December 2, 2005

  • Favorite Islanders, Internet Island Topic #2

    This is a post for Internet Island Topic #2. The topic is "Who are your favorite "Islanders"? Have you met any new and exciting folks on the Island? Share with us your impressions of your new friends and readers."

    I am going to cop out on this topic just a little. It is very hard to identify favorites when I have only visited the sites of members who posted to the first topic, and many of those sites I have visited only once. That really does not allow me to form much of an impression. Some islanders, I knew before. Soonaquitter and VaporousVenom are in that category. We have been visiting each other's sites and exchanging comments for awhile now. Many other Islanders are people that I have just met but whom I would like to know better. It seems that many Islanders are also members of Socrates Cafe, so I have also been visiting their sites through the topic blogs for that ring. Those people I know a little better and perhaps I have been able to develop some insight into the way they think.

    I can tell you what tends to give me a positive impression when I visit a blog. I like people who share thoughts and ideas. I enjoy finding people who seem to be like me or who live in my area. I equally enjoy people who are very different from me because it gives me a glimpse into a what it is like to have had different experiences. I enjoy the fact that I have the opportunity to meet people who are very different in age and background. Most of those people I would never meet except through the internet, and if I did meet them, it is unlikely that I would get to know them. It is so nice that the internet takes away many of the barriers that often keep us from forming relationships, because it allows us to get to know some very special people in a unique way. One of those people is Charlie. If you have not been over to say hi to him yet, you really should take a minute to do that.

    I can also tell you what I appreciate when members of my blogrings visit my site. I love it when they use the links provided to find my topic blogs. I try to do that and to read all the topic blogs. I may miss a few, but it is not intentional. I appreciate it when ring members return the favor and read what I have to say on a topic. I enjoy having them address something that I have said in their comments. I very much enjoy seeing RYC's to the comments that I have left on their blogs, but I do not like that to be the only content of their comments. When I visit them, I read what they have to say, and I like them to return the favor.

    I appreciate it when fellow blogring members visit and comment on my non-topic blogs, but I don't really expect them to do that. I work 4 jobs, so my online time is limited. I don't blog every day. I try to visit my SIR once or, hopefully, twice a week. I try to reply to comments on my blogs as much as I can. I do not read many of the non-topic blogs of blogring members because I just do not have time. I do enjoy reading them when I can.

    As Internet Island progresses, I am expecting that members will come and go. Each of us will get to know some members better than others. That is the way life is. Hopefully, we will learn from the experience and contribute to each other in positive ways.

  • Happiness, Part II, A Soctates Cafe Post

    This is a poem that I had to memorize when I was in 9th grade. It speaks to me very powerfully about our own responsibility for our feelings, so I thought it was a good companion for my blog on happiness. It was written byWilliam Ernest Henley. 1849–1903. For a guy who has been dead more than 100 years, he writes pretty well!

    Invictus


    Out of the night that covers me,  
      Black as the Pit from pole to pole,  
    I thank whatever gods may be  
      For my unconquerable soul.  
      
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
      I have not winced nor cried aloud.  
    Under the bludgeonings of chance  
      My head is bloody, but unbowed.  
      
    Beyond this place of wrath and tears  
      Looms but the Horror of the shade,
    And yet the menace of the years  
      Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.  
      
    It matters not how strait the gate,  
      How charged with punishments the scroll,  
    I am the master of my fate:
      I am the captain of my soul.

November 30, 2005

  • What Is Happiness? A Socrates Cafe Topic

    The topic choices for Socrates Cafe this week are " What is enlightenment, and is it easier or more difficult to attain in modern times?" and "What is happiness?  Is it the result of circumstances or a state of being? What is the difference between happiness and love?" Both of them are interesting to me, but time constraints force me to choose only one, so it must be happiness.

    I did something that I usually do not do before I write these blogs, and that is that I visited a few of the other blogs on this topic. I try not to do that because I want my blog to be about my own thoughts and not influenced by the thoughts of others. It was interesting to read first this time, though, because I found myself in total agreement with at least one blog, in partial agreement with most of the others, and in partial disagreement with some.

    If you have read my other Socrates Cafe blogs, some of this one will seem very familiar to you, because I believe that all feelings are caused within the person, so any discussion I would have about the origin of any feeling would include this concept. I am a great believer in the theories of Albert Ellis regarding the origins of feelings. He says that we cause our own feelings by the meanings that we assign to the events of our lives. He further believes that unpleasant feelings are the result of irrational thought patterns. I suspect that Dr. Phil is also a fan of Albert Ellis.

    Ellis's theories speak very powerfully to me. They explain why people who have almost nothing can be very happy and why people who seem to have everything can be desperately unhappy. To me, this is evidence that happiness is caused by the decisions that we make or the meanings that we assign. I am not saying that those decisions are conscious, although I think that they can be. Most of the time, though, our minds leap from observation of the events going on outside of us to the meaning that we assign to those events within ourselves so quickly that we perceive the events as causing the feelings, when in fact they do not.

    So, if strolling through gently falling snow at dusk makes me happy, which it does, that is because of some meaning that I attach to it, not because of the snow, the low light levels, or the cold which accompanies them. If I think hard enough, I might be able to figure out why that makes me happy. It might be because of something I read long ago in a favorite book, it might be because of a beautiful scene from a movie, it might be because of another experience I had. The fact is, though, that walking in that snow would not have the same effect on everyone. Some people might find it annoying because they might think that it would make the drive home even more difficult and frustrating than usual. Some people are afraid of walking outside in poorly lighted areas because they believe that that provides an opportunity for crime. Some might fear slipping and falling. Some don't like cold and might wish that they were on a sunny beach instead of walking in the snow. Most definitely, the situation I describe would not evoke happiness in all people.

    People who are happy most of the time have developed ways of looking at life that facilitate that feeling. They focus on what they have, not what they would like to have but do not. They look at the good in people and the things they enjoy about them, instead of looking at the bad choices those people make or the irritating qualities that they have (that's a very judgmental remark, but I can't come up with a better way to phrase the thought). If life is rough, they believe that it will get better. If a cherished relationship ends, they believe that they can form a new relationship. In short, they practice optimism most of the time. Association with those people is very pleasant.

    If happiness is not externally caused, neither is unhappiness. People and events cannot make me unhappy. I do that myself by the meanings that I assign and by allowing myself to dwell on those meanings. Some of the blogs that I read identified depression as the antithesis of happiness. I do not believe that that is the case. True clinical depression is not a synonym for unhappiness. It is a physical condition caused by alteration of chemistry in the brain. I am basically a very happy person. I also have a tendency towards depression. When I am depressed, I want to lie in bed and sleep all day. I do not want to be with people. I do not feel good about myself. I do not enjoy life. I am not sad and I am not unhappy. It may sound strange, but I can actually feel happy when I am depressed. They are different sensations. The happiness I experience when I am depressed is not the same as the happiness I experience the rest of the time. It is a much duller feeling, not the true joy that I usually associate with the concept of happiness. Perhaps it's really the memory of being happy and the belief that I will be happy again. Nevertheless, it's a feeling that can be there..

    I am fortunate, because when I am depressed, there are things that I can do to help myself feel better. I can take a shower and get dressed even though it seems like very hard work to do that. I can go outside for a walk. I can listen to music. I can talk to my husband or my friends. I can read a book. I can cuddle my cats. I can exercise. I can turn off the TV. I can clean my house. I can go to church. There are many things I can do to help myself. Most of them involve becoming more physically active. Sometimes, in fact often, it is very hard to do them, so I lie around for awhile first, but I can pull myself out of the depression if I can make myself put the effort into doing that. I think that the actions I take change my brain chemistry and help me feel better. (By the way, chocolate does not work for me.)

    Not everyone who is depressed is so fortunate. I honestly believe that some people require medical/psychological care and/or medication to correct the imbalance that causes depression. I think their very lives depend upon it. I think that it is important to realize that. Depression is no different than any other condition that is caused by an alteration in body chemistry. Diabetes can be offered as a parallel. Some diabetics can manage their disorder with diet and exercise. Some require medication. Either way, diabetics should never be made to feel responsible for being diabetic. It is a physical illness. So is depression.

    I have made my case for the origin of happiness and, in fact, for the origin of all feelings. In response to the question "What is the difference between happiness and love?", love is similar to happiness in that it is an emotion and is therefore caused by the meaning we assign. Happiness is more internally directed, I think. Love is externally directed. Love is not the same as attraction. I think that it is quite possible to be attracted to someone who is not loved. To me, love is an appreciation of that other person. There are many kinds of love, but I think that they all involve that appreciation. Love is the ability to see the good in a person, not to focus on things that are seen as faults. It involves a certain degree of acceptance. To some extent, it reserves judgement. In the end, it is a feeling that is caused within ourselves by the meanings we assign to the person who is loved. It is another whole blog!

November 28, 2005

  • Peter and the Chat

    I have been loving my participation in Socrates Cafe, Internet Island, and occasionally Featured Grownups, and I am meeting some great people through those blogrings, but, since my computer time is limited due to my work schedule, I have also been feeling like I do not write blogs anymore that are not topic blogs and that possibly I am being lost from my blog in some ways. This morning, I was writing a rather long entry for a topic on Peter Noone's website, and I happened to think that this would make a great blog for those of you who were interested in what I said about Peter in my Thanksgiving blog. OK - this actually is a topic blog, but it's not a Xanga topic blog, so that counts, doesn't it? It shows a more frivolous side of my personality than the things I have been writing for my blog rings.

    Peter has a chat on his website. I used to chat there a lot, but I am rarely in there now. Peter does chat, but this is a story from the time before he visited the chat. The topic I was addressing on Peter's website was "What was your favorite chat experience with Peter?"

    OK - my favorite chat with Peter took place when he wasn't in the chat! Back in the early days of his site, before its many reincarnations, there was no chat. Then the Butt Ugly chat was born and the Butt Ugly Chat Babes lived in there. Peter never visited that chat, but he did communicate with it once. During the fan event at Carruthersville, MO, he called me on the phone and I keyed for him so that he could send messages to the chat.

    Now, before you go assuming that I was chosen for that honor because of some special relationship with Peter, that is not the case. I was chosen strictly because I had 2 phone lines and could be on the computer and on the phone at the same time. (Hasn't technology changed since then?!)

    Anyway, I was in the chat and sitting there anxiously waiting for the phone to ring. I did not tell anyone in the chat what I was expecting, but there were about 16 people in there, which was a big crowd for those days, especially since a lot of people were at the fan event in Carruthersville. I was playing either the Glory Boys album or the Tremblers album as I waited, mostly because I thought that Peter would think it was cool if he heard it in the background.

    The phone finally rang, and my heart almost stopped! Judith was the first voice I heard, but as soon as she verified that she had the right person, she handed the phone to Peter. I could hear her in the background explaining to him who I was, and then I heard him saying very clearly, "I know who she is!" and giving her my email address. I was pretty impressed!

    I remember my surprise when I keyed "I have Peter on the phone" into the chat. Nobody doubted my word. I couldn't believe it! Everyone repeated it, though, so all the way down the screen it read, "Nancy has Peter on the phone!" It was incredibly exciting to all of us!

    One of the first things Peter said to me was, "What are you wearing?" I don't remember my reply, but I must have sounded pretty horrified because he quickly said, "Isn't that what you say in a chat?" For the record, I was not really willing to actually tell him what I was wearing. It was an over-sized t-shirt that I slept in and nothing else. I did not know him well enough to tell him that! Of course, now I have told all of you.

    I soon discovered that it was very confusing to have Peter singing in one ear and talking in the other, so I had to turn off the record player. I never did know if he heard himself. My husband says that listening to my end of the conversation was very funny, because it consisted of things like, "Will you be quiet!!" and "I am trying to type here!" interspersed with things that the people in the chat were saying to him. Let me tell you, that man talks fast and I don't key that fast! He was pretty impressed that I key with all 10 fingers though. I remember him asking me about that.

    The conversation went on for about 30 or 40 minutes. That night the chat was introduced to the Rev and told about things that would be happening with the website and the fan club. They had a chance to send messages to Peter. It was a great evening for all of us in the chat. I am not so sure that it was as exciting to all the fans in Carruthersville who were sitting there watching Peter talk on the phone!

    Here is a picture from that night. Note the bottled water and the banana split, both Peter Noone trademarks, as well as the phone attached to his ear. The picture is a scan of a picture printed from an email, so it is not very good. I have the original someplace, but this is the one I can find. Judith took the picture and sent it to me. I think this was actually the first Picture This event (something that is done at fan club events from time to time, with fans coming away with an autographed picture of themselves with Peter), since she was taking Polaroid photos of everyone with Peter and having him sign them.

November 25, 2005

  • Choices

    We are very different,
    You and I.
    We can let that
    Tear us down,
    Drive us apart,
    Become the focus
    Of all we are.

    Or we can let that be
    A priceless gift,
    A chance to learn,
    A starting place,
    A celebration
    Of who we are,
    Two of us together.

    It's all a choice,
    You see.
    Shall we divide?
    See only our differences?
    Or shall we, instead,
    Take the opportunity
    To grow and learn?

    For I have much
    To say,
    And so do you.
    The two of us
    together,
    Are better far
    Than only one.

    It's up to you
    My friend,
    What do you want?
    What connection
    Shall we make?
    What will it be?
    It's up to you.

November 21, 2005

  • What are you thankful for? A Socrates Cafe Topic

    The topic for Socrates Cafe this week is "What are you thankful for?" Of course, that is a very appropriate topic for this week. It's an appropriate topic anytime, though. Focusing on thankfulness is one of the fastest ways to improve your life and lift your spirits.

    First on my list of blessings would have to be my husband and my marriage. We have been married for 36 1/2 years. I often round that to 37 for reasons that I don't quite understand. We have something rare, though, a marriage that has always been happy. I hear people talk about the concept that marriage requires work, and that always surprises me, because my marriage has always been the easiest thing in my life and the thing that always functions well. I am not sure that many people can say that.

    Next on my list would have to be my kids. I have 2 adult kids, a 34 year old daughter and a 31 year old son. They never caused us any problems and grew up to become self-sufficient adults with good careers and stable marriages of their own. They are not only brother and sister, they are close friends as well. They have provided us with 3+ grandchildren who are growing up in good homes with loving care. My husband and I enjoy our son-in-law and daughter-in-law. They have been lovely additions to the family.

    My friends would have to be blessing number 3. I have many long term friendships, some of 45 or more years duration. My husband and I have newer friends, also. My friends are supportive when I need them, which is much appreciated. They also are there to celebrate the good times with me, or just to play a friendly game to pass an evening. Life would be lonely without them. I include my Xanga friends in this group.

    My religion is another blessing. Many people would put that first, and many would say that it has to be first. I suppose that that makes sense because religion teaches that all the other blessings come from God. I am not sure that God cares where I list Him as long as I do list Him. My God is not a picky God. My God likes it that I go to church, but He does not care that I have beliefs that do not fall within the scope of the teachings of that church. He knows that I am an adult with free will and can choose for myself. He just likes me to remember Him and say thank you.

    In the past year or two, we have suffered some financial changes that have caused a pretty drastic reduction in our discretionary income. That doesn't sound very thankful, does it? I am thankful, though, that we still have enough money to pay the bills every month, that we are healthy, and that we have friends to come over and keep us company when we can't afford to go out. I have faith that things will get better. (There's that God thing, again.)

    The next thing on my list is something that will surprise at least some of you. I am thankful that I have had an opportunity to know Peter Noone. For those of you who don't know, he is the lead singer of Herman's Hermits, my favorite British Invasion band from the 60's. I had the opportunity to meet him about 10 years ago and have been fortunate enough to spend a little time with him since then. I am thinking of him today because we went to North Dakota to a concert over the weekend. It may seem strange to include Peter in this list, but it makes sense to me. As my husband and I were eating lunch on the way home from the concert yesterday, we were actually talking about this. so it is interesting to have the opportunity to include it in my Thanksgiving blog.

    Because I had a rather unusual childhood, I often say that I have always been an adult. I have certainly had adult responsibilities since I was a pre-schooler. My role has always been to take care of others. I could add details of how my childhood differed from the norm, but I am not sure that that is relevant here. At lunch, my husband and I were discussing it, though, and remarking on the fact that knowing Peter has given me, in some ways, the opportunity to have the adolescence that I never had. That has been a wonderful addition to my life in the last few years, and one that I have enjoyed very much.

    I consider Peter to be a friend. even though I know that I am a business acquaintance. He feels like a friend, though, and it is a friendship that means a lot to me. I would like to know him better, but he puts up boundaries which don't allow that. That is perfectly appropriate for him to do. I will miss him very much when he retires. He will never really appreciate what he has added to my life because I can't express it adequately. I wish him a peaceful soul and much love in his life.

    I really am so grateful for all my many blessings. I need to spend more time on gratitude. I am not sure that this post will mean anything to anyone but me, but that is all right because it is my attempt to express some of the things that are very important in my life. It is from deep within me.

    Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Peace and happiness to all!

November 15, 2005

  • What Is Morality? A Socrates Cafe Topic

    One of the topics for Socrates Cafe this week is "What is morality?" On the surface, that seems pretty simple. Morality is doing the right thing, right? That's where things get a bit slippery. What is the right thing?

    Killing another human being is wrong, right? Oh! Except in self defense, of course. That is OK, isn't it? And some people think that capital punishment is justified, at least in some circumstances. And then there is war. You can't avoid killing during war, and war is always the other guy's fault, anyway. When you really begin to think about it, there are exceptions to just about any moral principal you can name.

    We measure morality with all kinds of yardsticks. A few weeks ago, I remember hearing one of the other instructors at the college where I teach saying that he had convinced one of his students who comes from a country where polygamy is practiced that polygamy is wrong. I was really a little horrified to hear that. In our culture, polygamy is wrong, or, at least it's illegal. But is it universally wrong? The Mormon Church might have a differing opinion about whether or not it is actually morally wrong.

    Since I have thrown in the topic of legality, if something is legal, does that make it morally right? If it is illegal, is it then morally wrong? All one has to do is listen to the heated discussion on issues like abortion and stem cell research to know that legality does not equate to morality in the eyes of many people. Those debates are also strong evidence that there is not universal agreement on what is and is not moral, even within our own culture.

    When other cultures are included in the mix, the waters get even murkier. The Kamikaze pilots of World War II believed that it was an honor to die for the Emperor. That would seem to make their acts moral. Likewise, the suicide bombers of today believe that they are dying for a holy cause. Within the contexts of their belief systems or cultures, their actions are moral.  Few people in our culture would accept those actions as moral, however.

    There, I think, we find the real definition of morality. It is dependent on the ideals of the culture within which it exists and cannot be removed from that culture. It is living by a code of right and wrong that is defined by a culture, a family, or a society. It does not necessarily translate to other systems. As we know it, it does not exist as a separate entity.

    Sometimes morality even creates the dilemma of having to go against the cultural mores in order to do what the individual sees as right. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck reaches a point where he struggles with the conflict between helping the slave Jim escape to freedom, which Huck feels is the right thing to do, and honoring the social mores of the time which said that slavery was acceptable and that a runaway slave was to be returned to his/her master for whatever punishment was deemed fit.

    There is a point in the book where Huck's conscience tells him that he needs to write to Jim's owner, Miss Watson, and tell her where Jim is. Huck believes that it is the right thing to do because his culture tells him that it is. He even writes the letter. Then ..."got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind. I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and suchlike times; and would always call me honey, and pet me, and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had smallpox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he's got now ..." And Huck tore up the letter. He had learned the worth of Jim, a black man. He no longer saw him as a slave, a possession, but as a worthy human being, a friend. He had to go against his culture and help Jim to be free, even though he thought that he might go to hell for it.

    Everyone is confronted with situations that force a choice between the values of a culture and the personal sense of morality. Those choices are how morality develops; how concepts such as owning other human beings become unacceptable. I think that some caution is necessary, though. I don't think that all mores can be ignored or that each person can write his/her own moral code. It can be very challenging to differentiate between ideas that really need to change or be left behind and the simple desire to do whatever we want whenever we want. So being moral can be a challenge.

    Because I believe in God and practice a religion, I tend to believe that right and wrong do exist in and of themselves. I believe, however, that we are not able to grasp the full meaning of right and wrong and therefore of morality because we are hindered by the system in which we function. Since I believe in survival after death, I think that I will understand what morality really means in the next state of existence. In the meantime, I think that being moral means doing the best I can to live according to the mores of my culture, while understanding that even within that culture, there may not be complete agreement or understanding of what those mores should be.  I also think that moral behavior carries with it the responsibility to be accountable for my own actions, to work to change outdated mores, and to respect the right of others to have differences in belief.

November 13, 2005

  • Goldy Meets Little Goldy

    A few blogs ago, I posted pictures of the gopher suit that I made for my grandson Jake as a Halloween costume. I also stated that my son, Jake's father, was going to try to arrange for Jake to meet Goldy, the mascot of the Minnesota Gophers, at a Gopher football game. I thought I would share some pictures of that meeting.

    First, you have to understand that Jake was born on July 30, 2003, so he is just over 2 years old. Jake's mom and dad, Andy and Jess, know the coach of the University of Minnesota Cheerleaders/Danceline. That coach was the one who arranged to get Jake down on the field during a game. She arranged only for Jake to go, so this little kid walked out onto the field by himself to meet Goldy in front of 50,000 people.

    Dan and I weren't there, but Jake called on the phone to tell us about it. He kept saying that it was "very loud!" Andy said that the crowd cheered quite enthusiastically for the "Little Gopher." Jess had to move to another section of the stadium during the time that Jake was on the field, and she heard people discussing how cute the little guy was. Andy didn't say whether she told them that Jake was her little guy, but I certainly would have.

    Jake met the cheerleaders, too. They are rather pretty, don't you think? Jake looks like he thinks he fits right in. When he is 17, he will wish he could have this opportunity again!

    When I was talking to Andy on the phone, I told him that the problem he is going to have now is that Jake thinks that he is a celebrity, so he will be expecting people to cheer for him whenever he is in a crowd!

    I thought you might also like to see a picture of the glassware in my dining room now that it is clean. This is not all of it. There are plate rails along another wall, plus there are a few pieces in other places, but this is the biggest part of the display. The blue plates on the rails are Bing and Grondahl Christmas plates that my mom bought for me. She started buying them 2 years before I was married. The last one I have is 1984, which was her last Christmas. The other items on the plate rails and the things on top of the chest are antiques. The chest is also an antique that has been handed down in the family.

    I don't like washing that stuff, but I do enjoy looking at it when it is clean!

November 12, 2005

  • Socrates Cafe Weekend Book Discussion

    Simone de Beauvoir has asked members of Socrates Cafe to share thoughts on a favorite book this weekend. If you would like to read more, you can check here.

    I actually have 3 books which should be included under this topic, but I will only write about 2 of them here. I cannot separate those 2. I read them both for the first time when I was in second grade.

    The books to which I refer are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Yes, I know that is pretty advanced reading for a second grader, but I always read considerably above grade level.

    My favorite cousin, Bob, gave me a volume containing both of those books for Christmas in 1956. Bob was old enough to be my father, but he and I both loved books and we always had a special connection. I loved the books he gave me, so I was all set to love Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

    The edition I have, which, as I said, contains both books, is in a cardboard sleeve and has wonderful illustrations by Norman Rockwell. I don't believe that this particular edition is available any longer, so mine would probably be worth something if it had not been loved to death by a small child. It has globs of spaghetti sauce on it and was dropped into the bathtub a time or two. The spine is also coming loose. Nevertheless, it enjoys a place of honor in a glass enclosed cabinet in my living room, displayed along with Hummels and Lalique.

    I have read these books many, many times. In recent years, I have read only excerpts, but all through my childhood, I read my combined volume from cover to cover many times a year. When I was a child, I enjoyed reading the story of other children who were having adventures that I knew that I would never have. I lived vicariously through them. Those adventures took place along and on a river. I grew up in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro area. The Missouri River, which divides the two cities, has always been important to me, so I enjoyed reading about life on another river, the Mississippi, very much. I envied those two boys who had a freedom that I would never have.

    As an adult, I have learned that Huckelberry Finn is considered to be perhaps the greatest American novel. It is recognized as one of the definitive works on the topic of slavery. I did not recognize that on a conscious level as a child, but I am sure that this book did help to shape my ideas about acceptance of people who are different and about relationships between the races.

    So, I love these books because I associate them with a cousin to whom I am particularly attached, because I love the illustrations, because they gave me a glimpse of a life that was different from mine, and because they speak to me about the ways in which people should relate to each other.

November 11, 2005

  • Veteran's Day 2005

    As I have mentioned before, my dear friend MaryLu is a VietNam vet. She was a nurse over there. It was one of the pivotal experiences of her life, although she does not talk much about it, at least to those who did not share it. She is very active in veteran's groups and does her talking there. I think that that is understandable. War is a very intimate experience and can't be understood by people who have not been through it. I am proud of her and wish her and all veterans peace and happiness today.

    Dan and I have a 3 day weekend, not because it is Veteran's Day, but because he had conferences 2 evenings this week, so school is closed today to make up for the evening time. I am home because Friday is a day when I would ordinarily sub, but with the school closed, they do not need subs! I wish I could say that we were going to be doing something fun, but I think the day will be spent doing chores around the house. Dan is putting up the Christmas lights right now. It is supposed to be over 60 degrees today, so it is strange to be thinking of Christmas, but a warm day is a blessing for putting the lights up. I have spent the morning playing on Xanga, but I need to try to do something useful soon.

    One thing that I would like to get done today is taking down the antique glassware in the dining room and washing it so that it is clean for the holidays. I do not enjoy that job, but I don't enjoy looking at the glassware when it is dirty, either, so periodically I have to bite the bullet and wash it. Because it is near the kitchen, it gets a greasy film as well as dust, and I find that particularly unattractive.

    I cleaned out the refrigerator earlier in the week, taking out all the shelves and drawers and giving everything a good scrubbing with hot soapy water. I need to do that before holidays, too. I do a lot of heavy cleaning at this time of year. We will put the Christmas decorations up in the house over Thanksgiving weekend, and by then everything has to be clean because it is very hard to do deep cleaning with the decorations up. From Thanksgiving until New Year's, I get to surface clean. That's a treat!

    I am taking a look at how I can change my life right now. I love all my jobs, but 4 jobs is too many. I am too stressed out. I am physically and mentally exhausted. I feel the strain on myself and I enjoy life less because of it. I have to do something to get more control and to be able to have the time I need to keep my spirit peaceful. I am going to try to develop my writing more with the hope of being publised and possibly being able to develop an income stream through that. It is something I have wanted to do all my life but I have never taken the risk. It is time. I need a change and if I am ever going to try, I have to do it now or it will be too late. I believe that what should happen will happen if you let it, so I will see what happens.

    Everybody have a great day and weekend!