Female Tennis Players

Tennis super stars Serena and Venus Williams played each other in the finals of Wimbledon....a wonderful, fast paced tennis match. Venus won, but not easily. I feel so happy for them...they have been struggling lately and really needed this boost.

The Williams sisters are outstanding tennis players and will continue to win many tournaments, but they, like all of us, are getting older and the wins are not as easy as before. The players are so much younger, faster and stronger than they were when the sisters dominated the courts. Both girls are in their late 20's and are facing players in their teens.

Tennis has changed over the years....training, and training preparation has created a 'super woman' on the court. I think back to Chris Evert and Billy Jean King or even further to Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong. They were wonderful tennis players but could they compete with today's women? I don't think they could.

Venus and Serena are begining to enjoy life....designing, going to college, acting and creating a more normal life for themselves. Maybe we tend to forget that these are women....they have lives outside of tennis.

When Venus walked on the court to play in Melbourne, Australia her face was grim. Where was the smile that showed how much she loved being there? It was there when she started playing professionally at age 14...a beautiful smile that lit up the court. All we can do is hope that the spark will come back.

We, as amateur tennis players really don't understand the professional tennis world. Some years ago I saw a commercial for Lipton Tea featuring Chris Evert. She was walking off a tennis court, sat down and had a glass of Lipton iced tea. "When I finish WORK, I enjoy a glass of iced tea"....get the word...WORK!

Tennis is a JOB to a professional player...sure it's enjoyable, but lets fact it, this is how they make their living.

Years ago when I played tennis nearly every day, there would come a point when I'd wake up in the morning, hoping that it was raining so I wouldn't have to play. And there would be days when I'd absolutely hate having to be on the court with a certain player...maybe she was not a fun person to be around, maybe I wasn't comfortable with her constant criticism of the other players (her partners included) or maybe she was too wild and hit so hard that the chances of being hit with the ball on her serve was a real possibility.

But in a tournament or league, not showing up because you don't like the opponent is not an option. Same goes for professional tennis...you play unless you are bedridden or hurt.....not being "in the mood to play" doesn't matter.

On a happier note, when my daughter Christine was 18, she and I played in the Prudential Family Challenge Tennis Tournament. We were in the Mother/Daughter Division, and after winning qualifying tournaments in Omaha and Kansas City, we represented the Midwest in the Finals held during the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York.

One of the things I fondly remember (yeah, I know it's silly) was that in the locker room where we (and the pros) dressed was a sign-up sheet for the laundry facilities...washer and dryer.

Chris Evert was doing her laundry at 7am, Martina would be doing her at 10am and Hana Manlikova at 12 o'clock noon.
Life goes on and dirty socks still need washing!

Gel Pens and checks

Well folks, just got back from Wal-mart where I bought a package of Uni-ball pens. According to fraud prevention sites on the internet, they can help prevent check fraud. The pens are sold at other stores, Target, Kmart, Walgreens, etc. but Wal-mart is the nearest to me.

FROM THE NATIONAL CHECK FRAUD CENTER:
http://www.ckfraud.org/washing.html

Criminals rely on our mistakes to make their job easier. Taking a few precautions will make you less attractive to predators. Don’t leave mail in your mailbox overnight or over the weekend. Thieves wait for that red flag to go up to score an outgoing check or other personal information.

WHAT TYPE OF PEN TO USE WHEN WRITING A CHECK:

If you are a ballpoint pen lover, switch to black ink when security is important. Among water-based inks, remember that gels are the most impervious. But when you're writing checks to pay the monthly bills, only one type of ink, the kind in gel pens, has been found to be counterfeit proof to acetone or any other chemical used in "check washing." Most ballpoint and marker inks are dye based, meaning that the pigments are dissolved in the ink.

Based on recent ink security studies, we highly recommend that you use a gel pen, like the Uniball 207 that uses gel ink that contains tiny particles of color that are trapped into the paper, making check washing a lot more difficult. The pen sells for about $2.

What is "handmade soap"?

Winter tends to be harsh in Nebraska...very cold temperatures, biting winds with unbelievable wind chill. Then comes summer, hot and dry.....did you ever see photos of actual pioneers.....my ancestors were farmers and settled in Nebraska. They had a hard life. Their photos show weathered faces and rough, scaly hands. I image the rest of their bodies were the same.

Forget those beautiful dresses and creamy skins of the pioneers in movies....not true to life.

One of the things that my ancestors did was to make their own soap...but not the great natural soap that we get today. They didn't have the oils, etc. to make it smell good nor good for the skin. It mainly consisted of lye (from wood ashes) and fats from animals. It cleaned, but not too well. They may have added flower petals or herbs if they were available.

Of course, if you are on some medications, they can cause dry skin, hair, etc. but lets pretend that you are basically healthy and your medications are not too harsh for your body. Hand or body soap without sodium tallowate, acid, sodium chloride, triclocaban, tetrasodium edta, bht, titanium dioxide, D&C yellow #10, and D&C orange #4 just may be good for your skin too.

Look at the ingredients in your shampoo or even your hand soap, Dove, Ivory, Irish Spring, etc. And you wonder why your skin is flaky and itchy...

If you are really interested in how handmade soap is made....have a look at this site:

http://www.countryrosesoap.com/handmade.htm


But, even some handmade soaps contain harsh chemicals....look at the ingredients.

Identity theft and forgery

Remember when I wrote that the person who robbed our mailbox wouldn't be stupid enough to put her OWN name and driver's license number on the "washed" check and then try to cash it.

I was wrong..a Saunders County, Nebraska Deputy sheriff arrested her and her companion Sunday morning..one day after robbing our mailbox, washing the check, forging it and taking it to our neighborhood bank to be cashed.

SOURCE: OMAHA (NE) WORLD HERALD May 14, 2008

OMAHA, Neb. -- Thousands of pieces of stolen mail were found in a car in Saunders County (NE) on Sunday, and authorities are now investigating whether the find is connected to an alleged identity theft ring found last week in a downtown Omaha hotel.

Saunders County Sheriff Kevin Stukenholtz said his officers performed a traffic stop at 2 a.m. Sunday and found thousands of pieces of correspondence that belonged to individuals other than the people who were in the car. There were bank statements, credit card bills and checks in the car, Stukenholtz said.

Deputies also found scanners and printers, along with other items needed to make fake IDs, the sheriff said. Stukenholtz called it the largest identity theft case he's ever seen.

"We're finding correspondence from Council Bluffs, Ralston, Papillion, Bellevue and all over Douglas County," Stukenholtz said.

Two people were arrested in Saunders County. Authorities said they're not identifying the suspects so they don't jeopardize the investigation. (this is the pair that robbed our mailbox and forged a $625.00 check!)

Stukenholtz said the thieves doctored the checks they stole.
"On a check that would have been made out to Visa for $300 or $400, they would wash that check, put their name in it, make a fake ID to match that name, then cash it," Stukenholtz said.

Authorities said they believe the suspects burglarized homes and took some of the mail. Some mail was snatched right out of the mailbox.

Stukenholtz said his office is contacting anyone who may be affected.
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I didn't wait to be called--I called the sheriff as soon as the story appeared on the 5:00 news. Maybe my $14.99 baby gift of a pair of Winnie the Pooh size 12 months pajamas is somewhere in the pile of things they found!!!!!

My Passion for tennis (5) - THE INNER GAME OF TENNIS - Gallwey

Does positive thinking help your tennis game?

The "bad" effects of negative thinking are discussed thoroughly...people are advised to stop telling themselves that they are ugly, uncoordinated, unhappy, or whatever and are told to repeat to themselves that they are attractive, well-coordinated and happy. If you constantly tell yourself that you can't do this or can't do that..you won't be able to do it.

We're back to Self 1 again....Self 1 is always looking for approval and, wanting to avoid
disapproval , this ego mind sees a compliment as a potential criticism. If it hears "you really look nice today" or "you're hitting the ball so well today" it reasons, "if I
look nice today, I must have looked bad yesterday" or "if I'm hitting the ball well today, I must have been really bad last week".

Compliments can be criticisms in disguise! Both are used to manipulate behavior.

Your partner hits a beautiful forehand that flies past the net player and wins the point. You say "Greaaaaat shot!" Are you complimenting him, or is your "Greaaat shot" really disbelief that after muffing three previous shots, he finally got one in?

Or, if the ball lands 4 feet past the baseline and you say to yourself "Greaaaat shot", what is your tone of voice then? exasperated or disgusted?

My Passion for tennis (6) - THE INNER GAME OF TENNIS - Gallwey

In The Inner Game of Tennis, author W. Timothy Gallwey names three categories of tennis players and their aims and motivations for playing, both on and off the court.

Category #1 - Good-O - Proving myself "good"

(1) "How Good can I get?" In golf, "good" is measured against par, in tennis against self-conceived expectations or the expectations of parents, coaches or friends. Good-O aims to reach the highest standard of perfection possible. Why? the desire to prove oneself competent and worthy of the respect of others.

(2) "I"m better than you"...Here "good" is measured against the performance of other players. Good-O wants to be at the top of the heap. "Its not how well I play, but whether I win or lose that counts" Problem? the mind's preoccupation with comparing oneself with others. First you think your game is better, then some doubts float in and you begin to feel your opponent may be better....result: fear of defeat.

(3) "Look at me!"....."good" is measured by appearance. Neither winning nor playing well matters as much as style. Good-O aims to look good, flashy, strong, brilliant, smooth and graceful. Motive? the desire for attention or praise. To Good-O, one can never look good enough....perfect strokes, $200 tennis shoes, best of the line tennis clothes, the newest racket, matching hat, sweatbands, water canister, plus a great tan and pearly white teeth.

Category #2 - Friends-O - Making or keeping friends

(1) "We play at the country club" Friends-O feels that its not so important how good you are as it is where you play and who plays with you. This is the "social game"...you play to maintain or improve social status. However, beating your boss or customer on a regular basis may not be a good idea.

(2) "All my good friends play tennis" This is about the same as (1) but more often played at cheaper public courts ... but the motive is the same...the desire for acceptance and friendship. Even if you play with your friends, playing too well may be a mistake. No one wants to be beaten constantly especially by a good friend. If they feel you are too good for them, you may have trouble finding a game.

(3) "My husband (or wife) is always playing tennis". Friends-O feels that he/she is lonely and needs to spend more time with the spouse. This is not the best reason in the world to take up tennis. The biggest obstacle is becoming good enough for the spouse to play with you. The next biggest obstacle is telling the spouse that you are too good to play with him or her.

Category #3 - Health-0-Fun-0 - Mental or physical health or pleasure

You or your doctor have decided that you need more exercise. Ah yes, you know that idea...exercise, work up a sweat, relax the mind. Obviously the doctor, a non-tennis player, isn't taking into account the frustrations this can cause. But, its healthy, gets you outdoors and moving, improves vitality and, prolongs the idea of youth.

In your mind, you doubt that tennis is really helping. You can't find anyone who, like you wants to take up this demanding sport.....Answer!!! take lessons, join a sports group, hit a ball against a wall. Hitting a ball against something is a good way to take out frustrations caused by daily life...bosses, children, traffic, in-laws, spouses.

Soon you'll learn to appreciate the subleties of the game and find yourself being drawn into Category #2 or even Category #1.

Soap Box rantings

I’m going to climb on a soap box for a few minutes and rant about something that has been on my mind. It's not earth shattering, will not cause the 2008 elections to sway one way or another, nor will it make you as rich as Warren Buffett or Bill Gates. But it does cause problems in your personal life (I do not mean your LOVE life) - well, I suppose it could.

Split ends, brittle hair, little wads of hair in the drain after you wash your hair? Oh yea, admit it….I could probably throw in dandruff and dry skin too, but I’m not sure about them.

Shampoo and soap companies are getting R-I-C-H, thanks to the constant bombardment of TV ads promoting hair products, soap and body lotions. Think about it.......how many people walking around your town have gorgeous, silky hair that flows in the wind and glistens like silk? I'm not even sure their hair is real......but you buy the product. After all, would they lie???

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What they don't tell you is WHY their shampoo gives you a headful of foam.....but you've been taught to expect it. (heres a hint: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)

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"What....no foam? How will my hair get clean? It won't be shiny and manageable! I won't be able to attract a MAN if my hair is dull and drab!".

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Read the ingredients on your shampoo bottle or on the bottle of your child’s bubble bath. Click on shampoo and bubble bath . Do you also have dry, flaky skin? Read the label on that bar of soap......there's that dreaded Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

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Is your hair and skin really THAT dirty!!!

eBid...my new best friend!

Ok folks, I've tried unsuccessfully to ditch Ebay....under new management, they (the powers that be) have managed to alienate a goodly portion of their sellers. Ebay auctions used to be fun....put a few items on for auction, mostly odds and ends that have been cluttering up your closets and the space under the stairs and suddenly you are a SELLER!!!

Garage and yard sales took too much time and although donating them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army was always a last resort, I wanted (NEEDED) to make a little money with these worldly goods....some of which were going to be really hard to part with.

Sooooo, I turned to Ebay. For the first few years it was really fun...I'd gather up outgrown clothing from my adult children, baby things from my grandchildren and lots of odds and ends that the 6 households of us had accumulated.

Then, new Ebay management took over. Suddenly they were changing listing fees, increasing them of course. Then the image price was increased....(they have since dropped that increase), and as of this month are only accepting Paypal (owned by Ebay) for payments.

My little Ebay auctions appealed to those who would rather pay by check or money order and did not have a Paypal account. Now they are no longer able to bid on my auctions. I soon found that I was paying more in Ebay fees than I was making.

The seller (me) pays listing fees, a percentage of the final selling price of the item, about 5%, plus a fee to Paypal if Paypal is used to pay for it.. They have also made some major changes to the feedback portion of Ebay. Feedback was always a great fun for me...I had 100% excellent feedback and loved seeing the little feedback icon on my auction listings.

To make a long story short, I now have my own store (free) at eBid - no listing fees, low 2% final fees, and nice, friendly people. Every question that I had was answered promptly and any problems that I had with listing were quickly handled.

Unfortunately eBid does not have the buyers that Ebay has, even though the items are generally priced cheaper. So, I'll have to bite the bullet and start listing on Ebay again.....But YOU can help!!!!

I would be happy to have you visit my stores: MJ's Closet http://us.ebid.net/stores/mjs-closet or LeBoicour Baby http://us.ebid.net/stores/Le-Boicour-Baby

And if you are interested in auctions, both buying or selling, please have a look at eBid ....you might find it's just what you've been looking for!

Candy, gotta love the stuff

Remember those old fashioned candies....names that you seldom see any more. You'd walk into the neighborhood grocery, a penny or two clutched in your hand, and head for the candy counter. (if your folks were really good customers, the grocer would sometimes give you two candies for a penny.....you were in 7th heaven)

OK, I admit it, I like candy. When I was a kid, Hersheys was my very, very favorite choice.....those nice sized bars (either they have shrunk or my memory is getting bad) that MELTED. I'm tempted to google the ingredients of the original Hershey bar...for some reason they aren't as gooy, soft and meltable as they used to be.

Now this is a secret just between you and me. I would take a Hershey bar (wrapped of course) and stuff it into my back pocket to soften. Then after the bar was no longer solid, really nice and gooy, I would take it out and unwrap it. Yummmm, licking the melted chocolate off of my fingers and then licking the wrapper was one of the joys of my young life.

At 8 years old....joy came easily.

Look at these sites...maybe your childhood favorite is waiting for you!

Old Time Candy

Nostalgic Candy

Sweet Nostalgia

SURVIVING THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

A friend emailed this to me. Wow, I was born in the 1930s and can remember doing most if not all of the dangerous things mentioned. Even putting my children to sleep on their tummies and letting the toddler stand between Daddy and I as we drove down the street.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we wore baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, sipping from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight.

WHY? Because we were always outside, playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day......coming home when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

And, if we got in trouble in school, we'd be in MORE trouble when we got home. The teachers were the boss, and our parents made sure we knew it.

These generations have produced some of the best risk takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If YOU are one of them ........ CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?

My Passion for tennis (7) - THE INNER GAME OF TENNIS - Gallwey

Programming for results is the most useful method of communication with Self 2...remember Self 2, the doer. Self 2 needs clear visual images of the needed results.

For instance, you're hitting shallow and without a lot of power. Imagine the arc the ball would have to take to land deep in the court, noticing how high over the net it would pass, and hold that image in your mind for several seconds. Then before hitting any balls, ask Self 2 to do it and let it happen. If the ball continues to fall shallow, don't try to correct it or criticize yourself. Again visualize the ball passing two feet over the net and landing near the baseline....Self 2 now knows what you want it to do....surprisingly, it will do it.

Once you are competing in a match, its too late to work on your strokes, but it is possible to hold in your MIND where you WANT THE BALL TO GO and then allow the body to do what is necessary to get it there. Think of it as mentally guiding the ball. It is essential to trust Self 2....and refrain from giving "how-to-do-it" instructions in an effort to control the stroke.

You can make a change in one or more elements of your strokes....and is it done exactly the same way as programing for results. This time you are programing for form. You've seen this done so many times during your own matches....but you didn't recognize them as programing for form. The person doing it may not know it either.

Suppose you missed an easy return of serve....have you ever swung your racket afterwards in what you consider to be the right way to stroke the ball? Then before hitting any more balls, you swing your racket several times, letting the racket stay flat and allowing yourself to experience how it feels to swing the racket correctly?

What you're doing is reprograming your swing, showing Self 2 how to hit the ball correctly. Again, Self 2 needs to be shown, not yelled at!

My Passion for Tennis (8) - THE INNER GAME OF TENNIS - Gallwey

Finding your quiet mind....yeah, its there somewhere.

The quiet mind cannot be achieved by means of intellectual understanding. Just because you tell yourself to be calm and collected doesn't mean it will occur. You want a quiet mind, you try to achieve a quiet mind....but Self 1 wants to keep control. Learning to concentrate means keeping the mind NOW and HERE. To do that, you need an appropriate object to concentrate on....you are on a tennis court, the most practical and convenient object is the ball itself. Oh sure, you know it, you've heard it a thousand times....."Watch the Ball!"

Watching the ball doesn't mean keeping it your mind's eye while you watch the net man. Doesn't mean taking your attention off the ball when you hear someone talking and you turn around to glare at them. Watching the ball means to focus your complete attention on it...look at the pattern the seams make as the ball spins. Side spin? Top spin? Drop shot? Watching the seams produces interesting results. When looking for the pattern made by the seams you naturally watch the ball all the way to your racket and you start watching it earlier than before. Suddenly, it seems bigger.

The ball should be watched from the time it leaves your opponent's racket to the time it hits yours.

Watching the the pattern made by the spinning ball engrosses the mind completely almost hypnotically. It forgets to try too hard, forgets the sounds and sights that occur around the court, and doesn't wander. How many times have you been playing a match and suddenly start thinking of something completely different than what's happening on the court. "Did I forget to lock the car? "once this set is over, I need to change my socks", "that guy is foot-faulting....where's a ref when you need one"

As silly as it sounds, one of the most practical ways to increase concentration on the ball is to learn to LOVE it!! Get to know the tennis ball (introduce yourself, take it to lunch), appreciate it's qualities. Look at the fine patterns made by the nap, admire the round firmness of it, try to see the emptyness inside of the ball. The tennis ball should be watched as an object in motion. Notice the height of the ball as it passes over the net, its speed and trajectory. Listen to the ball, the sound of a slice, the sound of a solidly hit volley.

Slowly the size of the ball seems to be getting bigger....how could you NOT hit that thing, it's the size of a basketball!

Forwarding E-mail messages

We've all received e-mails that have been forwarded multiple times and contain a long list of e-mail addresses. Unfortunately, unscrupulous people including hackers and spammers can harvest these addresses.

To prevent this from occurring when you forward e-mails, follow the steps below to use the Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) feature. This allows you to send messages to many recipients without displaying their addresses and compromising their privacy.

Forwarding E-mail Messages With Bcc

1. With the selected e-mail open, click on the "Forward" button on the toolbar.

2. If the "Bcc" field is not visible, select "View" from the menu bar and then select "All Headers" from the resulting drop-down menu. The "Bcc" field will now be visible below the "Cc" field.

3. Click on the "Bcc" button and a list of all saved recipient e-mail addresses will appear. You can choose from this list or you can manually enter the e-mail addresses of your chosen recipients.

4. As a courtesy to others, highlight and then delete the "From" and "To" addresses within the body of the e-mail so spammers don't harvest these addresses. Plus, its annoying to have to scroll down pages and pages of addresses looking for the e-mail itself.

5. It is a good idea to enter your personal e-mail address in the "To" field as often times spam filters will catch messages that do not have an address in the "To" field.

6. Click the "Send" button on the toolbar.

Buying insurance -- Necessary at any age

Yep, I’m a senior…

When I say I’m a senior, I don’t mean in high school or college. I am a senior in life.

My husband just celebrated his 72nd birthday so I guess its time to start thinking about the pros and cons of long term care insurance. I am Mrs. Cheapskate…any way to save money on senior health insurance or senior health care will get my attention. Actually, I’ve never liked thinking about insurance….the only way YOU come out ahead is to die.

My friend, who has more money than George W. Bush has a long term care and a burial insurance policy . Actually, she doesn’t need an insurance policy, she has more than enough to get buried like royalty, but her accountant said she needed additional insurance in case she, for some reason, ended up in a nursing home or needed help with Medigap plans. According to him, her small fortune in stocks, bonds and savings would dwindle down to a pittance.

Ugh, this is not a subject that makes me happy…..so, I’ll just stop writing and go read a book! We have the new Harry Potter one (gift for granddaughter) …she won’t mind if I read it first.

Trace Your Family Tree

Soooo, you're curious about your ancestors.....or aunts, uncles and cousins who you didn't know you had. Or, maybe you think you're linked to a politician, gangster, millionaire or a movie star (look for their real names, not something made up by a publicity agent)

Since you're at step #1, we'll begin very easily.….this is the way I started and the procedures and steps are my own….others search in different ways, but I tend to hop around a little in my searches……(so, if you are a dedicated, professional searcher, don’t yell at me….but, you can add your ideas and techniques)

1. Ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or any living relatives to tell you about your family. Where did they live? Where did the family originally come from? Try to get dates or approximately when they were born.

Any family bibles laying around? You know, that big, bound book, sometimes closing with a clasp. They're not as popular now, but in the past, you'd find children listed with birth dates, parents, marriages, and deaths. There are many genealogy programs available on CDs and they are easy to understand.

I use Ancestral Quest but Family Tree Maker , and many others are available.
About Genealogy can give you ideas about a good beginner program.

Visit WorldConnect, type in your family name and see if anyone is searching or has searched for it. World Connect will not list anyone who was born after 1930 unless that person has a death date, so start with your oldest relative.

Keep in mind however, that this information is submitted by individuals, sometimes through word of mouth from family members. It does not always contain entire families and sometime contains errors. If you know something that the submitter doesn’t….contact them! They will love hearing from a new “cousin”.

Find A Grave has 9 MILLION grave sites listed. Maybe one of your ancestors is listed. The listings are submitted by genealogists or just plain ole people who want others to know where people are buried.

Many ancestors arrived in America and were processed through Ellis Island. This information will tell you what ship they arrived on, the date, and who was traveling with them.

Gen Forum - look for your family name…..someone may be asking questions about YOUR ancestor….or….may have the information you’ve been looking for.

LDS Family Search – this is a wonderful site created by the Mormon Church. You neither have to be Mormon nor have Mormon ancestors to search it. (my ancestry is heavily Catholic, and they are listed)

Social Security – lists deaths from about 1940 to present. Gives birth dates and dates of death. Approximates the place of death by using the zip code of where the last benefit was sent.

Contact me.....we might be related!

How to Avoid the "con man"

Who is the "con man"? He's the guy who digs through your trash and finds your social security number on a document, your credit card number on a statement or personal information about your health from a discarded doctor's bill. Addresses, account numbers, birth dates, email addresses, names, passwords, PINS, phone numbers, signatures, social security numbers...dug out of a trash can or apartment dumpster and pure gold to a "con man".

He finds that your father had lung cancer and was treated at a local hospital, you took out a cash loan to pay for your new car, have several credit cards even though you have bad credit, applied for and was refused another credit card application last month and have recently filed for bankruptcy.

Doesn't sound like your finances would appeal to anyone...heaven only knows who would want your credit rating...Boy, could you be wrong.

Take a few minutes and read The Con Man's Blog ......it may save you a big headache.

Little Sioux Scout Ranch restoration

After the deadly June 11 tornado, which took the lives of four young Boy Scouts, restoration projects for the Little Sioux Scout Camp are being organized.

The tornado destroyed much of the camp and damaged thousands of trees. Work will also be started on the 25 miles of trails on the property which need to be cleared of the debris left from the storm. The restoration project includes reforestation, road reconstruction, rebuilding the Scout ranger's house which was totally demolished, and construction of new shelters.

Seven teams are working on restoring the camp at this time. However it's unknown how long the cleanup will take. So far, the Mid- America Boy Scout Council has received $174,000 in donations to restore the camp. In addition to the restoration, a memorial is being planned in honor of the four Boy Scounts who died there and the boys who were injured during the June 11, 2008 tornado.

If you'd care to send a donation to help restore the Little Sioux Scout Ranch please send to:

Mid-America Council
Attn: Little Sioux Recovery
12401 West Maple Road
Omaha, Nebraska 68164

Lets get those young scouts back to their ranch.

Boy Scouts killed in Little Sioux, IA Tornado - June 11, 2008

The Midwest has had terrible weather the 2nd week of June. Tornados, torrential rains, flooding, 100+ mph winds.

I have lived in Nebraska for 70 years and cannot remember this many tornados hitting this close to home. Last Sunday, one ripped through my hometown Omaha, NE....first hitting the Millard area and then moving on through parts of southwest Omaha.

Now, this very sad incident in Little Sioux Iowa. Four scouts were killed and several were in critical condition at area hospitals.

DES MOINES, Iowa: At least four boy scouts were killed and dozens injured when a tornado tore through a Boy Scout Ranch in western Iowa Wednesday evening, June 11, 2008, as more than 30 twisters ripped through the Midwest. The deadly twisters struck the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in western Iowa, about 40 miles north of Omaha, NE about 5:35 p.m., killing four and injuring at least 20, authorities said.

All of the children had been accounted for late Wednesday after rescuers cut their way through downed trees and debris to reach them. Search and rescue operations at the scout camp where dozens had gathered for a summer retreat continued early Thursday after a storm-wracked night. Officials had yet to say how many of the dead were adults or boys. The scouts had been attending an annual "Pohuk Pride" week long junior leader training event at the 1,800-acre ranch, which has four cabin shelters, a 15-acre lake, a rifle range and six hiking trails. 92 campers aged 13 to 17, and 25 adults were at the scout camp when the tornado struck.

In addition to the four dead, three from Omaha and one from Eagle Grove, Iowa, at least 20 and possibly up to 40 people were injured, several critically. Boys who had gathered in the largest shelter were showered with bricks and debris when the tornado hit the building, shattering the large fireplace and collapsing the roof. Ambulances, police and emergency personnel from neighboring counties raced to the area along with volunteers and Red Cross crews who were on hand to assist frantic parents searching for their children.

Parents were unable to reach campsites and were gathered at the Little Sioux Church of Christ in nearby Little Sioux, Iowa, waiting, slumped against walls, crying, and praying. Some parents whose children had cell phones got quick word that they were OK….others did the only thing they could do ....wait and pray.

Four scouts died that horrible afternoon, Aaron Eilerts, 14, of Eagle Grove, Iowa; and Josh Fennen, 13, Sam Thomsen, 13, and Ben Petrzilka, 14, all of Omaha, NE.

Tornado in Millard and Omaha NE

Well, to add to our "fun" summer, we were awakened at 2:27am on Sunday morning by the storm siren in the park going off. We had been getting tornado warnings and watches floating aross the bottom of our TV screen on Saturday, but most were for outstate Nebraska and Iowa. This one was for us!

I woke my husband (who sleeps through anything) and he and I got dressed. In case the tornado did hit in our area, I didn't want to be wandering the street in my nightgown and Ken's usual bedtime attire... BVDs. We went to the family room in the basement.

We watched as the newscasters described the area where the most turbulance was....on 144th and Q and headed northeast towards 120th Street. By the time the TV stations started reporting, it had already torn roofs and buildings apart in Millard. Only one station, Channel 7, was broadcasting about the weather....Channels 3 and 6 were still showing old movies.

WAKE UP GUYS! .... this is what you get paid the big bucks for!

It was raining extremely hard, I couldn't see the house behind us, and the wind was unbelievable, straight out of the west and nearly horizontal. We found out later that the tornado which was traveling 110-135 mph had been near 120th and Pacific Street by the time the sirens started wailing and I was in the kitchen trying to close windows. It was no longer a tornado but was creating tornadic winds. We live on 117th Street between Pacific and Dodge Streets....the funnel had gone back into the clouds when it passed over our area. It was not our time to be hit.

At 3:00am all was quiet....the wind had stopped and there was no sound....we went outside and it felt like the dead zone. The air was a strange color and very quiet. I've heard of being in the "eye" of a hurricane, but didn't think there was such a thing as the "eye" of a tornado.

We had no major damage other than a few branches that had blown off the trees...and furniture on our deck had been rearranged.

The crazy thing is....I called our daughter who lives on 168th and Pacific and our son who is on 13th and "P" Streets about 8:30 Sunday morning to see if everything was OK with them. NEITHER of them had heard the sirens and didn't know anything about a tornado hitting Millard....Nancy, our youngest, on the other hand, had spent the remainder of the night in the space under her basement steps with her husband Jon, the kids, the cat and dog. She called early Sunday to see if we were still in one piece.

No deaths had occurred although some folks were injured by flying debris and debris falling on them. A friend who lives in Florida once told me "we always have lots of warning and time to prepare when a hurricane is approaching, but a tornado just appears"....unless you have seen or been in one, you can't imagine how frightening and how much damage Mother Nature can do.

Our home is near where the tornado lifted......too close for comfort!

Homeless little squirrels

Where do homeless squirrels go?

Omaha has had some really nasty weather in the month of June, and we've lost many, many old, established trees. The wind devastated them, blew them over and tore limbs.

I was wondering about the squirrels who had nests in these trees. Where do they go? Not that I am a squirrel fanatic or even a squirrel lover, in fact, if they were all to go to some other part of the state and stop digging up my flower bulbs and storing acorns in our gutters and downspouts, I would be very happy.

But, where do the little fellows go when their nests are blown down and carted away to the nearest landfill?

It's a quandary.

Buttons and fly flaps

Did you know that the buttons on a man's shirt are on the right side and that on a pair of men's jeans the flap on the fly is on the left side.

And, on women's clothing, it's the opposite....buttons on left side and fly flap on the right.

Bet you never gave that a thought!

Tip of the Day - No lipstick on teeth!

After applying lipstick and/or gloss, place your finger into your mouth, wrap your lips around the finger and gently pull out your finger in a lollipop motion.

The excess lipstick on the inside of your lips will end up on your finger instead of your teeth. Simply wipe it off on a tissue and you're good to go.

Washed checks

Suppose your stolen checks have been forged and cashed. The money has been withdrawn from your checking account....will the bank reimburse you?

In my case, I immediately notified my bank that there was a forged check on my account....and, they later credited my account with the $625.00 had been withdrawn.

(Personally, I feel that had the teller bothered to pull up our signature card on the bank's computer, they would have seen that the signature on the forged check did not match the one on the signature card)

According to the National Check Fraud Center.....

"IF YOU FAIL TO REPORT CHECK FRAUD WITHIN 30 DAYS OF RECEIVING YOUR MONTHLY STATEMENT, THE BANK DOES NOT HAVE TO REIMBURSE YOUR LOSS (UCC Code 4-406)"

If you have a habit of putting the bank statement in a drawer, planning to look at it later or if your statement is online and even though you know it's there, you seldom remember to look at it, you may NOT be reimbursed
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Result....the dreaded OVERDRAWN statement!!!!!

Tip of the Day - Shave your legs!

Use hair conditioner to shave your legs. It does a great job, leaves them soft and does not add aerosol emmissions to the atmosphere from the spray can.

In a pinch, it can also be used as a shaving cream for men since it feels like a shaving gel.

Diskectomy surgery -Ouch!

My tennis will be on hold for at least 6 weeks….hope you guys all have fun!!!!!

I’ve had both minor and major back aches and leg cramps since February…and they have been increasing both in pain and frequency. Finally, after doing the easy stuff, (1) rest; (2) therapy; and (3) medication, I gave up and had an MRI….hmmmm, showed a herniated disk in my lower spine. Well, that’s interesting, I didn’t think my back hurt all that much. We tried one more thing, the ole epidural shot…which didn’t work either.
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So, on May 1st I was scheduled for a diskectomy at 2:00 in the afternoon at Immanual Hospital here in Omaha. My friends were very sympathetic and wished me luck (that’s always spooky….you don’t WANT to b wished good luck!….you want to be wished a quick recovery or something a little more positive).
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About noon I picked up my overnight bag and started down the stairs to the basement garage….oh, oh, my semi-numb right leg slipped out from under me and I began to lose my balance. I was holding on to the banister but gravity was winning….I started fall. Oh darn…as I mumbled to myself, I thought “this couldn’t be happening”
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I was able to hold on to the banister for a couple of steps, but then tumbled down the rest of the 9 steps to the bottom landing. I laid there for a while trying to access if anything was broken…my right leg hurt the worst, and I actually thought “great…its all your fault, so you deserve to hurt!”
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My husband had heard me fall and followed me down the stairs. He was as white as a ghost and shaking like a leaf…afterwards he told me that he thought I was dead….cheery thought.
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He wanted to take me to Emergency but I said “no, I have to get to the hospital for my operation”….I have fairly high pain tolerance and I had a place to go. I limped a little as we walked into the Procedures section of the hospital, signed in and was taken to the dressing room…I told the nurses that I had fallen and they wanted to take me to have an X-ray of my leg….”no, I’m having surgery at 2:00”….did I mention that I am also a bit bull-headed.
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To make this very long story short, I had the diskectomy and am doing very well. My right leg is swollen from the knee to the ankle, my shoulder is sore from holding on for dear life to the banister, I have miscellaneous bruises where I bumped down the 9 stairs, and my glasses need adjusting….I may have landed on them when I hit the landing.
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My summer tennis is a lost cause and I’ve had to cancel out of all my leagues…..darn, we had planned to win this year and go to Nationals.
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But look for me on the courts in early August….I WILL BE THERE!

Tip of the Day - Things floating in eyes?

Bothered with floating things in your eyes? It could be dry skin around your eye lashes which flakes off and get into the eye.
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Wash your eyes and lashes with baby shampoo....such as Johnson's "No More Tears" or any one that advertises "no tears".
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Put a little shampoo into the palm of your hand, add a goodly amount of warm water, make suds, and wash the eyes.......opening them and rubbing the suds into the upper and lower lashes. It doesn't burn.

Makeup, mascara and dirt are finally being thoroughly washed away.

Tip of the Day - Hug somebody!

Hugs are not only nice, they're NEEDED.

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Hugs can help relieve pain and depression, make the healthy healthier and the most secure among us even more so.

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Hugging feels good.....overcomes fears......eases tension......provides stretching exercises if you are short......provides stooping exercises if you are tall.
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Hugging also does not upset the environment.....saves heat......is portable...requires no special equipment.......makes happy days happier.......makes impossible days possible.

Fraud prevention...protect yourself

After having my mailbox robbed, this advice hits very close to home. And this is where they belong!!!!

SOURCE: A LOCAL ATTORNEY

Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice! A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company.

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

Unfortunately, this author,an attorney, has first hand knowledge because his wallet was stolen. Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change his driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all:

7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name.

The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

By the time he was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which he knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw his wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just about everything. Pass this information along, it could really help someone that you care about.

Boystown, Nebraska

I’ll bet you’ve heard of Boystown, but did you know that it’s in Nebraska, that funny-shaped state bordering the Missouri River between South Dakota and Kansas.

I was born in Omaha, Nebraska and Boystown was just another school that our football team played each fall. We had no idea that it was "famous" nor that a movie had been made about it.

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Boystown was founded by Father Edward J. Flanagan in 1917, as a place for abused, abandoned and neglected boys. The boys came from all over the country and many were on the rough side - tough and sometimes mean...living on the streets can do that to a kid.

Because of the circumstances which brought them to Boystown, some Omaha parents, mine included, were very adamant about their daughters not having anything to do with the Boystown boys. “You are NOT to date any of those kids!” …. I can still hear my father saying that, even after 50 years.

My nephew spent several years at Boystown after his parents divorced. After the divorce, he tried to get into as much trouble as he possibly could....stealing a bicycle, selling aspirin and claiming they were drugs, etc. The Boystown counselors said that he was trying to get his parents back together.....even if it meant being arrested and being sent to "juvie". They would HAVE to talk to each other. He has evolved into a wonderful young man with 3 children, a steady job and is the coach of his son's wrestling team.

When Father Flanagan bought 160 acres of land at 137th and Dodge Road, it was “way out in the country” ….10 miles from the Omaha city limits. Now, Omaha has expanded to the west, and has completely encircled the campus. Yes, although it’s called a campus its really a little village unto itself. The boys become citizens of a town rather than residents of a home. They elect their own government, Mayor, vice-Mayor, Council and Commissioners. Boystown has it's own fire and police departments....no, the boys aren't in charge but learn by actually taking part. In 1936, Boystown became an official village of the State of Nebraska.

The boys live in cottages with their family-teachers in a family situations. The teachers are guidance counselors or have been specially trained to help troubled youths, married and usually have children of their own. The boys learn to clean and cook, do chores, make their own beds, help with the dishes, mow the lawn, and are treated like any other kids would like to be. There are 8 to 9 boys to a cottage, usually two boys to a bedroom.

There are no fences in Boystown other than the ones around the farm area. When Father Flanagan laid out the plans for Boystown, no fences were included nor locks on the doors. He said, “I am not building a prison. This is a home. You do not wall in members of your own family.” Occasionally boys would walk away from the campus but they almost always found their way back or were picked up by local police or county deputies and brought back.

I’ve often seen the boys and their teachers shopping at the nearby grocery store. (I live about 6 blocks from Boystown…our mail comes out of the Boystown postoffice and we often buy farm grown produce there in the summer.)

They are given a list of grocery items and they get their first "learn to shop" (Shopping 101) lessons. The boys are very respectful to other shoppers and will look you in the eye as they put their hand out to shake yours. “Hello, my name is ________”….this is something they are taught as soon as they arrive at the campus. It tends to be a little startling to shoppers if they haven't seen or met the Boystown shoppers before. Many of the kids came from abusive situations and looking someone in the eye and putting their hand out in friendship is the beginning of healing.

If you are in Omaha, attending the College World Series, here on business or vacation, make it a point to visit Boystown. They have free guided tours or you can wander around on your own.

Did you see the movie “Boys Town" starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney? It was a true story and the boys will be proud to show you the Oscar it won which is on display in the Boystown museum.

"He ain't heavy, Father . . . he's m' brother"

Tip of the Day - Foggy shower mirror

My favorite "Tip of the Day"....clean your mirror with shaving cream!

I like a HOT shower and although we have a fan in the bathroom, the mirror gets steamy and foggy. If you clean your mirror with shaving cream, as you'd do with Windex, it won't fog up.....it will be perfectly clean, no oily film and you'll see your reflection as usual.

But, don't do what I did! I pointed the can of shave cream at the mirror and pressed the button....whoosh, I had a gob the size of Texas on the mirror with rebound splatters all over the wall! And more than a few blobs on me!

I know better now!

Which Movie Star Are You?

Have fun with this. Which Movie Star Are You? Ever wonder which movie star you are most like? (probably not...but do the quiz anyway)

Well ~ A team of researchers got together and analyzed the personalities of movie stars. The gathered info has been incorporated into this quiz.

There are only 10 questions so it doesn't take long. Number your paper from 1 to 10, then answer each question with the choice that most describes you at this point in your life, and then add up the points that correspond with your answers. Don't look ahead or you will ruin the fun!

1. Which describes your perfect date?
A) Candlelight dinner for two
B) Amusement Park
C) Roller blading in the park
D Rock Concert
E) Have dinner & see a movie
F) Dinner at home with a loved one