Things I miss

Smoking. I haven’t had a cigarette in years. I miss the feeling of calm it gave me on a bad day. I don’t miss the smell or the bad health effects.

Optimism. I miss looking at the world with a glass half full view. I’m becoming far too pessimistic and am trying to combat it, but some days you just want to throw things and cry.

Adult interaction. Not THAT kind you sickos. Just the normal everyday interactions with the outside world. I need to leave the house more.

Spicy food. My stomach is kind of a jerk lately. I’m stuck eating things like toast with peanut butter and bananas. It’s boring.

Memorial Day 2011

NEVER FORGET

Rain

We had another day of rain and storms and flash flood warnings and tornado watches. I really would like this is all to go away for a while. Everything in my yard is underwater for the most part. It feels like I’m growing mold between my toes! I am not even interested in going outside. And it’s COLD again. 50º again. Is this Indiana? Almost June? Will I ever get a chance to grow my tomatoes? Will I be able to cut the grass before its 3 feet tall? I feel guilty whining about this when so many have lost so much. I will try to be more thankful just not today.

Things that smell good

1. Bread baking
2. Baby Powder
3. Fresh cut Grass
4. The air Right after a Rain
5. The neighbors BBQ
6. Burning leaves in Autumn
7. Gun Powder
8. Freshly made Coffee
9. Leather
10. New Car

Blown Away

Wow those 2 words say so much, both positive and negative. I have been sitting here catching up on the news of the devastation in Joplin, MO. A town literally blown away, and my own reaction...being blown away by the loss, sadness, destruction. I can’t imagine how worried they must be about family members they haven't heard from in MO, or mourning the loss of a loved one after the tornado ripped through the town. Whatever you can do, large or small, please consider doing. I know it seems like our country has been besieged by disaster after disaster lately, however it's often the generosity of America's people that helps pull her through times like these. Here is some information if you would like to help our financially. The American Red Cross - To make a donation, visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Some times we need to be reminded that there are some folks who have it harder or worse than we do.

Death

I spend many hours alone thinking about death. I know it's inevitable, unpredictable and certain. I accept that. It may be sooner for me because of the COPD, and most likely will be. But I could also be hit by a truck tomorrow. You just don't know. But I think about it while I breathe in my oxygen and pant after everything I do.
Some days I wish it would be soon because I am so tired of fighting to breathe and so frustrated with wanting to do so much and not having the energy and the air to do it. At those times I mostly worry about how I will die. Will it be gasping for air, in pain or extreme anxiety or will someone know to make sure I get good meds. I have a living will but I worry that my wishes won't be carried out. I know how hard it is for families of dying loved ones to let go. Most days I just carry on, trying to make it better. There's good in every day, I just have to look for it.
So now that I contemplate my own death, it's not so scary for me - really just the nuts and bolts of it. For now, I just feel good to be alive. I work hard to accept the limitations I have had imposed on my life and to be grateful that I am so much better than some others.

But I still think about death.

I don't think it is uncommon to contemplate ones own mortality when being faced with illness.

Worst Odors:

1. Cigarette Smoke, since I quit smoking I can’t believe how bad it smells.
2. Vomit
3. Bad Breath
4. Flatulence
5. Sulfur
6. Stinky feet, socks and or shoes
7. Nursing homes, some not all
8. Skunk
9. Boiled Cabbage
10. ?

1957

I know some of you are not old enough to remember, but believe it or not, the following were some comments made in the year 1957:

(1) "I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, its going to be impossible to buy a weeks groceries for $20.00."

(2) "Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long when $5,000 will only buy a used one."

(3) "If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous."

(4) "Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?"

(5) "If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store."

(6) "When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage."

(7) "Kids today are impossible. Those ducktail hair cuts make it impossible to stay groomed. Next thing you know, boys will be wearing their hair as long as the girls,"

(8) "I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying damn in "Gone With The Wind", it seems every new movie has either hell or damn in it."

(9) "I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas."

(10) "Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday that they will be making more than the President."

(11) "I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now."

(12) "It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet."

(13) "It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work."

(15) "I'm just afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business."

(16) "Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to Congress."

(17) "The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on."

(18) "I guess taking a vacation is out of the question now days. It costs nearly $15.00 a night to stay in a hotel."

(19) "No one can afford to be sick any more, $35.00 a day in the hospital is too rich for my blood."

(found on the internet)

Rapture

I suppose I had better blog something. If the rapture comes I don't want the last post on this blog to be one with a bunch of terrible jokes or Ahnold’s latest conquest.

Harold Camping and his followers say a massive earthquake will mark the second coming of Jesus, on Judgment Day Saturday May 21. This will start a 5 month period of catastrophes before the world actually ends in October.

Well when I last read the bible and it hasn't changed, it says no one knows the time...Only God knows, not man.
So will these people think they missed the boat, think that they had really not accepted the true God into their hearts, mind and soul?
I will be doing the same old thing tomorrow my life will not change in any way for this.

Anyhoo, these people are strange...they need to study up before coming out of the wood work.
Are they paying their mortgages? I hope so. I am tired of helping out the slackers and those that think they can get away with out paying for their obligations.
So you all have time, seek God while you have time. Continue the debate...now discuss. LOL

Harold Camping's church has amassed a net worth of $72 million with this end-of-the-world scam, and he's not offering refunds.

This is depressing, if I had known in high school that there were so many adult fools in the world I would have gotten into Ponzi schemes or something similarly lucrative. (just kidding)

9 Things that will probably disappear in our life time.

Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come

1. The Post Office.

Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.
2. The Check.

Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with checks by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.

3. The Newspaper.

The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and laundry service. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.

4. The Book.

You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.

5. The Land Line Telephone.

Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes

6. Music.

This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies.."

7. Television.

Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery.. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.

8. The "Things" That You Own.

Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.

9. Privacy .

If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.
All we will have that can't be changed are Memories. ( In my case, even these are fading).

(adapted from an email)

My Ahnold Rant

I thought Tiger Woods was the lowest of the low and now we have this. What will be next? I remember when Maria was doing the network news before she married Arnold. She was at a normal weight, and she was GORGEOUS! She resembled her very handsome late father. I think Ahnold only married Maria for the Kennedy connection..he always had political ambitions...never loved her...and she knew it...probably just an arranged marriage that is why she put up with his cheating ass..it helped her up her ante in many realms because he was so popular. I've always believed the Arnold/Maria marriage was a marriage of convenience. He had political aspirations and she was a Kennedy. He needed her to succeed. everybody is just criticizing this woman's looks, like "how could Arnold cheat with THAT?" do you think Arnold saw her as a person? do you think it mattered at ALL what she looked like? this man is an ultimate narcissist, in love with HIMSELF. You know he probably has more children around with other women. I guarantee you somebody was about to break this story and that is why Arnold came clean. He didn't do it just because. It's the dirty cheating John Edwards story all over again.

To the dump

When I was a kid, I was taught to place trash in the trash can. Once a week the garbage men would come up and down the alleys and toss the contents in the back of a dump truck, which would smell really bad and be covered with filthy flies. Some times there were items that were too large to be put at the alley and we had to go to the dump. I loved to go there.

This of course was back when rocks were still soft and there were no helmet or seat belt laws.. in fact there were no seat belts in cars then, and no turn signals either. But that is another story. We could sit in the back of a pick up truck and let our hair blow in the breeze. Our feet were usually bare and our noses were always a tiny bit sunburned. Guess that was child abuse or neglect, but back then we called it fun.

Unfortunately the kids today will never know the joy that comes from trips to the dump in the back of a pickup truck. You see, their parents think it is just too far to drive and too much trouble, it is much more convenient to just toss their trash out in front of my house as they drive down the road. This really burns my butt.

Decluttering:

Why do I want to declutter my home?
For Peace. For Peace of Mind. I'd like to declutter in order to enjoy a less stressful low maintenance home. In some rooms its obviously dangerous in there with the level of clutter that's present. My kids moved out but a lot of their stuff is still here.

What do I hope to accomplish?
I hope to be able to establish PEACE, SAFETY, ENJOYMENT,STRESS-FREE LIVING in the place I cherish the MOST.... HOME!

What am I willing to do?
I'm willing to say good-bye to things that don't really bring enjoyment to me. I'm willing to bless others by giving away items that are still useful; but I no longer need.

Why am I willing to do this now?
1~ My kids are grown and it is just me. I don't need all this stuff.
2~ I'm getting older and some things are harder for me to do. So now is the best time; while I still can do it.
3~ I don't want my kids to have to clean up my mess when I'm gone.

How will I know when I'm done?
1~ When the flat surfaces are clean, uncluttered, and dust-free.
2~ When I can see the baseboards in my home. (Especially in the bedrooms, living-room and not wall-to-wall furniture)
3~ When I can go to a cupboard,closet, dresser, file cabinet and get what I need without any problems.

When do I want to be done?
Being me I want it done yesterday. Our little town is having town wide rummage sales and I am taking this time to get rid of things I have not used in the last year or so, I love how freeing it feels.

Sixty Hits Revised:

Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers who can remember doing the "Limbo” as if it were yesterday. Seems as though I know them all!

They include:
Bobby Darin ---
Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' A Flash

---

Herman's Hermits ---
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker

---

Ringo Starr ---
I Get By With A Little Help From Depends

---

The Bee Gees -- -
How Can You Mend A Broken Hip?

---

Roberta Flack---
The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face?
?

---

Johnny Nash ---
I Can't See Clearly Now.?

---

Paul Simon---
Fifty Ways To Lose Your Liver

---

The Commodores ---
Once, Twice, Three Times To The Bathroom

---

Procol Harem---
A Whiter Shade Of Hair?

---

Leo Sayer --- You Make Me Feel Like Napping

---

The Temptations --- Papa's Got A Kidney Stone

---

Abba---Denture Queen
"You haven't seen my teeth have you Wilma?

---

Tony Orlando ---
Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall

---

Helen Reddy ---
I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore

---

Leslie Gore---
It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To

---

And Last but NOT least...
Willie Nelson ---
On the Commode Again

(adapted from an email)

Where has our innocence gone?

While I sat in the reception area of my doctor's office, a woman rolled an elderly man
in a wheelchair into the room. As she went to the receptionist's desk, the man sat there, alone and silent. Just as I was thinking I should make small talk with him, a little boy slipped off his mother's lap and walked over to the wheelchair. Placing his hand on the man's, he said, I know how you feel. My mom makes me ride in the stroller too..'
************************************************************************************************

As I was nursing my baby, my cousin's six-year-old daughter, Krissy, came into the room. Never having seen anyone breast feed before, she was intrigued and full of all
kinds of questions about what I was doing. After mulling over my answers, she remarked, 'My mom has some of those, but I don't think she knows how to use them..'
************************************************************************************************
Out bicycling one day with my eight-year-old granddaughter, Carolyn, I got a little
wistful. 'In ten years,' I said, 'you'll want to be with your friends and you won't go
walking, biking, and swimming with me like you do now. Carolyn shrugged. 'In ten years you'll be too old to do all those things anyway.'
************************************************************************************************
Working as a pediatric nurse, I had the difficult assignment of giving immunization shots to children.. One day, I entered the examining room to give four-year-old Lizzie her needle. 'No, no, no!' she screamed. 'Lizzie,' scolded her mother, 'that's
not polite behavior.' With that, the girl yelled even louder, 'No, thank you! No, thank
you!

************************************************************************************************
On the way back from a Cub Scout meeting, my grandson innocently said to my son,
'Dad, I know babies come from mommies' tummies, but how do they get there in the first place?' After my son hemmed and hawed awhile, my grandson finally
spoke up in disgust, 'You don't have to make up something, Dad. It's okay if you don't
know the answer.'
************************************************************************************************
Just before I was deployed to Iraq , I sat my eight-year-old son down and broke the news to him. 'I'm going to be away for a long time,' I told
him. 'I'm going to Iraq .' 'Why?' he asked. 'Don't you know there's a war going
on over there?'

************************************************************************************************
Paul Newman founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children stricken with cancer, AIDS, and blood diseases. One afternoon, he and is wife, Joanne Woodward, stopped by to have lunch with the kids. A counselor at a nearby
table, suspecting the young patients wouldn't know Newman was a famous movie star,
explained, That's the man who made this camp possible. Maybe you've seen his picture on his salad dressing bottle?' Blank stares. 'Well, you've probably seen his face on
his lemonade carton.' An eight-year-old girl perked up. 'How long was he missing?'

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

... and my personal favorite ...God's Problem Now: His wife's graveside service was just barely finished, when there was a massive clap of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by even more thunder rumbling in the distance. The little, old man looked at the pastor and calmly said, "Well, she's there."

(adapted from an email. Tks Joe)

13 Facts about Friday the 13th

1. 13 is not only a prime number (its only factors are one and itself), but also a Fibonacci number. Did you also know that “Eleven plus two” (13) is an anagram of “twelve plus one” (13)?
2. Thirteen is also know as a ‘baker’s dozen‘ (in the middle ages, bakers used to give customers asking for a dozen loaves 13 to avoid mis-counting), the ‘devil’s dozen‘ and a ‘long dozen’.
3. On the subject of a “devil’s dozen” – did you know that the serial murderers Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy, Albert De Salvo, Harvey Glatman, Herman Mudgett, Herbert Mullin, Daniel Rolling, Lucian Staniak, Peter Sutcliff, Wayne Williams all have 13 letters in their names?.
4. Apollo 13 was launched on April the 13th at 13:13 local time on Pad 39 (3 times 13).
5. There were 13 people present at the Last Supper of Jesus Christ (the 13th person being the traitor Judas Iscariot). Jesus was then crucified on a the Roman execution day – Friday (which is suspected to have been Friday the 13th).
6. Friday is also believed to be the day that Adam and Eve is thought to have eaten the forbidden fruit, the same day of the week that the Noah’s Ark Great Flood started, Solomon’s temple fell, and Abel was murdered by his brother Cain
7. There have only been ten movies called Friday the 13th – the most famous being the 1980 movie about a young boy called “Jason” drowning at Camp Crystal Lake in 1957 and, when it reopens on Friday 13th June – quite a large number of people start dying…
8. 13 is the age which Jew’s have their bar mitzvahs
9. Fear of the number 13 can also be traced back to Norse mythology, where at a dinner party in Valhalla (home of the Norse god Odin) had 11 of his closest god-friends to party. Then Loki (the Norse god of Mischief) showed up uninvited make it a crowd of 13. Loki then encourages Hod (the blind god of Winter) to attack Balder the Good (his brother). Hod then threw a spear of mistletoe (offered by Loki) to-wards Balder (the Norse god of Light, Joy and Reconciliation) – killing him instantly (as mistletoe was the only Earth substance he wasn’t immune to).
10. Norse Mythology also gives another version. Friday gets its name from Frigg (the Norse goddess of marriage and fertility) or Freya (the Norse goddess of sex and fertility). When the Nordic tribes mutated to Christianity, it came at the expense of poor Frigg. They maligned the goddess, labeling her a witch, spawning tales of lie and horror. In one tale, the goddess convened weekly meetings on Frigg’s Day, hence Friday. Eleven other witches and the devil, totally thirteen people, hatched devious plans for the week ahead. As a result, Friday was labeled as the Witches’ Sabbath across all of Scandinavia. A witch’s coven also consists of 13 people – 1 leader and twelve followers.
11. The origin of the superstition that Friday the 13th in particular is also thought to stem back to Friday the 13th of October 1307 when the Pope of the Roman Catholic church, in combination with the King Philip of France (ironically nicknamed ‘Phillip the Fair’) , sentenced the Knights Templar to death as he was jealous of their power and wealth. He branded them as Satanists and had them executed. In revenge, the last Grand Master – Jaques DeMolay – cursed the Pope and the King of France to die within the year. Which they both did.
12. According the Egyptians, life was a quest for spiritual ascension which unfolded in stages. 12 in this life and a thirteenth beyond (thought to be eternal afterlife). The number 13, therefore, symbolized death – ok, not in terms of dust and decay, but as a desirable transformation.
13. According to legend the British government sought to debunk the Friday 13th superstition 100 years ago. A special ship was commissioned named H.M.S. Friday. Her keel was laid on a Friday, she was launched on a Friday, the crew was selected on a Friday and Captain Jim Friday was put in command. Finally, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage – on a Friday – and was never seen or heard from again. But many dismiss these tales as poppycock and claim that Friday 13th is actually a lucky day.

Annoying Sounds:

1. Someone smacking their gum.
2. Car Alarms
3. Boom Cars Bobby G and I agree on these, that is not music it is pure and simple NOISE.
4. That little yippy dog of the neighbors
5. That slurping sound that people do with their straw, at the bottom of their drink.
6. The sound of some one clipping their toe nails.
7. Automated Phone systems, I need to be told how important I am to them while I am on hold for an hour.
8. Awkward silences.
9. Low flying airplanes, ever since I was a kid I have had a fear of one crashing into my house.
10. Some one chewing on ice. OMG that sends me over the top every single time.

Out my back door:

I walked out my back door and snapped these pictures to try to share the beauty that I see daily. I hope you enjoy them as well. Click them to see full size. In the second one if you enlarge it you will see there is also a heron it is the white spot near the center of the picture. I enjoy every thing except the snakes.

Coping, Some things I’ve learned:

1. People deal with things differently. If I deal with something differently than you do, that does not make me wrong. It’s hard to see that sometimes because we forget we are all different people and we think “Well if I can do this then you can” and sometimes, a gal just needs to eat brownie dough and not answer her phone for a week or so. And that’s okay.

2. Although I don’t see it, I am stronger than I think. Sometimes it amazes me when people say I am a strong person because I don’t see it. There are so many people out there that have it worse than me so I don’t feel like I have the right to say “I am strong. I made it through that.” But, I DID make it through it, maybe not so smoothly, but I made it. And as corny as it is, I am strong.

3. It’s okay to cry. I haven’t quite gotten this down pat yet. There have been times when I knew I was low as low could go and I wanted to cry, but I held it back. (This probably is because I feel like I have to be strong.) Every few months it ALL comes out. Months of needing to cry spilling out which results in hours of bawling my eyes out which lead to a headache and a very red, blotchy face. At first I wouldn’t tell anybody about it, but I found when I did tell people, believe it or not, they were all understanding! Here I felt like this failure because I gave in and everybody was okay with it. So I’ve learned, it really is okay to cry.

4. Lean on people. I’m not going to mention any name on here, but there was somebody that I leaned on and I know he/she was what got me out of my slump. The feeling I didn’t have anyone to talk to anymore, was gone. This person let me literally tell the same story over and over again. They didn’t try to make things better, they just listened. Everybody has their own issues going on in their lives, but this person made me feel like mine was the only issue (not to sound like a brat) and I am thankful for that because I think I needed that at the time. So thank you!

5. Tell people you love them, you’ll regret it if you don’t.

6. There is definitely a God.

7. Be thankful everyday for what you have. I never pass on spending time with my grand kids They are my pride and joy. Take the extra moments and spend them with the people you care about.

8. I am very stubborn and I know this sometimes has and is going to get me into a lot of trouble. The problem is I know I got that quality from my dad so I’m probably not going to get rid of it, just maybe I’ll learn when to use it better. Sorry in advance.

9. Take pictures. The only picture I can find of dad and I together was taken on Christmas after Greg was born on the 13th. We both look horrible in it, but is is a good memory for me.

10. I am sure there are more ways to cope but these have helped me.

Monday with Morgan

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

How Wasteful My "Older" Generation Was ...

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.. The woman apologized to him and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment." He was right, that generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.

Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn’t have the green thing back in that customer's day. In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she was right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day.
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you.

When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful WE old folks were just because WE didn't have the green thing back then?

Yes, and sadly we invented these time saving ,wasteful things!

adapted from an email

Death

I think it is a good subject to talk about at any age. You never know when death will happen. You have to do this or your family is left clueless. You need a will even if you have no children. Are there any insurance policies? Are the beneficiaries current? Do you know where the policies are? What about the bills? Write down who gets paid what and when. Keep that list current. Do you pay bills online? Make a list of the web site addresses, username and passwords. Do not store it on the computer! Put it with the policies. Keep that list current. You need marriage certificates, birth certificates, certified copies of both. You also need divorce papers if there has been a divorce. Also social security cards are needed. Make your wishes known if you want to be cremated or not. Make a will. Don't leave it up to the kids to decide how to split anything. Even in the best of families death causes somebody's brain to malfunction. I don’t think I have ever seen or heard of a funeral that did not have some one feeling slighted or offended.

And NO I am depressed or anything it is just something I feel the need to take care of. Yesterday I inhaled a tiny piece of food. This happened around 2 pm. Since I have so little lung function, it took forever to cough it up. At about 3 am I was finally successful, today I am so sore. Never at any time was I in serious danger, but it did make me think. So I am now working on getting more organized. I am the sort of person who is satisfied with what I have and do not envy what others have. So most everything I own is paid for. It should be simple.

Thought for the day and a picture of Morgan

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
"Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today."? So she did and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"H-M-M, " she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today."?
So she did and she had a grand day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.
"Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!" Attitude
is everything.

Have a Good Day! Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is
fighting some kind of battle."

Mojo

Mojo: N.
1. Self-confidence, Self-assuredness. As in basis for belief in ones self in a situation. Esp. I context of contest or display of skill such as going into battle.
2. Good luck fetish / charm to bolster confidence.
3. ability to bounce back from a debilitating trauma and negative attitude

I seem to have lost my blogging mojo . I think I will take today off.

Things could be worse

When I see what some people have to over come it makes me feel frivolous.

I am so grateful for what I have.

I will try to share my good fortune with those who are so much more in need.

I will be thankful.

Annoying me today

1. People who try to talk to you when you are going to the bathroom.
2. People who don't vote and then complain about the results.
3. People who scrape their fork around the plate.
4. People who can't seem to understand that " red eyes" are possible to remove in photos.
5. Men who refer to their wife as ” the wife”- a wife is not an object.
6. When it's raining and you turn your car off before you turn the wipers off, and they stop in the middle of the windshield, so you turn the car back on, the wipers off, and then the car off.
7. Wobbly tables.
8. Restaurants that give you rolls, but never enough butter to go with them.
9. When men you don't know very well at all assume it is okay to call you "hun" or "babe."
10. People who always look to start a fight.