I have always wanted a roll-top desk. Not just any roll-top desk. A big one like the old post office desks with lots of small cubbies or drawers. Now I have one. When we set up our small office two years ago my desk was shoe-horned into the 50 inches between the side of the closet in the wall, and Ron spread out on the opposite wall. I chose that area because of the window. The small desk, which is the one Ron and his brother shared when they were children, fit nicely under the window and a tall bookcase filled the narrow space on the left, keeping my writing books, copies of my published articles, my creative journals and other important items nearby. I didn't care that there was barely enough room for my laptop, let alone a keyboard conducive to continuous writing on large projects. I could look over my laptop and out the window to my woodsy back yard, which is always food for the soul. That lasted a while, but I began to feel like a sardine every time I wanted to work. It was easier to remove myself to another space. That is when my in-laws ran across a small roll-top desk without the cover. Two drawers on one side and a pencil drawer were its only features beyond getting … [Read more...]
Gun control, or not?
I have been sitting back watching the debate about tightening the gun control laws following the shootings in Newtown and wondering where people's heads are. Let me preface this blog by saying I have never liked guns. When my children were young, the only guns I would allow them to play with squirted water. They were told not to use their hands as pretend guns, and that guns were never to be pointed at people. Then we moved out to rural Minnesota and there were guns in every household. Nearly everyone hunted, so rifles were the most common. I understand using guns to bring home food, and told my childre that when they were old enough, if they were interested in guns, I would send them to gun safety classes so they would at least gain some respect for the tool. I felt they would be safer knowing how to use them rather then stumbling upon guns and someone getting hurt. Fast forward to today and my attitude has changed a little. I don't know if I have been "desensitized" or what, but there are times when I would like to be trained to use a gun. I believe I have that right and I don't want to see it taken away. Has gun control ever stopped criminals from getting guns? I … [Read more...]
What does our future hold for health care?
Now that we are in 2013 and many of the Affordable Health Care Act provisions and welfare reform are in place what do you think? Do you think the new laws are making it easier for people to get health care or more difficult? So far, my experience is things are going to be more difficult for a large portion of people. On the surface, it sounds great: Easier access to health care for those with pre-existing conditions, lower out-of-pocket costs for preventative visits, the opportunity for small businesses and those without insurance to participate in health insurance "exchanges" to get lower premiums and better coverage, the elimination of spending caps, etc. Those things are great, but they don't necessarily make health care "more affordable". For instance: Do you think insurance companies, which are for-profit companies, are going to take a hit on preventative visits? If the client pays less for the visit, will premiums increase? Or will there be more micro managing? This year our health insurance company changed because my husband's employer selected a different company to cover its group. We were told there would be no changes to the coverage, but there have been … [Read more...]
Holiday traditions
Thanksgiving rolled on through, like a freight train through a sleeping city. The day was pleasantly spent with family, sharing traditional food and catching up on all the mundane things that happen between family gatherings. There also was planning for the future, watching grandchildren play and a general atmosphere of comraderie. Though it sounds a bit droll, it really wasn't. I love the holiday season and the time spent with family. It's nice to take a day and stop the business of everyday life to relax with people I really care about. But it rolls through too fast. If I blink, it's gone and the business of living continues. With Christmas coming, I hope to be able to slow things down enough to enjoy the full season. I love the Christmas decorations, the giving, the colors and lights, the music and most of all, the reason for the season. When I was growing up, we always put up the tree and decorations over Thanksgiving weekend, sometimes after dinner on Thanksgiving. We had one of those artificial trees where you pegged each bough into a hole in the wooden trunk, starting at the top and building down. The eclectic decorations were a diary of family milestones, many made … [Read more...]
