Film Clip Friday: It's ME! :)

For this second weekly installment I am featuring myself! This is where it all began.



The clip features me and my mom, now known as "Grandma R." She was the most beautiful lady in the world! (Still is, I might add.)

Seven years and Ash Wednesday

"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return."

Today marks seven years since Andy's spirit left this earth. I find it fitting that the anniversary fell on Ash Wednesday this year.

I have read that our bodies generate all new cells every seven years.

Maybe that's true with skin cells, brain cells, limb cells.

But there are no cells in a soul, and I know for a fact that those of the heart don't change.

I know this because, although it has been seven years since I last kissed him, held him, touched him...

He still resides in every cell of my heart, and I will love him with every breath of my life.

Paczki Day is over

In the little corner of the world where I grew up, Phat Tuesday is known as Paczki Day.

A Paczki (pronounced Poonch-key) is sort of a jelly doughnut cross-bred with a hockey puck, creating a heavy, sweet, greasy, delectable pastry. According to legend, it was invented as a way for the people to use up all the perishable goodies that were not acceptable fare during Lent. This Polish treat is probably in the top 10 most fattening foods in the world! (But well worth every calorie.)

My former hometown newpaper, the Detroit Free Press, had a limerick contest in honor of the lovely Paczki. I composed one, but never sent it in because I couldn't remember my password to the site. However, here is my composition for your reading enjoyment.

(ahem.)

"There is a gal in Okie City
Who misses her hometown so pretty.
For never is seen
fine Polish cuisine.
So no Paczke this year, 'tis a pity."


Well...

It's a good thing I didn't send it in, because it would have been a lie! Arthur found two dozen beautiful Paczki at our local Homeland! Woo Hoo!

(That's my excuse for getting Phatter this week!)

Film clip Fridays

It's a bit late in the day, but here is my newest brainstorm! Because of my wonderful new toy plus thousands of hours of video, starting today I will post a short vintage family video clip every Friday. Future Friday posts will be titled: "Film Clip Friday!"





Today's selection is a clip of my three kids during the short time I had all of them living home. (Jimmy age 17, Shelby age 4, John age 1.) It is much longer than future clips will be, but this product needs to be rushed to market before Friday is over!! Future Friday clips will be apx 1-3 minutes long. Hope you enjoy traveling down memory lane with me. :)

I have a new toy, and I can't stop playing with it!!

It has been a really long time since I bought myself a piece of techno-equipment. This is something I have wanted for a very long time. I'm now the proud owner of a video converter.

Look out, cyberspace! They've created a monster! All those old videotapes that have been mouldering in my closet are taking on a new life, and I can share them with the world! YouTube is going to hate me, I'm sure.

Of course I am going to share here, too. My main problem is choosing which clip to share. How about my dog as a puppy? No? Well, perhaps John and Shelby's toddler swim lessons would be more interesting. Hmmmm, I am beginning to realize that I don't really have much that a wide audience would like to see.

I guess I will ponder on it a bit. In the meantime, I am also converting some of Arthur's old videos, so I'll share a fun one of his.

Did you know Arthur was a gospel singer in his previous life? Yes, really! Here he is singing with a group of his co-workers. If you look real close, he is the guy way in the back on the right, in the striped shirt. I think I'd enjoy this clip even if I didn't know anybody in it, because it is some real feel-good stuff.

The joy of a small success

After several years of sorting and collecting, John finished his 50 state coin map today. The coveted Hawaii quarter that was needed to complete the collection turned up in a handful of pocket change.

Good job, John! And thanks to Grandma who gave him the map for Christmas one year.

Now that the goal has been met, let's see how long it will take before he gives in to the temptation to spend those quarters! :) (Hopefully all that hard work will keep him from cashing them in.)

Fun with Tornadoes!!

During the past two hours a tornado has caused more excitement and damage than anybody would expect in February. That's the thing about living in Tornado Alley, we can never let down our guard, no matter the time of year.

Too much excitement for me! Schools on lockdown, huge hail, rotation circling over my neighborhood and hitting less than a mile away... ugh. Our favorite shopping center and restaurant is badly damaged along with Shelby's place of employment. Friends are missing chunks of their roof.

Fortunately, there are no injuries reported.

We are home and safe. John and Shelby gathered up some hail stones but otherwise everybody is hanging close.





It sounds like the weather fun is just beginning. There is a whole line of storms still heading for us! I'm getting too old for this....!




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Update: News this morning is, although the Oklahoma City metro area had no reports of major injuries, there may be as many as 15 people dead in the northeast part of the state. :(

I hate that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Late Lament is my poem for the day

I am joining Annie in a silent poetry reading today. Here is how it works:

What?
A Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading

When?
Anytime February 2, 2009

Where?
Your blog (or here in the comments if you prefer).

Why?
Some poetry is warming. It cracks the ice in the heart of the Earth to remind her that spring is just around the corner. … or, if you live south of the equator, choose poetry to cool the heart of the Earth so as to remind her that fall is coming.

How?
Select a poem you like — by a favorite poet or one of your own — to post February 2nd.

What else?
Feel free to pass this invitation to any and all bloggers.

Since it is almost the end of Feb 2nd, I am sure the rules can be loosened a bit. Great poetry will still be good on the 3rd of Feb or beyond! :)

It just so happens that this was running through my head even before I knew aboout todays event. This poem always makes me think of Arthur because I was at his house when I heard it the first time back in the early '70's. Can anybody remember what work this is from? (No fair looking it up on Google!)

Late Lament


Breathe deep the gathering gloom

Watch lights fade from every room

Bedsitter people look back and lament

Another day's useless energy is spent

Impassioned lovers wrestle as one

Lonely man cries for love and has none

New mother picks up and suckles her son

Senior citizens wish they were young



Cold-hearted orb that rules the night

Removes the colours from our sight

Red is grey and yellow white

But we decide which is right

And which is an illusion


~~~~~~~~~~

It is sobering to think that we were young that day we listened to it together so long ago, and today we are almost those "senior citizens" mentioned in the reading. It's enough to give me chills!!