Bedbugs Bite
With all my articles on household cleanliness, you all are going to think I am a cleanliness freak, but I am not. I DO think there are things we take for granted that we should not. I never thought twice about bedbugs until we stayed once in a reputable hotel and ended up with bites. I am particularly sensitive to all insect bites, and ended up with huge swellings. Fortunately, we were able to get rid of them easily, but we had to sterilize all our bedding and get rid of our mattress – we brought the bugs home with us from Florida. 😦
Now, both AdventureMan and I check the sheets everywhere we stay, and we often feel creepy-crawlies even when none are there! We will never feel entirely safe again.
You can read the entire article on the world-wide bedbug resurgence at BBC Health News You can read more about bedbugs on Wikipedia: Bedbugs
Bedbugs were almost entirely eliminated, and then when the use of DDT was forbidden – for good reasons, by the way. They are now world-wide such a big problem that a conference was recently held in Seattle on how to deal with the bedbug problem.
There has been a massive increase in the number of bed bug infestations, according to a survey.
Statistics from councils in London and the Midlands show the rate increased three-fold in the last decade.
The figures were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Bed Bugs Limited, which says the insects “breed at a phenomenal rate”.
Bed bugs are insects that commonly hide in mattresses and carpets and in the crevices of furniture.
They are a reddish-brown colour, oval-shaped insect that can grow to a quarter of an inch long.
They cannot fly and survive by sucking blood from a host animal, mainly at night.
There are distinct hotspots in highly populated areas, with lots of multi-occupancy housing where the bugs can easily spread from one household to another.
Bed bugs spread on clothes, bags and in furniture when it is moved.
They do not choose a dirty home over a clean one – all they are interested in is your blood.
BED BUG SIGNS
Bed bugs are not known to carry diseases, but many people develop an itchy swelling when bitten
Check bed and furniture for black dots, which are bed bug faeces
Check sheets for blood, as feeding bugs can be rolled on and squashed
Microbiologist for Bed Bugs Limited, David Cain, said: “If exposed, anyone can bring them home and quickly have a problem, as they breed at a phenomenal rate.”
It is thought that one of the reasons for the rise is increased travelling.
There are corridors of infestations that radiate out from airports like Heathrow and Gatwick, which support the theory that bedbugs have been brought back to this country from countries where they have never been eradicated.
Experts say they are also spread on public transport and short of decontaminating passengers every time they get on a bus, train or plane it would be impossible to stop them spreading.
The advice from Mr Cain is “don’t sit down”. But the epidemic is not just a British problem.
The World Health Organisation says there are infestations in many cities throughout Europe and North America, where bed bugs have been stopped in the past through the use of strong pesticides like DDT, many of which are now longer used.
Bed bugs are not known to carry diseases, but many people develop an itchy swelling when bitten.
Microbiologist for Bed Bugs Limited, David Cain, said: “If exposed, anyone can bring them home and quickly have a problem, as they breed at a phenomenal rate.”
It is thought that one of the reasons for the rise is increased travelling.
There are corridors of infestations that radiate out from airports like Heathrow and Gatwick, which support the theory that bedbugs have been brought back to this country from countries where they have never been eradicated.
Experts say they are also spread on public transport and short of decontaminating passengers every time they get on a bus, train or plane it would be impossible to stop them spreading.
The advice from Mr Cain is “don’t sit down”. But the epidemic is not just a British problem.
The World Health Organisation says there are infestations in many cities throughout Europe and North America, where bed bugs have been stopped in the past through the use of strong pesticides like DDT, many of which are now longer used.
Family Worship
One of the great blessings of visiting our son and his wife is just spending time together doing the normal things that families do when Mom and Dad don’t live many time zones away in a far and distant land earning a living. This last weekend, we were able to attend church together, which was one of the highlights of my visit with them.
We found a lovely church, Christ Episcopal, in downtown Pensacola. It has organ music, and as my husband says “they sing REAL hymns!” We smiled to see so many families there, from the youngest babies to older folk – the church welcomes us all.
And then AdventureMan spotted the Lutheran Church next door and said “Oh! They have a church souk!”
It was a truly glorious day.
The New Apple Market
I’ve written before about The Apple Market in Pensacola, but on this trip, I had a thrill – the Apple Market has grown. The aisles are wider now. They still have an incredible variety of things that are available, but their ready-prepared food section has grown, they have a separate coffee section – the whole place is larger and more spacious, but still neighborly and friendly. I love that place.
Leaving Seattle
It’s hard to leave. The last few days have been filled with pre-departure must-dos – spending time doing some things with Mom, seeing old friends I won’t see again for a while, packing (aargh) and preparing for the next leg of the journey.
I have an early flight, early enough that I zip right through Seattle, and there is no one to check my car in at the drop off place and I have to trundle over to their rental location to turn in my mileage, etc. Aargh again.
From there on, however, everything is smooth. It is a beautiful day, and leaving Seattle is a gorgeous departure:
I arrive just in time to capture the sunset over the Bayou in Pensacola 🙂
St. David P. Oakerhater
Another ‘who knew? ‘ I found this in the Lectionary readings for today – a Native-American saint:
DEACON AND MISSIONARY (1 SEP 1931)
David P. Oakerhater (born around 1850) was a warrior and leader of the Cheyenne Indians of Oklahoma, and led a corps of fighters against the United States government in a dispute over Indian land rights. In 1875 he and 27 other military leaders were taken prisoner by the U S Army and sent to a military post in Florida. There, thanks to the efforts of a concerned Army captain, they learned English, were encouraged to earn money by giving art and archery lessons to visitors, and encountered the Christian faith. David and three others were moved to become Christians and to go north to study for the ministry. David was baptized in Syracuse, New York, in 1878, and ordained to the diaconate in 1881. He returned to Oklahoma and there founded schools and missions, and continued to work among his people until his death on 31 August 1931. When he first returned to Oklahoma in 1881, he said:
You all know me. You remember when I led you out to war I went first, and what I told you was true. Now I have been away to the East and I have learned about another captain, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is my leader. He goes first, and all He tells me is true. I come back to my people to tell you to go with me now in this new road, a war that makes all for peace.
by James Kiefer
Note: the “military post in Florida” is Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, now a National Monument. Should you go there, you can learn more about his imprisonment there.
The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri
Ahhh! Another book about corruption, but this one is no where near so painful for me to read as The Appeal by John Grisham, because this one is set in Sicily, where we expect a certain level of corruption, and Italy, where the whole system operates by rules we can barely begin to comprehend, but it is ITALY, and fascinating, and funny, and another great page turner for these hot hot hot summer days.
Andrea Camilleri has a whole series of books about Inspector Montalbano, which I love almost as I love the Donna Leon series about the Venetian, Guido Brunetti. Brunetti has the edge because he is married and has a family, and it IS Venice – no competition there, Venice will always win, hands down. But Inspector Montalbano’s single status allows for a whole different flavor permeating his investigations, and he, like Guido Brunetti, shares the Italian reverence for really great food.
I didn’t want to fix dinner. I didn’t want to get out of bed. All I wanted to do was to read the whole book, and, when I finished, I wanted another one!
Inspector Montalbano is asked by a woman to find her missing brother, and he finds him almost immediately, dead, under bizarre circumstances. The brother has a very large amount of money unaccounted for, and unaccounted in terms of earnings, as well. He is a pharmaceutical representative, good at what he does – but he still has way too much money, and Inspector Montalbano finds he is rather fond of the prime suspect.
In the meantime, his office has also been tasked to find the reason several high level politicians have suddenly died, purportedly of a variety of causes, but in reality, all have died of drug overdoses. The problem is, that finding the culprit means exposing the reality of high level drug usage, and the inspector realizes the case has been dumped on his office because no one wants to take responsibility for what happens when the culprit is caught. It’s all very Italian, very Sicilian.
Between investigations, Inspector Montalbano eats some amazing meals. 🙂 He takes his glass of wine and walks in the sand out to the sea. We get to know the characters working out of his office better, and to appreciate their quirkiness. This is a great series, a lot of fun. I think I need to go to Sicily for a visit. I definitely need some Italian food and a glass of vino!
Photo courtesy of http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/)
From time to time a word or phrase would appear that required going to the back of the book where the word is not only translated, but the concept explained, something crucial when reading a novel from another culture. In this series, it is particularly valuable, as the background for the crimes and their investigations with political implications, and if you don’t understand the politics, you can miss the point of the novel.
I found this book at Amazon.com. for a mere $10.19 plus shipping.
One Step Down
It was a real eye opener, being back in the USA. AdventureMan had an interesting observation, something he learned a long time ago in a sociology class. It has to do with dining in restaurants. When a guy eats his lunch out every day, he goes to one kind of place, and then when he takes his family out for a meal on Sunday, he goes one step up, takes them to a better restaurant than he would go to every day.
As we travelled in different parts of the United States, what we saw was just the opposite – one step down. People we know still have jobs, still make their house payments, still have the same income. The PERCEPTIONS however, are very different. People are nervous, maybe even a little worried about their jobs. They are not FEELING as prosperous as they felt last year, or the year before. They are spending less. They are going to eat out, but will eat out at that one-step-down restaurant, and not the higher priced restaurant.
As we Christmas shopped, we saw HUGE differences. The Macy’s and the Dillard’s and the big delightfully fancy stores are like ghost towns, and for good reason. They have drastically cut back on their inventory. Where you had to fight your way through the crowded racks a couple years ago, there is a lot of space this year. I didn’t see anything very exciting in terms of fashions or shoes. The Targets and the Fred Meyers (a Pacific Northwest chain) were packed with shoppers, prices were cut, and products were flying off the shelves.
A newspaper article said that what people are buying are . . . appliances. Things people really use – toasters, mixers, etc. The big difference is, they are insisting on appliances in COLOR – carmine reds, blueberrys, greens – chartreuse seems to be big this year, for Christmas, for clothing, and for decorations. Even for Christmas cookies. Chartreuse and pink are this year’s Christmasy red and green. Total hoot. But when people start drawing back from spending, they buy practical things – in fanciful colors. I remember reading once that when times get tough, lipstick sales soar. Women will spend on something small to make themselves feel good, and lipstick does the trick.
The trip was a real eye opener. AdventureMan has sticker shock. I just laugh. I think Kuwait is expensive! AdventureMan doesn’t buy groceries. I remember one time we were together at the Co-op and he couldn’t believe what we were spending on milk – but what are you going to do? Not buy milk? I have always used powdered milk for baking, but with the Chinese thing, I even worry about powdered milk.
Are you going through sticker shock? Are your spending habits changing? Do you eat in restaurants, or are you eating more at home?
Joe Patti’s and Joey Patti’s in Pensacola
My son’s wife looked at me thoughtfully, and said “Has anyone ever told you about Joey Patti’s?”
“I’ve seen his ads,” I replied.
“Pensacola people say his seafood is the BEST,” she says. “I’ve eaten there once, and I thought it was pretty good. You might want to give it a try.”
I understand what she means. She knows that wherever I go, I like to look behind the curtains, to know where the locals go, what they talk about, how they think. I like to know what makes peoples tick. We are all more alike than we are different, but the differences are so interesting.
Joe Patti runs his own fishing fleet. He processes and sells some of the freshest seafood in the Gulf. He is a big feature on the Pensacola waterfront, and nearby is Joey Patti’s restaurant. We saw lots of happy seagulls and pelicans around the boats and seafood plant, and the parking lot at the restaurant was totally full.
We followed the signs for Joey Patti’s, connected – we don’t know exactly how – one is a seafood seller, one is a restaurant. We were given the very last available booth in the very large restaurant, which was totally bustling with customers – all of Pensacola seemed to be eating lunch there the same day we were there. We soon learned why – the food was simple Southern seafood at its best – fresh, hot and oh, so good.
Clam chowder
Crab Cake Sandwich
Oyster Po'Boy Sandwich
Hush Puppies (actually, there were more, but we couldn't wait)
If you get to Pensacola, look down on the waterfront for Joey Patti’s. You’ll be in for a treat.
Islam Everywhere
As we were driving along in Pensacola, we saw a familiar sight – not familiar for Pensacola, but familiar and strange and wonderful all at the same time – it has a great playground in the back.
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