So here's the short of it, 
 A break in the Fall or not.

And here's the long

Tomorrow is Friday!  I'm pretty tired this week.  Two more weeks before Fall Break - I'm really glad that we have a fall break.  Teachers and parents are being polled this week regarding when we should return to school next year.  The choices are returning August 1st and keeping our Fall Break, or starting later and having no fall break!  For most teachers it's a no brainer - fall break is such a rejuvenating time.  Kids come back better, teachers come back better - but it's a problem for some parents who have to figure out a week of day care.  We got our phone call tonight asking for our vote.  We voted for the calendar which will give us a fall break!

The weather has been so pleasant this week.  It's been such a break from the heat of the summer.  There was a breeze blowing tonight and Sophie was so energetic.  I hope we get a nice long fall.

Tomorrow is an early morning - I need to get to sleep!

So here's the short of it,

Today, I'm asking for prayers for my sister-in-law, Pennie.

And here's the long

I snagged this picture from Deborah White-Pearlman's Facebook Account. 

Pennie is my beloved sister-in-law who now lives in Tampa near two of her sons.  She is a survivor in many ways of many things.  She is a breast cancer warrior! 

Her cancer has recurred.  She has already begun treatments. 

Thank you for praying for her peace and healing.

So here's the short of it, 
A new favorite

And here's the long.

Well, I really like this shirt!  I have several friends and many acquaintances who are enjoying this sentiment.

So here's the short of it, 
It's been a year.

And here's the long
 

 


 Today is the anniversary of Dad's death.  I am comforted in many ways, but  the wound of his death is sharp and deep.  I'm sometimes left breathless by the pain of missing him.

So here's the short of it, 
Today was the Race for the Cure.

And here's the long

 Today was the Komen Race for the Cure at UTC.  For one brief moment last month when we first started talking about it I thought it might be cool to walk the 5K.  

I was pretty lucky to make it through the 1 mile! 

Valdis came down and walked with me.  I was really glad to have him along.  In the last quart mile, the pavement was a little rough, and I had gotten pretty tired.  He was a big help. 

 The Cure.

We are on the verge. 

Thanks to everyone who works or supports the work to find the cure for all the cancers that afflict our world!

So here's the short of it,

Yummy

Come on Rain.

And here's the long

I'm still getting tomatoes from the garden.  They are very few, but they are still delicious. Actually, maybe more delicious because they are almost coming to the end. 

The rain really teased us today.  At least twice the wind blew around a bit and a few drops fell from the sky, but no real rain at all. Come on now, we really need some!  It is considerably cooler finally.  My evening walk was actually really pleasant.  Sophie seems to like the cooler weather.  Two of her neighborhood dog friends were out and they really enjoyed a romp on the circle. 

Mom has a swollen ankle and it's hurting her enough that she's having a hard time walking on it.  She's pulled out the walker and is using that to get around, but is spending most of her time with her foot propped up.  She called her doctor and is to go in on Monday to have it checked out as long as it doesn't get any worse.

So here's the short of it, 
I'm reading a book!

And here's the long

One of the things I lost during the last year, that I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever really get back was reading.  During my chemotherapy and radiation I wasn't the least inclined to read much of anything.  It seemed like, in the months that followed, that every time I picked up a book to start reading, I just didn't have the ability to sustain the concentration it took to read.  I wondered if I would ever really want to read like I used to.  Mom used to tell me that when I was little I wanted my books in the bed instead of stuffed animals or dollies.  I have memories of staying up quite late at night and reading from the age of 8 or 9.  So this was such a loss...

Today I went with Alan to the hospital for an outpatient procedure in the afternoon, and so I took along The Help, a book I've been wanting to read for awhile now.  I started it when they took him back for the procedure, and haven't wanted to put it down all afternoon and evening!  Maybe I'm getting my mind back - at least the part that loved to read. 

It's a great read, and I'm going to get back with it for another hour or so!

So here's the short of it, 
Is Fall really here?

And here's the long

Tonight Alan and I discovered the difference between the first day of Fall, and the Fall Equinox.
Click here for a pretty nice article on Wikipedia.

This morning and this evening it was a bit cooler and was so much more pleasant than it's been.  This has been such a long hot summer. The heat started early and was so intense and has continued for much longer.  Or else I'm getting older and it just seems hotter!  Next week temperatures are supposed to be only in the 80's for daytime highs.  That will be nice.  Come on Fall, we are eagerly waiting!

So here's the short of it, 
Look at the night sky!

And here's the long

So visit the NASA site - then go outside!

This year Fall arrives with the full moon! 

A Moon-Jupiter conjunction on Aug. 26, 2010. Credit: Tom Cocchiaro.

...and what's more a Full Moon and Jupiter conjunction!


I suppose most of us VanSant descendents have some astronomer in us.

Here's to you Uncle Tom. 

And here's to you Dad who taught me to look at the sky with wonder and awe! 

So here's the short of it, 
Good Food and soap in the bed!

And here's the long

Mom made dinner for us tonight.  She had a long day of tests - an MRI of her back, a bone density test, and some blood work.  After all that she came home and made a great dinner.  Comfort food - soup beans (pintos), roasted beets, and macaroni with tomatoes and cheese finished up with some cornbread!  I brought home some leftovers to take for lunch tomorrow!  It was really great to have dinner made.  I know she was awfully tired after a day of medical tests - but there was that great dinner.

So I'm sleeping with soap in the bed.  I sliced a bar of Ivory Soap into four pieces.  The soap is between my bottom sheet and the mattress cover.  I have a piece at my feet, a piece near my hips, a piece that is inside the pillow case.  I also read a piece where one person said it sometimes helps to just rub the soap on the places where the muscles are cramping.  So I've been rubbing the dry soap on my feet my legs and my hip and lower back.  I don't know if that's the reason, but I'm cramping less at night.  I'm still having lots of sleep troubles.  My doctor told me that I need to work on my sleep hygiene! 

So here's the short of it, 
Hot weather - great family pets.

And here's the long

 It's still awfully hot to be more than half way through September.  I don't want to jinx us to an unseasonably cold winter, but I am really ready for the days to cool down!  At least the mornings are pleasant enough. Tomorrow's high is expected to be 97!  At least there's a possibility of some rain on the weekend.  Let's hope that rain really does come. 

I'm trying to get myself headed to bed so I can get up in the morning earlier than usual for an earlier than usual morning.  There's something pretty comforting about the quiet of the evening with Sophie and Lola stretched out snoozing in the room with me.  Melting tension is a good job for family pets!

So here's the short of it, 
Music on the streets

And here's the long

 So the other day, I was headed up Main Street and happened upon this scene. 

A grand piano just off the sidewalk - a group listening.  What you can't see from my picture, is the young man seated in front of the sofa with his beautiful chocolate colored dog.

Nice.  Thanks Chattanooga!

So here's the short of it, 
How does it look?

And here's the long

I think there's another way of looking at things. 

I'm OK, just tired in lots of ways.  I'm headed to bed earlier than usual. And tomorrow I think I'll see things differently and feel much more energized.

So here's the short of it, 
A Yom Kippur reflection.
And here's the long

Faith is not something that we acquire once and for all. Faith is an insight that must be acquired at every single moment. Those who honestly search, those who yearn and fail, we did not presume to judge. Let them pray to be able to pray, and if they do not succeed, if they have no tears to shed, let them yearn for tears, let them try to discover their heart, and let them take strength from the certainty that this too is prayer.

—Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), rabbi and theologian

So here's the short of it, 
I love words. 

And here's the long

 So today a former student posted a link to J. K. Rowling's speech to Harvard's graduates in June of 2008.

 "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination" 

I'm sure glad I got a chance to read this.

So here's the short of it,
Another day, another whispered prayer.

And here's the long.

Today each moment away from the task at hand in my work day was a whispered prayer to sustain those close to me and many I don't know who have some struggle right now.

Of course, the curse of cancer is close to my own heart - so today and tonight I've been particularly attentive to those I know who are struggling with it in some way.  Another need I felt a strong pull toward was for those who are alone or lonely.  And as several of my Facebook friends have recently posted, the God that I believe in knows the prayers of my heart even when I cannot find the words. 

As I pray for others, I ask your prayers for me. 

So here's the short of it,
What did I eat today?

And here's the long

Tonight Alan and I had the good fortune to hear a panel speak about the topic of forgiveness.  Here's one of my take aways. 

Cherokee Story: Two Wolves

A Cherokee Elder was teaching her grandchildren about life. She said to them, "A fight is going on inside me... it is a terrible fight between two wolves.

One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride and superiority.  The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandmother, "Which wolf will win?"

The old woman simply replied, "The one you feed."

So here's the short of it, 
Space Station Sighting.

And here's the long

International Space Station

Mom called at 8:34 to say that a gentleman who was a friend of Dad's from his Chattanooga Gideon's camp to let her know that the International Space Station would be visible in the northern sky at 8:38.  We hurried outside and saw two things going over.  The first was a blinking light that we followed for a long distance.  The second one was a much brighter white light that moved very quickly and was on a different trajectory - we didn't see it for as long.  I know one or the other was the space station.  It was pretty exciting to see it.  The street lights all around the circle really wash out the night sky for us.  We were joined by a couple of neighbors, and we were standing around holding our hands up to block out the light from the street lights. 

We'll look again tomorrow night.  It will be at 9:06.  As soon as we got in the house I got online and looked for the space station tracker.  Follow the link, put in your location, and get your binoculars ready!  I hope tomorrow we have had time to get our binoculars out!  Here's some more information

So tonight as we watched we remembered Uncle Tom VanSant who kept us enthralled and interested in space from his early days working for NASA as we launched the first humans into space, to the mini-family reunion on the grounds of a middle school in Atlanta where he hosted us for a Total Eclipse of the Sun party. 
What a great mind!  We also remembered Dad - who was so interested in space.  He would have been right out in the yard, or would have arranged for a mini-party at his house or ours! 

Here's notice.  There's a Total Eclipse of the Sun that will be visible in a band that crosses Tennessee on August 21, 2017.  There will be VanSant and Howard family there.  Plan to join us somewhere in Tennessee!

So here's the short of it, 
Soap in the bed. 

And here's the long

Today for the first time since this spring, it felt great out! I'll have to say, I'm  so worn out with the heat that today really lifted my spirits. 

I've been having problems all weekend with my feet.  The neuropathy which for me has been just an intense numbness akin to my feet "falling asleep", is changing.  The first change was that the numbness seemed to be a little less. But this weekend, I began to have random sharp shooting pains through my feet.  The pains aren't unbearable, and they come and go pretty quickly, and they aren't coming really often.  I'm also more clumsy - in the feet department that is.  I've had two or three stumbles, and I just am not certain where to put my feet to stay balanced when I'm not on a flat surface.  I'm sure this is a passing phase.

This evening Mom reminded me of the soap in the bed remedy for cramps and other such.  I know this remedy works for my leg cramps, but it occurred to me that the soap in my bed is probably 6 months old or so - I'm getting a new bar!  I always bring home the soaps and shampoos from hotels, and when we get a good collection, they go to the Ronald McDonald House.  But tonight, one of those soap bars gets unwrapped for my bed.  I hope it helps the foot pains as much as it helps my leg cramps!  Even Dr. Gott recommends soap in the bed!

Wow, someone even markets Bed Soap!

So here's the short of it, 
9/11

And here's the long

I've seen lots of American Flag posts on Facebook to honor 9/11.  I've seen the Budweiser Commercial that aired during Super Bowl 2002, and and then never again.  I've seen bits and pieces on TV revisiting that day.

We haven't really talked about it much today, but it's been on my mind all day long - sometimes centered so that I could think of nothing else, and other times just at the edges of my consciousness, but always there.  The "we will never forget" refrain is so true, but already seems so worn. 

How will we remember?  That may be the most important question of all. 

So here's the short of it,
We can always get another bread basket.

And here's the long

Well, I've probably bought Lola 2 or 3 beds.  She settled on a blue cushion that we have on a bench under the living room window until just the other day. Just this past weekend,  I started using a new basket for a bread basket.  Lola suddenly decided that it makes a much better bed for her than a bread basket for us!  I don't think we'll argue with her about it!

 Whatever Lola wants
Lola gets

 

So here's the short of it, 

Today was a good beginning ... 

And here's the long

Thanks to cousin Mia for sharing this card via Facebook.  

Added by Laurie Olinder

to the group "The Celebrationists"

So here's the short of it,

Rosh Hashanah

    

And here's the long

שנה טובה

Apples from the tree Dad planted about 3 years ago.

Apple cut ready to serve

Apples and Honey - for a sweet year

So here's the short of it,

Inspired by my Mom. 

And here's the long.

So there's a new favorite recipe around here.  EASY. It doesn't have a name. 
Your favorite pie crust.  These days mine happen to be the store bought ones.  Aunt Joyce, I know yours will be the home made ones!

So here's the very easy how to.
 
1.  Roll the crust out onto a cookie sheet.  Mine always turn out perfectly round, but that doesn't matter at all! I also always use parchment paper.  It makes clean up so much easier.  And, I've found a brand of parchment paper that is precut! 

2. Use butter or margarine and brush the crust.  Or take the easy way, and get one of those spray margarine's and just give the whole thing a good spritzing. 

3. Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar - or just sugar.  Then cook at 350 for 15 - 18 minutes or til its done to your taste.

Let it cool if you are going to store it.  If you just want to eat it, grab it hot if you want!
After it's good and cool store in an airtight container.  I just use a wide mouth large canning jar. It takes two batches to fill it all the way...and actually - you have to eat a few pieces - they won't all fit.

It probably keeps a lot longer than it lasts.  Maybe I should name it Crust in a Jar. 

I mentioned that this was inspired by Emily.  When we were growing up, Mom always made her pie crusts from "scratch".  Dad used to laugh about the new bride who went to the A&P grocery looking for a box of scratch.  Anyway, Mom always had a little bit of pie crust left over and she would often roll it out and sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar - of course there was always just a little, so true to economic principles, it was so good. 

So here's the short of it, 
At last...

And here's the long

The Loufah Gourd has finallly bloomed.  Here it is September and I'm getting the first blooms on the loufah.   I suppose I've seen maybe 6 or 8 blooms this long weekend.  There's precious little time left before frost to actually grow a loufah!

We'll have to see how they do.  I'm determined to try again next year.  When I first began to garden here more than 20 years ago, I remember that Dad asked me what I wanted to grow - loufah was one of the first things, and I've grown it off and on since.  This is the first time it's done this vine all over the place and flower so late.  I keep thinking it was because it was so dry, but we've had dry summers before.  Maybe it was because it was so hot for so long???  Anyway it's been several years since I gardened to any great extent beyond a few tomato plants, so I'm glad to be back playing in the dirt. 

Next year, I'm going to try growing Loufah again.  We'll see how it goes. 

So here's the short of it, 
 Ouch!   #+*^%!!!

And here's the long

As a final touch to getting the kitchen cleaned up before Valdis and Kalie came over for dinner, I decided to sharpen two of my knives with this knife sharpener gadget I found hiding under something.  I can tell you this -- I got my big knife really sharp!  I also threw away the sharpening gadget as soon as I got my finger fixed up. 

I guess I could have used a couple of stitches...  But I knew that on Sunday night before Labor Day, I'd have been at the ER until midnight or later.  I applied enough pressure to get the bleeding under control, and then whipped out the good old super glue.  I ended up with a seal of super glue and bleeding underneath it.  But it held and I'm sure it will be just fine.  The knife was so darn sharp that it didn't even really hurt!

Both Alan and Valdis wanted to know how in the world I cut myself on top of my finger!  Laughing.  I'm still not sure how I was holding that gadget.  Obviously, NOT the way I was supposed to!

I'm really fine.  Dexter is still with us tonight.  He's had fun romping all over the house with the big animals.  This afternoon Alan was taking a nap and I discovered that Dexter had curled up right next to his chest!  It reminded me of a time very long ago when I found my Dad stretched out on the sofa in the den in Pineville, KY, taking a nap, and there right on top of his chest were two tiny kittens sleeping away.  

So here's the short of it,


And here's the long

Mom and I spent most of the day together.  We went over around Hamilton Place and tried to stop everywhere either of us thought we might need to do something.  We left about 10:30 and got home about 4:30.  At about 6:00 I went back and picked her up and we did our grocery shopping.  Hopefully, I am now in a situation where I don't have to leave the house at all tomorrow!  I'm smiling - I'm smiling really big!!!

Sophie is zonked out.  She's ready for me to hang it up and go on to bed, but as usual, she's patiently napping on the sofa until I get good and ready. 

I'm thinking I might even get in a little bit of gardening tomorrow or maybe I'll wait until Monday. I still don't see even one Loufah growing on that huge vine I have!  It's a bit discouraging.  I wonder what made that happen. 

I'm planning to sleep until mid morning tomorrow.  That was the plan this morning, but something woke me about 7:30.  I'm trying for later tomorrow. 

So here's the short of it, 

I'm so tired...but having fun with Dexter!

And here's the long

By the time Friday gets here, I'm really pretty tired!  And this Friday really kind of took it out of me!

We went to Temple and enjoyed the Italian Dinner that the Youth Group made for us.  They really made that Basil pop by using it for Pesto!  It was really good -- and the tomatoes went into the vegetarian marinara sauce for the spaghetti.

Dexter is spending a couple of days with us.  Liga is going to an Auburn football game with her friend Josh, and needed a place for him to stay.  He's really gotten lots bigger and he's really gotten some confidence too!  He was running all over the house earlier.  Right now I've got him confined to the den with Sophie and me.  They are getting along just fine. 

So here's the short of it, 
Gardening is Great.

And here's the long

I won't even write about work tonight.  That way I can focus on the positive!

Last night Lily D. called to ask if I might have any garden produce to donate to the Temple Youth Group.  They are cooking the First Friday Dinner tomorrow and are doing Italian.  I'm going to contribute tomatoes, basil, and some sweet peppers. 

The big tomatoes in the front of the box are the good old standby Celebrity.  They always taste so good.  I had two for dinner cut up with just a little "crazy jane's".  They were so just out of the garden good!  The little round red tomatoes in the back of the box are Dad's TFI's.  They've been propagated from seed by our family ever since the summer Mom and Dad joined me in Israel for a summer trip and Mom squashed a tomato in her handkerchief and ended up with some seeds in the suitcase! There's lots of basil for the Pesto Sauce they are planning on making. And some green and red peppers that are named "sweet salsa peppers, not bell". 

The tomatoes are about gone.  The lack of rain - my lack of watering - the blight, and on and on.  There will probably just be a few here and there from now til they are gone. But this was a pretty nice little harvest - and it's only the ones that don't have much of a blemish on them.  I've got about that many that maybe have a spot on them that I can cut out and we'll be able to enjoy over the weekend.  I wish I had more energy when I get home in the evenings to work in the garden. But I'm managing to spend a little time every weekend.

So here's the short of it,
Work is not always so fun, but having a new pup on the circle helps keep my focus on the positive.

And here's the long

I'm weary.  I usually really love my work. Today was a drama filled day from beginning to the middle and then the end.  Thank goodness there were some ordinary and really good moments here and there that I am trying to focus on.


Last night I took Tylenol PM because I thought it might help me sleep.  My back was bothering me and I had "the big eye".  I switched to the Tylenol and have taken it several times after I started the coumadin back in January and had no difficulty (before then my preference was Advil PM). I took it fairly early last night ... but ... this morning I had such difficulty getting up!  I felt out of balance...and even had trouble getting my legs to work!  Once I got started, I did OK, but I haven't figured out what that was all about.  I sure won't be taking it tonight!  We'll see how the sleeping goes tonight and just as importantly, how the getting up in the morning goes!

We have a new puppy on the circle   and   it's a boy!  The young couple cattycorner across the circle have a little rescued pup that they named Winston.  He looks like he's got some Shepherd or maybe some Husky in him and he's got some big feet!  He's jumped up on Sophie a couple of times and she growled at him!  I think she'll get along fine with him if he gets to come out and play enough.  He's a real cutie.