“Left behind”...  not only on Mars!

The Martian...

A popular movie...

A good book...

But is it more than just entertainment?  

What about the story giving you direction in your collapsing world?

Relating to any probem you might be forced into.

A movie can do this?

Before a personal crisis changed my world, my son had seen the movie and encouraged me to do it.  But I’m pretty careful with my finances (also called cheap), so I just got on the waiting list at the library to see it for free.

I was about number 92 on the list!

And I was busy with other circumstances.

But all of a sudden, I was surprised to see the movie had come in for me!   I have no clue how I bumped all the others!

And I took time out to watch it.    

Not knowing that I would then refer to it day after day... just to keep on going.

The Martian

The story is about an astronaut to Mars whose team is in an emergency situation and thinking he is dead they take off and leave him on the lonely planet.

So what does he do?

The lead character is Mark Watney.  

Another lead character...

Compare this to the the lead character in my personal story... as I was also left behind, in a way, when my husband died.  But since I am on another planet, the title of my story would be “The Earthian”, I guess!

Granted, “Earthian” is not as romatic as the sound of “Martian”.  It sounds more like a burp.

Anyway... on with the story.

Our hero...

Now Astronaut Mark Watney is a cute kind of guy.  Not like the “larger than life” heroes, John Wayne or Superman.  I couldn’t have related to them.

And I can’t swear like Watney does - although it seems appropriate to do so in his situation.  This is not because I don’t know the words... I’ve slipped on too many manure piles on the farm.  But it’s because I’ve been trained in newspaper journalism and we can only use symbols to express frustration.  “#$%*”!”

Also, I love Watney’s wry sense of humor... that helps you keep on going too.

 Keeping on...

I have corresponded with the author, Andy Weir, to express my appreciation for his lead character’s ability to keep on struggling.  It was helping me.

So I used Watney’s slogan... “You just do the math and solve the problem... and then on to the next problem and solve that problem.  And solve the next problem too.  And if you solve enough problems, you get to go home.”

I wasn’t very good at math so this scared me a bit.  But I could do the next step - take one thing at a time.

Although one day I tried to organize too many “problems” and was overwhelmed.  

But I had Mark Watney in my mind and I settled down to just handle one issue at a time.

Progress...

And I figured that I was making progress when I could feel sorry for Watney because he was all alone... and I had friends and family around.

And my faith.

And now I found some other symbols that I can use -

                              :)♥☀♫★

 

Crisis Intervention!

What to do in a crisis…

A professional actress and a former cop showed how they train law enforcement personnel to deal safely with people with apparent mental health issues at a Cannon Falls Area TRIAD meeting.
The program helped one member of the audience deal with a difficult situation she found herself in a few days later. By responding calmly in the interaction and then calling the police she was able to get help.

Crisis Intervention Team

“The Minnesota Crisis Intervention Team (MN CIT) is a law enforcement mental health crisis response team. They stage a simulated environment for crisis intervention professionals which includes law enforcement officers, teachers and school administrators, crisis intervention workers, mental health service providers, mediators, dispatchers, hostage negotiators and hospital staff to practice verbal de- escalation techniques in a safe learning environment.”
Kari Pohl LeVan, the daughter of Bill Pohl, former football coach at Cannon Falls High School, also is a graphic artist and musician and helped demonstrate various scenarios that law enforcement officials might encounter along with Michael Peterson, Executive Director of MN CIT.

Before using force...

The scenarios are taken from a 40 hour training that promotes the use of verbal de-escalation skills before using force. “CIT training gives officers the tools they need to understand what someone in a mental health crisis may be experiencing and to direct someone in crisis to appropriate care.”
“The professional role-players have specialized in the accurate portrayal of persons in crisis and/or suffering from mood, thought or personality disorders.”
Mental illnesses affect one in four adults in a given year statistics show. Many of these individuals will experience signs and symptoms such as risk taking, impulsive behavior, aggression, paranoia, substance use, grandiosity, hallucinations, delusions, disordered thoughts, etc.

Jumper...

The first scenario that day showed a disturbed woman (played by Kari Pohl LeVan) threatening to jump off an overpass of a highway. It was explained that if you try to stop the person by grabbing at them they may jump. Also, if you are close enough they may grab you and take you with.
So Michael stood a short distance away and only used his voice to try to connect with the somewhat incoherent woman.

He explained that he purposely identified himself by his first name, Michael, rather than Officer Peterson to make his presence softer but included the fact that he was with a police department.
The woman was babbling on about something beeping and that she kept hearing it.
Michael kept talking to her... “I’m concerned... what happened today?”
He listened to her.
He told her to keep focused on him.
She kept babbling on... “Beep beep beep...”
He suggested, “Come with me to the squad car.”
She didn’t like this.
Would you like to go to a doctor’s office?
Would you like lunch?
Woman: “Can they help me?”
He might have to say that he’ll go along with her to the doctor’s office... to help her get there.
Michael stopped the scenario and explained, she’s focusing... she’s
much safer than she was.

Desperation crying...

Second scenario. A woman (played by Kari Pohl LeVan) is desperately crying.
The officer says: “Ma’am, I’m worried about you... My name is Michael. I’m with the police department... you seem very upset... 
Woman keeps sobbing...
Michael gets her name... and gently lets her know that he is concerned. “I see that something bad has happened...”

Let’s review what is happening...

Michael takes a “time out” and asks the audience, “How is my voice? It’s softer than the first scenario."
One member of the audience said, “She appears to want help.”  Michael explained that he is offering help but its up to her if she wants to take it.
He continues with the scenario: “I can tell something bad happened to you. I am here to help you.” They don’t want to pile guilt on her.

Not a quick fix...

Crisis Intervention Training explains that these methods aren’t a quick fix but they are trying to establish a trusting relationship and get to the next step.
Programs like these at the Cannon Falls Area TRIAD educate the public as to what they can do and what officers can do to create a safer environment. 

 .

Rudolph, Rosie and another "Foggy Christmas Eve!"

Rudolph, Rosie

and another 

"Foggy Christmas Eve!"

It was a dreary foggy Christmas Eve.

We were flying from Minnesota to the west coast to have Christmas with our grandchildren... all small youngsters.

But while changing planes after landing on the first stop, we were told we might not make it that night because of bad weather. Our destination was fogged in.

Now waiting in any airport isn’t particularly appealing, but on Christmas Eve it seemed a little more gloomy.

What happened? 

To our surprise it was suddenly announced that the flight was going to take off and see if we could finish our trip. But we might have to turn around and come back.

We were kind of a quiet bunch of folks in the plane. I remember some big guys in the seats behind us, with the word “Raiders” emblazoned on their jackets. But I didn’t know if they were professional football players heading home for the holidays.

When we flew over our planned landing, it had fogged over again. We were in a circling pattern for quite a while. I kept telling my head that it didn’t want to throw up. Concentrate on something else I told myself!

Here’s an idea! 

Well, the airline attendants had an idea. 

The gals had put on little red and white furry Santa caps for the occasion. And while we kept circling, they suggested we all sing some Christmas songs!

Nobody complained that this was offensive to them.

Actually, I just wanted to think of something happy besides my brain repeating its dislike of circling so much!

And what did we choose? 

And… appropriately enough... the song chosen was "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"! 

You know... the “foggy Christmas Eve” song.

Well, after a few choruses, we had all gotten warmed up and were smiling. We may not have been the best singers, but we were enthusiastic! 

And I was kept busy videoing the passengers as we were singing and laughing with each other.

Then the clouds opened up and we could land!

Another surprise… 

As I was leaving the plane to head over to the glassed in concourse where three little grandchildren were jumping up and down and waving... one of the big Raiders guys came over and said, you’ve got a reception waiting for you! 

I smiled.

Then he added, “I’ve just got to hug you!”

You see, even though I have never thrown a touchdown pass in the National Football League... I still had a cheering section!

And I’ll never forget the sweet hug the “Raiders” guy gave me too!

Merry Christmas!

and may the tradition of Christmas 

and its meaning bless us all.

.

Commercializing Christmas could be good?

Could commercializing Christmas 

be a good thing?

Does the commercialization of Christmas degrade it?  Should it be more wholesome and spiritual?

Actually, the person honored at Christmas most likely wasn’t born on December 25.   And back in the 1800’s I’m told folks just had a church service and maybe a  special dinner.

My research also says Christmas just became a popular holiday after Clement Clarke Moore wrote his famous story, ' "'Twas the Night Before Christmas".  The actual title was “A Visit from St. Nicholas”.   Note that it was not a “Visit from Jesus."

 So, is it the fault of businesses that they promote sales? Though as a kid I wished we would celebrate the holiday a day later so I could take part in the “After Christmas Sales!”  I didn’t get much allowance.

But here’s another thought…  

There’s another way to think of the holidays.  Commercialization of Christmas might actually make its message more visible to more people!

What other religion is so popularized?

On what other occasions are you able to promote Jesus to this extent?     

Yes, there are the crass sales pitches encouraging folks to focus on the presents they will get.  But the reverse of this is seeing the touching commercials and fund raising campaigns motivating people to buy gifts for others... to make them feel loved and cared about.

“Do you hear what I hear...” (again and again!)

 And, if you, along with me, find you're getting tired of hearing the songs of Christmas repeated and repeated, (and keep in mind that I’ve heard some of them for a zillion or more years)...  and although I love them, I sometimes want a break too!

But Christmas music is being played over and over on the airwaves... and broadcast in the malls... and while you’re on “hold” on the phone.  

Even at my dentist’s office.  He was so happy to tell me they had just started playing Christmas music in the background. But since he was about to put the drill in my mouth I thought it was wiser to be quiet about my opinions on hearing this music too much!

On the other hand, I am playing my drums to accompany some of the holiday songs for gatherings.  That’s fun!

So here's the plan…

Keep in mind the true meaning of the occasion.  Remember that the words of the songs spread hope and good tidings and cheer.  And words themselves have the power to change and enlighten and create.  

(I'm having fun checking out Quantum Physics studies on the effect of the observer... but also the book of Genesis: “And God said... and it was so.”)

I believe it's good to hear songs with wishes of happiness and love and joy. 

I wish that for you too.

  Merry Christmas… 

Happy Holidays… 

Peace on earth!

.

You're telling me to get in trouble?

 “You’re telling me 
   I should get in trouble?”

“If you’re not in trouble... you’re not doing your job.”  With their fist raised high in a power salute, the guest speaker forcefully encouraged the multi-racial graduating class at a nearby metropolitan high school commencement program to get in trouble!  

But are there no other ways to solve problems?

I was sitting in the upper levels of the huge arena listening with growing concern as I saw the frustration bristling in the audience.

It was like being held hostage because you couldn’t politely interject your opinion in the situation.

Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for the speaker to praise the students for their hard work in achieving their diplomas?   

In comparison, the student class president spoke and was much more encouraging to her fellow students as to their abilities to succeed.

But how do you respond?

Watching the anger being suppressed by some in the audience I realized that this could partly be because they had no way to respond to this outburst.  I wondered if this was a key point: knowing that you can express your opinion and that it will be listened to.  Does this help you moderate your reaction?  

I decided to talk to the high school principal and express my concerns about the speech.     

It took a while to get our schedules connected but we had an enjoyable conference later last summer.  He even took a “selfie” of the two of us to show to students!

But I have not been able to meet with the politician-speaker.  Her staff has not been able to find time for me.  I have e-mailed some of the flyers I had brought to the principal explaining a unique program we have in Cannon Falls and she replied that she appreciated that.

But I was asking for ten minutes of her time to explain our program.  (Actually, I explained, that if I was nervous and didn’t breathe it would only take five!)

But by October, with no success, I was informed that she would be out of the country for a while.  I said I would try later.

Well, I got busy too and it got to be November.  I tried again.  I just wanted to look in her eyes and see if there wasn’t some way to ease the pain that she was reacting to.

Senior citizens and teens... cool!

I had wanted to make her aware of one way that we have been creating a relationship model at our Cannon Falls Area Citizens and Law Enforcement Partnership.  This is a group of Senior Citizens who like to find out more information about what is really going on in law enforcement.  Is it really like CSI and other TV shows?  

We have speakers like the regional medical examiner and the head of security for the Timberwolves professional basketball team.  We’re planning  programs on drones and getting a “bomb squad” speaker too.

Since we were meeting in the same building as the Alternative Learning Center, we invited the teenagers to join us.  This could provide great career knowledge for them by personally meeting these speakers.  (The Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce was a good start!)

And besides the teens and cops and seniors eating doughnuts together, the kids have been told, “You ask the best questions!”  

Another bonus…

A couple other benefits occured.  The kids, with their unique hair styles, clothing and adornments made the “Seniors” more comfortable with them and the kids were kidding around with the cops.

You know... actually, this program doesn’t take long to explain.  I really think I could share it in less than ten minutes... even if I took a breath once in a while!  

(As of press time I am still waiting to meet with the speaker mentioned.)

***

A past meeting of the Cannon Falls Area TRIAD with senior citizens, cops, kids and doughnuts!

Visiting Paris during Terrorist Attacks!

Visiting Paris During Terrorist Attacks!

On the morning of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France,  Amy Falink, a senior lecturer at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, and the daughter of Joyce Falink of Cannon Falls, was landing at the Charles De Gaulle airport.

She was taking a short vacation with a friend who was born in France. Amy’s experiences here are compiled from her entries on Facebook and in an interview.

  Amy became aware of not only the tragedy of terrorist attacks but also of “some of the most welcoming, gracious and friendly people" she had ever encountered... which to her was "significant, in light of all that happened in the city.”

Amy’s journaling.

November 13: “Today we arrived in Paris. After landing at the Charles De Gaulle airport, (her friend) Patrice pointed out the Stade de France (stadium) and he explained proudly, it was the site where France defeated Brazil in the 1998 World Cup.  Little did we know that in the evening the stadium would be the site of suicide bombings.

“The weather was beautiful... what you might imagine for a fall day in Paris.  It gave a romantic backdrop to the charming streets with bakeries, flower shops and restaurants.

“In the evening, Patrice’s family picked us up from the hotel and in honor of my visit, they took us on a night tour of the traditional Parisian sites: Arc De Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees.  

“I didn’t know that within 30 minutes, this extraordinary city would be under attack by ISIS.”

Le Terrorisme.   

 While out for dinner, Amy recalled having received a travel alert on her phone that said: “several major incidents have been reported in Paris, France”.  But she didn’t know what this meant and they continued with their dinner. 

Then they saw a news report saying 13 were dead in a Paris attack.   But they didn’t know what kind of attack it was.  Then the numbers went up. Fifty dead. Seventy dead. More than a hundred dead. 

Amy continued: “Tonight the city was under siege. We are safe but so sad for the many who were gunned down in this beautiful city. These acts of violence must end.”

She added, “Despite our proximity to the events that occurred, we were like anyone else, anywhere else in the world.  We watched the events unfold on the news and social media.

“Like everyone, we felt very sad for those who were injured and for those who died. We felt really angry that people who were out enjoying a dinner or a concert and were victims of this senseless, brutal act. What terrible pain their families must feel.  These people could be any one of us, in any part of the world.”

Staying safer...

November 14: “Today we stayed in the suburbs with family given the tense situation in Paris. Likely safer with military in Paris but we may err on the side of caution. This is an exceptional country and the people are so welcoming and gracious, even when gripped by the uncertainty of the last few days.

“French President Hollande had declared a state of emergency. What is a state of emergency, people were asking?   While the US has what seems like perpetual states of emergencies since the War on Terror, it is uncommon in France  - reportedly only two since WWII.

  November 15: “The next morning the mood seemed different... tense. It became clear what had happened. People were glued to the news... 129 dead.  There had been hostages in the Bataclan (theatre) and people gunned down in restaurants.” 

Back to Paris...

November 16:  “Before leaving France, we went back to Paris for a few days. Most attractions were still closed, which seemed to cause confusion for both citizens and tourists. There was conflicting information on websites and social media and we wandered around, trying to find open attractions. 

“We decided to spend the day shopping on the main avenue, the Champs Elysses. There were many police officers and in each store there was tight security; they checked all bags upon entry. 

“Later that evening we saw military troops at the Eiffel tower. The streets were full of people; however, the restaurants were not.  

 “On the bridges there were news crews and military troops. We went on a boat cruise on the Seine and saw doves that had been released from the Notre Dame Cathedral for those who died.  It was really quite beautiful and meaningful.”

A little unnerving...

November 18: “Heading to the airport to return to the U.S. we were re-routed to the Charles De Gaulle Airport because of the seven-hour raid on another ISIS cell. When we got to the airport, there was no more police presence that we saw, than when we arrived in Paris. 

“But it was a little unnerving when getting on an international flight when everyone was talking about bombs, terrorism. and airport threats!

Amy concluded:  “Any inconvenience to our vacation pales in comparison to what happened to those innocent victims. At times you feel guilty for enjoying yourself in a city where people had recently suffered so much. 

“Also, for years I had heard of the stereotype of rude French people who make fun of Americans. I never saw evidence of this. 

“In fact, I found Parisians to be some of the most welcoming, gracious and friendly people I have encountered, which is significant in light of all that happened to their city. Each day, wherever I went, French citizens spoke English and they were incredibly helpful. 

“I would readily return.” 


.

Look at that old photo for a surprise!!!

Surprises in those old photos!

What can you find in those old photos stored away in cardboard boxes? Look close... perhaps you should even focus on what is in the background.
And you may be surprised by what you see.

It was near the end of World War II – 1945-46.

Mary Ketcham of Hopkinsville, Kentucky was only about 11 years old when her mother and father separated. Mary stayed with her father when her mother married again and was living near a military base in California.
Mary’s mother had a picture of her daughter and that picture is the center point of this discovery.

You see, Mary’s mother, Louise, had married a Herbert Lundell from Cannon Falls, MN. After his hitch in the service was over, they came back to live in this area.
Herbert and Louise farmed many years, Mary recalled. They milked cows east of town and later moved into the city for 15 years until Herb died.

Mary used to come up to visit her mother during the summers. After she graduated from high school she decided to stay here. You see she had met Edgar (Ole) Olson and they were married a year later.

Her mother's "stuff'!

But it wasn’t until many years later that Mary was going through her mother’s “stuff” and found some pictures from their life in the military. Louise and Herb had been living off the base with other young couples. Herb was in the Army but their friends were in the Air Force.
Two of these friends were George and Frances Thompson. On the right side of the picture there was a picture of a girl. It was a photo of young Mary. It almost seemed like she was looking over the situation!

Now some Thompsons had come to Cannon Falls. He had come to be the pastor of Urland- Wangen Prairie churches. Could they be the same people?
Mary explained, at that point in my life I grew spiritually through Pastor Thompson’s Bible Studies and such.
Pastor Thompson died in 2002.

Mary and Frances...

Mary recently visited with Frances Thompson at the Angel’s Care Center where she was recuperating from knee replacement surgery.
Frances recalled those days during WWII. She and George had a one room apartment. This one room was the kitchen, bedroom, living room and closet. You had a one burner unit to cook on. In the middle of the hall way there was a gas stove that you shared with the other tenants.
Housing was hard to find back then, Frances explained, and you were happy to get a place.

(Having fun while washing clothes? Frances Thompson recalled using the wringer washer in the shed while she and George were living off the base in Santa Maria, California during World War II.)

Frances and George had been married in 1945. He was released from the service in 1946. He went to seminary and after his first parish in South Dakota he came to Cannon Falls in 1966.

Mary doesn’t believe in coincidences. “God always has a plan.”

And that picture of the Thompson’s taken so many years ago... with that little girl seeming to be a part of them... came true. 

.