A Different President

Today, February 12, would have been celebrated in my youth as the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.  We now have a combined holiday (more on that next week) but I am reminded of a post from 2012 about a different President.

Back then, I blogged about the Amazing Secret of Sherwood Forest.  So let us consider, for a few minutes, another president of the 19th century, John Tyler.

No, the amazing secret of Sherwood Forest doesn't have anything to do with Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Although it would have been interesting to watch them fight in the Civil War, dressed in their bright green clothes and using their longbows and clubs to fight....well, I don't know if they would have sided with the Union or the Confederates.  But Friar Tuck would have been quite the sight.

No, I am talking about Sherwood Forest Plantation, in Virginia, which became a bit of an Internet sensation in 2012 because of a man who lived there. His name is Harrison Tyler, and he happens to be the grandson of President John Tyler, a U.S. President who served from 1841 to 1845.

John Tyler was born in 1790.  In other words, a man born in 1790 has two living grandsons.

(And yes, in 2019, they are both still alive and in their 90's, from what I can find. Call it more Living History or Human Wormholes).

So, putting Harrison Tyler aside, what is so fascinating about President John Tyler?

Although John Tyler's administration is interesting from an aspect of studying pre-Civil War history, his actions after states started to secede is what holds fascination for me.

A Peace Conference was held in February 1861 to reach a compromise and enable the Union to continue.  It was hoped a settlement could be reached before Lincoln took office in March of 1861. (unlike today, Presidents in that era took office on March 4 and not January 20).  John Tyler came from his home at Sherwood Forest Plantation to attend.

John Tyler, sent by his native Virginia, was the head of this conference.  It did not succeed, although a Constitutional amendment was proposed. 

After the failure of the Peace Conference, Tyler sided with the Confederacy, and was a delegate from Virginia to the  Provisional Confederate Congress.  When elections to the First Confederate Congress were held in 1861, Tyler was elected to their Congress but died before he took office.

Tyler is buried in Richmond, VA near the grave of President James Monroe.  As he was in rebellion his death was not officially mourned by the Union.  On the other hand, the Confederacy declared him a hero.  A grand funeral was held in his honor.  I've visited the James Monroe grave, but somehow missed Tyler.  Perhaps, if I am in Richmond again, I'll remember.

One more thing: if not for a twist of fate, we may have better known Tyler as a musician.


Which may lead me to an interesting Music Moves Me one Monday.

Fantastic the Music #MusicMoves Me

It's Monday and guess what time it is?  Fellow music lovers, it is time for another #MusicMovesMe.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers 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 week is a "free" week and I feature some songs that "sang to me" this past week.

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys.  Paul McCartney has said some very nice things about this song.

Rockin' Robin - the cover by the Jackson Five.

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy - Sir Elton John

Another by Sir Elton - Someone Saved My Life Tonight.

BONUS Track (if you have about 11 minutes): Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.

Why not visit the other Music Moves Me bloggers and see what they have posted today?  Or, better yet, join us ONLY MUSIC POSTS, PLEASE, AS WE NEED MUSIC TO GET THROUGH OUR MONDAYS.

Rock with you next Monday!

The Sign

It all started with a sign. 

In 2006, I rode the Auto Train for the first time. I traveled with my family from northern Virginia to just north of Orlando, Florida one August.  (I've made this train trip south several more times now, the most recent trip being about three weeks ago.)

I've never slept well on the Auto Train, and something happened on that first trip that became a tradition.

I woke up from a fitful sleep to realize we were traveling through a city.  We were passing under an Interstate, and some large billboards were visible.  One billboard, lit up, advertised "The Crab Shack. Tybee Island."

I didn't have Internet access and had never heard of Tybee Island. But I researched it as soon as I could and found it was an island close to Savannah, Georgia.

The second trip, 2009:  I woke up from a fitful sleep, and as my spouse softly snored next to me, I peeked out of the window and saw the very same sign.

It was a sign, that sign!  I was being told to eat at the Crab Shack.  We were supposed to drive through Savannah on the way home but had car trouble, and had to take the Auto Train home.  We swore we would visit Savannah and we did (in 2011) but we never got to eat at the Crab Shack.

On our third trip, in March 2013, we both woke up as we were traveling through Savannah, and my spouse spotted the sign even before I did.  Marveling at this huge (to our sleep-bleary eyes) sign, we decided that yes, we would go to the Crab Shack.  We would fill in this hole in our travels on the way back (by car, this time).

So on March 12, 2013, we filled in the hole, and I blogged a while back about it.

From the outside, it looks a bit like a "tourist trap".  But the food (noting I do not get compensated for this or any other review) was very good.

Inside, I noticed the restaurant had open walls to the outside - with only a screen between diners and the great outdoors.  If only I could live in a place like that, said my winter-starved inner voice.

Not so fast, said reality, as I saw movement outside the screened in wall.  Can you see what I saw?

After lunch we went outside, to see some of the 78 alligators the Crab Shack owns. These are all domestic, as in "born in captivity".  The Shack does not tolerate any abuse of the gators by customers, but they were easily accessible (if someone dared) and I hope they have good lives.

Up close, they almost look fake - but they certainly were not fake.

Postscript - our next trip to Florida was in January of 2018.  We took the Auto Train both ways.  On the way south, we never saw the sign.  Returning home, we did.  It was a different sign, but we think it was in the same place.  Seeing that sign gave us so much comfort.

But this past January (2019) - no sign, either way.

So I did what any blogger would do.  I emailed the restaurant.

And the next day I received a response!  I hope Stephanie doesn't mind me quoting from the email.

"Thank you for contacting us!  We are happy to hear that our billboard is so eye-catching to you, and that you have so many fond memories of dining with us!  Rest assured, our billboard is still there - perhaps it was down at the time of your last travel for replacement.  The elements can be quite harsh on the vinyl used on the billboards and they do occasionally need to be updated and replaced.  Be sure to look for it on your next trip, and we look forward to your next visit here with us on Tybee Island!" (along with this was an offer to visit their website and see a shipping special they had for a special Valentine's Day meal.)

Stephanie, you bet we will be back!

The Next Journey

Around 11pm on February 7, my cousin's wife took her last breath.

I like to think that she is on a new journey.  But she left family and friends who mourned her, including a husband and son who loved her very much.

Another life cut short by cancer.

Something that gives me comfort in bad times are sunrises and sunsets. Perhaps, even now, she rides towards the sunrise, free from the paralysis her brain tumor inflicted on her, marveling at the sights unfolding before her.

At least, I hope so.

Groundhog Sunset - #SkywatchFriday

Can there be such a thing as too many sunsets?

Well, I've been on a photography streak lately, because there have been so many lovely sunrises and sunsets, and it was hard to pick one.

I finally decided on our upstate New York sunset of Groundhog Day, February 2.

The groundhog declared an early spring, and with that beautiful blue sky, no wonder.

As the sunset, the color show began.

The blue fades.

I love how the sky can change in just a matter of minutes.

You know how this works.  Join Yogi and the other bloggers who watch the sky each Friday on #SkywatchFriday.  You'll be glad you did.

My Five Month WWversity

Many people of a "certain age" (and my age has two "sixes" in it, so I certainly qualify) struggle with weight.  I am no exception.


In November of 2012, after a lot of agonizing, I joined  Weight Watchers,which, last year, changed its name to "WW".  I was overweight, on the verge of obesity, and suffering from a number of weight related issues when I signed up. 

I have a lot to thank Weight Watchers/WW for.  Their program taught me how to eat, the basics of portion control, and the need to journal your weight journey.  I learned I was a good person and deserved good health.   I learned that learning to eat correctly is a lifetime commitment when you have a weight issue..  Their weekly meetings gave me encouragement.  If I slipped up, I knew I could get back on track.  And, when the at-work meeting I went to was discontinued, I continued to lose weight using the website and app.  It took a year, but I met my goal.  I lost 43 pounds and dropped four dress sizes.   Macy's and Kohl's must have cheered me on.

Of course, all this costs money. For that payment, you get support - as much as you need.  Meetings (which, if you have a good group leader, are wonderful).  Weekly (private) weigh ins.  Apps.  Websites.  Tools.  In my case, once my at work program ceased to exist (not enough participation) I continued to subscribe to the website and iPhone app, and met my weight goal.

In October of 2015, billionaire entertainer, businesswoman and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey took a 10% stake in Weight Watchers, joined the Board of Directors and became a consultant.  If you have heard of Oprah, you know she has struggled with weight a lot of her life - gaining, losing, gaining, losing, with her public watching intently.  I give her a lot of credit for making her weight journey public.

Right after that, Weight Watchers had one of their periodic reboots.  Every several years, they change their program.  Existing members must decide if they want to continue what has worked for them, or embraced the new program.  For me and others I've read, the rollout was uneven.  Seeing Oprah's face on what seemed to be every issue of the Weight Watchers magazine was a turnoff.  I don't buy things just because a celebrity endorses them.

The "opportunity" to participate (with other members) in a phone call with Oprah was the last straw. 

In January of 2016 I quit Weight Watchers.

Surprise.  The weight came creeping back.  Not all of it, but almost 20 pounds worth.  I was back to being considered pre-diabetic.  My right knee hurt, as did my wardrobe. 

Enough was enough.  I was a caregiver for my elderly mother in law, who, by then, was in a nursing home with multiple health issues, and I was not taking care of myself.  Stress eating was taking its toll.

So, in September of 2018, I swallowed my pride and rejoined what is now WW.

Today, I reached the "lost 10 pounds" mark.  Yes, it took that long. I've seesawed up and down, but my direction has been "down".  I am starting to fit into clothes that I haven't fit into for two or three years.  Call it a happy"WWversity" almost at my five month mark.

But the happy news is that my blood sugar readings are within normal limits again.  My Dad was diabetic (and was never overweight, for whatever that is worth) and I've seen firsthand what diabetes can do.  A cousin of my spouse's had diabetes and I know it contributed to his declining health and somewhat unexpected death in December.

So, today, I do have something to celebrate, although the At Work program may be ending for me in March.  But I know I can do it on my own because I did it in 2013.

Now, the challenge will be, once again, to keep it off.

Old Age is a Privilege

Last night, I found out that my cousin's wife, whom I had blogged about shortly after my last visit to her,  may be approaching her final days.

She will never have the chance to become a senior citizen, a status I was granted simply (simply?) by living past age 65.

I am convinced, as arduous as old age can be, that being granted old age is a privilege - a privilege not all of us are granted.

I remember a friend, now deceased, telling me "the best part of waking up is waking up".

I feel now, that major decisions in my life are ahead.  I still work full time.  Do I want to keep doing that, knowing that life can hand you its pink slip at any time? How long do I want to take with this decision?

I'm finding that the snowbirding I am interested in is harder to research than I dreamed - perhaps a blog post on that process is forthcoming.

I am moving forward with planning in the meantime- we have an appointment with an attorney to update our important documents (will, powers of attorney, etc.) and recently had an important conversation with our grown son.

I had a long conversation last night with the cousin who is our family's contact with my cousin whose wife is in that hospice.

All we can do is make plans, and hope that life does not laugh at them.  And, I will continue to crochet, although I suspect that the lap blanket that my mother in law didn't live to see completed (and nor may my cousin's wife) will end up with my cousin.  If he doesn't want it, we will find a good home for it.

I'll keep you updated on the progress of my planning, during what may turn out to be an interesting year in my life.

When We We All Win

There is a small part of Sunday's Super Bowl that won my heart.

"When everyone plays, we all win".

I learned about disabilities (indirectly) early in life.  My father suffered a traumatic brain injury during his service in World War II.  He was discharged, left to find his own way as best he could in a world that was hostile to those with disabilities.  He did make his way, but help would have made his life a lot easier.

My autistic brother in law was also born into that same world of the 40's and 50's, and, through people I've met because of him, I've learned that what many with disabilities are looking for is simply the same chances that everyone is supposed to have in our country.  They want friends.  They want to participate in the activities of their peers, including playing of games. They want a job that pays enough for them to live independently.

Of course, a game controller can't bring these children a total level playing field in life.  But it's a start.

In today's world, the life of those with disabilities can still be harsh.  So anything that "levels the playing field"should be applauded.

I wish the best to the children and their families featured in this video.

Mail Soup and Vacuum #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and guess what time it is?  Fellow music lovers, it is time for another #MusicMovesMe.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers 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. <  


Join us every Monday if you have music to share (no non music posts, please, because we need music to get through Mondays) and you can join in on the music fun!

During the month of February, our conductor Cathy of Curious as a Cathy is picking our themes, and today she picked a good one:   "The National Day calendar inspires song picks using these key words:  MAIL, SOUP and VACUUM."  Nothing like a little challenge!

I am going to start with soup, because my spouse wanted me to feature "Talk Soup" by "Weird Al" Yankovic.  We are both big Weird Al fans and we are freezing here in New York State.

So, spouse here you go.

Nine Bowls of Soup - They Might be Giants, an alternative rock duo formed in 1982.  They have had great success with children's songs, in addition to several charted rock hits (I am partial to "Birdhouse in your Soul")

As far as "mail", how about letters?

The most obvious one is Elvis Presley's "Return to Sender".

And Pat Boone's "Love Letters in the Sand".

But vacuum?  Well, there's "Love in a Vacuum" by 'Til Tuesday.

But thinking of vacuum, I also think of space, and from there "Space Oddity" by David Bowie.

So, this theme brought me to various places today - what about you?

Join us again next Monday for another episode of Music Moves Me!

Healthy Super Bowl!

For those of my readers not in the United States, a brief explanation.  Super Bowl Sunday (today) is the final, championship game of our football (meaning American football, not football meaning soccer -oh, never mind) season. People gather to drink lots of beer, eat lots of snacks, gorge on mass quantities of fried chicken wings with caloric sauces, and watch commercials that cost millions of dollars.  And, somewhere in there, there is a sports match and a half time show featuring celebrity singers.

"Healthy" and "Super Bowl" normally do not go together. And, if you aren't careful, "delicious" and "healthy" variations of high fat items do not go together, either.

The first time we tried to make healthy snacks, it was New Years Eve, 2012, I was new to Weight Watchers and much of the food my spouse made was inedible.  Dry. Tasteless  Ugh. We decided that, in the future, we would not try to do "healthy" makeovers of fatty food, but rather, forge our own trail.  I've repeated this post several times, updating it each year, so here goes:

So, we have (no pun intended) lightened up a bit.  It's a splurge day.

We will have guacamole, although we won't make it in this device.  It is so simple - peel ripe avocadoes, mash (we like ours a little chunky), add chopped sweet pepper (orange, yellow, red), garlic, scallions, a little salt, a touch of homemade ground chili pepper (my spouse's own secret mix, so I can't tell you) and a touch of lime juice. Just don't eat too much.  Easier said than done.

We serve with chips, one of our splurges.  Or, make your own baked ones - take fresh corn tortillas, cut into triangles (pizza cutter works great for this), spread on cookie sheet, bake at 400 degrees F until they start to turn light brown.  (Celsius folks, you are on your own-sorry.)

Salsa makes a wonderful dip and is point free. It's so easy to make, too, if you have good fresh tomatoes available. If not, use canned dice tomatoes (preferably fire roasted diced tomatoes).  Simply chop up ripe fresh tomatoes or use the canned ones, combine with chopped pepper and onions, season with cilantro, lime juice, salt to taste, jalapenos if you like it spicy.  Or, buy it pre-made in the refrigerated section of your market.

We don't bother with low fat versions of high fat dips - we are not fans of fat free mayonnaise or fat free sour cream.  You can substitute fat free Greek yogurt with a touch of lime juice (for zing) for sour cream, and on the current WW program (what Weight Watchers is called now), fat free plain Greek yogurt and beans are point free.  An easy dip can be made with the fat free yogurt, a can of black beans, some cilantro, salsa, just blending it to consistency.  Add jalapenos for spice.

We also plan to make turkey chili - chicken and turkey breast are also point free on the current program.  Sadly, avocadoes still have points (SmartPoints, in the current system).

I don't think I'll even miss the fried, gloppy wings.  My pocketbook will thank us, too.



Do you make your own snacks?

Local Saturday - The Frozen Groundhog

Today is Groundhog Day in the United States, where we pull a groundhog out of the ground to predict the weather.   It's purely scientific, of course, and this is how it works:

If the groundhog sees its shadow, we have six more weeks of winter.  If the groundhog doesn't see its shadow, we get an early spring - supposedly.

The groundhog usually sees his shadow, but, according to our Weather Channel, the main groundhog (in Pennsylvania) has only been accurate about 39% of the time.

In 2015, one of our harshest Northeast winters in many years, the ground hog saw its shadow, despite the fact that it was overcast, and a rain/snow mix was moving in.  Somehow, that ground hog almost always sees its shadow.

In 2013, it didn't see its shadow and we still got six more weeks of winter.   The groundhog almost got the death penalty for that one.  (On the other hand, considering how many of my plants groundhogs have destroyed over the years, good thing I wasn't on that jury.)

In 2016, it was unseasonably warm.  2017?  It got up to 42F (5.5 Celsius) at our house yesterday. This post from 2014 shows a more typical February day.

Then there was 2019 and the polar vortex.  We in upstate New York didn't get the brunt of it, but still.  The morning before we set a new record of -10 (-23 C) with gusting winds.

There are multiple predicting groundhogs in the United States, and they even compete with each other.  But this year, the two main groundhogs agreed.

They didn't see their shadow.  An early spring!  Well, since Thursday, this has been proved to be a bit overoptimistic, but some parts of our country are going to see a temperature swing of over 100 degrees between this week and next week.

Of course, since I woke up to plus 3 degrees F this morning (-16 C) we could use an early spring.

Let's cross our fingers!

Mega Snow Squall #SkywatchFriday

We skywatchers usually watch the sky to witness sunrises, sunsets, beautiful cloud formations, and so forth.

We don't usually want to show you a sky you can't see.

But sometimes there are exceptions.

I was attending a Weight Watchers meeting in a conference room in downtown Binghamton, New York and had a bird's eye view of downtown.  We were waiting for the meeting to begin when someone looked out the window and saw it coming.

Here, you still have a good view of the courthouse across the street from the building I was in.

Then the squall moved in.  That isn't fog.  It's snow.

Trust me, you don't want to be out in that.

A few feet to the right of the first three pictures.  Seconds later, you literally couldn't see out the window at all.  It was a wall of white.

So why am I making a big deal about a snow squall?  We get them several times each winter, but this one was special.  The system that created it created squalls that impacted millions of people. 

I'm happy I was snug in an office conference room, because, as it turns out, my spouse and my guest photographer were both outside when it hit.

Join Yogi and other bloggers who watch the sky each Friday at #SkywatchFriday.  Maybe next week I'll get back to skies you can see.

Within the Vortex

On this last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, I keep a promise I make to my blog readers, some of whom live in places that never see snow.   The promise is, I will show them snow.

In fact, they can have all of it.  Today, we experience below zero (F) temperatures.  Last night, the wind howled.  Tomorrow, I will have a special Skywatch Friday for you.

It isn't just us.  Much of the nation is suffering worse, much worse.  Where I live near Binghamton, New York, we are actually fortunate.  In some states, mail delivery has been suspended.  Schools are closed.

Ice on side of a highway

It makes you look at your world in a new way when you think of something so common to you that is exotic to others.

If you want even more snow, here some of my favorite snow posts, for your enjoyment.

Shoveling Nemo.

Oreo snow.  Yes, there is such a thing, and we had it yesterday.

 Must Frosty die?

Great Glops of Snow.

The winter that's been a wonder. 

And finally, if you wonder if snow sneakers are a thing - they are. (I'm not into snowshoeing or skiing, by the way - I've never been into winter.  Alas.)  The snow sneakers in this post are still going strong in 2019, by the way.

Happy last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost.

Snowday

Snow days have never been so musical.

A Michigan school superintendent and a high school principal teamed up to sing an announcement that their district was announcing a snow day.

They both have great voices.  Needless to say, this video is going viral.

Our local school district prides themselves on their music programs.  I think they should hire these gentlemen immediately.

I wish I could take a snowday, but my workday awaits.  Still, with a recently retired spouse, I am fortunate, for I will be transported to work while he does all the work.  In winter, you never retire in much of the United States - there is snow to scrape off the car, snow to shovel.

And if we get a snow day, it means things are really bad.

Keep warm, my readers trapped in the Polar Vortex!

Day 30 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost.

Palm in a Box

We were looking around in a landmark farm stand in Florida earlier this month when my spouse noticed it.

"It" was a small palm sapling in a plastic bag inside a box.  The box was one of many on a display.

The box declared "Grows Indoors and Outdoors" and "Withstands Traveling in Sealed Plastic Bag". It guaranteed "Nursery Fresh Arrival".

Since we live in upstate New York, where temperatures are going to drop to below zero in the next few days (plus, we will get snow today), this palm would have to be an indoor plant.

The box assured us the plant would survive temperatures between 55 and 85 degrees once it was taken out of the bag.   "Your palm is definitely an indoor plant and should not be exposed to sunlight" although, in summer, it might want some outdoor time in the shade, "letting it have the benefit of the rain and dew".

It would really have been happy last summer, our wettest summer ever.

For my spouse, it was love at first sight.  It would be his Florida souvenir.  He bought it.

The box was correct.  The plant survived two weeks of Florida travel plus about 17 hours of transit within our vehicle, on a train. Who knows for how long it had been in that box.

And here it is, freshly planted.  How did the people selling this plant do it?

I'm a bit intrigued myself.

There's just one little problem.  I did research on the Neanthe Bella palm, also known as the table top palm, and it does make a nice houseplant.  They are native to southern Mexico and it's a popular houseplant, according to various websites.

However, it is very susceptible to an insect pest called the spider mite.  Yikes.

I have some stories about this pest, which is so small you don't even know your plant is infested, until you notice your plant is dying and you also note these weird webs all over the top of your plant. The spider mite, in fact, is related to the spider.  And they are difficult to eradicate.  I know that from experience.  I've never conquered them.

Gee, spouse, thanks.  I now have a spider mite magnet in my house.

But maybe I'll be lucky and we'll end up with a treasured plant.  That's part of the fun of growing plants, isn't it?

Either way, we were only out $4.99.

Here's to Florida, in the midst of the Polar Vortex.

Day 29 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Cold Music - #MusicMovesMe #blogboost

It's Monday and guess what time it is?  Yes, it is time for another #MusicMovesMe.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers 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.  

Join us every Monday if you have music to share (no non music posts, please, because we need something to dance to) and you can join in on the music fun!

This is what I woke up to on Sunday morning.

Because this is a "free" week and we choose our own theme (and I'm watching snow come down as I blog) I am going to choose as my theme:  Songs that mention "cold", either in the title, the lyrics or in the name of the group.

This first song, from 1982, is Stone Cold by Rainbow, is not about cold, but about a man whose wife has just left him without warning - stone cold.

From 1980, the Rolling Stones and "She's So Cold". 

Still on the theme of male/female relationships, Foreigner and "Cold as Ice".

Coldplay is a group that I have not really gotten into all that much (gasp!) but I do enjoy this one song - Viva La Vida.

Because I did want to have at least one song dealing with cold weather, here's The Zac Brown Band - Colder Weather.

And I'll close with - yes, it's not Christmas, but the polar vortex is here so here's Frosty the Snowman, as sung by Jimmy Durante.  

Is it cold where you live?  See you next week at #MusicMovesMe!

Day 28 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Parakeet Curtains

The hospice is a small place, tucked into a neighborhood in a city in Pennsylvania.  Outside the house it must be lovely in the summer, but the trees were bare the day my spouse and I visited, and snow carpeted most of the ground.

There are six rooms, and a kitchen like one you would see in a residence.  There is a place to sign in.  There is someone at the front desk and a buzzer sounds whenever someone enters or leaves.

Her room is named after a color which is also the name of a fruit.  Her window overlooks some of the wooded grounds, but she does not notice.

She sleeps almost all of the time now.  She does not see the couple of pieces of furniture in the room, nor does she see the curtains made lovingly by someone (I suspect) in a bird print - not quite parakeets, but that's what I want to think they are.  I love birds.  I love parakeets.

Her husband, my first cousin, held her hand and whispered that we were here to see her, but she did not awaken.  He had already been there for a couple of hours, and was going to go home soon to make lunch for himself and his adult son (who lives with him). Then, later in the evening, he would go to work.

The cancer had come quickly, leaving her partially paralyzed, and it took him a while to process what was happening.  His wife was given anywhere from a month to 18 months by her doctors.  Sadly, the tumor is growing quickly and now he just takes it one day at a time.

We all knew this visit (we had also seen her about two weeks ago) would be the final one.  There aren't too many days left for this loving, devoted couple.  My cousin is in a bad place right now - besides what is happening with his wife, he also lost his brother, his only sibling, less than a year and a half ago.

He's a man who uses humor and punning to interact with family and friends. On our last visit, his wife was able to talk briefly with us, and they shared some puns.    But when we visited the other day, there were no laughs, no puns.

An hour or so after we left, my cousin texted me. 

His text was simple.  "Thanks for stopping by it means a lot."

I was lost for words. 

I still am.

Bougainvillea, symbol of welcoming visitors

Day 27 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Local Saturday - Living Wormholes

Taken January 2013

She is what some call a human wormhole.  And I hope she'll forgive me for saying so, because she knows I love her very much.  It's not the most elegant name, the "human wormhole" but if you think about it a little, the name is a bit catchy.

I've blogged before about my spouse's last living aunt.  As of this week she is 107 (yes, 107) years old.  But she's so much more.  She is a link to the past, the past that, for all but a handful of us, exists only in textbooks.  When I touch her, when I talk to her, I am touching history.

She was alive when the Titanic made its maiden voyage (1912).

She was alive when our country enacted a constitutional amendment permitting the income tax (1913).

She was alive during the post World War I flu epidemic (1918-1919) and vaguely remembers wagons traveling from house to house where needed to pick up the dead (what a childhood memory).

We are fascinated by human wormholes.  I've blogged about some of them myself, from the living grandson of a U.S. President who served from 1841 to 1845 to a man who witnessed Lincoln's 1865 assassination and lived to tell the story on a late night game show in 1956.

One story has an interesting twist.  It is said that Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, who fought in the Civil War, shook hands with both former President John Quincy Adams (born in 1767) and a young/future President John J Kennedy (whose life was cut short by assassination in 1963).  I can not find any firm evidence for this having actually happened (there is a fascinating discussion online about whether it might have been possible, though). However, Holmes did have a link to more than just the Civil War, where it is said he once saved Lincoln's life.

Holmes, who lived from 1841 to 1937, had fond memories of his grandmother, who could remember red coated English troops marching through the streets of Boston at the beginning of our Revolutionary War. When she was five. In 1776.

If I live long enough, I might be a human wormhole, too.  I don't know if that makes me happy - or scares me a little.

Do you know anyone who would qualify as a human wormhole?

Day 26 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Palm Beach County Sunset #SkywatchFriday #blogboost

I've said it more than once - January sunsets are some of the best.

We have nice ones near Binghamton, New York, where I work, but Florida has its share, too.

These photos were taken January 20 in Palm Beach County, on the east coast of South Florida.

I am not sure I've ever seen clouds quite like this.

Sunsets over water are the best.

The palm trees don't hurt, either.

Right now, all I can do is dream of returning to Florida one day.  For now, I will join Yogi and the other skywatching bloggers who gather each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.

Day 25 of the Ultimate Blog challenge #blogboost

The Road #ThursdayTreeLove #blogboost

My readers in warm climes will love today's post.  We who live in the Northeast United States will not.

Thanks to my guest photographer, who lives out in the countryside outside of Binghamton, New York, I will be able to provide you with your fix of snow.

When she took this picture, it was below 10 degrees F (-12 C).  I'll let you guess how deep the snow is.    I love how the trees line the road for as far as you can see.

Join Parul and other tree loving bloggers the second and fourth Thursday of each month for #ThursdayTreeLove.  Our next episode will be on Valentine's Day - February 14.

Day 24 of the Ultimate Blog challenge #blogboost