Not a bucket list, but.....

  The doctor says to the patient.."I have some bad news and I have some really bad news    for you."
  The patient replies.."Give me the bad news first."
  "You have twenty fours hours to live!" says the doctor.
  "And the really bad  news?" asks the patient.
   "I tried to call you yesterday!"

    Several  years ago there was a movie titled “The Bucket List”. The message in the film was simple. It was to answer the question ......”What are the things you would like to do before you die?” The underlying question may really have been...”What are those things you did not do, for what ever reason, early on in your life?”

   Careers, family, lack of money or just plain fear are only a few of the reasons we fail to follow through on some of our wildest dreams and wishes. Then....all of a sudden you reach the age when you get up one morning, look in the mirror, only to see a face you might not recognize and you ask the question.. “What have I done with my life?”

   I am realistic enough to know that unless you start your 'bucket list' at a young age, the likelihood of a story book or 'happily ever after'  ending to life may not  happen. But sometimes it is never too late, regardless of how old you are.

   As each day passes  I think  about some of the things I might like  to do before I die and I started my own bucket list of sorts. It's not a big bucket. Let's call it the 'bright blue plastic sand pail list', you know, the kind of pail you might take to the beach as a child.

   To begin, I need a pencil and a piece of paper. Point to remember here! You should write things down, a shopping list of sorts. Its called accountability, especially if you decide to stick the list on the door of the refrigerator door for everyone to see. For me, I use a list because my memory isn't as good as it use to be.
   I have always wanted to learn to fly but realized that I didn't have the arm strength to get myself off the ground. Maybe a good substitute would be to learn to swim. I think I can float! With proper instruction, it's probably safer and a great way to exercise and control weight gain. And those little black 'speedo' bathing suits.......well !!!!

   I'll admit it. I am a 'Gleek'. I like music and  like to sing. Being 'tone challenged' can be a real handicap, however. A music teacher once suggested I learn to lip sync. " No one will ever know. Even the professionals do it." So I crank up the volume and sing a chorus of “Sweet Caroline” during the 7th inning stretch. Not bad for a beginner and the backup group is great too.

   I have dreamed about traveling to far off places. Now, living in Maine can have it's advantages for this one. Just down the highway is Norway. A quick turn gets you to 'South' Paris. Go north and you can travel to Calais. There is Lisbon and Peru, China and Naples. Who knew there were all these great place within a day's travel of home. And let's not forget about Mars (Hill)!

   Could I become a professional dancer? I did like to dance at one time. After several casual lessons, the instructor suggested I sit back and watch “So You Think You Can Dance”  on television... and dream. It might be the closest I would get to the dance floor. Over the years I think I have I  lost all my rhythm..and I was once a drummer in the band...

   You can see by my list that I am not looking to jump out of airplanes, unless it is safely on the ground  or climb the highest mountain in the world. I can barely hike up to the top of the local ski slope.  

   I have thought about writing a novel though, or play in an orchestra again and I think those may still be possible. But I can't waste too much more time thinking about it, because I don't know how much time I have left. 

    The lesson is simple. As you live life each day, every once and a while it's OK to step out of the box and do something a bit out of the character for yourself. Take the risk. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Time is getting short and life can present some unexpected events. Do you really want to go through life saying..."I wish I had done that." when you really could have! 
(Sorry for the bad joke. :)  

You can call me a bit crazy, but...

   It's amazing what some folks will do to help speed up the transition from Winter to Spring, especially this year as the cold weather seemed to arrive earlier than normal and still has not let go. We are several days into March and the temperature this morning was -8 degrees at 7:00 am. The weather forecast is for a 'slight' warming trend for the remainder of the week. I guess that means temps in the upper 20's and it may even hit the 30's by Saturday. Time to get out the shorts.

   Speaking of shorts, with the wind blowing at 'gale force' the other day (exaggeration), two young men entered the local grocery story wearing shorts, sandals and tee shirts. They were stocking up on chips, dip and beer. Why the shorts? It was the result of a bet that the two of them had lost. But the trade off was going to be …...free beer. Party on. They must have been college kids!

   I haven't gotten my shorts out yet, but like many other, I am looking forward to Spring. To get into the spirit I planted some seeds to get a head start, placing them in a warm sunny window. But, no sign of life yet.

   Several weeks ago it turned into a sunny afternoon with the temperature hovering around 25 degrees. The driveway was clear so I decided to wash the cars. A quick wash and towel dry and the vehicles were sand and salt free for the next few days. It did feel pretty good being outside, involved in a 'spring-time' activity and I suspect the neighbors and those who passed by the house got a pretty good laugh. Maybe they were just jealous, because my cars were clean.

   Later that week, there was a fresh dusting of snow and the sand and salt trucks were busy again on the highway and by the time I got back from town....well, you know.

   The snow banks on the side of the road in front of my house are still 3-4 feet high, mostly packed with ice, but the road is clear, except for the sand and salt from all the storms. Each time a car goes by, it creates a bit of a dust storm.

   I needed “something” to throw on the ice that still covers several of the walkways around the house and I don't  want to buy more salt or ice melt. Even Lucky has a bit of a problem as he slips and slides. The solution was simple. Sweep up some of the sand in the road and spread it about on the icy walkways. Recycle, reuse.

   I know it's too early to sweep, but it did cause a beep or two from several who drove by. Maybe, next time I'll go out under the cover of darkness.

  Can Spring be far behind if it's time to set the clocks ahead. If you are reading this on Sunday morning, you may want to make sure that you set your clocks ahead. It's ..Spring ahead and Fall behind or something like that.

   Truth be known, this week I have been pretending that daylight savings time was already in effect. "See how light it is at 7:30 pm..." I would say to myself. "It must be Spring." (In reality, it was only 6:30 pm. until March 8 but I can always dream.)

   My snow blower has gotten a great deal of use this year and although an older model, it has done a great job. There is nothing wrong with being old as long as all the parts still work.

   I finished opening a path to the tool shed and decided to take a peek inside. There, waiting for warmer weather were the garden tools and lawn mower. Perhaps if I straightened up the tools and start the mower, just to check it out, it may send a signal to Spring to arrive just a bit sooner.

   It got pretty noisy for a minute or two, the snow blower roaring on one side of the driveway and the lawn mower on the other. Now if that didn't get the neighborhood people talking, nothing will.

   Planting seeds, washing the car, rearranging the garden tools, starting the lawn mower, what else could I do? There was one more thing. After a quick phone call.... yes, there was a time slot available in about an hour..... It was just enough time to get my summer hair cut. If that didn't do it, nothing would!

  The forecast for the weekend.. sunny and high in the 40's. Hope Springs eternal!

"Crying over spilled milk..." and other 'idiom-otic' things we say.

   The young boy had just spilled his can of soda on the floor and like many his age, he began to cry. His mother tried to console him by saying...”There's no use in crying over spilled milk.”

   “But is wasn't milk, Mom,” he sobbed . “It was soda, my favorite soda !”

   Many of life's little lesson are taught through the use of idioms, brief statements, often with distant historical background and meaning. While most languages are rich with idioms, the English language seems to have more than its share, perhaps because many English words, when standing alone, lack the color, richness and romance of words found in other languages. I have heard that there are at least 100 different ways to say “I love you” in Italian, but in English...

   Idioms often come from strange and unusual sources, the Bible, ancient fairy tales, folklore, different regions of a country or the world and are influenced by  local culture and tradition. The southern part of the United States has some real 'gems.'

   Many of the present day idioms date back hundreds and even thousands of years, and while experts may not always agree on who, where or when, what they do seem to agree upon is that the 'saying' can often be confusing when it comes to their intended meaning and significance in their 21^st century use.

   For example, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!” This expression is said to come from one of Shakespeare’s plays. Now I am sure that someone was not going to lend an ear as you might lend  a hammer to a neighbor, but over the years, the expression caught on and is often used by many of today's political leaders... 'to get the public's attention!' Well, that may be pushing a point. Who listens to a politician?

   When I asked a friend how he were feeling, he replied that he had recently “been under the weather' but was now feeling a bit better. With the weather being what it has been this winter, being under it may or may not be a bad thing if it meant avoiding it, but I suspect that was not the original intent. Believe it or not, the “under the weather” expression dates back to the early 1800's and is attributed to people becoming sea sick while sailing in stormy weather on the Mississippi River. Who knew? But it might also explain the color of the water in the river..

   Often, after working on a project for a long time and not seeing success, I have felt like 'throwing in the towel.' Would you believe the origin of 'towel throwing' dates back to the early 1800's and boxing rings in Great Britain? OK. I give up! Some  idioms really do have a "true ring" to them.

   Getting the facts about an issue is important. Getting the correct facts and truth is even more important. If you want to make sure that what you are being told is true, you might want to “get it directly from the horse's mouth,” especially if, for example, you are in the process of signing up for something important, like one of those new health care plans.

   So you have decided to buy a horse and want to know its real age. Horse traders know to check the size and shape of the teeth to determine the horse's age...thus the notion of 'straight from the horse's mouth'. And purchasing health care? Try getting the facts about the new health care plans directly from a 'horse's …...'

   Justin Bieber has been in the news a great deal lately. I am not sure how much talent he has or who may be advising him regarding an appropriate life style, but being a 'young man' with money to burn and a great deal of notoriety right now, he certainly is 'sowing his wild oats', wasting his time and money on reckless activities and life styles. My guess is that 'sowing wild oats' has been around a long time and a tradition with young men...as its origin dates back as early as 190 B.C. to Greece and Rome. Oh those young and foolish hooligans. Will they never learn?

   There are many idioms with origins coming from the Bible. “Seeing eye to eye” has several Biblical references, implying that different people, looking at the same thing may or may not have the same view or be of similar agreement.

   Putting your best foot forward to make a positive impression, putting your foot down to make a point, or being willing to support what you believe by putting your money where your mouth is have all become part of what makes our language rich in meaning and yet so confusing to those not familiar with it. Can you imagine a person with ten $20. bills stuck in his or her mouth! And a number of idioms make reference to body parts? What's that all about?

   Without 'going too far out on a limb', idioms have become part of the way we communicate our thoughts and ideas, even if the original meaning of the words has changed over the years. It will be interesting to look back 50 years from now and see what new idioms we may have added to the list.

  P.S.      And  that spilled milk, or in this case soda....ever try getting it back into the  bottle? 

It was never an easy decision...

   We have had our share of snow this winter and along with the storms often come school closings because of the slippery and icy conditions and unsafe travel. To date, many schools in the area have shut down for three or four days and there are still several weeks of winter remaining. Those springtime snows in March can be awful treacherous and I anticipate that there may be at least one or two more days of school cancellations before we see the last of this winter,

   Calling off school may seem like an easy decision. Even Al Roker has added his two cents this year, calling out the Mayor of NYC for not closing the schools. But there is a great deal to consider.

   Back in the day when the decision to open or close school was my responsibility, my day would begin around 4:30 AM with a call from the weather service and a forecast for the day. If it had been snowing all night, I would contact the head of transportation and he would tell me the condition of the roads, especially the back winding ones. "Snow covered" was the usual report!!

   Many rural school districts in Maine have  roads to travel that may or may not be plowed early in the day, and when you have to consider about 1000 miles of travel per day for the bus fleet, is it worth the risk.

   One thing I tried to avoid was to be the only district in the area either open or closed. So... a quick call to the surrounding school districts and by 5:30 AM the decision was made, and usually the  group would be in unanimous agreement.

   The decision to cancel school for the day often created a hardship for parents and day care programs, since in most cases, although schools may have been closed, many parents still needed to go to work. What to do with the children? I am sure that is still a major concern some 25 years later, maybe even a greater concern today as more families have both parents needing to go to work.

   And opening school but then having the storm turn ugly around 9:30 AM and deciding to have an early release was even more concerning, knowing that some children might be going home to a cold and empty house, although that was not uncommon, even in good weather.. The rule of thumb was to always dismiss the high school kids first. Like... they'll take care of their younger brothers and sisters...right!

   Several weeks ago, perhaps one of the storms before the mid-winter vacation, a local television station reporter interviewed several parents, several very 'frustrated' parents, because of the school closing.

   While one mother spoke about the safety of getting the children to and from school, her frustration being with the weather, the other mother was extremely upset because....her daughter was missing out on learning and now would be far behind the other kids in her class! To be honest, I am not sure I understand the logic here. If all the children are out of school at the same time …...

   She went on to say that the reason the “administration” closes school is to give the teachers a day or two off and they already  had three days and didn't need another one.

   What some don't understand is that state law requires school districts to have at least  175 student days of school each year. Many districts build 'storm days' into their school calendars, usually three or four, just in case there are storms making travel unsafe. If they don't use the 'storm days', the kids get out a few days earlier than the last day of school marked on the school calendar and  everyone cheers. But if they use all the days and need to add a few more, the children continue to attend school until they meet the 175 day requirement, even if it is well into June.

   To be honest, I am not sure who or where the significance of the 175 began. It may have been the same person who determined  the school year should be based upon the farming and growing season. For me, the assumption with this thinking implies that all kids only need  175 days to learn what is being taught for the year and that learning doesn't take place during the summer months.

   But what we have learned over time is that children learn in different ways and at different rates and for some, it takes a bit longer, while for others, it may take a bit less time, maybe only 161 days. What happens the other 14 days. And for the child who may need 187 days to learn how to do the math problems, each year he or she falls farther behind the others.

   For the mother upset that her child was missing important time because of the snow...she may have been on to something here but didn't know it.

   And whether(weather) Al Roker is involved or not, the decision to cancel school because of the weather was, and remains, one that is not as easy at it appears. In a somewhat twisted way, it is comforting to know that ”some things never change” especially when it come to predicting the weather and calling off school because of the storm.

PS. On snowy days, my phone would start ringing around 5 o’clock. The calls were from my daughters’ friends, asking to speak to either of them. At 5 in the morning? “Has your Dad called off school yet?” Most of the time, Jessica and Amity were still asleep.

A dollop of this and a dash of that...

   It won't come as a surprise to many if I say this has been a long, cold, snowy winter and we still have several weeks to go before it may begin to feel like Spring. The first few days of cold and snow are just fine and it's easy to find something to do, but after the number of stormy days we have had so far, I am not sure how many more times I can clean out the 'junk drawer'. So... looking for something to occupy my time, I thought that maybe a bit of cooking might fit the bill. After all, these are desperate times.

   I can handle the grill and hamburgers pretty well but I am not a cook or a baker, although I have been known to whip up a pie every now and then, pumpkin being my favorite, as long as I don't have to make the pie crust from scratch and everything else comes in a can. The ready made pie crusts in the frozen food department at the local store work just fine for me.

   I must admit there are times  the recipes are somewhat confusing. I know how to measure a cup of flour or use those little spoons that are labeled 1 tsp or 1 tbsp for additional spices, but there are some measures I don't understand.

   Add a 'pinch' of salt! How much is a pinch of salt. The amount in a pinch may vary depending upon the size of one's fingers.

   Perhaps the directions call for a 'smidgen' or two of nutmeg. A 'smidgen' is...how much? Does that differ from a pinch?

   One recipe called for just a 'trace' of vanilla extract. I thought that a trace of something involved paper and a pencil. If it's just a trace, why include it in the recipe at all. But then, in the next line, it says to add a 'dash' of cinnamon to personal taste and liking. I always thought a dash was of the 100 or 200 yard type, like at a track meet.

   Building a fine piece of furniture or sewing a piece of clothing usually require precise and accurate measuring, thus the saying...”measure twice and cut once.” But fine cooking? It requires a very different set of skills and obviously a lot of experience in order to get it to taste 'just right'.

   The recipe for the chocolate chips cookies suggests at least two 'handful' of chocolate chips. My hand is fairly small which means less chocolate chips per cookie in the mix, right? By the way, I prefer to substitute those little peanut flavored chips instead of the chocolate ones, or may I'll use one handful of each?

   Several 'drops' of vegetable oil will keep the pasta from sticking together in the bowl, but I guess too many drops may cause the pasta to slip and slide out of the bowl or off the dinner plate.

   A 'dollop' of sour cream on a freshly baked potato is very tasty. Along with an additional 'dab' of butter too often though and you have the makings of an eventual trip to your doctor to be treated for high cholesterol.

   Another recipe called for a 'nip' of sherry or cognac while cooking the chicken fillets over low heat in the skillet. No problem here. One 'nip' for the pan and one 'nip' for the cook. OK. Two for the cook. Those chicken fillets are beginning to smell better already.

   A 'speck' of food coloring added to a cake batter can transform a plain old pound cake into a colorful addition to the dessert plate, piled high with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce.

   Some have called “good cooking” a science. The 'chefs' on television make it look very easy as they move about the stage adding a dash of this and a dollop of that in such dramatic fashion. The sciences I am familiar with, however, are very precise and accurate in their measurements, Otherwise, something might just blow up.

   What I would really like to see is just a 'smidgen' more of winter, a few less 'specks' of snow and one less 'handful' of salt that I need to throw on the ice in my driveway. Until then, I think I'll leave the cooking to the experts and sit back and enjoy one more 'nip' of sherry before I take a nap.

This one's going to leave a scar.....

  It took me a couple of tries to figure out how to open the safety caps on child-proof medicine bottles. Push down and turn seemed to be a pretty simple process, and truthfully, after  three or four practice rounds, it was easy. But there is a new challenge in town, one that could easily cause both injury and  bodily harm.

   The plastic molded packaging looks very attractive on display in the stores. Colorful labels and pictures help identify the products securely and safely wrapped in the molded plastic. and without question, when you get home you can be pretty sure that all the contents are intact and that no one has tampered with or ripped open the package to remove any of the pieces or parts. In fact, even when you get the plastic wrapped package home, sometimes they are still almost impossible to open. My favorite is the package that contains the rainbow of color ink cartridges for the computer printer.
   It is instant fear when the warning appears on the computer screen indicating “low ink”. True, the price of individual replacements is significant, and economically it makes sense to buy the package that contains all the color cartridges. You can save a dollar or two, but the trade off... is the struggle to open the package.
   Armed with a pair of scissors, a utility knife and an assortment of other potential surgical-type tools, the challenge begins. And, it is not just computer ink that offers up this battle.    A number of companies have taken up the practice in the name of safety, theft and who knows what else. Christmas decorations, packages containing multiple items and even certain food products now use the tightly sealed plastic wrapping as well.

   I am sure this has happened to no one else, but usually, by the time I have opened the package, I have several puncture wounds and scratches from the sharp plastic edges,  have injured myself with the knife or scissors as they slide across the smooth surface and have at least one or two cuts with blood flow (almost as painful as a paper cut). And, in my rush to get the cartridges into the computer, I have now managed to smeared blood on some of the computer paper.

   I recently purchased two new flashlights. Yes, they too were tightly sealed in the plastic packaging. At that moment I hoped the power would not go out so that I wouldn't need  quick access to them.
   And as difficult as it is to get the items out of the package, it is equally as challenging to stuff the plastic scraps into the trash bag, even tearing the bag on occasion,  unless in frustration you chopped it up into tiny little pieces.. The plastic seem to develop a mind of their own and fight back. I can see the headline now.... 'Man stabbed to death while attempting to open package of new flashlights.'

   I think I understand why items are packaged this way. It keeps them clean, secure, and almost tamper- free. I do wonder how much extra the plastic costs and its effect upon the environment and the land fills. 
   But for now, and probably well into the future, I will deal with the plastic packaging and to be sure, I will have a few an extra band aids close at hand.

   PS. I solved the problem with the printer ink. I purchased a new printer and the replacement ink cartridges come in easy open packaging!  :)

May I have just a little bit more maple syrup... please!

   Within the past several days, I have heard the same comment at least five or six times. “You are what you eat. ” Winter can be a challenging time of the year when it comes to food and healthy eating and many, including myself, often retreat to the 'comfort foods' to get away from the winter cold. But then, as warmer weather approaches we pay the price for the lack of exercise and the over eating as we transition back into shorts and tee shirts. OMG, these shorts make my thighs look...huge!

   While I am not sure I totally agree with the statement that 'you are what you eat', as I walk through the aisles of the local grocery stores and peek at the contents of the shopping cart around me, I do wonder if there might not be at least some level of truth to the statement. Perhaps there is a government study that can be done to validate my observations. What better way to waste tax payer dollars. 

   Take for example, the fresh vegetable and produce aisle. While I don't see too many people pretending to be a fresh broccoli or organically grown kale leaf, their look is a great deal different than those walking the candy and soda aisle. And the same might be said at the fresh meat and fish counter. ( I often wonder what happens to those items that do not get sold. Where do they end up?)

   I confess! I like to eat and I tend to eat a variety of different foods. I especially like Italian, the spaghetti and pizza variety along with stuffed shells every once and a while for a change of pace. Top the meal off with a nice glass of red wine, for the heart of course, and it could be the perfect -10 degrees below zero meal for the middle of January. But, because I like Italian food, does that me an Italian?

   I like fish, either of the fresh or salt water variety, including clams, shrimp, and other things that crawl along the the ocean floor. But I don't think that makes me a fisherman, although in my younger days I did cast a line on occasion. Oh..wait! That was to get a date in high school.

   Depending upon the time of year, I can pass up a frozen hamburger patty out of a box for a fresh green salad with plenty of lettuce, some freshly cut cucumbers, a radish or two for a bit of spice and several slices of freshly grown tomatoes. With just a few drops of salad dressing, memories of the long, cold winter are gone. But because I like fresh fruits and vegetables doesn't make me a farmer, although I do dream about owning several acres of land, with two or three garden plots, lush with freshly grown vegetables (tomatoes are my favorite), I might also have a small tractor (that's what I really want) and maybe one or two sheep.

   Snacking has become almost a national pastime and was fine with me when I was a bit younger. Potato chips, pop corn and cheese doodles were often found in partially opened bags on the kitchen counter or atop the refrigerator. But as the doctor once said at an annual physical, unless I want to end up in a plastic bag like a bag of chex mix, I might want to think about something a bit healthier. How about chocolate? OK. I like apples and bananas too.

   If I am what I eat, I must be a breakfast person. Of the three meals of the day, maybe more meals for others, I like breakfast the best and to support my liking, the research shows that it is the most important meal of the day and should not be skipped, especially if you are a kid at school (For the record, I do support breakfast programs at school, Too many children come to school hungry and as a result have difficulty learning.)

   Breakfast offers a variety of options and so many different tastes. I know there are people not fond of eggs, but there is nothing like two fried eggs, sunny side up, several pieces of freshly buttered toast, with real butter, two strips of bacon, a fresh glass of orange juice and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. And that's just the appetizer! Just kidding. Because I like breakfast, maybe I am what I eat. No. I am not the chicken or the pig. But I am someone who enjoys a hearty and healthy meal at the beginning of the day.

   But my favorite breakfast is...french toast. The great thing about french toast is that it can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Fresh off the grill and golden brown in color, the only enhancement needed is the warm 'pure' maple syrup, drizzled over the top, poured from one of those tiny little glass pitchers. Maybe I really am French at heart.

  Could someone please pass me the syrup!