Choosing a Tattoo Parlor (What's in a Name?)

Choosing a tattoo parlor: relatively easy for a guy or gal in their teens. NOT so easy for a 63 year old lady looking for a place to get her first "tat".

I knew what design I wanted (a butterfly); I just didn't know where I wanted to go to get it. Do I go to Acid Works, Death Row Tattoo, Electric Chair Tattoo or Big Guns?

Not THIS old lady. I picked a shop based strictly on it's name.....Artistic Fusion. I thought that sounded so much more gentle than the other places.

There was a delightful 23 year old man who had great patience and showed me all the equipment and how it was packaged, sterilized etc. He even showed me the Health Certificate that the parlor has to get every 30 days.

The tattoo process itself was nothing like I had expected. It wasn't bad at all. I now have a purple and yellow butterfly tattoo on my left shoulder. Would I get another "tat"? HECK YES !!!!!

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree or Goats and the Olive Tree

While listening to the radio recently, the DJ was introducing the song Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. He mentioned that the songwriter was inspired while traveling overseas to see goats in olive trees. Thinking that singing about goats might not be such a great mental picture, singer/songwriter KT Tunstall decided to write about a black horse and a cherry tree instead.

If you travel where there are olive orchards as I did while in Greece, you will find that olive trees are a favorite place for goats. The olive farmers trim the lowest branches of the trees to prevent the goats from jumping up and eating the year's harvest as they would wipe it out in no time. Therefore, you'll see goats all around the base of the trees working like vacuum cleaners eating the fallen olives.

The next time you hear the song Black Horse and The Cherry Tree, think about the little goats that could have been famous instead of the horse. And remember....the only reason you have any olives to eat is because the goats didn't get them first.

DONATE YOUR HAIR for cancer patients

Have you ever wanted to help someone in a way that didn't involve money or a donation of your time? Have you ever thought about donating your hair for cancer patients?

Many forms of chemotherapy result in hair loss which can be very traumatic for the person undergoing treatment and for their loved ones. There are several organizations that work with cancer patients that accept donations of hair to be made into wigs for women, men and children. People with hair that is 10" long (or more) should consider donating their hair. It takes many donations (can be between 6-20 hair donations) to make one wig which can help make one of the worst parts of cancer treatment a little more bearable. Many of the organizations that accept hair have the same requirements:

Hair at least 10" long, clean, dry and bundled into a ponytail or braid

Hair should be placed in a zip lock bag

Hair must not be chemically damaged by coloring or perms

Grey hair is not suitable for children's wigs but can be used in adult wigs. Boy's wigs can be made from shorter lengths separated from longer ponytails or braids. There are many organizations that accept hair donations including:

Locks of Love
2925 10th Avenue North
Suite 102
Lake Worth, Florida 33461
Toll-free information: (888) 896-1588

Wigs 4 Kids
29314 Harper Ave.
St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
United States of America
Phone: 586-772-6656
Web Site: www.wigs4kids.org

Havana Technical Hair Design
326 Gilmore Avenue
Burnaby, British Columbia, V5C 4R1
Canada
Tel: 604-299-6888

Pantene Beautiful Lengths
511 Wisconsin Drive
New Richmond, WI 54017-2613
Phone: 1 800 945 7768

are you SUPERSTITIOUS?

I like to think I'm not superstitious, but when I see certain things, (a ladder, black cat, horseshoe, wishbone, rabbit's foot or a 4 leaf clover) I find myself feeling a little apprehensive. I know there is no rational basis for this because superstitions are not based on fact (although there are some who would disagree.)

We all know the common superstitions (salt over the shoulder, step on a crack, pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, itchy palm or ear, crossed fingers), but here are some not-so-common ones:

A swan's feather sewed into a husband's pillow will ensure fidelity

If you leave a rocking chair rocking when it's empty, it invites evil spirits into the house to sit in the chair

If 3 people are photographed together, the person in the middle will die first

If you use the same pencil to take a test that you used for studying for the test, it will remember the answers

Mandrake is a plant that has the power of preventing sterility in men & animals

If you catch a falling leaf on the 1st day of autumn, you'll not catch a cold all winter

It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday and the nail cuttings should be saved, burned or buried

An acorn should be carried for good luck and to ensure a long life

A dream about angles forecasts success, happiness and friendship

Lettuce is believed to have magical & healing powers

A white moth in the house means death

If you know any unusual superstitions, I'd love to hear about them. Hope you enjoyed these.

Heat, Automobiles and Children

Now that hot weather is here, people need to be especially aware of the damage high temperatures can do. Children should NEVER be left alone in a car, even for a few minutes, but every summer, you hear horror stories about children dying after being left alone in a car with little or no ventilation.

A recent study done by San Francisco State University revealed that from 1998-2007, 365 children nationally died from heatstroke after being left in cars. Most were 3 years of age and under. Additional sad statistics from this study revealed that more than 1/3 of the children who died were accidentally left behind by a parent or caregiver. Another 1/3 were trapped while playing in an unattended vehicle.

Registered nurse Cathy Coleman of Hurley Medical Center Flint, MI says that when the outside temperature is 86 degrees, the internal temperature (in a vehicle) quickly reaches 134-154 degrees. Animals are also often left in vehicles without ventilation and/or water. The same holds true for them with the heat.

Some tips on preventing a summer tradgey include:

Never leave a child unattended even with a window slightly open

Always keep the car and trunk locked and keep keys out of a child's reach

Call 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a vehicle

RUSH LIMBAUGH strikes again

Once again, Rush Limbaugh is in the forefront with his absurd comments. The following article pertains to the city I live in. YES: there are MAJOR issues ranging from government corruption, to lawsuits against the city to mismanagement etc. Then along comes Rush and his mouth to stir up the pot more.

Rush Limbaugh on Flint:
"Let's just bulldoze it"
by Ron Fonger The Flint Journal
Wednesday June 17, 2009, 11:10 AM
AP File PhotoRush Limbaugh.

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh is telling his listeners he has his own urban renewal plan for Flint: "Let's just bulldoze it." Limbaugh, discussing the potential for shrinking Flint to better concentrate city services, said Tuesday he would rather wipe out parts of the city than force taxpayers to continue maintaining it. "All right, folks, I have thought about it, I've given this considerable thought. I've given this more thought in the last ten minutes than most people think about anything in their life. And I am ready to change my mind on bulldozing Flint. I say go for it. "Let's just bulldoze it," Limbaugh said in a transcript on his Web site.

Limbaugh also said cities like Flint were "down the tubes long ago." "We tried propping them up with urban renewal and it didn't work. We were hoodwinked into being called names if we just let these cities go," he said. "So we kept pumping money in there, we kept pumping welfare, food stamps, all these things 'cause we loved 'em and we cared for them, but the proof that a government can't revive anything is Flint, Michigan."

To read the rest of this article and see comments, please click on the following link: Mlive.com

parents: DO YOUR HOMEWORK

YOUR CHILD TRUSTS YOU!!

You are their only advocate when it comes to choosing childcare whether in a private home or a facility.

In my county (Genesee, MI) one-fifth of the more than 500 state-licensed child care providers have violated state standards in the last 5 years according to a Flint Journal investigation. There are only 10 consultants to cover more than 500 operating facilities. State mandates which are merely the minimum a care center should do to insure a safe, healthful environment are not being met.

All workers in MI facilities are required to have a back-ground check. What's being found, especially in home settings is there is someone in the house who is not registered with the state Department of Human Services (DHS). In one home setting the husband of the owner had not been cleared and had a record for larceny and assault as a teenager. A cook at another center had a record of child abuse.

Main areas of violations in child care setting included unsafe playgrounds, inattentive staff who lost track of children who wandered away, mishandled food, and dirty conditions.

Parents who have a child in child care have the right to drop in any time they want and see how the center in running; they have the right to ask to see the results of any staff member's background check and they have the right to see copies of inspection reports done by DHS and the local health and fire departments. Sadly, due to nationwide government budget cuts, there are going to be fewer inspections than there are now.

"Parents entrust child care providers with their children's lives every time they drop them off." Be sure to continually check after your child is enrolled as circumstances and new employees may change thereby changing the status or the environment of the facility.

Swimming with a Dolphin

I had one of the best experiences of my life last summer in the Bahamas. I got to swim with a dolphin. They seem to be the happiest creatures in the world with the delightful expression they have. Before you get in with the dolphins, you sit on a dock that's built around the lagoon while the trainers give you info and the first thing they tell you is not to wave at the dolphins or do anything with your hands as many hand gestures are signals to the dolphins to do tricks and this could confuse them.

After the dolphins (always in pairs) do some tricks in deeper water outside the lagoon (like standing on their tails and doing triple flips), you get in the lagoon with a trainer and the dolphin. When you ask the trainer questions about the dolphin, they're giving the dolphin signals on whether to shake it's head "yes" or "no", spray you with water or give it's high squeal or click sound as an answer.

Dolphins have a funny feel. When you touch them, they feel firm but rubbery. You can touch all their fins and flippers and rub their backs and stomachs. The trainer has the dolphin open it's mouth so you can feel the teeth which have large spaces between them as dolphins nurse for a long period of time after birth and the wide-spaced teeth keep them from biting the mother.

They are extremely gently to be with and when you leave the lagoon, they kiss your cheek and wave "bye" with their flipper. I really felt sad that my experience was over but what I memeory I have of a fabulous time!

FABULOUS automobile HOOD ORNAMENTS

The Vicking (top left) is from a 1960 Rover 100. The full sized winged lady (lower left) is from a 1929 Graham and the two-toned Indian head (top center) is from a 1962 Pontiac.

"SECOND NOTICE" failure to report

Last week I received a letter from the 68th District Court Jury - Board stating that I had failed to report for jury duty. This came as a complete surprise as I had never received the first notice. The 2nd notice did not mince words and stated that failure to appear is "punishable by the circuit as contempt of court".

In the past 5 years I have received 2 notices for jury duty and have never failed to call in the night before, as directed, to see whether I had to report to the court the following day. To receive notice saying I had failed to report was definitely upsetting.

My mail is delivered late in the afternoon. So of course it was a Friday afternoon that the letter came and by that time, it was to late to call the Jury Board to see why was going on. Boy, I did I have a long weekend waiting until Monday morning arrived to make my call.

When I contacted the jury board on Monday, I was told that approximately 35 other people were in the same predicament. Apparently the 1st notices never got into the mail or were "lost in the mail". It was comforting to know I was not alone. I was told that another notice would be mailed specifying follow-up jury duty. I guess all's well that ends well! Just hope I receive the next notice in a timely manner.

GET THAT ^$^%$#@ DOG OFF MY LEG !!!!!!

This is not my usual type of post but the topic ranks in the top 5 on my aggravation list (actually, it's pretty close to the top).

WHY do dogs have a fondness for my leg ???? When I visit people who have dogs, WHY am I the person who is singled out as the dog's personal "partner"? WHY OH WHY? I don't have long ears and my tongue doesn't fall out the side my mouth . I don't lick people and I don't drool. I don't have 4 legs and a tail and I certainly don't eat Kibble. So, WHY am I the "chosen one" and what can I do?

Do I casually try to gently shake him off?

Do I try to pick him up & give him to someone else?

Do I try to pretend it's not happening?

Do I try to distract him with food?

Do I try to kick him off with the other foot?

Do I try and drag him into another room for privacy?

Do I just let him "ride it out"?

Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Believe me, the next time this happens............

I will try just about ANYTHING!!!!

8 years ago today=Gift of Sight

8 years ago today (June 8, 2001) , my husband of 33 years died as a result of his 3rd heart attack. He had his first one at the age of 37, his second one in early 1993, which resulted in a quadruple bypass, and his final heart attack in his sleep in 2001.

By the time the ambulance arrived, I knew it was to late for help. At the hospital, the ER staff still gave their best efforts. When it was decided there was nothing else that could be done, I was approached by a person who was very gentle and caring. She asked me if I had considered donations or transplants. This is something my husband and I had never talked about but it seemed like the right thing to do.

As Tom had been without oxygen for a long period of time, his organs couldn't be used. I was asked about donating the long bones but this seemed too invasive. I was asked about cornea donation. This seemed so perfect as Tom had been a professional photographer for 30+ years and his eyes were his life. Even tho he had worn glasses from an early age, his cornea would give sight to others.

A few weeks after the cornea transplant, I received a beautiful letter from the Midwest Eye-Banks saying that because of the donation, a woman in my hometown now had sight. I called them to thank them for keeping the donation in my area. They said that as she was next on list, she was the recipient.

Over the years, in doing public speaking for Gift of Life (MI), I've found many recipients want to contact the donor family to thank them. Many donor families don't want this as the donation is bitter sweet.

I URGE you to check into organ, tissue and cornea donation in your state and find out if this is something you wish to do. Talk with your family; let them know your wishes.

CRYOGENICS Fact or fiction? Right or wrong?

DEATH (the permanent termination of a person's biological functions) is inevitable. Most people have accepted that on one level or another. Others feel that life expectancy can be doubled or tripled from what it is now. Some people are terrified enough to spend vast amounts of money to put it off as long as possible with a new phenomena (mainly for the injured or terminally ill) by being cryogenically frozen.

This procedure can be done in California, (for approx. $120,000.00) the only place on the planet where cryogenic freezing is legal.

DOES IT WORK? Not yet according to the Aclor Foundation. who is the main company handling cryogenic freezings. Applicants have to go through a very complex legal process in order to gain entry. Then they must become a member of the Foundation.

The theory behind cryogenics is the eventually, whatever ails you, will be curable and you will be thawed out. But why freeze a damaged or aged body. Some people are looking to freeze just their heads (wouldn't this restrict their quality of life when thawed?).

It's not the "mad scientist" from old films whose doing the research now. It's major corporations who are doing it and are looking at cryogenic freezing from an investment standpoint.

Another case of "NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY"

Once again my fair state of Michigan is in the news (remember GM?) and not in a positive way. A woman in Bay County (north of me) is suing Starbucks for "severe burns and permanent scars" she received 3 years ago (did she just crawl out from under her rock, decide she needed $$$ and say "Wait....let me go after Starbucks?").

According to a Flint Journal article June 4, 2009, Irene Bruno is seeking $75,000.00 in damages.

Bruno alleges that a worker at a Midland (MI) Starbucks Coffee outlet improperly secured a lid on the coffee cup (remember the 1994 McDonald's $2.9 million award to a woman with the same claim?). Irene claims the lid on the coffee cup came off just as she was about to take a sip. Bruno is seeking damages alleging "extreme humiliation and embarrassment".

YOH Irene!!!! WHERE is your common sense? WHERE is your brain? Don't you automatically check a lid when a cup is given to you (or is it just me that thinks of that?)? WHY don't you take responsibility for the stupidity of your actions? Why are you trying to make other Starbuck's consumers pay for your next 10,000 cups of coffee?

"Warriors of the Sun" by Joan Baez 1982

Joan Baez is of Mexican, English and Scottish descent. Her professional career began at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. Joan is a song writer/singer and her traditional folk ballads and blues are usually sung to her own accompaniment on guitar. She introduced Bob Dylan (who was less well know) to her audiences.

Joan focused her attention on the Viet Nam War and the Civil Rights Movement and combined her music and activism. She appeared at the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival in upstate New York which increased her national and international fame. Baez was always an advocate for the things she believed in and one of the things she was aware of was ecology and global warming in the early 1980's. The words to her song 'Warriors of the Sun" (which she wrote and performed) speaks clearly of this awareness. I would urge you to listen to her musical version of the following song.

We are the Warriors of the Sun
We are the Warriors of the Sun

If it's true about no more water but the fire next time
Will the children of the eighties be ashes or live to their prime
If we don't heed reasonable people and their warnings of days to come
We'll all be incinerated Warriors of the Sun

We'll be there to feed the hungry and to tend to the sick
We'll be there when the night gets black and the going gets thick
We'll be there to carry your feeble, your hopeless and your weary ones
We are the Warriors of the Sun

The black angel of Memphis is by our side
He walked and he talked in truth until the day that he died
He said, "It ain't what you can do for me, ah, but what can I do for thee?"
And he took us to the mountaintop and he set us free

We are the Warriors of the Sun
We may be crazy
And it may be our final run
We are the Warriors of the Sun

Everybody knows that the whale is smarter than we
Probably that's why we call him the king of the sea
We're killing everything on dry land, why don't we just let the fishes be
Some of us are Greenpeace Warriors of the Sea

We are the Warriors of the Sun
We are the Warriors of the Sun
We are the Warriors of the Sun
We are the Warriors of the Sun

DID YOU KNOW????

DID YOU KNOW that talking on a cell phone while driving is equal to driving with a .O8 blood alcohol level?

That finding held true whether the driver was holding a cell phone or using a hands-free device. Between 4,000 and 8,000 crashes related to "distracted driving", which includes cell phone use, occur each day.

"There's very good evidence that people who talk on their cell phone-it impairs their driving" says Rene Marois a psychologist at Vanderbilt University.

Maneuvering through traffic while talking on a cell phone increases the likelihood of an accident five-fold and is actually more dangerous than driving drunk, US researchers report. The report also says there is a a difference between behaviors of drunk drivers and those who were talking on the phone. Drunk drivers tended to be aggressive, while those talking on the phone were more sluggish.

Will Ferrell>> Love him?? I Do!!!

Who can ever forget Will's Saturday Night Live skit about musicians, with Will Ferrell playing the cowbell and Christopher Walken as the music producer urging "MORE COWBELL"! The "COWBELL" skit ranks 5th on SNL's 101 most unforgetable. That skit and Will's patriotic underwear skit are 2 of my favorites.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Will joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1995. During the 7 years on the show, his talents which ranged from impersonations to characters earned him an Emmy nomination.

Will Ferrell's movie Semi Pro about Jackie Moon, owner of an ABA basketball team named The Flint Tropics, was partially filmed in my hometown of Flint, MI (approx. 50 miles north of Detroit where the majority of the film was shot). The set-up crew came in prior to the actors. They never blocked traffic or closed down any streets (they did quite a bit of filming in downtown Flint) and shot "after hours" with strong lights so as not to interfere with the daily functioning within the city. Crowds turned out to watch the filming and said the cast was very cordial, signed autographs and talked with the watchers. I never got to see any of the filming, but every day as I passed the catering trailors, lighting/sound etc. trailers, I was very pleased with the courtesy they showed to the city.

One of the funny things that happened was the fake snow that was created. It caught on fire (as it was paper based) so the fire department had to put out the "snow fire".

LOVE YOU WILL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope This Brings A Smile

HI: Hope you enjoy these pictures.

Sometimes I like to look at things that just bring a smile to my face. Nothing to read, nothing I have to digest or ponder about. Nothing that is going to change how the world functions or bring world peace. Just FUN imput into my often soggy brain.