CHRISTMAS FOR NON CHRISTIANS???

The majority of people are Christian and celebrate Christmas in one form or another. But what about the non-Christians? It goes without saying that they do not celebrate Christmas.

So what is their impression of all the hala baloo accompanying this holiday. Do they think us all fanatics and greedy? Do they think of us in terms of materialism or in terms of dedication to a belief? Do they tire of the way life now has become obsessed with 12/25? Do they tire of hearing Christmas carols when they enter the grocery store to purchase a loaf of bread? Do they tire of all the gleaming decorations in the stores and on the streets?

It would be interesting to ask a non Christian about this. I am sure we Christians must amuse them to some extent......making such a fuss about one holiday. I am sure that many may think us hyprocrites.........pushing a spirit of love and giving for the month of December and then acting like heathens the rest of the year.

Do we demostrate the true meaning of Christmas to them. Actually I doubt it....we get so busy and so wrapped up on the tangible side of the holiday that we often cloud the intangible side of it.....the love and true spirit of peace on earth, good will toward men. I am sure the Christian shopping and driving lets their frustrations out in forms of pushing and shoving, of road rage, of impatience, etc.

Maybe it is time to reevaluate the real meaning of this blessed holiday and let our hearts and actions speak louder than our words and actions. Let us become a witness to the non-Christians that Christmas is much more than gifts, decorations, parties, etc. Let us demonstrate the real meaning of Christmas, not just in December, but all year long. What a wonderful place this old world would be for Christians and non Christians alike if we just had the strength of will power to do so.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What famous Christmas “character” was created in 1939, in Chicago, for the Montgomery Ward department stores for a Christmas promotion? Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

TODAY'S TRIVIA: In A Charlie Brown Christmas, how many cents does Lucy charge for her psychiatric services?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month."-- Harlan Miller

FINALLY

Well, I finally got a chance to write on here. Gee, my last entry was about time and time sure got the best of me these past 2 weeks.

I have put my tree up, sent out the cards, finished shopping, wrapped all the presents, and managed to end up in the hospital for 3 days. But I am back on track.

At my age, anything of importance evicts childhood memories. Some memories sweet and some that should never have been created. When I think of Christmas, a couple of good memories always spring to mind. I always spent my Christmas holiday with my aunt and cousins. Even though I was 5 years older that my oldest cousin, I was always given the same as the others.
I remember Christmas mornings of anticipation and laughter and joy........only to have been experienced at my aunt's.

I do remember one Christmas when we lived on the farm near Letchworth State Park when the weather didn't allow me to get to Buffalo to spend the day with my aunt and cousins. My grandmother and I hiked up the hill to chop down a Chistmas tree. We dragged it back to the house and propped it up in the woodshed so it could thaw out before we started to decorate it.

The tree began to spread its limbs as if to caress the warmth. As the branches began to unfold and lay in proper order, the tree began to reveal and evict its inhabitants: a hugh family of field mice who had hidden deep within the branches for warmth and protection from the bitter weather!! Needless to say, that tree made it into the yard in record time and we never did end up with a tree that year.

Now my memories revert to memories of the years with my own children and then my grandchildren. In the peaceful shelter of being much older, I can now just sit back and relax in just enjoying th.e holiday without all the stress and endless hours of preparation. There are not a lot of perks in getting older, but this may one of them.....just enjoying the holiday as it was met to be enjoyed....with love and peace and tranquility.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Whose slogan from 1950-1953 was "More Bounce to the Ounce"? Pepsi
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What famous Christmas “character” was created in 1939, in Chicago, for the Montgomery Ward department stores for a Christmas promotion?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled.

TIME

Well, Thanksgiving 2008 is now a memory and Christmas is only 25 days away. Where does the time go? How much of our lives do we measure in time elements other than the obvious days, months, and years?

We seem to measure time by what is going to be....those things we anticipate. Turning 16 to get a drivier's license, turning 21 to drink, turning 65 to retire, etc. We get pregnant and we count down our lives in one month intervals until 9 months has been reached. We plan that once-in-a-life time vacation and count the days down until departure. As a chil, we impatiently counted down the days till Christmas.

We measure time past in elements of events......those things which have past, but still linger with us. We count the time that has past when we have lost a loved one by their death anniversary date. We remember those days when time seemed to stand still in our memories.....Kennedy's assissination, 9/11, etc. We can remember certain events in detail when we related them to some special memory of our own in the past.

When I was little and was anticipating a birthday or Christmas or summer vacation, etc., my grandmother used to say to me, "Don't be in such a hurry for time to pass...it passes fast enough as it is and as you get older, it passes more quickly with every passing year." I looked at her in total confusion. How could time pass faster at one age than another. A minute is a miniute, an hour is an hour, a day is a day, a month is a month, a year is a year, etc.

Somehow the mystery of her remark has caught up with me. We have all heard that old addage when we retire..."How did I ever find time to do the things I wanted to when I was working?"
I still can't explain the scientific underlying logic in her statement, but I can't deny that is is not true. It doesn't make sense and in reality is not possible by all laws of the universe and nature.

But is is also a reality. Every year time seems to pass even more quickly than the year before. Maybe we are just trying to put as much as we can in a 24 hour period. I don't know. What I do know is this: "How can it be 11/30 when I am still living in May!!!!!"

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA: Under whose administration was Thanksgiving declared a national holiday? Abraham Lincoln's
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Whose slogan from 1950-1953 was "More Bounce to the Ounce"?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When I was young we used to go "skinny dipping," now I just "chunky dunk."

MY PRIVATE PLACE TO GIVE THANKS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving evokes many memories for me including a day of pride, one of my "firsts" and making do with what I had. I am sure all of us have such memories.

When I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade, my class put on a Thanksgiving play, to which all parents were invited. We were all told to wear the newest rage, white tennis shoes, as we wouldn't slip or slide on the slippery stage floor. Since my grandmother thought any shoe that didn't have straps and a sturdy heel was not fit to wear, this school's edict was a turning point in my life. I could as last get out of those stuffy and boring shoes and wear what was the fashion.

Since my grandmother worked, I really had no hopes of her coming to the play. When we walked out on the stage and I saw her sitting in the audience, I was delighted and managed to recite my on line with all that was in me. I can still remember it: "N is for the nuts we children all adore, we'll eat them on Thanksgiving Day and then we'll ask for more!" as I proudly held up the N card in Thanksgiving.

About the same age, we were invited to my cousin's grandmother's house for Thanksgiving dinner. This lady was dignified and quite proper, so I was on my best behavior. She even let me break up the lettace for the salad...this was the first time I was given any "adult" responsibility in a kitchen. You can imagine my pride in doing that.

There were so many people around and I wanted to give thanks for all my blessings, but there was no place of solitude to do so, except...........THE BATHROOM. I went into the bathroom, closed the door, lowered the toilet seat (out of reverence, I suppose), sat down and began to list all those people and things I was most thankful for. It may not have been orthodox, but I am sure He heard me.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the 1st African American performer to win a major Emmy award? Harry Belafonte
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Under whose administration was Thanksgiving declared a national holiday?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump, and may your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump.

AFTER 8 YEARS

8 years ago, my soul mate was still alive, fighting cancer. But we both loved celebrating Christmas and continued on with our lives as if the cancer didn't exist. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday as it was for him.

We had a beautiful 7' tree which we decorated with ornaments we had purchased...ornaments that met something special to us. Once decorated, we lit the pine scented candle, turned on a TV station that just showed a fire place glowing and burning, put on Christmas songs, and snuggled on the couch. What a wonderful memory! All was well with the world.

That was the last Christmas we celebrated in that manner. The following year, we spent the days preceding Christmas in and out of the hospital. I brought a small tree up to his hospital room and put on the most special ornaments that we had purchased. We had assembled the 7' tree when he was still home, but never had a chance to decorate it. It was not the same. I know in my heart he tried to hang on until after Christmas...his biggest concern was making sure my daughter had purchased all the gifts on his list for me.

He died on December 13th. and so did I....well at least the best part of me. I left the undecorated tree up in the house for weeks. I couldn't bear to touch it. Christmas would never be the same for me. For the next 6 years, I avoided anything that had to do with Christmas. My heart was cold and unreceptive to Christmas.

This year a miracle happened. After 8 years, I am in the Christmas spirit and want to participate! I have purchased a small tree (I got rid of the 7' one years ago), pulled out the ornaments and smiled as I remembered my last happy Christmas. I have purchased the gifts and even have wrapped them. I can't wait to decorate my tree, even if is just me and Sheba who will see it.

Christmas is a time for miracles and for love. God gave me love....unbelieveable love for 3 years with my soulmate. Love exists beyond the realm of time. I still have my soulmate's love and no where is it written that earthly things will last forever. Dennis' body didn't, but his love has, just like God's has. The change in my heart is truly a real Christmas miracle!!!


ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Kellogg's Variety Pack cereals came in 10 boxes with 7 choices...what were the 7 choices? Corn Flakes, Pep, Shredded Wheat, Rice Krispies, Corn Soya, Bran Flakes, Krunbles SEE PICTURE ON RIGHT SIDE OF PAGE.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the 1st African American performer to win a major Emmy award?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I can't remember if I'm the good twin or the evil one.

A COMPANY THAT REALLY CARES

About a month ago, I needed to have my furnace replaced. I called Musso Heating Company. They were so helpful.....they brought me a brand new heater to use for the night until they could get out the next day to install the new furnace so I would have heat.

2 days ago, I had to call them in the evening because the thermostat didn't seem to be working properly. It was about 8:30. My intention was to let them know I needed a service call and I was anticipating a wait of a few days at the minimum. No way!!! They sent someone out within the hour. He checked the thermostat and told me to keep an eye on it for a couple of days and if it still didn't work right, to call them back.

Well, I called them yesterday and they were out this afternoon. They replaced the thermostat without a question or hassle and all is well. I was very impressed by their concern that I had heat until they could get there. The office staff told me to call them, regardless of the time, if the heat went off for some reason and they would be out right away.

In this day and age when it seems everyone is out for themselves, this experience was refreshing. It reminded me of the days long long ago when people took pride in their products and workmanship. It is refreshing to know that a company could be concerned for the welfare of a stranger. It is refreshing that old fashion standards still exist.

It is a shame that all businesses can't run this way.....they would probably have more contented and satisfied customers and both their business and the customer would benefit from such workmanship and professionalism.


ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: On the TV show Topper, what was the martini drinking St. Bernard name? Neal
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Kellogg's Variety Pack cereals came in 10 boxes with 7 choices...what were the 7 choices?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.

THE HUMAN SPIRIT

Sometimes I wonder if the human spirit is made of rubber. No matter what, it always seem to bounce back even in the most discouraging situations. It seems unbreakable...no matter what, it remains constant within us. Oh, circumstances test and try our spirits, but in the end it remains, if not in tact, at least presentable until it can heal.

A friend of mine just experienced a break up after several months involvement with someone. Those 7 months brought smiles, happiness, anticipation, and just that old I-can-hardly-breath reactions for my friend. I heard pain and rejection in his voice when he first told me of the break up. Within 2 days, he sounds almost happy. He understands what will be will be. He is making plans for his future, plans that do not include the other person and plans that are clearly not smothered in self-pity.

To quote part of this friend's blog: "Why are people so afraid of being alone? Because they think they're unworthy that anyone will love them again. I read through my blog entry of Friday and
realized I had given someone authority to say I wasn't good enough. I'm freakin' great! Smart as hell, healthy, a very big heart, debt-free, fiercely independent, great face, decent body and kind to a fault. I'm a total catch. Passionate and a little crazy, yes, but about things that matter." Is this a statement of conceit? No way! It is an evaluation of self worth....a statement that our human spirit has given us to cope with situations. This is the human spirit in a nut shell.

What makes us, as humans, bounce back when our spirits are so abused and used that we feel we just can't go on another day? What makes us bounce back up once we are taken down? What makes us force ourselves to keep going when all we want to do is give up? It is the will to survive. It is the spirit down deep inside of us all that pushes us to keep going in spite of the detours in the road. It is the same essence that has spurred man on ever since time began. Somewhere inside of us...way down deep inside us....we know we can go on in spite of ourselves. We just need to evaluate the situation and our own self-worth and take control.

The human spirit in resilent and will bounce back in spite of ourselves and our self-pity and confusion. All we need to do is go with the flow of disappointment and despair, but only for a little bit, then let go and let our inner spirit take control. We are destined, as man, to survive. It is as simple as that. We ARE survivors!!!

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the first toy advertised on TV? Mr.Potato Head
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: On the TV show Topper, what was the martini drinking St. Bernard name?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A house becomes a home when you can write "I love you" on the furniture .

HOLIDAYS: PEACE OR STRESS?

Well, "The Holidays" will soon be upon us. This is the time of the year when families get together and express their love for each other...a time when good will is supposed to abound. But in reality this is the probably the most stressful time of the year.

We all want that lovely Courier & Ives or Normal Rockwell version of the holidays, but they just don't exist like that, unfortunately. Just the fact that we think we must try to make the holidays as ideal and "Christmas Card" picture as possible is probably the most stressful cause of holiday breakdowns.

Holidays mean families......families mean people..........people mean varied personalities and emotions....personalities and emotions often mean strife and arguments. Families feud all year long. Families ignore other family members all year long. Then because it is "The Holidays", all is supposed to be forgiven and forgotten. That seldom happens...a day or 2 days will not change 360 some odd days previous during the year.

We try so hard to make things happen and to make the holidays a good memory that at times we forget about the real meaning of these days and the unpredictability of the human nature. We forget that we can't change people, even those in our families and we can't "order" them to be happy and compatable just for a holiday.

Keep in mind all the people you might want to bring together just so you can eat a meal together or whatever else is done to celebrate the holidays. Is the risk of an uncomfortable gathering worth it all? Probably not.

What to do then? Just limit your expectations a little and let the holidays run their course. Don't try so hard to make things ideal and perfect. Just let things happen as they will. Most of all lower your stress levels so that you can actually enjoy "The Holidays".



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What TV show character always said, Well, I'll be a dirty bird…? George Gobel
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the first toy advertised on TV?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I’m having an out of money experience

SMILES

A smile is probably one of the most pleasant gestures we use to express emotions. There are all kinds of smiles and all generally produced the same effect....a smile in return.

Here are a few types of smiles:
1. A smile we use as a greeting when we pass someone on the street.
2. A smile that opens the lips to release a full fledged burst of laughter when something becomes hilarious to us.
3. A smile that is intimate between 2 people....watch 2 people in love as they look at each other across the room and silently smile, telling the other one of their love for them.
4. A cock-eyed smile that we use when we get caught doing something and we then try to look innocent
5. A lop-sided smile that is more of a smirk as only one side of the upper lip is raised. This kind of smile is usually sarcastic.
6. A forced smile when we are down and someone says "smile" and we try our best to oblige them.
7. A phony-trying to be spontaneous smile when are posing for a picture.
8. A forced smile accompanied by a toss of the head as we half-heartedly agree with someone
9. A smile that reflects evil like when the villian ties the lovely and helpless woman to the railroad tracks.

But the best smile in the world belongs to a baby. Watch them when they begin to form that smile. You can almost see the smile starting to form at the curves of their mouths as the mind translates the thought into an action. Then the eyes get into the act.....they begin to twinkle. Sometimes the entire body responds to the up-coming smile by wiggling. And then all of a sudden, the smile explodes on that baby's face, radiating, contagious. It is the purest and most innocent and most spontaneous smile in the world. A baby will put so much effort into a smile while appearing to make it look so effortless. There are so many free-bees that God gives us and personally, I think a baby's smile is one of those at the top of the list.


ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What is the definition of the slang term, "peepers"? eye glasses
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What TV show character always said, Well, I'll be a dirty bird…?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You know you are old if your mind makes contracts your body can't keep.

SUMMER IN NOVEMBER??

Here it is : November 4, 2008 and you would never have known that if you were just relying on the weather outside. We are 23 days away from Thanksgiving and 51 days from Christmas and the temperature outside is 67 degrees.....a perfect day temperature-wise.

I can hear the sounds of summer outside: children laughing, parents talking and sometimes yelling at their children, and lawn mowers running. I made sure my furnace was shut down as I have had to use it in the past weeks. My doors are wide open and I can feel the crisp freshness of autumn flowing through them.

Buffalo has taken the rap as being the Snow Capitol of the World. It is about time that erroneous title be removed. Sure we have snow and lots of it at times, but it only lasts for a few months. We have wonderous springs, summers, and autumns. At times our weather is better than that of Florida. Where else can you experience such a glorious and uncharactertic day like this other than Buffalo.

We Buffaloians are adaptable to what snow we get. We can muddle through a storm and even a blizzard here and there. We adjust to the colder temperatures. We are glad we do not have to deal with nature's other unpredictable wraths such as hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes, etc. Give me a snowstorm over those any day. Give me a day like this anytime.......67 degrees.......now I am sorry I put my grill up for the winter.....a hamburger grilled outside would taste wonderful.



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the theme song for the Roy Rogers TV show? Happy Trails to You
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What is the defination of the slang term, "peepers"?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Life begins at 50. But everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out.

MAGIC CHEMICALS

Today the pool was closed because the water was too cloudy and they had to treat it with chemicals. Wouldn't it be nice if, when we get "cloudy", someone would shut us down and treat us with a chemical to make us clear again?

If only someone would just shut us down when we are angry or bitter or vengeful or nasty in every sense of the word. Wouldn't it be wonderful if, by some magic solution, we could be made clear again by someone else? It would, however, make us less answerable and less determined to change our negative ways.

But we do not grow by letting someone else do our dirty work for us. Instead of letting someone wash over us a solution that would clear the anger we fell, we need to confront that anger and find our own solution to turn that negativity into positivity.

Instead of letting someone wash over us a solution that would clear us of our bitterness, we have to look inside ourselves and see where that bitterness is coming from and then forgive the source of the bitterness.

Instead of letting someone wash over us a solution that would clear us of our vengefulness, we have to let go of our self-centerness and look at the other person and put ourselves in their places before we seek to get even.

Instead of letting someone wash over us a soluton that would clear us of nastiness, we have to stop and ask ourselves if the situation warrents us deliberately hurting someone else.

Even though we can't go to the store and buy that magic solution, we do have it within our grasps. We all have the capacity to think and feel and make decisions that will effect us and those around us. So next time you want to become angry or seek vengence or fall prey to bitterness or feel the urge to be nasty, pull out that gallon jug of self control and reasoning and douse yourself with it til you are are clean and clear again.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was better known as "Mr. Television"? Milton Berle
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the theme song for the Roy Rogers TV show?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I haven't lost my mind---it's backed up on a disk somehwere.

FEET

Today I was sitting on the couch with my feet up. I glanced down and started to wiggle my toes. It was then it hit me....Feet are ugly!! Toes are ugly!!

There are so many parts of the human body that are considered beautiful, depending on your tastes......the eyes, the breasts, the tush, the legs, the hands, etc. But take a good look at your feet and toes.

The feet look like some flatten pancake attached to your legs. The toes just sit there and look useless. They are these silly looking appendatures protruding from the pancake. They remind me of the toy, weebles. They wobble, but they don't fall down. They look like fat stick people without arms or legs.

They have no personality. They have nothing that makes one want to look at them. They have nothing that is actually sex appealing (unless you have a foot fetish). Oh, one can try to make them appealing.....painting the toe nails, wearing toe rings, and even getting a tatoo on your ankle to draw attention to your feet. But in the end they are still ugly.

I know that the reason one wears shoes and socks is to protect the feet and keep them warm, but personally I think the reason is to hide the toes and feet from the vision. So I am going to put on a pair of footies and try to forget about those ugly attachments at the end of my legs.

ANSWER TO LAST RIVIA QUESTION: Who asked, "Why's everybody always pickin' on me?" The Coasters on their song, "Charlie Brown"
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was better known as "Mr. Television"?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Daylight savings time --- why are they saving it and where do they keep it?

A LOSS

We all get so caught up in our lives....our routines, thinking that things will stay status quo. We generally do not accept change very well. There is a man who works for a drug store where I go for my prescriptions. The drug store offers free home delivery, which I use most of the time and this man is the regular driver on weekdays.


We know each other by first name, we wish each other happy holidays, we ask each other how we are feeling, we complain about the weather to each other, etc. If we see each other on the street or in a store, we acknowledge each other with a smile and small chit-chat. In reality, we have let the other person into our lives, even if only for a few moments at a time. In a sense we have become part of the other's lives as they have ours.


As we do with those people we allow into our lives, we become emotionally attached to some extent. Early this morning, there was a fire which destroyed 4 houses, one of which was my friendly delivery man's. I was so concerned that I called the drug store to see if he was ok. They told me his house was destroyed and that he survived the fire, but his grown son didn't survive...he died in the fire.


Oh My God!!!....I was stunned by this news. I still sit here trying to understand what happened.
My heart went out to this man and I can't even begin to understand his loss or pain, but I hurt for him nevertheless. There is a saddness upon me and a loss as what to do or say when I see him next, other than I am so sorry.


You read of this tragedy every day, but never think it will strike someone you know. Life changes suddently and oft times harshly. Things don't stay the same, happiness is invaded by sorrow, normalacy is shattered, but that IS Life.....that is how it goes. There is nothing we can do to change this. It is not fair, but we are not the balancers of this universe. All we can do is muddle through these changes the best we can and learn to accept them and maybe offer a smile or shoulder to cry on or just compassion for those who are effected by these changes in such a sorrowful way.


ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What does the slang term, "Big tickle" mean? really funny
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who asked, "Why's everybody always pickin' on me?"

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You know you are old if your whole day is full of "Senior Moments."

THE WEATHER MAN WHO CRIED WOLF!

I am sure we can all remember the story/fable from our childhood years of the little boy who cried wolf one too many times and no one believed him. The lesson was if you cried for help and were only joking too many times, no one would believe you.

We seem to have weathermen here in the western New York area who must have been absent the day that story/fable was read at school. A few years ago, we had an unexpected snow strom hit the area that left children stranded at school or en route home over night. We live in a snow area, so this kind of storm is not rare.....maybe unexpected at times, but not rare.

Now it seems as if the weatherman has taken the lesson of the little boy who cried wolf too seriously for most Buffaloians. It seems every time there is a chance a storm might hit the area, the weatherman pushes the panic button and emits reports that cause us to push the panic button. This has been happening ever since that one storm a few years ago. I guess the weatherman doesn't want to be caught with his pants down again.

Just this past Friday, the weathermnan reported that 2 major incidents were going to hit the area. First one: he predicted enough rain for most of us regreting not building an ark. Second one: he reported a major lake effect storm (for those not familar with that term, it is the worse and most destructive snow storm that can hit) to hit us by Monday morning. As is the custom of us here, that kind of storm means running out and buying up bread, milk, toilet paper, and beer.

Well, so far he has been wrong on the first count. While we had some rain off and on yesterday, it was not even close to what was predicted. The way it looks and feels now, I doubt very much if a lake effect storm will hit us. I doubt if we will even get enough snow to cover the ground if even that.

Some may say that predicting the weather is NOT a skill, but a game of chance. Some may say that there is no true way of prediciting what will happen 48 hours from now or even 24 hours. As for me, I will give the weatherman credit for not wanting us to go through what we did a few years ago. However, I tend to lean toward his crying wolf......one of these times we will not listen to him and WILL be hit with a major storm.

Well, if you do not hear from me in a week or so, it might be that the weatherman WAS right and we got hit with that lake effect storm and all the power lines are down. I think I am going to find my snow shovels just in case................


ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Jergens Lotion was created by Andrew Jergens. What was his occupation before creating this hand and body lotion? He was a lumber jack.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What does the slang term, "Big tickle" mean?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Make yourself at home .....clean my kitchen

LOOSE ENDS

Did you ever have a mess of loose ends hanging around you and tripping you, pleading with you to finally tie them up? . Did you ever find yourself making excuses and finding "more important" things to do instead of tying up those loose ends? I am sure you did. I have.

Many have told me that I can be obsessive/compulsive when it comes to organizing things and putting them in a proper niche. I do have to agree with them. Sometimes I get so obsessed in filing things away that I often forget where I filed them when I needed them later. Every new system I create seems to be more effective and wise until I try to find something.

Today was one of those days. I had so many loose ends waving their little arms at me that I could not find any more places to hide from them. So I attacked them with a fervor and am sitting here hoping I will not forget where I put things. Maybe I should make a list of where they are now before I get confused later and forget them later. But then I probably would forget where I put the list.

I can actually see the top of my dining room table again. WOW...that is what it looks like. I wonder how long it will take to bury it again. Well, I am going to look at all my handiwork and try to make a mental note of where things are. Onto another task..............now where the heck did I put those papers?

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Sputnik II which carried a dog. What was its name? Laika
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Jergens Lotion was created by Andrew Jergens. What was his occupation before creating this hand and body lotion?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The fastest way to find something you've lost is to replace it

HOW TERRIFYING

Today a friend told me that an acquaintance that I had known many many years ago is in the hospital dying. She is in a drug-induced coma, is on a respirator, had both heart and kidney failure and the friend was told that she will not make it. The sad thing is is that she is only 67 years old.

The sadder part of this story is that she has no one to handle her arrangements after she is gone.
Oh my God how sad and terrifying is that? She does have family, but one of them is sickly herself and can't make the trip from California and the others have yet to come forth and probably won't. To think that someone has lived all those years and at the end, he/she will die alone.

Who will see to the funeral and burial arrangements? Will she be treated as some "Jane Doe" and left for the county to bury her? Will there be no eulogy, will there be no kind words of remembrance, will there be no tears at her passing? It almost seems surreal that this can happen to someone. How horribly sad it is to think that there is no one on this earth to complete her life cycle.

Even though my family and I have had our problems and had been estranged for a few years, I know that if I had died, one of them would have stepped up to the plate and taken care of things. Now that relationships have been reestablished, I could die peacefully in the knowledge that I would be properly taken care of after my death.

I can't think of anything sadder that what is happened to this woman. I am so grateful I have family who cares.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the “That frosty mug sensation”? a mug of A & W root beer
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Sputnik II which carried a dog. What was its name?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Do not disturb. Already disturbed

OOPS

I was experimenting with this site, which works with your blog site, and now I can't get it off. I just wanted to see how it looked and was going to remove it. So I guess you are stuck with this magazine cover.

It features my daughter and her family: Paula, Jay, and the kids, Danielle, and Anthony. Have to admit, they look pretty good on a cover of a magazine and in real life, they are all friends with each other.

It is times like this that I feel rather dumb (and frustrated) because a mechnical object took advantage of me. I consider myself pretty computer literate, but right now I feel I should run out and buy a copy of "Computers for Dummies".

Well I guess there is no need to get totally frustrated. After all it is just a slip-up on a computer and not the end of the world. I guess I can stop grinding my teeth and scouring my face up. So enjoy the magazine and wish me luck for the next time I try to experiment and it backfires.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What is Patricia McCormick’s claim to fame. She was the first woman bull fighter.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the “That frosty mug sensation”?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The trouble with political jokes is that they get elected

best friends

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

I WONDER WHY.....

I am not sure if I have had too much time on my hands over the years or if I just have an inquisitive mind, but certain things cause me to ponder their purpose and origin over the years. Not deep topics such as "What is the meaning of life?" or "Why am I here?" or "How come a leopard has spots and an elephant doesn't?" or "Why is it that a man won't ask for directions when lost?" These topics would show that I was a deep thinker, one who ponders over the status of the universe.

I ponder over more trivial ideas. I wonder how some things got started and why they got started. How did one word come to mean something in our language..............who thought it up? What precipatated the creation of the bra or some other at-the-moment-seemingly unimportant item?

I can get lost in thought in things like trying to figure out why man decided to pick certain items and decide they should be eaten. Was man walking along the beach one day and saw a clam which I am sure must have looked like a rock and thought, "Hmmm, if I break this open, there will be something edible inside it."?

What made man observe a lobster and say to himself, "This looks like it would be a delicacy with melted butter, so I am going to cook it." What could have possibly been going through man's mind when he saw a cow and scratched his head and uttered (no pun intended), "Hmm, I wonder if I squeeze those thingings hanging down, will I get something nourishing to drink?"

What was he thinking when he dug a hole and saw this root laying there under the surface and decided to pull it and cook it? Is this how our taste for carrots, potatoes, turnips, etc. came about? What ever gave man the idea to pull certain plants or parts of and use those parts as a seasoning or a healing herb?

How did man figure out what yeast was and then how to use it? Why did he take some seeds and decide to boil them to create coffee or use the seeds of the cocoa plant to make the delicious chocolate we all love and crave?

I am sure that necessity was partially responsible for man's experimenting in trying to find food sources. I am sure that just the fact that man had a mind with which to reason and think spurred him on to "discover" these strange things to be used for food. Or maybe man just had too much time on his hands and got bored and just decided to walk around and experiment with things he found just laying around.

Hmmmmmm, I think I will go for a walk and see if I can find the next food sensation to tickle our pallets.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Elvis Presley made only one television commercial, what was it? an ad for "Southern Maid Doughnuts" that ran in 1954.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What is Patricia McCormick’s claim to fame.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You read about terrorists; most of them came here legally, but they hung around on these expired visas, some as long as 10-15 years. Now, compare that to Blockbuster; you are two days late with a video and those people are all over you. I think we should put Blockbuster in charge of immigration.

BETTER MOUSE TRAP

Be sure to check out the jukebox section of my blog daily. The songs change. If you have a request, let me know and I will try to get it on the jukebox.

Since I live next to 2 vacant lots and it is fall, I have had mice in the house. For a few days there, I was catching maybe 5 or 6. It is not one of those things you get up in the morning and say, "Wow, today is another fine day to catch mice!", but it is reality.

My dog, Sheba, thinks she is a mouser/a cat. Sheba is part German Shepherd and lab. She weighs about 65 pounds, not exactly what would come to mind when you mention an animal that catches mice. Nevertheless, she thinks she is my protector and if it is mice she must conquer, then so be it!

If I see a mouse when I am not expecting it, I do scream. Sheba comes running and first thing she does is drop her head down and starts sniffing around the baseboards and floor, looking for her prey. God help me if I had to scream for another reason like someone was in the house...she would instinctively look downward!

There was a dead mouse in a trap. Sheba laid down, focused on the mouse, and patiently waited for an opportunity to pounce on it. I almost hated having to put the mouse in the garbage as she was so intent on protecting me from it.

I had been using those plastic traps (the wooden ones scare me when I put them down and they snap, just barely missing my fingers). They are great....work on the principle of a baggie clip....bait the trap, set it down, wait, catch your mouse, then just release the mouse into the garbage by pressing the clip.

I recently discovered a better mouse trap than the plastic ones and even Sheba....those ones you plug into an outlet and the vibrations it emits in the walls keeps the mice away. IT WORKS!!!!!I have not seen a mouse in over a week!!! The best part of it is that I do not have the distasteful job of setting the trap, disposing of the mouse, and even seeing a mouse.

I would give this "mouse trap" 2 thumbs up and plan on keeping mine plugged in all year round. That will show those little critters, but unfortunately will take away some of Sheba's fun and duties. Oh, well, I will just have to find something else for her to do around the house....hmmmmmm, wonder if you can train a dog to vacuum.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Who encouraged us “to reach out and touch somebody?" AT&T
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Elvis Presley made only one television commercial, what was it?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You know you are old if you have too much room in the house and not enough in the medicine cabinet.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

It is hard enough to see ourselves getting older and falling prey to all that that entails, but I think it is harder to see a life time acquaintance falling apart.

I have always said that I could tolerate the physical aspect of getting older (now, I wonder at the wisdon of that remark), but the mental aspect terrified and still does terrify me. There always seems to be a treatment or medication to help us seniors get through the physical aspects of getting old. But there is little one can do when one begins to fade away mentally.

Even if you take 100 pills a day and are confined to a wheelchair and still have your sight and hearing, you can survive. But what do you do when you mind begins to go? We all have moments (more than we like) when we forget things or forget a word or rattle on or tell the same story 10 times. Where is the quality of life when the mind leaves us?

I have an acquaintnace whom I have know for 43 years. schools. She has always been an alert person. Over the past few months I have noticed that she is having problems remembering things and is becoming argumentative at times.

We can chat on the phone and within 10 minutes she has forgotten what I had said and asks me the same questions. When I tell her I just told you, she denies it and acts confused. This happens almost evey conversation with her. She seems to get confused over the simpliest things. I can see the mental confusion seeping into her life and there is nothing I can do about it, just as there would be nothing I could do if it were happening to me.

It is sad...sadder maybe in knowing that this could be happening to me, that I may reach this stage of my life. It is a sad and rude reminder that we all get old, that we all have fralities, that all must face our own mortality. It is like going to a class reunion and looking around at your classmates and thinking, "Oh, my God, did they get old!!! When did that happen?" Yet at the same time, you do not see yourself as getting older along with them. When it comes to ourselves, we generally deny what is obvious in others.

As far as my acquaintance goes, what do you do? There is little you can do, but remain friends and hope that you will have the patience to keep looking at HER and not at her mental state and deal with it accordingly.



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Marlon Brando as Terry uttered “You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been someone Charley, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. I'm a bum. It was you, Charley.” in this 1954 film. What was the film? "On the Waterfront"
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who encouraged us “to reach out and touch somebody?"
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A good day is when the shit hits the fan and I have time to duck

WHAT'S THERE TO TALK ABOUT?

It is interesting how our topics of converstaion change as we grow older. There is a quote from scripture that says, "When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11 New American Standard Bible)

Then it is only normal that as we grow from childhood through adolescence, to adulthood that our topics of conversation change. When we were babies/toddlers, we spoke what we heard. We mimiced what we heard adults speak, at times not even knowing what we were talking about. This was a means of learning our language.

As school age children, we began to speak of those things that affected our lives....we wanted to share, to show off, to be heard. We talked about our friends, the teacher who didn't like us, what we were going to play after school, etc. We still mimiced our adults to an extend, but for the most part our choice of topics was our own.

As we were nearing our teens years and even once there, our topics of conversations WERE the only ones we wanted to hear. We often stopped creating topics to talk about with our parents or other adults. But we could find enough topics to share with our friends to last an entire day. We chatted about our friends, what so and so wore to school, how dreamy the boy in math class was. etc. Today, teen conversations are in the form of a text message, but the topics remain the same.

In our early adult years, we spoke of our jobs, our spouse, our children, of our plans to retire etc. Our conversations began to focus on the future as much as the present. We became aware that there was more to life than the present. We needed to move on in our lives and thus our topics of conversation.

As we approach or are in the senior years, our topics of conversation have changed radically. We discuss our grandchildren, the condition of the next generation, and mostly of our physical conditions. Put 2 or more seniors together and they will end up by talking about their surgeries, their medications, their doctors, their doctor appointments, who just died, etc.

I guess maybe at this age, others may think this morbid talk, but I guess over all the years of our existence, we maybe we have already discussed most of everything, so all that is left now is our medical concerns. It IS funny to hear seniors in conversation.......try listening to a group of seniors. It will make you glad you are young and everything still works!



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Fill in the blank in this song "Please turn on your magic beam, _____ _____ bring me a dream." Mr. Sandman
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Marlon Brando as Terry uttered “You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been someone Charley, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. I'm a bum. It was you, Charley.” in this 1954 film. What was the film?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground

A LOVELY BUNCH OF COCONUTS

I take aquatic classes at the local YMCA Monday-Fridays. I have been doing this for over 3 years and have been in the same group of woman, give or take a couple. Our classes can go as high as 20 people and as low as 6 people. But the one steadfast factor in our classes is that they consist of basically the same women.

Generally when you put that many women together in a setting or even a few women in a setting, feathers can fly. Not to betray my gender, but I will be the first to admit that women have a tendancy to get petty and tend to gossip or belittle or backbite in such a group. I can honestly say in all the time I have spent with these women, none of the typical female pettiness has reared its ugly head.

We not only spend time together in the pool, but also on a social basis. We go out for lunch once a month, visit each other in our homes, make contact over the phone, etc. When a spouse dies, the others are there for the widow or widower to lend support and love. When someone is dealing with a problem, the others are there to help if they can or at least listen. When something good happens to a member of the group, the others rejoice. In my own personal experience with this group, I had 2 friends come to help with my dog when I was in the hospital, one even spending the nights here until I was discharged.

So what separates this group of women from other groups? I am not really sure...I guess you could say we are just blessed. The personalities click, we all seem to have common ground, we all feel comfortable with each other, etc. I guess we feel free to just be ourselves without fear of critism or ridicule. If you doubt that last remark, join us one day in the pool and see how silly we can get....how we can be kids again, everyone joins in, and no one laughs us.

It is a good group, one of which has become an extended family for all those involved. One that we look forward to being with. One that makes us want to be on our best behavior as women and leave all the typical feminine pettiness behind. Of all the things that have come into my life, this group is one of the biggest blessings. I have never been involved with any group where you could just enjoy being with it and just enjoy being silly when the opportunity arises.

So as the old song goes, ".....what a lovely bunch of coconuts". (play today's jukebox pick to hear the full song) Would any of the group be offended by me referring to them as a coconut? Heck no! That's because we are who we are and have no shame in admitting it!

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: If you ordered a "cluck and grunt" at a 1950's diner, what would you have ordered? Egg and bacon
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Fill in the blank in this song "Please turn on your magic beam, _____ _____ bring me a dream."
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?

TAG.....YOU'RE IT!!!

There is a big push now days for children to get outside and play or join some form of physical activity to prevent childhood obesity. As kids, our parents never had to worry about that with our generation, but now the whole concept is being pushed on TV.

We generally hit the door running after we got home from school to get outside and play our favorite games. We didn't have all the electronic toys that keep us anchored to a seat. We had TV, but playing outside was generally more fun. There were only 2 TV shows that kept me from wanting to be outside and they were "The Mickey Mouse Club" and later "American Bandstand".

Who can forget such games as Tag, Kick the Can, What Time is it Mr. Fox, Freeze Tag, Dodge Ball, Hide and Seek, Red Light/Green Light, Jumping Rope, Hop Scotch, Giant Steps, Mr. Pie Man, or roller skating or riding your bike or scooter,etc? I know I can't. Kids were always on the move and generally had to be called in for supper time and then went back outside until the street lights came on (on non-school nights).

Since I had a heart murmur, I wasn't allowed to play the real strenous games, but did join in on several of the "tamer" games. Also being outside playing meant some special treats.............the ice cream man, the pop corn man, the little merry-go-round ride, and the take-your-picture on a pony treat....all of which came to your block periodically if not daily.

The best part of all this is that we never considered any of our activities as being something physical that we had to do. It was fun, it was our time, and it was a chance to just be a kid. We used our imaginations as well as our bodies to keep us in shape. There are so many things a child is offered today...sophisticated toys and activites. I am glad that all we needed to play and be happy was a can, a ball, a jump rope, a bike or scooter, a piece of chalk, or just imagination. Tag, you're it!!!!


ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: In the Everly Brothers song, "Wake up Little Suzie", what time was it when they realized they were in trouble? 4:00
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: If you ordered a "cluck and grunt" what would you have ordered?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

GO TO THE TOP

A couple of blog entries ago, I referred to my grandmother teaching me to go to the top if those at the bottom won't help you. Well I will tell you the full story now.


Years ago, when I was about 10 years old......let me rephrase that.........many, many years ago when I was 10, I wanted to buy a book of paper dolls. We lived across the street from a Woolworth's store. For those of you who might be too young to know what a Woolworth store was, let me explain.


Woolworth, along with Grants and Neisners, were better known as 5 and 10 cents stores. They carried a little of everything and when they first began, most of the items cost 5 or 10 cents. If you have ever gone to Viddler's in East Aurora, NY., you will see the concept of such stores.


This particular Woolworth store had wooden floors that creaked, had 2 floors with large wooden steps (no such thing as an elevator or escalator), had salespeople to help you in every department, and had a floor walker (a person who just walked around the store to make sure things were ok....kinda like the boss). The salesgirls wore dresses, some with a lace hanky in the top pocket, high heels, and were groomed to the ninth.


Well, I had earned a little money doing some chore or another and had enough money (probably 10 cents) to buy some paper dolls, which I loved. I wanted to add to my collection a bride and groom paper doll set. I had been eyeing the set at Woolworth's for a long time, so once I had some money in my hot little hands, I bolted across the street and through the doors of Woolworths.


Now keep in mind that I was short....even shorter than I am now if you can believe that. My chin came to about to the top of the counters. I found my treasure and went to pay the salesclerk for it. I tried to get her attention on one side of the counter, but she just turned and walked to the other side. I tried this several times and yet she didn't see me and therefore could not take my money.


Discouraged and disappointed, I put the paper dolls back and went back home in tears without them. I explained the situation (between sobs) to my grandmother, who proceeded to grab my hands and walk out the door, across the street, and into Woolworths. As we were crossing the street, she told me in situations like this, I was to go to the lower person on the ladder and if they didn't help, keep climbing the rungs until I reached the top, if need be.


She marched me into Woolworths, back to the paper doll section, took my purchase to the floor walker and explained the situation of how I tried to pay for my purchase, but the salesperson couldn't see me over the counter. The floor walker knelt down beside me and told me that we had done the right thing coming to him. Then he took me by my hand and lead me to the counter where I had tried to pay for the paper dolls.


He then explained the situation to the salesclerk who apologized for not seeing me. As I tried to once again pay for my purchase, the floor walker put the money back into the palm of my hand and closed my hand around it. With a smile and a twinkle in his eye, he said, "This one is one me."


ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Jim Anderson on Father's Knows Best called his oldest daughter Betty, "Princess". What did he call his youngest daughter? Kitten
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: In the Everly Brothers song, "Wake up Little Suzie", what time was it when they realized they were in trouble?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice Doggie!"--until you can find a tree to climb

A MAN OR A MOUSE??

Lately I have been catching mice. There are empty lots on either side of me and with the old furnace being removed and the cooler weather approaching, this is bound to happen. So I have been forced to set traps to free my house of any possible rodent invasion.

Last night one little mouse was caught in a trap while trying to remove the peanut butter I had used as bait. I started thinking.....food caused its death. At first I thought how primal and stupid this was. But eating is a must if one is to survive, whether it be a man or a mouse. But alas, man is not as gullible as a mouse is reaching for that dab of peanut butter. Man would never be stupid enough to risk his life in such a manner.

Think again!!! But that is exactly what man does and is doing at an alarming rate in today's age. Oh, man is not reaching his hand up inside a rigged trap to scoop out a miter of food. Man is reaching out into more long-term traps that will be sure to kill him.

Think about all the people you know. Then think about all the people in that group who are falling prey to the food trap. We turn to food for more than survival..............we all over indulge. Sit and watch people go by and about 99% of them are overweight. We are trapped.....high cholestrol, obesity, diabetes are only part of how the trap snaps down on us and kills us. Food is enticing us to our deaths, just as the peanut butter is enticing the little mice in my house to their deaths in a trap.

So the saying "Are you a man or a mouse?" might have a different meaning than what it was originally meant......"are you a man or a coward?" In reality, man is no different that a mouse that falls for the trap of food. But man has a choice. Survival does not mean making the wrong choices when it comes to our health and our food choices. Survival does not mean having to risk your life to eat, as it does a little mouse. Wise food choices, moderation, and will power separate us from that little bitty gray mouse heading for that peanut butter that is enticing him to his death. So the question posed here is "Are you a man or a mouse?"

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What product told us that “It never rains, but it pours”? Morton Salt
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Jim Anderson on Father's Knows Best called his oldest daughter Betty, "Princess". What did he call his youngest daughter?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Sign of menopause: you sell your home heating system at a yard sale.

BE HAPPY FOR ME

Last Christmas, my furnace broke in the middle of sub zero temps. I was without heat for 3 weeks. It was pure hell (without the heat). Because of my low income status and disability, I was able to turn to HEAP for help. They repaired it.

A few nights ago, it was getting cold inside and the dampness was going right through me. I decided to turn on my furnace to take the chill off. Yep, you guessed it!!!...no heat, it was down again. I managed to get through the night by using a little portable heater. I had called a "friend" to share this with and she proceeded to tell me she was going to turn on her furnace and she did. She then went onto to tell me how nice and warm and cozy SHE was. My first thoughts were "Nothing like kicking a person when she is down."

The next morning I called the department I had called before and was told it would take about 3 weeks to get it repaired or replaced. Years ago, when I was about 10 or 11, my grandmother taught me a lesson (another time another story): if you can't get help on the lower end, go to the top. So I found a supervisor at HEAP and explained my situtation and she acted upon it immediately My new furnace was installed yesterday.

I was relieved to have heat again and so relieved that I would not have to worry about my old furnace (over 40 years old) breaking down this winter again. I called my "friend" again to tell her of my good fortune. She acted like I had told her I had just found a penny on the ground...no enthusiasm, no excitement, and no signs of being happy for me. She jist poo-poo'ed it and went on to tell me what she had fixed for dinner. It is not like I just was given a hand-out. I worked for years and contributed into the system.

Why do some people seem to thrive on another's misfortunes and bad luck? Why can't a "friend" be happy for another friend when things are going well for them? Is it because in someone else's misfortunates, their lives seem better? Is it because they are so discontented in their own lives, that when someone else's life is going well, they feel jealous or feel threatened in some way? Is it because they want to feel superior? We all face hard times, mostly because it is all a part of life. It does not mean we are second class citizens or that others, in their good times, are better than us.

Whatever the reason, they are not really a friend......I had an email sent to me that, in part, went something like this, "When you are happy, I will laugh with you; when you are sad, I will lend you my shoulder; when you are in trouble, I will come to visit you in jail, etc" It is a humorous statement, but in essence it states that a friend will be there for you all the time...good times or bad times, that a friend will feel what you feel and will act accordingly, etc.

So in all this, I gained a furnace and peace of mind and lost a "friend" who would now be an acquaintance. My TRUE friends are those that share my happiness and sympathize my misfortunes and would never never laugh at me when I fall.



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What military distinction does Eisenhower hold?
Eisenhower was the only president to serve in both World War I & World War II.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What product told us that “It never rains, but it pours”?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?

THOSE OLDIES BUT GOODIES

We all know that as seniors, we begin to lose some of our short-term memory, while our long-term memory remains stable. There are a lot of medical reasons for this, but I like to think that some of the stuff we are supposed to remember now as in short-term memory are just not that important. I mean, really, who cares what we had for breakfast this morning? We have more important short-term memory to dwell on, like "where the hell did I put my glasses?!"

But there is one thing I have noticed about my own memory. No matter when it has been in my adult life, I can always hear about 5 notes from a 1950's/1960's song and I can not only remember the melody and every word, but I could tell you where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard it.

Now why is that? Probably because we were happier and more carefree in those days. Maybe is is because we sang them over and over or heard them over and over on our transistor radios, or the jukebox, or on our record players. We were "in love" with those artists who sang them.

The lyrics were "deep" and had real maning to us. Example: Splish Splash (writer shakes her head and raises her eybrows at that one). Maybe we remember them because Rock 'n Roll was our form of rebellion. Maybe we remember them because for the first time we had access to them on TV....American Bandstand. Maybe we remember them because we could understand the lyrics. Maybe we can remember them because they (the songs) were so much part of our lives.

The featured song on today's jukebox selection is one of those oldies but goddies I can tell you all the details. I first heard it on the school bus coming home high school. My friend Joan and I were huddled in a whispered converstaion. We were asking each other if we had ever French kissed and how did it feel and with whom. Ahhhhh...........the good old days. Whatever the reason for remembering, I can not only name that tune in 5 notes, I can sing every word of it in tune, and tell you the artist and the year it was released.


TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What does the slang term "Cast an eyeball" mean? To look at.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What military distinction does Eisenhower hold?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I wish the buck stopped here, I could use a few

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

When parents realize they are expecting, they generally run out and buy a baby name book or they research baby names on the web, looking for just the perfect name for their child....a name that has character, strength, and can somehow connect to the family history or tradition.

I named my first daughter after my real mother who died when I was 10 days old, showing my respect for the mother I lost. I named my second daughter Paula because of the song featured on today's jukebox pick. I liked the song and it just seemed right to name her that. My other children's names just came about.

Personally, I was named for the American Flag, "Old Glory", to which I have finally attained the true representaion of my name. I was born in 1945, my father was in the Army, and patriotism ran abundantly through the country. They were convinced I was to be a girl and I am not sure what my name would have ended up by being if I had been a boy. I would hate to think they would have been so cruel to have stuck me with that name anyways!

My one daughter named one of her daughters Samantha with the foresight that Sam would still be used whether it be a boy or girl. Samual/Samantha................the same except for gender. Her other daughter is Alexandria. Their nicknames are sure to confuse others..........Sam and Alex. Boy or girl?

We have all seen where some parents seem to lack creativity by assigning a last and first name that is similar (example: William Williams) or parents that try to find a name that coincides with the month of the birth. While some may think this a cruel trick to play on a child, it is one of the first things a parent gives to their child. So who are we to judge?

We all like to think that those names we give our offspring and those names given to us are unique. Even if there are thousands of babies named the same, our name IS unique because it was chosen for us by our parents and IS special because it belongs to us.

It is symbol of who we are and many times a reflection of our personalities. Have you ever looked a small baby and said "He/she looks like a Matthew, or a Sarah." We recognize certain characteristics as being incorporated in a name. My one grandson's name is Anthony and the family just assumed he would be called Tony. But when he was born, we realized that he was not a Tony, but an Anthony.

So what is in a name?.....tradition, creativity, a compliment to the person he/she is named after, or just something that sounds right. Whatever the name, it is ours and unique even though we may share it with thousands of others with the same name, it is our recognition in the world (how else would we be able to receive mail....chuckle, chuckle?). So if you don't like your name, try to find something positive in it because as in Johnny Cash's hit song, you could be "A Boy Named Sue".

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What was Lucy Ball’s middle name? Desiree
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What does the slang term "Cast an eyeball" mean? THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over?

SMARTER THAN THE AVERAGE COMPUTER

I have spent hours trying to figure out how to add music to my blog...to the point of utter frustration. I downloaded the program, embedded it into my blog and it still wouldn't play! No matter what I did, I could not get it to work.

In all modesty, I think of myself as a relatively intelligent person and have an adverse reaction to when a machine (no matter what the machine) crosses me and tries to prove that it is more intelligent than I am. I have learned over the years of working on a computer, that the primal and first urge to toss the damn thing out the nearest window is not the answer.

Computers are too expensive...I mean it is not like a bag of potato chips that won't open no matter what you do short of cutting the bag. If you get frustrated with the chip bag and toss it across the room the only damage done is broken chips and maybe a grease spot where the bag landed on the wall.

So you take a deep breath, walk away from the compuer, come back, and try again. As you sit in front of the screen, you keep reminding yourself that YOU are the superior being in this situation and that you are above letting a machine wear you down. Then you cross your fingers and begin again. After you have followed all the directions and hit the enter key, you look between sprayed fingers covering your eyes and hope for the best.

With baited breath, doubt in your heart, and a prayer on your lips, you look. Then it comes! VICTORY!! You have proven once again that you ARE superior to any machine, especially your computer. So computer, while you are my buddy, I am the queen here. So remember that the next time you try to out maneuver me!

Be sure to check our the jukebox section of my blog. Th songs will change daily. If you have a request, let me know and I will try to get it on the jukebox.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1950, a new product called :boaters" was invented by Marion Donovan. What was it? "Boaters" were disposable diapers. Her first leak- proof diaper was a plastic-lined cloth diaper. She was unsuccessful at selling her invention to established manufacturers, so she started her own company.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What was Lucy Ball’s middle name?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Why do sick people have to walk to the back of the pharmacy for medicine but cigarettes can be purchased at the front of the store?

LITTLE MISS SUZIE HOMEMAKER

LITTLE MISS SUZIE HOMEMAKER

In the last 24 hours, I have earned the title of "Little Miss Suzie Homemaker" hands down. I even amaze myself!

Yesterday, using the tomatoes from my own garden, I made 5 quarts of homemade spaghetti sauce. It was a job and it was messy, but oh how good it tasted. I froze it, so I will have the fruits of my harvest and labor throughout the winter months.

Today I was doing my impression of Rachael Ray, hustling and bustling around in my kitchen. I felt like her when I gathered up all my ingredients in one hand and took them to the counter. I was half hoping to see a TV camera and crew when I looked up from my culinary art work. I made a batch of diabetic brownies from scratch and tasted one with a glass of cold milk..........out of this world!

Okay, moving onto more practical culinary projects..........I make some of Sheba's dog food, so I prepared enough cooked rice and cooked carrots to last for a week or so. The aroma from my kitchen flowed through the house with the tang of the sauce, with the sweetness of the brownies, and the stronger smell of the cooked carrots.

Then to top it all off, I cleaned my house and supervised the man who does my yard work, All this, in 24 hours. Eat your heart out, Martha Steward. It is in times like this that I wish I had a husband just so he could be impressed with all my domestic skills!

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Finish this 1950’s ad, “Get the best, Get__________” "Get the best, get SEALTEST"...Sealtest made ice cream. It was featured on a Saturday morning TV kids program.

TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1950, a new product called "Boaters" was invented by Marion Donovan. What was the product?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Three words guaranteed to humiliate men --- "Hold my purse"

SACRIFICES

THANKS TO ALL THOSE MAKING SACRIFICES FOR US

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAHPE6d71NM

This is a Busch beer commercial, but it should be a testamony to our gratitude to all those who are serving in the US armed forces. I have yet to view this when I have not begun to cry. It should serve to remind us all of the high cost of our freedom.

The other day I was leaving Wal-Mart and about 6 soldiers in uniforms were just about to enter the store. I went up to them and just said, "Thank you!". At first all they did was stop, then I began to see smiles creep onto their faces and then one said, "You're Welcome". I felt so good that I had taken those few seconds to tell them how I felt and to let them know, how on some small scale, that they are appreciated as are their sacrifices and those sacrifices of their families.

It is the obvious to say that they put their lives on the lines every day they are there. They sacrifice their physical lives as well as their every day lives. They miss seeing their families, they miss being part of the world without violence, they miss the very things we take for granted...those very things they are fighting to preserve.

It is not only those young men and women who are making the ultimate sacrifices. The families make sacrifices on a daily basis. The community makes sacrifices on a daily basis. We can never repay them and their families and their communities for all they sacrifice. Nor can we say thank you enough. So the next time you see a group of soldiers in the grocery store, in a parking lot, walking down the street or wherever, take a couple of seconds to let them know they are appreciated and their sacrifices are not breing taken lightly.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What president enacted a law requiring cigarette manufacturers to put health warnings on their packages? LBJ (1965)

TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Finish this 1950’s ad, “Get the best, Get __________”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Old age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy

ALL IS WELL WITH THE WORLD

ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD

I am a loss as to what to write about today. I have no campaigns to launch, I have no major complaints, I have no amusing antics from my son in Greenland, and I have no funny story to relate....all I have at this moment of time in my life is a sense that all can be right with the world.

I passed another personal test yesterday and left the safety of my home and returned to the YMCA for aquatic classes. I wish I could say it was a snap, but there was one moment, while walking to the entrance, that a panic attack came over me. My friend just told me to breath deeply and that I could do it. Guess what? I did it! Besides the personal victory in all this, I was pleased to be greeted and welcomed back by so many people. It is nice to know people care and that you are missed.

Our weather here in Buffalo is absolutely a delight. People can say all they want about our Buffalo weather, but it is in times like today, I am tempted to say. "Eat your hearts out" all you people suffering in the heat in the rest of the country. The days are warm (in the 70's), sunny, clear and the nights are cool...just perfect for sleeping.

In the area of family relationships, all is well there too. Since my last illness/hospital stay, relations between my one daughter and myself have been reopened. We now talk on the phone and end our chats with "I love you" and it is comfortable. My granddaughter checks up on me every day and she may never know how relieved that makes me feel. Living alone with a medical problem can be frightening, but it is comforting to know someone is watching out for you.

After more than a year, I am finally nearing the end of preparing a family album of my family that covers from the mid 1880's to now. I am excited to get it sent out and published. I feel like I am about ready to give birth to a baby who is long over due. So the sense of fulfillment and acomplishment only adds to my sense of well-being today.

I look around me and see an abundance of everything: shelter, food, friends, family, and daily activites and can only feel good about it. I know that Life is not always this simple and balanced. Actually this is rare........we face challenges, problems, situations daily that could and generally do rob us of our peace of mind and well-being. So all I can say is that at moment of time at this point of my life, all is well with the world! I may have to pay for this in the very near future and am positive I will, but all that counts is this moment.............you can't live in yesterday's moments nor can you live in tomorrow's.



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1958 who was the 1st woman designated a full-fledged "Chef."? Julia Child
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What president enacted a law requiring cigarette manufacturers to put health warnings on their packages?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

A RIPPLE IN THE WATER

A RIPPLE IN THE WATER

As most of you already know, my son is in Greenland teaching English to the children there. We have arranged to have me send him food packages as well as teaching supplies. The teaching supplies come from the Dollar Stores as does some of the food. (Thank Heaven for those good old dollar stores!).

I mailed him 1 food package and 2 teaching packages about 1 month ago. They all arrived safely. He used some of the toys I sent in the teaching boxes to help celebrate another teacher's little child's birthday party. That was great.

But what surprised me was a couple of the items in the teaching boxes that went to even a further use. 4 of the items I sent in one of those boxes were washclothes that could be used as hand puppets. There were nothing unique here, but apparently they were very unique there. My son has a friend who runs a television station in Nuuk (capitol of Greenland). This friend produces a children's show. My son felt that those washclothes/puppets would be better used if he sent them to his friend.

I just received an email from my son. He told me that those silly little dollar washclothes/puppets are being used on the children's show which is being shown nationality in Greenland. Gosh, who would have thought that those washclothes/puppets would be so valued there? They were no more than silly trinkets.

But the best part is that those silly little trinkets caused a ripple effect in a remote country. I purchased them thinking my son would use them with the younger classes.................he figured that they might do more good in the hands of someone else.........who in turn is now sharing them with an vast outreach of children. There must be hundreds and hundreds of children now enjoying those silly washclothes/puppets.

We never realize and may never know what ripple effects we cause by our actions. One person reaches out to touch one person and that person reaches out to touch 2 people and those people reach out to touch 2 more people and so it goes. So the next time you go to do some little thing for someone else, remember you may never know what that one act of kindness...that one gesture may lead to and how it may change lives of others. So I guess the point is, no act of kindness is just a small thing.....it is meant to grow.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1958, NASA is created. What do the letters stand for? National Aeronautics and Space Administration
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1958 who was the 1st woman designated a full-fledged "Chef."?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I had a life once . . . now I have a computer and a modem

TOO WEAK TO LIFT THE BAR BELLS?

TOO WEAK TO LIFT THE BAR BELLS?

Since my last heart failure attack and my last admission to the hospital, I have had a hard time bouncing back. This time, it had effected me emotionally and mentally. I have lived in fear of another attack, I have had panic and anxiety attacks, I do not want to be anywhere where I am more than 5-10 minutes from a hospital, I dread the nights, I don't want to be alone, I live one minute at a time and do not even care to make plans for the next day, I have not begun to return to my normal activities, etc. I am terrified most of the time.



I do not hesitate to go to a doctor when I get physically sick and I am not too proud to go to one when I am mentally or emotionally in pain. I went to see my primary doctor yesterday who has been concerned about my well-being. After talking to me for a half hour or so, he told me I have PTSS or Post Trauma Stress Syndrome. At least I have a name for my mental state now and it is real.



We mostly consider this to be an illness that soldiers get once discharged from the military or that others get when exposed to a violent crime or such. I learned that it can be triggered by any event that has been life-threatening or traumatic. I also learned that it can not be "cured" with waiting it out or ignoring it. It takes time in "talk sessions" and in some cases short term meds are prescribed.



I feel weaker and more vulnerable that I have ever felt before in my life. My doctor (who has been my doctor for years) told me that the very first thing that impressed him about me when he met me was my strength. He told me that this is what will eventually get me through this PTSS.



Somehow I do not feel strong. Why is it others can see our strengths and we can't? Why is it that we deny ourselves our strengths in times of crisis? Perhaps it is because we reach a point that we want to let go and let someone else take charge. We do NOT want to be strong.....we want to be weak so we don't have to fight whatever battle it is we are fighting. We do not want to hear it anymore. We tell ourselves that the strong must stand outside the circle and stand alone. And we do not want that isolation or quarantine anymore. Personally, I am too terrified to feel strong, I am too wore to tap upon whatever strength others see in me.



My doctor sees a stength in me, my friends have told me I am strong and can overcome this. I hope they are right....that they know something I don't.



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What did TV’s Lucas McCain, Ben Cartwright, Vernon Albright, Jim Newton, Bentley Gregg, Steve Douglas, Andy Griffin, Jed Clampett have in common? They were all single dads. (The Rifleman, Bonanza, My Little Margie, Fury, Bachelor Father, My 3 Sons, Andy Griffin Show, The Beverly Hillbillies)
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1958, NASA is created. What do the letters stand for? THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The 10 Commandments are not a multiple choice.

CAN CRUELITY BE ACCEPTED AS A WAY OF LIFE?

CAN CRUELITY EVER BE ACCEPTED AS A WAY OF LIFE?

If something is considered in one society as tabu or as non acceptable, is it ever ok within other societies? A good question. Just as we are all individuals, so is each country in the world separate from its counterparts. One would like to think that cruel (or what we perceive as cruel) behavior is not ever accepted no matter where your push pin lands on the map.

Below is an exerpt from a blog entry my son made yesterday on his blog site (http://www.charleskinney.blogspot.com/). He is currently teaching English to the villages of Greenland. Currently he is about 600 miles past the Artic Circle in the village of Qasigiannguit.
In this village, as in many in that part of Greenland, dogs run in packs. They are needed to pull dog sleds and are not the toss-the-ball and play-fetch variety as we know dogs here in the states.

"Yesterday, on the way to a parent-teacher town meeting to discuss educational reform, three girls (rough age guess...5 to 7) had cornered a puppy against a wooden embankment. One began to kick it. By the time I got to the puppy, she had her foot on his head, holding him down. I don't know why. The puppy was squealing with pain. She won't be doing that again any time soon. It reminds me of the time last year when I saw kids torturing a seagull in Nuuk, which I never wrote about."

This made me shudder inside at the sheer cruelity of this and brought tears to my eyes I know all kids have a tendancy to be cruel to an animal until they are taught that this behavior is NOT acceptable. But this kind of behavior IS acceptable there. I don't believe it is encouraged, but neither is it discouraged. It is just a way of life for these people. Boredom, the status of a dog in their country, or for whatever other reason turns their hearts to such cruel treatment on others of their society. This is true of spousal abuse and child abuse there, so an animal would come further down the chain for sure.

So my question poised to you today is: "Can cruelity ever be accepted as a way of life?" In our society the answer would definately be NO. In other societies, the answer could be YES. What separates us from other parts of the world? I really don't have a correct answer to that other than our upbringing,which triggers a conscience in us all. All I can truthfully say is that I am glad I am living in a "civilized" country where such behavior is wrong, where a helpless animal means more than a cruel game or way to pass time, and where lines are drawn as to what is cruelity.

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1961, StarKist Tuna introduced its new spokesperson, making his first appearance in a TV commercial. Who/what was that spokesman? Charlie, the Tuna, of the "sorry Charlie" ads.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What did TV’s Lucas McCain, Ben Cartwright, Vernon Albright, Jim Newton, Bentley Gregg, Steve Douglas, Andy Griffin, Jed Clampett have in common?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: If there were no golf balls, how would we measure hail?

ONE RINGY DINGY

ONE RINGY DINGY

Today I was walking around Office Depot looking for a particular label when I heard the familar ring of my cell phone. I answered it and it was my son calling from 600 miles past the Artic Circle. The call was as clear as if he were standing right next to me. WOW...all the way from the Artic Circle in Greenland!! And even in a store!


I remember living on the farm in Dalton, NY., in the last 1950's-early 1960's. We had a wall-mounted phone with an extended shelf to hold paper, a crank on the side to "dial" the person you wanted to speak to, a receiver that your held to your ear with one hand, and a mouth piece that was attached to the phone that you held with the other hand. The phone was right out of "The Waltons" or the very early "Lassie Show". We lived in a rural area and were lucky to even have phone service.


There was no such a thing as a private line. There were about 15 people on the line. Each family had its own special ring to distinguish them from the other 14 families. Our ring was 1 long/3 short and my best friend's was 3 short. When someone's ring came through, anyone could pick up the phone and listen. Someone talking too long????....no problem, someone would just get on the line and tell you to get off!!


There were a few operators who worked the switchboard in shifts, plugging and unplugging long distant calls. We thought it progress when you could call Millie (our particular operator) and ask her to patch you into someone from Buffalo. We considered ourselves lucky that we were one of the 15 families that actually had phone service and not some other family who had to wait until such time when they would put in a new line.


We have progressed from that old farm house phone to semi-private lines to private lines; from that old crank phone to circled dial of the old Bell telephones, to the sophisticated slim line phone with push buttons; from having a phone that was stationary to having ones that you can carry in your pocket or purse.


Yes, my friend, we have come a long way since Ma Bell........it is called progress. As I held my cute little compact cell phone in my hands whilke talking to my son, I thought, with some fascination about all our progress in communications, the world IS getting smaller and smaller. Personally I will take my cell phone that fits into he palm of my hand over that country phone on the farm any old time!!!



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: Maynard, Thalia and Zelda were characters on what TV show? The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1961, StarKist Tuna introduced its new spokesperson, making his first appearance in a TV commercial. Who/what was that spokesman?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You must pay for your sins. If you have already paid, disregard this notice.

BELIEVE IN NOW

BELIEVE IT NOW

I am not a major sports fan. I don't often get excited about any sport. I lived in the "days of plenty" when the Buffalo Bills were at their peak 4 years in a row. So I guess you can not say I am a die-hard Bills fan.


Last week my granddaughter asked me to watch the game and invited me over to her house to watch the game today. I must say, there is promise with the Bills if the last 2 games are any indication. Last week we played the Seattle Seahawks and won 34-10. Today we played the Jacksonville Jaguars and won 20-16.


If the last 2 weeks are any indication, then the Bills look real good this year. I enjoyed watching the game with my granddaughter and sharing the suspense and excitement of a game well played. Who knows, maybe I will get to be a Bills fan again this year. I guess the secret is "Believe it Now". So until next game, "How bout those Bills?!!!"



ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What were the seven original Kool-Aid flavors?
Cherry, Lemon-Lime, Grape, Orange, Root Beer, Strawberry, and Raspberry
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Maynard, Thalia and Zelda were characters on what TV show?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Therapy is expensive. Poppin' bubble wrap is cheap. You choose

WHO WOULD YOU CALL?

I watched most of the specials on 9/11 yesterday. Most of them have been shown before. But there was a special program on the videos taken by the average person in the average setting. Some were taken from a building 5 miles away from the WTC. These were the ones in which the stark reality of that day struck.

There were videos of people just standing there looking up at the towers as they burned. On these faces was the shock, the disbelief, the reality, the confusion, the sense of moving in slow motion, and the sense that all was not right with the world, but you were unable to figure what was wrong at that moment.

There were videos of those in authority who took command........police, firemen, etc. These were the ones that tried to keep control of the crowds by not allowing panic to run rappart until the situation could be fully assessed.

But the videos that struck me the most were those that captured the horror of it all in their voices and screams and actions as they recorded and watched the events. What took my attention was that these people didn't yell for their money to save them or for their position to save them or their intelligence to save them or for another person to save them. They cried out to God. "Oh, God, oh my God", was the battle cry.

In our world, it is not politically correct to refer to God in the same breath as those matters effecting the public in case someone should be offended. Politicans and law makers try to remove the name God from our coins, our federal or state buildings, etc. How vulnerable do they want to make us??!!!!

I don't know about you but if faced with a situation that even resembles a fear factor, God is the one I will call out to, not some senator or lawmaker or other politican. So the question is, "Who would YOU call?"

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What movie was hyped like this: “Jim Stark - a kid from a 'good' family - what makes him tick...like a bomb?" Rebel without a Cause
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What were the seven original Kool-Aid flavors?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I'm confused...no wait...maybe I'm not.