I'm feeling proud of myself tonight. This has been a day of small achievements. This morning I decided to go for a walk. It was cold and windy and it did feel good. I was prepared for everything - I had my cd on Shakespeare's Hamlet, I was dressed warmly. I walked for a mile on the track. I felt as if I could do more, but decided not to press my luck. Shortly after I got into my car it started to rain.
In the car I was reading the manual and finally was able to switch to cd mode. Of course, I don't know whether I'll be able to do it again. At least I did it today and I may have to listen to the same cd over and over again until I can figure out how to eject.
These small achievements help me over my embarrassment of last night. I'm the treasurer of our Singles Club. For the past two months we've had a balance of over $1,000.00 which is very unusual since we only have about 40 members and our dues are $10.00. When I was preparing my report yesterday I noticed that I had not deducted $900.00 in expenses for a Games Day and Luncheon.
My admission of error came right before the slate of new offices was announced. Obviously, my name is not on it. Don't think they would have voted for me after that mistake.
At least I did a couple of good things today. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Experiments with Photography
I just got a new software program, Adobe Photoshop Elements 7. I've heard that you can do some pretty unusual things with it. One demonstration showed a couple standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. It looked so real, I admired the people for taking such a chance. It really was a compilation of two pictures. The couple was superimposed on the rocky edge. Very impressive.
I tried playing around with one of my pictures, but I had a hard time making any changes that looked good.
Guess I'll have to break down and read the instruction book,
I tried playing around with one of my pictures, but I had a hard time making any changes that looked good.
Guess I'll have to break down and read the instruction book,
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Black Blizzard
Yesterday I caught a show on the History Channel on the Black Blizzard. I had heard about the dust bowl, but I had never heard about this. This is the name given to the dust storms of the '30's. In some cases the storms were so bad that cars were buried in the dust. Visibility was so bad that people would tie ropes from the fence to the barn or house.
There was no escaping the dust. The homes were so poorly insulated and the spaces between windows and frames were so large that the dust got into every corner of the home. Homeowners tried to seal these openings with cloth soaked in a mixture of flour and water, sometimes they hung sheets soaked in plain water to catch the dust, but none of these measures helped. Women had to quickly stir the food, or knead the bread in a drawer that was open only enough to allow two hands in.
The worst of this was the number of children who died of pneumonia caused by the dust getting into their lungs. Some families lucky enough to have family in other parts of the country sent their children away to safety.
There were no crops, livestock starved. Then came the insects, they were all over. Because the predators were gone, jackrabbits multiplied and ate whatever crops there were.
And yet, some people survived. Eventually the rains came and the farmers learned more about soil conservation and the midwest thrived.
The survival and recovery of the people and area says a lot about the human spirit. The people were amazing, there were so many hardships - no crops, no jobs, death and yet some stayed and rebuilt the area.
Could we survive such hardship?
There was no escaping the dust. The homes were so poorly insulated and the spaces between windows and frames were so large that the dust got into every corner of the home. Homeowners tried to seal these openings with cloth soaked in a mixture of flour and water, sometimes they hung sheets soaked in plain water to catch the dust, but none of these measures helped. Women had to quickly stir the food, or knead the bread in a drawer that was open only enough to allow two hands in.
The worst of this was the number of children who died of pneumonia caused by the dust getting into their lungs. Some families lucky enough to have family in other parts of the country sent their children away to safety.
There were no crops, livestock starved. Then came the insects, they were all over. Because the predators were gone, jackrabbits multiplied and ate whatever crops there were.
And yet, some people survived. Eventually the rains came and the farmers learned more about soil conservation and the midwest thrived.
The survival and recovery of the people and area says a lot about the human spirit. The people were amazing, there were so many hardships - no crops, no jobs, death and yet some stayed and rebuilt the area.
Could we survive such hardship?
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Scarlett (1995 app. - 10/2008)
A little over 12 years ago there was a fire in an abandoned building in Brooklyn. As fires go, it wasn't too unusual except that one of the fireman saw a calico cat going back into the building five times and coming out each time with a kitten. After her last trip, she touched each of her kittens with her nose and then collapsed.
This fireman, David Giannelli, took the badly burned cat and her litter to the North Shore Animal League, a no-kill shelter. There the cat, named Scarlett, and her kittens were treated for their injuries. Unfortunately, one of the kittens developed a virus and died, but all the others survived. The four remaining kittens were adopted in pairs and Scarlett was adopted by a woman in Brooklyn, Karen Wellen. Scarlett's injuries were extensive, her ear tips were burned along with most of the fur on her face. Although her injuries healed, the scars remained, Her ear tips were burned off and the fur on her face never grew back.
Her heroic actions inspired two books, The Bravest Cat!: The True Story of Scarlet, and Scarlett Saves Her Family: The Heart-warming True Story of a Homeless Mother Cat Who Rescued Her Kittens From a Raging Fire. There was also a poem, "Why is Everybody So Surprised That I Saved My Furry Five?"
This week I heard that Scarlett had died. She was about 13 years old and had multiple health problems including a heart murmur, severe dental disease and lymphoma which are common diseases of geriatric cats, but the real cause of death was kidney failure.
This simple stray calico cat became world-famous because she cared about her babies and braved a fire to rescue them. She had a comfortable and happy life. She will be missed by Ms. Wellen and all who knew her.
She has gone to the Rainbow Bridge to be with all the other pets who are missed by their owners.
This fireman, David Giannelli, took the badly burned cat and her litter to the North Shore Animal League, a no-kill shelter. There the cat, named Scarlett, and her kittens were treated for their injuries. Unfortunately, one of the kittens developed a virus and died, but all the others survived. The four remaining kittens were adopted in pairs and Scarlett was adopted by a woman in Brooklyn, Karen Wellen. Scarlett's injuries were extensive, her ear tips were burned along with most of the fur on her face. Although her injuries healed, the scars remained, Her ear tips were burned off and the fur on her face never grew back.
Her heroic actions inspired two books, The Bravest Cat!: The True Story of Scarlet, and Scarlett Saves Her Family: The Heart-warming True Story of a Homeless Mother Cat Who Rescued Her Kittens From a Raging Fire. There was also a poem, "Why is Everybody So Surprised That I Saved My Furry Five?"
This week I heard that Scarlett had died. She was about 13 years old and had multiple health problems including a heart murmur, severe dental disease and lymphoma which are common diseases of geriatric cats, but the real cause of death was kidney failure.
This simple stray calico cat became world-famous because she cared about her babies and braved a fire to rescue them. She had a comfortable and happy life. She will be missed by Ms. Wellen and all who knew her.
She has gone to the Rainbow Bridge to be with all the other pets who are missed by their owners.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
New Book
Today I bought something I've wanted for a long time. I bought a dictionary. Not just any dictionary, but WEBSTERS NEW EXPLORER ENCYCLOPEDIC DICTIONARY, 2006 Edition. I got a great price - 15.98, reduced from $39.95. I had looked at other dictionaries, more up-to-date ones, but they were much too expensive, in the neighborhood of $130.00. I like words, but not that much.
When I was a child, my parents had a WEBSTERS DICTIONARY. It was great, there was a guide to grammar and punctuation along with a listing of geographical names and meanings of people's names. In the back, there were maps of all the countries and the continents. I spent many hours just looking at those maps. I also spent a lot of time just picking a word and checking the meaning, pronunciation and spelling.
I'm so looking forward to spending time with my new dictionary and checking out the new words that have been added such as "air rage", "animatronics", "duh" and "usb". One of these days I may even amaze you with my extensive vocabulary.
When I was a child, my parents had a WEBSTERS DICTIONARY. It was great, there was a guide to grammar and punctuation along with a listing of geographical names and meanings of people's names. In the back, there were maps of all the countries and the continents. I spent many hours just looking at those maps. I also spent a lot of time just picking a word and checking the meaning, pronunciation and spelling.
I'm so looking forward to spending time with my new dictionary and checking out the new words that have been added such as "air rage", "animatronics", "duh" and "usb". One of these days I may even amaze you with my extensive vocabulary.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Politics
Tonight I attended a meeting of the local Republican Club in New Jersey. It was a very short meeting (which I love) and the also served food (another good thing). The guest speaker was Chris Smith our representative. He's running for re-election and gave us a rundown of his achievements since he has been in Congress for the past 28 years.
Some of you may recognize his name. This past summer he was responsible for bringing back to America the two little girls who had been caught up in war when Russia invaded Georgia. They were visiting their maternal grandparents. What I didn't know was that there were several children in that same situation and Congressman Smith also helped re-unite them with their parents.
He realized that there was no protocol to be followed when Americans are stuck in a war zone, so he proposed and had passed the steps to be followed for the safety of Americans. He has also proposed several other pieces of legislation, including the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 which makes genetically matched cord blood stem cells available to patients who need them. He has also been involved in legislation to stop human trafficking.
He seems like a good person. He is trying to make a difference.
Some of you may recognize his name. This past summer he was responsible for bringing back to America the two little girls who had been caught up in war when Russia invaded Georgia. They were visiting their maternal grandparents. What I didn't know was that there were several children in that same situation and Congressman Smith also helped re-unite them with their parents.
He realized that there was no protocol to be followed when Americans are stuck in a war zone, so he proposed and had passed the steps to be followed for the safety of Americans. He has also proposed several other pieces of legislation, including the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 which makes genetically matched cord blood stem cells available to patients who need them. He has also been involved in legislation to stop human trafficking.
He seems like a good person. He is trying to make a difference.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Adventures in Driving
Yesterday while driving home from church I discovered the tire pressure light was on. Because it was the first real cold day I thought that was the cause, so I took a ride, but the light stayed on.
This morning, at 8:00 o'clock I called the service department asking to take the car in today, this morning to be exact. I had plans to meet a very good friend for lunch and I'd have to travel about 50 miles each way. The manager of the service department gave me an appointment at 9:00 am and said they would also change the oil since I was late for that change.
I got to the dealer on time and got the necessary work done. The tire pressure was a little low, but there was no damage to the tires and the oil was changed. I went on my way.
After driving around for a while because I thought there was an entrance to the parkway near the dealer, I headed back toward home where I knew I could get on the parkway. As I was on the approach road and I was supposed to yield to traffic on the main road, out of the corner of my eye I saw a hugh car carrier.
I slowed down, then stopped. Unfortunately, a few seconds later another car didn't stop until he hit my car. He was very appologetic, said he was in a hurry and it was all his fault. Since we were both running late, we exchanged phone numbers. I don't know if he had old damage to his car or my car did a lot of damage, but the hood looked pretty bad. I think it was old damage. I was afraid to look at my car, but when I did, I was pleasantly surprised. There was a scratch on the back, but otherwise it looked OK. The other driver went on his way and I have his phone number and he has mine.
A little later on the parkway, I saw a car that was pulled over by a policeman and I think it was the young man who hit me. The car was the same color and there was damage to the front end. Since he was running late, I suspect he was getting a speeding ticket. Right now I feel a little sorry for him. He really had a bad day.
I don't know if I'll follow through with contacting him with a repair bill. The damage doesn't look that bad. I'll have to think about it.
This morning, at 8:00 o'clock I called the service department asking to take the car in today, this morning to be exact. I had plans to meet a very good friend for lunch and I'd have to travel about 50 miles each way. The manager of the service department gave me an appointment at 9:00 am and said they would also change the oil since I was late for that change.
I got to the dealer on time and got the necessary work done. The tire pressure was a little low, but there was no damage to the tires and the oil was changed. I went on my way.
After driving around for a while because I thought there was an entrance to the parkway near the dealer, I headed back toward home where I knew I could get on the parkway. As I was on the approach road and I was supposed to yield to traffic on the main road, out of the corner of my eye I saw a hugh car carrier.
I slowed down, then stopped. Unfortunately, a few seconds later another car didn't stop until he hit my car. He was very appologetic, said he was in a hurry and it was all his fault. Since we were both running late, we exchanged phone numbers. I don't know if he had old damage to his car or my car did a lot of damage, but the hood looked pretty bad. I think it was old damage. I was afraid to look at my car, but when I did, I was pleasantly surprised. There was a scratch on the back, but otherwise it looked OK. The other driver went on his way and I have his phone number and he has mine.
A little later on the parkway, I saw a car that was pulled over by a policeman and I think it was the young man who hit me. The car was the same color and there was damage to the front end. Since he was running late, I suspect he was getting a speeding ticket. Right now I feel a little sorry for him. He really had a bad day.
I don't know if I'll follow through with contacting him with a repair bill. The damage doesn't look that bad. I'll have to think about it.
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