Visions of Poetry

Wednesday February 3 2016  OUT OF TOUCH

It is always so difficult to publicly confess my shortcomings.  But today I have a confession to make.  I am out of touch with reality.  Not every aspect of reality!  The discovery of being out of touch happened this morning when I read the food ads in the newspaper.  You see, we only take the Wednesday and Sunday paper because it usually takes me all week to just get through those.  Usually I throw away most food adds because I know where I like to shop that consistently has the best pricing.  My favorite place for small items, fresh items, in season items, and often organic items, is a little hole in the wall store, called Aldi’s.  I don’t believe it is a national chain, however I did come across a few Aldi’s in other states.  Perhaps some of my readers may be aware of Aldi’s, or even shop there in their own hometown.

Today I read several ads from other stores.  The price differences amazed me.  Especially when I opened Hy-Vee’s “sale” paper.  I just couldn’t imagine spending so much money on some of the exact same products that I can buy so much more affordable at Aldi’s.  I don’t mean to talk negatively about any store, especially Hy-Vee.  Hy-Vee is one of the most beautiful stores you will ever walk into.  It is clean, spacious, well laid out, displays beautiful produce, and even has an occasional low cost product of some sort.  I go there for one reason.  To buy my frozen Brussels sprouts.  I get the best prices in town there.  So I go to Hy-vee’s, buy about 10 bags of Brussels sprouts, and don’t need to go back for another two or three months.  It’s sure pretty to walk through, but I would not want to pay for a full cart of groceries. 

Even their ads are extremely beautiful and mouthwatering.  I say:  Be cautious of beautiful ads.  First page:  packaged pizza, canned soda, assortment of beer, potato chips, crackers, and the token live food choice, an avocado.

Second page, more chips and more chips, and Velveeta, BBQ sauce, Wing Sauce, Little Smokies, more crackers, M&M’s, salty peanuts, and fried and battered chicken products; Parmesan garlic Wings, Value pack Hy-Vee chicken wings, Big Bad Buffalo Wings, and Serrano and Jam wings.  Most in thick syrupy red sauces.  And so on the ad goes.  More beer, more crackers, more chips and cheese dips.  Oh, don’t forget, more sodas.  By this time I am not even looking at the pricing any longer.  I’m just wondering where the real food is.  These are newspaper size sheets for each page of the ad.  It has 8 sides.  Finally, on the last full page spread I come across a little portion at the top left that actually advertises REAL FOOD. 

Perhaps I should give you my definition of “REAL FOOD”.  My definition includes that which is fresh, or sometimes frozen, in its natural state.  Food that still has live enzymes that connect with the live enzymes of my body.  Real food is that which has not had the nutrition entirely cooked away which is then substituted with “fortified vitamins and minerals”.  It is food that has not been baked, dipped, smothered in sauces, pasteurized, homogenized, cooked to death, covered with MSG or artificial flavorings, food coloring, or salted.  Do I buy things that aren’t alive?  Yes, I do.  I buy dehydrated spices and seasonings.  I buy whole grain bread products, and I even buy fresh roasted COOKED CHICKENS!  But, when I look at a newspaper ad, the first place I turn to (which is usually the front cover of the ad paper) is to see what produce is available at the best price.  Hey, I actually became excited this morning when I read that cauliflower has come down from $2.89 a head to $.99 a head!  And of course that price was at Aldi’s.  Even Aldi’s has been high priced on cauliflower this year.

I shop for produce more frequently in the winter.  During the spring, summer, and fall, I plan our meals in accordance as to what comes in our Farm Box each week.  After accessing what I have to work with, I create my menu, make a list of what I need to pick up at the store to fill in for my recipes, and that’s about all I need to buy.  I buy certain things in bulk at Costco, such as roasted chicken, prunes, walnuts, organic grains, coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.  I come home, make pots of soup, freeze most of it, and then we feast from our freezer all winter.  So pretty much what I need in the winter is just salad greens, veggies, fresh fruits, nut, grains, and dried beans.  

The back page of  theHy-Vee’s ad was more of the same.  Everything already cooked and prepared, lots of sauces, lots of carbs, Blue Bunny ice cream (which I love but don’t buy), diet Coke, and a free Propel drink with purchase of 2 Gatorade 8 packs.  I can see now why food costs so much.  It must take a lot of workers to run the computers to prepare so much pre-made products.  I think I’ll stick to blueberries, cauliflower, and Brussels Sprouts.

After being assailed by the beautiful ad pages in the newspaper, I can see why people would want to buy it.  It looks beautiful, probably tastes good to those who are used to eating highly seasoned and salty foods, easy to prepare, and easy to buy.  But, I will admit, I was totally blindsided by what I saw.  I guess I am out of touch with reality, or just plain getting too old to realize all the nuances of the young generation who are too busy with children, careers, homes, and jobs, to cook.  

Quite a few people have shared the fact that they eat out most nights.  I know young families that go to fast food places several times a week due to time constraints.  And some younger friends have simply confessed the fact that they weren’t taught how to cook, have no interest in learning to cook, and would just rather stop and pick something up.  And unfortunately, these are sometimes the very families that are in the throws of financial crisis.  How sad is it that our society seems to no longer deem the value of the family dinner table.  In my opinion, the kitchen is the heart of the home.  I knew one mom (this is the absolute truth) who proudly told me that her stove top had never even been turned on since she and her husband married.  At this time she had one daughter about 2 or 3 years old.  Actually, she said, she had never used any of her kitchen except the coffee machine and microwave.  It was very clean and very sparse.  Their home was in an exclusive, high-end development.  When I was there I could feel the sadness of that kitchen.  It was a completely decked out, state of the art kitchen which was extremely beautiful, but had no purpose.

Food, REAL FOOD that is, brings me joy.  We are all different.  We all have different interest which bring us joy.  I am really glad that one of mine is creating wonderful meals in the kitchen.  And what makes it even greater now, is the fact that Dave is home, and has taken over cleaning up after I cook.  It is not usually too bad because I keep cooking pots washed up as I go, but it is still a great help and benefit to my time.  His motto to me is, you cook, I clean.  NICE!

Hey, I have gone on and on about something, that more than likely, everyone else was already aware of.  I must admit, my eyes were never opened quite so wide as they were this morning.  Seriously.  I also enjoy looking into other carts to see what others purchase.  I’ve always thought, that what is in the cart, tells a lot about what is going on in a person’s life.  I thought I could guess when someone was having a party by all the chips and hot-dogs, and boxed pizzas, and beverages, and desserts piled high.  One day I said to the lady behind me, “Looks like a fun party coming up.”  She looked at me, then looked at her cart (loaded with all the above mentioned foods), and said casually, “Actually no, I have three teenagers at home and this is what they like to eat.”  Unless something was hidden on the bottom of the cart I did not see one bag of salad greens, no other vegetables, and no fresh fruit.  That was an eye opener. I have learned that I may not be able to guess the intent of anyone’s purchase, but I still like to peek.

If you have an Aldi’s close by, go in and check it out if you haven’t already.  It can save you a lot of money, and they have good sales each week. The sale goes from Wednesday through the following Tuesday.

 

EACH DECISION IS IMPORTANT

By Kathleen Martens

February 3, 2016

 

Though money is a factor

When you shop for food.

It is more what you buy

That concocts your mood.

 

Be careful of the colorful ads

Designed to entice desires.

What you put in your mouth

Can really make you tired.

 

Be careful little mouth

About everything you eat.

Regardless how much you cram in

Your needs it may not meet.

 

Look for that which will die

If unattended in your fridge,

And it will build a strong body

And will be your healthy bridge.

 

Fruits, vegetables, and salads greens

May not be on everyone’s plate.

But if they are on yours,

It determines a better fate.

 

For God is the creator

Our body designed with perfection,

He also created live food

Positioned for our detection.

 

That which grows on trees,

On bushes, and in the ground,

Is the table that God prepared

To make us healthy and sound.

 

So stop and give pause

To all you ingest each day.

Each decision is important.

Consequences you will pay.

 

Every day a building block

For tomorrow, next week, next year.

And it really makes a difference

When older age is looming near.

 

As I sat at the breakfast table and looked at the ads, I knew I had to write about what I was looking at.  Do not let your eyes deceive you.  The beautiful food ads are just a small part of what is happening to our society.  Family values are rapidly dissolving, there is pressure to buy what we cannot afford, instant gratification seems to be the norm, and we as a society are drifting toward socialism.  Oh how sad it will be, when the younger generation wakes up when they are older, and realizes how their decisions of today have spun a tight web of deception around them.  I won’t go into the political aspects of what I could say, but I am grieved when I remember the values our country was founded on, and now realize where we are progressively headed, and how quickly we are getting there.  But I know that God is in control and I believe His clock is ticking, preparing for the return of our Lord and Savior.

Just as Judas was the one to betray Christ, there are also Judas’s in place to betray our country.  It has already started happening,   I believe that what is happening in the world, is on God’s timeline.  It says in the Bible that God is the one that allows which rulers to rule.  His plan is in action.  My prayer is not for just one person to rise to the top, but that God would put the one person in place that is to be used to better further His plan.  I pray for His perfect will.  And actually, it may possibly be the one, I would least likely choose.  But, I know whoever is elected, it will be for the purpose of God’s timeline.  Regardless what happens,  I need not fret or worry.  My hope is in God.

Blog became too long.  I must close.

FUN FACT:

The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.

My comment:  And that is too bad, because they are sure expensive to repair. 

 

It is only 10:32 a.m.  My blog is written! 

 

So, if you read this tonight: GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

If you read it today:  Have a great day and God bless  you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday February 2 2016  A DAY TOO BEAUTIFUL TO MISS

Have you ever talked to someone and they say to you, “oh, what an awful day”?  And when you ask why, you find out it is because the sun is not shining, or it is raining, or overcast, or cold, or snowing, or…or…and the list can go on.  I NEVER consider whether the day is a good day or not because of the weather.  Actually, I have learned to never allow the conditions around me, the circumstances, the weather, or what someone has said to me, determine what my day is like.  I discovered this secret early in life.  If my day was circumvented by all the situations, people, words, weather, news, pain, or work I had to do, I would never have any WONDERFUL DAYS to look back on.

I have discovered that even the news anchors couch words to make “the weather” sound like the deciding factor as to whether or not the day will be good or bad.  Isn’t it wonderful when you have the joy of the Lord in your heart and you can wake up every day with hope and anticipation of an awesome day?  Yes, sometimes plans must change because of weather conditions, especially in Wisconsin, but does that make it an “awful day”?  There is a saying here that is used quite frequently, “IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE WEATHER JUST WAIT FIVE MINUTES”, because that is how quickly it can change.  I remember many outdoor weddings thwarted by thunder and lightning storms that quickly developed and just as quickly passed over.  Did things need to be done differently, yes of course, but by the end of the day the couple were just as married regardless where they had to speak their vows.  There was one occasion that I actually photographed a wedding on a ski mountain, hiking in the snow to get where I had to be.  Days like that to me were never “bad days”.  To me every single day is an adventure and is always amazing to live through.  Even if I am just cleaning or cooking.

Speaking of amazing…I have started sorting through my office closet, which is a large clothes closet outfitted with shelving for all the office supplies and disk files.  Oh my goodness.  I can’t believe how much I threw away on just the first day.  There was a bit of nostalgia felt as I chucked the photos of clients that I used for display, but in the same vein, there was a cleansing in my spirit at the same time.  Faces I will never see again, events I no longer need to be concerned about, files that must be culled that are just taking up space, must go!  I am saving samplings of my work which will fit on one little part of my bookshelf.  Some of the work is more like art, though the faces are not my loved ones, but I still like to look at them every once in a while.  Sometimes I look at some of the portraits and find it almost unbelievable that I was the artist.  I have always had a difficult time thinking of myself as an “artist”.  But, I guess I was; maybe still am.  I think what lives in my heart as a passion will always be part of me.

It is interesting to me to see how I opened this blog talking about the weather, transitioning to wedding memories, and then, end up being an artist.  Well, this is one artist that now wants to become an organized and decluttered creative being (if that is possible).  I was proud of myself yesterday.  I actually did a great job filling up a good portion of the recycle bin.  Lots of old notebooks, reference material that is now outdated, catalogues, supply books, telephone books, and old photos.  And that was all from just one half, of one shelf.  If I tried to explain to you all that I must go through I would be here all day.  So rather than tell about it, I shall go do it.

 

A DAY TOO BEAUTIFUL TO MISS

By Kathleen Martens

February 2, 2016

 

So much clutter, from where does it come?

Years of accumulation, work and fun!

No longer needed, it seems quite bereft

Some is disposed, but there is lots more left.

 

Hours ahead of deciding and sorting,

What to keep and what to discard.

If my daughter would come and do it

It wouldn’t be quite so hard.

 

She is so good of decluttering my space.

She never questions what she throws out!

But when I come home and find it all gone

I retrieve from the trash and refuse to shout!

 

Been there done that with my girl,

So I’m better off doing it alone.

Deciding exactly what I need to keep

Rather than being forlorn.

 

It just takes time and a little adjustment

To realize what’s happening is real.

I need to experience the hours it takes,

And time to feel, what I need to feel.

 

It is a journey as I travel this road,

For part of my past I am throwing away.

Like an amputation I fear will hurt,

But not quite so bad, just a little each day.

 

As I sort, my load seems to lighten,

As beautiful memories flood my hours.

It is not with sadness I throw things out,

Rather a resurging freshness that gives me power.

 

It is my journey that no one else can do,

And my heart sings as I look ahead,

Because someday it will all be done,

And my footing will be in good stead.

 

I will be stronger for all that I’ve learned,

And there will be joy tucked in my heart.

All I need do is focus on my goal

Because every day is a fresh new start.

 

And when that clutter is out of my life

I just wonder, what will I do?

I’ve decided to treasure the memories I find,

And be glad that my work is through.

 

Every day is a day too beautiful to miss.

Whether rain or sunshine, work or play.

I will enjoy what I do as a pleasure.

For I never know, if this is my final day.

 

Psalm 118:24 NKJ

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

 

FUN FACTS

The banana cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man.

Monday February 1 2016  A SHORT HELLO

Does anyone believe me when I use the word “short”?  Well, I always have good intentions, but what else can I say.

As I mentioned last week I had an extra appointment go on my Thursday appointment book that I wasn’t expecting.  I think I told you that I found out on Wednesday that I needed to schedule an MRI on my right shoulder.  I received the results back  Sunday morning on “MY CHART” online.  The results stated that I have two tears in my rotator cuff, swelling and fluid in my bursa, and arthritic changes that also exacerbate the injury I had to my shoulder when I hurt my elbow about three months ago.  When I have pain it seems like time doesn’t pass very quickly.  I find pain to be very draining in so many aspects.  I have kept it under wraps the past few weeks trying to take it a bit easier, but never seeming to find time to rest it.  Well, it finally caught up with me.  Pain not only affects the area that is injured, but seems to find ways to radiate into other body parts that are trying to  take up the slack of the injured area.  That is what I am experiencing now.

I do have an appointment with a surgeon next week to discuss what might or might not be done about the tears.  I dread the nights due to the fact it is so painful to lie down.  Please send your prayers my way for healing.

So, enough of that.  On to higher and better topics. At this moment I have no clue what topic, but give me a minute, I’ll come up with something! (I hope.)

Oh, I just thought of something.  Yesterday, my husband received a photo of our 4 year old grandson.  Dave sent the photo on to me with the stream of messages that went along with it.  Xander’s mom instructed him to change clothes so they could leave for a shopping trip.  He came back a few minutes later, decked out to the hilt.  He had outdone himself.  I’m telling you, if he didn’t have style, then I’ve never seen a kid who has it.  He had not forgotten one accessory, jacket, high socks, short pants, shoes, and GLOVES.  Oh, but the clincher was, he was in total concentration mode.  You know how I know?  Because he takes after his grandfather.  When my husband Dave is concentrating he does this “tongue thing”.  The tongue pushes through the lips, goes off to the side and protrudes a bit.  Xander had it down pat!  When I saw the whole package I could hardly stop laughing.  He looked so cute, so innocent, and SO VERY STYLISH!  I asked my husband, “What did Amy do when he came out dressed to the NINES?”  Dave replied, “Took him shopping”.  I am going to include a visual reference to this event, in photo format, so you will not need to leave this to your imagination.  I do hope you enjoy the style.  Perhaps he takes after his grandpa with the tongue thingy, but I think he takes more after his grandma in style.  I love the UNIQUE!

This episode reminded Dave and I of an incident with Xander’s father about 30 years ago when he was about 7 years old.  When Courtland, our son, was 4 years old, he had a little blue suit with pants, vest, and dressy jacket.  He had a little white shirt to wear with it.  Well, I couldn’t bear to get rid of the suit so I kept it in the back of his closet hanging on a hanger.  One evening we were going to dinner at someone’s home.  I asked Courtland to go upstairs and dress in something very nice so he would look handsome.  After quite a lengthy time he came back downstairs, walking rather stiffly.  Somehow he had crammed his 7 year old body into the size 4 white shirt, pants, vest, and jacket.  The pants were quite high-water, barely able to be snapped.  The vest rode up over the little round belly that kids have at that age.  His hands and arms dangled profusely out of the tight, extremely short sleeves.  The jacket was buttoned with one button that made the bottom flare out.  As I type this I am laughing as I look back at that visual memory.  Oh my, what to say when he looked up and in all sincerity, with a somewhat worried smile on his face, “How do I look mom?”  My response was that he looked absolutely amazing and handsome!  I could not burst his bubble.  It took everything I had to not burst out in laughter.  He was definitely proud of himself.  He also looked wide eyes, and acutely uncomfortable.  I went on to say that I wasn’t quite expecting him to wear a suit and asked him if he thought he might be more comfortable in something else.  Oh my, he heaved out a big sigh of relief and told me that yes, he would probably be more comfortable in something else.  I told him to go on upstairs and put something a bit more comfortable on.  He was changed in record time.  He came back downstairs and thanked me for having him change.  He then told me “Oh, that feels better.”  I wonder if he remembers that incident.  I certainly do.  The only reason I didn’t let him wear the suit was because I could tell he was miserable.  Had those pants stayed buttoned much longer he might have passed out from lack of oxygen. 

Since I am on a roll, I have one more little incident tucked in my “mother memory”.  We moved to Northern California from Southern California when Courtland was close to turning 4 years old.  My sister then lived close by.  We both lived in the east bay area near San Francisco.  Courtland was 5 years old.  We planned to go to my sister’s for dinner.  On that particular day I had been shopping and purchased Courtland some new underwear.  The “UNDEROOS” were little briefs that came in a package of eight, each one was a different color.  I gave them to him and he was so excited.  I actually didn’t know someone could get that excited about underwear.  When it was close to time to leave I asked him to go and change clothes so he would look nice for Aunt Velma.  He came back a few moments later.  He had little dark brown cord pants on.  I glanced at him, he looked decent, but I thought, oh my, I’m going to need to buy him some new slacks too because the ones he put on were now so tight on him. 

We arrived at my sister’s place and the kids always got a hug and a love pat on their bottom when Velma hugged them.  Velma patted Courtland’s behind a second time after hugging him.  Then she asked Courtland what he had on under his brown cords.  He excitedly unsnapped his britches, pulled his cords down to his knees, and commenced to showing Velma his new, colorful, UNDEROOS.  I stood there watching as Velma started peeling back layer after lay of elastic waistbands, counting each colorful pair.  All total he had on nine pair of briefs, the ones next to his skin were the boring white ones.  He looked up at her in all innocence and said, he wanted to wear them and couldn’t decide which one to wear, so he put them all on.  When Velma reads this blog I hope she gets a great big chuckle in remembering that evening.  I had Courtland take off eight pair and choose just one pair to keep on.  He came back out at said, “Oh, that feels better”.  And to this day Courtland only enjoys wearing clothes that are comfortable on him.  I wonder why?  And to my knowledge, I think he only wears one pair of underwear at a time.  I’ll have to ask him.

 

SOMETIMES I WONDER HOW

By Kathleen Martens

February 1, 2016

 

God made little children

To bring a smile to a mother’s face.

Everyday full of surprises,

At night is when you pace.

 

No child can be trusted

For a moment out of sight,

To keep them alive and healthy,

Or at least out of a fight.

 

Especially when they have a brother,

It matters not the age.

The only way to keep them apart

Is to place them in a cage.

 

Which of course would be illegal,

So referee you must become.

But most times it is easier,

And you actually have some fun.

 

But of course my kids were perfect.

Because our son had no brother.

He only had an annoying sister

Who was bossy like no other.

 

But our daughter had a brother

The perfect age to boss around.

And even through the occasional squabbles,

Lots of smiles were found.

 

So many memories tucked away

From babyhood till now.

I’m just glad I survived them all,

Sometimes, I wonder how.

 

Footnote to this poem:  I REALLY DID ENJOY BEING A MOTHER TO MY YOUNG CHILDREN AND THROUGHOUT EACH AGE.  AS A MATTER OF FACT, I STILL ENJOY IT, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THEY HAVE HOMES OF THEIR OWN! 

As far as Dave and I are concerned we believe we have been so blessed by both our son and our daughter.  One of my greatest desires in life was to be a mother, and then to be granted the time on earth to be the one to raise them.  God granted me both desires!  On our son’s 18^th birthday I turned to my husband and said, “Do you know what today means?”  He answered me immediately with, “Yes, it now means you are living on borrowed time.”  Dave knew of my prayer request to God, that I would be allowed to live until both children were grown.  I am ever so grateful that God granted my prayer. I knew there could never be another person in the world that would love my children like I do.  I always wanted to make certain that they were raised to stand straight and tall in the eyes of the Lord.  There is even a bigger story behind that prayer but it will be shared at a later date.

Proverbs 22:6  New King James Version

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

FUN FACT:

The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.

I’m glad I did not know that.  My sister had a conch shell and she would let me hold it up to my ear.  I truly believed I could hear the ocean.  It was like magic to me.  Sometimes it hurts to grow up!

P.S.  Be sure and scroll down far enough to see the photo of our stylish grandson!

 

 

 

 

Sunday Sabbath January 31 2016  CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE

Today was the fourth and final sermon in a series about what is written on our weekly bulletin that is handed out to the parishioners each week.  The four message titles are: COME AS YOU ARE, CONNECT WITH GOD, CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, and today’s title, CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE.

Here is what is printed on our weekly handout:

CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE

“We desire God to have a tangible Presence in our church and lives.  We have a conviction that He will pour out more of Himself on Madison, its surrounding areas, and its churches if we persistently ask for more of His Spirit and pursue pure and inspired unity with the people who share His passions, His purposes, and His heart.”

Today the sermon was delivered by our Pastor for our children’s ministry, David Bechtold.  He did an amazing presentation.  Pastor Bechtold is a young man and I have only known of him for the past five years or so.  It is amazing to watch and listen to the young ministers through the years and see how very much they grow and mature in the Lord as time adds years of experience.  Pastor David has amazed me over the years as I have listened to him.  Each pastor has their own personality they bring to their sermons, their own stories, their own vulnerabilities.  In today’s discourse, all four of those areas excelled in Pastor David as he stood up to deliver God’s truth to the congregation.  Thank you Pastor Dave for sharing with the congregation the tender and personal attributes of your heart.

Again, I recommend going to http://www.citychurchonline.org if you would like to listen to this sermon.

I pray that God will give me the right words to use from Pastor David’s sermon so that you may hear his message through the poem God places in my heart.  I pray that you will have a better understanding of what the true meaning of having a closer relationship with God really is.

 

CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE

By Kathleen Martens

January 31 2016

 

Dear God teach me to not strive

For that which is given to me.

Instead show me how to contend,

For that which is offered free.

 

For it is You who invites me to contend

For more of Your holy essence.

That I not strive for striving’s sake,

But instead desire more of Your presence.

 

All I must do is wait upon the Lord

That he remove what is unimportant to me,

So it will be flushed out of my life,

So my eyes will be opened to see

 

That God is the one who is important,

And on Him alone I should rely.

That I not contend for myself,

But allow the Holy Spirit to comply.

 

I must cease striving so I hear God say,

“KNOW THAT I AM GOD”.

And with preparation of the gospel of peace

My feet will be firmly shod.

 

And my desire will turn to longing,

So I then discipline my time,

To make room for my God,

And to allow for presence Divine.

 

For when I am too busy,

My hours are eaten up.

So I must purposely set aside,

Time with my Father to sup.

 

So I can taste and see

That what he has for me is good.

And I will delight in who He is,

As He desires that I should.

 

And with delight comes satisfaction

For He accepts me with all of my sins.

And though my sins be as scarlet,

He makes them white when I let Him in.

 

And God so delights in His children,

And He has so much more to give.

Even more than for what I ask,

So on His righteous road I will live.

 

He gives me the power and glory

Of His Holy Spirit in my life to dwell.

For God wants me more than I can fathom,

And my doubt he desires to quell.

 

All I must do is ask, and I will receive.

And when I seek, I will find.

When I knock, the door is opened,

And my spiritual eyes are no longer blind.

 

God has created me for a purpose,

He gives me freedom in how to praise.

I am uniquely fashioned by God

To seek Him through all my days.

 

When I DESIRE, I then have longing,

To DISCIPLINE the hours I need,

To DELIGHT in His presence,

And the right DECISION then to heed.

 

That there would be less of me,

And more of Jesus would be shown.

That through my life, and what I say,

More of Jesus would be known.

 

For it seems the more I rely

On what this world has to offer,

The more the world will demand of me

Reaching deep into my coffers.

 

But when desire and delight

Surround the discipline I choose,

The time I need is no longer difficult,

Because with Jesus I can never lose.

 

For Jesus I am constantly hungering,

Yet at the same time, deeply satisfied.

And always desiring more of Him,

For He is my Friend in whom I confide.

 

Hebrews 11:6 King James Version

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

 

John 3:16 King James Version

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Well, I went a bit over my one hour time max, but it was well worth it.  The above poem is inspired by today’s sermon, “CONTENDING FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE” presented by David Bechtold.  Thank you Pastor David for listening to the Lord so He could use you to touch my heart, as I am certain there were many other lives touched as well.  What you said today rings true in my heart.  That which matters truly does take time and energy.  Thank you for your time and energy that went into preparing today’s message.  Again I say, we are blessed as a Church Body to have you as our minister to our younger generation.  And you do a great job ministering to us “old ones” too!

Good night and God bless you. 

 

P.S.

FUN FACT:

Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn’t smoke unless it’s heated above 450F.

My comment: It is also good for salad dressings!

 

 

Saturday January 30 2016  A LAZY SATURDAY

It is a lazy Saturday because I am being lazy.  When I indulge in a day such as this I still live with the anticipation that I might receive a call to report to the hospital for an emergency photo session for a baby that has not survived birth.  I pray that it will not happen, but if it does, I am ready with charged batteries.  So far, so good on this warm overcast day of 43 degrees! 

Slept in until 5:00 a.m.  Enjoyed a long conversation with my “sick” husband (bad cold), got up and went to the gym after I ate breakfast.  I never leave the house without breakfast.  I am always so famished when I awaken in the morning.  It is a good feeling. 

Home again, prepared lunch and then Dave and I watched an hour television show, during which time we both dozed off for two or three moments, and then backed up to hear what we missed.  Up and at it after that.  When I say “lazy” I use it loosely.  It is not that we aren’t task oriented, it is just that there is nothing extremely pressing (like company coming) and we can go about our tasks in a leisurely, unhurried mode.  I like unhurried.  When I’m 80 and have only accomplished the decluttering of one room, I might have a different opinion.  But right now…oh well…we are still getting used to this retirement lifestyle.  I have been run ragged this past week, but I made it through, though a little rough around the edges. .  Next week has some highlights of BUSY but I have purposely kept a few days opened to explicitly work on finishing up some problem areas in my business office.  It will be so awesome to cull all the files I haven’t had time to keep cleaned out over the past several years.  (It pains me to admit that).  However, all legal files were kept up orderly and timely!  When you are a photographer, you would be amazed of all the files that accumulate.  

I have only one hour from start to finish for writing this afternoon.  I still have hopeful expectations for this day to be extremely fruitful even though I slept for a full five minutes on the couch.

 

ONCE AGAIN YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND

By Kathleen Martens

January 30, 2015

 

A lazy day, a day worth living

Wrapped up warm…

Content.

 

So much of life is hustle and bustle,

A day like today…

Heaven-sent.

 

Just to be, alone with self.

A cocoon of quiet

Peace.

 

And it is my dream

That these hours will not

Cease.

 

But alas, reality comes.

Sweetly and gently sits

Down.

 

Softly speaking to my heart.

“Once again, you have been

Found.”

 

FUN FACTS

“Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.”

I was unaware of this fun fact so I did a little research on the internet.  Below is an excerpt of what I found.

 http://kitehistory.com/Miscellaneous/Warkites.htm

“United States 1863 ~ It is with great enthusiasm that I am able to report that in January of 2002, definitive proof of regular kite use in the American Civil War was located. It had been rumored, there were stories, but there was never any concrete evidence before. This research has just begun; but there is much to do and there are more questions than answers. What we do know for sure is that there were kites made near Vicksburg in 1863, and in 1865 they were used for sending orders over enemy lines trying to entice deserters by offering money for horses and arms. Official communiques’ from the Civil War has been located in the War Records Office, some requesting kite making materials and one that requested,  “…10,000 feet of strong kite string be sent at once…”!

Good night (it is getting dark) and God Bless You!

 Friday January 29 2016  THE UNPLANS OF THE PLANS

A comment I once heard or read comes to mind.  It read, “If you want to make God laugh, just tell him your plans”.  Well, I really believe that.  And now I am adopting the attitude that when I make plans and they dissolve into thin air, I should just laugh too. 

When I fell into bed last night after being on the go for 19 hours, I had my plans laid out nicely and precisely for my tomorrow.  My plans were to work all morning in my office going through more files, not getting dressed, eating lunch, showering, leaving midafternoon with Dave, and then heading to the town where Court and Amy live.  We planned to have dinner and a movie night at their house. They live about 40 miles away from us.  There is a Costco and an Aldi’s in their town.  We planned to leave early so we could do our weekly Costco shopping and pick up our bi-weekly supplies from Aldi’s on the way.  However, everything changed when Dave woke up with an extremely bad cold.  Stuffy head, runny nose and eyes, and overall malaise.  He does not want to infect the boys or Court and Amy.  Even I am staying away from him!  He has one phone to use and is not allowed to touch any food stuff or clean dishes.  Oh, by the way, he contacted the cold through the receptionist at the doctor’s office when we were there on Wednesday.  She had such a bad cold that she told me not to use her pen.  Well, she forgot to tell Dave she had a cold and handed him all kinds of things she had touched and folded.

So plans have changed.  And now they have changed even again.  After I wrote them out here in this paragraph (which has now been deleted), I realized I could still salvage my work day by NOT doing Costco shopping today.  There is nothing that we absolutely need and my time will be more useful here at home to accomplish some of my plans for decluttering.  That’s what I call readjusting my priorities.  But, since I already started writing my blog I will finish it.

For once, I actually had a preconceived idea for my blog.  I wanted to tell everyone about the absolutely, most wonderful gift that Dave has ever given me.  If you are a long time reader you may remember how ill Dave became right after I arrived home from my long trip in July.  He was hospitalized with a serious sepsis that developed due to his diabetes.  He had a crack in his foot and a terrible cellulitis infection in his legs.  He has type two diabetes.  He was on medication, but not on insulin.  Type two diabetes can be caused from life style choices.  Through reading books I discovered that a healthy life style could reverse diabetes.  Our doctor wanted to “manage” Dave’s diabetes with medicine because that is the route most patients choose to follow.  I told our Doctor about the book I read “The End of Diabetes” by Joel Fuhrman M.D.  Dr. Furhman lays out a plan to eliminate diabetes with diet and exercise.  Our doctor agreed that diabetes could be eliminated as Dr. Furhman’s book described.  He turned to Dave and asked him if he was on board with this?  Dave said yes, he wanted to reverse it.  Our doctor (who knows me long and well) pointed his finger at me and said, well if anyone can do it, I know it is you.  So we took the challenge. 

Before Dave was admitted to the hospital he brought the topic up that he had decided he wanted to change the way he ate and work on becoming healthier.  He had just retired two or three days prior to that and with the removal of time restraints and stress he could now focus on what was important to him.  There were several things that we discussed.  Within a couple of days Dave was admitted to the hospital very sick.  While he was still in the hospital, we had one more serious conversation.  We both knew that his illness was serious and would take some serious measures of lifestyle change.  We discussed diet and he agreed that he would eat what I prepared for him, in the quantities I prepared.  He did hold out for one concession however.  He said he would eat everything , except Brussel sprouts.  I thought that was only fair.  After all, then I can eat them all.  Since then Dave has eaten the foods prepared for him, in the amounts prepared, without complaint.  He has actually confessed to me that he has even learned to like some of the things he never thought he could like.  Other things he just eats because of the nutritional value.  He does it all without complaint.  On Wednesday we went in for the results of his average blood sugars over the past four months hoping to have one dose of his medication deleted.  Well, his Hemoglobin A1C on Wednesday came back ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!  NO SIGNS OF DIABETES IN HIS TEST RESULTS!  The doctor was ecstatic, somewhat amazed at how quickly we were able to turn his blood sugars around.  He just kept saying over and over, “IT IS PERFECT!  IT IS PERFECT”.  And furthermore, the doctor felt that he should take Dave OFF BOTH DOSES OF HIS DIABETIC MEDICATION!!!  So we are on trial.  In order to continue Dave’s weight loss it was decided to reduce his carb count per meal from a high of 60 to a high of 45.  That has required a bit of readjusting in our meal planning.  He has had two days without meds and his blood sugars are maintaining in the appropriate range.  He will need to have perfect averages every six months on his A1C test for two years straight in order to have the diagnosis of being diabetic taken off his medical records.  My heart was jumping for joy.  Dave’s smile was from ear to ear.

I walked out of that office feeling as if Dave had given me the most absolutely, wonderful gift he had ever given me.  My heart was so heavy for him over the past few years because I knew there was nothing I could do to change the way he wanted to eat, or the fact that he did not exercise.  I kept my worry and fear to myself.  I prayed.  I knew Dave was under heavy stress at work, planning for his retirement, getting finances in order, taking care of long term plans and goals, always with me at the forefront of his planning, especially the financial part.  I often wondered if he would be with me to enjoy “our retirement”.  All I wanted was for him to be healthy.  He just had to survive the last two or so years to get where he wanted to be.  I am grateful for his planning, but I still suffered inside because of how hard his life was due to the diabetes being out of control, and the weight he carried around taking a toll on his body, and the excessive stress from his job, which left no time for even thinking about exercising. 

There is one thing that you can never do for someone else.  No matter how much you love them, are concerned for them, and want the best for them, you cannot cause them to change.  It is only their decision that can allow the changes to happen in their own life.  Each person must choose for themselves.  I know that from personal experience.  I believe there is something that must happen in the heart.  I was obese for so many years.  It was not fun.  Believe me, I never look down on someone because of extra pounds.  Rather, my heart goes out to them, for I walked in their shoes.  For me it was a feeling of helplessness, frustration, and inner disgust and pain, not to mention the physical discomfort.   I could write a book on the toll obesity takes on the body.  I know from experience.  I remember standing by his bed in the hospital telling him that I would do everything possible to help him live, but I couldn’t do it, he had  to make the choice to “to do it”!   He had to make the choice to live.   He looked me in the eye and said, “I choose life”.  He then promised, “I will do it”.  Tears spill out of me this moment as I recall his words.  That was his promise to me.  That was his gift to me.

My gift from him was received with such joy, though I held it in at the doctor’s office.  Dave doesn’t like a lot of hoopla from me when I am sitting with him in the examining room.  You see, I can become a bit exuberant.  I restrained myself.  And boy that was hard.  But my heart rejoices now. 

His gift was wrapped with so many other things than just a perfect blood sugar reading or the loss of 67 pounds.  Yes, I am so proud of his perseverance and stamina to make wise choices, day by day, of what to eat, and to faithfully go to the gym to work out.  Those are decisions I cannot make for him.  Those are his choices.  THOSE CHOICES ARE HIS GIFT TO ME.  Also packaged with his gift, was hope.  Hope for a brighter and longer future TOGETHER.  Hope for better health, and the hope for trips we can take together.  And I realized there was even more tucked into the gift he gave to me.  It is the gift of joy.  It gave joy to my heart knowing he feels better.  I am full of joy knowing that so much stress has been taken off his body from losing all those pounds.  Pure joy for knowing Dave cares enough about me, to care enough about himself, that he treats himself with the love and respect due him.  I have seen him grow into a strong tree, no longer being buffeted and blown by the wind of circumstances.  I see his roots taking a deeper hold on what he desires for his retirement, what he wants to accomplish.  He is a younger version of himself. 

Regardless of what Dave went through, never once did my love wain for him.  I believe that every day of these past 43 years my love has grown for him on a daily basis.  The more stress he was under, the more I loved him through it.  You may think it is easy for me to write these things.  No, it is not.  Especially because I know Dave will read it.  I have journaled for years without reading my journals to him.  Now that I am writing publically, I guess I am ready to open up publically, both to my readers and to my husband.  Age has a way of making life different.  In the time I have remaining in this world I plan to declare my love for others.  We, as a population of people, don’t tell others enough just how much we love them, and some I observe don’t even act like it enough.  If I love someone they are going to know it!  TELL SOMEONE TODAY HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM!  Tell them just because you want to tell them.  No accomplishment should be required to elicit words of love.  It just so happens that I am telling the world about my husband’s accomplishment over the past six months AND I’M SHOUTING IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS HOW MUCH HE IS LOVED!  MUSHY, MUSHY!  Too bad, it is just how I feel today and this is my avenue of expression!  Mostly, I just wanted to tell you about the beautiful gift he gave me and how very much I appreciate and cherish it.

(EDITOR’S NOTE aka Dave)  “If I wrote the above it would have required only two paragraphs”. 

(WRITER’S RESPONSE aka Kathleen) “Oh well, you are the editor, I am the author”.

 

SOME GIFTS…

By Kathleen Martens

January 29, 2016

 

Some gifts come with ribbons and bows,

Picked out with such great pleasure

To give to the one they love,

As a token for them to treasure.

 

Some gifts are acts of kindness

Bestowed on others unknown.

Just opening a heavy door,

Can be a way your gift is shown.

 

Some gifts go unnoticed

When others fail not to receive,

Perhaps it was a beautiful smile

That someone did not perceive.

 

Some gifts are given with intent

And may have great purpose.

And some may be a simple gesture,

Such as taking a child to the circus.

 

Some gifts come from the wallet,

And are meant to impress.

And some may be for apology,

To say sorry for giving you stress.

 

Some gifts may be given

Without even knowing it’s done

When it’s given from the heart

To a special one.

 

Some gifts may be received

When the giver is unaware.

For there is nothing tangible,

When to the heart it’s shared.

 

Some gifts may just be words,

Or behavior that shows love pure.

And what better gift can there be,

Than a gift that forever endures?

 

THANK YOU DAVE FOR THE HEART GIFT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME! 

IT WILL ENDURE FOREVER.

JUST AS MY LOVE FOR YOU WILL ENDURE FOREVER.

 

 

FUN FACT

If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.

My comment:  Just thought you might need to be aware of this fact.  This is something that happens more frequently as we age.  Dehydration has serious effects on your physical body.  A word of wisdom:  Find out what your body size requires regarding daily fluid intake and set your water out in a premeasured container that must be drank in one day; AND THEN DRINK IT!  I actually do that so as to stay hydrated and healthy.  You just may have to get up more in the night to eliminate.  But it is worth feeling good.

 

Oops!  This blog took longer to write than I thought it would.  The day is getting away from me!  Signing off at 12:03 p.m. but it will not be published until Dave reads it to make certain he will be okay with all I have written.  Remember, I have to live with him after it is published!

P.S.  It is now 1:57 p.m.  Lunch is over.  The edit has taken place and this is now good to go!  (Says Dave)!

P.S.S.  He did edit some of the really mushy stuff out!   I am really just surprised that he agreed to let me publish ANYTHING about him.  He would rather not be in the limelight!  I better click the PUBLISH BUTTON quickly!

Thursday January 28 2016  PERPETUALLY NEW

 

4:00 a.m. wake-up call this morning.  For no reason we are aware of, both Dave and I awakened a little after 4:00 a.m.  When I wake up like that I sometimes feel as if it is a time for prayer.  So that’s what we did.  We then crawled out from under our warm blankets into the cold bedroom and made a dash to see how quickly we could get dressed, eat and get to the gym.  It was a good plan.  It felt like we had an entire day left when we arrived home and it was still early in the day.  I think that would be a good plan for every day, but I might have a bit of convincing to do to get Dave to agree.  Nonetheless, it was awesome to have an entire morning to work. 

Collected all the tax information, called for some that was still missing, handed everything over to Dave, and it felt like a load was lifted off me.  AND THEN…I started culling my business files.  Oh man!  Was it ever good to see some of those things that I no longer needed fly into the recycle trash, others filed away due to time constraints imposed on keeping them, and lots and lots more still to go through.  I actually want to get downstairs and continue so I can see more progress.  It makes me excited to realize that I am FINALLY RETIRED and can actually shut down my business files and my studio and reclaim the lower level.  No more dressing room needed, or prop room, or framing room, or extra equipment, or backdrops hanging all over the place, etc.  It is truly the first day that I have felt motivated and excited about getting started on purging.  I think what I wrote yesterday sort of spurred me forward to see just how much I can still accomplish before the year ends.

Today was the only day this week that was not booked with appointments.  That is, until last night.  Yesterday when I went to the Doctor he wanted me to have an MRI on my shoulder.  My shoulder was also injured the day I tore my triceps almost three months ago.  Before going to physical therapy he scheduled me for an MRI.  The MRI is this evening.  Fortunately I can drive myself there and back so Dave will not need to take me.  We had plans to watch the Republican debate this evening.  Things are heating up out there in the game of politics.  Perhaps I’ll be back in time to watch most of it.  There is also another Democratic debate coming up soon that we want to watch.

Both of my shoulders have had surgical repair so I know the ins and outs of the post-surgical therapy and healing process. NOT FUN.  I am just hoping the MRI results will show there is nothing permanently damaged and time will help heal whatever is causing the pain.  I am also praying for healing.  We have a trip planned for the future and I want to be in good working order!

I just thought I would check in on everybody and let you know I am alive and well.  Every once in a while I think perhaps I won’t write a blog today, but then I have people concerned that something might be wrong.  It’s more fun to write the blog than it is knowing I may have caused people to worry.  But thanks for worrying. 

 

PERPETUALLY NEW

By Kathleen Martens

January 28, 2016

 

Time to write a line or two

To announce to the world.

I am here, alive and well

And best wishes I unfurl.

 

It is so good to say hello

To those who faithfully read.

Thank you for caring enough

And to you I say God-speed!

 

It makes me realize how fortunate I am

That I have a busy life,

And so much that fills my days

With happiness, not strife.

 

I know I may be an old geezer

To those who are so young,

But I really love my age

No longer need to climb the rungs.

 

Been there, done that,

All the “busy” and long hours.

No longer is my time limited.

I now have time to smell the flowers.

 

It is my joy to stay at home

And enjoy my cozy bed.

Regardless how late it is

I can just cover up my head.

 

The day is mine, and belongs to me,

To measure how to spend.

And I don’t need to drive in traffic

When my day does end.

 

It makes me feel so opulent

To have time at my discretion.

I thought this day would never come,

Is my greatest confession.

 

But now it’s here and oh so awesome,

As if life has a new beginning.

And it seems for the very first time,

I believe that I am winningI

 

Yes, my days are numbered

But closer to God I’m becoming.

Life has its seasons and it cycles

And death I’m no longer shunning.

 

Life has never lost its sparkle

Because my spirit has never aged.

It is only my body’s shell

With time a war has waged.

 

But inside I’m perpetually new

And my spirit never grows old.

It was created to live forever

For I am created like God, I’m told.

 

He created me in His own image

To live with Him forevermore,

Though my body will be left behind

My spirit beckoned through heaven’s door.

 

FUN FACT

“Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.”

Hmm…maybe that is why mine flaps so much! 

 

Have a great afternoon.  It is only 3:10 p.m.  Now I can get back to work!

God bless all of you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday January 27 2016  AND TIME KEEPS TRAIPSING ON

It’s almost the end of January and soon our first month of twelve will be over.  One twelfth of our year is coming to a close, too quickly, too soon.  When I sit at this computer day after day and write each date, it just seems as if the days fly by.  The one thing I realize about this month is, if it is an indicator of what I will be able to accomplish through the remaining eleven months of 2016, I certainly will be far behind the goals I have set for this year!  So…as I look forward I must decide if I want to allow that knowledge to  defeat me, or roll up my sleeves and start persevering all the more!  Or, I could just revise my plans.  I just know my sister will say “I TOLD YOU SO” when I admit that I actually realize my year’s goals are a bigger bite than I can chew.  SMILE SISTER, I know you are right!

So, one hour blogs, less talking everywhere I go, more concentration of transcribing and editing the book I want finished by December, deleting all the Christmas movies I didn’t get a chance to watch, and last, but not least, working quicker and more efficiently on downsizing the contents of this house.  Oh, yes, one thing I forgot.  I also want to finish an album(s) of family photos for my younger sister.  So whoever said retirement meant taking it easy???

Speaking of my “wise, older” sister, I am using an email I received from her as a “guest blog” for today.  She had some interesting comments about glass that I thought might be interesting as a follow-up for yesterday’s blog about glass.  The quote was:

“Glass takes one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times.”

Below is her response (personal knowledge) about glass.

“What I understand about glass:  Glass can last forever if unbroken.  It all depends on how glass it tempered, (degree of firing).  If glass is to be used as a cooking vessel and how that glass will be used; such as casserole for cooking at 400 degrees, or as a canning jar under lots of pressure.  Example, you can use an old glass mayonnaise jar to freeze something but not for pressure canning.  Since I know not to can with mayonnaise glass jars (they are plastic now) I never used them in water bath processing.  My, long time understanding is that glass originally was made from beach sand.  Beach sand has a high percentage of highly polished, smooth glass in it as well as rocks, each little grain of glass and rock is so smooth it is not dangerous.  I think it could cause problems if consumed by mouth.  I have been to glass blowing places in Benicia – but strictly artistic glass object and expensive wine glasses.  Everything (chemical wise) does better processed and stored in glass, i.e. vinegar, pickles (of any kind), sauerkraut and the list goes on and on  Good wine is always stored in dark color glass bottles to protect the wine from light.  The world would be much better off if plastic was OUTLAWED WORLD WIDE.

This is what I have learned from experience and reading:  Glass is best to cook in, better heat distribution; Corning Ware is as good as glass for cooking.  Never, use metal when cooking with vinegar or lemons, i.e. lemon pie or brines with vinegar – don’t even use a metal spoon for those – the acid content is too high and causes the metal to leech into the food and discolor the pot and you can taste the metal in the food.

There, you have my quick knowledge of glass without me going to the internet.”

Thank you sister.  I thought your replay quite insightful and interesting.

 

MANY MANY THANKS

By Kathleen Martens

January 27, 2016

 

So many things I do not know

And so informative when others show,

What is deep, in their mind’s bank,

And for those who share, I give my thanks.

 

Just think how fortunate we are

That there are those who have traveled far.

And what they know, are willing to share,

Tidbits of knowledge that is rare.

 

I am so thankful for other’s words

That because of my blog I have heard.

It warms my heart when others tell

Of their experiences they know so well.

 

I especially enjoy the wisdom of age

From those who no longer work for wage.

So much life comes from the wizened

If the younger are willing to listen.

 

My hope for self as I grow old

Is that my story will be told.

Though I’ve nothing to brag about

I have lots to say without a doubt!

 

Thank you for reading what I write,

I enjoy doing it night after night.

Thank you for listening to my banter,

As some evenings I quickly canter.

 

If just one word a difference makes,

That was written for your sake,

My heart will be glad for all the time

It took for me to write, each and every line.

 

I will end with another FUN FACT that Dave’s sister sent to me:

“Gold is the only metal that doesn’t rust, even if it’s buried in the ground for thousands of years.”

Hmmm.  I must admit, I never had reason to give that much thought.  I’m just glad I don’t have to go around with a rusty finger.

 

Good night and God bless all of you!