Easter, 2013

5 things:

1.  Nelson Mandela is in the hospital.

2.  The Pope sends greetings "to those who suffer."

3.  Syracuse beats Marquette, advances to the Final Four of the Elite East (??)

4.  How to make sure you have enough $$ for retirement (from Dan Ariely's "Strangers on a Train" in the WSJ).  The Repugs seem to be onto something.....:

Dear Dan,

What is the best way to make sure Americans have sufficient funds for retirement?

—Ben

There are basically two ways to help people have enough money for retirement: getting them to save more and getting them to die younger. The easier one by far is getting people to die younger. How might you achieve this? By allowing citizens to smoke, subsidizing sugary and fatty foods, and making it hard for them to get access to preventative health care. But, when you think about this, it seems like we're already doing most of what we can on this front. 

A version of this article appeared March 30, 2013, on page C12 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Strangers On a Train.

5.  Transcendental Meditation is reputed to be far more effective than any pill for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and all of that.  I'm checking it out.

Holy Saturday

5 things:

1.  At noon on this day (Holy Saturday), the Lenten fast used to END.  And my dad would have a nice, big sandwich for lunch and a good suck of a Jim Beam highball.  I can't remember what I had for lunch.  Probably peanut butter & jelly?

2.  Sweet Jebus....My annuity arrived a day EARLY this month, which means that I could go to Trader Joe's this a.m. and get two bottles of Spanish Olive Oil plus some of those round O's multigrain cereal things and a rack of lamb!!

3.  So far, I have not cooked the rack of lamb, but I'm gonna do it now.  I just need to remember how to make the sauce:  lemon juice, garlic, honey, olive oil (got plenty of that now), salt.  and then roast the rack of lamb drenched in the sauce.

4.  Gonna do it!  now!

5.  Happy freakin' easter, everyone, if that's what floats your boat.  I'm glad Il Papa included Muslims in his foot-washing gig on Thursday.  I am especially glad he is wearing his good, old black shoes instead of the papal white or red shoes.  What nonsense to be wearing anything but what FITS!!!!

Third Day of Omer

5 things:

1.  To love the world so much that every day something breaks open our hearts

2.  To live mindfully

3.  To  open my eyes and behold the wonders

4.  To know that in every moment, I am only passing through.

5.  Miskan.org and Psalm 119: 17-19

Onstag...

5 things:

1.  Looking for construction paper (all different colored sheets)

2.  Once I find it, I'll write thank you notes to one and all who made my visit to Chicago so wonderful,

3.  Easier said than done, apparently.

4.  None in CVS, none in Safeway.  Have to look in Staples?  or Utrechts??

5.  I used to have some, but no more.  This is why I am so slow at sending cards.

How Green Is Their Valley....

5 things:

1.  My three grandnieces in Chicago are champs at recycling and the sensible use of resources.

2.  When they visit my niece & her husband (their parents), they go through their refrigerator and throw out everything that's outdated.  They remind them about nutrition vs. convenience.

3.  They regularly and usually take public transportation in a city where the car is still king.  How far away do you live from somebody?  Ordinarily, you get the answer in "minutes," not miles or blocks, which means most people drive.  With them, it's "three stops."

4.  They separate their trash into glass & cans, newspapers, garbage, and other refuse, whether the city has caught up yet with distribution of the proper containers.  The gardeners among them compost their garbage.

5.  All three of them are largely vegetarian, thought not yet vegan.  They still feed their husbands meat once in a while.  

chicago and back

5 Things:

1.  Railroad trips are the best.

2.  Cheaper than the bus.

3.  Don't take as long.

4.  Don't make as many stops.

5.  And they have cafe cars.

Feliz Lunes-y

5 things:

1.  Got through St. Patrick's day weekend here with only minor inconvenience.  Between Metro track work, the Rock & Roll marathon on Saturday, and the St. Pat's day parade yesterday, though, transportation was dicey....

2.  Snow is forecast for today, but there's no snow here.  There was snow falling in the dog park across town earlier.  So far, nowt here.

3.  The Pope is doing his best to charm the villagers in the Vatican.  Fine.  Let's see what comes out of his mouth when he speaks ex cathedra.

4.  The president of Argentina is a woman, and she gave the cardinal (now Pope) lots to think about!

5.  I got three free books from Solas Nua on Irish Book Day (March 17) this year:   Jesus and Billy Are Off to Barcelona by Dierdre Purcell,  Mrs. Whippy by Cecelia Ahern, and The Comedian by Joseph O'Connor.  I've read the first, and am halfway through the second (about a woman who LOVES ice cream!). Will finish the second and read the third tonight.