Mary Ann:  I found Elba, Minnesota.  It is very close to the Mississippi and a 2 hour drive from St. Peter (where one grandson goes to school).  We have a lot of relatives all over the state and last year spent time in 4 separate areas. 

June:  You wrote a very nice message. 

Jenny: We have exactly the same one ($35) and it just doesn't bring in all of the channels.  We can see the mountain with the tower and it still does not work as well as it should.  But - this is more than we ever had years ago. 

Carolyn:  What is happening in your part of the world?   

Good morning.

It is a bright and sunny day here in the Mile High.  We are going to warm up some for a couple of days then another snowstorm is projected on Wednesday.

CAROL, I am sorry your antenna does not work that well for you in that area.  I know the ones that are NOT ampufied do not get good ratings.....but the amplified ones sure do. 

LARRY, I have always enjoyed listening to Roger Whitaker ..... I have to admit I would not find life quite as fulfilling if I did not have access to music.  It is a part of my daily life.  I am a hummer.....drive my family crazy at times, so when music is playing my mind is very happy.  I, too, am a bargain seeker, so I always check around before making a purchase.  At times the ease of buying on Amazon makes it worth the cost of a item, if I have to pay extra for shipping, etc. and of course the convince of getting it delivered in two days.  You do have to be careful though as they are not always the cheapest.

GLORIA.....AFRAID STILL.....thank you again for saving and sharing. 
I feel bad for the lady that is being evicted, but rules are rules and she should have lived within them.  As for you having to stay away from those that smoke when you are with them....of course you are going to pick up the smell, but she would have a hard time proving that you smoke in your apartment when of course you DO NOT! 

YEA, JANE, your Friday plans sound wonderful.....I am happy for you.

GLORIA de, happy the rains in your area have not been too bad....hope it stays that way. 

Enjoy your day.

Jenny

Good morning everyone.

Even though it's only February the nights are getting cooler which I must say pleases most of us as we have a very humid climate.

What is happening here? We have had mass immigration over the last 9 years which has resulted in born and bred kiwis being displaced in the Housing market by wealthy migrants who have pushed the value of our Real Estate Sky high. For instance my little house is worth almost $800,000 on the current market. We have a lot of homeless people now because they cannot afford the rents which have also skyrocketed because of demand. There is not enough social housing for the people on lower incomes. I feel sad that this is nothing like the Country I grew up in.

In my city we have a huge Asian population now. If you went into the CBD you could be forgiven for thinking you are in HongKong. Amongst all of us it is our indigenous people who are suffering the most with the overblown Housing Market.

Then we have Peter Thiel who bought his citizenship. He now owns prime NZ Real Estate. The Global Elite have decided NZ is their bolthole in case of an Apocalypse of some kind. Prime land is being bought up by these Elites. This is not welcomed by the majority of the population.

So that is Aotearoa (NZ) in 2018.

My suburb is very built up now. A lot of Townhouses, Apartments, Mews Developments. There are more Multi Dwelling Developments in the pipeline. When we moved here 44 years ago we had cows across the road. Orchards and vineyards in the Hood. It has all gone.

I live very close to all amenities. 5 mins from Medical Centre and Hospital. 5 mins from many shopping outlets, Malls etc. 12 mins by car from the City Centre in off peak traffic. 5 mins drive to the Station. Brooke uses the trains and buses a lot. Her Campus is in the City Centre. There are 35,000 plus students at Auckland University. Thousands more at AUT which is also  in the City centre. Streets teeming with students. Most Auckland kids live at home because they are so close to our Foremost University.

Our waterfront is crowded now with Apartment buildings, bars and restaurants. I never go into the City. It's expensive to eat there and we have lots of cafes and eateries out here where I am.

We still have our Wild West Auckland beaches for which I am thankful. I hope future generations will keep this area as a Regional Park as it is now.

I hope everyone is well today.


Carolyn

 Fascinating Story, from WWII !
       
Starting in 1940, an increasing number of British & Canadian Airmen found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape...
 
Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and accurate map, one showing not only where stuff was, but also showing the locations of 'safe houses' where a POW on-the-lam could go for food and shelter.
 
Paper maps had some real drawbacks -- they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush.
 
Someone in MI-5 (similar to America 's OSS ) got the idea of printing escape maps on silk.  It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads, and unfolded as many times as needed, and makes no noise whatsoever.
 
At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington Ltd.   When approached by the government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort.
 
By pure coincidence, Waddington was also the U.K. Licensee for the popular American board game Monopoly.  As it happened, 'games and pastimes' was a category of item qualified for insertion into ‘CARE packages', dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war.
 
Under the strictest of secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany, Italy, France or where ever Allied POW camps were located.   When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece.
 
As long as they were at it, the clever workmen at Waddington's also managed to add:
 
1.    A playing token, containing a small magnetic compass
 
2.    A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together
 
3.    Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination German, Italian, and French currency, hidden within the piles of Monopoly money!
 
British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first  mission, how to identify a 'rigged' Monopoly set â€" by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking  square..
 
Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWS who successfully escaped, an estimated one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Monopoly sets.  Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefinitely, since the British Government might want to use this highly successful ruse in still another, future war.
 
The story wasn't declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony.
 
It's always nice when you can play that 'Get Out of Jail' Free'  card!
 
Some of you are (probably) too young to have any personal connection to WWII (Sep. '39 to Aug. '45), but this is still an interesting bit of history for everyone to know.

Carolyn, thank you for the most interesting post. Your area can be easily confused with various places in the U.S.Not as many wealthy areas here, than in New Zealand, but homes the average American can not afford. to the best of my knowledge, unless they go deep into debt. I am situated in a care facility of which we have many here is So.Ca. I now live nearer my son and Daughter in Love. I moved here two years ago, and I love it. It is run by a Quaker religion, but all faiths are welcome. I could not be happier. Fifteen minutes from Gary and Dori.

We started out with sunny skies, but clouds are forming now, so hopefully the forecast of rain will come true.

I had a big lunch downstairs today, so I will stay home and have a light supper in my Apt. and a nice quiet evening.

I'm still suffering pain from my fall of 10 days ago...these old bones and muscles do not recover as quickly anymore. I see my Dr. again on Wed., so I will have a list of questions for her.

My house plants are sending me mental messages that this is watering day, so I had best get busy with that. 

Today was an all around GOOD day!  The sun came out after many days of rain, I got an excellent report from my Dr. visit (she says I have another 20 years to look forward to....we'll see about that) and Kiran and I had a good visit. 

Now I bid you all GOOD NIGHT; I wish you a peaceful night and pleasant dreams!

Good morning everyone...

Had a great visit with son, daughter in love and Skye the Dane They took us down to where a movie company is changing all the face fronts of the stores to make another movie of Anne. Streets that were paved are now red sand from PEI and the sidewalks were made of  wood.

Today is VON ,not sure if we will head to the vets to pick up pills today or leave it for another day. I do have lots on hand but one never knows what the next day will bring and of course weather has a bearing on it too.

Jane ,happy to read of your fantastic day..nice to catch up with old friends and top it off with time with Kiran.

Lloyd, I found that very interesting to read.

Better go chase the dust bunnies before VON gets here.

Enjoy your day everyone..

Good morning Evryfriend!  Waiting for the "boinger" for the doggies pill and getting ready for my stint at WM while I wait.  Enjoy your day!

Good Morning everyone. Amy glad you did.do not know where it originated but peter sent it to me, so he deserves the credit for it being posted here. he is a good friend to us all. we enjoy each other on Skype often. we enjoy comparing words spelled same but have defferant meanings. ( example finch frays here is patoe chips there)Have a good day.

Lloyd

Good morning everyone, it is cold this morning back in the lower 20's again. The forecast for the end of the week does not sound good. Rain and very strong wind. Still not as bad as what has happened in the middle of our USA.

LLOYD  I pray your hope of traveling around the country and meeting some of our “family” happens. I am a home body and only went to California because my daughter moved there.

LARRY  I enjoy coming here and reading what every one is doing. As long as I have my computer and some books to read I am content. I seldom go anywhere, mostly for appointments.

JENNY  it is not just the smoking but we cannot open and widows. The baseboard heating runs below the window and the pipes will freeze and break Then also the particle board window sill will warp and need replacing. Goodness we all like to get a little fresh air in on the days when it is above 40 and the sun is shining in. Of course we are all old and feeble and our minds do not know what to do any more. Grrr. I am glad I saved so,e of Joan's posts and thought of posting them again. I am not trying to take her place, no one cam ever do that, but I can share again those I saved.

CAROLYN  the last place I worked we Americans were the minority, some Asians but mostly Latinos. At least they all learned our language. Those who move here and want all the traditions the left behind and expect us to cater to them. Like the town I live in, when I moved here it was really country, self contained town with all the stores and things needed. Then the elderly started passing on and their homes were bought by city folks who wanted the conveniences of the city. It brought too much change but is still better than the noise and traffic and every thing else of the cities. Now we have only 1 market in town where we had about 8 before in different areas. Now everyone has a car so they head for malls and the stores here are gone.

LLOYD  wonderful story from WW2. I have copied it to share.

JUNE  I only have 3 plants left and one is looking sick.

JANE  not everyone is told by  their doctor they wee still be here at the age you will be in 20 years.

Attitude
Charles Swindall

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude to me is more important than facts.

It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what other people think, or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.

It will make or break a company, a church or a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing that we can do is to play on the one string we have and that is our attitude.

I'm convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you.

GLORIA, I've had that one posted on my office bulletin board since Joan ran it back....whenever!

Hi Everyone.  It is a beautiful day that is going to be in the high 60's by late afternoon.  I woke up feeling alive this morning after two days of being exhausted.  So am looking forward to the day.  We need to get Pat a new phone as hers started acting crazy yesterday.  She uses the small phone that isn't a smart phone and the last one we got at Walmart so guess that is likely to be where we will go today.  Then we will probably have our main meal out today.  I am thinking Ruby Tuesdays sounds look.  I have nothing else pressing the rest of the day.

Roley, I didn't realize that Roger Whittaker had died.  He had such a nice voice.  Hope it didn't get too cold last night for you.  Bed socks sound like a good idea. 

Carol, when I watch some of the TV shows made years ago and see the quality of the picture it makes me realize how far the industry has come to give us great pictures.  At the time of those old shows one didn't think anything about them not being good quality.  Now the picture is great and often the content isn't. 

Jenny, I have loved music all of my life and listen to it almost every day.  For several years I have had a Spotify Premium account and can find almost any artist and get a great many of their recording.  There are no commercials with the Premium account so you just get music one song after another.  I used to like to whistle until Pat asked me not to do so as her father had done that and she didn't like it.  I agree with you about Amazon and buying from them. I understand that the man who started Amazon is now the richest man in the world.  The other day due to the Amazon stock going up he gained a billion dollars of worth is one day. 

Carolyn, I had sort of forgotten that your season are just opposite of ours and as we approach Spring in about three weeks you are approaching your autumn months.  Your housing prices are really something.  Our world is certainly changing.  The first home I bought in Oklahoma in probably 1963 was $14,000 and it was a nice little three bedroom with garage starter home.  We have housing development in our area where the home are now starting at $150,000 and they are reasonable nice home.  We have a lot of investment by China.  I read recently that a Chinese company just bought the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City and they own huge amounts of property in many other places.  It sounds like you live in a very good location. 

Lloyd, that was certainly an interesting story about WWII and Monopoly and thanks to Roley for sending it to you and your sharing it.  I have sent it to a number of my friends.   

June, hope your area got some rain yesterday as know California needs the moisture. 

Jane, that is the kinds of doctor's report we would all like to get.  I am hopeful for at least 10 more years.  Glad you had a nice day yesterday. 

Amy, when we first moved to Georgia and went into the small town nearby they were in the process of making a horror movie on the one street and temporary signs were in place of the actual ones.  Local citizens were being used as extras in the movie.  It was an old, old town. 

Gloria, I see your sharing of the things your saved that Joan had found and posted for us as a real tribute to her hard work.   

This was sent to me in email by one of the Senior Net participants, Eugene Thomas.  I thought maybe it would give you all a chuckle.

Crazy signs and dumb typos

ENJOY..................
Did I read that
Sign right?     
TOILET OUT OF ORDER.
PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW

In a Laundromat     
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES:
PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department
Store     
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office     
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE
STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE
TAKEN

In an Office     
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD
EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD

Outside a second hand shop
   
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING -
BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC.
WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG
AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN

Notice in health food shop
Window     
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Spotted in a safari park (I sure hope
So)     
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR

Seen during a
Conference     
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR

Notice in a farmer's
Field     
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE,
BUT THE BULL CHARGES.
 
Message on a leaflet     
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET
WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS

On a repair shop
Door 
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING
(PLEASE KNOCK HARD -
THE BELL

Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn't
You say?

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and
Daughter   
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called
The Editorial Room and asked who wrote this.
It took two or three readings before
The editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says   
Really?
Ya think?

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers   
Now that's taking things a bit far!   

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over   
What a guy!   

Miners Refuse to Work after
Death   
Good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting
Defendant   
See if that works any better than a fair
Trial!   

War Dims Hope for Peace   
I can see where it might have that
Effect!

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile   
You think?!   

Cold Wave Linked to
Temperatures   
Who would have thought!   

Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide   
They may be on to something!   

Red Tape Holds Up New
Bridges   
You mean there's something stronger than duct
Tape?   

Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge   
He probably IS the battery charge!   

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft   
That's what he gets for eating those beans!   

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks   
Do they taste like chicken?   

And the winner is....
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery;
Hundreds Dead   
Did I read that right?   

Almost Noon here is So. Ca. and no rain in sight. Bright sunshine this morning but dimming down now, so I have hope.

I am due to attend a Food meeting with our main kitchen staff this afternoon, but I may not attend. This is the 12th day now since I took that nasty fall,and I am still suffering pains from the waist on down to my toes. My Dr. will be here tomorrow, so she is going to get an earfull from me.

I will be going downstairs for lunch pretty soon, then home to read and nap. In the meantime, I will call the lady that heads the food committee, and give her my regrets.

See you later my friends......keep the faith. June

I'm home from work (did a couple errands on the way)  gave the doggies a snack and decided to wait for supper for myself.  I'm kind of tired so I think I'll go see what TV shows are playing on the inside of my eyelids.  A short nap and then supper.  Sounds like a plan!

JENNY, I giggled my way through the editorial mistakes even though I've seen it before.  FUNNY!

June   ..... 

Just a bit of advice..

As the old saying goes
"The squeaky wheel gets oiled...

If I were  not satisfied with the
treatment that I was getting, 
I would raise my voice and not stop
until something was done!

Even though I know how hard that is,
for you to do....   Just do it.

IMHO,  you are paying for services that you
are apparently not getting.   

So be strong and advocate for your self.   
You have earned this right. 

Hugs,
Sandy

Good morning to Amy, Lloyd, Sandy, Jane S, Goria, Larry, Jenny and June. Are there 2 Janes? If I've missed one of you I'm sorry. 

Very windy here in Tamaki Makaurau ( Maori name for Auckland) this morning. Much cooler and Autumn seems to be infiltrating the air.

The dog and I went went for a walk as usual and stopped off at the coffee shop ( as usual). Before I left I bought enough coffee to last me until Tuesday. ( Ground beans) The coffee shop also roasts coffee for all the branches and the online store. On roasting days the whole hood smells delicious.

The neighbourhood where I live has gradually become gentrified. The entire World seems to want to live in Auckland so the influx of newcomers has changed the demographics. There are many million dollar homes now in this suburb. It's demand. You can't get anything even a small apartment under $500,000. Australia and Canada have the same problem in cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Vancouver. You would pay much less in cities in the USA with the same populations. People are paying to live near the Ocean and the Hauraki Gulf. So for the person who thought I must live in a good area it's not that,  it's just ridiculously overpriced for very modest Real Estate.

We have a lot of trees in the Hood, lots of bird life and lots of ducks because the estuary is just a few mins walk from my house. The ducks have their babies in the next street and then they move to my street because over generations they have learned it's easy pickings for food. They get worms from our lawns and beg for hand outs. In breeding season we all take to turns to protect the ducks and ducklings as they cross the road. They do this several times a day.

The ducklings from last Spring are now fully grown ducks. They wander the street in gangs of around 12 ducks. If I leave the gates open they come in and sleep on the front lawn. When I want to let the dog out I have to herd the ducks back on to the pavement ( sidewalk to you).

We don't have any predators in my Country only cats which of course were brought in by early settlers. We don't have any native mammals only birds. We have an ancient reptile called the Tuatara which has remained unchanged for millions of years. Scientists say it's a miniature kind of dinosaur. We have native bats and lots of harmless native creepy crawlies.

June you really must ask for the health care you obviously need. Sandy is right. You deserve it.

I'm going to have a hot lunch today. Left over curry. Tonight I can just make myself a toasted sandwich. I love days I don't need to cook.

Take care everyone

Carolyn

Sandy, thank you for your kind thoughts. My doctor will get an earful tomorrow. There is not much they can do for me though when I refuse hospitalization, or a bunch of tests that would just wear me down some more.The most she can do for me is prescribe pain medication,and I don't like to fill my self up with that stuff either. I have a suspicion that a lot of the pain I'm feeling is due to the PAD…my  arteries are full of stuff, and the veins are trying to take over what the arteries can't handle, so pain…..

Carolyn, I think what I said to Sandy will help you understand my attitude. I'm 93, had a great life…nothing outstanding, but I lived it to the fullest. What the medical folks do now is run all kinds of tests, and it shows them what the  problems are…and how they are increasing, but there is no cure. I know there is no cure, because I have studied it all on my computer. My body has unfixable problems and that's it. So I grump now and then, but I'm really a happy person and very thankful, and I love all of you folks who care. What breed of dog do you have Carolyn ? This is the first time in my life I have no pets, and I miss them. But they need care that I can no longer give.  My oldest son lives in the small town of Santa Cruz, Ca., and real estate has gone crazy out here too. They have a small two bedroom home, and if they sold now they could make a tremendous profit, just because there is no land available there. How long have you lived in Aukland ?

Evening is settling in here. I was planning on going downstairs for dinner…I have never eaten crab cakes which is being served, but changed my mind and pulled a Pizza for one out of the freezer and I will eat at home. Hope to return to say Goodnight later. June

I''ve had a lazy day since I came home from work.  I made a few phone calls and settled some business and cleared my upcoming weekend so I can enjoy my visit with my sister. 

CAROLYN, when I joined the old Senior Net, there was another person who posted as Jane, and one who posted with an initial so I became JaneS.  The "S" represents my last name but I think I might be the only Jane who is currently posting here.

The more you post the better I remember you.  It's all coming back...especially the girls.  I remember them as little ones so you must have been gone for a while!

I'm going to be off to bed in a little bit.  I slept better last night than I have in a long time.  It was probably a combination of my good Dr. visit and the fact that my daughter had arrived home safely from her visit to Texas.  Also partly because I did as the Dr. suggested and took 2 Ibuprophen before I went to bed.  She suggested that I try this for a couple weeks until I feel. rested.  I'm thinking it might be a good idea.

Good Night my friends.  Sleep well and I wish you sweet dreams!

Good morning everyone..

After my appointment with the chiropractor we are off to pick up pills for Golden Girl. This is a 40 min drive and if I time it right, can treat hubby to lunch I just hope the rain and /or snow holds off till we get back home. The snow really took a beating yesterday another day like that and there would be little snow left. We know we are not that lucky to think no more snow as I am sure we will get a couple of doozie snow storms yet.

Yesterday I did get my work done and managed to sneak in a nap after VON left to go see a 103 yr old lady..Started working on another quilt and am anxious to see it done.

Jane, have a great time with your sister, I would imagine you have a lot to catch up on. So nice to be able to sit back and let someone else drive.

Jenny, enjoyed the mistakes..I remember one I had read before. Dog for sale, eats anything, loves children.

Gloria, any word on your son's apple trees?

Joy is MIA ??

Better  get a move on here.

Enjoy your day everyone..

Good morning Everyfriend and especially you, AMY.  Sounds like you have a (more or less) fun day planned.  I hope it all works out...especially lunch on the way!

We're waiting for the boinger for the doggies pills and I think I'm going to try to get ready for work while we wait.  I'm having my coffee now but if I have a half hour, I can be ready for work when the boing goes.  Enjoy your day Everyfriend!

Good morning everyone on the last day of February, mid 30's and the sun is shining.

JANE  glad I am not the only one who saved some of the goodies Joan posted. 

LARRY back in the mid 1950's my FIL bought a duplex with each side having 7 rooms. Large front porch and back porch. We had one side and a sis in law the other side, he paid $3,500. for that house. That house was better built than this one I live in now. Posting some of Joan's old posts is my way of saying we will never forget her and I really miss her, thanks.

JENNY  are you still in contact with the Thomas family? Cannot remember the daughter's name but she had sent me some of her wedding pictures to post but then SN shut us out so never did.

JUNE  I have been in pain with my back for more years than I want to think about. Nothing can be done, had PT and pain pills that hardly take the edge off. Very little I can do for myself so I have an idea how you feel.

AMY  too early yet to know if there will be an apple crop this year. He did say the trees look better than the last few years.

Have a good day.

Angel on My Shoulder
By Marya Morin

When I was little, I was taught that everyone has a guardian angel assigned to him or her from the moment of birth. I even believed that if I turned around quickly enough, I would catch sight of mine. Of course, that never happened.
I retained my faith over the years, but eventually stopped believing in the existence of an invisible winged being protectively hovering over me to grant my every wish. The cliche "angel on my shoulder" became just that, an outdated expression that belonged in hymns and childish dreams.
I grew up, married and had a child. Although blessed in many ways, life was a constant struggle financially, hitting an all-time low three years ago. My husband lost his job of thirty-five years. We had managed to buy our first home only a year before, and although the mortgage was low, it quickly depleted the small settlement he received as compensation for all his years of hard work.
Jobs were non-existent in our rural area. We maxed out our credit cards within months just trying to survive. Our outlook was bleak, forcing us to face the harsh reality of our situation; we would have to put the house up for sale and rent a small apartment.
We had no equity in our home, so there would be nothing left from the sale to pay off our other bills. Declaring bankruptcy was inevitable, and we began to plan accordingly.
"We need to get the house market-ready," my husband stated sadly. "We'll clean the chimney, empty the septic tank and repaint. We'll also have to file our income taxes so we can declare that debt along with the rest," he added, rubbing his tired, red-rimmed eyes.
I nodded quietly and got up to get the paperwork. We'd filled out income tax forms several months earlier but never filed. Due to the lump sum settlement, we knew we owed thousands of dollars. Now there would be interest and late filing fees as well. I handed him the thick forms with all our other bills and called the chimney sweep to come the next day.
"Don't forget, we still have the chimney sweep's coat he left here last year," my husband reminded me, and I retrieved that too, tossing it on the back of the chair. As it landed, a crumpled piece of paper fell out of the pocket. I bent to pick it up and saw it was an old twenty-dollar bill.
"Wow â€" that's ancient!" my husband remarked.
"It's still money," I pointed out bitterly, my hands shaking from the temptation to keep it. It was a small amount, but to me, it was a windfall.
I looked at my husband and saw the same thought in his sad eyes. Surely, the owner would never remember it was there, and if he did, well, what proof did he have?
We were silent for a long time. Always of one mind, we reached the same conclusion. I tucked the money back into the jacket. We resumed our discussion of what needed doing, glancing longingly at the coat every so often, but the money remained there.
The next day, my husband went to see a tax accountant to recheck our forms. I waited for the chimney sweep. His fee sat neatly on the table in embarrassingly small bills and change.
He arrived, did his job, collected his money and thanked me profusely for keeping his coat for so long.
"I'm sorry. I meant to come by several times to get it, but just never got around to it." I waved him off with a forced smile.
After he left, I went to make coffee. It would be weak, since I was scraping the bottom of the can to collect the last grains. I reached for the milk I'd been so sparing with, hoping it would last until we received a small check we were expecting. I'd been too stingy! The milk made a glopping sound as soured lumps fell into my coffee.
It was the final straw! In a rage, I threw my cup across the kitchen into the dining room where it shattered against a mirror. Diluted coffee streamed in rivulets down the wall and pooled with the glass shards on the floor.
"Why?" I screamed at a God, who I felt had abandoned me. "We're good people. We're honest, work hard, and this is our reward?" I railed. "I know you're busy. I know we're not important, but can you at least send one of those angels you want me to believe in to help us out a little? I'm not asking for a fortune! I just want to keep what little we have!" I screamed, tears saturating my face.
I breathed shakily, trying to compose myself. Grabbing a dustpan and a rag, I bent down to pick up the broken glass. As I did so, I felt a gentle, comforting touch on my shoulder. Startled, I whirled around to see a reflection in a small piece of mirror â€" a beautiful woman's face surrounded by a bright light. She had the bluest eyes I'd ever seen, and she smiled reassuringly, as if to say, "Everything is going to be all right." A moment later, the image was gone, replaced again by glass shards dotted with coffee splatter. I sat back, filled with a warm sense of peace.
I was still sitting on my heels in a daze when the phone rang. I got to my feet clumsily, reaching for the receiver.
"Hello?" I murmured.
"Honey, are you sitting down? You need to sit down!" It was my husband, his voice raw with emotion.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." He laughed. "Everything's right! I made a mistake on the taxes. We're getting money back â€" lots of money!"
He went on to explain his error. His jabber made no sense. All I wanted to know was how much our refund would be. When he told me the amount, I gasped. It was more than enough to pay off all our debts, and still leave us with money to buy food and wood for the winter. I was stunned.
I was replacing the phone when it rang again. It was the chimney sweep. He replied to my cheerful hello with an exuberant one of his own.
"I just called to thank you for your honesty," he began. "I found something in my jacket pocket that I thought I'd lost forever â€" a twenty-dollar bill my mother gave me forty years ago for my Confirmation. I never spent it because it was the last thing she gave me before she died a week later."
"Well, I'm glad you found it," I told him, guiltily remembering those few ugly moments when I was tempted to steal it for my own needs.
"May angels always watch over you, ma'am," he told me softly, and I smiled, my eyes filling with tears.
"They do," I whispered as I hung up the phone.

Hi Everyone.  We are going to have a rainy and relatively cool day in the low to mid-60s.  We plan on going to the Church this evening for the Wednesday night dinner. 

Yesterday it was a beautiful day outside.  We did enjoy nice petite steak dinners at Ruby Tuesdays.  I had the salad bar for one of my two sides. There salad bar contains over 50 items and is really good. We then went to Walmart to get Pat a new cell phone as hers has become unreliable.  Now I just have to figure out how to get it set up.  I thought I could just change out the SIM card from her existing phone to replace the one in the new phone but that didn't seem to work. 

Late yesterday afternoon I noticed two boxes had been delivered to my neighbor, who is out of town this week.  I had told him I would keep an eye out and if anything was delivered I would bring it over and store in the garage until he gets home.  I have a refrigerator type dolly so took that over and got the boxes on it.  As I started back I noticed the name was his and the address was up the street.  So I started up that way and went two or three houses when I discovered the house numbers were getting smaller and I had gone too long.  I turned around and found the right address.  By the time I got home my heart and arm were complaining but calmed down when I had relaxed in my easy chair. Overall Pat and I had a great day yesterday and enjoyed being out.

Jenny, I liked the crazy signs and dumb typos.  The lack of a comma or a missing word or place of words can really make a difference in how something reads. 

June, sorry that you are still suffering from the results of your fall.  Hopefully time will ease the aches from the fall. I hope your doctor will have some suggestions for you when you have your appointment today.  As you said sometimes we have problems that the doctors can't fix or really treat and it sounds like your PAD fits into that category. 

Carolyn, it is nice to see you are able to get out and walk your dog and enjoy a cup of coffee at the coffee shop.  Do you see the same people there or have a group that meets?  Is the hood a reference to your neighborhood?  Those prices are staggering.  Obviously Auckland is a desirable place to live. One year when I was growing up on the farm my folks and ducks and geese and what mess they made of the yard.  They ate every spear of grass from the yard and left many calling cards so you really had to watch where you stepped.  It is interesting that you don't have any predators in your Country.

Amy, I hope you were able to enjoy your lunch out today.  It is a nice treat and a change of pace. The best part is that you don't have to fix it. 

Jane, is this your last day of work for this week?

Gloria, incomes have gone up a lot but prices have kept pace.  There were so many houses being built in our area of Moore, Oklahoma that we were not able to sell the house when we left for Alaska but were able to sign it back over to the mortgage company.  I think we had put down only $400 so really didn't lose anything as we lived there for two years. 

I posted a couple of pictures from my trip to Israel with Bubble  https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/photos-and-more/photos-old-and-new/msg123022/#top

Good morning.....

JANE, I am happy to read you are resting better, and it probably is due to the ibuprofen you are taking.  I do hope you are eating something with taking them as they can do damage to a empty stomach!  Glad to read your daughter arrived safely back to her home. 

JUNE,  I wish you well today when meeting with your doctor. 

Thank you, DON, for the link to your pictures with Bubble.  So happy for you both being together again. 

CAROLYN, it is good to read the updates in your life.  I know you continue to be so proud of Brooke and Grace.  How are the grandson’s doing? 

GLORIA, I do keep in touch with Eugene and Nadia Thomas.  They come to Colorado to visit the son and family that live here in Breckenridge, and we try to get together when we can.  Sadly, the last visit of Eugene’s our schedule just did not allow it.  Nadia is no longer married.   I remember ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER, but I enjoyed reading every word of it again.  Thank you.  I am holding good thoughts for your son and his trees. 

LARRY, you did a good deed getting the boxes to the right person, in spite of it almost doing you in! I forgot to mention that I, too, have Spotify Premium through our youngest son and I love it.  I have made a playlist of songs that are special to me and enjoy listening to it daily. 

A storm is headed our way, but we are hoping to go to the Denver Zoo today to see our Giraffe Dobby on his FIRST Birthday. He was a surprise birth, and he had a shaky start but has done well and is now a healthy and happy boy.  Two new baby giraffes are due to arrive soon and the Colorado Springs Zoo.  They have a large habitat there and have many giraffes.

AMY, I hope you and hubby have a nice outing today.....enjoy your lunch!

Enjoy your day.....EVERYFRIEND.

Jenny

Good afternoon, sun is still shinning and above average temps.

Well, I wrote two post yesterday, and lost both of them, hope I do not make the same mistake as yesterday. I just put in a new avatar. Picture was taken Sunday, when my neighbors took me out to dinner. Ernie ordered a Pink Lady for me, as my husband use to make me one at Christmas and my birthday. the bartender had to get his book out. It was delicious, after dinner he ordered Irish Coffee, now that really topped  the dinner off. Away to end all my 94th BD celebrations.

Jenny, I am still laughing. I guess proof readers, need the help of more proof readers. After all the news we need a good laugh

Larry, our first 3 bedroom house in 1947 cost us $8500. with a 30 year mortgage
, and it was not a development house,it had a Calif. window about 6ft. long and ceiling high.

Carolyn, I live on Eastern Long Island, NY in the Town of Riverhead. when I lived in Southampton on the southshore we use to come here shopping. St that time Riverhead had 2 movie theaters, 3 5 & 10's, 2 department stores (when you shopped in Swezeys, the clerk would asked if you wanted the gift wrapped, that was free) many other stores on Main St. The parking fields are by the water, there is a long River walk, with benches, and a few tables. In the summer all the festivals  are held in the parking lot.

Gloria as I wrote before, we had people move out from the city, because they liked the country, then they complained to the village board, about the noise the farmer made early in the morning, and going slow on the roads with there tractors. Now 30 years later we have two  apartment house going up.  then they moved out here to get away from apartment living.

I'm home from work and...No, LARRY, this isn't my last day for the week.  I still have Friday morning to go. 

Thanks for the warning about Ibuprophen, JENNY.  My doctor also mentioned that and I told her I usually have a late nite snack before I go to bed.  She said that would work.

I texted my son on my break to wish him and his Lady Dragon Basketball team good luck in the District playoffs tonight.  He thanked me and asked if I could call him right now.  I did and he needs me to meet Kiran's bus today.  He also asked if I want to go along with Kiran and my DIL to the game.  I do!  I thanked him and he thanked me. 

Radioman and Bubble...love the pics!  Keep 'em coming!

Enjoy your day, Everyfriend!

What a perfect day!!! On the drive up to the vet's we say a pileated woodpecker. he flew right in front of us, a crow with nesting material in his beak and a doe on the way home. We had lunch at wee restaurant and it was delicious.

Cleaned up the yard of land mines from the dogs,filled the wood box and kindling and got another load of wood in. Temp is 48° F right now..

Jane... good luck for the Lady Dragons tonight..