A Few Turkey Day Photos

All tucked in, nice and cozy.

It's the end of another season. My garden has gone from this:




...to this:




I always feel a bit wistful at the end of each season, particularly as fall moves into winter. It does help, though, to look ahead to another spring.



It's the time of year to plant more of those "Hope Flowers" I mentioned awhile back.



Springtime in the form of a sleeping bulb is tucked snug in it's bed, along with several dozen brothers and sisters.

The thought of that helps warm my soul throughout the winter.

A couple of little happy tidbits

Tidbit #1: Bloglines is BACK!!! A new company has agreed to take over the operations of the Bloglines Reader from Ask.com. It was supposed to be closed forever, and I was frantically moving my subscriptions elsewhere. To me, Bloglines is the most user friendly RSS reader, so I am very happy with the news!!!

Tidbit #2: (If you are my friend on facebook you can skip this one since this proud mom has already trumpeted the news.) My son Jimmy has been obsessively programming an app for iphone, working in collaboration with a college friend. The app is known as Pocket Percussion teacher. Three days ago it was accepted by Apple and released on the Apple Store. It has been selling extremely well, and the ratings are starting to come in. They are wonderfully positive!!! So, naturally I am thrilled, and proud and happy for Robbie and Jim.



Well, I guess there is a Tidbit #3, but is not on my happy list. The same day that the iphone app came out, we learned we have a major plumbing leak under the house that is going to cost us beaucoup bucks. It is in the hot water line, and the entire line needs to be replaced. The plumber is supposed to be here as soon as he finishes another job, so in the mean time, we have no hot water. Sigh. But, I won't complain too much. At least we have running water and a warm place to live. :)

When only the soul can hear

I had to pay a difficult visit today, and I'm writing this to work through some of my feelings. If this is a bit disjointed I apologize, so please bear with me...

One of my good friends is in grave condition in the ICU, and is not expected to live more than another couple of days. This friend and I worked together for seven years at an elementary school on the South side of town.

Not only were we coworkers, but we had a little bit of a cosmic connection. She and I lost our husbands within a few months of each other. She sat with me at the hospital as Andy fought for life, and in turn I sat with her. She attended Andy's services, and a short time later I was sitting at the Shrine Temple at her husband's memorial.

She kindly took me and my kids to the Shrine Circus during the early days of our loss. We cried together, laughed together at things that others probably would not find humorous... then, about the same time as I dipped my toe in the world of a new relationship, she also decided she was ready. She is warm, kind, artistic and funny, and it was no surprise to me that a new gentleman found the specialness in her. They married the weekend Art and I returned from our honeymoon.

I went to a different school assignment about 4 years ago, but we continued to call each other, always ending the conversation with "we need to get together and do something fun," but as so often happens, we got busy...and the "something fun" never happened.

When I visited today, I was able to relay something pleasant. I guess there really are no coincidences, because earlier that day while I was thinking about my upcoming visit, a 10th grader came into the clinic. It was a girl that I knew from when she was in elementary school... and my friend had been her kindergarten teacher! I have a lot of my former students, but not many from that elementary. The high school I'm at is a North side school, and the elementary is a South side school. But there she was, and she knew me! I asked if she remembered her former teacher, and her eyes lit up.

"Oh, Nurse Stephanie! She was my favorite teacher! She was always so nice!"

I shared that message to my friend in ICU, then reminisced for quite awhile and, even though she is in a coma, I swear she heard me. As a nurse, I know all about involuntary movements, but there was positively a brief change of expression and a tear in the corner of her eye. Medical science knows a lot about how the human body works, but not much about the soul.

As I prepared to leave, I did not say goodbye. I said, "I will see you again one of these days."

Then, because as long as there is life there is hope, I was thinking on one hand about her dear husband and our wonderful friends from the school. But on the other hand I thought about our loved ones on the other side. I told her, "Tell everybody I say 'Hi'."

We said "NO!" :)

Once Upon a Time there were two people who were so busy, it never seemed they had time to spend together just relaxing...

~~~~~~

This past weekend was Fall Break, but even so there were activities in which Art and I could have been participating. Perhaps even "SHOULD" have been participating.

But the sun, stars, and moon aligned to give us a few days to ourselves. It was Homecoming Weekend at Oklahoma State University, and what could be more fun for John than to go for a college weekend with his sister and her friends? So off he went, and we were free. FREE!!!! Free...

... except for a couple loose ends of little obligations.

But you know what? We decided we deserved our own weekend to spend together. So we said "NO" to every other activity, and "YES" to US!

Break is now over, and it's back to work tomorrow. However, we had a great time simply spending our time together, and are so glad for once we said "NO"!

~~~~~~

The End. :)

Goodbye Big Bertha....

Big Bertha has been a very important member of our family, and will be sorely missed. Don't worry too much... she is not a person, but our 1998 Windstar minivan. Shelby named her, because Bertha was the first vehicle she ever drove and therefore needed a cute nickname.



Bertha accompanied us on many adventures, many of them pivotal events of our lives. She moved Arthur here from Michigan back in 2003, and made herself at home here in Oklahoma City.



She carried a bunch of Northern goodies for us when we returned from Niagara Falls and Northern Michigan where we spent our honeymoon in 2004.



She faithfully took us on many excursions and summer vacations, until the year she decided to blow her transmission in Springfield, Missouri on the way to Arthur's parent's 60th anniversary celebration. After that, we decided the old lady was too old for cross-country road trips.



Even though she was no longer a strong work horse, she was like a family pet. We would drive her short distances whenever we needed to carry lots of people and lots of stuff. She would faithfully start up in rain and snow, and although she was beginning to make lots of funny noises, we could still count on her to get us safely to where we wanted to go.



Big Bertha's last major assignment was to spend time with Shelby as her transportation at college. The funny noises had increased to where Shelby did not drive her back and forth from Stillwater to the City .... Bertha just lived there on campus. At the end of the school year, Bertha's days were numbered. We knew it was becoming time to send her to that great highway in the sky.

Today we took her to a nice man that worked at a place that had lots of old and new cars who promised to send her off to her next home, and even gave us her plates as a souvenier. He felt sorry for our loss, so he let us take home a younger truck to try to console us.



The truck is nice and all, but Big Bertha, I will miss you!

Our 2010 State Fair Button

Here is this year's Great State Fair photo button...



...the tradition of our family mentioned in John's essay. And, look! The Shriners have gone totally techie! Although the buttons have been digital for the past 4 years or so, this year even the outside banner is computerized. I am sure it is a lot more cost effective than the old Polaroid photos!

The photo button was not this year's biggest highlight of the fair. Our gang decided to surprise John with a 16th birthday celebration.... which was easier than it sounds. He knew we were going to the fair, he just didn't know we made plans for the family to meet up with a cake and presents. Shelby took him off to the midway, and his guests arrived to set up a picnic table with goodies! Pretty sneaky, eh?

Here is a quick little video of our crazy bunch, if you have not already seen it on Facebook. The Fair is a wonderful way of keeping our memories of the past connected with the joys of the present. :)

John's Reflections of his Dad and the State Fair

Once again, State Fair time has come and gone and as always we made sure that we purchased our annual Shriner's photo button. I will scan and post this year's image very soon, but today I am going to share a personal narrative family essay that John wrote about our annual tradition, specifically how much it meant to him the year Andy died.

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

Every fall since 1987, it has been a family tradition in my family to go to the State Fair of Oklahoma and get our picture taken at the Indian Shrine Clown photo booth. That tradition was on the line in 2002 and I was full of concerns. Would the tradition be condemned because Dad had passed away at the beginning of that year? Would I be ready to take the picture without him by my side?

It was a beautiful warm and breezy September day. It was the day to spend at the fair. I was so ready to get through that gate into the sea of excitement and good spirit that the fair brings the state year after year.

“The whole gang is coming; we can’t go just because you’re ready.” Mom reminded me as I mercilessly nagged to leave. Before we left she decided that everyone would wear one of Dads hats in memory of him. She assigned me the job of passing them out. As I handed them to Shelby, Bear, Kelly, Mom, Uncle Terry, Lesley, Kendy, Chris, and Logan; each hat brought back memories of better times. When I stepped back and looked at everyone smiling I knew everything would be alright.

On the way I buried myself in thoughts. My mind was overflowing with questions and worries.

“It’s not going be the same without him” I repeatedly told myself. I knew how much this meant to him so I was overwhelmed, as well as terrified that it wouldn’t go like he would have wanted it.

I knew we were almost there as soon as I could see the space needle towering in the distance. I was running short on time to collect my thoughts. “What am I going to do?”

We pulled into the gate 23 parking lot and parked in the paid section. I knew that meant it wouldn’t be long until we were in. As I handed my ticket to the taker I decided it was time to suck it up and snap to reality. When I got through the gate I looked left and right but I couldn’t decide which way to go. Instead of wasting time contemplating, I just went with my first instinct and went right. Reflecting back on that now I regret that decision because the booth was right around the corner to left. That being the case, it wasn’t until we walked completely around the grounds that I saw a clown blowing up a balloon animal. My eyes lit up and without even thinking about it I dashed as fast as I could to the booth. I was so excited that I didn’t even stop to think that my whole family wasn’t running as well. I had to wait as they lollygagged their way over to the booth. Mom and I gathered everyone together on the side of the booth because there were too many of us to take the photo inside.

Limbo the clown came out with the camera and asked “Is everyone ready?” “Say Limbo!” I had to squint as he snapped the picture because I the sun was blaring down on the side of the booth. I knew that wherever Dad was he had a grin on his face because it went exactly how he would have wanted it.

The rest of the night was fun, but nothing could compare to the perfect picture and a tradition perfectly kept alive by love and devotion by my family and our love for Dad. Even still the tradition is kept alive for him, and every year we take something to represent him in the picture. Our newest picture was taken on 9-26-2010. Dad will never be forgotten and he will always be my hero. A tradition should never die because someone is no longer with us.

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

Follow me?...

A little note to my online community:

Recently, much to my dismay, Ask.com released a statement that they are closing down the Bloglines site. This created a dilemma in my life; how in the world am I going to be able to keep up with my blog subscriptions??? How will I know when one cyber friend gives birth? How can I see the wedding pictures of another, or try to give comfort to a blogger who keeps a grief journal, if I no longer have that wonderful tool that organizes all my reading material into one simple place?

Not only that, how would my two or three regular readers be able to find me? They would forever wonder whether Shelby graduated from college and married her high school beau, or did she decide to enter a convent instead? Did John succeed in getting his driver's licence, how many grey hairs did he give his mother in doing so, and did he become a major league ball player? I CAN'T desert my faithful friends!

I pondered and searched, but the only rss readers I could find were complicated and had to be downloaded, unlike my beautiful, simple Bloglines! But, Eureka!!! Tonight, with the October 1st deadline looming on the horizon, I have found one! So now, my two or three regular readers, you can subscribe HERE!:)

Or if you are on Facebook, you can subscribe via Networked Blogs: Click here.

Goodbye Bloglines. I'm sad to see you go. :(

This has been a public service announcement. You may now return to your regular internet surfing!!!

Just a little wish....

~~~

Happy birthday AB, wherever your spirit rests today.

~~~

Remembering the emotion after 9/11

It is often difficult to go back and capture feelings from the past. Even the happiest occasions or the most tragic events in our lives have their poignant edges sanded and softened by time, and the feelings become a shadow of the original.

But then there is music. Music always has a way of putting me back in the moment, and this video is a perfect example. This is the original performance of "Where were You," performed by Alan Jackson at the CMA Awards, three weeks after 9/11. He later recorded it in a studio, but the studio recording lacks much of the emotion of this one. When I watch it today, I am transported back to that night when a grieving country sat mesmerized as the simple, but powerful, words he sang helped unify us in spirit.

"Faith Hope and Love are some good things He gave us...and the greatest is Love."

Old School Pirate Band

Last night was the debut of the Pirate Band's 2010 marching show. It made me realize that I have been a band parent for a long, LONG time!!! :) Let's see... Jimmy graduated in 1997, so 4 years of high school and 2 years of middle school band... WOW It's been since fall of 1991! Almost 20 years of non-stop percussion. And you all wonder why I am crazy??? :-)

I am very proud of all my band kids, but today I'm putting the spotlight on Jimmy. This is a video from when he was in Jr. High in 1993... specifically what is now Capps Middle School. (Cooper had not been built yet.) He is the slightly nervous musician playing keyboard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXIX-GTDvTo



And this is the Pirate Marching Band 1996-97 Jim is the tall guy on the snare line.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S25v-H_Acwo



Long live Band.... and Band Parents!!!

Making new friends and having fun!

This is another shameless plug for my favorite activity, but it is because I want all my friends to experience the joy and join in the fun that is known as square dancing! It has been almost 40 years since I first set foot in a square dance hall (the story is here) and I have loved it ever since. There is a lot to love!

For one thing, it is a good, healthy activity, cardiovascular exercise, and studies show that similar activities help keep the brain sharp. But unlike many other types of exercise, it is low impact.

Square dancers are some of the friendliest people you could wish to meet! If you are interested in making new friends, it is very easy at a square dance club. And, contrary to common belief, they are not all "old people". You can find folks of all ages that enjoy square dancing. Another great thing about the people is there is no need to worry about getting hit on by a bunch of drunks! Drinking before or during a square dance is forbidden by the official code.

Looking for romance? Well, results may vary, but there are three couples in our club alone who met at square dancing! Most clubs welcome singles, and these singles do mingle....! :-)

It is a thrifty activity, too. For a small monthly club membership fee (ours is $6 per person) you can enjoy all the club dances and other fun events. Our club is noted for the great potluck buffet we provide at halftime. What a great value!!!

Many clubs offer lessons, and many are free or very reasonable. If you are interested, this is a great time of year to take lessons! Look up Square Dancing in the Yellow Pages or Google it to find local clubs. Ask if they give lessons and how many members are in the club. They will probably love it if you come visit on a dance night!!!

And.... NOW for my BIG SALES PITCH!!!

The Swinging Rebels Dance Club of OKC will be offering FREE lessons starting the Thursday after Labor Day! The lessons will be from 7-9PM at the Warr Acres Community Center, NW 42nd and Ann Arbor. So Oklahoma City area friends, please come join us! I guarantee you will be glad you did! :-)

It is with great sadness ...

... that after 32 years of excellent daily customer service:












... and I repeat; after 32 long years, Mom's Taxi Service is preparing to close up shop.

John finished Driver's Ed this past summer, has his learner's permit, and he will be turning 16 in the next couple of months!




Exciting times for him! (Scary times for me.) But it is a very important step in his life!

Hope Flowers

The first time I planted flowers in my front yard was an autumn that Andy was fighting to recover from one of his many surgeries. It also was the first time awareness hit that he and I might not have many more years left together, and I was not sure if he would even live through the winter.

It is always good to have some hope to cling to, something to have a bit of control over. So I planted dozens of daffodil bulbs, thinking and hoping that Andy would be home from the hospital to see them bloom in the spring. I called them my "Hope Flowers," because I was hoping for a bright future. Or if nothing else, I would have something pretty to look at if... he...... NO! STOP!!! I didn't want to think about the other possibility!

He lived to see the daffodils bloom twice. The second time he only was able to see them because, for some reason, they bloomed in February that year; on the very last day of his life. Yet still, all these years later those flowers remain a symbol of hope for me each year that they bloom, and the wind whispers to me of undying love as it rustles through the leaves.

I have continued to work on the flower beds ever since that first year, and Shelby, John, and more recently Arthur have helped me with a variety of plantings. Here is my flower garden this summer. The different blooms represent love of the past, beauty of the present, and hope for the future. For me, hope, like love, never dies.

~ ~ ~

Shelby's triumphant return to college

Last year was Shelby's Freshman year at Oklahoma State University. I don't think anybody is really prepared to begin the university experience and, even though Shelby is a smart kid and an excellent student, she was no exception. By the time she finished the year she was exhausted and discouraged. Her GPA was acceptable, but not what my straight "A" student was used to. Plus, like most college students, she hated never having any extra spending money.

"I had no idea that college was this hard! It is really HARD!!"

I think a lot of it is, not only are the kids not prepared for how difficult the classes are, they also are not prepared for all the freedom that comes with living on campus. There are no parents to set curfews or make them eat healthy, so they end up burning the candle at both ends and burning out! Shelby eventually confessed that she had spent many a night hanging out with her friends as late as 3 AM. When she came home for the summer, she literally slept for three days straight before she even thought about what she wanted to do during the summer.

What she ended up doing made my head spin! When my daughter decides to make changes, she never does anything half-way.

She was hired at The Home Depot to work between 30-40 hours a week. On top of that, she signed up to take two courses at the community college so she could bring her GPA back up to the level she wanted. But even with all that, she managed to get a lot of rest and have a lot of fun! By the end of the summer she had passed her courses with a 4.0, and had enough cash to completely redo her college dorm room.

"I'm going for a more sophisticated look this year," she explained as she picked out a chic multicolor comforter, matching room accessories, and black and white photo posters.

Then, something exciting happened that she had not anticipated. At the end of the school year, Shelby had applied to be an "RA" (Residence Assistant) for the dorms. Originally, she was told that she did not get it. But three weeks ago the college called and offered her the position! What this means is she will have extra spending money after all, because an RA gets free room and board on campus!!!

I am very proud of my daughter! Not only is she living on the top floor of the dorm this year, she is on top of the world. :)

Jesus, Soldiers, and Aliens

OK, this is a bit of a rant, and I may be opening up a can of worms by posting this. But, I received an email the other day that did not sit well with me, and is still niggling in the back of my mind.

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

How ALL phones SHOULD be answered!

GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , a Christian nation of the free and the home of the brave. How may I help you?
.......

Press
'1' for English.
Press
'2' to disconnect until you learn to speak English

And remember only two defining forces have ever Offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, The other for your freedom.

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

The message that Jesus died for my soul is not what bothers me. I love Jesus!

The part about the American Soldier does not bother me. My late husband was a Vietnam vet. I have a son and a step-son that have served in the military. I support our troops and am eternally grateful for the sacrifices of those in uniform.

What bothers me is from what I've learned, Jesus did not speak English, either. Would he have turned his back on me in Nazareth? And the American Soldier has fought and died for our rights, one big one which is the "Freedom of Religion." Yes, I am a Christian, but do Americans really have religious freedom if our nation is identified as a specific religion?

I decided to do a little research and found the following Biblical quotes about aliens. Now, please note, the above email made no reference to any difference between legal or illegal aliens. I guess another reason the email sits so wrong with me is I am the great-grandchild of Polish immigrants that did not know English!

Some quotes from the Bible about Immigrants:

“But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.” Exodus 20:10

“Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.” Exodus 22:21
“Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.” Exodus 23:9

“Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:10

“When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:33-34

“You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 24:22

“The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the Lord: The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.” Numbers 15:15-16

“The priest is to make atonement before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven. One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether he is a native-born Israelite or an alien.” Numbers 15:28-30

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.” Deuteronomy 10:17-19

“Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.” Deuteronomy 24:17-18

“When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.” Deuteronomy 24:19-22

“When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. Then say to the Lord your God: ‘I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.’” Deuteronomy 27:19

“Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.” Deuteronomy 27:19

“The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow.” Psalm 27:19

“If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I have your forefathers for ever and ever.” Jeremiah 7:6-8

“This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.” Jeremiah 22:3

“You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 47:21-23

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.’” Zechariah 7:9-10

“So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the aliens of justice, but do not fear me,’ says the Lord Almighty." Malachi 3:5

“Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord say , ‘The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.’” Isaiah 56:3

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise except for the foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’” Luke 17:15-19

“From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” Acts 17:26

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:19-20

“All those people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.” Hebrews 11:13

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2

Introducing Mr. Comfort!

I have a new best friend. His name is Mr. Comfort.

I have not met him in person yet, but I might call him up one of these days. He is the mascot of a new company. The old company was called ARS.

Yes, I think I may need to give him a call. I won't have any trouble remembering his phone number. You see, the number is 222-2222.

If all this sounds a bit cryptic to you, you can read the whole "Miracle or Coincidence" story here: http://okwildlady.blogspot.com/2002/04/miracle-or-coincidence.html


It's nice to have friends in high places. :)

A Bit of Family Trivia

Every family has its own set of unusual, interesting and unique events and experiences, and my family is no exception. Here are a few tidbits of family trivia that doesn't really amount to much, but they do make conversation pieces to pass the time away! I have hyperlinked the names of the rich and famous, in case they are unfamiliar to anyone reading this.

1. During a few years of his time working at the 36th district court, Arthur worked with Judge Mathis.

2. My mother was a secretary for the Teamster’s Union back in the late 1950's, and at one time was secretary for Bill Bufalino, who was Jimmy Hoffa’s attorney. She took messages from Jimmy Hoffa on several occasions. (But she never knew a thing that went on behind the scenes... the women were never privy to that stuff.)

3. Aunt Kathy met Stevie Wonder in an elevator one day at Montgomery Wards in Detroit.

4. My brother Doug received a beautiful handwritten letter from Lillian Gish in reply to a note he sent.

5. John is now the owner of a baseball that belonged to my dad... One day in 1956 my grandpa took my dad to a Tiger’s game. Since Grandpa was friends with some of the players, he and my dad were allowed in the locker room after the game, and the entire team signed a baseball for my dad. Two signatures of note on the ball: Al Kaline and (now infamous Senator) Jim Bunning. Both of those players are now in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

6. How Grandpa first met those players is he played minor league baseball with some of them in the Toledo Mudhens. Sadly, he didn’t quite make the cut to the Majors.

7. During his service in the military band, Jimmy met and shook hands with President George H.W. Bush.

8. This will seem unremarkable to my Michigan friends, but may be of interest to the rest of you: I used to see Bob Seger in concert for a dollar at our local teen dances. A couple times I sat on the edge of the stage while he and his band (The Seger System and The Last Heard played. :)

So... what famous people have you met?

A cute Nun joke

There were two nuns..

One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM),

and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL ).

It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.

SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It's logical.. He wants to rape us.




SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the most! What can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.


A little while later...


SM: It's not working.

SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM : So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.

SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and I'll go this way. He cannot follow us both.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.



Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried about what has happened to Sister Logical.

Then Sister Logical arrives.

SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here! Tell me what happened!

SL : The only logical thing happened. The man couldn't follow us both, so he followed me.

SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM: And?

SL : The only logical thing happened. He reached me.

SM : Oh, dear! What did you do?

SL : The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.

SM : Oh, Sister! What did the man do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.



SM: Oh, no! What happened then?

SL : Isn't it logical, Sister? A nun with her dress up can run faster than a man with his pants down.


And for those of you who thought it would be dirty,

Say two Hail Marys!