R E F L E C T I O N S

For almost a year now I've had trouble walking for more than 15 minutes.  Pain in my hip makes me stop.  I was diagnosed with some sort of disk fragment pinching a nerve in my spine.  So it was not my hip but a pinched nerve in my back that was causing the pain. I ignored this for the longest time because when I stopped walking the pain stopped.  That was until a few months ago when the pain was coming whenever I stood up.  I was alternating taking Tylenol and Aleve all day long. My doctor set me up for 3 spinal injections of steroid & pain killer. Here is a description:  Allow a few seconds for the film to start.  (REMEMBER TO HIT THE BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS BLOG) http://www.hopkinsorthogsh.com/lumbar_epidural_steroid_inject.html If this does not work he may do spinal surgery.  It involves a 3 hour operation and 3 painful days in the hospital Here is a description:  Allow a few seconds for the film to start. ...

This is the latest commercial I've seen.  I wonder if they actually sell more insurance this way or if they just like playing around.  Now other insurance companies are starting to put out ads that are funny but GEICO still has the best.

Last night was my last genealogy class.  I never expected to enjoy what I've learned so much. Thanks to an excellent teacher-guide a new world of exploration is now open for me.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife Last night in class we went over the point that genealogy is not just a set of dates copied onto a chart or tree. It's the family events and stories associated with our ancestors. It also puts a perspective on how the family fits in with the events of history.

Image by SMU Central University Libraries via Flickr Last night was the first class and the instructor asked the nine members of the class about their ancestors.  As I expected, most had English backgrounds from relatives who settled in the USA. One man had a relative from the "Buffalo" soldiers, a nickname given to the African American regiment which fought against the Native American "Indians".  Supposedly the Native Americans called the black cavalry troops "buffalo soldiers" because of their dark curly hair, which resembled a buffalo's coat. I was the only one with roots in Italy, being the first generation born in this country.  This may make my search a bit more difficult yet in a way more interesting. For now I'll have to look over my notes and start the search.

That's the title of  the course I'm taking tonight.  It's at The Center for Lifelong Learning (local adult continuing education).  I am curious about who my ancestors are.  I've never met my grandparents on either my mother's or father's side of the family so I don't know how far I'll get. My roots will probably be traceable only back to my grandparents. Maybe I'm just a "mutt from the pound".  But they say some of the best tempered and healthiest dogs come from pounds. It should be very interesting.

I enjoy watching these wolves as they were meant to live, out in the wild. This video gets to me every time.