SPRINGTIME

Ah, Springtime!

Some green is in the meadow
The birds are in the sky
Rabbits are hopping about in play
And ducks are waddling by
Robins are chasing one another
As the snow is in decline
The buds are popping on the trees
For new nests to hide in there
Oh yes! our hearts are happy
Spring is in the air
                                     Gretta Barclay

For other springtime entries and poems, scroll down the menu to "Springtime."

CAN SPRING BE FAR BEHIND?

I once read that lowering expectations can make you happier. An interesting concept, to be sure, and one which I entertained this past week on March 21st, the first OFFICIAL day of spring. Where I live here in the Midwest, it neither looked like spring nor felt like spring with cold, non-forgiving temperatures, and no buds be seen on the trees. The first sign of  REAL spring for me is always the few crocuses that still manage to push their way up into my yard each year. Until I see them, I am not convinced of this long awaited season. The second things I look for, or course, are the robins in the yard, pulling up worms or just hopping around in hopes of a tasty meal.. And finally, when the tulips and daffodils can bee seen one day in all their splendor and glory along with the forsythia and lilacs. Now that is the picture of Spring, for me!
When I was growing up, I was not so aware of the natural signs of spring. I was a city girl in Cincinnati, and other than the Magnolia trees in bloom, I think that, only warmer weather brought on the feelings of spring for me. Along with that, there was also the anticipation of going downtown Cincinnati to shop for a new Easter outfit and new Easter shoes, usually patten-leather,black and shinny! In the earlier years, it also included looking for an Easter hat (bonnet), and the song, "In Your Easter Bonnet, With All the Frills Upon It...." was sung with happy anticipation in our house.
But, it is the feeling  that I still get when Daylight Savings time changes to let more light into the afternoon and evening that brings on the greatest memories of spring-time for me. For it was in these longer day-light hours that we could remain outside, playing with our neighborhood friends, games of Tag, Kick the Can, Capture the Flag etc. If truth be known, this is what spring-time really meant to me, and the memory of it captures me with delight even today!

St. Patrick's Day; Ireland

Today I am thinking about St. Patrick's Day, and the upcoming celebration of my Irish heritage. I was talking with my Irish sister, Maureen, this morning and she said that, growing up, there were only two saints that she really liked: St. Patrick, and St. Francis who loved animals and the environment, and lived a simple life. I agree with her, and how wonderful to have both these saints on the "world's stage" this week at the same time.
Many years ago, I took a trip to Ireland with my mother, niece and sister, Marueen and one of the special moments that I remember, was walking through the woods to view the Lake Isle of Innisfree that William ButlerYeats made famous in his poem, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." What was particularly special to me was that my sister Maureen quoted this entire poem from memory while we overlooked the island of Innisfree....a special Irish moment in time. For any who might not know this poem, it has the same theme as "Daffodils" quoted by me earlier....that when we are away from these special views and places, the memory of them will sustain us, and nurture our soul. So, once again, I offer a poem on this BLOG...

THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfee
And a small cabin built there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavement grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
                                                        William Butler Yeats

Ah, who couldn't love the line, "And I shall find some peace there; for peace comes dropping slow." Certainly not a true Irishman!

* Though the picture above is not one taken in Ireland, it looks much like many of the green fields we saw there. In fact, it is a picture of farmland here in the midwest after spring planting and the first signs of growth...lovely sight wherever it is!

Here Comes the Month of March!

Ah, the fifth of March; time for the snow to go, but as you can see, March has once again come in like a lion, and hopefully will go out like a lamb. This is the "swing month" for me when waiting for spring seems an eternity, and those first crocuses are nowhere to be seen. But, in the meantime, a lot happens in March to keep us hopeful....daylight saving time returns here in the Midwest on March 10th, and the official day of spring is March 21st...not that far away. We have several other events in March: March 17th, St. Patrick's Day (a fun diversion for many, Irish or not), March Madness to keep us watching basketball,  and March also begins Baseball Spring training for all of us baseball fans who follow their special team; for me, it will always be The Cincinnati Reds. This is also Women's History month and I can think of many women who should be honored but, for me, I need not look any further than my own mother who raised seven children to become independent in the world, while keeping her  own sanity! I also would honor all the mothers of today who are raising their own children....knowing what a huge, and often stressful job this is today. These are the unsung women heroes in my book! And, o.k. I bet that you did not know that March 14th is "Save a Spider" Day...now who thinks these crazy things up? Aren't spiders still pretty well absent during the month of March? I guess I could go on and on with a few more March facts like the official flower for March is the daffodil (time to reread the poem "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth (one of my favorites!) And now that I am thinking about it, I think that I will quote it here...it always brings sunshine to my day, and happiness to my soul, so I share it here with you...
THE DAFFODILS

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed----but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood
They flash upon the inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Well, these seem to be the highlights of the month of March, but perhaps,  there will be one more significant event; the election of a new Roman Catholic pope.... One might wish to pray to St. Joseph in regards to this, if one is so inclined, as the month of March is also dedicated to St. Joseph. Maybe he might help with the selection!

Cursive Hand Writing

Recently, I wrote about the demise of letter writing and the loss of cards and letters in our mailboxes. The Postal Service is having trouble keeping afloat with our high tech world, and if you have not  learned the special symbols used to text these days, you are at a distinct disadvantage. Now, along with this archaic activity, we are  talking about doing away with teaching cursive writing in schools. How do I feel about this? Mixed, at best. I grew up at a time when we still had ink wells on the right side of our desks, and nibbed pens were used for our best penmanship. I can remember having to write and rewrite (in cursive, of course) a Christmas letter to my parents, which the good nuns had us do each year, until I got it just right. The beauty of the penmanship was as important to them as the sentiment of the words. Today, "joined up writing" as cursive is often referred to is becoming less and less popular with students and teachers alike. Why spend time on an activity that does not favor the test of time where many people presently, and in the future will not even have to sign their own name, or will sign it in a way that is unreadable to the mass majority of people. Just trying to read my Doctor's medical orders rests my case. And why teach two ways of writing when one will do? As a matter of fact, many people today use a form of both cursive and print when they write, so why not just learn to print which is readable to all. Have you ever wondered why, on legal documents etc., they ask you to sign and print your name. Why have to do both? For me, being a left hander, I can certainly attest to the trials and tribulations I had trying to learn to write in cursive at a right-hander's desk. But all of that aside, I have to admit that I love the beauty of the written word in cursive. I have only to look at the treasured documents of our fore-fathers to appreciate the elegance of their important messages. What is interesting to me is that, even though many schools today do not require their students to learn cursive (to the delight of the students), many teachers still feel that it is a good skill to have.Writing is one of the major ways kids learn. After school clubs have formed for the very purpose of learning to write in cursive, just like taking an art class. Is it possible that, in the future, people will not even be able to read cursive writing because the have not learned to write it (or read it.) Ah, not to be able to read the original documents and letters of those who have come before us...would this be a significant loss of our heritage. Just wondering. In the meantime, I am glad that I learned to write cursive in school and appreciate the elegance of the written word....sometimes, a work of art in itself.

GETTING TO KNOW ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Presidents' Day, 2013 seems to be the perfect day to share with you an awesome "gem" of a book that I received from my daughter, Michelle, this past Christmas. It is called, "Abraham Lincoln Traveled This Way," narrative by Michael Burlingame with Photography by Robert Shaw. If you are a Lincoln fan, or would just like to know this very humorous, humble man as he really was in life, this is a book not to be missed! Along with the dialogue, and actual writings and letters from Lincoln himself, there are stunning photos of the places Lincoln traveled and lived, particularly in Illinois, before he became president. As never before, here is where you can read about the real, human side of Lincoln as a boy, young man, poet, hard worker, lawyer and an all-around "great guy" who was loved by almost everyone he met. Some of my favorite quotes, I will share here:

As Lincoln reached his new home in Indiana from Kentucky, he writes, "We reached our new home about the time the State came into the Union. It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up." Lincoln was eight years old at the time. And later, he wrote a poem about his childhood here.

"My child-hood home I see again,

And gladden with the view,

And still as memories crowd my brain,

There's sadness in it too.

Oh, memory! thou mid-way world

Twixt Earth and Paradise,

When things decayed, and loved ones lost

In dreamy shadows rise.

 

So memory will hallow all

We've known, but know no more.

Now twenty years have passed away,

Since here I bid farewell

To woods, and fields, and scenes of play

And school mates loved so well.

Where many were, how few remain

Of old familiar things!

But seeing these to mind again

The loss and absence brings.

The friends I left that parting day--

Now changed, as time has sped!

Young childhood grown, strong manhood grey,

And half of all are dead. (1846)

And, upon his marriage to Mary Todd, he writes to a friend,

"Nothing new here, except my marrying, which to me, is matter of profound wonder."

And of everyday household things he humorously writes,

"Dear Sir: Some specimens of your soap have been used at our house and Mrs. L declares it is a superb article. She, at the same time, protests that I have never given sufficient attention to the "soap question" to be a competent judge."

I did not know this, but when Lincoln spoke his famous line, " a house divided against itself cannot stand," he made reference to the "great fabulists and philosopher, Aesop," who made this same point in his fable "The Bundle of Sticks."

I also think that Lincoln, who valued his friends above all else, wrote,"the better part of one's life consists of his friendships," and also said something very profound when he penned,
'How miserably things seem to be arranged in this world. If we have no friends, we have no pleasure, and if we have them, we are sure to lose them, and be doubly pained by the loss." (Amen to that!)

 

And shockingly, when Lincoln was quite angry, he made a speech at Bloomington, Ill. (where I live) and said,

"If I cannot rightfully murder a man; I may tie him to the tail of a kicking horse, and let him kick the man to death." Ah, Lincoln, a man of strong feelings, and not afraid to express them!

And, Lincoln being a lawyer himself for much of his life had much to say about lawyers. One of my favorite quotes being, "If in your own judgement you cannot be an honest lawyer, ....choose some other occupation, rather than one in the choosing of which you do, in advance, consent to be a knave."  And on preachers, lawyers and hired agents, he writes,

"The preacher, it is said, advocates temperance because he is a fanatic and desires a union of Church and State; the lawyer, from his pride and vanity of hearing himself speak; and the hired agent, for his salary."

And last but not least, did you know that Abraham Lincoln, with his family, visited Niagara Falls? Nor did I, but, in fact, they did, and actually wrote his thoughts when he wrote,

" Like scenes in some enchanted isle,

All bathed in liquid light

As distant mountains please the eye'

When twilight chases day--

As bugle tones, that, passing by,

In distance die away--

As leaving some grand water-fall

We lingering, list its roar"

O.K. one last item to share....Lincoln regarding his children wrote to his wife,

 

"Get another as soon as you can (person to take care of the kids, I suppose) to take charge of the dear codgers!"

In closing, I cannot say enough about this book, both in its insights into Lincoln as "just a man" like you and me, and for its beautiful photography. And who knew that Lincoln was a poet???

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Mail

"NO SATURDAY LETTERS? SIGN ME, HEARTBROKEN." Ah, a person after my own heart! This was the headline in our local newspaper the day that the Postal Service let the nation know there would soon be no delivery on Saturday. Now, I am all for saving money, and know that the Postal Service has been losing money ever since the "tech" invasion, but that is not my lament. The bigger worry for me is that "letter writing" is dying, if not already dead, as well as card sending and any other kind of personal snail mail. I agree that most of what we get in our mail box is either bills or junk advertising, so I really am not too unhinged by the demise of Saturday mail. But, don't you just love, every now in then, going to your mail box and finding a real letter or card from someone who took the time to think about you, and write to you! For me, it is always the jewel in the crown, or the prize in the box of crackerjacks.  In a previous BLOG, I wrote about the significant loss of letter writing (see letters), and what, in the future, our children and grandchildren will not know about how we felt about things; what we thought about things etc. or ever be able to save that special card or letter from Dad, Mom or Grandma. This loss is made more potent to me as I read the historical David McCullough books that give us such a genuine and real picture of the person he is writing about. We are able to peer into the person's real psych and personality by reading so many of the letters that are included in these books. I am presently reading "Truman" and were it not for the many letters that President Truman sent to his wife Bess, his mother and his sister...we would not know this profound and complicated man, nor would we know him as a real person who, thru his letters, lets us know how he is feeling about the major and significant years and events of his presidency. I know that letter writing cannot be brought back in this fast, tech society, and I am only lamenting what will be lost. Each week, I still try to write several letters, and perhaps send a card to someone I am thinking about.....not a big thing, but perhaps something that can brighten someone's day to know that someone was thinking about them.

What's Valentine's Day Have to Do With LOVE

WHEN FEBRUARY FIRST ROLLS AROUND, I ALWAYS THINK OF VALENTINE'S DAY. AFTER ALL, HERE IN THE MID-WEST IN MID-WINTER, IT IS A BRIGHT SPOT IN THE OTHERWISE COLD, WINTRY AND UNINTERESTING MONTH. FOR WHO DOESN'T LIKE TO THINK OF LOVE IN ALL ITS VARIOUS FORMS, AND MANIFESTATIONS! WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL, VALENTINE'S DAY WAS A DAY TO LOOK FORWARD TO WITHIN THE CONFINES OF A STRICT CATHOLIC SCHOOL WHERE NOT MUCH CHANGED IN THE REGULAR ROUTINE, AND THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE MUCH REASON FOR JOY. BUT, ON VALENTINE'S DAY, WE WERE ALL ENCOURAGED TO DECORATE A SHOE BOX WITH VALENTINE'S DAY PARAPHERNALIA OF WHITE LACE DOILIES, RED TISSUE PAPER AND VARIOUS SIZES OF RED HEARTS. A CUT IN THE TOP OF THE BOX WAS FOR SLIPPING IN YOUR RECEIVED VALENTINES FROM EACH MEMBER OF THE CLASS, GIRLS AND BOYS. I REMEMBER GOING HOME AND WONDERING WHETHER THE VALENTINE FROM THE BOY I HAD A CRUSH ON AT THE TIME, HAD ANY SIGNIFICANCE AT ALL...BIGGER, NICER, PRETTIER THAN THE OTHERS....USUALLY NOT. ONE YEAR, MY BROTHER HAD BEEN SO STRUCK BY CUPID'S INFLUENCE THAT HE SHOT AN ARROW INTO THE FRONT YARD OF HIS GIRL-FRIEND'S HOUSE TO THE HORROR AND CONSTERNATION OF HER PARENTS. I THINK THAT THEY CALLED THE POLICE!
AS I GOT OLDER, VALENTINE'S DAY SEEMED LESS OF A DAY TO CELEBRATE THAN A DAY TO LAMENT THAT I DID NOT HAVE A BOYFRIEND OR "SIGNIFICANT OTHER" SENDING ME A CARD, CANDY OR FLOWERS. I BECAME A MEMBER OF THAT VAST GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WERE "SINGLE" ON VALENTINE'S DAY AND WISHED THAT THE DAY WOULD BE OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TO THIS DAY, I HAVE A DEEP FEELING FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE A SPECIAL "SOMEONE" TO SHARE THE DAY WITH. IT IS A VERY LONELY DAY FOR MANY.
TODAY, THANKS TO HALLMARK, FLOWER SHOPS AND CANDY MAKERS, VALENTINE'S DAY HAS A WIDER, MORE INCLUSIVE RANGE TO INCLUDE ANY AND ALL PEOPLE WE LOVE....MOMS, DADS, KIDS, GRANDS, FRIENDS AS WELL AS "SIGNIFICANT OTHERS" WHICH I THINK IS A VERY GOOD IDEA! AFTER ALL, LOVE IS LOVE WHICH TAKES MANY FORMS AND IS FELT BY EVERYONE TOWARDS THE SPECIAL PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES. SO, HURRAH FOR VALENTINE'S DAY, A DAY TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE PEOPLE WE LOVE IN THIS WORLD. AND JUST A THOUGHT, YOU NEVER HAVE TO WAIT FOR VALENTINE'S DAY TO LET THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE KNOW IT!

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!