2009 Blogs

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To see my 2009 blogs go to: Jeri-Lynn’s 2009 Blogs

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours

Merry Christmas, Ho Ho Ho

Merry Christmas from Nashville

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The Twelve Days of Christmas

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and a partridge in a pear tree have to do with Christmas?

Rumor has it that from 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly so someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. I checked it out at snopes.com and this account is NOT true. However, I like the symbolism so much, I’m sharing it with you anyway.


-The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stand for faith, hope and charity.

-The four calling birds represent the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. (actually, it’s not “calling” birds – the original song referred to “colly” birds which are blackbirds)

-The five golden rings represent the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. (Note: the gold rings are not jewelry. In the original song they were referring to golden ringed neck birds – such as pheasants. This is in keeping with the “bird” theme).

-The six geese a-laying represents the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represents the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit… Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking stand for the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy,
Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping are the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Despite the fact that this is all made up stuff, I like it. It’s a way to put Christ back into Christmas and it makes a song that makes no sense make sense.

(These symbols are for the Catholic faith. You can fine tune this to suit your religion. )

Christmas Gift Suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.”

~ Oren Arnold

A Christmas Poem

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself...
~Norman Wesley Brooks

How to keep "Christ" in Christmas:

Don’t forget to keep Christ in your Christmas this year. Here are some suggestions:

1. Have family members dress in biblical-type clothing and act out the Holy Night for family and friends (Many young children will love being part of this.) Take photos and use one for next year's Christmas card.

2. As a family, choose some charitable activities you can do together, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or helping with a toy drive.

3. Identify an elderly or low-income person or couple who might not have family support during the Christmas season. Invite them to one of your family gathering, offer to take them Christmas shopping, or invite them to attend a Christmas church service with your family. You might also take them food gifts over the course of the festive season.

4. Plan times to bake Christmas goodies for special family dinners, parties, and gifts. Look for cookie cutters that are Nativity related, such as stars, angels, camels, sheep, and Nativity silhouettes.

5. Make family craft keepsakes and heirloom ornaments imprinted with the year they were made and the name of the maker. (Many craft stores sell simple ornament kits). Consider adding a Christ-centered phrase, such as "Christ, Our King, 2006" or "Jesus - the Heart of Christmas." Over the years you will build a family keepsake collection to treasure.

6. Keep a Christmas journal expressing your thoughts about what happens throughout the season with your family and friends. Include your reactions to the news, sermons, Christmas programs, parties, and gifts, as well as your meditations about Jesus.

7. Hang a large Christmas stocking, intended for a designated needy person or family, in a central location. Beginning at Thanksgiving, family members and friends can deposit small gifts and bills into the stocking. Close to Christmas, the gifts and money are wrapped and presented to the intended recipient(s). Consider doing this anonymously.

8. Invite members of your family, people from church, or neighborhood families to a potluck carol sing. Prepare copies of favorite carols, and set a loose schedule so that you have time to sing all the songs distributed.

9. Do your family Christmas shopping at your favorite Christian bookstore and/or Christian Web sites.

10. Attend your church's Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service as a family to seal the reverence of the celebration of Christ's birth as a valued family tradition.

Excerpted from 101 Ways to have a Christian Christmas by Brenda Verner. Copyright © 2006 by Brenda Verner. This is an excellent book. I highly recommend it.

Also see: 31 Ways to Make Christmas Special

Here are a few more suggestions:

In France, it is common to have a small nativity set on display in the home. Each night, the wise men grow closer to the stable where Joseph and Mary await the birth. Then on Christmas Eve, baby Jesus is placed into the manger.

Find children's books that tell the nativity story in various ways. Read one each night before bedtime. Make it a tradition to read the Biblical version on Christmas Eve.

Separate the holiday: Make Christmas Eve about Christ and Christmas morning about Santa. Sing songs like “Silent Night” and “Away in the Manger” on Christmas Eve – or have Handel’s Messiah playing as your background music. Sing “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman” on Christmas Day - and play a CD of secular Christmas favorites.

The Spirit of Christmas

The Spirit of Christmas

Anonymous

I have a list of people I know all written in a book

And every year at Christmastime I go and take a look

And that is when I realize that those names are a part

Not of the book they're written in but of my very heart

For each name stands for someone who has crossed my path some time

And in that meeting they've become a treasured friend of mine

And once you've met some people the years can not erase

The memory of a pleasant word or a friendly face

So when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you

It's because you're on that list of folk I'm indebted to

And you are one of many folk who in times past I've met

And happen to be one of those I don't want to forget

And whether I have known you for many years or few

In some way you have a part in shaping things I do

This, the spirit of Christmas, that forever and ever endures

May it leave its richest blessing in the hearts of you and yours.

Christmas is for kids

Lincoln (2.6 years) and Emmy (10 mos.)

I can't wait to see their faces on Christmas morning.

Favorite Kinds of Holiday Parties:

What's your favorite kind of holiday party? A friend of mine (who gets a lot more readers than I do) asked this question and here was the response:

• 43% Family-friendly open house
  
• 31% Fancy cocktail parties
• 30% Dinner parties
  
• 26% Gift exchanges / secret Santas
• 16% Cookie swaps
  
• 9% Tree-trimming parties
  
• 7% Office parties
• 7% Caroling

Created on Nov 24, 2008

Total Votes: 926

(Yes, I know. The numbers add up to more than 100% -169% to be exact. That's because people voted for more than one kind of party - apparently that screwed things up a bit. But it still gives you an idea of what people like...in case you are thinking of having a holiday party - - which I'm not - so put your calendars away)

Christmas Charity

Christmas always puts me in the mood for giving and sharing what I have with others. The scriptures tell us that we should give anonymously.

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them…” Matthew 6:1-4

However, I believe in letting your children see you give because they learn to give by observing you. Even better, find opportunities for THEM to give. I joined the National Charity League with my two daughters and that afforded them many opportunities over the years to serve others. Their favorite Christmas activity was participating in the Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” drive. They would volunteer to sit at the Angel Tree table and help shoppers pick a name of a child off the tree to shop for. At the end of their allotted time, the girls would take a couple of names and do their own shopping.

Giving at Christmas is easy. There are boxes in the grocery stores where you can donate canned goods and/or toys for people who need them. When you are checking out you can donate a dollar for a turkey to be given to those in need. When you are making your Christmas cookies, make a plate for a neighbor. You can take your family to a local rest home, or hospital and sing Christmas carols as a family home evening activity.

What is YOUR favorite way to serve others at Christmas?

(for more ideas of ways to teach your children how to serve, go to:

Young Mothers Serving Others )

Prayer for Troops:

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts
they perform for us in our time of need. Amen."

Saying a prayer for our ground troops in Afghanistan , sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq is the best gift you could give our troops - at Christmas, or anytime.

You can express your gratitude by sending a Christmas card to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P. O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD. 20791-5456

Cards received are distributed to the troops

or send an email card. Xerox has put up a site where you select a card and just click "send"
it's easy and it's FREE:

http://www.letssaythanks.com

What I Know for Sure (Maya Angelou)

Maya Angelou was recently on Oprah. Oprah has a thing about asking what people know for sure. Maya said this:

'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow .'

'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back..'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

(Scroll down to January 13^th to see MY list of what I know for sure - What do YOU know for sure?)

2-Ingredient Company Dinner

STEAK WITH GORGONZOLA Makes four servings
4 beef tenderloin steaks (6-8 oz. each)
4 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Preheat broiler. Season steaks with salt and pepper to taste. Coat a pan with cooking spray (I don’t count salt and pepper and cooking spray as “ingredients”) and heat over medium-high heat. Sear steaks for five minutes on each side, then put them in a baking pan and top with 1 ounce cheese each. Heat in broiler about one minute. Remove from oven and let steak rest for five minutes before serving.

I would serve this with poppy seed noodles (just cook noodles and toss with butter and poppy seeds – for 1 lb noodles I’d use ½ to 1 teaspoon poppy seeds – but feel free to use more if you like) and grilled tomatoes.

Grilled Tomatoes:
1 tomato per person (cut tops off and scoop out about 1/3 of the inside - discard.) Tomatoes should be at room temp – not cold.
Fill each tomato with mixture of equal parts Mayonnaise and grated parmesan cheese. (Okay, so that’s three ingredients – big deal). Broil until puffed and brown.

If you want bread, I’d serve a French baguette: sliced and buttered.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas? Yes, I’m ready for Christmas. Thanksgiving has always been my deadline for Christmas gifts. All gifts must be purchased (not necessarily wrapped) by Thanksgiving. That way, I can enjoy the month of December and participate in any charitable opportunities that arise. I’m not stressed out, tired, standing in long lines,…I’m happy, excited, and enjoying the Christmas lights, decorations, and my family and friends.

I canned plums in September (when you could buy them in season and cheap at Costco) to have on hand for hostess gifts, visiting teachers, and anyone I may have forgotten.

Na na na na na.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed."

--Thomas S. Monson

Count your blessings

The reason we sing hymns in church is because we need to hear the words in the lyrics over and over again. We don’t just sing this hymn in November, we sing it (or should sing it) all year long:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the lord has done.

…Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

…When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.

Count your blessings. The economy has beat us all down, but so what? The REALLY important things can’t ever be taken from us. I look at my children and my grandchildren and I’m reminded of what my grandfather used to say when he looked at me and my sisters. He’d point to each of us and say “a million bucks, a million bucks, a million bucks. I’m a very rich man indeed.” Ditto!

Things to do around your Thanksgiving table:

1. All hold hands as someone says the blessing on the food.
2. Go around the table and have each person say something they are thankful for.

Variations:

• Have place cards with a quote inside and have each guest read theirs.
• (See Thanksgiving Quotes for ideas)
• Get clip-on candles that clip to the plate – light one saying what you are thankful for
  then light the next person’s candle. He says what he is thankful for then lights
  the next person’s candle, etc.
• For a more amusing variation, do “I remember when...” and tell a funny story you
  remember about someone at the table (each person’s name should be written on
  a piece of paper and each guest draws a name and tells a story about that person).
• Write a note to each of your guests telling each one what you like best about them. I like to type it on an antique looking paper, roll it like a scroll, tie it with ribbon and lay it on their plate.

“Thou hast given so much to us.
Give one thing more...A grateful heart.”
George Herbert

Jennifer performing in Nashville

My daughter, Jennifer, is a songwriter. She writes about forty or fifty songs a year. She's been having some fun performing as "Molly Jack" in Nashville and singing her songs. She and her husband Adam just bought a house there and life is good (for them - but I will miss seeing them as often as I used to).

You can download her songs for free at: http://www.myspace.com/jenniferlynnjohnson1

Thanksgiving

“Let never day or night
unhallowed pass, but
still remember what the
Lord hath done.”
Shakespeare

Thanksgiving rolls around every year whether we like it or not. It is one of your children’s least favorite holidays…and probably yours too because we have this Norman Rockwell picture in our mind of what a real family looks like, and it’s not ours. Most of our families are less than perfect. If you are lucky enough to have the perfect family – add that to your list of things to be thankful for. If not, just remember that you are part of a much bigger family and one day you will be perfect...and, with any luck, so will they.

I sat in a Sunday school class the week before Thanksgiving and the teacher asked each of us what we were thankful for. Each person had to respond without repeating anything that had already been said. Being the list maker that I am, I wrote down everything they said and I have carried it with me in my wallet ever since. That was over twenty years ago and I still have the list. I’d like to share it with you. Feel free to make your own additions:

“What I’m Thankful for”

What's in your wallet?

Remember this?

The Witch Fire – October 27, 2007

The fires burning in Montecito that have destroyed 100's of homes reminded me of something else I’m thankful for.

Just last year WE were the ones who had to evacuate our homes. We were one of the 2 million people evacuated from San Diego last year. We got a reverse 911 call that said leave immediately. Fortunately, our son-in-law called us a half hour earlier to tell us we’d be getting a call, so we had time to collect things we wouldn’t want to lose. I’ve always had a list posted of things to take if anything like this happened. I gathered everything on the list and we left.

Having gone through that experience, and being told at one point that our house had burned to the ground (which wasn’t true), I’ve added more things to the list. I always thought money and personal possessions weren’t important (I mean, after all, we can’t take them with us – I’ve never seen a Brink’s truck following a hearse). But it is amazing how many memories are attached to some of those possessions. So when you make your list, you have to really think about what you’d miss if your house actually did burn to the ground and add some of those things to your list.

So this year, I’m adding one more thing to my list of things to be thankful for. I’m glad we still have our home. Because after 21 years, the whole house is full of memories.

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin (without spices added)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with a cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the spice cake mix and canned pumpkin until well blended (No, you don't add water, eggs or oil, just the dry cake mix). Spread evenly into the prepared pan (It is a very stiff batter - it comes out looking more like brownies, but it is moist like a cake - trust me) .
3. Put in a preheated oven (I'm impatient, so I usually put it in when the temperature reaches 250), and bake until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and serve, or store in the refrigerator. This tastes even better the next day.

Note: Serve with whipped cream, or, if you want to frost it, a cream cheese frosting would be delicious. Use your own favorite or use mine:

Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (meaning you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with 5 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar.

Happy Halloween!

(Sorry I stole your cartoon Kory - but imitation is the most sincere form of flattery)

“A Girl’s Got to Accessorize!”

I love Halloween. It's my second favorite holiday (Christmas is number one). I dress up every year. This year Amy's family is dressing as the Wizard of Oz characters. Amy is Dorothy, Kyle is the tin man, Lincoln is the scarecrow, and Emerson is the lion. It's a no brainer to figure out what I'll be (a wicked witch). Jennifer is Captain Hook and Adam is Neo from the Matrix.

Lincoln, Kyle, Emerson & Amy
Jen and Adam

Photo credit for greeting card: Dennis Mosner-card@1997 Avanti Press, Inc.

2-Ingredient "Fudge"

With all the holidays fast approaching, I thought I'd share this quick, easy, and delicious fudge recipe. It tastes just like the fancy, slow cooking, candy thermometer kind. If you don't tell, they'll never know. Just a note: The only 12 oz. cans of frosting available in stores around me are the "whipped" frostings. The fudge turns out a little too soft for my taste, so I prefer the 16 oz. cans of regular frostings and I just use 3/4ths of the can. But, to each his own.

2-Ingredient “Fudge”

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) can (or 3/4ths of a 16 oz. can) of ready to spread chocolate frosting
1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips*
(I like nuts, so I add chopped walnuts)


Directions
1. Melt the chips in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute @ 50% power. Stir. Microwave another minute at 50% power.
2. Add frosting and stir until combined. (add nuts if desired)
3. Pour into an 8x8 pan sprayed with Pam cooking spray.
4. Chill until set, about an hour.


*You can use milk chocolate or semi sweet. Try any other flavor combo you can think of.
For Thanksgiving: I like Nestle’s butterscotch morsels and vanilla icing and I add chopped pecans.

For Christmas gifts: white chocolate chips, vanilla icing and add dried cranberries and pistachios (note to mom: you have to take the nuts out of the shell !)

Scroll down to see my 2-ingredient Macaroon Cookie Recipe

No Electricity!

I woke up an hour late this morning because the alarm didn’t go off. I went into my bathroom and turned on the light, but the light didn’t come on. I tried to brush my teeth but my electric toothbrush wouldn’t work. Ah ha. No electricity. So I brushed the old-fashioned way. I took a shower, but didn’t wash my hair because I couldn’t blow it dry.

I went to the kitchen to make some toast, but remembered there was no electricity so I had a bowl of cereal. (When I opened the frig for milk, I realized that if the electricity didn’t come back on, all the food would spoil). How will I cook dinner? No stove, no oven?

I couldn’t watch TV, I couldn’t use the computer, I couldn’t vacuum the house, I couldn’t do the laundry. I couldn’t even make phone calls. “ I know, I’ll go shopping!”

I went out to the garage but the garage door opener wouldn’t work so I couldn’t get my car out of the garage! (Even if I disconnected it, I realized I still wouldn’t be able to get out of the yard because the electric gate wouldn’t open! )

I realized how dependent I was on electricity. It seems everything I do requires it. How can that be?

What did people do before electricity? It hasn’t been around that long – only about 100 years – but my, oh my, how it changed our lives.

I wonder what we don't have now that the next generation won't be able to live without?

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The U. S. Dollar

Wow - the Dow is below 9,000 for the first time in five years!

The high for the year was 4/18/08 - the Dow closed at 12,849

on 10/10/08 it closed at 8,451 !!!

What the heck is going on???

If you don't have any money in the stock market,
Lucky you!

Old Geezer's Mantra:

"My husband can beat your husband at dominoes."

Tacky Party

One of my favorite parties to put on for church is a Tacky party. Everyone dresses tacky,
The food is tacky (green Jell-O, macaroni and cheese, tuna casseroles, decorated cupcakes, etc.), we have a tacky auction (every one brings “white elephant” items and we have a live auction and several tables of silent auction items – the kids LOVE this part of the party) and we even have a tacky talent show (a “gong” show). It is great for the whole family. We give everyone tacky money (we put the Bishop’s face on regular money and Xerox it on green paper. They get ten tacky dollars for coming to the party, 10 tacky dollars if they are dressed tacky, 10 tacky dollars if they brought something for the auction, and 10 tacky dollars if they do a tacky talent .

I come by all this tackiness naturally. I won “Queen of Clash Day” when I was in High School. But even when I’m not trying I can get pretty tacky. Here’s a perfect example:




In the early 80’s I bought this coat for myself (what was I thinking) and liked it so much I bought one for my mother for Christmas. (I should have put it where it belongs – on the bathroom floor!). You can see how much my mother loved it, look how thrilled she was.



Is tackiness inherited? After Jennifer’s Halloween party, my mom asked what she was going to do with the skeletons. She asked if she could “store” them for her. This is what she had in mind. She put this out in front of her house in Hemet (where it is known for being very hot). Then she put four around a card table and had them playing cards. Now who’s the queen of tacky? (Looks like the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. I guess we were both in the shallow end of the gene pool).

Gypsy Curse

Did you know that the worst card in a Tarot deck is NOT the death card? It is the Seven pentacles card (left). It basically says, “You will get what you want.” Yup. If you got that card you’d be happy, right? What you don’t know is that, “May you get what you want” is a gypsy curse. It’s the worst curse they can bestow upon you. We have the same saying, “Be careful what you wish for, for you shall surely get it.” or as Oscar Wilde put it, "In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants and the other is getting it." Wise people of all ages have come to realize that getting what we want is rarely good for us.

Don’t be the person who spends his life climbing the ladder to success, only to find when he reaches the top, that his ladder was on the wrong building.

When making your plans and dreams, run them by your Heavenly Father before pursuing them. He knows what is best for you. Ask Him to help you see the drawbacks and make a more realistic assessment of your dreams and aspirations. So when you reach your goal, you will be happy with what you got.

- - - - -

(I know what you are thinking..."Where is all this gypsy tarot card stuff coming from?" and "How does she know? " First, it's October and Halloween is coming, so I thought I'd get you in the spirit. Second, My grandmother had some gypsy in her and I guess she passed a little on to me. Also, I've been the gypsy fortune teller at my daughter's halloween party for the last five years and each year I did a little more research so I'd sound authentic. FYI, I have developed a really good gypsy accent. I can read tarot cards, read your palm, read your aura and cast spells. well, not REALLY, but I do a great imitation).

Paul Newman

Paul Newman

(January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008)

If I had to pick my all-time favorite actor, it would be Paul Newman. The only time I ever saw him in person was when Alan and I were flying home from New York in 1977. We were in first class and he was sitting about two rows ahead of us. At one point during the flight, he was standing in front of the restrooms talking to a stewardess. I figured this was my opportunity to get up close and personal. I said, "excuse me" as I moved past him. After mustering up a little more courage (since I had already broken the ice) I waited until he returned to his seat, then went over and asked him for his autograph. He flatly refused saying, "I don't DO that." in a very rude tone.

I understand how stars must hate people bothering them for their autograph. I've never done it before (or since). But it wasn't like I was bothering him in a restaurant. He was just killing time on a plane. We were in FIRST class, so I wasn't some hick. And, I was seven months pregnant (give the lady some pity Paul).

.

Bottom line? I've never liked him since. I didn't go to any more of his movies (I showed him). The best part was my retribution: When we got to Los Angeles, his wife (Joanne Woodward - also a movie star) was waiting for him. He didn't see her and walked right on out to the street. After waiting a few moments, I went up to him and said, "your wife was waiting for you upstairs." Gotcha!
.
I never went to any of his movies after that incident. He ticked me off. But I still have a lot of respect for his body of work. He was probably one of the best actors of my time and he'll be missed.

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P.S. He was also a great humanitarian. He started a food line called Newman's Own and donated all the post tax profits to charity (at the time of his death this amounted to over $250 million.)

Have you read my blog yet?

I often wondered why no one ever comments on my blogs. Now I know.

Ills, Wills, and Pills

I’m 63 and my husband is 72. We used to make it a policy not to discuss politics and religion with our friends because sometimes the discussions could get nasty. However, at our age, we’re increasingly more willing to branch out and participate in the current debates because, hey, it’s way more interesting than our usual conversations which seem to be focused on ills, wills, and pills.

Happy Anniversary

Here we are on our 38th wedding anniversary - on our way to the Manhattan Restaurant in La Jolla for the best canelloni in town.

Here are some of my secrets to a successful marriage:

1. Never, ever, ever threaten divorce.

2. Never stomp out of an argument - give yourselves 1 hour to cool off, then try again to work it out (and don't think YOU have to always win).

3. No yelling and screaming - he's in the room. He can hear you. Calm down.

4. Treat him the way you want him to treat you.

5. Mark his calendar for important dates (like birthdays or any other time you expect a gift) so he's less likely to forget. If he still forgets, buy yourself a gift and give him a big kiss thanking him for it.

.

I want him to be happy, he wants me to be happy. It's as simple as that.

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Where was God on 9/11?

There were 50,000 people employed at the twin towers of the World Trade Center. 2,603 lost their lives. 94% survived.
There were 23,000 people employed at the Pentagon. Only 125 lost their lives. 99.5% survived.
American Airlines Flight 77 could have carried 289 people. There were only 59 aboard.
American Airlines Flight 11 could have carried 351 people. There were only 88 aboard
United Airlines Flight 175 could have carried 351 people. There were only 59 aboard
United Airlines Flight 93 could have carried 289 people. There were only 40 aboard.
(and these passengers overtook the terrorists and prevented the flight from reaching
its target – saving untold numbers of lives.)
Two other planes were to have participated, but they were grounded after the first wave.

In other words, out of potentially 74,280 directly targeted by the terrorists, 2,974 died - more than 96% survived! Then throw in the potential targets of the last three flights that didn’t reach their destinations and you up the survival percentage to…let’s say, 98, 99%?

Make no mistake. God was there!

(That is not to say that we in any way diminish the losses of that day. All of America will be thinking of those who lost their lives and the families who mourn them. God bless you all.)

Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up

So far I’ve managed to keep the wrinkles at bay. Good genes has a lot to do with it, as well as using sun block, and a good moisturizer. But I think the biggest secret to good skin is not smoking or drinking. I can spot a smoker before they ever light up. I know that skin. There is one other secret that most people don’t know about and I’m going to let you in on it: Get rid of your worried/frowny/squinty face and replace it with a smiley one.

My grandfather used to say that after 40 we are responsible for our own face (well, actually Albert Camus said it first). He always used it in the context that we can’t blame what we’ve become on a bad childhood. But I’ve come to realize that there is a literal application. If we live an unhealthy lifestyle, we'll have bad skin and bags under our eyes. If we are a gloomy Gus all the time, our face begins to sag. If we frown all the time, we have frown lines. But if we live right and keep a smile on our face, regardless of what’s going on in our lives, those smiley muscles pull our face up and give us a more youthful look.

So, the next time you look in the mirror and you don’t like what you see – smile.
Photo credit: Dennis Mosner-Thom Lang – card@2008 Avanti Press.Inc

Earth is the insane asylum for the universe

My husband and I used to marvel at the strange friends we had. On the way home from an outing we’d say to each other, “why is everyone we know so different from us?” Our favorite saying became, “All the world is strange* save thee and me, and even thou art a bit strange*.” Then we’d ask ourselves if maybe WE were the ones who were weird. The jury is still out.

It is becoming increasingly evident however, that we must be the weird ones – since in forty years we haven’t met anyone else like us.

*The actual quote used the word “queer” but the quote is from the 1820’s when queer meant strange, odd, etc. It has an entirely different meaning today.

Mood Swings

My husband, being unhappy with my mood swings, bought me a "mood ring" the other day so he would be able to monitor my moods. We've discovered that when I'm in a good mood, it turns green. When I'm in a bad mood, it leaves a big red mark on his forehead. Maybe next time he'll buy me a diamond.