All in a Day

 

The highlight of our Tuesday was taking Bridie to the vet hospital for her vaccination updates.  

Apparently, no physical exam was planned, so we have no updates on her mental acuity. 

In our minds, though, she's really smart and too young to be "losing it." 

On the other hand, she is the right age any day to lose a few pounds.  Over the past couple of months, Bridie has gained about five pounds. 

She did quiver a bit when we coaxed her through the door to the hospital, but the nervousness settled down and the tech told us she was just fine in the room where the shots are given. 

Afterward, I suggested to Bill that we drive up to McArthur Lake so I could snap a few photos. 

The sun was creating some nice January scenes.  The lake was frozen over---for the most part. 

When Bridie stepped off the dock at its furthest section to do some sniffing, I immediately summoned her back.  Fortunately, the ice was solid. 

Later, however, as we walked back to shore, that was not the case.  Once again, she went sniffing off the dock near the shore, and within the first couple of steps, did a mild Border Collie plunge into the cold water. 

Fortunately, the lake is not deep, and I was just a few steps away, but it was cold and Bridie knew she had no plans to make a "look how tough I am" statement yesterday.  She wanted out of the lake. 

It didn't take too long to help her with some momentum to climb back onto the dock. 

Then, I knew what was coming next.  

Border Collies are smart.  Sweet Bridie thought ahead and did a few gentle shake, shake, shakes, so that Mom would be happy and not have to indulge in a McArthur Lake wet-dog shower. 

We had towels in the car, so her situation of sogginess did not last long.  

Foster slept through all of this drama. 

Later, however, the dogs and I went for a nice walk through the fields and the woods.  I was pleased to see that Foster was taking in every opportunity to sniff at inviting scents in the ground. 

He also trotted along with a little spring to his step.

  We also have noticed and had that verified yesterday by others who don't see him every day that the tilt to his head from his vestibular bout is almost gone. 

It's a day-to-day thing with older dogs, and yesterday was a great day for little Foster. 

BTW:  Bridie's purple shirt with kitties on the front is not meant to be a fashion statement.  It keeps her from licking a kennel sore on her elbow.  The sore has been taking a long time to completely heal. 

The shirt seems to help, along with a blow-up collar.  Bridie prefers the shirt to the collar, and so do I. 

Besides the vet trip, we also had several deer visits yesterday.  They have found the bird feeders so our "up close and personal" experiences through the window are becoming more frequent each day. 

One time during the afternoon, when I walked outside, there were five of them hanging around.  When they saw me outside the house, they leisurely turned toward the woods and then stopped to turn around and look at me. 

The head mama even acted like she was going to come up and visit with me.  Watching the slow and deliberate prance of her carefully planned steps, however, I decided it would be best not to have her get too close. 

It's January, and these are the scenes and happenings that keep us going through our winter days.

Not a bad way to pass the time, and with spring will come urgency and long days of sunlight that still are never long enough to get everything done. 

So, I don't mind the leisurely pace, especially when it involves the animals we love. 

Today Laurie will join me over at Roxane's, and CB will get a little workout.  Who knows?  Maybe if he's not feeling his oats too much, I might get on for a short ride.     

When I saw this image earlier this morning, I found it very timely. 

Occasionally, when we go out in the morning for the dogs to do their duty, there are invisible boogie men all over the place.

Our Bridie feels the need to send them on their way with a nonstop litany of barking.  I'm sure she feels like she's protecting us and that her heart and bark are in the right place. 

Nonetheless, instead of scaring away nothing, she awakens the other neighborhood barkers and that brings on "Shut up, Bridie!" which brings on an immediate and temporary stretch of total deafness in our dear Bridie. 

She can hear the zip of a coat two rooms away or my steps from the room above and know immediately that it's time to go into action and go outside with Mom. 

Once outside, however, and thanks to the Boogie men, Bridie's hearing turns selective. 

So, yes, if medals are to be earned for dogs barking at nothing, Bridie would stand proudly on the podium. 

 

Looks like another springy-like day ahead. 

Happy Wednesday. 

Fun with Friends

When I posted last week about my problems streaming and watching the right basketball games on Hudl, I learned of yet another person who uses Hudl who had watched the wrong basketball game. 

Knowing that both he and Debbie had encountered similar technical problems to mine, I felt reassured that I was not alone and that maybe I'm not quite ready for the looney bin. 

In fact, I felt so good hearing from him that his revelation netted him a couple of jars of my homemade jelly, which he seems to like.  

Upon delivery yesterday, I saw that his wife has created yet another gorgeous barn quilt, only this one hangs on the side of their house. 

Pretty impressive work and it adds a colorful touch to their adorable farm on Kootenai Road. 

Several of my classmates decided to keep up the reunion fun from last fall and continue getting together once a month for lunch. 

It's an uplifting, upbeat experience which features the latest news and comparing of notes on our respective lives.  

These gatherings often touch on a range of  emotions and mutual on-the-job discoveries about working our way through this stage of life. 

Yesterday's topics, along with a discussion of eyebrows or lack thereof, included sharing our individual experiences with the mental acuity test, which is part of the Medicare Wellness exam. 

One curious discovery:  some of our group seemed a bit flummoxed, announcing that they have never had to take that test. 

Which makes me wonder if those of us, all of the same age, who have taken it a couple of times have been flagged in our permanent records as possible candidates for further review. 

When I took mine in the late fall, I thought that my initial prep of trying to remember that street address in Portland which I had to memorize on the last acuity test would give me an edge. 

No way.  

Instead of an address, I was given some words and told to memorize their order with plans to repeat them in a few minutes. 

I also had to draw a clock with its hands pointing to the time specified. 

It didn't seem to matter at all to the administrator when I rationalized that we are now in the digital world and don't spend much of our day looking at the hands on a clock anymore. 

I still had to do my artwork.

Seems to me that they need to update that test. 

Anywho, I passed mine, and the others who had taken the test passed theirs too. 

In the meantime, some of our group have gotten off the hook so far.

You can bet we'll be checking on them in future gatherings.

As always, we went away exchanging hugs and smiling about another great get together.  

The date of Feb. 9 has already been set for the next lunch gathering. 

While at DiLuna's, I was thrilled to see the gentleman below who is a former student and a good friend. 

Jim Imholte, SHS Class of 1982 lives in Phoenix but also spends considerable time at his condo in Sandpoint. 

He's also a big fan of DiLuna's Restaurant. 

That brings to mind the photo below Jim. 

There are cooks and servers and friends and family of the aforementioned. 

Amy, in the green top, always takes extra special care of us SHS '65'er.  She's our server, and Karen, second from the left, is usually back at the grill preparing our orders. 

Every time our class has a meeting at DiLuna's, Karen also prepares a reuben sandwich to go for Bill. 

She puts together the best reuben sandwiches I've ever tasted and Bill seconds my assessment.

We really appreciate Karen and Amy and others who have made our experiences at DiLuna's so enjoyable and tasty. 

Twas a great Monday with friends. 

Today Bridie needs to go to Center Valley Vets for her "wellness" exam and for vaccination updates. 

She's a fairly young Border Collie, so I don't think they'll be giving her a mental acuity test so we won't do any homework before we go.

We would like, however, to instill in her that the vet hospital isn't nearly as scary as she makes it out to be. 

She suffers from canine white coat syndrome, but, lucky for her, they don't test her blood pressure. 

Guess that's all for now. 

Happy Tuesday. 

 

 

Monday Miscellany

There's a sense of a January thaw out there this morning.   

The snow load shown below in a photo taken yesterday has now slid and fallen to the ground. 

When the dogs and I walked through the fields, many of the hard ice slabs were softening. 

With temps in the mid-40s today, we could lose a substantial amount of the most recent snow dump. 

And, we'll probably enjoy staying outside longer thanks to pleasant conditions. 

 “I am a typical loner in my daily life... my awareness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has prevented me from feelings of isolation.” 

                                           — Albert Einstein

For some reason Einstein's thought spoke rather clearly to me this morning. 

I taught George Orwell's novel 1984 at Sandpoint High School.

It provided a dramatic warning of what could happen to a nation and its people without vigilance and courage.   

We survived 1984.

But 2026?  

When 2 plus 2 suddenly equals 5, who knows???

Bill and I attended our annual movie at the local theater yesterday. 

We're not big movie goers, but over the last few years if a good title appears on the marquee at Bonner Cinemas---especially during January---we're all in for the previews, the popcorn and the main feature. 

Song Sung Blue and its association with Neil Diamond sounded like a runaway winner to me. 

During my formative years, Connie Francis led the early list of my favorite singers.  That's because, as a seventh grader, I usually kept track of "Where the Boys Are" and could identify with the lyrics. 

Where the boys are, my true love will be

He's walkin' down some street in town and I know he's lookin' there for me. 

It took a while cuz Bill was walking down those Louisiana streets "lookin'" when I was in Idaho trying to be found all that time!

💚💙💜

I also loved everything Andy Williams sang.  Bill and I were talking yesterday, comparing notes on whom we had followed in our teen years. 

I mentioned "Theme from a Summer Place," along with "Moon River," and Bill chimed right in, saying he remembered the former. So, we were both on the same page there.

In later teens and during my early 20s, it was a tossup between Joan Baez and Neil Diamond. 

I would never try to pit the two against each other in my rankings because in their individual ways, they were equally great. 

Over the years, I collected albums and CDs by both artists and, as time has gone by, love them even more, especially knowing that they are contemporaries---a little older than I but old.  

So, to be able to enjoy them and their classics in any way, even through the voice of a great actor like Hugh Jackman is a definite treat. 

And, that's exactly how I viewed the movie Song Sung Blue yesterday, especially after I saw some friends, both born in 1947 like I was, walk into the theater.

It was simply a "sit-back, enjoy the ride and smile" type of movie.  Without spoiling the narrative, it is important to know that there were some shocking moments too. 

Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Hudson and all the gang of tribute singers and promoters were perfect in their respective roles.  

And, the music---all fully ingrained over decades in my personal music mind--- it was just plain fun and upbeat.

I had no idea when I walked into the theater that the movie was about a Neil Diamond tribute singer rather than the man himself.  Upon learning early on, that just didn't matter.  

Hugh Jackman was that good. 

Kate Hudson, whom we first  observed in the story as a Patsy Kline tribute singer, provided the perfect partner in song and in love for Mike aka Neil. Her performance earned her a Golden Globes nomination. 

I also did not know that the movie is based on a true story which played out in Milwaukee. 

Learning this added an extra dimension to the plot because we all know the general story of Neil Diamond but nothing about the lives of the tribute couple. 

Having the element of surprise added an important dimension to the movie, again no hints coming from this post. 

I will enthusiastically divulge, though, that the movie fully worth a trip to the theater, especially if you want a "feel good" experience as January drags on.   

She's been serving dinners and lunches to us at Sweet Lou's off and on for ten years. 

The restaurant owner honored Shelli Smick recently with a nice new coat noting her ten years. 

Shelli can spot a table of regular diners and list one by one which beverage each person will order.  Plus, she's always been fun to visit with over the years. 

Probably the best part of having her as a server or even serving others at the restaurant is that continuous, beautiful smile. 

Congratulations, Shelli, on ten great years. 

My longtime friend Susie "Sky" Baldwin and her hubby Marv Schmid.

The couple spent her birthday on Saturday enjoying a skijoring competition in Colorado.

She and I spent part of yesterday catching up in a phone conversation. 

Fun day ahead today. Our Sandpoint High Class of 1965 friends are getting together for lunch. Should be some good gabbing. 

Happy Monday. 

Sunday Blend

 

I remember back in the day when I was still teaching at Sandpoint High School, it was probably a journalism student---maybe named Tucker---who alerted me to the fact that "the deer are watching you." 

I think the reminder may have been repeated a few times during those days.  Whatever the case, it stuck with me. 

I often think about where the deer may be while they are watching me, but yesterday I knew for a fact. 

Mama Deer was standing right outside our living room window at the bird feeder. 

She wasn't watching all the time, and she even allowed me to tap emphatically on the window without her doing a 180 and prancing away. 

There were sunflower seeds to be consumed, so she had to take a little time out of watching to fill her tummy. 

Anyway, she was mighty close when I snapped this shot---just a window between her and me.

 

No, my camera lens is not dirty.  

Hard to see with the naked eye, but the mirrors in Roxane's arena might be coated with some residue  when horses go trotting or galloping by. 

Yesterday CB and I walked around the arena, which is filled with big mirrors.

I figured that the more time I spend walking him and allowing him to get used to seeing himself in the mirrors, the less distraction it will be for Laurie when she rides him. 

Besides, it was great exercise for me as I added to my Fitbit steps.  

And, CB is definitely a nice pal to hang out with. 

An Education Miracle?

by Sarah Mervosh

in today's New York Times Morning Newsletter

In 2013, Mississippi changed the way reading is taught, embracing the science of reading.” 

Teachers use sound-it-out instruction, known as phonics, and other direct methods, like the explicit teaching of vocabulary. Editor's note:  Hmm. Why does this sound familiar to people my age?

Around the same time, it also raised academic standards and started giving every school a letter grade.

But the state hasn’t simply demanded proficiency, as under No Child Left Behind, which set an unattainable goal of having every child in America be proficient in reading and math. 

Instead, Mississippi has emphasized student growth toward proficiency. Schools get credit when students improve — and double credit for the improvement of their lowest-scoring students. That means every school, rich or poor, has an incentive to help everyone.

The state also approves a list of curriculums, used by most districts. This is not always the case in other states, where decisions are often left up to individual school districts.

And the state doesn’t just punish schools that are struggling, another difference from No Child Left Behind. It also takes a proactive role in helping them.

Take the state’s literacy coaches: They are sent into the elementary schools that have the lowest reading scores each year, with a mission to teach teachers, not children. 

On my visit, I was surprised to find that teachers seemed to love it. That is probably because coaches are there to mentor, not to tattle on bad teachers.

Other states have tried to copy Mississippi, mostly by focusing on the science of reading. But people involved in Mississippi’s turnaround told me it was nearly impossible to cherry-pick strategies and expect results.

“You’ve got to do that and that and that,” said Carey Wright, Mississippi’s state superintendent from 2013 to 2022. “And you have also got to do it year in and year out.”

One criticism of Mississippi’s approach is that it revolves around standardized testing.

I visited the elementary school in Hazlehurst, a rural area south of Jackson where more than half of children live in poverty. Students there take tests every two weeks, a greater frequency than even the state recommends.

There was also plenty of joy. I saw preschoolers sounding out letters into toy telephones, and second graders coaching one another on how to sound out words like “disappointment.” 

One 10-year-old named Johnny told me about the satisfaction he feels from learning: “If I make a bad grade but I’m going up, it’s like a staircase.”

A big question now is whether Mississippi can keep going in the face of declining test scores nationally. 

At Hazlehurst, scores have climbed to 35 percent of students reading on grade level, compared with 12 percent a decade ago.

No miracle, but real progress.

📗📘📙📚📕📖

Bridie and I walked through the woods south of the house this morning. 

We apparently were not alone.  

Fresh coon tracks headed from west to east. 

I love raccoons but hope that this coon, and any friends, doesn't discover the bird-feeding area.

Wise and Comforting Thoughts in Uncomfortable Times 

by Dick Ragland

Dick Ragland graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1962, the same year as my brother Mike. 

A little math will tell you that Dick is 80 something. 

In the past year he has logged "roughly 47,000 air miles since leaving Medellin, Colombia."  These travels have taken him to around 15 countries in North and South America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe. 

I don't know Dick's entire story, but I do know that I have followed him in his travels via Facebook and that he truly inspires me, not only in what he has done for a man his age but also for his ability to put together wise words into wise sentences. 

You'll see an example of the latter in Dick's post (below) from this morning.

Thank you, Dick, for your thoughts and for allowing me to share them.  

Lately I’ve been noticing how tired the world feels.

So many people — all over, not just in one place — are worn down, confused, stressed, and wondering if things will ever feel lighter again.

I see it especially in people who are brave enough to say it out loud. And I get it. I really do. 

Life can pile up in ways that make you feel alone even when you’re surrounded by others.

I just want to say this, simply and without pretending to have answers:

You are not weak for feeling this way. You are not broken. And you are not alone.

Most of us are carrying more than we let on. We’re all trying to make sense of things, one day at a time, often without a map. 

Sometimes the best we can do is keep showing up, keep breathing, keep choosing small acts of care — for ourselves and for each other.

If you’re struggling right now, I see you.

If you’re tired, that makes sense.

If you feel like you’ve lost your footing, you’re not the only one.

We’re all in this together, even when it doesn’t feel like it. 

And sometimes just knowing that someone else understands can make the load a little lighter.

💜💛💚💙💓