Yesterday, I went to the taping of the San Francisco Auditions of America’s Got Talent. It was a great experience and one that I’ll never forget! I was part of a large group welcoming party for Sharon Osbourne, Howie Mandel, Howard Stern, and Nick Cannon. I saw Sharon Osbourne from about 7 feet away! I loved her hairstyle and color! Her hair was a red with a shade of black in it. It was done exceptionally well! She was so welcoming and nice to the crowd. We actually looked more like a mob around her. I saw what celebrities go through in crowds. It wasn’t much fun! In contrast, Nick Cannon and Howard Stern were well shrouded by security guards! I only saw the top of Howard’s head and I didn’t see Nick at all in the crowd. I was pleased with the comments that the judges had to make about the talent performing on stage. I thought the judges did their jobs well. The star of the show, was Granny G. from Grass Valley, CA. She was an 80 year-old granny with a walker that said, she was going to talk about “family values.” Granny G. talked about horny young men and rapped a great tune! She was stupendous!!! All of us will see her on stage during their show in Las Vegas! I also learned a new hair term in S.F. One guy attending the show was wearing a skullet! I didn’t know what that was, until I saw it in person. I had a great time in San Fran, watching the audition show. I recommend seeing a live television show, for free! It’s a lot of fun and you might see a “skullet” too!
Breast Cancer Awareness
October as we all know it, is Breast Cancer Awareness month. We should never forget about what breast cancer does to us that affects our lives forever! I grew up knowing that my mom’s maternal grandmother died of breast cancer, at an older age. She should have had a full life, but it was taken from her, too soon! What really struck me growing up, was meeting four brothers that were robbed of their mother at a young age, by breast cancer. The Powell boys tried to overlook their mother’s death, but I think, it had a profound affect on their lives. I met Robert, Ted, David, and Bruce, just before their mom died of breast cancer. I haven’t stopped thinking of Gerrie Powell since. I felt for her through her young sons. They became my friends, then a love interest. This month, I can’t stop thinking about their mother and what she went through with breast cancer. I know I need a mammogram too! I’ve had two breast biopsies with two negative cysts removed. I need to have myself checked out! After watching The Talk, talk show, I was shocked, at how the incidences of breast cancer rise as a woman ages. We have much more early detection and better surgeries than we used to have. Mastectomies are not the norm these days. I’m behind of my health exams, but will be improving on them in the next few months. Yes, I will get that mammogram!!!!
Connecting With The Dead
I wake up most mornings with so many ideas on my mind. Of course, it probably didn’t help last night, that I couldn’t fall asleep. Friends from the past were in my thoughts, story writing ideas, and trying to find the right stamps and coins to help pay off my bills. I feel excited about the future and I’m trying to plan the next 6 months of my life. To a lot of people that sounds premature, but it drives me to keep chuggin on with life.
My male friends from my childhood have been steadily on my mind the last few weeks. I do want to be friends with the Powell brothers, but they may not want to reciprocate the same sentiment with me. I have often wondered why they came into my life so suddenly. The plan for all this interaction, I think, revolves around their mother’s death from cancer. It’s a weird feeling I have about her. In my gut I feel that she is trying to contact me, to acknowledge them again. I still deeply care for them and always will. Sometimes, I think, the dead leave clues for us to discover. Yesterday, I met a nice lady formerly from New Jersey, who had an accent similar to the brothers. I also found a head scarf that is used to cover a bald head for someone who has had chemotherapy. This game of clues, I’m sure, will continue to unfold their true meaning.
Yesterday, my daughter Laura, uncovered stories that she had written in grade school. Currently, she is teaching children how to write their own stories from pictures they’ve made at summer camp. She was amazed at how good her stories were. It pays to save all the stories that were significant to your children from their school age years. When I woke up this morning, in my head, I was writing a story about a watercolor that Sheila has been working on lately. Like I said, my mind was super active. I thought, it is like school, give someone a picture and paint an exciting portrayal about that subject. It was a lot of fun for me to do that about Saddle’s watercolor portrait. Sheila gave me a southwestern background that I love to work with too.
My dad was a collector of stamps, coins, rocks and minerals, and a lifetime of photos. For some time, I have been trying to find a home for his stamp collection. Next Wednesday, I hope Michaan’s Auction House will take it on for consignment. I’m going to do a little research into what stamps are desired now and hopefully, will find some of those in his childhood album. Right now, I’m the only one who cares about this collection. I do want to share it with other fine stamp collectors out there. Some coins I collect also, but of the more recent vintage. Yesterday, I found a large amount of Chinese currency that he had held onto from WW II. My dad took fascinating photos of 1940′s Chinese residents and had a love for Jade stone for carving. Finding that treasure trove yesterday, made me feel closer to my dad, and thought,
Connecting with the Dead
maybe he’s trying to reach out to me in death, too. His naval ship popped into my mind and I thought, for the first time, to look that ship up on the web. Yes, they have a website, and they have a reunion every year. His ship, the USS Mispillion, is part of the moth ball fleet, moored in Suisun Bay near Benicia, California. Lately, there have been some unique connections with the dead happening in my life. I’m not afraid of these happenings, I just want to find out more about them and why are they happening to me now?
What’s On My Mind ?
1960's Foedish Trading Stamps
I’ve got a few things on my mind today. The first is, Amy Winehouse’s death. When Michael Jackson died, I was in disbelief, like a lot of fans of his. I felt sad and thought, it will be so hard to replace all the talent he had. Yes, I think he definitely died too young! With Amy Winehouse’s passing, I felt so sad. She had great talent, but a lot of problems with drugs and alcohol. That sounds so familiar with so many greats having the same kind of problems. She did rise above those issues to have monumental success, such as winning 5 Grammys! So many musicians never achieve that success. Amy Winehouse will always be remembered for her accomplishments, her wonderful voice and phrasing of music, and she died at 27 joining the club with so many musical greats before her. I miss you Amy Winehouse! Yes, your music needs to be on my ipod.
Does anyone remember S & H Green Stamps or Foedish’s Sharing Stamps? I have some that belonged to my family from the 1960′s. I remember that last time we used our S & H Green Stamps to by a lawn chair. I fondly remember the Foedish Store is the Whitesboro Shopping Center too! We would save our stamps religiously and then love to trade them for some handy appliances or whatever we needed that was small but necessary around our house. In the 1960′s, we saved and bought carefully. My family in Utica, New York, was a hard working one and had lived through The Great Depression. As it is now, these days are not a lot better than that. A few things really bother me about our current economic system that we live under. Not enough jobs are available to be had by everyone who wants one and our health insurance system is way out of touch with the general needs of most Americans. I’m currently at a local health clinic and they treat me excellent. My past health insurance companies would send me letters laughing in my face, that I needed to have medical tests done, because I was of a certain age. I kept paying for health insurance, because I thought I was supposed to do that! I just couldn’t afford to use it! I’m not unusual. Just like so many struggling Americans of a certain age.
Well, this is how I’m feeling today. At least my high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low vitamin D, and low lipids are improving. I’m waiting on the mammogram and colonoscopy.
Patriotic Activity
Yesterday, I began a one day job teaching preschool to middle school children patriotic songs. I thought, yes I can do that! I’m an All – American citizen who definitely cares about her country. Knowing I was going to be teaching these children singing, I went searching for song books that I owned. The “We Sing Songbook” about patriotic songs was what I found. I think it may have been started by teachers from the 1970′s. It’s a great little book about American History and teaches about when these great songs were written and why they are so memorable. The big problem I had in teaching these children, was they were not interested in learning these American standby songs. I was given an assignment and job that they could care less about. There attitude, as well as, the summer academy owner’s, really bothered me. I take all my jobs seriously! There were about 8 out of 20 children that did care about what I was doing yesterday! That shocked me with there beautiful voices and music reading ability! In the end, I did it for them. Kudos to those children who have learned something great about Americas’ patriotic songs. I think they will go far in this country!
Today was supposed to be a day to get my antiques appraised. I traveled to Alameda with mapquest driving instructions on my seat next to me. I got lost in Alameda and ended up in the parking lot of the USS Hornet Museum and Aircraft Carrier from WWII and two Lunar Landings Recoveries. It was ironic after yesterday, trying to teach children about patriotic songs and American History. I did feel drawn to the USS Hornet. I was one of the most successful Navy vessels that fought during the war. Maybe, my dad’s spirit was drawing me there. I did have his Military Issue WWII Money Certificates with me to be appraised for their current value. So I paid for my admission and sat down for the live orientation to the ship. Immediately I felt cold temperatures next to me and around my legs. The cold sensations were sitting next to me in an empty seat. After orientation was over, I joined a docent student tour through the lower decks of the ship. As we entered a crewman living deck, I felt unusual warm spots where nobody was standing. It felt like energy that had been leftover there. One other place I have felt, what I think is paranormal activity, is the same type of warm spots with cold ones at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Theater in Niles, CA. It felt to me, that the ghosts were making their presence known to me at both of those places. I know Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters have checked out the USS Hornet for paranormal activity and have found that it exists there.
So it was a very patriotic last two days for me. I felt good that some of the children that I sang patriotic songs with shared history with me that day. We felt American together. The tour I took today on the USS Hornet and the museum volunteers and people I spoke with made me feel more patriotic and I thought I was doing good re-living our country’s young history. Yes, I remember the Apollo 11 Moon Landing and their vessel recovery with our brave astronauts was placed onboard the ship the USS Hornet. I’m proud to have visited this great Navy ship. I know my dad would have been very proud. I feel he was one of the Navy personnel that was aboard ship with me today.
Dad loved the Navy!
Silent Movies at Niles Theater
Last night, some of my family went to view silent movies at the Niles Theater for Bronco Billy Days, held every year. I have been a silent movie fan and television viewer since I was 2 years-old. I’m mesmerized by the action and acting on the screen. Last night, we saw a 1924 movie called, “Manhandled” starring Gloria Swanson. I always remembered Ms. Swanson from “Sunset Boulevard” as Norma Desmond with her classic line, “Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.” She was funny and skilled as a silent screen artist in the film “Manhandled.” Again, I was mesmerized by Ms. Swanson’s wonderful entertaining screen presence. All the attention was given to her for good reason. What an actress!!!
At the theater last night was 93 year-old, child silent film star, “Baby Peggy.” The still attractive and active silent comedy star’s real name is Diana Serra Cary. She has written at least 3 books about the silent screen Hollywood era and what it was like growing up during the 1920′s as a pioneer child star of great magnitude. On Sunday, the Niles Essanay Silent Film Theater will be playing Baby Peggy’s 1924 film, “The Family Secret.” I just have to see this film since I’m reading her book, “What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy, The Autobiography of Hollywood’s Pioneer Child Star.” Ms. Cary, will also be introducing the film to the movie goers at the theater. It is such a pleasure and treat to see a former child star actress that is still alive and well from the 1920′s. The Niles Silent Movie Theater has applied to be listed on the Register for National Historic Places. It needs to be voted for and preserved for all posterity.
I picked up up Cinecon newsletter at the Niles Theater last night. This is a classic film festival that takes place over Labor Day Weekend every year in Hollywood. I’m thinking about going for a day or so this year. Cinecon is the oldest and most notable of fan classic film festivals for showing rare and unusual films, having exciting celebrity guests, and offering some of the best movie memorabilia around. The classic movie screenings will be held at the restored 1922 Grauman’s Egyptian Movie Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. So, the next time you rent a movie, think about a classic one or better yet, a classic silent movie. You will be entertained. You will laugh out loud with joy and wonder at how magnificent these silent screen actors performed. It really was an art form.
Not Up To Par
Lately, there are a lot of days that I’m not feeling my best. I still have day to day life to live, though. I have weird neurological symptoms that come and go. Sometimes, they occur on a daily basis for a few hours. Other times, they can last for a few days. What’s bothering me today, is black lines that seem to be spasmodically showing themselves in my right eye. It looks like a bleeping image like a camera flash going off. It’s usually my right eye that has all this difficulty. My neurologist knows about these weird occurrences. These symptoms have a mind of their own, but do happen more often when I’m stressed or tired. I just hope I don’t lose the sight in my right eye or left, for that matter.
With my nursing background, in a sense, I know too much. I try not to anticipate the worst, but try to understand and reason with my body. When the black image bothered me at work, at first, it looked like a black bug in front of my eye. Then I realized there wasn’t a bug at all. I was having some type of spasm event with the vessels in my eye. Muscle spasms are probably one of my usual occurrences anywhere they want to occur in my body. Bladder spasms are very tender and painful. My mom knew all too well what they felt like. She wore an indwelling foley catheter, due to her MS. I don’t have them nearly as often as she had them. The thing is, I can have weird symptoms, but I try to function fairly normally. My doctor follows my symptoms and would see me if he had to sooner, than my yearly appointment. I really dislike it, when I can’t find the right words to say, or they just come out wrong. It’s embarrassing and people think that I’ve been drinking. The truth is, that alcohol doesn’t mix well with muscle spasm medication that I already take.
My mom was permanently disabled. Sometimes I feel quasi-disabled. Some days, I have multiple spasms and I have zero energy in my body. During those times, it’s mind over matter. If Vitamin Water works that wonderful! I reach for food that will have a positive effect on my lack of energy. I remember even in high school, feeling like I needed an adrenaline shot to get me through the day. Much of my life has been a struggle with a lack of energy. My mom received Vitamin B12 injections for much of her ill life. I’ve realized that B vitamins are what I need to function during these low energy days. I’m improving my diet also to include a balance of protein with more fiber and fuel for energy. I love honey as a sweetener. My creative juices have been flowing and they enable me to create my own healthy recipes. I love to cook and create healthy and creative foods. Food is so important to me now, more that ever, for energy and healing.
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress.com. After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard) to start a fresh post.
Here are some suggestions for your first post.
- You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post.
- Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting page you read on the web.
- Make some changes to this page, and then hit preview on the right. You can alway preview any post or edit you before you share it to the world.
The to do File
It was a catch up day for me today. Catching up with all the mundane jobs that I put off, until they have to be done. One is closet cleaning. This for me, probably happens twice a year. I open up my clothes closet everyday to select my wardrobe, but don’t want to go near it, to organize it and recycle its contents. It takes hours to do this and active thinking. Although, I had these feelings about this job, it was worthwhile doing it!
What I found was fruitful and relieving. For all of the winter months, I had been looking for my favorite green and white sweater. I knew it still existed, but didn’t know where it had disappeared to. My closet was like a dank, dark, dungeon where my forsaken clothes were released to. I found a cotton plaid shirt that so reminded me of the shirt I just ordered from L.L.Bean, because I needed that shirt again. I guess you might say, a day later and a dollar short. Well, the old one looked old and the new one will be bright and crisp. I was thinking about the new substitute work year when I ordered it. I am looking forward to the new school year, now that this one is wrapping up.
From my closet, I recycled many magazine articles that I had saved and just didn’t find a need for them anymore. They were clutter without a purpose. A good thing to recycle. I so believe in recycling and reusing. My old paper will be used as ground up material in pet bedding and in reusable paper making. I felt good releasing my clutter. It felt like a natural purging. I even found a “Polar Express” music CD that I never opened from some Christmas’s ago. I might give it as a gift next year or open it and enjoy it for myself.
It also endeared me to find my oldest daughter’s baby shoes, my dad’s Navy years photo album, and my “American Idol” and sports cards album again. Uncovering the old is sentimental and heartfelt to me. My oldest daughter is 22 and working on her own art business. I’m a big sports fan and wanted to find my LeBron James Cavaliers basketball card again. I’ve been watching all the NBA Finals games and I still think LeBron and The Heat are great! Dallas is terrific too! It’s been a nail biting championship! Everytime, I find my dad’s photo albums I feel so close to him again. When I think of him, I miss him so much. I think it is my love for my relatives that have passed on that promotes paranormal activity that happens around myself and my family. We have heard unusual voices, seen movement of chairs, and have heard objects being dropped by no one. It’s a topic I feel very affected by and close to. More on this later.
