Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Happy Ground Hog Day!!

February 2, 2016

Good morning.  Woo Hoo!!!  Punxsutawney Phil says that Spring is right around the corner.  Yeaaaah!!  Let's give a big cheer for this fabulous Ground Hog!  I borrowed this photo of Phil from the web.


Did you know that Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip?  Here's a little more information about him.  He weights 20 pounds and is 22 inches long.  This is his 130th year predicting the weather. 

Every summer Phil drinks a magic punch that gives him seven more years of life.  The last time he predicted an early Spring was back in 2013.  He has an accuracy rating of 40%.  That makes him about the same as most all the other weather forecasters.

Lately I haven't been working on my afghans because I'm just not loving how the new yarn is looking with the main colors.  I can't give something away as a gift unless I'm happy with it.  Unfortunately, I can only buy the colors that the local stores decide to stock.  Walmart is the closest store, but their yarn department is really sucky!  It's always messy, and not re-stocked very often. 

Speaking of Walmart, Here's a photo I borrowed from the web.  I find this to be a sad reflection on what we are willing to tolerate from the people who live here.

I think it should be mandatory for everyone wanting to live here to at least learn to read and write the English language.  Signs like the one shown here should not be necessary.  I also read on Facebook that some schools are going to stop teaching cursive.  I don't know how accurate this report is, but I think it's a really day for our people when they stop learning how to write and read English.

How many of you found all the words hidden in yesterday's puzzle image?    These are the words that were hidden:  mirror, tiles, straw, cord, couch, cat.  If you found all the words, congratulations.  Now if I could just find a whole book of these puzzles I'd buy it!  It's good to make the brain work a bit each day.

I read an article in our local newspaper that says:  "A new study published shows that drug shortages in emergency rooms across the United States increased more than 400 percent between 2001 and 2014.  There was a huge increase in the shortage between 2008 and 2014.  More than half of the shortages were of life saving drugs, and 10 percent affected drugs with no substitutes.  The more common drugs on shortage are used to treat infectious deseases, relieve pain, and treat patients who have been poisoned. 

The shortages are real, they're happening, and they're getting worse, even though Emergency Rooms are implementing things like providing posters with quick alternative drug options.  (WHAT ARE THESE?)   The primary reasons given for shortages were manufactiuring delays (25.6%), supply and demand (14.9%), availability of raw materials (4.4 %).  Pharmaceutical companies listed "business decisions" as the reason for a shortage 2.1% of the time.  For more than 46% of the shortages, no reason was given at all."  (all info taken from the Patriot Ledger)

I find this information appalling.  I can't prove it, but I sincerely believe that these shortages of drugs in the ER's has something to do with the government and the insurance companies trying to make it more difficult for young people taking the drugs and over-dosing.    

I also don't understand why a lot of us folks are being denied drugs that we need to keep up our quality of life?  There is no shortage of drugs on the street.  So, obviously it is not our drugs that is feeding the street addicts.  Somehow, I do believe that if there really is a drug shortage, then it is a planned shortage.

Little by little, a lot of us are noticing that it is getting more difficult to fill some of our prescriptions now.  Doctors don't want to prescribe, and pharmacists don't want to fill.   Drugs that I need have been replaced with inefficient drugs.  I have to learn to deal with more pain and more spasms, and yet the addicts are still od-ing. 

I have not figured out the logic of all of this yet.  If you know it, please explain it to me.  I'm not alone.  I know of many other folks in the same situation with their meds.  ( NOTE:  everyone I know with this same problem is over 55, with most of us over 65.)

Enough of my babble.  Before I leave you today, let me share a beautiful scrap layout that Beth made for Pogo.  Thanks Beth.  We love it!  Pogo sends you and Cisco woofs and a big lick!


Now I'm off to see what kind of fun mischief I can get into today.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Edna and Master Pogo,

Things are good here on this end. I do think that I caught my baby grandson's little cold so I am keeping the box of Kleenex close by.

I have trouble getting some of my medications because the pharmacy runs out and has to re-order but it is very sad and scary that the Hospitals are running out of life saving medications. This is the way of the world. The cost of everything goes up and we pay for it one way or another.

I did get all of the words to the puzzle. I try to keep my brain alive and in working order by doing as many little puzzles every day and lately I have been playing Cross Stitch World on Facebook. Then I might switch over and do a card game or a jigsaw puzzle...

Oh I have been listening to my music... Thank you so much. It has been so relaxing! Some of my favorites. Elvis has a special place in my heart so I really enjoy my music time.

Yes unfortunately it is true that the schools are trying to stop cursive writing. They are more than willing to teach a child to use a key board instead. Why? Well my guess is that it takes less time than to actually sit a child down and teach them cursive writing. Instead they push the keyboarding and try and justify it as that the kids are "Familiar" with the keyboards and letters.

It is cooler here today. 55 this morning and tonight it is supposed to get chilly. Cisco doesn't mind it tho because he burrows under all of the cover and of course he uses me as a heating source.
I am glad that you and Pogo enjoyed your scrap page. The kit that I used was from Salt Town except for the alphabet. I used Grammy's Lily for the alpha.

I am going to post my pages to the websites today. I wanted to make sure that I did the masks right before I uploaded them.
Guess it is time for some more coffee. Then I need to head over to my blog sometime today and update it. News is in really short supply here. You and Pogo have a wonderful day. Love Beth and Cisco!

smiekeltje said...

Oh, lessons at schools here too change all the time. and not all for the better!
studies showed that lots of young people are having trouble calculating( you know the old fashione 1x2, 3x8 etc), and reading and writing is going worse too. Cannot blame the teachers for it, they just have to do what is asked and follow "the method"and above all they have no time. Large shortage of teachers!
I didn;t hear of real shortage of meds in ER and hospitals, but lately there was at the news there will soon be a shortage of a special medicin for people with trouble of their thyroid. There are alternatives but they can cause nasty side effects. shortage caused by a fabric, that moves over to Germany and apparantly didn't think of making a stock before closing here. It could take about 6 months at the least to start producing again.
Hmmm, let's not get too depressed by all this kind of news and also look at some brighter side of life( is there????? LOL) yes, weather is staying rather good, still nice temperatures, okay, bit too much wind, sometimes bit of rain, but in all I an happy.
I might go out for a while and later today perhaps give Jan a haircut.
Have a lovely day.
Hug
Kyra
P.S. I LOVE that grounddog Phil!