Family Christmas

No pictures. They didn't come out too good so I'm not going to post them.

Sunday, the 27th, was our family Christmas party. Every one was here except Anne and the boys. Anne had been in Chicago for a week due to her father-in-law’s death. The storms in Chicago and the upper mid west for that matter were epic! No chance of her getting home before the party and, further, she’d be in no mood to drive up from Maryland after a long plane ride home.

The party was in full swing when I saw a strange van pull into the driveway. I asked everyone if they know anyone who drove a large Toyota van. Someone said it must be Anne and that’s when I screamed for Kathy. ANNE AND THE BOYS ARE HERE!!!!!!! I wasn’t too excited.

We hadn’t seen them for about a year and a half and I really missed them. What a great surprise. It was great to have my Maryland grandsons and their mother in my house for a couple of days. I had converted the den into a guest bedroom and FINALLY I had the guest I made the room for.

They went back today and got home around 7 this evening. Anne fought the wind all the way down. She said the Jersey Turnpike was closed to cars pulling trailers and motorcycles. Who in their right mind would be riding a motorcycle on a day like today? Wind chills in the single digits. Windsor Locks had a wind gust today of 56 mph.

Anyway, it was a wonderful weekend. Now back to normal.

My Christmas Ah-Ha Moment

Peace on Earth to men of good will

These words came to me as I was contemplating my desire to avoid all controversy, especially political. This has been a recurring theme in e-mails received over the last couple of years, especially. I have been guilty of it myself in the past but I will no longer take that path.

Why don’t we have peace on earth? I guess it’s because we don’t have enough men of good will.

Is there any country in the world today that is not engaged in war? If it isn’t war with another country it’s a war with its own people…genocide.

I keep hearing about left wing and right wing and, honestly, I can never keep it straight which is which. But I do know that there is nothing that can fly on just one wing. No bird, no plane, no politician. If only one wing is operating, what is the other one doing? To not help with flight is to crash that which is trying to fly. Does that make sense? To be deliberately debilitating does not speak well for the reluctant wing.

So let’s cut to the chase: why do politicians do this? They have an agenda, which is based on greed and fear of lack. It becomes very personal. Where do their constituents come in? From what I can see, we don’t. Where has honesty and acting for the good of the whole gone?

Now lets talk about a governing body that is referred to as sitting on one side of the aisle or the other. Apparently someone drew a line that is never supposed to be crossed, and when it is all hell breaks lose. No wonder nothing gets done in our states’ and nation’s capitol. Everyone is too damned focused on “What’s In It For Me?”

And in the political process, there are lies about the other “side” from both sides. To the point where someone like me, doesn’t know who to believe any more and so I shut down completely. Is that the way politics is supposed to work?

And when you add in…two senators will not vote for a bill unless their state gets more funding for something than any of the other states and this is called compromise! That’s a bunch of bull. In the final analysis I hope that chunk of pork is withdrawn from the pot. How dare they?

What about me? Was anyone concerned about what I thought when I was still willing to think? Probably not and that’s why I’m the way I am today when it comes to politics and all the horrors going on around the world.

What will it take to get both wings working together?
What will it take to get rid of the aisle?
What will it take for me to stop turning my back on all the bad politics, war, genocide, and all the other horrors going on in the world today?

Enough men of good will to bring about peace on earth.

The “Ben Johnson” Upgrade

Back on Dec. 5th, I gave you the recipe for the Ben Johnson hot sandwich. It is a delicious sandwich, but I thought it could be better.

First I replaced the crusty French bread with Portuguese rolls, because I have a hard time chewing crusty breads. That goes for bagels, too. I slice the rolls in half lengthwise and use only one half for my meal...so I get two meals per roll.

Then I increased the amount of deli turkey. I still use 2 slices, but I have it cut a little thicker. You can play with that according to your taste.

I also increased the Swiss cheese to three slices.

But, the biggest upgrade of all is the addition of cooked bacon between the turkey and the cheese.

I cook the bacon in the microwave (3 min. on high) then break each slice in half and lay on top of the turkey before placing the cheese on top.

I have also started putting the half roll in the toaster oven as it heats up to 350°. (I don’t broil it any more.) This starts warming up the roll before the French dressing goes on.

So there it is in recipe form:
Start heating toaster oven to 350°
Put 3 slices of bacon in microwave to cook
Slice Portuguese roll in half, lengthwise and place in oven
When roll is warm, spread with French dressing
Put slices of turkey on warmed roll
Put slices of bacon on turkey
Put Swiss cheese on top of bacon
Put into toaster oven for 6 minutes at 350°
Enjoy

The method and ingredients leave a lot of room for experimentation. It’s the type of open faced sandwich that you can cut into 1” wide pieces and serve as finger food. Be sure to make enough!

This Year's Christmas Tree

My Weighty Problem

I started working out (at home) on December 2nd. The first two weeks I was able to work out only two days each…this body just was not recovering fast enough. This past week I was able to work out three days. So, it’s been a total of 7 workouts.

Progress report
I have lost 1.2 lbs
Reduced my waist by ½ inch
Hips stayed the same

The fact that I have seen positive results (though small) in only 3 weeks will keep me going. It may be a while before the weather will be conducive to walking on “off” days, but I will add walking to the regimen.

I look forward to spring when I can dust off my bike and start riding again. By that time I’ll be in my new home…wherever that will be!

Diet?
No. I eat as I always have (in recent years) which is sensible and balanced. I’ve never been one to keep junk food in the house so my snacks are apples and bananas until next summer when peaches will replace apples.

The Blizzard Is Coming! The Blizzard Is Coming!

That’s all we heard for days. Meteorologists from Atlanta to Augusta (and beyond) were warning us of the possible snow depths to come, accompanied by high winds, and the likelihood that the shopping Super Saturday would be a big bust.

Yesterday was “D” Day (D for dumped on). The snow started over Connecticut around noon. And I mean “over”. It was snowing in the upper atmosphere but the air was so dry, it couldn’t make it to the ground. I was ready…fridge and cupboards stocked. The snow started at 10:30 p.m. I wondered if the delay in “touch down” would greatly affect the total snowfall.

When I awoke this morning it was sort of a disappointment to see only 4” of the white stuff on the ground. I guess the delay did affect the totals.

I got out there with Big Red and blew the snow away in no time. It was very light and fluffy. Then I shoveled off the deck and headed for the hot chocolate and a hot shower.

I lookout out around 4:45 this afternoon and the southwest horizon was glowing red like hot coals in the fireplace. I predict tomorrow will be spectacular!

A Real Snow Storm

The forecast was for snow followed by torrential rains. So when I measured 4” of snow and it was changing over to rain, my assumption was: the rain will get rid of the snow.

Do not ever assume
Thinking I would not have to do any snow removal, I proceeded with my full body workout. This is only the second week I’ve been doing these particular exercises, so I can count on some muscle soreness for the next two days.

By late morning it was obvious the torrential part of rain was not going to happen and I had water compacted snow in the driveway plus the piled up glop at the end of the driveway.

Small bites
I shoveled (tiny bit by tiny bit) a 3-4 foot strip of the glop at the end of the driveway (that was full of water and very heavy), then I did the same thing up near the garage. I fired up the snow blower and tackled the rest of the driveway. Snow blower is not a proper term for how it handled this stuff…snow plopper is more descriptive. Eventually the driveway, front steps and walk were clean as a whistle.

How fatigued?
And I was physically spent. I managed to make lunch and once I got into my chair in front of the TV I promptly fell asleep. You know how they tell you to work your muscles to the point of “muscle failure.” In other words, until you cannot do one more rep. That’s how my entire body felt.

Back on track
It’s not a good idea for me to work out and do heavy yard work in the same 3 hour period. It just goes to show how out of shape I am. I will not use my age as an excuse. I have been sedentary this year but that has come to an end. I have turned over a new leaf and will get my body back in shape.

Physical improvements already
After the first two workouts last week I noticed I could walk without my right hip flexor hurting. That’s huge! As a bonus, I am able to turn over in bed without that “spot” in my sacral area hurting. If I can do that in just two sessions, just imagine what I can accomplish in 2 months!

I have an appointment with my chiropractor, Dr. Jen Veit, for a tune-up. I’m sure she will “unlock” the sacral area so I can move better. I lock up on the left, which causes me to compensate thus causing discomfort on the right. I’ll be much better after I see her.

First Non-Snowstorm of the Year

We were prepped and primed for 2 to 6 inches. I was hoping for more that three. Less than three inches and my snow blower is useless and I have to shovel.

The photos above tell the story! The driveway was a layer of ice with a dusting of snow on top. The deck out back had a thin “fuzz” of ice with about an inch of snow on top.

What happened?
My driveway was warm when the snow started so the snow melted on contact. It was very wet by the time the temperature got low enough to make the snow stick then everything froze.

Scramble
I wasn’t concerned about the driveway…no one is going to come out on the day after a snow storm to look at houses. WRONG!

My real estate agency called...I have someone coming between 4 and 4:30 this afternoon. I flew out the door and found I could shovel away most of the ice at the end of the driveway. Between the sun and whatever application the town put down to stop the roads from freezing were working in my favor. I ran to the hardware store to get some de-icer and threw that on the places where ice was stubbornly clinging to the steps and driveway.

I gave it a while to work…I actually ran over to the nursing home to see my mother and collect her laundry…and when I got back the de-icer had done its job.

BUT
Now the driveway is pretty much ice free, but it’s wet. If it doesn’t dry before the temperatures start going down again, IT’S GOING TO FREEZE ALL OVER AGAIN.

Smart!
When I was cleaning out the garage, getting ready to put the house on the market, I gave Andy my buckets of sand. I didn’t think I’d need them again. What was I thinking?

At least folks won’t be dragging sand all through my house. They may slip and damage their derrière, but there will be no sand on their shoes.

More Cooking Adventures

The Ben Johnson Sandwich.

Never heard of it? Read on. Who was/is Ben Johnson/Jonson? Have you ever wished you hadn’t asked a question? That’s how I feel now that I asked, “Who was Ben Johnson/Jonson?” So I went out to the internet and found this:
Ben Johnson or Benjamin Johnson may refer to:
Ben Johnson (sprinter) (born 1961), Canadian sprinter
Benjamin Johnson (c. 1665–1742), English actor
Benjamin Johnson (judge) (1784–1849), United States federal judge
Ben Johnson (politician) (1858–1950), American lawyer
Ben Johnson (actor) (1918–1996), American actor
Ben Johnson (artist) (born 1946), British painter
Ben Johnson (pitcher) (born 1931), former MLB pitcher
Ben Johnson (outfielder) (born 1981), MLB outfielder
Ben Johnson (footballer) (born 1981) Australian rules footballer
Ben Johnson (cricketer) (born 1973), Australian cricketer
Benjamin F. Johnson (1818–1905), American pioneer

So I am no closer to the correct answer than I was before. Maybe he was the guy who invented the sandwich and that’s his only claim to fame! So much for curiosity!

It was at least 20 years ago, Anne and I went to Boston and, as usual, she knew exactly where she was at all times, and I was completely lost.

We went across to Cambridge and the Harvard Coop where somewhere nearby (I seem to think it was right around the corner from the Coop) was a restaurant…sort of a Rathskeller. Anne recommended the Ben Johnson sandwich.

I recently recalled the incident and Anne and I exchanged emails about what the sandwich was called and how it was made. Neither of us can remember the name of the restaurant. You already know the name of the sandwich, now here is how it’s made.

* Crusty bread such as a French Baguette.
* Cut into three equal sections and cut each section in half lengthwise.
* Slather each section with French dressing…don’t be afraid…you can’t use to much.
* Place two or more (folded to fit if necessary) slices of deli turkey on each section and, on top of that, two (or more) slices of Swiss cheese, also folded to fit. Use as much as you want…it’s your sandwich!
* Place under a broiler for 6 min. or until the cheese is well melted.

That’s it. Enjoy! Let me know if you make it and how you liked it.

Note: either before or after broiling, you can slice in 1” thick sections and serve as a finger food at a party. Make sure you have made plenty…they are good and will disappear quickly.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Photos:
Top left: Joe want's to know what's holding every thing up! He's hungry. That's Andy's back on the left and Kathy's head and hands, on the right, as she gets ready to carve the turkey.
Top right: The Feast
Bottom left: Joe and Jonathan loading up their plates.
Bottom right: Our just desserts (a few of them)!

Joe was home for Thanksgiving (just graduated from Marine boot camp) and the only way to give thanks for all the things we are grateful for, and say Welcome Home/Goodbye Joe was to have a dinner for all the families, friends and neighbors. Andy’s and Lori’s dining room wasn’t going to hold that crowd! So they hired the hall at the local firehouse.

Tables were set up for sitting at and tables for food. Oh, my gosh, did we have food. Everyone brought something. Notable was the turkey Kathy roasted and the ham Paul roasted. In addition we had roasted mixed winter veggies, mashed potatoes, stuffing, squash, cranberry sauce, gravy, rolls, butter, creamed corn casserole (to die for), a broccoli casserole, and another casserole I didn’t get a chance to investigate.

To say there was plenty of food left over for take-home, is an understatement.

And, yes, there was two fire calls while we were there so we all got to watch the trucks head out.

Nature Study

I have been noticing the lack of bird nests and squirrel nests in the trees around where I live. Usually, when I go for my walk, I take notice of nests. There aren’t many this year. Also, there are few squirrels and lots of acorns. That doesn’t seem to make sense. My yard used to be wall-to-wall squirrels, but this year I think I’ve seen very few. And there still are robins in the area.

What does it all mean? I haven’t a clue, but the change from the norm is very noticeable.

Getting Ready for Winter

I discovered one auger of my snow blower turns by itself. It isn’t supposed to. Andy looked at it and said it was the auger sheer bolt that was missing. I went to Honda and got a new one. We may get snow this coming Saturday afternoon; Andy will be over Saturday morning to do the ‘fix-it’. If Paul doesn’t work Saturday morning he’ll probably come too. I don’t know what I’d do without my two mechanics.

I need them to bring a chain saw. The high winds we had over night brought down two dead trees onto the lawn.

New Exercise Regimen

I have been bemoaning the fact for some time now that I haven’t been exercising or working out because this year has been crazy. I finally took the bull by the horns and have started a new exercise regimen that I will do 2 to 3 days a week (depending on how sore I am afterward) and will stick with it. I have to and I will not allow myself any excuses. If I don’t see the results (reduction in % of body fat) I’m looking for in 60 days, I’ll look for something else.

You notice I didn’t say reduction of weight. I said reduction in % of body fat. Big difference. I don’t say I want to lose weight, because that suggests I will be trying to find it again at some point. No, no. Once the % of body fat is reduced I will not be out there trying to find it again! ☺☺☺

I’ll post results once in a while, regardless of what the results are.

Come Ride With Me, Vol. IV

The book I produce every year for my kids and grandkids will be a little sparse this year. Usually I include my poetry and stories from my childhood and, sometimes, family stories from more recent years. This year all they are getting is poetry. Instead of a 1” three-ring binder, it’s a ½” binder.

It has been a year of great stress worrying about my mother and running over to the nursing home almost every day to see her. Once I decided to put the house on the market that added a level of activity I’d just as soon forget.

I don’t consider tag sales fun, nor do I think all the work of getting the house presentable for sale as fun. My kids worked hard to help me with both “non-fun” events and I can’t thank them enough. However, it took up most of my time. No time for writing.

The poetry will feel lost in the smaller binder, but they don’t make ¼” binders.☺ I don’t think my kids read the first three volumes, so perhaps they will consider the smaller volume as that much less to not read! ☺ As a matter of fact, the only person I know of who has read the previous three volumes is my daughter-in-law’s mother. She reads them while she waits for Jonathan to get on the school bus.

I recently came across this bit of wisdom, which seems appropriate here: “If you are looking for approval, you will never find enough to satisfy you.” I should tape that all over my house to remind myself to stop looking. ☺☺

The Problem With Time

I’m playing catch-up again. Since my last posting I have been way too busy and doing a lot of whining about time being speeded up. We are led to believe that we still have 24 hours in every day, but the mad scientists of the world (or the Universal Forces) have found a way to compress things when we are not observing the passage of time.

It’s not a conspiracy theory! Well, ok, maybe it is. But why do so many people whine right back at me they don’t have enough time in a day either? It doesn’t matter how fast I go, or how tired I get trying to get everything done in a day…I still don’t have enough time.

I’m retired! I don’t know how you people who work every day do it.

What Have I Been Doing?

There have been poetry events that I did and did not attended; I had breakfast with some of my high school classmates; went to a CAPA meeting and they have so much good stuff coming up for members I joined. Hadn’t planned on joining so soon, but it seemed beneficial to join now.

For Sale

My house is still for sale. It’s been on the market 2 ½ months now. I just had a showing after almost three weeks of no action. Right now the market is dead…it’s the holidays. The tax credit has been extended, so when January rolls around I expect things will pick up. The condo where I’m supposed to live probably hasn’t come on the market yet, otherwise I’d have had a solid offer by now. Once where I’m supposed to go is available, my house will sell.

Olde Mystic Village

AND the best day of all was this past Sunday when my friend Liz and I went to Olde Mystic Village to get psychic readings at Mystical Elements (Building 8J). Jess and Matt met us for lunch which we had at a great little place, Bleu Squid, (Building 12D) that’s a bakery, artisanal cheese shop and grilled cheese cafe, homemade soups and salads. After lunch we walked around and visited a few shops before Matt had to leave us. We took pictures posing with Hissy’s behind. Matt is responsible for getting Hissy's name pasted on her back side. Matt, you are a sweetie!

That left Liz, Jess and me on our own to walk a few more shops. Then it was off to Niantic to visit the Book Barn. I had never been there before and the experience was overwhelming! I found the little nook where the poetry books were located and had to walk away. There were too many books in too small a space.

Jess lit out for her idea of more interesting stuff, while Liz and I found the Arthurian section. Everything is relative. I bought 4 books I hadn’t planned on buying and Liz bought one.

My four books:
“Arthur’s Britain” and “Was this Camelot? Excavations at Cadbury Castle 1966-70” by Leslie Alcock.
“The Discovery of King Arthur” by Geoffrey Ashe
“Pendragon, the definitive account of the origins of Arthur” by Steve Blake and Scott Lloyd.

Before these latest purchases I’ve been reading six books…three of which are poetry. I don’t have time to read what I already have, so, of course, I bought four more! ☺☺

A day on the shore with a friend and a granddaughter. It doesn’t get any more special than that!

Tree Foam and Orbs

Look at these pictures. I took them on Nov. 15th because of the foam. We had a heavy rain and that’s when the foam appeared. I thought maybe maple sap. I’d never seen anything like it before. Today, after a heavy rain, I saw the same foam at the end of a down spout extender. Can’t be maple sap. What is it?

But the kicker is the orbs. Look at them! Click on each picture to enlarge. Talk about a bonus! I took five pictures and only one didn't have orbs.

Joe is Home

My grandson, Joe, is home for the month of November. He graduated from Parris Island on Nov. 5th. We are having Thanksgiving dinner at the local firehouse to accommodate all the family members. That’s going to be some Thanksgiving dinner!

Hissy's Newest Embellishment

Cape Cod Weekend

Photos: Dolores talks to Holly Golightly!

As we drove past, Dolores made a comment indicating she thought the mannequin was real. We had to stop and find out…in the process we found a very unique boutique…Wilma’s Eclectic Finds in West Yarmouth. Wilma’s is a consignment shop that has everything from clothing, jewelry, dishes, fancy serving/display platters, sconces…basically, you name the category and Wilma probably has it. Dolores went wild looking. Wilma wasn’t there because her best friend, Leigh, works the weekends so Wilma can have time off. This is a place you must stop at either coming on or going off Cape. On the Internet go to http://www.capecodconsignments.com/MidCape.html and scroll down to #5. Wilma's Eclectic Finds For You and Your Home, 616 Rte 28 (Main St.), West Yarmouth (508)-778-0123.

Highlights
Breakfasts at The Fairway Restaurant in North Eastham.
Dinner at the Lobster Pot in Provincetown.
Shopping at the Birdwatcher’s General Store in Orleans and Cuffy’s in Provincetown.
Beach hopping and the incredible surf from Chatham to Wellfleet.
Watching surf crashing on rocks in Cape Cod Bay.
Fifty mile per hour winds.
Power outage Saturday night.
Poetry at Chapel in the Pines in Eastham.
Hearing the incredible poetry of Christine Rathbun.
Trip home successfully avoiding the Sagamore Bridge.
Finding Holly Golightly.
Arriving home safe and sound.

The above list is not in order of best to least…that would be difficult. Each item is a story in itself that would take up way too much time and space.

A lot of hilarity came from Dolores and I being complete opposites in so many, many, many ways. We are both poets, but our poetry is totally different (there may be a poem here… Givenchy meets L.L. Bean). ☺☺☺☺☺☺ (When have you ever seen me give anything 6 smiley faces? Never!)

Shelburne Falls, MA

Main Street, Shelburne Falls, MA looking east.

Left: Reflection.

Right: Literally, the last rose of summer!

Brilliant colors on the Flower Bridge.

Left: Nature uses this brick wall to display her finery, while a skilled artist decorated an otherwise uninteresting space.

Right: Sign telling the history of the glacial potholes. This area is a must-see when in Shelburne Falls.

On the 21st of October, Barbara and I went to Shelburne Falls, MA…just because. On the way up we took a detour through a neighborhood in Enfield where I found a nice little condo unit that I would dearly love to make an offer on, but I have to get an firm offer on my house first. Barbara liked the unit and said she could see me there. So can I!

The ride up to Shelburne Falls was beautiful and uneventful. For the most part the foliage was peak or just past peak, but we didn’t care.

We were very hungry by the time we got there and immediately hit Café Martin for lunch. We each had the butternut squash bisque and half a BLT. The bisque was unbelievably delicious! I must find a recipe on line and see if I can duplicate it.

Then we ambled over the bridge into Buckland (which is a section of Shelburne Falls) and moseyed along the different shops along the river. Our objective was Stillwater Porcelain. The items in this shop are beyond belief. Pat Pyott uses actual leaves and plants to make her “casts”. Her creations (when purchased) become immediate heirlooms.

We made our way across the Flower Bridge, which was way past peak. Almost everything had been cut back for the winter’s nap, but we managed to find, among other things, the last rose of summer! ☺☺

CAPA Meeting

This past Saturday morning Barbara and I went to a CT Authors and Publishers Association meeting in Avon. Dolores met us there. The three of us are writers and have been published in one way or another.

I probably should identify my friends. Barbara and I went to high school together, have been friends since that time and I just happened to marry her cousin. Dolores is a poet I have known for about four years. Both women have creative minds and personalities.

Upon our arrival, we signed in and were given name tags (thank goodness). We found some seats close to the front then went for the goodies.

I began recognizing faces from the Millrace Bookstore this past August. It didn’t take me long to find DeEarlon (Joe Wactowski), author of Heaven’s Wave. I explained to him how the two "speed bumps" in his book spoiled the story for me. The story concerns the Mayan predictions for 2012 and bounces back and forth between the 1500s and the present. However, he gave the college president in the story the name of Wilson Woodrow and, later on in the story, had a military captain named Kurk and a sergeant named Sgt Scott. When Capt. Kurk said, “Send them up Scotty,” I wanted to slap the author up side the head. Otherwise it was a fairly captivating story. Joe is no Dan Brown, but he tried.

The first part of the program was introducing new members and guests, and listening to success stories. There were several stories of recent publication. At the break we were able to talk to several people and make excellent connections. The nice thing was that the members sought us out and wanted real conversations about what it is we do in the writing business.

The speaker was Adele Annesi who spoke on the importance of “Branding” and “Platform”. Basically hone in on your subject and know for whom you are writing. One woman took an adult subject and wrote a story for children: a story about identity theft. This is her 25th published book, so I guess she knows what she’s doing!

We were invited to join several members at the Wooden Tap in Avon for lunch, but we declined the invitation this time. Maybe when we go back in November. We can attend three meetings without joining. After that, it’s expected you will join, although they say they have never thrown anyone out yet.

As we were leaving Joe rushed over to me and asked if I had noticed the errors in the book. Indeed I had. He was pretty distraught and said that when he read the galley it was perfect. Then, for some reason, the publisher sent the book back to an editor and that’s where the errors happened. He said the book would have a second printing immediately and the errors would be fixed. I offered that this was his magnificent chance to fix the speed bumps. The look on his face told me he was in love with those facets of his story and probably will not change them. The Wilson Woodrow was just something cute he thought up and the Capt. Kurk thing was because he’s a Star Wars fan. He’s the author.

Once I move and the dust settles in my life, I will join. I look forward to being part of their booth at the Big E in the Connecticut Building where I can display my books of poetry and sell them.

So often those of us who write anything do so in a vacuum. Not so much poets like Dolores and me, since we go to critiquing workshops and do a lot of public reading. Barbara, on the other hand does work in a vacuum and said she got a lot out of being at the CAPA meeting. One good reason for joining.

Assisted Suicide

In this morning’s Hartford Courant, there was a letter to the editor from Kenneth Stevens, MD, of Sherwood, Oregon. I have reproduced, below, it in its entirety directly from the Hartford Courant’s web page. I feel it’s that important.

Suicide Bill Can Have Unintended Consequences

I am a cancer doctor in Oregon, where physician-assisted suicide is legal. I am also vice president of the Physicians for Compassionate Care Education Foundation, which opposes assisted suicide.

When considering this issue [editorial, Oct. 11, "Docs Deserve An Answer"], The Courant and its readers should remember the names Barbara Wagner and Randy Stroup. Wagner was an Oregon resident who died last year. The Oregon Health Plan (Oregon Medicaid) had refused to pay for a cancer drug to possibly prolong her life and offered to pay for her assisted suicide instead. This position saved the plan money.

Stroup had a similar experience. The plan would not pay for a drug to prolong his life and ease his pain, but would pay for his suicide. He said: "What is six months of life worth? To me it's worth a lot. This is my life they're playing with."

In both cases, the Oregon Health Plan's position was possible only because assisted suicide is legal in Oregon.

With assisted suicide now proposed in Connecticut, will you and your families be the next Barbara Wagner or Randy Stroup?

Kenneth Stevens, M.D., Sherwood, Ore.

Copyright © 2009, The Hartford Courant (http://www.courant.com/)

I was stunned to think that an insurance company would pay for death and not for life. If Connecticut passes such legislation, I hope it has a provision in it to prevent assisted death when the patient wants assisted life.

I have no problem with assisted suicide. When an illness produces unbearable pain and suffering with no hope for recovery, I believe it should be allowed with the patient’s request. This could also be addressed in a person’s Advance Health Care Directive (Living Will).

I would prefer a different name however, such as Compassionate Termination of Life.

Autumn Splendor

I took these photos at Crandall Pond in Tolland, CT. The foliage is so spectacular I wanted to share these.

We have the best colors in many a year this year, but I won't be on my bike to capture all of it. This is the time of year when pictures taken of the valley beyond the Lyman Viaduct on the Air Line Trail are especially breath taking. Next year for sure.

Power Outage

A cold front passing through the northeast today generated a high wind warning. The winds brought down power lines up the street from me around 1 p.m.

The good news: it was a mild, mostly sunny day so the temperature in the house never dipped below 68°.

The bad news: we were without electricity until a little after 7 p.m. I don’t have to list all the things that I couldn’t use or enjoy. It also meant I had no phone other than my cell and that was close to needing recharging. No way I could recharge it. Well I could have used the re-charger in the car, but with no electricity I couldn’t open the garage door for ventilation.

Also, because I couldn’t open the garage door, I was unable to accompany my mother from the nursing home to a doctor appointment. I will catch up with her tomorrow morning and I’m sure she will not be happy.

So the electricity came on, the furnace clicked on, the lights came on, all the digital clocks had to be reset and the phones are all recharging.

Life is good!

Home Made Salad Dressing

Because of the power outage I was limited to what I had for supper. I decided on a spinach salad with my specialty…home made salad dressing. The salad was spinach, chopped tomato, chopped onion and pine nuts.

For the dressing, I used 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar (pomegranate infused) and 1 teaspoon honey. Oh! So good!

Years ago I used to make a salad every night for supper. One night I had the salad all made and realized I was out of dressing. What to do???

I looked in the refrigerator to see what might substitute. I had an almost empty jar of pickles with lots of juice. I mixed the juice with some mayonnaise in a jar, shook well and instant salad dressing. When you change the kind of pickle juice you get an entirely new taste. So inexpensive. No need to buy those expensive dressings any more.

Here’s to my genius! Cheers.

Mini Family Reunion

I have pictures but will not post them because I don't want to compromise anyone's privacy.

It’s sad that my family doesn’t get to see each other often. On my mother’s side of the family we get together on occasion, but it’s usually a funeral. I think Claire and Bill’s 50th Anniversary was the exception until yesterday.

My cousin, Art, the Elder Statesman of the family now, was coming north for a high school reunion. His brother, Paul, and sister, Carole, put together a gathering of family at Paul’s house.

What a treat to not only reacquaint with my cousins, but, in some cases, to meet their kids for the first time or the first time in a long time.

Then there were the aunts on Art’s, Paul’s and Carole’s mother’s side of the family who remembered me, but my memory did not go back that far.

I would like my kids to get to know their cousins. I hope I can do that once I get settled in wherever I’m going to be living next. I’ll just bet Anne would come up from Maryland.

If you were to take my cousins on my mother’s side and combine them with those from my father’s side…you would have the population of a small city.

If I Knew What I Was Doing…

I don’t cook. I can prepare a meal, but I don’t consider myself a cook. A cook is someone who knows what they are doing. I’m never sure. For instance…

Yesterday I decided to make cream of asparagus soup. I had frozen asparagus from a great sale at Geissler’s Supermarket a couple weeks ago. I had to buy a lemon, however, because it called for ½ tsp. finely grated lemon peel. I already had all the other ingredients: flour, nutmeg, butter, milk, turkey broth I had frozen a while back.

I made the soup but I’m not sure if it’s good. I’ll wait until later today to sample it. If I knew what I was doing I would have no doubt. I won’t be home for lunch so I’ll have it for supper with buttered crackers.

So there I was, left with this scarred lemon. What to do? If I knew what I was doing, I’d know exactly what to do.

The best I could come up with was grating the skin from the rest of the lemon. I spread the grated peel on a small plate and popped it into the freezer. I’m thinking I can freeze it and have it for other recipes that call for grated lemon peel. I usually shun such recipes because I never have any lemons to grate, and I will not pay $6+ for a bottle of dried peel. If I knew what I was doing, I’d know if lemon peel can be successfully frozen. It will be a while before I find out.

So there I was with a naked, freshly shaved lemon, and for a change, I had an idea of what to do. I cut it into 8 wedges and will use them in iced tea. I have bottles of Arizona green tea with ginseng and honey in the fridge. I like this alone or half-and-half with pomegranate juice. Either way, it’s one way to use up the lemon wedges.

If I don’t experiment I’ll never know…maybe one of these days I will know what I’m doing. And that will take all the fun out of it. ☺☺☺☺

One Beautiful Saturday – Two Free Museums

Photo: a view of the back of my Honda Fit with my electronic recycling. The large piece of furniture is an old radio/stereo. I backed the car up to the garage door, hauled the stereo over to the back of the car and tipped it into the cargo area. I put a blanket down so the car would not get scratched. Piece of cake.

The Plan
The original plan for last Saturday, Sept. 26th, was for me and Barbara to gather up our electronic recycling and head for the Trash Museum in Hartford. In the process of cleaning out every nook and cranny in order to move, I am amazed at the obsolete electronic stuff I had accumulated. I don’t know what Barbara’s excuse is. ☺

As I was reading the morning paper, I saw a teeny tiny news item about Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day with FREE admission to over 400 museums nationwide and over a dozen in Connecticut.

First I got on the phone to Barbara to see if she was interested in having a day-long adventure. She was. From there I got a list of museums and chose two definite destinations plus one “maybe”. After printing out the Free Admission “tickets” we were ready to go.

Recycling
We arrived at the recycle center on Murphy Road in Hartford about 10 o’clock. The guys who were taking the stuff out of cars were a great bunch. When they got the old stereo/radio out of the car they all stood around to admire it. Every one of them said the same thing: "My grandmother had one like that.” Very funny.

Wadsworth Atheneum
We bid them adieu and headed for the Wadsworth Atheneum (the oldest public art museum in the United States). We spent a couple of hours lost in the art of Degas, Cézanne, Renoir, Monet, Manet, and van Gogh. There were more but I can’t remember all of them. Of special note were the huge canvases by John Trumbull (from Lebanon, Conn.; the son of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull) depicting scenes from the Revolutionary War. I wish I had taken notes…I don’t want to name the works hanging there because I’m not 100% sure of the scenes depicted. (I know, I’m a lousy reporter!)

We saw the works of so many masters I went into culture overload. We also saw sculptures from Egypt and fine china and porcelain from around the world.

Two hours is not enough time to see everything. We found we were going from room to room to room and having no idea where we were…finally coming out to where we started.

Parallel parking
I have to boast here…I found a tiny parking space on the Prospect St. at the rear of the Atheneum and parallel parked on the first try! Hadn’t had to do that in years, but it all came back to me once I started the process.

Lunch
We left the Wadsworth and headed for Farmington to visit the Hill-Stead Museum. But first we needed to have lunch. We planned ahead and had our picnic lunches with us. I thought it would be pleasant down by the Farmington River below the Millrace Book Store. We went down the stairs, jumped a small ditch and proceeded to spread our blanket over a fallen tree. Lunch tasted so good.

On to Hill-Stead
Neither of us had ever been to the Hill-Stead Museum. This past summer I thought of attending the poetry in the sunken garden on Wednesday nights, but never made it. I don’t know how much time we spent looking at the collection of Monet, Degas, Cassatt, and Whistler along with photographs of the family and local life. The history of the Museum and the Pope-Riddle family can be found at the museum’s website. We also toured the sunken garden which was being set up for a wedding later that afternoon.

It was now after three o’clock and time to go home. A grand spur of the moment adventure! My kind of day.

Nighttime Visitors

This is what I saw when I went out to get my Sunday newspaper...raccoon paw prints from a small puddle toward my front steps. I had already seen the bird feeder in the back yard where my raccoons apparently had been bouncing on it. The plastic things that hold the lines closer together were on the ground and the feeder was hanging mighty low. They had bounced some seeds onto the ground, but as far as I can tell, they don’t eat the birdseed. WHY DO THEY KEEP COMING BACK NIGHT AFTER NIGHT? If you are a regular follower of this journal, you remember a year and a half ago (Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Sports and Wild Life) I posted pictures of their paw prints on the windows of the storm door going from the kitchen onto the deck. That was neat!

I hope the folks who buy this house are not afraid of wild life…that the thought of having raccoons visiting at night doesn’t frighten them. Other things that might cause some folks concern: an occasional fox, wild turkeys, deer, rare coyote vocalizing, summer-time critters (slugs, worms, spiders, chipmunks front and back).

Whoever buys this house, I hope they continue feeding the birds. Of course that brings us back to the raccoons. Perhaps the new owners will put up a barrier the bandits can’t get past. That I would like to see!

Yesterday’s News

Literally yesterday's news.

Dolores and I went all the way out to Ashford last night (Friday) for poetry. We didn’t expect to know anyone, but…

When we walked in Rob (who hosted ArtSpeak at Peaberry’s in Simsbury) was there and recognized Dolores and me. He also remembered the bump and grind performance (to musical accompaniment) I did reading my poem, Why Condo Associations Won’t Allow Clotheslines. Remembering that night at Peaberry’s always brings on lots of laughing!

Then, I turn around and who should be coming in the door but Deb and Kurt Ravenwood from Manchester. (RAVENWOOD HOLISTIC WELLNESS CENTER,
 199 West Center Street, Manchester CT 06040
, (860) 432-2081, deb@ravenwoodhealing.com). They knew people in the band and were there to be supportive.

THEN, after I read my poetry some of which referenced South Windsor, one of the open mic musicians, Justin Ford, came over to me and said his father, Robert Ford, taught History in South Windsor (high school) from 1969 to 1993. They lived in East Windsor and Justin went to the East Windsor schools. Justin’s mother is Charlote Schlicting (I knew her cousin Eunice). Justin now lives in Ashford with his wife and 2 daughters. He’s a builder, cabinetmaker and blows a wicked blues harmonica! Does guitar and sings good, too.

Talk about a small world?

A word about the band and the music at the Ashford Library. The music was much like we experienced at Peaberry’s…mostly improv and jamming. That lasted until Justin got up and joined them on his harmonica with some blues. Then they finally started sounding like they were playing music. Without Justin and his harmonica (and later his guitar) the band was not holding up too well.

Two other open mic performers were two of the cutest young ladies playing flute. Oh, my, how they could fly up onto that stage from a running start…so full of energy. They played well and when there was a minor problem they handled it like it was nothing…like playing in their own home instead of in front of an audience.

An interesting night in Ashford.

For Sale

The next chapter in my life has officially begun.

The For Sale sign went up this morning and the first showing was held between 3:30 and 4 p.m. this afternoon.

It’s weird coming back home knowing someone had been in my space. I did have to laugh though…someone knocked Nameless, Faceless Baby Doll off her ladder and couldn’t (apparently) put her back. She was lying on the bench when I came home. ☺☺ I wonder if she freaked someone out. My kids don’t understand why I have her around…they think she’s a spook! No way. I found her. No one else wanted her. She belongs to me! Maybe I should secure her to the ladder so she won’t get knocked off again.

I was grateful that someone turned off almost all the lights as they went through each room. I turned every light on before I left to create a cheerful atmosphere. Also had a classical CD playing softly on the stereo. Hey, if it gets me an offer I can’t refuse it’s worth it.

A Very Busy Day

The day started with my putting all the junk out front.

Then it was off to Kathy's for a picnic. Jess and Matt were there and Matt had a special gift for me and Hissy...her name on a decal! I had my choice of red or blue and I went with Fit Blue. Hot! I can't thank Matt enough.

From there I went into Hartford to picnic with friends. There were lots of people, lots of food, 4 dogs, and lots of love to go around. Sandy and her husband, Mike, and her son, Mike sure have a great group of loving friends...a reflection of themselves.

It was good to get home and relax. A happy, busy day has come to an end.

Hissy Proudly Wears Her Name!

Hissy is now official...no butts about it. She proudly wears her name on her butt. Thanks to Matt, we were able to officially "brand" her today.

I have already gotten the response I was after. Coming home from the Hartford picnic, a couple of guys in a truck read her name and got the joke. It was so much fun knowing I made someone laugh today.

Click on the photos to enlarge...it's easier to read her name.

Matt teases!

All is revealed!

Need I say more?

This Honda is so hot it's smokin!

Picnic With Friends

When I worked at CNG I made some friends for life...it was truly family. Part of that family, Sandy and her son, Michael, invite me for their summer picnic every year. Even though I have retired they still are some of my best friends. In these pictures we have some of the guests and that is not a ping pong paddle. It's a bug zapper!

Missing Junk

I can understand why the TV stand was taken (it was right in front of the blue chest), but who in the world would want that cruddy old metal plant stand. It was worse than disgusting.

Bulk Pick-up

Photos: This is all the junk for bulk pick-up. By all means click on each photo to get a better look at my junk. It's awesome stuff! ☺☺

This morning I pulled that toboggan (at the very bottom of the pile) out to the curb. I originally was going to hitch it up to my car, but decided I could do it all by myself. That sucker was heavy. I had to take the big box (which is full of stuff) off the toboggan and pull them separately. (My left shoulder already hurts from lifting the air conditioner out of the downstairs window the other day…can’t wait to see what it feels like tomorrow.)

Then I went out to the shed and cleaned most of the crap out of there and hauled it to the front. That’s mostly the barrels and the junk in them.

There was also some stuff left over from the tag sale that was lingering in the garage. That’s out there, too.

As soon as the garage door came down…meaning I was done…my neighbor across the street and one house up went out to his truck and left. I’ll bet he was waiting for me to finish so he wouldn’t have to offer to help. He walks around like he has a bad back anyway. AND I wouldn’t ask him for help in a million years. I hope I didn't make him late for something. Had I known he had to go somewhere, I would have hurried up.

Within a half-hour of finishing all the tugging and hauling, I heard a truck stop in front. Sure enough, some old guy was helping himself to something…I heard a big klunk going into the back of the pick-up.

I wonder how much will be left for actual bulk pick-up? Don’t know and don’t care.

Just heard another car. If you see something you like, better hurry. Go for it. Get that stuff off my lawn! ☺☺