I just realized that this is the 3 year anniversary of my blog "Driftwood Inspiration." I enjoy blogging here but I think I enjoy even more reading other blogs and commenting on them.
So many interesting posts and differing points of view on a myriad of subjects. And a varied group of people. I find myself drawn to about a dozen blogs which I read several times a week and I try to comment when I have something interesting to add to the discussion.
Most of the blogs I visit I found from links on "Times Goes By" Ronni Bennett's blog. Isn't she a treasure?
So here's to all my many blogger friends. Thanks for stopping by and commenting now and then.
Have a great week and a wonderful tomorrow.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
As Time Goes By--the original.
"Casablanca" is one movie that never grows old and rusty or dated. I first saw it as a 14 year old at the Palace Theater in Athens,Georgia and now whenever "Casablanca" is shown on Turner Classic Movies I settle down for a good time with a tear or two as Rick and Ilsa say farewell on that long ago foggy night
This article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution caught my eye and Jay Bookman captures the continuing appeal that "Casablanca" has for some of us.
Do you remember "Casablanca?"
----------------
Bookman: As time goes by, one movie's magic continues
By JAY BOOKMAN
Cox News Service
Thursday, June 19, 2008
"ATLANTA — We got there early, or so I thought. But no.
Some 4,000 people had gotten there ahead of us, forcing us to take seats in the far upper reaches of the cavernous, historic Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta. We had all been drawn out of our air-conditioned homes on a warm summer evening, pulled away from our TVs and computers and video games, by the chance to watch a black-and-white movie churned out by the studio system more than 60 years ago, long before most of us in the audience had been born.
We came to watch Humphrey Bogart lament that "of all the gin joints in all the world, she walks into mine."
We came to giggle at Claude Rains claiming to be"shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here."
And we came to hear Bogie tell Ingrid Bergman one more time that "it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."
The enduring appeal of "Casablanca" would probably startle those who made the movie, because it's such a product of a unique moment in our history. While actors were saying those now-famous lines on a Hollywood soundstage, hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers were being shipped overseas in the opening months of World War II. It wasn't melodrama to say that the fate of the world hung in the balance, giving the screenplay a power that is sometimes lost on modern audiences. Early in the movie, for example, Rick pinpoints the exact moment in time in which the events take place.
"Sam, if it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York?"
"Uh, my watch stopped," Sam replies.
"I'll bet they're sleeping in New York. I bet they're sleeping all over America."
The original audience knew quite well what Rick did not, that on Dec. 7, 1941, a wakeup call was coming in the form of Pearl Harbor.
"Casablanca" is many things — a date movie, a chick flick, a war movie, a spy thriller. But it is also a profoundly political movie about the importance of surrendering individual desires for the greater common good, particularly when great things are at stake. We can't all be Victor Laszlo, the charismatic, virtuous hero, but as Rick finally learns, each of us must sacrifice to do our part. That too had a particular resonance for a WWII audience.
So why does the movie still fascinate us even now, in a very different time and place? The movie supplies its own answer: Because it's still the same old story, the fight for love and glory. The fundamental things still apply.
There is also an undeniable magic to the familiar, like the old family stories that get retold every year at the holidays even though everybody already knows every line and detail. When Rick and Ilsa are first reunited, you anticipate the bitter sting of that line you know is coming: "I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue." And when it comes, it never disappoints.
At the end, after Rick walked off into the fog with Louie proclaiming "the beginning of a beautiful friendship," the audience cheered and applauded. But later, as we made our way to the car, the youngest family member remarked that she hadn't realized how silly the movie was.
Silly? One of the greatest movies of all time, silly?
Yes, she said. Silly because at the end, they made Ilsa out to be so stupid and helpless.
Oh, that. Yes, there is that.
"I ran away from you once," Ilsa says, her head lolling on Rick's shoulder. "I can't do it again. Oh, I don't know what's right anymore. You'll have to think for both of us, for all of us."
Those are not the words of the noble, strong Ilsa we've come to know. They are the words of a screenwriter trying to wrap things up. If you look too closely, the plot creaks and groans in a lot of places, particularly in its reliance on magical "letters of transit" allowing anyone to flee the purgatory of Casablanca.
However, you learn to overlook the imperfections of old friends as you get older — you know, as time goes by."
Jay Bookman writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
This article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution caught my eye and Jay Bookman captures the continuing appeal that "Casablanca" has for some of us.
Do you remember "Casablanca?"
----------------
Bookman: As time goes by, one movie's magic continues
By JAY BOOKMAN
Cox News Service
Thursday, June 19, 2008
"ATLANTA — We got there early, or so I thought. But no.
Some 4,000 people had gotten there ahead of us, forcing us to take seats in the far upper reaches of the cavernous, historic Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta. We had all been drawn out of our air-conditioned homes on a warm summer evening, pulled away from our TVs and computers and video games, by the chance to watch a black-and-white movie churned out by the studio system more than 60 years ago, long before most of us in the audience had been born.
We came to watch Humphrey Bogart lament that "of all the gin joints in all the world, she walks into mine."
We came to giggle at Claude Rains claiming to be"shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here."
And we came to hear Bogie tell Ingrid Bergman one more time that "it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."
The enduring appeal of "Casablanca" would probably startle those who made the movie, because it's such a product of a unique moment in our history. While actors were saying those now-famous lines on a Hollywood soundstage, hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers were being shipped overseas in the opening months of World War II. It wasn't melodrama to say that the fate of the world hung in the balance, giving the screenplay a power that is sometimes lost on modern audiences. Early in the movie, for example, Rick pinpoints the exact moment in time in which the events take place.
"Sam, if it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York?"
"Uh, my watch stopped," Sam replies.
"I'll bet they're sleeping in New York. I bet they're sleeping all over America."
The original audience knew quite well what Rick did not, that on Dec. 7, 1941, a wakeup call was coming in the form of Pearl Harbor.
"Casablanca" is many things — a date movie, a chick flick, a war movie, a spy thriller. But it is also a profoundly political movie about the importance of surrendering individual desires for the greater common good, particularly when great things are at stake. We can't all be Victor Laszlo, the charismatic, virtuous hero, but as Rick finally learns, each of us must sacrifice to do our part. That too had a particular resonance for a WWII audience.
So why does the movie still fascinate us even now, in a very different time and place? The movie supplies its own answer: Because it's still the same old story, the fight for love and glory. The fundamental things still apply.
There is also an undeniable magic to the familiar, like the old family stories that get retold every year at the holidays even though everybody already knows every line and detail. When Rick and Ilsa are first reunited, you anticipate the bitter sting of that line you know is coming: "I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue." And when it comes, it never disappoints.
At the end, after Rick walked off into the fog with Louie proclaiming "the beginning of a beautiful friendship," the audience cheered and applauded. But later, as we made our way to the car, the youngest family member remarked that she hadn't realized how silly the movie was.
Silly? One of the greatest movies of all time, silly?
Yes, she said. Silly because at the end, they made Ilsa out to be so stupid and helpless.
Oh, that. Yes, there is that.
"I ran away from you once," Ilsa says, her head lolling on Rick's shoulder. "I can't do it again. Oh, I don't know what's right anymore. You'll have to think for both of us, for all of us."
Those are not the words of the noble, strong Ilsa we've come to know. They are the words of a screenwriter trying to wrap things up. If you look too closely, the plot creaks and groans in a lot of places, particularly in its reliance on magical "letters of transit" allowing anyone to flee the purgatory of Casablanca.
However, you learn to overlook the imperfections of old friends as you get older — you know, as time goes by."
Jay Bookman writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
High tech
We HAD to get new cell phones because my hubby lost his and we are on the same account. It was about time as ours were about 5 years old and many advances in hi tech have been made. Hubby went to the AT&T store and got 2 of the new model Nokias. He even got one with a camera phone; not that we really need that feature but most of the new ones come with camera feature.
I am the techie (lol) in our family and when he came in and we opened the boxes and got out the instructions I felt overwhelmed with all the jargon and stuff but I was giving it a game try when our 11 year old grandson came by. Hooray! He can do it with ease. (I went upstairs to take a Zanax); the techie stress of a short time of reading the instructions before he got here was grating on my nerves.
Well, in no time at all he had the cell all set up with speed dial, and all the other features, including a neat analog clock on the face of the phone.Thank heavens for our own little "Geek Squad"
This morning I was fooling around with the cell phone and becoming acquainted with it when I noticed the time on the analog clock was not right. I checked the instructions and could find no way to reset the clock.
Hubby and I went out to supper and I brought my cell phone along to show him some of the features and to show off how much I had learned during the day today
I handed the phone to him and said ""See the time is not right on this analog clock and I don't know how to reset it.I am sure when S comes back over he can fix it. I told him about the problem today"
Hubby handed the phone back to me and said. "You are looking at the clock upside down"
So much for my tech expertise.:o)
I am the techie (lol) in our family and when he came in and we opened the boxes and got out the instructions I felt overwhelmed with all the jargon and stuff but I was giving it a game try when our 11 year old grandson came by. Hooray! He can do it with ease. (I went upstairs to take a Zanax); the techie stress of a short time of reading the instructions before he got here was grating on my nerves.
Well, in no time at all he had the cell all set up with speed dial, and all the other features, including a neat analog clock on the face of the phone.Thank heavens for our own little "Geek Squad"
This morning I was fooling around with the cell phone and becoming acquainted with it when I noticed the time on the analog clock was not right. I checked the instructions and could find no way to reset the clock.
Hubby and I went out to supper and I brought my cell phone along to show him some of the features and to show off how much I had learned during the day today
I handed the phone to him and said ""See the time is not right on this analog clock and I don't know how to reset it.I am sure when S comes back over he can fix it. I told him about the problem today"
Hubby handed the phone back to me and said. "You are looking at the clock upside down"
So much for my tech expertise.:o)
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Memories of food
Memories of Food
No. Not foods that improve your memory, but the food you most fondly remember from the past.
When my husband was still working with his former company we traveled a great deal, Many cities in the US, Europe, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and points north, south east and west.
We dined in many fine restaurants during our travels. Some of the best in the world.
But when I get nostalgic about food and crave something from the past it is not a dish like pressed duck from Tour d'Argent in Paris, or Caviar and Vodka from the restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong.
.
Fancy restaurants of France , DC , NYC, ...No ...I want a pipping hot dish of chicken and dumplings made by my mother in law when she was still alive. Banana pudding and sweet potato pie by my Mother. Country vegetables. Pear preserves. Corn sticks. Frances and Virginia Tearoom hot turkey and egg bread
And one of my favorite restaurant memories is of the Frances and Virginia Tearoom in downtown Atlanta during a simplier time in a slower paced city.
"The Frances Virginia Tea Room became a landmark in early Atlanta, and by 1943 they were serving more than 2,000 meals. Diners celebrated the opening of "Gone with the Wind," mourned the death of President Roosevelt, and they watched the Fourth of July Parades from the Peachtree windows. In 1962 the owners toasted their retirement and closed the restaurant's doors. Millie Coleman took her memories and love for the restaurant and created this wonderful cookbook. Her Aunt Agnes, the dietician/home economist who planned the meals for the elegant Atlanta tea room, dusted her old recipe files off and painstakingly converted them to family sizes. While the focus is on the recipes, each chapter begins with a page of history or nostalgic memories.
This excerpt perhaps best describes the elegance of the tea room and the times:
"There were no written rules of behaviour, just years of admonitions from mothers and grandmothers. And for some reason, when you walked into the dining room, you immediately took pleasure in sitting properly, crossing your legs at the ankles, keeping one hand correctly in your lap"
I have the "Frances and Virginia Tearoom Cookbook" which is still in print but I could never duplicate the "yumminess" of the original dishes. Target has the cookbook if you want to check out the Target website and read about it.
What are some of your fondest memories of food?
No. Not foods that improve your memory, but the food you most fondly remember from the past.
When my husband was still working with his former company we traveled a great deal, Many cities in the US, Europe, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and points north, south east and west.
We dined in many fine restaurants during our travels. Some of the best in the world.
But when I get nostalgic about food and crave something from the past it is not a dish like pressed duck from Tour d'Argent in Paris, or Caviar and Vodka from the restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong.
.
Fancy restaurants of France , DC , NYC, ...No ...I want a pipping hot dish of chicken and dumplings made by my mother in law when she was still alive. Banana pudding and sweet potato pie by my Mother. Country vegetables. Pear preserves. Corn sticks. Frances and Virginia Tearoom hot turkey and egg bread
And one of my favorite restaurant memories is of the Frances and Virginia Tearoom in downtown Atlanta during a simplier time in a slower paced city.
"The Frances Virginia Tea Room became a landmark in early Atlanta, and by 1943 they were serving more than 2,000 meals. Diners celebrated the opening of "Gone with the Wind," mourned the death of President Roosevelt, and they watched the Fourth of July Parades from the Peachtree windows. In 1962 the owners toasted their retirement and closed the restaurant's doors. Millie Coleman took her memories and love for the restaurant and created this wonderful cookbook. Her Aunt Agnes, the dietician/home economist who planned the meals for the elegant Atlanta tea room, dusted her old recipe files off and painstakingly converted them to family sizes. While the focus is on the recipes, each chapter begins with a page of history or nostalgic memories.
This excerpt perhaps best describes the elegance of the tea room and the times:
"There were no written rules of behaviour, just years of admonitions from mothers and grandmothers. And for some reason, when you walked into the dining room, you immediately took pleasure in sitting properly, crossing your legs at the ankles, keeping one hand correctly in your lap"
I have the "Frances and Virginia Tearoom Cookbook" which is still in print but I could never duplicate the "yumminess" of the original dishes. Target has the cookbook if you want to check out the Target website and read about it.
What are some of your fondest memories of food?
Friday, May 16, 2008
Favorite products..what are yours?
What beauty or cleansing product can you not do without?
I adore Cetaphil Cleansing Gentle makeup remover or facial cleanser. It is great even for eye makeup and the few times I wear mascara.
Blistex lip balm (the one in the round pink tin) and Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream. Yummy for that ultra dry feeling. My nails are dry and brittle and this seems to help some. And the Burt's Bees Cream has a fresh lemon smell.
Premarin Vaginal Cream.---- (don't laugh)YEP!!! I use it on my face and have done so for at least 30 years. recommended by my former dermatologist as a night cream I do believe this has kept my 78 year old skin more wrinkle free than if I had done without it.And it feels good.
(Info from Drugstore.com)
"CETAPHIL® cleanser was formulated for dermatologists as a gentle, non-irritating cleanser for even the most sensitive skin. Unlike soap, CETAPHIL is completely non-alkaline, non-comedogenic, and fragrance free. Soothes and softens as it cleanses, helping the skin retain needed moisture. Use for face, hands, and the entire body." .
"Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream
This seasonal favorite from Burt's offers up a soothing blend of natural ingredients, including nourishing Vitamin E, for the intensive care of dry cuticles, brittle nails, and chapped, cracked fingertips"
"Blistex DCT (Daily Conditioning Treatment for Lips) combines moisturizers, vitamins and protectants to provide a daily maintenance regimen for your lips.
DCT keeps your lips in perfect conditions every day of the year, in all climates, through all activities.
Smooth & Supple Lips: DCT nurtures your lips with two proven moisturizers, Aloe Vera and Cocoa Butter, plus Vitamins A&E. DCT softens and smoothes the surface of lips to help them look and feel young. DCT helps to prevent and replenish moisture-starved cells that can occur from daily exposure to dry air and other environmental conditions."
I adore Cetaphil Cleansing Gentle makeup remover or facial cleanser. It is great even for eye makeup and the few times I wear mascara.
Blistex lip balm (the one in the round pink tin) and Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream. Yummy for that ultra dry feeling. My nails are dry and brittle and this seems to help some. And the Burt's Bees Cream has a fresh lemon smell.
Premarin Vaginal Cream.---- (don't laugh)YEP!!! I use it on my face and have done so for at least 30 years. recommended by my former dermatologist as a night cream I do believe this has kept my 78 year old skin more wrinkle free than if I had done without it.And it feels good.
(Info from Drugstore.com)
"CETAPHIL® cleanser was formulated for dermatologists as a gentle, non-irritating cleanser for even the most sensitive skin. Unlike soap, CETAPHIL is completely non-alkaline, non-comedogenic, and fragrance free. Soothes and softens as it cleanses, helping the skin retain needed moisture. Use for face, hands, and the entire body." .
"Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream
This seasonal favorite from Burt's offers up a soothing blend of natural ingredients, including nourishing Vitamin E, for the intensive care of dry cuticles, brittle nails, and chapped, cracked fingertips"
"Blistex DCT (Daily Conditioning Treatment for Lips) combines moisturizers, vitamins and protectants to provide a daily maintenance regimen for your lips.
DCT keeps your lips in perfect conditions every day of the year, in all climates, through all activities.
Smooth & Supple Lips: DCT nurtures your lips with two proven moisturizers, Aloe Vera and Cocoa Butter, plus Vitamins A&E. DCT softens and smoothes the surface of lips to help them look and feel young. DCT helps to prevent and replenish moisture-starved cells that can occur from daily exposure to dry air and other environmental conditions."
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Beards---- Oh MY
This is from "Word A Day" email for today. I hope you find it interesting. Check out the crazy beards on the link by clicking on the title of this post.
"Over the years we have featured weeks of words about words, we have had
words about birds, and now it's time for, well, words about beards.
Are bearded people irritating? While some find a beard on a man attractive,
it repels others. Like barbed wire, literally speaking. The words barb,
barber, rebarbative, and beard are derived from the same root: Latin barba
(beard). And though many bards have beards, there is no connection between
the two words.
Though most men have only a fleeting interest in pogonotrophy (growing of a
beard, from Greek pogon, beard + -trophy, nourishment or growth), growing
it now, shaving it when the fancy strikes, for some, beards are a serious
business. There's even a biannual championship event for the bearded:
http://worldbeardchampionships.com/
This week we'll see five words having to do with facial hair. They are pure
beard words as the week starts out, and like beards growing slender at the
bottom, as the week ends the connection becomes slender too.
sideburns (SYDE-burnz) plural noun
Hair grown on the sides of a man's face, when worn with an unbearded chin.
[After Ambrose Everett Burnside (1824-1881), who served as a general in the
Union Army in the American Civil War, and who earned more recognition for his
side whiskers than for his military career. Eventually the term burnsides
morphed into sideburns as such a facial pattern was on the sides of a face.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=sideburns
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"Queensland paramedics claim they have been threatened with the sack
unless they shave off their beards, moustaches and sideburns."
Darrell Giles; Paramedics' Facial Hair
Threat; The Sunday Mail
If you want to subscribe (free) to Word a Day) here is the address
http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscriber.html
Be sure you click on the beards link:)
"Over the years we have featured weeks of words about words, we have had
words about birds, and now it's time for, well, words about beards.
Are bearded people irritating? While some find a beard on a man attractive,
it repels others. Like barbed wire, literally speaking. The words barb,
barber, rebarbative, and beard are derived from the same root: Latin barba
(beard). And though many bards have beards, there is no connection between
the two words.
Though most men have only a fleeting interest in pogonotrophy (growing of a
beard, from Greek pogon, beard + -trophy, nourishment or growth), growing
it now, shaving it when the fancy strikes, for some, beards are a serious
business. There's even a biannual championship event for the bearded:
http://worldbeardchampionships.com/
This week we'll see five words having to do with facial hair. They are pure
beard words as the week starts out, and like beards growing slender at the
bottom, as the week ends the connection becomes slender too.
sideburns (SYDE-burnz) plural noun
Hair grown on the sides of a man's face, when worn with an unbearded chin.
[After Ambrose Everett Burnside (1824-1881), who served as a general in the
Union Army in the American Civil War, and who earned more recognition for his
side whiskers than for his military career. Eventually the term burnsides
morphed into sideburns as such a facial pattern was on the sides of a face.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=sideburns
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"Queensland paramedics claim they have been threatened with the sack
unless they shave off their beards, moustaches and sideburns."
Darrell Giles; Paramedics' Facial Hair
Threat; The Sunday Mail
If you want to subscribe (free) to Word a Day) here is the address
http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscriber.html
Be sure you click on the beards link:)
Friday, May 09, 2008
What American accent do you have?
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it. | |
| Philadelphia | |
| The Midland | |
| The Northeast | |
| The Inland North | |
| Boston | |
| The West | |
| North Central | |
| What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz | |
They pegged me right, however there are quite a few different Southern accents. Tennessee is different from Alabama and even Georgia where I live has several different regional accents.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Obama
Today it looks as if Barack Obama, is almost all set for the Democratic nomination. I had hoped to see a woman elected President of the United States in my lifetime but I guess it was not to be. Even though I was pulling for Hillary, I will vote for Obama in the general election instead.
I have read both of Obama's books and am now reading " Obama-From Promise To Power" by David Mendell,a reporter with the Chicago Tribune who covered Obama extensively during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. "From Promise To Power" reads like a novel. This extremely well written and interesting book fleshes out the candidate and is a fine companion to Obama's personal memoirs, "Dreams of My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope"
And from Amazon:
"Mendell tracks Obama's rise through the frustrations of community organizing and the rough-and-tumble world of Chicago politics to the rarefied, if no less brutal, world of the U.S. Senate. Mendell draws on interviews with Obama, his wife, family, friends, aides, and rivals, as well as his own extensive coverage since Obama's days in the Illinois Senate, to offer a nuanced, compelling look at a man of idealism and ambition intent on making history."
I have read both of Obama's books and am now reading " Obama-From Promise To Power" by David Mendell,a reporter with the Chicago Tribune who covered Obama extensively during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. "From Promise To Power" reads like a novel. This extremely well written and interesting book fleshes out the candidate and is a fine companion to Obama's personal memoirs, "Dreams of My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope"
And from Amazon:
"Mendell tracks Obama's rise through the frustrations of community organizing and the rough-and-tumble world of Chicago politics to the rarefied, if no less brutal, world of the U.S. Senate. Mendell draws on interviews with Obama, his wife, family, friends, aides, and rivals, as well as his own extensive coverage since Obama's days in the Illinois Senate, to offer a nuanced, compelling look at a man of idealism and ambition intent on making history."
Sunday, May 04, 2008
What kind of shoe am I?
You Are Bare Feet |
 You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules |
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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"
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"
Saturday, April 12, 2008
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. |
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.
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.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
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
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
Thursday, April 03, 2008
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. "
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. "
Monday, March 31, 2008
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
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
Friday, March 28, 2008
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."
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."
Monday, March 17, 2008
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."
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."
Sunday, March 02, 2008
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 .:)
.
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 .:)
.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
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.
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.
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