Getting old is not for sissies.

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

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

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

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

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

You Belong in the Silent Generation

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

What Generation Do You Belong In?

Idol mistake

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

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

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

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

Oh well, life goes on.

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

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

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

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

One of the first sites that came up was TGB.

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

What a serendipitious discovery that was.

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

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

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

Thank You Ronni

And again

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Janet
aka chancy

Customer service?

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

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

Enjoy





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

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

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

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

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

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

One of our own is ill

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

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

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

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

GET WELL SOON GRANNY

What I am reading "The Funny Boys"

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

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

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


FROM AMAZON

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

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

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

The Atlanta tornado missed us

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

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

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

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

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

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

What they saw was terrifying.

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

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

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

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

From IMDB:

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


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


I think .:)

.

The "Beagle" has landed

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

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

Bless his heart.

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

24/7 news

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

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

~ E. B. White

Conversation.

I happened upon this quote by the Dalai Lama:

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

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


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

We are blessed.

The big snow of '08

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

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

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

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

"A Far Cry From Weak"

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


Clinton a far cry from weak

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 01/11/08




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

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

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

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

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

Maureen Downey, for the editorial board


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 01/11/08

A simple quiz

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


A Simple Quiz




Answers below

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last?

2) Which country makes Panama hats?

3) From which animal do we get catgut?

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

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

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

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

8) What color is a purple finch?

9) What country do Chinese gooseberries come from?

10) How long did the Thirty Years War last?

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


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

Positively Honest

This story reminds me of something similar that happened when we moved 5 years ago into our townhouse.

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

Woman loses ring in fudge, gets it back Sat Dec 29, 8:14 PM ET



LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A woman whose diamond ring vanished while she was making fudge for a bake sale was despondent after scouring her home and finding no sign of it.



But Linda Vancel recently got a sweet surprise: A relative of the woman who bought the fudge found the ring when he bit into a piece of the candy.

"It's a very sentimental ring," Vancel said of the white gold ring her mother, who died 15 years ago, wore for 50 years before passing it on.

Linda Rhoades bought the fudge during a bake sale in West Lafayette. She took some of it to her sister-in-law's father, Charles "Red" Matson, in hopes of cheering him up after recent health problems.

When Matson snacked on a piece of the fudge, he bit into something hard — the ring.

Rhoades said Matson called her and said, "Well, Linda, it's got chocolate all over it, but it doesn't look adjustable. It's got a stone that's really shiny."

Vancel said she had scoured her home, even dumping the trash can on the kitchen floor to sort through the rubbish for the ring. Finally she thought to track down Rhoades and sent her a long-shot e-mail, which Rhoades returned as soon as she got back from vacation.

"It renews your faith in people," Vancel said. "Sometimes there's so much negative in the world, to hear a story like this is reassuring."
-------

When we moved into our townhouse we did some extensive remodeling and the counter tops and cabinets in the kitchen were covered with a lot of fine sheet rock dust. We hired some cleaning ladies to come in and help clean up the mess through out. One of the ladies is the wife of a moving company employee and she runs a small cleaning company. They all immigrated from South America as few years back. The moving company, "Truck And I," has achieved good success with hard work and perseverance. Except for Hazel, the boss and owner of the small cleaning company, the other two ladies were strangers to us.

As they worked hard at wiping out the insides of the cabinets, one of them, called me to come into the kitchen. She held out her hand and showed me a ladies ring, gold and set with some lovely stones. I could tell at once it was valuable. I told her "This is not my ring.The previous owner must have accidently left her ring in the cabinet."

I thanked her and praised her for her honesty and proceeded to call Mrs T, from whom we purchased the house.

Turns out it WAS her ring and she had not missed it in the hustle and bustle of their moving. She has three small children and was distracted by all the packing as they were planning to move to Canada where her husband was opening a branch of an Atlanta company

Mrs T came by immediately and retrieved her ring. She said it had great sentimental value. It was her engagement ring.

I have always thought this was a lovely story. Mrs T asked for Hazel's phone number so she could call and send a reward to her honest employee.

Isn't this an inspirational story. Do you have any similar positive experiences you can remember?

"It renews your faith in people," Vancel said. "Sometimes there's so much negative in the world, to hear a story like this is reassuring."

HAPPY NEW YEAR

New Year's Resolutions:

Since New Year's Resolutions are so hard to keep here are some easy ones:



"Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year and yet you never keep them? Here are some resolutions that you can actually accomplish! Enjoy! :-)

10. Read less.


9. I want to gain weight. Put on at least 30 pounds.

8. Stop exercising. Waste of time.

7. Watch more TV. I've been missing some good stuff.


6. Procrastinate more.

5. Drink. Drink some more.

4. Start being superstitious.

3. Spend more time at work.


2. Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.

and last but not least...

1. Take up a new habit: maybe smoking!"

Annual Christmas Message

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

"In Hoc Anno Domini'
Vermont Royster's annual Christmas message.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST

"This editorial was written in 1949 by the late Vermont Royster and has been published annually since.

When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus the whole of the known world lay in bondage. There was one state, and it was Rome. There was one master for it all, and he was Tiberius Caesar.

Everywhere there was civil order, for the arm of the Roman law was long. Everywhere there was stability, in government and in society, for the centurions saw that it was so.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us remember afterward in each of the years of his Lord:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Christmas Tree Update

.

I did get a "real tree"

Yesterday, when I went to the Publix Grocery store, this pretty little 3 ft tall green fir tree with a red bow on top had my "name on it".

We put it on the front stoop. With the red bow on top and one lone keepsake Snoopy ornament, it is now my Charlie Brown Christmas Tree..

My husband,Sam, teased me when he saw it and said. "You JUST had to have a REAL tree didn't you?"

I had not thought of that aspect of my purchase but subliminally perhaps he is right.

Anyway, I now have the best of both worlds.

Merry Christmas to ALL!!
&
Happy Holidays

The search.

For over 50 years I have been a purist, pure as the driven snow as the old cliche goes. Or as the old Coke ad sang"It's The Real Thing".

Every year about this time my husband and I would set out, first just the two of us and then when the children started arriving into our lives we would all head out in search of perfection. We hardly ever found it. The years passed and the children grew up and moved on with their own lives and personal searches. Then we would, again, just the two of us set out on our search. . After awhile a grand child or two would accompany us on our yearly adventure but soon they too were tied into their own families' searching.

How to break the addiction? This search for perfection? If we dared to branch out would the world stop spinning on it's axis? What would the neighbors think? Then out of the blue I mentioned to my good friend ,Vi, what I was contemplating. And lo and behold she had already beat me to the punch. She had already branched out into virgin territory. Now you would have to know Vi to appreciate the wonder of her personal decision to make such a radical change at her age. She is an arbiter of taste. She has relatives in Charleston SC, the old genteel , society Charleston. She attended the St Cecilia Ball there. She is an artist with impeccable taste.

When I first learned of the change Vi had already made in her lifestyle I was anxious to follow suit. I admired her courage. She is my age and it takes guts to adopt a brand new lifestyle at our advanced age. She directed me to an out of the way warehouse in a somewhat seedy part of town. Normally only open to the "Trade" this spot is now open to the public because the business has been sold and they are liquidating.

Sam and I arrived and walked into the back of the warehouse. Eureka ! There it was. Our search was finally over. As we were looking and walking around it a cheerful grey haired gentleman walked up and told us he had a similar one and his family loved it. He showed us all the features and told how easy his life was now that he had taken the plunge.

He even said with a twinkle in his eye, " I tried to get you an additional discount since that one is the last and is a floor sample but Scrooge here said no deal"

It was already a bargain and so beautifully constructed, even though it was made in China. We brought it into our home and quick as a wink the project was complete.

After finishing we sat down with a nice cup of spice tea marveling at the beauty of this newcomer into our lives.

Our search was over.

We have finally found the Perfect Christmas Tree.

The only problem is this. The tree is guaranteed for 15 years and by then I will be 93.

I need to call a lawyer and change my will.

.