Thinking of the Events of 10 Years Ago

Ten years ago in September I lost my Aunt Charlotte. She had a heart attack after we came home from a local fair. It was strange to lose my aunt. Nine years later I would lose my mother. Now I am alone in the house. Ten years ago this Saturday will make 10 years since Hurricane Sandy struck the area. I remember the wind howling. It would have been my Aunt Charlotte's birthday, but she had just died on September 2. I was thinking that if she were alive we would have been eating birthday cake in the midst of the hurricane. Instead, we were in the house and being boed. My mother made me take the dogs outside in the storm. This December will make 10 years since the Sandy Hook massacre. That was very sad. I feel upset that such a thing happened.

Ten Republican Politicians Who Voted to Impeach Trump.

These 10 politicians who voted to impeach Donald Trump have ruined their political careers. Most of them are not seeking reelection or else have lost elections to other people. 1. Peter Meijer lost his seat in 2022 to John Gibbs. 2. John Katko is not seeking reelection. 3. John Valadao, incumbent. 4. Jaime Herrera, incumbent. 5. Anthony Gonzalez, not seeking reelection. 6. Fred Upton, not seeking reelection. 7. Adam Kinzinger, not seeking reelection. 8. Dan Newhouse, incumbent. 9. Tom Rice, lost reelection to Russell Fry in 2022. 10. Liz Cheney, incumbent, but has no future in the Republican party.

My Garden Seeds! (April 23, 2014)

Flowers: 1. Bachelor Button (Blue Boy) 2. Bachelor Button (Cyanus Double Mixed Colors) 3. Canna (Yellow and Orange) (on route) 4. Clemon x24 (on route) 5. Cosmos ( pink ) (on route) 6. Crape myrtle (Pink) (on route) 7. Crape myrtle (Purple) (on route) 8. Double Holly Hocks (pinks, reds, burgundy, & black mix) (0n route) 9. Falso Dragonhead (on route) 10. Four O'clocks (pink) 11. Four O'clocks (White) 12. Iris (Yellow) (on route) 13. Marigold (Petite Yellow) 14. Moonflowers (white) 15. Moss Rose (on route) 16. Petunia (Purple) (on route) 17. Purple Passion Flower Vine 18. Rose of Sharon (Purple) 19. Texas Star Morning Glories 20. Tiger lilies (Double bloom oriental) (on route) 21. Zinnia (White Polar Bear) (on route) Vegetables & Fruits: 22. Amaranth (Molten Fire) 23. Amaranth, Red (Love-Lies-Bleeding) 24. Beans, Bush (Black Turtle) (on route) 25. Beans, Bush (Contenders) 26. Bean, Bush (Royal Burgundy) (on route) 27. Beans, Bush (Top crop) 28. Bean, pole (Blue lake) 29. Beans, Pole (French Purple) (on route) 30. Bean, pole (Kentucky Wonder) 31. Broccoli (Calabrese) 32. Broccoli (Waltham) (on route) 33. Cabbage (Early Round Dutch) (on route) 34. Cantaloupe (Honey Rock) 35. Carrots (Cosmic Purple) (on route) 36. Carrots (Juane De Daubs) (on route) 37. Carrots (Imperator) 38. Carrots (Nantes Coreless) 39. Cauliflower (Purple of Sicily) 40. Cauliflower (White) (on route) 41. Celery (Utah tall) 42. Chard (Peppermint) 43. Chard (Rainbow) 44. Cherry (Dark Sweet) (on route) 45. Collards (Georgia) (on route) 46. Collards (Vates) 47. Corn (Colored) 48. Corn (Illini Sweet) 49. Corn (Native White) 50. Cucumber (Boston Pickling) 51. Cucumber (Burpless Muncher) 52. Cucumber (Delicatesse) 53. Cucumber (Lemon) 54. Cucumber (National Pickling) (on route) 55. Dragon Fruit (on route) 56. Eggplant (Black Beauty) 57. Eggplant (Ukrainian Beauty) (on route) 58. Endive (Green Curled) (on route) 59. Honey Dew Melons (on route) 60. Kale (Blue Scotch) (on route) 61. Lettuce (Black seeded Simpson) 62. Lettuce (Buttercrunch) 63. Lettuce (Cinnamon) (on route) 64. Lettuce (Grand Rapids) (on route) 65. Lettuce (Prize head) 66. Lettuce (Iceberg) 67. Lettuce (Red Romaine) 68. Millet (Pearl) (on route) 69. Mustard (Broadleaf) (on route) 70. Okra (Clemson Spineless) 71. Okra (Stelley) 72. Onion (Sweet Spanish Yellow) 73. Pear (on route) 74. Peas (Green arrow) 75. Peas (Sugar) (on route) 76. Pepper, (Anaheim) 77. Pepper, (Banana, hot) (on route) 78. Pepper, (Banana, sweet) (on route) 79. Pepper, (Bell, Black) (on route) 80. Pepper, (Bell,Orange) 81. Pepper, (Bell, White) (on route) 82. Pepper, (Bhut Jolokia) 83. Pepper, (Big Jim Chili) 84. Pepper, (Datil) 85. Pepper, (Filius Blue) 86. Pepper, (Golden Marconi) 87. Pepper, (Hungarian Yellow Hot Wax) 88. Pepper, (Italian Pepperoncini) 89. Pepper, (Jalapeno) (on route) 90. Pepper, (Joe E. Parker) 91. Pepper, (Kurt's Gate) (on route) 92. Pepper, (Lemon Drop) 93. Pepper, (Moshi) 94. Pepper, (Red Feferona (Serbian chili) (on route) 95. Pepper, (Serrano chili) 96. Pepper, (Tabasco) 97. Pepper, (Thai Red Chili) (on route) 98. Pepper, (Thai Yellow Chili) 99. Pepper, (Yellow Feferona ( Serbian chili) (on route) 100. Pumpkin (Giant) 101. Pumpkin (Jack O Lantern) 102. Pumpkin (Sweet Sugar Pie) 103. Radish (French Breakfast) 104. Radish (Scarlet Globe) 105. Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan) (on route) 106. Spinach (Blackbird) (on route) 107. Spinach (Bloomsdale Longstanding) (on route) 108. Squash (Acorn) 109. Squash (Butternut) 110. Squash (Peter Pan Scalloped) (on route) 111. Squash (Red Kari) 112. Squash (Spaghetti) 113. Squash (Straight Neck Summer) (on route) 114. Tendergreens (Spinach Mustard) 115. Tomato (Beefsteak) (on route) 116. Tomato (Cherokee) (on route) 117. Tomato (Cherry Red) 118. Tomato (Goliath) (on route) 119. Tomato (Homestead) 120. Tomato (Missouri) (on route) 121. Tomato (Pink Blush Long Keeper) (on route) 122. Tomato (Roma) 123. Tomato (Yellow Pear) 124. Turnip (Purple White Top Globe) 125. Watermelon (Danka) (on route) 126. Watermelon (Orange Glo) 127. Watermelon (Rocky Ford) 128. Watermelon (Sugar baby) 129. Watermelon (Yellow) (on route) 130. Zucchini (Black) (on route) 131. Zucchini (Dark Green) (on route) 132. Zucchini (Grey) Herbs: 133. Angelica 134. Basil (Cinnamon) 135. Basil (Dark Opal) (on route) 136. Basil (Genovese) 137. Basil (Sweet Italian) 138. Basil (Purple opal) 139. Basil (Thai) 140. Bee Balm (Lemon) 141. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) 142. Chives (Garlic) 143. Cilantro (Indian Dhannat) 144. Dill (Bouquet) 145. Dill (Mammoth) (on route) 146. Lavender (Tall English) 147. Lovage (on route) 148. Marjoram (on route) 149. Oregano 150. Parsley (Triple curled) 151. Peppermint (on route) 152. Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) 153. Sage (Blue) (on route) 154. Sage (Salvia officinalis) 155. Sage (Scarlet) (on route) 156. Savory (summer) 157. Thyme (Winter) 158. White Clover 159. Yarrow DANNY KING

Will There Be Another Shutdown?

I have been wondering if there will be another shutdown when the weather gets cold again. I have noticed that the newer COVID-19 variants are not always compatible with the current vaccines or past COVID-19 infections. These variants may be milder than the previous strains, though. I am not sure what will happen. I am not going to worry about it too much, though. I do want to be prepared in case of a shutdown, for I do not want to have to go out much. I do hope that all this will be over instead. We can all hope that COVID-19 will become like the seasonal flu or the common cold. In fact, the current influenza strains are all child strains of the Spanish Influenza of 1918-1920. How should I prepare? Well, I think the best way is to stock up on things that I will need. That will ensure that I will not have to go out much. I think I should stock up on some things now, just in case I will be caught up in another shutdown. We may all be lucky and not have to deal with that again. I do hope so. Thankfully, Walmart has no-contact pick-up, which is great. Things I will need: 1. Medicine. That will be helpful. Medicines like liquid tylenol and Day-Quil will be great. The cat also needs medicine from the vet. 2. Toilet paper. The obvious, that is what people were hoarding last time. 3. Pet supplies. I will need cat and dog food. That can be easily delivered to the house or picked up. 4. Clothes. I do have enough clothes for now. I should not worry about that. 5. Drinks: Tea, spiced cider, Gatorade. I should get some milk that I can put on the shelf, so I do not have to keep going out for it. I can get the rice or almond milk, or even macadamia or hemp milk that can be on the shelf for a few months before use. 6. Non-perishable food, such as cereals, pasta mixes, and anything canned. Dried fruit and nuts should also be great. 7. I have enough bedding, dinnerware, and books. The internat can be entertainment. I do want to buy a chest freezer to freeze a lot of things. That will be great.

Nintendo Games I Had As a Kid

Arkanoid Adventure Island Adventures of Lolo Castlevania Donkey Kong Dr. Mario Duck Tales Ghosts n' Goblins Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode Gun Smoke Ice Climber Kid Icarus The Legend of Kage The Legend of Zelda Little Nemo: The Dream Master Marble Madness Mario Brothers Metroid Mighty Bomb Jack Monster Party Pro Wrestling Rygar The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants Snake Rattle n' Roll Solstice StarTropics Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight Super Mario Brothers 1, 2, 3 Tetris Tiger-Heli Willow

100 Book Reading List, Take 2

A Passage to India by E.M. Forrester Canterbury Tales by Chaucer Walden by Thoreau Plato's "The Republic Milton's "Paradise Lost" T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland" Ice Bound by Jerri Nielsen The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior: The Intersecting Lives of Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia and the World They Shaped by Paul Strathern The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas L. Friedmam The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century Sunrise With Seamonsters The Plant Hunters: Tales of the Botanist-Explorers Who Enriched Our Gardens by Tyler Whittle The Plant Hunters: True Stories of Their Daring Adventures to the Far Corners of the Earth by Anita Silvey Arctic Dreams Paperback by Barry Lopez About This Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory by Barry Lopez Annapurna: A Woman's Place by Arlene Blum Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Running the Amazon by Joe Kane Touching the Void by Joe Simpson Life on Ice by Lonnie Dupre North to the Night: A Spiritual Odyssey in the Arctic by Alvah Simon Future Arctic: Field Notes from a World on the Edge by Edward Struzik The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen by Stephen R. Bown Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone by Martin Dugard A Ride Into the Neon Sun by Josie Dew The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time by Simon Winchester Black Holes and Quantum Cats by Jennifer Ouellette The Emperor Far Away: Travels at the Edge of China by David Eimer The Father by Alfred Habegger Health and the Rise of Civilization by Mark Nathan Cohen Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali Dragon Lady by Sterling Seagrave The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn The Judgment of Paris by Ross King Grand Centaur Station by Larry Frolick German Boy by Wolfgang W.E. Samuel A History of Egypt by Jason Thompson. Shogun by James Clavell Tai-Pan by James Clavell King Rat by James Clavell Noble House by James Clavell Gai-Jin by James Clavell Whirlwind by James Clavell Black Mass by DIck Lehr and Gerard O'Neill Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett Kissinger: A Biography by Walter Isaacson Red China Blues by Jan Wong Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise by Michael Grunwald The Fifth Book of Peace by Maxine Hong Kingston Einstein's Miraculous Year Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic by Neil deGrasse Tyson A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking Cosmos by Carl Sagan God Created the Integers by Stephen Hawking Mistress of Modernism: The Life of Peggy Guggenheim by Mary V. Dearborn Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena De Blasi Dry Storeroom No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum by Richard Fortey Oleander, Jacaranda by Penelope Lively Stuart Little by E.B. White The Lost Heart of Asia by Colin Thubron A Gringa in Guanaja by Sharon Lee Collins Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Sheba: Through the Desert in Search of the Legendary Queen by Nicholas Clapp The Lost Colony of the Templars by Steven Sora The Search for the Pink-Headed Duck by Rory Nugent Gifted Grownups by Marylou Kelly Strzenewski Fresh Air Fiend by Paul Theroux Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux Billions and Billions by Carl Sagan The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan Broca's Brain by Carl Sagan Gandhi's autobiography Video Night in Kathmandu by Pico Iyer Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay/li> Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Stargazer: The Life and Times of the Telescope by Fred Watson Is Journalism Worth Dying For?: Final Dispatches by Anna Politkovskaya and Arch Tait The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History by Don Oberdorfer and Robert Carlin Blue Willow by Doris Gates The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum Road Fever by Tim Cahill Jackson Pollock: An American Saga by Steven Naifeh and Gregory Smith Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion by Alan Burdick The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Beowulf by Seamus Heaney Europe: A History by Norman Davies Chasing Matisse: A Year in France Living My Dream by James Morgan Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie The Happy Isles of Oceania by Paul Theroux The Mathers: Three Generations of Puritan Intellectuals, 1596-1728 by Robert Middlekauff

100 Book Reading List

ach: An Eternal Golden Braid Lise Meitner and the Dawn of the Nuclear Age by Patricia Rife, J.A. Wheeleer Le Ton Beau De Marot: In Praise Of The Music Of Language by Douglas R. Hofstadter I am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter The Mind's I by Douglas Hofstadter The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman, Robert K. Massie Our Life in Gardens by Joe Eck, Wayne Winterrowd With Their Backs to the World: Portraits from Serbia by Asne Seierstad The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seirstad Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West, Christopher Hitchens Letters from Burma by Aung San Suu Kyi, Fergal Keane The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family by Duong Van Mai Elliott John Adams by David McCullough Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough The Wright Brothers by David McCullough Truman by David McCullough Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry that Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age by Arthur Herman Health and the Rise of Civilization by Mark Nathan Cohen The Irrational Journey by Pauline de Rothschild In Xanadu by William Dalrymple White Mughals by W. Dalrymple From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium by William Dalrymple The Age of Kali: Travels and Encounters in India (Text Only) by William Dalrymple From the Holy Mountain: A Journey Among the Christians of the Middle East by William Dalrymple Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 by William Dalrymple City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India by William Dalrymple Tsvetaeva by Viktoria Schweitzer and Robert Chandler The Father a biography of Bronson Alcott Ska: An Oral History by Heather Augustyn The Strangest Man: Paul Dirac Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks Oaxaca by Oliver Sacks My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers Uncle Tungsten by Oliver Sacks Wild Swans Dante's Inferno Illiad Odyssey Orchid Fever by Eric Hansen The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World's Most Beautiful Orchid by Craig Pittman A Brief History of Everything by Bill Bryson Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson The Blue Nile by Alan Moorehead The White Nile by Alan Moorehead Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan by Herbert P. Bix The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan The Korean War: A History by Bruce Cumings Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin River Town by Peter Hessler Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler The Road to Reality by Roger Penrose An Unexpected Light by Jason Elliot Mirrors of the Unseen: Journeys in Iran Hyperspace Michio Kaku Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku Einstein's Magical Year The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos by Brian Greene The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene The Brother Gardeners: A Generation of Gentlemen Naturalists and the Birth of an Obsession by Andrea Wulf Memory Maps by Lisa St. Aubin De Teran River-Horse: The Logbook of a Boat Across America by William Least Heat-Moon Prairy Erth: A Deep Map by William Least Heat-Moon Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon Motoring With Mohammed by Eric Hansen Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light by Leonard Shlain The Reformation by Diarmaid MacCulloch The Sewing Circles of Herat The Prince of the Marshes Flower Hunters Warped Passages Unpacking the Boxes: A Memoir of a Life in Poetry Paperback by Donald Hall Euler's Gem: The Polyhedron Formula and the Birth of Topology Paperback by David S. Richeson Stolen Voices: Young People's War Diaries, from World War I to Iraq Paperback – December 26, 2006 by Zlata Filipovic Francis Bacon: Anatomy of an Enigma by Michael Peppiatt The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee The Koran The Flute Book: A Complete Guide for Students and Performers by Nancy Toff Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics by William Dunham Euler: The Master of Us All by William Dunham Something Incredibly Wonderful Happens: Frank Oppenheimer and the world he made up by K. C. Cole Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes A Year in the World by Frances Mayes Ghost Train to the Eastern Star by Paul Theroux The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson The Island of the Colorblind by Oliver Sacks Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

Dangerous Food Dyes

The Rainbow of Risk Food dyes have been used for many years. The dyes add no nutritional value to food, nor do they enhance their taste. They just make the food look more food more appealing to customers. Few people want to buy processed food that is bland in color.  The dyes help these products fly off the shelves. Many natural food dyes also exist in products, like beet juice for red and purple,carrot for orange, and many more. There are eight artificial food dyes that are allowed in the United States; some are which are banned in some European countries. Here is the rainbow of colors commonly used in the United States: Red #3 Red #40 Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) Yellow #6 Citrus Red #2 Green #3 Blue #1 Blue #2 Some of these dyes are linked to cancer. Some can also cause behavioral problems in children. Many kids labeled ADHD could actually be reacting to food dyes. Yellow #5 can cause symptoms of IBS. Many parents of hyperactive children who have taken Red #40 out of their children's diets noticed a dramatic difference in their child's behavior. Within minutes of accidentally giving their child something with Red #40 in it, the child may start throwing tantrums and is screaming and running around the place. Why are these preservatives allowed in the United States and in some other countries? Easy. It's money. Adding these dyes make the foods cheaper to make, and thus more profit for companies. Also, doctors make money off sick people. Drug companies make millions of dollars on Ritalin, Adderall, and other psychotic drugs given to kids.c Yet, if these dyes can cause problems in children, why not adults? Many adults claim they have attention deficit disorder, anxiety, insomnia, and depression.  Millions get prescriptions for anxiety meds, especially benzodiazepines; sleeping pills like Ambien, and anti-depressants like Abilify and Zoloft. And maybe, just maybe, some of those people may not even need those pills if they would just give up certain dyes, most likely Red #40--but possibly also Yellow #5 and Yellow #6. Here are some natural (and SAFE!) food dyes that can be used in foods, and are common in Europe and Asia: Annatto extract–yellow color from a tropical tree Dehydrated beets (beet powder)–red-pink color from beets Canthaxanthin–pink color from mushrooms, crustaceans, trout and salmon, and tropical birds Caramel–brown color made from burnt sugar Carotene–yellow color from carrots Carmine extract (aka Cochineal)–red color derived from a species of beetle that feeds on cacti Sodium copper chlorophyllin–green color from plants and copper Toasted partially defatted cooked cottonseed flour–yellow coloring from cottonseed (may cause allergic reactions) Ferrous gluconate (approved only for ripe olives)–yellowish-grey color from iron Ferrous lactate (approved only for ripe olives)–green color from iron Grape color extract (approved only for nonbeverage food)–purple color from the fruit Grape skin extract (approved only for still carbonated drinks & ades; beverage bases; alcoholic beverages) )–purple color from the fruit Synthetic iron oxide (approved only for sausage casings)–red-brown-black-yellow color from combining iron with oxygen Fruit juice–various colors from various fruits Vegetable juice–various colors from various vegetables Carrot oil–yellow color from carrots Paprika–orange color from the spice Paprika oleoresin–extracted from the spice using toxic solvents Riboflavin–yellow to orange color from plants Saffron –yellow color from the spice Titanium dioxide–white pigment from the mineral Turmeric–yellow color from the spice Turmeric oleoresin–extracted from the spice using toxic solvents

Religious Joke

An old joke - During a recent ecumenical gathering, a secretary rushed in shouting, "The building is on fire!" The Methodists gathered in the corner and prayed. The Baptists cried, "Where is the water?" The Quakers quietly praised God for the blessings that fire brings. The Lutherans posted a notice on the door declaring the fire was evil. The Roman Catholics passed the plate to cover the damage. The Jews posted symbols on the door hoping the fire would pass. The Congregationalists shouted, "Every man for himself!" The Fundamentalists proclaimed, "It's the vengeance of God!" The Episcopalians formed a procession and marched out. The Christian Scientists concluded that there was no fire. The Presbyterians appointed a chairperson who was to appoint a committee to look into the matter and submit a written report. The secretary grabbed the fire extinguisher and put the fire out. Ten minutes later the Mormons arrived, bringing the refreshments.

Cortisone Shots

Today I went for my first cortisone shots. I just hope that they work. I am still sore, even though I had them about 6 hours ago. I am sure I will be all right. It was not at all comfortable to have them done. But at least I know that whenever I go for them again, I know what to expect. I just hope that I do not have to have them often. I am hoping to avoid surgery. I have a few slipped discs in my back and they are inflamed. I was hit by a car when I was 8 years old, and it is likely from that.

Wanting Something and Then Not Wanting It

When I was in high school I had a teacher, Mrs. M., whom I had for Advanced Placement World Literature. In class one day, I remember the conversation going towards how often people want something so badly, and then realize later on that they don't want these things after all. I don't remember which book we were reading, or how the conversation turned that way. Mrs. M. said that she had a friend who wanted a baby very badly. She was married and never had any children. She was completely obsessed with having a baby. Her longing was so severe that she could not even walk past the infants section at a department store without bawling her eyes out. Her husband finally had enough of her emotional distress and divorced her over it. Eventually, the woman met another man and they began dating and later got married. Then, finally, she got pregnant. She was elated. Then Mrs. M. did not see the woman again until the child was turning two years old. (This makes me think that the woman likely worked at the school and quit her job to raise her child). Mrs. M. asked the woman how she liked motherhood. "I HATE IT!" the woman exclaimed. "This is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and I have no time to myself!" Mrs. M. said she just wanted to slap her. If that friend of Mrs. M.'s had not wanted a baby that badly, and learned to be happy without having a baby, then she could have saved herself a lot of grief. She could have saved her first marriage. She not have spent all those years dealing with extreme emotions that sent her over the edge. Then, she would not have had that child that she regretted. I can only guess that her second marriage likely did not work out, either. I just hope her son or daughter turned out all right. I have been out of high school for more than twenty years now and this is something I have remembered. People often want something so badly, and then realize they don't want it anymore. How often have people studied for a career, only to realize that they don't like it? Sometimes people get stuck in those careers because life happens and they get older, and they can't go back to school again. How many people get married each year, thinking they wanted to get married, and later regret getting married? How many people have children and then wish they did not become parents, as the case with Mrs. M.'s friend? It is very unfortunate. How many college students have studied for a program and then wish they had chosen another degree instead? I have often known of people who moved somewhere, only to regret moving to that area because they did not realize what it would really be like to live there. It is important that we think things through. We must think about what it would mean for us if we get what we want. What do we have to do to get there, and what that will cost us. And what will we do once we attained what we wanted. We cannot dwell on regrets. Sometimes we can turn things around, but sometimes we cannot.