after he ate it. He packed it for lunch today, so I’m guessing he liked it.) Not only was it an acceptable substitute, it was exceptionally delicious!! Perfect texture and moistness factor. Way to go Whitney!! I had a Heavenly David Steak on Saturday night and enough for leftovers on Sunday night. We’re having dinner at GiGi’s tonight for Ryan’s birthday, so that will be five nights in a row of scrumptious, home-cooked meals. So, what’s for dinner on Thursday, Whit?

It's Just A Number, It's Just A Number, It's just.....

A couple of years ago my physician expressed concern over my fasting blood sugars and A1Cs, as they seemed to be trending upward each year. She finally convinced me to attend a diabetes education class at the hospital. This was a very intense program, consisting of consultations with a dietitian, a fitness nurse, and several evenings of classes with other patients. It was somewhat informative- but at the time I was in such a state of denial that my attitude was “That doesn’t apply to me.” Honestly. I just couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact that it DID apply to me. It has been a source of frustration for me to know, deep in the recesses of my heart, that I must face the issue. A very dear friend of mine (sister by adoption) has been battling cancer for what seems like forever, and just keeps on fighting for all she’s got. What I don’t understand about myself is this- If I were given the diagnosis of a terminal illness, I know that, like my friend, I would fight and fight and do everything within my power to beat the disease. Well, diabetes is a terminal illness. Not as menacingly aggressive like cancer, rather a slow-burning, behind-the-scenes monster that will wreak havoc on every organ in the body if not kept under tight control. One of the most amazing things I learned in the class was this: it’s not that the pancreas of a diabetic person doesn’t produce insulin. Rather, our blood cells are surrounded by tiny little things called insulin receptors. In the diabetic, these receptors form a barrier that will not allow the insulin to enter into the cell. Now- the AMAZING thing… exercise does something to those little receptors that removes (or lowers) the barrier, to allow insulin to enter the blood stream. There’s so much that I don’t understand about it, and medical folks might balk at my description, but that’s my interpretation of how it works. Anyway, HOW COOL IS THAT, that there is actually a weapon, a huge line of defense to fight the effects of this disease! And how UNCOOL is it that I have failed to embrace the power. I have, in reality, been diagnosed with a terminal illness. And I have not even begun to fight. Well, that’s not entirely true either. Before I went to the beach, I had a few days where I felt pretty crummy, and started checking my blood sugar at home. It was not good. Finally the realization hit me that it is time to take ownership of my neglect, apathy, denial, and get busy fighting. I scheduled an appointment with Kay Melvin’s daughter-in-law, Beth, a delightful young woman who is a diabetes educator/dietitian at the hospital where I work. Perhaps the most valuable part of the consultation was her helping me to understand that an ongoing blood sugar of 165 is a TERRIBLE thing- when I had thought it not so bad. I came away with a renewed determination to make a conscious effort to get it under control. This would include counting carbs, exercising, and most importantly, taking the medication that had been sitting unopened in a drawer for over a year. I am so proud of myself! I check my blood sugar every morning before breakfast, I count carbs, I am taking my medication, and Cortney and I walk 1.2 miles three times a week during lunch. My blood sugar is showing signs of improvement, though I may need further medication to get tighter control. Last Tuesday Cortney, Mary and I went downstairs to the physical therapy office and weighed in. We decided to weigh once a week. So that means today is weigh-in day. Mary lost a couple of pounds, Cortney stayed the same, and yours truly GAINED THREE POUNDS!! Now tell me- how in the world could that possibly be???? I’m not wearing heavy clothes, I took my shoes off, all the usual things that one would do when weighing. Okay, so the old me would drive over to McDonalds and order a Super-Sized breakfast meal with lots of fried stuff, biscuits and a large order of pancakes with lots of syrup. I’m counting it as a victory that the *new* me, though disappointed in the number on the scale, returned to the break room and had my normal breakfast of a mini-bagel with WW whipped cream cheese, coffee and a sugar-free, noncaloric drink. Aren’t you proud of me?

Autum In the Air

Autumn. My absolute favorite time of the year! Back in the olden days, before global warming and drought conditions left the southeast such a tinderbox, leaf disposal was a major factor in the atmosphere of our little town. Literally. Every house up and down Broad Street, and all the side streets, had little piles of dried, red, orange, brown, and yellow leaves raked out beside the road. We didn’t have paved sidewalks in those days, just the sweet Georgia dirt, often interrupted by roots of the oak trees that had stood sentinel for decades. Between the dirt sidewalks and the wide lane of the street, the little piles of leaves would sit. Late afternoon would find these little mounds of leaves crackling with unseen flames, simmering with acorns, tiny wisps of smoke drifting upward. We didn't worry so much about air pollution in those days, and it was not uncommon to look down the street and notice a light haze floating about tree-top level. And the smell. Oh my goodness. Few things beckon memories of my childhood so vividly as the smell of burning leaves. It is nearly a lost “art” these days, what with air-quality concerns, drought conditions, watering restrictions, and an aging population now unable to rake the yard themselves. The younger generation hires out lawn maintenance services, or at the least, big riding mowers with mulchers so that there is no longer the need to rake one’s yard. Our parents “let” us rake the leaves, (how very clever of them!) only so that we could run wildly into the pile and scatter them all over again. Just so we left the leaves neatly piled beside my dad’s garden. You see, I enjoyed this leaf-burning ritual only as an observer (or sniffer). My dad was a gardener/greenhouse owner, and wouldn’t let us burn the leaves. He used them for mulch. How boring. I believe, though, this personal deprivation allowed me to enjoy the smells of the season even more. The smell would waft into our open windows in the crisp night air, and I remember many evenings sitting on the porch swing at BJ's or Lisa's house, watching the little curls of smoke and enjoying my favorite end-of-summer tradition. Nowadays, it is the rare treasured moment to walk or drive through a patch of air heavy with the scent of smoldering autumn leaves. By chance when it happens, I am a little girl again, taken back in time by the simple delights of home-grown memories.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!!!

My nephew Ryan's birthday is today. I remember vividly the night he was born. I had no idea the flood of emotion that would fill me as my brother proudly picked him up, kissed him, then turned him toward the window for us to see. They say that babies fill a place in your heart that you didn't know was empty. That little place in my heart was filled that night. Happy Birthday kiddo! I love you!!

Doin' The Sarah Happy Dance

I can’t believe I’m beating Ryan to the punch with a blog post! I figured he would be up all night writing about the VP debate. Let me just say- THANK YOU SARAH for redeeming yourself from the recent press disasters, and being well-prepared. Yes, we still saw some issue-evading, but isn’t that part of the mantle of politics? My favorite part was when she said (paraphrased) “I’m not from Washington and I may not answer questions the way you want me to” I loved it!Quite frankly, I was a bit nervous going in- nervous in her behalf, for surely she knew the stakes were much higher and her “performance” at this debate could be a deal breaker. Do I believe she is ready to become President should the unthinkable befall McCain? Absolutely not. But you know what does impress me? Her ability to learn as much as she has learned in the past five weeks. I am not saying that the office of President is one that should offer on-the-job training. That concerns me a little bit. To her advantage, is the “new face in Washington” line of thinking. She doesn’t owe anyone anything, and she is strong enough to avoid those who would try to mold her into what they want. I am still more comfortable with a McCain-Palin White House than I am an Obama-Biden White House. I’m still voting for McCain (sorry Ryan!) but I’m also willing to concede that there things about his platform that concern me. The prospects of a McCain-Palen White House are growing dimmer, I am afraid, and I’m trying to prepare myself for a disappointment. I think I can suffer an Obama presidency with Biden as his wing man. Though I don’t know much about him, his 30+ years of experience will do well for Obama’s on-the-job training. I guess this morning I’m just breathing a sigh of relief that Sarah survived the debate without imploding the entire campaign. Now I’ll just watch McCain and Obama duke it out two more times, and hope the same thing can be said of him.

Did this debate change the minds of the undecided voters? Perhaps not. It’s hard for me to say, though, because I don’t fall into that category; I’m not among the undecided. However, we must recognize that the average, Main-Street American Dick and Jane are not politically savvy, policy-aware citizens. There are folks like me, who have been intrigued by this election year, and folks who are so apathetic that they won’t even vote. Somewhere in the middle lies the population of people who will vote for someone because they “like” or “trust” them. To that end, I think Sarah has an advantage. Caution tells us that she is without national/international expertise, but our hearts tell us that she is likeable and she can be trusted to be a strong, new force in Washington. Granted, electoral votes will be the deciding factor, but I think it is the very attitude that “enough is enough” of the same-old-same-old thing, that will give Sarah an advantage with the everyday folks who take minimal interest in the election.

On a lighter note, I want to add that apparently I am not the only person who sees all math as Fuzzy Math. Yesterday I went to the websites of my state officials and my US Senators & representatives. There are feedback forums on these websites, and I was amazed at some of the comments I read there. I have to admit that I totally laughed out loud when I saw over and over again where people had posted the very same bailout alternative that I had posted on my blog. The very same post that my daughter pointed out was a mathematical impossibility. Someone even changed the formula to use the 700B figure and suggested that every American should be given 1M. I forget how many zeros that ended up, but it was in the trillions of dollars. So. I feel somewhat relieved (or should I be WORRIED) that I’m not the only one who fell for that without checking the math. But at least I posted it on my blog, where only a handful of people might see it, as opposed to on the website of an elected official for all the world to see. Right???

This Is Why I Hate Numbers. (Follow Up To Previous Post)

Okay, I TOLD you people I don’t do numbers. As my smart-alecky daughter so gleefully points out, the math is all wrong in Mr. B’s formula. It’s not $425,000.00 to everyone, it is $425.00. I’m so sad. It looks like he’s about as good in arithmetic as I am. He divided 85 billion by 200 thousand, not billion. So, I guess I will have to contact my senators and tell them “Never Mind”. I’ll go rip up my deposit slip now.

Bailout Alternative

Well, here we go again. Another round of partisan attempts to solve the financial mess we’re in. I had intended to go back into the break room and catch President Bush’s speech this morning, but I figured I’d have plenty of opportunities throughout the day and evening to see it. Actually, maybe my energey would be better spent attempting to contact Mr. Bush or Senator McCain to alert them that the solution to the problem was reached a couple of weeks ago by a gentleman named T. J. Birkenmeier. Perhaps you received the same e-mail, as I’m sure it went viral. I received it several times- but it was totally worth it. It is too good to miss, so in case you didn’t see it, I’m hijacking it for my blog. These are very unsettled times for our nation's economy, and I think most Americans agree that something has to be done. The greatest challenge will be to agree what course of action will best facilitate recovery. I like the plan laid out by this guy. Of note, the e-mail outlining his strategy started circulating prior to the most recent 700 billion bailout proposal, after Freddie and Fannie, and in the midst of the AIG deal. This "plan" is based only on the 85 Billion related to AIG. Imagine what the numbers would be if applying this to the 700 Billion figure. I considered trying to crunch the numbers to see what it would be using the 700 billion figure. I gave up on that idea quickly, though, because all those zeros caused a searing pain deep within my brain, I found my eyes twitching, smoke coming from my ears and a strange drool appeared about my lips. I don’t do numbers. Anyhow, here’s the plan. (Disclaimer- for all my friends who think in absolutes, I am aware that this was created tongue-in-cheek, so please don’t e-mail or comment with all the ways that it couldn’t work. Besides- let me just enjoy the simplicity of the plan and pretend that it would work. Sounds great anyway!)

Subject: The Birk Economic Recovery Plan
I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend. To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.. So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00. My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend. Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family? Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved. Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads. Put away money for college – it’ll be there. Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs. Buy a new car – create jobs. Invest in the market – capital drives growth. Pay for your parent’s medical insurance – health care improves. Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else! Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces. If we’re going to re-distribute wealth let’s really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( “vote buy” ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President. If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+! As for AIG – liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up. Here’s my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn’t. Sure it’s a crazy idea that can “never work.” But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party! How do you spell Economic Boom? I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC. And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam. Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest. Kindest personal regards, Birk T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isn't that a great idea!!! LOVE IT!!!! I'm going right now to fill out my deposit slip.

Happy Birthday Baby Leyland!!

It seems impossible that Leyland is turning two today! We had a great party yesterday with family and friends who came to share the celebration with us. Click here to see a few photos of the Birthday Girl!

Obama's Victory

If/When Barak Obama wins this election (and I believe there is a very strong possibility of that), he can attribute only part of the victory to good campaign strategy. Part of it can be attributed to dumb luck. Actually, at this particular point in the campaign, he can save his money. McCain is practically handing the office to Obama on a silver platter. No, I haven’t suddenly become an Obama supporter. I do not like him. There is something deep in my gut that bristles at the thought of him as President. Again, not based on his race or even his age. Some of his campaign promises are easy to like, and for some people, he is “The Savior” of these troubled times. But not for me. Unfortunately, McCain’s attitude of late- arrogant, grumpy, elusive, demanding, doesn’t sit well with me either. What I know about politics wouldn’t fill the thimble of a piss ant, but I do know that he is putting people off- even his supporters. Charlie Gibson got Sarah pretty good, and the media have enjoyed the whole “Bush Doctrine” deer-in-the-headlight look, but hiding her and not allowing her to speak seems to be backfiring as well. She is a very intelligent woman, but of course she cannot know everything- yet. I have faith that she is well capable of learning and becoming excellent President material. (Think: Palin 2012!!) Now the whole bail-out dilemma. It is admirable that McCain is willing to suspend his campaign efforts until the issue is resolved. But senator, you have backed yourself into a corner by saying you won’t attend tonight’s debate unless there is a resolution. Now what are you going to do? This is a huge thing, this 700 billion dollar proposal. Get it right. Give yourselves time to make sure you have all the bases covered. Do it once, fix the system so that it never happens again. But- you may not be finished by 5:00 tomorrow evening. Obama will be at the debate venue. So will all the media. What are you going to do now? If there is no resolution, will you just be a No Show? Oh how your critics will love that!! If there is no resolution, and you change your mind to attend anyway, won’t that be seen as wishy-washy and promise-breaking, and provide additional fodder? I admire your determination to settle the financial crisis that has befallen us, but the conditions of attendance that you have laid out are, in effect, digging a deeper hole from which you must emerge. Come on. Get back in the saddle and be smart. Don’t hand us over to Obama. Fight for us.

Can't You Just Call 911?

When Whitney was a youngster, she had this annoying habit of banging on the bathroom door while I was in there. Never mind if I was relaxing in a hot bath, plucking my eyebrows, or shaving my legs. It happened almost every time. Of course it was always something of utmost importance, like… “Mom, can I have something to eat?”, “Mom, guess who Kate is going out with?”, “Mom, Jessica’s sister is getting married!”, “Mom, can Brittany spend the night?”, “Mom can I go out for soccer this year?”, “Mom, where are my band shoes and black socks?” Okay, you get the picture. I could never quite get her to understand just how serious I was about wanting to be left alone. What part of a locked door didn’t she understand? Finally, I came up with something to help her put it into perspective. One evening before bath time, I made sure I had her undivided attention. Holding her eye contact, I spoke very clearly and with great authority. “Unless you are vomiting blood or the house is on fire, do not bother me while I am in the bathroom.” Quite effective, I must say. This tactic also works quite well with my mom. I have used it on quite a few occasions, not the least of which is season premier or finale of my favorite TV shows. Well, mom is out of town tonight, but if she were here, I’d be giving her The Warning. The day has finally arrived. The day Grey’s Anatomy fans everywhere have awaited for months now: The Season Premiere. So do me a favor. Between the hours of 9p and 11p EST tonight, please don’t call me or knock on my door unless you are vomiting blood or the house is on fire. And only then if you absolutely can’t manage without me. I’ll be with you at the next commercial break.
cathyb

Dinner On The Deck

Well, that was the original plan. David was working last night, so DJ and I decided to have Girls' Night Out. Then we decided to have Girls' Night In. Whatever. Just some time to sit and visit, uninterrupted by Mr. David, Miss Whitney or the babies. Normally we would go over to Snellville and enjoy some fine Italian cuisine at Provino's, but we decided since so many of our gas stations were empty, we'd better hold onto our gasoline and stay in town. So the plan was for pizza, salad, and dinner on the deck. The puppies were a little hyper after a tragic event that resulted in Lou having to be put to sleep, and we decided to eat inside to avoid being the target of their hyperactivity. So, after a near-perfect half-green-pepper-and-onion(me)-half-pepperoni(DJ) pizza and a scrumptious salad, we headed out to the deck. I have several "favorite places", and let me tell you that DJs deck is near the top of my list. I love to go over early in the morning and sip hot coffee and watch and listen as the world wakes up to another day. It's a rare occasion that I get to do that, so I savor every moment. DJs deck is also a great place for the neighbors to gather. Come one, come all- golf carts and little doggies in tow. It is also the location of the hottest, best-tasting grill east of the Mississippi. Well, pretty much west of the Mississippi too, as I have only traveled west of the Missippi on two occasions, and neither time did I enjoy fine food such as what comes off David's Grill. I am not EVEN interested in an Outback or Longhorn's steak after tasting the ones he cooks for me. And I can't even talk about the yummy chicken with grilled shrooms, onions, and (I don't know what kind) cheese. My mouth is watering even now. Okay, so I digress. Back to DJs deck. So determined were we to sit outside and enjoy the evening that we didn't notice at first how cool the weather had become. DJ went inside and returned with two blankets, and we wrapped ourselves up inside them and rocked away the evening, venting, talking, and laughing. Old codgers that we were, we couldn't make it much past 8:00, so I left DJ to watch House, and I headed on home to work a bit before watching the President on television. It was a great evening. I'm so glad fall has arrived. It's my favorite time of all. And now I'll just look forward to our next Deck Adventure. Ahhh.. simple moments really are the best!!!
cathyb

Michelle

A while back I was doing a Google search on some articles relating to health care in America, for a post I’ll be writing in the future. As is the case with many of my searches, clicking on this link leads to clicking on another link, and sometimes I find myself so deep within the bowels of the information highway I’m not sure I’ll ever find my way back to where I started. One such adventure lead me to a blog called “Running A Hospital”, which piqued my interest, for obvious reasons. The post that day was talking about insurance reimbursement issues, and the author used as an example a patient with scleroderma, a rare, terminal, autoimmune disease. She spoke of this woman’s incredible courage and the phenomenal blog that she had created. It is called “Diary Of A Dying Mom”. So of course, I clicked on the link to her blog. I have been absolutely blown away by this gal. I am mesmerized by her ability to articulate what she is feeling, by her love for her family, by her selfless gifts to them, by her strength, her courage, her sense of humor. After reading the first few posts (reverse-chronology) I decided to go back to the beginning of this particular blog and start there, to follow the progression of her illness, and her thought process. There are some people with whom you come into contact who have a profound impact on your life and your thoughts. Let me tell you, this woman has touched my life in an incredible way. Some of her entries are not for the faint of heart, as she is obviously dealing with a very debilitating disease. I have laughed and I have cried as I have come to “know” Michelle. There was one particular post to which I felt compelled to comment. Part of what I said to her is that she is not only teaching people how to die, but most importantly, she is teaching people how to live. You’ve perhaps heard the question: “If you knew you only had three days to live, what would you do?” Followed by: “So why aren’t you doing it?” Michelle doesn’t know the day or hour of her death, but has had a very long time to prepare, and to prepare her family. Yes, parts of it are very sad, and though I’ve never met her, I know I will feel my own personal loss when there are no more blogs to read. However, the inspiring, encouraging, humorous, courageous and yes sometimes-frightened, real-person outlook that she has far outweighs the sadness I feel when reading her blog. I look forward each day to seeing her post… though I fear the time is coming when there will be no more posts. Today’s entry states that she is entering in-patient hospice for a few days to get started on the program, then return home. Below I have copied the profile portion of her blog.

I'm a 39 year old mother of 2 battling a rare autoimmune disease called scleroderma. Until December, I was a professor in the School of Public Health at UNC. I deal with the topic of death head-on in an unflinching way. I believe that, as a culture, we shy away from anything surrounding death and, consequently, deprive ourselves of all the lessons inherent in the dying and grieving process. We ignore the reality that death is as much a part of life as birth. My posts cover the gamut of human emotions because, as an Italian American, I have always had a "rich" emotional life. While many posts are sad just as many are comical. This is not my version of "The Last Lecture." It is my heart, my thoughts, my joys, and my fears as they unfold along this journey. My hope is that you will find some of it useful on your own life's journey. I hope that sharing my experiences will help not only those struggling with terminal illnesses but also those who are blessedly healthy.

I invite you to visit her blog, Diary Of A Dying Mom, get to know her, pray for her, and reap the benefits of her profound wisdom on the process of not just dying, but living! [Of note- know in advance that her language at times is strong, and her religious views might not coincide with yours or mine. Your ability to look beyond these differences will determine the degree to which you are blessed by her.]

Thank you, Michelle, for the lessons you have taught me. My prayers are with you as you enter this phase of your journey. CathyB

A Very Nosey Little Girl

I’ve heard of being “nosey” before, but this is ridiculous. Leyland has become obsessed with her nose. As in- putting things in there. And then pushing as far as her little finger will go, making sure to get it just out of our reach. Oh, there have been various and sundry items retrieved or sneezed from the caverns of her little face. Besides the crumpled coloring-book (probably Elmo) paper and Rice Krispy kernel a few weeks ago, there was the episode of the chocolate chip (or raisin, we’re not too sure), cheese toast, unidentified crumpled morsels of paper, and who knows what else. Yesterday while driving home from lunch with her step-mother, Whitney saw that Leyland had found a rogue French fry somewhere in the car. As in old, and hard. Ewwww. Thinking she was going to eat it, Whitney scolded her and told her to put it down. Yep, you know where this is going. Right up her nose. By the time Whitney was able to safely get the car off the road and get to her, she was cramming that fat little finger of hers far into the recesses of her little nose. The French fry was gone. Using a special light, we were able to see just the tail end of the offending potato, but couldn’t reach it. We rummaged through our craft tools and found an instrument that we thought might not cause too much trauma, but after one quick try, we were afraid to do anything else. The pediatrician on call said she had to be seen, so off to the emergency room Whitney goes with both kids. (I was the lone transcriptionist on duty and could not go with her) Fortunately Lynn, her step-mom, was able to meet her there and watch The Little Man. Thankfully the emergency room wasn’t packed as usual, and they were seen fairly quickly. Who knew- the solution to the problem was to stick an air compressor hose up her other nostril, give a quick, pressurized blow, and out shot the French fry!! It was about 1.5” long. Of course I can’t stand for her to be in discomfort or pain, but I had hoped the experience would be traumatizing enough to stop her from ever doing it again. But Whitney said it wasn’t so bad, and Leyland didn’t even have time to cry, so I guess that whole traumatizing-her theory just was not to be. ….sigh…. I just talked to Whitney a little bit ago and she said this morning’s buried treasure was a sticker from a children’s book. Honestly. I don’t know where she finds these morsels of things to put up her nose. We are watching her like a hawk, and keeping all things noseworthy out of her reach. I wonder if they make tiny little filter screen things for little noses?

If Such A Thing As Grace Exists

Well, of course grace exists. It is one of the basic foundations of my faith. There’s a song by Avalon called Orphans of God. I heard it for the very first time last night at ensemble practice, and I was blown away. I’m going to Rhapsody today to see if I can download to a CD. (I’m too impatient to wait for our “repertoire” CD.) Here’s a few lines: (and you can here it on my playlist here)

"Who here among us has not been broken
Who here among us is without guilt or pain
So oft’ abandoned by our transgressions
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this"

Grace. Sweet, Amazing Grace.

Peyton's Party

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the second birthday of my great-niece Peyton. It was a lovely afternoon, and the girls had a grand time playing in the water. Leyland ended up soaking wet, but she had a blast! Below are a few photos. Aren't they adorable??
Peyton, the birthday girl!

Engaged!

HAHA! Gotcha!! My nephew Ryan and I are currently engaged in a fabulous political “conversation”. I do not call it a debate, because I am ill-qualified to argue many of the points he raises. What makes it so interesting is that, if you are into applying labels to people, he would be the liberal, and I the conservative. Ryan is an exceptionally gifted writer (yes, Aunt Cathy is allowed a certain bias here!), and has a way of intriguing me to learn more about politics and social issues, to become better able to articulate my own thoughts, and to examine those policies with which I disagree, as well as those with which I agree. If you’re interested, you can follow our “conversations” here and here. And, following the format of the post originated on his site, I’d like to offer:

The Number One Reason Not To Vote For Obama:

Because he is black. Okay, now… before you call Jesse and Al, hear me out on this one. (I am laughing because anyone who read those words is probably in need of the Heimlich maneuver about now.) You may recall from an earlier post I related that at the tender age of barely 18 (by a three-week margin), I cast my very first vote for President in 1976. It just so happened that a Georgia peanut farmer was the Democratic candidate. Now I’m a native-born, peanut-lovin’ southern girl through and through. Of course I voted for Jimmy. What was the rationale behind my vote? Well, he was a good ol’ boy from Georgia, of course!! Why would I vote for a yankee Republican, when I could vote for a home boy? Well, now that rationale makes no sense at all to me. It’s kind of like watching Dancing With The Stars. The very first season, first few episodes, it was fairly obvious that Kelly Monaco wasn’t a Dancin’ Queen. However… she was one of the leading stars, at the time, of the soap opera General Hospital. I daresay, without her huge following of fans, who loved her General Hospital character, she would have left the show within the first several weeks. But are we all not guilty sometimes of rooting for that person with whom we identify the most, regardless of their talent, their expertise, their knowledge and/or experience? A year or so after each season, who can remember who won Dancing? (Even though I rarely missed an episode, and loved Kelly as “Sam” on General Hospital, before writing this post, I couldn’t remember her real name and had to look it up!) Who can remember the details of the bridal gown, or the reception menu at a wedding you attended two years ago? Can you recall the name of Miss USA from three years ago? From last year? Nah, probably not. Where am I going with this? I am concerned that many black people, so excited to have a black candidate, will vote en masse, simply to put a black man in the White House. Because They Can. I’d venture to predict that the black turnout will be far greater this year than ever before. Let me be perfectly clear. I have no problem with a black President. There are two black Republicans for whom I’d be far more excited about than I am about John McCain. The color of his skin is not an issue with me…. Except for how it will be an issue for previously uninterested, uninformed black voters who will make it an issue. White people are accused of racism on a daily basis, sometimes merited, sometimes not. Will not these black voters to which I refer be executing their own form of racism? I will firmly state that I respect the vote of every citizen who does even a slight bit of research, who at least watches the news or reads the newspaper. Black America- exercise your right to vote, and vote for the candidate of your choice. But please do not vote for Barak Obama simply because he is black. You may be surprised to learn that some of his liberal policies are not in your best interest. Support him if you understand what you are doing. I have no problem with that. Just know that, unlike the (forgotten) lovely wedding gown or the (forgotten) winner of the Miss USA contest, four or even eight years from now, our vote will STILL matter (if it ever truly matters in the first place), and we will not forget for whom we voted.

By the same token- to you southern-born “good ol’ boys”, I implore you not to vote for McCain with the sole purpose of defeating a black man. Do your homework. The mentality that you don’t want a black man for President is the mentality that could one day elect a Hitler, or worse. A few of you might even find you agree more with Obama than with McCain- though I suspect you will have difficulty seeing beyond his race enough to fairly examine his platform. I voted for Jimmy because he was from Georgia. I will have to excuse that to immaturity. 1980 found me a bit more cautious with my #2 black pencil when I entered the booth and found I could no longer vote for the good ol' Georgia boy, no matter how much I love peanuts. So, my mantra for this election continues to be: Get off your keesters, do some reading, watch the news, watch the debates, and then vote for whomever you agree with the most (or disagree with the least!) Remember, though, that voting for Obama because he is black makes about as much sense as my voting for Jimmy in '76, or women voting for Hillary just because she is a woman, or Baptists voting for Mike Huckabee simply because he is a former Baptist minister. These are indeed tough days in which we live, and I think we all agree that change is long overdue. Okay, I promise to take a break from all things political for the next few days and find something else to talk about. :-) Happy Friday!!

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

Today marks the anniversary of one of the darkest days in American History. Through the years we have marked time by certain events, whether tragic or triumphant. In the recesses of my memory there is the picture of my mother weeping over the assassination of JFK. Though not so excited about it at the time, I remember now with fondness watching the first moon walk. I was a part of desegregation in the early 60s and remember the names of the first three black students who came to my school. Other events in history prompt us to recall where we were and what we were doing at that precise moment in time. While nursing my baby and watching television, I learned of the space shuttle Challenger tragedy. When the Columbia was lost I was doing contract work in a local orthopedic clinic. I was walking out of the post office when a neighbor told me of the OK City bombing. Four years later I learned of the Columbine shootings during lunch break at my home office. Then there’s that awful September morning in 2001. I was sitting at my desk at home, going about my usual daily routine, when there came a frantic, persistent knocking at my door. My neighbors Jackie and Tommy, looking very somber and worried, brought the news of the plane crashes. Their TV was out, but they had seen news blurbs about it on the internet and came over to watch the television coverage. As the events unfolded and it became evident that it was a deliberate act, and as the nation scrambled to respond and to prepare for who-knew-what, my first thoughts were of my family. Whitney was in high school, and I was worried that she would be afraid, worried that schools would be put on lock-down, worried that something would happen and I couldn’t get to her. Worried that my parents would be afraid. Worried about our nation’s future, and what the coming days would bring. We sat glued to the news on that dreadful Tuesday morning, and as we watched the towers crumble, saw the terrified, dust-covered men and women running through the streets, it was as though we were watching a scene from a horror movie. Could this really be happening? In AMERICA?? We watched as thousands lost their lives… all on live television. It was a horrific sight. For days and days, a little box was inset on the TV screen, cameras pointed at Ground Zero, as it would be called. People all over the world watched. Watched, hoped, prayed for survivors. Days passed and it soon became evident that no more would be found. Still, families and friends stood vigil, holding pictures of loved ones in the hope that someone had seen them. A new sense of patriotism and love of country was born amid the smoke and debris that day. Our heroes ceased to be sports figures and rock stars, and we paid homage to the brave public servants who tried valiantly to tame the chaos and save lives, many of whom lost their own in the process. To say that our world changed that day would be the understatement of the century. The events that transpired that quiet morning have forever shaped the way we conduct our business, how and where we travel, and the way we view our Muslim neighbors, both here and abroad. Religious profiling? Absolutely. Fair? Perhaps. Expected? Yes, I think so. That thought is post-worthy in itself and will not be examined today. Political or religious differences aside, let us pause for a moment today and reflect on the changes brought about that day, and purpose in our own life to be the best person that we can possibly be, and to make our life count for something. Pray for our nation, pray for our leaders, regardless of party affiliation. Pray for America to regain the strength and respect that once would have prohibited such an evil act. And support your local volunteer fire department! God Bless America!!

Mission Accomplished!!!

Vacations are a wonderful thing- until you come back to work and have to play catch-up. I was very excited to leave my office on Monday afternoon with a clear desk. From the moment I returned on Thursday until mid-afternoon on Monday, I was drowning in charts. Finally the moment came when I hit “save” for the last time, and all the dictation was complete. By 5 pm all my charts were returned to their proper place and I could finally walk in my office without stepping over stacks of folders. Mission accomplished!! Now I’ll spend the remainder of this week playing catch-up on financial files and legal proceedings. Sadly, I have no benefits with my PT job at St. Mary’s, so my days off there will result in my paycheck being about 50% short of usual. Ouch!! In addition to that little inconvenience, my STMH computer is giving me problems and I had to go into the hospital on Monday night to work my 6p to 11p shift, and drop my computer off with the IS folks. Hopefully they will be able to solve my Dolbey (transcription software) issues and I’ll be able to work at home in my jammies again. I’ll be pulling another extra long shift on Thursday evening, 6p to 11p, instead of 6p to 9p, and I really prefer to work those late hours in the comfort and safety of my home office. I don’t mind going in to the hospital occasionally to work, since I’m already in town for my day job anyway, but it kinda messes up my rhythm to hafta do it several days in a row. At any rate, it feels good to at least have my AOA dictation files current, and now I can concentrate on working collections accounts and closing out last month’s numbers. (Don’t laugh, DJ, you know how those numbers just KILL me!) Birthday party preparations continue. It’s going to be really cute. And speaking of cute, here’s a couple of photos for your enjoyment.

The Little Man

Above- The Little Man and his Mommy
Below- Leyland and Mommy

Below: Leyland Just Being Cute!

I'm A Nerd!

After a frustrating evening of work-related technical difficulties resulting in a shorter-than-normal shift last Thursday, I settled in to watch the RNC. I was little hopeful that Sen McCain's "stage presence" could even begin to compare with Gov Palin, or the keynote speakers at the DNC. Starting out albeit a little slow, I was delighted to see him maintain composure and build to a crowd-roaring climactic closure, even as a few "unruly" attendees tried to disrupt the speech. Okay, so call me a nerd, but I just love watching the candidates put on their Sunday Best performances. I looked forward to each evening's coverage of the conventions as the high point of my day. Not just the RNC but the DNC as well. The Obama-Clinton-Biden-Obama speeches were every bit as inspiring/revealing as were the Thompson-Palin-McCain speeches. (Though I am a bit partial to the Palin speech and rate that one as best of all) To be clear, I have long felt that neither Obama nor McCain would be the most optimal choice for President. Obama less so than McCain for obvious reasons. Young, charasmatic, eloquent and articulate, Sen Obama's lack of experience, his senate voting record (or lack thereof), the empty promise of change without revealing a working game plan, and quite frankly his arrogance, makes him, IMHO, a dreadful choice as our President and Commander-In-Chief. As stated in an earlier post, Obama Is Right- in that America needs change. That I will not argue. Given a few more years to prove himself in the Senate, and giving himself time to actually "do" something that can actually be considered an accomplishment, perhaps Sen Obama might be a more acceptable candidate. There are some Americans who will vote Dem or Rep just because that's what they've always done, regardless of the candidate or platform. There are other Americans who, like myself in 1980, will at some point cross the party ticket in order to vote for the person they believe to be best for the job. It is to those hesitant Democrats and undecided others, that I pose this question. If it were not for the cement blocks tied to his feet (President Bush and the current administration), or if John McCain followed on the heels of a successful Republican presidency, would you hesitate to cast your vote for him? It is unfortunate that Sen McCain is being weighted down by the negative popularity of President Bush. Absolutely- there needs to be shakedown in the current administration. It will be an uphill battle. While I still believe that there may be other better-qualified men for the job, I am now convinced that Sen McCain is the better of our two choices to fight that battle. I believe there is enough maverick in him to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. I am thankful for the Information Highway, political publications and media coverage (ewww did I actually say that?) which allows us to arm ourselves with information and make an educated choice. I'm enjoying spending a tiny bit of time each day getting to know the candidates and what makes them tick. Many of my lunch hours are spent poring over Time, Newsweek, Snopes, and various Google searches on different issues. I've even programmed NPR into the tuner in my car!! I'm most thankful, though, for an Inquiring Mind that inspires me to read and research information on my own, not letting these different media sources form my opinions for me. So my challenge to all Americans is this- Do Your Homework. Vote for the candidate of your choice. Voice your opinion in the voting booth or don't bother voicing your complaints later.

No Place Like Home!

Well, except the beach. It is nice to be home, though. As much as the beach is my favorite place in the world, I missed the babies so much that I was actually excited to go home. They missed me too, I could tell ;-) It was a bummer being without my phone, and I worried that I might go into DTs or something, but I managed quite nicely. The weather was fabulous, and spending time with Mom and Dad was an extra special treat. My mom spoiled me to no end, and I think she enjoyed it as much as I did. Karey will appreciate my packing skills- I packed a bag with books, SB magazines and some MT reference material that I intended to study, and planned to do a Photoshop tutorial while I was there. The bag easily weighed 50 lb. How silly of me. I perused a couple of scrapbook mags, but didn't even touch anything else in my bag. I found a paperback on the end table, and read through that in two afternoons, then the next day read an entire James Patterson book in one day. My mom laughed at me for taking that heavy bag and then reading something that was already over there. Oh well. I had my "friends" with me if I wanted them. Corey did two months’ worth of growing while I was gone, and Leyland’s IQ shot up another 20 points. Whitney is getting their portraits taken on Saturday. Leyland is also going for her two-year portrait. Good Grief- it seems like last week we were drooling over her one-year portraits. Time has flown! We’re getting ready for the birthday party. This year the theme is Elmo and Abby. We’ve found some really cute things. Watch for pictures of the big day!! Jessica and Corbin came by for a visit, and he is growing like a weed too. The boys are so cute together! Leyland has this really nice play yard where she entertains herself or watches DVDs or PBS when Whitney needs her to be confined while doing chores, etc. Everything is portable these days, and this play yard folds up and away very nicely. There’s a pad-thing that fits in the bottom that, when removed, folds around the contraption. (There are no sheets in the entire universe to fit this thing, so I have to work around it with safety pins and hospital sheets to keep the pad covered and clean.) Little Miss Nosey has discovered that she can fold up one side of the pad and hide things underneath. We have found all manner of loot underneath there. Lately she has been fascinated with an Elmo coloring book, but then she started ripping the pages to shreds, and hiding the swatches under the pad. Whitney called me one day at the beach saying that Leyland’s nose had been running all day long. While we were talking I could hear her chasing Leyland around the room, trying to clean her nose. When she finally caught her, she saw a booger. One thing Whitney cannot stand is a booger in Leyland’s nose. Of course it doesn’t bother Leyland in the least, and she doesn’t understand why Mommy won’t leave her alone. Finally the dirty job was done. However, instead of a booger, it was a piece of crumpled up paper!!!! Oh My!! Whitney is freaking out, wondering what else she has stuffed up there. Knowing how she likes to hoard things in the play pen, we’re just worried that everything will now be nose-bound. Portable storage, if you will. Yesterday it was a Rice Krispy. Where, oh where did that child find a single Rice Krispy? So if you’re missing anything smaller than a marble, let me know and I’ll get the flashlight and look in her nose. Ahhhh….There’s No Place Like Home!!!