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SOME POTUS WERE A LITTLE “OFF”

 

The author F. Scott Fitzgerald once opened a story with, “the rich are very different from you and me.”  Lately, with all the craziness going on in national politics, I have begun to wonder if politicians are very different from you and me.

Why do men and women go into politics?  Supposedly, they are passionate  about helping people to have a better life.  That’s a worthy and very believable reason, but it seems you’d have to have an unusual amount of self confidence to think you would have the requisite personality traits and  abilities  to make great changes in society.  Somewhere along the way, someone helped them form this good opinion of themselves—whether it be a parent, grandparent, teacher, or someone very close to them.   So, that high self-esteem, wired into their brains,  makes them slightly outside the “normal” curve. Politicians also must have the intestinal fortitude to endure a lot of nasty attacks on their integrity,  appearance,  personal life,  ability to do the job,  and even their families.   Most of us don’t have the stomach for all of that public criticism.
Many presidents have been slightly “off.”  FDR hid his polio-withered legs from the public for years,  afraid that if people knew about his disability, they would never vote for him. Richard Nixon was paranoid and had an alcohol problem.   JFK seduced White House interns and slept with mafia call girls.   Lyndon Johnson sat on the toilet while talking with reporters , and was feared for his dark moods. Jimmy Carter acted more like a preacher than a president. Bill Clinton had a bit of a sex addiction problem.  Now we have Donald Trump who behaves more like a medieval monarch that an elected official. And yet, in spite of their eccentricities and mental health problems, many politicians such as Abe Lincoln and Winston Churchill became great leaders.

Some presidents, like Harry Truman, had modest resources and no doubt were grateful for the perks, pension, and income  provided by public office.  Power, prestige  and money could  motivate many a politician.  But what about those who are already rich?  Someone like Romney? Is he a saint, or on an ego trip.  I have no idea what makes these people tick.    All I know is that something beyond the “normal” curve propels politicians  into the stratosphere, seeking  public office in places where angels fear to tread. 

 

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SHOULD YOU STAY PUT?

The state of Florida is full of retirees fleeing the ice and snow.  A friend who moved there said,  “I never want to see a snowflake again.”  And yet, my husband and I chose to retire in our Indiana home.
This week, I remembered why we  stay up north.  First of all, I lived in Florida for three years back in the 70’s. My youngest daughter was born there.  What I remember most about raising young children in that state is that you almost never saw children out playing in their yards or in the neighborhood.  Most of the time,  the heat and humidity made it too uncomfortable.  And so, strangely enough, my children spent more time indoors on a yearly basis than they did  after moving up north. Retirees don’t have to worry about raising children, but the heat is still a problem, as the elderly are much more affected by hot weather.
Crime is a problem in Florida, because it’s the “point of no return,” for many unskilled people who move there without adequate resources or a job.  And during the winter months, the traffic is horrendous.  If you think you’d like to run a free motel, though, it’s a great place.  Distant relatives and acquaintances from up north suddenly start cultivating your friendship, and before you know it, they’ve come for a visit. And then there are the palmetto bugs that are actually giant roaches. Even with a monthly pest control service, they show up in strange places all over your house.
All of those problems are manageable, but what  I missed most about  Indiana was the spring and fall seasons.  As you age, you spend less time  gadding about,  taking trips, going to concerts and restaurants.  If your health isn’t good, the constantly changing landscape  provides excitement and drama right out the window. A sunny day in March brings a crop of colorful crocuses.  Then it snows, but a few days later it warms up, and there are your daffodils waving in the wind. More cold, maybe some snow, but then it’s warm enough for the magnolia and crab apple trees to bloom.  When summer arrives, the trees produce a lovely deep green foliage that you never see in the Florida palm trees.  A Florida summer is either scorched or yellow-green.
And then, along about September, a cold breeze sweeps in, and you suddenly feel a spurt of energy as you watch the leaves turn to a riot of yellow, red, orange and gold.  The crisp, cool air invigorates you in a way that no ocean breeze ever can. 
And so, as our days dwindle down to a precious few, we’re glad we’re Back Home in Indiana.

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RUDE, CRUDE, AND LEWD

Once upon a time, ordinary people aspired to comport themselves with dignity,  as  ladies and gentlemen.  Hopefully, that has not changed in the real world.  But there was no class, whatsoever, in the Michelle Wolf speech at the Washington Correspondent’s Dinner in DC on April 28, where she brutally insulted the current

White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

During WWII, the only source of live news was the radio.  The newspapers were a day late, and the newsreels at the movie theaters were probably a week late.   Listening to the nightly news drew the family together as though sitting before a fireplace.  We trusted that news reporters were telling the truth.   Journalists were expected to report the news as it occurred, not as filtered by their own biases. And, comedians like Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Fibber McGee and Molly were actually funny, with no need to use four letter words.  

Now it’s fashionable for  trashy women to stand up and use vulgar language in order to please certain journalists.  It just shows how divided we are in this country.   I think if Michelle Wolf had made that mean spirited speech in Flyover Country, either  someone would have deadened the microphone or the entire audience would have walked out of the room.  Here in middle America we don’t cotton to bullying, trash talk, name calling, and obscenity  in our journalists, no matter which political party they favor.


Sadly,  women like Kathy Griffin and Michelle Wolf are actually hurting the women’s movement. Women  want equal opportunity and equal representation in elected offices. They also want respect No one respects women who are Rude, Crude, and Lewd.  If this comedian from Canada is supposed to represent modern women,  God help us all.  

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TOO MANY MAMMOGRAM SCARES

Almost  every adult has been through at least one mammogram scare.  This affects not only women, but the men in their lives who love them and share the worry.
Here’s how it works: you calmly go in for what is called a routine mammogram.  Let’s say you have no family history of breast cancer,  you’re relatively young, so you’re not really worried about the results.  Then, the next day, you get that scary call that there’s something not quite right and you need to come in for another test. This might be on a Friday afternoon.  So now, you must get through a miserable weekend, worrying about the  results.  Then, even if you go back on a Monday, it may be Tuesday before you are given an all clear diagnosis, because of course, a very busy radiologist must read every x-ray.  And if a needle biopsy is recommended, the wait and worry can go on for another week.

And now, you’re always going to be stressed out before your next mammogram. Talk to any group of women willing to share their thoughts, and they’ll  tell you that once they’ve had a “bad” mammogram, they’re nervous wrecks days before and after they have their next one. Also, the more needle biopsies you have, the more likely there’s scar tissue or calcium deposits that will trigger another abnormal finding. And many times, the patient learns that a mere wrinkle in their skin caused the concern. 
Modern technology has done a better job of screening, with equipment that’s reduced the dreaded call backs by approximately 40%.  But that leaves the other 60% going through way too many false alarms.  Consequently, many women decide to stop having mammograms at all.  Surely, the system could be improved, so that the waiting time is never more than 24 hours when there’s a problem with your mammogram.

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ENJOY LIFE! GET UP AND GO

Most working people dream of the day when they don’t have to set the alarm clock anymore.   And yet, when retirement day finally arrives, you may find yourself waking up early every morning, anyway.   Then follows a period of self imposed busyness. You volunteer, baby sit your grandkids, go on trips, join  clubs…anything to get back that sense of purpose you once had.
After several years,  all the work you’ve created for yourself begins to feel like—yes, work.  You tire of the endless squabbles among volunteers, the self imposed deadlines, driving here and there to attend meetings, dressing up for card parties that are beginning to tire you, and the gym workouts you’re starting to dread.  And so you slow down.  Your knees creak, your back aches,  you stop doing much of anything, and sink into a low mood. 
Your get-up-and-go just got-up-and-went.
Especially if you’re on various medications,  you may wake up so groggy that it takes all morning just to fix a bowl of cereal. After you manage to get dressed, you might sit in a chair all day and watch television, read books, and feed the cats. It seems a lot easier, especially if your spouse or partner is slowing down, also.  
Now is the time to make yourself get up and go.   You’ll feel more alive and cheerful after a brisk walk in the park, even if you have to bring along a cane.  If you’ve always been a swimmer, it may seem like too much bother to go to the YMCA, change your clothes, and do those laps.  But you know what? When you walk out that door and into the sunshine, you feel like a new person.  Tell yourself to get some kind of exercise every day.  If you don’t like walking, you can enroll in an exercise or tai chi class for seniors.  Don’t go a few times and give up; stick with it until you feel better. Or, if your knees are in good shape, take some dance lessons.  This time of year, gardening is a wonderful way to work your muscles, pump some oxygen into your blood, and have a feeling of accomplishment.  Even housework qualifies as good exercise.
 
Stop regretting the past and dreading the future.  Enjoy life right now! Get up and EightyGo.

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NO MORE SOGGY SALADS

 

What could be worse than a soggy salad drenched with dressing?  Especially when it’s served in an upscale restaurant.  Any chef who can’t serve a good salad isn’t worth his salt.

At home, the bane of crisp salads are bottled dressings, with a mixture of  the oil and vinegar poured over the poor, unsuspecting  greens.   When tossing a good salad, you must add the oil and vinegar separately.  There’s an Italian saying that  when dressing  a salad, you need  a miser to add vinegar, a judge to add salt, and aspendthrift to add oil.
Many chefs will tell you to add first the vinegar, then the oil, but I prefer the Italian way of tossing a couple teaspoons of oil on my individual dinner salad, putting it in the fridge while we have a glass of wine, then tossing again with  a teaspoon of  vinegar and just before adding salt  My salad is always crisp, fresh and green. If you’re serving extra people, just remember that you want twice as much oil  as vinegar.  My husband is on a soft diet, so he enjoys his canned fruit while I relish my green salad.
While most people prefer using  olive oil, I like walnut oil for it’s nutty flavor.  My special vinegar, stored in a separate jar, is doctored up with a variety of herbs and spices—basil, oregano, chopped garlic, curry, paprika and anything else that looks interesting. You might add a tablespoon of brown sugar to smooth out the tartness.  A jar of this seasoned vinegar usually lasts a month.  Plain vinegar will do as a base, but a bit of red wine or balsamic vinegar will perk up the  flavor.
And now, the lettuce.  A mixture of different lettuces like leaf, arugula and romaine is fine, but that can get expensive if you end up with a lot of unused wilted lettuce.  I normally buy romaine hearts and chop them up myself, although there’s been a scare about romaine lately.  Red and green leaf lettuce is just as good.  A few tomatoes and maybe some grated carrots , radishes, or cucumbers  will add color and texture, but they say no good green salad will have more than three added ingredients.

If you decide to make your own salad dressing,  you will no longer have numerous bottles of store bought dressing taking up room in your refrigerator.  All you need  is a bottle  of vinegar, a can of oil, and herbs from your kitchen shelves.   And think of the money you’ll save.

Celebrate Earth Day with a delicious salad!  🌍

 

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A DISTURBING LACK OF CIVILITY

Yesterday, the media giddily reported that a tenured college teacher in California had called the late first lady a “witch” and that she was glad that Barbara Bush  had died.  The media also gave plenty of coverage to someone I never heard of called Roger Stone, who said the woman was a vicious drunk and she deserved to rot in hell.

Appalling.
Not just the fact that these people were so lacking in respect, but that the media would even cover such rot and give these rude people any voice at all.  Weren’t we always taught that you don’t speak ill of the dead?  Especially when they’re not yet cold in the grave? But then, of course, we have the former head of the FBI calling our duly elected president a “liar,” And said president turning around and calling that same man a “slimeball,” among other things.

What has happened to the YMCA core values of caring, honesty,  respect, responsibility? Name calling has always been the sign of a bully and a guttersnipe.   Respectable people kept such thoughts to themselves or shared them privately.

And how in the world can we explain all of this to our grandchildren?