The weekend of weirdness

Power went down on Saturday afternoon just after 4, and we got it back 41 hours later, at 9:30 on Monday morning. I think that was yesterday, but everything is still a little strange, time-wise.

I forget just when the freezing rain began, but by Sat. midmorning the lights had been blinking off and on, and I decided we had better get another batch of bread made, if possible.

During the baking the power went off for 2 minutes, then later for 5 or so. I figured the oven was hot enough to finish and it did. Good thing we had Trevor's birthday meal on Friday, since that was the last hot meal we had for a few days.

We were ok food-wise, since I'd gotten extra milk and eggs. Had to put the perishables out in the breezeway to keep cold. Don't think we lost anything in the freezer...I rearranged stuff a couple of times to pack things in-between the frozen applesauce. I did end up tossing some stuff from the fridge.

Iowa really got socked. 60 counties declared under emergency or disaster or something. We were reduced to using the awful little transistor radio for some news and let me tell you, when they estimated possible 2 weeks before power was back up for some people, we were downright depressed.

THANKFULLY, Loren had bought a gas powered generator off of a farmer a year or two ago. He was able to get it going, despite a bad battery. I believe carborator cleaning fluid and mass incantations were used.

In the end, Loren got no sleep that night, but we were able to hook up the furnace to run so as to keep some semblance of heat in the house and prevent the pipes from freezing.

The first night was really somewhat awful in that we didn't know what to expect or if it would really work.

The younger kids came down to the living room and slept cuddled up on the floor and on couches. Kendra and Derek opted for their own beds, the latter of which I piled many extra blankets since his room was facing the wind. Loren and I "slept" (if you want to call it that) in our clothes with extra blankets thrown over the bed.

Such a strange storm! Thunder and lightening, sleet and marble sized hail, all in February. Then about 8 inches of snow the next day.

We were more fortunate than some, who are still out of power. When I finally got some reliable news on TV they said that in our county alone, 450 utility poles were broken or down. When we got the power back, 90 percent of the REC's clients (our Rural Electric Coop) were still without power.

As of this evening's news, around 100,000 Iowans still have no power.

Another storm is forecast for tomorrow, so I baked bread, extra things to go in the freezer and tried to get some supplies that could be eaten without cooking. I came up with summer sausage. Yeah, Ma is not that creative.

Oh well, there is always cold cereal and sandwiches. I also stocked up on paper plates, cups, bowls, plastic-ware, flashlights batteries and candles.

My plan is since we're better prepared, the storm will indeed pass us by.

Our internet provider is having some type of problem and Loren finally accessed his old modem account...which.......is..........s-l-o-w.

I had more stuff to say and was actually giving more details of Trevor's birthday dinner when my internet went down on Friday night.

So basically, I am in deep DEEP blog withdrawal.

Can't mess with all the misspellings so I apologize for those...

We did suffer some damage to a couple of trees and I have pictures but won't post them till we get our real internet service back.

Let me tell you, it is pretty pathetic when people are hunched around a kitchen table with a couple of candles scrounged from the bedroom, listening with rapt attention to a little transistor radio, as if it were one's lifeline to the outside world.

Our phone did not go down, but it's not like we could call up the Drudge Report or CNN.

Ach. It's amazing how wonderful it is to turn a little silver knob at the sink and see water running out.

Also, a working flushable toilet is not to be sneered at.

Loren had had a heart biopsy scheduled for Monday, but had to call and cancel it. It was rescheduled for this Friday....and now another storm approaches. He is considering going up a day early, which would be tomorrow, since he has to get there the night before so as to be there for morning blood work.

All mundane stuff but we wait to see what will happen...
 
 

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Trevor the Birthday Boy !

Trevor asked for a house on his cake, so Ma mustered up her entire artistic arsenal--admittedly, not much--and we came up with something that the less-than-discriminating 5-year-old would find acceptable.


The mighty lad blowing out the huge inferno.


Trevor tries to look mildly interested in an item that does not immediately seem to be a toy.


Mr. Smarty Pants. You should have seen this guy, calling all the shots...
"OK. Fuhst, wiwll open diss one.....*tearing sounds*....Aw-wight....next....diss hewh one.....*RIIIPPPPPP!*......Ohh-kay....now....."

Etc.

*sigh*

They grow up and self aggrandize so quick-ly.
 

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Storm a comin' !

Yes, and it looks like we may not dodge this baby.

1/4 to 1/12 inch (up to 1.24 c.) accumulation of freezing rain/ice, to be followed by "significant" accumulation of snow. Right now we are in the 8-12 inch band (20-30 c.). Guess we'll see how it all sifts out.

Forty mph wind gusts are expected ALL weekend, with the storm warning officially going into effect tonight (Friday) through Sunday evening.

It's gonna be a long weekend. But don't worry, Ma has extra milk and eggs and all the necessities.

Already we have seen a casualty! The bird-feeder blew over. Yes, the wrought-iron big hunk of a heavy thing on the south side of the house....blew over. Thankfully, due to my crafty placement and slanting of its base away from the house, it hit the grass and not one of the bay windows.

Maybe I can get the kids to take turns holding it up....
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In medical news, Derek's latest pro-time was 2.0. From Tuesday to Thursday it went from 1.3 to 1.5. From yesterday it jumped up a whole half. So he has to have it tested again to-morrow, otherwise who knows WHERE it would be by Monday.
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Loren travels up to Mayo for another heart biopsy on Monday. Travel is supposed to take place on Sunday, which could be tricky with this ol' storm and all. They could have as much as 18 inches up that-a-way. But who knows....the weatherman has been wrong before.

Then again, this is the first time my bird feeder has blown over, so...yeah.
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Must go lay down. Trevor gets to celebrate his birthday tonight, and I have a little work at the church before the massive food preparation takes place. Yes, my head still hurts, but I did make it through the night without having to get up and take any more pills before breakfast. However, I think the time has come for more....

(come to mama...)
 

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Slightly off balance

How I feel, after more than a week of off-and-on migraine.

 

The real question is...how many brain cells did I lose this time? And when will it stop?

Oh well. Maybe the persistent nausea will curtail ye olde appetite.....
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In other news, Loren got his monthly lung treatment and took Derek along for the lad's second pro-time this morning. The result was 1.5, up from 1.3, two days ago.

I get to take Derek in tomorrow as they wish to bring things to between 2 and 3. The younger kids were pretty impressed with the holes in his fingers, but I just can't get used to a fifteen-year-old having to get pro-times....
  

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Please Explain

So, I am literally counting down the minutes until I can take two more Excedrin Migraine geltabs, figuring I have about 30 more minutes until the 6 hour point, and I think to myself,

(Ma? When was the last time you read the dosage instructions on that bottle?)

And so I read the label, which they've conveniently printed so smallish that I have to take off my glasses...

"Take 2 geltabs with water. Do not take more than 2 geltabs in 24 hours unless directed by a doctor."

(Whoa! These babies must be strong ! Let's see...I took two at 9:00 p.m. before bed, and again at 4:00 a.m. when that crazy little kid wanted me to "fix" his blanket...so now I am officially a junkie, I guess...I'd better see how many milligrams I've been downing so I can inform the ER right before they put me under for a liver transplant...)

"Each geltab contains:
-Acetaminophen 250 mg.
-Aspirin 250 mg.
-Caffeine 65 mg."

(Now wait a minute, I know the extra-strength acetaminophen is 500 EACH....)

*checks labels on Acetaminophen and Aspirin*

"Acetaminophen--each caplet contains 500 mg. Take 2 caplets every 6 hours. Do not take more than 8 caplets in 24 hours."

"Aspirin--325 mg. per tablet. Take one to two tablets every four hours, as needed, up to 12 tablets per 24 hours."

(Well, maybe there is some type of drug interaction I wasn't aware of....*googles "drug interactions"*....Nope. Just each with alcohol, not with each other)

WHAT GIVES!?!

I could theoretically take 4000 mg of Acetaminophen in 24 hours, or 3900 mg of Aspirin in 24 hours.

And yet with Excedrin Migraine I can only take 500 mg. of Acetaminophen and 500 mg. of Aspirin in 24 hours? Do they really think puny amounts of pain reliever will last for 24 hours? Is that supposed to help my throbbing head, weepy eye and nauseous stomach?

Ma is miffed.

Ma is also taking more.
 

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Lithesome grace

I had just gotten off the treadmill where I'd been sweating buckets, and stumbled down the stairs in my post-exercise stupor, when I was accosted by a shrimp-sized almost-five-year-old....

"Mommy! Come he-wuh! I got some-ting in-toh-esting and coo-wol....in da wiving woom...

...SEE? "
 "And it doesn't even huht. One BIT!"


"Oh MY !"
(ah...but see, it hurts for me to look at you...)

And then Nolan, seeing the potential for photographic self-exploitation...
 What he lacks in flexibility, he makes up for in youthful machismo.
 

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Soon to be history

 
Thought I'd better post another snow picture, as the stuff is melting fast.

Much of what you see above is already gone and can't say as I'm sorry.

Except, there is a season in-between winter and spring...

...Mud.
  

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Random Note

Just in case you ever do the laundry and end up losing one half of your pajamas, and you don't find it in the bottom of the washer, or in the dryer, or on the dirty basement floor, or on the slightly less dirty addition floor, and your daughter doesn't find it in her laundry the next day, and your 15-year-old son doesn't find it in his laundry, (which is really fortunate, since he already has a heart condition and let's face it...the last thing he needs right now is to find the bottom part of his old-lady-mother's pj's in his laundry basket...I mean REALLY) and then you're lying in bed one night and can't go to sleep and suddenly remember that you washed the pj's with the bedding--yes!...we're talkin' the huge king-size flannel sheets that you had to buy a size bigger than the queen-sized bed because the Comfort-Select people made their queen-sized mattress TOO LARGE to fit with queen-size sheets....

*immense intake of air*

...and that is why you suddenly remember those huge sagging bags on the elasticized ends of the FITTED SHEET and maybe...just maybe your pj's were stuck in those fiendish things and hadn't you better look in the morning?

And so you do.

And they are there.

Ironically enough, on your husband's side of the bed, which he never discovered since he doesn't sleep with his feet hanging over the side of the bed like some tall men do who have to actually sleep diagonally for which you are MOST thankful isn't your particular situation since life is certainly hard enough without your husband having to sleep diagonally, I mean, is nothing sacred fer cryin' out loud?

So the next time you are wondering why God will not let you go to sleep at night just remember....

.....always listen for that still, small voice.
 

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Just another Iowa sunset

 

C'mon...admit it...you wanna move out here...
 

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Derek, you old geezer, you.

Well now, it appears that Derek's docs have been confabbing, as doctors are often wont to do.

The date of hospitalization is all set for March 4-9 and oh yes, they would like Derek on Coumadin.

*MULTIPLE sighings and gnashing of teeth*

I understand. Really, I do. After all, Loren was on it for 10 or 11 years. It's standard practice for someone in atrial fibrillation. Sustained a-fib.

We've gotten by with baby aspirin until now, but what with the in-hospital start of Sotalol and particularly the possibility of a cardio-conversion at the end, it is thought that the anti-coagulant will be good to start and keep in place for a short time.

If at the end of that week Derek is not in sinus rhythm, then he'll be put to sleep for a wee bit and shocked back into normal rhythm. It is then hoped that the Sotalol will keep him in a stable sinus rhythm, and that it will be self-sustaining, similar to many of the executive boards of high-end companies.

It is also standard practice to keep one on Coumadin for several weeks after a cardio-version. Then MAYBE, Derek can discontinue the rat poison...er...blood thinner.

(yes I KNOW "blood-thinner" is a misnomer. It doesn't actually thin the blood, but lessens the blood's ability to coagulate as fast. But for us mere mortals--non-medicos--the terminology of "blood thinning" will suffice)

The problem of taking this medicine is that it has rather narrow parameters of safety. If the blood clots too quickly, you run the risk of a clot in the heart or the brain. If the blood clots too slowly you could theoretically fall down and have nasty looking bruises or even a brain bleed.

In general, I think they are more concerned with the possibilities of excessive bleeding.

But the reason for all of this is the atrial fibrillation. With the upper chambers of the heart goofing around like that (just picture a coupla hoods leaning up against a building, taking a smoke and razzing helpless passersby) there is the chance for blood to pool and cause a problem.

I believe the technical term is "throwing a clot."

So while aspirin is also an anti-coagulant, it does not have the capacity to give the doctors precise bits and pieces they can measure in the blood, such as Coumadin.

Also, the fact that baby aspirin tastes good and is easy to ingest does not bode well.

There IS however, a nifty test that must be given to all who take Coumadin. It is called INR which can stand for the Indian Rupee. But in this case we are talkin' International Normalized Ratio. A more common name is Pro-time, which is short for Prothrombin Time.

The INR was developed so that a standardized method of measurement could be achieved. In essence, this means that a person could get a pro-time test done in...say....North Dakota, wait several days and then cross the state line to rob a bank in South Dakota, stop by a clinic on the way to Minnesota, get arrested in Iowa, and then become incarcerated in a federal penitentiary, where he (like, how many female bank robbers have you ever heard of?) could still receive the INR testing procedure and be assured of consistent results and proper dosing, which would no doubt cause great peace of mind while waiting out his 25-year prison term.

There is another term involved, the Prothrombin Ratio. I believe all three of these names, INR, PT, and PR came into existence because doctors discovered patients were coming dangerously close to understanding what was going on, and so added the extra acronyms in an attempt to perpetuate their professional air of superiority over the patient.

(on a side note, one of the most aggravating effects of today's technology is the development of the Internet, and the alarming propensity of some patients to research various aspects of their conditions and whether or not they have in fact been temporarily abducted by aliens for nefarious and otherworldly experimentation)

ANYWAY, going back to the Greek, thrombosis means "a clumping or curdling" and thrombos means "clot, curd, lump." So when you get right down to it, getting a Pro-time could simply be the medical profession's attempt at finding new sources of cottage cheese.

Or, it is a refined test to measure the pathway of coagulation. Enzymes and plasma protein and other things....and suddenly that whole alien abduction theory doesn't look so far out any more.

But seriously, the testing keeps track of how fast the blood coagulates and then the Coumadin dosage is adjusted accordingly.

Derek will be taking the generic form, called Warfarin. Just as good as the name brand, but without the little gold "Gucci" labels.

And no, I wasn't kidding about the rat poison business. Look on the box of rodent killing stuff the next time you go to Wal-Mart. They now make poison for "Warfarin resistant" rats.

In the short term, Derek will have to be tested every 3 or 4 days. Thankfully, our usual clinic now has the finger prick method :-) so that part will be easier.

And one more thing....we'll have to watch what he eats, so that he does not overdo on the foods rich in Vitamin K, a known substance that can cause clotting. Not that he'd suddenly develop a clot, but it can wreak havoc with the pro-time results. No need to take more of the anti-coagulant than necessary.

Well, I could go on and on for hours, the subject of young people taking old-peoples' medicine is so fascinating....

{5:320 pm edit} Just so there's no mistake, we have great respect for Derek's doctors. Besides being terribly smart, they are real human beings, fully capable of layman-friendly speech and even humor. The ones we work with (both for Loren and Derek) actually care about people. It's the surgeons that are sometimes less "people-skills savvy." :-p

I had earlier used the word "overdue" in connection with Vitamin K-rich foods. This was in no way meant to be a slur against vitamin K-rich foods. I was not implying they had overdue library books, owed fines or anything of the kind.

 

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Always carry a camera....

...and a large purse to hold it.
  

I'm still not to my perfect bald eagle picture, but at least they're getting more legible.

Carolyn and I saw this proud nobleman tucking into a bit o' roadkill. He flew off to the side and stood in a field long enough for me to snap a few profile shots.

These birds are so beautiful. I can never see too many.

And speaking of beautiful, I captured "Emily Dickinson: Collected Poems" at the Goodwill store. A nice Barnes & Noble paperback edition.

L

It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood,
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the road.

It makes an even face
Of mountain and of plain,--
Unbroken forehead from the east
Unto the east again.

It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces;
It flings a crystal veil

On stump and stack and stem,--
The summer's empty room,
Acres of seams where harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.

It ruffles wrists of posts,
As ankles of a queen,--
Then stills its artisans like ghosts,
Denying they have been.

-Emily Dickinson

 

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Ma's Newsy Nuggets

*yawn*

This won't take long....mostly because I just gotta squeeze in a little nap.
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More good news about chocolate! (the first link off Google Health was a better article and mentioned dark chocolate specifically, but some of the adds looked morally suspect)
_______________

Scientists find a new way to harness the heat lost in the generation of electricity?
_______________

Paid to have kids? Maybe.

Something's wrong, here....
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Watch out....asteroid approaching in...oh...thirty years or so.

My take on it is this: the scientist can't really have thought the danger too great, or he wouldn't have suggested putting the U.N. in charge of risk assessment....let's see....what was that other thing...? Oh yeah, taking action.
 

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More Opera :-)

Now, just do me a favor and go far enough into this to get to the hauntingly simple, yet mesmerizing melody. Go past the intro and into the second minute or you won't even know what you are missing.



I just don't care for the month of February. Besides being cold and bleak weather-wise, it has other bad memories for our family.

February 27th, 1995 at 11:16 am (yes, I remember the exact time) was when I received the call that Loren had been found by the side of the road in cardiac arrest. (I was so dumb, I thought it was the same thing as a heart attack)

Four years later, on February 17th at 4:30 am was when Loren was awakened out of a sleep by his defibrillator going off for the very first time.

This was the same year that Ethan had a febrile seizure, during prayer meeting.

And Dad died a year ago, tomorrow.

So I've been playing lots and lots of my favorite music, over and over. The above selection has been heard more than once. Pretty soon I'm gonna have the kids humming it in their sleep :-D

There are a lot of ugly hurtful things in the world that can be temporarily blotted out by beautiful music.

No harm in trying, anyway.
 

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Child chiding

The scene: halfway home from morning church. A brief stop is made to purchase milk and eggs from the Kwik Star gas station. At some point shortly after resuming travel, an older sibling glances back at Trevor, who's carseat is located in the rearmost bench seat.

"Hey...it looks like Trevor's arms aren't in his straps all the way..."

Ethan: "Trevor! You're not even buckled up! You should have told us!"

Trevor: "Welw, you should have saw."
 

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Dear Dean's List Parent,

As the parent of a Dean's List student, you are invited to enjoy the benefits of a truly outstanding credit card program that will let you demonstrate your pride every time you make a purchase...while you help support The National Dean's List at no additional cost to you. By responding to this exclusive invitation, you may experience all the benefits of The National Dean's List Platinum Plus*Visa* credit card--now with WorldPoints(TM) rewards. Because your time is so valuable, you may want to call toll-free this very minute at 1-866-(blah, blah, blah) to request this exceptional credit card.

The Most rewarding card of all (TM)

Only the WorldPoints card offers you everything--unlimited cash rewards, tickets on any major U. S. airline with no blackout dates, merchandise, and car rentals and hotel stays in the U. S.* Some cards give you nothing back. Some cards offer just cash. Other cards offer airline miles, but with just one airline, a big annual fee, and lots of strings attached. Only the WorldPoints card does it all with NO ANNUAL FEE.

What's more, just use your new credit card before April 30, 2007 to make any combination of purchases or cash advances (including balance transfers) totaling at least $100 and you'll receive a Fleece Blanket!**

(blah blah, blah blah....)

(more blah blah...)

......so take a moment now to apply so you can start earning rewards soon. Plus, you'll receive a FREE Fleece Blanket after you make qualifying transaction(s).**

(blah, blah, blah)

Sincerely, Carol Lynn Martens
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My Dear Ms. Carol Lynn Martens,

You're gonna hafta offer a whole lot more than one lousy FREE Fleece blanket to get me excited. What do you say to two, three, or possibly several dozen?

One more thing...if you could just send me this offer....oh...about 99 more times, I would be all set for postage-paid envelopes for the next batch of Christmas cards.

Sincerely and please don't kum ba yah, Ma Hoyt
 

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Note for the future....

...do not brush the little boys' teeth while they are playing in the top bunk.

You WILL be dripped upon.
 

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Nothing tangible is permanent

  

Even the snow probably came from two counties over.
 

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So Dickens and Austen are too complicated...

...for students aged 11-14.

In England.

As reported in The Daily Mail. (just ignore the sidebar stuff)

According to some teachers.

Wow.

Sad.
 

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Ma's Newsy Nuggets

We'll start by traveling down to Venezuela, where fun dictator-to-be Hugo Chavez has come up with a novel fix for his country's economy.

And it's just---that---simple.
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To the more mundane: how do you stop hiccups that just won't quit?

For three weeks?

I saw this young lady on The Today Show this morning. Get in touch with her mom if you have any ideas.
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Thanks to Loren for this next article...video games are good for your eyes!

Not that I would dispute a scientific study, but the ones in our family who play the most games also have the worst eyesight.

My guess is a gamer thought of, promoted and conducted the study. Not that I'm cynical or anything...
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Let's hear it for 12-year-old Shelby Terihay, who rescued her shell-encased pet by making that naughty dog of hers toss his turtle, so to speak.

Another good reason not to keep beasts, I say.
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Can women ever use too much deodorant? Apparently so. Enough to set off the fire alarm.

I have two words for these young ladies....

...Roll-On.

*rolls eyes*

Speaking of which, I must roll along and do school.
 

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My Worldview...

 
...Right here.
 
 

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Still Cold

Even the poor barns next door look cold.

  "Brrrrrr."

But tonight should be the last one in the negatives, possibly for this winter :-)

A little light snow moving through tomorrow and then some warm-up. Maybe into the 30's.

Things could...well....melt !
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The Derek report: yesterday's late afternoon apointments ended up not including the usual EKGs, Echos and whatnot.

First we waited.

Then we were taken to the examining room where we waited some more.

Then we heard our doc talking outside the door.

For a long time.

Then the good Dr. H. came in and talked with us a bit, followed by another tallish doctorly looking person entering the room, which was....

...Equally good Dr. L., the head of pediatric electrophysiology at Iowa Children's Hospital, a part of University of Iowa Hospitals. They had been reading and talking through the charts outside the door, with Dr. H. bringing Dr. L. up to speed on Derek and Carolyn, but particularly Derek.

SO, sometime in the next month or so, Derek will be admitted to Iowa Children's hospital where they have a pediatric cardiac floor. There he will be administered Sotalol, in the hopes that it will provide some therapeutic relief for the continuing A-fib. Atrial fibrillation tends to be self-perpetuating. If the Sotalol and attending hospital care bring him back to sinus rhythm, it is hoped he can be kept there, with the sinus rhythm being self-perpetuating.

Derek has apparently been "in it" for much of the time since Christmas. At times it is quite noticeable for even a novice such as myself to hear with a stethoscope. This is usually also a time when Derek can definitely tell, describing it as a "sick" heartbeat.

But since his sinus node is sluggish, Derek is in A-fib with no increased heart-rate, usually around the low 70's, and thus is not always aware that he is in atrial fibrillation.

ANY-way, Dr. H., has been in close consultation with Dr. L. concerning the Sotalol therapy. Dr. L, in turn has been in close consultation with another doc out of state, who is a geneticist.

Basically, everyone wants some of our blood.

No wait. Not mine, which is happily normal. But they will start with Loren, and move on from there, testing for a genetic heart arrhythmia that manifests with atrial fibrillation.

Of course I'd always hoped for an interesting family life...
________________

The FAFSA Report: Kendra has just completed her first, and now sports a grand smile across her countenance. Such an ordeal! I thought administrations of cool cloths across the head might be necessary. Luckily, Loren does all the taxes so there is little I can offer other than supplying such important facts as my birth date and "Here, this chocolate will make everything better."

*sound of foil unwrapping*
 

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It's the 15th of February....

....and that makes it S.A.D. and Susan B. Anthony's birthday.

Singles' Awareness Day used to be celebrated on Valentine's Day, but now seems to have latched onto the 15th for it's designation.

I think it rather interesting that this is also the birthday of Susan B. Anthony, a woman who never married but accomplished much for all the women to follow her, be they married or not.

(and no, I'm not just talking about getting your face on coinage)

The story is really quite amazing. Little Susan learned to read at the age of three, which pretty much beats even my most precocious kids. I mean, I have one son who didn't even talk before that age. (I won't tell you who, since he needs to concentrate on studying for midterms)

But getting back to little Susie, she was obviously a bright young whip. But apparently, that mattered not to her male teacher, who refused to teach her long division. (Well I mean really now, was she going to need that long division while she measured out flour for the hubby's pie crust? Did she want to compute the decreasing length of time between contractions while she waited to give birth, the very process of which could cause her demise?)

Enter her father, who pulled her out of traditional school and instigated a group home school taught by a....*gasp*....woman.

Later, Susan taught in a school where she had to lobby to get paid more than the standard "1/4 of the guys'" salary.

Easy to see why she eventually ended up fighting for women's suffrage--which I hasten to add is not the right to suffer, but the right to vote. If you wish to read more, there's always Wikipedia, or other sites.

And let's not forget her temperance work, influenced by the abuses women suffered at the hands of alcoholic husbands.

Susan B. Anthony did not live to see women's suffrage guaranteed by the 19th amendment. Some things take a looonnnngg time to change.

It's also interesting to note that on paper anyway, African-Americans were given the right to vote in the 14th and 15th amendments. So theoretically, however ill (some) white men thought of black men, they thought even worse of females. Oh well.

Lots of fascinating details out there, so start Googling and let the fun begin!

(you know what is most amusing to me? Wondering how things would have turned out if Susan B. Anthony had been "submissive" ......but I guess I won't go into that)

Ye olde high-wire balancing acte is just---that.
 

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It's Cold!

 

Despite flannel sheets and electric blanket, my feet took for-ever to warm up in bed last night. In fact, they are STILL cold, but that's mostly because my computer is on the north side of the house and the wind is blowing.

The main point of having a north side of the house is so it can take the brunt of the wind and the south side of your house will be warm.

It looks like drastic measures are called for. Not only will I be wearing socks to bed, but soon, very soon, I will be forced to start school with Nolan earlier than usual for the day. School takes place in the south positioned living room, which is looking PRE-TY attractive, right about now.

Oh hey, it's Valentine's Day! Did I ever mention that this is the anniversary (26 years ago) of when Loren and I became officially engaged? Well it is.

And today we take two of our children down to see the cardiologist, so yeah, we've come a long way, baby.
  

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Sorry for all the posts....

....some days are simply more prolific than others.

Just have to brag on the daughter Sharon, for a second.

She has a job! Yes, Sharon will be an ESL (English as a Second Language) Instructional Assistant at the Warsaw High School. She's got a picture ID complete with "Miss Hoyt" AND a parking sticker!

*is proud*

Warsaw is right next to the town of Winona Lake and is actually quite close to where we used to live, and not far from the friends who are boarding our gal.

Sounds great, no? You can read all about it, here.

Looks like Indiana (and points east) is getting all the snow that escaped us. Funny how our little niche of Iowa has missed EVERY STINKIN' STORM THAT HAS COME EVEN CLOSE in the past few years. Not that I'm complaining or anything...
______________

In other news, we finished off The Hobbit last night and shall start right in on the trilogy later this evening :-) It is most fun. This is about the fourth time I've read through the series for the kids and I can almost pronounce most of the words! (except the Elven language--don't even attempt it) Though it was a real shock to realize I was mispronouncing "Gandalf" all these years. I'm still tryin' to correct that one...

Somehow, the kids enjoy this even though most of them have read through it on their own. Ethan recently completed The Hobbit and I said he couldn't read the next one for a bit. It's so nice to feel needed...*sniff*

In still other news, tomorrow is Valentine's Day and we celebrate by taking Derek and Carolyn down for their annual (9 month) check-up with the good Doctor H., electrophysiologist extraordinaire. It is Heart Month, after all.

We've even been down there on our anniversary (twice, I think) which just goes to show you what a fun couple we are.
 

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Young boy waxing old

Ethan (10) at the supper table: "It seems like just yesterday that we were dropping Ardith off at college..."

*sounds of choking*
 

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It's OK to be female and hairy...

...if you're a woodpecker.

At least, I think that's what this is.
 

Looked out the window at lunchtime and was amazed to see this black and white bird scooting along the trunk of our ash tree. Quite possibly it was blown in on the winds of the storm that dropped an astounding 1 inch of snow in our area.

I haven't done a thorough search, but based on the size of the bird (bigger than a Downy woodpecker would be) and the large bill, I've dubbed it a Hairy Woodpecker.
  

I figure it's a female since it doesn't have a red patch on the back of the head like the swaggering males do.

I'm open to discussion, though...
 

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Hmmmmm

The scene: while 5 and 7-year-old boys play contentedly with Legos in an adjoining room, an aged matron peels oranges for the imminent lunch, all the while musing to herself about the chances of getting away...if not soon, then in a mere 13 years when the last child graduates...)

The oldest boy is heard to exclaim, "I'm so happy, Mommy!"

*comes over and hugs his mother and gives her a kiss on the cheek*

"We're having lots of fun!"

"Oh? I guess getting along and playing nicely can be pretty good, after all."

*7-year-old walks back to Lego table*

"Yes, but it's hard being a child."

"Well, what's the hardest thing?"

"Oh...making stuff, writing, and doing what your mother says."

(fade to black)
 

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Heroic Ma Secures Her Mail

It is morning.

The morning after the predicted 5 inch snowfall, with accompanying windsomeness.

Heroic Ma must get the mail.

She dons boots, gloves and warm London Fog coat from Goodwill. Yes, the very same coat that her daughter deprecatingly refers to as "London Smog."

Heroic Ma does not care. She feels no dishonor.

Proudly she zips up to her chin and ties of the hood-strings. But what is this?
 The outside door is iced over! What will Heroic Ma do ?

Gingerly she opens the aptly named storm door...
 WOW! It looks to be a quarter of an inch of snow, or maybe even less !

No matter. Heroic Ma knows her duty and will not be deterred.

With head bent to the wind, Heroic Ma makes her way down the steps. She trudges past the empty bird feeder.....she gasps in the attempt to bring air into her oxygen-starved lungs....

Then Heroic Ma unzips her coat to reveal her heroic nose....ah, that is better.

She comes to the front of the house and slips around the corner to rest...

 ...just a few moments to catch her breath is all that Heroic Ma asks for.

Gazing northward, Heroic Ma notices nifty drifting between the grain bins.

Forget the mail, as Artistic Ma comes out of the infinite depths to temporarily overpower Heroic Ma!

Head bent, Artistic Ma plods into the teeth of the wind to get closer to this stark testament of the wind's power....
  ...OOOoooo, it is scary. Artistic Ma keeps a respectful distance from the large crevasse which could swallow someone of lesser experience. Also, Artistic Ma fervently hopes no cars will drive past. She would rather not have the moniker of "You-Are-Nuts" Ma, if at all possible.

Gazing to the northeast, Heroric Ma catches a glimpse of a small stand of trees, barely visible in the eerie haze of wind-driven snow.
 Heroic Ma recalibrates her position, both longitudinally and latitud....(what-ever that word is). She knows that if she loses sight of the house, twenty feet away, she can always try for the trees, a short 1/2 mile hike across barren fields.

Back Heroic Ma turns to the southwest, in hopes of achieving her ultimate aim, the mailbox.

She comes within sight of her goal and pauses to rest, using a handy pine tree to block the relentless wind.
 Yes! It is there....if only she can make it.....

*Heroic Ma Gets the Mail*

Oh the wellings of joy...the satisfaction of fulfilled intent...Hot Dog !

But Heroic Ma cannot celebrate for long. Safety's yet to be obtained.

Turning toward the south, Heroic Ma makes the fateful decision to take an alternate route to the house. It is longer, but less snowy. We can only hope that Heroic Ma has not made a fatal mistake!

Glancing up, Heroic Ma sees a faint sun, gleaming cold through the empty branches of an apple tree.
 Is it a beacon of hope? Or the sad omen of misjudgment?

It is too late to turn back. The die has been cast and Heroic Ma leans her aged but surprisingly strong frame against the wind and turns toward home.

She stubborn, that Ma.

Off the safe pathway of the drive, Heroic Ma is distracted by a stump.
  Ah, even in the face of danger, Heroic/Artistic Ma takes a moment to appreciate the unexpected beauty wrought from the chill fingers of the tempest.

Poor Heroic Ma! So brave, and yet so taken with nature's wonder. Go back, Ma! Go back...before it's too late!

And what is this?
  "Tis the door!

*sob*

Ma is safe...she is safe !

Oh happy, happy day.

And that's all

about Heroic Ma
 

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Snow's a comin' !

No matter what time of day...
 

..the sky and land seem to hold the same hue.
  

Big doin's up at the acreage. Ma printed off yet 20 more copies of the Christmas letter and filled the last 18 envelopes. Some of these had been left for last due to notes I wished to tuck inside and addresses that needed checking. If nothing is returned by the end of the week, I THINK I AM DONE!

All the Christmas letters mailed, and it's only February.

Which means I should probably start on the next one in a month or two.

It was Ethan's turn to accompany me shopping, and he showed admirable patience as we went first to obtain extra copies of family pictures for said letters, and then off to Goodwill.

My haul this time?

--Three flannel shirts....to be doled out amongst Loren and Derek
--Two VHS tapes.....The Fox and the Hound, and Billy Blank's Tae Bo Live Basic Workout (I may need to get boxing gloves for that)
--Two books...."Cows of Our Planet" by Gary Larson (the Far Side guy. I LOVE "The Far Side") and a VERY nice paperback copy of "The Journals of Lewis and Clark." (Penguin Nature Series)

:-D

I is happy.

And Ethan is happy because Wal-Mart did not have the cheapo plastic swords in their cheapo lame toys department. HOWEVER, in the clearance aisle I spied something even better.

Yes, a Jack Sparrow electronic Flash and Clash Cutlass! With Bandolier! Marked down from the previous unearthly price of fifteen buckeroos, to the almost reasonable price of five dollahs.

And let's be clear...this is not just a Flash Cutlass....not just a Clash Cutlass...but a Flash and Clash Cutlass! (with bandolier :-)

Ma decided the oldest of the three youngest boys should be able to exhibit his leadership qualities with a sword that talked.

And the rest is history.

And then there is the weather. Four or five inches of snow coming over night, along with 15 to 30 mph winds. Should be interesting. Those pictures of near white-out conditions I posted a couple of weeks were with less than an inch of snow.

Can't say as I'm happy about more of the white stuff, but at least we are stocked up on groceries. Milk, eggs and of course chocolate. Oh yes...one of the grocery stores was having a sale on Pillsbury Brownie mixes. Half price. Ten for ten dollars.

What? You think I bought ten? Of course not. What kind of pathetic chocoholic do you think I am?

I only bought four.
 

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That Kid

(addressed to four-year-old, who in the process of getting dressed for bed, is found to be twirling his pants around and around over his head)

"Trevor...stop being so silly. Why are you so silly?"

"Because I'm so...so...SU-poh!"
 

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Oops, I missed a "holiday."

Though it's not one I plan to celebrate. I was cruising the Huffington Post and ran across an article mentioning that tomorrow is...

Evolution Sunday.

"The effort to bridge the gap between science and faith is what Evolution Sunday is all about. The chief organizer of the Evolution Sunday project, Butler University's Michael Zimmerman."

And that's a little interesting...

But anyway, it seems pretty clear from reading the comments under the article (which I can't recommend for young readers, due to some language) that in general there are two groups of people involved:

--"Fundies" who interpret the Bible literally and are incapable of rational thought, ignoring "scientific facts" in the process, and

--Everyone else. The "everyone else" includes some Christians who don't wish to be identified with the "rabid, foaming at the mouth" fundamentalists and want to try the gap-bridging thing.

But I don't agree that everyone falls into just those two groups, though it definitely makes it easier to ridicule the other guy. And I have heard at least one respected creationist ridicule the opposition.

Thankfully, there are plenty of facts to be had. I haven't looked at every link on this web page, but I think it would be an excellent starting point to learn how very much scientific evidence there is to dispute evolution.

Hopefully the contributors aren't too smug in their approach. Arrogance and disdain are hardly the best avenue for reasoned discourse and persuasion.

So in the interest of "rational thought," I urge everyone to explore the topic of creationism. If you already believe it, then it never hurts to be more informed so you can better handle the facts of your arguments.

And if you're a confirmed evolutionist, maybe you should check out the site. Then you can discover for yourself if those of us who believe in a literal creation are all a bunch of ignorant sheep. Or not.
______________

On a slightly related note, it's just barely possible, that some of us greet the dire reports concerning "global warming" with skepticism in part, because they've been trumpeted by the very folks who bring us Evolution As Fact.
 

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That Holiday Thing

-Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

-Make a Friend Day

-White T-Shirt Day


I was able to put that first one into use right away, as the mail brought a returned "Christmas" letter to my mom, to which I'd apparently forgotten to affix the number next to the street name.

*whacks forehead*

Sorry, Mom. I'll get that off on Monday...

As to the second holiday, friends take more than a day to make. And let's be realistic...no one with three or more kids, who homeschools and lives an hour from the nearest decent-sized city is going to have any time or energy for friends. If she does, she would probably rather go out to dinner and a concert with the husband.

Or, she could just make it easy on everyone and start a blog.

As to the white T-shirt thing...white has never been my color. Hence the ivory wedding dress.

Mostly, I just wear gray 'cause that seems to be the prevalent color at the Goodwill store.

Besides, it's really starting to go nicely with my hair.

Time for something more substantial. It's Thomas Edison's Birthday!

Yes, the mind wandering youngster who had only 3 months of formal schooling went on to become quite the productive member of society.

When a teacher called him "addled," he was pulled from school and taught by his mother, of whom he said,

"My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint."

Nice fellow, that Tom. (and no, this is not a hint to any of the offspring)

It just goes to show that those who some think are not quite as "smart" as others, might just have the most brains of all. Anyone can think themselves intelligent if they only think of themselves.

So go out and invent something already!

Or, just grab a hunk of dark chocolate, some hot tea and read about it, here.
 

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Toothache Day

No, I don't have a toothache, that is actually the holiday ascribed to February 9...

Toothache Day.

Seems a tad negatory for something to celebrate, but then, I tend to frown on pain in general.

This might make sense if the preceding day had been Stuff Your Face With Chocolate Day or All the Taffy You Can Eat Day.

But it's not, so I say we skip it.

I'd like to go back to a more interesting holiday, which took place on February 3rd...

Cordova Ice Worm Day

Gripping title, no? It's enough to pique one's curiosity as well as suggest they'd just don't have enough to do up in Cordova, Alaska. That's where the festival takes place.

Yes, there IS such a festival and ice worms DO exist. The good folk up there even choose an Ice Worm King and Queen, which certainly gives the locals something to aspire to, all the while reiterating the sad lack of entertainment.

And while it's too late to participate this year, it's certainly not too early to begin booking cruises and fun car trips with this event in mind for next winter.

Heads up for tomorrow....it will be Umbrella Day.

Frankly, I don't even think we own one anymore. Once you have about three or more kids, the whole concept of an umbrella becomes rather pointless.

And since February is Great American Pie Month, I might just post a recipe or two. After all, it's still pretty cold around here and people need to conserve body heat by eating more food.

Yep. That sounds as good as anything.
 

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Barren Snow Dunes

  

Gentle snow waves lap the land,
snugging up to fence and farm,
cloaking much and hiding more and ever covering all.

Outside shell, shiny bright,
turns away the human gaze
and no one sees what lies beneath the cold and brutal crust.

Comes the dust, grit and grime,
topping perfect frozen layers,
sprinkled on the loveliness, a blemish to the eye.

Only then in sullied form,
can attention now be drawn,

brief and blunt..

interest wanes...

All is desolate.
 

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Just a note.....

.....to anyone considering switching to the "new" Beta-I-am-so-lame Blogger.

DON'T.

From what I've heard and read, it loses all the comments and is having problems posting pictures, and...who knows what else.

And don't be fooled by anything that pops up and makes you think you HAVE to sign on in the new blogger, or you won't ever get back to Blogger again. That happened with me once when they were "fixing" old Blogger, and I just came back later.

I'd like to take full credit for this helpful tip, but I have to confess that Loren told me NOT to switch, under any conditions, and against my better rebellious judgment, I complied.

Which is good.

But this should not be construed as admitting defeat on any topic not specific to computer technology.

And as always, I reserve the right to lord it over him concerning various matters that pertain to subjects where I have been proved right, whether by accidental acts of intelligence or just plain dumb luck.

Not the management (for the most part, anyway)
 

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The Ma Side

 
Echinacean Drift:   the process by which over millions of years purple coneflowers find themselves periodically up to their armpits in frozen, crystallized water particles. This in general is thought to be caused by global warming and more specifically to be the inevitable result of blatant homo sapien disregard for the dangers of sweating in public. Mostly by white males.
  

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Holiday Madness

Whoever decided February 8th was good for

Kite Flying Day

probably never lived in Iowa.

Or anywhere north of the 35th parallel.

Seeing as there's still snow on the ground and we woke up to a -28 degree wind chill (-33 C), I can say with absolute and totalitarian certainty that we will NOT be participating in any type of kite flying to-day.

February 8th is also Boy Scouts Day which seems a little more reasonable. I can envision some hardy scouts making a snug igloo and roasting venison steaks over a spit.

Personally, I prefer huddling in the living room around a good Tolkien novel. (we're almost finished with The Hobbit :-) After that, you toss the kids in bed and then snuggle into the flannel sheets with the electric blanket cranked to a modest 3. Throw in a couple of old sitcoms and you've got the perfect end to the day.

But that perfect ending is hours away.

And when you make repeated typing errors, it's time to take a snooze...
 

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Thanks, Mom :-)

  

Yesterday I received my second "Birds & Blooms" magazine, a gift subscription from my mother.

Sixty-six pages of glossy pictorial goodness.

WOW. It is just so beautiful.

The bird on the cover is a Black-and-White Warbler, of the wood warbler family.

This is the kind of magazine that gives one dreams about transforming the yard, and maybe going off on a solo bird excursion in the spring.

Nothing fancy, just a small gold-fish pond with benches and bird feeders and stone walks winding their way through reproductions of English Cottage gardens and possibly a small replica of Stonehenge.

And for the avian outing, I wouldn't have to travel that far away, just somewhere near a bird sanctuary or state park, where I'd go off for the day with my camera and a small backpack filled with extra batteries, water, protein bars and apples.

Then at night, I could return to the civilized comfort of a nice hotel room, with hot running water, soft bed and wireless connection. Posting pictures, snarfing dark chocolate and watching old sitcoms would complete my day.

And it wouldn't even have to be that long. Three, four days, tops.

Ohhh yeah.
 

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Charles Dickens Day

Ma has been doing a little research and after slogging through reams of old manuscripts, tons of ancient tomes, and even one or two websites, I have uncovered the mystery of why today is called Charles Dickens Day.

Are you ready? Are you sitting down?

It's because....

....he was born on February 7.

(and just looking ahead, I think that for September 15, we can do a lot better than Felt Hat Day, don't you?)

Charles Dickens. Victorian author with a social conscience and oodles of books to his credit.

Not to his credit, separation and unfaithfulness to the wife. Guess that conscience part didn't extend to his personal life. So let's just be real clear, having ten kids does not automatically make one super in Ma's mind, even if your photographic memory does enable you in remarkable achievement in character descriptions.

It is always disappointing when personal failings tarnish a public figure's moral reputation.

EXCEPT, I can't change what has happened, any more than I can change the fact that in the Old Testament, Eli and Samuel goofed up BIG time in raising their sons. (and really now, shouldn't Samuel have known better?) Oh...and David.

I think the temptation some of us as Christians fall into--and my children can testify to my own moral condemnations on different people--is that, not having any way to identify with someone in the public sphere, we sit, we wait, and when they fall, we pounce and judge.

"This would never have happened if...
-they had just led a quiet life at home
-they'd gone to a different church
-the mother hadn't worked outside the home
-they'd had a home business and raised their own cows and chickens
-they'd buckled down and procreated about a dozen or so kids, like good little red-staters"

And while there is need to make moral distinctions about peoples' lives when we talk to our children, to point out the hazards of making the wrong decision, or not following Biblical authority...

...it doesn't prevent me from reading well-written books or recommending them to others.

Which reminds me, having previously read the book, Kendra has recently viewed Masterpiece Theater's depiction of "Our Mutual Friend," the result being that it has soared near to the top of her all-time video favorites.

Can't give you my perspective, as that would have required my staying up late at night, and....well...as one ages certain things change.

Viewpoints and the need for sleep, to be specific.
 

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Dating Up

Or updating, whichever you prefer.

(Oh yes, Ma is SOOOooo bad :-)

I have good news on the step-mother-in-law front... Rebecca Hoyt was supposed to leave the hospital yesterday. Also, the latest word is that it was not a broken pelvis, but a cracked one, which should not be a big problem to heal.

So thank you to everyone for praying! It's always nice when the later news ends up being less severe than previously noted.
__________________

I'm very sorry but I com-PLETELY forgot to mention that the fifth of February was National Weatherman Day.

I know. I didn't realize it until they were giving an award to Sam Champion on the ABC morning news. I wished him well in spirit as I worked out on the Total Gym 1500. Of course, I just love Al Roker on NBC. He's terribly witty and quick with the quips. But for overall great voice and eye candy, I've gotta go with Champion.

I never seem to get around to CBS because...well....it doesn't come in on the little TV where we exercise. Besides, does anyone even watch CBS?

Basically, I go back and forth between ABC and NBC, depending on what story's being followed.

Now, for today. Lame Duck Day.

Don't know what that means, unless it has something to do with outgoing presidents. I say, LET's not worry about it!

Tomorrow has several names, one being Wave to Your Neighbors With All Your Fingers Day.

OK, I'm not goin' for that one, since all of our neighbors live far enough away they can't even see my fingers. Besides, out here on the gravel roads, we give a casual wave to almost everyone that goes by in a vehicle. (at least the men do...I've found the women are more standoffish.)

So let's get ready for tomorrow...

Charles Dickens Day.

Yes, go out and grab a book from the library! Read it. In one day.

Or, if that seems a tad ambitious, just gather with some friends, stand around in a circle and see who can say "Martin Chuzzlewit" five times, really fast.

You might be able to come with your own ideas. Don't be intimidated by my suggestions, no matter how unabridgedly stupendous they sound.

(only three and a half hours left to prepare)
 

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Snowflakes of the Zippy Car

  
 

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The Ma Side

 
In vain did the lonely scholars of Pine Crest Academy wait for weather-related school cancellations...but alas, twas not to be. Their's was a homeschool, and the teacher was not a tame Ma. 
 

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Testimonial

The scene: a middle-aged matron in gym clothes, topped by a gray hooded sweatshirt. She runs up the steps outside her local library [all two of them] with arms raised above her head in victory, while a volley of trumpets blast out the following theme:

baht BAH, bahp-pa bah, bahp-pa BAH   bahp-pa bah,

baht BAH, bahp-pa bah, bahp-pa BAH   bahp-pa bah,

Baht, bahp-pa baht, b-BAHT   b-BAHHHH

WHAH, WHAHHHH

bahp-pa bah, b-BAH.

"Feelin' STRONG   now...."
________________________

Yes, there is hope for the weak and helpless, and it's name is

EXCEDRIN MIGRAINE.

Able to work mighty wonders, even when the insidious nag-in-the-nog attempts the ultimate sneak of other-side headsomeness.

*grins*

Ma wins.

And one more thing...

Big Band ROCKS.
 

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Ma and the Stupid Day, That Turned Out

Ma got up and stepped on the scale. Oh boy! Another no good rotten weight report.

And her head hurt.

Ma walked into the chilly exercise area. She commenced her routine, each weight-bearing exercise an integral part of her day. A totally useless but integral part of her day.

And her head hurt.

Starting school late, Ma patiently sat by as her 7-year-old arduously and methodically typed his 30 spelling words into his computer for the week. He complained and halted many times, but while Ma kept an eagle-eye upon his barely compliant frame, he finished the awful Monday spellingness in 20 very long minutes.

Ma watched as the lad tried to save his words and saw the annoying "error 50" phrase pop up, instead.

Ma called her resident computer assistant over, had her pull up the REAL program and then Ma typed in all the words herself in a stunning 90 seconds.

Ma let loose a cathartic whine.

And her head hurt.

Ma continued to the living room, where her seven-year-old mysteriously seemed to have forgotten most of the multiplication facts he had known the week before.

Ma prodded. Ma goaded. Ma got impatient and suddenly the lad knew even less.

Ma relieved the boy of further scholastic endeavors for the day and went up to tread on the mill. It was on the endless rubber mat of runningness that Ma had a bad case of regrets.

Upon finishing, Ma went directly to the math-whiz-to-be and apologized.

Then, ignoring the hungry lunch-deprived growls of young stomachs, she enlisted several small slaves to help fold, spindle and mutilate the "Christmas letter."

In not-too-long-at-all-for-little-kids, 53 letters were folded, stuffed, sticker-sealed and stamped.

And her head hurt, but didn't seem so bad.

The kids fed, the face washed and freshly painted, Ma and the scholar set off for freezy shopping procurement awfulness.

The letters became mailed, though Ma saw that the stickers were unsealing.

Stores awaited, and still Ma's head hurt.

Ma exchanged pleasantries with the meat-counter-guy, primarily on the amazing one cent markdown of rump roast. He seemed less than amused despite Ma's face turning red.

Ma chose chicken, instead.

The temperature was -3 outside, as the polite grocery bagger waited in vain for Ma to unlock the trunk with her ignition key.

Huh.

Ma would have been re-red-in-the-face except for the boon of approaching frostbite.

Lots of things were starting to hurt.

Safely inside the cold car, Ma found the ignition key did not wish to turn. It was still miffed about being inserted into the trunk keyhole.

Miffed and twisted.

Ma-the-ever-tricksey-one went back and reinserted the ignition key into the trunk and twisted it back, again.

"VRROOOOM"ing sounds were heard.

Ma congratulated herself and wondered if she would live long enough to return home.

She did.

And her head hurt.

But one piece of frozen pizza and a small glass of pop later, Ma was starting to feel her oats.

Or maybe it was just the oatmeal from breakfast.

Ma took the only bright spot of the day over to her computer. She opened the small tin containing a 3 CD set of Big Band music. The War Years.

It seemed appropriate.

Still in a rebellious mood, Ma played the 3rd CD first. By the time she got to the third song--American Patrol--she had closed her eyes.

Her foot was tapping.

Ma's head still hurt, but at least her foot was tapping.

It was good.

It was the best Big Band anthology she had heard in a long, long while.

And Ma thought Paige's mom was really somethin' and she started to cry...
 

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News of the Random, and Not

Not that I'm obsessing on losing weight or anything, but I've noticed that since starting to drink green tea, I've actually lost nothing, or maybe even gained a little, so yeah, that seems to be working out real well.
____________

BIG IOWA NEWS....we may be in the middle of nowhere, but that doesn't mean we can't be on the cutting edge of laundry technology. Yes, if you go to the University of Iowa, you can have emails sent to your computer telling you when your laundry cycle is done. The theory being that people will get down there and fish out their clothes in a more timely fashion.

Personally, I would have no problem just going down there and dumping someone else's finished load in an empty basket so I could usurp their machine, but that's just me.
____________

Saturday was the 3rd of February, which in the annals of holiday recognition is sometimes called The Day the Music Died.

While I wouldn't go so far as that, it is worth noting since that was the day Buddy Holly, (real spelling was 'Holley' by the way) Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper" died in a plane crash. This concerns (recent) Iowa history in that it occurred out of the Mason City, Iowa airport, which is approximately an hour from where we live.

I like some of his old songs, such as "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day," to name two. And it can't be argued that he had a profound influence on "Rock -N- Roll," which might either be vilified or glorified, depending on one's degree of piety.

But you know, a lot of non-famous people have led fairly quiet lives and then died suddenly, and still had a dramatic effect on others. Maybe in a smaller sphere, but in terribly important ways, nonetheless.

I am thinking today of the person and particularly the family who donated a heart for Loren.

Grief isn't over in a day, month or year. It can come back in waves at unexpected moments and be the catalyst for great inner strength or immense bitterness, with various shades of experience between those two extremes.

It is a daunting task to reconcile why one family can undergo immense tragedy and another has life extended so miraculously.

Prayer for these who have suffered such a loss is always appropriate.
 

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Update on Rebecca

Not me.

This is the only Grandma Hoyt my kids will ever know and I have a little more information than was posted yesterday.

Rebecca broke her pelvis, not her hip. (not sure which of the bones they are referring to, but I assume it is the ilium) There is nothing they can do for this except let it heal.

Her arm is broken above the elbow and she experiences pain when moving, mostly from her arm.

It is my understanding that she will be seen by an orthopedist today.

Thanks to everyone who is praying for her and Lowell. (Loren's dad)
 

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Way to go Colts !

Rooting for the winning team is SO much more rewarding than trying to keep up the spirit for someone who is behind.

Though, after the opening kick-off I was a little worried.

More in depth analysis on the Superbowl could come tomorrow, such as votes for the best commercial and comments on who had the best hair.

Or, maybe I'll just sleep in.
 

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Coldscape

  

There seems to be no shortage of items to pray about these days.

Just received word that Loren's step-mother is hospitalized after falling in the kitchen and breaking her arm and hip.

Loren's mother died almost 25 years ago when I was pregnant with Ardith. Lowell remarried, to Rebecca Peck who was working for Bryan College at the time.

Within the last year or two they moved in with another couple who have been helping them with some of the things difficult for older folks to do in everyday life.

Rebecca is 87 years old, and fell around 15 years ago, also breaking a hip, and has suffered from different infirmities associated with being older, as has Lowell.

They live in Dayton Tennessee and we would appreciate your prayers on her behalf.
 

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Attention

I have just discovered what looks to be a whisker growing out of my chin. This, along with a couple of genuinely white eyebrow hairs, officially makes me an old goat.

Like I needed that, today.

*sniff*
 

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New Month, New Holiday Options

February is:

Black History Month
American Heart Month
Canned Food Month (?)
Cherry Month
Great American Pie Month
Grapefruit Month
Weddings Month

There are undoubtedly a few more.

Yesterday was National Freedom Day, which I didn't know about. Very appropriate though, since Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th amendment outlawing slavery on this date (Feb. 1st) in 1865.

If I remember correctly, Lincoln was a Republican. (sorry, I just couldn't resist :-)

Of course EVERYONE knows today is Groundhog Day, and while ol' Punxsutawney Phil may not have seen his shadow out in Pennsylvania, out Ioway it was cold and bright, so I guess we have 6 more weeks of winter.

I don't care. No lazy rodent on the east coast is gonna control my weather.
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As was mentioned last night, we survived another library trip.

Ma's goal this time is to read slightly more than last time, which was almost finishing one book and barely starting another.

Ma's picks for February and March?

American Gospel by Jon Meacham...I didn't finish this book the last time I had it, so I'm determined to this time around. I enjoyed reading Meacham's book on Roosevelt and Churchill and look forward to this one, both for its authorship and subject.

T.S. Eliot Collected Poems 1909-1962...everyone needs a link to thoughtful beauty.

How to Read a Novel by John Sutherland...it just looked interesting. Most of my library reading material comes from the New Non-fiction shelf.

And now, a new category, instituted in just the last 6 months or so: Ma's Radical Pick to Scare the Hubby Book...

Other Powers: the Age of Suffrage, Spiritualism, and the Scandalous Victoria Woodhull by Barbara Goldsmith...mostly want to read up on women's suffrage, but it sounds like this book will include a fascinating mix of important religious, social and political personalities.

Gotta love that history :-)
 

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The Diet Report

(I forgot to do this yesterday, so in the interest of accuracy, all numbers are from yesterday, besides which, yesterday's numbers are favorable as compared to today's)

Thursday's weigh-in: 1V5.5 pounds. That makes this week's weight change a total of 1 pound gained, or 19 pounds lost over 21.5 weeks.

Sometimes I am THIS CLOSE to not caring any more. I have other things on my mind, after all. The three month push to lose 26 pounds has turned into a "You'll be lucky to lose that in twice the amount of time," scenario.

Anyway.

Putting this on the back burner for now. Not quitting, just not going to think about it so much.

Happy to have come this far and the rest will obviously have to wait.

There will still be updates, unless they get too depressing.
 

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Library Day

Seeing as the wind had died down and the temperature risen to a big fat 17 warm degrees, we ventured out to the libraries. Oh yeah, the books were due very soon.

I can't describe what an undertaking this is for us. It uses up four and a half hours of the day and only occurs six times per year.

Today was a special occasion in that every single book had been located! (Ardith, Sharon and Jason will appreciate the significance of this...for once the kids had no dire threats from Mommy)

At this point, we really should just forget going to the library and stop with a nice clean record, but then I would miss the gut-wrenching moments of frenetic searching activity, where the flashlights are pulled out of various drawers, their weak anemic beams cast under the couches in search of lost reading material.

Usually we just find dust bunnies.

Sometimes though, we do discover books. And one shining day in particular, I remember shrieks of delight when Carolyn, having worked up the courage to search inside the lining of the couch, came up with two long-lost biblos.

Baa, baa, baa.

How thankful I am that in this modern age of technology, the lists of books are printed out, saving me from the arduous chore of writing every single book down on paper upon returning home. (and I really had to do this....and no one even paid me)

But just like beating laundry on the rocks, my hand-cramping-title-writing-lists are a thing of the past.

So basically, all that's missing are little GPS devices attached to each book.

Maybe next year.
 

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