I have spent an inordinate amount of time this week listening to the proceedings in Congress for the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor. I have confirmed in my own mind the fact that you do not have to be brilliant, or have any common sense to become a Congressman. For that matter you don't have to have these qualifications to hold any public office!
My first hand experience with finding this out was quite a shock to me. I sat in on a debate and then later a panel discussion of the nine candidates running for the State House in Sarasota when Keith was running. I was so appalled at the shallowness of some of the candidates and the lack of knowledge and preparedness for some of them. They were pathetic. They were all given a few minutes to introduce themselves and give an account of their experiences and qualifications. One man pointed out that he was a former BoyScout leader and a father. One of the women said she could speak two languages which would give her an advantage, other than that she was a housewife and was tired of people saying she could not raise enough money to get elected.Others were unable to give any answer to questions about some of the issues facing the State. I was better informed than some of them and I don't even live in Florida!
I found the same level of ignorance and lack of knowledge and comprehension on the part of some of the questioners in the hearings. They spent two or three days asking the same questions over and over. They always got the same answer no matter how they worded the questions but that did not deter them in the least. What it all boiled down to was that they think white, preferably older, MEN are the only ones fit to be on the Supreme Court. They were terrified at the word 'empathy'. Perhaps because it is an unfamiliar word to them. The word WOMAN is equally scary and Hispanic was almost more than they could handle. Strange as it may seem they did not delve into the fact that she is Catholic. If she is confirmed, there will be six Catholics on the Court. That in itself must frighten many of them. The whole proceeding was such a farce, they want to be reelected when their term is up and they want their constituents to think they are doing important work. What a waste of time and money. I did see where they gave themselves a nice raise again. No hearings connected to that decision. It is probably the one and only issue that was passed with agreement on both sides of the aisle. No party lines involved. Ciao!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Beaches
Garrison Keillor said that the Mid Westerners are the people that feel the need to travel. He said the Coastal people don't have to travel because they can just sit back and expect the rest of us to come to them. I just recently got to travel once again to the coast. I thought I might never again get the chance to go to the beach! I loved the whole trip and hope it will not be my last.
Growing up in the mid-west in the Depression years ruled out , pretty much, any chance of going to the ocean. I had to satisfy myself by reading all of the books that I could find that had to do with bodies of water larger than Indian Lake, Muzzy's Lake or Mad River. I did live in Cincinnati ,Ohio for three or four years but going to the Ohio River was not on our agenda.
In about 1953 Doc and I drove to Florida from Springfield, O. It took us two full days to drive it. There were no Interstates in those days and most of the trip was on two lane roads. The mountain roads were treacherous, but we made it. (Almost) Our battery was getting weaker and weaker when we were going through the Everglades. The lights were growing dimmer and dimmer and since we had seen a number of snakes and a few turtles crossing the road during the day light we were sure that if the battery gave up entirely we would have to stay in the car until daylight, no one in their right mind would get out of the car in the dark of night. No other traffic was on the road, no one ahead of us and no one behind us. We finally made out the lights of a city ahead and we coasted into a parking space on the down town street of the small town we had reached. We had to walk to the nearest filling station and ask for help. We rented a room for that night, one with a flashing sign right outside the window and a bathroom down the hall. The car was ready to go again the next morning and we drove on in to Coral Gables, where we were staying in a private home with rooms to rent, and then on to Miami where I finally saw the Ocean! What a marvel! It was instant love, truly, love at first sight! My first time ever to stand on the beach and feel the tide's pull and the sand rush out from beneath my feet. I felt the world move!
From that day forward I know that I can always find peace and reassurance at the ocean's edge. The edge of the world.About 16 years later, after Paul got home from the Viet Nam war, he was stationed in Charlotte, N.C. as an officer selection officer. Pat was just about nine or ten months old. We drove to Charlotte to visit with them and decided to go over to the beach that was just an hour and a half from their home. We went to Myrtle Beach. We stayed in a motel that was just about a block from the beach. We also explored the area and drove down Hw. 17 and found Garden City. The next year we rented a house on the beach at Garden City.
From that time on we went back year after year. We took a few years off now and then. One year we went to the Outer Banks and stayed at Kitty Hawk. Our house was about a block off the beach and the beach was full of jelly fish. Blech! We did travel down to Cape Hatteras, Coquina Beach and others. We climbed to the top of the tallest light house on the Atlantic Coast. That light house has since then been moved back further on the beach because of erosion in that area.
One year, Doc, Mickey and Warner and I went to New Hampshire for our vacation. We drove over to Bath, Maine to tour a boat builders shop and toured one of the tall boats that had taken part in the salute to the Statue of Liberty in New York's Harbor. The beaches on Maine's coast were not as wide as the beaches on the Strand, they were rather rocky too. However,we ate lobster on the dock where the lobstermen bring the day's catch in. Right out of the ocean and into the pot!
When Linda and I visited Scotland we sailed across the Irish Sea by ferry boat to get to Wales. We traveled up into the Highlands of Scotland and while there had a picnic lunch on the beach of the North Sea in St. Andrews, Scotland. ( We also had lunch and a cruise on Lock Lomand and visited Loch Ness the same day. (No sign of Nessie).
I am going to write more tomorrow on other ventures that I have enjoyed that I have stored in my memory. (As if you cared, huh?)
,
Growing up in the mid-west in the Depression years ruled out , pretty much, any chance of going to the ocean. I had to satisfy myself by reading all of the books that I could find that had to do with bodies of water larger than Indian Lake, Muzzy's Lake or Mad River. I did live in Cincinnati ,Ohio for three or four years but going to the Ohio River was not on our agenda.
In about 1953 Doc and I drove to Florida from Springfield, O. It took us two full days to drive it. There were no Interstates in those days and most of the trip was on two lane roads. The mountain roads were treacherous, but we made it. (Almost) Our battery was getting weaker and weaker when we were going through the Everglades. The lights were growing dimmer and dimmer and since we had seen a number of snakes and a few turtles crossing the road during the day light we were sure that if the battery gave up entirely we would have to stay in the car until daylight, no one in their right mind would get out of the car in the dark of night. No other traffic was on the road, no one ahead of us and no one behind us. We finally made out the lights of a city ahead and we coasted into a parking space on the down town street of the small town we had reached. We had to walk to the nearest filling station and ask for help. We rented a room for that night, one with a flashing sign right outside the window and a bathroom down the hall. The car was ready to go again the next morning and we drove on in to Coral Gables, where we were staying in a private home with rooms to rent, and then on to Miami where I finally saw the Ocean! What a marvel! It was instant love, truly, love at first sight! My first time ever to stand on the beach and feel the tide's pull and the sand rush out from beneath my feet. I felt the world move!
From that day forward I know that I can always find peace and reassurance at the ocean's edge. The edge of the world.About 16 years later, after Paul got home from the Viet Nam war, he was stationed in Charlotte, N.C. as an officer selection officer. Pat was just about nine or ten months old. We drove to Charlotte to visit with them and decided to go over to the beach that was just an hour and a half from their home. We went to Myrtle Beach. We stayed in a motel that was just about a block from the beach. We also explored the area and drove down Hw. 17 and found Garden City. The next year we rented a house on the beach at Garden City.
From that time on we went back year after year. We took a few years off now and then. One year we went to the Outer Banks and stayed at Kitty Hawk. Our house was about a block off the beach and the beach was full of jelly fish. Blech! We did travel down to Cape Hatteras, Coquina Beach and others. We climbed to the top of the tallest light house on the Atlantic Coast. That light house has since then been moved back further on the beach because of erosion in that area.
One year, Doc, Mickey and Warner and I went to New Hampshire for our vacation. We drove over to Bath, Maine to tour a boat builders shop and toured one of the tall boats that had taken part in the salute to the Statue of Liberty in New York's Harbor. The beaches on Maine's coast were not as wide as the beaches on the Strand, they were rather rocky too. However,we ate lobster on the dock where the lobstermen bring the day's catch in. Right out of the ocean and into the pot!
When Linda and I visited Scotland we sailed across the Irish Sea by ferry boat to get to Wales. We traveled up into the Highlands of Scotland and while there had a picnic lunch on the beach of the North Sea in St. Andrews, Scotland. ( We also had lunch and a cruise on Lock Lomand and visited Loch Ness the same day. (No sign of Nessie).
I am going to write more tomorrow on other ventures that I have enjoyed that I have stored in my memory. (As if you cared, huh?)
,
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Long Time No Blog!
I have had a busy summer, so far. I think my house will be the first house on the block to be totally energy efficient. My utility bills were so outlandish all winter that I was overwhelmed. My house was always cold even with two rooms closed off and the thermostat set at a low setting. I needed a supplemental electric heater to warm my bed room, where I spent most of my time trying to keep warm. Still the bills were $280.00 or more a month. Mike called LG&E and requested that they do an assessment on my house to see why my bills were so exorbitant. One inspector led to another,and finally I became the recipient of the weatherization program group. This originally started in late January or early February. Off and on since then, I have had people in and out of my house improving my energy saving existence.
First I've had all new light bulbs to replace my incandescent bulbs. I had already started to replace the old bulbs with new but they were so expensive that I was doing it one or two at a time. One month I found a "buy one get one free " deal which I snapped right up because it was Senior Day at Kroger's and all purchases were 10% off. Good deal! However when I got home and promptly took one of the bulbs up to switch it out with another, I dropped it and broke it! Bummer. Not only that but that was the night on the news when they said the new light bulbs were hazardous because they contained mercury. They suggested that the haz-mat group be called to help clean up the residue. I had already cleaned it up and disposed of it in the trash can. I worried for about ten minutes until I recalled my kids having mercury in a bottle at sometime during their growing up years and all of us "playing" with it. It separated when poked and then rejoined into the original blob when prodded. Anyway, I now have a plethora of energy saving light bulbs. They do not give off enough light, as far as I can see, but I will abide by the suggestions. I also have "water saving" devises on all my faucets and my shower head. I don't especially like those either. It takes forever to fill up a container with water. (Whine,whine).
Next on the agenda was a new furnace, that was installed in May when it was nice and warm. I already had an energy saving water heater and was advised to do all my laundry on a cold/cold setting. OK, I can handle that. The furnace was not needed in May because the weather was Goldy locks good, not too hot and not too cold but just right. LG&E bill was only $99. 00. Things were looking up!
. I failed to mention earlier that due to the ice storm in late January and early February, we had numerous tree limbs fall on the roof that resulted in three holes in the roof. Gregg patched the holes and I had the tree man 'clean' out the oak tree and remove the remaining dead limbs and the less secure looking limbs so as to avoid further damage from that source. I have also been under attack by the wood-peckers and have large holes in the cedar shake siding on the car port shed and on the side of the carport eave. I had to have a man come and replace that damage with vinyl siding.
In the middle of June a cadre of men showed up to begin the insulation process. The over-seer of all of these repairs is a 6'5" man named Rich. He has high expectations of his workers and is a tough task master. In his mind the only way to do a job is to do it properly. No half-way measures for him. When the job does not suit him he demands a re-do. I spent all of last week with men in and out of the house doing their thing. Fergus and I adjusted! I had to call a hiatus from June 27 until July 5 because I went to the beach with Karen, Paul and family, but when I got back the men came again to finish the tasks. I also got a new refrigerator in the midst of all of the activity,(energy efficient, of course).
I have 2 inch holes every 18 inches in my living room, kitchen, bathroom bed rooms and office room walls. That's where they blew in the insulation. The attic has been insulated over the whole house. There had to be a new access cut in the ceiling of the carport so they could access the attic over the living room. The holes in the walls had to be patched with dry wall mud and have to be repainted, by us, sooner or later. The holes all have yet to be sanded so I know that there will be dust on every surface, every crack and cranny of the house! Yikes! Big dusting party, all are invited, bring your own duster!
They discovered yesterday that the pan that drains the condensation from the air conditioner has rusted, there-by ruining the coil or some such thing and I need a new air conditioner which they are coming tomorrow to begin replacing!
The air-conditioner men will be here at the same time the insulation men will be finishing up and I think Fergus and I will be looking forward to a glass of wine at the end of the day! I'll have to drink his for him, but I'm up to the task!
I feel I've done my duty for the environment and hope my LG&E bills will show that it was worth the effort. I think they will owe me money instead of me owing them once all of these adjustments kick in! Right? I can't wait until January to see my bill.
PS, the vacation was fabulous and I hope I get to do that again someday! Ciao
First I've had all new light bulbs to replace my incandescent bulbs. I had already started to replace the old bulbs with new but they were so expensive that I was doing it one or two at a time. One month I found a "buy one get one free " deal which I snapped right up because it was Senior Day at Kroger's and all purchases were 10% off. Good deal! However when I got home and promptly took one of the bulbs up to switch it out with another, I dropped it and broke it! Bummer. Not only that but that was the night on the news when they said the new light bulbs were hazardous because they contained mercury. They suggested that the haz-mat group be called to help clean up the residue. I had already cleaned it up and disposed of it in the trash can. I worried for about ten minutes until I recalled my kids having mercury in a bottle at sometime during their growing up years and all of us "playing" with it. It separated when poked and then rejoined into the original blob when prodded. Anyway, I now have a plethora of energy saving light bulbs. They do not give off enough light, as far as I can see, but I will abide by the suggestions. I also have "water saving" devises on all my faucets and my shower head. I don't especially like those either. It takes forever to fill up a container with water. (Whine,whine).
Next on the agenda was a new furnace, that was installed in May when it was nice and warm. I already had an energy saving water heater and was advised to do all my laundry on a cold/cold setting. OK, I can handle that. The furnace was not needed in May because the weather was Goldy locks good, not too hot and not too cold but just right. LG&E bill was only $99. 00. Things were looking up!
. I failed to mention earlier that due to the ice storm in late January and early February, we had numerous tree limbs fall on the roof that resulted in three holes in the roof. Gregg patched the holes and I had the tree man 'clean' out the oak tree and remove the remaining dead limbs and the less secure looking limbs so as to avoid further damage from that source. I have also been under attack by the wood-peckers and have large holes in the cedar shake siding on the car port shed and on the side of the carport eave. I had to have a man come and replace that damage with vinyl siding.
In the middle of June a cadre of men showed up to begin the insulation process. The over-seer of all of these repairs is a 6'5" man named Rich. He has high expectations of his workers and is a tough task master. In his mind the only way to do a job is to do it properly. No half-way measures for him. When the job does not suit him he demands a re-do. I spent all of last week with men in and out of the house doing their thing. Fergus and I adjusted! I had to call a hiatus from June 27 until July 5 because I went to the beach with Karen, Paul and family, but when I got back the men came again to finish the tasks. I also got a new refrigerator in the midst of all of the activity,(energy efficient, of course).
I have 2 inch holes every 18 inches in my living room, kitchen, bathroom bed rooms and office room walls. That's where they blew in the insulation. The attic has been insulated over the whole house. There had to be a new access cut in the ceiling of the carport so they could access the attic over the living room. The holes in the walls had to be patched with dry wall mud and have to be repainted, by us, sooner or later. The holes all have yet to be sanded so I know that there will be dust on every surface, every crack and cranny of the house! Yikes! Big dusting party, all are invited, bring your own duster!
They discovered yesterday that the pan that drains the condensation from the air conditioner has rusted, there-by ruining the coil or some such thing and I need a new air conditioner which they are coming tomorrow to begin replacing!
The air-conditioner men will be here at the same time the insulation men will be finishing up and I think Fergus and I will be looking forward to a glass of wine at the end of the day! I'll have to drink his for him, but I'm up to the task!
I feel I've done my duty for the environment and hope my LG&E bills will show that it was worth the effort. I think they will owe me money instead of me owing them once all of these adjustments kick in! Right? I can't wait until January to see my bill.
PS, the vacation was fabulous and I hope I get to do that again someday! Ciao
Saturday, June 20, 2009
The Fitzgerald Family Celebrates
Saturday, June 13 as advertised, we all gathered at Andrea and Travis's home for our annual get together. All six of the children, five spouses, twelve grandchildren out of fourteen, nine of the grandchildren 's spouses, twenty of the twenty four great-grandchildren, and I ,the matriarch, attended. My great-nephew, Paul Durhea and his son Gavin and Gavin's mother Sandeena came from Cincinnati to join us.
We missed grand-daughter Shannon and her husband, Lenny along with their sons Nicholas and Daniel who are presently living in Japan. (they will be here for next year's bash) and Shannon's son Eric who lives in Owensboro and Grand-son Patrick and wife Kristy and son Alex who could not make it from Raleigh N.C. We missed them all and hope they'll make it next year because it is an awesome event! That totaled fifty-three members of the Fitzgerald Clan,and three members of the Charters Clan.
The Fitzgerald Clan Extraordinaire now has sixty-one members!
We had a fabulous time, lots of good food and drink and lots of wit and wisdom. The younger generation of cousins enjoy getting together with each other and join right in with the fun and laughter as if they had just parted company yesterday. For most of them, they only meet at family gatherings. One of the two year olds said, "I'm shy but I'm happy (to be here.)
We brought the films of the family trips to the beaches of North Carolina, the 60th wedding anniversary film of Doc and me, and a few thousand pictures of all that were taken over the last 66 years. Some nostalgic films and pictures from our lives that caused a lot of laughter and a few tears were enjoyed by most of us. The great -grandchildren really were amused by the films of their parents dancing and cavorting around when they were children. What fun we have had through the years. I love my big family and am so glad that we had them. Trials and tribulations along with all of the humor and loving that this talented group of people have ,I wouldn't have wanted to miss. We certainly fulfilled the following Irish Blessing:
" May there be a generation of children
On the children of your children."
"Slainthe is Saul Agat"
We missed grand-daughter Shannon and her husband, Lenny along with their sons Nicholas and Daniel who are presently living in Japan. (they will be here for next year's bash) and Shannon's son Eric who lives in Owensboro and Grand-son Patrick and wife Kristy and son Alex who could not make it from Raleigh N.C. We missed them all and hope they'll make it next year because it is an awesome event! That totaled fifty-three members of the Fitzgerald Clan,and three members of the Charters Clan.
The Fitzgerald Clan Extraordinaire now has sixty-one members!
We had a fabulous time, lots of good food and drink and lots of wit and wisdom. The younger generation of cousins enjoy getting together with each other and join right in with the fun and laughter as if they had just parted company yesterday. For most of them, they only meet at family gatherings. One of the two year olds said, "I'm shy but I'm happy (to be here.)
We brought the films of the family trips to the beaches of North Carolina, the 60th wedding anniversary film of Doc and me, and a few thousand pictures of all that were taken over the last 66 years. Some nostalgic films and pictures from our lives that caused a lot of laughter and a few tears were enjoyed by most of us. The great -grandchildren really were amused by the films of their parents dancing and cavorting around when they were children. What fun we have had through the years. I love my big family and am so glad that we had them. Trials and tribulations along with all of the humor and loving that this talented group of people have ,I wouldn't have wanted to miss. We certainly fulfilled the following Irish Blessing:
" May there be a generation of children
On the children of your children."
"Slainthe is Saul Agat"
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Right to Keep andBear Arms
The second amendment to the Constitution of the United States:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Have you ever read the messages on the pro-gun Web sites? It is enough to chill your bones. They are sure that the President is trying to "get your guns". Immediately following the election and actually for days before there were long lines of people outside the gun shops and the gun shows frantically buying guns because they were being told that the President was going to come and take them away from them! Many people have large arsenals in their basements and car trunks, and attics to ward off the "gun taker boogie-man".
A few months ago there were three or four mass murders, and thousands of individual murders, many of them by teens, that happen every day. Quite a few police were shot and killed, even a few in our area, but many others across the country. One of the killers in Pennsylvania that killed three police officers and wounded one other was said to have slept with a gun under his pillow in a basement filled with various firearms and ammunition because he believed that the Jews controlled the media and that the President was scheming to take away his guns! I knew a woman that boasted of her husband's arsenal and laughingly said, " He's going to be ready if the 'little black folks' try to get to us."
A few people that are well known enough that they are featured on television news shows have advocated all college students and faculty should have the right to carry guns, that all teachers and faculty members in high schools should carry guns. ( Think how that would liven up the keg parties in college!) Just this past weekend a local pastor invited all of his parishioners to bring their guns to church. They were not allowed to bring LOADED guns. Sort of a Barney Fife type gathering. The pastor, of course, got his 15 minutes of fame on all the news shows and postulated about how much safer we would all be if we could all 'carry'.
I do not claim to be an anti-gun nut. Both my father and my husband were hunters for a brief period of time. My dad put food on our table during the Great Depression years. He had a double barrel shot gun. It was only used for hunting. Doc had a shot gun and he also hunted food for us to eat. He was never a very enthusiastic hunter, I think he enjoyed eating pheasant and rabbit and being out with a few friends but that is as far as it went. He gave it up after just a few trips. My great-uncles had guns on their farms to ward off the foxes and other animals that would kill some of their stock. However, I never saw those guns because they were only brought to the fore in the event of some definite threat to the stock.
The deer population in this part of the country had reached the point that they needed to be thinned out and hunters were invited to help decrease the number. In parts of the country coyotes, bear, deer, wolves and other animals were creeping closer and closer to urban areas and it became necessary to decrease their number too. We have encroached on their natural habit ates to the point that they have to come in to forage for food. Good reasons to have guns.
Nevertheless, it does not take an AK-47 or an Uzi or an automatic rifle, or any powerful hand gun to protect the property of the citizens. We do have an armed force of men in every city and county in this country. The hand guns that are in the hands of the types of people that would shoot a person over an athletic game outcome, or because his brother wouldn't give him computer time, or because of a dispute over who got the last pork chop, these guns should be taken away. There are supposed to be background checks and proof of sound minds etc. before a licence is issued, but somehow or other I don't think the present laws are working.
Just as the banks and money lenders and financial people got out of control because of the lack of regulations, I fear that the same thing is happening with the gun enthusiasts. They don't want firmer regulations because they resent them and think their rights are being violated. Well, what about all of the people that are shot and killed by hand guns, what about their rights? How many people are shot because their home or life or life of a family member are being threatened by a criminal? Most of the people that are shot by handguns are shot by either jealous lovers, drunken spouses, drug deals gone bad, money or just pure cussedness. The guns are not used to protect their homes or loved ones they are used to fulfill the purpose of the gun. To kill some living thing. They are used to settle arguments.
We need more stringent rules and regulations regarding guns! But alas, its like the genie out of the bottle, what's to be done about all of the illegal and ill gotten guns that are already out there?
Woe is us!
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Have you ever read the messages on the pro-gun Web sites? It is enough to chill your bones. They are sure that the President is trying to "get your guns". Immediately following the election and actually for days before there were long lines of people outside the gun shops and the gun shows frantically buying guns because they were being told that the President was going to come and take them away from them! Many people have large arsenals in their basements and car trunks, and attics to ward off the "gun taker boogie-man".
A few months ago there were three or four mass murders, and thousands of individual murders, many of them by teens, that happen every day. Quite a few police were shot and killed, even a few in our area, but many others across the country. One of the killers in Pennsylvania that killed three police officers and wounded one other was said to have slept with a gun under his pillow in a basement filled with various firearms and ammunition because he believed that the Jews controlled the media and that the President was scheming to take away his guns! I knew a woman that boasted of her husband's arsenal and laughingly said, " He's going to be ready if the 'little black folks' try to get to us."
A few people that are well known enough that they are featured on television news shows have advocated all college students and faculty should have the right to carry guns, that all teachers and faculty members in high schools should carry guns. ( Think how that would liven up the keg parties in college!) Just this past weekend a local pastor invited all of his parishioners to bring their guns to church. They were not allowed to bring LOADED guns. Sort of a Barney Fife type gathering. The pastor, of course, got his 15 minutes of fame on all the news shows and postulated about how much safer we would all be if we could all 'carry'.
I do not claim to be an anti-gun nut. Both my father and my husband were hunters for a brief period of time. My dad put food on our table during the Great Depression years. He had a double barrel shot gun. It was only used for hunting. Doc had a shot gun and he also hunted food for us to eat. He was never a very enthusiastic hunter, I think he enjoyed eating pheasant and rabbit and being out with a few friends but that is as far as it went. He gave it up after just a few trips. My great-uncles had guns on their farms to ward off the foxes and other animals that would kill some of their stock. However, I never saw those guns because they were only brought to the fore in the event of some definite threat to the stock.
The deer population in this part of the country had reached the point that they needed to be thinned out and hunters were invited to help decrease the number. In parts of the country coyotes, bear, deer, wolves and other animals were creeping closer and closer to urban areas and it became necessary to decrease their number too. We have encroached on their natural habit ates to the point that they have to come in to forage for food. Good reasons to have guns.
Nevertheless, it does not take an AK-47 or an Uzi or an automatic rifle, or any powerful hand gun to protect the property of the citizens. We do have an armed force of men in every city and county in this country. The hand guns that are in the hands of the types of people that would shoot a person over an athletic game outcome, or because his brother wouldn't give him computer time, or because of a dispute over who got the last pork chop, these guns should be taken away. There are supposed to be background checks and proof of sound minds etc. before a licence is issued, but somehow or other I don't think the present laws are working.
Just as the banks and money lenders and financial people got out of control because of the lack of regulations, I fear that the same thing is happening with the gun enthusiasts. They don't want firmer regulations because they resent them and think their rights are being violated. Well, what about all of the people that are shot and killed by hand guns, what about their rights? How many people are shot because their home or life or life of a family member are being threatened by a criminal? Most of the people that are shot by handguns are shot by either jealous lovers, drunken spouses, drug deals gone bad, money or just pure cussedness. The guns are not used to protect their homes or loved ones they are used to fulfill the purpose of the gun. To kill some living thing. They are used to settle arguments.
We need more stringent rules and regulations regarding guns! But alas, its like the genie out of the bottle, what's to be done about all of the illegal and ill gotten guns that are already out there?
Woe is us!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Fun Time
The whole family is gearing up for the annual Fitzgerald Family Fun Festival. We are looking forward to seeing everyone.
I spent about four hours this afternoon looking through pictures of the family that I've saved throughout the years. I will bring them to the gathering and people can go through them at their liesure. Some of them bring back such great memories. It will be fun for some of us to see how much we have changed over the years. Remember how good you thought you looked in that dress? those shorts? that bathing suit? Or remember how many diets you went on? I remember when I actually had hair!!
There are so many pictures of Grandpa with a baby in his arms and a dog at his feet, I sometimes could not identify the baby so you will have to do that for us. I also have pictures of my grandparents and my parents that you can mull over and see who looks like who, etc.
Hundreds of the pictures are at beaches, mostly at Garden City but some from the Outer Banks and at Edisto, most of them from beaches in the Carolinas. We also have some from Lake Michigan, Indian Lake, and a few beaches in Florida and others. For someone with my skin to have spent a big portion of my life on one beach or another, it is a wonder I have any skin left. Granted, I was always under a beach umbrella and a pile of towels or up on the porch watching all of you out there frying. I always came home looking very much like I did when I left home.
While we were at the beach we usually made a movie. We spent a lot of time during the week picking out a theme for the film. We did a murder mystery one year, a musical, we did Jaws, and a few others. Some of those films are so funny and so creative that we thought we should have them at the Fam. Fest. I have two or three but I think there are others out there. If you have one, bring it. We should make a movie at the Fam.Fest. just for old time's sake! Maybe we could have a talent show! Lord knows, we've got talent! Remember the talent show at the funeral? We could even have a grand prize!
I am getting revved up for the day. See y'all there. Ciao.
I spent about four hours this afternoon looking through pictures of the family that I've saved throughout the years. I will bring them to the gathering and people can go through them at their liesure. Some of them bring back such great memories. It will be fun for some of us to see how much we have changed over the years. Remember how good you thought you looked in that dress? those shorts? that bathing suit? Or remember how many diets you went on? I remember when I actually had hair!!
There are so many pictures of Grandpa with a baby in his arms and a dog at his feet, I sometimes could not identify the baby so you will have to do that for us. I also have pictures of my grandparents and my parents that you can mull over and see who looks like who, etc.
Hundreds of the pictures are at beaches, mostly at Garden City but some from the Outer Banks and at Edisto, most of them from beaches in the Carolinas. We also have some from Lake Michigan, Indian Lake, and a few beaches in Florida and others. For someone with my skin to have spent a big portion of my life on one beach or another, it is a wonder I have any skin left. Granted, I was always under a beach umbrella and a pile of towels or up on the porch watching all of you out there frying. I always came home looking very much like I did when I left home.
While we were at the beach we usually made a movie. We spent a lot of time during the week picking out a theme for the film. We did a murder mystery one year, a musical, we did Jaws, and a few others. Some of those films are so funny and so creative that we thought we should have them at the Fam. Fest. I have two or three but I think there are others out there. If you have one, bring it. We should make a movie at the Fam.Fest. just for old time's sake! Maybe we could have a talent show! Lord knows, we've got talent! Remember the talent show at the funeral? We could even have a grand prize!
I am getting revved up for the day. See y'all there. Ciao.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Good Day
This morning I received a phone call that was quite a surprise to me. It was from a fellow that I had not heard from or much about for at least 17 or 18 years. He was a student at de Paul School when he was in grade school, so I knew him there, but after dePaul he moved on to high school and when he was about 16 or 17 he came to be a tutor in the dePaul summer program at Mt. St. Francis.
He is a very good looking guy and pretty much had everything that money could buy. For his 16 th birthday he received a new sports car along with a vanity licence plate that had his name on it. He tooled up to the Mount each day in his carefree manner and was so easy to spot by the State Highway patrolmen that he got a few speeding tickets, which his dad promptly paid. He was sorely in need of some "growing up" skills. I did my best to provide him with those skills. He was always amenable to my guidance but did not always apply the rules that I urged him to follow. He had a very winning smile and the charm that is so evident in so many dyslexic people.
We concentrated on changing the lives of the children that we taught but along with that we changed the lives of the young tutors that we hired. It was a daunting task but I loved it. He was a challenge because of his delayed maturation. Somehow or other we survived the many trials and tribulations of the term. I dealt with a few thousand more children in the following winters and summers after that summer. I do remember most of them.
When he called me this morning, he identified himself and asked if I had a few minutes that he could talk to me. He said he was baby-sitting his two children, a one year old and a 3 year old, and he said he'd apologize in advance if he had to rush off screaming suddenly. He told me that he thought of me frequently and of the things I had said to him in those years in my effort to grow him up. He wanted to thank me and had wanted to thank me for years for my patience and guidance with him. He quoted a few of the things that I had said to him during those years. One of the things that he said he often thought about was my statement that all authority was by assumption. (At the time I was trying to convince him that he could indeed teach his little student the Linguistic rules and other things without being intimedated.
He is now a member of LDA and is intent on giving adult learners the opportunity to learn to read and write. He said he finally did grow up and realize that he had to quit depending on his dad for everything and to also realize that he could never take his dad's place in the world. He is selling real estate and doing well, and he is married and has his two beautiful kids. He is content with his life. I know that he is giving me too much credit for his success. He had the potential all along, he just needed someone to push him and give him responsibilities.
Every now and then something happens that makes you know that it was all worth while. He said, " When you walk in the door of heaven there will be thousands of people there that will say 'thank you' for being a part of my life." He certainly made my day! I just hope those thousands of people outnumber the ones that will be trying to throw rocks at me! Ciao
He is a very good looking guy and pretty much had everything that money could buy. For his 16 th birthday he received a new sports car along with a vanity licence plate that had his name on it. He tooled up to the Mount each day in his carefree manner and was so easy to spot by the State Highway patrolmen that he got a few speeding tickets, which his dad promptly paid. He was sorely in need of some "growing up" skills. I did my best to provide him with those skills. He was always amenable to my guidance but did not always apply the rules that I urged him to follow. He had a very winning smile and the charm that is so evident in so many dyslexic people.
We concentrated on changing the lives of the children that we taught but along with that we changed the lives of the young tutors that we hired. It was a daunting task but I loved it. He was a challenge because of his delayed maturation. Somehow or other we survived the many trials and tribulations of the term. I dealt with a few thousand more children in the following winters and summers after that summer. I do remember most of them.
When he called me this morning, he identified himself and asked if I had a few minutes that he could talk to me. He said he was baby-sitting his two children, a one year old and a 3 year old, and he said he'd apologize in advance if he had to rush off screaming suddenly. He told me that he thought of me frequently and of the things I had said to him in those years in my effort to grow him up. He wanted to thank me and had wanted to thank me for years for my patience and guidance with him. He quoted a few of the things that I had said to him during those years. One of the things that he said he often thought about was my statement that all authority was by assumption. (At the time I was trying to convince him that he could indeed teach his little student the Linguistic rules and other things without being intimedated.
He is now a member of LDA and is intent on giving adult learners the opportunity to learn to read and write. He said he finally did grow up and realize that he had to quit depending on his dad for everything and to also realize that he could never take his dad's place in the world. He is selling real estate and doing well, and he is married and has his two beautiful kids. He is content with his life. I know that he is giving me too much credit for his success. He had the potential all along, he just needed someone to push him and give him responsibilities.
Every now and then something happens that makes you know that it was all worth while. He said, " When you walk in the door of heaven there will be thousands of people there that will say 'thank you' for being a part of my life." He certainly made my day! I just hope those thousands of people outnumber the ones that will be trying to throw rocks at me! Ciao
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