Good Morning!
It’s Finally Friday! 🙂
On this day in 1802 Washington, DC, was incorporated as a city.
In 1921 West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax. 😦
In 1937 Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for “Gone With The Wind.”
In 1966 the game “Twister” was featured on the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.
In 1971 anti-war protesters began four days of demonstrations in Washington, DC.
In 1971 National Public Radio broadcast for the first time.
In 1992 five days of rioting and looting ended in Los Angeles, CA. The riots killed 53 people. It began after the acquittal of police officers in the beating of Rodney King.
And in 2006 Al-Quaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui was given a sentence of life in prison for his role in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
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Quote of the Day
“One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”
Golda Meir
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We have lot’s of musicians with birthdays today. We’ll start off with Mr. Crosby.
Then it’s on to Mr. Valli, and 4 other guys. 🙂
And then Mr. Cross, with help from Mr. MacDonald.
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Now for the QoD……
I have no questions. You?
Wandering Views 
It’s Friday! You know what that means?
The Y.
Lions
Prayer watch.
It’s still raining hin Hendersonville. It has been raining all spring, seems like.
AJ, when do you make you trip? I be remembering you.
Off to the Y now, as soon as ol’ slowpoke gets ready.
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In about an hour. Hopefully I’ll be home by around 1.
The hip and knee are still killing me. I’m walking with a cane again. I hate that. 😦
And thank you.
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Good morning
A.J.: I’m so sorry you’re in such pain. I’ll be praying for you today.
Michelle: Just read yesterday’s thread and wanted to offer my condolences on the loss of your dog. We have a 10 year old lab and will all be devastated when his time comes.
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Gone With the Wind is a great book that has fallen out of favor.. Scarlett was a flawed character but a strong one. The movie doesn’t show that she was married 3 times and had other children besides Bonnie Blue Butler.
The estate authorized one sequal which was a dismal failure. In “Scarlett” she goes to Ireland and has Rhett’s child. I can’t remember much more than that except it got kind of new agey.
I did not read the other version “The Wind Done Gone”. Sometimes it is impossible to improve upon a classic.
AJ- Thoughts are with you today.
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AJ, We will be thinking of you. Thankfully, you only have to drive across small states.
The last time I was in New York City, we got up at 4:30 a.m. and drove across New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia so that we could have breakfast at the Southern Kitchen in New Market in the Shenandoah Valley.
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Kim says it’s hard to improve on a classic. I believe I read the same book she did, but I don’t remember much.
When I was a kid, I read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and like them so much that I wanted more. I found a book called Tom Sawyer Grows Up and was very disappointed. As I was with Back to Treasure Island. However, The Lord of the Rings series was a great improvement on The Hobbit, which was more of a children’s book. The remainder of the Narnia series weren’t as good as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in my opinion.
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Ricky, that’s a long way to travel just to get some eggs, grits, biscuit, sawsagge and coffee. But you can’t hardly get good biscuits and sausage north of there. When we first moved to Falls Church, we had to stock up on grits on our trips to SC. Later, the stores started carrying grits.
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Hang in there, AJ.
Just got the trash cans hauled out (though I had to roll them down 1/4 of a block as the new neighbors, who seem to have a fleet of cars, parked along the curb in front of my house last night. So that left only enough room for their trash cans & no one else’s.
I’ll probably just have to roll mine down the night before to stake my spots again from now on. (And the neighbors on the other side of me, who are gone for a few days right now, also have 3 cars & so they use my curb to line up their cans next to mine; we purposely leave the space in front of my house free of cars on Thursday night/Friday mornings).
Now looks like we’ll have to break in the new neighbors … 😉
Kept thinking about michelle and the loss of her doggie last night. 😦 So hard.
Meanwhile, I got home from work last night to find that Cowboy had developed a huge, red hot spot on his right hip (he’s prone to those). So I doused it with some antiseptic doggie spray and gave him a cortisone pill — along with an antibiotic I had left over for him from the last time we had him in for something or other, probably the broken tooth.
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Chas, When we were in Atlanta in the 60s, we had family members ship us tortillas from Texas.
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Oh, and the Bing Crosby song … my mom used to sing that to me when I was little & balked at going to school in that first year or so. 🙂 Sweet memories.
On the first day of 2nd grade, though — I had transferred into a new school after we moved — I snuck out & just walked back home (a block away). I’d really decided school just wasn’t for me after all.
My mom was beyond singing the song to me by then, she was pretty horrified and marched me right back to the classroom. The teacher said they’d wondered what happened to me … 😉
I had something of a willful streak in me, I’m afraid.
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Continuing prayers for AJ and Michelle.
QoD? Do you have any neighbors that need your help in any way? If so, what do you do for them?
I have a neighbor who is 90. I don’t see her very often, but we met at the street yesterday when she checked for mail. A family member lives with her and she is in relatively good health for her age. I have not really done anything for her except once I gave her a large print Bible. If someone has stated specific needs then you know what to do to help them. But if you don’t know their needs then there is not much you can think to do. Many years ago she wanted to fix an area around her mailbox for plants and needed help getting a railroad tie to put in as a barrier. I got my father to use his truck to get the tie from the plant nursery where I worked part-time.
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QoD: Our neighbours seem to be helping us all the time. So thankful for them. Hubby has helped pull one out of the ditch and we’ve offered to look after animals if they ever have to be away. They are all from one large extended family, so I think they usually just call on each other for help.
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Good question about helping neighbors. I cat sit & pick up the mail for my neighbors who go camping in the desert a lot, but to be honest they do a lot more for me than I do for them.
And I’ve been remiss in not making more of an effort to get to know people who live around me, maybe several houses away. I tend to know best those who walk dogs, of course, since we naturally run into each other. But I’m gone at lot at work — and when I’m home, I don’t tend to hang out on the porch or in the front yard very much.
I have a big front porch, though, and was thinking the other day that I really should make more use of that space for reading on nice days when I am home. If I ever have the overhang replaced (which is probably needed), I’d also look into finding a way to shut off the porch with a full gate of some kind so I could have the dogs up front with me as well — without worrying that they could get loose.
My new neighbors spend a lot of time on their (much smaller) front porch, they’ve already moved a table & chairs with a cooler & candle out there — good way to get to know people, to be honest.
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There are only three houses in the vicinity of ours. We never see the folks in one of them, other than when they first greeted us with (what seemed to us) generous gifts when we first moved in. Another has two boys, ages 8 and 11, and we “hired” the 11-year-old to cat-sit for us when we were away overnight for younger our son’s wedding last month.The other folks are very friendly and we see them a lot. They, too, were very generous when we moved in, at Christmas, and in January when my Dad died. We were wracking our brains trying to think of something nice to do for them when one night he rapped on our door and said, “I need a plumber.” Older son, with whom we live, is a master plumber and was able to fix his problem quickly and easily. I am also crocheting them an afghan, which will probably be done in the middle of summer when they’d need it the least. 🙂
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QoD: Our neighbor is frequently out of state to do storm cleanup in various parts of the country where needed, so my husband and son help with cutting, splitting and stacking wood for our neighbor’s family when he is gone.
Second Arrow, also, when she was still living at home, helped out this family a few years ago by taking the older children (then about ages 5 and 7) to their after-school activities when their younger brother was born extremely prematurely and was hospitalized in an out-of-state hospital for 3 months. The parents moved to be near their infant, and the children’s grandmother came to live with the children still at home. This was in the wintertime, and the grandmother, who lived in a southern state, did not like to drive on the snowy roads up here, so 2nd Arrow transported the kids back and forth with their activities and would take their grandmother grocery shopping and such.
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Thanks for your kind thoughts. We’re stepping around the surprising holes–like when I dropped chips on the floor, I thought, “Great, Suzie will stumble on a treat.”
But then I remembered and had to pick them up. That sort of thing.
The kids have suggested buying me a puppy for my birthday next month. I told them we’d look into it after our move.
I’m going to write about her today on my blog with photos. It’s the least I can do for a very good dog.
Neighbors? I take in trash cans occasionally for the neighbors across the street. They bought the house when a job brought him to town, (He has a PhD in theology and wrote his dissertation on Kierkegaard.) he lost the job four months later, but they had kept their San Francisco apartment so she continue working as a lawyer. Nice couple, so I help where I can.
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We had pets in the past and neighbors were quite helpful with those during vacation times. I have helped neighbors in that way, too, and of course in getting mail when needed. But for a long time now that has not been needed. I guess the most recent thing I have done for a neighbor was to have some trees cut down after being asked because the neighbor’s tree guy suggested a tree on our property was sloping toward his house. It was expensive of course, but I got the work done and afterwards this young couple with children wrote a very nice thank you note. I told the neighbor on the other side about having the tree work done so she could talk with who I used and perhaps get a good deal, too. So we three houses in a row were having tree work done 🙂 Buzz, buzz, buzz…I just felt badly when we had ours done that the neighbors who had asked originally had just brought a newborn home from the hospital and with tree work going on here I felt like I was breaking the peace 😦 .
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I never do anything for anyone. But..my children pick rocks, dig holes for shrubs, weed gardens, water when folks are gone, move firewood, etc etc etc.
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We actually live in the neighborhood where I grew up so about half the street are parents of kids I went to school with. And we have a lot of kids so someone is always fetching trash cans, putting up Christmas lights, taking in the mail and paper for those out of town, feeding dogs and cats, jumping cars, taking down Christmas lights. It is a fun neighborhood. Lots of get togethers too, planned and spontaneous.
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Donna, it sounds like you have my dream front porch. They make a swing sort of thing that is somewhere between a single and double bed. You can pile pillows on it, swing,, and read to your hearts content.
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Something along these lines but with more pillows.
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We’re nearly 15 years out of the military and obviously things could have changed, but it’s hard for me to believe officers are trying to proselytize and punishing people who don’t go along with their spiritual agenda.
We were involved with Officer Christian Fellowship Bible studies many of the years my husband served. OCF is very careful to educate officers on what they can and cannot say to those serving with them. They promote what they call “servant leadership,” which is about serving the people you work with even as you are their superiors. They discuss the tensions between the military life and the spiritual. The reason, however, it’s Officers, is because of potential problems with chain of command. The thinking is officers have particular issues it would be inappropriate to discuss with lower ranks.
When we lived in Washington, we were in a home group Bible study through our Calvary Chapel. One of the other men was a chief. Both my husband and that chief went to their commands and explained they were in a Bible study with someone of a different rank–the officer/enlisted component was the main issue.
Both commands decided that since my husband and our friend were not stationed together, indeed, weren’t even at the same naval base, that this fraternization could continue.
So, I guess my point is, an “honorable” Christian who seeks to follow the rules set in place by those in authority over him/her would be very careful about how they spoke about their faith. We knew many Christians during our time in the service, most did not attend the same church we went to. We all knew that, but we drew on each other’s strengths and prayers when the chips were down.
I read the link Kim put up and through the comments–they were interesting, too.
I’m surmising here because I’m out of it, but it seems to me the men always knew who the believers were on a submarine. At most six to eight. Anyone was welcome to their “church” service on Sundays held in the mess. It was led by a chief, who was a lay minister in his church. My husband was the only office who regularly attended and could have been in charge, but they all felt it was better it was the chief.
My husband learned a lot from him. They respected each other.
And I’d say that was about it.
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An interesting article appeared in our paper today that claims more people die from suicide in the US than auto accidents, now.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/05/suicide-vs-car-crashes-cdc-study/64827/
I see articles like this, along with comments about how many Americans are taking drugs, and I wonder, can’t anyone see this nation is in crisis?
Can’t anyone consider that maybe those with a stronger spiritual life could have something to say about hope that might encourage those in despair?
Instead we’re demonized.
Well, where is the real demon at work?
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Donna, we put a gate on the bottom of the steps to the front porch. It is great. Chasey can hang out with us out there, we a dry place to leave her on rainy days and the cats have a safe place away from other dogs.
QOD, the widow next door calls us to help her with little things.Before the tornado we gave her our internet password and let her use our Internet. While we were gone she got her own. I’ve helped the lady across the street a couple of times. On the other side, my uncle across the street and his friend helped Hubby with our new back deck. They got it up in a couple of days. It would have taken Hubby weeks on his own or with just me and the Kid to help.
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Another Friday, another Friday Funnies.
Another cold, rainy day. But at least we didn’t get the snow this storm gave to Denver and places north of us!
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I’m home.
It’s a little better. I didn’t sleep much, so I’m takin’ a nap. I hope.
Michelle,
Thanks for your perspective. And I agree. And never once in 10 years did anyone ever push religon on me in the military. I had to see the chaplain once, but that was for bad news from home. There were guys you could talk to about such things. Everybody knew who they were, but they never initiated such talk. But you and I both know that men facing possible death in combat are gonna ask questions. A good leader would answer, or send them to someone who could, because a good leader looks after his men and gets them what they need. It’s common sense.
Now that being said, I also have no problem with there being standards or written rules on the subject. That’s also common sense.
The problem I have is when some clown hostile to the military, christians, and God, even gets an opinion on military policy on the matter of religion. Why would you ask someone who knows nothing of any of the subjects? It sickens me. Also, I have a problem with people who never served and are unfamiliar with combat situations, deciding what is appropriate for a commander to discuss with a soldier who needs answers to spiritual questions.
I think a reasonable person would have no problem with men facing death getting all the help their souls need. Whether you are religous or not, common decency says you allow that individual the opportunity, if they seek it. But these people aren’t reasonable.
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Mumsee,
“I never do anything for anyone.”
Says the lady with a house full of children that she loves and cares for, and what you might as well call a farm.
Sure, if you say so. 🙂
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The first cartoon reminds me that Chuck graduated form South Carolina in 1983. A guy said, “I suppose that gives you lots of extra money.” I said, “Better than a two grade promotion”. He said, “What are you going to do with all that money?” I said, “Start saving for retirement.” Chuck had three girls to send to college. But, as with me, he let them pay for their own advanced education.
I serve the community primarily through the Lions. Almost all of my neighbors are retired and hire whatever assistance they need.
When we lived in a house trailer in Spartanburg (1962-63), there was a small store behind us that was run by a blind man. Elvera helped him in many ways. She would walk in and he would hand her a bill and ask what denomination it was. She checked invoices for him. And many other things.
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I do have a very large front porch — and it sits up away from the sidewalk/street (15 steps). The cat hangs out there a lot.
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Donna: loved your story about school!
Michelle: Regarding suicides: It is disturbing that the number is higher than car accidents. I’ve been personally affected by two suicides. I believe they are devastating to so many more people than the deceased realizes. Tragic, really.
QoD: We’ve lived in this house for almost three years. It is a very closed community. I’ve made a few friends, but not many. There is a woman who also has migraines that I’ve gone to the store for a few times and run some other errands for, but that’s about it. In our old neighborhood, I took care of animals/mail when neighbors were out of town. The nicest thing a neighbor ever did for me was take Lindsey to school almost every day of kindergarten. She was the school nurse and our daughters were friends. My migraines were almost daily then and this helped me out immensely. I was pregnant and could take very little medication for the migraines, so I basically just had to wait them out.
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AnnMS have I mentioned to you that a friend of mine suffered from migraines for years and finally the opthamologists found the root of it and it is treated with blood pressure medicine?
If you are interested I will find out exactly what it is she has.
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Okay, here’s the post about my late dog:
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Re QoD. Elvera helped a man select a strawberry pie in the store today.
🙂
Sometimes guys need advice.
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Before the elderly lady across the lane had to go into a nursing home (due to dementia), we would clear her driveway, walkway, & car of snow in the winter. Hubby once helped other neighbor get a scared cow into the barn during bad weather.
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Donna – I recently read that coconut oil is very good for a dog’s skin & general health. It tastes good enough that dogs will just lick it off the spoon or out of their bowl, or it can be plopped on or mixed in their dog food. It can be applied topically to hot spots.
Heidi has a seasonal (spring through fall) itchiness, quite bad, that we first thought was due to a flea allergy, but now the newer (to us) vet thinks it is seasonal allergies causing it. By the middle of summer, she usually has hot spots.
After doing some reading, we’ve started giving her a teaspoon of coconut oil & a teaspoon of raw local honey, twice a day. It’s too soon in the season to know how effective this regimen will be by mid-summer, but I think I’ve been seeing a bit of improvement.
We get our coconut oil at Costco & save a lot of money.
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Karen, the coconut oil I think has helped — along with the Missing Link & fish oil. Cowboy’s coat is much fuller, and while he still gets hot spots, they’re much fewer and less severe. This one from last night was the worst I’ve seen in a long time. But it looks better today.
His skin issues usually flare up in the fall, but summer is another trouble time.
Tess has a very thick, glossy coat and no skin issues whatsoever. But I give her the coconut oil, too. I got my last jar at Sprouts, seemed to be cheaper than what I paid at the regular mainstream grocery store. I’ll look into the honey, too.
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