U.S. spending on diabetes

 

When I saw the figure in "US spending on personal health care and public health, 1996-2013"  JAMA 2016;316(24:2627-2645, I was surprised.  Diabetes was listed as the highest health care spending in 2013 with an estimated $101.4 billion.  If you look at other sources, it is sometimes listed as 6th or 7th.  I've never seen it as number one.

But most articles agree.  For a huge part of the population it is self inflicted and preventable.

Keeping a healthy weight is important. The Diabetes Prevention Program found that weight loss and increased physical activity reduced the chance of prediabetes turning into type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. For people 60 years or older, the reduction was 71 percent. For overweight people, losing five to seven percent of body weight through exercise and healthy eating could prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. http://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/statistics#4

Healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use are ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.  Diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with diet, physical activity, medication and regular screening and treatment for complications.   World Health Organization fact sheet.

Other key findings from the paper include:   
This article on line is easier to read, provides a summary.

• Women ages 85 and older spent the most per person in 2013, at more than $31,000 per person. More than half of this spending (58%) occurred in nursing facilities, while 40% was expended on cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and falls.
• Men ages 85 and older spent $24,000 per person in 2013, with only 37% on nursing facilities, largely because women live longer and men more often have a spouse at home to provide care.
• Less than 10% of personal health care spending is on nursing care facilities, and less than 5% of spending is on emergency department care. The conditions leading to the most spending in nursing care facilities are Alzheimer’s and stroke, while the condition leading to the most spending in emergency departments is falls.

Caught in the Revolution by Helen Rappaport

http://www.helenrappaport.com/page31.html 



Caught in the Revolution; Petrograd, Russia, 1917--a world on the edge.  Interesting book about the westerners and foreigners caught in the Russian Revolution, which using the old style calendar was 100 years ago in February, but new style is, wait for it, March 8, 1917. Yes, yesterday's march against Donald Trump has been a Communist holiday for years. That's why they wear red.  I was asked to review this title. So I'm plugging it here again. Great read.

The marches began with food shortages in Russia, but in the U.S. there are no shortages except gullible women and the knowledge of history and the goals of the American Communists. Their number one goal is to de-christianize the country, which is why they don't mind going soft on how radical Muslims treat women, gays, the poor, etc. 

The Russian women didn't even get the day off work until 1965! (From Wikipedia)  "Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai and Vladimir Lenin made it an official holiday in the Soviet Union, but it was a working day until 1965. On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women's Day was declared a non-working day in the USSR "in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women's day must be celebrated as are other holidays." "

President Obama called slaves immigrants--in 11 speeches at least

Bob Beckel (Fox) said Dr. Carson and President Obama did NOT say the same thing at all because Obama used the word "involuntary" in the clip being circulated and Carson didn't. Dense and Denser. What does he think the word slaves means? Obama used this example of slaves as immigrants eleven times, according to someone (not me) who researched it.

 

"We say it so often, we sometimes forget what it means — we are a nation of immigrants. Unless you... are one of the first Americans, a Native American, we are all descended from folks who came from someplace else — whether they arrived on the Mayflower or on a slave ship, whether they came through Ellis Island or crossed the Rio Grande."(Barack Obama, 2012)

 

 He linked crossing the Rio Grande, arriving at Ellis Island, and coming on slave ships 10 times as a shared heritage, (I only saw the Mayflower used once) leaving out my ancestors who came in the 17th and 18th centuries.

 

If it weren't for double standards Democrats would have no standards at all.  

March 8, 1917

Not that the organizers of today's women's march will tell the snowflakes the significance of March 8, 1917, or the color red, but it's all about Communism, a political philosophy that killed millions of Russians, Poles, Ukrainians and Eastern Europeans, probably at least half of whom were women. No crime was too small, no thought too dangerous, no prayer too insignificant to rile the great mother state. Thank God for the Pope, the president and the Prime Minister who helped that mess unravel. Pity the poor American women duped by their Communist sisters into thinking they were protesting President Trump.

It's International Women's Day what are the issues?

Some women will be marching today against President Trump. 

• We know it isn't for the right to vote, because many have that and don't vote;
• we know it isn't for higher minimum wage--only 4% of hourly workers earn that;
• we know it isn't for higher education because they outnumber men in college; 
• we know it isn't for protection of Title IX because they believe biological sex doesn't matter and anyone can be a woman even a 6' 300 lb. male wrestler;
•  we know it isn't for higher salaries because most work for the government in some capacity either as teachers ...(average hourly wage about $60 according to BLS) or mid-level bureaucrats in local or state or federal government and they are paid more than in the private sector; 
• we know it isn't for freedom of religion or the right to own a gun because they want people to keep religion private and inside churches and want the 2nd amendment to go away; 
• we know it isn't for life from womb to tomb because they are pro-abortion; 
• we know it isn't to stop hunger because only 25% of Americans are "normal" BMI; 
• we know it isn't to crash the glass ceiling because women are free to make choices for career track; 
• we know it isn't to stop international slave trade in women for sex because they want to do battle against 18th century slave trade.  President Bush freed more Afghan women than Lincoln freed slaves.

So that only leaves the obvious since for the last eight years they just went to work, accepted the paycheck, met friends at the bar to discuss traffic, guys, the kids or grandchildren and nothing is different today under President Trump. Only the paranoid rumors swirling the internet have had a change of names. Again, what are the issues?

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

https://www.thenation.com/article/striking-on-international-womens-day-is-not-a-privilege/

The issues in 2013 first year of Obama's 2nd term. But no march on Washington.  https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2013/03/international-womens-day-2013/100470/

Foot and leg exercises for neuropathy

 

https://www.sitandbefit.org/foot-leg-exercises-neuropathy/

Foot and Ankle Exercise #1 – Keeping heels on the floor, lift your toes off the floor, and tap them vigorously. Repeat as many times as tolerated.

Foot and Ankle Exercise #2 – Keeping heels together and on the floor, lift your toes off the floor as high as possible. Turn toes out, and put them back on the floor. Your feet should form a “V”. Lift your toes again, bring them together, and put them back on the floor. Repeat as many times as tolerated.

Leg and Ankle Exercise – Straighten one knee, lifting the leg an inch or two off the ground. Point and flex your foot and ankle 5-10 times. Circle the ankle clockwise then counter clockwise 5-10 times each. Repeat on the other leg.

Foot Somatosensory Exercise – Roll a small ball (such as a tennis ball) underneath one foot for several minutes and change feet. This gives the feet a great “self-massage” and stimulates the receptors on the bottom of the foot. Those managing neuropathy would benefit from doing this exercise daily.

Hmm.  Maybe this is easier without shoes.  She doesn't mention it in the instructions.  I'm wearing my brown leather "Mary Janes" and they are rather stiff.

Sit and Be Fit TV Host, Mary Ann Wilson, RN

How churches benefit from the refugee crisis

I'm aware this isn't a popular viewpoint, but just as government funding for Planned Parenthood for "women's health services" allows them to carry on abortions at our expense, government assistance to churches to resettle refugees and immigrants allows the churches to carry on their primary work of evangelization, education, caring for the poor, etc. and still technically follow Jesus' words in Matthew 25. Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, UCC, Baptists, Methodists, Mennonites, and various religious non-profits all take money from the government for their "good works." Being an arm of the federal government may not open any doors in heaven. Where immigration is the topic, I believe churches should keep quiet until they are funding their resettlement ministries with the church's money and their own volunteers.

You'll find some things at "Refugee Resettlement Watch" website harsh to read, but it's the fastest way to figure out which churches (called Volags) get what and how much money they get per refugee (Hint: .more than their costs). It's a starting point to do your own research.

I heard Raymond Arroyo (EWTN) on Fox and Friends today say that the USCCB receives millions to resettle refugees and he sees it as a problem. One of Obama's favorites was a Baptist (in name) charity that received about $280 million in 2014. It's a huge conflict of interest, a Faustian bargain, for churches to get trapped this way. You have to dance with the one who brung you. Obama doubled the in-take of refugees in one year, and now that Trump wants to return it to normal (about 50,000) the churches that contract to resettle refugees are upset.

Several years ago we contributed to Glenn Beck's effort to resettle 149 Iraqi Christians (speakers of Aramaic, the language of Jesus)  in Slovakia.  I checked current news and about 20 of the older members of the group went back to Iraq because they couldn't adjust. 

 http://time.com/3066459/unaccompanied-minor-immigration-border/

 https://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/  

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/29/unholy-alliance-christian-charities-profit-1-billion-fed-program-resettle-refugees-40-percent-muslim/

http://www.timesofisrael.com/how-an-israeli-opened-slovakias-doors-for-iraqi-christian-refugees/
 

How will the President fight the Deep State?

" “Drain the Swamp!” is a great line to shout at a protest, or to chant during a march. It’s a wonderful exclamation with which to close a theme in a campaign speech, and it’s well worth doing. But actually doing it, when the time comes, is hard.

The Deep State is the reason that Draining the Swamp is so hard. When we talk about “the state” in this context, we’re not talking about one of the fifty, we’re talking about government in general. It’s made up of elected officials, and their political appointees, and all the civil servants, from newbie to career, who fill the massive government of the United States of America.

. . . The Right has an institutional disadvantage in this struggle [between the swamp and the deep state]: as a general rule, conservatives don’t want to work for government; liberals do. So when liberals enter these agencies, especially at the outset, they are more likely to remain, safely Hatched, for their entire careers."

 http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/03/the-deep-state-the-institutional-barrier-against-draining-the-swamp.html

A long but excellent article.  It's going to be a very long, hard fought battle.

Juan Thompson and fake news

After Juan Thompson, a black anti-Trump reporter and cyberstalker of his ex, became the object of the investigation of vandalism and attacks on Jewish agencies, those stories of Trump being anti-semitic just sort of faded away. I checked a website on fake victim/crime stories and I think his was about no. 293. Corrections don't seem to get as much publicity, but victim stories are becoming increasingly difficult for me to believe. Bullying e-mail. Hijab ridiculed. KKK scribbled on wall.  Never mind though, there are still millions of gullible Americans falling for every fantasy.

 http://lidblog.com/top-30-fake-hate-crimes/

 http://www.fakehatecrimes.org/

Some fake news sites are themselves made up news.  http://www.wnd.com/2017/02/phony-baloney-the-9-fakest-fake-news-checkers/ 

Good-bye to a dear Lakeside neighbor, Isobel Steele

Isobel C. Steele, age 99, of Wickliffe, passed away March 2, 2017. She was born in Cleveland, on July 19, 1917, to the late Dan and Mayme McKay. She was a proud and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend who will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She was a long time member and served faithfully at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church. Isobel found great joy with her family when they gathered at a family cottage at Lakeside. Isobel is survived by her children, Bonnie (Bob) Schilling, Scott (Carol) Steele; grandchildren, Neil Schilling, Lori Schilling, Julie Steele, Eric Steele, Jennifer (David) Eberly and Brian Steele; great grandchildren, McKenzie, Madison, Alex, Hunter, Isobel, Ian and Taylor. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 64 years, Clyde Steele; sister, Jean Johnson; nephew, Jeff Johnson. (Legacy)

We bought our Lakeside home in the fall of 1988 and although the season was over, we met Clyde and Isobel and enjoyed them through the years along with their son Scott and wife Carol who are there most of the summer and their daughter Bonnie who comes each summer for a visit.  And over the years we watched the grandchildren grow up and have children of their own now enjoying the Lakeside community and the 19th century Steele cottage.

A blog I wrote about Clyde with a photo of Isobel and Clyde raking leaves in the fall.

Grandma's notes fell out of a book--Monday Memories

Barnstormers stop at the farm about 1915--my mother in the white dress holding her father's hand

For their time, my maternal grandparents were well off.  After the death of my grandmother's father in 1912, they inherited a third of his estate.  Grandma's mother had died in 1895, and she was his only surviving heir because her three siblings had died. Willy died of diphtheria as a teen-ager.  Ira died in a farm incident in 1908 and had children who inherited their father's one-third share. Her one sister Martha died after childbirth of infection, but had two sons who inherited her one-third share. So my grandparents, thanks to grandma's inheritance, had a lovely home between Ashton and Franklin Grove, IL (remodeled around 1914) with 2 bathrooms, indoor plumbing, electricity from a generator, and easy access to train travel to Chicago for shopping and medical care. The home was recently sold out of the family in 2016.  They had a loyal carriage horse, but also automobiles, radios, and household help when many still used outhouses and "woman-power."  Things would change during the Depression, of course, but until then life was good.  But grandma was always frugal--a balance for her spouse.  So I found a note in one of Uncle Leslie's childhood books, "The Gospel Primer," 47th ed., Southern Publishing Association, Nashville. c. 1895.  The first 37 pages are learning letters and phrases, but after that it's full blown Bible stories I would guess to be about third or fourth grade reading level.  The note appears to be from a lecture, but I only have one page, and it seems to be grandma's handwriting. She wrote on the back of expenses (owed?) of the Farmers Co-operative Association, Nov. 16, 1909, for August 13 to Sept. 9. It is quite detailed, even noting the clerk who did the sale.

Grandma's handwritten in pencil note:

Grandma's handwritten notes about Peter Vieau

 "One who cannot see his own errors even when they are pointed out will not make much improvement.  Until we discover and deplore our defects we will not take pains to remedy them.  Frankness in confessing a fault is a grace.  When one becomes so perfect in his own estimation that he has no occasion to confess his faults to his neighbors, he is well nigh beyond the reach of hope.

An event of much interest to Milwaukee pioneers took place yesterday at Muskego when Peter Vieau celebrated his seventieth birthday.  He is supposed to be the oldest man . . .'. Ends there. Perhaps there was another page, and this scrap was simply having a third life as a bookmark.

I don't see how the two paragraphs are linked, but she may have been copying something of interest--from an 1890(!) newspaper.  I looked up Peter Vieau, and because he was born in 1820 and the oldest pioneer resident of Muskego, he had a lot of interviews and they've been copied and digitized for the Wisconsin Historical Society.  He died in 1905 at age 86 after a brief illness.

I can't determine the source of the first paragraph, but the content is in dozens of "how to improve" essays from Luther to Calvin to Finney and 21st century gurus. It's also the basic principle of confession  (Frankness in confessing a fault is a grace) in the Catholic church. Probably just notes taken during a quiet Sunday afternoon looking through stacks of old newspapers and magazines, sometimes with her scissors; something I saw her do many times.

Attack on Sessions is to bring down Trump

The meeting for members of Congress with the Russian ambassador was set up by the Obama State Department during the RNC in Cleveland! How rich is that--spread a huge net and catch anyone who might be selected for any position in the Trump administration! The Democrats are two--or five--faced as usual. The Russian ambassador met with Obama over 20 times during the campaign, and when asked about h...er meeting with him, Nancy Pelosi said she never did, but there are photos of her meeting with him now circulating the Internet. And in that interview, which I watched, she seems to be having great trouble with her words and memory--and not just about Russia.  Republicans should gird their loins--after Attorney General Sessions (the goal is to take down Trump) it will be someone else who possibly met with someone from North Korea, or perhaps Cuba, which is a Communist government oppressing its citizens off our southern shore. Cuba. Don't people try to escape that workers' paradise? But Democrats celebrated that even though the U.S. got nothing from the deal.  Hmmm. Who in the government was plugging that? Former President Obama.

"" Sean Spicer, the Trump White House spokesman, said, “The only new piece of information that has come to light is that political appointees in the Obama administration have sought to create a false narrative to make an excuse for their own defeat in the election.” He added, “There continues to be no there, there.”"

There's also news this morning that Trump Tower was wired by order of President Obama.  This attempt by Democrats to undo the election results is getting very serious. Joseph McCarthy redux. This should be the story of the day--if we had a free and honest media. The media reported negatively about Trump 88% of first four weeks of his presidency (Media Research Center) and had thrills up their legs and laps when writing about Obama. The question to be answered--does this help or hurt him? The general public knows how wrong they were about the election, do they even pay attention? And do they believe any of the non-Trump stories? 

Congress met with Russians all through the campaign, but the President especially met with them--22 times. And he assured the American people there was no truth to the Russia rumors. Obama's Justice Department investigated Hillary Clinton and his AG met with Clinton's husband privately to discuss grandchildren. Everything points to Obama as the campaign fixer, an attempt which failed.

 http://dailycaller.com/2017/03/02/russian-ambassador-sergey-kislyak-appeared-as-obama-white-house-visitor-at-least-22-times/?

http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/obama-administration-arranged-sessions-first-meeting-russian-ambassador-fmr-doj

Some lovely children's books

Fall 2016 Poynter grandchildren

Over the years, I collected some lovely children's books for when I would have grandchildren and read to them as I did my own children.  But that was not to be.  Now my niece, who has eight grandchildren, three probably too old to sit with grandma for a book, is coming this week-end, so I've pulled them off the shelves and I'll see if she wants them.  My priority in children's books is always the illustrations. I love these books, will be sad to see them go, but would love to have children read and enjoy them.

Kjelgaard, Jim.  Sam Savitt illustrator.  Two dogs and a horse. 1964.  I think I bought this at a library sale. It's short stories. The author wrote many animal stories, and I remember reading them when I was a child--he seemed fond of Irish Setters. This was published after his death at 49. Sam Savitt was a well known equine artist. He did a Guide to Horses poster that perhaps I had in the Veterinary library at OSU.

Henry, Marguerite. Wesley Dennis illustrator.  Misty of Chincoteague. 1947. 1951.  I read this in 3rd grade, but didn't own it.  I did own her Born to Trot and King of the Wind, so when I saw this at a sale, I bought it. In my opinion these two are the premiere dog and pony children's book authors/illustrators.  Can't be beat. There is a foundation named for this pony.

dePaola, Tomie. Mary, the mother of Jesus. 1995. 1st ed. dePaola has written/illustrated over 250 books for children.

Mortimer, Anne, story by Matthew Sturgis. Tosca's Christmas. 1989.  Usually the illustrator doesn't have top billing, but in this case, she was an artist not known for children's books but for her floral paintings. Until the end of  2014 she had a painting blog, but is now doing that on Facebook.

Pryor, Bonnie.  Illustrated by Beth Peck. The house on Maple Street. 1987. 1992.  In the 90s I was doing some fiction writing, and I attended a two day workshop for children's authors and sat in a session by this author or artist, of which I remember nothing, but did buy two of her books.  She lives in Ohio and has written about 40 books.

Pryor, Bonnie.  Mark Graham illustrator. The dream jar. 1996. Pryor's specialty is writing historical fiction for children.

Rosen, Michael J. ed. Purr. . . Children's book illustrators brag about their cats. 1996. Rosen is a writer, artist and poet originally from Columbus and as I recall, we might have him at the Columbus Museum of Art or maybe visited an art exhibit about animals and bought this book--I'm a bit fuzzy on the details.  The proceeds of this book by illustrators that he edited went to benefit an animal organization.

"Scaredy Kate is a plump calico" belonging to Dyanne DiSalvo-Ryan, who says she had "her first and only litter of kittens on Father's Day, and bore them in the corner of my husband's closet surrounded by his sneakers.  We called them his Father's Day presents, and named the kittens Adidas, Nike, Converse, Etonic and Reebok."

Chorao, Kay.  The baby's bedtime book. 1984. Familiar bedtime poems and prayers--Day is done, Lullaby and good night, Minnie and Winnie, Now I lay me down to sleep--illustrated by Chorao.

Delval, Marie-Helene. Ulises Wensell illustrator. Translated from French. Reader's Digest Bible for Children; timeless stories from the Old and New Testaments. 1995.  Table of contents includes the chapter/verse citation; glossary in back. Illustrator was well known artist from Spain who died in 2011. Author is French and has written a number of Bible based books for children.

Riddles, Libby.  Shannon Cartwright illustrator. Danger the dog yard cat.  1989.  On our Alaskan cruise in 2001 we met the author who talked about the Iditarod which she won in 1985. Cartwright is both a writer and illustrator and lives in Alaska.  A customer review of her Finding Alaska, "Cartwright's art is delightful and at times very humorous. I recently heard that on the train-ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks, an announcement is made at the spot, where the train makes a stop in the middle of nowhere, when a delivery is being made for her, or when Shannon needs a ride to do her errands in the city!!"

Walsh, Vivian and J. Otto Seibold, illustrator. Olive the other reindeer. 1997.  Olive is actually a dog (a Jack Russel owned by the author) who heard the Rudolph song and thought "All of the other reindeer," was "Olive, the other reindeer," and so the story.  I think I bought it because it was about Olive.   This couple has written and illustrated a number of children's books. See Wikipedia.

McGeorge, Constance W. Mary Whyte illustrator. Boomer's big day.1994.  Snow riders. 1995.  My recollection is I met Ms. McGeorge at an authors' workshop or gathering and then bought her books at a book store. Snow Riders I thought was especially exciting because my brother and I used to make snow horses in the winter in Forreston.  I met Mary Whyte at least 10 years later and we have another one of her books, Working South, although it's not a childrens' book. She will be the judge at the fall OWS show.  I think Ms. McGeorge lived in Upper Arlington when I met her. Boomer was the first children's book for both according to the flap and Boomer was the name of Whyte's Golden Retriever. 

There's a lovely blog about the art of children's books, "The art of children's picture books," but it seems to be on vacation since August 2015.

The fast of Lent

"The fast of Lent has no advantage to us unless it brings about our spiritual renewal. It is necessary while fasting to change our whole life and practice virtue. Turning away from all wickedness means keeping our tongue in check, restraining our anger, avoiding all gossip, lying and swearing. To abstain from these things— herein lies the true value of the fast."
— St. John Chrysostom

I think this is more difficult than giving up chocolate or social media.

President Carter and the White House Correspondents Dinner

Of course, it's not a popular view among Republicans, but Carter was my favorite President. Can't understand why people malign him so. He declined to attend two of the four WHCD. And good for him. Abuse is abuse whether from the left or right. 

 

"Jody's beg­ging me to speak to the White House Cor­res­pond­ents' ban­quet. My pref­er­ence is not to do so," wrote Carter on April 25, 1978. "They are com­pletely ir­re­spons­ible and un­ne­ces­sar­ily ab­us­ive. I see no reas­on for us to ac­com­mod­ate them every time they want me to provide en­ter­tain­ment for a half hour."

Four days later, Carter again wrote about the din­ner, not­ing that there had been news­pa­per cri­ti­cism of his de­cision. He was un­deterred. "I was de­term­ined not to go. They al­most ex­ert black­mail on me to at­tend, but I am not go­ing to do it in the fu­ture. I don't see how the White House press could be any more neg­at­ive un­der any cir­cum­stances and I'd rather show a sign of strength."

 

Trump Will Be First President In 36 Years To Skip White House Correspondents' Dinner

I think it's a good idea not to go where people don't like you and tell lies. Don't go on a date with someone who ridicules you and intends to dump you.

A new project for the Lenten season

While moving and rearranging books, furniture, paintings, and memorabilia, I counted about 70 photo albums. So we are going to spend some time each evening looking at them and reminiscing.  We started with one of the fattest, but not oldest.  When my parents died, I scooped up some of the extra family photos and sort of made a photo genealogy of them, my siblings, their grandchildren and great grandchildren. There are some duplicates because some were ours, and some theirs.  This should be great fun, and challenge our memories. Especially those trips we took in the 60s and 70s and the only photos are buildings with no information.

Various albums awaiting some action

This album is a catch-all beginning with my parents' wedding

  

   

Our wedding in Mt. Morris, plus dances at U. of I.

Eight little Indians series by Platt and Munk

Generally, I would never deface a book, but I have 8 of the American Indian books by Platt and Munk published in the 1930s. I loved them as a child (also published in one volume) and purchased them as used books about 20 years ago. I'd like to mat and frame them--just a touch of rubber cement on mat board to hold them in place. They are not rare or valuable. Beautiful illustrations by Roger Vernam. 

 

I think for the most part they are very authentic and wouldn't cause hysteria in today's PC atmosphere. Vernam was a wonderful illustrator. He was the subject of my blog 10 years ago. http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/05/roger-vernam-illustrator-some-of-my.html

 

Each book is 12 pages,  both color and b & w, ends with a poem on back.