"IF NOT US, WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?"

I am constantly astounded by people who post egregious lies about the President on Facebook and elsewhere, and yet, so proudly proclaim themselves to be "Christians".  There is no way that a person who truly follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, could morally post those insidious lies, and yet, they have the unmitigated gall to proselytize.

Other people tell me to just "unfriend" the ignoramuses, and I have done that in the past, but I hearken back to a quote from JFK which paraphrased an earlier quote from Hillel The Elder.  JFK asked, "IF NOT US, WHO?  IF NOT NOW, WHEN?" It is my moral obligation to correct the liars.

The most ludicrous postings are the ones referring to the President as a "tyrant".  Are these people so abysmally ignorant that they do not comprehend that IF he were indeed a tyrant, then they would not exist, let alone be allowed to post their scurrilous screeds?  Perhaps they are so uneducated not to know about Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Pol Pot, Pinochet, et. al.  I wonder if do they really think that tyrants like those would have let them live?  If the President were a tyrant, do they actually think that he would allow the existence of the DO NOTHING CONGRESS? 

One friend tells me to ignore them because it's hyperbole, but it is still disheartening that there are people that I actually know who have no scruples in forwarding such lies.

I see in posts that the same person will charge that he is a SOCIALIST, COMMUNIST, and FASCIST.  How sad that they didn't learn the differences, say, in the fifth grade of elementary school.  Those doubting his religion, I always ask:  "What makes one a Christian?  I think it's saying that one IS a Christian."  What makes them think that they are "better" Christians than he?    As the President was reared by his grandparents after the death of his mother, I'm sure that they were the biggest influence in his life.  If the liars bothered to read books by the President, they would know his beliefs.

I understand--and accept--people who disagree with me about policies, but the people whom I mention persistently just tell reprehensible lies, rather than engage in civil discourse.

ROSEMARY SNIFFINGS

After publishing the article SNIFF ROSEMARY (see here), I have had several readers make amusing remarks, but the best one happened yesterday. A friend went with my husband and me to the Air Force Museum; our friend wanted to see President Kennedy's "Air Force One" and I said I'd like to see MY plane, the B1-B.

As we had to wait for a shuttle to take us to see JFK's plane; we decided to have lunch; while waiting for lunch to be served, I was trying to tell an incident about our friend Tim, but for some strange reason, I kept saying "Tom" rather than "Tim".

After several times of reversing the names, our friend asked, in a loud voice, "Is there anyone here named Rosemary?" The hostess heard him and answered, "My mother's name was Rosemary." Our friend said, sotto voce, "Bring her over so Sue can sniff her!" We had to explain the reference about Rosemary. She said, "I'll see if we have any in the spices in the kitchen!"

Later, checking in for the JFK exhibit at the Museum, one of the volunteers was an elderly woman named Rosemary. Our friend said, "Come on over here, Rosemary, you can help prevent Alzheimer's!" Naturally, we had to explain the reference about rosemary to her. She said that she used a lot of rosemary in her cooking, but our friend concluded that Rosemary didn't "get" it and said she should probably have started sniffing rosemary earlier in her life.

PRACTICE RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS AND SENSELESS ACTS OF BEAUTY

My friend Bobbi's daughter posted the following on Facebook:

Sometimes, I just don't get it....I understand we live in a world where we need to be more careful about the things we do, but do we need to stop caring altogether? Today, on my way to Home Depot, I passed a car that was on the side of the road with its emergency lights flashing. On my way back, I noticed it was still there. I slowed down and asked the young woman if she was alright; she said she had run out of gas but her dad was on his way. I went home and did some yard work. About an hour later, I looked down that way and she was still sitting there. Concerned to why she would still be there, I grabbed a gas can and drove down the road. She was on the phone with her dad who was lost and driving up and down Route 35 looking for her, but he was on the NEW Route 35 and she was on the OLD Route 35! I told her I would give her some gas and she could meet him in Washington Court House. They both knew where WalMart is and decided to meet there.

My reasoning: What if that were my son? It was 92 degrees today and that poor girl was covered in sweat, lost, out of gas, and scared! I remember those days when I was young and thought that "empty" meant I could go another 50 miles. Sometimes we just have to "CARE"!
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I was not surprised by Tammy's action because she is a very compassionate person. I sent her the article Why Random Acts Of Kindness Are So Important.

Random Acts Of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty is a children's book by Anne Herbert. She coined the phrase in 1982 and Jack Canfield used the phrase in his book Chicken Soup For The Soul.

Today I was at my doctor's office in Wilmington and an elderly woman left the Receptionist's area and sat down. The Receptionist asked if she needed anything else and the woman said she was waiting for a cab. She was still sitting there when I came out from seeing the doctor. I asked the woman if I could take her home. I said, "We can ask the Receptionist to call the cab company to tell them you've left." We had a very enjoyable conversation on our drive to her home and she insisted on paying me and I told her, "Just PAY IT FORWARD and do something good for somebody else." I told her I would wait until she went in the house. She went to her porch and brought back a sack of cucumbers. Of course I could not refuse. I now have THIRTY cucumbers; does anybody want cucumbers?

HIS MORAL CONSCIENCE

This week marks the 79th anniversary of the passage of the Social Security Act. Franklin Roosevelt deserves plaudits, of course, but special credit should always go to the architect of the plan, the Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins.

I just completed reading one of my birthday presents: The Woman Behind The New Deal The Life Of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary Of Labor And His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey. I especially like the part of the title: "His Moral Conscience".

Perkins has been one of my heroines since I first read about her as a youngster. At a time when women did not usually hold public office, she was a controversial choice as FDR's Secretary of Labor and was the first female to hold a Cabinet position. She was responsible for the enactment of the minimum wage, work-hour limitations, and most importantly, the Social Security Act. She was not able to achieve another of her goals--national health care--but when it was enacted more than 80 years after she proposed it--I said that it should have been called the Frances Perkins Affordable Care Act.

During her term, the witch-hunters in Congress tried to have her IMPEACHED because she refused to have Australian native Harry Bridges, the leader of the Longshoremen's Union, deported because he was suspected of being a Communist. Although Perkins disliked Bridges because of his personal behavior, she would not sacrifice her own integrity--her"moral conscience"-- because she knew that Bridges was being treated unfairly. Oh, how we need people like her today!

Read here an excerpt and a good review of the book from NPR.

"COME AGAIN?"

I admit that I am a sucker for Facebook quizzes.  How else would I have known that the President I am most like is Mr. Lincoln and that I was Aristotle in a past life?  However, I hated the one which revealed the actress I was most like was Katharine Hepburn--whom I dislike--when I know for certain that I am more like the divine AUDREY!

 Here is one question from a Facebook quiz asking "HOW MUCH OF AN OHIOAN ARE YOU?":

Question:  Someone just asked you a question that you did not quite hear.  How do you ask them to repeat the question?

1.  "Come again?"
2.   "What?"
3.   "Huh?"
4.   "Please?"

I'll bet that you have heard all of those because I know I have.  I guess that "Excuse me, I didn't hear you."  is not an option.

Oh, by the way, I scored 41% on that quiz and did NOT share it.  I'll also admit I've spent a large part of my life trying NOT to sound like an Ohioan, especially one from Fayette County--or, as it's said by most natives here--"FAY-YETTE County"!

SHOPPING WHILE BLACK

My friend Charlene recently posted the following piece on Facebook:

This is just me, but I don't give my money, or my husband's hard-earned money to any establishment that I KNOW does not hire African-Americans, has a prejudice/stereotype view of African-Americans, or have shown me personally that they're not capable of treating me with respect or dignity. Now saying this, I know people can put on fake smiles while serving me, and that's alright as long as they smile while taking my money. But I have been in establishments where:

1. the clerk refused to touch my hand while giving me change.
2. where my husband and I had to wait for service for an unusually long time (we left and never returned.)
3. filled out a job application at a place, was not given a "call-back", only to have the regional manager call a month later (after I was employed at another woman's retail establishment), and she had found my application balled-up in the back of a filing cabinet. She apologized profusely, asked me to work for them, at double the rate I was currently being paid, which I kindly refused. I never spent a dime at that establishment, and they eventually closed down.

I have worked in retail where white sales women purposely ran the other way when an African-American or Indian person came into the store, which only helped my sales to SKYROCKET! I have seen ignorance, and fear on every level.

What's the point in sharing this with you? ECONOMIC POWER SPEAKS! That old saying "Hit them where it hurts." works. I KNOW that the African-American community has great wealth and wealth potential. Maybe, just maybe, we should use our economic power to cause change. Money "talks" and maybe now is the time to start "TALKING"!

__________________________________________________

Reading Charlene's message, I was reminded of a time when three other women and I went to Detroit to inspect product which had been recalled. Two of the women were Caucasian and one was African-American. One day, after work, we went to a local WalMart because we needed supplies for work and the women wanted to pick up some personal items.

I had the Company credit card and as I finished the transaction I noticed that one of the women was in a heated discussion at a check-out. The other two women were standing waiting at the end of the aisle. I asked, "What is the problem?" and I learned that the clerk was asking for identification from the woman in line--the African American--but had not asked for identification from the other two.

 Of course I had not been asked for identification and I had made a large purchase. I asked to see the Manager and when I did not receive what I considered a satisfactory response, the two women and I went to customer service and returned our purchases. I demanded the Regional Manager's name and when we returned to the motel, I called to complain and I wrote a complaint letter which all four of us signed. We went to K-Mart where we were treated correctly.

That occurred in the 1990s; see my BLOG article INTENTIONAL/UNINTENTIONAL RACISM which shows more recent incidents which proves the old adage "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

There are so many documented cases of unfair treatment from law enforcement toward African-American drivers--especially males--that there is an acronym for it: DWB (DRIVING WHILE BLACK). Eric Holder, our Attorney General, recently shared humiliating experiences he'd had. See the link to The Huffington Post which features an article from a mother who states that all parents must teach their children--especially sons--"The Lesson" of how to act when confronted by law enforcement.

Read a brilliant article written in 2011 by Sharon Thomas for the Record-Herald which also addresses SHOPPING WHILE BLACK!

FLASHERS

In Ellisville, Missouri, Michael Elli was given a $1,000 citation because he flashed his headlights at other motorists to warn them of a speed trap.

In answer to Elli's lawsuit, a Federal judge ruled that flashing one's lights at other motorists is a protected right under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment's right to free speech. (See report from fellow BLOGGER George Mathis)

I am unapologetic when I admit that I also flash my lights at other motorists to warn them of the presence of cops.

One time, I flashed my lights at a cop's car because it was after dark and everyone should have his headlights on, including law enforcement. The cop turned his car around--unsafely-- in the middle of the road and came racing after me, with blue lights flashing and siren blaring, but did not turn on his headlights.

"License and registration!", the cop demanded. I started to open my car door and he shreiked, "Stay in the car!" I said, "My purse is in the back seat." He said, "You can reach it from there." Knowing full well that I couldn't, but I unbuckled my seat belt and I admit, I made exaggerated motions to try to reach my purse, even rolling over to the passenger seat, but I could not retrieve my purse from the back seat.

He said, "I'll get it." I said, "Oh, I don't think you should do that." He said, "OK, get out!"

I got out of the car, retrieved my purse, and got back in the car. I deliberately took plenty of time to fish through my purse to locate my driver's license. When I handed my driver's license to him, I had with it a copy of the U. S. Constitution, which family and friends will attest, I always have in my purse. He said, snidely, "What's this for?" I answered, "I thought you might like it to read." I then leaned over and took out the registration and insurance card from the glove box. He said, sarcastically, "You should keep all that stuff together." I asked, "Then how could I identify myself outside the car if I did that?"

He asked snottily, "Do you know why I stopped you, ma'am?" I answered, "No, officer, I have no idea." He asked, "Because you were flashing your lights." I answered, quite coyly, "Oh, officer, I thought that was the international symbol to let other people know when they don't have their lights on; you do know it's the law to have one's lights on AFTER DARK, don't you?"

He begrudgingly let me go.

SNIFF ROSEMARY

I have read several reports about the benefits of sniffing rosemary to help memory and to aid to help prevent Alzheimer's Disease. (see article from The Huffington Post)  

The studies show that sniffing rosemary has an arousing effect on a brain chemical called acetylcholine.  As long as I don't have to ingest the rosemary, I'll be fine!  The only thing I have used rosemary for has been in chicken dishes and it hasn't been my favorite flavor.

Gerald said that if my memory gets any better, they're going to put me in the Guinness Book!

I told my friend Mona, "I'm going to buy several bottles and have one to use in the car and I'll give others to friends and my Red Hat Ladies as a favor."  She answered,  "I'd be careful if I were you;  as many times as you get stopped by the cops, they might think you have another HERB!"

ARE YOU A C-CUP?

When one of Gerald's great niece married, our wedding present for her was for me to cater the food for the reception.  It was relatively (can't help the pun!) easy as there were only fifty guests expected to attend.

I had to be at the reception site early.  I was wearing a low-cut, teal-colored, silk dress, with dyed-to-match shoes and I was also wearing a teal-colored, plunge bra and slip.

I did not know it beforehand but the bridal attendants' dresses were low-cut TEAL-colored gowns. 

I went in to the room where the young women were preparing for the wedding, and I saw that one of the bridesmaids had her WHITE bra visible.  I went to her and asked, "Are you a C-Cup?"  Stunned, she answered that she was.  I said, "Come with me."  We went to the bathroom and I said, "You're going to wear my bra;  we can't have your bra showing!"  She and I exchanged bras and when she walked down the aisle her bra wasn't showing and she looked lovely in the pictures.

Unfortunately, I had to pin my low-cut dress together to hide the white bra.  Before the ceremony, when I sat down beside Gerald, I asked if he noticed anything different.  He said, "Your ta-tas aren't showing."  I whispered, "The bridesmaid is wearing my bra!"  and told him the reason for the bra exchange.

He muttered, "Only you, Sweetheart, only YOU would do that!"

FIRE PROOF

I recently attended the celebration of the eighty-seventh birthday of a friend who is a retired math teacher. We were talking about the changes we have experienced as women in general and teachers in particular. I told her that my grandmother was not allowed to teach after her marriage. (see LIST OF RULES FOR TEACHERS IN 1914) She commented that although she herself was allowed to teach after marriage, when she became pregnant, she was told that she couldn't teach any longer.

She said that she had the last laugh because the Principal found out he couldn't find another math teacher to come to a small, rural, Ohio school and she even received a raise. She taught--uninterrupted--for 50 years, although she had two more pregnancies.

I said, "Being a math teacher was FIRE-PROOF!"

Another friend who is my age is also a retired teacher, and he sometimes works as a substitute teacher. He told me that because of absenteeism, sick leaves, and meetings of teachers, he could work every day if he so desired.

I was shocked. I said, "Teachers didn't miss work when we were kids; I can count on one hand the number of substitute teachers we had in 12 years."

One of our substitute teachers was the wife of a local prominent businessman; she had discontinued regular teaching after her marriage. She was referred to as "Old Hatchet Face" by many students; she wore ridiculous amounts of Pan-Cake make-up, rouge, and lipstick, but her clothes were beautiful with matching purses and shoes.

My brother said that her make-up tool was a trowel! (Kids were mean back then too) I know it was "Pan-Cake" brand because I once saw the compact in her purse because she would always re-apply her lipstick after lunch. Whenever I see an overly made-up woman, I always think of her, and I dislike seeing women applying make-up in public.

My mother had beautiful complexion; I often wondered what kind of skin "Old Hatchet Face" had under that matte mask.

"Pan-Cake" was a fiercely guarded registered trademark of Max Factor. See an advertisement from the 1940s featuring the beautiful Merle Oberon. Numerous stars such as Lana Turner, Rosalind Russell, Maureen O'Hara, Esther Williams, Ginger Rogers, and Judy Garland were used to advertise Pan-Cake make-up.

For no other reason than I love the song, listen here to Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

MRS. WIGGS

I was at the Bloomingburg Community Day festivities and an elderly woman I did not know approached me and asked, "Honey, would you like a head of cabbage?" I said "Sure, I never turn down anything free!" When I lifted the bag from her car, I said, "This is the biggest head of cabbage I've ever seen; I bet it weighs 20 pounds!" At home, when Les weighed it, the weight was actually 8 1/2 pounds, but that is still a big head of cabbage!

I said to Les, "I wonder why a complete stranger would offer cabbage to me." He said, "Since she's old, she probably thought you resemble Mrs. Wiggs Of The Cabbage Patch." I replied, "That's a pretty obscure reference; I didn't know you knew that book."

He said, "I meant the movie." I answered, "I hope I don't look like Zasu Pitts!" He responded, "Oh, Zazu didn't play Mrs. Wiggs; she was the spinster!"

I said, "I CAN'T believe you know that movie." He said, "Of course I do; after all, W.C. Fields was in it!"

We both remembered that W. C. and Zazu were in the movie, but I had to go to IMDB to see who portrayed Mrs. Wiggs; the actress' name was Pauline Lord. (see the movie clip here with Pauline Lord, Zazu Pitts, and W.C. Fields)

I said, "I guess I'll be grateful to look like Zazu; she looked good when she was young!" Les replied drolly, "At least I didn't say you looked like Cabbage Patch DOLLS!"

SUMMER CONVERSATIONS

Les and I like this cartoon from this week's New Yorker. The caption: "Summer's here. Do you want to start talking incessantly about tomatoes and corn?" just about sums up our summer conversations.

We are fantastically lucky to be the recipients of free sweet corn. The ears have yellow and white mixed kernels and they are oh, so sweet! Les just finished "putting up" 15 bags for the freezer and we're promised more ears Monday!

My brother Duke told Gerald about a device that his friend uses for cutting the corn from the cob and Duke had made one also. Gerald immediately set about making one; see Gerald's device.

I am very happy because I had been WHINING about having a blister last year from all the cutting I did; I had been online looking for one of those corn cutters.

Les says not to buy one because this homemade device works wonderfully well.

BAS-RELIEF

An acquaintance wanted a medallion for the grave of her great-grandfather, who was a Civil War veteran. I told her that my brother had gotten one for the grave of our Great-Grandfather Levi Shirkey who was a Civil War veteran. She got in contact with the local VSO and learned that the Veteran's Administration no longer provides medallions except to surviving spouses of veterans. Of course there are no surviving spouses of Civil War veterans! She then got in contact with her Senator to no avail.

The medallions are the flag holders that one sees beside the graves of veterans on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Feeling that it is very unfair to have a Civil War veteran's grave not have a flag placed to honor him, I decided to make it my mission to acquire a medallion. I made at least a dozen telephone calls.

I was able to acquire a medallion quickly because of my association with the LGAR (Ladies Of The Grand Army Of The Republic). You will notice "GAR" on the medallion.

The GAR (the Grand Army Of The Republic) was founded 1n 1866 and by 1890 had more than 500,000 members. Only honorably discharged veterans of the Civil War could be members. The group was instrumental in founding soldiers' homes, securing pension legislation, relief work, and making sure that Civil War veterans were recognized and honored. The final Encampment (as conventions were known) was held in 1949. The last GAR member died in 1956 at the age of 109 years. Descendants of Civil War veterans can join the SUVCW (Sons Of The Veterans Of The Civil War) and the LGAR (Ladies of the Grand Army Of The Republic).

The medallion had been in storage. Although I personally liked the patina, I wanted it polished to be placed at the gravesite. I looked on the internet about polishing bronze and the first hint was to purchase bronze cleaner. We already had Brasso and the directions on the can show it is also useable for bronze. There are numerous ideas of making home-made pastes which include using lemon juice, baking powder, salt, flour, and vinegar. Here is a YouTube video showing a cleaning method using some of those items.

My brother Les, the masterly polisher, cleaned and polished the medallion. Les said, "Look how it changes when it's turned in the light." I said, "Yes, that's because of the bas-relief." He said, "The BAH-WHAT?" I knew that he knew the term, but he likes to razz me. I said, "You did a lovely job of burnishing." Les asked, "Burnishing--how often do we get to throw the words burnishing-and bas-relief-- into a conversation?"

BUTT-IN

I just conducted a survey of twenty people and asked the question:

When entering an aisle where people are seated and you need to get to your assigned seat, do you:

1. Have your backside toward the person?
2. Have your front-side toward the person?

Every respondent said Number 1.

The reason for my survey: when Ziggy (husband of our great niece) was visiting recently, he asked me to tell his mother how he'd learned the word frottage. Click here to read the story of the time Ziggy and I attended a concert and two large-bosomed women had to pass us to get to their seats and both turned their front-sides to Ziggy and their breasts brushed his chest. I shared the word frottage with him.

CLICK HERE to see the article from MADAME NOIRE when she was lectured by a fellow church-goer that it's rude to turn one's backside.

However, this poses another qustion: Why is "backside" ONE word and "front side" is TWO words?

CINEASTES

Last week, at dinner with friends I mentioned that we "MUST SEE" the movie Boyhood and one of our friends, a true cineaste said, "Oh, the only place to show that will be the Drexel."

Memories of the Drexel Theater flooded over me. When Gerald and I began dating, we would "go to the movies" at least once a week and the Drexel was the place to see the "independent" movies not available at other theaters and to see the work of directors I'd only read about. I vividly remember crossing a picket line to see The Life Of Brian, which was being protested by the Legion Of Decency. That movie, about the hypocrisy of some religions, remains relevant today, but it is now hardly controversial.

The Drexel Theater opened in Bexley in 1937, closed for awhile in the 1970s, re-opened in 1981, and became a triplex in the early 1990s. Its Art Deco style décor still remains, along with the neon lighting on the marquee. In 2011 the Drexel Theater became a non-profit organization operated by CAPA (Columbus Association For The Performing Arts).

Yes, Boyhood IS showing at The Drexel. Click here for a nice article from The Columbus Underground newspaper.

DANDELION WHINE

Why will a weed grow anywhere but a flower that I treasure will not? (See the picture of a dandelion growing out of the foundation of our house.)

I love Black-Eyed Susans. Gerald has planted them at different places in the yard, diligently followed directions, but with no luck; they just won't "take"! He's bought seeds to start from scratch; we have dug wild ones and transplanted them, but they won't grow. What is wrong with my yard that a WILDFLOWER won't grow? Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, peonies, crocus, amaryllis, and roses--all bloomed this year-- but the black-eyed girls obviously do not want to live here!

(CLICK HERE to see my BLOG article about Gerald picking a bouquet of Black-Eyed Susans and being stopped by the Highway Patrol for picking wildflowers!)

Don't get me wrong, I love dandelions (click here to see my BLOG article IN PRAISE OF DANDELIONS), although I don't make dandelion wine. (I'm sorry about the WHINE in the title, but couldn't resist.)

MUSSOLINI HAD THE TRAINS RUN ON TIME

A Facebook "friend" posted an "inspirational" quote from Norman Vincent Peale. I responded that I detested Mr. Peale because he was opposed to John Fitzgerald Kennedy just because JFK was a Roman Catholic. I stated that Mr. Peale was a bigot and in what I thought was a good gibe, I wrote that the title of Peale's most famous book should have been "The Power Of Positive Prejudice" rather than The Power Of Positive Thinking. I also mentioned the hypocrisy of Billy Graham because he's an anti-Semite. I suggested listening to the Nixon Oval Office tapes.

Relating those facts caused a great deal of animosity toward me. I have never understood why people do not appreciate being given FACTS, but instead lash out at the messenger.

One very vituperous respondent attempted to upbraid me by lecturing that her belief is that EVERYONE has something good about them. I responded that I'd actually heard that some people thought that Hitler had said some good things. She replied that she was sure that Hitler loved his family. I told her that Hitler didn't represent family values very well because he wouldn't marry poor ole Eva until the last minute.

I quoted my witty brother: whenever he hears someone defend reprehensible people he always says, "Yeah, and Mussolini had the trains run on time."

I was UN-FRIENDED! Perhaps it was because I shared Jack Nicholson's famous "You can't handle the truth!" scene from A Few Good Men which caused my being banned! But I don't want to be "friends" with those kind of people.

They can't handle the truth OR humor!

DOT COM

I've often wondered why Web addresses shown as ".com" are called DOT COM rather than PERIOD COM or even more correctly POINT COM.

Click here for a link to a Grammarphobia article which shows I am not the only one who has wondered.

Les heard my giving my telephone number on a message and he asked, "Why do you say 0 in 5-0-5, but say "ZERO" in 6-ZERO-x7?" I didn't realize I was doing it that way, but since he brought it to my attention, I am self-conscious about it now and invariably make a mistake. I should be British and say ZED! (CLICK HERE to see the article about why we say "zee" and they say "zed")

MARGARET AND HELEN

I just said to my husband, "When I grow up, I want to be just like Helen Philpot."

He asked, "WHO is THAT?"

I said, "Helen is an elderly woman who writes a BLOG with her friend Margaret and it's called MARGARET AND HELEN BEST FRIENDS FOR 60 YEARS AND COUNTING." (click here for a link to ENJOY!)

Helen Philpot is from Texas and Margaret Schmechtman is from Maine; they have a BLOG but do not write every day, but when they do publish, it's priceless. Helen wrote: "My grandson taught me how to do this so I could "blog" with my friend Margaret who I met almost sixty years ago."

I think the word "pithy" was created for them!

Years ago, at a political event, I was standing next to a woman old enough to be my mother, and standing next to me was a woman much younger than I. I put my arm around the older woman and said, "When I grow up, I want to be just like you." My younger friend chimed in and said, "And when I grow up I want to be just like you, Sue!" That's the THIRD best compliment I've ever received. CLICK HERE to see the BLOG article for the first and CLICK HERE to see the second best compliments.

GOOD OLE JACK

As we were working in the kitchen, Les was listening to one of his sports programs and the commentator was questioning whether Tiger Woods would break Jack Nicklaus' record. I asked Les what the record was to which he was referring and Les said that Jack had won 18 Majors and Tiger had won 14. I asked, "What are the Majors?" He answered, "The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and the British Open, but they don't call it that anymore."

I said, "Oh, no, that's too bad; Tiger will probably beat Jack's records; I don't want him to beat Jack." Les asked, incredulously, "Why? You don't know anything about golf." I answered, "Well, I think Jack is a good man; you've never heard a bad word about good ole Jack, have you?"

Les said, "No; Jack's one of the good guys!"

I said, "The first set of golf clubs I bought for Gerald were by Jack and I bought a Golden Bear golf shirt for him too!"

Les continued, "You know it's interesting that Ohio has produced great athletes who were also good guys." I asked, "Like who?" He answered, "Like Jesse Owens, Archie Griffin, Edwin Moses, and another golfer Tom Weiskopf."

I added, "Scott Hamilton and Hayes Alan Jenkins." Les asked, "WHUT? WHO is Hayes Alan Jenkins?" I said, "He's the great Olympic ice skater; he is married to Carol Heiss."

Les answered, "Oh, I forget that the ONLY sports you know about are skating and curling!"

I said, "AND the 1960 OSU basketball team: John Havlicek, Mel Nowell, Jerry Lucas, Joe Roberts, Gary Gearhart and....". Les stopped me and said, "Surely you're not going to include Bobby Knight in the list of good guys!"

I answered, "No, of course not; besides, he was second string; I was going to say Larry Seigfried!"

He answered, "Of course you know the starting line-up AND an extra!"

I said, "I hear that Jeff Shaw is a good guy; I know he gave $100.00 to Andy's benefit."

Then I began laughing, and said, "We've forgotten the most famous one of all."

Les said, "Please do not say LeBron."

I said, "No, he's from right here--ART!"

Les said, "Remember, we were talking about the GOOD GUYS!"

IN PRAISE OF CAMISOLES

I attended a public meeting last week and a woman walked in wearing a wrinkled tee-shirt, Capri pants, and sandals. Another person was wearing denim shorts and a tank top with bra straps showing. This meeting was definitely a place where people should have, at least dressed appropriately, if not dressed professionally.

I can't imagine dressing that way going to the grocery, let alone to a public meeting.

I have lamented before (CLICK HERE to see DRESS CODE) about inappropriate dress.

The last time I was called for jury duty there was a woman wearing shorts, a low-cut top, and flip-flops. Jury instructions clearly state that one should dress "appropriately". She was not selected. I am constantly taken aback by clothing choices I see at weddings and funerals.

I was at my doctor's office today and a drug representative came in and she was wearing a very attractive ecru-colored lace blouse combined with black slacks, stiletto heels, a nice handbag, along with her briefcase. Her white bra was showing, conspicuously and glaringly, through the blouse. I thought, "Her mother probably never told her about camisoles!"

I think the first rule of business dress is that one's fashion shouldn't cause detraction--and distraction-- from the job! That's the reason that uniforms are great. At one place where I worked--a Deming philosophy company--uniforms were required for ALL employees which included everyone from the riveters to the President. What a tremendous cost-saving for me!

Driving through town today, I saw three women wearing tops with the bra straps showing and one was pink bra straps! Is this a fad or don't they realize how unattractive it is? I know I sound old-fashioned, but can anyone actually think that is becoming? Les says I sound like an "old fogey"; I tell him I was also a "young fogey"! Besides, the temperature was 60 degrees today!

I never criticize young people and their clothing choices; in fact I have defended kids and their choices because I remember how ludicrous some of my choices were, but I grew up!

THE FACE OF HATE

A Facebook friend posted a photo (see below) showing women protesting the immigrant children at the border in Texas.

It reminded me of another famous photo of a fifteen-year-old girl named Hazel Bryan spewing racial epithets at Elizabeth Eckford, who was one of nine children trying to enter school in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957.

I have always called that photograph "THE FACE OF HATE" because my friend Cammy used that photo to illustrate her Senior Paper about the Civil Rights struggle.

With these hate-filled people, I see a NEW face of hate. The more things change, the more they stay the same!

CLICK HERE to see my BLOG article ELIZABETH AND HAZEL which features a marvelous book by David Margolick which details what became of the the lives of those two teenage girls.

TOP 3 CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED MOVIES

Les just told me that he'd heard the top 3 critically-acclaimed movies of 2014 are:

Snowpiercer
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Boyhood

I have read 4 adulatory reviews of Boyhood in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The New Republic. I've seen other movies by the director Richard Linklater-and I especially liked Bernie--and I am looking forward to seeing Boyhood, despite the fact I do not like Ethan Hawke.

The Grand Budapest Hotel has a huge cast, including Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, and Saoirse Ronan. I watch all movies with those three.

Snowpiercer is a sci-fi movie, but I'll watch it with Gerald, because amusingly, Tilda Swinton is in it too! We LOVE Tilda Swinton!

Les asked, "You think Linklater is related to Hamish and Catherine?"

Now I DO know who Hamish Linklater is but I didn't know about Catherine.

Damn him! Catherine Linklater is a character's name in Safe House! I was so glad I didn't ACT like I knew her!

"I JOKE YOU NOT"

While visiting with my husband's niece, she used the phrase "I joke you not!" Of course, I knew what she meant, but I'd never heard the phrase previously. I asked members of my family and friends and none had heard it used.

I googled the phrase and there was a large number of references of people using the phrase and also a dreadful "song" by Eminem (which I will not share here).

When I was a kid, I remember that Jack Paar used to say, "I kid you not"; in fact, he had a book with that title. I never used that phrase. I also remember Humphrey Bogart saying it in the film The Caine Mutiny.

Les just asked, "Have you ever heard anybody say catty-corner?" He said that he'd heard it said on the radio. I told him I'd always heard kitty-corner.

It's probably not surprising to those who know me that I belong to organizations and sites which take this kind of discussion seriously (CLICK HERE to see a link). Also, see the maps from the University of Minnesota which show the prevalence of the use of kitty-corner and catty-corner in the United States. From the maps, Les and I think that most Ohioans say "catty corner" rather than the "kitty-corner" which we use. I was surprised to learn that people also say "caddy-corner". Les said, "Maybe there's a luxury car diagonally opposite from them."

CATTY-CORNER

KITTY-CORNER

I'M A FUN GUY!

Gerald and I love mushrooms and I have prepared numerous varieties including Shiitake, Portabello, Crimini, Enoki, Porcini, and, of course, the common button mushrooms, but none of those have compared to the delectable taste of wild Morels. I so wish that I could feel safe hunting and finding morels. I know the handbook definition of the difference between mushrooms and toadstools (CLICK HERE to see article) but Mother would never collect wild mushrooms; she referred to all fungi as "toadstools" (toadstools have that name because the German word for death is "tode").

We would grow button mushrooms in our "up ground cellar" to use in our cooking. The only times I ate any wild mushrooms was when a friend would hunt them and invite me to come to fry them because he said that I did a better job of frying them than did his wife. His wife was happy for me to perform the duty and the reward of eating the Morels was worth the labor.

I use mushrooms in a wide variety of dishes, but our favorite is as an appetizer: pan-fried using egg and Panko coating. We also like Sautéed Balsamic Mushrooms which we have more often because it is easier and faster to prepare and is also much healthier than the pan-fried mushrooms. I prefer the Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms for this dish (see recipe below).

Currently there are some large fungi growing in the back yard (see picture of with the
18-inch garden gnome) which I know are technically mushrooms, because they have a stem and a cap, but they are the "parasol" kind which every source warns against.

See the cartoon from The New Yorker.

My favorite mushroom joke: A mushroom walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Get outta here, we don't serve your kind in here." The mushroom asks why and the bartender says, "Because you're a dirty filthy thing; look at that dirt all over you." The mushroom says, plaintively, "But I'm a FUN GUY!"

HOG WINGS

I wanted ribs for one of my birthday meals and I don't care for the "dry rub" kind available at a local ribs restaurant. I had been to Damon's in Wilmington the week before and was not satisfied. Two other restaurants in town serve ribs only on Fridays, but, after going to one of them on two consecutive Fridays and they weren't serving ribs, with the excuse that the one who cooks the ribs wasn't there, I was almost ready to fix them myself!

When I told my tale of woe to a friend, she recommended Werner's and we decided to eat there with another couple.

As I looked at the appetizers on the menu, I was struck by the delicacy named "HOG WINGS." I'm usually always "up" to try anything different, but I asked, "WTH are hog wings?" The menu stated: "The bottom shank of a ham, smoked, fried, then grilled to perfection with our own original BBQ sauce."

Who could possibly resist THAT? Stab yourself right in the heart!

"THE ONLY THING NECESSARY..."

Because I would correct all e-mails I received which contained lies, I receive very few of them now because the offenders learned that I would challenge them. In my responses, I would provide correct information and lecture them about consulting a reliable fact-checking source prior to forwarding. Numerous times, I would send the reply to "ALL" who had received and forwarded the lies. One man e-mailed me, furious that I would dare to e-mail him. I responded that he should refrain from forwarding lies.

However, despicable postings on Facebook still require my attention. Some postings were so disgusting that I "unfriended" the people after correcting them. Because I "unfriended" one, he attacked me on a local scurrilous website.

I now have a quandary because several of my husband's relatives (who requested to be my Facebook "friends") regularly post reprehensible lies. I diligently correct them, provide them with accurate fact-checking sources, and, of course, give a lecture. They also post items about their Christianity, which I think is peculiar, since they are obviously very un-Christian.

One niece publishes at least one LIE per day--and sometimes more--about the President; today she posted this ludicrous item:

I told her that it is a LIE and that people who forward these LIES should at least have a smattering of knowledge about the government to know that prohibition would require an AMENDMENT.

I wonder if I should just ignore them to maintain family harmony? Les wonders how I am acquainted with so many ignorant people. I probably should just "unfriend" them and be happy with postings from like-minded friends.

I posted the following on my status:

"Edmund Burke, known as the Father of modern conservatism, wrote: THE ONLY THING NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING. While I am sorely tempted to "unfriend" people who continue to post heinous lies (especially about our President), I shall continue to correct, point them in the direction of good fact-checking, and encourage them to gain knowledge prior to posting. If we "do nothing", then we are "good men" who condone evil."

HOW CAN I RESIST?

I admit that I'm a Coca-Cola addict; for obvious reasons, I must use the complete name of my drug of choice--Coca-Cola--rather than just "Coke".

I have tried to give up drinking Coca Cola, but I'm like Mark Twain and smoking: "Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times."

This summer, Coca Cola launched a "Share A Coke" campaign (see here) which has 1,000 common names emblazoned on some of its products. Since learning of the campaign, I've been scrutinizing supermarket shelves seeking out "SUE" on Coca-Cola products, but to no avail. I know that "SUE" is available. Seeing my name on the cans prompted me to add personalized Coca Cola cans to my birthday list.

P.T. Barnum was right! How can I resist?

DISCOMFORT

At a funeral I attended last week, I met the mother-in-law of a young friend of mine. The mother-in-law is a good friend of the woman whose husband had died. I had never met her previously because she did not attend the wedding of her son, nor the wedding and baby showers I attended, in which her daughter-in-law was the honoree.

I knew that there had been problems between her and my friend from the beginning of the relationship. I had been told by several other people that the woman is "crazy", a "nut case", and worse.

When we were introduced, I told her that I had known her son since he was a boy because he had been a friend with one of my nephews and he'd been to my home numerous times and I expressed how much I liked her son. I was not going to broach the subject of my friendship with her daughter-in-law.

Another person asked her about her grandchildren and she responded, "I have three but I don't get to see them very often even though they live right here in town."

I wasn't about to comment at that obvious innuendo. I was grateful that she did not mention my friend because I would have been compelled to come to my friend's honor.

When she learned where I live she said she'd like to see my house sometime.

OH, NO! I was in a quandary how to answer. My discomfort level was very high. I said, "You'll have to come with Ruth when she comes to see my Christmas decorations."

ESPADRILLES

All fashion is cyclical.

When we got up from dinner last week, my friend was towering over me. I looked down at her feet and she was wearing ESPADRILLES! I said, "Oh, WOW! I haven't seen those for years. I used to have a pair when I was young!"

She said she'd had them a long time and that she keeps everything because everything will come back in style. I said that espadrilles probably come back in style every ten years because I'd seen them in movies and magazines from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and later. CLICK HERE to see the history of espadrilles (also known as alpargatas).

The Vogue Magazine cover from 1941 shows wearing espadrilles with such casual sophistication! Hollywood stars such as Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, Grace Kelly, and the divine Audrey Hepburn were photographed wearing espadrilles in the 1940s and 1950s. See below the modern version in which the heel is higher and sexier.

In the 1960s I fell in love with everything by Yves Saint Laurent and he popularized espadrilles in his summer collections. When copies became available I just had to have a pair! I remember dancing in them at my birthday party in 1972! The only YSL item I could afford to buy was his perfume. Unfortunately, it did not smell good on me and my mother used it. That beautiful, empty flacon is still on her dresser. The first cologne I bought for Gerald was L'Homme by YSL which he still wears.

ESPADRILLES from the Yves Saint Laurent collection.

POP-UPS

Although we installed AdBlock Plus, some of the devious advertising techniques of pop-ups still annoy me daily. I passionately dislike the pop-ups and delete them immediately, accompanied by some cursing. They are unwelcome intrusions on my time. If I want anything from those companies, I shall make contact; I certainly don't need reminders.

I've read that companies maintain information about all of our likes, dislikes, purchases, etc. we have revealed on the internet. If those companies actually know very much about me, then why don't they know how very much I detest the pop-ups and delete all of them without ever looking at them?

I keep getting pop-ups from Saks, Burberry, Chanel, Lancôme, and bunches of others. They are obviously sent to me because I looked up something for BLOG articles or to check prices. It doesn't mean I am ever going to purchase anything there, and because of the annoyance factor, I am more than likely to look elsewhere.

In my "file" there should be an asterisk which shows that I don't want my reading disturbed. I would be far more likely to open an e-mail from companies rather than be bothered while I am busy with another project. I believe the "smart" ones do that since I receive e-mails from companies where I have expressed an interest in their products and have obviously provided my address.

CLICK HERE to see fellow Blogger Ken Levine's rant about pop-ups.