One Intelligent Comment...

In full disclosure, I like Bob Schieffer. I find him to be honest, and straightforward in his delivery, with professionalism and no hint of sensationalization. Therefore, I offer you this video... due to copyright issues, I can't post a link here, but go to www.huffingtonpost.com and search for Bob Schieffer and watch his commentary entitled, "Catholic Church Has More Than PR Issue" which just aired on Easter Sunday. Finally - someone who's got some sense and is MAKING sense of the issue. It's not the abuse (well, it IS, but take a moment and let me make a point) - it's the COVER-UP that has Catholics steamed. And yes, it IS the abuse, too. We see our Church playing the ultimate game, lying to us, all the while preaching the Gospel and the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have it done unto you." So you want me to donate to your Annual Appeal? You want me to help you with many charitable endeavors. I'd love to. Unfortunately, I don't believe for one minute that my money isn't going to a big bucket and being parceled out as legal fees for various areas wherein the priests have finally come to trial. All the while, Pope Benedict washes feet on Holy Thursday with a gold bowl. Somehow, I think Jesus didn't have a gold bowl. The lavish externals of the Vatican are covering up something as vile as the hidden picture in Dorian Gray - the vestments, crosses and gold are hiding something worse than leprosy. Worse than the most vile thing you can imagine. The gold bowls are hiding abuse. The vestments are covering the sins of the Fathers. And the Pope is maintaining a stony silence that does him no good. I realize church processes are not quick. And sometimes there's a reason - for example, when you're discerning a vocation, you want to take time to make sure you're being "called" for the right reasons. And the congregation that accepts you wants to make sure you fit. But there are times that call for swift action. And whenever children are involved, "swift" beats "slow" any time. I can't recall any abuse victim who's finally seen justice ever saying, "I'm glad they took their time and it was 12 (or 15 or 20) years till they finally got around to my case." This will cause an exodus from the pews. And Rome has only itself to blame. You take time when you're praying. You take time in meditation. You don't take time when there are issues of child safety. Ever. No matter who you are.

Beyond Vile...

I'm nearly beyond words. Seriously, you know how bad it is when even I can't figure out what to say. I saw this in Yahoo News: "Westboro Baptist Church, which is based in Kansas, plans to protest in Florida on Wednesday, outside a funeral for a Marine killed in Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan on March 22. "Military funerals have become pagan orgies of idolatrous blasphemy, where they pray to the dunghill gods of Sodom and play taps to a fallen fool," states a press release posted on the church's website, announcing the rally at a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson. At the bottom of the press release are printed the words "Thank God for IEDs," referring to the roadside bombs that have killed thousands of troops in both wars." http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100331/ts_csm/291560 We don't have "hate speech" laws on the Federal books yet. We have the First Amendment. But along with that Amendment, we have a duty to keep the peace and behave like civilized people, particularly in light of a mourning family - and more particularly in light of those who died serving our country. So.........these fools at Freaky Freddie's Church of the Whackos are completely within their rights to protest. They're completely within their rights to hold up signs that say "God Hates Fags and Kills Soldiers." And they're completely within their rights to occupy space at a public place - say a cemetery. Which brings me to be thankful that my dad, a USMC member from the Korean War, is no longer alive. Because we'd have to bail him out, though I'm sure we could and would raise the money to do so. In Freaky Freddie's world, there is apparently no respect for the dead. There's no respect for the God I know... and I'm thinking She's pretty furious with him for taking Her name in vain and using Her as a shield for his reprehensible and utterly amoral, dishonorable, unscrupulous, revolting, repulsive, sordid, nauseating and repellant protests at funerals. Don't get me wrong. I'm thinking that we are not in these wars for the right purpose. But - the fact that we have military members dying over there is alongside the fact of the unjust wars. The military dead have done their duty. They have given their lives. Their families mourn their unfulfilled potential; the fact that they will no longer make their mark in the world; the fact that they leave a hole in the hearts of their loved ones. And nobody -- I mean NOBODY -- has the right to disrupt a funeral. Legally, Freaky Freddie and his sideshow grotesques masquerading as Christians may well have the right to protest; cemeteries are public places. But morally? There I draw a huge line; no, I draw a moat. A moat filled with the most voracious eaters of rotten flesh and corrupted souls, for those are the beasts most likely to enjoy chewing on those horrors who are portraying some version of "human" in its most malformed, distorted and perverted form. What worries me is that someone, someday, will be hurt. I mean shot, or beaten, or otherwise physically harmed. Freaky Freddie will then claim that this is God's justice and claim the victory for his own and that of his bunch of aberrant congregants. And some poor soul who was just aiming to mourn his or her dead in peace will suffer the slings and arrows of a justice system that allows Freddie and his ilk to do this as a sport. My wish is simple. I want Freaky Freddie and his brigade of deviants to dwell for all eternity in Dante's Eight Circle. That's the circle for the fraudulent. It includes Bolge VI, for hypocrites - which fits this bunch perfectly. They thump their Bibles, chant their phrases, hold up their signs and beat their breasts as "perfect Christians," thus making a mockery of the whole concept of Christianity - not to mention totally skewing the Golden Rule. In Bolge VI, the hypocrites' "...outward appearance shines brightly and passes for holiness, but under that show lies the terrible weight of [his] deceit which the soul must bear through all eternity." If the sinner stops walking on the narrow track he is condemned to travel, his "cloak becomes hotter and hotter." According to the notes I referenced, the sinners include televangelists - which is what they've become, the more they get news coverage. Works for me. As far as I'm concerned, they can all turn on the eternal rotisserie. And I'll be happy to cheer them on as they roast.

The First Post-Op Knitting Project is Here!

Well, I've actually completed my first post-op knitting project. It's a simple one, brought to you courtesy of Lily Cotton Yarn:

A sweeper cover. I can't mention the patented name of the product, but for those of you who cringe at filling up landfills with disposable covers, this might be what you're looking for. It's reversible and you can knit it in any color you want.

It would be neat in a basket for a shower with some knitted or crocheted cotton wash cloths, some organic or more "green" cleaners and some knitted, knotted or crocheted scrubbies. If you knew your intended person's kitchen colors, you could coordinate the perfect little package for giving.

I know - silly to be so excited? But I'm happy I've completed it. My fingers are coming back and I think I can get back to work on the Learning Sweater in the next few weeks.

Hopefully, This is True...

In my last entry, I blasted Pope Benedict XVI on his "shelter everyone and protect the collar" stance regarding the pedophile crisis in the Catholic Church. As a follow-up, I need to say that if the article I have just read in Slate (www.slate.com) is correct, then I also stand corrected. Writer Michael Sean Winters posted that Pope B has made some quantum leaps forward in making sure that the priests who did these evil things to children are truly punished under both Canon Law and civil law. In the article, Winters states that the Church in Ireland has been mired in scandal since November 2009. Between 1975 and 2004, there were 46 priests who abused children in the archdiocese of Dublin. Benedict called Ireland's bishops onto the Vatican carpet, so to speak, and last month basically told them that he was going to send a special letter to the Church in Ireland. That letter was released Saturday, March 20, 2010. In it, Benedict began to make amends. I won't quote the whole thing here; look the article up. Suffice to say that he did acknowledge that bad stuff has been going on, he called for an "apostolic visitation" (church-speak for "investigation") and told the bishops that they had to cooperate wtih civil authorities in prosecuting wrongdoing. Finally. He's already accepted resignations from several bishops. The word is now out that if you really want to be in the Church and be a bishop, you'd better not be ignorning claims of abuse. That's a heck of a career-ending move under this Pope. And in - for me at least - a stunning move, in his letter, he directed the following to the victims: "You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry." I may faint. Sorry if I sound snarky, but you have to understand that I live in one diocese with a now-retired bishop who was implicated massively in this scandal and all he said to his parishioners was, "I'm sorry if I didn't take this seriously enough." "IF"??? Really?? Bishop Imesch played chess with priests like a master, moving them to remote parishes nation-wide. I figure he's just about as implicated as Cardinal Law. And while Imesch may not answer to civil authorities for shielding these creeps, he'll eventually answer to God, and I hope She shows him no mercy. God's mercy should be directed toward the victims, and in a small way to those in the pews who've been deceived by our spiritual leaders. I'm willing to own that I may have misjudged on the basis of one article. I sincerely hope Benedict has his act together. If he does, there's hope for the Church. And I'll be happy about being a Catholic once again.

Sad to be Catholic...

It's Lent. It's the season of anticipating Christ's resurrection. But something else - something ugly, evil and perverted - has resurrected itself in the Catholic Church and I'm very sad about it. And I'm also angry. Seems that Pope Benedict has his hands dirty in the pedophile scandal. But his reps are saying he knew "nothing" about reassigning predatory priests. I normally don't paint with a broad brush, but I'm going to do a little bit of that, since I've just learned something in my MBA classes about Hofstede's matrix. Seems that a scientist created a matrix in which he categorized cultural leanings and tendencies, and applied them in a business sense. You have several categories, and one of the most prominent was the amount of control a business has, and how it's organized in regard to a loose or tightly wound hierarchy. Germans, understandably, score VERY high on control. In order to do business in Germany, one needs to be prompt, respect deadlines and know the details of your project or proposal. Down to how many words are IN the proposal. The society is very technically-oriented and business is -- well, business. No wriggle room and no excuses for not doing something well. Sooooooooooo. Pope Benedict was praised by the prior Pontiff as a man who knew his stuff. The question now comes: What did he know about whom and what on earth (or in Heaven) prompted his belief that this would remain hidden? And most importantly: How could he sleep? How could he look himself in the mirror? How could he pray - and expect to be heard by a God we are taught to love, and Whose Son said, "Suffer the little children to come to me." I am disappointed beyond belief. Once again, the boys' club is in full swing. Only the lone voice of an Irish cleric calling for "transparency" in this mess - that's all we've got. Once again, normal pew-jockies like my family will be asked by countless friends, "How do you deal with that in the Church?" And the obvious answer is: "Apparently, we don't." We went through this with our own bishop, and I gave no quarter. I called for his sincere apology in an editorial in the local paper. He issued a "well, if I've offended anyone, I ask forgiveness, but I was working with what I have" kind of apology. To which I respond: Did God not give you a brain? Did God not give you common sense, eyes, ears, and oh - I don't know, some COMPASSION for children? Did you not have brains enough to see that reassignment of predatory priests was wrong on at least 5 levels? Didn't your gut scream at you, "This just isn't right" at least a dozen times? Or were you too worried about your own position? And if you were worried, tossing the blame on the victims was certainly not the Catholic thing to do, buster. Don't be saving your own butt. Get out there, Benedict, and be what you are supposed to be: God's representative on Earth. Because if you ARE doing that, and "The Pope didn't know" is the best your handlers can come up with, then God - and the rest of the faithful - will have been terribly disappointed. The Pope has effectively destroyed a generation of young people. And he's affecting those of us who were coming of age in the 70s because not only did our generation have some victims, but those of us lucky enough to escape the abuse are now in a position where we have to confront our faith and see it for what it is: a faith based on man's rules, and man's proclivities to protect his own. And that doesn't include us. It's a sad picture, and enough to drive many of us from our places in the pews. And the Church has nobody to blame but itself and its hierarchy.

So, go already!

Why is it that the people with a megaphone and billion-dollar contracts are always squealing about supposed "infringements" of their "rights" and threatening to go elsewhere? And why don't they just go, already?? In his latest screech-fest, Rush Limbaugh (go ahead, insert snarky nickname of choice) declared that if the proposed health care reforms passed, he was "going to go live in Costa Rica." So go already. I'll help you pack. Say, Rushie, did you know that Costa Rica has a form of socialized medicine? Yep, they make sure that their citizens have health care available no matter what their economic status. But hey, who's stopping you? Go already. He also says that the Congressional Budget Office, that non-partisan group of bean-counters in Washington, "lie" when they say that the health care reform now proposed is going to decrease our bloated federal deficit. Let's look at that one, too. According to www.cbo.gov, the offical website, the CBO was formed in 1974. And (insert drumroll here) guess who was president then? Gerald Ford. A Republican allowed this blight upon our beloved government. Who in the world would want a non-partisan group of number-crunchers to try to score bills to see how they would affect the Congressional budgetary process? I scoff at such a thing. According to the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov), in a National Health Interview Study published in 2006, here's how it breaks down: 43.6 MILLION Americans are without health care. 36.5 MILLION of them are adults. 6.8 MILLION of them are children. Are we the "Greatest Nation" still? I'm wondering. Because if we, the "Greatest Nation," see no problem in the figures above, what does that say about us? One of the keystones of the plan proposed is that there will be a pool into which people can tap, which basically provides them with the same health care the Congress receives. Yes, there's a poverty waiver. But for people like my brother, who owns his own company, and my friend Sue, who owns her own company, this will provide them a way to tap into insurance for themselves and their employees at a far more economical rate than they can get as "small business owners" now. How is that "socialist" or "communist" or any "-ist" you can think of, other than humanist? We owe it to our grandchidren and our great-grandchildren to reduce the obscenely high deficit. And by doing this one thing, we'll have a two-fer: we'll be insuring that a great percentage of those in the figures cited above will have health care, and will be able to be productive, wage-earning members of society. And we'll reduce the deficit. I'm thinking that's a good thing. Along with Rush leaving. Oh, and take Beck with you, will you?

Three Cups of Tea...

...can change the way you see things with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Greg Mortenson wrote this book with David Oliver Relin - mainly because Mortenson is publicity-shy and doesn't like to talk about himself. Visit www.ikat.org - the Central Asia Institute's website. You need to read this book. He failed to climb K2, but he succeeded beyond anyone's imagination in his ability to educate children in the poorest regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan - yep, right in Taliban-Land. We don't realize how much we take an education for granted. And we don't know how much one person can do (either globally or locally) until we see someone doing it. Mortenson started his school-building initiative on his part-time wages as an ER nurse, and lived on a literal shoestring till he was funded by another climber who was impressed by what he saw Mortenson doing. Educating children. Think about that. Babies are not born KNOWING how to hate or fear. They are TAUGHT that. If you educate the girls, which was forbidden by the Taliban, though the Koran said that women need to be educated - if you educate the girls, the villages will prosper and the next generation will know that peace can only be achieved by educating yourself and your children. Peace can't be achieved at gunpoint. It takes $1 to educate a girl and ONE PENNY to buy a pencil. One penny. That copper coin we're thinking of getting rid of because it's 'bothersome' and 'useless.' Get your schools involved. Get your church involved. Buy the book. Read it. Pass it on. Or donate it to your library, since there are waiting lists to read this. And get yourself involved. Donate to the Central Asia Institute or start a community drive to raise funds. Nobody wants war forever, except the corporations who benefit from the dollars pouring into their coffers. We can teach peace. One school at a time. This book - this man - has proved that.

Regrets...

...like the Frank Sinatra hit, "regrets, I've had a few..." - I'm here to share a major regret. We've all had 'em. Things un-done, un-said, left to either fix themselves or remain broken. I don't think anyone over 40 has had any occasion to say that he or she has lived "exactly" the life that was dreamed of. I know I haven't, and I'm a decade+ over 40. My father-in-law died on Saturday. He had fought a long battle with Parkinson's disease and when we were there to see him in the summer, Hubby was very concerned about him. At that point, we could see deterioration, and frankly - during one lunch, I thought he died. After being rushed to the hospital, we found that he hadn't been able to ingest enough food or liquid, and the difficult decision to put him into a facility where he could receive 24-hour care was made. His wishes weren't in that direction, but I can't see him wanting his lovely wife to have to struggle to take care of him. The kids are far-flung and not always able to be home for long periods of time. We staggered our trips during the summer and all of us did what we could. I'm no good with sick people, so I cooked and cleaned. Not that I'm any great shakes with cleaning, either, but I can weed the garden, cook meals, clean up a kitchen and vacuum. My in-laws are lovely people. They're patient, kind, they accepted me into the family without a single qualm. I've heard so many horror stories about in-laws that I was hesitant. They were far away and didn't meet me till just about the week of the wedding! What would they think? My father-in-law opened his arms to the boys and said, "Come here and hug your Grandpa." Still brings tears to my eyes. He was a mechanic. Worked hard all his life. Provided for a large family on a small income and every one of the kids got a great education and has made something of himself or herself. My regret is simply this. We never spent a lot of time with them. Being 3,000 miles away is one excuse. Money is always another - it costs a lot of money to fly 4 people out west and we only had the kind of jobs where you got 2 weeks vacation if you were lucky. I never spent much time on the phone with them. Heck - I never felt comfortable calling them any particular names! But they accepted me and didn't bat an eye. Regrets are hard. Now, I am going to a funeral for a man who, by all accounts, was a simple guy - the kind of guy my grandpa would have loved. A guy who did what he needed to do to provide for his family and who showed the family that hard work is what you do. He taught more by example than anything else. And I missed it. Because of my own ambivalence, because of distance, because of I-don't-know-what. There will be stories told at the wake and funeral. There's an extensive family history, and there are pictures galore. But I will be sad to know that I barely remember the sound of his voice, and have only a faint knowledge of a guy with a wicked sense of humor and a peace and serenity about him that you don't see all the time. I wish now that I had been less of an idiot. And more of a daughter-in-law. Rest in peace, dear father-in-law.

Kudos for ThinkPads...

You can watch the YouTube video of the "official" drop test for the IBM ThinkPad (now owned by China and called Lenovo) - or you can take my word that the thing DOES work after being dropped. By Quinn. We're sitting in the living room the other night, and all of a sudden, during the Olympics, I hear a holler. I figured it was something I missed on TV. Nope. It was a reaction to Quinn, who'd gotten spooked by something and had dashed out from under the dining room table - across the power cord I had on the floor - and in her dash, she snagged her foot on the power cord and WHAM!! Down came my laptop off the dining room table and right onto the laminate floor. Apparently, the grace of the dash was interrupted by the fact that she couldn't get any traction on the floor. Quinn took off and hid under my chair. I grabbed the computer and Hubby looked at it to see what was going to happen next. Of COURSE, it was booting up at the time she decided to take off. I have a ding in the floor. The battery on the laptop has a little dent in it. And last night, Hubby snapped the keyboard back into place. But it runs. Whew!! Now we know - it's puppy-proof.

Meet Quinn...

...the daughter of the little one we rescued in January. Suffice to say that she's adjusting nicely. She still needs a LOT of socialization. She loves to either sit under my chair or under my desk in the office.

She barks at the hubby and boys. But she's been out for walks and is good on a leash and knows where her crate is. The test will be tonight: will we get any sleep!!

The bottom picture is her under my desk. The other one is her under my chair. It'll be interesting to see if this continues as she grows - because she won't fit under my chair in a month!! Her other favorite spot is alongside and under my legs as I sit in my office chair. I almost feel as if I have to stay in the office more - she's so comfortable I hate to disturb her!

It Really IS a pretty scar...

WARNING: Scar picture at the bottom... But since it's several weeks (6 to be exact) post-op and since I have ELEVEN days till splint removal, I figured I'd show off what my youngest kid calls, "a scar that makes you look like you were in a really awesome knife fight." Yep. It's a boy... Nice to know you have "street cred" with your kids. The oldest boy kind of turns greenish and doesn't want to talk about it or see it. And the only reason I even emphasize it so much is that both boys are guitarists and practice a LOT. Not that they'll have a woman's susceptibility to basilar joint arthritis or the "zig-zag defect" that my doctor says I have on both thumbs, but still. It's too easy as a guitarist, particularly an avid one, to overwork your hand and then have more problems. My surgeon, out of University of Chicago Hospital, is a really top-notch doctor. He did the repair on my right hand (different injury) and he is known for his plastic-surgeon-like incisions. I don't expect a lot of obvious scarring, but I know it won't be easily hidden. I'm using a product called Bio-Oil on it, since I tried Mederma and it kept sticking to the cotton sleeve I wear under the splint. I guess it's time to call and cancel that hand-modeling contract. Drat. I knew I could've made it big... I think the biggest thing will be the scar therapy - at least that's what I'm being told. Right now, the thumb is still numb and for the most part, my left hand is still swollen. I'd love to wear my wedding ring, but the hand swells during the night and after a day spent at the computer (yep, gotta love my job), I get to a point where I can very uncomfortably "feel" the rings, and then I get panicked about being able to get them off! Anyway, both dogs have sniffed and approved; Hubby is willing to help nudge (read: NAG) me during therapy and both boys are marveling at what I can do while using my left index finger as a thumb! And my guitar teacher has already given me grief about the nail polish. I am reminded now of why I don't WEAR nail polish. The upkeep of the dratted fingernails has kept me occupied - seeing as I can't knit, I may as well be a "Foo-foo" girly-girl. Yes, that is my actual fingernail. I can grow them quite nicely, but choose for the most part not to do so. Too much trouble for a person who doesn't wear make-up and has instructed her stylist to give her "Ten Minute Hair."

Dogs on the Run...

So hum the song Band On the Run... and you'll catch the vibe of this picture. Hubby took the girls to the dog park. Seems like Tippi likes to run with River and River's not about to let the "youngster" upstage her! Here, Tippi's on River's blind side. She did that yesterday, too - kind of like she "knew" that being there was a good place. She keeps River from being whacked by stray branches or surprised by other dogs coming up where she can't see them. Hubby has one picture where Tippi's running and you can see the "40 mph" speed limit sign - but all you see of Tippi is a grey blur. I think she exceeded the limit! Of course, both dogs are sprawled in the living room now, having exhausted themselves. I can't wait to get out there with them this weekend to see them do what they do best: run like the wind and totally enjoy being a dog.

Lap of Luxury...

I think it's safe to say that Tippi is settling in.

We have been told it could be somewhere between 6 months and a year before she finally "gets" that this is her forever home. And we're prepared for that. This is truly a situation where, if we could have, we'd have taken the female puppy, too. Wish we didn't have "dog rationing" in our town. You can have 2 dogs or 2 cats, but not "four" of any one species.

Of COURSE there are people that flout that. However - it all kind of depends upon your neighbors and their tolerance level. Elkhounds bark. A lot. Long. Monotone. Frequently at "thin air." And if your neighbors aren't able to deal with that, it does become a problem. In spite of the ordinances against nuisances, it's REALLY aggravating to listen to a dog barking its head off. And I'm one who'd object, so I can't really blame another person for doing so.

And then what? The city comes in and says 'get rid of one.' So do you get rid of the half-blind dog that you've had for years? Or one of the ones you've just rescued, who may FINALLY be feeling that humans aren't so bad after all? Maybe I ought to lobby for "4 of species" so that we could legally take in another dog. Though the vet bills would be something to consider! After all, I can imagine someone having more than 4 cats - particularly if they keep them inside.

Anyway, for now, she's adjusting. If her expression in this picture is anything to go by, then I think she's going to be ok!

February is DONE!

Nope, that's not a typo. Since my hand surgery, I am unable to knit. Soooooooo.... I go back to my needlework "roots" and come back to counted cross stitch. I have this series of snowmen. I've done 3 of them now - and I've managed to start 2 more, but I can't find them. Wow - sounds like 2 or 3 knitting projects I have. But we won't go there.

Here's February. He's on a larger-count fabric - 28 count lugana which works out to be 14 sq/inch. Normally, they're on 32-count linen, which I prefer. But since I didn't have it, this guy will be a different size. He's on a soft peachy-colored fabric, which may or may not show up in this picture. I used antique glass beads for the heart on his chest and 3 of the tiny ones. And no, it's not your eyes. He's crooked, but that's because taking a picture one-handed is a little tricky. Particularly since Tippi and River were interested in what was on the couch (where I set this to photograph it).

I have fabric and batting, so he'll be treated like January's guy (who I can't find!!) - a little strip of pieced work around the outside edges and then a backer fabric. I have a dark-ish red patterend fabric that'll be good for that, as well as a lighter, "candy hearts" type design.

December's snowman is framed in plain red half-round. I may end up asking Hubby to do the same for Mr. March, since my local framers don't seem to carry that anymore, and I want to keep them rustic.

I've already tea-dyed the fabric for March - Mr. Shamrock!

I don't know if any of them will end up at the National Counted Cross Stitch Show, but Hubby says I ought to enter at least one in the "One-handed Stitcher" category!!

A Little Cheese with My "Whine"...

(insert heavy sigh here) OK, so here's what happened in the last 2 months of 2009. I was scheduled for surgery on my left hand for 12/22/09. About a month prior to that, I came down with a doozy of a sinus infection. Which some twinkie at a "minute clinic" (and that's about all she spent talking about MY symptoms - however, I learned in great detail about HER health...) tried to tell me was an "allergy." Well, not unless everyone in my house wears a Persian cat on their heads. And allergy attacks don't produce, in me at least, wracking coughs and post-nasal drip like Niagara Falls... I ended up at my regular clinic 2 days later (I missed Thanksgiving because I wasn't sure WHAT this was, but I did't want to infect my family) and yep - sinus infection. That cleared up. The surgery proceeded. Recovering nicely, thanks. And then my kid gives me a cold. A dripping, hacking, stuffy, blow-my-nose-constantly cold that has me sending my dear hubby out STAT for Puffs with lotion because my nose is a cross between W.C. Fields and Rudolph. No reindeer jokes, please. So I'm on Mucinex, which is a great OTC remedy except for that part where you kind of get wired and can't sleep. Which brings me to my question. WHY do all the antihistamines dry out everything BUT my nose?? I can't blink fast enough to keep my eyes from feeling sandpapery. My throat is a parched patch of land. My EARS even feel dry. My skin is even kind of "lizard-y" (not a good look, let me tell you!). But my nose is as plugged as it can get. (insert another sigh here, followed by a cough) Even "real" Sudafed isn't cutting this. I know - it's a cold. Give it a week or 10 days, stay hydrated (I'm sloshing, already), and rest. Except that the cold meds keep me awake. At least I'm not eating, since I've lost my sense of smell. My neti pot is my best friend lately. So are Halls Naturals, a specific candy called a G-shaft that keeps my tongue from sticking to the roof of my mouth, hot tea, and my 24-oz water bottle. I tried horehound drops. Ick. Spit. Wanted to lick sandpaper to get the taste out of my mouth. Here's another one. The kid that gave me the cold is 26 years old. Can I ground him for that?

Miscellaneous Pictures...

Hopefully, this will work. Top down(this program keeps shuffling the picture order!):

The cross-stitch snowman project I'm working on. Hey, I can't knit for a few more weeks, so I may as well do SOMETHING to keep me out of the Christmas cookies!! I've almost got his body done, and I will work on that tomorrow.

Tippi and River stretched out in the living room. We've since gotten Tippi her own bed, and she's learning some new tricks. River, however, remains ABOVE tricks, thank you. It's enough for her to "be" and enter a room with her personality and dignity intact.

And finally: "Speed Scarf" that I crocheted for my oldest son. He lost his - Heaven knows where - and asked me to do one for him - BEFORE my hand surgery. So here's a weekend scarf, in half-double crochet on a size P hook using chenille yarn. Beggars can't be choosers so he got the colors I had handy. I did it side-to-side, and it takes about 7 rows when you chain about 105 stitches and just go back and forth for a while.

This is what you do with...

...crappy yarn that isn't worth knitting. And when you don't want the knitting gods to smack you for wishing this garbage on an unsuspecting knitter...

I created this little "diorama" if you will in a corner of my office. I bought the yarn thinking it'd be good for chemo caps. It's from Hobby Lobby. It's nasty.

I'm having a knitting withdrawal attack. On December 22, I had an arthroplasty on the basilar joint of my left hand and a fusion on the joint just up from that. I'm in a splint for SIX WEEKS and I'm not allowed to do anything remotely resembling knitting. Or crocheting. But I can cross-stitch, so I set up a little project - monthly-themed snowmen, and I'm working on February. I am almost done with his body; just have to backstitch and then do the beading. The pattern doesn't call for it, but I don't care. It's done in Flower Thread, which is a pain in the butt to work with, but it's lovely when it's done.

As I talk to my knitting friends who are moving along on new projects, all I can do is sigh. Once therapy is done, I'll be all fixed - no pain and hopefully able to do all the things I was having trouble with before. In the meantime, I wound up the crappy yarn and made it LOOK like I was doing something!

Tippi is Home...

Yep. One look at where she was at, and I pretty much told my husband, "If the dog's not nuts, we're taking her out of here!" She and our husky did the "doggie data exchange" (i.e. sniffing personal parts) all night. There was a little bit of "I'm the top dog here" by our husky, and Tippi seems cool with that. I think she's happy. She ate a good dinner tonight and is sprawled out with the husky in the middle of the living room. Twin Tripping Hazards!! Here's a picture of her "guarding the door." Once she's able to consistently respond to "come" she will go with hubby to the dog park. She's getting better at being more responsive to commands, so we have hope that she'll come along just fine. She's a BEEFY little thing: 53 lbs!! She's solid, but still - the vet would like her to lose about 12 lbs or so, and she also thinks that some of it is related to the pups Tippi had about 9 weeks ago. She'll be spayed next month, after some of the swelling has gone down, but the vet said that she's basically healthy. She did well in the office and got herself a pedicure while she was there! It turned out that 01/02/2010 was a special day after all. We're calling it Tippi's New Birthday.

Meet Tippi...

Well. You always think that things happen for a reason. And maybe they do. After we lost our Elkhound, to cancer in early December, we knew we'd have to get another dog. Our husky has been in the doldrums, and we always thought dogs should be in pairs, even when they "own" their own humans!

I contacted a gal from the Norwegian Elkhound Rescue Association. Luckily, Elkhounds are kind of an unusual breed - not very popular, thanks, and rescues are sparse compared to, for example, huskies and mixed breeds.

I expected several weeks at least. We're going to Wisconsin tomorrow to meet Tippi... They say all things happen for a reason. Today is 01/02/2010 - a palindrome date. One maybe endowed with mystical powers, since it's the same forward as it is backwards. And maybe I was meant to contact the rescue coordinator. And maybe Tippi was supposed to be where she was.

And maybe we'll give a lovely dog a forever home.

Obama's Nobel Speech

Whether you agree that he deserves the prize or not, this speech is a great mix of ideals and pragmatic reality. We as a world are getting there, but we have oh-so-far to go. And in our own country, particularly, it seems like we are often pushing cooked spaghetti up a hill with our noses. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34360743/ns/politics-white_house/

An Open Letter to President Obama - from Michael Moore and Me!

Monday, November 30th, 2009 Dear President Obama, Do you really want to be the new “war president”? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do — destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they’ve always heard is true — that all politicians are alike. I simply can’t believe you’re about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn’t so. It is not your job to do what the generals tell you to do. We are a civilian-run government. WE tell the Joint Chiefs what to do, not the other way around. That’s the way General Washington insisted it must be. That’s what President Truman told General MacArthur when MacArthur wanted to invade China. “You’re fired!,” said Truman, and that was that. And you should have fired Gen. McChrystal when he went to the press to preempt you, telling the press what YOU had to do. Let me be blunt: We love our kids in the armed services, but we ****in’ hate these generals, from Westmoreland in Vietnam to, yes, even Colin Powell for lying to the UN with his made-up drawings of WMD (he has since sought redemption). So now you feel backed into a corner. 30 years ago this past Thursday (Thanksgiving) the Soviet generals had a cool idea — “Let’s invade Afghanistan!” Well, that turned out to be the final nail in the USSR coffin. There’s a reason they don’t call Afghanistan the “Garden State” (though they probably should, seeing how the corrupt President Karzai, whom we back, has his brother in the heroin trade raising poppies). Afghanistan’s nickname is the “Graveyard of Empires.” If you don’t believe it, give the British a call. I’d have you call Genghis Khan but I lost his number. I do have Gorbachev’s number though. It’s + 41 22 789 1662. I’m sure he could give you an earful about the historic blunder you’re about to commit. With our economic collapse still in full swing and our precious young men and women being sacrificed on the altar of arrogance and greed, the breakdown of this great civilization we call America will head, full throttle, into oblivion if you become the “war president.” Empires never think the end is near, until the end is here. Empires think that more evil will force the heathens to toe the line — and yet it never works. The heathens usually tear them to shreds. Choose carefully, President Obama. You of all people know that it doesn’t have to be this way. You still have a few hours to listen to your heart, and your own clear thinking. You know that nothing good can come from sending more troops halfway around the world to a place neither you nor they understand, to achieve an objective that neither you nor they understand, in a country that does not want us there. You can feel it in your bones. I know you know that there are LESS than a hundred al-Qaeda left in Afghanistan! A hundred thousand troops trying to crush a hundred guys living in caves? Are you serious? Have you drunk Bush’s Kool-Aid? I refuse to believe it. Your potential decision to expand the war (while saying that you’re doing it so you can “end the war”) will do more to set your legacy in stone than any of the great things you’ve said and done in your first year. One more throwing a bone from you to the Republicans and the coalition of the hopeful and the hopeless may be gone — and this nation will be back in the hands of the haters quicker than you can shout “tea bag!” Choose carefully, Mr. President. Your corporate backers are going to abandon you as soon as it is clear you are a one-term president and that the nation will be safely back in the hands of the usual idiots who do their bidding. That could be Wednesday morning. We the people still love you. We the people still have a sliver of hope. But we the people can’t take it anymore. We can’t take your caving in, over and over, when we elected you by a big, wide margin of millions to get in there and get the job done. What part of “landslide victory” don’t you understand? Don’t be deceived into thinking that sending a few more troops into Afghanistan will make a difference, or earn you the respect of the haters. They will not stop until this country is torn asunder and every last dollar is extracted from the poor and soon-to-be poor. You could send a million troops over there and the crazy Right still wouldn’t be happy. You would still be the victim of their incessant venom on hate radio and television because no matter what you do, you can’t change the one thing about yourself that sends them over the edge. The haters were not the ones who elected you, and they can’t be won over by abandoning the rest of us. President Obama, it’s time to come home. Ask your neighbors in Chicago and the parents of the young men and women doing the fighting and dying if they want more billions and more troops sent to Afghanistan. Do you think they will say, “No, we don’t need health care, we don’t need jobs, we don’t need homes. You go on ahead, Mr. President, and send our wealth and our sons and daughters overseas, ’cause we don’t need them, either.” What would Martin Luther King, Jr. do? What would your grandmother do? Not send more poor people to kill other poor people who pose no threat to them, that’s what they’d do. Not spend billions and trillions to wage war while American children are sleeping on the streets and standing in bread lines. All of us that voted and prayed for you and cried the night of your victory have endured an Orwellian hell of eight years of crimes committed in our name: torture, rendition, suspension of the bill of rights, invading nations who had not attacked us, blowing up neighborhoods that Saddam “might” be in (but never was), slaughtering wedding parties in Afghanistan. We watched as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians were slaughtered and tens of thousands of our brave young men and women were killed, maimed, or endured mental anguish — the full terror of which we scarcely know. When we elected you we didn’t expect miracles. We didn’t even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn’t even function as a nation and never, ever has. Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God’s sake, stop. Tonight we still have hope. Tomorrow, we shall see. The ball is in your court. You DON’T have to do this. You can be a profile in courage. You can be your mother’s son. We’re counting on you. Yours, Michael Moore MMFlint@aol.com MichaelMoore.com and River in IL P.S. There’s still time to have your voice heard. Call the White House at 202-456-1111 or email the President.

Knitting Indulgence

So the Learning Sweater is progressing nicely IN SPITE of having to RIP OUT 6 1/2" last Friday. Counting is important in knitting. When it says "repeat 8 times" it doesn't mean FOUR KNITS AND FOUR PURLS. It means EIGHT OF EACH. Oy. Rookie mistake, but easily fixed! Sooooooooooo. While at the LYS, there's a sale. Yep, Danger Will Robinson territory. Pictured is the Jordana Paige bag I couldn't resist. I have to change it over to use for the holidays, and I can't wait to see how it all fits together. It's for smaller projects. Honestly, I looked at the larger ones, but all I'd do is stuff it with "other stuff" and I don't usually bring larger projects along when I'm waiting or the like. I love the bright green, not because I like the color, but because you can see the contents of your bag! A thinking knitter's bag to be sure. Check out http://www.jordanapaige.com/ for more of her designs. I've eyeballed them in magazines, but this is the first time I've been able to actually fiddle with one to see if I'd like it. Heck, it's going to be a great PURSE period. You can pull up the handles to make it more of a shoulder bag or keep it as a "hand" bag. And our Knitsters group is having a "notions" exchange in February. What a great idea - first of all, to wait till after the holidays and do something in February, which is usually the slow month for us all, and kind of grim weather-wise. And notions? Who doesn't need another tape measure, stitch markers, etc.? The bag is probably my biggest indulgence (well, except for that silk yarn in my stash...). Once in a while, you get to a point where knitting out of a recyclable grocery bag just doesn't cut it.

It's Old Enough to be Vintage...

OK, so I take a while to finish a project. This pillow was done in crewel work - by me - in the late 70s. I was never sure what I was going to do with it, so I stuck it in a box.

Needless to say, I used a metal hoop, and it's been through at least 4 moves. It's amazing I still have it!!

And I finally finished it into a pillow. It's not pretty, but I figure at this advanced age, I can claim "vintage."

It's sitting on my favorite chair, the one where I normally do my knitting, etc. I may end up putting it on the bed because even though that's "my" chair, Kid @2 and I share it! But he can't have my vintage pillow!

The Learning Sweater...

OK, so here's what I'm learning about sweater knitting: (a) I'm not a fast knitter; (b) there are a LOT of stitches!!; (c) circular needles make the process MUCH less painful and quite a bit faster, even if you're a slow knitter.

The yarn? Well, it's a cotton blend. Cascade Yarns Sierra, which is 80% pima cotton and 20% merino wool. Color # 22. It's one of those yarns that's basically a "3-season" yarn. The sweater is a simple pullover. I did a rice stitch band at the bottom instead of a K2P2 ribbing. I want it more "tunic" than "stuck to my hips." I love the blue color; it'll go with everything from khakis to jeans to tailored pants. There are 2 images: the overall front and then a close-up of the band. I want to do the collar and cuffs in the rice stitch as well, and I think I can do the cuffs by changing to a smaller needle - not sacrificing "stretch" for the overall pattern.

Every Knitter Knows...

That there are certain "stash-worthy" yarns that you MUST have. Particularly if they're on clearance or on sale. Pictured is my most recent find. On our KnitWits Unite thread at Weight Watchers, one of our posters has all of us hooked on a scarf that uses 4 skeins of Noro. Well. Anyone who knows fiber knows that Noro is certainly a premier hand-painted yarn. I wasn't going to go forward with this project. Seriously. Stop laughing. I have a Finance final to study for; I have my Learning Sweater I'm working on. I haven't finished my eyeglass case. I have the ribbed shell in a butter yellow that I've just got about 3" of the back done. I have 2 baby afghans in mid-stream (and 2 gals with grandbabies awaiting those afghans). I have S.A.B.L.E. (Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy)... But I fell into the Fiber Hole. It was on clearance at Jimmy Bean's (www.jimmybeanswool.com). Seven bucks a hank. I got Noro #2 and Noro #5. According to our poster, we're supposed to use "really different" tones or colors on this scarf, and they blend in typical Noro fashion to create something yummy. This scarf ought to be nice; as you can see, the yarns are a combination of bold jewel tones and subtle earth tones. They are in a similar color family, but I think the combo of bold and tame will be interesting. As it progresses (a/k/a "When I get to it") I'll show pictures. Gotta love stash. It's comfort food for knitters with no calories.

Moment of Inspiration

I had to give a "reflection" at a meeting today. Here's what I chose. And here's why I chose it. A number of years back, I met, at a networking event, a woman named Bea Young. She did show us her driver's license to prove that. She was a yogini (female yoga practitioner) and was in her 70s at the time. She had the posture and presence of a queen, and she attributed that to daily yoga and daily rollerblading... The poem is by Dawna Markova. I have no title for this. Here it is:

I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open men,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible;

to loosen my heart until

it becomes a wing,

a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance,

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom,

and that which

came to me as blossom

goes on as fruit.

Unfortunately...

President Jimmy Carter is right. And that makes me sad. He's just been speaking about what most of us knew as a reality. The rage against Obama isn't just because he's a Democrat, or he's proposing something "out of the box" in the health care reform debacle. It's because there are more people who are racist. And they're becoming more open in that racism. And the reason I stated "more people who are racist" is because it's now pretty much "out of the closet" and almost (sadly) a badge of honor. You're a "patriot" if you oppose this president. And if you happen to not like the color of his skin, that's ok. It's even encouraged in a sub rosa way. "We won't mind...." This is so wrong on many levels. And it ties in to the whole "tote your rod" thing where the gun-happy crazies are bringing loaded weapons to Obama appearances. People. Here's a radical idea: Read about what it would ACTUALLY take for any president to overturn the 2nd Amendment. It's not like you wake up one day and say, "Hmmmmmm. It's Wednesday. I think I'll outlaw guns across the nation." Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. That can't happen. He's not a king. He's not a Czar. He's not a President-for-Life. We have considerable rights in this country, in spite of what the past president tried to take away. Along with those rights comes an enormous responsibility: the responsibility of educating ourselves about how our system was formed, how it works and how we can help make it better. Toting guns, acting and speaking in a racist manner, intimidating and shouting down those with whom you disagree - those are not things that will help make our country better. They show the ugly underbelly of this country. I was hoping for better.

Open Letter to Joe Wilson

I tried a couple of times to post this to Mr. Wilson's website, and it's crashed. And his chief of staff's e-mail isn't working. Hmmmmmmm. Conspiracy??? ******************************** I always thought that Southern gentlemen had better manners. I lived in Virginia for quite some time, and for the most part, found that that cultural stereotype held. However in this case, Mr. Wilson, you have blasted that concept into the stratosphere. Of all the rude, inconsiderate, boorish, dim-witted, inane, juvenile and despicable things! To insult a sitting President? Was it just because you figured you could "get away with it" because Obama is black? The white Southern gentleman yelling at an inconsiderate "nigra"??? You have not only gone beyond the pale, you’ve leaped over into an area of incivility which is sadly indicative of your entire party’s current agenda. If you want to foment hate and discontent, you’ve certainly whacked at this with a broad sword and have once again hit your target market of stupid lemmings willing to believe that THEY are the only “true” Americans because you’ve told them so, removing the thinking part of their brains in the process. I suppose that if a DEMOCRAT had done that, the entire body of Republicans would have been calling for his soft squishy parts. Because “insulting the President” is un-American… but not if he’s a first-term Democrat only 7 months into his job. And particularly not if he’s asking you to do something human and be REAL Americans. And ESPECIALLY if he’s biracial. Instead, you act as if you are a bunch of screeching harpies who want the man assassinated. Which certainly sounds like what you’re hoping. And then you’ll all stand back and say, “Wow. We didn’t intend for that to happen. That’s a shame.” Hypocritical sore losers. That’s exactly what you and your entire party are. You people need to get your severe rectal-cranial inversion fixed. And, Mr. Wilson, you need to have your mouth washed out with soap.

Just so we're all on the same page...

I thought that I'd clarify a lot of the stuff being flung about at town hall meetings and in the blogosphere. Courtesy of The American Heritage Desk Dictionary, here are some handy references when you read about or hear some terms being used. Or if you choose to use them yourself, please do us all a favor and make sure you use the terms correctly. Communist: a member of a Communist Party. A person who believes in or advocates communism. communism: any social system characterized by the absence of classes and by common ownership of the means of production and common sharing of labor and products. fascism: a political philosophy of the extreme right, marked by strict government control of the economy, nationalism, and suppression of all opposition. Nazi:a member of a fascist party founded in Germany in 1919 and brought to power in 1933 under Adolf Hitler. Short for Nationalsozialist. Nazism: the doctrine and policy of the Nazis, including state control of the economy, racist nationalism, and national expansion. socialism: a doctrine or movement calling for public ownership of factories and other means of production. A social system that practices this doctrine. In Marxist-Leninist theory, the stage of society between capitalism and communism. Socialist: a member of a socialist party. Sooooooooo. From this we can draw some parallels and we can also see some freaks of logic (meaning, some parallels that defy logic). Folks who call the Democrats Nazi socialists are obviously confused. The two systems are polar opposites. Folks who call the Democrats fascists are obviously confused. And most likely to be Republicans - the more conservative of whom are actually closer to fascism than the Democrats. Folks who say that the plan(s) - because there are what? Five of them floating around - to "socialize" our health care are obviously confused because socialism advocates ownership, and if there's a public option as proposed in at least one of the plans floating around, there's no socialism. There's choice. For those who continue to bandy these often-misunderstood phrases around, I hope that by providing this compendium of definitions, I have helped clarify your thoughts. You may now return to your regular programming - which, by the way, can be improved by using your own brain and thinking instead of swallowing talking points.

Let's Try a Little Common Sense...

It probably won't hurt too much. Here's a clip of an op/ed piece by Roger Ebert, a man who knows whereof he speaks. I've cited the entire article for you - and you should read it. Do you know what the "public option" is? It would be the establishment of a federal fund to provide health insurance for those who cannot afford it or qualify for it. I have the feeling that if Jay Leno went Jaywalking among the protesters at a town hall meeting, even among those holding signs opposing the public option, he would find few able to define the term. If you lack insurance coverage, are you opposed to the public option? If your premiums have increased so much that you can't afford them, do you oppose it? If you have a "preexisting condition" that disqualifies you from insurance, do you oppose it? If it would provide you with equivalent insurance at a lower cost, do you oppose it? Most Americans, even those angry people at town hall meetings, now approve of MediCare. The public option would essentially make a system like MediCare available to the general population. Would it replace private health insurance? Not at all. It would provide an option. Who opposes it? Do the math. The insurance companies do. It would provide price competition for their extremely profitable businesses. Price competition. It's the capitalist way. Besides insurance companies, who else opposes it? The unwavering opponents of all things Obama. Having arrived at a qualifying age thanks to the love and care of my wife and doctors, I am writing this as the beneficiary of the excellent heath care my insurance plan covered (until my illness exhausted its provisions). I am now covered under MediCare. I continue to get the same treatment as before--and as, for that matter, all members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives do, no matter what their age or political party. You should try it sometime. Here's the complete link: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/08/death_panels_an_excellent_phra.html#more In the overwhelming din of the crazies howling their talking points (or should that be "shreiking points"??), let's use a little common sense. Let's use the things our Creator gave us: our brains and our ears and our sense of logic. We are a great nation. We don't provide what other nations do. Why? Greed? Lack of respect for our fellow citizens? Lack of basic humanity? None of those things seems palatable to me.

Dickens was right...

I'm reading Charles Dickens' wicked-smart satire on poverty, riches and imprisonment, Little Dorrit. I confess it was because we caught an episode on PBS. Dickens also makes some very pertinent allusions to government. And what strikes me is how close they are to home right now! For example, there's this passage: "But, Precedent and Precipitate were, under all circumstances, the well-matched pair of battle-horses of this able Circumlocutionist. No matter that the unhappy honorable gentleman had been trying in vain, for twenty-five years, to precipitate William Barnacle into this - William Barnacle still put it to the House, and (at second-hand or so) to the country, whether he was to be precipitated into this. No matter that it was utterly irreconcileable with the nature of things and course of events, that the wretched honorable gentleman could possibly produce a Precedent for this - William Barnacle would nevertheless thank the honorable gentleman for that ironical cheer, and would close with him upon that issue, and would tell him to his teeth that there was NO Precedent for this. It might perhaps have been objected that the William Barnacle wisdom was not high wisdom, or the earth it bamboozled would never have been made, or, if made in a rash mistake, would have remained blank mad. But, Precedent and Precipitate together frightened all objection out of most people." (Little Dorrit, p. 427-428) Change "William Barnacle" to "Republicans" and you have the current uproar over health care reform. Republicans continue to tell us - using their usual tactics of Fear and Smear - that if health care is truly "reformed" that that's code for "socialized medicine" and "government run medicine." Hearken back to Ronald Reagan with Medicare reform wherein he posited that "one day, doctors will no longer be allowed to live in your town." An early example of "If you can't convince them with truth, baffle 'em with bull...." I'm happy to see that some Democrats are coming to their senses. The government already runs several healthcare programs: the program for active duty military; Medicaid; Medicare; the VA. And in many cases, the people who use these programs are just fine. Of course, there are problems. I don't believe it's endemic to the government running the program. It's endemic to PEOPLE being involved. What's wrong is that in this country, we have 47 million uninsured Americans. What's wrong is that according to the World Health Organization, we rank 37th in the world for health care. Columbia is above us. That should make every flag-waving Republican proud. A nation known to "disappear" people, murder missionaries, kill at random in vicious turf wars of drug lords. They're a couple notches higher than we are in health care. I would urge you to THINK. I would urge you to RESEARCH. And I would urge you to not swallow the "truth" as you read it until you've looked at it from a couple of different directions.

Open Letter to the President...

I am terrifically disappointed in you, Mr. President. Where is that dedication to change that you preached during your campaign? Your campaign was the first one I've been really involved in. Your campaign gave me hope that someone, somewhere, actually had a SHOT at getting change to happen in institutionalized Washington. Do you read the e-mails you get? Does anyone on your staff point them out to you? Because if you did - and if you were aware of what your supporters want - you wouldn't even entertain the possibility of removing the public option from your healthcare platform. Why do you back down? Why do you let people sway you? I can fully understand the idea of changing your mind. That means that you have the capability to think and consider. However, you must know - really, think about this: The Republicans wouldn't vote for this bill if it came engraved in gold with God's signature on it. No matter WHAT you cave in with, they won't vote for it. They are waiting to see you fall on your rear end. Publicly, and instantly. Please do not back down. We need the public option. If only 1% of the American public takes advantage of that public option, it's still a win/win because that's 1% more of the American public who can afford insurance. Don't let the (R) party dictate to you - because that's not how or why you were elected. You were elected to bring change. More change than just your color or your background. You say you can implement change. Do so. Don't back down. Don't compromise with people who have no intention of holding the good of the American people in their hearts. And people who are determined that you fail at all costs. Please. Listen to those of us who elected you. Put the public option back on the table. The Republicans won't vote for your plan anyway. So do something for the rest of us.

We're Already Rationed

I have a friend who has a better insurance plan than I do. She's very overweight and has a host of problems associated therewith, including rampant diabetes. Her primary care physician, after much discussion, recommended bariatric surgery. Her excellent insurance company denied payment. Because she was "non-compliant" with several weight-loss programs. And because she was (wait for it...) "overweight and had food issues." Really? Say it ain't so. I have another friend who has Sjogren's Syndrome - it's an autoimmune disease in the arthritis family whereby all your "moisture producing" glands dry up. She has chronic dry-eye, produces nearly no saliva and doesn't sweat even on the hottest days. HER insurance company denied her Sjogren's meds because they weren't in the formulary they prescribe out of, and they weren't sure that what she had was "really" a disease. I have gone from an excellent insurance company to a sub-par insurance company, because of a change in my husband's job. I am on an anti-seizure medicine that costs about $1100/month. My insurance company has stated that I must begin paying for my neurologist because she's not in the plan. And she won't sign up to be in that plan because this is a sub-par company. One of our local hospitals SUED this company because its "reasonable and customary" costs for procedures were so out of line with Medicare, which is the baseline for these charges. The company that submitted those "reasonable and customary" costs was said to be independent. But (wait for it...) it turns out that it's OWNED by the sub-par insurance company. That company is under investigation by the State of New York as we speak - for conflict of interest and price-fixing. My sub-par insurance company switched me to a generic for my seizure meds. They don't work as well. But, the insurance company says, I can get the brand-name. If I pay the extra cost - they'll kick in the $17 that the generic costs, leaving me with $1083 to pay out of pocket each month. What's my point? The wingnuts are all screaming about "rationing." You've just read about 3 cases of rationing with regular insurance companies. And we pay a hefty price for these insurance policies. And they routinely deny care. And for those who say that they want government out of their health care, I have news for you. If you are of a certain age and eligible for Medicare, you are IN a government-sponsored and government-funded (you can thank me anytime, if you are so inclined) insurance program. I'm paying for you. My kids are paying for you. My husband is paying for you. So when would you like to cancel that Medicare policy and go purchase insurance? You can't afford it, you say? You're a senior citizen or on disability and have limited income? Welcome to the world of many other Americans. Take your government-sponsored and government-funded insurance and be glad in it. Count yourself lucky. You're not in the "donut-hole" where you might have been laid off prior to being eligible and you can't afford COBRA payments. You might be a spouse who's younger than your mate - and he or she has Medicare, but you don't and you're now without insurance with several years to go before eligibility. You can try finding a free clinic or a health department clinic. But the waiting lists are long and while they do their best, there's only so much you can do with limited funds and charitable donations. Be reasonable. There are no "death panels" or committees that will determine your health care based on your productivity. I realize that at some point, some northern indigenous tribes used to set their elders afloat on an ice floe - but we don't do that here. Be reasonable. Read the bill. Contact your representatives. Attend a meeting, with NO preconceptions, and an OPEN mind and listen. Don't let your brain be coopted by nutjobs out to disrupt anything and everything. Volume of the argument doesn't make it correct. Inciting people to riot is a crime. Disrupting the democratic process is un-American. We need a universal health care option so that I'm sure my mom is taken care of. I'm sure my kids are taken care of (they're young men, not yet working in jobs that supply health care, but too old to be covered under our care). To make sure that my mother-in-law and father-in-law are taken care of. We need reasonable discussion. Not disruption. Not fear. Not anger. Not hate. Those are un-American and irrational responses to a very American problem: How to help those who need our help.

A Heavenly Fox Trot

I have a vision of two people, reunited after a long absence, greeting each other with open arms. And immediately beginning a graceful, floating fox trot. Yesterday, after a major stroke last Thursday, my Grandma passed away just before 6 p.m. I am sad that she's not here, but in truth, because of various illnesses, she wasn't "here" for the past year at least. She wasn't the woman I want to remember. So I shall keep my memories in my head and in my heart. Every stitch I take in a crochet project; every roski I make; every pecan nut cup that comes out of my oven this Christmas; every time I try to duplicate her chicken and rice... those are the times where I'll remember my Grandma. There'll be an African Violet on my desk in the next few days. She taught me about those, too. They were always blooming in her house. Rest in peace, Grandma. I hope you and Grandpa have a lovely reunion.