Heather Blakey of Soul Food fame, is now offering to help her graphically challenged members, bless her heart. Several of us were discussing the fact that we didn't know how to put pictures on her bloggers at Soul Food. There are over sixty blogs and the pictures that are posted frequently knock my socks off. Although Soul Food was started for those who want to make writing their daily practice the place is now also bursting with amazing artists and photographers.
I don't have a photo program, a camera, a scanner, or even a printer, so that may leave me out, but there's no reason why I can't just gather up any information the blog (Heather and helpers)produces and keep it for future reference. In the meantime I've just asked for an invitation to The Land of Dreams Blog. I finally finished my story, which turned out to be entirely different from what I first had in mind. Oh, well, Off on a Tangent again.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Nice Weather, Global Warming, and Stinky Toilets
January in the Northeast has been splendid this year. Our temperatures have been way above normal and since there's been relatively no snow I haven't had to stress about whether it was safe for me to go to work or who was going to shovel me out. On a personal level, I'm all for global warming.
This attitude is what my dad used to call, "Hooray for me and the hell with you."
It's an attitude shared by the government and the oil companies. Can't blame them, I guess, everybody likes money and I sure enjoyed sitting outside in the almost 60 degree temperatures this afternoon before work.
I'm sure we'll be fine--but there are future generations to think about and, according to the Washinton Post, (Jan.28, 2006) the coral is bleaching. Huh? Water temperatures two degrees above average this fall bleached loads of coral from Texas to Trinidad. Keep that up and fishing will go down the tubes. Little island nations exist now, especially in the Pacific, that might not be here much longer. You don't have much leeway when your tallest rock is only six feet above sea level and ocean levels are beginning to rise. And the currents that moderate the climate in Europe--changing.
On a personal level, what do I know about this. Not much, I admit, I'm certainly no scientist. But I recognize the domino theory when I see it. I sailed on Grace Line's Santa Maria down the west coast of South America years ago. The first time we arrived in Callao, the seaport for Lima, Peru I nearly gagged when I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I discovered that one of Callao's main exports was fish fertilizer made from bird guano and the harbor water stunk from factories that manufactured it. The ship's toilets used harbor water.
A year later we made the same trip and I was telling a fellow passenger about the smelly phenomenon; only thing is it didn't happen, next morning, no smell. What was the mystery all about? El Nino had changed the Humboldt Current. The cold water that it brought from the Antarctic didn't come, so neither did the fish. No fish, no birds, no birds no bird guano and no fertilizer. How nice not to have that awful smell. Except Callao was in bad shape that year. No guano--no factories no jobs, no food for hungry people.
This attitude is what my dad used to call, "Hooray for me and the hell with you."
It's an attitude shared by the government and the oil companies. Can't blame them, I guess, everybody likes money and I sure enjoyed sitting outside in the almost 60 degree temperatures this afternoon before work.
I'm sure we'll be fine--but there are future generations to think about and, according to the Washinton Post, (Jan.28, 2006) the coral is bleaching. Huh? Water temperatures two degrees above average this fall bleached loads of coral from Texas to Trinidad. Keep that up and fishing will go down the tubes. Little island nations exist now, especially in the Pacific, that might not be here much longer. You don't have much leeway when your tallest rock is only six feet above sea level and ocean levels are beginning to rise. And the currents that moderate the climate in Europe--changing.
On a personal level, what do I know about this. Not much, I admit, I'm certainly no scientist. But I recognize the domino theory when I see it. I sailed on Grace Line's Santa Maria down the west coast of South America years ago. The first time we arrived in Callao, the seaport for Lima, Peru I nearly gagged when I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I discovered that one of Callao's main exports was fish fertilizer made from bird guano and the harbor water stunk from factories that manufactured it. The ship's toilets used harbor water.
A year later we made the same trip and I was telling a fellow passenger about the smelly phenomenon; only thing is it didn't happen, next morning, no smell. What was the mystery all about? El Nino had changed the Humboldt Current. The cold water that it brought from the Antarctic didn't come, so neither did the fish. No fish, no birds, no birds no bird guano and no fertilizer. How nice not to have that awful smell. Except Callao was in bad shape that year. No guano--no factories no jobs, no food for hungry people.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
What's on the Good Stuff Agenda Today?
What's on the good stuff agenda for today? Well, church for one. For a lot of reasons I haven't been able to go weekly lately, but today made two in a row and it's so good to be back. Pastor Shepler told an anecdote about monks who were disturbed by the noise brought into the abbey by visitors. When they complained to an elderly monk he told them, "Silence is not a lack of noise, it is a lack of self."
Ah! How hard it is to forget self and yet sometimes for brief moments, when I pray, there is only God and his awesomeness and our love for each other.
So much that I read now seems to be stressing getting in touch with your inner child or your true self. Maybe it is exactly what others need, but I grew up an only child, a disabled one at that, so there's been plenty of quiet time in which to delve into me. There is so much more, and it's not all about me.
My good friend Mike came to church today despite his chemo treatments and Ciel was there as well, only a couple of weeks after being hospitalized for a lung embollism.
It was a joy to be with them!
Ah! How hard it is to forget self and yet sometimes for brief moments, when I pray, there is only God and his awesomeness and our love for each other.
So much that I read now seems to be stressing getting in touch with your inner child or your true self. Maybe it is exactly what others need, but I grew up an only child, a disabled one at that, so there's been plenty of quiet time in which to delve into me. There is so much more, and it's not all about me.
My good friend Mike came to church today despite his chemo treatments and Ciel was there as well, only a couple of weeks after being hospitalized for a lung embollism.
It was a joy to be with them!
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Tentatively Tenacious
"Tentatively Tenacious" is a catch phrase at Reach-Dabble-Shine and it sums me up pretty well. I made the decision to blog every day and yes, I am tentative about it.
What else? Well, I'm starting a low-cholesterol diet and I am more than tentative about that. Give up dairy? What a horrible thought. I did tentatively purchase a couple of substitutes, two different margarines to compare the taste and two percent milk, which I now find is really just a transitional product and when I get serious I need to switch to one percent or no fat. I also bought oatmeal, cooked it in water and then added honey and enough two percent so it was drinkable. My Dad used to make it that way for me when I was a kid. It's still good.
In my fridge there's a container of no-fat sour cream (new) Some half and half (old)and tonight for dinner I used up the cheddar cheese. One step forward, two steps back? Oh, yeah, there's still a little left-over Haagen Daz. sigh.
What else? Well, I'm starting a low-cholesterol diet and I am more than tentative about that. Give up dairy? What a horrible thought. I did tentatively purchase a couple of substitutes, two different margarines to compare the taste and two percent milk, which I now find is really just a transitional product and when I get serious I need to switch to one percent or no fat. I also bought oatmeal, cooked it in water and then added honey and enough two percent so it was drinkable. My Dad used to make it that way for me when I was a kid. It's still good.
In my fridge there's a container of no-fat sour cream (new) Some half and half (old)and tonight for dinner I used up the cheddar cheese. One step forward, two steps back? Oh, yeah, there's still a little left-over Haagen Daz. sigh.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Today's Happiness List
1. I heard a live concert from Salzburg and hundreds of church bells proclaiming the joyful celebration of Mozart's 250th birthday.
2. Food shopping's done.
3. The new banister going down to my basement means I got laundry done today.
4. It's after 5:00pm and the sun is just setting. The days are getting longer.
5. This January has been a piece of cake, mild and sunny. It's almost February.
2. Food shopping's done.
3. The new banister going down to my basement means I got laundry done today.
4. It's after 5:00pm and the sun is just setting. The days are getting longer.
5. This January has been a piece of cake, mild and sunny. It's almost February.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Lemony Who?
Well I guess it's official, I am no longer on the S.S. rolls. I can't be the only one. It would be interesting to hear how many people have been accidentally bounced because they filed for disability at the same time as S.S. I wonder what the average time is to correct this error. Or maybe I don't
I'm beginning to feel like I'm in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events.
Title: The Social Security Sinkhole--the sad tale of a perfectly innocent senior citizen whose well-being is endangered in a monumental paper collapse. Please, if you care for your own sanity, go elsewhere and stop reading this heartrending story. Can you bear to watch her go down the tubes when her Medicaid slips into a bottomless crevass? What governmental agency in the labyrinthine chambers of beaurocracy will strike her next from their rolls? Flee now, do not stay to see a model citizen forced to live in a leaky cardboard box under a crumbling bridge.
I'm beginning to feel like I'm in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events.
Title: The Social Security Sinkhole--the sad tale of a perfectly innocent senior citizen whose well-being is endangered in a monumental paper collapse. Please, if you care for your own sanity, go elsewhere and stop reading this heartrending story. Can you bear to watch her go down the tubes when her Medicaid slips into a bottomless crevass? What governmental agency in the labyrinthine chambers of beaurocracy will strike her next from their rolls? Flee now, do not stay to see a model citizen forced to live in a leaky cardboard box under a crumbling bridge.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Waiting for Social Security
Tomorrow is a big day for me. Will I, or won't I receive my Social Security check for January? This should be a no-brainer, but when I filed for S.S. the beginning of 2005 I was urged to also file for disability at the same time. Friends said go for it, S.S. people said, nothing to it, if you're declared eligible they'll just switch you over to the higher disability amount. Smile.
Sounds good right?
I received my S.S. checks for four months and then a higher amount in October and November. Sweet, yes? No. I called S.S. office and said, there must be a mistake, I still haven't sent you some papers you just asked for. Ah, you must be getting Supplemental they said. Hmmm. I persevered and kept calling, but I hardly ever got through and the woman I left messages for never called back.
Are you ready for the good part? I get a bill from disability saying I owe them $4,893.00. Whoa, I say! Tops I owe you about $300 for the overpayment, but I didn't receive my Social Security in December, so you owe me the difference.
Stay tuned.
Sounds good right?
I received my S.S. checks for four months and then a higher amount in October and November. Sweet, yes? No. I called S.S. office and said, there must be a mistake, I still haven't sent you some papers you just asked for. Ah, you must be getting Supplemental they said. Hmmm. I persevered and kept calling, but I hardly ever got through and the woman I left messages for never called back.
Are you ready for the good part? I get a bill from disability saying I owe them $4,893.00. Whoa, I say! Tops I owe you about $300 for the overpayment, but I didn't receive my Social Security in December, so you owe me the difference.
Stay tuned.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Three Extraordinary Sites
As always, I am deeply entrenched in the marvelous halls of the Soul Food Cafe, writing and enjoying the writing of others. We have climbed The Faraway Tree and are watching and waiting as new worlds float by on the passing clouds. Right now I am in The Land of Dreams. Anyone who writes or creates art will fall in love with this site at www.dailywriting.net.
For the last few months I've been receiving e-mail from the FlyLady site, www.flylady.net. How can a site devoted to teaching you to clean your house get such an enormous following of loyal fans? How can it possibly be described as fun? You simply have to subscribe to the e-mails to believe it. "Shine your sink," FlyLady says and hundreds of women run off to shine their sinks, "You can do anything for fifteen minutes," she assures us, and we tackle jobs we've dreaded for years. With humor and love she dispenses common sense and wisdom. She has taken a simple thing like housekeeping and turned it into a life changing experience. If your house is clean but you're exhausted and resentful--try FlyLady--if your place is a mess and you're overwhelmed try FlyLady. You'll be entranced and your life will improve.
Reach--Dabble--Shine is the name of a delightful site, which is new, at least, to me. I enjoy encouraging people in their pursuits and also in just enjoying life, and this is what www.reach-dabble-shine.com is all about. The e-mail group is small right now, but I'm hoping it takes off into the stratosphere. What could be better than gathering together a group of people who are willing to share their dreams and to encourage each other to be "tentatively tenacious"?
The Internet is huge and the urge to explore it is hard to resist, but I've discovered three unique and wonderful sites in which to spend my time. Lucky, huh?
For the last few months I've been receiving e-mail from the FlyLady site, www.flylady.net. How can a site devoted to teaching you to clean your house get such an enormous following of loyal fans? How can it possibly be described as fun? You simply have to subscribe to the e-mails to believe it. "Shine your sink," FlyLady says and hundreds of women run off to shine their sinks, "You can do anything for fifteen minutes," she assures us, and we tackle jobs we've dreaded for years. With humor and love she dispenses common sense and wisdom. She has taken a simple thing like housekeeping and turned it into a life changing experience. If your house is clean but you're exhausted and resentful--try FlyLady--if your place is a mess and you're overwhelmed try FlyLady. You'll be entranced and your life will improve.
Reach--Dabble--Shine is the name of a delightful site, which is new, at least, to me. I enjoy encouraging people in their pursuits and also in just enjoying life, and this is what www.reach-dabble-shine.com is all about. The e-mail group is small right now, but I'm hoping it takes off into the stratosphere. What could be better than gathering together a group of people who are willing to share their dreams and to encourage each other to be "tentatively tenacious"?
The Internet is huge and the urge to explore it is hard to resist, but I've discovered three unique and wonderful sites in which to spend my time. Lucky, huh?
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