SMART 'N SASSY WOMEN OVER 60 SPEAK OUT

The Joys of the e-Reader

2012-01-31T11:01:00.000-08:00

To be sure, there are many occasions for hard-copy books. What could match a little one's delight in lifting a tab and finding Big Bird or Boots behind the flap? Introducing children to books and reading gives them a window on the wider world.

But, for those of us who love to read, the introduction of the e-reader has been an amazing feat of technology. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 29% of us own an e-reader or a tablet. Thanks to holiday gift-giving, that number is an 11% increase over December, 2011's 18%.

Some of us are no strangers to e-readers. Marty, Sherry, and Joan H. have exhausted their first e-readers and are enjoying their second. Others of us are new to the e-reading scene, adding to the Pew stats just last month. For those of us with one foot in the hard-copy world, this is a new adventure-and a welcome one.

Jo, Marty, Sherry, and Barb R. all agree that portability is wonderful. Having lugged the hard copy of Dances with Dragons in her carry on just last fall, Peggy has to admit that an e-reader would have simplified her life.

The new e-readers offer so much, including the addition of email and web access as well as the main perk of a treasure trove of reading material. Jo even uses her e-reader on trips when she wants to pass some time playing games-no need for the Nintendo!Barb is happy about her trips to the beach with a chair, towel and e-reader instead of a huge bag of books for her husband and herself. She comments that the e-reader is great because of the easy reading in sunlight and the flexibility of print size.

On her holiday vacation, Sherry found that, of 11 beachgoing reading enthusiasts, 10 were using e-readers with only one holding a hard-copy title.

Another plus for the e-reader is that the book lover can borrow books from the library. The only downside to that, according to Marty, is that the wait time can be a problem. Lots of library patrons are signing up to borrow the e-versions of their library's collection.

Are hard-copy books a thing of the past? Amazon did sell 105 e-books for every 100 hard-back and paperback books over the holidays. Still, even with that increase, only 14% of all fiction and non-fiction titles purchased in the past two years were e-books (Claire Cain Miller & Julie Bosman, New York Times, May 19, 2011).

There are many e-readers on the market, but the best known are the Amazon Kindle series and the Barnes & Noble Nook. Peggy just received the Kindle Fire this past month from her generous children and loves the color, the email access, the web surfing capabilities, and the cloud storage. So far she's going through the 5-star free library at Marty's suggestion and has not been disappointed.

No e-reader at your fingertips yet? If you want to determine which product is right for you, go to the site listed below. the Configurator is free and will help you by asking questions related to your personal needs. Questions range from screen size to weight, memory, your limit for expense, free book downloads, and other capabilities. When you answer the questions, the various e-readers (including the i-pad tablet) appear with a sliding bar to indicate which one meets your needs. Find the Configurator at
http://www.toptenreviews.com/configurator/ebook-reader-review/

You can find Brian Heater's reviews of various e-readers at http://www.engadget.com/. He does an extensive review of Amazon's Kindle Fire versus Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablets as well as comparisons of other products. Find his reviews at http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/barnes-and-noble-nook-tablet-review.

A final consideration that Barb R. mentioned is this: The Green Factor. That's right. We all recycle, but this is a new way of reducing our carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of one book is 8.84 lbs. in carbon dioxide terms. In 2006, the carbon footprint of the book industry in the US was 12.4 million metric tons ("2008 Environmental Trends & Climate Impacts: Findings from the US Book Industry").

If you're sharing books with children, by all means use the beautifully illustrated, colorful hard copies so that children can touch, manipulate, and discover the world of reading.

But for our own reading enjoyment, the e-reader is a great invention..

Helping Children By Spreading the Love of Those Who Matter to Us

2012-01-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Clip Art

January is a perfect time to look around for ways to make our living spaces neater. If you're like some of us, you have a nice stack of Christmas cards from people who mean something in your life.

Recycling all paper is part of our weekly routine, but putting meaningful messages in the recycling bin seems a sad way to deal with the cards from people we care about.

Clay Thompson of The Arizona Republic, January 0, 2012, B10, suggests that we might consider sending those cards to the St. Jude's Ranch for Children, "a home for kids rescued from abusive homes." According to Thompson's web search, St. Jude's Ranch for Children is the "biggest recycler of cards." The children reinvent the cards, earn money for doing so, engage in positive therapy, and learn business skills all at the same time. (See http://stjudesranch.org/ for more information).

Clip Art

By boxing up our cards and sending them to St. Jude's Ranch, we can be assured that the good thoughts we felt when opening those messages will continue to do something meaningful for the children who need it most. And what might be better?

How about sending out an email or posting a note telling your friends or coworkers your plan. Take a box to the next bagel- shop breakfast, to your workplace, your book club meeting, your church, or your fitness club to collect cards for you to send. What a good, simple way to help a child by sending cards touched by the people we love.

Interested? Here's the address:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

An Easy Way to Help Homeless Vets

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

We have read accounts and seen news coverage of the plight of homeless vets. Over the holidays, various malls had collection sites to drop off clothes for women vets and their children who are homeless.

An easy way for us to help the Veterans Behavioral Health Services is to collect coupons for personal care items so that the VA can increase its supply of those items to help these servicemen and women. Wherever we happen to be, we can find coupons in the Sunday newspaper, in magazines, and online. For those of us who are accomplished coupon clippers, more sources than those listed here are coupon goldmines.

Coupons that you can clip for razors, shaving gel, body wash, soap, lens cleaner, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, wipes, feminine products, deodorant, body lotion, and other personal care items make it easier for the VA to provide for the veterans who have come back to face homelessness.

One address to use when you want to send an envelope of coupons, is the following:

Jamie Zewe, MA, LPC

Assistant Chief, Behavioral Health
Erie VA Medical Center
135 E. 38th Street
Erie, PA 16504
814-860-2039

According to Sarah Gudgeon Public Affairs Specialist/My HealtheVet Coordinator, the following link also provides information: http://www.erie.va.gov/pressreleases/couponingteam.asp

What could be easier for us to do? Let's take a few minutes each month to clip coupons. In a small way, this easy act might help someone who has served our country in dangerous countries abroad and now finds himself or herself homeless back in the US.

Our Health: New Information on the Benefits of Shopping, Yoga, SuperFoods, and The Occasional Hangover

2012-01-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

We've all known that we can add years of good health by staying active, following a good diet, limiting alcohol to a drink a day, and kicking the smoking habit. But every day, new information comes out to help us to enjoy life and to stay healthy. More: The Magazine for Women of Style and Substance gives great insight that can lead to better living.

Saving money can make you happier. Of course! But healthier?   What's the latest? Plavix lost its patent protection at the end of 2011. Those of us who include the blood thinner in our 'stay healthy' arsenal will save considerable money now that the generic is available.

Most of us like to shop, but does it help our health? The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health says, "Absolutely!" According to the study, shopping can actually lower the possibility of untimely death by 23%. Wonderful!   Isn't this what we've been saying all along? But why does it help our health? How?

The researchers include the benefits of physical activity, socialization-either with shopping pals or with the salespeople we meet-time away from the house in the fresh air, the psychological lift of fresh veggies in the frig or new stuff to wear to work tomorrow, and to top off the health and happiness fix, the discovery of bargains to stretch our money a little.

At least one of our group suffers from atrial fibrillation-that very serious condition causing irregular heart beats. It's a danger because it might lead to stroke or to heart failure.   In the study by Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, a group of a-fib sufferers were able to reduce episodes by 50%. How did they do it? A new med? No.

They were able to reduce their episodes of a-fib dramatically by following a plan that included participation in 45-minute yoga classes 3 times a week for 3 months. According to the researcher, this treatment also avoided side effects of those drugs usually prescribed for the disorder.

Are you living with aching caused by inflammation? Cherries have been noted as a good preventative. More suggests that we give aloe and/or prickly pear juice a try. Since recurring inflammation can lead to even more serious health issues such as heart disease and/or cancer, adding one of the juices listed might reduce the inflammation. And here's an unexpected plus! (One that we don't need, of course, but one that we can pass on to our imbibing friends.)

The prickly pear extract could help a hangover by attacking inflammation induced by alcohol.

And how about this nutrition booster: Sea buckthorn berries. What? Here's another edible that few of us have heard of. It is also known as the havtorn berry.   These small berries are packed with Vitamins C and E, omega fatty acids, and beta-carotene.   According to Washington, DC, dermatologist Noelle Sherber, these fruits "are powerful neutralizers of free radicals, and including them in your diet will minimize disease-causing inflammation and wrinkle-creating collagen breakdown." A berry that minimizes collagen breakdown? Hmm...now that's a bonus!

Wow! What a lot of information. No wonder I'm grateful to Dawn for steering me to this worthwhile publication. More focuses on those of us over 40. Of course, some of us are under that age, and many of us were 40 a few decades ago, but we can all enjoy the worthwhile info in a journal describing itself as the publication for "Women of Style and Substance".

January: A Time for Reflection and Relaxation

2012-01-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Are you facing the current snowstorm? Have you just come home after fighting the slippery road? Is this the scene from your frosty window? Do you want to just relax and forget about that blizzard?

If not in the snow, are you looking out on sunshine and feeling warm breezes coming through your window? Lucky you!

Wherever you are, you will enjoy fixing a hot cup of tea or coffee or sipping a cold iced tea, sitting back and enjoying "Symphony in White" sent to us by Bob A.

It's a perfect way to wind down after the holiday rush.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZBZi0haRnU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Created by Michelle Sherliza with music by Ernesto Cortazar

Want to Get Away? Places to Visit

2011-10-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

The fall is a perfect time to reflect on your next travel destination. Here are some places to think about.

Travel Recommendation: SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

For those seeking warm sunshine this winter or spring, Cheryl A. recommends, " Scottsdale, AZ. Since it is also my former home for 11 years, I may be partial to this southwest city, however, I can guarantee that there is something in the area for almost every traveler.

If you enjoy warm weather, appreciate the beauty of the desert and like to site see, this may be your place. You can horseback ride, eat and drink well, relax by a resort pool, watch spectacular sunsets over the mountains which surround the Valley of the Sun, eat any meal outdoors most of the year and even visit a casino. Several hundred golf courses and free recreation parks with walking paths, biking trails, exercise stations are part of the attraction. Museums, theatre, symphonic and two stepping music await you. Wear your cowboy boots, hat and jeans or dress up with mink and diamonds depending on which culture you select. If you forget something, then shop until you drop in large malls or small boutiques.

June through early September can be beyond hot for many (116 degrees is not unusual), however, late September, November and even December are more moderate. If you want to see cactus bloom then March or April is your month. "

Travel Recommendation: BEND, OREGON

Travelers for winter sports or summer fun might look at Cheryl's recommendation:

"Bend Oregon is an outdoor-lovers retreat! We visited there for the first time this summer and saw beautiful scenery driving up the mountain and down into the town. Locals and visitors alike are hiking, biking, walking, paddle boarding, tubing, canoeing, camping, etc. It is a Mecca for micro breweries, too.

Only drawback is how to get there. We drove up/back from Arizona and it is a long 2 day marathon. Few gas stations along the way and only mom and pop 50 style motels.

If you fly, you can go into Portland and rent a car or fly directly into Redmond Airport via 2

or 3 other stops.

Plan on at least 5-7 days to see it all – Lava Land, Mt. Bachelor, Sun River Resort,

Deschutes River area, boutique shopping, Harley shop.

Winter is snowshoe time or skiing; while summer is floating on the rivers, hiking and shooting.

Great for families or couples.

Travel Recommendation: ALASKA

Pearl recommends, "Alaska, particularly Denali National Park. If you combine

the inland and crurise tour, we found that going north first for the inland part of

the tour before the cruise works best. First of all it is cheaper, secondly you know

people of the cruise ship."

Others who have also made the 'once in a lifetime' trip to Alaska agree. Beautiful scenery, glaciers, eagles' nest, whales, so much to see. Plan now if you want to make the trip next summer.

Travel Recommendation: STAYCATION

For those looking to enjoy this week in Pennsylvania, the scenery is still spectacular. From the Kinzua area of the Allegheny National Forest south through the Pittsburgh area, trees are still showing their fall colors.

In your area, the trees may look bare, but a short drive north, south, east or west produces some surprises. As you round a bend in the road, a beautiful stand of red and yellow-leaved trees appears. Enjoy!

Travel Recommendation: MENTAL GETAWAY
Can't leave the area? We have the perfect way for you to relax. You can tone up, gain strength and flexibility, and also reach that supremely relaxing meditative state. Sign up for a yoga class with Jean F and float away to your very favorite place. Want an endorsement of the powers of yoga? Ask Marty, Julie, or Linda L.

Thanks to Cheryl A. and to Pearl B. for recommending Scottsdale, Arizona, Bend, Oregon, and Alaska. And to Pearl for the great pictures of Alaska. We're grateful to both of you.

Finally! Time to Read: 35 Suggestions For Your Next Reading Experience

2011-10-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

We’re all addicted readers so this time we’re listing what we’ve been reading. Fortunately, many of us are willing to take a few minutes to rate and recommend (or not) what we’ve read lately. We're using a simple ranking format of 4 to 1, with 4 as the best of the best.

(4) must read (3) worth the time to read (2) read only if you have no other reading material of any kind (1) don't bother reading at all,

Non Fiction Suggestions with a Rating of 4-Must Read

• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba-as suggested by Marty J.

• The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. (Suggested by Joan H.) Joan writes, “ If you are into the history of the German takeover by Hitler you will love this book. This is the story of a small southern professor who becomes the Ambassador from the US to Germany and his alerts to the US Gov. about what was happening in Germany as Hitler was coming into power. Great read!”

• Helmet For My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific by Robert Lecke. This is an autobiography listed by Bob A. who writes, “ After viewing the HBO miniseries entitled The Pacific, I immediately became interested in the heroes depicted in that production. I seem to have an abiding interest in the Pacific theater probably because I was stationed there twice during my military career.”

• I'm Staying with My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC by Jim Proser-the second of four recommendations on heroes of the Pacific Theater by Bob A.

• Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand. This choice was also given by Bob A who describes it as “The true and almost unbelievable biography of Louis Zamperini. The most remarkable and impressionable book I read. It was outstanding. A resounding 4 rating. You are probably aware that Laura Hillenbrand also wrote Seabiscuit, which was a good film as well.”

                           Nonfiction with Recommendations of 3-Worth the Time to Read

• With The Old Breed by E.B. Sledge(autobiography)--3+ One of Bob A’s picks from the heroes of the miniseries The Pacific

                           Fiction with a Rating of 4-Must Read

• Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson. Joan H. writes, “This is a good story about a woman who has lost her memory (accident) and her therapst is trying to help her. She is seeking help against her husband's knowledge for good reason. Ends with a good twist.”

• The Confession by John Grisham and suggested by Peggy.

• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese suggested by Linda S.

• The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke--4. Another series set in Louisiana and suggested by Bob A.

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett. A suggestion from Linda S and reviewed earlier in the blog on 01/05/10.

• In the Name of Honor by Richard North Patterson. Peggy notes, “This outstanding novel reminds me that I need to go back and see what else I might have missed by R. N. Patterson.”

• My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliviera. This historical novel has been suggested by Marty J.

• Sarah's Key by Tatiania de Rosnay. The only fiction title to be suggested by three of us.-Joan H., Marty J. and Linda S. Joan H. observes, “This story took place in France and the main character was given a project by her magazine co. to write about the French police rounding up the Jews for the Gernman concentration camps. Great story.”

• Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. This recommendation comes from Linda S.

• A Skeleton in God’s Closet by Paul Maier as listed by Marty J. and described by reviewers as a ‘theological thriller.”

• Still Life by Joy Fielding suggested by Linda S.

                           Fiction with a 3 rating-Worth the Time to Read

• Back of Beyond by CJ Box--3. Bob A. notes, “I also have enjoyed his Joe Picket series of novels, but its best to read them in sequence. At least that's true for someone as mildly anal retentive as I am.”

• Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand recommended by Marty J.

• City of Light by Lauren Belfer. Marty also suggested this historical novel.

• A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin-Peggy writes, “This is a very good read, and the fifth in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Anyone who watched the HBO miniseries, A Game of Thrones, is aware of the first book in the series. Memorable characters are complex individuals; those who manipulate and use brute force to gain power, others who struggle to be honorable and loyal to both family and king, and still others who know that playing the game requires calling to the fore all of the complexities of human beings. Starting with the first book and working up to A Dance With Dragons allows the reader to watch a characters fight, manipulate, reflect on, and regret their parts in the game. Peter Dinklage won the 2011 Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of the pivotal figure, Tyrion Lannister.

• Eyes of a Child by Richard North Patterson and suggested by Peggy.

• The First Day of the Rest of My Life by Cathy Lamb. Peggy notes, “This novel examines two sisters, their adult professions, and the ways they cope as adults with abuse suffered in childhood. It describes the family’s wrenching recognition of their grandmother’s descent into dementia, and the uncovering of the mysterious background of the grandparents who escaped persecution in France during WW II. The book is a record of the resulting courage, humor, acceptance, and renewal that each of the sisters achieves.

• The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. This historical fiction selection comes from Marty J.

• Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer. Peggy notes, “The Culper Spy Ring was organized during the Revolutionary War to provide information to George Washington. Meltzer’s Inner Circle links the original Culper Spy Ring to a contemporary version of the same small group on whom the President depends for vital information. For the reader who enjoys the interweaving of historical information into persent-day mystery, the Inner Circle doesn’t disappoint.”

• Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn. One of Marty’s recommendations, this is the first novel in a trilogy. Ishmael has been described by reviewers as a ‘philosophical novel’.

• The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. Linda S. has suggested this fictional ‘autobiography’ of the second wife of Ernest Hemingway.

• The Postmistress by Sarah Blake has also been recommended by Linda.

• Things Unspoken by Anitra Sheen. Recommended by Peggy, “This novel was published in 1998, but I missed it altogether. On a flight West this summer, a seatmate finished it and gave it to me. I was grateful that she did. The story of a little girl, puzzled by her own family during childhood and growing into confusing adolescence captures the reader’s interest and compassion. As Jorie deals with her family, she struggles to handle the heartbreak she experiences because of a father who by his own admission, loved her best when she was 5. At the same time, she tries to provide some semblance of normalcy for her family. The only problem making this a 3 instead of a 4 is that the last part of the novel seemed to be sketchy and just tacked on by the author in an ‘Oh, I forgot to say what happens to Jorie and her brothers’ moment."

• A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion. Joan H. writes,” Another good book that touches the heart.”

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen as recommended by Marty J.

• Worth Dying For by Lee Child--3+ . Bob A. observes, “Again, another series with Jack Reacher as the protagonist/anti-hero. Of course, I've read the entire series.” Peggy also writes, “The Reacher series has been described as fiction written for a male audience. However, Reacher’s integrity, courage, sensitivity to the weaknesses of others, and the ability to create in other characters to will to be more than they think they can be all appeal to me.. I might not know anything about the speed of a bullet or the force exerted by the swing of a 250-lb., 6 ‘ 5” former Army officer, but I have to admire the intellect of the character who analyzes all situations and confrontations based on such knowledge and then acts without remorse to help anyone who needs him. From beginning to end, the Jack Reacher series entertains and uplifts.

       Fiction with a 2 rating- Read Only if You Have no Other Reading Material of Any Kind

• A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve as noted by Marty J.

• Hell’s Corner by David Baldacci. Peggy says, “I was disappointed in this most recent book featuring John Carr, known as Oliver Stone to his small circle of friends, and the Camel Club. I love to read Baldacci, and I usually enjoy the Camel Club series, but this was too superficial.”

• Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwall. Peggy observes, “I’ve been a fan of Cornwall’s Scarpetta in the past and was disappointed by the lack of depth, both in characterization and plot, in this offering."

It is amazing that only two novels, Sarah’s Key and Worth Dying For were listed by multiple contributors. Issuing a call for reading suggestions has really illustrated the wide range of reading enjoyed by all of us.

If you’d like to submit suggestions but haven’t done so yet-or if you have more to recommend-please send them in for posting.

Remember that many of our contributors have already reviewed books for the blog:Thanks to Joan H., Linda S.,and Cheryl A. for several of the contributions below. Readers can find these reviews in the blog search box or by blog archivedate as listed. on the right side of the home page.

The Outliers-07/28/09-nonfiction
The Guernsey Literary and Poato Peel Pie Society 07/17/09-epistolary novel
Still Alice 7/17/09-nonfiction
Fearless Fourteen-06/27/09-fiction
Testimony-08/16/09-fiction
The Lost Symbol-10/04/09-fiction
The Red Tent-10/25/09
The Art of Racing in the Rain-05/23/10-fiction
Fiction Works(3) of John Hart-04/07/11
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-05/28/10-fiction
The Second Opinion-03/09/10-fiction
Tonight in the Rivers of Pittsburgh 04/08/11-nonfiction
Woods on Fire-04/08/11-nonfiction
Zelienople Road-04/08/11-nonfiction
The Help-01/05/10-fiction
What the Dog Saw-07/10/10-nonfiction

Thanks to all of you who contributed your suggestions. With a list like this, we’ll always have books to read next. And we'll have a literary roadmap when we want to move out of our own comfort zone into works by authors we have yet to experience.

The Power of Women: Raising Big Funds in a Small Community

2011-06-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Power of Women: Raising Big Funds in a Small Community

When the rest of us were huddled with our coffee cups and waiting for the fabled February thaw to begin, five creative women were drawing up plans for a summer event that would raise much-needed funds for the local Lakeside Association and our community’s volunteer fire company. The result? The June 5 Lakeside Association’s Lakeside Home Walking and Taste of Edinboro.

Debbie, Diana Julie, Kate, and Nicole convinced homeowners to open their residences for the tour. They encouraged local businesses to set up tasting events in each of the homes and convinced local artists-including our own Claudia- to participate in a project to paint 10 Adirondack chairs for auction. They gathered items for a Chinese auction and celebrated when the local florist’s shop Le Jardin offered to decorate each home with beautiful floral displays. Entry was set at $10 for participants buying tickets before June 5, and $12.50 on that Sunday.

Why pick June 5 as the date? The traditional Edinboro Triathlon was set for June 4 this year, and the group connected with the race committee to share costs for tents and portapotties.

Over 600 people took part in the event, enjoying the beautiful homes, the great food, and the chance to see and talk to people they may not have seen in years. Over $10,000 was raised in one day.

What was the best part? The great weather? No, although it was a beautiful day. The money raised? No, although it was an amazing financial boon for both organizations. One of the dynamic planners, Julie, said, “Cooperation was the best part.”

It was an unanticipated gift for the five women to realize that so many people were willing to help out to make the Lakeside Home Walking and Taste of Edinboro a great success. Want to see the extensive list of people who helped? See the Edinboro News, June 16, Page 5 full-page "Thank you" from the Fab. Five. And our own blog contributors were-of course-on the list: Tom and Claudia, Marty and Gary, Kip and Cheryl, Linda and Mark

To those 5 super-organized and civic-minded women who, in the dead of winter, dreamed up a plan that would benefit the whole community this summer, thank you from all of us.

And to Julie for offering information on the event for the blog and for correcting those mistakes in the writer's text! Thank you for both.

Special Advice for Our Growing Children and Grandchildren, Girls and Boys Both

2011-06-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Just when we think we've done an OK job raising our own children, some much smarter woman comes along and tells us what we can do to help children evaluate relationships. In this case, that woman is Annie Fox, educator and online advisor. Although she focuses on girls, her advice is useful for boys as well.

Fox talks to girls about their friends: the real ones and those who really aren't. She helps them to see ways to recognize which relationships are good ones and worth keeping versus those that negatively impact them.

She insists that girls are especially "ill-equipped to deal with the social land mines that seem to appear at ever younger ages"(In "Give Kids Friendly Advice," Alicia Sultan, McClatchy Newspapers).

Have we forgotten the hard times we had in school? Many of us acknowledge that the school experience can be a truly painful experience. Do you remember the pain of going to elementary school, maybe in the 3rd. grade when one day you were a member of the playground group and the next day you were crying because they excluded you?

How about that bus ride as you watched your friends make nasty remarks about the girl seated in front of you, seeing her tearing up and you not speaking up for fear of being singled out yourself. What could you have done or said?

How about high school when you arrived as a freshman with middle school friends only to find you were no longer invited to parties because you didn't drink? Lots of tears and pain, especially for girls, but for boys as well.

Fox emphasizes that girls tend to brush aside their own hurt feelings and belittle their emotions. They don't want to confront a friend or lose status among their peer group.

Those of us who have spent a lifetime in teaching might add that boys cover their hurt feelings as well, and they are hurt by childhood and adolescent cruelties, too.

Fox recommends that parents teach children early-as early as age 4-to tell people when they've been hurt.

While acknowledging how hard it is to speak up, parents need to encourage children-girls and boys alike to say "I didn't appreciate what you said. It hurt my feelings." Sounds simple, right? And learning to do so helps to build a child's confidence. It helps to bring into focus what each child expects from a good friend while she/he learns to recognize the behavior of those who are not.

Some of us who thought we did an OK job of raising our own children read Fox's simple advice and realize what we should have done. Our own sons and daughters might have had an easier time navigating the pain of childhood relationships had we taught them to just say, "I didn't appreciate what you said. It hurt my feelings."

Hopefully our own children will do a better job in preparing their children to deflect the slings and arrows that seem to be prevalent in childhood relationships. Then our granddaughters and grandsons will be stronger, better able to cope with the 'social land mines' that Fox describes, and more capable of recognizing true friends while letting go of those who aren't. We'll be sending them off to school exuding confidence, knowing they can handle social situations, even those awful 'land mines'.

We Have New Babies!

2011-06-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

Great news!

Two baby boys have been added to our growing list of beautiful grandchildren. Scott and Karen welcomed Wesley in May. In the same week, Pearl and David greeted their second grandchild, Ethan.

Our congratulations to both sets of grandparents. Grandchildren-one of life's very best gifts!

Staying Safe: What Your Burglar Won't Tell You

2011-04-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Barb L. for sending us this information. Wasp spray? Who knew?

THIRTEEN THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU :

I am particularly interested in the part about the wasp spray...

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it athttp://www.faketv/ ..com/)

8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU :

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard.. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air.. To me, it's an invitation.

8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs http://www.crimedoctor.com/ and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis , who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.

Protection for you and your home:

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you.. (I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.).

WASP SPRAY

A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

FROM ANOTHER SOURCE....

On the heels of a break-in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self-defense experts have a tip that could save your life.

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.

Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out."

Maybe even save a life.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across to do the same. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there, and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My mom has suggested to my dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.

All good advice to follow and share with your family and friends. Thanks, Barb L. for forwarding this to us.

Cycling: Red Rock Canyon Tour, June 28-July 3, 2010

2011-04-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

One of our friends is a retired Air Force officer who is an avid cyclist. Of course, living in San Antonio with its mild weather helps him to engage in his favorite sport all year round. Others in our group also like cycling, as a serious sport or as recreation. (You may remember the Titusville Trail outing.)

Bob is a serious cyclist who participates in the most interesting trips. In this post, he discusses the trip and gives us a link to the New York Times for further info. Bob writes:

This is a bike Tour I did last year with LizardHeadCycling. There were only 12 of us on the tour and two guides--some really spectacular scenery throughout and the last night was spent in Monument Valley where something like 37 movies(several John Wayne westerns) have been filmed. We rode through the Navaho Indian Reservation in the Four Corners area.The last day of riding was through the Moki Dugout and on to Lake Powell for about 108 miles with some mega climbs. Anyway, Chris Solomon , a NY Times adventure/travel journalist rode the entire tour, and we also had a photo journalist with us who took some great photos. This is the article that appeared last year in the NY Times. I'm going to send you a video as well as I was interviewed daily by the photo journalist to get my take on this herculean endeavor from the perspective a 67 -year -old rider.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/travel/01Biking.html?_r=1

Fantastic, Bob! Those of us who couldn't possibly accomplish such a trip are in awe. For those of us who also do serious cycling, this is a tour you may want to do. Thanks, again, Bob. We look forward to the video.

Finally! Time to Read:Tonight in the Rivers of Pittsburgh by Brian Lee Weakland:

2011-04-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Cheryl, we have three suggestions for those of us interested in the history of Pennsylvania-especially the western section, including the NW and SW. Cheryl writes the following:

Tonight in the Rivers of Pittsburgh by Brian Lee Weakland

This is the first of a trilogy which takes place in NW and SW Pa – there is even mention of Edinboro College.

Well written, mesmerizing, local lore, history and politics. It will hold your interest and provide information you may not know about our area.

Second book– Woods on Fire (an Indian name) – continues the story and the mystery. Excellent

Zelienople Road is the third installment – I am awaiting the book, but am sure it will live up to the other two and give closure to the characters and events.

It's great to have some non-fiction suggestions for us to enjoy. Thanks, Cheryl, for recommending these three.

Finally! Time to Read: The Fiction Works of John Hart

2011-04-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

So who's John Hart? asked the clerk at Barnes & Noble. True, he's not as widely known as he deserves to be. But she did find one of his works, The Last Child on the shelf.

Actually, John Hart is the author of three works of fiction:

The King of Lies (2006, Thomas Dunne Books);
Down River (2007, Thomas Dunne Books); and
The Last Child (2009, Thomas Dunne Books).

Thousands of books land on the New York Times Bestseller List-some worth reading and some not. We're all busy women with little time to enjoy a favorite moment with a good book. The works of John Hart are definitely worth our time.

All three are studies of age-old questions: What is love? Can grievous hurts be forgiven? Can children show adults what courage is? Is it possible to confront and defeat the evils that people commit? Can family ties overcome the pressures of lies, deceit, accusation, and death?Is there any hope that families torn apart can be whole again?

All three books are set in North Carolina and feature families in conflict. In The King of Lies, Jackson Workman Pickens, is a son who has dutifully followed his father's goals for him: a career in law; the socially recognized wife; the house on the hill. All the while, he endures living in his father's shadow. That is, until his father disappears, and the son is suspected of murdering him.

Family struggles and the interplay between brother and sister, wife and father, man and his reluctance to defy the life his father had mapped out for him all swirl in, out, and around 'Work' as he attempts to right the wrongs he has committed, that he has allowed to happen, and that are blamed on him.

In Down River, a son has been disowned by his father based on the accusation of his second wife. Although acquitted, Adam Chase lives with the pain of everyone's certainty that he really is a murderer. He reluctantly returns to his father's plantation five years later at the urging of a high school friend. He finds a stepmother who still hates him, a woman who still loves him, a friend who has been murdered, a young girl who has waited for him, a step brother and sister who haven't forgotte him,and violent confrontations between the townspeople and his family.

As with The King of Lies, Down River has murder at its center, but the real story is the psychological interplay of families in Rowan County.

In The Last Child, Hart portrays the disappearance of a daughter and the subsequent dissolution of her family. How can parents handle such grief? What happens to the little boy who has to look after his mother, search for his sister, and try to believe that his father will return? How does the child reconcile the teachings of his childhood with the evils that he sees? The strength of this child's spirit and his determination to find the truth are the real story here-so much so that the reader wants to reach in and rescue him.

And his writing: It has been described by reviewers as "masterful"(The News and Observer) and of The Last Child, the Providence Journal describes Hart's work as "A brilliant vision beautifully realized."

John Hart is an author worth our time.

Our Health: A Reminder and Something New to Consider

2011-04-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, I read a book by a physician who said she studied medicine because, as a young person, she watched over her mother as she waited for an ambulance. She had called for medical assistance because her mother was suffering a heart attack. She knew about aspirin, but not about what else she should have prevented her mother from doing while waiting for help.

Thanks to Barb R., we can all reinforce this important information.

IMPORTANT READ......

Something that we can do to help ourselves.

First, it's nice to know that...

Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve under the tongue. It works much faster than the tablets.

Why keep aspirin by your bedside?

About Heart Attacks...

There are other symptoms of a heart attack besides the pain on the left arm.

One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots ofsweating; however these symptoms may also occur less frequently.

Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack

The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up.

However, if pain occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.

If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Afterwards: CALL 911

- say "heart attack!"

- say that you have taken 2 aspirins..

- phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by

- take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and... DO NOT lie down .

A Cardiologist has stated that, if each person, after receiving this e-mail, sends it to 10 people, probably one life can be saved!

I have already shared the information- - What about you?

The young girl who watched her mother pass away while waiting for an ambulance did not know a vital point: Do not lie down. Remember this, and tell everyone you care about to follow this advice in case of a suspected heart attack.

Thanks to Barb R. who sent us this information forwarded to her by a friend.

Are You Ready? A Second "Random Act of Culture"

2011-03-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Culture at the Mall? Is it possible? Absolutely!

Thanks to Pearl, we have a second "Random Acts of Culture."

If you recall, the Philadelphia Opera Company has a grant to provide its wonderful performances in public places. This time it's at the Reading Terminal where all who happened to be there at the time were treated to "El Toreador".

Just click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bymQ0j4LcLY and enjoy.

Again, our thanks to Pearl who sends us the most beautiful sites.

Pause to Enjoy Random Acts of Culture

2010-12-20T13:59:00.001-08:00

Hi, Everyone,

Thanks to Pearl's husband, we have performances of the Opera Company of Philadelphia to enjoy. Relax during this hectic time and let the music wash over you for a few quiet minutes.

Pearl writes, "I thought you might enjoy two pieces David found from Philadelphia YouTubelore -- the Opera Company of Philadelphia has a grant from the Knight Foundation to commit "random acts of culture".

They've done the Brindisi chorus from La Traviata in Reading Terminal (on Italian festival Day), and just recently did the Hallelujah Chorus (650 voices) in Macy's Great Hall (the old Wanamaker Organ as accompaniment). .

The Messiah piece has nearly 6,000,000 hits."

The links are below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zmwRitYO3w&feature=player_profilepage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU&feature=player_embedded

ENJOY!

Thanks, Pearl and David too!

Reminders of the Season

2010-12-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

Take time to enjoy the season by viewing the beautiful Christmas card forwarded to us by Barb R. and created by Jacquie Lawson.

Your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, family and friends should find it rewarding.

Click on this link:

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2007134554829&source=jl999

Thanks, Barb! It's well worth the 'click'.

For more ecards by Jacquie Lawson, go to http://www.jacquilawson.com/ and join.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Put a Good Novel on Your Holiday Gift List

2010-12-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

Many of you may have read Girl With A Pearl Earring or seen the Oscar-nominated film based on Tracy Chevalier's historical novel (Dutton, 1999).

Chevalier has written a total of 6 historical novels with Remarkable Creatures (Harper Collins 2009) the most recent.

Thanks to Pearl, we have a review of Remarkable Creatures to share.

Pearl recounts her recent attendance at a talk given by Chevalier.

She says, "I had the pleasure of hearing Tracy Chevalier talk about the research she does for her books. Besides the library research on Mary Anning ,she went fossil hunting multiple times to gain an awareness of the coast, the cold and the concentration fossil hunting took. There actually exists a small museum of Mary Anning's finds.

The book is about poor and uneducated Mary Anning, who really did exist, and her ability to find fossils on the English coast.

Of course the male academic community did not recognize her. The fictionalized character, Elizabeth Pilpot, from the middle-class brings notice of Mary to the London academic community.

The book has wonderful descriptions of the class structure in Britain and the fear of finding evidence of new creatures. It is a quick and enjoyable read.
Hope you enjoy the book,"

(Thanks, Pearl. for sending us this review.)

For those who have enjoyed one of Tracy Chevalier's historical novels or who are choosing one for the first time, there are 4 others among of her literary achievements:

The Virgin Blue(Plume, 1997)
Falling Angels (Dutton, 2001)
The Lady and the Unicorn(Dutton Adult, 2003)
Burning Bright (Harper Collins,2007)

You Locked Your Car, Right? Well, Maybe Not. A New Scam

2010-08-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

I always use the keychain remote to lock my car. Smart, right? Maybe not!

How to lock your car and why!

Please forward this important information
to everyone in your address book!

I locked my car. As I walked away I heard my car unlock. I went back and locked my car again three times.
Each time, as soon as I started to walk away, I would hear it unlock again! Naturally alarmed, I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store.They were obviously watching me intently, and there was no doubt they were somehow involved in this very weird situation.

I quickly chucked the errand I was on, jumped in my car and sped away.

I went straight to the police station, told them what had happened, and found out I was part of a new, and very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into cars.

Two weeks later, my friend's son had a similar happen.
While traveling, my friend's son stopped at a roadside rest to use the bathroom. When he came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later, someone had gotten into his car and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS
navigator, briefcase .... you name it.

He called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into, the police told him he had been a victim of the latest robbery tactic -- there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security
code when you lock your doors on your car using your key-chain locking device.

They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and that they now have a few minutes to steal and run.

The police officer said to manually lock your car door-by hitting the lock button inside the car -- that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim, it will not be you.

When you hit the lock button on your car upon exiting, it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain, it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be instantly stolen.

This is very real. Be wisely aware of what you just read and please pass this note on.

Look how many times we all lock our doors with our remote just to be sure we remembered to lock them -- and bingo, someone has our code...and whatever was in our car.

Please share with everyone you know! Thanks to Barb R. for sending this.

A Special Read: DWELLING IN POSSIBILITIES

2010-08-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Our own Barbara Grippe Reese and Edinboro resident Barbara Tan Reinig have had their poetry published in a new collection of Erie County voices. The collection has been edited by Berywn Moore who is Erie County's first Poet Laureate.

The collection has been published by Gannon University Press as Dwelling in Possibilities: Voices of Erie County. The new release is a collection of art work, photography and poetry by residents of Erie County, and Barbara Grippe Reese's "Raspberry Reflections" is a very special read.

The book is available for $7.00 at the Erie Book Store or at the Gannon University Bookstore.

Of the purchase price, $2.00 from each $7.00 price will be donated to "Hooked on Books." Those of us who have been Delta Kappa Gamma members will recall that Dr. Delores Serafinski started the program for Erie area children approximately 2 decades ago.

A perfect way to wind down the summer! Pick up a copy of Dwelling in Possibilities: Voices of Erie County.

Thanks to Barbara for sharing her writing talent with us.

Protecting Ourselves So That We Can Protect Our Loved Ones

2010-07-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

None of us like to think that people might harm us or our families. But, of course, we know they're out there. A policeman has put together some hints to help us remain safe so that we can protect the people we love.

Subject: Sent by a cop.....Crucial

Because of recent abductions
In daylight hours, refresh yourself
of these things to do
in an emergency situation.....

This is for you,
and for you to share
with your relatives,
your children,
everyone you know.

After reading these 10 crucial tips,
forward them to someone you care about.

It never hurts to be careful
in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :

The elbow is the strongest point
on your body.
If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide.

If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,
DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.
Toss it away from you.....
Chances are that he is more interested
in your wallet and/or purse than you,
and he will go for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,
kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole
and start waving like crazy..
The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.
This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars
after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit
(doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.
DON'T DO THIS!)

The predator will be watching you, and this
is the perfect opportunity for him to get in
on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,
and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,
LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..

If someone
is in the car
with a gun
to your head
DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead gun the engine
and speed into anything, wrecking the car.

Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is in the back seat
they will get the worst of it .
As soon as the car crashes
bail out and run.

It is better than having them find your body
in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting
into your car in a parking lot,
or parking garage:

A.) Be aware:
look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor ,
and in the back seat

B.) If you are parked next to a big van,
enter your car from the passenger door.
Most serial killers attack their victims
by pulling them into their vans while the women
are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car
parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,
and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone
in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back
into the mall, or work, and get a
guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead..)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator
instead of the stairs.
Stairwells are horrible places to be alone
and the perfect crime spot.
This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun
and you are not under his control,
ALWAYS RUN!
The predator will only hit you (a running target)
4 in 100 times; and even then,
it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.
RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying
to be sympathetic:
STOP
It may get you raped, or killed.
Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,
well educated man, who ALWAYS played
on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.
He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often
asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,
which is when he abducted
his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard
a crying baby on her porch the night before last,
and she called the police because it was late
and she thought it was weird.. The police told her
'Whatever you do, DO NOT
open the door..'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby
had crawled near a window, and she was worried
that it would crawl to the street and get run over.
The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..'

He told her that they think a serial killer
has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax
women out of their homes thinking that someone
dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it,
but have had several calls by women saying that
they hear baby's cries outside their doors
when they're home alone at night.
10. Water scam!
If you wake up in the middle
of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a
burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your
outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and
then attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours!

NOTE: Please pass this on

This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because
the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on
America 's Most Wanted when they profiled
the serial killer in Louisiana .

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know..
It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle..
I was going to send this to the ladies only,
but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc.,
you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Send this to any woman you know that may need
to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it
and it's better to be safe than sorry..

Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or love one's life

(Thanks to Joan H. for sending this to us.)

Remembering the 50's: Music, Politics, History, Fashion, Cars: All That You (or your children) May Want to Know About That Memorable Time

2010-07-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

The link below goes to a video created by OldBlueWebDesigns.com. Joan H. sent it to us for those of us who remember growing up in the 50's and for those of us whose parents did. The music speaks to everyone who knows where Rock 'n Roll really started and the famous musicians who were part of that time. Will your grandchildren believe those poodle skirts? How about the cars from that era?

Check it out. Thanks, Joan!

http://oldfortyfives.com/TakeMeBackToTheFifties.htm

Please note: It's illegal to show this video on a website, but it is legal to send the original website address to others so that they may enjoy it.

*Most of the pictures on postings are from Microsoft Clips OnLine, but the jukebox photo is Fotofilia. That is, except the ones accompanying the blog title-those are from friends and family.

Finally! Time to Read: WHAT THE DOG SAW by Malcolm Gladwell(2009)

2010-07-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures
Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown & Co. 2009

This collection of Gladwell essays derives its title from the essay on the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, and his talent in changing aggressive dogs into more amiable characters.

The essays range from the reason for Heinz Ketchup's success to the inventor of the birth control pill. “ Mammography, Air Power, and the Limits of Looking” is interesting because it examines what we can and cannot predict in life.

We’ve all experienced both highly effective and totally ineffective leaders in the work place. In Part III the essay on "The Talent Myth" gives insight into the characteristics of ineffective managers. Gladwell refers to an essay by Raskin and Fazzini called "The Dark Side of Charisma" (listed by Gladwell as published in the early 1990s) in which they identify 3 types of ineffective leaders

Recognize this type? Some of us have seen far too many of the narcissist type.

"The Narcissist, whose energy and self-confidence and charm lead him inexorably up thecorporate ladder. Narcissists are terrible managers. They resist accepting suggestions, thinking it will make them appear weak, and they don't believe that others have anything useful to tell them."

Just in case you still aren’t familiar with this type…

"Narcissists are biased to take more credit for success than is legitimate and are biased to avoid acknowledging responsibility for their failures and shortcomings for the same reasons that they claim more success than is their due. Moreover "'Narcissists typically make judgments with greater confidence than other people, and, because their judgments are rendered with such conviction, other people tend to believe them and the narcissists become disproportionately more influential in group situations. Finally, because of their self-confidence and strong need for recognition, narcissists then self-nominate(when a leadership gap occurs)'" (quoted from the Raskin and Faxzzini essay).

For those of us who have dedicated our careers to education, the essays on “Late Bloomers,” “Most Likely to Succeed,”“The New- Boy Network,” “Dangerous Minds,” and “Troublemakers” are thought-provoking. In “Most Likely to Succeed,” Gladwell refers to the economist, Eric Hanushek, who observed that just replacing 6 to 10 % of the worst teachers with average teachers could change the below-average global ranking in educational achievement that the US holds now to an advantageously high ranking in league with the higher-performing nations. Could that be correct? Those of us who have had wonderful experiences with the best teachers and far too many experiences with the 'worst' will find food for thought here.

And who can resist a study of pit bulls and, in general, dogs who attack people? Is the breed itself dangerous? What other breeds have attacked people? What about the owners of these animals? What can we say about them?

The essays on the Veg-o-Matic (“The Pitchman”) and the professional taste testers of “The Ketchup Conundrum” weren’t favorites, but overall, the essays make connections that we don't normally think of; they are well researched, thought-provoking and well worth the read.

Make What the Dog Saw your non-fiction choice for the summer.

Bragging Rights

2010-06-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Subject: Bragging rights...

Finally! Something we can brag about.

Thanks to Pearl for forwarding this nugget.

I don't want to brag or make anybody jealous or anything,

but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.

Thinking about Your Age as Toddlers, Preteens, Teens; In Your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and Beyond-As Per George Carlin

2010-06-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

When is the last time you thought about your age in months? 6 months? 18 months? 24 months? Sure! 720 months, DEFINITELY NOT!

In 1/2 years? 2 and 1/2? 6 and 1/2? 11 and 1/2? Absolutely! But 60 and 1/2? I DON'T THINK SO...

In decades? The 30s, the 40s, the 50s, ...the 100s? We can certainly hope so.

PS:Just forget any "Black Balloon" Birthdays, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!

George Carlin shared his thoughts on age(in societally-acceptable language, no less).

Truly, the late George Carlin's beautiful take on age is worth watching. Plus the photography is outstanding.

Thanks to Marty for forwarding this to us.

http://upcagolden2010.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/philosophy-for-old-age-by-george-carlin/

Watching Out for Our Little Ones

2010-06-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

The second page of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette(June 6, 2010) has a health and science column that is very important to pass on to anyone who has little ones.

Lithium batteries ingested can cause death. These little button batteries used to power remote controls, toys, musical greeting cards, and other home electronics are deadly.

Please alert all parents of young children about this danger. And for those of us with grandchildren, the warning will make us double check the toys we buy or what we have around the house when our most precious family members visit.

Also, McDonald's is recalling the Shrek glasses. They have traces of cadmium on them and should be disposed of if you have one in the house.

Thanks to Joan H. for sending us warnings that will help to keep our little ones safe and healthy.

Women Over 40

2010-05-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Attributed to Andy Rooney, this commentary is dedicated to all who have reached that very, very young age of 40-also to those of us who remember it well.

“As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

1. A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, ‘What are you thinking?’ She doesn’t care what you think.

2. If a woman over 40 doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it’s usually more interesting.

3. Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

4. Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.

5. Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.

6. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

7. Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons.

8. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress.
Ladies, I apologize.

9. For all those men who say, ‘Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?’, here’s an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage."

Thanks to Chris for forwarding this to us.

Finally! Time to Read: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

2010-05-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Just before he passed away in 2004, the author, Stieg Larsson, submitted manuscripts to Norstedts Publishing in Sweden. The first of the three-novel series and published in 2005, is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

What makes this a good read? In a word, complexity. One main character, Mikael Blomkvist, the 42- year- old writer and publisher of a Swedish financial magazine, Millennium, has just been fined and sentenced to 3 months in prison for libeling a powerful businessman. Shortly after, Henrik Vanger, a famous industrialist, contacts him to investigate the decades-old disappearance of 16-year-old Harriet Vanger . Before making the offer to employ Blomkvist, Vanger has had the disgraced publisher vetted by Milton Security. The investigator who completes the report is Lisbeth Salander.

Lisbeth Salander is a mysterious twenty-something private investigator who is brilliant, but unusual to say the least. Years before, she had been designated as mentally incompetent by the state, necessitating the assignment of a government-appointed guardian. She has learned to control her destructive impulses through a system she calls "Consequence Analyses" taught to her as a coping mechanism by her first guardian. When he has a debilitating stroke, she is assigned a new, and totally different guardian. It is this guardian with whom she learns the true value of "Consequence Analyses".

The Vanger family itself is cloaked in mystery. As Blomkvist tries to unravel the mystery of Harriet's disappearance, he meets Lisbeth Salander who is conducting her own investigation into his libel trial. Both struggle to make sense of their own lives and, at the same time, they work together to find answers to the Vanger mystery. They discover much more than they had anticipated, information on all fronts, putting them in extreme danger while juggling personal, ethical and moral dilemmas.

What reaction did this reader have on closing the book for the final time? The desire to read the second in the series, The Girl Who Played with Fire, available now in paperback. And finally to read the third novel of the series, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, published by Alfred A. Knopf in hardback this year.

We Have a Winner!

2010-05-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Kanzius Cancer Research project ended the competition as first-place winner in the $250,000 Pepsi competition.

News reports credit social networking sites for fueling the Kanzius votes. So we have had a small part in obtaining funding for this worthwhile project. Some of us voted every day. Thanks to those supporters and also to those who forwarded our request for votes to their other distribution lists.

The lead researcher, Steven Curley, M.D., Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, worked with John Kanzius up until the time of John's death from leukemia last hear. He has outlined plans for using the award. Of the total,

$120,000 will be set aside to "hire a molecular biologist specializing in cancer-cell targeting";
$60,000 will provide funds to hire a "physicist for nanoparticle research";
$70,000 will be used for a "global communications plan" ( Erie Times - News, May 1, 2010,9B).

We have all helped this initiative. Thanks to all of you who voted...and voted...and voted again!

Musings of Wise Women

2010-04-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Girlie Wisdom!
1. A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... she has 14 kids but she doesn't really care.
2. One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.
3. My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

4. The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

5. The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

6. The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends.

7. Just when I was getting used to yesterday , along came today .

8. Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

9. I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my panties.

10. Amazing! You hang something in your closet, for a while, and it shrinks 2 sizes!

11. Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' .....Now, I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name, and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat.. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

12.. The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing -- and then they marry him.

13. I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day !

SEND THIS TO 5 EXTREMELY BRIGHT WOMEN YOU KNOW AND MAKE THEIR DAY!!!

LIVE SIMPLY.........LAUGH OFTEN....LOVE DEEPLY

Thanks to Wanda D. for sending this out and to Linda L. for forwarding it to us.

In Fashion or Not! Guess What I've Found.

2010-04-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've spent far too much money on jeans from catalog buys: some advertised as 'sits at the natural waist' when they really fit 3 inches below'; others listed as 'sits slightly below the waist' when they really defy the definition of 'slightly'; and those that do fit at the 'natural'waist but are so baggy (or tight) in the hip and thigh that they can't really be sized correctly!

Through the untold number of catalogs arriving in my mail, I've also been introduced to the 'Paris fit'. For those who might not recognize the term, it is a new rendition of 'sits at the natural waist'. By the way, the 'Paris fit' wasn't any more satisfactory than the ones I've already listed.

Finally, I have found jeans that fit-and in an array of colors: sand, black, stonewash, dark blue, gray-even pale colors like yellow. Where? At Kohl's!

I've been in Kohl's only once before as I searched for a reasonably priced, nice looking red purse. But this week I was on the hunt-once again-for jeans...and found them. Made by Gloria Vanderbilt, called 'Amanda', and actually fitting at the 'natural waist' as well as through the hip and thigh...both straight leg and boot cut. And that's just one surprise. The other? They were on sale. It seems that almost everything at this department store is.

Who knew? Probably all of you! But for me, finding jeans at Kohl's was a great experience-a great spring surprise!

Finally! Time to Read:Garth Stein's THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN

2010-03-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a compelling story told through the eyes of - and with the all-consuming love of- Enzo, the family dog.

Sarah Gruen, who wrote Water for Elephants, describes the narrator of Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain: "This old soul of a dog has much to teach us about being human." She adds that she loved the novel.

I must admit I loved it, too!

Enzo believes that special dogs come back as humans in the next life. He also believes he might be a special dog who will be able to give advice and transmit all his knowledge of people, racing and love that he has gained in this life after rebirth as a person in the next.

This special dog lives with his racing driver owner, the owner's wife, and their little girl, Zoe. The family goes through deep love, extreme trauma, and the depths of despair while always comforted by their compassionate and intelligent pet. He prvides comfort when they are sad, is joyful when they are happy, and admonishes them when they need it.

Wally Lamb describes the story as "a meditation on humility and hope in the face of despair." Hope, faith, and desire to be a rock of strength for the people he loves, Enzo displays all of these traits.

The spirituality of Enzo's narrative shows that people-or animals and people-who are destined to go through life together have souls that stay together, no matter what life or death may bring.

Thanks to Ann A. for recommending this book.

A Special St. Patrick's Day Gift

2010-03-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Some of us will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Key West, others in Pittsburgh, Edinboro, Erie, Philadelphia, and Ardmore, Pennsylvania; Heathsville, Virginia; Shelton,Connecticut; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix,Arizona: Scotty's Castle, Death Valley; and West Virginia. Wherever the celebration takes place, we hope these thoughts add to the happiness of the day.

May joy and peace surround you,

Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now,
And bless you evermore.

May you have the hindsight to know where you've been
the foresight to know where you're going
and the insight to know when you're going too far.

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

(Thanks to Rachel M. and Barb L. for forwarding this St. Patrick's Day gift.)

For All of Those Walking Enthusiasts Among Us

2010-03-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

Many of us try to stick to an exercise schedule-with more or less success. Walking seems to be one of our favorites, though. For a tongue-in-cheek commentary on walking, take a moment to look at the following from Tom Z.

The Importance of Walking

can add minutes to your life.

This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

My grandpa started walking
five miles a day when he was 60.
Now he's 97 years old
and we don't know where he is.

I like long walks,
especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.

I have to walk early in the morning,
before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise,'
I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,
start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years.
just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older,
because there's a lot more information in our heads.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much
about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour
and by the time I leave,
I look just fine.

(Thanks, Tom, for forwarding this to us.)

The Signal That You've Been Together Too Long

2010-03-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of managing a blog is that important people in my life send me all kinds of information and stories or anecdotes to post. Joan H. for forwarding this bit of humor for the day.

*The Black Bra*

I had lunch with 2 of my unmarried friends. One is engaged, one is a mistress, and I have been married for 20+ years.

We were chatting about our relationships and decided to amaze our men by greeting them at the door wearing a black bra, stiletto heels, and a mask over our eyes. We agreed to meet in a few days to exchange notes.

Here's how it all went.

My engaged friend:

The other night when my boyfriend came over he found me with a black leather bodice, tall stilettos, and a mask. He saw me and said, 'You are the woman of my dreams. I love you.' Then we made passionate love all night long.

The mistress:

Me too! The other night I met my lover at his office and I was wearing a raincoat, under it only the black bra, heels and mask over my eyes.. When I opened the raincoat he didn't say a word, but he started to tremble, and we had wild sex all night.

Then I had to share my story:

When my husband came home, I was wearing the black bra, black stockings,stilettos and a mask over my eyes.When he came in the door and saw me he said, "What's for dinner, Batman?"

(Thanks to Joan H. for forwarding this to us.)

Finally! Time to Read: Michael Palmer's THE SECOND OPINION

2010-03-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

For those of us familiar with Palmer's previous novels, The Second Opinion (2009) will bring us to familiar territory: the medical world of Boston, its hospitals, surgeons, and mysteries, manipulations, and secret agendas cropping up within this very specialized community.

But this novel is unique because the author draws on his family's experiences with Asperger Syndrome. The Palmer's son, now 18, was diagnosed at the age of 4 and is, in Palmer's words, "a joy to be around and who has a boundless future." Thus, the author's deeply personal knowledge of the disorder contributes to his characterization of Thea Sperelakis, an adult AS who is also a brilliant doctor with Doctors Without Borders. She is called home when her father, a famous diagnostic physician, lies in a coma after being struck by a hit-and-run driver.

As she tries to help her father and unravel the mystery surrounding his accident, she also puzzles through the implications of another patient, Hayley Long, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. A contract killer, the complications of two brothers and a sister with their own agendas, and Thea's constant effort to read motives, manipulation, and misdirection by those around her give this novel a depth that this reader has not seen before in the Palmer medical mysteries.

Questions about Asperger Syndrome arise as the reader compares Thea's fictional reactions and struggles to those of other adults who cope with the same disorder in our real world . As a postscript to the novel, Palmer provides answers to many questions that we have about Asperger's and the bright, wonderful people who cope with its challenges while accomplishing many wonderful things in life.

A Warning to Men: Be Grateful; Be Very Grateful- for the Mature, Loving, Understanding and Reasonable Woman

2010-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

A Warning to all men with "mature" wives at this most loving time of year. One man reflects on his 41-year marriage and receives the following carefully reasoned reply:

Older Women Are So Reasonable.

After being married for 41 years, I took a careful look at my wife one day and said, "41 years ago we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slepton a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV. But I got tosleep every night with a hot 25 year old girl."

Now I have a $1,000,000.00 home, a $45,000.00 car, a nice big bed and an LCD High Defintion TV. But I'm sleeping with a 64 year old woman. It seems to me that you're not holding up your side of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 25 year old girl and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed
and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.

Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve your mid-life crises.

( Quoted from email forwarded from Joan H. Thanks,Joan H., for sharing this little warning.)

A Warning to Men as Valentine's Day Approaches

2010-02-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

Careful with your answers, Walter!

You'll know that the spark is definitely out of your relationship if your partner answers, "What is your partner's favorite flower?" with a response like the one below.

Walter, and all men, need to remember that celibacy can be an individual choice or it can be "a condition imposed by circumstances."

While attending a Marriage Weekend, Walter and his wife,
Mildred, listened to

the instructor declare, 'It is essential that husbands

and wives know the

things that are important to each other.."

He then addressed the men,
'Can you name and describe your wife's favorite
flower?'

Walter leaned over, touched Mildreds arm gently, and
whispered, 'Gold Medal-All-Purpose, isn't it?' And thus began Walter's life of celibacy.........

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!

(Thanks to Rachel M. for this and to Barb L. for forwarding it to us.)

Grandma Alert: Children See Us and the World in Unique Ways

2010-01-27T14:58:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to realize the way a child has interpreted something we've said, a question we've answered, even the way we look with or without our glasses.

Whether we have grandchildren or not, we can relate to the adult's surprise when a child comes out with something we would never have expected. It can usually make us laugh or sometimes sadden our day. Always it twists the heart. Thanks to Tom for forwarding this today.

(My personal favorites are #s 2,9, and 14!)

1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!" I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye....

2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 62. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo and I said, "No, how are we alike?'' "You're both old," he replied.

6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these, yourself!"

8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised, "mine says I'm 4 to 6."

10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother, more than a littlesurprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting," she said,"How do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."

11. Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child."

12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog.The children started discussing the dog's duties."They use him to keep crowds back," said one child." No," said another. "He's just for good luck." A third child brought the argument to a close."They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived."Oh," he said, "she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her.. Then, when we're done having her visit, we take her back to the airport."

14. Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good, good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smart as him!

15. My Grandparents are funny, when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.

(Source Unknown)

My Truly Evil Sister (or) The Lure of the Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake

2010-01-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

Sisters are wonderful people, right? Well...yes, most of the time, but on occasion, they can be truly evil.

How about the time when the unsuspecting little girl had the right side of her hair buzz cut and the left side hacked like shingles nailed on by an inebriated roofer. Who did that? Her sometimes-evil sister, of course.

And what about those bus trips into town on piano-lesson day? While the younger sister trudges up to the door of the piano teacher and explains that her sister just can't make it today, her evil sib is downtown spending her music lesson money . That's evil, right?

And the very unforgivable evil is that the sometimes -evil sister is aging much, much better than her sweet sister. Grrrr!

So it shouldn't surprise anyone that Sometimes Evil Sister is again on the loose-this time tempting me to pack on more pounds with a treat that no sister can possibly pass up: Chocolate cake made in a mug-in the microwave-in 5 minutes. Now how can I resist that? Great baker that she is, famous for berry pies and all kinds of wonderful meals, she knows the secret that her sister, the terrible cook with plants on the stove, tries to keep under wraps: little sister does use the microwave.

So... she passed this recipe on to me.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE*
4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

*And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?*
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time
of the day or night!

Hmmm...I can salve my conscience a little by topping this wonderful, luscious, fattening dessert with nonfat frozen yogurt. That's what I'll do. Ha! And what do I have to say to you, Sometimes Evil Sister???

MMM...YUM! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! A THOUSAND TIMES THANK YOU!

Our thanks again to Joan H. for this great recipe.

For All Who Have Lost Jobs in the Recession or Who Know Those Who Have

2010-01-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

Most of us know of people who have lost their jobs due to the recession. Bankruptcy seems to be the word in every newspaper's headlines.

Although the experience is wrenching and frightening, it can also bring about experiences to laugh at.

The middle-aged man looking for another job is spending much of his day job hunting. He's also faced with spending some of his day doing what he may never have done before: Housework! Hilarious...and worth passing on. See http://whathappened-chris.blogspot.com/. Please pass it on. Thanks!

Our Health: 5 Ways to Get/Stay Healthy in 2010

2010-01-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to our resident health expert, we now have another resource that all of us can use:   A monthly newsletter published by UCLA Division of Geriatrics-Healthy/Years: Helping Older Adults Lead Happier, Healthier Lives (http://www.healthy-years.com/)

The five ways to achieve health in this new year are

1) Exercising (no surprise there). All of us who already exercise on a regular basis, raise hands, please. Oops! I see that both of my own hands are still on the keyboard--a very bad start. But many of you are in programs: Marty and Alice in weight training, Julie in Yoga, Jan in Curves, Joan H. in an exercise routine at the Y, and some on Wii Fitness or step routines. Others are braving our Arctic temps with walks and still others are braving the 38-degree Florida weather or hiking in Death Valley. Great examples, all, for those in the group who, like me, are much too lazy for our own good.

2) Understanding body weight, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels and working to move these numbers into acceptable ranges. My personal downfall is pizza so I have a way to go here.

3) My personal favorite: "Strengthen your social networks." We do that, I think so this way of staying healthy should be easy for all of us.

4)Moderating alcohol consumption. We've all read about the benefits of red wine and from the gatherings I've attended, we all heartily agree that this is one way we already practice! But the 'in moderation' part means only 1 glass per day.    We can all point to days that just demand a little more. So self discipline is really called for here.

5) Making sure to track any meds or supplements and checking the list with our favorite MD.

This newsletter is really informative, and our own Dr. Alice recommends it for accuracy and specific articles for women over 40.   I'm one of those who has subscribed to Bottom Line Health (http://www.bottomlinehealth.com/) for years, but no more. I'm switching as per Alice' recommendation.

She's also recommending Vitamin D-3 supplements (as in 2000 IU per day). According to Alice, a side benefit is an increase in serotonin which lessens any down-in-the-dumps feelings we might be experiencing-especially in this long stretch of sub-zero wind chills and 4+ feet of snow. I'm following that suggestion as well.

Thanks, Alice. Lucky for us that you're willing to share your expertise.

Note: See the change of picture on the blog title. Sunshine appeared today and made the ice-covered trees glitter-can't pass a scene like that up!

Computers and Cars: Bill Gates and GM Trade Barbs, and We Enjoy the Exchange

2010-01-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Bill Gates Vs General Motors

At the COMDEX computer expo Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and said "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Gates' comments, General Motors issued a press release stating:

If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines on the road you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason, and you would just accept this, restart and drive on.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn, would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Only one person at a time could use the car, unless you bought "Car95" or "CarNT". But then you would have to buy more seats.

6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, reliable, five times as fast, and twice as easy to drive, but would only work on five percent of the roads.

7. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would be replaced by a single "general car default" warning light.

8. New seats would force everyone to have the same size butt.

9. The airbag system would say "Are you sure?" before going off.

10. Occasionally for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grab hold of the radio antenna.

11. GM would require all car buyers to also purchase a deluxe set of Rand McNally road maps (now a GM subsidiary), even though they neither need them nor want them. Attempting to delete this option would immediately cause the car's performance to diminish by 50% or more. Moreover, GM would become a target for investigation by the Justice Department.

12. Every time GM introduced a new model car buyers would have to learn to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

13. You'd press the "start" button to shut off the engine.

Thanks to Linda C. for sending us this. The source is on many websites. You can find it by googling "billgates vs cars," as I did to find the source. The text above comes from http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/ although versions on other sites seem to be the same.

Finally! Time to Read: THE HELP

2010-01-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (her first novel), Amy Einhorn Books, GP Putnam's Sons, 2009.

Joan H. has sent us her review shown below and encourages us to read The Help.

Set in Jackson,Mississippi in the early 1960's this story centers around the lives of Jackson's black maids. Their love for the white children that they are paid to raise comes back to reward them when one of the grown children (Skeeter) decides to expose how most of the white families treat blacks in the South. This is a book that is difficult to put down until you reach the last page. As the dust jacket explains, this novel describes "the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another" and "the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't." Enjoy and pass it on.

Thanks to Joan H., I have also read the book, have enjoyed it, have been saddened and elated by it, and have passed it on. A good read.

If you have read and enjoyed- or are touched by- Stockett's first novel, you can contact the author at http://www.kathrynstockett.com/.

Grandma Alert: New Baby Girl

2010-01-02T09:31:00.000-08:00

Two days before Christmas, Noelle Joie entered our lives, healthy, happy, beautiful. Her big sister has reddish-blond hair and blue eyes. Noelle has dark hair and brown eyes, 7 lb. 14 oz., and 21 1/2" long.

All is well with the CT branch of our family as we celebrate our new arrival!

A Holiday Message for All of Us

2009-12-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Joan H., we have a beautiful holiday message. Just hit on the link below and choose Presentation 2 (Presentation 1 is a slideshow of the same.) Our gratitude to Charles S. Patridge for this moving reminder of our blessings and to Greg O'Brien for the narration.

We all have much to appreciate this season. Joan H and her entire family (including Dick, Erin, Zack, Eric, Christina, Rowan, and I) are thankful that Len has returned from Iraq in time for Christmas and for good! Marty's a new grandma-again; Pearl's off to a great position with AACU and will be closer to her grandson; Julie's daughter has graduated with her master's; Kim's moving into her new house; Dick and I are waiting for our 3rd grandchild to arrive and loving our two who are excited about the holidays this year: Zack and Rowan. Claudia and Tom are back in FLA safe and sound. We're thankful again for the special angels who watch over us and those we love.

Your special thoughts at this time of year will be appreciated and posted. Just email me at smartnsassywoman@gmail.com.

See the holiday message; click on http://www.munic.state.ct.us/burlington/count_your_blessings/ and choose Presentation 2. Have a great holiday!

Thanks,again, Joan.

What is census information saying about us and our children?

2009-12-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Some of us qualify as 'baby boomers' since 60 is the cut -off age. Others of us qualify because we have children who fit the demographic of 42-60. We have nieces and nephews who are also at the younger end of the 'boomer' range. Still others qualify because we are sure we feel and look much more like 'boomers' than people in our biological age group! So for all of us, the information released just recently by the Census Bureau applies.

For the first time in 13 years, the U.S. Census Bureau has released a collection of statistics on the Baby Boomer generation, those people ages 42-60 years old in the year 2006.
New population number: There were 77,980,296 Baby Boomers living in the US in 2006 (50.9% women). That number is projected to be 57,793,135 in the year 2030 (an estimated 54.9% will be women).
Where they live: The states with the highest number of people ages 42-60 years were California, Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania. The states with the highest percentage-of-population of Boomers were Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Montana and Connecticut.
Heritage: Among the Boomers, 89.7% were non-Hispanic and 10.3% were Hispanic.
Education: An educated group, 29.8% were high school graduates, 28.9% had some college and 28.8% had a bachelor’s degree or higher. A much smaller number (12.5%) had less than a high school degree.
Employment: Most Baby Boomers (74.1%) were employed; 22.4% were not in the labor force. The remainder were in military service or unemployed. In the prior 12 months, household income came from earnings (91.8%), retirement income (11.3%), Social Security (10.4%) and food stamps (6.9%).
Housing: Two-thirds were homeowners living in their homes and 25% rented.

SOURCE: US Census Bureau (November 2009)

Sent to us by http://www.boomerauthority.com/.

How did we survive! Children of the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's

2009-12-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Joan who sent us this message by Jay Leno. I think it covers all of us since it's addressed to all of us born in the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's.

Enjoy! And keep them coming, Joan and everyone contributing to the blog. We appreciate it.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers
Who smoked and/or drank while they were
Pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,
Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,
Locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode
Our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants and small children,
We would ride in cars with no car seats,
No booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day
Was always a special treat.

We drank water
From the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends,
From one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.
We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And, we weren't overweight.

WHY?

Because we were
Always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day,
As long as we were back when the
Streetlights came on.
No one was able
To reach us all day.. And, we were O..K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps
And then ride them down the hill, only to find out
We forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes
a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.
There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,
No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's,
No cell phones,
No personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS

And we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth
And there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt,
And the worms did not live in us
Forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and,
Although we were told it would happen,
We did not put out very many eyes..

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and
Knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just
Walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn't had to learn to deal
With disappointment.
Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law
Was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best
Risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years
Have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility,
and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them?

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others

who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the

lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives

for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know

how brave and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house

with scissors, doesn't it ?

Source: Jay Leno

Thanksgiving Holiday Message

2009-11-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

Barbara R. sent this message:

I received this beautiful message of thanks and wanted to pass it on! Hope you are all enjoying your day!
The Season of thanks and giving is upon us. We give thanks for family, for friends, for life’s gifts and simple pleasures. We give thanks for our country and our men and women in our Armed Forces. We give thanks for this year’s challenges and opportunities. We give thanks for the smells coming from the kitchen, for the love, the hugs and kisses, the football and the parades.

In giving thanks we are restored, renewed, and rededicated so we can go forward to do even greater things: Move Mountains, make peace, give our very best and sing the songs we were meant to sing.

So break bread, sit in awe of the season and be grateful for so much love and for our blessings. In these brief moments of Thanksgiving we can feel the Oneness of it all.

Thanks to Barb R. for sending us these beautiful thoughts!

NOTE: By the way, the picture is of the oakleaf hydrangea outside our front door. Thanks to my better half for taking it.

Never Underestimate an Old Broad

2009-11-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

If you dance, you'll love this. If you don't, you'll wonder how an older woman (92) can even do this! You may be prompted to download (free) Microsoft Media Player II to play the video. Thanks to Linda for sending this to Joan.

As always, Joan sends us good stuff!

http://www.aarp.org/community/NorthernJoy/video/Never_underestimate_an_ol/2183772.

What Do We Know about the Tea Party Patriots?

2009-11-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

On November 16, 2009, Pennsylvanians saw another Tea Party Patriot demonstration. According to the Associated Press, the protest brought approximately 1500 to 2000 people-as estimated by police- to Harrisburg.

Since it's time I found out more about this organization-and since some of you have friends who have traveled as far as Washington, DC, to take part in the demonstrations- I went to the web for information. Normally, I don't rely on Wikipedia as a reference, but this time there is a comprehensive, documented article about the Tea Party Patriots, the debate as to whether it is a grass roots uprising or a manipulated PR campaign, the coverage by various media pundits, and -most importantly in my mind-the group's goals. See www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_protests.

I can see myself joining in on protests about real estate taxes-a holdover from the Puritans living in New England in the 1600's-government spending, and the national debt that will be placed on the shoulders of my new grandbaby to be born next month.

Best of all, whatever we may think of this series of protests, the good thing is that people who have never joined a march of any kind for any goal are moving out of their comfort zone to voice their opinions. I find that encouraging in a climate of too much apathy.

What do you think? For it? Against it? If you've participated or know someone who has, please tell us about it.

Our Finances:The Fair Tax Grassroots Movement

2009-11-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I hadn't heard of an alternative tax plan since the days of Jack Kemp and his 'flat tax' proposal. So when I read that Kathryn Nusbaum will speak at Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and that her topic is "An Alternative to Stimulating the Economy," I was intrigued.

The Behrend School of Business Speaker Series gives a bio of Nusbaum, CPA, CFP, MBA whose fee-only company, Managing Middle America, is based in Pittsburgh, PA,and includes a synopsis of her topic. See the quote below.

"The FairTax is a non-partisan, grassroots effort to replace our existing complex and convoluted income tax code with a simple, fair and transparent national consumption tax. Kathryn Nusbaum, CPA, CFP® will walk you through the mechanics and benefits of the proposal. The mechanics include a national retail sales on new goods and services as well as a monthly rebate that will ensure that no American will pay taxes on basic necessities. The benefits include enormous tax compliance savings as well as setting the stage for a massive re-awakening American manufacturing – including jobs. Her discussion will include the impact from the perspective of poor, middle class as well as wealthy Americans. This will be an exciting discussion around the history of our convoluted income tax system and what we can do to dismantle the confusion while galvanizing the economy at the same time."
(www.erie.psu.edu/academic/business/speakers/index.html).

If the concept interests you, access http://www.fairtax.org/ or other sites listed on various search engines. Kathryn Nusbaum can also be reached at info@MiddleAmericaPlanning.com.

We're Back! Thank you, Todd Benedict.

2009-11-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed a few days of no blog activity ? The computer was running very slowly (I was irritated, but I tolerated that.), but on Sunday, our video call to our granddaughter was garbled, with the camera coming on and then shutting off. Now, that's really too much. No one should come between a grandma and her grandkids, right?

Good follower that I am, I contacted my server rep(little success). I contacted my local phone line(new upgraded line installed-a good thing, but no help for the probems).

I was forced to admit that a much bigger 'something' was not right about my laptop and called a local certified tech magician otherwise known as Todd Benedict. He has all of those great letters following his name, but techno dummy that I am, I have no idea what they mean-I only know they are impressive certificates to have

His analysis was translated into non-techno terms: Something akin to having a 17-lane stream of unwanted, bumper-to-bumper trucks was moving slowly through my computer system. That I can picture, and I did not like it!

He cleaned, deleted, and upgraded everything so that all runs perfectly now. And is it fast! My laptop's motherboard is smiling as I enter this posting. I'm only sorry I waited so long before going local for help.

If you are in our area and need to give your computer a jolt of reinvigorating action or a metaphorical kick in the rear, contact him at EdgePCs@coaxpa.com. He can also be reached at 814-734-5317.

Grandma Alert: Celebrate With Us

2009-10-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

Great news! On October 29th, a new baby girl came into the world. For those of us who know her, Grandma Marty, is a very happy woman.

Both Mommy and Baby Girl are doing well. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa couldn't be happier.

Congratulations to the whole family. Such a wonderful gift!

Finally, Time to Read: Anita Diamant's THE RED TENT and an invitation to attend

2009-10-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Anita Diamant's THE RED TENT has been reviewed as well worth reading. http://www.bookbrowse.com/ lists several reviews and also gives an excerpt from the book. Among the reviews are the following:

Kirkus Reviews
With stirring scenery and a narrative of force and color, a readable tale marked by hortatory fulminations and voluptuous lamentations. For a liberal Bible audience with a possible spillover to the Bradley relationship.

The Los Angeles Times
By giving a voice to Dinah...the novel has struck a chord with women who may have felt left out of biblical history.

Philadelphia Inquirer
A novel well worth reading!...very rich and fulfilling.
(as listed in http://www.bookbrowse.com/)

This is the selection for the book club meeting at Baron-Forness Library on the Edinboro University of PA campus on November 10. If the selection intrigues you, please join the group.

Pearl has sent us Catherine's notes on the last book club meeting with specifics on the November 10 discussion. Everyone is encouraged to join. If you are local, someone you know will be there ! If not, everyone will welcome you as one of the group.

Of the October book club chat, Catherine says "Last night the EUP Book Club met in Baron-Forness Library room 715 and discussed Alice Hoffman's novel, PRACTICAL MAGIC, and welcomed newcomer Anne, who was brought into the fold by Ruth. We munched on cupcakes, pretzels, and sipped apple cider as we chatted. Participants enjoyed the novel's magical realism and debated over the import of the title. The group was relieved to discuss a book with a happy ending for once--that alone was practically magical.

We will next meet on Tuesday, November 10th, at 6:45 p.m., again in Baron-Forness Library room 715. At this meeting we will discuss Anita Diamant's novel, THE RED TENT, which depicts biblical stories from the
points-of-view of the women involved.

We welcome new members to the group; please come and bring friends! The more the merrier, indeed."

Thanks, Catherine, for the notes from the club's October meeting, and to Pearl for forwarding them to us.

A Visit from the Census Worker: When to Exercise Caution

2009-10-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Better Business Bureau has listed cautions about the 2010 Census, and Susan Johnson of News Blaze, an internet news service, reviewed those points on October 16, 2009.

We know that US Government Census workers will be canvassing our neighborhoods and asking legitimate questions. If we aren't available, they may call us or send a mailed survey.

If an email arrives, do not respond since the Census Bureau will not contact you that way. Do not open a link on that email or open any attachment. Anyone who pretends to be a census worker and who contacts you through email is reallly running a scam.

So if a Census worker knocks on the door, how do we know that person is a legitimate representative of the Census Bureau? Johnson reports that a legitimate Census taker will have identification, "a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice." Even so, don't invite anyone to enter your home.

Basically, you have to report how many occupants live at your address. Other legitimate questions will be about "name, age, gender, race." They may ask other pertinent questions such as salary or finances in general, but you aren't required to answer those.

They should not ask you the following: financial account information, social security ID or credit card numbers. Such questions are a definite red flag that the person at your door is not a legitimate representative of the Census Bureau.

Since the Census Bureau has opted not to work with ACORN to gather census data, you shouldn't respond to questions on the census if contacted by an ACORN representative.

My only question is this: If a Census worker contacts me by phone, how do I verify identification or any of the identifying materials? Without knowing that answer, I would choose to not give any information. If you know how to verify phone calls or mailings, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks to Susan Johnson for writing the article based on the BBB alerts in News Blaze. Thanks also to Barb in Florida for sending us the information.

Our Health: Boomeritis

2009-10-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

Oh, good! Now I know why I'm stiff after two hours of driving, sore after those step exercises, feeling that shoulder pain with my modified push-ups, and aching after too much downward- facing dog.

It's really "Boomeritis," a term coined by Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a Havertown, PA, orthopedic surgeon. He is quoted as pointing out that " 'Baby boomers are the first generation in droves trying to stay active in an aging frame' "(L. S. Kadaba,"Boomers Pay Price for Active Lifestyles, "The Philadelphia Inquirer, as reprinted in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sept. 27, 2009, 12A).

It seems that physicians, surgeons and emergency rooms are treating Boomers (and those of us older than the 64-year-old cut off for this generation) for injuries that were seen 10 years ago in much younger patients. We all know people in our age group who have taken bicycle spills, ending up with broken clavicles, fractured bones, and torn shoulder muscles. Or friends who have tripped while on the treadmill or out running the woodland trails. (Let's not mention those silly aging softball players who really should take up another sport!)

According to data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, emergency rooms "treated 282,476 injuries among baby boomers...who suffered all sorts of sports-and exercise-related misfortune, a 47 percent inrease from an decade earlier"(12A).

According to sociologist BJ Gallagher who studies this age group, our aches and pains are not surprising. She indicates that we try to keep aging at bay by engaging in all sorts of physical exercise and sports. Kadaba quotes her as saying, " 'Not only do we defy authority, we're going to defy Mother Nature...We're really arrogant. We're going to play tennis. We're going to swim. We're going to run marathons' "(12A). And, by the way, if we live in the western states, we're more likely to suffer 'Boomeritis' since "77 percent of older adults in the West say they exercise daily,compared with 69 percent in other regions"(M. Tucker, "Looking Westward," AARP Bulletin, October, 2009,10).

Personally, I know really fit older women who work out at home or have personal trainers and, yes, look much younger than their years. So, even with the data on our injuries and the expert opinion labeling us as 'arrogant', we could just be the first generation to be active, lucid, and smiling at age 100. In which case, who cares about the labels! We're doing all we can to be healthy and productive. We're working out the aches and pains as we maintain active lifestyles.

So as Yoda might say, "Strong and healthy you are, Boomers; remain so."

Finally !Time to Read: Dan Brown's THE LOST SYMBOL

2009-10-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

THE LOST SYMBOL is another hit for Dan Brown. Ranking it with his other books, I would place it third behind THE DA VINCI CODE, and ANGELS AND DEMONS-but that takes nothing away from Brown's most recent work. I found the book to be fast-paced, complex, compelling, and with the same gift of "brain candy"-an earlier Chicago Tribune label for Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE.

As Robert Langdon works frantically with Katherine Solomon to find her brother, he must solve codes that stretch back into history and forward to the present day. They are pitted against an uncannily strong, tattooed man linked to the Solomon family's past. He is fanatically dedicated to finding the lost symbol and with it the power of darkness. Katherine's research facility, revealing the power of noetics, stands as the direst of threats to his quest; he strives to destroy it and to permanently damage the Masonic Order led by Peter Solomon.

Now to the ChicagoTribune's "brain candy." Since the story takes place in Washington, DC, the reader learns about the city's planning, the famous historical figures involved in its creation, the artwork in the Rotunda of the Capitol, and the construction of various important landmarks, notably the Washington Monument. One of Brown's great talents is his ability to connect the significance of Washington's layout, planning and construction with many other more ancient symbols that cross all religions and cultures.

I was intrigued by Katherine's research interest: Noetics. Only after you finish the book, should you delve into any of the science described within. Otherwise, you may lessen the book's effect. However, if the book prompts your interest in the power of consciousness and the collective unconscious as it did mine, you will find great explanations of this branch of science at the Institute of Noetic Sciences website, http://www.noetics.org/. You can read, among other research, about experiments linking the "power of the mind to health outcomes"(website homepage) and also a section on Dan Brown's THE LOST SYMBOL. The website invites us to explore the science behind the book. I 'd love to know what you think of noetics and the Institute's site.

Noetics was not to be outdone by Brown's description of the experimental medical procedure called Total Liquid Ventilation with oxygenated perfluorocarbons. Not to give away any of the plot, let me just say that you can find out about the process by accessing in in the search box of PubMed online. Many articles on the subect are indexed on this website, http://www.pubmed.gov/. Again, please do so only after reading the book.

Of course, sacred numbers play a part in Brown's books with the number 33 explained as to its significance within theMasonic Order and its history across cultures and religions. And let's not forget 8 Franklin Square!

I thought THE LOST SYMBOL was a great read. Tell me what you think.

Our Health: A Valuable Resource

2009-09-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Who can argue with a friend who has a doctorate in nursing when it comes to advice on our health? Certainly not I.

She has asked me to alert everyone about a great publication that is also free. What could be better than that!

Herbs at a Glance: A Quick Guide to Herbal Supplements (2009) is a FREE book published by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The website that will let you order the book or look up any herb of your choosing is: http://nccam.nih.gov. There also many other websites in the book for even more specific or general herbal infromation. it is written for the lay public.

Our thanks to her for directing us to this resource.

Grandma Alert: Bonding With the Little Ones Long Distance through Technology

2009-09-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

Are you three states away from your grandchildren or oceans away? Are you looking for a way to make closer connections with them? Do you want them to recognize you when the opportunity arises to visit? If your answer is a resounding "Yes!", you might want to venture into the scary land of video calling.

I use the word 'scary' because so many of us have had to use computers and email for our work that we can, at the very least, email our closest family and friends. But to go beyond email and word processing skills is to go into a shadowy area where all forms of unknown technology threaten our technologically shaky self esteem.

But I'm experiencing a great way to keep in touch with my soon-to-be one -year- old granddaughter. She is a 9-hour car trip away so she has to become reacquainted with us each time we see her. With the family's venture into video calling, she not only recognizes us but also seems happy to see us. She becomes very excited when she hears the computer sound indicating a video call coming in; she moves quickly to the computer to see what happens. How's that for a tug at the heart!

We're able to talk to her, show her pictures, play pat-a-cake, sing the Seven Little Monkeys song, and watch her clap her hands in delight. What a treat!

My laptop has no webcam(the next one will, I swear!). So our son gave me a Logitech webcam for Mother's Day. I went to http://www.skype.com/ to download free software, and so did he. Also our daughter, who lives closer and who gives us lots of face time with our grandson, uses Skype as well. It's nice to hear about his latest escapade and watch him telling us about it on screen when we can't be there.

My server won't accept a Skype download. I'm thinking that it is because the server has a video calling application of its own. Remember that I don't know much about the technology that I attempt to use-so realize this is just a possibility, not a basic truth. But Skype is free, and the video calls are free as well. So I called the help desk for my server, and a technician was kind enough to load Skype through Firefox for me.

The little Skype symbol is green when it comes on-and it does so automatically when I log onto my server. If I click on it, the Skype screen appears. I can easily add people to my contact list, and I see who is online at the same time. As dim as I am, I had a little trouble when the video went blank on me, but the tools, the welcome screen, and a right-click on the video screen itself gave me ways to fix that-in simple, non-techno terms. Now a video call with our little grandbaby comes in every Sunday night .

I have a friend whose grandchildren are small and live VERY far away-in another country. She skypes at lunchtime when they are eating lunch, and so is she. The family are all visible, and so is Grandma. She sees them once a year so bonding long distance is a gift.

For our older grandchildren who text all day and can read email, skyping may take up too much of their time. I have ideas to close that generational gap between grandparents and teen grandchildren as well, but I'll leave those for next time.

Skype doesn't provide three-way video calls yet. I know other services do. I'm waiting for that, though, so that our adult children and their toddlers can keep in close touch as a larger group. Are you using video calls to keep in touch with grandchildren? I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Until then, I remain a happy woman because my grandchildren recognize me even though they're far too far away.

Watch Your Finances Carefully: Negative Option Marketing

2009-09-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping my household is the only one among us to be hit by the 'negative option' marketing technique.

Some time ago, we noticed a $10 charge on our credit card that we couldn't account for. When we called the number that our credit card company listed for the originator of the charge, we were told that an ad had been sent to us through the mail-and since we didn't respond that we were uninterested in the product, -it was immediately charged to our credit card account.

My first question is this: How do these people get our credit card account in the first place? I have to assume that we had purchased something earlier from this company or one owned by the same overseeing group of companies-somewhat like the unrequested catalogues that come in the mail because a connected catalogue company to which we do subscribe has shared our info.

My second question is this: Can this 'negative option' marketing practice be legal? According to the AARP Bulletin, Sept. 2009, the answer is yes! If the offer contains all of the legal language required by law.

The article in the AARP Bulletin, "Taking No for an Answer" (22) by Sid Kirchheimer indicates that you have a certain amount of time to respond with a resounding "No, I do not want this product!" or charges start accruing on your bank statement or on your credit card.

The article concentrates on insurance policies offered by banks; these policies are sold by "third-party vendors" over the phone or by mail. That might explain the way these merchants gain access to credit card info.

We had to cancel our non-purchase in order to have it taken off of our credit card debits. AARP suggests the following:

Review bank statements. You have 60 days to dispute charges on mailed statements.
Beware of free trial offers. They are often negative option programs.
Request a contract. In some states, an offer...cannot be legally accpted 'by the silence' of the customer.
Send certified letters, with return receipt notifications, asking companies not to send you information about company-branded programs.

And my favorites among the suggestions! Contact your state attorney general and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov/ or call 1-877-382-4357. (AARP Bulletin, Sept. 2009,22)

We learned the 'watch your finances carefully' lesson and hope you won't have to go through the cancellation of goods and / or services you didn't order in the first place!

Grandma Alert

2009-09-05T08:41:00.001-07:00

You may recall advice given to us about the fair-trade, organic, ecofriendly company called Fair Indigo. I received the catalogue and have to tell you that the pages listing children's items are fantastic.

The handcrafted toys, sweaters, blankets and "Joobles Blankies" look great. And the sweaters with hats, mittens and toy to match are just what I've been looking for. I think my first order, however, will be the fleece baby bunting in cranberry. After all, a new baby girl is coming our way at Christmastime!

Thanks for the tip!

Over 60 Women Make the News: You go, Girl!

2009-08-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

Want to rob someone? Don't pick 71-year-old Dawn Fraser as your target! That's the message she gave to a teenager who tried to attack her at her home in Australia.

Dawn is a 4-gold-medal winner and a winner of 8 medals for Australia between 1956 and 1964. She grabbed the attacker's ear, kicked him in the groin, and then grabbed both ear and hair. The attacker found an over-60-woman who could give better than he had planned her to get.

You can read the entire account published by Associated Press by accessing Yahoo Sports.

Congratulations, Dawn. You're an inspiration to all of us!

Why Travel?? For Relaxation and Unexpected Rewards!

2009-08-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

So where has this area been all my life? Our family just returned from a week in Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks. Such a beautiful place!

Traveling north to Corolla Lighthouse provided a totally different landscape, greener with lush trees and more ground cover, but-too bad-not many restaurants. Restaurants are a must in my travel plans. Many vacationing families enjoy cooking family meals together. I might like that if I ever try it, but for now good restaurants are in my everyday itinerary.

The Wright Brothers National Monument in Kill Devil Hills is very impressive, and going south, the Cape Hattaras Lighthouse is worth the trip. Again, this landscape is distinct-more dunes, less greenery, the long, water-spanning bridge-all worth the trip.

Several of my friends have been to the Outer Banks or to other great places from Maine to Florida on the Eastern Shore. I'd love to hear about other locations, now that I've finally found that an East Coast vacation is a great adventure.

Our Health

2009-08-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Talk about 'finally'! Here's another 'finally'. In the September issue of HEALTH, Laurie Tarkan reveals "Secrets of Women with Healthy Hearts" AND she includes a 70-year-old retired registered nurse among the profiles of the 30 and 40- something women.

Barbara Lesperance, grandmother and retiree says, "I think I'm healthier now than I've ever been." She credits strength-training, golf, walking with her husband, and her choice of foods.

Each profile includes age, weight, BMI, cholesterol levels and general health as well as an analysis by Dr. Nieca Goldberg, Director, NYU Women's Heart Program.

Interesting stuff and on target with our needs. Thanks to Laurie Tarkan for including an 'over 60 woman' in her very interesting article. She gives us all a model to look up to and to try to match.

The same issue also addresses bladder pain. Since we were discussing UTI's earlier this summer, you might want to check this out. What we said about cranberry juice being a great preventative before an infection has a chance to develop is repeated here as well as the bad part: drinking it during the UTI just makes the problem worse!

Tarkan hasn't forgotten the invisible 'Over 60 Women'. Thanks!

Finally Time to Read: A novel for you, all adults, and late teens

2009-08-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

TESTIMONY byAnita Shreve has been recommended for all of us plus any of those late teens we know and love.

The novel is written from the viewpoint of the people involved in a teen ( she is 14) /young adult ( 2 boys are 18; one is 19) sexual encounter at a private school which is taped and put online.

Another book club attended by our "over 60 women" just finished the book. As related to us, "We discussed the book at length. All club members are 60+ women, and only one does not have children. Several of us are retired public school educators. Where to place responsibility for the ruined lives in this book resulted in quite a bit of debate. If it were not for the explicit sex, this is a book I think all teens should read. So should adults. We all need to be reminded that our actions have ripple effects. "

I'm going to read it next and hope you do, too.

Thanks.

Talking about Books: Book Club Info.

2009-08-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

For those of us in the NW PA area, the Edinboro University Book Club has announced its September, 2009, meeting and the book choice.

As written by one of the organizing members," We decided to choose a lighter sort of book for our next meeting. We chose *The Kingdon of Absurdities* by Bruce Gatenby, a book which claims to be an academic satire of contemporary academic life. We will meet in Baron-Forness Library, Room 715, on Tuesday, September 8th, at6:45. Please come and bring your friends!"

Thanks for the information!

Finally! Time to Read Non-Fiction: OUTLIERS

2009-07-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was able to read OUTLIERS: THE STORY OF SUCCESS(Little Brown & Co., 2008) by Malcolm Gladwell. Previously I had read with interest his publications BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING and THE TIPPING POINT: HOW LITTLE THINGS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

OUTLIERS is one book I would advise anyone with grandchildren, children, nieces and nephews to read.

Success is not necessarily defined as having a genius-level IQ, but having intellectual ability that is 'smart enough'. Gladwell reviews such successful figures as Mozart,Robert Oppenheimer, Bill Gates, and others who have been 'smart enough'-some prodigies and some not; but all having been nurtured to a level of comfort with their culture, who have spent at least 10,000 hours practicing their passion, who happened to have been born in the right decade and even for some outstanding people, in the right months. He delves into the fields of sports, fine arts, technology, engineering, law, business, and education. I had never seen an explanation of math prowess among Asians versus American students based on an analysis of the languages of each, the culture of effort, and dignity of work. He even discusses the selection process of Harvard's freshman class. So many concepts making so much sense!

In addition to being an important contribution to our understanding (and misunderstanding) of success, OUTLIERS is an interesting read with great examples, easily-understood research stats, and a broader understanding of the accomplishments of successful people. Since we're interested in strong women who influence those in their lives, Gladwell's "Epilogue: A Jamaican Story" is not to be missed. He describes his grandmother and his mother, both strong, admirable women who have greatly influenced the man he is.

If you choose one non-fiction read this summer, consider OUTLIERS-you won't regret it. You can find Gladwell's most recent work and commentary on many areas by accessing his blog:

http://gladwell.typepad.com/

In Fashion or Not! Our Conversation

2009-07-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

A group of us talked recently about clothes, why we can't find outfits that fit and are still professional and in fashion. In our 60's and 70's, we aren't finding much between the skimpy mini skirts/crop top lines and the very matronly styles. Thanks to all of the smart and sassy women taking part in our conversation!

With all of the baby boomers ready to look for nice, flattering clothes, we did acknowledge the value of the Chico's catalogue offerings. You can browse Chico's at http://www.chicos.com/.

With the advent of the sleeveless sheath worn by Michelle Obama, readers of MORE magazine asked where to find sheaths with sleeves( Thank you! Thank you!), noting that sleeves are better than 'arm spanx' (Yikes!) Editors gave some suggestions that we can access on the web:

Kay Unger at http://www.neimanmarcus.com/ ;

http://www.toryburch.com/;

Jones New york at http://www.bloomingdales.com/.

(MORE, April, 2009, 18).

With the demise of some of my favorite stores, I've gone to the web to search out and purchase many items, including clothes. Hopefully, these websites will let us search the possibilities and order online--or find items we like before the 2-hour trip to the stores listed above.

Finally! Time to Read

2009-07-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Two (fiction and non-fiction }books have been suggested as well worth the read. I haven't read either but can summarize a little based on my sister's recommendations.

The first is an epistolary novel, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Shaffer and Barrows. The authors used letters written by people living on the Isle of Guernsey during the Nazi occupation of WWII to describe the ways in which the inhabitants met covertly to plan strategies for getting around the occupation mandates. Even though many of the members couldn't even read, they all attended the 'literary society' meetings to plot their strategies under the noses of the German soldiers.

The second is STILL ALICE, another true story. A woman who has been a well-known published professor falls victim to early-onset Alzheimer's. The story is told by her daughter who, along with the rest of the family, has to decide whether to be tested for the early-onset gene or not. Considering the rise of the relatively new profession of genetic counseling, the struggles of this mother and her family are in the forefront of issues that swirl around this devastating disease.

Why Travel?? For Relaxation and Unexpected Rewards!

2009-07-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

My sister traveled to Florida with her friend recently. While waiting for the play, WICKED, to begin, they sat in a small park on the Edison College campus. As purple blossoms from an overhanging tree fluttered all around them, my sister mentioned that they looked like purple butterflies.

Her sharp-as-a-tack friend then recited a poem she learned in high school! (Wish I could do that!) The anonymous author likened the morphing of caterpillar into butterfly to a sign of immortality. Below is the last stanza of the poem. If you'd like the entire poem, email smartnsassywoman@gmail.com.

"Low Spring comes forth with all her warmth and love
She brings sweet justice from the realms above
She breaks the chrysalis and resurrects the dead
Two butterflies arise encircling her head
And so this emblem shall forever be
A sign of immortality."

Another Good Read But with More Complexity

2009-07-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

If you want depth in a mystery novel, try Elizabeth George's CARELESS IN RED(Harper Collins, 2008).Even with its 720 pages, this is a relatively quick read because the reader's interest shifts constantly among three families whose in-depth lives touch the murder victim and intersect with Thomas Linley (Scotland Yard-now bereft because of the murder of his pregnant wife) and the mysterious Daidre Trahair(sometimes visitor to Polcare Cove, veterinarian, and secretive woman intent on hiding her past from the investigation). This is a mystery that you will try to solve from the beginning with your suspicions moving from one character to the other until, at 600+ pages, you begin to see what's really happening.If you read the book, enjoy it(or not), and want to comment here,I'd love to hear your take on this.. If you want to contact Elizabeth George,her website is http://www.elizabethgeorgeonline.com/

Over 60 Women Make the News

2009-07-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

Kathryn Winkfein, 72, was speeding along in Travis County, Texas, on May 11. As reported in many sources, she was pulled over by a policeman, became contrary, and was tasered.

You can see the 'unedited dash cam footage' on www.topix.net/county/travis-tx and judge for yourself if she should have been tased or handled differently.

I think I'll slow down a little, though, when cruising the open road!

Finally! Time to Read

2009-06-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

In my whole working life, I never had time to read-other than work-related tons of student writing!

Now, I'm really enjoying the time I have to read. For pure fun and enjoyment, I'm reading the Janet Evanovich series featuring Stephanie Plum, the bail-bond enforcer in New Jersey. Her escapades with her plus+plus+plus partner are always funny since the perps fleeing bail are usually neighborhood kooks. In this case an 80+ man who refuses to wear pants and doesn't show for his bail hearing.

The best character (other than Ranger) has to be Grandma Mazur. In FEARLESS FOURTEEN, she meets a teen who is battling evil with his video game. Grandma becomes "Scorch" entering the game with her two older friends-complete with black outfits (spandex, of course). It's Grandma Mazur's antics that make me laugh outloud. I haven't read the fifteenth in the series, FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN (She allows readers to title her books.)

If you like Evanovich, read the interview in TIME, June 22, 2009, in which she talks about writing, her newest book, and her aim to entertain, not as she says to "put my political agenda in your face."

Retirement...or Not

2009-06-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

I love retirement-so far, that is. But some of my friends who are older than I and who have retired once or twice only to return to the world of work do not-I repeat-do not want to retire. They're vibrant, contributing women who are important in their chosen field.

That doesn't stop people from asking over and over when these work-loving women over 60 are opting out. Paraphrasing Jeanne Phillips of "Dear Abby," those who are tired of the retirement question could just say that retirement is a dirty word. And please don't use it around us!

You go, Girl!

2009-06-21T17:04:00.001-07:00

We hear stories too frequently of women having purses snatched in parking lots, but this time the thief was in for a surprise.

Jean Hirst, 72, ran after the female purse snatcher so quickly that the robber tossed the purse back to her. Now I couldn't do this, but Jean was an award-winning high school runner some 56 years ago, and she was able to catch up to the teenager with no problem (as reported in MORE, June, 2009).

You make us all proud. Way to go, Jean!

Time to be Outside in the Sunshine

2009-06-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

Sunshine and blooming flowers! The best of all seasons. I'm not anywhere near a master gardener, but my parents were at first skeptical and then very impressed that my urban husband turned out to have a very, very green thumb.

What are some of your best strategies for adding summer beauty to your house, apartment, condo, campground-wherever you like to relax during this special time?

Top This for Hero(ine)s

2009-06-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

I know lots of women who have battled more adversity than I've yet to experience, but let me tell you about another kind of heroine.

A professional woman, a widow, mother, a grandmother, and a cancer survivor, she retired last year. What makes her a heroine? She sold her house, bought a huge truck(one of those with the electric side mirrors extending past the camper housed on the back), outfitted a camper with a plasma tv, placed the Wheaties box with her husband's picture in a camper-place of honor, included a case of almond milk(which is to drink and not, as I guessed, to use as a hand lotion) and headed out for her first volunteer job with the national parks.

If you're like me, you close your eyes (someone else is driving, of course) when you go around curves, even on interstates, and hate those concrete barriers erected for highway improvement, and are very, very afraid to look over the edge of a road high in the mountains.

She plastered a bumper sticker on that monster truck: "This isn't my boyfriend's truck!" and crossed the country by herself. Heart-stopping mountain passes, wind tunnels, and miles of construction later, she arrived in one of the southwestern states at her first assignment: helping tourists, yes, but also shoveling manure from the horse/cow whatever barn, and winding two hours back down the mountain for a latte. Now, that's a heroine!

Try to top that.

In Fashion or Not!

2009-06-13T10:05:00.001-07:00

What about those jeans that are described as 'low rise' or 'just below the waist' ? I can't wear those without a huge belt that adds to my 'muffin top', makes me look fatter than I am, and rides even further down every time I bend just a little. Let's be real. How many younger women do you know who can wear those and still look good. The term 'muffin top' didn't come about from observation of us 60+'s, right?

I'm not psychologically ready for all-elastic waist jeans, do like ones that fit, and want to wear a belt that looks good, doesn't feel like a tourniquet around my hips. But I rebel against buying jeans that cost $100+(Talk about +'s!).

Any ideas?

We've disappeared!

2009-06-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

With my gigantic ego, I never thought about women over 60 as not represented much at all in the tons of magazines that I read. Why should the media focus on the older gals?

But I had just turned 60 when I met 2 special women in their 70's. One the CEO of a major corporation and the other a well-known volunteer and philanthropist in our state. Both were more attractive, better dressed, and much sharper than I was at 60! As I listened to them interacting with the men on this panel, questioning and probing financial issues, I began to wonder why I never noticed women of this age before.

True, I've notices older women:

My own grandmother, yes.
My own mother, yes.
As the woman in the hair salon waiting for my dye job to be done.

But as individual, vibrant women , both in retirement and working, contributing to their families,to their communities and churches , to the political scene...well, no. Thinking of them on these levels didn't occur to me much.

Once the situation settled in my brain for awhile, I started looking closely at whatever I read.

Did you know that women are given advice according to their present decade on the planet? Those in their 20's, 30's, 40's and , oh yes, the 50's+. I fall directly into the 'plus'. 'Plus' is a big category, so it seems, since 4 decades of women fall into it. I hope to be in the 'plus' area for a long time to come.

Where have I found a focus on women over 60? In blogs! Enter 'women over 60' as a search, and you'll find tons of blogs-some great, many just a cover for selling books, orthopedic devices or blue rinses. But more conversation goes on through blogs than anywhere else I've found.

Check out this one. As you know, vanity is one of my very strong points so I found the info on products useful. Also the other blogs listed on this site look interesting:

http://barbs-beauty-tips-for-babes-over-60.blogspot.com/

and the website for MORE Magazine at http://www.coverleaf.com/moremagazine

What is foremost in your mind right now? What useful blogs or sites have you found?

Waiting to hear from you!

Over60Woman