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!

Tired of the long, cold winter? Try a game of rock-paper-scissors....

   Mom dropped Jimmy and Adam off in the toy aisle, telling the brothers they could buy one new toy, but both had to agree on the toy to be purchased.

   “I'll be back in ten minutes,” she told them.”But remember, only one new toy that you both will have to share.”

   Within two minutes, they had pulled about a dozen toys from the shelf and began to argue over which one to buy. A minute or two later, they had narrowed their choices down to one each, but could not agree on the final selection.

   “Rock-paper-scissors?” asked Jimmy.

   “OK,” responded Adam and within a second or two, in the middle of the toy aisle, the selection was made. Scissors beats paper! 

   For those unfamiliar, rock-paper-scissors, often call Ro-Sham-Bo, is a hand game usually played by two people, where the two use an outstretched hand, both 'thrown' simultaneously, in the form of one of three shapes. According to the rules, the “rock” (clenched fist) beats the scissors (two fingers), scissors beats the paper (open hand) and paper beats the rock. If both participants 'throw' the same sign, the game is considered to be tied. On the count to four, each participant reveals (throws) the hand gesture, hoping to defeat the opponent.

   Not unlike flipping a coin, drawing straws or rolling the dice, rock-paper-scissors is a method often used for choosing something, 'like who gets the ball first in a football game' or maybe, on any given day, it is played on any playground at any school, the game being used to pass the time until the recess bell rings and the kids return to classes, or...it could even be used as a way to pick up some extra lunch money from the unsuspecting new kid at school. But what seems like a harmless kid's game actually has a long, storied history.

   Dating as far back as 200 BC, over the years the game developed into an important cultural activity, challenging the minds and thinking of its players and forcing them to develop new techniques and ways to fool, exploit and take advantage of even the smartest opponent.

   And, like many games of Asian origin, it didn't take long for its popularity to spread across Europe and by the early 1920's it was being played in many local pubs and bars, in parlors and family rooms and at parties. I would give it a 'hands down award' to its rapid rise in popularity.

   With a game that sounds so simple, there must be easy strategies in order to gain the advantage over an opponent... unless you are playing against a 'truly random' person. Stated in a different way, most of us think and operate in a logical and orderly manner and within minutes it is easy to outwit or out smart an opponent because you have figured out his or her strategy, their pattern of thinking. But against someone truly random, an opponent who is purely free wheeling, it is next to impossible to anticipate the next move.  Often in tournament play, yes, tournament play, the frustration that grows when playing against a 'random' opponent often leads to the use tricks or tactics in order to confuse the other person, which eventually could lead to illegal moves and eventual disqualification. What a game! The anticipation and excitement must be overwhelming, almost like the outcome of the Super Bowl!

   To insure that participants and observers follow sportsman-like conduct, in 2002 the International Rock-Paper-Scissor Society (???) established and standardized sets of rules for international play. Who knew that a simple school yard game could attract so much world-wide attention and require such analytic thought?

   Stuck in the house on these cold wintery days, challenging a opponent to a round of rock-paper-scissors might just help pass the time. It only requires two players,  no set up time, and playing time... only an instant for each round, with the potential of random chance to win very high and... there are no skills required, except maybe for a bit of luck and a wee bit of psychology used against your opponent. 

  But if you are really looking for something to do, you might want to think about attempting to beat the Guinness Book of World Record and call all of your friends and family. The record for the largest tournament was set in 2010 with slightly over 6500 participants. Or...you could just pop the top of a cold Guinness beer, grab a good book and settle in and enjoy the warmth of the wood stove.

PS. If rock-paper-scissors doesn't spark your excitement, there's always arm wrestling\! 

What happened to Mom's chair?

    Several weeks ago, I bought a lovely needle-point chair at the auction. It was a nicely sized 'sitting room' chair, with  dark green fabric, a neatly stitched floral vine design on the seat and back that complemented the mahogany legs and arms. Across the back was stitched the name and date of the person who had obviously spent many hours on the project.

   I had looked at the chair just prior to the auction beginning and determined  it was in excellent condition, no pulls in the material or stitching and no scratches on the woodwork. Real solid. It was the type of item I generally do not buy, but if the price were right...

   The chair did not get a great amount of attention, much to my surprise, and I was pleased as I placed it carefully in my car. I thought I could either sell it or swap it out for one at home. It was very nicely done, but the last thing I needed was another antique chair around the house, something my kids keep reminding me of quite often. “Dad!. What's going to happen to all this stuff when you and mom are gone?” (Am I going somewhere?)

   The chair sat in the corner of the room for a few days and I finally decided to sell it and put it in one of my booths at the antique mall. Perhaps someone else would enjoy its beauty and if it didn't sell within a few weeks, I could always bring it back home.

   The chair looked very handsome in among the other pieces of furniture that were for sale. I put, what I thought, was a reasonable price on it and headed home. I returned two days later, only to discover that the chair had been sold. Two days mind you! But here is the interesting part of the story.

   The person who bought the chair was the son of the lady who had restored it and spent hours and hours on the needlework. He was unaware  someone  in the family had sent the chair, along with some other furniture, off to the auction to be sold. But remembering the wishes of his mother, he and several other siblings had understood that the chair was to remain 'in the family' . Without hesitation, he purchased the chair and returned it to its 'rightful home'. That chair had far greater  'family value' than any price tag I could have put on it and this story did have a happy ending. But sometimes that is not always the case. 

   Auctions, antique shops and yard sales can be very interesting places to browse and can reveal a great deal about “families.” Each week, with regularity , there are pieces of furniture, jewelry, glassware and china and pictures, often hundreds of family picture and albums that are sold to someone looking for a buy, when in reality, perhaps the intent was that the items  remain in the family and passed down through the generations. Did grandpa intend to have his oldest grandson get his favorite gold engraved pocket watch?  Did anyone in the family know that was grandpa's wish?

   Tucked away in the bottom of a cardboard box where several very old, autograph albums. For those not familiar, autograph albums were 'pre- facebook' in which people would share their secret thoughts and ideas, sometimes only for personal reading or, on occasion, to be shared with only the closest friends. In several of these albums were entries dating back as early as the 1830's. I am not sure the writer ever expected his or her personal thoughts and ideas would ever be shared with the rest of the world, but these old, musty and well worn pages have created a great deal of interest for others who collect written history and memoirs. Famous people? Probably not. But were the thoughts, ideas and secrets on these pages meant to go public  almost 200 years later?

   Over the years, as my parents got older, they began to downsize, getting rid of things they didn't need or want any more. (I am sure my children hope I do the same, downsize, that is.) Some  have been  passed along to me, some to the grandchildren and some to the auction every once and awhile. My mother still has several lists of items she kept that were important to her and my father and the lists indicate  her wishes in terms of who and where they should go upon her passing. 
   For my family, it's pretty simple. The family tree doesn't have many branches and while I have joked about the lists in the past, I think I am beginning to understand their importance and the need for some planning. Whether large families or small ones, I think I understand how a beautiful needle point chair might end up at a place where it was not intended, and if it had not been by chance, a son walking by an antique booth at the mall, who knows where the chair might have ended up.

   But, I guess it's time to start planning and downsize. So... for the sake of my kids....would anyone like a couple of pairs of slightly used cuff links and a few old tie clasps.? (At this rate, this could take a while.)

AHA! So that's where they all go.....

   It was late morning. The sun was shining brightly and although it was chilly, we decided to take the opportunity to do a bit of shopping. It was a quick stop at a local fast food restaurant for a late breakfast and then off to the store. There's a new store in the area, opening just before Christmas, that we had yet to visit and today would be the perfect opportunity. The name scared me a bit...Hobby Lobby...because I wasn't sure what they sold, although I could guess based upon the name. But, there would be room to move around for exercise, it would be warm  and there should be plenty of parking,  being the middle of the day and the middle of the week and all. I mean, who goes to a 'hobby store' during the middle of the day in the middle of the week?

   I can remember telling many of my clients as they were approaching retirement...”we work now so that some day we don't have to”. But when the day arrives, I am not sure we are ever really ready. 
   The first couple of weeks are great. Eight to ten hours a day of extra time to do whatever you want! All those projects and activities that never got done while you were working... now completed, and it's only day four into retirement. For sure, there are many advantages to being retired, but I will add there are some things I had not anticipated.

   For the most part, being retired allows you to go where you want, when you want and not have to fight the crowds. Many of the fast food restaurants offer free coffee to seniors along with the purchase of one of their breakfast sandwiches. Some stores offer senior discounts while other may even help load your purchases into the car. "Do you need some help, sir?" (Do I look that old? ) 

   When it snows, I don't have to go out in the middle of the night to clear out the driveway. There is no need to rush out. I am not going anywhere in the morning.

   In the summer, I can mow my lawn on a Thursday instead of Saturday like everyone else and it helps keep the air clearer from all the pollution  coming from the lawn mowers running at the same time.

   I can stay up as late as I want... to watch the Late Show with Jack Paar. (Who?) I didn't really have any interest in watching the show when I was working, so why do it now. But    I'll just DVR it if I change my mind.

   Those are some of the good things.

   I am not sure what I had expected a life of retirement to look like, having watched only my parents and a few of the neighbors navigate the retirement years. I didn't think my parents' experience was the norm. And for some reason, I have noticed the retired neighbors are still out of the house by 9:00am most mornings. I wonder where they all go?

   Growing up, I remember the 'great American dream' was to retire at 62, collect social security and live a life of leisure. But today, that dream has changed just a bit. People are living longer, they are healthier and it is not uncommon to find retirees living well into their 90's. And living off social security these days.....

   From my observation, the new dream is to retire a bit later, maybe 63, take a few years off to unwind, get all those odd jobs done around the house, and then maybe pick up a part time job for a bit of extra spending money or do some volunteer work, putting  some structure back into the day, not every day mind you, but a couple of days each week. The reality is  you can only hang out at Tim Horton's each morning for so long. It's nice to see your friends on a regular basis, drink plenty of coffee and eat a couple of donuts each day, but every day? And after awhile, it can get to be a bit expensive.

   As I turned into the parking lot...AHA! I may have discovered the answer to why and where the neighbors might be going each day. Look at all the cars!

   The new store in the area that opened just before Christmas is huge. Not only is it packed with almost every imaginable craft and hobby items, but furniture, home decorating items and alike. Its one stop shopping for just about anything for the house. And filling the air ...soothing music, almost 'sing along' type. Isn't that a Mitch Miller song?
   Although the parking lot was full and well cleared of snow, there were still plenty of spaces to park. The aisles where easy to navigate with shopping carts and baskets. And most of the the people walking up and down the aisles, aside from a few maybe under the age of 40...the majority looked just like me: retired couples, of similar age and older, in similar retirement dress (LL Bean flannel, I assume), filling their shopping carts and baskets with projects for the next stormy day.. and the days beyond!

   So this is where the neighbors go!!!!