Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repealed

To the US Military - It's about time! I'd think that a willingness to fight for your country would trump any other characteristic . . .

To people coming out to their family - Please don't tape it and put it on YouTube.

Employee Appreciation

I work for a major medical center; today was our annual Employee Appreciation Ice Cream Social. It was held in the beautiful courtyard area between our numerous hospital buildings.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************There were lots of games and activities. In particular, the money blowing machine interested a group of young Mennonite girls who volunteer with us. Volunteering must be a part of Mennonite culture, because we have a lot of them; I love seeing their simple clothing and behavior in the midst of all the cutting-edge medical technology.



****************************************************************On the way out, I passed through the main lobby, which houses a baby grand piano. This is how one of our nurses, Steve, likes to spend his lunch hours:

You never know what you'll see here.

eReader or Hard Copy?

I'm putting my front room/office back together after cleaning the carpet and I'm just not sure what to do about the bookcase . . .
It seems crazy to take up all that space on the shelves when they could all be on an eReader. On the other hand, I'd have to buy them all again. Yet, I could put pretty things on my bookshelf. Still, there's something about holding a book, flipping the pages, resting it wide open on your chest when you get drowsy.
I'm not sure if I'm ready to make this switch. Have you ditched all your hard copy books?

Yellow Jacket Wasps

It seems that metro Toledo has a yellow jacket problem this year. A few weeks ago, I mowed over what I thought was a bees nest. I looked down after a sting on my leg and saw about 50 of them on my pants! I ran to the house while stripping down and got out of it with only 5 stings – LUCKY. It could have been so much worse, especially since I’ve found out that they are yellow jacket wasps!
I noticed lots of small holes in the yard, but I have snakes, ground moles and God-knows-what-else out there, so I didn’t think much of it. But, my housemate, Nance, found another ground nest yesterday and I’ve been hearing from others around Toledo with the same problem. I guess it’s just a good year for them.
These are some aggressive little pests which I’ll have to destroy. Thankfully, in the internet age, you’re never alone with a problem, and I've already found lots of advice.

The Great Lakes

I want this on a sweatshirt:

Camping, Anyone?

I went camping over Labor Day weekend. Wow, I remember why I quit camping 15+ years ago!
When we were kids, Mom took us camping often and we nearly always went on the shore of one of the Great Lakes. Years later, I camped inland on my own and realized that I didn’t particular care for it. All along, it had been the lakes that I liked.
So, while camping is an affordable and bug-free alternative to staying in a motel, it’s not a hobby that I enjoy. I can cook over a fire and sleep in a tent in my own yard. I’m too old to be sleeping on the ground!

My Great Grandparents

Well, my find-a-grave project has already led to some ancestors! I found a 12-year-old online post made by a not-so-distant relative who has been working on her family tree for years. Last night, she sent me pics of ancestors that I've never met. She also sent my grandfather's lineage traced back to the 1600's!
I had previously known about only one of my four grandparents, so it's really exciting for me to learn more and see their faces. This couple, which lived through the Great Depression, looks far less stern than I was expecting. His cigar-puffing swagger cracks me up!
I can't wait until my new-found cuz gets the rest of them scanned.