Tennessee Schmaltz

It has been a week of rain and cloudy weather. We’ve logged 0.78 inches of rain this week, 0.04 in today.


The creek is up, running fast but still clear as the forest above us does what it should, slow the runoff and absorb the water as fully as possible. We’ve been fortunate and have missed the heavier rains that are causing flooding elsewhere.

The northern portion of Cassi Creek leaving our property. Image on right is excerpted from that on the left.

Final cascade as creek changes from flowing west to flowing north. The sound of rushing water on rocks is absolutely delightful to hear.
 
We’re in the process of getting ready to leave for Asheville NC. We’ll be going to a contra dance billed as “the Old Farmers’ Ball.” The band playing from 2000-2300 is “Wild Asparagus. The band members are old friends of Gloria’s from her days of high activity as a contra dancer. She’s knows this band longer than she’s known me. I hope her knee holds out tonight. We’ve done about all we can do to enable her to keep dancing. For that matter, I hope my knees hold out tonight. I’m a rank amateur at this, as I’ve written previously. I have no problem sitting out every other dance in order to pace myself. The rainy weather has kept me from my routine morning walks this week so I’m not in nearly the condition I was hoping for. Given the weather systems rolling through, one after another, and the effect barometric and humidity changes have upon my injuries, I may sit out more than every other dance. It doesn’t matter that much to me. I can enjoy the music as I’m sitting out. I’ll need to save some energy for the drive home, too.
 
Gloria has been looking forward to this for two months, since we learned the band would be playing this dance. We’ve planned on attending. She found a new skirt to wear, to replace her old favorites that have deteriorated with age.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I’ll be quite proud to be her companion and escort tonight. Of course, I always am. But on those days when I have occasion to actually take her some place not related to household tasks, I try to remind myself that compliments are always in order.


I’ve laid out my choice of clothing, only one or two items rejected out of hand. I don’t have any sense of what goes or doesn’t go with what... It seldom bothers me to let Gloria pick clothes for me. There’s nothing in my closet that I won’t willingly wear, so it’s not a problem if she suggests something different than what I pulled off a hanger.

For me, function defines form in clothing. Comfort, durability, comfort, not having to iron it, comfort – that pretty much covers it. Oh, shoes? Well, really boots in many cases are the preferred item. I have one pair of dress, leather-soled shoes that I bought to be worn while being married to Gloria. I bought them with dancing in mind. They are too narrow in the toe box for extended comfort but with the right socks serve for dances. The rest of my shoes are big, boxy, heavy soled, suitable for protection from stones, for traction on rock or in mud. I wear from 11.5 US to 13 US so I rarely can walk in and ask for a particular shoe. I ask what they can fit me with. The last shoe shopping trip turned up only two pairs in a very large store. I bought both.

Dressing for the weather will be interesting tonight. We can expect rain in Asheville, rain on the way to Asheville, and perhaps rain, fog, or even snow on the ride back. The Pathfinder is a good vehicle except for the defroster design. Using the defroster/defogger requires turning on the AC even in cold weather. So driving gloves and warm shoes are in order for the trip. Probably I’ll wear a flight jacket. I don’t know how leather will be received by the people at the dance. But, for me, leather is politically correct. If it weren’t for the rain, I’d wear my tweed sports jacket. But I’m not sure how far we’ll have to park from the restaurant or how wet the weather will be then.
I’m currently in a discussion with friends on a fly fishing forum concerning the morality of dropping nuclear weapons upon Japan. I feel it was justified; any weapon which brought that war to an earlier end saved countless American lives. Like Truman, those are the lives I would be most concerned with saving.
It would have been immoral not to use such a weapon if it was possibly the significant tool in ending armed conflict.

This argument/discussion surfaces about every 6 months on this particular forum. Most of the correspondents are of the opinion that racism drove the use of nuclear weapons against Japan rather than the nature of the Japanese military, the logistics involved in invading Japan, the projected US casualties and dead, and the actual time when the bomb became available. I contend it would have been used against Germany if it had been available. Truman saw combat and understood that saving one’s own troops is a priority in war. Most of the correspondents have not served in uniform.
  Feel free to weigh in with your opinion

Obama is now proposing a $250 bonus to all retired seniors, Medicare insured, disabled veterans, etc., as there will not be a cost of living allowance increase in Social Security benefits for the next two years. As a real benefit, this is next to worthless for many of us. That is less than Gloria paid for one month’s worth of one medication yesterday. She’s in the drug plan gap. She’s paying full premiums to an insurance company which administers her particular plan but is currently not paying toward her medications. Anyone who winds up in this gap has major medication needs and is being ill-served by this gift from Bush/Cheney to the drug companies and health insurance companies which wrote the bill that became Medicare part D drugs for seniors. For too many seniors this gap causes them to choose between food and medication. Pharmacies are reporting that patients are asking for less than a full month’s meds and then splitting the pills, hoping to get the full benefit from them. The decision to enact this scourge upon Medicare recipients was criminal and people will die as a result of the way it is working.

This is something to write your congress persons and senators about, kid. Bury them in paper mail, faxes, e-mails, and jam their phones with calls demanding that Congress close the doughnut hole for Medicare recipients. Demand that Medicare be allowed to negotiate drug prices as does the Veterans Affairs Dept. If it isn’t directly affecting your wallet, or that of friends and family, it will be soon.

That’s the task for the week, boys and girls. Let Congress know you want health care reform with a public option and with the doughnut hole closed. When you’ve made your Congress people aware of this, then notify the White House that they’ve laid back and let others delay this too long. Remind them that they won the last election but that the next one depends upon results now. It’s your nation, still. Act while you still can make your voice heard. I f the GOP has their way; your voices will never be heard in protest again.

Drop by this site, too.
http://www.madashelldoctors.com

D inner tonight will be Japanese food at Wasabi in Asheville NC
http://www.ichibanwasabi.com/pdf/wasabi_go_menu.pdf