Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Old Enough

Last Friday I had a two and a half hour balance test. It was such an odd event. My eyes were being photographed the entire time; through the moving platform, watching the moving red spot on the wall, the blowing of hot and cold air in my ears, and having to alphabetically name boys names, book titles, countries and states immediately after the cooling and heating up the middle ear. "Schedule an MRI," I was told, "You might have a brain tumor."

Yesterday after the MRI, a no-nonsense otalayngologist, told me that she couldn't see a brain tumor. She will call again today to verify that diagnosis after a Radiologist reads the results also. "Get a cane and a hearing aid." "How old did you say you are?"

Old enough, apparently.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Ethan Axel

Last night we received a call from our daughter in law and son, the newest Gpa Boe. All the bets are off and I doubt if anyone would have guessed that these sweet parents have named the baby "Ethan Axel." I am pleased and amazed that my father's name has been selected for the middle name. John Axel Sacrison 1899-1966, would have been honored.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

A Sight for Sore Eyes

This person, has roamed around Harding County, Nebraska, Wyoming, and the Black Hills photographing leps, he calls them. I call them butterflies and millers. On this very cold day, cold enough to call off all the area schools, it was nice to look at flowers, wild weeds, rocks and butterflies.

Have they named the baby? I don't know. Soon a person might take bets on either what or when. Just kidding, of course. Then there are those of us with way too much time on our hands for our own good. Tomorrow is a church lunch outing with some elder friends. Friday is the balance test and Monday I will know something...or not. Maybe my head if full of bone.

This is how long the winter has gotten. He Who Must Be Obeyed and I play solitaire on cable television. Me working the switcher and he trying to find the plays before I do. That is perhaps a half step up from the news that loops over and over. "At least we have to use our minds," he said. But not too much, methinks.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Blowing Hot Air

Being a dizzy blonde as teenager isn't all that unusual, hence all the dumb blonde jokes. I keep meclizine on hand at all times because I am now deaf and dizzy. Yesterday I had my head examined which included a hearing test, a physical exam of my head and a CT scan of my head bones. Next week I will have a two hour auditory nerve and balance test.

The nurse told He Who Must Be Obeyed that I would be put on a moving platform and they would blow hot and cold air into my ears. I told him that should be easy; Harding County cowboys used to blow hot air in my ears over 50 years ago and it never affected my balance then.

I was told that a person could lose hearing in one ear from a transient ischemic attack (TIA) which is a "mini-stroke" caused by a temporary deficiency of blood supply to the brain.) The first one I had caused a temporary loss of vision in both eyes. She said you have a deviated septum. Who cares!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Paper Whites and Christmas Cactus


On this, probably the coldest day of the winter so far, my "flower bed" in the corner makes me happy. What should have been a Christmas Cactus has been "Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day." The violets are mostly what my mother had started prior to her death in 1995 as is the Christmas Cactus. She lives on in my heart, mind, and they live on in the corner.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Speak of the Devil

Well, the Devil isn't really devilish. You know what the term means. Just minutes ago, or was it hours ago that I wrote of a constitutionalist son. He has his own blog up and running and I have linked him with the Consequential Blogs.

I am ready to be out blogged by my own flesh and blood. He is a good writer and has a lot to say in an entertaining way and I am ready to be entertained by him.

What Century is This!

One of our sons is a constitutionalist and has more arguments for it than Ron Paul. He is indeed from South Dakota and would probably approve of their House passing a bill enabling college students to carry guns on the five campuses in the state.

Perhaps the Professors need to take a course on defensive maneuvers with chalk and an eraser in their hands when some hot headed, closed minded student disagrees with him/her. Or maybe it might be the other way around. Eliminate the class disruption. You know I am exaggerating here so don't get alarmed. I have been reading way too much family western history on whose draw was quicker and how to take care of those cattle rustlers.

With that kind of thinking, Omahans might lobby for carrying guns into shopping centers...just to keep order. I have always contended a shopping mall guard would be worse than hall and cafeteria duty in high school.

PIERRE (AP) - A South Dakota House committee has passed a bill guaranteeing people the right to carry or possess guns on college campuses.

The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Tom Brunner of Nisland, said nearly all mass shootings in recent history occurred in placed where guns are banned. He said criminals have the advantage in gun-free zones because no one else is armed.

The State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to pass HB1261, which would prevent universities and technical schools from restricting the right to carry guns on campus.

The committee then voted unanimously to kill a much different measure that would have made it a crime to have a gun on campus.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

The Courage to Be

"Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to receive answers, even if the answers hurt." Paul Tillich

Tillich wasn't perfect, but who among us is? "The courage to be is rooted in the God who appears when God has disappeared in the anxiety of doubt."

Monday, February 04, 2008

Reading My Writers

Here I am in the middle of the night in Omaha. It has been a while since I have read the writers I have linked to the right of this column.

Simplicity Professor John Maeda writes elegantly of great people taking care of their people. He also launched a theme on iGoogle that I have downloaded. To quote his explanation in part: It "is based upon a series of strokes I drew by hand and a simple algorithmic manipulation thereof." The fact that it changes every four hours along with the explanation are anything but simple.

He also writes about how important it is to be creative. "Creativity is courage. The world needs more fearless people that can influence all disciplines to challenge their very existence. Creativity is reflection aimed not at yourself, but at the world around you." He doesn't say it, but I know its effectiveness for pain relief, as did Frida Kahlo.

Hildred of "daybyday" writes lovingly and beautifully of her beloved books, past and present.

I get an error when I click on RealLivePreacher. I don't know if it is permanent, if so I will have to take him down and find another of the many bloggers I have become acquainted with.

One almost startling event was seeing one of my blog entries from 2004 quoted in a Letter to the Editor in my home town newspaper, NATION'S CENTER NEWS. I am so new at seeing my name in print that it is jarring. I don't know quite what to make of it.