Health Care? Can it be made affordable? Will the need for it destroy our nation?

While the health care debate rages, I am concerned about the viciousness of the attacks on the proposals, about the misinformation, about the divisions that are being revealed in this nation.

This is my experience with health care.

I am provided care through my husband's policy. I have a rare blood disorder. Every year I wait to see if this is the year the health care provider has finally excluded my doctor and his practice from their provision circle. Three years ago this nearly happened, it was a concerted effort by others needing this service that the health care provider finally came to agreement to pay the doctors a fair price for their services. If my health care provider did do this, I would have to travel three or more hours for service.

I used to be the manager of a small business. We provided health care for our staff. Every year the health care premiums continued to climb until we could no longer afford to provide the coverage for our staff. We were too small an organization to negotiate a better price, and so yearly we faced increases or shopping for some other provider - until the provider priced their service so high we could not afford to purchase the service, nor was there another provider to turn to.

I now work for an employer who has 125 persons working, most are women, every year our health coverage costs climb 7 to 13%....I do not know how much longer they will be able to provide coverage.

I have family members who are paying more for their health insurance premiums on a monthly basis then for their mortgage. I have a daughter who is unable to purchase coverage.

I recently spoke to a young woman who is a financial analyst for a health insurance company. She is so appalled at the financial gains made by the company she is working for she is searching for a new job. She also has family members who cannot be covered because of preexisting health issues.

I am praying that somehow commonsense will prevail and this nation will work together to make coverage affordable for all.

If you need clarification for what is being offered, you should see the New York Times and Washington Post..they have good articles on what is covered and where gaps exist in the proposed legislation.

I listened to a radio program today, Radio West, the commentators interviewed persons employed by Intermountain Healthcare - a possible model for the nation. A question I have is - Why is one company able to provide service for participants at 1/3 of the cost of other providers?

There is much to do to make health care affordable for all but fear-mongering and name calling should be set aside so the real work may be addressed.

A Thursday at home

Today was Bible Study day, when I and five or so other ladies meet to discuss our Sunday School lesson, we share the responsibility of teaching the study. One of us is a professional teacher, another is a jewelry maker, another is the driving force of our group, another helps with administration kinds of items, another is a vet, another is gifted in delivery. Each has their strengths and weaknesses and it is such a blessing to be part of the group.

We have always met in the fellowship hall...at least as long as I have been affiliated with the group, and we have been asked to relocate because of the unique systems located in this site. So we looked at the possibilities today, and became so excited about one of the sites, but it will require talking out a wall to accommodate our study style. So we will be in an out of the way space while the renovation takes place.

It has been a long time since I took a day and just stayed at home. Old Bike Rider will be late tonight, I am working on the wash, I need to mop the floors.

We have adopted a new family member, my husband's step-father's dog, Happi the schnauzer.
But as I am setting here, the butterfly bushes are in bloom and yellow swallowtails are working them. The air is cool and there is a wonderful light breeze...oh wait, that is the fan. =) But the air temperature is not oppressive. There are cherry tomatoes to be picked and one of the ladies this morning shared sweet corn (ready for its immersion into hot water!) And we will eat blueberries and ice cream tonight.

Our daughter-in-law is pregnant with her second child and just posted on her blog after a trip to visit family. Our daughter’s little boy has just turned over by himself.

I do not know how to express how relaxed, full-filled, blessed, and thankful I am for this wonderful afternoon.

Well here is the cutie growning up, Kent

I love this picture of him helping Mom in the garden, this was an important part of my growing up in Kansas. Helping with the garden was my summer duty..watering, weeding, picking the fresh vegetables, and helping the corn pollinate by using a paper sack, placing it over the silks, shaking vigorously, now not too vigorously, and the real treat was, I had first pick of the cherry tomatoes.

A new family member

In April, while I was supposed to help with flower planting in Baltimore, our daughter surprised me and delivered her 6# 2oz cutie...Emerson Albert a few days early. What a joy. Stone carving has been on serious hold...

Arriving home from Thanksgiving, I have arranged to work two half days at stone carving. One project is a Brazilian brown soapstone that will become the lion. I took the 49 pound stone out to Sue Brozovsky's and cut the large chunks out. This stone was easy to file-compared to the Virginia soapstone, but it seemed a shame to make dust out of so much stone.

One hundred eleven hours later

So here he is -Bun Bun in his glory. I have to say this new "hobby" has been great fun for me. As I work the stone, I take time to reflect on motion, emotion, and the joy of creation. In the 111 hours that it has taken to get Bun Bun to this stage, I have had a chance to examine why I am anxious in a stadium, why I dislike large crowds, and heaven knows what else. But the fun part is there is a product at the end of the internal reflection.

Bun Bun is Virginia soap stone, he started out at 9.5 pounds and now weighs about five pounds now. I worked on him, mostly in two hour increments. You will notice he has a harness which is a natural feature of the stone. The white glint on his right ear ( your left) above is another type of stone , he has similar markings on his left hip flank. He has a natural stone saddle also, and I accented a portion of it on his back and onto his neck. He is finished with aging color, which allows the eyes to be blacker, marble polish, and wax.

Whew, I have a free form in alabaster I am working now, and I have chosen a lion http://www.archaeology.org/image.php?page=0801/trenches/jpegs/lion2.jpg to be carved in brown Brazilian soap stone for my next piece. And here is a close up of his precious face http://www.archaeology.org/image.php?page=0801/trenches/jpegs/lion3.jpg .

Stone Carving Weekend

Well, the stone carving weekend was a great success...at least for me. There were about 22 people in all who were carving. Some came just for a day or two. We started our days at 8 am and worked until 8 pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday and from 8 to 3 on Monday.

The site for the event is a Virginia Tech site where students weld, lay brick, and unusual projects of all types are completed. There must have been 4 industrial spaces, but it looks out at the Alleghany Mountains and the weather was perfect. It was possible to work outside, or inside, under a tent, or in the sun.

We were supposed to bring our own lunches, but supper was provided every evening, and with the left overs, I don't think anyone ordered lunch.

The youngest carver is a Junior in High School. The most accomplished and the instigator of this annual event is Darcy Meeker . Many of those attending had been participating in this fall stone carving event for 10 years. The group is a melding of local persons and one all the way from Tennessee, one from North Carolina, one from Lynchburg, but most of us came from Blacksburg or Giles County Virginia. Sharon Dowdy is a wood carver. She took a single stone and cut and polished her final product. It was quite amazing to be among so many accomplished carvers.

I was invited to the event by a friend, Jennifer Lovejoy who is a member of the "Backyard Carvers" in Blacksburg, VA. Darcy Meeker allows a number of artists to come to work in her back yard every Friday. Jennifer is also an architect, and she had designed and supervised completion of some affordable housing developments for me in Giles County. She is a gifted woman...and it was great fun to see her in a new light. And encouraged to attend by a friend Deb Schug, who is a graphic artist, who also attended. Her first work is a limestone goose, from High School.

The master carver, Bob Lockhart is an internationally known carver of wood and stone. He also sculpts and casts bronze works. Bob shared other artist's personal statements regarding their process. On Friday he wanders among the carvers and watches their processes. On Friday evening, just before supper he calls us all together and proposes the "problem". Using clay, build-sculpt a piece that has a rectangle, pyramid, and cylinder in it. We were allowed to slice and dice, or stretch and curve our clay pieces to meet our needs, but we had to use the whole shape, we were not allowed to discard pieces of clay. So that is the Friday evening charge.

Saturday morning we arrive and we are encouraged to use that clay model to create a stone sculpture. And Bob has selected a partner for you. Your job as a novice is to ask if your partner has considered "doing it differently", while your partner will share stone, tools, and their experience to help you pace yourself to be successful in the process. For some Bob instructs them to complete a single piece, for people with less experience it is okay to have multiple pieces...so long as you can assemble them in a finished product.

By Saturday evening one should have all their shapes defined. By Sunday assembly and polishing are underway. By Monday mid-morning there should be a "finished product" and you will share with the assembled group, how your partner came to the design that is presented. They are allowed to respond one time about their finished product. And then all can talk about what moves them and what they see in your work. This was a very enjoyable process for me. Listening to others as they interpret your effort was enlightening, sometimes about yourself, but more likely about the person speaking.

I came away with a greater knowledge of tools. And bought some too. An understanding that the Oklahoma alabaster, that I picked up, is too soft to hold an edge. (not so good for rectangles and pyramids heh?) That this group of carvers are committed to learning, sharing, and teaching.

I will probably do this again....

Oldbikerrider came and made video of the event and I hope at some time to be able to publish it .