Water, Water, Water

Today I want to talk about WATER, the source of all life, particularly since I don't have any at the moment. Several days ago, I began hearing a drip, drip drip coming from our downstairs shower, and after mentioning it to my husband, he went into action...well, if truth be told, after a

 few days thinking about it. Never-the-less, when the day finally arrived (yesterday) for him to fix it, he attacked it like he does many projects..."I can do this!" Well, after pulling everything out (whatever that means), tools everywhere in our bathroom, and three trips to the hardware store, he finally was defeated. I felt so helpless, seeing the annoyance and distress on his face, but when I offered to help, he quickly declined my offer....smart man; I know NOTHING! In the meantime, Mike had turned off all the water in the house, so this morning....we went to shower at our neighbors, and made coffee with a little water we had managed to save in a pot. Oh how much we take for granted in our privileged life. I was reminded of my time in Africa where I too did not have a source for water, and when we did get it to make coffee or cook with, we had to boil it first. Our outside shower was provided with water from a rain container of some sort that filtered into the space for bathing, as I recall. And, this worked until, one morning, I was visited by a Green Mamba snake, and had to literally "run for my life." But, I digress. Back to the modern world...we are now awaiting a plumber to come and fix the drip, drip, drip. Should my husband have gone to this "call for help" first? I guess I really don't think so. I would rather have a mate who thinks he can fix things and is willing to try rather than one who doesn't. This being said from a girl who grew up with men in my family who didn't know how to change a light bulb! I am remined of a joke I heard once, "How many Irishmen does it take to change a lightbulb? Five, one to change it, and four to remark about how grand the old bulb was."They had other wonderful talkents but fixing things was not one of them. Again, today I am thinking about how water is such a precious resource in our lives that we cannot live without; I am more aware of that today as I sit here waiting for the plumber to arrive.
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The pleasures of an Ice Storm

 

This past week, on a cold January day, we experienced an ice storm which went from rain to freezing rain, and then to ice. The following morning, I awoke to one of the most beautiful, crystal-like scenes out my back window that I, almost, have ever seen. Our lovely, three-trunked Birch Tree had sparkling glass-like branches, and even the grass shone and dazzled. I wanted to run to this BLOG, and quickly describe this awesome scene, but, felt that I could never do it justice. At the same time, I had been reading the wonderful book,"John Adams" by David McCullough (if you have not read this, it is now on my "top five" list if anyone cares) and was just coming to the end when, John Adams, himself, described just such a scene outside his own farmhouse. So, if I may be so presumptuous, I am going to borrow his description, written so many years ago (1824, I believe) because he has described so well what I cannot. I love that human beings, no matter what the era, love and pay attention to some of the same things which bring us so much joy, as this scene did for both John Adams and myself.
"A rain had fallen from some warmer region in the skies when the cold here below was intense to extreme. Every drop was frozen wherever it fell in the trees, and clung to the limbs and sprigs as if it had been fastened by hooks of steel. The earth was never more universally covered with snow, and the rain had frozen upon a crust on the surface which shone with the brightness of burnished silver. The icicles on every sprig glowed in all the luster of diamonds. Every tree was a chandelier of cut glass. I have seen a Queen of France with eighteen millions of livres of diamonds upon her person and I declare that all the charms of her face and figure added to all the glitter or her jewels did not make an impression on me equal to that presented by every shrub. The whole world was glittering with precious stones." (John Adams) Now, this man was not only a great American hero, statesman, president etc. he was also a great writer!

A Healthy, Happy Plan

Every now and then, I come across an article in our little daily newspaper that jumps out at me, and this past week, there was just such an entry. The title was, "Chocolate, dancing, part of healthier you." This, or course, piqued my interest....especially the word, "chocolate." And, as good news would have it, the Cleveland Clinic (excellent reputation) experts have suggested seven tips for a healthier/happier lifestyle. (www.health.cleveland-clinic.org) which I really think I can live with! I have been waiting for just such a list to incorporate into my 2013 resolutions, and these I think I can actually accomplish! The first suggestion is: Eat more chocolate! It increases blood flow to the brain, decreases the impact of heart disease and can even fight depression. Wow. Bring it on! I am all for that! Of course, they suggest only a small square of chocolate three times a day, so I will have to decrease my consumption, but still. The second suggestion is to Dance. It burns calories, reduces stress, strengthens muscles and bones and can improve relationships. And, if you can believe, I have just begun a dance class that I am hoping will do all of these things! Next on their list is to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. This will stimulate your brain which needs exercise too, according to these experts. My husband and I have just invested in a 1,000 piece picture puzzle, and if it does not drive up crazy first, I think this can qualify. Ah, and fourth on the list is to Take a Mental Time Out. Stress and other problems can take its tole on good health, so these folks suggest a vacation; a day off; a time to relax and do something you enjoy. O.K. I'm in....Next, and also one of my favorites is Drink Coffee. Research has shown (who cares what research) that drinking two to three 8 ounce cups of coffee daily can reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease by up to 20 percent. Well, that is not much, but if there is a "health" reason to drink coffee, head me toward Starbucks. Now the next one, my two sister-in-laws will love. Go Shoe Shopping. Well, this would not be the kind of shoe shopping they would have in mind ,as the experts suggest replacing high heels with shoes with a thicker heel that's2 1/4 inches or smaller. And stop pinching your feet and toes with those pointy shoes; go for the square-toed look. O.K., I can live with that. And finally, Laugh. Studies have shown laughter's positive effects on blood flow and sleep among other things, and I have heard that it can also help with healing. Now, before you laugh at these suggestions, try them. They seem pretty easy and painless to me.

NUMBER 13

As we began the new year of 2013, and as we swore in the new 113th congress of the United States, I began to think about the number 13, and its connotations of being unlucky. Egads! I certainly do not want to begin this year thinking that it will be an unlucky one! Last year was bad enough, and I want to look forward to good things in the year ahead. Be that as it may, there is still this lingering thought in my head that the number 13 is unlucky. People who have a phobia around this belief are said to be, Triskaidekaphobia. I am not kidding here. So this idea must have some significance in our culture given such a long and substantial name! As we know, buildings, hotels and even street addresses avoid the number 13, well, like the plague. Now why is this and where did this idea come from. I did a little searching on the Web, and encountered some, both pagan and Christian, ideas for this and also some mathematical ones, i.e. the number 12 is thought to be the "perfect" number, able to be divided by so many others, and 13, a prime number, comes after that and is not very cooperative in the math family. The best reason that I could find to think of the number 13 as unlucky is that kids officially become "teens" at the age of 13, and we know what that looks like! But, lucky for us, some cultures actually think the number 13 is lucky, Italy and China for example. Now, here is my take on all of this; the number 13 is as lucky or unlucky as you decide it to be. I am convinced, at this stage of my life, that we do, in fact, create our own reality, and if you choose to think of 13 as unlucky, it probably will be for you. A bit of a concrete example of this, and perhaps a very poor "scientific" example occurred in my own life many years ago. Often, and I mean often, when I would look at the clock, it would register 7:47. It kind of spooked me, and I began thinking that I should never get on a 747 Jet, and what not. And for a time, thinking that these numbers were omens to bad things, I decided to change my thinking to envisioning only good things; that it was a sign that everything was going right. I now even say this out loud when I continue to look at the clock and see these numbers. A pyridine shift that all of us can make when faced with negativity. But, just to be on the safe side, don't walk under any ladders, and avoid all black cats!