Mail

I have a post office box and what little mail I receive these days is retrieved from there and not from any of the other traditional residential mailboxes like a mail slot in the front door or from a big metal box with a small metal flag that's raised when there is out going mail or from a fancy 'one of a kind' mailbox atop a pole planted near the curb showing the house number.

I do have a mail box on the outside of the building near the front door, but there are too many homeless people meandering the neighborhood, and its a known fact that some are tempted to steal mail, hoping to find money.

Incidentally, while mentioning the homeless, I think its disgraceful that this country allows such a condition to exist! As one of the richest countries on the planet, having a single one of its citizens struggling to live without shelter is not only deplorable, but criminal. I keep hearing the excuse that those are people on drugs, but SO WHAT?

But, I digress.

Back to mail.

When I checked my P. O. box on New Years eve, among the stack of Christmas cards was a Burpees 2014 seed catalog What a delightful way to start 2014!!! I prize all seed catalogs that come my way. I spend hours browsing them. They are my 'wishing' book. As a child I browsed the toy pages in Mom and Dad's Sears catalog, but had never heard the Sears catalog called the 'wishing' book, until years later, when I heard my sister Esther call it that. Its certainly an apropos name, and I've usurped it for seed catalogs.

Burpee's catalog is the first of many that I hope will arrive in my mail. Anticipation of them is an incentive to check the post box more often.

Homeless Statistics for the USA

As many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year (1% of the entire U.S. population or 10% of its poor), and about 842,000 people in any given week.

23% are families with children—the fastest growing segment.
51.3% are single males.
24.7% are single females.
5% are minors unaccompanied by adults.
37 million (or 39%) of the total homeless population are children under the age of 18.

44% report having worked in the past week.
13% have regular jobs.
50% receive less than $300 per month as income

29% report acute health problems.
46% report chronic health conditions.
55% report having no health insurance.
58% report having trouble getting enough food to eat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States

Right hands

Right handed people never realize how much they use their right hand until they are forced, for some reason, to use their left. It's not a problem for those who are ambidextrous, but for the rest of us, its a challenge with a capital C.

On New Years eve, I was attempting to put a large, heavy, steel pan lid on the shelf above the stove, and it slipped off the shelf, dropping down on my forearm with enough force for me to see stars, only I didn't see stars, I saw fireworks!

Doctors in ER did the X-ray, splint routine and sent me home to wait until I could see the Orthopedic Dr after the holiday. While I was in the Orthopedic waiting room, I saw that I was one of many New Years accidents. I was the only one with an arm in a sling, but there was an abundance of braces and crutches.

Learning to use my left hand is a challenge. I've been told that after a few days, using the left hand gets easier and I can tell that even after several days, compensating movements are easier. I have even been able to write letters to my sister that are quite legible. Today my left hand writing was good enough to address the envelope my self.

I don't know exactly how long it will take for my wrist to heal, but I am determined to follow doctor's orders so the time will be shortened as much as possible.


NOT My New Years Resolution