Category: Musings

General Thought Posts not related to specific topics

Penzey’s

“With Justice —Peace. Without it —Our smashed windows”

Yesterday I received an email from Penzey’s, a spice house chain based in Milwaukee WI. I’ve been buying spices from them in store in Des Moines, but most recently online due to the pandemic. I’m on their newsletter list for that reason. The message speaks for itself, so I’m posting it here in its entirety .

Penzeys Voice of Cooking

“Of course if I wanted to toss rocks where there is community-supported racism I could start right here in the Milwaukee area and stop in Madison on my way up to Saint Paul and then across the river to our Hennepin Ave store in Minneapolis where, last I heard, at least one door and one of the big windows have already been smashed. The reality is, this is America where community-supported racism is eating away at every community across the country.

“I received a couple emails yesterday from customers upset that we should be victims of the unrest when we actually try to do more than most to make a difference. And it’s right there on google if you type in Penzeys Hennepin to make sure you are spelling Hennepin correctly and then click the News tab. The first story up is “A list of the buildings damaged, looted in Minneapolis and St. Paul.” But then if you scroll a touch, the fourth story down actually is “Penzeys Spices takes a strong stand against racism and Trump” from November 22, 2016. If only protesters googled.

“But as much some days I vehemently oppose racism, every day I benefit from the privilege white skin gifts me. If sweeping up some glass and replacing a couple windows is a piece of everybody realizing the costs of racism-fueled police violence towards minorities is no longer affordable, then so be it. And yes, here is where I point out one more time, voting for a presidential candidate whose own party labeled a “textbook” racist well before the election is indeed a racist act. And no, the fact that 63 million Americans did this does not make it any less racist. If this was you, make amends and move on. It’s not that hard.

“But as much as the Republican Party of late has given up on subtle racism and gone all in, the lack of awareness for just how deeply racism and privilege are intertwined runs the entire length of America’s political spectrum. Can anyone say college loan forgiveness? It’s like someone looked at the idea of reparations for slavery and said yes let’s do that, but let’s find a way that all the money goes to white people instead. And I’m not saying the idea is without merit, but seriously, how can you float it without in the very same breath acknowledging all those who our country’s racism blocked from accessing that opportunity? We all need to do better. A lot better.

“But enough complaining, and how about a positive idea instead. After an email from us a couple years back in support of Black Lives Matter in Saint Louis, I ended up in an exchange of emails with a retired police officer from the area. At first he was taking the, if you support them then you hate us approach. I started out with, this denial of racism in our communities and on the force really isn’t doing you any favors. The best cops are always the ones with their finger on the pulse and who live and breathe the street. Saying racism isn’t a thing can’t help but raise questions of corruption and at the very least looks clueless which isn’t a good look for a detective.

“Ultimately I pitched the idea of doing a full 180 and becoming the true heroes in America’s fight against racism. It’s not really that far of a stretch. Imagine the voice-over of the recruitment ad: “We live on the front lines where America’s racism meets reality and we are looking for help. Everybody talks about fighting racism, but we’re the ones actually doing it. Want to help? Do what it takes to earn yourself a badge and come join us. It won’t be easy, but you will be in the very place where making a difference matters most.”

“In the end he wasn’t quite ready to embrace my pitch, but we did part on much better terms than we began. And of course mine is an experience of white privilege, but the vast majority of those on the force I’ve interacted with over the years have been good eggs. Still the willingness to tolerate bad eggs is at the heart of so many of these problems. It’s got to end. Smartphones are everywhere and that’s a very good thing.

“And Justice Seasoning. A big part of “Penzeys Spices takes a strong stand against racism and Trump” lives in this blend and it really is a good one. After our Wednesday email, our first to most of our customers in seven weeks, I received many thousands of emails in return and a lot of them held questions that the best response to was, just buy the Justice Seasoning it’s probably our best blend and it has no salt as well because it just doesn’t need it. Plus, as you can see from the poster below with the text from the label, it really does start: With Justice —Peace. Until Justice once again lives in the White House, the Senate, and most importantly in the Supreme Court there can be no peace. 11.3.20 Vote Justice.

“And if you don’t mind waiting 2-2 1/2 weeks for delivery shop now at penzeys.com. Yes, the huge surge in online orders brought on by the coronavirus has us a bit behind, but with our new system we are gaining every day. And the sweet thing about having a couple of weeks worth of orders in the house is that for scheduling grinding, blending and packaging we don’t have to guess what we will need two weeks from now, we already know. Ordering now helps, and all orders ship in the order received and aren’t charged until shipped.

“If you live close to one of our stores you can save a whole bunch of time by placing an order for touchless pickup through your local store. Just click here to get started. It only takes a couple days at most.

“And if you own a store somewhere can I give you some advice? In the late ’70s the MPD (Milwaukee Police Department) had the Beare brothers, both detectives, both really good Cooks, and both customers of my parents’ store at a time when our neighborhood was becoming a little bit more out of control. At one point one of them took me aside and explained how it was my job to keep our windows from being broken.

“The good news was, that as much as we all like to think there is some intention behind broken windows, the truth is the vast majority of the time how it happens is pretty simple and without much in the way of premeditation at all. It boiled down to this. If you see a nice rock about the size of your hand or slightly smaller, as a human you will most naturally pick it up. Once in hand you will look for something to do with it, and if you see anything that could be a target, such as a store window, you will let loose with the rock. Therefore dispose of hand-sized rocks 2-300 feet from your store and keep any target-like posters out of your window.

“If you are from the Milwaukee area and have a tip for us possibly finding a Beare brother recipe please send it our way at editor@penzeys.com. Thanks!

“Thanks for reading, thanks for your support, and most importantly of all thanks for caring enough to cook. You really do heal the world,


Bill
bill@penzeys.com“

Another Used-to-Be: Cycling

Eight years ago today I rode my Trice from here in North Liberty to Millstream Brewery in the Amana Colonies, a trek of about 19 miles each way. Though it was not a long ride as they go, it was an accomplishment just because I wanted to do it for a while.

Two things I remember; the stretch of roadwork on Hwy 6 where new asphalt was being laid – I had to navigate the one-lane road that remained open along with the rest of the highway traffic, and Millstream Brewery.

Millstream resurrected brewing in the Amanas in 1985 after about 100 years without a brewery. I had a blast at their sample bar trying various brews, taking them out to the patio to quench my thirst. Unfortunately I was by myself and am not in the picture with my ride. I was happy to have made the trek home without incident after having a few. I rather enjoyed it. It’s not something I would normally do.

Which leads me to the title of this post. I was a cyclist for over 20 years. Starting out in the Mason City area on a “normal” road bike, I switched to a recumbent 2-wheeler and rode all over North Central Iowa. I’d break it down, put it in the back of my Honda Element, go to state parks, or just ride the county roads around the area. I even rode the loop around Crater Lake in Oregon on a solo road trip I took in 2006.

I later sold that bike and bought a Trice 3-wheel recumbent; the one in the picture at Millstream. I so enjoyed that ride. No balance problems, smooth gear ratios. But it became a problem as I aged and moved to the river hills area around Iowa City. It became too much and I actually completely quit riding and sold my rig about four years ago.

So today my Facebook feed posted the Millstream picture (at the top of this post) to remind me of the event I posted back then. It worked. Here I am reminiscing about times past and won’t be again. Riding was good times. Walking is my good times now.

Whatever it is you enjoy, go do it. You never know how long you’ll be able to enjoy your special, personal, good time.

Kent State

50 years ago today armed Army National Guard members opened fire on students at Kent State University in Ohio. Thousands of student protesters were gathered to protest the Viet Nam war and the recent invasion of Cambodia ordered by the Nixon administration. Four students were killed and another nine injured during the 13 seconds of shooting.

This New York Times opinion piece offers reasonable perspective and context for both sides of the incident. Regardless, Kent State was a turning point in the politics of the Viet Nam war, the anti-war movement, and the general mistrust of our national and state governments by the youth of the day. Like too many other incidents during the 60’s and early 70’s, many of my generation remember where they were when they heard about “The Kent State Massacre.”

Contemplating its effect on me then and now, I find myself predicting that when this happens again, it won’t be the National Guard or any national military group who opens fire on unarmed protesters. It will be white nationalist and supremacist counter-protesters, bolstered by some of our political leaders, who will take care of the dirty work for them – and with even less provocation.

“Ohio” Song by Neil Young Stephen Stills tells the story that when Neil heard about the shootings, he went off into the woods and returned about an hour later with the song. They immediately gathered to record it for an immediate single release.

CNN “In Photos The Kent State massacre.”

THE MAY 4 SHOOTINGS AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY: THE SEARCH FOR HISTORICAL ACCURACY – from Kent State University.

Papa Bear

Scott Weiss was my friend! I don’t know how many real friends he had, but I didn’t have many growing up – not true friends anyway. I was reminded of Scott while watching TV recently. Here’s how my mind works (Of course, these thoughts surfaced and unfolded in just moments):

Pam and I were watching a fixer upper type program where the design/construction team renovated a house for a couple moving to town. The wife had to look at the properties and choose one with her husband looking at videos from afar. They selected the house without him ever seeing it in person.

This is important because we watched about 50 minutes while the house was renovated before “meeting” the husband. When he showed up for the reveal, he was using what appeared to be a home-made, wooden walking stick, not a cane, to support his walking. I couldn’t tell what medical condition afflicted him. He may have had a stroke.

The walking stick reminded me of the walking stick I’ve had since high school. I made it from a branch collected from a birch tree while walking in Walnut Woods near Des Moines. I broke off the branch at the suggestion of Scott Weiss (Papa Bear) who suggested it would make a good one. I took it home, stripped it, stained it, and coated it with urethane. I still have it. I even used it on a day hike in Glacier National Park in 2002. The center pic below was taken with a 35mm film camera, before I converted to digital. The lake is Grinnell Lake. Check the link to get a different perspective on where we were. Zoom in to see the path we were on.

That got me thinking of Scott. He died from Pancreatic Cancer in 2010. His passing hit me hard. I knew him as Papa Bear though his obituary just calls him “Bear.” Scott and I spent much time together during our high school years. He was 2 years older and went to a different high school, but we were connected through synagogue and youth group. We were both deep searchers and experimented with various religious doctrines, philosophies, and drugs. I remember reading Be Here Now, my first try with lousy Iowa ditch weed, and staying up nights expanding our minds and contemplating the Universe. We mixed Boone’s Farm Strawberry Wine with McDonald’s Strawberry Shakes, mostly to hide the wine. I could go on with many stories of our escapades. Learn a bit more on this on my Songs page where Papa Bear – Ode to Scott Weiss lyrics are posted.

Our lives crossed at various times after marriage and while rearing our children. Just thinking about this brings back fond and fun memories.

Later in life, after he moved to Louisiana, we got together periodically when he came back to Iowa. Unfortunately, it was typically for someone else’s funeral like his Dad’s, or for our mutual friend, Bill “Grouch” Ohringer. We never lost our connection and enjoyed our time together. Scott’s Mom died while I was away on other adventures so I wasn’t around to mourn her passing with him.

So it was not too difficult to write a song in Scott’s honor. But it did take a while and though I have music for the lyrics, the song is challenging for me to play on the guitar and I have not practiced it much nor recorded it. I do have plans to include it on my next album, whenever that happens. Meanwhile, I am posting the lyrics on my Songs page. In my mind It is still a work in progress, but I want to post it while I’m remembering Papa Bear. I still feel his absence whenever I do. Hopefully, you will appreciate its sentiment.

Link to Papa Bear – Ode to Scott Weiss

This Day in History

I’ve been experiencing some disappointment with further developing this blog. Now that it’s up and running, I have a bit of writer’s block trying to figure out what to post next. Though I’ve invited only a few people, those who have signed up to receive posts (thank you!) remain even fewer.

Additionally, I’ve been trying to figure out how to connect This Day in History as an RSS feed, a link that automatically updates from another site. I’ve researched and think I figured out which widget I need on my site. But the History Channel site isn’t intuitive and I haven’t figured it out yet.

But I want to get my readers familiar with this connection that I’ve been enjoying. I first looked it up on April 3rd, Liz’s 40th Birthday. Since that time I’ve been receiving daily updates giving me the highlights for the day. For instance, today is the anniversary of the Great San Francisco Earth Quake of 1906. I’ve been watching a documentary about it.

So…

I hope you enjoy This Day in History as much as I am. You should be able to sign up to get daily email with the highlights. I’ll let you know when I get the RSS feed figured out.

A Friend In Need (updated)

“Some of you may know that I have had Diabetes for over 45 years. Although I’ve tried to do a good job in controlling my diabetes the disease has affected my Kidney function. Over the past several years the kidney disease has gotten worse. Last October I was hospitalized with End State Renal Disease (ESRD) with kidney function at 8%. To keep my kidneys functioning and maintaining my life; I am currently receiving dialysis treatment five times a week at home.” Daniel Switalski

April 8, 2020:

Dan corrected my mistake in this post from yesterday (See comments at the bottom of the page. Here’s the correct contact information to contact his specific Living Donor nurse:

“…if interested in more specific information on how to help me, the actual number to call is (414)646-0584. That is a direct line to the transplant living donor nurse coordinator.
Thanks for your consideration!“

April 7, 2020:

Yesterday I invited my good friend Daniel Switalski to visit this site and sign up for updates. He responded immediately, then sent me a copy of an open letter he’d selectively sent out in February asking for interested parties to consider being a live kidney donor for him.

With Dan’s permission, I am posting the entire letter here for you to read. If you call the phone number listed, 855.NFK.CARES (855.653.2273), and mention his name, Dan Switalski, you will be directed as to how to proceed.

Dan is one of those friends that, even when you don’t “talk” for a long time, it’s just like you talked yesterday when you finally do. We had a chance to Zoom this morning. It was great seeing him and catching up on a few things. I learned that Dan is a glass blower this morning and that he’s trying to learn to play a guitar. I already knew about his fly fishing (I’ve done that with him). I also learned that we hold different political views. But it doesn’t matter.

Here is a link to Dan’s Facebook page called My Kidney Story. Dan’s letter is shown below in its entirety.

Dan’s Story

Dear Family and Friends,

Some of you may know that I have had Diabetes for over 45 years. Although I’ve tried to do a good job in controlling my diabetes the disease has affected my Kidney function. Over the past several years the kidney disease has gotten worse. Last October I was hospitalized with End State Renal Disease (ESRD) with kidney function at 8%. To keep my kidneys functioning and maintaining my life; I am currently receiving dialysis treatment five times a week at home.

There are two treatment options for Kidney failure, Dialysis Treatment or Kidney Transplant.

Over the past two months Paula and I have been talking with the Transplant Team at St Lukes Hospital. We received confirmation from the Transplant Team that they are now accepting pre-screening calls for live donor transplant on my behalf. This call was an answer to our prayers. As Kidney transplant is the BEST option available to people like me with Kidney failure.

Receiving a Kidney transplant will provide me with a healthier longer life, allowing me to do the things I know God has in store for me.

Asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney to me is very difficult. But in sharing this with you and you in turn sharing with others allows a means to get my story out and provide a chance for receiving a transplant.

Understandably some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:

* You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life

* Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions

* The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks

* The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by my insurance. The hospital will provide extensive information on this

* You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out to your best interest

You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (FKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation or by contacting the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NFK.CARES (855.653.2273) or nkfcares2kidney.org. If you want to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NFK can also help.

We may find during the process that you and I are not a match. That’s okay. A kidney paired donation can occur by using a national network of computers to find a transplant recipient that matches your organ, while they have friends or family that may be a match for me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If donating a kidney to me is something you would like to consider, I would be happy to tell you more about my story and explore the process of determining if you are a match for me. You can also contact my transplant center (Jeffrey Klister, RN, BSN) directly at 414. 646.0584.

I know living donation may not be right for everyone – but you can still help. Consider being an organ donor after death.  Also, help me by sharing my story with everyone you know. I want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful my efforts will help me receive a kidney in the near future and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the wait list.

Thank you again for your time in reading my story. – Dan

My Daughter’s 40th

Liz is forty years old today. She was born on April 3, 1980. If I remember correctly it was 2:14 pm. My X and I had been at the hospital since before midnight the night before.

I have not had any interaction with Liz for 19 years, give or take a few days.

So much for statistics. My thoughts and emotions surfaced with increasing frequency and intensity as Liz’s birthday approached. Yet it is difficult to put it all into words.

It happens often. I wrote a song. It was the second song written since my musical awakening (after The Song I Never Wrote for You). It just spilled out. It, too, was intense. The song is intense. It is called Tell Elizabeth I Love Her.

I wanted to name her Beth Ann. I was concerned that someone would start calling her Liz if she was given the more formal Elizabeth. But formality got the win and we called her Beth for her first several years. That is until about 1st or 2nd grade when she decided for herself that she wanted to be called Liz. Damn! So it goes.

Piano, dance, Sunday school. I remember once taking a low-maintenance back road from work, at an unsafe speed, to get home in time to take Liz to a dance lesson. I’m surprised the car didn’t break as it bounced and swerved.

We went camping, saw Yellowstone, the Tetons, Arches, Dinosaur, and Rocky Mountain NP, among other fascinating places. We went to school events. It sure seems like we did all the normal stuff.

But during and after the divorce things never were the same. I moved out of our home on short notice having been given an ultimatum by the X. I tried to explain to the children. But I could never persuade Liz to come for every-other-weekend visits – ever. I made a point to prepare a room for her in my new place. She never saw it.

She kept in contact a few times. She brought her date to see me on her way to a school dance. Once she came to exchange Christmas presents, though I heard she kept the car running while there.

I am keenly aware that her Mother influenced her emotions and often refused to hand Liz the phone when I called. But any semblance of connection ended when Liz went away to college. I went to visit once shortly after she moved into her dorm (we went shopping for pet fish) and again around her 21st Birthday when I asked to bring her a gift. It was an ankle bracelet. I did attend her college graduation. I didn’t think Liz knew I was there, but my son told me later that she did.

“Child’s death, a parent’s nightmare
Children’s lives a parent’s dream
By her choice, her distant absence
I feel the torment in between”

So it goes.

Where do the Children Play? March 25, 2020

Yes, it’s Cat Stevens.

I was walking my southern neighborhood, 4-mile route today. Many more people, adults with kids included, playing catch, walking dogs, some even cleaning out their garages. It’s Wednesday afternoon. These are strange times!

Midway through the walk I passed two young boys around age 10 sitting on opposite sides of the driveway where the approach meets the street. I overheard one boy saying, “You know the test only costs twenty-five cents”, followed by “But they really don’t know how well they work.” Clearly, he was parroting his parents or other older person “in the know.” But the parks are empty, save the sidewalks, and we go out of our way to stay at least six feet apart. Unspoken new rules that even the children recognize as part of our new reality.

Well I think it’s fine, building jumbo planes
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Yes, get what you want to if you want
Cause you can get anythingI know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass
For your lorry loads pumping petrol gas
And you make them long, and you make them tough
But they just go on and on, and it seems that you can’t get offOh, I know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?Well you’ve cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air
But will you keep on building higher
‘Til there’s no more room up there?
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?I know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Yusuf Islam

Where Do The Children Play lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Coronavirus Disconnect March 23, 2020

I haven’t even decided to publish this blog and I’m already questioning whether my motives are valid. At the start I wrote, “It’s my story. It’s my life. This is just an attempt to share it – and I’m not sure why it matters, but to me it does.” But as the Coronavirus pandemic is unfolding, I am reminded how insignificant a single life, with all of its ups and downs, interests and stories, really is.

Of course, as we look at our own lives, they matter to us! But how many thousands are panicked over their heath? How many of those are losing their lives as I write? So how can my silly personal musings matter? I guess they still matter to me and might have a positive effect on those struggling with the same insecurities as I, who read it.