For most southern folk, the time period between mid-August till early June is a little sad because we have to buy our tomatoes from a store somewhere. Although better than nothing, we enjoy eating them about as much as we enjoy going to the dentist! They are often tough skinned, bland flavored and the fleshy part is... well...it's just a sad time if you like tomatoes! Here's how I grow tomatoes every year.
I set my plants in basically the same spot of ground every year because it seems to suit them very well. Once every 5 years or so I cut in some lime. This helps prevent the bottom rot on the fruit. Other than that I just use commercial fertilizer (13-13-13) and ammonia (34-0-0).
I order tomato seed around the first of December each year. Better Boy hybrids are my favorite, but, Big Boy, Celebrity, Marion, and Early Girl are also good choices. Beefsteaks hold up good in hot and dry weather, but have too much of a stem core to suit me. Heirloom varieties are good too, but, my wife likes her tomatoes red! I plant the seed one at a time in seed trays about the middle of January to have them big enough to set out by March. It's trouble having to move the trays in and out from the cold and keeping the plants watered, but once they get two sets of leaves on them, they are ready to go.
Here in the deep south, the weather usually agrees and the ground begins to warm around the first week or two in March. Sometimes (as it was this year) I have to cover the plants overnight to keep frost from killing them but those that survive will produce by early June. In the meantime I fertilize them generously, set a wire and stick each plant. As the vines grow, I tie them to their stick with jute string and prune out every sucker branch keeping only the main vine climbing the pole. Tomatoes really like ammonia, so about every week and a half or so, I pitch about a table spoon at the base of each plant, but not directly touching the plant. Ammonia causes the stems to thicken which makes the plant much more hardy and it also causes the plant to produce more fruit. I use a garden tiller to keep the middles clean and an old fashion hoe to work between the plants.
The next thing to consider is bug control. In my little piece of the world, I must defeat aphids, white flies, spider mites and horned worms. Aphids are stem and leaf suckers while white flies and spider mites ruin the blooms. Tomato worms consume the leaves and stems. Later on in the summer we are beset by stinkbugs. You can buy various products that supposedly will control each pest, but, that can get expensive and may or may not control them. You also must be a little concerned about consuming the chemical products, so, be sure to read the labels! I discovered by looking at a label for a certain pest control product that it contained 95% canola oil and sold for $16.95. Well shoot, you can buy a jug of canola oil for less than 3 bucks, so I bought some and found that if you mix a cup of canola oil to a gallon of water and spray it as needed, it will keep these pests off. I still use Sevin dust for the worms and I've also found that dawn dish wash soap mixed in water kills stink bugs. So there you have it.
This year I have around 225 tomato plants in my garden. I am getting some fine tomatoes now and I have about 90 plants that are just getting big enough to stick. A home grown tomato tastes nothing like one bought in a store or from a green house. The flavor and acidity make all the work worth while. We eat them every day while we have them fresh from the garden. Two pieces of loaf bread with mayonnaise and a big ol slice or two of fresh cold tomato will make a fellow want to slap something!
They are also delicious as sides for other meals. Sometimes we just peel and slice one, salt it a little and just eat plain tomato! Green tomato slices coated in meal and fried in hot grease are plumb sinful. They make salads taste totally different and tomato juice keeps several years in mason jars, so my wife puts up a lot of juice each year to make stews and soups for all my family.
It does take a little hard work and time spent to have good tomatoes, but, in the end when you taste one you will be glad. I also very much enjoy giving some away to my neighbors. Most all of us love tomatoes but not all are able to grow their own.
If you can keep the plants watered and mostly free of bugs, they will make until frost so, set out some tomatoes around your house somewhere and enjoy the fresh juicy taste of a home grown tomato. I promise there's nothing else like it!
Showing posts with label instruction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label instruction. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Scary Moments
I realize that with age health issues may arise. I just expected that I would be the first to go down with something...not my wife! We both had colonoscopies at the recommended ages. Mine was clear but she had polyps. We were informed by the doctor that there are two types of polyps. The normal polyp grows outward from the colon wall and is generally benign. He removed them easily with the endoscope. He called these "tree" polyps. The other polyp grows laterally within the wall of the colon and because of this, he called it a "flat" polyp. These are more difficult to detect and remove than the others. My precious wife had one flat polyp and a couple of tree polyps. The first time, the flat polyp was small enough that he was able to remove it somehow with the scope. I was told to have another scope when my insurance allowed, but, because of the flat polyp, my wife needed to be checked in a couple of years.
Time passes quickly and my wife goes in for her second colonoscopy. This time the doctor finds more tree polyps and wants to see her again in a year. I remember my wife saying, "I must be growing a forest in my colon!". We are concerned , but, the doctor assures us that all is well and she just needs to be checked within the next year. Ok...it is what it is.
The third colonoscopy revealed that she had two almost nothing tree polyps and another flat one. While waking up from the anesthesia, she overhears one of the nurses say "She'll need to see a surgeon." This scares my wife to death even though she's still not completely coherent from the anesthesia. While she's waking up, the doctor comes and informs me that she has one "unusually large" flat polyp that has grown so deep in the wall of her colon that he could not remove it with his instrument safely, so he marked it with blue dye and a gold marker. He assured me that it didn't look cancerous but he biopsied it just in case. At this point we get a medical term for her condition..."tubular adenoma". "I want to see her in two weeks." he said. Two weeks pass..two weeks!...and her doctor knew the day of her colonoscopy what we would be up against. Why he did not inform us that day is beyond me...makes a body wonder if he simply didn't think it urgent enough or knowing we were at his mercy, maybe he wanted a little more money before he turned us over to the next guy! Surely it was the former...still? *scratchin my head*.
Again at this visit, the news almost blows my wife away. The doctor tells her that he must refer her to a surgeon for a colon resection operation. This is startling news as she has no symptoms whatsoever! He explains to her that the polyp has grown deep into her colon wall and removing it by surgery is the only way. He then told her that the biopsy showed the polyp benign at the moment but it was precancerous and had to be dealt with. Six inches to a foot of colon would have to be removed. I suppose he saw the shocked, frightened and then despondent look on her face, then he told her, "Don't worry...Don't worry! You have plenty of colon. You won't even miss it!". If he thought this would calm her down he was badly mistaken! Now I'm scared too!
Another couple of weeks before we see the surgeon gives us time to research the operation. We find that most are done with a scope and hospital stay is from 3 to 7 days. This is a MAJOR surgery. A section of the colon is removed with instruments that reach through small incisions rather than a single large incision. Because of this, recuperation time is much shorter...supposedly. We proceed to the surgeon's office for the initial visit and he begins to explain the operation. He says he plans to start with the scope, but, it might be necessary to open her up. It would depend on what he found when he got in. An x-ray had been sent to his office showing the location of the polyp in her transverse colon, but he had not looked at it yet, so, his explanation as to what he would do was not explicit at all. He told us that if the adenoma was left of her center line, he would take a 6 to 8 inch section out. If the adenoma was right of her center line, he would take her entire colon from the spot down to her appendix, then stretch the two sections together attaching the small duct at the head of the small intestine to the large intestine. The only other option was to plug out the spot, but, this would risk having to go back in with a much more invasive procedure should the polyp show cancer. Well?...what can you do? We set the date for her surgery on December 28 with the assurance of the surgeon that he would do whatever was necessary to make sure all areas that could be cancerous are removed. He tells us not to worry, he has done thousands of these operations, he is confident that he can fix her completely with no leaks. His confidence that all will go well gives us some peace of mind. He tells us that 3 to 4 days in the hospital after surgery is the normal because it takes a while for the colon to "wake up" after such trauma. Still, you can't help but worry.
During the time till surgery date, my gritty wife develops the "Well...the thing has to come out, so, let's get it over with!" attitude and I assure you that many prayers were offered by each of us and our immediate family. As the word got out to her friends and the community, she began to hear from some of them that they had undergone the same surgery. This eased her mind greatly that everything would be alright...mine too. Our church family gave us great support and encouragement and their prayers were truly felt. Now it's just count the days till the 28th. One bottle of magnesium citrate and a light dose of laxative is all the prep required on the 27th and she's good to go.
The day of the surgery arrived and we were to be at the hospital at 6AM. We park in the parking garage and walk down to admissions pulling and carrying luggage enough for a 3 or 4 day stay. We spend the next 20 minutes or so standing in line waiting to be admitted. A wristband is applied and we're off to the same day surgery center of the hospital. The nurse at the desk takes her papers and whisks us off to a room where we are told to wait till the surgeon and operating room is ready. She gets her hospital robe on and climbs up in the bed. Shortly a nurse comes in and after several questions about previous surgeries and medicine allergies etc, my wife is given a saline drip for hydration purposes. We are told that it shouldn't be long, so, the wait begins. Next comes the anesthesiologist who explains how she would be put under. He was impressive with his plan and we were satisfied that he knew his business. About 45 minutes later and after we had dragged her drip line and bag to the bathroom about a dozen times, *whew*, she is given two valium tablets. I know now that it won't be too long before they take her back. Within ten minutes she is really...I mean REALLY relaxed. She thinks that she can't open her eyes, so she jabbers with her eyes closed. She tells everyone that speaks that she loves them..even total strangers! My two daughters who were there with us told her afterward, "Mama, We've seen you on drugs now!".
Soon she is wheeled back to the operating room and I am told to wait by the phone to be updated as needed. About 30 minutes pass and at 10:35AM, the nurse calls and tells me they are about to start. She also tells me to expect an hour to hour and a half operation. I spend the next 20 minutes or so notifying friends and family via text message that the operation has begun. An hour passes and no word yet. I'm a little worried, but there's still a half hour to play with. Another 30 minutes pass and still no word...now I'm getting scared. "Something must be wrong!...What if they can't stop a leak?...What if he has to take the entire colon and build a colostomy? (He had assured us that no ostomy would be needed unless something went wrong)...What if she died!" are things that run through a semi-panicked mind. Finally within the next few minutes I get the call that they are finishing up and it went well. I am relieved of course but still wonder why it took so long. After several minutes the doctor comes in and tells me that he removed about 6 inches of the transverse colon. He said that it took longer because in the time since the last colonoscopy, the blue dye and marker had been lost, so he had to use the x-ray and pinpoint the lesion by measurement. Once the position was located, he found it difficult to reach due to scar tissue from previous hysterectomy and tubal ligation surgeries. He said he had to move a "lot of stuff around" to get to it and finally could not get the section out with his instruments. He explained that he had to expand the primary incision just slightly so that he could get his fingers inside her enough that he could get the section out. Once that was done, he said the rest was a "piece of cake" and that the polyp did not look cancerous to him or his associates at all. I asked if he had removed lymph nodes also. He said there might be two or three along the section removed, but he deemed it unnecessary to remove any others as he was confident that there was no cancer. The section would be sent to pathology for testing to make sure and we should hear from them in a few days. Great news!
A few minutes later a nurse tells me to gather my bags and report to room 336 in the hospital and wait about an hour for her to come out of recovery. I tell all our folks who are waiting in the lobby and proceed to the room. Finally after two solid hours they bring her up to the room. She is still under the effects of the anesthesia and pain medicines, so, she still loves everybody! I'm so glad the operation is over that I just about can't stand it! She shows us the incisions and I count 4 staples just under her breast bone, 16 holding together the larger incision from just above her navel to a couple inches below and small taped puncture wounds on either side of the center line of her abdomen. She says nothing hurts and she thinks this won't be as bad as the hysterectomy. The first afternoon and night were good. She slept from the medicines she had been given. I tried to sleep on a cot provided but wound up just sitting in a very uncomfortable chair thinking what in the world would I do if I had lost her.
The next day she began to hurt...not so much a continuous pain, but sharp pain when she tried to move. Moving from one side to the other hurt her, the process of sitting up on the side of the bed hurt her etc. A morphine pain pump had been supplied for her to use as needed but she determined that she would not because she was afraid it would make her gag and heave. That would really hurt. She bore the pain till the end of that day. Finally her nurse asked her about pain and she explained that she feared the morphine. The nurse said "We can give you Norco ( hydrocodein) tablets for the pain. This was great because she had used them before through the years with no side effects. Also her mouth was dry as a desert because of the nausea patch that had been applied on surgery day. The nurse removed it and promised to bring some kind of lemon flavored swab to help the dryness. Things like this are available to surgery patients, but, the average person(like us) wouldn't know to ask! Not long after the pain pills, she sleeps all night. I am exhausted by now and the body reaches a point where it has to rest, so, even on the most uncomfortable cot in the world, I slept most all night too. During the rest of our stay, short naps were all we could do.
Her doctor checked on her promptly at 8AM each day and told us everything looked good. All she needed to do to go home was have a bowel movement. Finally on the 4th day, New Years eve, we are allowed to come home. Yesterday we heard that the pathology was clear and no cancer was present. The cells tested precancerous as they had before. We still have a follow up visit to attend, but she's now on the mend. Perhaps this story will help prepare someone who is about to undergo a colon resection surgery. There will be some scary moments, but, the choice of not seeing a gastro specialist for a colonoscopy and winding up with colon cancer is much scarier! Get your colon checked..it saved my wife from the horrible experience of cancer treatment. It can save your life!
Praise the Lord who watches over us all!
Time passes quickly and my wife goes in for her second colonoscopy. This time the doctor finds more tree polyps and wants to see her again in a year. I remember my wife saying, "I must be growing a forest in my colon!". We are concerned , but, the doctor assures us that all is well and she just needs to be checked within the next year. Ok...it is what it is.
The third colonoscopy revealed that she had two almost nothing tree polyps and another flat one. While waking up from the anesthesia, she overhears one of the nurses say "She'll need to see a surgeon." This scares my wife to death even though she's still not completely coherent from the anesthesia. While she's waking up, the doctor comes and informs me that she has one "unusually large" flat polyp that has grown so deep in the wall of her colon that he could not remove it with his instrument safely, so he marked it with blue dye and a gold marker. He assured me that it didn't look cancerous but he biopsied it just in case. At this point we get a medical term for her condition..."tubular adenoma". "I want to see her in two weeks." he said. Two weeks pass..two weeks!...and her doctor knew the day of her colonoscopy what we would be up against. Why he did not inform us that day is beyond me...makes a body wonder if he simply didn't think it urgent enough or knowing we were at his mercy, maybe he wanted a little more money before he turned us over to the next guy! Surely it was the former...still? *scratchin my head*.
Again at this visit, the news almost blows my wife away. The doctor tells her that he must refer her to a surgeon for a colon resection operation. This is startling news as she has no symptoms whatsoever! He explains to her that the polyp has grown deep into her colon wall and removing it by surgery is the only way. He then told her that the biopsy showed the polyp benign at the moment but it was precancerous and had to be dealt with. Six inches to a foot of colon would have to be removed. I suppose he saw the shocked, frightened and then despondent look on her face, then he told her, "Don't worry...Don't worry! You have plenty of colon. You won't even miss it!". If he thought this would calm her down he was badly mistaken! Now I'm scared too!
Another couple of weeks before we see the surgeon gives us time to research the operation. We find that most are done with a scope and hospital stay is from 3 to 7 days. This is a MAJOR surgery. A section of the colon is removed with instruments that reach through small incisions rather than a single large incision. Because of this, recuperation time is much shorter...supposedly. We proceed to the surgeon's office for the initial visit and he begins to explain the operation. He says he plans to start with the scope, but, it might be necessary to open her up. It would depend on what he found when he got in. An x-ray had been sent to his office showing the location of the polyp in her transverse colon, but he had not looked at it yet, so, his explanation as to what he would do was not explicit at all. He told us that if the adenoma was left of her center line, he would take a 6 to 8 inch section out. If the adenoma was right of her center line, he would take her entire colon from the spot down to her appendix, then stretch the two sections together attaching the small duct at the head of the small intestine to the large intestine. The only other option was to plug out the spot, but, this would risk having to go back in with a much more invasive procedure should the polyp show cancer. Well?...what can you do? We set the date for her surgery on December 28 with the assurance of the surgeon that he would do whatever was necessary to make sure all areas that could be cancerous are removed. He tells us not to worry, he has done thousands of these operations, he is confident that he can fix her completely with no leaks. His confidence that all will go well gives us some peace of mind. He tells us that 3 to 4 days in the hospital after surgery is the normal because it takes a while for the colon to "wake up" after such trauma. Still, you can't help but worry.
During the time till surgery date, my gritty wife develops the "Well...the thing has to come out, so, let's get it over with!" attitude and I assure you that many prayers were offered by each of us and our immediate family. As the word got out to her friends and the community, she began to hear from some of them that they had undergone the same surgery. This eased her mind greatly that everything would be alright...mine too. Our church family gave us great support and encouragement and their prayers were truly felt. Now it's just count the days till the 28th. One bottle of magnesium citrate and a light dose of laxative is all the prep required on the 27th and she's good to go.
The day of the surgery arrived and we were to be at the hospital at 6AM. We park in the parking garage and walk down to admissions pulling and carrying luggage enough for a 3 or 4 day stay. We spend the next 20 minutes or so standing in line waiting to be admitted. A wristband is applied and we're off to the same day surgery center of the hospital. The nurse at the desk takes her papers and whisks us off to a room where we are told to wait till the surgeon and operating room is ready. She gets her hospital robe on and climbs up in the bed. Shortly a nurse comes in and after several questions about previous surgeries and medicine allergies etc, my wife is given a saline drip for hydration purposes. We are told that it shouldn't be long, so, the wait begins. Next comes the anesthesiologist who explains how she would be put under. He was impressive with his plan and we were satisfied that he knew his business. About 45 minutes later and after we had dragged her drip line and bag to the bathroom about a dozen times, *whew*, she is given two valium tablets. I know now that it won't be too long before they take her back. Within ten minutes she is really...I mean REALLY relaxed. She thinks that she can't open her eyes, so she jabbers with her eyes closed. She tells everyone that speaks that she loves them..even total strangers! My two daughters who were there with us told her afterward, "Mama, We've seen you on drugs now!".
Soon she is wheeled back to the operating room and I am told to wait by the phone to be updated as needed. About 30 minutes pass and at 10:35AM, the nurse calls and tells me they are about to start. She also tells me to expect an hour to hour and a half operation. I spend the next 20 minutes or so notifying friends and family via text message that the operation has begun. An hour passes and no word yet. I'm a little worried, but there's still a half hour to play with. Another 30 minutes pass and still no word...now I'm getting scared. "Something must be wrong!...What if they can't stop a leak?...What if he has to take the entire colon and build a colostomy? (He had assured us that no ostomy would be needed unless something went wrong)...What if she died!" are things that run through a semi-panicked mind. Finally within the next few minutes I get the call that they are finishing up and it went well. I am relieved of course but still wonder why it took so long. After several minutes the doctor comes in and tells me that he removed about 6 inches of the transverse colon. He said that it took longer because in the time since the last colonoscopy, the blue dye and marker had been lost, so he had to use the x-ray and pinpoint the lesion by measurement. Once the position was located, he found it difficult to reach due to scar tissue from previous hysterectomy and tubal ligation surgeries. He said he had to move a "lot of stuff around" to get to it and finally could not get the section out with his instruments. He explained that he had to expand the primary incision just slightly so that he could get his fingers inside her enough that he could get the section out. Once that was done, he said the rest was a "piece of cake" and that the polyp did not look cancerous to him or his associates at all. I asked if he had removed lymph nodes also. He said there might be two or three along the section removed, but he deemed it unnecessary to remove any others as he was confident that there was no cancer. The section would be sent to pathology for testing to make sure and we should hear from them in a few days. Great news!
A few minutes later a nurse tells me to gather my bags and report to room 336 in the hospital and wait about an hour for her to come out of recovery. I tell all our folks who are waiting in the lobby and proceed to the room. Finally after two solid hours they bring her up to the room. She is still under the effects of the anesthesia and pain medicines, so, she still loves everybody! I'm so glad the operation is over that I just about can't stand it! She shows us the incisions and I count 4 staples just under her breast bone, 16 holding together the larger incision from just above her navel to a couple inches below and small taped puncture wounds on either side of the center line of her abdomen. She says nothing hurts and she thinks this won't be as bad as the hysterectomy. The first afternoon and night were good. She slept from the medicines she had been given. I tried to sleep on a cot provided but wound up just sitting in a very uncomfortable chair thinking what in the world would I do if I had lost her.
The next day she began to hurt...not so much a continuous pain, but sharp pain when she tried to move. Moving from one side to the other hurt her, the process of sitting up on the side of the bed hurt her etc. A morphine pain pump had been supplied for her to use as needed but she determined that she would not because she was afraid it would make her gag and heave. That would really hurt. She bore the pain till the end of that day. Finally her nurse asked her about pain and she explained that she feared the morphine. The nurse said "We can give you Norco ( hydrocodein) tablets for the pain. This was great because she had used them before through the years with no side effects. Also her mouth was dry as a desert because of the nausea patch that had been applied on surgery day. The nurse removed it and promised to bring some kind of lemon flavored swab to help the dryness. Things like this are available to surgery patients, but, the average person(like us) wouldn't know to ask! Not long after the pain pills, she sleeps all night. I am exhausted by now and the body reaches a point where it has to rest, so, even on the most uncomfortable cot in the world, I slept most all night too. During the rest of our stay, short naps were all we could do.
Her doctor checked on her promptly at 8AM each day and told us everything looked good. All she needed to do to go home was have a bowel movement. Finally on the 4th day, New Years eve, we are allowed to come home. Yesterday we heard that the pathology was clear and no cancer was present. The cells tested precancerous as they had before. We still have a follow up visit to attend, but she's now on the mend. Perhaps this story will help prepare someone who is about to undergo a colon resection surgery. There will be some scary moments, but, the choice of not seeing a gastro specialist for a colonoscopy and winding up with colon cancer is much scarier! Get your colon checked..it saved my wife from the horrible experience of cancer treatment. It can save your life!
Praise the Lord who watches over us all!
Friday, August 4, 2017
The "eyes" have it!
My wife and I have reached the age where much of our casual conversations with friends concerns the latest procedure or surgery we've been through! "Did they put you to sleep?", "Did it leave a scar?", "When are you getting the other one done?", or " Is it hurting you?" are some of the conversation starters for us these days.
Our latest adventure was cataract surgery. My sweet wife (bless her heart) had been told she had cataracts a couple years ago. At that time the optometrist assured her that they were small and need not be addressed. On her last visit, he said "Gracious! Those things have really grown! You'll need to have them seen about!". With her vision seeming fairly normal to her, and knowing that Medicare will cover cataract surgery, she asked if she could wait until she reached Medicare age. He told her "Sure...you can wait, but you're already illegal to drive in one eye, the other is not far behind and they're only gonna get worse!" This convinced her, so, here we go...he set her up to see a specialist in cataract removal surgery.
The first visit to Dr. M's office involved meeting and greeting and a quick "see for my self" type eye exam. He said "Yep! You have some fine cataracts there!", then he moves over to his computer. My wife has a gift. She can talk to people and make them think that they are the best thing since sliced bread! She noticed how fast Dr. M was typing and, being a former business teacher, she said "My! You are fast! We need to give you a timed writing!" He grinned and said "My parents made me take typing in high school...hated it then, but now, I'm glad they did!". Well, this opened the door to a variety of conversation topics and I guarantee that by the end of the visit, she had him feeling really good about himself!
The next visit was scheduled about a week later. We arrived at his office and the waiting room was packed. Worried that we might be in for a long wait, my wife asked the receptionist "What's going on today?...almost standing room only!" We were told that a V.A. doc visited Dr. M's clinic once a month and this was the day. Relieved that most of the people there were to see him, not Dr. M, we sat down and waited. This time it was a quick "Hello, how ye doin?" from the doc, then a technician took her and measured the lens in each eye. Not too many years back, the only option was to remove the cataracts restoring the vision a person had before. Now they remove both cataracts and natural lenses and insert an artificial lens. This amazing technology not only eliminates the cataracts, it also improves vision to the point that glasses are no longer needed except maybe to read. With measurements complete, we were given a surgery date a couple of weeks later and then instructed to go and register at the surgery center used by Dr. M. With all this done, it was time to go home and wait.
Waiting on a surgery date is certainly more stressful than waiting on a vacation. You think a vacation date will never get here, but, a surgery date gets here much quicker than you want. Anxiety nags at you more and more each day even though you know 99% of people have no problems with cataract surgery. So it was with my wife. Bravely, she got into the car on the morning of the surgery and we set out for the surgery center. She was scheduled for 10AM, but when 11 rolled by, we were both about ready to say "Forget it!". Finally about 11:15 they called her back. I'm thinking about an hour and then we'll be on our way...not the case of course! Three hours slowly drag by and I have just about sat a hole in my chair. I am now a little worried that something is wrong, but, I've heard nothing and I reason that they would tell me if something was up! I sat there nearly another hour and finally a nurse sticks her head out calling for my wife's family. I gather up her purse (which I had been complimented on several times during the waiting period by total strangers) and followed the nurse to the back. There she was sitting up in a recliner, still groggy from anesthesia, and still hooked up to monitors of all sorts. I greeted her awake and rubbed her back and shoulders a little, then asked to see her eye. She opened it. I could not tell that anything had been done to it. She told me that her eye did not hurt and that she could see very well. About 5 minutes later I am told to go get the car and bring it to the patient departure area to pick her up. I'm out and back quickly and we're on our way home.
The next day we head back to Dr. M's office for a follow up examination. Her eye now has 20-20 vision! Again she thanks and praises the doc on his amazing skill. He told her that he had done over 40,000 cataract surgeries. Her first eye is now fixed and healing nicely. Now for the second eye.
Having watched the actual surgery on her first eye from a video provided by Dr. M, my wife prepared herself for the second eye. Even though she knew what to expect, it still weighed on her mind that someone was going to poke around in her eye again! The anesthesia had made her sick at her stomach the first time, so, IV Zofran was administered during the second surgery to alleviate the sick stomach. It did its job well. The second eye took about the same time as the first. The cataract on the second eye was much more involved and thicker than on the first. After watching the video this time, we both wondered how she could have seen at all from that eye! It's amazing how much different it is to her now.
The follow up on the next day verified what we had expected...she is now 20-20 in both eyes! Praise the Lord my wife can see clearly again! Now and for the next couple of weeks we are to administer drops in her eyes to make sure they heal properly and have no infection. Hopefully we are done with "procedures" for a while, but, for now, she has another great conversation experience that she can share with all her buddies. I guarantee she will!
Our latest adventure was cataract surgery. My sweet wife (bless her heart) had been told she had cataracts a couple years ago. At that time the optometrist assured her that they were small and need not be addressed. On her last visit, he said "Gracious! Those things have really grown! You'll need to have them seen about!". With her vision seeming fairly normal to her, and knowing that Medicare will cover cataract surgery, she asked if she could wait until she reached Medicare age. He told her "Sure...you can wait, but you're already illegal to drive in one eye, the other is not far behind and they're only gonna get worse!" This convinced her, so, here we go...he set her up to see a specialist in cataract removal surgery.
The first visit to Dr. M's office involved meeting and greeting and a quick "see for my self" type eye exam. He said "Yep! You have some fine cataracts there!", then he moves over to his computer. My wife has a gift. She can talk to people and make them think that they are the best thing since sliced bread! She noticed how fast Dr. M was typing and, being a former business teacher, she said "My! You are fast! We need to give you a timed writing!" He grinned and said "My parents made me take typing in high school...hated it then, but now, I'm glad they did!". Well, this opened the door to a variety of conversation topics and I guarantee that by the end of the visit, she had him feeling really good about himself!
The next visit was scheduled about a week later. We arrived at his office and the waiting room was packed. Worried that we might be in for a long wait, my wife asked the receptionist "What's going on today?...almost standing room only!" We were told that a V.A. doc visited Dr. M's clinic once a month and this was the day. Relieved that most of the people there were to see him, not Dr. M, we sat down and waited. This time it was a quick "Hello, how ye doin?" from the doc, then a technician took her and measured the lens in each eye. Not too many years back, the only option was to remove the cataracts restoring the vision a person had before. Now they remove both cataracts and natural lenses and insert an artificial lens. This amazing technology not only eliminates the cataracts, it also improves vision to the point that glasses are no longer needed except maybe to read. With measurements complete, we were given a surgery date a couple of weeks later and then instructed to go and register at the surgery center used by Dr. M. With all this done, it was time to go home and wait.
Waiting on a surgery date is certainly more stressful than waiting on a vacation. You think a vacation date will never get here, but, a surgery date gets here much quicker than you want. Anxiety nags at you more and more each day even though you know 99% of people have no problems with cataract surgery. So it was with my wife. Bravely, she got into the car on the morning of the surgery and we set out for the surgery center. She was scheduled for 10AM, but when 11 rolled by, we were both about ready to say "Forget it!". Finally about 11:15 they called her back. I'm thinking about an hour and then we'll be on our way...not the case of course! Three hours slowly drag by and I have just about sat a hole in my chair. I am now a little worried that something is wrong, but, I've heard nothing and I reason that they would tell me if something was up! I sat there nearly another hour and finally a nurse sticks her head out calling for my wife's family. I gather up her purse (which I had been complimented on several times during the waiting period by total strangers) and followed the nurse to the back. There she was sitting up in a recliner, still groggy from anesthesia, and still hooked up to monitors of all sorts. I greeted her awake and rubbed her back and shoulders a little, then asked to see her eye. She opened it. I could not tell that anything had been done to it. She told me that her eye did not hurt and that she could see very well. About 5 minutes later I am told to go get the car and bring it to the patient departure area to pick her up. I'm out and back quickly and we're on our way home.
The next day we head back to Dr. M's office for a follow up examination. Her eye now has 20-20 vision! Again she thanks and praises the doc on his amazing skill. He told her that he had done over 40,000 cataract surgeries. Her first eye is now fixed and healing nicely. Now for the second eye.
Having watched the actual surgery on her first eye from a video provided by Dr. M, my wife prepared herself for the second eye. Even though she knew what to expect, it still weighed on her mind that someone was going to poke around in her eye again! The anesthesia had made her sick at her stomach the first time, so, IV Zofran was administered during the second surgery to alleviate the sick stomach. It did its job well. The second eye took about the same time as the first. The cataract on the second eye was much more involved and thicker than on the first. After watching the video this time, we both wondered how she could have seen at all from that eye! It's amazing how much different it is to her now.
The follow up on the next day verified what we had expected...she is now 20-20 in both eyes! Praise the Lord my wife can see clearly again! Now and for the next couple of weeks we are to administer drops in her eyes to make sure they heal properly and have no infection. Hopefully we are done with "procedures" for a while, but, for now, she has another great conversation experience that she can share with all her buddies. I guarantee she will!
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Explaining God.....sort of!
A professor asked one of his students, "You are a Christian, aren't you son?". The student replied, "Yes Sir." Professor: So, you believe in God? Student: Absolutely, Sir. Professor: Is God good? Student: Sure! Professor: Is God all powerful? Student: Yes. Professor: Well, my brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would try to help others who are ill, but God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm? Student: Silence Professor: You can't answer can you? Let's start again, young fella, is God good? Student: Yes. Professor: Is satan good? Student: No. Professor: Where does satan come from? Student: From--God. Professor: That's right. Now tell me son, is there evil in this world? Student: Yes. Professor: Evil is everywhere isn't it? And God created everything, correct? Student: Yes. Professor: So, who created evil? Student: again silent. Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these things exist in the world don't they? Student: Yes Sir. Professor: So, who created them? Student: No answer. Professor: Science says that you have 5 senses that you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me son, have you ever seen God? Student: No Sir. Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard, felt, tasted, or smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter? Student: No Sir, I'm afraid I haven't. Professor: Yet you still believe in Him? Student: Yes! Professor: According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that? Student: Nothing, I only have my faith. Professor: Yes! Faith, and that is the problem science has. Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat? Professor: Yes. Student: And, is there such a thing as cold? Professor: Yes. Student: No, Sir! There isn't! (class becomes silent) Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, white heat, a little heat, or no heat. But, we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any lower than that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, just the absence of it. (Pin drop silence in the room) Student continues: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness? Professor: Yes, what is night if there isn't darkness? Student: You're wrong again Sir! Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, or even flashing light. But, if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness. In reality, darkness isn't! If it were, you could make it darker couldn't you? Professor: So what is your point? Student: Sir, my point is that your philosophical premise is flawed! Professor: Flawed? Can you explain? Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You view the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought! It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it. Tell me Sir, do you teach evolution? Professor: Yes. Student: Have you ever seen evolution with your own eyes? Professor shakes his head with a smile beginning to realize where the argument was headed. Student continues: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an ongoing endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion Sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? The classroom explodes in an uproar. Student continues: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain? (much laughter) Is there anyone who has heard, felt, tasted or smelt it? No one? So, according o the established rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, science says that you have no brain Sir! With all due respect Sir, how do we then trust your lectures? The room is again deftly silent. The Professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable. After a long pause, Professor: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son. Student: That is it Sir--Exactly! The link between man and God is faith. that is all that keeps things alive and moving.
The argument above took place in a time quite different than today. Even so, the points made by both the Professor and the Student are still common to arguments today regarding the existence of God. As Christians, we know that we cannot "argue" a person into heaven, but, we can defend our own faith just as the student did in the argument above. More and more scientists are coming to the realization of a "Grand Design". Evolution and Big Bang theories just don't seem to "measure" up in a scientific view, as science is in the business of measurement!
My hope is that someone somewhere might read this and better understand his relationship with God. Faith is the key and, by the way, the Student in the narrative above was____Albert Einstein! Have a blessed day!
The argument above took place in a time quite different than today. Even so, the points made by both the Professor and the Student are still common to arguments today regarding the existence of God. As Christians, we know that we cannot "argue" a person into heaven, but, we can defend our own faith just as the student did in the argument above. More and more scientists are coming to the realization of a "Grand Design". Evolution and Big Bang theories just don't seem to "measure" up in a scientific view, as science is in the business of measurement!
My hope is that someone somewhere might read this and better understand his relationship with God. Faith is the key and, by the way, the Student in the narrative above was____Albert Einstein! Have a blessed day!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
The first baseman must dance!
It might sound a bit ridiculous that I taught my first basemen "the dance". Allow me to explain. In little league and in youth baseball programs, the first baseman was the slow or heavyset kid who could hit enough that he needed to be in the lineup. He did what his coach expected by running to the bag and planting his throwing side foot on the first base bag. All was fine as long as the throw from the infield was within the box to which he could easily reach. When a throw was a little errant, he could easily get all tied up resulting in a ball getting by and a runner standing on second. Often, the fielder who made the throw would get scolded a little rather than the first baseman even when it was not that bad a throw! The first baseman "dance" saves a lot of outs and extra bases!
Coaching points for first base position:
1) Day one, teach footwork! Have your first baseman stand with his left heel a few inches off the bag on the home plate side and the right heel a few inches off the bag on the second base side. The player should now be positioned with the inside corner of the bag between his heels. This should be his "get to" point on every ground ball. Demand that he stand in a solid, ready position giving a good target to the infielder making the throw. Never stretch before the ball is thrown! Now demonstrate how to move the feet to the bag if the throw requires a stretch to the left ( drop right foot to bag and step left to stretch), a stretch forward ( touch bag with throwing side foot and stretch glove arm), and a stretch to the right (drop right heel to bag and cross over left foot to stretch). Generally it is natural for the player to touch the base with his throwing side foot, but some throws require a simple shift, not a full stretch. In other words, the cross over full stretch is not needed on every throw away from glove hand, so, the first baseman can simply touch the bag with his glove side foot for a short stretch. This is "the dance" that I wanted my first basemen to use. Start simple with them. At the "get to" position, just underhand them some throws having them move their feet. Next have them move to the "get to" position from their fielding position then a throw. They will catch on fast to the footwork and will see a great improvement in the ability to stretch smoothly in any direction.
2) Establish the semicircle! Have your first baseman take a full stretch down the first base line and mark the ground with his glove, then repeating, have him take stretches to the right until he reaches the right field line. This semicircle forms the cylinder for his reach and you must insist that any throw crossing the semicircle line on the ground be caught! This will eliminate a player trying to play a short hop on a throw that could have been caught in the air.
3) The feet positions for holding the runner should be about mid- bag on the inside. Anything comfortable that does not tie up movement if a throw comes from the pitcher, and, allows the first baseman to take a step, then a bounce to get to a good defensive position as the ball goes to the plate. Teach a downward sweep type tag.
4) Work your first basemen on making a throw to a pitcher covering first base. He should field the ball and tag the base himself whenever possible. If he has to throw to the pitcher, have him make a short step toward the running pitcher and deliver the ball underhanded with sternness to the pitcher's chest, preferably well before the pitcher reaches first to tag. Also work them on making overhand throws to the running pitcher when the distance between them is to great for the underhand throw.
5) Without scaring them to death, teach your first basemen to take charge with a runners in scoring position. Explain that the team is counting on them to make the first call as to what bag to throw to on cut offs from the outfield. Standard cut off position is roughly two thirds of the way between the base line and home plate. The catcher should help line him up if necessary. Holding up both arms like goal posts gives the thrower a good target. If the throw is far away from this target on either side, the first baseman should cut it off, listening to the catcher as to where to throw. Sometimes on a good throw the first baseman can fake cutting off to hold a runner. He should be the cutoff man on the infield on all balls fielded from the left field gap to the right field line. On a base hit to direct left field, the third baseman is the cutoff.
These are just 5 of the many coaching points dealing with the position of first base...there are pick off plays, how to play behind a runner, throwing to second base to initiate a double play, checking runners touching bags, and on, and on. You can see that a first baseman needs to be a heady, dependable player. I hope this will help some young coach somewhere. Teach 'em the dance!
Coaching points for first base position:
1) Day one, teach footwork! Have your first baseman stand with his left heel a few inches off the bag on the home plate side and the right heel a few inches off the bag on the second base side. The player should now be positioned with the inside corner of the bag between his heels. This should be his "get to" point on every ground ball. Demand that he stand in a solid, ready position giving a good target to the infielder making the throw. Never stretch before the ball is thrown! Now demonstrate how to move the feet to the bag if the throw requires a stretch to the left ( drop right foot to bag and step left to stretch), a stretch forward ( touch bag with throwing side foot and stretch glove arm), and a stretch to the right (drop right heel to bag and cross over left foot to stretch). Generally it is natural for the player to touch the base with his throwing side foot, but some throws require a simple shift, not a full stretch. In other words, the cross over full stretch is not needed on every throw away from glove hand, so, the first baseman can simply touch the bag with his glove side foot for a short stretch. This is "the dance" that I wanted my first basemen to use. Start simple with them. At the "get to" position, just underhand them some throws having them move their feet. Next have them move to the "get to" position from their fielding position then a throw. They will catch on fast to the footwork and will see a great improvement in the ability to stretch smoothly in any direction.
2) Establish the semicircle! Have your first baseman take a full stretch down the first base line and mark the ground with his glove, then repeating, have him take stretches to the right until he reaches the right field line. This semicircle forms the cylinder for his reach and you must insist that any throw crossing the semicircle line on the ground be caught! This will eliminate a player trying to play a short hop on a throw that could have been caught in the air.
3) The feet positions for holding the runner should be about mid- bag on the inside. Anything comfortable that does not tie up movement if a throw comes from the pitcher, and, allows the first baseman to take a step, then a bounce to get to a good defensive position as the ball goes to the plate. Teach a downward sweep type tag.
4) Work your first basemen on making a throw to a pitcher covering first base. He should field the ball and tag the base himself whenever possible. If he has to throw to the pitcher, have him make a short step toward the running pitcher and deliver the ball underhanded with sternness to the pitcher's chest, preferably well before the pitcher reaches first to tag. Also work them on making overhand throws to the running pitcher when the distance between them is to great for the underhand throw.
5) Without scaring them to death, teach your first basemen to take charge with a runners in scoring position. Explain that the team is counting on them to make the first call as to what bag to throw to on cut offs from the outfield. Standard cut off position is roughly two thirds of the way between the base line and home plate. The catcher should help line him up if necessary. Holding up both arms like goal posts gives the thrower a good target. If the throw is far away from this target on either side, the first baseman should cut it off, listening to the catcher as to where to throw. Sometimes on a good throw the first baseman can fake cutting off to hold a runner. He should be the cutoff man on the infield on all balls fielded from the left field gap to the right field line. On a base hit to direct left field, the third baseman is the cutoff.
These are just 5 of the many coaching points dealing with the position of first base...there are pick off plays, how to play behind a runner, throwing to second base to initiate a double play, checking runners touching bags, and on, and on. You can see that a first baseman needs to be a heady, dependable player. I hope this will help some young coach somewhere. Teach 'em the dance!
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Wait on it....Wait!
Have you ever thought about how much time you've spent in your life waiting on something? Most people, including myself, are not good at waiting. We live in a culture that expects instant gratification in all aspects of our lives. When we have to wait on something, we often whine and complain, even lose our tempers, our good sense, and our tongues sometimes!
I don't know anyone who enjoys waiting in a line. We don't like waiting on food at burger joints. We don't like waiting on stoplights (my Pastor says they are instruments of the devil). We don't like waiting on the good things in life such as the fish to start biting or for a good supper to get cooked! Now it's gotten to the point where we snarl and fuss when we click the computer mouse and the page doesn't instantly pull up!
"Have a seat in the waiting room and the doctor will see you in a few minutes."...oh boy!...waiting rooms! All major institutions in our society have designated areas for us to wait....waiting rooms or waiting areas. I don't like waiting rooms one bit! They are usually always nearly full, you have to sit down next to a total stranger, you don't know what sort of germ you might catch from those people, you may have to make conversation with them, and you wonder how long you will have to wait. Once I took my Dad to the eye doctor. My Mom went along as well and we got to the office a few minutes early. After signing in, we moved into the crowded waiting room to sit and wait. Mom and Dad were able to sit next to one another but I had to sit across the room. The nurses were leading people out and taking people back in their usual busy manner. Most of those coming out had dilated eyes from whatever procedure they had undergone, and, because they were nearly blind, the nurses would patiently lead them to the waiting room to deliver them to their family members. One fellow came out on his own and sat down next to a lady who he thought was his wife. He said, "Honey they dilated my eyes and I can't hardly see nothin!". The lady looked at him and smiled as she said, "I believe it cause, I ain't yo wife!....Honey!". I cracked up! His actual wife was there in a flash, gathering him up and both apologizing to the lady. Someone ought to write a book.."Tales of the Waiting Room"...might be a best seller!
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord!
Why is it so hard for us to wait? Christians ought to be good at it for from the moment of conversion we begin to wait upon the return of Jesus. We wait on God all the time for His instruction, His direction, or His intervention in our lives. God can change our circumstances. The problem with us is that God's timing is usually different from ours and we must wait in our present circumstance when we want to move forward.
Even so, it is always wise to wait on God. We live in the "right now" society. Instant gratification defines it, but, we must hone our waiting skills. God gives clear direction to us but seldom quickly. We must wait till He
gives it. Wait on the Lord.
Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye".
God uses our waiting time to prepare us for His purpose. Good parents do not give their children everything the ask for. Besides spoiling them, sometimes we know that the timing isn't right. Give them sugary treats or soft drinks just before bed time?...don't think so...the "timing" isn't right! How much more does God know this for us His children? Waiting also strengthens our faith. We cannot have too much of it for it provides us with hope when all else fails. Faith will sustain in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.
Finally, waiting allows us time to sift through our motives. Time allows a good thought process to play in our minds..."Why do I want this?"..."Do I need this?"..."Will I use this enough to justify the expense?"..."Will this benefit my family or just myself?"..."Will this cause a financial burden?"...etc. If we allow God to sift through our motives, the truth will come out, good or bad, and, we can better make a decision. If you need to make a life changing decision, wait a little, think through it carefully and let God direct you.
As I have gotten older, I find that waiting is not as bad for me as it used to be. I can tolerate it much better at my age now than I could when I was younger. A good word and friendly smile seem to expedite the waiting process. Still I must wait till Jesus returns or until God calls me home, we all do, so, let's just call it an "art" and wait on the Lord! He will sustain us.
I don't know anyone who enjoys waiting in a line. We don't like waiting on food at burger joints. We don't like waiting on stoplights (my Pastor says they are instruments of the devil). We don't like waiting on the good things in life such as the fish to start biting or for a good supper to get cooked! Now it's gotten to the point where we snarl and fuss when we click the computer mouse and the page doesn't instantly pull up!
"Have a seat in the waiting room and the doctor will see you in a few minutes."...oh boy!...waiting rooms! All major institutions in our society have designated areas for us to wait....waiting rooms or waiting areas. I don't like waiting rooms one bit! They are usually always nearly full, you have to sit down next to a total stranger, you don't know what sort of germ you might catch from those people, you may have to make conversation with them, and you wonder how long you will have to wait. Once I took my Dad to the eye doctor. My Mom went along as well and we got to the office a few minutes early. After signing in, we moved into the crowded waiting room to sit and wait. Mom and Dad were able to sit next to one another but I had to sit across the room. The nurses were leading people out and taking people back in their usual busy manner. Most of those coming out had dilated eyes from whatever procedure they had undergone, and, because they were nearly blind, the nurses would patiently lead them to the waiting room to deliver them to their family members. One fellow came out on his own and sat down next to a lady who he thought was his wife. He said, "Honey they dilated my eyes and I can't hardly see nothin!". The lady looked at him and smiled as she said, "I believe it cause, I ain't yo wife!....Honey!". I cracked up! His actual wife was there in a flash, gathering him up and both apologizing to the lady. Someone ought to write a book.."Tales of the Waiting Room"...might be a best seller!
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord!
Why is it so hard for us to wait? Christians ought to be good at it for from the moment of conversion we begin to wait upon the return of Jesus. We wait on God all the time for His instruction, His direction, or His intervention in our lives. God can change our circumstances. The problem with us is that God's timing is usually different from ours and we must wait in our present circumstance when we want to move forward.
Even so, it is always wise to wait on God. We live in the "right now" society. Instant gratification defines it, but, we must hone our waiting skills. God gives clear direction to us but seldom quickly. We must wait till He
gives it. Wait on the Lord.
Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye".
God uses our waiting time to prepare us for His purpose. Good parents do not give their children everything the ask for. Besides spoiling them, sometimes we know that the timing isn't right. Give them sugary treats or soft drinks just before bed time?...don't think so...the "timing" isn't right! How much more does God know this for us His children? Waiting also strengthens our faith. We cannot have too much of it for it provides us with hope when all else fails. Faith will sustain in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.
Finally, waiting allows us time to sift through our motives. Time allows a good thought process to play in our minds..."Why do I want this?"..."Do I need this?"..."Will I use this enough to justify the expense?"..."Will this benefit my family or just myself?"..."Will this cause a financial burden?"...etc. If we allow God to sift through our motives, the truth will come out, good or bad, and, we can better make a decision. If you need to make a life changing decision, wait a little, think through it carefully and let God direct you.
As I have gotten older, I find that waiting is not as bad for me as it used to be. I can tolerate it much better at my age now than I could when I was younger. A good word and friendly smile seem to expedite the waiting process. Still I must wait till Jesus returns or until God calls me home, we all do, so, let's just call it an "art" and wait on the Lord! He will sustain us.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Could it be true?
In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the polio virus affected many children in the United States and the rest of the world. In the 1950's, a man named Jonas Salk developed a vaccine to be delivered by mouth on a sugar cube. It was promised that the dreaded polio virus could be eradicated. Could it be true?
During the Cold War of the late 1950's and through the 1960's, the U.S. and the Soviet Union entered a competition for space dominance. It seemed that the Soviets were always a half step ahead until in 1961, President John Kennedy vowed that the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of that decade. Could it be true?
By 1880 the population of the United States had grown so large that it took seven years to conduct a census. The government needed a faster way, so, work began on a marvelous number crunching machine that could sort and assemble names and numbers in much less time. The early machines used punch cards and filled large rooms with equipment, but, the census was taken in three years rather than seven. It was said that someday we would all be able to have these machines in our homes, carry them with us, even wear them on our wrists like a watch. Could this be true?
In 1972 Home Box Office (HBO) took advantage of the developing technology and launched its network. The service offered current and past movies directly in the home. The business was formed on the premise that people would pay a fee for the service. Pay good money to watch TV when free TV existed for all? Could it be true?
Some two thousand plus years ago, a man called Jesus preached that He would tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days. He told His followers that he would be tortured and killed for their sake and for all humanity. He also told them that on the third day after his death, He would rise from the grave. Based on proven historical record, we know Jesus lived and was put to death by crucifixion. We have the eye witness testimony of reputable men and women of that day that the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. They also testify of seeing and touching His body in the days and months that followed. Jesus also promised that one day He will return and all of us who believe will meet Him in the air, the dead in Christ shall rise first, then those of us who remain. Could it be true?
I hope you have a very fine and happy Easter. As for me, I believe that He lives and will come back someday. If you think about it, it's not a whole lot more incredulous belief than the things mentioned earlier in the post that have come to pass as predicted. So, could it be true?...I believe it could!
During the Cold War of the late 1950's and through the 1960's, the U.S. and the Soviet Union entered a competition for space dominance. It seemed that the Soviets were always a half step ahead until in 1961, President John Kennedy vowed that the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of that decade. Could it be true?
By 1880 the population of the United States had grown so large that it took seven years to conduct a census. The government needed a faster way, so, work began on a marvelous number crunching machine that could sort and assemble names and numbers in much less time. The early machines used punch cards and filled large rooms with equipment, but, the census was taken in three years rather than seven. It was said that someday we would all be able to have these machines in our homes, carry them with us, even wear them on our wrists like a watch. Could this be true?
In 1972 Home Box Office (HBO) took advantage of the developing technology and launched its network. The service offered current and past movies directly in the home. The business was formed on the premise that people would pay a fee for the service. Pay good money to watch TV when free TV existed for all? Could it be true?
Some two thousand plus years ago, a man called Jesus preached that He would tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days. He told His followers that he would be tortured and killed for their sake and for all humanity. He also told them that on the third day after his death, He would rise from the grave. Based on proven historical record, we know Jesus lived and was put to death by crucifixion. We have the eye witness testimony of reputable men and women of that day that the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. They also testify of seeing and touching His body in the days and months that followed. Jesus also promised that one day He will return and all of us who believe will meet Him in the air, the dead in Christ shall rise first, then those of us who remain. Could it be true?
I hope you have a very fine and happy Easter. As for me, I believe that He lives and will come back someday. If you think about it, it's not a whole lot more incredulous belief than the things mentioned earlier in the post that have come to pass as predicted. So, could it be true?...I believe it could!
Thursday, February 12, 2015
It is what it is
We couldn't put a finger on it. Something wasn't quite right with our grandson. He was born five weeks early but healthy. He did have a bad case of jaundice, but, so do many babies, and there is seldom any lasting effect. Having raised four children of our own and from our careers as public school teachers, my wife and I had been exposed to all sorts of behavioral, social, and mental disorders in children, and as we held him in our arms we just knew. His eyes never became fixed on anything, especially us! He didn't gurgle and coo as most babies do, nor did he often cry.
As he began to sit on his own and crawl, it seemed that he was oblivious to anything around him except for the one thing his little mind was focused on. Perhaps he could not hear? Tests showed his hearing was fine. "Oh well, he's just taking his time about talking." we thought. Finally he began to speak, well, sort of..he still would not respond if you called his name. It seemed that he just ignored your presence. You could put your hand on him and he would push it away, as if he didn't wish to be bothered. After a while he might get up and come give you a hug...just "out of the blue".
It became apparent early on that he was very smart. He taught himself to read by watching children's educational television shows. He absorbed information like a sponge absorbs water. He might suddenly walk up say something incredibly technical about some topic he had read or heard on TV. He became fascinated with Thomas the Train and could name every engine. Later on, Angry Bird and action figures took precedent. Again, he could name each one and even began to write his own stories about them, including crude illustrations. Still, it was very apparent that he would rather play alone, rather than with someone. Social interaction escapes him. He takes everything said to him literally. Picking at him is impossible.
Suddenly, we realized that he had always been aware when we spoke to him. He just had the ability to stay focused on whatever he was doing and hear every word said to him at the same time. It just never occurred to him to acknowledge our presence and our attempts to interact with him. He doesn't like loud noises or music. If you whistle or sing around him, he will say "Stop!". There was no doubt he was a bit different.
We all worried about him starting school. With our public school background, we understood how the system could help a child through various programs, but, at the time we still were not sure what or if anything was wrong. We had no objection when my daughter placed him in a small private academy. Kindergarten year went by with some problems. Soon after beginning his first grade year, he began to get in trouble because of "unusual " behaviors in the classroom. He acted as he did at home. His teacher could get little or no response from him. He would get up out of his seat and walk around, play alone on the playground, and just seem bored and uninterested in anything to do with school. Things began to mount, then one morning just prior to the Thanksgiving holidays of his second grade year, the principal of the school met my daughter at her car as she was about to drop him off. He informed her that the school board had met and decided that my grandson was such a problem that he could no longer attend school there. This devastated her. The next week she enrolled him in the public school...the best thing that could have happened to him.
My wife and the special education director had worked together and were great friends, so, she called her and informed her of our grandson's unusual characteristics. This gracious lady put her at ease telling her not to worry, they would figure out how to best serve him. Soon after enrollment, he was tested and the results pointed toward a condition called Asperger's Syndrome. On the other hand, they also indicated that he was a gifted child! Finally...we had a direction. Appointments with psychologists confirmed that we had a child with Asperger's.
Now it all made sense. After studying about his condition, we realized that he did in fact love us all, he was not purposely ignoring us, he heard everything that was said to him, and he was super smart! We now know that Asperger's children must be taught social skills. Making eye contact is very difficult for them...again this has to be taught. Socially they may come across as arrogant, obnoxious, even disrespectful. They find any sort of change in routine or surrounding unsettling and it may cause them to become very agitated. An outburst may occur if a chair is out of place or something new replaces something worn out.
It is what it is. Our grandson is a great kid and we love him dearly. He will have Asperger's Syndrome all his life. He is now in fourth grade and doing well. He still has trouble with some things, but he is much better in general and we pray that he will grow into a happy and productive adult able to accomplish whatever he desires. God bless all children with Asperger's and their families!
Friday, January 30, 2015
Developing the High School Pitcher
Those of us who have coached high school baseball understand the importance of having solid pitching. A good smart pitcher can carry a team a long way toward winning championships and if you are fortunate enough to have two, with proper management that championship can be obtained. Of course, hitting and fielding are crucial in the scheme of things, but, a strong pitcher can often overcome poor fielding or weak hitting, so, in my opinion, winning starts with pitching.
Pitchers in high school are often the better overall athletes and coaches must use them somewhere in the line up even when not pitching, therefore, the coach must be careful not to over use his arm even if it means losing a game during the regular season. Kids at this age think that they (and their arms) are indestructible and as their coach, one must manage them to protect their future as well as the present.
To list every thing that I tried to do with my pitchers would be too exhaustive, so, here are a few things that I stressed to them regularly. During preseason workouts, I wanted every pitcher to throw no more than 50 pitches to a catcher after warmups. This allows him to work at other positions without damaging his arm, and it allows catchers to get their legs in shape to squat. I encouraged them to work on location and changing speeds, about 30 pitches from the wind up and 20 from the stretch.
I gave them this goal--hold the opponent to 4 earned runs or less. I wanted them to understand that win or lose they would be successful in my mind if they could do this. If we got beat by not scoring more than 4 runs, it was not the pitcher's fault at all!
I often used this statement with my pitchers: "You're not gonna throw hard till you throw hard!". It simply meant to practice as if you were playing a live game. Push yourself to increase velocity by working on mechanics daily, even at home.
You get batters out by a) simply overpowering them with fastballs, b) changing speeds, c) throwing a pitch he's not expecting, d) throwing a pitch he is expecting, but in a location he can't handle. In this age of pitching machines and batting cages where hitters can spend ample time in batting practice, the latter three ways of getting a batter out are of greater necessity.
Never give in to a batter. By this I meant, make him hit your best stuff even in a batter's count like 3&2 or 2&1. A walk is not the worst thing in most cases, and a single is better than any extra base hit.
I wanted my pitchers to come set in the stretch differently on every pitch with runners on base. Every pitcher is different in how they stand on the rubber to take the signs from the catcher. Some will stand up right with glove about chest high and ball in throwing hand behind his back, others will bend over and prop with glove hand on the knee and ball in throwing hand behind the back...either way is fine for what they do after taking the sign is what needs to vary. Teach them to come set with the ball and glove chest high and also with ball and glove waist high. Teach them to take a normal leg kick from both positions, and, teach them to slide step from both positions. Teach them to vary the pause between coming set and delivering to the plate. Teach them a standard move to first to set up their best move to first. Teach them how to step off the rubber to make an appeal to a base and how you wish them to react to first and third double steal situations. All of this may seem trivial, but, it will be beneficial in keeping stolen bases down during a game as runners cannot time the pitcher as easily when trying to steal.
I wanted them to understand that no matter how good they were, there would be days when umpires would squeeze the plate on them, or batters would seem to hit every thing that they threw and our fielders would make a lot of errors behind them. This is the game of baseball. The only thing that you really can control is your mind. Do not get discouraged or frustrated...just pitch!
These are a few things that helped me be successful as a player and coach and I hope they might help someone who wishes to give coaching baseball a try. It's a great game!
Pitchers in high school are often the better overall athletes and coaches must use them somewhere in the line up even when not pitching, therefore, the coach must be careful not to over use his arm even if it means losing a game during the regular season. Kids at this age think that they (and their arms) are indestructible and as their coach, one must manage them to protect their future as well as the present.
To list every thing that I tried to do with my pitchers would be too exhaustive, so, here are a few things that I stressed to them regularly. During preseason workouts, I wanted every pitcher to throw no more than 50 pitches to a catcher after warmups. This allows him to work at other positions without damaging his arm, and it allows catchers to get their legs in shape to squat. I encouraged them to work on location and changing speeds, about 30 pitches from the wind up and 20 from the stretch.
I gave them this goal--hold the opponent to 4 earned runs or less. I wanted them to understand that win or lose they would be successful in my mind if they could do this. If we got beat by not scoring more than 4 runs, it was not the pitcher's fault at all!
I often used this statement with my pitchers: "You're not gonna throw hard till you throw hard!". It simply meant to practice as if you were playing a live game. Push yourself to increase velocity by working on mechanics daily, even at home.
You get batters out by a) simply overpowering them with fastballs, b) changing speeds, c) throwing a pitch he's not expecting, d) throwing a pitch he is expecting, but in a location he can't handle. In this age of pitching machines and batting cages where hitters can spend ample time in batting practice, the latter three ways of getting a batter out are of greater necessity.
Never give in to a batter. By this I meant, make him hit your best stuff even in a batter's count like 3&2 or 2&1. A walk is not the worst thing in most cases, and a single is better than any extra base hit.
I wanted my pitchers to come set in the stretch differently on every pitch with runners on base. Every pitcher is different in how they stand on the rubber to take the signs from the catcher. Some will stand up right with glove about chest high and ball in throwing hand behind his back, others will bend over and prop with glove hand on the knee and ball in throwing hand behind the back...either way is fine for what they do after taking the sign is what needs to vary. Teach them to come set with the ball and glove chest high and also with ball and glove waist high. Teach them to take a normal leg kick from both positions, and, teach them to slide step from both positions. Teach them to vary the pause between coming set and delivering to the plate. Teach them a standard move to first to set up their best move to first. Teach them how to step off the rubber to make an appeal to a base and how you wish them to react to first and third double steal situations. All of this may seem trivial, but, it will be beneficial in keeping stolen bases down during a game as runners cannot time the pitcher as easily when trying to steal.
I wanted them to understand that no matter how good they were, there would be days when umpires would squeeze the plate on them, or batters would seem to hit every thing that they threw and our fielders would make a lot of errors behind them. This is the game of baseball. The only thing that you really can control is your mind. Do not get discouraged or frustrated...just pitch!
These are a few things that helped me be successful as a player and coach and I hope they might help someone who wishes to give coaching baseball a try. It's a great game!
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