New Take on an Old Theory

Back again!  For the past few days my husband and I had an opportunity to visit our friends up in the White Mountains in Arizona over the 4th of July. I love going there because it reminds me in many ways of being back east. Some things there were new this year but the best new addition is their Yorkshire puppy, Teddy.

Our friends have no children so Teddy is the closest heartbeat they can enjoy that shares many attributes of a small child. One of these is energy.
There is definitely a reason child rearing is best done when one is young and that includes rearing a puppy.  For example, early one morning three of us were on the front porch enjoying the cool breezes, a cup of coffee and reading.  The silence was broken only by the finches that chose to circle around our house. However, Teddy was unable to be still. He listened to the birds unable to chase any; roamed around the porch; pushed his head between the log railing greeting passersby and jumped up on our laps giving each of us a turn at his incredible charm.  The pup never stood still or sat for the entire time we were there.
Later in the day, Teddy gave the men a chance to out play him...ha! That pooch would retrieve whatever toy he chose after it was thrown his way and continue on until the adults were just plain tired of throwing.  It wasn't like they had to get up to throw the toy, for the dog would bring it as close as he could get it to his playmates.  No, the adults tired of just throwing! Another time the grown men chased this five pound explosion of energy around a chair.  You guessed it! The dog never tired.
Since we had had a Yorkie like this one, we were well aware of his bundled energy that displayed so charmingly on its "parents." Although we are older now than when we had our Dickens, Teddy's personality and charm exhibits the same. And while keeping up with Teddy definitely took energy on our part, the excitement never grew old.
We used to say one of the best ways of preparing to be a parent was to raise a dog.  I suppose it can now be said that to prepare for grandchildren, one needs to renew the energy needed to cope with puppies. However in the case of children something is always new!

New Hearing!

How fortunate for me that I got new hearing aids today.  I had a preview a few weeks ago about how cool these digital ears would be for me, but today when I picked them up I was like a child on Christmas morning.  I love tech toys anyway, but these goodies really carried me away.  Let me explain the newness of these helpful gadgets.  Not only do these aids do a great job helping me to actually hear as if I didn't need assistance, but they also come with a bluetooth remote!  Once programmed to my cell phone, I can listen to my caller without touching my phone!  The caller's voice comes right through the aid. Or, I can program them to the TV. I am so totally happy.

As a long time teacher who was slowly losing my hearing, I advocated for teachers to get some kind of assistance to purchase hearing aids.  Afterall, if one cannot hear accurately, how can one be as effective as possible?  We did get a program that if you joined for x amount of dollars would give a 10% discount only if purchased through specific vendors.  But the cost of hearing aids was still prohibitive for two so I eventually bought one.

Now, however, one of my health benefits is access to hearing aids...two of them!
Excuse me now as I have to get back to hearing things better and playing with my new remote.
What's new in your life today?

New To Me!

Today I finished my visits to my doctor for procedures I knew as a young person as vein stripping. This is another benefit to having taught so many years.  I get to have veins that don't work exactly as they should with blood flowing freeling up and down!! Being awakened at night with pulsing legs led me to seek the doctor's advice.  BTW, veins aren't "stripped any longer."
Anyway, while the doctor was finishing up this last procedure, I mentioned lightly that "wait 'till you see that any procedure that has a cosmetic benefit will be denied."  To my disbelief he said that has already happened and that I would be part of the last group.
Here's what bugs me about this: those who want cosmetic work done on their legs or anywhere else for that matter and have money will not be bothered by this new outcome; those who need a procedure to correct a medical problem will now have to put out more money other than the regular insurance premium to correct this problem.
Now, this is new to me.  How about you?

So, What is new?

I will start this post by repeating the title of the main blog. Every day there is something new-at least to someone, right?  What I want to do here is raise my consciousness as well as yours to those items, those people and those places we know to a new level.  To look at what you have seen before with new eyes. Sometimes we get so caught up in "life" that the routine dictates what we do rather than our dictating the routine.  I hear you already saying that you cannot change the routine of work, laundry, eating, shopping, etc.  But that is where you are a bit skewed.  We can change anything we want. Yes, it is much easier to have  a routine that will instill order in our lives.  I know.  As an educator, one lives by a bell or a schedule at all times; so much so that it also invades one's personal life.
But, as we travel along our daily path,  routine can make us a robot! Robots don't think for themselves; they just do! Is that what you really want? I don't think so.
So, that is what I hope to do here.  Raise questions, listen to comments and learn something new!