Beethoven hair study suggests lead poisoning

By Martha Irvine (Associated Press writer)
(Article appeared in The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, October 18, 2000)

ARGONNE, Ill. – An analysis of a lock of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair suggests lead poisoning could explain the erratic genius' lifelong ailments, his strange behavior, his death, maybe even his deafness. 

The four-year analysis of the hair – apparently snipped after the composer's death at age 56 in 1827 – has turned up a concentration of lead 100 times the levels commonly found in people today, according to researchers at the Health Research Institute in suburban Chicago, where the hair was tested.

That means it is all but certain that the composer suffered from lead poisoning, also known as plumbism, the researchers said.

"It was a surprise, but it stood out like a sore thumb in the analysis," said William Walks, director of the institute's Beethoven research project.

Scientists initially were searching for mercury, a common treatment for syphilis in Beethoven's day. The absence of mercury supports the recent consensus of scholars who believe Beethoven did not have syphilis.

On the net: Center for Beethoven Studies http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/beethoven/

80 Creative Dating Ideas

Lately, I’ve been looking for different date ideas for my hunny and I to enjoy together. We’re working on our 15th wedding anniversary this year!!! So, I hunted up some ideas and decided to post them here for your reading … and dating… enjoyment.  Oh, and there's a few links to Baton Rouge places.

1. Sketch your dream-house floor plan and talk about the possibilities for each room.

2. Write the story of how you met. Get it printed and bound.

3. List your spouse’s best qualities in alphabetical order.

4. Tour a museum or an art gallery.

• LSU Museum of Art

5. Notice the little changes your spouse makes in his/her appearance.

6. Float on a raft together.

• Baton Rouge Recreation Boat and Canoe Rentals

7. Take a stroll around the block – and hold hands as you walk.

8. Stock the cupboards with food your spouse loves to eat. (But ONLY if he or she ISN’T on a diet.)

9. Give your spouse a back rub.

10. Rent a classic love-story video (or go out to a movie) and watch it while cuddling.

•  Movie Date ideas (these are really cool!)

11. Build a fire in the fireplace, turn out the lights and talk.

12. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride.

13. Go swimming in the middle of the night.

14. Write a poem for your spouse.

15. Remember to look into your spouse’s eyes as he/she tells you about the day.

16. Tell your spouse, “I’m glad I married you!”

17. Hug your spouse from behind and give him/her a kiss on the back of the neck.

18. Stop in the middle of your busy day and talk to your spouse for 15 minutes.

19. Create your own special holiday.

20. Do something your spouse loves to do, even though It doesn’t interest you personally.

21. Send your spouse a love letter.

22. Build a snowman together.

23. Watch the sunset together.

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24. Sit on the same side of a restaurant booth.

25. Picnic by a pond.

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26. Give your mate a foot massage.

27. Put together a puzzle on a rainy evening.

28. Take a moonlight canoe ride.

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29. Tell your spouse, “I’d rather be here with you than any place in the world.”

30. Whisper something romantic to your spouse in a crowded room.

31. Have a candlelight picnic in the backyard.

32. Perfume the bed sheets.

33. Serve breakfast in bed.

34. Reminisce through old photo albums.

35. Go away for the weekend.

36. Share a milk shake with two straws.

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37. Kiss in the rain.

38. Brush his/her hair.

39. Ride the merry-go-round together.

40. Dedicate a song to her/him over the radio.

41. Wink and smile at your spouse from across the room.

42. Have a hot bubble bath ready for him/her at the end of a long day.

43. Buy new satin sheets.

44. Tenderly touch your spouse as you pass one another around the house.

45. Reminisce about your first date.

46. Plant a tree together in honor of your marriage.

47. Go kite flying.

48. Attend a sporting event you’ve never been to together.

49. Take time to think about him/her during the day, then share those thoughts.

50. Drop everything and do something for the one you love.

51. Dinner on the beach.

52. Eat in a jail cell – preferably not because you HAVE TO!

53. Progressive dinner – have a 7 course meal, but each course is in a different room, or house.

54. Paint balling

55. Go on a scavenger or Treasure hunt throughout town (I think this is now called Geocaching!)

56. Watch movies blind folded.

57. Go rock climbing.

58. Go fishing.

59. Set up a table and eat in the bed of a truck.

60. Eat on top of a bridge.

61. Go to a driving range.

62. Go “House Hunting” and check out all of the open houses – pretend that you are looking for a house.

63. Go hiking.

64. Go to the zoo.

65. Go Christmas Caroling – in August.

66. Do charity work together.

67. Go to Chuck E. Cheese.

68. Go mini golfing.

69. Have a picnic on top of a roof. Check out the stars while you are up there.

70. Feed the ducks or pigeons (depending on where you live).

71. Get 2 disposable cameras and take pictures all over town, then get them developed and make a mini scrapbook of your date.

72. Go to a video store. Walk in blindfolded and randomly choose a video off the shelf. Watch it.

73. Go out for ice cream.

74. Go get old fashion pictures taken.

75. Go to a fair or amusement park.

76. Go target or skeet shooting.

77. Dress up in Black-tie attire. Have dinner at McDonalds and go to a movie.

78. Get on a chat line together.

79. Get a tattoo together.

80. Make dinner together and eat it.

Hey - These are ONLY 80 ideas!  If you have any to add, please feel free to make a comment!  I LOVE Comments!

13 Rainy Day Ideas by Katrina Cassell*

How to stay sane and keep your kids amused when the weather locks you in.

(This is an article I clipped from Parentlife, March 1999 issue.)

1. ICE SCULPTURE
   

You need: Ice frozen in a half gallon milk carton, screw driver, small hammer.

To Do: Peel the carton from around the ice. Allow older children to create an ice sculpture by chiseling the ice with the screwdriver and hammer.

 

1. GEO BOARD
   

You need: A smooth, 12-inch square board about one-inch thick, sixty-four 1 ½" screws, screw driver, rubber bands of different colors and sizes.

To Do: Place screws equal distance in eight rows of eight and screw into the board, leaving a half-inch protruding above the board. Let your child put the rubber bands around the screws in various combinations. Create squares, triangles, or colorful designs.

 

1. SCAVENGER HUNT
   

You need: A large bag for each child, a timer or watch, a list of items found in the house.

To Do: Tape the list on the refrigerator door. Give each child a large bag. Tell the children to look for the listed items and to place the items in their bags. The children can work as a tem, or the children can compete against each other. Set the timer, or use the watch to see how long it takes each child to find the items on the lsit, or set a limit as to how much time will be allowed to gather the items.

1. PAPER CHAINS
   

You need: Construction paper, scissors, glue.

To Do: Have your child cut long strips of colored paper about an inch wide. Form a circle with one piece and glue (or staple). Loop another piece through the circle and glue. If you have more than one child, let each child make a short chain of his own and then connect all the short chains. Hang the chain somewhere to remind the children of what they can do when they work together.

1. BALANCE BEAM
   

You need: Masking tape

To do: Put a strip of masking tape on the floor to represent a balance beam. Let your child walk on the beam. Suggest ideas: Be a tight rope walker, walk forward, walk backward, and so on.

Variations: Play follow the leader. Have your child imitate you, and then let him be the leader. Play music and have your child walk the beam in time to the music. Have him march, move very slowly, and so on. Suggest animals your child can imitate.

1. GREETING CARD BOOKS
   

You need: Four or five used greeting cards, yarn, paper punch.

To Do: Have your child carefully remove the backs of his cards so he has only the picture. Punch holes along the side of each card. Then let your child tie his cards together to make a book. Your child may want to deliver completed books to church members in a nursing home or to give the books to parents or grandparents on special occasions.

 

1. TEXTURE RUBBINGS
   

You need: Heavy-weight white paper; crayons with paper removed; small items such as a comb, leaf, coin, key, paper clip.

To Do: "Hide" one or two items under a piece of paper. Have your child rub over the paper with a crayon until he can identify the objects under the paper. Repeat with other objects. Allow your child to arrange as many objects as he wants under a piece of paper and make a crayon rubbing collage. Experiment with objects of different textures.

 

1. COLORFUL BUBBLE PICTURES
   

You need: Bubble solution and wands, tempera paint, small bowls, paper, paint shirt.

To Do: Pour a small amount of bubble solution in a bowl. Add a few drops of tempera paint and stir. Let your child blow a bubble so that it pops on his paper and leaves a splatter of color. Repeat using different colors until your child has a colorful splatter picture.

 

1. BEAN BAG FUN
   

You need: Old socks, uncooked beans, laundry basket, or waste basket.

To Do: Fill old socks with beans and tie then end shut. Form a line about six feet from the basket. Let your child have a turn tossing the bean bags at the basket. If he hits the basket, move it back. If he misses, move it closer. You may have to demonstrate how to toss a bean bag underhand rather than throw it overhand.

 

1. BALLOON VOLLEYBALL
   

You need: Round balloons.

To Do: Blow up several balloons and tie. Toss them up in the air. Have you children bat at the balloons to keep them in the air. Use one or two balloons for one child and three or four balloons for more children. Pick up any popped balloons as they are a choking hazard.

Variation: Stretch a string across the room and try to hit the balloon back and forth over the string.

 

1. HOMEMADE GREETING CARDS
   

You need: Colored or white paper, scraps of material, felt, pipe cleaners, buttons, glitter.

To Do: Fold the paper in half. Let your child design the front of his card using whatever supplies he desires. Write a message to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others on the inside. These can become cherished keepsakes.

 

1. MINIATURE VILLAGE
   

You need: Colored tape or chalk, small cars, and trucks.

To Do: Design roadways with colored tape or chalk on the basement or kitchen floor. Let your child help draw bridges, curves, and intersections. Drive the toy cars.

 

1. PAINT BLOBS
   

You need: Paint shirt, heavy paper, finger, or tempera paint, crayons.

To Do: Have your child fold a sheet of paper in half, crease, then unfold. Drop a few drops of paint on one side of the paper. Refold the paper so the paint smears. Unfold the paper and look at all the patterns. Try to find shapes and "pictures". Use crayons to make the blobs into a picture.

 

*Katrina Cassel is a freelance writer, wife, and mother. She lives in England.

 

Divorce Decluttering

It's been a while since I've posted regularly.  I guess it really doesn't matter anymore since I don't have THAT many readers.  I just post to keep up with myself.  Sometimes.

So, today, I got in a mood to start some decluttering.  I went through my filing cabinet and weeded out a whooooooollle bunch of stuff.  Then I placed my hand on a thick folder labled "Legal Papers".  In truth, it was everything related to my divorce saga from waaay back when.  The divorce decree, the custody agreement, the child support papers, etc.  Well, it dawned on me that the youngest child from that union is now 18 years old.  Therefore, I really didn't need that stuff anymore.  There were also lots of notes, tape recordings, and other junk that I never wanted him to see or hear. 

So, I did something today.  I decluttered.  I took that entire folder out to my fire pit in the back yard and burned it ... one page at a time .... to make sure that my son would NEVER lay eyes on that stuff.  As I placed each page on the flame, I glanced over it, remembering all the heartache and turmoil from that time in my life.  It hurt to rehash it, but burning it was also healing.  It's the past.  It's done.  All has been forgiven. 

My ex husband has grown up.  I have grown up.  It's refreshing to close that chapter of my life.

My life as a 3 Ring circus

Since ya'll haven't heard anything from me in quite a while, I'll try to fill you in on what's been going on here.  But first, grab a cup of tea, sit down, and hang on tight!

 

Child #1 has got a job now and loves it.  She's working as a telemarketer.  I keep her child while she works (and when she's not working).  Since she has no transportation yet, I take her to work most days and my Mom picks her up, most days. 

 

We'll start this particular "saga" with last Tuesday, Jan, 31 - on which day several things were going on. 

 

At 4 p.m., I was rudely awoken from a nap by a phone call from Dahlin', yelling at me to "Call the Fire Departmen!!  Quick!".  Thinking at first that it was a bad joke, I started to go back to sleep.  But then, curiosity got the best of me and I got up, phoning 911 while pulling on my jeans and stumbling out the front door of the house.  While still on the phone, I see the dead brush and acreage between my place and my dad's place was aflame.  It seems that my Dahlin' had been busy in the garden area and lit it up to burn off the dead stuff.  Well, right about that time, along comes a big gust of wind and the cute little flames got away from him and began devouring all the unkempt stuff next door.  All of this was going on about 1/2 an acre or less from my house!!!  BTW, it took the fire dept 25 minutes to get here and when they did arrive, my dad, Dahlin', and Child #2 all had everything under control.  Alas, a tragedy averted.

 

At 5 p.m., we received the phone call we'd been waiting for and dreading.  My ex-mother in law had not been doing well for quite some time.  She had suffered for months from pulmonary fibrosis.  She was 82 (or 83?).  This call told us that she had passed away.  Child #1, Child #2, and I actually had planned to visit her on Wednesday afternoon.  She was too tired to wait.  She was Grandma to my older 2 children.

 

At 7 p.m., Child #2 endured his Eagle Board of Review.  It took more than an hour!!!  But they told him Congrats he'd made it.

 

On Wednesday, we did our usual Wednesday night church stuff.

 

On Thursday, I took Child #1 to work and returned home (66 miles RT).  Then I did what I always do on Thursdays.  As soon as my girls (Child #3 & #4) hit the door, things get a bit chaotic.  Before they arrive, I gather up my laundry (my dryer died a while back) and make them a snack which sits on the counter waiting for them.  As soon as they walk in, that's the first thing they look for.  Then, it's "Get changed!" while I toss their leotards and tights at them.  Child #3 wears some sort of little skirt or pants over hers because HER first stop is at piano lessons.  At 4, we're out the door and off. 

 

At 5, they both have places to be.  So, I drop Child #3 at her piano lesson and speed off for #4's dance lesson, which is also at 5.  Once I drop HER off, I drive around the corner to the laundromat and toss my laundry into the washers.  That runs for about 30 minutes but I don't have time to toss it in the dryer yet.  So, I leave it while I run back to get #3 at her now finished piano lesson.  By this time, #4's dance class is out, so she just hangs out with her teacher till I get back to pick her up.  Then it's back to the laundry around the corner to toss the laundry into the dryers and back around the corner to drop #3 at HER dance class.  Then back to the laundry to finish up and head home with hopes of arriving by 8:30.

Friday, Feb 3, was ex-Mother in law's funeral.  #1, her child, and #2 attended the services with their Dad who had come in from out of town.  I also attended in the capacity of musician to accompany my music minister who sang a couple of songs. 

 

Saturday, I transported #1 to work and headed back to the laundry to wash another load or two.  Between loads, I received a phone call from #2.  He had been with his best friend and his girl friend.  He was calling to tell me they had crashed.  He was so calm about it that I literally thought he and his friend had arrived at his friend's house where they "crashed".  He then had to explain to me that they had experienced a one car incident that left them in a water filled ditch on a rural road.  I sent Dahlin' to pick him up.  About an hour later, Dahlin' calls me to tell me about the wreck.  #2 had left out the part about the car flipping 3 times and landing upside down in the water!!!  Fortunately, he was alive to tell me all about it later. 

 

On Sunday, we had church, which for our family usually involves about 7 hours.

 

Monday, I took #1 to work then went to Walmart to buy my girls some new sneakers.  While there I bought some for me, too, with intentions to restart the Couch to 5 K program the next morning.

 

Tuesday, I woke up feeling icky and fluish.  I blame it on the shoe purchase the day before.  I took grandchild to #1 at 8:30 a.m., then went to play piano for a Sr. Adult choir practice.  Then at 11:30, I took #1 to work and took grandchild to the doctor due to congestion and green goo coming from the nose.  He wasn't running any fever so I had no reason to suspect anything.  As a result of that visit, poor little grandchild was dx'd with a double ear infection.  I ended up not leaving there until late afternoon .. about 3.  Went to pick up his antibiotic at Walmart which took an hour!!!  While at Walmart, I ran into a family cousin and chatted with her for a bit.  Then, I went to my mom's, changed Grandchild, fed him dinner, gave him his first dose of antibiotic and left to come home.  Arrived at home right at 5:15, gathered up my girls, and hit the road again for a girl scout meeting.  Finally got home at 8, put everyone to bed, and hit the hay myself.

 

Wednesday, #4 had a dentist appointment to have her upper baby eye teeth pulled.  The dentist said they don't normally come out until 8 or 9 years old, but #4 is only 6.  However, her permanent teeth were trying to come in and there isn't any room for them.  So, we made some room for the newbies.  I spent the rest of the day pampering her before we had our usual Wednesday night activities.  By this time, she was raring to get to church as they were having Valentines festivities for the kiddos that she had been looking forward to.  When we got home, I helped #3 with her George Washington Carver biography report rough draft.  Then put them all to bed.

 

Thursday, I took #1 to work and returned home.  #2 came home from school and excitedly informed me that he had pulled an inch long piece of glass from what looked like a scratch on his leg as a result of the car accident nearly a week ago.  I paused a moment, looked at him, considered taking him in for a tetanus shot but dismissed the thought. I told him instead just to keep it clean and watch for signs of infection.  Then I proceeded to embark on the Thursday Crazy Run.  Gather stuff, Get Snacks, and hit the road running. - Dropped #3 for her piano lesson, Drop #4 at dance, hit the laundromat, back to get #3, then get #4, back to the laundry, then dance for #3, back to the laundry, pick up #3, Head home, help #3with her Science poster project on sources of Light, Heat, and Sound.  Then bed.

 

Friday -  I took #1 to work, called the doc on the way regarding a tetanus shot for #2.  Thankfully, he had his last one in 2006 and they're good for 10 years.  Then I went grocery shopping and home.  Waited patiently for my girls.  They had a big night planned.  It was their first Daddy Daughter Dance!!!  I laid out every dress they had so they could pick their favorite.  Then I had to work on hair.  I had planned to do some fancy updo's but they chose to wear it down.  I was a tad disappointed that they didn't want updo's but it was much easier to leave it down!  I picked out Dahlin's outfit and ironed it.  He did the rest himself.  

 

Before he got dressed, He had cooked up 3 gallons of seafood gumbo!!  Then they were gone, #3 was off at a school basketball game, leaving me, grandson, and Buddy the beagle home all alone.  I was so happy to have the TV remote to myself for a change!

 

Well, there ya have it.  My life, a.k.a. the 3 ring circus, for the past week and a half.   Tomorrow morning, I'll drive the gang down to my sister's to collect Neice, who will be staying with me this week while Sister and BIL are cruising around Mexico.  Once I get Niece, we're off to Lowe's so all three girls can hammer to their hearts content as they build a little Valentine Card maker center (sort of a lap desk?).  I have nothing else "planned" for tomorrow, but ya never know what'll happen over here!!! 

 

Well, I hope you've enjoyed a glimpse into what is going on here.  BTW,I'm currently accepting donations for a much needed vacation.  :D  However, I'm sorry to say that I don't think the donations are tax deductible.