Good thing I wasn't dying ...

The American Health Care System is a mess. Note how I called it a system, when all it should be is a way to call a doctor, make an appointment, pay a copay, be seen in person, tests and medications prescribed for possibly more than one condition, you are billed for anything over the limit, and you live your life.

In the first few months of the year, I had been trying to make an appointment with a doctor through Blue Cross-Blue Shield. I've renamed them BIG CORPORATE BULL SHIT (BCBS).

First, I was assigned on my insurance card for my Primary Care Physician (PCP), a pediatric dentist! Yes, printed on my insurance card, and they have my birthdate in the 1960's, so I would not likely have a child that needed that unless I became pregnant in my 50's!

I called the office and they assured me that the card was not printed wrong, and that no, they could not see me for an annual check up. When I went to the Find a Doctor website for BCBS, to change my PCP, the nasty mess started. ON THE PCP page, stating that these professionals were PCPs, I found when I called the numbers listed: one pediatrician, one orthopedic surgeon, two emergency services practices, and at least 2 or 3 offices that were no longer in service. I tried one physician,at least 4 times and left a message, and spoke with two individuals to make an appointment, but it was never confirmed.  

When I became frustrated that I might not be able to see a doctor before the prescription I take for my occasional racing heart ran out, I decided to wean myself off of the medicine by living a more healthy lifestyle. With the exception of the elimination of stress from my job and adding in more sleep to my busy lifestyle, I was able to increase exercise, limit bad fats, sugars and too much salt, and weaned off it with no side effects. I gave up on seeing a doctor with the insurance.

In April, I decided to try again. What a waste! A couple of offices were closed at lunch (12:30-1:30) when I have the time to call, and even after the official lunch hour was over, they were still closed and would not take a message for new patients. I tried 3 or 4 offices (no answer, ER doc and Orthopod). I finally found a medical group and they do not even have an office opened in the city where I live yet, but said that I could have a virtual appointment and they could request the lab work. What BS! The doctor's office said I needed to give them a reference # before could make the appointment. I called BCBS and they needed the exact name of the physician which I did not write down because I could not understand the speaker, so I had to call the group again for the name. Then, BCBS made me change the PCP before I could see another doctor, when it was their mistake in the first place. I eventually had the virtual appointment in which the doctor did not even turn on the camera, got the lab tests, and had another virtual appointment. 

With my previous insurance plan, the doctor group I signed up with, Methodist, said that I had to see each specialist separately for everything. My PCP could not do a pap smear or prescribe a mammogram or a brain MRI. 

And that is where the problem starts for individuals that do not see the bigger picture of overall care where a single doctor, a PCP, manages all the testing and drugs that a person is prescribed to prevent drug interactions, over-testing, and treatments. This seems to be the most effective, so why all the specialization? So that people can be prescribed more drugs to support Big Pharma?

We must manage our healthcare ourselves, which is a good thing, as far as we know. Not many people, unfortunately, are willing to dig deep and figure out, with our non-medical school knowledge, what is best for us overall. Sometimes, symptoms that we want to ignore are warnings of illness that we cannot diagnose. So, if you can, see an internist or general practice physician and have lab tests run annually to check out your prognosis, and be able to call him or her when you feel ill or something unusual is going on.

The good news now for me is that we now have an insurance plan in which we can choose our own doctor and be reimbursed for the visit. While it doesn't pay all that well, it eliminates the frustration of trying to even "get in" to the system to see a doctor. I'm actually glad that the disconnect with BCBS happened because I am a much healthier person now, having lost about 15 pounds, on no prescription drugs, exercising regularly and eating much more healthy food. 

Look Up

There’s so much to see when you look up, and there are good reasons too!

Often you’re looking up when you open your eyes in the morning and the first thing you see is the ceiling fan, the tops of the drapes, artwork you might have on the wall, and sometimes, unfortunately, cobwebs. But never mind about the beautifully crafted silken expression, this is to be an uplifting, positive perspective on looking up.

As I watched a movie earlier today, a wise art instructor told the student in the movie that to improve her artwork, she was to look up. I pondered that thought this afternoon. 

As I walked outside this evening, I looked up and saw a flock of pelicans, or some other grand, gray bird, seven of them, soaring, in a beautiful arrow shape towards the ocean. Joining them in the sky was a random group of black birds with no direct pattern of flight. They may have even been lower and not joining the great birds, but from my perspective appeared that they were. The differences between the two were stark: organized, and not organized; pale gray, and dark black; gliding on the currents of the air, and flapping their wings. It was quite a lovely sight.

Clouds are amazing to see as one looks up as well. Another beautiful site I saw tonight was a cluster of clouds that almost looked like the hand of God, holding the suffused son in the background. It might’ve been a reach, but as an artist, I could see it.

When we look up, it’s better for our necks that tend to look down at a computer, a phone, a book, or a keyboard most, or much of the day. Looking up raises the face so that if you’re walking along, your eyes can greet the person that you pass, and offer a smile.

Up is a positive word! It can mean rising from a less fair place, moving up on charted territory indicating success, watching the joy of balloons, steam, or a sports ball rise into the air. 

So for a bit of positive advice for the day ahead, or the day tomorrow, look up!

Walking Hair Pieces

*

Is there an unusual item that you have seen more than others that has caught your attention lately? Well for me, I have been seeing a lot more hair pieces - barrettes, hairbands, and bobby pins on the ground as I walk in my neighborhood. Today, I came across the best, hair rollers.

    Those hair rollers were not just in someone’s driveway, having fallen out of a bag in which they were carrying them back into the house after spending the night with a friend. They were not outside a beauty salon, where they might have fallen out of a wastebasket as an employee was taking out the trash, nor were they in the parking garage where I live, where I could see a roller or two falling out of my car after wearing them to work in the morning and tossing them on the passenger seat, missing, and lying close to the door.

    Two, green, fuzzy rollers appeared on my walk, just outside the entrance of the Dillards store at the mall across the street from my condominium. 

    Here are a few stories, as to how they might have arrived there. 

    Possibly, a child had a head full of rollers when going to the store, for she had a birthday party after her mother purchased a gift, and when she began to scratch her head where the roller was itching her, she pulled out the rollers and watched them fall. Her mother was holding her other hand,  so she left them at the curb, too preoccupied with their freedom from her head and the relief she felt to pull away from mom and pick them up. 

    Scenario two: a tall, well-dressed woman wearing a beautiful scarf over her rollered head, running into Dillards to pick up the latest Estée Lauder special with the effective eye cream before her youngest daughter's bridal shower in a couple of hours, knocks off the two rollers on the shorter layers on the side of her head with her phone when it rings and she answers it, and since she is in a hurry, she foolishly thinks she will pick them up on the way out, but, of course, forgets as she rushes back to the car after her makeup purchase.

    The last scenario is that the green, fuzzy rollers were a marker to show where a glamorous model was to stand for a photo shoot taken that afternoon when the light was just right. An advertising video was taking place and the photographer had nothing bright, but small to mark the spot where the model was to walk and turn to face the camera with a fling of her hair and a smile. When the photographer looked up from her bag during her search for the marker, she saw the model's assistant taking out the rollers from the model's hair and asked if she could use them. The assistant agreed, and at the end of the shoot, they promptly forgot the rollers.

    Maybe I'll see a brush on my next walk.

Every person, and every thing, has a story to tell, or be told about it. 

*I regret that I did not take a photo of the green, fuzzy curlers, but my electric rollers will suffice!

Four in Italy

The four of us our first night, in Verona

 Four in Italy

Thank you, Mom. You gave us an Italian experience that awoke our senses, especially that of taste, for a lovely week in the city of mine and my sister Jennifer’s birthplace, and part of my sister Melanie’s upbringing. We have talked about an Italian trip for years, and it seems that with a bright flash of light, the dates were decided, the travel agents* called, and within a week, we had tickets for four to Italy. 

With the wise influence of my well-traveled in Italy sister Melanie, we rented an Air BnB that Jenny found, a few blocks off the main square of Vicenza. It was immediately across the street from the Teatro Olympico,** completed in 1585. The views from the three bedrooms on the eastern side overlooked the mountains to the north, a large church steeple of Santa Maria in Araceli embraced by pink clouds of sunrise each morning, and to the south was the river crossed over by a 6-way roundabout intersection that directed commerce to and fro in the city. 

View on from my bedroom deck, the first night, looking northeast.

The location was perfect, with a grocery at the bottom of our building, restaurants within steps, and the lovely views from the tiny porches outside two bedrooms. A five minute walk took us past shops, museums and beautiful Italian architecture to the lovely Parco Querini with a fluffle of beautiful bunnies, the tiny island bound palladium on a small manmade lake with handsome mallards. In the other direction from our home for the week was the Piazza dei Signori, flanked by incredible palaces and the Basilica Palladini, named after the city's architect. 

TThe palladium on the tiny island in Parco Querini, where the bunnies and Mallards live.

Our apartment was spacious and the windows on the north side flooded the space with light. The kitchen was the meeting spot where we spent most of our time when not out exploring. A big table provided a spacious area for us to enjoy breakfasts of fresh bread picked up on Mel's morning run, coffee brewed in tiny percolators on the stove, tasty fruit and nuts every day. The rooms had theme's, with Bogart in Mel's room, Picasso in Mom's, Bob Marley in mine, Freida in Jenny's, Rock 'n' Roll posters in the kitchen, and Audrey Hepburn in the bathroom.

 . 

L. Daytime view of the mountains to the north from our apartment, C. The kitchen, R. Happy hour 

Every evening, we celebrated a day of saturation in the arts, food and architecture of Italian culture with a happy hour of Italian beer, wine, and Limoncello, paired with delicious crostini, crackers, cheese, chocolate and other amazing treats. We became accustomed to the late dinners enjoyed by Italians, for the more well-respected restaurants didn't open until 7:30 p.m.

Dinner in Italy met our expectations every night, from incredible salads with local olive oil, to the best gnocchi ever for me. The plates I enjoyed were clam linguini at a first class Oyster Bar just down the street from our Air BnB, tasty vegetarian pizza at Vesuvius Pizza off the Piazza, a delightful kebap bowl from across the river which we took To Go and ate in our kitchen, lasagna and fresh veggies on the square, fantastic shrimp risotto at the hotel on our last night in Verona, and the aforementioned Gnocchi in Verona and Vicenza. 

L. Complimentary first course before the clam linguini, C. Clam linguini, R. Vicenza Gnocchi 

We landed in Verona, explored the outside of the first century coliseum and the city square that evening and ate at an historic wine restaurant with a reservation made by our Air BnB host, Guiseppe. Once we took the train to Vicenza, we spent most of our days along the streets of the city, pursuing markets on the piazza, shopping, dining, and visiting several churches and four eye-opening museums. We took a day trip to Venice. My daughter Rachel and husband John joined us on Wednesday evening and had a delightful dinner with us, led us to Monte Berico on Thursday, visited with friends and John's brother, who is stationed with the Army there, pursued Venice on Friday, and left Saturday when we did. So many memories, too many to share here. A few photos are below. 

 

L. HUGE wine list at Antica Bottega del Vino, C. An evening shot of Arena de Verona, R. Vicenza!

 

L. A jazz festival was underway in Vicenza and we enjoyed live music a couple of nights in the Basilica Palladini, C. Gelato is a necessity in Italy, R. Church exploring on a wet day.

Becoming familiar with Vicenza!

A Picasso drawing in our Air BnB stood out for me on the trip. It was a simple, four lines. Before I show it, I’d like to try portray the seven days we spent in Italy in a brief way, with just four words to portray: A. four taste experiences, B. four emotional/whole body/all senses, and C. four memorable visual experiences, in that order, for each day. 

Sunday 

A. Airplane food, wine, fabulous dinner surrounded by wine, delicious house wine in hotel lobby

B. Tired, Travel, achy, thrilled

C. Italy!, Rainy, colosseum, BIG wine list

Monday

A. Italian coffee, croissants, tiny, delectable cheese squares, local crostini

B. Exhilaration, backpack pain, happy hour!, live jazz after dinner

C. Poppies, Vicenza, Mountain View, new life in the old world 

Tuesday

A. Chocolate salami, Gelato, Vesuvius pizza, incredible Salata with tuna & corn

B. Slept in, Vicenza exploration, more rain, other side of the river walk

C. Churches and confessionals, underground tombs, sculpted iconic heroes, bunny park

Wednesday

A. Early toast, fruit, nut breakfast; Focaccia pizza, fancy dinner - truffle gnocchi, Proseco

B. Venice experienced, John & Rachel arrived, more live jazz after dinner, 20,000 step day

C. Early morning and sunset photos from the deck, Bridge of Sighs, skinny streets, St. Mark’s marble, leather

Vonderful Venice!

Thursday

A. Happy hour on the square with Cosmopolitan, chips and peanuts, oyster/fish restaurant with plate-licking shrimp, cracker/chip and “guacamole” appetizer; clams and cheap fish eggs, gelato dessert for four

B. Gorgeous, sunny day; hike up the hill with J & R; incredible luncheon views, I love Vicenza!

C. Long outdoor churchgoing corridors, Vicenza hilltop views, Basilica Berino, Teatro garden of relics

A breathtaking view from the top of Vicenza at Terrazza di Monte Berico, after a long hike up, some of it through the Monte Berico stairways. Greeted at the top by the Basillica Sanctuario della Madonna Monte Berico with cotton ball clouds and a sign for Jenny and I!

Friday 

A. Late breakfast, Gelato, Kepap bowl, Italian French fries

B. Three incredible Museums today, the joy of beautiful Italian architecture, tears of beautiful emotion at the Teatro Olympico, slightly sad for our last night in Vicenza 

C. Dawn view of the eastern city side, Baroque mansion, over-the-top jewelry, musical light experience at Teatro Olympico (across the street from our air BnB)

Above, the magnificent Teatro Olimpico, which featured a musical light show, Below, a ceiling in the Gallerie d'Italia -Vicenza, Bellini painting and the altar in Chiesa di Santa Corono Catholic church where we heard a violin orchestra and the organ rehearsing for Sunday services. 

 

Saturday

A. Cleaned up the kitchen of food for breakfast, Aperol spritzer with lunch, digestive biscuits & wine for happy hour after the spa, tasty salad with rich risotto dinner

B. Said our goodbyes, church visit with orchestra rehearsal, lunch at our original restaurant, No trains to Verona (!) - rush to Bus ride

C. Bellini painting, Vineyards, poppies, views of Verona

Here is the four line drawing by Picasso that was in mom's bedroom at the apartment. We played a game where one had to draw something with four lines. I drew an airplane, Mel drew a box, Jenny drew an apple, Mom drew "love," Rachel wrote "Serendipity" in cursive, with two dotted "i's" and a crossed "t."

Sunday

A. Airport coffee & croissants, Frankfurt snacks, ravioli & quinoa with roll lunch, tasty whole grain bread with provolone, herbed cream cheese, olives & tomatoes with yogurt

B. Sleepy wake up at 3:30 am, Long walk in Frankfurt Airport, last grab shopping at duty-free shop, anticipating arrival home

C. Green fields, vineyards, rivers and lakes from the air

Two more views from 23 Contra delle Canova, to the north, and to the south, daylight, and midnight

* ByLandAirSeaTravel - Beth and Doreen

**Vicenza's Teatro Olimpico is Europe's oldest surviving indoor theatre. 

The Dress

 The Dress

                                            

A wedding dress is an intimate, personal thing for many women and moves through several stages, from conception of the design of the dress, to the manufacture, wearing it and placing it on the hangar after the glorious day. Imagining the hands that have touched it, the eyes that have seen it, and how it has moved through the day of the wedding can be a multi level experience. 

    I am writing this because I recently submerged my daughter’s wedding dress into a bathtub of warm, soapy water after she had worn it just three weeks before. The thought of putting water on this gorgeous gown, so beautifully worn, with its six layers of satin, lace, netting, and sparkling hand sewn sequins and beads was terrifying. What if it discolors? What if it shrinks? What if the stains from wine, and being dragged along the grassy wedding site and boisterous dance floor don't come out?

    To think about the progression of its inanimate “life” we must start at the beginning. As a seamstress myself, I would start at the design, the pattern, and the selection of materials to make the wedding dress.  Many patterns begin with a similar bodice, sleeve (or no sleeve) and skirt. The options are endless - fitted or full bodice, full or slim skirt, petticoat or none. Then the fabric, the adornments, length, and it goes on. What I'm trying to say is that it is a creation that unless bought off the rack, is typically made to order for a bride.

    If you have ever been to a bridal store, you’ve seen dozens of wedding dresses sitting prettily in the window and on glamorous manikins. And then, racks and racks of dresses are available to try on. The sales associate zips in the bride-to-be, and clips it in place for the thin, medium, or large sized woman. When satisfied with the look, the dress is ordered and the bride waits 3-9 months for her dress. Once the dress comes in, it must be tried on at the store again and fitted and altered (for the price of another dress, in many cases).

    The time and effort that goes into selecting a dress is a huge ordeal, and thus, the fear of mine to immerse the lovely creation into water.  There is a good ending to this story, washing the wedding dress was a success! 

    Here's how I washed my daughter's wedding dress:

• Clean the wedding dress within a few weeks after the event, as soon as possible.
• Remove grass, burrs, confetti, and any other items that may have become stuck to the netting.
• Use a delicate fabric detergent
• Pre-treat wine and other stains with detergent and let sit 5-10 minutes beforehand.
• Lay several towels along the bathroom counter, if long enough, and if not, a long table or a hard floor. 
• Fill up the bathtub with water at the temperature you would bathe a baby - When you insert your elbow, it is not warm.
• Gently lay the dress in the water and flatten it under water, then "massage" it a little.
• Take a clean toothbrush, and putting a little detergent on the toothbrush, scrub the stained areas.
• Then, let it sit 20 minutes or so. 
• "Massage" it again, concentrating on the stained areas, and let it sit another 5-10 minutes.
• Drain the bathtub, and when almost drained, take a cup or a bowl and pour water on it, starting at the top, and moving towards the bottom, for a quick rinse. 
• Add water the bathtub again, massage it, and let it sit another 5 minutes.
• Drain and rinse in the same manner as above. 
• Pull the dress out of the water and squeeze it and shake it a little, then transfer it to the bathroom counter.
• Place towels on top of the dress to dry it from the top, then throw in the dryer to use later.
• After several hours, lift the dress and place new towels on the counter, and turn over the dress to dry on the other side.
• When almost dry, hang up your clean wedding dress, and when completely dry, put it in a dress bag, hoping it will be worn by another bride, or passed down a generation. 

    Best wishes on your dress adventure!

Wine, dirt and grass stains at the bottom of the dress.

The wedding dress, not yet fully submerged.

The wedding dress on the bathroom counter, drying.

The lovely, clean wedding dress!

TIME 2023

My word for 2023 is TIME. 

The evening sky behind the timekeeper 

at the top of City Hall in Sugar Land, Texas

One of my favorite pastors would address his annual word of the year after much prayer and thought went into it. I had done this several times, and it was refreshing to hear that someone else did it with intention, asking God for the guidance. 

My words typically have a deeper meaning than the word itself, and are acronyms as well. While TIME is a thought-provoking word that has multiple meanings, I like it to represent something more. And, I like acronyms.

My word has many interpretations, positive and negative. 

TIME travel is adventurous, futuristic, and can be retrospective. 
TIMEly and on TIME mean about the same thing, and are positive words to me.
TIME for ... bed, snack, play ... multitudes of activities implies instruction. 
The TIMEs is well known for news-breaking news.
The end TIMEs is pondered by many.
The TIME of your life could be a wedding, a vacation, or an adventure.
Can you think of other ways to use TIME in an expression?
In the meanTIME, I'll continue with my acronym.

An almost heavenly clock at the Basilica 

of St. Mary of Mount Berico in Vicenza, Italy.

The T stands for Tethering ... to God and those I love. Keeping involved in God's Word, and its love, its wisdom, and power gives me the strength to share that love, wisdom, and power with those I love, and those I don't want to, but love through Him.

I stands for Intimate … time with Jesus … and those who ask. Spending daily time in His Word is what God wants. And He also wants me to spend intimate time listening to others who want to either share or ask advice. Sometimes it's not convenient, but giving that personal time is all about Jesus' love.

M stands for Mighty ... recognition of the mighty power of God and what he can do (rescue me from a brain tumor - twice) and the value of the time I have been given. I am obviously here for a reason, so I will embrace it and recognize its power.

E stands for Essential … praying for the ability to see what is essential in my life and what is not. Specifically, priorities in family, work, and lifestyle.

TIME puts things into perspective. I can be thankful for it. I can respect it, and I can continue to pursue the time that I have wisely and correctly, described above. 

The First Blogger Payment!

Payment Means More than the Money

Having established my blogger post early in the century (that makes me sound old), I was not in it to make money, but to share my views and interpretations of the world. Fast forward to 2021, in which a person can talk about whatever he or she wants, and get paid for it! 

After years of posting a little here, and a little there, imagine my surprise when I received a notice that I had received payment for my blog, via Stripe! I have been a writer all my life, sometimes being paid for it, and sometimes just for fun.

I've written stories on the back of business notepads, told tales to my daughters at bedtime, have written a non-published children's story, and have two or three novel ideas floating around in my head. I have a bachelor of journalism from the University of Texas. I've written thousands of blogposts on everything from wicker furniture to dental implants to CARF accreditation, hundreds of news releases for churches, the medical industry and businesses all over the world. Recently, my byline can be found at highlandlakesofburnetcounty.com, with articles about lodging and city highlights in Burnet County, Texas. And I also started another blog, on Medium, with only one post (https://alecia-ormsby.medium.com/the-blessings-of-a-fire-e261708f4454), with more to come. 

My life has become complicated lately, or rather, more complicated, so I haven't had much time to spend on writing, but I found an hour today and decided to share. It's not the money that made me happy, but the fact that enough people looked at what I wanted to tell whomever is interested that I received a whopping payment of $0.04 directly to my bank account!