If I Were A Supreme Court Justice

Obviously I am not a Supreme Court justice. I am not a lawyer nor an expert on the law, but if it were my decision I would support the Affordable Care Act that was approved by congress and signed into law two years ago. Everything I read about this law seems like a good idea to me.

Medical care is too expensive. We spend far too much individually and as a nation for health care. In 2009 the nation spent $2.6 trillion on health care, that is 17.9% of the U.S. Economy. Something needs to be done about this problem soon. The Affordable Care Act is a step in that direction. Decreasing the cost of health care will be a complicated process, but steps in that direction have begun with this law, and that is good.

The big question before the court is the issue of forcing everyone to buy health insurance, the individual mandate. The vast majority of people already have health insurance. Those people without health insurance receive little if any routine, preventative care. They still receive health care, but it is usually administered in emergency rooms and paid for by higher premiums on those with insurance and by taxpayer dollars. People without health insurance make health care more expensive for the rest of us. Mitt Romney editorialized in 2009 that imposing a tax penalty on those who choose to remain uninsured encourages health care free-riders to take responsibility on themselves instead of passing the costs of their health care on to others.

The way I understand the law, those who choose not to buy health insurance will be required to pay a modest fine that could never exceed 2% of their annual income. This would be a “shared responsibility” payment. The fine is meant to be a financial incentive to find health insurance that would be more affordable. No one would become a law-breaker by refusing to buy health insurance.

If we are supposed to call social welfare programs after the president that signed them into law, then I support Roosevelt Security, Johnsoncare, and Obamacare. None of these programs are the perfect answer to the problems they address. They all could use a bit of tweaking to make them better. They are all good programs.

All of these are laws in our country. I believe all of them should be upheld by our justice system.

Philadelphia

We have just returned from a two day trip to Philadelphia where we managed to cross three more items off our bucket lists.

On our way into town we stopped in South Philly to enjoy an original Philly cheese-steak sandwich at Pat's King of Steaks. According to the advertising this is the place where the cheese-steak was invented. The sandwich was every bit as yummy and messy as I expected it to be. South Philly, with it's narrow streets and crowded houses, looked just like I expected it to look. There were two problems with lunch at Pat's. It was a cold day, and sitting at the outdoor picnic tables was a bit too chilly. After riding up the road for two hours I was in need of a restroom. Pat's has no public restrooms. We enjoyed our quick lunch, crossed another item off the list and headed on to our next destination.



Visiting the Franklin Institute has long been on Dennis's bucket list. He was like a little boy in a candy store at this hands-on science museum. It was great fun to watch him pulling levers, twisting knobs, and pushing buttons. He grinned his way through one science demonstration after another. Nothing makes him happier than seeing how things work. He left happily at closing-time and checked one more item off his bucket list.



The next morning we headed to the convention center to enjoy the Philadelphia Flower Show. I've been wanting to do this for many years. It is said to be one of the biggest and the best flower shows in the country. The show was fabulous. There were displays that were huge with waterfalls, volcanoes and magnificent orchids. There were beautiful miniature displays only a few inches tall. There was an emotional and patriotic display featuring the USS Arizona Memorial. There were stalls selling everything to do with gardening There was also one the biggest crowds I have ever seen. It was hard to move. I was exhausted at the end of the day, but I’m glad I went. One more item checked off the list.

What's left on your bucket list?

Senior Citizen Adventures

We celebrated Leap Day today with a group of friends at a local dinner theater where we saw a wonderful production of The King and I. We had such fun and came out of the theater singing, “Shall We Dance.”

This Wednesday matinee showing had an audience of senior citizens. There were buses from several assisted living homes and various groups of senior citizen clubs. Many people were in wheelchairs and walkers lined the wall. It is hard to realize that these old folks are my contemporaries. I looked around and saw a group of folks who move a little slower, but who are still moving. The conversation was lively. The laughter was abundant.

I had a great time. Getting old is not so bad. Life is still full of wonderful moments. Perhaps the best really is yet to be.

My Life in Five Pictures

1941

My mom's name was Byrtle. She has always been my hero. I love this picture of her holding me. I can see the love shining in her eyes. She and Dad gave my brothers and me a childhood filled with love, faith and family. I love knowing that I am Byrtle's girl.

1961

This picture was taken the day of my graduation from nursing school and the day before my wedding. I was ready to embark on my new nursing career with the man I loved beside me. I don't think the picture shows how very happy I was that day.

1969

Here we are on Easter morning. My four children were 5 years, 4 years, 18 months, and 2 weeks old. They were all healthy. I was very busy, very happy, and very tired.

1996

This picture was taken right after the birth of our sixth grandchild. It was a moment of great joy. Two months after this picture the sweet boy in my husband's lap was taken from us. I didn't know it was possible to hurt so much. My faith was shaken. More grandchildren came and brought us great happiness, but there will always be a painful void in our life where Jared belongs.

2011

We have grown old. We are both retired. Our children are grown. Our grandchildren are quickly becoming adults. We are moving a little slower, but we are still together and looking forward to whatever life may send us, trusting that the God we love will walk the journey with us.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Instead of giving up chocolate or some other food, I have decided to very consciously try to find a way to demonstrate God's love to the people in my world. Maybe I will be able to continue this for more than 40 days.

These verses from I John chapter 4 are my inspiration. These verses are the basis of my theology.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

We love because he first loved us.

Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Ordinary Days

It has been a couple of weeks since last I wrote something for this blog. Some days it is hard to think of something worth writing down. My days are happy and full, but they seem so ordinary. I know that each day, each moment, is a special gift that is even better when I notice the beauty of the moment and stop to savor it. Here are a couple of the moments I savored over the past few days.

Yesterday was a beautiful, warm sunny day. It did not feel like the middle of February. I worked in the back yard for a few hours. I trimmed back my butterfly bushes and felt the sun warm my back and enjoyed the memory of seeing these bushes covered in flowers and butterflies last summer, and felt the promise of the flowers that will bloom again and attract a whole new generation of butterflies. God did make us a very beautiful world.

My sixteen-year-old grandson stopped by for a few minutes Friday with a grin a mile wide across his face. He had just passed his driving test and is now an officially licensed driver. There is nothing grander than being sixteen and having your first driver's license. What a joy to share his joy.

Each morning I wake up in a warm house next to the man who has shared my life for more than fifty years. I thank God daily that this good man loves me, and God has given us another day together.

Were there any moments that you stopped to savor recently?

Boats & Birds

Yesterday we had a delightful day with friends. It was the last day of January, the middle of winter, and the temperature rose into the 60s. It was a day to savor the beautiful weather.

Our friends have scheduled a trip next year on the still to be completed Mississippi Queen. It is being built in the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury, MD. Yesterday we joined them on an excursion to the Eastern Shore to see this boat under construction. If you have never toured a shipbuilding yard you have missed a fascinating experience. We donned our hard hats and followed Tony, the construction foreman, for a tour of the boat.

We learned about insulation and wires and potable water. The number of details that go into building a large passenger boat are overwhelming, and far more interesting than I expected.

There was dust, noise, wires, and timber everywhere. Construction workers were busy on every level. From the back deck we could see The Glory, the boat we are scheduled to cruise on in 2013.

It really was a fascinating, tour.

After lunch we went to the Ward Wildfowl Art Museum. This place is dedicated to wood carvings of birds, mostly duck decoys. I was totally blown away by the beautiful sculptures we saw. They were breathtaking. These hand-carved wooden sculptures looked so lifelike, just like birds in flight. If you have opportunity you really should stop and see this place. I loved it!

I love enjoying unusual special days with friends.

Republican Bus

Did you ever play that game about who you would rather sit by on a cross-country bus trip? Someone gives you two names and asks which one you would choose to sit by on a cross county bus trip and you have to explain why. Who would you choose, Marilyn Monroe or Sophia Loren? George Washington or Abraham Lincoln?

I decided to take an imaginary cross-country bus trip with the Republican presidential hopefuls. How would I, a moderate Democrat, fare with this group of people? In my imagination I got on the bus in Iowa just as Tim Pawlenty was getting off. He seemed like a friendly fellow, but I didn't have time to get acquainted with him. I looked around and decided to sit with the only woman on the bus.

Michelle Bachmann seemed like a nice Christian lady. We showed each pictures of our kids and told each other funny family stories. I told her about my faith in a loving and gracious God. Her faith came across as far more judgmental than mine and has a lot more rules. She seemed to be very uncomfortable with my interpretation of scripture and very uncomfortable with diverse opinions. I was relieved when she got off the bus. I thought she was scary.

Next I sat next to a man with a big, friendly smile. Herman Cain made a fortune selling pizza and thought he could use this experience to make America a better country. He kept saying something about 9-9-9. He thought his tax scheme would fix the economy. It seemed to over-simplify a complex problem and I had my doubts. When I asked him about foreign policy his answer got really weird. It turns out Herman had a mistress and the Republicans are the party of family-values. The mistress was a big no-no, so Herman had to get off the bus.

There was a nice man from Utah who rode the bus for awhile. Jon Huntsman seemed like a nice guy . He had worked for Obama as ambassador to China. I admired the way he put serving his country ahead of political ideology. The Republicans didn't seem to like him very well. He too got off the bus.

A good-old-boy from Texas was my next seat-mate. Rick Perry liked to hunt and fish. I don't hunt or fish and I found it hard to talk to him. He just never seemed to quite figure out what to do with himself outside of Texas. He got off the bus and headed back home.

I looked around and decided to sit with the older gentleman from Texas. I really liked Ron Paul, but his fellow passengers don't pay him very much attention. He comes across as an honest, sincere man who champions the cause of small government and withdrawal from all foreign entanglements. I find myself disagreeing with his proposals, but respecting him as a man of honor. I don't want him to drive the bus, but I do like him.

Rick Santorum was my next seat-mate. He reminded me a lot of Michelle Bachmann. He is driven by faith. I'm sure he is a loving husband and father. I think he is sincere. Sincerity just doesn't seem to be enough to qualify a person to president. Especially not when I disagree about many of the things that he holds dear. I think he will be getting off the bus in the near future.

I look at the last two men on the bus and decide to sit by Mitt Romney. This man has money. I think he probably paid for the bus. He seems a bit stiff, but still likable. He has a nice wife and has raised five sons. I find it is easier to talk to him as I get to know him better. He was once the Republican governor of a Democratic state. Somehow he seemed to be able to talk to people with different opinions and find a consensus they could both agree on. That is a rare talent. He really wants to be president. He has made this bus trip before. I'm not really sure where he stands on several issues because he seems to have changed his mind about lots of things. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Did I mention that Mitt has a lot of money.

There’s one man left on the bus. I approached his seat, but just couldn't make myself sit down. There was a stench that completely repelled me. Newt Gingrich is a man with a very bad history. Congress convicted him of ethics violations. He has been through two messy divorces. He owed Tiffany’s $500,000. Surely the party that stood for family values would find this man repellant. He comes across to me as a creepy, dirty old man.

It was an interesting bus ride, but I don't think I want to ride with this group any further.

Warm Nights

I woke up this morning, as I do most mornings, in my comfortable, warm bed. My husband of fifty years slept beside me. We were safe in our warm, quiet house house. The only difference was that this morning I was acutely aware of the blessing of having a home and family.

This week our church is participating in a program run by the county social service department called Warm Nights. During the cold months various churches in our town volunteer to turn their building into a shelter for a week. This is our week. Last night my ladies' circle prepared dinner for our guests. About six PM our guests began to arrive. They were pretty ordinary looking folks. You probably would not identify them as homeless if you passed them on the street. Some of them work during the day. The children attend school. Some have mental problems that make working impossible for them. The folks I visited with were friendly people who were profoundly grateful for a safe place to sleep and some food to eat. They are nice people who have hit a hard place in life. We had prepared a meal of meat-loaf, potatoes and collard greens, with sweet potato pie for dessert. The greens were the big hit of the evening. The pot was licked clean. After dinner some went to take a shower, some visited and shared events of the day, some watched the TV. One man had a sewing kit and was mending clothes for others. A few curled up and their cots and went to sleep. For this week our fellowship hall was home, and they were glad to be there.

This morning other church folks fed them breakfast and sent them out for the day with a bag lunch prepared by another group of church folks. They have to be out and gone for the day about six AM. Tonight they will return. Sunday morning they will move on to the next shelter for the week.

I am grateful for the work of the county and it's churches in helping these people. I am grateful that I was able to be part of the effort to keep these needy people safe, warm and fed.

I am just overwhelming grateful for my life today.

Our church fellowship hall as a shelter from life's storms.

Cars

I love this picture of my daughters.
I find it amazing just how much the car they each drive says about them.

Dr Pepper

A friend of mine is upset by the new Dr Pepper commercial. According to the commercial the taste of Dr Pepper is, “Not for women.” My friend says the commercial is sexist. She is offended and has vowed to never drink another Dr Pepper. I will admit that it seems a bit dumb to tell half the population that this drink is not for them.

The whole discussion about Dr Pepper took me back to the Texas vacations of my childhood.

I grew up in California where Dr Pepper was not yet distributed, but both my parents were Texans. That meant we traveled to Texas every summer to visit relatives. In spite of the heat and the chiggers, I really enjoyed these trips visiting with all my kinfolk. One of the best things about these trips was Dr Pepper. My grandmother loved Dr Pepper. There was always a case of this wonderful drink sitting in her kitchen. With all my well-meaning relatives watching me I never got to drink nearly as much as I wanted. My crazy, good-hearted Aunt Rubye (pictured with her daughter Janice) knew how much I loved Dr Pepper and tried to help. Every morning at ten she would sit me down with my cousin Kenny and give us orange juice in a Dr Pepper bottle. We sat there on the back steps swigging our juice from the Dr Pepper bottles and talked about how much we would prefer to be drinking the real thing. Finally at two in the afternoon we were allowed to drink a real Dr Pepper. I remember getting the icy cold bottle from the refrigerator and sitting on the shady steps with Kenny We clinked our bottles together and sipped our cold sodas. It was one of the best moments of the day.

I seldom drink Dr Pepper any more, but when I do I am flooded with memories of people and happy times long gone.

Far Away

My grandson is in the hospital. He's in the Air Force stationed in Texas. I'm sure he will be fine, but he is far away.

My daughter came straight to me this morning at church and hugged me tight with one of those, “Oh Mom, I'm scared,” hugs. Her son had sent a text saying he was in the hospital having his appendix out. They had been asleep when he called and found the text just before coming to church. That's all she knew and that just was not enough information for his parents or his grandparents. He called later just as he was waking up from surgery, sounding OK, but a bit groggy. We are grateful that he is in a place with good hospitals and medical care. Appendectomies are routine surgeries. We expect he will recover without problem. But Texas does feel very far away today.

I just called the hospital, really just trying to find out which hospital he was in, and was connected to his room. He sounded good.

Letters

When was the last time you received a long, hand-written letter from someone you loved?

I'm reading a wonderful book,”Last Letters from Attu” by Mary Breu. Most of the book is a collection of letters from the author's aunt who was a teacher in remote native villages in Alaska during the years before World War II. She was captured by the Japanese from the small island of Attu and become a prisoner of war. The letters are long, newsy letters to her family about her life. They are fascinating. I am so glad her family saved them and made them available for others to read.

The book reminded me of all the letters I used to write and receive from my family. My mom and I exchanged letters at least once a week until she was no longer able to write. I loved the long letters full of the trivia that made up her life. We shared stories about family and news about friends. We shared our fears and joys. Those letters were always such a joy to read. Sadly only a few of her letters remain. The few I do have are a precious connection to her and a fascinating family history.

Letter writing is a lost art. We tweet and update our status on facebook. We text and occasionally actually talk on the phone. We don't sit down and write letters to the people we love. I miss the joy of going to mailbox and finding a letter addressed with the familiar hand writing of someone I love.

I don't plan to start a letter-writing campaign, although the US Post Office could use the business. Instead I will write my letters on this blog. I hope one day that my family will find them interesting.

Verse for the new year

This is going to be my Bible verse for 2012
 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

A Fond Farewell to 2011

If you pay any attention to the news of the past year you know that 2011 was not a very good year. There were wars and rumors of war. There were protests and angry mobs. The economy was a mess, and politics has been very nasty. Yet, when I look around my little corner of the world ,there has been a golden glow of joy, goodness and peace. In the place where I have lived, the year 2011 has been a wonderful year.

We celebrated my seventieth birthday and our fiftieth wedding anniversary this year. Perhaps all those years have taught us to be a bit more patient and to trust God a little more. In all those years there have have been many dark and difficult times, but we are still here. We are surrounded by family and friends. God has seen us through to the other side of those dark times. We are now enjoying the green meadows and quiet waters that have been waiting here for us all along.

Here is a list of some of the reasons, in no particular order, I have felt so blessed in 2011.

1. We had a most wonderful party for our 50th anniversary which made us feel very loved.
2. Two more of our beautiful, intelligent grandchildren graduated from high school. I see great hope for the world when I see my grandkids and their friends.
3. Our daughter and her sweetheart became engaged. We get to plan for a fall wedding.
4. Our son has lost more than 100 pounds this year. He looks and feels so much better.
5. I get to teach the toddlers' Sunday school class. These beautiful babies are so much fun.
6. My oldest granddaughter bought her own house. How did she grow up so quickly? Amazing.
7. Our long lost son came home. What a wonderful reunion!
8. Our kids' businesses are both making a profit this year.
9. Our grandson’s ulcerative colitis was declared to be in complete remission.
10. We have discovered that retirement gives us time to enjoy all that life has to offer. We have enjoyed beautiful sunsets, good books, the company of friends, the joy of quiet evenings together, and the certainty of God's grace.

My only resolution for 2012 is to continue to count my blessings and to live each day with joy.

Christmas Snapshots

We began a brand new tradition this year with Christmas Eve brunch at our granddaughter's new home. It is good to pass the joy of hosting a holiday party on to the next generation, even if it is really hard to believe our granddaughter is now an adult.

I love the Christmas eve services at church. The lit candles and music always bring tears and sweet memories.

Christmas day brings the family together. Although we missed our oldest grandson who was needed by the Air Force and youngest son who was need by the Army, we managed to fill the house with love and laughter.

DQ arrived wearing his new Christmas hat.

Not to be outdone, his dad received a new head of hear.

We did have a hula-hoop contest. Girls are better hula-hoopers than boys.








After a long day of food and family our granddaughters crashed as usual in a nap on the couch.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Reunion

In 2002 our son came home for a visit. He drove his big 18-wheeler down our little street, picked me and took me for a ride. We found a parking place for his big rig, and he stayed and spent Christmas week with us. We loved having him here, but we knew he was going through a difficult time. His marriage had ended and the future was unclear. After the holiday he got into his truck, and disappeared. More than seven years passed with no contact. We knew nothing about his life. The not knowing was very hard.

In the spring of last year a friend called to say that Todd was on facebook. I looked and, and sure enough, there he was! His big smile and beautiful eyes stared back at me from his profile picture. I just cried. He was alive. He looked happy. His profile said he was the army and that he was married! I was amazed. I sent him a message and asked him to call. On Mother's Day, 2010, I got an email form Iraq. It said,

“Hi Mom. I'm sorry it's been so long. I miss you. I love you. I'll call soon. Todd”

We have talked several times since then. We met his wife and step-daughter. We have been getting to know each other again.

Thanksgiving day Todd flew home. He was nervous. I was excited. The moment we saw each other we both started running. It was a wonderful hug! There were lots of tears and lots of laughter. His sweet wife just stood there laughing and crying with us. In the moment of that wonderful hug the long years of not knowing melted away. We were a family again.
God does indeed answer prayers.

Blessings

Each day of this month of November I have been listing one of the many blessings in my life. I posted them of my facebook page, and it has been interesting to see how people have reacted to my list. I have more blessings to count than I have days in the month. It has been a fun exercise.

I thought I might try to make a list of things I hate to stand in opposition to my gratitude list, but I had a hard time coming up with anything I hate. I hate liver and pickles. I hate the helpless feeling that comes when people I love are hurting, and there is nothing I can do to make things better. My hate list is pretty short.

Today, in honor of Thanksgiving I will share one of my sweet memories.

The last several years of my dad's life were hard. His health had deteriorated to the point that he could no longer care for himself. The time finally came when the very difficult decision was made to move Dad to a nursing home. I flew to California to be with them during this hard time. The morning of the move Mom and I were up early trying to prepare Dad's favorite breakfast. Mom started crying. I started crying. We just stood there holding each other, trying to get through the moment when we both started to sing, quietly at first and then at the top of our voices.

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
 And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

We danced around the kitchen, crying and laughing and holding on to each other. Somehow the day that lay ahead seemed possible. Our blessings were greater than our pain.

Today I am thankful for the gift of song that makes the hard moments of life bearable.

Old

Last weekend I helped at a church Halloween party for the children. It was, as always, a fun time. I enjoy seeing the kids in their costumes and having time to listen to them.

Yesterday I saw this picture of me chatting with one of my young friends. I was startled. I look like an old lady. I suppose the fact that we celebrated my seventieth birthday and fiftieth anniversary this year is a clue to the fact that I should look old, but it still surprises me. In my head I'm still the girl I was when I was young. In my head I still look like I did when I was twenty.

In my head I still look like this. I'm sure the mirror is just playing tricks on my eyes.

Hudson River Valley

After playing in the big city for a few days we boarded our river boat, the American Star. This was a wonderful way to explore the Hudson River valley. We unpacked and enjoyed our comfortable room, good food, interesting, beautiful sights and the company of pleasant people.

I loved getting up early and sipping my morning coffee while watching the fog roll across the river. It was a peaceful way to begin each day.

The river has several lighthouses along the way, each unique and different from all the others. It had never before occurred to me that a river needed lighthouses. None of them is in use any longer. They just stand as a symbol of a time gone by.

The first evening of our cruise we docked at West Point. It is quite a formidable sight from the river. It's appearance did remind me a bit Hogwarts, and I suspect that a bit of magic is sometimes practiced there. It is a beautiful, impressive campus.

The leaves were just beginning to change color when we left New York. By the time we returned the trees were becoming beautiful signs of autumn.

This valley is home to many beautiful homes. We stopped in Hyde Park where FDR and the Vanderbilts lived in splendor. My favorite fine house was Olana, the home of Fredrick Church. Church was a great American artist who lived in a Persian castle in the Catskills. If I looked out on his view of the Hudson valley every day I believe I too might become a great painter.

The Hudson River valley is a beautiful, interesting part of the world. I am so grateful that we able to enjoy it.