Just One More Week

On  Monday, December 21 the Winter Solstice will occur at 5:02 a.m.

This is my favorite time of the year. Not because I like winter - which I don't. It's my favorite time because the days will start to get longer.

I will likely be awake for this event. I tend to wake up around 5 a.m. and then doze until I get up at 7. I usually get to see the sunrise between dozes as there is a sliding glass door that faces south east directly across the room from my bed.

I like being able to see what's happening outside first thing in the morning. I know if it's raining (though I can usually hear it before I see it) or cloudy.

So far, the "winter" (it's not officially winter yet) has not been too difficult, though our first storm is predicted for tomorrow. 

I know there will be many challenges during the next few months. COVID-19 cases are increasing and there are fewer places to stay safe since it's too cold to spend much time outdoors. At the Council on Aging, we had hoped to begin offering indoor, in-person exercise classes to those seniors who do not own computers and therefore can't join the Zoom classes. That's not going to happen for a while.

This is the time of year that I send Christmas/Holiday cards to the people I do not see on any regular basis. For the last couple of weeks, I've been sending a card to just about everyone I know. I feel a real need to have some contact with people. I've always been sort of a loner and don't mind spending a lot of time by myself or only with my significant other. But I've reached my limit even though we haven't been totally isolated.

The positive side is that I've done lots of reading, lots of cooking, seen lots of DVDs and the U.S. Post Office is getting a little boost from all the stamps I've bought.

Old Favorites

 I've been reading a lot of new authors and I've enjoyed their books. 

But sometimes, I just want to read books by my old favorites: Marcia Muller (the Sharon McCone series), Carolyn Hart (the Death on Demand series with Annie Laurence Darling), Donna Leon (the Commisario Guido Brunetti series), J.A. Jance (currently reading the J.P. Beaumont series), Rhys Bowen (the Royal Spyness series), Faye Kellerman (Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series). Janet Evanovich's latest book was just published and I'm now on the wait list. There are 297 holds on 122 copies, so it may be a while.

Actually, I'm getting less thrilled with Janet and her character Stephanie Plum with each book. It's as if she's trying too hard to be funny. But I keep reading them because there's a certain level of comfort with these old favorites. 

I'm seriously considering beginning the alphabet with Sue Grafton's books. I read A is for Alibi within the last couple of years; I'll probably start with B is for Burglar. I'm up-to-date on Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski series, though I may start back at the beginning with Indemnity Only. It's been a long time since I read that.

I have a list of my favorite authors and I'm dependent on the site Fantastic Fiction to keep abreast of their works (and to read them in order on my retrospective jaunts).

I've also borrowed about a zillion old movies on DVD that I've been watching: Birdcage, as well as the original La Cage aux Folles; Hannah and Her Sisters; 9 to 5; Cinema Paradiso; Amadeus. 

M. and I are spending more time at home because it's too cold to be outside in the evenings. That means less (maybe no) inviting a couple of friends over for dinner. Or being invited to others' homes. I'm mentally preparing myself for 6 months of "down-time".

One bright spot is being able to go into the MLS office one day each week. I get to talk with another person who is across the room. We don't spend much time talking, but at least she's there. And I get to see different walls and a different view out of the window. The computer is better, the monitor is bigger than the ones at home.

Today is a work at home day. Guess I'd better get to it. I'm now up to "The flight ..."

Split Pea Soup

Now that the weather is cooler, it's time to make soups. 

One of my favorites is this Split Pea Soup. While the recipe calls for a ham hock, I leave it out and make a vegetarian version using vegetable stock. I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I've had it for a long time. 

I like a lot of vegetables in my soups, so I often double the celery, onion, carrot and potato. I never peel the potato. I also don't bother to puree the soup as the split peas get pretty mushy on their own.

1 ½ c. green split peas

1 Tbsp. butter or oil

1 stock celery, small dice

1 onion, small dice

1 carrot, peeled, small dice

1 Tbsp. flour

5 c. chicken or vegetable stock

1 ham hock (optional)

2 bay leaves

½ tsp. dried savory

½ tsp. dried sage

Pinch ground cloves

1 large potato, peeled, medium dice

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Rinse peas well with cool water.  Heat butter or oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add onion, celery, and carrot.  Cook stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.  Add flour and cook another minute.  Add 1/3 of the stock and stir until there are no lumps of flour.  Add remaining stock and ham hock and stir well.  Add split peas, bay leaves, savory, sage, cloves, salt & pepper.  Bring soup to a full boil over high heat, then reduce the heat until a gentle simmer is established.  Simmer stirring frequently for 30 minutes.  Add the potato and continue to simmer until all of the ingredients are quite tender.  If desired, puree about 1/3 of the soup in a blender, then return puree to the remainder of the soup.  Stir in the parsley and adjust the seasonings with additional salt & pepper.

Disappointed in Carl Hiaasen

About fifteen years ago, a friend recommended author Carl Hiaasen. I've been hooked ever since I read that first book, chuckling aloud through subsequent volumes. His satires on developers in Florida are witty and almost believable. This is fiction that educates.

I was eagerly anticipating his latest book Squeeze Me, but it's not his best work. I almost think a Carl Hiaasen clone or wannabe wrote it in his style. I found the prose blunt and heavy handed, devoid of subtlety and nuance.

Hiaasen pokes fun at our current POTUS and his followers. I'm certainly not a fan of 45 and am baffled by anyone who could support a narcissistic, vindictive bully. Perhaps Hiaasen is just too angry to camouflage his feelings. After the first couple of chapters, I actually considered not finishing the book; just returning it to the library where, I know, there is a waiting list.

But being the somewhat OCD person I am, I did read to the end. I found myself chuckling aloud despite my criticisms. Perhaps I became accustomed to the revised style.

One very bright spot was the return of the character Skink. He made a brief appearance toward the end with his typical shenanigans.

On the home front, not much has changed. I continue down the alphabetical list of potential duplicates. I've arrived at "The eighth ..." I'm enjoying being able to go into the office once a week. Perhaps I'll increase it to two days. 

As the weather gets cooler, all of the things I've been able to do outside will slowly come to an end: exercise class of Fridays, inviting friends here for dinner on the screened-in porch, eating outdoors at local restaurants, events on the Town Hall lawn. I'm trying to stay positive, though I've never been a winter person. Snow is okay as long as I don't have to shovel it or drive in it. 

It's still October and I'm already waiting for April.

Health, Wellness, and Nostalgia Television

 Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.

In my journey to learn more about my body and how I can improve it, I read Breath: the new science of a lost art by James Nestor. I learned a lot of things about one's breath, some of it quite unbelievable. According to Nestor, a few people have discovered how to cure their scoliosis; improve the performance of elite athletes; and spend time naked in sub-zero weather, yet melt the snow around them just by using different breathing techniques.

Nestor traveled to lots of different places, talked with lots of different people, read extensively and participated in multiple experiments concerning breathing. 

While this was somewhat interesting, much of what he describes is pretty extreme (he admits that), and limited as to the number of people it affects. Somehow, this book didn't excite me and I was not sure how useful it might be to me or the average person, though I wouldn't mind using my breath to keep warm instead of oil or electricity - much cheaper.

However, the Epilogue (which summarized his findings for the general public) and the Appendix (which summarized the different types of breathing and the purpose of each) were the best and most useful parts of the book. Here are his recommendations: Shut your mouth; Breathe through your nose; Exhale; Chew; Breathe more, on occasion; Hold your breath; How we breathe matters.

Very quickly: the nose filters and warms the air we breathe. Breathing through your mouth lets nasal passages deteriorate, helps raise blood pressure and promotes snoring. Exhaling completely helps clean out the lungs and allows more air in. Chewing helps strengthen the jaws. The other recommendations are more complicated to explain. You'll have to read the book.

Nestor also explains that acute problems often need the attention of a doctor or other medical professional, but good breathing techniques can alleviate the chronic problems from which so many people suffer.

Life has its lighter moments, as well. One of my favorite television shows was the Odd Couple with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. I've just finished watching the fifth and final season. It ran from 1970 to 1975. Perhaps the best part of the show is seeing the fashions from the early 1970s. Egad! Wide ties, garish colors, short skirts. 

Sometimes it's hard to believe people actually dressed like that.

New Books, New Authors, Lots of Reading

Because of Wowbrary and the emails I receive every Wednesday from my local library, I've learned about a lot of new authors. I see what's just arrived and with a click of the mouse I can request the book. Hatfield Public Library has been doing curbside pick-up for a while. It's quick and easy. I don't really mind not being able to browse in person, because I can browse the Wowbrary list.

In the last week, I've finished two new books in record time. They were both gripping thrillers that I had trouble putting down. Both were British, which is not my usually my favorite due to my unfamiliarity with the culture and the slang. However, that was not a problem at all with these books.

The first was The Safe Place by Anna Downes. The second, The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. I recommend both.

Obviously, I've been reading a lot. I've also had a spurt of energy/motivation and have been doing other things as well. In the last couple of weeks, nearly the entire house has been thoroughly dusted and vacuumed, both bathrooms thoroughly cleaned, kitchen sinks (I have two: one for food prep, one for dishes) scoured, plants watered, and a bunch of other things. I realize if I just clean house for an hour or two a day, that's a lot of cleaning, but it's not overwhelming.

As the weather cools down, I'm wondering what's going to happen, how everyone is going to cope with not being able to spend most of the time outside. I guess we'll all find out.

Back to the Office

For the last six months I've been bemoaning the fact I cannot go into the MLS office. I miss my familiar routines and the structure they provided. Sometimes I feel adrift and the result is I don't do much of anything useful. Yet there are so many things I'd like to do. Mostly housework and yard work. Well, not really LIKE to do, but that need to be done.

I've finally been given permission to go back to the office and I'm finding my familiar routines are no longer familiar. They feed quite odd. I need to pack a lunch, and make sure information stored on my home computer is sent to my work computer. 

I have to plan my wardrobe for the day since it's Friday and the senior exercise class will be meeting in it's new location outdoors on the lawn of the Town Hall. I could just go to the office in my t-shirt, sneakers and baseball cap, but this is my chance to wear real clothes even though no one else will be in the office to see me.

I could almost resume my pre-COVID-19 routine, but I'm not sure I want to. I've gotten used to not having to plan my day because I'll be gone from home and need to bring things with me.

Last week, I went "shopping" for the first time in six months. My 15-year old sneakers were falling apart and I bought a shiny new pair. Yesterday, I went to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned. On the way I stopped at one of my favorite clothing stores and bought a new skirt at 50% off. I could wear that today in the office, though that's more changing than I would usually do. 

One thing I've learned in my 70+ years on this earth is that life is full of surprises. I could get used to that, but I don't think I really ever will.

Back at the Beginning

 Most of my job is spent working from a spreadsheet: a list of potential duplicates in the MassCat catalog given in alphabetical order. However, the program used to spot duplicates, doesn't recognize initial articles. I am now reviewing titles that begin with the word "The".

There are a lot of them.

In a way, it's a little discouraging. It's taken me years (six? seven?) to slog my way through the alphabet to arrive at the letter "T" - only to end up back at "A". Actually, I'm at "B". I feel like Alice in the looking glass: I think I'm going toward something, but in reality, I'm going away from it.

Actually, it's not that bad; it's more ironic.

After five months of working from home, I've finally developed a sort of schedule. I try to do my MassCat work on Monday, Wednesday and Friday like I did in the "old days". That gives me two full days plus the weekend, to do other things like housework or yardwork or just sitting around reading.

But as of last week there has been a change: I'm leading my exercise class again! This is sort of an experiment. I'm leading it once a week and virtually. The first week, we used Microsoft Teams because that is what the Town Hall uses for it's meetings. However, only 3 people managed to log on. And I could only see myself in a tiny box which kept disappearing. In a meeting, seeing oneself in a tiny box is no big deal, but I need to know that I'm lined up so that exercisers can see me and what I'm doing. 

This week, we used Zoom, but after 35 minutes of what was supposed to be a 45 minute class, the program shut down leaving me in mid leg lift. The plan now is to schedule 2 half classes (upper body, lower body), one right after the other and consider the time in between as a break. Beginning tomorrow, there will be an outdoor class in the park next to the Town Hall.

As happy as I am to be back (even virtually) with my class, I now have to review my work schedule. Given that I don't much like to do housework other than dishes or laundry, I could always give that up. But who else will clean? My housekeeper has not been here since mid-March. 

I miss her as much as (maybe more than) my exercise class.

Earrings in the Age of COVID-19

It's been a full five months since Massachusetts shut down due to COVID-19. I've learned some things  I never would have thought of if I hadn't spent so much time at home.

Since, basically, every day is the weekend in terms of going out and about, I'm always dressed in my "play clothes". Reading posts on Facebook, it appears everyone else is too. Pre-COVID-19, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I'd get up and dressed to lead my senior exercise class. After class, I'd go to work at the office. Because I'd be seeing people all day long, I'd want to look my best. That meant clothes without stains or holes, a little make-up, and earrings.

I love having pierced ears. I got my first set of holes while I was an undergraduate at UMass. My ear lobes became infected and I let them heal, which meant the holes closed. My second attempt had the same result and I resigned myself to clip-on or screw-on earrings. A few years later, I went to an ear piercing clinic and had hypoallergenic studs shot through my lobes. Finally! I could wear pierced earrings as long as I was careful about the quality.

When I finished library school, I treated myself to a second set of holes in my ear lobes. It was 1976 and two holes was pretty radical. I've been wearing 2 sets of earrings nearly every day ever since. I usually fill the lower hole first and choose a set of dangling earrings. Then I find 2 studs for the upper holes. Usually the studs are the same, but not always. If my outfit has several different colors, I look for studs with those colors. Choosing just the right earrings is serious business. If I don't go out on a particular day, I usually don't bother with earrings.

Enter the age of COVID-19, when I'm now mostly at home. After a few weeks, I realized, I hadn't worn earrings in a long time and I was afraid, even after all these years, that my holes would close. I now try to wear earrings every few days. I choose 4 studs. After all, who wears dangling earrings while cleaning the bathroom?

But when I go out, I revert to my former habit of 1 set of danglers and 2 studs. That has turned out to present another problem. 

When I first started wearing a mask, I used a bandanna with a batik design. It was very pretty, but I found it inconvenient to tie it and untie it if I was making multiple stops. And no one could see my carefully chosen earrings. I switched to a mask with loops that go around my ears. Now people can see my earrings, but I have to be careful putting the mask on an off as the ear loops can catch on my earrings.

In all of the literature I've read about coping with the COVID-19, no one has yet addressed the issue of wearing earrings with a mask. Am I the first to encounter this phenomenon?

Tackling the Letter T

Here it is July 7 and I'm still working from home.

I'd like to be in the MLS office, but the administration is being very cautious about opening the offices. I appreciate caution. I'm also looking forward to being out and about, even just a little.

M. and I have been carefully venturing out. We've met with friends (no hugging) at outdoor venues, shared take-out meals, and on one occasion actually ate dinner around a dining room table with 4 other people. We had planned to eat outdoors, but it was pouring rain.

Fortunately, no one I know personally has become sick with the virus. I know others who have friends, relatives, or neighbors who have contracted it. I know of two who have died. I've been watching the data on confirmed/probable cases in Massachusetts. I'm happy to live in an area that has relatively few. Most of my close relatives live in the eastern part of the state which is more densely populated and more vulnerable.

As much as I miss working in my cubby in the office, I miss my exercise class more. I'm still getting exercise, perhaps more than in the Healthy Bones and Balance class, but I miss the people. They're my friends. And even though we're not close, there is still a connection that I find comforting.

Back to the title of this post. Yes, I've finally reached the letter T. It amazes me that I still find duplicates and incomplete records that begin with earlier letters. Why haven't I found them before now? Clearly I will never totally finish cleaning up the MassCat catalog.

When I finish with Z, I'll start with A again.

It's Daytime and I'm Awake

I've always responded to my surroundings. When it's dark, I'm sleepy; when it's light, I'm awake. Now that it gets light at 5:00 a.m., I'm awake at 5:00 a.m. and often get up soon after.

Today is one of the rare days I did not exercise first thing. I've been very good about practicing Yoga or walking to the newspaperbox early in the morning. But every once in a while I just need a break from exercise.

For the last two months, I've spent most of my time at home. Pretty much everything is closed down due to the virus. Keeping people separated seems like the best way to minimize its spread, but I'm getting somewhat bored and lonely.

The hardest thing for me is that I've had to do a major readjustment with the way I shop for food and household items. I'm not someone who goes to the supermarket once a week and buys everything. I visit a variety of different places for different things. There's the bakery for bread; the food co-op for most food and meat; the supermarket for the things the co-op does not carry or where the prices are too high.

I go to a health food store for vitamins and skin care products because I like their selection. There is a butcher shop where I sometimes get meat and a seafood store which is the only place that sells finnan haddie. Now that the weather has warmed up a bit, the farm stands are opening. I get as much fresh produce from farm stands as I can. I'm used to stopping by one or more of these places to pick up a couple of items as I need them.

Going to the market is such an ordeal now. Sometimes I have to wait in line so that the store does not exceed its limit of customers inside at one time. And there's the wait to get to the cash register, always keeping at least 6 feet from the next person. Since I'm not allowed to bring my own bags, I now have a cabinet full of paper bags. Well, that's one plus: I used to run out of paper bags needed for recycling. It will be a while before I run out of those.

As the virus seems to be fading, stores are beginning to open up. Soon I'll be able to invite people here for drinks as we sit by the pond. I wonder how long it will take before I'm able to get back to my former routines?

What I'm looking forward to most is being back in the office and leading the senior exercise class. I miss those the most.

I Want to Live in Three Pines

Three Pines is a fictional town in Québec province just north of the Vermont border. It's not on any map, but is featured in Louise Penny's mystery series starring Armand Gamache and an interesting array of characters.

I'm now reading The Long Way Home, the tenth book in this series. M. Gamache has just retired from the Sûreté du Québec. He and his wife Reine-Marie have moved from Montréal to Three Pines.

There is a town green surrounded by quaint businesses: a bookstore, a bistro, a bakery, and a market. There is also a funky B&B as well as a more upscale spa a little way off, but still basically in town. Small houses and cottages are also around the green, each has its own back yard. People meander around the green, kids play games on the green, others sit on benches to the side of the green.

I'd love to stay at the B&B, have breakfast there among the antiques. Then I'd take a walk. I'd probably go beyond the green. It would be nice to go just far enough to see the whole town all at once and get an overall feeling.

By then, it would be lunchtime. I'd go to the bistro for that. If the weather was chilly, there'd be fires in the two fireplaces and I'd sit near one of them. If it was summertime, I'd be out on the terrace so that I could enjoy the fresh air.

Everyone in Three Pines knows everyone else. It's not unusual to have several people gather in someone's home for dinner. Perhaps they'd invite me. Afterwards, we could all go to the bistro for a nightcap. There would be stimulating conversation, lots of witty repartee, and many laughs.

Given the last 6 weeks of social distancing, I'm longing to spend time face-to-face with people. I'm already planning some parties and deciding the best combinations of friends who would enjoy each other's company. I've even started planning the dinner menu. It's been cooler than usual lately, and it's difficult to work outside. I'd prefer to have a tidy yard before inviting people to share time there.

In the meantime, I've been sending long emails or writing letters to some friends, calling others I haven't seen in a long time, and generally keeping in touch as much as I can.

And I'm already looking forward to the next installment of life in Three Pines.

I'm Getting Tired of My Play Clothers, or, What Day of the Week Is It?

Play clothes are those pants and shirts that are old, worn, stained or otherwise not something I would want to wear in public. They are, however, perfect for cleaning house or working in the yard. So what if they get dirty? They're already dirty. Wearing play clothes for dirty work keeps my other clothes cleaner longer.

But since I'm now wearing play clothes every day, all day, I'm getting a little tired of them. I'm looking forward to wearing my office clothes again.

Another side effect of staying home all of the time is that I tend to forget what day of the week it is. For so many years I've had a routine. I like routines. I'm a routine kind of person. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I get up, go to exercise class, then go into the office to work on the MassCat catalog. Tuesday and Thursday are for various appointments, meetings and stuff like that.

Now there are no meetings or appointments except, perhaps, by telephone. I exercise most days, as soon as I get up. After that I work on the MassCat catalog in 1-2 hour shifts and make sure by the end of the week I've worked the same number of hours I would have had I been in the office.

It's a strange time and a strange feeling.

Still, I have a lot for which to be thankful. I'm still healthy. I have a lovely home and a lovely yard. I have an income and continue to pay my bills.

Not a lot has changed since my last post. I'm still waiting for May.

Waiting for May

When the weather turns cold and dreary, usually around November or so, I begin to anticipate the month of April.

Ah, April, when the temperatures begin to rise and the daffodils pop up and the days get longer.

Yes, it's April and those things are happening, but now I'm waiting for May.

May is when we might be able to relax the social distancing and see people more often. May is when I might be able to go back to the office to work instead of telecommuting. May is when I may be able to begin leading my exercise class again. I'm waiting for May.

In the meantime, I'm avoiding contact with the outside world as much as possible. I do go out to buy food once in a while. I'm pretty well stocked with canned and frozen goods, but fresh fruits and vegetables need replenishing.

I'm doing more cooking than usual since we're not going out to dinner a couple of times a week. Going out to dinner often means doggy bags as well, which is an additional meal I don't have to cook. I like to cook and I'm reviving some recipes I haven't made in a while and trying out a few new ones. I have a large supply of recipes I've collected from various places and haven't yet tried. Now's a good time.

It's still a little chilly most days to work outside, but I do that as much as possible. There are old plants to be tossed into the woods and leaves to be gathered and tossed in the woods too. I'd like to start some geranium cuttings, but space in the house is limited and it's too cool for them to be outside. Sometimes I wish I had a greenhouse. I have lots of good sunny windows, but I can only put so many plants in front of them. By May, I'll likely be able to fill the decks with flowers. I love all of the color.

Yes, I'm waiting for May.

The Best Thing

The country - and the world - is in a state of emergency.

Here in Hatfield, the Senior Center has been closed to the public, as have all town buildings. Exercise classes are no longer being held.

This morning, I went for a walk. Since I live on a dead-end road, there is only one way to walk. My daily newspaper is delivered about 1/2 mile from my house where the gravel road turns to one lane - though there are a few places to pull over so a car going in the other direction can pass.

It's a pleasant walk, gradually downhill - which means it's gradually uphill on the way home. I sometimes see deer - though not today - and other wildlife. There is a stream that runs under the road which always produces a lovely sound.

Even though the temperature is hovering around the freezing line and it's sort of raining/snowing, walking was the best thing for me to do to begin my day.

It's a difficult time for everyone. The office has been closed and I'll be working from home. I had lots of things planned, both business and pleasure, for the next few weeks. Those have all been canceled. My three days/week schedule of exercise class and work was perfect for me and prevented cabin fever. That no longer exists.

I'm a person who functions best with a certain amount of regularity, but nothing is regular right now. I also tend to be a worrier; I didn't sleep very well last night.

The only normal thing for me right now is to take those morning walks. Morning walks are the best thing.

I'm in Love with Bennett Cerf

For the last several months I've been on a nostalgia trip - ever since I discovered episodes of What's My Line on You Tube.

I remember watching the show on television when I was a kid. I also watched it when it went into syndication late in the 60s, but the original version - which ran from 1950-1967 is the best.

The regular moderator was John Daly. Regular panelists were Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf. There was a rotating guest panelist every week: often Steve Allen, Ernie Kovacs, or Tony Randall.

While everyone on the show was articulate, urbane and witty, by far the most adorable was Bennett Cerf. I love his impish grin.

Bennett Cerf was the founder of Random House. He was also an author. Know for his puns, he had a great sense of humor. There was constant teasing between Bennett and host John Daly.

Publisher, wit, theater goer, avid reader - what librarian wouldn't love him? Every few days I sit down at my computer and watch an episode (or two or three) of What's My Line.

An update on other aspects of my life: I just finished reading The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen. My stack of reading was getting low and this was on the New Book shelf at the library. While I'm generally not interested in books with a supernatural or paranormal theme, this one was gripping. I couldn't put it down! Not all of the "loose ends" were completely tied together, but I don't care. It was a totally absorbing read.

Writing down my intention of practicing Yoga regularly has worked - at least so far. I think maintaining the habit will be easier as I continue. I took the time twice last week and again today (it's only Tuesday) to listen to and work along with my favorite Yoga CD.

And at work, I'm still plugging away on the letter S. There are lots of words that begin with that letter, so this may take me a while. Yesterday I worked on merging duplicate records of items with titles that began with "Sigmund Freud", books and other media by and about Sigmund Freud, and any other record I happened to spot along the way. Then I began on the word "sign". MassCat has lots of books in its catalog on American Sign Language and baby signing.

I think the best part of my job is serendipitously learning about so many different things and being about to follow up by borrowing a book and learning more. I keep saying that this is the perfect job for me.

Yoga

Once upon a time, I got up  every morning (or so) and did a session of Yoga or Pilates. I'm not certain why I stopped, but likely it was because I've been leading (or attending) the senior exercise class three days each week.

The Yoga "class" was on several different audio cassettes. I would rotate among four different ones for a variety of exercises and stretches. The cassettes are getting very old and sometimes they'd get "eaten" by the player. I could usually extricate and rewind them but I began to get anxious about playing them.

I found some of them on CD (which I can play on my DVD player) so two of the sessions are now available worry free.

Today is a holiday and there is no senior exercise class. This morning, first thing, I pulled on my sweats and spent the next half hour stretching and strengthening my back using Yoga poses. I feel great.

About a year and a half ago, I strained by back. I don't know how. One day, my lower back was feeling stiff, but that usually goes away in a couple of days. This time it got worse so that I couldn't lean forward or backward without extreme pain. I also could not cough or sneeze without extreme pain. I could sit, stand, lean from side to side and lie down. My PCP prescribed an NSAID, recommended icing by lower back (fortunately it was summer; I refuse to ice any part of my body in winter) and the spasms eased.

My acupuncturist recommended some exercises which are some of the same ones included in the Yoga CDs.

Though I no longer have pain, my lower back still stiffens if I'm stationary for a long period of time. I often wake up during the night with a stiff back. In the morning, my back is stiff.

I really need to stretch more and strengthen those back muscles. Obviously senior exercise class is not enough. I often tell the participants in the class that Mother Nature is working against us and we need to keep active to offset the effects of aging. Clearly I need to take my own advice.

I'm hoping that 2-3 days each week when there is no senior exercise class, I'll pull on my sweats first thing in the morning and stretch and pose while listening to my Yoga CDs. Writing my intention down will help make it a reality.

The Worst of Times?

Homelessness. Income disparity. Mass shootings. Unending wars. Imprisoning refugees who seek asylum. Polarization. An egotistical, arrogant, belligerent, hateful president.

I've heard people bemoan that our country is in terrible shape; things have never been this bad.

There is a lot I don't like about my country and what is happening now, but I don't agree things have never been this bad.

I remember the Vietnam War years. The country was extremely polarized.

I vaguely remember the Cold War years and the McCarthy era. I've read a lot about that period. It seems half of the country was terrified of Communists and the other half was terrified of being accused of being a Communist.

The kidnapping and enslavement of Africans is nothing to be proud of. Neither are the Jim Crow laws.

During Colonial times, there were the Salem witch trials; a pretty horrible situation. People were flogged for not attending a specific church. Quakers were executed for being Quakers.

As for egotistical, arrogant, belligerent and hateful elected leaders, I'm appalled and ashamed of our current POTUS. But reading about previous presidents, vice-presidents, senators and other elected representatives, he's not much worse. Even the leaders who did great things (think Lyndon Johnson and the Voting Rights Act of 1965) had their dark sides.

As bad as many things are, I don't think these are the worst of times. They are the times.

That does not mean I'm complacent. There are things I can do to improve the situation and I do all that I can. I'm realistic. I doubt I can end homelessness or the current war, but I can support organizations working towards those goals. I can support the people around me. I can be kind.