Memories From Another Era

Memories from another era have been stimulated for me recently as I've been enjoying conversations with some delightfully alert elders.    A jazz aficionado gentleman recounted contact in the U.S. and Europe with numerous musicians of that genre's royalty.    A lovely lady only a few years shy of having lived for a century talked of changes through her lifetime that we both marveled over as she recalled West Coast life and I was reminded of my mother's early Midwest years.  

These time-tempered, elders observed that a positive outlook and attitude toward life, with a strong emphasis on humor, have been important contributing factors to their longevity which was true for my mother and is significant in my life.   I shared the following on Mother's Day in 2008 which I've edited slightly, plus I've provided additional links to some interesting sites. 

Mother, I wish you could experience the world today. You always said you had no fear of dying, but would be reluctant to go only because you didn't want to miss anything. I share your view.  You saw much change in your lifetime. I think of you and these thoughts of your first twenty-one years come readily to mind.

born in the nineteenth century
horse and buggy days
daughter of a prosperous farmer
fence lines clear of weeds
indicating a good farmer

father performed outdoor chores
matching work horse pair
plowing, harrowing, disking,
cultivating, planting
grain, corn and garden

threshing parties
sheaves of oats, barley and wheat,
corn shucking,
hay raking,
fork tossing hay in mow

raising chickens and ducks
roosters, hens, drakes
cows with calves
pigs with piglets
sheep with lambs

harvesting crops
root cellar storage
butchering and dressing meats
milking the cows
collecting honey, beeswax

pets and progeny
mares with foals
mouser cats with kittens
herder/guard dogs with puppies
chicks and ducklings

mothers work indoors
wood stove for cooking
baking bread
bearing and raising children
nursing the ill

food preservation and canning
apple, cherry, peach trees
blackberry, gooseberries
jams, jellies
herb collection like mint leaves

gathering eggs
cream separating
making cottage cheese
churning butter
making smearcase

sewing and mending
pattern and dress making
yarn for knitting, crocheting, tatting
quilting designs, stitching, needle point
hooking rugs

recitation of poetry
story telling using elocution skills
piano playing and singing
games, riddles, reading, writing
stereoscopes and pictures

candles to electricity
hand pump priming for well water
eventual party line phone
two longs and a short ring
outdoor plumbing - two or three holer

children's playhouse
curtains, tea set
miniature furniture
china head dolls
dressing cats and kittens

winter's heavy woolen clothes
mothballs
dry cleaning non-existent
deodorant yet to be
large tubs, spit baths

playing church piano and organ
dating mostly for church social functions
breaking rules by sneaking off with date to go dancing
coming home snuggled under blankets in horse drawn buggy
horse required no guidance -- always knew the way home

automobiles becoming more prevalent
(autombile museums U.S.)
airplanes more prominent
(aviation museums U.S.)

family, friends, classmates,
boyfriends, neighbors die
Influenza Pandemic of World War I
Influenza Epidemic of 1918World War I

passing the proficiency exam
requirement for high school attendance
moving into town to live with a family - providing
them household services in exchange for room and board
high school graduation

acceptance and enrollment in "Normal School"
graduation after two years
teaching in one room school house
women given the right to vote 1921
mother legal age that year -- always voted thereafter.

CATCHING MY BREATH

This year has seemed to be a rather busy one for me – so much so, that I’ve blogged only once in January, twice in February, thrice in March and now we’re in April, the fourth month.   Here's some of what has kept me occupied.   

The income tax submission deadline is past but was hardly routine this year for many taxpayers.  The Internal Revenue Service’s preparation of tax forms was delayed thanks to our U.S. Congress’ failure to perform their legislative budgeting duties in a timely manner.  Next year our Congress should surely be capable of performing more responsibly. 

I do resent a tax system that is so complicated that far too many citizens must hire someone to complete their forms.  I continue to prepare my own tax forms which I started doing by default following my husband’s death.  Each year I become much more adept at the task which has resulted in the process taking much less time, causing me less mental strain and frustration.  Ideally, I won’t receive an IRS notice later this year informing me I either underpaid or overpaid. 

I continue to note that our administrative and legislative branches of government are composed of too many people who appear to be willing to penalize those receiving Social Security by altering the formula for computing cost of living increases in a manner tantamount to a reduction for too many individuals who can least afford it.  

There are numerous other issues on my mind with the most pressing one unfolding in Massachusetts as I write this.  Law enforcement is engaged in a manhunt for the remaining known terrorist believed to have planted those deadly explosive devices at the Boston Marathon.   Live television coverage of breaking news on this event make it difficult for me to cease viewing and go to bed. 

Focusing more specifically on the mix of my time-absorbing activities since the first of the year, I had my required annual health physical examination followed by a variety of associated follow-up tests.  Coincidentally, I’ve acquired an infection that is somewhat resistant to the first round of bacteria-fighting medications and in another unrelated circumstance I had to get a dental crown. 

My life this year has also been periodically complicated by some residual effects from a bit of  fancy footwork I exhibited last winter that resulted in my colliding with the floor then.  The good news is that I prevented spilling the Chinese dinner I was holding in one hand or the water grasped in the other hand, so no mess to clean up. 

I went to my knees hard, then over on my shoulder, but I had no bones fractured or broken – the activity is not recommended for the spinal cord and back.  The consequence this year has been to experience some “creaks” that necessitate my having to exert more effort to engage in my activities some days.  Physical therapy coupled with practicing recommended exercises reinforces what has once again proven to be beneficial therapeutic intervention for me.   

  

Mostly I keep going just like the Energizer Bunny.  The past couple of months I’ve attended an unusual number of time-consuming seminars on a variety of interesting topics associated with my continued part time work.  One of the most interesting two day sessions focused on training for providing Speech-Language Pathology services in the new Green Houses at the retirement community I serve.  These new Evergreen Villas living units are currently in the final stages of construction.  

Several years ago Dr. Bill Thomas, Geriatrician, proposed the Green House concept.  Green House Projects are now in many states.  Green Houses are designed to create a more home-like atmosphere accommodating a small number of residents compared to traditional nursing homes.

  

“The Gardens is the first organization in California to be licensed to construct homes using the Green House model...two new homes, each 7,000 square feet, with 10 private bedrooms with private bathrooms and showers, and a family-style great room with an open kitchen and dining area. While licensed as a skilled nursing facility, the two houses are designed to look like the single family homes in the surrounding neighborhood.”   

In keeping with this blog's policy to not provide free promotion, I want to clarify that I am not attempting to promote this Life Care retirement community and do not receive any financial benefits from mentioning them here.  I do so solely for the purpose of sharing information about my activities and as an example of this relatively new living environment approach that is becoming increasingly appealing to some elders. 

A few weeks ago I attended an excellent two day seminar focusing on swallowing therapy presented by a Speech-Language Pathologist from a Pennsylvania hospital. I chose these sessions for partial fulfillment of continuing education requirements for my California state license and national certification renewal requirements.  Many people wonder what a “Speech Therapist” has to do with swallowing.  Others are surprised that individuals can even have problems swallowing. 

The reality is that many of the same muscles and functions involved in producing speech are also associated with our swallowing function when we eat and drink.  Our airway function for breathing is intimately involved. Missing teeth, dentures for chewing can provide complicating issues just as foods may do in transit to the stomach or reverse i.e. reflux.  Aging, various diseases, neurological trauma such as stroke, which most readily comes to mind for many, all may have bearing on our ability to safely eat foods and liquids in a consistency and amounts providing adequate nutrition and hydration. 

I prefer attending seminars nearby when possible, so take advantage of those when offered since weeks, months may pass with none available.  A limited number of many such classes offered on the Internet can be taken for credit.  But I prefer attending these live seminars since I’ve ceased attending state and national annual conventions.   

Yesterday I attended a seminar on Functional Cognitive Activities presented by a very knowledgeable Occupational Therapist from North Carolina.  I was pleased with the interdisciplinary approach which I’ve always embraced.  I could readily perceive information that will also have application in Green Houses for Speech, Occupational, Physical Therapies in conjunction with all the other specially trained nursing personnel, plus additional support staff. 

The next several months are likely to keep me busy, too, but maybe the pace will slow in the summer, or not!   I think as I've aged my "pace" has tempered a bit.   I take on fewer obligations and am probably more deliberate in completing my commitments.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RONNI BENNETT !

I finally got the gang together ..... whew!

..... some of them couldn't find their instruments 
..... then when we finally got set up in the auditorium
..... they couldn't locate the microphone 
               (I think they lost it on purpose ...so I couldn't sing)
..... then the drummer didn't show
..... so, I had to take over on drums!
                (didn't even have time to fix my hair.) 

Everything technical in life rarely goes perfectly it seems. 

But here we are.....wishing Ronni Bennett 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ! !



Visit "Time Goes By" and wish Ronni a Happy Birthday.
 

APRIL FOOLS DAY ♫ ♪ ♫

Typically the first day of April is referred to as "April Fools Day" -- a fun day.   When I made a brief Internet search for names of tunes with "fool" in the title I was surprised to find so many.   These songs occur in just about every music genre'  including Country, Rock, R&B to name a few.    A few tunes are recorded in several genres'. 

Many different singers and groups have recorded select songs of their choice, including the three tenor operatic singers.  Here are a couple singers I've enjoyed.

A Day In The Life of a Fool -- Frank Sinatra


What Kind of Fool Am I -- Sammy Davis, Jr.


Those two songs lyrics are typical of most.  They're about love and generally the mood is sad with longing or regret.  

This song is sung by a vocal group that is a special favorite of mine.  

The Fool On The Hill -- Singers Unlimited


Obviously these songs weren't written specifically for April Fools Day.  The words and sentiments are quite contrary to how I've always experienced the day when harmless tricks are sometimes played on one another.    I think these jokey experiences occurred more often when I was young than when I reached what is considered an elder age.    Maybe your experience is different.

MUSICAL VIBRATIONS

Augmenting the preceding Nuclear Vibrations post with some music I was led in intriguing directions from various groups, tunes and titles, to a unique instrument and movie themes.   The Vibrations are a sixties soul vocal group who recorded what became a pop tune “My Girl Sloopy” that was later re-titled “Hang On Sloopy” with radio stations play flooding the air waves then. 

The tune’s popularity was such that when the Ohio State Marching Band began playing then young musician John Tatgenhorst’s arrangement, the song became a tradition at football games.  "Hang On Sloopy" even became the State of Ohio’s official rock song.   

Jazz and Blues fans will appreciate this well-know musical group’s live on stage performance at the 1980 Montreal Jazz Festival with Gregory (Greg) Williams solos on bass:    

          

♫ ♪ ♫ The Ramsey Lewis Trio, Hang On Sloopy! ♫ ♪ ♫ 

A treat across music generations brings us to So Cal’s Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” in Motownboy’s  restored version.  A unique musical sound known as the Electro-Theremin can be heard in this recording. 

Beach Boys (New STEREO) Good Vibrations HD 1966 

Paul Tanner a trombonist with the Glenn Miller Orchestra developed the instrument’s other-worldly sound you may recall hearing in movies including:

 “The Lost Weekend"

 

 “Spellbound”

"The Day the Earth Stood Still"

 

Those are some of the movies noted by Don Heckman in the Los Angeles Times. 

Paul Tanner born in Skunk Hollow, Kentucky was 95 when he died recently on 2/07/13 in Carlsbad,  California.   The New York Times obituary provides interesting details on this talented musician educator's career, details about the Theremin.  There is a video interview link to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) non-profit organization with special comments about his Beach Boys association experience and impression of the variance in those musicians actual abilities.          

NUCLEAR VIBRATIONS, REGS., $$$

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The mechanical phenomenon of vibration assumed intriguing significance to me during my young adulthood when I discovered there were companies devoted to studying and resolving such oscillations negative effects.  I hadn’t given much thought to this subject until I was exploring some employment opportunities and ultimately was offered a position at such a company, though I didn’t accept their offer.     

  

Vibration has “desired” or “undesired effects” as Wikipedia describes.   Tuning fork vibrations, mobile phones, and a reed in a woodwind instrument, like a clarinet, are a few desirable examples.  Undesirable vibrations “...waste energy, create unwanted sound...” and sometimes friction in mechanical devices. 

Years ago our household experienced quite annoying noise every time our refrigerator’s motor came on.  Ultimately we learned vibration was the cause as a consequence of the appliance’s wall contact inside the built-in cabinet.  Vibration effects have been a matter of concern in experimental aircraft test flights, for space flight shuttles, even our automobiles – so many other items, including those we encounter daily. 

  

We’re learning here in So Cal (Southern California, U.S.A.) that tube vibrations inside the coastal San Onofre Nuclear Generating Plant have created a serious problem.  Tubal radioactive steam leakage was discovered January 31, 2012 ultimately necessitating the plant’s shut down.  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s analytic report was released March 8, 2013 stating in the Executive Summary on page 6 "...wear was determined to have been caused by random vibration...” in this Los Angeles Times link. 

These tubes had been operating only 11 months, a considerable shorter duration than the years expected.   The newspaper notes the report “...provides the most detailed picture to date of how the flawed system at San Onofre was designed.  It was written by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which built the generators.”

So Cal residents such as myself and friends living 50 miles or less from San Onofre are genuinely concerned about our power company’s efforts to have the plant resume operation.  Some of us tend to be a bit questioning about the safety and advisability of doing so given revelations about officials past decision-making priorities. 

Abby Sewell’s L .A. Times article providing the NRC report link mentioned above has written informatively about the issues including wrangling between Mitsubishi and So Cal Edison, our utility company over $$$ which is only part of the problem.  The possible avoidance of correcting known problems because doing so might require seeking additional regulatory approval does little to generate trust in the safety of such nuclear energy plants, certainly San Onofre.    

Resumption of nuclear energy generation by activating even two of the other reactors at San Onofre on the Pacific Coast between Los Angeles and San Diego is yet to be resolved.