A couple of things I wanted to mention.  FREEWARE, I have had some really good freeware and will mention two favorites I use daily.  I needed an alarm system and found one that has a very nice calendar and calculator and loads more I haven’t tapped into.  I have been using it for almost two years and sort of mentioned it in a comment I left this morning so decided it was a good time to mention it in my blog.  It’s pretty easy to use after a little playing.  Called ClickTray Calendar, find it on the left side of the page under FREEWARE http://www.waseo.de/?lng=en.  This site has other things you can try and I have never noticed any problems caused by my use of ClickTray, ever. Another freeware item for personal use and I use it daily / all day long, EditPadLite, find it here, http://www.editpadpro.com/ also listed on the left of the page scroll down till you see Free editpadlite.  It’s a super editing program and will keep live links like you see me putting into this entry for the sites.  It will not keep a link like THIS ONE.  Father’s Day was good.  We don’t do spectacular, just nice.  Some movies I had ordered arrived so movies were included in the weekend.  We always eat out a little or order carry out to eat while we watch, which we did.  We also drove to his hometown of Kilbourne, Ohio and took a few photos of places he grew up around some of which are no longer there as a man made lake floods what used to be.  I know he thinks of times he was a little boy when we visit.  You do that more as you grow older and I remind him to do the remembering if he isn’t.  He tells me about where he lived and went to school and where relatives were in the big picture.  We have both seen it before but it’s good to see it all again.  Kilbourne is very near Delaware, Ohio which is not a big city but has a nice historic look. Ohio Wesleyan University resides in Delaware and historic looks are good for university areas, they sort of go together.  John’s dad was caretaker for the cemetery in Kilbourne.  John used to earn his spending money helping his dad and he did a lot of lawn mowing.  He graduated from his lawn mowing at the cemetery to the grounds of Ohio Wesleyan where he managed to lose a part of his big toe in a mower accident.  Big toes are important.  He was fortunate he didn’t lose so much that he was left with a limp.  His toe has it’s own personality compared to the others on his feet but he is used to it.  A bit of his blood, toe, sweat and tears were left in the lawns of the University when John left.  He moved on to a stint in the Air Force and finally after his military duties he moved to Cincinnati to work at AVCO eventually Cincinnati Electronics.  I am not a lucky person but in this instance, I was really lucky, I worked at AVCO, too. The only thing left on the property John called home is the old well hand pump.  It still sits in the shade of the huge old tree he played under. This was the grade school.  The entrance for students is around the side to your viewing right.  He did play on the steps that sit in the shade to the left, now cracking away from the foundation of the building, I would like to have a piece of them.  The building was purchased and divided renting portions like an apartment to seniors.  It must have failed as a business venture as there are a lot of vandalized windows and we saw no one else on the property while we were looking around. What you see here is the lake that covers his brothers home and no telling what else.  Time and progress?? waits for no one, no matter whose memories are lost in the changing.  All the changes above are done and over a long time ago.  They still impact us each time we try to go back. A good week to everyone, © Becca aka LittleE

Happy Father’s Day Xanga   For fathers and husbands A Computer desktop of the above in 800 x 600 … CLICK HERE A Computer desktop of the above in 1024 x 768 … CLICK HERE Wishing Xanga fathers and husband’s a wonderful day Becca

 

Perfect lighting for good photos doesn’t always happen.  
But, June heat is oppressive so John and I opt for evenings to roam. The time of day is after 7:00 and it’s Friday night “fishfry”.  The catered menu is good.  It includes sandwiches with pickles and chips or complete dinners; steaks, burgers and fish all cooked fresh on the grill. 

Weekends at Isabella are host to all night fishing and the lake has a good following.  Besides the fishing, entertainment might be live music or discussion and wildlife display.  Small tents pop up on the lake perimeter with campfires for light and warmth for the fisher.  I would really like to be a part of it.  Isabella’s visitors enjoy the outdoor life.  For us, it’s “where it’s at” and life’s real excitement is throwing a line into the water.

Fishing Isabella at Night
© RSBlain
June 13, 2007 

No noisy dogs barking, or video games
Just peace and quiet and campfire flames
Time thoughtfully spent by the water at night
Throwing lures neatly baited to fish that might bite
As I troll I swap stories, until very late
While coffee stays hot on the campfire grate

The water takes on a less than bright cast
As the evening wears on, while fishing for Bass
And a coolness floats cross the water to play
As darkness creeps to, where there was partial shade
The heat melts away, bare skin chills, at the change
And the coffee perks fresh on a wood fired range

The boats that burn hands from a days scorching heat
Are cold in an evening with damp chilling seats
But the gear’s loaded in; rods, reels, nets and bait
And jacket, butt pillow, some snacks for the wait
And some tricksy new worms that fluoresce, that I’ll try …
While caffeine aromas ride winds that drift by

I’ve caught one, the bugger feels huge on the line
I can tell he’s a big one but the night by design
Screens him with blackness so I play the line slack
And I fish with gut instinct slowly reeling him back
Into my net, as I dream of the ways
Of preparing this fish I’ve been craving for days

Hot coffee and biscuits and fresh fish, pan fried
Are the smells that awake me on mornings outside
While Sun shines and breezes drift off the lake
As gifts only dreamt of by those who partake
Of one of the oldest amusements of man
“Fishing”, a part of His well mastered plan

Fishing is great for clearing my mind
Of mixtures of headaches brought on or assigned
With my feet in the water, a line in my hand
I’m a kid one time more, thinking “ain’t life just grand”
While the cook fire’s burning and the coffee smells hot 
And it steeps good and strong in an old blackened pot

Sunday night played out, trashed, policed and packed
The tackle and tents stowed, the grill’s filling slack
The fish iced, live coals out, food bits fed to geese
Who gathered to gobble the thrown away feast
Now home and hot bath, and sweet smelling bed
The workweek’s tomorrow, Friday’s fishings ahead 

 

Best to all,
Becca

 

 

Things are rolling right along towards the student leadership conference Eden will be attending.  Copied from my daughters site, only a portion of an email they received from the director of the arts program:

“During the ten days that you will spend with our staff of highly talented and enthusiastic individuals, you will gain insight into all of the fine arts. We will look backwards to the history of the arts, and we will look forward to what the future of arts will offer.  Additionally, we will hear from professional artists, musicians, architects, and actors, who will give us some tips on how to forge a career in the arts.

You will take several exciting field trips to some of New York’s artistic hot spots and you will have a chance to do some sight seeing! On the schedule now is a visit to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Empire State Building, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Times Square, among other things _ so get those cameras ready! I am especially excited to share with you that we will be seeing “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway – this was the first Broadway show that I saw when I was a high school student, so I’m sure you will love seeing it live.”

Eden is very excited as is her mom who is scurrying around for last minute details.

Eden also went to the prom this year.  A couple of photos with her handsome date, Brandon.

 

I took advantage of the opportunity to play with photographic error on the photo above.  At first I thought Brandon had moved during the take but after study of the photo I decided it was the photographer who moved.  I did some repair on the duplicate at the right and removed the shadow created by the shakiness of the camera to Brandon’s (left in the photo) from the head down and also it can be seen to the left side of Eden’s calf (left in the photo).  There is a lot to be said about tripods which I often fail to use myself.  The photos were taken by  Halie, my daughter, and I think she won’t mind my having played with it or blaming her in this instance for what happens to me a lot.

I am assuming they had a nice time.  I haven’t heard any complaints from either her or her mom.  I think they looked terrific and I love Eden’s polka dots.  Her great grandma loved polka dots so it must be a hereditary thing, the appreciation for them.

 

Another little getaway before Eden leaves for the conference, Halie made reservations in Washington DC for the Harry Potter Knight Bus tour.  I wish I were going but I get so excited watching the movies the Knight Bus would probably do me in.  I will share photos they take.

Best to everyone and a great weekend.

Becca

 

I want to make sure everyone in the Seniors ring,
~*~Old People, Platinum Treasures Of Society~*~ is aware of the

  Lifetime    $100   [ Limited Time - Xanga for Life! ]

offer Xanga has made available.

Click on the link :  https://register.xanga.com/premium/?plan=lifetime  to get to the proper page.  It’s a very good deal.

Regards,
Becca

I love movies. It’s reasonable then, for me to belong to the Internet Movie Data Base.  I think you would like the site.  It’s a grand place for any information you might want concerning movies, old, new, international or US, from the classics to the sleazy, all the info is there. 

I like Chat.  I don’t do a lot of it but it comes in handy for family and close friends.

An Edit :  The roll down link on the IMDB has disappeared so I put a revised link for the MSN chat in the paragraph below.

I like helping and helping for FREE is a plus.  MSN messenger chat is making a difference.  By going to the site, CLICK HERE, clicking on the join now at the left of the page, doing the MSN upgrade and adding a  code to your messenger name allows you to donate to your charity of choice (see the image), FREE, each time you use the messenger.   Very nice. 

I use Amazon.com for movie purchase keeping a list of things and watching for deals per item and shipping. I have made a lot of nice purchase there and saved money.

I am not a gambler but I do play a little with Publishers Clearing House hoping I can win that $10,000,000.  Publisher’s Clearing House plays with different tactics, anything to make money.  They team with other Internet business to sell anything  from gambling on the Internet to health and home insurance to car deals.  I received an email on the 28th of May.  They did a switch back to mail order offers.  I followed the link and scrolled the page and found a set of Bob Hope DVDs, 10 movies for $24.95 or 2.50 a DVD movie.  Four in black and white and six in color.  As Bob was born on the  28th  of May or Memorial Day week and he did so much in support of the troops wherever they were and as it was Memorial Day weekend I decided it was “an omen” so ordered them.  Ten new classic Bob Hope movies at such a great low price, shipping included and make 4 payments if desired, NO INTEREST CHARGED if paid on time which we always do.  It’s a nice addition to our movies at exactly the right time. Bob Hope, thanks for the memories this Memorial Day.

Sudoku … I’m still wrestling with it.  It’s winning.  I dropped my magazine into my bath water this week.  It could have been worse.  I was reading my Harry Potter book which shoved the Sudoku magazine into the water.  I was really glad it wasn’t the book.  I let the magazine drip off then threw it over a fan.  I realized during the magazine save, I still had my watch on dousing it in the bath water.  I didn’t say any of those words I know.  I just toweled it in the moment of disbelief.  It was still running its 24 hour circles, happy I didn’t curse it into oblivion.  I couldn’t believe it.  My good watch is toast from the same type of accident and the cheap one lives on.  The magazine!  Its dry and wrinkled and looks like I have studiously worked it over. 

An interesting Video online, a new Microsoft Invention in the works to consider spending on.

NewsMax.com, a bit of a controversial news reporting but I read their news letter.  They advertised a book just coming out, ”The Day of Islam” by Paul L Williams PHD.  I found a book report here in the UK where you can purchase the book and Amazon has it for sale as well.  I intend to read it.  You might want to read the book report on the UK site.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)  is another book I am waiting for.  I have finished all the previous, reading them all over twice.  I am so happy.  I am back doing some of what computing stole from me.  I love the Harry Potter books, they are such lovely fantasy to be a part of.  I was stunned at the ending of book 6.  Don’t ask, you have to read for yourself.  I am anxious for the latest movie, #5.  Being frugal / cheap, I won’t get to see it until it is sold in the stores but the book will allow me to get back to Hogwarts. 

A photo I’ve posted before.  I could stand about a month of similar.  See more in my folders.

A LATE EDIT: on the bad side of computing, “Michigan Man Fined for Using Coffee Shop’s Wi-Fi Network“  This is worth reading.  We have wifi in our house but use it on the road.  Usually you can look for it and then pay a fee for it’s use.  In this particular case it’s one dumb mess.

Best to all,

Nearly at a loss for words, I don’t feel up to writing.  I am Memorially Day depressed.

A comment was left on my blog.  “Happy Memorial Day, Indeed!”.    Those words are not mine, not today, nor yesterday, last year or ever.  NOWHERE on this blog site will you find the word “happy” for Memorial Day.  My description would be depressing, sad and filled with emotions that come to the top causing overflow as you read or listen.  That is what I uncover when deep thinking, Memorial Day.  The desktop wallpaper I offered displays a casket.  Within it lies the body of a cousin who served.  He died and was buried, fittingly, Memorial Day week, 2004.  That desktop sits on my desktop for viewing, this week, as a reminder of what the day really is.  It found its place there from the moment it entered my previous blog. 

I understand exactly what Memorial Day is.  I have from my early childhood when I marched to the tune of the drum beat, to the street where the parade rolled by, every year waving our flags with my hand covering my heart or held in salute to our flag as it passed.  I wonder at the lack of what I see when it comes to respect for those men who gave / give their lives.  I wonder and I think and I come up with no answers for my questions,

• “Why is it people all over the globe can be so physically beautiful on the outside and so ugly in their hearts, preventing their coming together to the benefits of peaceful coexistence? 
• What is it that makes a man disrespect God’s most beautiful creation, woman? 
• How is it that man has come up with the attitude that MANUFACTURED THINGS can benefit him more than clean air and water and grassy green fields for his children to play in? 
• What measure of power can feed, clothe, house a man so well that he desires to not want the same for his neighbor who on knowing that neighbor, sharing with that neighbor, understanding that neighbor might fulfill him more than the power he holds so tightly to? 
• Why is it people read into your words what they want to read into them instead of reading to understand what you write”.  

I think of all those things, and more, and I get very upset.

I think /  believe the powers that be made a huge mistake.  They should have stopped after the creation of the dog.  Dogs make you “happy”, not people nor Memorial Day.

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Regards to all,
Becca

 

 

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Memorial Day USA at Wikipedia 

 VIDEO  A Memorial Day salute CNN – Sat May 26, 6:06 PM ET

With a tribute from Tim McGraw, a look at how Americans remember those who’ve died in wars. (May 26)

 

A safe Memorial Day weekend to everyone.

God bless our troops.

Becca