Old Fun

While driving this week, I noticed the large piles of tree leaves that homeowners gathered for pickup. This sight made me think of what I and other neighborhood children used to do when we saw or made a pile of leaves.  We would jump into the pile and roll around until the pile was flattened.  What fun we had in the leaf piles!  Of course, I wouldn't think of jumping into a pile of leaves these days.  Adults know what is in piles of leaves and adults also know we no longer jump our bodies around with abandon.  We might knock some  body part out of whack.
I thought of two other childhood thrills that I no longer view as fun.  I no longer eat snow,  nor do I perform flips on abandoned mattresses that I see in city lots.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Garbage 101

All garbage is not equal. Most of us have both wastebaskets and garbage cans in our homes.  The major garbage can is usually in the kitchen, and that container holds food scraps, wet garbage, and garbage picked up by the broom and dustpan.  The wastebaskets in the bedrooms are fine for paper and non- food garbage.  So are the wastebaskets in the hallway and family room.  Bathroom wastebaskets hold paper and refuse from hygiene and grooming. One should not throw an apple core, for example, in the bathroom or bedroom wastebasket. Any garbage that catches the interest of critters should be placed in the kitchen garbage can, because  it usually has a lid.  It is also regularly put outside to be taken away by the garbage truck.
Now, some may think this is all a little strict, but it has a lot to do with one's upbringing.  What's funny (or not) is when 2 or more people with different garbage can and wastebasket rules  live in the same home.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Shopping After Thanksgiving

Many people went shopping on what's known as Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.  Some stores had sales as early as nine pm on Thanksgiving evening.  Some of my friends went to the mall at 12 midnight, and they later told me the place was packed.  My friends had a great time.
I guess people in other countries where they don't celebrate Thanksgiving or don't have the Friday after as the biggest shopping day of the year wonder why we here go through this.  I'm told there are great sales, but this year I heard there was lots of disturbing behavior also.  In one state, a woman reportedly used pepper spray on other shoppers in order to be the first to get at the specially-priced Wii games display.  A criminal flash mob  in another city  reportedly stole items from a major store.  There were a few other incidents of unsociable behavior during the shopping day.  This after a holiday set aside for giving thanks. Wow...
Take care, and give thanks everyday,
Sylvia

Apologies

When was the last time  that you felt the need to apologize to someone?  Did you find it easy to do so?  Did the person to whom you made the apology accept it graciously?  Did they instead retort, "I don't want your apology and I don't accept your apology!" 
The more I learned to apologize, the easier it became.  On the rare occasions when my apology was not accepted, I still felt good.  I knew I had done the right thing by offering it.
Take care,
Sylvia

Might As Well

Sometimes I put off the completion of a task because for some reason, I don't feel like doing it.  Yet, the task will repeatedly pop into my head, so I eventually get up and do it.  Afterward, I feel so much better and wonder what took me so long to get to the task in the first place.  I remember that my Dad used to say, "Well, I keep on thinking about it, so I might as well get it done."   Dad was right, as usual.
Take care,
Sylvia

School Lunches

Recently, Congress did not cancel pizza and french fries from school lunch menus. There was a drive to replace these foods and others like them with more healthy food.  While I do support healthy school lunches for children, I have been in the school cafeteria enough times to get  some ideas about what elementary students will and will not eat.
french fries-yes
chicken or fish nuggets-yes
corn-some kernels will be eaten, others will be thrown
tossed lettuce salad-some will be eaten, some will be tossed
pizza-yes
hamburgers-yes
apples-a few bites will be taken
oranges-some will be eaten, but peeling them is a challenge
sloppy joes-yes
spiced ham and bologna hoagies-yes
hash with mystery meat-no, except for that one child who eats anything
tuna salad sandwiches-yes, and at least one child will take large bites and open his/her mouth to display what it looks like before it's swallowed.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Home Sounds

Who is the noisiest person in your home? You know, this is the family member you don't have to see to know he/she is at home.  The loud footsteps and  the banging cupboard doors attest to this person's presence.  Maybe your noisy family member has a booming voice or a distinctive laugh.  Maybe your noisy family member always has the television tuned to a particular channel, whether or not he/she is in the room with the television. This is the family member who loudly bangs the pots and pans during food preparation  and dish washing time. They don't appear to hear their own noise.
By contrast, you probably have a very quiet family member,  one whose footsteps you  barely hear.  This quiet member turns the volume on home devices so low that you wonder how he/she can hear what's on.  Sometimes this family member surprises you with his/her presence in a room because you do not hear entry sounds. When this person reads the newspaper, you don't hear the pages turn.
No matter who is the most quiet or the most noisy, we love them all, don't we?  Family is a blessing.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Ankles

 It's easy to take for granted our body parts that humbly go along with us and do their jobs, until we sustain damage to one of these body parts.  Then, we realize what important and intricate moves they make for us.  Last weekend, I twisted an ankle.  It was my fault.  I know better than to have handfuls of items and be distracted by them as I descend a staircase.  When my sister lived with me, she regularly reminded me, "Always keep one of your hands free when you go down the stairs."  She was right.
I am now reminded  that ankles help a lot with balance and with making turns.  A sore and swollen ankle makes it difficult to put on certain shoes and can prevent me  from putting on other shoes.  It causes me to limp.  A swollen ankle makes me go downstairs slowly and upstairs slowly, and it makes me lead with the good foot. It is challenging to get in and out of a car with a sore ankle.  Yet, I am blessed, because it could have been worse. I did not fall down the staircase.  I did not hit my head and I did not break anything.  My ankle improves more each day.  I have gained more respect for my ankle and all my parts.  I am thankful to God for His protection and healing.
Take care,
Sylvia

Appearances

According to a recent news report, men have begun to put more effort into their appearances.  Products are being cleverly marketed to  encourage men to enhance manly skin, hair, and other body parts.  The spin involves presenting products like skin  moisturizer in a way that makes the product appear masculine.  There are  undergarments for men that shape the body.  Do you women remember the dreaded girdle?  It was  a cruel garment that women used to wear back in the day.  If you're too young to remember the girdle, ask some of the older women in your family.  Today, women have  more wearable products, like Spanx. 
Now, men can  purchase compression tee shirts that smooth out their torso lines and bumps. While it's nice for people to do what makes them look good on the outside, it's what's on the inside that counts the most.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Fast Notes

At the end of some television documentaries or stories based on true life, written information is presented just before the credits.  These are updates that explain what later  happened to the characters or what the court decisions led to; the updates provide other facts that give closure to the story.  It's helpful to the viewer to have this information.  The problem is that  often, the information scrolls by so fast that the viewer hardly has time to read it all.  Or, the print is so small that one has to stand close to the television screen to decipher it.  Many years ago, I was taught how to speedread, but many of the screen notes elude me.  If the info is vital enough to present, it is important to present it in a way that the viewer can read it.  Because of  these tiny and fast-moving screen notes, I still don't know the  outcome of the man in NC who spent 19 or 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.  The movie aired last night, and showed that he was exonerated, but the screen notes flew by.  I guess I'll have to do some online research.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Fashion Forward

If you are a mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, godparent, step parent, foster parent, or other adult who buys clothes for children, you will probably relate to this.  When children are little, they are usually happy with the clothing you choose for them.  You may remember your glee when you found just the right outfit for your little one.  You thought how cute or handsome the child would look in the clothing.  You watched their eyes light up and listened to their squeals of approval- all due to your wonderful taste in clothing.  Those of you with older children in your home, think back.  Do you remember when your pre-teen or teen turned and no longer relished your input on their style of clothing? Somewhere along the way, you  lost your fashion taste.  You became fashion-corny.  Your teens would much rather pick out their own outfits, because they know what's hot.
Those of you who currently select clothing for children under the age of about 10 years, enjoy it now.  The day will come when your fashion tastes and the  fashion tastes of your child will not match.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Propofol

Recently I had a medical procedure that required anesthesia.  When I came to,  I asked the nurse what drug the anesthesia specialist used to put me to sleep.  The nurse replied, "The doctor used Propofol. It's what we use." 
I replied, "Isn't that the same drug that's in the news right now?"
She said, "Yes, and your anesthesia doctor monitored you closely throughout your procedure."
I smiled at that and marveled at the power of some medicines and drugs and how they can be helpful when used correctly.  Thankfully, I no longer get nervous about these types of procedures.  I just pray beforehand and ask God to watch over me as well as the doctors who work on me.  I believe that God wakes me up. 
Take care,
Sylvia

Medical Insurance

Earlier today, I was in a checkout line at a big box store.  The cashier, who appeared to be in her late teens or new twenties, sighed and told me she didn't know how much longer she would be able to work because her shoulder hurt.  I expressed concern and asked if she'd told her supervisor about her pain.  The cashier said she had and that she'd also taken a pain reliever pill.  I suggested she see a doctor soon to determine the cause of the pain and what treatment might be necessary.  She replied, "I don't have any medical insurance and if I go to the free clinic I have to wait for 3 or 4 hours."  As I paid for my items and walked away, I thought about the cashier's remarks. Sometimes we take for granted the blessings we have, like medical insurance.  Many of us have preventive maintenance coverage that allows our doctors to  monitor our health without  the burden of  heavy costs to us.  Medical insurance benefits are something for which to be thankful.   I  hope the young cashier will soon go to the clinic to make sure her shoulder is okay.
Peace,
Sylvia

Cletus and Angeleese

I am working on my second novel, a continuation of Behind Church Doors.   Many readers ask about the character, Cletus.  He is a recovering alcoholic who later gets added to the church and is now learning to live a faithful Christian life.  Readers express compassion for Cletus.  Perhaps it's because he means no harm and is humble, and because these readers believe in second chances.  Cletus also is a thinker who now looks out for his elderly, ailing mother. He is developing a closeness to Angeleese, a sweet lady with intellectual disabilities and five small children.  Some question the logic of people with  disabilities entering into relationships that lead to marriage.  However, I have seen such marriages work quite well.  In the second novel, I may just give Cletus and Angeleese a chance.
Peace,
Sylvia

Creature of Habit

Like many others in our region following the recent storm, my house electricity went out.  I have no room to complain, however, because my power was out only twice.  The down time was about 45 minutes each time. Some people in our state have not had power since Saturday and are not expected to regain power until this Thursday.  I pray for their relief.
One thing I rediscovered when the power was out is how much I am a creature of habit.  I knew the power was out, but I kept pushing up the light switches in  different rooms I entered.  I knew the power was out, but I tried to turn on the radio to listen to news.  I picked up the house phone to call and see if my neighbor was okay.  I opened the refrigerator and was at first surprised when the light inside did not come on.  I picked up the garage remote to  get my car out.  I adjusted the thermostat dial to turn on the furnace.  Each time I made one of these habitual moves, I shook my head and then chuckled at myself. 
Smiles,
Sylvia