Did you know about this little proclamation?
Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
In six days most of us will look like this. Have a wonderful week-end! Enjoy whoever,whatever or where ever you might be or be with!
It’s been a long week. Mac is doing well. He is seven days post surgery. Several days of Doctor’s visits coming up. But, it’s nice to have him up and moving.
My friend, Judi, sent this to me the other day. I thought you all might enjoy. This was a actual phone call.
Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee:
(Now I know why they record these conversations!)
Operator: ‘Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?’
Caller: ‘Yes, well, I’m having trouble with WordPerfect.’
Operator: ‘What sort of trouble??’
Caller: ‘Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.
Operator: ‘Went away?’
Caller: ‘They disappeared.’
Operator: ‘Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?’
Caller: ‘Nothing.’
Operator: ‘Nothing?’
Caller: ‘It’s blank; it won’t accept anything when I type.’
Operator: ‘Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?’
Caller: ‘How do I tell?’
Operator: ‘Can you see the ‘C: prompt’ on the screen?’
Caller: ‘What’s a sea-prompt?’
Operator: ‘Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?’
Caller: ‘There isn’t any cursor; I told you, it won’t accept anything I type.
Operator: ‘Does your monitor have a power indicator??’
Caller: ‘What’s a monitor?’
Operator: ‘It’s the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV.
Does it have a little light that tells you when it’s on?’
Caller: ‘I don’t know.’
Operator: ‘Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where
the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??’
Caller: ‘Yes, I think so.’
Operator: ‘Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it’s
plugged into the wall.
Caller: Yes, it is.’
Operator: ‘When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that
there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?’
Caller: ‘No.’
Operator: ‘Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and
find the other cable..’
Caller: ‘Okay, here it is.’
Operator: ‘Follow it for me, and tell me if it’s plugged securely into
the back of your computer.’
Caller: ‘I can’t reach.’
Operator: ‘ OK Well, can you see if it is?’
Caller: ‘No.’
Operator: ‘Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?’
Caller: ‘Well, it’s not because I don’t have the right angle — it’s
because it’s dark.’
Operator: ‘Dark?’
Caller: ‘Yes – the office light is off, and the only light I have is
coming in from the window.’
Operator: ‘Well, turn on the office light then.’
Caller: ‘I can’t.’
Operator: ‘No? Why not?’
Caller: ‘Because there’s a power failure.’
Operator: ‘A power … A power failure? Aha. Okay, we’ve got it
licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and
packing stuff that your computer came in?’
Caller: ‘Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.’
Operator: ‘Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it
up just like it was when you got it.. Then take it back to
the store you bought it from.’
Caller: ‘Really? Is it that bad?’
Operator: ‘Yes, I’m afraid it is.’
Caller: ‘Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?’
Operator: ‘Tell them you’re too stupid to own a computer!
Ok, this nasty looking thing was finally removed from MacGyver on Tuesday November 10, 2009, at 3:45 p.m.
The small, shaped eggplant, some say pear-shaped looking thing (for those who did not guess, correctly…on the blog post) was a gallbladder, and here is a sick one!
If you are wondering the why or what’s of a gallbladder, this might help:
The function of the gallbladder is to store bile and concentrate. Bile is a digestive liquid continually secreted by the liver. The bile emulsifies fats and neutralizes acids in partly digested food. A muscular valve in the common bile duct opens, and the bile flows from the gallbladder into the cystic duct, along the common bile duct, and into the duodenum (part of the small intestine).
I will spare you the details. You can thank, Dr. I, for this snap shot, and Judi for scanning it on her new printer.
Here are a few tips if you ever find yourselves visiting or have an adventure at your local hospital.
1. Always listen to your Grandma when she say’s, “Make sure you have clean, weekday… not your Sunday underwear on.”
2. Carry a list of all your medications in your wallet and your health history when going to the E.R. – It would be cool, if you could just hand them a disk! If this happens YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.
3. Ask question. Ask questions. Ask questions and then ask questions.
4. If you end-up staying….some staff members can scrounge an extra blankets, a pillow or even a comfy chair up, if you ask.
5. Pack a goody bag. (Kleenex, word search, a good book, candy)
6. Be ready to wait, wait and wait.
Have you seen one of these recently? We just spent three days and nights in the, The City of Medicine (the hospital), and I never saw a one of these. Anywhere! Come to think about it, I did see one person in all white, and they were working the midnight shift. (Wait, perhaps I was dreaming that?) No hat or all white uniforms to be found in the The City of Medicine anymore.
It’s amazing how the dress code has changed in the medical field. Years and years ago, the nursing staff was always in white and wore a chic hat. Then, somewhere they lost the hat, and wore just all white. Then they went to white pants and colorful tops. Then they went to colorful tops, and colorful pants. Then they went from all women, to women and men.
I had returned to MacGyver’s room around noon on Monday. Dr. J and Dr. I had been in, and we were patiently awaiting surgery around 3:00 p.m. Mac had been sleeping so I decided it was a good time to go home for a shower, and a breath of air. I packed a few of the necessities, a book, Life-Savers, Kleenex, several cans of Coke and a tooth brush, and a word search all those things that make life just a little easier in the hospital. Getting a shower was wonderful but there are other things that are useful too.
I curled up in that uncomfortable high back leather chair, next to the balcony door of room 275E, and pulled out my book. I recently purchased a copy of the late Ted Kennedy’s memoir True Compass. I must have nodded off because I awoke to see a sandy blond haired man, with a mustache, dresses in brown, fiddling around with Mac’s I.V. pole.
Mac also opened his eyes, and we quietly watched this man as he looked over the bags of liquid that were slowly dripping into Mac’s arm. He looked over at us, as if he sensed that we were both watching him, and in a high falsetto squeal he introduced himself as Bill. I will be your nurse for the day. He said with a smile. I was startled by this odd squeal, and lost my grip on True Compass. It slid off my lap and hit the floor with a thud. I quickly, but casually bent over to rescue it, and began to giggle.
Bill continued to chat with Mac in that high pitch shriek as I sat back in my chair. My hand now over my mouth in complete bewilderment, and concealment of my snickering. Hoping that neither I nor Mac would not bust out in total laughter! Making us feel like complete idiots. I’m sure there is a medical reason for that high pitched squeal coming from this normal looking man.
After Bill left, I looked over at Mac, who had turned to me with his wide eyes, and a child like grin on his face. We both said, “IS HE ON HELIUM, O2 or something?” We then broke out in total laughter! We completely lost it.
Bill remained with us until 11:00 p.m. that Monday evening. He was a wonderful nurse. I can safely say, hands down, he was the funniest, and made that lengthy day go by much faster. He spent a great deal of time with us, perhaps because I was always engaging him in banter. It seemed to entertain Mac. It was the finest medicine anyone could have prescribed, as we waited for surgery!
