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  • All I hear is.. Obama Care

    Wow… does anyone think about anything other than Obama Care? This is a simple man on the street observation so please bear with me. I know that Comprehensive Health Care Reform is a volatile issue. My aim is not to discuss my “side” of the issue as much as it is to highlight some comments and opinions that I have had occasion to (over)hear in the context of my daily life.

     

    About half the people I encounter are scared to death; scared of a new and unproven process that will intimately impact the quality of their life. Frankly, most people will admit that they hate the constant contention and controversy between themselves and their health care payment system. (Many have horror stories that are heart wrenching) Note I did not say health care providers. Most people love their doctors, hospitals, and other people who perform health related services on a regular basis. Their problem is the organization that is responsible for paying the bill that the caretakers generate. They are all too aware that so called optional health care procedures and appliances (such as wheelchairs) are already being rationed by the payment system. In many cases they have to fight tooth and nail for very necessary medications and procedures that are clearly beyond the scope of optional. I personally know of a woman who has been fighting with her health payment provider over their refusal to pay for the properly sized incontinence products that her severely incapacitated  son needs for comfort. People fear that their providers will also be required to follow a protocol that will not allow them to receive the optional or elective care needed if their situation falls outside pre-established parameters of necessity, age, or current health levels or when the allocated numbers of approved “procedures” are exceeded. And on… and on… and on…  By the way, many surgeries such as Cardiac Bypass Surgery, hip replacement, and radical spine straightening surgeries for scoliosis are currently considered as elective procedures; lifesaving and necessary, but elective none the less.

     

    People may say they want change but change is very difficult for people to acclimate to or accept when it shows up at their own front door.

     

    The other half fall into the category of “what’s in it for me” and “how much deeper is the government going to ram its hand into my pocket”. The socio economic jealousy between Americans is growing at an alarming rate. The poor are envious of the “rich” (defined as anybody with more money than themself) and the rich resent the growing number of “freebies” and giveaways being funneled to the poor. Both want better service and more perks for less money out of their paychecks. Let the other sucker pay for it. Nobody wants to see a reduction of benefits.

     

    All are concerned about a government that has champagne tastes on a beer budget.

     

    So what brought this rant on???

     

    I just finished reading about the difference between linear thinking and global thinking.

     

    The differentiation … between linear and global thinking can be best described with examples. The linear thinker moves one mental step at a time down the path of logic, consuming and digesting each piece of information before moving to the next.

    The global thinker (also known as branching logic) pursues multiple paths of information gathering and processing simultaneously, bringing all relevant parts together at the end.

    Linear thinkers tend to be left brain dominant while global thinkers tend to be right brain dominant.

    We tend to think of linear processors as "slow" because they often take more time to reflect before speaking and work through an issue fully before acting. Global processors are often "quick" and respond much sooner to a stimulus than their linear counterparts. They often make more mistakes, are generally risk takers, and more often gregarious.

    Vana Prewitt, Praxis Learning Systems

     

    Perhaps it is time to put a few more linear thinkers into government where…

     

    taking more time to reflect before speaking and working through an issue fully before acting

     

    could prove to be beneficial.

     

    Just a thought…

     

     

  • The time of sorrow has begun.

    Now that's perhaps a bit melodramatic but unfortunately nearly true. Sorrow really began in January. It's lain hidden, simmering since the barebones declaration of "There's nothing to be done" was coldly pronounced.

    Nothing.

    No surgery... no chemo... no radiation... No new untested wonder drug... Even the drugs designed to make him "comfortable" would only make him more uncomfortable. Absolutely, one hundred percent untreatable.

    But he was game. He tried them anyways.

    The last two months have been a whirlwind of activity. Plans. So many plans. I don't know how he remained so calm. Yet he always had time for a friend and their problems. He continued to prepare us for this time of sorrow. Always helping us, his family and friends, to live with the after death time.

    In the meantime he pursued his bucket list... not a frantic whirlwind of activities... but a short carefully selected series of dreams. He went deep sea diving in Aruba, took flying lessons, restored the relationship with his dad, and finally went sky diving on July 18th.

    He passed serenely from this life into eternity on Saturday evening.

     

    Rob at B'party

     

     

    I wish I could write more. But it's too soon for me.  

     

     

  • What is your favorite dessert?

     

    My favorite dessert?  Well... Let's see...

    Strawberry Shortcake

    strawberry shortcake

    Ooops, try again

    Stawberry Shortcake has to be way up on the list. Homemade on a sweet biscuit, tender and warm from the oven; covered with fresh picked locally grown strawberries, sliced - chunked - whole who cares. Then a dollop of just whipped heavy cream lightly sweetened. Yum Yum

    full-shortcake

    Now you're talking!!

     

    However, my family will tell you that there is no contest or question at all.

    My number one all time, any time, every time favorite is

    ICE CREAM

    HardPkVariety

    And where does this ice cream fanatic go for her cool cream fix?

    ben and jerrys

    You betcha

    And you're welcome to try some if you can get past

     

    SECURITY

     

     

    cone


       

    I just gobbled up this Featured Question; you can give it a go too! Do you feel lucky... well do ya???

     

  • Earthquake .... Really???

    earthquake flower 2

     

    This year has been tough. Sometimes I try to sneak a few of my bedding plants into the ground before the end of May. Low temps with possible frost and/or a freeze are predicted for the next few evenings.

     

    The weatherman predicted temps in the thirties so I schlepped my flats back into the garage for the night. I thought that my greatest concern was to save my plants from freezing. I guess this is why most people do not put any ‘tender’ plants in the ground until after Memorial Day. As the holiday is a week early this year, I will probably wait a few more days. Anyways…..

     

    We had an earthquake last night. I’ve written before about the differences between west coast quakes and east coast quakes. Well, to be completely accurate, the east coast does have some fault lines so quakes are to be expected. But the Adirondack region is another story altogether.

     

    At the present time, a commonly accepted explanation for the cause of earthquakes in the Northeast is that "ancient zones of weakness" are being reactivated in the present-day stress field. In this model, preexisting faults … formed during ancient geological episodes persist in the intraplate (New York type) crust, and, … earthquakes occur when the present-day stress is released along these zones of weakness … much of the research on northeastern United States earthquakes has involved attempts to identify preexisting faults and other geological features that might be reactivated by the present-day stress field ... in reality the identification of individual active geologic features has proven to be quite difficult. Unlike the situation for many plate boundary (Californian type) earthquakes,

    It is not at all clear whether faults mapped at the earth's surface in the Northeast are the same faults along which the earthquakes are occurring.

     

    In other words, scientists have no real explanation as to why we experience earthquakes where we do.

     

    earthquake house We do not experience the rolling shaking quakes that the west coast does. It is mostly a wimpy shimmy. What we do have is noise. Most people will report hearing what they think sounds like a cabinet falling over or a door suddenly slammed shut.

     

    Others will say they thought that a large truck has rumbled down the street. Of course there is also the obligatory “train passing by” (even when there is not a railway anywhere nearby). earthquake train

     

    Last night’s quake occurred at 8:53 PM, was about 5.6 miles deep and registered a 3.0 on the Saffir-Simpson intensity scale. Granted, this is not a very strong quake and most people probably did not notice the mild shaking that accompanied the “noise”.

     

     nervous pet

     

    It’s more likely they noticed their pets wonky behavior. 

     

    Maybe it’s only a conincedence that California also had an earthquake at about 9 PM last night.

     

    Whoo Hoo… I just heard that we had an aftershock of 2.1.

    Another no feel em… lol

     

     

     

     

  • What shall I do?

     

     

    Yesterday I shared a bit of what I have been doing...

    Today I'll give you a peek at what I should be doing...

     

    Sort and Fold

    Cedar Chest

    Somebody's been pawing through the fabric.. again.

     

    Make a Path, Please!

    Loft 1

    Remnants from last year's tag sale tucked, not too neatly into the garage loft.

    Loft 2

    Don't worry, there's plenty to go through on the other side of the loft too. Yup, that's our fully decorated inky dinky Christmas tree shoved way back in the corner.

     

    Remember last years rant on the gas line upgrade and here by the local utilities company. Remember their promise to restore the homeowner's property to it's former condition.

    They forgot!

    I have already poured 7 bags of top soil into the grassless (but not weedless) sinkhole that showed up when the snow thawed. I still have to reseed this patch AND fill and seed the second hole that's forming just beyond the tree. Whoopie!!!

    Grass needed

     

    The Front Porch Trim

    Sly Paint Job

     

    Maybe, fix this first...

    Speedy little helper

    Look at Ce Ce go. The girl's got muscles for sure.

     

    Give the Deck a Good Washing

    Deck

     

    Me first Mom

    Somebody needs a bath, too

    Not really.

    She loves water but hates her bath.

    Tikvah will hold me a grudge for at least a week after her bath.

     

     

  • What a Glorious Day

     

    It's an absolutely gorgeous day today. The last of the snow is gone, gone, gone with the eighty degree weather. Tomorrow's forecast is supposed to reach 90 degrees. So unusual. What a change after the previous cool weeks. The snake in the woodpile is that it could still snow!! It's only April and I can remember snow in May. I think I will just be thankful and soak up the heat. It's tough though, to acclimate so quickly.

    It's hard to believe that it's been almost a month since I've last posted. So here goes...

    This is a bit of what I've been up to!!

    A Crib Quilt

    Yes, I cheated.

    The top is simply a piece of preprinted cloth. I had forgotten about a baby shower that I was committed to attending and needed a quick gift for a dear friend. I constructed the boarder from broadcloth pieced with a matching gingham.

    Baby Quilt 3

    The backing is another length of matching brushed cotton (flannel) gingham.

      Baby Quilt 2

    I machine quilted around the squares to form a simply pattern.

    Shaped Burp Cloths

    Burp Cloth

    I used 3/4 yd of two super soft and absorbent flannel material pieces to make four burp clothes. The expected baby is a little boy, Leland Mason and his mom and dad have chosen to decorate his nursery with a rain forest/jungle theme.

    Burp Cloth Detail

    I prewashed all the materials in a mild detergent designed for use for newborns. I wanted to be sure that they were nice and soft and safe for the baby. It took the most part of a day to finish these items including the shopping, washing, ironing, cutting, piecing, and quilting.

    I also finished this Couch Quilt for my DIL. (not on the same day as above, lol)

    Heart Full

    Heart Quilt 2

    The lace hearts are made from purchased doilies that are cut and pieced into the quilt. They are not appliqued. The blocks are set on point. I have been working on this quilt for some time and have had the top finished for probably the last year. My problem was deciding on what type of quilting to use on the boarder.

    Heart Quilt 3

    In the end I decided to try using a heart pattern that is machine quilted in a continuous freehand style. Not bad for a first effort. I have lighted the color on the pic in order to make it easier to see the stitching. Next time I may even use a contrasting thread. I must admit I was too "chicken" to use any method that would show my (many) mistakes to clearly.

    Heart Quilt

     

     

  • Test Post.

    What's up with the future post feature. I have lost two posts today because it failed to save. AND... if it did save, it has been hidden in a someplace so safe that it can not be found. Oh bother.

  • Some of what I've been up to

     

    I've been keeping myself busy. So busy that I've had little time for postings. This is a sample of what is consuming my energies.

    I use a corner of the dining room for all my sewing projects. Of course, this means I must pack up every time we expect company.

    IMG_2010

    This is the central part of a bed quilt for my g'baby Grace's third birthday. I plan to use a chocolate brown as a stop and a pieced boarder using leftover scraps from the quilt top. This will take a week or two of hit and miss sewing before it will be ready for assembly. I am still looking for material for the backing. I think it will be either a flannel or soft brushed cotton as I anticipate that Grace will be wrapped in this quilt often.

    IMG_2012

    Notice the blue hearts in the pic. This is actually the vinyl side of a flannel backed table cloth. I set out the blocks to be assembled on the flannel side and then roll up the cloth for easy storage. The pieces will not stick to each other when I unroll it and get back to business.

    Here is the tablecloth pinned to a design wall at our local quilt shop.

    IMG_2045

     I have picked out a tentative name for the quilt.... Grace in Motion... Wish me luck I have to have it done by May.

     

    Grace on chair

    This, of course, is my Grace in motion.

  • What marks the beginning of spring to you?

     

    I suppose I could tell everyone how Spring makes me feel. But that wouldn't really be answering the question. I could write some type of temperamental tribute to the joys and odes of the season, but that was not the question.

    The question was, "What MARKS the beginning of Spring?"  Hmmm a marker.... Hmmm  I must admit that I hesitated to answer this Featured Question because of the connotation and reputation intrinsic with my chosen marker. Some may find it odd, others may definitely consider it a bit crude. I assure you that in this case I'm not trying to be humorous.

    My answer involves

     MANURE

    There I've said it.

    Not necessarily a topic of conversation around the dinner table; it is the still the most reliable marker that I know. I have complete faith in the local farmers to determine when Spring is really and truly, unmistakably on the way. Their accuracy is important. Why? Well they must spread the manure on the fields at precisely the perfect moment or risk disaster. There comes a point in late Winter when the farmer must decide to generously spread his home grown fertilizer and the natural byproduct of milk production (You do like your cheese, right?) on the fields that will provide the silage for next years bumper crop of manure.

    snow stuck

     

    Spread too soon and the tractor can't navigate the deep snow drifts.

     

    stuck in mud

    Too late and the tractor is consumed by the muddy fields.

    DISASTER

    So the first sign of Spring is dark streaks splayed across the white fields and the whiff that accompanies my most reliable harbinger of Spring's dawning.

    spraying_manure_on_snow

    Pinch your nose and smile....

    HappyCow

    Spring has arrived.

    I just answered this Featured Question; you can sniff it too!

     

     

  • Is it easier to forgive or forget?

     

     

    forgiveness

     

    "Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die" - From the Secret on Oprah

    In my experience I have found it much easier to forget than forgive.

    I tend to grasp and hoard every hurt, real and imagined. I've got great heaping stockpiles of indignation, insult, and invented indignity sorted, graded as to intensity, carefully weighed and triaged into neat catagories and degree of urgency of retribution. Every offense is dear to me and nobody, NOBODY, is going to deny me my day of vengence.

    tight-parking-space

    But then I realize that others probably feel the same about that guy who just stole my parking space.


     

    FORGETFULNESS-1

    And so goes my life !


       

    I would have answered this Featured Question; but I've forgotten what it was!