A New Year's Wish For You

Courtesy of Bob Dylan:


FOREVER YOUNG
BOB DYLAN

"May God bless and keep you always, May your wishes all come true, May you always do for others And let others do for you.

May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous, May you grow up to be true, May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, Stand upright and be strong, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy, May your feet always be swift, May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift. May your heart always be joyful, May your song always be sung,

May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young".

Annual Christmas Message

In Hoc Anno DominiVermont Royster's annual Christmas message.

This editorial was written in 1949 by the late Vermont Royster and has been published annually since in the Wall Street Journal

"When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus the whole of the known world lay in bondage. There was one state, and it was Rome. There was one master for it all, and he was Tiberius Caesar.
Everywhere there was civil order, for the arm of the Roman law was long. Everywhere there was stability, in government and in society, for the centurions saw that it was so.

But everywhere there was something else, too. There was oppression--for those who were not the friends of Tiberius Caesar. There was the tax gatherer to take the grain from the fields and the flax from the spindle to feed the legions or to fill the hungry treasury from which divine Caesar gave largess to the people. There was the impressor to find recruits for the circuses. There were executioners to quiet those whom the Emperor proscribed. What was a man for but to serve Caesar?

There was the persecution of men who dared think differently, who heard strange voices or read strange manuscripts. There was enslavement of men whose tribes came not from Rome, disdain for those who did not have the familiar visage. And most of all, there was everywhere a contempt for human life. What, to the strong, was one man more or less in a crowded world?

Then, of a sudden, there was a light in the world, and a man from Galilee saying, Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.

And the voice from Galilee, which would defy Caesar, offered a new Kingdom in which each man could walk upright and bow to none but his God. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. And he sent this gospel of the Kingdom of Man into the uttermost ends of the earth.

So the light came into the world and the men who lived in darkness were afraid, and they tried to lower a curtain so that man would still believe salvation lay with the leaders.

But it came to pass for a while in divers places that the truth did set man free, although the men of darkness were offended and they tried to put out the light. The voice said, Haste ye. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

Along the road to Damascus the light shone brightly. But afterward Paul of Tarsus, too, was sore afraid. He feared that other Caesars, other prophets, might one day persuade men that man was nothing save a servant unto them, that men might yield up their birthright from God for pottage and walk no more in freedom.

Then might it come to pass that darkness would settle again over the lands and there would be a burning of books and men would think only of what they should eat and what they should wear, and would give heed only to new Caesars and to false prophets. Then might it come to pass that men would not look upward to see even a winter's star in the East, and once more, there would be no light at all in the darkness.

And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us remember afterward in each of the years of his Lord:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Religious Freedom

Washington D.C.
Nativity Scene

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. this Christmas.

This isn't for any religious reason though.They simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the Nation's capitol. There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.

;)

Have you heard this one?

One Christmas Eve, a frenzied young man ran into a pet shop looking for an unusual Christmas gift for his wife. The shop owner suggested a parrot, named Chet, which could sing famous Christmas carols.This seemed like the perfect gift. "How do I get him to sing?" The young man asked, excitedly."Simply hold a lighted match directly under his feet like this." was the shop owner's reply. Chet began to sing "Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! ..."The shop owner then held another match under the parrot's right foot. Then Chet's tune changed, and the air was filled with "Silent Night, Holy Night..."The young man was so impressed that he paid the shop-keeper and ran home as quickly as he could with Chet under his arm.

When the wife saw her gift she was overwhelmed. "How beautiful!" She exclaimed, "Can he talk?""No," the young man replied, "But he can sing. Let me show you."So the young man whipped out his lighter and placed it under Chet's left foot, as the shop-keeper had shown him, and Chet crooned, "Jingle Bells! The man then moved the lighter to Chet's right foot, and out came, "Silent Night. Holy Night..."The wife, her face filled with curiosity, then asked, "What if we hold the lighter between his legs?" The man did not know. "Let's try it." He answered,eager to please his wife.

So they held the lighter between Chet's legs. Chet twisted his face, cleared his throat, the little parrot sang out loudly (like it was the performance of his life) "Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire...."

Tomorrow is the big day

OK, Please remind me why I thought last Christmas buying an artificial tree, a 6 footer, was a good idea; granted it was an absolutely gorgeous frasier fir fake that had it's own twinkling white lights. It was beautiful when we got all the ornaments on we have collected over the years. I even bought some "Eau De Forest" spray so the tree would smell like the real thing and it was a success. Did I mention it doesn't shed?

But now it resides in a huge box in the downstairs, under the stairs closet with Costco paper supplies, bedding for the hide a bed in the adjacent playroom, several old paintings and the rest of the Christmas decorations.All of the flotsam and jetsam has to be moved out of this small closet to remove the tree from its' year of slumber. then carry the heavy green fir pieces, 4 in all, up the stairs to the living room where my husband and I will have removed a tilt top table, lamp and a marble sculpture we bought in Mexico some time back, to make room for the tree.

Each of the four pieces of the tree are quite heavy with the wiring for the lights and they have to be attached to each other from bottom to top in a way that permits the lights to work... Hubby will start to assemble the pieces: (I will then proceed to kibitz and suggest that perhaps he is not doing it exactly right) ;)... We will finally get it assembled .Then put on all the ornaments and the tree skirt around the base.
Whew

But then after we sit still for a while and admire the beautiful. twinkling tree lights we will go outside and stand in the street and gaze at the image reflected in the front window of our house and breathe a sigh of relief and I will hug him and say :"It IS the prettiest we have ever had."

Now I get it..

IT'S CHRISTMAS AGAIN
AND ALL'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD

Ronni's question

Ronni Bennett on her blog Time Goes by asked an interesting question yesterday about what do you have that you have used continously for a long, long time.
Here's my answer. What is yours?

My oldest in continuos use item is a Jewel Tea Casserole Dish in the Autumn Leaves pattern. I have been married 57 years this Saturday, November 22, and I have used this dish at least once a month if not more often for all those years. This week I made yummy Macaroni and Cheese in it. I also use it for other dishes like Banana Pudding which I don't make very frequently now.
This casserole dish dates back to my childhood when the Jewel Tea truck would come around during the depression years and my mother would buy various items and get points with which she could obtain "gifts" one of which was this casserole dish.
Anything I cook in this dish is charmed and turns out great. :)

More on the Economic Crisis Worldwide.

"News from the Far East:
Uncertainty has now hit Japan.

"In the last seven days, Origami bank has folded, Sumo Bank has gone belly up and Bonsai Bank has announced plans to cut some of its branches.

Yesterday, it was also announced that Karaoke Bank will go up for sale and will likely go for a song, while shares in Kamikaze Bank were suspended today after they nose-dived.

While Samurai Bank is soldiering on after sharp cutbacks, 500 staff at Karate Bank got the chop and analysts report that there is something fishy going on at Sushi Bank, where it is feared that staff may get a raw deal"

Brother can you spare a yen?

Hello

Ok What do I do with HER ??

SHE claims she is getting better and is seen whizzing around the house cleaning up and dusting. SHE even cleaned out the fridge today and wiped the shelves without dropping a single scrap on the floor for me, HER live vacuum cleaner.

House rule number ONE:If it hits the floor it is mine.

I have not been taken for a walk for over 3 months now and SHE blames it all on a "meniscus tear" of her right knee. which SHE said happened when SHE got out of the chair at the beauty shop. (give me a break. I can run and jump up on the bed and sofa with no problem at all. However SHE is much older than me. SHE had Arthroscopy knee surgery 4 weeks ago and that should have cured HER, but no, SHE still compains.

So here I am, stuck inside, bored to pieces, and wondering when SHE will again take me for a wonderful walk.

I do like sitting at HER feet as SHE types and follows your blog posts. As I told you before, when SHE naps I hop on up and post my own musing here.

Ok I guess you can tell I am not in the best mood today due to my cabin fever but I will try and cheer up:

While SHE is not looking I am posting these DOG RULES in a conspicuous place.



Dog Rules
1. The dog is not allowed in the house.

2. Ok, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain parts.

3. The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.

4. The dog can get on the old furniture only.

5. Fine, the dog allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed to sleep with the humans on the bed.

6. Ok, the dog is allowed on the bed but by invitation only.

7. The dog can sleep on the bed whenever he wants, but not under the covers.

8. The dog can sleep under the covers by invitation only.

9. The dog can sleep under the covers every night.

10. Humans must ask permission to sleep under the covers with the dog.


DERRY

Sweet Potatoes

Who does not like sweet potatoes, especially someone born and raised in the south?

Think of all the ways you can prepare sweet potatoes. I like plain baked sweet potatoes brimming with butter and maybe a dollop of brown sugar and cinnamon. And sweet potato casseroles, mashed with butter and vanilla. cinnamon brown sugar eggs and perhaps a gooey marshmallow topping.Or our favorite topping; nuts butter and brown sugar. Also:
Sweet potato pie. Yummy.

One Thanksgiving, my grown and married son who was about 30 at the time, said no thanks to a serving of our family's old stand by, sweet potato casserole. He said " I don't like sweet potatoes." I asked "Since when. You always ate sweet potatoes growing up?" He replied, "No I did not, didn't you notice?
I guess I just drew a blank or my mind refused to acknowledge that my own flesh and blood did not like sweet potatoes. The thought of anyone NOT liking sweet potatoes is beyond my comprehension. :)
Maybe there was a mix up at the hospital nursery? ;)


All About Sweet Potatoes

"The sweet potato is a native crop in North Carolina grown in the Coastal Plains. American Indians were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus discovered America in 149 Sweet potatoes have been around since prehistoric times. Some scientists believe that dinosaurs might have eaten these delicious vegetables. ( and just remember how big they grew)


When European people first came to live in North and South America, they also learned to eat a lot of sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes were a main food of European people living in America in the 1500's, 1600's, and 1700's AD.

When African people came to North America, they called sweet potatoes "yams". That's because back home in Africa, they had eaten a food that was a lot like sweet potatoes, which in Africa was called "nyami" or "anyinam". They aren't really the same plant, but they look and taste a lot alike, so the African people called sweet potatoes "yams." They cooked them the way they had back home, and ate a lot of them."


SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

This tasty sweet potato casserole contains butter, vanilla, mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, and pecans.
INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
.
Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans
PREPARATION:
Beat eggs, granulated sugar, and 3/4 cup butter. Add milk and vanilla. Combine with the mashed sweet potatoes; spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole. Combine brown sugar, flour, 2 tablespoons softened butter, and pecans, mixing until crumbly; sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
Serves 6.

OBAMA WINS

AIN'T IT GRAND !!!!!

Sarah Palin in one minute

click on title of post for Sarah Palin in one minute


(Tabor Requested this and I did it for her) :)

Two years in one minute

The endless Presidential campaign of 2008 is almost over.

Just in case you are already having withdrawal symptoms and want more, more, more

Click on the title of this post for recap.

Confession

Ok. I guess I need to come clean now.

I have been pretending to be a 78 year old female, blogging under the name "Chancy" on www.driftwoodinspiration.blogspot.com.
I am actually a female Irish Setter named Derry and I learned to type watching my owner and practicing while she slept. SHE is the 78 year old female human and I am the imposter. Her blog posts are so dull I decided to take over the blog and liven it up with humor and Irish stories about Leprechauns and the Blarney Stone and Irish Pubs.

Example


The Mouse on the Barroom Floor

"Some Guinness was spilled on the barroom floor
when the pub was shut for the night.
Out of his hole crept a wee brown mouse
and stood in the pale moonlight.
He lapped up the frothy brew from the floor,
then back on his haunches he sat.
And all night long you could hear him roar,
'Bring on the goddam cat!' "

Halloween

Many Halloween memories here in addition to the years spent trick or treating with our 3 now grown children in years gone by.

There were the Halloweens we lived in a suburb of Chattanooga on Signal Mountain, a bedroom community. Way on over the mountain there was a coal mining community called Edward's Point. The people there were mostly poor miners. The first year we ran out of "treats" for the children. The Edward's Point people were hauling truck loads of children in the beds of their pick up trucks to troll for treats. Mr C had to make a quick run to the store for more candy.

Growing up in Athens Ga. in the 1930's we had never heard of "Trick Or Treat" on Halloween. We just shivered outside in the dark while pretending to look for goblins.I do remember my older brothers playing tricks on some of the neighbors but no such thing as ringing a doorbell and asking for treats. :) I think the trick or treat Halloween tradition must have migrated south after the war years and during the '40's

We lived in Washington D.C. for 4 years at the Watergate Condos which was near the Georgetown area of the city. Halloween night we took a taxi drive through Georgetown to see the impromptu parade of adults dressed out in weird costumes.

Now in the townhouse community where we live, not many, if any, "goblins" come by.

Circle of life I guess.

Homeplace

REM
186

It's gone.
The house is gone.
He came and tore it down.
He built on the lot.
In fact he built on 2 lots.
180 and 186.
The red Georgia dirt is still there.
The same blue sky.
The same night time stars and moon.
I used to sit on the front steps
With my brown and white dog
I would gaze up
At the stars as they twinkled in the darkness.
Back then you could see the Big Dipper
and Little Dipper.
The Milky Way.
So clear it was.
No smog.
No haze.
Just clear, beautiful night sky.
We moved away.
I grew up.
Still in my mind's eye
I returned again
And again
To the old house
On the hill.
I was born in the front bedroom.
Skipped down the front steps
And walked to Chase Street School.
Climbed the flowering peach tree
In the back yard.
Gathered pecans
As my brothers climbed up
And shook the pecan tree's limbs.
Now he has come.
He brought his loud band
And microphone
And tailored suits
And money.
He built HIS house.
But underneath it all
I know. I can hear it.
My house still whispers
The same old sweet song at twilight.

Ron Howard on voting

Ron Howard (Opie on Andy Griffith wants you to vote Obama)

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d

click on title of this post for link

Go Obama

My absentee ballot finally came in the mail today after almost a month to the day. We sat down at the kitchen table and voted after supper tonight.

Whew!! That was some ordeal getting that ballot. I feel like Joan of Arc or Betsy Ross or someone special after going to so much trouble and overcoming all adversity and not giving up.

Tee Hee. ( Strains of "The Impossible Dream" playing in the background.)



"The Impossible Dream"

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

I am voting

I am voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

I am voting, that is, if I ever receive my absentee ballot.

We, my husband and I. mailed our request for absentee ballots on September 26. We mailed two applications, his and mine, in the same envelope to the Fulton County Georgia Voter Registration Division. About 10 days later my husband's ballot came in the mail. No ballot for me arrived.

I waited about a week and called and got someone at the registrars office who said,"Just because you mailed your absentee ballot requests in the same envelope that don't mean they get handled at the same time. We are workin til bout 9 or 10 o'clock at night trying to handle all of this stuff. We's so swamped"

She said wait about a week then call back and check again. I did and when I called back there was no answer and no answering machine taking messages. ( In the meanwhile I had arthroscopic knee surgery and did not feel up to taking on Fulton County again."

After the anaethesia and pain pills wore off I put on my thinking cap and decided to call the Georgia Secretary of State's office and tell them about my voting dilemma. The person who answered, after I was transfered to about 3 different extensions, put me on hold forever. She came back and said she also could not get an answer at the voter's office. She said she would send an email to them. Making an inquiry in my name. Someone should call me from that office by the end of the day.

No one called. Days passed and still no ballot

I called the Secretary of State's office again and the person who answered that time suggested I send in another request for absentee ballot. I did so. By fax and by mail.

Two days later, finally someone with good sense called, identifying herself, and saying she regreted the problem I was having and she would help solve the dilemma.She had been contacted by the Secretary Of State's office. She asked me to fax to her personal fax number my request for ballot and she would "walk it over" to the proper location in the same building. I did so. She called back and said she had received the fax and my ballot would be in the mail no later than tomorrow, Monday, October 20.

Cross your fingers and wish me luck.
(To be continues)

"What a country" :)

Terms of endearment-----NOT

Ronni Bennett on her blog,"Time Goes By" has an excellent post about the demeaning "terms of endearment" some people use when addressing elders.


I had a routine chest Xray last week as part of a pre op physical in preparation for arthroscopic surgery of my knee which has a meniscis tear.

The Xray tech, about 40 years old female, called me "young lady" twice. This irrates me. I know I am not young although I am SURE I am a LADY!!

I don't want to curse so I am trying to think of a way to correct someone when they use these demeaning names.

My husband said to tell her my name and say " I prefer you use my name instead of "young lady"

Any suggestions for a good retort?

Long ago and far away.

Mort of Octogenerian said this:

"The current financial crisis, generating fears that the U.S. faces a serious depression, has triggered my memories of the Great Depression of the 1930s."


This got me thinking about those times in the 1930's

I was born in December of 1929, the year the stock market crashed. We lived in a small college town in the south which did not seem to be greatly affected by the depression. I remember my Mother telling me about families who had to come begging for food and clothing. She always gave them something and my brothers gave them some good clothing of their own. My Father died in 1939 when I was 9 years, Our hard times began then since my Mother was left with no insurance and no income. When WW2 started and my 3 brothers went into the service we got small allotments from each of them. I never really felt poor because during the War since everyone had to do without. Even shoes were rationed so the fact that I had only one pair of shoes for three years in high school was no big deal.

We had to save up to buy any and everything before the advent of credit cards. At first there were store credit cards and then the advent of credit cards in the 1950's . My husband got his first American Express Card in 1958, the first year they were issued so he is a charter member.

There was layaway in the stores. You could pick out a dress, coat or anything and the store would "lay it away" or hold it until you paid the full purchase price. A few dollars a week.

I also never had a bicycle, just roller skates which I would use until the metal wheels were worn down to the bearings. Then my brothers would take the skate wheels and make a scooter with scrap wood.

We played "Kick The Can" in the street. Jump rope, HopScotch, flew homemade kites and made swings from old tires and ropes. Another favorite game was marbles played outside in the dirt.

An ice cream cone was a real treat. We never kept ice cream at home No freezer.For a long time just an ice box. So we walked to the drug store and bought a yummy cone. The same for candy bars.

I sat outside at night with my mixed breed dog and gazed up at the clear night sky. Filled with stars. No pollution. Not many cars.I chased after fireflies and put them in a jar with holes punched in the lid. Took them inside for a magic lantern in the house.

We walked most everywhere. Only once do I remember being driven to school. Walked downtown to the picture show. Walked to the city swimming pool in the summer. Walked to friends' houses.

Long ago and far away. Despite hardship, I had a happy childhood because I knew I was loved.

Many of you did not live through the 1930, but you all were once children. Want to share a memory?

What???

FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

" NEW YORK -- Sen. John McCain said he will "suspend" his presidential campaign on Thursday and will return to Washington to focus on the unfolding economic crisis. In the meantime, he called for a delay in the presidential debate scheduled for Friday night in Mississippi.

Sen. McCain also called on his Democratic rival Barack Obama to join him back in the capital.

"It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the administration's proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time," the Arizona senator said in statement issued by the campaign. "Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington."



McCain speaks on the financial crisis Friday at a hotel in New York.
He also called on the Commission on Presidential Debates to delay Friday's debate, the first of three scheduled, and he asked President Bush to convene a meeting with congressional leadership, including both himself and Sen. Obama.

"It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem," he said. "We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved."

The Arizona senator compared the situation to that facing the nation following the 2001 terrorist attacks, saying politics must be put aside for the moment.

"We must show that kind of patriotism now," he said. "Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country," he added.

The bold McCain statement comes as political figures in Washington had begun to assess the fallout of the bailout package on the presidential race. Both candidates have been put into difficult situations: to oppose the package could appear irresponsible in the face of financial turmoil, but support is dicey without a broad national consensus that has not yet materialized.

The Obama campaign had no immediate comment. Sen. Obama is currently in Florida preparing for the Friday debate, which is set to focus on foreign policy issues."
........
I do not agree with McCain and I hope Barack Obama goes ahead with the debate.
Perhaps with an "empty chair for McCain" ???

What's your opinion?

Twisted typoglycemia

I had to laugh when I read over this"email" to my daughter AFTER I had clicked send.

"HI
My emaul has been acting up but it seems OK now."

...





"EMAUL"
Sometimes when the computer frustration sets in it really feels like "EMAUL" lol

.
......
(From the Dictionary)


Entry Word: maul
Function: verb
Text:
1 to abuse physically — see manhandle 1
2 to strike repeatedly — see beat 1
.........

Don't you sometimes feel like you are being "MAULED" by YOUR computer?

Twisted English?

From a news item on today's Yahoo news.


"Explorer who first reached North Pole indisputably dies at 80"



(I think the word "indisputedly" is in the wrong place. He died "indisputedly" ? :)
Maybe they took his pulse?)

What do you think?

Memories

I was thinking recently about some of my memories of the war years during the early 1940's. Living in a small college town in Georgia we were in no real danger and never felt afraid. You have to know that back then we were not as mobile a society as we are now. If we traveled it was usually either in the car or on a bus. Airplane travel was not an ordinary occurrence as it is now. People on both the west and east coast of the US were more aware of the threats from the enemy. In small inland towns we felt safe.I was 12 years old when the war started and 16 when it finally ended.

My three brothers were drafted. One saw overseas duty in Northern Africa with Signal Corps and one served in England, the Netherlands and later Germany. The third had "tough" duty in the Navy in Hollywood, Florida and then he was sent to Seattle, Washington in preparation to being shipped overseas when the war ended. They all three came home safely.

On the home front we went about our lives in a normal fashion but always concerned about those close to us who were away in the service.


A brief rundown of war time memories:

"December 7, 1941.the day that will live in infamy"


Ration Books, air raid wardens, saving foil from gum, High School volunteers picking cotton, V.E. mail, gas rationing,and rationing of sugar, coffee, News reels at the picture shows, one pair of shoes, no silk stockings, painted stockings with seam drawn on back of legs. VE day, VJ day .Polio, March of Dimes, fear of polio infection from swimming pool and water fountains. There were segregated movies; blacks in balcony and separate entrance. We had blackout curtains, air raid sirens,neighborhood air raid warden, war bonds, . My brother mailed me a silk parachute from Germany,brightly painted wooden souvenir shoes from the Netherlands, English Lavender soap from London. FDR fireside chats, Churchill, December 7 1941. VE day FDR death, VJ day, DDay I wore bobby socks and saddle oxfords, the songs "Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs of Dover", "Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square."

What are some of your memories from this era?

Food for thought

I don't remember where I first read this but it is worth repeating




I DON'T KNOW WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THE FOLLOWING IDEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS, SO I CANNOT CREDIT HIM (OR HER). BUT THE SENTIMENTS ARE ESSENTIALLY MY OWN.


To be a Republican reactionary, you have to believe that...

1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

2. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him; a bad guy when Bush's Daddy made war on him; a good guy when Cheney's Halliburton did business with him; and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find a Bin Laden" diversion.

3. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

4. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational drug corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

7. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. Moreover, HMO's and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

10. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

.

From Obama and McCain Senate Web Sites

A bit more info about the Medicare part D Prescription Drug Plan

OBAMA:

"The U.S. is the largest market for pharmaceuticals in the world, yet our seniors pay the highest prices for brand pharmaceuticals. The Medicare Part D Program was supposed to address this problem but instead created a “doughnut hole” which limits drug benefits for seniors with more than $2,250 in annual costs. (Senator Obama was not in the Senate in 2003 when Congress passed the Part D program but would have opposed it.) For many seniors, this is a particularly devastating example of "bait and switch." A truly meaningful prescription drug program should provide a benefit that seniors can understand and count on, and reduce the cost of these drugs. To help lower the cost of prescription drugs, Senator Obama has supported efforts to allow American seniors to purchase prescription drugs in Canada and bring them back to the U.S. He also has supported giving Medicare the ability to negotiate lower drug prices."


MCCAIN in Senate: 2003 ABOUT PROPOSED PRESCRIPTION DRUG BILL: MEDICARE PART D

"The American people should be aware that this new benefit has substantial cost to seniors, and to current and future generations of taxpayers, who will bear the majority of a crushing financial burden. There will be unintended consequences of our actions, Mr. President. We can be sure of that. Moreover, we should be honest about the cost of this measure - $400 billion is merely a down payment for what we are creating. Given the fiscal realities we face, realities that will become more dire with every passing year, Congress and the Administration should have committed to addressing the acute need for a drug benefit to alleviate the impossible choices confronting lower income seniors. And, most importantly, begun to seek consensus among responsible members of both parties for the reforms we all know are necessary to save Medicare."

AND FROM THE AARP WEB SITE:

"What we often hear from clients these days is that they are having to pick and choose what they can pay for,"

"Those who take medicines that are not fully covered by Medicare or private insurance "are asking themselves whether their medications are more important than their other everyday expenses. It's a tough call for them, but they are having to make those choices."








------

Obama vs McCain

Ronni Bennett of Timegoesby.com suggested today that we concentrate on one issue of the upcoming presidential election and post about it on our blogs. I chose healthcare. One aspect in particular of healthcare needs careful attention by our next president and the next congress.

The Medicare prescription drug plan needs overhauling. The donut hole is reached too soon and is too costly for many elders who must take multiple prescription drugs.

Congress caved in to the big drug and insurance companies when the Prescription Drug Plan was created. Barack Obama has good information on his web site on plans to remedy this error. John McCain gives only a passing nod to the subject.


Barack Obama:

"Lower prescription drug costs. The second-fastest growing type of health expenses is prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical companies are selling the exact same drugs in Europe and Canada but charging Americans more than double the price. Obama will allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S. Obama will also repeal the ban that prevents the government from negotiating with drug companies, which could result in savings as high as $30 billion. Finally, Obama will work to increase the use of generic drugs in Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHBP and prohibit big name drug companies from keeping generics out of markets."


John McCain

"CHEAPER DRUGS: Lowering Drug Prices. John McCain will look to bring greater competition to our drug markets through safe re-importation of drugs and faster introduction of generic drugs."

Cat Dog

The adventures of Bella and Lila

Or how to coexist with a grand cat and a grand dog for 10 days.
Bella is a small off white and grey Havanese dog and Lila the cat is of unknown pedigree. Grey and black with stripes.

My daughter and her family are out of town on vacation. My hubby and I are keeping her dog and cat, cat sitting and dog sitting.

The first day went along ok. We made a cat motel in our unfinished basement storage room complete with her litter box from home, her "tent" her food and water bowls, a small rectangular basket for claw sharpening, food and water bowls, cat food and hair ball pills and some cat toys.

The dog already has a crate bed and doggie toys here at our house so all she brought was her doggie bowls,leashes, dry food, and a small package of treats.

I had already cat proofed my house. Anything Lila could reach by jumping up that was fragile went into hiding. The dog,Bella, is easier to control so no prep was needed for her.

These two are used to each other and enjoy playing together a few times a day. But Bella is the most playful of the two and has a routine during which she brings one of her stuffed toys and stares at me until I throw it down the hall so she can "fetch." The cat carefully watched this game and thought it looked like fun. After about about 10 minutes the cat ran down the hall with Bella and tried to beat her to to the stuffed hedgehog toy. But Bella was the winner and retrieved it..

I cut a piece of white nylon rope about 42 inches and dangled it in front of the cat and she immediately started the "catch and bat the string " game that all cats seem to relish playing. Cats are a "cheap date" and will play with anything that excites them. Even a piece of rope. The dog, on the other hand likes stuffed toys that she can fetch when I throw them for her. I paid $8.95 for the stuffed hedgehog dog toy.

The first night we got ready for bed and started searching for the cat. We looked high and low. Bella helped by running around ahead of us and peering under chairs and sofas.We finally found the cat under the bed in the master bedroom. Calling "here kitty, kitty, did no good. She would not budge from under the bed. Hubby got down on his hands and knees and even took a broom to try and poke her out. Nothing worked. After about 30 minutes we were getting hot and frustrated and ready to give up when I thought "Ah Ha" I bet she is afraid of the vacuum cleaner and the loud noise it makes.
I plugged the vacuum in and positioned it as close to the bed as possible and Lila shot out from under the bed like a bat out of hell.

I had put most everything up that I thought the cat might jump up on. I left out one extra large, heavy antique bowl on the dining room side board. Guess where I found the cat? In the bowl on the sideboard with her head resting on the rim with a look of contentment on her face that suggested she was thinking "Aren't I clever and oh so cute" We turned the bowl upside down after dislodging the cat.

Bella, the dog, seems to feel responsible for Lila the cat and follows her around and reports back to me if Lila misbehaves. Bella comes to me and quietly stares and stares at me until I say" Ok What is it?" and follow her to see Lila up to some mischief. Nothing major but something Bella doesn't think is proper.

In the unfinished storage room where Lila sleeps the wall had a gap of about 10 inches all around at the ceiling which I had not noticed before.
Hubby went in to check on Lila and at first he didn't see her. Then he looked up and there, about 12 feet up on the attic side of the room sat Lila looking out at him her greenish eyes shining. She had jumped up on a shelf and then evidently took a flying leap so she could explore. He got on a step stool and pulled her out and down. We removed the shelves to thwart any future attempts by the cat playing "the flying Wallendas" of Ringling Circus Brothers fame". (The act performed without a net and the crowd gave them a standing ovation.)
We gave Lila a good dressing down.


GROSS ALERT!!!
now here comes the gross part.

Stop reading if you are squeamish.

Bella, the dog is a very finicky eater. She will totally ignore her dry food but she ADORES the cat's dry food if she can get to it. I put the cat's food up out of reach of Bella. I was in the storage room preparing to clean out the litter box when I noticed Bella chomping on something. I thought,"Oh no. I bet Bella got some of the food that the cat had dropped on the floor. Upon closer examination I discovered that the dog was


EATING CAT POOP
from inside the litter box.
BELLA. STOP IT. YOU POTTY MOUTH!!!
GROSS

I moved the litter box up onto a shelf out of the dogs reach.

(to be continued if I live until Friday when the family returns) :)

PS: We are actually enjoying the "little darlings." they are good cheap entertainment.

Something about me

I have always been an avid reader. I read two newspapers a day, sometimes three if I get around to the Wall Street Journal. After so many years my partiality to the print editions seems to be an ingrained preference

I read several news/politics blogs online, Daily Kos being one of them. Of course I read many Elder Blogs on line also.

I have at least one novel going at a time. I just finished "The House At Riverton" by Kate Morton.

From Barnes and Noble: A Synopsis:

"In 1999, when Grace is ninety-eight years old and living out her last days in a nursing home, she is visited by a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. She takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories. Told in flashback, this is the story of Grace's youth during the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege shattered by war, of the vibrant twenties, and the changes she witnessed as an entire way of life vanished forever."

Libraries are my passion. Just being surrounded by all those books; browsing and accidently happening upon just the right book, is a treat. Also our neighborhood branch library has a monthly book sale. People donate books and on Saturday's the sale features a $6 bag books. All the books you can stuff in a plastic grocery bag for $6. Usually I end up with about 10 books to bring home and read. When I am finished I re-donate so the books can be sold again.

I have written stories and poems as far back as I can remember. In college I was a Journalism/English major. Words have always been my friend and numbers and math my antagonist. I don't even attempt to balance my checkbook so it is fortunate I am married to a CPA who is good with numbers.

It seems natural that I find deep relaxation in writing, reading and blogging. My writing does not flow as freely as it did when I was younger but I keep at it with the realization, at age 78, I am not aiming for perfection.

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

When I am old

Jenny Joseph's 'Famous Poem'

"When I am Old
I will wear Purple!

When I am an old woman,
I shall wear purple - -
With a red hat which doesn't go,
and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension
on brandy and summer gloves and satin sandles,
And say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
and gobble up samples in shops
and press alarm bells
and run with my stick along public railings,
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick flowers in other people's gardens
and learn to spit!
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
and eat three pounds of sausages at ago,
or only bread and pickles for a week,
and hoard pens and pencils
and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry,
and pay our rent
and not swear in the street,
and set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner
and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me
are not too shocked and surprised
when suddenly I am old,
And start to wear purple!"


--Jenny Joseph

I need to start practicing this attitude now; for I am already "old" :)

My Friend

My friend died Thursday afternoon.
Not in a sterile, beige hospital room
Surrounded with monitors and smells of disinfectant.
She died in her own bed
In her own room.
A room painted the warmest shade of coral
Which welcomed in the sunshine of a summer afternoon,
Surrounded by her bookcases filled with favorites.
"What are you reading"
She would often ask when we met.
"You really must read "Lamb In His Bosom" by Caroline Miller.
A true Southern classic"
She had told me.
And I did.
And now tomorrow her family will carry her urn of ashes
Up to the beloved, small mountain house by the lake.
She will finally be free
From the oxygen tubes,medicines,
And wheelchair.
She will glide gently across the still water
As her loved ones whisper,
Goodbye.

Pets

"A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to "Where do pets come from?"

Adam said, "Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked with me every day. Now I do not see you anymore. I am lonesome here and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me." And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me.

Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself." And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal." And God said, "No problem! Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him and loved him. And Adam was comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that Adam's guardian angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam has become filled with pride. He struts and preens like a peacock and he believes he is worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught him that he is loved, but perhaps too well." And the Lord said, "No problem! I will create for him a companion who will be with him forever and who will see him as he is. The companion will remind him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not always worthy of adoration."

And God created Cat to be a companion to Adam. And Cat would not obey Adam. And when Adam gazed into Cat's eyes, he was reminded that he was not the supreme being. And Adam learned humility.

And God was pleased.

And Adam was greatly improved.

And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn't give a hoot one way or the other."

(author unknown)

Food for thought

And God Created ...

A newly discovered
chapter in the Book of Genesis has
provided the
answer to, "Where do pets come from?"

Adam
said, "Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked
with
me everyday. Now I don't see you anymore. I'm
lonesome here
and it's difficult for me to remember
how much you love me."

And God said, "No
problem! I will create a companion for you
that will
be with you forever and who will be a reflection
of
my love for you, so that you will love me even
when you
cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish
or childish or
unlovable you may be, this new
companion will accept you as
you are and will love you
as I do, in spite of yourself."

And God
created a new animal to be a companion for Adam. And

it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the
new animal
was pleased to be with Adam and he
wagged his tail. And Adam
said, "Lord, I have
already named all the animals in the
Kingdom and I
cannot think of a name for this new animal."


And God said, "No problem, because I have created
this new
animal to be a reflection of my love for
you. His name will
be a reflection of my own name,
and you will call him
'Dog.'"

And Dog
lived with Adam and was a companion to him and
loved
him.

And Adam was comforted.


And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and
wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass
that Adam's guardian angel
came to the Lord and
said, "Lord, Adam has become filled with
pride. He
struts and preens like a peacock and he believes he

is worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught him
that he is
loved, but perhaps too well."


And the Lord said, "No problem! I will create for him
a
companion who will be with him forever and who
will see him
as he is. The companion will remind
him of his limitations,
so he will know that he
is not always worthy of adoration."

And God
created CAT to be a companion to Adam. And Cat would

not obey Adam.

And when Adam gazed into
Cat's eyes, he was reminded that he
was not the
Supreme Being. And Adam learned humility.

And
God was pleased.

And Adam was pleased.


And the Dog was pleased.

And the Cat
didn't care one way or the other.

New Wonder Drug?

Did you read this article over the holiday about the health benefits of watermelon?






By BETSY BLANEY

"Associated Press Writer

LUBBOCK, Texas — A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra — but don't necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks going all night long.

Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation's top producers of the seedless variety.


Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems.

The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the yellow-fleshed types, said Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher in Lane, Okla.

She said Patil's research is valid, but with a caveat: One would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body's arginine level.

"The problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more," Perkins-Veazie said."
----------------------


This reminds me of the old Tom T. Hall song,

Old Dogs and children, and watermelon wine

"Ain't but three Things in this World
That's worth a solitary Dime,
But old Dogs and Children
And Watermelon Wine."

Blog Anniversary.

I just realized that this is the 3 year anniversary of my blog "Driftwood Inspiration." I enjoy blogging here but I think I enjoy even more reading other blogs and commenting on them.

So many interesting posts and differing points of view on a myriad of subjects. And a varied group of people. I find myself drawn to about a dozen blogs which I read several times a week and I try to comment when I have something interesting to add to the discussion.

Most of the blogs I visit I found from links on "Times Goes By" Ronni Bennett's blog. Isn't she a treasure?

So here's to all my many blogger friends. Thanks for stopping by and commenting now and then.

Have a great week and a wonderful tomorrow.

As Time Goes By--the original.

"Casablanca" is one movie that never grows old and rusty or dated. I first saw it as a 14 year old at the Palace Theater in Athens,Georgia and now whenever "Casablanca" is shown on Turner Classic Movies I settle down for a good time with a tear or two as Rick and Ilsa say farewell on that long ago foggy night

This article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution caught my eye and Jay Bookman captures the continuing appeal that "Casablanca" has for some of us.

Do you remember "Casablanca?"

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


Bookman: As time goes by, one movie's magic continues
By JAY BOOKMAN
Cox News Service

Thursday, June 19, 2008

"ATLANTA — We got there early, or so I thought. But no.

Some 4,000 people had gotten there ahead of us, forcing us to take seats in the far upper reaches of the cavernous, historic Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta. We had all been drawn out of our air-conditioned homes on a warm summer evening, pulled away from our TVs and computers and video games, by the chance to watch a black-and-white movie churned out by the studio system more than 60 years ago, long before most of us in the audience had been born.

We came to watch Humphrey Bogart lament that "of all the gin joints in all the world, she walks into mine."

We came to giggle at Claude Rains claiming to be"shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here."

And we came to hear Bogie tell Ingrid Bergman one more time that "it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."

The enduring appeal of "Casablanca" would probably startle those who made the movie, because it's such a product of a unique moment in our history. While actors were saying those now-famous lines on a Hollywood soundstage, hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers were being shipped overseas in the opening months of World War II. It wasn't melodrama to say that the fate of the world hung in the balance, giving the screenplay a power that is sometimes lost on modern audiences. Early in the movie, for example, Rick pinpoints the exact moment in time in which the events take place.

"Sam, if it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York?"

"Uh, my watch stopped," Sam replies.

"I'll bet they're sleeping in New York. I bet they're sleeping all over America."

The original audience knew quite well what Rick did not, that on Dec. 7, 1941, a wakeup call was coming in the form of Pearl Harbor.

"Casablanca" is many things — a date movie, a chick flick, a war movie, a spy thriller. But it is also a profoundly political movie about the importance of surrendering individual desires for the greater common good, particularly when great things are at stake. We can't all be Victor Laszlo, the charismatic, virtuous hero, but as Rick finally learns, each of us must sacrifice to do our part. That too had a particular resonance for a WWII audience.

So why does the movie still fascinate us even now, in a very different time and place? The movie supplies its own answer: Because it's still the same old story, the fight for love and glory. The fundamental things still apply.

There is also an undeniable magic to the familiar, like the old family stories that get retold every year at the holidays even though everybody already knows every line and detail. When Rick and Ilsa are first reunited, you anticipate the bitter sting of that line you know is coming: "I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue." And when it comes, it never disappoints.

At the end, after Rick walked off into the fog with Louie proclaiming "the beginning of a beautiful friendship," the audience cheered and applauded. But later, as we made our way to the car, the youngest family member remarked that she hadn't realized how silly the movie was.

Silly? One of the greatest movies of all time, silly?

Yes, she said. Silly because at the end, they made Ilsa out to be so stupid and helpless.

Oh, that. Yes, there is that.

"I ran away from you once," Ilsa says, her head lolling on Rick's shoulder. "I can't do it again. Oh, I don't know what's right anymore. You'll have to think for both of us, for all of us."

Those are not the words of the noble, strong Ilsa we've come to know. They are the words of a screenwriter trying to wrap things up. If you look too closely, the plot creaks and groans in a lot of places, particularly in its reliance on magical "letters of transit" allowing anyone to flee the purgatory of Casablanca.

However, you learn to overlook the imperfections of old friends as you get older — you know, as time goes by."



Jay Bookman writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

High tech

We HAD to get new cell phones because my hubby lost his and we are on the same account. It was about time as ours were about 5 years old and many advances in hi tech have been made. Hubby went to the AT&T store and got 2 of the new model Nokias. He even got one with a camera phone; not that we really need that feature but most of the new ones come with camera feature.

I am the techie (lol) in our family and when he came in and we opened the boxes and got out the instructions I felt overwhelmed with all the jargon and stuff but I was giving it a game try when our 11 year old grandson came by. Hooray! He can do it with ease. (I went upstairs to take a Zanax); the techie stress of a short time of reading the instructions before he got here was grating on my nerves.

Well, in no time at all he had the cell all set up with speed dial, and all the other features, including a neat analog clock on the face of the phone.Thank heavens for our own little "Geek Squad"

This morning I was fooling around with the cell phone and becoming acquainted with it when I noticed the time on the analog clock was not right. I checked the instructions and could find no way to reset the clock.

Hubby and I went out to supper and I brought my cell phone along to show him some of the features and to show off how much I had learned during the day today

I handed the phone to him and said ""See the time is not right on this analog clock and I don't know how to reset it.I am sure when S comes back over he can fix it. I told him about the problem today"

Hubby handed the phone back to me and said. "You are looking at the clock upside down"

So much for my tech expertise.:o)

Memories of food

Memories of Food

No. Not foods that improve your memory, but the food you most fondly remember from the past.

When my husband was still working with his former company we traveled a great deal, Many cities in the US, Europe, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and points north, south east and west.

We dined in many fine restaurants during our travels. Some of the best in the world.

But when I get nostalgic about food and crave something from the past it is not a dish like pressed duck from Tour d'Argent in Paris, or Caviar and Vodka from the restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong.

.

Fancy restaurants of France , DC , NYC, ...No ...I want a pipping hot dish of chicken and dumplings made by my mother in law when she was still alive. Banana pudding and sweet potato pie by my Mother. Country vegetables. Pear preserves. Corn sticks. Frances and Virginia Tearoom hot turkey and egg bread

And one of my favorite restaurant memories is of the Frances and Virginia Tearoom in downtown Atlanta during a simplier time in a slower paced city.

"The Frances Virginia Tea Room became a landmark in early Atlanta, and by 1943 they were serving more than 2,000 meals. Diners celebrated the opening of "Gone with the Wind," mourned the death of President Roosevelt, and they watched the Fourth of July Parades from the Peachtree windows. In 1962 the owners toasted their retirement and closed the restaurant's doors. Millie Coleman took her memories and love for the restaurant and created this wonderful cookbook. Her Aunt Agnes, the dietician/home economist who planned the meals for the elegant Atlanta tea room, dusted her old recipe files off and painstakingly converted them to family sizes. While the focus is on the recipes, each chapter begins with a page of history or nostalgic memories.
This excerpt perhaps best describes the elegance of the tea room and the times:
"There were no written rules of behaviour, just years of admonitions from mothers and grandmothers. And for some reason, when you walked into the dining room, you immediately took pleasure in sitting properly, crossing your legs at the ankles, keeping one hand correctly in your lap"

I have the "Frances and Virginia Tearoom Cookbook" which is still in print but I could never duplicate the "yumminess" of the original dishes. Target has the cookbook if you want to check out the Target website and read about it.


What are some of your fondest memories of food?

Favorite products..what are yours?

What beauty or cleansing product can you not do without?

I adore Cetaphil Cleansing Gentle makeup remover or facial cleanser. It is great even for eye makeup and the few times I wear mascara.


Blistex lip balm (the one in the round pink tin) and Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream. Yummy for that ultra dry feeling. My nails are dry and brittle and this seems to help some. And the Burt's Bees Cream has a fresh lemon smell.


Premarin Vaginal Cream.---- (don't laugh)YEP!!! I use it on my face and have done so for at least 30 years. recommended by my former dermatologist as a night cream I do believe this has kept my 78 year old skin more wrinkle free than if I had done without it.And it feels good.

(Info from Drugstore.com)


"CETAPHIL® cleanser was formulated for dermatologists as a gentle, non-irritating cleanser for even the most sensitive skin. Unlike soap, CETAPHIL is completely non-alkaline, non-comedogenic, and fragrance free. Soothes and softens as it cleanses, helping the skin retain needed moisture. Use for face, hands, and the entire body." .


"Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream

This seasonal favorite from Burt's offers up a soothing blend of natural ingredients, including nourishing Vitamin E, for the intensive care of dry cuticles, brittle nails, and chapped, cracked fingertips"



"Blistex DCT (Daily Conditioning Treatment for Lips) combines moisturizers, vitamins and protectants to provide a daily maintenance regimen for your lips.

DCT keeps your lips in perfect conditions every day of the year, in all climates, through all activities.

Smooth & Supple Lips: DCT nurtures your lips with two proven moisturizers, Aloe Vera and Cocoa Butter, plus Vitamins A&E. DCT softens and smoothes the surface of lips to help them look and feel young. DCT helps to prevent and replenish moisture-starved cells that can occur from daily exposure to dry air and other environmental conditions."

Blog blackmail

Beards---- Oh MY

This is from "Word A Day" email for today. I hope you find it interesting. Check out the crazy beards on the link by clicking on the title of this post.





"Over the years we have featured weeks of words about words, we have had
words about birds, and now it's time for, well, words about beards.

Are bearded people irritating? While some find a beard on a man attractive,
it repels others. Like barbed wire, literally speaking. The words barb,
barber, rebarbative, and beard are derived from the same root: Latin barba
(beard). And though many bards have beards, there is no connection between
the two words.

Though most men have only a fleeting interest in pogonotrophy (growing of a
beard, from Greek pogon, beard + -trophy, nourishment or growth), growing
it now, shaving it when the fancy strikes, for some, beards are a serious
business. There's even a biannual championship event for the bearded:
http://worldbeardchampionships.com/

This week we'll see five words having to do with facial hair. They are pure
beard words as the week starts out, and like beards growing slender at the
bottom, as the week ends the connection becomes slender too.


sideburns (SYDE-burnz) plural noun

Hair grown on the sides of a man's face, when worn with an unbearded chin.

[After Ambrose Everett Burnside (1824-1881), who served as a general in the
Union Army in the American Civil War, and who earned more recognition for his
side whiskers than for his military career. Eventually the term burnsides
morphed into sideburns as such a facial pattern was on the sides of a face.]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=sideburns

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"Queensland paramedics claim they have been threatened with the sack
unless they shave off their beards, moustaches and sideburns."
Darrell Giles; Paramedics' Facial Hair
Threat; The Sunday Mail



If you want to subscribe (free) to Word a Day) here is the address

http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscriber.html


Be sure you click on the beards link:)

What American accent do you have?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South   That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.
Philadelphia
The Midland
The Northeast
The Inland North
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

They pegged me right, however there are quite a few different Southern accents. Tennessee is different from Alabama and even Georgia where I live has several different regional accents.

Obama

Today it looks as if Barack Obama, is almost all set for the Democratic nomination. I had hoped to see a woman elected President of the United States in my lifetime but I guess it was not to be. Even though I was pulling for Hillary, I will vote for Obama in the general election instead.

I have read both of Obama's books and am now reading " Obama-From Promise To Power" by David Mendell,a reporter with the Chicago Tribune who covered Obama extensively during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. "From Promise To Power" reads like a novel. This extremely well written and interesting book fleshes out the candidate and is a fine companion to Obama's personal memoirs, "Dreams of My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope"

And from Amazon:

"Mendell tracks Obama's rise through the frustrations of community organizing and the rough-and-tumble world of Chicago politics to the rarefied, if no less brutal, world of the U.S. Senate. Mendell draws on interviews with Obama, his wife, family, friends, aides, and rivals, as well as his own extensive coverage since Obama's days in the Illinois Senate, to offer a nuanced, compelling look at a man of idealism and ambition intent on making history."

What kind of shoe am I?

You Are Bare Feet

You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Getting old is not for sissies.

It is my fault that I had not seen my old friend for a number of years. I had talked to her on the phone and knew she was not well but that was as far as I went; until today. I bought her a pretty little potted rose at the grocery store and just dropped by her house.
She has full time, round the clock care and she is bed ridden. I knew that she was bed ridden and on oxygen but I was not prepared for the sight of her in a wheel chair with the oxygen tube in her nose. Her hands and legs shook. Her face and body was swollen. But her mind is sharp.
We talked about old times. About grand children. About books, but most importantly, after she asked if I had gone, we talked about the funeral I had attended yesterday. Her ex husband had died after a long, lingering illness. He had remarried a much younger woman about 20 years ago but still, he was the father of their grown children and the grandfather of their 12 grandchildren. No matter how long they had been divorced I knew this was a difficult time for my friend but she was holding up valiently.She asked me about details of the funeral service and if the crowd was large. I filled in the blanks and told her how wonderfully their grown children had paid tribute to their father.

I know it is not customary, but it did seem so awkward and sad to me that nowhere in the funeral program or on his bio or obituary was there any mention of my friend, his first wife and the mother of their 4 adult children.Of course I did not mention this to my friend but I am sure she was aware that her contributions to his life and success were completely ignored. Almost as if she had never existed.

I am glad I went to visit with my dear old friend who is 2 years younger than I am.

I left thinking, "There but for the grace of God go I"

This short quiz pegged me 100%--Try it yourself

You Belong in the Silent Generation

You fit in best with people born between 1925 and 1942. You are a person of high values and character. Family, your country, loyalty, and hard work all important to you. You are willing to do what's right, even when it's difficult.

What Generation Do You Belong In?

Idol mistake

Do any of you watch "American Idol" Despite it's occasional cheesiness my husband and I look forward to the show each week.

On Thursday we were ready to throw an old shoe at the show when they eliminated the singer Michael Johns. He is the nice looking guy with a fine voice and stage presence. He is originally from Australia but now lives in the US. For a time, according to his bio Johns lived and worked for a time in Atlanta(Buckhead). Buckhead is a suburb which is not far from downtown.

I was so shocked when Ryan Seacrest announced on Thursday that Johns was cut from the show after having received the lowest number of votes. The two women who were also in the bottom three but were not cut are not nearly as talented as Johns.

Sometimes I wonder if the show is fixed when a clear "mistake" like this happens.

Oh well, life goes on.

Happy Birthday to my favorite "Elder Blogger" Ronni Bennett of "Time Goes By"

Happy Birthday to my favorite "Elder Blogger" Ronni Bennett of "Time Goes By"

A few years ago I went to Google and typed in "old age." I thought I would find some useful information about the aging process.

Since I was already an elder I needed all the help, inspiriaton and encouragement I could get.

One of the first sites that came up was TGB.

I wandered over and became acquainted with Ronni Bennett and her refreshingly honest outlook on growing old.

What a serendipitious discovery that was.

I read Time Goes By the first thing when I turn on my computer each day.

I am never disappointed. I am always challenged to think for myself.

I grow a little bit stronger in mind and spirit each day because of "Time Goes By."

Thank You Ronni

And again

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Janet
aka chancy

Customer service?

When I read the following on the "Reader's Digest" web site I got a chuckle since it was so true of all the automated customer care non service we usually experience when calling many companies, and in my case especially our cable company, Comcast. .

This is an excerpt from a RD column by Mary Roach.

Enjoy





"Please wait, a customer-care representative will be with you shortly, or be short with you, or something. Currently all of our representatives are busy helping dilute our profits. Calls will be answered in the order in which we feel like.

Your expected wait time is 42 minutes. Your expected blood pressure is 210/130. You may hear clicks followed by silence. You may hear "Whole Lotta Love" done entirely in strings.

You may hear yourself say regrettable things, which may be monitored and/or recorded. For example, our records show that you used the phrase "gabbling nitwit" during your last call to customer care. This has been noted in your record and will be reflected in the quality of service you receive and the tone of voice of the customer-care representative, should you somehow manage to reach one.

I'm sorry, 0 is not a valid prompt, even if pushed furiously 11 times in rapid succession.

To use our express automated-speech response system, press 1. To hear our website address, press 2. To speak to someone about your anger-management problem, press 3.

3 is not a valid prompt. Thank you for calling. "

One of our own is ill

I have enjoyed a blog "Maya's Granny" which I discovered via Ronni Bennett's "Time Goes By" Granny lives in Alaska and Maya is her grand daughter who lives in California. Granny writes beautifully about interesting events from the past and present time also.

About a month ago Granny had serious health problems and was hospitalized and later had open heart surgery. Her daughter, Julie, came from California to be with her. The surgery went well but Granny is undergoing a long recuperative period now in an Extended Care Facility..

She has access to a computer for a short time each day. I know she would appreciate any words of encouragement from the blogesphere.

Since I do not know how to include a link to "Maya's Granny" in the body of my post; check out the link by clicking on the title of this post

GET WELL SOON GRANNY

What I am reading "The Funny Boys"

I love finding a new book unexpectantly at the library. One I have never heard about. A new (to me) author also. That is what happened on Thursday at my nearby branch library. I browsed the new books on a "special shelf" and came across a book. "The Funny Boys" by Warren Adler. Just by looking at the cover I could tell it was about two bit gangsters, flappers, and an entertainer. The simple black and white silhouettes on the grey and white background cover piqued my interest. I sat down and,as is my custom, read the summary and first few pages and found the book was about the 1930's era in a Catskill Mountain Hotel Casino where New York gangsters and their families spent time in the summers.

After reading the first chapter I decided that I would check it out. A good choice as I was highly entertained and finished "The Funny Boys" in two days.An enjoyable read. Not "War And Peace". Just good escapist reading. Some violence but a lot of humor.

I later found out that the author,Larry Adler,who is also a screen writer,has published several other novels, including one which was made into a movie, "The War Of The Roses" starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.


FROM AMAZON

"Mickey Fine---with a promising future in comedy. Attracted to the applause of the crowd at a lavish hotel casino in the Catskills, he gets a job as a tumler--part entertainer, part host, all funny boy. But he is naïve to the more sinister side of his audience. They are mobsters and power players of New York's scandalous underbelly--men with whom Mickey had run-ins during his childhood.

When Mutzie Feder, a Jean Harlow-esque gangster girlfriend, gets into the act with dreams of escaping her brutal reality, sparks fly between her and Mickey. But as their circumstances start to catch up with them--and the body count starts mounting from the rough crowd they're running with--Mickey and Mutzie start angling for a way out. That, of course, isn't as easy as it sounds.

With film rights already optioned to a major producer, Funny Boys is a timeless love story and a sweeping American tale told as only Warren Adler could tell it. Smart, wry, and beautifully written, it's as unforgettable and authentic as anything Damon Runyon or Ring Lardner ever wrote, from a writer with a keen eye, an acute ear, and a very big heart."

The Atlanta tornado missed us

Last Friday night my husband and college age grandson and I were watching the NCAA championship basketball game between Alabama and Mississippi State. Our grandson had stopped for the night on his way home from the University of Alabama to South Carolina for spring break.

It was an exciting, close game and the two guys were glued to the TV hoping for an Alabama win. Suddenly everyone in the stadium of over 20,000 people started looking up toward the ceiling of the dome as the roof started swaying and pieces of the roof tore off. There was a loud noise that was later described as sounding like a freight train. Those seated highest up in the "nose bleed" section started making their way down to safety. The sports announcers and several cameramen were visibly shaken as they recounted what had happened. And one of the cameramen who was perched in a swaying basket like filming structure near the roof said he rushed down a ladder to safety as fast as possible.

No one knew exactly what had happened. The game was delayed for over an hour as the officials accessed the situation. Tornado or high winds they decided.

As it turned out it was indeed a tornado that had struck downtown Atlanta, the CNN Center, Georgia World Congress Center, skimming directly over the Georgia Dome with all those fans inside. What a close call for them. The sports announders said that the security and officials in the Georgia Dome did a great job of maintaining calm; thus avoiding a stampede for the exits.

We live within 5 miles of the area where the tornado hit but we were not directly affected. We did have high winds, heavy rain and lightening and thunder Our weather radio alarm kept going off with tornado warnings but thankfully our area was sparred the direct impact.

"ATLANTA (AP) - Alabama and Mississippi State were locked in a thrilling game at the Southeastern Conference tournament. Suddenly, everyone started looking toward the roof of the Georgia Dome, wondering where that rumbling sound was coming from.

What they saw was terrifying.

Metal scaffolding and a temporary video board swaying back and forth. The huge fabric roof flapping like a flag in a stiff breeze. Two large panels above the upper deck starting to peel away. Small chunks of insulation and debris drifting toward the court."

No Country For Old Men-(-and old women)

We went to the movies on Friday. This was our first one in about a year and we chose the Academy Award Winner, "No Country For Old Men."
We had talked about going earlier since Sam had read the book by Cormac McCarthy and liked it but we delayed and then the film was gone from our neighborhood theater. Lo and behold after the Academy Awards, NCFOM came back so we went.

I cannot say I "enjoyed "No Country." But it was a movie I will never forget as many ot the Coen brothers films like "Fargo" tend to be. Their films have a way of sticking in my mind and they make me think. This one was extremely violent but I soon got used to that aspect of NC and relaxed into the story of a drug sale gone bad in the deserted Texas countryside.

From IMDB:

"Moss decides to simply take the two million dollars present for himself. This puts the psychopathic killer, Anton Chigurh, on his trail as he dispassionately murders nearly every rival, bystander and even employer in his pursuit of his quarry and the money. As Moss desperately attempts to keep one step ahead, the blood from this hunt begins to flow behind him with relentlessly growing intensity as Chigurh closes in. Meanwhile, the laconic Sherrif Ed Tom Bell blithely oversees the investigation even as he struggles to face the sheer enormity of the crimes he is attempting to thwart"


I was still trying to figure out the ending of this movie after I got home so I finally went to IMDB and read a plot synopsis and then I sorta understood.


I think .:)

.

The "Beagle" has landed

Did you happen to watch the Westminister Dog Show last week? The Beagle won. The first time in the over 100 year history of the dog show that a beagle has won Best In Show.

Uno is his name and he was regal and spirited and quite a ham. When the judge called Uno out to the center and presented the trophy to his handler the crowd went wild and roared. With that, Uno could no longer retain his show ring composure. He stood on his hind legs, leaned against his handler and barked; then threw his head back and howled.

Bless his heart.

And don't you know Charles Schultz and Snoopy were looking down from heaven grinning from ear to ear.

24/7 news

and a quote about how discomfited we can become with too much exposure to a daily diet of bad news.

"When I was a child people simply looked about them and were moderately happy; today they peer beyond the seven seas, bury themselves waist deep in tidings, and by and large what they see and hear makes them unutterably sad."

~ E. B. White

Conversation.

I happened upon this quote by the Dalai Lama:

"Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, his/her conversational skills will be as important as any other."

Sam and I have been married for 56 years and we still love to talk to each other. From the very beginning we have been able to enjoy each other's company and good conversation.


I always think it is so sad to see an older couple having dinner out and sitting in complete silence during the entire meal with nothing left to talk about.

We are blessed.

The big snow of '08

Atlanta got a bare sprinkling of snow today. It was just enough to excite the little ones who are snow starved here in the deep south. It was pretty for about an hour and looked like someone had lightly sprinkled powered sugar around on the shrubs and grass.

When we turned on the national news tonight at 6:30 we were startled to discover our local station had preempted Brian Williams NBC national news for 30 minutes of local coverage of the "severe weather alert"

We got a good laugh out of this but decided our poor weather guys have gotten so sick of reporting the weather news for the last year when all it has been is "Drought. Dry, No rain" that they deserved a half hour in the spotlight.

Cya ...gotta go sledding now,,, :)

"A Far Cry From Weak"

When I read this editorial in this morning's Atlanta Journal Constitution I had to agree 100%
Here is the pertinent excerpt. I especially agree with paragraph 3:


Clinton a far cry from weak

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 01/11/08




"Did Hillary Clinton cry, tear up or just get something in her eye during a meet-and-greet with voters in a New Hampshire cafe?

There's been more discussion this week about whether Clinton cried than about her health care plan or her strategy for Iraq. According to the post-mortems of her unexpected New Hampshire victory, Clinton's misty eyes humanized her and caused hundreds of women in New Hampshire to cast their vote for her rather than Barack Obama.

Debate still rages over whether a teardrop actually fell. But if a tear had fallen, does that mean Clinton is unfit for the White House? Given the looming recession, the collapse of the real estate market and the war in Iraq, it's a wonder more Americans aren't weeping."

In writing off Clinton and then crediting her resurgence to tears, pundits underestimated the candidate as well as the voters. It's ridiculous to proclaim that legions of female voters could be swayed by that hint of a tear. After all, Mitt Romney has choked up during the campaign — to no avail.

Perhaps the New Hampshire women who were forecast as Obama voters switched to Clinton after watching her debate the other candidates or answer questions at campaign events. Pundits drubbed most of Clinton's public appearances in New Hampshire, saying she was wonkish and bogged down in detail, while Obama was inspirational."

Maureen Downey, for the editorial board


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 01/11/08

A simple quiz

And just to keep us sharp and on our toes here is a simple quiz. Answers below but no peeking. :)


A Simple Quiz




Answers below

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last?

2) Which country makes Panama hats?

3) From which animal do we get catgut?

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?

7) What was King George VI's first name?

8) What color is a purple finch?

9) What country do Chinese gooseberries come from?

10) How long did the Thirty Years War last?

ANSWERS:
1) 116 years, from 1337 to 1453. 2) Ecuador. 3) From sheep and horses. 4) November. The Russian calendar was 13 days behind ours. 5) Squirrel fur. 6) The Latin name was Insularia Canaria - Island of the Dogs. 7) Albert. When he came to the throne in 1936 respected the wish of Queen Victoria that no future king should ever be called Albert. 8) Distinctively crimson. 9) New Zealand. 10) Thirty years, of course


(I MISSED 8 -- HOW ABOUT YOU??)