International Terror Alert

I thought my readers might enjoy the read:

On Thu, Aug 29, 2013 at 11:40 AM, stuart teich <RuaxKodesh@aol.com> wrote:

ALERTS TO THREATS IN 2013 EUROPE 

From JOHN   CLEESE

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Syria and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada. 
     The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years. 
     The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability. 
     Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides." 
     The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose." 
     Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .. 
     The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy. 
     Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the last final escalation level.

And as a final thought - Greece is collapsing, the Iranians are getting aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC.

 Regards,
John   Cleese ,

British writer, actor and tall person

Well, actually, the Greeks as a group, not as Danaans, Argives, Euboians, Focians, Spartans, Athenians, and From-the-little-bunch-of-trees-over-there-ians, really didn't exist until the Romans came in and told them they were A country, not 70 poli. But otherwise...

And Israel has raised the threat level from "The Arabs want to kill us" to "Our Friends the Americans are asking us to take ONE MORE 'first strike' for 'the team' (meaning the Arabs) without response so they can get the OTHER Arabs to pretend to be part of a 'coalition' when they plaster Syria halfway across Asia Minor and stop just short of their goal of removing the Assad Alawites from power, just like they were brought to heel by the Saudis on the outskirts of Baghdad".  The only level above that is "Two Arab members of Knesset were killed today when Damascus achieved escape velocity. Their families will continue to receive their pay and privileges."

The US has raised our alert status from "Let's flap like chickens" to "Let's endlessly, fruitlessly discuss how this will play on the Arab Street, like there is such a thing" on the way to "But will they love us tomorrow". The highest level, "Oh, frak it, get a competent general and give him six months to get a half million men and everything that will fly ready to go all Mongol Horde on the bastards", has not been seen since Iraq invaded Quwait.

More Nostalgia

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Sunday, November 25, 2007

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.

Now I feel better that I can't do it!

You can't do two things that require concentration at once -- or at least you can't do them very well. And doing too much, even if not all at once, has a debilitating effect: "The idea that conscious processes need to be done one at a time has been studied in hundreds of experiments since the 1980s. For example, the scientist Harold Pashler showed that when people do two cognitive tasks at once, their cognitive capacity can drop from that of a Harvard MBA to that of an eight-year-old. It's a phenomenon called dual-task interference. In one experiment, Pashler had volunteers press one of two keys on a pad in response to whether a light flashed on the left or right side of a window. One group only did this task over and over. Another group had to define the color of an object at the same time, choosing from among three colors. These are simple variables: left or right, and only three colors. Yet doing two tasks took twice as long, leading to no time saving. This finding held up whether the experiment involved sight or sound, and no matter how much participants practiced. If it didn't matter whether they got the answers right, they could go faster. The lesson is clear: if accuracy is important, don't divide your attention. "Another experiment had volunteers rapidly pressing one of two foot pedals to represent when a high or low tone sounded. This exercise took a lot of attention. When researchers added one more physical task, such as putting a washer on a screw, people could still do it, sort of, with around a 20 percent decrease in performance. Yet when they added a simple mental task to the foot-pedal exercise, such as adding up just two single-digit numbers, (a simple 5 + 3 = ), performance fell 50 percent. This experiment revealed that the problem isn't doing two things at once so much as doing two conscious mental tasks at once, unless you are okay with a significant drop in performance. ... "Despite thirty years of consistent findings about dual-task interference, many people still try to do several things at once. Workers of the world have been told to multitask for years. Linda Stone, a former VP at Microsoft, coined the term continuous partial attention in 1998. It's what happens when people's focus is split, continuously. The effect is constant and intense mental exhaustion. As Stone explains it, 'To pay continuous partial attention is to keep a top-level item in focus, and constantly scan the periphery in case something more important emerges.' "A study done at the University of London found that constant emailing and text-messaging reduces mental capability by an average of ten points on an IQ test. It was five points for women, and fifteen points for men. This effect is similar to missing a night's sleep. For men, it's around three times more than the effect of smoking cannabis. While this fact might make an interesting dinner party topic, it's really not that amusing that one of the most common 'productivity tools' can make one as dumb as a stoner. (Apologies to technology manufacturers: there are good ways to use this technology, specifically being able to 'switch off' for hours at a time.) 'Always on' may not be the most productive way to work. One of the reasons for this will become clearer in the chapter on staying cool under pressure; however, in summary, the brain is being forced to be on 'alert' far too much. This increases what is known as your allostatic load, which is a reading of stress hormones and other factors relating to a sense of threat. The wear and tear from this has an impact. As Stone says, 'This always on, anywhere, anytime, anyplace era has created an artificial sense of constant crisis. What happens to mammals in a state of constant crisis is the adrenalized fight-or-flight mechanism kicks in. It's great when tigers are chasing us. How many of those five hundred emails a day is a tiger?' " Dear Reader...are you able to multi-task???

Too Good Not to Repeat

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Written by my friend, Virginia Blanchard

<vblanchard318@yahoo.com> wrote:

thought you'd like to read something i wrote after my last visit to the morikami last week

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

song of the bamboo

we are here .....tall and straight.... we bend and sway..

we yield, forgive, teach, be

we have been forever.....

we speak, we sing

we know the answers, yet no one asks

we require silence, attention, peace, a mindful awareness

we wait, watch, know

we are silent until the wind blows..... wind older than time.....our friend

through the wind we sing,
the sound of a rusty gate that leads to home, low, throaty, soft

we choose the wind that brings life to what we say, not all are worthy

we wait for those who understand, who listen to the void before, during, and after our words

we have stories to tell about the beginning and the end

we bend

we wait for you to listen

we watch you pass, quickly, talking

we wait for you to listen

to our song

Instant Love!

Every generation has its own music.   When the women in our pool start singing 70's songs (and they consider that Old) I'm really not familiar with any of them....and that's when I really feel that the 2nd half of the 20th century I missed out on.

Now I was wondering why this is.   Jeff was born in 1952 and I was getting ready for this major event in my life.   Instead of listening to music, I was busy reading Dr. Spock....and he said everything right.   What a baby should be doing at 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months...I just couldn't get over it that babies mature about the same time...it's just that they're growing outside of you, instead of in your warm soft belly.

Jeff made sucking sounds when he was an infant and idiot that I was, I thought he was kissing me....and all the time he was just hungry.

Then he'd fall asleep sucking his bottle..and his good doctor told me to snap his feet to waken him up because he needed his nourishment.

I, in my ignorance thought that I was the only one to have such a perfect baby...I fell In love with him.

Now I realize that all parents to that.   It's natural.   It's what being a parent is...playing, singing, dancing, feeding and changing diapers and clothes.

Yet we all think our babies our so special.....and they are.

They need my opinion! What is this???

The phone rings and no name appears on my caller I.D...so I let the answering machine pick up. 

The women's voice asks in a sweet political way  if I think President Obama is doing a good job or a bad job.

I still don't pick up!  Because what does it matter what I think.   He's not going to be re-elected and he's not going to improve because I gave him a bad or a good mark.

So what do I think....I do believe that technology has gone a bit far....calling on a Saturday afternoon.

I don't get it!   I really don't get

If he gets enough negativity, will he back off and improve Obamacare....or change the tax code.   Will he coddle the senior citizens more by improving medicare.  

I'm sure he cares what America thinks...but his hands are tied with our congress.

I'm sure my not answering the phone won't make a wit of difference.

The chicken or the egg...or the lyricist or composer !!!!!

friend...and the enthusiasm and joy she put into this party.  

Friday, December 3, 2010

The chicken or the egg...or the lyricist or composer !!!!!

It's always bothered me about music.   I love to hear songs sung...with poetic lyrics.  Now country music tells a complete story in so much detail that I don't enjoy listening.

But...let's take "Over the Rainbow"...the lyrics we all know were written by Yip Harburg.   His name will not go down in musical history...but the melody and words certainly will.....and the music of course was composed by Harold Arlen, a familiar name for many compositions.

When Jeff was in third grade, he was in a piano musical recital...and that was his song.   Of course, his father and I thought he was sensational.

It all started a year before.   We had placed an ad in our local Valley Daily News in the classifieds...wanted cheap piano for beginner.

Somebody 3 streets away read our need because she phoned within an hour after the paper was delivered.

She had in her basement an old upright player piano with bench..asking price $10.00.  How fantastic for  us.   We hired a mover and he had a problem getting this through our front door.

The guy said to us...how about us sliding it into your garage,  then into your basement.  

No way was our son going to practice in a cold damp cellar.      So  our front doorway was   goughed getting it in.

Allen painted it the same color as  our living room...and padded the bench with foam rubber so that little Jeff's tush would be comfortable.

Then we hired a blind piano tuner and he removed the player guts which were all rotted...another $25.00.

The piano teacher came to the house weekly to give Jeff ,  Schaum  lessons....simplified but to  this mother's ears sounded like Carnegie Music Hall.    I even took the phone off the hook so that he wouldn't be interrupted.

But back to lyricists Tim Rile wrote the words for Evita.     We all know  about Andrew Lloyd Webber....but not a thing about Tim.

Charles Hart wrote the lyrics  for Phantom of the Opera.....another unknown .

So....I'm trying to figure out if  the lyrics are as important as the music.!!!!!!!!!  I kinda believe that the words are more important.

But anyway...Jeff's recital was a complete success...his family made up the audience!

My telephones

Monday, May 26, 2008

My telephones

Our first phone was installed when I was 3 but I remember it.

No more running next door to make a phone call or receive one.

It was one with 2 pieces...you spoke in the speaker part and listened with the the ear phone.

When you lifted the handset, a very pleasant, non-computer voice said 'Number Please.

We had a 4-party line and if we were on too long, we heard about it from the other parties...and then we hung up fast.

Later, we got a circular number dial phone and I thought that was really 'up there'. The word high-tech did not come into being yet.

When Jeff was on vacation from college on Chanukah, he said we're all going to Sears and he was going to buy us a 'push button' phone.

Well, I was against this but I went along. That meant he had to un-install the one we had and re-install the new one.

I really thought I would never have telephone service again...but Jeff and Allen worked on this project and when they were finished, we had a dial tone and I knew we were back in business.

Now I have 3 phones...land phone, remote and a cell phone, which Jeff and Donna have charged for me every year....and every year I have tons of minutes on it ... but I forget to use it. I just don't like the quality of it....seems like a toy phone to me.

The phone I have in my bedroom is really snazzy....it's an 'answering machine' which I think is a miracle in itself.

I have 'caller ID' which interrupts me if I'm using the phone.

I also have a 'speaker phone'....and an ID feature which lets me screen calls if I want to.

It also tells me what time the caller has tried to reach me and the day.

I think that even Alexander Graham Bell would be overwhelmed by the wonderfulness that he invented.

What a sensational   invention. And one other feature, I get to use a web-cam and to see and talk to my kids every Sunday when they give me computer lessons...all the things I screwed up with during the week. Because of the phone I have high-speed internet service...all for reading  silly jokes.

I'm not complaining...I JUST LOVE IT1

Monday, August 27, 2007

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.

The 4th generation in our family!

 

 Hi world....my name is Shane....and I'm Hilda's great grand nephew.

My parents, Becky and Eric and my grandfather Paul call me on Skype and I perform everything that a 5 month old should be doing.

My Mother and Father sing to me and I wave my arms around to the rhythm of the melody.

I even show Aunt Hilda how well I drink from my bottle...and play with all my toys.

When I'm a month older...you're gonna hear from me!

When I'm 9 months old, my mom and pop are taking me to Florida to visit Aunt Hilda.

I wonder if anyone else remembers..or am I too old?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I wonder if anyone else remembers..or am I too old?

Thoughts drift in and out of my mind at no particular time of the day. These musings just appear.

Like for instance...the little slot that used to be on bathroom medicine cabinets for men to drop their razor blades in. Wonder what happened when it all filled up.

Did anybody's Mother make 'orange candy' out of the pealings of naval oranges and I don't know what the other ingredients were...but I loved it.

We used to take a clove of garlic and rub it on a piece of toasted rye bread...and so delicious.

We used to take our tablets or notebooks and drop ink on it and create Roarch Tests and see if we could identify what it appeared to be.

We didn't use a kazoo to make music...took a comb with a piece of tissue paper or toilet paper...and if it didn't tickle your lips to much...compose our own beautiful music.

I wonder if anyone had to wear 'snuggies' on cold days...tops and bottoms...embarrassing but oh so warm and cozy.

Just thoughts and more thoughts. My Sister Elayne and I changed our dresses when we came home from school and put on playclothes.
I wore her hand-me-downs since she was 3 years older.

We used to lie on our stomachs with the radio on to do our homework. It was such a natural position for us.

I can still smell the musty smell on trains from the upholstered seats.

Comfortable...but smelly! I can still see the conductor with his gold buttons on his vest and jacket.

Wonder why they always made men's suits with vests. Most men never wore them.

What makes these thoughts clutter my brain at this time in my life...I haven't the faintest....

I'm inspired...just looking out my window!   There's choreography going on with all the leaves in my sight.   I have some mighty trees and they all have healthy, sturdy branches and boughs, festive  with the greenest leaves...and when the wind blows, it's a sight to behold...they're all doing a dance...graceful as can be...and I never get tired just watching.

It makes me know that God is in charge and the performance outside my window proves it.

It's spring and even the newest green leaves have joined in, firmly attached, and it's like a big chorus where they all move.   No wall flowers on my tree!    They move in unison!  And when the sun shines between the branches, that's an added bonus...it's in 'living color

They dance and if a bug is on a leaf, they get a real ride...just like going to Disney.   There are thousands of leaves just moving around right in front of my vision and I'm delighting in every one.

  If I desire to open my window, I get sound!   The melody of the rustling of the leaves...so tranquil and sweet.     It makes me feel happy from within.

And when fall comes...we have mulch.

Shredded Leaves are natures favorite mulch. Shredded leaves can be used as mulch anywhere and have the added bonus of being free

Much better than dancing with the stars!   This is no competition...more like dancing with the sky!  

These are living things and I treasure each leaf for the happiness and the natural air conditioning it brings.  The birds also take pleasure in my tree...a resting place from their flight.   Even the squirrels scamper up and down the trunk....so much fun!

In Genesis in the Bible, the tree is one of the very first things that God created..and all through the ages our ancestors have seen what I'm writing about.

Dear Reader, you, too, can have a thrilling day...just look out your window!
 
So much excitement...and all for free!  Take it all in!

The Written Word!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

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.

That handy little plastic thing

dear friends, my children, my nephews, grandnephews, and other people who have passed through my life.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

The Charge Card

The year was 1967 and MasterCard came into being.

Is this a friend or foe? It's ruined many people who haven't the faintest idea of spending.

It's helped me out a lot. My husband Allen insisted I use mine every so often so that I could always have good credit.

And to this day, I carry very little cash. When I go into a restaurant or a small business, I pay cash.

For everything else...that plastic card is slid into the place where it checks to see if my card is usable.

Time was when it wasn't done electronically. When we had our toy store, we had an enormous thick book about the size of our Yellow Pages, and we had to check the number by looking.

I never told my husband Allen that I couldn't see such close print so I made a pretense of looking...then I accepted.

It worked! Never did we stumble on an over-extended card.

Some customers asked if we would give them the 4 percent discount if they paid cash.

It didn't matter to us...we agreed.

I just love my credit card and if you're in a pinch the ATM machines.

It's done much harm...but much good! You gotta weigh the card or the person using the card.

We're in hurricane season again

Sunday, December 5, 2010

We're Safe...for this year at least!!

Lots of people claim they wouldn't want to make Florida their retirement home because of our hurricanes.

They are awful...and I've lived through a couple...and it wasn't pleasant.    Actually scary to say the least, especially when  you've lost your power for 8 days...and the nights are sooooo very dark.

There's a song I used to sing to myself during these periods...."Hello Darkness My Old Friend--I've Come to Be With You Again".

Anyway, High Point, my development discovered the way to prevent the horrors of hurricanes....they bought a generator....and I pass this everyday on my way to our pool, and it's the best un-used thing we own.

The batteries are patiently waiting...my propane grill is properly full...my hurricane lamps fit nicely on my end table....and the battery fan is hidden safely away in a closet.

So....I'll use my cans of tuna and my salmon..spread my peanut  butter on some of the bread that I've frozen away...for when it  was needed.

Yippee......I won't worry for another year.

All's right with the world!

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 snow like, 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 resemblance 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 nature intended.

The only thing standing staunch and straight is the tree trunk itself, letting the branches know that it's in total control. The weather beaten bark showing the wear and tear of its environment `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 philosophy 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 glimpses 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 . 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!

My happy years

Dreams and our toy store!

Most of our customers took advantage of our hide away your lay a way!  Either they didn't have room to store the toys...or they had nosy children.

Either way it was a lot of work for us...but it paid the bills.  Our customers would gather in a pile all the toys they wanted to buy.  I would squat on the floor with our Gordon Toys tablet and write every single item.   Sometimes I stayed in that position for half an hour...and I was really able to get right up.

When I think about that posture today...it's hard to believe.

Anyway, Allen would drag their toys down to our basement and store them till Christmas eve...which I learned was Xmas noon.  Sometimes a customer would call and ask us to remove an item because it was advertised at a discount store cheaper.  Big stores like Kmart would use toys as a lost leader..and would sell it cheaper than we were able to buy it from our distributor.

Every year we did this at no extra charge to our customer...and what really bothered me then..and still does...about 12 people would not pick up their toys.

I don't know if they forgot...bought them someplace else...moved away...had a broken marriage...but we didn't want the children to have broken hearts.  I would try phoning them but often the phone was disconnected.   Then I would get on our phone and call everyone on our list who needed a special item that was hard to get...and they would fly down and thank us profusely!  One Christmas at midnight our phone rang and the voice said she forgot to pick up her toys...so my husband got out of bed and greeted her at our store.  Where else would you find service like this???

One woman came in with her son and let him collect a big pile of everything he wanted.  She told me she'd be in the next day with a down payment.  We never saw her again.   We didn't mind putting all the toys back...but what we did mind...her child's broken heart.  We carried everything...and our motto was WE THINK SMALL! 

Frequently our phone would ring and the voice on the other end would start the conversation with...I've looked everywhere..and I can't find it....do you have a certain item.  This hurts ... I would answer that it just walked out the door with a customer.  I would her her sigh..and then she'd ask how much it went for.   Well, I learned that if you have a hard-to-get toy that you can't get, you can be very reasonable...so I would give her an unbelievable figure...   I was  always able to hear the gasp on the other end.   See I have a mean side too.

We also catered Christmas parties for different organizions American Legion, V.F.W. Lion's Club, churches and steel mills and PTA fun fairs.
I made up thousands of grab bags for those and put in magnets, rings, erasers, rulers, jacks, key chains, pens...and about 300 more different items.

Every year we would go to a toy show in a different state and the sales rep would tell us how much each manufacturer planned to  spend on advertising a particular item..so we would stock up heavily on his guidelines.

At Christmas Time we found THEY LIED!

Anyway as time went by, toys became more expensive and sophisticated!  I never did learn to master Rubik's Cute.   We had Simon Sez on display at our checkout....and all day I would see the lights and hear the beeps and that was our first electronic toy!

I dream about our store very often....and I guess the Disney melody is true....A DREAM IS A WISH YOUR HEART MAKES!

Bedtime memories of my childhood

My Sister and I!

We shared a bed, my sister Elayne and I. We wern't allowed to take toys to bed...so we made do with all we had.

MY FEET!

I was about 4 and Elayne 7...and we played 'feet'. What exciting times we had. Elayne would create a story and my feet were the characters in the play. If it was sad, I would curl my toes down. If there was happiness...I would spread my toes apart. Real actresses my feet to her fabulous stories. She was the director...and I followed her every command, because my feet were the stars of the show.

We did this for many years.

I lost my Sister when she was only 36....and we really never discussed our 'feet years'.

I haven't thought about this for years! What brought it to mind...I dunno!

My Father would yell up the stairs...all right girls....tomorrow's another day......and then we would go to sleep.

I really loved my Sister...and miss her still!

Feeling the Presence of God

I'm inspired...just looking out my window!   There's choreography going on with all the leaves in my sight.   I have some mighty trees and they all have healthy, sturdy branches and boughs, festive  with the greenest leaves...and when the wind blows, it's a sight to behold...they're all doing a dance...graceful as can be...and I never get tired just watching.

It makes me know that God is in charge and the performance outside my window proves it.

It's spring and even the newest green leaves have joined in, firmly attached, and it's like a big chorus where they all move.   No wall flowers on my tree!    They move in unison!  And when the sun shines between the branches, that's an added bonus...it's in 'living color

They dance and if a bug is on a leaf, they get a real ride...just like going to Disney.   There are thousands of leaves just moving around right in front of my vision and I'm delighting in every one.

  If I desire to open my window, I get sound!   The melody of the rustling of the leaves...so tranquil and sweet.     It makes me feel happy from within.

And when fall comes...we have mulch.

Shredded Leaves are natures favorite mulch. Shredded leaves can be used as mulch anywhere and have the added bonus of being free

Much better than dancing with the stars!   This is no competition...more like dancing with the sky!  

These are living things and I treasure each leaf for the happiness and the natural air conditioning it brings.  The birds also take pleasure in my tree...a resting place from their flight.   Even the squirrels scamper up and down the trunk....so much fun!

In Genesis in the Bible, the tree is one of the very first things that God created..and all through the ages our ancestors have seen what I'm writing about.

Dear Reader, you, too, can have a thrilling day...just look out your window!
 
So much excitement...and all for free!  Take it all in!