Reasons for Anxiety...Optimism...Anxiety

Mental Health MON . . . Special TUE Edition

Lately I've been speculating that the depressive cycle that I seemed to begin in early April was showing signs of diminishing. Now over the past couple of weeks I feel like I'm teetering [tottering?] on a tight-rope [an example of alliterative prose for my fellow English majors], as I engage in a "conflict" w/an insurance carrier which has resulted in my temporary [I hope] loss of health insurance. Meanwhile, there are several medications I take that--if I let you read the fine print in the warning flyers that accompany them--provide documentation that it would be dangerous for me to stop taking them suddenly. Why? To quote from one such warning [actually, this is a paraphrase], "Do NOT stop taking this prescription abruptly without consulting your physician, as an immediate cessation of this medication could lead to seizures or [wait for it] DEATH!" [emphasis added]
      Being the immature Christian that I obviously am, please remember me in your prayers as I work through this turn of events. Among other things, I should be able to obtain "temporary" health benefits, but it may take a few weeks. In the meantime, I'll cover my prescriptions out of my own "rainy-day" fund, which I realize many of you already have to do. [I told you that I was an immature Christian. Need I remind you that I'm all about transparency? I hope you trust me when I tell you that I am NOT sharing this with you in a ploy to enlist your pity. I'm already pitiful enough.]

Reasons for Optimism?

In other blogs I've mentioned that Lois & I keep track of license plates. [Excuse me for not boring you * with the details of how this game is played.] 

• In 2014, we nabbed every state, although we didn't get the last one--Louisiana--until Dec. 29 or 30.
• In 2015, we came up one state short . . . New Hampshire.
• In 2016, as of today [TUE 8/16], we are missing Connecticutt, Hawaii, New Hampshire [What's wrong with those people?], Vermont. [For that matter, what's wrong with those people in New England?]

The reason for optimism?

1. Lois will be visiting our son & his family in Eagan, MN, over the Labor Day weekend, which could mean a trip to the M.O.A. . . . where there is always a good chance of sighting an alien license plate.
2. For reasons too tedious ** to explain, I will be at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island for at least part of Labor Day weekend; most likely in Lincoln, NE, & possibly at Indian Cave State Park in Southeast Nebraska later that same weekend. It goes without saying [but, since it's my blog, I'm saying it anyway] that there is always a good chance of sighting an alien license plate at the Nebraska State Fair or any Nebraska state park. Right?

* Actually, boring myself.
** For me.

More Reasons to Be Optimistic & Cheerful

FishFest

Lois & I were in Ralston--a suburb of Omaha--on SAT 8/13, attending FishFest. A super-sized seafood buffet? No . . . "the state's largest Christian fest," according to the Omaha World Herald (Go! Magazine, 8/11). We got to see these performers, some of whom you'll no doubt recognize. [I've annotated the list to give credit where credit is due, & I'll try to remember to include a special, bonus review in my next whimsical WED blog.]

• Jordan Feliz. Never heard of him. Lois, who listens to CCM on the radio a lot, thought she had heard at least one of his songs.
• 7eventh Time. Never heard of them. Lois was familiar with them. Yes, I spelled the band's name correctly.
• The Afters. Lois had never heard of them either, but after hearing some of their songs, she recognized them from CCM radio.
• Lauren Daigle. We saw her perform along w/Big Daddy Weave at the DeVent Center, earlier in 2016 or later in 2015.
• Matt Maher. He's my favorite. I've been watching his live performances endlessly on You Tube AND listening to his music which Lois downloaded for me on my iPhone. My car has Blue Tooth technology, so while I don't listen frequently to CCM radio, I do listen frequently to my Christian CD's & my Christian play-list off my iPad or iPhone.
• Building 429. "I'm Not Home Yet." Near the top of my list of current, favorite CCM songs.

From Parade Magazine (8/14), quoting Indiana Governor Mike Pence: "A good teacher makes all the difference. We can all think of a teacher that changed our lives--someone who saw more in us than we saw in ourselves. For me it was Sister Rachel & Mrs. Fisher. Too often we don't invest enough in our teachers & allow them to lead as reformers. After all, they have dedicated their lives to education, & we should do more to unleash their creativity & expertise." [KUDO's to some of my former teachers:  Larry Noack, 7th grade teacher; Rick Gove, high school counselor, coach, p.e. teacher; Roger Hohenstein & James Nelesen, college writing professors . . . just to name a few.]

From Omaha World Herald (8/15):  "Turnpike officials reuniting lost teddy bear with boy . . . The New Jersey Turnpike is reuniting a NY boy w/the teddy bear that he lost on a road trip to NC . . . the 12-year-old's mother . . . tweeted that the bear was missing when the family reached the Outer Banks of NC on 8/6. She said the family had stopped at one of the turnpike's service areas & the bear likely fell out while her husband sorted belongings . . . The staff at the Clara Barton Service Area . . . found the bear . . . The authority is mailing the bear." [I will never grumble about turnpike employees again.]

From Norfolk Daily News (8/11):  "Library lists summer's honor readers. Norfolk Public Library's 2016 summer reading program, 'On Your Mark, Get Set...READ!' ended 7/29. A total of 1,890--1,224 females, 666 males--readers were registered . . . " [I am a reader. My wife is a reader. She mostly reads using e-devices. I'm an old-fashioned, hard-copy reader. I'm disappointed that females doubled-up the # of male readers; also mildly alarmed at the "666" reference. Maybe males, like me, were more apt to forget to register. Maybe males, like me, are more apt to read two newspapers per day, like me. In any case, I'm going to try to remember to publish a list of my summer reading selections in my next whimsical WED blog. [Can you stand the suspense? Will I actually remember?]*
* And how's this for a little "snappier" slogan:  "Avoid TV Greed . . . Heed the Need for Reading Need." Norfolk Public Library, you have my permission to use it.]

Reasons for depression . . . sadness . . . anxiety?

Also from OWH (4/25):  "Critics say service dogs may mire veterans in PTSD." [Seriously? I skimmed through this article, which is dated already, so when I'm in Lincoln later this week, visiting my daughter & grand-daughters, I'll solicit her opinion, since she has a Masters' in psychology & is a licensed mental health practitioner, working in a private practice [doing more than just practicing, I assume.]

Ditto OWH (8/9):  "Teens suffering from 'text neck'. Think your kid's posture is starting to suffer because he or she is always looking down at a cellphone? It is, according to a national chain of physical therapy clinics, which reports that more teens than ever are complaining of 'text nick,' or back & neck pain that can only be explained by the strain on the body caused by constant viewing of hand-held technology." [I have what I consider to be good friends--at least for now--who are members of the PT community, so I'd rather not suspect them of colluding w/the text phone industry in seeking a partnership that could be lucrative for both professions.]

Taglines from the Drudge Report (8/12)...I didn't bother to read the articles. *

• "Russia deploys advanced missile system to Crimea . . . "
• "Muslims Threaten CA Church w/'Allahu Akbar' During Mass . . . " 
• "ISIS Waiting in Mexico . . . "
• "Satanist Gives Invocation at Alaska Assembly Mtg . . . " [Well, after all, in today's culture, we're not haters."

Also from Drudge Report (8/14) *

• "OBAMA: Much more to do on 'climate change' . . . " [Two words:  "executive orders."]
• "Too Much TV--Cuts Sperm Count?" [I post this out of anxiety for my son, sons-in-law, & nephews. I'm just sayin'.]

Ditto Drudge Report (8/15) *

• "MORE MILWAUKEE UNREST...WALKER SENDS IN NATIONAL GUARD...BURN DOWN 'THEIR SUBURBS...VIDEO:  Agitators hurl gay slurs at police . . . " [Question: When are gay slurs not considered gay slurs by progressives? When they are hurled by agitators at police. I'm just sayin'.] 
• "Russia building dozens of underground nuclear command bunkers . . . "
• "FARMERS' ALMANAC PREDICTS 'ICE COLD' WINTER . . . " [If global climate change means global warming, we should be OK. If global climate change is responsible for a predicted "ice cold" winter . . . since it seems to be responsible for ALL extreme weather events . . . oops, I just remembered. I really shouldn't be checking out the Drudge Report regularly, due to my general anxiety disorder. 

* Fearing that reading the entire articles would add to my general anxiety disorder.

Two Caveats

1. If you read my blog off the link from the Norfolk Daily News, you don't get all my special features:  color, typefaces, headings, links, etc. If you want ALL those special features, you have to follow my blog another way. [NDN remains my favorite daily newspaper, Kent.]
2. I don't seem to get a lot of comments from the Daily News link. Is it because--as one of my crack team of blog consultants advises me--my self-indulgence, lack of self-restraint, & constant use of footnotes & asides are too distracting & annoying? Or is it because my picture on the blog site isn't as attractive or stately looking as Sharon Randall's, Diane Becker's, Lee Hulm's, or others? I'm just sayin'.