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Showing posts with label germs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label germs. Show all posts

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Sunday Scribblings' Observations

I'm been known to observe:
After spending probably more time than necessary watching people, I have my own theory about faces: usually the first-born child strongly resembles the father. Then the subsequent children’s features are up for grabs. I may be stepping out on a limb here; I’d like to think I am about 90% correct.

Chin hairs that have been black thus far, eventually will turn gray in direct proportion to the number of gray hairs on one’s head. Eyebrows wait for that process to finish and then succumb to the lackluster hue. This is normal as set down in the owner’s manual.

Finding the Big Dipper in the northern sky on a dark night can actually calm one’s heartbeat, lower blood pressure and prevent nightmares if viewed at bedtime.

In fact, looking up is a good cure-all for many things with the possible exception of being short on funds. One should periodically look down because sometimes you’ll find money. A corollary to this is Jerry Seinfeld’s reason why dogs are always poor—they have no money, why? Because they have no pockets.

Germs die. This is the best advice my mother gave me. When I was eleven I had my first experience with a sort of OCD. I couldn’t tell my mom exactly what was wrong, because I didn’t know, nor that I couldn’t stop worrying about dying or couldn’t quit washing my hands because I was afraid of getting sick from touching the millions of wads of gum under my desks at school. She never knew. So I just asked casual questions about germs and illness, appealing to her on the level of her pharmacy studies. But she did say that she had learned that germs die rather quickly when exposed to air. That gave me a modicum of relief as I endured bouts of counting or hand washing and eventually this fear of disease passed, to be replaced later with more ingenious fears. But I have always remembered what she said because it was all she could offer me.

The holy water found in church tastes salty and I know because I was the one repeatedly scolded for sampling when I was in elementary school. Now I like to think it has some mystical connection to tears. However, using holy water does not a holy person make.

Speaking of water, everywhere I’ve lived, the water is colder coming from the tap in the bathroom than in the kitchen. Mysterious and annoying.

Finally, life is mysterious, circadian, wonderful and worthy of scrutiny whenever possible. Especially when afraid, thirsty or overjoyed with seeing oneself in the face of your child.

~~

See more observations at Sunday Scribblings here. You'll be amazed at what you'll learn.


Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.


Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Monday, October 29, 2007

"Sometimes you have to look reality in the eye, and deny it."**


His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings
He furleth close; contented so to look
On mists in idleness--to let fair things
Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.

John Keats from The Human Seasons



Lurking round is that old familiar super-sized combo of ennui due to the World Series ending--too quickly--and sinusitis from staying too long outside since the days have been perfectly blue, gold and cloudless the past week, with days in the 60's.












Allergies make me a little dopey and disinterested in anything that usually makes me happy...bleh And I miss Audrey and Erica even though the days are long gone when they would partake of any Halloween pumpkin carving or costumes. I can still see Erica in my mind's eye the last year she went trick-or-treat-ing dressed as a rabbit coming out of a huge hat. Sweet, sad and priceless! So today I sat and counted the millions of leaves that have fallen from our trees when I wasn't reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith, recommended by Erica for Smith's writing talent but more importantly because of 'our family's star appearance!' on every page.

I know if those guys were home for Halloween we'd all be sitting down to enjoy this recipe that we made nearly every year:

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 medium pumpkin
1 lb ground beef sauteed with onions & celery
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
4 oz mushrooms (fresh or canned, sliced and drained)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups hot cooked rice

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 10" circle in center of a foil-lined baking sheet; set aside. Place pumpkin on a firm surface. Using a sharp knife, cut out stem end and about 3 inches around stem. Cut on a diagonal by slanting knife from outer edge of pumpkin in toward center (important so the lid doesn't fall in!) Reserve top. Remove seeds and pulp; discard. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Spoon mixture into pumpkin. Replace top. Place pumpkin on greased baking sheet. Bake about 1 hour or longer in preheated oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve cooked pumpkin along with meat filling. Makes 6-8 servings.

[scarecrow in vacated garden spot along the road]


Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough. Garrison Keillor



**title also Keillor quote