Christmas Is a Little Girl in a Red Dress . . . and Other Memories

christmas dress 8, a photo by Southern June Bugs on Flickr.

When I was about this little girl's age, I had a red velvet dress too. Something about red velvet that makes it perfect for Christmas!

This year, a couple of Sundays ago, we (the choir) were singing The Cantata in the loft facing the congregation. When we came toward the end, I saw a young girl stand up and lean with her arms over the back of the pew in front. She was smiling very wide and I teared up to see someone so young familiar with the music. (Yes, she was wearing a red velvet dress.)

Of course, the big thrill was the standing ovation the congregation gave us when we finished. Wow . . . all that practicing seemed easy now!

There were delightful cookies and egg nog in the narthex after.

A lady was waiting to thank me for the note I had sent her.

Another gal came up to show me she was wearing the little angel pin I had given her the night we decorated the tree in the sanctuary.

Christmas season can be a time of extremes and this year, I wanted to make it very, very simple. The house was decorated simply. Meals were simple.

Now, most things are away and we are looking to a new year.

We have so many blessings and we know it. As we get older, we try to simplify and make it easier on ourselves.

On New Year's Eve, we will watch Dick Clark who has never given up. I admire him for that!

For everyone who has lost someone this year or who has illness themselves or in their family, we are praying.

And we will be back in church on Sunday to sing more of the season's beautiful music.

God Bless . . . especially little girls in red velvet!

J.R. Martinez Wins . . . Again!

IAVA Heroes Gala, a photo by IAVA.org on Flickr.

Yes, he won a purple heart . . . Yes, he has won several awards. But this week, J.R. Martinez won on Dancing With The Stars and that says something nice about how our world is evolving!

Later this week, there was another event to talk about! J.R. received a telephone call from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who invited J.R. to the Pentagon.

This is so W-O-W! You gotta love it!

Way to go, J.R. and may the wind be at your back and all good things happen for you, our favorite Veteran this week! I think there are a lot of Veterans just waiting to meet you and catch some of your enthusiasm!

God Bless J.R.!

Cheerful Giving This Season

For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, "You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land."

- Deuteronomy 15:11

It was really nice to find out today that our city has already exceeded this year's goal for United Way! I was kind of worried, because times are definitely tough this year and people are being very careful with spending and giving.

Last year, I was very fortunate to work on a fundraiser where a financial institution would match what we raised. We planned a BBQ which is a really good way to make money in our area. But, wanting to make sure we raised a healthy amount for a couple in our church congregation who had staggering medical bills, I went out on my own as well.

I want to tell you because perhaps you would not believe that there are many people out there who - seeing a need - will give freely and without extra explanation.

I was surprised that several people gave me cash and did not worry about a receipt or any recognition. Yes, surprised, but I cannot tell you just how good that made me feel inside. It restored (as we always say) my faith in humanity.

As we come up to the Christmas season, there will be more people than ever who need some help this year. Times are very tough. Many people are without jobs. Many seniors have seen investments shrink and many are on fixed incomes. Prices are higher just about everywhere. The groceries have increased enormously in price.

When you see the Salvation Army Bell Ringer in front of the store, try placing a coin in the kettle as often as you can. You might not miss the coin and you will receive a strong ring of the bell, a "Merry Christmas" and a big smile every time.

Look for specials on staples like peanut butter and canned vegetables in the weekly ad. Stock up so you have items ready for churches, schools, military, companies and mailmen collecting this season.

Some collections will not be for food; some will be for toys.

How are we going to meet all the needs in our community this year?

Well, become familiar with all the various "dollar" stores. Watch the newspaper ads (which you can access online as well). Get the best value for what you can spend.

What you can do for your fellow man will do even more for you. Your heart will be smiling that you were able to help even a few families this season.

Get your whole family involved. Your children will feel just as good about helping out as you do.

Then, do it quietly, without fanfare. All you really have to do is place your donation in a box, a basket, under a table - wherever is designated. Someone has pledged their time to collect these donations and take them to where they will do the most good.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

~ Matthew 6: 3-4

The Lord loves a cheerful giver.

~ 2 Corinthians, 9:7

God Bless You and Your Family at this Season of Sharing!

Starting Life Over . . . on Dancing With The Stars

CGI U 2011 Service Project at the San Diego Food Bank, a photo by Clinton Global Initiative on Flickr.

Not going to bore you with too many details because if you are watching Dancing With The Stars, you already know that both Chaz Bono and JR Martinez have something in common: they are both starting their lives over.

Think about this as you watch the program. Think about how brave both these people have been to put their whole lives on national TV - live at that!

Tonight may be the night that Chaz Bono has too low a score to stay. But that's all right! He may not be the most elegant dancer, but he has a smile that encourages you to take a second look at a person who, born to celebrity parents found himself a man in a woman's body and had the courage to change that.

JR Martinez had his face blown to pieces fighting for our freedom. Now, he is starting his life all over again also.

Hopefully, viewers will learn from these two people that life is not nearly as frivolous as the media has often shown it to be. God Bless them both!

Note: Both Chaz Bono & JR Martinez with be back next week - thanks in part to viewer votes - and Chaz' mother, Cher will be there.

Alzheimer's Is Our Enemy

Our friend, Jimmy Squyres, died this spring after about 10 years of Alzheimer's. His

son and daughter-in-law - Jonathan & Julia - are walking tomorrow. His widow,

Charlotte, is a friend and fellow scrapbooker. If you can donate any amount - no

matter how much, it will be appreciated.

This is the link to donate on their page:

http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorpledge.asp?ievent=4

54601&supId=332962116&msource=bfgetwordout&ref=nf

2011 Walk to End Alzheimer's - Lufkin, TX

Change Equals Challenge

Most people find change hard. That is a statement most of us can agree with but the truth us that in our lifetimes we must undergo many changes. Change equals challenge

Illnesses or deaths of a close friend, relative or spouse probably present our biggest challenges.

Loss of a job means tremendous change especially now when jobs are very hard to find. This can cause us to change our daily routine.

Loss of relationship is not always because of death. Sometimes people move and sometimes people change how they feel about one another. That would include divorce and any type of breakdown of a relationship.

So, if we find ourselves somehow out of the circle, what should we do?

The first thing to remember is to NOT stay inside the comfort of our homes. Indeed, we MUST step outside of our "comfort zone".

People are not going to come knocking at your door, so you must get out and "knock" on theirs.

When there is a death, for instance, you can pretty much count on people giving those left lots of attention for about three weeks. So, then what should you do?

Well, for us, church represents a big part of our life. Hobbies like quilting, sewing, knitting scrapbooking, photography often open doors to being in groups of people with the same interest.

Most times we reach out to others, rather than sitting in the corner waiting for them to come to us, we are pleasantly surprised.

Volunteer to help others and visit people who cannot get out so easily. You will find it helps you as much as it helps others!

Step out and see how much you can make your life special by forgetting your problems and doing interesting things with interesting people.

Be the one who "shows up" and see how a circle of new friends surrounds you!

American Flag, a photo by bunnyfrogs on Flickr.

Where Were You?

This weekend, everyone is going to relive that horrid day on September 11, 2001.

I know I have written about this before. Probably because I am an immigrant, I may have felt differently that day.

We were packed to drive to Terre Haute, Indiana to Hubby's reunion at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. (For you Canucks, that is an engineering college.)

We saw the same images that you saw on your television. It was horrifying! Peter Jennings was at the ABC News Desk.

My Toronto mentality - from when I was a child - was to "drive north". That is what my Father always said we should do if there was a bomb or other catastrophic event.

(If you drive north from Toronto . . . up Yonge Street or Highway 11 or over to 400 Highway and just keep driving, you will be in isolation and far away from a target for terror.)

Well, that morning, that was my first thought. Then I realized that we would be driving north but just to "middle America".

I had not yet been able to attain my American citizenship but I went to the box for my passport and made sure I had that.

We called our neighbor, Lela, to tell her we were leaving.

"Be vigilant! Watch everything. Know exactly who and what is around you. That is what they are saying to do."

Lela's daughter, a broadcaster, called on my cell phone a few hours later to find out how we were doing and if we were able to get gasoline. The answer was that often the stations were out of fuel and there were long lines at all of them. So, we were stopping often.

We called ahead to the college and they assured us the reunion would be held. (We found out later that some people who were going to fly had to rent cars instead.)

We found red, white and blue ribbons in a fabric store on the way and pinned them on our lapels.

At our stop the first night, which was likely Benton, Arkansas, we turned on the TV to see Peter Jennings still manning the ABC News desk. He too was from Toronto; I think you know that.

When we were almost to Terre Haute, Keith's cousin, Shorty Clements (who has a Purple Heart from WWII) in Robinson, Illinois gave us a small American flag which we placed on the rear deck of our car.

When we arrived in Terre Haute, we took our things into the hotel and then went out to the church Hubby had gone to as a student. We went in and sat in a pew and red some bible verses.

Yes, the world stopped. It stopped just long enough for all of us to realize just how fragile life is and how precious our loved ones are to us.

God Bless America indeed!

Chaz Bono - Scapegoat For Prejudice Or Teacher of Tolerance?

6th Annual California Transgender Leadership Summit, a photo by skinnylawyer on Flicker.com

Born, raised and living in Toronto for most of my life, I simply accepted that there were many different nationalities and many, many people with different sexual orientations.

People who were not the same color as I; spoke a different language than I and gay people were just part of the daily routine.

Is there a huge difference between a child born with a clef palate who has surgery to correct it and a person who realizes they are not really the sex they were born and chooses to have that changed?

Tolerance for people different from ourselves, whether they be gay, bi-sexual, transgender, black, yellow, wearing head-coverings, etc. is a trait that I so admire.

Respect for the panhandler on the corner - a person down on their luck - a philosophy that I grew up with which says, "There but for the grace of God go I", is very important to me.

People who have never experienced meeting, befriending and learning from people of other beliefs, problems and lifestyles are to be pitied.

The more kinds of people we meet and/or know, the broader our minds, our thoughts and our lives are.

I cannot believe the press over Chaz Bono being on Dancing With The Stars. I guess they will have their biggest season ever! I personally will be phoning in my votes on the maximum phones available . . .

When we judge the other person without walking a mile in his/her shoes, we show how ignorant we truly can be.

Do you remember how Chaz' father, Sonny Bono, died? Skiing! Do you recall that he was Mayor of Palm Springs? He was not just a "straightman" for Cher!

How many people would not recognize Cher? She still looks fabulous and can belt out a song with gusto like very few others.

How would you like to be a child of these two people? Big shoes to fill! On stage all your life with every action spotlighted. Could you live like that?

I hate that where I live now - still "The South", Whites and Blacks are not that often together. Many churches have only Blacks or Whites in their congregations. I think it is bad now but I have friends who have told me what it was like 40 - 50 years ago and I have to accept that it has changed for the better.

If we only associate, only recognize people who are exactly like us - same education, similar upbringing, same color, same education, we are shortchanging ourselves of learning and all the different cultures, religions and ways to live there are out there.

God Bless and may things go well for Chaz and for his experience on DWTS!

LIVE: Hundreds of Toronto mourners honour Layton - Politics - CBC News

(Click this link to see CBC Live) LIVE: Hundreds of Toronto mourners honour Layton - Politics - CBC News

Even though I am in Texas, I can watch as throngs of people from every walk of life file past Jack Layton's casket which is Lying in State in the lobby area of Toronto City Hall at Nathan Phillips Square. You can see the people waiting outside to come in, six at a time. Even though I am 1600 miles away, I "am there". Thank you, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).

Tomorrow, you can go to www.CBCNEWS.ca and watch his funeral at Roy Thompson Hall streaming live. The broadcast begins at 2:00 p.m. Toronto time, 1:00 p.m. Texas time.

By the way, one of my friends from purebred dogs will be singing in the choir.

Thank you for a taste of home, CBC.

R.I.P Jack Layton

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5647024627_4424442f86_m.jpg

On the night of the Canadian Elections this year, I wrote: "The interesting "wild card" was Jack Layton of Toronto who is leader of the NDP (New Democratic Party) who lead them to a historical first time Opposition Party."

(A loose translation of the sign behind Jack in the photo above is "Work Together" and that would be what promoted the NDP to "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition"!)

Jack Layton died early this morning from prostate cancer. He will go down in the Canadian history books certainly as a person who never gave up. R.I.P. Jack Layton.

The Good Stuff!

Every day, there is news to make us unhappy in the newspaper and on TV. I am not here to review the bad stuff, I want to tell you about THE GOOD STUFF!

I am not going to use the people's own names but I want to tell you that if you look around you - stop and pay attention, there are good people and good deeds to be found every day.

I am going to call her Sarah and she gets her hair done every week at the same time as I do. Well, she did. That was until she was quietly removed from her home and "placed" in a what some call a chronic care facility.

Sarah looked after her POW husband for ten years after he had a stroke and she has been widowed as long as I can remember.

She used to drive up in her black sedan with the POW license every week and walk through the door looking like she really didn't need to have her hair done. Sarah just happens to have great hair!

Sarah was always dressed in smart slacks and top with backless pumps. I remember her appearing in advertisements for a clothing store. Sarah liked to look GOOD!

I do not know exactly why Sarah is out of her home but I suspect that her money is depleted as all we seniors worry about happening. She had a Home Health caregiver who was bringing her to the salon and then one day someone else brought her.

His truck was very high and it took two people to help Sarah get up and into that truck. That was a very bad day because we all knew that was "the end".

We found out where she was and we went to see her. She knew us. She certainly knew us!

The next week we went again to see her and she had gained some weight - her trousers were actually tight! So, she had been eating better. Then, she got up from the side of the bed, stood up and hugged me.

I called as I had the week before to let the folks at the salon know how Sarah was. The next day, the owner of the salon went to see her. She was trying to get permission for someone to come and pick her up and take her back to get her hair done. It was a slow process.

Tuesday, we went again to see Sarah and she was outside with a tall, handsome therapist who was helping her feel secure walking with a walker. She knew us right away and it was another big hug.

Yesterday, Sarah was at the salon - in her usual chair - having her hair done like always.

I wanted to tell people about this because you need to know how Sarah got to the salon yesterday.

The owner got permission from Sarah's family (she has only nieces and nephews) to take her out.

Let's stop calling the owner of the salon "owner" and let's call her what she is - let's call her "Caring" - not Carrie but "Caring".

Caring brought her husband's vehicle to work yesterday because it is lower to get in to. When we arrived, her daughter's car was parked in her covered spot and there was a wheelchair waiting for Sarah if she needed it.

Already, it was getting good and I anticipated a good event was happening!

When Sarah arrived, everyone greeted her and it was just like any other day we had been at the salon.

Perhaps I should also mention that Caring did not worry about whether she was going to be paid. Everyone in the salon greeted Sarah and the nice part was that her memory was so good, she said,

"Hi Martha! Martha has been to see me three times and her husband has come with her. He looked like he didn't mind!"

No, he didn't mind.

If there is a Sarah that you know, perhaps you could step out of your comfort zone and visit them today. Perhaps you could do look in on someone you know is alone.

All said and done, when we do nice things for other people without anticipation of reward, we feel really good inside!

Blessings to Caring and her daughter and all the wonderful people who were there yesterday to see what a fine world it can be!

Do Look At Today's Posting at www.fido-and-fifi.blogspot.com

When Money Is Tight . . .

Back in the middle ages, when I was young, Mother used to have some very nice ladies come to help with the household chores. At least one of them had a husband fighting the war.

The women were kind and they were out working to make some money. They had no union and no chip on their shoulder. The made precious little per hour plus bus fare to and from.

So, today, everyone has a car, I guess. And from what I sometimes see, I have to assume that no one needs any cash.

A friend had a circumstance where the lady who has been helping with the household slammed down the phone on her. I felt she learned something and that there are probably many people today who would help her.

Well, I was right and it was a school teacher whose husband is not getting many hours at his job who volunteered to pitch in.

I was very fortunate recently to meet a student who had never had a job. She helped her mother at home and it wasn't very long before she was coming over to help me with the physical things that are harder for us now.

My neighbor, who always liked to do all her gardening, found a young man from the next street who is doing it for her.

Both these people are friendly, smiling and glad to have some extra cash.

Groceries have gone up in price tremendously but if you look carefully, you can probably go out to eat for a more reasonable price than buying and preparing it yourself. Many places do not charge for children's meals during certain hours/days.

Another thing you will find out when eating out these days, is a more polite server.

Got a glass jar to put change in? You will be surprised how soon you will have enough to buy something you have wanted.

I probably do not have to mention coupons to you but there are lots for groceries, drug store items and restaurants. You can find them in your Sunday newspaper but you can also subscribe for e-mails to be sent from stores.

Entertaining at home is back. You can watch a movie (DVD) or play a card or board game. Check with some of us older people to find out how we made out before all the technology that has taken over the current generation - "Y" - I think they call it. I wonder why they are called "Y"?

I leave that one to you.

More on John Corapi And The New Chapter In His Life

I am very discouraged to see that the picture that I used from the photo service, Flickr, has been removed in my blog about John Corapi, as you will see a few blogs below this one. I am leaving it so you will see that in fact, there are more blemishes in our daily lives than we care to admit.

Father John Corapi - as we knew him - was an ordained priest of SOLT out of Corpus Christi, Texas. He was ordained by Pope John Paul in Rome 20 years ago.

If you do not know the story of John Corapi, briefly, he was a successful businessman in the Los Angeles area who hobnobbed with the entertainment folks who sometimes get into plenty of problems. He himself ended up a cocaine addict, broke on the streets of Los Angeles.

Originally from New York State, John Corapi's mother, a devout Catholic, managed to get letters to her son and finally sent him the one-way bus fare back to Hudson.

(I hope I am capsulizing this well for you without too much detail but with no mistakes.)

When John went home, he went to the local parish priest for a confession. He studied for about seven years overseas and was ordained at the approximate age of 40.

John Corapi has been speaking for many years and has a book (The Black Sheepdog) soon to come out.

We enjoyed watching him on ETWN network on Saturday evenings. His message was always one of perfect sense, based on biblical teachings and applying to today's life.

We are not Catholics, but John Corapi's message was one that just about anyone could benefit from.

The pages on Facebook dedicated to John Corapi - Father John Corapi and The Black Sheepdog have a lot of venom in the postings. This is not helpful to John Corapi, the Catholic Church or any individuals.

God Bless John Corapi and hopefully he will be able to open a new chapter in his life.

Happy Independence Day!

Amercian Flag, a photo by sfPhotocraft on Flickr.

Happy Canada Day 2011 - July 1st

God's Country - At The Top Of Yonge Street.

Stay a While, a photo by Paul.M.Gallaway on Flickr.

If you keep on driving up Yonge Street, North, out of Toronto, after about two hours, you will be in Muskoka, or "God's Country" as Pop used to call it.

It was just a little too long a drive for us today, but I thought about it a lot.

Elaine placed a yellow rose on the grave from the bouquet she placed in St.Mark's Church for me. What a nice thing for her to do.

Those chairs - yes, those empty chairs are together again.

Rest in Peace, Mom, the best mother-in-law a person could have.

Rain, LIghtning, Thunder? That Might Just Be BoBo Talking To You!

On the night Bobo, the Lhasa died, we were sitting quietly in the living room when there was a very loud clap of thunder. Fanny, a Shih Tzu was sitting beside me and I said to her, "That is just Bobo talking to us".

I believe that because I have taught this to my dogs they are not afraid of storms and generally come to sit quietly with me.

In Toronto, when I used to do PR for dog shows, I had the pleasure of twice being on a CFTO-TV program called Toronto Today with a man named Mike Ongarato. Mike was very attractive, had lots of charm and was cut out for an interview format show.

The first time I appeared I was very nervous and Mike was quite calm. I had two Shar Pei with me. I watched that tape often and so the next time, when I had three dogs, I was calm and it was Mike who was a little nervous. We had a Bernese Mountain Dog, a Cairn Terrier and my own Shih Tzu puppy, Sadie. At one point, Sadie - in full coat - had her backside to the camera and we had to lift and turn her. It is a great tape to watch! I tell you this to let you know that Mike's strong suit was interview. He had a knack for putting you at ease.

Now, when I came to Texas, I found that it is a pretty good training ground for weathermen. I have watched as their eyes glaze over when they are talking about major weather . . . and we do sometimes get some major weather, believe me!

Probably the most notable weatherman we had in Toronto was a fellow named Percy Saltzman on CBLT -TV who used to wind down his forecast by tossing his chalk up in the air and saying,

"And that's the weather tonight!"

I know they don't use chalk anymore, but that's what made Percy notable.

Well, back to Mike Ongarato. One week when the weatherman - Dave Devol - was on vacation, CFTO put Mike in the weather slot on the evening newscasts. It so happened we did not have very nice weather and mid-week, Mike stood before the camera, mentioning he had had a few calls about the bad weather. I never forgot Mike saying,

"I am just reporting the weather forecast. Please don't shoot the messenger!"

At Carolina 14, there is a wonderful friend named Lee Ringer who can give you weather like he is telling you about Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Lee came to our area out of college, so I guess this was his boot camp. He gets up to be at the station before the crack of dawn to make sure he has everything just so for the people getting ready to go to work, One of his favorite things to do is visit classes of school children. Lee is a natural.

So, as I sit here tonight with thunder, lightening and threats of worse around me, I think of all the weathermen. We have a fellow named Brad who just reports the weather and does it very well. It has been a terrible week for us because we have had forest fires - the worst ever in the area. So we have prayed for rain.

Now, tonight, the rain began and tree limbs were blowing down and the phone was ringing with the alerts that very bad weather could be coming.

Oh, yes . . . no rain to speak of this whole year and tonight . . . well, be careful what you wish for.

John Corapi: I Think A Smart Network Executive Has A Spot For Him!

Today, twenty years after his ordination, John Corapi is packing it in as a priest in the Catholic church.

This is very sad as this is a person who had such a fine message and so much to share with all of us, no matter our belief.

If the mainstream networks are “on the stick”, they will give this man his own program and hopefully in a time spot similar to what he had – 10:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday nights. (EWTN)

An anonymous person sent a letter of accusation against this man and in the Catholic church, the priests are now guilty until proven (if ever) innocent. This is a direct contravention of the American legal system.

It has been so long with nothing happening, that it is indeed time for John Corapi to now move on with life and help others as he has been doing all these years.

To listen to what John Corapi says himself, here is the link:

www.theblacksheepdog.us

There is a special John Corapi Facebook page, just put in The Black SheepDog at the top of FB.

So Letterman can retire and John Corapi will bring us some real solid programming. (In case no one has Saturday night open . . .)

God Bless!

Bone Marrow Doners - Do Read About this 15-year-old's Bucket List

Alice Pyne of Ulverston, United Kingdom is 15 and has already had a bone marrow transplant. Yes, she is only 15 and she has a bucket list.

Go to the link below to read about Alice and how she has the British House of Commons supporting her.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-13742983

Happy Birthday, John Edwards . . . and a Few Others!

John Edwards, a photo by Llima on Flickr.

John Edwards is 58 today.

So? Not so surprising that this fact was stated in the People column that appears daily in the newspaper.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth is 90 today. He has done well for himself, the Queen and England. Nice and tall and always at her side.

My sister-in-law is . . . well . . . about 61 today. She is a great gal who has had some sadness in her life but has been true and loyal to family and friends. She is a great gal!

The President's daughter, Sasha Obama is 10 today. She and her sister have done well. They have a grandmother who watches over them because both their father and mother work, you see. I presume it was her sister who made the comment when showered with well wishes after the election by their classmates when they arrived late to school after a late election night,

"Well, THAT was embarrassing!" You gotta love that remark!

And as I said, it is John Edwards' birthday today.

We CAN learn from others' mistakes and we can learn that some of the simplest people are the best people.

Be very careful to look inside the person, behind the facade because that is where the real story of that person is . . .

Nothing Reminds Me Of Home Like Don Cherry

2008-12-15 Don Cherry, originally uploaded by thehour.

Now, generally, Don Cherry is wearing an outrageous jacket - really colorful, but I picked this picture because he is wearing a Canadian tie . . . or a tie with a Canadian motif.

Don Cherry at one time coached the Boston Bruins and has a wonderful program called Coache's Corner that is run when the hockey games are on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation TV. So, that is one thing I miss in Texas.

When I was a kid, Foster Hewitt used to commentate the games and he always opened with, "Good Evening Hockey Fans In Canada And The United States" on his own radio station, CKFH out of Toronto. After he died, his son, Bill continued the tradition.

Don Cherry, who at one time coached the Boston Bruins, started a program called Coach's Corner which was aired after games. He is known for his outspoken remarks and bright (well, okay . . . outrageous) outfits.

Don also has a string of restaurants where there is lots of sports memorabilia and good, hearty food. He also owned and showed Bull Terriers. (Yes, that would be his kind of dog.)

So, once in a long while we get to see Don Cherry but not very often. A wonderful fellow named Ron McLean plays straight man. (Somebody has to do it!)

Here's hoping we get to see this Canadian icon tonight when Vancouver Canucks play Boston Bruins in Vancouver. The time is 8:00 p.m. Eastern on either CBC or TSN in Canada and tonight it will be on NBC in United States. Next week, Versus Channel will also carry it. You might get some extra there tonight as well.

In case you ever wondered, Hockey is Canada's national WINTER sport. Lacrosse is the official summer sport ! Try that piece of trivia with your Molson Canadian which might have a label tonight that reads: Molson's Canuck. No, I am not kidding . . .

Feeling Happy Today . . . and Younger, Too!

That picture was taken at our 50th St.Clement's Reunion in 2009, which means all of us are about the same age. Most of my class lives in the Toronto area, but not all.

Yes, that's me on the left, with Andrea on the right.

Andrea has kept in touch over the years and now she e-mails. She spends some of the year in Toronto and some over in England. A few of my classmates are not married, including Andrea.

So, this morning, Andrea sent a message that she and Brian went out to buy the engagement ring after she accepted his proposal of marriage. The wedding will be in October in Toronto, with another ceremony in England.

Wow . . . wow . . . wow!

I had an aunt whose sister was married for the first time a little younger than Andrea and I are when I was in my teens. Mother and I went to visit her and she had a girdle stretched around the back of a kitchen chair. I wrote about that once before when I was in the widownet.org group, so some some people have heard about that before.

I don't think Andrea will be doing that because I do not recall her ever needing to lose weight. You can see that she dares to wear a cream colored wool suit.

She comes from a musical family and I can imagine she will come down the aisle to "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring".

Well, after last year's five weddings . . . all brides in their 20s . . . and this years abundance of funerals, this news just makes me feel on top of the world today.

I am smiling so wide for you, Andrea! God Bless!

The Funeral That Was A Gift

Church window, cross and bible verse stained glass window., originally uploaded by Sans Soucie Art Glass Studios, Inc..

We have attended three funerals in the past four weeks. Our own minister says he dislikes performing funerals and one can hardly blame him.

When I was young, my Mother planned many of the funerals and I was quite used to the protocol. Of course that was in Toronto and visitations and funerals are a little different here in Texas.

A few months ago, I made the mistake of showing up in a dress. I was the only one and when I mentioned it to the person's sister, she gave me a good rule to go by:

"When in doubt, wear pants." That's what she said.

So, I acquired a new black jacket and a new navy jacket in my current size. So, I was ready this time.

A major difference between Ontario and here is that there is only one visitation, generally in the evening from six to eight at the funeral home. We used to have afternoon and evening visitations with the funeral the next day.

Here in Texas, people are generally more casually dressed than I was used to but I am afraid I have not changed much for that.

Possibly more of our funerals where I live are at the church rather than the funeral home. We often have hymns that the congregation sings as well.

Something that has changed and I imagine it is in Canada as well, is the wonderful Powerpoint presentation of family photos on a TV screen at the visitation. It enables us to enjoy the happier times of that person's life.

The recent funerals were very fine. One was for an older man from our congregation who had been sick for a long time. Yes, he was older . . . that would be about a year younger than I am now. I enjoy his grandchildren very much and his daughter works tirelessly with our youth.

He was a man who was generous with humor as well as money and way back when he was still fairly well, he liked to kid that the computer should say,

"Windows Are Closing." He loved to talk about once having lunch with Warren Buffett . . . who wouldn't? He was an accountant . . . that would be an accountant with a fine sense of humor.

The second man was also younger than I . . . about eight years younger and had had Alzheimer's for a long time. His wife and I scrapbooked together as well as attending the same church. She has two wonderful granddaughters who she likes to spend lots of time with and has made the most of the years her husband has been in healthcare. He was a psychologist/counselor, working in the government.

Yes, today's funeral was also for a man younger than I. He was 65 and probably succumbed to the effects of Agent Orange in combat. He was a musician who played church music on both the organ and the piano. He loved dogs and he loved music. He wrote for the newspaper and still loved to send in letters to the editor which were a joy to read. I did not really know as well as I know his sister and brother-in-law.

What I want to tell you is this. Last night after we were at the visitation at the funeral home, we were wondering if we really should attend the service today as we really were not as close to him as his family. I thought about it and suggested that there would probably be some very special music. Well, yes, we were there.

This was a funeral that truly was not a funeral but a true celebration. If you can understand that this man digitally recorded some music himself which was played along with some major talented others playing wonderful old hymns and classical music, then you can understand this.

Two ministers, his brother-in-law and a friend, gave the invocation and benediction. His nephew recalled some fond memories of his uncle and everything else was music.

One of his friends did step over to the keyboard mid-service and play "Tea For Two" which is something the man himself was known to do if a choir practice was getting boring . . .

Thank you, my friend for a wonderful gift that everyone there today enjoyed. I imagine you were looking down and smiling at such a non-traditional remembrance of you.

The music we heard was: Suite No. 5 in G Major, Amazing Grace; Balm in Gilead; Sheep May Safely Graze; It Is Well; Choral Prelude on Rhosymedre; Fugue in E-flat Major and Thine Is The Glory.

What a wonderful way to remember our friend . . .

Rogers Centre aka The Skydome, Toronto

Rogers Centre aka The Skydome, Toronto, originally uploaded by stephengg.

From Dome To Dome

Reliant Astrodome, originally uploaded by markhodgins.

You might be surprised to find out how many ways Houston and Toronto are alike!

Now, we do not live in Houston, but rather a hundred miles up the highway, but that is just about a two hour drive.

One of the features that makes me feel "at home" is Reliant Stadium where the Houston Astros play. Reliant Stadium was renamed since I have been here.

SkyDome in Toronto has also been renamed and is now Rogers Stadium.

Both covered stadiums have domes that open three ways and make for a better baseball experience in both cities. Toronto does not claim to have great weather in the early spring and Houston gets really hot mid-summer.

The Houston Astros are in the National League and the Toronto Blue Jays are in the American League so this weekend was the first time the Houston team visited Toronto to play. As Toronto has been doing very well this year and Houston has not, I was expecting The Jays to trounce the Astros. So, I was quite surprised to see the three-game series end 2-1 in game wins for Houston Astros.

We once attended a game in Toronto when the Texas Rangers (from Dallas) were playing and we really enjoyed it. So, Hubby has seen "The Dome".

[I was rather surprised that when they built a new stadium in Arlington (Dallas), they did not do a covered one, but I guess for everyone money is money and domed stadiums take plenty.]

In case you did not know, Reliant Stadium is not Houston's first covered stadium. The Astrodome was the first and I think the first in North America. I have been there . . . to a dog show where I saw Canadian, Dr. John Reeve-Newsom judge Scottish Terriers, a breed I should know a bit about.

If you have ever heard indoor-outdoor carpet called "Astro Turf", that is because the Astrodome had carpet rather than grass.

I think some indoor stadiums have real grass now to enhance the baseball experience.

When I first came here, I learned that former President, George W. Bush was one of the owners of the Texas Rangers and belonged to the consortium that built that team which is in the American League.

The Bush Family are ardent baseball fans. Laura Bush (George Jr.'s wife) has said how much she likes baseball because it is a sport you can watch while still enjoying the company of those you are with.

Barbara Bush, wife of President George H.W. Bush likes to mark her card at the Houston games and she and George Senior are still often seen in the front row, behind the hitter.

For me, baseball is a sport I can easily understand and so I really got the best of it all this weekend when the Astros visited Toronto.

I'd like to thank the announcer for his comment which was so typical of a Texan - off the cuff and casual - but it made me proud to hear it,

(We have enjoyed seeing Toronto) - "Canada does cities well!"

Oh, yes. And thanks for bringing it all into our living room this weekend!

Birthdays Past . . . Birthdays Present . . .

birthday cake alight, originally uploaded by janined.

Today I am thinking of the cakes Mom/Kay used to bake for our birthdays with a coin wrapped in wax paper in every slice . . .

When I was a youngster still at home, Mother ordered what I lovingly called "pass-around sandwiches" from Coles Catering on Eglinton Avenue near Avenue Road in North Toronto. There would be a cake and sometimes strawberries dipped in chocolate.

We brought in lilacs from the garden and oh, how festive the house smelled!

Lest you think all birthdays have been great, I do recall one from when I was about ten years old where they served canned macaroni. (Obviously their idea of festive was different from mine.)

Sometimes there would be clowns and they would bring balloons. Everybody loves a clown; can't go wrong with that!

Now, people go to restaurants and some have the servers sing "Happy Birthday" off-key and the birthday person gets a free dessert. Hmm.

Some people do get great cakes . . . I see them being carried out of bake shops ever so carefully. Some are half chocolate and half white cake to please everybody!

It's a time to place cards lovingly on the mantle and enjoy a couple of phone calls from those who remember. But it is also a time when we realize that very little stays the same. That is when it is good to have great memories.

Peter Mansbridge: A Canadian Fixture Comes To Our Living Room

News Anchor Peter Mansbridge of The National at CBC Vancouver Open House, originally uploaded by susan gittins.

What a treat it was to watch Peter Mansbridge anchor the Canadian Election Results last night! It was a little bit of Canada right in our living room (well, it's called a "great room" in Texas).

Not much has changed about Peter over the years. He looks about the same, sounds a little more polished and delivers the news as straight as ever.

We received the CBC feed on C-Span 2 without any interuption. It was as though we were sitting in Toronto. A little bit of home always feels good!

The results were amazing this time with Bloc Quebecois only maintaining three seats and their leader losing his.

The interesting "wild card" was Jack Layton of Toronto who is leader of the NDP (New Democratic Party) who lead them to a historical first time Opposition Party. The Liberals did miserably. A new party, The Green Party, elected their first member of parliament (MP) from Vancouver Island.

Stephen Harper not only is still Prime Minister but his Conservative Party now has a majority.

We thoroughly enjoyed keeping up with my roots and just have one thought . . . Couldn't someone have delivered some Swiss Chalet to us? Swiss Chalet BBQ Chicken has been around since I was at Weller College at 19 years of age. Texans would think it rather bland, but to a Canuck, well, it is the best!

God Bless America and Let Us Pray for Peaceful Times Again

American flag, originally uploaded by gary718.

Today is a day to pause and reflect on all the days, months and years since 9-11 (September 11, 2001). Think about where we were at that moment. Thnk about what we were doing or where we were headed.

Until the last of our troops is back home safely, we cannot rest. We must always be vigilant.

Let us all pray today. Let us all display our patriotism and Lest We Forget . . .

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Peace At Last

GoldMarie - Magnificent Yellow Rose - C95-9-18-09_26394, originally uploaded by Cap001.

R.I.P.

Mom, Grandma, Aunt Kay

1918 - 2011