short ?

I am 5 foot 2 inches tall.  I know other people are shorter than I am but its kinda a fluke that I am short. I am surrounded by height. My dad is  6 feet 4 inches tall and my brother is 6 foot 2 inches tall and my uncle is tall too.  My dad’s father was on the tall side and so were  many men in my family , My aunt  is   even on the tall side.  .  My mom isn’t really short. Everyone thought I’d be tall because of these factors.

My grandmother was short,  At the age of  10 I looked like I would be tall so her being short wan’t a problem  Ha, Ha, Ha!  About 12-13 I stopped growing. 5 feet 2 inches tall was my final measurement. No longer being tall, I wa a little upset but being short has its advantages.   Guys paid more attention to me because I was  short and not taller than them. However after a while I turned pudgy from too many ice creams. But, that’s another story…

Being  short in high school was not a problem at all. I was not interested in most of the boys. I am from a small town that contained about 8,000 people.  In a small place, you spend  a lot of time with the same people. I was not interested in  these  boys because we had gone thru school together and it would have  been  like dating your brother. There was one exception.  A guy who had moved from Maine became a very close   friend to me and he  didn’t seem to care about my height.

I went to college and found out for the first time in my life that size didn’t matter. Guys liked all types of girls  and being short and kinda fat didn’t matter. I would like to say that I had a huge romance while in college. But, that didn’t happen, Instead, I was friends with a lot of guys. Each of them possessing a quality that I liked.   I even had a few guys that  helped me and took an interest in my well-being. Being short was   not a factor in my being friends  with aanyone.

Being  short though  sometimes is an inconvenience.  You can’t reach the dishes and cups that are on high shelves. Tonight I had that problem.  No one was around that could help me so I had to wait. Eventually someone did come around and I got the assistance that I needed. It just irritates me that I have to a ask a person for help  to complete  a very basic task.   

 Being short is not a  nightmare or a handicap  . It’s just a small part of who you are.  Its  something  that  can be handled well if you have a real problem with it.   Surround yourself with people who care about you and don’t have a problem with you being short. Learn that its ok to ask for  help. . If you make an attempt to do these  things  you will be fine being short.

You can be annoyed with people who are taller.  But, don’t hate them. Instead, be happy that you are what you are…Your life will be  better if you did.

the film that saved the week and no it wasn’t breaking dawn

Cover of Equinox (Criterion Collection)

This week has been something of an emotional rollercoaster. I have a group of friends that are going through some very trying times.  These trying times have consisted of ill parents and their own health issues. I think it’s all a symptom of being older. Most of my friends are in the middle to late 30′s and early forties which is  a time period for great reflection and serious thought.

I was reminded of my mom’s parents dying .  Her mother died when my mom was in her late 30′s and her dad died when she was 40.  The ages most of my friends are.  I think with getting older we start to realize that your parents are not going to live forever  and they may suffer many illness before they pass  away.

I remember being told by someone that   in your late 3o’ you would start to find out what is  wrong with you physically. My own health odyssey began when I was a   baby so I’m not sure what my late 30′s  have proved  except maybe that all my hard work to rehab from my stroke is going down the drain.

Anyway tonight, after digesting all the events  of the week I found a cool movie, which is still on as I  am typing this. Its called Equinox.  It’s about   a  group of young adults  that  come across monsters, strange people and all kinds of things. .  My biggest thrill from the film is that Frank Bonner who played Herb in WKRP  in Cincinnati is in it.  Its the kind of movie that is fun and relaxing.

Despite the fact that my movie wasn’t Breaking dawn which I plan to see in the near future,  I found a movie that helped me refresh myself.

Hook, Line and Sinker

Image via Wikipedia

No, this isn’t about fishing. It’s about love and friendships and interests.

You make friends with one person and as a result of this one friendship you are connected to a lot of other people.  It’s almost overwhelming. Just have a friend who’s incredibly nice for some reason and has a lot of traits that make him highly desirable. Did I just say desirable? Well, I guess I did. Anyway, you have this person to be with  and suddenly you are connected to people you are not sure of. You’ve got so much going on and you wonder why am I doing this? Maybe, you like someone more than you thought you did. Maybe, you’re on the edge of falling in love but you have to be careful. Don’t want to rock the boat. Just being with him as a friend is enough at the time even though you think you’re going to burst into tears every time you see him with someone else. But, you have to be careful so you go on as is.

Sinker. You sink because you never admit your true feelings. It’s the end of the line and you’ve sunk and are drowning because you  are all alone now with no connections.

Another hook, line and sinker example is going out with a guy and then realizing he’s in love with someone else.  You feel sick and you go out with your boyfriend anyway and you end up in a triangle. You are at his friend’s house feeling crappy and all you want to do is go home. You wanted to be alone with your boyfriend not stuck in an undesirable house watching a movie while your bf plays cards and makes googly eyes at the other girl in the room who happens to be in a relationship. Not a good scene and you are happy when it’s over.

This hook line and sinker moment doesn’t end up being  a big thing but it was the beginning of the end. But, life is that way sometimes.

Friendships with other people than just a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship  can be a hook, line and sinker. You hook into a person for whatever reason.  You line yourself into their world. Meeting people, trying new stuff and finding  some exciting or boring thing to  talk about. Eventually all  of this might get old to you. . You sink out of this his friendship and go on.

All hook, line and sinker relationships/friendships are not bad. You my grow from them. You might see yourself differently or learn a lesson that guides you throughout the rest of your life.  It’s all up to you.

Blank

Image by bindermichi via Flickr

Ever get to the point that nothing is interesting and your old pursuits aren’t good enough? I have. I just feel a little restless and not sure where I want to go and what I want to do.  Some people may call this depression or a mood swing. But, I don’t think so. It feels like dissatisfaction with my life in general. Not really sure what it’s coming from. But, it’s here and I am trying to keep myself busy as I try to figure it out.

I know they tell you to get away from the  past and live in the present.  The past for me was much more interesting than my life of vanilla now. It had color, independence,  and a lot of  opportunities  that were missed.  If I had taken another path or had  not gotten sick these missed opportunies might not have been missed. I might have had a “REAL” relationship with a guy and not be afraid of what he might say. The act of communicating my true feelings for a guy got bashed at 17. But, I have learned my lesson and now I have to find my way to  express true feelings.   However, the guy in question, the one I wanted to express my feeling to, was one I would not have gotten close to had I not gotten sick. So, illness has its advantages. But, I never want to be that sick again. The particular relationship that I am speaking about was already covered in this blog. So we can now can go back to Blank.  

Now,  I feel this deepening need for something to occur that would break me out of this shell of existence that I maintain. It’s not a depressing life I lead it’s just that I want something more. More, More, More. We all want that. More is an easy thing to say but obtaining it is a whole other story.

Right this second I can feel my heart and my head at war with one another. Practicality and storybook endings  are making waves but now sitting here I am feeling better as a whole no matter what the emotions on the inside  are saying.

I’m not one to cry. I have fought back the tears a lot of times and faked enough oks so that other people were not suspectable to my pain at that moment. I have denied  love, walked away from someone or something because I could hear my head telling me no and my heart yelling yes despite the pain that might have come out later.  Pain surfaces as a color but sometimes you just have to put it away for another day.

My life is a mixture of mistakes, unrequited love, and just plain vanilla. Just wish I could find the next color to be.

A Day to Never Forget or Time flies when you’re growing-up

Image by ekurvine via Flickr

Take a typical school morning. You’re up and you go to see your mom and/or  dad and find them not there. Instead, you find your grandma sleeping on your mom and dad’s bed. There really wasn’t any bed-clothes on the bed. But, since you’re 7 and half, you don’t put 2 and 2 together. Your granddaddy informs you that your mom went into labor last night and that you don’t have to go to school today if you don’t want to. Of course what kid wouldn’t want to miss a day of school.  It’s established that I am not going to school.  My ride to school shows up and my grandaddy informs the man, who’s a neighbor of ours, that my mom went into labor and that I am not going to school.

Waiting is now the big theme of the day. Waiting for my dad to come home and tell me if I have a new brother or sister. I had wanted a baby brother not sister. I then thought about what if he says I have  sister but that’s ok I’m just excited to find out. After waiting  for what seemed like an eternity, my dad comes home and tells me that I have a brother and that mom is fine.

In those days, kids were not allowed to visit patients in the hospital.. But, they had set-up a  time for us new sisters and brothers to visit our mom and get a peep at own new sibling.  It was past the time but the nurse had said I could come up anyway.

I go to see my mom, who I remembered as being a little weak,. She’s very happy. Smiling.  Life is good and now I began my new role as big sister.

That’s what I remember about that day. I don’t remember anything else which is not bad for something that took place 30 years ago. 10/13/81 will always be a big day for me and my brother, who will deny that it’s a big deal. It is a big deal but I will not go into that. It’s definitely something I will never, ever forget.

Lifts to childrens entertainment

Ever heard the names Jim Henson and/or   Theodor Seuss Geisel,affectionately known as Dr Seuss? . Both of them have  provided entertainment for all ages.  Their  influences can be heard and seen all around the world.

  Jim Henson was the creator of  many a  muppet. He was born on September 24th,1936..  He played a very pivotal role in creating the now famous Sesame Street. He did the voices of Joe Smiley,Ernie ,and Kermit the frog. Henson even created the now famous counting scene where the baker falls down the stairs.

In addition to Sesame Street, he created one of the best television shows ever created  in my opinion, the Muppet Show. The muppet show included many puppets. Kermit the frog, Miss Piggy, Rowlf the dog,and Gonzo are among them. Henson worked many of the puppets that appeared on the show. Rowlf the dog, Kermit the frog and the swedish chef were some of the ones that he operated.

Henson wasn’t just about tv though.  He was about film as well. He helped many and created many. Among them are the following:

1. The Muppet Movie

2. The Great Muppet Caper

3. The Muppets Take Manhattan

4. Dark Crystal

5. The Star Wars franchise

Those were just some of the films that have been touched by Jim Henson’s movie magic.

Jim was true to his craft. He possessed many talents that have benefitted many a person. In fact its kinda sad that he died in his fifties.  Who knows what other creative programs, films and cartoons we might have had if he had lived longer?   Unfortunately, for us he didn’t. Henson came down with serious infections  that killed him.   The day he died was one of the saddest days of my life and that is saying something.

Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel, was a great writer of Children’s books, creator of cartoons and many other things. In his capacity as a children’s author he wrote many books. Some of  them are the following: The Cat in the Hat, Horton hatches the egg, Green eggs and ham and many others.

Many cartoons, songs, and movies would not exist if not for Theodor Seuss Geisel.   He  gave us the   all around  holiday hater, the Grinch, the messy chaotic  Cat in the Hat, and the never forgetting Horton the elephant.  All of these creations  have inspired films, cartoons and song.

Dr. Seuss was a man of many talents.  He gave us great gifts and hopefully his gifts will last longer than his life.  Dr. Seuss died on September 24, 1991. He was 87  years old.

My gift from him was Horton Hatches the egg. I think that was the only one I read till I much older. Horton is a great book!!! Thanks Dr. Seuss!!

We all have benefitted from these 2 men and we shouldn’t forget them.

No JUICE

I just sat and watch this historic bailout vote go down. What amazes me about all of this is that no one gets it. People are hanging onto their homes by their teeth, people can’t afford food, and those of us sitting in the lovely southern-southeast part of the world can’t even get a tank of gas. Now, this bailout won’t really fix all of this,  but its a start in the right direction. But, I’m not going to talk about the bailout….what i am going to talk about is watching the vote.

I was watching CNN before the vote started and they were talking about the plan, the lack of gas, bank takeovers, and about people stealing metal from soldiers tombs.  All of that news is scary and definitely a sign of the times.  The market was bouncing around on the anticipation of this vote and evry expert that they could dig up was expressing their opinion. 

When they started voting in the true sense of the word I switched to cspan where you can see all the house members scurrying around the floor talking and voting. The vote count changed and when it got down to the end it was utterly obvious that we didn’t have a plan. This is scary when you consider that everyone has spent the weekend debating, writing, calling and probably drinking tons of coffee to ensure that something this HUGE would get passed.

After this vote, there was the usual digging up of experts to see what would happen next.. There was also the market watch to see how lovely old wall street was taking the news. It was still a bit of a seesaw. Then there was the blame game. People from one side blaming the other side. Just like always.

After watching this for awhile, I turned it back to cspan where there was proceeding in dealing with other bills. I saw a group of rapids get named for John Warner. Cool Deal…..I just wonder when we are going to see something that really helps this economy.

the cyber world and old friendships

How many of you have discovered old friends through sites like facebook and myspace? I know I have and its very comforting and sweet to know and see how all your old friends are doing out there in the real world. It gives me hope sometimes and even makes me feel less lonley in a way.

It started for me a few years ago on myspace and in the last year it has  progressed to facebook. I’ve found old high school friends and college friends.  This past week I found 2 very dear college friends of mine through facebook. I was very surprised and pleased. One seems to have his life in order and I applaud him for that. It always makes me feel good to see that someone is on the right track.  Personally, I’m always a little nervous to “discover” people.   My situation has taken so many different turns and twists over the last few years that it seriously takes a private note or e-mail to explain it all.

I’m always happy though to reacquaint myself with the old gang. Some i attended church with, high school with, elementary school school with, college with, and so on… Life is a mixing bowl and sometimes it feels really nice to find the components that made you who you are in the first place.  We can learn much from finding old friends. Some good. Some bad. Some exceptional.

Its just good to make contact in this dizzying world. Isn’t it?

information overload

Have you ever struggled with how much to actually tell someone? I mean say you encounter an old friend on facebook or myspace and they ask you how you are and what’s been going on with you…..how much do you actually tell them or do you just say OK or I’m fine no matter what the real truth many be?

I pretty much have developed the attitude of it depends on the person. Some people I know are sincere and really do want to know what’s going on while others are just saying things to be polite.  I figure out what to say depending upon the person and how close I was to that person in the past. More than likely if they are really concerned about you and your well-being they’ll say something back if not well, then who knows……

I have gotten many kind notes from people who were genuinely concerned while others have just dissappeared….I think sometimes people just  don’t know what to say so they just don’t say anything at all which is kinda cool but leaves a silence you’re not sure how to deal with…

So to tell too much, don’t tell anything at all, or just say the polite, I’m ok, I’m fine, whatever……

How do you decide?

The Frog and the Prince

A long time ago

15 years to be exact

a frog met her prince

No she was not a princess because  you see princesses get their man for good

But, what she did get was a friend who helped here during the perils and tribulations of one of the hardest school years of her life and for this she will be ever thankful.  It happened like this in case you’re wondering.

The frog was on the dance floor Halloween weekend 1993. She had been back in school a little over a month after suffering from a stroke that nearly killed her.  He came up to her and ask her to dance and she obliged.  This prince wasn’t the ordinary sort and the frog still isn’t sure of his motives but is thankful nonetheless.  He walked her home that night and they talked forever….so much so in fact that the frog doesn’t really remember everything that was discussed.  It was probably the rarest of occasions that someone actually let the frog talk and not told her to shut-up.

The frog saw the prince regularly throughout the school year after this night and even had occasions to dance with him again.  All of which were very special to her.  In addition to to this, the prince shared meals with her and walked with her many times.

He gave her the appreciation of baseball, for which she is utterly grateful for because the frog still watches baseball to this day.  He provided her with someone she could talk to when she really needed it and with someone who really helped her when times were really black.  The frog is forever grateful for this.

The prince may have just been doing a project or a report for all we know. But the prince was very essential in allowing the frog to enjoy a school year when she may have severaly faulted.

This is a tale that has no real end.  The prince has gotten on with his life and the frog still hops and around swims everyday in the swamp known as life.

Things that we can can learn from LBJ……

Last night on Late Night television I had the opportunity to watch American Experience on PBS. If you ever have had the opportunity to view this program you know they usually do a great job of giving a bio of some type of a performer or politician or giving an overview of a particular time period or industry.  Anyway, its a great show and I encourage people to watch it.

Last night, I was awake and instead of watching my usual on demand movie I viewed an American Experience program dealing with Lyndon Baynes Johnson and his presidency.  This program provided many good reasons for why we, The United States, should not be involved in other country’s civil wars.  In fact it was an excellent lesson in why we should not be in Iraq.  I wonder if today’s leaders have viewed this program.  It would teach them much if they did watch it.

Also, this program gives excellent grounds for the creation of more programs to benefit society.  Education, Work related programs, health care……things that could change us all if more money were to be spent in that direction.  LBJ Understood that America just wasn’t a land of one type of persons but a land of many types of people with many different interests and needs.  Anybody know someone now with that view? 

If we were to pay more attention to history, to TV programs dealing with ex-presidents such as LBJ we all would learn much.  If we learned valuable lessons from programs, such as this one dealing with LBJ, maybe this county would be a different place.

Loving and Missing an animal

I was going to write about the wonderful event that took place last night but my thoughts are of something different today.  Our beloved dog Chester, who is 13, is very sick, and will probably be put down today.

The love of an animal is an incredible thing.  We got him when I was in college and I remember talking to him on the phone when I had depressed days.  I really have loved this dog a lot and I will miss him very much.

I loved kissing and rubbing him. I loved talking to him and feeling like someone was really listening and not judging me. I loved sleeping with him in my bed which I did on a regular basis till a few years ago.  I have since slept part of my nights downstairs on one couch while he was on the other one.  I will miss the nights spent with him listening to his breathing, which is a big cure for insomnia.  So peaceful.

I will miss feeding him whatever was left on my plate. I announced this morning I will probably gain 5 pounds now.  I will miss standing outside in the middle of the night outside waiting for him to do his business.  I will miss many things.

Loving an animal is an incredible experience.  Loving this dog has been an incredible experience.  I will miss him terribly.  Farewell to Chester.  You are a good dog.

Mixed-up feelings

People have been unbelievably kind to me this week on line following the loss of Chester, our beloved basset hound.  Its a weird feeling I have these days. I’m happy for awhile and then really sad. It just hurts to know he’s not here where I can pet and love on him. I know he’s in a better place now because he’s not hurting and he’s not sick.  I hope he’s having unlimited chicken, cheese, milkbones, carrots, ice cream, whip cream, and whatever else he wants…..and he can run and play without a leash outside.

Those thoughts comfort me but it still hurts and I know time will be the only cure for this ache. I love him and I will always have a special place in my heart for him.

In other feelings, I am excited for our country as we enter a new phase.  I’m hoping for great change. This excitement is weird when its mixed with sadness for my dog but I know with time all things will be better.    I’m excited the Obama’s will get a dog to share their life at the white house with. Dogs can be a great source of comfort and unconditional love. I wish them the best in their search for a dog and I hope they can find one that’s cool like Chester was.

Dogs and the USA sort of go together…..if you think about it. Mutts, especially. Many of us are mutts if you think about….which I guess is cool.

Dogs, the U.S. and sadness those are my thoughts for the day.

in PJS we trust

I have developed this lifestyle of wearing my PJ’s most of the day. Its just fun and if I don’t have anyplace to go it works. I usually take a shower some time in the afternoon after watching as many old TV programs as I wish to. Old television ROCKS! 

Anyway, wearing pjs is comfortable and it cuts down on washing. I just embrace it and hope to continue to do so in the future.  Man, what a life…….

Amen

1963′s Lilllie’s of the Field shows what  can happen if we all work together. In all, I mean man, woman, black white, Mexican, European, or whatever nationalitty you may be.  

This movie stars Sydney Poitier as Homer Smith, a construction worker, who encounters a group of German nuns who want to build a chapel.  This movie illustrates how people work together in order to get the task at hand done despite language barriers, differences in attitudes, and religious differences.  It is an excellent movie on cooperation.

Lilllie’s of the Field  is a lesson  in how we all can better citizens of the world and  shows how faith can play a Large part in anyone’s life.  It features great music and shows how we can get through any type of barrier if we need and want to. 

Amen.

Planning to travel

After a discussion of some length, it was decided that my mom, dad and I were going to Virginia for Thanksgiving.  This visit is two-fold because we are planning to move back there in a few weeks and my dad and mom need to scope out some possible living locations. My brother has to work so he’s unable to go with us which is a bit sad but its still cool to be going back there for a holiday.  We haven’t done that in some time. 

Everyone there is very excited for us to come and there has been several phone calls, e-mails, web messages, etc. to that degree.  It should be a most festive occasion and personally I’m kinda looking forward to it.  Nothing like seeing family you haven’t seen in a long time. Its a good thing plus we know pretty much for sure that all of us will be there for Christmas.  Big Things to be thankful for.  Family and a place to call home.

Live from Virginia

I have been in Virginia since last Wednesday.  We had Thanksgiving with my aunts, uncles, and cousins.  My parents and I along with my brother are moving back to Virginia very soon so my mom and dad are house/apt. hunting so that’s why I’m still here.  We plan on leaving Wednesday to go back to Georgia.  The two things I’m going to miss terribly about living in Georgia are Turner Classic movies and Atlanta Falcons football.  It sort of depresses me to lose TCM….but i guess I will live.  Its a start of a new life in a way so it should be fun.  I just hate getting things ready to go.

odds ends and everything in between

There is much I could be writing on right now.  For starters, my family is moving to Williamsburg, Va. in a matter of weeks.  I’ve been getting my vcr tapes ready for the move.  We’re moving into a smaller place so we are purging a great deal.  It should be fun.

Secondly, on a seasonal note, if you haven’t ever seen the movie Scrooge, with Albert Finney you should.  Its quite entertaining and a bit musical and you’ll probably like life a lot better after you do….

Thirdly, my uncle that lives in Virginia got a brand new dog today. A wheaten terrier. He’s very cute from the pictures I’ve seen. His name is Owen.

Finally, my favorite college football team won today and is going to the Orange bowl…..WAY To Go Va. Tech!!!!! Acc champs….

A Couple cups of Christmas Punch

Last night I watched 2 Christmas movies.  The first one was Prancer which is about a young girl and her obsession with a certain reindeer and Christmas in general.  The second one was Christmas Eve.  It was about a mother’s attempt to reunite her 3 adopted sons on Christmas eve.  Both were pretty good in there own way.

The first one has some pretty cool people in it.  Cloris Leechman, Abe Vigoda, of Barney Miller fame, and Sam Elliot  all appear in this film.  Cloris does an excellent job portraying an eccentric older woman and Mr. Vigoda does a great job as the vet.  Sam portrays the girl’s father, a down on his luck farmer.  The characters along with the storyline make this a Christmas film not to be missed.

Christmas Eve is a 1947 hodgepodge of various stories that includes some pretty great talent of its own.  George Brent, George Raft, and Randolph Scott portray the 3 adopted sons. The actors do a good job portraying these troubled souls.  The movie also includes Joan Blondell.  These talents make this movie one not to be missed.

These are two cups of christmas punch that are worth partaking  if you get the chance and I hope you do.

Glad boxes are coming

I ordered most of my Christmas gifts early this year in hopes that they would come before the big move which is taking place next week.  All boxes have been shipped.  Thank goodness.  I got one today so far.  I hope another one comes today but we shall see.  At least my mom and my brother have Christmas gifts.  Don’t you just love the holidays?

Seeing Furniture Go

Moving is a curious thing especially if you are getting rid of a lot of furniture before you go.  My family is moving to a smaller place so we are trying to get rid of some of our excess.

The Union mission came this morning and took away bunk beds and a sofa that my brother had in his room.  Now he is bed less.  He’ll have a bed at the new place.  We have a bed in our guest room that will be his.

We sold our dining room suit and they came for it this morning.  I say they because we had a family reunion of sorts in our house for another person’s family.  It was quite intriguing.

Someone is supposed to come for the roll top desk today. 

Its quite interesting, sad, and sweet to see various objects of your life come and go.  I’ve been cleaning out stuffed animals, magazines, and other various elements for the past week in preparation for the move.  Hopefully, all will be ready Tuesday for the grand moving to Virginia.

bedroom furniture exit

My bedroom furniture left this morning.  This furniture was my mom’s and it was like a right of passage for me to get it.  She and I both had no problem with selling it.  It was just kind of sad in a way to see it go. All of it.  Originally, we were going to keep the chest of drawers but the couple who came to look at it really wanted them so we said why not?.

My room looks empty now. Lots of floor space. I’ll probably be here 2 more nights then its off to Virginia.

Sorry for not posting sooner and still not in the apartment/townhouse but hopefully soon

With moving, staying at my aunt’s and uncle’s ,and general holiday cheer I haven’t had a chance to post lately. I’m sorry for not posting. Hopefully, soon I’ll be back on a regular schedule. 

My uncle is vacuuming downstairs and I’m upstairs hanging out on the computer.  The rest of my family is coming soon for dinner.  We’re having a holiday sit-down-buffet dinner tonight. It should be fun.  My folks and brother just went to open more boxes and set-up more stuff at the apartment.  I went there yesterday.  I even unpacked a box.  Its a sea of boxes there.  Hopefully, it’ll be unpacked soon and we’ll be there living as intended.  For now we are crashing at my aunt’s and uncle’s house.

I had leftover breakfast casserole, a doughnut, an English muffin and coffee today so far.  I know I’ve gained at least 10 pounds over this whole moving experience.  But, its OK. My mom will get us back on a routine as soon as we are housed and organized again. 

Tonight should be fun.  It’ll be more eating eating and I’m sure football watching.  Good times.  That’s all for now.

Dinner time

Tonight’s food is pork chop.  I can smell the odor from where I sit.  The computer in our new townhouse/apartment is sitting right at the edge of the kitchen living room.  Its kinda nice to be able to smell dinner and hear and see the TV from where I sit.

Its pretty quiet here right now except for my mom cooking and the tv being on.

My uncle came by with some bagels and cream cheese.  Yummy. I’ll probably have to eat one tonight. I love bagels.  Its kinda nice being close to family again.

I’m going to watch The Christmas Cottage tonight.  I hope its a good movie. 

Its been rainy here today and the only thing I really did was to go to Walgreen’s and pick up a prescription.

I guess that’s all from my new location here in Virginia.

getting better

Things have been getting better for me lately which is good. I’m hoping to have my own computer again soon.  I can’t wait.

Life is definitely getting better on a lot of fronts.  I’m not sure what will happen next but I’m hoping its something good.

I went to Sam’s today with my mom and dad.  We got pizza and it was great.  I also got cherry coke, which is a big fave of mine.

Today was definitely a good day on a lot of fronts.

Getting ready to go out

Today is my dad’s birthday.  We are all getting ready to go out to dinner.  I can hear my dad upstairs squeaking around.  He’s changing shoes and putting on a nicer shirt.  Hopefully, tonight will be good.  We are going out for steak/seafood in our new city for the first time.  I hope we have made a good restaurant choice.  Happy Birthday to my dad!

Last night dinner

Last night’s dinner went very well. I had the boiled seafood platter and the rest of the group had prime rib.  The food was pretty good.  They had a special going so the price wasn’t too bad at all.  I had a very delicious shrimp and scallop bisque with my meal.  They’re dessert portion was perfect, not too big, not too small.  All in all a good meal at the Aberdeen barn.

finally got something i have wanted for a long time

Tonight I went to the friendly Target and got something I have wanted for a really long time. DRUM ROLL PLEASE….. A Nintendo DS!!!!  I have wanted one for several years and finally found myself in a position to get one.  I am happy.  I don’t have a lot of things that I just want.  But, this is something I have wanted for awhile and I’m happy to finally have it.  I played the dog game and the brain game tonight.  I will probably get more games as time goes on.  Its really cool. 

I also got a rug for my room and some other stuff.  Tonight’s shopping trip was a cool one.

A unusual sort of day

MLK day has not always been a pleasant one for me.  Sixteen years ago I had a stroke on this day.  I was in college at the time and was unconscious for 2 days following it.  I woke up just in time to see Bill Clinton be inaugurated president which was cool because I had voted for him in my first presidential election.

Today was a pretty good day.  I went grocery shopping with my mom, watched Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech on Cnn, and watched Obama paint and talk as well.  Its been a pretty good day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.  I can’t wait to see Obama inaugurated.  Its going to be a GOOD day I hope.

A Presidential Day

I’ve been watching all the inauguration events today. I am doing that as I’m writing this right now. What a incredible day for our Country!

In other news, its pretty sad that Senator Kennedy became ill today during the luncheon.  I hope that he is going to be OK. Prayers and positive thoughts going out to him and his family.

That is all.

First cardiologist visit in Williamsburg

I went to my first cardiologist visit in Williamsburg today.  Going to the doctor is always an experience especially if its the first time you’ve been there. 

The doctor was very nice and took a lot of time with me which I like.  Its a small practice.  Just 2 doctors.  There is a lab facility close by so no problem with blood testing and x-rays.

I think I’m gonna like it.

Finishing a Book

I’ve been reading the book Geek Love for quite sometime and I am determined to finish it up this weekend or at least by Tuesday.  I got a whole batch of books yesterday and I want to start reading them. 

My problem with Geek Love is that I don’t care for the way its written and how it jumps around.  Its a cool book with a cool subject but the writing style and the way it is put together leaves a lot to be desired.  Hopefully I’ll finish it up soon.

Option Dinner

For the last 2 nights, I have  enjoyed dinner out. On Saturday night. I had some delicious fried trout, fries, and cole slaw at Paul’s deli here in Willimasburg.  It was very good.

Tonight I had ham, green beans, squash, scalloped potatoes, and assorted chocolates at my aunt and uncle’s house.  It was a very good dinner as well.  Having Sunday night dinner with the family is always a good thing.  We watched 60 minutes and the movie 8 below which is a pretty good movie about dogs if you’re interested.

All and all the last 2 nights of dinners have been good and I hope the week ahead holds lots of  good dinners as well.

Keeping busy in life

I’m currently reading The Sterile Cuckoo, watching Miss Pettigrew, and dealing with problems of several of my high school friends.  These problems range from job loss to death.  All in a day of a life.

I am just hanging at the moment looking at jabberjaw and just relaxing.  I hope dinner isn’t too late tonight.

Another day at the Doctor

Today I have my first appointment at my new internist here in Williamsburg.  With my history any dr. appointment is always an experience.  Meeting a new doctor can be both fun, scary, aggravating, and anything in between….. I just hope its a good visit.

Tomorrow is coumadin check.  It should be fine but we will see.

Happy Day to all!!!

My only beefs with the Oscars which aren’t many…

Okay, I usually enjoy the part of the show where they pay tribute to the people that die during the past  year but unfortunately tonight you or at least I couldn’t read the names of the people…instead of a montage they did shoots of the screens on stage.  Poor planning and poor work in my opinion.

My only other beef  is that they didn’t show any clips of the people’s works.  I mean some people haven’t seen these movies.  How are we supposed to know what kind of part these people played?  I liked past nominees giving the nominations list.  I thought it was very elegant to do it that way.

Other than those 2 things I think tonight’s Oscars had more class than past recent years have had.

Dreams, Friends, and other things…

Recently on facebook my friends and I have been doing a bucket list.  One friend suggested we take a trip to Graceland in honor of a great friend of ours who was an all around good guy and Elvis enthusiast.  If only I had cash and better health…..I would go in a heartbeat. 

This suggestion made me stop and think about all the things my friends and I did while in college.  The friend we would honor took to me to a few medical appointments and helped me out on occasion.

Its amazing what you forget till someone hits you on the head with a memory. 

I just wish I could find my Sheryl Crowe Cd….guess I’ll just have to buy another one.

Life is chunkful of memories and people you have known and things you have done or should have done.

What would you like to do?

Pizza

Tonight we went out to dinner and had Pizza. I have wanted pizza for about a week and tonight’s dinner fit the bill.  We went to Jimmy’s oven and grill and had the Jimmy’s special.  It was delicious.  Lots of cheese,meat, and not too much sauce. Yummy!  I am happy because I had pizza tonight for dinner.

Let’s see…

First of all I just messed up on my ds game.  I didn’t save it thinking I had not obtained due to lack of room.  I was wrong.  Oh well, hopefully I’ll get it again.

I just saw that broadcaster Paul Harvey died.  He was 9o. See my tribute page for more information.

I had stir fry veggies and shrimp for dinner tonight.  It was good.

I guess that’s all for now.

READY?

WE seem to get ready to do a lot of things…I pondered this as I was getting ready to go to church this morning.  We get ready to go to bed, brush our teeth, go out, eat dinner, play, sleep,…the list is endless.  I wonder sometimes if we are really ready to do anything at all.  Wouldn’t we all rather stay snuggled in our warm beds with our pjs on snoozing away or sitting on our couch watching TV and drinking a cup of coffee or our favorite beverage? 

Are we all really rready for life and the obstacles it presents us the minute we go beyond our front door?  for example, it was raining this morning which meant you had to wear a coat, and then there was the possibilty of slick roads….the obstacles are endless.  Are we ready for them?

Observations from a Snowy Day

It is rather cloudy here.  Been snowing off and on all day.  Wind blowing.  Had a pretzel baked in the oven.  Good stuff.  Tv, being lazy…..and happy not to go out in this weather. Observations from a snowy day.

Choices

Everyday we make tons of choices in our life.  We choose whether to get up or not, what to eat, what to wear, what to say……etc.  These are just everyday ”Little” choices.  Now, think about other choices.

We choose who to date, marry, be friends with, where to go to school, where to work….all kinds of “Big” choices.  These choices usually affect who we end up marrying or not marrying, who we kiss or not kiss, who we dance with or not dance with, etc. 

In looking at my life I have made several “Big” choices that probably affected my life as well as other people’s lives.  I have chosen not to kiss someone upon occasion, not to say I love you to someone who I really loved for fear of the consequences, I’ve chosen to stay at a particular school rather than transfer because the school I was at was Home to me in many ways. 

Choices are BIG THINGS.  They need to be thought about carefully and you need to be able to live with the consequences of your choices.  You should think before you act and not just jump into a pot of hot boiling water.  That is choices.

New Toy for Me

This week after waiting forever I got a new toy…..a new computer. A dell xps.  Its pink.  I haven’t gotten it hooked to the internet yet but its wonderful that its here.

Basketball, how i love thee

I’m into March madness right now in a big way.  I have no money riding on it but I really enjoy the craziness and all the fun things that come with NCAA tourney.

I try and watch most games and I do keep brackets.  I have 2 right now and we will see how it all turns out.

March madness is wonderful.

My thoughts upon watching Twilight the movie 2 times

Overall, I think this movie is pretty good.  It tells the story of the vampire and human world existing  together pretty well.  My real beef with the film is that I don’t think it does the Bella-Edward relationship real justice.  It touches it and shows some very special moments and events from the book and beyond.  I didn’t think it would be exactly like the book so that’s not my beef.  I miss the bedroom conversations between Edward and Bella, though.   I also don’t think the protectiveness was dealt with enough.  After saying this, I want to say that there is a deleted scene that satisfied my appetite for more Edward-Bella bonding.  I urge anyone to get at least the 2 disc collection so that they can check out those deleted scenes. 

I also wanted to say that Dr. Cullen is too white.  He’s supposed to be the senior member of this group and in my opinion gets the worse make-up job of any of them.

Twilight the movie is a nice take on a great book and if you’re interested in it I urge you to check it out.

Guiding Light cancelled-my feelings

Growing up, I was exposed to Guiding Light at an early age.  I was probably 3 or 4.  My grandmother and I used to watch it a lot.  I remember when Alan and Hope were on the beach and when Quint and Nola got married for instance.  I also remember Jackie, Justin, the whole Reardon clan, among other things.

I have watched it on and off forever.  I will be upset if it just goes away.

Yes, I like other soap operas but Guiding Light is a mainstay.  Its comforting at times and provides a sense of ritual in this crazy world.

I really hope it dosen’t just go away….how can you just let a show disappear after 72 years?

every little thing

Sometimes,  when you’ve had a stroke the little things are tough. For example, taking a small walk on the sidewalk and/or grass.  Yesterday I walked on the grass and nothing happened.  Today I walked on the grass and my foot turned and I landed on my knees.  No damage was suffered except for grass stains on my jeans and a little bruise on my knee. 

It just irks me sometimes that things that I could do one day I can’t do the next.  Plus falling aggravates my foot and ankle and does nothing for my thinking…ugh.

Tomorrow may be different, heck even tonight may be different but right now i am aggravated by may body’s limitations.  I just want things to improve.

Its chilly and i had therapy today

Today was my day for physical and occupational therapy. Folding of clothes, stretching, putting away of dishes….lots of little things designed to get me back in shape.

Its also chilly here today.  Not spring at all. More likes shades of winter. Hopefully, the weather will improve.

birthdays, easter, upcoming surgery, oh my…

I have a had a lot going on lately in my life.  Firstly, last week I celebrated a birthday.  My mom and dad took me out to brunch for my birthday where I had a chocolate chip waffle.  It was good.  Later on in  the evening I had dinner at my aunt and uncle’s.  We had shrimp, bread, salad, and 2 birthday cakes. One coconut and one chocolate.  Both were delicious.  We are still finishing them up.

Secondly, we had a big family Easter celebration at my aunt and uncle’s in Franklin, Virginia.  We had fried chicken, deviled eggs, collards, butter beans, and lots of other stuff.  We also had a delicious coconut cake and lemon lush and lots of candy.  We even played Bingo for prizes and watched the Masters.  It was a Great day.

Thirdly and lastly, I have been experiencing pain in my abdomen region.  It has been determined by doctors that I have gallstones.  I will be having gallbladder surgery sometime in the coming weeks.

Life is a mixture of  all kinds of events.  My life has truly been a mixture of all sorts lately.  How about yours?  Are you enjoying your life?

Weather Nice?-WALK

Now that the weather is slowly getting nicer all over the place maybe its time to enjoy the weather and take a walk.  I’m not necessarily talking about a long trek but just a little stroll to stretch the legs and help us feel better.

I’m going to physical therapy at the moment and am required to take a 15 minute walk everyday.  Nothing strenuous.  Just a good stretch of the legs.  It makes you feel better

My parents took a long walk to the post office last night but a short walk in the yard or on the sidewalk  will do the job.  You should get out and stretch the legs.  Walk, don’t run unless you feel like it and of course see your doctor if you have a concern.

Little Dorrit

I’ve never read the book which was written by Charles Dickens but I plan to do so.  I am in love with the latest masterpiece theater edition of it.  It’s great! I am going to go watch the installment I missed last week and hope to catch the latest tomorrow night.  I defintely recommend it.

my Joshua Jackson rant

There’s a movie on right now with Joshua Jackson in it. I don’t even know the title of the film.  I saw him in another film last night in addition to watching him in Fringe.  I just love this guy.

I was late getting to the Joshua Jackson bandwagon as I didn’t watch Dawson’s Creek till like the last 2 seasons but thanks to the kind people at tbs I got all caught up with that show.  I watched him in Cruel   Intentions  and the many other movies he’s been in and I adore him in Fringe.  He has great charm and good acting skills!

In search of another vampire book…

I read the Twilight series and loved it…I’ve read some Anne rice in the past and liked it OK and even tried the trueblood  stuff with Sookie Stackhouse. They were enjoyable but too much of a mystery type book for me.

I have read the first house of night book, Marked and found it enjoyable and I’ve read the first viampire diaries books. Both of these book were ok. However, I have yet to find one that equals my enjoyment of  Twilight.  How about you all? Have you found something that you really like in the vampire lit. set? Just asking…..

Bea Arthur always reminded me of my great aunt

Bea Arthur of television fame died today. She was 86.  In thinking about her and looking at her over the years she always reminded me of one of my great aunts.  Her mannerisms, her talk, her look.  It was priceless. 

I would always look at her and she would immediately make me think of my great aunt Julia.  I don’t know why she did maybe it was the complete package especially during her years as Maude.  I always would look at her when she was portraying Maude and think Aunt Julia.

It kind of makes me sad that she’s gone now just like my great aunt Julia but I’m sure she’s in a better place too and we can always remember her for her many television roles.

The wonders of nature

OK, we all have some contact with nature in our lives.  We see a squirrel in the yard or park, we might see a mouse or snake,  or we may just pet a dog.  Today my mom got a surprise.

We live in an apartment complex and we have our car parked in the parking lot.  She went out to the car and found bird poop in the car.  She had left the car window about 2 inches open so it wouldn’t be so hot in the car when we got in it and the bird entered through that hole.  My mom didn’t find the bird so we assume he or she got out the way he came in.  Oh, the wonders of nature.

A Gem of a movie

Last night I had the opportunity to view a very wonderful gem of a movie.  It was 1952′s Macao.  Macao stars among others Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell,  and Gloria Graham.

Macao is a gem because it contains everything essential for a good film.  Action, romance, suspence, a good guy, a bad guy,…..the list goes on and on.  It has great fashion sense, with Gloria Graham looking slippery than wet, if you understand the expression and Jane Russell looking elegant but everyday. 

It is indeed a gem because it contains all elements of a great movie and doesn’t drag itself out.  Perfection is the name of the game for this movie and I urge everyone to check it out.

my musings on the Kentucky derby

Did you happen to see the Kentucky Derby? It was amazing.  I loved it that a horse that was a 50 to 1 shot won and that the said horse was only $9500.00.  Proves that millions doesn’t always get you what you want…..

I also loved the jockey.  He was downhome and very sweet.  He thanked his mom and dad.  I always like people that thank their parents for their schievements even if the parents are now dead.

It was a very down home derby and personally, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Things I miss about living in Atlanta

Recently, I was asked about what I missed about Atlanta.  After pondering it for several days I’ve come up with a list.

1. AJC-I miss the Atlanta Journal Constitution especially the sports section which was chopped with information about the braves, hawks, falcons, etc. on a daily basis. The comic section was also first rate and I miss them too.

2. I miss 24 hour grocery stores.  We don’t have any 24 hour stores where we live now and I miss being able to grab milk, eggs, or whatever was necessary at a late hour.

3. I miss being able to watch most every Braves game without having to pay for it or listen to the opposing team’s announcers.

I guess that’s all I really miss with the exception of having my own bathroom and being able to play music at late hours that”s about it.  Sports in Atlanta was my passion and I still love them all very much.

Salt of the Earth

Last night, in the middle of the night, I had the opportunity to view the only movie ever banned by the U.S. government.  Its entitled Salt of  the Earth and was made in 1954.  It deals with working conditions, immigrants, and feminism among other things.

This fim was created by a group of talents that were all blacklisted during those horrible days back in the 1950′s.  Its subject is timeless because in my opinion we are still dealing with the same types of problems that are dealt with in this movie.

I urge anyone that gets a chance to see this movie to do so.  It might just enlighten you.

My health life

These past few weeks have been busy in my life.  I have had a lot of health issues to deal with. For starters, I was fitted for braces for my hand and foot, then we’ve been fighting the insurance on a new seizure med, and finally I have been preparing for gallbladder surgery.

The brace thing wasn’t really a huge deal.  It was a tough decision for me to decide that I wanted to get them.  I decided in the long run it would probably be of my best interest to get them.  They will hopefully prevent future problems.

The medicine has been a real challenge for both me and my folks and for my doctors.  The insurance didn’t want to pay for the milligrams my Dr. prescribed.  It also didn’t like the directions my Dr. had given me.  But, hopefully all was cleared up this week and my meds will be available this week.  My dad picked up samples for me this week so I’m not going without.  Just another challenge in my life.

Finally, I am preparing for oupatient gallbladder surgery which will be this coming Tuesday.  Yes, I said preparing.  I am on coumadin so I had to switch to Lovenax injections and that meant going in early Friday morning to have my levels checked.  But, thankfully, all was ok.  My Dad and Mom are giving me the injections and all is going well so far.  I don’t expect problems but one never knows.

I am not nervous about the surgery because its outpatient and I should feel a lot better afterwards.  I know I’ll probly feel sluggish for several days but that’s ok.  Downtime is sometimes good.

So, that’s what’s been happening with me lately.

Just a quick blog

Today is the day for my gallbladder surgery. I have to be at the hospital at 6:15am.  Hopefully, things will go well and I’ll be home tonight.  It will be great to have no pain when I eat stuff. I guess that’s all for now.  Thanks to everyone for their support.

Glad Dogs

Last weekend, I had the chance to see 2 movies that are somewhat related because they both show how much kindness and caring can  help people and animals.

The first movie is about a girl who spreads happiness and gladness.  Her name is Pollyanna.  She’s portrayed by Haley Mills.  This movie was made in 1960 and is just as relevant today as it was then.  Its about how we all need a little joy and encouragement in our lives and how we should stand-up for the things we believe in.  I encourage people to see this movie which is a Disney film.

The second movie was Hotel for Dogs.  If you love animals, especially dogs, I urge you to see it.  Its about 2 foster children that start caring for strays in an abandon hotel.  Its a great movie that shows how doing things for your community, like caring for animals, can enhance your life and those around you as well.  Its a cute film that was released this year by Dreamworks  and has a good cast along with great music. Its an awareness movie and i think everyone can learn something from it.

These are two movies that show the Good in people which is often ignored in films.  I hope everyone has a chance to view these films sometime.

MMM…Chocolate

In the last two days I have experienced Chocolate at its best.  The first was the chocolate iced donuts at the Dunkin donuts. I’m not talking cake donuts either.  They’re like glazed ones but with chocolate. Very Good.

The other thing is the brownie batter blizzard at Dairy Queen.  Its full of yummy pieces of brownie and its chocolate all the way through..  A great treat especially if you like blizzards.

Hope everyone gets to experience a yummy treat over the weekend!

Building Vocab through Books

I recently read a book about Henry the VIII.  It was  mainly about  his government and how he got his divorce from Catherine.  The book had very specialized vocabulary that had me picking up my dictionary more than once.  I highlighted every word I looked up so I could be sure that i remembered it and could look it up again and know where  it came from.

Well now I’m reading The Journals of  Sylvia Plath.  This book is a collection of Path’s journal entries. Its quite good as it tells a lot about her and the writing process.  I have even encountered a few words in there that I didn’t know. I looked them up as I go  along and even highlight them.

I have a system where I use a different color highlighters for each book so I know where the words came from. This is proving to be a useful tool. I’m also keeping a journal of the books I read.

You can learn many words if you read.  It doesn’t matter the subject just read and build your your vocabulary. It will make you a smarter person and you just might impress someone with your new word knowledge.

Me? Like the Jonas Brothers..you’ve got to be kidding

Last Friday the Jonas Brothers played on the Today show in their summer concert series and I watched. I figured they  would be  like most  teen  bands.. Little talent , the same beat over and over again, and not a lot of singing.

I was wrong. I’m 35 years old and I like the Jonas Brother!.  They actually play instruments and they seem to have great respect and love for their fans. I actually found them a bit refreshing.

Its nice to see some good family entertainment out there in a world that’s full of so much bad.

Death Among the Stars

This past week we have suffered many deaths among the famous people in the world.  We have lost actors, a pitch man, a singer and an American icon.

They are Farrah Fawcett, Karl Malden , Billy Mays, Michael Jackson, and Ed McMahon.  All of these people had many accomplishments that have been shared and talked about in the last few days.  We have seen family members talking, photos online and in magazines, and many TV reporters talk about many of them.

Farrah Fawcett was a TV and film actress as well as a poster girl.  Her poster was a very famous one that was hung on many walls across the country and world.  In fact, I have a very special memory of this poster.  It was on a wall at my dad’s workplace when I was a little kid.  I remember it very well in  memory.

Karl Malden was a diverse actor.  He appeared in many movies and in the American Express ads.  His many movies include Birdman of  Alcatraz, Pollyanna, and  Baby Doll among many others.  Mr. Malden’s talents will be sorely missed.

Billy Mays was a excellent pitchman that endeared himself to our memories.  He pitched oxy clean, burger sliders and many other products.  These ads have become a part of the American landscape.  His distinctive voice will never be duplicated and will provide a standard for other ad pitchman in coming years.

Michael Jackson was a music icon and excellent dancer.  He was a warm person that loved many.  He will always be  remembered for his music, dancing talents, his charitable work and his many antics..   Jackson will be missed on a large scale that includes many generations and many countries.

Ed McMahon was a commercial spokesperson, a sidekick to the late Johnny Carson, and so much more.  He was a part of the American life for a long time and his voice and face will be missed by many.

All these people had amazing gifts.  Gifts that they chosen to share to everyone.  In this world, that is something that can’t be over overlooked.  Good-bye to these persons.  Their talents will live on forever.

Legends, Moon Landing, and grandparents

Walter Cronkite, a long time reporter and newsman died a few days ago.  He was a man  who defined America.  He provided perspective and comfort in an often turbulent world.                                                                                                                                   

I remember watching the CBS evening news with Walter Cronkite at my grandparent’s house when I was a kid.  We didn’t really watch it at our house or at least I don’t remember it.   We watched ABC..  I always remember Cronkite’s voice. It was a strong voice that had presence.  One that wouldn’t be forgotten. Hopefully, his voice and  his many achievements will never be forgotten.

This past  July 20th,  was the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.  Cronkite provided the voice for that first landing.  He presented it to the world and as one of my friends said, its kind of ironic that he died at this particular time. A time when one of his greatest accomplishments is being honored. But,  we have TV clips, pictures and all kinds of things to remember this historic event by.

The moon landing anniversary is very special to me because my dad introduced me to space, airplanes and the like when I was a kid.  I knew who Chuck Yeager, the pilots, was when I was probably 7 or 8.  My folks also took me to the space center in Florida.  I feel like I’ve always had a connection with this special event.

All of these things, the moon landing and the passing of Walter Cronkite have really made me miss my mom’s parents more.  I watched Cronkite in the family room at their house and they always had a since  of nostalgia about them. For example, there was a magazine in the living room that was from either 1962 or 1963 that had Kennedy on it.  JFK was the president who made the challenge to go the moon. 

The moon landing and the accomplishments of Walter Cronkite are things that shouldn’t be forgotten.  These things are a measure of how far we’ve come and and who helped us pave the way there.

Just a few thoughts before bed

I’m sitting here getting ready to go to bed.  I spent the day watching True Blood and reading The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  I really recommend reading the Oz books if you ever get the chance.  I also played many games online today.  All and all is was a restful day.

However, I did a lot of thinking about the past.  I was reminded of much today while on face book.  I was reminded of friends that have come and gone from my life.  Some got married, some went off in a totally new direction, and some have died.  I had many sweet, interesting people that I met while in college and became friends with.  some good, some bad, some that would make you smile or laugh at the drop of a hat and others who would hug you and make sure you were ok.  Good people that made a difference. 

You get older and realize one day that you wish you had more of those kind of people in your everyday life.  People that are special and kind. People that really took the time to listen and didn’t make you feel stupid when you had questions.  People who would take away your fears, provide diversions when life got too heavy, whether it was just talking or going to the Krispy Creme to get doughnuts or going for ice cream.  Life’s little pleasures that made you feel special and glad. 

Dancing is another great memory along with the people I met.  I had not really danced a lot till I went to college. But, my sophomore year provided  lots of opportunities to do this because I became associated with ballplayers.  These people became my good friends and helped me with all sorts of things.

Memories are good people are two things that we have in life that provides us with a foundation to keep on living day by day whatever the circumstances.

A Journey of healthcare

Personally, I have been affected by the insurance crisis in this country.  I have a pre-existing condition that I’ve had since I was 9 weeks old.  I had healthcare through my dad’s employer for many years.  I has insurance through my employer for a few years while I working then for health reasons I had to leave my job. I went many years without insurance.  As a result of this I went into debt.  Its not a pretty picture when you have a condition that requires constant attention.  Thankfully I had some good doctors that provided me with reduced fees and things of that nature while I was uninsured.  Due to a medical emergency I had to get Medicaid which only lasted until the crisis had passed.  Its a great fear that you have when you know that you don’t have any really recourse when you’re ill and can’t get treatment due to your heath insurance crisis.

Right now, I have Medicare thankfully to my finally getting disability after fighting for many years.  But that ‘s another story.

Right now in my household, I have several family members that are uninsured.  One of them has a preexisting condition that prevents them from obtaining insurance.  The other cannot afford it. 

Its a crisis when someone can’t get health insurance in this country.  Thankfully one of my family members has been able to obtain affordable healthcare through a local program.  But, if not for this program they might be seriously ill due to lack medication and regular checkups.  That is a frightening  thought.  One I hope doesn’t  come to pass.

We need some kind of heath reform.  I don’t know what’s the right plan or the  way to go about it is  but something has to be done.  No one should be ill in this country and all alone with the cost of treatment.  The prices are too high to have to pay it out of pocket.  I have Medicare and still the prices aren’t really cheap.  But, its more affordable than nothing.  People need change.  They need to feel like they can get sick and not have to deal with high costs and lack of treatment options.

That’s the reality of the insurance crisis in my world.  Its a  uncomfortable feeling   when you don’t the cash or health insurance to take care of yourself and your family members.

A mighty lion has fallen

 I have always have  had a fascination with the Kennedy’s. I don’t know why or where it began. It probably was about the time that Caroline Kennedy got married and was in the Life magazine or it could just be that my fascination of the the 1960’s lead to my love and respect for the Kennedy’s and what they have been doing and trying to do for years. I remember wanting to get the special Life Magazine that covered the 25th anniversary of President John F. . Kennedy’s death.  I got it and later used it to write my senior paper on the assassination of John F. Kennedy.    The campaign and death of Robert Kennedy has also been of great interest to me as well.

Well, yesterday another one of the Kennedy brothers died  Senator Ted Kennedy, who  was the  last older male in the Kennedy line.   With his passing we  have see a death of a dynasty in the senate. For 50 years they have always has been a Kennedy in the senate.  Today that is no longer true. It pains me to know that people who really fought for civil rights for many backgrounds, helped with politics and issues in foreign lands, and tried numerous times to get some sort of better health care for us all has died.

I think one  of the best things I ever saw the Kennedy family do was when Robert Kennedy visited the poor during his campaign for presidency. He really got to the heart of the issue and if an assaians bullet had not stopped him who knows what kind of country we would have now.

Ted Kennedy, despite his flaws, tried to make the world a better place. He went out of his way to provide medical care for a very sick girl in another country, he endorsed Obama, fought for health care,tried to get better living conditions for the lower class and I think in his passing we have lost a bright spot in our country’s history. Someone that actually really did care about the people.

Hopefully his legacy will live  on in  the next generation of people. We have Obama and many democratic and Republican senators that will hopefully join together and try to get some things done that Senator Kennedy will be proud of.

RIP Senator Ted Kennedy. You will be missed.

A straight up rant

Susan Haskell is a great soap opera actress that I enjoy watching. Her portrayalof Marty on One Life to Live is excellent.  However,Jeanne Cooper should have won. I mean how many more times is she going to be around to get this  prestigious award.  She’s a gerat actress that I have watched since I was a little girl in the 197o’s and she deserved this award for the awesome way she portrayed Katherine Chancellor this past year. 

The storyline was great allowing her to successfully play 2 characters.  She really showed her diversity through her memory loss and her ultimate transformation back to the Mrs. C. that we all loved. 

I don’t understand them not giving her that reward.  She was far better than most people out there and she is a veteran that ought to be saluted for her great work.  I just hope she gets  more recognization before its too late.

my thoughts on the curious case of Benjamin button

Last night I finished Benjamin Button.   Great movie. It has a little of bit of everything in it. Adventure, lots of love, and a strong sense of relationships. 

It reminds us how each person is special and different.  That we all have our own special talents and dreams.  It also reminds us how things don’t last and how we have to continue and go on with our lives whatever the circumstances.

Benjamin Button is simple and complicated.  While the man changes into one thing, the woman undergoes another change.  This change is realistically portrayed and yet the simplicity of it all radiates. Its a love story with people calling each other Honey and lovemaking that is basic and true.

Benjamin Button gives us the best and the worse of life.  It is love, life, changing circumstances,  all at a basic, simple level.

Little by Little

This week a few of the elements of my childhood and adolescents are passing and have passed.  G uiding Light one of daytimes longest running daytime dramas is fading into the history books on Friday and yesterday Patrick Swayze died.

Guiding Light is and was a personal favorite of mine.  I’ve strayed away from it many times but I’ve always come back  to it.  In fact this week i’m treasuring it like an old friend that’s going away.  I watched it many times with my ma, my mom’s mom, and loved every minute of it.  After she died I continued watching it. Never missing a beat.  Even if I was checking out its competition I always read recaps and kept up with it.  I will miss it.

Patrick Swayze has provided me with many memories.  Dirty Dancing provided me with a movie that defined my adolescents and gave me hope that no matter what you looked like you could find love. 

The Outsiders was my high school years in a nutshell.  I read all the S.E. Hinton books because of that book and movie.  I got crushes all over again with the many men that are in it and still do when I watch it.  It was a big influence in my life and I love that movie.

My big Patrick Swayze moment came with the movie Ghost.  When I was a teenager in high school i watched this movie with one of my best guy friends in the family room at my house.  It ws the first time in my memory that I remember being  with a guy and watching a movie without any adults around.  While no kisses were exchanged, it was a good experience for me that I’ve never forgotten.

This week 2 things are passing and have passed that have meant so much to me.  Patrick Swayze and Guiding Light you will never be forgotten.

Along comes fall

Fall is a colorful adventure filled with football, cooler temps, hot cider or coffee, spooky feelings, and sweatshirts.  Fall  is  a  cornucopia of madness before the Christmas rush hits. 

Fall brings change.  A person can be a kid at the end of summer and turn into a grown-up by fall.  This experience typically happens in college.  I remember it happening to me.   While I don’t have children, i did used to work in daycare and it seemed to me in the fall you really realise how much bigger the children had gotten. how their personalities had changed , and how they don’t fit in that cute little outfit they used to like to wear.

Fall can be romance for some people. I met two guys in the fall. One left a very big impression on me. But, I’m not gonna talk about that right now. I’ll save it for another post close to Halloween.

Fall is a refreshing change from the hot summer that seems to linger. It gives you hope that things will get better.  It also grows darker faster and this often depresses  people . Me? No. Darkness is cool.  Sunny days bug me sometimes.  They’re too unpredictable.

There is a feeling of family in the fall. One goes to homecoming, a sports outing or talks to a neighbor outside because it’s not too hot to stand around.  It’s a social season before the real cold of Winter begins.

Fall is colorful, changing, and sweet.

Loosing Someone Important

When I say loosing someone important I’m not talking about a family member here but a special friend and teacher.  

When I first had a class with this special person, Father John Oetgen, I was terrified and intimidated.  A few weeks later maybe even a few days later my opinion totally changed about this  man. He was considerate and kind to me at a very difficult time in my life. The first semester I had him as a teacher was the semester I came back to college after having a stroke.  Being back at school was a big adventure for me. One that I really wanted to do well on. 

I can’t remember the topic, but I think it was a world literature class of some kind. I have the book around her somewhere I think although I might have gotten rid of it when we moved.  But, anyway, in this class Fr. John wanted us to memorize some lines or something of that nature, I told him I would have trouble with this and that I would practice and study up on it either during fall break or thanksgiving. He said he didn’t want me to use my vacation for something like that and I think he gave me an alternate assignment. .  All that I know is that he was kind to me in a time when I really needed it.

I took that first class with  Father John and after that I had at least  2 more classes with him.  The first being Southern Literature. He became my pied piper of books and authors during that class. He gave me a whole new world of literature to explore and learn about.  I LOVED this class and I Loved  Father John for giving me this whole new piece of pie to eat.

I had always been an avid reader as a child but now I had this whole new set of things to read and explore. This exploration still continues today as I read more Flannery O’Connor  and about the Great South and the state of Georgia where I had the pleasure of living for 13 years.

Father John also taught me a thing or two about common courtesy. He always addressed me as Miss Ivey except maybe when we were in private conversation. Yes, I’d been called Miss Ivey before but I believe when he called me that I felt a real sense of finally being a grown-up.

He also inquired always about my family especially my mom who he  had the pleasure of meeting.  His concern for the well-being of others was great.  I remember this time when I needed a ride to the airport. He was at a basketball game  that I had come to searching for a ride.  I found a ride but when I returned to college after my long weekend there was a message from him saying  if  I still needed a ride to let him know and he would provide me with one.  I will always remember that.

I could tell you other things, like how patient and understanding he was., about his love for abbey sports …and the list could on and on. 

Father John’s great teaching, his common  class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”common coutrsy and kindness to others will always be .missed, I think the real thing I will miss as someone reminded me today, his is voice.  He could read aloud to you and it was like lighting a candle, Nothing was the same. Someone else could read it but it would’t sound as good.

Father John you were a class act. God Bless You and thanks for being a part of my life as well as many other Abbey studen’t lives.

My special tribute to a certain Abbey Class

Ok, here’s the thing…nothing major just life changing..think of being a speck in the universe just a speck, nothing else. A piece of particle that floats around and never really lands.  That was me.  It still is in a lot of ways….

But, there was a time in my life when I was more than a speck of dirt. More like a piece  of candy, sweet and sour, and very safe and loved. Love, for a lack of a better word.  At least I wasn’t despised and if depressed I had help.

No mention of names will be given here because I think some of you out there know who you are. Anyway, this is my way of thanking you for all the things you said and did to help me survive one of the most tough years of my college life.

A year ago today

A year ago today I lost my best friend in the whole wide world. He wasn’t human but an animal. A dog to be more precise. His name was Chester and he was 13 yrs. old. He got sick suddenly and died the same day. A blessing.

Chester was a cheese eater, whip cream loving, and watermelon and cantaloupe sniffer outer and eater. He was a sofa buddy, a good listener and a comforter.

My toes on my left side of my body which was affected by my stroke are very thick.  My mom has to use a heavy duty nail clippers to trim them and when she would trim them Chester would sit beside me till the ordeal was over with.  He also comforted me over the phone. If I was having a bad day at college and called home my mom would put Chester on the line.  He may not have made a sound but he listened, which is an incredible gift.

I could go and on..but the main thing to remember today is that he was a very good, loving dog that we were blessed to have  him  for a really long time. Love you Chester!

This one is for you

This one is for one  of my best friends in the whole wide world and she knows it. I haven’t seen her in a long time but she told me this week that my blog made her feel like I was talking to her. So, I thought, why not…?

Ok, for those of you that don’t know I grew up in Franklin, Virginia, for the most part. I spent sometime in the Holland-Suffolk area where I went to the now demolished, fire destroyed Holland elementary and made a lot of friends.  Franklin though was always a part of my life. Most of my family always have lived there so I never could get away from that place.

There’s something most people should know about Franklin, its the kind of place where when you were in high school you wanted to get out of it as fast as possible.  Not that its a bad place but sometimes you feel like a sardine packed in a tight can.  Everyone knows where you live, who you hang out with and what grades you got on your report card.

I never have had a lot friends in my life. I’m not one for that. I tend to keep people close to my heart and at arms length away. But, with age, you learn sometimes you had more friends than you thought  you had. But, I digress. 

When I came back to finally live in Franklin,  after living in Franklin when I was 3 and 4 years old, I was 10. I went to the 5th grade where I had a very good teacher and some very good classmates.  My best friend was in that class but she really didn’t become one of my best friends till we were in the 6th grade.

Fifth grade is one of those transitional years. You feel older, you sometimes act older and the opposite sex starts to look at the other sex in a new light. By, the 6th grade who knows where hormones will take you… I had the typical crush syndrome on some of the boys in the 5th grade but no one really special till the 6th. 

The girl who became my best friend loved cats a lot and was quiet.  We had one other friend who I am still close to who was a bit louder and more boy crazy.

I had a extremely close friend who I loved more than anything. But, we had a falling out in the 6th grade  and I ended up with my now best friend who I would remain close to perhaps forever. The funny thing was at the time she was having trouble with her best friend as well. So, we ended up eating lunch together a lot and from there things just took a natural course into real, genuine friendship.

In high school, I had a few classes with my best friend.  The one I remember the most was 8th grade science class.  We had it with a bunch of students that often gave the teacher trouble.  We were the good ones in that class and it was fun.  The thing though I remember the most was us passing notes to each other about all kinds of things…the treasured memories of youth.

She was with me when I went through a serious boy crisis in the 11th grade. In fact, I remember calling her when this particular boy was at my house just to say he was at my house.

We were close after high school. When I got sick my freshman year in college and had to come home to live, she made me a really cool mix tape that I still own and she took me to her house to veg for awhile.  Friendship is good.

We drifted away soon after that. Each going in different directions.  But, due to the internet and the great tool of Aol messenger we were able to reconnect and share parts of our lives together.  We keep drifting back and forth but finally have made it to the land of facebook where we will definitely always be friends.

Thanks Paula for being my friend.

Just Get Along And STOP PULLING

On Tuesday September 21, 2010, a bill was introduced to move forward with the ending of the Don’t ask, Don’t Tell Policy. This bill did not pass. But, the thing that stood out to me wasn’t the defeat of the bill, but rather how the vote came about. The reasoning of how it came about was that the parties couldn’t agree about the bill. Instead of trying to find a middle ground, they would rather call each other names and scream about how the opposing parties are not doing things to their satisfaction. It’s a whole lot like two kids fighting over a toy. They pull and pull till there’s nothing left but a mess. The senate needs to find a way not to create a mess because they have a job that needs to be done.

Bills have to be dealt with. The members of the senate need to decide whether or not they should pass a bill. The parties need to make nice and compromise if needed to reach their decision.   In order for this making nice and compromising to occur better leadership needs to be established.    A senior senator or a lesser ranked senator who can be objective needs to step up to the plate and be a REAL leader.  A  REAL Leader that brings about compromise and limits the fuss instead of just pointing fingers.  This kind of leadership has existed in the past and I’m sure it will exist once again.

While better leadership will help there  needs to be other changes as well. Senators need to STOP voting along party lines. STOP doing what the party wants and vote based on their own opinions.  Senators listen to debate after debate. Some debates are positive while others are negative. Form your own opinions based on the debates and discussions and vote accordingly. Don’t let your party make your decisions for you.  Be intelligent and use your brain and/or heart for a change.

Senators have a tough job. But, with the right implements in place they can do their job more effectively and efficiently.  In doing this, they will provide the people of the United States a great service.

Where have you gone Elizabeth Taylor?

Elizabeth Taylor recently died. I know some of you have heard the name but have no idea  of what she did or who she  was. The ones that do know something about her should realize that we have lost a member of the ever shrinking world of people  that were actors during the era of the studio system.

In case  you don’t know,  Elizabeth Taylor  made a Ton of movies. She was in a version of Little Women, did a great performance as a woman who was just like a cat in the film Cat On a  Hot Tin Roof.  She  was a  prostitute in Butterfield 8 and  Cleopatra  in a movie called Cleopatra.  These are just a sample of her work in films.

The  following are examples that might appeal to a person who isn’t a mainstream film fan. 

1. Reflections of A golden eye.

1. 2,  Simple Ceremony. which I just discovered.  This movie will definitely please anyone that’s not a mainstream film  fan.  

If  you’re interested  in finding out more about Elizabeth Taylor’s movies and her life check out http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000072/  .  

2. She had a line of perfume which is still produced. Proceeds of the perfume will probably go to her aids charity.

3. She was a big supporter of the Aids community long before it was popular.  She formed a foundation to help with costs of educating people with aids and to help with costs of caring for people with aids. If you’re interested in her foundation you can check out: http://www.elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org/our-mission . 

3. She was a mother.  Elizabeth Taylor had 4 kids.

4.  She was a dame. A title given to her by Queen Elizabeth the II.

5. a godmother for 2 of Michael Jackson’s kids.

5. A good friend to many.

And a whole of lot of  other things…

I hope you will read and gain more knowledge about th Elizabeth Taylor who was so much more than just an actress.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

What a week….last week of April and first part of May

This past week we have seen a royal wedding, lots of storms everywhere, and Mr. Donald Trump being a snake.,  and finally on Sunday night we have learned of the killing of Osama Bin Laden. What a mixed bag of things.

In the scary category of things that have happened, the horrible storms and tornadoes that have tortured many parts of the country tops  the list. These storms have caused people to lose their houses, their precious possessions, and even family members and pets. I send my prayers and thoughts to these people who have suffered much and hope their lives get better,

Donald Trump. Gasp. What is this business tycoon doing in the political arena? So far he has attacked Obama’s citizenship and been a complete racist. Nice things to do if you plan to possibly run for the position of President. In addition to this, he has proved himself a person of not much humor. If you didn’t see the press dinner, you should check it out. Donald Trump defined the statement of if looks could kill…  We shall see what else he does to make him a prime presidential candidate…

A piece of happiness took place this week as Prince William married his longtime love Kate Middleton. This marriage was a welcome change to all the bad stuff that’s going on  in the world.You have 2 people who are obviously in love and have spent much time living together and seem to know each others traits and faults. The familiarity that they possess should be plus in succeeding in a marriage that will be watched by all the press in the world.  Good Luck Kate and William!

Tonight we have heard of the killing of  Osama Bin Laden.  Osama  has been responsible for much terror in our country as well as a source of terror for many other countries.  His death is a  major feat that has eliminated one crazy person in this world. Thanks to the troops for this happening!

However while  our  mind and heart are grateful for the end of a reign of terror,  we shouldn’t lose sight that there are many more crazies in the world. Scary, isn’t it?. 

We have had a crazy week and as Monday dawns who knows what this week will bring. Life is full of the good and bad, But, take time to enjoy the good stuff and not focus on so many bad things. Your week will be so much better,

Soaps going down the drain

CREATIVITY.  One of the most creative lots  of shows EVER  created  is going down faster than most of their fans would like. It’s the daytime soap opera. They are being cancelled right and left by just about every network. Many of them  have been cancelled in the past and replaced by other soaps. But, this time its different. One Life to live and All My Children were cancelled recently and when they are gone,  they will be replaced by talk shows and cooking shows. When CBS cancelled As the World Turns and Guiding  Light they did the same kind of thing.  A new era is beginning in daytime tv  much to  the displeasure of many.  This new era is  washing away the soaps. A whole generation of soap fans  will have very limited choices in programming . Instead of soap operas,  the audience will be exposed to the  delights of cooking everything under the sun,  folding a napkin, or  making a flower arrangement.  These topics are already covered on the Martha Stewart show which airs on the Hallmark channel.  The food network and the cooking channel both offer these type of programs. So, why are these shows being shown in the  afternoon on major networks?  I find it tiresome that in  the afternoon we can only watch food and talk shows  on the major networks. If I had wanted to watch those things   I’d switch to food network or the cooking channel or HGTV.  

I may  frequently watch the new shows. . But, to put them on instead a soap is outrageous. But my heart will always have a special part of it reserved for  the soaps opera.  

People always have questions regarding the shows that have dominated many an afternoon in daytime television. Here are the answers to some. 

What exactly are soaps and how did they appear on tv?

Soap Operas  are   a product of radio that transitioned to tv. They are  dramas that deal with families and people of all types living their everyday life.  Generation after generation  have watched or listened to them every day. It’s a part of many people’s lives to sit or lie down everyday and relax while watching their favorite soaps.  

You may wonder who exactly watches these shows and who has benifitted from them. Lets take a look.

Who relaxes and escapes using Soaps?

Homemakers, students, people who are on their lunch hour, or are at home in the afternoon, senior citizens who have been following soaps their whole lives. Working  people are also tuning into  the soaps. They dvr them to watch later on in the day  or they simply tune into the soapnet and watch them.  The viewing of these shows gives them  a chance to unwind from their stressful day.    

What elements have the soap operas used over the years to provide an escape from reality and to get their messages across?

    It would be tough to  cover all the elements used. But, the following will provide you with some.

1.Villians

Nasty, evil villains have always been present.  The ones that come to me right now from the past are the following.

James Steinbeck that appeared on ATWT.    James shot people, smuggled drugs and came back from the dead so many times it was ridiculous,  Roger Thorpe from  the Guiding Light  is another one of those mean foks. . He raped, kidnapped, blackmailed and came back from the dead,.

Mr. Big,  who appeared on As the World Turns in 1982 was a very scary villain.  Lots of trickery and ruthfulness lead Mr. Big to bring chaos to a few Oakdale lives.  Personally, I remember watching this storyline with may grandmother. It was just creepy   

Believe it  or not John Dixon, a popular character on ATWT, was once a villain.In  later years he would appear more passive.  But back  in the 1970′s and 80′s John Dixon was anything but passive. He kidnapped his own son, married good girls and destroyed them and did just about anything he could  think of to provide misery for any person’s life.  He was so bad that my grandmother wrote a letter asking them to get rid of John Dixon. That just proves how mean he was.

During recent times we have had a great collection of evil people.  Todd Manning, of OLTL is one beast to look out for.  He has basically paid off everyone to make them forget his crimes along with his children’s crimes.  He bullies and lies constantly. He even hurts people just because he doesn’t like them.

Victor Newman on Young and the Restless. This character is an extreme villain. He lies to anyone, including his family, he cheats in business and is always up to something whether  it be trying to out do his rivals or busting his kids’ marraiges apart.  While he appears in recent times, Victor Newman first appeared in 1980, showing his evil side almost at once.  He locked his wife ‘s lover in a bomb shelter. Talk about being a monster. Victor is a true monster.

Anthony Zaccara is one fun villain that appears  on General Hospital.    Anthony  definitely has a screw loose and   his laugh is scary and  and entertaining   He is always concocting plans to get more control in the mob. His plans don’t usually turn out good. But, this doesn’t deter Anthony. He just makes new ones and plants flowers on the side.

Helena Casidane is the classic definition of  a villain. She appears in the shadows and her plans are well constructed despite the fact that they don’t usually work. Her voice is frightening and her conversations more so. Definitely a first class lady villain.

I know I haven’t commented every show and its villians  but that would take all day.Comment on the ones you watch.

2. Super couples were and still are 2 people who have  braved all kinds of situations and  stayed together no matter what. They usually  get married at some point and raise children.

 Jessie and Angie on All My Children are a couple that has survived death, blindness and all kinds of nastiness.   

Luke and Laura Spencer are the ultimate super couple. They survived relationship problems, evil villains , and many an adventure. They got married in a wedding that topped all soap weddings ever. It was a big ratings booster as well. This couple was loved by a ton of people. They eventually had children. However they were not destined to stay together forever. Laura had  mental health issues and landed in Shady  Grove, the mental hospital that serves Port Charles.

They are many others out there, Bo and Hope on Days, Jack and Erica on All my children, Brooke and Ridge on Bold and the Beautiful…and the list goes on and on…

Big parties and concerts -   These type of events have been used to educate audience  on such topics such drug abuse and aids. They also serve as a chance r to see the all the cast   dressed up and chatting with one another. . A little treachery  usually takes place and the cast is brought together to take care of the calamity. 

 Why are these beloved programs being cancelled?

.1.   Lack of funds-Just like everyone else  the tv stations are suffering from a  lack of money and thus they are picking cheaper shows to run.

2. Lack of viewership-I refuse to believe  that a lack of viewership really exists.   I think they don’t really take in consideration the people who dvr them or watch them on soapnet at night. But, that’s just my opinion.

Yes there are  some people who don’t watch at all. But the audience that really watches the shows on a regular  bassis  are very faithful and watch practically everyday.    Generation after generation of  families have watched or listened to  soaps. Despite this loyalty the networks are only concerned by the numbers

3. Bad writing:  Stories are left unfinished, love scenes are few and far in between, and  there is no real adventure anymore. I know money is tight and a lot of character are being phased out. But, could you give us a better excuses for  why a character is not present. Monica   Quartermaine has reappeared in the last several weeks on GH,  but the excuses for her absences were  getting old. They kept saying she was at a spa, This excuse was said so many times you almost felt like Monica owned the spa.  

 Another character that seems to have to totally run out of excuses is  Bobbie on GH. She is mentioned on the hospital intercom once in a while and has made a visit once or twice. Other than that, there is no mention of her . If something comes around that she should be at the excuse is that she’s in seattle visiting her son, Lucas.These are all tired excuses. Give us better excuses. Give us a break.

I f you are not showing a character anymore or are   phasing  the character out, give them a great funeral with eulogies and flowers or at least a  goodbye party. 

I know a lot of you who watch other shows are experiencing this kind of thing. Comment and tell me  about how your characters are being treated.

Romances are formed but the viewer never really sees dates or too many real romantic moments.Families and their domestic issues are the only thing that makes the front burner anymore. . An example of this would be when Brenda and Sonny were married. Whining, fussing, and yelling and discussions about the children  were the only things that took place. They were no real love scenes.

 All my Children, breaks up couples faster than anything I have ever seen. They  are constantly fracturing romances. The Bold and the Beautiful keeps using the same old couples year in and year out with no real change.  Yes,  long lasting couples are a tradition of soaps. But,sometimes we  the viewers would like to see more romantic gestures, more long-lasting couples that face danger and an occasional home problem.  .  But, just stop these half-baked formations of couples  Show the couples facing danger and then a real love scene.  Quit teasing us with just kisses  and hand  touching. There are exceptions to this lack of romance.  Lulu and Dante on GH, and quite a few couples on OTL  are shown in a love interlude. I know there’s more. Please inform me.

What happened to gaity and great decorations?- They went down the tubes with the shortage of money.  There has been no real parties or lavish weddings or concerts in recent days. Causes such as drug abuse, rape and aids, have been reduced to service announcements. Give us great parties and fancy clothes and decorations! The audience might have increased if there was a big reason to watch.

Holidays are basically being wiped away.   There was hardly any mention of Christmas on GH this past year and they basically stepped over New Years eve. Christmas and holidays  have  always been a family time,  a time where villains are  nice to everyone.    Lots and Lots of decorations. great clothes, wonderful storytelling and maybe a visit by Santa Claus.  These are all elements of a great christmas celebration and even acknowledging other people’s faiths is always a plus.

All my children gave it some treatment and One Life to Live had the whole deal, great meal, great family time and gifts. I noticed that Y&R didn’t really scip either.  But, the reality is that if they had more holiday celebrations and more glitz during the everyday  they might have had a better chance of survival.

All of these elements combined with everything else that is happening in the world has brought down the ax. Just wish there was a real way to stop it.

Jim Kincaid is dead and I don’t know where the time went

 Imagine, those of a certain age will remember, when you only had a few choices in television programs. You had just 3 choices for watching the news. The following is representation of  a time gone by.

Growing up in the tidewater/Hampton roads area in Virginia I had the privilege of listening to a truthful, seasoned, comforting voice announcing the news to me every day/night.  This voice began reporting the local news in 1978 on WVEC 13 of Norfolk.  That voice came from a man named Jim Kincaid.

Jim Kincaid was a man who started his news career on a news paper and then progressed to radio and worked his way up to a Correspondent at ABC. In his capacity as a correspondent he got to experience the Civil Rights movement first hand.  He went  on marches and even was beaten up by a members of the Klux Kux Clan on a few occasions.

That a was  just one part of his job. He also reported from Vietnam at the height of the war experiencing much combat. He even admitted in a recent interview that the news people probably experienced more fire fighting than the average solider in Vietnam.

 In 1973,   Jim Kincaid exposed the damages caused by Coal Mining in West Va..  In 1974, he did an interview with infamous Jimmy Hoffa.  He resigned from his correspondence job in the mid to late 1970′s  and thru a friend he hooked up with  WVEC.

In his capacity at WVEC, he did the news every night often ending with a with a story about his beloved farm Elam and his dog Murphy , These  stories eventually lead to having several books being published.  But, this newscaster didn’t just share his stories and announce the news, he was a vessel of knowledge about people and places. Some of the following will illustrate that knowledge.

In 1994, he went to back to  Vietnam  to report on the social and economic conditions  there .   He showed the viewers and his  colleagues the hotel in Saigon  that he had lived in,   the Mekong River, the Cu Chi tunnels, and Nui Ba Den Mountain as well. In addition to sharing parts of Vietnam, he reunited a girl with her mom.

Jim had been to a lot of places and usually  had stories to go with each one. If he had not been to a place, he usually knew some historic fact about the place. These stories and knowledge lead one of his colleagues to remark, that Jim was an overqualified tour guide.

Jim Kincaid was a part of a dying generation. A generation where color tvs were not always the norm and a they were inly   few channels and family programming were important. A generation whose main source of news was the tv. It was a different era and Kincaid saw it all change and develop. He remarked in a recent interview that he didn’t think he could make it in news now because of the chaotic state of it and the misinformation that is given out simply because no one had time to fact check it.

Jim Kincaid  checked his facts and told you the right story. He filled the world with information for several decades, finally retiring 1996, Despite his retirement and the changes in news, he remains someone who left  his  mark on the world. RIP Jim Kincaid

Spilt Milk

Today I was looking at some of my old writings and there is one name that kept coming up, Tim. Why? He was a rock for me in  a year that could have been a disaster.  The other reason is because I  was an idiot. An idiot for not expressing myself when I should have. 

Looking back on it I just kinda smile and shake my head. Can you ever care about someone and not show it or talk about it? Yes, because I  did just that. I kept my mouth shut so I wouldn’t have a change to upset my balance. Was it a good thing to keep my mouth shut? Yes. I got what I needed and hopefully he learned something from me.  Now its 18 years lately and  he’s hopefully out there with someone and not dead or drowning in a tub of scotch.  I just hope he got what he wanted. Thank you Tim for everything whatever the reason was.

Mistakes

Did you ever make a mistake? Did you call someone by the wrong name? Did you wave at someone you thought was another person or made a gesture to someone that was inappropriate?

We all have made mistakes and probably do everyday in some kind of form or fashion.  However when it comes to certain people we feel meaness and hatred for them. For example, in the news  today,  it was reported that Michael Vick made a horrible gesture at the football game Sunday night. Yes it was bad, yes he has done awful things before..  But, isn’t he human like the rest of us? 

Vick faces the consequences of his mistakes just like anybody else.   He has served prison time, paid fines,  and has been treated worse than a murderer of people.   He has been taunted and hated by many. His crimes have made him a target of every comedian, every  person that that wants to judge him, every animal agency, and more.  Vick has handled most  of this with grace and determination for the most  part.  He has rebuilt his football career with extra hard work and devotion.

Vick has established himself as a mentor and helper for kids that might be tempted to make bad choices like he did. Michael has given time and money to various animal groups. He has done anything and everything to mend his mistakes..

Vick isn’t some evil villain that goes around killing people, raping people and  stealing money. But the masses have treated him worse than that. Yes he did crimes and you’re allowed to be upset by them. Yes,  He did a nasty finger gesture which could be as a result of a screaming, mad fan, who knows..and  yes you’re allowed to be upset about that.

But, enough is enough.  He has been punished and has served his punishment. paid his fines, and gone back to business.  What else do you want him to do or have done to him? Do you want him to be killed in cold blood, hung out on a tree,? Tell me what you want to have done. I’d like to see just what you have in mind.

 Whatever you answer, there would be consequences to your choice. Someone could get arrested, children could lose their dad, people could lose their homes, etc.  Whatever you choose to do and whatever mistakes you make you’re going to have to face the Consequences  just like he has done, because we are all just human.

After much thought

I promised you an under the stars featuring famous people who died 2011. However, due to computer problems I was unable to keep  this promise.  I will be featuring some people who have already died in 2012 and go from there…hopefully monthly. Check the under the stars to see what’s going on with that.

Simple and clean-where did it go?

 

The other night I was watching the movie Last Song and started crying.  That movie is so beautiful and plain. No real cussing, no body functions describe in detail. No sex. Just pure family and a lot left to the imagination.  In case you haven’t seen it, its about a dad reconnecting with his kids.  I won’t say anything else so you can see it  for yourself and form your own opinion.

This movie isn’t the only thing lately I have noticed as being family material.  I have mentioned this movie in a past blog.  But, I think it deserves mentioning again. Pollyanna. It’s a Disney flic but it’s a rich story with a lot left to the imagination after you watch it.  The plot is simple.An  orphan girl comes to live with her aunt.  No cussing, no bodily functions, no sex talk, nothing of the sort. It’s the kind of film that you should be proud to have watched.

I just get so tired of people talking about farting, throwing-up,  talking about bowl movements, about how sexy people are and having sex on the carpet.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love a good love scene and I love watching and listening to kids talking about bodily functions because when they are a certain age, its kind of cute.  But, why do adults have to keep talking about things like that?

Don’t movie characters have anything else to say?   We may never know.   I often skip watching a movie because   I’ve seen the trailers and all they included  was people saying terrible things and acting all gross.

There are no smooth talking lawmen and smooth working bad men.  No fun .Now all you only get is  violence. How many times do you need to shoot to get someone killed.?  If there truly is any real  danger present we only get blazing guns and explosions.

Why are potty mouth, huge sex scenes that don’t fit in with the movie, and huge explosions are  part of today’s  films?  Its called a lack of attention span and the  dumbing down of America. .So, nothing is left to chance.  Everything is scripted out for you.  You can’t end with 2 people kissing, you have to wind  up  with 2 people kissing and have  them doing it  in a big king size bed.  You can’t just see people kissing anymore and draw your own conclusions. You automatically see them in bed together. No mystique. No nothing.

Want to know why all the stuff I’ve talked about happens?  There is no imagination.  Nothing is being created that would allow you to think. Now its all about sex, drinking. blowing up stuff, and having sex in the kitchen on the floor. Nothing is sacred.

It is sad that something better can not be put out.   We should be able to have our imagination form and soar. Hopefully, one day we will but first lets see how many times I can fart while swimming in the ocean…its unbelievable how stupid you can be…..

hi

just testing

Sorry about the delays

My computer had a malfunction. The video card went out and since the computer was well used and  3 yrs. old I opted for a new one. . So between a long period of not having a computer at all and deciding what kind to get and how to pay for it, I have not really had anytime to work on my blog. I am back and the blog will commence very soon. Hope all of you had a great holiday season and a happy new years!