This was sent to me by a friend who lost her job in October. She had worked at the same place for 15 years....but no longer. Her company could not compete with the foreign imports...many of which were actually American companies who chose to have their items made overseas.....cheaper? I suppose so. But in a way, we, as comsumers are also to blame. We want the best bargain, i.e. cheapest, items we can find....who cares if John, Helen, Tom or Doreen, American citizens, will lose their jobs....obviously we don't.
John Q. Public started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN ) for 6 am.
While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG ).
He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRILANKA ), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE ) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA).
After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA ) he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO ) to see how much he could spend today.
After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) turning off his radio (MADE IN INDIA ) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY ) filled it with gas (FROM SAUDI ARABIA) and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day of checking his computer (MADE IN MALAYSIA), John decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL ) poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE ) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA ), and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in AMERICA.
Do you see anything WRONG with this story? You should.
Where did our US jobs go??????
Our Legacy
..........................100 Years From Now.......
It will not matter what our bank account was, the sort of house we lived in or what kind of a car we drove, but the world may be different because we were important in the life of a child...
Our grandchildren: Mason, Jennifer, Connor, Austin, Hayden, Rebecca and Andrew...
Grandpa and Grandma Boicourt
Our Summer Went to the Dogs
In late August, our youngest daughter, Nancy, asked if we could dog-sit their basset hound, Daisy Mae for a week. "Sure, when?....."Tomorrow?
..."dahhhhh OK" This had been a summer of dog sitting. Granddaughter
Jennifer called in July to ask if we could take care of her little
highland terrier, Oakley, then two days later came daughter Christine's
call from Chicago, "Mom, can you watch Cloe and Bella when we go to
Denver?"......."sure" Cloe is a cocker-poo and Bella is Shitz Tzu. So, Oakley, Cloe and Bella were here at the same time. The girls got
along great...once in a while Cloe, the oldest would get a little
peeved with the two younger dogs..."I'm too old to play "chase around
the yard!!!!". Their food dishes had to be in different areas...Cloe
eats like a horse and, if she can, she will eat whatever the other dogs
left in their dishes.
We're not used to little dogs and these pint-sized girls would follow me around like three little white shadows. If I took a step backward, I'd almost step on one of them! Things went very well except at bedtime...Oakley was used to being kenneled at night, but not the other two. They are Christine's babies....so, Ken and I had two bed partners. Ken finally gave up and slept in another room...which actually caused me to have a week of peaceful sleep....Ken snores. On the other hand, Daisy Mae is a sweetheart but has not been around Ken and I as often. We'd see her when we'd go over to Nancy's house, but she doesn't know us well. Nancy brought her over about 7:15 AM on her way to work...she and family were leaving that afternoon for a vacation in Minnesota before our granddaughter Rebecca went back to school.
We put Daisy Mae in the back yard and I settled into a deck chair to
enjoy the beautiful cool morning, have a cup of tea and watch the birds
devouring the seeds in the bird feeder. Suddenly I realized that
I couldn't see Daisy Mae then caught a glimpse of her tail as she
slipped through the back gate. Yikes, she hadn't been in our care for
15 minutes and I've lost her already. I
started calling "Daisy, Daisy, come're girl"...she just kept going,
slowly but with determination. So out of the yard I went, house
slippers, nightgown and all. I caught up with her two houses away as
she started up the neighbor's front steps. Since I didn't have her leash
I had to grab her collar and try to get her back to our yard. She is
about 15" at the shoulder and weighs about 20+ lbs so I didn't try to
pick her up...I don't think I could have anyway. And, I couldn't bend
over and hold her by the collar while I shuffled her back home...I get a
backache even thinking about it. 
Luckily the
neighbors weren't looking out their windows or driving down the street on their way to work....they would have seen a 74 year old grandmother in a nightgown and fuzzy slippers trying to get an extremely heavy and uncooperative basset hound back to the yard. Her little jaunt must have tired her out because she spent the rest of the morning curled up on our front room chair...which by the way was NEVER allowed when we had dogs. Guess it's that ole grandma thing, grandkids and pets get by with a lot more than they used to.
Since I haven't heard from anyone.....or been pointed out at the grocery store followed by hysterical laughter, I think I pulled it off!!!!!!
Made in America
I sell on twi online auction sites....Ebay and Bonanza. Many of my items are from my family, estate sales, garage sales, Thrift stores, and marked-down sales from big name stores.
I watched a news story last night that made me realize how I am contributing to the downfall of American industry....I looked at the items I have for sale, and was disappointed to see that less than 1/3 of them were made in America....made in the USA.
The ABC News reporter, Diane Sawyer said that if everyone in the United States bought ONE item made in the USA, thousands of Americans would still have their jobs. ONE item, costing less than $3.33. "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" is launching a groundbreaking series, "Made in America," focusing on American manufacturing and our economy.
At one time, we were known as the meat-packing center of the United States, we had the stockyards, Armour, Cudahy and other packing houses, Northwestern Bell Telephone Company, Union Pacific Railroad, public utilities, small businesses and factories where people could find jobs.....lets face it, not everyone is smart enough or wants to be a computer technician, retail sales person, teacher, doctor or design websites.
What are the young people in this area to do? Yes, there are some that will fight their way out of near poverty, but again, they are the exception....the majority have lost the desire to go to work even if work is available. And, why work when welfare checks arrive every month. In the past, one could always enlist in the armed forces.....not anymore. Their standards have gone up...no longer can someone "join the Army and see the world" ... in my teens, I knew several young men who were given option of "join the Army or go to jail". They were provided an education and a purpose in life.
I have wandered away from my original idea with this article. Yes, I will keep my items listed on Ebay and Bonanza ...and hope they will sell. BUT, I will make it a priority to seek out items MADE IN THE USA which I will put up for sale (and list them that way on my auction sites.)
Look at items in your home or closet....are you helping America's industries by buying Made in USA? If not.....why not?????
And, to those American companies who have moved their factories out of the United States and by doing so KNOWINGLY put thousands of American workers out of jobs
....SHAME ON YOU !!!
Hey tennis friends.... effective March 5, 2009, HEAD Penn closed their Phoenix factory, and moved all remaining tennis ball production to China.
Tennis A Sport For Everyone To Enjoy
Only Christine, one of our three daughters had any interest in playing tennis, but she was, and still is a very good player. Her team photo, complete with a huge headfull of blonde hair is on the wall of Burke High School in Omaha, NE. This was the late 70's, big hair was in style. Two of her sons, our grandsons, play on their college tennis team....and their younger brother plays for his high school team. I can proudly brag that all three of them learned to play tennis on the courts in Meadow Lane Park....about a block from home... and that I was their first tennis teacher!
Many, many years ago, about 1980, Christine and I played in and won The Equitable Family Challenge tournament held here in Omaha. We then represented Nebraska in Kansas City, MO where we won the mother/daughter division, thus gaining the honor of representing the Midwest in the Family Challenge held in conjunction with the US Open Tennis Tournament in New York City. All of the Family Challenge winners from around the United States were housed in the Halloran House Hotel located in the Waldorf Astoria area (where we met the other players in the large ballroom).
We were bused every morning to the National Tennis Center where we had full access to the grounds. We were face to face with the great players of that time, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Chris Evert, Hana Mandlikova. We were able to watch all the matches, stand along the fences at the practice courts and say "good morning" to the players. I picked up one of the practice balls that Rosie Casals had been using and Chris took it home to gave to Jill Garlock, her high school tennis coach.. Later we watched as John McEnroe defeated Bjorn Borg and Chris Evert defeated Hana Mandlikova in the finals.
We were allowed in the players locker room right along with the pros and other Family Challenge players. One of my favorite memories is seeing a sign-up sheet in the laundry room next to the locker room....Chris Evert was scheduled to do her laundry at 9:00 am and several of the other players were also in line to do theirs....yes, they do need to wash their socks, tops and undies, same as everyone else.
Since we had access to the grounds before the general public entered, we saw many of the players wandering around, practicing or just talking to each other. I noticed a really tall female tennis player and thought to myself, "how on earth can anyone lob over her" She was head and shoulders taller than the female players she was talking to. Later I found that the 6' 2" player was Renee Richards.
I wish I could say that Christine and I did well in the tournament, but we lost in the first round. We played well, but lost to a mother/daughter team from the East Coast.
We have so many wonderful memories of that ALL EXPENSE PAID trip to New York.
The Craftsman pliers walleye!
ESPN had already taken shots of John fishing and catching walleyes, but after viewing the tapes, the producers of the show wanted more footage of John casting and "setting the hook" etc. So, he and our daughter, Lisa, went to a nearby lake to tape. John, figuring this would be a quickie, put a weight and lure on the line, cast out and promptly gave the rod a good pull - setting the hook.
But our John is a resourceful young man - he took a pair of Craftsman pliers from his back pocket and attached it to the line. Ok, so far, so good. He cast the pliers out and they made a nice ker-plunk as they hit the water. Then, John had his hands full!
The end of the story is that John has some of the best fishing action he has ever had on tape. The ESPN people will cut and splice shots of him casting and "setting" the hook, "fighting" the fish (pliers), and then show him bringing in and netting a nice walleye that he had caught when the ESPN guys were with him.
My New Car "Abie" Lincoln
Anyway, we now own a 2009 silver Lincoln MKZ....it is a nice vehicle and gets 19+ mph in the city and over 30+ mph on the highway. BTW, what is the big deal for advertising the great mph on the highway...we live in the city, I haven't driven on a highway since last year when we drove to Naperville, IL to visit our daughter and family. We want something that gives us great mpg IN THE CITY!!! We wanted something that didn't suck gas like it was a Pepsi cola on steroids when I drove to the grocery store, went shopping or just plain drove around town.
Suddenly, I have flashing yellow emergency lights on the dashboard. "WHAT DID YOU DO????"....push another button and a swerving little orange car pops up next to the flashing lights. The Lincoln then decided that English was no longer the language of choice, and my mph appeared in km (kilometers?)....push more buttons and it wants to know if we want English or French (car was assembled in Mexico...but French is it's native language).....all I wanted was to get off the highway before Ken pushed something else....he was hoping if he pushed the right button "Abie" would recognize the touch of an English speaking person. No such luck. About this time, Ken took the "how to" instruction manual out of the glove compartment. I suppose that if you are a person who buys lots of NEW vehicles, or are teenagers, you understand the language of new cars. We aren't either. We drove home with km, flashing warning lights and swerving little orange car all doing their thing.
On Saturday, we drove back to the dealership ... our salesman came out to the car and we went through the buttons...I still don't know how they all work...but we're in English mode now and that's a step forward. Somewhere in the system "Abie" holds the secret of how many miles I can drive before running out of gas, how to get my seat to either warm up in winter or get cool in summer and what the buttons on both sides of the steering wheel control.
Note:
My thoughts were that this car was obviously designed by guys....those who have short, sturdy fingers and fingernails. The trunk only opens 1/2" to 3/4" when I push the "open" button. It does not have a handle, slot or anything to grasp to open the trunk. You have to slip your fingers under the trunk lid and lift it up. Want to guess how many fancy fingernails I have sacrificed doing this. Plus, we live in Nebraska...we have SNOW....the little 1/2"- 3/4" crack is hard to find when fumbling through the accumulated snow.. And, since it is usually frozen down, it doesn't want to open anyway.
He suggested that I attach a piece of microfiber belting to the inside of the trunk lid and when closing the trunk leave a tail of the belting hang out. Therefore, giving me something to open the trunk with.
Yeah sure...I've put that suggestion on the back burner.
Here Kitty Kitty
We have a nice-sized flower garden in our yard, complete with a pond with a little fountain. It’s Ken’s pride and joy. Every year we stock it with goldfish and once in a while, a tadpole or two. The fish are fun to watch, and will come to the surface if you twiddle your fingers on the edge of the water. 
However, this morning, I looked out of our kitchen window and saw a big cat on the back fence..at first glance, I thought, “oh my gosh” there’s a baby mountain lion”….four years ago a big, fully grown mountain lion, aka Puma was taking up residence in our neighborhood park. He is now living in the Henry Doorly Zoo cat complex.
I walked onto the back deck and called, “here kitty” and up he came. He stayed around for a while but decided to investigate the rest of the yard. I don’t know if he was a neighborhood cat that is allowed to roam or if he had escaped from home and was exploring. He didn’t have a name or license on his collar so there was no way to find out who he belonged to. And, he definitely did not want to come with me into the house…I didn’t want to be scratched or bitten so didn’t force the issue. Edward Rosewater School, Omaha, NE – Class of 1952
If you’ve ever attended a College World Series (CWS) game in Omaha, Nebraska, you’ve probably seen my grade school, Edward Rosewater.
It’s on 13th Street, just opposite the entrance to the Henry Doorly Zoo and close to the "Zesto" ice cream store that is ALWAYS talked about by CWS commentators (I think they get a discount every time they mention "Zesto" on the air!) A big ice cream cone from Zesto was always a "must have" when we walked home from school ... $.20 bought a good-sized cone in those days.
Edward Rosewater School, was named after an Omahan who is credited for creating the first Omaha Board of Education and was regarded as the father of Omaha (NE) public schools.
Rosewater was the editor of the Omaha Daily Bee, had a reputation for always being "aggressive and controversial" and was influential in Nebraska politics as one of the leaders of the state Republican Party. During the American Civil War, while serving at the White House telegraph office, Rosewater was responsible for sending out President Abraham Lincoln’s “ Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.
I LOVE my old school, although in 1985 it was converted to apartments. I think of the thousands of kindergarten to 8th grade student’s running (excuse me) walking through it’s halls. Whenever I drive past it, I remember the wonderful teachers I had, the great friends we all were, and the love for America and the American flag that was instilled in us. I entered kindergarten at Rosewater when I was 5 years old (1943) and graduated in 1952. My kindergarten teacher was Miss Brown (all the teachers were called “Miss” if they were single or not). We learned social skills…how to not fight over a toy (yep, we actually had toys in kindergarten), played house in the little play kitchen complete with dishes and pans and discovered that being the “mother” had a lot more responsibilities than we ever knew about.
We napped on our little rugs every afternoon and learned that the teacher was “boss” even if our mother’s thought we were special and above reproach. Miss Brown gently but firmly molded us into good kindergarten citizens. I was in school during World War II, and patriotism was strong at Edward Rosewater. We 
stood each morning before class, put our hand over our heart and recited, “I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all” . "Under God" was added in 1954, two years after we graduated.
To this day, I can’t watch our Flag in a parade, hear a patriotic song or recite the “Pledge of Allegiance” without getting teary eyed. Can’t help it….this is my country.
Next time you are watching a sports program TV or are at an event where the National Anthem is sung or watching a parade when the American flag is raised or is carried ...look around you. Those people with their right hands over their hearts were taught that many years ago in school......and haven't forgotten.
Note: United States Code, 36 U.S.C. § 301, states that during a rendition of the national anthem,
when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at
attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart; Members of the
Armed Forces and veterans who are present and not in uniform may render the
military salute; men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their
right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the
heart; and individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first
note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note; and when the
flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the
same manner they would if the flag were displayed.
However, this statutory suggestion does not have any penalty associated with
violations. This behavioral requirement for the national anthem is
subject to the same First
Amendment controversies that surround the Pledge of Allegiance.
Miss Reilly, our Principal (“always remember that the Principal is your “Pal”….well sometimes anyway), would call a school assembly every Friday afternoon and each class from kindergarten to 8th grade would sing. We learned all the verses to “The Star Spangled Banner”, “America the Beautiful”, “America" (My Country Tis of Thee), and every patriotic song she could think of. We sang the songs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines and probably some I can't remember....and we sang with gusto!
My brother Bobby, was in the Navy and at every Friday assembly, Miss Reilly would ask us to think about those who are fighting for our freedom. I don’t remember if she asked us to say a prayer for them, but at that time, she probably could have. I know my nighttime prayer always ended with “Please God, bring my brother Bobby home safe”
This is my kindergarten class…we must have been warned not to smile....I'm not in it. I don't remember why not..
Several of the kids left Rosewater after kindergarten.….the neighborhood Catholic school, St. Rose, didn’t have kindergarten so the Catholic kids started kindergarten at Rosewater and then transferred to St. Rose Catholic School which was just down 13th Street from Rosewater.I believe this is the 2nd and 3rd grade combined class ...me, second row, 2nd from the right.
Finally, our graduating class of 1952.
Model Trains and Model Railroading....not just a hobby
Why is model railroading a great hobby for kids?
FAMILY/ INDEPENDENCE – a kid hears “NO” a lot. A model railroad puts kids in charge of powerful locomotives. Trains run when the kids want them to and the track, scenery and buildings are ones that they helped to choose. Model railroading bonds parents, grandparents and children. The whole family will enjoy building and running the railroad thus building lasting memories.
DECISION-MAKING/ ACCOMPLISHMENT – – many kids lack opportunities for accomplishment. Not every child is a basketball, football or any other sports star. Model railroading gives them a chance to build something unique that impresses everyone who sees it. A model railroad is a solid real-world achievement. Choices on the model railroad will bring immediate results. Wrong choices cause derailments and problems. Right choices make the trains run smoother or make the layout look more realistic.
IMAGINATION/CREATIVITY – before one actually builds a railroad, one dreams about it. A layout helps a kid to build a world that matches their dreams and wishes. Learning how to make dreams real, one step at a time.
PERSISTENCE/COORDINATION – running a model train is a hands-on activity. It improves eye-hand coordination and building structures, scenery and operating accessories teaches small hands to be accurate. Kids see the power of steady working. A little effort applied at regular intervals creates noticeable and exciting progress.
SHARING/COOPERATION – by operating the trains with family members or other kids, a child learns how to cooperate and share. They learn the value of teamwork.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE/ELECTRONICS – when operating heavy trains at a fast speed, one gets a hands-on education on how things move. Inertia, momentum and friction play their part in keeping an engine and cars on the track. Kids get a solid grounding in how electricity works to move a train around a track. Run the train too fast on a sharp curve and the train derails. They learn how electricity affects them in their daily life.
TRANSPORTATION/ECONOMICS – by running a realistic freight operation a child learns how our economy works. Raw materials must be transported to factories, the finished goods must be carried to market. A model railroad teaches economics by actually doing it.
TECHNOLOGY/ARCHITECTURE – steam locomotives were once considered high tech. By becoming aware of the changing face of America through the operations and equipment of different eras, kids learn how one high tech’s advantages replaces another. In building houses and factories, a child learns about structures and usage .
SAFETY- real trains are tremendously powerful and heavy. A child who knows nothing about trains and railroad tracks has no idea how dangerous they can be. Model railroading teaches respect for trains, train tracks, the potential danger and an understanding of the signals that warn of approaching trains.
Grandpa's Hands
Bernice and Kenneth Boicourt were my husband's parents, Madeline and Leo Dobrovolny were my parents, MarieCaklova Dobrovolny was my Dad's mother, my grandmother and Julia Ann Miller was my mom's mother, my grandmother.
GRANDPA'S HANDS
By Melinda Clements
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grandpa, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands.
When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat the more I wondered if he was OK. not wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was OK.
He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," he said in a clear strong voice.
"I didn't mean to disturb you, grandpa, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK" I explained to him.
"Have you ever looked at your hands" he asked. I mean really looked at your hands?"
I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making.
Grandpa smiled and related this story:
"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. "
"They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler and I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots."
"They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life. They held my rifle and wiped my tears when I went off to war.They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. "
"They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son."
"Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse and walked my daughter down the aisle."
"Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friend's foot."
"They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand."
"They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer."
"These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ."
I will never look at my hands the same again.
But I remember God reached out and took my grandpa's hands and led him home.
When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and wife I think of grandpa. I know he has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.
I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel his hands upon my face.
Disorder in the American Courts
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy ?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan !
_________________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep,
he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
____________________________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's 20, much like your IQ.
___________________________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children , right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death..
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
___________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
______________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor , how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral...
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 PM
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
______________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No..
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law
Favorite Bumper Sticker
Gullible Ole Me
OK, usually I am fairly intelligent and guard my credit card numbers with care. But, I fell for this ad on the internet.
You’ve seen it lots of times both on the internet and on TV. A before and after photo of someone, often from your own area, (really doubt that) who has lost 25 or more pounds by taking a special berry … usually in any form. The berry diet is probably a great help in losing weight (although I haven’t as of yet) and has many genuine, honest sellers. This did not happen to be one.
The scam is the “try it free” offer.
I clicked on “try it free”, gave my credit card number for postage and handling and off it went. Unfortunately I did not read ALL the fine print on the site…be careful...if it mentions their monthly recurring billing….GET OUT… I should have clicked, clicked, clicked all the links until I found it.
I got my first bottle in about two weeks. A few weeks later, I received another bottle (I honestly thought the company had made a mistake and sent me two bottles instead of one) When my credit card statement arrive I was in shock! WOW! I had a charge of $79.95 plus four Foreign Transaction Fees! Several weeks after that, I received a bottle of colon cleanser.... I didn't order any colon cleaner?????
I called my credit card company wanting to know what was going on!
The Bank of America representative was very helpful, telling me that this scam happens often, you have to carefully read those Free Offers. The berry scams and many others offer a free trial of their product, but they ask for your credit card number for postage and handling. Stupid me, I typed it right in.
Somewhere in the fine print, they tell you that if you cancel within 14 days the free trial item is yours. If you do not cancel within 14 days,you will automatically receive a new bottle each month. But, you receive the first bottle shortly AFTER the 14 days have passed, and whoops, you are now in their system and your credit card is billed, in my case it was $79.95 plus four Foreign Transaction Fees.
I called my credit card company, Bank of America, immediately and said...."what is this?" The representative said to call the number shown on the credit charge and tell the person who answered that I wanted everything cancelled and to ask for the agent’s name, ID number and a confirmation of cancellation number. He said that often there are other companies attached to these “free offers” and more things may arrive. However, I would not be responsible for any charges made after the date I cancelled the account (which I didn't know that I had)
I called the phone number listed on the statement and had no problem canceling my “account” and as the BOA representative suggested, asked for the agent’s name, ID number and a confirmation of cancellation number. Obviously from her voice and pronunciation, I could tell this person was not from the U.S. - I asked where she was located and was told that she was "in Florida" but would not say anything else.
Just to be safe, I cancelled that BOA account and was given a new account number.
Now I sit and wait for my next statement….and mentally call myself many unkind names for falling for the scam in the first place.
Songs and Memories
You're listening to the radio when suddenly "that" song comes on. You know the one ....it was "your" song when you were dating that special person. You stop what you're doing and the memories come flooding back.
I am back in high school, walking down the halls of South High School in Omaha, Nebraska. I remember the joy of seeing my special guy and holding hands as we talked on the way to our next class. Somehow I knew that he was the "one". We dated throughout high school and spent many evenings in his car, parked in "lover's lane" (with about a dozen other cars) and listening to Johnny Mathis, Pat Boone and other crooners of our era. 
We've been married for 54 years and that song can still bring tears to my eyes.
My special song is The Twelfth of Never by Johnny Mathis.
The Twelfth of Never
You ask how much I need you
Must I explain
I need you oh my darling
Like roses need rain
You ask how long I'll love you
I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never
I'll still be loving you
Hold me close
Never let me go
Hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
I'll love you 'till the blue bells forget to bloom
I'll love you 'till the clover has lost its perfume
I'll love you 'till the poets run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never
And that's a long long time
Until the twelfth of never
And that's a long long time
(I'm crying ... this song always does it)
Big Crumbs Can Bring You Cash Every Month
By using BigCrumbs you will receive cash back at over 2000 top stores. Buy health items from Puritans Pride, pet items from Petco, cata
logue goodies from LDS Commodities? They're all in there. Click on the alphabetical listing of retailers .... with over 2000 online places to shop, (only a few are shown here), you'll find many of your favorites.If you already buy online from stores like A Pea in the Pod, Tractor Supply, Buy Costumes, CafePress, Kohls, H
olabird Sports, why not get a little money back on your purchases??Look for the Blue Banner with the orange Join Now
22 ADULT TRUTHS...admit it...you've done that!
1 Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive
times and still not know what time it is.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. 3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger. 4. There is great need for a sarcasm font. 5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? 6. Was learning cursive really necessary? 7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood. 8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died. 9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired. 10. Bad decisions make good stories. 11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. 12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again. 13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to. 14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call. 15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well. 16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than with Kay. 17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option. 18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. 19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said? 20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters! 21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever. 22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time. |
