Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Two days ago we went out and accidentally left Coco and Tilla out in the yard for hours.  They were eager to come in.  Tilla was limping on the foot he had knee surgery.  It gets sore and hurts him too much if he runs on it too much.  So he does not put any weight on it.  I checked his leg to make sure there was no apparent injury.  Today he is walking on it and only favoring slightly.  I am still going to call the vet’s office just to make sure that only happens occasionally and his knee is fine.

Tags: Coco, dogs, knee surgery, pets, Tilla, Tilla and Coco were left in the yard for hours, Tilla leg which he had knee surgery gets sore occasionally, Tilla was limping, vet
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Every day I have to thank God for his blessings.  I will repeat this over and over.  I owe Him everything.  Every provision.  My health.  Everything.  I get into trouble when I take Him for granted.  I, also, have to remind myself life, also, is not fair.  Every day I have to thank Him for every moment.  I owe Him everything.  Every blessing.  Every breath I take.

Tags: blessings, owe Him everything, thank God, thank God for His blessings, thank Him
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Gratitude is the only way.  It is so easy not to thank God for His abundance.  But you must.  Life is not always fair but he says, ‘Give us our daily bread.’  And pray to Him with a spirit of thankfulness.  He does take care of us.  And we have to thank Him every day for His blessings.  That is why we have to approach Him every day with a spirit of thankfulness.  We owe everything to Him.  Everything.  Every gift, every provision.  Our health.  Everything.

Tags: "give us our daily bread", God, gratitude, His abundance, Our blessings, our health, our provisions, spirit of thankfulness, thank God, thank Him every day
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Pain enables us to grow.  I am what I am not despite my bipolar disorder but because of it.  I certainly now have more empathy for others who suffer, whatever the reason.  It does not matter really why.  Yes, I have been to hell and back but so have many others.  What if nothing ever went wrong in your life?!  You would just experience boredom.  No one experiences this utopia.  Why should you feel for anyone else pain?  It is your own pain and suffering that produces empathy for others.

Tags: balance, bipolar disorder, depression, empathy for others, God, mental health, pain and growth, pain and suffering, relationships, suffer
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‘Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.’  I think these were words uttered by Thomas Jefferson.  A check and balance system is necessary for government.  That means a free press.  Open dissent is always important.  It forces you to consider another point of view.  Someone is always going to try to take your freedom away.  That is a fact.  That is why eternal vigilance is so important.  I never forgot the ‘Pogo’ cartoon which said ‘I have met the enemy and it is me.’  Everyone has to do their part.  Each person has a role in a democracy.  You can’t ignore your role.  One of the most important ones is your vote.  It matters.  Sometimes an election is won or lost by mere votes so never forget that.  Exercise your freedom to vote.  We have to make our politicians responsive to our needs and not let big money dictate their votes in the legislatures-state and federal.  A politician fears the wrath of the public and the last thing he/she wants to lose is your vote. And they do read the letters you send them.  ‘Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.’

Tags: big money, check and balance system, democracy, do your part, election, eternal vigilance, federal, free press, freedom, freedom to vote, government, legislature, open dissent, Pogo cartoon, politicians, politics, price of freedom, state, Thomas Jefferson, your vote
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Last night Tilla ran into the house from the furthest corner of the yard at full speed.  I was thrilled.  Saturday I brought him to the vet.  He was not putting any weight on his left front paw.  The vet gave us an anti-inflammatory pill and three pills later he was back running at full speed.  The vet said the pill would work fast.  And it did.  He is back to running and is no longer limping.

Tags: dogs, no longer limping, pets, Tilla, vet
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I want to grow old gracefully.  I am slowing down physically.  A nap in the middle of the day is almost an necessity.  I do not want to complain about my ailments.  My Mom did not like it when I told her, “When you get old, parts don’t work right any longer.”  I am well aware that the fact my kidney function has stabilized the last three years is totally by the grace of God.  Dialysis has not yet been necessary.  Everything is by grace.  I know my time will come and I will return to dust.  No one lives forever.  And we act as if we should.  Death is the last taboo.  I just want to get older with dignity and grace.  That is my only prayer.

Tags: aging, death, death is taboo, dialysis, everything-is-by-grace, get older with dignity and grace, God, grace of God, grow old gracefully, health, kidney function, my only prayer, my time will come, no one lives forever, return to dust, take a nap
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It is so easy to be ungrateful. The only thing that counters that is to count your blessings.  Don’t compare yourself to any one else.  It never works.  It never makes you happy. Be satisfied with the portion God has bequeathed you. There is a reason ‘thou shall not covet’ is one of the ten commandments.  Thank God for everything. Some people are here to do great things.  Others many small things with much love. It is really the tiny things we remember–the favors others graciously gave us. After all isn’t life composed of myriad details.  The great events only come once in awhile. You may be the recipient of only one or two earthshaking events.  So enjoy all your life.  You only get one time around.  And thank God for everything.  Face each day with a spirit of thankfulness and gratefulness.  God does not owe you anything.  And no one ever said life would be fair. So never torture yourself with the question “Why?”  There is no appropriate answer.  Most likely silence is all you will hear from the heavens above.  Appreciate every moment given to you.  Time is a gift so thank God for all your precious moments.

Tags: appreciate every moment, be satisfied, count your blessings, do not be ungrateful, don't compare yourself with others, enjoy all your life, favors, God, God does not owe you anything, life is myriad details, precious moments, small things with much love, spirit of gratefulness, spirit of thankfulness, ten commandments, thank God, thank God for everything, thou shall not covet, time is a gift
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Everything is by grace.  Today is a good day to count my blessings.  I am not in dialysis.  My kidney function has stabilized (the last three years).  It is not good but it is livable.  My wife loves me.  And my two sisters and my brother-in-law (and a friend) sent me birthday cards (and one check).  There is so much to be grateful of–two well running cars and a roof over my shoulders.  There is no pressing financial needs.  And I am surrounded by animals I love (in fact, there are eleven in this house).  I love watching the birds out my window.  And now I am waiting for the first hummingbird to find the nectar I just put out.  My life is not perfect but it is good.  I am aware God does not owe anything.  Everything is by grace.  And He owns everything.

Tags: animals I love, be grateful, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birthday cards, birthday check, cats, count my blessings, dogs, everything-is-by-grace, God, God does not owe anything, God owns everything, grade, house, hummingbird, kidney function stable, my birthday, my brother-in-law, my friend, my life, my sisters, my wife, nectar, not in dialysis, pets, two cars
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He was smiling and bubbling over.  He was a man I met in the aisle of the local supermarket.  I noticed he had a false leg but that did not deter him.  We had a brief conversation and I left him with a “God bless!”  And before that I told him he had a choice to feel sorry for himself or make the best of it.  I no longer remember my exact words.  I later saw him near the checkout counter.  Then I realized he had two artificial legs.  His smile never left him.  He brightened up my day.

Tags: brightened up my day, feel sorry for himself, God bless!, his smile never left him, make the best of it, man with false leg, supermarket
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Two days ago we bought a mattress that might outlive me.  It had a twenty-five year warranty.  That fact did not escape me.  This is the second mattress we bought in the last year.  The other one was just too hard for my wife.  I am hoping the new one she will be able to sleep in and not have pain.  She has a bad back.  Now we have to sell the other one.

Tags: mattress too hard, new mattress, twenty-five year warranty
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I have to ask, again and again:  Are we our brother’s keeper?  You read repeatedly how state after state is slashing their budget for mental health services.  Sure, states can’t afford to continue to pay for upkeep of their mental health hospitals so many of them are closing.  The services in the communities are often not supported; even services that have proved to be cost effective like peer centers.

People will still suffer.  The jails, not hospitals, now contain the largest population of the mentally ill.  Many are in for minor offenses.  Is that right?  As if the politicians don’t know that?  This population is the most vulnerable.  ER’s are increasingly being filled with those in crisis and it is very difficult to find an appropriate place for them to go.

We will be judged by how we treat the weak and vulnerable.  I will ask the politicians, again, are you your brothers’ keeper?  It costs a lot of money to treat the mentally ill in jail.  The money could be better spent in the community.  The mentally ill do not belong in jail.

People are suffering unnecessarily.  The general public is also complicit in this situation.  There was a reason state hospitals were often in the country.  Out of sight, out of mind although it is true decades ago they were called rest homes.  There were none of the medications available and often all some of the people in crisis needed was some peace and quiet and time to regain their equilibrium.

The public and the politicians need to ask themselves are we our brothers’ keeper?  And support the services that are needed to humanely treat the mentally ill.  By all means the states need to spend their money wisely.  But acting as if the problems will vanish and expecting the jails to treat the mentally ill is not right.

It could be your loved one?  After all, one out of four have been diagnosed mentally ill in their lifetime.  And you would want proper and humane treatment for your loved ones.  Or even you?  So we have to keep asking ourselves (and the politicians) are we our brothers’ keeper?

Tags: budget, community, cost effective, country, crisis, equilibrium, ER, general public, God, health, hospitals, humane treatment, jail, lot of money, medications, mental health, money, most vulnerable, one out of four, our brothers' keeper, out of sight out of mind, peace and quiet, peer centers, politicians, rest homes, services, state hospitals, suffer, the public, your loved one
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