Mom's Musings

Am I getting Old?

2012-01-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

I must be getting old.

I spent the day in Atlantic City today. I really enjoyed myself, didn't lose too much. I also discovered the penny machines. In the past, I hesitated to play them for two reasons.

The first reason is that I didn't understand them. So many times I'd try them, spin the wheels and bells would go off and I could never see how I won. I'm slowly getting to figure out how they work and don't care how, as long as I win. You do get a lot of chances for your money, so that's fun.

The other reason I hesitated to play was that usually the only people I see there are OLD. OLD GREY HAIRED LADIES. I don't want people to think I'm old, even if the calendar says so.

Anyway, in spite of that I really enjoyed myself and can't wait for another trip.

Self Esteem - Given or Earned

2012-01-21T21:11:00.002-05:00

There has been a lot of talk lately that the idea of telling children how wonderful they are all the time may have done more harm than good. I could have told them that years ago. For one thing, you cannot give a child self esteem, they must earn it by their successes.

The idea of giving every child who joins a team a trophy just for showing up takes away from the child who performs well. It also takes away any desire to succeed. After all, why should you work hard if you're going to be treated the same as the one who just "shows up". When my son played football, he was a member of a team that came in first and received that trophy as a member of a team, but he said the one he was most proud of was the one he received for Most Improved Player. That one meant something, it meant he accomplished something on his own.

When I was in school, there was one girl who always won the General Excellence medal every term. There were times when I thought it was not fair. There should have been a limit on how many she would get, someone else should have had a chance. The truth was that she was the best and by losing every term, I realized that, I had to work hard to try to take that honor. I didn't succeed, but I did learn to work hard, even though I did lose.

I remember one time when my mother was playing a game with my sons. I noticed that she tried to let him win. I called her on that and said that it was important that they learned to be both a good winner and a good loser. Things would not always work out the way they wanted, they had to be able to bounce back from a loss and to enjoy a true win.

I'll probably take a lot of flack for this statement, but I'm saying it anyway. I wonder if some of the children who are/were victims of bullying would have acted differently if they hadn't been told for most of their lives that they were wonderful, perfect human beings, that there were no winners or losers, that everyone is equally wonderful. When I was growing up, there was a saying that we learned:

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. And when I die, you will cry for all the names you called me."

It's good to remember those words.

Secret

2012-01-13T16:36:00.000-05:00

I have had a secret for over 40 years. It all started one vacation about 42 years ago. I got hooked on the TV show Dark Shadows while I was still working.

When I stopped working to await the birth of my son I went back to watching Dark Shadows. I started turning the TV on a little early to get ready for my show. It seemed that every day I started earlier and earlier. Eventually, Dark Shadows was cancelled, but by then I was hooked on the lead-in show, One Life to Live, or as we faithful watchers called it, OLTL.

Every day I sat down to enjoy my show. At first, my excuse was that I liked looking at the fashions and hair styles. That worked for a while, but then I started getting involved in the lives of Larry and Melinda, Vicki and Joe, and all the other residents of Llanview, PA.

As time went by the stories and people changed, but Vicki was a constant. This was a show that while it presented stories on very serious subjects like drug addiction, rape, murder, bigotry, it didn't take itself seriously. I particularly enjoyed the character of David Vickers played by Tuc Watkins. Most of the time he was a vain, shallow person, always good for a laugh. But, occasionally he would say or do something so right for the situation.

I remember one scene that took place in a cabin at night. I had taped this particular show and as I watched, something just didn't seem right. There seemed to be something out of place. I rewound and played in slow motion several times until I finally found the problem. The scene called for a cat to enter the cabin, but apparently, the cat didn't follow its cue and had to be gently dropped into the scene.

My show has been cancelled and this week they are tying up loose ends giving happy endings when possible. Today, it is over. It has been two weeks short of 41 years that I have been a fan. During this time, I've been privileged to see the early work of such stars as Tommy Lee Jones, Laurence Fishbourne, Tom Berenger, Blair Underwood, Roma Downey, Marcia Cross and my favorites Judith Light, Tuc Watkins and Nathan Fillion.

I thank all the actors and writers of this show. Thank you Erica Slezak for all these years as Vicki, a lady in the truest sense of the word. I'll miss you.

I guess I can also thank ABC for cancelling this show and giving an extra hour each day. Now that I won't be turning on my TV, I'll have time for reading or exercise. The opportunities are endless.

Christmas gift

2012-01-10T18:53:00.001-05:00

He did it again. My son, that is. I don't know how he does it, but he always manages to give me the perfect Christmas present.

This year, in addition to a few others, he gave me the Fitbit. For anyone who hasn't heard of it, it's a small, about 2" piece of magic that manages to keep track of the steps I take in the course of a day or the flights of stairs I climb or the miles I cover in my day. It also tracks my sleep. I'm proud to say that I usually sleep 8 hours a night and only wake up 4 or 5 times, giving me a sleep efficiency of between 92 and 96%.

This is perfect for a numbers person like me. I love to see a record of my steps and the calories I burn either sleeping or during the day. I'm still getting started, but yesterday I walked 10,000 steps and got a badge for my effort. All of this is recorded on my computer even when I don't physically sync it. All I have to do is be near and it is automatically synced. It's spurring me on to do more walking, which is a good thing.

I had mentioned that I was going to get a treadmill so I could exercise at home, possibly in small increments rather than getting dressed and going to our clubhouse gym and working out for 45 minutes to an hour. That's how he got the idea.

I'd really like to know how he got the ability to pick the perfect gift. He certainly didn't get it from me. I'd be lost without his list on Amazon's Wish List.

I was telling some friends about my new "toy" and how great it is to track my activity 24 hours a day. They all thought it was a good idea. One of them called me today and said that she's going to get one for herself. It will be very helpful to her since she has sleep apnea and can get a better idea about her sleep. She also takes a lot of trips and has often wondered just how much walking she does on those tours.

Thanks again Bill. That's quite a talent you have.

Post Christmas Clean-Up

2012-01-08T14:46:00.001-05:00

How can something that is so much fun and so enjoyable be such a chore when it's over?

This weekend I decided it is finally time to take down and put away all the Christmas decorations. I brought all the boxes in from the garage and started the work of wrapping and packing everything. Saturday, I had the brilliant idea that I would put everything away and work on the tree last. I would take all the ornaments off the tree and wrap them later in the evening when I was watching TV.

Unfortunately, I didn't take into account that the tree is in the sun room where I foolishly did not put any lights because it's a sun room and who needs lights there. It never occurred to me that even a sun room is dark at night. So much for gathering ornaments in the evening.

This morning I took the ornaments off the trees, all three of them, trees that is. Now they're safely tucked away for another year. My next project will be wrestling with the main tree which is 6 1/2 ft. tall. A friend leaves her tree fully assembled, but undecorated, in the garage all year. She finds it easier than setting it up every year. I've thought about that, but I think I'd rather wrestle with it and squeeze it into it's box and tie it up.

I'm going to see if there are any decorations that I haven't used in years and see if I can part with them, although I doubt there will be any. I do like the flexibility of changing colors or wreaths occasionally.

The only good thing about all this work is the exercise I'm getting with walking back and forth, back and forth and the lifting of the boxes onto their shelves in the garage. I'm glad it's not too cold today, otherwise I'd have to wear my coat out there in the unheated garage.

Oh well, back to work.

Anniversary

2012-01-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

I've done a little checking and discovered that I missed my anniversary. I've been writing this blog since December 30, 2006.

I should have realized this sooner since my son encouraged my blogging efforts when he was here at Christmas back in '06. Every year on his annual visit he teaches me something or sets me up with a new program, system or social media outlet.

This year, much to my embarrassment, he taught me to send e-mail on my i-Pod. I've had the i-Pod for a few years, but thought it was mainly for listening to my music or podcasts. Last year he showed me how I could check my e-mail, but I never made the connection that if I could read, I could also send. Now I know.

He also tried a new background for this blog and jazzed up my profile. I sound a little more interesting now.

Another of his lessons involved setting me up on Google+ which seems to be similar to Facebook. It's new and instead of Friends, you have Circles which can be broken down by Family, Friends, Acquaintances, Bloggers, etc. It's not as popular yet, but he believes it will be. Why not look into it?

I love having him here for about a week at Christmas. Since he lives on the other side of the country, I only see him twice a year. I enjoy his company and he keeps me up to date on the electronic world and makes me think.

A New Year

2012-01-02T22:13:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year one and all!

This is a good time to start fresh. Most people make resolutions on January 1. I don't. I compose a Mission Statement of my goals for myself for the whole year. I realize that this is the same as a list of resolutions, but somehow it sounds better, more professional. Maybe if I treat my life as a business, I'll be more likely to be successful.

One of my goals is to write more both for my blog and also for our creative writing group in our community. I've been very lax on both counts. Hopefully this will change.

I've been trying to not be so cranky and follow the adage - if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. That's as good an excuse for not writing that I can think of at this time.

2011-12-25T08:53:00.000-05:00

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas

Christmas

2011-12-02T20:30:00.004-05:00

Today I decorated the tree. I've been bringing all my decorations into the house for the past two days and decided it was time to decorate, starting with tree.

As I unwrapped each ornament, I started remembering all the past Christmases. When I moved into my new house, I made a mistake by listening to a cousin who suggested that I start new in my new home. I had a new tree and bought maroon and silver balls for it. In my mind, it was beautiful.

It was, or should have been. As I started to go through all my old ornaments, I realized that I couldn't stop using them. There were so many memories, both new and old.

There were the ornaments my parents had given us for our first Christmas together and the ones that my husband and I bought for our first tree. There were the plaster trees, bells, animals, etc. that my boys had painted when they were 6 and 3 years old. Not professional, but priceless. There were the yarn dolls and pipe cleaner candy canes I made the year I became a mother and the balls my sister-in-law gave my second son for his Baptism. As I went further into the box, I found the ornaments painted by the boys in nursery school and cub scouts.

I even found some of the old glass balls and teapots from my parents' trees. They brought back the memories of playing colors with my cousins, Rita, Claire, Rose and my brother Frank. All but Claire are gone now, but those memories are fresh as ever. I look at the tree and think, "I see the colors green, pink, blue, white and gold." They someone would guess it was the multi-colored ball that I was looking at. Such fun, such good memories.

I have managed to collect almost so many memories over the years that I have expanded to three trees - the main one in the living room and one in each of the bedrooms.

How could I have possibly left them packed away for a showcase tree. A tree full of memories is the perfect tree.

WARNING! SOAP BOX

2011-11-25T09:52:00.002-05:00

I see that our fearless leader in Washington has decided, in the interest of his reelection campaign, to put off a decision on the proposed pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

This pipeline would have created thousands of jobs here in the United States and would have reduced our dependence on oil from the mid-East.

The fear of the environmentalists is that THERE MAY BE A LEAK which could affect the ground water. This almost makes sense until you realize that there is only a possibility of a leak. Using that logic, should I stop crossing the street because I MAY be hit by a car, should I stop using stairs because I MAY fall? There are so many possibilities in life, does that mean that we should stop living?

There is also the possibility that this pipeline will perform perfectly, that we will reduce our dependence on oil from the mid-East, that our unemployment rate will go down. Those possibilities carry much more weight in favor of the pipeline than the fact that it MAY leak.

Canada has suggested rerouting the pipeline, but that is not good enough for the candidate in chief. AND, Canada is now mulling the possibility of selling the oil to - you guessed it - China, thereby helping China's economy even more.

Point of Manufacture

2011-11-23T20:44:00.002-05:00

Recently some friends and I were discussing the recent Solyndra scam and GE's sending jobs to China. We decided that we would rather support our own economy and buy things made in America.

I went to Target the other day to buy some toys for a Toys for Tots collection being taken in the community. I checked out several toys, particularly my favorites like Matchbox Cars and Hot Wheels Cars. I put them back because they were all made either in China or Malaysia. Every toy I checked was made overseas. I finally settled on a set of Leggos which are made in Denmark.

Then I decided to get some children's books at Barnes & Noble. So many were manufactured in China. I did manage to find a few like the Clifford series, Winnie the Pooh and Snoopy. I hope the children who get these books will enjoy them as much as my sons and I enjoyed Clifford, the Big Red Dog and Winnie the Pooh and of course Snoopy.

Unfortunately, I wasn't as careful when buying two cookbooks to add to my collection. I bought a Kitchen Aid Baking Basics and a selection of Holiday appetizers, dinners and cookies. After I got them home, I checked and you guessed it. They were "Manufactured in China". Next time I'll be sure to check.

Forgotten News

2011-11-21T12:30:00.002-05:00

This morning I decided that Crash and Burn deserved a treat. I felt guilty that I left them for

2 1/2 days with only enough food to last 4 days.

As I was wandering around Petco, I met a woman who was there with her dog. I forgot to ask the breed, but he was big and a beautiful shade of gold. He was fairly well trained, it only took 3 or 4 tries to get him to sit, but he was quiet and didn't jump (which is what I like).

We got to talking and she mentioned that he's 6 years old, but she only has him for 2 months. He was a rescue because his previous owner lost her home in the Pennsylvania floods and then had to go to assisted living. This woman also mentioned that her parents also lost their home.

How quickly we forget about the floods and the people who lost their homes through no fault of their own. They just happened to be living in an area which has had too much rain too quickly and the ground couldn't absorb it.

There's too much emphasis given to those who might have over bought or over spent and now face foreclosure. The news lately has also focused on the story du jour, like the Wall Street Occupiers instead of those who were victims of weather or the economy.

I'd like to see more stories on those who lost homes and businesses because of the crazy weather we've been having lately.

Occupy Wall Street

2011-11-17T17:11:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here watching all the news reports on the occupy Wall Street protesters. The mobs are trying to shut down the subways, blocking the streets, trying to basically shut down the city.

They claim to be for the 99% who they believe are the downtrodden of our country. What they either don't want to know or are too ignorant to believe, they are hurting the working people. They almost succeeded in shutting down a small restaurant on Wall Street. Business had gotten so bad that the owner was forced to lay off half of his staff. Eventually the barricades were removed and his business improved slightly. I wonder if it will ever recover.

I feel for the people who are just trying to make a living. They go to their jobs every day doing the best they can. And yet, they have to contend with closed streets, unruly mobs, the stench, the threats, etc. And the people who are paying huge rents to live in downtown Manhattan have had to contend with the crowds and noise 24/7. Don't they have rights too?

Things may be looking up though. Mayor Bloomberg finally grew a spine and ordered that once beautiful Zucotti Park be emptied and cleaned out. He SAID that the protesters would not be allowed to stay there overnight (I'll believe that when I see it). Today a stock trader and his brother got together with others, made signs saying, "Occupy a desk", "Get a job". I know that unemployment is high now, but there are some companies hiring. It just takes a little work and maybe taking a lesser job for the time being.

When asked how he would have handled the occupation, former Mayor Rudy Guliani said, "There is no sleeping in the park, end of story". This would have ended in the first week. Rudy, we miss you. Come back Rudy.

Travel

2011-11-16T21:26:00.002-05:00

I've decided to take a short trip out to Long Island. I'll only be away for two days, but it seem like I have to take as much for two days as I do for two weeks. Of course, I don't need as many clothes, but all the extras add up.

I still need my make-up, lotions, comb, brushes, hair clips, shoes, slippers, etc. Even though the hotel has a hair dryer, I need my curling iron. I'm so glad I have a Kindle, if not, I'd have to bring extra books in case I become disenchanted with the one I'm reading and need a sub.

For my first night, I'm meeting my niece and her daughter for dinner. Tomorrow, I'm having lunch with a friend and on Friday, I'm going to be visiting Teddy Roosevelt's home in Oyster Bay. That visit will bring my total to three presidential homes/libraries I've visited. I'd like to visit them all. I wonder, does visiting the White House count?

Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T11:06:00.003-05:00

Thank you to all veterans who have served.

I was pleased to see that those "evil Wall Street people" observed a moment of silence at 11:00 AM to commorate the Armistice which occurred on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11:00th hour. There aren't too many moments of silence observed any more and I was glad to see it today.

It reminded me of the time my mother and I were in a department store in Brooklyn, I guess I was about 8 years old. One of the employees came over and told us that at 11:00 AM there would be a moment of silence in commoration of the event and would we please join them, which we did. That moment sticks in my memory.

If only the mayor of Richmond, CA had that much respect for our veterans. As of a report last night, she was planning on attending one of the protest rallies at 11:00 AM instead of attending a memorial for our veterans. Shame on her.

Do Cats Think?

2011-11-09T18:51:00.002-05:00

Often when we talk about our pets, we give them human qualities. I know I do. I think of Crash and Burn as a sister and brother. Crash is the proper older sister and Burnie is the pesky younger brother.

This has made me wonder if cats are capable of thinking and plotting. Burnie has started doing little things that seem to be done to annoy Crash. Crash has always liked sitting next to me on the couch, but lately Burnie rushes to the couch as soon as I sit down. When Crash is keeping me company in my office, Burnie always has to go over and bother her until she gets up and walks away. Then he just lays down in her spot and goes to sleep.

It seems like Burnie's whole purpose in life lately is to annoy Crash. Isn't that what little brothers do to big sisters?

Snow

2011-10-31T10:30:00.002-04:00

Here's our big weekend snow. As you can see, it doesn't take much to make me happy.

While I enjoy the snow, I feel for the people in the rest of the northeast who lost power. They are suffering now.

It seems that old large trees are a mixed blessing. In the spring they signal a return of life after winter, in the summer they provide shelter from the sun and sometimes the rain. In the fall, they offer a world of color before the bare branches of winter. Because so many trees still had their leaves, the wet snow was too much for them. They collapsed under the weight onto the power lines.

I hope those people affected get their power back before too long.

WE HAVE SNOW!!!!

2011-10-29T19:20:00.003-04:00

Winter has arrived. It's a little early, but I'm not complaining.

After a day of rain and some flurries, it's snowing now. If my mother was right, I'm going to be very happy this winter.

She had an Old Wives Tale or superstition about snow. She said that the date of the first snowfall predicted the number of snowstorms we would have. Since today is October 29, it looks like we will have 29 snowstorms this winter. I'm so happy. Let me enjoy today before you hate me for wishing all this snow on us.

Now maybe October 29 will be remembered for the first snowfall (a record) and not the big crash in 1929.

Firsts

2011-10-19T21:58:00.003-04:00

Today I had my "city fix". The community organized a bus ride into the city. It's a great arrangement. We get there around 11:00 and have time to do whatever we want as long as we meet the bus by 5:00.

I made arrangements to meet a friend downtown for lunch. I had hoped that we could have a longish lunch, but she had to get back to the office (poor working girl who's too young to retire). It was raining and I had forgotten how windy it gets downtown. The wind was so strong, even I had trouble walking and at one point, it even nudged me a little. Anyway, we had a very pleasant lunch, I caught up on the latest office gossip and her family.

After lunch, I had about three hours to kill. If it had been a nicer day I would have wandered over to Zucotti Park to see the protesters, but by then I was a little wet and my hair had been blown straight by the wind.

I went back to midtown to kill the time for the bus. There's a nice hotel in the area, so I decided to go and sit in the lobby for a little while and maybe get a cup of coffee. Well, there were seats, but no coffee. I sat for a little while and then I saw the bar and decided to get a glass of wine.

Here's where the firsts come in. I had never in my long lifetime sat at a bar by myself. Whenever I've gone to a bar, it's always been in a group and usually, we get a table. Today was different. I got up my nerve and ordered a glass of wine which I didn't pay for right away (I don't know the proper protocol, probably should have paid as soon as I got my glass). I soon realized I was in trouble when a man came up and ordered two beers and paid $20. I then paid my bill and stayed a while eating the complimentary peanuts. I don't want to say how much my wine cost, but I will say I could have bought a good bottle of wine for less than the cost of the glass. Needless to say I only had one glass.

So there you have it. For the first time in my life I went into a bar (although at those prices, it's probable more of a cocktail lounge) by myself and the first time I ever paid more for a glass of wine that I would pay for a good bottle of the same thing.

I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon. But I do love to get my "city fix".

Finding the Good in a Job

2011-10-17T19:29:00.004-04:00

Last week when I was doing my monthly food shopping I met a young man, probably a high school senior. He was working the register. That's his job now, but I believe if he keeps the attitude he has now, he will be a success in his chosen field.

He was friendly, we started discussing cats, since I bought about 20 cans of cat food and six bags of Temptations. He also has two cats, their names are Thelma and Louise, but I think my names are better - Crash and Burn, but I digress.

After he finished checking all my purchases, he stretched out my receipt. It disappointed him though, he was hoping it would be a record as the longest he had ever had. It came in a close second.

I was impressed by his willingness to find something good and interesting about his work. Checking out purchases in a supermarket can get pretty boring, yet he did it cheerfully while looking for something different or unusual. I predict that he enthusiasm he has shown in his job will take him far in his chosen career.

Chauvinism

2011-10-11T19:49:00.002-04:00

I was born and raised in New York and moved to New Jersey six years ago. I still consider myself a New York and nowhere has that been more evident than this afternoon.

I was speaking with one of my friends when she got a notice on her cell that there was breaking news. She checked and saw that the Governor had endorsed one of the candidates for President. Fortunately I kept my thoughts to myself as I wondered why Gov. Cuomo (NY) a democrat was endorsing a republican candidate. It dawned on my a few minutes later that the report on the New Jersey news was that Gov. Christi had decided to endorse Mitt Romney.

I guess I'm still a New Yorker at heart. Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker.

What Day is It

2011-10-10T07:47:00.004-04:00

Happy Monday!

This morning I did what most retirees do. When I woke up, I had to lay there and try to decide what day it is.

At first I thought it was Saturday, but remembered that I had just seen As Time Goes By. Then, I thought it was Sunday and I had better get up for church. No, I had just been to church yesterday.

Voila! It must be Monday.

To add to my confusion about the day, I had trouble publishing this and my last post through Explorer. I finally accessed it through Google Chrome and it worked.

Have a good day, whatever day it is and however you access the internet.

The Last Prejudice

2011-10-10T07:24:00.003-04:00

I'm ashamed of those running for the Republican nomination. I truly thought they were above that.

So Mitt Romney is a Mormon, so what. Grow up folks. I have never heard in any of his speeches that he intends to convert the country to his religion. We should listen to what he says and how he has lived his life. I admit that I don't know too much about the teachings of Mormonism, but I do know that they don't advocate killing non-believers.

What really saddens me is that way back in the day when his father was active in politics and attempted a run for president there was no mention of his religion (at least as far as I can remember). And that was back in the dark ages of the 60's.

Why have we become so afraid of one person's religion. Shouldn't we judge him on his record, how he has treated people?

Now for the disclaimer. I am not a Mormon, I am a Roman Catholic and I haven't made up my mind on my favorite Republican candidate, but this week I prefer Herman Cain.

It's time for all those Republican's who want to be president to stand up and denounce any religious prejudice that is so prevalent now.

Computers, TV and Control

2011-10-07T20:25:00.003-04:00

Over the past few months I've been having computer problems. I had to replace my old computer and that resulted in having to reinstall several programs and solve other technical problems. So many times I've had to give permission for the tech or my son 3000 miles away to take over control of my computer.

Each time, I remember an episode of Criminal Minds where several women were murdered after (as the investigators eventually found out) working with a tech who had taken control of their computer. That does make me a tiny bit nervous.

Giving control of my computer also reminds me of that old TV series, The Outer Limits, where an unseen voice announces "There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We can reduce the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits." It is a very strange feeling to be sitting there watching programs open and close while I do nothing.

Fortunately, after all this my computer is working beautifully. Thank you all.

Who's the Boss

2011-10-03T20:54:00.005-04:00

Last week I was sitting in my office when I heard a dog barking. Usually, the dogs here are very good, they don't make much noise, so I just had to look out.

Two of my neighbors were out walking their dogs, one is, I guess mid-sized, I'd guess a Lab and the other is a small dog. I don't know too much about dogs, but I've heard that the smaller the dog the more he barks. What really got my attention though was the larger one. As the small dog kept barking, the other went to stand behind his owner. I guess he was looking for protection from his owner, not the other way around.

Why is Crash Unhappy?

2011-09-25T20:21:00.004-04:00

Why is Crash disturbed?
She likes to sit next to me on the couch. Sometimes she sleeps other times she just wants to be adored. Today though she couldn't lay in her usual spot.

She tried to get some sympathy by laying and trying to sleep on one of the scratching cardboards.

She barely fit and didn't look at all comfortable.
Then she tried squeezing between me and the arm of the couch. She still wasn't comfortable and tried pleading with me for more room.
Here's the reason for her problem. Burnie took her spot, something he has started doing lately. He keeps trying to take her favorite spots all over the house and she is not at all happy.

Eventually Burnie woke up and found another spot, probably another of her favorite. She quickly jumped up on the couch and was happy.
She doesn't look it, but she really is happy.

I don't like help when I entertain

2011-09-24T09:08:00.003-04:00

Whenever I entertain I don't want any help. It's not because I'm a wonderful hostess or want to be a superwoman. It's simply because I have my own routines and also because I don't want my friends to see my sometimes messy and disorganized cabinets and refrigerator.

Monday I had some friends over for dinner. Later, while my back was turned they decided to help me by clearing off the table. I tried to intercept, but I missed one thing - my butter.

I use whipped butter because it's easier to spread. It's even easier if it's kept at room temperature so I keep it on my counter all the time. I've been doing this for years and have never had a problem. It doesn't get all runny the way a stick of butter would. It's my unscientific belief that it is the constant chill to room temperature back to chill, etc. that causes butter to get rancid. My container of whipped butter has never gone bad.

Today, I was looking all over the kitchen for the butter (I said I was disorganized) and couldn't find it. Finally, I remembered that I had company on Monday and looked into the refrigerator and there it was, hard and unspreadable.

Now, if I can only find the stainless steel cup that held my utensils at the Christmas party. That's been missing since someone "helped" my clean up after that party.

More on Taxes

2011-09-21T08:44:00.002-04:00

Today I heard yet another millionaire say he would be glad to pay more taxes. I'm tired of hearing the likes of Warren Buffet, Jerry Springer, Hollywood personalities, et al say how it is patriotic to pay more.

Never in these interviews have I heard the interviewer remind these people that there is no law AGAINST paying additional taxes. They can always just send a check to the IRS for whatever amount they deem fair. OR, they can simply file and take no deductions. Wouldn't that be more fair?

After all, shouldn't people be allowed to keep the results of their hard work and sacrifices? Otherwise, what is the incentive to study hard, get a good education, work long hours, live within your means if you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor.

TAX THE RICH

2011-09-20T10:03:00.002-04:00

Tax the rich! What a wonderful catch phrase. Who wouldn't agree with that? Aren't the rich evil? Don't they hold onto their money and count it every day? What do they contribute to society?

After listening to the president's plan to tax the rich (whoever they are), I've decided there is no incentive to be successful.

To begin with, his supposition that Warren Buffet is paying less in taxes than Buffet's secretary is comparing apples to oranges. Warren Buffet's salary from Berkshire Hathaway is $100,000 per year. From my experience in the corporate world and knowledge of executive secretaries, I'm sure his secretary makes more than $100,000. The bulk of Warren Buffet's income comes from interest and dividends on his holdings. Therefore, raising the income tax on the salaries of millionaires does not change anything and is not fair and raising taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains takes away any incentive to invest and save.

Why should a person work hard, save money, invest and then see the results taxed heavily, in some cases doubly taxed. It's much easier to show up at your job for eight hours a day, collect your salary and then spend that salary and more. If you run into trouble, you can always file bankruptcy and start over again. I once worked with a woman who did just that and saw nothing wrong with it.

I have often cynically said that in this country at this time we punish the successful and reward the lazy. It seems that this is becoming more true every day.

Taste of Fall

2011-09-16T17:02:00.002-04:00

Today we got a taste of fall and for someone who hates the heat and loves the cold, it was wonderful. I turned the air conditioner off and opened a few windows. It felt so good to cool down and smell the fresh air.

As I passed the guest room, I looked in there was Crash lolling around on the floor in a patch of sun. She looked so happy, just luxuriating in the fresh air and sun.

She just rolled around and even posed for me.

September 11

2011-09-11T10:03:00.003-04:00

Today 9/11/11 is a day of remembrance of that beautiful turned ugly Tuesday. It seems at times like it was only yesterday and other times that it was a lifetime ago.

At that time I couldn't get enough of the news reports that replayed the attack over and over again. I had thought/hoped that time would change that. Still, today I sit in front of the TV watching a replay of the attacks, collapse and escape of the survivors covered in the toxic dust from the buildings and victims.

I was working downtown at the time and when I returned to work at AIG a week later, Hank Greenberg had arranged for an interfaith prayer service for the two employees who were killed. There was a Rabbi who spoke and he said something that has remained with me. I don't remember his exact words, but the idea was that 3000 people didn't die, one person died 3,000 times. That made an impact.

Yesterday, Governor Christie in New Jersey said something that brought the number of those who died into perspective. He said that if we had a moment of silence for each of those who died starting at noon on Saturday, we would be sitting in silence until midday on Monday.

There were so many lives lost, we must never forget what happened. And we will surviv.

READ THE SIGNS

2011-09-10T21:06:00.002-04:00

I can't say how many times I heard my mother say that.

When I was growing up, we never had a car so, we always took the subway. My mother always reminded us to read the signs before we got on any train.

I should have taken that advice this morning. I washed my hair using a new shampoo which comes in a tube, the same as the conditioner. I did my usual wash and rinsed the shampoo out. I then picked up the conditioner and applied it to my hair. When I was combing it through I was surprised to see that it seemed to be foaming. As I rinsed it out, I noticed that my hair felt very different. It seemed very coarse and knotted. I couldn't understand it.

Then I looked at the tube. I had used shampoo for a second time. Once I found the conditioner my hair felt much better. It was smooth and not coarse. Problem solved.

I guess I should be more careful when showering and read the names on the products I use. Mother knew best, "Read the signs".

Memories

2011-09-06T20:19:00.003-04:00

Flooding in the northeast, fires in the west, tornadoes in the midwest. It seems like everyone is feeling Mother Nature’s wrath.

All these tragedies have gotten me thinking. I’ve been very lucky; I’ve never had to face the loss of everything. How do these people cope? We’ve heard from some of them who say they’re thankful that everyone survived, that homes can be rebuilt, furnishings replaced but that people can’t be replaced.

This got me thinking. Yes, we can't replace people and we can replace THINGS, but so many of those things are a physical representation of our memories. Are our memories only ours because of some photo album or gift we received? Or are they part of us and therefore always with us no matter where or how we live? Do we place too much emphasis on things that really have no effect on who we are and how we live our lives?

When I moved from my home where I started married life and raised my two sons I felt that all my memories were not in the house, but of the house and my life there. I still have those memories where ever I am. I can bring them back if I’m here in my new home or even when I take a vacation across the country or across the ocean. I can still see their first steps or first day of school, all their firsts.

Sometimes I wonder if I feel this way about memories because I chose to move and replace my old furniture, or would I still feel that way if those physical THINGS had been taken away from me. I hope I never get the opporltunity to find out.

Hurricane Preparedness

2011-08-26T18:14:00.003-04:00

Have you heard? We on the east coast are about to be hit with a Cat 2 hurricane. Preparations are being made all over.

It's times like this that I'm glad that I only shop once a month. I have enough food and water to last a few days. I'm even storing pots of water on the stove and will fill the bathtub tomorrow. I'm waiting to do that until the last minute because Crash likes to jump in and run laps around the tub and I don't want to be awakened in the middle of the night by a splash and a wet cat running around.

While I was filling the pots with water I remembered the blackout back in 2003. One of my co-workers lived in downtown Manhattan and offered to let me and a few others stay. As soon as we got to her apartment, I told her to fill pots of water in case the power was out too long and we couldn't flush. The only problem we had that night was a result of dinner. She had used the stored water to cook the pasta. The next morning there was no water to flush. This time I'll know better.

I'm an optimist and can see the silver lining in this cloud. One of the items on my weekly to do list is to clean my patio. I've been looking at the pots of dead plants and telling myself that I had to do something about them. Well, today we were advised to batten down the hatches and remove anything that could be caught up in the wind. I tied the chairs to the table and emptied all the pots of dead plants and brought the rest in. As a bonus, when I was checking and removing the dead stems of basil, I found some new sprouts. What a pleasant surprise.

My next project will be to make ice cubes and store them in the freezer in case we lose power. The extra ice will keep the freezer cold. Guess I better grind some coffee beans. Can't be without my coffee.

I've started packing a bag in case of evacuation and this has Crash and Burn a little upset. They think I'm leaving them. If I have to leave, they're coming with me.

I think I'll be able to ride this storm out.

Panic in New Jersey

2011-08-23T16:19:00.002-04:00

Today, while I was sitting at my desk in the clubhouse, it started shaking, seeming to move from side to side. Not knowing what was happening I started to wonder what was wrong with me. Was I going to pass out? Was I dizzy? Then I looked at my water bottle. The water was sloshing from side to side. Then I knew I was OK.

Immediately women came rushing out of the various rooms asking if I felt that. What was it? They were all upset. Cell phones weren't working. They wanted me to call the police to find out what happened. I told them that if there were a real emergency, the police would be too busy to take my call and besides they have a reverse 911 system which calls everyone in the town and warns them about problems.

We finally found out that there was an earthquake in Virginia. But it's the talk of the community.

For me, it was my first time.

Shopping

2011-08-22T15:59:00.002-04:00

Last week my latest toaster oven broke down. It still works, toasting one side at a time, but the thermostat doesn't seem to be working so I can't cook my dinner in it. This was my 3rd toaster oven in 10 years. I promised myself that I'd never buy another toaster oven again. I do go through them quickly, but I must admit that I use it about once a day, if not for breakfast, then for dinner.

I stopped into Bed Bath & Beyond this morning to buy a new toaster. While there I decided I needed a new mat by the kitchen sink. Can't buy the gel since it's a horizontal cat scratching "post" for Crash. I got a nice one, then decided to look at mattress pads and skirt/pant hangers. Got both. Then I saw the foot cleaner for the shower which I simply "had to have".

I went to look at the toasters, but didn't like their selection. I decided to give toaster ovens one more chance and bought one. Let's hope this one lasts more than 3 years.

Why can't I just but the item that brought me into the store instead of picking up so many other things?

Business Failure

2011-08-17T19:11:00.003-04:00

Back in 2007, the state of Massachusetts gave Evergreen Solar about $58 million in subsidies and tax breaks including a $1/year lease on land at the Fort Devens military base. That was four short years ago.

Now, after closing the Devens factory in March and eliminating 800 jobs, they are filing for bankruptcy and laying off an additional 65 employees.

This company was given all this money and other benefits in exchange for promises of green jobs. They manufacture solar panels. Now, they have discovered that it's too expensive to produce these panels here in the United States. Where was their research into costs? Surprise, they are moving to China. In China it will cost $1.10 per watt to make these panels as opposed to $1.80 here - a difference of 70 cents.

It seems to me that governments, federal, state and local, are too free with our money and giving aid to companies. There should be some strings attached - maybe a promise to continue the business in the same location for at least 10 years or all the money and tax breaks must be returned before a plant or office can be closed and employees laid off.

This company must have had a poor business plan or poor leadership to fail after only four years. Companies are only too quick to take government (taxpayer) money and then much too slow to return it to their benefactor - the government (taxpayer).

I wonder how many more companies took our money and then moved their operations to China. Maybe Donald Trump is right, we should put a high tax on Chinese imports.

I can't Believe It

2011-08-16T20:01:00.002-04:00

I can't believe myself. I'm actually agreeing with the ACLU. Most of the time I find them so wrong, but today I think they're right.

This case involves several sex offenders in Delaware. They are being evicted from their safe house which is within 500 feet of a day care center. The law they are being accused of breaking says that they cannot be within 500 feet of a school. I guess you could say that the day care center passes for a school.

I definitely believe that children should be protected from sex offenders.

My objection to their evictions is the fact that their safe house was in the neighborhood BEFORE the day care center opened. The operators of this center should have checked out the neighborhood before deciding to locate within 500 feet of a safe house for sex offenders.

If the situation were reversed, I would say that they should move, but it is not. Their home was established BEFORE the day care center. There's no way I would defend their crimes, but as much as we would like to deny it, they do have rights. One of them is the right to a home.

Again, I can't believe that I'm siding with the ACLU. There must be a full moon tonight, or the world is turning upside down. Or something....

Memories...

2011-08-07T22:00:00.002-04:00

This is fundraising week on PBS. Last night they took us on a trip down memory lane via music and the songs and performers of the 50's.

Tonight, they featured the comics of the Ed Sullivan Show. What a treat it was to see Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks with the 2000 year old man. I laughed with Red Buttons and Alan King. They brought us a very young Joan Rivers and Carol Burnett and Phyllis Diller and her stories about Fang. Who could forget Flip Wilson and Geraldine who misbehaved because "the devil made me do it", and George Carlin and Richard Pryor. I could go on and on and on.

My all time favorite was Victor Borge and his phonetic punctuation.

I think what made this show so good was the memories it brought back. Not so much the comics, but the general mood of the times. The whole family, sometimes aunts and uncles, would sit in front of the TV and watch the whole show. The comedy was gentle and clean, you weren't embarrassed to hear or laugh in front of your parents. And parents didn't have to shoo the children out of the room either.

We may have only had one TV and seven channels, but we had a good time all together. Ahh those were the days.

My Faithful Companion

2011-08-04T12:52:00.002-04:00

For the better part of this year I have had a number of back problems, some very painful, some just annoying. After a month of therapy and an MRI that showed no major problems I started to feel better.

I started feeling like my old self. Yesterday we had a luncheon in the clubhouse and I was a member of the committee. Since I'm the youngest and probably in the better shape, I did a lot of the lifting. I also spent a long time on my feet. Today I'm paying for it.

This morning, I couldn't get out of bed. Burnie was hungry (he's always hungry) and was meowing and meowing. Finally, Crash couldn't stand it any longer and she went over and slapped him. Every time he meowed, she slapped him. Then she would climb into bed next to me.

Eventually I got up and fed the hungry beasts. After a good breakfast, Burnie found his spot on the windowsill and took his morning nap.

To avoid moving and walking around too much I decided to use my office chair. It has wheels and I don't have to get up, I can sit and rest and still get around. Of course, Crash is terrified and runs away. But as soon as I settle in one place, she's right by my side. It's almost as if she's watching over me.

And they say cats are independent and uncaring!

A Most Unusual Party Favor

2011-07-25T21:03:00.002-04:00

My niece and her husband have a moderately sized home and lot. They make good use of the available land and plant vegetables. They have corn, peppers, zuchini, tomatoes and various herbs.

Yesterday, they celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary. They started their day with a mass where they renewed their vows.

Then we went to their party, where we had a delicious meal followed by a wonderful dessert - a three layer white cake with chocolate mousse between the layers and a vanilla cream topping.

When it was time to leave, she brought out the favors. She had a bumper crop, so was sharing her bounty. My party favor was two zuchini and two cucumbers.

This was much better than a dish or chocolate.

Books

2011-07-19T22:09:00.003-04:00

Today was the day to spend the afternoon working in the clubhouse. I enjoy this, I get to see my friends and make new ones. If it's really slow, I get to read which I've been very lax about since I retired.

Today a woman came in with a shopping bag. She told me that she cleared her plans with our activities director. She is collecting paperback books to send to our armed forces and will be taking some of those in our library. What luck! I've got a bunch of paperback books just collecting dust and cat hairs in my office. All I have to do is call her when I've got them all together and she will even pick them up. How lucky is that?

Now, what can I put on those shelves once the books are gone?

Compromise vs. Party

2011-07-15T08:17:00.002-04:00

I'm sure you've all heard the president's recent statement that he couldn't guarantee that social security checks would go out on August 3 if an agreement couldn't be reached on raising the debt ceiling. He also added that veterans, the disabled, etc. wouldn't get their checks either.

Quite a threat/promise. Try to scare the folks so they will get after their representatives to agree with the president.

But, what he didn't say was that he is planning to celebrate his 50th birthday on August 4 with a special birthday party. He's asking people to bring a gift of $35,800 a couple. Now, I don't know about you, but the only people who can afford that kind of gift are the very ones he wants to tax - the fat cats, the Wall Street barons, the oil company executives, the best selling authors, not the parents who are struggling to find the money for college, seniors, wounded veterans, the unemployed.

I really don't understand why any couple would pay $35,800 to celebrate with someone who is constantly telling them they how bad they are for not contributing their share to spread the wealth. Maybe the president is planning on using the gifts he receives to pay down the deficit. Yeah, that's what he is going to do. He'll serve coffee and cake (if Michelle allows it) and send those checks to the treasury to pay down our debt.

Everyone deserves to celebrate their 50th birthday but not in such a public way when, as he said that the checks might not go out if no compromise is reached? Will Obama have the nerve to party while we default on our debts?

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

2011-07-14T21:59:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I had an example of how true that statement is.

I went to lunch with two friends from grammar school. Unfortunately, we had lost touch after graduation, but were fortunate to reconnect about 10 years ago. It's so good to have friends who knew you when and have the same background and know the old neighborhood.

We sat down to eat about 1:00, took a little time out to sit on the deck before dessert. The next time I looked at my watch it was 6:30. I couldn't believe how fast the afternoon went. We chatted, we laughed and had a wonderful time.

I can't wait until we do it again.

Acts of Kindness

2011-07-09T22:02:00.002-04:00

I was speaking with a friend who has had a terrible year with illness and death. She mentioned the comfort she got from friends who had come to visit with her.

Most of us do what we think is the right thing and don't think anything about it. We don't think anyone will notice. We just do it automatically. We call or visit during times of trouble, but we never realize how important that call or visit really is.

That conversation led to my mentioning a friend from my old job. Every morning, Esther would find something nice to say to me. Sometimes she would say my hair looked particularly good, or my earrings were nice, etc. You get the picture. She made my day and how I miss her since I've retired.

I guess what I'm getting at is this. It's the little acts of kindness that we don't even think about that can have the biggest impact on someone's day. It really is the thought that counts.

I'll have to work on that.

We Are at War

2011-07-07T20:23:00.003-04:00

I really wish I could write about more pleasant, non-controversial things, but there's too much going on.

I've been thinking for a long time that we are in another war. The frightening thing about this war is that it is on our soil. It is a form of class warfare. This president seems to think that it is important for everyone to have a share of our wealth. I agree with this point, but it's his method of ensuring this that I disagree with.

He seems to think that the wealthy should pay more taxes to support those not as fortunate or ambitious as CEO's and COO's. I've seen the work ethic of major executives. They do not work a 9-5 day. It is more likely an 8-9 day and this includes their secretaries. What he doesn't realize is that it is the wealthy who create jobs. When was the last time that a poor person had the ability to hire staff.

From what I heard, one of the reasons for companies not hiring is the uncertainty in the market. These companies don't know what their tax bill, health care expenses will be next year. Most companies plan their operations two or three years in advance. They also now have to worry that the National Labor Relations Board will interfere with their expansion into states where employees are not forced to join a union.

The president's latest kick is to tax corporate jets. This tax could cause the companies to move their manufacturing facilities overseas resulting in the loss of another industry and the resultant layoffs.

If the president thinks the wealthy should pay more taxes, he should go after his friends at GE. This company took full advantage of tax loopholes and paid no taxes for 2010. There is no law against wealthy individuals paying extra if they feel the country needs more money. The president, himself, took advantage of deductions while telling everyone else to pay more.

I feel very sad about all this class warfare. When I was young, many, many years ago, we wanted to succeed at our jobs so we worked hard at whatever job we could get; we saved our money to buy our homes, we didn't buy what we couldn't afford. The current thinking seems to be that the government (we taxpayers) should take care of us. If we buy a house we can't afford, we can try to readjust our mortgage or just file bankruptcy and walk away from our debts. We just have to have the latest car or gadget and then we have to have the most elaborate vacation. No wonder so many wives HAVE to work.

I worry about our country if this class warfare takes off.

Maybe tomorrow I'll have something good to write about.

July 4th

2011-07-04T21:18:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a very happy and safe July 4th.

This morning I checked out some events of July 4 in the past. I'm sure you all know that both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day, July 4, 1826. Did you also know that James Monroe died on July 4, but in 1831. It is also the birthday of Calvin Coolidge.

This is the day that the Statue of Liberty was presented to US in Paris in 1884. "America (My Country 'tis of Thee)" was first sung in Boston in 1831. On this day in 1845, Texas voted for annexation to the United States.

It's also the birthday of several other people including Stephen Collins Foster, George Murphy, Louis Armstrong and Mitch Miller.

And, of course, the reason for all the celebrations, we declared our independence from England.

First Harvest

2011-06-27T20:31:00.002-04:00

Every spring I plant herbs, especially basil, on my patio. Every year it's the same thing. The plant doesn't look full enough and I don't want to completely cut it back. I wait a week or so for more leaves.

When I finally decide it seems full enough for me to cut some leaves, I look and see that it has started to go to seed and blossom. No basil for that year.

This year, I had a lot of plants in one pot and they were doing quite well. It started to look as if the blossoms might be starting. On Friday, I went out and cut quite a few stems. I really didn't feel like cooking, so I decided to make some pesto. I harvested enough basil for two cups of pesto which I froze.

Now, when I feel like my favorite, shrimp and basil pasta, I just have to reach into the freezer. Speaking of the freezer, I wonder how basil ice cream would taste.

I also have a lot of oregano and mint out there. The strawberries haven't been too productive this year, but the sage is doing quite well.

What do they Know?

2011-06-23T09:09:00.002-04:00

I just heard someone from the administration state that they (the administration) are just 1/4 of the way through their plans for our country.

Correct me if I'm wrong. The term of a duly elected president is four years. The election was in 2008, this is 2011. According to my math, we are a little more than 1/2 way through Obama's reign.

It looks to me as if the president and his administration know something about the 2012 election. How can they be so sure that we will be "blessed" with another four years. What sort of plan do they have? What kind of October Surprise will we get next year. Will the unemployment rate suddenly drop to 3% and housing values raise? Are they going to "fix" the election, or do they truly believe they will be reelected next year.

I shudder to think about it. We can't afford four more years.

Glad She's not my Neighbor

2011-06-14T19:59:00.002-04:00

I volunteer once a week at the desk in our Clubhouse. It's usually very quiet and I get a chance to read. My main job is to take reservations for various events, then I get a chance to visit with friends and neighbors.

Today was a little different. A woman came in complaining about a lack of response to a complaint of hers. She went on and on because no one was available to take care of her. She had complained about this several times before. After a while, she stopped complaining and started talking.

Then she went on to complain about the solar panels some residents have put on their homes. They're ugly, they look like space ships, etc. She heard about a new company who had a better idea. They were putting thick aluminum, similar to astronauts' suits, in the attic which would block the heat and cold from coming into the house. She insisted that it's not insulation, but very thick aluminum.

From there we got into a discussion about she and her husband (poor man) use only natural products around the house. Her daughter also uses only products, they are "going green". She was so proud of that, and said we should all "go green". It's better for all. Then I reminded her that solar panels were also a way of going green. Since she was no longer complaining about conditions in our community I felt comfortable in gently arguing with her.

From living green she jumped to all the "junk" the stores sell especially around Halloween. The stores shouldn't sell that, that is just poison for the children, those poor children. I reminded her that the parents didn't have to buy it, they could say "NO" to their children. If no one bought it, they'd stop making it.

I'm a firm believer in the parents' responsibility to their children and I kept reminding her of that. The children don't go to the supermarket, they don't buy the food, they don't pay for it. The parents don't want to say "no" to their children, it's not the manufacturers' or the stores' faults or responsibility.

I told her that I never had a problem saying "no" to my children. At Halloween, they were allowed to have 3 pieces of candy each night. After about a week or so, they got bored and forgot all about all that candy.

Then she went on and on about being invaded by ants that must have been in a bag of potato chips one day, and even the next day after she had disposed of the bag. It seems that she has a problem with stores, management of our community, chip manufacturers, etc.

I had such a good time gently arguing with her. I love a good argument, but I'd hate to live next door to her.

How Hot is It?

2011-06-09T12:05:00.001-04:00

The east coast is going through a heat wave. Temperatures today are expected to hit 97, and it's still early in June.

This morning I read an interesting piece in the New York Daily News by Michael Daly. I was surprised at one of the points he made. He explained why the NYC subway stations were always so hot in the summer. It seems that for every good thing, you have to give up something. Since the subway cars are air conditioned, the heat from them is expelled into the tunnels and stations. Mystery solved.

The main point of this article, though, had more to do with a comparison beween our conditions here in the east and that of our forces in Iraq and Afganistan. There, the daytime temperature may go as high as 140 degrees. If it ever got that hot here, I could wear shorts and sleeveless tops, go shoeless or jump into a pool or even take a nap. There, our forces have to wear body armor and carry an automatic weapon, ammo and gear, all the while staying alert for their own safety and that of their buddies.

It must be discouraging for our troops that while they are suffering in this heat and risking their lives for us, our Congress is worrying about the costs of the wars in terms of dollars and cents and not lives. In the past few days, 13 Americans have been killed in attacks in Iraq and Afganistan.

After reading this article, I think I can manage to get through a few 90+ degree days with all the conveniences I have - air condioning, fans, pool. I also don't have to worry about stepping on a bomb or being shot at. Yes, we have it good.

Thank you Michael Daly for putting our little heat wave in perspective.

Food

2011-06-08T21:31:00.003-04:00

Never go food shopping when you're hungry.

How many times have I heard that? How many times have I ignored that simple rule? On Monday I realized it was time for my monthly trip to the supermarket. I had two cans of cat food left, so it was time.

The store had some good deals. If I bought one package of split chicken breasts, I could get another package free. That was a good deal. Along with the chicken, I also picked up several freezer items. When I got home, I faced the challenge of fitting it all in the freezer. There was room for everything but the Lenders bagels. Oh well, they'll make a good breakfast.

I really went overboard in the produce aisle. All the fruit looked so good, and I just love all the summer fruits. Because I'm trying to eat more healthfully I bought peaches, nectarines, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. The plan is to make a fruit salad, which I haven't gotten around to yet. I also have a good recipe for a spinach and nectarine salad.

All my good intentions went out the window when I looked at the peaches this morning. I didn't think I'd get around to eating all those peaches, so there was only one solution. Bake a pie. Which I did.

It was delicious. However, just before it was quite done, some of the juice dropped down to a pan I keep in the oven for just such times. Suddenly, there was this ear piercing squeal throughout the house. Yes, I set off the smoke alarms. After I opened a window, all was quiet. But, it was so embarrassing. I hope none of my neighbors heard it.

At least I know that after six years my smoke alarm batteries still work.

BROOKLYN

2011-06-03T22:00:00.000-04:00

There's a group in our community called, "Gals on the Go". They plan all kinds of interesting events and trips. Yesterday, we went to Brooklyn.
I spent a lot of time in Brooklyn when I was younger, but never at most of the spots we toured. The main part of the trip for me was a stop in Brooklyn Heights. This is a very, very expensive neighborhood and I've always wanted to visit, but somehow never got around to it. It is an historic district, some streets are closed to commercial traffic. It is the one of the earliest suburbs of NYC, many of the homes were built in the 1820's, some even before. Most of those homes also have wonderful views of Manhattan.

The above is a view of downtown Manhattan from the Promenade in the Heights. This next photo shows a building slightly to the right of center with what looks like two candles on the top. This is the new Freedom Tower which is being built on the site of the World Trade Center.

From the Promenade, we walked to the Pilgrims Church. This was Henry Ward Beecher's church and was a stop on the Underground Railroad. It's still an active church, some of the buildings house schools for the neighborhood children.

This statue of the Rev. Beecher shows him holding a mock auction of children as slaves. The local residents would "bid" on the "slaves" and the money paid would be used for their transportation on the rest of the trip to Canada.

After Brooklyn Heights, we rode around Park Slope, another affluent neighborhood. Back in the 50's and 60's you could have bought a brownstone house for about $15,000-$20,000. Now, you might be able to buy one if you had a few million dollars.

We drove past the Brooklyn Museum which has a very large collection of Egyptian artifacts. After the museum, we saw the Botanic Gardens which has more cherry trees than Washington DC. Then, we caught a glimpse of my high school, which wasn't part of the tour nor was it of interest to anyone else except me and another lady.

Then it was time for lunch at Juniors, another Brooklyn landmark. Yes, this is the Juniors of the famous cheesecake. And, it was delicious.

After lunch we visited Greenwood Cemetery, the final resting place of such luminaries as Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Miller and mob boss Albert Anastasio and regular people too. There is still room if you want to spend eternity there. It only costs $25,000.

This cemetery was established in the 1830's and is also the final resting place of more Civil War casualties than anywhere else in the US, even Gettysburg. This is the entrance.

Many of the masoleums were built into the hillsides and many of them were very elaborate.

There is a non-denominational chapel on the grounds. Since our visit was just after Memorial Day, there were many Civil War artifacts inside.

I guess this is the only place where a canon would fit, but I found it a rather odd spot for one, right in front of the altar.

There are three glacial lakes in the cemetery which comprises 478 acres. This is one of the lakes.

There are now plans to identify the graves of the Civil War casualties. There is a group of volunteers who go over the records, then try to find the original tombstones which may not be
easily visible. They then arrange for new headstones in the same place. Here are two that were found. They are two brothers who fought on opposite sides and didn't see each other until their final battle. They were both wounded and met in the hospital tent. They had a brief reunion and then died and were buried next to each other. I don't know which was a Union soldier and who was the Confederate soldier. I'm sure someone knows, but our guide didn't.

There is such an excitement and energy in New York and all the boroughs, that at times during the day and even since that I've regretted leaving New York. If I ever win the lotto, maybe I'll go back.

There's Always a First Time

2011-06-01T21:23:00.003-04:00

I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later and I just got complacent and careless.

This afternoon as I was about to go out to collect my mail, I hesitated at the door as I checked the weather to see if it was raining hard. There I was, the storm door open just a little when the black flash whizzed by as fast as his three good legs and one arthritic leg could go.

As soon as I realized that Burnie was about to make a run for freedom, I screamed and pulled the door shut. Unfortunately, Burnie was almost halfway through the door. I opened the door a little and pulled him back into the house. I felt terrible all afternoon. I checked him out and he doesn't seem to be hurt.

He spent the rest of the day sleeping which isn't at all unusual. I've never seen a cat sleep as much as he does. I've heard that lions in the wild sleep 20 out of 24 hours a day. Burnie seems to sleep more than that. He only wakes up to eat and check up on Crash and sleep in one of her favorite spots.

He does like to see what's on the other side of a door. In fact, that's how we got him as a kitten. The door was open and he just walked in and made himself at home. I really never thought he'd try to make a run for it. I'm usually very careful, now I'll have to be extra careful.

Maybe I should put a collar with his name and address around his neck in case his next attempt at escape is successful.

Question

2011-05-30T11:32:00.003-04:00

There's something about today, Memorial Day, that I don't understand.

It's always been my understanding that the purpose of Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was first known, is to remember those who have died in the many wars we have been involved in. Originally, the day was used to decorate with flags and flowers, the graves of those who died in the Civil War. Since this is a day to remember the dead, how can so many people wish a "Happy Memorial Day".

If a friend or relative died in a war, any war, and you are remembering him or her today, how can it be a "happy" day. Maybe, if you really stretch the meaning, it can be a happy day if you remember and thank the casualties of war for their efforts in preserving our freedoms, otherwise we should remember and thank the members of our armed forces, past and present, living and dead.

Maybe the day should be renamed Memorial Thank You Day.

Frasier Trivia

2011-05-28T22:12:00.003-04:00

Today I've spent a lot of time watching reruns of Frasier. I've always enjoyed that show, so much so that I actually laugh out loud. During the show, the announcer gives us some little bits of surprising trivia about the show and the actors.

I was surprised to hear that Eddie (the dog) got more fan mail than any other members of the cast. They also said that, in order to get Eddie to lick John Mahoney's face, a discreet layer of liver pate was put on John's face.

Prior to appearing on the show, David Hyde Pierce (Nils) had absolutely no interest in either wine or opera. He was taught to appreciate these things by none other than John Mahoney.

But, the biggest surprise and one that I didn't hear tonight was that the actor, Anthony LaPaglia, who played Daphne's brother who was always drunk and chasing women, is the same Anthony LaPaglia who appeared in Without a Trace.

Complainers

2011-05-25T21:07:00.003-04:00

Some people have too much time on their hands.

We have a community blog. The person who started it is a complainer, I don't think there's much that goes on that he approves. I think it stems from the fact that he lost election to the Board way back in the early years of our community.

The blog does have its good points. Many people use it to get recommendations for car service, plumbers, painters, etc., but then there are the others.

Some of their complaints make sense - dog owners who don't pick up after their dogs and let them relieve themselves on other's property and drivers who seem to speed. The complaint that led me to write this started yesterday.

So many people started commenting on the fact that our lawns are growing quite tall. They felt that the landscaping company should have been around mowing the lawns. We've been having a lot of rain lately, a shower or two every day. The ground is not dry. I'm not a gardener, but even I realize that you just can't mow wet grass, it won't cut. Personally, I don't see what the big deal is, so what if the grass is "as high as an elephant's eye" (slight exaggeration). It's not that important. I did get one call that I enjoyed yesterday when I was working at the Clubhouse. A woman asked when the lawns would be cut because she has a very small dog and is afraid it will get lost in the grass. I told her they were starting to work on it and she was happy.

Unfortunately, most of the other residents weren't. My feeling is that if they don't like it, they should get out and mow the lawn themselves.

I'm a NY Chauvinist

2011-05-16T08:55:00.002-04:00

Listening to the news coverage of the launch of the Endeavor this morning, I was reminded of a conversation I had with my son when NASA announced the sites that would be getting one of the space shuttle.

As he rattled off the names, the Intrepid, the Smithsonian, Kennedy and several others, I was speechless. For just a short while I couldn't understand why a shuttle would be going to the Intrepid in Manhattan and another going to Kennedy Airport in Queens, both locations in NYC. I was puzzled, but proud.

Then it dawned on me. The shuttle was going to the Kennedy Space Center, not Kennedy Airport. I guess we New Yorkers feel that everything revolves around New York.

Hoarding

2011-05-15T20:10:00.002-04:00

I spent most of today glued to my TV for a marathon of TLC's Hoarding: Buried Alive. I find this show fascinating for two reasons.

First, I can't understand how people can let themselves go so far and live with such clutter. Second, it scares me because I'm afraid that I could be like them. My garage is full of clutter and my office is strewn with paper. The rest of the house is fine and I'd like to keep it that way.

However, after watching an episode or two, I started making a list of things in my house that I have no use for and can easily live without. I went through my scarf drawer and decided to donate half of them to a charity. When I was working, I often wore scarves to dress up a plain blouse. I also have some old Corningware that I no longer use. I'm sure someone would put it to good use.

I'm inspired to clean up my act before I reach the point where I can't even sleep in my bed or eat a meal at the table.

Social Security Fix

2011-05-13T21:30:00.002-04:00

I've been under the weather the past few days. Nothing serious, just a cold that is keeping me home in front of the TV and getting me on my soapbox.

I've been doing some thinking about Social Security and doing the math and have come to the following conclusion.

I think that a $5.00 cut in monthly SS benefits would be affordable and would result in annual savings of $2,210,447,160. After all, I think we could all cut $5.00 from our monthly expenses. That's a little more than $1.00 per week, about the price of a newspaper, ice cream treat, cookies, coffee, etc. Monthly, it's even less than a pack of cigarettes. Here's how I came to that conclusion.

The population of the United States is approximately 307,006,550. Of that amount, about 12% or 36,840,786 receive social security. If everyone's check were reduced by $5.00 per month, that would result in a savings of about $184,230,930 per month or $2,210,447,160 per year. Please feel free to check my math and let me know if I'm wrong.

While we're on the subject of social securiy, I have another thought that, while seemingly cruel, might save some money. There is no question that benefits should extend to workers who become disabled. I'm sure the payment procedure is the same as it was years ago when I first became aware of disability payments. The worker receives the full amount, each dependent child receives half of the worker's amount. I know of two cases of workers who were receiving disability payments who added to their family. One was a woman with a chronic illness who was discouraged from having children, but had two anyway. Naturally each child received half of her payment. The other was a man who was married with one child. He injured his back and couldn't work. That didn't prevent him from having another child who then received half of his payment. That just doesn't seem right. If you're too ill or disabled to work, you should not be adding to your family. If you want additional children, pay for them yourself. That was not the original plan for social security.

I have some thoughts on the tax situation, but I'll save them for another time. This was enough of a rant for today.

Memories

2011-05-10T19:36:00.002-04:00

This year my son celebrated a milestone birthday. Besides going out to Seattle to celebrate with him, I decided I really needed to find a very special present.

After much thought, I decided to make a video which I called, "This is Your Life". I had been scanning our old family pictures for a while so I went through them and selected some very old pictures of his grandparents, childhood and young adult pictures of my husband and me, and, of course baby, school and adult pictures of him.

I used Windows Live Movie Maker and assembled the pictures. Because I'm so impulsive when I get a good idea, I never took the time to correct some of the snapshots or clean up the very old pictures.

I decided to add music and initially chose Mantovani's "Long Ago andFar Away", then decided to add Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are". Unfortunately, Mantovani didn't want to go away so I had both songs playing simultaneously. Not a good mix. Back to the drawing board. I finally chose "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" which I had never heard of but was in the music library on my laptop.

I forgot to mention that in the middle of the project, my computer crashed. Fortunately, my work was backed up by Carbonite, a true lifesaver. When I tried to save the work on a CD, I got a message that the CD was not valid. I had no choice, I had to ask for help from my son. I lied that I was doing something for his cousins. Eventually I got it saved and onto a DVD, or so I thought.

I gave him the DVD for his birthday, but was very disappointed the next day when he told me that he couldn't see it. Now, I could be honest with him and get the help I needed.

With his guidance I was able to burn a new DVD when I got home, then sent it out to him. He received it last week and enjoyed it.

In spite of the problems I had creating this video, I'm so glad I did it. I really surprised myself and my reaction. Sometimes, I just sit back, watch and take a trip down memory lane. I was very lucky, he was a very good baby, a good student and is a wonderful son. Those were the days my friend, such happy days. Sometimes I wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Ever the Optimist

2011-05-06T21:03:00.003-04:00

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Using that definition, I guess I'm certifiably insane.

Last week I bought several plants for my herb garden. Every spring I plant basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc. Usually by around July they are either dead, dying or going to seed. Yet, every spring I start all over, full of enthusiasm that this year it will be different.

After I bought all the plants I realized that I had a very busy week ahead of me and I would not be able to pot them all. I didn't want them to die, so I put a little water in the bathtub and put the plants in there. Surprisingly, neither Crash nor Burn tried to check them out.

Today I started potting them until I ran out of potting soil. Tomorrow, it's off to buy more soil so I can finish the job.

Hopefully, this year I'll have a bumper crop and lots of pesto for the freezer.

Mission Accomplished

2011-05-02T05:32:00.003-04:00

This morning I woke up at 4:30 and tried to go back to sleep. I turned on the TV hoping that would work. Instead, I heard the wonderful news - OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD! What a great way to start the day.

Thank you to our Navy Seals for a job well done. Thank you to our CIA and their informants. Thank you to Presidents Bush and Obama - Mission Accomplished.

Hopefully, without their leader, members of Al Queada will give up the fight and we can have some peace in that area of the world.

Blog Problems

2011-04-27T21:32:00.004-04:00

I know I haven't written much lately. I still have more to talk about my trip to Seattle, but right now I'm sulking.

For some reason I can't upload any of my pictures even though I'm doing everything the same as always. I wanted to include some from the Tulip Festival. There aren't too many since Spring has been slow in coming to Seattle. I did see some daffodils. They were beautiful when seen from a distance, just like a carpet of yellow. I can just imagine how beautiful the tulips would have been, seas of red, white and yellow. I've seen pictures from previous years and I'm sorry I missed them.

If you would like to see pictures from this year's festival, go to my son's blog at http://cromely.blogspot.com. (I haven't quite gotten the hang of linking no matter how much I try.) His pictures are wonderful.

Sushi

2011-04-24T20:37:00.005-04:00

On my first day in Seattle, my son took me for Sushi. This was only the third time I've had it. At first, I ate to say I tried it, it was OK. My second venture into Sushi was better, but the third time was the charm.

The restaurant we went to served the Sushi on a conveyor belt. Since I really don't know that much about Sushi, I let Bill make the selections. He did a very good job, we had shrimp, eels, tuna and others that I don't remember. I've been converted, although I don't know if I could eat Sushi in any of the local restaurants, it would have to be a "true" Japanese restaurant.

I even tried a Japanese beer - Asahi. It was very good. I surprised myself by enjoying it. Until about the last five or six years, I wouldn't even try beer, I just couldn't stand the taste until I went to a beer tasting in Seattl. Now, I do enjoy a glass now and then.

I can't believe how adventurous I've become these last 15 or 20 years. I really enjoy trying new foods.

Leavenworth, A Town Returns to Life

2011-04-20T21:02:00.005-04:00

Last week my son and I visited the town of Leavenworth, WA. This was originally a logging town with a sawmill. They thrived until about the middle of the 20th century when the Great Northern Railway Company pulled out of town. In the 60's the leaders of the town took their last chance to turn the town around.

They took advantage of the surrounding mountains and Alpine atmosphere and modeled the town after a Bavarian village to encourage tourism. They planned festivals throughout the year and remodeled all the buildings to resemble Bavaria.

They did a pretty good job, the buildings looked very similar to some I saw during my visit in Alsace Lorraine a few years ago.

Naturally, as in all tourist towns, there was SHOPPING! I was very good though. We visited a shop that specialized in Nutcrackers. I've been collecting them for a few years now, but I've never seen such an assortment. There was a whole wall of them. I was in heaven, until I saw the prices. They were very expensive, much too rich for me. They must have been either imported or hand carved.

They also had some Hummels which I used to collect, but stopped when I bought my favorite, "Blessed Event".

On the way back, we stopped in a 50's style diner. They had all kinds of old pictures and a TV that was showing "The Cisco Kid". That really brought back some memories.

It was a wonderful day. The scenery along the way was magnificant. There was a lot of snow along the road in some places. Later in the week they had more snow and they did some avalanche control.

I just wish they'd change the name. All I could think of was Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas and a federal prison.

Education

2011-04-18T22:05:00.004-04:00

They say that travel can be educational. After this past week I totally agree with that. I learned a couple of things on my recent trip to Seattle.

I learned that I am completely out of shape. I used to be a great walker, but since I've retired and live in the country/suburbs the most walking I do is to my car. There was a time when I could walk 4 miles without tiring. Now, I'm lucky if I can do a block without huffing and puffing. I couldn't possibly be getting old, could I?

In order to maintain my current of denial, I'm going to start walking again. About a mile a day should be a good start. Now, I just have to fit it into my schedule.

Another thing I learned in Seattle is that over the past two years, they have added several more hills. I mentioned this to a friend who visits Seattle every year. She completely agreed with me, and she stays in a more flat section. I really don't know why they keep adding those hills, maybe they want to discourage out of shape tourists.

Crash is getting a little chunky, maybe she and I should do a few laps in the house. Can't hurt.

Travels

2011-04-17T20:17:00.002-04:00

I spent this past week visiting my son in Seattle, but more about that at a later date. It was a wonderful trip.

Waiting on the security line in the SeaTac Airport, I met a couple of people. There were two women who asked to go ahead since they were short on time to meet their connection flight. I don't remember if they were going to Beijing or returning from Beijing. They started talking to the woman behind me who was going to Rome. Such wonderful trips, such special places.

They asked me where I was going and I hated to admit it, but I was honest and told them, "Newark". Does it sound any more boring or ordinary than that?

Travel

2011-04-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

I'm planning a short (5 day) trip to visit my son. I had planned on taking only enough for my carry-on bag. Once I started packing, I realized one bag would not be enough.

First, there's the restriction on liquids. You can only carry 3 oz. bottles and only enough bottles to fit into a quart sized Ziploc bag. I don't know about you, but for me, it takes a lot of lotions, shampoos, conditioners, soaps to maintain that youthful, natural look. Add to that, we've had a long, hard, cold winter that required the heater running all the time and drying the air. I need lots of special creams and lotions, then I need the special shampoo for color treated hair, the moisturizing body soap and special moisturizing face soap. Of course, I have to bring along my nail polish in case I get a chip in my manicure. That doesn't include the make-up. Fortunately, hotels now provide a hair dryer, but I still have to bring my curling iron and shower cap so I don't have to wash and dry my hair every day.

Then, as I packed, I realized I'd be bringing my computer, cell phone, camera, I-pod and Kindle. They all need their own chargers.

April is a very funny month. You never know what the weather will be like. It's cool now, I need a coat; next week it may be warmer. I need both long and short sleeve tops. Should I prepare for rain or take my chances on sunshine? I have to take an umbrella and sunglasses. Then, there's the problem of shoes. I need shoes for walking and also something nice. I need shoes that can be easily slipped on and off for security.

It's time to move to the next size in luggage which is just slightly larger than the standard for carry-on. All my electronics will be in my carry-on and my shoes and cosmetics (my lab as I like to call them) will be checked. There may be a little room for some clothes to wear.

I could make it easier on myself if I were willing to live for a week with tight, dry skin that flakes and didn't need to take some "just in case" clothes or if I were willing to live without my computer, cell phone or a good book to read on my Kindle. Unfortunately, I'm spoiled.

It isn't easy being a spoiled, "girl". Now I know why I prefer to drive to vacation destinations. There is no restriction on the amount of "necessities" I can bring with me.

Reputation

2011-04-07T21:37:00.002-04:00

Today I discovered that I have a reputation in my community. I don't know what I did to earn this reputation, but I've got it. It's similar to one I had when I worked, but there I know what I did.

I got a call this afternoon from one of my neighbors. She was having trouble with her computer and her husband suggested she call me. This was not the first time someone has come to me with a computer problem.

I didn't know what to tell her. I really don't know that much about fixing computers. She was having trouble connecting with aol. I tried my connection, but that was OK. She said once before she had this problem and unplugged her computer and reconnected it, correcting the problem. Because of my experience two weeks ago, I couldn't tell her to do it again. Since my son, in Seattle, takes care of any problem I have, I gave her the name of a neighbor who had someone come to her home for her computer.

When I worked, all I had to do when someone had a computer problem was touch the equipment. They said I had healing hands.

The Race is On

2011-04-04T19:45:00.003-04:00

Today it became official. Barack Obama is going to run for reelection in 2012. He plans on raising $1 billion for his campaign fund. He'll probably do it too.

I wasn't too surprised by the news. As soon as he condescended to sign the extension of the Bush Tax Cuts, I knew he was making a show of moving to the center. Today, right after the announcement, he made another campaign promise to persuade the independent voters that he really is a centrist. He had the attorney general say that he will have military trials for the terrorists at GITMO. Look for more signs that he is moving toward the center.

After he convinces the voters that he is not the left leaning, socialist we have seen these past two and a half years he will be reelected. The day after he is confirmed as the winner, he will again show his true colors and cancel everything he has done to be reelected. He will do everything in his power to "buy" his reelection.

I hate to be such a pessimist, but I just don't trust the man.

Faking It

2011-03-29T18:44:00.003-04:00

Ever since he was a kitten, Burnie has had a limp. Some days it is more pronounced than others. The vet has seen him, but there doesn't seem to be a problem. The vet says that cats are very adaptable and he can live with it.

I'm planning on going away for about a week in two weeks. Since I'm trying not to check my bags, I thought I'd bring them in from the garage to get an idea of the size. Of course, both Crash and Burn noticed and they're not too happy.

Burnie had been doing very well lately, he's been running around the house with no problems. But, as soon as I brought the bag into the house, he started limping. It's a very pronounced limp and he's not running.

I'm beginning to think he's also an actor. He has been known to limp very badly whenever I return from a trip, but this is the first time BEFORE I go away. He's trying for the sympathy vote to keep me home. Of course, it won't work, I'm on to his tricks.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

2011-03-26T16:49:00.002-04:00

Don't put off to tomorrow what you can do today.

I learned that lesson the hard way this week. I'm the editor of our community newspaper and the deadline for submissions was last Sunday. I spent the early part of this week checking the articles and preparing them for the paper. I sent them out for proofreading, and reformatted them. Everything was going along smoothly, so smoothly that I was tempted to bring them to the publisher early. But, a couple other members of the staff wanted to go, so I decided not to change the date.

I went happily along and took my time setting everything up. After all my files are together, I have to save them on a memory stick and bring to the publisher. Since I had four days I took my time and decided to wait to save to the memory stick until Sunday. BIG MISTAKE.

Thursday morning I discovered that I couldn't save anything in Word. I did what computer experts have long suggested. I shut my pc down for a couple of hours. When I started it up again...you guessed it. Nothing happened. Dead. My first thought was that everything was lost.

Fortunately, my son knows me very well. He signed me up for automatic back-up Carbonite.com (thank you, thank you Bill) and everything on my computer is backed-up.

I spent the better part of today accessing my newspaper documents and pictures and saving them on my laptop. Now all I have to do is sort them and, of course, save them to the memory stick.

Of course, now my next project of scanning my menus will have to wait until I decide whether to install the scanner on my laptop or wait until I get my replacement computer. I was so looking forward to working on them. I even bought more frames, mats and backing for them.

At least nothing was lost.

Misleading Advertising

2011-03-21T20:04:00.002-04:00

Today I received an email about a cruise in Lakes Erie, Huron and Superior. It looked so good that I called for information.

According to the email, they have limited single cabins available. Since I'm so spoiled that I don't like to share a room, I was thrilled. When I called, I was told that the single cabin was no longer available and I could go on a wait list, which I did.

Thinking that the rate would be the same as that listed as per person sharing a room. No, I was wrong. They still add a single supplement. I questioned why the single supplement since it would be a single cabin. I was told that the "single cabin" was actually a regular cabin made up for a single.

I would think they could do that for any cabin and not make it sound like they are doing a favor for a solitary traveler. It's just not fair. After all, singles use half the services of a couple.

Quotes & History

2011-03-15T21:09:00.003-04:00

Today in 933, German King Henry I beat Maagyaren at the Battle of Riade and in 1560, there was a failed assault on the royal palace in Amboise France. I know these bits of trivia because a few months ago I subscribed to worldofquotes.com.

Every morning I receive a quote like today's, "It is to be remarked that a good many people are born curiously unfitted for the fate waiting for them on this earth". This was written by Joseph Conrad when he was writing on "Earth". Some of these quotes are thought provoking, some are silly. But, it is a nice way to start the day.

Recently, they started adding historical facts. Today, they had 406 facts starting in 493 when Theodorik the Great beat Odoaker of Italy and ending with 1999 when Pluto again became the outermost planet.

I don't always have the time to check all the events, actually I've never checked them, but I hope to some day.

Two Thoughts

2011-03-10T18:43:00.002-05:00

DRILL BABY DRILL! When will the president realize that having a domestic supply of oil is to our benefit. I realize that, even if we start drilling tomorrow, we won't see the oil for many years. It may though relax the futures' traders and speculators who are driving up the price of a gallon of oil. We do have enough in our own country. And, we won't be dependent on conditions in the Middle East.

Speaking of the Middle East and the riots there, congratulations to Governor Walker and the legislature of Wisconsin. They found a way to lessen the control of the unions. Those poor union workers will have to write a check for their dues each year, the government won't be automatically deducting them from employees paychecks and sending them onto the union. This is one of the collective bargaining "rights" taken from the unions. They can still bargain for salaries.

The behavior of the pro union and anti Walker groups is reprehensible. Last night, after the vote was taken, people started climbing through the windows and yelling. I've even heard that some of the legislators have received death threats. Don't get me started on the democrats who left the state because they didn't get their way on the bill. They acted like spoiled children having a temper tantrum. Did they hold their breath too?

With all this going on, where is the president? Why isn't he calling for civility? I know he has budget problems of his own, but he is giving tacit approval for this type of behavior. What will happen when the Republicans cut the country's budget? Will we have more protests and possibly riots in the streets?

Lesson from a Messy Office

2011-03-09T21:02:00.004-05:00

When I worked, I was notoriously known for my messy work area. I remember one time when my boss was expecting the chairman of the company. As she walked by my desk she told me to clean my desk quickly, even if it meant putting everything on the floor under my desk.

The only problem with my desk was aesthetic. The various piles of papers and files never interfered with my performance. I knew where everything was. I could pick out a letter or file at a moments' notice. No one could understand my system. That's known as job security.

Now that I'm retired, my office and desk are still messy. Usually I can find everything although it does take a little while. The other day I wanted to work on a new project.

I have some beautiful menus from a cruise I took to Bermuda on the Queen of Bermuda many, many years ago. I had been keeping the menus in a plastic bag in a drawer marked "Memorabilia". I went to the drawer and they weren't there. I checked every drawer. I couldn't find them. I've been trying to organize my office, but I knew I would not have thrown them out. I looked all over.

Finally I found them buried under some paper on my desk. Now, all I have to do is scan and print them. I don't want to use the originals since the cover has some very ornate drawings and the food selections inside are very interesting. I thought it would be nice to frame them and hang them on the wall from the dining room to the kitchen, right next to the bookcase holding my extensive cookbook collection.

I think I may have learned my lesson. It's time to clean my desk.

Rising Prices

2011-03-04T21:18:00.003-05:00

In a little less than 2 weeks, the price of gas has gone up 20 cents a gallon. My next worry about gas will be rationing. I remember the gas lines in the 70's and the odd and even days. I would take the car and wait on line for my turn at the pump and hope there would still be gas when I got there.

My son was about 3 at the time and he quickly caught on to the situation. He would line up all his cars, trucks and wagon and play "gas line". It seemed cute, but it also made me realize how quickly a child can pick up on current events and how they affect him.

Now the rising gas prices present another challenge - rising food prices. Back in the 70's and 80's I looked at the high prices as a challenge. A game to see how much I could save. I guess it's time to remember those money saving ideas.

I would stock up on sale items. Sometimes I would have as much as 6 boxes of cereal or pasta or 6 pounds of coffee. I even learned how to cup-up a chicken since a whole chicken cost less than chicken parts.

My situation is very different now. Instead of family of four, I live alone with my two cats. It's time to start the game of how much can I save on food this month. I figure if I cut back on the treats I buy and make smaller portions I can win two ways. I'll save money and lose weight (hopefully).

My first step is to do supermarket shopping only once a month unless I'm expecting company. I don't know about you, but I have never in my life just bought what I needed. There's always something else that looks good or is a great sale. I do look a little strange though when I buy 30 or 40 cans of regular cat food. In fact, one day some man asked me just how many cats I have. I said just two, but I don't like to shop too often.

What tricks do you have to win the game and beat the high cost of gas and grocries?

Burnie

2011-03-03T21:07:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been watching Burnie more closely. I've discovered a lot about him that I never realized before.

I've always thought that he is the most laid-back cat I've ever known. I've had him for about six years and I have never heard his hiss or growl. He is a trouble-maker though. He teases Crash a lot. She seems to be afraid of him.

About two months ago I bought a small rug for the cats. There was only one in the store, so whenever Crash was sitting on it, Burnie wanted it. He would come close to Crash and after swinging at him, Crash would leave it.

Last week I bought another one. Crash sits on it first, the other is empty. As soon as Burnie enters the room, he goes right to Crash's rug. He only wants it because she has it.

Anyway, I discovered something else about him today. It doesn't make sense to give human qualities to cats, but I think Burnie understands time. This morning, he was waking me up as usual by tapping my head and "combing" my hair with his paw/claws. I wanted to sleep longer so I asked for 20 minutes more.

I went back to sleep and awoke 19 minutes later to find Burnie tapping my head to wake me up. Can he really tell time? Have I misjudged him? Is he really smarter than Crash?

'Tis a puzzlement.

Vacation and Homework

2011-03-02T21:06:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I received an email about a trip called, " In the Steps of Lewis & Clark". It sounded interesting, cruising the Columbia and Snake Rivers in Oregon. I signed up for it.

When I received my confirmation, I also received a list of four books which are required reading and several others which would be informative. Whenever I travel somewhere for the first time, I usually buy a guide book or some other book on the area. That's voluntary, this is different. This is HOMEWORK!

I don't know if I can do any required reading any more. Now, I read for pleasure. Will my old rebellious side come out and avoid my homework until the very last minute - like reading on the flight to Oregon?

FINALLY!

2011-02-28T21:15:00.002-05:00

I believe in giving credit where it's due.

Today the president issued a permit to one company to start drilling one well in the Gulf. It's a start, a small one, but a start nevertheless.

I know we won't see this oil for a few years, but it is a beginning. Maybe this will give some psychological support for the price of oil futures. Hopefully the president will issue more permits in the next few days.

It might be good for a few votes in 2012.

Separation of Powers

2011-02-26T21:18:00.005-05:00

Have you heard the news. Until recently I hadn't heard it. We have a new Supreme Court Justice. I guess he's just a part-time justice since he has another full time job - president.

President Obama has just declared that the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed by both houses of congress and signed by President Clinton, is unconstitutional. He has also refused to lift the ban on deepwater drilling even though a real judge has ordered that the ban be lifted and we need our own supply of oil.

I wonder what would happen if a republican president acted in this way. What would happen, if in the future a republican president like Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee or Donald Trump were to decide that the health care reform act is unconstitutional. The media and democrats would be calling for impeachment. There has not been much mention of this president's recent decision.

Does the president not realize that the constitution provides for separation of powers? The president is the executive and the supreme court is the judicial branch. It's as simple as that. The legislative branch makes the laws, the president signs them and the judicial decides on their propriety. Those are the three branches, not the branches that vice president Biden believes. He has been quoted as saying the branches are - the house, the senate and the white house.

The constitutionality of a law is decided by the judicial branch not the possible votes of one particular group.

Public Workers

2011-02-23T22:12:00.004-05:00

After watching the news recently, I'm beginning to think I live in the Mid East. There are so many demonstrations against the governor of Wisconsin and there may be some against the governors of Ohio and Indiana. The only thing the governors are guilty of is trying to restrict some of the power of the unions. Public sector workers have walked off their jobs, even the legislators in Wisconsin have abandoned their job which is to debate and then vote on the merits of the bills that come before them. These people have shirked their duties and fled to another state and are in hiding.

Over 40 years ago I said that the unions had outlived their usefulness. Yes, in the beginning, there was a need for them, but now we have minimum wage laws, child labor laws, etc. We don't need the unions.

According to Matthew Continetti of Beltway Confidential last October 1, 2010, "Even President Franklin Roosevelt, a friend of private-sector unionism, drew a line when it came to government workers: 'Meticulous attention,' the president insisted in 1937, 'should be paid to the special relations and obligations of public servants to the public itself and to the Government….The process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service.' The reason? F.D.R. believed that “[a] strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to obstruct the operations of government until their demands are satisfied. Such action looking toward the paralysis of government by those who have sworn to support it is unthinkable and intolerable.”

Maybe the governor of Wisconsin should follow Ronald Reagan's example and fire the teachers and any other workers who have walked off their jobs.

Governor Walker does not want to eliminate collective bargaining. He merely wants to restrict it to pay and benefits. Other states want to implement "Right to Work" laws. That seems fair to me. Why should a worker be forced to join a union and pay dues. Those dues are used to support political candidates who the worker does not support or agree with.

I hope the legislators who ran away from their responsibilities will not receive any pay for their vacation, nor should the state have to pay their expenses.

Food and Movies

2011-02-20T20:11:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking lately that my meals have been, well, boring. I've convinced myself that it's more healthful to eat lots of fish and chicken with just one vegetable or salad. That's all well and good, but it's been the same thing every day. No wonder I've been craving cookies, cake and chocolate. The past few weeks I've gone through so much chocolate and cake, I'm embarrassed to admit it.

Today I decided to change that. I found a recipe for honey-mustard chicken. The original plan was to just use one boneless chicken breast and marinate the other for tomorrow. When I saw how much honey-mustard sauce there was, I used both pieces. It was very easy to make. For a vegetable, I included green beans, then I decided to make rice too.

It turned out very well and was very good, at least I think it was. While I was eating, I was watching The Inn of the 6th Happiness with Ingrid Bergman. This movie was made in 1958. I never saw it then, so I sat through it tonight. Unfortunately, I'm a crier. I cry over everything. This story was based on a true story about a missionary, Gladys Aylward, in China in the 30's, a few years before the Japanese invaded China. She fell in love with a soldier, so there was a tearful farewell. Then she had to take 100 children to another town at least a week's walk away over mountains and through Japanese territory with very little food. I cried through the last half of the movie.

Do you know how hard it is to eat, taste and swallow while crying?

There's Hope!

2011-02-18T20:03:00.003-05:00

The snow has pretty much disappeared. We've had a few warm sunny days and except for a few small spot we can see the sidewalk and ground.

Today I looked down and saw what appears to be shoots sprouting through the dirt. I had several bulbs planted last fall and I can't wait to see what will grow.

I do believe that Spring is near.

The Hipocrisy of Democratic Civility

2011-02-17T21:18:00.004-05:00

Not too long ago, the president was calling for less name calling and more dialogue between the two parties.

Today, we saw a fine example of this new "civility". The demonstrators in Wisconsin have been comparing their Governor Walker to Mubarak and Hitler. His crime? He wants the teachers' union to contribute to their pension and health insurance. How awful. We see everyday what a wonderful job these teachers do.

The president, instead of chastising the demonstrators for their comments, came out on the side of the unions/demonstrators. Where's the civility there? I guess the president believes in that old saying, "Don't do as I do, do as I say". What a hypocrite.

The democrats in the legislature, instead of doing their job and debating the issue, took the coward's way and left town. They went to a motel in Rockford, Illinois.

Telephones

2011-02-16T21:16:00.002-05:00

I honestly don't know how my parents managed to get by. We got our first phone when I was about 12 and then we only had one and there were four people in the family. As my brother and I got older, we each got an extension in our rooms.

Now, I'm the only person in the house and I have four phones, two of which are cordless. I don't know how I managed without a cordless phone until 10 or more years ago. I love my cordless phones, but the only problem I have with them is that I usually leave them in the living room instead of putting them in their cradles in other rooms. As a result, the battery is constantly running down.

After all this charging, discharging and recharging, the batteries have gotten very weak. Today I decided to replace them. I was able to get one, but couldn't find the other. The price of the batteries ranged from $14.99 to $17.99.

Right next to the batteries, they sell the telephones. I started looking at them and saw a phone for $39.99. The phone for the battery that I couldn't replace is about 11 years old. I started thinking that for only $22 more I could get a brand new phone, which I did. The stand is nice and small. Then I had a great idea, why not keep the cordless phone in the living room and the larger phone in the guest room. This way, I could charge the phone every night and it takes up less room on my end table.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

Nothing

2011-02-14T21:22:00.001-05:00

The other day I had several brilliant thoughts. Unfortunately, I never wrote them down and now they are lost to senior moments.

And I have nothing to say right now.

Laundry

2011-02-12T20:05:00.002-05:00

This week my washing machine simply stopped working. I had my suspicions of the cause, but I called for service anyway.

The service person came today. She was a woman. After I explained the problem she knew just where to go. I needed a new pump, which fortunately she had in her truck.

As she was vacuuming out the water left in the old pump, she found two knee-hi stockings lodged there and saw another one stuck in the hose. The box that had the new pump included a mesh bag to be used for small articles. She suggested that I use it. I used to use a mesh bag, but after a while, it just seemed like too much trouble so I stopped using it. After she installed the new pump, she checked the space between the drum and the wall of the washer and found about a dozen knee-hi's. It was very embarrassing.

I admitted that I thought the problem might have been the amount of powdered detergent I was using, which is a lot. She said that I really don't need too much detergent. She also added that it has recently been discovered that Oxy-Clean can cause damage to the rear bering in front loader washers since it is designed to go after grease. Another mistake I've been making.

The third mistake I've been making is that I don't separate my laundry except for light colors and dark colors. I put sweaters in the same load as jeans or bulky towels. That's a big no-no.

She also suggested that I occasionally run the machine with about 1/2 cup of white vinegar, just to clean it out.

Imagine, after close to 50 years, I'm finally learning how to do laundry.

Technologically Challenged

2011-02-10T20:38:00.001-05:00

While he was here over Christmas, my son set my car up so that I can listen to my i-pod while driving. I never read instruction booklets or manuals. It was never necessary, things used to be so simple. Put the key in the ignition, turn and the car starts. The radio was either AM or FM. I never even had a CD player in the car before. Anyway, he set everything up and tested it for me.

Last week, I tried and it worked very well. I really enjoyed listening to some podcasts. Yesterday, I knew I'd be in the car for quite a while, so I took the i-pod. I plugged it in, chose my podcast and put it in the console. Nothing happened. I picked it up, raised the volume and could barely hear it. I tried raising the volume on the radio, tried to change the setting from AM to FM to CD to Video, still nothing. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I was about to give up when...

I looked down and discovered that the plug had come out of my i-pod. I put it back and VOILA it worked and I've been enjoying it ever since. There's a lesson to be learned here. Before getting so upset, check the plug.

Shopping

2011-02-09T20:16:00.003-05:00

I had a few errands to run today and it felt so good to be on the road again. I really enjoy getting in my car for a long ride.

I'm having some of my friends over tomorrow for a light lunch, mostly cold cuts and salad. While I was on the road, I decided to stop at Wegman's. This is a supermarket with stores in only 5 states, all in the east. I don't go there too often because I spend too much. It's not that they are more expensive, it's just that their food is SO good with a good variety. Their produce lasts much longer than that from the regular supermarket. It was there that I first discovered bison meat. Bison is just like beef, only better. There's less cholesterol and more flavor.

My intentions were so good. I picked out my cold cuts and salad, then decided to walk around. Big mistake. Of course, I picked up just a few "essentials" like cook and serve pudding, bread mixes for my bread machine and dinner for tonight which I really didn't need since my freezer is chock full.

If I didn't enjoy cooking so much, I'd be a regular there. They have so many and such a variety of pre-made meals, ideal for someone who lives alone. I bought dumplings and lo mein for tonight and a quiche for tomorrow's lunch. They also have soups, salads, Thai food, macaroni and cheese and so many other dinners that I don't remember.

It's such a fun store.

Don't Do as I Do, Do as I Say

2011-02-07T20:33:00.002-05:00

Those words seem to be Michelle Obama's philosophy. She is on a campaign to make us eat more healthfully. Her latest "suggestion" is that restaurants should serve smaller portion and that children's menus should include more fruit and less fries or cookies. Sounds great, but, did you see the menu for yesterday's Super Bowl Party?

They served bratwurst, kielbasa, cheeseburgers, deep dish pizza, German potato salad, twice baked potatoes, Snyders potato chips and pretzels, salad and ice cream. They also served beer. Granted, this was a special occasion, a party, but they certainly could have done without some of the food.

I checked out the menus for a couple of state dinners held in the last two years. The fare wasn't much more healthful. For a dinner celebrating India, the menu included potato and eggplant salad, red lentil soup with fresh cheese, roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney chickpea and okra or green curry prawns with caramelized salsify with smoked collard greens and coconut aged basmati. The dessert was pumpkin pie tart, pear tatin,whipped cream and caramel sauce. They also served petit fours and coffee, cashew brittle, pecan pralines, passion fruit and vanilla gelees and chocolate dipped fruit.

The dinner for China was even better. They had D'Anjou pear with farmstead goat cheese, fennel, black walnuts and white balsamic. The second course was poached Maine lobster, orange glazed carrots and black trumpet mushrooms. The main course consisted of dry aged rib eye with buttermilk crisp onions, double stuffed potatoes and creamed spinach. Dessert was old fashioned apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Oh, the cholesterol!

Contrast this dinner with one given for Nelson Mandela by the Kennedys. They served layered late summer vegetables with lemongrass and red curry. The entree was halibut with sesame crust and carrot juice broth. They also served bibb endive and watercress with New York wild ripened cheese. Dessert was grandilla sherbet, lychees and raspberries, apple sabayon and cookies.

Jacquelin Kennedy did not go about "suggesting" that restaurants limit the amount and types of foods they serve. She did, however, plan a menu around healthful foods in reasonable quantities.

Until the White House cuts back on some of the non-healthful foods they serve, Michelle Obama should stop trying to change our eating habits.

My Bones are Good

2011-02-03T10:08:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, after checking the temperature I went out to get my paper. It was 34 degrees and everything looked wet. I took a few careful steps on the walkway, saw that it was OK and took my usual quick steps without quite looking where I was going.

Suddenly I slipped and all I could see was the walkway coming up to meet my face. I put my hands out in front of me and landed on my hands and knees. Knowing the risks of falls to seniors, I checked, everything seemed to be OK. I got up and got my paper. Of course, my pants' knees were soaking and one knee was a little scraped.

Today's another story. my knees are a lovely shade of blue, I have a bruise under my thumb on my right hand and my arm muscles are sore. BUT, thankfully no broken bones.

Guess I won't have to have a bone scan to check for osteoporosis, since I've already done it, for free. But I don't recommend it as a way to check your bones. It's rough on the muscles.

Vacation

2011-02-01T21:21:00.002-05:00

About a month or so ago, a friend suggested that we go to Chile, Easter Island and (I think) Argentina. I told her I'd think about it, and think I did. One day it seems like a great idea and the next, not so much. Part of my reluctance to go is the fact that I'd be away for at least 3 weeks. That seems like too much to ask of a cat sitter, especially since I'm lukewarm about the trip.

Yesterday, I saw an email from National Geographic. They have a trip that's only a week long that follows part of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, mostly in Oregon. Then I saw a trip to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and San Francisco being run by Amtrak. They both seem so interesting, more than South America. The best part is that this one is only 11 days.

Judging by my enthusiasm, my decision seems to have been made. Forget about South America, California or Oregon here I come. Now I just have to tell her I'm not going. But, I have to wait until she returns from her trip to Africa. She's such a traveler.

Letting Go

2011-01-30T21:19:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago when I was putting the Christmas decorations away I found a box of clothes that I wanted to donate to charity. I separated it from the others until I found a chance to donate. That chance came this week. I heard that a local charity was conducting a clothing drive. I called and made an appointment for them to pick up my donation.

I thought I might as well check out my closet to see if there was anything I could, or would want to, donate. Once I got started, there was no stopping me. I looked at everything and decided to clear out my closet. I've been saving things, even though they're not comfortable, are a little tight or the wrong color. I've managed to fill two large garbage bags. I know there are still more that I can part with, but I don't think I'm ready yet.

I'm sure you've heard that when you lose weight, you should get rid of all your "fat" clothes or you risk regaining the weight you lost. Unfortunately, the reverse doesn't work. I've been holding on to my"thin" clothes for years, but I haven't gotten thin. Guess it's time to let someone else have them.

I love my Cats

2011-01-27T20:51:00.005-05:00

We had more snow last night and I couldn't be happier. Although, I think I'm the only person on the east coast who is. The snow is so pretty and it covers the old, dirty snow that was there. The plows cleared my driveway this time, usually they forget about me. They were here about 4:30 AM, but I guess I have to take the good with the bad. I went running around the house taking pictures of the snow. I tried some before dawn, but they didn't turn out so well.

I called my cousin who lives upstate in New York, in the mountains. She got about 4 inches and I got probably about 15 inches. Usually it's the other way around.

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures. Hope you like them. This one looks like a mountain range seen from an airplane. Actually, it's just the view from my front door.
Here I tried to capture the ice crystals on the window. I need more practice at that.

I did venture out the front door and took this shot.
Then I went out back and got a shot of the sunrise. The sky was so nice.
And, here's the real reason I love my cats.

This is one of my neighbors. He had to get out bright and early to walk his dog. I see these people out in all kinds of weather - rain, snow, sleet, heat, cold - with the dogs. But Crash and Burn don't need to be walked, they use the litter box. I'm so lucky.

Credit Card Review

2011-01-26T21:16:00.003-05:00

I'm sure this is nothing new, but I've only recently been taking advantage of it. This year, when my credit card company informed me that I could get a review of my charges this past year, I took it.

It was quite an eye opener. I was shocked to see how much I put on my credit card this past year. I always pay off the balance each month, so I never really noticed how much I actually charge over the course of the year. In order to earn miles, I charge everything, even groceries.

The biggest shock came in the retail category. I didn't realize I spent so much, most of it with QVC. They have such good stuff that I haven't been able to resist. Hopefully, this year I'll do better this year. So far I've been good even though I've been tempted by the Keurig coffee maker and a clothes steamer.

My goal is to get through this month without buying anything. I'll take it one month at a time. Maybe just one purchase a month.

Problems with the Cold

2011-01-24T21:32:00.003-05:00

I've discovered that I sleep much better when the house is cold. I turn the thermostadt down to 60 degrees at night and sleep the night through without waking up. This may seem to be too cold to most people, but I must add that I sleep with two fur coats - Crash and Burn. Of course, maybe if it was warmer, they might not crowd me.

I have only one or two problems with the cold. I don't use bar soap, I use liquid soap. After 8 hours at 60 degrees, the liquid soap almost solidifies. I have to shake the bottle, then squeeze it to get the soap out. The same thing happens to shampoo and lotion.

My other problem is the butter. Many people think this is strange and I shouldn't do it but, the butter has never spoiled. I leave a container of whipped butter out all the time. This way, it's just right for spreading unless the house has been cool. Now, it's too hard to spread.

I have such a rough life.

A Happy Ending

2011-01-20T20:35:00.003-05:00

Did you hear about the woman who had been kidnapped as an infant and found her biological parents? It's such a wonderful story.

Back in 1987 young parents brought their 19 day old infant to a Harlem, NY emergency room because she had a high fever. They handed their infant named Carlina to a woman in a nurse's uniform and never saw their infant again. Carlina was brought to Connecticut and raised as this woman's own child. As she grew up she started having doubts, especially when her "mom" couldn't produce a birth certificate and she didn't look like her. Carlina confronted her and her "mom" admitted that she was not her biological mother.

Carlina eventually moved out on her own with her own young child. She contacted the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators at the Center showed her a baby picture from their archives. Carlina saw the similarity with pictures of her in her Connecticut home. The Center contacted her biological mother Joy and told her they may have found her daughter. A DNA test followed which proved her parentage.

This is such a wonderful story. I'm so happy for Joy, she has her baby back. I can't imagine what she must have gone through all those years. She must have been searching the faces of every baby she saw. Again, I'm so happy for her.

It's very encouraging, there have been a few cases of kidnapped children being reunited with their parents after many years.

A Movie

2011-01-19T19:36:00.002-05:00

The other day I caught an older movie - Fraulein. This movie was made in 1958, I remember when it was in the theaters, but somehow I never saw it. It takes place in post-war Germany. The main characters are a young woman and a US Army Major. Earlier, during the war, this woman saved the Major's life. After the war, in Berlin, he finds her working in a bar.

They date, he helps her find her fiance who lost an arm in the war and is living with another woman. He asks for his ring so he can have an operation for a new arm. She gives it to him and leaves.

Near the end of the movie, and this is what got me so excited, they take a cruise on the Rhine. I saw the same sights as on my recent cruise. It brought back such great memories of this most recent vacation.

And I thought I was onto a new trend.