Sky Watch

One more old-timer. I took this picture on a freezing cold January morning, down in Cape May, in 1982. The beauty of the sunrise over the ocean made it well worthwhile to struggle out of bed so early on a cold morning. I'm not so sure I could do it today, but back then I was young and foolish.



With thanks and appreciation to Tom and Jane, and to Sandy and Imax, all of whom help to make Sky Watch work. Please visit some of the other participants and enjoy their photographs.

Video

You might want to check out the video all the way at the bottom of this page. (Except Cliff - he wouldn't like it.)

Thanks to nonizamboni. I found it on her blog.

Another silly one

Just in a silly mood.

I stole these from Car Talk Plaza, which I get by email:

Here's this week's Lame Joke of the Week-- two classics, actually-- courtesy of John Gregg:

When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive....so, I took her to a gas station.....and then the fight started....

******
My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.

My wife asked, 'Do you know her?' 'Yes,' I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'

'My God!' says my wife, 'Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And then the fight started.....

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Would someone please tell Mr. McCain that there is no longer a country called
Chechoslavakia. (Surely that's not the way to spell it.)

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One more chicken joke - or two:






















For my librarian friends:


















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Oh yes. And the car failed inspection because the passenger side mirror is not at the right angle. It broke off - twice - and my son stuck it back on, but I can't change the angle, which does not matter in the least because I have never in my life looked into that mirror. And it passed last time, when it was exactly as it is now. Oh well.

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173 more days

They're All Out of Step But Me

Didn't realize how out of step I am with TV viewers until I heard someone the other day reading the Emmy nominations. After at least six different categories had been read, I had heard only two shows named that I have ever watched. (Raisin in the Sun, and a Masterpiece Theater show) As they moved on to other categories I did hear several that I watch or have watched, which were light comedy. I like to tune in to that sort around bedtime, when I prefer not to watch more dramatic, stressful programs. The heavy stuff I can record to watch the next day.

There was a time, a very long time ago, when it would have worried me - not a lot, but at least a little - that I wasn't into what everyone else was. Maybe it's the privilege of age or something. More likely just me being me. I could care less today. It does bother me though, when a series that becomes my favorite of the moment is discontinued, but they continue to show us those that I consider real junk (to put it politely). As for the award shows themselves - I'll pass on them too, unless I know one of my favorite comedians will be hosting. Then I'll give it a try, at least for a short time. But it's usually disappointing because of the format.

I've mentioned a couple of shows here in my blog that were "coming attractions" at the time, and that I had high hopes for. I wasn't very pleased with either of them. I'm not going to suggest any more until after the fact, and unless I'm really impressed with them. - The strictly online program I talked about, In Their Boots is not included in this list. That one is not "entertainment" as such, and I think it was pretty impressive. I saw it before recommending it.

I lean pretty heavily toward PBS. And in the daytime, I really enjoy funny old game shows like Match Game. I do enjoy CBS' Sunday Morning. My favorite part of it? - that last minute or two when they announce, "We leave you this morning in..." and take us to some beautiful, peaceful site with flowers or a stream or animals quietly grazing or bees buzzing. The photography is superb. It would be completely worthwhile just to have that last, wordless minute or two.

As for movies, I just don't go any more. Couldn't sit still through a two hour show, I'm sure, and haven't the money anyway. Haven't seen previews of many I'd even want to see. (It's called, being an old fogey.) DVD's are wonderful. I can watch while I eat, talk when I feel like it if someone else is with me, take off my shoes, and if I don't like it I can just push a button and turn it off. Who could ask for better than that? And if it really stinks, we can make fun of the actors and/or the lines. And if it's really, really good, I can always turn off the ringer on the telephone and let Voice Mail take the calls.

Gee - that sounds as if I spend most of my time with TV or DVD's. Not so. Depends mostly on the weather. Even when I'm stuck in the house, I spend more time on the computer than watching the small screen. I am guilty of spending too much time right here on my computer. Sometimes have to be reminded to eat. Although you'd never know it to look at me, eating is definitely not my favorite thing to do. I don't think I've been hungry for about five years or so - except once, when I was in hospital and hadn't eaten in forty-eight hours. Then, even hospital food tasted good.

My computer has become my life-line, my source of news and information, my entertainment, and most important, my connection to family and friends. It also gives me opportunity to express myself. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have thought it possible. I wanted nothing to do with computers. I was forced to use one at work, but resisted it whenever I could. There are lots of things I still hate about them, or rather, about what people do with them, but today I would be lost without one.
Thank you, Kitty and Mike, for introducing me to cyber-world.

Dear Hearts and Gentle People

I miss Jack. I knew him literally from the day I was born. Hadn't seen him of course, since the 50's. Corresponded sporadically. In very recent years it was only brief notes, often written to me by his dear friend, due to his Parkinson's Disease. And still more recently, only emails from that friend - not from him at all. But I knew he was there, in New York. And now he's gone.


I miss my sister, too. I miss her terribly. It's been eight years. I still have the impulse to turn up Whildane Avenue as I pass by. I want to sit with her as she busies herself with knitting needles or crochet hook, pausing to look out her window each time someone walks or drives by. She always wanted to know what was going on in her neighborhood.


I miss my friend, Josephine, also a New Yorker. I didn't see her often when she was alive. But again - I knew she was there. It has been many years since Jo left us. Still, when something important to the family is happening, or I hear really good news, I instinctively reach for the phone to share it with her.


Most of all, even after thirty-two years, I miss Ralph. People have often asked why I never remarried. It always surprises me a little when they ask. I guess, even now, I still feel married - sort of. There was a day in 1982 - I remember it clearly. I even remember exactly where I was at that moment - when I suddenly realized that I wasn't married any longer. As a matter of fact, it was my 25th wedding anniversary, and Ralph had died seven years earlier. I took off my wedding ring that day. But that didn't really make a difference. Inside the ring was the word Always. He was my rock. He was my life. I still feel married fifty years after our wedding day.


We don't really lose people to death, do we? They remain with us forever.

Thanks, Lisa

Lisa, of Ramblings of a Villas Girl has given me an award. Lisa is a dear friend, and I enjoy her blog so much. She takes some beautiful photographs and tells us about her nature walks and her experiences in down to earth, fun language. I always enjoy them.

This is a twin award: one called You Make Me Smile and the other Super Commenter. Some people do have a knack for leaving great comments. I have a short list of people to whom I would like to pass these awards:

Shelly, of This Old Farm writes about flowers, food, her wonderful dog, and other interesting topics. I enjoy her comments so much.

Judy, of IMAGINE presents varied topics, often very amusing. I don't know how she manages to comment on so many blogs. I so often see her comments wherever I go. Always insightful.

Then there is Bear. She writes the Bear Naked blog full of information and observa tions, always accompanied by an adorable teddy bear. She comments on so many of my posts with great perception. (Sorry there are no teddy bears on them, Bear)

Kelly has more than one blog. I like America as Seen by Kelly. I have enjoyed her comments from the first, because of her enthusiasm and genuine interest in the subject at hand. She is always willing to lend a hand when needed.

And, if I may be permitted, I would like to give these awards to my daughter, Kitty, of Fetal Positions II. She does make me smile time and time again, and although she rarely leaves comments on my blog, she does it by email or telephone all the time. It may be a bit irregular to award a family member, but I can't think of anyone I'd rather. Her poetry and more serious writing is beautiful. And who wouldn't smile at her tales of her three year old?

That's about it. Again, thank you, Lisa.

Please drop by those I have given awards. You may enjoy them as much as I do.

Camera Critters #16

This is a first for me.


I was inspired to enter Camera Critters by today's photo submitted by me ann my camera. I love her submission, and when I saw it I thought of this picture I took in my front yard many years ago. He's appeared in my blog before. I just decided he belonged here. I love grasshoppers and crickets.

For more fun pictures, visit Camera Critters. Thanks to the host who lets us enjoy these pictures every week.

The Cloud Messenger

May I take a moment to recommend another blog?

The Cloud Messenger has written a post that says it all. There is really nothing more I can say. Please, take a few minutes and see for yourself.

Viet Nam Memorial

The war in Viet Nam went on forever. Well, really, about sixteen years. 1959 until 1975. I remember my son, when he was about seven or eight, saying to me, "Mom, when I grow up, will I have to go fight in Viet Nam?" We had been at war since before he was born. I worried about that for quite a number of years. Our family was not touched by a death in Viet Nam but we, like almost everyone else, had many friends who weren't so blessed.


This week a neighboring town erected a replica of the Viet Nam War Memorial Wall in D.C. I've never seen the one in D.C., and decided to make a small pilgrimage to Wildwood to see it. I went early in the morning, trying to beat the heat and also the tourist traffic. I was a bit disappointed when I saw it. Don't know quite what I had expected, but this wasn't it. I think the problem was the setting. It was erected in a park full of sports equipment, and the background for it was a chain link fence along the sidewalk, and traffic moving past.


Still, When I walked along in front of the seemingly endless wall of names - hundreds and hundreds of names - it was a very moving experience.


Those of us who remember those sixteen years cannot help but wonder how long today's war will last, how many lives will be lost, how many of today's children will head out to God knows what, where will we find ourselves a few years from now....

Sky Watch

My Sky Watch entry this week is a very old picture. It is probably thirty years old.

This picture was taken soon after we moved to New Jersey from New York. It is of my youngest daughter and her cousin, running up the beach at Cape May Point.


The color may be faded from its original appearance, but I still love it. I hope that you enjoy it too.

Please visit the Sky Watch home site. Many thanks to our hosts, Tom and Jane Wigley, who thought of the idea of Sky Watch. About 280 of us think it's a wonderful idea.

Please forgive me if I don't comment on too many this week. I seem to be having some computer problems.

One T-Shirt at a Time

180 more days

I heard another of Mr. McCain's TV ads yesterday. He is now actually saying in so many words that we should vote for him if we want lower gas prices, because he will see to it that we drill for oil right here. That means off shore - all along our coast. It means in areas which until now have been sacred to wildlife and beauty. And this, in order to lower gas prices maybe seven to ten years from now, and for a relatively short period of time after that.

Even big oil man, T. Boone Pickens, is now pushing as hard as he can for alternative sources of power: solar and wind.

I don't understand. The environment - this world God made - is so precious to me. Life itself - human life, animal life, plant life - just has to be more important than money.

I guess that's a large part of why I blog. It's how I can, in a very small way, do at least something toward trying to help. I'm reminded of a day a few years ago. I was visiting in California. My son-in-law looked at me and asked, "Are you going to save the whole world - one T-shirt at a time?" I was wearing a tee with a small tree on the pocket, and the motto under it saying "Save the trees" or "Save the forests" or some such thing. And I realized I do have a number of tees that tell us we should save whales or polar bears or the ocean, or whatever.

Isn't that what it's all about? Don't we all, in small ways, as opportunity presents itself, have to do whatever we can to save the world? No one can do it alone. It takes all of us, just a little bit at a time. We don't really have to think about it. Good people everywhere do it every day, just by living their daily lives, lending a hand to one another or pitching in for the community. But sometimes it takes something more - like voting in one of the good guys, or writing a letter to your congressman (and hoping he or she is one of the good guys).

I don't sit around wondering how I'm going to save the world. Honest I don't. But I do get so frustrated trying to figure out how or why otherwise good people can look around them and not want to preserve what we have.
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On a brighter note -

My youngest posted very briefly yesterday. A cute, funny one.
She's at Fetal Positions. Wish she'd find time in her busy life to post more often.

More about the Protest

I see that the networks did report on the protest against Michael Savage and his rant about autism and asthmatic children. I also learned that in Mississippi, one network (seven stations) dropped his show entirely. Just wish more would do that.

Already there is a cry about freedom of speech. I'm all for freedom of speech. What would I do if it weren't for freedom of speech? But there is such a thing as discretion, and a harangue against children, or against anyone who is suffering from a physical problem, just isn't done.

Here is a link my daughter, Ruth, from New York, sent me today. it includes a short video of the protest and a doctor speaking briefly about diagnosing autism.

Sunflowers

I just love sunflowers.

















Had great success growing them one year,
and then never could manage to make them grow for several years in a row, wherever I was living. I didn't even try for a long time here, but this year I decided to try it.










As it turned out, they are abut the only flowers that did grow this year.









They make me happy.

Protesting Ignorance

You may be as happy as I am to learn from Linda's latest post on these are the days, it was reported on CBS-TV yesterday that Autism Groups are planning a big protest in front of WOR-Radio in New York today, Monday, against the broadcast by Michael Savage.


Let's hope that the radio station takes appropriate action.


Freedom of speech is one thing. A tirade characterizing sick children as nothing but misbehaving brats or frauds whose families are using them to obtain extra welfare payments, is quite another.

Ignorance

I thought a while about what to call this post. I guess there's no other word for it.
Please take a look at Linda's blog, these are the days - her post called A Show of Ignorance.

Her post concerns Michael Savage, whose recent rant on air included statements like, "Now you want me to tell you my opinion on autism?...a fraud, a racket" also, "...the illness du jour is autism....it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out."

In the same broadcast, he addressed asthma and minority children, saying, they got "extra welfare if they were disabled..."

Apparently Mr. Savage knows more about physical and mental illness than our doctors know.

On Linda's post you can find a link leading to a list of stations carrying Mr. Savage's syndicated program. You can also see and hear a video of his remarks. You may feel you can call or write to the stations airing his brand of venom.

Thank heaven, there don't seem to be any of those stations in NJ - but MD and DE carry him, and that's too close for my comfort.

Family

I am inspired by two fellow bloggers who have recently shared stories about their lives. The stories made me feel closer to them. I feel as if you are my friends, and friends are not something I have many of left in this world. There is no one left to be hurt by anything I might say - so why not? You can always move on to another blog if I become too tiresome.


I guess I've talked a lot about my family, but never much about my parents. At least, not about my father.

He was the fourth in a family of nine siblings. Frances, Arthur, Eleanor, Guilliam, Esther, John, Jim, Joe and Ted. Yes, I can still name them all. Just checking. Their mother died soon after Ted's birth, and they were more or less raised by Frances. I believe I've talked before about Frances - the aunt I never knew but have always admired. I may also have mentioned the fact that most of the family members were pretty much bigots and snobs, the exceptions being Frances and Joe. I've always contended that my father was the world champion bigot of all time. He was not a nice person. I may have mentioned that before, too. I don't remember.

I have never quite understood how two people like my mother and father ever got together. She was very young - under the age of consent for marriage. She was from a working family. Her father owned a coal and ice yard and worked hard beside his employees. He got his hands dirty. I'm sure that had to be frowned upon by my paternal grandfather. My mother never went beyond the eighth grade in school. I know that could not have made them very happy. She worked as a sales girl, a "common shop girl", as they said, in the dry goods department of a department store. But she was pretty, and willing to marry him. No one has ever told me anything about his reasons, but I have my suspicions. They married just at the start of World War I, so of course he was not drafted immediately. And they had a baby about a year later, so he was not drafted then either.

His family never did accept her.They accepted my sister and brother. She was named for their mother, and he was "the third" ( God help him). I didn't come along until eleven years later. By that time the marriage was on the rocks, and my father was asking for a divorce. I guess that's why my sister was always "Guil's daughter" and I was "Ruth's girl".

My father did very well at the bank, in the Building and Loan Department. He got along extremely well with his secretary. No matter where we went - if he took me to the zoo or the circus or just for a ride in the country, we always seemed to run into her, and she would join us for the day.

He did take me alone on little day trips, when he had to go into the inner city to talk to the bank's tenants. They were probably the biggest slum lords in the city at the time. He would turn me loose to play with the kids while he conducted business with the parents. I loved it. The kids were great, and the parents treated me very well. Little kids don't worry about the sorry conditions in the building. They just have fun. When he was finished, we had the long drive home to the suburbs. Now, in the 1930's kids did not talk back or question their parents. We sat and listened - or pretended to listen. All the way home he would preach his little sermon about how "They" lived. We wouldn't live like that. They were no better than animals, etc., etc. I guess it was supposed to be an object lesson for me. I would sit there thinking, "My father must be crazy" because he had seen the same things I had - the same people I had. I saw nothing wrong with them. And when he talked about the condition of their houses, even a little kid could figure out that was the landlord's neglect, not the residents' fault.

Anyway, when my mother refused to divorce him (He had no grounds, so it would have to be her doing.), he decided to be sure she knew she had grounds. Then he started taking me out at night. I went to more bars and night clubs and cocktail lounges before I was six than most adults at the time. I hated it. They would always end up sitting me up on a bar stool with a Shirley Temple, and asking me things like, "Are you married, Sweetheart?" or "Do you have a steady boyfriend?" To this day, I hate bars. I hate the smell of them. It doesn't matter how nice a place it is, they all have that smell of beer and whiskey and perfume - and in those days, cigarette smoke. Then he would take me home and tell me to be sure to tell Mommy where we went and who we were with. Eventually, when I was six, my mother decided I was getting "old enough to understand what was going on", and it wasn't good for me. So she divorced him.

I didn't mind them divorcing. It wasn't much different for me - except I didn't have to go to bars any more, and that was good. It isn't as if my father was ever home much that I remembered. I cannot remember a time when my parents shared a bedroom. He had his own room, as did my brother and sister, and my mother and I shared a room. When they divorced, my sister was twenty-one. She got her own apartment. My brother came with Mother and me until he went off to war, and when he came home, he married. So for the next eleven years, Mother and I lived on $100 a month child support, plus whatever she could earn. I saw my father every Sunday afternoon, when he gave me a quarter allowance. When I turned eighteen, the child support stopped, I graduated from high school, went to work and started paying the rent. (The rent for our five room apartment was $90. a month. My starting salary was $37.50 a week.)


I loved my father. It took me a lot of years before I realized that, but I did of course. If I hadn't loved him, I wouldn't have cared so much, would I? He was my father. But I didn't like him much.

There was a day - about a half hour one afternoon - when I actually felt like he was a real father. We talked, and for the first time he was not arrogant nor pompous. He was humble, and he told me he was sorry. I asked for what. He said, "For everything." He told me that all the times we had argued, I was right and he was wrong. I had never in my life heard my father say he was sorry for anything to anyone. But that afternoon in the hospital, he said it to me. He died that night.

In Their Boots -2

Just in case my earlier post got lost in the shuffle when Sky Watch overwhelmed it:

In Their Boots is a weekly program -- 7:00pm EST -- Wednesdays -- On Line. You will find it at www.bravenewfoundation.org

The second episode is online now. It is a very moving video about an Iraq War vet - a marine - who was seriously wounded. It tells his story and that of his family. This wonderful man will spend the rest of his life struggling with his disabilities. It is an inspiring story of the bravery of a veteran and of his parents and his sister. I urge you to watch.

I found the link when I read, as I do every day, The Pagan Sphinx . She does the research for us and keeps us aware of what is going on. Don't know how this woman manages to do it all. I am in awe.

It's Back

Yes, it's back - as mysteriously as it disappeared. My counter is back. It's really with thanks to Kelly, who gave me a couple of links that led me back to the counter. I tried again to get it onto my sidebar, and this time it worked.

Kelly is a treasure. She is not just interested, she goes to work and finds a way to make it happen. I really appreciate your help, Kelly, and more then that - I appreciate the fact that you care.

I am not going to add the Iraqi counter, simply because there is no way to guess at the numbers there. It is overwhelming.

Sky Watch

Several years ago, we took a Whale Watchers cruise. Didn't see any whales, but it was a lovely evening cruise, ending just after sunset. Here are some of the sights we saw.


This is the Cape May Light House. The building near it is St. Mary's By the Sea, which I believe is now a retreat house.


A sail boat in the distance, as the sun went down.



Gulls followed the boat as we were returning. that is the bridge into Cape May in the backgound.


And finally, as we returned, the sun was setting.


Every week, Tom is kind enough to host Sky Watch for us. Please visit the
Sky Watch site to see this week's participants.

In Their Boots

May I suggest you go to this site: www.bravenewfoundation.org/

Watch the video. See what life is like for some of our U.S.Marines and their families.

Thanks to The Pagan Sphinx for providing the link to this weekly online program. In Their Boots will be shown at 7:00 pm EST on Wednesdays. You can see Episode 2 if you log on now.

Now Where Is It?

Just an addendum to my July 12th post.

Today I found another site which offered a counter for U.S. deaths in Iraq. (It's up to 4121 now.) I copied the Java script, went to my layout page and added it to my sidebar. Blogger tells me it's there. Do you see it? I don't. Curiouser and curiouser.

Unwanted Guests

We got to talking the other day about wild things getting into our houses. We have two friends who have had bats manage to get in recently. I've also known people who had squirrels get inside, with pretty disastrous results. It reminded me of an incident that happened a few years ago.

I went to Monterey to visit Kitty and Mike. It happened that Mike was called out of town on business for a few days, so the first night, Kit and I curled up on her bed and talked far into the night. Eventually, we fell asleep there, but a couple of hours after midnight, she sat up and announced that she heard noises in the back bedroom. (This was the room where I would have been sleeping under other circumstances.) We went to investigate.

As we peered into the room with a flashlight, we spotted two gleaming eyes looking back at us. We closed the door quickly, not knowing what was in there. Kitty called the Police Department. In Monterey, Animal Control is part of the P.D. A very nice officer showed up quickly. Upstairs he went, cracked open the door, and shone his flashlight inside. After a few minutes, he closed the door and announced "That's a possum!" adding, with a very serious look and a shake of his head, "I don't do possums! I'm calling for back-up!" Kitty and I looked at one another, and managed to control the giggles that threatened. Officer did, indeed, call for back up, which arrived in due course. Another very nice young man arrived, with his net at the end of a stick, marched into the room, netted the poor possum, and carried it out.

The condo had a flat roof, with a skylight in the bathroom. Apparently Mr. Possum had made his way up a fat tree trunk and across a branch to the roof, and then fell into the bathroom and made his way to the bedroom.

Could have been a lot worse then causing us a little lost sleep. Could have been a squirrel. They'll tear off your wallpaper and manage to trash a lot of furniture.

The friend I knew had one get into her kitchen. It tore down the curtains, which hit the stove and started a fire. At least our animal visitor was just one of Pogo's cousins.

My Girls

My New York daughter called me yesterday. She asked me if I was still hearing voices in the attic. Yes, I am. We decided it must be the dish on the roof picking up someone's radio. We got a little silly about it, and she suggested that I start my own radio station, using the dish. She says the station's call letters could be WBLOG.



California daughter put up pictures on Flickr. This one was taken during Monterey's July 4th celebration. Pretty cool, huh?



New Jersey daughter celebrated her birthday Sunday.
We don't get the whole family together very often any more. Her brother and sister-in-law took her to a birthday breakfast on the way home from church. Then she and I had our ice cream cones later.



The weather changed enough that I drove up to the Point on Saturday night. The Villas Girl (who is sort of my other daughter) goes almost every evening, walks the beach, watches dolphins leaping, and chats with whoever is there. I didn't do all that, but watched the birds and bunnies and the kites flying over the water. Got a few nice pictures of the sun going down.

Of course I had to run home before it went all the way down.
I turn into a pumpkin if I try to drive after dark.

Where Did It Go?

Here is an odd development. I have kept a counter on my sidebar, showing the body count of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. The counter came from the site: fixiraq.com. Suddenly, this morning, there is no counter there. I went to Scroogle, and they still list the site along with many others, but when I go to their listed sites, it just tells me there is no such site. What has happened? Why has the counter gone? Does anyone know the answer?

I do know that at last count, there had been 4115 of our young men and women killed in Iraq so far. It's a sad thing to have to keep track of, but I think it is also an important piece of information for all of us to have.


icasualties.org will tell you the numbers of U.S. and Iraqi dead, and will also give the names of those killed, date of death, and under what circumstances they died.

Sky Watch - July 11

It isn't often I manage to be up and out at 6: in the morning these days, but I did it last Saturday.

I headed down to Cape May Harbor. It had been raining during the night, and was not promising to be a very nice day. Very cloudy. No brilliant sunrise. Still, I thought it was a pretty sky.


There were lots of boats at anchor, waiting for the holiday crowd.


I went on to the Cape May Fishermen's Memorial. The statue of the widow and children, looked out over the water.

The sun tried hard to break through the clouds, over the gently rocking sail boats.


Finally, as I was driving home, the sun broke through briefly.




Please visit our host, Tom, who has made it possible for so many of us from all over the world to participate in Sky Watch Friday.

Is That a Chicken Joke?

I just love the Savage Chicken cartoons. I get one on my computer every day. Doug Savage is just so clever.






Here's another of my favorites.
















And yet another.

I also love The Office. I think it's a really great program. Does hit pretty close to home sometimes though.








I think this one is really funny too.




But don't forget, Click and Clack are on tonight at 8:, so you might want to turn on your set. (My personal opinion)
Oh, I hope it's a good show! Tom and Ray are so funny.
I hope As the Wrench Turns is just as good.



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8:30pm - Just finished watching the first episode. My reaction: I think Tom and Ray had better stick to their original radio show. I did enjoy their little bit at the end, anti-cell phone while driving.

But wait - there's about to be a second episode.

9:pm - I guess the second was better than the first. (Well, it sort of had to be.)
There may be some hope for the future. Anyone out there watch it? What did you think? I'm not crazy about animated features to begin with, but had hopes because of who it was.

Aging

Someone told me recently that I am "young at heart". That sounds good to me.

I guess I am young at heart. I hope so. Seventy-six sounds so very, very old. Well, it IS very, very old. I do get annoyed at doctors when I mention my age. Every one of them immediately interrupts me to assure me that age is only a number and I should be "thinking young". Doctors, of all people, should be able to deal with the fact of age - and help us deal with it. You learn not to mention the word "age" or the word "death" to a doctor. They jump right on it and decide that you must be depressed. I am not depressed. But I am intelligent enough to know that I am old, and that I will die soon. It shouldn't come as news to them, nor to anyone. It doesn't bother me - It's just a fact of life. You live, you grow old, and eventually you die. I don't think death is anything to fear, or even to worry about, so why are they so touchy about it?

The thing is, people keep suggesting things like going to the Senior Center. I don't do that. It's fine for a lot of people. It isn't for me. I don't like old people much. One at a time - or a couple - that's OK. We enjoy conversation, reminisce. We have the same memories, and that's a good thing. But a whole room full of old people? No thank you. I enjoy being with young people, or with a group of all ages together. Old people forget things, and repeat themselves. Oh, yes. I forget things all the time, and repeat myself, too. But I don't want to listen to all those other old people doing it. And some old people are really rude! They seem to think that age gives them the right to do and say whatever they please, regardless of what it does to the people around them. Or maybe they are angry and frustrated because they are unable to do things they used to, and they take it out on others.

There's a problem with being young at heart. You forget that the body just won't cooperate any more. You try to jump up impulsively and do whatever it is you just thought of, only you're stopped halfway through the jump, and you have to sit back down and rethink it.

Perversely, I get very impatient with my children because they don't seem to understand that I am old. They expect me to act just the way I used to. I can't. I think that adult children tend to continue for a long time to think of their parents as they did when they were twelve years old. And even later, as they begin to realize that the parent is older, they really don't want to believe that he or she is no longer able to do things as they used to. It took me about a year and a half to persuade my son to build me a handicap ramp. He kept telling me I didn't need one. Ironically, the incident that finally did persuade him and sent him running out to buy the lumber, really had nothing to do with my need for it. He saw me fall. I was just walking across the lawn, and must have slipped or something, and went down. It made an impression on him, even though I wasn't struggling to get up the steps.

It's kind of weird being old, and not feeling old. If I'm in a crowded waiting room, and an elderly person comes in, I still feel the impulse to jump up and give them my seat. And it still takes me by surprise when people do something like that for me. But it's nice!

The gray hair and the cane definitely do bring certain advantages.

Click and Clack

Do you enjoy Car Talk on NPR as much as I do?


Tom and Ray Magliozzi (Click and Clack), for those of you who aren't familiar with the show, are just hilarious as they take calls from people all over the country who have auto-related questions. They also manage along the way to give out some pretty good advice. It's on Saturdays and Sundays, around two I think. I don't get to hear it as often as I'd like. They were also the voices in the animated movie, Cars.


Anyway - my whole point is that this Wednesday, July 9th, a new series is starting.
It is also animated, and is called As the Wrench Turns. It's on PBS - WHYY at 8:pm. I guess, if you do listen to them, you probably know this already, so it's just a reminder on my part. I know I'm going to watch. Hope it's as good as their radio program. If it isn't, Ill be surprised, and really disappointed.


You can go to cartalk.com and listen to the show if you want to.

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So, what other news of great import may I impart to you today? Let's see.

Lisa told me about a web site that I like. It's called Snap Shot Cape May. And guess what it's about. Oh - you guessed. It has great pictures of all kinds of places and events in and around Cape May. Kind of fun.

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Ever go driving down Route 9, and suddenly see a very large cow standing by the side of the road? Never fear. It's just Cheesecake World.


Don't mind me. I'm in a silly mood today.


You know, I should start getting paid for all these plugs.
But that would take all the fun out of it.

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One of my favorites.






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OK. This is getting seriously silly. And I am in danger of losing any readers I have attracted up to now. I'm even beginning to frighten myself. Better close before I go right off the edge. Maybe a nap would do it. That's it! I'll take a nap.

Sunrise

It isn't very often these days that I manage to get these old bones moving early enough to catch the sunrise, even though I do believe that it is the best part of the day. Today I did it.


Even during 4th of July weekend, at 6:am you have the streets pretty much to yourself. Only the fishermen venture out at that hour.


I drove down to Cape May. It was a cloudy morning. No brilliant red and gold in the sky. But I thought it was pretty. I stopped first along Route 109 at the spot where fishermen had pulled up in their pick ups and set out on their party boats for the day. Mostly tourists. I really couldn't find much elbow room there, so I went on down the road to the Fishermen's Memorial. There, I was alone. No party boats. Just a few sail boats riding at anchor.



The lovely statue of the widow and children stood with me, watching the sun struggling to rise through the clouds.


It was very peaceful and quiet. As much as I love people, I also love my solitude, and really appreciated that peace.



I haven't been down to the Memorial for quite a while. There is also a large marble monument where the names of all of the Cape May fishermen lost at sea have been inscribed. I see that their families and friends have been bringing small tokens to leave, as they would at graves in a cemetery. Many more names than I remember.


There are now daisies, lilies, and several other flowers planted around the statue. Really lovely. Someone has done a beautiful job here. The garden had not been planted the last time I was here.




I enjoyed my quiet visit, and as I drove home, the sun did make a valiant attempt to break through.


It almost succeeded for a short time.


Later in the day it did manage - at least for a while. Maybe it will stay with us long enough for the yard sale across the street to be successful.

Independence Day

It's the 4th! Have fun! Be safe doing it, please.

And at some point during your day, Maybe try to pause and think of the 4113 men and women from our country who have died in Iraq - so far - and think of their loved ones at home and how they will be celebrating.

Think of the coming Presidential election. Will you blindly vote the party line this time? Or will you give real thought to what has been going on in our country?

It's OUR COUNTRY! It doesn't belong to politicians. It belongs to US. And it will belong to our children and their children.

I was listening to Mr. McCain's political ad on TV the other day. They spoke of gas prices - a sore subject for us all today. What was Mr. McCain's answer? He has new catch words: "Energy Security". And he's talking about "Domestic Drilling". That scares the hell out of me!

Never mind. I'm not going to go on a further rant about politics. I'm really not articulate enough to get my point across anyway. I let my emotions get in the way too often.

Please, do yourselves a favor. Click on a link here. Go over to Dianne's blog, and read what she has to say about time she spent with friends at the V.A. She writes so well, and you might be interested in what she has to say, as well as some of the Vets. It will only take a few minutes. Then you can go back to the bar-b-q.

200 Days Left

Unless my figures are off - that's what is left, folks. From all indications it is going to be a very loooong 200 days.

Sky Watch

The sky in this week's pictures is reflected in gazing globes. All four have been found in the gardens surrounding the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse in North Wildwood, New Jersey. I came across each of these globes during different years, and in each one you can find reflected the lighthouse itself as well as the garden surrounding it, and the sky above.


















Each summer the gardens at Hereford are different from the previous year. I have rarely been disappointed. Thousands of local people and tourists have been through them, and I imagine that thousands of photographs have been taken there.










I don't know why the globes fascinate me so, but they always have, and I usually attempt to capture the lighthouse in each one, and to avoid finding an image of myself there as well.




The most recent is this one, surrounded by yellow flowers.
which we saw on a visit two weeks ago.







If you visit Wigger's World, you will find our kind host, Tom, without whom there would be no Sky Watch, and a list of more than 200 participants in Sky Watch Friday.