Issue XXII October 30th 2003
Editorial.
I know I'm a tad late this month folks, I hope you all forgive me, I was busy studying again. I am pleased to report that I passed my Networking exam <VBG> I've decided I've went far enough down the computer technical road for me I think I might try some web design next. Yes! I've caught the education bug. Then again, I might go for a degree I will have to discuss my options with my career advisor. At least I don't have to wear school uniform this round of larnin'
It's got flamin' cold here now and with the nights darkening early it's back to driving home from work in the dark. Still, I've got my trip across the pond to look forward to before the winters finally finished. For some reason the US is letting me back in again, maybe because I sneaked out via Canada last time they don't realise it's me again? LOL At this rate of going I will have the best travelled laptop in Ireland.
Well, the biggest news of the month is that Our Becca got married, I tried to persuade her being single was best but for some reason she ignored me. I'm sure you will all join me in wishing her a very happy future in her new married life! Gin was her witness and has written an article all about the wedding, so I won't say anymore to spoil your enjoyment of reading it.
Maureen's going for some dental work this week, there is a nasty rumour around that she is getting her fangs sharpened in time for Hallowe'en but you know this crowd, they never let the truth stand in the way of a good rumour. hehehhee....she will kill me for this!
On the home front, the sprogs are unchanged, Junior is almost fourteen now and is a true teenager <sigh>. His bedroom is taking on that distinct teenage male smell, you know the one, stale socks, half uneaten food and whiffy trainers (sneakers). Middle sprog is still working in England, he was home for a while and I don't think the fridge has recovered yet! Senior sprog managed to break one of the drawer fronts in my freezer, of course he denied it. Guess that magic fairy came in again during the night and did it. Honest to goodness!, I think the taller they get the worse they get!
Are you all ready for Hallowe'en? We have some great spooky events planned for the occasion in the forum. I hope you can all attend, especially the party planned for this Saturday night. Even though Hallowe'en originated this side of the pond we just don't get into it the same way as US does, though folks are heading that way slowly but surely.
Well I hope you all have a wonderful month and keep warm. Just think, it's only EIGHT weeks until Christmas! Scary? eh? LOL
Watch out for a wonderful article from Teri on her experiences as a new member of Casual Chat!
Lynda
Any comments. responses, articles, tips etc, please mail to LyndaAtCasual@Compuserve.com
Contents.
Editorial.........................................................................Lynda
Freedom from Want (Pt 3 of a 4-part series).............Cruise Air
New to Casual Chat.....................................................Teri
Life in Toronto (A bit dark).........................................Tracey
Sorry Karen, Momma didn't know..............................Joanie
The Wedding................................................................Gin
Jackson.........................................................................Gin
Movin' on the Farm......................................................Lizzie
Tigger's Tails................................................................Tigger
Lil' Bits from Ma'am....................................................Maureen
A Continuing Discussion of the Four Freedoms
The word want, as FDR used it, derives its meaning from the Charles Dickens
concept of want---the lack of necessaries of life. It is not to be confused with
the present day idea of greed and selfishness.
It is a noble idea that governments create a society free from want. Experiments
like Socialism have been tried with limited success. Marxism, as embodied in
Communism, eliminated want. It also eliminated incentive, the only true method
of overcoming want. It's the old idea of teaching a man to fish.
Some, such as Hitler, used patriotism and war to bring a prosperous life to all.
But that was a limited and transient prosperity. Slavery, as practiced in the
USA, was a most grievous effort to eliminate want---but for the wrong reasons.
That was, to bring wealth to a privileged few.
(This is an aside, but I think pertinent). If you think Oliver Twist had it bad,
consider the three adopted boys in New Jersey, ages 19, 14, and 9 (just revealed
today) who had a combined weight of 145 lbs. after seven years with their
parents. The social worker (who has resigned) stated that she had made fifty
visits to the home and found nothing wrong.
Despite the extensive efforts of Western Europe and North America, it is evident
(to use an old cliché) that the poor will always be with us. There will never be
any freedom from want. Children and adults in almost every country in the world
go to bed each night on an empty stomach and a makeshift bed. Mother Theresa
will become a Saint but she could never eliminate the poverty she
dealt with.
But there is a greater want in this world than just poverty of material
necessities. There is poverty of the soul-man's inhumanity to man. Amoral
terrorists, petty dictators, anti-Semites, greedy CEOs, religious fanatics are
wreaking havoc on the masses thus denying them the right of existence. There is
a desperate want for tolerance, forgiveness, and acceptance. A little universal
love wouldn't hurt either.
The ideology of Satan is alive and well.
Cruise
I made the leap in August of this year. Yes, after much nagging from my
teenagers, I connected to the Internet. (from here on out, please imagine the
word Internet being said in a big booming voice, like a voice from the heavens).
We hadn't had a computer in the house very long before that and my inquisitive
little critters had already messed things up so bad I had to run the recovery
disk to put things back the way they should be at least 10 times already. I was
scared to go on the Internet (remember, big booming voice).
My mother, sisters, friends, and numerous media warned me of the dangers of
CYBER SPACE (that might be good in a big booming voice also).
Oh the horrors, the psychos, the axe murderers!! They are everywhere!!
Beware!!
But the lure was too great. Standing in line at Wal Mart, I saw it. 30 days FREE
(I'm a sucker for a freebie) ONLY $9.94 A MONTH AFTER THAT.
So I took the plunge. And now I stand before you a changed woman.
To some extent the warnings were well warranted. I did find some pics of naked
women my 14yr old had printed and hid under his mattress (oh to be so young and
have such flaming hormones). And my daughter did accidentally get onto a white
power website that was horribly hateful. Thank goodness she found it as scary as
I did.
But the information, ideas, and fun I am finding have turned out to be well
worth it.
The first time I wandered into CASUAL CHAT, I did so by accident. I didn't mean
to hit the ENTER button to one of the rooms and was surprised when I saw my name
on the screen and people actually talking to me. I think it was Lynda who sent
me the list of abbreviation for chatting because it was obvious I didn't know
what I was doing (still studying that sucker BTW). I know I must have
made a funny sight, sitting here in front of computer, trying to chat, pieces of
paper spread out all around me, trying to figure out what the the** people were
saying.
But lucky for me, I am sure I must have wandered into one of the nicest places
on the web. If there are a lot of people in a room I still get confused as to
who is talking to whom, and I can't always come up with quick witty comments,
but it doesn't seem to matter. (in my defense, I am not the only one who get
confused<s>).
I have been *told off* by Becca about marriage and the internet (in a nice way
of course <bs>), received pats on the back from Maureen, enjoyed Randomacts
quick wit and compassion, gotten advice from Rascal, and am conversing with the
very enjoyable Mr. Selfridge who is fascinating. The list goes on and on. I now
keep a list with everyone's name on it so I don't forget who is where, or
other important details of their lives. I feel like I truly belong.
So here are some big (((((HUGS))))), AFAIK I will be around here for awhile and
IMO there couldn't be a better place for me to hang out.
Thanks to all
Teri
Well, last month I told you all how great summer had been. No humidity, beautiful days, temperatures in the mid to high 70’s. Perfect if you ask me!! Well, seems I spoke too soon!!
August roared in with hot, humid, sticky weather!! Our summer started late this year, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that the humidity hit late as well. I’m not sure how many hot, humid days we’ve had, but some have been worse than others.
Then, on August 14th, the unthinkable happened. Fifty million people in Ontario and parts of the U.S. were left without power. Some for a few hours, others for days. This happened on one of the hottest days of the year!! How could two countries, so rich in resources, suffer such a thing? Hopefully we’ll have answers soon. Canada and the U.S. have formed a joint task force to find out.
Now, where was I when it all happened? Driving my bus, of course!! Thursday afternoon, a bus without a/c and my first trip of the afternoon downtown. Nothing unusual so far, until I got to a traffic signal that wasn’t working. Okay, nothing strange about that, it happens. I’ll call it in, so I press my handy TALK key on the bus (we have a computer system that tracks us and we can communicate with our supervisors). Well, normally it responds "Talk Request Queued and Received". It didn’t for about 10 minutes!! By this time, I’m further downtown and haven’t seen a working signal for 10 minutes!!
As I’m venturing up Yonge Street, a friend I work with calls my cell asking where I am. He tells me where he is and that there are no traffic signals there either. So, I’m thinking the power has gone out citywide. As I pull into the last stop on the route, there are more folks there than normal. All asking questions, some telling me the subway doesn’t work and they were sent to the street. I still have no idea of the magnitude of this. I load them on the bus and head back to the subway station at the other end of the line. No supervisors to be found anywhere, and lots of people asking questions I have no answers to.
Turns out, all supervisory personnel and anyone qualified to work at subway track level are underground, in the dark, escorting people out of the tunnels and up to the street using flashlights. Now, I can’t imagine how scary it was for those folks, but our subway operators kept everyone calm and informed, and the evacuation proceeded in an orderly fashion.
On my next trip downtown, folks were telling me that cell phones weren’t working. Since I have a head-set for my phone, I decided I had to find out what was going on, so I called Becca in Wyoming for the news!! It was only then that I found out that parts of the U.S. were affected as well. I can’t thank Becca enough for filling me in (even if I did scare her because I was driving and talking).
I just kept moving, went back downtown and when I turned the corner, I had never seen so many people waiting for my bus!! They weren’t all going to fit, that’s for sure.
All asking if there were Shuttle buses (the normal routine if the subway goes down). I still had no answers. It took quite a bit to get that bus loaded downtown, but I drove non-stop up to the subway on that trip!!
Thank goodness, when I got there, I found one of our supervisors. I ended up being a Special Shuttle. Again, the bus was full, but I must say, by this time, everyone realized the magnitude of this and had learned to be patient, even me!!
I decided to stay out working and help out. As darkness approached, it became more and more difficult to see anything. I did a subway shuttle from the east end of the city to the west end. On the subway this ride takes 45 minutes. On the bus it took 2 hours!! There was a lot of traffic as I went through the downtown core and with no traffic signals anywhere, and it being dark, I had to drive very carefully to avoid hitting pedestrians or other cars. Once I reached the west end, my tranmission light on the bus started buzzing, so I had to head back to my division. I didn’t want to be stranded in a broken down bus and have to wait for someone to come get me. I started work at 9:00 a.m., was back at the division about 11:30. On the way back, I called Becca again, still scaring the heck out of her, but I had nobody on the bus and I was travelling in light traffic by now (I had taken a different route back to the division).
My division is out in the middle of nowhere. As I drove in, it was so eerie. I decided there was no way I was taking a bus home. I wasn’t walking out to the main street in that darkness. I was waiting for a friend of mine. I have keys for his car, so I figured I’d go sleep in it until he came in. With no way to communicate with him, I had to wait. Well, I moved his car closer to the division, then realized, he’d have no way of knowing, so I had to stay up and wait. I got home at 2:00 a.m. Friday, same thing, started work at 9:00 a.m.. worked late again, but this time I had left my friend a note. When I got into the division about 2:20 a.m. I got the car, moved it closer and slept until he came in. I got home at 4:00 a.m.!! I still had my own crew to do Saturday!!
All this made me realize just how much we rely on power. I had no computer, no TV, but fortunately an alarm clock with a back-up battery. My power came back on about 3:40 a.m. I know this because my air conditioning suddenly started again. I had no fresh fruit or vegetables in the house. I had just thrown out my bread that morning.
On Friday, any coffee shop that opened was lined up out the door. Waits of up to 90 minutes were not unusual. Quite a few stores didn’t open because power was restored sporadically throughout the city. Line ups for gas took over 2 hours in some places. I was so happy that the coffee shop by our division was open. I needed food and coffee!! And lucky for me, no line-up!!
It sure has been an interesting year here in Toronto. It started with SARS and seems to have gone down-hill from there!!
If I learned anything, it’s always to have fresh fruit and vegetables in the house all the time. Keep a flashlight handy, and I’m thinking that an indoor camping type stove would be helpful as well. At least I could eat!!
The entire following week, we were still under threat of rolling blackouts. Power was restored, but we needed to conserve as much as we could. Fortunately, it wasn’t too hot out, so I turned off my a/c, didn’t turn on any lights unless I was in the room, and stayed off my computer as much as possible.
That’s about all that’s happening in Toronto, folks!! Hopefully I’ll have more news next month.
Tracey
This I hope is not a whine cry article for not my intent ~~~ but in yesterdays
paper I read an article that reminded me of my eldest daughters death ~~~ and
again, I wondered had I been more aware could I have kept her with us longer?
"Sleep Apnea" is a condition where breathing stops for 10 seconds or more many
times during the night. Quite often snoring is a major sign of it. The snoring
gets louder and louder until it suddenly stops. The stop occurs because the
snorer stops breathing. During these no breathing spells, blood oxygen levels
fall which can promote erratic and seriously abnormal heart beats. It can cause
a rise in
blood pressure. These spells are associated with an increased incidence in heart
attacks and strokes, and in her sleep one night, one took Karen.
Of my 3 girls, Karen was the most gentle and the one who's heart over flowed
with "kind" for other people, and life was hard for her, though she had we her
family, her love was for her son, a single parent who adored him and guarded
him, then had to leave him when he was only 10. The day of her funeral my son in
law who was driving our car told me to look behind us as we left for her final
place of rest ~~~~ car after car followed behind us, almost as though she was a
dignitary. So many for this little girl, people whom she had touched, and all
that I could think was, "sorry Karen, momma didn't know."
Snoring with or without sleep apnea comes from redundant tissues in the throat.
As air rushes through the air passages, which are narrowed due to excess tissue,
it causes the tissue to vibrate like the reed of a wood instrument, and
treatments for the ordinary snoring and the sleep apnea snoring are similar.
Many parents that read this have lost children to so many things, cancer
especially seems to be the great taker of children. Most probably like
myself have never heard the term "sleep apnea", but it is
there, and I assume am trying to be a carrier of that news, for our children are
the blessings of the world, the future of man kind,and I pray that they all have
the opportunities to grow and live
with each other full of love and peace.
Many will and have said that I am a dreamer, no doubts that I am, but I hate the
thought that for lack of knowledge some mother some time will have to say as she
loses her child, "sorry honey, momma didn't know."
~~ Joanie
On October 18th, 2003, two long time members of our forum were
legally wed in Jackson Wyoming. Michael and Becca met right here in this forum.
Usually spent most of their time in the Fab 40's room, and a true love
relationship evolved.
Not long after they moved in together. Michael taking the plunge and moving
hundreds of miles to be with Becca. They would BOTH tell you that is not
something they recommend, they got lucky... and found TRUE love.
The wedding was wonderful, beautiful to the end. Becca in a knee length eggshell
gown, Michael in his dress blue Army uniform. What a stunning couple! The
Chapel, located on Signal Mountain, a log cabin, with stained a glass window,
open beam work in the cathedral high ceiling. A more beautiful setting there
could not have been. Jaxn signed on his little line, and I on mine. The "I do's"
had been said, the blessing of Becca's son given. They were now united as man
and wife. To say they were glowing would be an understatement.
Off to the reception we all went. Right next door to the Signal Mountain Lodge.
The food superb, the company exquisite. A surprise guest that has shown up at
the last minute. <Of course I am sworn to secrecy as is Stewie> The cutting of
the cake went off with out a hitch. Time for the bouquet and garter to be
pitched... Stewie caught the bouquet <ok she was the ONLY single> and our
Surprise guest has the garter.... what a pair they could make if they were to
reach the alter. As we all departed, tears did abound, as I know I won't be
seeing Becca before my flight out.
Away they go to play dominoes for the night, <at least that was the impression
we were all given most of the night>. Then off to Montana for a honey moon
delight.
A time you all missed I am sorry to say. Pictures will be posted when the Bride
and Groom give approval. Til then you all get to wait and ponder, at the
opulence of it all, in Jackson, Wyoming.
Gin
Well I was there! Becca has always said what a beautiful place
Jackson is. BUT what has been said, the photo's that have been shared, could
NEVER compare with the REAL place. It is beyond breath taking to awake to
mountains every day.
Let's start with the flights... OMG.. Delta was NOT toooo bad... A little over
packed.. and my seat mates were not exactly friendly. No problems with flights,
everything was on schedule and my arrival right on time. Just a little warning,
if you ever fly into Jackson, the plane WILL turn a little sideways just before
landing... the altitude and the winds.. just don't be surprised.
I was met at the airport by Michael, Becca and Jaxn... what a surprise for Jaxn
to be there.. was WONDERFUL. We went to Jaxn's house, where I got to meet his
wife. What a wonderful person she is. Someone that actually keeps the man in
hand. That loves him with his faults and all. She is amazing. Smart, funny and
kind. I really can not say enough about her. I truly enjoyed her company the
week I was there.
Thursday during the day, we toured Yellowstone National Park. What a beautiful
and wondrous place that is. The elk are HUGE.. the Buffalo.. OMG.. the buffalo.
I think I had Becca, Michael and Jaxn a little worried when we stopped to watch
a heard, seeing a coyote I of course got out of the car for a closer look. Is it
MY fault 2 buffalo thought crossing the road was a good idea at that point. I
was safe, Michaels car was between me and them..<s>.
Old Faithful is exactly that. The timing is perfect. I just can NOT get over the
beauty of Yellowstone.
Stewie arrived LATE thursday evening. We girls stayed up to the WEEEEEEE hours
of the morning talking and getting all caught up. It was like having family
together for the first time in years.
On Friday we took care of the last minute wedding details. Made sure flowers
were correct, dresses were set. The wedding gifts that had arrived at the house
prior to that day were opened that night. We have all heard the stories of
Becca's grand baby... HONESTLY.. the stories and photos do NOT compare to this
beautiful child in real life. She truly is a joy.
Saturday.. well Saturday is covered in a separate article.. Lets just say
FANTASTIC DAY!!!
Sunday early early morning I took Stewie to the airport.. and of course cried.
She is so fun to be with, and such a great friend. Hard to say see ya later,
when you know later could be a couple years away. The rest of the day I spent
with Jaxn, his wonderful wife loaned him out for sight seeing... More AWESOME
views and vistas. If you should attempt to go and see the red and gray hills, I
would suggest a 4 wheel drive... the ROADS are awful up there.
Monday.. we did a lot of shopping... wow what shopping we did. Remember though
that Jackson is tourist town.. and a bit on the expensive side. Ask the locals
for the best places for deals...
The flights home were soooo much more enjoyable.. The planes actually had room
to spare.. we were all able to stretch out a bit. Even though my baggage did not
make it to Jackson with me, it followed me home just fine.
Those are the shortened version of the exploits in Jackson... watch the
libraries for photos as I get them sized and posted..
Gin
Well, as a lot of you already know, we had a brain malfunction and decided to build a house last spring. Our daughter bought the ground next door and convinced us we ought to go back to the rear of our ground and build on our pond. So we began this little saga in April. Two weeks ago we moved in and what a move it was. My husband says his next move will not be by Mayflower, but by hearse.
We ran into the usual problems of contractors screwing up and taking more time than we thought reasonable. The foundation was between 3 and 5 inches out of square and it took the masons four return trips before they did it to our satisfaction. This, of course, threw the framers off and they charged us $2000 extra for having to adjust their work to the foundation. The plumber (our son) bitched and moaned all summer about each and every little thing that was done or not done to his satisfaction. Of course, he was actually looking out for our interests, but it surely does get on ones nerves to be preached at each and every day about each and every thing in sight. Of course, his work was perfect. Not to mention the fact that it seemed everything cost more than we had budgeted.
This house started out at 1500 sq. ft. and ended up at 2100 sq. ft. plus a 1000 sq. ft. garage. A far cry from our old farm house, but if you take into consideration future value it had to be 3 bedrooms and they had to be at least big enough for a bed. We surely did learn a lot of things this summer and patience was not one of them. I threatened my husbands life if he changed the plans one more time and he said a few choice things about me-----all untrue of course. But we did end up with a fine home and I am very satisfied with it. I got my cherry kitchen cabinets and the great room on the back side facing the water and he got his big garage and an extra door into the bath for emergency stops.
We have had a lot of sidewalk superintendents all summer long and even one friend who would not drive his nice shiny convertible back our gravel lane, but walked it each and every time usually once a week. Another friend who made several trips to pick up the black walnuts from the yard and checked out the house each time. My sister came several days and helped me stain and varnish every piece of the trim for the whole house.
Then the 2 days we moved she cooked for the whole crew and brought it to the house. Our whole family pitched in and moved us, our grandson came and brought 3 friends and they did all the heavy lifting. I would be lying if I said I had everything unpacked and put away, but we are settled and all that is left is in closets in boxes and I can do that at my leisure.
Our dog, Millie, seems to be happy with the move. She can now go out without being watched every minute in fear of cars. Yesterday I saw her go running along the pond with her head in the air and a rabbit in her mouth, taking it to show her master. I told her she was not a hunting dog and never to do it again. From the family room windows, she can spot the squirrels scampering across the yard to pick up walnuts and she just goes nuts wanting to chase them. Today I looked out and one of the squirrels had ventured out into the pasture with the cattle and one of the heifers was chasing him across the field. Life is so exciting down here on the farm. You all come and visit for a while. Set a spell and we will exchange stories.
Lizzie
copyright
The Maine Coon is the very first native cat to the USA, they adjust quite
well to cold climates. It's uncertain where the Maine Coon originated. It is
believed to be a descendant of domestic cats of Europe. The Maine Coon may be
related to the Norwegian Forest Cat, a strong and sturdy cat much like the Maine
Coon.
The Maine Coon is a very large cat, males sometimes reaching 24 pounds. On
average though, males usually weigh in at 12-15 pounds and females slightly less
at 9-12 pounds. It usually takes about five years for the Maine Coon to reach
full-grown size.
Maine Coons come in almost every color: tortoise (multi-colored), tabbies,
blues, reds, blacks, creams, whites, spotted and even silver coats. The Maine
Coon's large body, long bushy tail especially the brown tabby pattern,
make the feline look much like the raccoon, from which it gets its name. Also,
with its unique voice, the Maine Coon even sounds like young raccoons, speaking
in soft, small chirps and trills.
The Maine Coon Cat is a very unique and gorgeous feline. Its loving and kind
personality, very high intelligence, and great disposition makes it exceptional
with children and even dogs. The Maine Coon is also a hunter and well-known for
its excellent mousing abilities. It is one of the most popular cats in
the US. These affectionate cats make great companions for all types of people
and make a wonderful addition to any home.
Tigger
Autumn greetings to everyone. Yes, I think it is starting to feel like summer is
disappearing and cooler weather is on the way.
This is especially important because of the situation here in Southern
California and now in Denver area, the horrible fires devastating the States.
There are two hosts that live in the Southern California area. Rascal has been
very busy this week rescuing horses from the mountain areas in the fire area.
Rascal is a "special" kinda guy to open his home and property to save these
gorgeous animals from harm. I am proud to have him a part of our Casual Family.
Lillyrose had family in the line of fire, but the wind shifted in time to keep
them safe at this time. The conditions in the Southern State seems to get worse
every day and to our staff and members that live in the fire danger area, I hope
you are safe and there is control of this fire soon.
News in Casual Chat. Let's see. <G> Oh yes, of course, one of our staff Becca
got married to the man she met here in Casual Chat several years ago. I suspect
there is an article on the "details" so at this time extends my Best wishes and
happiness to the bride and groom.
Staff has worked hard to have festivities every night during Halloween week with
different twists and plots. I hope all the members have enjoyed their efforts
and to be sure and be here for the "ANNUAL HALLOWEEN BASH" Saturday, November
1st.
This was a BIG birthday month; gosh I had that "red dress" on so many times
wishing some special Happy Birthdays. Lillyrose and Tallie have had the pleasure
of my special greetings for many years. This year I was able to add Wooly,
Rascal and Juris and I am sure they were just thrilled!!! Again to all of you
hope you had a wonderful birthday. We also have another hostie birthday coming
up November 1st, so Tigger, doncha worry Tech and I will be ready for another
presentation. <sweet smile>
Well that all the news for now, and I would like to thank all the hosties for
all you do and thank the members for being a part of Casual Chat family.
Until next month Hugggs from Ma'am
That's it for another month Folks! I hope you enjoyed this bumper issue! Be safe and keep well, until next month!
Come on Everyone! Get those pens busy for next month. Lets have another bumper edition! Mail all your contributions to me at LyndaAtCasual@Compuserve.com
We want all your contributions, don't be shy! This is a paper by the members for the members......that means YOU!
Please remember, this is a fun/interesting/informative addition to the many features on offer at Casual Chat, critique is welcome but nothing that attacks members, personalities or other fora will be.
Lynda [Editor]