Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!






Have a sweet Halloween, all treats and no tricks!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Seniors with delightful attitudes

My blogging buddy Chatty Crone shared this clip a few days ago and a discussion on aging and attitudes continues in this post .  First, the clip. Meet Dorothy Custer, a 100 year old lady who appeared on Jay Leno's show this summer.

This lady reminds me of my Uncle Harold who was also a guest on Jay Leno's show. Uncle Harold was invited to the show because of his achievement on the golf course. In May of 2001 he became the oldest American to hit a hole in one at the age of 101. Six years later, Elsie McLean at the age of 102 broke that record, but I don't think Uncle Harold wouldn't have minded. He was a very gracious man. 
ESPN's Page 2 interviewed him in 2001, asking him their "10 Burning Questions". That interview is here in its entirety. I'm only sharing the questions that pertain to life in general.

7. If you could have a superpower what would it be, the strength of 100 men, the ability to fly or be able to turn invisible?
Stilson: "Hmmm. I don't think I would want any of them. I want to be myself."
 

8. What is the secret of long life?
Stilson: "I don't know. I've lived a nice life. I had a wonderful marriage. My wife and I were married 76 years. She died three years ago. ... If I had my druthers, I would say she was the best-looking woman of the century. I would say toe the line and live life as it comes out. Plus, my mother was 100 when she died, so it's in the genes."
 

9. What advice would you give to the younger generations?
Stilson: "The best advice, to me, is to make people smile. We have waiters and waitresses here in the home where I live and I always say to them, 'Let me see your teeth.' They do, and they smile and I smile back. That's my philosophy on life. Try to be friendly."
 

10. Would you like to live your life over again?
Stilson: "No, I certainly would not. I've had a wonderful life and don't regret one bit of it." 


Uncle Harold was 9 weeks short of 102 when he died in 2002.  He was always cheerful. He enjoyed sharing stories of the past, especially with family members, but he definitely lived in the present. I love his answer to the 9th question. Harold was a relative by marriage, not by blood, so I cannot claim the same longevity genes. What I can share is that making people smile is my mission too.

There is another video clip of Dorothy Custer that was done off stage at The Tonight Show. Someone named Bryan asks her a few questions here, some of which are already covered in the embedded clip. The important part begins at 1:35 where she says the secret to a long life is exercise, looking forward rather than backward and that laughter is the main thing. 

Accidents and illness cut some lives way short of our definition of a long life. Sadly, some people continue to have birthdays and reach a big number without any realization of their milestones or who is around them. A few reach their 90s and beyond with bodies and minds still in working order but have chosen to be miserable old cusses. I don't think that happened at a significant birthday. People like that are miserable old cusses in their 30s and simply hone their disagreeable ways throughout their life.

The truly successful seniors are the ones who continue to look ahead, who smile and laugh, who continue to love, who continue to learn, and who make the best of whatever they have. Smiling and laughing isn't just about making you more likable to others, its about making you feel better about yourself. 

My goal is to have a long life but not just to reach a certain age. Getting older happens as long as you are breathing. Have a successful long life happens as long as you are fully engaged in living one. 




Friday, October 28, 2011

Killer Jigsaw Puzzle


A little silver-haired lady calls her neighbor and says, "Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get started."

Her neighbor asks, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?"

The little silver haired lady says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a rooster."

Her neighbor decides to go over and help with the puzzle.

She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table.

He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster."

He takes her hand and says, "Secondly, I want you to relax. Let's have a nice cup of tea, and then," 

He paused before continuing with a deep sigh .............




"Let's put all the Corn Flakes back in the box."








May I now borrow Kellogg's tag line and wish you the very best this morning?
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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Kleenex sales have returned to normal

Nothing like a cold leaving you to remind you how good "normal" feels. I don't want to jinx myself by saying its gone, but at least its bags are packed and the cold seems to be ready to move on. I hope it doesn't have your house on its GPS program.

How about some smile-worthy quotes today? I am trusting my email source is correct in attributing these accurately, but if not, they still made me smile.


Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, 'Lillian, you should have remained a virgin..'
- Lillian Carter (mother of Jimmy Carter) 

 
I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: - 'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'
- Eleanor Roosevelt 

 
Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement..
- Mark Twain 

 
The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible
- George Burns 

 
Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
- Victor Borge 

 
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
- Mark Twain 

 
By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
- Socrates 

 
I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
- Groucho Marx 

 
My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
- Jimmy Durante 

 
I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
 
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.
- Alex Levine 

 
My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
- Rodney Dangerfield 

 
Money can't buy you happiness .... But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
- Spike Milligan 

 
Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP .
- Joe Namath 

 
I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
- Bob Hope 

 
I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it..
- W. C. Fields 

 
We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
- Will Rogers 

 
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill 

 
Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty, but everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out..
- Phyllis Diller 

 
By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.
- Billy Crystal 

 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Stock market advice

Everything is speeding up except me. Night fall is happening way too early and we haven't even set the clocks back yet. I'll vote for any presidential candidate who can deliver sunlight from 6 am to 9 pm. Then there is the matter of months...what's with the calendar pages turning so quickly? And lastly, how come I have a winter cold already and we're maybe midway into autumn?
I know, I know....it could be worse and I shouldn't complain, but what would I write about today?

When this crept up on me last Thursday, I thought I would give into it and hopefully shorten the duration. I cleared my weekend plans. I canceled my date with George Clooney; told Tiffany's and FAO Schwarz to reschedule my private viewings; and gave away my Tigers World Series playoff tickets. What? The Detroit Tigers didn't make it the pennant race? Maybe I do have a fever and am a bit delusional after all.
The chicken soup, extra sleep, comfy attire and attention from Bill have all been nice but I don't think my master plan is working. I think this cold is going to last as long as it is programmed to last. Appliances should be as predictable.

Since my eyes don't seem to be burning today, I hope to catch up on blog reading and exercise my fingers with a few comments.

Want some advice? Buy stock in facial tissue!







Wednesday, October 19, 2011

What's brewin in your caudron?

What are you brewing in your cauldron?  Need something from my new line of spices? Petrified skulls? Cyanide sprinkles? Spider parts or corns from witch feet? Unholy spirits? Deathly morsels or Dreadful edibles? Maybe my favorite is yours as well: Last person who doubted me.

Have a wickedly wonderful Wednesday!

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tuesday Thoughts

I am giving my brain a rest and only having thoughts on Tuesdays. Photobucket

Actually my thoughts are just random today and without a cohesive thread to connect A, B and C so the vague post title is appropriate.

A.  What are businesses thinking when they don't have their street address and business name prominently displayed? I was alone in the car yesterday, trying to find a store in an unfamiliar town, looking for an address like "123 Main".  The street was marked only with the state highway number but I am confident that M-29 was "Main" in this town. None of the businesses had a visible street address. Not one! Photobucket I pulled into a shopping plaza thinking the store was in there. No sign of the store and no addresses on the doors of the shops.   I pulled up their website on my phone with the intention of calling them, but by then I had an attitude and figured they didn't want new customers bad enough to make it easy on us, so forget it.

  
Yes dear readers, I occasionally get an attitude.
I appreciate businesses that include helpful directions, such as "on the corner of Main and Third" or "across from the library" or park, etc, something that isn't likely to change and can be considered a landmark.

B.  How are you feeling about the new characters on TV shows? (I didn't say my random thoughts were going to be deep ones)  I don't like the new boss on Castle or perhaps I should say that I don't find her a necessary addition to the cast so far. A woman asking to be called "sir" seems ridiculous to me. I still love the show though.

What do you think about the new boss on The Mentalist? The writers did more in one episode to introduce him and arouse my interest than the writers of Castle. I'm interested to see how he works out. He seems awfully young. Was I ever that young?

Has Harry's Law made a mistake with their changes? The show went from two lawyers struggling to find clients while sharing space in a shoe store to being a firm over the shoe store between seasons. I still watch it, but I miss the feel of the old space and the two cast members who have been dropped.

C.  I finished the scarf that I wrote about here but not without some angst. Three quarters of the way through the skein I discovered that it wasn't one solid length of yarn but two. The yarn hides the join well but I need to go back and take some stitches for my peace of mind so that it won't unravel. In looking online for suggestions on how to join this, I found that a few others had the same experience. I also discovered that the same yarn could be ordered much cheaper online, even with shipping and handling costs, than what my local yarn store charged. I do believe in supporting local businesses, but when you can get the same thing for less than half price online even after a class discount, that is too much of a markup.
Now I've shared my ABCs, won't you share your thoughts with me? Photobucket

Monday, October 17, 2011

Fun shopping bags

I got an email claiming these are European plastic shopping bags. The email said the Europeans have a much better sense of humor than we Americans do. I can't verify that these bags do exist or deny that this is a photoshopped spoof. Now that I've made those disclaimers, I hope you enjoy them.

















I almost deleted the second photo with the handgun. That would be a frightening thing to see, wouldn't it?