8-6-13 teacherken at Daily Kos

teacherken at Daily Kos:

Remembering 1963

is easy for me - the year I graduated from high school, my mother died, I first worked other than baby-sitting (in a McDonald's and then a Boys Club day camp), coming to DC for the March, starting college. The current issue of the Library of Congress Magazine focuses on that year, and I thought I would share this much - the list of items on the timeline, one for each month January - 14th -George W

1 by rss@dailykos.com ... / 0min 

Leaves prepares to say goodbye to Gregor

byteacherken

• This morning my spouse got a call from the office of her neurosurgeon.  While as yet there is no determination of whether surgery can make a difference, he is encouraged enough by what he has seen examining her in person and through xrays and MRIs that he feels that she can now forego having to put on Gregor, her back brace, each time she gets out of bed.

She will have to be cautious, continuing to limit how much she lifts.

She must remember that if bending to limit the range of movement and to bend at the knees.

The timing of this is interesting. Last week she received a shipment of feathers from an acquaintance who is native-American, designed to beautify Gregor.  Yesterday she started to leave the house not having put Gregor on.  She thinks there is no coincidence to the arrival of the feathers, for which she will still find use - two each Hyacinth macaw and Cooper's Hawk.

Gregor limited kind of clothes she could wear.  She is very much looking forward to a more normal ensemble in preparing for the day.

Today would have been the start of the next round of chemo, but her oncologist decided to give her an extra day off.

We will keep Gregor around.  If she gets tired she may decide to put him on.

For now, we are celebrating the progress, the milestone achieved.

We thank everyone for their continued prayers and support.

Peace.

Crumbling American Dreams

Robert Putnam is an important sociologist.  He was born in 1941, which makes him a bit too old to be a Baby Boomer, whereas I, born in 1946, am on the leading edge. This past weekend he had a powerful piece in The New York Times, whose title I have borrowed here. You may well want to read his piece online, in which case here is the link. He focuses on Port Clinton, OH, where he grew up and attende

15 by rss@dailykos.com ... / 11min 

Daily Kos: Why?

Daily Kos: Why?: Why?byteacherkenFollow Sometimes I think about certain things I perceive or encounter that upset me and ask that simply question -Why?Therein  begins a process of expanding my understanding, and thus my humanity.In December of 1956 in the Miami airport I saw my first whites only sign and asked my motherWhy?From that came awareness, that was honed the following Fall with the events

by mike simpson / 59min