QUOTE from Jesse Dylan:"The essence of all health begins with joyful living."
The wedding of William and Kate got my curiosity aroused about royal titles in the U.K. Ruth Ann and I got up at 4:15 am to watch. What a great way to spend the day of April 29, 2011.
When I heard that Queen Elizabeth had given grandson William the title of Duke of Cambridge I got to wondering what that was all about.So I did some research on Yahoo and found out a few things. Here is what I LEARNED:
It has become a royal tradition for the queen to confer a royal title on her own kids and her grandchildren.
They usually get the title of a duke or duchess but not always. Prince Edward, the Queen's son, was going to be given the title of Duke of Cambridge - that is until he watched SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, which had a character called the Earl of Wessex. He liked the sound of it and requested that title instead.
There are five titles to British royalty. These are the titles, in descending order of precedence, or rank:
1. duke - duchess
2. marquess - marchioness
3. earl - countess
4. viscount - viscountess
5. baron - baroness
Dukes or Duchesses used to have land to rule over and they could generate income from it. But today it is mostly a royal title with no principality or land to rule. A duke is the highest rank below that of king or queen in the British nobility.
William also becomes the Earl of Stratheam and Baron of Carrickfergus, making Kate a countess and baroness as well. These royal titles go back hundreds o f years, at least to the Middle Ages.
I found this information quite interesting. As the Brits would say, "It was bloody good."
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Lessons learned from a teacher.
QUOTE from Barbara Stockdill. a Guideposts reader.: "Life is like a long chain stitch. If you don't take time to tie off all the loose ends, it can easily come unraveled."
I LEARNED what some people consider the most memorable lessons they learned from a teacher.
"Be curious about everything, because curiosity generates questions."
"The only stupid question is the one you don't ask."
"Never take what you hear at face value."
"You are not better than anyone, and no one is better than you."
"Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color."
" How to spell assume: Don't make an "ass" of "u" and "me!"
As a teacher for 36 years I emphasized the first four a lot. I also worked a lot on teaching kids how to remember things by making up mnemonics (memory helpers). An example was our mnemonic on how to remember the countries of Central America, going from north to south. The mnemonic was, "BOB GIVES EVERY HUMAN NICE CURLY PERMS." The countries are: Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama. I had a 30 year old former student come up to me at the Country Club a couple years ago and tell me, "Thanks, Mr. Bungum, for teaching me about mnemonics. I use that technique all the time in my business." Needless to say, it made me feel good.
HUMOR for today from the comic strip HAGAR THE HORRIBLE..
Hagar is returning home from another pillaging trip to England. As he is wallking up the path to his home he is talking to humself.
Hagar says: "Whew! I survived another week of the RAT RACE. My secret? Be strong and never show emotion.
Helga meets him at the door and says: "We're going to my mother's house this weekend."
Hagar breaks down and starts crying, with tears running down his cheeks and screaming, Waaa...Waaa.
I LEARNED what some people consider the most memorable lessons they learned from a teacher.
"Be curious about everything, because curiosity generates questions."
"The only stupid question is the one you don't ask."
"Never take what you hear at face value."
"You are not better than anyone, and no one is better than you."
"Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color."
" How to spell assume: Don't make an "ass" of "u" and "me!"
As a teacher for 36 years I emphasized the first four a lot. I also worked a lot on teaching kids how to remember things by making up mnemonics (memory helpers). An example was our mnemonic on how to remember the countries of Central America, going from north to south. The mnemonic was, "BOB GIVES EVERY HUMAN NICE CURLY PERMS." The countries are: Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama. I had a 30 year old former student come up to me at the Country Club a couple years ago and tell me, "Thanks, Mr. Bungum, for teaching me about mnemonics. I use that technique all the time in my business." Needless to say, it made me feel good.
HUMOR for today from the comic strip HAGAR THE HORRIBLE..
Hagar is returning home from another pillaging trip to England. As he is wallking up the path to his home he is talking to humself.
Hagar says: "Whew! I survived another week of the RAT RACE. My secret? Be strong and never show emotion.
Helga meets him at the door and says: "We're going to my mother's house this weekend."
Hagar breaks down and starts crying, with tears running down his cheeks and screaming, Waaa...Waaa.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Ted Turner and I think alike.
QUOTE from Jim Rohn, businessman/author: "To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, What can I do? Second, What can I read? And third, Who can I ask?"
I LEARNED today that Ted Turner and I think alike. I've been reading TIME Magazine's "The World's 100 Most Influential People."The article that caught my attention was written by Ted Turner. He was explaining why Oprah Winfrey deserved to be in the TOP 100.
He said in the last 25 years Oprah's show has transformed daytime TV and inspired, improved and changed the lives of people around the world. I have always admired independent thinkers, those with courage, faith and intuition to forge their own ways. and are intent on bettering the world along the way. Oprah, 57, defines this approach. She has not only made it to the top with the cards stacked against her, but she has also made extraordinary contributions to our global community through her philanthropic efforts.
He concluded by saying: I have often said that if women ruled the world for the next 100 years, we'd all be better off. With Oprah's new network, (OWN), I have a feeling that with the possibilities at her fingertips, we may be a step closer.
When I was reading this I was tellling myself that this is exactly how I feel about Oprah. And I've had the same feelings about women ruling the world. I'm in awe as to how she has made something of her life, coming from poverty in Mississippi. Oprah is one of my heroes and so is Ted Turner.
At our daily Happy Hour gathering places I'm appalled at some of the comments I've heard about her. One guy said he wasn't going to watch that "nigger." Another guy said she makes too much money. A lady bartender told me she didn't dare turn on Oprah because the men in there would object, rather loudly. We've made some progress in this country but we sure have a ways to go.
HUMOR for today: Some funny questions for bookstore clerks.
"Can you tell me who the author of Shakespeare is?"
"I'm looking for a book, but I only know the title, not the author. It's called Dante's Inferno."
"I definitely don't want nonfiction. I like autobiographies and history."
"Do you have Shakespeare in English?"
I LEARNED today that Ted Turner and I think alike. I've been reading TIME Magazine's "The World's 100 Most Influential People."The article that caught my attention was written by Ted Turner. He was explaining why Oprah Winfrey deserved to be in the TOP 100.
He said in the last 25 years Oprah's show has transformed daytime TV and inspired, improved and changed the lives of people around the world. I have always admired independent thinkers, those with courage, faith and intuition to forge their own ways. and are intent on bettering the world along the way. Oprah, 57, defines this approach. She has not only made it to the top with the cards stacked against her, but she has also made extraordinary contributions to our global community through her philanthropic efforts.
He concluded by saying: I have often said that if women ruled the world for the next 100 years, we'd all be better off. With Oprah's new network, (OWN), I have a feeling that with the possibilities at her fingertips, we may be a step closer.
When I was reading this I was tellling myself that this is exactly how I feel about Oprah. And I've had the same feelings about women ruling the world. I'm in awe as to how she has made something of her life, coming from poverty in Mississippi. Oprah is one of my heroes and so is Ted Turner.
At our daily Happy Hour gathering places I'm appalled at some of the comments I've heard about her. One guy said he wasn't going to watch that "nigger." Another guy said she makes too much money. A lady bartender told me she didn't dare turn on Oprah because the men in there would object, rather loudly. We've made some progress in this country but we sure have a ways to go.
HUMOR for today: Some funny questions for bookstore clerks.
"Can you tell me who the author of Shakespeare is?"
"I'm looking for a book, but I only know the title, not the author. It's called Dante's Inferno."
"I definitely don't want nonfiction. I like autobiographies and history."
"Do you have Shakespeare in English?"
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Two inspiring stories from the Reader's Digest's Best of America list.
QUOTE from Bill Maher: "The problem is that the people with the most ridiculous ideas are always the people who are most certain of them."
I LEARNED some interesting stuff from rhe May, 2011, edition of the Reader's Digest. The Digest had it's annual "BEST OF AMERICA" list. There were two stories that really caught my attention.
First, AMERICA'S BEST KNUCKLEBALLER. It is the story of Chelsea Baker, a girl from Plant City, Florida. She is 13, 5' 3" and weighs 117 lbs. In 2010 Chelsea pitched on the boys Little League team and was 12-0, had 127 strikeouts, pitched 60 innings, and had a batting average of .604. Chelsea is a great pitcher whose "signature pitch" is the knuckleball. The late, great pitcher Phil Niekro, taught Chelsea how to throw the knuckleball when she was seven years old. Since Niekro died in 2006, she has not lost a sanctioned Little League game. In fact, she has two perfect games, one against an all-star team in 2009. Last year, her jersey was placed in the Diamond Dreams Exhibit in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Chelsea hears taunts and catcalls once in a while. Opposing boys have hollered, "You should go play softball with the girls." Chelsea has an effective retort to the catcalls, although she doesn't do the talking - she just lets the umpire say, "Strike three."
The second story that caught my attention was "AMERICA"S BEST PLACE TO WORK."
SAS, a software company in Cary, North Carolina, had more than 49,000 job applications for only 741 open positions. Why? Look at the perks:
A 35,000- square-foot health-care center.
A 66,000-square-foot fitness center.
On-site day care.
Car detailing.
Hair and nail salons.
Massage therapy.
Subsidized lunch daily, plus free snacks and beverages.
Dry cleaning.
Personal banking.
Racket stringing.
Wellness programs.
Comprehensive health insurance.
It is easy to see why SAS has been FORTUNE magazine's top-ranked U.S. company to work at for the past two years.
SAS CEO Jim Goodnight explains his company's lavish benefits this way: "Ninety-five percent of my assets drive out the front gate every night," he says. "My job is to bring them back the next morning."
HUMOR for today:
A boy was assigned a paper on childbirth and asked his mother, "How was I born?"
Mother says: :Well honey... the stork brought you to us."
Boy: "Oh... W ell, how did you and daddy get born?"
Mother: "The stork brought us too."
Boy: Well how did grandma and grandpa get born?"
Mother: :The stork brought them too."
Several days later, the boy handed in his paper to the teacher who read with confusion the opening sentence: "This report has been very difficult to write due to the fact that there hasn't been a natural childbirth in my family for three generations."
I LEARNED some interesting stuff from rhe May, 2011, edition of the Reader's Digest. The Digest had it's annual "BEST OF AMERICA" list. There were two stories that really caught my attention.
First, AMERICA'S BEST KNUCKLEBALLER. It is the story of Chelsea Baker, a girl from Plant City, Florida. She is 13, 5' 3" and weighs 117 lbs. In 2010 Chelsea pitched on the boys Little League team and was 12-0, had 127 strikeouts, pitched 60 innings, and had a batting average of .604. Chelsea is a great pitcher whose "signature pitch" is the knuckleball. The late, great pitcher Phil Niekro, taught Chelsea how to throw the knuckleball when she was seven years old. Since Niekro died in 2006, she has not lost a sanctioned Little League game. In fact, she has two perfect games, one against an all-star team in 2009. Last year, her jersey was placed in the Diamond Dreams Exhibit in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Chelsea hears taunts and catcalls once in a while. Opposing boys have hollered, "You should go play softball with the girls." Chelsea has an effective retort to the catcalls, although she doesn't do the talking - she just lets the umpire say, "Strike three."
The second story that caught my attention was "AMERICA"S BEST PLACE TO WORK."
SAS, a software company in Cary, North Carolina, had more than 49,000 job applications for only 741 open positions. Why? Look at the perks:
A 35,000- square-foot health-care center.
A 66,000-square-foot fitness center.
On-site day care.
Car detailing.
Hair and nail salons.
Massage therapy.
Subsidized lunch daily, plus free snacks and beverages.
Dry cleaning.
Personal banking.
Racket stringing.
Wellness programs.
Comprehensive health insurance.
It is easy to see why SAS has been FORTUNE magazine's top-ranked U.S. company to work at for the past two years.
SAS CEO Jim Goodnight explains his company's lavish benefits this way: "Ninety-five percent of my assets drive out the front gate every night," he says. "My job is to bring them back the next morning."
HUMOR for today:
A boy was assigned a paper on childbirth and asked his mother, "How was I born?"
Mother says: :Well honey... the stork brought you to us."
Boy: "Oh... W ell, how did you and daddy get born?"
Mother: "The stork brought us too."
Boy: Well how did grandma and grandpa get born?"
Mother: :The stork brought them too."
Several days later, the boy handed in his paper to the teacher who read with confusion the opening sentence: "This report has been very difficult to write due to the fact that there hasn't been a natural childbirth in my family for three generations."
Monday, April 25, 2011
How FESB can make the senior years more enjoyable.
QUOTE from Helen Gurley Brown: "Money, if it does not bring you happiness, will at least help you be miserable in comfort."
I LEARNED how FESB can make the senior years more enjoyable.In Sunday's Cedar Rapids Gazette there was a supplement entitled, "Retirement Living." One of the articles was entitled, "Move It! Exercise is a key to good health at any age." I pretty much knew everything I read but it was good to refresh my memory, especially about the benefits. The article said the key to good health is an exercise routine that consists of four types of activity. I've made a mnemonic out of those four - I call them FESB. The F stands for FLEXIBITY; the E stands for ENDURANCE; the S stands for STRENGTH; the B stands for BALANCE. The key is to work all four of those into a weeks workout routine.
I'm pleased to say I do all four of those in my exercise routine. My philosophy is that I can take one hour hour of each day to exercise - I do mine in the morning. I realize I will not be able to do these forever so when I'm still able I'm going to do them. I take the first fifteen minutes of the hour to lift weights three days a week, do the excercise ball three days a week, do yoga postures everyday, and then walk for 45 minutes everyday.. I feel I fulfill all the FESB criteria - at least for a 70 year old man - and I feel great.
I hope the benefits, as enumerated in the article, are true for me as I get up in years. The benefits of FESB exercising are many. They can reverse type 2 diabetes and high cholestorol. They can prevent or delay
such conditions as dementia, osteroarthritis, obesity, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis (osteo means bone). Even if you have an irreversible disease FESB will slow the progression. FESB is also fantastic for the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression. That is really true for me as I don't feel I'm wasting my life as a couch potato.
By doing FESB I have more energy and more positive thoughts which enable me to write books and write this BLOG. Exercising the mind is just as important as the body - they go together. I realize I will not be able to write books or BLOGS the rest of my life so I'm going to exercise both body and mind as long as I can. I love to write and share my perspectives on life - it keeps me learning and laughing.
HUMOR for today: Whe men shouldn't take messages.
A husband was home alone when the phone rang. It was the doctors office calling to talk to his wife. She wasn't home so the husband said he would take the message. This is the note he left his wife.
"Someone from the Gyna Colleges called. They said the Pabst Beer is fine. I thought you didn't like beer."
I LEARNED how FESB can make the senior years more enjoyable.In Sunday's Cedar Rapids Gazette there was a supplement entitled, "Retirement Living." One of the articles was entitled, "Move It! Exercise is a key to good health at any age." I pretty much knew everything I read but it was good to refresh my memory, especially about the benefits. The article said the key to good health is an exercise routine that consists of four types of activity. I've made a mnemonic out of those four - I call them FESB. The F stands for FLEXIBITY; the E stands for ENDURANCE; the S stands for STRENGTH; the B stands for BALANCE. The key is to work all four of those into a weeks workout routine.
I'm pleased to say I do all four of those in my exercise routine. My philosophy is that I can take one hour hour of each day to exercise - I do mine in the morning. I realize I will not be able to do these forever so when I'm still able I'm going to do them. I take the first fifteen minutes of the hour to lift weights three days a week, do the excercise ball three days a week, do yoga postures everyday, and then walk for 45 minutes everyday.. I feel I fulfill all the FESB criteria - at least for a 70 year old man - and I feel great.
I hope the benefits, as enumerated in the article, are true for me as I get up in years. The benefits of FESB exercising are many. They can reverse type 2 diabetes and high cholestorol. They can prevent or delay
such conditions as dementia, osteroarthritis, obesity, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis (osteo means bone). Even if you have an irreversible disease FESB will slow the progression. FESB is also fantastic for the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression. That is really true for me as I don't feel I'm wasting my life as a couch potato.
By doing FESB I have more energy and more positive thoughts which enable me to write books and write this BLOG. Exercising the mind is just as important as the body - they go together. I realize I will not be able to write books or BLOGS the rest of my life so I'm going to exercise both body and mind as long as I can. I love to write and share my perspectives on life - it keeps me learning and laughing.
HUMOR for today: Whe men shouldn't take messages.
A husband was home alone when the phone rang. It was the doctors office calling to talk to his wife. She wasn't home so the husband said he would take the message. This is the note he left his wife.
"Someone from the Gyna Colleges called. They said the Pabst Beer is fine. I thought you didn't like beer."
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I talked to Jesus today.
QUOTE from Albert Einstein: "Hydrogen and stupidity are the two most common elements in the universe, not necessarily in that order."
HUMOR for today: On Wednesday I took Ruth Ann to the eye doctor in Cedar Rapids. While waiting to go into the exam room she heard three of the female employees talking and laughing their heads off. The one lady was telling the other two how she made a call the other day to remind a patient about his appointment. His name was Jesus Martinez.
She makes the call and the guy's wife answers the phone. She says to the wife, "I'm calling to remind Jesus about his appointment. Is Jesus there?" The wife giggled and said I'll get him.
Jesus gets on the phone and the lady says, "Is this Jesus?"
He says, "Yes, this is Jesus but my name is pronounced Hey-sue."
The employee and Jesus had a good laugh. She was thankful that he had a good sense of humor. I'm sure it had happened before. The employee obviously didn't know much about the spanish language.
When the lady got home that night she told her husband and son that she had talked to Jesus today. She said they both lost it as they were laughing so hard.
What I LEARNED from a D-Day survivor. While waiting for Ruth Ann in the waiting room I saw an elderly man with a WWII Veteran's cap on. I went over and struck up a conversation with him.
His name was Harold Bartz, he was 92 years old and went in on the second wave on D-Day near Omaha Beach. He told me they loaded the men up the night before at their port in England. After midnight they headed out to sea and anchored a mile or two from the beach. It took a while for the men to get off the ship and into the launch vehicles. When going in he said they were let off too far out and the water was pretty deep. He was 6'3" so the water was not over his head but the shorter guys could hardly stay up. We had 80 pound packs on our backs and 6 grenades attached to the front. He made it to shore even though the Germans were on a bluff picking us off like flies. Some of unit didn't make it.
When on shore he got up to throw a grenade. He was throwing it with his left hand when a bullet went through his left arm. The grenade dropped to the sand and he knew he had to move fast as he had already pulled the pin. He dove into the sand and the grenade exploded. He got shrapnel in his right arm and back
from his own grrenade. Those was the only wounds he got the rest of the war.
He said that when he recovered he became a scout for General Patton. The scouts would go out ahead and try to see what the German positions were, etc. He knew Patton personally and would sometimes argue with him. One time there were eight scouts being sent out and Patton ordered them to take off their dog tags. He told Patton you can't do that because if we get killed nobody wiil ever know what happened to us. We'll be eaten by some buzzards. Patton won the argument. He said Patton did give him a Silver Star.
He got to come home in December of 1944 because of the point system. Harold said his main thought everyday in combat was will I live to see my baby son. Whe he got home he went into farming near Belle Plaine, Iowa, and raised six kids. Over the years he has talked to numerous high schoold classes about his wartime experiences. He said every once in a while he'll have a flashback to D-Day. Of the 128 men in his D-Day outfit 124 were killed before the war was over. What an interesting man.
He and wife are writing a book about their 69 years of marriage.
HUMOR for today: On Wednesday I took Ruth Ann to the eye doctor in Cedar Rapids. While waiting to go into the exam room she heard three of the female employees talking and laughing their heads off. The one lady was telling the other two how she made a call the other day to remind a patient about his appointment. His name was Jesus Martinez.
She makes the call and the guy's wife answers the phone. She says to the wife, "I'm calling to remind Jesus about his appointment. Is Jesus there?" The wife giggled and said I'll get him.
Jesus gets on the phone and the lady says, "Is this Jesus?"
He says, "Yes, this is Jesus but my name is pronounced Hey-sue."
The employee and Jesus had a good laugh. She was thankful that he had a good sense of humor. I'm sure it had happened before. The employee obviously didn't know much about the spanish language.
When the lady got home that night she told her husband and son that she had talked to Jesus today. She said they both lost it as they were laughing so hard.
What I LEARNED from a D-Day survivor. While waiting for Ruth Ann in the waiting room I saw an elderly man with a WWII Veteran's cap on. I went over and struck up a conversation with him.
His name was Harold Bartz, he was 92 years old and went in on the second wave on D-Day near Omaha Beach. He told me they loaded the men up the night before at their port in England. After midnight they headed out to sea and anchored a mile or two from the beach. It took a while for the men to get off the ship and into the launch vehicles. When going in he said they were let off too far out and the water was pretty deep. He was 6'3" so the water was not over his head but the shorter guys could hardly stay up. We had 80 pound packs on our backs and 6 grenades attached to the front. He made it to shore even though the Germans were on a bluff picking us off like flies. Some of unit didn't make it.
When on shore he got up to throw a grenade. He was throwing it with his left hand when a bullet went through his left arm. The grenade dropped to the sand and he knew he had to move fast as he had already pulled the pin. He dove into the sand and the grenade exploded. He got shrapnel in his right arm and back
from his own grrenade. Those was the only wounds he got the rest of the war.
He said that when he recovered he became a scout for General Patton. The scouts would go out ahead and try to see what the German positions were, etc. He knew Patton personally and would sometimes argue with him. One time there were eight scouts being sent out and Patton ordered them to take off their dog tags. He told Patton you can't do that because if we get killed nobody wiil ever know what happened to us. We'll be eaten by some buzzards. Patton won the argument. He said Patton did give him a Silver Star.
He got to come home in December of 1944 because of the point system. Harold said his main thought everyday in combat was will I live to see my baby son. Whe he got home he went into farming near Belle Plaine, Iowa, and raised six kids. Over the years he has talked to numerous high schoold classes about his wartime experiences. He said every once in a while he'll have a flashback to D-Day. Of the 128 men in his D-Day outfit 124 were killed before the war was over. What an interesting man.
He and wife are writing a book about their 69 years of marriage.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Jackie Robinson makes it to major leagues.
QUOTE from an email. "I believe....That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel."
I LEARNED about Jackie Robinson's major league career.
Branch Rickey decided Jackie Roninson was ready for the big show in Brooklyn. So six days before the start of the 1947 season he called him up to the Dodgers. His debut was on April 15, 1947. Eddie Stanky was entrenched at second base so Robinson played first base.There were 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 black patrons. He didn't get a hit but the Dodgers won anyway by 5-3.
Racial tensions existed in the Dodger clubhouse and existed with other teams. Some Dodger players insinuated they would sit out rather than play alongside Robinson. The potential mutiny ended when manager, Leo Durocher, informed the team, "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded." Mutiny ended.
Other teams were hard on Robinson, especially the St. Louis Cardinals. They threatened to strike if Robinson played. They were informed they would be suspended if they did - the message came from Commissioner Happy Chandler and National League President Ford Frick. The Phillies called him a "nigger" from the dugout and told him to "go back to the cotton fields." Branch Rickey said that the abuse from the Phillies did more than anything else to unite and solifidy the thirty men on the Dodger team.
The one Dodger who was Robinson's biggest supporter was shortstop PeeWee Reese. Reese said, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color in not one of them." In 1948, Reese put his arm around Robinson in response to fans who shouted racial slurs at Robinson before a game in Cincinnati. Robinson finished the season with 12 home runs, 29 steals, .297 betting average, .427 slugging percentage and 125 runs scored. At age 28, his performance earned him the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award.
Racial pressure on Robinson eased in 1948 as a number of other black players entered the major leagues. Larry Doby (who broke the color barrier in the American League on July 5, 1947) and Satchel Paige played for the Cleveland Indians, and the Dodgers had three other black players besides Robinson. In February, 1948, Robinson signed a contract for $12,500 (equal to $114, 043 today). In the spring of 1949 Robinson turned to Hall of Famer George Sisler, for batting help. Sisler taught Robinson how to hit to right field, how to quit lunging, and how to check his swing until the last fraction of a second. As a result he had his best season in the major leagues. He raised his batting average to .342, stole 37 bases, was second in the league for both doubles and triples, had 124 RBIs, and 122 runs scored. For his performance Robinson earned the 1949 Most Valuable Player award for the National League. He was also voted the starting second baseman on the National League All-Star team - the first All-Star Game to include black players. He helped the Dodgers get to the World Series in 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956. They finally won a World Series in 1955 when they defeated the Yankees, 4 games to 3.
Jackie Robinson retired from baseball in February of 1957.. He had been traded to the New York Giants after the 1956 season but decided to hang it up and not play for the Giants. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He is the only player in the history of Major Leauge Baseball to have his number, #42, retired from every major league team. Nobody wears #42 and never will.
His leagcy is that he was the first black man to play Major League Baseball. His legacy also is that he took Branch Rickey's advice and kept his mouth shut through all the racial taunts and threats on his life during that 1947 season. Mr. Rickey made a good choice.
Robinsom died in 1972 at the age of 53. He was a diabetic and had heart problems. With complications from diabetes he was nearly blind in his last year. He died of a heart attack at his home in Connecticut.
HUMOR for today: In primitive society, when native tribes beat the ground with clubs and yelled, it was called withcraft; today, in civilized society, it is called golf.
I LEARNED about Jackie Robinson's major league career.
Branch Rickey decided Jackie Roninson was ready for the big show in Brooklyn. So six days before the start of the 1947 season he called him up to the Dodgers. His debut was on April 15, 1947. Eddie Stanky was entrenched at second base so Robinson played first base.There were 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 black patrons. He didn't get a hit but the Dodgers won anyway by 5-3.
Racial tensions existed in the Dodger clubhouse and existed with other teams. Some Dodger players insinuated they would sit out rather than play alongside Robinson. The potential mutiny ended when manager, Leo Durocher, informed the team, "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded." Mutiny ended.
Other teams were hard on Robinson, especially the St. Louis Cardinals. They threatened to strike if Robinson played. They were informed they would be suspended if they did - the message came from Commissioner Happy Chandler and National League President Ford Frick. The Phillies called him a "nigger" from the dugout and told him to "go back to the cotton fields." Branch Rickey said that the abuse from the Phillies did more than anything else to unite and solifidy the thirty men on the Dodger team.
The one Dodger who was Robinson's biggest supporter was shortstop PeeWee Reese. Reese said, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color in not one of them." In 1948, Reese put his arm around Robinson in response to fans who shouted racial slurs at Robinson before a game in Cincinnati. Robinson finished the season with 12 home runs, 29 steals, .297 betting average, .427 slugging percentage and 125 runs scored. At age 28, his performance earned him the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award.
Racial pressure on Robinson eased in 1948 as a number of other black players entered the major leagues. Larry Doby (who broke the color barrier in the American League on July 5, 1947) and Satchel Paige played for the Cleveland Indians, and the Dodgers had three other black players besides Robinson. In February, 1948, Robinson signed a contract for $12,500 (equal to $114, 043 today). In the spring of 1949 Robinson turned to Hall of Famer George Sisler, for batting help. Sisler taught Robinson how to hit to right field, how to quit lunging, and how to check his swing until the last fraction of a second. As a result he had his best season in the major leagues. He raised his batting average to .342, stole 37 bases, was second in the league for both doubles and triples, had 124 RBIs, and 122 runs scored. For his performance Robinson earned the 1949 Most Valuable Player award for the National League. He was also voted the starting second baseman on the National League All-Star team - the first All-Star Game to include black players. He helped the Dodgers get to the World Series in 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956. They finally won a World Series in 1955 when they defeated the Yankees, 4 games to 3.
Jackie Robinson retired from baseball in February of 1957.. He had been traded to the New York Giants after the 1956 season but decided to hang it up and not play for the Giants. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He is the only player in the history of Major Leauge Baseball to have his number, #42, retired from every major league team. Nobody wears #42 and never will.
His leagcy is that he was the first black man to play Major League Baseball. His legacy also is that he took Branch Rickey's advice and kept his mouth shut through all the racial taunts and threats on his life during that 1947 season. Mr. Rickey made a good choice.
Robinsom died in 1972 at the age of 53. He was a diabetic and had heart problems. With complications from diabetes he was nearly blind in his last year. He died of a heart attack at his home in Connecticut.
HUMOR for today: In primitive society, when native tribes beat the ground with clubs and yelled, it was called withcraft; today, in civilized society, it is called golf.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
jJackie Robinson makes it to the major leagues.
QUOTE from an email: "I believe....That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences."
I LEARNED about Jackie Robinson's rise to the major leagues.
Yesterday I wrote about Branch Rickey, the man responsible for breaking the major league color barrier. In 1945, as General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Rickey was looking for the right black man to be the first to play major league baseball since the 1880s. The man he chose was Jackie Robinson.
Jackie was the fifth child born to a black family in 1919 in the state of Georgia. When father left the family in 1920 mother and five kids moved to Pasadena, California. He was raised in poverty as Mom had to do odd jobs to support the family. He went to John Muir High School where he played football, basketball, track and baseball. Then it was to Pasadena Junior College and on to UCLA in 1939. He participated in all four sports at both of them. There were four black players on the UCLA team which made it the most integrated team in the U.S. at that time. Baseball was his "worst sport" at UCLA - he hit only .097 in his only season. However, he won the NCAA long jump in 1940 with 24'10.5".
In 1942 he was drafted and assigned to a segregated Army cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. After graduating from OCS he was sent to Fort Hood, Texas, in January, 1943. This is where he was court-martialed. On July 6, 1944 he boarded an army bus, the bus driver ordered him to move to the back of the bus. He refused. The driver then summoned the military police and he was taken into custody. He faced multiple charges, including public drunkenness - even though he didn't drink. The end result was he was acquitted by an all-white panel of nine officers.He received an honorable discharge in November, 1944.
His black unit went to Europe to be in combat but Robinson couldn't go because of his court-martial.
In 1945 he played baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs, an all-black team playing in the Negro Leagues.
Branch Rickey, in 1945, was seriously looking for the "right" black man to play in the major leagues. Rickey had scouted the Negro Leagues for the right guy. He selected Robinson from a list of promising black players and interviewed Robinson. Rickey was especially interested in making sure his eventual signee could withstand the inevitable racial abuse that would be directed at him. In a famous three-hour exchange on August 28, 1945, Rickey asked Robinson if he could face the racial animus without taking the bait and reacting angrily - a concern given Robinson's prior arguments with law enforcement at Junior College and in the army,
Robinson was aghast: "Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?"
Rickey replied that he needed a Negro player "with guts enough not to fight back."
After obtaining a commitment from Robinson to "turn the other cheek" to racial antagonism, Rickey agreed to sign him to a contract for $600 a month, equal to $7,322 a month today. Rickey required Robinson to keep quiet until the actual signing on October 23, 1945. He would be assigned to the Montreal Royals (the AAA alliliate of the Dodgers) for the 1946 season. Actually Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were upset because they felt they were better than Robinson.
IN 1946 Robinson arrived at Daytona Beach, Florida, for spring training with the Montreal Royals. His presence was controversial in racially charged Florida. He was not allowed to stay at the team hotel so he lived with a local black politician. Some towns refused to play any exhibition games because of Robinson and Johnny Wright, another black player signed by Rickey. In Sanford, Florida, the police chief threatened to cancel games if Robinson and Wright did not cease training activities there. In Jacksonville, the stadium was padlocked shut without warning on game day. In DeLand, a scheduled DAY game was called off, ostensibly because of faulty electrical lighting. On opening day in Montreal on April 18, 1946, against the Jersey City Giants, Robinson made his professional debut. Robinson had four hits, a three run homer, scored four runs, had three RBI, and stole two bases. Robinson led the International League that season with a .349 average, a .985 fielding percentage (as a second baseman), and was named the MVP. He did face racial taunts on road trips but was enthusiastically received in Montreal. In fact, attendence in Montreal was over a million, an amazing figure for an International League team in 1946. The next year, 1947, it was time for the big leagues.
Tomorrow, I'll explore Robinson's major league career.
I LEARNED about Jackie Robinson's rise to the major leagues.
Yesterday I wrote about Branch Rickey, the man responsible for breaking the major league color barrier. In 1945, as General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Rickey was looking for the right black man to be the first to play major league baseball since the 1880s. The man he chose was Jackie Robinson.
Jackie was the fifth child born to a black family in 1919 in the state of Georgia. When father left the family in 1920 mother and five kids moved to Pasadena, California. He was raised in poverty as Mom had to do odd jobs to support the family. He went to John Muir High School where he played football, basketball, track and baseball. Then it was to Pasadena Junior College and on to UCLA in 1939. He participated in all four sports at both of them. There were four black players on the UCLA team which made it the most integrated team in the U.S. at that time. Baseball was his "worst sport" at UCLA - he hit only .097 in his only season. However, he won the NCAA long jump in 1940 with 24'10.5".
In 1942 he was drafted and assigned to a segregated Army cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. After graduating from OCS he was sent to Fort Hood, Texas, in January, 1943. This is where he was court-martialed. On July 6, 1944 he boarded an army bus, the bus driver ordered him to move to the back of the bus. He refused. The driver then summoned the military police and he was taken into custody. He faced multiple charges, including public drunkenness - even though he didn't drink. The end result was he was acquitted by an all-white panel of nine officers.He received an honorable discharge in November, 1944.
His black unit went to Europe to be in combat but Robinson couldn't go because of his court-martial.
In 1945 he played baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs, an all-black team playing in the Negro Leagues.
Branch Rickey, in 1945, was seriously looking for the "right" black man to play in the major leagues. Rickey had scouted the Negro Leagues for the right guy. He selected Robinson from a list of promising black players and interviewed Robinson. Rickey was especially interested in making sure his eventual signee could withstand the inevitable racial abuse that would be directed at him. In a famous three-hour exchange on August 28, 1945, Rickey asked Robinson if he could face the racial animus without taking the bait and reacting angrily - a concern given Robinson's prior arguments with law enforcement at Junior College and in the army,
Robinson was aghast: "Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?"
Rickey replied that he needed a Negro player "with guts enough not to fight back."
After obtaining a commitment from Robinson to "turn the other cheek" to racial antagonism, Rickey agreed to sign him to a contract for $600 a month, equal to $7,322 a month today. Rickey required Robinson to keep quiet until the actual signing on October 23, 1945. He would be assigned to the Montreal Royals (the AAA alliliate of the Dodgers) for the 1946 season. Actually Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were upset because they felt they were better than Robinson.
IN 1946 Robinson arrived at Daytona Beach, Florida, for spring training with the Montreal Royals. His presence was controversial in racially charged Florida. He was not allowed to stay at the team hotel so he lived with a local black politician. Some towns refused to play any exhibition games because of Robinson and Johnny Wright, another black player signed by Rickey. In Sanford, Florida, the police chief threatened to cancel games if Robinson and Wright did not cease training activities there. In Jacksonville, the stadium was padlocked shut without warning on game day. In DeLand, a scheduled DAY game was called off, ostensibly because of faulty electrical lighting. On opening day in Montreal on April 18, 1946, against the Jersey City Giants, Robinson made his professional debut. Robinson had four hits, a three run homer, scored four runs, had three RBI, and stole two bases. Robinson led the International League that season with a .349 average, a .985 fielding percentage (as a second baseman), and was named the MVP. He did face racial taunts on road trips but was enthusiastically received in Montreal. In fact, attendence in Montreal was over a million, an amazing figure for an International League team in 1946. The next year, 1947, it was time for the big leagues.
Tomorrow, I'll explore Robinson's major league career.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
1947 - The year Branch Rickey changed America
QUOTE from Ronald Reagan: "It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance."
What I LEARNED about Branch Rickey.
It was 64 years ago this week that America took a step forward in our struggles with race relations. In April of 1947 the U.S. had its first black major league player. It happened because of a man named Branch Rickey.
Branch Rickey was born in Ohio in 1881 and died in 1965. He went to college at Ohio Wesleyan University and was the catcher on the baseball team. He made it to the major leagues with the St. Louis Browns as a catcher in 1905 and 1906. In 1907 he palyed for the New York Highlanders. His major league career was not good - hitting below .200 and he set a major league record when one team stole 13 bases on him in one game. (Kind of sounds like my catching career for Chatfield High School from 1956 - 1958.) So he is not known for his playing career, he is known for something much more important.
After doing some college coaching he returned to the major leagues in 1913 as a front office executive with the Browns, became manager in 1914-1915, went in the U.S. Army and served in France during WWI. Aftet the war he left the Browns and became manager of the St. Louis Cardinals until he was fired in 1925. He then became General Manager of the Cardinals until 1942.
As General Manager he changed major league baseball. He invented the farm system. in the late 1920s. Through that Cardinal farm system came such players as Pepper Martin, Dizzy Dean, and his brother, Paul "Daffy" Dean, Joe Medwick, and a few years later Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Marty Marion, and even manager Billy Southworth. Similar farm systems were adopted by every other major league team.
In 1942 Rickey left the Cardinals after two decades to become President and General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He got the job because Larry MacPhail was a good friend and MacPhail enlisted in the army to serve in WWII.
Branch continued as an innovator in his time with Brooklyn. He was responsible for the first full time training facility, in Vero Beach, Florida, and encouraged the use of now-commonplace tools such as the batting cage, pitching machines, and batting helmets. He aslo promoted the idea that on-base percentage was a more important hitting statistic than batting average.
My next post will be on Rickey's most famous contribution to major league baseball and to the United States - THE BREAKING OF THE COLOR BARRIER.
HUMOR for today: You might be a Minne-SOO-tan if.....
1. Weather is 80% of your conversation.
2. Down south to you means Iowa.
3. You hate the movie "Fargo" but realize that a lot of your family has that accent.
4. You have tried boiled fish in lye at Christmas.
5. Nothing gets you madder than seeing a Green Bay football sticker on a Minnesota car.
What I LEARNED about Branch Rickey.
It was 64 years ago this week that America took a step forward in our struggles with race relations. In April of 1947 the U.S. had its first black major league player. It happened because of a man named Branch Rickey.
Branch Rickey was born in Ohio in 1881 and died in 1965. He went to college at Ohio Wesleyan University and was the catcher on the baseball team. He made it to the major leagues with the St. Louis Browns as a catcher in 1905 and 1906. In 1907 he palyed for the New York Highlanders. His major league career was not good - hitting below .200 and he set a major league record when one team stole 13 bases on him in one game. (Kind of sounds like my catching career for Chatfield High School from 1956 - 1958.) So he is not known for his playing career, he is known for something much more important.
After doing some college coaching he returned to the major leagues in 1913 as a front office executive with the Browns, became manager in 1914-1915, went in the U.S. Army and served in France during WWI. Aftet the war he left the Browns and became manager of the St. Louis Cardinals until he was fired in 1925. He then became General Manager of the Cardinals until 1942.
As General Manager he changed major league baseball. He invented the farm system. in the late 1920s. Through that Cardinal farm system came such players as Pepper Martin, Dizzy Dean, and his brother, Paul "Daffy" Dean, Joe Medwick, and a few years later Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Marty Marion, and even manager Billy Southworth. Similar farm systems were adopted by every other major league team.
In 1942 Rickey left the Cardinals after two decades to become President and General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He got the job because Larry MacPhail was a good friend and MacPhail enlisted in the army to serve in WWII.
Branch continued as an innovator in his time with Brooklyn. He was responsible for the first full time training facility, in Vero Beach, Florida, and encouraged the use of now-commonplace tools such as the batting cage, pitching machines, and batting helmets. He aslo promoted the idea that on-base percentage was a more important hitting statistic than batting average.
My next post will be on Rickey's most famous contribution to major league baseball and to the United States - THE BREAKING OF THE COLOR BARRIER.
HUMOR for today: You might be a Minne-SOO-tan if.....
1. Weather is 80% of your conversation.
2. Down south to you means Iowa.
3. You hate the movie "Fargo" but realize that a lot of your family has that accent.
4. You have tried boiled fish in lye at Christmas.
5. Nothing gets you madder than seeing a Green Bay football sticker on a Minnesota car.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Some things you are unlikely to learn in Sunday School.
QUOTE from an email: "I believe... That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I LEARNED some things you are unlikely to learn in Sunday School. I've been reeading my TERRIBLY TASTELESS LISTS book and ran across this imteresting piece of history. The book was written by an Englishman named Karl Shaw - he claims these are all true.
1. The book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that neglects to mention God.
2. The modern confessional box was invented in the Middle Ages to help stop priests from sexually assaulting women.
3. The early Christian Church held that the Virgin Mary was impregnated by her ear: Fear of accidental aural (ear) penetration was so widespread that it led to the fashion for tight-fitting wimples (the tight fitting head cloths for nuns).
4. The Bible is full of lepers because it was written at a time when any skin defect, even a bad case of acne, was likely to get you branded as a leper and consequently shunnned by society. Most "lepers" probably suffered from syphilis.
5. The Church adopted celibacy as a code for the priesthood in 1123. Three hundred fifty years later, Pope Innocent VIII became known as "the Honest" because he admittled that he had fathered several bastards. He owned up only to disprove a rumor going around Rome at the time that he was a woman.
6. The Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes recommends clearing the stomach by throwing up before or during a big meal to make room for more food.
Interesting stuff - makes me wonder if all of these are true. The authior claims they are.
HUMOR for today: Senior citizens have taken to texting with gusto. They even have their own vocabulary.
TTYL = Talk to you LOUDER.. BFF = Best Friend Fainted. BYOT = Bring your own teeth.
CBM = Covered by Medicare FWB = Friend with beta-blockers.
LMDO = Laughing my dentures out. GPBL = Gotta go, pacemaker bzttery low.
I LEARNED some things you are unlikely to learn in Sunday School. I've been reeading my TERRIBLY TASTELESS LISTS book and ran across this imteresting piece of history. The book was written by an Englishman named Karl Shaw - he claims these are all true.
1. The book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that neglects to mention God.
2. The modern confessional box was invented in the Middle Ages to help stop priests from sexually assaulting women.
3. The early Christian Church held that the Virgin Mary was impregnated by her ear: Fear of accidental aural (ear) penetration was so widespread that it led to the fashion for tight-fitting wimples (the tight fitting head cloths for nuns).
4. The Bible is full of lepers because it was written at a time when any skin defect, even a bad case of acne, was likely to get you branded as a leper and consequently shunnned by society. Most "lepers" probably suffered from syphilis.
5. The Church adopted celibacy as a code for the priesthood in 1123. Three hundred fifty years later, Pope Innocent VIII became known as "the Honest" because he admittled that he had fathered several bastards. He owned up only to disprove a rumor going around Rome at the time that he was a woman.
6. The Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes recommends clearing the stomach by throwing up before or during a big meal to make room for more food.
Interesting stuff - makes me wonder if all of these are true. The authior claims they are.
HUMOR for today: Senior citizens have taken to texting with gusto. They even have their own vocabulary.
TTYL = Talk to you LOUDER.. BFF = Best Friend Fainted. BYOT = Bring your own teeth.
CBM = Covered by Medicare FWB = Friend with beta-blockers.
LMDO = Laughing my dentures out. GPBL = Gotta go, pacemaker bzttery low.
Monday, April 18, 2011
How to live to age 114.
QUOTE from an email: "I believe..... that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life."
I LEARNED one's man's philosophy on how to live to age 114. In the April 16 edition of the Cedar Rapids Gazette there was an article on the worlds oldest living man. He just passed away last Thursday in Montana. In an interview last October at the Rainbow Retirement Community Center he told of his philosophy of life. He identified five main reasons for his 114 years of life. Here they are;
1. Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face .("Every change is good.")
2. Eat two meals a day. ("That's all you need.")
3. Work as long as you can. ("That money is going to come in handy.")
4. Help others. ("The more you do for others, the better shape you're in.")
5. Accept death. ("We're going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die, because you're born to die.")
I can agree with all of them except #2. I need to eat more than two meals a day.
Mr Walter Breuning waorked on the railroad for fifty years, retired at age 67 in 1963, and then continued working until age 99 as the manager and secretary for the local chapter of the Shriner's. He lived in a sparse studio apartment in the Rainbow Senior Living Retirement Center since 1980. He would eat breakfast and lunch and then retire to his room in the early afternoon.He'd visit the doctor just twice a year for checkups, and the only medication he would take was aspirin.
He implored others to follow his philosophy. He said, "Everybody says your mind is the most important thing about your body.Your mind and body. You keep both busy, and by God you'll be here a long time."
Mr. Breuning, I wholehearedly agree.
HUMOR for today from Mark Twain: A Morman acquaintance once pushed Mark Twain into an argument on the issue of polygamy. After long and tedious expositions justifying the practice, the Mormon demanded that Twain cite any passage of scripture expressly forbidding polygamy. "Nothing easier," Twain said. "No man can serve two masters."
I LEARNED one's man's philosophy on how to live to age 114. In the April 16 edition of the Cedar Rapids Gazette there was an article on the worlds oldest living man. He just passed away last Thursday in Montana. In an interview last October at the Rainbow Retirement Community Center he told of his philosophy of life. He identified five main reasons for his 114 years of life. Here they are;
1. Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face .("Every change is good.")
2. Eat two meals a day. ("That's all you need.")
3. Work as long as you can. ("That money is going to come in handy.")
4. Help others. ("The more you do for others, the better shape you're in.")
5. Accept death. ("We're going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die, because you're born to die.")
I can agree with all of them except #2. I need to eat more than two meals a day.
Mr Walter Breuning waorked on the railroad for fifty years, retired at age 67 in 1963, and then continued working until age 99 as the manager and secretary for the local chapter of the Shriner's. He lived in a sparse studio apartment in the Rainbow Senior Living Retirement Center since 1980. He would eat breakfast and lunch and then retire to his room in the early afternoon.He'd visit the doctor just twice a year for checkups, and the only medication he would take was aspirin.
He implored others to follow his philosophy. He said, "Everybody says your mind is the most important thing about your body.Your mind and body. You keep both busy, and by God you'll be here a long time."
Mr. Breuning, I wholehearedly agree.
HUMOR for today from Mark Twain: A Morman acquaintance once pushed Mark Twain into an argument on the issue of polygamy. After long and tedious expositions justifying the practice, the Mormon demanded that Twain cite any passage of scripture expressly forbidding polygamy. "Nothing easier," Twain said. "No man can serve two masters."
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Pete's life could be in danger.
QUOTE from the Courage Companion by Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons: " Courage can be a form of tenaciousness, a refusal to quit because you're tired, hurt, humiliated or emotionally broken. Courage is the ability to face what life throws in your path on a daily basis."
I LEARNED my life could be in danger. The other day I wrote about having having an inordinate amount of gas. I did some research and found out why I had so much gas that particular day. Now I'm getting concerned. I have a book entitled, "100 TASTELESS LISTS." Yesterday I was reading the list that told of - "Ten Questionable Murder Motives." When reading the 10th entry concern for my safety was heightened. Here's WHY: (this is a true story)
In 1996 in France a guy named Francois Gueneron was shot dead by his wife because she could no longer tolerate his habitual flatulence. According to Mrs Catherine Gueneron, her husband, a forty-four-year-old French construction site manager, broke wind morning, noon, and night for eight years. He took a pistol bullet in the chest from thirty-five-year-old Catherine. She told the judge that he had farted in bed and got to close to her face. "I just snapped."
We don't have any guns in the house but if RuthAnn suggests it is time we get a gun then...............
HUMOR for today:
OLD is when ...your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you're barefoot.
OLD is when....An 'all nighter' means not getting up to use the bathroom.
OLD is when....'Getting lucky' means you find your car in the parking lot.
OLD is when.....You're not sure if these are facts or jokes.
I LEARNED my life could be in danger. The other day I wrote about having having an inordinate amount of gas. I did some research and found out why I had so much gas that particular day. Now I'm getting concerned. I have a book entitled, "100 TASTELESS LISTS." Yesterday I was reading the list that told of - "Ten Questionable Murder Motives." When reading the 10th entry concern for my safety was heightened. Here's WHY: (this is a true story)
In 1996 in France a guy named Francois Gueneron was shot dead by his wife because she could no longer tolerate his habitual flatulence. According to Mrs Catherine Gueneron, her husband, a forty-four-year-old French construction site manager, broke wind morning, noon, and night for eight years. He took a pistol bullet in the chest from thirty-five-year-old Catherine. She told the judge that he had farted in bed and got to close to her face. "I just snapped."
We don't have any guns in the house but if RuthAnn suggests it is time we get a gun then...............
HUMOR for today:
OLD is when ...your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you're barefoot.
OLD is when....An 'all nighter' means not getting up to use the bathroom.
OLD is when....'Getting lucky' means you find your car in the parking lot.
OLD is when.....You're not sure if these are facts or jokes.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Part 3 of employee evaluations.
QUOTE from Rev. James Martin - he wrote "12 Things I Wish I Knew at 25." "Remember three things and save yourself lots of unneeded heartache: You're not God. This ain't heaven. Don't act like a jerk."
More HUMOR today - Part 3 and my last post on employee evaluations.
21. "Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming.."
22. ""He's got two brain cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it."
23. "If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."
24. "If you gave him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."
25. "If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean."
26. "It's hard to believe he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm."
27. "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he's only gargled."
28. "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead."
More HUMOR today - Part 3 and my last post on employee evaluations.
21. "Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming.."
22. ""He's got two brain cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it."
23. "If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."
24. "If you gave him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."
25. "If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean."
26. "It's hard to believe he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm."
27. "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he's only gargled."
28. "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead."
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Part 2 of employee evaluations.
QUOTE from Cori Dewitt in Fruit of the Vine: "Have you ever been obsessed by something - comsumed by a little thing - really trivial in the scheme of things? It is said that one can tell how big a man is by how small a thing it takes to frustrate him."
More HUMOR today about employee evaluations. These absolutely crack me up.
12. "He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."
13. "He's been working with glue too much."
14. "He would argue with a signpost."
15. "He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."
16. "When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell."
17. "If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one."
18. "A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."
19. "A prime cadidate for natural de-selection."
20. "Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."
More HUMOR today about employee evaluations. These absolutely crack me up.
12. "He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."
13. "He's been working with glue too much."
14. "He would argue with a signpost."
15. "He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."
16. "When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell."
17. "If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one."
18. "A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."
19. "A prime cadidate for natural de-selection."
20. "Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Humorous employee evaluations.
QUOTE from Jon Bon Jovi: "I can tell you this: It's passion, not pedigree, that can and will win in the end. Free yourself from comparison. Just because someone has fancy sneakers doesn't mean they can run faster."
Just HUMOR today: These are actual quotes of employee evaluations. They are fun ro read - I found them in "The JOKER" magazine.
1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."
2. "I would not allow this employee to breed."
3. "This employee is really not so much of a has-been,but more of a definite won't be."
4. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
5. 'When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."
6. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."
7. "He sets low standards and then consistentlyn fails to achieve them."
8. "This employee is depriving a village of an idiot."
9."This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts the better."
10. "Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."
11. "A gross ignoramous - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramous."
Just HUMOR today: These are actual quotes of employee evaluations. They are fun ro read - I found them in "The JOKER" magazine.
1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."
2. "I would not allow this employee to breed."
3. "This employee is really not so much of a has-been,but more of a definite won't be."
4. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
5. 'When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."
6. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."
7. "He sets low standards and then consistentlyn fails to achieve them."
8. "This employee is depriving a village of an idiot."
9."This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts the better."
10. "Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."
11. "A gross ignoramous - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramous."
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A lesson about flatulence.
QUOTE from President Dwight D. Eisenhower: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."
Today was another LEARNING day. I got curious the other day when eating a sandwich. My mind wanted to know how a sandwich got the name sandwich. I answered that yesterday. Yesterday, while passing an inordinate amount of gas my mind got to wandering, why is this happening? So I did some research and found some answers. I went to my book that has the title, "WHY DO MEN HAVE NIPPLES: Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini." It was written by Dr. Billy Goldberg and and a writer named Mark Leyner. Here is what Dr. Goldberg had to say about flatulence.
Most people pass gas about fourteen times a day and women pass gas as much as men.. An average fart is composed of about 50% nitrogen, 21% hydrogen, 9% carbon dioxide, 7% methane, and 4% oxygen. Less than 1% of its makeup is what makes your gas smell. The gas that makes them smell is the hydrogen sulfide gas.The more sulfur-rich your diet, the more they will smell. And it is possible to ignite a fart. The flammable character is due to hydrogen and methane. Dr. Goldbeeg said there is danger in igniting flatulence but fraternity guys don't seem to care.
The most famous flatulence producing food is beans. The doctor said the reason is that beans contain high percentages of sugars that our bodies are unable to digest. When these sugars make it to our intestines, bacteria go to work and start producing large amounts of gas.We also form gas from other sources, including the air we swallow, gas that seeps into our intestines from the bloodstream, and carbon dioxide formed from saliva reacting with stomach acid.
Other flatugenic foods are broccoli, brussel sprouts, cooked cabbage, raw apples, radishes, onions, cucumbers, melons, coffee, peanuts, eggs, oranges, tomatoes, strawberries, milk, and raisins. After reading this list I realized why I was having an explosive day yeaterday. In the previous three days I had eaten 11 of the 17 flatulence producing foods. I had eaten: broccoli, raw apples, onions, cucumbers (from Ruth Ann's pickles), coffee, peanuts, eggs (from Ruth Ann's potato salad), oranges, tomatoes (from Ruth Ann's salsa), strawberries (I put on my breakfast cereal), and milk. NO WONDER I was a big GAS PRODUCER.
Notice the abundance of vegetables. Is it possible that vegetarians ..............???????
HUMOR for today is from Larry the Cable Guy:
Remember, half the people you know are below average.
Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
Life isn't like a box of chocolates; it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Today was another LEARNING day. I got curious the other day when eating a sandwich. My mind wanted to know how a sandwich got the name sandwich. I answered that yesterday. Yesterday, while passing an inordinate amount of gas my mind got to wandering, why is this happening? So I did some research and found some answers. I went to my book that has the title, "WHY DO MEN HAVE NIPPLES: Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini." It was written by Dr. Billy Goldberg and and a writer named Mark Leyner. Here is what Dr. Goldberg had to say about flatulence.
Most people pass gas about fourteen times a day and women pass gas as much as men.. An average fart is composed of about 50% nitrogen, 21% hydrogen, 9% carbon dioxide, 7% methane, and 4% oxygen. Less than 1% of its makeup is what makes your gas smell. The gas that makes them smell is the hydrogen sulfide gas.The more sulfur-rich your diet, the more they will smell. And it is possible to ignite a fart. The flammable character is due to hydrogen and methane. Dr. Goldbeeg said there is danger in igniting flatulence but fraternity guys don't seem to care.
The most famous flatulence producing food is beans. The doctor said the reason is that beans contain high percentages of sugars that our bodies are unable to digest. When these sugars make it to our intestines, bacteria go to work and start producing large amounts of gas.We also form gas from other sources, including the air we swallow, gas that seeps into our intestines from the bloodstream, and carbon dioxide formed from saliva reacting with stomach acid.
Other flatugenic foods are broccoli, brussel sprouts, cooked cabbage, raw apples, radishes, onions, cucumbers, melons, coffee, peanuts, eggs, oranges, tomatoes, strawberries, milk, and raisins. After reading this list I realized why I was having an explosive day yeaterday. In the previous three days I had eaten 11 of the 17 flatulence producing foods. I had eaten: broccoli, raw apples, onions, cucumbers (from Ruth Ann's pickles), coffee, peanuts, eggs (from Ruth Ann's potato salad), oranges, tomatoes (from Ruth Ann's salsa), strawberries (I put on my breakfast cereal), and milk. NO WONDER I was a big GAS PRODUCER.
Notice the abundance of vegetables. Is it possible that vegetarians ..............???????
HUMOR for today is from Larry the Cable Guy:
Remember, half the people you know are below average.
Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
Life isn't like a box of chocolates; it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Why do we call a sandwich a sandwich?
QUOTE from James Russell Lowe: "The foolish and the dead never change their opinions."
What I LEARNED today. I'm reading a book entitled, "AMAZING...BUT FALSE. (HUNDREDS OF "FACTS" YOU THOUGHT WERE TRUE, BUT AREN'T.)" The one I read today had to do with how the sandwich got it's name.
There's a difference between inventing something and having one's name affixed to it. It's no secret that the sandwich was around long before John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, but it didn't have a name-at least in merry England-until 1762. So how did the English earl happen to lend his aristocratic moniker to the hand-held meal? The earl loved to play cards so much that he wanted to find a way to eat and keep playing without getting his hand sticky, so he put a piece of meat between two slices of bread and chomped away, holding the sandwich in one hand while playing cards with the other.Since the earl was a high-profile kind of guy (the Hawaiian Islands once bore his name as well), "sandwich" became the permanently popular name for the utensil-free meal.
The Earl of Sandwich did not invent the sandwich. Historians know that centuries before the earl was born, Arabs were stuffing meats into pita bread and medieval European peasants working in fields were eating meals that combined bread and cheese.Ancient Jews ate sandwiches of nuts and fruit placed between matzo during the Passover feast to represent the mortar used by their ancestors in Egypt when (supposedly) building the pyramids.
The reason the Hawaiian Islands were once called the Snadwich Islands is because British naval officer Captain James Cook landed on Kauai, in January 1778 and named the archipelago the Sandwich Islands, in honor of the card playing meat and bread eating 4th earl of Snadwich, then head of the British Admiralty.
HUMOR for today: The difference between the Pope and your boss is the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
What I LEARNED today. I'm reading a book entitled, "AMAZING...BUT FALSE. (HUNDREDS OF "FACTS" YOU THOUGHT WERE TRUE, BUT AREN'T.)" The one I read today had to do with how the sandwich got it's name.
There's a difference between inventing something and having one's name affixed to it. It's no secret that the sandwich was around long before John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, but it didn't have a name-at least in merry England-until 1762. So how did the English earl happen to lend his aristocratic moniker to the hand-held meal? The earl loved to play cards so much that he wanted to find a way to eat and keep playing without getting his hand sticky, so he put a piece of meat between two slices of bread and chomped away, holding the sandwich in one hand while playing cards with the other.Since the earl was a high-profile kind of guy (the Hawaiian Islands once bore his name as well), "sandwich" became the permanently popular name for the utensil-free meal.
The Earl of Sandwich did not invent the sandwich. Historians know that centuries before the earl was born, Arabs were stuffing meats into pita bread and medieval European peasants working in fields were eating meals that combined bread and cheese.Ancient Jews ate sandwiches of nuts and fruit placed between matzo during the Passover feast to represent the mortar used by their ancestors in Egypt when (supposedly) building the pyramids.
The reason the Hawaiian Islands were once called the Snadwich Islands is because British naval officer Captain James Cook landed on Kauai, in January 1778 and named the archipelago the Sandwich Islands, in honor of the card playing meat and bread eating 4th earl of Snadwich, then head of the British Admiralty.
HUMOR for today: The difference between the Pope and your boss is the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Iowa has reasons to be proud.
QUOTE from a bumper sticker: "Kind words make good echoes."
Some CIVIL RIGHTS history in Iowa. This morning I was reading what I wrote two years ago in my Gratitude Journal. On April 9. 2009, I wrote about why Iowa can be proud of its civil rights history. On April 3rd, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court had passed by a 7-0 vote to allow same-sex marriage in Iowa. We were the first midwestern state and only the third in the nation to do so. Opponents of same-sex marriage will say that is not much to be proud of but if they learn what else Iowa has done in the area of civil rights they will change their minds.
1868, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that "separate but equal" schools by race were wrong - 85 years before the U.S. Supreme Court came to the same decision.
In 1873, Iowa's court struck down discrimination in public accommodations -91 years ahead of the nation's Supreme Court.
In 1869, Iowa became the first state to admit women to the practice of law.
In the 1890s Iowa and Iowa State had African-Americans playing on their football teams.
Yes Iowa, we can be proud - we have been a leader.
HUMOR for today: Did you ever notice? The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are XL.
Some CIVIL RIGHTS history in Iowa. This morning I was reading what I wrote two years ago in my Gratitude Journal. On April 9. 2009, I wrote about why Iowa can be proud of its civil rights history. On April 3rd, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court had passed by a 7-0 vote to allow same-sex marriage in Iowa. We were the first midwestern state and only the third in the nation to do so. Opponents of same-sex marriage will say that is not much to be proud of but if they learn what else Iowa has done in the area of civil rights they will change their minds.
1868, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that "separate but equal" schools by race were wrong - 85 years before the U.S. Supreme Court came to the same decision.
In 1873, Iowa's court struck down discrimination in public accommodations -91 years ahead of the nation's Supreme Court.
In 1869, Iowa became the first state to admit women to the practice of law.
In the 1890s Iowa and Iowa State had African-Americans playing on their football teams.
Yes Iowa, we can be proud - we have been a leader.
HUMOR for today: Did you ever notice? The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are XL.
Friday, April 8, 2011
How a Mother changed the life of one of baseballs greatest pitchers.
QUOTE from Maya Angelou: 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..."
What I LEARNED today. I've been reading the book, AMAZING BUT TRUE SPORTS STORIES. I found this particular story really interesting. It is the story of how the the mother of Randy Johnson changed the life of Randy, her six year old son.
Randy was six years old when he wanted to try out for the Little League team in his hometown of Livermore, California, 25 miles east of Oakland, Randy says, "I went there by myself because my mom and dad both worked. There I was with a bunch of other kids, feeling like a lost puppy dog. I didn't know where to go, who to see. I got lost, started crying, and went home." Johnson's mother soon arrived home and found her young son sitting inside the house, crying. When she learned of Randy's experience and his fears, she decided to march him right back out to the tryout. So she took Randy by the hand, walked back to the baseball fields, convinced her son to participate in the tryouts, and had him placed on a Little League team. The rest is truly history.
:She knew I wanted to play." Johnson says. "And when I think about it, if she hadn't taken me back, I might not be where I am today."
Imagine a great sports career that almost ended on the day it began. Thanks to a thoughtful and persistant Mom - she didn't let it happen.
HUMOR for today. In April Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. And, there on television, she said it was exciting...Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occuring every day...like her breasts. The seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.
What I LEARNED today. I've been reading the book, AMAZING BUT TRUE SPORTS STORIES. I found this particular story really interesting. It is the story of how the the mother of Randy Johnson changed the life of Randy, her six year old son.
Randy was six years old when he wanted to try out for the Little League team in his hometown of Livermore, California, 25 miles east of Oakland, Randy says, "I went there by myself because my mom and dad both worked. There I was with a bunch of other kids, feeling like a lost puppy dog. I didn't know where to go, who to see. I got lost, started crying, and went home." Johnson's mother soon arrived home and found her young son sitting inside the house, crying. When she learned of Randy's experience and his fears, she decided to march him right back out to the tryout. So she took Randy by the hand, walked back to the baseball fields, convinced her son to participate in the tryouts, and had him placed on a Little League team. The rest is truly history.
:She knew I wanted to play." Johnson says. "And when I think about it, if she hadn't taken me back, I might not be where I am today."
Imagine a great sports career that almost ended on the day it began. Thanks to a thoughtful and persistant Mom - she didn't let it happen.
HUMOR for today. In April Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. And, there on television, she said it was exciting...Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occuring every day...like her breasts. The seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Today is about the game of golf.
QUOTE from Mark Twain: "Golf is a good walk spoiled.."
QUOTE from Winston Churchill: "I could never believe in a game where the one who hits the ball least wins."
Golf season has arrived and I'm anxious to get started I like to know where things originated so today I'll write about some interesting facts I LEARNED about the game of golf.
Golf got its name from KOLF (meaning "club"), a game similar to golf that was played in 13th century Holland. KOLF, which used clubs and counted the number of times the ball was struck, made its way to Scotland in the 1400s. The Scots added the hole - perhaps the key and crowning ingredient - and continued to make refinements until the game evolved into what it is today.
The Scots are credited for setting the standard round of golf at 18 holes.
The word "caddie" was coined by Mary, Queen of Scots, who was an avid golfer as a young girl. When she was away at school, she had young men, "cadets" (pronounced "cad-day"), carry her clubs for her.
Before the invention of rubber, golfers used a "feathery ball", a fragile leather pouch filled with boiled goose feathers.
William Howard Taft was the nation's first golfing president.
The PGA was founded in 1916 in New York. Today, there are over 23,000 men and women golf professionals in the world.
There are over 11,000 golf courses in North America. There are over 50 million golfers in the world. Eighty per cent of them will never achieve a handicap of less than 18. (I'm one of them)
There are over 336 dimples on a regular golf ball. The odds of a hole in one are one in 40,000.
One of the longest shots ever driven was 2,400 feet, nearly one-half mile. Who shot it? Astronaut Alan Sheppard while teeing it up on the moon.
HUMOR for today: I read the PICKLES comic every day. It is the story of Earl and Opal, a couple of senior citizens - it starts my day with a good laugh.
Nelson, the eight year old grandson, is talking to Grandma Opal:
Nelson says, "Grandpa said its important to have a thick skin. He said it keeps you from getting your feelings hurt when people say mean things. I think Grandpa has a really thick skin, don't you?
Grandma responds: I suppose, but that's nothing compared to his thick skull."
Grandma says, "
QUOTE from Winston Churchill: "I could never believe in a game where the one who hits the ball least wins."
Golf season has arrived and I'm anxious to get started I like to know where things originated so today I'll write about some interesting facts I LEARNED about the game of golf.
Golf got its name from KOLF (meaning "club"), a game similar to golf that was played in 13th century Holland. KOLF, which used clubs and counted the number of times the ball was struck, made its way to Scotland in the 1400s. The Scots added the hole - perhaps the key and crowning ingredient - and continued to make refinements until the game evolved into what it is today.
The Scots are credited for setting the standard round of golf at 18 holes.
The word "caddie" was coined by Mary, Queen of Scots, who was an avid golfer as a young girl. When she was away at school, she had young men, "cadets" (pronounced "cad-day"), carry her clubs for her.
Before the invention of rubber, golfers used a "feathery ball", a fragile leather pouch filled with boiled goose feathers.
William Howard Taft was the nation's first golfing president.
The PGA was founded in 1916 in New York. Today, there are over 23,000 men and women golf professionals in the world.
There are over 11,000 golf courses in North America. There are over 50 million golfers in the world. Eighty per cent of them will never achieve a handicap of less than 18. (I'm one of them)
There are over 336 dimples on a regular golf ball. The odds of a hole in one are one in 40,000.
One of the longest shots ever driven was 2,400 feet, nearly one-half mile. Who shot it? Astronaut Alan Sheppard while teeing it up on the moon.
HUMOR for today: I read the PICKLES comic every day. It is the story of Earl and Opal, a couple of senior citizens - it starts my day with a good laugh.
Nelson, the eight year old grandson, is talking to Grandma Opal:
Nelson says, "Grandpa said its important to have a thick skin. He said it keeps you from getting your feelings hurt when people say mean things. I think Grandpa has a really thick skin, don't you?
Grandma responds: I suppose, but that's nothing compared to his thick skull."
Grandma says, "
Monday, April 4, 2011
Today is someone's birthday.
QUOTE from Paul Lewison (aka as the Butch Harmon of Anamosa). "I don't like fish but I like cod." He went on to explain that he likes cod because it is breaded. -now it makes more sense.
A couple of DAY BRIGHTERER stories today. Our grandson, Wesley, is in the U.S. Air Force stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. He is being trained to be an air traffic controller. His birthday is April 10. He is our only grandson so Grandma Ruth Ann always calls him her favorite grandson. Grandma wanted to make his birthday special so she got on her baking clothes and made a batch of goodies for him. Last week we sent him a big box of her goodies. It included several dozen cookies (including peanut butter, M &M, chocolate chip, and ginger snaps), ), plus pumpkin bread, apple bread, jam and salsa. He was so happy to receive Grandma's goodies that he took a photo with all of the goodies laying on their kitchen counter and put it on Facebook. He was in his Air Force uniform with a big smile on his face and both thumbs up. He was one happy airman. When Grandma saw the picture she was so happy to have brightened his day. He called her to give her special thanks.
The other DAY BRIGHTENER has to do with Ruth Ann. Today is her 71st birthday. In order to make this birthday special our son Brad flew into Cedar Rapids last Thursday at one pm. I picked him up but had given Ruth Ann the excuse that I was going golfing with Paul Lewison at 12:30. She was suspicious that something was up because he had called the week before and wanted to talk to me alone. She said all week that "I bet Brad is coming to surprise me. Why else would he ask to talk you alone, he's never done that before." Well, she was right. (There is something to be said about women's intuition.) When we got to our mobile home park I let Brad out a block away and I went in the house by myself and talked to Ruth Ann in the bedroom. He sneaked in the house and sat in the kitchen. When she walked to the kitchen she didn't even seem very surprised. She said, "I knew you were coming." Anyway, we went out to eat with Paul and Verna Lewison on Friday night at the Rainbow where Carron works, she was our server. She got a pretty tip for providing us with super service. On Sunday we had Granddaughter Ellyn and husband Ryan come for brunch. The rest of the time we just relaxed and talked and watched basketball games.This morning I took him to the Cedar Rapids Airport at 5 am, he is on his way to San Francisco for a business meeting. Even though his visit wasn't a total surprise he did brighten his mother's 71st birthday.
A couple of DAY BRIGHTERER stories today. Our grandson, Wesley, is in the U.S. Air Force stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. He is being trained to be an air traffic controller. His birthday is April 10. He is our only grandson so Grandma Ruth Ann always calls him her favorite grandson. Grandma wanted to make his birthday special so she got on her baking clothes and made a batch of goodies for him. Last week we sent him a big box of her goodies. It included several dozen cookies (including peanut butter, M &M, chocolate chip, and ginger snaps), ), plus pumpkin bread, apple bread, jam and salsa. He was so happy to receive Grandma's goodies that he took a photo with all of the goodies laying on their kitchen counter and put it on Facebook. He was in his Air Force uniform with a big smile on his face and both thumbs up. He was one happy airman. When Grandma saw the picture she was so happy to have brightened his day. He called her to give her special thanks.
The other DAY BRIGHTENER has to do with Ruth Ann. Today is her 71st birthday. In order to make this birthday special our son Brad flew into Cedar Rapids last Thursday at one pm. I picked him up but had given Ruth Ann the excuse that I was going golfing with Paul Lewison at 12:30. She was suspicious that something was up because he had called the week before and wanted to talk to me alone. She said all week that "I bet Brad is coming to surprise me. Why else would he ask to talk you alone, he's never done that before." Well, she was right. (There is something to be said about women's intuition.) When we got to our mobile home park I let Brad out a block away and I went in the house by myself and talked to Ruth Ann in the bedroom. He sneaked in the house and sat in the kitchen. When she walked to the kitchen she didn't even seem very surprised. She said, "I knew you were coming." Anyway, we went out to eat with Paul and Verna Lewison on Friday night at the Rainbow where Carron works, she was our server. She got a pretty tip for providing us with super service. On Sunday we had Granddaughter Ellyn and husband Ryan come for brunch. The rest of the time we just relaxed and talked and watched basketball games.This morning I took him to the Cedar Rapids Airport at 5 am, he is on his way to San Francisco for a business meeting. Even though his visit wasn't a total surprise he did brighten his mother's 71st birthday.
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