Winter in WI 2008-2009

No life- Just cold...

Punks Dream

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090314/GPG0101/903140571/1207&located=RSS
Trucks collide; 40,000 pounds of meat spilled

SHEBOYGAN — Two semitrailer trucks crashed Friday on Interstate 43, injuring the drivers and scattering 40,000 pounds of meat products along the road.

One semitrailer rear-ended the other about 1 a.m. in the town of Holland, according to the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department.

The second semitrailer rolled down an embankment and landed on a road below. The passenger compartment and motor separated from the chassis, and the semitrailer spilled its entire load of meat products, the sheriff's department said.

***************

Boy talk about being NOWHERE NEAR the right place at the right time.

Love, Punk

Mar 14 '09 -Kissing Pigs ~How Did YOU Grow Up?

 

"The Full Worm Moon", with clouds.
Picture taken 3-13-09

In this month the ground softens and the earthworm casts reappear,
inviting the return of the robins.

The Northern Tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon,
when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter.

Or the Full Crust Moon
because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night.

The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation.

Info from here.

.
.
Good Saturday Morning!
As you know, Casey was back to the hospital on Thursday night. (Technically Friday morning).
She is OK, no better, but no worse for the wear.
We will be keeping our appointment in Minnesota as well.
We lost a whole night of sleep- (Methinks I made up for this last night- getting almost a record setting 9 hours)

Casey's colon is shutting down, probably has been for a year or two.

But this is fixable.
We will know how to fix it come Monday.

I received the following in my email a few days ago. While it is not new to any of us that have been online for more than a month, I thought that maybe it should rightfully be shared with everyone anyway.
Taking my cue from the last line, I believe it would make some wonderful dinnertime/classroom talk for the kids too.

FOR ALL US "KidS" WHO SURVIVED
(the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's).

• First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
• They took aspirin, ate bleu cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
• Then, after those traumas, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
• We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets. Our parents actually took the time to teach us not to mess with things. When we were little, they actually even kept an eye on us.
• Daycare was what Mom did. Or Grandma and Grandpa.
• Dad went to work and made a life for us. We did not keep up with "The Joneses", but we were always happy, loved, warm, and fed.
  
• As infants and children we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. And our cars were even made strong with American steel.
  
• When we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, elbow pads or knee guards. Like everyone else, we "wiped out". But we got back up and dusted ourselves off without running home to Mama.
• Not everyone passed the 2nd grade. We dealt with it, knowing that some kids just didn't get it the first time around.
  
• Some kids even skipped a grade. We dealt with that too, knowing that other kids were very very smart.
  
• We lived dangerously sometimes; not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
• Riding in the back of a pickup on a warm day was always a special treat.
• We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
• We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
• We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
• We even got spanked, or got our butts kicked! We lived to tell about it, and to move on from there having learned a bit more respect for our parents, (and for our butts).
• We didn't know dys-fun-ctional. And if we had, we would have just zeroed in on the "fun" in that word.
  
• We would leave home in the morning and play all day; as long as we were back in time for supper, or when the streetlights came on.
• Due to the diligence of our own parents (and others as well), we knew almost instinctively what we could do, and what would catch us hell when we got home. We usually chose to protect our butts, rather than suffer the wrath of our parents. They actually meant what they said.
• As did our teachers. If we got spanked at school, the principal called our parents, and we would "get it" even worse when we got home.
  
• When we went out to play, no one was able to reach us all day. And we were OK.
• We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
• We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chatrooms. And yet, our lives were full.
  
• WE HAD REAL FRIENDS. We just went outside and found them!
• We got dirty, and had a great time anyway.
• We wore hand me down clothes, and no one ever made fun of us. If they did we made the best of it anyway.
  
• If we cussed, we did so in private because we didn't like the taste of soap. (But no one ever died from soap).
  
• We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones, and even lost a few teeth. There were no lawsuits from these accidents.
• We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt. The worms did not live in us forever.
• On a related note, some of us even swallowed live goldfish. We lived through it, but the goldfish didn't.
  
• We were given BB guns for our 6th birthdays.
• We had to mow the lawns, shovel the snow, do the dishes, and take out the garbage. If we complained, we had to do this for a month.
  
• If we argued among ourselves, the best remedy was to 'finish what we started'. (The other guy always looked worse). But we were still good friends the next day.
  
• We made up games with sticks and tennis balls (and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes).
• We rode bikes, -or (gasp) even "walked" to a friend's house. We knocked on the door, rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
• Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!
• The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
• We had freedom, failure, success, and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
You might want to show this to others who have had the luck to grow up as REAL KIDS, before lawyers regulated much of our lives "for our own good."
While you are at it, make sure to discuss it with your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Oh yes, this could make for some very lively supper table discussions. Hope you all will have the "fun" in doing so.

As for me, and my Saturday it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that I have a world of catching up to do with your own blogs.
(Sadly, a blind person could see how messy my house is).
Life goes on!
Casey just brought this one to my attention... Worth a listen for us all.

Lyrics | White Stripes lyrics - Effect And Cause lyrics


Have a 'wunnaful' weekend!

Again I ask, how did YOU grow up?

A better question...

How are we allowing our own children to grow up?

XOXO
Anne

free hit counters

Posted to my Y! 360, Saturday March 14, 2009 - 07:59am (CDT)

Not Feelin' Too Groovy

I know many of you are "new" here.
Please do the clicks below if you want to know more about those things.
My comments are always open to all.

Your "Innards"
hehehe

.
.
Good Morning.
(Is it)?
I am chilled today... It is so sunny out, but looks are deceiving. I've been out to feed the birds, my cardinal making such a fuss at Punk when I'd let her out earlier. (Those birds may be pretty, but none too bright to be thinking that Punk might be able to refill that feeder)! Dumb clucks.
Mom would call a few people that, and I have to giggle every time I think on it.

It was Mama's birthday on the 7th.
(To read about my mama, CLICK HERE).
She would have been 93 had she lived...

Reianna's birthday was on the 10th.
(To read about my Reianna, CLICK HERE).
So very hard to believe that she would have been 30 this year!

You will have to scroll down after you click those links since "Reianna", "Mom" and "Methadone" are all included in the tags on this blog.

Also included in Reianna's CLICK is the information about METHADONE.
***If you or anyone else you know is prescribed this drug for pain, or withdrawal, please DO NOT TAKE IT!

Doctors are still prescribing it.

People are still dying.

Please get the word out.

"According to the National Center for Health Statistics, medical examiners listed methadone as contributing to 3,849 deaths in 2004; up from 790 in 1999."
From here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methadone

Methadone is also prescribed as 

• Symoron,
  
• Dolophine,
  
• Amidone,
  
• Methadose,
  
• Physeptone,
  
• Heptadon 
• -and many others

.I
.
The links above should work for you. If they don't please let me know.
Sometimes I really I wish we wouldn't have had to migrate all of our old Y!360 blogs to Multiply- Hard to find them all, and equally difficult to link them appropriately too. (Maybe that's just me)?

And now on Multiply, without many comments! hehehe The original ones at Yahell 360 had many of your comments, NOT that I can even get to them anymore.

Anyway...

... My top picture??? (Stolen from here).

As many of you have already read on my calendar on Multiply, Casey and I will be returning to Minneapolis once again.
This visit, to "see" what is going on within her colon.

Dr. Sutherland believes that he will have to remove 70% of her colon.
When I asked, he said she would not need the colostomy bag at all.
It would be a surgery to get rid of the hairpin turns in her colon.
Ideally, he would rather wait for 6 months after her TP/AIT, which would bring possible surgery to June or July. We wait now, anxiously, to have the upcoming test results.

I don't know how to wrap my head around her pain some days? Or how to help her anymore. Kind of a horrible and impotent feeling. Wish it was me.

In awful pain, now with vomiting and more diarrhea, and on her doctors advice, I brought Casey to St Marys hospital again on Tuesday.

They were going to admit her, and then did not.   wth?
.
.

Casey at St. Marys Hospital.

March 10th, 2009

.
.
.
She has blogged about it herself. CLICK HERE to read her own frustrations of it all. (Oh, but do grab a cup of coffee before you do, she has written at length). I don't know where she gets that from!?

She put on a very good and happy face for her appointment for Social Security Disability yesterday. (Not sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing)? But the man was nice, (even a sense of humor thrown in), and I hope smart enough that he saw through what/how she has lived these past three years.

I don't know much, but I do know that "something has gotta give" as they say.
Maybe say a little prayer?

• Thanks to all the garbage at UWGB, at this point she has almost given up her own little hopes for college.
  
  
• Remember the nasty apartment hunting, and how she was treated? <-Click those words for those two entries.
  
  
• She has lost every job she has had in the past 3 years, save for the tax one (that was temporary; they did not call her back this past year either- Not that she could have worked). One waited to fire her after she returned from surgery. The other 2 "let her go" while she was hospitalized!

Like I said, something has just got to give for her.

It all seems to keep "snowballing"...

So there's my rant for today. Not too much newsworthy.
Cold or not I really have to get outside and work off some of this "grrr" energy.

Love to all.

XOXO
Anne

PS
My title? I don't believe I have EVER used the word "groovy" in a blog before.
Have YOU?

free hit counters

Posted at Y! 360, Thursday March 12, 2009 - 10:51am (CDT)

CaseyAnne- Back to Minnesota / The Ides of March

Start:	Mar 15, '09 08:00a
Location:	Guess

Casey must be back at The University of Minnesota, 8 AM Monday, March 16; so we will leave on the 15th from here.

Dr Sutherland will be doing a few more tests on her colon.
He expects to have to remove about 70% of her colon, but would ideally like to wait until June or July. Time, and test results will tell.
Prayers anyone?

Love to all.

XOXO
Me

************
A little info on the Ides of March- (Beyond Sweet Peas Birthday). hehehe
************

The Ides of March (Just one of a dozen Ides that occur every month of the year).
by Borgna Brunner

Julius Caesar
As far as Caesar knew, the Ides were just another day.
The soothsayer's warning to Julius Caesar, "Beware the Ides of March," has forever imbued that date with a sense of foreboding.
But in Roman times the expression "Ides of March" did not necessarily evoke a dark mood—it was simply the standard way of saying "March 15." Surely such a fanciful expression must signify something more than merely another day of the year? Not so.
Even in Shakespeare's time, sixteen centuries later, audiences attending his play Julius Caesar wouldn't have blinked twice upon hearing the date called the Ides.

The term "Ides" comes from the earliest Roman calendar, which is said to have been devised by Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome. Whether it was Romulus or not, the inventor of this calendar had a penchant for complexity. The Roman calendar organized its months around three days, each of which served as a reference point for counting the other days:

* Kalends (1st day of the month)
* Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months)
* Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months)

The remaining, unnamed days of the month were identified by counting backwards from the Kalends, Nones, or the Ides. For example, March 3 would be V Nones—5 days before the Nones (the Roman method of counting days was inclusive; in other words, the Nones would be counted as one of the 5 days).

Days in March


March 1: Kalends;
March 2: VI Nones;
March 3: V Nones;
March 4: IV Nones;
March 5: III Nones;
March 6: Pridie Nones (Latin for "on the day before");
March 7: Nones;
March 15: Ides


Used in the first Roman calendar as well as in the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C.E.) the confusing system of Kalends, Nones, and Ides continued to be used to varying degrees throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.

So, the Ides of March is just one of a dozen Ides that occur every month of the year.
Kalends, the word from which calendar is derived, is another exotic-sounding term with a mundane meaning. Kalendrium means account book in Latin: Kalend, the first of the month, was in Roman times as it is now, the date on which bills are due.

Mother In Law...

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Good Morning.
I know I need sleep here and will go in search of some very shortly.
But first to share what I found in my email.
I found it hysterical.
My apologies if it offends anyone.

Good Night.
hehehe

XOXO
Me

****************************

You don't have to own a cat to appreciate this one.
You don't even have to like 'em!

****************************

We were dressed and ready to go out for the New Year's Eve Party. We
turned on a night light, turned the answering machine on, covered our pet
parakeet and put the cat in the backyard.

We phoned the local cab company and requested a taxi. The taxi arrived and
we opened the front door to leave the house.

The cat we put out in the yard, scoots back into the house. We didn't want
the cat shut in the house because she always tries to eat the bird.

My wife goes out to the taxi, while I went inside to get the cat. The cat
runs upstairs, with me in hot pursuit. Waiting in the cab, my wife
doesn't want the driver to know that the house will be empty for the
night. So, she explains to the taxi driver that I will be out soon, "He's
just going upstairs to say Good-bye to my mother."

A few minutes later, I get into the cab. "Sorry I took so long," I said,
as we drove away. "That stupid bitch was hiding under the bed. I had to
poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out! She tried to take off,
so I grabbed her by the neck. Then, I had to wrap her in a blanket to keep
her from scratching me. But it worked! I hauled her fat ass downstairs
and threw her out into the back yard!"

The cab driver hit a parked car.

****************************

Nighty Night all...

Any Gardeners Out There? (Well you SHOULD be)...

http://www.almanac.com/garden/jobs/index.php?month=3
Times like these, even if you don't think you have enough room, you probably do.
I believe we will all benefit from growing a few of our own foods.

Not to mention the $$$ you will save! All that, and it's fun too!


NOTE: There isn't a child over 4 that cannot pull a weed either! Keeps them busy, off the couch or computer, and out of trouble too.

You just have to love yourself enough to do it!

XOXO
Anne

PS
Yes, that is Casey in that picture, picking beans. Picture taken a few years ago.
(Back when she HAD a pancreas)!
hehehe


************************

Gardening Jobs by Month - from The Old Farmer's Almanac

MARCH 2009

***Re-pot houseplants so they will grow well during spring and summer.

***Water gloxinias and African violets from the bottom, avoiding getting any water on the leaves. Dust the leaves with a small, soft brush.

***Consider ordering a few blueberry plants. Not only will they provide delicious fruit for jams, muffins, and pies, but they are also an excellent choice for landscaping plants, offering scarlet fall foliage and creamy white spring flowers. Blueberries serve neatly in a hedge or as specimen plants.

***When choosing fruit trees, remember that apple, apricot, and pear trees need two varieties present to ensure pollination. If space is limited, try peach, nectarine, or sour cherry, which will bear fruit on a single tree.

***Garden work should begin when a lump of soil squeezed in the hand is dry enough to fall apart slowly.

***Uncover bulb beds and hardy borders near the middle of the month.

***Plant deciduous trees and shrubs this month.

***Trim out the old canes from the rows of berry bushes. The bramble fruits are borne on new wood of last year's growth.

***Prune fruit trees until spring buds swell. Maple and birch should not be pruned until they leaf out.

***Sprinkle wood ashes around berries and fruit trees. The potash will enhance the sweetness of the fruit.

***Remove mulches from snowdrops and crocuses so the shoots can come through.

***Uncover mulched perennial and strawberry beds gradually, pressing into place any plants that have been heaved up.

***Dig up over-wintered parsnips as soon as the soil is loose enough. They will not benefit from any additional time in the ground.

***Set out pansies as soon as the ground is ready. They'll happily withstand cold weather and will bloom steadily if the spent blossoms are kept picked.

***Remove the mulch from your perennial beds gradually. Take it off as the season progresses and add it to your compost pile.

***If your compost pile has been frozen all winter, add some manure now and turn it frequently.

***Check trellises, latticework, and fences for winter damage. Repair before spring growth begins.

***Dormant spraying for fruit trees should be done before spring growth begins.

***Resist the temptation to uncover spring-flowering plants such as daffodils and tulips. Mulch may be loosened, but the shoots will still benefit from protection against cold, drying winds.

***Manure can be spread over the garden now, especially on the asparagus and rhubarb beds.

***Be sure that flats and pots used for starting seed are perfectly clean. Likewise, the soil should be clean and sterile.

***Mark and label your sown seeds, indoors and out.

***Water newly started seedlings carefully. A pitcher may let the water out too forcefully. A mist sprayer is gentle but can take a long time. Try using a meat basting syringe, which will dispense the water effectively without causing too much soil disruption.

***Give peas a chance. The earlier they mature, the sweeter they'll be. Sow them right under the snow, if necessary, but save some for a later planting as well.

***Spread dark plastic intended for mulch out over the garden site to hasten the warming of the soil. This will provide for earlier and better germination.

***Keep plastic milk jugs or other coverings on hand to protect the flowers of pansies, crocuses, and other early bloomers against the return of severe weather.

***Start seedlings of annuals in flats -- aster, larkspur, alyssum, and balsam should be started now (or 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date in your area). If summer season is short, zinnias should be started now. They will need to be potted up in individual pots after 4 to 5 weeks.

***Start some vegetables in flats now: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and lettuce are good choices.

***Seed alpine strawberries now to make attractive and bountiful hanging baskets for summer.

*****************************

As predicted, the La Niña has lasted through the winter and will linger into spring. This has created severe drought in the western and southern United States.

************* Coping with Drought
Prepare ahead for a dry growing season

Plants drink their food. If your soil dries out, your plants will starve—or wilt. Take these steps to avoid disaster.



**** Improve the Soil
Rainwater sluices through pure sand at the rate of 20 inches per hour or even faster, taking with it everything plants need to survive. Soil with lots of organic matter slows the transition of water from the soil to the subsoil, giving plants a chance to take in what they need. To help retain moisture, mix lots of peat moss and compost into the soil at planting time.



**** Plan a Smaller Garden
Take stock of what you really need to grow and don't exceed your calculations. For example, two or three hills of zucchini and cucumbers will easily meet the needs of a family of four.



****Choose Bush Varieties
Plants that grow low to the soil will lose less water through transpiration than those that spread rampantly (Hubbard squash) or twine up to the sky (pole beans). Check descriptions in seed catalogs for varieties that need little space and can tolerate dry conditions.



****Place Plants Closer Together
Leaves from neighboring plants will shade the soil, helping to conserve surface moisture and reduce weed growth. Plant beans about an inch apart, tomatoes about 18 inches apart.



****Mulch Well
Mulch prevents moisture from evaporating directly from the soil surface, and it can greatly reduce weeds. Use whatever you have at hand--newspaper; black plastic; old carpet; large, flat stones--and apply it when the soil is wet. (Don't mulch with peat moss; it dries out and forms a mat on the top of the soil that easily sheds water. Instead, work peat moss well into the soil.)



**** Weed Diligently
Smother weeds or pull them out--roots and all. Don't make your plants compete with weeds for moisture.



**** Reduce Evaporation
Water your garden in the late afternoon or early in the morning--times when the least amount of water will evaporate from the leaves. To encourage roots to develop, soak the garden thoroughly rather than watering it lightly several times.



**** Use a Drip System
Drip irrigation provides greater water savings than sprinklers. (Consult your county extension agent for tips on setting up drip irrigation.) If you install a drip system, allow for different beds or separate parts of the garden to be on separate sets of commands. The water needs of plants differ widely, and a system that delivers one rate of water to your entire plot can be wasteful.



**** Strip Off Leaves
Large, bushy tomato plants lose a lot of water through their leaves. Once the green tomatoes reach their full size, strip off most of the leaves to reduce evaporation and keep water going to the ripening fruit.



**** Harvest at Once
As soon as a fruit or vegetable is ripe, remove it from the plant. Pull up any plants that aren't productive or that are past their prime.

http://www.almanac.com/garden/starting-garden/watering-garden

Is it Spring Yet?

 

hehehe

YOU figure it out.

.
.
Good Evening! 

Anyone still up?
I have been lax in writing, and even in responding. My apologies once more.

That snowstorm that we didn't know what we would get?
Suffice to say that Canada found me once more.

Wouldn't you just know that Suamico got top billing on total snowfall.

.
.

That's Suamico with the 8.3 inches.
I live under the "point".

.
.

My own proven scientific programs and methods measured a bit more.

.
.
.

Flintville Trumps Suamico!
(That's a 15" rule by the way).
I should have brought a tape measure out for the drifts!
.
.
.

It began almost insidiously-
Even though we all knew it was coming.

Punk watched out the window.
.
.


...almost mesmerized by her own reflection.

.

.


But maybe she was watching these little snow angels
(Built by Mother nature and a few great reflections).
.

.
Morning comes, bringing sunshine...
.
.
.


...and decorated windows all around!
.
.
.
.


And a drifted and decorated backyard also!
.
.
.
.
.Know I have seen many things, from many snowstorms...

.


But never have I seen drifts

on my roof !?!  
.
.
.
.


The south side of the garage sporting a drift also.

(Methinks my birdies are dirty)! 

hehehe
Anyone singing "Tennessee Bird Walk"?
.
.

.

My rounded and drifted driveway,
past a strategically parked Buick Roadmaster.
.
.
.

I call it "a single girls easy snow removal"... hehehe
I got tired of trying to keep all the snow and ice from where Casey walks in the house, so I parked the Roadmaster over the sidewalk, & in front of the door.  

(Good thing I have more doors)! hehehe

Then when the snowplow comes, I just drive the car away, jumping the drift left by the plow in front of the car...(And admittedly a bit blindly), onto the driveway and push the snow off with a broom!

SO simple!

...And yes, I got plowed out about 5:30 tonight.

And yes, I got plowed out about 6 tonight.
.
.
.
Punk thought Mother Nature was playing hide and seek with her pull toy.
.

.She also believes each snowfall brings her own little world of fun.
This because she has no opposable thumbs,
...and thus cannot operate a shovel

.


But a good nose can find just about anything.
She dug furiously for about 30 seconds.
.
.
.
.


And brings it to me...
.
.
.
.
She gave me a choice-  "ARF!" she said.

"Shovel the snow or throw the toy"

(Talk about a "no brainer").
hehehe
.
.
.
.


We put a few miles on the dog-

(and on the toy too).
.


Most times she had to dig for it all over again.
.
.
.


But always she found it!
Normally that pull toy bends.
Just not when it is frozen solid.
.
.
.
.
.


Sometimes, she just looks so much like her Mama that it shocks me.
.
.
.
.
.


Mostly, I believe she has the cleanest face in all of Flintville!
.

.Snows can be pretty sometimes...
.


even for weeds and wiegelia
.

.
.


Sometimes it can be downright "cornfoosing"
What the heck IS that anyway???
.
.
.
.

Sometimes serene, dangerous, and pretty-
& even all at once!
.

.
.Sometimes a bit back breaking...
(even before you lift a shovel)-

.

Sometimes brutally honest...
Knowing we won't be getting back to those woods anytime soon
.
.

.


Sometimes distance is dist0rted
and even 150 yards seems SO far away.
.
.
(I still have to dig out that mailbox of mine.
The mailman leaves me nasty notes if I don't).
.

.
But I believe I shall just wait 'til my boots dry out...
.
.
.



.

.

Love to all.

XOXO
Anne



(I am still challenged by that mailman of mine... If he can get close enough to leave those notes, wouldn't you think he could also put my mail IN the box)?!?
Hmmm...

free hit counters

Posted to Y! 360, Monday March 9, 2009 - 10:07pm (CDT)

Contaminated Cheese

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW01970.html

Listeria.

Not sure if this is the beginning of another "peanut gallery" recall or not...

XOXO
me

****************************************

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2009
Media Inquiries:
Michael Herndon, 301-796-4673
Consumer Inquiries:
888-INFO-FDA

FDA Warns Consumers About Potentially Contaminated Cheese

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese (two specific lots) or any Queso Cotija Molido Mexican style grated cheese manufactured and distributed by Peregrina Cheese Corp. of New York City.

These products could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pregnant women, young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Consumers who may have recently consumed these products and have these symptoms should contact their health care providers.

No illnesses are known to be associated with the products at this time. The company is recalling certain products based on sampling and analysis by the FDA that detected Listeria monocytogenesin some of the samples.

The company is recalling two lots of its Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese and one lot of its Queso Cotija Molido Mexican style grated cheese.

The Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese comes in a 14-ounce foil wrapped packages marked with lot number 4469 or 4477 affixed to each package on a white sticker and bearing UPC number 8 17424 00024 6 and Plant # 36-8431.

The Queso Cotija Molido Cheese comes in 15-ounce clear plastic bags that are marked with UPC number 8 17424 00027 7 and Plant # 36-1388, but do not contain a lot number or production date.

Consumers who purchased any of the products are urged to discard them immediately. Although the FDA detected Listeria monocytogenesin only one production date of Peregrina Cheese Corporation's Queso Cotija Molido Cheese, the agency is urging consumers to discard all of these products because they do not contain a lot code or production day code to allow consumers to distinguish between a product that is of concern and a product that is not of concern.

Please direct questions regarding this recall to Peregrina Cheese Corporation at (718) 456-2391, Monday - Friday from 9 am – 4:30 pm EST.

For more information on FDA recalls, visit: http://twitter.com/fdarecalls.

#

Duck crashes in helicopter cockpit???

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/state/Duck_helicopter_crash_030709


GAINESVILLE - The pilot of a medical chopper was able to land safely, despite a duck crashing through the windshield and landing in the cockpit.

He was flying to Shand's Hospital in Gainesville when it happened.
The pilot's eye was hurt in the collision, but he managed to land on the hospital's heli-pad anyway.

The duck even clipped off several switches before landing on the foot of one of the onboard medics.

No one else was hurt.

****************

WHAT ABOUT THE DAMNED DUCK????
Just sayin'...


XOXO
Me

PS
Bev, you KNOW I have to ask...
Was this duck from Canada by any chance?

How well do YOU sleep? 10 tips to better sleep -

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/47782?personal_page_id=1376
Gregg D Jacobs, Ph.D.'s Blog - MedHelp

If you want to sleep better, there are proven non-drug methods for improving sleep. The following is a list of the 10 most important behavioral (non-drug) techniques for improving your sleep:

1.The belief that everyone must get eight hours of sleep is a myth. People who live the longest sleep 7 hours per night, not eight, so don’t worry about getting 8 hours of sleep. Most people need between 6 and 8 hours of sleep to function effectively during the day.

2.Get out of bed within a half hour of the same time every day, including weekends, no matter how little or poorly you have slept.

3.Reduce your time in bed so that it more closely matches the amount of sleep you average each night.

4.Use the bedroom for sleep and sexual activity only.

5.Make sure you feel drowsy when you turn the lights off to go to sleep. If you do not fall asleep within 20-30 minutes, go to another room and engage in a quiet, relaxing activity until you feel drowsy.

6.Don’t take sleeping pills regularly. They have side effects and inconsistent benefits, particularly in older adults.

7.Practice relaxation techniques at bedtime including muscular relaxation, mental focusing, and breathing techniques.

8.Take an afternoon nap after a poor night’s sleep

9.Increase your exposure to early morning sunlight as soon as you wake up to establish a more consistent sleep rhythm.

10.Exercise by taking a brisk walk 3-6 hours before bedtime. This will improve your sleep by causing a greater rise and fall in your body temperature.

Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs
www.cbtforinsomnia.com/mh

________________________


And then his Newest Tips...
An additional 10 for you!
From here: http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/60664

Here are 10 additional key tips for improving your sleep.

1. Research consistently demonstrates that poor sleepers are getting more sleep than they realize. This means that, by recognizing you are likely getting more sleep than you think, you will reduce anxiety about sleep loss and sleep better.

2. It is not just how much sleep you lose that affects your daytime functioning but also your negative thoughts about your sleep loss. Therefore, if you can reduce negative thoughts about sleep loss, you will minimize the effect of insomnia on your daytime mood and functioning.

3. If you wake up and begin your day with a negative sleep thought such as “The day is going to be miserable because I did not sleep well.”, it is the combination of sleep loss and negative mood from this thought that affects your daytime functioning

4. Although research shows that sleep deprivation can adversely affect daytime performance, the effects of sleep loss on performance also depend upon how much sleep is lost and how consistently this occurs

5. No matter which type of insomnia you have, research on insomnia suggests that poor sleepers have a wake system that is too strong and a sleep system that is too weak. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches you to strengthen your sleep system and weaken your wake system so that you fall asleep and stay asleep at night more easily.

6. Short-term insomnia develops into chronic insomnia as a result of worrying about sleep loss; associating the bed with wakefulness; spending excessive time in bed; trying to “force” sleep; engaging in other disruptive or negative sleep behaviors, such as arising at irregular times; and, experiencing stress.

7. It is important to realize that the effects of sleeping pills are partly due to a “placebo” effect. This means that the effect of a sleeping pill is due in part to you and your belief that the pill will work.

8. Prior wakefulness refers to the number of hours that has gone by from the time you get out of bed in the morning until you turn off the lights at bedtime to go to sleep. The greater the amount of prior wakefulness, the stronger the sleep system and the better you will sleep. Thus, the earlier you get out of bed and the later you go to bed, the better you will sleep.

9. A regular arising time is crucial to establishing a consistent sleep rhythm and amount of prior wakefulness. If you sleep late on weekends or after a poor night’s sleep, you delay the rise and fall in your body temperature, which will make it hard to fall asleep at bedtime. Furthermore, you will reduce your prior wakefulness because you stayed in bed later. This will weaken your sleep system and make it harder to sleep.

10. The more that you reduce the time you allot for sleep so that it closely matches your average sleep duration, the stronger your bed will be a cue for sleep. In addition, the more you reduce the time you allot for sleep, the more you will strengthen your sleep system by increasing prior wakefulness.

Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs
www.cbtforinsomnia.com/mh

________________________

Sweet dreams Everyone!

XOXO
Me

Itchy Armpits?

...Come walk with us!

.

The silly scooter...
One of the first signs of Spring around these parts!
Bring on the Harleys please...
.
.
.

.
.
Good Morning All.
And Happy Weekend too!

My head is tons better today.
(Unfortunately I can tell this because my back hurts)! hehehe Oh well.

Taking advantage of yesterdays warmer weather (upper 40's), and the past few days of temps above freezing, I thought it a great idea to get outside and get to the woods.

Didn't happen.

But we almost got there...

The Punk refusing to go along,
unless she could bring Mama Milly's squeakball.

.
.
?

No problem for me!

.
.
.
.

She did have to check out the whole field...
Just kept looking around.
Listening.

.
.
.

Happy nothing bothered her!

And she was off running.
.
.
.

.
.

The snowmobile trail.

Closed.

(For now).

More snow coming tomorrow...
.
.
.

.
.

Lots of field

(Read "mud").
.
.

.
.

After ditching the ball for a few moments,
she found an abandoned mouse nest under the snow.
.
.
.

.
.

There is nothing wrong with this picture.
It is only drifted snow up to the picnic table.

.
.
.
.
.

Punk laughs at me as I got into the deeper snow.
She'd somehow gone around it!?!
.
.
I went no further.
(Or I would still be back there).



.
.
.

.
.

She laughed at me more as I trudged back...
The showoff!

.
.
.

Her paw print as she sinks.
.
.

.
.

At some point she even stopped to retrieve her mama's ball.

I was still catching up to her.

She hadn't been "free" all Winter.
.
.
.

The snow, almost knee deep back by the woods, went from almost nil, to about 8" through the fields.

But we were back home once more.

And played for a while, with the ball ~and with some snowballs too!

And then she stopped for the "itchy~scratchies"...

.
.
.

.
.

Am wondering if her then itchy armpits are a part of her allergies?

She seemed to find them quite funny!
.
,
But she didn't find it funny when I laughed along with her...

The little KILLJOY

.

Who are you laughing at???
hehehe

.
.
Hope you all have a "wunnaful" weekend!
Now get outside and feel better!

Love to all!

XOXO
Me

free hit counters

posted to Y! 360, Saturday March 7, 2009 - 09:14am