Freezing Feet in Florida

I went to see ICE! yesterday in Florida. Two million pounds of uniquely sculpted ice are displayed at nine degrees Fahrenheit. The Gaylord Palms Hotel creates this huge icy playground for families and kids like me. I couldn’t feel my toes or my nose after walking through this amazing attraction. I wore the long blue parka they provided and my own scarf and gloves, but should have brought a face mask and worn 2 pairs of socks. It was really cool. A marvelous winter wonderland. You have to feel it to believe it.

This photo is me waving from the ice candy house.

Rom-coms and Your Love Life

I’m a romantic--I admit it so this study's claim surprised me: “rom-coms spoil your love life”. What’s a “rom-com”? Oh, short for romantic comedy. Anyway, the study states that watching romantic movies can give you false expectations in your relationship. For example, you might believe your loved one knows you so well that you don’t need to communicate. “Maid in Manhattan”, “You’ve Got Mail”, “Runaway Bride” and “Serendipity” were mentioned as part of the study. I thought romantic comedies help us to appreciate our significant other more, even give us some good ideas. Some of my favorites that have probably helped my love life are “How to Lose A Guy In Ten Days”, “Love Actually”, “PS I Love You” and “Must Love Dogs”. So, I wonder if the same claim can be true for romance novels? That’s another study.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I’ve discovered a new "old-fashioned" way to bond with my 15-year-old son. We’ve been watching Christmas shows and movies on TV each night. I sacrificed watching my father’s favorite “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” to watch “Santa Clause II”, but spending time laughing together was priceless. Our family (all three of us) ended up watching “Elf” on TV even though halfway through we realized we have it on DVD. I think we enjoyed talking through the commercials. Other good Christmas movies we’ve spent time together seeing: “The Santa Clause”, “The Ultimate Christmas Present”, and “Christmas Vacation”. I wonder what we’ll see tonight. It’s his choice.

Why? Why? Why?

I’ve come to realize I may never understand “why”. But I keep asking “why?” The reason to know why would be change the outcome and that can't be changed. So I need to stop asking why. It’s just hard to accept that there is no more Mark, only memories. I grieve for myself and for his family losing him, but because I feel sad that he had to feel such hopelessness and despair. A friend of mine sent me a book that I devoured, Finding Your Way after the Suicide of Someone You Love by David B. Biebel and Suzanne L. Foster. I recommend it to any survivors of suicide.

Ode to Mark

Guitars. Kid Rock. Collective Soul. Grimaldi’s chocolate covered potato chips. Adirondack chairs. Outback. These were a few of Mark’s favorite things. Now that he’s gone, they bring tears to my eyes. He was a good brother and friend to me. Mark was talented. He could turn wood and nails into anything. He once built a spiral staircase and told me he never had to use math so much as he did then. He could play guitar by ear and it sounded like he was reading music. He loved music, especially rock. He was generous. He practically gave away his last work van. He was funny. He could do impressions of friends and famous people. He could tell a story and make anyone laugh. He was a good father. He took his boys to the movies, the flea market or to the park while his wife studied. Mark was a quiet, sensitive man with a big heart. I will miss our hour-long phone calls. Rest in peace brother.

What A Story!

What a story! Sex, murder and secrets dominate the plot over seven days. "Lovers & Players" by Jackie Collins starts with a meeting being called by controlling billionaire Red Diamond, whose manipulative behavior has determined the fate of his sons’ lives as well as any others who cross his path. His character is easy to hate while his sons' crazy lives are sometimes easy to identify with. The story intertwines the lives of an aspiring singer and an heiress. I couldn’t put this book down even though the ending was somewhat predictable. I can imagine three sequels based upon the lives of those touched by Red.

Vote from the Heart

I'm so glad I voted via absentee ballot. No matter how you vote, I hope you vote with your conscience. Check out this video that doesn't tell you "who" to vote for, but gives you some guidance.

A Visit from Osteopilus Septentrionalis

I awoke to the sound of tapping on my window screen the other night. At first, I thought our nocturnal cat was leaning against my window. I turned on the lamp and looked out the window. The shock of a huge frog jumping up and down inside the screen made me scream. My husband woke up and I told him he had to get this frog out of here or it would end up in bed with us. It jumped from the window sill to the floor and kept jumping about a foot and a half high alongside the wall. So, he got a rag, caught the frog and put him outside. Then, I realized it was one of those Cuban tree frogs and he should have killed it. They’re not indigenous to our area and have been known to wipe out other frogs, lizards and insects. They’re a threat to Florida’s natural ecosystem. I remember someone saying there is a “humane” way to euthanize this frog. University of Florida’s web site says to spread sunburn ointment or benzocaine on the frog, put it in a plastic bag, freeze it, and then, dispose of it. Well, I guess we have some frog hunting to do.

That's Incredible!

Did you know today is World Egg Day? Funny, because I had scrambled eggs topped with cheddar cheese today after eating boring cereal for seven days. Not only were they tasty, but they stayed with me until lunchtime. I was wondering about the fat and carb grams so I read the carton label. One egg contains only 70 calories, 15 grams of saturated fat, 6 grams of protein, and 1 carb gram. Not bad. I usually cook them in a frying pan sprayed with Pam Olive Oil to save on more fat. Some other interesting facts about eggs:
• Contain 13 vitamins and nutrients (in case you forgot your vitamins)
• “Incredible, edible egg™” slogan has been around 30 years (now I feel old)
• Europe has domesticated hens since 600 B.C. (that's a long time)
• Most eggs are laid between 7:00 and 11:00 AM (why do the male roosters crow so early then?)
For more incredible egg info, go to: www.aeb.org.

A Mother's Love and Principles

I just finished reading an amazing love story: Trudy's Promise by Marcia Preston. This tender story begins with strong-willed and principled Rolf defecting from East Berlin and leaving behind his wife and child in hopes that they’ll join him later. His wife, Trudy’s determination to move her family to West Berlin drives the rest of the story with emotional insights. As the reader, I found her fearless determination courageous and admirable, yet scary at the same time. Author Marcia Preston does a good job helping the reader to identify with Trudy and her actions. When she describes Trudy’s trek through the tunnel to West Berlin, I could well imagine the humility of having someone tuck my skirt into my underwear to keep it out of the way. I could almost feel the sting of scraped knees from crawling through the dirty, rocky passage. She continues with pictorial descriptions of Trudy’s shabby clothes and meager living arrangements on the west side. Not only are her descriptions vivid, but she brings to life the real history of communist Germany in the early ‘60s. The real focus of the story shows how strong a mother’s love is and how far she’ll go to be reunited with her son without compromising her principles. This was a wonderful story that I will not forget.

Three X-Rays

My son, Hunter, has had three x-rays in the last week! He fractured his right thumb playing football in PE and had to have an x-ray. Then two days later, he had a follow-up x-ray to check how his thumb was healing. On Saturday evening, he stepped on a toothpick at his friend's house. Dad decided to play surgeon and dug out two small slivers. He kept digging and Hunter was in tears. Heck, I was in tears. I had enough and decided to take him to the hospital where he could at least have the area numbed (and be seen by professionals). It turned out that getting the pain shot is just as painful as what it is supposed to prevent. And it took two shots to work. After putting a one-inch slit in Hunter's heel, the doctor dug around (just like Dad) and couldn’t find any more slivers. So another x-ray was ordered which revealed nothing was there. Maybe the x-ray should have been taken first. Thank heaven for health insurance.

Need A Recipe, Call Your Sister

My mother loves to come visit me and bake goodies. This time, she brought over a bag of apples and some butter to make apple crisp. Problem was my recipe called for brown sugar and oatmeal which I did not have. I was determined NOT to go to the grocery store six miles away. I told her I could look for another one online, but she said, “Call your sister. I don’t think we used brown sugar when I made it out there.” (“Out there” would be New Orleans or Corpus Christi or wherever Carol was living at the time). I called Carol and told her we needed “The Apple Crisp recipe” and she replied, “Oh good, I need a recipe for a roast.” Carol looked up a recipe in a “Cookbook for Boys and Girls” that she admitted to using a lot. I asked Mom for the roast recipe and relayed it to Carol—dried onion soup mix and water or mushroom soup. Cook a half hour for every pound at 350 degrees. Easy. And here’s the easy apple crisp recipe which turned out to be pretty tasty:
8 c. apples, peeled and sliced
½ c. water
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 cups flour
2/3 c. butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Layer sliced apples into an ungreased 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. Pour water in. Mix cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle in. Mash the butter into the flour to make crumbly. Cover the apples with the flour topping. Bake for 40 minutes.

Rain, Wind, and Floods, Oh My!

Tropical Storm Fay dumped over 20 inches of rain at my house and we were stuck inside for two days. The roads near our house were crowned with four to six inches of water. We could get out by our Toyota Tundra, but my Honda Accord would have floated away. The wind gusts were about 50 mph and blew some tree branches down. We were fortunate that we only lost power for a half hour. I took pictures of the yard and the neighborhood. The horses across the street were wading in knee-high water while ducks discovered a new pond.

Now, we’re eyeing Gustav and Hanna. Hurricane Gustav, now a Tropical Storm, is expected to turn into a category 2 or 3 hurricane. He’s heading straight for Louisiana which is where my sister lives. So, if I pray that he goes somewhere else, then other families are affected. I can only pray that he get disorganized or downgraded or for some kind of miracle.
I’m also watching Tropical Storm Hanna who is lurking in the Atlantic and expected to go towards the Bahamas. One of the computer models have her making a loop like Jeanne did in 2004. At this point, it’s too early to tell where she’ll head.
I just know, living in Florida, being prepared for a hurricane is a fact of life.

If We’re Not a 10, Let Us Know

That's the sign I saw at the front desk when I checked in. I don’t think I needed to tell them that they were not a “10” after this experience: I booked a room at a La Quinta because it was across the street from the Ford Amplitheatre where a friend and I were going to a Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift concert. The concept of not having to park in a large lot and then wait in line to leave was a major convenience. We checked in at 3:30 pm and got a what we thought would be a great room at the end of the hallway--not near the elevator. But when we stepped into the room, it was dirty… trash left around and beds not made. So, we took the elevator back downstairs to get a new room. This time, we were given a room on the third floor. Upon opening the door, we were knocked over by the stench of a “smoking room”. We went back downstairs and explained that we are allergic to smoke and had reserved a non-smoking room. So, the front desk clerk, while non-chalent about the whole situation, gave us another room, number 220. Upon trying both of our card keys, the door did not open. So, we went back down the elevator to get them fixed. The front desk clerk told us he would call the maintenance man and he would meet us back at the room. Finally, at 4 pm, we were checked into a clean, non-smoking room, but right next to the elevator.

Getting Lost

I found myself looking down at wet, grey-painted sidewalks wondering where room E-100 was. I felt like I was stuck in a maze and couldn’t get out until I found the next room on the list. Then, I woke up from this nightmare of subconscious imagery from earlier in the day. My son and I had walked the route of his new high school classrooms to make sure he knew where they were and could get to them in the allotted seven minutes between classes. He’s going to a spread-out campus of different sized buildings. At least, he has a better sense of direction than I do. Here’s where a GPS could come in handy. We also spent some time trying to open the combination lock on his assigned locker. It’s ironic because as a student, I usually had trouble getting my locker open. I told him just ask someone for help if you can’t get it open. That’s what I did. Same goes for if you get lost.

The Bleaching Mystery

My son has been blaming our laundry maid for getting bleach spots on his favorite skateboard T-shirts. The laundry maid a.k.a. Dad claims he hasn’t been using beach lately. I started to wonder if our year-old front-loading washing machine was to blame. So, I dug out the 50-page instruction manual from our filing cabinet. Fortunately, two-thirds of it is in foreign languages. I found the troubleshooting questions that included “stains on fabrics”. Some reasons are not using HD detergent; using too much bleach or detergent; and iron in the water. None of those seem to be the problem although we considered getting an iron filter for our hard water.
Then, I was talking to my hair stylist about passing on clothes. My son’s T-shirts are not good enough because they are stained with white marks. She said, “Does your son use benzoyl peroxide on his skin?” I replied, “Yeeessss, he uses Oxy-10 for acne. Why?” She explained that she had the same experience with her sheets and towels when she was using it. You would think the product would have some kind of warning on the label, but it doesn’t. I looked up “Oxy-10 acne” online and found the phrase “may bleach hair or fabrics” and “avoid allowing this medication to come into contact with your hair or clothing.” This is a great web page that tells how to avoid bleaching: http://www.acne.org/faq.html#prevent-bleach. If only my son will follow the recommendations.
The mystery has been solved and the laundry maid has been forgiven.

A Deluxe Gift

My husband gave me a gift certificate for a “Deluxe Pedicure” at a salon I regularly patronize for pedicures. Saturday morning, I went into the salon and signed in for a pedicure. I was told to sit in one of the massage chairs and dipped my feet into the hot spa. When I told the technician that I had a gift certificate for a “deluxe pedicure”, she asked to see it. I told her I didn’t even know what it was. She took it to the shop manager, came back to me, and said, “How about if I don’t tell you what it is and you just enjoy it?” I said, “Okay” since I knew what to expect from a regular pedicure. Then, she asked “Would you like a glass of wine?” I replied “Is that part of the deluxe?” She said, “No, we just started doing that.” I said, “No thank you. It’s a little early for wine.” She didn’t offer me any coffee, tea or water and I didn’t ask.
The technician proceeded to trim, file, and buff my toe nails. I pressed the arm chair buttons to start the rolling and compressing massage on my lower back and to receive the full benefit of this experience. Meanwhile, she exfoliated, masked, moisturized, and massaged my legs and feet. Never before did I have teal and purple gels smeared upon my legs, one of which was an exfoliator made with eucalyptus and the other a mask. Then, she dipped my feet into hot lavender wax four times to form a hard shell and wrapped them in plastic. Wow. When all of that was done, my legs felt like running away because they were so energized by all this attention.
When she asked me what nail color I wanted, I said, “Red for the fourth of July.” She showed me four different shades of red to choose from. I picked the lightest one called “Real Red.” She painted it so perfectly on my cuticle-less toenails. She asked me if I wanted a decoration painted on them. Thinking this might be part of the deluxe package, I said sure. (It wasn’t.) She painted on white, blue and silver glitter fireworks on both big toes. Very pretty. I felt like a pampered queen. I doubt that I will ever spend the extra money for the deluxe package or the decoration, but it was a very special gift that I’ll long remember.

Fires

The fires were really bad here on Monday and I couldn't get home from work. Only one road was open going south, but it was a parking lot from all the traffic fed from I-95. I took another road east and thought I could take my country road south, but could only get so far. The sheriff deputies were stopping people and not letting them through because of the dangerous, smoky conditions. I stopped to visit a friend in the neighborhood and sat with him on his porch. We could hear the helicopters bringing water to the fires; could see and smell the smoke and see the ashes coming into his porch. Later, my husband came to get me on his 4-wheeler and told me to follow him home. Once I was home, I was nervous about the fires coming into our yard. My anxiety reminded me of the hurricanes. We had the water sprinklers going to protect our yard from burning embers. At 8:00 pm, our power went off until about midnight.
Two homes were burned to the ground just 1-1/2 miles north of us. I drove by them and many burned woody areas on the way to work. The charred woods are an unimaginable devastation to the wildlife and rural living in this neighborhood. We're so blessed that we did not have any fires close by.
I saw fire trucks driving down our roads from cities as far south as Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach and as far north as Jacksonville. The radio DJs were asking for donations for the fireman. They needed quick snacks, drinks and--can you believe they needed new socks and underwear? I guess you can't get that sooty smoke out of them so I donated some.
As of today, the fires are 70% contained and there's only a 20% chance of rain this weekend. So, pray for the protection of the firemen and for rain.

Fear of Flying

You never know who you're going to be sitting next to on an airplane flight. While waiting at the gate, I see boisterous children, overweight people, sickly people, etc. On a recent trip, a lady sat next to me coughing during the flight. She apologized and said she'd been to the doctor and it was only allergies. Okay. Then, on the return flight, the young woman next to me was freaking out while the plane was taking off. She was grasping the armrests, tightening her legs and mumbling under her breath all while wearing sunglasses. I noticed she had bad teeth and thought she might be under the influence of crystal meth. I started wondering what she was going to do next--vomit, jump out of her seat or what? So, I touched her arm and asked if she was okay. She said she hated flying, especially the take-off. So, I tried to reassure her that it would be fine and we'd be in the air shortly. Once we were in flight, she was okay and ordered a vodka and OJ. I was wondering if that was going to be okay in her case. Then, when we got ready to land, she reacted the same way. I opened the shade and tried to talk to her to keep her mind off the situation. She told me she was going to see her brother graduate from Emery-Riddle and he was going to be a pilot. He wanted to take her up in a small plane, but she refuses. She needs a lot more practice. Once we landed, she said she wanted to kiss the ground and thanked me for helping her through it. I can't imagine being afraid to fly. It's an amazing technology.

I Love To Read!

Lately, I’d rather read my book than watch what’s on TV. I’m usually a sucker for the competitive reality shows until now. At first, I was hooked on Survivor, but it became too cut-throat and often, predictable. Then there was The Amazing Race, but the network kept moving the time around and I’m ready for bed at 9 PM. I’m most loyal to American Idol, but rarely watch the vote-off show because it’s a waste of time with a dragged out recap of the night before in between long commercial breaks. My husband watches Judge Judy, another predictable reality show. I just don’t want to hear a screaming witch for entertainment, even if she’s usually right about the losers in her courtroom. He also loves to watch science fiction and old (before 1970) movies, which I loathe. So, when he has those on our big-screen TV in the living room, I disappear into our bedroom with the 30-inch plasma TV and read a book.
I just finished Lifeguard by James Patterson. It was really good. I love his short chapters, because I keep saying, oh, just one more chapter, and before I know it, I’ve read through 60 pages. I plan to pass this book onto my mother who gives me hers when she’s done reading them. Before that I read Atonement, because I wanted to read it before seeing the movie (if I ever do). I know the movie will not be as good as the book, but it’s interesting to know the characters and the story first.
Next, I am looking forward to reading a friend’s historical romance manuscript even though I have a stack of books in the basket next to my nightstand. So many books and so little time.

Stupid Gas Station Customers

I was resetting my trip odometer after filling up my Honda Accord (for a whopping $44) and noticed a woman step between the gas pumps in front of my car and walk across the lot into the Cumbee Store. I was shocked to see that she was carrying a lit cigarette like it was nothing. The vehicle in front of me had an attached lawn maintenance trailer with several five-gallon gas containers. If an ash or her cigarette had dropped, we may all have been up in flames. There are “no smoking” signs at the station. I guess people don’t think. That’s how accidents happen.
After doing some online research, I found that there’s another culprit to blame for fires at the gas station. Static electricity. It’s on the rise, especially during cooler weather. The Petroleum Equipment Institute has even started a campaign called “Stop the Static.”. The rules for safe refueling are:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Extinguish any cigarette.
3. Don't get in and out of the car during the refueling.
There’s a video that will surely convince you of the danger by showing how a spark from a girl’s sweater started a fire at the gas pump.

Be safe out there.

Companionship

Our family just spent a few days at Destin Beach for Easter break. My son and his friend entertained themselves for about an hour by digging a huge hole in the sand. Then, my seven-year-old nephew, Cooper, continued digging the same hole wider and deeper for hours more with some help. He had two plastic shovels so another boy came along to help. The boys were the same size and played together well on the beach—digging and throwing sand. At one point, Cooper showed the boy how to he could jump across the hole. He gestured to the boy to stand nearby and hold a shovel horizontally while he made a running start to traverse the gap. Then, Cooper held the shovel while the boy jumped across. I don’t know what holding the shovel had to do with the jump, but it was part of standing by. Each time, Cooper got a running start farther back to cross the hole and the boy copied him. My nephew was the leader and the other boy easily followed. The amazing thing is my nephew is deaf, but the other boy understood him. He never yelled at him or questioned why he didn't talk. I think that companionship needs no language. Sometimes, just being together in silence is all that we need.

Paper or Plastic?

What’s this about banning plastic bags? States like Maryland, Oregon and cities like Seattle and San Francisco are all about going green and introducing bills to outlaw non-biodegradable plastic bags. Makes sense. Remember when you used to think you were helping the environment by using plastic instead of paper? Those little plastic bags don’t hold many groceries either. So, I bought a few of the canvas bags. They’re convenient until you get meat juice on them, then you have to launder them. We still use the plastic grocery bags and recycle them into our wastebaskets. They’re great for hauling things to other people’s homes when you don’t expect to get them back. They’re handy for putting wet bathing suits in until you get home to dry them. Recently, I’ve found those bags to be defective with holes in the bottom seams—not good for depositing dirt or wet stuff.
Imagine a world where everyone has their own reusable bags and doesn’t mind losing one or two to someone else.

82 Confirmandi

My son made his confirmation on Wednesday evening along with 81 others. We were prepared for the mass to last well into the evening since Bishop Wenski is known for lengthy homilies. The students were given the next school day off as a result. But, he only spoke for about 25 minutes and brought up a couple thought-provoking ideas. For example, if you were given the choice of playing golf, going fishing or going to church, church would rank pretty low on the list. But Sunday is a day of rest and a day to honor the Lord. He asked us to hold our breaths for ten seconds twice. We did and some turned red and blew out. Then, he compared our need for oxygen as important a need to live as to have Christ in our lives. The Bishop is often asked, “Am I going to feel good after confirmation?” or “Is the Eucharist going to make me feel good?” He explained that Walgreen’s drugstore has aisles of stuff that promises to make you feel good. He said, “No, you’re not going to feel good.” It’s what you’re going to do afterward that makes a difference. So, I think we hope to make a difference on this earth in some way.

Priceless!

If you have a 14-year-old, figure on some unplanned weekly expenses. So far this year, it seems like every weekend has brought a new expense. Our son is playing junior little league baseball, therefore none of last year’s baseball clothing and equipment fits. So, a trip to Sports Authority using a $25-coupon towards pants, slider underwear, cleats, and a glove cost us approximately $200. But when he catches that grounder at second base—it will be priceless!
This past week, he informed me he needed a second pair or change of shoes for his field trip to Washington, DC. He was going to buy some canvas slip-ons and pay $30 of his own money for them. I took him to the mall and he decided to get some lace-up brand-name skateboard shoes at twice the price. They are sharp shoes and should last longer than canvas slip-ons. His decision—priceless!
While at the mall, I decided it was a good time to buy him some dress pants, a white shirt and tie to be worn at confirmation and graduation this spring. I picked out some black pin-striped slacks and a crisp white shirt on sale. We couldn’t agree on a tie so that will have to be purchased later. He tried on three sizes of slacks before he found one that fit and modeled them for me outside the dressing room. What a handsome young man and his dressed-up look—priceless!
Today, he wanted to go to the beach. He said he couldn’t go because none of his four swimsuits from last year fit. They are all size 28-inch waist and now he has a 30-inch waist. We’ll have to buy a new pair for our spring break vacation next month. If we can go one month without buying something for him, that would be priceless!

Geocaching

I have a hobby that I don’t get to do much. Some people think of it as a scavenger hunt. Some people think of it as hide-and-go-seek. It’s called geocaching. The idea is someone hides a container of stuff out in the woods and posts the GPS coordinates on the Internet for others to find. GPS is the global positioning satellite technology used with longitude and latitude coordinates. A hand-held GPS appliance determines the coordinates usually within seven feet of accuracy. With a little help from Mapquest, the finder gets within parking distance of the coordinates. Then, once their GPS gets within a mile or a few feet, they will need to use their eyes and imagination to find the hidden container. Sometimes hints are provided in the description online.
On Sunday afternoon, my husband and I went geocaching in the woods about three miles from where we live. We hiked through palmettos and pine trees, found trails and bridges, and found clues to two geocaches. He said, “This is a lot like hunting.” His keen eyesight helped spot the first clue of the cache named “Froggy Girl”, but I deciphered the clue and spotted the camouflaged container. Teamwork was the name of the game since it took both of us to get this cache. We signed the log to prove we’d been there.
While walking back to our vehicle, I noticed another cache called “Sunday Stroll” was on my GPS and within a half mile of where we were. We decided to test our teamwork once again. My husband showed me where previously he had hiked throughout these woods and knew where streams and ponds used to be, but were dried up. We followed a trail with the GPS as our guide and found a clearing of dirt under an umbrella of trees. My GPS said 12 feet away, but the tree branches were blocking a good signal. I knew it had to be in that clearing. My husband lifted some dry palm fronds and found it. We looked in the box and signed our name. We had found another one!
We enjoyed hiking in the woods and each other’s company. I wish we had more time for this hobby.

Mate for Life

He looked helplessly at his mate’s fallen body on the side of the road, then glanced quickly at the passing cars. He seemed to be asking for help, but no one would stop. No movement was made by the feathery grey body. Sadness and tears came over me when I saw this. I knew it was a hit and run. Nothing could be done to save the sandhill crane. They mate for life. At this point, that crane didn’t know what to do. His life mate was dead and he couldn’t go on. Maybe he was in denial and was waiting for her to get up. Maybe he just didn’t know what to do without her by his side. I wonder if he didn’t step in front of a car soon after that. I can’t stop thinking about them.

A Little Inconvenience

I received that dreaded white envelope in the mail about a month ago. Printed on the outside was “Jury Summons”. My time was up. It had been about four years since I last served on a jury. I was interested in doing my part and seeing our justice system in action. I arrived at the courthouse a half-hour ahead of schedule and went through the airport-type security check. I checked in to the juror’s waiting room and waited. About an hour later, a clerk told us what was going to happen. She told us to make new friends because we were going to be there for awhile.
Groups of people were called by their juror numbers and assigned to specific judges and later brought to their respective courtrooms when the judge was ready. I was in the last group that was called mid-morning. I brought a book to read, but lost interest. A lady struck up a conversation with me and another woman and that passed the time quickly. Then, we were dismissed for lunch and told to return at 1:15 pm.
I expected to be escorted to the courtroom once we returned, but it didn’t happen. We sat, read, talked, and watched an old Steve Martin movie. No word on what was going on. I never sat around for such a long period of time without doing anything constructive. I felt like I was being held hostage, but the only bad conditions were a hard chair and an overly air-conditioned room.
Two hours later, a burly policeman entered the waiting room announcing “All rise”. A petite lady judge followed him and spoke to us. The Judge said she wanted to let us know what was going on. She asked how many of us felt like we had better things to do; that there had to be a better way to do this; and felt a little inconvenienced. Most of us raised our hands. She explained how our constitution mentions the right to a trial three times and how important that is. Judge said that we (the jurors) had to be available should the cases want to go to trial. Fortunately (for us), the parties involved made plea bargains and chose not to go to trial in front of a jury. Then, she said how great our country is with its justice system.
Then, Judge said think about our soldiers who are defending our freedom and our country. They’re missing birthdays and anniversaries and time with their families. Now, that’s an inconvenience.

10 Things I Learned From TLC's "What Not To Wear"

1. Your shoes do not have to match your pants or handbag.
2. If you want to look professional or dressier, wear a jacket.
3. Do not wear something just because it’s comfortable.
4. If you wore it in high school, it’s time to get rid of it.
5. No mini skirts after age 35.
6. Have a suit that you can mix and match with other tops and bottoms.
7. Black, brown, tan, navy and grey are neutrals so any color goes with them.
8. Flip flops are not considered shoes.
9. T-shirts with sayings on them are not for public wear.
10. Accessorize to dress up.

If you need more help, watch "What Not To Wear" on Friday nights at 8:00 PM ET.

Seven Gifts and Love

I attended the second Confirmation Catechism for my son on a Monday evening. Feeling tired and cold, I didn’t really want to be there, but got pulled into Father Bob’s compelling liturgy. He asked the students for examples of the seven gifts of confirmation (wisdom, knowledge, understanding, reverence, counsel, courage, and wonder and awe). Then, he put my son on the spot and asked him for an example of wonder and awe. “Haven’t you ever seen anything beautiful? Gimme an example of something beautiful.” My son couldn’t think of one. I think he wasn’t paying attention or felt shy. I immediately thought of a rainbow and a sunset. The woman behind me said “the Grand Canyon”. Yes, we could think of a lot of everyday things. Then, Father Bob, said, “Look in the mirror. What about your face, a child of God? That beautiful face of someone who cares and loves life.” What a wonderful thing to say.

Then, Father Bob told the students he would be interviewing them about confirmation: asking what it is, what it means to them, and how they can share their time and talents. He gave them one good tip. He said, when I ask you about confirmation or what it means, “You could say love… that’s a good answer for any question, almost.”

I Was Manipulated...

My shoulder was, actually. Yesterday, I went to the outpatient hospital to have arthroscopic surgery performed on my right shoulder which had an impingement. I fasted for 14 hours and fully expected to come out of anesthesia with a one-inch incision on my right shoulder. Instead, my frozen shoulder was manipulated. The doctor tries this first and if it works, skips the invasive surgery. That’s good. While I was under anesthesia, my shoulder was put through a series of motions to break up any adhesions like scar tissue. When a “pop” sound was heard, it was considered successful. Upon waking, my shoulder felt sorer than before, but I have more mobility. With physical therapy my shoulder should get back to normal in a few months. I plan to continue my acupuncture treatments which help improve pain and mobility.

Unusual Banana Bread

I smelled those ripe bananas every time I walked by the kitchen. So, I decided to bake my favorite recipe for banana bread. The first time I had it was almost 30 years ago when Lou Jones, the reservationist at Holiday Inn-East in Kissimmee, brought it in and shared the recipe. The funny thing is I have marked two of the "unusual" ingredients as "optional". Here's the recipe:
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed bananas (I used 3 bananas)
1/4 cup nuts (optional)
1/2 cup marashino cherries (optional)
1/2 cup (or more) chocolate chips (this is what makes it delicious and still unusual)
Cream shortening and sugar.
Add eggs and cream well.
Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Bake at 350 degrees C for 1 hour or longer.
Makes one delicious banana bread.

Keep America Beautiful

Soda cans, plastic bottles, paper cups, cigarette packs and butts litter the right of way. I am shocked and disgusted by the items people throw out along the roadside. I went for a 45-minute walk in my country neighborhood and could have filled three large trash bags with the stuff strewn on the side of the road. My husband says I’ve adopted the main intersection to our neighborhood because I keep a small plastic bag in my car and occasionally stop to pick up cups and bottles. I figure someone’s got to do it. And that’s one of the reasons that people litter. They figure someone will clean it up. The other reasons are they have no sense of ownership or there’s already accumulated litter. I just wasn’t raised that way. Remember the “Keep America Beautiful” education campaigns in school? It’s our responsibility to preserve and protect our environment. I want to see green grass and blue skies when I travel, not trash. The next time you’re tempted to throw something out the window of your car, please wait until you see the next trash receptacle. Who keeps America beautiful? We all do.