tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84191390300123747652024-02-20T02:50:20.751-05:00Kathy's PeaceKathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.comBlogger474125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-1173127566857582722022-03-22T11:18:00.000-04:002022-03-22T11:18:29.085-04:00Something Remarkable<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Enter the Pied Piper, the Don Quixote, Superman, Spiderman. In mythology, film, and fiction we await the hero, the infantry who at the last minute ride in and with courage and ability lure the rats to their watery deaths, make the victims of the Inquisition rise up with hope, or detonate the Bridge Over the River Kwai. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>For the past four years I've been awakening each morning with hope, awaiting for special forces to 'ride in' and relieve us of first, the insanity, hypocrisy, danger, and incompetence of the Trump Administration; the tragedy of COVID, and now the horrors and devastation provoked by Vladimir Putin in his ravaging of the Ukraine, and his seemingly being hell bent on pulling us all into yet another world war. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>"Where is the cavalry?" I asked my husband, "When does something remarkable happen to relieve us?" </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>His answer surprised me. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>"We have a democracy that succeeded against an insurrection.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Drug companies worked diligently to release vaccine that saved millions of people. People were vaccinated, they wore masks, and kept the virus from spreading even further.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Putin's criminal invasion of the Ukraine has not only brought out examples of astounding bravery and compassion, it has brought much of the world together in recognizing that courage, and in joining in to relieve the suffering of those affected. Despite Putin's aggressions, and perhaps in spite of them, the world is more united now than it has ever been."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Something remarkable indeed.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-70055911327974643332020-12-15T09:51:00.001-05:002020-12-15T09:51:59.840-05:00Semper Vigilans<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It has all become frighteningly clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nod to the Proud Boys: ”Stand proud,
stand by”; the 126 from Congress and the Republican governors wanting to
reverse Electoral votes already cast, and the death threats against the
Electoral College members forcing the need to sequester some of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was an attempted coup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The United States of America (not some banana
republic) – heretofore the epitome of democracy “The land of the free, and the
home of the brave” thwarted a subversion of our blessed Constitution.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our country, the only one founded on the idea that we are
born equal under the law, all have a voice in the running of its government, a
country where when we work together we overcome great obstacles, clearly
yesterday averted a take-over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We all must be vigilant; we must recognize threats for
what they are, and we must all work together to safeguard and ensure our
freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next time, we may not be as
successful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-17782319800275365922020-12-02T13:38:00.000-05:002020-12-02T13:38:49.611-05:00Okay, It's not your typical Christmas Letter...<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What began as the ubiquitous Christmas letter to include
in our Christmas cards has quickly morphed instead to this, as I found that I
could not avoid the insipid and couldn’t even write a tongue-in-cheek
missive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not spreading tidings of
good cheer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Projections for deaths due to COVID are as high as 500,000
by January and yet there remains a large part of the population who disavows
the virus entirely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some recognize it,
but claim it is ‘only the flu’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
hospitals are crowded and our caregivers over worked and overwhelmed, and still
many deny the urgency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Governor
Larry Hogan’s speech last week cautioning Marylanders about the risks of travel
and Thanksgiving gatherings, one person left the comment:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"I am having 20 people over to my house
on Thursday, so take THAT, Hogie!!"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And while I’d like to think that this spiteful, ignorant individual
is one of only a few, I suspect with all the outrage expressed by having to
wear masks that he is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems
Americans have a horrid case of “you’re not the boss of me” and it is killing
us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes, our country was founded on ideas of independence and individuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These traits were nurtured by many long after
the last shot of the Revolution was fired, and Bostonians could sip their
untaxed tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emerson and Thoreau, for
instance, called for independence from sameness and following the crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while these ideas are crucial to a
burgeoning democracy, and certainly inspirational, right now they are our most
certain demise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I miss meeting up with our friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss going to restaurants, attending
football games or concerts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagine
with inordinate glee walking into a store and shopping regardless of
occupancy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I adore the idea of being
able to see through my glasses without the fog created by a mask.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This country has endured many challenges, but we’ve always
come together and worked for the common good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m hoping that with actual leadership from a new administration we can
unite to overtake this current threat, but I am frightened and doubtful given the animosity
that has festered for the last four years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-87434541070284833602020-09-15T19:43:00.004-04:002020-09-15T19:43:55.414-04:00Walking Kitty or Una Bella Passeggiata<p> <span style="font-family: verdana;">As I've mentioned before, we've been taking daily walks to make up for not working out at the gym. It's during these promenades - or passeggiata in Italian - we talk about our kids, what Richard has seen on Morning Joe that day, what current infamy 45 has committed, and all kinds of things two people who have been together for 51 years talk about. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We love 'discovering' the little things around us: native flowers, local fauna, and of course, we have to stop and pet the dogs being walked (with owners' permission, always). We noted that although not quite fall, subtle changes have already occurred.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A gorgeous day with temperatures that did not make it into the 70s, it was perfect to walk around Lake Kittamaqundi (Kitty), one of the four man-made lakes with great walking paths, in our area.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We walked right by this guy -- until someone called our attention to him.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnRMHt0UdL4tzW1Qz8RAlR8YwrULDWdZRDxve0EVHmLsxESDXI8BW4Z2V46ng0Urt9oqxelSv2a_hDRovHD2bppw8P77oiTsczSX4KFkAFKXtIWP3nybaPh92Z1pIvoviMUGCYGNd324/s2543/herson+5+kitta+9-15-2020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2543" data-original-width="1236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnRMHt0UdL4tzW1Qz8RAlR8YwrULDWdZRDxve0EVHmLsxESDXI8BW4Z2V46ng0Urt9oqxelSv2a_hDRovHD2bppw8P77oiTsczSX4KFkAFKXtIWP3nybaPh92Z1pIvoviMUGCYGNd324/s320/herson+5+kitta+9-15-2020.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then we waited for him to move for a better shot. We weren't disappointed.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUE9EZSzgFE4VoUL644a1MZI5UrxYsCoB2PQ4qtWZm3GxkFijXeCuj2rcAMCgFSlr2QX_VKNi7tCNU3m_ZXOB8vhCuCJYbL1OkcR4tXAhe2tJSd280CCyZ_w_ztcQ3KSb1JzsvdVUV-A/s2543/kitta+heron+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2543" data-original-width="1236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUE9EZSzgFE4VoUL644a1MZI5UrxYsCoB2PQ4qtWZm3GxkFijXeCuj2rcAMCgFSlr2QX_VKNi7tCNU3m_ZXOB8vhCuCJYbL1OkcR4tXAhe2tJSd280CCyZ_w_ztcQ3KSb1JzsvdVUV-A/w195-h400/kitta+heron+1.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCacgnzYI_OJmcEGzFqDq9d0E6Jl9sReBxwpb6mE2HweLY-EeqGfzdzQeeZinq-8Wkci3VTlbKecnssOYa2_i8bGb-qn-_L25_3ztmkuLWLgctFI5hx45KkLhZYyLntL_VMgb8TNEXgJM/s2543/kitta+heron+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2543" data-original-width="1236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCacgnzYI_OJmcEGzFqDq9d0E6Jl9sReBxwpb6mE2HweLY-EeqGfzdzQeeZinq-8Wkci3VTlbKecnssOYa2_i8bGb-qn-_L25_3ztmkuLWLgctFI5hx45KkLhZYyLntL_VMgb8TNEXgJM/w195-h400/kitta+heron+3.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">A local bunny feasts on native wingstem.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVxJIuTy0PkCKKc7TNBdRmd-rSTTMRwGnttYWbJ4v2HBtYr8UTf1AbflkL2j5EnhvnfkyOSJWgdxaentuPmMerSCgzHsEpNU_E7vtyqdhgnFCN-NWOGHCV8CU0V05N00N0Q7_flIcQSA/s2543/bunny+at+kitta+9-15-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2543" data-original-width="1236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVxJIuTy0PkCKKc7TNBdRmd-rSTTMRwGnttYWbJ4v2HBtYr8UTf1AbflkL2j5EnhvnfkyOSJWgdxaentuPmMerSCgzHsEpNU_E7vtyqdhgnFCN-NWOGHCV8CU0V05N00N0Q7_flIcQSA/w195-h400/bunny+at+kitta+9-15-2020.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">There were also some neat rock sculptures and of course a great view of Town Center from the other side of the lake.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezJkO79dsNcnESJKwBMcouox17BC_nTQyRSkjkEKeZMR0_qP8ugXtMQUtdLEcsYwoqa1wzG7zsKsLtNZyqmecFK68gSUQ6mswX0oHOr9FxhcywMsFcIFLR8UBzyofSHy7YyOIbgUKIcI/s2543/rock+sculptures+kitta+9-15-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezJkO79dsNcnESJKwBMcouox17BC_nTQyRSkjkEKeZMR0_qP8ugXtMQUtdLEcsYwoqa1wzG7zsKsLtNZyqmecFK68gSUQ6mswX0oHOr9FxhcywMsFcIFLR8UBzyofSHy7YyOIbgUKIcI/w400-h195/rock+sculptures+kitta+9-15-2020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGSwFsWfTqdLzpTpIKQPicRTYAeb6XdIH_AeFVJwW2tD0rATqEyonksI89eCIKe_l8099iDcSC1-KTrw6mlU4ZzWCsT2cL4sbWTkMvxuvIK6PPgrvSoUPwFlzZpG4eFXPJBo77W-3anw/s2543/across+kitta+darker+9-15-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGSwFsWfTqdLzpTpIKQPicRTYAeb6XdIH_AeFVJwW2tD0rATqEyonksI89eCIKe_l8099iDcSC1-KTrw6mlU4ZzWCsT2cL4sbWTkMvxuvIK6PPgrvSoUPwFlzZpG4eFXPJBo77W-3anw/w400-h195/across+kitta+darker+9-15-2020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><p></p></div></div>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-57468775743908069602020-09-09T16:57:00.000-04:002020-09-09T16:57:42.788-04:00Our Daily Walks<p> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Many know how much I loved going to the gym. Because of COVID, however, I have not worked out there since February, and after talking with my doctor, I probably won't be going back for some time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Instead my husband and I have taken to walking around the four nearby lakes. We began slowly -- doing maybe a mile or so, and now walk about three miles three or four times a week.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We are really lucky to have these lakes so close. We see all kinds of wild life -- some we're able to capture in pictures; some not. The walks have really made a great difference in our attitudes in that we do not feel as isolated. We also use the time to talk, make decisions, and say hello to others' furry friends.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are some of our favorite shots. Enjoy these.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUK5SkkTvVtP7QXzDqguPzGMjMAgW7OQwdarqxAjknYMRKPkTtuD3eRuVlWYbGOGde9vSCcVgv5zXTDZPcAm4GRSI33qAnL99chf5pOGlImeKj4_OyhYSCJCRKTcnWvbah9wsu5NIAPB8/s2048/FF4F09C6-7090-4464-95D5-50A8E3D83EE9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUK5SkkTvVtP7QXzDqguPzGMjMAgW7OQwdarqxAjknYMRKPkTtuD3eRuVlWYbGOGde9vSCcVgv5zXTDZPcAm4GRSI33qAnL99chf5pOGlImeKj4_OyhYSCJCRKTcnWvbah9wsu5NIAPB8/s320/FF4F09C6-7090-4464-95D5-50A8E3D83EE9.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoow2AgUY9fkq5N-S2_y3e6bmO5sfdEu0rd1LSoJIGmiq9VZtQrsOjMVSVfuDgS81w6zzUmQGHHesxY5VNKRQVIIJ7NOxDyCMo-pxpDsmWq5Pwhqj4CG9_1opvgh7IEvQfUGhytXsAW6A/s2048/fountain+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoow2AgUY9fkq5N-S2_y3e6bmO5sfdEu0rd1LSoJIGmiq9VZtQrsOjMVSVfuDgS81w6zzUmQGHHesxY5VNKRQVIIJ7NOxDyCMo-pxpDsmWq5Pwhqj4CG9_1opvgh7IEvQfUGhytXsAW6A/s320/fountain+1.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkG8xvUW43fdHPlGQn4A8YPzFDyeMpqLowvEP3CPOpLxkLXSQHCXLbS0ZP8R9A31aAG49VlFy1wq_npKV8YaOxBcdYd6SgSDngwYDoOjqBimUlO9eWbL_n0ODmPkrpHSWmxjXACSXHwZw/s2543/kittamaqundi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkG8xvUW43fdHPlGQn4A8YPzFDyeMpqLowvEP3CPOpLxkLXSQHCXLbS0ZP8R9A31aAG49VlFy1wq_npKV8YaOxBcdYd6SgSDngwYDoOjqBimUlO9eWbL_n0ODmPkrpHSWmxjXACSXHwZw/w400-h195/kittamaqundi.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgXWsX2fCCAohaUzzFe1mXe7S4naz2AUSh9Ky10Cqjq9mg6ussW2IwNwcGgGA7pr3cu-2XToILEQdGUcUwYa1YJ25mVs4eISl3z6IjpgSEZQSM5TXdGGExOSz-5ZBumHMcP3-uJ_kPSM/s2543/fav+spot+at+Kittamaqundi+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgXWsX2fCCAohaUzzFe1mXe7S4naz2AUSh9Ky10Cqjq9mg6ussW2IwNwcGgGA7pr3cu-2XToILEQdGUcUwYa1YJ25mVs4eISl3z6IjpgSEZQSM5TXdGGExOSz-5ZBumHMcP3-uJ_kPSM/w400-h195/fav+spot+at+Kittamaqundi+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymMr-MTs3jx20DZsLk7xIraCxuX5OFjTAzeEU2YAdqffpi6rTbMr1S20InjBnAqMlf8SLI61mEe6dDGkP2W5UAIX6k51_5apS-7VaLqC4FY5cCZhONcqyhHEp1IY_wvyt3kcoCkjQWtE/s2543/close+up+of+dam+at+WL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymMr-MTs3jx20DZsLk7xIraCxuX5OFjTAzeEU2YAdqffpi6rTbMr1S20InjBnAqMlf8SLI61mEe6dDGkP2W5UAIX6k51_5apS-7VaLqC4FY5cCZhONcqyhHEp1IY_wvyt3kcoCkjQWtE/s320/close+up+of+dam+at+WL.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZdnHMW3FEqI161b25ftyrXZXIyzEFjjyFAYMPJ1U6M3eExULXM43nlOHaHkMyP2G4tLTIKqdMIToOx2nQLCqL6fqFPNM0N5J-yie38wWUOIP9bLvQf33aiBRLnOUrl57enL_lBMTMfE/s2543/green+heron+at+WL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZdnHMW3FEqI161b25ftyrXZXIyzEFjjyFAYMPJ1U6M3eExULXM43nlOHaHkMyP2G4tLTIKqdMIToOx2nQLCqL6fqFPNM0N5J-yie38wWUOIP9bLvQf33aiBRLnOUrl57enL_lBMTMfE/w400-h195/green+heron+at+WL.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Hy6n4LMW2-J2OW00BtWVKEP6yAy1t6hf-u81J6Wj8ERmW_u5Sabu7IZTtHOhwkV9vuWwvxtPQnMAB277aLNQL1PZcEMxr8iIS6LFS8f_E7V5zEZ9HDIXtDZu8-UDugpDsP3Uv-IhCg/s2543/star+jasmine+at+WL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Hy6n4LMW2-J2OW00BtWVKEP6yAy1t6hf-u81J6Wj8ERmW_u5Sabu7IZTtHOhwkV9vuWwvxtPQnMAB277aLNQL1PZcEMxr8iIS6LFS8f_E7V5zEZ9HDIXtDZu8-UDugpDsP3Uv-IhCg/s320/star+jasmine+at+WL.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KETPydSVQ058MYyzN4dkW5ldM7PIUvnIbh5mU5jxuYLpw5ox1hBS0SPnZ6OMUrtI9lFEI8_FRx1bBywimXrn7-F9jnWfTY7hm1SwMSqXVyh9kxOz1IGwffcuHWdigr_NdPhy-YJKHuo/s2543/heron+at+WL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KETPydSVQ058MYyzN4dkW5ldM7PIUvnIbh5mU5jxuYLpw5ox1hBS0SPnZ6OMUrtI9lFEI8_FRx1bBywimXrn7-F9jnWfTY7hm1SwMSqXVyh9kxOz1IGwffcuHWdigr_NdPhy-YJKHuo/w400-h195/heron+at+WL.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KJhq2o0p6_2T8Qhf0hEjAKfORoW6QCw2Fxvmy70TrKJKqpDWcj3jVp5WnIrRXfAsE3WmqFyhWofvu3tVQPDwxQTelFH7wgNg6R0ZFwORzdpRFI4KvCBXsC726-Jv5oAY2oOFGMx09dU/s2048/the+path+at+centennial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1553" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KJhq2o0p6_2T8Qhf0hEjAKfORoW6QCw2Fxvmy70TrKJKqpDWcj3jVp5WnIrRXfAsE3WmqFyhWofvu3tVQPDwxQTelFH7wgNg6R0ZFwORzdpRFI4KvCBXsC726-Jv5oAY2oOFGMx09dU/s320/the+path+at+centennial.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-51408500935556880402020-09-08T12:33:00.000-04:002020-09-08T12:33:00.149-04:00Side Effects<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I first heard murmurings of a possible virus last January, I thought of the initial reports of the then unnamed HIV, of a virus from mosquitoes, of ebolla, and thought like those just mentioned this would be an illness affecting only a particular segment of the population possibly not even in this country... And, of course, within two months I realized how naive I had been.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But even after the first reports of illnesses I felt pretty confident that most might escape unscathed, AND, I thought -- we have the CDC and a government with safeguards in place. Little did I know how much COVID would change everything and I'm just not referring to having to wear masks, stand in line to shop at Trader Joe's, follow the arrows in the grocery store, or wait in the car for the dentist to call us into the office. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Who knew that a pandemic plan would be completely discarded, that the Center For Disease Control would be castrated, and made a political puppet, that people in these 'United' states were not. Nor did I expect how selfish some people are, how oppositional they become when asked to do the simplest of tasks, or how myopic they are; that it is always all about them. But I know now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our lives have changed, and forever. Soon, we will be able to function without masks. We will be able to gather, to hug, to dance, to celebrate. But what will scar us forever, I fear, is the knowledge of ignorance around us.</span></p>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-67266641168783302222020-08-28T15:39:00.002-04:002020-08-29T11:31:59.154-04:00Kath's Tomato Crostada<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img height="402" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/118483811_10157513423047823_4754816863319028856_o.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=EE80BL2LP4EAX_8cncm&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=e8ba0f52e767e919d47143c92da31a74&oe=5F6E5856" width="536" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><u>Failproof Pie or Crostada Crust</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This makes 2 small pie crusts or one large crostada.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> stick butter, cut into small pieces. Place in freezer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>1/2 c of cream cheese</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>2 c all-purpose flour</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>3/4 tsp kosher salt</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>2<span> beaten eggs</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span>(If you have no cream cheese, add another 1/2 stick of butter)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span>Place flour, butter, cream cheese, and salt into a food processor bowl. Pulse until it resembles corn meal. Add eggs and pulse just until it forms a ball. Dump onto floured surface and form into a disc about six inches round. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">After chilled, set out while you prepare the filling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><u>Tomato-Red Pepper Filling</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">5 ripe yellow and/or red tomatoes, sliced and salted</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Place tomatoes in a colander to drain for <b><u>at least</u></b> one hour</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 roasted red peppers, patted dry and chopped</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 small purple onion, sliced</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">5-6 slices of cooked bacon, cut into 1" pieces</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">3/4 cup of mayo</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 T of grated Parmesan cheese</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 c grated jack or cheddar</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/2 tsp of freshly, coarsely ground black pepper</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />When tomatoes have thoroughly drained, place into a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Toss completely.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roll disc to a large round. Place crust on parchment-lined baking sheet.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Spoon filling onto crust leaving about two inches of crust.</span></p><p><img height="360" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/s600x600/118637697_10157513423182823_2661770135992780861_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=oiJ3kMG5jfEAX-6TjPj&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&tp=7&oh=c5fa5501c64822172a8b9b3ba2416865&oe=5F6E34D8" width="480" /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fold crust over, and brush generously with egg wash (one beaten egg).</span></p><p><img height="360" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/s600x600/118581840_10157513423042823_2883004845591294982_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=H8viSYpInoIAX-ov2_q&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&tp=7&oh=e74888c0b649fc65d5e6817b11c1039c&oe=5F6D37C8" width="480" /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img height="360" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/s600x600/118477367_10157513423407823_4930552119439316225_o.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=bmKOUazI5AEAX-YGkPJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&tp=7&oh=f8a0d68d696d6c0c4ffc301e33153f1a&oe=5F700DD1" width="480" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bake on lower rack in 375° oven for 45 minutes. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-26789576928091103292020-06-18T12:08:00.001-04:002020-06-18T12:08:52.469-04:00MY VERSION OF FLUMENKUCHEN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our dear friends the Bordases posted that they had this for lunch one day last week. Bill was using up scapes from his garden. We, too, had scapes from our CSA package. We, however, don't really like the lingering smell of garlic, and these babies were STRONG. So, much to the chagrin of Bill Bordas, into the compost they went. (Yes, I'm an Italian who can't stand the smell of garlic. Go figure).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Several folks asked for the recipe so here goes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Pizza Dough</u> (I mix mine, initially, in a food processor -- a stand mixer with a dough hook will do, as well)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 c tepid water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 pkg of dried yeast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 T olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 T honey (yeast loves honey!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 t salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 c semolina 00 flour (If you don't have this, bread flour will do, as will </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> all- purpose flour in a pinch)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 c bread flour</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mix yeast, water, olive oil, and honey. Let bloom (get little bubbles). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mix dry ingredients in the processor or mixer bowl. Turn on processor/mixer and add liquid. Allow to process for 4-5 minutes in food processor or 10 minutes in mixer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remove onto floured surface. Oil your hands and knead for an additional three minutes or so. Dough should be <b>SLIGHTLY </b>tacky. If it is hard or too stiff, put it back in the mixer and add a little more water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Form into a ball that feels smooth (like the proverbial baby's bottom).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Generously oil a large bowl and place dough inside. (I use a plastic bowl with a lid). Place in a draft-free area and let rise until doubled. (I stick it in the microwave).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After doubled in size, remove, punch it down, and separate into two rounds or one big rectangle on oiled pans. Stretch dough on the pans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Preheat over to 480°</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Topping</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 c creme fraiche</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 c caramelized onions</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 slices of prosciutto</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 slices of cooked bacon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">sprinkling of freshly ground pepper (optional)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Using the back of a large tablespoon, spread creme fraiche over the dough to coat. Sprinkle on pepper, onions, prosciutto, and bacon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Place in oven on middle and lower racks. If you have to use two racks, switch placement after ten (10) minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are <b>LIGHTLY</b> browned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take pictures!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-20926773824822085062020-04-20T15:02:00.001-04:002020-04-20T15:04:30.730-04:00THE CAT'S ON THE ROOF<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A little down today so I'm focusing on some good stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I finished the planning for my gardens and listed and tallied the numbers of the plants I will purchase this week. We are so very much looking forward to the color, and the warmth and lushness that May brings. C'MON MAY!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many know I'm a South Philly girl. Today we ordered cheese steaks from Pat's. (Sorry Jim's -- Pat's had a better deal. Buy 4 ('wit' onions and cheese); get four. The only bad news with this is they won't be delivered until May 20th. I think Pat is walking them down to Maryland himself. Now all we need is pretzels from Federal or Bernies!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Marylanders learned about 45 minutes ago, that our governor, Larry Hogan and his wife, engineered a deal with South Korea for 500,000 testing kits. The first couple of Maryland met the delivery at BWI Thurgood Marshall this weekend. The man is a mensch! I understand the governor of Illinois has done something similar -- he even sent the Illinois National Guard to pick up the delivery. Both governors had to do end runs around the current administration. Not cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our youngest daughter send us this today. Her cat, Leon the Lion, gets pissed with her and goes and sits on the roof. I'm wondering how I can get up on ours. Isn't that a punch line to a joke?</span><br />
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KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-23906820453883753622020-04-10T11:32:00.001-04:002020-04-10T11:32:16.947-04:00A Walk Around Wilde Lake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As are many of us, we are trying to keep active. At our age, sedentary lifestyles are as bad as or worse than smoking. And so on this very windy and chilly Good Friday, we drove about a mile from our house, and walked one of the three man-made lakes in Columbia. Wilde Lake (also the name of the village in Columbia, the high school where I taught within said village, and the name of Laura Lippman's novel about that village and lake) has a lovely path around it that is relatively flat, unlike the path around a few of the other lakes that are extremely hilly and in the woods. One doesn't want to walk the wooded paths on a day so windy -- at least without protective head gear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There were a few others out, but all - </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">even the dogs they were walking - </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">kept respectful and safe distances.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We saw an osprey that was too quick for us to get a picture, and a Zumba friend with whom we exchanged "Happy Easter" /"Happy Pesach", a few mallards, and the ubiquitous Canada geese.</span></div>
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<br />KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-3190205557217091092020-04-04T11:19:00.000-04:002020-04-04T11:20:30.263-04:00Seemed Funny At the Time...<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After breast cancer surgery last May, I began radiation treatments. As scared as I was, this turned out to be a rather benign (forgive the pun) experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Each day I reported to the oncology/radiation center, changed my clothes, and sat in the women's waiting area. Sometimes there would be other women waiting with me, and other times I sat alone. On no day did I wait longer than five minutes (they ran a really tight ship) before I was greeted by a tech and asked to 'come back' to the treatment room. First, however, in an anteroom, and with my picture up on a rather large computer screen I was told to identify myself and state my date of birth. Every single day by the same people who saw me every single day. Same protocol.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While all were impressively courteous and competent, some were kinder than others. There was one tech, who while totally professional, was not as openly responsive as the others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Two weeks into treatments and called back once again by this same person to respond to name and date of birth, I said, "Dresilda Flackenbush". No smile; just, "No, you are not."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The next day she called me back, asked me my name and date of birth. This time I replied, "Bernadetta Mangiacavalle." (<i>translated from Italian: Bernadette the horse eater). </i>No laugh; no smile; and then it hit me: I was provoking her and she could kill me.</span></div>
KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-11320228723117447552020-03-29T10:29:00.000-04:002020-03-29T10:29:06.301-04:00Promising a Rose Garden<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For gardeners that first flush of bloom and color is of paramount importance. For rosarians the first flush in the rose garden is ecstasy. The First Flush varies from year to year in magnitude; some years better than others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was a time when I could experience this in my own garden with numerous hybrid tea roses of brilliant color and pungent fragrance. Due to lack of sun, I can now grow only Knockouts and a few antique roses, and while these are beautiful, they cannot compare to the first flush of the tea roses that occurs around the second or third week of May in our area. And so I must seek this elsewhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year was a special year in that on the 17th of May I had surgery to remove cancer from my breast. I knew I was facing a bit of a recuperation and then radiation so the First Flush took on even more importance to me. So during Memorial Weekend we headed down to Brookside Gardens, a public garden in Montgomery County that features a beautiful rose garden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We could smell the roses even before we could see them. I approached the garden and there it was: one of the most magnificent flushes I'd ever seen! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I headed to a bench in the middle of the garden when someone yelled, "YOU CAN'T GO IN THERE! WE'RE HAVING A PRIVATE EVENT"! Sure enough folks were inside the garden milling about. We have been there before during events, even sharing the gardens with an occasional bride, but had never before been blocked from the garden -- <b>especially on a holiday weekend</b> -- and rudely at that. After being taken aback, I replied I'd only take some pictures of the roses from a respectful distance and we would leave. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we walked the path to leave the gardens a garden volunteer kept yelling at us that we couldn't go in, they had to rent out the gardens to earn money, but if we wanted to wait two hours we could go inside. We didn't. And needless to say, we won't be going back.</span><br />
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<br />KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-72700659422453615812020-03-21T16:25:00.002-04:002020-03-21T16:25:32.034-04:00Now More Than Ever<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I posted this after the last election, never realizing its poignancy and relevance would actually increase. I do not know Jeremy Mitchell, but I believe he's brilliant.</span><br />
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I listened as they called my President a Muslim.<br />I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys.<br />I listened as they said he wasn't born here.<br />I <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could.<br />I saw the pictures of him as Hitler.<br />I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice.<br />I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile<br />dialogue.<br />I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme<br />Court no matter who the nominee was.<br />I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn.<br />I watched as they did just that.<br />I listened.<br />I watched.<br />I paid attention.<br />Now, I'm being called on to be tolerant.<br />To move forward.<br />To denounce protesters.<br />To "Get over it."<br />To accept this...<br />I will not.<br />I will do my part to make sure this great American mistake becomes the<br />embarrassing footnote of our history that it deserves to be.<br />I will do this as quickly as possible every chance I get.<br />I will do my part to limit the damage that this man can do to my country.<br />I will watch his every move and point out every single mistake and misdeed in a loud and proud voice.<br />I will let you know in a loud voice every time this man backs away from a promise he made to them.<br />Them. The people who voted for him.<br />The ones who sold their souls and prayed for him to win.<br />I will do this so that they never forget.<br />And they will hear me.<br />They will see it in my eyes when I look at them.<br />They will hear it in my voice when I talk to them.<br />They will know that I know who they are.<br />They will know that I know what they are.<br />Do not call for my tolerance. I've tolerated all I can.<br />Now it's their turn to tolerate ridicule.<br />Be aware, make no mistake about it, every single thing that goes wrong in our country from this day forward is now Trump's fault just as much as they thought it was Obama's.<br />I find it unreasonable for them to expect from me what they were entirely unwilling to give.</span></div>
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-Jeremy Mitchell</div>
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KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-65068681610434971352020-03-17T12:00:00.000-04:002020-03-18T09:21:41.559-04:00Confessions of a Multiple Sneezer<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The top of the morning to you! Today is the 17th of March, a day set aside to honor St. Patrick who banished the snakes from Ireland (I always wondered if these were metaphorical snakes). We do this by wearing green and drinking ourselves senseless. And on this particular day in 2020, not a bar is open -- at least in Maryland. Let us all pray that perhaps St. Patrick will re-appear and banish the snakes in DC and that the DTs of all the country's celebrators are quick and harmless. At least we can all still wear green and raise a glass in the privacy of our disinfected and socially distanced homes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Within the last two years I have become a multiple sneezer. My mom was one; my husband, too. She sneezed three or four times; he three -- and the loudest sneezes I have ever heard. I mean the cat actually runs for cover. I digress. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It doesn't happen every day, but when it does I sneeze between 11 and 15 times. I'm not sure why. And in this viral crazed environment, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(being topless wouldn't get as much attention)</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> it is politically dangerous to sneeze in public, and... Shades of Salem, and the reintroduction of the dunking bench...</span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-50381211863660583512020-03-16T12:13:00.003-04:002020-03-21T10:49:05.577-04:00"And the People Healed"<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Like the man in the TWILIGHT ZONE episode, who wanted nothing but to be left alone with books, I've yearned for solitude. What a boon -- to be able to read, cook, muse, without interruption! A long snow day without the the snow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And like the man who is eventually the last man on Earth, stuck in a library, WITHOUT his much needed glasses, I am, having been given my wish, not sure what to do with myself. Like many, many others. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On this second day of quarantine, our daughter-in-law doubts if they can keep our two grands (eight and four) from killing each other. I remember what it was like being stuck in the house for only a day or so with teenagers bouncing off the walls, and I hope for the best for all the mothers and fathers out there...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We have enough food, reading materials, jobs that need to be done around the house and outside. We're hoping to go down to the boat this week, to do some sanding and painting so we can put it in the water by mid-April. I can also begin to plan my garden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps we, as a country, needed this: the solitude; the introspection; the quiet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I came across this this morning. It resonated deeply.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and grew gardens full of fresh food, and l</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">earned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">"And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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"And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed."<br />
~Kitty O'Meara</div>
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KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-1527501176053758732019-06-06T11:37:00.002-04:002019-06-06T11:45:27.179-04:00While At The Mercy of Others<div style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Walking into the Johns Hopkins Cancer Center was both humbling and scary, but I was greeted immediately by one of their many concierges. He took both my hands and said, "You're new here; we're going to take very good care of you." He directed me to a registrar who confirmed my information and gave me a badge to wear. The badge had a GPS chip in it; my doctor knew I was there and how long I would be waiting, and if I wanted to, could sit in their cafe, and the doctor's assistant would come and get me. Amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My surgery went well. The surgeon was able to extract clear margins, and the seminal node is clear. I'll start radiation in a couple of weeks; chemo is a remote possibility. I'll also do hormonal suppressant therapy for five years. Those treating me were competent and compassionate. I am beholden to them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm well. I'm happy. I'm blessed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"To laugh often and much;<br />to win the respect of intelligent people<br />and the affection of children;<br />to earn the appreciation of honest critics<br />and endure the betrayal of false friends;<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />to appreciate beauty;<br />to find the best in others;<br />to leave the world a bit better<br />whether by a healthy child,<br />a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;<br />to know even one life has breathed easier<br />because you lived here.<br />This is to have succeeded."</span></span></div>
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<i><b>from ROBIN by David Itzkoff taken from Ralph Waldo Emerson</b></i></div>
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KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-27624387815586920872019-04-19T10:53:00.000-04:002019-04-21T11:00:45.068-04:00Take Care Your Wishes<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Notre Dame Cathedral virtually burned to the ground this week; still more immigrants seek asylum; our country 's divide grows as those corrupt and hate-filled saturate the news with anathema and their power. Temperatures wold-wide have increased two degrees, and Mother Nature becomes more and more violent in her response.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">More importantly, this is the week I was told I have breast cancer. I saw the mammogram; I intrinsically knew it didn't look good; I saw the look on the faces of the technicians and the radiologist; I saw they wouldn't look me in the eye, and yet I was devastated when told. I waited until my husband left for work, and then sobbed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I wonder if the fates heard me when I've frequently said I don't want to grow old. Frailty terrifies me. What I'm feeling now is a close second. I'm at the mercy of others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I mourn the loss of my normal. I mourn that a part of my body that I love is now sick. I see the shirts that boast, "These are fake; my real breasts tried to kill me," and while I appreciate the humor, I cannot join in with the laughter as something I treasure, with which I've lived for 67 years is sick and will soon be under the knife. And as trivial as it seems, I'm saddened by my soon-to-be bald head, and wondering if I can learn how to tie a scarf, a pretty one that makes me look as if I'm handling my illness well.</span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-17615206322936237552018-12-11T10:36:00.000-05:002018-12-11T10:36:14.940-05:00THE CHRISTMAS CARD PROJECT<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I do a lot of thinking while doing jigsaw puzzles and I complete a lot of puzzles. My latest seedling came in the form of -- oh hell, why don't I just get to it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I send Christmas cards. Not necessarily to those who send to us, but to folks I want to wish a Merry Christmas. (Gone are the days when I kept track and sent only to those who sent greetings to us. I send cards to those I want to let know we're thinking of them.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What if, after all the cards on my list were sealed, stamped, and mailed, I made a new list of all those who have slighted, somehow hurt our feelings, even cognizantly so, (I'm not including those who've committed serious crimes, not that there are many times, if any, I've been victimized; that might not be a good idea -- for lots of reasons) and sent them cards with heartfelt greetings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I don't intend to make these folks feel badly, well not <i>real</i> badly, but it might awaken in them an epiphany. But more than seeking a response in someone else, I think this might affect me more. </span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-57451186286242326382018-10-26T11:23:00.000-04:002018-10-26T11:25:23.191-04:00THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN'<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Early voting starts here in Howard County today. My hope was that voter turnout would be substantial. We've got really good, ethical representation in this state, and the races here as not as controversial and heated as those of our neighbor's to the north and the south of us. My expectations were met and then some as it was mobbed. A hopeful sign, I think.</span><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8419139030012374765" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our clocks turn back this weekend as well, although I wish we could just keep a national standard time all year. My body always takes a few weeks to adjust and I really dislike it getting dark at 4:30.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our leaves haven't changed yet, but this is beginning. The maples have a bit of color; our nights are getting colder so this should help a bit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the inside and front step of the house look seasonal.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFw2qNvgQMU7OKn6eZIpyw6RD_gY5t8744KIKAUo5fiwXQvviJs3OBjpV4mlBjM__w0ehsYDukpb4Kr2TfCxUZBDetACADmkqr9cUeB3lVkKNzDmQdkfdTH_7CSrtkeCFCYuz2u3KeBU/s1600/IMG_6212.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFw2qNvgQMU7OKn6eZIpyw6RD_gY5t8744KIKAUo5fiwXQvviJs3OBjpV4mlBjM__w0ehsYDukpb4Kr2TfCxUZBDetACADmkqr9cUeB3lVkKNzDmQdkfdTH_7CSrtkeCFCYuz2u3KeBU/s400/IMG_6212.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nmNiS8DIkFKN2l_G6EPuNzZM0Xcry5NaoXgmeqF9uRs9_rtsnSVv8YoDAtFR55Eq7F5PR0JanAscSov-hrD-x72o8UfqKie0skAzdncOf1fGXGCqAGXnl7EGqYZyJRMOC5-sCy-DII0/s1600/IMG_6213.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nmNiS8DIkFKN2l_G6EPuNzZM0Xcry5NaoXgmeqF9uRs9_rtsnSVv8YoDAtFR55Eq7F5PR0JanAscSov-hrD-x72o8UfqKie0skAzdncOf1fGXGCqAGXnl7EGqYZyJRMOC5-sCy-DII0/s400/IMG_6213.jpeg" /></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbNzJW5Iv9J3nlm79GPxmpOgzQ6rHyyzo1-uwpPhqbb9sQZFpoFQRrgYXLr3nDOAeHofbS4fMGbTiSsj8fWpOF7wkEMZW47_t8rqs94KCYl8M36eHsImUWB-ftCynLf3nK3M9yupwJiA/s1600/IMG_6210.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbNzJW5Iv9J3nlm79GPxmpOgzQ6rHyyzo1-uwpPhqbb9sQZFpoFQRrgYXLr3nDOAeHofbS4fMGbTiSsj8fWpOF7wkEMZW47_t8rqs94KCYl8M36eHsImUWB-ftCynLf3nK3M9yupwJiA/s400/IMG_6210.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-13198943929435786202018-10-04T12:38:00.000-04:002018-10-04T15:45:17.818-04:00Changing the Issue<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am the proud (but tired) mother of two assertive daughters. When the older of these two was a teenager, we worked hard learning not to change the issue. We had to. She did not suffer fools gladly and could be confrontational and very impulsive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One time when she was announced as homecoming princess at an all-school assembly (I taught where the kids attended), a faction of the student body who were disappointed their candidate didn't win, booed and jeered her loudly. Melissa gave them the finger. What those girls had done was unacceptable, but Melissa's actions (though justified) changed the issue, making it difficult to discipline those who acted wrongly in the first place. (We worked hard to practice the announcement to be again made at the homecoming football game. Her dad and I would boo and jeer, and Melissa would smile and wave graciously.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are other examples, but my drift is clear. Bad stuff happens. People say and do socially inappropriate things. It is our response, however, that is commensurately important. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anyone living through this political nightmare can see this firsthand. The allegations are horrid. The response to these allegations even more despicable, and have moved me to tears more than once. Whether or not the accusations are true are no longer the issue. What is now even more distressing is the callous, misogynistic senators’ </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">attacks or dismissals the victim, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the histrionic demeanor of the accused, and the disgusting response of a sitting president. And as paramount as the original issue of sexual misconduct is, the greater and more distressing is now the response of those elected to represent us.</span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-78049389443359819552018-08-14T12:37:00.001-04:002018-08-14T12:37:14.869-04:00Late Summer Trimmings<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Here in Central Maryland, we are well into August of this very wet and sultry summer. The good news is that everything is green, but that green may very well be algae. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We've stopped watering our container plants, continued to fertilize, and since this is the time when plants tend to get 'leggy' and stop producing flowers, everyone got a trim. This will encourage growth from the core. Hopefully.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I've also pulled out all the leggy zinnias and re-planted seeds. I'm hoping to have flowers in October.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Within the last four months, I've switched from a PC to Apple, and I'm still not able to post pictures from my iPad. You'd think it would be easy. It probably is, but I'm not yet able to figure it out. Everyone keeps telling me it's intuitive, but evidently I'm not that smart.</b></span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-51989408675605009102018-07-23T10:41:00.000-04:002018-07-23T10:41:32.775-04:00Running Toward Danger<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today I awoke with a strong sense of loss and soon learned that a Howard County firefighter had died very early this morning in a seven-alarm blaze due to a lightning strike. Firefighters...such a special breed of heroes. Those who run toward danger not from it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This loss is especially close to home as our son is a firefighter/EMT for Baltimore County. I feel for the family of this young man and for all these heroes.</span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-70588949552598192512018-05-18T21:09:00.000-04:002018-05-21T23:01:13.925-04:00RECIPROCITY<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I really love including people in on all sorts of occasions. Having come from an Italian family -- it's not an occasion until 10 or 15 others drop in. There are so many fond memories of everyone sitting around the dining room table, the one that now graces my dining room, and the laughing and sharing and wonderfulness of it all. We also joked that in an Italian family, if someone didn't agree with you, they obviously didn't hear you. Thus meals were generally a little louder than in other households, but always lively and fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Most of our elders are gone, and so we celebrate by inviting friends and extended family to our home, or to a restaurant, or time out on the boat or visiting gardens to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, spring, a week without rain -- whatever. We do so gladly, and not expecting anything in return, except maybe friendship and/ or the chance to be included in other's lives as well. And most folks do just that. But some, while espousing gratitude for having been included and while still remaining friends, never think to include us in whatever they celebrate. And I wonder why. And sometimes I feel slighted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Will we stop including these folks? Probably not. But I fear I am being selfish by thinking the way I do, and perhaps presumptive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-48210889499353344062017-06-26T12:10:00.001-04:002017-06-26T12:10:36.469-04:00Who Could Possibly Take Issue With Trader Joe's?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a word: I.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Given, Trader's is a pleasant, happy even, place to shop. The employees are generally helpful, congenial, and engaging. Their products are of quality -- the pizzas and flatbreads, for instance, are excellent and the pricing under Trader Joe's label, is considerably below that of other brands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Their meats are a great buy; nuts, olive oil, cheeses excellent. And I could go on and on singing their praises; but that's not my point, is it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what's the problem?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. The parking lots of every Trader's we've ever been in are tight and ingress/egress poorly designed. Could it be the same firm? Perhaps an entire firm of non-drivers?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. While of excellent quality, the produce is not local. I could be wrong about this, but have asked different store personnel and they've concurred. And while this is not a game changer for me, we do like to shop locally, particularly in our growing season. And so we do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. <b><u>THE ISSUE is this</u></b>: We try a lot of their products or products they feature. We get hooked. We crave. We buy. After a few months the products disappear. Specifically, a decaff green tea we <i style="font-weight: bold;">LOVED</i>. The same with a lavender body wash and hand soap. (At least I found these on the internet and can buy in bulk). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We weren't so lucky with their French roast, decaf coffee-- superior to many expensive brands (we've tried them all) -- rich and flavorful. And alas, gone. (They still carry the caffeinated version, however). And the product that prompted this rant: Trader Joe's frozen arancini (little Italian rice balls filled with cheese). We love them, our grand daughter loves them, everybody loves them, and they are no more. Discontinued. Nada. Try buying these from Amazon! </span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419139030012374765.post-17098563069720509442017-01-10T22:15:00.000-05:002017-01-10T22:15:11.322-05:00Why I Could Never 'Follow' The Pioneer Woman<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I began blogging the friend who had initially lighted my interest in blogging suggested I 'follow' Ree Drummond: The Pioneer Woman. So I visited her blog. I really enjoyed what I read and left a comment. Soon after, however, I knew I would neither return to her site, nor would I ever 'follow' her (subscribe to her read feed (for those non-bloggers who may be reading this)).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let me begin by saying her blog is well written and informative; her photos beautiful. I believe we could even be friends. We'd talk about her lovely, well-behaved children. She might even laugh when I told her that I feel that sometimes children are a punishment from God. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ree and I have much in common as I am a pretty good cook -- actually -- I'm better than 'pretty good'. Granted, I don't cook for as many as she does, but I have in the past. I don't use as much garlic or hot sauce as she does, but that's okay -- to each her own! Her cooking show is informative and entertaining; I could share a lot of my family's Italian recipes and she could tell me what a skirt steak is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Maybe I could help with her home-schooled kids' English lessons, since I'm still a certified English teacher. She could teach me why cowboys don't take their hats off at the table -- I'm sure there's some good reason -- and I could tell her why as a teacher, I slow down when I see prison work crews on the highway looking for past students. We'd have great fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So why won't I 'follow' her? After I left the classroom I began blogging as a means of meeting people; connecting with others who have similar enjoyments; making friends. Fellow bloggers understand how thrilling it is to see that someone has left a comment. And although Ree may want to reach thousands of folks, she has different goals. I am certain I'll never get a reply to my comment or a blog visit from her. And that's okay.</span>KathyAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12723937251892708482noreply@blogger.com5