One Year Harm Free

6/29/2014

Most people celebrate milestones in their life, such as anniversaries, weddings and birthdays etc. 

 My celebration this week is a personal one.  I am one year harm free.  Last year was the worst one of my life, and Jeff's as well.  For almost nine months I was behind locked doors in hospitals or treatment facilities, and I didn't like it  You really don't appreciate the outdoors or even your own house, until you can't go outside or come home.

There was a period of adjusting for me when I came home last September.  Everything in my life seemed strange, as if I was seeing things for the first time.  Trust me when I tell you this is a weird feeling.

It was many months after coming home, that my psychiatrist and Jeff felt that I could be left alone for short periods of time.  When someone reinvests their trust in you, after you have blown that trust twice before, it's a huge responsibility.

I still have days and perhaps even a week where mentally I'm not up to par.  During those times the world becomes scary and I have to cling even harder to ground myself to stay in the game. Truth is that I believe I will always suffer to some degree with depression and anxiety.  If you get depression under control, you can live with it, but when that depression isn't dormant,  your world becomes tilted and then you know you're in trouble.  Last January and last June both were times where my depression had gone from something in the background that was tolerable to nearly getting the best of me.

I am resolved to work harder to keep my depression under control.  I need to be in control of the disease, not the other way around.

I must give thanks to the many friends and family, who didn't give up on me last year and didn't pass judgment.

P

Movie Review - Jersey Boys

6/28/2014

If, you are like me, and of a certain age, then you probably remember the 60's for the fabulous music that marked that era.  Not only did we have Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, we had the Supremes, the Rolling Stones (not my favorite) and too many more to mention.

I went to see the movie yesterday and while I don't think you could actually give the movie an A+, you could definitely rate the music that  high, if not higher.  All those songs back when songs had lyrics that not only could you understand, but you were able to sing along at the top of your lungs, when nobody was listening!

The song "Sherry" was a number one hit for the group in 1962, followed by number one hits in 1963, 1967, 1975 and 1976.  The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.  

Joe Pesci introduced Frankie Valli to Bob Gaudo, a  a piano-playing, song-writing prodigy and started working with Bob Crew, who was a brilliant lyricist and producer with a golden ear. Crew and Gaudio went on to become one of the most successful song-writing teams in pop-music history. Around the same time, Gaudio also formed a special partnership with Valli. With a handshake, Bob agreed to give Frankie half of everything Bob earned as a writer and producer, and Frankie agreed to give Bob half of Frankie’s earnings from performances outside the group. That partnership remains in force 45 years later, still sealed only with a handshake. 

From 1962 to 1978, The Four Seasons sold more than 100 million records.  Bob Gaudio no longer plays live, leaving Frankie the only member of the group from its inception who is currently touring.

My recommendation is, if you love the music of the 60's, take yourself to the movie theater and have a walk down memory lane.

 

Computer's Down - Oh My!

6/27/2014

Besides family, friends and books, there are two material things that I just can't live without.  Okay, perhaps I could without, but don't choose to do so.

One of those items is, of course, the television.  I look my TV and think reality shows of all sorts are great tv, at least for me.  Storage Wars, Shipping Wars, cooking shows, you name it.  Jeff enjoys some shows, but definitely not the cooking ones, so I watch those when he's busy doing something else.

The second thing I find hard to be without is my computer. After coming home from Chicago last year, I stopped working at my desk in the office that Jeff and I share.  He likes things a certain way and so do I.  Trouble is that we're polar opposites on how to keep our individual spaces.  I'm OCD and everything has to be in perfect order, or I can't work.  Jeff, on the other hand, lives among some chaos in his space, and that suites him.

I have a spare computer downstairs and that is now my "office".  Everything is just the way I like it.  I have my necessary filing folders at my fingertips, notebooks to write in, and pens aplenty.  Both of us like this arrangement.

Yesterday, my computer (horrors) was in need of new batteries or something.  Jeff took the machine away and for a few hours had no lifeline to cling to.  No Ebay, Words w/Friends, Facebook, nada.  I went cold turkey and without my computer, I felt isolated.  I was only "unplugged" for a very short period of time, but waiting to return to the keyboard felt like eons.  

I can remember, and perhaps you do as well, when the first personal computers came out.  Jeff brought home an IBM computer many years ago, and for a long time it sat collecting dust.  I can't remember the name of the word processing software, but it was a nightmare to use.  

Of course, I got better over time and was in heaven when WordPerfect first came out.  At work when I was forced to transition to Word, I once again, felt I would never get the hang of the new software.  The transition wasn't a slow one.  One day I was using WordPerfect, the next Word, with documents that needed to be "typed" that day.  Ugh, it was a very long and slow day.  I persevered, and at the end of my career last year, was very comfortable using Word.

My cellphone, on the other hand, is not that important to me.  I check for incoming emails, most of which are junk and are deleted immediately.  I can play Words w/Friends on my phone, but it's not as convenient as playing on the computer.  With my poor vision, small phone screens are not my friend.  I'm not tied to the phone and half the time I leave home without it.  I don't make or receive calls from the phone, partly because nobody but Jeff even knows what the phone number is.  I, don't even remember what the number is!

I'm going to see a movie today and will leave my cellphone at home.  There is nothing so interrupting as a ringing phone in the middle of a movie or even worse a performance of some kind.  I'm going to see Jersey Boys today, so I'll be able to give you a full review of the movie tomorrow.  Even if the movie is a zero, and I doubt that it is, the music will be wonderful and bring back many memories for me.

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Alterations, or Why Short People hate Long Sleeves and Long Pants!

6/25/2014

If you don't know me, then you don't know that I'm short. I mean short with a capital "S".  For years I watched, and still do, envy long legged women who can reach the top shelves in a store, without assistance!  When I try to reach to reach that top shelf, there is a lot of huffing and puffing on my part, which makes me think of a fish trying to breathe.  Not pretty I assure you.

I try and buy petite clothing, but apparently manufacturers think petites are also teeny weight wise.  Note to manufacturers, not all of us short folks are thin.  Nope, some of us resemble a pear in shape and finding clothes that fit becomes somewhat of a challenge.

My go to clothes that never need alterations is 3/4 sleeve blouses, which become long sleeves for me; and, capris which can depending on the inseam can double as long pants on me! I wonder where designers get their models from.  Every time you look at the inseam on a pair of petite pants they are generally 27 or 28 inches long.  For me, that means those pants are dragging on the ground.  I'm more of a 25/26 inch gal.  I want my pants to stop somewhere around the ankle, which is why "shorty" pants are perfect for me.

 The alteration lady at the dry cleaners knows me and as soon as I walk in with a piece of clothing, after she says hello, she also says too long!  I told her that just once I'd like to come in and ask her to make something, anything longer.  

I just bought a beautiful red (favorite color) raincoat with a hood that was supposed to be short in length.  Surprise, surprise, the sleeves required taking off at least two inches, because I don't like long sleeves to fall below my wrist.  I know, I know - I'm picky.

I like my clothes to fit my little round body.  I don't want tight clothes, prefer all cotton and the right colors.  I am a "winter" as far as colors go, and I look best in the brightest of reds, oranges, etc.  Pale colors don't work for me.  Besides bright colors look better with the every increasing amount of gray in my hair!

I just bought a dress on Ebay, my favorite place to shop, and it was advertised as a "mini" (above the knee).  Happily, I knew that mini to most would be below the knee on me, and I was right.  No alternations needed!

I know my knees aren't cute, so the few pair of long(er) shorts that I own, are only worn around the house.  Since I no longer sit outside trying to soak up the rays, I don't want to subject the populace to my legs, which are pasty white.

While the temperatures soar during the summer, I'm comfy in my shorty pants.  I stopped worrying a long time ago what people thought about the clothes I'm wearing.  I can't turn back the clock and become a spring chicken again.  And it's for sure that I'm never going to be any taller, in fact it's likely that I'll shrink!!  Bummer.

P



 

Glass or Plastic?

6/24/2014

For many years, food other than those coming from a can, came from glass bottles and jars.  And I liked that. Glass jars were/are easy to reuse.  Unlike it's counterpart, the plastic jar, you could wash out a glass jar with very little effort.  I cannot say the same for plastic jars.

Years ago, we used to keep peanut butter (in glass jars) in a cupboard well within a little boy's reach (first mistake).  One of the boys picked up the full glass jar of peanut butter and it fell onto the floor.  Clean up couldn't have been easier, the broken glass adhered to the peanut butter.  All I had to do was pick up the jar by it's lid and toss.  Very few remanents were left behind for me to pick up..  

Plastic jars can crack, but they don't break. And, they can be repurposed, but somehow getting the last of the "innards" out of the jar requires determination.  I buy peanut butter in plastic jars, simply because that's all I can find.  When the jar is empty, I want to be able to use it to store something else.  Peanut butter being what I'm most familiar with, is particularly difficult to get out of a jar.  I add boiling water to the jar and let it sit, rinse and repeat.  Some would say that this is a significant waste of my time, but I'm retired so what else am I going to do?

In today's paper is an article about glass versus plastic and some of the facts surprised me.  Those that are in the "know" (whoever they are) seem to think that a glass jar offers no health or environmental benefit over plastic.  A small peanut butter manufacturer in Vermont sells it's peanut butter in plastic jars, because glass is almost one pound heavier than plastic, which drives up shipping costs.

A comparison of baby food, glass v. plastic, found that glass jars produce between a quarter and a third more greenhouse gases than plastic.  Plastic drink containers also are superior to glass.  Glass bottles of soda produce four times as much greenhouse gas as plastic. 

In plastic products, the leaching of antimony (possible carcinogen) into the container.  Under normal conditions, this occurs so slowly that there's no need to worry.  In high temperatures leaching accelerates.  If you store a bottle of water at 185 degrees, the water will become contaminated in 32 hours.  I don't know about you, but there is no way that I would be able to tolerate a temperature that high, nor would I want to drink not warm water, but hot water!

Long story short - plastic is a fine medium for food and drinks.

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Making Friends on a Train

6/23/2014

Years ago, Jeff and I were in Illinois and took the train either from Chicago to my brother's house further south or vice versa.  By the way, if you haven't traveled by train, it's really very nice.  The seats and legroom are superior to anything you're going to get on a plane, unless you're in first class.

While we were on the train, someone sitting next to us, asked if we wanted to have a drink, and we said sure why not.  This stranger then began to tell us about a professor and author named Leo Buscaglia who taught at the University of Southern California.  Students just called him Dr. Love.  This stranger gave us one of Mr. Buscaglia's books and when we got home, we ordered several others.

While teaching at USC, Buscaglia was moved by a student's suicide to contemplate human disconnectedness and the meaning of life, and began a non-credit class he called Love 1A. This became the basis for his first book, titled simply LOVE. His dynamic speaking style was discovered by PBS and his televised lectures earned great popularity in the 1980s. At one point his talks, always shown during fund raising periods, were the top earners of all PBS programs. This national exposure, coupled with the heartfelt storytelling style of his books, helped make all of his titles national Best Sellers; five were once on the New York Times Best Sellers List simultaneously.

The books are great reads and I highly recommend them to you.  Mr. Buscaglia passed away in 1998. I know you won't be disappointed with his books.

1. Love (1972)
2. The Way of the Bull (1973)
3. The Fall of Freddie the Leaf (1982)
4. Living, Loving, Learning (1982)
5. Loving Each Other (1984)
6. Amar a los demás (1985)
7. Personhood (1986)
8. Bus 9 to Paradise (1987)
9. Papa My Father (1989)
10. Because I Am Human (1972)
11. The Disabled and Their Parents: A Counseling Challenge (1983)
12. Seven Stories of Christmas Love (1987)
13. A Memory for Tino (1988)
14. Born for Love (1992)

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The Man at the Top and the Guy in the Middle

6/22/2014

The local paper came out with their annual Top Workplaces 2014 this week and it's a real eye opener to see how much CEO's and the like earn, compared to regular folk.  

The average salary increase forecast for 2014 is 3.1%, which isn't going to make a lot of difference in your paycheck.  Compare that lowly raise with the $10.5 million which is the median pay for CEOs in 2013.  Quite a difference.  Mind you that the decisions made by CEO's of large corporations cannot possibly compare to the daily decisions the minions make.

In addition to listing the top companies in my area, the article went on to highlight some of the perks offered by employers.  And, in my opinion, some of these perks are really nice.

One company pays 100 percent of medical, dental and visions plans for employees and their dependents.  Who wouldn't love that?

Another firm gives managing partners $12,000 a year to put toward the purchase or lease of a BMW or Lexus.  Not too shabby.

One company provides married employees with children a back-up child care program when their normal daycare provider is unavailable.  I wish that when I had small children, I would have had that benefit.

Other companies' innovative perks range anywhere from offering shuttle service to restaurants close to the office; there is an annual cook-off competition at one firm.  A law firm put in an espresso bar complete with a barista.  There are bowling leagues, hold ugly sweater contests, or Chia Pet growing competitions.

What I know is that when I entered the work force in 1968, there were no perks - period.  I felt lucky just to have a job which paid me a really paltry salary.  At the firm, I had to ask my supervisor just to use the bathroom!

I'm glad to say that things are much better for workers now.  When employers go the extra mile for their employees, the reward to the employer is significant.  Everybody want s to feel appreciated.  

When Jeff and I helped run the mobile battery business, we gave our drivers as much as was possible.  They received a raise every six months, a bonus each month if sales were up.  Each year they had a new pair of steel-toed boots as well as a new winter jacket.  Birthdays and births were remembered as well as a Christmas party, complete with gag gifts for the drivers and real gifts for all of the children.  

I no longer have to worry about getting a raise, being a top performer or contributions to my 401(k).  Do I miss work?  Some part of me does.  Who wouldn't after 40+ years?  Do I miss the "who's talking to who today" drama?  Nope, not one little bit.  Do I miss having to try and schedule doctor's appointments around the rest of the clerical staff?  Again - no.

Retirement doesn't pay as well - but it has it's own set of perks.  No alarm clocks, or checking the winter weather for closings.  No rushing down the interstate to get to work on time and no worries over making appointments around everybody's schedules.

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Passenger Pigeons

6/21/2014

Odd blog I know you're thinking.  But think of it as more of a conversation starter at a boring cocktail party.  I mean you have to talk about something or someone, so why not talk about pigeons?  I can pretty much guarantee that you'll be the only one there that knows anything about passenger pigeons.  On a scale of 1 to 10, talking about pigeons probably rates a one, but perhaps you can segue into talking about lions or tigers!  Or maybe not.  Even if the subject seems boring, you must give me an E for effort today!

Passenger pigeons are not to be confused with carrier pigeons, which still exist.

Three to five billion pigeons here at the time of the arrival of the first European pigeons. In 1866, one flock estimated to be 300 miles long took 14 hours to pass. John Audubon described one flock took more than three days to pass overhead.

In 1851, a dozen passenger pigeons were sold for fifty cents. 1.8 million passenger pigeons were sent to market in New York.  The pigeons were sold for food and for their feathers.

The last passenger pigeon, named Martha, died 100 years ago at the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens.  For fifteen years there was a standing offer of $1,000 to find a mate for Martha.

It took 300 pounds of ice in which Martha was packed when she was shipped to the Smithsonian after her death in 1914.  A new exhibit opens this week at the Smithsonian "Once There Were Millions: Vanished Birds of North America", and Martha is the star.

Apparently, there are 19 other birds that are now extinct and under the letter G, for instance, are three birds I've never heard of:  The Great Auk, Guadalupe Caracara and Guadalupe Storm Petrel, in case you want to learn more fun facts, which I doubt you will.

If a bird makes a deposit on my car, I don't care if it comes from an Eagle or a Crow, it's just plain annoying, particularly if it's on my windshield when I'm driving.  

Here's a poem that just about describes birds and their deposits!!  Enjoy.

Bird Poop In My Eye by John Beharry

Looking up into the sky
a bird pooped in my eye
as it was flying overhead
causing me to see red

It was warm and soggy
making me feel queasy
I scurried into the house
like an upset little mouse

I headed for the kitchen sink
and got there in a blink
Using the faucet spout
I tried to flush it out

When it was expelled
it had a funny smell
and the sink water
had a dirty colour

So when a bird is flying overhead
keep your head down instead
Do not look up into the sky
or you may get poop in your eye

Ode to the Egg

6/19/2014

We all know about the old saying did the chicken or the egg cross the street first.  Well duh, the chicken of course.  How would an egg just appear in the middle of the road?  Magic perhaps - um don't think so. 

When I was growing up, the only time we had breakfast "out", was when we were traveling.  Every breakfast that we ate out, drove my parents crazy, because my brother and I both wanted eggs.  No big deal right?  Yep, except he wouldn't eat the white part and I wouldn't eat the yolk.  By cutting carefully around the edges, we both managed to get what we considered the best part of the egg.  Luckily, as an adult I have gotten over not being able to eat the entire egg.

I know Mom must have made us eggs once in a while for breakfast but the only thing I remember is Dad wanting them over easy, and watching Mom splash a bit of the bacon grease over the top.  Watching your cholesterol wasn't a big deal back then, even though it probably should have.

When I married Jeff nearly 40 years ago, he took over making breakfast, if that meal was going to consist of eggs.  The boys always wanted either scrambled eggs or soft boiled eggs on toast (heavily buttered of course)!  

Jeff has always prepared amazing scrambled eggs, with or without cheese.  They are fluffy and delicious and they are so tasty that sometimes they show up at dinner time too!  Once you have eaten eggs prepared by Jeff, you are then spoiled, and eggs in a restaurant never seem as good.

I obviously had to do some internet research and it appears that the average person eats 250 eggs a year and the country as a whole eats 765 Billion eggs a year.  And we wonder why we see huge chicken farms all over the country.  Those are some busy chickens.

I have yet to eat a free range egg, but would like to compare it to the normal grocery store egg.  I'm guessing there would be absolutely no comparison when it comes to taste.  The free range egg would win hands down.  Of course, those eggs get pretty expensive, especially if you eat or use a lot of eggs each week.

When the Easter Bunny was still coming to our house, Jeff and I boiled at least two dozen eggs, so that there were plenty of eggs for the boys to find.  Once the bunny got older, he would occasionally "forget" where some of the eggs had been hidden, and that scenario didn't end well!

Jeff fixed me scrambled eggs just last night for dinner and occasionally when we eat, there is some food leftover for one reason or another, that gets fed to the dogs as a treat.  Last night, there was nary a bit of egg left on my plate.  Sorry dogs.

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Filing Cabinets

6/17/2014

I can already see you yawning!  Most of you will think that talking about filing cabinets could easily turn into a snooze fest.  

I'm not talking about cabinets in the office - because frankly they are boring. I'm talking about filing cabinets in your house.  Years and I do mean years ago, Jeff and I went to a local office supply store while we were still living in California.  We wanted a filing cabinet to hold all the necessary bits of paper, like income tax returns, Wills, stuff like that.

We bought a light yellow cabinet, which I thought was beautiful, as far as filing cabinets go.  I definitely- I didn't want the old office gray kind, after all this was going to be in the house.  Filing cabinets will never make a fashion statement, they are utilitarian and not something you will have sitting in the middle of your living room. But if you did, it would be a conversation starter!

When Jeff and I got married, I told him that I would handle the paperwork, a chore that I do well.  Perhaps it's because I'm just a tad OCD (ya think?).  My philosophy is that there is a place for everything, and that doesn't mean my kitchen counters!

I began making file folders and typed the labels on my typewriter, which by the way I still have.  I had folders for pay stubs, medical and utility bills, a folder for each car that we owned, and well you get the idea.  The problem with putting things in the filing cabinet is that once they're inside, purging isn't high on my list of things to do.  Eventually, the little yellow cabinet was fill - all four drawers.

Our next cabinet was a used office (gray) filing cabinet and this many years later, all of those four drawers are also full.  I have half a drawer devoted to all things relating to the plane, making it easy for Jeff to find needed documents without my help.

Jeff doesn't do any filing.  He leaves me a stack of processed paper, and it's my job to make sure that everything is filed properly.  You would assume, and you'd be wrong, that each drawer is alphabetized, and you'd be wrong.  Files have, over the years, have both been added and or removed.  I generally know wherever thing is, even if my filing system doesn't make any sense to anybody else.  

When Jeff needs to look at income tax returns from years past, for instance, he doesn't go looking on his own.  He leaves the searching and finding to me.  It's a system that has worked well for nearly 40 years, and there's no sense switching horses now.

Filing is not my most favorite thing to do, but once the chore is done, there is a feeling of satisfaction that every scrap of paper is properly put away.  Filing will never win me any kind of award, but I get real satisfaction every time I'm able to find Jeff "x" or "y" in one of the cabinets!

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Water

6/16/2014

Back when I was a young'en, water came from faucets - period.  And nobody I knew, including myself, ever sat down to have a glass of water.  Are you kidding me?  If I was drinking anything, it would have been a soda w/ice.

Today, water has a completely different story.  I don't care where you go, you will see most people carrying a bottle of water that they have either bought or brought from home.  The idea of buying water seems foreign to me, but then I'm lucky that the water in my house tastes good, considering that water has no taste at all!

People are now spending over a Billion dollars a year on water.  That's a lot of water and generates a lot of money for the companies that bottle and sell water.  So here's some fun facts for you:

For every bottle of water costing $1.50, the company gets a profit of fifty cents.  If you tallied that up we're talking about a lot of money on something as simple as water.  It costs from 240 to over 10,000 times more per gallon to purchase bottled water than it does to purchase a gallon of average tap water. For example, in California average tap water costs about $1.60 per thousand gallons and bottled water costs about $.90 cents per gallon.   Expensive imported water sold in smaller bottles can cost several thousand times more than tap water: That $1.50 half-liter bottle of imported water may be costing you 10,000 times more per gallon than your tap water.  And it's just water we're talking about.

I have, when parched, and away from home, buy a bottle of water.  Once home, I refill the bottle with tap water (horrors), put it back in the fridge and I'm good to go the next time I want to take water with me.  I am not a water "snob", who will only drink bottled water and/or flavored water.  If I want flavored water, I take out a few slices of frozen lemons and plop them into the glass, and lemons are cheap.

Those bottles of "pure" water are just packaged to draw consumers in.  You can't be sure that the water inside those bottles really comes from a bubbling stream somewhere in Switzerland. The manufacturers just want us to think it does.

Each day in the US, more than 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away. Most end up in landfills or incinerators, and millions litter streets, parks and waterways.
What happens to plastic single-serving water bottles after they’re drained?  Only about one in six plastic water bottles sold in the US in 2004 was recycled, leading to a national recycling rate of about 17%.  Makes you wonder what happens to the other 83 percent of bottles.

I don't recycle my bottles - I reuse them.  There are always several bottles of ice cold water sitting in the refrigerator ready to go when I need/want them.
So drink up people, water's good for you.

P
P.S. folks, I'm having some editing issues with this post.  Apologies!

My Dad

6/15/2014

Happy Day to all the Dads out there.  Jeff has long said, and truly believes, that since he's not my dad, there's no reason for a card, etc.  And I'm fine with that, after all I'm not his mother either, so that's two Hallmark holidays we simply don't participate in.  You can go to the card aisle and read all the mushy gushy, and funny cards for free!  At the cost of cards, which are not always saved, over the course of time save a lot of money.

I want to talk about my Dad, who was truly an amazing man and father.  I loved him to the moon and back and always wanted to believe he would live forever, but of course he didn't.  

Dad could make the most mundane things in life interesting and fun.  Road trips with him were fabulous fun.  One year on our way back to see Grandma, he borrowed a plug-in air conditioner that ran on ice.  Now remember this was a long time ago, and he was sure that it would make crossing the desert easier to tolerate.   I don't remember exactly how many minutes (I know it wasn't even an hour), before Dad and Mom yanked it out of the cigarette lighter and relegated to the trunk!

As a teen, who didn't drive, Dad would take me shopping, to the library or movies without the slightest bit of hesitation on his part.  If we were shopping, he didn't stand around, like some men, patting his foot with impatience.  He was just easy to be around.

The only time I really disappointed Dad was when I married at 18.  I knew he didn't approve, he told me so.  But, I was tired of being my mother's maid, laundress and cook, and decided it would be better to just work for myself.  In theory it was a good idea, at the time.  The marriage only lasted 5 years before I had to come home to once again live with my parents.  He never said "I told you so", even though I knew he thought so.

Dad set up the blind date with Jeff and I almost 40 years ago and it was one of the best  things he ever did for me.  I remember before walking down the aisle, and feeling very nervous, and he just patted my arm and told me that he knew everything was going to be good - and he was right.

Jeff arranged and paid for Dad and I to go to England and Scotland for a three week vacation.  That trip is one of my fondest memories.  I remember arriving at the airport and we knew we had to get on a train to go into London.  Trouble was we were very confused and the trains came and went swiftly.  We finally decided that the next train that came by, we would literally (and we did) throw the luggage on the train, and hoped that we had enough time to hop on ourselves.

During that vacation, Dad was a favorite with everyone.  Each night when we stopped, he headed down to the bar in the hotel, and relived the war with the other veterans.  He had a marvelous time and the elderly ladies on tour, thought he was pretty neat!

In Scotland we tried Hagis, which is just awful, but we took a bite to be polite.  We felt we had to try everything at least once.  Both of us though were craving a real hamburger by the time the trip was over.

We wandered through castles, Shakespeare's home and visited the Roman baths in Bath, England.  Visited Oxford, Tower of London (creepy) and the Postal Museum, since Dad was a serious stamp collector. 

 

In 1986, when Jeff and I moved to Maryland, the hard part about leaving was that I couldn't take Dad with us.  The summer before he passed away, I went to California alone and stayed with Mom and Dad for a few days, but it seemed much longer.  Each morning though Dad and I would go over to the doughnut shop close to his mobile home, and drank coffee, chatted with all the old folks and had doughnuts.  Dad was a daily visitor so he had his own private cup that he used every day.

When Dad passed away, the owners of the doughnut shop closed their shop for the day so that they could attend his funeral, as many of the other regular patrons did as well.

Dad was loved by everyone.  He had a dry wit, was seldom angry and always up for an adventure and he loved me.  We loved going to open houses or car dealers to check out the newest models.  It's been years since he passed away, but I miss him still.

He and I used to talk about angel wings and he always said that if he went to Heaven (and I'm sure he did), then he wanted to be put in charge of handing out wings, and he would be sure to set a pair aside for me.

When we fly through the clouds, I always wonder if he can see me and knows how much I love him.  I don't know what I believe happens to us when we die, all I know is that I want to be wherever Dad is.

I love you Dad.

P

Clothes

6/13/2014

I have clothes, lots of clothes, which is a pretty big confession on my part!  Most of my clothes were work clothes, and I don't work anymore, so I obviously need fewer "good" clothes.  I am in the process of "skinning" down the closets.  

I tried to sell a couple of things on Ebay, and only sold one sweater.  The time that it takes to take multiple pictures of each item, download them, write a description, an accurate one, and come up with a fair price and estimate the postage.  Truly not worth the effort and the mere measly dollars that the sweater sold for.

Next up was to donate clothes.  I put out two bags for one charity group, and took the receipt to use for our 2014 taxes.  

I gave some thought to seeing if any of my friends might have an interest in some suits I wore when I worked for the CEO, and had to really dress up when the Board came into town.  I nixed that idea.

There is a local consignment store and I have now taken in oh maybe eight things to sell.  So far, I've made a lofty $8.75!!  If the clothes that they take in on consignment don't sell, you can either take the clothes home (not); or they will donate them to one charity or another.  I don't want the clothes back especially after I took them out of the closets in the first place.  I'm okay with donating, because I can show a deduction for the clothes that don't sell.

And no, if you're wondering, I'm not trying to fill up the empty spots in the closet.  I have bought some new what I call good clothes that I wear when we're going to someone's house, or a party.  If I wear them around the house,I will undoubtedly spill something, and they won't be "good" clothes anymore!!

My "wearing around the house" clothes are in storage boxes at the bottom of the closet, marked long, or short sleeves, pants and capris. All very organized, until I finish doing the laundry and I get impatient and then I don't put the clothes in the appropriate boxes in a neatly fashion, I'm more likely to just plop them on top.

I am pretty organized, but I'm also lazy!  (Another confession).

One way or the other, I'm going to get the closets cleaned up.

P

Benjamin Graduated!

6/11/2014

Today, Benjamin graduated from kindergarten!  The kindergartners put on a really great performance set to the song "New York, New York".  Instead of saying New York they said first grade, first grade.  The boys are wore little plastic top hats and the girls had boas made from feathers.  All, of the children were adorable. Of course, I'm just a teeny bit biased on who the cutest kid of the group was!  

Benjamin loves to sing, and he can truly belt out a song, he tipped his top hat and followed the little dance steps they had all rehearsed.  It was beyond cute.  I'm so glad that Jeff and I were able to be at his graduation - this is a big step.  He's now really going to "big boy" school.

We bought Benjamin a basketball and I took a woven basket and filled it with all kinds of treasures for his tree house.  Battery operated candles, a small flashlight, wooden food, dishes and even a tablecloth.  He is all set now for entertaining!

As wonderful as the program was and how much we loved seeing Benjamin, Jeff and I both felt nostalgic in seeing him so grown up.  

We love you Benjamin.

Mom Mom and Pop Pop

M&M's

6/10/2014

I don't know anybody, except perhaps Jeff, who doesn't enjoy eating these little candies.  I'm a chocolate freak, so popping M&M's into my mouth was, and continues to be, a treat.

Some history:  M&M's originated in the United States in 1941, and are now sold in as many as 100 countries. They are produced in different colors, some of which have changed over the years. The candy-coated chocolate concept was inspired by a method used to allow soldiers to carry chocolate without having it melt. The company's longest-lasting slogan reflects this: "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand."  And for the most part that's true, but if it's hot outside and you're holding candy - trust me - they melt.

Peanut M&M's were introduced in 1954, but first appeared only in the color tan.  In 1960, M&M's added the yellow, red, and green colors. In 1986, Mars Company started making M&M's with almonds.  Also that year, they introduced "holiday" candy for Easter and Christmas.

In 1991, Mars came out with one of my all-time favorites, peanut M&M's.  Yummy best describes it. 

M&M's varieties have included the following fillings: milk, dark and white chocolate, crisped rice, mint chocolate, birthday cake, pumpkin spice, candy corn and plenty of other fillings that I've never seen on the shelves at the grocery store.

1995 the company ran the M&M's Color Campaign, a contest in which participants were given the choice of selecting purple, blue, or pink as the color of a new variety of M&M's. The announcement of the winning color (blue) was carried on most of the television network's news programs. As part of the contest results, the company had the Empire State Building lighted in blue. 

 In 2002, Mars solicited votes in their first ever "M&M's Global Color Vote" to add a new color from three choices aqua, pink and purple, with purple being the winner.

Red was discontinued in 1976 and was replaced by orange.  The color of the M&M doesn't get in my way of enjoying them!  How about you?  

I once worked with a fellow who, at lunchtime, would empty all of his M&M's on the table and then sort them by color.  He didn't like the green ones, for no particular reason. Since I was sitting at the table, he gave all the green ones to me!

Car Washes

6/9/2014

Raise your hand if you have ever had your car washed by some type of  youth group?  Oh, lot's of waving arms I see.

Beginning in the spring, but certainly by summer, you will see bouncy teenagers (girls generally), waving signs urging you to pull into a gas station, or some other place that has water.  We have in the past, stopped and allowed these teens to wash our car.  Their enthusiasm makes up for the fair to middling job they do.  

In counties around here, government has put a cabosh on washing cars by youth groups.  The environmental groups are looking to cut down on pollution that reaches the Chesapeake Bay., by limiting polluted runoff in efforts to clean up the Bay.  I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure, in the big picture, that these car washes which occur only periodically, can not be the biggest polluter to the Bay.

The government will kindly allow the car washes to continue if they are held in a field, or partnering with a commercial car wash.  And, why I ask would a car wash business allow teenagers to wash cars on their property?  By doing that, they would likely lose some business, because let's face it the teens are charging next to nothing for washing the cars.

And, as for washing in a field, who thought that that was a good idea?  Seen any hoses sitting around in fields when you drive by?  Nope, I didn't think so.

Apparently, in Virginia there are several enforcement options if groups are caught washing cars.  First, there is a warning but progressing to a fine of $500 or more for repeated violations.

It's regulations such as this that make me long for the 60's, when life was simpler and big or little government wasn't breathing down the necks of everything and everybody.

P