One-Half Dozen Positive Statements - Plus One

 What we learned during school at home.

1. We are the economic engine for the world, so we will bounce back fast, not so the others, like dumb Italy.
2. Italy decided to partner with China and China killed their economy by bringing over the virus.
3. People support Trump's leadership in this, a big loss for the opponents.
4. When the hub-bub subdues, the things we missed will be purchased big time - a mini-boom right there. People will celebrate going to the movies, sports, musical extravaganzas, church, school, and work.
5. Amazon and Walmart are hiring during the media-fueled crisis.
6. People like me who work from home will say - "That was not so bad, was it?" More will want to work and to study from home.
7. God is answering many prayers, and He still guides and blesses this great nation. The mainstream media are blind to this and being replaced by conservative, Christian media.

 The Advent-Christmas babies will be nick-named The Virennials.

From Luther's Devotional Writings -

How I Enrolled at Harvard Medical School

 The Yale School of Medicine. Mrs. Ichabod worked there in research - at the Yale Child Study Center. I worked at the med school library, finding and xeroxing articles for doctors in a federally funded program. I also earned a certificate from Yale Medical School for taking a short course.

I am getting Harvard Health Beat newsletters free, so they invited me to enroll in their online educational course on blood pressure. It only costs $29.99, so I enrolled and went through the course.

How could I miss? Blood pressure is an issue for almost everyone over 65, and I have a family history of hypertension. Oddly enough, one frequent rider on Yale bus with me was a student wife we knew from our building. She was helping a doctor with his famous study of rats with high blood-pressure. Meanwhile, the author of Thornbirds was working there, as I discovered much later. The final irony is that our son's godmother is a medical editor there now, even though she earned her PhD in church history.

Blood-pressure, diabetes, and nutrition go together, so I am also looking over sensible guides to better nutrition.

The best treatments for high blood-pressure are losing weight and getting more exercise. Both are also good for blood sugar problems.

The first bonus for eating better is more energy. Yes, that is one of the great ironies built into Creation. Sugary snacks - and that includes diet sodas - decrease energy by pushing up blood sugar and even by leveraging the carbohydrate calories in food.

I could tell diet colas were bad, because the more I drank them, the more I wanted. They also add salt, as all the crunchy snack foods do.

I tried a good diet topped by ice cream, but that is like Church Growth from a Lutheran perspective, toxic self-delusion.

Since oranges are high in potassium, which is good for energy, I satisfied dessert cravings with oranges and walnuts. High blood sugar lowers potassium and energy, one might say.

I will work more on the nutrition post.

 The rain is gone for now, but the mud and clouds remain.

When Did Garbage Day Become Such a Challenge?

 "Thunder? Again?"

We had far too much rain already when garbage day arrived. Due to early morning pickups, we favor Thursday hauling of the barrels, this time both garbage and recycle.

The only problem was the newest torrential rain  - and Mrs. Ichabod's growing resistance to the barrels taking a shortcut through the kitchen and living room. I explained how that decreased the risk of losing my shoes in the soft clay mud of the backyard. But truth can harden hearts.

Sassy and I plotted our moves. First, she needed a long walk for her exercise and explorations. Nothing calms her more than a walk where she gets to meet a few friends. That went went when one neighbor called her by name and stopped to pet her. Sassy sat down for her petting time and beamed with pleasure.

 Sassy loves her neighborhood friends.

Sassy went inside to her perch on the bed, and I opened the garage door for rescue and recovery.The rain had stopped but the backyard was almost completely underwater. Years of mulch kept the Hosta area relatively dry, high ground in the swamp. However, I found a snag in the ooze and almost did a belly-flop in the mud.

I took only one barrel out of our yard. Recycling could wait. I pulled the barrel over into the moving position, where floats or skids would have been better than little wheels. Both feet sank into the Hosta garden, pushing down layers of leaves, wood mulch, and debris from the storms. "They will find me in May and be so sorry no one did anything about backyard lakes and the pull of soft, soaking mud," I imagined.

I kept the barrel moving and reached solid mud, which is much better than slippery, almost bottomless mud. The barrel reached the curb, and so did both shoes.

In the garage I lowered the door and changed to dry clothes. One reader, who knew of my garbage day plans, said, "I hope the garage is attached to your house."

Soon another cloudburst came down like the end of a long, parched drought - only there was no drought, no dancing in the rain for me.

I fixed chicken breast and buttered Brussels sprouts for supper. We now have almonds and walnuts for low-carb dessert.

Pour-over coffee is a necessity in this weather. Ranger Bob comes over and asks if I have had my coffee for the day. "No, I need some right now." All four of us have been out on the front porch together, Sassy guarding our perimeter. Coffee in the shade on a pleasant afternoon is a great luxury.