This letter was forwarded to us - very interesting and true!

Pictured below is a young physician by the name of Dr. Starner Jones. His short two-paragraph letter to the White House accurately puts the blame on a "Culture  Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis".  It's worth a quick read:                                    S         Dear Mr. President:   During my shift in the Emergency Room last  night,  I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.         While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer.         And, you and our Congress expect  me to pay for this woman's health care?  I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is  not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of  a "crisis of culture",  a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on  luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance.  It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me".         Once you fix this  "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.         Respectfully,         STARNER JONES,  MD     |

Yesterday, we got just a little more snow, and the whole gang decided to come over to go sledding on the golf course behind our house.  Here are some of them getting started out through the backyard -

                                    

                                   

Here's how it started - Suzanne came home for the rest of the week because the school where she teaches in Leesburg has off all week because of the snow.  She called her cousin Josh to see if he wanted to come and go sledding.

                                   

So, Josh, and  Aunt Joan and Uncle Kip came over and Betsy wanted to go too!  Here are the sledders -

                                   

                                   

                                   

And Luna wanted to go too!

                                   

So, they went on through the backyard up to the golf course -

                                   

                                   

They stayed up there for an hour and a half - meanwhile Joan and I stayed in, and I sewed, and she read.  We could see the sledders way up on the hill out my back window.

Then Amanda called - Sam, and his friend, Danny, wanted to go sledding.  So, they got their families and a toboggan and came on over!  These two cute little boys belong to Danny and Tammy -

                                   

                                   

Aunt Suzanne brought Megan in from the car -

                                   

Then it took both Aunt Suzanne and Aunt Betsy to get Megan's mittens and hat on -

                                   

Maybe I can pull this mitten off while they put the other one on -

                                   

                                   

Charlie wasn't so sure about this -

                                   

But Josh was ready for his 2nd time up there!

                                   

Here is Josh walking either back or forth from the hill -

                                   

The two littlest one just enjoying sitting there in the snow!  Here they both turned around to see what was going on-

                                   

We think this is the cutest picture of all!

                                   

Meanwhile, back at the house, we all decided to order pizza.  Jim got home and he and Kip went to pick it up while the sledders came in and got warm!  It was starting to be a mix of snow and freezing rain out there!

                                   

                                   

                                   

                                   

                                   

                                   

Suzanne, Bets, and Josh ate theirs downstairs and played a game -

                                   

                                   

Luna was happy after her adventures in the snow -

                                   

Poor little Minuette - she was outside for a long time because she wouldn't stop barking at the gang on the golf course, so I let her bark from outside.  But when she finally came in, she was cold and distressed, and very happy to be in her cage away from all the people!

                                   

                                  

Happy Birthday to my husband, Jim!

                                     

                                     

Yesterday, after our big snowfall Friday and Saturday, our church did have our Sunday morning service, but nothing on Sunday night.  So, we had everyone over for a birthday/Super Bowl party.  All of our local family, anyway!  Kip and Joan and Josh came early so that the guys could go sledding.  We had about 11" of new snow this past weekend, added to the 10 or so from last weekend that hadn't melted yet!

Here is Jim, going down on a path he made in our front yard.  We really do live on a hill!

                                                                     
And Josh -

                                       

                                       

There is Kip waiting for Josh. . .

                                       

Here are a few more -

                                       

                                       

Then they came in, and it was time to grill - yes, on the outdoor grill - the guys' choice for dinner - must be a Foster brothers' thing - bratwurst and Italian sausage with peppers and onions.  At least Jim did the grilling out there in the freezing temperatures!  I had the George Foreman grill going inside for hot dogs.  And Amanda and Sam and family arrived, and we ate downstairs while watching the game.  Here are a few pictures of playtime after dinner -

                                       

                                       

                                       

                                       

                                       

                                       

                                       

                                       

In this one, Megan knew the flash was coming so she closed her eyes!

                                       

Now we're waiting for more snow tomorrow!

                                       

Today we took Luna to our church to do some hearing work in a different setting.  We went to the Fellowship Hall, and Karen had Luna and Betsy working on the basic "find the ringing phone and take Betsy to it."

                                    

Sorry, that's a little blurry!  Anyway, Karen puts a little piece of cheese on or near the phone, which is Luna's reward for going there, and then when she goes to get Betsy, she gets another piece of cheese.  And Karen moved the phone to different locations.

                                     

                                    

                                       

                                     

                                        

Good job, Luna!

                                       

Luna loves the snow, and before she started working today, we let her run and play in it.  Minuette, on the other hand, does NOT like the snow, except from her favorite spot INSIDE looking out our front window -

                                          

                                           

And this was her view -

                                            

                                          

And right now, we have a wintry mix coming down outside, with lots of ice predicted as the temperatures drop.  Then we are suppose to get more snow this weekend!

Luna has really needed a bath, and we were trying to put it off until the weather was a little warmer.  But today, Betsy and I decided to wait until the warmest time of day and then give her a chance to dry inside.

                               

She doesn't like to take a bath, and it takes two of us to get her into the tub.  She was so scared, but after we got started, she didn't mind at all. 

                               

All finished!

                                 

We had quite a snowstorm this past weekend.  11" at our house!

                               

                               

                               

                               

It was very pretty, and I have been happy to be housebound!  Jim was able to get Betsy to work in his Tahoe, but neither of our other cars could get up our driveway.  Here's why - we have this hill, that doesn't seem so steep until it snows.  And the steepest part of the hill gets no sun, so even if it warms up and is sunny, the ice stays on the hill.

Here is the bottom of the driveway, all cleared by Sunday afternoon.  But the middle of the driveway has ice that just won't melt!

                               

This clear spot above it, that gets the sun and is easier to clear, isn't enough for the wheels to reach, so it just slides back down.  It always takes us days to get the cars out, long after the streets are clear!

                               

I went outside today when it got warmer and shoveled some ice for a little while, the parts that were melting.  I'm not a very efficient shoveler - ever since my rotator cuff surgeries, I am very, very careful about my shoulders, so I take fairly light amounts on each shovel-full.  I did as much as I could with the driveway, and then shoveled some snow off the back steps.  I knew we weren't going to get out at that rate!

Fortunately, Jim came home early today and spent 2 hours getting a path through that ice! 

But now there is more wintry weather coming!

No pictures; sorry - but I did want to say some good things about Luna!  She had a very busy day!  First, though, she had to stay home while Betsy was at work until about 2:00 this afternoon.  Then she went for a walk in the neighborhood with Betsy.  The weather was beautiful - sunny, and around 60 degrees, according to the thermometer on our deck.  Then we took her for service dog training.  By then it was very windy and getting a lot colder!  But fortunately, Luna was very good and actually got inside Gander Mtn.  (The last several times she had to work on her manners before going in the building).  So, she walked around with Betsy, while Betsy was pretend-shopping, and she had to either sit or lie down every time Bets told her to.  Luna had to lay down while Bets tried on a pair of shoes, etc.  Luna seems to enjoy shopping!  And Karen, our trainer, was very happy with her progress!

Then, since it was still a fairly nice day and there is a prediction of a snowstorm for the weekend, and we had time, we took Luna to a large grassy area to have a chance to run around a little bit (attached to a long rope).  Then, she stayed in the car while Bets and I stopped for a quick dinner, and then we had dog obedience class.  It was getting really cold by then!  But Luna did great!!!  She was focused and attentive even with 2 other dogs there, and she improved on the skill she didn't do so well on last time, which is sitting, then staying, while Bets walks away, until Bets calls her to come to her.

I got some practice of my own in today- on my signing skills.  I had lunch with an interpreter friend - she is a nationally certified interpreter, has been one of Betsy's interpreters for several years, and has become a good friend.  Sometimes when our schedules allow, we go out for lunch, and we sign, and I ask her all the questions I have written down about interpreting various things.  Two hours of mostly signing and practicing reading her signing- that was great!

Meanwhile, while I was gone today, my son-in-law, Sam, and his friend, cleaned out the rest of the things in the rented storage area we have had with my mother's things in it, moved what we wanted to keep here to my house, took down the bed that had been in my guest room, put it away in my basement, and set up my mother's old queen sized bed and headboard in there.  Thanks, Sam, for getting that done so efficiently for me!!  So, y'all come on now, I have a nice large bed for guests!  The guest room is also my sewing room, so you can come and work on quilts while you are here!

Our local community has had too much sadness this week!  For those of you who are local, you have probably seen enough of this on the news.  For others around the country, it might be something you had heard on national news.  This past October 17th, a 20-yr old young woman from Roanoke, Morgan Harrington, a student at Virginia Tech, was attending a concert at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, left the concert, and was abducted somewhere near campus.  For over 3 months there have been search efforts, and yesterday, her body was found in a remote area of a farm not far from the University of Virginia campus.  The efforts now will be to find a murderer.  For her parents, this is at least some closure after a long time of not knowing what happened to their daughter. 

Another body was found today - a little boy who had just turned 3 years old yesterday - was murdered, possibly by his stepfather, but there has been a search for his body for a week or so.  Today it was found in a landfill, having been thrown out as if it were trash.  Such horrible news.

It makes us want to draw closer to those we love and hold them tight at home!

I haven't blogged for awhile - what have I been doing?  Besides watching the news, which I have had about enough of!

I have been going to Deaf events - I just got home from our HANDS group tonight.  HANDS stands for Hearing ANd Deaf Signers where hearing and Deaf people gather to chat - in sign language.  Our local group has had poor attendance these past several years, but for those of us who do go, it is always a lot of fun.

I am still involved in a study group - still studying and learning ASL - and I try as much as possible to get together with friends and interpreters for more practice.

I have been helping out with training Luna, and tomorrow, for instance, we have service dog training at a local store, and dog obedience training at a training center.

I have been finished up the financial things that have had to be done following the death of my mother, and going through some of her things.  Tomorrow, my son-in-law, Sam, is going to take his truck to the storage unit we had rented when we moved her out of her larger apartment 2 years ago and pick up what we want to keep.

I have been babysitting for my grandchildren, who are among those precious family members I want to hold on to more tightly these days!  Megan can crawl and pull herself up and clap her hands now!

I try to get in a little sewing and knitting when I can! 

I started going back to the gym (I hadn't been there since before Thanksgiving) to try to get in better shape and have more stamina.

That's some of what I have been doing!

These are some of the beautiful quilts I saw today at Patchwork Plus, a quilt shop in Dayton, VA, near Bridgewater.

                                       

                                       

                                       

I have gotten to know a very special family through xanga - Polly, Julia, Coleen, Barbara, and some of their extended family.  Many of you who read my blog know them too as we follow their family lives and their quilting experiences here!  This past week, they had their annual sisters sewing retreat at another sister's home in Dayton.  Today, Polly, Julia, and Barbara gave a wonderful presentation about their quilt journeys, their early days of learning to sew from their grandmother and mother, and the ways in which their quilting has developed and changed over the years.  We saw pictures of family and quilts as well as patterns and tutorials.  It was so good!

It wasn't easy to get pictures!  The quilts were hung all around the room, and the room got crowded very quickly and I didn't get very good pictures during the power point demos.  But, here are a few -

Julia and her husband, Paul -

                                         

Coleen and their mother -

                                        

All of the gals had such wonderful things to share about their mother, and the influence she had in their lives and in their sewing and quilting!

Here is Barbara - she introduced the whole family before the presentation began -

                                        

Polly and Julia -

                                        

And Polly starting her presentation - which is when I realized I couldn't get good enough pictures of them with the power point slide show -

                                         

                                         

And I thought I got a picture of Holly, Polly's daughter, but I didn't have one!  We did get Holly to take a picture of Polly and me, though, in front of one of Polly's quilts -

                                         

I'm not going to try to tell you who made each quilt; that would be more accurate on one of their sites.  But here are some more!

                                         

                                         

                                         

                                         

                                         

I had such a wonderful time seeing the presentation and visiting with them all a little while before and after!  It was a great trip!

                                       

Luna is pretty proud of herself because she went to the ringing telephone and got her piece of cheese for a treat! 

                                     

Luna, our 2-yr old Australian Shepherd, is being trained privately to be a hearing dog for Betsy.  Sometimes, we go to classes at Field of Dreams.  There she gets obedience training.  Sometimes we go to places of business and practice going in and out of doors and stores.  Sometimes, she gets private hearing dog training.  I always find it fascinating to see what all she has learned to do!

Betsy and Luna are getting instructions from Karen - here at our house.  There are little pieces of cheese in that container that Luna is looking at!

                                    

Here is Karen, giving instructions -

                                    

For this exercise, Luna is learning to paw the circles on the lid, and eventually, she will move on to paw Betsy's foot when she is alerting her to a sound.

                                   

Then they moved on to telephone practice.  Betsy's cell phone is on the chair, and I text her to make it ring, and Luna has to go to the phone, back to Betsy, back to the phone, and then take Betsy to the phone - all this gets rewarded by pieces of cheese.  I never could get a shot of her actually getting the cheese because she was too quick for me!

                                   

The phone gets moved around to different places for Luna to get lots of practice responding to its ring.  Sometimes they practice having her respond to me knocking at a door - Luna has to go find the sound, then go back to Betsy and take her to the sound.  Very interesting!

Meanwhile, I just had to show my latest cute pictures of Charlie and Megan!  Megan is quite mobile now and can get across a room pretty quickly!  She loves to be right where Charlie is!

                                    

                                    

                                    

                                    

                                    

                                    

                                    

                                    

      

Every January, our church has a chili cookoff as a missions fundraiser.  It's one of the highlights of the church year!  We are sending another team to Jamaica this year, and this money will go specifically for that -

                                   

Anyone who wants to enter their chili brings it to the church, where we sign in, but only the missions committee knows whose chili gets put in which numbered spot.

Here are some that are set up:

The first picture is mine -more about that in a minute:

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

This next one turned out to be the winning chili!

                                     

Everyone tastes all of the chili, if they want to, taking small portions in little cups.  You can taste any as many times as you want - and there are hot dogs for anyone who doesn't want chili or who wants a little more to eat.  When you have picked your favorite, you vote by placing a bean in a cup that is in front of it.

                                    

                                    

                                    

                                    

We had some great helpers to dish out chili!  Here is Jim at one of the pots -

                                    

                                    

                                    

                                    

These three guys look like they are having quite a discussion -

                                   

So, I always enter a chili, and I try something new each time.  I haven't ever won anything.  This year, I decided to try a recipe from the Joy of Cooking called Venison Black Bean Chili, but Jim and I changed it a little bit - instead of the cubed venison it calls for, we used venison sausage and ground moose.  Some of you remember that I still have some moose in my freezer from Jim's hunting trip to Newfoundland.  We named this chili "The Call of the Wild."   But no one who was tasting it knew it was ours or what was in it!  And it won 3rd place!  What fun!

The first place prize went to Al Hillman, who, at age 91, is still active and involved in everything at church!