Odd Occurrences

It is interesting to read the news or watch someone, sometimes myself, and note things that are odd. Let’s take for instance an article in the paper last week. It was about asthma and kids. Many kids have problems with that. A side line noted that the percentage of children who grew up in Mennonite families who suffered from asthma was far lower than the population at large.

Some investigation discovered a possible link. Dust. Many of the families studied lived on farms, in fairly close proximity to the barns, particularly dairy barns. A comparison study examined a different religious sect, which, like the Mennonites were somewhat isolated from society.

The main difference between the two groups was that the control group lived at a distance from the main farming activities, particularly the barns. So the families were less likely to be exposed to dust and other effluvia from close contact with the farm animals. These children exhibited more “traditional” responses to allegerans than the comparison group.

To test their theory the investigators sprayed minute amounts of “dairy dust” into the nostrils of infant mice. Those with the treatment suffered fewer allergic reactions, such as asthma, than the non-dusted group.

Evidently exposure to dust intrinsic to farming operations inoculated the children and essentially protected them from those maladies. The thing that make it so “odd” is that most homemakers, my mother included, worried incessantly about all the dirt we were dragging into the house. As it turns out, a good bit of household dust maybe just “what the doctor ordered” to protect the breathing apparatus of young children.

Genius moment coming. I will bottle and sell “dairy dust” for anxious mothers to sprinkle around the tots to protect them from allergies and other respiratory ailments. That may not be as far fetched as it sounds.

Who’da thunk it? So the very concept of focusing on an aspect of our lives often leads us to “unintended” consequences. Here is a personal example. Promise not to laugh.

We have been in the process of remodeling the house. An infestation of mold from shoddy building practices was the impetus, plus it has been about 30 years since the domicile was new and it needed a little upgrading.

One of our complaints about this house was squeaky floors. Everywhere you went, even up the stairs, you were accompanied by squeaks, creaks, and other irritating audiles. One of my projects before replacing the flooring was to locate and tighten every possible culprit. Toward the end, we literally ripped up the carpet, spotted the usually loose nail, and not only hammered it back down, but backed it up with a sturdy wood screw just to make doubly sure.

One place upstairs not only creaked, but it actually sagged when anyone stepped on it. I cut out the offending, weak board and replaced it with the strongest  peice that I could locate. Every time I crossed that spot I deliberately stepped on it to ensure that it was remaining tight and firm.

We had the carpet and hard wood installed throughout the entire house. One spot in the kitchen, was particularly squeaky. I was not able to get at it was because we were removing the underlayment to make a better floor . I even marked it with a magic marker so we would not lose track of it.

But when the flooring crew was there we were occupied with moving the refrigerator, washer and dryer, the stove, and just keeping out of the way. And wouldn’t you know it. No one made the final squeak sweep, and now the beautiful hardwood covers what is right now, the only remaining squeak in the house. And, just for kicks, it is right in front of the back door.

Now back upstairs to the super strong, replacement board. Boy when we step on it, there is nothing. It is nearly as solid as a concrete block under there. ...but, to my chagrin, I stepped to the side of that board the other day, and you guessed it. One of the left behinds was never properly reattached to the floor and stepping on it produces a slight, but distinct, creak.

So much for determination to eliminate offenders. But, unlike the dust, there seems to be no silver lining to these failures to eradicate. Oh well, it is a lot better than it was. Just watch where you step and it will be okay. Incidentally, that was one of the “rules” for life on the farm. Particularly if you were inside the corrals or some of our “pets” has been outside. A careless step would have brought in far more “asthma inoculation” than Mom would have tolerated.

Sometimes things just work out differently than planned. It keeps you on your toes. Happy toe walking.