January 2009

And now let us welcome the New Year
Full of things that have never been. --Rainer Maria Rilke

Looking back at January, it has been quite an event packed journey. Here are some of the highlights that I will remember.

Ushering in the New Year:

As for me, I began the month recovering from the broken right ankle suffered on the morning of December 4, 2008, while leaving Kesnar Hall on the SIUC campus. Still in the air cast (moon boot), I was pretty much sedentary except for the use of crutches and the wheelchair. And, as I was unusually clumsy with the crutches, Fred and Shelley pushed me to and from the SIU basketball games on the cold January nights when there were home games. Once inside the Arena, I was assigned a place on the floor along side others who were also in wheelchairs. Faithful Shelley, unselfishly gave up her better season ticket seat, to sit with me and watch the games.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas: On the evening of January 6th, Fred and I drove to Anna, IL to celebrate the 'Twelfth Day of Christmas' with friends we were unable to be with over the holidays. It was a foggy evening and darkness came early that day. However the warm glow of the festively decorated Pommier apartment raised our spirits as we were also joined by friends, Terry and Brenda Cooley. After a delightful social hour, a toast to the New Year and scrumptious hors d'oeuvres served by our gracious hosts, Dick and Ruth Pommier, we journeyed to 'downtown' Anna to continue our celebration with more feasting at the Brick House Grill.

A little Ankle Action: On Thursday of that week (January 8), Fred drove me to campus for an Emeritus and Annuitant Association Board meeting, where best bud Pansy Jones took over as my 'personal assistant' for the morning. Following the meeting the two of us lunched together at the Newell House in Carbondale. Fred was also there attending a S.T.A.R.T meeting and retrieved me after lunch for our drive to the Logan Medical Arts Park near Herrin, IL. for an appointment with the orthopedic doctor who is treating my broken ankle. After X-rays, I was given the thumbs up that the bone had healed and I no longer had to wear the 'moon boot' 24/7. I was fitted with a lace-up type ankle brace that slipped on my foot giving support to the ankle. At last my foot was somewhat free again! I was given the 'green light' to begin exercising my foot and ankle to regain flexibility and I could also begin to start putting some weight on it. I believe Fred was the one most excited about the prognosis as he almost jumped with joy upon hearing I could begin to walk again. However, the joy was pretty short lived, as I soon discovered the foot was still much too sore to put any amount of weight on it and it was stiff as a board!!! Well, lots of work to do before running any marathons or taking long walks with Sophie!

Miracle on the Hudson: The last two weeks of January were truly amazing. On Thursday, January 15, we were watching TV during the afternoon when a breaking news cast came on about an airliner that had just made an emergency landing in the Hudson River in New York City. As the story unfolded, we were glued to the TV as we witnessed the plane's passengers emerge from the plane's emergency exits and file onto its wings as the plane floated in the icy cold river. Within minutes rescue boats arrived upon the scene to assist in the recovery of the 155 passengers aboard the plane. Miraculously there were no fatalities. I am posting the awesome drawing by Rex Babin, titled Miracle on the Hudson, as it so beautifully depicts the true miracle of what happened that day.

It's A New Day: The following week will be one that will live in the memories of all of us who witnessed it and will, no doubt, go down in history as one of America's biggest milestones. On Monday, January 19th, the country celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Day. And, as thousands of people had already converged on the nation's capitol for the inauguration of president-elect Barack Obama, the celebration for Dr. King was an inspiring opening for America's first African American president who would take office the next day. And with the dawning of the day, on Tuesday, January 20, a new era in our country's history began to unfold with the Obama's beginning their day by attending a church service. They were then welcomed to the White House by President and Mrs. George W. Bush. I don't know of anyone who wasn't glued to their TV or radio that day as the country witnessed the new president take the Oath of Office on the Capitol steps, on a cold January day amidst a sea of cheering people. As far as the eye could see, the grounds around the Capitol was a solid mass of people who had come to witness this momentous time in history. The word of the day was that of hope and change--as the country looked forward to a new beginning and better times ahead. With the country mired in a deep recession and what seems like a never-ending downward spiraling economy, the American people placed their hope on the shoulders of this young and enthusiastic president for solutions to the many problems facing the country and his ability to turn things around. It was a truly awe-inspiring day.

January 21--a special birthday: The following day, Fred, Sophie and I drove to Olney, IL. to celebrate Fred's father's 94th birthday. As always, Dad, was all smiles upon our arrival and following lunch we all enjoyed a piece of birthday cake to celebrate this very special occasion for a very special dad. The picture to the right shows Dad reading one of his many birthday cards. Happy Birthday Dad!

Impeachment: In the days following President Obama's inauguration, our state experienced another first, the impeachment of its governor. Illinois' governor, Rod Blagojevich, was impeached from office because of allegations that he tried to sell the U. S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. By an overwhelming majority vote of the Illinois Senate, Blagojevich was removed from office on the afternoon of Thursday, January 22. Not only is the country in dire shape, our State is in utter chaos as well. With Pat Quinn named as our new governor, we Illinoisans are hoping for change close to home as well as for our country at large.

A sad good-bye: January also brought the loss of a true Hausman/Hartman family gem. We were all saddened by the sudden passing of Betty Hausman Ducey of Tolono, IL. Betty was my dad's first cousin and was one of those people who gave of herself to the fullest and who always had a smile and kind word for everyone. Whether it was her family, her church, her community, or friends, the warmth she shared with all those around her was priceless. She will be truly missed.

Stamp'n & Storm'n: And, on the evening of January 26, as my neighbor, Leslie Curtis and I made our way home from our monthly Stamp Club meeting, we were blanketed by a sudden downpour of sleet as we pulled in our drive. We had chuckled on the way home about how our rambunctious group, who like to talk as much as work, had accomplished an unthinkable feat by completing three greeting cards in an hour! However, with the doom of another threatening winter storm on the horizon, we whipped out our projects with amazing speed in order to beat it home before the storm hit. And by daybreak the next morning, the southern part of the state was engulfed in another record breaking winter storm. Several inches of ice followed by several inches of snow soon blanketed the tri-state area which resulted in closed roads throughout the region, downed power lines across three states, long-term power outages, school and business closings, and more hardship for thousands of people. Over two weeks after the storm many people were still without electricity.

And as the month came to a close, we can truly say with certainty, January 2009, was definitely the beginning of a year full of things that had never been.

Reflecting on the Hudson River incident:

A miracle cannot prove what is impossible;

it is useful only to confirm what is possible.

~Maimonides