An Exception!

      Writing about Dad's camera I said he's not on the group pictures because he always took the pictures. In those childhood years I don't remember any of my uncles having a camera. Even my cousin, Leslie, my cousin who was old enough to be father, didn't even had one. Dad's camera model was sold between 1912-1915, so he was an earlier purchaser. 

     There is one photo of dad with his four children. Mother must have been the photographer. It's taken outside and it looks like we've brought dad a lunch in the field. He's eating a sandwich and, because there are trees in the picture, my guess is he was mowing.  The picture is below.

Takk for alt,

Al

Behind Dad from the viewers left, and I'm guessing at ages; Allan 3, David 5, Lucille 9 and Richard 7.

An Old Book!

    To A God Unknown, John Steinbeck was given to me by Peter. Lars' fascination with Steinbeck, in an earlier phase of his life, means that there's almost a complete library of  Steinbeck's books in The Little House. Familiar with his better know books; Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Of Mice And Men...Unknown was unknown to me. It's one of his earlies, published in 1935.

    Perhaps the best part of the book was his colorful, imaginative descriptions of the natural features of a California valley. Joseph, the protagonist was either mystically able to influence nature or psychotic...take your pick. Druid's would love the book and its revolution around an iconic oak tree. Steinbeck weaves in Indian and Mexican lore with sympathy.

  It was worth reading and I look forward to discussing it with Peter tomorrow. It also suggests that I should read some of those Steinbeck books reposing in The Little House.

Takk for alt,

Al

Barn Cats!

      The farm of my childhood usually had a contingent of barn cats. They lived in the barn because Dad would not tolerate them in the vicinity of the house. For the most part they were quite tame. They'd quickly adapt if we squirted milk at them while we were milking the cows.  They'd open their mouths and lap the milk. After separating the cream from the milk we'd give them some milk. There was a small room that held the cream separator and there was space under it that they occupied. In the coldest days of winter the milk cows were left inside overnight. Their body heat was sufficient to keep the temperature in the barn above freezing. 

   Once a disease decimated the cat population and they all died; distemper maybe. When the cats were gone mice appeared. Mice were seen throughout the barn. When the cats are gone the mice will play. This was a revelation, we'd never realized the role the cats played in managing the rodents.

   One summer night I decided to sleep in the haymow. Sleeping on the new hay was very comfortable and I slept well, until.....  Until, early in the morning cats chased grasshoppers over me. No need for an alarm clock. Dad went to the haymow early one morning a found a man sleeping there. He'd wandered up from U.S. Highway 81, that ran just below our place.

   Then, there's the well travelled cat. Uncle Henry and Aunt Inga lived across the road from us. Uncle Alfred and Aunt Ragna lived twelve miles away. Ragna needed a cat so Inga gave her one. Alfred put the cat in a burlap bag and placed the bag in the trunk of their car for the ride to Ragna's place. It disappeared from Ragna's in a day or two. Two weeks later it arrived back at Inga's. There it stayed.

Takk for alt,

Al

Negstad cousins, children and spouses in front of our farm house.

Farm Accident!

       The farm on which I grew up wasn't very mechanized. There was a tractor on it and eventually two. These were used, almost exclusively, for pulling. Neither was equipped with a loader. This meant that much of haying required manual labor. Mowing was done with a tractor mower, once the second tractor arrived to replace the horse mower. After the mown hay had cured it was raked into piles using a horse rake modified to be pulled by a tractor. It was a two person job, one driving the tractor and the other riding the rake to operate it. Then the fun began!

     The hay, alfalfa, was destined for the haymow in the barn. Here there was a modicum of mechanization. A sling, consisting of 2"X 2" boards, almost as wide as the hayrack. and connected by ropes, was laid on the floor of the hayrack. The ropes came together at the ends of the hayrack ending in a metal ring. Hay was loaded into the hayrack via men or boys using pitch forks. Once the hay on the sling was about three feet deep, a second sling was lad over it and the pitching continued.

   A full hayrack was pulled next to the barn and below the big open barn door. The tractor was unhitched from the hayrack and connected to the hay rope, This was a large rope that ran over a series of pulleys to the far end of the barn and back to the big door. It was then fastened to the top sling. When the tractor pulled the rope the sling bunched up lifting the hay that had been placed upon it. It climbed to the peak of the barn. At the peak it engaged a metal trolley that was on a track just below the roof. When the sling reached that trolley a mechanism in it released and allowed the sling, filled with hay, to move into the barn. At a place determined by someone in the barn he pulled a trip rope and the sling split in two and the hay spilled out. The empty sling was pulled back through the barn door, the trolley tripped a mechanism and the sling descended to the hayrack, put aside and the second sling put in the barn.

    One day Dad and I were haying alone. Being the nimble one I was in charge of the process with the slings. Dad drove the tractor attached to the hay rope. In my adolescent wisdom I decided that if I stood on the threshold of the open hay door I could both, signal Dad, and drop the hay where I wanted in the haymow. That meant less forking the hay to get it where it was wanted.

   Standing in the barn door I signaled Dad to stop and gave the trip rope a good pull. The rope broke and I fell backwards out the door and down, landing on the side of the hayrack. Perhaps it was a good thing that the top slat of the hayrack broke as I was only scratched and bruised. The slat was a 1"X 6" board.

Takk for alt,

Al

Notice the horses hooked to the hayrack and the woman driving mules to lift the hay. This barn has an elevated hayloft, i.e., on the second floor. Our barn was not that style. The haymow was on the ground level, with the horse barn on one side and the cow barn on the other. Therefore, the door, from which I feel was lower than the one pictured.

Using this rake the first task was to rake the hay into long windrows. When the rider approached the windrow, with hay in the rake, he'd kick a lever. That activated a lifting mechanism in the wheels that the tines raking the hay would life allowing the hay to remain, then the tines would return to the ground to continue raking. After raking the field into long windrows then the rake was pulled down those rows to bunch the hay. When the hay was being pitched into the wagon the wagon would stop by the bunch, haycock, to facilitate pitching it into the wagon.

No good deed goes unpunished!

    Here's what's on the internet about the saying about punishing good deeds.

"No good deed goes unpunished" is a cynical idiom likely originating from 12th-century Latin writings, though frequently misattributed to Oscar Wilde. It implies that acts of kindness often lead to negative consequences for the doer, popularized in the 20th century by figures like Clare Boothe Luce."

    When the new educational wing was added to the last church I served the lawn needed reconstruction. It needed several yards of black dirt. The property committee located a source of black dirt about twenty miles west of the church, through Crystal, New Hope, Plymouth and beyond. With my dump truck in town I volunteered to haul the dirt. 

     After delivering several loads and driving through Plymouth I was pulled over by a state trooper. Turns out I wasn't quite legal. The dirt was heaped above the box, courtesy of the driver of the front end loader at the dirt pile. There should have been a tarp over the load. The trooper said he was doing me a favor by charging me under state law. Had he used the federal statute the fine would have been much higher. If memory serves me right the fine was about $135.00 but don't hold me to that.

   Perhaps the church council might reimburse me. After all I was using my truck and my gas for the church, but they declined. No good deed goes unpunished, after all.

Takk for alt,

A

The "new" addition is the octagon building nearest.

Church Humor!

      Once upon a time I was at a church that had four pastors. One a Sunday morning, the senior pastor was greeting parishioners at the door as they left church after the morning service. Busily shaking hands and conversing a woman approached, took his hand and said "Don't you remember me? You visited me in the hospital." The pastor blurted out "Oh, I didn't recognize you with your clothes on!"

    The last congregation of my ministry had an annual lutefisk dinner. It was a huge deal serving 100s. When diners arrived they were given a number and waited their turn upstairs until their number was called to go downstairs to the dining room for dinner. While they waited they sat in the sanctuary where a band was playing. In the library an artist was demonstrating rosemaling painting. At a table in the narthex pickled herring was on sale.

   My role was general host, meeting and greeting, ushering and helping out where needed. Much of the time I was at the front door to meet guests and direct them as appropriate. While at the door one night I greeted a woman whom I knew, though she was not a member of the congregation. She seemed unsettled so I asked if she was okay. She replied, "Oh, I'm really frazzled. My husband just died an hour ago."  Perhaps she just didn't want the tickets, purchased in advance, to go to waste.

Takk for alt,

Al

Joanne with her friend, Niki, at a lutefisk dinner. Niki was trying lutefisk for the first time. Joanne loved lutefisk but I'm not allowed to eat it.

Shades of Joanne.

    Joanne's college roommate and good friend, the late Jenine Jordahl, lived in Decorah, IA. When they wanted face to face conversation they'd meet for lunch. The meeting place was a restaurant in a small town half way between Decorah and Minneapolis. On one of these occasions they had their lunch and continued the conversation. Eventually they noticed the restaurant was refilling with people. They discovered, to their surprise, that this was the dinner crowd assembling for dinner. Conversation had carried on through the afternoon.

   Reprise today: M came to join mefor breakfast at 8:30. As the conversation continued, Jim, the food services manager appeared with lunch menus. It was 11:30 and the beginning of the lunch hour. 😀Obviously we had a lot so say. As M left I went downstairs and had my lunch in the Bistro.

   Some more data on Dad's camera. It was sold between 1912-15. The film is #122, and no longer produced. There was some film for sale online for $200. a toll! The pictures produced were post card size. It's not functional because the cable for the trip wire is split. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Someone has attempted to repair the cord housing the wire that trips the shutter, see the white tape.

It Takes a Woman...

        Of course it was never talked about!  But, piecing together it appears that my Dad was quite progressive and probably relatively wealthy until the financial crash in 1929.  His money in the bank was lost but he kept the farm through the Depression. 

     He bought his first car in 1914, an Overland. It must have been one of the first cars in rural Brooking County, S.D. But, this post is about another of his early purchases; a Kodak Camera.

    That camera is in my possession. (It's pictured below.) Open the case, slide the focus lens out, peer down through the aperture and squeeze the plunger on the cord to take the picture. Recently I was looking at the camera and puzzled over how it opened. After a bit of trial and error I decided to wait for Tom, my cribbage partner. Tom has a definite mechanical bent. When Tom and Anita came to play cribbage I presented the camera, with its dilemma, to Tom. Immediately intrigued he rose to the challenge of opening it.

   As Tom and I puzzled, maneuvered, wondered, tried this and that with no success Anita went online. She soon discovered that there was a secret button on the side that opened it. It takes a woman.

   This was long prelude to what I am going to write about. Because Dad was the owner of an early camera he's seldom on any pictures. One of summer's favorite times for me was when the relatives would gather at our farm on a Sunday afternoon. Uncle Oscar and Aunt Julia came with several of their eight children, Uncle John and Aunt Susie came with their family, Uncle Alfred and Ragna with theirs and Holters came with six kids. Before the afternoon was over they all lined up for Dad to take a picture. Day would say "Smile." When the picture was taken he'd say "Now resume your previous expression.." 😀

    Every year, on our birthday, Dad would take a picture of each of his four children. Very often we'd be in front the large cottonwood tree in the yard. Both the child's and tree's growth was recorded.

Takk for alt,

Al

Dad's camera in which the latest patent date is 1909.

The first birthday photo, I've always been cute.

Unscheduled Day!

     One of the gifts of the OFH is laundry apparatus in the apartments. The washers and dryers are very large. Very short persons complain that they can't reach the bottom of the washer. Not a problem for me. So, an unscheduled day like this is a good day to catch up on laundry,  The only down side is that the dryer spooks Kaia. Consequently, we stay as far as we can from the dryer when it's running. That means the bedroom but,. because it's where the computer resides, there is activity for me. Two closed doors, the laundry room and the bedroom, helps her a bit.

   Here's an OFH story. Bob, an inmate told this at men's coffee. When he was being considered for the position of president of the University of Texas, there were 9 men on the University's selection committee. He was chosen on a 5 to 4 vote. Later one of the nine men said that he voted for Bob because he was tall.  

   Mostly I've liked being tall but there's been exceptions. Airplane seats are not designed for tall people and I've flown a lot. Then there was boot camp. One of the most trying exercises involved doing calisthenics with utility poles. Lined up by height by the poles I always was on the heavy end. Ed is convinced that many recruits weren't really doing their part. These exercises were done in loose sand which added to the difficulty. Do not try lifting utility poles over your head at home!😀   

Takk for alt.

Al

An old four wheel drive Fiat tractor spotted in Greece. Random enough?

Minnesota Women Win!

      It was a nail biter but the Minnesota Gophers won with a basket at the buzzer. They beat Ole Miss 65-63, and go to Sacramento for the Sweet Sixteen!  Makes me glad!

Takk for alt,

Al

Amiya Battle, number 3, made the basket at the buzzer!

Basketball O. D.

      Both the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments are on. That's led to a day of watching multiple games.  Typical experience as I channel surf between games is switching from advertising on one channel to advertising on the next.

   The University of Minnesota women won their game against Green Bay yesterday. After three lackluster quarters they ran away with the game in the 4th. Tomorrow they will play Ole Miss, also at the Barn. Gives Minnesota fans another game to watch in person. The OFH cable package didn't allow me to watch yesterday.. In April we get another 100 channels, lets hope they're not all Spanish.

Takk for alt,

Al

Today's random photo is of a cheese shop in Amsterdam. 2008

Happy Vernal Equinox!

     Perhaps it would fit under the law of unintended consequences. Blood pressure medication (Amlodipine) prescribed for me caused issues with my gums. I was back at the periodontist this morning for a deep cleaning.  He also did a bit of surgery. Tongues have minds of their own, and not only around speech. With no conscious thought the tongue continually goes to investigate if the sutures are still there. Yes. they are. It's all a bit of a nuisance but I'm grateful to have teeth.

   At age eighteen, this would be in 1918, my mother got false teeth. Now, here's the remarkable part. She was still using those teeth when she died in 1989. They never gave her any significant trouble. 

   The University Of Minnesota women's basketball team made the NCAA playoffs. Not only did they make the tournament they did well enough to host the first two games. As I write, Ole Miss is playing Gonzaga at the "Barn", the University's Fieldhouse. Minnesota will play Green Bay at 5:00.

Takk for alt,

Al 

It's soon time to cut the cedar trees that I spotted last fall when I was hunting.

Disembarking!

     Both readers of this blog know that my memory often retreats to Marine Corps experiences. Some brain pulse triggered thoughts about disembarking from ships. Perhaps it was seeing the picture below of our aircraft carrier through the door of a helicopter. 

    The least favorite method of leaving a ship was over the side and down rope nets. This method was only done while in full battle gear. That meant a pack with half tent,  another Marine had the other half, ammo belt with canteens and bayonet, rifle and helmet. Taken together the weight was over 100lbs. Naturally neither the ship being departed nor the landing craft waiting below were stationary. The ship rolled from side to side and the landing craft bounced up and down. Marines in the landing craft would pull the net away from the ship so descending Marines didn't get caught between the vessels. It was critical that the descending Marine drop the net the moment his foot touched the deck. Hesitate a moment and the craft might drop ten feet down and then the Marine would have a fall. 

   Descending a gang plank, about three feet wide, with railings on either side, was the usual method of leaving the ship. Typically one end of the plank would be on a dock. The exception to this was in Hong Kong Harbor. There was no dock space for the aircraft carrier so it anchored out in the harbor. A gang plank was lowered hugging the ship. Its terminus was a platform few feet above the water, From that platform we stepped into a harbor taxi to carry us to shore.

   The USS Princeton, on which I travelled, was a World War II, aircraft carrier built after the original Princeton was sunk by the Japanese. It had been re-fitted as an helicopter carrier. Flying off the deck was an easy, but noisy, way to disembark but it always meant training, not liberty.

Takk for alt,

Al

Our ship pictured from a helicopter.

 

Anchored in Hong Kong the top part of the gang plank is visible. Note the helicopter on the deck with its rotors folded.

Marines going down the net four abreast. Don't try this at home!

For what it's worth.........

 

OFH Perk!

       This OFH, of which I'm a happy inmate, features a beauty salon/barbershop. Needing a beauty treatment I made an appointment. In the shop, two floors below my apartment, today Kathy cut my hair and trimmed my beard. The fee, competitively priced, will be added to my monthly bill. No need to drive and use gasoline which is becoming more expensive. I bid the barber farewell until ??? November?

    Two blocks from the OFH, Interstate Highway 35E runs north and south. Before it crosses the Mississippi from the north it crosses Shepherd Road. The 35E bridge over Shepard Road will be replaced this construction season. Plans are to build a temporary crossing over Shepard to keep 35E traffic flowing. Consequently Shepard Road east from Lexington Ave. will be closed. Shephard west from Lexington, which I use regularly, will not be affected.  Construction will begin April 20, with completion projected for November....good luck with that.

    A representative of Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) was present here today to explain the project and answer questions. Via closed circuit TV, I listened to the presentation. TV access is available for many events, lectures and concerts. Each day a movie is offered in the Multi-purpose Room that can be accessed via TV. 

Takk for alt,

Al

After my discharge from the Marines in 1962, I bought a car in Long Beach, CA. Ed was stationed in San Francisco with a year left to serve. Picking up ED in S.F., how did we make connections with out mobile phones, we drove to the Seattle's World Fair. Then we visited my cousin, Leslie Negstad and his wife Esther, in Port Angeles. Leslie took us salmon fishing. Leslie caught the 18lb and I the 5lb., which Esther cooked for us.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

     "Who is the least Irish of all, and why is he?"  The OFH announcement was "St. Patty's Day; Shamrock Ice Cream, 2:00 in the Fireplace Lounge"  Shortly after two the line for the ice cream stretched far out of the Lounge. Overcoming my Marine Corps induced aversion to standing in line; I queued up. Not long to wait until, Jim, the Food Services' Director, came by.  Al, "Hi, Jim, is it mint ice cream?" Jim, "Yes, it's mint chocolate chip." Al, "That's too bad becasue I'm not allowed to eat mint!" Jim, "Wait here."  Moments later he retuned with an ice cream sandwich for me. 😁   

    Sammi is the OFH Activities Director. After eating my ice cream sandwich Sammi and I were together waiting for an elevator. Expressing my gratitude for the St Patty's Day event,  I said "These events are good community builders." She said "Offer free food and people turn out!: 😀 It's true, and a phenomena to analyze another day. 

Takk for alt,

Al

And then the snow came! Mt. Fuji with our tents barely visible in the foreground. 1961

Just in case you don't read Pearls...

 

Memory!

    It was the first night and morning in our Quonset Hut barrack in Boot Camp. Upon arrival at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego we were housed in dormitory barracks until there were enough Marines to form a four platoon company. Then we were installed in Quonset Huts for the remainder of Boot Camp. These humble huts would be our home for twelve weeks.

  "On April 8, 1956, six U.S. Marine Corps recruits drowned during a disciplinary night march led by Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Matthew McKeon into Ribbon Creek at Parris Island, South Carolina. The incident, caused by unexpected deep water and panic, led to McKeon’s conviction for negligent homicide and significant reforms to Marine training methods."  Internet

   The new rules mandated that from 10pm until 6am, Marine recruits could not be bothered by drill instructors. Taps were played at 10:00 and lights out, Reveille played at 6:00, lights on and everybody up. The first morning most of us were up and dressed in the dark before 6:00. One recruit, on a top bunk, was slow getting up. At 6:00 the hut door burst open admitting a drill instructor. When he spotted the recruit still in his top bunk he grabbed the mattress and threw it and the recruit on the floor. After that no one was tempted to hit an imaginary snooze button.

   This memory was occasioned by the Beetle Baily cartoon below.

Takk for alt,

Al

Winter Wonderland!

      The snow that began yesterday at 5:00 continues today at 5:00, with predictions of three more hours of precipitation. Churches were cancelled and the OFH dining room closed today for independent living inmates. The snow totals locally are something over a foot. Parking lots plowed this morning gather enough heat from the sun through the cloud to melt the new snow. Sooooooooo glad that snow shoveling is in my past!

   The girls high school tournaments scheduled yesterday were played early to avoid the snow. I almost missed a classic in which 4A Rosemont beat Hopkins by one point. It was Rosemont's first championship and Hopkins has had several. Rosemont's star will play at the University of MN next year. The MN coach seriously recruits in-state and she was at last night's game.

Takk for alt,

Al

Let It Snow

Lyrics by Sammy Cahn, music by Jule Styne

Print Song Lyrics
Listen on YouTube Music (Dean Martin)

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I brought some corn for popping;
The lights are turned way down low,
Let it snow, let it snow.

When we finally kiss good night,
How I'll hate going out in the storm;
But if you really hold me tight,
All the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,
But as long as you love me so,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

When we finally kiss good night,
How I'll hate going out in the storm;
But if you really hold me tight,
All the way home I'll be warm.

Oh, the fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,
But as long as you love me so,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Arrival!

     The USPS Informed Delivery, to which I subscribe, announced earlier this week that a package would arrive from the V.A. on Saturday. Today the prescription, about which I've written much arrived, as the USPS said it would. Given all the writing I'd done about securing this prescription I thought I should let you both know that it came.

   High School basketball teams in Minnesota are divided into four classes for competition. Consequently, there are four championship games, two completed this afternoon and two tonight. Girls now boys later.  These are all televised meaning I've seen two and will see two more tonight. In addition there was the USA World Cup preliminary game against Italy, which I also watched. The USA won 93-59.  The short Italian coach could be seen gesticulating vigorously as he challenged his team. 

   Weather forecasters are predicting a major snowfall here, a foot or more of snow, in the next 16 hours. As predicted it began to snow about 5:00. Will the snow measure up to predictions? There's something cozy about snuggling in at the OFH with a well stocked kitchen, happy to leave shoveling a memory.

Takk for alt,

Al

The Little House in 2020, while I was quarantining there.

Happy Pi Day!

      Lexington Landing, the official name of my OFH, always celebrates Pi Day. From 11:00-1:00 today the organization offered free pie to celebrate Pi. Serving was in the Bistro, which is open for lunch at that time. Purchasing a bowl of soup for lunch, I had peach pie for dessert.

   It's another way that Lexington leaders promotes community. To eat my lunch I joined a table of  five men, all of whom I knew. The Bistro was full of inmates who came for pie, perhaps ordered more food, and stayed to visit. When I was living in the condo in downtown Minneapolis I knew a few others in the building, two of whom remain friends. But, that condo living was a much more isolated experience. There were not these type of events to bring residents together.  

Takk for alt,

Al

The cold weather training tents are pictured with Mt. Fuji in the background. There's just a skiff of snow at the summit.

Small things!

     The OFH is situated in the Highland Park, area of St. Paul. It's a grand neighborhood in which to be situated. There are parks, in one of which Kaia and I walk daily, schools, nice houses, interesting shopping and myriad dining options. One of my favorite dining options is Cecil's Deli. It's an old classical Jewish delicatessen. It features a sizeable dining room in addition to the deli which is filled with delectables.

    Sammi, the OFH Resident Services director, schedules many options for inmates. Today was a catered lunch from Cecil's. My Reuban Sandwich was excellent. Fortunately sour kraut was served separately becasue I'm not allowed to eat it. There was a small fee which is simply added to our rent.

   It was a nice mellow event and many residents elected to eat together in the multi-purpose room. This created a pleasant community opportunity. Perhaps a small thing, but positive and appreciated.

Takk for alt,

Al

 

Here are OFH statistics given at yesterday's meeting.

Campus Occupancy

Terrace I (my building)

 Independent Apartments

• 27/36 = 75%

• +2 move-ins scheduled

Assisted Living

• 19/21 90.4%

• Pending 2 moves

Arbor Memory Care

• 143/154 = 92.8%

• 172 Residents T1 Census :(Total in my building)

Cribbage Day!

    This was day for our weekly cribbage match. Tom's the master and Anita and I are learners. They drive to the OFH and I take them to the bistro for lunch. Big spending it is not, as they both like soup which is $4.00 a bowl. Cribbage is a social game and, by Tom's estimate, 80% luck based on the cards you draw. Both Tom and Anita are so gregarious they're making OFH acquaintances. Both of them also know inmates here.

   The qualifying rounds for women's basketball World Cup began today. USA defeated Senegal. It's not a "loser go home" scenario. USA got 2pts for the win and Senegal 1pt for the loss. The USA team, all from the WNBA, are young stars. Watching Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers passing to each other which led to three point scores is refreshing.  Old pros like Brenda Stewart and Tiffney Griner are not on the team. Kara Lawson, coach of South Carolina, is the team coach. Several WNBA coaches were visible on the bench. Watching as much basketball as I do, all the players are identifiable by sight. 

  There was an OFH resident's meeting today, which I accessed via closed circuit TV. The landline, part of our rental package, is being discontinued. Mine was seldom used. Our internet access, also included in our rent, is being upgraded to private access at 150gbs. Another 100 hundred channels will be available on our cable access TV, which is also included in the rent. How excited I am by another 100 TV channels can hardly be expressed! Can you imagine how many questions were asked by the inmates in attendance? That's what passes for excitement here.

Takk for alt,

Al

Small Things!

     With ageing comes a narrowing of horizons. An example is my decision, congruent, not to fly anymore. The loss is not being able to return to Thailand. It would be great to be there but the effort of travel is too steep a price to pay. The thought of entering an airport traveling to someplace fills me with dread. So glad that I travelled as peripatetically as I did when I could. No more and that's fine. A former colleague asked me recently if I'm still driving. She thought I shouldn't as she compared me to her mother at my age. 😁 They haven't come for my car keys yet.

   Even as old age narrows horizons, small things, victories, take on more meaning. Resisting Express Scripts exorbitant pricing for the skin ointment, $60.00 for a small tube, I turned to the VA. Now possessing the inside phone number of a helpful person, Cindy, I left a voicemail. When she returned my call she reported that the prescription in question will be mailed tomorrow. That's a small thing that brings satisfaction. Paying the $60. wouldn't have left me bereft, yet....  

Takk for alt,

Al

PS In answer to M's question: those are chimneys on top of the tents. There were small oil burners in each tent. They fed off a five gallon jerry can. If the jerry can emptied in the night, and the tent got cold, the lowest ranking Marine was sent out to attach a full can.

Sitting on my sleeping bag and air mattress I'm writing my weekly letter home, in the tent pictured yesterday.. Do you remember the old aerograms? Mother saved them all and now I have them. My rifle is hanging behind me and eating utensils are to my left. The rifle was issued to me after boot camp and I kept until we left Asia to return to the U.S. The sea bag holds my clothes and anything valuable and can be locked. The tents had wood floors and were semi-permanent.

V.A. Visit

      United Health Care, my insurance carrier is affiliated with Express Scripts for pharmacy benefits. At the Express Scripts website a skin cream, for which I have a prescription, is available for $60. This, for a tube of only 45 grams. At the V. A. virtually all prescriptions are $8:00. Consequently, I contacted the prescribing dermatologist and asked that the prescription be transferred to the V A. This was two weeks ago and a voice at the V. A. assured me that the item would be forth coming.

   With two weeks past it was time to act. My only frustration with the V. A. is, phone contact with them is difficult. Most calls go through the general switchboard and a response often takes an hour. Then you're switched to another number and the wait begins again. When I'm at the V. A. for appointments everything goes swimmingly but reaching them otherwise is frustrating.

  Knowing the difficulty of phone contact, today I drove to the V. A., which is only a ten minute drive. Wondering what I'd encounter at the outpatient pharmacy I checked in using my handy-dandy Veteran's Card. No more than seated to wait, I was called to the window. The man helping me went into his computer and quickly found the prescription. The hold-up was that my primary care NP hadn't signed off on it. He messaged a request to the primary NP to authorize the prescription. He also provided me with a direct number to pharmacy. Slowly, I'm assembling a list of phone numbers to bypass the general switch board. The trip was worth it, I concluded.. Every V.A. employee I've interacted with has been helpful and courteous.

Takk for alt,

Al

The tent camp on the slopes of Mt. Fuji, where we were stationed for two months of cold weather training. Given the blog post about the V. A., a Marine picture seemed appropriate.

Choir Concert!

     This afternoon the Augustana University choir sang at Augustana Lutheran Church (how appropriate was that?) and I attended. The choir isn't very large but it's musically superb. The audience was largely my peers, who would fit right in at an old folks home. It was fun to chat with some of the choir members,  all of whom hung around the post concert reception.

   One student, with whom I had conversation, is a resident in Bergsaker Hall. Joanne was the first head resident in that dorm the year it was open in 1963-64. It was the first coed dorm on campus, but, under early 60s rules. The sexes were divided by wings, the men in the west wing and the women in the east. Here's the funny part. Men had no curfew but women had to be in the dorm by midnight. At midnight the door to the women's section was locked!😀 Long, long ago.......

   On Sunday I graduated from Augustana and on Saturday we were married. We lived in the head residents apartment for two months while Joanne commuted to the University of S.D., to get one course she lacked to be certified to be a Minnesota School counselor. Her hiring at at Saint Louis Park High School was contingent upon her completing that requirement. 

Takk for alt,

Al

PS The hockey game last night ended 4-3, in favor of granddaughter's team.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a temple in Ayutthaya I passed to and from school. It was built in 1630. Guess how long it took me to learn how to pronounce it?

Smile

 

Hockey!

     Hockey has never been a part of my life. I understand that the idea is to get the puck in the net. Beyond that I quite clueless. My alma mater, Augustana University, added hocky a few years ago. They built a state of the art facility. President, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin, told me that the ice is occupied from 6:00am until mid-night every day. Augie's team has done well. Because it is Division I, the school gets some good publicity.

   A side benefit for the University comes from Title IX. To balance the men's hockey, tumbling and field hockey for women was added. Both are popular leading to a boost in enrollment.

   My granddaughter took up hocky this year as an 8th grader. Tonight I'm going to watcher her skate. "Dress warmly" I was warned.

Takk for alt,

Al  

Well then..

   A trip to the periodontist this morning was instructive. Who would of thought that they swelling in my gums was caused by blood pressure medication? Well...that's the diagnosis! So the periodontist is in conversation with my primary care physician. The question? are there are other medications she's comfortable prescribing?  It's Friday, so...

   Just wanted you both to know I'm alive and well. 

Takk for alt,

Al

PS This addition to yesterday's post, from Heather Cox-Ricahrdson

"But Noem is not likely to disappear from the news. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker recorded a video saying: “Hey, Kristi Noem, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Here’s your legacy: corruption and chaos. Parents and children tear-gassed. Moms and nurses, U.S. citizens getting shot in the face. Now that you’re gone, don’t think you get to just walk away. I guarantee you, you will still be held accountable.”'

"Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) was more direct: '“Turns out lawlessness is not a winning strategy,”' he posted. '“See you at Nuremberg 2.0.”'

Barnyard Barbie Farewell!

      Barnyard Barbie, aka Kristi Noem, is out, "don't let the barndoor hit your backside as you leave!" South Dakota has a lot going for it but wisdom in politics is not its asset. Very embarrassing that Barbie was elected governor. She has much to live down but the blindness not to recognize it. Sounds like she won't be returning to South Dakota soon which is a relief to dog owners.

   On that cheerful note I'll say..

Takk for alt,

Al

Book!

    What would we do in this tragic time in our nation's life, if we didn't have books?  Beginning with her first Christmas, and ever since, I've give L a book. This year's choice was a winner! It came recommended in a review in the Minneapolis paper. After she read it she allowed me to read it, and it's a delight.

   The book in question is Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, copyrighted 2025. Ann Patchett writes on the jacket, Buckeye is "Full of love and war and the perilous intimacies of smalltown life. Buckeye is funny and tender realistic and strange."  One charcter even enlists in the Marines and his parents reaction reminds me of mine when I enlisted. The characters are very well developed and also very engaging.

   'The toxicity of secrets to relationships' is the theme I'd give the book. Part of its charm is the long breath of time covered thus tracking lives as they weather the storms through which people live. It is filled with deep reflections on the nature of relationships and life in general. One of the characters in early old age thinks, "This is why old people seem distant distracted. he thought. We aren't living in the past; the past is living in us. And it's talking. We get old to be able to recalibrate everything we thought was going to be important. We get old just to hear it. It says, the days, the days, the days." P. 446  

   Read it, you'll be glad you did!

Takk for alt,

Al

Dentist Again!

      Today the dentist did a small filling, either on, or below, a crown. This gave me the opportunity to ask some questions. Last time, while she sat beside me designing the crown on a computer screen, she was talking about her experience teaching dentistry at the University. Fascinated by that conversation, and her showing me what she was doing on the screen, I didn't think about how the crown was being fabricated. L wondered if it was done with a 3-D printer.

    No, it wasn't done with a printer. It is chiseled out of a solid block of material. Many more questions could have been asked about that process but they will have to wait for a later time.

    With her permission I was allowed to ask a personal question. Her first name is Krishna, which is the name of a male, Hindu god. I asked, "Is it unusual for a girl to be named for a male god?"  She said, "No." Then she explained that in the south of India, from which she comes, it is common. She said there were several girls in her neighborhood named Krishna. She went on to explain that in the north of India it is boys who are named Krishna, but had no idea the origins of those practices. 

   "Thanks," I said, "But in my eyes you're a goddess!"

Takk for alt,

Al  

The Pope's Wisdom!

 Vatican City — March 1, 2026

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Pope Leo XIV issued a "forceful appeal" to end increasing violence in the Middle East as the United States, Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile strikes and threats of escalations, warning of the risk of a "tragedy of enormous proportions."

The American-born pope called on all countries involved in the conflict to "assume the moral responsibility of stopping the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss," after praying the Angelus in St. Peter's Square March 1.

Leo's comments came the day after surprise U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Tehran to launch missiles at Israel and nearby Gulf Arab nations that host U.S. military bases. On Sunday, a major Israeli strike rocked Tehran, and an Iranian missile killed at least four people in central Israel hours later. 

"Stability and peace is not built with reciprocal threats nor with weapons that sow destruction, pain and death," the pope said, "but only through a reasonable, authentic, responsible dialogue."

Leo called for diplomacy to "regain its role and promote the good of peoples who yearn for peaceful coexistence based on justice."

"And let us continue to pray for peace," he said. 

President Donald Trump said the strikes were launched "to ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon" and dismantle their missile capabilities. He called on Iranians to "take over your government" following widespread protests in the country calling for regime change.

The latest escalation follows U.S. strikes last June that targeted three nuclear-enrichment sites in Iran and debilitated Iranian air defense systems.

"Let diplomacy silence the weapons," Leo said following those strikes. "Let nations chart their future with works of peace, not with violence and bloody conflicts!"

Ahead of those strikes, Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan, head of the U.S. bishops' conference's Committee on International Justice and Peace, called on the United States and the broader international community "to renew a multilateral diplomatic engagement for the attainment of a durable peace between Israel and Iran."

During his post-Angelus remarks the pope also called for dialogue in light of the "worrying news" of clashes between India and Pakistan, issuing a call for an "urgent return to dialogue."

"Let us pray together that harmony may prevail in all conflicts throughout the world," he said. "Only peace, a gift from God, can heal the wounds between peoples."

Takk for alt,

Al

When the news is bad....

    When the news is bad, there's sports. For me that means basketball primarily and predominantly women's. Today was a feast, and to keep my blood pressure in check, I didn't even watch the Gopher Women beat Illinois. They are ranked 22 in the nation. Replay is coming. This afternoon I switched between at least six games and a bit of golf and one's playing on the TV now.  Last night I watched the new women's professional basketball league, Unrivaled. Paige Bueckers, who played for Hopkins, a Minneapolis suburb in high school, and UConn in college, was playing. This is a thee on three league so it's heavy on offense. On Paige's team were 6'.4" Cameron Brink and 6'.6" Dominique Malonga, from France. They won easily as Paige had a great night.

    The regular season is over for the Big Ten Conference. The women ended with a record of 22 and 7, and 13 and 5, in the conference The Big Ten Tournament is next and the Gophers will get a good seed, #4, based on their record. They will also be invited to play in the NCAA tournament, for the first time in years. They have an excellent coach in Dawn Plitzuweit, who once coached at the University Of South Dakota. She's a good recruiter but the core of the current team was recruited by Lindsey Whalen when she was the coach, many of the key players are from Minnesota.

Takk for alt,

Al

Coach Plitzuweit