Honor and Dedication

As we honor our veterans today for their dedication and service, I want to share a part of an article from The USA Today. I saved it a few years ago and although it is a reflection of events during WWII, it is just as relevant today. It is one man’s response to the question Does the Next Generation Value the Sacrifice of War?

Dec. 21, 2006

By: Jack Valenti

There is a piece of sadness that the election failed to debate. It is the lamentable detachment by the young among us to freedom’s history....

Why a casual indifference to this story by so many young people? Maybe it is because we have been so benumbed by this Iraq war and because so few youngsters have worn a uniform......

When my son was 14, I took him to Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France. We stood on the bluff above the beach in the same spot where Nazi troops had dug in. They poured rifle, mortar, and machine gunfire onto the U.S. troops clambering out of their landing crafts. They cut them down on the sand and in the water that ran red with the blood flowing so wantonly on that invasion day, June 6, 1944.

My son was struck with how close it was from the beach. I said, “John it was very close, but remember those young boys never turned back, not one of them. They never turned back. They kept coming.”

Then we walked a short distance to the American Cemetery. It is on land a grateful France granted to the United States for use in perpetuity. The Stars and Stripes fly over this cathedral for the dead. We turned our gaze to the grave markers, row upon row upon row, as far as the eye could see. There, I told my son, were 9,387 young men, many of whom were in between the ages of 18 and their early 20’s, “just a few years older than you are now.” I said.

We walked among the markers laid out in serried ranks. I asked my son to read the inscriptions on those markers, the bland finalities of a young warrior’s life – name, rank, outfit, and the day he died – lives ended before they could be lived.

Finally, I stopped and looked full face at my son. “John, I want you to know why I brought you here.” He looked puzzled. I said, “I wanted you to understand that these boys, who never knew you, nonetheless gave you the greatest gift one human can give another. They gave you the gift of freedom. They bought and paid for that gift in blood and bravery. They made it possible for you and millions like you to never have to test your courage to see how you would react when the dagger is at the nation’s belly and death stares you right in the face. You owe them a debt you will never be able to repay.”

My son seemed genuinely moved. We never spoke about this again until one day years later, when he phoned me. “Dad last night I saw the movie Saving Private Ryan. You were right. They never turned back, not a one. They kept coming.” His voice trembled as he spoke.

My own voice cracked a bit with gratitude. My son remembered. May God grant that every boy and girl in this free and loving land never forget the gift of young boys so long ago, a gift to generations of Americans who were yet to be born.

Don’t forget to fly your flag today in honor of all the men and women who serve in the armed forces to protect and defend our freedoms.

No Spanx You

I watched an infomercial the other day that was more entertaining than a magician’s special. The woman pitching the product was better than David Copperfield. She did something that even David can’t do; she made fat disappear.

I watched her pull this brown rag like thing, called Spanx, out of box. It looked more like something an armed robber would wear over his head to disguise his looks, but she guaranteed that wearing it on your torso would make you look two sizes smaller.

I grew up in the days of body armor or what used to be called girdles, so I had to see this happen. I couldn’t believe that something the size of a sock could stretch and cause such a magical transformation.

A couple of chubby women were willing to demonstrate how it worked. These rather round ladies pulled on the magic rag and it was unbelievable. It really worked. Rolls, bulges, and jiggles vanished. Poof! 20 pounds of fat disappeared.

It was a terrific illusion, but the law of physics states you can’t pack 2 pounds into a 1 pound box without overflow, so where did the 20 pounds go? I needed to know.

Surely the “rubber suits” would prevent the models from talking. I imagined their lungs being squeezed and constricted. Instead they raved about how good they felt.

My next thought was bulging knees. I pictured cellulited balloons being shoved south, but that turned out to be wrong too. They were fixed and firm all the way down. I can only describe it as being encased in sausage skins. I hated to think of the disaster that could happen if you broke their casings though.

I had to get some of these power panties. I was hoping they had them available in a neck to ankle version, but I was willing to settle for shaving two sizes off my butt.

Then I did a little more research. You can dance. You can bend. But you can’t go to the bathroom. It presents a challenge. You have to roll them off like a wet suit. I could only think of a beached whale in a public restroom wriggling out of one of those. It gave me second thoughts.

When I read that taking them off was like an explosion , I decided it wasn’t worth the risk. It might be dangerous to your health. Who knows, you might even risk death.

I am not taking a chance and having my death certificate read cause of death: “flab-alanche”.

Dirty Laundry

For a number of years now, I have been trying to figure out what has happened to society. There is chaos and disruption at every turn and it seems people are more rude and unfriendly. I have wondered what has caused such a downfall.

Blame it on the clothes dryer. That hot tumbler is part of the cause. The thought came to me as a revelation while doing laundry and tossing clothes in my dryer today. Here I was doing laundry on a Sunday afternoon. I did some on Saturday morning too. It’s not normal.

It is just not part of the natural order of things. Things are supposed to happen on schedule.

Growing up I never had to look at a calendar. I knew which day of the week it was by watching my mother. Monday was always washday. Tuesday was ironing day. Wednesday was shopping day...... It never varied.

We had routines in our life back then and laundry was an essential part of it; especially drying clothes on the clothes line.

Monday morning I would look out my bedroom window and see Mrs. Gleason hanging Mr. Gleason’s boxer shorts on the clothes line. Mrs. Cortrecht would have her husband’s starched blue jeans hanging by clothes pins on the opposite line by 7:30 AM and my mom would be out there with both of them.

Even in winter when steam would roll off of the wet clothes, you would see the neighborhood women out. Later you would see them retrieving those same frozen clothes. During the whole process they would be talking and sharing a bit of their lives with each other.

If someone failed to show up outside, it was cause for concern. The gossip would start at the clothesline and work its way through the neighborhood.

It didn’t take long if someone was sick or in need for everyone to find out and soon the neighborhood was pitching in to help. If new diapers showed up on someone’s line then visits to see a newborn would follow. As a kid you knew better than to cross the line of trouble if one of the neighborhood moms was out. The line of communication between moms traveled quickly. We didn’t need the internet back then; the clothesline was speedy and just as efficient. It was a community organizer.

Then the clothes dryer happened. Laundry at midnight on a Thursday or on a Tuesday afternoon. Who could have dreamed that the simple convenience of drying clothes indoors would end an era of socializing? Friendly neighboring and concern for those living next to us ended as well.

I still hang clothes outside on occasion, but I am the rare one in my neighborhood. My daughter lives in a home association area where it is banned. It seems kind of sad to me knowing that such an ordinary thing can be a violation of bylaws. In a way it is a reflection of society today – keep everything hidden from view. Unfortunately there is an awful lot of dirty laundry walking around in society anymore that could use a good washing and airing out at an old fashioned clothesline.

Bag Lady

I have an irrational fear. I know it sounds crazy. The thought of scissors coming near me instantly conjures up bad memories and I get scared.

Most people dread a visit to the doctor, but my palms sweat and my heart beats fast when I anticipate a trip to the hair salon. I am afraid of hairstylists.

At every appointment, I describe the cut and style I want. I detail every last aspect of it. I even take photos to look at, but I always leave with someone else’s hairdo.

I have a communication deficit with hairstylists. We don’t speak the same language. Saying the word cut to a stylist is like giving a green light to being mowed by a John Deere tractor.

I have to use the word trim. At my last trim, the stylist asked what I wanted. I told her two inches. That is exactly what I had left - the other 6 were on the floor. They can’t measure either.

I was born with baby hair. It never matured. It is still very fine and very straight. Stylists want to poof it. It can’t be done. They insist that the ‘right’ product will do the trick. No amount of spray, mousse, gel, wax, paste, or glue will work, but they still try. I always end up with helmet hair.

Despite the anxiety, I went yesterday. It didn’t turn out too bad. It could be worse – like the time my hair all fell out from a bad perm. At least I will only have to wear this for a few months.

Back Home In Indiana

Our autumn colors were boring this year. It has been a lackluster season. We have had the second rainiest October on record with grey and overcast skies. With the calendar change the weather finally changed also and the sun made a dramatic November reappearance. We took a five minute drive across the state line and I took a few photos in Indiana. It was gusty and the clouds really added to the effect of the welcome blue overhead.

If you have ever listened to Jim Nabors sing "Back Home in Indiana" at the opening ceremony of the Indianapolis 500 race, this is the river he sings about. Here is the link if you want to hear the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ54AUmYTl0

The Wabash River

Happy Birthday Piper

Seven years ago, I became a mom to a yellow Labrador Retriever puppy. I didn’t realize at the time what I was opening my heart and home to.

It didn’t take long to learn that 6 pounds grows to 100 pounds quickly and that Labs are perpetual puppies. They are rambunctious bundles of energy that can overpower and dominate a household. They have ravenous appetites and food surfing off countertops and tables will occur without adequate supervision. I discovered that water is as essential to a Lab as air and no body of water is off limits, even if it is the water in your bathtub. Life with a Lab can be described in many ways, but boring is not one of them.

Despite the wacky canine misbehavior challenges I have faced with my Marley-like clone, I wouldn’t trade him in a heartbeat. He challenges my sanity one minute and soothes my soul the next. He’s the gentle playmate to my grandchildren and the footstool lying at my feet to protect me at any given moment.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PIPER

BEFORE

AFTER

The Hunter's Moon

(photo from Google images)

We made a short trip west of town today. Just past sunset we started back home as a huge reddish orange full moon became visible across the horizon. It seemed to rise out of the cornfields and hover at ground level motionless. Its low hanging appearance gave the impression like we would drive right into it at some point.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it. It was mesmerizing to watch something that is normally so distant and untouchable appear to be within reach. Shortly after it materialized, it began its ascent upward and changed to its usual blue/white luminescence. The typically dark roadsides and fields were lit up, but spooky looking because of the odd and eerie shadows that resulted from its full effect. No matter how many times I have seen this before, I am still awestruck.

This particular full moon is called the Hunter’s Moon. It is the first full moon after the Harvest Moon (which occurs at the autumnal equinox). It is named the Hunter’s Moon because it provides plenty of moonlight ideal for hunting.

The moon is mysterious and it has an aura about it. If the moon can influence the tides on our planet, surely it affects human behavior as well. Scientists have studied its effect and conclude there is none, but I disagree.

Most nurses and hospital workers will tell you there is always an influx of patients during a full moon phase and more babies are born during that interval. There are more suicides, homicides, traffic accidents, fights, and dog bites that occur too. It is hard to believe those happenings are just coincidence.

Possibly it is a bizarre illusion or maybe the moon truly is mystical and has a lunacy effect that triggers odd occurrences and strange behavior. I am not smart enough to have the answer, but regardless I will continue to be captivated at the sight and magic of a bright full moon filling the sky on a cloudless night.

Blog Search

I just love my real time traffic search widget. I am always amazed at the number of visitors I have to my blog and it’s fun to see the origin locations.

I never would have guessed that the most frequent Google search that brings visitors to my blog is the post I wrote in August about tattoos. On average I get 5-6 hits a day for people searching that post.

Most of the searches are for “old ladies with tattoos”, but I laugh when I read a search for sexy old tattooed lady or old lady with boob tattoos.

Today someone in Memphis was searching “old lady with all over tattoo without clothing” and Santa Ana, California looked for “tattoos for the old”.

England, Brazil, Sweden, Australia, and India are just a few of the countries where searchers have come from. It looks like getting inked is an international craze.

The old lady part is baffling though. Out of curiosity I did my own searches to see what old lady results I could find. Here’s a sample of what I found. Advertiser wants old lady with stretch marks, bow legs, body hair, cellulite, and wrinkles; ugly funny old lady wants cute dog; 45 year old man seeks old, fat, extra large ladies; awesome blue rinse grannies looking for fun.

My tattoo post seems pretty mundane compared to those results. I don’t know how long these tattoo searches will continue, but now I feel challenged to come up with something really weird just to see how many hits will result.

RSVP

The calendar turned another page today and I am already in a panic. I made the announcement this morning to my husband that I am not doing it again. I am through with it. No amount of coaxing will cause me to host Thanksgiving dinner this year.

What is it about the holiday that makes us want to exhaust ourselves days in advance with planning and preparing a family get-together that causes so much chaos?

We spend half the family budget on food purchases for one meal. It takes hours to chop, bake, boil, and cook food that will be consumed in fifteen minutes.

It seems a bit absurd to pray over a giant buttered bird and give thanks while sharing a table with people I haven’t talked to or seen in months and really didn’t miss either.

Then when the food gorging is finished, the men will place their overstuffed guts in front of the TV to watch football. Within the hour, Uncle Buck will be so drunk he will say something to Uncle Jack that starts an argument.

Cousin Judy will sit on her lazy butt trash talking all the absent family members, while the rest of the women work to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

One of the kids will tease the dog and another will plug up the toilet. Which part of this is the joyful celebration?

Change the names and it is still much the same in many families. Amnesia develops after a few months; we forget the unpleasant labor and costs involved, realize it is family and are willing to do it all over again. Sort of sounds like childbirth.

I guess I better go plan a menu.

The Differences

Yes, I've changed my blog look again. They say it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind. I am a testament to that. Plus I am learning to use Photoshop and I couldn't resist trying it with a new blog header.

Change is just one thing that men and women differ on. Here's a few more.

1. NAMES

If Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara go out for lunch, they will call each other Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara.

If Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy.

2. EATING OUT

When the bill arrives, Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.

When women get their bill the calculators come out.

3. MONEY

A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.

A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need if it's on sale.

4. BATHROOMS

A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.

The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 137. A man would not be able to identify most of them.

5. ARGUMENTS

A woman has the last word in any argument.

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

6. CATS

Women love cats.

Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.

7. FUTURE

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

8. SUCCESS

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.

A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

9. MARRIAGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.

10.DRESSING UP

A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.

A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

11. NATURAL

Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.

Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

12. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, jack asses, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"

"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

Is It The Flu?

A friend of my daughter’s called me last week to ask me why he had lost his hearing. Excuse me, but how was I suppose to know.

He suddenly lost his hearing for 30 minutes and he expected me to know the reason why. I may have an RN license, but I am not a magician with a magical diagnostic wand. Without details and clues, I can’t give an answer. Sometimes I feel like a HELP center.

I get calls like that all the time. It happens frequently when you are a medical professional. Lately I have been answering questions about the H1N1 virus. As long as questions are logical, I don’t mind giving answers.

I blame the media for scaring the wits out of people with this flu epidemic. Although it is very serious, people are getting carried away with fear. Wondering if it is safe to eat bacon and if it is possible to give the flu to the dog are a couple of the irrational questions I have been asked.

Even though there is plenty of information available, there continues to be a lot of questions. I thought I would post a few of the most frequent questions I have been asked.

What is the difference between the regular flu and the H1N1 flu?

They are similar in that they are spread the same way – through coughing, sneezing, and close contact and both are highly contagious. They differ in the way the illness progresses. Initially the symptoms begin the same for both, but the H1N1 tends to worsen after 5 days with the onset of severe respiratory symptoms that may progress to pneumonia.

Why are younger people developing more severe cases with life threatening complications?

It is related to immunity. Although this is a new strain of flu and no one is totally immune, this virus has similarities to the swine flu that occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. Older adults having been exposed to those earlier strains appear to be less susceptible to this current one. Those younger than 50 years of age are less immune, especially those 25 and younger. Without any immunity and even with good health this flu presents a greater risk to them.

What are the symptoms?

Early symptoms are identical. Coughing, sneezing, sore throat, fever, body aches, chills, and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting is possible also. If you have the regular flu, the symptoms last a few days. The H1N1 lasts 7 days and longer. The respiratory system is most affected by the H1N1. Any difficult breathing should prompt a call to your doctor immediately. The only way to determine which strain is causing the illness is with a swab test.

What is the best way to prevent getting sick with the flu?

Precautions for transmission are the same for both strains. As simple as it sounds, FREQUENT HANDWASHING with soap and water is the most effective way of preventing infection. The average person touches their face, nose, or eyes 10 times a minute. The virus may linger on doorknobs, tabletops, phones, keyboards, keys, and other objects touched by an infected person for hours. Touching an object contaminated with the virus and then touching your face transmits the flu to you. Hand sanitizers are effective when soap and water is unavailable.

Assume that all surfaces are contaminated. Many people are infected with the virus for 5 days before symptoms develop and are actively spreading the infection during that interval.

The use of masks is controversial. Unless the mask is worn correctly covering and tightly sealing over the mouth and nose, it is worthless. Viruses are minute and smaller than bacteria. Most masks allow viruses to filter through.

Disinfecting household surfaces with diluted chlorine bleach is effective in killing the virus.

Avoiding large crowds and gatherings reduces the risk of becoming infected.

Flu vaccines are effective but it may take the body 2-3 weeks to develop immunity to the flu. During that interval you are susceptible to the illness.

The oral antiviral drug Tamiflu is used to treat flu progression. It can lessen the symptoms and duration of the illness. It is only effective if given during the first 48 hours of initial onset of symptoms. It is NOT given prior to contracting the infection as a preventative to developing the flu. Like all medications, side effects are possible and it must be prescribed by a physician.

What is the difference between the nasal flu mist vaccine and the injected vaccine?

The nasal mist is made with live flu virus. That means that minute weakened amounts of live virus are misted into the nose. Immunity occurs by actually developing a low level case of the illness. A few days after the mist, very minor flu symptoms may occur, but disappear rapidly. It should only be given to those younger than 49 with a healthy immune system.

The injected vaccine is an inactivated killed flu virus. It does not cause the illness or flu symptoms to develop as a result of the injection. In a different manner, the killed vaccine causes the body to develop antibodies against the proteins of the particular killed virus injected, thereby producing immunity. It is recommended for older adults and anyone with chronic disease, a less effective, or weakened immune system that might have a more difficult time fighting off illness.

What Men Really Want

I have finally figured out how to captivate a man. Despite what is written in magazines or broadcast on TV, men do not prefer small and young. Deep within their hearts they are most attracted to big and old.

I watched an episode of the PBS show This Old House about fixing and refurbishing a big 100 year old dilapidated home. The paint on the walls was peeling, the floors had buckled, the plumbing was leaky, and the windows were drafty. In other words the place was a mess.

Men walked through each of the rooms and commented that ‘she’ was beautiful despite her age. They lovingly touched her and said she had great potential.

They gushed with enthusiasm when they talked about her curvy staircase. It was embarrassing listening to them discuss their intentions toward her.

I don’t know if love is the right word for what they were feeling, but it was something pretty close to it and they made no attempt at hiding their secret desire for her.

As I watched, I kept thinking this antique is getting more male attention than most women.

If men only realized how similar to antique houses old women really are, we might get a second look. Many of us old broads are peeling, buckled, leaky, and drafty and we could certainly use some major renovation.

With a little imagination we might be able to get them to refocus their attention in our direction. I thought I would give it a try and mentioned the words masking and stripping to my husband. His eyes lit up and I just knew he had gotten the gist of my trashy message.

Instead he was at my side with tape and a sander in an instant.

At least it was worth a try. If nothing else I might get a new bathroom.