Pool and other stuff

 Sally and I organize the Sunday Mixed Doubles event every other Sunday, alternating with Bev who has done it for years. It is quite easy to get overloaded with activities and Bev appreciates getting help with it. Even events that are greatly enjoyed can get to be too much of a good thing. Trophy Gardens has a plethora of activities to choose from and some very talented people to teach nearly anything you can think of to do.

Sunday Mixed Doubles 2/19/2023

The top winners of the day were:

Barb Utech and Jeff Golly with 10 wins out of 10 games.

Bev McEnaney and Butch Brooker with 8 wins out of 10 games.

Teri Thibodeau and Paul Kelleher with 7 wins out of 10 games.

Barb Brooker and Darrel Millard with 6 wins out of 10 games.

We commend the 7 teams who assisted the winners in having the success they did.

Donna Hanke and Kinley Poulson

Diane Golly and Don Riley

Sally Kelleher and Elmer Hanke

Betsie Brown and Don Wulf

Claudette Hogenson and Marcel Tessier

Janet Brown and Jerry Thibodeau

Lola Wulf and Bob Nance

Playing in this social event is a great way to widen your circle of friends and meet new people. The new sign-up sheet is up on the east wall of the pool hall. So think about sharpening up those pool-playing skills and joining in the fun on Sunday afternoons.

See you in the pool hall!!

Barb Brooker

The "Other Stuff" will have to wait till later as I have cleaning and laundry on my agenda as well.😇

Directional

 Most of the time I am aware of my directions wherever I might be. It always jogs me a little when I start giving directions to someone and they give me that blank look. So I guess me and Aunty Acid would have issues! 😊

This is Friday?

 It feels like Saturday. It is easy to lose track of the days because they are going by at lightning speed!

Butch has pool today with our neighbor park, Winter Ranch, and Butch says it will be an amiable day. Sometimes his skills are tested and other times he can play nice. And he will tell me he always plays nice.😊

I think I forgot to mention that I had a biopsy done at the dermatology place a few weeks ago and it came back positive so on the 9th of this month I had the little booger removed and when I get the stitches out (March 2nd) I will be good as new!

Our neighbors across the street are hosting a neighborhood party tomorrow. Good thing I just now remembered that. I better be getting my offering prepared. Since it is so close to home perhaps I can get some pictures taken. That is one hobby I have been short-changing lately and I do need to get back to it.

SOooo bye for now...later!

My Goodness!

 I have been so busy living my life, I have totally forgotten to write about it! So what are you actually doing with your time, you might ask? You could be bored by it but I think I will actually try to tell you how the ordinary parts of my day usually go. 

I wake up at 6:00 a.m. and sometimes I wish I could roll over and go back to sleep! However, Renie and I have an agreement that we walk a couple of miles every morning starting at 7:00. We also agree that the days that we walk seem to go much easier than the days we don't walk. We do have a few rules; no walking if the temperature is less than 50 degrees and no walking in the rain. We have a route walking in the "North 40" then going to Winter Ranch, our sister park, then returning to the southern or front portion of Trophy Gardens. We return home at about 8:00.

Before I head out, I get the coffee going, get on my computer, and glance at a few things that are part of my daily computer things. It does wait till I get back before I get down and serious about, reading emails, working the puzzles, putting together trivia questions, researching things that come up in casual conversation, making appointments etc.

I play pool on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday Butch plays pool so I do things like cleaning, laundry, cooking, and menu planning. Thursday and Saturday are our only "free" days for massage, dermatologist, doctor, appointment and other odds and ends. Butch plays pool again on Fridays and at other times he can work it in. 

Everyday "Happy Hour" is scheduled at our next-door neighbors Sandi and Bill Danielson from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. We hate to miss it! We meet so many new people in the park. There is a rotation of people and the conversation is often lively and informative. It is not a gossip session. I wouldn't be there if it were. We seem to get onto a subject and it just takes off. The other day we started talking about the oddball stuff we have done in our lives. For example, Carol shared with us that she was a farmer and once had to do an emergency caesarian section on a cow. When the vet got there he stitched her up...the cow that is!

I forgot! Trivia is every Tuesday night in the main hall at 6:30 PM. We have 3 to 5 teams. More than one person has told me how much they enjoy it and vow to never miss it. I still enjoy it very much.

I try to work in some hobby stuff but it does get crowded on my todo list. January and February here can actually get hectic. I work very hard at not getting into that trap. March is when people start heading North and things start slowing down.

I am sure I left things out. The devil is in the details they say...usually in a different context but Hey!

Thermostat Wars

 He has thyroid issues so I tell him his thermostat is broken. It seems it doesn't matter where we are; Iowa home, Texas home, or in the car one of us isn't comfortable. I exaggerate. It really isn't that bad. It just seems that way sometimes. 

We knew a couple a few years ago, Bonnie and Fred, who had extreme thermostat issues. I think Fred set it on his age. He was in his 90's. He was never warm enough. They were a late-in-life couple and Bonnie was from a way-up-north state. The situation got to the point that Fred would not go with her in the Spring because he had a hard enough time staying warm in South Texas and way-up-north was out of the question. They are both gone now so their thermostat war is over. I trust they are both comfortable.

Many, many years ago I helped my nearly blind grandmother walk home from church. I know it was during lent because there would be no other reason for walking home after dark with her. I must have been 8 or 9 years old. I wore a light and airy dress that was new and I had not worn a sweater or a jacket. We stopped in the "Little Store" so I could warm up. It was in the days of Neighborhood Grocery Stores. A young boy of 10 or 11 happened to be in there. His name was Butch Brooker but I didn't know that then. When we stepped in Grandma Brock said, "If you would wear some clothes you wouldn't be cold!" Butch has never forgotten that.

So here is hoping your thermostat wars are amicable.

Ageless

Activity Overload

 It boils down to decisions that I understand get more difficult with age. Butch and I were quick deciders all our lives with mostly good results. We can still make quick ones today, they just take longer. (That's a joke.)

The number of activities taking place in Trophy Gardens this month could boggle the soundest of minds. If you cannot find your niche, you aren't trying. Trivia is still taking place on Tuesday nights in the main hall. And we have dedicated groups that are hanging in there but we had two teams who decided to do something different last night and that is A-OK. My guess is they were resting. 

Oh,yes! Team Part Timers won with a score of 128. It was noticed that they spun a pencil in the middle of the table to decide the answer to some of the questions. Hey, whatever works, right? Congratulations!

There are over 600 people in the park, way up from the covid years, and I think everyone is trying to make up for the lost time. We must admit it was an event that touched everyone's life in one way or another, still is, and probably always will!

So choose your activities wisely and keep some quiet time for yourself to recoup.

Best wishes always!!

Iowa Potluck

 Yesterday afternoon we attended the Iowa Potluck supper in Trophy Gardens Main hall. There was a guestimate of 70 people in attendance. The twins, Mary and Marge host it each season and they do an excellent job. These things do not happen by themselves and it gets a bit more of a challenge when we hit the 'birthday button' each year. An abundance of volunteers magically appears and that helps too. 

After the meal, we played trivia. We were divided into teams by the tables we were seated. There were 20 questions all about Iowa. Our table won an ice cream treat from DQ by answering 17 questions correctly.

I am sure they thought it might have been a bit slanted in our direction with me heading up trivia every week. But the truth be known, putting the questions together isn't that much help. Butch, Darrel, and Linda were much quicker and more correct with the answers. Also, there is a guy back in Iowa that helped a great deal and he wasn't even here. Denny Lautner is an expert on Iowa trivia and he came to the trivia sessions we had each Thursday in our pool hall. And every now and then he would give us a few Iowa questions so I guess you could say we practiced.

Gotta Few...

 Gotta few... minutes before going to the pool hall to line up the mixed doubles event this afternoon at 1:00. I am committed to two of the events taking place in the park. This and trivia. There shall be no more on my todo list. I do enjoy both of them.

Yesterday Darrel and Linda Millard came by for happy hour. Darrel and I were classmates from kindergarten and grew up in the same neighborhood. We started reminiscing and discovering all kinds of connections through various people. He casually mentioned one of his best friends Donald Zimmerle. Donnie is a cousin of mine. And it went on from there. Butch and Darrel both set pins at the bowling alley but having 2 years difference in age they didn't work at the same time. It was a fun and happy hour. A happy surprise!

My few minutes are up for now...

Park Newsletter

 Betsie Brown has put together Bits and Pieces for a good many years and it remains a source for all the happenings within the park, past, present, and future. I am going to copy and paste one of the most recent ones because it struck me as remarkable. Food, food everywhere!

This is just a sample. Most people have no idea of the time and energy it takes to put these newsletters together. Having put together blog entries as I have for over 20 years I am sympathetic to her efforts. Thanks, Betsie!

Bits & Pieces / 1-30-2023

 ***I'm gone for a week carving and missed the Park Meeting on Tuesday and the food choices broke out!!  Lots of eating in February.   I can't hardly buy the ingredients for all those foods and save money. I don't have to plan the meals, I don't have to fix them and I don't have to clean up afterward.  WOW, you can't beat that!!!

***Starting out with: 

Feb.1st is the NEBRASKA Potluck at 4:30

Feb. 2nd- Veterans Appreciation lunch at 11:30

Feb.3rd is Ann's 6 Pack Party and I bet there is food there too!! Don't forget your favorite 6 pack. 

Feb. 5th is the Luau Party by the pool at 3:00 pm.

Feb. 6th is the IOWA Potluck at 4:00 pm 

Feb. 7th is the "Blessings to You" Potato Bake delivered to where you want them to go.

Feb. 9th is the "Build Your Own Burger" at noon.

Feb. 10th Is the Peter Piper Party at 4:00 pm.

Feb. 12th is the Super Bowl Party in the hall.  Sounds like fun!!

Feb. 13th is the Pet Parade at the Dog Walk Park at 10:00 am.  I bet they will have a Hot Dog for a donation to a Dog Charity!!  The pet parade is fun to watch and see who wins.  Maybe some of your favorite friends will be all dressed up.

Feb. 14th is the Valentine's Meal at 5:00 pm.

Feb  16th is the Oriental Chicken Lunch at noon.

Feb. 21st is Mari Gras and I'm sure there will be some Gumbo to go along with that!!

Feb  24th is the "Cropp and Moore" Pizza Party at Peter Piper Pizza in                           Alamo at 4:00.

Feb. 25th is the Craft Sale and Karan always has great food at lunchtime.

Like I said there is something there for everyone.  Enjoy!!

Betsie Brown

A Pajama Day

 Most of the Winter Texans will know what I mean by a "Pajama Day". For me, it is defined as a day when the weather is such that you do not want to venture forth. And since you are not planning to go anywhere you can stay in your pajamas.

The current outdoor temperature is 38 degrees at 8:05 AM. It all started late Monday afternoon as we had happy hour on the deck. Suddenly, the wind was from the North and it had a bite to it. They forecasted that it would drop into the 40s and stay that way until Friday. Those who are staying up North say, "Big Whoop!" and I do understand. We remember what it can be like up there and that is why we are here! To perhaps put a different perspective on it, for a few minutes imagine it is July and the daily temps have been running in the 80s. And then the weatherman says a cold front is coming through and the temps will stay in the 40s for 3 days and nights! That is a bit of a shock to the system. We are acclimated to a balmy 80 degrees. I am not asking for your sympathy because quite frankly I know I don't have a leg to stand on. 

Pajama Days are virtually unheard of and most of the people I know here will not be able to have one anyway because they are committed to being somewhere for an activity sometime today. 

I will thoroughly enjoy my pajama day because it will most likely be the only one this season.

Follow up on Running

 I can't run very fast. I never could. I had 3 close friends most of my school years and they could all run faster than I and sometimes I wondered why. I didn't ponder it too much and now that I look back I marked it up to a simple "They are better runners." As simple as that. Jean and Valeta are no longer with us but Mickey and I keep plugging along doing the best we can and accepting the rest. Neither of us can run now but last I knew I might be able to outwalk Mickey. Sometimes it takes me a while to catch up!

Running as fast as I can

 I had a hard time keeping up when we were in Iowa, mainly because there was nothing new to report and now we are in Texas, and I still need to catch up because there is so much going on! 

Jason and Laura were here for a fast and furious 3 days. One of the unforeseen benefits is now when we talk on the phone they have a firmer grasp of everything we are involved in and the people we spend the most time with. We like that.

Our shower is done and we love it. 

We were told the other day that we had the best park model in the park because it has the very best kitchen. She wanted to buy it but missed out due to a miscommunication. Lucky us. Alice J. had her eye on our place for a long time. We are aware that if and when we put our place on the market it will not be there long.

A few of us are going to eat at the KBN Seafood Restaurant today. Butch cannot go because he is committed to pool. They have "American food" too so if you are tempted to try it don't hold back. It is located at the corner of Trenton and Sugar Road.

My surgery to have a spot removed from my cheek because of a positive biopsy happens on February 9th. I can't remember if I had previously mentioned that. I have had other spots removed in the past so it is not concerning me, at least not yet. When I mentioned it to one of the happy hour people she said if I counted all my friends who have told me that in the last week or so it would be close to 10.

Our Happy Hour hosts are headed for a cruise this next week so we might have to fill in the gap on our deck. In fact, we plan on it. All you need to bring is your happy! It is daily from 4:00 to 5:00. Sure hope it warms up. We are once again going through a cold spell. Current outdoor temp is 53.4 at 11:15 AM.

Maybe I can close the gap between entries next time but I am not making any promises!

Hectic

 We are partway through the two most hectic months of the season, January and February. When we left Magnolia park I promised myself I would not get my time filled up to where I could barely breathe. And I have done that. One of the reasons I chose to do that is because when our RV went out the gate in the Spring I felt relieved and had a sense of freedom like being on vacation. So slow down you move too fast would dance through my head and still does now and then. The downside of this plan is that I do not always come across as accessible. I am involved to a limited degree in two areas, the pool hall and trivia. I enjoy both of these activities. There are many other areas that hold an interest for me but choices must be made so that I do not go out the gate in the Spring in a state of relief but rather a choice of a different cycle. So rest assured I am not giving any of you the snub and someday I might make a switch. I try to stay flexible. Don't feel bad or sad if I say "No". It isn't personal. I am just as busy as I want to be which isn't very!

Winter Texan Expo

We went to the expo today with Darrel and Linda Millard. Butch and I have been coming to the RGV for 25 years and yet we have never gone to the expo. Darrel and Linda went last year when they were here and enjoyed it. It is a hoot in more ways than one and in case you haven't found out, when you get a bunch of seniors together for any event it might become much more than you expect. There are a bunch of vendors and they are hoping to become your friend and share your pocketbook but by the time you are our age you do not share unless you really, really want to. We came home with lots of little gifts and teasers and didn't buy a thing. HEB was there handing out trail mix and giving $5 gift cards. We can make good use of that! Butch and I were separated for a while and I found him at a booth getting collagen applied to the bags under his eyes. The pretty young thing applying it had nails so long I thought he might lose an eye! It did work magic but when he heard the price ($199) she lost a customer. She was gracious about it though.

Before: Actually, they were even puffier than this. This is an old pic.

After:

Remarkable!

Comparison

 Our "kids" Jason and Laura were here last week and they bought pecans while they were here. Yesterday Jason sent me this... He said, One of these things is not like the other. You ever play that game?.
The pecans we have access to are the very best.

January/February

We are into the two busiest months of the year. You can find yourself so busy you are not sure if you are coming or going. These are the prime two months that everyone wants to be here. Being the introvert that I am my favorites are the other four of the winter season. The older I get the more difficult dealing with busy seems to be. This year will mark a new decade for me so I do not look for that to improve.

It was as much fun as I anticipated when Jason and Laura surprised us. We enjoyed every minute of their being with us and look forward to a repeat of that. It would be different if they were here for a longer period of time so the pressure of cramming in as much as possible would be lifted.

I must mention the weather. We have been coming to the RGV for 25 years. We got used to the weather being what everyone expects when it is labeled tropical. It has been a few years since we have enjoyed the usual thing for the weather. Mother nature is making up for it this year. This has been the best January we have had in memory and we are enjoying it and being grateful. If the weather turns sour we all know how to handle it! We have practiced for the past 3 years!

We are scheduled for a massage on Thursday. Yippee!

Snippets

New shower-We are loving it!

 Old Shower-12 inch step.  The step on the new one is about 3 inches.

Jason and Laura in Mexico

Taken in the hallway next to the restroom in the Red Snapper

The Rio Grande River in the background

I am Back!

A trophy for the representative Trophy Gardens First Place Winners in the 2023 RGV Senior Olympics- Doubles Pool Butch Brooker and Paul Kelleher. They look exhausted but they were a happy pair to be Gold Medal Winners!!

Visitors

 Jason called on Monday ( I think. It might have been Tuesday) and said they planned to come to the RGV for 3 days and would arrive on Thursday. I was able to reserve them a room in the apartments. I found out there is a 3 day minimum for rentals of the apartments. It was the first time I had been inside one of them and I do have to say they are small. $ 65 a night and that is not bad these days. Any more than a month in one would be too much I think. They are fine for  3 days as you would most likely be too busy to care. It was good to have them nearby and it made planning for events and the coming and going much easier. 

Butch was in a tournament on Tuesday and he came in 3rd in the RGV Senior Olympics. They were pleased. Wednesday we wrapped up as many details as we could getting ready for the "kids" to come on Thursday. Butch played with his partner, Paul Kelleher in the doubles and they won the gold medal on Thursday! What a day it turned out to be! Jason and Laura arrived about 12:30. and I showed them around the park then at 4:00 we joined in the daily Happy Hour at our neighbors Bill and Sandi. They provide the place and you bring your own "happy" and it breaks up promptly at 5 so everyone can get their supper before joining in whatever evening activities they have planned. It works beautifully. A fun time was had by all. Butch and Paul were a bit late having won their gold medal and were still enjoying the win when they arrived. They represented Trophy in a mighty fine way.

When Jason and Laura arrived I showed them around the park, and we returned to our park model, going over for happy hour at 4:00. We had a very good time introducing our family to our southern friends.

Not the best of pictures but you get the idea!

Have I lost you?

 I have to get ready for trivia night by lining up the 20 questions and when I finish with that I will catch up. Butch won a pool tournament. Jason and Laura came to South Texas FINALLY! So see you in a bit. You can time me if you like...

Sunday Scotch Doubles

 Sunday Scotch Doubles took place last Sunday with 12 teams of two participating. The results are 8 wins-Sally Kelleher and Butch Brooker

                       7 wins-Bev Mceneny and Steve Beaston

                       7 wins-Mikie Patrick and Greg Dowhaniuk

                       7 wins-Betsie Brown and Jeff Golly

                      7 wins-Debbie Thompson and Kinley Paulson 

                      6 wins-Arja Dowhaniuk and Don Riley

                      6 Wins- Donna Hanke and Marcel Tessier

There were 12 teams and 7 "winners". In fact, we are all winners when we sign up to play with a new partner each week. We do have a lot of fun in the Pool Hall on Sunday afternoons. We play for the fun of it and we work really hard to mean it!

Come join us sometime. The new sign-up sheet goes up when the current one comes down. 

THE EARTH'S POPULATION STATISTICS PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE:

 World Population Clock: 7.95 Billion People (2022) - Worldometer (worldometers.info)

For most people, this is an unfathomable figure. However, if we condense that 7.9 billion into 100 persons, and then condense it further into various percentage statistics, the resulting analysis is relatively much easier to comprehend.

 Out of 100 people:

11 are in Europe

5 are in North America

9 are in South America

15 are in Africa

60 are in Asia

49 live in the countryside

51 live in cities

75 have mobile phones

25 do not

30 have internet access

70 do not have the availability to go online

7 received a university education

93 did not attend college.

83 can read

17 are illiterate.

 33 are Christians

22 are Muslims

14 are Hindus

7 are Buddhists

12 are other religions

12 have no religious beliefs.

26 live less than 14 years

66 died between 15 - 64 years of age

8 are over 65 years old.

 Think about this - If you live in your own home, are able to eat full meals & drink clean water, have a mobile phone, can surf the internet and went to college, you are in a minuscule percentage of the population and are a highly privileged person this day. 

(This equates to being in the less than 7% category)

Amongst 100 persons in the world - only 8 will live or exceed the age of 65!

If you are already over 65 years old - be content, grateful and thank God; cherish life, and grasp every moment.

If you did not leave this world before the age of 64, like the 92 persons who did pass before you, you are truly blessed amongst mankind. Take good care of your own health. Cherish every remaining moment.  

Thanks, Dan and Linda Lang!

How is YOUR memory?

How are you feeling about your memory today?

Thanks to Dan and Linda Lang for sending this to me. Hopefully, it will hit your "grateful button" as it did for me.

 

If you think you are suffering memory loss.......it's called anosognosia....it gets interesting...

 In the following analysis the French Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière - Paris Hospitals, addresses the subject in a rather reassuring way:

 "If anyone is aware of their memory problems, they do NOT have Alzheimer's."

1. You know you forget the names of families.

2. You know you don't remember where you put some things, but you remember you had them.

 

This often happens in people 60 years and older and they complain they are losing/lacking their memory.

"All information remains in the brain, but the "processor" is lacking."

 This is "Anosognosia" or temporary forgetfulness.

 Half of the people 60 and older have some symptoms due to age rather than disease.

 Some of the most common cases are:

- forgetting the name of a person,

- going to a room in the house and not remembering why we were going there,

- a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress,

- a waste of time searching where we left our glasses or keys ..

 After 60 years most people have some difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years.  Many people are concerned about these oversights, hence the importance of the following statements:

 1."Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory."

2. "Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer's, are not aware of what is happening."

 Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights:

 "The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness."

 Now for a little neurological test: Only use your eyes!

 1- Find the C in the table below!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

2- If you found the C, then find the 6 in the table below.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

 

 3- Now find the N in the table below. Attention, it's a little more difficult!

 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

If you pass these three tests without a problem:

 - you can cancel your annual visit to the neurologist.

- your brain is in perfect shape!

- you are far from having any relationship with Alzheimer's.

 

We are truly blessed, so share this with your over-65 friends, and remind them to enjoy life and be reassured.

Now isn't that the way!

New Shower

 Frank is telling us this is the last day of construction. I am sure there will still be some curing time but by now we are getting used to washcloth-in-sink baths. Not liking it for sure but making it work. So it is a beehive of activity around here. I will wait to take pictures until the whole process is completed. The end is in sight for sure!

Butch's Biopsy

 Butch found the results of his biopsy for his recurring rash. It isn't anything internal or external on his body. He has a hypersensitivity to unknown substances. So what does that mean? We are not sure. Most likely he is having angst about all the activity we have been undergoing since we arrived although it started before we left Iowa. It is being treated with pills and creams. So there you have it.

On a Scale...

We must give the weather a ten on a scale of one to ten! This is the finest January we have had for several years. The highs are in the low 80's and the lows in the low 60's.  For the past 3 years, we have had much colder than normal weather for sunny South Texas, which has been disappointing. This year so far it is making up for it. 

We have had a couple of cold spells but they were never more than 4 or 5 days and then we were back to paradise.

So now I must warn you that if you do come down and bring that nasty stuff with you, your popularity might wane. Just sayin'

Worried?

One of Colleen's Columns

Not all of you know my friend Colleen. For about 3 years we walked 2 miles every morning at 7:00 AM on the bike trail in Jefferson Iowa discussing everything from soup to nuts. It was the perfect way to start the day. She recently replayed this column in Greene County News Online  and it reminded me of our early morning walks and talks. It is the finest example of one of our discussions and I felt compelled to share it.

Same news, different faces

December 28, 2022

 ~a column by Colleen O’Brien

 A quarter of a century ago, I wrote the following column:

“Politicians could address issues”                                                               

June 19, 1996

Among all the other indecencies in our lives, it’s an election year. We would welcome it, though, if politicians spoke to the issues and not the emotions.

 It started with the bombastic Buchanan, that scary guy who can goad anyone into incivility. When it comes to know-it-alls like him assuming the pose (rude, mean spirited and full of facts with no sources), I find it nearly impossible to be civil myself. I descend right to their level and the irresistible longing to stick my tongue out at them.

 When my mind clears, I recall the precepts of our beloved but beleaguered First Amendment. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion in this free and democratic country and being urbane about it is not a requirement.

But, oh lord, would I like to see some white hats vying for the White House. I dream about a strong, honest, far-seeing, intelligent, compassionate, wise woman as president. Being more realistic, I envision a good-natured, calm man leading our country, someone steeped in history and knowing that war and weapons sales are not the answer, an individual with a strong will, a gentle soul and a world vision. Where’s a statesman when you need one?

Historically, we’ve had to wage war to come up with statesman-like leaders. Not a solution. That’s why we’re supposed to study history so we don’t repeat it.

The difference between politics and statesmanship is compromise for the good of the whole (not the special interest). The will to listen to and respect the ideas of those who don‘t agree with us is a lost art, even though it doesn’t take a saint or a genius to understand it. As author Duane Elgin says, “…the fate of the individual is ultimately connected with the fate of the whole.”

Gosh, is he saying we’re all in this together? What a novel idea. No man is an island? The more crowded the world gets, the more meaning these phrases have.

So, when I read about Sen. Bob Dole’s tired old complaints lambasting President Clinton for something so feeble as not supporting a Constitutional amendment to protect the flag, I figure he’s going to run a campaign of emotions and non-issues; he’s not going to get to the important stuff.

The flag is a symbol, a visible sign for something invisible, such as, oh, maybe freedom of expression, to name one. The flag is an arbitrary token, a metaphor chosen to represent our right to burn the flag as a visible sign of our disagreement with our government. Burning a flag is as symbolic as the flag itself. When Abraham Lincoln heard of a man who had been arrested for tearing up a copy of the Constitution, he had the man released from jail and brought to Washington for dinner in the White House. Lincoln was saying, in a symbolic action, that the very existence of the Constitution reserves one’s right to rip it asunder.

I’m not a flag-burning type, at least as far as I know, and most of us aren’t, so why bother [with them]? Besides, Constitutional amendments aren’t about restrictions. They enumerate individual and states’ rights not named in the Constitution.

Can’t Mr. Dole think of anything important to talk about? Everybody else I know can. The grassroots conversations in this country center on health care, education, the environment and campaign reform. Working class people are worried about air and water quality affecting the health of children, about insurance companies controlling health needs, about American business going offshore, about losing jobs, about a two-class country made up of rich and poor, about a religious minority wielding power in a government where church and state are not kin.

In the face of these kinds of worries, who cares about a flag-waver? The canny American voter knows that whoever’s spouting the flag, or anti-choice or English as an official language is (1) covering up something, (2) unwilling to talk about complicated problems, (3) uninformed about the real issues that concern us mightily or (4) so arrogant he’s unaware we can spot condescension a mile off. We are a literate people who care about our future, both individually and as a whole. Flag burning, the government having ANY say in women’s reproductive decisions, English as official language – these are either no one else’s business or non-issues, and we certainly don’t want to hear about them in an election year.”

Internet Begins

 Years ago I became an Evernote user. I was prone to using new offerings in those years. Today I was looking it over and changed my password and came across this "story".

Enjoy!

INTERNET BEGINS (posted in 2013)

In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of
Abraham Com did take unto himself a healthy young wife by the name of
Dorothy.
 
And Dot Com was a comely woman, Large of breast, broad of shoulder and
long of leg. Indeed, she was often called Amazon Dot Com.
 
And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why dost thou travel so far
from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever
leaving thy tent?"
 
And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags
short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, dear?"
 
And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in
between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will
reply telling you who hath the best price. The sale can be made on the
drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."
 
Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with
the drums.
 
And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all
the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from
his tent.
 
To prevent neighboring countries from overhearing what the drums were
saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew. It
was known as Must Send Drum Over Sound (MSDOS), and she also developed
a language to transmit ideas and pictures - Hebrew To The People (HTTP).
 
And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy
horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical
Rich Dominican Sybarites, or NERDS.
 
And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the
deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were
going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who
bought off every drum maker in the land. Indeed he did insist on drums
to be made that would work only with Brother Gates' drumheads and
drumsticks.
 
And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken
over by others."
 
And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or eBay as it came to
be known.
 
He said, "We need a name that reflects what we are."
 
And Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators."
 
"YAHOO," said Abraham.
 
And because it was Dot's idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.
 
Abraham's cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic
Educated Kid (GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot's drums to
locate things around the countryside.

It soon became known as God's Own Official Guide to Locating
Everything (GOOGLE).
 
That is how it all began.
 
And that's the truth... give or take a lie or two...

This is my writing time...

 When we put our house in Iowa back together we bought a shower apparatus that set the temperature, allowing us to shut it off and back on without having to readjust the water temperature. We wanted this because after 10 years of "Navy Showers" it grates on us to waste water. 

In case you don't know...

A Navy shower is a method of showering that allows for significant conservation of water and energy by turning off the flow of water in the middle portion ...

So we are having a new shower done in the park model and Butch wanted the same kind we have in Jefferson so we started looking. We bought the one in Iowa in 2014 at Lowes. It is a Delta. We had no luck at Lowes in McAllen. None in Home Depot either. So it was suggested we try Rio Grande Plumbing Supply in McAllen. So we popped in there this morning and they had one on hand and the price was reasonable. Now I know that sounds simple on the surface but the reason they had one was because someone from Mexico ordered it months ago and hadn't come yet to pick it up and he was fairly certain he could get one ordered for them before they would. And then when we paid for it we were pleasantly surprised to find it cost $46 less than we expected. It was just one of those days! Heart and Head in right place = a day full of things to be grateful for once again.

Another weird thing was that Butch put the box containing the shower hardware in the back seat and when we arrived home the car flashed "Check the back seat". Now we assume it is a safety feature but weird nonetheless, I wonder if it would do it if it was ice cream we were putting in the back seat. For us that could be very important. 

Take a moment...

 My 2nd cousin Joanna posted this on Facebook and I snipped it because it is so perfectly written.

“It's a living book, this life; it folds out in a million settings, cast with a billion beautiful characters, and it is almost over for you. It doesn't matter how old you are; it is coming to a close quickly, and soon the credits will roll and all your friends will fold out of your funeral and drive back to their homes in cold and still and silence. And they will make a fire and pour some wine and think about how you once were . . . and feel a kind of sickness at the idea you never again will be.

So soon you will be in that part of the book where you are holding the bulk of the pages in your left hand, and only a thin wisp of the story in your right. You will know by the page count, not by the narrative, that the Author is wrapping things up. You begin to mourn its ending and want to pace yourself slowly toward its closure, knowing the last lines will speak of something beautiful, of the end of something long and earned, and you hope the thing closes out like last breaths, like whispers about how much and who the characters have come to love, and how authentic the sentiments feel when they have earned a hundred pages of qualification.

And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?”

Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road

Whew! 2023 is here!

I keep thinking things will smooth out soon and life will take on a gliding-like quality. But nooooo! We are into a new project. A new shower. It is a project we planned to do at some point but sometimes things fall into place and we are off and running. "Fall into place" might be a clue because we do not want a repeat of that adventure. Friends of ours have a project going and Butch was visiting with the contractor. His name is Frank, and Frank didn't let any grass grow under his feet. He came right over to see what we wanted to be done, and within two days gave us a bid, and said he could be here Tuesday, January 3rd. Frank has 5 crews so it isn't like he was pulling anything away from our friends. The picture below is our current shower and as you can see there is quite a step up to get into it. Butch measured it and it is nearly 12 inches. The new one will be floor level or close to it.

So this next week will be hectic. Or should I say more hectic? It will be nice to have a new shower...