Sunday, December 22, 2013

Music that highlights the Holiday Season

My musical senses tend to heighten when I listen to PBS this Christmas time of the year.   Melodies I've heard played over the years bring joy once again into my life as I lovingly recall this group playing and singing the sweet strains of familiar lyrics, digging deep into the recesses of feelings buried deep within my heart...American Folk Music..

Although she's not with us any longer, I just watched a nostalgic rerun of Peter, Paul and Mary singing one of their very favorites and mine too...Puff the Magic Dragon.  Most of their music had a distinct message of human kindness and giving....and causes, not just empty words.

This trio used to glue our little family together as we watched the two guitarists singing, playing along with Mary who was tall and stately...as the years passed, she got heavier and bigger but her voice never changed, nor did her smile.

 

In the decades prior to the '60s, through the work of such avatars as Woody Guthrie, the Weavers and Pete Seeger, folk music had become identified with sociopolitical commentary, but the idiom had been forced underground in the Senator Joe McCarthy witch-hunting era of the late '50s. By the time Peter, Paul and Mary arrived on the scene, for the majority of America, folk was viewed merely as a side-bar to pop music which employed acoustic instruments. At this critical historic juncture, with the nation still recovering from the McCarthy era, the Civil Rights Movement taking shape, the Cold War heating up and a nascent spirit of activism in the air, Peter Yarrow, Noel (Paul) Stookey and Mary Travers came together to juxtapose these cross currents and thus to reclaim folk's potency as a social, cultural and political force. But few at the time could have realized how fervently and pervasively the group's message of humanity, hope and activism would be embraced.
Having their music associated with causes and solutions is as natural as breathing for Peter, Paul and Mary. The music they purvey and the action it generates are equally important to them and lie at the heart of their story. Most recently, their individual and collective efforts have focused on such crucial issues as gun violence against children, the rights and organizing efforts of strawberry pickers in California, homelessness and world hunger. "We've always been involved with issues that deal with the fundamental human rights of people, whether that means the right to political freedom or the right to breathe air that's clean," Travers points out.
No American folk group has lasted longer or amassed a more loyal following than Peter, Paul and Mary

They invited the listening audience to sing along with them...and I DID.

Great fantastic memories to cling to.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Paul Burger and the Wizard of Oz

Thoughts from Hilda
These are my thoughts, during average days of my life. They're probably not of any interest to anyone other than my dear friends, my children, my nephews, grandnephews, and other people who have passed through my life.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

If I was on the debate team, I would simplify things a lot.   I would say...folks, none of us really knows how much a trillions dollars is...not even a billion....but maybe, just maybe if we brought it down to millions, we could kind of relate to it.

We could really understand what the two candidates are talking about...because right now, it's going over most of our heads.

We think in dollars..and not even cents anymore.   And why do we need to borrow from China...can't we just add  more gold mints in Fort Knox, Kentucky.    Everybody I know owns something that is gold...so why such a big attraction to it.

What we all do know...and we were all taught in the most basic way that you can't spend more money than you have.

And that is what our country is doing.   So Countrymen...stop it!!!!!!!   Stay within your budget, that is if we can ever get back on track.

I guess that's why nobody has asked me to debate!

This is a P.S. on information I received from Paul my nephew about gold and the Wizard of Oz.

book
Editor's Note: Here is the extraordinary story behind the extraordinary story of'TheWonderfulWizard of Oz'.  Most of us have seen the movie version of this allegorical tale, but few of us are aware of what the various characters, places and things represented in the mind of Frank Baum, the tale's author. Professor Quentin Taylor of Rogers State University invitingly titles the piece presented below 'Money and Politics in the Land of Oz'.  Though 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' was written over 100 years ago, the themes will be recongizable to those with an interest in golden matters. While many today consider gold an instrument of financial and personal freedom, in Baum's tale, it is painted as a villain -- the tool of oppression. So, as you are about to see, we have come full circle, and gold has travelled a yellow brick road of its own

Sunday, December 8, 2013

My precious little guy

:

 The youngest of our generation came to visit for 3 days, along with his mom and dad, Becky and Eric, both carved out for parenthood..
 
This new little soul, just 9 months old, already exhibits such charm, personality and lovableness that I fell uncontrollably in love with him on sight.
 
Skype is great, but this was the real thing.  This precious  little being was holding my hand, smiling,  and I watched as his whole face turned into a beautiful smile which lit up his entire face and room in fact.  Happiness seeped into me as I stared at baby Shane.
 
Through darling Shane's eyes, he sees a world that is so new to him he's totally focused on everyone, and I feel sure that these sights and smells  find a place in his tiny brain that buries itself  in many compartments of his mind.
  He drinks it all in.
 
No exhibition of crying on his part, only the most pleasantness of smiles in his still toothless mouth that is eager to taste all foods, and many to his liking.   He lets us know by eagerly opening his mouth for the next bite.
Small bites of various food  assortments are placed on his high chair tray as we watch anxiously for the expression on his face as he samples each  morsel.    Almost like feeding a little bird seeds as he takes one by one.
 
I am the great grand aunt of Shane and he follows us around like a little puppy.   As he crawls along the floor, his little tushie moves back and forth and he either gently  lowers himself to the floor again  or he will find a piece of furniture to stand and hold onto.
 
His language of cooing is very understandable.  His parents know exactly what he craves.   He definitely communicates.  When he's had his fill of food, he takes his little hand and bangs on the table....reminding me of Krushav when he came to visit from Russia.
 
I live in South Florida where there's an abundance of senior citizens.   When we took Shane to a restaurant, everyone made a big fuss over him.  Not a person passed by who didn't smile, and that made me feel so good.  They were delighted to see a very young face.
 
I know I'm bragging but Shane was such a model diner, sitting in his highchair and being grateful for any bits of food his parents thought he could handle at this age.
I was amazed at his good manners because I've been in restaurants where screaming children were intolerable.
 
Playtime for this little fellow  is holding his blocks in two hands, stacking them  and then knocking them down again and we all applaud.
 
 But most of all, he's happiest when his  mother takes out his books, right before he goes to sleep at night and reads to him.  She puts him in a quiet sleep mode.
 He sits so still listening and looking at the pages.  Becky also acts them out...hot and cold...loud and soft...in and out....big  and small..and baby Shane listens and looks,  and I know he's absorbing.
 
Eric worries constantly that he might not be getting enough nourishment  because he's so tiny, but he needn't be concerned because this baby lets you know exactly what he wants.
Their visit is over!   Now I am left with wonderful thoughts and memories...and these I will always cherish!
 
Thank you, my grandchildren of my sister, for visiting.   If there is a heaven, I'm sure that my sister Elayne and  her husband Leonard, were watching and enjoying with me
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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Nature letting us know who's in charge!



 


Friday, September 11, 2009


Cutting back before a hurricane! Sounds  alerted me to something going on in my backyard.

I peeked through my verticals anxious to see what was happening and  I watched. 

  It wasn't just entertainment!  Three treemen ,  working very hard,  hacking at my tree that was 20 times higher than they were tall.



It was a 'happening' all right. The 'tree clipper people' were outside my window  with a large saw  cutting down a  huge branch of a gigantic  tree in my backyard that must have been young about 50 years ago.  I could tell by the markings on the trunk that it went through many seasons even if this is Florida..

Now this wasn't just any branch. It was part of the tree...but almost as big as the tree trunk itself...and should there be torrential rains and wildly gusting winds, this could find its way right through my window.
So interesting to watch. They worked very hard with not a movement being wasted.

  These men, who could speak no English, were in complete control of chopping my tree in the event of a hurricane.

 I remembered my camera sitting on top of my desk...and this is the picture  I captured  through my  window.  In spite of  the black bars, I was able to put into focus, these eager Haitian workmen.

 Our condo being  alert to our weather predictions  gives me a feeling of  protectiveness.

  In the meantime, I've stocked up on all kinds of boxed and tinned  foods and  know I would be able to  survive a month without starving, even having company over who didn't think ahead to bother shopping.  I was like a little chipmunk storing all kinds of goodies.

Most of all I detested the night when it was pitchblack and I would sing...

'hello darkness my old friend...I've come to be with you again

 I own one of the first hand held transistor radios, and amazingly it still plays.  What a gadget.   This little radio is over 30 years old and requires one 9 volt battery and is the best company I could want.

   This is how I occupied myself, listening to people call in to the "talk shows", which gave me a feeling of being  part of the world.   Each caller had a different story to tell.

  Some callers  would say they're stuck in a 6 story condo and the elevators, of course, weren't working, and what should they do...how could they get help.   They needed their medications.   I became very involved in the outside world, unable to do anything but listen and hope they would be able to get some help.

Then I'd go into a troubled sleep...but the very next morning...the sun was brightly shining...and all was right with the world.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Replaying in my head!

Hiding from one's shadow is an impossible task...as hard as  trying to escape from one's thoughts, being as they're not channeled in any particular direction, but floating uncontrollably out into the world, only to be thought by me. 

Shadows and thoughts are a part of us that have  nothing to do with one another, except they're attached to us.   Memories may fade and shadows may alter, but they're always there.   My thoughts have been taking over my subconscious making me aware of how many people used to be an active part of my life.

Little by little, as I age, I'm losing my friendships.  These ladies have moved into retirement homes to be cared for...having  their meals cooked and served to them,  and reminding them to take their medications, and making sure they're using their  walkers, canes or wheel chairs.

My innermost thoughts are always there, swaying  and crawling to a place that only I can reach, and  enhancing  images in my mind that tend to enter and leave at random.....   coming and going on and on!

I can no more control what I'm thinking than I can of breathing.

Was it always this way, or am I just by myself so much that I'm living within my consciousness.

Am I reliving my life to make sure I remember, or these so-called thoughts just keep tumbling out, causing me to have too much time and not enough to occupy me.

Now it's time for me to take charge and get rid of all this foolishness.    Yes, indeed I can, and I will!    I'm enrolling at our Palm Beach Public Library, where they're offering a course helping seniors cast their hand at creative writing.

This way, I can focus on what's really important to keep my memories alive.

 I'll take a few of my blogs to be shown the way to improve my writing so  more people might want to visit my site..

 My blog is about my best friend.   I confide all kinds of quirky things about me in it and I do laugh at my own shortcomings.

My grown-up children have no idea what they created  when they suggested my writing a blog that it would be such an important part of my life.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Ann Marie and Joe




Friday, January 11, 2013


Fine Dining

Lovely experience last night.   I was invited to Annmarie and Joe P's house for dinner and they live fairly close, so I walked over for a little exercise.

Joe greeted me on the street entering his house which was very hospitable...and as I reached the threshold to their door, their two sweet cats were the welcoming committee.   And Annmarie was standing there smiling and I felt expected and welcomed.

I loved the food made from scratch...and very healthy. We started out with hearty vegetable soup that included  just about every veggie that our God created.

  Her asparagas receipe I will definitely make.....in the toaster oven with some oil and bread crumbs...and utterly delicious.  In fact, I was watching Joe in the kitchen, a real artist at work, with his wok...and the aroma was wonderful.  His two hands looked like a conductor performing  with a fine orchestra.

The slices of eggplant parmesan was also fantastic...but what was a big bonus about my meal was their cat was climbing up my leg...and it felt so good...just like a dog...a catdog!

After dinner we sat in the parlor and I looked at quite a few paintings.   This family is so talented...all I can do is admire...I'm talentless.

I looked at some paintings that were minimalized...lots of good colors and then maybe was a small shrub or a little chair.    I would not have purchased those but it was fun to look at.   I was told that these paintings were selling.

About a month ago Annmarie asked what kind of painting I would like to own of hers. I was very flattered that she wanted to put one in my house and I told her a farm....because I still watch 'The Walton's.

About 9 o'clock I said I was ready to leave because they were going to present the painting to me...so beautiful...I would never tire of  the scene.

Joe and Annmarie came over with picture, nail and hammer...and Joe found the perfect spot.

This morning when I woke up, even before going to the bathroom, I  went to the living-dining area  to view my new picture...painted for me by my good friend Annmarie.

Now I have pictures that they both gave me...and I feel very privileged and happy to own them.

I just keep looking at it.....thanks, guys!    Oh I didn't leave without a container of the soup..which I shall sup while I admire my picture in its beautiful wooden frame.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Oh Happiness...it's age-friendly here!

Spotting a ramp when you step out of your car is a sign of AGE.   I make an effort to search for an easy ramp nearby so that I would have no  need to step up or down a curb.  Never occurred to me that I would one day watch for these things.


I'm imagining what my life will be one year from now and they're not pleasant thoughts...do I sport a cane...or give over some of my independence with a walker.

I'm completely devoid of time slipping by.  When my son was young, I thought, in my fairytale  mind, that it would always be that way.

I loved all Jeff's boyhood activities...I enjoyed standing on the sideway watching him participate in the marching band and marveling at the  choreography  they were taught when  they marched, while holding a trumpet and pressing the right buttons.

Jeff marched in all the parades downtown,  and you would always find Allen and me  lining the streets watcgubg the musicians as they  marched down the street and we would always kvell.    Our Boy!

I know that tennis in our town was not a spectator sport, but I went to the games and enjoyed the back and forth volleying....and Jeff was good too, he would actually scramble for the ball.  It made me proud.

Allen and I would take Jeff to a lobster restaurant and both my men folk loved having their bibs tied around the necks. and really working with a little tool to get all that good meat out.  This was a night out on the town.

I was never an adventurous eater so I never even tasted lobster...I ordered the same old...same old.  To me the lobsters resembled big bugs.  Not so...this was a gift out of the seas.

Once a week Jeff would dress in his cub scout uniform and when it was our turn to  host, we always served cookies and milk...and made some sort of creative thing for the little boys to take home.

But the years have passed and I still can't believe that fifty years have passed since we lost our president.   Jeff was 11 years old and came home looking very somber...and we hugged each other.   Allen called on the phone and I asked him to come home.

This happened on a Friday and that night we went to Synagogue services...and most other people went to church.

Our hearts were hurting and full.

And here I sit, thinking about all these memories...and now Jeff and Donna have been married 20 years and will retire here in another year.

It makes my heart happy!   I am blessed!   Next week I will see Eric,
Becky and baby Shane.   How I'm looked forward to that.   If you were to ask me what could excite me more ...one million dollars...or seeing Shane.. no contest...my Shane...........................

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

My old shoemaker shop

I can go back in time.   If I try really hard, I can smell the little shoemaker shop that I went to when I was a child.

His building was just a tad bigger than an outhouse, but it was a very special place.  Was that glue I smelled or leather or what...but I loved that smell.  He always had a beautiful calendar on his wall...the only decoration.

And our shoemaker was such a kind man.  His son went to school with me  and was always dressed well, so his father must have made a decent living.

Now this was in the 30's when we just didn't go out and buy new shoes...no, we had them soled.

I never hear of anyone getting a hole in the bottom of their shoe today...but we did back in the day.

Did we walk more?  Was that it.  I remember the poor kids used to line the bottom of their shoes with cardboard.  Did we play harder? 

We got new shoes when we outgrew them....not when they wore out.

Those were the days....

Monday, November 4, 2013

blessing for a surrogate mother

the blogs: nosher / rabbis / keshet / scribe / multitudes / southern / canteen

A Blessing for a Surrogate Mother

 


9
I just had to put this in my blog




“Do you know of a prayer for a surrogate?” The question came over Facebook Chat a few nights ago, sent by a young woman in my community named Tara. In the coming days, Tara will begin carrying an embryo for a couple who were not able to conceive on their own.  For Tara, this has been a deep spiritual journey. She has two children of her own, and felt so blessed by easy and healthy pregnancies. And while cherishing her own beautiful sons, she felt overwhelmed by the deep pain and heartache that infertility causes to so many people. Tara knew she wanted to help.
In the Hebrew Bible, we meet many women who struggle with infertility. There’s Rachel, who watches her sister carry baby after baby, struggling herself to conceive her own beloved sons, Joseph and Benjamin. There’s Hannah, who is so deeply pained by her inability to bare a child, that when she prays with all of her heart, Eli the Cohen believes that her passion and her devotion is a sign of being drunk. Hannah sways back and forth, opening her mouth, and only releasing a voice that is loud enough for she herself to hear. This kavanah, or deep intention, is the model that we use for personal prayer today.
Possibly the most well known story of infertility is found in this week’s Torah portion—Vayera.  After struggling for years to conceive, Sarah is told that she and Abraham will have a child in their old age – and she laughs, and thus the child is given the name Yitzhak. Our rabbis teach that her laughter carries with it a feeling of surprise and even doubt. And yet, I prefer to focus on the essential truth that exists within big, unbridled laughter—tremendous, heartfelt, contagious joy. Sarah would finally know the extraordinary joy of being a mother.
Today, I know so many women and men who desperately want to experience that very same joy.
In just a few short days, an embryo will be implanted within Tara’s uterus, formed by a loving mother and father who are unable to create a baby without Tara’s help. And so, for Tara, I have written this blessing:
Makor HaChayim, Source of Life
= = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Inspire me to become a holy vessel, blessed with the opportunity to carry this precious seed, providing nourishment and warmth within the deep embrace of my womb.
Infuse me with patience. Through each hour of each day, may I have the strength to feel the blessing of the moment, knowing that with each breath that we share, life is closer to being renewed.
Rekindle within me courage, for in holding this seed, I am not merely making a child—I am also creating a mother and a father. I am forming a family. And within that family, a whole universe of possibility dwells.
And at this time, especially, instill within me the power and potential of love, that I may remain tender and devoted to all those who are connected to my heart.  As my body changes and grows, so may my capacity to embody love expand and unfold as well.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Our Halloween Party

What oh what can I wear to dress up for this momentous occasion.

And then it came to me.  A few days before I was looking at Becky, my niece's facebook and she went dressed like this.

They say that imitation is the best form of flattery...so you should be  flattered, Becky, and thank you.   These are 3 tap lights that light up...and I was a traffic light.
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Friday, November 1, 2013

Friday, November 30, 2012

Jeff and Donna pointed me in this direction!

Why oh why do I write my blog???   Is it because I want to be published???     Is it because I think I have fantastic ideas???    Is it because I need to be recognized for my achievement???    Is it ego on my part?  Maybe in part of my brain I would have liked to be a writer but it never came to fruition.


I'm amazed at times how many readers spend some time reading my blog, and not just in this country

 
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Today I was thinking about if I had my life to live all over again...would I do things differently .

No...the answer is definitely no.   I've mostly enjoyed my life, except for the tragic stuff.   I lucked out and had a wonderful husband who was very easy to live with...and then when Jeff came along, it was a wonderful time.   

My growing up years were sandwiched between the great depression and world war 2.   Now we're saddled with another depression.

I do worry a lot about my children and my children's children and if we're using up too much of everything and there won't be enough for them.

I wonder if my grandparents worried about the same things.   Interesting thought.

I know that God is watching over us...so I'll just let HIM do the guiding and everything will turn out all right.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Thursday, July 23, 2009

I've Become Very Lazy!



WMy good friend Virginia has reminded me that it's time for a new blog and I have so many thoughts reverberating in my ancient brain that I really don't know what my fingers are going to write about.

So...here goes!

I take such delight every week hearing and seeing Jeff and Donna's dogs. Now they'll never say their dogs are naughty ... they'll say it's all their fault.

So last Sunday when we were speaking Jeff showed me on the webcam a little gadget that he put together and he taught Bandit 4 tricks with it...and I don't know who was prouder...the dog or its owners.

Their beagle dogs are hunters so they dig lots of ditches in the backyard and Jeff had to go to Home Depot to buy dirt...so Donna could fill up all the holes ...now they can mow the lawn without fear of falling.

Jeff and Donna try to let me into their lives by explaining how everything works.....and I am constantly amazed.

We went to the Kennedy Space Center when they were here....and I imagine in another hundred years, this will all seem primitive to the folks who go to the museum.

In a way going to the moon has taken some of the romance away from this Lunar...because now we know it's just barren rock. However, what they do with their 'findings' is very interesting.

I don't know what the people who use cell phones in their daily lives would do without this handy little gadget....but thanks to space we have it.

But anyway, I don't recall that I heard any new songs about the romance of the moon.....so will they write new songs about Mars...and not the chocolate one.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Squatting!

Re-living our toy store.  Every year many of our customers used our free lay-a-way plan, and most of these people were on welfare under Johnson's watch..

It was easy for them...and financially good for us in knowing how to order.

I had a dream last night..and it was a replica of the way it happened.

We did not know from 'scanners'.  That was modern technique.

When a customer was creating  a hide-a-way, they would make a big pile of what they were ordering.   I would squat for a very long time with our Gordon Toys order sheets and write down every single item, so that when they came to pick up their toys, it would all be there.

A tablet and a pen and me squatting...that was the combination.

While I was in this beautiful position,  Allen was busy waiting on other customers or stock shelves.  Little did I know that 20 years hence I would be unable to perform this feat.

We were a 'mom and pop' store.

How easy, I realize today, my work would have been if I had a scanner.

 barcode reader (or barcode scanner) is an electronic device for reading printed barcodes. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor translating optical impulses into electrical ones. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers contain decodercircuitry analyzing the barcode's image data provided by the sensor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port.

The bar codes were already on the merchandise.   We were very primitive, I realize now.

And this was my dream last night....writing up layaways...and I was soo tired this morning..

Probably if we had stayed in business after the year 1987, we would have become more modernized with a computer too.

Jeff and Paul begged for us to change....but that's the way it was. 

It worked for us!

Oh for a bowl of Lentil Soup..I never used sweet potatoes

A Jewish tradition that goes back to the Bible.

By

Pareve
 
lentil soup In Parashat Toldot we read the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for some delicious lentil stew. One day, Jacob prepares a stew while Esau is out hunting in the fields. Esau returns from his long day of hunting and demands some of what he calls ha-adom ha-adom hazeh or "that red stuff," but Jacob won't give it to his brother unless Esau agrees to give up his birthright. Esau forfeits his birthright, and the text tells us, "Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank and he rose and went away. Thus did Esau spurn the birthright." (25:34)

Ingredients



2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large pieces
1 bunch leeks, green parts discarded, white parts cleaned and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 16 oz bag brown lentils
1 32 oz container low-sodium tomato juice
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon salt
Bouillon to taste



Yield:

Serves about 10

Story of our banks

delanceyplace header
\-- from The Founders and Finance by Thomas K. McCraw. At the founding of the United States, there was deep suspicion regarding banks -- and with good reason. In Europe, they had often made loans beyond their means and left depositors destitute. Furthermore, George Washington and his successors were large landholders not dependent on banks and therefore not inclined to view them as economic necessities. And yet, Alexander Hamilton, America's first Treasury Secretary, almost immediately succeeded in engineering the creation of the first national bank. He view this as critical in part because he was an immigrant, and his founding years had been spent overseas as a trader dependent on financing. In fact, both of the chief architects of America's economic systems -- Hamilton and Albert Gallatin -- were immigrants, and four of the first six secretaries of the treasury of the United States were born overseas:

"Because of the immense debt left over from the War of Independence, financial affairs [of the new United States] would be among the most critical concerns. The candidates George Washington considered for secretary of the treasury were Robert Morris, who had come from the English port of Liverpool, and Alexander Hamilton, who had emigrated from the Caribbean.

"Twelve years later, when Thomas Jefferson took office in 1801 as the first Republican president (no relation to the present-day party of that name), he, too, appointed a foreign-born secretary: Albert Gallatin, who had come from Geneva; and he reappointed him in 1805. Jefferson's successor, James Madison, also appointed Gallatin -- in 1809 and again in 1813. Later, when Gallatin left office to negotiate the end of the war with Britain that had begun in 1812, Madison appointed, in sequence, two more immigrants: George W. Campbell (from Scotland) and Alexander James Dallas (from Jamaica). Thus, four of the first six secretaries of the treasury were born overseas. ...

"[That was unusual because] in 1816 the proportion of foreign-born was probably no more than about 4 percent, among the lowest in U.S. history. When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, many of the colonies had experienced at least 125 years of settlement. Almost all of the major founders came from families long resident in North America. John Adams's first American ancestor arrived in 1620 aboard the Mayflower; Benjamin Franklin's, in 1635; James Madison's, in 1653; George Washington's, in 1659; and Thomas Jefferson's, in 1672. By contrast, Alexander Hamilton came in 1772 and Albert Gallatin in 1780. ...

"Did it make a difference that the most important architects of the American economy were immigrants? This is like asking whether it made a difference that four of the first five presidents, who served for thirty-two of the first thirty-six years under the Constitution, were slaveholding Virginia planters. Certainly they were iconic figures: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Yet they, like most people everywhere, tended to look at the world through the lens of their native milieu -- in their case, the landed class of colonial Virginia. As adults, each these four presidents came to own very large plantations. Their holdings in Virginia totaled about 23,000 acres -- the equivalent of almost thirty-six square miles.

"As Emerson wrote in 1860, 'If a man owns land, the land owns him.' The extent to which land (as opposed to liquid capital) dominated Virginia's culture is reflected in the number of banks chartered during the nation's first decades. In 1781, when Virginia was the largest and most populous state, not a single bank existed anywhere in the country. By 1837, there were 627. Of these, Massachusetts had 123 banks, New York 98, Pennsylvania 49, but Virginia only 6. Each bank increased the money supply in the state where it was chartered -- promoting commerce, manufacturing, and faster economic growth. ...

"In many countries, banks were viewed with justifiable suspicion. They often seemed to lend beyond their means and in economic downturns to run out of cash, leaving depositors destitute. 'But all that has been said against them,' Hamilton wrote Morris, 'only tends to prove that like all other good things they are subject to abuse and when abused become pernicious.' ... Hamilton -- still just twenty-four years old -- exhibited a sophisticated understanding of money and its relationship to a nation's 'real' economy of goods and services. Regardless of public prejudice, he was convinced that the United States had to have a banking system in order to promote the nation's credit, both public and private. Public credit 'gives power to the state for the protection of its rights and interests.'

Friday, October 25, 2013

Ryan's Watercolor

Ryan, my great nephew is seeing water colors with a new eye.  He's bringing earth tones into his brushstrokes and I'm betting this is going to be admired by many of Ryan's friends.

Ryan, is my creative nephew, who loves drumming and guitar, skiing, traveling and now painting.

His lovely wife Daniela is studying medicine and will soon be a full-fledged doctor.

Through the years I've watched Ryan become who he is today and I'm very proud of him.  When he was about 8, his father and brother were here in Fl. planning to go golfing.   They didn't want to take Ryan because at that time he was just a little boy and he carried on.   Paul said he couldn't come because they had a dress code.

The next morning when I  found Ryan on the phone asking about their dress code...and there was none...and Ryan went.   I was so amused by this episode.  He checked it out all by himself.

Another time I gave Ryan $100 to buy anything he wanted.   I asked what he used the money for and he said C.D's.   I was so proud of him.   I didn't know at the time that there was anything but certificates of Deposit.   Another funny time.

I'm proud of his brother Eric too.   Eric is busy right now watching his baby son grow.

I love my family.
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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

His babyhood is moving much too fast..... Last week he was crawling!

About 7 months ago Eric phoned me and I asked where he and Becky would be going for their next vacation.

There was a brief pause...and then Eric said he didn't think they would be doing much traveling.

BECKY IS PREGNANT!

No better blessed words were ever spoken.

Well, the 9 months passed and little Shane came into the world...named after Eric's great grandfather Sam.

I was elated to hear that of course since he is my father.

Becky and Eric have not been stingy with baby's efforts.   They Skype me and I see every little movement this darling boy makes...including throwing up.

A few minutes ago I received this picture of  Shane trying to pull himself up to a standing position.

I will see this precious little human being around the beginning of December....and I just can't wait.

This little guy always has a big smile on his face....happy...happy!
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I agree with this!

Kathleen Parker
Kathleen Parker
Opinion Writer

Behind every great woman

By Published: October 22 E-mail the writer

Most Americans of a certain age grew up hearing the adage: “Behind every great man is a great woman,” or some variation thereof.
The meaning is clear, though its origin less so. Whether the expression evolved from the women’s movement or was uttered by a wise man is less important than its truth. Today, as women excel in education and assume positions of power, we might flip the expression — but not too hastily. For even now, it is hard not to notice that the Senate solution to the government shutdown is credited primarily to men, behind whom were a handful of women who got the ball rolling.
As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid andMinority Leader Mitch McConnellannounced the bipartisan deal, the women hit the talk shows to discuss their collaborative efforts. They included Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Democrats Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
It is natural, of course, that the Senate leaders should plug the victory. Thus Reid and McConnell grabbed the headlines. But the sidebar is really the lead story, asArizona Sen. John McCain noted: “Leadership, I must fully admit, was provided primarily by women in the Senate.”
Before the applause subsides and the status quo grabs the wheel again, we might give this episode greater, sustained attention. We are, after all, trudging toward a repeat early in 2014. The government is funded at current levels only until Jan. 15 and the debt ceiling, which was temporarily suspended, will require fresh attention by Feb. 7.
That women were able to come together and hammer out a workable solution, if only temporarily, is little surprise to women (or to men who pay attention) and speaks to women’s unique abilities to communicate and collaborate without the requisite territorial marksmanship that often interferes with men’s better intentions.
Sounds stereotypical? Welcome to Nature.
We needn’t revisit the cave dwellings of primitive man — or the Garden of Eden, if one finds greater comfort there — to remind ourselves that male and female are physically equipped quite differently but also are endowed with unique skills consistent with their survival tasks. Our cultural evolution may have accelerated in recent history, but our hard-wiring — those little lizard brains buried deep in the subconscious human-mammalian mind — is still busy fighting saber-tooths and nursing the young.
As much as ever, we need both packages even as we move toward less- defined roles. And as much as we try to dismiss these differences — and even fight madly to pretend they are irrelevant to present-day environs and templates — nature has a way of prevailing.
This doesn’t mean we must capitulate. Women needn’t be tethered to birthing chairs nor men expected to always bear the burden of mathematics, but compromise might make some sense. To wit: Women serve very well in the chambers of power created by men, and men benefit from their influence. Those skills women developed while managing their mud huts, gathering nuts and berries while cuddling and nursing babies — the birth of multitasking and collaboration — have modern applications beyond the powder room, where women have been known to gravitate in groups for purposes of sharing secrets that far exceed men’s reasoning powers.
Relax. This is fun.
Once upon a time, we’ll tell our sons and daughters someday, when women first entered the congresses and corporations of men, they dressed and acted like men to blend in. They feared that their ways would be considered “girlie” and not suitable to The Man’s World. In their attempts to excel, many became tougher than men and didn’t value their own best talents.
Then one day, the government shut down and the men were erecting a giant fire hydrant on the Mall and the women said, “Whattha’! This is ridiculous!” So the women sat down at a table they called “The Campfire,” poured many chalices of fabulous wine, munched nuts and created a plan to save the country.
And now you know the origin of Camp Fire Girls.
Thus are parables written. Henceforth, may many more women invade the congresses and white houses of their states and nation to practice and teach the arts of compromise. And let it be said hereafter that behind every great woman is probably a bunch of other great women.