Do You Fear Falling?

As much as the Stepping On program falls prevention program I participated in during 2015 taught me, there is something that they never touched on.  Not directly, anyway.  My guess is, it isn't part of the official curriculum they must follow.  I think falling education has to face something head-on.

That issue is fear.

Fear of falling.

At one of the first classes I took, the two instructors asked us "How many of you don't go out during the winter unless you absolutely have to?"  More than half raised their hands.  In upstate New York, winters are cold and harsh, with lots of ice and snow.  We can get over 100 inches of snow (254 cm) in a year.  If you don't go out, you are isolated.

But if you have to go out, there are icy sidewalks to deal with.  We've all fallen on them.

I'm only in my mid 60's, and I am increasingly afraid of winter.  Now that my spouse has retired, I have someone to take me to work if the weather is bad.  But how many people live alone, or with spouses or partners who suffer physical or health issues?

Stepping On teaches strategies, with videos and discussions, of how to deal with various situations that result in balance challenges, and that is all good.

I refuse to accept that becoming fearful is a normal part of aging.  But falling seems to be all around me.  A co worker's father fell and hit his head last year. His injury may impact the rest of his life.

My spouse fell in October of 2017 and broke his nose, among other injuries.  He needed months of physical therapy.  He was lucky.

My mother in law, who passed away last November, fell a number of times, starting in her 60's.  Eventually, the cumulative injuries led to her loss of independence.

I think we all have stories - ourselves, loved ones, friends.

It shouldn't have to be like this, in your final years.

Experts tell us that fear of falling actually leads to an increased risk of falling.  It doesn't sound right, but it does make sense.  

Now, at times, I could wish for a third leg.  Seniors do have something like that available to them - it's called a cane.  But too many seniors shy away (we learned this in the falling classes) from using a cane, or even a walker, out of shame, or fear of being stared at.  Fear of knowing they are growing old factors into it, too. (And we were also taught that many seniors use a cane that isn't the right length.  How many of them are fitted for a cane? I wonder.)

So how do you deal with the fear?

It's great that our part of upstate New York has programs to help seniors with balance.  Falling has become a major concentration of the medical community here, as we have a high population of seniors in our area.  When I go to the doctor now, I am asked if I had fallen any since my last exam.  That question was never part of the normal pre-exam workup.

But, I feel, it won't do much good without touching on the psychological issues. What good is teaching balance if people have already developed the fear?  How about a class on dealing with that fear and learning to find ways to make it better?

Is there something like that in your community?  I wonder if fear education works.

Day three of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Flowers on Parade #WordlessWednesday #blogboost

We have a New Years Day tradition, here in the United States, that has happened for over 100 years.  It is called the Rose Parade.  

People will line up the night before and camp out just to watch this parade filled with floats, marching bands, and people on horseback.  Each year there is a theme.

What is special about this parade is that the decorated floats must be totally covered in natural materials: flowers, bark, spices, and so forth.

Here are a couple of examples of the beauty of this parade.

No, I wasn't there (Pasadena, California) but this parade is on my bucket list.  These pictures were taken off my TV screen.

Again, think of the hundreds of hours of work it takes to decorate one of these floats, and be amazed.

I'll show more of these pictures on Monday, along with my Music Moves Me weekly post.

Join Esha and other bloggers for #WordlessWednesday.

Day two of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost.

Conducting a Year Beginning Review

Welcome to the year 2019 and to another Ultimate Blog Challenge.


A year of caregiving for a 90 year old mother in law (who passed away on Black Friday) taught me a lot about all those things you put off, until you reach the day when you realize you have waited too long.

Learn from my mistakes.

How about conducting a year beginning review today?  My spouse and I are slowly doing this.

These suggestions are just from hard won experience - I am not a financial planner, a tax professional, or a legal professional, or anyone similar to these experts.  You may want to consult one or more such professionals to help you.

This is what I found and/or learned, and where I am as of today - still a long way to go.

1.  Do you have a will?  I do, but in consulting a lawyer during a free legal senior event last year, I found out it was sadly outdated.  Ditto for spouse.    ACTION NEEDED:  I need to get it updated.  And, oh yes, that person you named as executor?  Is that your current wish?  Does that person even know you've done it?

2  Health Care Proxy?  DNR (do not resuscitate) order (if desired)?  Anything similar available in your state?

The important thing is:  Does someone know your end of life wishes?  Does any document you have right now reflect your CURRENT wishes (watching what my mother in law experienced gave me some different insight into DNR, for whatever that is worth.).   Do you still want the person you named (if you have a health care proxy) making those life and death decisions for you?  My spouse was his mother's health care proxy and trust me, those decisions were heart-rending.
ACTION NEEDED:  I need to get my documents updated.  Much easier said than done, but necessary.

3.  Power of Attorney?  This is such an important document; I implore you to find out about it and discuss with your loved ones and a lawyer.  Enough said, as I am not a lawyer.

4.  Funeral arrangements:   yes, it's nothing that we want to think of.  But I look at everything we (and by "we", I mean my spouse and his siblings) went through with his mother, and shudder.  We knew the religion she followed but didn't know her funeral wishes.  By the time we realized the discussion was needed, she was retreating into dementia.  As for me, I'm an only child, so no siblings to discuss with.  Do I really want to burden my one child with these decisions? 

ACTION NEEDED:  preplan. Know how much it will cost and how I will pay for it.  Unless you've done it recently, you have no idea how many decisions you have to make.

My son has implored my spouse and I not to wait, but to do this planning now.  He's right.

5.  Are you paying for services you no longer need?  You may want to laugh, but I've kept a YMCA membership active for over four years - I used to go several times a week but stopped after a dental surgery I had in 2014 (it was complex, and it took me a while to recover - by then, I decided to stop that particular exercise program). But I never froze the membership.  As a senior, I can do that now, and not pay a monthly fee.  Why didn't I do that before?  ACTION NEEDED:  do that.


And then there was the device on our cell phone service that we haven't needed since May, when we needed a new car.  We called our provider and got it deactivated. today.

Cutting the cord?  We will have to think about that soon, now that my spouse has retired.

6.  What about your social media presence?  My mother in law was on Facebook.  Her account sits, although we do know her password (after she was hacked, another relative helped us reset it).  I am not sure what to do next, but this is going to be part of my year beginning review.

So, as for me:  I am on Facebook, Twitter (@RamblinGarden), and Pinterest. (Shameless self-promotion - see sidebar on right and follow me!)  What happens to these accounts if something happens to me?  ACTION NEEDED:  find these things out and do something about it.

7.  If you have an Apple product, does someone know your Apple ID and password? My mother in law's phone was on our plan (we paid for it and its monthly service, in fact).  Fortunately, my son had set these all up. When she developed dementia, we knew her password and apple ID and were able to help her use her phone. And now, the phone can go to another family member.

But without knowing this information, her phone would have been useless to anyone, to the best of my knowledge.  So, what about you? (I would be curious to know if anyone else has been through this process.)

So, to all my readers old and new, I hope you had a HAPPY NEW YEAR. 

Will you do a year beginning review, or something else, to mark the new year?

Day 1 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

New Year's Eve - #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and time for another episode of Music Moves Me.  And it's also New Years Eve.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers (and perhaps also musical elves) who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only on this music train, please!)   First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥,  and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ .  And finally, there's me. 

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This is a day of endings.  Guy Lombardo was a fixture of my youth, as he and his orchestra would ring out the old year.  This is an early recording of the song that would become the standard for ringing in the old, back then.

And, speaking of parties:

Parties. (Prince, 1999).

At a party Friday night, spouse and I became reacquainted with a man we hadn't  talked to in several years.  He is a 74 year old man (still working!) who is a drummer in a local band.  He and spouse talked about music of the 60's and 70's.  Soon enough, other people at our table joined into the discussion.

Music unites all of us as humans.  And the New Year is a day for new beginnings.  U2 and "New Year's Day".

The Byrd's Turn Turn Turn, and its biblical lyrics, sing of a season for everything, and everything in its time.  What time will 2019 reveal itself to be?

I wish all my readers and listeners, all over the world, Happy New Year.

Civil War Sunday - Frederick Douglass

I firmly believe that if we don't remember the lessons of history, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes that past generations did.

A man by the name of Frederick Douglass died on February 20, 1895.  Our country could use him today.  Hence, I repeat a post from February of 2017:

On February 1, 2017, someone in high office said something that seemed to imply that Douglass was still alive.  His descendants decided to turn that into a teachable moment. 

It is my pleasure to introduce you, my reader (knowing that some of you are not from the United States) to this most remarkable man who had many ties with my native New York State.

Frederick Douglass never knew his exact birth date.  He was born into slavery in Maryland sometime during February of 1818. His original name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey.  He barely knew his mother, whom he was separated from at an early age (not uncommon with slaves in that area) and was raised by his grandmother. His birth mother died when Douglass was 10.

At around the age of 12, the young Douglass was hired out to a man living in Baltimore, Hugh Auld, brother of Douglass's owner Thomas Auld. Hugh Auld and his wife were not experienced slave keepers, which may explain what happened next.

Hugh Auld's wife started to teach Douglass the alphabet.  I can not emphasize here the importance of this act - slaves were not permitted literacy, and in many places, teaching a slave to read or write was a crime.  Any slave, in turn, who was literate had to hide that fact or risk heavy punishment or even death.

Imagine that your love of reading must be kept secret, as you have no right to be literate.

Soon enough, Hugh Auld convinced his wife that teaching Douglass was a mistake.  But it was too late.  In secret, Douglass taught himself to read and write, using various resources, including a school primer owned by Hugh Auld's son, and the Bible.  Later, as a teenager, he was hired out to another man and started an underground slave school for the other neighborhood slaves.  He was caught and brutally punished by being hired out to a known "slave breaker".  Almost psychologically broken, he still managed to survive the experience.

Eventually, in 1838, Douglass was able to escape to the free state of Pennsylvania and then onward to free New York City.  He married (he and his first wife were together for 44 years) and they settled in Massachusetts, another free state.

Douglass eventually took the last name of "Douglass" from a poem, The Lady of the Lake, by Walter Scott.  While still living in Massachusetts, he joined the abolitionist movement - a movement to abolish slavery.  By the early 1840's, Douglass was traveling frequently and giving the most eloquent speeches many had ever heard.

Some people didn't even believe he had ever been a slave, so Douglass decided to write the first of several autobiographies to educate the public about his origins and early life story.  This book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (published in 1845), is in the public domain here and in most countries.  If you look online, and it is legal, you will find PDFs of it on many websites.  It is about 108 pages.

Keep in mind that Douglass, at this point, is still an escaped slave.  It was quite possible his owner, Thomas Auld, could hire people to capture him and bring him back to slavery.  After all, he was Auld's property.  So, also in 1845, just as the Irish Potato Famine was starting, Douglass traveled to Ireland and Britain, and spent the next two years there.  There are several historical plaques in Britain and Ireland commemorating that visit.  More importantly, British supporters raised enough money  and Douglass was able to purchase his freedom from Thomas Auld.

Returning to the United States in 1845, he began his association with upstate New York, particularly the upstate New York cities of Seneca Falls and Rochester. If you are interested in learning more about Douglass, many of his other writings are online, free to read.

During the Civil War (1861-1865), three of Douglass's sons served in the military.  One became a First Sargent and anther a Sargent-Major.  The third was a recruiter. 

Douglass fought for many causes, including improving the lot of the nation's former slaves (they were all freed after the Civil War), education, and women's right to vote.  He used words, not violence, to advance the causes he believed in.  I must also point out that his beliefs were sometimes complicated, and contradictory.

Douglass believed in the young art of photography, and was the most photographed man, it is said, of the 19th century.

Politically, Douglass was the first African American to be nominated for Vice-President (he did not support this, and did not campaign) and the first African American man to receive a vote for President.

In addition to his work in the abolitionist movement, Douglass also did much work in the women's suffrage movement.  If you are a woman in the United States, you owe much to Frederick Douglass.

Here is another part of this amazing life story: In 1877, knowing his former owner Thomas Auld was dying, Frederick Douglass traveled to Auld's side and they reconciled.  I don't know if I could ever have done that if I had been a former slave.  Could you have?

Which brings me to these statues.

Douglass lived for about 25 years in Rochester, New York, also the home of suffragist Susan B. Anthony.  Near Anthony's home is a small park, and there, you will find this statue, called "Let's Have Tea".  Here, Anthony and Douglass's statues...well, they have tea.  A black former slave and a white school teacher having tea as equals?  That, in itself, would have been a revolutionary act.

Douglass died on February 20, 1895, in Washington, DC, shortly after visiting a meeting of the National Council of Women, and receiving the last standing ovation of his life.

Douglass is buried in Rochester, New York.  Here is his grave in Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Mural of the Douglass-Anthony Bridge, Trader Joes, Pittsford, New York

Also in Rochester is the Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Bridge.

Although our nation's leader may have incorrectly implied that Douglass was still alive, he was right in one respect.  The vision of Frederick Douglass is alive.  His courage in learning to read and escaping slavery still inspires us.  His supporting the rights of minorities and the rights of women continue to be carried forward by those who still believe in his vision. He taught that protest must always be peaceful, and that we must never give up when protesting for a just cause.

This year (2018) marks the 200th anniversary of Douglass's unknown birthday.

Come to think of it - yes, in a way, maybe Frederick Douglass is still alive - in all of us.

Throwback Saturday - The Non Persistance of Vision

Back in 2015, I wrote several blog posts on what I had been learning in a falls prevention class.  As my regular readers know, I have fallen several times in the past few years.

Last night, my spouse and I went to the retirement party for my "guest photographer", a friend who has provided photos for my blogs from time to time.  One of her former co workers is legally blind, and is a client of a local organization called AVRE.

I am extremely nearsighted, and I learned about the importance of vision at an early age. I've been wearing glasses since I was four.  Since the age of around eight, my non corrected vision has been in the realm of what the State of New York considers legal blindness.  Fortunately (at least up to now), it has been correctable with glasses.

At one class I attended in 2015, we were treated to a talk by Diane McMillan of AVRE in Binghamton, New York.  Diane is dual-certified as a low vision therapist and a vision rehab therapist, and personally suffers from a couple of disabling eye diseases.  So, not only can she talk the talk, she also knows, from personal experience, what "it is like".  Hence, my information from 2015:

What is AVRE?
"AVRE is a private, non-profit organization that serves people with sustained and severe vision loss. People of all ages, from infants to seniors, can and do benefit from our services. We offer a range of learning. living, and working options for people with sustained and severe vision loss."

There are many eye diseases that can affect vision. Anyone suffering from these conditions becomes more prone to falling.  In fact, a blogger I enjoy, Amy Bovaird , has blogged at length about her life with a vision disability, her adventures (if I can call them that) in falling and how her life has strengthened her faith.  Amy's blog is Christian faith-centered but there are other bloggers with vision impairments who blog from a more secular viewpoint.

It turned out that a couple of people in my class suffer from macular degeneration.  Diane explained it so well, complete with pictures taken that show the way people with macular degeneration will see a particular picture vs. people with healthy eyes, that I understand it better now.  Amy Bovaird's blog has a lot of information about macular degeneration.

We also learned about glaucoma.

Diane's message was a message of hope.  She taught us (noting I am not a medical professional, or vision professional, and you should have annual eye exams, always):

1.  Be self aware.  Test yourself monthly (it only takes a couple of minutes) with something called an Amsler Grid.  Diane told us that you have any problems (the website describes what you are looking for when you use the grid) consider this an emergency and contact an eye care professional immediately.  In general, if anything is amiss, err on the side of caution and report it to your eye care professional immediately.  Sometimes, a timely exam can be the difference between a good outcome, and the opposite.  (Since 2015, a close family member learned about this through experience.)

2.  Have that annual eye exam!  The eye cancer someone I know made a full recovery from was detected on an annual eye exam.

3.  If you are diagnosed with an eye disease, all is not lost.  Some conditions can be treated.  Other conditions may not respond to treatment, but with proper training, and assistance, you can still lead a worthwhile life.  The two women in my class with macular degeneration were proof of that.

#3, especially, resonated with me, because I have always dreaded the day the eye doctor will say "we no longer have a prescription for you."  I hope that day never comes.

Going into the New Year, please protect your vision!

Mild #SkywatchFriday

Friday, December 21 at noontime in downtown Binghamton, New York.  Fall was giving way to winter.  It was mild.

I left my office building and was amazed at the cloud show that awaited me as I walked towards a historic office building to listen to some caroling.

Broome County Courthouse, silhouetted against the sky.

A slightly different angle.

To the left, the old city hall.  I used to work, many many years ago, in the red and white brick building directly to its right.  I don't know what is in there now.

And that evening, after taking a short after-work walk...the sunset.

What a way to start winter.  Now that it's winter, it's raining.  Go figure.

Join Yogi and the other bloggers who watch the sky each Friday on #SkywatchFriday.

Happy New Year (almost) to my fellow sky watchers.

Sixteen Sycamores - #ThursdayTreeLove

Even in the largest city in the United States, you can find and enjoy trees.

In a Brookyn (part of New York City) neighborhood called Boerum Hill, adjoining downtown Brooklyn, we found this small oasis on Schermerhorn St. between Nevins St. and 3 Ave while walking to the subway on Christmas Eve.

It was called "Sixteen Sycamores"

Sycamores, also known as plane trees, are a tree native to the New York City area, identifiable by the white and brown patchy bark.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that New York City is only a city of skyscrapers.  Yes, there are plenty of those, but you can find the most delightful things if you keep your eyes on where you walk.

This is the final Tree Love post of the year and I am so happy to end this with pictures taken in New York City, the city of my birth.

Join Parul and other bloggers on the second and fourth Thursday of the year for #ThursdayTreeLove.

Traditions End Traditions Begin

House decorated for Christmas, December 2014, Yonkers, NY

For several years, I spent every Christmas in Yonkers, New York, with some of my husband's family.  Now, my mother in law is gone, and the woman who hosted this dinner can not do so this year.  We wouldn't have been able to come, anyway.  This year, neither of us had the heart to do anything related to Christmas.

Yet, I do have some precious memories of the years when, after dinner, my spouse, sister in law and I would walk to Cross County Shopping Center.

In Yonkers, New York, there is an outdoor shopping center. Both my spouse and I shopped there (well, our parents did - we were just along for the ride) when we were small.

Back in the early 1960's this outdoor mall, the first in Westchester County, New York, contained large and small stores, a play area, and even a hospital.

It was called Cross County Center then, and Cross County Shopping Center now.  It opened in 1954 and is still going strong, unlike many other malls of the era. 

My parents would take two buses from our apartment in the Bronx (the northern borough of New York City, which borders Yonkers) to Cross County just to shop there.  I loved those outings.

Several years ago, I was chatting with a co worker where I work in Binghamton, in upstate New York.  I don't remember how we got on the topic of our childhoods, but I discovered that she had been born in the Cross County Hospital, and spent her early childhood in Yonkers, before moving away, eventually to Binghamton.

Small world.

Then, when I shared the fact that I had Christmas dinner every year in walking distance of that same shopping center, she asked me a favor: would I take a picture of the hospital for her?

I had to break the news to her that the hospital had closed in the 1980's.  The good news was, the building was still there.  I told her I would do my best to get a picture.

So, in 2014, after Christmas dinner, my spouse, my son and I walked to Cross County.

Red and white building on the right, once a hospital, was being renovated into a hotel

 I took the picture she asked for.

Can you imagine, one day visiting the city of your birth and staying in the building where you were born in?  In a small way, I envy her.

My mother in law's passing on Black Friday, in a way, has made us realize how much of an anchor she was in our lives.  For us, we have to discard some old traditions now, but we know new ones will replace them.  Perhaps what we did this year (which I may blog about in January) will start new holiday traditions - and, in some ways, change is good.

We'll hope.

Throwback for Christmas - A Christmas Carol

Classics are classics because they are timeless. Today's throwback post (except for the picture, which is from last week) is one from 2016.

No matter what your nationality or religion, a story written over 100 years ago still teaches us eternal truths.

"A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas" by the British author Charles Dickens, was published on December 19, 1843.  It had an autobiographical element but also combines various Christmas legends and traditions.

If you call a miserly person "Scrooge", or declare "Bah, humbug!" you are channeling Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in this story.  The character of Tiny Tim, a minor character in the novella, lives on in our collective memories. 

In the story, Scrooge, a successful businessman lacking the most basic emotions of humanity such as love or kindness is visited by his dead business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley's ghost has a warning for his former partner - the ghost, who was a lot like Scrooge while alive, has been walking the Earth these past seven years, unable to atone for his sins.  It is too late for Marley but it isn't too late for Scrooge.  Scrooge, said Marley's ghost, would be visited by several ghosts and given his last chance to develop the best in human qualities.

Three ghosts follow Marley's ghost - the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come, to instruct Scrooge.

At the end of the experience, Scrooge is a changed man.

Here is a quote from the book:

“No space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused”

The book, more commonly known as "A Christmas Carol",  was an immediate success, and has never been out of print.

In these times we are entering, the story of A Christmas Carol is more important than it has been in years.  As Dickens said, so many years ago:

“They are Man's and they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance and this girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.” Some things about our world never change.
 
But, perhaps, like in the story, there is hope. Scrooge changed for good, and did not return to his old ways.  Rather, the book ended like this:

“And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!”

May the chaotic times we are living in now resolve themselves - in the best of ways.

Christmas Eve #MusicMovesMe

Welcome! It's Monday and time for another episode of Music Moves Me.  And it's also Christmas Eve, so of course this post will be all Christmas music.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers (and perhaps also musical elves) who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only on this music train, please!)   First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥,  and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ .  And finally, there's me. 

To set the mood, a clip of a childhood memory from my growing up in New York City in the 50's and 60's:  the WPIX YuleLog. (and no, you don't have to listen to all two hours).  On Christmas Eve, WPIX (then an independent station on channel 11) would preempt programming and bring you a clip of a log burning at the Mayor's residence (Gracie Mansion) with Christmas carols playing in the background. Enjoy!

I love a group called Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and would like to bring you some of their music for this Christmas Eve.

The Lost Christmas Eve, from the album (their fourth) of the same name.

Christmas Eve/Sarajevo, the song that introduced me to this group.

And finally, first, a warning that if you suffer from seizures, you might not want to watch this next video. 

Although it doesn't mention Christmas Eve, this song has been used so many times by people who set their house Christmas decorations to music, that I couldn't resist one of those videos.

My final selection is  "What Child is This", possibly my favorite of all their songs.  The power of this song is amazing.

To all my Christian readers, may you all have the happiest of Christmases, one full of happiness - and music.

Last Farmers Market of the Year

On Friday, we got up to 64 degrees in Binghamton, New York.  By Saturday morning, it was snowing lightly, the warmth and sun of the previous day already a distant memory.

Our local farmers market is a year round indoor market, and on days like this, people flock there to buy seasonal items.  For us, it was eggs and brisket.  For others, Christmas cookies and other holiday goods.

For sale were mushrooms...

Potatoes and beets....

and celeriac.  Not shown, someone selling local romaine lettuce.  Baked goods, honey, and meat rounded out the market.

Across the parking lot, there is a "Taste New York" store that shares space with the headquarters for the local organic farming association.

Perhaps one day soon, the sun will come out again.

So hard to believe that there's only one week left to the year.

Local Saturday - The Annual Downtown Binghamton Historic Caroling

I spent some of last night looking at photos taken by people I know who live or work in New York City.  Such beauty - decorated store windows, office buildings, and even (yes) ships.

And then, some 180 miles away, there's downtown Binghamton, New York, where I work.

We have our own beauty here, especially on a December 21 day when it is in the 60's and the sun is shining.  It was unbelievable and the walk was a pleasure.  This just doesn't often happen on the first day of winter.

In a building built in 1904, a local insurance company has held caroling in their lobby for many years now.  This year, the caroling by their employees was yesterday.  As I entered the packed lobby, this was my view.

More close up.  The murals on the walls, I understand, date from the 1980's.  And yes, what you see on the staircase is is marble.

What a beautiful ceiling.

The singers and musicians assembled.

And sang Silver Bells.

Frosty the Snowman.

And O Christmas Tree.

Enjoy the season.

Is it Fall or Is It Winter? #SkywatchFriday

Today is the last Skywatch Friday post of the fall and the first of winter.

We have no idea if it is fall or winter.  Today, we are supposed to get a lot of rain, with record highs.  Yet, a couple of days ago, it got down to 14 degrees F (-10C).

There is something magical about the time around sunrise, whenever the sky is clear here in upstate New York.  Those days are precious and few, and are celebrated, such as this sunrise yesterday.

I wasn't in time for sunset, and didn't get the best of it.

A few minutes later, the red had faded to yellow (the light in the middle is a streetlight).

But sometimes, when it is almost night in a major city, the sky can be just as fascinating.   Not only that, cityscapes can be the most fascinating of all.

Even in New York City, you can get fascinating sky shots.  Maybe, especially, in New York City.

These two photos of the Empire State Building in fog were taken by a blogger, Bonnie, who blogs at a blog called Frogma, and I use these photos with her permission.  I grew up in New York City but haven't seen Manhattan at night in many years.

I invite you to read the Frogma blog to see different views of New York City that the average tourist would never dream of.  Like the post featuring these photos.

Maybe one day I'll see New York City in the holiday dark once again. Until then, I'll enjoy the skies of upstate New York just fine.

Join Yogi and the other bloggers who watch the sky each Friday at #SkywatchFriday.

Christmas Season Birthdays

Were you fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be born in the week or two before Christmas?

Not celebrating me

I was.  My late mother in law was.  My sister in law was. One of my grandfathers was.

It's an interesting experience, having a birthday just before Christmas.  You learn, at an early age, that your birthday is going to be swallowed up in the greater festivities.  In other words, you learn to share.  Your birthday.  Attention paid to you.  That kind of thing.

One of my managers at work was born on the fourth of July (our Independence Day).  She was in elementary school before she realized that the parades and the fireworks on July 4th were not meant to celebrate her birthday.

A near-Christmas child learns early that most people get presents on their birthday and on Christmas.  We - well, we are lucky if we even get noticed.  Not quite the same situation as the person in the last paragraph, but it's similar in some ways.

Even born and raised in a Jewish household, I was not immune from the Great Christmas Takeover. (Also, back when I was young, Hanukkah was not the "major" holiday it is now.)

In a way, when I married into my (Christian) spouse's family and became related to two people in the same boat (so to speak) as I was in, I met other fellow sufferers.  We'd been there, done (or not done) that.  We always made sure we gave each other separate presents and cards for both occasions.

We learned to live with it, the three of us.  Maybe even, a bit (a little bit?) enjoy it?

Do you or another family member share a near-birthday or birthday with Christmas?

Running Posters #WordlessWednesday

I was cleaning out photos on my camera and came across these three running posters.

I don't run, but don't these posters make it sound like fun?  (VINES is a local organization that supports urban farms and community gardens in less advantaged areas of Binghamton, New York, and nearby communities.)

For Lyme Disease awareness.

Party!

It sounds like fun but I wouldn't want to do the training - just the partying.

Join Esha at #WordlessWednesday.

Bitter Food

It is fascinating how we differ in our perceptions, due to the differing way our senses work.  I am revisiting a post from December 19, 2010, one that has (no pun intended) aged well.

I was reminded the other day about how my spouse finds the smell of paperwhites very pleasant while I find it very unpleasant.  The owner of a Bed and Breakfast we stayed in back in 2010 told me about the fact that some people find that the herb cilantro tastes like soap.

Neither my spouse nor I find that cilantro tastes like soap but again, we have two reactions to the smell.  My husband rarely uses cilantro in his food preparation because he can't stand the odor.  On the other hand, I have no problem with it. (I do find the taste somewhat complex, but the first time I tried it it smelled to me like dirty socks would taste, if you were crazy enough to eat one.  It did eventually grow on me.)

So what else do my spouse and I differ on, as far as food taste?

1. The taste of broccoli rabe, a staple of my spouse's childhood (I'm of a totally different ethnic group) is heavenly to spouse, but I can't stand it.  To me it is so bitter I just can't eat it.  Even when it is prepared in a way that reduces the bitterness, I still taste it.  I'm not the only one; one of my spouses' cousins actually "feel guilty" about disliking her ethnic staple.

2.  Strong, mold-type cheeses such as bleu cheese and Gorgonzola:  again, I find these so bitter I can't stand them.  My spouse loves them.  His autistic brother can be persuaded to eat veggies if you sprinkle blue cheese on them.  Go figure.

When I had an aunt living in Iowa, we made trips a couple of times to the Maytag Dairy Farms near Newton, Iowa just so spouse could buy their blue cheese.  This was before their blue cheese became a "foodie classic".  But it is no classic cheese for me.

I grew up with smoked fish.  It was an ethnic staple for me.  I work with someone who can't even stand the thought of smoked fish.

There is one other classic reaction to food that I should mention, which is the smell of people's "pee" after eating certain foods.  The classic food causing that is asparagus, but there are some other foods that cause pee to smell unpleasant and/or strong.  I'm told that asparagus affects everyone's pee, but not everyone can smell it.  Fortunately, because both of us love asparagus, neither of us smell it.

Since foods are chemical in nature, should any of this be surprising?

Are you sensitive to bitter food tastes?

The Novelty of Christmas #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's a special day for me for several reasons - among them, it's time for Music Moves Me!

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers (and perhaps also musical elves) who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only on this music train, please!)   First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥,  and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ .  And finally, there's me. 
 

We all need a good laugh (or chuckle) from time to time, and I'm adding in a couple of my favorite Christmas rock tunes.

I was introduced to my first selection by Cathy at Curious As a Cathy, one of our co-elves and I have to admit that I enjoyed it so much, I played it several times.  I hope you enjoy it, too.

Straight No Chaser and The Twelve Days of Christmas (sort of.....)

The Waitresses and Christmas Wrapping, a favorite of mine from the 1980's.

Father Christmas - The Kinks.

From my childhood (1958, to be exact) Augie Rios and Donde Esta Santa Claus.

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.  How can I resist?  He's as charming as an eel!  I wouldn't touch him with a 39 1/2 foot pole!  The Ultimate putdown song!  I LOVE the half hour cartoon (thank you, Dr. Seuss!)

And finally, since I gotta be offensive every once in a while (you can skip this one if you want, but I happen to be a fan of Bob Rivers) is Bob Rivers and Walking Round in Women's Underwear, from 1993.  (No, I decided against Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire).

So, that's a wrap - a Christmas wrap, and I hope I brought a smile to you today.  I have to admit to you, my reader, that this has been a difficult time for myself and my family, but I hope I bring a few minutes of joy to you.

Throwback - General Order 11

Today,  I repeat a post from December 9, 2012.  Sometimes, the more things change....

Today, my thoughts go back to the first day of Hanukkah in 1862.

We think we are so safe in our homes, but history teaches us that situation can change in seconds. Hatred of certain minorities, including Jews, is on the rise in our country.  We can always learn from history, but we also have to heed its lessons.

On that day, December 17, 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant issued General Order 11, which ordered all Jews living in parts of three states under Federal military control to vacate their homes and leave those states within 24 hours.  It is a sad, and not well known, incident of the United States Civil War.

A copy of the order can be viewed online.

The history of why Grant issued this order can be read at the links above, but to summarize, some Jewish merchants (and Christian merchants also) were engaged in the sale of black market cotton, which benefited the Confederacy.

 This is the order:

1. "The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department orders, are hereby expelled from the Department [of the Tennessee] within twenty-four hours from the receipt of this order.
2. Post commanders will see to it that all of this class of people be furnished passes and required to leave, and any one returning after such notification will be arrested and held in confinement until an opportunity occurs of sending them out as prisoners, unless furnished with permit from headquarters.
3.   No passes will be given these people to visit headquarters for the purpose of making personal application of trade permits."

The order affected Jews living in parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi.  And there was no appeal.  Some Jews living in Holly Springs, Mississippi ended up walking 40 miles to Memphis, Tennessee.

What happened next? Newspapers all over the country (thanks to the Associated Press)  took up the cause of the displaced Jews.  Others felt it was a correct decision. Some Jews decided to visit Lincoln in person to plead their cause.  Quoting from the Sun Sentinel article above:

"A Jewish merchant from Paducah named Cesar Kaskel traveled to Washington on a mission to have the order overturned. Upon arrival he was able to arrange through an Ohio congressman a meeting with the president."

When Lincoln hard about the order, he immediately countermanded it.  Please keep in mind that during this period, Lincoln was getting ready to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which would free slaves in states in active rebellion against the United States - while meanwhile, General Grant was expelling another minority from their homes.

And what about Grant?  He repented this order both publically and privately, but it followed him for the rest of his life.  As students of history know, after the War ended, General Grant ran for President in 1868.  General Order 11 was a campaign issue. In his defense, Grant (after the fact, of course) said:

"I have no prejudice against sect or race, but want each individual to be judged by his own merit. Orders No. 11 does not sustain this statement, I admit, but then I do not sustain that order. It never would have been issued if it had not been telegraphed the moment it was penned, and without reflection."

Could Jews vote for Grant?  They could, and they did.  Grant won the election.
 
History teaches us many things.  With the recent shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue and other hate crimes of the past several years, this 1862 chapter of our history still has relevance to us today.

Sad.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day December 2018

Welcome (I think) to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day in my zone 5b garden near Binghamton, New York.


December has been a strange month, as have so many recent months.  On Black Friday (November 23) it got down to four above zero.  We've had snow, enough to totally jam everything up.

Snow is usual for us in November and December, but now, we have temperatures in the low 40's and everything has melted.

Because of personal events in the last month, I haven't been able to care for my plants as I normally would, and today's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day will be sparse.

My Thanksgiving Cactus, though, have exploded into bloom.

Another plant.

I did buy an African Violet to cheer me up.  Now, if I can only remember to water it.  I've already lost several houseplants in the past couple of months.

I almost forgot.   My amaryllis plant is blooming.  Well, almost.

Outside?  After it's gotten down to four above zero (-15.5 C) already this fall?  Well, actually, now that the snow has melted, this has been revealed - buds on my early blooming Lenten Rose.  Enough times it is caught by a January cold wave, but maybe not this year.

And, wonder of wonders, my April Rose camilla plant (yes, a camilla in upstate New York!) is hanging on for another year, but there is no sign that it will ever bloom again.

Want more?  Head on over to Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day every 15th of the month. 

Merry Christmas (almost) to all my readers who celebrate.  And Happy Holidays to all.

See you next month!