Month: January 2020

Last week started with two food share sessions.  That is always gratifying. Only bump in the road was my compulsion to take over when things go wrong.  At the second event a woman (who had never before been at a food event where I was working) showed up wanting to put fliers in the food bags .  The fliers were recruiting for census workers (I’ve already filed an application) so there was no problem with that. We always start by opening paper bags so the food stuffs can be put in easily.  No problem with that. Then the flyer lady decided to open bags. I don’t know where she got the information, but she decided we needed over a hundred open bags.  

That was a problem.  

We usually see between 55 and 70 folks.  Yesterday, probably because of weather, we saw only 56.  When I asked her to stop opening bags and just put her fliers in, she was offended.

We ended up having to refold bags.

Oh well …

~~~

Weather is still doing its routine of warm up slightly, just enough to drop the icicles off the eaves and soften the snow, then freeze.  Days are overcast, but interestingly enough, the solar panels generate as much power under overcast skies (and sometimes more since they produce better when they are cool) than they do in full sun.  

And by sunday most of the snow was gone.  I had gotten so used to switching from my Berks to boots when going out that it took two trips out before I “accepted” the information that I no longer (at least for now) need boots.

We are nearly done with January and February had been the real winter month in the past.  I keep forgetting to get the cleat snap-ons for my boots, so I’ve added them to the food shopping list.  That way I hope to remember. Then maybe I’ll be able to navigate without a ski pole when the next snow/ice hits.

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I have undertaken a seven and a half year project, and I’m already half a month behind.  It is a task to read a full page from a particular lesson book every day … 2737.5 days. The challenge began earlier this month, and I am dropping further behind. Maybe I’ll catch up if we get snowed in.

I had anticipated dry, maybe boring, learning and decided that even so it would most likely be worth the effort.  Then one day the lessons revolved around peeing, pooping, and farting. Go figure.

~~~

Now I have a question … and a rant.

As most of you know, I was a registered nurse and worked for over twenty years, now retired for twenty-five or so.  I am very aware that medical care has changed dramatically. I am now surprised, and not always pleasantly, by some of those changes.

A few weeks ago I had a red spot appear on my right middle finger over a joint.  Have I already told you this? Oh well …

Anyhow … I now have four others all on my right hand and all in the vicinity of joints.  I tried surface antibiotics to no avail and finally decided to go see my primary care provider (a Family Nurse Practitioner).  I don’t need to see him often and so am not a cry-wolf patient. However, the first appointment I could obtain was two and half weeks away.  The desk person told me I could go the Emergency Department at the hospital if I wanted.  

My option was to wait for an appointment (which will take about fifteen minutes and cost less than a hundred dollars which my insurance will cover) or go to the hospital (which costs close to four hundred as soon as you walk in the door and which has recently stated it will no longer honor insurance coverage by several providers, mine among them).  When I called for the FNP appointment, I had two eruptions. I now have five, the first of which has grown in size and gotten white in the center.  

I don’t blame the FNP.  I blame the for-profit corporation for which he works.

My appointment is this morning.

Is this the way primary medical care should work?

~~~

Through natural farmyard attrition, we’re down to twenty hens …. but we’re getting between twelve and sixteen eggs a day.

~~~ 

There’s a post on Facebook this morning about the “Code Girls”.  I read the book about them recently and find myself wondering how mucg more of WW II’s history we have yet to learn.  Code talkers, code girls, Bletchly girls, ???

~~~

Today is Paul’s eighth birthday.  He is collecting “Pennies for Paws”.  I started the jar with eight pennies. 

Now I’m off to the medical clinic.

It’s easy to forget how miraculous this world of ours is, and how important it is to be grateful … to see the world in all its splendour. If we’re not careful, we get so engrossed in our lives, that beauty passes us by.  

So

This winter, so far, has been giving us a lot of what George used to call “Sibelius” days … grey, cold, snowy.  And the Symphony Hall station on Sirius has been obliging by playing a lot of Sibelius.

~~~

I am currently planning a long-term adventure beginning as soon as I can plant outdoors.

Have you ever heard of the Lilium washingtonianum?

That’s the botanical name of what we call a “Shasta Lily”.  It grows only around here and to the northeast of the Mountain in the Klamath Falls area.  So I wondered why it is called “washingtonianum” since it doesn’t grow in Washington (either DC or State).  Turns out it was named for Martha Washington. The story is she was sent a plant back then and was intrigued.  Of course it didn’t flourish (must be something about the volcanic soil?), but the botanical name stuck.

At any rate, I found a source of seeds … Mt Shasta Native Seeds.  And that surprised me! The Shasta Lily is a lily, and lilies grow from bulbs, right?  Right. And Shasta Lilies are notoriously reluctant to be transplanted. 

However, it seems they can also be nurtured from seeds … it just takes a loooooooonnnnnnnnnng time … years in fact.  Now you know why I said a “long-term” adventure.

I plan on starting some of the seeds (I got 25) in deep pots (I was told roots grow down deep – must be the reason they don’t transplant well), and also start some outdoors.  Warning is that the seeds may be very slow germinating … even years. The first year after germination I am told to expect a short, slender stem.  Next year or two (if it germinates or survives) that stem will grown stronger … but I am advised not to expect flowering until the 6th or 7th year.  

It’s a good thing I plan on living another decade.

So, this coming spring I will find a sunny spot near the Courtyard where I can protect any sprouts from the deer (who think Shasta Lilies are a special TREAT) and close enough to my outdoor sitting area that, when they start to bloom, I will be near enough to enjoy the blooming aroma.  You often smell them before you see them and once you’ve experienced that aroma, you’ll be hooked. George had a hidden plant (protected from deer and hikers who tend to vandalize by picking or digging) and every year he would bring me a blossom or two.  

Please wish me good luck in this enterprise. 

~~~

Last weekend (which was a three-day weekend due to MLK Day) the family did a StarWars marathon.  Friday night we watched “A New Hope”; saturday was “The Empire Strikes Back”; and sunday was “The Return of the Jedi”.  They are Episodes IV, V, and VI … that’s the order in which they were first released (information for those of you who aren’t StarWars fans).

I remember seeing the first film released lo those many years ago when my boys were all so young.  And I remember seeing a scene early in the film, about Luke at the Academy, which I have never seen since.  I recall it clearly and without it there are later scenes that you have to take on trust without any backstory.  As we were watching, I again told folks about seeing it the first time and not since (I can be a bore that way). Well … Mark is addicted to finding answers and was able to track down that scene.  He found it on a BlueRay disc. The explanation is that theatre owners wanted it out because they were afraid the political implications of the burgeoning “Empire” in the story might affect audience size and it was never put back.  Interesting comment on fear engendered by politics.

Family plan is to go on to Episodes I, II, and III the next time we have a three day weekend (because they are long films and bedtime on a school night is early).

~~~

Back to thinking about plants …

George also used to bring me dwarf tiger lilies which grow wild along the creeks.  I looked forward to them every year. Fortunately, I know where to look for them, unless the growth in residences around here has eliminated them.  If I can’t find them, the grower who has Shasta Lily seeds also has seeds for them.

And I have decided my outdoor project for this year is to rejuvenate the Courtyard, which was neglected for the years I stayed close by George.  I hope to replace the cast iron cook stove with a grill (for Mark), redo the pond (maybe with a solar powered pump), and redo all the planting areas, which were destroyed over the past couple of years, with an herb garden.  First year garden will be the Shasta Lilies, arnica, calendula, comfrey, thyme, culinary sage, white sage, and one or two others. I hope to have learned how to post pictures by the time I get into that effort so I will be able to share my progress.

~~~ 

Current books are more easy-read mysteries.  Just finished one set in turn-of-the-20th-century Manhattan (whose heroine was a midwife) and am currently in Navajo country.  I had been a fan of the Tony Hillerman books (even have several personally autographed) and am now reading those written by his daughter who picked up his characters and continues the tales.

Interesting aside is that I am constantly surprised, in current reads, at the things I learn which are not necessarily part of the stories.  I don’t remember that being so prominent in the books I read back in the latter 20th century other than in non-fiction.

Last night I learned that Postal Service inspectors were predecessors to ALL federal government law enforcement agencies having been formed before the formation of the United States itself … by Benjamin Franklin in 1772.  The Continental Congress had named him postmaster, a role he continued after Washington was elected President.

I also learned quite a bit about Navajo rug symbolism and use … but then I suppose that is germain to a book dealing with Navajo life and culture.

~~~

Weather is still winter.  The snow is melting during the day and revealing the empty spots under it around bushes and changes in ground level.  I walk with a ski pole when I am outdoors now. Helps with the sudden drops in level and also with the sub-snow ice.

February is often more winter than January.  I’m hoping for sunny weather even if it is cold.  Then things should lighten up in March. Garden planning in April.  Gather plants and seeds and start clean up in May. Plant in June.

Stay busy.  It keeps age at bay.

Sadness and depression can often be overcome by going out and doing something.

So … ‘til next week …

What a sleigh ride …

Last week ended with a snow storm … sort of.  We had snow on the ground monday, but I went out to do chicken chores wearing my Berks with no problem. 

By noon yesterday I was housebound. It started snowing more heavily about 1000 and by dark there was ~3”.  There was an HLA meeting at 1830 (6:30pm). There have been times with this much snow when I had no trouble getting out, but couldn’t get back in so a neighbor (male, younger, with a BIG truck) came and got me and then returned me home.

By wednesday morning we had over a foot on the ground with drifting.  I went out to the chickens only once to give them water, deliver the garbage, make sure they had food, and collect eggs … and this time I was wearing boots.

Thursday there was more snow and the schools were closed.  I was indoors all day, except for the daily trip to the chickens.

This morning school is in session.  Kamille and Paul got out without trouble.  Our driveway had been plowed by a neighbor and High Meadow was open.  I’ll be going out later for my regular afternoon with Paul. But this week there will be no extra adventures.

Weather patterns are a bit unusual here.  We are on the north side of Mt Eddy and, with the weather usually coming in on winds off the Pacific, we are a bit sheltered by the mountain (Mt Eddy, not THE Mountain).  When the weather comes up from the south the pattern is different. Sort of what I’ve heard called a crap shoot.

~~~

 Weather however wasn’t the only involving event recently.

Wednesday morning I got an email saying there had been a MAJOR change to one of my credit accounts instructing me to go to what was supposedly the bank’s adjustment site.  When I tried, it looked right but didn’t recognize my username or password and offered me a couple of numeral usernames and a chance to change my password.

I then went to my account through my usual channel and got right in.  There I discovered a payment for over $1,700 of which I knew nothing (I couldn’t have afforded a payment like that anyhow).

To make this as short as possible, I began to feel “fraud” and spent over four hours on the topic.  Endgame was that the deposit was to be reversed (wish there had been a way to keep it) and I was issued a new card.  It was handled by the bank’s fraud division.

By the time it was settled (although there is one more thing to do since my credit score had been impacted), I was washed out … completely.  And that is one reason this week’s blog is late.

~~~

 Reading … ???  Of course.

Finished the next Arapaho mystery in the series and reread Alice Hoffman’s “The Rules of Magic”.  I need to get a copy of the Hoffman. It is a great source of herbal information. If I get my own copy, rather than the one from the library, I can write in it.

Next up (which I will pick up this afternoon) is the second in the series about the young woman and the aging Sherlock, and another whose name I can’t recall.  I may add one or two from the library shelves on the chance that we get more snow and I have more at-home time.

~~~

Plans for Paul’s eighth birthday party are underweigh.  I’m not sure what the theme is to be, but he will be asking that, instead of gifts, donations be made to the local animal shelter where his brother works. 

~~~

The other big job right now is handling the secretarial stuff for the  Landowner’s Association. But since none of you (?) live here, I won’t go into detail. 

 ~~~

To close out … I recenty got into a discussion with a correspondent about charitable giving, tithing, and tzadakis.  As a result I found this …

How does tzedakah differ from gemilut hasidim (acts of lovingkindness)? Actually, the Talmud says that the latter is greater in three ways: charity can be performed only with one’s money, but acts of lovingkindness require one’s body, time, or money; charity is only for the poor, but one can perform gemilut hasidim for everyone. 

So … ‘til next week

This year got off to a rocky start. Here I am, more than a dollar short and a day late.

~~~

The reading about London during the blitz brought home to me another reason I miss George so much.  When I read something that catches my attention for any reason, there is no one to whom I can call out “Listen to this” and then talk about it. 

Just another hole in my life.

~~~

Speaking of holes … there have been a couple of holes in  the family. Tyler was away for a week seeing his New York people.  And Mark got back from Rochester late last night where he went to help a friend.  Guess I’m getting used to my new set-up. My days and chores stay much the same. Big difference shows at morning and evening meal times … and the time of chapter reading just before bedtime.  Current book is the Hardy Boys “Footprints under the Window”. I was a bit surprised (although I guess I shouldn’t have been) when I learned the Hardy Boys series is appearing in picture book form. Just saw a couple of them at the library.  Nancy Drew as well.   

~~~

 Weather has remained cool/cold but with spotty precipitation.  A bit of rain and snow this morning.

Coming in from closing in the hens the other night I noticed the phenomenon that winter creates around stones of any size.  As the water in the ground freezes it pushes the stones up to the surface (once in a poem I wrote about “stone bird nests”). Then as the thaw comes, the stones stay up but the ground shrinks around them leaving the stones sitting in cavities.  You need to be careful walking because sometimes the size of the cavity can’t be judged from the surface.

And another note about the hens. One was taken out by a big bird last monday. I saw the bird, but only a glance. Not sure if it was a hawk or an owl. It was daylight, but I didn’t hear any sound … so it could have been either. For the next couple of days, the hens were reluctant to go outside, but egg production stayed up.

~~~

Back to reading … Current reads have been “historical” non-fiction as well as more mysteries.

One excellent read, which women and girls should read since it is part of our hidden history, is “Code Girls” by Liza Mundy.  It is about the g-girls (civilian government girls) who worked at code breaking before and during WW II and how more than half of the “wins” attributed to men (such as Midway and the breaking of the “wolf” packs in the Atlantic) were based on breakthroughs by those “girls”. 

But it wasn’t only the “g girls” who were heroes in those days.  Females of all ages were out there doing their part in places other than government offices or factories or “auxiliary” military corps.  They danced with “boys” far from home. They wrote letters (ever heard of V Mail?). They even learned to identify types of planes by sight and sound and did assigned eight hour watches reporting any and all overflights, including type of aircraft (specific if possible) as well as direction and estimated altitude, to the nearest Air Force base (in my case Ryan Training Field).  In summer, when visiting my Nana at the coast very near an oil refinery, I shared laughs, chocolate, c-rations, and magazines with the crews of the barrage balloons posted in the empty lot just across Concord Street.

I guess that makes me part of history.

In those years it was a UNITED States.  The closest to that historical time I’ve seen since was in the days immediately following 9-11 when people were lining up all over the country to donate blood.

~~~

Went to the quarterly meeting of the Weed Friends of the Library last tuesday evening. The librarian (a friend) seems to be butting heads with them and so I thought I’d go see what I could learn.

I learned this is going to be a longer project than I thought.

~~~

Winter seems to always amaze me. I look and think “I need to take a photo of this” and then remember all the times I took the photos.

Who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.  … Albert Einstein

 So … ‘til next week …

What a way to begin a new year …

Watching the Rose Parade after missing it for several years.  It, and the surroundings, have really changed (so what did I expect?) since the year three friends and I camped out on Colorado Boulevard overnight in front of a small diner in order to have curbseats for the parade.  No way is that diner still there, and no more curbseats … all mammoth bleachers now.  Oh well …

“Die Fledermaus” had been George’s and my New Year’s Day ritual for oh so many years.  We had the Covent Garden Opera version from back in the 70s … but I’ve told you all about it before.  This year I watched “Jumangi”, the original one with Robin Williams.  Part of Mark’s family tradition is a new (to Paul) movie every year.  I will watch “… Fledermaus” by myself later.

I’ve begun planning for next holiday season.  Preparations take me longer now, as does getting things done, than they did in the past.  I hope to get herbal preparations (maybe elderberry jelly or rose hip jam), the spinning, and some knitting done ahead of time.  I’ve even got one of the games for the next radio club party ready.  I hope I don’t forget it all by next winter. 

~~~

Snow began Christmas Eve followed by clear and sunny followed by snow followed by ground fog followed by clouds followed by fog followed by rain and wind …

Part of the normal winter was the melting followed by icing.  For several days I have automatically put the truck into 4-wheel low to come up what we call the K-Bar hill.  It’s rather steep and narrow. 

~~~

While reading the new mystery I learned a lot about London during the war.  I had known about moving children out of London into the country.  I have a friend who was sent to a farm in Cornwall.  He talked about the loss of access to his Mother during those years and became very close to her after the war.

I had not heard (or read) that London was nearly stripped of dogs as well as children.  Those that could be moved were sent to the country like the children. The others were mostly put down.  The rational was they might signal hiding places if the island were invaded. Mark said he would have preferred to keep them as lookouts to warn of strangers.

And I learned about 5” bath water allowances and slimy soap and about how to fix runs in ladies hose.  I remember my Nana had a special little hooker tool to do just that.  I may still have it somewhere.

Thinking about what I am learning from the “light” reading I do, it dawned on me that in the past most authors wrote about what and where they knew, or they wrote “history” such as at a minimum three hundred years ago.  Now at least some of them seem to choose an era and a location, learn as much as they can about time and place, and set their story based on what they learn. As a result, I am reading what might be called “historical fiction”, even though I lived during that historical period, and learning a lot about what was going on in other places as I was living that history.

And still some of it seems so current.  On page149 of the paperback I’m currently reading it says … “They learned to read the morning paper without weeping.”

~~~

I have one old and one new challenge in knitting.  I never learned how to do “steeks”.  That is where you knit in the round and then cut the knit piece where you want to do sleeves or other openings.  The thought of purposely cutting knitted material sort of frightens me.

The other is “brioche” knitting.  I had never heard of it until I got an announcement from the fiber store in Ashland that there is to be a class.  The fee for the class is $195.00 … so I will have to find another way to learn.

Oh well …

~~~

So to start the year … 

What is important is not so much how long you live as whether you live a meaningful life. This doesn’t mean accumulating money and fame, but being of service to your fellow human beings. It means helping others if you can, but even if you can’t do that, at least not harming them.     Dalai Lama

Blessings of a New Year and ‘til next week …