Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category

Dec. 21 The Gag Reflex

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Our bodies have so many ways of protecting us. The gag reflex is just one. I ate something that almost went down the wrong way today, which prompted me to reflect on this little blessing.

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Dec. 20 Headlights

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

The nights are long these days. It’s dark while I’m still sitting at my desk working. Thankful for nighttime transportation!

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Dec. 17 Legs

Saturday, December 17th, 2011

I saw someone at the grocery store who was missing a leg and sitting in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, legs – like arms – are something I take for granted far too often.

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Dec. 9 A Roof Over My Head

Friday, December 9th, 2011

I don’t thank God nearly enough for having a place to live.

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Nov. 16 Being Spared from Auto Accidents

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

For some reason, pedestrians in D.C. routinely bop out into oncoming traffic. No matter if the light in front of you is green – that doesn’t guarantee that it’s safe to drive forward.

Over the last couple of years, a number of pedestrians have appeared to try to get under my wheels. I’m quite thankful none of them succeeded. I’m also thankful I didn’t hit that car in front of me that braked suddenly in the rain tonight.

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Oct. 18 Away from home: Safety

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

A big one, and one that’s too easy to take for granted: a safe trip.

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Sept. 29 Terrorism Prevention

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

There’s nothing like waking up to the news that a guy was plotting to attack Washington, D.C.

An undercover FBI investigation has likely prevented terrorist bombings at the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol, according to the reports.

I know there are many instances like this that we never hear about. But just the ones that have been made public are stunning: Including today’s news, a total of 41 terrorist plots have been thwarted since 9/11. That’s cause for daily thanks.

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Aug. 27 Weather forecasting

Saturday, August 27th, 2011

We complain when the weather forecast is a little off. It rains when it’s not supposed to; it snows one inch instead of two feet. But without weather forecasting, we wouldn’t know that a hurricane is on its way. We wouldn’t have time to prepare. Areas couldn’t evacuate. Who knows how many lives are saved because of meteorology?

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Aug. 26 Helpful Tips

Friday, August 26th, 2011

There’s a hurricane headed up the East Coast. Though we’re not due to catch its full impact, it is likely that we could have power outages and flooding around town. I saw a news report this morning where North Carolina residents who have endured several hurricanes were giving advice about preparing for the storm. (It sounded very much like this list of tips.)

One thing I wouldn’t have thought of was filling your bathtub – in case water service is interrupted, you can use that water to flush the toilet. I like being able to do that.

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Aug. 23 Rattlin’

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

I picked one heck of a day to work from home. I was sitting at my kitchen table with my computer when I started to hear and feel the rumbling. Thoughts started racing through my mind:

Is that a train? No, I’ve never heard a train that loud… and the ground doesn’t shake like this when trains go by… The house is shaking! Are there high winds? No, I don’t see any wind outside. This must be an earthquake! Should I get in a doorway? I don’t really feel threatened… my teapot is rattling! I’d better make sure it doesn’t fall off the fridge.

Actual photo of earthquake's effects in my office. (photo by Amy)

“Experience earthquake” was not on my bucket list.

But yes, there was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake today. Fortunately, it was mild, as you can see by the photo of “damage” that occurred in my office (added at right).

For some reason – possibly because I have a catalog of songs/musicals in my head – I couldn’t get the minstrel song from “White Christmas” out of my head for the rest of the day. (“Mr. Bones feels rattlin’”)

Many who were in downtown D.C. at the time were relieved it was not a terrorist attack, which shows how relative these things can be. “Oh, it’s just an earthquake.”

These moments when we experience a little rattlin’ – and no major damage – tend to shock us back into appreciating our families, friends, homes and safety.

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