The King died

"August 16
1977: in 1977 THE KING, ELVIS (AARON) PRESLEY died at his mansion Graceland from heart failure, probably brought on by drug abuse."

Can you believe it has been almost 30 years since Elvis died? I can't. I was not a super fan of Elvis. I suppose I was past the age where his music spoke to me. However, I have come to appreciate and love his gospel recordings. Man oh man, he could really sing gospel; especially "Amazing Grace", one of my favorites. ***

I do remember his appearance on Ed Sullivan. The grainy black and white picture that Ed censored by only showing Elvis dancing(gyrating) from the waist up.

---------------------------------------------
"Presley's first No 1 hit, Heartbreak Hotel, came out in January 1956, and his first album, also a chart topper, was released in March. As his fame grew, so did the vigour of his critics, who saw Presley as an over-sexed enchanter leading American teenagers to ruin.

But when Sullivan praised him as a "decent, fine boy" much of the storm began to subside. The praise came at the end of Presley's final show on January 6, 1957, when he was shown from the waist up only."
----------------------------------------------



What sweet simple times compared to now when anything goes in movies and on TV.



***"Amazing grace, oh how sweet the sound
That saved a wreck like me
I once was lost, though now I'm found
I was blind, but now I see

Memories

I was thinking recently about 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:
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 of the war 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. . 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 Barclay Square."

What are some of your memories from this era?

Blog highlights for today

Blog Highlights

Don't miss "Maya's Granny" blog post today on aging children.

Tabor's "One Day At a Time" covers her grandchild's first visit to her new house.

Joy's "Joy of Six" has a lovely poem about "Angels"

Ronni at "Time Goes By" has a one act play about her deck garden plants.


Many, many more but these are just the highlights that caught my attention today.

What blog post spoke to you today?

PS: I had missed Judy's post earlier. It is the second one down on her blog and it is called "No Left Turns" It is great and not to be missed.


http://justaskjudy.blogspot.com/

http://joyofsix.typepad.com/joyofsix/

http://tabordays.blogspot.com/

http://mayagranny.blogspot.com/

http://www.timegoesby.net/

Senator Ted Stevens Internet tubes or Intertubes

Tangled up in tubes from Boston.com
July 20, 2006

"Watch your back, Nelly Furtado. An 82-year-old US senator from Alaska is looking for a cut of your dance - floor action this summer -- and his secret weapon is tubes, a series of tubes.

During a Senate Commerce Committee debate on June 28, Senator Ted Stevens described the inner workings of the Internet as ``a series of tubes." To help mouthy tadpoles such as the Google guys understand how the Internet tubes work, Stevens went on to explain that ``those tubes can be filled. And if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and it's going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material."

The snickering began almost immediately, made worse by another Stevens gaffe: ``An Internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday; I just got it yesterday . . . because it got tangled up." Those blasted, tangly tubes."
-----------------------------------------
and then this from

From Blaugh.com






"To better demonstrate the theory of how information travels online, Senator Ted Stevens has teamed up with research scientists from Helsinki to develop a series of InterTubes - the world’s first Internet data floatation devices.

When submerged in ethernet liquid, InterTubes will carry passengers safely across any type of digital divide. Stevens is quite proud of his invention, claiming that they took “enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material” to complete. With this new system, the young Senator hopes that your personal internets will no longer be delayed.

Stevens also claims that his InterTubes will be delivered on “big trucks” in time for the 2006 holiday shopping season. Net profits are projected to be in the gigabit range - should analysts remain neutral.

Next up for the Stevens development team: an Internet Cerfboard."

Source: TedStevensInterTubes.com
Domain: InternetTubeTruck.com

Some funnies for you.

A friend sent me these. A laugh is good to take our minds off the summer heat and other maladies

************************

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He
asked me how old I was, and I told him, "62." He was quiet for a moment, and

then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

***************************

After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old

slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the
children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. At
last she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting
them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the
three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

**************************************************

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what he r own
childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made
from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We
picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking

this in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

*********************************************

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know
how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No,
how is we alike?" "You're both old," he replied.

**********************************************

A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word
processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he
asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."


***** *************************************************

I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I
decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was.
She would tell me, and always she was correct. But it was fun for me, so I
continued. At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, "Grandma, I think

you should try to figure out some of these yourself!"


***********************************************

When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the
lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects.
Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy
whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with
flashlights."


*******************************

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not

sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandma," he advised. "Mine says I'm four

to six."

*************************************

A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother,
"Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother,

more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting,"
she said, "How do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You
just change 'y' to 'I and add 'es'"


***********************************************

Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a
teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant."
The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what p regnant

means?" she asked. Sure," said the young boy confidently. "It means carrying

a child."


********************************************

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids
home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the

fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's
duties. They use him to keep crowds back," said one youngster. "No, said
another, "he's just for good luck." A third child brought the argument to a
close. "They use the dogs", she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrant."









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

The Ice Man Cometh

THE ICE BOX.

I remember when we had an ice box. Not a refrigerator but a white wooden cabinet with a big block of ice in the top .There was a drip pan underneath to hold the water run off as the ice melted.

A separate door closed the ice off from the compartment below where the milk, eggs and butter were kept cool.

The ice truck arriving on our street was a big occasion for all the children. The big burly, well muscled iceman would chip off slivers of ice for us as we waited patiently in the street barefoot with the hot pavement stinging but not burning our feet which were toughened by many summers going barefoot.

Then the iceman would take his black tongs and hoist up a huge block of ice and take it into the kitchen of the house he was servicing, place it in the ice box and then continue his rounds and the excitement of the day was over.













Link

Dirty rotten scoundrels

It was the 1930's and the medium sized college town of 25,000 people where I lived, had 3 movie theaters. They were the Palace, the Strand, and the Georgian. The Palace was decidedly upscale while the Strand was sometimes referred to as the “rat hole” . The Georgian was somewhere in between.

Saturdays I was allowed to walk to town to the picture show with my best friend Catherine and her big brother, Dick. We were given 10 cents each by our parents.This was the admission price for children over 5. Catherine and I were both 6 years old.

Catherine’s brother Dick was about 10 and he had big ideas. He took us to Woolworth’s Five and Dime Store and Catherine and I, with Dick’s help, spent our picture show money on candy. Back then 20 cents could buy an abundance of penny candy.

Then Dick proceeded to take us to the Strand box office and when they asked how old Catherine and I were, he would answer “They are both five.”

We got in free.

We sat in the darkened theater watching Hopalong Cassidy or Gene Autry ride the canyons of the wild west and dodge the Indians. Then the continuing serial with Buck Rogers exploring space would come on and we would catch up on last week’s cliff hanger when Buck and company were left hanging in some sort of bad trouble.

All the while during the movie we were gouging ourselves on our ill gotten gain of candy, candy, candy. I would leave the picture show each time with a bad headache never realizing I had a sugar overload. Perhaps my conscience was bothering me also. After all, Catherine and I were willing but silent accomplices in the candy caper.

Soon the day arrived when Dick could no longer palm us off as 5 year olds and the caper ended.

We had to pony up the whole dime to get in the picture show and our halcyon days of candy. candy. candy were over.

Dry weather, dry skin

During this heat and drought we have been experiencing this summer
I got to thinking about the products I use to stay moisturized. Of course on important ingredient is the 8 glasses of water we are supposed to drink that hydrate our bodies and skin. I learned an important lesson about the value of adequate water consumption during my recent illness when even my lips and mouth were all dried up.


Here are some products I really like and use every day, all year long:



CETAPHIL skin cleanser. Wonderful cleanser. Removes make up. Cleans face. Either leave on or rinse. Either way leaves skin feeling smooth and soft.

EUCERIN facial moisturizer with SPF 30. A good product which I use every morning after my shower. Sunblock is so important..( Neutrogena also has a similar product that I use sometime too.

BURTS BEES nail moisturizer..feels great on nails and has a yummy lemony scent.

BLISTEX DAILY CONDITIONING TREATMENT for dry lips.(SPF 20) Helps lips retain moisture and feels yummy.

VASELINE INTENSIVE CARE TOTAL MOISTURE LOTION for hands, face, feet or anywhere. a good bargain product.

What are your favorites? Any suggestions for extremely dry hair?

Do you have any favorites to add to this list?

Maya's Granny

Thursday, July 27, 2006
The Great El Paso Piss Off of 1955

I don't usually recommend another blogger's post but you must go and read Maya's Granny's post of Thursday July 27, 2006.

She has captured in a brilliant word picture the angst and humor of a 13 year old girl(herself) who did not want to grow into a woman.

Click on the link above at Maya's Granny

The doctor is in the house.

The patient is better; not all the way there but on the road to recovery. The doctor made a second house call today and diagnosed a temperature control problem which he proceeded to alleviate with some machinations and a hefty bill. He said all should be well and back to normal in about 24 hours. Patient is already getting cooler and humming right along, happy to have the worst over with. The bill was $395.00, none of which is covered by Medicare but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures.

Then the Appliance Doctor sat down and told us about his lunch hour which he spent eating a Granola Bar and fishing off a bank on the nearby Chattahoochee River. He said it relaxes him to fish instead of running to a fast food place and gulping a burger.

When he left the ice maker dumped its first load of ice. So recovery is assured.


Oh.
As for me, I am much better and eating and swallowing and kicking ass so I must be on the road to recovery also.

Cool, clear water

Remember those Saturdays when Roy or Gene or Hopalong would gallop across the screen dodging Indians, rescuing the girl,saving the homestead, and searching for cool, clear water?

Sons of the Pioneers- Roy Rogers


Cool Water
by Bob Nolan (Revised lyrics by Joni Mitchell)



All day I face the barren waste
Without a taste of water
Cool water
Old Dan and I
Our throats slate dry
Our spirits cry out for water
Cool clear water
Keep on movin' Dan
Some devils had a plan
Buried poison in the sand
Don't drink it man
It's in the water
Cool clear water
In my mind I see
A big green tree
And a river flowin' free
Waitin' up ahead
For you and me
Cool clear water

The nights are cool and I'm a fool
Each star is a pool of water
Cool water
But come the dawn
We carry on
We won't last long without water
Cool clear water
Keep on movin' Dan
We're still in no-man's land
Dry bones and sand
People never planned here for water
Cool clear water
In my mind I see
A big green tree
And a river flowin' free
Waiting up ahead for you and me
Cool clear water

The shadows sway
They seem to say
Tonight we pray for water
Cool water
And way up there
If you care
Please show us where
There's good water
Cool clear water.

OK, Now I am feeling well enough to tell you all how sick I have been.

Last Saturday at this time I would have given "my kingdom" for a drink of cool clear water. I was parched and dehydrated. Could not swallow even a sip of water without terrible pain; and I have a high pain thresh hold but with the awful sore throat I came down with on Friday, swallowing anything was out of the picture.(even my saliva)

I called my doctor late Friday afternoon and he sent me an antibiotic, large pill, which I had to force myself to swallow regardless of the severe pain. By Monday I was no better. Mr C took me in to the doctor who said my throat looked like a bad burn. That is exactly how it felt. He diagnosed bronchitis and severely inflamed throat and the nurse proceed to give me a shot in each hip to speed up healing process. He also prescribed a liquid throat anesthetizing medicine.

So I now can swallow, and eat light stuff like scrambled eggs and Gatorade and ginger ale.

But it is mainly the cool clear water that I appreciate the most. Most times with a little crushed ice in the water. The crushed ice comes from the water/ice dispenser on refrigerator door. Ahhh

So last night I have had a pleasant restful evening. I go upstairs and get ready for bed. I go back down to the kitchen for water and --------


WHAMO !!!

The &&%###&& refrigerator has chosen this night to go off. The water is leaking out of the freezer onto the floor. Everything is melting. Why oh why do these appliances pick the worst times to act up. Are they psychic. Anyway Mr C and I cleaned up the mess. Wiped up the water, Threw away stuff and transferred the rest downstairs to the small extra fridge in the basement.

I have been reading a book, "Gilead", when anything bad happens one of the characters, a retired minister, says

"There must be a blessing in here somewhere"



I know, I know,,,I am getting well, I have Mr C to help me. We have the extra refrigerator and and ???

I have all of you to listen to me vent.

Thanks :)

Words Women Use

Equal time with a post about WOMEN




Words Women Use

FINE

This is the word women use to end an argument when they feel they are right and you need to shut up. Never use fine to describe how a woman looks this will cause you to have one of those arguments.

FIVE MINUTES

This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five minutes that your football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so its an even trade.

NOTHING

This means something, and you should be on your toes. Nothing is usually used to describe the feeling a woman has of wanting to turn you inside out, upside down, and backwards. Nothing usually signifies an
argument that will last Five Minutes and end with Fine.

GO AHEAD (With Raised Eyebrows)

This is a dare. One that will result in a woman getting upset over Nothing and will end with the word Fine.

GO AHEAD (Normal Eyebrows)

This means I give up or do what you want because I dont care You will get a Raised Eyebrow Go Ahead in just a few minutes, followed by Nothing and Fine and she will talk to you in about Five Minutes when she cools off.

LOUD SIGH

This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A Loud Sigh means she thinks you are an idiot at that moment, and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over Nothing.

SOFT SIGH

Again, not a word, but a non-verbal statement. Soft Sighs mean that she is content. Your best bet is to not move or breathe, and she will stay content.

THATS OKAY

This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. Thats Okay means that she wants to think long and hard before paying you back for whatever it is that you have done. Thats Okay is often used with the word Fine and in conjunction with a Raised Eyebrow.

GO AHEAD.

At some point in the near future, you are going to be in some mighty big trouble.

PLEASE DO

This is not a statement, it is an offer. A woman is giving you the chance to come up with whatever excuse or reason you have for doing whatever it is that you have done. You have a fair chance with the truth, so be careful
and you shouldnt get a Thats Okay.

THANKS

A woman is thanking you. Do not faint. Just say youre welcome.

THANKS A LOT

This is much different from Thanks. A woman will say, Thanks A Lot when she is really ticked off at you. It signifies that you have offended her in some callous way, and will be followed by the Loud Sigh. Be careful not to ask what is wrong after the Loud Sigh, as she will only tell you Nothing.



author unknown

Men are just happier people

Here is a chuckle for you:

Men Are Just Happier People--
What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.

Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.

New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.

You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet, one pair of shoes and one belt; one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 23 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.








>

Happy Fourth of July

I will be away for a few days over the holiday so here's wishing all my blog friends a safe Happy Holiday.

Perhaps revisiting the "Bill Of Rights" over the Fourth of July would be appropriate since so many of our rights as citizens are being challenged daily:

--------------------------------------------------
"In 1789 statesman Thomas Jefferson wrote James Madison that a bill of rights “puts into the hands of the judiciary” a “legal check” against tyranny by the legislature or the executive"
---------------------------------------------------


Constitutional Amendments 1-10: The Bill of Rights




"Bill of Rights, first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The Bill of Rights establishes basic American civil liberties that the government cannot violate. The states ratified the Bill of Rights in 1791, three years after the Constitution was ratified. Originally the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government, but in a series of 20th-century cases, the Supreme Court decided that most of its provisions apply to the states. Many countries have used the Bill of Rights as a model for defining civil liberties in their constitutions."
--------------------------------------------------------


The Bill of Rights


Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

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

"The first ten amendments to the Constitution have been crucial to the political and legal development of the United States. They accomplished three important purposes. First, they declare an important ideal—that the people have rights with which no government may interfere. Placing ideals into the Constitution makes it harder for tyrants to restrict human rights. Second, they provide the basis for actually securing the rights. In 1789 statesman Thomas Jefferson wrote James Madison that a bill of rights “puts into the hands of the judiciary” a “legal check” against tyranny by the legislature or the executive. Third, the Bill of Rights, especially the First Amendment, helps protect democratic government by barring criminal prosecutions against those who criticize the government and those who hold unpopular beliefs, and by providing a safe haven for minorities who are oppressed in many other countries."

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

Now go on out and watch those fireworks,dance in the street, eat that fried chicken, barbeque, watermelon and potato salad but remember to be thankful for our great nation; not perfect but better than most.

Blogs and Me

Thinking back over the last 2 years or so, I was recently reminiscing about how I first became acquainted with blogs and how I decided to start one of my own.
Since this is a retrospective, here is my first blog post:

JUNE 22,2005

"It seems every "great name I thought up and tried to get on "Blogger" was already taken so I just picked up a copy of the magazine"Southern Living" and turned a few pages and came up with "DriftWood Inspiration" so there is no particular significance to the name.

"Mainly this blog will be about my thoughts on living to age 75 and still staying active, alert and interested in many things. I came to the computer and the internet at age 68 and have taken to this "new" medium like a duck takes to water. I even relearned to type after a 50 year hiatus. It seems typing is stored in the brain and you never forget. At first it was hunt and peck but then I forced myself to try to remember where my fingers went on the keyboard and then started to type without looking at the keys. The many hours I spent in chat helped my typing tremendously but after a few years I tired of chat and moved on to games, Black Jack, Texas Hold'em Poker, Scrabble, and then Blogs."

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


The first time I heard the word blog of course I had no clue that it really meant web log, shortened to blog. I first read about blogs in the "New York Times" and I really cannot recall which was the first blog I visited but I do know that Ronni Bennett's "Time Goes By" was one of the first blogs that I visited regularly. I usually start my day with Ronni and I always get food for thought from her excellent posts.

Many days I mosey on over to "Daily Kos" a progressive political blog with much user participation. I do not always agree with DK but it makes me think and provides a good way to become informed about liberal politics and is useful and easy to comment on the many diaries posted there. If one is so inclined, after registering, you may post your own thoughts there in diary form. The format on DK is good and it is an interesting, easy to use site



I also try to stop by many of the blog links that Ronni has listed on her site, including "Golden Lucy's Spiral Notebook", "Octogenarian", "Build This House"
"Pure Land Mountain" and many others which are too numerous to list them all. Many times I just hit the highlights of the blogs on my favorites list and sometimes stop to comment.

Blogging underscores the fact that it's "A Big Wide Wonderful World" out there with Robert Brady in Japan, Claude in Paris, Savtadotty in Tel Aviv, Israel, Colleen in Canada and blog friends all across the US.



When I sit down at the computer to write or read blogs I feel as If I have entered a sacred space of silence that is uniquely mine. Concerns and worries melt away as I write on my blog or savor the thoughts of other bloggers or read interesting site throughout the Internet.

Ronni Bennett wrote this in her blog post on "Third Age.com"

"One of the fears everyone has about getting older is that our mental sharpness will decline. The "Eide Neurolearning Blog" reports that blogging has proved to be an excellent antidote:

Blogs can promote critical and analytical thinking
Blogging can be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking
Blogging is a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information."

Ronni summed it up this way:

"Blogging combines the best of solitary reflection and social interaction

A Short Story

(by Chancy)



OCTOREL ERASMUS



"After his baby sister, Tryphena, passed and after the funeral service at the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Octorel Erasmus sat very still in the faded old rocking chair on his rickety front porch. As the hot July sun faded into dusk he remained quiet and listened as the sounds of the country evening began. The crickets and the hooty owls. Then his two skinny ole hound dogs, Ben and Shad, stopped their scratching and licking, sighed and crept under the porch and slept.

The cool of the night darkness began to surround him and Octorel strained to remember the words of the old hymn they sang yesterday, July 26,1999 at his baby sisters service at the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Ah yes It went like this:

" When the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder I'll be there."

But no one up yonder was calling his name. Maybe he was not on the roll anymore. Or maybe the printing of his name had faded or worn off the Lord's Book of Heaven. Something had happened for sure as Octorel had not planned to live so long. Octorel Erasmus had outlived all his kinfolk and friends. Sometimes he thought he had outlived God, or maybe the good Lord hisself had done forgot about him
.

Octorel softly stroked the silky arms of the old wooden rocker .Over the years the chair arms had been worn marble smooth by all the scraggy,rough hands that had enjoyed it's comforting touch while rocking on the old porch. The raspy sound of back and forth-creak-back and forth-squeak soothed him as he reached back in memory to a sweltering July day almost 89 years ago.

He remembered his Pa running out to the fields where he and his seven brothers were hoeing weeds in the peanut patch. Pa took off his straw hat, wiped his damp face on his sleeve and said quietly.

"Boys. Y'all got yo'selves a baby sister. Ma's all right. Now let's praise the Lord and git back to work."

Octorel remembered closing his eyes and thinking,

" A girl. Well, I'm mighty proud for her. She won't have to break her back working the fields with us. She can help Ma cook and clean and wash and put up vegetables and sew and quilt and make jam. She'll grow into a pretty little thing and Ma can braid her hair and us boys can save up for some bright colored barrettes for her. She'll have her hair in shiny black plaits with pretty blue and red bows on the ends. Yes sir. She is a lucky Gal Baby with eight big brothers to look out for her."

Pa passed around the smooth yellow gourd dipper chugged full with cool well water from the tin bucket and they all refreshed themselves. Octorel could taste the salt as the sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes and brushing his lips so the sweet well water was a welcome treat. Then they all knelt on the rich warm ground for a moment of thanksgiving.

Octorel wondered what Ma and Pa would name her. They had named him Octorel because Ma had heard somewhere that the name meant eight and he was the eighth son. Pa said how lucky can one man be to have eight sons to help him work the farm.


They named her Tryphena after the twins in the Bible, Tryphena and Tryphona, but the boys always called her "Try" The years passed and Try grew into a sweet little girl and not a baby anymore About this time, one by one, the brothers began to think of leaving the farm.

Joseph, the oldest, took off first. Pa, and especially Ma begged him to stay and help them with the crops but one day he just up and took off and caught the bus for Detroit where he began to work in an automobile factory. The same one where cousin James worked.

Joseph wired money home every week for awhile but then stopped after he met a woman who made him feel like a real man. "Doll" he called her, but her Christian name was Crystal. Pa said he thought crystal was the outside glass on a watch.

Joseph and Crystal came home once after they got hitched. It was Christmas and Ma had baked her delicious white fruitcake. She cooked a fat hen with dumplings, made cornbread dressing and cleaned up the old house, aired the quilts and swept the dirt front yard with her homemade straw broom. She and Try even washed the old windows til they sparkled Everything smelled mighty sweet and fresh. That is, until Joseph and Doll arrived.

The first crack out of the box, Doll sat down, crossed her skinny legs, fishnet stockings and all, and started twiddling her pointy toed high heeled black patent shoes. Then she started smoking one Lucky Strike after another. Pheweey. She sure did stink up the place. At supper she had the gall to put out her cigarette in her half finished plate of Ma's good home cooking. Our eyes bugged out at that. I sure wanted to give Crystal down in the country for doing that but I kept quiet and Ma didn't say a word either.

"Doll" sure wasn't missed by any of us after she and Joseph up and left plenty early after just one night. Ma said that Crystal was just too high faluting and sure did not fit in and that Joseph had his work cut out for him trying to please a gal who smelled like cigarettes, strong perfume, and liquor. And holy moses did you see how she smacked that chewing gum. She even left a wad stuck under the seat of Ma's kitchen chair. We felt bad for Joseph but Pa said he made his own bed so he could just lay in it. And Ma, who never bad- mouthed anyone, said that a whistling woman, and a crowing hen never comes to a very good end.

A few years passed and brother Amos got a hankering to leave the farm. Then Abner and James went off together and joined the United States Marine Corps. The rest of the brothers all got married within a few months of each other and got their own places up the road a piece..

Try never married or left home. After Ma died and Pa was sickly she nursed him like a blessed angel until he passed. She cooked and cleaned and sewed and canned. almost as if she took over for Ma or thought she was supposed to.

Years went by and Rufus and Jesse got kilt in a car wreck. They both had been drinking moonshine. Mose passed with consumption and Luke with a a stroke, Soon they were all gone to their reward except me and Tryphena. So that left only the two of us around these stomping grounds.

I just never got around to marrying . I had plenty of chances.Once I was fixing to get hitched, but something or other come up and it just didn't happen. I got a job in town at the Piggly Wiggly tending to the produce counter, and Tryphina worked at the day nursery. She was always good with little ones. We gave up trying to have a farm crop except for vegetables and chickens.

Now they is all gone; except me. And here I sit. Saying goodbye to Try at the service yesterday was the hardest thing I ever done..I was all tore up. Tears run down my face like rain as I sat in the ole church while the preacher said words over her casket.

My mind wandered as I remembered how much we depended on each other. We used to sit out here on this old porch together to catch the late afternoon and evening breezes. We never talked much and when we did it was about old times passed and who had gone on before us.

Now, as I sit here on this broke down front porch, I wonder is I dreaming or is I already passed and don't know it. All of a sudden my head begins to ache . I see a bright light over yonder at the edge of the field and it sure hurts my eyes here in this darkness. The light is turning and turning like a wheel. Round and round. Full of bright rays of yellow and whirls of red. I remember the words in the song about

" Ezekiel saw a wheel, way up in the middle of the air; the big wheel ran by faith and the little wheel ran by the grace of God, a wheel in a wheel, away in the middle of the air."

The wind begins to blow stronger and a dark shadow seem to start across the field .The shadow looks like it's coming closer and closer ..Or is it just leaves and trash tumbling across the yard. Leaves and sticks; dry and crumbling and crackling to bits in the wind .A storm must be coming up. My eyes are failing me like everything else. You sure can't trust a body when it gets to be 101 years old. .

.One by one the fragments float up and settle on the porch at Octorel's feet. He trys to bend over and pick up a leaf and a scrap of old, faded paper but he feels too trembly and dizzy. Octorel decides that what he needs to feel better is some of Tryphena's homemade vegetable soup that she canned for him not long before she took sick . Octorel thought

" I need to eat it all up before my time is up. Don't want it to go to waste"

Octorel slowly gets up and stumbles inside. He enjoys the last taste of the hot soup, shuffles to his bed, pulls up the tattered old quilt that Ma had made and lays hisself down to rest.

On the porch,the old rocker keeps on rocking. The crumpled scrap of paper carried by the wind settles on the seat of the rocker. The rest of the dry leaves land silently on the porch floor.

If you had been there and leaned over you could have seen the scrap of paper which read:

'"My old hound dog lies a sleepin', he don't know I'm gonna leave.Else he'd wake up by the fireplace and he'd sit there & howl & grieve.But my huntin' days are over, ain't gonna hunt the coon no more.Gabriel done brought in my chariot when the wind blew down the door."**

OCTOREL ERASMUS
BORN MAY 16 1898
DIED JULY 27, 1999
A GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT IN THE FIELDS OF THE LORD."




**
("This Old House"Words & Music by: Stuart Hamblen)














>

Resignation

"RESIGNATION

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks.

I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.

I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple; When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery
rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.

All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination,
mankind, and making angels in the snow.

So . . . here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my credit card bills and my 401K statements. I am officially resigning from adulthood.

And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, cause........
Tag, you're it!"

Happiest Day of the Year ?

Ronni Bennett over at "Time Goes By" has a post that wonders whether we are happier now than we were in years past. I have thought about this question and I really do not have a definitive answer but I have felt especially happy today and I wondered why. Then I read this article on Yahoo news:
------------------------------------------------------------------

Happiest day of the year is June 23, Cardiff scholar finds Fri Jun 23, 8:52 AM ET



Feeling more happy than usual this particular Friday? You should be, according to a scholar in seasonal disorders at a British university.

Cliff Arnall has analysed such factors as outdoor activities, nature, social interaction, childhood memories, temperature and holidays -- data gathered over a period of 15 years in interviews with 3,000 people around the world.

His conclusion: June 23 is the happiest day of the year.

"People across borders experience happiness when they meet with friends and family and establish close social relationships," the University of Cardiff academic told AFP. "We need some close emotional ties."

He used what he considers a "simple equation" to reach his conclusion -- O + (N x S) + Cpm/T + He.

O stands for outdoor activities, N for nature, S for social interaction, Cpm for childhood summers and positive memories, T for temperature and He for holidays and looking forward to time off.

Arnall has already figured out the saddest day of the year. It was January 23 -- a Monday. "Surprise, surprise", he quipped.

So how was your Friday?

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN"T LOOKING

I like this:
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
A message every adult should read, because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING
author unknown

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say
"Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

Insights on Aging

These insights on aging are worth reading...and sharing. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did...

"George Carlin's Views on Aging"

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half.

You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!"

You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!

And then the greatest day of your life .... you become 21.

Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound
like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.

Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you

REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.

And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

For Ronni's new home in Maine

AN IRISH BLESSING
Author Unknown

Blessing for the house


Touch the lintel and touch the wall,
Nothing but blessing here befall.
Bless the candle that stands by itself,
Bless the books on the mantelshelf,
Bless the hearth and the light it sheds,
Bless the pillow for tired heads.
Those who tarry here, let them know
A threefold blessing before they go:

Sleep for weariness, peace for sorrow,
Faith in yesterday and tomorrow.
Those who go from here, let them bear
The blessing of hope wherever they fare.
Lintel and window, sill and wall,
Nothing but good, this place befall.

How to stay young

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

"Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.

Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,
whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

Enjoy the simple things.

Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive
.
Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.
Your home is your refuge.

Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.


Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. "

Story Prompt From Maria's site and Wild Mind

I tried this story prompt with these parameters:
Main Character: female
Archetype: mother
Narrative: first person
Place: a sandy beach
Mood: reflective
Begin with: I wasn't born smart, nor was I….


Watching the tide slowly recede revealing sandy bits of broken shells and driftwood, I hear the cry of sea gulls as they circle in the bright blue sky. The sound of the surf lulls me to sleep as my thoughts drift back to childhood .

I was born smart, but I was not born lucky. The depression was in full swing when I arrived in 1929; a nine pound baby girl, who was the last of ten children born to a father who was already 55 years old and a mother, age 36, who was his third wife.

His first wife died with cancer after 17 years of marriage. The second wife, a young woman, died in childbirth about a year after she married my father.She left a baby boy whom my own mother, the third wife, raised as her own with love and tenderness.
.
My father had already produced 9 children , two of whom died as young adults before I was born.One of the nine was my whole brother who is 8 years older than I.

When I came along a family addition was a routine occurrence for my father. . Perhaps that is why I never felt I knew him and why he never paid any real attention to me.

He was old, tired and simply drained by life and too much sadness. He died when I was nine years old of a cerebral hemorrhage.. Sudden and deadly in the middle of the night it hit him full force. He went to the hospital and never returned.

Now as I sit in a lounge chair on the sandy beach, watching my grandchildren digging and making sand castles I feel at peace with my life and what I have become; as I approach my 77 th year, I realize my Father did the best he could. . .

Why we forward jokes to our friends

Why we forward jokes to our friends....


"A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like Mother of Pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?""This is Heaven, sir," the man answered."Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked."Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveller asked."I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book."Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there." The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveller gestured to the dog."There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.The traveller filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them."What do you call this place?" the traveller asked. "This is Heaven," was the answer."Well, that's confusing", the traveller said, "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too!"

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."


"Well, doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?", the traveller asked."No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind."`

Soooo...

Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us without writing a word, maybe this could explain: When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward jokes.When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.

When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how, you forward jokes.And to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you get?A forwarded joke!

So my friend, next time if you get a joke, don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile..."

American Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

Isn't this interesting and to think this valuable stand of chestnut trees has been discovered so far south is amazing to me. Since I am such a tree lover, this comes as fantastic news . I hate to see blight kill off an entire variety of tree like the chestnut. The dogwood tree, which is native to the south and Georgia, has been experiencing a blight problem. I hope the blight can be controlled before it kills off all the delicate dogwood trees.


"Rare American Chestnut Trees Discovered


By ELLIOTT MINOR, Associated Press Writer ALBANY, Ga.
May 18,2006

"A stand of American chestnut trees that somehow escaped a blight that killed off nearly all their kind in the early 1900s has been discovered along a hiking trail not far from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Little White House at Warm Springs.

The find has stirred excitement among those working to restore the American chestnut, and raised hopes that scientists might be able to use the pollen to breed hardier chestnut trees."

The largest of the half-dozen or so trees is about 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 years old, and is believed to be the southernmost American chestnut discovered so far that is capable of flowering and producing nuts.
"This is a terrific find," said David Keehn, president of the Georgia chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation. "A tree of this size is one in a million."
The rugged area known as Pine Mountain is at the southern end of the Appalachians near Warm Springs, where Roosevelt built a home and sought treatment after he was stricken with polio in 1921.
"FDR may have roasted some chestnuts on his fire for Christmas or enjoyed their blooms in the spring," Klaus said.
The chestnut foundation may use pollen from the tree in a breeding program aimed at restoring the population with blight-resistant trees.
"When the flowers are right, we're going to rush down and pollinate the flowers, collect the seeds a few weeks later and collect the nuts," Klaus said. "If we ever find a genetic solution to the chestnut blight, genes from that tree will find their way into those trees."
.
American chestnuts once made up about 25 percent of the forests in the eastern United States, with an estimated 4 billion trees from Maine to Mississippi and Florida.
The trees helped satisfy demand for roasted chestnuts, and their rot-resistant wood was used to make fence posts, utility poles, barns, homes, furniture and musical instruments.
Then these magnificent hardwoods, which could grow to a height of 100 feet and a diameter of 8 feet or more, were almost entirely wiped out by a fast-spreading fungus discovered in 1904.
"There are no chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and if they are, they're Chinese," Keehn said."
___


And this background information from last year's National Geographic News references the chestnut before the blight.


"Entire communities in Appalachia depended on the chestnut for everything," said Marshal Case, president of the American Chestnut Foundation of Bennington, Vermont. Chestnut trees were integral to everyday life in Appalachia, Case said, where they were called "cradle to grave" trees: Craftsmen made baby cradles and coffins from the rot-resistant hardwood. The trees were also used to build houses, telephone poles, and railroad ties. Wildlife thrived on the trees, which each year produced bumper crops of nuts."

How smart are you?

Quick Intelligence Test
How smart are you?

Read the following sentence:


FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.


Now count aloud the F's in that sentence. Count them only once. Do not go back and count them again. Ready?


Look here for the answer*****













*****
Answer to Quick Intelligence Test

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.

Did you find 3 F's in this sentence? Wrong, there are 6 F's in the sentence. Read it again!

The brain cannot process the "F" in "OF." Incredible or what? Anyone who counts all 6 "F's" on the first go is a genius. Three is normal, four is quite rare.


I got 3 (normal) :(

Afternoon Naps

Like the fog that comes on little cat feet, a good nap has to quietly sneak in and catch you unaware.


Or at least that is what I think.

If I lie down on the bed with the express purpose of napping, I will remain wide awake. If I sit in a comfy chair with my feet up and read I find myself nodding off.

Winston Churchill did not go in for the "sneaky nap.
He wrote:
"You must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner, and no halfway measures. Take off your clothes and get into bed. That's what I always do. Don't think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That's a foolish notion held by people who have no imaginations. You will be able to accomplish more. You get two days in one -- well, at least one and a half."--Winston Churchill

As Jane Brody wrote in the New York Times, short naps are restorative and are good for you.

"As a short sleeper who is rarely in bed for more than six hours a night, I'm a strong believer in naps for recharging my batteries. Sir Winston and I are in good company. Napping enthusiasts have included Albert Einstein, Napoleon Bonaparte, Thomas Edison and at least three presidents: John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Besides, sleep researchers have shown that regardless of how long one sleeps at night, the human body is programmed to become sleepy in the early afternoon, even without a big lunch. "






Zzzzzzzz


Zzzzzz.... Mmm? Sorry, I must have nodded off. Not a bad thing, actually - in fact I shouldn't be apologizing at all. Naps are good for us.

Thoughts on Mother's Day

PAUL REVERE'S MOTHER: "I don't care where you think you have to go, young man. Midnight is past your curfew!"

MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY'S MOTHER: "I don't mind you having a garden, Mary, but does it have to be growing under your bed?"


MONA LISA'S MOTHER: "After all that money your father and I spent on braces, Mona, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"

HUMPTY DUMPTY'S MOTHER: "Humpty, if I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times not to sit on that wall. But would you listen to me? Noooo!"

COLUMBUS' MOTHER: "I don't care what you've discovered, Christopher. You still could have written!"

BABE RUTH'S MOTHER: "Babe, how many times have I told you to quit playing ball in the house! That's the third broken window this week!"

MICHELANGELO'S MOTHER: "Mike, can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"

NAPOLEON'S MOTHER: "All right, Napoleon. If you aren't hiding your report card inside your jacket, then take your hand out of there and prove it!"

CUSTER'S MOTHER: "Now, George, remember what I told you - don't go biting off more than you can chew!"

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S MOTHER: "Again with the stovepipe hat, Abe? Can't youjust wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"

BARNEY'S MOTHER: "I realize strained plums are your favorite, Barney, but you're starting to look a little purple."

MARY'S MOTHER: "I'm not upset that your lamb followed you to school, Mary,but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you."

BATMAN'S MOTHER: "It's a nice car, Bruce, but do you realize how much the insurance is going to be?"

GOLDILOCKS' MOTHER: "I've got a bill here for a busted chair from the Bear family. You know anything about this, Goldie?"

LITTLE MISS MUFFET'S MOTHER: "Well, all I've got to say is if you don't get off your tuffet and start cleaning your room, there'll be a lot more spiders around here!"

ALBERT EINSTEIN'S MOTHER: "But, Albert, it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?"

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOTHER: "The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"

JONAH'S MOTHER: "That's a nice story, but now tell me where you've really been for the last three days."

SUPERMAN'S MOTHER: "Clark, your father and I have discussed it, and we've decided you can have your own telephone line. Now will you quit spending somuch time in all those phone booths?"

THOMAS EDISON'S MOTHER: "Of course I'm proud that you invented the electric light bulb, Thomas. Now turn off that light and get to bed!"

Marley And Me

What are you reading or what have you read recently that you would recommend ?

I recently finished reading "Marley and Me", the book that Maria on "Silver Fox Whispers" recommended. I really enjoyed this story (true) about a misbehaving yellow lab and his owners trials tribulations and joy they found in loving "Marley" the big dumb ox.

After reading about Marley, I felt I wanted to learn more about the author,John Grogan, so I looked him up at the "Philadelphia Enquirer" newspaper where he is a columnist.

I read his "expose" column*** in which he ,"tongue in cheek", compares his book with the James Frey book " A Million Little Pieces" Frey has been accused of plagiarism and exaggaration.

(from John Grogan's column)

***"Marley & Me: The whole truth
In light of the scandal enveloping best selling author James Frey, who now admits his purportedly nonfiction memoir "A Million Little Pieces" is riddled with fabrications and exaggerations, the online accuracy watchdog "SmokingCanine.com "has launched an investigation into another memoir currently topping best-seller lists. We now bring you this shocking expose:. PHILADELPHIA - Credible evidence has surfaced that Inquirer columnist John Grogan might have greatly exaggerated Marley's antics"


My email to John Grogan ,
Subject: Marley And Me Expose Column

Funny I should happen upon your article about the "allegations" regarding you and Marley.

After finishing "Marley And Me" I asked my daughter, who had also read the book, if she really believed that Marley could have done all those wild and crazy things or if the author embellished some of the antics.

She said yes, she did believe every word. And then she reminded me of the black Lab mix that could have been Marley's twin separated at birth as far as behavior is concerned. Daughter tried obedience training but "Georgia" just did not get it. After Georgia ate up a 5 foot long wooden planter and part of the deck, daughter could take it no longer so she gave "Georgia" to a friend who had a farm.

On the other hand our son who had the litter mate to Georgia (he named her Allie since he and his family had found the two pups on the side of the highway on their return trip from Alabama to Georgia,) would not think of giving up his Lab who coexists with the two Jack Russells who were the original dogs in their family. We all think that Allie got more of the Lab DNA than Georgia did. I did not know until then that pups from the same litter can have different Dads.

Anyway I am not quite finished with "Marley And Me" but I know how it will end as Marley is not feeling well and has lost his hearing so I am preparing to cry at the end.

Our last dog was a Springer Spaniel named "Mollie". Smartest dog that ever graced this planet. She must have had a terrific internal clock. Every night she would get up from her favorite spot in the den and put herself to bed in the kitchen at exactly 10pm. When the time changed she went to bed at 9pm until her clock reset itself. Like Marley, our Mollie also went deaf a few years before her death. Sad.

"Mollie" died in our kitchen from smoke inhalation after lightening struck our house while we were out for the evening. Sweet dog. that broke my heart. I still miss her.

Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble but you probably know how grandmothers love to talk. I just wanted to tell you I am sorry for even thinking you might have taken poetic license about Marley.

"Marley and Me" is a great book and a fine tribute to Marley.

You really loved that big guy.

Chancy Gardner

John Grogan's Reply:

Reply: "Thanks for your note, Chancy...and yes, it's ALL true. As any Lab owner knows, these dogs do the darnedest things.

best to you, John"

Time Began In A Garden

We had a sundail that had these words on the dial:

"TIME BEGAN IN A GARDEN"
(click on picture for larger, clearer image)


http://www.typogenerator.net/index.php?new=true
(Typogenerator takes any words you type in and makes a poster from them)

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/74/74-h/p1.htmhttp://www.gutenberg.org/files/74/74-h/p1.htm

This site is amazing. Graphically it is extremely plain but the content is awesome. Thousands of books which are no longer under copyright protection are here, ready to be read on line or downloaded. They even have audio books although I have not tried these. I still prefer a book or newspaper that I hold in my hand and read but this Project Gutenberg is a treasure trove of Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and many many others both fiction and non fiction.


For instance I have an ancient book "The White House Cook Book" published in 1898 which I bought in a little antique shop about 15 years ago. It is interesting to dip in and out of especially to read some of the old fashioned health tips. My copy is falling apart. I went to Project Gutenberg and lo and behold there in its entirety was "The White House Cookbook" http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13923/13923-h/13923-h.htm


Check out this site. You will like it.

Main link
http://www.gutenberg.org

Something to think about

I forget where on the internet I read this. A good lesson about anger.

"A BAG OF NAILS"

"Once upon a time there was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he should hammer a nail in the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. But gradually, the number of daily nails dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the first day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He proudly told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out, it won't matter how many times you say 'I'm sorry', the wound is still there."

Forgetfulness

...Nothing to be embarrassed about when you forget something.

We all have spells of time when it is easier to remember the past than the present. I always have thought that someone who is creative has a more selective memory than a primarily left brained person.

For instance, our smoke alarm started malfunctioning last Friday afternoon late. Loud chirping sound like a BIG bird every 5 minutes. It was difficult for my husband to reach the alarm on the ceiling. I called our son. He said he would drop by on his way home from work and check it out. He is real handy with things like this.

We went out to dinner with friends and got back home about 10pm. Darn thing still chirping. We knew we would not sleep all night with the noise. We called son who lives about 5 minutes away.He said "OOPS".... he forgot. Then he came right over and fixed it.

Now if you or I or my husband had "forgotten" we would have said"Elder Moment" but no. He is only 41 but he is extremely creative and his mind is filled with many things.

So don't sweat it if you get to the grocery store and realize you have forgotten the list. Or if you forget a name now and then. No big deal.

However, if you put the cat in the freezer and the ice cream in the back yard you are entitled to worry .:)

--------------------------------------------------------
"Experimentation has shown that the two different sides, or hemispheres, of the brain are responsible for different manners of thinking.

The following table illustrates the differences between left-brain and right-brain thinking:

Left Brain --Logical Sequential Rational Analytical Objective Looks at parts --

Right Brain-- Random Intuitive Holistic Synthesizing Subjective Looks at wholes "

"Most individuals have a distinct preference for one of these styles of thinking. Some, however, are more whole-brained and equally adept at both modes "

Plain Vanilla

How did I live 75 years without knowing this? One evening about a year ago somehow the subject of conversation turned to Vanilla and its origin.My grown son said that Vanilla comes from orchids. I said no way and don't tease me. He kept on and on so I finally went to the computer and googled "Origin of Vanilla." And lo and behold he was right.
Am I the only one around who was deficient in Vanilla knowledge or are any of you surprised too


------------------------------------------------
"Vanilla originated from an orchid plant native to Mexico called Vanilla Fragrans, also known as Vanilla planifolia. A long slender pod or bean is produced from the flower of the plant. It is picked green and undergoes a curing and drying process before being made into vanilla extract. Vanillin, a crystal-like substance produced during the curing process adds to the flavor and aroma of the extract..
One Internet source mentioned that the explorer Cortez of Spain discovered the vanilla bean in Mexico and brought it back to Spain. Its use spread throughout Europe from there. In 1873 the vanilla plant was introduced to Madagascar. Madagascar and Indonesia are now the world’s leading producers of vanilla beans.Pure vanilla extract is produced when the vanilla bean pods and seeds are chopped and soaked in alcohol. Time enhances the flavor and aroma of pure vanilla extract. "------------------------------------------

I love Vanilla, that and Cinnamon are two of my favorite flavorings.

Cinnamon toast with butter, Vanilla in homemade banana pudding. etc etc Yum Yum.

So many choices

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: (yesterday)
"General Mills Introduces Cheerios as CheeriOats (1941)The introduction of Cheerios on May 1, 1941, under the name of "CheeriOats," was marked by an aggressive marketing campaign. The cereal's original mascot, "Cheeri O'Leary," was short-lived, but successful advertising and an association with The Lone Ranger led to sales of approximately 1.8 million cases of the cereal in the first year alone. In 1945, the name of the cereal was changed to Cheerios."

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

I did not realize that "Cheerios" had been around so long. When I was a child I remember Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Wheaties, Shredded Wheat and Rice Krispies. Now a stroll down the cereal aisle at the local supermarket reveals box after box and shelf after shelf of all sort of cereals. Some of which exist only to appeal to children with the free small toys inside and the high sugar content

. One of my favorites was and still is, Quaker Oatmeal ,which of course had to be cooked. Toss in some raisins and you had a breakfast fit for a queen.

Now we even have choices of musical rings on cell phones. I hardly ever use my cell phone and I recently changed my ring tone to a plain old fashioned telephone ring. Previously, when the melody I had chosen would start to play I would look around to see where the music was coming from and miss the call. I have come a long way from the old fashioned black party line telephone, the one you see in all the old movies from the 30's and 40's.

And do you remember when you could chose the color of your automobile as long as it was "Black"..
.
Oh yes. And don't forget the 101 choices our government had us wade through in order to make a decision on Medicare RX.

Ok I know what you are thinking. I should be grateful that I am still capable of making good choices. And you are right.
but still I say;

Choices, Choices ,Choices. too many choices.

Barefoot Days of Summer

Placing yesterday in a jar filled with flowers
Breathing in the scent; not counting the hours
I remember the gardens of long ago

Fields where the blue ragged robins grew
I flew my small kite; gazing into the blue
Yearning to climb on the wind to the sky.

Everywhere the wild, pink poppies thrived
The sun and the rain keeping them alive
Sharing the field with tall grasses and vines.

Years later,the wild field was replaced
A fenced boxwood garden has taken its place
Trespassing forbidden for child with a kite

KEEP OUT
CHILDHOOD OVER


by Chancy...

South Pacific

Just saw on PBS the "South Pacific’ in Concert from Carnegie Hall,” featuring Reba McEntire as Nellie Forbush. and Emile (Brian Stokes Mitchell). It was done in an entirely unique format. Like an opera rehearsal with the singers holding the sheet muxic and reading their lines.

Rather than detract from the story, this technique puts the emphasis on the show’s wonderful songs, including such melodies as “Some Enchanted Evening,” and “Younger than Springtime"

I remember seeing "South Pacific" for the first time about 1950 when a road company came to Atlanta. I have been enchanted by the music ever since. Tonight's performance was a reminder of the Broadway musicals of yesterday.

If PBS rebroadcasts this version of "South Pacific" tune in. If you love music you wont be disappointed.

And Reba was outstanding as "the little girl from Little Rock"

For more information click on title of post for PBS

They've got to be kidding..songbirds and grammar

I can't believe it. Another study . But this is one we really, really needed.
Notice that the researcher made 15,000 attempts before success.
Now the birds no longer tweet "I ain't singing" but they use proper grammar and sing " I am not singing"


Songbirds May Be Able to Learn Grammar
By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer


The simplest grammar, long thought to be one of the skills that separate man from beast, can be taught to a common songbird, new research suggests.

Starlings learned to differentiate between a regular birdsong "sentence" and one containing a clause or another sentence of warbling, according to a study in Thursday's journal Nature.
It took University of California at San Diego psychology researcher Tim Gentner a month and about 15,000 training attempts, with food as a reward, to get the birds to recognize the most basic of grammar in their own bird language.
Yet what they learned may shake up the field of linguistics.But after training, nine out of Gentner's 11 songbirds picked out the bird song with inserted warbling or rattling bird phrases about 90 percent of the time.

Two continued to flunk grammar.

"We were dumbfounded that they could do as well as they did," Gentner said. "It's clear that they can do it."

Ref Desk

I have posted once before some time back about this incredible resource, "Ref Desk" A smorgasbord of information, quotes, newspaper links, magazines, games, you name it and it is there. Take a peek and bookmark it.
And don't hold it against RefDesk's owner that he is Matt Drudge's father. ;)


"On the Internet since 1995, refdesk indexes and reviews quality, credible, and timely reference resources that are free and family-friendly."

">Link http://www.refdesk.com/

Spring is here

Most of our small front yard at the townhouse is planted already with shrubs, liriope, dwarf mondo grass and ferns. The azaleas have just finished blooming, and are on the wane. They are a lovely deep pink color and were real showy for about two weeks. We also are blessed with 2 full grown red japanese maples and a large birch tree.

The guy who does our two seasons flower planting brought a combo of impatiens, blue pearl, white and a lavender pink color. In a few weeks they should be showing many blooms that will last throughout the summer. .This one small flower bed is by the front walk where we can see it from inside and enjoy it on our way outside.

Spring is really here.

Pulitzer Prize

Mike Luckovich, the editorial cartoonist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, our local newspaper, won his second Pulitzer prize today for his editorial cartoons. Several of Mike's editorial cartoons were submitted but I suspect this one tipped the scales in his favor with the committee.

"including his Oct. 26 cartoon in which the letters in the word "Why?" are formed by the names of 2,000 American soldiers who have died in Iraq. Luckovich won his first Pultizer in 1995"

I noticed on the enlarged version of the WHY cartoon; third column over about 6th name from top is Casey Sheehan, Cindy Sheehan's son.

Luckovich's cartoons :


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5346807
">Link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5346807

Ordinary days

"Annie Dillard wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” The tragedy is that we ignore so much of it in the interest of getting to the real stuff. Never confuse the ordinary with the simple, the static, or the boring. Living an ordinary life well can be a very complicated thing to do. It takes great talent to make a great life out of a routine one. "**


Joan Chittister, OSB **

Christ Church St Simons Island,Georgia

This is Christ Church, St Simons Island Georgia. church. It is tiny, with lovely little stained glass wondows. The stained wooden beams and ceiling are stunning in their simplicity. The church is surrounded by massive old live oak trees, draped with Spanish Moss. A cemetary with graves dating back to the late 1700's add to the sense of history .

Eugenia Price who lived and wrote on St Simons Island is buried here. She wrote many novels and one that featured this church and it's first minister.

No matter what your religion, to sit awhile in Christ Church in silence is an enchanted time of beauty and serenity

Christ Church's beauty and romantic history have lured the attendance of four American presidents -- Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Jimmy Carter and George Bush. The building, cruciform in design, features stained glass windows given as memorials to the church, including a Tiffany. They depict the life of Christ and the early history of the church.

(

To see the Earth as it truly is:

Let me describe part of my "computer habitat." I sit at a pecan wood desk with a black leather top. To my left on my desk is a framed black and white photo that I cut out of a National Geographic about 1969 during one of the early moon /space flights. It shows the earth from deep space. In the picture the earth appears to be no more than a large black and white round marble. A black background and below the earth is a poem by Archibald MacLeish .

"To see the earth as it truly is, small and blue
and beautiful in that eternal silence where it
floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the earth
together, brothers on that bright loveliness
in the eternal cold--brothers who know now----
they are truly brothers."


Archibald MacLeish.

Useless and expensive studies

Saturday,April 8, 2006
The Daily Canard
By I.B. Afulu

Researchers charged with wasting federal funds studying the boring habits of carpenter bees and the television watching habits of elderly women.

Could researchers be experiencing brain shrinkage by focusing on the boring habits of carpenter bees and the TV watching habits of elderly women.

A new study sponsored by the "Friends of Carpenter Bees of America" and financed by the federal government to the tune of $500,000 has reached a startling conclusion about the effects of insecticides on the wood boring abilities of carpenter bees in Marlin County California.

Instead of diminished depth of drilling into wooden decks, porches, shingle roofs and other wooden structures, a new insecticide "Deeper" has enhanced the carpenter bees ability to bore.

Measurements have been painstakingly taken by teams of 50 etomology investigators and their findings prove that "Deeper" is having the opposite effect from what was anticipated.

The wooden holes bored and tunneled by the bees have consistently measured 3 inches deeper than in years before "Deeper" was introduced into the California market.

In the new study, conducted over a period of 2 years, etomology researchers studied data from a 1996 study of healthy carpenter bees in California.

The researchers also took tests that measured their own memory, decision-making abilities and other cognitive skills before and after participating in these two studies.

49 out of the 50 researchers scored 20 points lower than the norm for a 6 year old child; suggesting the truth of this old joke:

Q: Why do bees hum?
A: Because they've forgotten the words!

Chancy :)

Of course I fabricated this "news article and study but it is no less ludicrous that the following article and the study it cites.


And now for a REAL NEWS ARTICLE that made my blood boil and wasted a bunch of our tax dollars.



Soaps, Talk Shows May Dull Aging Brains
By Randy DotingaHealthDay ReporterMon Mar 20, 5:07 PM ET
MONDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) --

Could Oprah and General Hospital be bad for your brain?

New research suggests that elderly women who watch daytime soap operas and talk shows are more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment than women who abstain from such fare.
Researchers stress that it's not clear if watching these TV shows leads to weaker brainpower, or vice-versa. And they say it's possible that another explanation might be at work.
But there's definitely "something going on with those two types of television programming," said study co-author Joshua Fogel, an assistant professor of behavioral sciences at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
Fogel launched the federally funded study after wondering how television affects the brains of older women, many of whom are avid watchers of the tube. Previous studies had already looked at possible connections between TV watching and senility, but came up with differing results, Fogel said.
In the new study, Fogel and a colleague looked at data from a 1996 study of healthy women in Baltimore aged 70-79.
The researchers asked the women about their favorite types of TV shows, offering a list of 14 options including news, soap operas, comedies and game shows, among others.
The women also took tests that measured their memory, decision-making abilities and other cognitive skills.
Fogel and his colleague looked for patterns linking cognition abilities and the women's favorite TV shows. Their findings appear in the March issue of the Southern Medical Journal.
Women who watched talk shows were 7.3 times more likely to have long-term memory problems, the researchers said, while those who watched soap operas were 13.5 times more likely to have problems with attention.
The researchers didn't find any evidence that TV shows helped improve cognitive abilities in the women studied, either.
What's going on? The study can't and doesn't answer that question, Fogel said, leaving it unclear if a preference for soaps and talk shows is a cause of cognitive difficulties or a symptom. "One possibility is that people are unable to watch the other shows because they're too cognitively stimulating," Fogel said.
One researcher who has studied the effects of television watching on children said the study suggests that, "viewing television in a way that reduces active mental engagement may lead to poorer cognitive outcomes in older people."
Frederick Zimmerman, director of the University of Washington's Child Health Institute, added that the findings are significant because the apparent effects of television watching are quite striking. He said he's also found evidence that excessive television watching hurts kids' academic and cognitive development.
But Zimmerman cautioned that "it would be premature to tell Granny to turn off the soaps on the basis of this study."
And in his editorial, Albert Einstein College of Medicine neurologist Dr. Joe Verghese said that, "depending on the program, television viewing might even have cognitive benefits. Generations of children have grown up learning their alphabets, and presumably increasing their cognitive reserve, from programs such as Sesame Street. Television viewing may also help reduce chronic stress levels."
Fogel believes the study findings are more than just a curiosity, however. In fact, he thinks doctors should take them into account when they evaluate patients.
If an elderly woman says she enjoys watching talk shows or soap operas, Fogel said, that might be a sign that she's having cognitive problems and should undergo special screening.


More information
For advice on healthy aging, head to the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

">Link

Happy Birthday Ronni

Serendipity ...( The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. )


One fine day I packed a picnic lunch and set out on a ramble to search for blogs and articles on "Aging" . I wandered over to Google and quickly came across "Time Goes By", the blog on positive aging by Ronni Bennett. As I lingered there I came across a group of people, friends, comrades in arms gathered around a wise elder blogger. I pulled up a tree stump and sat down around the camp fire and felt the warmth of good fellowship as I read the diary entries and comments.

I lingered in the forest, absorbing the camaraderie, advice, issues, concerns, and just plain old fashioned horse sense. Soon I could no longer allow myself to simply lurk behind a tree on the periphery and read; I jumped in and commented occasionally.

From the central point in the woods of "Time Goes By" I followed the path that Ronni had pointed out in her links. This path has taken me to Japan, Scotland, France, England, the North, South, East and West of the US. I became acquainted with bloggers from all over the world. Still, I always come back to the incandescence of Ronni's "Time Goes By"
,.
Thank you Ronni for sharing your many talents with us all and leading us into the realm of positive aging.

Happy Birthday from
Chancy





















">Link

Exercise for elders.

I came across this exercise suggested for seniors, to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders. It seems so easy, so I thought I'd pass it on. The article suggested doing it three days a week.


Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.

With a 5-lb. potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides, and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.

After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb. potato sacks. Then go to 50-lb. potato sacks and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.

Once you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks
………………………………………………………………


Chancy >:0]--<
">Link

Medicare Part D My rant

My husband and I have been on Medicare for about 10 years now and the program has worked well for us and was easy to sign up for and understand. Most doctors accept Medicare assignment and file the paper work.

And then "along came Medicare Part D" prescription drug benefits. I consider myself more computer savvy than the average 76 year old but navigating the Medicare.gov web site trying to make an informed decision about signing up for Part D. was extremely difficult. We would have chosen to remain on the Blue Cross Medicare supplement policy (plan J) that covered,to some extent, prescription drugs but after reading and talking with Blue Cross we decided that (1) The already expensive premiums would increase soon and (2) The penalty phase of Medicare part D would kick in if we did not go ahead and sign up.

So we held our noses and joined (AARP) United Health Care's plan. Time will tell if we mde the right choice.

Some polititians are claiming that those in Medicare Plan D will save money. Initially that is true but after one reaches about $2200 dollars in prescription drug costs, then there is a donut hole (nothing is paid on drugs) until drug expenses reach over $5000. For the average elder the "donut hole will come in about 6 months or less. Many elders who signed up and started using the Plan D should reach the "Donut Hole" just about election time this November. Won't that be interesting.

I am incensed that our government made no attempt to negotiate with drug companies as is done in Canada for instance to reign in the cost of prescriptions drugs. As usual Congress and the POTUS were catering to big business interests and to heck with the average citizen.

My rant is over. Move along. Nothing to see here. ;)















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