Friday, May 31, 2013

A Bit of Humor to Add to Your Day

The next time you feel irritated with a woman driver-especially a female senior, watch out.   
       Better yet, pray that you don't repeat her experience!

Don't Mess With Grandma!

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle.  She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her voice, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it!  Get out of the car!!!" 

The four men didn't wait for a second invitation. They got out and ran like mad. The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her bags into the driver's seat.  She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition.  She tried and tried, and then it dawned on her why. 

A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down.  She loaded her bags into the car and drove to the police station.  The sergeant to whom she told the story couldn't stop laughing.  He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car jacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.

If you're going to have a Senior Moment, make it a memorable one!

(News report verified by Snopes.com)

(Our thanks to Pearl for sending us this gem)

What's in Your Backyard?

We've had fantastic spring, blossom-wise in Pennsylvania.Weather-wise?  Maybe not so much!



Rosebud  and Dogwood

Dick's rhododendron

Chris H's yellow iris



Chris H's purple iris
 But we do take time to make sure we 
don't forget just how 
spectacular the trees
 and spring flowers have
Joan H's double white iris
 been.












Luckily, we have lots of amateur photographers willing to share the images they've captured.

So, what's blooming in your backyard?
 
We'd love to see your photos.

Peggy's white rhododendro
Budding Rhododendron













Send them to smartnsassywoman@gmail.com.

(Our thanks to Joan H, Chris H, Dick B, and Peggy who ran out between the raindrops to take these photos.)

Exquisitely Beautiful Photography



For everyone who enjoys photography, we have two links that shouldn't be missed.

The first shows outdoor nature shots in reflections, posted on Spiegelbilder,com-a site similar to iphoto.com.

ReflectionsSpiegelbilder.ppsReflectionsSpiegelbilder.pps
7794K   View   Download  

If you like "Reflections," you'll be astounded at the photographs and music entitled Rain_drops.pps
Tracking down the photographer has led us to the what we think is the earliest posting by RHK155 on youtube.com.  The mustic is "Secret Garden." Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=chu-lonDt4cwww.youtube.com/watch?v=chu-lonDt4c


Once you view this amazing photography, it'll be time to grab the camera or iphone to see what you can create.  For some pointers on creating great photos with digital cameras in the $100 range, read the short article on shutterhedge.com.
http://flowersmacropics.colormagicphotography.com/2010/06/macro-flowers-saturday-15-capturing.html?m=1http://flowersmacropics.colormagicphotography.com/2010/06/macro-flowers-saturday-15-capturing.html?m=1
(Many thanks to Bob A. for sending "Reflections" and to Mary F. who first forwarded Rain_drops.pps)
ClipsOnline


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Finally! Time to Read: NonFiction and Fiction for Your Enjoyment

If you're like the rest of us, you're always on the hunt for something new and interesting to read.  Here are four suggestions to consider. As the most recent installment in our 'Finally!  It's Time to Read' series, here are 6 suggestions for those who love both the bookstore and the ebook selections.

NonFiction
1.)  Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever is a book by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (2011).   Kip says it was well done and had good information. His next choice will be the Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot (2012) also by O'Reilly and Dugard.

2.)  Jon Meacham's Thomas Jefferson:  The Art of Power (2012). Meacham's meticulous biography chronicles Jefferson's life, and it also gives great insight into other major figures who joined the struggle for American independence.  A complicated man, Jefferson championed the cause of the new republic in the face of continuing opposition from those who wished to return the new republic to the English monarchy model.  He was a pivotal force, guiding the young nation, building it and seeing it through challenge after challenge. The struggle definitely did not end with the signing of the Declaration of Independence!  Insight into his personal life gives us some measure of understanding regarding the causes that he espoused, then dropped, the perceptions of the Virginia landowner, and the dynamics of his family.  And what a picture of our legislators of the time! Yikes!! This is a biography not to be missed.

3.)  Sheryl Strayed's personal saga of her hike over the Pacific Crest Trail, Wild (2012) won A Best Nonfiction Book of 2012: The Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly;  A Best Book of the Year: NPR, St. Louis Dispatch, Vogue.  Strayed's background of struggle, loss, addiction,and betrayal-her own and that of others she has loved- have led her to the lowest point in her life.  She decides to pull her life together by attempting to strike out with an overwhelming challenge for a novice hiker; the Pacific Crest Trail. Strayed's naive approach to the grueling trek and her inadequate preparation make her goal even more challenging.    Her adventures on the trail and the hikers she meets lead her to new insights about her limitations, her ability to cope with the unknown, and ultimately to a deeper understanding of herself. 

Fiction

1.)  Cheryl A. recommends The Mermaid Chair (2006)by Sue Monk Kidd.  Cheryl notes, "If you like coastal stories, The Mermaid Chair is good, thought provoking and provides a glimpse into finding yourself (with a twist). Remember, it is fiction. "  Now, it's Cheryl's last caution that really pushes us to run out and buy this book! Hmmm.......(If you enjoyed Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees (2002), you'll love this book, too.)

2.)  Lisa Gardner's Catch Me (2012). This is the sixth in the series featuring Boston detective, D. D. Warren.  She is really stumped when a young woman asks her to investigate her own death, sure to occur in a few days. Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant appears convinced that she will be killed in just 4 days, on the anniversary of two other murders.  Both of her best childhood friends were murdered, one last year and one the year before-and each one on the same date.   Positive that she won't escape her death,  'Charlie' has decided that she will be as prepared as humanly possible for the assault.  She races the clock with her strength training, target practice, boxing, and self-defense tactics, intending to fight to her last breath.  As Warren struggles with other homicide investigations, sometimes she suspects Charlie and at other times senses that Charlie is telling the truth. And the reader has no idea which is really right until the last chapter!   A great story.  Peggy bought the hard copy and is glad she did as she has now loaned it out to other fiction buffs.

3.)  Any Jack Reacher fans among us? Jason Bourne?  The Ted Bell heroes?  Here's a debut novel by Brad Taylor, Retired Lt. Col., Special Forces:  One Rough Man (2012). Taylor introduces the story with a George Orwell quote, " 'People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would do them harm.' "  Pike Logan is one such man, a member of  a clandestine organization commissioned by the President.  Those in 'The Taskforce' describe Logan as their "most successful operator."  He is torn between duty to his country and the overwhelming personal need to protect its people on one hand and his love for his own family on the other.  After a cataclysmic personal tragedy, Logan disappears.  He is dragged out of hiding by a young archeology student, Jennifer Cahill, who is trying to find her uncle.  Professor Cahill is a discredited archeologist hunting for a Mayan temple in Guatemala and has not checked in with his niece as he always has.  The quest to find her uncle pulls both Cahill and Logan into frightening intrigue across the world and corruption on the homefront.  Peggy highly recommends One Rough Man and looks forward to Brad Taylor's next book.

(Our thanks to Kip, Cheryl A. and Peggy for sharing some suggested readings.)



A Little Humor: Lifelong Softball Buddies


(ClipsOnline)
 Bob A. wants to share this story with those of us who have yet to read it. 
He comments, "This comes around periodically in various forms ... and it's a tremendous example of the ole 'good news, bad news' stories."

p.s. "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got!" - Sheryl Crow

Life is uncertain...

Two 90-year-old women, Rose and Barb had been friends all of their lives.
 
When it was clear that Rose was dying, Barb visited her every day.

One day Barb said, 'Rose, we both loved playing women's softball all our lives, and we played all through high school. Please do me one favor: when you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there's women's softball there.'

Rose looked up at Barb from her deathbed and said, 'Barb, you've been my best friend for many years. If it's at all possible, I'll do this favor for you.'

Shortly after that, Rose passed on.

A few nights later, Barb was awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to her, 'Barb, Barb.'

'Who is it?' asked Barb, sitting up suddenly. 'Who is it?'
'Barb -- it's me, Rose.'

'You're not Rose. Rose just died.'

'I'm telling you, it's me, Rose,' insisted the voice.

'Rose! Where are you?'

'In Heaven,' replied Rose. 'I have some really good news and a little bad news.'

'Tell me the good news first,' said Barb.

'The good news,' Rose said, 'is that there's softball in Heaven. Better yet all of our old buddies who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we're all young again. Better still, it's always springtime, and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play softball all we want, and we never get tired.'

'That's fantastic,' said Barb. 'It's beyond my wildest dreams! So what's the bad news?'

'You're pitching Tuesday.'

Life is uncertain - eat dessert first.

(Thanks, Bob, for brightening our day.)