Never read the obits you never know who you may find

The other day mom was reading the obituaries in the local papers, making sure that she and my dad weren't in them, when she read out a name which surprised and saddened me. 'David Cipriani, age 58, of Atco passed away she read out loud. Little Davey Cipriani? My playmate when we were old enough to toddle around? The boy next door? I'll have to hunt our some old photos of us together and post them. They moved away and the families lost touch. I remember going to their house at Xmas, they had the best tree and decorations. He will be missed.

I was looking up his obituary on-line to see what he got up to after he left the neighborhood and never knew that I was looking on the wrong newspaper site, well, it's not my fault that my parents get 2 local papers, when I sat there and started reading in shock.

"Paul Eugene Fach, resident of Pitman, suddenly on May 23, 2008 at the age of 57". We went to high school together. I cried. Paul was a quiet really sweet guy. I was surprised to see that he had married the 'girl who lived across the street' who also was a fellow classmate, Cathy McKinley. Cathy and I were in the marching band and band together. They were married for 27 years and have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

We are much too young to be dying. I wonder how many obituaries I have missed living in England? How many of my classmates and friends have passed without me knowing? I really regret that I can't go to our high school 40th year reunion this year.

Davey and Paul, you will be missed, rest in peace.

What a Day!! Part 2

So there I sat waiting for them to announce that those who need assistance and people with children can board first. Nope, it was a free for all, everyone for themselves. So we went down a ramp which curved and walked and walked downwards with my heart sinking. Please don't put us on a bus, please. Oh shit. We had to board a bus! So there I stood on a bus amongst women, yes I looked hard to make sure, dressed in abayahs and head scarves.

So we finally drove to the plane and I did hear a woman comment that it looked like the bus was taking her home, lol. And there they were, the long, shallow and steep steps. I looked around for help and there was a man in his 60s who definitely avoided eye contact. So there I was dragging my carry on and my stick and having to stop so many times when I finally got to the top and said to the 2 stewards that BA must hate the disabled.

I was asked if I had asked for assistance and I said no, this has never happened before and I hadn't anticipated it. Then a very nice steward asked if I wanted a wheelchair at the other end. I thought, what the hey and said 'Yes please'. See, I can be polite when I want to throttle people. So I found my seat and asked a gentleman to help me put up my case.

I was smart and had another bag with the things that I really needed during the flight like my mp3 player. My stick, however, wouldn't fit in the overhead unlike the last trip so a stewardess put it in a closet.

Now, the me being nasty and then getting my comeuppance bit. I am being honest here. *sigh* The moral of the story is never judge a book by it's cover. As I sat there a large and I mean large girl in her 20s started down the aisle and all I could think of was, please don't sit next to me. She walked by and low and behold she was sitting in my row but her thin friend was sitting next to me. She/they started chatting to me and we had so much in common I did feel ashamed. But,and this is a very large butt. Another large butt(s) which belonged to a man and his companion who sat next to me on a not very full return flight once and I was squished sooo much that I hated the flight. They could have picked anywhere on the plane but not they had to sit next to me. I wasn't feeling too brilliant so didn't move, which I should have.

So back to this plane trip. None of the movies appealed so I listened to my mp3 player the entire flight, dancing a bit in my seat when a really good song came up. What was I listening to? All Israeli songs and all in Hebrew and all foot tapping.

Then with a sniff in the air, lunch was approaching or so I thought. I watched as the stewards handed out the 'special' meals. Just realised that they went to the abayah wearers. So when the stewardess headed back to get either fish or chicken I stopped her to mention that I had requested a vegetarian meal. Her reply was, 'Oh, she got them all out'. I don't believe this, so I sat and waited. She did bring me one and then I heard her say to another, we need more vegetarian meals. Great.

Oh, they could have kept that lunch. It was a vegetarian mousakka and horrible. The mystery dish was a tiny salad with something heaped in the center that looked like it belonged in a petrie dish and it tasted like it belonged to the lab. The best thing was the trifle. Then an hour before we landed we had sandwiches. I did get my veggie sandwich boxed. It was a schmear of red pepper hummus with spinach and carrot. Wish there had been more hummus so I could actually taste it. Oh, there was a tiny carrot cake too.

So there we were an hour before landing. Somehow that hour turned into another hour due to planes on the ground so we were 2 hours behind. *sigh*

As we deplanned I couldn't believe that there was a line of wheelchairs so I nabbed one and boy did we pass a lot of people. There is even a special desk, why again, are these desks so high, so people in wheelchairs can get through fast.

So got through and then the young guy pushing me said he has never seen it so busy, going through customs, but it was quick and finally I saw my sister and her grandbaby. She had made a sign with my name so the baby (now 18 months) could hold it and apparently he had been calling my name.

I was pushed out to the car and then we were off to my parents.

When we got there I was informed we were going to The Olive Garden for supper. I was tired and didn't want to go but was out voted and so we went. It was a nice dinner. I did manage to stay up to 10 which was 3am English time so I was exhausted. However true to form I was up at 4:45am today listening to the birds whom I swear sound different than the birds in the Home Counties. So that was my day. I will be writing to complain to BA, just for fun and to see what will happen.

And that was my day.

What a Day!!

Well, May 27th was a very interesting day. I was going to the states, well, NJ, to visit with my family. And this is what happened. *sigh*




The taxi showed up early, which was fine, I was Virgo ready and it turned out I knew the driver. Well, it took us 2 hours to get to the airport. Unreal when it can take about a little over an hour but it was rush hour and the day after a Bank Holiday.

Since they are fixing up Terminal 4, I couldn't be just dropped off in front of the building. Oh no, I had to be dropped off and then struggle in. Oh, this is not what it looked like.




There was construction work everywhere.

Now there is a new fangled thang called 'bag drop-off'. You put in your flight info and then put in your credit card number. Wale, I don't have a credit card, I used my friend's, so I went into another line, behind a group of Koreans (just adding that to make it more colorful telling.



Got to the nice young man behind the high desk. (Why do they make these things so high? And why are the scales so narrow and high up?) He said to put the duffle on the weigher, couldn't so one of the nice Korean guys helped me almost pulling up my skirt to my waist. Oops. Then the not so nice young man told me I had to take it off, the duffle, not the skirt (ha ha) and take it to an elderly man sitting 3 seats away. Hokay, thinking of trying to pull the duffle off the weigher, I also asked him when I should and who I should tell about my needles, druggie that I am.

He said the guy in the green shirt when I went into security, *sigh* Now it is getting close to 10am when I wanted to jab myself with the lizard spit and take my meds. Went towards security and was stopped by another young guy and I mean young. He wanted to check if my carry-on was the right size. I thought please after all the Virgo angst I went through getting the right bag. It fit, just. *mentally stucking my tongue out at this pisher with authority.

So went through after flashing my board card to another guy behind a desk.

Saw the sign that said, take your shoes off. *sigh* Got to the front of the line and asked the woman about my letter of permission to take the needles on board. She said when I got to the machine. Which I did. The woman there didn't even look at the letter just said that it was fine and I put the shoes and coat in a tray, handed her the walking stick and she took the carry on and placed it on the belt.

Then the fun began. Everything came through except the carry-on with the laptock, which by the way doesn't have to be seen separately any more, at least for now, spit, other meds, all the rechargers and cords for the mobile, books, etc. Now that set off a buzzer. *sigh* So she passed it through again, same thing happened. She took it off and put it to the side saying that it would have to be searched. Damn it woman you know that there are needles and an injectable med in there.

Now it's getting to be 10:15 and I am not happy. Then I see that the guy who had been behind me also had his bag taken away. So we stood there until there was a change over and then the same cow who passed my bags through the machine started searching the other guy's bag first. He had 3 bottles of hand lotion taken away. Poor guy's English wasn't the best and how embarrassing for him that all his undies were in view to the world, well me and the other woman.

Then it was finally my turn, almost 10:30. Took everything out and ran this wand thingy over things. I had to open the mini cooler and that's what they thought the problem was, the ice pack, which if they had read the letter in the first place would have known was in there. After running the wand over my empty suitcase she put it in a machine and came back saying that it was fine. So we put things back in the case and I asked where the bathroom was. Went in and jabbed myself and then had to look for something to eat. I ended up at WH Smith for a newspaper, water (I was gasping by then) and something to eat, 2 health bars which were pretty good.

I walked around a bit, noticed where the departure gate was, moisied on down to there and sat playing with my DS until we were told that we could board.

End of Part 1.

Part 2. "What do you mean there's no Vegetarian Meal for me"

Ben and Louise at Chessington Adventure Park

Ben, my youngest had the week off and so on Wednesday went to London Zoo with Louise, his girlfriend and then on Thursday they took the train to Chessington Adventure Park


Ben and the shark he won.




Louise, Ben, and the shark.




There are more photos and pithy comments by Ben on his web site, titiangamingradio.

http://www.titangamingradio.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=434

Hatfield House..Living Craft Fair..May 11, 2008

What a wonderful sunny day it was! After last year's fiasco with me almost passing out after 20 minutes of walking around, if that, today was a pleasure. Why?? Many many thanks to Three Counties Mobility from St. Albans who provided free electric scooters and wheelchairs to the visitors. They were friendly and helpful and a laugh. See you next year!!

So there I was in a 4 wheel electric scooter going around the craft fair which was bigger than last's. It felt a bit dicey at times, like I was going to tip over but it was great fun.




This handsome fellow greeted everyone as they came into the craft fair. He is made of horse shoes. More of these shapes were found in front of a tent, such as:
















There were more tents this year and more exhibitors. What was nice for the children and adults were tents offering hands on experiences, pottery throwing, drawing, painting a plate or cup. There were also lectures given.

Plus the Morris Men!! This group is the St Albans Morris Men. They were founded in 1930 and have been dancing in and around the city ever since.

I'm not sure if this was the 'Fool'. He did call out the dances.















Then fair is fair and there was a ladies group of Morris dancers, I believe from Bedfordshire. The leader of that group had pink hair and lots of pink on.

















What was nice about both groups was there were all ages in them. There were ladies and men who were middle-aged or older while there ware some youngsters too, which shows that Morris Dancing will go on for a very long time.

We had an ice cream while watching the men dance. It got really hot and the sun was burning, but it was a welcome change to the weather we have been having.

One of the stalls had us asking ourselves if we have fairies at the bottom of our gardens. Here were homes fit for them.





I always love seeing how people use wood to make things. Here's some tables.




Here are some chairs made from wood, most looked very uncomfortable but cute since some of the backs were made from cricket bats or gold clubs. The next photo is a wonderful wizard.







There was also an Owl Society there to make people aware of the owls that are disappearing from the countryside.







And we had steam engines


Kathy stoking a donkey while insisting it was the heat that made the donkey 'happy to see her'

A thatcher who would make a small summer home for you on wheels so you can always face the sun. Cool idea.


And singers to entertain us.



So that's how I spent American Mother's Day. It was a great day. Full of sunshine and temptations. I can't understand why Kathy calls me a handbag addict just because I kept drooling when I saw the bags. *sigh* Just looked and didn't buy.

There was also a food tent where you could taste and then buy, which I did. I was very happy to see there, after a couple of year's absence, Sauces of Choice.

I love their 'Coconut, Lime & Coriander' sauce which is so great when cooked with Quorn. They now have new sauces for the gourmet. I stuck to the vegan ones. lol I also bought a sachet of their 'Sweet and Sour' sauce to try. Their products weren't in jars but in an easy open pouch which made less of a clink clank.

If you live in the UK, have a look at their site,
http://www.saucesofchoice.co.uk

I also gave in at the THORNCROFT CORDIALS' table. Great prezzies when going overseas on holiday to show the colonies what is in the Mother Country. They can be found at: http://www.thorncroftdrinks.co.uk

I wasn't too impressed with the curry stand and the dip people were, well the dip people, nothing new and exciting there for me.



Happy Mother's Day to all!!

Yom haShoah..1 May -2 May 2008

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

Beginning at sunset on Thursday, May 1, 2008 and
concluding at sunset Friday, May 2, 2008

Yom Hashoah is the day chosen by the Israeli Knesset in 1951 to mourn the millions killed in the Holocaust, often commemorated with speeches by survivors and the reading of names. In Israel, a siren's blast allows collective remembrance in a moment of silence.




I had thought not to include the above photograph but then I thought why should I? Why shouldn't people see what happened to the innocent; the young, old, disabled, women and men. My thoughts when I see one of the photos like this is, is one of them my family? Are my grandmother's sisters and their families in that photo? It should be seen.

I'll be lighting a memorial candle for my family who died in the Shoah, in the Warsaw Ghetto and Treblinka.






Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah in Hebrew) is a national day of commemoration in Israel, on which the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust are memorialized. It is a solemn day, beginning at sunset on the 27th of the month of Nisan and ending the following evening, according to the traditional Jewish custom of marking a day. Places of entertainment are closed and memorial ceremonies are held throughout the country.

The central ceremonies, in the evening and the following morning, are held at Yad Vashem and are broadcast on the television. Marking the start of the day-in the presence of the President of the State of Israel and the Prime Minister, dignitaries, survivors, children of survivors and their families, gather together with the general public to take part in the memorial ceremony at Yad Vashem in which six torches, representing the six million murdered Jews, are lit.

The following morning, the ceremony at Yad Vashem begins with the sounding of a siren for two minutes throughout the entire country. For the duration of the sounding, work is halted, people walking in the streets stop, cars pull off to the side of the road and everybody stands at silent attention in reverence to the victims of the Holocaust.

Afterward, the focus of the ceremony at Yad Vashem is the laying of wreaths at the foot of the six torches, by dignitaries and the representatives of survivor groups and institutions. Other sites of remembrance in Israel, such as the Ghetto Fighters' Kibbutz and Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, also host memorial ceremonies, as do schools, military bases, municipalities and places of work.

Throughout the day, both the television and radio broadcast programs about the Holocaust. In recent years, other countries and Jewish communities have adopted Yom Hashoah, the 27th of Nisan, to mark their own day of memorial for the victims of the Holocaust.

The link to Yad Vashem:

http://www.yadvashem.org/