Category Archives: Editorial

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Ending Thyme

Posted on June 17, 2016 | 2 comments

I’m good at it. First I drown it, then I dry it out. Both have wilted.

Years ago I created a community garden here and the pots are out but there are no plants. It’s such a short growing season I came over every week to keep the cilantro, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives et al from bolting and going to seed. Chives are perennials so they should be kept around.

With no outdoor herb garden to “shop and chop” in, I had to do it myself. The thyme is dead. I’ve also heard it’s difficult to grow lavender. Basil, cilantro, flat leaf parsley, rosemary and some sage still look OK. Indoor growing, lots of cold days.

Some look to save time, I look to save thyme. Both, actually. Dee

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Test Results: Negative

Posted on June 14, 2016 | Leave a comment

That’s always a good thing to hear when you’re ruling things out. Yesterday our dog Zoe went through a number of tests and shots and is still sleeping it off. She was negative for heartworm, intestinal worms, fleas, ticks, you name it. She got her annual panel of shots and after we got the results, heartworm medication/treat. Ivermectin is so tasty. As we both age, it takes longer to bounce back so she’s been sleeping. Yesterday, for an annual exam and all these procedures it cost us $219.00. We can’t have doggie health insurance because Zoe has no hips (she walks fine, just can’t jump up to the bed) but we consider this part of the cost of having a dog, that and food, love and treats.

I  was denied one cent of coverage by our new health insurance company while my eye was bleeding profusely. The hospital completely misdiagnosed my condition, I went to an eye specialist after I stopped bleeding over the weekend and I had a large growth, surgery, multiple eye exams, biopsy, pathology lab and finally two weeks later the words “benign and healed” happened. Test results: negative. Phew! But we’re not out of the woods yet.

None of this happened in the ER. They didn’t care about my eye and what was wrong with it. They are going to charge me $9,000.00 and insurance will not pick up a cent of it. Apparently an eye gushing blood is not a danger to “life and limb” so because I couldn’t see to find  documentation or drive because of all the paper towels on my face to stem the blood, a kind neighbor drove me to the ER. My health insurance refused to allow a bleeding patient one cent on the insurance as it was not “life and limb.”

Oh,  am going to fight this denial with everything in my being. $219 for the dog is nothing. $9K for an unnecessary CT scan, a few bandages and a cursory vision test by a nurse are not worth that in my book. The insurance company won’t deal with them, or me. I haven’t gotten a bill yet but today called several phones and finally got the whopping number.

Now I’m waiting for them to deny me the medical visits, surgery, biopsy and follow-up for what the ER failed to even look for. This is medical malpractice and insurance fraud. The postal carrier, a good guy my dog loves, knows me and will be sure I get the next denial promptly. I think it’s time to sue and change health care companies.

They messed with the wrong person, yes the former state insurance representative. Everybody knows me. More know and love my old dog. It’s been a trip living here but I think it’s time to go. Dee

 

 

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Vision

Posted on June 12, 2016 | Leave a comment

In the beginning I looked for 1,000 readers/participants. Now I’m looking to quit at 100K. Yes, it’s been an un-monetized niche blog. It gives me joy to send you flowers from my heart,via my blog.

My eyes/glasses are still not right but I did something the other day in which you might have interest. I had framed a work of art, from the first artist in the world, 1700’s Japan, who created a full-color wood print. I took care of a neighbor’s dog while she was in Japan and she returned with this lovely print.

I chose the double mat pulling out the colors, and the frame with able assistance from my consultant K and it is gorgeous. But one must remember that the frame and the colors are only designed to showcase what is within. Our neighbor and her dog saw it the other day, while Mom was admiring the art, her dog and Zoe were mixing it up in a good way. Keep away is always a good game.

I could say they’re “fast friends” but the young speed hound would leave our old Zoe in the dust. But they do like to sleep together, on our bed. Trust.

People judge on skinny or fat, tall or short, black or white. When one looks at an historic wood block print, a painting Dad did at age 80 or the paintings I collected from an artist in Florence with an easel outside where we stayed, even photos I took from various trips they are gifts because how I framed them shows what’s on the inside.

Please try to see what is on the inside. A frame and matting are on the exterior only to draw attention to the art and what it says on the interior. Dee

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Thinking Ahead

Posted on June 7, 2016 | 2 comments

I made a difference in America’s sixth or seventh largest city, I haven’t checked the numbers of late.

Six years into the leash-free debate for dog owners who pay taxes to access local parks my dog died and I regretted every hour away from her that I spent arguing for her to be able to chase a ball in her local park.

I had to tell the kids, toddlers’ moms and fellow dog owners of my loss. It was terrifying but I had to do it.

The “enemy” was really two people, who had another two friends chip in to a debate in front of the City. My dog Chani died. They went against a memorial tree that had been donated to the City’s Foundation with all details as to type, size and location that were all determined by the City. We have our tree and watered it. Since then they’ve planted many more so I can barely find Chani’s on Google Earth.

Now the government is touting leash-free areas and while I didn’t make a difference in the early years, nineties, I did in the long term. I’ve a wonderful dog for 12 years, no legal leash-free areas in town. The circle of friends around a picnic table at four in the afternoon with all the widows and their precious dogs made for incredible friendships and some are still in touch years later.

Our volunteer work changed governments. Our team did it.

That’s the way it is, Dee

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Posted in Editorial

Dedication

Posted on May 24, 2016 | Leave a comment

Love, help, just being there. Staying in for the long haul.

This week I’ve been bombarded by our state of record for our tax preparers not sending them our full tax returns and W-2’s from other states. We thought they had our full returns until last week until we were threatened and told we had a week and there were no extensions, no electronic filing, no fax, no FedEx, no UPS and do not use Priority Mail but you must use the US Postal Service only.

Due to requirements I’m forced to print out 100 pages of forms from three states (I assume they have their own and the 1040).

The irony is that neither I nor my husband ever made one cent in this state in the past year yet paid full employment taxes, and now they are auditing us to make sure we paid them enough for paying through the nose to live here while making money in other states.

My husband helped this evening  from 2,000 miles away by phone to put everything on a USB fob I can take to be copied tomorrow morning then find the post office (I send all bills online) and mail it.

I do have faith in and dedication to my husband. We’ve known each other nearly fifteen years and there is love, help, and just being there. He’s always there for me and our old dog Zoe. If he still has a cold, I’ve soup and tea.

His family had a dairy for 30 years, now a cattle ranch. Given the state we’re in, I’ll love the ones in which State they live, not necessarily the people who govern them here. I’m in for the long haul. You can find me at a crosswalk I got the city and county to agree on curb cuts to build, who painted it twice. State law is to stop for pedestrians. No-one stops.

Paint fades, is rarely re-done and no-one ever stops for an old lady and old dog. They beep the horn or run you over. That’s what state we live in. Here’s from a former dairyman’s daughter-in-law. Dee

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Changing Roles

Posted on May 21, 2016 | Leave a comment

When we first met nearly 15 years ago my husband brought me roses. Usually arranged, in a vase. Eventually I ran out of room for vases so he bought me roses I needed to arrange, just at the time I needed to get dinner on the table. He’s allergic to cats so I found him a place 1,000 steps away. I brought over a few key kitchen elements (he only had a lame plastic colander from college days).

Oh, he has clues to make a grilled cheese sandwich but does not cook, at all. OK. He wanted to use all the kitchen machines I had before we met so we have made pancakes with whipped egg whites (he looked up a recipe) and fresh pasta with my hand-crank counter machine.

Both were successful. It would be fun if he can make cranberry or blueberry pancakes with our nephew over the holidays (before he becomes a teenager and stops talking to us)! I can call out the recipe and they can do the work! And clean up. That’s not a strength, the “human tornado” is called that for a reason. The tornado is the husband, not his younger brother’s son.

Yesterday I bought him pink and white tulips. I was running around doing things before he flew home (three hours late, got in after midnight and crashed on the bed after Otis-ing the lame old dog up).

The tulips were on the kitchen counter for 20 minutes or so while I was laundering and running a very loud and long dishwasher. I arranged the tulips, prepared the vase with flower food, cut the stems and voila!

The pink ones sagged but they all reached for the sun this morning so I turned them around. They are technically dead but still responding to food, water and sunlight. Kind of like family in hospice care. There for a week, my dear husband told my mother on her deathbed that he’d take care of me. He told me later, he has and will do so but I take care of him as well.

Sadly, my husband did get in after midnight, has a cold and I got up at five to get our dog out of his way, cover him and have tea and chicken soup ready to go. It’s nearly seven in the morning now and he’s snoring away. That’s the way he likes to deal with colds and flu. It works. If my brother had a cold/flu he could sleep 14 hours straight and awaken well. Whatever works.

Zoe is by my office chair, as always. We’ll let J sleep and see if any of our packages that were supposed to be here yesterday, arrived. Luckily his year’s supply of doc-ordered contacts arrived safely. He was in desperate need of those for work and life. I worry about him always.

He’s sick and is only home two days per week now. I can only hope that sleep, tea, soup, perhaps pizza or St. Louis style ribs will get him well. That is my wish. Dee

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Landing

Posted on May 20, 2016 | Leave a comment

After 9/11 I was stuck overseas, seeing CNN all day and night and not being allowed to fly home. A week later after going to church and bell-ringing hand-holding ceremonies for the dead I finally got my way to Rome and home.

After I showed my passport all the Customs Agent could say, when he handed the passport back to me, was “Welcome home.” I burst into tears for the loss, the sadness and that I was alive and got to come home. My brother was outside the first tower ten minutes before it was hit.

A week later I met a man, he’s been with me since then, met, held hands, saw a movie and now we’re married 13 years and have a dog.

It will not come as a surprise to you that I now track my husband’s flights online. He landed 10 minutes ago so is probably in a car and may be home before midnight! He always sends a text with “I’m on the plane, airline and number. Love you!”

The Italians next door banged on our door yelling “CNN, CNN!” We had electricians, computer experts, random neighbors and workers watching with us for hours. Of course it was 4 p.m. in Italy and we watched both towers go down.

I used to work at WTC a lot, for the State of New York at their offices,  mostly to organize and conduct public hearings on issues of interest.

No-one is allowed, on a flight, to use a cell phone. I use my computer to tell if someone has blown up my husband’s plane. We love and need him at home. He loves his wife and older dog. We’re sorry his plane is three hours late because it’ll give us less time over the weekend. That’s all for now, I’ll forego the snarky stuff … Dee

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Work

Posted on May 20, 2016 | Leave a comment

It means something to me, to my family and to my husband’s family. You work. Office, dairy, ranch, non-profit you work. Yes, you work 5-7 days a week, however many hours it takes to get the job done.

That’s just the way it is. Yesterday I spent the entire day with health insurance and taxes. It was not a productive day for someone who sets a goal and meets it. I did not with either.

My husband comes home two days per week but his flight is three hours late because of “wind.” We have strong winds every day but I still take out our old dog five times each day.

He’ll be in after midnight which is good, because he will not have to deal with a lazy employee we pay who is not keeping me safe. That’s why we pay to live here with 24/7 security. All our hirees are online, texting, ordering on Amazon or hanging out in the lobby for hours with a potential “significant other.” So much for the thief who robbed a lot of residents and got away. No-one ever looks at the security cameras. Many are on cell phones and never work.

I’m thinking of changing our domicile. Hate to do it to our old mutt but we may have to do so. My husband’s primary consideration is that I and our old dog are safe. We pay top dollar and they’re not fulfilling their obligation. It’s just the way it is. No crying over spilled milk. No emotion, just a conversation to see whether the Corporate meeting went well today and what investors they have in mind.

We are the flagship property and it would probably help if a trainee was not asleep in a chair when I took out Zoe at 6:45 this morning. Dee

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Abandon

Posted on May 20, 2016 | Leave a comment

I’ve always wanted to say that word with meaning, but given a Teutonic upbringing I was unable to do so.

The first time I saw a photo of an English country garden I was amazed. It was tamed of weeds but allowed to grow in abundance. Food is another way to abandon and abundance. Get the freshest things you can find and figure out what to do with them. As the Italians and Greeks have told me, just take the best and don’t mess it up. Best olive oil, fish or meat, veg then have a bit of limoncello and strawberry granita. What could be better?

Alas, I went to a French cooking school where all these sauces were designed to cover rotting meat because there was no refrigeration. Do I have uses for the “mother” sauces? Of course. Not every day. I like to keep things simple, but cook with abandon. Perhaps someday I’ll learn to paint with abandon. For now I just need new glasses. Dee

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Appointments

Posted on May 19, 2016 | 1 comment

I have a great view, not so great weather. Live in a building overlooking a lake. Don’t worry, I’ve boots and shoes and coats for everything because we lived in the Rockies and are ready for even Mud Season (called Spring everywhere else but the Rockies).

Our dog, who we got as a rescue from the Pound and had to have two hips taken out and grow her own, has appointments. She’s about 86 in “people years.”

I’m running into Grandmothers who want to schedule to see our Zoe with their grandkids this summer. Should I ask her real grandma for approval?

If I’m pleased you must know our Zoe (Greek for “life”) is as well. She loves the attention and I must keep her bathed and combed out. Yes, she loves the bath/massage, has to air dry, no hair dryers, and hates being combed with Dee’s Torture Chamber of combs and brushes.

As she is the Queen, or Grande Dame here she will do her part and I’ll make it happen. Please tell her it’s OK to let the younger dogs keep ears out (one is blind) and she can snoopervise and take appointments from loving grandmas. All the best, Dee

p.s. Zoe’s Grandma M is far away. I will not place Z on a plane. For a farm family who once wanted to mow a goat pen for Zoe, I said no, she sleeps on our bed. Now Grandma M laments the holiday times we do not bring her, because of two things. Zoe cleans up anything we drop or spill in our 3-5 day cooking extravaganza, and she watches out for my father-in-law to come home from feeding the cows. On his portion of the sofa where he reads Civil War books.

I tried to take him up to New York, Vermont to see Revolutionary War sites and have a great photo of him framed, with my mother-in-law’s shadow taking the photo, at the Saratoga Battlefield. I also took them to the women’s suffragette location. No photos will be disclosed but I did get one. I’m keeping it under wraps for now.

Still the daughter of an ancient battle, the War of Northern Aggression as he calls it, we get along well but my dog is a Texas dog, born in the only state that was ever a nation. Proud of it.

If my father-in-law knew how much Texas kindness his son, daughter-in-law and adopted dog were bringing up here, he’d be proud and still miss us when miles away, our dog picks up that farm road dust and knows the ranch is nearby. Thank you sir, ma’am for everything. Dee

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Posted in Editorial, loving life, Zoe

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