My dad has been gone almost 2 1/2 years now and I miss him so. He was great at sharing his life experiences, which I told him (respectfully, of course) at about 18 that I thought experience might only be helpful when they became my own. His heads up about what to expect and good ways to approach problems was helpful indeed though. He was a complex man--had a very positive nature and always happy. Always happy until the last few weeks of frustration over losing control of his health and his life. He was a little short tempered and grumpy then to everyone and just wanted to go home. Thankfully we were able to bring him home for the last few days which relaxed his mood and his fight a great deal. He (and his whole family) saw arguing as a fun sport that also built character. He often tried to bate me into political and other philosophical arguments until he finally realized it upset me instead of building character. Once he was made aware of that (by my step-mother), he never tried to get me to argue again. To observe him with his 2 brothers by a campfire arguing and laughing "up a storm" demonstrated that it really was fun to them. I learned a lot of practical things, such as lots of mathematical tricks and worldly facts. I also learned about character. He was a man of integrity, who was quick to reach out and help others. He always treated me with respect and showed true interest in things I had to say, therefore teaching me that I had worth and that I deserved to be treated as such by all men. He is why I was drawn to a man of wonderful character and integrity--my husband.
Now to the Memorial Day tribute part: My dad was on an LST in WWII. I gained a sense of the intense attachment that develops among comrades in arms. There were reunions every 2 years from the late 60's to mid 80's, when numbers able to travel dwindled. The LST being brought to Evansville was such a delight to my dad. He was one that greeted it from the river front when it arrived and on several returns from excursions. He visited it several times and would have loved to have been a tour guide had he been able. He delighted in taking me through and having "show and tell" all the way. He kept a log during WWII in the South Pacific, which I typed and sent to the LST committee chairman. I am currently trying to locate that on a drive somewhere to share here. It is interesting to see where the ship went during its tour. I recall one story he told of arriving on the beach of one South Pacific island to see several blonde haired blue eyed children standing on shore. Apparently some of the natives had learned a little English from former visitors and when asked where these fair children came from, the answer was, "the Dutch came and the Dutch went."
My dad worked on the fog machine (I think it was called) to help camouflage the ship a bit. He also worked in the engine room, which fed his love of engines and mechanics. (This led to his many years of building race cars that placed #1 at Haubstadt.) At one point, while being attacked all around by Japanese suicide planes, one went down in his sight right next to the ship. I recall the day I showed up to surprise him with my new car (Japanese made), and his response was, "you know these people tried to kill me?"
There are thousands of other stories of those who fought in the world wars and other conflicts to protect us and our freedoms. I honor my dad and all those who are both gone and still here for their service.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
FOOD FOR THOUGHT or Things I have recently learned and re learned about food
My two daughters have been sharing books and recommending documentaries about food. One daughter is motivated by wanting to feed her 4 children in a healthy manner. The other is an animal lover with no children and her motivation is the humane treatment of animals she is eating. It is nice that each motivation has the side benefit of the other motivation. Some of this I have read over the years, but never really dealt with on a full scale due to time. It is interesting and would be good for many to know, so I'm going to do a brief synopsis here. Books and documentaries can give you more information. The book I just finished reading is IN DEFENSE OF FOOD (eat food, not too much, mostly plants) by Michael Pollan. I have returned the others I read, but feel this may be a best start for in a nutshell information. Food, Inc is a documentary I watched on Netflix. It is not for the faint of heart, but will show you how industrialization of our meat production has favored quantity over quality.
God created whole natural food just as our body needed it to give us the exact nutrition we needed. Then, like many things, the government and business messed with it. For example, they determined that fake created margarine was better for us than butter and then many decades later, the truth about man created trans fats came out. We didn't know any better, so we believed what they told us. Part of what I am going to try to do for myself is counteract damage done by 20-30 years of believing all fat was bad and that I shouldn't eat any of it--which I interpreted to also mean I should not eat much meat because meat had fat. Carbohydrates became a large part of my diet, but simple and complex carbohydrates were not distinguished as being better or worse then and we didn't know that "fat free" usually meant "sugar added". I gave up on diets when many years ago, following this plan at 6oo calories a day and walking 20 miles a week, I lost 2 lbs in 6 weeks. When I first read about protein diets where glucogen from protein was necessary to balance insulin production--and that too much insulin signaled your body to store fat and retain water, that suddenly explained a lot.
MEAT
The food industry and government have pushed another out of balance issue on us. Omega 6 from seeds is far out of balance to the needed Omega 3 from leafy greens. Balance is the name of the game and these two provide opposite needs, balancing each other out when quantities are correct. I know, you thought fish was a good source of Omega 3, but fish get it from eating algae and our land meat sources used to get it from grass. Now our meat sources are fed grain (Omega 6)and hormones to make them grow fatter faster and produce more tender (fat) meat. This grain increases illness and E-coli because it is not the natural food source of the animals, so then they have to be routinely fed antibiotics. Research shows that when put back on grass, E coli disappears in a few days. Mass production and marketing calls for crowded, inhumane conditions which has to produce stress--which to me means high cortisal levels in our meat. Chickens are now mass bread with increased breast size so much that they often cannot even stand up; many in crowded completely closed buildings (little circulation and natural light). Free range and cage free for all animals mean opportunities to graze for their natural diet and have movement, exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. This meat has to have an effect on the quality of the building blocks it contributes to for our own bodies.
BREAD, CARBOHYDRATES
I think everyone knows now that complex carbohydrates are best and that not only is there little to no nutritional value to something like a piece of white bread, but it cranks us into automatic glucose which overworks our insulin production. White flour, like most detours from natural food, was a marketing issue. If you left the seed and oil source in the flour, it would become rancid and you could not store the flour as long. Stripping the flour of all but the fluffy whiteness took all storage issues away because there was little food value left to spoil. It then became prestigious to have pure white flour. Whole grains digest slower and insulin is released slower which gives us benefits rather than problems.
PLANT SOURCES
This is where the major source of our diet should come from. Even Thomas Jefferson cited that meat should be a condiment to add some variety and flavor. We now see meat as the main part of the meal and try to through a vegetable in for good measure. The Omega 3 from leafy greens is critical while controlling the intake of healthy complex carbohydrates (Omega 6) to re-establish that needed balance. Eating many colors in fruits and vegetables insures you are getting the variety of vitamins and antioxidants you need.
WESTERN ILLNESSES
These are out of control in countries (US) where we eat this western diet. Studies show when those from healthier eating backgrounds come here and change their diet, they also begin to develop these diseases (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides). When they return to their original healthier eating, their cholesterol, blood sugar, and other elevated levels improve within weeks.
SOURCES
Frozen fruits and vegetables as well as some canned can improve out intake. Organic does improve odds of pesticide free soils--which is an important factor in the nutrients in out food. Local foods are always better when available--the closer means fewer miles and time to deplete nutrition. Local food markets in season are good. Meat markets that are provided to by closer, smaller (non-mass production) farms who have committed to no hormone or antibiotics and some grazing for natural dietary needs is always better. I call and e-mail to see where meat, milk, and eggs come from and what their guidelines are. Organic eggs means no pesticides in organic supplemental feeds and cage-free opportunities for natural diet. Cage-free only guarantees they have time outside to eat natural diets. If you want to use supplements for Omega 3 yourself, I would recommend you check the bottle for the amount of healthy fish oils. Many supermarket brands tout 1000 mg, but when you look at the the bottle , the healthy fish oils (Omega 3-EPA and DHA) are only about 1/3 of total fish oil amount listed. GNC, for example, has a 900 mg that is truly 900 mg of what you want. Yes, it is probably about 3 times the cost too, but you get what you pay for. There are also CSA 's (community supported agriculture) in most areas. This is where people sort of buy stock in the products to support and encourage these farmers to produce the kind of healthy foods we want. The one locally will also sell to individalas and sells Saturday morning at Penny Lane Coffee House. I suspect they participate in the summer farmer's market too.
GENERAL TIPS
These would be from the book cited in the first paragraph.
These are some things to avoid that are not pure whole foods:
items that your grandmother would not recognize, ingredients you can't pronounce, items with more than 5 ingredients, many items in the center aisles (healthier real foods are usually around the edges)
Things to look for and think about:
You are part of a food chain--what your food gained from eating and environment is now also in your diet (grass-omega 3 and soil quality for examples), larger varieties of food means larger varieties of vitamins and minerals, consider and respect cultural diets as they stood the test of time about what foods were beneficial in specific climates and conditions, pay more for quality and eat less quantity, reasonably sized meals need to make a comeback above so much snacking, make meal time a slow eating social gathering at the table, participate in cooking and growing your own food as much as possible.
I especially like the last section of the book talking about how our eating should be slow, deliberate, and thoughtful. It should be done with an attitude of gratitude for the mystery of its creation by God and for those who participated in the process of nurturing the plants, trees, or animals from whence it came. I think we do take food too much for granted.
Even small changes in your diet can bring about health improvement. I'm hoping what I have learned will pay off some for me.
God created whole natural food just as our body needed it to give us the exact nutrition we needed. Then, like many things, the government and business messed with it. For example, they determined that fake created margarine was better for us than butter and then many decades later, the truth about man created trans fats came out. We didn't know any better, so we believed what they told us. Part of what I am going to try to do for myself is counteract damage done by 20-30 years of believing all fat was bad and that I shouldn't eat any of it--which I interpreted to also mean I should not eat much meat because meat had fat. Carbohydrates became a large part of my diet, but simple and complex carbohydrates were not distinguished as being better or worse then and we didn't know that "fat free" usually meant "sugar added". I gave up on diets when many years ago, following this plan at 6oo calories a day and walking 20 miles a week, I lost 2 lbs in 6 weeks. When I first read about protein diets where glucogen from protein was necessary to balance insulin production--and that too much insulin signaled your body to store fat and retain water, that suddenly explained a lot.
MEAT
The food industry and government have pushed another out of balance issue on us. Omega 6 from seeds is far out of balance to the needed Omega 3 from leafy greens. Balance is the name of the game and these two provide opposite needs, balancing each other out when quantities are correct. I know, you thought fish was a good source of Omega 3, but fish get it from eating algae and our land meat sources used to get it from grass. Now our meat sources are fed grain (Omega 6)and hormones to make them grow fatter faster and produce more tender (fat) meat. This grain increases illness and E-coli because it is not the natural food source of the animals, so then they have to be routinely fed antibiotics. Research shows that when put back on grass, E coli disappears in a few days. Mass production and marketing calls for crowded, inhumane conditions which has to produce stress--which to me means high cortisal levels in our meat. Chickens are now mass bread with increased breast size so much that they often cannot even stand up; many in crowded completely closed buildings (little circulation and natural light). Free range and cage free for all animals mean opportunities to graze for their natural diet and have movement, exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. This meat has to have an effect on the quality of the building blocks it contributes to for our own bodies.
BREAD, CARBOHYDRATES
I think everyone knows now that complex carbohydrates are best and that not only is there little to no nutritional value to something like a piece of white bread, but it cranks us into automatic glucose which overworks our insulin production. White flour, like most detours from natural food, was a marketing issue. If you left the seed and oil source in the flour, it would become rancid and you could not store the flour as long. Stripping the flour of all but the fluffy whiteness took all storage issues away because there was little food value left to spoil. It then became prestigious to have pure white flour. Whole grains digest slower and insulin is released slower which gives us benefits rather than problems.
PLANT SOURCES
This is where the major source of our diet should come from. Even Thomas Jefferson cited that meat should be a condiment to add some variety and flavor. We now see meat as the main part of the meal and try to through a vegetable in for good measure. The Omega 3 from leafy greens is critical while controlling the intake of healthy complex carbohydrates (Omega 6) to re-establish that needed balance. Eating many colors in fruits and vegetables insures you are getting the variety of vitamins and antioxidants you need.
WESTERN ILLNESSES
These are out of control in countries (US) where we eat this western diet. Studies show when those from healthier eating backgrounds come here and change their diet, they also begin to develop these diseases (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides). When they return to their original healthier eating, their cholesterol, blood sugar, and other elevated levels improve within weeks.
SOURCES
Frozen fruits and vegetables as well as some canned can improve out intake. Organic does improve odds of pesticide free soils--which is an important factor in the nutrients in out food. Local foods are always better when available--the closer means fewer miles and time to deplete nutrition. Local food markets in season are good. Meat markets that are provided to by closer, smaller (non-mass production) farms who have committed to no hormone or antibiotics and some grazing for natural dietary needs is always better. I call and e-mail to see where meat, milk, and eggs come from and what their guidelines are. Organic eggs means no pesticides in organic supplemental feeds and cage-free opportunities for natural diet. Cage-free only guarantees they have time outside to eat natural diets. If you want to use supplements for Omega 3 yourself, I would recommend you check the bottle for the amount of healthy fish oils. Many supermarket brands tout 1000 mg, but when you look at the the bottle , the healthy fish oils (Omega 3-EPA and DHA) are only about 1/3 of total fish oil amount listed. GNC, for example, has a 900 mg that is truly 900 mg of what you want. Yes, it is probably about 3 times the cost too, but you get what you pay for. There are also CSA 's (community supported agriculture) in most areas. This is where people sort of buy stock in the products to support and encourage these farmers to produce the kind of healthy foods we want. The one locally will also sell to individalas and sells Saturday morning at Penny Lane Coffee House. I suspect they participate in the summer farmer's market too.
GENERAL TIPS
These would be from the book cited in the first paragraph.
These are some things to avoid that are not pure whole foods:
items that your grandmother would not recognize, ingredients you can't pronounce, items with more than 5 ingredients, many items in the center aisles (healthier real foods are usually around the edges)
Things to look for and think about:
You are part of a food chain--what your food gained from eating and environment is now also in your diet (grass-omega 3 and soil quality for examples), larger varieties of food means larger varieties of vitamins and minerals, consider and respect cultural diets as they stood the test of time about what foods were beneficial in specific climates and conditions, pay more for quality and eat less quantity, reasonably sized meals need to make a comeback above so much snacking, make meal time a slow eating social gathering at the table, participate in cooking and growing your own food as much as possible.
I especially like the last section of the book talking about how our eating should be slow, deliberate, and thoughtful. It should be done with an attitude of gratitude for the mystery of its creation by God and for those who participated in the process of nurturing the plants, trees, or animals from whence it came. I think we do take food too much for granted.
Even small changes in your diet can bring about health improvement. I'm hoping what I have learned will pay off some for me.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Things you need to know about Hilton Head before you go.
Due to the gulf oil spill, we decided to be sidetracked somewhere different from our normal gulf coast vacation this year. We chose Hilton Head. There are some things you need to know if you are going to go to HHI. If you like lots of trees and shade with tons of bicycling paths, as well as golf and tennis, this is probably the place for you. If you want to see the ocean and be able to find places you want to go, you have to work at it.
As I looked at many condos, I found landscaping often would block the ocean breeze and view from the pool. If you like seeing the ocean from an ocean front condo, it is advisable to check out the views (VRBO is a good, reliable source) which probably will demand at least 3rd, maybe 4th floor. Many beaches we have been to have nice big wooden benches/lounges with thick cushions and umbrellas set up for rent. This beach had small wooden framed foldable lawn chair type lounges that could only be sat in, not laid on. We bought and hauled lawn chairs and umbrellas to the beach every morning. Besides the fact that we had driven all this way for the ocean, the pool was unbearably hot with no breeze unless you were in it at all times.
Navigation was the other challenge. South Carolina does love their trees, so you might see a Walmart sign at the base of a tree at the side of the main thoroughfare and then barely be able to see through the trees that there are stores back there. How to get to them was the next hurdle. Many times you had to take the crossroad before or after and then meander through a car lot or some other random business to get to where you wanted to be.
It is a beautiful place. Much of the beach is within private communities where you have to show IDs to get through. Coligny Square is a small beachy shopping area next to a public beach. Sea Pines (South Beach and Harbourtown) is a beautiful area that allows you to go into their private area--even to eat in a restaurant--for a fee per day. For driving around most of the ocean sides of the island, you would not know there is an ocean anywhere without going into some of these private areas. We stayed in the one called Palmetto Dunes. My husband would prefer to go back to other beaches, but I will be going back next summer with my PIGS (7 high school buddies) for our yearly trip. One of the group owns a lovely villa on the lagoon across the street from the beach where we stayed this year. We will probably go to Savannah, an outlet mall, and other sight seeing spots. We just need comfy digs to eat, laugh, sleep, laugh, talk, and laugh. Eating is especially important (therefore the nickname PIGS). Hopefully I can remember the names of the restaurants I liked for them next year.
As I looked at many condos, I found landscaping often would block the ocean breeze and view from the pool. If you like seeing the ocean from an ocean front condo, it is advisable to check out the views (VRBO is a good, reliable source) which probably will demand at least 3rd, maybe 4th floor. Many beaches we have been to have nice big wooden benches/lounges with thick cushions and umbrellas set up for rent. This beach had small wooden framed foldable lawn chair type lounges that could only be sat in, not laid on. We bought and hauled lawn chairs and umbrellas to the beach every morning. Besides the fact that we had driven all this way for the ocean, the pool was unbearably hot with no breeze unless you were in it at all times.
Navigation was the other challenge. South Carolina does love their trees, so you might see a Walmart sign at the base of a tree at the side of the main thoroughfare and then barely be able to see through the trees that there are stores back there. How to get to them was the next hurdle. Many times you had to take the crossroad before or after and then meander through a car lot or some other random business to get to where you wanted to be.
It is a beautiful place. Much of the beach is within private communities where you have to show IDs to get through. Coligny Square is a small beachy shopping area next to a public beach. Sea Pines (South Beach and Harbourtown) is a beautiful area that allows you to go into their private area--even to eat in a restaurant--for a fee per day. For driving around most of the ocean sides of the island, you would not know there is an ocean anywhere without going into some of these private areas. We stayed in the one called Palmetto Dunes. My husband would prefer to go back to other beaches, but I will be going back next summer with my PIGS (7 high school buddies) for our yearly trip. One of the group owns a lovely villa on the lagoon across the street from the beach where we stayed this year. We will probably go to Savannah, an outlet mall, and other sight seeing spots. We just need comfy digs to eat, laugh, sleep, laugh, talk, and laugh. Eating is especially important (therefore the nickname PIGS). Hopefully I can remember the names of the restaurants I liked for them next year.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Spanking
I am going out on a limb here and bucking all the groups I support and am a part of. I think spanking gets bad press when it is not about spanking, but how and why you spank. An early childhood agency on Facebook posted an article about spanking causing aggression. There was no criteria for different ways people approach spanking, just consideration given to research where a history of abuse and drugs had been present.
Here is how I believe spanking should be done:
1. Never spontaneously or in anger!!!!!!!!! The "time out" or "bad chair" as my daughter called it, has a purpose of allowing everyone to cool down and think about the best way to handle an offense. Most mothers would admit that it occasionally is for the child's protection to be removed from the overly frustrated parent at that point in time. "Time out", removal of privileges or favorite toys (know what is valued by your child to be effective), or rewards (individual time with parent is more valuable than "stuff") for behavior being improved, is often enough--which segues to number 2
2. Spanking is a last resort and never a surprise. If the child has repeated the same negative behaviors and other methods are not working--then he is notified ahead of time that the next time will result in a spanking. Say what you mean and mean what you say! Do not threaten spanking unless you are calm when making the decision that it is to that point and you will follow through if it happens again.
3. If spanking is going to be effective--it must cause reasonable discomfort to the child. Some suggest using a paddle or an extension so the child does not associate your hand with this discomfort. I disagree--when done correctly (described next), this is an act of love and you can better control the discomfort being applied when you are feeling it too.
4. Discussion about why, spanking, love and re-explanation of why this had to happen. These steps are important. the child needs to understand that since he was told this would happen, he chose to be spanked. Ask questions appropriate to their understanding to make sure they understand what they are being spanked for. Administer the spanking and then HUG (YES I SAID HUG) and talk again. I added that my job is to help them learn how to act and that God gives me that job. I am responsible to God, and this is hard for me, but I do this because I love them.
5. When done effectively, it is rarely needed because they know you will. A minister once suggested that spanking should not be done before the age of 1 and probably would rarely be necessary when the process was well understood and probably almost never necessary past first grade.
6. Choose your battles. As children get older, you need to constantly re-evaluate changes that need to be made in their rules. Young children gradually get to a point where you do not have to say no about so many things that formerly would have been a danger to them or the objects. (To lessen the constant need for "no", put some things higher or away for a while) As they get older, you need to gradually give them chances to learn from choices and become more responsible. Trial and error and learning from natural consequences can be some of the best teachers. Is fighting constantly over a clean room good for any relatiuonship? Can the door just be closed so your differing standards can not stress your relationship? A clean room is not worth straining a relationship that will later have much more important issues ot deal with. Constant conflict over little unimportant things deafens the child to your concerns about something serious later.
Young children have less ability to reason but need to learn acceptable behavior. Different personalities require different types, level, and amounts of discipline or guidance. Get to know your child's interests and abilities and respect those. Spend time playing with them and showing them you love them. Prepare them for situations by explaining expectations. Be comfortable with decisions you have made about how to guide them, but also be comfortable with times you feel insecure and need to re-evaluate what is appropriate for them now. As they get older, respect their opinions, listen to their side of situations, and make careful decisions that lessen the need for arguments. Once a decision is carefully made, it should not be an arguable point.
The same minister mentioned above also reminded us that as children learn to be obedient in a family, they will understand being obedient to God. God gives loving, but firm discipline and so should we.
Here is how I believe spanking should be done:
1. Never spontaneously or in anger!!!!!!!!! The "time out" or "bad chair" as my daughter called it, has a purpose of allowing everyone to cool down and think about the best way to handle an offense. Most mothers would admit that it occasionally is for the child's protection to be removed from the overly frustrated parent at that point in time. "Time out", removal of privileges or favorite toys (know what is valued by your child to be effective), or rewards (individual time with parent is more valuable than "stuff") for behavior being improved, is often enough--which segues to number 2
2. Spanking is a last resort and never a surprise. If the child has repeated the same negative behaviors and other methods are not working--then he is notified ahead of time that the next time will result in a spanking. Say what you mean and mean what you say! Do not threaten spanking unless you are calm when making the decision that it is to that point and you will follow through if it happens again.
3. If spanking is going to be effective--it must cause reasonable discomfort to the child. Some suggest using a paddle or an extension so the child does not associate your hand with this discomfort. I disagree--when done correctly (described next), this is an act of love and you can better control the discomfort being applied when you are feeling it too.
4. Discussion about why, spanking, love and re-explanation of why this had to happen. These steps are important. the child needs to understand that since he was told this would happen, he chose to be spanked. Ask questions appropriate to their understanding to make sure they understand what they are being spanked for. Administer the spanking and then HUG (YES I SAID HUG) and talk again. I added that my job is to help them learn how to act and that God gives me that job. I am responsible to God, and this is hard for me, but I do this because I love them.
5. When done effectively, it is rarely needed because they know you will. A minister once suggested that spanking should not be done before the age of 1 and probably would rarely be necessary when the process was well understood and probably almost never necessary past first grade.
6. Choose your battles. As children get older, you need to constantly re-evaluate changes that need to be made in their rules. Young children gradually get to a point where you do not have to say no about so many things that formerly would have been a danger to them or the objects. (To lessen the constant need for "no", put some things higher or away for a while) As they get older, you need to gradually give them chances to learn from choices and become more responsible. Trial and error and learning from natural consequences can be some of the best teachers. Is fighting constantly over a clean room good for any relatiuonship? Can the door just be closed so your differing standards can not stress your relationship? A clean room is not worth straining a relationship that will later have much more important issues ot deal with. Constant conflict over little unimportant things deafens the child to your concerns about something serious later.
Young children have less ability to reason but need to learn acceptable behavior. Different personalities require different types, level, and amounts of discipline or guidance. Get to know your child's interests and abilities and respect those. Spend time playing with them and showing them you love them. Prepare them for situations by explaining expectations. Be comfortable with decisions you have made about how to guide them, but also be comfortable with times you feel insecure and need to re-evaluate what is appropriate for them now. As they get older, respect their opinions, listen to their side of situations, and make careful decisions that lessen the need for arguments. Once a decision is carefully made, it should not be an arguable point.
The same minister mentioned above also reminded us that as children learn to be obedient in a family, they will understand being obedient to God. God gives loving, but firm discipline and so should we.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Happy birthday Maggie
This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship when we got this black lab puppy 2 years ago. Now she is 85 pounds and truly devoted to this guy.Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Epiphany
I am actually listening to Christmas carols again/still. Now that the hustle bustle is over, I realize I did get caught up in the commercial and busyness and lost what my focus should be. I am finishing my Advent/Epiphany (12 days) devotional. I'm seeing the value in Epiphany--reflecting on what everything is really about and appreciating it after the hoopla dies down. It feels right. We should have put everything away except the manger scene.
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