Friday, August 10, 2007, 05:44
Yeee-ouch!
I am feeling incredibly sorry for myself. Thursday morning, I went outside with a cup of coffee and sat down in a lawn chair. I was wearing shorts at the time.
I crossed my legs -- and the pain was instant and intense.
Unbeknownst to me, a wasp had landed on my right knee just as I was sitting down As I put my left leg over my right, the wasp stung me. Right in the middle of my knee cap.
As the day wore on, my knee -- and then my leg -- began to ache.
By Thursday evening, my knee was hot to the touch, and it was very painful to bend it. Walking was painful as well. And it didn't matter how I sat. I just could not find a comfortable position.Pressing on the knee reveals that most of the pain is in the side of the joint.
But you know what really bothers me?
My knee hurts. My leg hurts. It's painful to walk. Painful to bend my knee. But all I can see is a little bruise in the middle of my knee cap.
You would think that it would least have the good grace to be swollen and black and blue, wouldn't you?
I haven't been stung by a bee or a wasp in about 30 years. And now this summer, I have been stung by wasps twice and by sweat bees about a half a dozen times.
And I'm still feeling sorry for myself.
LeAnn R. Ralph
Wednesday, August 08, 2007, 04:35
Preserve Your Family History
My copies of "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Interviewing Family Members and Writing Oral Histories)" have arrived!
If you've ever thought you might like to interview family members, friends or elderly neighbors to get their stories, this book can help. (Even if I do say so myself. And I guess I just did.)
And you don't have to write the oral histories, either. If all you want to do is record the interviews on tape or videotape, you will still have the stories.
The book is $11.95 (plus applicable sales tax for Wisconsin residents). And as always, free shipping.
The book is meant to be used. Write notes in it. Copy the questions to hand out to the people you want to interview. Or buy a couple of copies and hand them out to your interviewees so they will know what questions you want to ask.
If you want to order a copy or copies, click here.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the book order form. Fill out the form. Click "validate/verify your order." It's that easy.
Preserving family stories is something I feel strongly about. I wish I had asked my mom and dad to sit down and talk and tell me everything they remembered while I tape-recorded their stories. But I didn't. You don't have to make the same mistake I did, though. Get those stories before they are gone. . .
LeAnn R. Ralph