. Spinning .

Usually I make two of them, but I didn’t have poppyseed filling nor the nuts and honey, so this is all I did this time, on the left is apricot, and on the right side is cream cheese with (an overload of) raisins.

I am nothing if not frugal–not cheap, frugal. It is a learned concept from generations of homeowners who worked hard and did without to be able to afford the things that were important to them.

This then, is a new trick I’ve just learned that I wish I’d tried years ago. I buy six to ten geraniums every spring to plant in pots around the outside as the main flowering plant along with whatever strikes me at the time. Usually I’ll add petunias and then something new and strange that promise a summer of delight. My father-in-law had an enormous geranium plant in his front kitchen window for years until he couldn’t really care about it anymore. This past autumn, I took one of the plants inside to try my luck rather than let it die of frost as I’ve always done.

It makes me doubly happy. To have its cheerful color against the snow outside the windows. And to know I’ve saved by not needing to buy a new one come the spring.

Boy, I just love it when after years of my being considered a weirdo, someone with some credentials comes out and confirms what I’ve been saying all along. From the New York Times article, “Seeking a Cure for Optimism“:

““Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, cooperation and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking, paying greater attention to the external world,” Joseph P. Forgas, a professor of social psychology at the University of New South Wales in Australia, wrote in the study.”

I’m not saying that the reverse is at all helpful either, but I think that for some people, anticipating a real possibility of failure is much more helpful in the long run than figuring people are going to shower you with jobs/money/love/etc. simply because you walk around expecting it. Though I’ve seen it happen; people succumbing to the greater will of someone with a bigger ego and more self-confidence that overwhelms their followers’ common sense. But we’re talking people who need to be told how to think.

“As for Ms. Ehrenreich, she believes that negative thinking is just as delusional as unquestioned positive thinking. She hopes to see a day when corporate employees “walk out when the motivational speakers start talking,” she said. “It’s all about control and money.” Her goal? To encourage realism, “trying to see the world not colored by our wishes or fears, but by reality.”

In my daytime job as a picture framer, I come across work that’s literally bigger than me and this was one of them. Though not the largest (that was an old Schweppe’s poster that was about 5 ft. x 7 ft. and I had to hire a U-Haul truck to deliver it) it’s a good size at 42″ x 72″. It’s often a feat of engineering to figure out how to put something like this together when acid-free mount board and matboard only comes in sizes up to 40 x 60 so some splicing of the materials had to be strategically made with consideration for both aesthetics and structure.

When cutting the materials–and most of this had to be cut by hand since the usual cutters also go up to only 40 x 60–it takes a lot of constant measuring as being off a hair can result in being off a quarter-inch in six feet if the angle is off. While I normally would insist on using plexiglass on a piece this size, I had to use glass because the customer was in fact a glass dealer.  Luckily, he was also willing to maneuver it into place for me so I could then finish up the piece, working from the back. Braces and proper wiring techniques completed the process and this was the result.

I had to take a picture of this before the customer picked it up and believe me, I was so glad it was out of here with nothing worse than some pulled back muscles from stretching and bending. Obviously in my line of work I’ve gotten loads of glass and razor cuts–the worst from a piece of glass 8 x 10 that required a dozen stitches in my leg. I imagined losing an arm or leg to this one if anything went wrong.

But it’s done and I’m sure this collage of old movie stars (it’s a wonderful print!) looks just grand in someone’s home tonight.

. . .or any other excuse I can come up with to explain my relative absence from this weblog as compared to my previous six years of blogging.

In truth, some good things are happening. I am looking forward to announcing the publication of a few of my short stories and a hypertext story towards the end of this month or in early January. So, my writing is going well…

My reading, well, obviously, after blowing through a few books this past summer as not grabbing me I’m just about finished with The English Patient. Just haven’t been reading as much since I got involved in the 100 Days Project that had me writing a hypertext story a day for, well, 100 days. From there I wrote some more hypertext, then got involved with an online writers community that whipped my brain into creative force mode and started submitting some short stories again after getting some good feedback from the members of the group. That’s what you kind of need as a writer; unless of course you’re so self-absorbed and cocky you think you’re great without some validation of your peers.

And the reality of my life is still seeking a higher paying employment even as I freeze my bones in the frameshop handling the Christmas rush.

But I’ll be back in force after the holidays; back, I hope, to my more prolific if not eloquent daily postings.

Oh it happens to the best of us, we even try those computer-gizmos with the addresses and birthdays and yet the old Rolodex is what we return to every year for Christmas cards and plumbing calls. For a while we neatly print the new additions onto index cards and file them neatly alphabetically in place. Then a few times we stick the scribbled scraps directly into place with all the best intentions of writing them in. Then we pull out cards, change addresses, phone numbers, husbands and wives names as life moves on for others while our trusty Rolodex is still in the same spot for twenty years. Full. Full to overflowing. And one day we remember or spot the cards or a brandy-new one in the store, or maybe just happen to reach and drop and spill the contents of the old one all over the floor and the decision is finally made.

Except that now more decisions crop up; what’s the chop-off date for some of these? Ten years? Twenty? Or just don’t remember who the hell they are?

As long as you can make a couple pies, stuff a turkey and stick him in the oven before 7 in the morning, and take out the china and silver for a grand dinner, you are blessed.

This year is another of those “oh dear God what are we going to do” that comes with job loss and each one gets worse than the one before because of discrimination in hiring, but the silver lining is that each year we’re closer to being free of debt and to a turnaround (hopefully, though it doesn’t seem as likely anymore) of investments in our retirement.

But we’re better off than so many others in the world, and here in the United States.

So you can laugh at my turkey all you want. It’s still a pumpkin pie he’s gracing.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you all, and a wish for a peaceful and prosperous future.

Friday the 13th has always been a lucky day for me (wouldn’t you know it?) and I suspect that very soon I’ll be packing your groceries.

Watched a very interesting program last night, Sick Around the World, where a reporter tried to discover the reason why other developed countries were doing so well with their universal healthcare systems. The man visited England, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and Taiwan and found that while public opinion was very high, and everyone felt that they were getting excellent care, there are a few peppercorns in the soup.

Of course the citizens were happy:  Costs were either paid by the government or were affordable by those who were working or had company-paid insurance. What’s not to be happy about when you can get just about all the care you need without fear of going broke or losing your home or the life of a loved one. The minor inconveniences of waiting time (and this was minimal) were completely acceptable. The downside? Well, doctors were being paid as little as $4.50 (U.S.) to sew and dress a wound of a particular size (every procedure in Japan was completely regulated by the government) and hospitals were going broke at stays of $10/per night in a 4-bed room or $90/night for a private single.

Insurance companies (and while I hate the idea of insurance at all and prefer to go straight to medical care as in a pool, I understand that it really works the same way) were not allowed by law to make a profit.

Not allowed by law to make a profit.

That sounds good to me, except that why in the world would anyone want to be in business not to make a profit? When you go to work every day, don’t you expect to make a profit? Something that will enable you to buy what you need to live on and maybe a bit more to save or blow on a vacation? Would you like to be told you couldn’t make more than you require to survive? If healthcare is so important that it’s nearly morally wrong to make a profit at it, how about food? Should farmers and cattlemen and grocers make a profit? Can’t even worry about health or unhealth if you ain’t got food.

And how about shelter? No one should really make a profit on something as essential as a roof over your head. Specially in the north where it’s cold. Like in Alaska. Or Russia.

The doctors seemed to be doing all right even with a third to a quarter of the salaries of their American counterparts, but hey, if they are restricted so severely in how much they can charge and need to see patients every 3 to 5 minutes to make that salary; and, if we’re saying that healthcare is so goshdarned important as to be vital, then don’t you think that maybe movie stars and ball-kickers (any sport) should have restrictions on their salaries too?

So there’s the underlying pea beneath the twenty mattresses and twenty quilts: somebody’s going to be unhappy. If it’s the public, well, we’re screwed and have to find some way to cope. But if it’s the providers, well, they just find themselves another place to do business or find another business to do. Manufacturing has already been moving out of the country. Our doctors don’t make house calls at all and we’ve come to accept going to their office. But what about when it’s not in the country; or not available at all.

Each of the countries involved did a very careful study and Taiwan really tried to put the best parts of each system to work for the good of everyone. Unfortunately, what they’ve come up with works only too well for the people. Healthcare is so cheap that people use the doctor’s offices to visit or have a place to stay. It cannot go on and the government has been borrowing from the banks to cover expenses owed to providers.

Sound familiar? No matter what the deal, there are bad guys on either side ready to take advantage of a screwed up system. Greed isn’t exclusive to the provider; it’s as inborn and active in the recipient.

Yes, the U.S. needs to take care of its citizens in a way that eliminates personal disasters and overpaying for both medical expenses and insurance premiums. We’ve got a problem here. But you know, you can’t point to other developed countries as the perfect examples without realizing that the systems at face value may look terrific, but that they are in great danger of failing big time. If the healthcare providers go under, so goes the healthcare. We need to remanage what we’ve got; get rid of waste and fraud and overcharging. But we need to take the time and do it right or else we’ll find ourselves in deeper doo-doo than what the other countries are beginning to face or what we’ve got ourselves involved in now.

Someday I’ll get back into the visual rather than the literary of my creative energy but for the last couple of days, the painting has been large scale–the size of my frame shop/barn.

I’ve scraped, painted a first coat with an oil primer, and am awaiting help from a friend who lacks the fear of heights that my husband and I both share (that should be a consideration when dating, but who thinks of it?) to go up on the high ladder and paint the peaks. Oh I can get up there, no problem; I just can’t let go of the ladder to paint.

Don’t think I’ll be blessed with the Indian Summer in November long enough to do a second coat, but at least the wood’s a bit better protected for winter and it doesn’t look quite as bad with the peeling paint.

Maybe I could get a job as a house painter…of single story houses.

What People Think

The Affordable Health Care for America Act
14% For, 86% Against

Vote on this Bill

H.R. 3962
The Affordable Health Care for America Act
Costs $15,256.35 per family

H.R. 3548
The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009
Costs $24.40 per family

(http://www.washingtonwatch.com/blog/2009/11/09/washingtonwatch-com-digest-november-9-2009/)

It’s no big surprise that older workers who have been laid off are having a much harder time finding a job than younger workers. It’s always been that way, and with the current unemployment near 10%, it’s only gotten worse.

And yes, there are things to do with your resume that can creatively overlook some of your years and experience to focus on more youth-oriented skills. For example, play down the years of experience and play up the “willing to face new challenges” bit.

But I didn’t bother posting again about this situation merely for fun or reinforcement; what got my blood simmering this morning is a quote from today’s MSNBC’s article on “Laid-off Workers Face Biases in Job Search.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t change society’s stereotypes, but individuals can separate themselves by noting how they don’t match the stereotype,” said Bendick.

“Unfortunately, we can’t change society’s stereotypes…”

Well society sure did something for gender and for race and religion. Oh yeah, and for sexual preferences and physical impairment.  But for age? Nah, why bother.

In other words, while society flocks around their darlings of the moment, whatever’s trendy, old people still aren’t cute or needy enough to garner any liberal interest.

Now I’m beginning to understand why old people are such pains in the ass; we remember when things WERE better, nicer, higher quality, reasonably priced (relatively), easier, and get this, FASTER.

After a shock that one of the smaller grocery stores I like to frequent, Adam’s Supermarkets, in Canton, CT was renovating their entire store and believe it or not, closing their deli department, I was forced to go to the new super Stop & Shop in Unionville which I do like, but not to just run in and out the way I’m prone to do for a couple quick things. Which is what I tried to do today.

Unfortunately, after ringing up almost all of a $30.00 order, the sales clerk had to stop and ring for somebody to unlock something so that I could buy the beer and she could ring up the rest of the order. After close to eight minutes, and assuring the new clerk it wasn’t her fault but my popsicles were melting, I left.

This is progress? Years ago they put your ice cream in a freezer bag (and before  you greenies get on my case, my mother reused those bags many, many times for our school lunches) which would have eased the problem at least in that one area. Should the register lock up and force a 60 year-old to wait to buy beer? No. That problem would take a bit more managing I suppose. Like applying common sense.