So I just finished the rewrite of the handbook for one of my presentations. Whew!
It has taken most of July - when I'm not in the pool or at some important social engagement such as the race track - to accomplish this. I've taken things out, added things in, agonized over word choices, and messed for long periods with a particularly difficult public domain clip art site. I'm happy with it....until some awful typo I've missed will jump out at me after it's published.
I spent May-June doing the same thing with the other handbook.
Making significant changes to the handbook means I will now have to re-do the Power Points and my "script". Ugh!
Why do I do this to myself? No one will accuse me of being a perfectionist in the other parts of my life.
Memo to anyone who reads this blog: Please, please, please save me from myself next year!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Golden Calf?
This morning I went to Bible Study and then to the racetrack. I'll give you a moment to get past those rather contradictory activities.... and then share a strange vision.
The annual trip to Arlington Park has become a tradition with my "second career" teacher friends. It's a day that starts with noon-time peach daquiries at one friend's home and is followed by lots of catching up, silly betting based on anything but the horse's record, and laughter. Today, one of the first days in recent history that wasn't HOT and HUMID or RAINING (or all three at once), ended with a lovely outdoor meal at a nearby restaurant.
I even won $5.20!!! Of course, to do that I spent $20 on bets and $4 (senior day!) on admission.
Consider it my donation to legalized gambling.
Unbeknown to us, today was Blackhawks day at Arlington Park. For those of you who have been in a cave for the past two months, you may not be aware that the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup is a VERY big deal in Chicago. Several Hawk players were signing autographs and people were lined up for hours to get a signature. We were among the few people not wearing the requisite red tee-shirts.
Between the 6th and 7th race, there was a sudden commotion. The Blackhawk victory song began playing very loudly and people were gathering in the center of the stands. The standing area at track level was totally jammed with people in red. We moved to join the crowds.
Off to the right we saw two police cars moving slowly around the track, protecting a flatbed truck between them. On the truck were the Blackhawk's manager, several players and THE STANLEY CUP!
The crowd went wild. Everyone was screaming, taking pictures and crowding as close as they could. The players and manager got off the truck, held THE STANLEY CUP up high in the air and we heard an interview with the manager. Then the players holding the trophy moved toward the crowd and people began jumping up and down and screaming as some of them actually got to TOUCH THE STANLEY CUP!
And what image suddenly danced into my head? The people worshiping the Golden Calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
In my brain, the folks jumping up and down were dressed in 4,000 B.C. robes. The shining silver cup became a golden statue. The manager became the leader of the people who got impatient waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain.
To say it was a bizarre vision is putting it mildly!
Now, it's well known that I'm totally not into professional sports, but I'm not such a curmudgeon
that I don't think it's cool when one of Chicago's teams actually wins a championship. I've even been known to watch a televised game or two when a team is winning. I totally get wanting to meet a player, wanting to get an autograph, and cheering for the winning team members.
What I just couldn't get my head around today, however, was "worshiping" this huge silver cup.
Which brings me back to Bible Study. Seems Paul, in Acts, had to deal with various people worshiping various idols back in the early years A.D.
Golden Calf. Silver Cup. Hmmmmmmmm.
The annual trip to Arlington Park has become a tradition with my "second career" teacher friends. It's a day that starts with noon-time peach daquiries at one friend's home and is followed by lots of catching up, silly betting based on anything but the horse's record, and laughter. Today, one of the first days in recent history that wasn't HOT and HUMID or RAINING (or all three at once), ended with a lovely outdoor meal at a nearby restaurant.
I even won $5.20!!! Of course, to do that I spent $20 on bets and $4 (senior day!) on admission.
Consider it my donation to legalized gambling.
Unbeknown to us, today was Blackhawks day at Arlington Park. For those of you who have been in a cave for the past two months, you may not be aware that the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup is a VERY big deal in Chicago. Several Hawk players were signing autographs and people were lined up for hours to get a signature. We were among the few people not wearing the requisite red tee-shirts.
Between the 6th and 7th race, there was a sudden commotion. The Blackhawk victory song began playing very loudly and people were gathering in the center of the stands. The standing area at track level was totally jammed with people in red. We moved to join the crowds.
Off to the right we saw two police cars moving slowly around the track, protecting a flatbed truck between them. On the truck were the Blackhawk's manager, several players and THE STANLEY CUP!
The crowd went wild. Everyone was screaming, taking pictures and crowding as close as they could. The players and manager got off the truck, held THE STANLEY CUP up high in the air and we heard an interview with the manager. Then the players holding the trophy moved toward the crowd and people began jumping up and down and screaming as some of them actually got to TOUCH THE STANLEY CUP!
And what image suddenly danced into my head? The people worshiping the Golden Calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
In my brain, the folks jumping up and down were dressed in 4,000 B.C. robes. The shining silver cup became a golden statue. The manager became the leader of the people who got impatient waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain.
To say it was a bizarre vision is putting it mildly!
Now, it's well known that I'm totally not into professional sports, but I'm not such a curmudgeon
that I don't think it's cool when one of Chicago's teams actually wins a championship. I've even been known to watch a televised game or two when a team is winning. I totally get wanting to meet a player, wanting to get an autograph, and cheering for the winning team members.
What I just couldn't get my head around today, however, was "worshiping" this huge silver cup.
Which brings me back to Bible Study. Seems Paul, in Acts, had to deal with various people worshiping various idols back in the early years A.D.
Golden Calf. Silver Cup. Hmmmmmmmm.
Monday, July 26, 2010
End of an Era
Ken's last surviving aunt passed away last week. Yesterday and today we attended the visitation and funeral. Although she was ninety, even I---as an in-law---felt the passing of an era.
The funeral was held at St. John's church where Ken's family belonged for many years and where Ken attended school and served as altar boy. We arrived somewhat early, so drove around the neighborhood looking at important places of Ken's childhood. Although the church has a beautiful large new sanctuary, they retained the old church on the property. Ken and I stood there as he mused, "Man, I spent a lot of time in this space."
Ken's aunt was buried in the same cemetery as Ken's parents, so we naturally visited their grave site after the interment. We stood there with some of Ken's siblings and just were quiet. Someone finally, profoundly (!), said, "Wow, time flies."
At the visitation and, especially at lunch, the sibling and cousin conversations centered on remembrances, especially the many challenges that Ken's dad, his aunt, and their nine siblings faced as young people.
It's funny. When you marry someone, you marry their family. You also marry their history, which is tricky because you didn't live it. After thirty years, I know a lot, but I'll never really understand some things because in many ways Ken's childhood was very different from mine.
I guess it's one of the mysteries of marriage. You love your spouse, you share an incredible amount of experiences, you share basic values, but you can never share your childhood.
Two little funnies in a basically serious day:
Ken is truly a convert to Lutheranism. He and I sang out on the first hymn......and no one except the cantor opened their mouth. Ooops.
I asked the question I've long had. Ken had an Aunt Hattie and I've often wondered if that was a nickname or her given name. Turns out her name was Hedwig with the addition of unusual middle and last names. I then found out that she met her husband because of that unusual name. She lived near Chicago and had insurance through the Foresters. The Foresters put out a magazine with a page with names and addresses for "Pen-pals". A man in Missouri searched for a pen-pal and choose the most unusual name on the page. A marriage and twelve children followed...but I think her given name remained a secret for her whole life!
The funeral was held at St. John's church where Ken's family belonged for many years and where Ken attended school and served as altar boy. We arrived somewhat early, so drove around the neighborhood looking at important places of Ken's childhood. Although the church has a beautiful large new sanctuary, they retained the old church on the property. Ken and I stood there as he mused, "Man, I spent a lot of time in this space."
Ken's aunt was buried in the same cemetery as Ken's parents, so we naturally visited their grave site after the interment. We stood there with some of Ken's siblings and just were quiet. Someone finally, profoundly (!), said, "Wow, time flies."
At the visitation and, especially at lunch, the sibling and cousin conversations centered on remembrances, especially the many challenges that Ken's dad, his aunt, and their nine siblings faced as young people.
It's funny. When you marry someone, you marry their family. You also marry their history, which is tricky because you didn't live it. After thirty years, I know a lot, but I'll never really understand some things because in many ways Ken's childhood was very different from mine.
I guess it's one of the mysteries of marriage. You love your spouse, you share an incredible amount of experiences, you share basic values, but you can never share your childhood.
Two little funnies in a basically serious day:
Ken is truly a convert to Lutheranism. He and I sang out on the first hymn......and no one except the cantor opened their mouth. Ooops.
I asked the question I've long had. Ken had an Aunt Hattie and I've often wondered if that was a nickname or her given name. Turns out her name was Hedwig with the addition of unusual middle and last names. I then found out that she met her husband because of that unusual name. She lived near Chicago and had insurance through the Foresters. The Foresters put out a magazine with a page with names and addresses for "Pen-pals". A man in Missouri searched for a pen-pal and choose the most unusual name on the page. A marriage and twelve children followed...but I think her given name remained a secret for her whole life!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Friday Fragments
My niece and her blogging buddies have a segment they call "Friday Fragments". I'm going to steal that title for today.
Fragment #1: After 20 years, the ugly wall paneling in the "boys' rooms" has finally been removed! Ken's brother the carpenter has been diligently working to bring those rooms into the 21st century and it's exciting. Too bad the "boys" had to grow up surrounded by cheesy 60's paneling and orange or green (depending on the room) mini-blinds. At least they can now enjoy more up-t0-date surroundings when they stay over! (Of course, elder son is still mad that he lost his beloved Marimekko cars and trucks wallpaper when we moved here when he was 5, but that's another dilemma.)
Is it OK to be a bit angry that my brother-in-law's regular carpentry business is picking up and he, therefore, won't have time in the near future to get rid of the duck wallpaper, grungy carpet, and dark blue trim in Ken's office? I really do want to be happy for him, but it's hard to lose our personal handy-person!
Fragment #2: During Ken's recent physical exam, conversation evidently turned to how annoying it is that I have trouble sleeping and am always too hot. (Guess my issues affect Ken's health....) Through Ken, our doctor advised me to get a re-check on my thyroid and today I finally got myself over to the hospital for the blood test. Of course, the order wasn't in the system. Rather than being sent home, however, the clerk called the doctor's office for me. Of course, the office nurse was at lunch and I had to wait until she returned. But, I did get the blood test and don't have to once again try to get a parking space in the always-under-construction hospital lot. Nice to have someone go the extra mile with a smile, no less!
Fragment #3: I love my couch. In the late afternoon nothing is more pleasant than to stretch out on its leather coolness with my current book. I fit the couch perfectly. The soles of my feet are about two inches from the end of the couch allowing for plenty of wiggle and stretch room. It's ideal!
During the night I sometimes retreat to the couch to read when I can't get back to sleep at 3:00 a.m. However, at night I don't fit the couch perfectly. My feet rub up against the end of the couch. I've tried every adjustment of body and pillow and my feet still are jammed against the arm!
No one seems to believe me when I tell them that I'm taller during the night than during the day!
Fragment #1: After 20 years, the ugly wall paneling in the "boys' rooms" has finally been removed! Ken's brother the carpenter has been diligently working to bring those rooms into the 21st century and it's exciting. Too bad the "boys" had to grow up surrounded by cheesy 60's paneling and orange or green (depending on the room) mini-blinds. At least they can now enjoy more up-t0-date surroundings when they stay over! (Of course, elder son is still mad that he lost his beloved Marimekko cars and trucks wallpaper when we moved here when he was 5, but that's another dilemma.)
Is it OK to be a bit angry that my brother-in-law's regular carpentry business is picking up and he, therefore, won't have time in the near future to get rid of the duck wallpaper, grungy carpet, and dark blue trim in Ken's office? I really do want to be happy for him, but it's hard to lose our personal handy-person!
Fragment #2: During Ken's recent physical exam, conversation evidently turned to how annoying it is that I have trouble sleeping and am always too hot. (Guess my issues affect Ken's health....) Through Ken, our doctor advised me to get a re-check on my thyroid and today I finally got myself over to the hospital for the blood test. Of course, the order wasn't in the system. Rather than being sent home, however, the clerk called the doctor's office for me. Of course, the office nurse was at lunch and I had to wait until she returned. But, I did get the blood test and don't have to once again try to get a parking space in the always-under-construction hospital lot. Nice to have someone go the extra mile with a smile, no less!
Fragment #3: I love my couch. In the late afternoon nothing is more pleasant than to stretch out on its leather coolness with my current book. I fit the couch perfectly. The soles of my feet are about two inches from the end of the couch allowing for plenty of wiggle and stretch room. It's ideal!
During the night I sometimes retreat to the couch to read when I can't get back to sleep at 3:00 a.m. However, at night I don't fit the couch perfectly. My feet rub up against the end of the couch. I've tried every adjustment of body and pillow and my feet still are jammed against the arm!
No one seems to believe me when I tell them that I'm taller during the night than during the day!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Contrasts
I don't have a "theme" for this post other than that I've had some incredible lessons in contrast during the past week or so. Some contrasts are significant, others just interesting.
1. We had new carpeting laid. This new stuff is 37% sucrose! Less petroleum went into its production and it's supposed to be super easy to clean on top of that. It was a little (actually very little) sad to give up that old carpet with its stained reminders of every illness and accident that occurred on it over twenty years. Also it was nostalgic and a bit sad to find memorabilia from our children's school years while emptying closets: Papers from 7th grade, Halloween costumes made by my mom, Boy Scout uniforms, and a "I survived the Science Fair of 1993" sweat shirt being among those items. Not so sad that I actually threw out those items, of course.
2. The girl who thinks Mt. Prospect, Illinois, elevation about 25 feet, is a mountain went to Seattle where there are REAL mountains. The stiff neck I got from oggling the Cascades from my cramped airplane seat was well worth the pain. Then the next morning I pulled into the parking lot at the school where my presentation took place and saw Mt. Ranier off to the right. It's a little hard to see in this early morning photo, but that beautiful peak became clearer as the morning haze wore off. My contact at the school told me that all schools in this area southeast of Tacoma are situated so that they have views of Mt. Ranier. I can't imagine ever taking those views for granted!
3
. 
While in Seattle I got to hang out with two of my favorite young men: son David who happened to be in Seattle on business and nephew Tom who lives there. Being with males, of course, I didn't visit boutiques in the elegant part of town, but did see the incredible miracle of salmon swimming upstream. Having recently marveled at the salmon's fortitude, it was a little disconcerting to eat one at Ivar's restaurant on the shore of Lake Union but the view of the Space Needle, skyline and kayaks made up for any squeamishness. Having left Chicago where it was 90º and humid, I also celebrated along with the Seattetonians their first 75º temperature in some 250 days.
4. Shortly after arriving home on Thursday, my brother and sister-in-law pulled into the driveway. Among our sightseeing ventures was a Wendella boat ride out into Lake Michigan. It may be super flat here, but nothing equals that Chicago shoreline view!
Returning from our lake cruise, we drove home via Lake Shore Drive with its spectacular lake views followed by the huge ethnic diversity of the northeast side. Passing by the street where the refugee family most recently sponsored by my church lives in their tiny apartment, I told my brother and sister-in-law how thrilled this Nepalese family is to be living free in our city. On Sunday, our church bulletin contained this link to a video of the refugee camp where they spent 17 years! What must it be like to see the extreme wealth of some people in this city when you have come from such a life?
5. We took my mom out for a couple of hours each day that my family was visiting. We went for drives and to various local restaurants. She was thrilled to be able to eat a Big Mac in the car at our village's first drive-in restaurant. A drive along Sheridan Rd. past the lake, beautiful mansions and Northwestern University was a big treat. My brother and I were nervous, however, at each entrance and exit to the car. It's hard to watch the lack of balance, difficulty with eating utensils, and general ravages of age. It's even harder to walk past the multitude of people at the nursing home who have even more disabilities than my mom.
But.....this week I have learned of the births of three new babies...two even on the same day!
So, while at this point in my life I'm almost daily being part of a lot of sadness at the nursing home, it is so wonderful to be reminded of the joys of new life.
Maybe without the contrast with old age, those new lives would not be as exciting.
1. We had new carpeting laid. This new stuff is 37% sucrose! Less petroleum went into its production and it's supposed to be super easy to clean on top of that. It was a little (actually very little) sad to give up that old carpet with its stained reminders of every illness and accident that occurred on it over twenty years. Also it was nostalgic and a bit sad to find memorabilia from our children's school years while emptying closets: Papers from 7th grade, Halloween costumes made by my mom, Boy Scout uniforms, and a "I survived the Science Fair of 1993" sweat shirt being among those items. Not so sad that I actually threw out those items, of course. 
2. The girl who thinks Mt. Prospect, Illinois, elevation about 25 feet, is a mountain went to Seattle where there are REAL mountains. The stiff neck I got from oggling the Cascades from my cramped airplane seat was well worth the pain. Then the next morning I pulled into the parking lot at the school where my presentation took place and saw Mt. Ranier off to the right. It's a little hard to see in this early morning photo, but that beautiful peak became clearer as the morning haze wore off. My contact at the school told me that all schools in this area southeast of Tacoma are situated so that they have views of Mt. Ranier. I can't imagine ever taking those views for granted!
3
. 
While in Seattle I got to hang out with two of my favorite young men: son David who happened to be in Seattle on business and nephew Tom who lives there. Being with males, of course, I didn't visit boutiques in the elegant part of town, but did see the incredible miracle of salmon swimming upstream. Having recently marveled at the salmon's fortitude, it was a little disconcerting to eat one at Ivar's restaurant on the shore of Lake Union but the view of the Space Needle, skyline and kayaks made up for any squeamishness. Having left Chicago where it was 90º and humid, I also celebrated along with the Seattetonians their first 75º temperature in some 250 days.
4. Shortly after arriving home on Thursday, my brother and sister-in-law pulled into the driveway. Among our sightseeing ventures was a Wendella boat ride out into Lake Michigan. It may be super flat here, but nothing equals that Chicago shoreline view!Returning from our lake cruise, we drove home via Lake Shore Drive with its spectacular lake views followed by the huge ethnic diversity of the northeast side. Passing by the street where the refugee family most recently sponsored by my church lives in their tiny apartment, I told my brother and sister-in-law how thrilled this Nepalese family is to be living free in our city. On Sunday, our church bulletin contained this link to a video of the refugee camp where they spent 17 years! What must it be like to see the extreme wealth of some people in this city when you have come from such a life?
5. We took my mom out for a couple of hours each day that my family was visiting. We went for drives and to various local restaurants. She was thrilled to be able to eat a Big Mac in the car at our village's first drive-in restaurant. A drive along Sheridan Rd. past the lake, beautiful mansions and Northwestern University was a big treat. My brother and I were nervous, however, at each entrance and exit to the car. It's hard to watch the lack of balance, difficulty with eating utensils, and general ravages of age. It's even harder to walk past the multitude of people at the nursing home who have even more disabilities than my mom.
But.....this week I have learned of the births of three new babies...two even on the same day!
So, while at this point in my life I'm almost daily being part of a lot of sadness at the nursing home, it is so wonderful to be reminded of the joys of new life.
Maybe without the contrast with old age, those new lives would not be as exciting.
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