This came in from Mass Equality at 11:38 this morning: “Moments ago, the Vermont Legislature voted to overturn Governor Douglas’s veto and recognize marriage equality for all…. Vermont is the first state to recognize marriage equality through direct legislative initiative. Vermont joins Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa as the fourth state to recognize equal marriage rights.”
Community clinic
I have new health insurance since the last time I visited the doctor, for some bureaucratic reason that I do not understand. But that meant that I am no longer tied to a primary care physician (whom I never saw) with an office in a suburban office park. I have to say, I never felt I got good care at that suburban medical center. I think they were more interested in building expensive new buildings than in actually providing good patient care.
When I decided I needed to see a doctor this morning, I walked two blocks up the street to the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center. I filled out the preliminary forms, which included the question: “What is your primary language? Check one: English. Portuguese. Cape Verdean/Cruiole. Spanish. French. Other.” I was pretty sure I heard all five of those languages being spoken around me in the bright, busy, slightly messy waiting room.
Everyone was friendly. The woman who set up my account apologized when my insurance company kept her on hold: “Sorry to keep you waiting, hon.” I was shown to an examination room, and sat there for about forty minutes until the doctor arrived. He was the nicest, most humane M.D. from whom I have received care for at least the past decade. He talked with me at length, told me that I probably had a viral infection, that a viral infection with symptoms similar to mine has been going around, that I probably started eating solid food too soon. His manner was reassuring and healing.
The doctor told me to eat only clear broth, jello, and apple juice; just a little as a time. When I feel ready, I’m allowed to graduate to weak tea, rice, mashed potatoes, and other bland food, “but” as the doctor told me, smiling, “with nothing that makes food taste so good.” It may be another week before things settle down.
As I say, it was the friendliest, best, most reassuring health care visit I have had in years. And this was not at a fancy suburban clinic, but at an inner-city clinic which provides free care to anyone who needs it. (Your remarks on the current moral crisis in American health care may be included in the comments below; Marxists, don’t hold back.)
Quick check-in
We did a memorial service for Carol’s mom, Betty Steinfeld, on Saturday. We laughed, we cried, and the best part (as always at these things) was hearing different people’s memories of Betty. The only downside was that I would have liked to have heard a few more stories about Betty’s years growing up on the farm.
As for me, I’m still recovering from the food poisoning, but things are on an upward trend.
Upward trend…
Recovering from food poisoning has been quite an adventure.
Some factoids: So far, I’ve lost ten pounds (down to 180). My sense of smell seems especially acute, presumably so I can catch the faintest whiff of bad food before I eat it. My stomach muscles are still sore from the workout they got.
Subjective impressions: I spent much of Wednesday and Thursday asleep. I seem to recall long, lucid, enjoyable dreams. I don’t remember what the dreams were about, but they seemed entertaining at the time (I was running a slight fever for a day or so, so some of them might have been fever-dreams). I do seem to remember one long dream that was a detailed memory of an insignificant past event, but I can’t remember what that event was.
Onwards and upwards: My older sister called to commiserate, and she suggested I get some saltine crackers. I walked the three blocks up to the corner store (city blocks are small in New Bedford, but these seemed quite long), and came back with a box of Saltines. It seemed ambitious to eat three, so i took just two out of the box. Oh, they tasted good! My next big culinary adventure will be to make orange-flavored jello — mmm.
Oy
So I managed to get food poisoning. Extremely unpleasant. I’ll be back here when I feel up to it.
Obituary
Betty A. Steinfeld, 70, of Westford, Mass., died March 29, 2009 at home, surrounded by her family.
A graduate of Morningside College, she spent much of her career editing technical publications for Digital Equipment Corp. (now Hewlett Packard) and her daughter’s publishing company, and was an award-winning indexer. She lived for many years in Westford, Mass.
She was born in Whiting, Iowa, to Elsie (Merritt) and Archie Stubblefield. Family members include her husband of 45 years, Edward; daughter, Carol and her spouse Daniel Harper of New Bedford, Mass.; and her sisters, Bonnie Ahmann of Montgomery, Ala. and Rose Mather of Yankton, S.D.; as well as nephews and nieces.
A remembrance gathering will be held 12 noon, April 4 at the Parish Center for the Arts of Westford, Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society.
UU inducted into International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent
Everett Hoagland, poet and Unitarian Universalist, will be inducted into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. The Tenth Annual Induction Ceremony to honor the writers who have been selected for inclusion in the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent will take place at Chicago State University on April 18, 2009. Writers who are selected for inclusion in the Literary Hall of Fame have produced a visible body of work that exemplifies cultural cognizance and literary excellence. The award is administered by the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing. Other inductees for 2009 include Laini Mataka and Carolyn Rodgers.
Mr. Hoagland, former poet laureate of t he city of New Bedford, Massachusetts, is a long-time member of First Unitarian Church in New Bedford. His poems have appeared in many periodicals, including the denominational magazine UU World. Some of his poems have been on liberal religious themes, notably including the poem “The Pilgrim” in his 2002 book …Here…: New and Selected Poems.
Spring watch
I spent a good part of the past two days up at Carol’s parents’ house in Westford, Mass. There’s a small wooded wetland right next to their house, and Friday in the late afternoon a chorus of frogs sang very loudly. (Actually, it wouldn’t be accurate to say they sing: the sound is something between a small dog barking and a Mallard duck quacking.) I’m not sure what kind of frog those are, but those were the only frogs I heard last night. And then this evening there were three or four spring peepers adding their voices to the chorus.
There’s a small pond a quarter of a mile away from the house; not a natural pond, but a constructed pond that a developer built in front of some condos. Yesterday Carol and I went for a walk around this pond, and she pointed out for me where sunfish had made nests. There were perhaps half a dozen of these nests, depressions in the sandy bottom near the edge of the pond, about ten inches across and several inches deep. She said that last week she saw a little Bluegill guarding each nest, but we didn’t see any fish there yesterday.
Driving up to Westford from New Bedford yesterday and this morning, I took I-495 most of the way. Perhaps I didn’t notice yesterday, but driving up today I realized that a few willow trees were starting to bloom. All the other trees are still a wintry gray, but a few willows had turned a straw-yellow color.
What music do you listen to when you’re…
So as a minister, I have a question for you. When you are sad — I mean seriously sad, not just sad because you broke a nail, or because you didn’t hit the lottery (again) — when you are seriously sad, what music do you prefer to listen to?
I’ll hold off on giving my own answer for now….