Kaleidoscope

2010-11-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

Free Samples By Mail

2010-11-03T15:14:00.002-04:00

Not so long ago my girls started using my computer to snag Free Samples for themselves. I didn't think a lot of at first, but then, the stuff started pouring in. I have to admit, I did make use of my share of the loot- free laundry soap,samples of pet foods (goodness knows we have too many of them-pets, that is),free this, free that. It got so that I felt sorry for our mail lady- every day she had to stuff our mailbox full of goodies for us. Some days there was barely room for our real mail. I don't remember anymore what sites the girls went to to get their Free Samples by Mail but I came across one today that strikes me as sort of unique. It's called FreeCatcher.com and many of the offers are completely free. For example, for the whole month of November, on Friday mornings, Burger King is giving away a free 12 oz. cup of Seattle's Best Coffee during breakfast hours. Other offers involve a little bit of "work" on your part, but are basically very simple. This site offers such things as free apparel, free automotive items, Free Movies Online, free food,computers, and the list goes on- all there for you to take advantage of.

The Bagpiper

2010-10-30T19:01:00.000-04:00

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or
friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and
saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.

I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I
didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played
like I've never played before for this homeless man. And as I played 'Amazing Grace,'
the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together.
When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for
twenty years."

Apparently, I'm still lost.......

Independent As Long As Possible

2010-10-25T15:48:00.005-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

The idea of my parents becoming old and needing care was something I knew I would have to think about eventually. But, I really don't think I ever actually expected "eventually" to arrive. And now it's here. The whole notion is something of a shock. It's not that I don't want to care for my parents, it's more like I don't want them to be at the point where they need me to. It's that I'm not ready to give up the, albeit unrealistic, notion that my parents are exempt from aging, and from someday dying. I might be in my fifties, but am I ready for the role reversal that is taking place?

In spite of all my trepidations, I know there are things I must face and prepare for where my parents and their care are concerned.

Having worked with elderly people, I know how very much they hate to give up their independence. So, this is an area that I want to focus on when it comes to providing care for my parents. I want them to stay as independent as they can for as long as they can. And, independence, in a large sense, means making sure that they can get around by themselves as much as possible.

NMEDA (National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association) is an organization dedicated to promoting safe driving and safe equipment for disabled people. NMEDA members are the only dealers who sell handicap vans and modified vehicles to the disabled. (A word of caution here: while you might be able to find handicap vans and/or vehicles modified for a disabled person cheaper elsewhere, the question is whether they meet safety standards).

Each disabled person is distinctly different from every other and each has his/her own set of special needs. NMEDA offers a unique Quality Assurance Program, which is the only nationally accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. When we get to this point, I can be assured by following a personalized evaluation for my parents disability needs, that they are getting the driving solution and equipment that is right for them.

To find a NMEDA dealer near home,I visited their web page at nmeda.org and typed in my zip code. I easily found a location nearby and know that these services will help me keep my parents independent for as long as possible.

They All Screamed For Ice Cream

2010-10-24T16:35:00.004-04:00

From a teacher in the Nashville area:
The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade this year...

The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election for a class president.

We would choose our nominees.. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.

To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members.

We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have.

We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot..

The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids.

I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support. I had never seen Olivia's mother.

The day arrived when they were to make their speeches. Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by promising to do his very best.

Everyone applauded and he sat down.

Now is was Olivia's turn to speak.

Her speech was concise. She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream." She sat down.

The class went wild. "Yes! Yes! We want ice cream." She surely would say more. She did not have to.

A discussion followed. How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn't sure. Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it... She didn't know. The class really didn't care. All they were thinking about was ice cream...

Jamie was forgotten.. Olivia won by a landslide.

Every time Barack Obama opened his mouth he offered ice cream and 52 percent of the people reacted like nine year olds. They want ice cream.

The other 48 percent know they're going to have to feed the cow and clean up the mess."

This is the ice cream Obama promised us!

2010-10-21T15:42:00.000-04:00

What's With All This Blog Spam?!

2010-10-19T15:22:00.002-04:00

Wow! I haven't signed in to my blog in weeks and now that I just did, I find they have a new spam filter for comments and that they advise you to check your blog comments for spam. Out of curiosity I started checking. I got up to 141 comments that I deleted, marked as spam, and gave up- there are too many. All written by some coward named "Anonymous" who of course didn't leave a link so I could chase them down with a cyber axe and cut them off at the keys.

2010-08-17T23:19:00.002-04:00

Sometimes life can throw you the most unexpected curves. Sunday afternoon, John and I had gone to shop for groceries so he'd be all set to fend for himself while I went to visit my mother in Ohio for a few days. I was planning to leave for her house on Tuesday. Mom and I were planning a great time together. As John pulled out of the store parking lot, my cellphone rang. It was my sister, Lori. Never imagining her call to be anything other than for the purpose of just saying hi, I answered cheerfully, "Hi Lor!" As soon as I heard her voice, though, I knew, this was not such a call after all. This was going to be bad.

My mother was, at that very moment, being put in an ambulance. Lori, an RN, was quite certain that she was having a heart attack. Later we learned that Mom had had several heart attacks throughout the last five days and never said anything about anything being wrong at all. Plans changed in an instant and less than three hours later, I was on my way to Ohio. It's a six hour trip from our house and all along the route I was afraid that Lori was going to call me back and tell me that my mother had not made it. I don't care how old you get to be, you are never ready to lose your mother.

All this happened Sunday, today is Tuesday. From there to here is a blur. Yesterdays' angiogram showed multiple and severely blocked arteries. Today brought with it 5-6 hours of open heart surgery. The blockages in Moms' heart were to require what was intended to be a quadruple bypass, but turned out to be a triple instead. It was determined that the fourth artery was a small one and the surgeons decided not to bypass that one after all.

At one point we were all gathered in the family waiting room this afternoon. We commandeered the whole room. There were 24 of us. For the first time in years Mom had all of her five daughters in one place at the same time. Tomorrow my brother arrives and Mom will, for that short time, have all 6 of her children together at once. It's entirely possible, due to being medicated, that she will not remember it. But, we will. We have been brought up short and are suddenly faced with the stunning fact that Mom is not invincible. This was hammered home at the sight of her, still on the ventilator, still out from the anesthetics, laying still as death and looking incredibly frail in her hospital bed.

I watched as my step dad hobbled up to bend down and talk quietly to Mom and every one of us in that room about lost it as he started to say something to Mom but then simply sobbed at the sight of her in that bed- this woman who is always strong, always there, always on the go, independent to a fault, but unable for now to even breathe on her own.

I don't know for sure the thoughts that went through each of our minds, but I've got what I figure is a pretty safe guess, and that is this: We are no different than any other family- we have our share of disagreements amongst ourselves, call them feuds or whatever you like. They seem to be important at the time- the indignation seems so justified, but when it comes down to a time such as this, when the devestation of loss lurks as a definite possibility, you realize with heartwrenching clarity that life is fragile and the feuds are futile.

Life's A Beach

2010-08-17T22:59:00.003-04:00

This afternoon my sister, who I hadn't seen since May, was showing me pictures of her recent trip to Myrtle Beach over spring break. She had some gorgeous shots of the beach taken from the balcony of their Myrtle Beach hotel.

I've always been more partial to the rocky coastline of New England than the smooth sandy beaches of the lower coastal Atlantic states but seeing her photos made me consider the idea of one day taking a trip to Myrtle Beach. My sister stayed at one of the resorts in Myrtle Beach and thoroughly enjoyed watching the sunset from their balcony at the http://avistaresort.com/.

She and her traveling companion enjoyed playing golf at one of the nearby courses, but I'm not a golf fan at all. I would much rather spend the time at that beautiful beach putting my camera to work on all those stunning sunsets.

Way To Go Grandpa!

2010-08-04T20:11:00.001-04:00

John G. Is 63 years old and owns a small business. He's a life-long Republican and sees his dream of retiring next year has all but evaporated. With the stock market crashing and new taxes coming his way, John assumes now that he will work to his dying day.
John has a granddaughter. Ashley is a recent college grad. She drives a flashy hybrid car, wears all the latest fashions, and loves to go out to nightclubs and restaurants. Ashley campaigned hard for Barack Obama. After the election she made sure her grandfather (and all other Republican family members) received a big I told-you-so earful on how the world is going to be a much better place now that her party is taking over.
Having lost both roommates, Ashley recently ran short of cash and cannot pay the rent (again) on her 3 bedroom townhouse.. Like she has done many times in the past, she e-mailed her grandfather asking for some financial help.

Here is his reply:

Sweetheart, I received your request for assistance. Ashley, you know I love you dearly and I 'm sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new economic plan of our own..."The Ashley Economic Empowerment Plan." Let me explain.

Your grandmother and I are life-long, wage-earning tax payers. We have lived a comfortable life, as you know, but we have never had the fancier things like European vacations, luxury cars, etc.. We have worked hard and were looking forward to retiring soon. But the plan has changed. Your president is raising our personal and business taxes significantly. He says it is so he can give our hard earned money to other people. Do you know what this means, Ashley? It means less for us, and we must cut back on many business and personal expenses.

You know the wonderful receptionist who worked in my office for more than 23 years? The one who always gave you candy when you came over to visit? I had to let her go last week. I can't afford to pay her salary and all of the government mandated taxes that go with having employees. Your grandmother will now work 4 days a week to answer phones, take orders and handle the books. We will be closed on Fridays and will lose even more income to the Wal-Mart.

I'm also very sorry to report that your cousin Frank will no longer be working summers in the warehouse. I called him at school this morning. He already knows about it and he's upset because he will have to give up skydiving and his yearly trip to Greenland to survey the polar bears.

That's just the business side of things. Some personal economic effects of Obama's new taxation policies include none other than you You know very well that over the years your grandmother and I have given you thousands of dollars in cash, tuition assistance, food, housing, clothing, gifts, etc., etc. But by your vote, you have chosen to help others -- not at your expense -- but at our expense.

If you need money now sweetheart, I recommend you call 202-456-1111. That is the direct phone number for the White House.. You can also contact the White House here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/ .

You yourself told me how foolish it is to vote Republican. You said Mr Obama is going to be the People's President, and is going to help every American live a better life. Based on everything you've told me, along with all the promises we heard during the campaign, I'm sure Mr. Obama will be happy to transfer some stimulus money into your bank account. Have him call me for the account number which I memorized years ago...

Perhaps you can now understand what I've been saying all my life: those who vote for a president should consider the impact on the nation as a whole, and not be just concerned with what they can get for themselves. What Obama supporters don't seem to realize is all of the money he is redistributing to illegal aliens and non-taxpaying Americans (the so-called "less fortunate") comes from tax-paying families.

Remember how you told me, "Only the richest of the rich will be affected"? Well guess what, honey? Because we own a business, your grandmother and I are now considered to be the richest of the rich. On paper, it might look that way, but in the real world, we are far from it.

As you said while campaigning for Obama, some people will have to carry more of the burden so all of America can prosper... You understand what that means, right? It means that raising taxes on productive people results in them having less money; less money for everything, including granddaughters.

I'm sorry, Ashley, but the well has run dry... The free lunches are over... I have no money to give you now. So, congratulations on your choice for "change." For future reference, I encourage you to try and add up the total value of the gifts and cash you have received from us, just since you went off to college, and compare it to what you expect to get from Mr. Obama over the next 4 (or 8) years. I have not kept track of it, Ashley. It has all truly been the gift of our hearts.
Remember, we love you dearly...but from now on you'll need to call the number mentioned above. Your "Savior" has the money we would have given to you. Just try and get it from him.

Good luck, sweetheart.

Love,
Grandpa

Weekend Reflections (week45)

2010-07-30T20:50:00.004-04:00

Wow, has it really been since April that I've played along?! Time flies I guess.

"Weekend Reflections" is hosted by James and the rules are simple:

1)Post a photograph taken by you that contains a visual refection.

2)After James posts his Weekend Reflections photo, add your name, country and link to MckLinky

3)Be sure that your link goes directly to your Weekend Reflections post.

4)Comment on other Weekend Reflections participant’s blogs.

Feel free to be creative. Remember this meme is for any type of reflection photographs.
This meme runs Friday 11 am EST through 11pm Sunday, so feel free to link your post anytime within that time frame. Join the fun!

Made In America

2010-07-30T08:02:00.003-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

When we were kids, growing up in Rushford, NY, my best friend and I would walk uptown every afternoon after school. We'd go to the Post Office, stop by Bob's Dry Goods, then on to the hardware which her parents owned. After that we'd cross the street to the Cline's Soda Fountain where we would most often each order a "suicide", which was Elsie Cline's blend of several different flavor's of pop.

As a teenager I worked for a time in the little corner grocery store, formerly owned by the Weaver family who had had it for generations.

Even back then, though, we could see that our little town was changing. First the funeral home shut down, then Bob's Dry Goods. That one is the Post Office now and the funeral home has been converted into a youth center. Elsie Cline passed away and the store was boarded up. The hardware is still there, run by my friend now as her parents have both passed on. The little corner store went through several different owners and is now vacant. Everyone goes out of town now to grocery chain stores.

Progress is nice, but it's also sad to see all the little towns boarding up their vacant storefronts. It's also sad now to see so few items that are Made in America, which makes finding a place like Ramblers Way something of a treat.

Ramblers Way is located in Kennebunk, Maine and they are committed to bringing revitalization to smalltown America. They produce wool, and fine woolen apparel. All the wool is grown in America- you can even meet the sheep it comes from. ( I had to check out that link since we used to have sheep when our kids were young)

Too many companies today are dedicated to nothing more than their bottom line.
It's great to see companies like this one, that can offer a product produced 100% in the USA, and that is dedicated to the preservation of small towns.

2010-07-30T08:01:00.001-04:00

As a rule, I don't pass along these "add your name" lists that appear in emails. BUT this one is important. It has been circulating for months and has been sent to over 20 million people.

We don't want to lose any names on the list so just hit forward and send it on. PLEASE keep it going!

To show your support for Obama please go to the end of the list and add your name.

1. Michelle Obama
2.

Watch This!

2010-07-27T15:40:00.002-04:00

Wow! Looking for a new watch? Take a look at all the variety of watches here, including tons of top of the line brand name watches. I've never heard of most of these names and I had no idea there were so many different styles of watches. I am rather particular about what my watch looks like, and don't like anything big and clunky looking. I also have to have a quartz watch and not a digital one because I somehow manage to ruin the digital ones just by wearing them. Looking through all the choices of watches here, I found several that appealed to me, including this dolce and gabbana watch that are not only useful but stylish as well.

Blue Dial boasts over 350,000 satisfied customers and has been in business for over 10 years. They have over 20,000 watches in stock, including watches by Seiko, Citizen Watches, Fossil, Bulova and a whole lot more. All their watches are brand new and in the original boxes and are guaranteed.

The Chemicals That Are Keeping Us FAT

2010-07-23T10:05:00.001-04:00

Why You Can't Lose Those Last 10 Pounds.

by The Staff at wowOwow.com, on Wed Jul 7, 2010 7:24am PDT749 by: Stephen Perrine and Heather Hurlock

On May 11, the White House announced it was targeting a new threat to America’s health and security. It wasn’t some rogue nation or terrorist organization, or a newfound disease or environmental threat. It was a class of chemicals that are making Americans fat. They’re called endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. And chances are you’re eating or drinking them right now.

The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity released a report called "Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation." In the report they list endocrine-disrupting chemicals as a possible reason for increased obesity in the country and describe how scientists have coined a new term for these chemicals — "obesogens" — because they "may promote weight gain and obesity."

What does this mean for you? It means that weight gain is not just about calories-in versus calories-out.

No, America’s obesity crisis can’t entirely be blamed on too much fast food and too little exercise. We have to consider a third factor: the obesogens. They’re natural and synthetic compounds, and many of these chemicals work by mimicking estrogen — the very hormone that doctors DON’T want women taking anymore (as a large clinical trial linked hormone therapy to increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, blood clots and abnormal mammograms).

Why traditional diets don’t work anymore

Because high school biology was likely a while back, here’s a quick refresher: The endocrine system is made up of all the glands and cells that produce the hormones that regulate our bodies. Growth and development, sexual function, reproductive processes, mood, sleep, hunger, stress, metabolism and the way our bodies use food — it’s all controlled by hormones. So whether you’re tall or short, lean or heavy — that’s all determined in a big way by your endocrine system.

But your endocrine system is a finely tuned instrument that can easily be thrown off-kilter. "Obesogens are thought to act by hijacking the regulatory systems that control body weight," says Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., curators’ professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri. That’s why endocrine disruptors are so good at making us fat — and that’s why diet advice doesn’t always work — because even strictly following the smartest traditional advice won’t lower your obesogen exposure. See, an apple a day may have kept the doctor away 250 years ago when Benjamin Franklin included the phrase in his almanac. But if that apple comes loaded with obesity-promoting chemicals — nine of the ten most commonly used pesticides are obesogens, and apples are one of the most pesticide-laden foods out there — then Ben’s advice is way out of date.

The obesogen effect is the reason why traditional diet advice — choose chicken over beef, eat more fish, load up on fruits and vegetables — may not work anymore. This is why we’re calling for a New American Diet.

See, while digging up all of this research on obesogens we’ve discovered some good news: There’s no reason why all of our favorite foods — from steak to burgers, from pasta to ice cream — can’t be part of a reasonable weight-loss program. We just need to get rid of old thinking. We can reverse the obesogen effect if we simply adopt these four simple laws of leanness:

Leanness Law No. 1: Know When to Go Organic
The average American is exposed to 10 to 13 different pesticides through food, beverages and drinking water every day and nine of the ten most common pesticides are EDCs. But according to a recent study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, eating an organic diet for just five days can reduce circulating pesticide EDCs to non-detectable or near non-detectable levels.

Of course, organic foods can be expensive. But not all organics are created equal—many foods have such low levels of pesticides that buying organic just isn’t worth it. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) calculated that you can reduce your pesticide exposure nearly 80 percent simply by choosing organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables shown in their tests to contain the highest levels of pesticides. They call them "The Dirty Dozen," and (starting with the worst) they are celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale/collard greens, cherries, potatoes and grapes (imported). And you can feel good about buying the following 15 conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that the EWG dubbed "The Clean Fifteen," because they were shown to have little pesticide residue: onions, avocado, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mango, sweet peas (frozen), asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes and honeydew melon.

Leanness Law No. 2: Don’t Eat Plastic
This ought to be a no-brainer. Indeed, you’re probably already thinking, Well, I don’t generally eat plastic. Ah, but you do. Chances are that you’re among the 93 percent of Americans with detectable levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) in their bodies, and that you’re also among the 75 percent of Americans with detectable levels of phthalates. Both are synthetic chemicals found in plastics that mimic estrogen — essentially, artificial female hormones. And like pesticides, these plastic-based chemicals trick our bodies into storing fat and not building or retaining muscle. Decreasing your exposure to plastic-based obesogens will maximize your chances both of losing unwanted flab and of building lean muscle mass. Here’s how: 1) Never heat food in plastic containers or put plastic items in the dishwasher, which can damage them and increase leaching. BPA leaches from polycarbonate sports bottles 55 times faster when exposed to boiling liquids as opposed to cold ones, according to a study in the journal Toxicology Letters. 2) Avoid buying fatty foods like meats that are packaged in plastic wrap because EDCs are stored in fatty tissue. The plastic wrap used at the supermarket is mostly PVC, whereas the plastic wrap you buy to wrap things at home is increasingly made from polyethylene. 3) Cut down on canned goods by choosing tuna in a pouch over canned tuna. And get any canned and jarred foods from Eden Organic, one of the only companies that doesn’t have BPA in its cans.

Leanness Law No. 3: Go Lean
Always choose pasture-raised meats, which, studies show, have less fat than their confined, grain-fed counterparts and none of the weight-promoting hormones. Plus, grass-fed beef contains 60 percent more omega-3s, 200 percent more vitamin E and two to three times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, a near-magic nutrient that helps ward off heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and can help you lose weight, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) than conventional beef. If you must choose a conventional cut of beef, choose lean cuts top sirloin, 95 percent lean ground beef, bottom round roast, eye round roast, top round roast or sirloin tip steak. Bison burgers and veggie burgers are also great substitutes when grass-fed beef isn’t available. And select sustainable lean fish with low toxic loads (meaning low levels of toxins like mercury and PCBs). A study in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that even though the pesticide DDT was banned in 1973, the chemical and its breakdown product DDE can still be found today in fatty fish. Bigger fish eat smaller fish, and so carry a much higher toxic load.

Avoid ahi or bigeye tuna, tilefish, swordfish, shark, king mackerel, marlin and orange roughy — and focus on smaller fish like anchovies, Atlantic herring and mackerel, and wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Choose farmed rainbow trout, farmed mussels, anchovies, scallops (bay, farmed), Pacific cod, Pacific Halibut, Tuna (canned light) and mahimahi. Also, when you cook the fish, broil, poach, grill, boil or bake instead of pan-frying — this will allow contaminants from the fatty portions of fish to drain out.

Leanness Law No. 4: Filter Your Water
The best way to eliminate EDCs from your tap water is an activated carbon water filter. Available for faucets and pitchers, and as under-the-sink units, these filters remove most pesticides and industrial pollutants. Check the label to make sure the filter meets the NSF/American National Standards Institute’s standard 53, indicating that it treats water for both health and aesthetic concerns. Try The Brita Aqualux ($28, brita.com), Pur Horizontal faucet filter ($49, purwaterfilter.com) and Kenmore’s under-sink system ($60, kenmore.com). However, if you have perchlorate (a component of rocket fuel!) in your water (you can find out by asking your municipal water supplier for a copy of its most recent water-quality report) you’ll need a reverse osmosis filter. But for every five gallons of treated water they create per day, they discharge 40 to 90 gallons of wastewater, so make sure it’s necessary before purchasing one.

The Beauty Of Mathematics

2010-07-23T07:50:00.001-04:00

The Beauty of Mathematics. This is TOO cool!

Just the math part is good enough, the end is even better.

Beauty of Mathematics!

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Mind Boggling...

Now, take a look at this....

101%

>From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they
are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to
GIVE OVER 100%...

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

If you find this interesting share it with your friends & loved ones.

2010-07-21T17:31:00.002-04:00

Finally, a lull in all the recent activity and a chance to post. Libby's party went very well on Saturday and I'll have pictures up soon I hope. Hard to believe that she is all through school and is now 18. It will be off to college for her next month. We had a beautiful day for her party, sunny and warm with a nice breeze. All the kids had a blast in the pond, running and jumping off the dock over and over and over...They all got pretty sunburned. We had about 75 or so guests and plenty of food. Enough food that we're still eating leftovers, but that's ok.

And by the way, I got my car!! A week ago yesterday in fact. Pictures of that soon too I hope. It's so nice to have wheels again!

In Search of Cheaper Glasses

2010-07-21T16:40:00.003-04:00

Three or four years ago I went to the Eye Doctor to have my eyes tested for a new lens prescription. When I got the new glasses, over $200 later(after what the insurance paid), I was NOT happy with them at all. There was a distinct "warp" in everything I looked at through those lenses. The personnel in the store told me it was because I am diabetic and that my sugar must have been high at the time I had the test. I was also told that there is a certain amount of distortion in the lenses anyway, depending on what you pay for them. You apparently can pay more and get less distortion in other words. Sounds more like extortion to me. Regardless, I still have the same glasses but am finally getting ready to have my eyes tested again, this time while my blood sugar is at a fairly normal level.

I wondered about getting eyeglasses online and can hardly believe the low prices. I'm a bit concerned about several things and will definitely do some more checking. One thing I have learned is that the online opticals want you to supply them with your Pupillary Distance, measured in millimeters. This measurement is necessary to ensure proper eyeglass fitting. The problem arises when you ask your optician to test your eyes, measure your PD and supply you with a prescription for your lenses, which you then plan to purchase somewhere else, such as online.

Judging from what I have read at Opti-Board, the supposedly "Premier Online Community For Eye Care Professionals", your opticians will definitely balk at, or outright refuse to supply you with your PD measurement. Some will do it for a fee. Reading several of these posts, though, makes me wonder if they have my interest in mind at all. It does not appear that they do, judging from some of the remarks they make.

I guess all I can do is continue to do a bit more research and then decide whether to purchase my glasses online or to once again buy them the old fashioned way.

You Have To See This- U.S. National Debt Clock

2010-07-13T07:29:00.001-04:00

How much do you owe? How much do your children owe? What about your state? How about our nation?

Take a look at this real-time, mind boggling website which will show you just how President Obama's liberal spending binges are killing America. This U.S. National Debt Clock is spinning out of control, just like the liberal spenders in the White House and Congress.

This year our nation will elect state and federal officials who could serve for up to the next six years. A lot is at stake. Are you prepared to vote your values? First and foremost, are you registered to vote?

Americans are blessed to have a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people." But democracy requires our participation and the most basic democratic participation is voting. When you vote, you help determine who will lead our nation, make our laws and protect our liberties. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as many as 35 percent of the eligible Americans are not registered to vote - that's 45 to 65 million people! Less than half of the voting-age population actually votes in any given election.

Take Action

Click here to access voter registration forms that include instructions for printing and mailing. It's quick, it's easy!

Your vote can and will make a difference! Voting is a privilege that millions of people in other parts of the world can only dream about.

Take Action Now Register to vote today!

It is very important that you forward this alert to your friends and family members.

2010-07-10T15:46:00.003-04:00

Finally, our heat wave has been broken. We got a good rain, which we really needed, yesterday afternoon and last night. The temperature is much more bearable today. Hope it's as nice next Saturday for Libby's Graduation/18th Birthday party!

Don't Spend It All In One Place!

2010-07-07T13:59:00.005-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of FriendGiftr. All opinions are 100% mine.

There you are, puttering around on Face Book, and you spot it, on your events calendar, over there in the right hand column- your best friend's birthday is, what?! Today!? Now what do you do? You completely forgot. You didn't send a card, you didn't buy a gift... But, all is not lost because now there's FriendGiftr

What is it? Basically it's a gift card that you can send either in the traditional physical manner or you can send it digitally. Digitally means that your best friend is never going to know that you forgot her birthday. Meaning, in other words that you'll save face.

FriendGiftr offers gift cards in amounts ranging from $10 to $100 from over 120 different merchants, restaurants and online stores as well. If your friend would rather have a gift card to a merchant other than the one you sent her, she can exchange it. Meaning, in other words that she just might possibly save face too.

Sending a FriendGiftr card is so easy and convenient that you can do it while you're still on Face Book. It's a simple application that you allow where you select a card for your friend, purchase it and send it all right then and there. Your friend then receives an e-mail notifying her of your gift to her. She can then go to the online redemption site and either accept or exchange the gift card. And, here's a feature I'll bet you've never seen before- if she wants to, your friend can actually split the card up among several of her favorite merchants, restaurants or online stores. She doesn't have to spend it all in one place!

2010-07-07T13:23:00.003-04:00

FREEDOM, NY - Route 243 Eastbound and Westbound is closed at Route 98 in the Town of Freedom in Cattaraugus County, due to a road collapse.

The road is expected to re-open in about 1-2 weeks.

Traffic impact is minimal. A detour route will be posted along NY Route 39 and NY Route 19. Motorists are advised to proceed with caution and obey all posted speed limits along the detour route.

This just happened yesterday, about a half mile from here if you went cross lots. I wondered why we had so much traffic yesterday, and why I kept seeing the dust rolling over on the other road. The collapse was caused by a semi hauling a huge D9 bulldozer. He was too heavy and crushed the underlying sluice pipe which made the road cave in.

The paper says "traffic impact is minimal". Not by here it isn't, since our road and the one over from us are the detours. We live on a back road, tarred and chipped, but definitely still a back road. Traffic by here is usually very light. Now, it's a steady stream all day and all night. The dog will probably die of heat stroke since she refuses to stop racing all the cars as they go by.

As of last night there were still no detour signs posted. People were driving up 243, arriving at the blockade across the road and sitting there looking like they were wondering, "well, now where do we go?" The only warning that was posted was clear down to Caneadea, and all that said was, "Use alternative route". If you came onto the road any point past that, you had no warning until you reached the barricade.

A Car, A Car, A Car!!!!

2010-07-07T10:10:00.000-04:00

After not having a vehicle of my own for over a year, it looks like I just might be getting one! We found one very sharp looking Chevy Impala last night, it's a dark gray, which matches our pickup perfectly, not that that is a requirement, just sort of nice. It even has chrome rims!

My husband and I went for a ride last night, mainly to be in the truck where there is AC, so I was surprised when he pulled into a car dealership to show me this car. It was unlocked so we were able to get a good look at the interior. The car has all the bells and whistles- power locks, power windows, stereo system, AC... The interior is absolutely spotless. The outside shows no rust or any other damage. The tires are okay- not great, but okay. The dealer wasn't in as it was after hours, so we weren't able to find out what the price is. We made our guesses. Hubby said they'll be asking $5K, I said closer to $7K and I'm usually right about that stuff.

So, I waited until I figured the place was open this morning and then called to inquire about the car. I was only off by $500- they want $6500 for it. And yes, I called my husband to tell him, but no, I didn't say, "I told you so."

I've been without my own vehicle ever since my old car died last May. We never fixed it up because we knew it needed too much work to pass inspection again. And then we weren't sure it would pass even then after all the work and expense. Finally, this past May, after it sat in the driveway without moving for a whole year, we sold it for junk.

Wow- to have a car again- I won't know what to do with such freedom!

2010-07-07T09:58:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a day of reunions I guess. In the afternoon an old friend and his wife stopped by to visit for a while. They are here from Wisconsin for a couple of weeks on vacation and staying at his Mom's house. It was nice to see him again and to meet his wife in person. Then, last evening, I saw another old school friend. I had been looking for her for several years. I'd type her name in every once a while on Face Book and finally found her just the other day. Turns out she was planning on visiting her Mom, who lives only fifteen minutes from here, this week. So, I got to see her too and do a little catching up, which was really great. We were remarking on how impossible it seems that we have been out of school for 33 years now. My youngest daughter just graduated from High School a couple of weeks ago- June 26th, the very anniversary of my own graduation.

We decided that we are going to make more of an effort to find more of our old classmates. Our 35 year class reunion is only two years away- maybe we can find a bunch more of our old friends and make it a really memorable one.

You Gotta Love Frank!

2010-07-04T08:50:00.000-04:00

Mildred, the church gossip, and self-appointed monitor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several members did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

She made a mistake, however, when she accused Frank, a new member to the church, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup truck parked in front of the town's only pub one after noon...

She emphatically told Frank (and several others) that every one seeing it there WOULD KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING!

Frank, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just turned and walked away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny. He said nothing..

Later that evening, Frank quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house... Walked home... and left it there all night.

(You gotta love Frank!)