Sometimes it’s good to let your mind wander a bit. Since you’re already sitting here at your computer, here are some videos and websites you might find pleasantly distracting. You may have to give the videos a minute to come up, depending on the speed of your internet connection.
DAILY SQUEE!
So cute, so tiny, so squee…
http://dailysquee.com/
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FUNNY CATS
I love cats, they can be such clowns. There are a few versions of this collection of silly cat videos, but the sound effects on this one work for me.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTasT5h0LEg
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CHARLIE BIT ME!
Charlie is such a rascal. Sorry about all the pop-ups, but this is the best quality version of this video, and it’s their mom’s.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM
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WHERE THE HELL IS MATT?
I love this YouTube video. Created by Matt Harding and Melissa Nixon, it makes me smile and fills my heart every time I watch it. 14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands. People are great.
Note: Despite Matt’s hilarious “hoax” video, and the numerous articles by people who took his “confession” seriously, Matt really did visit these countries, and the people dancing with him are real people, not robots.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY
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"Waterfall" Sidewalk Mural by Julian Beever
JULIAN BEEVER
Julian Beever has created his multi-dimensional sidewalk murals all over the world. They are amazing, you’d swear this guy was about to dive in, but then look closer and you’ll see the cement grout in the sidewalk squares! Visit his website – there are many more mind-bending illusions! It takes a special kind of talent to be able to conceive of and execute this kind of visual effect.
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Christmas Card Gift Box
RECYCLE AND REUSE CHRISTMAS GREETING CARDS
It makes me so sad to throw away beautiful cards, but Mortira shows you how to recycle those pretty cards to make postcards, gift boxes, ornaments, tags, magnets, and many other creative projects. She even has a video to show you how to make Origami Gift Boxes.
http://www.squidoo.com/recycle_christmascards
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Go ahead, go to www.youtube.com and do a search for the groovy singer or bitchin’ band you liked the most. I warn you though: it’s a rabbit hole and time really flies by in it!! Note: if you have a slow connection, press the pause button and let it buffer at least half way before pressing play again, to avoid stops and starts.
The Walker Brothers performing “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”. They were so cute, especially lead singer Scott Engel!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eAxCVTMJ-I&feature=fvw
I have no shame! Here’s Herman’s Hermits’ Peter Noone singing “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv8k0VI9tBc&feature=related
Somebody stop me!
Just in case you need a lift today – here’s something sure to make you smile…it might even make you laugh! :->
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Lisa…..absolutely the best laugh I have had in a long time, soo cute, thank you!
~Char
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Hi everyone,
Just adding a light topic to the conversation
Of course we all LOVE Dan’s music, and his music is likely one of the things that brought us all to this website. That being said, I think even Dan would want us to branch out and explore other good artists out there!!
Last weekend, my husband and I took advantage of the opportunity to see The Bacon Brothers in concert at a nearby venue. This concert far exceeded our expectations, and some songs sounded even better live than on the CD’s I own. Kevin, 52 (Mr. “Six Degrees of Separation”) and his older brother, Michael, 62, are the lead singers, and both seem to be fun-loving guys. Kevin Bacon is definitely one famous actor who has also proven himself to be a very accomplished singer and musician as well. I stumbled upon the review below of the concert, which will shed some more light. I know that if you are a fan of Dan’s music, you would love the Bacons as well
http://thegazette.com/2011/02/13/review-bacon-brothers-rockin-secrets-revealed/
Have a good weekend!
Liv
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Hi Liv,
Thanks for providing us with a heads up on the multi talented Bacon Brothers. On a personal note , I love playing the 6 or is it 7 degrees of KB game? !
But seriously, DLH is here for any and all caregivers, no matter what their musical preference is. It’s about care giving, and music of course for so many of us is a way to relax.
Thanks again for your recommendation.
~Char
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Thought this might provide a moment of levity in your day, as it did in mine.
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Does anyone else think that graphic of the chocolate peppermint on the upper left of this screen looks awfully appetizing? All I can think about now is chocolate peppermint and wish I had such a thing.
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Laurel, you need one of the stocking stuffers that Santa gave my husband: Ghiradelli Pepperment Bark with Dark Chocolate. Unfortunately, the package says “Limited Edition”, so I think it was just a Christmas special. Darn!! Everyone drive CAREfully in this snow we’re having in the east/midwest!
~Ann
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Duh, RE: snow, I forgot the SE (Georgia, Alabama, etc.), which received a ton of snow. And you folks are not used to having almost a foot of snow dumped on you. Be safe!!
~Ann
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Ann – that Ghiradelli bar sounds awesome. I will have to see if the stores have any left. Thanks!
)
Laurel
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My sister-in-law sent this video to me this morning. Talk about funny and inspirational at the same time. Enjoy!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYI_aOyCn9Y
~Ann
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Hi Ann,
I thought of you every time I played a new Christmas cd this season – yes, another one! I know, I know, you don’t need any more but just in case you get the itchin’ for one next year, give Michael W. Smith’s “Christmastime” a listen. It’s wonderful! A nice combination of solo work and beautiful choral and orchestral arrangements.
Hoping all is well with you and yours.
Love,
Lisa
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Hey Lisa,
Hope you had a great Christmas!! Were you ready for your kids to go back to school? (“…And Mom & Dad can hardly wait for school to start again…”)-HA!! Yes, I’m still listening to Christmas music. Just can’t quite let it go yet. And I DID buy 2 more holiday CD’s; someone should slap me silly when I do that, because we have so many as it is!! I’ll have to listen to samples of Michael W. Smith’s CD-thanks for the suggestion. This year I bought the Glee Christmas CD, and LOVE it. I don’t watch the show, but they did a great job of including a variety of music. Another one I’ve had for several years now is “The Blenders: When It Snows”. The Blenders are a quartet originally from Fargo, ND. They grew up together, and 2 of them are brothers. We heard them in northern Iowa when we lived there and loved them. I’ve given the CD as a gift several times, and everyone seems to really enjoy it!
Hope you are doing well, Lisa. Nice of you to think of me when you listen to Christmas music
~Ann
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Hi Again,
Thank you for the recommendations of other Christmas cd’s. Will check those out. Of course the one I played most consistently was Dan’s (it’s brillant, of course!) You know, I actually wasn’t ready for my kids to go back – we were having too much fun. But, of course, once they did return to school, I loved having some quiet time.
~Lisa
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Gee, I think I need to work on my writing skills – just noticed how many times I said, “of course!” I’ll put it on the to do list.
L
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I thought of you all when I was watching this and just had to share. Be sure to turn up the volume a bit for this one. A moment of respite and peace to each of you.
)
Love,
Lisa
P.S. Love the new look jf – your powers of creativity and ambition are truly astounding!
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Beautiful – my soul is full. Thanks Lisa!
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Lisa,
Thank you so much for sharing such an inspirational video, it gives new meaning to happy new year!
I agree with you on the new look of DLH, Jean is way too talented for just one person! She is presently experiencing Internet service problems, and will join as soon as possible.
My wish for you is a healthy and very happy NY.
~Char
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Here is a short video of South Dakota’s Capitol this Christmas. I have had the privledge of singing in the rotunda several times with my barbershop ladies. Enjoy the beautiful trees.
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I have always loved goats & I just fell in love even more. Enjoy!!!
Here’s a really cute rendition of Jingle Bells.
Click here: YouTube – A GIGGLE with the GOATS Jingle Bells Holiday Performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4_EdJ-XkUA
A GIGGLE with the GOATS Jingle Bells Holiday Performance
http://www.youtube.com
GIGGLEwiththeGOATS.com wishes everyone
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Thanks for starting our day here with a giggle!
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Speaking of internet, does anyone else have a hard time logging on to DLH? Most of the time I get a “DNS Lookup Error” message and have to wait a while before trying again. Anyone else have that problem? I hope not, I hope it’s just my end-of-the-island connection. ~ Jean
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The only thing I have noticed is it is takes longer to load somedays. I had the lookup error a very few times and thought it was just me. It is snowing here!
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Snowing here too, big fluffy flakes, and look – I got here on the first try! What a day for celebration! I think I’ll vacuum.
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Hi Jean,
No internet problem at all here in Connecticut.
No snow at all, darn it!
~Char
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Yes, some days it takes a little longer to load and it will state “Errors on page”. I just ignore it and go on.
No snow here – sunny after days and days of rain. I love the rain but snow now and then would be wunnerful!
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A beautiful and unique version of Silent Night. Peace to you all…
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Lisa, thanks that was so wonderful.
Happy Holidays
~Char
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You’re so welcome. You’re one of the sweet souls I was thinking of when I posted that.
Glad you enjoyed it.
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Hey you females out there-I’ve stumbled upon the best shower gel and foaming bath. I haven’t found any other brand that continues to smell GREAT in the tub/shower, and it IS great at bubbling up in the tub
I could even smell the scent on my skin for a few hours after. I found it at a local grocery store, but will post the link to Amazon in the scent I chose. It smelled even better once I poured it in the tub under running water, and I didn’t have to use much. I felt like a princess!!
http://www.amazon.com/bodycology-Foaming-Vanilla-16-Fluid-Bottles/dp/B0035FZRRI
~Ann
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Who is “Bill”, JMEagle101 on YouTube, who has produced all of the beautiful Dan F. videos on that website?? Perhaps it is meant to be a secret, yet I’ve seen many fan responses thanking Bill. And he also frequently thanks Jean for the photos she’s loaned him. Anyone know??….I’d like to thank him as well, but not necessarily on youtube.
~Ann
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Get ready – I guarantee these are going to make you a smile. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkYZ6rbPU2M
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Oops – meant to include this one too. Enjoy the goofy fun!
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I hope “Rob and The 2000″ were carrying hand sanitizer to use after high fiving!! Can you say, “GERMS!!!”???
~Ann
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Hi Lisa!
Kirk and I just laughed and laughed watching the Food Court Musical. It was hilarious to notice the expressions on peoples’ faces. Now if I had been in that food court, I think it would have been great fun to throw the performers a curve ball. I’m thinking I would have been tempted to suddenly stand up-maybe jump up on a table-and start singing very loudly, my voice full of vibrato. Something like this:
“I have the napkin that you need.
Kind and helpful I am indeed.
My napkin is of the sanitary type.
It’s super absorbent, so wipe & wipe!!!”
Tee hee hee,
Ann
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Hey Neecie,
How about those Iowa Hawkeyes beating Michigan today??!!! Don’t rule us out as this season’s Big Ten Conference football champions
You know how I mentioned that Lauren used to call the Hawkeyes the Buckeyes? Well, there must be many geographically ignorant people in this country…when I first came to college here, I just loved a t-shirt being sold that said: “The University of Iowa, Idaho City, Ohio”. HA!!! I must say I do like Michigan’s Fight Song, but ours was written by Meredith Willson, who also authored, “The Music Man” (Shirley Jones, Robert Preston, etc.) I now love that movie, in good part because Willson was raised in Mason City, IA, where we lived from 1995-2005. Supposedly “River City”-in the movie-is based on Willson’s memories of growing up in Mason City The people there continue his legacy and love of the arts. In fact, they have a big band festival every year. In 1962, “The Music Man” premiered in M.C., and the whole cast was there in conjunction with the band festival-even little Ronnie Howard 
So people, that’s your lesson in Midwestern trivia for the day!!
Take good care,
Ann
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Oh, it was a BAAAD night for Ohio State…we TRULY sucked!!! You guys could very well beat the Buckeyes!!!
ALL of my teams are tanking; the Reds finally MADE the Playoffs, but that is ALL that they did! The Bengals were supposed to be good with Ocho Cinco (Chad Johnson) & Terrell Owens (“T.O.”) but they are tanking too! Carson Palmer (our QB) hasn’t been the same since the Steelers destroyed his knee in the Playoffs a few years ago.
So we were counting on Ohio State. Ohio State is kind of the #1 “pro” team in Ohio. You like the Bengals or the Browns but you like Ohio State more!
Hell, I can’t even revert to rooting for my high school team because they tore my high school down! They merged the 2 city schools & built a new school & gave it the name, mascot & colors of the other high school in town! And THAT school was our arch enemy!!! Ain’t NO WAY I’d ever root for them (I am REALLY vindictive about that, ha-ha)!
So my autumn is rapidly heading down the toilet; I don’t even follow Nascar anymore because it got boring after Dale Earnhardt died! Oh well, maybe next year.
Neecie
PS…by the way, I LOVE Ohio State’s Marching Band. They are called “TBDBITL”, standing for “The Best Damned Band In The Land”. Woody Hayes named them that (along with calling Michigan “that school up north”; he would never refer to them by name)!
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By the way, I forgot to mention that I love musicals.
Two years ago, my high school presented it’s last spring musical before they demolished the school that summer. It was “Footloose”
They invited all of the former alumni to come back & be in the last musical with the current students. My school always had a tradition of having top notch musicals; a very good musical department, good art department & extremely talented kids.
I was never in a musical in high school so I worked up my courage & decided to go for it. I kind of wanted to spend one last week in my school before it was gone.
There were probably about 50 of us & they cast us as the church choir (we wore the school’s choir robes). We had singing parts & we were part of the finale.
It was a ball! They said that the kids were so excited that we were coming to help them & they were so welcoming. And they were VERY good!
We had so much fun together (plus we had a chance to visit our old stomping grounds…the school was only 48 years old).
If any of you ever get an opportinity to do something like this, DO IT!!!
I graduated in 1972 & I was in my first high school musical 36 years later! Ha-ha!
If I can find it, this is a picture that was taken of me in the choir room on opening night.
Neecie
[img]nhsfootloose1.jpg[/img]
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Hi Neecie!
Good for you for doing your first high school musical as an adult…it’s never too late to try something new. What a great picture of you, too-so attractive!! How old were you at the time, because you certainly don’t look your age
RE: The Ohio State Marching Band, yes, I’ve always heard great things about it. Too bad about the Buckeyes losing to the Badgers….must be rough, considering Ohio had been ranked #1 in the country. Just be proud you had that ranking, coming into the season 
We’ve got friends coming in Friday for OUR game against Wisconsin. Well, gotta scoot. We are going to the 1:00 matinee of “The Town” (Ben Affleck’s movie), and I have household duties to attend to before then.
Take good care, Neecie!!
Ann
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P.S. How are your mom and sister doing, Neecie? Is Peggy all healed from her accident? Please keep us posted, and say hi to Mom for me
Love,
Ann
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Hah! I was 53 when that picture was taken. It was taken in April & my birthday was at the end of May when I turned 54 (56 now). The choir robe that I was wearing was hilarious. I think that it must have been worn by basketball players because it drug the ground on me & my hands completely disappeared under the sleeves…& I am not short, I’m just under 5’8″ & have long arms (most long sleeved shirts come a little above my wrists)!
Well, Peg didn’t seem to have had any kind of spiritual (or other) awakening from getting run over by a truck! She is pretty much the way she has always been,
Mom has been off of work the past week & a half. She just went back today. She had an ear infection in both ears, & she never has problems with her ears. She pretty much stayed quiet & rested. Only the past few days (since Friday) has she tried to get up & get used to moving around again. She’ll probably be tired this evening, you always are when you first go back to work after being sick.
Ohio State’s band is an all brass band. A few years ago on the PBS station out of Columbus, they showed a tape called “TBDBITL” & it was SO interesting! It followed the band through tryouts for drum majors & through all of the practices. If you have ever seen them do “Script Ohio” (where the tuba player dots the ‘i’), it is fascinating to hear them tell of all of the injuries that have come from that in practice. Broken, bloody noses & knocked out teeth among others. Their practices almost look harder than some that football teams do!
I hope you guys DO beat Wisconsin! They almost beat us last year except for a couple of late interceptions. We play Purdue this week & they beat us last year (my niece goes there…traitor). Plus we still have to face you guys & Michigan (they might not be great but there is still that rivalry). If we don’t do some serious re-grouping, the only Bowl we’ll be going to is the toilet bowl!!!
Hope you have fun at the movie! Catch ya later.
Neecie
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Hi Ann! Ohio State beat Iowa but I am not going to gloat! I didn’t wake up until the 4th quarter when it was 10-10 (I work third shift & sleep when normal people are awake).
That game could have gone either way & I had SERIOUS doubts after the Ohio State receiver missed the catch down in the end zone! Iowa is a good team!
We play Michigan this week in Columbus. The Michigan game is ALWAYS big in Ohio…almost like a Super Bowl! I always got a kick out of the late coach, Woody Hayes. He would never refer to them by name, he always called them “that school up north”!
Take care & I will catch ya later.
Neecie
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Hey Neecie! Gloat all you want….the Hawkeyes have been a disappointment this year. Inconsistent from game to game and even within individual games!!! On the up side, our high school football team won the state championship game on Saturday-and the game was in a dome-covered field. Now that was FUN to watch
Have a great day…hope you’re doing well! Say hi to “Mom” (your mom, that is)!
~Ann
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I ENVY you your high school championship!!! They tore my high school down 2 years ago when it was only 48 years old! They built a new high school but it bears the colors, mascot & the original name of an older high school here in town. TOTALLY wiped my school off of the face of the earth! That new school had a good football team BUT since it bears the identity of our arch rival, I will NEVER root for them! Happily, they lost in the football playoffs! I DO have a vindictive streak in me & it ALWAYS comes out when I’m defending my old school! By the way, I love that song (“My Old School” by Steely Dan) but it makes me sad anymore, ha-ha!
Ohio State has kind of been a letdown too, this year. They ARE a very good team but we are also VERY spoiled! Our pro teams are the pits so the only thing that we have to look forward to are the Buckeyes!
Take care & I will tell Mom you said hi! Catch ya later!
Neecie
[img]northinmay.jpg[/img]
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My light distraction for today, hope you enjoy.
~Char[img][/img]
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I hope it is here:
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ok, never mind!!!!!! lol not sure what happened there, sorry guys!
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http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRDbp0_vIlAg&h=6a8c5
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Hey Dancing Fans!!!
Don’t forget that DWTS is on at 8/7 Central on ABC tonight….and make sure you vote
~Ann
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Hi guys. We’ve talked in the past about music & groups that we liked when we were growing up…The Monkees, Beatles & so on. Well, I have found something cool as all get out!!!
We have a new FM radio station in our area. It used to be a jazz station but they switched formats in May. They are now a 60s & 70s format (with a few 80s). They also have a DJ who does requests, Tom Kent. It reminds me SO much of when I was a little girl & our local AM station had their Saturday night request show!
They have played songs that I had long forgotten about from the 60s (“Nashville Cats” by the Lovin’ Spoonful) & they play Three Dog Night (I love them), & all KINDS of old songs!
Every night, when I am driving to work, I listen to this. It kind of puts me in mind of “American Graffiti” & Wolfman Jack.
This is their web address: http://www.big1065.com. They do stream online because a lady from Philadelphia, Pa. phoned a request in last night.
They advertise themselves as “Big 106.5, Dayton’s Greatest Hits”.
If you are bored & sitting at your computer, why don’t you give them a try.
Okay, it’s time for me to head to bed. I’ve got to be at work tonight at 11 PM.
Catch ya later.
Denise H.
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Thanks Cap n’ Neecie will give it a try..
~Char
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I just wrote something on Facebook & I mentioned the movie “Pollyanna” in it. That got me reminiscing about when I was a kid.
Mom used to take me & my sister to the movies whenever there was a new Hayley Mills movie, or a new Disney movie released (most of them).
We would go downtown to the theater, on the bus, & make a day of it. We’d go to the “big” store (Wren’s was ours, other people probably had Macy’s or something) & look around. I liked it because it was the only store in town with an escalator!
We’d go to Kresge’s, McCrory’s & Woolworth’s. Sometimes we’d have a soda (chocolate with vanilla ice cream) in Woolworth’s…YUM!
Usually we’d get a new coloring book & crayons or paper dolls to take home. Then we’d go to the movie.
I LOVE Hayley Mills’ movies! Pollyanna is one of my favorites, along with The Parent Trap. But one of them that I adore is one that you rarely hear about anymore is Summer Magic!
It was so picturesque, like Pollyanna. And it also had Burl Ives in the cast! Remember the song “The Ugly Bug Ball?” “…Come on let’s crawl, gotta crawl, gotta crawl, to the Ugly Bug Ball…” I loved that!
I wish that movies were a little more like that now. Sweet & gentle & funny. I’d really rather see a Hayley Mills type of girl entertaining the young kids today (& old ones like me) instead of some of those little hooker looking future drug addicted juvenile delinquents.
Oh well, that’s just me.
Catch ya later.
Denise H
aka Neecie
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Neecie-Hi!!! I totally agree w/you….were you making any reference to Lindsay Lohan in that last sentence?!! She was so cute in the updated “Parent Trap”. Where did she (and her parents?) go wrong? I do give the Disney actors/actresses a lot of credit-Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, etc. Disney has several wholesome shows and movies that Lauren (and we) love to watch. But, yes, the days of Woolworth’s were great….brings back memories of buying school supplies. I loved school, and we didn’t have all of the choices of colored and designed notebooks, rulers, folders, etc. It was definitely a “simpler time”
Take care,
Ann
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Who ME??? Lindsay Lohan??? Don’t you know that she said that she has changed & is all better now! Seems like I’ve heard THAT one before from my sister!!! Ha-ha!
I remember that the COOL notebooks, when I went back to school, were the ones with the blue denim covers. You’d write & draw & everything else on those covers. And you didn’t buy bookcovers, you used old grocery bags & wrote & drew on them too.
And we didn’t have backpacks. We got the books that we needed before lunch & carried them around all morning. We went back to our lockers at lunch & switched them for the books that we needed in the afternoon.
And you hoped to GOD that you didn’t drop your stack in the hallway & send papers flying everywhere!
You also didn’t want to drop your tray in the cafeteria because everyone would make a point of cheering for you (or AT you; thank heaven I never did THAT)!
One of the funniest things that I remember from high school was that we had a real Christmas tree in the cafeteria, with ornaments. They also held study halls in the cafeteria when it wasn’t lunch time.
It would be quiet during study hall & all at once you’d hear this little “zing” sound & then hear a tinkle of glass falling. The guys used to shoot rubber bands at the Christmas tree & shoot the ornaments off!
These people are now in charge of our world…explains a LOT (great rolling of eyes at that thought)!!!
Take care & I will catch ya later.
Neecie
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Neec, love HM, and the movies she played in are classics, to me. How about Moon-Spinners?
I seem to remember that movie, when she was a teenager.
I prefer older films, usually black and white and the older the better. Love the movies of the 30′s,40′s early 50′s and a few from the 60′s, and almost anything with a Christmas theme.
I am going to ck out Summer Magic, I am sure I have never seen it. Thanks for the tip.
~Char
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Oh, if you like Hayley Mills, you’ll LOVE Summer Magic! I just looked the dates up real quick & they were filmed in 1963/1964, the same time frame as Moonspinners. Among the cast in Summer Magic were Deborah Walley, Burl Ives, Dorothy McGuire (loved her in “A Summer Place”), Eddie Hodges, Michael J. Pollard, Peter Brown & James Stacy.
It kind of has the same feel (to me) as Pollyanna & Meet Me In St. Louis. A cozy, Thomas Kinkade kind of look.
I ADORE Christmas movies! I love Home Alone I & II because I love to hear the burglar (can’t remember his name) scream! I even like the ones on Lifetime & Hallmark.
Hallmark had a neat one a few years ago with William Devane (love him too) & Meredith Baxter. I think it was called “A Christmas Visitor”. If you haven’t seen it, it is SO cool!
I like the old movies too. I love Clark Gable. I was only @ 6 years old when he died but I actually have a snippet of a memory of hearing it announced on the radio.
And, of course, White Christmas!!!
Take care of your cold & don’t blow away in the hurricane!
Catch ya later,
Neecie
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Char…A Christmas theme, such as “Christmas in Connecticut”??!! We love Christmas videos at our house, also, and have a separate collection of DVD’s that we normally only watch around the holidays
~Ann
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I can relate to Pollyanna movie. I just purchased Beauty and The Beast on Blue Ray. I love that movie. Next to Sleeping BEauty it is my favorite. Nothing like a good old fashioned love story, even if cartoon style, to warm my heart and make me sing all night!! Be Our Guest!! Must be the kid in me!!
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I’ve never seen Beauty & The Beast. Another movie that I like because it reminds me of Pollyanna & Summer Magic, in the style, is Meet me In St. Louis. I’m really not a Judy Garland fan but I LOVE that movie! It is SO pretty, it reminds me of a Thomas Kinkade painting.
I haven’t seen a new movie in a million years but I want to see Secretariat. I always liked him. I never have been around horses (other than at the county fair as a little girl) but a few years ago when Barbaro (Kentucky Derby winner) was fighting to recover from breaking his leg at the Preakness, I started following different websites to see how he was doing. The more I started reading about horses, the more enchanted I became. I never realized how intelligent they were, & how loving. I was born & raised in the city so I don’t see horses that often, but now when I do, I get very excited! My Mom used to ride horses when she was growing up so I must have had the “bug” in me & didn’t even know it!
Denise H
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Hey Neecie,
You MUST see “Secretariat” (See my post to Lisa M.)-10/11/10 under “Welcome”. You’d love the movie. In fact, my friend that joined me at the movie, had actually seen the horse, Secretariat, in April, 1974 (a year after he was the Triple Crown winner). She had been on a trip to Virginia and elsewhere w/her parents and sibs. Cool!!
Love,
Ann
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Oh MAN…she actually SAW him??? I envy her that!
You know, this is just a wee bit sick but after he died I mentioned something about wondering where he was buried. Someone told me that because horses were so big, they only buried their heads, hoofs (hooves?), heart & tail. That REALLY bothered me, kind of haunted me for years. He had such a beautiful body that it just didn’t seem right that they would cut him apart.
A couple of years ago, on one of those websites, I asked someone who would know, if he was buried in pieces or intact. They told me that his entire body was buried intact, I think on the farm
where he lived. That made me feel better. He was just SO gorgeous! And special!
Neecie
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Hi Denise, you and I probably wouldn’t have met here at DLH, if it hadn’t been for Barbaro for me. I was following his story too and for me it was excruiating, the sadness I felt when he lost his battle. However, his story was the one that prompted me somehow to rediscover Dan and his music when I did a search for “Run for the Roses” and realized Dan wrote that song for one of the Kentucky Derby tv networks covering it that year. That’s also when I found out Dan was sick too though; because Dan was young, I assumed he would win his battle, but shock and sadness took place again once I learned he had passed that December. Before Barbaro and his story, I only knew Dan’s greatest hits in addition to “Netherlands”; since then I have had the pleasure of discovering all his other music I had never heard before. One by one, I would order the next CD chronologically released and I would savor it for a long time before treating myself to the next one. And now Dan’s equally amazing and beautiful wife Jean has created this wonderful and therapeutic site for caregivers and people like us to lean on one another. Dan’s music has been so cathartic for me during so many difficult and sad times over the last several years. Dan and Jean are my hero/heroines and I always give the credit to dear Barbaro for helping me find them. Out of much sadness I felt for the losses I had in my family, for Barbaro and then for Dan came great beauty and peace as well and a closeness we now share with Jean and all our new friends here at DLH. Really cool, really neat
and a beautiful story it has continued to evolve into wouldn’t you agree? Love, Karen
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Hi Karen and Neecie,
I am a complete total crazy animal lover, so at all times, I can not tolerate reading sad stories regarding these wonderful “beasts” that can not defend themselves. Reminds me of one of my fav songs, “Bless the Beasts and the Children….” ok I could cry just thinking of that song. Just wanted to say hey, miss ya all and happy weekend, my caregiver peeps!
Jean via Dan has made care giving tolerable for me, and that to me is “gift I can never repay”.
~Char
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Hi Char, yes, the whole horse-racing thing is a whole other topic for me too. I can’t watch it, think about it or tolerate it. I’ve been traumatized too many times now starting from a young age and seeing those horses on the race tracks being made to run their young hearts out (they’re only 3-year old babies whose legs haven’t sometimes been fully strengthened yet at that young age) for man’s entertainment & greed and then seeing them break their legs in front of the excited crowds who always enjoy a good train wreck when they see one and then watching them being put down right there on the spot. The famous ones are so highly insured it still benefits the owners monetarily either way. The owners that might actually be several different people in several different countries that is. Then, there’s the stories of the winners who end up in China or Japan eventually after being sold many times over as studs and then they ultimately end up in a horse meat packing plant. There are documented cases of Kentucky Derby winners that have sufferred that undignified fate. After being clued in to that kind of thing going on after the whole Barbaro fiasco, I also learned there were still two horse slaughter plants in our country still around! Even Congress at the time was trying to get them shut down! I saw all the signatures of the senators that voted to shut them down including Hillary Clintons and I believe they have been since then. I got involved in it at the time, but it was too painful for me to continue to think about. I was just thankful our gov’t was doing their best to put them out of business. Unfortunately, they’re not out of business in Mexico though and I believe that is still a whole other problem with them taking them into that country illegally to be slaughtered instead even under worse conditions. The senators said “America is not going to be in the business of killing its horses.” I hope it’s not happening anymore…
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Oh Karen, you sound a LOT like me!!! I am also a “late” Dan arrival! I knew & loved his music, but I only knew his big hits.
I remember reading that he was sick & for some reason I always kept him in the back of my mind…no news was good news, until I heard that he’d died on the night of his death.
After that, I started looking for more of his music to listen to. The first “non-hits” recording I found was “The Innocent Age” & I flat out fell in love with it! I am still in the process of discovering his music & am a LONG way from hearing all of his recordings yet. In one way, that is kind of a blessing to me because there are so many recordings that he did that I have a lot to look forward to!
I also followed Barbaro’s story closely. It was so awful to witness his breakdown on TV, & he was so beautiful. I guess that I could be considered a “FOB”.
I started reading the different rescue sites, for horses, as an offshoot for my Barbaro following. It just breaks your heart to see them going to slaughter.
I love reading about the ones who get saved & learning their personalities & their true identities. It is AMAZING who some of these horses, who were nearly slaughtered, are the children & grandchildren of…Secretariat’s kids have been among them!
One of the websites that is fun to read is “Our Mims”. That rescue deals with “old lady” racehorses who have hit hard times. It’s in Kentucky. Those old lady racehorses have SO much charm, intelligence & humor that it is fun to read!
I keep saying, if I would ever get filthy rich, I would buy myself a farm & have nothing on it but rescued horses & dogs!!!
Did you see where Alex Brown (a former horse trainer who worked by Barbaro’s trainer & got to babysit Barbaro on his last Christmas Day) is writing a book about Barbaro due out next spring? He’s interviewed many of Barbaro’s people, including his owners.
Well, I’d better get with it. Catch ya later.
Neecie
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This is too funny! My computer is also a mute!
It has always had something wrong with the sound & I have never had enough time or enough extra money to see what is wrong! So I “compute” in silence with the TV on for background noise.
I don’t even know what “Don’t Lose Heart” sounds like, I only know it as a pretty poem!
Yes, you ought to visit “Our Mims Retirement Haven’s” website. That’s the correct name for it. It will cheer you up & make you laugh, except when one of the “ladies” (that’s what she calls the horses) crosses over the Rainbow Bridge. “Our Mims” was the name of the first racehorse that she adopted to start the haven. She posts a diary on the website & if you go back & read it from the beginning, you’ll get hooked. Those horses have so much personality!
I do know “Empty Cages”, it is great! It is on “The Innocent Age” CD. I flat out LOVE that CD!
Okay, I’d better get off of here & get some sleep. Gotta be back to work at 11 PM (& then I am off for 2 days).
Cathc ya later.
Neecie (& the mute computer)
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Neecie,
When you wrote, “I don’t even know what DLH sounds like, I only know its a pretty poem” it “spoke” to me in the highest volume level… Bottom line, isn’t that what this entire blog is about!? We really don’t have to literally meet each other, we know each other through our caregiving experiences.
I also would like to recommend to you rollingdogranch.org, it is a wonderful site, ok, personally I do not read all the stories, but my husband is a very big supporter and recommends it highly to all that have a heart for God’s creatures, with disabilities.
~Char
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Char, I am with you on the animal stuff. I used to love horse racing, but after meeting my friend Laura and learning more and more about the cruelty involved with some of them, my tune has totally changed. I cried for days when Barbaro was put down. And have seen way too many videos on cruelty in horse racing and other animal entertainment. Laura has rescued many horses from kill farms and from the wild. Her website, Animals Voice, has more details. All are God’s creatures and should be admired, not exploited. I hope everyone is doing well. Week four of new job and at end of day sometimes my brain is fried. Fall Blessings!! susan
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Hi all!! A quick update on our Wisconsin Dells trip. Have to make it short, as I’m in the lobby, and Lauren is VERY tired and cranky. However, she won’t go back to our room without me…I think she needs a nice back rub and a few bedtime songs
We spent hours at our pool today & in the indoor water park. Thank heavens for the pool, because the high was somewhere around 90 degrees, and we NEEDED it just to cool off. What a gorgeous pool….it was constructed to appear as if it flows right into Lake Delton. Beautiful blue water in every direction!! So good to see Lauren really comfortable with the water-huge change since last summer. In fact, it’s very hard to get her OUT of the water now!!
We took in the Tommy Bartlett show this evening. The water ski show was good, however our favorite performances came in the 2nd half (see link below). The Anastasina Bros. were totally awesome, and the Towering Swaypoles act was unbelievable. These people are so well-trained and just fearless!!
http://www.tommybartlett.com/modules/web/index.php/id/22
Hope you are all well…Don’t Lose Heart!
Much love,
Ann
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We are heading to the Wisconsin Dells, and I’ve packed all of my things. I’m also about 1/2 way finished packing for my 7-year-old, Lauren, and I have to take a mental health break!!! I DETEST packing-never used to, but as we’ve “acquired” children, I’m no longer the only person I’m packing for (Do I sound selfish or what??!!). I’m not the most efficient packer either….Jerry Seinfeld would probably label me an “Overpacker”!!
Anyway, I’m trying to bring in my humor, so I sat down to begin writing a song about all of this. It’s not complete (nor will it probably ever be!), but imagine singing it to the melody of “My Favorite Things” (From “The Sound of Music”). Oh, and my voice is every bit as good as Julie Andrew’s was in the mid-60′s (NOT!!). Here goes:
Clothing and earrings, tampons, too
Wouldn’t you know it, “Aunt Flow” is due!
Swimsuits and sunscreen, Lauren’s Pediasure
If she ate better, my cares would be fewer!!!
Baby Aspirin for growing pains
Just for this trip won’t pain refrain??!!
Wet wipes and Kleenex and Band-Aids galore
No wonder it’s packing that I abhor!!!!!
Yada Yada Yada
Yada Yada Yada
And on and on….
That’s it, but in the end, I wouldn’t trade my husband and girls for anything in the world
Love,
Ann
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Jean, If you think this would be more appropriate for “Girl Talk”, please don’t hesitate to move it. Hope all is going well for you and your family as you help care for your mother
~Ann
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Hi everyone! Our family is leaving for the Wisconsin Dells tomorrow for a few days of fun in the sun and water. We are not very high tech and do not have a laptop to bring along. I’m not sure what kind of business/computer center there is (or isn’t!!) where we are staying. However, I’ll make every attempt to check in on this site a couple of times
In the meantime, stay well and don’t lose heart!!!
~Ann
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Hey Ann, have a great trip, we will miss you and when you return you can tell us all about the fun you all had, be safe
~Char
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Hi Ann, will be thinking of you and the family, have a fun and safe trip. Hope you will be able to cool off there. It was very refreshing when we were in Maine and Cape Cod this summer for a heavenly week spent. This feels like the hottest summer I’ve ever spent in the south. June felt like August. Fall is just around the corner though, always nice to look forward to that too!
Enjoy! Chat at you soon!
Love, Karen
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Ann, I REALLY envy you!!! I remember when I was a kid, we used to go on vacation every summer. One of the neatest places that we went to was a state park in Ohio called “East Harbor”. It was located on Lake Erie, near Marblehead, Ohio. We’d camp up there (Dad, Mom, my sister, & me).
My Grandpa kept his boat in a boathouse up there (I never got on his boat again, after I got seasick on it on the Ohio River when I was @ 4 years old).
Cedar Point Amusement Park wasn’t very far away & we also went to Greenfield Village & the Henry Ford Museum.
I thought about it this morning when I was driving home from work. It was cool outside & kind of overcast. And you could smell the bonfires & campfires still lingering in the air from last night. It’s funny the memories that certain smells can trigger.
Have fun!
Denise H
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Wow Neecie, you are so right about the smell in the air, etc. When I smell “fall” I get a refreshed feeling, and then it hits me, that my Dad died on Halloween, which used to be one of my fav days, ever since that, the smell of fall has depressed me. This year, I am trying like heck to love the smell of the cool weather and its working….. great time of the year. As a child every summer my parents would take us on vacation to Lake George, in up state New York… wow…. boat rides on the lake, Gaslight Village, etc. and then always on to Niagara Falls…. wow such great memories.
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Hey Char! Yes, I can smell that campfire smell tonight too.
Lots of evenings my nephew will build a big bonfire in the backyard & I can smell that smoky smell but it wasn’t the same as as what I smelled Sunday morning or even tonight! I think the early morning & the chill in the air also had something to do with it.
The smell that is most haunting to me is the smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree! It’s like it is taking you directly back to your childhood but it still stays at least an arm’s length away!
I can also still smell the flowers from my Grandmother’s funeral when I was 7 years old. It’s funny, I really can’t remember my Grandmother but when I smell the overpowering smell of flowers in a funeral home, I remember her funeral!
I would think that this fall might be a little easier for you to tolerate after the miserable summer we’re going through! It’s going to be in the upper 80s & 90s again this week! YUCK!!!
Neecie
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Hey Neecie, aroma therapy… the fresh cut Christmas tree is a wonderful memory…. seems to me these days, the trees no matter how fresh,( we even cut our own) don’t have the same lasting “childhood” scent, that filled the home, for days. For a moment these wonderful scents take me way back, and then in an instant, reality sets in. Thinking about it we are the lucky ones to have these memories, some people don’t have that. As for the hot weather, it will be just as fleeting, I think fall can’t be too far away, the cooler weather “aromas” will last in my head until the trees start dropping their richly colored glowing foliage. Be well today, and keep your wonderful memories close to your heart.
~Char
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Maybe the fact that it is August is bringing some of these memories forward.
When I was little, we ALWAYS went on vacation in August & we always went camping, almost always in state parks.
My Dad’s birthday is in August. Okay, THIS is a tricky one…his birthday is August 9th & 10th! He was born at home & the doctor said that he was born on August 9th, my grandmother said that he was born on August 10th and you DID NOT argue with my grandmother! She had 12 kids & didn’t tolerate any foolishness…she once chased my Dad with a butcher knife when he was a teenager (God only knows what she did to my aunts & uncles). But she was a good person…she probably could have caught him if she really wanted to, ha-ha!
Yes, the smell of the campfires brought back all kinds of little memories. My Dad built his own camper/trailer when I was little. He did a nice job on it.
I remember that we would play in it, in the backyard, when it wasn’t in use (we’d plug in our record player & play 45s & play cards). When we’d go camping, he would put our bicycles in it so that we could ride them on the roads in the state park. It was fun.
Actually, this time of year brings back a lot of little memories. Our county fair was in the middle of August & that was the highlight of the summer. Before we ever went to Cedar Point, we’d have the fair & the rides there!
After the fair was Labor Day. We didn’t go back to school until the day after Labor Day.
My favorite “going back to school” memory was when I was in high school. The sophomores came back on Tuesday, the juniors & seniors came back on Wednesday. I was in the cheering section of 165 girls. On the day the sophomores came, the cheering section was in place, in the gym. Wearing our uniforms & following the lead of our cheerleaders, shouting our lungs out! It was fun to see the looks on the faces of these little 10th graders. Junior high school was NOTHING like this! I went to a really neat high school!
Those were fun times. I feel sorry that the kids now don’t have these kinds of things to do. They are just too jaded!
Neecie
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Neec, I can’t believe what you said about your father’s birthday, believe it or not, my dad had two dates too, same reason, June 20 and 21st. I guess the times were such, that a lot of babies were born at home. Your dad sounds like he was a terrific guy. Love the high school memories. My favorite is of the night before the first day of school, this is grade school, probably 5th,and 6th grade. My BFF and I would walk around the neighborhood with our hair set in curlers/rollers, getting ready for the big day, which was always after Labor Day!
And the first day, we always had new shoes, sensible ones, that I hated, of course!!!!
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That is too funny! I liked him having 2 birthdays because it gave me an extra day to buy his present & card! I think that we must live in parallel universes!
Remember wearing the old saddle oxfords in grade school? There were the old black & white ones or there were also the brown & tan ones! Eventually you learned to dislike them & want loafers instead (or black patent leather shoes for dress shoes). What’s so funny is that when we got to high school, the cheerleaders & the cheering section wore saddle oxfords in football season!
Now, when I was a kid, I wore my hair cut short in a pixie. The only thing that ever got curled was the sideburn area & Mom just put bobby pins in that part. My hair was naturally curly so it would curl real fast.
My sister used to have to get a permanent every year before school started, I’ve never had one in my life! I would just get my hair cut. The last time it was cut short was right before I started 5th grade. I’ve let it grow ever since & it’s never been shorter than shoulder length.
Neecie (yes, “Neec” was also a nickname!)
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Hi Denise, my husband and son who are huge rollerooaster fans have been wanting to get up to Cedar Point Amusement Park for the last 2 summers now. In fact, we may still get there somehow between now and the end of August possibly. Sounds like great memories you still have. Hope things get better soon for your sis and the family. One of my beloved brother’s 4 daughters has the same problem and I’m told she’s sober now for 18 days. It’s been a really hard reality to deal with, her being so young and my brother not being here anymore to watch out for them. The other 3 are great, thank God, but Jamie is the one that needs our prayers the most. She was always the one growing up that said she was going to either be a doctor or a dentist and so unfortunate that all didn’t work out at all for her. Under the right guidance, she would have had a better chance. It’s hard for me to cope with b/c I don’t even live in the same state so I have zero control over any of them, all I can do is just pray. I know my brother had to have saved their lives at least once when the 2 of them that were in the car with Jamie driving it got in an accident. The police said they did not know how they survived the crash as it was a head-on in an intersection. Jaclyn ended up in the backseat and the spot she was originally sitting in the front was totally crushed, now how’s that for unusual. Jamie barely had a scratch on her.
I’ll pray your sister finds her way out of her haze and starts living a healthy life again.
Take care,
Karen
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Hi Karen, simple and from the heart; your comment to Denise is one of a true caregiver. I am sorry for your troubles with your brother’s daughter. I think living/and or loving someone with an addiction problem, has got to be so very difficult, and so very hard to understand . I wish you and Neecie only the best, you both will be in my thoughts and prayers.
~Char
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Hi Neecie and Karen (and everyone else!!)
We made it to Wisconsin and have settled into our “digs” Very comfy and cozy. My hubby and the girls are in the water park right by our condo. I actually never learned to swim, though I’ve water-skied several times and nearly drowned tubing w/my sister and jerk of a brother-in-law on the Snake River in Idaho (true story). I was young and foolish when I did all of those things!!! Tonight after dinner we will do some miniature golfing, then tomorrow all of us are heading to the new dome-covered indoor water park. Cool!!
Neecie, is there a HUGE roller coaster at one of the places in Ohio that you mentioned? I’ve just heard that an Ohio amusement park has the largest roller coaster in the country/world (???). Sounds like you have some great childhood memories:-)
Karen-I’ll be saying my prayers for Jamie and her/your family. Alcohol/drug addiction is such a difficult thing to battle. One of my dad’s younger brothers was a terrible alcoholic….Looking back, I think he used alchohol to self-treat anxiety. So sad. The last time I saw him alive, he was horribly jaundiced (yellow skin color), and I’d never seen such a bad case of Cirrhosis of the liver. A few months later, he fell down some stairs at home and died. So you have a niece Jaclyn? So do I!!…my oldest brother’s daughter. She will be a senior in college this fall. I don’t come across that name or spelling too often, so that’s a neat coincidence
Everyone on DLH: Take Good Care!! I’ll continue to take advantage of the computer in our lobby when it’s free. Love y’all!!
~Ann
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Hi Ann. That roller coaster is at Cedar Point!
I actually live closer to King’s Island (it’s just north of Cincinnati & I live between Dayton & Columbus) & have been to King’s Island a few times, but Cedar Point is much better!
I’ve only been to Cedar Point twice, but if I had the choice of which park to visit, it would be Cedar Point. I just took a quick glance at their web site & saw that they have 17 roller coasters listed…lots of big ones!
I’m a chicken, I don’t like roller coasters, but if you are a coaster freak, that is the place to go!
Cedar Point is located on a peninsula that sticks out into Lake Erie. From the TV shows & commercials that I’ve seen, the views of the lake from the coasters are great. They even say that, on a clear day, you can see Canada from the tops of some of the big coasters!
They also had a merry-go-round called “Cedar Downs”. It had race horses on it & it was FAST! You had to hang on to your horsie for dear life or you’d fly off!
Oh, my sister…she’s still dealing with the “sciatica” & running back & forth to the hospital. Since the last time I talked about her, she has probably been back to the hospital at least 4-6 times! And that was only @ 4 days ago that I last mentioned her! I fully expect her to go back again before this day (Monday) is over.
I told my Mom that of course the medicine that they are giving her for the sciatica isn’t working. She is used to heroin! She takes heroin as an everyday thing so the normal prescription pain pills aren’t going to do crap for her! She’s used to the hard stuff!
She’s actually been acting about half nice to us the past few days! Usually she kind of snubs me unless there is something that she wants from me. My nephew kind of does it too. It used to bother me but now I really don’t care too much. If I am only good enough to talk to when they want something, then screw ‘em!
Well, I hope that you have a wonderful vacation & BE CAREFUL!!!
Love ya!
Neecie
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If you go to Cedar Point, some of the stores here in Ohio sell admission tickets at a discount from what you’d pay at the gate. I know that Kroger sells them & Meijer (a regional grocery/general merchandise store that is very similar to Target) does too. They also sell two day passes & King’s Island tickets too.
Oh, my sister. The ball is pretty much in her court, now. We’ve tried but nothing is working. She kind of acts like she is a teenager & life is just a party.
Take care & I will catch ya later.
Love,
Neecie
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