Month: May 2017

Zusher

There has been a slight change in the Zusher, and I don’t know if it’s good or bad.

Zush gets her melatonin in two doses: one in the afternoon when her sun-downing comes out, and the second when it’s bedtime.

For the last 24 hours, Zush has been quiet. Don’t get me wrong, she’s eating, walking, peeing and sleeping. It’s just that she’s quiet. It’s eerie, as I remember, because before my Dad passed, the last 48 hours he was quiet.

I’ll be calling the vet tomorrow, but in the meantime, please throw out some good vibes or prayers for our Zusher.

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Mean , Mean Sub

Well, it was one of those days.

I worked and had my math review classes.

I had a 6th grade boy who had a bad attitude with a capital A.

He came in and announced that they had assigned seats. I knew better; I told him to sit in the back row away from his fellow partner in crime. I guess that started him off.

I handed out work and when he got it, he proceeded to rip it down from the top. Uh, ok, I thought, that two can play this game. I know that he has no desire to learn or pay attention in class. After he started giving me a hard time, verbally, I did something for the first time.

I called the disciplinarian.

He spent the class with him.

My fellow substitutes who also teach math review applauded my action, as many of them have been put in the position and called the disciplinarian also on this student.They had gone past the room, saw what had transpired, and later saw the boy in with the disciplinarian AND the Principal. I really don’t know why some teachers, who I have sat in their class and watched this student, TAKE the disrespect that this boy spews and don’t take up some action. I can see how he is going to go through school and the bare-bones education that might actually stay in this head.

After he had left for the disciplinarian, and later, the principal, a girl in the class informed me that ” He never liked you.”

“Good,” I said to her” because I am here to teach and help, not to be liked.

Happy Birthday JFK

Today,John Fitzgerald Kennedy would be 100 years old, had he not been tragically cut down by a sniper’s bullet on November 22, 1963.

One hundred years. It would have been awesome.

Sure there are folks who never cared for him, and I respect that. I am of the class that, although I would have only been 3 1/2 when he died, from studying him over the years, I feel youthful energy would have, given the chance to go further, taken our nation so much further.

I realize the gossip of his affairs, and other private matters, were and still are used for fodder for the tabloids. That is freedom of the press. I would like to think, though, we’d have a different America if JFK had the chance to hold office a little longer

AHC Channel

I have been watching the American Heroes Channel for a good while now: perhaps it is the history major in me that draws me to it. Hey, history nerd that I am, I was even watching Watergate stuff on the You Tube channel on line. I guess there is a piece of me that remembers the line from George Santayana ,” Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it.”

I am thankful for all the veterans that have served in the wars in order to keep us free.

Here’s my Dad who served in the Pacific theater in World War II. As always, I love him, but am thankful for him and all those who served in wars and actions. They helped keep us free. For all those who lost their lives or got injured in conflicts, God bless you.

Remember what this weekend is for ; for all the veterans out there, a grand thank you for your service to our country.

They’re Back

This morning, while it was still early, I got the girls out for their walk.

Oh my!

What a change from yesterday.

I picked a random plate, but….

Not only Pennsylvania, but other plates not normally here from New Jersey, Virginia, New York, Delaware, even South Carolina and Florida…the tourists are back. Walking the girls, the tourists with “their” dogs are making their rounds and it’s pretty sad when you have to remind them of the leash law and picking up after your pup, as Kasia is barking to beat the band and ready to chew up their dog off leash. It’s ok, tourist, I have another shoulder to replace the one my dog is aggravating because you can’t follow the law.

I do not miss packing up for a few days down here, only to have to pack up a traveling road show again in a few days. I can only shake my head when thinking back on those days, our lack of sleep from getting up early to get us back into the city, and am thankful they are firmly behind us.

On the flip side, we, including Zush, were all younger, and things were a little easier, but hey, at least we are all together and taking it all in stride.

Baltimore Archdiocese Agrees to $50,000 Settlement with Clergy Sex-Abuse Victim Who Said She Was Shown Body of Murdered Nun….if you are watching “The Keepers” on Netflix, this is a tie- in

Source: Baltimore Archdiocese Agrees to $50,000 Settlement with Clergy Sex-Abuse Victim Who Said She Was Shown Body of Murdered Nun

Ankle Rest Part Deux

There is a lot to be said for cortisone shots.

Granted, that because of my cancer history, they normally limit me to two cortisone shots a year. The last time I actuallly had to have a needle was before my bilateral knee replacements, some six years ago.

Now, after hobbling along for nine months with severe tendonopothy in my left ankle, the shot of cortisone I got yesterday was incredible. You actually forget how much the cortisone can be a Godsend. I have been trying to keep off of the foot whenever I sit down , or lay down when I am home. I have to admit it is an effort, but I am trying to make myself do it.

I had my laugh of the day, after talking to my podiatric surgeon’s office. I had called yesterday, questioning why a podiatric surgeon was sending me, his patient, to another podiatric surgeon for a surgical consult. Today, the office called me back to tell me that the surgeon “doesn’t” perform that kind of surgery.

Really? I thanked them and hung up.

You got your podiatric surgeon’s degree and license from clown college?



Here’s my crackerjack nursing staff.

Really?

I went to the “better” podiatrist today to get my CT scan results and maybe, just maybe, some relief for my left ankle.

Ha, ha,ha!

What’s that old chestnut? Be careful of what you wish for, for you will surely get it!

I saw my CT scan and how seemingly overwhelming the tendonopothy was in the shot. To add insult to injury, I have to go for a surgical consultation, as the growth of the tendonopothy have forced two of my bones to push out of the way where they should be.  You have got to be freaking kidding me. I went through treatment for this one time, complete with physical therapy.

The biggest insult was when the podiatrist recommended a surgeon who works out of Rothman Institute, the people who started the mess on my knees.  If they where cocktail waiters, they’d go around offering,”Cortisone, anyone?”

My next step is to see how much mileage I can get out of the cortisone shot he gave me today. Then, I will figure out what my next step will be.

Hold a good thought for me, as this is not what me and my girls need.

Thanks!


Scholastic Empire 

Growing up in the 60’s and being a product of Catholic school, I am familiar with “Weekly Reader.”


When I was in high school, the Scholastic company sent a monthly magazine out trying to get us to ask parents for money so we could buy paperback books.


Now that have a math magazine, the weekly reader and a bunch of other products to the point where it blows my mind.

Gee, if only we knew then, perhaps an investment in Scholastic Inc. was the way to go…if only we knew!

Meanwhile, back at “Amity”…..

It’s the end of the work day, and I also completed some house chores and walked the girls.

What crosses my path when I sit down?


I love this movie: I also have the the book. Recently, the U.S. Coast Guard Tamaroa, which was active in the rescue efforts during that “Perfect Storm”, was sunk intentionally some 30 miles west of Cape May, New Jersey, in order to help make an artificial reef to aid the fishing industry. There had been a movement to try to turn it into a museum, but as the U.S.S. Zulu during World War II, the Tamaroa was pretty well beat up. Most favored her as an artificial reef, as opposed to scrapping her all together.


I often chuckle, and if you read my blog on occasion, you know I refer to our little Hamlet as ” Amity” due to it’s whaling history , and thankfully not sharks. The rest of the time when tourists are here, it turns into Amity. 

Well, with” Jaws” as the most often played film on cable here, ” The Perfect Storm” is a strong contender for the second slot.

No complaints here!

Nothing like Loss

There is something to be said in daily life about loss, and I am not necessarily limiting this to death.


I sit on this classroom and think of the lack of opportunity I had, or rather the lack of foresight I had to work harder and more importantly dream harder.

It has proven bittersweet to me to help teens now and try to gently steer them the right way The trouble is who wants to an old teacher and hear the stories of her mistakes ,

I will keep trying, though,as somehow occasionally it gets through. If I know I can help one student develop, then it is worth the chance,

Confessions of a 5th Grade Sub

Besides having to hold a teaching credential, I really think they should make old birds like me get a certificate in espionage 101.


So, evidently, in 5th grade, you are passed around like a pack of gum to whatever classroom has a hole, or absence in it. Trying to decipher the layout is a different matter.

You can tell I am a child of the one teacher school room. Now these students bounce between rooms so much, well,I’ll bet it’s to get them ready for the big bad world out there.

Here’s hoping for a noneventful day!

**fingers crossed**

Mother’s Day 2017

Happy Mother’s day to all my friends who are mothers( or fathers) to two or four-legged children. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

I know my Mom is in heaven enjoying her Mother’s day with her Mom. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her and my Dad.

As for me, I will be thankful, as I am daily, for all my time I get with my fur girls. Here I am celebrating my Mother’s day by posting my favorite shot of me with Zosia and Kasia.

Assembly 

Nothing like starting your morning with an assembly, and a music assembly to boot!


We leave our classroom and walk down the street to the 3rd and 4th grade school and get to listen to a band and chorus concert. Evidently, the director is retiring.

This takes the sting out of the rest of my day- all math reviews.

Win some, lose some!

Cinderella Circa 1965

In my current streak of not finding anything that I haven’t seen a million times on cable, I have taken to watching You Tube on the smart TV feature on the television.

I can’t believe what I found tonight.

I am transformed back to my childhood home, with my parents, as I was glued to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

What’s “impossible”, as Celeste Holm is singing as I type this, is I am singing along with it!

Walter Pidgeon and Ginger Rodgers star as the King and Queen.
Celeste Holm is the fairy Godmother.
Stuart Damon is the Prince and Lesley Ann Warren is Cinderella.
Oh my gosh: it is as if I just saw it and it is fifty-two years old.

I know some things were on television, as the Sound of Music with Carrie Underwood, but the kitschy quality of this is just making me smile. In the words of many of the folks who have since gone on to leave this world…

“They just don’t make them like they used to.”

Working

For the last couple of months I have been back to work part-time.

Here is the reason I am part-time.

I found one of the schools whose hours allows us for continual, with maybe a 10 minute tops absence, from Zush. I get to go in the morning until 1:45PM, which is the end of the school day, and then Jim’s hours leave me watching my Zusher, with help from Kasia, until he gets home.

There are three other schools that send me requests if I’d be available for work. They just don’t coincide with Zush care. There you have it.They say God works in mysterious ways and if this is how I get to make sure my girl is ok, then so be it.

I am blessed that I am in a position to be able to do this, because the Zusher deserves no less. Dementia, be it human or canine, is a mean disease. Taking care of my girl, as I did my Mom, is the right thing to do.

Pizza

I wish the pizza we had for dinner tonight tasted as good as the picture of the pizza shown above.

Jim wanted pizza tonight and he went to a local pizzeria, Vincenzo’s.

When he said he was going there for the pizza, my heart kind of sank, as when we first came down here around nine years ago, I went to a neighbor’s house and was offered a piece of Vincenzo’s pizza. “Oh, it’s so good you’ll love it.”

…not…

The trouble was the section of the restaurant that handles pizzas, hoagies, sandwiches and the like is a nice spot. Jim seems to favor it, and was calling me tonight to tell me who he was seeing there while waiting for our pie. It seems a lot of folks we know swear by this pizza. Fortunately, I am not one of them.I don’t mind eating one or two other things off their menu, and the atmosphere in the small section is nice, but not enough to win me over.

I am taking this as a sign to eat more salad, except for Jim’s birthday tomorrow. I made a lemon pound cake with lemon-vanilla icing.

Sunday will be salad day!

Confessions of a 6th Grade Sub

Students go the bathroom a lot in the morning. Sure, I am the last person to argue, since I live in the bathroom a lot at times.This class, though, might as well have a revolving door with students going out in seemingly 3 minute intervals. We are talking 30 kIds in a class.

There are a few Asperberger students and a few ADHD students, and we give them more attention to answer their questions.

Back to the minutiae, the pencil sharpener gets a line at it. I think between the sharpener and bathroom are time killers for those who couldn’t give a hoot for the subject matter.

Although I am working this job for the convenience of Zush coverage, 6th graders make me miss my kindergarteners.

This antibiotic will ruin you. 

Using antibiotics??Hmmm….

Mountains and Mustard Seeds

4739Hi there, we need to talk. My name is Amy Moser. I have almost written this post at least 20 times and got too overwhelmed and abandoned it. Well here goes…

The antibiotics you took or are taking for your sinus infection, UTI, skin infection, laser eye surgery…ect…may have already damaged you.

Cipro, Levaquin, Avalox, nearly every generic ending in “quin”, “oxacin,””ox,”…are all part of a large family of antibiotics called “Fluoroquinolones.” The FDA finally updated their warning on these antibiotics as of July 2016. They site “multiple system damage that may be irreversible. Permanent you guys. Here is the link for the warning if you are a doubting Thomas: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm500143.htm. Take a gander real quick if you are reading this with an eyebrow raised. Trust me, I wish I had been given the opportunity to soak up this information before it was too late.

In 2010, I took…

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Wrapping my Head Around Hospice

Zosia and I are a lot alike. 

As we get older, we get good days and bad.  I talk with Jim about our girl being in hospice, and we both know and acknowledge what is coming. We both know our hearts are very heavy at the thought.


We have been down to the bay, albeit slowly, and with the exception of yesterday, I have had them out walking daily,  regardless of the weather. My friend Ginny posted on my Facebook page about the intelligence in talking to our pets. I would talk to them regardless, as kids will be kids, be they two or four legged.

Kasia knows what’s coming down the pike, but I am still thankful daily when I hear all eight paws of my girls hit the hardwood floor. I know I have another day to talk to them, and for them to look at me.  Zush, with her canine dementia, does actually talk back to me. It brings me back to my Mom and her sundowning: you relish what they say, even what sounds they make. You know one day you’ll long to hear them again.


I savor every moment!