Can you believe Tony Bennett just celebrated his 80th birthday .He is in fine form and singing all the way to the bank. What a sweetheart Tony is.
My hubby and I go way back with Tony. Our love song in the '50's was "Because of You" by Mr Bennett and we still get a thrill when we hear it sung.
Once my husband was traveling from NYC to Atlanta and he happened to be seated next to Tony Bennett in first class of Delta. For a long time into the flight, not wanting to bother Tony, my hubby did not say anything to him but a short while before the plane landed he introduced himself and told Tony Bennett about our fondness for "Because of You." Bennett could not have been more gracious and even asked the stewardess for a note pad so he could write a note to me. It said,
"Dear J
"Because of You"
Thanks for being a fan, Tony Bennett."
Tony was coming to Atlanta to sing at Chastain Park Amphitheater that night. We did not have tickets to the sold out performance but when my hubby got off the plane he made several phone calls, then one call to a friend with connections got us tickets to the concert. We went, took a bottle of champagne and some cheese and crackers,( outdoor picnic style concert) and had a glorious night under the stars listening to many old favorites and some new ones.
Then two other times we heard Tony. Once at the Fox Theater in Atlanta which was our favorite performance and not just because he sang "Because of You" that night. The acoustics at the Fox are outstanding. Mr Bennett, toward the end of the evening, had the sound engineers turn off his mike and darken the theater; then Tony stood on stage with a lone spotlight on him and sang his heart out.
We heard another Bennett concert at a dinner at Emory University Carlos Museum. He was very good but still our favorite will always be the Fox Theater performance.
So, Because of You, Mr Bennett, here's wishing you good health and many more years of song.
And oh yes:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR TONY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
>
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Forever Young
A Bob Dylan song that expresses what I wish for all of us today.
FOREVER YOUNG
BOB DYLAN
"May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young."
FOREVER YOUNG
BOB DYLAN
"May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young."
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Tempus fugit
The air is cooler and the leaves are slowly beginning their preparation for winter. Soon they will start turning vivid colors; fall to the ground, covering grasses, lanes and sidewalks. Then the sound of leaf blowers will fill the neighborhood as the last remnants of summer are blown away.
Before we know it Halloween will be upon us with precious little ghosts and goblins ringing doorbells. They will shout "Trick or treat" and be on their way after partaking of the candy and goodies offered them
The first frost of winter will arrive one morning and then the delicious aromas of fires wafting up from chimneys will signal the comfy, snuggling time of year has arrived.
Thanksgiving and the turkey are just around the corner. Then Christmas. Before you turn around twice it is New Year's Eve and the crowd at Times Square in New York City counts down to "Happy New Year"
Father time could you please slow down a bit for us this year so time will pass more slowly.
What's the big hurry anyway?
Before we know it Halloween will be upon us with precious little ghosts and goblins ringing doorbells. They will shout "Trick or treat" and be on their way after partaking of the candy and goodies offered them
The first frost of winter will arrive one morning and then the delicious aromas of fires wafting up from chimneys will signal the comfy, snuggling time of year has arrived.
Thanksgiving and the turkey are just around the corner. Then Christmas. Before you turn around twice it is New Year's Eve and the crowd at Times Square in New York City counts down to "Happy New Year"
Father time could you please slow down a bit for us this year so time will pass more slowly.
What's the big hurry anyway?
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Get a Grip
I have saved this article by Jane Brody of the New York Times for over a year now. It is quite long but well worth the time you spend reading.
Get a Grip and Set Your Sights Above Adversity
By JANE E. BRODY
Resilience. Call it what you will - the ability to weather stresses large and small, to bounce back from trauma and get on with life, to learn from negative experiences and translate them into positive ones, to muster the strength and confidence to change directions when a chosen path becomes blocked or nonproductive.
Or you can sum it up as actualization of A.A.'s serenity prayer: "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
Dr. Wendy Schlessel Harpham, a Dallas physician, wife and mother of three, is the epitome of resilience. Struck with a recurring cancer in her 30's that required a decade of debilitating treatments, she was forced to give up her medical practice.
She turned instead to writing books and lecturing to professional and lay audiences to help millions of others and their families through the cancer experience.
Dr. Jennifer P. Schneider of Tucson is another classic example of resilience. Also a physician, she has a lifelong history of emotional and physical traumas.
Her mother left her at age 5. Dr. Schneider weathered two divorces, a child with a mild form of autism, a broken leg that required two operations and took more than two years to heal, and most recently the most horrific trauma of all, the death at 31 of her daughter, Jessica Wing, after a two-year battle against metastatic colon cancer.
To cope, Dr. Schneider said, she focused on things she could control, her patients and her writing.
Dr. Schneider's recent book "Living With Chronic Pain" was an inspiration to me, as I mentioned in a column last month, during my bout with intense and seemingly endless pain after knee replacement.
Growing Up Resilient
Until recently, resilience was thought to be an entirely inborn trait, giving rise to the notion of the "invulnerable child," now recognized to be a mistaken idea.
Resilient children are not invulnerable to trauma or immune to suffering. But they bounce back. They find ways to cope, set goals and achieve them despite myriad obstacles like drug-addicted parents, dire poverty or physical disabilities thrown in their path.
As Dr. Robert Brooks of Harvard and Dr. Sam Goldstein of the University of Utah put it, being resilient does not mean a life without risks or adverse conditions but rather learning how to deal effectively with the inevitable stresses of life.
Herein lies an important concept: learning. To be sure, some of what makes up resilience is inborn.
But resilience can also be learned, say experts like Dr. Brooks and Dr. Goldstein, psychologists and authors whose newest book, "The Power of Resilience" (Contemporary Books), provides lessons in "achieving balance, confidence and personal strength."
They are lessons of considerable importance, as there is no such thing as a life free of losses and setbacks. People who lack resilience are less able to rise above adversity or learn from their mistakes and move on. Instead of focusing on what they can control and accepting responsibility for their lives, they waste time and energy on matters beyond their influence.
As a result, the circumstances of their lives leave them feeling helpless and hopeless and prone to depression. When things go wrong or don't work out as expected, they tend to think "I can't do this" or, even worse, "It can't be done."
Children learn to be resilient when parents and guardians enable and encourage them to figure out things for themselves and take responsibility for their actions. When Ray Charles lost his sight at age 7, his mother insisted that he use his good brain and learn how to make his way in the world. In the movie "Ray," she watched silently after the newly blind boy tripped over furniture, cried for her help and then struggled to his feet unaided.
It's Never Too Late
Children need to learn that they are capable of finding their way on their own. Parents who are too quick to take over a task when children cry "I can't do this" or don't insist that children learn from their mistakes are less likely to end up with children who can stand on their own two feet, take responsibility for their lives and cope effectively with unavoidable stresses.
The same applies to parents who provide children with everything they want instead of teaching them limits and having them earn their rewards and to those who make excuses for their children and repeatedly defend them against legitimate complaints.
But even if these lessons are not learned in childhood, experts like Dr. Brooks and Dr. Goldstein, who also wrote "Raising Resilient Children" and "Nurturing Resilience in Our Children," say it is possible to learn to be more resilient at any age. The trick lies in replacing what they call "negative scripts" that may have been written in childhood, but are not cast in stone, with more positive scripts.
People who harbor negative scripts expect that no matter what they do, things will not work out well; they assume that others must change for circumstances to improve.
'Authors of Our Lives'
So lesson No. 1, Dr. Brooks and Dr. Goldstein write, is "to recognize that we are the authors of our lives."
"We must not seek our happiness by asking someone else to change," they continue.
Rather, we should ask, "What is it that I can do differently to change the situation?" Identify your negative scripts and assume responsibility for changing them.
Nurture your self-esteem. Be true to yourself rather than trying to be what someone else expects of you. Focus on what you can do, tasks you can achieve, situations you can influence. Take an active role in your community or in an organization or activity that helps others.
Develop a new skill: learn a language or a new sport or how to fix a car; take up knitting, cooking or woodworking; join a book club; try out for an amateur production; become a docent at a museum; help organizations that feed the elderly and infirm; volunteer your services at community groups like the local Y, school, library or park.
There are myriad opportunities; just look or ask around and you will find them.
Take a chance on change if jobs, habits or activities you've long pursued are no longer satisfying or efficient.
Change is frightening to people who lack resilience, but those who try it usually find that they land on their feet, and that fosters resilience.
And if a new path does not seem to be working out well, change again.
Take a long, hard look at the people in your life and consider abandoning friends who drag you down or reinforce your negative scripts. For those - like family members - from whom you can't escape, practice ignoring their put-downs and not taking them so seriously.
Seek out activities that elevate your spiritual life and nurture your inner strength: for example, art, music, literature, religion, meditation, the great outdoors.
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
Get a Grip and Set Your Sights Above Adversity
By JANE E. BRODY
Resilience. Call it what you will - the ability to weather stresses large and small, to bounce back from trauma and get on with life, to learn from negative experiences and translate them into positive ones, to muster the strength and confidence to change directions when a chosen path becomes blocked or nonproductive.
Or you can sum it up as actualization of A.A.'s serenity prayer: "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
Dr. Wendy Schlessel Harpham, a Dallas physician, wife and mother of three, is the epitome of resilience. Struck with a recurring cancer in her 30's that required a decade of debilitating treatments, she was forced to give up her medical practice.
She turned instead to writing books and lecturing to professional and lay audiences to help millions of others and their families through the cancer experience.
Dr. Jennifer P. Schneider of Tucson is another classic example of resilience. Also a physician, she has a lifelong history of emotional and physical traumas.
Her mother left her at age 5. Dr. Schneider weathered two divorces, a child with a mild form of autism, a broken leg that required two operations and took more than two years to heal, and most recently the most horrific trauma of all, the death at 31 of her daughter, Jessica Wing, after a two-year battle against metastatic colon cancer.
To cope, Dr. Schneider said, she focused on things she could control, her patients and her writing.
Dr. Schneider's recent book "Living With Chronic Pain" was an inspiration to me, as I mentioned in a column last month, during my bout with intense and seemingly endless pain after knee replacement.
Growing Up Resilient
Until recently, resilience was thought to be an entirely inborn trait, giving rise to the notion of the "invulnerable child," now recognized to be a mistaken idea.
Resilient children are not invulnerable to trauma or immune to suffering. But they bounce back. They find ways to cope, set goals and achieve them despite myriad obstacles like drug-addicted parents, dire poverty or physical disabilities thrown in their path.
As Dr. Robert Brooks of Harvard and Dr. Sam Goldstein of the University of Utah put it, being resilient does not mean a life without risks or adverse conditions but rather learning how to deal effectively with the inevitable stresses of life.
Herein lies an important concept: learning. To be sure, some of what makes up resilience is inborn.
But resilience can also be learned, say experts like Dr. Brooks and Dr. Goldstein, psychologists and authors whose newest book, "The Power of Resilience" (Contemporary Books), provides lessons in "achieving balance, confidence and personal strength."
They are lessons of considerable importance, as there is no such thing as a life free of losses and setbacks. People who lack resilience are less able to rise above adversity or learn from their mistakes and move on. Instead of focusing on what they can control and accepting responsibility for their lives, they waste time and energy on matters beyond their influence.
As a result, the circumstances of their lives leave them feeling helpless and hopeless and prone to depression. When things go wrong or don't work out as expected, they tend to think "I can't do this" or, even worse, "It can't be done."
Children learn to be resilient when parents and guardians enable and encourage them to figure out things for themselves and take responsibility for their actions. When Ray Charles lost his sight at age 7, his mother insisted that he use his good brain and learn how to make his way in the world. In the movie "Ray," she watched silently after the newly blind boy tripped over furniture, cried for her help and then struggled to his feet unaided.
It's Never Too Late
Children need to learn that they are capable of finding their way on their own. Parents who are too quick to take over a task when children cry "I can't do this" or don't insist that children learn from their mistakes are less likely to end up with children who can stand on their own two feet, take responsibility for their lives and cope effectively with unavoidable stresses.
The same applies to parents who provide children with everything they want instead of teaching them limits and having them earn their rewards and to those who make excuses for their children and repeatedly defend them against legitimate complaints.
But even if these lessons are not learned in childhood, experts like Dr. Brooks and Dr. Goldstein, who also wrote "Raising Resilient Children" and "Nurturing Resilience in Our Children," say it is possible to learn to be more resilient at any age. The trick lies in replacing what they call "negative scripts" that may have been written in childhood, but are not cast in stone, with more positive scripts.
People who harbor negative scripts expect that no matter what they do, things will not work out well; they assume that others must change for circumstances to improve.
'Authors of Our Lives'
So lesson No. 1, Dr. Brooks and Dr. Goldstein write, is "to recognize that we are the authors of our lives."
"We must not seek our happiness by asking someone else to change," they continue.
Rather, we should ask, "What is it that I can do differently to change the situation?" Identify your negative scripts and assume responsibility for changing them.
Nurture your self-esteem. Be true to yourself rather than trying to be what someone else expects of you. Focus on what you can do, tasks you can achieve, situations you can influence. Take an active role in your community or in an organization or activity that helps others.
Develop a new skill: learn a language or a new sport or how to fix a car; take up knitting, cooking or woodworking; join a book club; try out for an amateur production; become a docent at a museum; help organizations that feed the elderly and infirm; volunteer your services at community groups like the local Y, school, library or park.
There are myriad opportunities; just look or ask around and you will find them.
Take a chance on change if jobs, habits or activities you've long pursued are no longer satisfying or efficient.
Change is frightening to people who lack resilience, but those who try it usually find that they land on their feet, and that fosters resilience.
And if a new path does not seem to be working out well, change again.
Take a long, hard look at the people in your life and consider abandoning friends who drag you down or reinforce your negative scripts. For those - like family members - from whom you can't escape, practice ignoring their put-downs and not taking them so seriously.
Seek out activities that elevate your spiritual life and nurture your inner strength: for example, art, music, literature, religion, meditation, the great outdoors.
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Go read this blog post
Roger from "There's Always Something" has a thought provoking post up today:
It is about mortality.
Click on the title of this post to travel there.
It is about mortality.
Click on the title of this post to travel there.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Hot Air Balloon
The History of Ballooning
"The caged duck looked down as terra firma slowly drifted away. Above the duck, a balloon, constructed of paper and fabric, provided the lift necessary to carry aloft the duck and its companions, a sheep and a rooster. Never before had a human, let alone a duck, flown in a balloon. The year was 1783, a milestone year for aviation—the dream of flying had finally been realized. On October 15th of that year, a few months after the duck's historic flight, a balloon, 'Aerostat Reveillon,' launched in France, carrying scientist Pilatre De Rozier, and rose to the end of its 250 foot tether. It stayed aloft for fifteen minutes and then landed safely nearby."
I was not exactly a "caged duck" on the morning I went for my first hot air balloon ride in the desert of Palm Desert California; I was no "spring chicken" either as I was close to 60 years old that day. But when I looked down I did see terra firma slowly drifting away. We had climbed into the basket underneath the balloon at about 6am on a clear,dry, desert day. There were 5 of us including the balloonist, me and 3 other ladies, wives of the men who were attending a meeting in Palm Desert. Arch,the balloonist, wore a dark grey fedora hat and looked a bit like Indiana Jones
The evening before at dinner, one of the gals said she had always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon and was anyone else "up" for a ride. No one spoke up until I said "Me. I want to go" then 2 others chimed in and we called the number for "Balloons Above The Desert" and signed up.
Our hubbies were playing golf the next day so it was just a girls morning out or "UP"
The balloon lifted smoothly off the ground as the sandbags that tethered it to earth were lifted off by Arch's brother, the ground crew man who followed us in a pick up truck.. We soared higher and higher and then Arch brought us down so close to the ground we could see the jack rabbits running away when he gave the balloon more hot air to lift us up. Women came out on their patios with a mug of coffee to wave at us and we waved back.
It was a glorious ride. Clear, and blue and beautiful. desert sand and sky. Arch pointed out the sights below. Gerald Ford's house, Bob Hope's mansion in the distance.
Too soon our ride was over and Arch gently started gliding toward land where his brother was waiting with his pickup truck and his strong back to help secure the balloon when it landed. When we hopped out of the balloon basket and settled ourselves, Arch broke out a bottle of champagne and glasses for all of us. We toasted a successful flight and he gave us a certificate saying we had indeed "broken the surly bonds of earth."
"The caged duck looked down as terra firma slowly drifted away. Above the duck, a balloon, constructed of paper and fabric, provided the lift necessary to carry aloft the duck and its companions, a sheep and a rooster. Never before had a human, let alone a duck, flown in a balloon. The year was 1783, a milestone year for aviation—the dream of flying had finally been realized. On October 15th of that year, a few months after the duck's historic flight, a balloon, 'Aerostat Reveillon,' launched in France, carrying scientist Pilatre De Rozier, and rose to the end of its 250 foot tether. It stayed aloft for fifteen minutes and then landed safely nearby."
I was not exactly a "caged duck" on the morning I went for my first hot air balloon ride in the desert of Palm Desert California; I was no "spring chicken" either as I was close to 60 years old that day. But when I looked down I did see terra firma slowly drifting away. We had climbed into the basket underneath the balloon at about 6am on a clear,dry, desert day. There were 5 of us including the balloonist, me and 3 other ladies, wives of the men who were attending a meeting in Palm Desert. Arch,the balloonist, wore a dark grey fedora hat and looked a bit like Indiana Jones
The evening before at dinner, one of the gals said she had always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon and was anyone else "up" for a ride. No one spoke up until I said "Me. I want to go" then 2 others chimed in and we called the number for "Balloons Above The Desert" and signed up.
Our hubbies were playing golf the next day so it was just a girls morning out or "UP"
The balloon lifted smoothly off the ground as the sandbags that tethered it to earth were lifted off by Arch's brother, the ground crew man who followed us in a pick up truck.. We soared higher and higher and then Arch brought us down so close to the ground we could see the jack rabbits running away when he gave the balloon more hot air to lift us up. Women came out on their patios with a mug of coffee to wave at us and we waved back.
It was a glorious ride. Clear, and blue and beautiful. desert sand and sky. Arch pointed out the sights below. Gerald Ford's house, Bob Hope's mansion in the distance.
Too soon our ride was over and Arch gently started gliding toward land where his brother was waiting with his pickup truck and his strong back to help secure the balloon when it landed. When we hopped out of the balloon basket and settled ourselves, Arch broke out a bottle of champagne and glasses for all of us. We toasted a successful flight and he gave us a certificate saying we had indeed "broken the surly bonds of earth."
Friday, September 08, 2006
School Days
'Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic,
Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick.
You were my queen in calico,
I was your bashful barefoot beau,
And you wrote on my slate,
'I love you, Joe,'
When we were a couple of kids."
What do you remember from elementary school.
I remember kindergarten as a time when we sat around in a circle and played on little instruments like toy drums and xylophones and tambourines. We had dolls that we put to bed and covered up with small blankets. We had nap time and each child brought a small rug or blanket from home for naps. We didn't learn anything except how to play well with others and how to be away from home for several hours at a time. Recess was great with slides and swings and children running around in the fresh air.
First grade I learned to read. "See Dick. See Jane. See Dick run . See Jane run" ***
Second grade and third grade are blurs except for the Christmas pageant in one of them. I desperately wanted to be "Mary, the mother of Jesus". The one who sits by the manger and gazes lovingly at the baby. My hair was brown so I thought I looked like Mary. Instead, they chose a little girl with blond curls for Mary. (what bad casting)!!! I got to be the "Star of Bethlehem". Wearing a white robe with a golden halo, I did look great but my disappointment was severe at losing the staring role of Mary.
Was I scarred for life because of this early rejection? Who can say.:)
Fifth grade. Each year the fifth grade class made a trip by bus to the state capitol, Atlanta. The year I was in fifth grade my teacher's husband died so our trip was canceled.
Sixth grade was my zenith year. Miss Lucy Clarke was my teacher and I was "teacher's pet" I got called on repeatedly to stand in front of the class and read. Miss Clarke said I was an excellent reader and also an outstanding writer. She entered two of my essays in a state contest and I won. I think the prize was one whole dollar but there was a banquet and an award. I was so proud and happy.
What do you remember?
*** "The famous Dick and Jane books that taught millions of children to read were first published in 1931. These primers introduced the students to reading with only one new word per page and a limited vocabulary per book. All who learned to read with these books still recall the "Look. See Dick. See Dick run."
Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick.
You were my queen in calico,
I was your bashful barefoot beau,
And you wrote on my slate,
'I love you, Joe,'
When we were a couple of kids."
What do you remember from elementary school.
I remember kindergarten as a time when we sat around in a circle and played on little instruments like toy drums and xylophones and tambourines. We had dolls that we put to bed and covered up with small blankets. We had nap time and each child brought a small rug or blanket from home for naps. We didn't learn anything except how to play well with others and how to be away from home for several hours at a time. Recess was great with slides and swings and children running around in the fresh air.
First grade I learned to read. "See Dick. See Jane. See Dick run . See Jane run" ***
Second grade and third grade are blurs except for the Christmas pageant in one of them. I desperately wanted to be "Mary, the mother of Jesus". The one who sits by the manger and gazes lovingly at the baby. My hair was brown so I thought I looked like Mary. Instead, they chose a little girl with blond curls for Mary. (what bad casting)!!! I got to be the "Star of Bethlehem". Wearing a white robe with a golden halo, I did look great but my disappointment was severe at losing the staring role of Mary.
Was I scarred for life because of this early rejection? Who can say.:)
Fifth grade. Each year the fifth grade class made a trip by bus to the state capitol, Atlanta. The year I was in fifth grade my teacher's husband died so our trip was canceled.
Sixth grade was my zenith year. Miss Lucy Clarke was my teacher and I was "teacher's pet" I got called on repeatedly to stand in front of the class and read. Miss Clarke said I was an excellent reader and also an outstanding writer. She entered two of my essays in a state contest and I won. I think the prize was one whole dollar but there was a banquet and an award. I was so proud and happy.
What do you remember?
*** "The famous Dick and Jane books that taught millions of children to read were first published in 1931. These primers introduced the students to reading with only one new word per page and a limited vocabulary per book. All who learned to read with these books still recall the "Look. See Dick. See Dick run."
Monday, September 04, 2006
I'm Not Rappaport
Last night I ran across a movie on cable and it was hilarious. Poignant and sad but funny too.. The movie was “I’M NOT RAPPAPORT” with Walter Matthau and Ozzie Davis. Both characters are in their 80's and they spend most of their days in Central Park. The two meet while sharing a park bench and their adventures begin.
This is a sweet film about being old and vulnerable but fighting back against the ravages of time while retaining a vivid imagination and a sense of humor.
Watch this film if you get a chance
-----------------
from Internet Movie Data Base:
“Old Nat Moyer (Walter Mathau) is a talker, a philosopher, and a troublemaker with a fanciful imagination. His companion is Midge Carter, (“OzzieDavis”) who is half-blind, but still the super of an apartment house. When he is threatened with retirement, Nat battles on his behalf. Nat also takes on his daughter, a drug dealer, and a mugger in this appealing version of a really 'odd couple'
----------------------------------
and from Walter Matthau's official web page:
"According to his family and friends, some of Walter's best whoppers were: he was in line of succession to the throne of England...his grandfather was a defrocked priest... his grandmother was a Chinese stowaway (he claimed that is how his famly ended up in America)...his father was a jewel thief and Russian spy...and that his middle name was Foghorn.
.
"Even Walter could not have guessed how many people would fall for what has been come his most global and enduring joke yet. When Walter died in the summer of 2000, newspapers around the world printed obitutaries and tribute articles stating that Walter's real names was Matuschanskayasky. Apparently no one blinked at this outlandish concoction - and Walter's impish joke slipped past all the fact-checkers."
This is a sweet film about being old and vulnerable but fighting back against the ravages of time while retaining a vivid imagination and a sense of humor.
Watch this film if you get a chance
-----------------
from Internet Movie Data Base:
“Old Nat Moyer (Walter Mathau) is a talker, a philosopher, and a troublemaker with a fanciful imagination. His companion is Midge Carter, (“OzzieDavis”) who is half-blind, but still the super of an apartment house. When he is threatened with retirement, Nat battles on his behalf. Nat also takes on his daughter, a drug dealer, and a mugger in this appealing version of a really 'odd couple'
----------------------------------
and from Walter Matthau's official web page:
"According to his family and friends, some of Walter's best whoppers were: he was in line of succession to the throne of England...his grandfather was a defrocked priest... his grandmother was a Chinese stowaway (he claimed that is how his famly ended up in America)...his father was a jewel thief and Russian spy...and that his middle name was Foghorn.
.
"Even Walter could not have guessed how many people would fall for what has been come his most global and enduring joke yet. When Walter died in the summer of 2000, newspapers around the world printed obitutaries and tribute articles stating that Walter's real names was Matuschanskayasky. Apparently no one blinked at this outlandish concoction - and Walter's impish joke slipped past all the fact-checkers."
Saturday, September 02, 2006
We all need a good laugh
"In the supermarket was a man pushing a cart which contained a screaming, bellowing baby. The gentleman kept repeating softly, "Don't get excited, Albert; don't scream, Albert; don't yell, Albert; keep calm, Albert."
A woman standing next to him said, "You certainly are to be commended for trying to soothe your son Albert."
The man looked at her and said, "Lady, I'm Albert."
And these I stole from Roger @ "there's always something." check out his blog by clicking on the title above.
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
--Dan Quayle
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
--Lee Iacocca
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective
March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."
--Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." --Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very
important part of your life,"
--Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign.
“The security of the civilized world depends on victory in the war on terror, and that depends on victory in Iraq.” George W. Bush in an American Legion speech this week.
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff."
--Mariah Carey
A woman standing next to him said, "You certainly are to be commended for trying to soothe your son Albert."
The man looked at her and said, "Lady, I'm Albert."
And these I stole from Roger @ "there's always something." check out his blog by clicking on the title above.
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
--Dan Quayle
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
--Lee Iacocca
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective
March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."
--Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." --Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very
important part of your life,"
--Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign.
“The security of the civilized world depends on victory in the war on terror, and that depends on victory in Iraq.” George W. Bush in an American Legion speech this week.
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff."
--Mariah Carey
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Robert Brady's Pureland Mountain
Don't miss Robert Brady's post today, "A handful of Broadays", about being "Absent Minded" as we grow older. His blog "Pureland Mountain" is a delight to read.
click on the above title to visit the blog.
Tell him Chancy sent you :)
"So if you've been enjoying a well-lived life, by the time you reach my age you have a lot of there there. With so many lives in you to live, re-live and be mentally active in, it should be no surprise if you're often in more than one life at a time (especially when in one of them what you're doing has become routine...). So you might as well admit it: you're not absent-minded, you're extra-minded"
click on the above title to visit the blog.
Tell him Chancy sent you :)
"So if you've been enjoying a well-lived life, by the time you reach my age you have a lot of there there. With so many lives in you to live, re-live and be mentally active in, it should be no surprise if you're often in more than one life at a time (especially when in one of them what you're doing has become routine...). So you might as well admit it: you're not absent-minded, you're extra-minded"
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
CNN -- You never know who is listening
I was mixing a meat loaf and halfway listening to President Bush's speech from New Orleans today regarding the one year anniversary of Katrina.I heard what sounded like someone in the audience speaking. Bush paused and looked confused then continued with his prepared remarks.
A few seconds later I heard very clearly a woman's voice saying something like "Well, it is difficult to find someone with true compassion." Then another person responded evidently; and then the first woman said "you know he IS married with 3 children. But his wife is something of a control freak"
I was totally mystified until I Googled "Bush Katrina Speech News" and found the answer I was seeking except I still do not know if there was a heckler or if it was all the open mike confusion
.....................................
I later found this info on the Chicago Tribune:
"A CNN glitch during President Bush's Katrina speech
The live feed of President Bush’s address at a New Orleans high school on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was marred by some disconcerting chatter that came over the live CNN feed Tuesday.
At 11:48 a.m. Chicago time, a woman’s voice, presumably that of a CNN staffer, cut in just after Bush spoke this line:
“To make sure that we keep our promises and to make sure this good area recovers, we have got to give assurances to the citizens that if there is another natural disaster we’ll respond in better fashion.”
Just after this statement, Bush’s voice could still be heard, but then a female’s voice was heard having a conversation with another person whose voice was not fully audible. What sounded like an expletive was heard, then the first woman’s voice continued, apparently speaking of a third person’s merits.
“I’m very lucky at the network [not audible], he is genuinely a loving, no-ego [not audible] just a really passionate, compassionate, great, great human being. And they exist, they do exist. They’re hard to find, yep, but they are out there.”
The second woman’s voice is heard in the background, and possibly the sound of something being sprayed, which leads to the conjecture that a CNN correspondent’s microphone perhaps somehow was activated while she was having makeup and hair done. The subject then apparently turns to family.
“Mom’s got a good vibe. Brothers have to be, you know, protective. Except for mine, I’ve got to be protective of him. Ah yeah, I have to be protective of him. He’s married, three kids, but his wife is just a control freak.”
Soon after that, the the unknown woman’s audio was cut off, and CNN anchor voice Daryn Kagan could be heard over the speech, saying, “All right, we’ve been listening in to President Bush as he speaks in New Orleans today.”
A CNN spokeswoman said she would try to find out whose voice it was that accidentally came over the airwaves.
UPDATE: At 12:43 p.m. Chicago time, CNN anchor Kyra Phillips apologized for "an issue we had" with microphones during Bush's speech."
-----------
Oh well, this open mike bit was the only thing interesting in an otherwise classic Bush dullsville speech
Too Funny!!!!!
Here is a funny comment from Youtube
"The most important thing to hear is where she calls her sister-in-law a "control freak." Someone's got some 'splainin' to do."
A few seconds later I heard very clearly a woman's voice saying something like "Well, it is difficult to find someone with true compassion." Then another person responded evidently; and then the first woman said "you know he IS married with 3 children. But his wife is something of a control freak"
I was totally mystified until I Googled "Bush Katrina Speech News" and found the answer I was seeking except I still do not know if there was a heckler or if it was all the open mike confusion
.....................................
I later found this info on the Chicago Tribune:
"A CNN glitch during President Bush's Katrina speech
The live feed of President Bush’s address at a New Orleans high school on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was marred by some disconcerting chatter that came over the live CNN feed Tuesday.
At 11:48 a.m. Chicago time, a woman’s voice, presumably that of a CNN staffer, cut in just after Bush spoke this line:
“To make sure that we keep our promises and to make sure this good area recovers, we have got to give assurances to the citizens that if there is another natural disaster we’ll respond in better fashion.”
Just after this statement, Bush’s voice could still be heard, but then a female’s voice was heard having a conversation with another person whose voice was not fully audible. What sounded like an expletive was heard, then the first woman’s voice continued, apparently speaking of a third person’s merits.
“I’m very lucky at the network [not audible], he is genuinely a loving, no-ego [not audible] just a really passionate, compassionate, great, great human being. And they exist, they do exist. They’re hard to find, yep, but they are out there.”
The second woman’s voice is heard in the background, and possibly the sound of something being sprayed, which leads to the conjecture that a CNN correspondent’s microphone perhaps somehow was activated while she was having makeup and hair done. The subject then apparently turns to family.
“Mom’s got a good vibe. Brothers have to be, you know, protective. Except for mine, I’ve got to be protective of him. Ah yeah, I have to be protective of him. He’s married, three kids, but his wife is just a control freak.”
Soon after that, the the unknown woman’s audio was cut off, and CNN anchor voice Daryn Kagan could be heard over the speech, saying, “All right, we’ve been listening in to President Bush as he speaks in New Orleans today.”
A CNN spokeswoman said she would try to find out whose voice it was that accidentally came over the airwaves.
UPDATE: At 12:43 p.m. Chicago time, CNN anchor Kyra Phillips apologized for "an issue we had" with microphones during Bush's speech."
-----------
Oh well, this open mike bit was the only thing interesting in an otherwise classic Bush dullsville speech
Too Funny!!!!!
Here is a funny comment from Youtube
"The most important thing to hear is where she calls her sister-in-law a "control freak." Someone's got some 'splainin' to do."
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Healing chant
I read this prayer on another blog and even though I am Christian and the chant is in the Buddhist tradition it struck a cord within me.
---------------
Traditional Blessing and Healing Chant
"Just as the soft rains fill the streams,
pour into the rivers, and join together in the oceans,
so may the power of every moment of your goodness
flow forth to awaken and heal all beings--
those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.
By the power of every moment of your goodness,
may your heart's wishes be soon fulfilled
as completely shining as the bright full moon,
as magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.
By the power of every moment of your goodness,
may all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacle come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.
For all in whose heart dwells respect,
who follow the wisdom and compassion, of the Way,
may your life prosper in the four blessings
of old age, beauty, happiness and strength."
Source: Holistic Living
Visit www.beliefnet.com for a source of spirituality for any religious persuasion.
click on title on the header for link
---------------
Traditional Blessing and Healing Chant
"Just as the soft rains fill the streams,
pour into the rivers, and join together in the oceans,
so may the power of every moment of your goodness
flow forth to awaken and heal all beings--
those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.
By the power of every moment of your goodness,
may your heart's wishes be soon fulfilled
as completely shining as the bright full moon,
as magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.
By the power of every moment of your goodness,
may all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacle come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.
For all in whose heart dwells respect,
who follow the wisdom and compassion, of the Way,
may your life prosper in the four blessings
of old age, beauty, happiness and strength."
Source: Holistic Living
Visit www.beliefnet.com for a source of spirituality for any religious persuasion.
click on title on the header for link
Friday, August 25, 2006
September 11, 2001
"NEW YORK - CNN will mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by replaying on the Internet the cable network's coverage of that day's events.
Viewers can watch how events unfolded starting at 8:30 a.m., minutes before the first reports of an airplane hitting the World Trade Center. The feed will run in real time, as the network showed it five years ago, until midnight"
---------------------------------
I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I read this announcement a few minutes ago. . At least CNN is not preempting their TV coverage to show films of the carnage of 9/11. That would be too much to bear.
On September 11, 2001, my husband and I were sitting in our breakfast nook talking and the phone rang. It was our daughter calling to tell us "Quick. Turn on CNN. A plane just flew into one of the World Trade Center buildings." We rushed to the TV just in time to see the second plane hit. Even now, five years later, I feel numb and scared thinking about that day. The Pentagon hit. Flight 93 crashes.
All so unreal. We could not bring ourselves to stray far from the TV even as the images become more filled with the horror of the poor people jumping from the buildings. And the dazed and shocked survivors running from the scene.
. .
I know we need to remember these terrible events but I dread the coming anniversary week surrounding September 11. The psyche of our nation has been strained. We need solace and comfort. Watching reruns of 9/11 will not comfort us. I, myself, could use a good fireside chat by FDR reassuring us that all will be well and that "We have nothing to fear but fear itself"
Where were you on 9/11?
Viewers can watch how events unfolded starting at 8:30 a.m., minutes before the first reports of an airplane hitting the World Trade Center. The feed will run in real time, as the network showed it five years ago, until midnight"
---------------------------------
I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I read this announcement a few minutes ago. . At least CNN is not preempting their TV coverage to show films of the carnage of 9/11. That would be too much to bear.
On September 11, 2001, my husband and I were sitting in our breakfast nook talking and the phone rang. It was our daughter calling to tell us "Quick. Turn on CNN. A plane just flew into one of the World Trade Center buildings." We rushed to the TV just in time to see the second plane hit. Even now, five years later, I feel numb and scared thinking about that day. The Pentagon hit. Flight 93 crashes.
All so unreal. We could not bring ourselves to stray far from the TV even as the images become more filled with the horror of the poor people jumping from the buildings. And the dazed and shocked survivors running from the scene.
. .
I know we need to remember these terrible events but I dread the coming anniversary week surrounding September 11. The psyche of our nation has been strained. We need solace and comfort. Watching reruns of 9/11 will not comfort us. I, myself, could use a good fireside chat by FDR reassuring us that all will be well and that "We have nothing to fear but fear itself"
Where were you on 9/11?
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Staying the course
Octogenarian has a post on his web site that prodded me to go googling about Iraq. Click on the link(title) above and you can visit Mort (Octogenarian). Mort is a retired journalist and his blog is filled with thought provoking information and posts. Tell him Chancy sent you
http://octogenarian.blogspot.com/
------
Top 10 Bad Reasons for “Staying the Course” in Iraq
(and One Good One)
by Jeff Huber
03 October 2005
"10. Democracy takes time. America needed 13 years to write its Constitution.
The American Revolution analogy is ludicrous. Britain did not invade the American colonies in order to liberate us, and we did not ask them to stick around for more than a decade to help us form our government.
9. If we leave now, we’ll embolden the terrorists.
They’re not exactly shrinking violets now. The longer we’ve stayed, the bolder they’ve become.
8. Withdrawing will show lack of American resolve.
Getting in a bar fight over a girl shows resolve. Waking up in jail with your nose broken shows how stupid you are.
7. We’re fighting them there so we don’t have to fight them here.
If we don’t have to fight them over here, why do we spend around $40 billion a year for a Department of Homeland Security?
6. The spread of democracy in the Middle East will enhance America’s security.
"Free" elections in the Middle East have helped Afghanistan become the world’s leading exporter of narcotics and transformed terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah into "legitimate" political parties.
5. We need to support our troops.
I applaud and deeply respect our men and women in uniform for their magnificent service and sacrifice. These are my people, remember? However, comma….
In the first place, we are supporting our troops — to the tune of nearly half a trillion dollars a year.
Second, when we continue to commit those men and women in uniform to a struggle for which there is no military solution, we are abusing them, not supporting them.
Third — and most importantly — America does not exist for the purpose of supporting its military. Our military exists to support America. And if it’s not defending us at home or achieving our national aims overseas, it’s not supporting our country.
4. If we pull out now, we’ll look weak.
We’ve committed our national power to an ill-advised war and are losing. How much weaker can we look?
3. In times of crisis, we need to rally around the president and his policies.
America will not maintain or restore its power and prestige by behaving like a nation of lemmings. There is nothing noble, brave, or patriotic about following the leader over the cliff and into the sea.
2. "They tried to kill my dad."
Thanks to Mr. Bush’s policies and strategies, they’ve succeeded in killing a lot of dads, and moms, and aunts, and uncles, and brothers, and sisters ….
If we cut through the bunker mentality and frame the argument for staying in Iraq to reflect the neocons’ real purpose for the Iraq invasion, it might sound something like this:
1. We set out to establish a military base of operations from which we can control the Middle East and its oil, and we should persist until we "get the job done."
Even though it’s true, the argument’s still specious. Our "besttrained, bestequipped, bestfunded" military can’t get Iraq or Afghanistan under control. How can we possibly expect to lock down the entire Middle East?
+1. We owe something to the Iraqi people.
This is the only rationale that still holds water with me. We need to pay for the pottery we broke. But how much do we need to pay for it, and who exactly is this we we’re referring to, kemosabe"
www.epluribusmedia.org/columns
http://octogenarian.blogspot.com/
------
Top 10 Bad Reasons for “Staying the Course” in Iraq
(and One Good One)
by Jeff Huber
03 October 2005
"10. Democracy takes time. America needed 13 years to write its Constitution.
The American Revolution analogy is ludicrous. Britain did not invade the American colonies in order to liberate us, and we did not ask them to stick around for more than a decade to help us form our government.
9. If we leave now, we’ll embolden the terrorists.
They’re not exactly shrinking violets now. The longer we’ve stayed, the bolder they’ve become.
8. Withdrawing will show lack of American resolve.
Getting in a bar fight over a girl shows resolve. Waking up in jail with your nose broken shows how stupid you are.
7. We’re fighting them there so we don’t have to fight them here.
If we don’t have to fight them over here, why do we spend around $40 billion a year for a Department of Homeland Security?
6. The spread of democracy in the Middle East will enhance America’s security.
"Free" elections in the Middle East have helped Afghanistan become the world’s leading exporter of narcotics and transformed terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah into "legitimate" political parties.
5. We need to support our troops.
I applaud and deeply respect our men and women in uniform for their magnificent service and sacrifice. These are my people, remember? However, comma….
In the first place, we are supporting our troops — to the tune of nearly half a trillion dollars a year.
Second, when we continue to commit those men and women in uniform to a struggle for which there is no military solution, we are abusing them, not supporting them.
Third — and most importantly — America does not exist for the purpose of supporting its military. Our military exists to support America. And if it’s not defending us at home or achieving our national aims overseas, it’s not supporting our country.
4. If we pull out now, we’ll look weak.
We’ve committed our national power to an ill-advised war and are losing. How much weaker can we look?
3. In times of crisis, we need to rally around the president and his policies.
America will not maintain or restore its power and prestige by behaving like a nation of lemmings. There is nothing noble, brave, or patriotic about following the leader over the cliff and into the sea.
2. "They tried to kill my dad."
Thanks to Mr. Bush’s policies and strategies, they’ve succeeded in killing a lot of dads, and moms, and aunts, and uncles, and brothers, and sisters ….
If we cut through the bunker mentality and frame the argument for staying in Iraq to reflect the neocons’ real purpose for the Iraq invasion, it might sound something like this:
1. We set out to establish a military base of operations from which we can control the Middle East and its oil, and we should persist until we "get the job done."
Even though it’s true, the argument’s still specious. Our "besttrained, bestequipped, bestfunded" military can’t get Iraq or Afghanistan under control. How can we possibly expect to lock down the entire Middle East?
+1. We owe something to the Iraqi people.
This is the only rationale that still holds water with me. We need to pay for the pottery we broke. But how much do we need to pay for it, and who exactly is this we we’re referring to, kemosabe"
www.epluribusmedia.org/columns
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Go visit
Roger at "There's Always Something" See URL above in link. Roger is a retired minister and he is learning how to video blog. This is his second one and it is very good. He sings "All The Way" in a laid back style between Tony Bennett and "Ole Blue Eyes.
Tell him Chancy sent you...:)
PS My hubby has an excellent voice and so does our son so you can tell I am a sucker for a man who can sing...:)
Tell him Chancy sent you...:)
PS My hubby has an excellent voice and so does our son so you can tell I am a sucker for a man who can sing...:)
Friday, August 18, 2006
Comfort Food
What are your comfort foods that you remember from your childhood? Cinnamon toast, banana pudding,sweet potato pie, chicken and dumplings, beef pot roast with sweet potatoes and; don't laugh, fruit cake. Those are some of mine.
My mother used to make the best fruitcake. Lots of pecans and candied fruit. She would soak a clean cloth in whiskey or rum and wrap the cake and leave it for a week or so. I know many people hate fruitcake but hers was very tasty. I have never been able to duplicate it.
And also I was just thinking the other day how much I missed having banana pudding. I told Mr C. that I was going to make a banana pudding for supper one day soon. That's all. We could just eat the pudding and call it supper.
Yummy.
My mother used to make the best fruitcake. Lots of pecans and candied fruit. She would soak a clean cloth in whiskey or rum and wrap the cake and leave it for a week or so. I know many people hate fruitcake but hers was very tasty. I have never been able to duplicate it.
And also I was just thinking the other day how much I missed having banana pudding. I told Mr C. that I was going to make a banana pudding for supper one day soon. That's all. We could just eat the pudding and call it supper.
Yummy.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
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
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?
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?
Monday, August 14, 2006
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/
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/
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
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
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."
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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
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