Over the weekend, at the invitation of some good friends, we took my oldies to lunch at a very high end retirement community. After lunch in the elegant dining room (jackets required) we toured the villas, apartments, pools, etc.
And one of the best things about this place is that they will drive you anywhere you want to go.
We told my oldies that WE were interested in checking out this place. I honestly wasn't trying to trick them. It's technically true. But I have a twenty year plan for staying in my condo and when I have to give it up my guess is that this place is a little too pricey for me.
Our time there was delightful. We were hosted by my friend's 96 year old mother who appears to be sharper than I am. So this place must do wonders.
But I could tell the oldies weren't buyin' it!
***
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Are You The 10th Person?
I'm usually charged up after attending church. Last Sunday was no exception. My minister started a new series on "Strengthening Relationships." It was hard hitting and real. He was a mental health counsellor prior to the ministry and it often shows.
In Sunday school one of the members, as usual, taught. She's a psychologist. All of what she shared - plus the discussion - was excellent.
Following is one of her concepts:
- For every nine people who denounce innovation only one will encourage it.
- For every nine people who do things the way they've always been done only one will wonder if there's a better way.
- For every nine people who stand in line in the front of a locked building only one will check the back door.
When we walked out of church I felt like I'd just had an invaluable experience!
***
In Sunday school one of the members, as usual, taught. She's a psychologist. All of what she shared - plus the discussion - was excellent.
Following is one of her concepts:
- For every nine people who denounce innovation only one will encourage it.
- For every nine people who do things the way they've always been done only one will wonder if there's a better way.
- For every nine people who stand in line in the front of a locked building only one will check the back door.
When we walked out of church I felt like I'd just had an invaluable experience!
***
Monday, October 20, 2008
Power Move
A few weeks ago a close friend told us about an interesting encounter he'd had with an angry woman. I'd forgotten the details so yesterday at dinner I asked him to repeat the story so I could tell it to you. Here it is.
He and his wife pulled into a restaurant parking space. Apparently he'd inadvertently pulled into the spot that somebody else had her eye on because when he glanced in his mirror a furious woman was giving him a long, public obscene gesture.
My friend and his wife (actually one of my Power Rangers so she's more than a friend) entered the restaurant. As they were standing in line, he said, "Gee, I hope she doesn't come in here."
At that moment she charged through the door. He looked at her. She angrily turned her back on him.
What should he do? He was innocent. She was making an ugly, embarrassing scene.
Not knowing what to expect, he walked back to where she was standing in line - and apologized. He told her he didn't see her, didn't mean to take her spot but he guessed he had so he was sorry.
She melted. She wasn't angry any longer. She was sad. The details of her really rotten day came tumbling out. They ended up having quite a conversation.
Then he bought her lunch.
***
He and his wife pulled into a restaurant parking space. Apparently he'd inadvertently pulled into the spot that somebody else had her eye on because when he glanced in his mirror a furious woman was giving him a long, public obscene gesture.
My friend and his wife (actually one of my Power Rangers so she's more than a friend) entered the restaurant. As they were standing in line, he said, "Gee, I hope she doesn't come in here."
At that moment she charged through the door. He looked at her. She angrily turned her back on him.
What should he do? He was innocent. She was making an ugly, embarrassing scene.
Not knowing what to expect, he walked back to where she was standing in line - and apologized. He told her he didn't see her, didn't mean to take her spot but he guessed he had so he was sorry.
She melted. She wasn't angry any longer. She was sad. The details of her really rotten day came tumbling out. They ended up having quite a conversation.
Then he bought her lunch.
***
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Thanksgiving Recipes
The following recipes were taken from the October 13th "New Yorker" magazine.
THANKSGIVING RECIPES
from the U.S. Treasury Department
Rare-Treat Potatoes
Six sweet potatoes
One can crushed pineapple
Your retirement account
Mix everything together. Bake until the account is completely melted.
Cranberry Surprise
Two pounds cranberries
One cup stock certificates,
torn into teeny bits
Cinnamon and sugar, to taste
Cook until everything is softened.
Serve.
Turkey Stuffed with
Seven Hundred Billion Dollars
Large turkey
Seven hundred-billion dollar bills,
crumpled
Place the crumpled bills inside the turkey. Roast until all that remains is a pile of ashes.
Enjoy!
***
Friday, October 17, 2008
Hard Times Lesson
Last night when my boyfriend and I were eating popcorn and playing cribbage we started talking about when we were kids and we'd send away for cool stuff.
He told me about his Captain Midnight watch. I told him about my Tom Mix decoder ring with the secret compartment. Actually the ring stood about half an inch high so the compartment wasn't much of a secret.
But we were both thrilled with our purchases.
Here's how kids did it back then. We saved box tops from cereal containers and saved the small amount of money that was required. It took a long time to save enough to order the prize. If moms were smart they didn't allow the tops to be cut off until the cereal was gone.
With enough tops and the cash we mailed them off and waited six weeks to receive the prize. There's no way of explaining the excitement of finding your very own decoder ring in the mail.
This process helped teach one of the most important lessons we human beings can learn. One I tried to teach my children as well.
Delayed Gratification!
My son used to say when he wanted me to buy some big ticket item, "Is it because we don't have the money or are you just saying no?"
My reply would always be, "It's because we don't have the money but I hope I would love you enough to say no even if we did."
This is a little different message than the flat screen TV commercial that, to my amazement, is still being aired in these perilous times.
I want it all. I want it all. And I want it now!
***
He told me about his Captain Midnight watch. I told him about my Tom Mix decoder ring with the secret compartment. Actually the ring stood about half an inch high so the compartment wasn't much of a secret.
But we were both thrilled with our purchases.
Here's how kids did it back then. We saved box tops from cereal containers and saved the small amount of money that was required. It took a long time to save enough to order the prize. If moms were smart they didn't allow the tops to be cut off until the cereal was gone.
With enough tops and the cash we mailed them off and waited six weeks to receive the prize. There's no way of explaining the excitement of finding your very own decoder ring in the mail.
This process helped teach one of the most important lessons we human beings can learn. One I tried to teach my children as well.
Delayed Gratification!
My son used to say when he wanted me to buy some big ticket item, "Is it because we don't have the money or are you just saying no?"
My reply would always be, "It's because we don't have the money but I hope I would love you enough to say no even if we did."
This is a little different message than the flat screen TV commercial that, to my amazement, is still being aired in these perilous times.
I want it all. I want it all. And I want it now!
***
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
An Afternoon's Fun for 75 Cents
Since we're trying to watch our pennies like everybody else we decided to check out the discount movie theater close to my house this afternoon. I had not been there since it was transformed after the new state of the art stadium theaters made these older theaters call it quits a few years ago.
What a surprise. The theater has been remodeled, is clean and comfortable. It shows second run movies, i. e., just a little older than first runs. The cost is $1.50 per ticket but on Tuesdays it's 75 cents.
We hadn't planned to see a movie right then but one of the six choices was just starting so we paid our money and walked in.
We saw a movie than neither of us would have chosen to see in any other circumstances.
We saw The Mummy 3, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
What fun! I laughed out loud all the way through. The photography was breathtaking. I could see it again with the sound off.
I have no idea who all of these actors are, except for Brendan Frasier, but they were beautiful, had good skin and could withstand multiple killings without getting mussed up.
Maybe we'll go back next Tuesday and see "Hancock" or "Get Smart." At 75 cents it's worth a shot.
***
What a surprise. The theater has been remodeled, is clean and comfortable. It shows second run movies, i. e., just a little older than first runs. The cost is $1.50 per ticket but on Tuesdays it's 75 cents.
We hadn't planned to see a movie right then but one of the six choices was just starting so we paid our money and walked in.
We saw a movie than neither of us would have chosen to see in any other circumstances.
We saw The Mummy 3, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
What fun! I laughed out loud all the way through. The photography was breathtaking. I could see it again with the sound off.
I have no idea who all of these actors are, except for Brendan Frasier, but they were beautiful, had good skin and could withstand multiple killings without getting mussed up.
Maybe we'll go back next Tuesday and see "Hancock" or "Get Smart." At 75 cents it's worth a shot.
***
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Our First Home
During my 44 year marriage to a Methodist minister this is the first and only home we owned until we bought our retirement condo.
In 1970, two years out of seminary, we lived in a lovely parsonage in Fort Lauderdale. Then my husband went from being the associate pastor at a large downtown church to starting an urban ministry.
There was no parsonage. After a short time in an apartment we bought this little bungalow close to downtown. We had three small children, including one in diapers - and one on the way. We lived there for seven happy years.
A couple of days ago my two sons were in Ft. Lauderdale for a meeting. One of them took this picture with his cell phone from the car. He was astounded that the entire house fit into the frame.
We enclosed the carport to extend the tiny living room. The family room in the back held our big dining room table where we had all of our meals. If we had tried to eat in the dining area we would have had to do it in shifts.
What is an urban ministry? We started with the two of us in a downtown storefront office. Seven years later there was a small paid staff of highly qualified people and hundreds of unpaid staff and volunteers - including a dozen full time VISTA Volunteers (domestic peace corp.)
We were community organizers - and proud of it.
All the while we lived in our little bungalow, a few feet from the elementary school, in a safe neighborhood full of kids. My older son has happy memories of this home, My younger son (the one who took the picture) doesn't remember it at all.
***
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