Good Dogs

Arrived home yesterday to a cacophony of barking dogs.  None of them were mine, who were all resting comfortably and quietly in their favorite places on the sofa.  Such a change from last year when at least one and usually two of them were jumping and barking at pretty much every sound or flash of light. 

Good Dogs are much easier to live with.

December birthdays

Tomorrow would have been my father's 100th birthday.  Mother was always concerned that he got cheated with a birthday so close to Christmas, so I send my Happy Birthday wishes to all whose birthdays are around this time.  I always got him two presents at Christmas, one of which was always a tie.  He was buried in one of those ties nearly eight years ago.  How quickly time goes. 

Highlights of the trip to Phoenix

For about the last 40 miles or so of my escape from Minnesota, I met scattered slippery places, many of which were significant and white knuckle producing.  All went well then until entering New Mexico, where a mix of sleet and snow began to fall.  An early stop in Tucumcari, where I almost stayed two nights, kept me from running into the really bad roads west of there.  Left there about noon the next day and had no trouble getting to and through Albuquerque, from where I headed straight south.  A longer (much longer) route down almost to Las Cruces, NM, that was well worth the time.  Even if it didn't save me white knuckle driving in the mountains around Flagstaff, it provided me with the most spectacular and beautiful sunset I've ever seen, and an equally lovely, though more subdued, sunrise the next morning.  As for the roads out of Flagstaff, I felt that if they were slippery, going off the road on a mountain would be terrifying.  As I recall, the roads around mountains have ditches that are much, much deeper than the ditches along the midwestern highways which are my normal venue.

Arrived safe and sound in Phoenix on Saturday, the 19th.  Have had a lovely Christmas with family, have attended the Lessons and Carols Service at my church, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, and have sung Christmas Eve service with the choir there.  I was so touched that the director, having organized the choir music, had already designated folder number 16 for me.  It is nice to belong and especially nice to belong to a choir.

Adjusting to our loss

It's been a little over a month, and we are adjusting.  The "kids", as I call my now four remaining Boston Terriers, have begun to spend more time on my lap when I'm reading or watching TV - or even when I'm at the computer.  They have stopped looking for Bertie and the Princess both in Minneapolis and here in Phoenix.  My older dogs were from the first litter of puppies I bred.  Their mother was my dear "Bonnie", and as with all puppies born then and thereafter, I was there to hold them from the moment they were born (by C Section).  I intended to be there at the end as well, and I was.
 
To review for those who haven't heard the full story, my oldest dogs died within 48 hours of each other on the 21st and 23rd of November.  Bertie had been in failing health for months. I had always said that the first time Bertie refuses to eat his meal it will mean that he is ready to go.  Sure enough, the first meal he would not eat was on the 20th, the night before he died.  In the night he began to have seizures, and I knew I'd have to take him in to be euthanized the next day.  Problem was that the sidewalks and streets that morning were sheet ice.  I couldn't even get to my car, let alone carry Bertie out and take him anywhere at all.  From the moment we arose, I was close and watching him so that every time he had a seizure, I would pet him and say soothing things.  At about 9:30 a.m., in the middle of one of these, his heart stopped and he was at peace.  All the other dogs, including Princess of course, saw him and knew he was gone.

That's when the grieving began.  The first to lose her breakfast was my young Lily - the dog I swear was born with an old soul.  She is so empathetic and loving, I can't help but think her great grandmother, Bonnie, has returned in Lily's body.  All day she stood around or sat quietly in a state of blank melancholy.  By the 22nd, Lily was no longer losing her food, but Princess and Vickie did.  They had the same symptoms as Lily had had the day before, except Princess did not improve.  She continued throughout the day to heave and by late afternoon she was stumbling and getting too weak to stand.  By bed time it was obvious I would need to take her into the vet the next day.

Princess, though not suffering any known life threatening condition, had only one eye, which was blind with a combination of edema and cataract, and she could no longer hear.  In addition she had developed vestibular syndrome two months before and was prone to walk in circles and bump things, although she had learned how to find her way in from outdoors and to find the water dish and her home crate.  I so admired her  spunk.  But the loss of her litter mate and brother, Bert, was too much for her.  The night of the 22nd (my 72nd birthday, by the way) I put her into bed beside me and awoke each time she heaved.  Then, suddenly at 2:15 a.m. she had a seizure.  I immediately got up and dressed, warmed up the car and took her into the Emergency Vet to be euthanized.  She was ready to go, and there was no need for her to go through a night of seizures.  She died in my arms with her head on my chest.

Both Princess and Bertie were 14 years old.  They had been together since their conception.  In the months before they died Lily the "old soul" had insisted on being with Princess when she was kenneled.  But even more significantly, in his final weeks, Bertie had come to demand to be in the kennel with Princess.  It seems to me that these three dogs all knew this was coming.

Vickie, the third dog to grieve hard, is the oldest in the family now.  She has taken awhile to get over her melancholy and begin to take an interest in life around her.  Gracie and YoYo took it more in stride, but were a little lost and confused for a time, as the household routine changed, and the old ones disappeared.

Now why would I ever want to live in Arizona?

See how lovely is the Minnesota White Christmas!  NOT!!!!!

Anxiety or Grief

Anxiety has ruled my summer this year - unavoidable, but real.  Now that my two older dogs have left this earthly life, the anxiety has ended.  This is good and, since they lived full lives and died in my arms and in peace, it is also good for my Bertie and my Princess.  The remaining dogs are getting comfortable in their new routine. 
Life is easier, but for the grief - that feeling that something important is missing from my day to day life.  This too is passing, as time is a healer.  Now my anxiety centers on getting ready for my annual drive to the Southwest. 
I can't wait to get out of the cold and snow.  And I used to be so hardy too.
Now if only I could take all my friends along with me to Phoenix, I would be pretty content.  Still, new people to meet and befriend in Phoenix, and, of course, there's also my wonderful family there.

Shoveling

In former days I would never shovel until it had stopped snowing.  Today I have shoveled at least four times already - hoping I get it up before it is too heavy to lift.  Mostly though I do it for the kids.  The two old guys really need some help getting out and getting it done.  The younger ones are so spoiled they have to be urged to do what's right and proper.  My life revolves around their idiosyncracies and needs.  And there's not much else that has to be done to keep me from simply curling up and watching the snow fall.  All that shoveling and I'm already too tired to read without falling asleep.

Winter Exercise

I get my winter exercise by shoveling the walk.  The kids get theirs with a knotted sock.  What do YOU do with your old socks?

Could have been much worse

I fell on my face today - straight down on an unyielding sidewalk after tripping over a bump.  I didn't fall on my nose, thus it is not injured or flattened or twisted.  I did not fall in a way that will produce black eyes, thus I will still be able to appear in public regularly.  I fell on my right upper cheek (the one on my face, which sadly is not as well padded as the others), which of course you would know because I already said I had fallen on my face.

Injuries are all inside the right side of my "big mouth", which will not impair my using it to entertain you with all the details of this sordid tail; however, this injury will seriously interfere with my eating and, probably, my drinking.  I am leaving now to stock up on Instant Breakfast type drinks.  I just ate a little cheese and a little peanut butter on bread - and it hurt to chew. 

I blame my mother and the last physical therapist I was treated by.  Both admonished me to keep my head up and shoulders back, which makes it hard to see the hazards on the ground.  Probably, it was my own fault as well.  Sigh!!!

Oddities in Robbinsdale

New Iris picture of the bloom that arrived on October 1st and one that still is trying to emerge.  I use the picture to verify this strange phenomenom. 

Seems to be a really low budget campaign going on in my neighborhood, specifically along a couple blocks of the drive.  Haven't yet taken the time to find out who "Kitten" is, whether it is someone's name, or a description of the kind of person someone is supporting for sheriff.  Of course, chalk messages on the sidewalk are cheaper than billboards, but rather useless when they are ambiguous.  I think I'll write in "Dog".

Blessed pets

As we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis at a Morning Prayer service tomorrow, it seems timely to recall the following event that occurred earlier this year. 

"A Canadian priest's decision to give a mutt a communion wafer has some Christians panting with fury"  It seems that St. Peter's Anglican Church in Toronto, long known as an open and inclusive place, doesn't even turn away a dog at the communion altar.  "That’s how a blessed canine ended up receiving communion from interim priest Rev. Marguerite Rea during a morning service the last Sunday in June.  According to those in attendance at the historical church . . . in downtown Toronto, it was a spontaneous gesture, one intended to make both the dog and its owner – a first timer at the church — feel welcomed. But at least one parishioner saw the act as an affront to the rules and regulations of the Anglican Church. . . . "  The Week, July 29, 2010. 

While I am, as you know, a dog lover, I can see that this may have taken dog loving a little far, but creating a theological crisis over it does seem extreme.  After all, "all creatures great and small" are God's creations.  We announce each Sunday at my parish, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Lake of the Isles, that "All are Welcome at Christ's table."  Probably that will not come to mean "all creatures are welcome at Christ's table."

Flooding in the park

We in Robbinsdale were not flooded in the recent storms, at least not in my part of town, yet I noticed on our walk this morning that a large flock of, hopefully, migrating geese was swimming in the middle of  Sanborn Park.  Sanborn Park does not usually have a lake in the middle of it. 

That home down the block is apparently still not getting any of the frequent rain, as I see they watered their lawn today, as they have been doing every day all spring and summer.  Yes, their lawn is lush and green, as is every other lawn in the neighborhood.  I think they may be trying to establish a rain forest, except they're  only growing and regularly mowing grass and a few of the usual annuals.  Looks nice though. 

Geriatric Challenges

She is stone deaf, missing an eye, almost totally blind in the other, has a floppy ear and now she walks in circles, staggers and stumbles, bumps things and holds her head at an angle.  It is very confusing for her and, though occasionally amusing, is also another dog lesson for me.  On the positive side, she is eating heartily, is  happy to go for a walk and is overcoming her infirmity amazingly well.  She doesn't even care if she looks a bit funny.  Most positive of all, she has a condition from which she will recover, called "old dog vestibular syndrome", although her head will always tilt, as it now does, to the left.  She's already walking in a straight line much of the time. 

Dogs teach us many things, not the least of which is that with advancing age, stuff happens.  Dogs just adjust and handle these things.  I wonder whether, as I age, I will be able to accept and adjust as well.  If Princess were a "people", she'd be in a "home", sitting in her wheel chair with head tilted and probably drooling.  Should that happen to me, I hope someone will come and visit me anyway and, hopefully, remember, as I do with my Princess, the happy days when I ran through the fields with her, jumping, climbing and tunneling just as fast as she could go. 

My Lily is being Spayed today

My Lily Anne is being spayed today.  That means, among other things, that she couldn't have anything to eat after 6 p.m. last evening, and she had to be at the "hospital" by 8 a.m.  Lots of traffic between 7:30 and 8 a.m. on Monday mornings, but I wasn't going where they were, so I whizzed right by them.  Perhaps whizzed is not a good word to use, and it probably wouldn't help if I qualified it saying I whizzed by them in my car. 

On my way I again mused that this really is a lousy way to spend a good part of one's life - this thing strangely called "rush hour" driving.  In many places it's more like "creeping hour".  I also mused on a sign offering VM Training.  Voice Mail training?  Very Mild training?  Vine Management training?  Obviously the letters mean something to someone.

Back home I noticed in an article on "clothes with super powers" in today's StarTribune the discription of a suit that wicks away sweat.  It said the sweat "beads up and rolls away".  Egad!  Do you suppose on our hot summer days the person wearing this suit will arrive at work with water dripping out is pant legs and into his shoes?  Wouldn't that be hard to explain? 

So after today my Lily will officially be "just a pet" and there will be no more puppies born in my household.  Just one more indication, six dogs notwithstanding, I am NOT a pet hoarder.  Furthermore, I also clean my house regularly. 

Where have I been?

I really have no idea, but for several weeks I have not been inspired to share my life with others, which is perhaps a very good thing for all involved.  I have been pretty much where I was supposed to be most of the time, physically anyway.

I am now making lists of things to do on the task section of my new version of Outlook, which is on my new computer, which I have because my previous computer died after a few days of its having trouble waking up in the mornings.

I have made a detailed list of things I need to do.  I check it in the morning to decide what I will do that day and in the afternoon I cross off the several things I have done that day.  Stress reduction and reward works.  Day before yesterday, for example, I cleaned the downstairs bathroom,  edited my list which had read "clean bathrooms" to read "clean upstairs bathroom" and "clean downstairs bathroom," which I could immediately cross off as "done".  Yesterday I attached my new license plate tabs and crossed that off my list.  So satisfying.  Clearly, this is not a life filled with overwhelming projects to be accomplished.

Curious

Business.  Move your right hand a little to the right and you get bisomess.  No deep philosophical discussions for me today.

Ad for Kashi

Just again saw ad where Kashi clumps are inserted in egg cartons to let you know you can eat it instead of an egg to get your protein.  Ok, BUT, I eat an egg because I like an egg, so why would I care if you get the same protein from Kashi, that I'm not so fond of?  Now if they create a Kashi or something else that gives the same nourishment as broccoli, I might consider that.  I eat broccoli only because it's good for me.  I don't hate it, but I don't like it much either.  

Better Business Climate

While studies show that the best thing a state can do to improve its business climate is to provide a good quality of life (good schools, strong infrastructure, good roads, adequate police, fire and other protections, among others), Target and Best Buy seem to assume that the only thing that creates a good business climate is low taxes - even such low taxes as, when measured, appear unfair given their resources.  I am so sick of such simplistic   ideas, and I wonder that these companies have enjoyed as much success as they apparently have.  I therefore quite logically have stopped shopping at Target and Best Buy.   

Yesterday was very hot

Today is beautiful - about 79 degrees, low humidity, a cool breeze.  So why is Minnesota Public Radio today repeatedly broadcasting that we are in a heat warning until evening, and that it will storm tonight and be beautiful tomorrow.   How can they keep classical music on the contemporary scene when they can't even keep up with the weather?  Perhaps the broadcasters should be allowed to take a break and step out of doors occasionally.

Large Plant

According to the little tab I had planted in front of this now huge plant, this is a delphinium.  It was expected to burst forth at some time this summer in pinkish-lavender flowers with white bee.  It would, according to the tab, grow to 6 feet.  Looking more closely, I see it was expected to bloom in June.  That should have been a clue.

It has certainly grown very tall and very large.  I have been patiently awaiting its pinkish-lavender flowers and have been anxious to learn what "with white bee" might look like.  But wait, these are not pinkish lavender flowers.  So what is this giant plant?

Abide in the Vine!

Seen on a neighborhood evangelical church marque. This is a religious decree?  Inspired, I assume, by the wine industry, in which I already abide quite often.

New residents moving into a home a few blocks down have lots of stuff, all of which is, apparently, being hauled in various horse trailers presently cluttering up the street in front of the home.  Must be a story there.  The trailers looked new and were, therefore, hopefully, free of manure, hay and straw.

Testing a new pomegranate liqueur.  Plan A. Tried it last night with some Vodka as a possible martini.  Fell sound asleep shortly thereafter.  Not likely to be drinking a lot of that concoction.  Plan B. Trying it today with club soda.  Not sure that's quite it either.  Plan C. Put it on the shelf and fix something exotic with it next time I entertain.  Bet you can hardly wait to be invited for that.  I do have to say it seemed okay in the taste testing.  I didn't just buy it because it was cheap and high in alcohol.  Cheap was a factor; high alcohol level, not so much.

Injecting mosquitoes

Today's StarTrib has a reprint from the LA Times about a breakthrough to genetically modify the mosquito so that it will block development of a malaria parasite.  "To test the effect . . ., researchers injected 90 of the mosquitoes with the malaria parasite."  Tiny, tiny little needles getting lost in a mosquito nest?  Oh how much harder to find than normal needles in a haystack.  Science is such a challenge!

Fifteen Homicides

North Side Minneapolis - just across the street and a little south of me - there have been 15 homicides this year to date, BUT we should be encouraged.  The overall major crime rate (rapes, larceny, robbery, etc.) is down 3%.  Why am I not consoled? 

Summer Lilies

From my father's lily garden these various colors emerge each summer. I'll be thinning these out in the next month or so. Anyone interested in some of these, just let me know.

Nothing so beautiful as . . .

There is nothing so beautiful as a summer morning in Minnesota. Cool breezes wafting through the open windows. Sunshine falling on the blooming petunias and lilies and hosta and the like. Lush green lawns. Towering trees, newly planted trees and the patches of sun and shade along the parkway. Skies so blue. Windows flung open to bring in freshness and color and soft rustling sounds of the leaves in the breeze. Ah! Would that I were a poet, but alas, it has all been said before.

I love it here!

Walker Museum

"Just remember, Ellen, that even if it looks simple, you couldn't have done it." Actually, there were some things there that I could have done, but nobody would have cared. There were also some things there about which I didn't care. Still, I kept an open mind, mostly. Heaven knows, I don't want to seem supercilious.

I am not usually impressed when self-opinionated folks posing as artists take some ugly, mundane everyday item and pretend it is creative art. Many of the art pieces were, however, interesting and/or beautiful - great colors, interesting textures, insightful; though many were, in my opinion, not so much.

For example, a sculpted (or possibly paper mache) "cooker" full of what looks like white rice being overcooked does not strike me as a masterpiece worthy of a place in a major art institute. Nor am I impressed with a bunch of work and paint tools stowed under the stairs. A bundle of old newspapers stacked near a wall in the corner is unimpressive, (My mother's basement would have been a masterpiece of giant proportions) as is an apparently unfinished table-like appurtenance with a partial paint job and ragged plywood edges (not dissimilar to my father's basement workbench). A pneumatic pump apparently attached to a mirror (I think it was a mirror) as art? A bit of a stretch. I really could have stacked three tins of sardines or whatever they were in a mini-pyramid. If I could do it, you know it requires no talent whatsoever.

Still having kept an open mind and considered the amazing diversity and effects of this display of modern art concepts, I really enjoyed the place. In fact I think I'll return soon. After this outing, I find myself looking at things around me in a somewhat different way. I see that as a good thing. I enjoyed the outing more than I expected to. Being open minded is also a good thing, and I'm working on it. After all, I've never been seen as pretentious . . . I don't think.

Today's favorite headline

Mpls Star Tribune, Jun3 25, 2010, Business page D5 "Twitter agrees to zip the beaks of bogus tweeters." Announcing a settlement of a "government complaint about security lapses that allowed hackers to view private messages and send "tweets" from other people's accounts." We do have a skill in this country for creating new and sometimes odd meanings for existing words - not to mention the creation of strange new words.

Today's "Ya' think?" moment

Something I read yesterday - some brilliant commentator noted that the U.S. "suing Arizona may make Obama open to criticism." Well, who'd a' thunk it? Then again not suing Arizona may also make Obama open to criticism. Perhaps?

Perception Gaps

A column by Daniel Byman in The Atlantic summarized in current issue of The Week describes jihadists as bumbling morons and points out that they are mostly untrained, foolish and, in many cases, obsessed with sex and porn. Asking rhetorically whether this knowledge of their heroes might undermine jihadists' appeal to young, disaffected Muslims, Byman concluded, "Who wants to join an organization of smut-obsessed, incompetent fools?"

Sadly, I have to point out to Mr. Byman, that the same logic might discourage folks from joining the "Tea Party". However, in spite of their many unsupportable contradictions, the common so-called wisdom is that these smut-obsessed (e.g. gays are a threat to civilization), incompetent (e.g. Sarah and Michelle, etc.) fools are a force to be reckoned with. But are they really?

Dollhouse - a play at the Guthrie

Very interesting "update" on Ibsen's "The Doll's House" - with lots of dysfunctional discourse in a dysfunctional marriage based on a dysfunctional relationship and lies - lots of lies. One really didn't much like either of the main characters, and I, personally, was thinking "Oh, for heaven's sake. Will someone here please tell the truth on something or, at the very least, manifest even one small redeeming personal characteristic." I admit I do get rather into the "play".

Some of you may remember my Himalayan Salt Lamp? It supposedly infuses the room with negative ions, which are touted in the promotional material to have great powers. As I previously described it (it, the lamp, remains in Phoenix), "The lamp emits a pleasant glow and is an interesting gadget to talk about. Many promises arrived with the purchase of this amazing little object. Of course, I didn't believe it would remove all dust and pollutants and alleviate allergies, asthma, etc. Nor is it credible that it would boost my immune system, speed the heeling of my wounds, increase my alertness, improve my sleep and cognitive abilities or help reduce my anxiety. All those supposed benefits were clearly exaggerations or, more credibly, total fantasy."

What has this to do with the play I just saw? About halfway through the play, I spotted what seemed to be a Himalayan Salt Lamp glowing on the end table by the sofa in the room where the whole play, with all its tensions and anxieties was being acted out. Wonder how many people noticed - or, more particularly, how many people knew what they were seeing? The play ended on a harmonious note. Was it the script or was it the lamp? We may never know.

One very tired puppy

Sitting out in the sunshine on a day when the humidity is high and the temperature is 86 can be very exhausting, especially to an old lady like me. I am one very tired old lady. Still, it was an interesting afternoon. I was again reminded how much better it is to just do it, even if you have to do it all by yourself.

As you may know, yesterday I impulsively ordered two standing room only tickets to today's Twins game, sending out a last minute invitation to anyone who wanted to do so to join me. No one did! Ah, how I remember the days when my personal popularity would bring a huge following or at least one other person. Today I had the pleasure of remembering the days when I had insufficient personal friends to even ask someone to join me on the spur of the moment. Another time, another life.

So, undaunted as I usually am, I proceeded to go to the game myself, taking my time getting there, parking on 2nd Avenue. Yes, RM, I was parked right in front of your condo. As I walked the 5 or 6 blocks, I found myself talking with two young men, TJ and Tim, who happened to have an extra ticket in a lower right field (but, as it turned out, very sunny) seat. I purchased the ticket for $20 and never needed the standing room only ticket/s, which I thought was quite fortuitous.

After walking around for a time and enjoying a nice glass of Summit EPA, I found the seat and settled in for about two, maybe three innings, at which point it had become too hot to stay there. While sitting, I learned from the man on my right, a golfer with a baseball glove on his hand, that in his opinion balls really soared in golf and probably baseball too, when the barometric pressure is low and a storm is coming, not when the storm is over and pressure is high. The pressure was obviously not high today, as none of the balls hit by the Twins anyway soared out of the park, nor anywhere near out of the park. Nor did my friend catch any balls with his nice baseball glove.

We were behind 3 nothing when I arrived, so I take no responsibility for the loss today. I left for home sometime during the 8th inning, and as I pulled my comfortable, air conditioned car into the garage, the game ended on a score of 5 to 1. Hot, windy, tiring - and I'm very happy I went. It really is better than vegetating at home in front of the TV all afternoon where such delicacies as Summit EPA, Kramarczuk's Polish Sausage with kraut and onions and unlimited amounts of Cappuccino Galato are not readily available. And walking around the stadium clearly uses up all those extra calories, leaving my conscience totally free of guilt.

At the ballpark no one checks your ID when you're buying beer unless you are under 30, and how they know that without checking your ID is an unanswerable question. I, personally, was not asked to show my ID even once, and I even offered to do so. Do I look to be clearly over 30 years old? Aaaaah, shucks!

Emmers reminds me of . . .

Tonight on WCCO, it was reported that Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmers in response to the nurses strike stated that hospitals have a right to run their hospitals as they want to.

Last time I heard that "attitude" expressed was at the end of the very last employment discrimination trial I handled, way back in the late '60's or early '70's. In a case involving the company's "holding" a position for their male choice, while he attained the experience to give him the proper qualifications, the woman who had done the job for that year or so that it took for him to do so, claimed (rightfully) that it was sex discrimination for the company not to give her the job. The company claimed she was not qualified for the job. After evidence was complete, the retired judge hearing the case concluded, and I quote (I've never forgotten his words) "I'm convinced that she is just as qualified [for the job] as he is, but I think a corporation ought to be able to hire whoever they please." And he proceeded to find for the company. My client did not appeal, because she was worn down by the process.

I must conclude in the current situation that the hospitals really DON'T have the right to run their hospitals the way they want to - especially if the people who provide the patient care (who are, you'll notice, mostly women) do not think their policies provide the best and most effective care for their patients. I just have to come down on the side of the nurses in this one. And I surely do NOT want Tom Emmers leading our state back to the '60's with this attitude.

Are we suddenly reverting to a time when only the very big "businesses" are to have their opinions and policies respected? Thank heavens we still have some unions ready to stand up against such arrogance.

Lord Tebbit doesn't get it

"While many Americans have been pushing Obama to take a tougher stance against BP, Lord Tebbit, the former government minister in Britain, criticized the president for his recent attacks. 'The whole might of American wealth and technology is displayed as utterly unable to deal with the disastrous spill—so what more natural than a crude, bigoted, xenophobic display of partisan political presidential petulance against a multinational company?'"

Does anyone else find this comment outrageous? The arrogance of the British Lords appears to be present and accounted for in jolly old England. This from an article headlined: "BP Execs baffled as shares reach 13-year low"

Figures of Speech

That we think nothing of. Headline: "Security council slaps new sanctions on Iran."
Ouch, do you suppose that hurt? Or do we hope it did?

Headline: "Hecker aide coughs up documents, avoids jail." Might I add, and cures painful stomach ache as well? I see documents pouring forth. Are they readable?

Warm is cold

I recall perfectly the weather report for today - sunny and high of 80. Ok, as of this morning's paper, high of 78. I am, of course, in my shorts; however, my thermometer has not risen above 70, and there is a rather cold wind blowing. Once again, check what I'm wearing (shorts or long pants) and then rush back to your closet and dress in the opposite. Will I never learn?

Of course, I could just go back upstairs and put on my long pants, but would be the adventure (or the story, for that matter)in that?

Too much rain?

This was, perhaps, not the best year for me to leave my raincoat in Phoenix. I could buy another, but then I'd probably leave two raincoats in Phoenix next summer.

Perhaps we're ready for drier days. My dogs flushed a mother duck quietly nested in my neighbor's yard and my blue heron came by flying low over my back yard. Scouting my pond, perhaps? Shall I stock it?

On the upside, however, my "kids" and I walked the parkway and did not have to jump out of the way of any bicycles. Not a good day for bicycles, I guess.

Against big government?

And the wailing goes on - Big government is ruining us. The government is evil. More government is more evil. Yet, they wail, why hasn't the government done more to a) stop the oil spill; b) find jobs for the unemployed; c) educate our children for less; d) get us out of debt . . . . All of these things and more require more government, not less. So does war. High military spending has been the major contributor to our massive deficit, yet, we ask the government to assure our safety from bombings and terrorists. That safety doesn't come cheap.

If by proposing solutions to massive problems, the government needs a structure to assure the result, then government may get bigger. If our population increases so that more people need roads, schools, police and fire protection, etc., then our government may get bigger. If businesses raise prices to make profits, and they make profits and grow larger, then the services they need from the government may be greater, and government may get bigger. Life is complicated. This is not your grandfather's simple country life we're living here. Deal with it.

Oops! I seem to have published a rant.

The Pacific Northwest's coming quake

According to this week's issue of The Week, a major earthquake will hit the Pacific Northwest in the next 50 years. I hope it waits until after Obama's presidential term, or the media will blame him for that too. When it comes it looks like it will make the oil spill sound minor, just to show that man made disasters still cannot compete with "natural" ones. Still, we have this summer's hurricane season to help us understand the agony wrought by "natural" disasters. Coming soon to a TV screen near you. Does anyone besides me find it painful to watch the news these days? Of course you do!

Cold is warm

Don't look to me for weather information. Yesterday (temp 83) I wore long pants expecting a cool day. Today I wore shorts expecting a warm day. Today it's 66,and I may never again heed Paul Douglas' weather prediction in the morning paper nor believe Chris Schaffer's weather news either for that matter.

Still, yesterday was a good day to take my friend, Ruth, out to lunch, and today is a good day to rearrange my living room, set up my new Comcast TV digital gadget (it has greatly expanded my viewing options on my non-HD TVs) and stock up on good wine and a few groceries at Byerly's Even the dogs are sleepy today. A restful day for all.

Dry heat also can be hazardous to your health

People in India are dying from the excessive heat (of course, it couldn't be global warming, now could it?)

"Temperatures are expected to continue climbing in coming weeks—pushing 122 degrees Fahrenheit—even though this summer is already the hottest on record for northern India since records began over 100 years ago. Lack of atmospheric humidity, the effects of last year's El Niño cycle, and hot, dry winds from the Thar Desert are to blame, according to the Indian Meterological Department." From Slate.com "The Slatest Edition"

This stuff is, I think, very scary. Yes, I know, we still have very cold winters in some places, and not every place is setting heat records, at least at this particular moment . . . but the question persists: Are we already too late?

Personal Responsibility

Headline: "Woman suing Google for Bad Directions" It seems Google directed her to walk down a highway, and she did it, was hit by a car and sustained injuries.

I understand the frustration arising from following wrong directions provided by one's electronic advisers. I once took a 200 mile detour into the desert when I was directed to reach Phoenix from the north by first driving south almost to the Mexican border. It's a much shorter trip using a more direct route. Recently my GPS directed me to turn left onto a sidewalk. I did not make that turn. Hopefully, we learn from our mistakes.

Even better, we might use common sense when directed into a ridiculous situation. And now there's the additional embarrassment this poor woman will endure because she has chosen to sue Google for damages, thus publicizing her extremely poor judgment. Where has personal responsibility gone?

A perfect climatis?

Not every one has roses, now do they?

 

Target Stadium

Is a gem - it is wonderful to find that we are still able to do things right.  Maybe this is the beginning of a return to Minnesota greatness.  Thoughtfully designed, beautiful to look at, ecologically designed, it has made even me a believer in outdoor baseball.  Built on schedule and on budget as well.  If you get a chance for a stadium tour, you should certainly take it.  And don't worry about those cold game nights.  They've thought of everything to keep you comfortable in the spring and right through the World Series.  Now we just need to beat the Yankees and a few other excellent teams again and often. 

Almost serious Oops!

Very busy week, which included a trip to the grocery store and a return trip when I remembered a need to stock up on gin again. Musing over the size of the final tab on my way to the car, I thought, this can't be.  Reviewing the receipt, I realized that I'd just purchased a $140 bottle of brandy. Yowwww! Thankfully, my friends at Byerly's Liquor let me exchange that ghastly error for the moderately priced $14 bottle that I had intended to buy.  I can't imagine drinking anything that cost $140 a bottle.  It would seem to me it would have to be framed and hung on the wall with 24 hour guards assigned to protect the investment - adding substantially to its price tag, of course.

Are we having fun yet?

Grrrrrrr!

Today's Cryptogram Quote

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter and the sharing of pleasures.  For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."  Kahlil Gibran

There now.  Is this a classier source than Jennifer Aniston?  We find our wisdom where it is whenever we are able.

Mental Health

Nothing helps bring positive perspective back into one's life than a feel-good book and a change of scenery, and when that change of scenery involves a cocktail and delightful lunch - well, it healed me - at least for now.  Space out, forget the dogs' health problems and that anxious feeling that I should be doing more household chores, etc.  It has worked for now.  I'm not nearly as cranky as I was two hours ago.  Now to go clean the yard and plant the rest of the petunias.  And try to forget that the Twins really bombed today.  Ah!  Into each life a little rain, a little sun and an occasional sports letdown.    

Cryptogram Quote Monday

"The greater your capacity to love, the greater your capacity to feel the pain."  Jennifer Aniston

My flowers

This spring I thinned my day lilies - which, though somewhat unruly when blooming, are also rather spectacular colors.  It was an appropriate act and very much needed, and yet . . . . There's quite a lot more open space in the garden that today I worked to fill with other flowers - mostly petunias.  I'm worn out.  Maybe letting the lilies overwhelm the space is not such a bad idea after all.
Still, I love petunias, or as my father called them, petunies.  They seem to require very little coddling and special attention and they bloom beautifully all summer long.  I hope so.  For now, I rest, until I find the energy to plant the last dozen or so in the still ample space available.

Today's Cryptogram Quote

"There is no such thing as an underestimate of average intelligence."  Henry Adams

Multitasking retirees

Folks still in the active work force often pride themselves on their ability to multitask.  Not to be outdone, as a retiree I too often multitask to complete all my necessary daily tasks.  For instance, just this morning I soaked the soap dish and brushed my teeth at the same time.  Often I rinse with mouthwash while taking the dogs' water dish to the kitchen to be filled.  I'm very confident in my ability to play Free Cell and snack on cheese and crackers at the same time.  I also in late afternoon will simultaneously sip a warming shot of brandy, meditate on the great events of the day and win my solitaire game.  Even sleeping I'm able to continue to dream while turning over in bed and pushing a dog or two out of my way.  All of which leaves me more time and energy to fulfill my daily obligations, such as playing several games of Free Cell solitaire, computer poker, Scrabble, and completing my morning cryptograms, which I'm assured will keep my mind sharp well into old age.

Marty

My dear friend lost her dear friend today after a short illness.  In the past two years my friend has faced and handled back surgery and hip replacement while also facing a need for knee replacement and struggling to adjust to macular degeneration.  Marty was her only remaining Boston Terrier, a little guy who worked his way into your life before you even realized he was doing so.  Bostons have short noses, and Marty's was especially smushed in, giving him a somewhat elfish look.  Her 15 year old Rosie died just a few months ago, and my friend and Marty had settled into a comfortable routine.  She sang for me the little ditties she would often sing to him.  We dog people do things like that when alone with our pets.  They never make fun of our silliness.  Marty was 5 and a half years old.  This death was not expected.
Because my friend is resilient and supported by her friends and her faith, she will get through this.  She will in due time have her knee replacement surgery, and there will be another Boston Terrier to brighten her life.  Right now it hurts her and all who love her.  We also loved her Marty.  There's a great big hole in our lives that will never be filled, but will gradually be replaced by the recollection of the love we received from this little dog.

Simple procedure

Finally had the simple procedure I've been postponing for four years.  All went well, and I'm apparently going to be around for awhile longer - quite a while, actually.  Odd experience.  Apparently I sedate easily, as I don't remember a thing for the twenty minutes or so when there was something going on.  That is a very strange experience when it is unexpected.  Trust me to be asleep for the interesting part and to wake up after all the fun is over.  My friend, Grace, who cared for me during the mandatory "you must have someone with you for 12 hours" enjoyed her work so much, she has stayed on to live with me permanently.  I think we'll adjust.

New Blog rules

Short posts.
No rants.
Moderate use of the "I" word.

Early Fall colors

Driving around the St. Croix River area last Saturday to visit various pottery sales, I was enjoying all the various colors in the trees.  Greens, yellow greens, rust colored dying pines (drought, I assume).  I did think it was somewhat out of place that the lilacs were in bloom.  So glad I returned here in April to enjoy the early spring and, perhaps also, summer in Minnesota, as we seem to have moved right into fall here, beginning around the first of May.  Ironically, I had intended to wait until May to return so as to avoid the crummy weather that almost always makes April the cruelest month.  There are so many wonderful adventures in weather here in Minnesota.  Dealing with them makes us stronger.

Useful hair-raising

According to the Star Tribune today, hair salons and pet groomers are collecting hair to send to the Gulf to help soak up the oil leak.  Apparently hair has a "special ability to quickly and efficiently soak up large amounts of oil."  Something to keep in mind should you decide to swim in the Gulf of Mexico anytime soon.  You might want to keep your Malamute out of the water there as well.  As noted, this is a worthwhile "hair-raising" campaign.