wacky wednesday - lessons from 2014

Many people spend some time at the end of the year reflecting on events (vacations, births, deaths and the like) that occurred during the last 12 months. I like to think about the lessons I've learned or been reminded of as I was living life during the year.

LESSONS FROM 2014

1.  There is beauty everywhere, even in the middle of a desolate desert in the middle of nowhere.

Our trip to Death Valley National Park in August (yes, it was hot!) reminded me that there is beauty everywhere if you look for it. One evening as we were waiting for sunset, the scorching sun broke through some clouds and shined "God light" on the salt flats below making them shimmer. Instantly the scene changed giving us a glimpse of the breath-taking beauty in the desert.

2.  Holding a baby is good for your well-being.

Studies show that most adults holding a non-crying baby have higher levels of endorphins, lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and lower blood pressure than the same adults without a baby in their arms. They smile more often. Holding our newest granddaughter, Hannah Beckett, certainly makes me smile!

3.  You sometimes become more child-like as you get older.

This year I began collecting Lego minifigures (or minifigs) after I read an article about photographing them. It's fun to put them together and play with them as I pose them. And apparently I'm younger than I think since our seven-year old grandson, Ben, told me that I "play with baby Legos - you know, the ones for ages four and up!"

4.  It's good to take time to enjoy the simple things.

Our granddaughter, Ellie (age one), squealed and squeaked with abandoned delight as the "snow" (more like shave ice!) fell at the zoo. Her enthusiasm was contagious and pretty soon we were all laughing. It made me wonder how often my excitement or happiness as I "stop to smell the roses" rubs off on others.

5.  Trying new things helps us grow, even if it isn't perfect.

On January 18th, 2014 I began a photography 365 project. The idea is to take a photo every day using a list of prompts. Early each morning the day's prompt was emailed to me and I began thinking about what I would photograph and how. I learned to think outside the box as my photography skills improved. Many months I didn't miss a single day (like July above). But other months life got in the way and I missed a day or two here and there (like October above). At first I felt like I had ruined the project by missing a day but I came to realize that the project still had value and the vacant spots represent days I was busy doing something else. And, as I look back at the entire year, there weren't that many days I missed taking a photo - it's all perspective!

Happy New Year!

wacky wednesday - traditions

This time of year is especially exciting for me. I like the holidays we celebrate - Thanksgiving in November followed by Christmas in December and then New Year's. But more than that, I love the traditions we have surrounding those holidays - some are fairly traditional and others are pretty... um, unusual.

I've spent the last week or so pondering traditions - why we have them, their importance and how they sometimes change over the years. Each family is unique and so are the traditions they have. I have talked to friends who have lots of holiday traditions and a few who have none. The important thing is what works for your family.

FIVE THINGS I DISCOVERED ABOUT OUR FAMILY TRADITIONS

Traditions connect us to family, both past and present. Every Thanksgiving we make Aunt Karen's stuffing and Aunt Karlene's Heavenly Hash. Our traditional Christmas dinner is lasagna and Italian sausage, a tradition started by Richard's mom (aka Nona) over four decades ago. None of these women are with us any longer, but we remember them and talk about them as we shop for, prepare and eat their signature dishes. The stories are told and retold as they live on in our hearts. And the traditions continue with our kids and their families.

Another tradition is for the kids (okay, and sometimes the adults) to put olives on their fingers and eat them off, a tradition started by our nephews when they were young. The nephews are grown now with children of their own and the tradition lives on with their children and our grandchildren. Although the nephews and our children live in different parts of the world, they all talk about when we had Thanksgivings together years ago and they put olives on their fingers - and they tell their children.

Traditions give us anticipation. I know that sending Christmas cards is becoming a thing of the past, but I absolutely LOVE receiving them (and sending them!). The anticipation begins in mid November and begins to peak the day after Thanksgiving (because some of our friends are much more on the ball than I am!). My heart beats just a little faster as I walk to the mailbox wondering who we got cards from that day. The handwriting on the envelope, the annual Christmas letter and photo are my sweet reward.

Traditions give us consistency and comfort.  Every Christmas morning we open our stockings first, then we open gifts one at a time, taking time to thank the giver and appreciate the gift.  Our kids, as they were growing up, knew what to expect.

Both Richard's family and mine had traditions of driving around looking at Christmas lights. We continued that tradition with our family making sure that at least one evening was devoted to driving through neighborhoods with the best decorations while we sipped hot chocolate and ate Christmas cookies. It is like chicken soup when you're sick... comforting.

Traditions sometimes change or only last for a time. We started a tradition when our kids were young of going out front at midnight on New Year's Eve and banging on pots with wooden spoons as we wished the neighbors who were also out front with their kids "Happy New Year!" The kids are now all grown and have moved from the neighborhood and the "parents" are usually in their jammies by 10pm so no one is out front visiting or banging on pots at midnight. The tradition, however, lives on with our kids and their children.

Traditions sometimes begin intentionally and other times come about quite by accident.   One year when our oldest child was very young, I had to work on Christmas Eve and didn't get home until about 4:30 in the afternoon, much too late to begin cooking a big dinner. Instead, we ordered pizza (a treat for us!) and had a most unconventional Christmas Eve dinner. The following year I wasn't working but our daughter insisted we have pizza because "it's tradition!" (In her defense, it was the only Christmas Eve dinner she was old enough to remember.) We have had pizza almost every year (30 years!) since then. Who knew it would be become tradition?!We just thought it would be easy since I had to work.

On the other hand, soon after we were married I intentionally started a tradition of making several kinds of Christmas cookies every year. One of the kinds I always made was cut-out sugar cookies that we then frosted and decorated as a family. There may have been some competition as the kids grew up - also part of the tradition! Although I don't make as many kinds of cookies now that the kids have left home, we always make some either at our house or with the sweethearts.

I think our traditions are important to our family. They are part of our identity, what makes us different from other families. Some of them take extra work and planning but it wouldn't be the same without them.

As Tevye says in Fiddler On The Roof, "Because of our traditions, we have kept our balance for many, many years. Here in Anatevka we have traditions for everything... how to eat, how to sleep, even how to wear our clothes. For instance, we always keep our heads covered and always wear a little prayer shawl... this shows our constant devotion to God. You may ask, how did this tradition start? I'll tell you - I don't know. But it's tradition... because of our traditions, everyone knows who he is and what God expects him to do... Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as... as a fiddler on a roof!"

wacky wednesday - progress??

There is no denying we live in the technology age. Chips and processors get smaller while screens and number of megapixels get larger. Our devices (or "screens") do increasingly more tasks - everything from being our alarm clock to our camera and navigation system (including an old-fashioned map!) and more.

The cameras on smartphones now rival just about any point and shoot digital camera. They take better than decent photos that are printable should you be old-school enough to actually print your photos. Since our phones are practically surgically attached to our hands, we always have them with us. We can snap a photo with our phone, instantly edit it using fairly sophisticated editing software and post it to FaceBook or Instagram in less than a minute. Most people think this is "progress."

But I wonder.

I have not been to a single event (parade, fireworks show, school program, sporting event or concert, for example) in the past year or so where a sea of phones and tablets have not been raised above heads to capture the event (either photos or video). The person holding the device sees only one screen, of course, but those behind him who are not recording the event see dozens (or even hundreds) of bright electronic screens and their view of the actual event is blocked.

When did we, as a society, become so self-centered, inconsiderate, and dare I say, rude? And when did we stop living in the moment, just enjoying being at the event, and watching it live?

My all-time favorite cartoonist, Bil Keane, captured this sentiment perfectly in his cartoon last Sunday (12/14/14).

I challenge you to put your "screens" away for part of this holiday season and just enjoy the show  and the people you are with!

wacky wednesday - is small talk a big thing?

The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article (A Victory for Office Small Talkers, October 27, 1014) describing a research effort studying chit-chat and employee retention. The article caught my eye because I have long believed that men and women talk about different things with their co-workers while they are at work.

When I ask my sweet husband how so-and-so's vacation was, he'll say something like he didn't ask and they didn't volunteer; they talked about work. Thinking this was something unusual about my husband, I asked other male friends if they engage in small talk with co-workers during breaks and they all said the same thing - "Work is for work." However, female friends who work outside their home often volunteer social information they learned from a female co-worker - things like a restaurant they went to or a movie they saw. Clearly women talk about things other than work.

This made me wonder if employers prefer "chit-chatting" employees or "strictly down to business" ones.

The article mentioned a study conducted by an assistant professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where she analyzed two years worth of electronic communications (emails, texts, calendar scheduling, etc.) from a little over 8,000 employees at a global information technology consulting firm. She organized communications into categories including a social one indicated by words about meals, sports, etc. Her research showed that employees who used words like "lunch," "coffee," "baseball" and "dinner," for example, were more likely to keep their jobs during company layoffs. In fact, this "small talk" was a better indicator of job retention than how much money an employee brought in to the company.

The researcher suggested that "chit-chatting" employees have value that isn't well measured yet. They could be "influencers" - employees who are well-connected and relate on a more personal level with their colleagues. Or maybe they are more fun to be around and therefore, more valued by co-workers. Or they might boost morale in the workplace increasing overall productivity.

Whatever the reason, while work performance is important, social communication can give a little extra boost. It's time to bring the art of conversation back!

wacky wednesday - the things you miss

My mother-in-law, whom we affectionately called Nona, often reminded me to appreciate each age and stage of parenting our children. For example, I would complain about spending all day in my car driving 75 miles to take our darlin's to school and back, to activities, etc. and never travel farther than ten miles from our house. She would laugh and tell me that one day I would miss that. I'm pretty sure there was some eye rolling on my part after that.

Seriously? I would miss stuff like that? What about changing clothes several times a day because the baby spit up - or worse- on me? Would I miss that, too? How about finding out at 9:00 at night that my sweet darlin' had volunteered to bring 5 pieces of poster board to school the next day? Or going on a road trip and answering the question, "Are we there yet?" a bajillion times? I was absolutely certain Nona was mistaken; no one could possibly miss stuff like that.

Fast forward a couple of decades. My sweet darlin's now have sweethearts of their own. And I have learned that Nona did, indeed, know what she was talking about.

In no particular order, here are seven things I never, ever thought I'd miss.

1.  Photo-bombing (although back in the day it was just called "getting in the way")
I am almost certain I "talked sternly" to my sweet darlin's for jumping up into my picture while I was trying to take a landscape photo. However, I realized I really do miss the silliness and spontaneity of this prank when one of my sweethearts did it last week.

2.  Hearing and responding to "Watch this!!!" fifty times a day

Our parenting style was to be engaged and interact with our sweet darlin's when we reasonably could so we heard "Watch this!!" a lot. I remember one summer when they both wanted me to watch them dive in the pool and pick up rings off the bottom EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY DID IT all summer long. It's difficult to be enthusiastic and excited the five hundredth time you've watched it! But I've learned that their wanting me to watch them is really their way of sharing themselves with me. Yes, it's attention-getting but they're sharing something they like to do or something they learned. And I do miss it. Fortunately, the sweethearts have a never-ending supply of things to "share!"

3.  The disorder of the tupperware cupboard

Our sweet darlin's quickly learned that they were to leave cupboard doors alone (and closed)... except for the Tupperware cupboard. That one they could open, take all the containers and lids out and play with them (and as they were older, put them away) to their heart's content. Consequently, that cupboard was usually a disorganized, chaotic mess. While I loved watching their delight while they played with "my toys," I also longed for the day when my cupboard would be neat and tidy and finding the right container and lid wouldn't take half an hour. Imagine my surprise when they were older and I actually missed the mess inside the cupboard! I am delighted to have some little sweethearts that like to play in the cupboard. 

4.  Chalk art on the driveway or patio

While doing chalk art is fun and I always loved seeing what they would make, the mess it creates is not so fun. The chalk dust gets all over hands, legs, feet and clothes to then be tracked into the house. Once our sweet darlin's outgrew chalk art I was certain I would never miss it - but I did. Seeing their drawings or, as they got older, messages spread across the driveway as I came home always made me smile. So now I always have a bucket or two of chalk for the sweethearts to draw with - the "mess" is easily cleaned up!

5.  Drool and fingerprints on the glass on the back door

I could never understand why both my mother and Nona never seemed to mind if our sweet darlin's put their hands all over a window or a mirror. Who were these women? They couldn't be the same mothers my husband and I had - because we got scolded at for doing that! And we "discouraged" our sweet darlin's from slobbering and putting handprints on glass doors and windows. It seemed like I was forever cleaning them - and couldn't wait until everyone was old enough to not do that. And once they were,  I learned what my mother and Nona already knew - that the fingerprints and the drool is a reminder of how little they are and how fast they grow up. And I missed it! Now, when my sweethearts (or someone else's sweethearts) come to visit, I encourage them to fingerprint away and I don't wash it off for weeks or sometimes months!

6.  Little feet peeking under the stall door in a public bathroom

When our kids reached an age where they were old enough to go in a public restroom stall by themselves but not quite old enough to be in the public restroom alone, I would use the stall next to them so I could see their feet. If they finished before me, they would plant their feet outside my stall door so I could still see their feet. I was 100% certain I would NOT miss that when the kids got older, mostly because they liked to peek through the cracks in the door to watch me. But, alas, I was wrong again and not only enjoy it but even laugh when I see my sweetheart's shoes peeking under the stall door.

7. Toys scattered all over the floor

Okay, absolutely no one would miss tripping over toys on the floor. And, honestly, I don't miss the tripping - but I do miss seeing toys spread out all over. We have a basket of toys in our family room for young children to play with when they come to visit. Their parents always remind the child to "pick up your mess" but I really wish they would leave it, at least for awhile.

Although Joni Mitchell's song, Big Yellow Taxi, is making an environmental statement, the sentiment in the refrain - "don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone..." - rings true for me.

wacky wednesday - thankful for that?

Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving since the 1620's as independent colonies and later as states but it wasn't until 1863 in the midst of the Civil War that President Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. For about a hundred years it was a holiday where the entire family gathered together to remember good times, be thankful for all the blessings in their lives and maybe watch (or play) a little football.

I have watched our society, little by little, lose the meaning and tradition of the Thanksgiving holiday. Every year it gets harder to keep a heart filled with thanksgiving and gratitude. Hollywood tells us family is lame (Home Alone comes to mind). The media tells us that instead of being thankful we should be fearful (ISIS, racial unrest, Ebola, politics). Retailers tell us we don't have enough "stuff" and need to go shopping with millions of other people on Thanksgiving Day to get "good deals" and boost the retailers bottom line.

And that's just the everyday, average American with everyday, average problems. People who suffer with serious medical issues, are jobless or homeless, are struggling with serious relationship problems or a host of other concerns often don't feel thankful at all; they feel hopeless.

So how do we have "an attitude of gratitude" even when we feel lost, fearful or hopeless?

I think the Apostle Paul answers that question in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 when he says to "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." All three instructions (being joyful, praying and giving thanks) are intentional choices we make that, when done consistently, become habits that lead to an attitude of gratitude.

Be joyful always. That implies that no matter what our circumstance is, we can choose to be joyful. It is not an emotional reaction but a conscious decision. It starts by looking for the silver lining, by being optimistic instead of pessimistic. It is because we know the One who is in control of all things that we can choose joy over despair.

Pray continually. This doesn't mean we have to be on our knees with hands clasped 24/7. It means that our relationship with Christ is so personal, so intimate that we can talk to Him any time, anywhere - and we do. We bring all our concerns, worries, hopes and dreams to Him, the loving and omniscient God who cares about the details of our lives.

Give thanks in all circumstances. It's easy to be thankful when things go well but what about when they don't? This doesn't mean we thank God for everything that happens to us. Evil is not from God so we would not thank Him for that. But in every circumstance, we can thank God for His presence, for the good He will accomplish through our trial and distress, for His peace and strength that carries us through.

May your Thanksgiving Day (and every day!) be filled with heartfelt gratitude as you put the Apostle Paul's instructions into practice. Happy Thanksgiving!

wacky wednesday - how many does it take??

Our daughter, who lives in North Carolina, flew out here last week with her two daughters to surprise her sister who just had a baby. It was a sweet sister reunion and a fun weekend with the girl cousins getting to know each other (although I am quite certain little baby Hannah and bigger baby Ellie will not remember it).

It was a beautiful weekend and we went to a park by our house to take some pictures. We did groupings of grandparents & granddaughters, sisters and their kids, three generations and the like.

As I was getting my picture taken with granddaughter #2, Ellie, who is a year old and not always a cooperative subject, especially when momma isn't holding her, I began laughing at the antics going on behind the camera. And then I had to wonder... just how many people does it take to get a photograph?

The good news is they finally got one!

And, also one of the girls - although by this time the kids were tired of posing and the wind was blowing hair around. Nevertheless, it is my favorite shot of our girls!

Hannah (almost 2 weeks), Janne, Jennifer, Lexie (6 years), Ellie (1 year)

sweetheart #6

Grandchildren (aka sweethearts) are the best thing since sliced bread. They love to spend time you you, don't mind getting smooches and will tell you things they won't tell anyone else.

You think you can't possibly love anyone as much as your spouse or children... until you have grandchildren. You are a little older and wiser than when you had your children and you know things like how quickly they grow up and to appreciate the everyday things.

Two weeks ago we welcomed Sweetheart #6 into the world and our hearts. Like her five North Carolina cousins, she is a blessing to us... and will, undoubtedly, be spoiled just a little by us.

Hannah Beckett is a sweet little bundle of joy with a go-with-the-flow personality.

wacky wednesday - who knew???

Most kids, regardless of gender, like playing with LEGOS. Some kids like to use the "recipe" and build the fire truck or the Star Wars Death Star. Others like to use their imagination and create something entirely on their own.

Most LEGO sets are geared to children. Some sets are movie themed (Star Wars and The Lego Movie come to mind); others are based on superheroes (Batman, Superman, etc.) or everyday heroes (fireman and policemen, among others). Recently "girl sets" with princess or animal themes (with lots of pink bricks) have become popular. But at some point in childhood, most kids lose their fascination with the little interlocking bricks.

Or so I thought.

My sweet husband was googling the television show Big Bang Theory to purchase the last season on DVD and found this:

What could be better than LEGOS & Big Bang Theory together?

(This is the fan model created by Alatariel & GlenBricker, not the actual set. You can see the complete set, minifigures (characters) and accessories they submitted here.)

Further research revealed that ANYONE can submit ideas to LEGO Ideas by creating a model,  writing a project description, and following the guidelines and rules outlined by LEGO. The next step is gathering 10,000 supporters for your project. Once a project garners the required support, it enters the LEGO review phase where a review board of set designers and marketing representatives evaluate the project using criteria such as playability, safety and fit within the LEGO brand. All sets, fan ideas and internal ideas, go through this same process with the review board. If a fan's project is selected by the review board for production, the fan designer gets credit and a percentage of the sales. Awesome, huh?

In September, the LEGO review board announced  several fan projects that made the cut and Big Bang Theory was one of them! You can see the others on the LEGO Ideas Blog - my Dr. Who friends will want to check it out for sure! And one of the projects is unlike any other I've seen.

The name LEGO is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt" meaning "play well." With sets for kids of all ages, everyone will play well!

wacky wednesday - what time is it?

Last weekend most of the country turned their clocks back one hour. The phenomenon known as "Daylight Saving Time" (DST - and no, it is NOT Daylight Savings Time) is a mystery to me. Perhaps it is because Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation in the northeast part of the state, does not participate in such foolishness. But the whole idea of messing with time made me wonder when we began to actually keep time in this country and why we mess with it now.

Prior to the early 1880's, time of day in the United States was determined locally and varied from town to town. This would help explain the large discrepancies in arrival times for the stagecoach.  It was generally determined by some solar method (a sundial, for example) and the town maintained a clock, usually in the clock tower or church steeple, with the "real time" for all the other clocks to be set by.

In 1883, standard time in time zones across the country were instituted by the U.S. and Canadian railroads. Although that made perfect sense so the railroads could maintain accurate schedules, the new system was not embraced by everyone - I guess change is always hard. The railroads, in particular, needed accurate schedules with standardized time to coordinate the trains so they didn't run into each other, especially on single tracks with only an occasional "passing lane." As the practical benefits became obvious, standard time became more popular and was finally established in U.S. law on March 19, 1918 with the Standard Time Act of 1918, also known as the Calder Act. The Calder Act also established DST which was about as popular as standard time in time zones was in the 1880's.

We like to think DST is a modern concept but there is evidence the ancient Romans used it and even our own Benjamin Franklin wrote a paper on the benefits (reducing candle use and allowing farmers to utilize child labor (their own children) without sacrificing education) of changing the clock to enhance daylight hours. Germany was the first country to implement DST in 1916 with most of Europe following shortly thereafter. The benefit at that time was to reduce the use of artificial lighting to save fuel for the war (WWI) effort.

Daylight saving time was repealed in the U.S. in 1919 but standard time in time zones remained the law of the land. The Interstate Commerce Commission was given authority over time zone boundaries but whether or not a region observed DST was determined locally.

Daylight saving time was re-established nationally (and internationally) during WWII (for the same reason as during WWI) but after the war its use varied among states and localities. This caused mass confusion in transportation schedules. The Uniform Time Act (1966) provided standardization for the dates DST was observed but still allowed states or localities to follow DST or not.

The current national system of DST was implemented by a federal law called the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973 in response to the oil shortage of that time and was made permanent a year later. Arizona sent petitions and politicians to Washington D.C.  to fight for exemption from DST because it is cooler in the morning hours for farmers, construction workers, etc. to work. DST would force outdoor workers to begin their workday at earlier hours to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. Adding daylight hours in the evening just makes it light later while it is still hot outside and impacts when people can enjoy outdoor activities. For example, people would have to wait until 9:00 to go to a drive-in movie or play baseball on a field with lights rather than under the blazing sun. The Nixon Administration granted that Arizona (and Hawaii and several territories) be exempted from the law and it has remained that way since then.

So why does the Navajo Indian Reservation in northeastern Arizona participate in DST? The reservation spans four states - Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado - and three of them observe DST so it makes sense that the part in Arizona would also observe DST.

If having just one seventh of the state use DST isn't wacky enough, then how about the fact that inside the boundaries of the Navajo Indian Reservation resides the Hopi Indian Reservation which does not observe DST! Only in Arizona!

wacky wednesday - have a cup of joe

Coffee. You either love it or hate it.

My love affair with the bean began when I was in high school and had to be at marching band practice at 6:30 AM every morning. It started innocently enough with about half a cup of coffee before I left for school. In just a couple of months, it was a whole cup of coffee sipped while I got ready. And then before I knew it, it was a second cup in the car on my way to school.

While I was in college I would often drink a cup of coffee in the evening so I could stay awake and study. And then when I got my first job and was working third shift, I would drink a whole pot of coffee over the course of my shift.

In the decades since then, I have gone cold turkey and had no coffee (when I was pregnant or breastfeeding), back to a couple of cups a day and then on to an entire pot of coffee. Back and forth it would go. For the past five or six years I have settled into a two cup a day habit. (And for clarification, a cup means my coffee mug which probably holds closer to 12 ounces than a true cup.)

I admit I like the caffeine buzz; it jumpstarts my day. But I also genuinely love the taste of coffee. I usually drink it black and hot but I also like it iced or with cream or sweetener, depending on my mood. And my favorite way to enjoy it is on my patio while I read the newspaper (yes, a paper one not a digital one!).

Imagine my delight when I read in the Wall Street Journal this week that coffee might actually be good for you! After some additional research, I discovered that more and more research shows that coffee drinkers are less likely to have type-2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease and dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) and have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems and strokes compared to nondrinkers.

No one can say that drinking coffee prevents these conditions since researchers don't ask people to drink or not drink coffee for their studies. They simply ask about their coffee habits and, therefore, can't show cause and effect.

What is proven is that coffee has a very strong antioxidant capacity and contains magnesium and chromium - minerals that help the body use the hormone insulin which controls blood sugar. While more research is needed, researchers are very optimistic that drinking two to four eight-ounce cups of coffee per day has some great health benefits (note: pregnant and breastfeeding women should limit their caffeine intake to 200mg/day - about 12-ounces of coffee).

I wonder if coffee-haters will decide to learn to like coffee like vegetable-haters learn to like a few leafy greens?

Yeah, probably not.

wacky wednesday - step it up

About a year ago my husband and I got FitBits and it's been a love/hate relationship with them ever since. FitBits are similar to a pedometer but also so much more. Besides tracking your steps and converting that into miles, it also distinguishes between very active steps and moderate or slow steps. Some track your sleep quality based on how much you move around, track calories burned or even steps climbed.

The model we got (Zip) can connect to our smartphone or computer via Bluetooth so we, and everyone else in our group, can instantly know not just our current day's steps, but also our weekly totals, most and least active day and more. While being part of a group isn't required it can help you stay motivated. You can challenge people in your group - most steps in a day wins, for example - to make it more competitive.

I admit it is motivating to see I only need 400 more steps to NOT be in last place. And I love it when I meet my goal number of steps for the day or the week.

But there are also times when I am sooooo far behind there is no way to catch up for the day. Then I am more likely to be motivated to sit on the couch and watch tv. And I hate it when we are out shopping and my son-in-law, Jacob, logs 2000 more steps than me even though we've gone to the same place. Of course, when I stop to look at something, he "wanders around" so I guess we haven't really "gone to the same place."

It was with great amusement that I read a ZITS comic strip (by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman) last week. It reminded me that some people work at getting their steps in (me) and others just do it naturally (Jacob).

wacky wednesday - full circle?

I was reading an article the other day that said that dSLR camera sales have dropped sharply in the past two to three years and that in the near future (less than ten years) they predict that only professional photographers will be purchasing dSLR cameras.

I am not a professional by any stretch of the imagination but I do like my dSLR and prefer it over every other camera I own.

And what, you ask, is replacing dSLR cameras in the hands of the masses?

Yep, it's a smartphone!

In 1837, Louis Daguerre created the first practical photographic process (which he named daguerrotype) using copper sheets. The camera he used was actually conceptualized by Johann Zahn 150 years before but wasn't brought to fruition until Daguerre invented the process for making the image. For the first time, actual images could be stored on a material and preserved for decades. Photography was born! And with it, professional photographers who were the only ones who had access to such pricey cameras.

Over the next hundred years or so, the world of photography saw many advances. George Eastman invented photographic film and with his first camera ("Kodak"), a simple box camera, photographs were more widely available. The 1950's brought the "Instant" cameras. Remember the Polaroid Land Camera? Gone were the days of waiting a few weeks for your film to be processed. In just a few minutes your photo magically appeared. Unfortunately, they also drastically faded over time. By the  1990's, digital cameras were on the scene with dSLR's right behind them. What would be next?

Since the first camera phone came out in 2000, their popularity has grown every year. By 2006, half of the world's mobile phones had cameras. Every few months newer technology gives us higher resolution and sharper images faster. App developers work overtime to provide us with photo editing and enhancing options making our photos look like works of art. 

There are several reasons folks are trading their dSLR cameras for camera phones. First, images can instantly be shared on social media sites. Camera phones are compact and fit in your pocket weighing next to nothing. You can take them everywhere. Lugging a bulky camera bag - or even just an average size dSLR camera - can be heavy and cumbersome. People don't go anywhere without their camera phone so they have them for those unexpected, candid photo ops.

By the end of the article, I had concluded we have come full circle in photography. Photography began with professional photographers having "real" cameras and will apparently soon return to professional photographers being the ones with "real" cameras.

And a new genre is born... phonography.

wacky wednesday - you know it's officially autumn in arizona when...

In some parts of the country October means it's time for sweaters and  hot cocoa and a fire in the fireplace. Leaves change colors and the air is crisp and cool. In other words, autumn has arrived in full force.

Not so here in the Valley of the Sun. We use an entirely different measuring stick to gauge when autumn actually arrives - and it's not the official date on the calendar. It pretty much has nothing to do with the thermometer since we are typically still swimming in quite comfortable, unheated swimming pools until the very end of September.

1.  The arrival of Starbuck's "Fall Drinks" - Pumpkin Spice Latte and Salted Caramel Mocha. These perennial favorites are available around October 1st and are a consistent prophesier of the arrival of fall in places where the thermometer is no help. They are around for a limited time, like fall, and lead into the Holiday Drinks of winter.

I always get a Pumpkin Spice Latte (full fat and with all the bells and whistles!) in a real cup at the beginning of the season!

2.  Large, prominent Halloween displays as soon as you walk in the door of any grocery store. It seems the marketing people have determined that placing such displays within four feet of the door ensures you will trip over it and something will fall in your grocery cart. In any case, they show up the week that has October 1st in it making it a dependable autumn indicator.

These displays tend to be a little scary with witches and jack o'lanterns as tall as scarecrows!

3.  The arrival of pink everything to promote Breast Cancer Awareness month. Just about everything from yogurt lids to shoe laces turns pink in October. It is a vivid forecaster of the advent of autumn because it contrasts so dramatically with the normal "earthy" autumn colors.

My personal favorite uprising of pink is the painting of the P.F. Chang's horses which occurs on October 1st. They stay pink through October 31st.

4.  Multi-colored gourds and pumpkins magically appear in food stores.  The colored gourds are fun to decorate with but the larger, jack o'lantern-type pumpkins don't last long in the heat once they are cut. Nevertheless, these colorful fruits are accurate autumn prognosticators.

Everything about pumpkins - their color, their smell, their taste - screams "AUTUMN!"

5.  And lastly, turning over the calendar page! The October calendar picture ALWAYS depicts some aspect of autumn and lets us know we have officially left summer behind. It is the ultimate, most accurate indicator that autumn is really here.

For some reason, this one always catches me by surprise.

wacky wednesday - where's the magic?

I think I have mentioned once or twice that we LOVE Disney. Because it's fairly close, we go to Disneyland in California most of the time but once in awhile we shake it up a bit and head to Orlando to check out Walt Disney World. We just returned home after spending a week there with our sweethearts (aka grandkids) and their parents.

I love walking down Main Street at the Magic Kingdom early in the morning before it gets crowded!

While I had a good time overall, I was disappointed in the behavior of some a lot of the adult guests who seemed to be very self-involved and disengaged from the experience. They didn't appear to be having a very good time and, at times, were preventing other guests from enjoying their time there. I know it isn't "the happiest place on earth" - that's reserved for Disneyland - but  it shouldn't look like "the grumpiest, most selfish place on earth" either.

As I was reflecting on our time there, I came up with a list on how to be a considerate guest (aka customer) whether you are at a Disney park or pretty much anywhere in public.

1. Use common courtesy. Saying please, thank you, excuse me and I'm sorry doesn't stop when adulthood begins. Bumping into someone in a crowded place is inevitable but glaring at them like it's their fault they are where you want to go is rude.
2. Put your phone away while you are walking. Texting and walking in a crowded place is a recipe for an accident - like small children being knocked over or running into people. Texting and driving a scooter is akin to texting and driving a car - don't do it! In fact, just put your phone away period and enjoy the experience. Email can wait.
3. Observe personal space. Pushing up against people in lines or crowded situations (like a parade or fireworks, for example) frightens children who are sandwiched in between adults. They can easily get trampled when adults behind them don't see them.
4. Obey the posted rules and verbal instructions. If a sign says "NO Flash Photography" then turn your flash off unless it says "Except for (insert your name) ."
5. Be considerate of people behind you during parades, fireworks, etc. (in a movie theater, at a sporting event...). Holding your phone or iPad above your head to shoot video of the entire show limits the visibility of the people behind you. Multiply this practice by hundreds of people and no one past the second or third row of guests can see anything. Putting your child on your shoulders effectively does the same thing. If they aren't tall enough to see above the crowd, hold them with their head at the same height as yours.

It seems that the "magic" of Disney is slipping away as the entitlement generation "grows up." Or maybe society as a whole has become more self-centered. Whatever the reason, I find it sad and discouraging that adults are modeling such self-indulgent, inconsiderate behavior to this generation of children. I guarantee no good will come from that.

wacky wednesday ... money doesn't grow on trees or does it?

When I was a child my mother would tell me, "Money doesn't grow on trees, you know!" when I would beg for some frivolous toy. I was sure she was wrong because I sometimes overheard her ask my dad if he could stop and get cash on his way home and where else, in the mind of a five year old, would you get cash but from a money tree?

As an adult, I bought a very pretty houseplant called a Malabar chestnut (Pachira aquatica) more commonly known as a Money Tree plant. Perhaps my mother really was wrong! After faithfully watering, talking to, fertilizing and turning (so it gets sun evenly) this plant for years, it has doubled in size and looks beautiful - but, sadly, has produced no money.

Beautiful green leaves but no greenbacks!

My husband and I have always shopped around for the best deal, used coupons, got reward cards and price-matched to get as much bang for our buck as possible. It has almost become a game to see how much money we can save. 

We also use credit cards that have no annual fee and offer "cash back" incentives  for using them (usually 1-5%) for everything we can AND PAY THEM ALL OFF EVERY SINGLE MONTH. This is very important so let me repeat myself. We never buy more than we can pay for each month and we use credit cards for everything from groceries to gas to movie tickets to paying bills online and more. We have done this for almost two decades and always enjoy getting our cash back bonus check in the mail. It's free money! (Remember, it is only free money if you pay off all your credit card bills every month!)

A few weeks ago, when we got another cash back bonus check, I wondered how much money on average we get each year in cash back bonuses. Since my husband tracks all receipts, income, etc. as part of our budget, it was easy enough for him to figure that out - about $1000 per year in cash back bonuses. Holy cow! That's a lot of free money! 

Money may not grow on trees but it can be delivered to your mailbox!

wacky wednesday - weird light

You know the light that streams down through the clouds producing shafts of light that look eerie? Some people call it "the God light" because it looks like God is opening up the sky and His glory and majestry are streaming through.

It puts a smile on my face whenever I get a glimpse of it. I love the unexpectedness of it - a complete surprise.

A few weeks ago I experienced a different kind of "lighting surprise" that left me wondering how it came to be. But let me start at the beginning.

After lunch as I was cleaning up some dishes, I glanced out the kitchen window at a birdbath in our yard. It was an anniversary gift from my parents to my grandparents when I was a child - I think I was eight at the time. That makes the birdbath about 50 years old and I was wondering how much longer it would last. 

And then my thoughts turned to my grandparents who had lived with us at the time. I remembered my grandmother braiding my hair before I went to school and fixing me ice cream for an after-school snack and teaching me how to play gin rummy and crazy eights. I remembered my grandfather oiling the chain on my bike and listening to me practice my reading as I read the newspaper to him and showing me the "proper way to eat waffles - with peanut butter and syrup!" They have been gone for decades now but the memories are fresh.

I finished the dishes and went on with my day. In the late afternoon (early evening?), while I was getting dinner ready, I again glanced out the window and saw the birdbath. But this time it was as if a spot light had been turned on it.

The birdbath has been in this spot for 20+ years and we have NEVER seen it lit up like this before. I asked my geeky husband (and I mean that in the most affectionate way!) what would cause this lighting. The birdbath is along the north wall which means the sun was setting to the left (west) of it. He said it might be reflected light off the back windows of the house although it didn't look like light was hitting those windows. 

Or maybe it really is God light and I got an incredible gift.

wacky wednesday ... weird weather

Oklahoma and Texas have their tornadoes. The eastern seaboard has its hurricanes. And Arizona has its monsoon - a season of high temperatures, high winds and high humidity resulting in monsoon storms ranging from minor dust storms to violent thunderstorms that sometimes (ok, rarely) spawn tornadoes.

As of 2008, the North American monsoon begins on June 15th and ends September 30th. Prior to that, the start and end of the monsoon was determined my climatic criteria - three consecutive days when the dew point averaged 55 degrees or higher. Using that criteria, the average start date in Arizona is July 7th and the average end date is September 13th.

Having lived in Arizona most of my life, I have experienced summers with very mild monsoons and others with quite intense monsoons. This year would be the latter.

Monsoon rains in Arizona average about 2.5 inches or about a third of our annual rainfall. This year we have received more than twice that so far and have 20 days to go!

Sometimes the rain comes as a continuous rain and is usually accompanied by thunder and lightning. Wind can be variable ranging from virtually none to lots.

 A storm earlier this week lasted more than 12 hours with gentle continuous rain and lightning producing major street flooding, flash floods in washes and even power outages. By the afternoon, the skies had cleared and the rain had stopped leaving this tree in the lake near our home. Phoenix received a record-breaking 3.78 inches of rain that day, but some neighboring cities received over five inches! 

Other times, there is little rain but a LOT of wind. We had a storm in August that wreaked havoc in the east valley with microbursts hitting several neighborhoods. A microburst is a downdraft (sinking air) in a thunderstorm that is less than two and a half miles in scale so they hit neighborhoods, not entire cities. They can be wet or dry and can have wind speeds up to 150 mph that cause comparable or even worse damage than a tornado.

Notice the palm trees! And the really crazy thing is that the wind bounced off the house and then pushed our patio chairs the opposite direction towards the pool. 

Storms like these cause roof damage, uproot or split trees and cacti, damage power lines and cause power outages, create traffic nightmares as streets are flooded or are slick and create flash floods in normally dry desert washes. Clean up can take days or even weeks.

Most of the trees in this parking lot had split. Fortunately, no cars were parked under any of the trees that were hit.

Many trees in this neighborhood were completely uprooted. This one fell obstructing a sidewalk; others fell into the street.

City workers are not the only ones who have to deal with storm clean-up. Homeowners and businesses also have a tremendous amount of work to do after storms. Inspecting your home or business for water and roof damage is the first order of business.

Yards frequently flood as drainage can't keep up with the amount of rain that falls in a short period of time.

Cleaning up debris and fishing patio furniture out of the pool are next on the list. 

Some monsoon storms are dust and wind with a smattering of rain. They are the kind that just mess up the windows and leave a a layer of dirt on everything outside - my least favorite of the monsoon storms. Occasionally we will get haboobs - a giant wall of dust and wind that reduces visibility to practically nothing creating a traffic hazard and a mess to clean up. (You can read about them in this blog post - A Dirty Story.)

Other monsoon storms are primarily thunderstorms with some rain but a lot of thunder and lightning. This year we have had some fabulous lightning displays and booming thunder. It is with mixed feelings that I watch and enjoy the show because they often spark wildfires that burn thousands of acres of forest.

Just as people take precautions when there is a tornado or hurricane, there are things we do to stay safe during a monsoon storm. Some are common sense - don't stand out in a lightning storm. I used to think not driving through running water (or even standing water in a depression) was common sense but after thousands of motorists had to be rescued from the tops of their cars, Arizona finally enacted the "Stupid Motorist Law" that fines (heftily) motorists who do that and need to be rescued placing not just themselves in danger but also the rescue workers who rescue them. Public service announcements educate people about what to do when they are driving in a severe dust storm or haboob (pull well off the roadway, turn your car off and keep your foot off the brake) and what to do if a power line falls on your car (stay in the car until help arrives).

A monsoon storm is unlike any other summer storm. Once you have experienced one, chances are you will appreciate it for the respite from the blazingly hot temperatures that it is and maybe even enjoy it. 

wacky wednesday ... don't give up

When we were in Hawaii six years ago we toured the Dole Pineapple Plantation on Oahu. Incidentally, one of the best parts of the tour is getting a Dole Whip at the end - reminded us both of being at Disneyland! Funny how a lot of things remind us of "the happiest place on Earth!" But I digress...

Pineapples are unusual-looking fruits and I was curious to see see how they grew. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the fruit grows on the top of a stalk that shoots upward from the plant and starts out as a tiny pineapple that gradually gets bigger! An employee told me you can grow them at home quite easily. I don't think she knew I lived in the desert of Arizona, not on a tropical island.

But I decided to give it a try. A year ago (August, 2013), with the help of friends who once lived in Hawaii, I planted two pineapple tops using two different methods - a how-to I read on the internet and instructions from our friends. Both were planted in pots and kept inside by a window. You can read about it here.

The one I planted according to internet directions never did well and died within a few months. The one I planted using the directions from our friends didn't die right away but it also didn't grow much or do anything else for months.

I continued to water it every week, gave it plant food, made sure it had A LOT of sunshine, talked to it and cleaned the dust from its leaves. Months went by and still nothing. Then I noticed the outer leaves were slowly drying out and falling off. I was convinced it would soon be dead.

A couple of months ago, while I was watering and talking to it, I noticed some new leaves growing upward. They were narrower and lighter green like baby leaves. Hmmm. Maybe it wouldn't die after all.

Each week the leaves were a little longer and there were more of them. All of a sudden, the plant started to grow after months of seemingly doing nothing!

As the baby leaves grow bigger and stronger, the old outer leaves are turning brown and falling off.

Every time I look at this plant I am reminded of the value of perseverance and hope. And perhaps one day a sweet golden pineapple will grow and I will make a Dole Whip out of it ... and imagine I am at Disneyland!

wacky wednesday... something to ponder

I noticed it as soon as I walked out the front door to get the newspaper. I did a double take and squinted at it (like that would make it go away!) before I reached down for the paper. By the time I got back into the house I had forgotten about it.

Until I walked outside to take out some trash. And there it was again. I remember thinking it was very odd and wondering why that would happen. But by the time I was done wrestling with the trash, I had forgotten about it ... again.

Until the next morning when I got my in car to leave. Not only was it still there, it was BIGGER than the day before. I thought about what would cause that the whole time I was driving. However, when I got out of the car, my attention turned to the errands I was doing and I forgot all about it ... yet again.

Until later that day when I returned home and drove in the driveway. Yep, it was still bigger than life. I pondered it some more trying to figure out what would cause such a thing. As I unloaded the bags from my car, I went back to check it out again thinking maybe it was an optical illusion. Nope, it was real.

I decided to google it. Maybe "they" would have the answer. Nada. No matter how I worded my search, nothing came up.

So I am back to pondering why, on a sage bush pruned to have a flat top, one twig would grow substantially faster than ALL the rest. Yep, it's a stumper.

wacky wednesday - what's that smell?

As you may have guessed from previous posts, my husband and I like Disneyland... a lot. A few years back, on a tour at Disneyland, we learned that the bakery on Main Street uses a "Smellitizer device" (I did not make that up!) to pump out chocolate chip cookie (Walt's favorite) scent. At Thanksgiving, they use gingerbread scent. And, of course, at Christmas it's peppermint. Disneyland also uses scents in some of their rides - a leather and sea-spray scent in Pirates of the Caribbean and an orange scent in Soarin' Over California, for example.

I was walking through the mall past Abercrombie & Fitch and noticed their scent spilling out past the door.

Hmmm. Do other companies do this?  You betcha.

Cadillac's signature scent, Nuance, debuted in 2003 and is processed into the leather seats. A Seattle bank puts mint-scented money in their cash machines. 7-11 pumps fresh-baked bread scents into their remodeled stores. Cinnabon places their ovens near the front of the store and bakes cinnamon rolls every 30 minutes. Store owners are advised to buy ovens with the least amount of venting allowed by their state so that more of that heavenly cinnamon-scent escapes. And that barely scratches the surface of businesses taking advantage of "scent branding." The idea is that customers will associate these pleasant scents with a particular company or product.

Marketing strategies appeal to our senses - sight (paint color, lighting, wall art, displays), touch or feeling (A/C in the summer, heat in the winter), hearing (the proverbial "elevator music" or the piano player at Nordstrom's), taste (food samples in grocery stores, candy or treats at the bank & liquor store). Sense of smell is the last player to the marketing game which is surprising since marketing research indicates that we remember 1% of what we touch, 2% of what we hear, 5% of what we see, 15% of what we taste and a whopping 35% of what we smell.

Better research techniques in human behavior and advances in neurobiology have contributed to greater understanding of the power of scent. Recent studies conclude that varying scents can alter human behavior by producing feelings of relaxation, comfort, seduction, provocation and even fear, for example. How can that be? Our smell receptors transmit the information to the olfactory bulb which is part of the brain's limbic system, the part of the brain that controls memory and emotions. Our other senses (hearing, vision, taste and touch) transmit information to our right brain, the cognitive center. We can certainly form a memorable or emotional reaction to these senses, but smell is the only one that goes directly to the limbic portion of our brain creating an immediate sub-conscious emotional reaction.

Companies use scenting to create a pleasant environment for customers causing them to spend more time there and to later remember it was pleasurable and want to return. Research studies showed an 84% increase in the willingness of customers to buy a pair of Nike shoes in a scented room over an odor-free room. And that they were willing to pay $12.33 MORE for the same shoes. Not only that, researchers also found that customers spend 40% more time in scented areas of a store versus odor-free departments. Wow!

So.... maybe you really couldn't help buying that cute little something at the mall? ;-)

wacky wednesday - summer public service announcement #3... the perfect beverage

Everyone knows water is essential to our survival. But how much water is enough? And is there such a thing as too much water?

Experts recommend drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day to stay well hydrated. When it's hot or very dry outside, or both like it is every day during summer in Arizona, we need even more water to help regulate body temperature and promote cellular function. If you wait until you are thirsty to begin drinking water, you are already slightly dehydrated. Activities like playing a sport, hiking or even doing yard work in outside temperatures over 100 degrees F. will quickly dehydrate a person, often seriously, if adequate water is not consumed before, during and after the activity.

Strenuous activity and/or hot weather cause the body to lose more water than normal through increased respiration and sweating. Early signs of dehydration include thirst and decreased urine output (darker-colored urine). Without adequate hydration, dry mouth, lack of tears, muscle weakness, nausea and vomiting, lightheadedness, heart palpitations, weakness, lack of sweating and increasingly decreased urine output occurs. In severe dehydration, confusion and severe weakness are followed by coma, organ failure and finally, death.

So, can you drink too much water? Yes, but with an asterisk :-). The cells in the human body maintain a delicate balance of water electrolytes (salt ions). When you gulp a lot (and I mean A LOT!) of water in a very short period of time, the cells in your body "swell." This is called water intoxication and fortunately, is relatively rare occurring most commonly in infants less than six months of age (usually due to over-diluting formula) and in long distance runners who don't drink electrolyte replacement drinks (usually due to stupidity). The swelling of the cells leads to electrolyte imbalances, most notably hyponatremia (low sodium) which is fatal if not corrected.

Summertime is often vacation-time. Remember to take extra water with you AND DRINK IT even if it's a short "hike" or "walk" (I sometimes fail to see the distinction between the two!). Going to Disneyland? Drink more water. Going to the Grand Canyon? Drink more water. Going to get the mail? Drink more water. Get the idea?

On a recent trip to Death Valley National Park (yes, in the summertime - and it's beautiful!), we drank more than double our normal water intake as well as munched on salty snacks (pretzels) to replace lost sodium and water-laden ones (grapes) to further replace water. 

Enjoy summer but stay safe!

wacky wednesday - teaching children to share is bad??

I recently saw a link on my Facebook newsfeed about the benefits of NOT teaching children to share. I have to admit that while I don't usually click on links about parenting young children, the title of this one had a certain shock and awe effect and I clicked on it thinking it surely must be a typo or something.

The gist of this person's blog post is that after her child's co-op preschool instituted a policy that did not require children to share, she decided she liked it. Her feeling is that children shouldn't have to give up something they are playing with if they don't want to, even if the child wants it all day long. For example, if a child is playing with a toy and has to use the restroom, an adult would "save" the toy for him even if there are other children who want to play with it, too. While sharing isn't forbidden, it also isn't encouraged.

Commenters who agreed with her felt that being "forced" to share creates a sense of entitlement in the child who is asking to have a turn with the toy. This entitlement, they assert, carries over into adulthood with people looking for a handout or believing they deserve a raise just because they show up for work. They also felt it creates bullies when a child can ask to play with something and the child playing with it is "forced" to share it with him. By allowing a child to not share, they felt he was learning to be independent, to stick up for himself. They also felt the no sharing rule applied equally to personal and communal items.

Those who disagreed felt that sharing teaches the concept of taking turns, promotes compassion and kindness to others and helps children learn to live in the real world. All of those who disagreed also said that a child should not have to share absolutely everything. For example, he shouldn't have to share his toothbrush or his teddy bear or blankie or even a special toy that belongs to him. But communal things (the swing at the park, a toy at preschool) should always be shared by taking turns.

I must admit that this blog post caused me to stop and ponder for quite some time this idea of not teaching children to share. And not because I think it might be a good idea. I don't. In fact, I think it is a huge mistake.

The Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would like them to do onto you" or similar variation), a principle found in every major religion and quite a few not so major ones, is regarded in the secular world as the most general principle of ethics. Most people, regardless of religious affiliation or lack of, would agree this is a "good" principle by which to live.

It's inconsistent to say "We don't bite people. You wouldn't like it if Billy bit you, would you?"- applying the "Golden Rule" - but then say, in essence, "You don't have to share the swing if you don't want to (or feel like it)." I'd be willing to bet that Sally really felt like biting Billy so why is that feeling or desire inappropriate but refusing to share (because I don't feel like it) is not? One is a physical hurt, the other is an emotional hurt. Basing what is right or wrong (morality) on feelings is a very slippery slope.

Teaching children to share willingly and cheerfully with others is a gift we give them. And it doesn't stop with toys. Sharing their time, sharing a smile, sharing a talent or sharing a cookie are just as important. It teaches empathy and being kind and generous to others. The more we share with others, the less self-centered we become. And the child benefits from sharing by experiencing joy in sharing something with a friend.

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  ~ Leviticus 19:18

"Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them." ~ Matthew 7:12

wacky wednesday - how much is too much?

The first time I flew on a plane I was in college. As a young adult I flew across the country a few times but it wasn't until recently that I began flying around the country more than just occasionally.

Throughout my lifetime, I have noticed several trends and changes in air travel. Some are great while others are less than desirable. For example, we can now purchase our own airline tickets online rather than call the airline and wait on hold for the next available representative (all the while listening to obnoxious music and the airlines' assurance that my call is important to them) or, for those who prefer to let someone else wait on hold for them, use a travel agent. On the other hand, I used to get a meal on a cross-country flights that spanned a mealtime.

I have seen airlines implement a policy and then change their mind about it. In August, 2008 US Airways became the only US airline to charge coach passengers $2 for a can of soda, coffee or bottle of water (seems like price gouging, doesn't it?). The airline, of course, experienced several benefits to this policy - increased revenue, aisles were kept clearer and there were not long lines for the lavatories near the galleys. Passengers, however, were irate. Between the nasty posts on social media and other airlines capitalizing on the fact that they provided free soda, coffee or water to passengers, US Airways finally changed back to the old policy in March, 2009. 

But other "charges" have crept in and stayed. Seat size and leg room have diminished over the past 8 to10 years. Exit row and aisle seats near the front of the plane often have a "premium price" and sometimes are saved for "elite" customers. First airlines began charging for the second checked bag, now most charge for ALL checked bags (and charge more for the second). When meals for coach passengers disappeared, we were given bags of peanuts. But people with nut allergies complained so pretzels were substituted. Now you must pay (and by "pay" I mean "overpay!") for your snack or meal - or bring your own. 

So what's next? Airline travelers have jokingly suggested that lavatories will have slots for credit cards. After all, some public "water closets" in Europe cost money to use. Sadly, I don't think that is too far off. 

But perhaps what cartoonist Fred Wagner suggested in his Grin and Bear It comic on Sunday would be the one thing that would have credit cards flying out of wallets!

wacky wednesday - what do you think?

I love spending time with my sweethearts (aka grandkids). They live in North Carolina so I don't get to see them all the time but when I'm there, one of my most favorite things is talking with them. Like most kids, they have opinions and dreams and likes and dislikes. On my latest visit, I asked the four oldest these questions:

1. What do you think is the biggest problem facing our country?
2. What do you want to do/be when you grow up?
3. What is your favorite book?
4. What chore do you dislike the most?

I thought their answers were interesting. Even though they don't understand the complexities of world problems, they did understand that there are problems greater than those that effect themselves. Their answers to a few questions have remained the same for some time (like Christopher's least favorite chore and Nick's career ambition) while others have changed over time (Lexie used to want to be a kangaroo when she grew up and Ben wanted to be a fireman). 

Christopher (almost 11 years old) 

1. I think the biggest problem in our country is President Barak Obama because he promotes laws that don't really make sense. For example, registering all guns and minimizing the guns allowed. People should be allowed to have guns for protection and hunting.
2. I want to work at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store while I'm in college studying to be a 4th grade math teacher at Mooresville Intermediate School.
3. My favorite book is The Bible because I like reading about God's Word because it helps me know God better.
4. My least favorite chore is picking up the dog poop in the backyard because it's gross, especially when it rains which is a lot.

Nick (9 years old) 

1. I think the biggest problem in our country is that the president wants to take away guns from people. People need guns for protection - like if we had another Civil War - and for hunting.
2. I want to be a storm chaser because I want to see tornadoes up close.
3. My favorite book is The Mystery Of Biltmore House by Carole Marsh because the Biltmore House is in North Carolina and the book is a mystery book.
4. My least favorite chore is picking up dog poop because it's stinky.

Ben (7 years old) 

1. I think the biggest problem in our country is that some parents don't have enough money to buy food for their children and they go to bed hungry.
2. I want to be a police officer when I get older because they get a gun and handcuffs and they have a siren on their car.
3. I have two favorite books - Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney because it has funny drawings and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin because it has four songs.
4. My least favorite chore is taking out dirty diapers to the trash because they smell nasty.

Lexie (6 years old) 

1. I think the biggest problem we have is that people die and I would help them by being a doctor or dentist.
2. I want to be a doctor or dentist so I can help people.
3. My favorite book is My Little Pony Phonics Fun because I like Little Ponies.
4. My least favorite chore is cleaning my room because it's so boring and not fun.

Ellie (9 months old)

And little Ellie certainly has likes and dislikes but doesn't articulate them in words. She uses her eyes and smile and expression and occasionally her "voice!" I can't wait to have a conversation with her!

There is no doubt that life at their house, with five kids and a dog, is sometimes pretty wacky but it is always a fun adventure with lots of conversation!