PHILADELPHIA EXCURSION WITH FRIENDS

In 2006 I read "THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN" and his life fascinated me. 

Last year, I read "BOOK OF AGES: THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF JANE FRANKLIN" (BEN's Sister) and enjoyed additional tidbits about BEN's life (and Jane's life). 

Over the years I've heard CHARLIE MUNGER (billionaire WARREN BUFFETT's business partner) refer to the witticisms of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. CHARLIE even wrote a book titled "POOR CHARLIE'S ALMANAC" (in respect to FRANKLIN'S book, "POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC").

Startled that BEN came from such a large family (17 children) and that he left Boston for PHILADELPHIA at the very young age of 17, I've always felt a fascination for the man - particularly for his knowledge, creativity, and sense of humor. Plus, he was such an important figure in the formation of our country - and all of this happened in PHILADELPHIA no less!

So I added to my "60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's" list, to visit the BEN FRANKLIN MUSEUM in PHILADELPHIA one of these days.......

It's always more fun to travel and learn new things with friends, so I invited a group to join me. MARIA and her friend PAM, ANNA, MERRY and I all traveled by train to visit the museum.

Can't we all visualize BEN FRANKLIN wearing his circular glasses?

A list of SOME of his ACCOMPLISHMENTS!

I found particular humor in his "DAILY WINE CONSUMPTION" chart.  Below is for one month....... my kind of guy!

The start of PARASAILING??

And swimming FLIPPERS???

This PLASTER BUST of FRANKLIN is amazing - particularly because the artist hadn't met him yet!!

Don't you LOVE the tag-line "MIND YOUR BUSINESS" on one of these coins he designed?

Ahhhh..... the old CARRIAGE!

Right beside the MUSEUM is his ORIGINAL POST OFFICE (far right).

Original WIDE-PLANK FLOORS with SQUARE-HEADED NAILS!!

EXAMPLES of the dress of POSTAL WORKERS through the years (1700, 1775, 1868, and 1873).

Also beside the MUSEUM is an example and demo of his PRINTING PRESS.

Some "PHILADELPHIA STREET ART" we enjoyed as we walked to lunch.

Lunch at HIGH STREET MARKET was EXCELLENT. 

Homemade soups and breads - DELICIOUS! 

Take a look at the size of the OTHER HALF of my PASTRAMI ON RYE (with COLESLAW and SPICY MUSTARD) that I enjoyed the next day!

AFTER LUNCH we took a quick tour of the BETSY ROSS HOUSE, which many visited during their Elementary School field trip.  Somehow several of us had missed that opportunity.......

She made the FIRST AMERICAN FLAG (in secret) - usually in her room upstairs, so she wouldn't be "found out".

The house is TINY, as are the rooms. The TINY CIRCULAR STAIRCASES were a challenge to maneuver, and there were several of them!  Why so many in such a small house??

Notice the original WIDE-PLANKED, WOOD FLOORS here.
BEAUTIFUL!

Let me know if you try out her recipe for TURKEY POT PIE!

I love the COLONIAL OPEN STOVE in their kitchen.

We all agreed that we prefer MILK instead of water with our CHOCOLATE!!

Our last stop before heading back home on the train was ELFRETH'S ALLEY - home to many ARTISANS in the COLONIAL DAYS.  Written on the Historical sign there is:

"An exceptional collection of early American structures, built 1720's - 1830's, the alley contained the homes and shops of diverse artisans. Later, working-class immigrants lived here and labored in nearby industries. 

Residents began preservation efforts in 1934."

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND a visit to these PHILADELPHIA TREASURES. Even if you DID see them in Elementary School, it might be time for another visit.  They are each WONDERFUL.

JOAN

IT'S A MIRACLE

A little over 2 weeks ago, I had a cortisone shot in my low back. I was a bit scared to do it, but physical therapy wasn't doing much, nor was massage.  An MRI a few months ago confirmed that I have "issues" and am a candidate for cortisone shots before I consider surgery.  

AND IT WORKED!!!!  

I can now stand for over an hour without having to take a break. It used to be perhaps 5-10 min before I'd have to sit down. SHOPPING had become so unpleasant for me (HORRORS!!) and WALKING on my "excursions around the world" had literally become torture - until I could find a place to "sit for a few"........

I feel so fortunate to have this option and have high hopes that it will last longer than the 3 months that they say is typical. This year is filled with travel plans and I can literally visualize myself walking without pain now. Whoohoo!

IT'S A MIRACLE!!!!

JOAN

BUCKET LIST - LIFTOFF!!

When I was in high school (Good God, that was a long time ago!), I thought it would be neat to work in the SPACE INDUSTRY. After seeing the first man WALK ON THE MOON when I was in elementary school, I then always felt a sense of wonder and excitement about "SPACE" and the possibilities of new discoveries. So it's kinda like FOREVER since I've wanted to see a "SHUTTLE LIFTOFF" in person.

NASA stopped sending up SHUTTLES in 2011. At the moment it's only "ROCKETS" that are sent out into space, so I adjusted my BUCKET LIST to see a "ROCKET LIFTOFF".

A few years ago, my friend Merry and I traveled to NASA's SPACE CENTER in WALLOPS, MD to see one, but it was cancelled and not rescheduled for that weekend. DARN IT! (We had fun anyway of course......)

I'm physically more MOBILE this year, and have BIG PLANS to check off some items on my BUCKET LIST. 

I made plans in early February to travel to Florida later in the month so I MADE IT HAPPEN to coordinate my trip with the date of a ROCKET LIFTOFF from CAPE CANAVERAL during my stay. YIPPPEEE!!!

Naturally we decided to spend the morning touring THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER and then head over to the viewing area at 3:00 for the LIFTOFF scheduled for 5:02.

They have a tribute to ATLANTIS (1985) - our second-to-last SPACE SHUTTLE built. It's 33rd and FINAL MISSION was NASA'S LAST SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION (2011).

We took a "BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR", which I highly recommend. It takes you into NASA-SECURED areas on CAPE CANAVERAL.

These 2 buildings are where ROCKETS are assembled.

ELON MUSK is very interested in the SPACE INDUSTRY and is building a company, SPACEX, whose building is on CAPE CANAVERAL. He plans to send a ROCKET TO MARS within the next 2 years. Did you hear about the one he sent up in early February with a RED TESLA at the helm? It will be in orbit for hundreds of millions of years. AMAZING!!

In the background you can see the actual LANDING PAD that houses the ROCKET/SHUTTLE that sent our men to the MOON. ELON MUSK is now leasing this LAUNCH PAD for his own ROCKETS.

The launch pad framework that surrounds a ROCKET is being constructed. Compare it's size to the dumpsters below the construction.

It's hard to get a feel for how big this building is, which houses ROCKETS being built. They provide some stats in the 2nd photo to give you some perspective.

A road leading up to a LAUNCH PAD. The 2 gravel paths to the left are used to move the ROCKET on a TRANSPORTER to the LAUNCH PAD.  The left wheel of the TRANSPORTER is on the left gravel path and the right wheel is on the right gravel path. The TRANSPORTERS are THAT wide.

WALT DISNEY was passionate about the SPACE INDUSTRY. When he was alive, he donated to NASA the bushes in this picture, which they have sculpted into spelling NASA.

Our next stop was the SATURN V building with a duplicate SATURN V ROCKET (1967-1973) hanging from the ceiling. It's ENORMOUS!! 

These CONTROL PANELS, set up near the building entrance, are the actual CONTROL PANELS men worked at when we sent our men to the MOON.

Time to board the bus that will take us to the PRIVATE VIEWING AREA for the 5:02 LAUNCH!!  We were sitting just under 2.5 miles from the LAUNCH PAD.

There it is.  Right in the middle of the photo. With 2 tall lightning rods on either side of the ROCKET.

And for your VIEWING PLEASURE, 2 videos that I took, so that you can imagine being there in person yourself. Note that there was a 30-40 second delay in the audio for security reasons. 

What may sound like WIND, was actually the sound of the LIFTOFF breaking the sound barrier.

THIS experience was a real THRILL for me!  

One more item on my list of "60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's" - CHECK!!

JOAN

MAKE IT HAPPEN!!

Last week I was chatting with a friend who has recently retired. She has a "LIST" of things in her head that she wants to do, now that she has time. 

I described my "60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's" LIST and how much fun it's been to keep it current. It literally inspires me to do the things that I've always wanted to do, see the places I've always wanted to see, experience things that I've always wanted to experience.  

She immediately decided to make up a list of her own AND she created a totally different TITLE to make it all her own. I LOVE what she came up with.....

MY "MAKE IT HAPPEN" LIST

How BRILLIANT is that?! 

Think about how quickly life is passing....... if you want to put some POSITIVE FOCUS on experiencing some of your life's dreams, I encourage you to WRITE THEM DOWN - "MAKE YOUR LIST", NAME IT something that has meaning to you and start planning to do each one on that list.  CHECK!!

JOAN

UPDATE - "60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60'S"

Approaching age 60, I was "KICKING AND SCREAMING"! What to do, What to do?!! I HAD to make a mental turnaround to thinking more positively about it - to make it more exciting, so I made up a list of - 

"60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's"

Well, I'm working on it....... As you'll notice it's been sporadic thru the years, but now that I've had 2 joints replaced (hip and knee), I plan to enjoy a bunch of these THIS YEAR! 

• 2012 - 12 accomplished
• 2013 - 2
• 2014 - 1
• 2015 - 3
• 2016 - 3
• 2017 - 3
• 2018 - 9 is my GOAL

• TOTAL by the end of this year could be 33, which will leave 27 to accomplish in 3 years!! Feel the energy!!

60 "THINGS TO DO AND SEE" IN MY 60'S			DONE
1		Visit Annency, France	2012
2		Visit Nantucket again	2012
3		Tour the Zappo's warehouse near Las Vegas	2012
4		See Cirque du Soleil - "O"	2012
5		See Jackie Evancho perform live	2012
6		Tour Eastern Europe	2012
7		Visit Prague	2012
8		Visit Budapest	2012
9		Take a River Cruise in Europe	2012
10		Visit Vienna	2012
11		Visit Saltzburg	2012
12		See Barbra Streisand Live in Concert	2012
13		Tour somewhere in Italy or Europe with Mimmo again	2013
14		Take a trip with my dog, Willow	2013
15		Tour Croatia with the Girls	2014
16		Visit Monticello	2015
17		Wine tasting tour in VA	2015
18		Take Shelby, Ryan and kids on a trip (France and Venice)	2015
19		Visit Cucuron in Provence	2016
20		Visit Provence France when Lavender is in full bloom	2016
21		Eat a triple decker ice cream cone	2016
22		Visit Savannah, GA	2017
23		Visit Litiz Wolf Sanctuary	2017
24		Visit Canadian Rockies	2017
25		Witness a Space Shuttle Liftoff in Person	2018
26		Cruise the Norway Fjords	2018
27		Visit Copenhagen	2018
28		Visit Helsinki Finland	2018
29		Visit Monument National Park - per Helen	2018
30		Age 66 - Drive a portion of RT 66	2018
31		Visit Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC	2018
32		Tour Alexandria, VA	2018
33		Take a Tour of Gettysburg	2018

This really IS fun. Feel free to steal my idea (which admittedly I stole from someone else) and make up your own list.  I'd love to hear about your progress!

JOAN

CLOVER!!!'S DADDY, FANUCCI HEADS TO THE WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW

FANUCCI, his handler, SUSAN and me in November 2017

Today at 8:30am, CLOVER!!!'s daddy, FANUCCI was to compete with the other German Shepherds to hopefully WIN "BEST OF BREED" at the WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW in NYC!!! And then tomorrow, the BEST in EACH BREED will compete for "BEST IN SHOW".  

I WAS JUST GOING TO POST THIS, WHEN I RECEIVED WORD THAT FANUCCI WAS PULLED FROM THE SHOW BECAUSE HE HAS A HEMATOMA ON HIS EAR THAT IS CAUSING HIS EAR TO FLOP OVER. I'M HEARTBROKEN FOR HIM, HIS OWNERS AND HANDLER AFTER ALL OF THEIR EFFORTS THIS YEAR TO PREPARE HIM FOR HIS INVITATION TO WESTMINSTER..........

FANUCCI'S STORY is a HEARTFELT one. An astounding story of recovery from a TERRIBLE ACCIDENT!! Click HERE to read about it.......

Here are a few photos of FANUCCI getting ready for the competition in Oaks, PA in NOVEMBER 2017.

WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW (competition) is held every year around my BIRTHDAY, so one time, several years ago I went to celebrate. WOW!! We went "behind the scenes" and watched the owners and groomers WASH, BLOW DRY, BRUSH and PRIMP to make each of their dogs look PERFECT before their individual competitions. We fell in love with one BEAGLE who had a BIG personality. I believe that year a LONG HAIRED CHIHUAHUA won BEST IN SHOW. What a WONDERFUL experience that was!

Last year, RUMOR (below), a GORGEOUS female German Shepherd won BEST IN SHOW. She is now "retired" from the show circuit. 

Thank you Google Images for this photo of RUMOR.

This year FANUCCI was the WINNINGEST GERMAN SHEPHERD IN THE COUNTRY!!!  It would be unusual for the same breed to win WESTMINSTER 2 years in a row, but my fingers were crossed for FANUCCI. Perhaps I'll go in person to see him compete next year.........

JOAN

PS  "BEST IN SHOW" (2000) is one of the FUNNIEST movies I've ever seen!! If you like dogs and haven't seen it, it's a MUST SEE!

MY FAST AND FURIOUS INTRODUCTION TO AGATHA CHRISTIE

In MAY 2017, WELLINGTON SQUARE BOOKSHOP's Fiction Book Club scheduled us to read "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" (1939), which I thoroughly enjoyed. Until last year, I had never read anything by AGATHA CHRISTIE, who is considered the WORLD'S BEST-SELLING MYSTERY WRITER. 

Coincidentally, my SORORITY ALUMNI Book Club decided that we needed to read an AGATHA CHRISTIE book and chose "THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD" (1926), which we'll be discussing this week. It was a complete MYSTERY all the way to the end and by many is considered THE BEST CRIME NOVEL OF ALL TIME. 

Yesterday I was invited to join my friends JOYCE and CONNIE to see a play at the FULTON OPERA HOUSE in Lancaster, PA. The play was "THE MOUSETRAP" (1952), written as a PLAY by AGATHA CHRISTIE. (I swear, she's making a comeback!) It has been running continuously in LONDON since 1952 (my birth year).  THAT is amazing, isn't it?

The play was EXTRAORDINARY. So many twists and turns - what I'm now beginning to see as AGATHA CHRISTIE's style. Every single character is a potential SUSPECT. This makes the storyline so exciting and keeps your mind jumping back and forth from character to character with suspicion. The actors were so PERFECTLY CAST!! And the SET DESIGN, we all agreed was EXQUISITE.

Photo I took at the Theater yesterday - hardly looks real.

If you haven't been to the FULTON OPERA HOUSE in Lancaster, you might want to make a point of it one of these days. I found it's history fascinating.

• It was named after a local STEAM ENGINE PIONEER, ROBERT FULTON. 
• The building itself sits where Lancaster's PRE-REVOLUTIONARY JAIL stood in 1737. 
• The back wall of the theater is actually the original wall from the JAIL'S COURTYARD.
• In 1763 a vigilante group named "THE PAXTANG BOYS" massacred the last of the CONESTOGA INDIANS being held there for their protection. 
• PERFORMANCES didn't take place in the building until 1863. 
• The first play, "OTHELLO" was performed to benefit WIDOWS and ORPHANS of the CIVIL WAR. 
• Around the turn of the century the building began to "lose it's luster" and became a SECOND-RATE MOVIE HOUSE. 
• In 1957 it was finally transformed back into a PERFORMING ARTS THEATER with a new movie screen installed as well.
• A $9.5 MILLION RECONSTRUCTION project in 1995 brought the THEATER back to it's VICTORIAN elegance.

Somebody has a SENSE OF HUMOR. As you enter the Theater, there is a STATUE OF ROBERT FULTON holding........... yes, a MOUSETRAP!

JOAN

THE SPACEX FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH (02/06/2018)

I was SO excited about the launching of the SPACE SHUTTLE yesterday.  On my list of "60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's", viewing a LAUNCH is person is on there. 

My friend MERRY and I traveled to the WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY in MD for the weekend a few years ago to see a launch.......... but it was cancelled. Oh, the anticipation and excitement on the ride down there....... and then the disappointment from the cancellation....... BOO HOO. We toured the interesting little museum there and had fun anyway, of course!  

After that, I figured that because our government had cancelled our shuttle program, it might be too difficult to see an actual SHUTTLE LAUNCH, so I "ADJUSTED MY EXPECTATIONS" and decided to tour the KENNEDY SPACE CENTER in FL one day instead.

One must plan for these things, right? So, this month I'm going to Orlando with my friend JOYCE and a visit to the KENNEDY SPACE CENTER is on our list of "things-to-do". It just so happens that another LAUNCH is expected while we're there! Sooooooo........ my EXPECTATIONS, or more appropriately, "HOPES" are that the LAUNCH WILL HAPPEN and I'll check that off my "LIST". Touring the SPACE CENTER will be a LIFE HIGHLIGHT in itself, for sure.

In 1970, when I was a SENIOR in high school, I did well in and really enjoyed MATH. Imagine that!! One of the CAREERS I was considering was to work in the SPACE PROGRAM. It fascinated me. The thought of potentially discovering PLANETS and STARS and LIFE ELSEWHERE in our UNIVERSE was terribly energizing and still captivates me........

Another career I was considering was exploring and discovering the secrets of human GENES. 

• "In 1972 Walter Fiers and his team at the University of Ghent were the first to determine the sequence of a gene..." (Wiki). 
• Not until 1990 did the MAPPING THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT begin. 

There was/is SO much we didn't (and still don't) know!! I wanted to get right in the thick of things and help uncover MYSTERIES!

Ok, I digressed. Back to the SPACE PROGRAM and the SHUTTLE LAUNCH yesterday.......

I'm absolutely astounded that this SHUTTLE will be in orbit for HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of years. Can you even imagine that? 

ELON MUSK is a creative genius and has my total RESPECT for making this a FUN, PRODUCTIVE and SUCCESSFUL PROJECT.

A RED TESLA in space for HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of years, with a fake ASTRONAUT? How fun is that?!! 

Take a moment to DREAM. What excites YOU? What have you always wanted to DO or SEE?  Make it happen by planning for it today. DREAMS CAN COME TRUE! Be an active participant in making them happen.......

JOAN

PS Thank you to the photographers who shared these 4 magnificent images on GOOGLE IMAGES, so that I could share them YOU!

THIS WEEK - A BOOK, A MOVIE AND A Q&A

Our NON-FICTION BOOK CLUB this month read CLEMENTINE: THE LIFE OF MRS. WINSTON CHURCHILL.  

At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. About 100 pages in (of 391), I was feeling so-so about the writing. Then it kicked-in and came-to-life for me - I totally enjoyed the rest of it. WHAT A STRONG, DETERMINED WOMAN!!

Yes, they say that "behind every great man is a great woman". CLEMENTINE is a perfect example. The author, really engaged the reader with her description of their lives and this period of history. You could FEEL their relationship, her frustrations, her exhaustion, her drive.........

It was quite a week. After having just finished the book, my weekly movie group just happened to see THE DARKEST HOUR, which is all about WINSTON CHURCHILL in the early 1940's - a most miserable time in history. Since I'm not the greatest historian, it was so helpful to have just read CLEMENTINE - it made the details of the movie easier to understand. I was now familiar with their children and recognized each in the "toasting scene". In the opening scene of the movie, CHURCHILL answers a call from "RANDOLPH", which I knew was his son, only because I had read the book first.

CLEMENTINE was beautifully portrayed in the movie by KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS - stylishly dressed and coiffed - ever the support to WINSTON - strong-willed and confident. 

GARY OLDMAN was brilliantly cast and made-up (jowls and all) as WINSTON and in my opinion is a VERY STRONG CONTENDER for BEST ACTOR this year.

So.......... three days after seeing the movie, I saw it again, because they offered a "discussion" afterwards.

The discussion was led by a local historian, who was also a local professor for almost 50 years. Sounded interesting. What I missed in the description beforehand and was SO pleasantly surprised to find out, was that he, JOHN LUKACS, not only authored many books, but these two - "FIVE DAYS IN LONDON: MAY 1940" and "A NEW REPUBLIC: FIVE DAYS IN LONDON", are what the movie is based on. The copyright was purchased from John for $50,000 and the movie was created. 

WOW! THAT was a huge surprise and a delight. 

Born in Hungary, JOHN LUKACS was only 16 years old and living in England in 1940. He's now in his mid-90's and "sharp-as-a-tack". He personally knew MARY CHURCHILL, WINSTON and CLEMENTINE's youngest daughter,  who shared many stories about her parents. In the book CLEMENTINE, Mary was described as VERY close to her mother and quite active in the war-effort, which John confirmed. Her stories were invaluable to John's books and subsequently, the movie. 

So, a BOOK, a MOVIE and an evening with the AUTHOR who wrote the story for the movie provided much mental stimulation this past week. It was a GREAT week!

I'd like to share a few "tidbits" from the book CLEMENTINE:

Pg 6 (Introduction)

It is the story of someone who feared casinos and bailiffs and struggled to bond with her children. It is an attempt to recover the memory of a woman who married a man variously described as "the largest human being of our times" and "the stuff of which tyrants are made." (That he never became one is in no small part thanks to her.)

Pg 52

She was finding Winston's world to be infinitely more alluring than being cooped up in a domestic bubble with a tiny baby. She particularly disliked any expectation that she would sew (her time as a dressmaker had left her with a loathing for it). 

Pg 67

Winston had long since found public performance an ordeal. In 1904, before his marriage, he had once dried up mid-speech in front of a packed House of Commons and after an excruciating silence while he fumbled in vain for the right word he had had to sit down. He never spoke again without notes and rehearsed his speeches painstakingly for the rest of his life - and more often than not with Clementine present to criticize or praise as necessary. This was just one reason why Lloyd George observed that she was no ordinary politician's wife.

Pg 77

With her husband-and her country-under attack she had a role, and despite the rival needs of her newborn baby and two young children, she was not going to let maternal duties hold her back.

Pg 177

Absorbed in his own interests - politics, painting or landscaping - Winston left her alone for long periods, even when they were in the same house. He needed to know she was nearby and in constant attendance, but very often, when he was busy, he did not want her at his side. She learned over time when not to interrupt him; her life at home, however, orbited his all the same. His welfare and ambitions consumed her every moment. Much of her own time was spent reading history and biography to bolster her understanding of his world....  ....she had few outside pursuits other than tennis and visits to art galleries.

Pg 326

Since 1941, he had been receiving reports of cold-blooded and systematic extermination of Jews - although it was not until July 1944 that Churchill became aware of Polish camps such as Auschwitz.

Pg 354

Many marriages, strained by the traumas of war, fell apart around this time. Worried that her parents' partnership might suffer the same fate, Mary tried to shore her mother up, writing to her that "despite all his difficultness - his overbearing - exhausting temperament - he does love you and needs you so much."

JOAN

CLOVER!!! LOVES SANTA

Yesterday SANTA rode in on the local FIRE TRUCK and CLOVER!!! couldn't help but race across the yard with excitement. We've been working on her "SINGING", and this was a perfect opportunity for her to show off her talent. Listen closely near the end of the video.........

So this morning, I was replaying the video, when CLOVER!!! broke into song again. Oh how I LOVE this GIRL.  And the way she tilts her head....... PRICELESS!

It's such a WONDERFUL time of year!!

MERRY MERRY,

JOAN

A PENNY and A DIME FOR CHRISTMAS!!

Getting together at CHRISTMAS has always been a BIG DEAL in our family. The TRADITION of being together as a FAMILY - SHARING a great meal together (thank you ELLEN!!) and being CREATIVE and THOUGHTFUL with our gift-giving. A time that is ripe for MERRIMENT, LAUGHTER, JOY and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

Without MOM and DAD, we have created some new TRADITIONS, but the LOVE and the importance of TOGETHERNESS still remains.

Since my MOM and DAD died (1999 and 2000), I've been finding PENNIES from my DAD on occasion and DIMES from my MOM all the time. It happened more frequently at first, but I'm amazed that it continues to this day.

And it's not just random either. It's when I'm thinking of something important that I'd appreciate their input on or when I need confirmation that I'm on the right track or sometimes it's like "a little pat on the back" when I do something kind -  recognized by one of them. It's a wonderful way to live, having this belief.

I believe the arrival of a PENNY AND A DIME yesterday was a simple "HELLO, WE ARE THINKING OF YOU, MERRY CHRISTMAS!".  

You see, I was opening the mail and naturally there were many CHRISTMAS cards......... suddenly I saw an envelope with a PENNY AND A DIME in the window!! I tilted my head........

The letter was addressed to FRED KISTLER, my father's brother.  The crazy thing is, I had Fred's mail forwarded to me when he got sick and was in the hospital, failing. He died shortly thereafter. But that was in 2004 - THIRTEEN YEARS AGO!!

The key is, the envelope wasn't addressed to me, because that would be too random and they needed to provide confirmation for me that it was really from them. So the letter, addressed to UNCLE FRED was their way of confirming to me, that the message truly was from MOM and DAD.

There is EXTRA SPECIAL MEANING to the words "I BELIEVE" for me this year!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS MOM AND DAD and UNCLE FRED and all of those have passed........

AND, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO!!!  xoxo

Joan

BOOK - A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by AMOR TOWLES (2016) - NO SPOILERS

The main character, COUNT ALEXANDER ROSTOV is sentenced to house arrest where he lives (in the Metropol Hotel across from the Kremlin) for the rest of his life, because he was "An Aristocrat". A complete degradation of personal status with minimal space in which to live - but OH, how very rich his life was........ And you're going to really like him!!

Everyone is reading this book it seems and so far, each person I've spoken to has really liked it. It has a 4.37 rating on Goodreads.com and that's a VERY high score for them.

Published late last year, Literary Awards (so far) include: 

• Kirkus Prize Nominee for Fiction (2016)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction (2016)

This is the kind of book that I wanted to pick up every day and read a little bit  more, but I didn't want to rush it, because I didn't want it to end. It's HISTORICAL FICTION, not a high action, suspense novel. It takes its time to introduce you to each character in a way so that you really get to know them. You begin to feel that they are real and you become intrigued to find out what's going on with them each day. Again, I didn't want it to end.......

I've promised NO SPOILERS, so I'll just share a number of quotes from the book to give you a feel for the writing style. The quotes I've chosen are beautifully composed and/or "spoke to me" in some way or have reminded me of something that I don't want to forget. 

Pg 18

"..... adversity presents itself in many forms; and that if a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them.

Pg 19

"When he began to stir at half past nine, in the shapeless moments before the return to consciousness Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov savored the taste of the day to come."

Pg 80

"As such, the two young men hardly seemed fated for friendship. But Fate would not have the reputation it has if it simply did what it seemed it would do."

Pg 120

"After all, what can a first impression tell us about someone we've just met for a minute in the lobby of a hotel? For that matter, what can a first impression tell us about anyone? Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli. By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration - and our unwavering determination to withhold our opinion until we have engaged with them in every possible setting at every possible hour."

Pg 125

"To what end, he wondered, had the Divine created the stars in heaven to fill a man with feelings of inspiration one day and insignificance the next??

Pg 186

"Nina Kulikova always was and would be a serious soul in search of serious ideas to be serious about."

Pg 309

"For all the varied concerns attendant to the raising of a child - over schoolwork, dress, and manners - in the end, a parent's responsibility could not be more simple: To bring a child safely into adulthood so that she could have a chance to experience a life of purpose and, God willing, contentment."

Pg 322

"And the friends that one happens to make in those impressionable years? One will meet them forever after with a welling of affection."

Pg 327

Referring to his sister who passed away when he was young he says - 

"Every year that passed, it seemed a little more of her had slipped away; and I began to fear that one day I would come to forget her altogether. But the truth is: No matter how much time passes, those we have loved never slip away from us entirely."

Pg 353

"That is how time passes when one is left waiting unaccountably. The hours become interminable. The minutes relentless. And the seconds? Why not only does every last one of them demand it's moment on the stage, it insists upon making a soliloquy full of weighty pauses and artful hesitations and then leaps into an encore at the slightest hint of applause."

Pg 387

"For what matters in life is not whether we receive a round of applause; what matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainlty of acclaim."

Pg 391

"For his part, the Count had opted for the life of the purposefully unrushed."

Pg 398

"Now if, as a rule, the Count generally avoided drinking after eleven, he absolutely never drank after midnight. In fact, he had even found himself quoting his father to Sofia on the subject, asserting that the only things that came from the practice were foolhardy acts, ill-advised liaisons, and gambling debts."

Pg 402

"Alexander Rostov was neither scientist nor sage; but at the age of sixty-four he was wise enough to know that life does not proceed by leaps and bounds. It unfolds. At any given moment, it is the manifestation of a thousand transactions."

Pg 461

"If one has been absent for decades from a place that one once held dear, the wise would generally counsel that one should never return there again."

Pg 461

"For as it turns out, one can revisit the past quite pleasantly, as long as one does so expecting nearly every aspect of it to have changed."

JOAN