Beautiful Homes of New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA)

 

Broke U Phone

Well, it finally happened!! I reached for my jacket during a football game tailgate session and out popped my phone -- only to land face down on the hard parking lot.. So sad... It continued to work for awhile though it seemed like I had to push the buttons a lot harder than usual.

And then suddenly the phone started taking on a life of its own. It started liking things on Facebook like fires and other not likeable things that I thought I was just scanning in the news feed. It started adding crazy comments and letters to peoples posts and messages. It quit and opened things without any direction from me. At one point I even shut it off because I feared it might start ordering things from Amazon or LL Bean.

I was so disappointed that the surface cracked as I was about to leave for a vacation where I intended to use the camera in my phone for lots of picture taking. Luckily it was insured (lol) which got me a new phone quickly, (it's a 5) but it did not come cheaply.

As I strolled around New Orleans taking pictures with my new phone, I realized I could have just had the glass replaced by the phone stores in various malls and airports. I also heard they are now selling the iPhone 5 for even less than I paid.. What to do, what to do?

Transferring apps, photos and music made me think twice this time about how I am going to use my new phone. First of all I am extra cautious with it, treating it like a newborn.. I think I may use Spotify instead of iTunes because that will allow me to listen to whatever song I want without having to buy it or store it..

I have not been keeping lots of photos on the phone, but transferring them to my computer as soon as I can. I am not going to have lots of apps on my phone, only the ones I truly use. That way the battery will not be supporting all of these unnecessary things that are kind of like extra shoes in your closet --If you are not going to use them, pass them on.. or in this case, pass on them..

I have lost many of my contacts from the other phone but that is okay because I did not want my entire list of friends from Facebook on my phone. Just the people I really know and call often.

Breaking your phone really stinks but in a weird sort of way it also asks you to restructure your phone life, if you will. To rethink what you really use and need your phone for. Hard to believe these babies are only 10 years old. How did we ever survive without them?

Mood Swings

"Ultimately we are all trying to achieve homeostasis on a daily basis. " jmc

Homeostasis is defined by wikipedia as Homeostasis, also spelled homoeostasis (from Greek: ὅμοιος, "hómoios", "similar"), is the property of a system in which variables are regulated so that internal conditions remain stable and relatively constant. 

Examples of homeostasis include the regulation of temperature and the balance between acidity and alkalinity (pH). It is a process that maintains the stability of the human body's internal environment in response to changes in external conditions.

When applied to humans it would mean a chemical balance within the body that would bring the person to a balanced state. My father, who was a physician, believed that illness; mental and physical was caused by a chemical imbalance. This could mean hormones or things ingested in to the human body which would cause a change or chemical imbalance to the endocrine or hormonal system.

Food and drink would play a huge part in this process which would affect mood and ultimately behavior.
If you have ever ingested a pint of beer and a plate of pasta you know it can put you to sleep as fast as a sleeping pill. 

Mood swings are also referred to as manic depressive, bi polar and mental illness. There are plenty of pills out there that are sold to people to control their swings. However, there are other ways of dealing with these issues such as a good nutrition program, exercise, fresh air, yoga and meditation. 

If only people knew and realized how much of what they consume affects their mood as well as their health. Sugar and flour are one of the biggest problems in America when it comes to behavior as well as physical and mental disease. ADD, Diabetes, Celiac, Crohns, Excema, Acne, carb creep, foot fungus, and cancer are all caused by too much sugar flowing through the system.

Alcohol eventually converts to sugar and has a huge effect on mood and behavior. When we read about suicides in the press, alcohol and drugs are usually involved at some point which ultimately affects the chemical balance of the body and the mind. 

In order to control the mood and behavior, one must control what is taken in..

Economics 2014

Economy 2014


If the price of gas is going down, the cost of doing business should decrease and the economy should improve.

That is the way it always worked but it is hard to know who is being honest out there.

I don't understand why UPS and FedEx are charging so much for shipping when the price of transport/oil is decreasing and the amount of packages being shipped is increasing.

Profits, stock holders and banks are all at the bottom of this..These companies will site health care costs just like WalMart did this week. And it probably is health care expenses that we are paying.
But should we be paying for other people's health? Shouldn't they be paying for their own health?

Shouldn't U.S. Citizens be responsible for being healthy. The people that are at my age, almost 60, should be rewarded not punished for other peoples bad eating, drinking and other habits.. Not everyone is sick and not everyone has to die in a hospital.

Healthcare is the most expensive item on the budget for the United States. How did we all get so sick? Healthcare has become a business and it is ruining the economy and the job market. It is out
of control as are the prices for simple procedures like a tooth extraction. Everyone wants to be a millionaire so they are out pricing the world.

Why has every thing come down to making money? The world feels like a rip off. Even while shopping online for items I have seen the prices change right before my eyes. I even wrote down some quotes on hotel prices and they changed as I began to search other sites or even change the date/day..

It reminds me of that Victoria Secret catalogue incident where they changed the prices depending on the zip code. Just scandalous..

I will not do business with rip offs.

Everyone seems to be focused on only profits. The quality of work, the workers and the products are all being recalled. American Companies used sweat shops to make huge profits in sordid human conditions and have gotten huge tax breaks just to increase their profits. This is just wrong..

I have never seen so many car companies with recalls and life endangering issues due to recalls. I have never witnessed so many pharmaceuticals with side effects or insurance companies and banks making so much money. These banks are racking up profits while charging 8% for society to improve themselves via college and graduate school education.

How can we have a positive economy when so many people are being overpaid for jobs like acting, singing, stripping, modeling expensive clothing, playing games and performing sports and are being underpaid for teaching, care giving, being scientists, fireman and policeman. We are living in an Irrational economy that may not be able to sustain itself.

Gone are the days when people took the time to live because today everything is calculated to the
penny, the nano second, the minute. I am glad I lived when I did because we just did things back then and did not think about the cost because it was not out of control. Today even going to a ball game or the movies costs too much.

America has created a paradigm that is not sustainable for the country or the world. The prices of everything are out of control and most people cannot afford them. And sadder than that is no one really cares and no one really shares unless its on social media to improve their lot in life.

We cannot rewind the clock but we can choose not to participate in companies that are more interested in profits than good products. We can refuse to buy their products or support them.

We don't have to take the magic pill or spend our life starving just because the media says to.

America needs to fight back against all of these things that are bringing it down. And the only way the economy is going to come around is if we start to make things more affordable and pay people exactly what they are worth and no more.. It all comes down to being truthful which seems to be a real problem for many people..

Maples

Imagine

If all the time, energy and money wasted on these wars went to the real problems of the world, imagine how much better off we all would be?

I remember that 9/11 morning watching the planes on tv at the office. This pic has always been on my desk and if you look closely I am standing under tower 2.. Eerie .. Never Forget

Sun flower carrot cake

                                                                 Sun flower carrot cake
                                                                  Happy almost Fall

ON DRIVING...

Driving is a privilege. It is not a right.

For the most part I think people take driving for granted.

I took a very long road trip this weekend.

I drove from Northern Vermont to New York City and then to Riverhead, Long Island.

The worst part of the entire trip was on 495 from New York City to Riverhead.

I might as well have been driving for Nascar because that is what it felt like.

Trucks were tailgating me at 70 in the right lane.

People were trying to pass me on the insides of the exits as I observed the speed limit.

I kept asking myself what is the rush here, where is the fire?

They are driving 2 tons of steel filled with gasoline at 70 mph with no space to stop if there were a collision.. Why don't they slow down? What is the urgency to speed into a moving traffic jam? Cars in such a hurry that they closely collided as they blindly changed lanes.. Why don't they slow down?

It was a scary experience and it is hard to believe that people drive that insane route on a daily basis at that speed!! Why don't they slow down?

Something needs to be done. People should drive the speed limit and they don't. There is a reason for the speed limit and that needs to be enforced. I will be happy when the Google cars come out and humans are no longer driving like maniacs.

Until then, Long Island should consider a mono rail right down the middle of 495 for all of their commuters. The air would be cleaner, the people would be less stressed and the roads would not be as crowded. And a large Easy Pass fee could be charged to the car drivers to pay for the new trains..🐞

Summer time pack it in

Summer Time Pack It In

I don't know if it is conditioned in to us but summer seems to be the best time of the year.

First of all school is out. So that allows for more free time and travel for children and their families. We tended to move around a lot as a family in summer. Usually there are many family related activities scheduled for this time of year.  There are weddings and graduations, family reunions, picnics and family vacations.

Summer vacations at the shore or in the mountains make for wonderful times. Most people want to beat the heat and get out of town and those family trips, as stressful as they may be, are some of the best experiences. Many wonderful trips were taken in the summer and beautiful memories were made.

I've decided as an adult, I don't really like the process of traveling except on a cruise. Flying and driving for hours can be very annoying to your physical frame and insides and therefore the process of traveling is more cumbersome than relaxing. On a cruise ship, however, it is a joy.

A cruise ship is a moving feast; for the eyes, for the ears and for your tastebuds as there are many choices for meals and snacks. But the beautiful thing about a cruise is you are always traveling and it is painless. The lap of the waves on the sides of the ship are relaxing and the breeze is just beautiful.

The experience of this floating hotel with all sorts of people from many distant places is one of the most fun ways to take a vacation. It is the best way to travel with children and groups. There is no packing and unpacking at each stop and the children have more independence and choice then they would at a hotel in a large city. For a family or extended family, there is something for everyone.

The children have the opportunity to meet other children and attend activities suitable to their age group in the mornings as well as the late afternoons and evenings. The food choices suit the pickiest eaters and are all prepaid. Room service is available 24 hours.

There are pools just for children and spas just for adults. And my favorite part; standing up at the table after a delicious four course meal and walking away, no dishes. By the time you return home, you will be missing all of those little helpers for the last 4, 7 11, or 14 days.. or however long you decided to take your vacation voyage.

I have taken cruises to places all over the world. They are now expanding to the far east, Australia and around the world. This is an opportunity to see many far off lands not available to anyone 50 years ago. And when you calculate the cost, it is hard to beat if you are smart with your dollars.

They say the average cruise ship brings in about 100K of revenue for each port and sometimes as many as 3000 cruisers are in town and end up spending on souvenirs, food, beverages and clothing. These cruisers also spend on recreational or educational tours depending on the location and desire of the cruiser. Either way its a win-win for all as the ports benefit and the cruiser gets a glimpse of some wonderful places in another land.

Whether you travel to the ocean or the mountains by land or by sea, pack it in as the summer of 2014 comes to a close.

Moving House

My house became like one of those plastic puzzles that only has one square open 
except those squares were boxes of stuff from another family, era or time.. 

Moving House

Moving, it's the pits. The actual process of packing and sorting and boxing and unpacking seems to take forever. And if you are moving someone else's things, it is even harder. I feel like I am an expert at this now-- as it has taken up much of my time in the past 5 years.

I have lived in two different homes and I seem to be moving things back and forth every season. Finally one day it all stopped and everything ended up right back where I started. My house became like one of those plastic puzzles that only has one square open except those squares were boxes of stuff from another family, era or time..

So what to do with all of this stuff that we have accumulated? Four piles; Keep, Donate, Sell, Recycle..

This is a time of great movement in the United States. The baby boomers are down sizing, their parents are dying, their children are moving out and the demand for housing is greater than the supply..

Everyone wants a beautiful crib and they don't make things like they used to.. Home Depot and Lowes are killing it and today the yard sale, tag sale, estate sale, flea market business is worth over a billion dollars in the United States..

There are many venues for your ancestors/old things; Salvation Army and Goodwill now have drive through drop offs. In many states there are clothes and shoes bins for education. Local listings on the internet and in the paper can be found for donations needed for ski and skate sales, tag sales and yard sales.

If you live in a highly populated area, you should use their recycling facilities as they charge a lot less than a transfer station in a smaller town. You can bring things like old computers, televisions, fans and appliances that someone else may be able to fix or recycle for parts.

It's a great time for movers and shakers..but movers charge a bundle so beware and plan accordingly.

If you can drive a truck big enough to handle all of your wares, you can save a lot of money on your move. We hired some young men to load all of the heavy furniture into a UHaul truck and we packed the rest ourselves.

When we reached our destination, we unpacked the truck ourselves and then hired a young man to help get the heavy pieces into the garage and upstairs. All in all, by doing most of the work ourselves and driving our own truck we saved 3K on a 200 mile move.

There are many venues for items recovered from an old house and using your fingers via the phone or the internet will save you lots of time and money. And the old adage is true -- Less really is more.

Lighting Our Way

Lighting our way in the waters of Southern New England

                                                             Pt. Judith, Rhode Island

                                                             Westerly, Rhode Island

                                                          Block Island, Rhode Island

                                                Whale Rock with Beavertail in background

                                                     Beavertail Lighthouse, Jamestown, R. I.

                                                    Dutch Island, Rhode Island

                                                                     Groton, Ct.

Products that Need to Go

                                                             

                                                              Products that Need to Go


I feel like I grew up in the Fruit Loop generation. We have been the test market for everything from
P-s-s-s-s-s-s-t to Fruit Roll Ups. Lets take a good look at some of the products on the market today.. Many of them are carcinogenic and most are not very healthy. If it is true the perimeter of the store is the only place to buy breakfast, lunch and dinner, why are we allowing all of the junk in the middle of the store to be sold at all?

Most of us know that the majority of the food sold in the middle is unhealthy; yet stores still sell and carry miles and aisles of soda, chips, cereals, frozen foods, pastries, cookies, crackers and sugary drinks. This is the reason so many people in this country are overweight and sick with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, lupus, acnes, eczema, etc. These items in our stores need to be replaced with healthier alternatives.

If we really want to get a grip on healthcare, which is the largest budget item in the United States of America, we must get rid of the products that are making us all sick.

Yes it is true. Today, 80 years after the AMA (American Medical Association) was formed, healthcare is the largest expense in the USA. The military budget is now 2nd. Pretty scary that we have had doctors in this country and an organization intended to heal and help people get healthy, yet we are dying younger and more unhealthy then ever before.

Between the pharmaceuticals and poor nutrition we have created our own American epidemic.
If you think a pill is the cure to all of your ills, you are being misguided. Nutrition counseling is what most people need to get and stay healthy. Exercise is very important but nutrition is the most important component.

You must feed your body the fuel it needs to repair and reproduce cells. When you eat crappy food, these processes are not supported. In fact sugar and flour work against many of the bodies natural processes and therefore should be avoided as much as possible.

There are other products beside food which are also making us sick. Many of the weed killers, hair dyes, soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, household cleansers, lotions, sunscreens, aerosol and room fresheners. Manufacturers of these products should not be able to get away with poisoning us for a profit.

It is time for the United States, us, to fight back and demand safe foods and safe products.

Colors of the Sea

The mountains or the sea

                                The Mountains and the Sea

The mountains and the sea, The mountains and the sea, Which one will it be? The mountains or the sea.

Dump Etiquette

                    A lot of time is being wasted on the exterior when the interior is so sorely lacking.

What is dump etiquette? It is not about getting rid of manners but more about; showing more of them.
We deliver our own garbage to the re-ycling center and there is a certain mutual understanding of the process or banquet line that one proceeds through as they deliver their garbage. One knows to give the person time and space at each stop along the way. There is one way in and one way out and in order to have the process work, one must be patient and follow the rules.

This theory of dump etiquette is the beginning of the possibility of mutual understanding among all man kind. We must be more polite to each other as we are, for the most part, on the roads and the highways. There is a mutual trust and understanding that exists between drivers sharing the same macadam.

This, like dump etiquette, needs to touch other areas of life. We are all taught these rules again in pre-K and kindergarten and hopefully they are reinforced in your homes, schools and communities.

Phone calls, email, invitations, letters and texts should all be returned and acknowledged. Manners should be a priority in your life and once you leave your home and participate in a group setting or interact with strangers on the street.

If we could all follow the rules or commandments handed down by your fathers, we would not be having the difficulties we are seeing worldwide. Patience, trust and mutual understanding are the key words that foster human love. The same is true for mankind. Be more kind to one another and less critical. A lot of time is being wasted on the exterior when the interior is so sorely lacking.

We have so much available to us at this point of 2014, why are hearing only bad news, when so many good things are happening? It all comes down to believing in peace and being peaceful. And that starts in each and every community around the world. Be kind, be peaceful..and be patient at the dump..

Saying Goodbye to Contemporaries.

I attended a memorial service today for my friend and cousin Kerry. I have spent the last two years spending as much time as I could with Kerry who became very sick with cirrhosis of the liver. He was not a big drinker but he had a hard time in Vietnam and then he had to come home. His life was not like any other that I know. He was unemployable upon return and lived on $1500. dollars a month for the last 40 years. He was a surfer and he loved the ocean. And that is what we had most in common; our love for the ocean and the beach and Rhode Island.

The hardest thing about a friend dying is that they are no longer with you once they have passed. In the case of Kerry, I knew three years ago that he would be dying and his disease was not curable. Yet now that he is gone, I am sadder than ever.

He lived like no other person I have met, on his own terms and in his own world. I learned at the funeral that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia upon return from Vietnam. That explains all of the stories he went on and on about that did not seem believeable. I merely thought the disease had entered his brain and let him tell these stories to satisfy whatever point he was trying to make. I have to say he was the most kind, polite and consistent person I have met. And truly one of the best friends I have had in awhile.

There are no fancy awards for caregiving and it is not something you want to write or brag about. But the rewards of making someones life better and more fun as they come to their end is not something you can put a price on. It is rewarding to help people in any way that you can, to improve the human condition, to bring a smile or some happiness to someone who is physically and mentally suffering.

I wanted to give him something to look forward to each week when he came to Narragansett to do his laundry and visit the doctors. So my husband and I would take him to dinner or cook him dinner, towards the end. Sometimes he would come by the beach just to sit and rest and watch the beautiful sea. And somehow that brought peace and a little relief. My biggest concern was that he would die alone as his parents predeceased him and his only family was his sister, 30 miles away.

He did not die alone. He went to the hospital and found my brother who has worked in the Emergency Room for 30 years. He got him a bed, called his sister and he was able to die with my brother and his sister. I know my dad, a doctor who is now deceased, would have been very happy that we took care of his cousins nephew in the way that we did.

Some people shy away from people when they get sick or are diagnosed with a disease. But really you should spend as much time as you can with that person. I have seen alot of people die in the past 10 years; sister, father, mother, sister in-law, cousin. But losing contemporaries is the hardest because it makes you more aware that your days may also be numbered on this earth.

These diseases, like most, are manageable but not cureable. Maybe someday they will be but that has not been my experience growing up in a family of medical personnel. The best thing you can do when you find out someone you love is sick is; to spend as much time as you can with them and to make their last days comfortable and peaceful.

I know Kerry is at peace and in heaven now and for that I am truly grateful.

                                       

                                                 
                                                                  Embrace the Storm


This winter has brought us lots of rain, snow, sleet and hail but also lots of sunshine. We've had ice storms, a polar vortex and lots of snow especially in places it does not usually go. Living up here in the Northern Vermont mountains, we are still flirting with sub zero temperatures in mid February. But the sun is out longer and the days have been bright. And to be honest, we love the snow and ice and as a result we do not let it bring us down.

I think snow is so much prettier than rain at this time of year. It is light and airy and leaves everything looking so clean and white. We must embrace this beautiful form of water by playing in it instead of trying to fight it. Perhaps the message from the heavens is for everyone to slow down a bit and spend some time at home instead of always running, running, running..

Celebrate winter with building a snowman, going sledding, snow shoeing, skating, xcountry skiing or just a nice walk outdoors in the white fluffy stuff, if you do not live near the mountains. If you prefer to stay indoors have a crafternoon, read a new novel or an old favorite, start a puzzle, knit a scarf, bake a new dessert.

Just like the hot days of summer, the winter is going to have a few cool ones and some powerful snurricanes. Just be ready to face the storms with a sense of optimism and patience.

And enjoy the day after, when the sky is the bluest of blues and the air is clean and crisp.

                                                                  Weathering Winter

This has been the coldest winter in many years.. Here in northern Vermont we have experienced sub zero temperatures with wind chills reaching -20. Some parts of the mid west experienced wind chills to -40.. People blame climate change and global warming..I'm not sure what causes all of these temperature extremes but it sure makes for a tough winter when everything is frozen like the tundra.
The lack of sun, the frigid temperatures and the icy conditions of the roads and walkways are tough sledding for everyone..

Usually we get through the winter with outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, x country and snowmobiling but this season has been short on snow and long on rain and cold. I am grateful for the wood stove which keeps the house at 78 but I wish we could walk around more. Skating has been the saving sport this winter. We have a new ice rink in town and each time I have visited to skate, more than 100 people were participating.. Not much else to do on a -9 Saturday..Hard to send the children outside to play..

Puzzles, books, sports and movies, stationary bikes and treadmills all help to keep us moving and happy indoors while waiting for the weather to improve..but to be honest I am tired of hunkering down each season like a big old bear waiting for the weather to turn and get outdoors again..It may be time for this bird to move south where she can spread her wings and fly all year long..