A birthday present from a good friend

A very dear and long-time friend (you notice I didn't say "old" friend) sent me a beautiful birthday wish today and included was this photo. Friend and her husband had joined us for Thanksgiving last November, and during the course of serving up the feast, she took this picture of me.

So, for those who thought I looked like this:



This is what I "actually" look like:

Here I am, barefoot but not pregnant, in my kitchen wearing the apron my darling granddaughters made for me. The meal turned out great and everybody had a wonderful time.

BTW, in approximately 51 days husband and I will be grandparents to a new baby boy. Daughter alipurr is feeling wonderful. Can't hardly wait for the big event.

Holy cow, where did the time go?

When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a Valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I'd been out 'till quarter to three, would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four (sixty-five)?

Hmm------mmm---mmmh.

You'll be older, too. Aaah, and if you say the word, I could stay with you.
I could be handy, mending a fuse, when your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside, Sunday mornings, go for a ride.
Doing the garden, digging the weeds, who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four (sixty-five)?

Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight if it's not too dear.
We shall scrimp and save.
Ah, grandchildren on your knee, Vera, Chuck, and Dave.
Send me a postcard, drop me a line stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say, yours sincerely wasting away.
Give me your answer, fill in a form, mine forever more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty- four (sixty-five)?

by John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Actually, this song is a little behind the times because I passed 64 last year on April 10. Last year on this date I also had a total knee replacement (a very happy birthday present to me).


I guess having arthritis and joint replacements are signs of the times, but I would rather not have to replace all my joints because of wear and tear.

Getting old is for the birds. You have to sit on the side of the bed and rest just to get up in the morning. You have to take too many pills just before bedtime, and diuretics cause you to visit the bathroom too many times to count. You have to wear pads or diapers because of accidental leaks. When you go on a road trip, you don't consult a map, you map out where all the bathrooms are along the route. You have to count calories so you don't gain weight. You have impaired vision so you have to turn on too many lights to see. You have ringing in your ears and can't hear as well so you have to turn up the television a little louder. Your hips have spread (along with everything else on your body) so you have to buy larger clothing. You have to stop eating all those things that upset your stomach and give you acid reflux, belching, and flatulence. You have more and more "senior" moments (or brain farts) and can't even remember your husband's/wife's/children's/grandchildren's names, or you start to go somewhere and can't remember where you are going to or why. You go out to lunch and take home half the food to eat at dinner.

The worst, however, is looking as old as you feel. You may think like a young person, but somewhere along the way your body has betrayed you. You know you're getting old when everybody starts looking like babies or you think they are too stupid for words. How many of you watch Jeopardy or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and you yell at the television (contestants) because you know all the answers and these little smartalecs who got advanced degrees at some fancy university can't even answer the questions?

You know you are getting old when you have Medicare as your primary insurance. You know you are getting old when you actively look for senior discounts. You know you're getting old when you have to go to the early matinee at the movies because if you're out past 6:00 p.m. you're afraid you'll fall asleep at the wheel driving home. You know you're getting old when you want to go to bed when it gets dark outside.

Finally, you know you're getting old when getting cozy with the hubby is too much trouble and you would rather sleep alone because he snores, tosses and turns all night, or hogs the bed.

I figure I'm going to live another 25+ years (all the women in my family are long-lived) so I hope things don't get any worse for me than this. Maybe if I eat right, get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, keep my blood pressure and cholesterol low, laugh a lot, and think positively, I will enjoy the remaining years of my life. Most of all, I would hate to lose my sense of humor because getting old is really for the birds.

You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there.
- George Burns

Holy cow, the wheel of life just clicked another notch.

If only it were this simple!

An al Qaeda guerilla, desperate for water, was plodding through the desert when he saw something far off in the distance. Hoping to find water, he walked toward the object, only to find a little old Jewish man at a small stand selling neckties.

The Arab asked, "Do you have water?"

The Jewish man replied, "I have no water. Would you like to buy a tie? They are only $5."

The Arab shouted, "Idiot Jew! Israel should not exist! I do not need an overpriced tie. I need water! I should kill you, but I must find water first."

"OK," said the old Jew, "it does not matter that you do not want to buy a tie and that you hate me. I will show you that I am bigger than that. If you continue over that hill to the east for about two miles, you will find a lovely restaurant. It has all the water you need. Shalom."

Muttering, the Arab staggered away over the hill. Several hours later he staggered back, near collapse. "Your brother won't let me in without a tie."

The moral of the story is love thy neighbor. If this doesn't work, buy a tie.

Following the dogwood trail

Husband and I spent a pleasant afternoon doing a little shopping, eating lunch out, and following the dogwood trail in Paducah, Kentucky. The weather has been so funny lately -- actually too warm for the season -- that the dogwoods bloomed too early. The dogwood festival is scheduled for the end of April, but the trees are in full bloom now. So, we decided to take advantage and drive the trail now rather than later.

The driving trail begins at the courthouse in the downtown area. Dogwood trail signs are posted along the route and all you have to do is follow the signs and the arrows. The first part of the trail took us through the Lowertown section of town. This is an artist enclave and all the old Victorians are slowly but surely being reclaimed, renovated, beautified, and loved. The result is awesome.

Baby giraffe, outside artist's studio

Mama giraffe, looking in the window

Driving the dogwood trail was an awesome way to spend an afternoon. There were so many beautiful yards to see and a lot of folks were out getting ready for the festival. Their dogwood trees are lighted so those who drive the trail at dusk or after dark can see them highlighted. They were really beautiful to behold.

Redbud tree in our yard

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the pictures I took during our drive. It's just too bad that these beautiful trees don't keep their blooms all summer long.

I just love springtime. Now it's time to get our fishing licenses and go catch some nice fish. That's how I really love to spend a day out on the lake.

April First, or All Fool's Day

Isn't this a cute picture by Norman Rockwell? (Double-click for a better view.) Can you find all the anomalies? I believe old Norman was playing a joke on us, don't you think?

Here's an interesting story I just read.

KFC has been a part of our American traditions for many years. Many people, day in and day out, eat at KFC religiously. Do they really know what they are eating? During a recent study of KFC done at the University of New Hampshire, they found some very upsetting facts.

First of all, has anybody noticed that just recently the company has changed its name? Kentucky Fried Chicken has become KFC. Does anybody know why? We thought the real reason was because of the "FRIED" food issue.

It's not.

The reason why they call it KFC is because they cannot use the word chicken anymore. Why? KFC does not use real chickens. They actually use genetically manipulated organisms. These so-called "chickens" are kept alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump blood and nutrients throughout their structure. They have no beaks, no feathers, and no feet. Their bone structure is dramatically shrunk to get more meat out of them.

This is great for KFC because they do not have to pay so much for their production costs. There is no more plucking of the feathers or the removal of the beaks and feet. The government has told them to change all of their menus so they do not say chicken anymore. If you look closely, you will notice this. Listen to their commercials. I guarantee you will not see or hear the word chicken.

I find this matter to be very disturbing. I hope people will start to realize this and let other people know. Please forward this message to as many people as you can. Together we can make KFC start using "real" chicken again.

I had some Kentucky "fried chicken" a few weeks ago and noticed the following, but because we were hungry, we ignored good, common sense.

This is what I discovered:

1. An unusual amount of "fat under the skin
2. A high "grease" residue inside the skin that you could drain
3. The breast meat had a "brown" as opposed to "white" color
4. A feeling of gastric distress after eating the chicken
   

NOTE TO READERS: This is just a joke, folks. Hope you all have a happy April Fool's Day.