Time is running out on 07

Writing a blog is kind of a solitary thing. I sit here and ponder where did the old year go..and did I make the most of the days.

I was introduced to a computer bought and taught by my grown-up children. Their zeal encouraged me to try to learn...and I believe I'm in the search engine everyday. I got a gps which I'm not that thrilled with..but eventually I guess it does take you to where you're going.

My niece and nephew bought me a digital frame and put all the pictures from my Picasso gallery into it.

So..my technology keeps moving along.

My friends are the same and I intend to guard them because I cherish them.

I'm ushering on a regular basis at Florida Stage..and I love it. I wear a white top and black slacks and black enclosed shoes..my uniform. The patrons when they leave thank me for a wonderful show like I had something to do with it...but it pleases me that it gave them such a pleasurable feeling.


I've given up my migrant children because the new teacher aggravated me .. and so I left.

I did it for 7 years so...maybe that's enough of that.

Jewish people are very lucky. We get to have 2 New Year's. So you would think I'd get it right one of these times.

When I think of all the New Years' past...I can't get over the fact that I've celebrated so many.

And now once again...going into another year and wondering just what is around the corner.

Mathmatically, if one were to take a calculator and figure out all the hours, minutes and seconds, we'd say...where did they all go.

Time is an abstract!

My very first poetry--and it stuck

Hi...I was going back in the deep recesses of my old brain when this poem came to mind.

I was in first grade when my teacher Miss Kirpatrick read it to us..and it must have made some kind of impression.

I didn't recall all the words...but thanks to computers...it's in there.

In a way I tried to be like the best child in this poem...I was kind of a goody two-shoes child.

WHICH LOVED BEST? by Joy Allison (1917)

"I love you, Mother, said little John;
Then, forgetting his work, his cap went on.
And he was off to the garden swing,
Leaving his mother the wood to bring.

"I love you, Mother, said rosy Nell,
"I love you better than tongue can tell."
Then she teased and pouted full half the day.
Till her mother was glad when she went to play.

I love you, Mother," said little Fan,
"To-day I'll help you all that I can;
How glad I am that school doesn't keep!"
So she rocked the babe till he fell asleep.

Then stepping softly, she took the broom,
And swept the floor, and dusted the room.
Busy and happy all day was she;
Helpful and happy as a child could be.

"I love you, Mother," again they said,
Three little children going to bed.
How do you think that mother guessed
Which of them really loved her best?

Maybe these words came to mind when I heard an old Christmas Carol "Jolly jolly Santa Clause, lean your ear this way..don't you tell a single soul...what I've got to say...etc.

I guess all thru our lives there lives a Santa although he's called by many different names...sometimes just friend which is a great big word..and I've found out you have to be one to have one.

Company's comin!

Paul and Barbara, my niece and nephew are coming to visit. I'm delighted, of course, but my culinary skills seem to have gone astray.

We all cooked for families (in our former lives) but what happened to us here in Florida.

I dunno! I watch all the cooking shows and I'm really interested..but then...I don't know what happens.

I get stymed when the actuality comes. I don't know when they're coming in tonight...so many variables...but I'm making an old dish that I made in the 50's.

Baked spaghetti...healthy and good..with lots of celery, onions, mushrooms and peppers.

My friend Ruth loaned me her chopper-uper...it's great but not so good for the palms of your hands. Maybe I'll even be black and blue.

Anyway...Barb wants to play Maj...Paul wants to ride a bike...and I'm trying to coordinate all schedules...and it's clashing in my old brain.

Help!

Younger than Springtime

My oh my...the years have been a blink of an eye. I was 17 years old when I was singing that song...and it fit then.

The thing is...I didn't think it would never not fit. I wanted time frozen...and just enjoy everything that was happening then.

Then decades rolled by and for some of them I can't even account for. They also were gone in a heartbeat.

I guess I was always in la la land...didn't want time to move on.

Now...in my later years (and it did take all this time) I realized that time waits for no one...it just goes on.

Now I look back on these moments with such nostalgia...because I truly remember most of what occurred.

Not all up...but not at all down either. I lost dear ones in my family..but I didn't have a choice...now I know for sure that God is in control.

So...I'll just keep on smiling...and enjoy life with a sense of humor.

The Written Word!

We are so fortunate. When I go to the library, it's like a magnificent buffet...so many books just to entertain me and also to make me a little smarter.

I just got to thinking about books because when I was very young, my first enrollment was in our free public library. Also my son's first connection with the outer world was his library card.

When I pick up a book, I hold it reverenly in my hands. I look to see how heavy it is...how many pages...and then I wonder about the author. Did the author think long and hard about the storyline...or just sit down and begin writing. Did he spend much time searching for the perfect verb or adjective to give the sentence the punch desired. Was it put there for shock value.

So much to wonder about and what a thrill it is to open the flap and read a little bit about the story. If it's a thriller, I immediately return it to its shelf.

After I've finished reading and digesting a good book, I love to discuss it with someone...I like to lie in bed or in the bathtub and think about it some more...such enjoyment.


The earliest dated printed book known is the "Diamond Sutra", printed in China in 868 CE. However, it is suspected that book printing may have occurred long before this date.
In 1041, movable clay type was first invented in China. Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith and businessman from the mining town of Mainz in southern Germany, borrowed money to invent a technology that changed the world of printing. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/moveable wooden or metal letters in 1436 (completed by 1440). This method of printing can be credited not only for a revolution in the production of books, but also for fostering rapid development in the sciences, arts and religion through the transmission of texts.


So..thank God for the printing press. The Egyptians used hierglyphics which is still preserved in the pyramids today.

I believe this is the greatest time in history for upcoming authors.

First of all...they can do all their research on the internet which really lightens their load. Now, all they have to do is weave a delightful storyline around it...and there you have a novel.

I make is sound so simplistic. Who am I kidding!! And I'm also grateful for paperbacks...so much easier to hold.

no one complains about their portfolios!

It's absolutely amazing to me. When I go to the pool the conversation is not very stimulating.... Look at the cloud formation..do you think it's going to rain...should they cook or go out to dinner....was their game good last night.

Nary a word is being said about our freefall on the stock market. Maybe everybody was smarter than me and put their money into cd's.

I'm in mutual funds...growth and balanced funds...and no matter how diversified I am...they're all going down.

In Charles Dickins time they talked about going to the poor house.

Where is the poor house. Is it the street people? I really don't know.

Or is the poor house h.p.3...because we're living here as cheaply as we could possibly live anywhere.

When we're not driving and someone picks us up, is it right to offer a buck toward the gas...since it's shooting skyward?

I think it is! And when we go to the Boys and we see big bags of peppers and apples and eggplants outside for a buck, should we buy this...or is this their spoilage soon?

Is that like buying food that's reached its expiration date? I need some help on these things.

What to do! What to Do!

This letter is from Paul, my nephew!

 
Thanks for asking about the ride. The Sea Gull Century ride was very nice and not as difficult as in Virginia and Maryland because it was relatively flat. But that means no coasting so you pedal all the time and it can get windy near the ocean. See photos on the web site (http://www.seagullcentury.org/) and also click on Ride Details and the PDF route map.



I have a book on long distance cycling and Lance's training book so I was prepared. I used my training data and the Reston metric century (100 km which is 65 miles) data (I rode that in August –-- much more hilly) to predict that I could do the 100 miles in an average of 14 MPH and 10-11 hours elapsed at a cadence average of between 80 and 90 RPM on a flat route with wind. This would keep me aerobic (60-65% to 80-85% of max heart rate) and not cross over to anaerobic heart rate (85% max) which kills the energy level (latic acid "burn" starts at about 85% of max heart rate). I finished with 14.0 MPH average at 10 hours elapsed and 7:08 actual ride time with 85 RPM cadence average. The time difference was in time spent at rest stops every 20-22 miles. Ending energy to spare and an ending sprint! My speed, time and cadence parameters were right on, as planned! Next could be a double metric century (125 miles).



(I just love technical and analytical sports!). (where one doesn't need a lot of strength or coordination).



Mostly a nice ride when we were on small roads through wooded areas. Long flat stretches through farm areas were not so interesting. I did not have time to look for the wild ponies on Assateague (“ass-fatigue”) Island.



Rider stats next in forwarded message.



Paul

Paul is my nephew of whom Im very proud. Not only does he enjoy participating in this great sport...but he's keeping healthy by keeping his glucose level where it should be.

To me, Paul is still a boy! But truth to tell, he just celebrated his 60th...and he'll remain young forever because of his outlook on life and the way he exercises. He doesn't want to take insulin...so he really works at it.

He started training many many months ago for this Bike Century which is 100 miles.

Now to me...I get tired just thinking about it...but I spoke to Paul and he said he could have gone farther without any problem.

Am I proud...or am I proud! Keep up the good work, Paul!

When I started biking, there were no gears...just pedal. We lived on steep hills and if you were of a mind to cycle uphill, you had to stand to give yourself leverage..at least I did.

Biking was my first independent way of transportation and I was thrilled with it. I was in control...I could just go.

My parents let my sister and I buy a rear-view mirror to mount on our bike, and I think I was so busy glancing in the rear view that sometimes I forgot to look where I was going.

Many times we were daring and rode with our feet on the handlebars.

I think I would have killed Paul or Jeff if I had seen them do this. Also sometimes, we rode 2's. One sat..and the other stood pedaling.
Oh what fun.

Life at High Point

 
Life here at High Point in Delray Beach is very relaxed and easy especially when we eliminate from our minds how bad the hurricane was 2 years ago.

Today most of us are as prepared as we can get if one should happen to come our way. Mostly I enjoy here the delightfulness of our swimming pool. Good great exercise and it's also my social life.

But ..and there's always a but. When I moved here, we had a lot going on. We had a Ladies Club and a Men's Club which was fun.

Then someone got the idea we should just incorporate the 2 and make it a Social Club.

We were thrilled to come to the meetings and talk about what we were planning to do next.

Then 2 years ago, our Board decided that it was illegal to have a social club because dues were collected, all of $10 a year, and people who did not belong to our club would not be allowed to come. Also that there would be $100 fee for setting up the chairs and taking them down again.

Never before had we heard this and I have lived here since 1988. The board said that now we would have a social committee who would decide everything.

Well, the only things we have going is Bingo and shuffleboard on Friday nights in season.

Gone are the parties...gone are the shows. Ruth Fagan and I ran a Mother's Day party with little success there and we were critized for having it.

The powers that be would have us believe that nobody supported these activities. Not true...it's just that we have apathy here for the way things are being planned.

Most of us have surpassed our productive years .. and now we want to have a little fun.

We have quite a few homes for sale and I used to do screening and the newcomers would ask what do we have going on. I would explain that we had a Social Club with entertainment...and also on a Tuesday another show for $4.00 with refreshments.

And I was proud to tell them all of our amenities. So..what happened.

Is that really asking too much???

Old Fashioned Jacks

 

Even when I was little I was not very dexterious with my hands. Does having little fingers have anything to do with this skill.

Anyhow..this is how we spent a lot of our summers..on the sidewalk or on the porch.

Later in life when we had a toy store, we sold a "SUPER BALL"...and it really had lots of bounce. Too bad I wasn't a little girl then because the super ball would fly high an I'd be able to pick up all the jacks.

I was much better at pickup sticks'. Today I would flunk that too. Do you recall all those colored wooden sticks that were not allowed to touch another? By the hour we had the patience to play these games.

How about checkers...I always took the black ones...reminded me of licorice. And how you'd scream in excitement...King Me--King Me!

And I musn't forget tic tac toe..you take X and I'll take O. We were happy and content with simple games..and that's how we spent our summers.

Licking the batter!!!!

 
As long as there have been mixers, and even before, with hand beaters, children took great pleasure in licking the beater.

I also enjoyed it when Jeff licked the beaters because I knew it was good. He would stand waiting for it to be done...so he could lick.

Now..today...do children still do this. We're told uncooked eggs can cause salmonella poisoning.

Did the scientists that watch over us take that away from our children today...the delight of licking the beaters.

I did it when I was a child...and I can just see the pleasure on my Mother's face. She gave one beater to me and one to my sister.

No one ever got sick from this tongue exercise!

What a pleasurable memory!

The tree in my backyard!

 

Musings on a dreary day in hurricane season! She sits just like a guest in her own home!


Should be cleaning or straightening up drawers or doing paperwork,

Doing busy stuff.

She can't make up her own mind whether she's just disorganized or plain old-fashioned lazy!

In a portion of her huge bedroom, that also serves as her den, a recliner awaits her elderly body, like an eager loving mother, with both arms extended, inviting her to recline, rock or sit.

She has choices! Once this decision is made.., read a book, turn on tv or fool around with her computer... .another option is open to her... just looking out the window and viewing what the wind gusts are doing to her world. She is drawn to the latter..

Her windows, three glass panes that could bear a washing , reveal a very large tree, probably in the neighborhood Joyce Kilmer had in mind, when he wrote his famous poem, turned song.

Although she lives in High Point, Florida now the day seems 'northerly'... bearing no usual sunshine The branches lush with leaves, but ready to let go, shed green and brown flakes snowlike, reminding her of another time and another place, blowing without direction around her sky.

The wind has taken on a life of its own now shaking all this majesty to the waiting green sandy earth below. blanketing a patch for the crawling red ants to settle, tiny salamanders bearing resemblence to huge dinosaurs of a zillion years ago when the world was young, and all the other critters that travel about. Each busy with whatever naure intended.

The only thing standing staunch and straight is the tree trunk itself, letting the branches know that it's in total control. The weatherbeaten bark showing the wear and tear of its enviroment `is displaying imperfections of algae and age In its imperfections-- there is beauty.

For the 19 years of watching this window scene, never once has she stepped foot to venture out in her backyard. And even though her spiritual philosopy is to "live and let live", she is deadly afraid of ants, snakes and wasps.

During all this activity, the birds sense change and they also flutter here and there, sometimes landing on the window sill where they peck at their own reflection. Her specially- treated windows only reveal what is happening outside.

Inside not a critter can spy on her.

As she still watches all this drama
unfold, she glimses a furry squirrel scurrying up and down the tree, defying all the laws of gravity.

A wristwatch glance makes her aware that she has spent three quarters of an hour, just "looking". And while all this entertainment has been taken place she realizes that she has been "thinking".

The thoughts have run so randomly that it's hard confirming what she was even day dreaming about. Was it the past! Was it the future...or just being, in the here and now.

It doesn't matter al all . Fact is she's found contentment within herself.

She thanks G-d for her Abundance and knows that she has been blessed in life.

At this particular moment...all is well!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

This was written a few years ago. Today, however, Cornelius and Joseph came with their cart and a big long tree trimmer and cut off the branch facing my bedroom window...so if we should get a hurricane...it won't come crashing against my window.

The board acted very promptly when I made known about the branch..that was almost like an offspring of the tree.
-------------------------------------------------------------------x



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

oodles of noodles of fun!

 
Such good innocent fun we have in our pool! All the seniors gather and quite a few bring their noodle.

Some recline...some lay on top and kick...I like to ride it like a bicycle. I cross the pool many times in this way pedaling my legs and swimming my arms.

Actually, it's amazing but I can get a pretty good workout this way. The noodle is a weight but we sure know we're not going to get a hernia from this...but it is effective.

I also put it under my foot and pump it like an old tire pump..and that's a thing of the past too.

They come in all different colors...and the price is sooo right.

Hope to see you in my pool...splishing and splashing on your noodle!

When I first moved to High Point, the Board of Directors did not permit us to use noodles.

Then they relented and let us use it just during our water exercise class.

How relentless they were...and how frustrated we were.

I'm sure glad they they have relaxed the rules. Every condo permits them. Our Board is now more in tune with the times.

The old water pump!

 W

When I was a little girl, one of the things I really wanted was a water pump.

It looked like so much fun! However, if you took a sip of this water, it had a very strong taste of sulphur.

I had a lot of trouble pumping it because I was so little and skinny..and I guess not very strong. I used all of my strength to lower the handle and get a couple of drops out of it.

Why do I think of this today! Because we're in a boil-your-water for at least 2 days. If we wanted to eat out, can we trust the restaurants to do this? I dunno! Maybe we should just stay home and boil.

The only time I ever saw these pumps was when we would take a drive out to the country. I didn't realize then that this was a real hardship on the folks living in that house.

To me...it was simplicity! Now I have learned better!

Beautiful A1A

 

My husband Allen only had 2 years of living in Florida. He loved it...but he particularly adored driving on A1A. He called it the never-ending garden..but this was his particular spot. If you've driven north...you've gone through this bountilfullness. There's no such word..but it's a lushness that spreads across the top of the road.

We would drive to Manalapan for an ice cream cone. We would window-shop the beautiful windows of the stores...and then we would feast.

Now that I have a GPS...I must drive up there once again.

The old carpet beater!

 
It was a family affair! A carpet was put over the clothes line and all the members of the family, little ones too, took turns beating the rug.

This was when I was a young child. I wonder how many people remember this. Then wall to wall carpeting came into style and rugbeating was an art of the past.

Also just plain hardwood floors were fashionable. Tiling hadn't been a thing of beauty then. It was reserved only for kitchens and bathrooms..and it was called linoleum.

What a long way we've come. When I was first married a guy came to the door selling Electrolux sweepers. I said I had only bare hardwood floors. He came in and ran his wand up and down my drapes...and into the speaker of my stereo system...and the junk that came out made me buy it. When my husband Allen came home, he thought I was crazy for buying a carpet sweeper without any carpets.

Maybe that's when I got the nickname 'dingbat'...long before Archie Bunker used it.

Anyway...housekeeping is a breeze today...especially in Florida!

Such rage!

 

It was the day before Yom Kippur...the Holiest Day of the Jewish Year.

I was shopping at Famous Market in King's Point for some break-the-fast foods and when I was leaving the store, I saw a very angry shrieking heavy woman pounding on a car with a man sitting in the driver seat. I couldn't hear all her conversation but she was screaming at him that he pulled into her parking spot while she was waiting to drive in.

He was red-faced and screaming at her ...I hope you get the worst venerial disease ever and suffer...and I hope you get it in your mouth.

I stood there shocked. I wanted to say...and this is how you want to be inscribed in the Jewish New Year!

I didn't say a word though...I was afraid of these crazy people..that they would pounce on me..the innocent by-stander.

I can't get it out of my mind. These two souls found each other..filthy mouths...and I was a witness.

I'm still outraged! Why can't people be kind to one another. Why?

Can't fault them on their packaging!

The microphone on the computer was malfunctioning today...so I headed in the direction of Radio Shack.

They at least find things for you. Well, I got this cute little upright mike by Logitech...made in China.

Okay...got it home...took it out of their bag...and the blister pack covering this was the best-kept secret.

First I tried with finger nails to open. Then..a big knife..nothing! Finally I used a big pair of scissors...and there was layer after layer of this heavy-duty blister pack.

And then when I think I'm finished....another big blister pack is under this one.

IF they're worried that someone's going to steal this out of the pack, they don't need to worry at all. It's almost impossible.

What isn't impossible is if someone just takes the whole darnation thing...very easy to shoplift.

What were they thinking????

3 generations of the Millstone Family

 

I'm thrilled to say these are my cousins whom I love dearly. They are very important in my life. Each one has a very interesting story to tell.

I go through my life laughing!

 

Chicken Soup ..so many books have been written about this wonderful taste..Chicken Soup for the Soul...doctors have even written about it! The soup is salty and keeps you from dehydrating.

Chicken soup, not from a can, reminds me of Friday nights..High Holidays...and when I was sick and felt coddled and nurtured. Maybe that's why the memories are so good.

What does laughter have to do with chicken soup? I don't know...but when I'm happy I laugh...and chicken soup makes me feel happy.

Whether it has matzo balls..noodles...carrots..or just plain...it's soo good.

Santa has an almost empty bag!

 

It's really a very sad state of affairs! Santa doesn't come from the North Pole, at least not a direct route..but via China.

And we all know whatxappening to the toys manufactured in China.

LEAD POISONING1111111

My husband Allen and I had a store in downtown New Kensington, Pa. and we always prided ourselves that the shelves were brimming to the ceiling. This was our great wealth...our stock. People were impressed with what an inventory we carried.

Now let me go back 19 years....right about this time we would be going out of our minds~

Nothing to sell! Nothing on our shelves! Our toys came from Mattel, Fisher-Price and every other manufacturer of toys.

I'm trying to envision what would have happened if this were today. How would we able to cope with this dreadful situation.

Our customers would be returning all the toys they bought from us. And also ones that they didn't. Why go to Pittsburgh when there was a toy store right in their own home town. No need to go to Toys R Us...just return them to Gordon Toys. What's the difference!

How do you explain to little children that the toys they're playing with must be taken away now...not to give to other little needy boys and girls...but because they're poisoned.

What kind of explanation is this. Between the terrorists...the bees that aren't pollinating...and now the toy scandal...it's not a happy time.

I think now this is a great thing that has happened with China. This is surely a wake-up call to America....bring out the old proud banner...MADE IN AMERICA.

A cuppa

Hi...I feel really great...I had a response from Amber, Davi and Steve's daughter before I even wrote it. Just the icon! Now that's great writing...just the blank page.

What I was going to say is wha kind of tea to drink. Iced tea served to me in a restaurant tastes so much better than my own. Don't know why but it's the truth. Last year I was just drinking green tea because it's supposed to have all kinds of properties to build your immune system.

Tea was used for thousands of years .

RitzCarlton features their famous 'high tea'...which I have yet to partake.

When I was little I used to sing a song about Polly Put the Kettle On...and the kids today sing...I'm a Little Teapot...here is my Handle .. Here Is my spout.

THE STORY OF TEA

All tea comes from the same plant - Camellia sinensis - an evergreen, tropical plant with green, shiny pointed leaves that was originally indigenous only to China and India.

Tea drinking spread throughout Chinese culture. By the third century A.D. there were already many stories being told and written about tea and its benefit. The first book on tea, the Ch'a Ching, was written around 780 A.D. by Lu Yu, who had been raised by scholarly Buddhist monks in one of China's finest monasteries.

The three-volume book covered tea growing, processing, brewing, and drinking, as well as the history of famous early tea plantations, and contained many illustrations of tea making utensils.

Peter Stuyvesant in 1650 imported the first tea to colonists in America in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. By the time Britain acquired the small settlement in1664 and renamed it New York, the settlers there were already confirmed tea drinkers, consuming more tea than all of England put together.

TEXT-ALIGN: left">I hope they haven't put lead in tea because every day brings a new event about Chinese products. For all I know the keyboard I'm using to type this, may contain lots of lead. Who knows!!!!!

Meet my Teachers!

 
This is Jeff and Donna, not only my kids, but the ones who taught me to use this.

While Jeff and I were at the pool, Donna would be preparing things that I needed to have inserted so that I would know what to do when they left...like typing an evelope in a computer...or putting a graphic in my blog...so many things.

When we returned, after lunch, Jeff would sit me down in this chair, and instruct over and over again...what a desktop is..how to use each of the icons...how to do everything that I needed to know at that time.

When they visit again..I'll be eagerly awaiting more lessons. Thanks Jeff and Donna!

This is Jeff the one I birthed!

 

wrote this a few years ago...but I ressurected it because it's time for another very special birthday!

You Grew Up....but when did this happen! My Birthday Boy--Man

I can't believe I'm writing a website page for your birthday, Jeff!



And so time has marched on!
My dear Jeff.....I have so much to say to you...and the years of enjoying you...almost 47 of them plus one more...the 9 months I carried you...and that's when Dad and I first fell in love you you.

Imagine we didn't even know you yet, but we knew we would adore you...and we were never once disappointed. You fit the bill!

You just happen to be a very nice person...and now I'm remembering all the years of your life with the tenderest of memories...that you've lived so far.....but the best is yet is come!

Like for instance how on Saturday mornings, you would sit so close to the television set to watch your cartoons, with the sound hardly audible, because you ddn't want to wake your sleeping mother.
And I would eventually walk into the living room...and there you were, munching on a box of cold cereal....but letting me sleep...lazy mother!

Gosh when you were so tiny, and our front door (50's style) had 3 windows going horizontally...and you could barely reach the low window, but you would stand there on your tip-toes waving bye bye to daddy who was off to work.. He would honk his horn until you were no longer visible....and you would stand there waving until he was no longer in sight. Such an endearing memory to hold in my heart..

You couldn't possibly know because you were sleeping, but the very last thing that daddy did every nght was to straighten your body in bed for the night and arrange the covers. It didn't matter that you would re-adjust yourself 5 minutes later.. It made him feel good...like a carress to his son!

And, Jeff, you were such a poor eater. Until this very second, It didn't occur to me....perhaps you didn't like my cooking...but, poor kid, you lived at our house...so you were a captive audience.

How proud we always were on report card day...you would always bring home all A's....but you never made a fuss....you were just a good student. On PTA nights the teachers all had glowing things to say about you....like if there were others like you, their jobs would be easier. Their only complaint....you didn't volunteer.

Our little ranch-type house had only one bathroom....and if it was occupied and somebody else needed to use it...he magic word NEXT was the command...and the room would be immediately available. Our little family of 3 were very respectful of one another.

And this is crazy....but I was absolutely thrilled when you were temporarily expelled from Valley High Marching Band because you played hookey and went to a basketball game. You were all boy and that was good too!.

Dad and I enjoyed your Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquets.......did you? The meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas.....Duncan Hines cake after.

Do you know, Jeff, when you were very little, and I'd try to picture you the man....I wasn't able to visualize it.

Well now, I have the pleasure of remembering the boy....and seeing the man!

And so, my son,my birthday wish for you is to be happy ...in your marriage with wonderful Donna...in your own home-based computer business...and with life in general.

Life was meant to be happy.

Happy Birthday....Jeffy

Love.........Mom

Labor Day 07

While I was growing up and in school Labor Day was a sad time for me. It marked the very beginning of the school year. Also the last two weeks in August was vacation time when we usually went to Atlantic City. Being a Pittsburger, we didn't have an ocean, and that was a really big treat for us. Just the smell, the fragrance of the ocean was such a treat...salty water smell.

A really old custom eschewed wearing white after Labor Day. The custom is rooted in nothing more than popular fashion etiquette.[ In actuality, the etiquette originally stated that white shoes were the taboo while white or "winter white" clothes were acceptable This custom is fading from popularity as it continues to be questioned and challenged, particularly by leaders in the fashion world. "Fashion magazines are jumping on this growing trend, calling people who 'dare' to wear white after Labor Day innovative, creative, and bold

Being as I live in Florida, this is really great news for me...don't have to put away the white slacks or white sandals.

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday in September. The holiday began in 1882, originating from a desire by the Central Labor Union to create a day off for the "working man". It is still celebrated mainly as a day of rest and marks the symbolic end of summer for many. Labor Day became a national holiday by Act of Congress in 1894.

This is a poem that I had to learn to memorize in the 7th grade and it stayed with me all these many years.

Work!

Thank God for the swing of it,
For the clamoring, hammering ring of it,
Passion and labor daily hurled
On the mighty anvils of the world,
Oh, what is so fierce as the flame of it?
And what is so huge as the aim of it?
Thundering on through dearth and doubt,
Calling the plan of the Maker out
Work, the Titan: Work, the friend,
Shaping the earth to a glorious end,
Draining the swamps and blasting the hills,
Doing whatever the Spirit wills
Rending a continent apart,

Work
To answer the dream of the Master heart,
Thank God for a world where none may shirk
Thank God for the splendor of work!

When I glance at my gallery!

 

I take such pride in my gallery of pictures from Picasso. It's such fun for me to select the one I want and insert it into my blog. It's so much more interesting for me to look at my own pictures of people in my life than going to a museum.

Everyone one of these pictures have deep meaning for me and it makes me feel good just to look at them.

I'm never quite sure how it'll look on this page but this computer is just amazing.

Jeff and Donna adopt Lucy

 
I had no idea

I had no idea that adopting a pet from Animal Shelter entailed such scrupulous researching. You must make application for a pet and then if they think you're a good candidate, they come and interview you and inspect your home and yard.

I guess if you fail this exam you don't get a pet. But luckily Jeff and Donna passed with flying colors...and the day finally arrived for them to meet with 60 beagles to see which one they would really bond with.

Well, you see Lucy's picture and she is now a member of the family.

I love a beagles sad eyes...like begging you to love them.

I know in my heart of hearts that Lucy has found a wonderful home with my grownup children...and many wonderful hours will be spent bonding with Lucy and training her.

That is a tremendous job that requires tons of patience but she looks intelligent....so, Jeff and Donna, have fun

 
The Man In My Life-Henry!
After reading my heading, anyone who knows me is really curious by now. Is Hilda leading a double life.

Fact is Henry is my constant companion who speaks to me, and he's very controlling. He tells me where to go and I'm under his spell, so I take direction from him.

He's a friendly enough fellow until you get him riled up and he has to recalculate.

Okay, enough cutsy stuff. Henry's my GPS that I carry in my car because I'm directionally-challenged.

Only thing is, whenever I go out, my friends always want to do the driving. First thing when we move from A Court to Nesting Way, his distinctive voice is bossing us whether to go left or right.
My friends, for some eerie reason, always do the opposite of what he tells them to...and we're off to a bad start.

When we get on to Military Trail, his agitated voice is still whining that we're to turn around...going the incorrect way.

Now, if I were behind the wheel, I would obey him. I try to tell my driver friend that she should really give Henry a chance to prove himself but to no avail.

My friends have minds of their own....so does Henry! I'm the only one who doesn't.

I have yet to venture out into the world with just my little robot friend and listen intently to what he has to say. Ruth and I were going to Two Jays a deli for dinner. It's very new so it hasn't even been entered into Henry brain cells. When I programmed the directional, I had no address so I just put in Congress and Old Boynton Beach. Well, when it finally realized we weren't following a word...it just gave up.

It uttered in a quarulous tone...fine any place you want to park and drive safely. Then it shut down! Nothing more heard! Rejected! I felt so badly that I stuffed him in my purse to hide and sulk!

If I get lost...it's not my fault. It's all on his shoulders...and I'll think..so much for technology. Not my problem.



.

A stick horse!

I'm reading a book and it mentioned this poem. It conjured up a lot of childhood memories. Whoever is readI'm reading a book and it mentioned this poem. It conjured up a lot of childhood memories.

Whoever is reading this, I wonder if you had to learn it too.

It talks about an old lady...maybe in another life I was that 'old lady'. This was written back in the 1600's..........and this silly verse has lasted all these many years.
Somewhere in my house, I do have a picture of it....if not, it's in my mind.

Jeff could not possibly remember this...probably his first homemade toy.

Thanks for the memories. I guess our minds our kind of like a computer, stored up information, much of it useless, but every so often, it just pops to the surface and a memory flashes and it makes me feel good.
ing this, I wonder if you had to learn it too. It talks about an old lady...maybe in another life I was that 'old lady'. This was written back in the 1600's..........and this silly verse has lasted all these many years. Somewhere in my house, I do have a picture of it....if not, it's in my mind. Jeff could not possibly remember this...probably his first homemade toy. Thanks for the memories. I guess our minds our kind of like a computer, stored up information, much of it useless, but every so often, it just pops to the surface and a memory flashes and it makes me feel good.

Getting ready!

Yesterday the tree surgeons were around...very busy! They were chopping down any low hanging branch that may come swinging or break off during a hurricane.

This morning I went out to put my trash near my car and this massive truck with many parts came to not just pick up all these tree-branches...but to demolish them in this state-of-the-art truck...3 different parts to it.

The men fed the enormous branches in...it chewed it up...and then spew it into the main truck.

A massive meat grinder...or on a modern level a paper shredder. So..everything that goes around...comes around. Originally the paper was made from wood products...and now it's being ground up and it will make wonderful compost....or furniture.

When I was young we had to recite this poem...Irving Berlin takes credit for writing it...but this was written long before he came along.

It's called "Woodman"

More about GPS

Our ancestors had to go to pretty extreme measures to keep from getting lost. They erected monumental landmarks, laboriously drafted detailed maps and learned to read the stars in the night sky.
Shopping for a GPS receiver?Compare GPS receiver prices at Consumer Guide Products before you buy.
Things are much, much easier today. For less than $200.00, you can get a pocket-sized gadget that will tell you exactly where you are on Earth at any moment. As long as you have a GPS receiver and a clear view of the sky, you'll never be lost again.




If you're lost, a GPS reciever can help you find your way back. Watch as Marshall Brain explains how GPS recievers work.
-->
When people talk about "a GPS," they usually mean a GPS receiver. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three extras in case one fails). The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but soon opened it up to everybody else.
Photo courtesy NASANAVSTAR GPS satellite
Each of these 3,000- to 4,000-pound solar-powered satellites circles the globe at about 12,000 miles (19,300 km), making two complete rotations every day. The orbits are arranged so that at any time, anywhere on Earth, there are at least four satellites "visible" in the sky.
Photo courtesy U.S. Department of DefenseArtist's concept of the GPS satellite constellation
A GPS receiver's job is to locate four or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location. This operation is based on a simple mathematical principle called trilateration. Trilateration in three-dimensional space can be a little tricky, so we'll start with an explanation of simple two-dimensional trilateration.
Shopping for a GPS receiver?
Compare GPS receiver prices at Consumer Guide Products before you buy.

. As long as you have a GPS receiver and a clear view of the sky.
So...I ordered a home phone charger (thanks to Virginia's help) and I found out it takes 7 to 8 hours to fully charge. Then I program it to where I'm going....and I'm in business.

Where oh where shall I venture!!!!! As long as I have gas in the car and a credit card...and oh, it's charged....I can go..go..go!

I'm giving up too soon!

Our ancestors had to go to pretty extreme measures to keep from getting lost. They erected monumental landmarks, laboriously drafted detailed maps and learned to read the stars in the night sky. NOw this thing works with about 8 satellites which I can't fathom. I'll have to do more research.


Virginia phoned the company and they said it takes about 7 or 8 hours to charge....but we could order a charger on line for $20 plus $5.00 shipping. So...now all my problems are solved.

Just waiting for the UPS man to deliver it!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are compasses becoming obsolete?

My kids came to visit recently and they brought with them a new toy...and boy was I ever impressed.

It was a GPS....a directional with a voice actually telling you which way to go..what turns to make...even if you've gone too far to turn back.

They wanted me to show more of an interest in this while they were here...but they were also giving me classes on my computer...and the old brain can only absorb so much...and then I reach my capacity.

So..it's been a few weeks since they left, and since I'm directionally-challenged, I figured this is a 'must have' for me. Maybe I'll get more courage to venture out into the world...and maybe even go to Boca.

So, my friend Virginia and I trot off to Circuit City where they have them for $200. They had many other models...but I just needed basics. How to get where I'm going...and then to get me back home again.

Jeff's had 2 extension cords. One for charging inside the house...and the other to put in the used-to-be cigaret lighter.

The salesman programmed it for our return trip....and we were both duly impressed. Then in the evening when I went to inspect my purchase and study on usage, I discovered it only has one cord for the car...nothing for the house.

So..I took a half hour drive to charge it up...and it barely charged...died immediately.

Does this mean that I would need to drive 100 miles somewhere to find out where I'm going...so I can get it charged.

I don't think so. I never ever return things....but tomorrow is return day at Circuit City. I think they charge a fee for returns...but it's no good the way it is.

I still love the notion of it though!

And I thought it was going to be a bad day!

When I glanced out my sliding door onto my patio today, I noticed that the hose holder had pulled away from the stucco wall. It held for 19 years and how did it happen to fall out now. I wasn't using my hose even...and so it just gave!

Then as I was emptying my dishwasher, I noticed that a plastic juice glass had fallen thru the rack and melted onto a rod in the back. I tried jiggling it but to no avail. It's glued there. I wouldn't even mind if I thought that it wouldn't affect the washing of the dishes.

But I really won't know until I try to wash another load of dishes.

Then I had an appointment to have my teeth cleaned...and I know that things fall into a pattern of 3 so I was deep in thought as I walked from my car to the dentist's office...and all of a sudden a young man who had just gotten off a motorbike spoke to me. He said what a pretty color you're wearing. My pant suit is a fluorescent green and against my very dark skin, I guess I must have had a shocking effect on him.

Anyway, I told him he made my day....and he really did.

And everything went great in the dentist's chair. Nothing unexpected.

The Circus Comes to Town

Why do I write this blog? For me...yes, when you live alone and you have lots of thoughts in your mind, sometimes it's good to put
the words down. It used to be you'd write it in a notepad with a pen. Today, I can type it effortlessly on my computer.

I'm reading a number one best seller "Water for Elephants" and it's sure bringing back a lot of memories. I guess that's what good reading is all about...triggering thoughts.

This is about a circus and I recall when the circus came to town...and the schoolchildren would be dismissed so that we could watch the parade with the elephants leading. This had a sadness to it also. Featured would be people who were born with deformities...dwarfs...people with 2 heads..fat lady..tallest person.


When they were born, their parents knew that this was the only way they could make a living the rest of their lives.

Anyway...all these years later I'm remembeing a highlight of my childhood...and that's good too!

So this is how it all began...interesting!

Today when we want to hear music..we either sing in the shower...turn on a CD...or listen to video which I still enjoy. When I was a young depression-age child, we used to take a piece of toilet paper on a comb and make harmonica sound music. Also if you were very gifted, you would take a thick blade of grass and make music. YOu can actually hear the music below. Just click on the picture. What magic



But there had to be a beginning....a start....and here it is.

LIsten! It's not exactly a synthesizer. I'm sure that back then many cavemen enjoyed this.

I consider myself so lucky for having been born in this time slot.

clipped from www.ponderabout.com

The Oldest Musical Instrument

check out the video below to see and hear
the bone flutes

the world’s oldest intact, playable, multi-note
musical instrument is a bone flute, carved from
the wing bone (ulna) of a red-crowned crane

six such flutes were found in 1999 at the
early Neolithic excavation site of Jiahu,
located in China’s Henan province

using carbon-14 dating, scientists at the
Brookhaven National Laboratory estimated
the flutes’ ages to be in the range of
7,000 to 9,000 years

more detailed information, from Nature Magazine,
can be found here

If you were born in the 1960s or 70s, you remember the Etch-A-Sketch®. It was the cool, amazing, must-have drawing toy for kids. It seemed like every kid had one. Today the Etch-A-Sketch has a retro feel. You would think it would have been replaced by the PC - given a choice, would a kid rather see the scratchy black line of a etch-a-sketch or the color of a digital crayon in a paint program? There are also things like Magna Doodle® that are a lot easier for kids to use. But the Etch-A-Sketch hangs on with a surprisingly large audience. There's something about those two here. If you would like to see just how amazing an Etch-A-Sketch can be in the hands of a pro, click

reading...so much fun!

Even with all our television...tivo in case we don't wish to watch commercials or have missed the program....there is nothing better than reading a good book.

If the author can really write...we become part of the plot and join in the family (the characters) in this manuscript.

IN our minds we try (while we're reading--unbeknowest to us--we're imagining what the author had in mind--or we're actually re-writing it in our minds--so anxious to enter into the mindset of this book.

Sometimes I can't bear it to end....simply because I'm not ready to part with it.

Other times I feel an anger toward the author because I feel that he should have gone into a different direction. I guess that why groups have formed bookclubs all over the world....someone to discuss it with.

Once I get settled with a good book, it's like eating potato chips, I simply cannot put it down.

Actually when you go to the library you'll find there are more authors than ever before....such a bouquet of reading before us.

WHICH TO PICK...WHICH TO SELECT. A decision that I'll live with for the next 14 days. If it's extra good, I try to pass it along to a friend, selfishly so that I'll have some to talk to about it.

When I have something worthwhile reading, I feel a sense of elation ...of happiness within me. And I can honestly say that I've never peeked at the back of the book to see how it ends. That would be cheating myself out of a good time.

I hope that everyone has these same good feelings. I also feel that way about music.

I believe that many of us suffer from phobias. Some of mine are dancing with someone with the fear that I may not be able to follow him (or her) women have asked me to dance too.

Another is fear of bugs which is probably very common...and I've always had a fear of roller coasters...and, of course, a fear of the hereafter, which none of us know about so we try to live a good life here.

Anyway I came across this article and I thought it very worthy so I included it my blog. How far we've come with technology.

Unbelievable....yet here's another area!

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How Virtual Medicine Works
Millions of people suffer from phobias that limit their activities and negatively impacting their lives. Many seek psychological treatment in order to manage or conquer their fears. For years, a popular form of treatment was exposure therapy, in which a therapist would expose a patient to stimuli related to his fear in a controlled environment. In many cases, patients would learn to manage their anxiety through repeated exposure coupled with encouragement from a therapist.
Exposure therapy is time consuming. Often it's also expensive and inconvenient, and it can compromise patient confidentiality. For example, treating a patient with aerophobia, or the fear of flying, usually involves a trip to the airport. It might take several visits for a therapist and patient to make their way through security to a gate. Eventually both have to get on a plane and fly to a destination. Now that you have to be a ticketed passenger to pass through security at airports, it can be prohibitively expensive to treat a patient with exposure therapy. Because patients and therapists travel together, the patient's confidentiality is compromised because the public has the opportunity to see the therapy in action.
Virtual Reality Image Gallery
Photo courtesy of Virtually Better, Inc.Virtually Better, Inc. uses virtual therapy to treat a patient's fear of flying.One alternative to traditional exposure therapy is virtual reality exposure therapy. This kind of therapy uses a virtual reality unit to simulate situations that cause anxiety in phobia patients. It has several advantages over traditional therapy. Doctors don't have to leave their offices. Scheduling treatment is easier. It's less expensive in the long run. And patients are often more willing to participate in a program they know will allow them to deal with their fears in a nonphysical setting. Since patients can undergo therapy inside the doctor's office, confidentiality isn't an issue.
Dr. Larry Hodges, a virtual reality computer scientist at the University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill, became interested in a possible therapeutic application of VR technology in the early 1990s. He approached Dr. Barbara Rothbaum, a professor of Psychiatry at Emory University, and together they collaborated on a project that would test VR technology's efficacy in recreating patients' fears. They decided to design a simulation for patients suffering from acrophobia, or a fear of heights. Dr. Hodges felt that it would be relatively easy to create a program giving the illusion of height compared to other, more complex fears.
Thank YouThanks to Dr. Larry Hodges of the University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill for his help with this article.
Dr. Hodges and his team worked with Dr. Rothbaum and volunteer patients to determine what stimuli were particularly powerful. Volunteers would wear a head-mounted display (HMD) that would create the illusion that they were on a tall ledge. Going into the project, Hodges and Rothbaum weren't certain that they would get the same reactions from volunteers in a virtual environment as they would a real one, nor were they sure that by treating someone using virtual environments that progress would translate into the real world.
Video Gallery: Using Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality is not only used to help people get over their phobias or play games in a more realistic setting. Check out these videos on HowStuffWorks to see some other uses of virtual reality.
UC Davis has built a virtual reality cave; researchers don't have to look at flat, 2-D maps anymore. Using a radar scanning technique called Lidar, geologists can better measure earthquakes at a distance. See how virtual reality and earthquakes work in this video from UC Davis' NewsWatch.
The Chaim Sheba Rehabilitation Hospital, near Tel Aviv, Israel, has developed a virtual reality system to aid in the physical rehabilitation of its patients. Using a life-sized video game, patients are forced to use atrophied muscles to heal injuries or disorders. See how virtual reality reahbilitation works in this video from Reuters.

Doggy days

Jeff and Donna, my grown up kids came to visit me the July 4th week....and I was excited about their visit.

I wanted so much for them to have a wonderful time because this was their vacation..

They told me in advance not to make any plans because all they wanted to do was relax.

Jeff was content to stretch out on his large excercise mat and do his stretching excercises for his back.

Donna was thrilled to be writing programs for my computer to make my life easier .

But I didn't believe them and I went overboard. Sometimes these things backfire.

So...I learned now that I am not in control of anyone's life. They take care of each other and have a good marriage and are very happy.

Which, of course, makes me happy too.

I won't worry again.

Their agenda this week is to adopt a puppy and they're both very anxious about this.

Our dogs always bolted out the front door...barked and aggravated the neighbors...and was a thief and took Jeff's socks....

They claim that they are going to train their own dog...and he will never put them to shame.

We shall see what we shall see! Good luck.

Jeff and Donna

My grownup children came to visit me over the July 4th week. I anticipated this visit with excited feelings...but I knew that this was their vacation and I wanted it to be so special.



They told me countless times that I don't have to knock myself out...all they want to do is visit me and help me with the computer that they bought me.



I have a tendency to go to extremes...and I try too hard...and sometimes it backfires and you feel that maybe that's not what they really wanted.



Next time I will just listen. Jeff is satisfied to roll out his exercise mat and do a lot of stretching exercises. It makes his back feel better.



Donna who was just recovering from a heart procedure was still healing from being zapped in her heart.



For some reason in this life I have always felt that I had to take control.



And now...after all these many years of my life, I realize that Jeff and Donna will take care of each other and I don't have to worry any more.



It's out of my hands....so I should just relax and be content that they're so much in love with each other and make each other happy..



So...now that the vacation is over, and my house feels empty but with very pleasant memories, I am fulfilled also.



I guess all we want in our lives is for our kids to be happy...because when they're happy...then I am too.



They are moving on.....their next adventure in life is to get a good dog that bonds with them and that they can train.....they're really looking forward to this. We always had a dog...but untrained. If the screen door opened..the dog would bolt. He also b



rked a lot and annoyed neighbors...and he was a thief...he stole Jeff's socks.



Well, Jeff and Donna claim that their dog will be trained by them and he won't have any bad manners.



We shall see what we shall see. Good luck, trainers!

carbon paper

I think if you were to ask kids today what carbon paper is they would be baffled. I certainly knew what it was....got my hands all messy...if you put it in the typewriter wrong side out...it just didn't work!

Why am I thinking about that now! I had a dream last night that I had just gotten my job at the radio station.

This little skinny girl who knew nothing...and boy when I was hired...I was all fired up....thinking I was somebody.

I must have been pretty boring in those days because all I could think about and talk about was that station.

What kinds of music we played on the 33 l/3 rpm's....who was running the board...who was writing the logs....and just who was...

I recall going into our big studio...our Stephen Collins Foster studio with a magnificent piano. Our bookkeeper could really play...and my boss had a fantastic tenor voice.

I just couldn't get over my good fortune....and so I enjoyed it for 9 years when I became very pregnant with Jeff.

I knew then that was a chapter closed in my life....but a better one was to open.

It was no competition!

My job was parttime program director and writing all the commercials....hence the carbon paper.

I had never heard of a Zerox...or for that matter an electric or electronic typewriter....or a word processor. Didn't exist in 1944. How primitive it was and I didn't even know it.

Leni who is sooo smart!

Going back about 7 years in my life, I was introduced to a new medium in my life...and a new lady!

Both shot up my adrenelin and added such a bonus to my life.

The chicken or the egg...I don't know who was more important...Leni Cohen who runs a school for webtv...or the webtv itself.

Truth to tell ...they ran together...a winning team.....and I joined it.

I threw away my encyclopedia...my dictionary...and my telephone book...it was all contained in this little gadget....but Leni taught us how to use it.

If I had just walked into Best Buy and bought it myself....I know that I would not have gotten the same effect of it.

Her enthusiasm was so contagious that I couldn't wait to enter her classroom that was originally held in Weight Watchers building.

Then I discovered Pagebuilder...and I became published. Me....hilda...a published author.....wow! In my little schettel here, I was important.

Well, today, I saw Leni once again....and the magic was back. She exudes love of anything she's involved with...be it her dog...family...technology....or health insurance.

Today is a good day!

When is it enough!

It's June in Florida and this is when I enjoy it most.

The 'snowbirds' have fled and have gone back to either the house they left or smooch off some of the relatives for awhile.

Years ago multi-generational homes worked because the world was a different place. Families ate together and sat around and enjoyed each other's company. Dementia and senility weren't as frequent as they are now simply because folks didn't live that long.

Same as with hips, knees and backs. Surgery was a rarity because of life expentency.

So...is this good! I don't really know. I do know that it scares the heck out of a lot of us wondering what's going to become of us.

Life is good.....God meant it to be good......but have some of us reached the satiation peak.

I say again to my kids....no heroic measures. I've lived one heck of a good life.....and whatever fate has in mind is fine.

I'm not being morbid....just factual. Thank you my loved ones!

Serenity

This is a most unusual face...beautiful...like she's very comfortable in her own life.

Virginia has carved her own life every bit of the way...and it shows.

She's a very good person...I believe the kind that our G-d had in mind when he created womankind.

She's kind, compassionate and will go out of her way to do a good deed for which she likes to remain anonymous.

Her kids are very lucky they have her as their 'mom'.

Monkey See--Monkey Does...speaks for itself!

Meet Virginia on the left, the kind friend who writes generously in my blog almost everyday.

My support!

Then her first cousin Nancy and Virginia's daughter Joey.

It's a fun picture and I was trying so hard to get a picture of Virginia...and she's a monkey! What do you call this????

Anyway....thanks, Virginia!

A l little family I'm so proud of!

These 4 people are very important in my life. They are Gary, Arthur, Alek and Sue.

Gary happens to be the son of my best friend in New Kensington, who passed away.

However, through the years, Gary and I have always kept in touch with one another.

Sue is a nurse and also, I might add, is very beautiful and was voted "Miss Kittanning" in Pennsylvania.

Gary from the time he got out of college was interested in newspapers.

He started out in classified in Leader Papers. He graduated many times and I believe that now he might even be in publishing.

I live in Florida and I was going to Virginia to visit my kids. When the Siegel family heard this, they said they were coming also to visit.

I was thrilled and excited....they really wanted to see me and my family....stay at a hotel and drive a lot of miles.

Before they came Gary told me some news about Alek, this darling boy who just graduated.....he has some autism.

Oh my....I felt so badly. I could never tell by all the pictures he had sent over the years.

When I first met Alek in his hotel, he asked me how old I was! I answered kiddingly that I was 1000 years old.

He didn't like that answer. He said ...' is that the truth'. I had to confess and then I realized he doesn't like to be teased.

Anyway, I received this picture today....and I am so thrilled and so proud...and so would Sonja Gary's mother.

Whatever Alek will do to finish growing up....I know that his parents and brother had a lot of Faith....and so do I......so good luck!s

The person riding this bike is my nephew Paul!

I'm so proud of Paul. He rides for enjoyment...for his health...and just for the well-being of the earth around him. HE enjoys seeing the trees and the bike trails....and he concentrates on his breathing and feels that all's well with the world.


Paul has participated in bike marathons and rode 100 miles for MS and I can't even imagine it.

Even when I was young!

When I was 9 my father bought my sister and me a used powder blue thin tired bike. That's when everyone was riding with balloon tires.

Anyway, I fell in love with that bike and kept it long after I was married....so I really got my father's money's worth!.

It took me everywhere. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, there are lots of hills and when I would be riding upstream it required quite a bit of strength from a skinny little girl.

There were no gear shifts....you just pedaled.

I did have an upgrade though that I was so proud of...a rear few mirror and sometimes I think I looked behind me more than I looked ahead.

Very fond memories...and I'm proud of you, Paul.

Is he just stubborn or is he right!

He was just released from prison yesterday and has had a lot of time to think.

What do you think????

Unrepentant ‘Dr. Death’ still favors right to die
Dr. Kevorkian also asserts other physicians help ill patients commit suicide
NBC News video


Jack Kevorkian: Death is a 'natural right'
June 5: In an exclusive interview with TODAY's Ann Curry the doctor talks about being a free man and if he'd do assisted suicides again.
Today show


Web extra video

Kevorkian walks out of jail
June 1: Jack Kevorkian walks out of a Michigan prison and gets into a vehicle.
NBC News Web Extra


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By John Springer
TODAYShow.com contributor
Updated: 11:20 a.m. ET June 5, 2007
Eight years in prison hasn’t changed physician-assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian’s opinion that legislatures can prohibit doctors from helping chronically ill patients end their lives, but no man-made rule can ever take away a person’s “natural right” to decide whether they wish to live or die.

“It is one of our natural rights that we are born with, the right to control the circumstances of one’s own death,” Kevorkian, 79, told TODAY’s Ann Curry on Tuesday during his first live television interview since being released from a Michigan prison last week.

“It can’t be controlled by external forces and be a right,” he told Curry. “The law can block your use of it. That doesn’t mean they destroy the right.”

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I happen to agree with him....he's right!