Virtual Salon 7/19/12 ~ PART THREE: Articles, Letters!

ARTICLES AND LETTERS

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- From Nuns on the Bus: threat to food stamps

- Exciting issue of YES Magazine: http://www.yesmagazine.org/

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Nuns on the Bus: still lobbying.  Religious Women for Social Justice.  Please click here to read current threat to the whole food stamp program:

http://www.networklobby.org/

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LETTERS

write me your ideas, responses.  I'll publish it here.  ellen

From Evan B. Bukey (Our History Prof Salonista in AK):  on Aging

On Sun 15 Jul 2012, at 12:59 PM, Evan Burr Bukey wrote:

Hi Chusti!
              If memory serves me correctly, you and Bill Howard just celebrated birthdays. How do you feel in a 72 old body? Although delighted to be alive, I  have mixed feelings recalling the tip-top ages of 19, 21 and 35. The 40s and early 50s weren't bad either. Et tu?

Happy Birthday!
Evan

From: Ellen Bierhorst [ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2012 12:58 PM
To: Evan Burr Bukey
Subject: Re: Aging

Yep, now 72.  I notice I spend a lot of time running a program in the background about 'beating' the aging body thing.  Been doing it increasingly since about age 40 when I started jogging.  Then in '01, got hold of weight management.  Each time, felt I was gaining ground on the race for health.  But if I wake up achy in the morning, as I just did, it really rains on my parade.  Found myself in tears this morning, and it was clearly only because I had pain in my low back.  "I'm not supposed to have back issues, I'm an Alexander Teacher!".  

My 86 year old friend  (Regine)  thinks I should stop fighting it and just accept that I am aging.  

For me, it's the arthritis thing.  Am pretty well convinced that the electrical stimulation machine I have been using over two years now, has helped.  Amd better than before, when stats would have me considerably worse.  So that's a plus.

I am thrilled you are still in the 'monument of the living', given that scary cancer thing and the super scary surgery you had.  Geez!

On Friday I stood a lot at the World Choir Games competition etc. and then walked home from the bus stop, uphill, 2 miles.  Think that's the origin of my low back pain.  But the World Choir Games was a real high.  Singing the gospel music with the MLK jr Chorale... director a real home time born again preacher.  Really lovely.

What's floating your boat these days, Evan Burr?

EOB

From Evan:

Thanks for the rapid response. Odd coincidence. Last winter, I taught an eight week education course and wrenched my back simply lecturing two hours a week. Wasn't anything serious, but took several months of physical therapy to alleviate. Don't know about my present state of health, as I've not had a CT-scan and blood-work for year. Logic tells me to go ahead, but even the white coats wonder of it's worth the stress. In retrospect, my adventures with cancer has helped me cope with the aging process, though there are days that make me wish we were all young and feral. We were a lucky generation thanks to FDR, Truman, Ike, and JFK. Too bad that ended on 22 November 1963. (My brother spent six weeks in Vietnam last summer, returning with renewed disdain for the LBJ-Nixon gang).
Aside from miserable weather, we've had a pleasant summer having just returned from a cruise from Rome to Istanbul. Turkey is fascinating!!! Italy, as always, stunning. Can you believe 53 years have passed since our (romance in 1959)... What more can you report on the World Choir Games?

love and kisses,
Evan