From Out of the Closet

From out of the closet come the strangest things. I’m not referring to the colloquial definition of coming out of the closet that involves gay folks announcing their preferences to the public or their families. Specifically I am writing about the astronaut purse found in Neil Armstrong’s closet. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died in 2012 and his widow recently (this week) found priceless artifacts from the Appollo 11 mission tucked away in their closet. Among the items in the purse (and the purse itself is an artifact too-perhaps I should call it a messenger bag, my husband’s term of choice over man purse) was a waist tether, power cables, and the historic camera that was mounted in a lunar module window, which recorded Armstrong taking his "one small step" on the moon's surface on July 20, 1969. I think this should amaze me but then I think about my own closet and how easily things get tucked away and forgotten deep within its nether regions and I’m really not surprised. But I have been inspired to search my closet for priceless artifacts, and this is what I have found. A set of wooden representations of the 12 Days of Christmas that were crafted by a dear friend who passed away earlier this year that I will treasure as I bring them out and display them on my fireplace year after year. A tangle of yarn that I just cut off and tucked away in frustration (because of my impatience with the ordeal of untangling) that just happens to have the perfect turquoise color for the Frozen hats (Elsa’s crown) that I’ve been making. Some wrapping paper rolls and some small mustard seed necklaces, forgotten Christmas gifts from a few years ago (probably 2012-rather than 1969). One blue and white striped fuzzy sock that I have been looking all over for, and had long given up on it since it’d been missing so long (at least three years). Hence I have been forced to wear my pink fuzzy socks exclusively this chilly winter and now one of them has a hole in it, making me even more grateful for my old standby striped fuzzies! That’s it for hidden treasures for me, so what’s in your closet? 

Sundogs

Imagine my surprise when the word sundogs didn’t get an automatic underline (for misspelling) on my computer this morning. The word brought an untraditional meaning to my mind when I saw it this morning. It made me think of my daily daybreak commute to school with my potcake, Fiff (who loves to go for a ride in the car) and my grandsons. The sun rises behind us on our way and on my return is right in my face, despite my use of my car’s trusty sun visor. The morning dew is steaming from the top of our mailbox as I turn back into the driveway. That’s how I end the beginning of my day, I sometimes think, but it really is just a pleasant prelude to the rest that is yet to come.

Sundogs are actually halos of light that form around the sun with bright spots at 22 degrees on either side. They are called sundogs because they appear to follow the sun like faithful old dogs following their master. When light is refracted off the plate-shaped ice crystals in the thin and wispy cirrus clouds in the troposphere sundogs appear. The best time to see them is when the sun is low on the horizon. They seem to be more common in the winter… or in my case on school day mornings.

Measly Measles

The truth of the matter is that measles aren't

 really measly at all. Since they are caused by a virus and completely preventable through vaccination, they may even seem so measly as to not require a second thought. I am giving them a thought (or two) here for a couple of reasons. Earlier this week I took two grandsons for immunizations (not for measles prevention, for meningitis prevention) required for school in GA. Apparently vaccination requirements vary from state to state (in this case from FL to GA) and their immunization records were found lacking. That is reason number one. Reason number two is that not everyone is immunizing their kids against measles, resulting in recent outbreaks. The worse news is that measles may seem measly because they have long been out of our mainstream consciousness but they aren't. Measles can be deadly (hence, we have vaccines for their prevention, duh!).

Back to my grandsons…I clearly remember taking them for shots when they were still babies (MMR-measles, mumps, and rubella included) and the older of the two (now 14) was the classic shot despising, wiggling screamer. But we got the job done. The younger of the two never made a peep which really surprised me since I was mentally preparing myself for the whole table tackle situation. Fast forward to ages 14 and 12…now you get your shots at the local pharmacy on the corner so if you throw down all the shoppers in the store can make a video with their cell phones. The older of the two rolled up his t-shirt sleeves and was nervously showing off his ‘guns’ when the nice lady pharmacist with the cart (and needle) came rolling out from behind door number two. She engaged him in video game conversation and despite all his trepidation he didn’t realize the deed was done until she was ready to move on to grandson number two. He said all he felt was a pinch. Then it was the younger one’s turn. After watching his big brother handle the process I thought he’d be okay, but that’s what I get for thinking. When he sat down in the chair his face went pale and he reached for my hand and whimpered, “Grandma.” But by then it was practically all over as the pharmacist started talking with him about his martial arts and jujitsu classes. That second shot went smoothly and soon we were on our way.

Back to the not so measly measles…the part that matters here is that the measles can be deadly. The virus does usually start out with a fever, runny nose, and rash but can move on to include swelling of the brain (causing brain damage), ear infection (causing deafness), and /or pneumonia (one of the leading causes of death in infants and children under the age of 5). The big thing here is that this is ALL PREVENTABLE with simple vaccinations. No matter how unhappy your child is over the actual shot the truth is the vaccine can save their lives. That is what should be foremost in the minds of parents because measles are not measly at all. 

You Don't Have to Have Big Mussels to Have an Impact‏!

In fact you can be a tiny golden mussel, about an inch in length, and have a really big impact. The golden mussel is an invasive species from China that is slowly making its way closer to one of the world's most biologically diverse regions, the Amazon River. The Amazon has more freshwater fish species than any river in the world and it also has the right temperature, calcium levels and acidity in which golden mussels thrive. These little mussels are already a big nuisance in five other South American countries with their ability to clog pipes and shut down turbines requiring hydroelectric plants to find ways to scrape them out or use chemicals to be rid of them at the cost of millions of dollars annually. The mussels do provide food for ducks and local fish but this benefit is outweighed by the negatives including the alteration of phosphorous and nitrogen levels in the water that produces blooms of toxic algae that can be deadly to aquatic creatures and humans. The little mussels have also had a devastating deadly effect on native clam species by attaching themselves onto the local mollusks, sealing them shut. For the past decade, Brazil has been working to stop the spread of the golden mussel by requiring ships headed to Brazilian ports to stop at least 200 miles off the coast and empty the ballast waters while far at sea so the larvae stay far out to sea. This hasn't been effective in stopping the golden mussel so researchers are looking into mapping the mussel's genome and engineering a virus or other "bio-bullet" that could essentially render the species infertile. The race between science and the invasive little mussels is on.

Big Poppa Tart Donut

It’s a donut, it’s a pop tart, no wait, it’s…a pop tart inside a donut! Yep. The Big Poppa Tart Donut is the latest culinary craze at OC Donut Bar in California. You can also find these (I hesitate to say) tasty treats (because pop tarts taste a bit like cardboard to me) in some popular donut shops in New York. The donut frosting does appeal more than the pop tart frosting, so there is that, and in order to contain an entire pop tart the donut must be pretty sizable. But to me this latest craze just proves that people will fry up and/or donut-ize just about anything edible, especially things that aren't all that good for you. I am not sure about the nutritive value of pop tarts or donuts but if they are part of a craze, then they probably aren't what I'd consider healthy! Of course it’s up to the individual Big Poppa Tart eater to decide whether or not they find them delicious.

A Tale of Three Groundhogs

Happy Groundhogs’ Day, I wasn't planning on blogging about the weather prognosticating rodents but I finally gave in. Our regular weatherman (the human kind) predicted thunder and lightning and rain today but he was mistaken. We had a light sprinkle early this morning but after that the sun came out and the skies have been sunny and relatively clear. So I got to thinking basically if the human meteorologists can’t predict the weather, maybe the groundhogs can. I turned to my usual sources of info (MSN and other internet news sources) for the groundhogs’ reports. Punxsutawney Phil in the far (from me in South Georgia) reaches of Pennsylvania predicts six more weeks of winter. He obviously saw his shadow when rudely yanked from his cozy abode and as we all know this is a true weather indicator. I figure old Phil is easily as accurate as the TV guys. I was fine with six more weeks of winter until I heard about Georgia’s prognosticator, General Beauregard Lee. He predicts an early spring. I live in Georgia and I am even readier for an early spring. The third prognosticator, and perhaps the smartest of all, is a groundhog named Jimmy that resides in Wisconsin. He not only predicted an early spring (couldn't see a shadow at all) but showed his displeasure for the rude early awakening by biting the mayor on the ear. So between the three the prediction is 2 to 1 for early spring. I’m with Jimmy and if he’s wrong don’t wake me up early to look for shadows for at least six more weeks! 

February

For the shortest month, February is jam packed. It starts off with the Super Bowl and no matter which of the teams you are going for the commercials always seem to be the big winners. Wouldn't it be fun to be a celebrity in one of the fancy boxes too? One can always dream, even one (who is not a celebrity) watching the big game on TV at home.

And today we finally had mild beautiful weather, the nicest so far by far this winter. Of course the groundhog will probably predict the return of winter tomorrow so I’m glad I got to enjoy today with my grandsons. We spent the afternoon picking up a bazillion pine cones in a neighbor’s yard. He just got a pacemaker and appreciated the help with the cleanup.

Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day also figure into February and a school day off for Presidents’ Day too. Parades with beads, chocolate and love, and no school, that’s another bunch of reasons why February is one of my favorite months!