A tale of two weeks

Last week was rather uneventful for me. The snow is beginning to melt so I can't complain about that. I saw my cardiologist and came away with a fairly good report from him. The same with my sleep doctor, and my analyst didn't get on my case about anything in particular.

Then there was the good news that my grandson had lost another tooth, it was a front one and he didn't swallow it this time which makes it much easier for the tooth fairy to recover it. I asked my daughter Ellisa if he whistles when he talks but she hasn't yet given an answer.

While speaking of teeth I was shocked and saddened when I received the bad news that our dentist, Dr. Frank D'Amico, passed away suddenly after a very brief illness. I had seen him in early February and saw no indication of anything wrong. I know that many of you would not mourn for your dentist but this fellow was like family. When he left the dental practice where we first used him we could not follow because of insurance issues. Many years later he picked me out of the crowd in an airport. He walked up and started a conversation as you would with a long lost college room mate. He inquired about each of my family recalling details that I had almost forgotten.

After chatting awhile he asked who we were now seeing for our dental work. When I responded that we did not have a regular dentist he slipped me his card. So about 5 years ago we began using him again as our family dentist. Each time we would visit he had to be updated on the family. In addition he performed in a very professional and carrying manner. He was available at the drop of a hat for emergencies even to the extent of deferring or canceling his own plans. He also gave us the same discounted military rate we had received at the practice where we had first used him which minimized our out of pocket expense. He was a Michigan State Alumni and fan who was stuck in Ohio. He seemed to enjoy the banter at the end of our visits when I would tease him with some Ohio State remark. If holistic dentistry practice were an Olympic event he would be standing at the top of the podium with his gold medal. Wow!! We will really miss him !!

So this week I am looking ahead to next Sunday's Chili Cook off at church. Donna has entered me as a competitor so I have to settle on which of my recipes to use. I like it hot and spicy. I toned it down some for last years cook off. It was still a bit too strong for the taste of some, yet I landed in second place. I will try to kick the spices down a little bit more for this year, but not too much - who wants weakly flavored chili !!

Then next week we have St. Patrick's day. I am thinking of baking some cookies appropriate to this Irish festival and taking them to church Sunday. We shall see. It is time to put Patty Bear, (another of my seasonal letterboxes) out to be found be those who are being encouraged by the warmer weather.

I am also beginning to consider what I might do to the blog for Easter this year. I have a couple of ideas to try out.

S'nuff of this Stuff

I have definitely had enough of that white snow s#%@ s░░w stuff !! I am looking out the window at falling s░░w. The prediction is that it will accumulate a total of up to 4-8 inches. I can't imagine how bad of a blizzard we would be having to deal with if we didn't have (TIC) Global Warming. Donna went to a Rotary breakfast early this morning. She had planned to make a few stops on the way home to finish some choirs, but the roads were so slick she cut it short and came back home. I guess we are in for another few days of "Cabin Fever".

I was reflecting this week on all of the things that I have to be thankful for. The aspect of my life I tend to complain about most is my health. At 69 I am no longer a fresh new branch on the family tree. Among other things I have lousy balance due to peripheral neuropthy, my hearing is shot from years in noise environments including battle fields, then there is the hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, and congestive heart failure. Oh did I mention gout? The dentist's cash register starts to purr every time I drive past his office and the eye doctors pace the floor in eager anticipation of our visits.

Still I thank My Lord in all of this. You see I did have many many years of very good health. My family has also had few serious medical issues to deal with. Now it seems that every day brings us the bad news of another friend or acquaintance experiencing real challenges in dealing with the results of infirmities such as chronic disease, illness, or trauma. Much of the time these concerns involve persons much younger than I. Thinking on these less fortunate individuals helps me to realize that I have really been very blessed in my medical history.

Then there are all who are struggling financially in our slumping economy. Many of those in need are themselves young and have a young family. Large numbers of these had either not been in the job force long enough or due to continuing demands for basic necessities had not been able to acquire a financial cushion. In many cases even those with the means who had tried to prepare underestimated the pervasiveness, length, and severity of the upheaval. Everyday we hear of more in our circle of friends loosing their jobs.

We are certainly not affluent and our meager retirement investments have suffered very badly in the market, but at least much of our limited retirement income is from sources that seem to be stable and should provide for our needs with a pittance of mad money left over.

Our mortgage payment is pretty low and we own two aging cars that are paid for which provide adequate transportation. In most cases our clothes are not very fashionable but they are suitable for our needs. We are still able to put food on the table and even eat out on occasion.

So for these blessings of health, wealth, and welfare it is past time for me to acknowledge their source.

IN ALL THINGS THANK YOU LORD.

Winter Whin and Whimper

Whin Whin - -Will it ever Stop !!!!!

The snow has been coming down again on and off all week. It's been a very long winter already, but it just keeps on coming and coming and coming!! I am beginning to think that Buckeye Chuck lied to us. Donna was going to meet her sister and uncle for lunch this week in Mansfield Ohio, but the snow closed the Interstate for several hours and created generally unsafe driving conditions for days. It became a "Don't drive if you can avoid it" period so she wisely stayed at home. Thank God it isn't as deep here as it was in this picture (taken elsewhere) which I have included below.

As I whine and whimper about the everlasting winter I am reminded of my post on another blog in July 2008. in that article "The White Note", I introduced what I believe to be a new acronym into English jargon. Follow that link to see the origin of WHIN.

But let me go on and WHIN of more recent things. At least the last week has been packed with entertaining events and some things that I can do while confined inside.

Valentines Day: By all indications it was a great success. We ventured out to Buccis, a very nice local restaurant, where we celebrated the day along with one of our sons and his date. There we enjoyed good food and the good company. I am still receiving many hugs, smiles, and thank yous. You just can't go wrong letting your spouse know that you love and appreciate them.

Winter Olympics: Something to keep couch potatoes occupied. This has been our primary evening activity since the games started. We enjoyed the opening ceremonies and watching most of the events that were selected by the network for prime-time viewing.

A new season of Amazing Race. IMHO they haven't managed to totally ruin it yet. I don't think it is nearly as wholesome as the first few seasons but still pretty good. Someone's politically correct agenda is becoming increasingly evident in the selection of participants and gutter language is becoming more frequent, but it is still passable entertainment on a cold winter's night. It is certainly a cut above most of the supposedly "Reality" shows.

President's Day: Actually the federal holiday is still legally know as Washington's Birthday even though the date to celebrate it has become flexible. Banks closed, no mail, and kids out of school.

The Beginning of the 14 Day Chinese New Year celebration: It fell on Valentine's Day this year. If you are near a Chinese population of any size it is fun to observe the parades and fireworks. In the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac this is the year of the Tiger.

In traditional Christian circles Fat Tuesday was the day prior to the beginning of lent. Lent has historically been observed as a time of fasting, and other forms of solemn and pious behavior. Throughout Europe this meant no red meat, no fat, not sweets, no alcohol, and even no sexual activity. In a fit of housecleaning prior to lent and the last minute enjoyment of multiple excesses "Fat Tuesday" celebrations became common. Of course you know about Mardi Gras, and other questionably Christian Carnival celebrations. One less know practice by many with Western European origins is clearing the pantry of sweets and fats by preparation of various sweet treats. Locally the primary purveyors of this tradition are those of Polish Extraction. The Polish version of these Fat Tuesday treats, know as PNCSK, is essentially a variety of very, very rich and delicious filled donuts. Of course, being an incorrigible foody, I enjoyed one!

I'll finish with this little tidbit that I picked up today on the Atlas Quest website:
80 years ago (18 Feb 1930) the first cow was flown in an airplane. For the complete story see.