Book Travels

I had a rather uneventful summer--had to work--no vacation. --Not too different from a lot of Americans. Fortunately my job has allowed me about 2 hours a day tending to napping children.

I wanted to rest. That's really what summer is about--escape and rest from the normal working world. Some escape in a movie theater. Action and adventure movies are most popular during the summer.

Others like fantasy video games and can play them for long periods of time. --And they have every right to do so.

I wanted to rest and renew in a peaceful place. While my students slept, I spent the summer visiting Mitford, NC. I escaped the hot Tennessee summer in the cool, rolling hills of a sleepy little town. I worshiped with Father Tim in The Lord's Church and was a tourist in his community. When I finished reading the Mitford series I was sad. So nice was the respite from my real world.

Then I took a brief break to a lake cottage in Wilson's Cove, OK. This was a tourist town in A Time To Heal, by Linda Goodnight. I enjoyed this book because of the setting. Adam, my son, and I have taken several trips to Natchez Trace State Park in TN. We enjoyed the lakeside cabins or the scenic lodge. We have enjoyed those brief respites and felt our spirits renew.

Ah, I hope I can take such a trip again soon. Maybe I will rent the cabin for grand kids someday!

Okay, maybe these weren't real vacations, but it was a poor girl's escape. With a little bit of luck and a prayer, the family reunion in October will be the rest I need to get me through until next summer.

In Stitches

In keeping with this year's theme of health I will share my latest medical adventure.

Well, one of my medical problems has been corrected. The dermatologists removed 2 cysts from my scalp. It was an in-office procedure--not a big deal. It was kind of interesting non-the-less.

The doctor put local anesthesia in my scalp--like the dentist puts in the gums. My heart instantly started to pound and I prayed that I wasn't going to stroke out, right there. Amazingly, they took my blood pressure before I left the office and it was normal.

Next, was the incision. Of course, I felt nothing. It was the sound, however, that I found intriguing. I could hear the grating of the scalpel moving against my scalp. It reminded me of that faint sound made when cutting apart chicken before cooking it.

One of the cysts came out with ease. The other was more troublesome. --But the good news is that the dermatologist feels that the cysts are not cancerous. The cysts will be sent out for tests, but all indications, so far, is that everything is okay.

The doctor cut away only a little bit of my hair, so when the stitches are removed and I get a trim next week, there will me only a little indication that anything has been done at all. Yah!

For now, I am donning scarves. I don't want to scare my students with the stitches in my scalp or the messy medicine in my hair. The children seem to find the scarves festive.

The children are curious, though. One of the cysts was in a noticeable spot. Perhaps I will make my unveiling a sort of teachable moment to help with their own fears of visiting the doctor.

July 4, 2010

What can I write that hasn't all ready been written? Entire books have been written about our forefathers, our freedom, our wars, and our history. What can I say differently?

As a little girl I was taught patriotism right along with reading, writing, and math. We sang rousing patriotic tunes about our country, Texas, and our forefathers. That's just the way things were in Texas in the early '60s.

The innocence of the '50s was fading and people understood the flaws and corruption that exists among our country's leadership. Now-a-days such a thing is accepted, but in the'60s that was a grand disappointment. Patriotism suddenly seemed naive. People began to feel that this country didn't deserve respect.

I have traveled throughout this country and abroad. Something interesting that I have discovered is this: all countries have corruption. Despite the corruption, people love their counties, their land, their homes.

Today I was a part of a very patriotic church fellowship. I enjoyed singing patriotic songs, both old and new. I loved seeing children waving American flags and wearing red, white, and blue. I watched the big screen and saw pictures of men and women in their uniforms.

I am glad patriotism has returned to our country. I hope it remains.