First Turning Sixty As The New Beginning, Now Twelve Years Later

My 7th birthday

In seven days I'll be turning seventy-two.  This has been a monumental year and not all events were positive either, who knew or even imagined how 2020 would play out?  It has been a thinking year, my brain has grown at least two inches.  I say this because someone told me that when my thinking causes a headache it means my brain is growing.

In 2008 when I turned sixty, the first shock I dealt with was to accept that I don't have as many years ahead that I had in the past. In one day, being 59 and waking up the next day 60, I went from not even thinking about my foreseeable future to maybe fifteen or twenty years left. Retiring hasn't been what I expected. Before making my decision, I talked with retired people, my mom especially, and their suggestion was don't retire.  It gets boring pretty quick.  Yet, one morning in March 2016, I woke up and realized I was tired. I'm still nervous about the money, but God said "do not be anxious for He will take care of us", so I'm claiming that scripture. 

I enjoyed my work, I was the Secretary/Treasurer as well as the Accounting and Office Manager for the company, a plumbing supply house.  Of course, it helped to know my boss's daughter was hired to learn my job.  She expressed to me once that her working at the office during the summers with me is why she went to college and earned an Accounting degree. She will be a good accountant as she likes detail work as much as I do. She'll be good at the job.

Once I retired, my daughter wanted me to sell my house and come live with her. I would have liked that, except she lived in Oklahoma a long way from Alabama. My mother was still alive at the time and I felt that I needed to stay and help my brother take care of her. It was a good thing too as she had a mini stroke in 2016 and needed someone around 24/7. She moved in with me; at the time I didn't understand her delaying giving up her apartment. She died on September 10, 2017, at which point I decided to move to Oklahoma. It was traumatic giving up my home of fifteen years and going through everything I'd accumulated through my adult life, deciding what to sell, give away or just throw away. It was at that point, I understood why Mom delayed doing the same thing when she moved in with me. She married at sixteen and had accumulated sixty eight years of material goods as well as giving up her independence. In hindsight, the passing time seems like the blink of an eye, yet living it seemed like I would live forever.

As I look outside the sun is brightly shining here today, I have Baybay my cat laying on my arm while I type.  I'll be talking with my daughter soon; and I have wonderful memories, so all in all it's a great day. 

Shelby and BayBay

Sweetie Pie and BayBay

Why Do You Follow A Blog?

 

Bucks Pocket, Alabama

     I follow a blog because I find them full of information or interesting. But a comment caught my eye when they wrote that they appreciate my following and that I actually read and found their article interesting and useful. It never occurred to me there were other reasons for following a blog.

     I had to think hard on reasons for following a blog, so I Googled the question and found some good reasons on the following blog, Paper Fury

            The Design is fabulous 

            Friends with the blogger

            It has incredible photography

            The blog gives me something

            When someone I trust recommends the blog

     I also came up with a few negative possibles:

            Feigned sincere interest (make the blogger think I 

                  found site impressive and interesting (usually

                  someone known and usable)

            More blogs making higher numbers.

     Though the negative reasons seem such a waste of time. 

Desota Falls, DeKalb, Alabama

        

Being A Better Person

    

      Black Possum 

 On one of the blogs I follow, Ramana's Musings, I found this quote posted:

 “One who makes himself a worm cannot complain afterwards if people step on him.”

By Immanuel Kant

       This past Sunday our church worship message was on how to be a better person, not better than anyone else, but how to improve ourselves; not compare ourselves to another but compare ourselves to Jesus to see how to improve who we are. For some reason the above quote fit. In my life I have seen people become arrogant and unlikable to the point that people shun them (become a worm until people avoid or step on them). 

Starlings eat worms

 

                                                                                        

A "Rut" Feels like a Comfortable Place

Monarch on my Lantana flowers 2019

    Have you ever thought your life is on track when suddenly a light bulb comes on and you realize you're in a comfortable "Rut".       

     I noticed that something is missing in my life, each day is the same, no challenges.  I realize I'm living in a "rut". By not accomplishing anything, I'm restless with an undercurrent of stress. I need to climb out of my rut.

     For years I've written stories and even have drafts for two different books, one draft has 22,000 words and the other has 12,000 words; plus numerous short stores. Yet I've only tried once to publish a short story. I decided the way to climb out of the rut is to try to have something published.

     I have been following a blog by Rachelle Gardner since the first part of the year. She is a literary agent with a very helpful blog Rachelle Gardners well as offering services, particularly an Author's school. At the time, there was a waiting list, so I signed up. At the first part of September I received notice that a space was available. I thought about it and decided that if I didn't publish now, I never would, so I'm now a member of the Author School. And it is so worth it! The main focus in the first two sessions is sitting down and writing. There are links to help us overcome the obstacle of procrastination! Learning our temperament so that we can learn to work around what causes us to put off writing. Such as being a type of person who will do anything for others but not schedule time for myself to write; or if I schedule the time, sit there and organize my desk, my notebooks, anything to not write. Starting on October 1, I decided that I would try to write 500 words four days a week. I haven't been successful every day, but it has encouraged me to start blogging again as a way to write 500 words a day. 

Shelby and BayBay

 

     

     

What Can I Say?

My mind is on Spring!

I can't come up with anything profound to say at this moment! What's your favorite breakfast food?  Have you ever taken hot buttermilk waffles, spread cream cheese across them, then spread a tad of your favorite jelly across that.  My favorite is orange marmalade. Talk about good!

Have you ever been tempted to stay home from Sunday School and Church because you haven't studied the Sunday School lesson?  We've been studying the book of Ruth.  It has been a great study. A wonderful story about a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Naomi and Ruth. Then a final love story between Boaz and Ruth.

(PS..I did make it to Sunday School, and I  am so glad I did!)

Enjoy the warmth of the following pictures and think Spring will be here in two months!

Orange Beach06

Orange Beach 06

Whose that peeping out from behind the waterfall?

Hope everyone has a warm day! Despite the cold!

Hot Chocolate and Canvas Rugs!

I don't know why I feel so tired and drained.  I'm all cozied up at home now.  As I sit here and write,

the TV is off, it's night outside, the kitties have eaten and are laying around comfortable and quiet.  All I hear is an occasional car drive by and the ticking clock sounding off the seconds.  Do you like hot chocolate?  With me, it comes in spells.  Right now I'm having a cup with my dinner, even if it is just a bologna sandwich.  The steam rising from the cup as I wait for the large marshmallows to melt and add more flavor.

My Loose Blog Consortium was posted today.  We wrote about Heaven.  It was interesting to see how each of us dealt with the subject.  Very thought provoking, the different views of heaven and the after life.

Below are two of the canvas rugs I've painted and given away.  They last two to three years in a regular travel area.  My sister-in-law had the top one on the floor of her guest bathroom. The first one I painted for her lasted three years.  Once the picture is painted, of course learning how to paint is the hardest part, and the canvas taken off the frame, I spray it with a clear acrylic sealer gloss several times, letting it dry fifteen minutes between each spray.  Once I spray the final sealer on, I then let it dry at least 24 hours, though I'd rather wait three days. I then spray it with a matte Damar varnish, letting it dry some between sprays.  I spray five or six times.  Wait at least 48 hours, preferably 72 hours to a week before you lay it down on the floor to walk on.  I'm starting to work on some now for birthdays and Christmas.

Have you ever smoked Rabbit Tobacco?

Judy's May 2006

I belong to this writing group where each week we write a short story.  In trying to improve my writing skills it's very exciting.  Usually I write the birth, childhood, life of my character in a story.  This is a skill I find I need to work on, that of taking one subject out of the story and making it the short story, rather than trying to write a short novel.  I find this is hard to do!  It's easy outline the full story, but it's hard to expand on one subject.  I think the hard part is to keep on finding words to describe one scene!  The short novel is come up with plot, proceed, end and then it's over.  The short story is subject, how many threads to the subject, not really an ending. Take the following short short story:

Have You Ever Smoked Rabbit Tobacco?

     I think we get so caught up researching our Great-Great Grandpa or Grandma that we forget about our stories and history.  To our kids and grandkids, this is more relevant than way back when! Have you ever sat down and thought about when you were growing up? The funny situations you sometimes found yourself or what about your siblings?

      Here’s a story worth saving for you children. We were living at Big Woods on the mountain above Trenton, Georgia, about 1960 or 1961.  Its fall when the plants are drying up and the leaves were turning and preparing to fall off. We were crossing a field, swinging sticks, talking when we spotted the Rabbit Tobacco. This isn’t the technical name, but it’s what we called it. I'm not sure who suggested going into the house for a brown paper grocery bag, the kind they bagged your purchases in at A & P, a pair of scissors and matches.  My brother and I cut sections of paper about the size used to roll cigars, then pulled the dry leaves from the plant.  We rolled the leaves back and forth between our hands until it was the size of a cigar.  We then placed the tobacco at one end of the paper and rolled it up, like we'd seen our Dad, uncles and aunts do, into a huge cigar! I think rolling it was half the fun. I don't remember my sisters doing one, as they were only seven and four. We each took a match and lit one end, then took a puff off of it. Now think about that dry paper bag and those dry leaves! Talk about a coughing spell! I'm surprised we didn't suck fire into our lungs! I can't say the taste was very good either.  I don't remember if we did smaller puffs and smoked the whole things, or just held it with the tips of our fingers trying not to breathe in any more smoke. I can say, it wasn't something I ever did again.

Now I'm trying what to do with the story, any story. I've managed to send in one story since I've retired and it was rejected. How to choose where to send and which to send is sometimes overwhelming. Actually, this is a true story.

I Cannot Use A Weed Eater OR It's Alive!!

My yard in Center Point during a rain

Lilies planted in my yard at Center Point

     A weed eater weighs from 12 pounds to 25 pound, anyone should be able to use it, right, even kids. That is so very wrong! My brother gave me his old electric one 16 years ago. All I had to do was plug it in and press the button. First off I envisioned the wire cutting off my legs right above the ankles. Then I am supposed to cut it just right, so I spend my time raising and lowering because I can't control it at the right level. Oh and I don't want to talk about changing the wire (I never was able to change the wire, it kept coming off) so I threw it down, put the weed eater back into storage and used my lawnmower or pulled the weeds up by hand. 

     Last summer I bought a new Snapper, thinking surely there are new updates and it will be so much easier, especially if I buy a gas one! Well, In June of this year (I waited a year because I wanted time to think about it), I finally decided to try it. 

     I have decided it's alive, laying in storage waiting to attack me. Did you know you can't use the same gas for a weed eater that you use for your lawnmower or car? You gotta buy this small bottle of "something", then measure out exactly 1 gallon of gas ( you know how hard it is to find a useful container, I lost a good tea pitcher) and mix. Not only that, it weighed 30 pounds.

     I'm finished trying to use a weed eater! Anyone want to buy a barely used weed eater?

JUST ABOUT TODAY IN MY LIFE-Two Ships Passing in the Night

My ship is the Fantasy on the right!

You ever heard the expression "Two Ships passing in the Night"?  There's several ways this comment is so true.  One way is just as it sounds, ships passing in the night.  When I went on a cruise in January 2008, sometimes I would wake up and the only sound I heard was the slight throbbing of the ships engines.  It wasn't loud as I was eight decks above the engine rooms, but in the quiet of the night, I could feel it and hear it, that's when I would pull back the curtains on the window and look at at the black sea and sky.  Sometimes off in the distance I would see another ship's lights and watch it glide slowly by.  As I sat there, I wondered about the people aboard.

Another way this phrase fits is blogging friends.  Sometimes you only meet them through one comment they leave.  But that one comment can sometimes give you so much information. Such as where they live, what's on their mind. They leave such a kind comment or an encouraging word.  Just that moment in time, that passing in the night can mean so much.  It's amazing how many people I'v met from all over the world.  The lives I've learned about, just with writing! People are truly interesting!  It's amazing!

Sweetie Pie and BayBay

Sixty, Single AND Cooking!

Judy's Veggie Bread-08/11

Judy's Veggie Bread First Time

I took a day of vacation today and around ten o'clock after watching Bobby Flay make a pizza on the grill, I became so hungry!

Now, as I mentioned before, I'm learning to like cooking.  Though for one person, sometimes it can be complicated.  I've bought some of the spices, dry, not fresh until I'm sure this isn't a phase I'm going through. Though I'm backing off of Rosemary, I think I may have overused it.  Anyway, I'm hungry and go into the kitchen to see if I have any of the items Bobby Flay mentioned.  I didn't but I remembered seeing another show last week about some kind of bread, seems like it starts with an "F".  It was dough spread out on a pan, olive oil drizzled over it, onions, garlic gloves and grapes of all things.  Well, I had the dough, sort of, pan, sort of, olive oil, onions, garlic and grapes, sort of, and Basil. Here's what I made (see above pictures-looks nice doesn't it?)

1 can of Pillsbury 6 biscuits

1 drizzle of Olive Oil (light for cooking)

1 pinch of Basil

1 qtr cup of chopped onions

8 grape tomatoes, sliced

10 green olives sliced

1 qtr cup of shredded Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Now, I haven't bought any new pans, because as I've said before, this may be a phase.  So I took a long glass baking dish, about 9" by something, lined it with aluminum foil(pan doesn't brown and easy to clean up).

Chop the onions, slice tomatoes and olives. Now I mentioned gloves of garlic, but I forgot to use, so I'll try that next time. Now be careful on the veggies, you might do like I did and cut too many and have to stand at the counter and eat leftovers, which is okay, but be forewarned!

Open the can of biscuits, roll into a ball.  On counter or cutting board, press out and pull until thin and even or as even as you can, thin anyway without holes. Place in pan, drizzle(I mean a little) light olive oil over dough, then scatter a pinch of dried, chopped Basil across it. Evenly scatter cheese, then veggies.  I then sprayed butter flavored Pam over the veggies. Cooked at 450 for 12 minutes. (Need to watch as some ovens might be hotter and you don't want to burn). Ummm! It is good!

Now if you want it crisper, you might leave off that Pam spray, but I love my end result!

Did You Know You Could Replace Your Laptop Keyboard OR It Almost Cost Me $400.00 Plus By Judy A. Harper

My Laptop Keyboard!

     As you know, I'm having trouble with my keyboard; I finally called the best IT person ever!  Robert is a wiry fellow, who only knows two speeds, race or sleep. He's helpful and doesn't mind teaching me a thing or two. He worked on the computers and software at the company I retired from.      My problem was that the "Help Menu" kept popping up, tabbed out to 30+ tabs. I couldn't continue using my laptop, so I slammed the lid  closed, and I came so close to throwing it against the wall; it has been a lemon from the day I bought it and I thought I would have to buy a new one. But before I replaced it, I called Robert to check it out to be sure there wasn't a virus.

      I learned a few things: It wasn't a virus, but stuck keys and he could replace the keyboard frame! Lastly, never buy a computer with Intel i3; that's why I received such a good deal, HP was having problems with that series, and Robert and I personally feel that they wanted to get rid of them before announcing they discontinuing making the series!

     I did have to go online to order a keyboard frame, which cost $32.99 (this included shipping), this definitely beat the $400.00+ to purchase a new computer.  Hopefully by Tuesday, it will be fixed.

Many hummingbirds, Googles free pictures


Red Throated hummingbird Googles free pictures

     The past few summers I've had multiple hummingbirds, but not this year until this weekend. Now I have five. They have already sucked three feeders dry, and making a dent in a fourth. Usually this only happens when they're heading south for the winter. Here it is only the 15th of August. Does this mean we're going to have an early winter and a cold one?
     Do you like to keep up with the spring and fall migration of the Hummingbirds and others, like Monarch Butterflies or songbirds? Here's a link to follow for information: Hummingbirds, butterflies and songbirds

Growing Up In Rural Alabama and Georgia: How To Plant A Garden OR Stubborn As A Mule!

Mule pulling a plow-Googles free pictures

     I remember when we first moved to the "Big Woods" at New Home Community, Georgia Daddy planted vegetable gardens. Now we didn't have a garden tiller, I don't even know if they were invented at that time. One of our neighbor's had a mule, he was a solid bay color and I can attest to the phrase of "stubborn as a mule". Daddy always tried to borrow him first thing in the morning because the more work he did before we got him, the more likely he would balk at pulling the plow, as he was tired and didn't want to do anymore.

Notice the ears! Googles Free Pictures

     Thankfully we didn't have a large garden! Now my Uncle Lloyd truck farmed. He grew strawberries and potatoes. During the summer when we visited, we tried to help with the strawberries, but I'm afraid we ate up the profit. Later on, after we moved back to Alabama, we helped gather up the potatoes to take to the potato grader shed where they were sorted, washed and boxed to be loaded on trucks that carried them to trains and to the market. You were given a basket, sack or bucket. and we went along the rows where a tractor had plowed the ripe potatoes up. You dumped them into a truck or wagon which brought them to the potato grader.It was hot and dusty work! 

     Of course, one of the fun perks of having a garden was helping pick the vegetables and fruit to can. Freezing the food wasn't popular at that time and the meat was kept in a smoke house. Electricity was hard to come buy and most of the wiring wouldn't support a freezer. Though I seem to remember Aunt Jessie having one on her back porch, at sometime, plugged into the light fixture outlet with an extension cord.  There was usually only one plug outlet to a room; talk about extension cords. I hated shelling blackeyed peas and peeling peaches. The peach fuzz made my hands itch! But I have to admit, the food was delicious in the winter time.

Retirement: I mowed My Yard, It Took Three Hours OR Out Of Shape!

My yard, August 2016

     Why do we let ourselves get out of shape? I know it's miserable! In the M. C Beaton books, Agatha Raisin, she's a single middle aged woman (50'ish), who has decided to retire. She does it in a big way; she moves from London to a small village, she pays a company to decorate her house with items she thinks will make her look good rather than stuff she likes (her first visitor says it looks like a showplace). She then buys exercise equipment to help her get into shape; indoor bicycle, a really fancy outdoor bike to ride around the country (she purchases a helmet, gloves, riding outfits, goggles, everything she feels will make her fit in(which really sets her apart).

     When, after a year of not doing my own yard work, I started back, in July of this year, it was rough! It was hot and humid; I only cut the lawn, none of that extra stuff, trimming bushes and weed eating (yeah like I'm going to weed eat, see It's Alive!). I had to take several breaks to cool off and drink water.  The first time it was exhausting, and this was just the front yard, it took me three hours and my yard isn't that big, see above picture.  I've improved since then, but it's still exhausting. When the weather cools off in the fall, I know a few bushes that are coming down!

     I'm also following Agatha Raisin's idea, setting up an exercise routine with my exercise (indoor) bike, it's too hot for riding outside. My sister-in-law has always been faithful about going to the gym and walking around the neighborhood; now I wish I had followed her example!

Won't be long till fall, then we'll have all those leaves, ugh!

Cutting The Cord!

Borrowed from "Free Pictures" HERE

     

     After not doing my lawn care for a year, I've decided to start doing it again. I chose to do this for two reasons, save on money and exercise. I don't like having to watch my pennies so close, but I don't want to go back to work either. I'm liking this retired way of life. I remember in the past talking with someone who was newly retired and their response would be "I'm so busy I don't have time to be retired"; I use to  think, "right". But I've discovered it's true. That's a story for another day.
     Back to doing my own yardwork. Thankfully my grandson cut my lawn right before he returned home, so I've only had to cut it once.  But I've put off trimming the bushes until today. I primed myself this morning; determined I got up early, quickly ate breakfast, grabbed the heavy duty extension cords and preceded to hook everything up. With gloves on I trimmed one side, then another and headed for the top, when suddenly there was a sizzle and the trimmer stopped. I tried the button to run it and the safety guard button, nothing! I thought, great, it hasn't worked in so long, plus it is old, now I'll have to buy another. I headed back to the house and had only walked a few steps when I realized I had cut the cord! Never in the years I've trimmed bushes had I done that before! I really felt out of shape! This prompted me to take a water and blogging break; inside where it's cool.
     Cutting the cord can mean a lot of things, but sometimes it's one of those "just about my day".

 By Judy Harper (To the right of this puddle is where the bushes are located)

About That Try To Fix It Thing!

Laptop keyboard

     Did you know that the newer laptops are manufactured so that you can't pop off a key and fix it? I wish the guy on YouTube had known this! I found out the hard way, thinking it would save me a trip to the Geek Squad, silly me. I worked for thirty minutes trying to place those little loose wire thingies back on; but they wouldn't stay, kept moving around, or as the song says "slip sliding away". Finally I called the Geek Squad guy and set up an appointment.

     The first bit of information I discovered was that the $300.00 dollars I paid for support didn't cover hardware support and supplies. I would have had to purchase that when I purchased my laptop. And the second information was, can you guess it, the warranty has run out! I'm standing there looking at the item, when I suddenly asked, "if I bought a regular keyboard and attached it by USB, would this solve the problems I was having?". His response. "Yes". So I went and picked out a $10.00 Insignia keyboard, with raised keys, like a calculator. This is the first time since I've been using the laptop that I've typed with all ten fingers, not looking; talk about speed and less, a lot less, misspelled words.

If It Isn't Broke, Why Try To Fix It?

The disaster!!!!

The original and Best

     On 23 April 1985 Coca -Cola tried to replace the best drink ever (my opinion) with disastrous results. It truly fit the "If it isn't broken, why try to fix it". Well that's how I feel about Microsoft replacing Windows XP ! 

     Now I'm not a computer genius like my grandson Sean or my nephew Brian, but having to use the computer at work I could maneuver around. But not with 8 or 10!!!! It's like throw out everything I knew and sit there staring at my screen! First off is that constant popping up of "Help and Support", even the Best Buy Geek squad didn't fix. Others say the F1 (help key) is stuck or sign off the service (good luck with that one). Then there's removing "My Computer", now I have to try to remember where to go to cleanup my disk and restricted sites. I finally understood to click on that file folder on my startup bar is how to find documents. I feel so confused! I'm going to try the Geek Squad one more time, for stuck keys, after all I bought a two year service.

    But to you Microsoft, here's to you winning the best "Raspberry Award" ever!!

Worst Software update EVER!!

Memoirs-Are They Real or Fiction

Me-5 months and 10 days

     Celebrities, famous people such as presidents do autobiographies to record their accomplishments. But what about the average person who wants to just write their memoirs, about intimate personal experience. Sometimes I wonder what I've done over the last sixty years and think I should do my memoirs, just to outline my life in my mind. Usually, a memoir needs to be written as a novel, interesting. It's more than recording the past, it's recreating. So is my life interesting enough to recreate. Some people live their lives through their children, but I've always thought I had a more interesting life, or maybe I lived a little. So Thursdays will be memoir day.

Vernell-my Mom, age 16 wedding day

     My Mom was fifteen when she met my Dad. He had just been discharged from the Army right after World War II. After school she would walk up the road, about five miles, to the corner general store. One day my Dad was driving that stretch of road and saw her; every day after that he drove by, waving, until he got up the nerve to stop and ask her for a date. This happened in 1946; they were married 7 November 1947 and I was born in October, almost a year later.

Clifford-my Dad, 1941

It Took Longer Than I thought To Retire!

Kelly, Judy, Liz & Marci

     Last August I posted that I intended to retire; so it took a little longer than expected.  I worked through March 2016 before finally not returning to work. It's different than I expected. I'm not bored, I've had more invites to do stuff than I expected, to the point I'm not fulfilling the main reason for retiring, writing. 

     The first rule I'm learning is to say no, why?

          1. People hear you're retired and comment "since you're not doing anything, could you do this 

               for me, now that you have the time".

          2. "So you don't get bored, you need to become involved in doing this..."

      I'm sure people mean well, but really, I have goals and it involves having an at home work                        schedule.  Plus I've worked for 50 years and I want to enjoy eating breakfast at eight a.m. and            watch the squirrels and birds while I drink my second cup of coffee, maybe even a third; so 

         what if I sleep past five a.m. even nine a.m. Though I have a hard time about sleeping past nine.

         I feel like I've wasted most of the day, (though once, the first couple of weeks, I slept till eleven

         a. m., I couldn't believe it, and I didn't even have that "ugh" feeling. 

     The second rule is stop spending my money, do not touch my savings account! I have been sur-

prised by how fast it is going. If I'm not careful I will be back working parttime.   

     All and all, so far, I'm enjoying retirement. I'm even mowing my yard again. 

Sweetie Pie and BayBay, Best Buds!

Life Can Throw You For A Curve With It's Ups And Downs!

     I  worked for this company where the owner flew helicopters into Vietnam and rescued wounded and fighter pilots who had crashed. He was shot at, wounded and still went back. Naturally, after he was discharged he had to seek treatment for Post Traumatic Stress. After having to go back several times after he thought he was cured he asked his therapist, "How come life can't stay on a flatline, stay on an even keel? Why does it have to be up and feeling good, then drop and feel like the world is ending?" 

     The therapist's response was, "The ups and downs of life is what lets you know you're alive. If you are having flatlines, then most likely you're dead. You don't want life to be flat and always on an even keel. Then you're not living, learning and growing."

     I do understand how he feels though. You're on an even keel and suddenly a curve is in front of you. Sometimes so fast the only thing you can do is run off the road, praying that the wreck won't be too bad.

     Did you know the women in South Korea keep their last name after they're married? I'm going by what my family doctor tells me, she's South Korean, though she's become a hyphenated woman. She used both her last name and her husband's whose also is a doctor. Over the last couple of years, she's taught me a lot, one being that prevention is better than letting an illness happen. She's one of these rare doctors who spend a lot of time with me. Stress, overweight and lack of exercise are her biggest soap boxes! 

     Her biggest push is that stress can cause so many problems such as producing too much of one chemical that can cause havoc with so many parts of the body. Her favorite saying is "Get Off The Couch! You need a life." And this doesn't just mean exercise, she literally means turn off the TV, get in the car and interact with people.