Blackout and Baby Boom

Time and again, couples who have a lot of children have been poked and teased about not having a television during their child-bearing years. Well, I stumbled upon an amusing newspiece, among all the tiring political and other grim news here and around the world, that seems to enforce this thought.

We all know through experience that electricity, while a good thing, can be quite a distraction. A blackout forces us to spend time with the people around us because there is nothing else to do. I have fond memories of blackouts during my childhood - like playing with other kids in the neighborhood or swapping ghost stories with friends and family in the dark by candlelight. So whether it is engaging in great and memorable conversations or other more interesting activities, a blackout can be a good thing. :)

Winter blackout results in Dutch baby boom

By Saeed Ahmed,CNN

A small cluster of villages in eastern Netherlands has found itself in the midst of a mini-baby boom -- nine months after a power outage plunged its residents in darkness for two chilly days.

"It was cold in the houses," said Anneleas van Eijkeren, spokeswoman for the municipality of Maasdriel. "They went to bed early to keep warm. And nine months later, we have this -- a little bit more babies."

Forty-four percent more, to be exact. Residents gave birth to 26 babies in September, compared with 18 in September 2007.

Maasdriel is a collection of 11 villages with a population of 24,000. Ten of the 11 villages lost power for 50 hours in December after the blades of a helicopter accidentally sheared the cables providing electricity to the area.

"Some people went to other cities, but a lot of people stayed in their house with low temperature," Van Eijkeren said.

The community is battling a declining birth rate, like the rest of the Netherlands -- which ranks among the lowest in the world.

And while the power cut method worked well, Maasdriel doesn't plan on a deliberate repeat.

"Don't even joke," Van Eijkeren said, laughing. "In Holland, we would like to have more inhabitants -- but not in this way."

Courtesy Is No Longer Common

Why do I think that? Because it actually surprises and delights me now when children and young adults (and some older adults, too) actually know how to show courtesy and appreciation. The three basic phrases of politesse - "Please", "Thank you", "You're welcome" are words that you just do not hear as often as before, never mind its other, deeper manifestations.

Gratitude is a concept that is seemingly alien to this generation who thinks that every thing is owed to them by their relatives, friends and the world. I think all this fight for rights in the last few decades has gone to an extreme and done a number on the minds of many people, especially the young. Therefore, when others give of their time and themselves, they think it is just within their right to receive it with nary a thought of appreciation or worse, giving back. Miss Manners does not seem to have a whole lot of influence these days.

A person who takes for granted the good that is always done to them will miss out on a great deal in life. After all, who wants to hang around with someone who just takes and takes, be it time-wise, emotionally or financially? Yes, it can be a joy to give but it sure gets old when you're being bled dry.

Those three basic phrases are simple enough to utter - but it sure can go a long way if people learn how to use them.

This Old House

Redoing a 69-year old house can be very interesting. It definitely reveals to you a lot of how things were done in early 1900s and gives you a glimpse of the life of the former owners. In our case, there was only one owner before us. She was the builder of the house. According to our septuagenarian neighbors, she used to live in what is now the basement, which is mostly above ground because the house is situated on a hill. She started to build the house on her own, with some help I imagine, and continued until she got remarried not long after. So she and her new husband finished building it, had three kids who grew up and moved out, and stayed until they died. She passed away in her 90s in early 2006, a few years after her husband. That put the house on the market and we bought it in the latter part of the year, all spruced up in move-in condition with a minimal number of things to do.

M and I, are doing our remodeling slowly - one room at a time, as finances permit. This month, with the help of our dearest brother-in-law, we decided to winterize the porch into a four-season one before the cold weather came. We tore the room apart and brought it down to the skeletal structure. We replaced old aluminum crank/awning windows with custom-made, low-e, energy-efficient, slide windows which offer a clearer view of the city. We tore out the wall panels to put electricity in for a baseboard heater and ripped off the carpet to put porcelain tiles in. Under the carpet, we found at least two more linoleum sheets. One had a very distinct floral design - cute, but something you won't catch me putting in my house! It was not unlike the floral wallpaper that we found in the bathroom a year ago. Nice enough, but on other people's walls. Haha! Don't get me wrong, it's nice but I'm just not the floral type.

Under the linoleum, we found the hardwood floor lined with old newspapers. The dates ranged from April to June of 1962, so we assume that was the year they built the porch and they put in new flooring at least thrice since then. It was very interesting to see what the news was of that era, and the ads, especially. One was for a whole bedroom set for $89, offering monthly installments of a little over a dollar. The other was for a top-of-the-line console television for $280, offering monthly installments of $5. It was amazing, and almost unbelievable to see prices like those in this day and age where $89 can only buy you a decent pair of shoes!

Anyway, the work continues on the porch and will continue on probably until next weekend. Through the years we plan to tackle the other rooms. I wonder what other surprises we will find behind the walls and under the floors. Money? Jewelry? I wish. :)