Author's posts
Aug 31
Hurricanes!
All this talk about Hurricanes reminds me of Hurricane Carol which hit where we lived when I was a kid. At the time we lived in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, right on the line with Westerly, Rhode Island. Luckily, we also lived on a small hill. My Mom said “let’s go down and see the waves” …
Aug 25
Wizard of Oz Day
1939 ~ Dorothy embarked on a journey down the yellow brick road with a lion, a tin man and a scarecrow in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz.”
Aug 23
Anniversary of William Wallace’s Death in 1305
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. He was appointed Guardian of Scotland and served until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298. In August 1305, Wallace was captured in Robroyston, near Glasgow, …
Jul 21
Happy Ice Cream Day!
National Ice Cream Day is observed each year on the 3rd Sunday in July and is a part of National Ice Cream Month. This day is a fun celebration enjoyed with a bowl, cup or cone filled with your favorite flavor of ice cream. Thousands of years ago, people in the Persian Empire would …
Jul 18
High School Memories
This is from one of those silly Facebook posts where they want you to copy and paste to share with your friends. I decided to take it a bit further and expand just a *bit*. Tell us about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the …
Jul 17
World Emoji Day
Another of those Who Knew holidays. World Emoji Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated on July 17. The day is deemed a “global celebration of emoji” and is primarily celebrated online. Celebrated annually since 2014,[NBC reported that the day was Twitter’s top trending item on July 17 in 2015. Now before the emoji, …
Jul 04
Happy 4th!
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain. Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless …
Cushing’s
- 😊 Welcome! / Cushing-Help.com Support for Cushing's Syndrome and Cushing's DiseaseWelcome to Cushing's Help and Support. This site provides information, support, news, and education for people with Cushing's or other endocrine problems, their friends and families. Cushing's syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of cortisol. Cushing's is a debilitating disease which causes the overproduction of […]
- 📚 A Cushing's Collection: A Humorous Journey Surviving Cushing’s Disease, Diabetes Insipidus, and a Bilateral AdrenalectomyDiagnosed with a rare disease that only affects between two and ten people per million, Marie Conley used emails to communicate with family, friends, and co-workers to keep them apprised of the diagnosis and prognosis of Cushing's disease and the many complications she experienced on this journey. Her ironic humor and raw, emotional approach helps […]
- 🧠 It Could Be Worse…I don’t know where to begin. Sometime in August 2025 DH was hit in the head by a lightning strike while mowing the lawn. Related? January of 2026 the memory issues started. Then the walking, the falling, the request for incontinence pads. I kept a spreadsheet starting with the lightning strike.
- 📅 Cushie CalendarOur Cushie Calendar has been updated with a new look and it's now embedded with the message board calendar.
- 🎬 Adrenal Crisis: Still Deadly in the 21st CenturyAdrenal crisis is a life-threatening medical emergency, associated with a high mortality unless it is appropriately recognized and early treatment is rendered. Despite it being a treatable condition for almost 70 years, failure of adequate preventive measures or delayed treatment has often led to unnecessary deaths.
- 📰 AIs it Possible to Have Coexisting Exogenous and Endogenous Cushing's Syndrome?A 40-year-old female patient, hypertensive for three months and treated with 5 mg of amlodipine, with newly diagnosed untreated diabetes mellitus, presented to the emergency department with severe asthenia, abdominal pain, and vomiting. The medical history revealed prolonged self-medication with dexamethasone at a dose of 1 mg/day for three years in order to gain weight. […]
- 🏞 Cushing's MemberMapWe're rebuilding the Cushing's Member Map. Add your information (or your doctor's) at https://cushingsbios.com/2018/10/28/we-have-a-new-bio-form/
- ✍🏼 Explaining Cushing’s to OthersI am writing this letter to share with you some basic facts about Cushing’s Disease/Syndrome and the recovery process so that you will have sufficient information to form realistic expectations about me and my ability to engage in certain activities in light of this disease and its aftermath.
- ✍🏼 Cushing’s BiosThese Cushing’s bios aren’t your typical “bedtime story” but they tell the truth about what Cushing’s patients go through to get diagnosed – and hopefully go into remission. There aren’t necessarily a lot of happy endings here. If you’re looking for those, look at the ones in the category “Success Stories”. If you see yourself […]
- 🖤 In Memory: Lenise PetersonLenise passed away Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2002 at 23 years old, just after her surgery.
Music and Local Events
- 🔔 Adult Handbells!Handbells are not just for children and teens! We have adult handbell groups for beginner to advanced ringers. The difficulty level of handbell music is rated from Level 1 (easy) to Level 6 (most difficult). Each of the groups rings 6-8 times in worship between September and June and participates in the annual Christmas handbell […]
- ❓ What Gives a Piano its Voice?Picture a seven-foot grand piano in a studio. The lid’s missing, so you can see all the strings. Researchers suspend a rod embedded with 32 microphones over the piano’s body. “We played this middle C at a very soft level, a medium level, and a very loud level,”…
- 🧮 Music and Mathematics: The Fibonacci sequenceNamed after the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci (c. 1170- c. 1250) who brought the Indian-Arabic numeral system to Europe, the Fibonacci series appear in nature and in music, and finds application in architecture and in instrument design, much before the Fibonacci Steinway.
- 🎵 Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition ~ Daily Listening AssignmentsPictures at an Exhibition is a suite of ten pieces (plus a recurring, varied Promenade) composed for the piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The suite is Mussorgsky’s most famous piano composition and has become a showpiece for virtuoso pianists.
- 🧶 Caring Hands, September 12 at 10 amWe’re delighted to revive our Prayer Shawl / Baby Blanket / Care Bag ministry as an in-person gathering once again! We meet at 10:00 AM on the second Saturday of each month in the Pender UMC Library. This is a relaxed, welcoming time to knit, crochet, talk, and share as we work together. Our handmade […]
- ✅ AA Open Meeting, Wednesday at 6 pmDiscover a supportive space for new beginnings! Join us every Wednesday at 6:00 PM, in the serene ambiance of Pender UMC's Library. At 5:00 PM there will be a time of casual chat, known as the "meeting before the meeting". Engage in meaningful conversations and find camaraderie at our AA meetings, guided by the experienced […]
- ✝️ Hymn History: SiyahambaPender UMC Carillon and Joy Ringers, directed by Brian Stevenson, combined to play Siyahamba for their final offering of the 2024 school year. Arranged by R. Ward for handbells, this song is in The Faith We Sing, page 2235-b.
- 🎬 "A Song of Glory" by Jerry van der PolEnjoy the joyful postlude from worship at Pender United Methodist Church on Sunday, July 12, 2026. "A Song of Glory" by Jerry van der Pol is a festive piano-organ medley celebrating God's glory through three beloved hymns: * To God Be the Glory * We Worship and Adore Thee * Come, Christians, Join to Sing […]
- 🥁 Fun with Music for Preschoolers, On Break Until FallStep into a world of giggles and song with “Fun with Music" at Pender! This is not just any music class – it's a journey through sound and imagination designed especially for preschoolers and their favorite grown-ups. Since 2013, Jim and Roberta Pont have been creating a space where tiny toes tap, and little voices […]
- 🎵 Hot Cross Buns ~ Daily Listening AssignmentsToday we listen to Hot Cross Buns. “Hot Cross Buns” is an English language nursery rhyme, Easter song, and street cry referring to the spiced English bun known as a hot cross bun, which is associated with the end of Lent and is eaten on Good Friday in various countries.