Sprouts

Quite some time ago, a new grocery store opened in Lubbock.  The original name has been changed to Sprouts http://www.sprouts.com/.  I had never been there.  There was  a time in my life when I would have made a point to go to a new store, especially one like Sprouts. Sprouts emphasizes locally grown, fresh, and organic foods.  I used to be really drawn to that, but for some reason, I have become so disenchanted with shopping that I could not be bothered to go out of my way to access this store.

Some friends and coworkers have highly endorsed Sprouts to me, but I just could not bring my self to do the extra work of shopping at more than one store. I have become a very lazy shopper:  I go to Wal-Mart supercenters, and buy everything there: food, household items, clothes, cat products, hardware, you name.  I sometimes go to the Dollar Tree, Home Depot, Target, all of which are close to my house, and even, between my house and work.  Often, in the middle of the week, I stop at the local United Supermarket that is between my work place and my house, but a little north of where I live, on the way home from work.

Well, last week, a coworker shared some oven roasted vegetables with me. She purchased them from Sprouts. Friday, I went to Sprouts and purchased quite a bit. I have eaten them as snacks, and also as vegetables for a meal.  I wondered around the store and found some other things to buy:

They had shrimp at a very good price.  I cooked those shrimp yesterday, and when I tasted them, I was amazed.  I have written before about my Lubbock seafood fiascoes:  I have been to the East or West coast, and had wonderfully fresh seafood.  I return to Lubbock, and buy seafood, and am so disappointed at the quality:  it is obvious it is previously frozen.  Well, these shrimp are so FRESH tasting, they would have been worth more than I paid for them.  I also purchased sushi, which I buy at United a lot.  The quality did not differ from that of which I buy at United.

So, even if it is out of the way and more work, Sprouts is now on my radar.

Tornado!

Tonight, we are under a sever thunder storm watch and warning, and even a tornado warning. At one point, the warning indicated the tornado may track towards south Lubbock, but it stayed in south Lubbock County.

Sake, Haiku and Taki were visibly upset. At one point, when I checked, Sake and Haiku were in the crates in the closet.  I made a mistake, I did not have a flashlight with me, and I disturbed both of them. They left the crates.  But that reassures me that they know where to go for the safest place. Taki disappeared, I am not sure where, but I know in the past when I have called her, she comes. I hope she would in the face of a fearsome storm.  Even after I disturbed them, Haiku and Sake hung around the closet. And, I have to think they all try to find a place to hide. Anytime there is any kind of storm, even snow, Sake lays under the overhang at the foot of the bed.  I am not sure how safe that is, but it is better than nothing. 

I have my emergency kit in the closet.  I put my bag in there, so hopefully, if something happens, I would have it with me, and my paperwork, money, credit cards, etc.

A storm reporter has related that his windshield has been broken out by the hail.  I was impressed that the reporter interrupted his broadcast to warn people that they needed to take shelter.

At one point, I closed up  the house, but have now opened the front door and window near the entrance, that is protected by the front stoop.

We may have more tornadic activity or severe storms tonight.  I will continue to monitor the weather situation. Sake and Haiku are hanging around in the bedroom.  They have been through this before.

It is not raining very hard now, and I checked the rain gauge, which indicated .5 inch of rain.  That is great!  My lawn, shrubs and trees need the moisture. I hope we get more tonight, without the hail or tornadoes.

Ranch Day

Today was the annual Ranch Day at the Texas Tech National Heritage Ranching Center http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ranchhc/.  I know someone who participates, and years ago, those people dressed in period costumes were told not to talk.  Now, the day has become very interactive, with docents sharing wonderful stories about the buildings, activities, people and life style.  There were lots of activities for the kids, and they could earn points, "get paid" and shop  at the commissary.  I saw some adults participating, too. There were so many activities: carding wool, branding cattle (cutouts and paint) horse riding, rope making, washing clothes on a washboard, churning butter, making a corn husk doll, roping cattle (on a mechanical roping rig), to name just a few.  To earn money, the participant had to engage in 5 activities. I am not sure what they could buy.

I overheard one of the docents talking about the fact that people do not come out to see buildings, they come out to see how people live, and the activities the activities in which they engaged, and to hear stories about that lifestyle.  He is correct.

That is why places like Colonial Williamsburg http://www.history.org/ and Old Sturbridge Village http://www.osv.org/ are so popular.

I have been to Old Sturbridge Village twice.  I have been to Plimouth Plantation http://www.plimoth.org/ once.  It was fairly new when I was there, but they had some activities and docents in period clothing. The plan was to make it a working village like Colonial Williamsburg and Old Sturbridge Village.

I love living history.  I am so convinced that one of the tasks of humans is to learn history, and learn from history. Living history museums are a wonderful way to teach us.

Smoking

My neighbor has a wood fired cooker.  I suspect it is a smoker, and today he fired it up.  The smell of the mesquite smoke is so wonderful!  I like mesquite smoked meat. It has a really good flavor.

I have the windows open, and the smoke smell is coming into the house. I do not mind.  I just like the mesquite smoke smell.

Sake wanted out this afternoon.  She did not like the smoke smell, and came in quickly.

I Hate Change

I am not sorry.  I have bitched, complained, griped, and nattered about the change of the blog settings. I am still not sure I will continue to use it, but for now, I am trying.  I do not want to be defeated by anything, including a new look to the blog.

So, I will continue to try to figure this out.  But why is Google making my life so difficult?  Grrrrrrr!

I Hate This New Blog Set Up

I hate this new blog set up. I said I would not use it, but I am trying to, because I do enjoy blogging But I think someone on some very bad drugs designed this new set up. It is not intuitive. It is not easy to use. It does not help the casual blogger.

I may not be long for this blogging world.

Silence vs Solitude

People get it wrong, silence vs. solitude

 

Definition of SILENCE

1

: forbearance from speech or noise : muteness —often used interjectionally

2

: absence of sound or noise : stillness <in the silence of the night>

3

: absence of mention: a : oblivion, obscurity b : secrecy <weapons research was conducted in silence>

Silence is the lack of sound. Lack of mention. No noise.

Solitude is different:

Definition of SOLITUDE

1

: the quality or state of being alone or remote from society : seclusion

2

: a lonely place (as a desert)

Silence is about being quiet.  Solitude is about being alone.  I like both.  Some people can not be alone with themselves, so dislike the solitude.  But solitude does not have to be silent.  And silence can be solitary or communal.

My Favorite Things

I never concretized the concept of "changing thinking" until I went to work at the prison in 1995.  Yet, I knew about the concept long before.  One of the ways I learned about the concept was from the song in the Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical: The Sound of Music. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Music when Maria sings about My Favorite Things: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33o32C0ogVM.

I use this concept with my patients at work.  I tell them to develop  a positive thinking "cheat sheet"  I encourage them to list their favorite poem, story, memory, movie, joke, song, positive memory about family, and free world.  I explain that as they are having a bad time, they should take out the cheat sheet, go down the list, and find something that will help them. 

Then I explain to them as they progress along, they should find things about themselves that they like, are proud of, feel good about, or are in any way are positive about, and add it to their cheat sheet.

I have been to workshops on the power of positive thinking for years before I went to work at the prison.  I did not truly embrace and understand the magnitude of controlling, and changing your thinking until I went to work in the prison.   The power of thinking is amazing!

If you do not understand that where your thinking goes so goes your actions and feelings, you need to re-evaluate your life, your thinking, your feeling.

Cooling Off the House

I was blessed, some year ago, to be able to afford replacement windows. These are windows that allow for opening, and allowing fresh air into the house.

During this time of the year, I am grateful that I can open the windows.  I use this to help keep the house cool, and air out the house. 

I have to be careful, because if I leave the windows wide open, someone could easily access the house.  So, as the night becomes later, I close many of the windows, and lock open, with a small opening, the others.

My neighbors have been using their air conditioner for several weeks.  Today, with 95° temperature, is only the second or third time that I have had the air conditioner on.

Over the weekend, I had the house open for most of the day.  By late afternoon, I had to close the house to keep out the heat.  Saturday, the air conditioner came on.  But about 4 hours or less later, I was again able to open the house. So that is nice.

I much rather cool the house with fresh air than the air conditioner.  Sometimes, at this time of the year, I can not, because the dust is so bad.  But, this year, the dust has not been so bad, so I have been able to keep the windows open a lot. 

I especially enjoy sleeping with the windows open at night. However, during this time of the year, allergies become a problem.  There are always trade offs in life.

Yankees vs. Red Sox

I was looking forward to watching the Yankees vs. Red Sox in Boston today.  Yesterday, after a dismal start, the Yankees won.  Tonight, the game was rained out.

The truth be known, I am a Red Sox fan if I can watch a Red Sox baseball game.  I am a Yankee fan, if I can watch a Yankee baseball game. But when the Red Sox and the Yankees play against each other, I am a torn fan.  Ultimately, I side with the Yankees.  But there are times I want to see the Red Sox win.

Mostly, when I watch a game between these two teams, I want to see long innings, lots of runs, and the possibility for extra innings. 

I do not want to see a rout.  I do not mind a major shift in scoring as happened on 4/21/12. It makes for a very interesting game. And, that is what I want, an interesting game.

The Night Air

The night air is wonderful. It is a gorgeous night. I was sitting outside, reading. And really enjoying it. There was a time when I would have stayed out as long as I wanted to: all night even. When Mack was alive and fearless about protecting me. When my neighborhood was safer.

My neighborhood is not scary, but it does not feel as safe as it once did.  While I sit out late, I do not stay out into the wee hours. And, I will admit, there have been neighborhood noises that have driven me inside.

To be honest, as I reflect on things, I do not think I would feel very differently about my safety in other parts of the city, or even of the world.  I just do not feel the world is very safe any more.

Maybe I have read too much about crime, am steeped too much about crime during the day (especially at work) and know how bad people treat people.

I wish my mind was different about my safety.

Distracted

It was just one of those mornings.  I had planned to do as I usually do on Saturdays, and go to the library, gas up the car and get my weekly groceries. 

I was a little slow at getting started. But left the house a little after 9, waiting, as I do because the library opens at 9.  It took 3 tries before I got out of the neighborhood.  That was a little distressing to me.  I just could not recall if I had closed up the house, so went back not once, but twice.

I need to be more focused.

Cat Exerciser

It's Miller time!  Miller moth time, that is.  Over the last few days I have had them in the house on occasion.  Using the garage as a sally port reduces the number that make it into the house. But, today, one made it in, and Taki thought that was just great!  She was very actively chasing it. The other cats noticed it, but did not chase after it as actively. It was fun to watch.

Rendering Lard

There was a time when I would save fat from meat, especially briskets, freeze it, and at some point in time, boil it down to render it into lard to make suet for the birds.

This is not a difficult process, but it is time consuming.  In reality, the lard needs to be boiled down twice. After it is boiled down the second time, if the plan is to make suet cakes for birds, the lard needs to remain in, or be reduced to, its liquid from.  Then it can be mixed with various seeds, grain, chaff, or what have you. 

This is actually kind of a fun winter time activity.  But I had cooked a whole chicken and had lots of fat left from it. So, it made me think about that.

Hold Me!

I am not as affectionate and cuddly with my cats as I could be.  This includes Taki, who I found near death and nursed back to health, bottle fed, and raised. I did not cuddle her at first, for fear she would not survive. I was afraid of getting too close with disastrous results. That was wrong, I know, but what I did. Although, I did hold and pet her as a baby, I did not cuddle her. 

Each of my cats has their own pattern for cuddling.  Sake likes to be held in the mornings. I feel really badly about this, because she wants me to hold her as I am heading out the door to go to work.  Fortunately, I sometimes start out earlier than I need to, and have some time to hold her. Also, fortunately, most days, I have some flexibility in the time I arrive at work.  But, I often do not feel at ease when I am holding Sake, because I am thinking about the need to get to work.  And, I know she would probably let me hold her longer than I usually do.

Sake also likes for me to sit in the living room in the evening. I do sometimes. But I often sit in "the office" where the computer and printer is.  I have wireless, so I can use the laptop in the living room, but if I am doing any printing, I have to be hardwired to my old fashioned printer.

Haiku also likes attention in the evening, when I am in "the office."  She likes to sit on the office chair, and will even sit on my lap while I am working at the computer. If I have the TV tray set up next to the office chair, she likes to sit there. When I have a second chair in the office, she may lay in it while I am working on the computer.

Haiku will join my on the sofa.  Until I got the replacement windows, Haiku and Sake would not be on the sofa at the same time. However, when I open the windows behind the sofa, they will both sit on the back of the sofa, at opposite ends.

Taki looks for affection in the evening: this is consistent: When I was bottle feeding, I fed her and left in the morning and at lunch, but was able to feed and pet in the evening.

It is so difficult for me to realize that Sake will be 11 years old this summer, and Haiku has just had her 10 year birthday. Taki will be a year at the end of this month.  I still think of Sake and Haiku as babies. And, of course, Taki still is a baby!

Oh, I am getting old.

The Fentennial

I am so glad that I have been able to get the TV broadcasts of Red Sox games this week, which happened since they are playing the Texas Rangers in Boston.

Tonight, the Rangers announcers talked about the Fenway Open House scheduled for April 19th: fans can go all throughout the park, including into the Green Monster.  If I were in Massachusetts tomorrow, I would go!  And, it is free, although you can guess the hucksters will be out, and paid parking will be at a premium.  http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120417&content_id=28901654&vkey=pr_bos&c_id=bos

Then, Friday night, the actual 100th year celebration will occur on a day when the New York Yankees are in town.  This is only fitting and just, as the Yankee - Red Sox rivalry defines baseball rivalries. 

The announcers remarked that all the living ex-Red Sox have been invited back for the event and over 200 have accepted. (I wonder how many there are, and who they are.)  I hope I get to watch some of that.  But, now with computer access, I am sure I will be able to find some video of it somewhere.

The Fentennial is an fun, exciting event.

The Lost Table and Other Missing Items

We "lost" a table at work.  Things disappear where I work.  It is a 24 hour facility, with various people having access to certain keys, and staff have disparate schedules.  So, that allows for something to become missing, and it might be a while for its absence to be noticed. For example, there is an area where many computer cords just disappeared. 

This is a state agency, and all of this equipment and apparatus is paid for by my tax dollars, and the tax dollars of all the employees. It may be that is why some employees feel they are entitled to take things.  As the years have progressed, the policies have become better at protecting equipment and supplies, especially and including personal effects.

But I have to admit, years ago, our department had an extension cord that had a ground pin broken off.  Instead of replacing the plug, the purchaser said it would be more cost effective to buy a new extension cord (I did not believe that.) However, I was charged with "walking the cord off the unit."  I took it home and fixed it.

I remember, shortly after the place opened, and we were allowed, I brought in a 12 pack of soda pop on a Thursday.   I drink a lot of soda pop, but by Monday morning, there was only one can left.  That was at a time many people had access to our office suites.  That would no longer happen.  But I learned my lesson. (I did not work that weekend.)

So, yesterday, while I was conducting a patient interview in a consultation room in a part of the unit I do not usually frequent, I found the table!   Today, I asked a porter to help me to get it moved to the storage area where the rest of our equipment is being stored.

This set off a spate of emails: I was "credited" at finding the table (as if I were searching.) So I commented on how I was not looking for it, and that is how I find so many things at my house. Another comment was when someone announces they are "seriously looking" for something, the gremlins return it.  This was fun.

I think I have mentioned that I have a cat who steals rolls of toilet tissue. Sometimes, they are out in the open.  Sometimes, I have a hard time finding them.  A couple of weeks ago, a roll of toilet tissue disappeared from the bathroom I do not use regularly.  I looked various places for it, but it was not to be found.

Tonight, when I got home from work, a roll of toilet tissue was on the floor.  It was not from either bathroom. So, it was that missing roll. Demonstrating, when we least expect it, things show up!

My Musical Ear Has Not Improved Over the Years

When I was in the first grade, my teacher went around the room with a pitch pipe and asked us to replicate the tone she was blowing. I could not. I have ever felt very inferior about my musical ability, especially singing. It was humiliating and  embarrassing then.  Now, sometimes, I sing off key purposefully just to hide my embarrassment. But, I still love to sing.

I love sing alongs: Hootenannies, sing alongs, campfire sings, even church singing.  I love to sing along with music I have at home.  I used to be embarrassed by that, but when the TV show Murphy Brown http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094514/ included her singing to herself at home, generally a little off key, I decided so what.  So, now I sing along, off key, whenever I want to.  If someone around me does not like it, they can stop listening.

Over the years, from time to time, I have had the opportunity to attend "sing along functions."  Some sort of party, group activity or what have you. I am in hog heaven at these events.

I like music. I have specific types of music I really like:  I like cowboy songs, not country and western songs. I like classic pop, 40's, 50's and 60's popular music.  I love the traditional musicals of the 40s and 50s, even into the 60s. I like the Top 40 music I grew up with, and I like so many other kinds of music, I can not fairly list it. 

When I was in junior high school, we were required to attend music and art appreciation.  I did not realize at the time what a gem of a teacher we had when I was in the 8th grade: Mr. Gilmore was our teacher, and he had been an Air Force band director. In addition to trying to teach us more traditional music stuff, we listened to Bill Cosby. 

The best gift Mr. Gilmore gave us was teaching the high school band the US Air Force arrangement of "The Star Spangled Banner"
http://www.usafband.af.mil/recordings/index.asp. Today, if I hear a band arrangement of the "The Star Spangled Banner" I expect it to be the US Air Force arrangement, and nothing else compares.

As the years have progressed, I have begun to like more and more, classical music.

I enrolled in an Osher Life Long Learning class What to Listen for in Music by Dr. Thomas Cimarusti.

I really appreciate the opportuntiy to learn more about music and appreciating music.  There is one more session for this offering.  I enjoyed tonight, and I am looking forward to next week.

Tax Day

I heard some people I admire talk about their tax woes today.  I have been fortunate for the last several years, and have had to pay small amounts, or received a tax return.  My father told me, when I was in high school, that I did not want to get a large return, because the government had my money for free all that time.  The best thing to do, was to get close to the amount owed, and pay a small amount, or get a small refund.

Another thing my parents taught me was not to use a tax refund as a savings account.  Many people do this, and use their tax refund for something special that they could not otherwise afford.  I have always had the attitude that I need to save up for those special things, but not let the government do my savings for me.  And, fortunately, I have had the self discipline to be able to save when there was something I needed to save for, no matter how tight my budget was. I learned how to live on a tight budget a long time ago.  I could do it again, if I had to.  I am blessed right now that I do not have to.

I will admit that this year, my refund will help to pay for a trip I am going to make, but would have found another way to pay for, anyway.

One of the things I thought about as I heard my acquaintances discuss their tax woes was that we do not know what the trials and tribulations of the lives of others include. People who travel often, dress fancy, or go out a lot may spend a lot of money that they do not have. They may have to borrow to pay their taxes, take out loans to have work done on their homes, or live with their credit cards at their maximum limits.  They may or may not have savings.

I have chosen my life style which is very conservative in terms of finances. I do not live beyond my means. I try to know how I am going to afford and pay for my expenditures. And I can live on a very sparse budget, if need be. 

So, if tax day rolls around and I owe the government some money, I pay it.  Not happily, but acknowledging what I receive in return for my taxes. 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

It is a beautiful day today, but cool and windy. I could have been outside, but I was able to access the Boston vs. Tampa Bay game, played at Fenway Park.  This is the Fentennial, the 100th anniversary of the opening of the park http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=20577587&c_id=mlb

Fenway has lots of traditions, including the singing of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" http://www.bostonspastime.com/sweetcaroline.html. When there is national coverage for the Red Sox, they most often show the fans singing in the middle of the 8th inning.

Today is Jackie Robinson Day.  Today the breaking of the color barrier in Major League Baseball, by Jackie Robinson is acknowledged and celebrated http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/jrd/.  He is heralded as helping so much to make this happen, and happen well.  It took a great deal of courage by him, and an understanding that he had to behave with the dignity and respect he was not going to be accorded by so many, many people.

I heard an old timer today talk about him, and about how especially the players raised in the South did not know any better than to behave the way they did.  True but sad.  Very sad for the minority players who still, sometimes, have to deal with inappropriate racial barriers.

But baseball is integrated. And it is integrated with players from the Caribbean countries, Mexico, Central and South America. Andi it is integrated with players from Asia.

A friend of mine wrote me about hearing about Margaret Mitchell. One of the comments she had about Gone With the Wind was how blacks reacted to her treatment of slaves in the book.  I cannot imagine how much suffering so many people have endured in our country, including in the sport of baseball. It makes me feel good that America's Pastime acknowledges the heritage of Jackie Robinson.

Tonight, I get to watch the Yankees and the Angels play at Yankee Stadium. So, this is a day when I have had the chance to be at the old ball game.

Bring In The Big Guns

KCBD Channel 11 television (NBC) http://www.kcbd.com/ is the most respected news, weather, and sports reporting television station in Lubbock.  They just present the most balanced and fair information, without over reporting or sensationalizing too much (everybody does a little sensationalizing.)

So, tonight, as I was watching the NASCAR Race on Fox, I realized a storm was blowing into the area.  I saw the lightning to the north, and heard the wind crack and pound on my house. The weather forecast earlier in the week had indicated we might get some storms over the weekend, but by today, the only forecast was for the wind.

Until the storms blew in. The weather service did not announce the storms until well after they were visible to me.  So, I have to wonder if they were caught napping, or if the storms truly did form so quickly  that the weather service was caught unawares.

The local television channels picked up on the weather news and made it their headline happenings.  Including KCBD.  The weekend weather person was doing an admirable job of reporting about the storms, the wind and the hail.  When who popped onto the screen but John Robison, the Channel 11 chief meteorologist.  Well, of course, he could not stay home while a major weather event was occuring, in case something drastic or tragic happened.

I have to wonder, what kind of life a meteorologist lives, if he or she has to respond at the beck and call of whatever major weather event occurs.  I am thankful that people are out there and willing to be dedicated to reporting about weather events, so my safety can be considered. I just feel badly for the individuals involved.  I suspect, however, that many of them are "adrenalin junkies" and storms of whatever variety set off the adrenalin load, and they "go with" the experience.

Lubbock Arts Festival

This is the weekend of the Lubbock Arts Festival http://www.lubbockarts.org/generalinfo.htm.  I went. I usually go in the later afternoon, and plan to buy an Indian Taco from the Altursa Club, for dinner.  This year, I realized the West Wind Brass Band was playing at noon, so I went early to listen to their performance.  I had plenty of time to walk around the festival, and I bought an Indian Taco for a late lunch.

It was windy today.  There have been many times when the wind was blowing the weekend of the Lubbock Arts Festival.  That is okay. Or it is now.  The year they tried to hold it at the South Plains Fairground it was not very pleasant.  But with the events in the Civic Center, it is just fine.

Friday Got By Me

I try to post something once a day, when I am able.  Frequently, I have nothing to post, and I get behind.  Friday, I was in a limbo about posting.  I really did not not have anything special to post, but I just wanted to say I am thinking about posting.

Little Free Library

My neighbor, Bill, is an amazing man. For many, many years he was the librarian at one of the Lubbock High Schools. And, upon his retirement, he has remained active in the community: he is a member of the Friends of the Library, he was, and may still be on a community advisory board for the Citibus, he gives presentations and talks to various community groups about books, and he is a constant participant at the Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club. He is a very active member of the Friends of the Library. He has a cadre of friends with whom he visits regularly at Barnes and Noble, and who know where else.

He recently became aware of The Little Free Library http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/. He has a friend who built a little free library for in front of his house. Last Friday, April 6, 2012, he opened the library.  He already has wonderful stories about people who are borrowing books, and visiting with their neighbors, all because of the Little Free Library.   What a wonderful gift to the community.

Thanks Bill!

The Wind

The wind was stout tonight. No stouter than many nights, but much stouter than others. But it roared and hummed.  It occurred to me that the reason the wind makes these noises has less to do with its velocity and more to do with many other factors.

Some factors include the direction of the wind. But more important, some of the factors that effect the sound that the wind produces includes the obstacles around which or through which it has to traverse.

The wind takes on a life of its own: It might be strong enough to move objects that we had no idea were that movable. It might move objects to new heights that we did not realize those objects could reach. It might be persistent enough that it blows sand and dust for miles and miles, transforming the landscape by the movement of particles.  It might be strong enough that it blows flames, cinders and embers to perpetuate wild fires that take down everything in their paths.

The wind is powerful. People who do not live in the wide open plains do not develop a concept for the strength and persistence of the wind. Understanding the power of the wind, the persistence of its force, the destructiveness it can call up is part of learning to live in West Texas, or the Plains of America.

The wind is a companion in the South Plains. But it can be an enduring hardship and a bitter enemy.  Learning to live with, appreciate and respect the wind is one of the hardest lessons for a West Texas transplant.

News, Weather and Sports

When CNN and The Weather Channel started, they carried the news and the weather.  I could count on turning on The Weather Channel, and getting updated information about what was happening weather wise across the country, which meant, eventually, and not too long into the viewing cycle, in my part of the world.  I could count on CNN to carry breaking news, if news was breaking, and repeat stories (ad infinitum and ad nauseum)

Well, then things changed.  CNN developed specialty segments. The Weather Channel developed entertainment shows that are weather related, so now I cannot count on getting a weather report when I turn on The Weather Channel.

ESPN, on the other hand, started off doing things like re-broadcasting recent sporting events and old sporting events, as well as having lots of sports commentaries.  ESPN has actually improved its programming by not only having sporting events but current talk shows about current sporting events. So every viewer can become a well educated commentator about sports.  However, there are lots of hours  of the broadcasting day that ESPN programming is really inferior, not interesting or exciting, and just filling space.

I went surfing the other day, and looked at the expanded High Definition line-up to which I would have access if I increased my cable coverage to that tier of service. I found nothing in the High Definition line-up that enticed me more than what was already available to me.  I am convinced I have more television access than I know what to do with, especially because I live alone, and usually only watch one show at a time.

Sometimes, I admit, I have a different show on each TV.  Other times, I flip back and forth while sitting in front of one TV set.

And, I admit that I use the TV to watch weather and sports a great deal more than I watch news.  In fact, unless I am following a particular story, I usually avoid the news.  It is too depressing.  I am not uninformed about the world:  I access 3 newspapers daily, on line. The Weather Channel provides breaking news, which I do appreciate.  And, I get the local newspaper hard copy.  I have thought about actually only getting the online version of the local newspaper, but I use it as lining under the cat pans and cat food dishes.  Maybe $120 a year is expensive for cat liners. But it is easily cleaned.  I could invest in expensive mats, which, once they are soiled, are never as good as they are when they are brand new.  With newspaper, I can have fresh liners whenever I choose to replace them.   So, I suppose it is worth the cost to not only get the hard copy, local events information, word games, and cat liners.

A Storm Blew Through

A storm blew through tonight.  There was thunder, lightning, wind and rain. Not much rain, but rain. It did not last long.  I am thankful for any rain we receive.  I will check the rain gauge tomorrow, but I think the total amount was probably less than a quarter of an inch. 

The yard was looking very dry today.  Mostly, there is rye grass and it starts to dry out this time of year, anyway.  But the Bermuda grass needs water.

The weather forecast indicated we may get more rain in the next few days.

Let's hope.

Jigsaw Puzzles

I have always enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles, and continue to do so.  I do not currently do real physical puzzles, due to a lack of safe space to keep them, without my cats getting into the pieces and breaking them up, or losing them. Although,with some effort, I could probably rig up a system that would allow me to do so.  But, as with my knitting, I suspect I would face a great deal of interference from the cats.

I do try to complete a jigsaw puzzle on line each day.  I have my own system: I like to separate the edge pieces from the center pieces. In doing so, I also separate the center pieces into like colors or designs.  Because the space is limited for this, sometimes I find myself combing colors or designs in one pile, so that it morphs from one thing to another based on minute changes.  This is a bit like life: sometimes we go through life and do not realize the minute changes we are making, but as we do, our life ultimately has become drastically different from where it started.  This is, after all, what all of nature does in evolution!

I recently heard someone comment that, of course you start working on a jigsaw puzzle by setting the corners.  I did not know that, and I have been doing jigsaw puzzles for over 50 years.  (That sounds like a long time, doesn't it?)  Am I an expert? I do not know.  Am I knowledgeable? Yes. Am I good at it? I like to think so, and have been told I am, at various times in my life.

Maybe I have "the eye" for it.  Maybe it is something about colors, shapes and patterns that I recognize.  I do not know.  I know I have the patience and diligence for it. And, I do not need to know what the final picture will be for me to successfully work on the puzzle. So a little mystery does not deter me.

Currently, the online jigsaw puzzle I do has some quirks to it.  The piece shapes repeat themselves, and even the location of the specifically shaped pieces tends to repeat.  Which makes the puzzles less challenging, and sometimes, a little boring. But, other times, there is a new and interesting variation in the puzzle.

And sometimes, due to optical variances, pieces that look like they should fit, do not, while other pieces that seem to be the incorrect shape or size, do fit.  So, sometimes, it is worthwhile to try something that does not seem right, just in case.

I think life is like that.  Much of our existence is a serious of repeats, with minor variations. Sometimes the variations are so minor, we do not realize they exist. Other times, they are so obvious, we can not ignore them. Sometimes, things do not appear right, but are, and yet, other times, we are so sure that something is right, we feel we cannot lose, but we do.

Ultimately, with diligence and patience, the pieces come together and the picture is complete.

The next time there is a trial in your life, think about jigsaw puzzles. Breaking down a large, overwhelming project into small pieces is helpful.  Spending the time to put things in order and make the necessary preparations before you actually act can ultimately be a time saver. Make a plan, and stick with it, but evaluate it as you go along.  Don't be afraid to acknowledge that the piles have morphed, but underneath the top layer are the others with which you started. Be patient. Be diligent. The big picture will eventually develop!

Cycles and Spring

We have a therapy module at work related to relaxation and stress management, but it is really about the cycles of life. It makes the point that when we have a down cycle, we can rest assured that this can change, and we can have an up cycle.  This may happen automatically, but we can impact this by making some positive change, changing the things we do that are influencing the down cycle to stop it and make it an up cycle.

When you think about it, the seasons of the year are about that.  Spring is an up cycle that occurs after the dormancy cycle of winter. Spring becomes a time of renewal and refreshing, with plants blooming, and birds and animals giving birth to a new generation.

Many humans also refresh at this time of year.  We may start the year with new year's resolutions that so often do not last but a few days or weeks at the most.  For Christians, we then have the structured opportunity, at Lent, to start afresh with a time of change and renewal:  we can choose, of course, at any time, to start anew, but Lent gives a time, supported in a religious context to make a sacrifice for the veneration of the Lord.  Sometimes a sacrifice or commitment to a greater good makes it all that much easier for us to keep that commitment. Public acknowledgement of the commitment also provides us with additional impetus, as so many of us have such a strong desire not to fail in public, not to "lose face." Additionally, the support from a group (religious or otherwise) is known to help us to continue on a difficult course.  So Lent becomes our dormancy period during which we maintain our sacrificial commitment, in preparation for renewal.

Like so many of the Christian festivals, Easter is borrowed from or coincided with non-Christian rites of passage celebrating the renewal of the year.  The religious context also provides us with an opportunity to renew our religious commitments.  But it seems to be a basic part of humanity to celebrate the passages of time and give thanks for the changes we acknowledge with those passages.

If you have reached Easter keeping your commitment to a renewal plan, congratulations!  It may have been easy or difficult, but the point is you kept your commitment. 

If you reached Easter but did not keep your commitment on the way, all is not lost. We can be resilient, and make commitments to ourselves and others anytime along the way of life.

The thing about cycles, is that they do not require a change in season for the cycle to change. All it requires is a change in ourselves. Sometimes, it only requires a small change. And, let's face it, small changes are much easier to accomplish than are large ones. And, small changes can provide a foundation: Upon each small but successful change, we can add another, until we reach the larger goal.

Life is a series of changes.  At some point in time, some of us are fortunate enough to learn that instead of floating along with day to day living, we can take control of our lives, and be responsible for the direction we are traveling. The Gandhi quote "You must be the change you want to see in the world" is a succinct admonition leading us to this knowledge. 

When better to be this change, but in Spring, during the time of renewal, after our time of dormancy, when we are poised and prepared?

What I Learned About Making a Commitment to Myself

I sincerely try to follow through with commitments, especially if it is work related. I have a strong work ethic, which is not motivated by monetary payment alone.  In fact, my pride in doing a good job, my sense that doing the very best in no matter what I do surpasses my need for monetary compensation in many circumstances.

I made a commitment, and I was not sure how I was going to make good on the task. But, I found myself making lots of plans, and prioritizing one small step of the task after another. I was excited, and my focus on this commitment really blocked out other things I normally do and sometimes struggle with.  I just decided I needed to work on that commitment, and did so, without regard for what else I would prefer to be doing.

That made me realize that when I make an external commitment, I do my very best to honor it.  What I learned is that I do not force myself to keep commitments to myself.  So, why do I treat other people better than myself?

It is my pride. It is my desire to earn acceptance and approval. It is my desire not to embarrass myself in their eyes.  Yet, often, when I do not keep my commitments to myself, the results can also embarrass myself in the eyes of others, because of my behavior.

I have learned that I fail myself while I work very hard not to fail others. I deserve to treat myself better, and act as if I am the most important person to me, rather than act as if those around me are the most important people in my life.

Baited Breath

Once again, Haiku was in the garage on the top shelf, and did not want to jump down. A few nights ago, I was up and down until after 3:30 AM, before I was able to grab her and get her down.

Tonight, I really did not want to go through that. But she eluded my attempts to get her close enough to the edge of the shelf to get her and bring her down.  Until I used my baited breath. I had some wintergreen life savers, and Haiku loves the smell of wintergreen.  So, when she got a little close to me, I blew my breath at her, and she gradually came close enough so that I could get her down off the shelf, and put her down on the desk under it. From there, we were able to go into the house. I know that was trickery, but it was for her own good. And mine.

Tea

My mother was a tea drinker. She drank her tea plain.  For years, she drank coffee in the morning, because my father drank coffee.  Sometimes, she would drink iced coffee in the summer. But she preferred tea, and at the noon and evening meals, she drank tea.  After many years, she drank tea in the morning.

For years, I was a coffee drinker. But I kept tea on hand.  Because when I did not feel well, or needed a hot drink to warm me up, I preferred tea to coffee or cocoa. 

My mother drank orange pekoe or pekoe tea, and for years, I did not realize there was any other. In high school, I was introduced to Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea.  And, somewhere along the line, I was introduced to jasmine tea, at a Chinese restaurant.

In college I was introduced to herb teas, which, I believe are really infusions.  We thought it was exciting to drink Celestial Seasonings teas http://www.celestialseasonings.com/ , as they were a "hippy" product. Well, they are a very mainstream and well respected product now.  Over the years, I have grown to enjoy many of their teas.

I really like Bengal Spice, more for the aroma than the taste.  One of my most favorite is Peppermint.  I can drink a lot of that.  I sometimes make it into iced tea in the summer, although I prefer to drink hot tea, even in the summer, most of the time.

I tried a wellness tea, and it was too bland. I do like the Sleepytime teas, and Tension Tamer.  Most of the teas I prefer have some menthol, mint or eucalyptus in them. Many also have licorice.  I have a licorice tea. I drank too much one time, and my heart pounded, I became dizzy and felt awful.  I think it was the effect of the licorice http://nccam.nih.gov/health/licoriceroot.

I have tried many kinds and flavors of tea. Many are just pekoe tea, flavored. I like those okay, but I still prefer herb teas.  One of my early favorites was Ginger Twist, http://liptontea.elsstore.com/view/product/?id=17641&cid=296, a Lipton tea I can no longer find locally.  It was truly soothing to my stomach.

I have also had and enjoyed African Red tea or Rooibos, or bush tea.  I drank this years ago, and remembered it when I watched the TV series and read the books about "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" http://www.mccallsmith.com/botswana.htm, in which the protagonist drank bush tea often..

But when I am cold, nothing warms me like hot orange pekoe tea.

Nightlights

I have a nightlight for every room in my house, except the bathrooms.  They are all light sensitive.  Some have a yellow glow, and some a more purplish glow.  I am always surprised, in the middle of the night, how much light they afford. I find it very comforting to awaken and not have the house be pitch black, or almost so.

I especially like the effect when the moon is very bright, as it is tonight. I can see very well in the house without the over head lights or area lamps on. 

I wonder if my penchant for not having the house dark effects my ability to sleep.  I am suffering from insomnia, which I have not had in quite some time.  It does not bother me.  There have been periods in my life when I did not get a full night sleep for days on end, and when I did get a through night sleep, it was less than 5 hours.

For years, if I got more than 5 and a half or 6 hours of sleep, I woke up too groggy the next morning. The last sixteen years or so, except for a brief period in 2002 and again in 2004, I have slept better than I ever had in my life.  I think it was a combination of things. 

For a while, I was in a relationship in which I felt very comforted and led to my sleeping well.  I lived in the country, and there was always a lot of physical activity which helped to tire me out.  I had stopped drinking coffee after my morning allotment, and eventually stopped drinking any caffeinated drinks during the day. I know this contributed to my sleeping better.

Well, I am not in that relationship.  I rarely drink any caffeinated drinks, even in the morning.  I am not physically active.  But most nights, by midnight or so, I am ready to sleep.  I have learned, long ago, that if I lay down to sleep before I am sleepy, I will toss and turn, so I might as well stay up until I am sleepy.  I still have an occasional night of less sleep than normal, but not true insomnia as I am experiencing tonight.

I made a mistake tonight. It was well after mid-night; I was reading, but not really sleepy.  But I shut off the light and decided to go to sleep, any way.  I did not even doze.  I have had a pleasant evening thinking and petting first one cat then another as two of them took turns visiting. But I could not sleep.  My eyes are tired, but I am not really sleepy.  Yet.  I will be as it closes in on morning.

I wonder if using the nightlights contributes to my not sleeping.  We had nightlights when I was growing up, but my bedroom was dark.  If we left the shades up, the streetlights shone in, but we generally pulled the shades down, unless it was snowing and we wanted to watch the snow. I had periodic insomnia, even then. 

Being in a strange bed or strange environment does not usually result in my having difficulty sleeping.  Unless I go to bed before I am ready to go to sleep.  Then the same problem arises.

I will wait till I nod off before I try to go back to bed.  If I do not get much sleep tonight, I will do better tomorrow night. Maybe.  I can go for many nights with insomnia.  I drag during the day. But I can not sleep at night. If I take a sleep aid, it is wine.  But I do not want to drink wine after midnight. I am afraid it will not wear off by morning.

Mats

Sake has not been doing very well at taking care of her fur lately.  This has happened the last several springs, and I think, as she gets older the contortions to reach the various parts of her body are more difficult.  She has lost some weight, so I would think that might help a little, but if she has arthritis, not much.

I tried working on her side mats, as they are the easiest to get to, and she was just furious. If I touched her tummy mats, she went nuts!  Well, she was outside on the leash the other day, and as she was absorbed in scouting out grass, I was able to pick at some of the side mats. I started working lower another day, and she erupted! 

Well, then I got part of a big mat off of her stomach using the clips on the penknife, and it bothered her, but did not hurt.  The last couple of days, when she has been on the counter, she has let me work at little at a time at the other big mats on her stomach.  I always show her what I have taken off of her, and allow her to smell it, so she knows it is her.  She has gotten a little more tolerant, once again, of the clips.  Yesterday, I found a big mat on my dresser, on top of my bag. right where I could not avoid it.  I think that was intentional, as if she were letting me know she was working at it too.  If I can do a little every day or so, I believe we can get this problem licked.  I let it get too far, but her reaction to my earlier efforts was so violent.  I guess I just had to let it get bad enough.