FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021

 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 LOVE WINS

On Friday, I generally take a spiritual look at things.  Today, let’s look at parenting in God’s eyes.

First, from the Ten Commandments:

Exodus 20:12 

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

Deuteronomy 5:16 

“‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

*****

Proverbs 23:22 

Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

1 Timothy 5:8

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:4 

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

Mark 7:10-13 

For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Proverbs 20:20 

If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

Leviticus 20:9 

For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.

1 Timothy 5:1

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,

Leviticus 19:32 

“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

Proverbs 23:25 

Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.

Ephesians 6:1-3 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Ruth 4:15 

He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

*****

SUMMARY

Okay, so honor your father and mother come through loud and clear. From the book of Sirach chapter 3 (most of the chapter is devoted to parents)

*****

My child, look after your father when he is old; do nothing to cause him grief as long as he lives.  Even if his mind fails, be sympathetic toward him; do not despise him simply because you yourself are healthy and strong.

(Hmmm - even if his mind fails - so if your father or mother has dementia, still love them.  )

If you forsake your father, you are no better than one who blasphemes, and if you anger your mother, you will be accursed by the Lord.

*****

We all know of bad fathers - who abused their children (and mothers as well).  I sense the concept is to LOVE them anyway.  Their genetics are you!!!  Don’t abandon them - “Look after your father when he is old, do nothing to cause him grief”.

*****

LOVE WINS - and in particular, love your parents, honor them, treat them with respect - whether they have earned your respect or not.  LOVE is an attitude.  Loving a senior parent in a care facility means visiting, and having them in your life!!!

Karen

 

 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021 - THE GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY - PART III

 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021 - VETERAN’S DAY - GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY - PART III

This week I’ve been writing about super seniors - seniors in their nineties.  

Let’s face it, by 90-years of age not all of the body parts function perfectly.  Arthritis, backs, hands, minds, legs, feet, urinary systems, heart, knees, hearing, seeing, teeth, etc. just seem worn down.  Now, if you have parents that are getting up in age, think of them.  What might life be like when you can’t eat anything that requires dexterity using a spoon or a fork.  Things might slide off a spoon, food slops onto shirts, tops, pants.  Walking (even with a walker) can be painful and difficult.  Even the powered carts require some dexterity to get around.  Falls are also part of life and having knee or hip replacements can mean weeks (if not months) of physical therapy.

Try looking at their lives through their eyes.  They won’t tell you directly that they can’t do something they always did.  Drive a car?  For us, that isn’t a problem, but when you get older and your vision isn’t as good, your reaction time is longer, it can be hard to drive.  And, for many folks, when you say “Dad (or Mom), I’m taking away your car keys” is a form of death.  Some of our seniors learned to drive before they had driver’s licenses.  They drove farm trucks, drove their younger brothers and sisters to school or practice.  

What does not having a car mean in Dad’s eyes?  What does it mean to Mom that she can’t drive to her quilting group or church circle?  

Some seniors get petrified in social conditions (or agoraphobia).  “I can’t go to church or to the store alone and I can’t force my daughter (or son) to drive me everywhere.  I guess I’ll just stay at home.

I’m looking forward to the “new” car routine (although it might not come in my life).  The totally self-driving vehicle (or the totally self-driving Uber/Lyft).  For seniors to have a vehicle close by and at a lower cost than buying a car (and paying insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.) should be a game-changer.  I know women that every Tuesday afternoon goes to the salon to get their hair touched up.  Without a car / without driving, that becomes a difficulty - but in the future, I think (hope) it all comes about.  

*****

Do visit them.  Make a once-a-week habit to visit Mom (or Dad) in the retirement center.  Maybe you can schedule it for a regular TV show (or something from Netflix).  The independent living center I’m working at has a church/worship service on Sunday nights at 6:00 p.m.  Maybe you can go to visit Mom at 4:00 - have time together, then eat together and go to the service together.  Get to know their friends at the facility.  If you have money, you can take Mom and a couple of her friends to coffee, lunch, a movie, or even an activity that the grandkids are involved in.

Be positive.  Getting old can be depressing.  Have some good things to share.  Bring pictures of the grandkids (and/or connect with them over Facetime (or a similar platform).  Some of the people I see get too much bad news - “my high school friend died; my cousin died; my sister-in-law has dementia; my niece has breast cancer” (and more).  

Get some stupid jokes, watch some old dumb videos on Youtube (like this blooper video from Carol Burnett - Carol Burnett Show outtakes - Tim Conway's Elephant Story - YouTube) 

Get Mom (or Dad) out occasionally.  I had the German story last week about a lady’s father and his “great escape” where he went out for an ice cream cone.  Keep their comfort zone from closing.  And, you don’t have to specifically “go” anywhere - you can go for a ride and see scenery if their mobility is limited.

Do some small things for your parents - bring a plant, bring their favorite chocolates, bring a memory of a trip to Yellowstone.  Keep it upbeat and positive.

*****

One of my residents is a “roamer”.  She likes to get out of her room.  I think that is great.  She might be in the lobby or in the library, or by the table set up with the jigsaw puzzle (I think the 1000 piece puzzles are too tough!!).  

The facility where I’ve been working has game rooms, (one room is used for bridge most evenings), a pool table, poker table, art studio, a cafe to get a cup of coffee, a garden area (their tomato plants did much better than mine did), an exercise room, a chapel, laundry rooms, hair salon, and more.

(And, they have an activities coordinator and a social worker).

Yes, my clients are all in their nineties and most are looking forward to dying.  (I hear “I don’t know why God is letting me live so long”, and “I’m praying for God to take me home”).

Get somebody from their church to stop by periodically.  (When I was in Connecticut, I brought Communion to shut-ins once a month).

Growing old can be very ugly.  See if you can help out.

But, there are those that do succeed.  Gloria always has a smile and an upbeat comment; Marge likes to sing, and Katherine always greets everybody warmly.  

Most (all) of these people gave of themselves in the past, they did community activities, they sat on school boards and church boards, they voted, they laughed and loved as I do now.  Let’s honor them with dignity and love

Tomorrow a Biblical view of “Honor your Father and your Mother”.

LOVE WINS!!

Karen

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021 THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021 THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY - II

I’m doing a three-day series on my work at a senior independent living facility.  The old adage is that there are two sure things - death and taxes.  Death does come to all of us - some at younger ages from accidents or illness; and for the older group (that I am writing about), death is always just around the corner. 

Today, a brief look at the ‘memory unit’.  

****

As part of my orientation, I shadowed a care assistant in the “memory unit”.  This might be the ‘dementia’ ward or the ‘Alzheimers ward’.  

Aside - from my limited understanding.  The services I give (and others like me) are frequently paid for by the families (or by the residents).  Some families are not physically close to their elderly parents and thus pay for somebody to visit with them, play gin rummy with them, take them to eat, or just to check if they are taking their medications.  

One of my residents has a son in Ohio.  He comes twice a year to visit his mother.  Seemingly he calls her daily.  But he wants somebody to visit his mother on a regular basis.  The lady is lucid and loves to talk.  I have heard about her growing up in a smaller town, her husband, their life together.  Since she was born in 1923, I’ve asked her about things such as rural electric cooperatives, party-line telephones, and more.  Like others, her “best friend” is the television (other than the meals).  She is gregarious and happy.  I am a good listener and keeping her company is a joy for her and for me.  

My assumption is that not all the residents get the care assistant visits unless they request it and some payment is made.  (I’m not sure if Medicare can also help pay for such services)

*****

My mentor had Nancy (made up name) in the memory unit as a person to visit.  We went at 4:00 and sat outside on the patio with others.  My mentor was on one side and me on the other.  Mostly it was my mentor and I talking casually.  Nancy seemed to listen to some, but in most cases had tuned us out.  Direct questions to Nancy were largely ignored.  Her verbal skills seem to have died back with her dementia.  

Then we went into the dining room with the others.  We sat at a table for eight people (with my mentor and myself sitting back from the table a little.  We tried some questions like “Do you like soup?”, “The chicken looks good today.  Do you like chicken?” and generally got either no response or a limited response.  

There was little interaction around the table.  As compared to the independent living facility where conversations over the dinner table do occur, this was generally silent.  The servers put the plates in front of the people - maybe with a word or two about the meal, but with no interaction.  

In particular, I want to mention another lady at the table, I’ll call her Lucille.  Lucille looked like she had come from an upper-class background.  For dinner, she was nicely dressed.  

But, Lucille wouldn’t dare come to dinner without some makeup.  Poor Lucille, knew she had to have lipstick on for a proper dinner, but her motor skills were declining.  My judgment looking at her is that she wanted to be a part of the group, but her lipstick was all around her lips - almost like a circus clown.  She said upright and proper, but with that blank look that many with memory problems have.  Down in her brain, she knew she had to look presentative at dinner.  I can picture her mother when Lucille was six-years-old saying “Now Lucille, you must present yourself properly at dinner.”  I did feel sorry for her.

The lady who my mentor was assisting said very little and ate her dinner in silence as did the rest around the table.  

*****

My readers, I’ve seen dementia.  My mother-in-law became a faint shadow of herself, almost non-verbal.  Her family did visit her at least weekly, one of her daughters took her for excursions and brought her to her house for parties and weekends.  Dementia is not pretty.  Seeing what used to be a valuable human being fade away is agonizing. 

In the past, I’ve done some research that suggests that while a cure for dementia hasn’t been found.  The research suggests that being socially active, having friends, keeping your body fit with exercise and sleep, being hydrated, being mentally active, and living life to the fullest can help in the fight against dementia.

I also felt admiration for the care assistant who daily attended to Nancy and tried to keep her positive.  It isn’t an easy job being an aide for dementia patients.  (I have it infinitely better to help those in independent living.)

One more example tomorrow, but I am going to get on my soap-box for a comment.

If you have elderly parents (or even friends), love them, keep in touch with them.  Stop and visit with them, make time in your life to see them, call them.  Even with those that are mentally challenged, love them.  I’m not sure what gets into their brain, but love does win - even in what seems to be a losing situation.

LOVE DOES WIN!!!

Karen

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021 THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021 - THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY - PART I

I started a part-time job in September.  Sometimes I’m not sure why.  My life is full, symphony orchestra, granny basketball, social bridge, two small groups, a daily blog, exercise, friends, and more to keep me busy.

This part-time job is at a residential senior living complex.  There are two large buildings - the east building and the west building for the independent living complex; there is an assisted living complex (I’ve been in that once), a memory unit, a rehab facility, and a skilled nursing facility.  All of this means that this is a big operation.  This is one of Georgetown Texas’ largest non-governmental employers. 

Getting old is a major part of our society.  Not everybody lives into their 90s, but it has been my privilege to see the senior aging situation up-close and personal.

I picked the title for the next three days not that the facility is bad or ugly (it really is quite a good - maybe even excellent - facility) - but that aging can be good, or it can be bad, or aging can really be quite ugly.

I am going to use made-up names and even some amalgamation of some people in this three-day series.

My job title is “Personal Care Assistant”.  More on that later.

*****

SOME GENERALIZATIONS

While I don’t know the actual data, it seems like almost all of the residents are in their 90s.  (Of the group I see, all are in their 90s)

Most of the people in this facility use walkers.  There are very few motorized vehicles.  There are a few people with canes and very few people who wall without assistance. 

Most people in this facility have hearing aids.  My personal bias is that while hearing is important, sometimes the equipment (aka hearing aids) is troublesome.  The batteries run out, they are not adjusted properly, they don’t fit well, they buzz, and some have forsaken “these blasted things”.  One of the residents says “Ma’am” when she doesn’t catch what I said.  Another has her television at full sound (at least she does put it on mute when I show up).

Some admit to “forgetfulness”.  “What day is this might be a common question.  There is a quip “When you are retired, all days are Sunday”.  

Some make an effort to get out and do things, and others are shrinking back in their comfort zone.

I see ten residents on a regular basis.  Nine of them are female.  The majority of residents in this facility are women, but there are some couples and some single men.  

*****

Examples:

Emily (I haven’t met an Emily there - yet - so a pseudonym) is 95.  Seemingly she had a mild stroke.  She doesn’t talk much.  When I first met her (on a training/observation evening), she was watching television.  We (my trainer and I) and watched television with her until it was time to take her to dinner.  Not that television is bad, but it has become more of a ‘friend’ than real people.

Early on, my trainer said Emily likes to play cards.  We have been playing a modified gin rummy since then.  (I’ve played that game where you needed a certain number of points to put some cards down, but there is no counting here).

She does fairly well.  I win some and she wins more (yes, I let her win).  She is in her chair and I’m on a sofa and I can see her hand and I can intentionally discard something she can use. She sometimes misses a good play and sometimes misplays.  At 95, I think she does well and I’m sure it helps her brain to be challenged some.

I’ve tried some other games.  I took a 24 piece kids puzzle and that wasn’t her thing.  I had to suggest putting the piece with some yellow next to another piece with yellow on it.  

I’ve played a memory game with her. I take four Aces, four eights, and four twos out of the deck mix them up, and put them facedown and she has to make pairs.  Early on, I first laid out the cards face up for a minute so she could remember the location, then turned them over.  That worked quite well.  

I took an easy coloring page with a jack-o-lantern on it and colored pencils and she colored for about a minute and didn’t like that.  

And, (talking about the ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’) she has some issues with incontinence.  Lately, when I come in, her bed needs to be made as the morning care assistant had put the sheets in the laundry.

Emily has two sons - and I’ve met them both.  They seem to really love their mother.  They get her groceries, fill her pill container, and even buy clothes for her.  

But, although functioning quite well, it seems like Emily has withdrawn in her personal communication.  Her lack of conversation skills might have been from the stroke, or it might just be an aging problem.

End result - Emily at age 95 is getting old.  Some body parts are just wearing down.  She doesn’t seem to participate in any groups.  She seems to be in her little world.

*****

Tomorrow and Thursday, I’ll ‘paint’’ the pictures of other seniors that I see.  What can I learn from these people?  Aging is inevitable, it can be ugly.  It can be painful.

More for the next two days.

*****

If you have an aging parent or friend, do let LOVE WIN.  Call them, visit them, and love them.

Karen

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2021 ADJUSTING TO DAYLIGHT CHANGE

 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2021 ADJUSTING TO DAYLIGHT CHANGE

Okay, maybe a blog would be better in the spring, but today I’m taking some information from Martha Stewart.

“One hour back or forward may not seem like a lot, but the shift associated with daylight saving time can wreak havoc on our bodies, experts warn. "Daylight saving time interrupts your sleep pattern and it can take the body a week or more to adjust," explains Janet Kennedy, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor. "For early risers and those already sleep-deprived, adjusting to the time change can be even more challenging." Even in the fall, when we "gain" an hour and have the opportunity to sleep more, "the body doesn't usually take advantage," Kennedy says. "Most people end up waking earlier while the body adjusts to the new time. This makes the day feel longer, leading to crankiness and agitation. It can also feel harder to stay up until bedtime because the body clock isn't up to speed just yet."

Five Tips That Will Help You Adjust to Daylight Saving Time | Martha Stewart

Tip #1 Stick to your normal schedule.

In the fall, you may find you wake up earlier than normal. There is no need to fight it and force yourself to stay in bed, says Dr. Kennedy. But you should try to "stick to your usual meal times and bedtime to help the body make the shift," she says. "Going to bed early will slow down the transition, so stick to your usual bedtime and your circadian rhythm will adjust within a week."

It is harder (at least for me) to adjust in the Spring (spring ahead).  Yes, I did “gain” an hour of sleep on Saturday night, but it takes my body time to adjust

*****

Tip #2 Get your normal sleep (and not less than seven hours

“A week before the time change, Rebecca Rollins, M.D., author of Sleep for Success!, recommends logging the number of hours of sleep each night your body requires. "This varies for all of us, but the vast majority of adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep at night for best health and well-being," she says. "Just like you put money away into a savings account, this will allow you to 'bank' sleep so you're prepared if you have trouble sleeping when the time falls back."

*****

Tip #3 - Be careful of caffeine and naps

During daylight saving time, it's smart to avoid excess caffeine or taking naps, says Dr. Kennedy. Drinking too much caffeine—in the form of coffee and other beverages—and sleeping during the day "can prolong the jetlag-like effect of the time change, making it harder to fall asleep," Kennedy says.

Tip #4 Start a healthy, bedtime routine.

Dr. Rollins recommends using daylight saving time to create a new, healthy bedtime routine. "At night, it is easy for the hours to fly," she says. "After a long day, our ability to make healthy choices is deprived and we often give in to another TV episode or another email to send." She suggests setting aside 20 to 40 minutes before bed for relaxing activities, such as taking a bath. "This will allow you to keep your stress at bay and ease into the new schedule," Dr. Rollins says.

No matter what you do for your bedtime routine, you should not spend time on your phone, says Dr. Kennedy. "Using handheld screens keeps you plugged into the business of the day, multitasking and overstimulating the mind—and therefore the body," she says. "And the light from handheld screens can delay the release of melatonin, the body's sleep hormone, further confusing your circadian rhythm. Instead, try reading fiction—preferably something engaging but not overly agitating—to engage your mind while your body's fatigue takes over and puts you to sleep."

******

Tip #5 Spend time in Natural Light

To adjust to daylight saving time, try to get into natural light as soon as possible, recommends Dr. Rollins. "Whether you go for a run or a walk to a coffee shop, exposure to natural light will help you sync your circadian rhythm to the new time," she explains.

*****

I really like daylight savings time.  But, I’m at the stage of my life without children that need to get going to school (and catching a bus while it is still dark isn’t much fun for school children).

I like having more sunlight at the end of the day for exercise, activities, and more.  

*****

To me (and not part of Martha Stewart’s document), the big factor is attitude.  “I can do this!”, “I can adjust to changes in my life and in particular changes to my clock.

(And, if you get a little grouchy on the first few days, you are not alone.  But, think positive thoughts.  

LOVE WINS!!

Karen

SUNDAY FUNDAY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2021

 SUNDAY FUNDAY

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2021

IT’S NOVEMBER 

Yes, we are moving towards cooler weather.  Time to switch out of your summer wardrobe - put the shorts away, and get the warmer clothes out!!!

Yes - November - the eleventh month of 2021.  We are still fighting COVID.  The World Series of Baseball is over - the Atlanta Braves beat the Houston Astros.  (I remember the Braves as the Milwaukee Braves as a kid, and before that, they were the Boston Braves).  The Full Moon this month will be November 19th with the name of the Beaver Moon - as it is the time that beavers build their winter dams and homes.  

It is the month of Thanksgiving - celebrated this year on November 25th. I have one sibling.  My sister and brother-in-law moved to Surprise Arizona over the summer and I am going to visit them for Thanksgiving.  (I’m going to drive).  

*****

And, I hope you all had a fun Halloween!!!  I sure did!!!

*****

ADVENTURE

As we age, we sometimes get a little complacent.  Our “comfort zone” shrinks.  We’d rather sit at home in the evening and watch TV than do something.  

But, in recent weeks, I’ve had friends in the Florida Keys, another friend to Europe, and some of us being adventurous enough to dress up in costumes last week.  

Over the past several years, I have done language lessons on Duolingo (relearning German, my high school language).  One of the recent lessons was about an elderly man leaving his retirement center for a “great escape” to get an ice cream cone.  

That hit me a little - I need to keep some adventure in my life.  I need to do something different occasionally to keep pushing my comfort zone from shrinking.

NATIONAL DAYS

Daylight Savings - When is it? Why do we do it? What time do the clocks go back? (nationaltoday.com)

Okay, today is the end of Daylight savings time.  Yesterday in the Austin area, (November 6th), sunrise was at 7:49 and sets at 6:38; but today, Sunday, November 7th, the sunrise is at 6:50 and sets at 5:38.   (Remember "Spring ahead and Fall back"?)

Do you remember the ‘non-uniform’ time?  As a kid in Cedar Rapids Iowa, Cedar Rapids observed daylight savings, but my cousins in Maquoketa Iowa (a small farming community about seventy miles away) didn’t observe it.  

From Wikipedia: By 1962, the transportation industry found the lack of consistency confusing enough to push for federal regulation. The result was the Uniform Time Act of 1966 - where states had to observe it on a statewide basis or opt-out (like Arizona) 

*****

INTERNATIONAL TONGUE TWISTER DAY - November 8, 2021 - National Today

How about these familiar tongue twisters:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,
and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

And, one that might make you swear:

I slit the sheet

The sheet I slit

And on the slitted sheet, I sit

*****

GO TO AN ART MUSEUM DAY - November 9, 2021 - National Today

A few days ago, I went to the Anne Frank exhibit at the Georgetown Library. Hate triumphed for a while, millions of Jews and other protestors died.

There are days that I think there is too much hate in the world.  Let us love one another!!!

*****

MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY - November 10, 2021 - National Today

Do you know any Marines?  (By the way, I think they say that once you’re a Marine, you always are a Marine - no “ex-Marines” out there!!!)

AND

*****

Next Thursday is Veteran’s Day

VETERANS DAY - November 11, 2021 - National Today

The 11th day of the 11th month at 11:11 a.m. 

This was the ending of World War I - and while some aspects of that global war lead to World War II - the idea of alliances and trying to find peace exists.  

*****

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL DAY - November 12, 2021 - National Today

Let’s have a short Chicken Soup story:

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard.  As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy “Mister,” he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies.”

“Well,” said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, “These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.”

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. “I’ve got 89 cents. Is that enough at least to take a look?”

“Sure,” said the farmer. And with that, he let out a whistle. “Here, Dolly!” he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain-link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse.

Slowly another little fur ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp, it slid. Then the little pup began awkwardly wobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up. “I want that one,” the little boy said, quickly pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy’s side and said, “Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you as these other dogs would.”

The little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.  Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see, sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

“How much?” asked the little boy.  “No charge,” answered the farmer, “There’s no charge for love and understanding.”

Like that special puppy, the world is full of people who need someone who understands.

*****

SADIE HAWKINS DAY - November 13, 2021 - National Today

Coming from Al Capp’s Comic Strip, (Lil Abner), Sadie Hawkins was so homely at age 35, her rich day set up a race where any man Sadie could catch would be her husband.  So, on this day, the 13th of November, ladies - you can chase after men!!!  (No guarantee that the one you catch will be your husband).

*****

MOVIES - do you remember these movies

1973 -

American Graffiti

The Sting 

The Exorcist

Paper Moon 

Live and Let Die

1978

Grease

Superman

Animal House

Deer Hunter

Hooper

1983

A Christmas Story

a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher, and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.

Silkwood

A worker at a plutonium processing plant is purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured, and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing worker safety violations at the plant. - Meryl Strep

Scarface

In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed. - Al Pacino

The Right Stuff

The U.S. space program's development from the breaking of the sound barrier to the selection of the Mercury 7 astronauts, from a group of test pilots with a more seat-of-the-pants approach than the program's more cautious engineers preferred.

War Games

A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III. - Matthew Broderick

*****

Wrap Up

*******************

Karen