Eye of the Beholder

     They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  I'd like to add that ugly is also in the beholder's eye.  A recent Yahoo article features photographs of ten buildings so ugly they should be demolished.  These ten buildings were selected by "architects (and other people with opinions)." One of those buildings, Meadowlands Xanadu, is in New Jersey and has been described by our Governor Chris Christie as, "... the ugliest damn building in New Jersey, and maybe America."  http://realestate.yahoo.com/news/10-buildings-that-should-be-demolished.html  I have to agree with the Gov.  That's one ugly building.  I also never liked Barbie's Dream Home, even as a kid. The other eight buildings on the list aren't so bad in my opinion.  In fact, I really liked the Trump Tower.
     There is no shortage of ugly or unusual.  Hainesport is one of the finest places on earth, but there are some structures around town that could win a prize for being unique.  I got a group of "people with opinions" together, and this is our list of some of Hainesport's remarkable architecture:

This geodesic dome home (or the igloo) is probably Hainesport's most unusual residence.

So, why does Aziza's Restaurant have a Mexican flair?  Back in the late 1950's and early 1960's it was a diner called El Toro's.

The kids on the school bus called this the butterfly house because the roof looked like flapping wings.

This little cottage could be the smallest house in Hainesport.

Well, this house was not selected for it's architecture, but for it's lawn ornaments.

My parent's referred to this tidy row of homes as "the barracks."  Originally, they were army barracks from Ft. Dix or McGuire.  They were purchased by someone in the Sokolowski family, moved to Hainesport, and rented out. 

Lumberton and the Cold War

     Do you remember the days of air raid drills?  As elementary school kids, we assembled in the auditorium and lined up along the walls facing the cinder blocks.  We folded our arms, leaned against the wall, and placed our heads on our folded forearms.  This must have been the Hainesport variation of the duck-under-the-desk move.
     Do you remember these signs?

     Placer High School in Auburn, California discovered a fully stocked air raid shelter during recent renovations to the school's weight room.  Evidently, the powers that were thought people would need toilet paper, crackers, and water in the event of nuclear disaster.  There doesn't seem to be much more in the shelter's larder.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/sacramentocbs13-15751210/preserved-cold-war-bomb-shelter-discovered-at-placer-high-school-29757207.html#crsl=%252Fvideo%252Fsacramentocbs13-15751210%252Fpreserved-cold-war-bomb-shelter-discovered-at-placer-high-school-29757207.html

     Those crackers brought an old memory to the surface.  I remember my father bringing home several cans of stale crackers in the 1970's.  Somehow, he had gotten hold of them because the Nike base, located on Eayrestown Road in Lumberton, was being deactivated.  The government's trash became snacks for our chickens.
     The Lumberton base was one of twelve bases that surrounded and provided protection for the cities of Camden and Philadelphia.  The base at Lumberton was unique because it was one of two dual installations that could, in the event of a nuclear attack, track and engage two targets simultaneously.  Today, some parts of the Nike base serves as Lumberton township offices.  You can even place advertisements on the missile tower.

A sign for Sam's Lawn Service.  Photo courtesy of merchantcircle.com.

     This site contains some very interesting pictures.  http://flickriver.com/photos/42444189@N04/sets/72157624526917061/
     Here's some more info: http://alpha.fdu.edu/~bender/PH25.html
     And:  http://alpha.fdu.edu/~bender/N-A-lumberton.html  
         

A Ponytail for a Ponytail

     I'm always poking my nose in on the subject of children.  I just read an article that started me thinking about the topic of appropriate punishment.  A team of girls in Utah, one age 11 and one age 13, befriended a three-year-old at a McDonald's, then got some scissors and cut off the toddler's ponytail.
     The authorities became involved, and the two older girls ended up in court.  The 11 year old was told to cut her hair off as short as the judge's hair (traditional man's haircut length).  She was permitted to go to a hairdresser and report back to the judge for his approval on the length of her hair.  The thirteen year old, Kaytlen Lopan, was ordered to serve 30 days in a detention center, pay restitution to her victim (just what is the monetary value of a three-year-old's ponytail?), and perform 276 hours of community service. The judge offered to reduce the community service by 150 hours if Kaytlen's mother, Valerie Bruno, would cut off Kaytlen's ponytail, right there in the court room.  Ms. Bruno cut off her daughter's hair.  She had to cut it all the way back to the rubber band since the little victim's mother would not approve of her attempt to leave it longer.
     Now Ms. Bruno has filed a complaint against the judge saying she felt intimidated by him.  She states that she would not have taken the judge up on his offer to reduce the community service hours if she had known her rights and had consulted a lawyer before going to court.
     There is a word that sums up what happened here - talion.  It means a punishment identical to the offense.  The Latin phrase lex talionis (and lawyers have a Latin phrase for everything) is the principle of "an eye for an eye."  In English, it's the law of talion.  This concept goes back to the earliest civilizations.  One theory of how the principle took hold is that it was a more orderly way to resolve disputes than the feuds and vendettas that threatened the social order.  An eye for an eye justice was practiced in Judiaism and in Islamic cultures.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_for_an_eye
     Christianity took a different approach to punishment.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus advised his followers to stop seeking vengeance.  Instead they should "turn the other cheek" - practice forgiveness.  Mahatma Ghandi said, "An-eye-for-an-eye-for-an-eye-for-an-eye...ends in making everyone blind."
     So, what was the right thing to do with Kaytlen Lopan?  She will go to a detention center for 30 days, where (hopefully) she will have her psyche probed.  During the trial, Kaytlen also admitted that she made threats of rape and mutilation, over an eight month period, in phone calls to another teenager.  It seems to me that this hair cutting prank was much more than childish high jinks and bad judgement.  It makes me wonder if this incident was practice for worse acts to come, a la Leopold and Loeb.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_and_Loeb  If Kaytlen is capable of feeling shame, guilt, and remorse, then community service might be the best thing for her.  I would suggest that she work on a cancer ward with lots of people whose chemotherapy has made their hair fall out.  I think it's safe to say that Kaytlen should be watched very closely in the future.
     I also think three-year-olds should be watched very closely.  An adult hanging around toddlers, and displaying a bit too much interest, would raise red flags immediately with any mother.  Maybe we should also be wary of older children.  Kaytlen should have been in the mall giggling about boys, not victimizing a toddler.
     The three-year-old's hair will grow back.  I hope Kaytlen grows a conscience.            

What Would You Do for Five Dollars?

     A while back, I learned about a web site, http://fiverr.com/gigs/search?query=dance+in+hot+dog+costume&x=19&y=20.  The site bills itself as, “The place for people to share things they’re willing to do for $5.”  One seller is willing to draw a picture for five dollars.  Another will write a 30 second jingle.  Still others will translate short documents from, for example, Chinese to English or from English to Polish.  One enterprising individual offers to provide a wake-up call for five dollars.  On the sillier side, a seller named haleylujah will perform a two minute dance to the music of your choice while wearing a hot dog costume.  What if you’re a little down and don’t feel like dancing?  Morningmist will send you an encouraging letter.  It’s going to cost you five dollars, though.  What if you don’t find what you want?  Simply post your desire, and someone out there might be willing to supply your demand for the going rate.
     So all this got me thinking.  What would I do for five dollars?  On a creative day, I might write a limerick for a fin.  However, my offerings, like haleylujah’s would likely fall into the silly category.  I would cut my toenails while singing “Sweet Georgia Brown” for anyone who would ante up the fee.  Would I eat a worm for a fiver?  No, but I would eat escargot for five bucks.  Or liver and onions.  What about one hundred dollars?  I would let a daddy long legs spider walk on me for one hundred dollars.  But I wouldn’t touch a cricket for one thousand dollars.  Or ten thousand dollars.  Crickets make my insides quiver.  They terrify me.    

     Reality show contestants do all sorts of crazy things for million dollar prizes.  I’ve seen them eat worms for that sum.  Could I eat a worm for a million dollars?  I think for a million dollars (that’s two hundred thousand five dollar bills) I would stand in a phone booth filled with crickets while singing “Sweet Georgia Brown” and chomping on a worm – naked.  Any takers?

Keepin' It Clean

     Now that I'm a housewife I spend less time cleaning than when I worked.  I think that's because I developed all sorts of short cuts over the years.  Maybe you already know these things.  In case you don't, I'll tell you some of my secrets.
     Of course, a good vacuum (and its attachments) is your best friend when it comes to cleaning, but have you ever thought of adding a yard stick to your dirt busting arsenal?  I use a yard stick to pull dust bunnies and the occasional piece of kibble from under the stove, frig, washer, and dryer.  I also wrap the end of the yard stick with a damp paper towel, secured with a rubber band.  The damp towel really grabs the dust, just be careful that you have enough clearance under the appliance so the towel doesn't catch and get stuck.
     Who needs to spend money on those Swiffer dusters?  I prefer to use old socks.  I wet a sock, wring it out really tightly, and put my hand inside.  I can dust everything from flat surfaces to curlicues just by rubbing my hand over the surface.  When the sock gets dirty, I can turn it inside out for a clean surface, or get a fresh sock.  I have even cut the pockets out of sweat pants to use as dusting mittens though they are not quite as good as socks.
     If you have stainless steel appliances, you know that they look cool, but they are a b---- to keep shiney.  Every finger print and doggie nose print shows.  The easiest way to keep stainless steel clean is to dip a soft cloth in vinegar, wipe, and dry with another soft cloth.
     Do you dread window washing?  Try Windex Outdoor and one of those soft brushes on a telescoping pole.  If you wet the window with the Windex solution, brush, and rinse, the windows will dry without water marks.  I work my way around the house washing the siding and the windows.  Once you buy the Windex dispenser, you can refill it with homemade solution.
     Here's a recipe for fake Windex, the kind you would spray on a mirror and wipe with a paper towel:
          1/8 cup ammonia
          1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
          1/4 teaspoon dish washing detergent
          1 quart water
     I make my fake Windex Outdoor solution a little (but not much) stronger because the water from the hose dilutes it.
     Mike says I can get any kind of stain out of his clothes.  What he really means is that I can get greasy dribbles from pizza and hoagies out of the front of his shirts.  I don't buy expensive detergent.  Whatever is cheap and on sale to boot, is my choice.  It's the spot cleaners that are important.
     I buy Zep Citrus Degreaser by the gallon.  I spray it on collars and greasy food stains.  I use dog destinkerizer, Simple Solution or Nature's Miracle, to remove many organic stains.  It desolves grass stains, blood, and many food stains.  Rubbing alcohol removes ball point pen ink.  There is one really big gun that I'll bet most people don't know about - WD-40.  Depending on the fabric, WD-40 might be a last resort for removing an impossible, greasy stain, like motor oil.  Spray the stain with WD-40 and scrub the area with a soft brush.  If the stain is loosening, add laundry detergent and scrub some more.  Rinse and check the results.  If you are able to get the stain out, you will be left with an oily WD-40 mark on the fabric.  Saturating the area with citrus degreaser and/or detergent, letting it sit for a while, and rewashing should do the job.  A friend once asked me to remove a greasy stain from her son's favorite Philadelphia Eagles jersey.  After the WD-40 treatment, I had to wash the jersey five times to get the WD-40 out!  In the end, it saved buying a new football jersey, and my reputation for being able to clean anything remained intact.
     I can only think of one situation where dirt should remain untouched.  Check out this funny Dutch TV commercial (it's subtitled):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ym-oPuVkj8    

Waiting List

     With graduation exercises over and done, kids are preparing for college.  Hopefully, they have gotten in to their first choice school.  After exchanging information with their assigned roommate, they'll go out and shop for a new wardrobe (and receive instructions from mom on how to launder it).
     What if you can't get into your favorite school and end up on a waiting list?  Lawrence Yong, of Los Angeles, California found himself in just such a predicament.  He was placed on the waiting list for the University of Michigan.  He wasn't going to rely on the essay he wrote for his application.  He decided to sing is way into the school.  He rewrote the words to the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," and posted the video on YouTube.  Personally, I might have chosen the Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg."

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/teen-sings-way-off-university-michigan-wait-list-225904744--abc-news-topstories.html

     Lawrence made it into U Michigan, and it's possible the video helped.  If it turns out he doesn't like Michigan as much as he thought he would, he could always transfer to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.  "Straight No Chaser" might be auditioning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_No_Chaser_(group)  

Teddy Bears' Picnic

      If you go down to the woods today
      You're sure of a big surprise
      If you go down to the woods today
      You better go in disguise
      For every bear that ever there was
      Will gather there for certain because
      Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic

               Music by John Walter Bratton
               Lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy

     The black bears have been having their picnic in back yards in Atco and Medford.  Bears pilfering from trash cans is pretty common in north Jersey, but it's still a novel site here in the south.  People's reactions to the situation range from fright to delight.  My take on the situation is what goes around comes around.
     In simpler times, people either lived in town or lived on the farm.  Those who lived on the farm were living in the animals' space.  The species ignored each other, for the most part, unless unless a chicken or cow fell victim to hungry wild animals.
     Then came suburban sprawl.  At first the bears and cougars went deeper into the woods.  Now the suburbs have extended into the last remaining woods.  We are living in the animals' back yard, and they are feasting on the contents of our garbage cans.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/06/08/black-bear-sighting-in-medford-township-nj/
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/18719901/black-bear-spotted-in-atco-new-jersey-neighborhood

     There haven't been any bear sitings in Hainesport, but the turkeys are out of control.  The township hopes to pass an ordinance against feeding the birds at the July 10, 2012 meeting of the township committee.  Feeding the birds encourages large numbers of them to hang out around houses.  A couple of bad eggs in the group behave aggressively, and have begun pecking passersby.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/hainesport-looking-to-prohibit-wild-turkey-feeding/article_fab9d6f7-6066-50c7-850e-1857a02f4fdb.html

As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.  As the animals lose their fear of humans, and as we grow tired of overturned trash cans and stepping in turkey poop, the clash begins.  We humans should respect that the animals were here first.  We should also be thankful that lions are not indigenous to New Jersey.  Take a look at what's happening in the capital city of Kenya:

http://news.yahoo.com/lions-loose-kenyan-capitals-urban-jungle-073205357.html



   
                                             

Flip Flops

     If you think I'm crafty, you should meet my friend Lucy.  She's the craftiest person I know.  Recently, she taught me how to embellish flip flops.  Instead of paying $20.00 or $30.00 for jazzy flops at a boutique, you can buy a pair for $2.50 at Target and make them unique using, at most, $3.00 worth of ribbon and ready made bows.  It's easy and fun.
     I purchased an assortment of flops in different sizes and colors.  I went to the dollar store first.  I found that their flip flops for children were sturdy, a good value, but the adult flops were flimsy.  I found better quality flip flops at Target for $2.50 and at Walmart for $2.28.  Any craft store has ribbon and a variety of bows, flowers, and other items to pretty up your project.
     I found a very good video which demonstrates how to make a military braid, the style of braid I used.  The video shows how to decorate flip flops or a hairband with military braids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtGB_Owt_9g

     Here's my first attempt.

This is the finished braid.  It is about 12 inches long, but I needed only 11 inches for the flip flops.

You attach the braid with a really strong, stinky glue called E6000.  I used clothes pins to hold things in place overnight.

These are the finished flops.  I used a glue gun to add the flower.

     These flip flops look nice, but I made a couple of mistakes that I will correct in the future.  First, I will be more accurate with the length of my braid.  With all the edge sealing and gluing, a finished braid is difficult to unbraid and shorten.  Next, I will be neater when I glue the braid to the straps.  The E6000 that oozed out stiffened the ribbon.  I hope that doesn't rub the wearer's foot.
     So, give it a try.  If you really goof up your project, all is not lost.  Check out this video of alternative uses for flip flops.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFj1iwcL6m0
       
 

When Husbands Retire

     Mike is beginning to talk about retiring.  I wonder how he'll like retirement.  I like it.  It's nice being the boss of me.  I wonder if Mike thinks he's going to be the boss of Mike once he leaves the daily grind.  I might have some other ideas!

 Oh, to turn lazy was his aspiration,

To be the embodiment of sloth in his next incarnation.

No working, no slaving, no dedication -

Just a life horizontal, to his wife’s consternation.

Gone the alarm’s tintinnabulation,

Gone the fancy wardrobe - Ah, jubilation,

Gone the traffic, that vexation.

Now he’ll be ruled by his own machinations.

No more pleasing the boss, none of that osculation.

The decision’s been made, after much cogitation,

To trade briefcase for recliner with soothing vibration.

He’ll be living the life of the average crustacean.

                                                                                                     

He thought he was set, but to his trepidation

The spouse made a few of her own calculations.

For him to be idle gave her agitation.

So she chose for him a new occupation.

                                                                                          

He’ll be a full partner in home renovations,

The duties assigned per the mate’s allocation.

Why, in just a few months, by her estimation,

A perfect domicile will reach realization.

So much for his happy ruminations,

He’s learned to choose the path of capitulation.

She’ll have his harmonious cooperation

While he fantasizes about emancipation.

Graduations

     It's graduation time.  Every year in June high school kids and college kids don caps and gowns and go through the rite of passage called commencement.  Before they take that walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, they sit through the usual commencement speeches.   The themes of those speeches don't vary much - this is the beginning, not an end; your possibilities are limitless; the world is your oyster; blah, blah, blah.
     I prefer Charles Wheelan's advice.  He wrote a book titled 10-1/2 Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said.  Here are his thoughts:

     1. Your time socializing was well spent.
     2. Some of your worst times lie ahead.
     3. Don't make the world worse.
     4. Marry someone smarter than you.
     5. Don't make a competition out of everything.
     6. Read obituaries.
     7. Your parents never really wanted what was best for you.
     8. Don't let your pay check be your only reward.
     9. It's all borrowed time.  Nobody leaves this life alive.
    10. Don't try to be great.

     Ellen DeGeneres had some funny things to say when she addressed Tulane University graduates in 2009.  Things said in jest are usually true, so pay attention to her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6pPBqfrAnI

     Making it to graduation is an accomplishment.  Still, that was probably the easy part.  Bon voyage, graduates, on your journey through life.

   
   
   

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

     Spending time on a farm is the latest in family vacationing.  A farm vacation is usually not too expensive.  You can participate in chores as little or as much as you want.  These visits are great for children because kids get the opportunity to see the origins of the food they eat.  Check out this article before you plan your next trip.    

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/skip-disney-world-fun-frugal-070108784.html

     I spent a couple of summers on a blueberry farm.  I needed a sort of passport to go there called working papers.  An agriculture work permit is different from the papers most youngsters get when they land that first job.  The minimum age for farm work is twelve, not sixteen.  As long as school is not in session,  twelve year olds can work ten hours per day, six days per week.
     My day started around 7:30 a.m. when I was picked up at Folwell School in Mt. Holly.  A bunch of us piled into a panel van and sat on the floor for the ride to Pemberton.  When we arrived at the packing house in Pemberton, we joined the local kids and headed for the field.
     We hand picked the ripe berries, leaving the green ones on the bush.  There would be a second pick later to get the berries that were slow to ripen.  There was a technique to picking.  We cupped our hands as if trying to scoop up water.  Next, we placed our cupped hands under a cluster of berries.  The trick was to tickle the ripe berries with our finder tips, so they dropped into our cupped hands.  We tickled clusters of fruit until our hands were full.  Then we dropped the berries into a large can that hung around our necks.
     When the can was full, we dumped it into a wooden box called a flat.  There were twelve pint sized containers in the flat.  When all twelve pints were full, we took the flat to the boss who dumped one of the twelve pints on top of the other eleven.  We got credit for picking eleven pints of berries.  The boss punched out numbered blocks on card board tickets that, like the cans, hung around our necks.
     Friday was pay day.  We turned in our tickets and were according to how much we picked.  I think we got about nine cents per pint.  I might pick sixty pints on a good day, or 300 pints per week, so my pay was around $27.00 per week.
     Blueberry picking taught me all sorts of things.  For example, the skin of a blueberry is black.  They look blue because the skin is coated with a powdery substance.  After picking all week, my finder tips and nails were blue-black.  I soaked my hands in bleach every weekend to remove the staining.
     I also learned that blueberries contain maggots.  Flies lay eggs in developing berries.  When the eggs hatch, the maggots feed on the berries.  Farmers spray to eliminate flies and maggots, but some still slip through.  Two maggots per 100 berries in an acceptable amount.  http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/text18/food.html  I didn't eat blueberries for about thirty years after working on the farm.  I just couldn't get those maggots out of my head.
     I also learned about Saddleback Caterpillars.  One day we poked our arms into the bushes and pulled them out in a hurry.  Saddlebacks were hiding on the inner branches.  They stung us with the barbs located on either end of their bodies.  I always inspected the bushes after that and often gave them a good shake.

Saddleback Caterpillar

     Picking blueberries was hot, dirty work.  After a rain, we had to slog through mud that was almost knee deep.  There was a bathroom in the packing house, but we used outhouses when we were in the fields.  If we were thirsty, there was a pitcher pump.  The pump had to be primed to get it going, so we pumped the handle while pouring water from a jar into the top of the pump.  Once we filled our jugs, we had to fill the primer jar and leave it sitting by the pump for the next person.
     We were dirty and sunburned, but we managed to enjoy the work.  We had contests to see who could pick the fastest.  One of the boss's children played the guitar and sang.  She serenaded us in the field.  As I said, I learned a lot during my summers working on the farm.  The most important thing I learned was that I should study hard in school and go to college because I didn't want to pick blueberries for the rest of my life.      

Rag Bag

     I cut up my old clothes and towels for my brother-in-law Chuck.  He needs lots of rags because he works on cars.  At the Memorial Day picnic, Chuck mentioned that he needed a rag bag.  I asked him how big it should be - "about thirty six inches."
     This morning, I decided I felt like making a rag bag.  I called Chuck.  He answered the phone, not with "Hello," but with, "Speak your business woman."
     "What color do you want your rag bag to be?"
     "Any color.  It doesn't matter."
     "What color did you paint the garage?"
     "It's kind of a cream color."
     "Okay."
     "Bye"
     Chuck is a man of few words.
     Alrighty.  It should be about thirty six inches, and it can be any color.  I love carte blanche.   I decided to make a red bag.  Joann Fabrics has a section called bottom weights.  That's a new term for me.  They are kind of like poplin, kind of like duck, kind of like light weight denim.  They're sturdy.
     I washed and dried the fabric.  I cooked up a pattern and cut it out.  Then I took one piece to Al's Custom Interiors and Embroidery on Monmouth Road in Mt. Holly.  I decided Chuck's rag bag should be personalized.  By the way, Al's did a fantastic job.  They are friendly and polite, and I got same day service.
     Here's how it came together:

The front of the bag was done with two pieces, so Chuck can reach inside for a rag, while the bag hangs from it's draw strings.

Here's the back of the bag.

I put the front and back together, overlapping the two front pieces.

I stopped short sewing the side seams.  I turned the top down to make a casing for the draw strings.

Almost done

I used a big safety pin to pull the draw strings through the casing.

Voila!  A rag bag. 

Mars

     A Dutch company, Mars One, wants to establish a colony on Mars.  The project starts now and, after ten years of training and preparation, will send the first four person team on a one way trip to the red planet.  Thereafter, they plan to send additional crews every two years.  They plan to use media exposure to fund the project.  It will be like Big Brother, Survivor, and The Truman Show rolled into one.  I don't know about this.  http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/mars-one-one-way-ticket-red-planet-192011042.html
     Where would they find people willing to go on what amounts to a suicide mission?  They are looking for people to commit the rest of their lives to the project.  I think making the commitment to live out life on Mars would take more faith than entering the priesthood.  Only younger people have this sort of mindset.  How many would drop out of the ten year training program when their ideas change?  I think older people, who have left the "Angry Young Man" phase of life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLLYa5LdUeE would have little interest in going to Mars.  Maybe they could recruit prisoners.  But, I don't know about that.
     Will women be on these space missions? You know what happens when men and women share close quarters.  They make babies.  How would they handle the little Martians?  I suppose they would all be home schooled.  Would the grandparents back on Earth get up in arms and demand that they kids be returned to their custody on Earth?  How tough would it be to raise a child on Mars?  I've heard that children use emotional blackmail on parents by threatening to do things like hold their breath until they die.  Here on the blue planet we call their bluff and tell them to right ahead and try to stop breathing.  What if a child on Mars threatens to go outside and breathe Martian air if the parents don't get them the latest spacesuit with the neon colors and the flashing lights in the boot heels?  That child would have to be locked down for his own protection.  Again, I don't know this.
     Would the whole adventure really make good television?  A documentary about the preparations for the trip might be interesting.  The journey to Mars takes seven months.  After the initial televised space capsule tour, I doubt there would be much of interest to broadcast.  Bas Lansdorp of Mars One says that the Martian experience "would be 'real' reality TV."  He seems to think there will be excitement and challenges aplenty that will make interesting viewing - stuff that will keep the audience at home coming back for more.  I don't know about that.  What if someone realizes they made a bad choice, and they want to come home, but can't?  What if this drives them to suicide?  I did a little reading up on Mars.  The planet has no global magnetic field and no atmosphere.  There is no shield on Mars against cosmic and solar radiation.  Without powerful shields against the radiation on Mars' surface, human DNA could be damaged.  This would probably cause illness and early death.  Who wants to watch someone suffer and die?  If the whole project goes to Hell in a hand basket, will the Mars One organization face lawsuits filed by everyone from relatives left behind to viewers traumatized by the broadcasts?
     I'll be seventy years old in 2023.  I'm not going to watch The Mars One Experiment (or whatever they decide to call it) when it's on television.  This, I do know.

Too Much Fun

     When I was in elementary school, fun was attending a birthday party or splashing around in a twelve inch deep pool.  In high school, dances and sleep overs were fun.  Fun got fun-er in college.  Every Saturday night we made the rounds of the fraternity parties.  Fun was sort of like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJcw4yoIseo  One's idea of what is fun changes over the years.  Playing Thumper and chugging has completely lost its appeal.  But I still love a good time, and yesterday I had more fun than a barrel of candidates.  I worked the polls.
     About a year ago, I received a notice in the mail asking for applicants to serve as election workers.  Since I'm retired, I thought, Why not?  My application led to a training class in October 2011.  I spent November 8, 2011at the county court house on Rancocas Road counting absentee ballots.  I enjoyed the experience and looked forward to the next election.  When I didn't get a call for yesterday's primary, I was disappointed.
     The disappointment ended yesterday morning at 7:40 a.m.  I got a last minute call to fill in at the polls in Moorestown.  I abandoned a perfectly good pot of coffee, hit the shower, and hightailed it to the Moorestown Library.   Working at the poll was new for me, and I didn't know what to expect.  I don't know how they do it in other townships, but the people in Moorestown know how to party!
     Lest you think it was all fun and games with no work, let me explain what "party" means.  Every one was friendly, relaxed, and happy to be there.  The election workers knew everyone in the neighborhood, so every voter was greeted warmly.  Turnout was light, so there was time to ask about kids and show off pictures of grandchildren.  What a sense of community!
     I was warned that there would be dancing at the end of the day.  Sure enough, after working from 5:15 a.m. till 8:00 p.m., three of the ladies whooped it up and did a little mummer's strut around the room.  We all had a good laugh.  After the dancing ritual, reports were run, the voting machines were closed and locked, and the results were delivered to the township offices.
     We would rather have had less fun.  We remarked over and over during the day that voter turnout was disappointing.  Sure, it was just a primary with no hot issues.  Still, voting is your voice.  Ladies, do your hear me ladies?  We did not have the right to vote until 1920.  Until ninety two years ago, women were second class citizens in this country.  The struggle for women's suffrage began in 1848.  It took seventy two years to win the right to vote. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_suffrage_in_the_United_States
     So, make me work for my pay.  Run me ragged.  A little less chit-chat and a lot more voting is what I want to see.          

Pillow Fight

     Yesterday, June 3, 2012, was National Cancer Survivor's Day.  It's nice that someone designated June 3rd as the official day, but every day is Survivor's Day if you have had cancer.  At least that is what some survivors have told me.
     Cancer treatment can be grueling.  Chemotherapy and radiation can leave patients nauseated and exhausted.  The couch becomes their best friend.  I have a little project that I like to do if someone I know is diagnosed with cancer.  There are lots of ways to fight cancer.  I call my project The Pillow Fight.
     First, I go to the store and select a big, fluffy pillow.  Next, I go to Joann Fabric (armed with coupons, of course) and I select a bunch of 100% cotton fabrics.  I pick fabrics based on upcoming holidays, the recipients interests, favorite colors, or just whatever is pretty.  I start out by sending the pillow, one pillow case, and an explanation of what I am doing.  Thereafter, I send a pillow case once or twice per month.  I package the pillow cases in a zip lock bag.  I tie a ribbon around the case, and I attach a big tag with a picture and a quote.  For example, one friend joked that her summer vacation would be spent at the hospital in Philadelphia.  I found a fabric printed with images of the Eiffel Tower.  I also found a quote from model Tyra Banks, "I haven't seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre.  I haven't seen anything.  I don't really care."  That seemed to sum things up!
     There are cat fabrics purr-fect for pet lovers, fabrics with musical notes for music lovers, and fabrics featuring all kinds of foods or hobbies.  I've scanned pretty, floral fabrics to make a note card to match the pillow case.  Just try to personalize the fabric for it's the recipient, keep it light, and keep it positive.
     Here's how I make the cases:

Pillow Case Instructions

Buy one yard of 45” fabric.  Make sure you get the full yard.  Don’t allow them to cut on an angle causing you to be a little short on one side.

Wash the fabric.  It removes chemicals and sizing added during the manufacturing process.  It also removes any dust, dirt, or germs picked up in the store from customer’s handling the bolt or the bolt being left on a dirty surface.

With the right sides together (print on the inside) fold fabric in half (selvage edges go together - that means the side edges, not the cut edges).  It probably would be a good idea to press your fabric once folded in half.

Cut the fabric on the fold.

You are working on the wrong side of the fabric.  Seam allowances are 5/8”.  You might want to pin your seams first.  Sew one side seam.  Sew the top seam.  Sew the remaining side seam.  Press the side seams open. 

You are still working on an inside-out pillow case.  Turn the open edge under ½” and press.  Turn the open edge up again 4” and press.  Pin the hem in place.  Sew the hem close to the edge.

Turn the pillow case right side out.  You’re done.

There is a pillow case project aimed toward children stricken with cancer.  It's called ConKerr Cancer.  Check out their website.  http://conkerrcancer.org/home/

One of my Burlington County Board of Social Services coworkers was my inspiration for The Pillow Fight.  She was being treated for cancer when she heard about making pillow cases for kids with cancer.  She set a goal to make 100 pillow cases.  She reached and exceeded her goal before she lost her battle.  

So, stitch up a brightly colored pillow case, stuff in a pillow, and start swinging until the feathers fly in the face of cancer.   

     

Ticked Off

     The ticks are thick this year.  I've had two (that I could see) attached to me this season.  Yuk.  In spite of faithful application of Frontline, the dog had ticks latched on to her ears.
     Mike and I have a number of tick rituals which we perform faithfully.  Whenever we work in the wooded area of our lot, we saturate ourselves with insect repellent containing DEET.  I wash work clothes in hot water as soon as the work is done, and I dry them in the dryer.  We enter the house from the garage and drop the clothes into the washer before we go into any other parts of the house.  The most fun part is checking each other for ticks.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vSNiQKAH0E  Ah, come on.  We're married.
     Ticks are vectors of disease.  Lyme disease is the most well known, but there are other diseases associated with tick bites.  The little blood suckers also transmit Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Bartonella, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Tularemia.  Lyme is difficult to diagnose.  The ticks are so small that many people don't know they have been bitten.  The characteristic bull's eye rash, the best way to confirm the disease, occurs in less that 50% of cases.  The spirochete that causes Lyme, Borrelia burgdorferi, doesn't always stimulate the body to produce antibodies in sufficient quantities to register during testing.  Lyme is called the great imitator.   If a person doesn't develop the bull's eye rash, they might be misdiagnosed as having just about anything.
     Unless you've been living under a rock, you know about ticks and the diseases they transmit.  Here's some information you might not know:
     If you have been bitten, you can send the tick, once removed, to a lab for testing.  Try to save the tick alive.  Place it in an airtight container or zip lock bag with a moist cotton ball (no alcohol).  Send this package, along with a check, to a tick testing lab.  Here is info on three labs:
     IGeneX Labs, Palo Alto, CA (800) 832-3200
     MDL, Mt. Laurel, NJ (877) 269-0090
     NJ Labs, New Brunswick, NJ (732) 249-0148
I called NJ Labs.  They charge $60.00 for tick testing.  It could get expensive if you get a lot of tick bites.  MDL in Mt. Laurel charges only $29.90 for tick testing.
     Another thing you might not know is that there are state and federal laws that protect students with Lyme disease.  The federal laws supercede the state regulations.  If Lyme impairs a child to the point that they need are learning disabled or need special accommodations in school, schools have to provide supplementary aids and services.  Go to http://www.504idea.org/Council_Of_Educators/Welcome.html or
http://www.cec.sped.org/content/navigationmenu/policyadvocacy/idearesources/default.htm .
     Finally, you can get support if you suffer from Lyme disease.  Contact the New Jersey Lyme Support Group at (201) 891-7220 or email them at njlsg@aol.com.  You can also contact the Lyme Disease Association at:
      P.O. Box 1438
     Jackson, NJ 08527
     Toll-free (888) 366-6611
     Fax (732) 938-7215
     Email: Lymeliter@aol.com
     Website: http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/
I thank the Lyme Disease Association for their pamphlet Lyme (R) Primer.  The Primer contains the above information and more.