Civility in a Fractured Society

QUOTE from John Streif, Iowa Hawkeye longtime trainer.

"WE NEEDED THIS." John's words after Iowa defeated Missouri in the Insight Bowl. After losing 4 0f their last 5 games (by a total of 11 points) along with some off-the-field shenanigans by a couple of players this was a must win for the Hawkeyes. It will make the winter a lot easier to handle for the coaches, players and Hawk fans. All of us are walking around with big smiles on our faces and looking forward to next year.

I'm GRATEFUL for good men like Jim Leach. Jim Leach was a Republican member of Congress for 30 years from Iowa's southeast district. He was a moderate Republican and highly respected by both parties. He was defeated in 2006 by Dave Loebsack, a Cornell College political science professor. Mr Leach wrote an OPINION piece in the October, 2010, issue of AARP Bulletin. I want to write about what he had to say - it makes so much sense and you'll see why I'm grateful for men like him.

His article was entitled, CIVILITY IN A FRACTURED SOCIETY. Mr. Leach wrote that politics has high and low moments. Unfortunately, we are seeing a low moment in Americans politics. We've had them before: Thomas Jefferson was described as anti-christian by partisan critics; rumors circulated in mid-1800s that Abe Lincoln was Catholic; and it was suggested that FDR was a Jew. Today, President Obama, like George W. Bush, has been referred to as fascist. And in a period of rising Islamophobia, our president is even described as a secret Moslem.

Leach continues by saying there is plenty wrong with what is going on in America. What we need is a willingness to consider respectfully the views of others, with an understanding that we are all connected and rely on one another.

Seldom is there only one proper path determinable by one individual or political party. Public decision-making does not lend itself to certitude. Everybody can learn from somebody else. That is why civility is a central ingredient of a democratic society.

The outcome that matters most after divisive campaigns is whether the winning candidates have the commitment to work together for the common good. A government of, by and for the people is obligated to conduct the nation's business in a manner that respects dissent.

We cannot lead the world unless we morally rearm, not with intolerance for others, but with faith in traditional American ideals - honor, dignity, respect for our neighbors, near and far. As Lincoln noted in words borrowed from Scripture, a house divided cannot stand.

Now you know why I have so much respect for Jim Leach. If we had 435 members of Congress like him this country would be in great shape. I hope all the members of Congress, new and old, read these words and give them some serious thought.

HUMOR for today.
Doctor: You seem to be healthy for a man of 75. How is your love life?
Ole: Vell, almost every day.
Doctor: That's remarkable. Tell me more.
Ole: Vell, almost on Monday, almost on Tuesday, almost on Wednesday, and so on.

Happy Days in Hawkeyeland.

QUOTE from George Will: FOOTBALL COMBINES THE WORST FEATURES OF AMERICAN LIFE. IT IS VIOLENCE PUNCTUATED BY COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

GRATITUDE for today: Last night the Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Missouri Tigers in the Insight Bowl in Tempe, AZ. The score was 27 to 24. Iowa scored on a 72 yard interception by Mycah Hyde with five minutes to go.
I became a Hawkeye fan in 1962 when we moved to Anamosa, Iowa to begin my teaching career. I was a died-in-the-wool Minnesota Gopher fan but my love for the Gophers faded when I was surrounded by Hawkeye fanatics in 1962. The Hawkeyes were perpetual losers until Hayden Fry came in 1979 - by 1981 he had them in the Rose Bowl. For the last 30 years the Hawks have given Pete and Ruth Ann and Brad and Carron a whole lot of joy (and some disappointments.) Last night was pure JOY.
I'm grateful to be a Hawk because as the saying goes in Hawkeland, "IT'S GREAT TO BE A HAWKEYE."

Martin Luther - a constipated man.

QUOTE from Louis Nizer:

TRUE RELIGION IS THE LIFE WE LEAD, NOT THE CREED WE PROFESS.

What I LEARNED today: What many people do not know about Martin Luther is that he was often constipated, a fact he alluded to himself in his writings, and spent much of his time "in contemplation" sitting on the john! Recently archeologists working on the remains of Martin Luther's house in Wittenberg, Germany, have discovered the toilet where it is believed he wrote the "95 Theses" and other important works.
At this point, visitors to Luther's home will not be allowed to sit on the toilet, but one wonders if one day old Martin had not been a bit short of toilet paper, would there have been "96 Theses"?

From the book, MINDBLOWERS by Jim Rhine. The book is a look back at history that will change the way we look at the world today. It is a funny and very interesting book.

Some other DAY BRIGHTENER stories. Every year Ruth Ann and I make from 40-50 lefse. We give some of it to friends to brighten the Christmas season for them. We give to Paul and Verna Lewison, Hank and Karen Biere and Wack and Shelley Walker. We delivered them two weeks ago. Last week Ruth Ann and I ran into Wack and Shelley in Springville. Wack eats all of theirs' as Shelley is not Norwegian and she doesn't make it either. He was one happy dude when he greeted us. He said he had been eating it at all times of the day with different toppings, including jam. Wack was raised in Elkader, Iowa, and he remembers the lefse his grandmother made as a kid. He absolutely loves our lefse and we make him a happy man at Christmas. Such a good feeling to see him so happy.

Verna Lewison brightens our Christmas days by giving us kringle in return for our lefse. What a treat. Thank you Verna.

HUMOR today: " I never forget a face, but in your case, I'll make an exception." - Groucho Marx, target unknown.

Day brighterer for Esther

QUOTE from Terry Pratchett: WISDOM COMES FROM EXPERIENCE. EXPERIENCE IS OFTEN A RESULT OF LACK OF WISDOM.

TODAY IN HISTORY:
1788: Maryland passed an act to cede an area "not exceeding 10 miles square" for the seat of the national government; about 2/3 of the area became Washington D.C.

DAY BRIGHTENER FOR ESTHER: Yesterday Ruth Ann and I created a little happiness for Ester. Esther is my 87 year old friend who is our neighbor down the street in the mobile home court. I've known Esther since I had her two sons in class in the 1960s. Esther was the 'door greeter'at Walmart for many years and was known for her people loving ways. She was always happy, always had a smile on her face and would hug as many customers as possible. She has been retired for several years now but I continue to visit her every month as I enjoy every minute I have with her. She is simply a delight to be around and she is a wonderful example of how senior citizens should look at life.
Yesterday we enhanced Esther's day when Ruth Ann filled a container with her Christmas goodies and I delivered them. She was absolutely delighted about us taking time out of our day to think of her and bring her the goodies. We talked about 45 minutes and it was good for two big hugs - one when I came and a bigger one when I left.
It is so fun and heartwarming to create happiness for people. It is one of the things that makes life worth living.

HUMOR doe today: "He is to acting what Liberace was to pumping iron."
-- Rex Reed, on Sylvestor Stallone.

Iowa-Missouri football resumes after 100 years.

QUOTE from Napolean Bonaparte:

NOTHING IS MORE DIFFICULT, AND THEREFORE MORE PRECIOUS, THAN TO BE ABLE TO DECIDE.

TODAY IN HISTORY:
1944: During the World War II battle of the Bulge, U.S. Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe rejected a German demand for surrender, writing "NUTS!" in his official reply.

LEARNING for today: My curiosity led me to learning something new today. Iowa was selected to play the Missouri in the INSIGHT BOWL in Tempe on December 28. When announced it was brought up that Iowa and Missouri had not played each other since 1910, exactly 100 years ago.
The first question for me was WHY? Over the last 100 years we have played all the other border states, so why not Missouri. I found my answer in the news letter I subscribe to called VOICE OF THE HAWKEYES. According to the article the answer appears to be RACISM.

Iowa and Missouri met 12 times between 1892 and 1910. When Iowa visited Columbia, Missouri, in 1896, its roster contained Frank Holbrook, an African-American. According to the book "75 Years with the Fighting Hawkeyes" by Bert McCrane, Missouri alumni asked Iowa coach A.E. Bull to leave Holbrook behind in Iowa City. Bull told Missouri there would be no game without Holbrook.

The IOWA CITY VIDETTE-REPORTER chronicled the game this way:

"When Missouri's team came on the field, they were heartily cheered with the Tigers' yell, followed by appeals from the rooters to individual players to 'kill the nigger'. There was hardly a man on Iowa's team who did not receive a cowardly blow from the Tigers. Several were hit while on the ground. One man received at least three blows from the fists of the Tigers. Not for ten seconds did one of Iowa's men forget himself or lose his temper. At all times they placed themselves near and about Holbrook."

Iowa won 12-0 and largely due to the incident did not play Missouri again until 1902. In 1910 Missouri officials requested Iowa not bring African-American player Archie Alexander to Columbia. Following the game, a
5-0 loss, Iowa coach Jesse Hawley suspended the series indefinitely.

It is amazing how much progress we have made in this country in the last 100 years in terms of race relations. Thank God for that.

(In the 1990s there was an effort to get a series going again with a four game home and home series but it fell apart when Missouri coach Gary Pinkel cancelled the contract saying he was rebuilding and he didn't want to play Iowa because they were too good.)"

HUMOR for today: "He couldn't ad-lib a fart after a baked-bean dinner." - Johnny Carson on Chevy Chase.

Chevrolet pick-ups

QUOTE from Max Depree, chairman of Herman Miller furniture and author of Leadership Jazz.

WE CANNOT BECOME WHAT WE NEED TO BE BY REMAINING WHAT WE ARE.

TODAY IN HISTORY:
1620: Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower went ashore for the first time at present-day Plymouth, Mass.
1988: 270 people were killed when a terrorist bomb exploded aboard a Pan Am Boeing 747 over Locherbie, Scotland, sending wreckage crashing to the ground.

LEARNING today: This past summer we got new neighbors. They are Jim and Sue Isaacson from the Detroit area. The reason they retired to eastern Iowa is that Sue is a native from this area.

When visiting with Jim I learned a lot about the production of vehicles. Jim worked at General Motors for many years and worked his way up to being supervisor of all the computers that ran the assembly line for the production of Chevrolet pick-ups.

Jim told me that if the computers broke down and the assembly line came to a halt it cost GM $1,000 a minute until the line resumed. He had a lot of pressure on him to get the computers up and running again knowing what the cost was to GM. Jim said the profit for GM was $10,000 per pick-up and they could turn out one pick-up per minute which equals 60 pick-ups per hour. That's a profit of $60,000 per hour. In an eight hour shift that comes to $480,000, nearly a half million dollars. When Jim retired in 2008 they were down to two shifts but in previous years when GM was flying high they had three shifts.

In 2008, Jim could see the handwriting on the wall as far as the future of GM - he and some others he worked with could see the crash coming. So he and these other folks got out when the getting out was still good. Jim and the others got their full retirement. Those that stayed did not fare so well.

2009 was not a good year for GM or Chryler (less problems for Ford). With the government bail-out both GM and Chrysler are back producing vehicles and making a profit. I found Jim an interesing man to talk to. I learned a lot.

HUMOR for today:
Young man: "I can't bear fools."
Dorothy Parker: "Apparently, your mother could."

Pomegranates

QUOTE from T. D. Jakes: IN THE MIDST OF THE SHOPPING AND THE WRAPPING AND THE ARRANGING OF PRESENTS UNDER YOUR TREE THIS CHRISTMAS, MAY YOU NOT FORGET THE GIFTS YOU CANNOT YET HOLD IN YOUR HANDS.

TODAY IN HISTORY: Every morning in the Cedar Rapids Gazette is a section called TODAY IN HISTORY. I read it every day and am going to include some of these happenings from history in my blog.
1803: The Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the U.S. (We can thank Thomas Jefferson for this deal.)
1860: South Carolina became the first state to secede from the union as all 169 delegates to a special convention voted in favor of separation.

LEARNING for today: While buying groceries the other day I asked the gal what these red looking baseball size fruit were. She told me they were pomegranates and they were supposed to be very healthy. Then she said they are only fifty cents so why not try one. So I did. When I got home I cut it open and was surprised what I saw. There were hundreds of bright red seeds imbedded in white stuff. So I broke off a couple of chunks and ate the seeds and white stuff. I wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do but I ate them anyway. They were okay - a different taste but okay.
My curiosity was aroused so I went to google and did some research on pomegranates. I discovered they are native to Iran and over to northern India up to the Himalayas. According to Wikipedia they are mentioned in the Bible 12 times. They were brought to America in 1769 by the Spanish and are grown in California and Arizona.
In recent years much research has been on the nutritional value of pomegranates. Research so far has shown them to be good for - the heart, Alzheiners protection, joint relief, fighting cancer, and lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels. They are also low in calories and high in nutrition. In other words they are supposed to be very good for you.
I also learned the white stuff is not meant to be eaten, you should eat the seeds only or make juice out of them. The info said that it is easier to separate the seeds from the white stuff if you slice them and soak the slices in water. I bought my second pomegranate this morning, soaked them as directed and separated the seeds and white stuff. They do taste better without the white stuff.
I'm going to continue eating pomegranates and will be putting the seeds on my cereal. Just think, I won't have worry about getting Alzheiners, or heart disease, or joint pain, or cancer, or whatever!!!!!!!!

HUMOR for today:
Noel Coward: "You almost look like a man."
Dorothy Parker: "So do you."

A HOBO memory.

QUOTE from Mark Cuban, owner, Dallas Mavericks, on the best advice his dad gave him.

TODAY IS THE YOUNGEST YOU WILL EVER BE, LIVE LIKE IT.

MEMORY of hobos. I subscribe to REMINISCE, a magazine that is written by the readers. They reminisce about things that happened to them in their childhood or into their twenties - the stories go back to the 1930s to the 1960s. I really enjoy it as I'm at the same age as many of the writers.

I read a story this month written by Robert Levelle from Michigan. It brought back memories for me when I was 10-12 years of age. Robert wrote about hobos coming to their home in the 1930s and earlyh 1940s and asking for food. His mom would always feed them two or three eggs, two or three slices of bacon, four slices of toast and two cups of coffee. The plates never came back with uneaten food. Robert asked his Mom why she always fed these men. His mom said, "Your dad has a good job with the railroad car ferries, we have a home and food in these trying times, and God may ber testing me. One of these men may be Christ in disguise."

Many years later Robert found out why the hobos always stopped at their home. A friend told him about the chalk marks left on the telephone pole near their driveway, it was code for the hobos that this house would offer a good meal. I find this kind of historicl trivia very nteresting.

Now my memory of a hobo. From 1949 to 1952 my parents ran the Dodge County Rest Home in Dodge Center, Minnesota. (it was commonly called the "The CountyPoor Farm). In 1951 I remember one hobo who walked in off the highway and stopped and asked for food. I happened to be the one playing in the yard so I was the first one he talked to. The guy asked me if he could talk to the manager. I took him to mom. He was very nice and polite and was wondering if he could get some food. Mom told me to take him to the garden and he could help himself. I took him to the garden and he was so hungry he dug up a potato, rubbed it off as best he could and ate it raw, dirt and all. Then he picked an onion and did the same thing. I took him back to Mom and she gave him a peanut butter sandwich and some milk. I remember mom asking him where he was from and he said, " Brooklyn, N.Y. and I'm an army vet, having served in Europe in WWII." He thanked mom for the food and was on his way, walking down the highway with a bag slung over his shoulder. I wonder what happened to that nice hungry man.

I know we had other hobos that stopped but this guy was the only one I had contact with. I wonder if they had a code for the County Poor Farm?

HUMOR for today:

Joe Frazier: "He's phony, using his blackness to get his way."

Muhammed Ali: "Joe Frazier is so ugly he should donate his face to the U.S. Bureau of Wildlife."

Chritsmas letters.

QUOTE from Lord Chesterfield: KNOW THE VALUE OF TIME; SNATCH, SEIZE, AND ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF IT. NO IDLENESS, NO LAZINESS. NO PROCRASTINATION; NEVER PUT OFF TILL TOMORROW WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY.

GRATITUDE today. This is the season for Christmas cards and letters from family and friends. I look forward to it every year. According to my research the custom of sending Christmas letters did not become popular until the 1970s. Many of the letters contain photos of the family - they are as enjoyable as the letter. It is also fun to look over our year and compose our own letter. The job of writing our letter has fallen into my hands in recent years. This year I wrote about 2010 being our 50th anniversary. So I explained how we celebrated.

We have kept copies of all our Christmas letters and I like to look them over before I start composing the new one. My favorite letter is the one daughter Carron wrote in 1979 - it was a riot - she is a good writer with a wonderful sense of humor.

I'm grateful for Christmas letters. It is another one of those little things that make life enjoyable.

HUMOR today:

Nancy Astor: "Winston, if you were my husband, I'd put poison in your coffee."

Winston Churchill: "Nancy, if you were my wife, I'd drink it."

33 smiles this morning.

QUOTE from tennis hothead John McEncore, to tennis spectator: WHAT OTHER PROBLEMS DO YOU HAVE BESIDES BEING UNEMPLOYED, A MORON, AND A DORK.

DAY BRIGHTENERS for today: This morning as I took my walk at Walmart I decided to see how many "Smiley Good Mornings" I could get in 50 minutes. I would smile and say Good Morning and in 33 out of 34 attempts I got a smile and a Good Morning in return. Most of them were employees but maybe five or six were strangers. I even went back in the store room to greet a couple of them. I told them they were #24 and #25 in my Smiley Good Mornming mission. They appreciated my efforts to include them. I even got a hug from Jan in the electronics department. The only unhappy response was from the 25 to 30 year old Dr. Pepper vendor. She said Good Morning but no smile. I can excuse her as she lost her father in a car accident two years ago and hasn't been the same since. She always looks sad. I've been told she was very close to her father. I'm going to try again soon and see if I can beat 33.

GRATITUDE today. We had 4.5 inches of snow last night. Our driveway was all cleaned off when I left the house at 7 AM. Our neighbor, Mike Nelson, cleans off our driveway. He was doing it at 6 AM and he also did it last week. Ruth Ann and I are grateful to Mike, he is a great neighbor. We do reward Mike for his efforts even though he insists on taking nothing. He says, "I'm just trying to be a good neighbor."

HUMOR:
Bessie Braddock: "Mr. Churchill, you are drunk."
Winston Chirchill" "Yes, madam, and you are ugly. But in the morning, I will be sober."

Why the poinsettia at Christmas?

Quote from Woodrow Wilson: IF YOU WANT TO MAKE ENEMIES, TRY TO CHANGE SOMETHING.

LEARNING for today is a history lesson on why the poinsettia plant is a Christmas flower. I'm going to copy what I wrote one year ago today in my gratitude journal.

The poinsettia plant is native to Mexico and Central America. The "poinsettia" was named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the U.S. in 1828. According to Wikipedia the plants association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebration. The plants shape has been suggested to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, with red leaves symbolizing the blood of Christ, and white leaves, his purity.

So when you see all the poinsettias on display this Christmas season you'll now know WHY?

A GOOD MEMORY: Dozens of schools were closed on Monday due to the snow storm. When watching the closings scroll across the bottom of the TV I thought back to my school days in Mantorville, Dodge Center and Chatfield, Minnesota. It was pure joy when I heard our school was closed on KROC radio and after eighth grade on KROC television. What a great memory to have of chidhood.

HUMOR: Natalie Wood (the actress) said that the only time a woman really succeeds in changing a man is when he's a baby.

A "day brightener".

Quote from Anatole France: THE GREATEST VIRTUE OF MAN IS PERHAPS CURIOSITY.

A DAY BRIGHTENER: As I was exiting the doctor's office this morning I ran into a gentleman quite a bit older than me. I knew the guy but had not seen him for several years. He looked remarkable. I said to him, "Whatever you are doing keep it up as you look great." He got this big smile and thanked me. He said, "The doctor just told me the same thing."
I asked him how old he was and he said eighty eight. I had these final words for him, "If I can look like you do when I'm eighty eight I want to keep on living forever." He thanked me again as did his wife. I did brighten his day.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
FORGET about the ones who don't.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
It you get a chance, take it & if it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.
Enjoy life now - it has an expiration date!

STRESS LESS by Thea Singer

Quote from Frank Tyger: BE A GOOD LISTENER. UNLIKE YOUR MOUTH, YOUR EARS WILL NEVER GET YOU IN TROUBLE.

What I LEARNED today:

This morning I finished reading the PARADE Magazine from the Sunday paper. I read the section called STAYHEALTHY - ONE WEEK TO BEAT STRESS by Emily Listfield. Emily alluded to the fact that we live in stressful times. But there are ways to manage it. Emily asked Thea Singer, author of STRESS LESS, for her best anxiety-alleviating advice. Thea had five great tips. (I graded myself and am proud to say I did well on these five tips.)

1. Have attainable goals and work toward achieving one a day. (I'm going to give myself an "A" on this one. One goal I have each day is to walk for at least two miles with a goal of 60 miles a month. I have other goals I reach every day but I won't belabor the point.) Ms. Singer said "if it's a goal you can meet, you're going to alter your perception of stress in general."

2. Notice something good that happened to you today and tell someone about it. ( I deserve a "B' on this one, I definitely notice something good everyday but don't always tell Ruth Ann or others.)

3. Exercise regularly; it can essentially stress-proof your brain. ( I get another "A".)

4. Keep a gratitude journal where you write down one thing you're thankful for every day. (Another "A' for me. I did that everyday in 2009. I continue to "be grateful" everyday. I will be sharing some of them in this blog.)

5. And concentrate on "being mindful" for at least 10 minutes a day. I do that in the morning before I get out of bed. I do a yoga deep breathing routine for 10 minutes and then get up. (I learned it from Yoga Journal.) All I think about when doing those 40 deep breaths is feeling the the lungs expand and the oxygen getting into my blood stream. Nothing else enters my mind. It energizes me and I feel stress free. This is my way of 'being mindful". (I'm giving myself another "A").

HUMOR for today: A 55 year old man went to the doctor. After some tests etc. the doctor said he was doing "fairly well " for his age. The guy was a little concerned about that comment so he asked the Doc, "Do you think I'll live to be 8o?"

Doc asked, "Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer, wine or hard liquor?"

Guy says,"Oh no and I don't do drugs either."

Doc, "Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?"

Guy, "Not much. my last doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy."

Doc, "Do you spend a lot ot time in the sun, like playing golf, boating, sailing, hiking or biking?"

Guy, "No, I don't."

Doc, "Do you gamble, drive fast cars or have lots of sex?"

Gum "No,I don't that either."

Doc, "Then, why do you even give a damn?"

Quote from Edith Wharton: IN SPITE OF ILLNESS, IN SPITE EVEN OF THE ARCHENEMY SORROW,ONE CAN REMAIN ALIVE LONG PAST THE USUAL DATE OF DISINTEGRATION IF ONE IS UNAFRAID OF CHANGE, INSATIABLE IN INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, INTERESTED IN BIG THINGS, AND HAPPY IN SMALL WAYS.

What I LEARNED today was INSPIRING:

The first thing I learned today is this wonderful quote. My niece Jane, from Knapp, Wisconsin, sent it to me. She described it as "a quote that I especially love." I'm inspired by all four phrases but my two favorites would be "insatiable in intellectual curiosity" and "happy in small ways." Being curious keeps me engaged in asking questions and doing research to find answers. I like to find out the who, what, when, where, why and how of things. And being happy in small ways is the way to a less stressful life. Many people I know are so negative about the smallest and dumbest things. They are not fun peole to be around. They don't seem to appreciate the many small bessings in life.

And being a curious person I wanted to learn about Edith Wharton, the author of the quote. I had heard of her but that was about it. Edith was born in New York City in 1862 and died 1937. She is considered one of the most distinguished writers of the late 19th and early 20th century. Her themes focused on the the narrow and limited customs, rules, and manners and inevitable decline of the established upper-class society of New York City during the late 19th and 20th centuries. She wrote THE AGE OF INNOCENCE in 1920. It was her most famous novel - it won the Pulitzer Prize. (Grolier Encyc.)

HUMOR for today: This is a news bulletin from Duluth. I must report the tragic news that OLE was SHOT. He was up by the Canadian border on his 4 wheeler cutting some trees when some rangers looking for terrorists spotted him. According to the news reports, the Rangers shouted to him over a loudspeaker,
"Who are you and what are you doing?

OLE shouted back, "OLE .. BIN LOGGIN."

OLE is survived by his wife LENA and good friend SVEN.

Salvation Army

Quote from Franklin P. Jones: HONEST CRITICISM IS HARD TO TAKE - ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES FROM A RELATIVE, A FRIEND, AN ANQUAINTANCE, OR A STRANGER.



Today is gratitude day. I'm grateful for the Salvation Army. I'm going to copy what I wrote last year in my Gratitude Journal.


It is the Christmas season and the bell ringers are out in force at the entryways to the stores. For as long as I can remember I've seen the Salvation Army bell ringers at Christmas time. My curiosity led me to do some research as to the who, what, when, where, why and how of the Salvation Army. Here is what I learned from the Grolier Encyclopedia and Wikipedia.

The Salvation Army is an international Christian evangelical organization (what) that was founded in London (where) in 1865 (when)by William Booth, a Methodist minister (who).

WHY was it founded? The purpose of the Army is the advancement of the Christian religion, the advancement of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole. Salvation Army assistance is given without regard to race, age, sex, creed, or condition. Among the Army's many programs are correctional services for prisoners and parolees, day care, senior-citizen clubs and residences, summer camps, emergency and disaster services, missing-persons bureaus,rehabilitation for alcoholism and drug abuse, family counselling, and visitation to institutionalized individuals.

HOW is it organized? In keeping with its name the Salvation Army is operated on a military pattern. Ministers are officers with military rank, and the general, headquartered in London, is the army's top international leader. Basic training for each officer, following a required high school education, is a 2-year in-residence course at a Salvation Army School for Officers' Training. Besides formal study, the curriculum includes practical field experience.

To me the Salvation Army is an example of what Jesus Christ would have wanted his followers to do in this world - to make it a better place in which to live.

Humor for today:
Q. How can you increase the heart rate of your 70 year old husband?
A. Tell him your pregnant.

Q. Why should 70 year old people use valet parking?
A. Valets don't forget where they park your car.

Q. Is it common for 70 year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?
A.Storing memory is not a problem, RETRIEVING IT IS THE PROBLEM

Still more about taxes.

Quote from Madonna: I'M TOUGH, I'M AMBITIOUS, AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I WANT. IF THAT MAKES ME A BITCH, OKAY.

What I learned today:

Today I learned about U.S. tax hikes and tax cuts from 1992 to 2003.

The rates before 1992 were:
15%, 28% 31%.
Clinton rates were:
15%, 28%, 31%, 36%, 39.6%
The Bush rates were/are:
10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, 35%

The 1993 to 2000 tax rates were the Clinton rates. The 2001 to 2010 tax rates were the George W. Bush rates. The big fight in Congress is whether the 33% should go back to the Clinton rate of 36% and whether the 35% rate should go back to the Clinton rate of 39.6%. All the other rates would stay the same. The only taxpapers having to pay the higher rate would be singles making above $200,000 and families making above $250,000.
(This tax info came from: http://www.moneychimp.com/.)

Humor for today:

Q: Where can men over the age of 60 find younger, sexy women who are interested in them?
A: Try a bookstore, under fiction.

Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you're done you'll have a place to live.

Q: Someone told me that menopause is mentioned in the Bible. Is that true?
A: Yes. Matthew 14:92: "And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way to Egypt.."

More about taxes.

Quote from Halvard Lange (Norwegian foreign minister from 1946 to 1965). WE DO NOT REGARD ENGLISHMEN AS FOREIGNERS. WE LOOK ON THEM ONLY AS RATHER MAD NORWEGIANS.

What I learned today:

My curiosity was aroused yesterday when I wrote about taxes. I googled "U.S. income tax brackets" and am trying to absorb what I ran off and have sitting in front of me. Here is what I'm looking at right now.

Federal Tax Brackets:

If your taxable income is between.......... your tax bracket is:
0 and $8,375.............................................10%
$8375 and $34,000.................................. 15%
$34,000 and $82,400...............................25%
$82,400 and $$171,850............................28%
$171,850 and $373,650 ............................33%
$373,650 and above................................. 35%

To take an example, suppose your taxable income (after deductions and exemptions) was exactly $100,000 in 2008 and your marital status was Married filing separately, then your tax would be calculated like this:

($8,025 minus 0) x .10: $802.50
($32,550 minus $8,025) x .15: $3,678.75
($65,725 minus $32,550 x .25: $8,293.75
($100,000 minus $65,725) x .28: $9,597.00
TOTAL ...........................$22,372.00

This puts you in the 28% tax bracket, since that's the highest rate applied to any of your income; but as a percentage of the whole $100,000, your tax is about 22.37%.

Tomorrow I'll show how the tax brackets changed from 1990 to to 2003.

Humor for today: If your best shots are the practice swing and the "gimme putt", you may wish to reconsider the game of golf.

Taxes

Quote from Jean Sibelius: PAY NO ATTENTION TO WHAT THE CRITICS SAY. A STATUE HAS NEVER BEEN ERECTED IN HONOR OF A CRITIC.

What I learned today:

With all the sqabbling going on in our nation's capital about taxes I learned a little something about tax rates. I read this article in the newspaper, "FACT CHECK: Cutting through tax-cut rhetoric." The article made five main points but the one that struck me was this one.

CLAIM: The rich would pay 36% or more of their income in taxes under Obama's plan.
WRONG: A rich family would pay 36% - and 39.6% - only on taxable income above $232,000. The family would continue to benefit from the other four brackets established earlier this decade - 10%, 15% 25% and 28% - on taxable income below $232,000.

I found that very interesting. I thought, like most other people, that all their income was taxed at the higher rate.

Humor for today:

An elderly lady went into a restaurant for the 'seniors special'. The special was two eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast for $2.99.

She told the waitress "I want the special but I don't want the eggs."

The waitress said "Then, I'll have to charge you $3.49 because you're ordering a la carte" the waitress warned her.

"You mean I'd have to pay for not taking the eggs?" she asked.

"YES!" stated the waitress.

"I'll take the special then," said the lady.

"How do you want your eggs?" the waitress asked.

"Raw and in the shell," she replied. She took the two eggs home and made a cake...

DON'T MESS WITH SENIORS!!! They've been around the block more than once.

Sneezing and God Bless You.

Quote from George Carlin: HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED? ANYBODY GOING SLOWER THAN YOU IS AN IDIOT, AND ANYONE GOING FASTER THAN YOU IS A MANIAC.

GRATITUDE TODAY:I'm grateful to be a Norwegian and getting to eat lutefisk. Last night Ruth Ann and I and three other couples had our annual lutefisk supper. What a joy to eat lutefisk again. It was covered with melted butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. Only Norwegians get to enjoy such a treat. Eat your hearts out you non-Norwegians.

"DAY BRIGHTENER" TODAY: Joyce, the 85 year-old lutefisk loving member of our group, was unable to attend the lutefisk supper last night due to recent surgery. The eight of us decided we would not forget Joyce. We some lutefisk in a separate container and then bagged some meat balls, lefse, rosettes and kringle. It was my honor to brighten Joyce's day by delivering it to her home this morning. She was one happy woman. Plus we had good half hour talk. It definitely brightened her day. Joyce's deceased husband, Jim, was Anamosa superintendent from 1965 to 1987.

LEARNING TODAY: While reading DEAR ABBY I learned an interesting tidbit of history originating in the Middle Ages. When someone sneezes we usually say "Bless you" or "God Bless you." In the Middle Ages it was believed that when people sneezed, their SOULS left their bodies for an instant - and saying "God bless you" would prevent the DEVIL from snatching it. I like learning things like this. It makes life more interesting.

Thank God for lutefisk and lefse..

Quote from Erica Jong: ADVICE IS WHAT WE ASK FOR WHEN WE ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER BUT WISH WE DIDN'T.

Today. December 5, 2009, is the first Suday in December. For the last nine years four couples and two elderly ladies have been having a lutefisk supper the first Sunday in December. We alternate the location every year. This year Paul and Verna Lewison will be the hosts. Ruth Ann is the lady who prepares the lutefisk as she has done it for over 50 years and is the only one who knows how to do it.

Our meal consists of all kinds of Norwegian foods which were brought to America by our ancestors in the 1800s. The names of these foods are lutefisk,lefse, sandbakkles, rosettes, krumkakke, and kringle. Lefse is a potato flat bread that looks like a pizza crust.It is made on a special grill that we had to purchase in Minnesota (the state with the most Norwegians). Most Norwegians put butter and brown or white sugar on the lefse and then roll it up. However, other Norwegians were raised to lay the lefse on their plate and cover it with mashed potatos, gravy, meat balls and lutefisk - then fold it over like a taco.

The sandbakkles, rosettes, krumkakke, and kringle are Norwegian pastries. All four are made from flour, sugar, butter and milk.The only difference is the shape. A special grill is needed to make the rosette - when done it looks like a big snow flake. A krumkakke is shaped like an ice cream cone, a sandbakkle is like a little cup and a krinkle is like a figure eight knot. Our Norwegian ancestors didn't have many choices in their food supply so they probably shaped these pastries differently to make them more appealing. The truth is they all taste the same. But we Norskies love all of them.

Then there is the lutefisk. It needs a special paragraph. Lutefisk is s cod fish. Lutefisk, which means lye fish, has quite a reputation. In the old days Norwegians used to soak the cod in lye to preserve it. When they wanted to eat it they soaked it in water for several days to get the lye out.
Now we buy it frozen and soak it for three days in salt water. The it is baked. We eat it by pouring melted butter on it and salting it. It does have quite a smell and even some of the non-Norwegian spouses in our group will not eat it.

The bottom line is that "us true Norskies" look forward to this first Sunday in December. We are all grateful for lutefisk, lefse and the pastries. Life is good.

Day Birghtener for bank Vice-president

Quote from Bill Cosby: A WORD TO THE WISE AIN'T NECESSARY, IT IS THE STUPID ONES WHO NEED ALL THE ADVICE.

A "Day Brightener" today.. This morning I was reading what I wrote in my Gratitude Journal on December 3, 2009. That was the day I went to the ATM at Walmart and was going to withdraw $200.00. The money came out and I noticed there was something wrong. Instead of getting ten twenty dollar bills I got two one hundred dollar bills and eight twenty dollar bills for a total of $360.00. What a deal!!!! However, I immediately went to to the bank and told bank Vice-President Sharon what had happened. Then Sharon and I went to the basement to talk to the two ladies who fill the ATM machine. None of the three ladies could understand how this could have happened. All three of the ladies were so grateful I brought back the extra $160.00. I believe I brightened their day - they were relieved and happy and nobody got into trouble.

Humor for today is from the 189th issue of THE JOKER MAGAZINE.

WHEN INSULTS HAD CLASS:

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde

"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others."Samuel Johnson

Grateful for EPA.

Quote from Aldous Huxley: IT IS A LITTLE EMBARASSING THAT, AFTER FORTY-FIVE YEARS OF RESEARCH AND STUDY, THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE TO PEOPLE IS TO BE A LITTLE KINDER TO EACH OTHER.

What I LEARNED today.

I'm concerned about our environment and the future of our planet. I learned a lot this morning about the environment while reading an article by Jessica Buchberger in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. It was forty years ago today that Congress created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As a result within three years Congress passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. They were all signed into law by President Nixon.They form the basis of the environmental protections we enjoy today.

In 1969 the movement to improve our environment was given a boost when the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, caught on fire. It was due to massive amounts of waste and oil contaminants from unregulated dumping. The fire drew national attention to the pollution problems in the U.S. In 1970, the first Earth Day brought together 20 million Americans demanding a cleaner and healthier environment. As a result of these demands Congress created the EPA on December 2, 1970 and the U.S. was off and running in improving our environment.

How has our environment improved in the last 40 years? Author Jessica listed some remarkable improvements.

- The Clear Air Act has led to a 60 per cent cut in dangerous air pollutants that cause smog, acid rain, and lead poisoning and has prevented 228,000 people from dying prematurely. In 2010 alone, this law will save 23,000 lives, while preventing 1.7 million asthma attacks and more than 68,000 hospitalizations and visits to the emergency room.

- As a result of the Clean Water Act more than two-thirds of our waterways are considered safe for both drinking and swimming. In 1972, two-thirds of our waterways were NOT safe to use. Ninety two percent of Americans now enjoy drinking water that meets government health standards. In 1993 it was 79 percent.

This article was interesting for me to read and to learn some actual facts about the progress the EPA has made in improving America's environment. The author says we have made much progress in forty years and now is not the time for Congress to cut funding to the EPA.

HUMOR: A little humor today about turning age 70. My source is the book, "IF IGNORANCE IS BLISS, Why Aren't There More Happy People."

Maurice Chevalier said - Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative.
Konrad Adenauer said - I do not ask to be young again; all I want is to go on getting older.
Robert Orben said - Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the preservatives they can get.
Cora Armstrong said - Inside every woman is a young girl wondering what the hell happened.
Luis Bunuel said - Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese.
Colette said - You must not pity me because my seventieth year finds me still astonished. To be astonished is one of the ways of NOT growing old too quickly

Harry Truman

Quote from Harry Truman: MY CHOICES IN LIFE WERE EITHER TO BE A PIANO PLAYER IN A WHORE HOUSE OR A POLITICIAN. AND TO TELL THE TRUTH, THERE'S HARDLY ANY DIFFERENCE.

I've spent the day watching the History channel. They are repeating their series on all the presidents of the U.S. Watching it made me think of Harry. I love that guy. I love him because he had guts and wasn't afraid to say what he thought. He was written off as a sure loser in the 1948 campaign but ran a brilliant GIVE 'EM HELL campaign and won by 2.1 million votes.

i'M GRATEFUL FOR MEN LIKE hARRY. HE IS AN INSPIRATION TO ME.

grandchildren

A quote from millions of parents: GRANDCHILDREN ARE GOD'S REWARD FOR HAVING CHILDREN.

Ten days ago I had my seventy birthday. I got a card from granddaughter Ellyn and husband Ryan that was touching and inspiring. The card said,

Although there are millions of grandpas,
One thing is surely true-
This world would be a better place
It more were just like you!

Then she added "Wishing you many more years of health and happiness."
Lots of Love, Ellyn and Ryan

I can tell you one thing, Ellyn and Ryan most certainly "brightened my day". It made me feel so good.

While I'm on the topic of grandchildren I want to tell a story about my other two grandchildren. These stories are my humor for today. They are cute stories and and illustrate the innocence of children.

Ellyns older brother is Wesley. When Wesley was about five years of age his Mom took him to Dr. Collins for a check-up. Dr. Collins is African-American. Mom Carron said Wesley kept looking at Dr. Collins and you could tell he had something on his mind. Wesley could not stand it any longer and finally says to Dr. Collins, "Do you know Oprah?" What innocence and what a good laugh Dr. Collins and Carron had.

Then the story of granddaughter Alexandra from Denmark. She was about eight years old and was visiting us in Anamosa. One morning Grandma Ruth Ann was in the bathroom putting her blush and other make-up on and Alexandra was standing right beside her watching every move Grandma made. Ruth Ann told me later that she could tell Alex had something on her mind. Finally, it came out. Alex said, "Grandma is that stuff hard to put on with all those wrinkles on your face?" Ruth Ann had a good laugh and agreed it really was hard to put on.

Age 70 and remembering

A quote from Stdney J. Harris: THE THINGS WE DID CAN BE TEMPERED BY TIME; IT IS REGRET FOR THE THINGS WE DID NOT DO THAT IS INCONSOLABLE.

The quote for today is one of the reasons I'm wrting this blog. I don't want to look back several years from now and say, "I wish I had tried doing a blog."

My topic today is being age 70 and trying to remember. I was going to write on another topic but when I was getting my sweats on this morning to do my workout I told myself, before I leave the house for my walk, be sure and write PRINTER INK and FURNACE FILTERS on Ruth Ann's grocery list. I noticed the ink was low this morning when I checked the email. And at the end of the month I always put new filters in the furnace.Well, guess what? By the time I finished dressing (about two minutes later) I had forgotten about the ink/filters and I didn't write them on the list. I didn't think of them again until half through my walk. Then my problem was how am I going to remember ink/filters when I'm still walking - I still have 20 minutes to go. Anyway, I said ink, ink,ink, filter, filter, filter, all the way and I wrote it on the list as soon as I got in the door.

In recent years this has really gotten to be a problem for both of us and for all the other folks our age. What I've learned is the way to help solve this problem for me is to do one of two things: When I think of something I need to do go do it right now. And second, carry a piece of paper and a pencil and write it down. I'm considering a third way and that is to carry the little tape recorder I've had for 20 years.

And I've also learned I do not have alzheimers. When talking to Dr. Vernon (our family doctor) about trying to remember things as we've gotten older he says not to worry about it. His words were, "As long as you remember you do not remember you do not have alzheimers. It is when you do not remember that you do not remember that you have a serious problem." Good news.

Today I walked for 50 minutes which equals 2.7 miles. It brings my Novmeber total to 66.0 miles.

A little humor today. Doctor (on the phone): Ole, I have to tell you..your check came back.
Ole: Vell, let me tell YOU sumting. So did my artitis!

November 26, 2010

A quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: YOU MUST DO THE THING YOU THINK YOU CANNOT DO.



This quote kind of makes me think about myself and starting this blog. I didn't think I could do this. But with son Brad and daughter Carron's help and niece Jane's encouragement I'm on the way. Thank You Brad, Carron and Jane for getting me on the blog road.



I'm going to start with a "day brightener" story. I was walking at Walmart the other morning when a nine year old boy stopped me and asked if I knew where he could find the sour creme. I led him to the sour creme and he says to me, "Thank you very much and you have a good day." I couldn't believe those words coming from a nine year old. When I took my next lap he stopped me again and asked if I knew where the bottled water was. I pointed to the bottled water and he picked up two gallon jugs. Then we walked to the check-out together and I asked him what his name was. He answered, "My name is Robert." I told him my name was Peter and he says, "I'm pleased to meet you Peter." I was thinking to myself that this was one very polite and respectful young boy. His mother was waiting for him at the check-out so I told her that she had a remarkable son and she should be proud he is so polite and respectful. I told Robert the same thing and he says, "Thank you Peter." Mother thanked me with a big smile and said, "We have tried to raise him the right way." I believe I brightened Robert's day and his mother's day by taking time to express my feelings to them. And it made me feel good to see the smile on both their faces.

Welcome to Pete Bungum's BLOG

Today, November 26, 2010, I'm launching my BLOG. The idea for me to have a blog was planted in my mind by my niece, Jane BungumZupancic. In 2009 I wrote a Gratitude Journal. For the 365 days of 2009 I expressed my gratitude to many of the people who and things that made a positive difference in my life. Jane purchased a copy of my book and sent me a note expressing her feelings about my journal. Jane's words were, "You are a very good writer. You have a nice sense of humor and an informative style. You'll do well with a blog." She wrote those words on April 9, 2010. I've been thinking about it for seven months and with Jane's encouragement I have finally decided to give it a try.


I've entitled my blog A GRATEFUL SENIOR CITIZEN. The first reason for the title is, obviously, I'm a senior citizen (I turned 70 on November 20). The second reason is I'm grateful for the good life I've lived for seventy years. I'm enjoying life at age seventy and want to use this blog to show some of the ways I'm grateful.


I intend to tell how gratedful I am that I still enjoy learning. I've always had a curious mind and have enjoyed learning new and different things from my pre-school days right up to age seventy. The most important words in my life have always been WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW. As actor Edward Norton said, "Keep learning new things. Keep looking for experiences that expand your sense of the world."


I'm going to show I still have a good sense of humor. There will be a lot of humor in this blog. I'm grateful I'm not a grumpy old man.


I'm grateful I can see the positive side of things. Being negative is no way to live. I'm going to include a quote with every post. The quote will be something positive and make us think and reflect a little.


I'm grateful I can still be inspired by thoughts, words, deeds, etc. I will write about some of those that have inspired me in my seventy years.


I'm grateful I have many great memories from my seventy years. I intend to share many of those.




I'm grateful I learned a long time ago that one way to brighten my day was to brighten someone else's day. I will share some of those "day brightener's."

And I know people are happier when they have a project to work on. I now have a project. So why not share in the form of a blog.