Missing Letters – S, W, X – and Number 2

My original plan was to resume the blog on April 1, but I’m typing this a day early while I still have accessibility to all letters and numbers on the keyboard. I have to postpone the blog return for various reasons. 1) I’m still working about 15 hours per week training and helping the new office manager, Sally. Ironically, I’m working more now than before I resigned, but I no longer have to be there at 7:00 a.m. 2) I’m still watching hospice videos and have completed 40 of the 50 in the Hospice Education Network program and passed each test. I’m not sure what I will be asked to do as a hospice volunteer, but I’ll probably find out in the next month or so. 3) Another activity that is interfering with the blog is the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The DAWGS were not included this year (for obvious reasons), but I enjoy watching all the college teams. I’m not losing any money because Henri won’t bet on these games. 4) The final reason for the postponement is my appointment to have a ganglion cyst removed tomorrow, Thursday, April 1. I noticed the cyst several months ago. It is located near the middle knuckle on the ring finger of my left hand. It’s not painful, but I’m not sure how this finger will feel after the procedure. If there is any pain, whatever I type will temporarily not include the letters “s,” “w,” “x,” or the number “2.” I’m sorry to disappoint my readers with another delay, but I appreciate your patience. Hopefully, Gram Ginger will get it together soon and be blogging on a regular basis. Stay tuned.

It’s a Dirty Job.

It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. When I got home from the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging board meeting this afternoon, I decided to weed a flower bed that contains our killer daylilies. It’s amazing what a nice crop of chickweed we had there! The picture shows the final result. I know tomorrow morning my neck, arms, back, legs, and knees will ache, but it was worth it to be outside in the beautiful weather. Nothing lasts forever. It’s supposed to turn cooler and rain on Saturday, and there is the possibility of snow on Sunday. Bogey Bernie was out while I was working. We discussed our lawn mowing adventures and the thriving chickweed around the foundation of his house. I plan to mow the lawn late tomorrow afternoon when I get home from work or maybe Friday morning. Bogey plans to golf both days and mow on Saturday (when it should be cold and raining). He needs to get his priorities in order. As I said in an earlier blog, Bogey is not remotely in contention for the Patton Drive Beautification Award this year.

I have been working on the Hospice Education Network videos, evaluations, and tests. I have completed 13 of the 50 videos and passed all the accompanying tests, but I’m a little off my planned schedule. I planned to watch two more videos last night, but a construction crew cut a main Verizon telephone line yesterday and left those of us in five counties with only local telephone service and no e-mail or Internet service. Without the Internet, I can’t view the videos. I’ll have to get back on track tonight. Tomorrow is another work day at the office. Ginger lives life in the fast lane and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Stay tuned. Gram Ginger will return. :)

Auf Wiedersehen

The literal translation of "auf wiedersehen" is “until we see again.” I am sure my readers will be disappointed, but Gram Ginger must say auf wiedersehen until April 1. The blog will be on Spring Break, but I will not be enjoying the Florida sun and sand.

I officially resigned from my part-time office job effective February 26. Since that time, I have been working at the office an average of 13-15 hours per week training the new office manager. I don’t mind because my schedule is when I choose to work. Usually, that means starting around 9:30 a.m., a lot better than 7:00 a.m., and working as many hours as I want.

In addition to the extra work hours, I also want to complete a 50 class video learning program sponsored by the Hospice Education Network. The classes consist of videos, usually between 30 to 90 minutes in length, with handouts to be printed before viewing. Following each video is an evaluation and test. Thus far, I have completed seven classes. My goal is to have all classes finished by April 1. Although these are not “required,” I enjoy watching the videos and the challenge of the tests. Each hospice volunteer has an individual ID and password, and a nurse at the hospice office accesses the test scores and records classes completed.

I hope everyone will check the blog again on April 1. This is not an April Fool’s joke. Don't fret. Gram Ginger will be back. Auf Wiedersehen.

Who's Paying the Bill?

Maybe the federal government and the state governors first need to find financial resources to keep schools open before they reinvent what students need to learn. An editorial cartoon in today's Southern Illinoisan is appropriate in view of yesterday's blog. I'm not sure who needs more education, the politicians or the students!

Federal Foolishness

The federal government and the state governors are going to cure ignorance. It was announced yesterday that the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers have developed new national K-12 educational standards for English/language and mathematics. President Obama believes this is the key to improving the nation’s schools. All states except Alaska and Texas agreed to participate.

I may not be politically correct, but I feel parents have to take some responsibility for their children’s academic development. In some families, this may be a problem because the parents are more illiterate than their children. How many children have parents who are school dropouts content to exist on welfare and food stamps? These people do not even qualify for unemployment benefits because they have never worked! How many parents pursue their own interests and allow computers, television, and video games to entertain their children? Could this be a reason our society is dealing not only with illiteracy but also with a serious problem of childhood obesity? I doubt that childhood obesity refers to fat fingers that need remote controls, video game controls, or computer keyboards for exercise equipment!

My concern is that the proposed national education standards may lower what is already in place to accommodate less achieving students. Education should be a challenge for all students of any intelligence level; otherwise, we are breeding a nation of morons. The mastery of basic mathematics and the ability to read, write, and speak correctly are skills necessary to function in society. It would be refreshing to hear teenagers speak sentences without using “like” and “you know” and college and professional athletes speak English rather than ebonic gibberish. Maybe teachers should concentrate on readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic and grade students on their actual work rather than give bonus points for bringing items to stock the classroom supply closet or for attending sports events. Education is the responsibility of both parents and teachers.

To be or “knot” to be….

In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, a famous soliloquy spoken by Hamlet begins, To be, or not to be, that is the question…. That question is answered today as I spend some leisure time “knotting.” I enjoy following the SIU basketball Dawgs, and Kristi gave me an appropriate gift for my birthday. She purchased two pieces of fleece, one printed with the SIU logo and the other in solid black, and cut the edges in fringe strips. She didn’t have time to tie the fringe, and I will do that to complete the blanket. I’m not sure when she found time to do as much as she did while caring for two little boys. I started working on the blanket project Sunday afternoon. My first task was to “de-Gunnerize” it. Gunner is a beautiful BIG German Shepherd who lives with Kristi and her family. His contribution was dog hair, apparently to function as a warming insulation for the blanket. I matched the fleece pieces and then used plastic clothes pins to hold the front and back together. Today, I’m starting to knot. I have never worked with fleece before, but it is a miracle fabric. It launders beautifully, and the edges don’t ravel. It’s also very soft and quite warm. I’m anxious to see the finished product which will be a throw to adorn one of the chairs in our family room. Henri will not be allowed to use it because of his deriding comments about the Dawgs this season. Thanks Kristi, Cole, Kale, Kace, and Gunner!

Bird Watchers

A couple months ago, Henri bought a finch feeder for our back yard. We put it at the edge of the patio so we could watch the finches from the kitchen window. There was only one problem. We attracted no finches. Finally, three finches arrived after the feeder had been in place for several weeks. They left a few weeks later, and we again had no finches. Lucy told me to have patience. When the weather warmed, the finches would return and bring their friends. She was correct. We now have about a dozen finches who visit the feeder daily. The picture shows six of them, obviously all of the same family, and we also have others with reddish coloring. The finches are hungry little birds, but the food they drop on the ground is not wasted. Two turtle doves and some other small birds stop by each day to eat the fallen seed. I wonder if a partridge would join our feather menagerie if we planted a pear tree???

Note: The swimming fish on the blog (under Ginger’s picture) also need to be fed. Click numerous times on the black background, and little white dots will appear. This is fish food. The fish will swim toward the food and eat it.

Mr. Sandman, Bring Me a Dream….

Henri needs help. Over the past several months, he has been dreaming on an almost nightly basis. Some of his dreams are of the time he spent in the Vietnam War in the 1960’s. Other dreams include isolated happenings of the day put together in an unrelated fashion. Henri’s dream yesterday probably resulted from his noted reputation as a chef. In this dream, Henri was preparing his famous pulled pork barbecue for a gathering at our house. At the end of the dream, he realized this event was for 37,000 people! We all know the Biblical story of the loaves and fishes. With five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 people. I’m not sure Henri could possibly feed 37,000 people a pulled pork dinner at our house even with a miracle! Obviously, Henri was quite relieved when he awakened and realized this was only a dream.

I have often encouraged Henri to become a restauranteur because of his culinary skills. Hopefully, he will take the suggestion. Step aside 17th Street, Famous Dave’s, Smokey Bones, and Memphis Rendezvous. Soon, we can look forward to the grand opening of a new barbecue bistro, Holy Henri’s Divine Swine Diner!

He-he-he-he!

I left Bogey Bernie in my dust yesterday. Bogey and I have a friendly competition regarding lawn care, and this year I got first honors. :)

The weather this weekend is so beautiful, sunny with temperatures approaching 60º, that I couldn’t resist the temptation to work outside. On Saturday morning, my first task was blowing the leaves out of the flower beds. The grass, although green and shaggy in some places, didn’t really need mowing, and I used the lawn mower mainly to mulch the leaves. Other neighbors also were doing yard work, one cutting down a dead tree and another mulching flower beds. I didn’t see Bogey while I was working in the yard, but I’m sure he was peeking from behind his windows. Unless Bogey gets going, he will definitely not win the Patton Drive Beautification Award this year. Foiled again, Bogey. :( You have to get started pretty early to beat Ginger!

Update: At 9:00 a.m., Bogey started mowing his lawn. I knew he couldn't stand being upstaged, but he's still in second place. No pain, no gain!

Nom de Plume

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet says to Romeo:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

In the course of a conversation several years ago, I mentioned I had always liked the name Ginger. That is when I became Ginger, and I eventually decided to use that name for my blog. Now, I need a surname. I have been researching the genealogy records of the Catholic churches in the Belleville Diocese, particularly those in the communities of Kaskaskia, Prairie du Rocher, Ruma, and Red Bud where my family originated. My maternal grandmother’s ancestors settled in the French towns of Kaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher. In reviewing these church records (written in French), I found the perfect surname for Ginger and Henri → Devereaux. There are a lot of French names in my family, but this is not a name of any of my relatives. It is simply a name I like. The name Devereaux connotes Southern royalty. Henceforth, Henri and I shall be known as Monsieur Henri and Madame Ginger Devereaux. Royalty is timeless!

Dog Eat Dawg!

Henri and I had supper at McAlister’s Deli last night. From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., McAlister’s donated 10% of sales to Hospice of Southern Illinois. Neither of us ever needs an excuse to dine out, and this also was a benefit for a good cause. We were eating during the first part of the Drake Bulldogs/SIU Salukis basketball game in St. Louis, but I was quite excited when we returned home to hear the Dawgs were leading by ten points at the end of the first quarter. I thought I finally might win the $2.00 bet I had with Henri. This was not meant to be. The Dawgs ended the game in their typical fashion – a loss, 63-61. The Drake Bulldogs probably had a Dawg burger cook out after the game. I’m sorry the season is over, but I won’t be losing any more money to Henri.

The weather is beautiful today, 50º and sunny. I’m in the mood for spring cleaning, and I don’t get in this state of mind often. The room receiving my attention is the bedroom. Moving some furniture, laundering the bedding, washing baseboards, dusting, and vacuuming are therapeutic. I’m tired of dust, and when I get finished it will be gone. I know it will come back, but I can enjoy a clean room for a little while.

While cleaning the dust from the ceiling fan, I got an idea for an invention. Why doesn’t someone patent an apparatus to install in ceilings to remove dust? I envision this as a device the size of a fire sprinkler with a strong vacuum intake to attract all dust particles in the room. These could be installed in the ceilings of all rooms and hallways and work on the same principle as a central vacuum system. All dust would be discharged through a vent in the roof and land in Bogey Bernie's house. Maid Mary would be dusting all the time, and I would never have to dust again. In the meantime, Ginger’s on a cleaning mission. I wonder how long this will last???

The End Is Near

One of my favorite comics is Frank and Ernest. Yesterday, they had an appropriate message. Get with the program or suffer the consequences. The 9th place Southern Illinois University Saluki Basketball Dawgs are playing against the 8th place Drake University Bulldogs in the first game of the Missouri Valley Conference Arch Madness in St. Louis tonight. SIU’s overall record this season is 15-14 while Drake’s overall record is 13-18, neither of which is very impressive. The winner of this game will play the University of Northern Iowa Panthers (25-4) tomorrow, but I doubt SIU will be UNI’s opponent. Henri and I have our usual $2.00 bet on tonight’s game. I always take the Dawgs, and Henri always takes the opposing team. I have done more than my fair share to enhance Henri’s financial status this basketball season; however, this will probably be the last $2.00 I lose this year. I’m trying to be optimistic, but I think both the snowman and the Dawgs are in for a serious meltdown! There’s always next year.

A Day Off

Monday - work and the Hospice interview, Tuesday - work, Wednesday - a day to relax!

Donna and I are meeting for lunch at Kindling, a restaurant in Carterville which opened about a year ago. I have not yet been there, but it appears to be an interesting place. It is located in the log cabin that formerly was Pioneer’s Cabin. Kindling includes a vast collection of microbrew and wine selections, a floral and gift shop, and a dine-in restaurant area. The owners also specialize in beer tastings, catering, wedding planning, and floral arranging. It is a temptation, but we will probably limit ourselves to the lunch selections and leave the beer and wine for another day. The best part of this luncheon engagement is the time we will meet – 12:30 p.m. Donna and I have been friends for almost 45 years and share the same values. After years of getting up early to go to work, we feel entitled to a more relaxed life. We each like to stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning. Retirement is sweet – lazy days, no guilt!

S-U-C-C-E-S-S

Ginger is back. I completed the requirements and am now an official Hospice of Southern Illinois (HSI) Volunteer (see certificate). Over the weekend, I read the hospice manual and answered the true/false and essay questions in preparation for the interview yesterday. The interview consisted of a meeting with Debbie, the Coordinator of Volunteers, watching a video, signing a lot of forms, and getting a TB test. An active HSI volunteer is required to do a minimum of eight (8) hours service annually, but I am certainly willing to do more than that. Debbie and I discussed my preferences for service. I am interested in respite care (visiting with a patient), but other assignments also appeal to me. I love to write and would enjoy writing a patient’s life story (life review) for family members. I did Medicare programs for years while working in public relations for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSI) and would like to do Hospice programs as part of the HSI speakers’ bureau. Another service in which I want to participate is helping to staff vendor booths at health fairs. This also was part of my job with BCBSI, and it provides a great opportunity to meet people and network with other vendors. I probably won’t get an assignment for a while. Debbie has to do interviews with the others in last week’s training group, and she has a two-day training session scheduled in mid-March followed by interviews with those participants. My preliminary preparation is finished. When I get my name badge and task, I’ll be excited and ready to begin a new adventure in my life. The longest journey begins with a single step.