Spring has sprung, and I have been very busy with my favorite hobby, raising tomato plants. Maybe I’m a little late for this advice, but be sure to put the plants in the hole so that the bottom leaf is at ground level. Part of the stem will be buried, and it will get roots also. This will allow the plant to get more water with less sprinkling. If they are already planted you can hill the plants to the bottom leaf. You might need extra soil to do that. If so, get a bag of fertilized soil. I have 15 tomato plants with 3 different varieties planted, and so far they are doing well.
Lots of luck,
Dr. Ray
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Raising Twins
When Dorothy and I were discussing the possibility of having twins, she mentioned that there would be additional work in raising two babies at one time instead of just one. I suggested that I would be willing to give the 2am feeding, so she could get a good night’s rest. She said that would help, and she seemed to want to try. So using the rhythm method to tell the fertile time of her cycle, it appeared Dorothy did have two ovulations that month. It was correct, and she was pregnant with our twins, Barb and Bob.
Now the hard part. The babies came home, and the 2am feedings began. Previously I was able to sleep through one baby crying, but with two babies crying, I was awake, and. down the stairs I went to warm the bottles. After about two weeks of this routine, one night I put my head down on the table and fell asleep. When I awoke, the bottles were in a pot of boiling water. Now I have two bottles too hot to handle, and I started to cool them in cold water. I felt that the bottles were cool enough, and I was able to feed the babies. Eventually Dorothy got up, and she asked why is it taking so long? Then she looked at Barbara and said, “Her head is all wet and sweaty.” Well I answered that perhaps the milk was too hot and I told her how the bottles boiled.
Now the hard part. The babies came home, and the 2am feedings began. Previously I was able to sleep through one baby crying, but with two babies crying, I was awake, and. down the stairs I went to warm the bottles. After about two weeks of this routine, one night I put my head down on the table and fell asleep. When I awoke, the bottles were in a pot of boiling water. Now I have two bottles too hot to handle, and I started to cool them in cold water. I felt that the bottles were cool enough, and I was able to feed the babies. Eventually Dorothy got up, and she asked why is it taking so long? Then she looked at Barbara and said, “Her head is all wet and sweaty.” Well I answered that perhaps the milk was too hot and I told her how the bottles boiled.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Having a Family
Having a Family
I have to begin many years ago, like 70 yrs, I was at Loyola U. taking a course in Medical Ethics. I had a very astute Jesuit professor, Father Kelly, that taught us the way to live the rest of our lives.
He taught us that when God created man, that He also included a sexual appetite and sexual pleasure. God gave instructions to multiply and fill the earth. Father Kelly said that it only seems logical that, when raising children is such a difficult task, that God would include some pleasure in the sexual act. The desire to have sex and the pleasure associated with a sexual performance is built in the human nature. God put it there, therefore it is good. If there was no pleasure, no one would want to have any children. So in God’s plan for the procreation of the human race, having children is essential.
Now with that background, I got married to Dorothy who had similar training. We felt that the Church was guiding us with principles that were necessary in our lives. So birth control had to be part of our lives to show responsibility for our children. The Catholic Church advocates a system called the rhythm method which promotes responsibility and self control. This is not easy but it can work. However it does help if a large family is planned, because errors in the schedule are common which can lead to unplanned pregnancies.
In our marriage we discovered that Dorothy had a variation in her menstrual cycle. It appears that she would have two ovulations every month, Now that could cause twin babies which is common in both of our families. In planning our next pregnancy, we found out that was correct, and we had twins, a girl and a boy.
I have to begin many years ago, like 70 yrs, I was at Loyola U. taking a course in Medical Ethics. I had a very astute Jesuit professor, Father Kelly, that taught us the way to live the rest of our lives.
He taught us that when God created man, that He also included a sexual appetite and sexual pleasure. God gave instructions to multiply and fill the earth. Father Kelly said that it only seems logical that, when raising children is such a difficult task, that God would include some pleasure in the sexual act. The desire to have sex and the pleasure associated with a sexual performance is built in the human nature. God put it there, therefore it is good. If there was no pleasure, no one would want to have any children. So in God’s plan for the procreation of the human race, having children is essential.
Now with that background, I got married to Dorothy who had similar training. We felt that the Church was guiding us with principles that were necessary in our lives. So birth control had to be part of our lives to show responsibility for our children. The Catholic Church advocates a system called the rhythm method which promotes responsibility and self control. This is not easy but it can work. However it does help if a large family is planned, because errors in the schedule are common which can lead to unplanned pregnancies.
In our marriage we discovered that Dorothy had a variation in her menstrual cycle. It appears that she would have two ovulations every month, Now that could cause twin babies which is common in both of our families. In planning our next pregnancy, we found out that was correct, and we had twins, a girl and a boy.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Two Near-Tragic Occurrences
Over the years in our travels, we would usually fly on longer trips, because it would save time, and it was generally safer. However we had two events that were similar, although they were years apart.
In 1964 on our European trip to Rome, our group chartered an Air France plane to go from New York to Rome non-stop. To make sure not to miss the flight, our group hired a bus to take us to New York the day before. We had a day in New York with reservations at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for the night. Very nice.
The next day the plane left on schedule with the destination for Rome. Also we were flying at night, and our tour was to begin shortly after our Rome arrival. At 3am the captain announced that we would be landing at Orly Field in Paris. We all had to deplane and go into the terminal to wait. Looking out the window as we approached the runway, I could see fire trucks with flashing lights, also ambulances, and other emergency vehicles. All the airports lights were on making night into day. We all deplaned, and then we were told that the plane blew a tire on take-off. We landed safely, and, then after 1 hour, we were able to board our plane to continue our trip to Rome. Now over an hour late, we were rushed off through the terminal to a waiting bus. Off we went to the St. Stephan’s catacombs without breakfast or comfort stops.
Years later we were on a trip to Hawaii, and we were island hopping by air from one island to the next. Beautiful Hawaii where everyone on the island wants to get to the mainland, and everyone on the mainland wants to go to the Islands. Dorothy and I were alone, and we were very happy to be able to enjoy all that Hawaii had to offer. Now on leaving one island with the plane taxing to take off, there was a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke on one side. Then the plane was aborting the take-off, and we were all jammed into our seats. The plane was able to stop, however, looking out the window, I could see the waves of the ocean. The pilot was able to turn the plane around, and he taxied the plane back to the hanger. The explanation was that we blew a tire on take-off. Then another explanation was added that a piece of rubber had lodged into the engine, and we would have to change planes to continue. Some of the passengers were very pale and frightened. Others were taking some pills, possibly Valium, to relax. We narrowly escaped a serious accident from either the engine exploding and burning, or not having enough runway left to stop.
As I mentioned before, God has His plan for each of us, and our job on earth was not completed yet.
In 1964 on our European trip to Rome, our group chartered an Air France plane to go from New York to Rome non-stop. To make sure not to miss the flight, our group hired a bus to take us to New York the day before. We had a day in New York with reservations at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for the night. Very nice.
The next day the plane left on schedule with the destination for Rome. Also we were flying at night, and our tour was to begin shortly after our Rome arrival. At 3am the captain announced that we would be landing at Orly Field in Paris. We all had to deplane and go into the terminal to wait. Looking out the window as we approached the runway, I could see fire trucks with flashing lights, also ambulances, and other emergency vehicles. All the airports lights were on making night into day. We all deplaned, and then we were told that the plane blew a tire on take-off. We landed safely, and, then after 1 hour, we were able to board our plane to continue our trip to Rome. Now over an hour late, we were rushed off through the terminal to a waiting bus. Off we went to the St. Stephan’s catacombs without breakfast or comfort stops.
Years later we were on a trip to Hawaii, and we were island hopping by air from one island to the next. Beautiful Hawaii where everyone on the island wants to get to the mainland, and everyone on the mainland wants to go to the Islands. Dorothy and I were alone, and we were very happy to be able to enjoy all that Hawaii had to offer. Now on leaving one island with the plane taxing to take off, there was a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke on one side. Then the plane was aborting the take-off, and we were all jammed into our seats. The plane was able to stop, however, looking out the window, I could see the waves of the ocean. The pilot was able to turn the plane around, and he taxied the plane back to the hanger. The explanation was that we blew a tire on take-off. Then another explanation was added that a piece of rubber had lodged into the engine, and we would have to change planes to continue. Some of the passengers were very pale and frightened. Others were taking some pills, possibly Valium, to relax. We narrowly escaped a serious accident from either the engine exploding and burning, or not having enough runway left to stop.
As I mentioned before, God has His plan for each of us, and our job on earth was not completed yet.
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