Sweatin to the Oldies..

If you have read my posts in the past you know how I feel about hot muggy weather. Well it's back with a vengeance it is 92 and humid, to top it off we have our first door knock tonight for my State Legislator.

I'll be surprised if anyone shows up. If it was up to me it would be cancelled and we would just sit inside and talk.

The news about the Indictment of Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska would make for some good conversation.

How many Republicans in this administration have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar? If you count all of the companies who have profited from Katrina, and the war in the middle east, those who are profiting from high oil prices ( Bush and Cheney) it would probably blow our minds. Hopefully this will open some eyes and people will begin to realize that tax breaks for the rich while they have their hands in our pockets should come to an end next November.

For now I am going to go grab my book and sit in front of a fan.

Enjoy Linda in her heyday...

"Food" for thought?

Friday night Hubba and I went to a dinner party for his oldest niece, she is a Professor at Michigan State.
She has decided to take early retirement and only work part time.
We also celebrated her 10 year recovery from breast cancer.

The Doctor was quite surprised when a Mule pulling a wagon picked her up to take her to dinner at a nearby Club.
Hubba is the only sibling left in his family, he was the baby and their Dad was a few years older then him.
We love that we are included at these family gatherings.

Before we left to come home on Saturday morning we met some of them again for breakfast and talked about their mom and dad
who had both died from cancer, just 2 years a part.
They would be so proud of the accomplishments of their 7 kids and grandchildren.

When we got back into the city we had a message from a good friend and former legislator
asking us if we wanted to join him and some other friends for lunch.
We didn't waste time unloading and heading out, it was so good to sit and visit with friends
we have known for many years, 3 of them are former legislators and one dear friend was a political mentor to all of us.
In fact he was the reason for the gathering, he had recently been on a trip to Laos and we wanted to hear all about it and the new lady in his life.
We sat and discussed his travels and also all of the upcoming political campaigns federal and local.
I felt a little discouraged when I heard their feelings about the Presidential campaign.
The majority view was, this country may be too racist to actually pull that curtain shut and then vote for a
minority candidate.
I disagreed with them, I think this country is ready for young new leadership
and I hope that when the debates start people will listen and look past the skin color.
I feel that this is probably the most important election of our time.

What happens to our planet may depend on it.

I am curious to hear what others are hearing from their family and friends?

Did you know?

Today at my stylist, while I was paging through one of their ancient magazines.
I came upon some little known facts.


15 minutes of reading can help to prevent Alzheimer's .
"Anytime you reinforce the neural connections in the brain that are important for memory you reduce the odds of getting Alzheimer's by up to 37%"

Sleeping one hour extra on weekends will help you to lose weight
"Sleep works by fulfilling the brain's satiety center, so your cravings are reduced "

Spending more time with friends, will help you live longer.
Studies show that unwinding with people you know and trust. even for only an hour or so a month,
helps to erase the negative impacts of stress that age your body faster.

Credit for these facts goes to Laura Damon /Woman's world

Does anyone else have any helpful hints to delay the aging factor?
Quick I don't have a lot of time, another birthday around the horizon.

Snow Flower

Have you ever read a book you can't get out of your mind?
Or characters that are so real you feel like they are friends.
You know what I mean?

While I am trying to read another book, my brain flashes back to the previous one.
It doesn't happen that often, but it is happening now and I am just going to have to wait it out.

A few days ago I finished reading a beautiful book,
Snow Flower and the secret fan by Lisa See.
It takes place in 19th century China when women of an upper class would have their feet bound, the smallness and shape of the feet would determine how good a marriage one would make.
While living mostly in seclusion, they developed their own secret code so they can communicate with each other, they record their messages on a silk fan, or embroider them on hankies.
It is a love story, not only between Lily and her chosen husband but mostly between Lily and her friend Snow Flower who she meets at the age of seven.
The story follows them through different stages of their lives, through happy and sad times.

It is a movie waiting to happen, I could visualize every scene and I hope some screen writer picks it up.

If you liked Memoirs of a Geisha, then you will love this book too.

I know it's not a guy book, but "hey" you guys go to the new Batman movie while
we are reading.

Smug thy name is John !

I don't like ABC Anchor John Stossel.
I never have liked his attitude on 20/20 and as a result quit watching the show.
If you know him tell him I think he is smug, and a Republican even though he claims not to be.

I watched Larry King Live last night, because he was having Robert Kennedy Jr. on to discuss
Global warming and some of the changes we could do to save the planet for our Grandchildren.
Stossel sat there with a sneer on his face and contradicted most of what
was suggested.
I wonder, if someone did some checking, would they find out that he has large investments in Fossil Fuel?
We give trillions of dollars in subsidies every year to the oil industry, another trillion to the coal industry.
But his solution is, to let the free market handle it.
That will never happen as long as Oil has control over most of our politicians

Maybe the show will be repeated this weekend, I hope so

If so, I am going to watch again just so I can throw popcorn at the screen.

Jessie The Spoiler?

All day today the news pundits were asking
"Will he or won't he run?"

We had a good chance of taking back Paul Wellstone's Senate seat a year ago.
Al Franken looked strong, and then things began to fall a part.
Our Democratic leaders, entranced with the Hollywood crowd did not do a very good job of checking Al's background,
Tax problems came up, that were not his fault, but all people know is that there were problems.
Then a satirical story in Playboy magazine even turned off some of his supporters.
They are back on the train for now, but Al was hurt by the publicity.
Tonight our former Governor Jessie Ventura, announced he would not run for the Senate unless God speaks to him sometime between tonight and tomorrow at 5:00 PM.
Since it was God who encouraged GW to run, he said he may get a call too, and if he does, then maybe he will change his mind.
That's our Jessie..always keep them guessing, and it may sell a few more books.

Does this mean Al Franken can win now?
Under normal circumstances it is hard to beat an incumbent.
We'll have to see what happens over the next couple months.
Naughty Normy Coleman, is such a Chameleon he has already convinced some in the Media
that he is a Centrist.
They forget that all he has been, is a rubber stamp for Bush.
Here in Minnesota they think he has real family values, even though his wife Laurie lives in Los Angles most of the time seeking a movie career.
Then there are the rumors of his many trysts and the child support he is paying to an unidentified young woman.

But right now I wouldn't bet the farm against him.

Please Let it Snow

The temps in the 90's and the Humidity almost 60, you would think we lived in
the Tropics.
I hate sticky heat and would have made a terrible Pioneer Woman.
Can you imagine wearing all those heavy clothes, living in a small log cabin on a day like this.
I remember those days when I was young, my sister and I would take turns jumping in an old wash tub filled with cold water.
When we were old enough we would live at the swimming pool or
go to the movies,
because it was always nice and cool at the theater.
We didn't get our Air Conditioning until our kids were well into their teens.
When they were little my cousin and I would load up the car and go to the nearest
beach.
I am paying for that sun exposure, my Irish/English skin is susceptible
to skin cancer and I have already dealt with that.

I am betting that on a day like this even Runningwmn has her air on.

Storm Predictions tonight..if only it was Snow!

No Elephants needed!

We had a great time at our home town's old fashioned 4th of July celebration, which also coincided with an All School Reunion. The parade theme this year was a circus one, celebrating the Engesser Circus which was based in my home town and operated by George Engesser. Many of the descendants from the Engesser family were in the parade either on the float or dressed as clowns.

They were led by one of the former Bareback Horse riders from the circus days of the 1920's and 1930's, my moms best friend, she is 98 years young and still going strong, she led the parade riding in a golf cart. It took some talking to convince her, but she seemed to love it.
When I read the book Water For Elephants I thought about her, maybe thats why I enjoyed the book so much.

The oldest Drum and Bugle corps was also in the parade, this year they had a guest Drum Major "Techy Flash" whose other hobby happens to be Drum Corps, his 2 youngest sons were in the color guard. Flash's Grandpa was one of the original members and his dad also marched with the corps.

This was the 27th old fashioned 4th and we have been to every one of them. We spent the whole day in the park visiting with friends and relatives ending the evening at the lake having dinner with my cousin and her son.

The town was jumping all weekend with street dances and class gatherings. We saw a lot of old friends, Hubba said one more night would have done him in.

The next all school Reunion will be in 6 years the next time the 4th hits the weekend.

I'm already looking forward to it..

Have a safe 4th!

We will be spending the 4th of July in our hometown for an all School reunion,
One of my classmate/friends is on the committee and 5 years ago it was a blast.
Having it over the 4th of July will bring in a a lot of old friends.
On the 4th there is a parade that usually attracts about 10 to 12 Thousand people.
In the central park is an old fashioned 4th of July celebration, with food, bands, and
many old friends.

So thats where "we" Hubba and I will be on the 4th, with my spiked lemonade, people watching,and visiting with old friends..
Hubba and I both graduated from the same high school, though he was 9 years a head of me and it makes me feel so young to be around his friends.
Hope you all have a safe weekend..