FOREVER YOUNG

Well nothing much happened today. It actually was very quiet. and at least the sun is shining and the temps are up.

But  I like to glide into the new season, not run smack into it... so hopefully I will enjoy the Spring months ahead without hitting a heat wave...

And for now, I will put these fingers to rest, for tomorrow is another day, and I'm sure I'll have more to say....

FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/my adult writing group

Met with my adult writing group last night.   Some have been with The Writing Force for several years, other's just a little while.

I enjoy my moments with them. They also help me in many ways. It jump starts my brain to start writing again. Working on projects I've put away.   No longer will I procrastinate.

And even if I just write for myself, I'm doing something I care about.

So today, I will take a few moments, and jot down some ideas for a story, or a script, and who knows where it will take me, but I'm looking forward to the journey ahead.

Because writing is what I love to do, so for me it will always be

FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/my teen writers..

This year will be the last year for some of my teen writers, because they are graduating from High School and will be going off to the college..

I will miss them so much. They have been with The Writing Force since ninth grade, and now they are young adults.

 I know they will do extremely well in college.  And they will succeed at anything they set out to do, and I hope The Writing Force helped them along the way..

And for the teens that will remain with the group, who are ninth graders, I look forward to the next few years with them as well.

So for me, my teens and their gift of words and imagination, will always be
FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/the princess and the pea

Spent the night at my cousins. Does anyone remember the story The Princess and the Pea.

Well it's a about a young girl, who had to sleep on a very large mattress. And underneath the mattress there was a very tiny pea, and if the young girl felt it,  she was truly a princess. At least that's how I remember the story.

Which leads me to my little adventure.  I spent the night at my cousins. When it was time for bed, I walked into the room and what did I see, a very large mattress staring at me..

The mattress was so high, that my cousin had to get me a step stool to get into bed. Now I definitely know, I'm not a princess, and I will definitely not find a pea to tell me if I am or not, but I do believe I warrant some type of title, so I'll name myself queen of the step stool, because that's what I needed to use in order to get into the bed.

My cousin and I laughed about my predicament for hours.

Now I'll know what to expect, whenever I visit my cousin's. As they say gone with the old mattress and in with the new.... and the queen will have her step stool nearby to use.

Oh did mention, once I got into bed, I did sleep like a queen.

Now I just have to get my husband, to buy me a new mattress for our bed, and I know for sure,  it will not require a step stool....I had enough ladders in life to climb, I don't need another.

So for me, this adventure will always remain, FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/waiting

Waiting, and Waiting,  isn't that what we all do.

Waiting to go to work. Waiting to go home. Waiting for the weekend to come. Waiting to eat dinner, waiting to go out to dinner. Waiting for someone to call. Waiting to go on vacation, waiting to make an appointment, (hairdresser, doctors, dentists, on and on). And waiting once the appointment is made. Waiting to go for tests. Waiting for results, waiting, waiting, waiting.

Sometimes I wonder, what life would be like, if we didn't have to wait.

Probably wouldn't have anything to complain about, because everything would run smooth and tempers wouldn't flare up. There would be more smiles, more kindness, more togetherness in the world.

Yes if we only lived in a perfect world, there would be no waiting.

But since this isn't a perfect world, the waiting will continue, and continue and continue, because that's what makes the world go round. And that's why I think the word patience was invented, because with all the waiting you  have to do, you'll need twice as much patience to get you through.

so for me I wish all the waiting wasn't

FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/unpredictable dreams

Dreams are so unpredictable. Sometimes they take me on a ride to never never land,  full of fun and adventure, and I don't want to wake up from it, and when I do, I try to go back to sleep and re-capture what I lost, but too late, the dream disappeared forever, and now I'm left wondering what would have happened, if only I  didn't wake up at that moment.. oh well.....

And sometimes when I have a bad dream, I want to wake up, but can't because I'm being pulled deeper and deeper into the tunnel of the unknown, and then I'm trying to find my way out, but the dream won't release its grip on me.

Now that's the dream I want to wake up from.

Yes, the mystery of dreams leave many questions unanswered, but I will keep searching, because for me they will always be

FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/mom's dr, appt.

Yesterday was pretty hectic.  Had to take my mom to the Heart Specialist. She's fine, but of course  as a precaution, the doctor wants her to take some tests.

The doctor thought my mom was much younger then 87.  I know this made her day. Who doesn't want to look young.

So in two weeks, we'll be going back to take the required tests, minus one, a stress test. She's had enough stress to last a lifetime.

As we left the doctor's office, I had mixed emotions. Happy that her condition wasn't serious, but still have questions to be answered, and I won't know anything until the tests results are reviewed.

I'm so fortunate and blessed to still have my mother.  She's full of energy, and has the determination and passion to survive. And I like to think, I inherited that from her.

So even though it was a very trying and emotional day, it ended on a good note. And because you only have one mother, one time around..

And that why my mom will always be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/my westie and westie-poo

I have two dogs, Ralph and Clyde. Ralph is a Westie, and Clyde is a Westie-poo.

My husband rescued Ralph from going to the pound, and Clyde was purchased at a pet store, a pre-Christmas present to me from my kids, two years ago.

They are the most active and bossiest dogs we ever had.

For instance, Ralph knows when it's dinner time, don't know how he knows, but he does. He then fetches my husband to let him know it's time to eat. While my husband is eating, Ralph sits patiently waiting for food to drop from his plate, or mouth whichever comes first, but to be honest this doesn't happen too often. So my husband winds up given Ralph something from his plate..  This of course makes Ralph very happy.

And when Ralph is tired, he let's us know it's time for bed. He pulls at my husband's hand, practically leading him into the bedroom.  It's nite -nite for him..

Now Clyde on the other hand speaks. When he wants a treat, he actually can say WAWA. This is his word for treat. And believe me he knows it well, and takes full advantage of it.

He also demands to go out, more then twice a day, and he doesn't like to( pardon my expression) poo-poo in the yard, he has to go outside of the gate, and into the woods. I guess he's just shy...or too modest...or he just wants to smell around, in case any other animals made their way onto our property.

And when Clyde feels like playing, he will run over to get a ball and drop it in front of you, and won't leave you alone, until you pick it up and throw it.  Fetch time for him....

But as much as these two dogs keep me busy, in fact more then my children used to,  okay maybe I'm exaggerating a little, I wouldn't trade Ralph and Clyde for the world, because they make me laugh, they make me feel happy, and they are the perfect medicine for a bad day....

 Ralph and Clyde are also the best of friends.

And because they are and will always be a part of our family, Ralph and Clyde will always be
FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/it only happens in March

Almost the end of the week, and another weekend ahead. Don't have much planned except to dig out my Spring and summer clothes, hoping the cold weather is gone at last. I really don't want to be confused any longer.

My body resents when it's hot outside, and I'm dressed in winter attire, and it resents when it's cold outside and I'm dressed in spring attire.... The weather is so fickle.

You don't know from one day to the next what to wear. This only happens when March approaches, a month that teases us into believing Spring is finally here...   What's a person to do.  And they say we can't make up our minds.

It's  already been a long long winter, and I don't want to see it return for a long long time....

It's not that I don't like winter, I enjoy watching the snow fall especially at Christmas time, and seeing the beauty of the trees dressed in snowflakes and icicles....A beautiful picture this makes, but some winters just seem longer then others, and some are more harsher then others... and this winter falls into the worse category.

I say this because I lived in the Poconos for most of my young life, raised my family there, and saw enough snow and ice to last a lifetime..

So I'm really looking forward to the warmth, and seeing the trees and flowers in full bloom, and the smiles on everyone's face, because everyone can finally come out of hiding, and enjoy the beautiful weather.

And for those who like the winter, well you won't have to wait too long,  September rolls around all too quickly, and once again you'll feel  the cold and can play in the snow.

But for now, let Spring fill the air, followed by summer and the warmth of the sun.

FOREVER YOUNG
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FOREVER YOUNG:/blog blues gone

The blog blues are gone, for now... and I hope it doesn't come back again... so I look forward to writing on my blog, and for those who are enjoying what I say, thank you.....

FOREVER YOUNG/ dreams

It seems everyone can relate to having dreams, and for me it's an ongoing thing.  Like the other day, I dreamt of the number, 910 and had my husband play it.  He did for both mid-day and night but guess what, I didn't win, and guess again, yes, the first two numbers 91 came out but ended in an 8 instead of a 0.

How frustrating is that.  But there was a time when my dream did get the numbers right......

We were driving on a highway, I was of course behind the wheel. My mother was a front passenger. Can't remember who was in the backseat.  As I'm driving all of a sudden my mom reaches for my steering wheel and we veered off to the side and toppled over the bridge.  But we didn't go down instead we were floating in the air, and in the distant I saw headlights following.

We landed on solid ground. There was this big statue in front of us. I got out of the car and went around the statue.  All of a sudden a man comes out of the ground, dressed in long robe. He looked at me and said it 's thirty-eight minutes to show time.   That's when I woke up. What a crazy dream.

 I looked at the clock and it was 4am.  I never played a number before, to me it was senseless, but something told me to play these numbers.  At first.  I was going to play 438, but the man said 38 so instead played 380, straight and box.

That night, my husband was asleep on the couch, and I was glued to the tv set, waiting for the lottery numbers to be called. Then I heard my number 380. I had won both ways. I  jumped up and down, laughing and screaming that I won, and this of course woke up my husband.

He couldn't believe that I won, let alone the dream I had. The next day, I proudly went to the store to claim my winnings and walked out with $300.00.  Now if only I could have won the $30,000.00 I dreamt of last week, but who knows it still could happen.

Some of my dreams are strange, full of adventure, excitement, and I'm happy to say, most of my dreams don't come true, I would be too exhausted and stressed out... but I 'm  thankful this dream came out.

So whenever I dream of numbers win or loose, I will play them, because you just never know.

And if you happen to dream of a number, don't discard it, go play it, because you just might be a winner.

because for me, dreams will always be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/blog-blues

I have the blog-blues. There are times when I have so much to say, and there are times when I just can't say anything. It's like wrtier's block.

A writer sits at his desk and looks at the blank page on the computer, wondering when his fingers will begin doing its job, but instead winds up staring at the keys, which seems like forever, and then only manages to come up with one or two words. Only to stop again.

The writer then realizes he has been sitting at the computer for hours, and still nothing surfaces from his brain, at least nothing that makes sense, and finally calls it a day, and shuts down the computer. Yet still he hopes an idea will hit him like a tornado, and once again can begin the writing process.

That's how I feel today.  I don't want to bore myself with something that is not worth writing about.  Therefore, maybe something will come to my mind today, or maybe not, but if it doesn't, I surely will visit my blog tomorrow, and continue on my journey, of writing things that are close to my life, and my heart.

FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/mon-day blues

The morning started off a little bumpy, and I'm hoping as the day progresses, it will get much better.

Maybe that's why Mondays have a bad rap. You're just getting over the weekend, possibly from a hangover, or you're just too tired from all the work you did around the house, or maybe you had just a little too much fun, and hope Monday is another week away, but of course it isn't and now you're faced with the Mon-day blues. what to do.....

Well you can drink lots of coffee to get your adrenaline going, or you can  read  a newspaper, that will surely wake up your brain, Or start your day with an action movie, that surely will get you hyped up for the morning rush as your driving to work, and for some who are taking a bus or train, just use your imagination, that always works..

So whatever you decide to do, and whatever day it turns out to be, somehow you'll manage to get through it, and then the Mon-day blues will be a distant memory, that is, until the next Monday arrives.

Therefore for me, The Monday Blues will always be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/our visit with Muhammad Ali.

My husband is sitting at 10:29 am watching the boxing match on HBO, which is not a live version, since he missed it.....but boxing is one of his favorite sports..

This takes me back to a time, when my husband and I went to Ice World, in Totowa, N.J.  were I believe four of our  American boxers had just come back from the Olympics.  This was one of two times I actually watched a boxing match at Ice World.

It was an exciting and memorable time for both of us, even though boxing is not one of my favorite sports, because I don't like to see men beat up on each other, I guess that's the mother in me, but still, I wouldn't have passed up the opportunity of being there.

And that brings up another boxing moment in my life. We lived in the Poconos, and had the opportunity of visiting the training camp of Muhammad Ali.

My daughter was about five months old,  and my sons were four years old, when they sat on Mr. Ali's lap.  It was a great moment in time.  Mr. Ali, was the most gentle and kindness man I ever met.  He always had a smile on his face, and told a joke or two.. making us all feel right at home.

But there was another time when we visited Mr. Ali's camp.  He was preparing to make his comeback, and take the title of "World Heavyweight Champion" away from Larry Holmes. That fight took place on October 3rd, 1980.

I almost didn't recognize Mr. Ali, because he had lost so much weight. and when he came out to greet the audience, he wasn't at his best.  I knew there was something wrong with him, he just didn't look good.

But  after he realized how he behaved, Mr Ali immediately apologized to all of us, for his abruptness.  He truly is one of the greats, and to admit he wasn't at his best took a lot of courage.....and for that I will always respect him.

But unfortunately, he lost the fight that year...and as you know he was later diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Yes there were many other boxers that trained in the Poconos, I didn't get to meet many, but my husband and sons did. For ex. Roberto Duran. and Joe Frazier two other great boxers of their  time.

So for me, Mr. Ali  and all the other great boxers, will always be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/spring craziness

Spring is in the air.  And Spring brings out the best in everyone, but it also brings out the craziness...

And I like the craziness, when everyone's shopping for summer clothes, and hoping they can still fit in their favorite bathing suit, and wondering if they'll go on vacation by train, plane or car, or maybe by horse, one never knows.. Yes the mind is spinning, and the wheels are turning, and with it anticipation and excitement. What better way to start the season.

Because Spring brings a lightness in the air. It makes you feel happy, and what better feeling can there be, so for me Spring craziness will always be

FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/wouldn't it be a great life if?

Wonder what it would be like, if I didn't have to pay bills.

Maybe there should be a cut off time, like when you reach the age of 55, and someone says, "You no longer have to pay a bill, because you've earned the right to live in this world free of charge."

Wow, what a great thought...

So when I go to sleep at night, and by chance have a dream, at least that's free right?  Or is it?

I mean sometimes I'll have a bad dream, and wake up feeling miserable and angry, and now my whole day is ruined because  I'm in a bad mood, and have to pretend everything is alright, when it's not.

Or when I have a fantastic dream, like vacationing on a cruise ship to nowhere, and then wake up happy, and all smiles, only to realize I'm still in bed, and that my dream played a cruel and vicious joke on me.

And then sometimes I'll have a strange or weird dream, and ask myself, what did you eat last night? I better not eat that again, it didn't sit too well in my stomach, at least that's how I'll analyze it, because what else could it be..

Oh yes wouldn't it be a great life, if only you could live, and dream freely, without paying a price..

FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/caruso and lanza

This morning I woke up to Mario Lanza on tv..and for those who don't know about him, he was a famous opera singer, (tenor)so you can imagine how the power of his voice woke me up.

He was playing Enrico Caruso, another famous opera singer (tenor) starting his career in 1895 and died at the young age of 48, from some type of infection.

Mario Lanza started his career in the 1940's. He also died young 38, from a heart attack.

Both of these men died ten years apart in age, and both gave the gift of their voices to the world.

There was a man Nick Petrella, who owned the local record store on Snyder Ave. in Philadelphia. He knew all the great recording artists, but  he was close friends with the Lanza family, and dedicated the back of his store with Mario Lanza Memorabilia... It was his own personal tribute to this great opera singer.

As kids my cousin, sister and I would visit Nick many times, and we would tour the little museum he made. We were in awe of Mario Lanza, what a handsome man he was. I never met him, but felt like I knew him, from the stories Nick told us....

Now I really don't understand opera, but when I listen to the music, it takes me into another world, another time, what a great place to be, if only for a little while.

And that's why I admire these two great opera singers.

so for me Lanza and Caruso will always be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/food shopping with mom

I'm so glad yesterday is over, It wasn't one of my best... For instance taking my mom shopping,

Everything was going fine until she got to the cash register. When it was time to pay, she forgets her pin number and the people in line are trying to be patient. This goes on for at least five minutes, because every number she puts in, is wrong.  So mom had to use her debit card as credit. Once that was done,  it was like someone waved a magic wand, and she remembers her pin number, but too late. No cash back for mom,..

Now I've had moments like this, those senior moments when I forget something, and my mind goes blank. And then I can kick myself afterwards, for not remembering something so simple..

Then again, my brain is sometimes full to the brim, and then say to myself,  "I'm allowed to take a day or two off from remembering everything."

So with a cup of coffee in hand, I drink to my brain, and hope nothing spills over the top, for I can only  handle so much, but if it happens to spill over, then hopefully someone will be there to clean up the mess.

So for this day will be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG-dreams cont.

Why do we dream. Why is it that dreams seem to be part of our everyday life.  I dream all the time, and like I said in my last blog, they become a part of my every day living.  Some dreams I just don't want to wake up from they are so peaceful and sometimes more exciting then my real life. And others, I just can't wait to see the light of day...

The other night, I had another dream.  My uncle passed away many many years ago, and it's not that I don't miss him, but I haven't thought about him in some time, because like anything else life gets in the way. But for some reason I dreamt of him.

I was at my aunt's house, and he was there.  I had a a baby in my arms and he got up, his right arm didn't move so well, and I helped place the baby in his arms.  He talked to me, although I don't know what he said, but he was so happy.

Well I'm very close to my cousin, and this is her father.  Her daughter recently had a baby girl, and the only logic I can get from this dream, is that my uncle got the chance to hold his great granddaughter.

With my mom, there is always some kind of superstition when you dream of babies, and not good mind you, but when I told my cousin about this dream she was thrilled. Her father saw his granddaughters  baby, and for me this turned my whole way of thinking around.

I didn't have those negative feelings that usually come with some superstitions.  Imagine, at my age, I'm turning the clock around.  I did mention I will try to change something in my life hopefully once a day, well this is one of those changes....let's keep them coming....

So for me dreams are FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/superstitions

Superstition, how I hate that word. Maybe it's because I grew up with an Italian mother ...

I'f you step on a crack while walking, it means bad luck.  If you walk under a ladder, that also meant bad luck. And if you laugh too much, you'll cry tomorrow.  And of course if you break a mirror you'll have seven years of bad luck, not to  mention whenever you spill salt, you must throw it over your shoulder to prevent the evil spirits from coming after you...

And if  you drop a fork, it means company and if you drop a knife, it meant trouble is brewing, but I don't remember what it means if you drop a spoon, oh well.  And the best of them all, if your palm itches, you'll  receive money, now that superstition, I definitely can live with.

Also the fear of going anywhere, again I thank my Italian mother.. Maybe that's why to this day, I'm not a world class traveler and I'm afraid to get on an elevator....but  I have no choice, especially because my mother lives in a senior citizen complex and you have to take an elevator to get to her apartment. And believe it or not, that's when my mother cured herself of elevator-itis.... my own word.  I like it..

But you have to love my  mom, she meant well.... it was something she was taught, and passed it on to me and my siblings, but I'm thankful it ended there. I never gave this wonderful gift to my children, and for that I'm very proud of..  and now that my children are all grown up, and I know whenever they have a family, they will not inherit my superstitious upbringing.

So today,  I abolished many of my superstitions, but some are still part of my life.......

And therefore, for me Superstition is FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG

 I thought the day was going to be bright and shiny, but looking out the window, it seems there's a storm a brewing. Wonder when the downpour will begin, and better yet when will it go away.

Still this should not dampen my desire to accomplish some things today, then again there's always tomorrow.

FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG-there's always tomorrow

The sun is shining, the temps are high, and hopefully today, I will do something worthwhile. But if I don't, there's always tomorrow, isn't that what Vivian Leigh said in Gone With The Wind.

She put off today, what she can do tomorrow,

Maybe that's a good way to be.  If I'm stressed out and don't feel right, I might have regrets, so it's better to wait for another day when my head is on straight, but then again, if I keep putting off what I have to do, then it will never get done. What to do...

Yes the tomorrows will hopefully keep coming, but there will be a time when tomorrow is today, and I have to deal with anything that may come my way Or will I keep repeating "I won't think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow."

So for me the tomorrows will always be FOREVER  YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG-Steinbeck and Lowell

 I'm ready to put my pen in motion.  But to get into a better frame of mind, I wanted to read about some famous authors. For ex. John Steinbeck, (2-27-1902-12-20-1968) who received the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1962.

Like his mother, he had a passion for reading and writing and proved it by  writing his greatest books "Of Mice and Men", "The Grapes of Wrath," and "East of Eden."

And James Russell Lowell , (2-22-1819-8-12-1891A romantic poet, critic, editor and diplomat. who believed the poet played an important role as a prophet and critic of society.

 I know, I'm not in the same category as these two different but great writers, and coincidentally both were born in the month of February, but I do share something in common with them, a passion for the written word. What better gift for a writer to give to the world.  What better way for a writer to know, he or she has made a great impact on someone's life, big or small. And what more can a writer ask for.

I truly admire Mr. Steinbeck and Mr. Lowell, and the great works they left behind.

Therefore my journey begins, and wherever my fate may lie, I will always be a writer.

So Steinbeck and Lowell, you are FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/characters

 I will open up the channels of my mind, and make my characters come alive on paper.

 I will dive into their world, and escape from the reality of this world.

It will be interesting to see how my characters develop, and what they will do, and how they will adapt to any situation I put them  through.

They will either be bad, good, or maybe a little bit of both, but I will be the one who decides.... this will be the best part of the writing process, because I will be calling the shots.

And now all I have to do, is pick up my pen and begin.

my characters will remain FOREVER YOUNG  

FOREVER YOUNG/change

Change, who likes changes. Especially when I'm set in my ways.  I'm comfortable just the way things are, thank you,  because it's familiar territory, and with change, it's a whole new ball game.

This is how I rationalize about not changing my daily routine of living.

It's like a wearing a comfortable pair of shoes, but the moment I buy a new pair, I have to break them in, until they fit properly, and if I develop blisters from them, I just throw them in the back of my closet, forgetting they even exist. Until one day while cleaning out my closet, I find those very same shoes staring back at me, accusing me of abandonment because I was too impatient, to wait for my feet to adjust.

Then the other day, while leaving the doctors office, on a whim, I took another direction  home.
It was an unfamiliar street, but I also knew, if I turned up another street,  it would lead me back to familiar territory, therefore, nothing to get overly anxious about.

It was a simple change, but it made me feel good about trying something different, and I  liked that feeling.

So I made a pact with myself.  I will change my daily routine of living, by taking baby steps, without losing site of the familiar ones, and see where it will lead me.

Change for me will be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/ dreams

For once I would like to wake up at 7:00 am instead of  4:00 am, but it seems this has been my daily ritual for the last few weeks.... It's not that I want to get up and watch Who's the Boss and I Love Lucy, but these programs are usually on, at that ungodly hour.

And dreams. I 'm so tired of dreaming. I mean dreams can be good or bad, but sometimes mine are just plain crazy. For example last night I dreamt I was at the casino with my mother. She went one way, I the other.

I walked over to an area completely empty. They were quarter slots. I started to play, when all of a sudden, I hit the jackpot, $30,000. Then I searched for my mother and showed her what I had won,  but she insisted it was $3,000.00 dollars, not $30,000.00.

So off to the cashier we went. When it was my turn, the cashier looked at the ticket and said it's $3000.00, and I was arguing with her it was $30,000.00 but she told me the coma was in the wrong place and also  the lines were wrong on the ticket, so she called security to check it out.

When security said the ticket was okay, the cashier turn it over to another man, who in turned said he would pay me in chewing gum and snicker bars.

I cried and shouted at the man, that I wanted my money, but my mom responded, "you only spent $20.00." don't worry about it. The man then told me I could  try selling the candy and gum.  That's when I woke up, laughing hysterically at this ridiculous, crazy dream.

But if dreams do come true, then I hope to win that  $30,000.00, and be paid in cash, not with candy and gum.

So for me dreams will always be  FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/throwing things away

I admit, that I don't like throwing things away, like the sweaters and slacks that are still hanging in my closet, hoping they will  fit some day or eventually come back in style, or  the shoes I can't wear because they're just a little too tight on my feet.

Or the newspaper clippings which are stored in a plastic container, because I don't want to throw away the news of yesterday.

But today, I decided it's time, to start ... and that's  a good thing, because  the newspapers have turned into an ugly yellowish color, and some of the black print has already faded.

As I throw the papers into a large garbage bag, a couple of headlines caught my attention.

One  headline read" Let the Excitement live on!"

Now I wondered, "Why did I cut that headline out of the paper".

Could it be I wanted to take a trip to Hawaii and sit on a beach, drinking my Pina Colada's Well,  I'll pack my bags right now, and take the next flight out.

Or was I having a bad day and didn't want to"Let the Excitement live on." because I've had enough to last me for quite sometime, thank you..

As I continued with my task, another Headline caught my eye. It read, "Buying Into A Dream."

I didn't know dreams were for sale. How much please?  Or did "Buying Into a Dream"mean I was being scammed and left with nothing.

But maybe the reason I kept these headlines, is because  the "Excitement will Live on", because "Buying Into a Dream" is what this country is all about.

FOREVER YOUNG/me

There is no particular theme, or reason why I'm writing this blog.  I guess the idea came from watching Julie and Julia, only Julie had a set goal in mind. Writing a blog for 365 days while cooking recipes from Julia Child's book.

But I on the other hand, don't cook like Julia Child and never will. Not that  I'm a bad cook. After all I'm  Italian and I make one hell of a meat sauce, preferably with sausage, because that's what my husband likes.  And I have no particular goals in mind, or deadline to meet.

I just wanted to write.  I wanted to be free. I wanted go down memory lane and remember all of the funny things that happened. I just wanted to laugh, and have some fun...  

So whatever I write,  it will surprise me, as well as anyone else who wants to read  my blog.

and I will always be FOREVER YOUNG   

FOREVER YOUNG/Another Lucille moment

An incident from my youth.

We had an account at our local gas station in town, And on this particular day, I pulled into the gas station, and asked for $10.00 worth of gas.

The young guy let's call him Jimmy, left the nozzle in my car, and then walked away, Then he came back to check the pump, and walked away again.  So, I waited.  Then I saw Jimmy talking to this guy, and waving towards my direction at the same time, so naturally, I assumed he was telling me to leave.

When I started to drive away, all of a sudden, I heard Jimmy scream STOP!  So I slammed on the brake, opened the car door to see what he wanted, and that's when I saw gasoline flowing towards my car. I quickly grabbed my daughter from her car seat, and ran over to Jimmy, thinking my car was going to blow up.

When I looked over to the gas pump, I realized, I had pulled the pump, out of it's encased cement blocking.   I couldn't believe my eyes,  not to mention how embarrassed I was.

Then I told Jimmy, I saw him waving towards me, and thought he was telling me to leave, which of course was not the case. He was just giving someone directions, and happened to be pointing in my direction...

Well  Needless to say, they had to close the gas station for a day. Then the next day, there was only one gas pump working, until the other pump was fixed... and wouldn't you know the owner  had just left for vacation that very same day.

So for many years later, this incident was the talk of the town.... and the owner, a very good friend of ours, pleaded with me to stay away from his gas station, whenever he goes away on vacation..

But of course, I didn't. And I always made sure the gas nozzle, was back in it's proper place, before driving away.

So for me, this incident will always be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/snow

Snow, Snow, Snow, how much more can I take.  Didn't the groundhog tell the snowman that Spring is just around the corner,

Maybe we should make a film , Snowman meets Groundhog, and may the best man win.

I know there are plenty of people who love snow, and I do to, but enough is enough.  It's time to put the shovels away and bring out the lawnmowers. I want to see commercials about beaches, not blizzards and avalanches.

I need to feel the warmth of the sun, not the warmth of my coat and scarf.  

So Mr. Snowman, hear my pleas, you've done your job well, but now it's time for you to sleep, and let  Mr. Groundhog come out and play, after all  he saw his shadow, predicting Spring will come early.

 FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/through a comedian's eyes

l want to see life through a comedian's eyes.

Because they say laughter, is the best medicine, and I believe it is.

When I tune into my favorite shows, Hot in Cleveland,  the Golden Girls, or Seinfeld, there's a big weight lifted off my shoulders.  No longer do I dwell in the drama of reality,  I allow myself to escape into the world of comedy.

Comedians like Carol Burnette, Lucille Ball, and Bob Hope, made people laugh for a very long time. I believe all comedians past and present,.. have a rare and precious gift.  they make comedy look so easy,  when in fact, it's a lot of hard work.

I respect and appreciate what  comedians have done for society, because in  the toughest and most difficult times, of our lives, they make you forget about everything, at least for an hour or two

And I believe laughter wouldn't exist, or maybe very little of it, of it weren't for them.

So yes I would like to see my life through a comedians eyes, because I can laugh at myself  when things go wrong, and I'll know in time, everything will be just fine.



.So for me comedians are FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/ the remote

I'm sitting on my couch, as the February winds howl outside.  Then I pick up the remote by my side.  and begin to surf through the channels, for something good to watch.

The same movies, the same programs, over and over again, makes me wonder why I have cable.  It's hard to believe with over a hundred stations, I can't find anything interesting.

The only thing I can say, it's a sunny day, but dare I go outside, because the winds just might carry me away, and I would rather be inside, at least until the winds die down.

So once again I pick up my remote, surfing through all the channels, hoping to just find something.

and for me, it will be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/Ronald Reagan

Picked up a book at the library the other day. It was about the life of Ronald Reagan. We just celebrated Mr. Reagan's 100th birthday on Feb. 6th.

Mr. Reagan, was a kind hearted gentleman, with an irresistible smile, who liked to tell a joke or two, just to lighten up the atmosphere.   He definitely had charisma and knew how to handle a crowd.

I admire Mr. Reagan, because of his dedication and genuine love for our country. He fought for justice and freedom for all.  And he would do anything to protect our country from harms' way.  He sort of reminds me of Abe Lincoln...

Mr. Reagan came from humble beginnings. He was also a very shy young boy, yet this didn't stop him from excelling in everything he set out to do.  And one of them was becoming THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

He never made excuses of why he couldn't do anything, instead he did the opposite. he made things happen.  And that's why I admire him. He had determination, He dived into the many challenges set forth, and didn't back away from any challenge, because he fought for what was right... and he believed in America, and he believed in us.

So if you get a chance, read his life story, or tune in sometime to the History Channel and learn more about this wonderful, kind-hearted man.

Mr. Reagan will always be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/ mirror, mirror

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairness of them all" Woke up this morning, looked in the mirror, and what did I see. Not the young woman I used to be.

And men, if you're reading this, I'm sure you can relate to this as well.

Youth, oh the sweet smell of youth, and we've all been there at one time or another, so why do I feel getting old is a crime. Why do I feel age has become a barrier, preventing me from achieving my goals and dreams

Why do I feel the need to look young, and maintain the commercial aspect of my face and body, rather then let a few lines show, and gain a few pounds, just to let others know that I've lived life. I've been through a lot, and I survived.

I wouldn't mind getting old, if society didn't place such value on looking young.  With all the products out there to maintain that youthful look, there's nothing that says, oh by the way, I have a product that will wash away the numbers as well.

Stop and think about this, if everyone was young, who would they learn from, how would they develop wisdom and knowledge? And if they have a problem, who would they turn to for help?

Aging  should be a natural and wonderful process, not a stigma placed upon me or anyone else.

Just because I don't look the same, as I did when I was twenty-five, okay thirty-five, oh well, you get the picture.. doesn't mean I can't do anything. My mind is still active, and I can relate to today's technology, okay, maybe not all, but one can always learn. right!   Everyday I learn something new, but I also have learned a lot, because I am older,

And don't get me wrong, I have nothing against looking good, or maintaining one's body especially by eating right and exercising, I just believe you should be proud of your age.  After all I worked hard for my number, (60)... and hopefully I will continue to do so, for many years to come.

So my advice to society, don't look at age as a minus, instead embrace aging as a plus, because many of us still have a lot to offer. You just might be surprise.

because aging is not getting older, it's FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/predictions

The day is supposed to be nice, but instead I woke up to a cloudy morning. But there is still hope.  The sun just might appear and the temperature will probably go up, because the prediction was 65 degrees, Spring, oh the sweet smell of Spring in the air, but I know it won't last long, after all it's still winter.

But the groundhog predicted an early spring, so I will accept that for now, he's never wrong, or at least, he has a good track record.

 But this year with the economy, and the way everyone is feeling the impact, which doesn't paint a pretty picture for most, and not to mention a winter that has been pretty strange, I hope the groundhog's prediction is right, because I think we all need an uplift in spirit.

But isn't it funny, how some of us live our life according to predictions. We dress according to the weather, and if it turns out different then what was predicted, we either under-dress or over-dress for the occasion, wondering why we weren't told , and of course blaming the weatherman for his false predictions for the day.

Or when an economic specialist predicts the economy is getting better, only to wake up the next morning and the stock market dropped considerably, and we are on a path of destruction, that is,  if something is not done quickly to turn it around.

Then doctors predict a flu epidemic, and  if you don't get a flu shot, especially the very young and old. you could be in serious trouble, so you race to your local pharmacy or doctor, who is offering the flu shot,  and you feel so much better... This is a good thing, because you don't want to stay in bed all winter with the flu.. hacking and coughing, and sharing your germs with others. Sharing is good, but sharing germs is definitely a NO NO..

And for those who read their horoscopes, and it predicts that your day or week, will be good or bad, and then you try to avoid the latter, because you don't need another bad day in your life,  because then you'll want to stay home just to avoid what might happen ...  But some horoscopes also predict your lucky numbers, giving you hope that you just might win the lottery, and you'll never have to work again. Wouldn't that be lovely...

We also have parents, who predict their child will grow up and become a lawyer, doctor, or even President of the United States, after all parents just want the best for their kids, nothing wrong with that, but in the end a parent just prays that their child makes the right choice, and one that will make them happy.

Yes predictions. life is full of them.

Oh my prediction,  you will have a great day  FOREVER YOUNG

The Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City

Lenape Park- a Margaret Peirson film

The Price of An Egg Sandwich

FOREVER YOUNG/another animal story

Okay brace yourself, I know you're just hungering for another animal story.

Let's go back in time a little bit...um...well maybe a long, long time ago.

It was early in the morning, around 6:00 am. For some reason I woke up. Don't know why,  Everyone was  sound asleep. I walked into the living room, not fully awake.

We had a very large picture window, and when you looked outside, it felt like you could reach for the sky, especially on a clear day. Wasn't that a film On A Clear Day, starring Barbara Streisand.

Now you have to picture this, really. I was still half asleep. I was gazing out the window, when suddenly I saw a horse and donkey stroll into my driveway, can you imagine that, a horse and donkey, traveling together.  I had to wipe my eyes twice to see if it was a mirage, but it wasn't.

What do you think I did. Your right, woke my husband out of a sound sleep.  I just couldn't believe what I saw. When I told my husband, he jumped out of bed and ran over to the window. He had to see this for himself, maybe he thought I'd lost my mind.

Well I proved him wrong. There they were, the horse and donkey making themselves comfortable on my front lawn. My husband told me to get an apple. I did, and outside we went. How did a horse and donkey wind up at our house. My husband thought it was because of the garbage, which was waiting to be picked up.. they must have followed the smell.

With apple in hand, my husband slowly walked over to the horse. He had to get close enough to tie him up, the donkey wasn't going anywhere without his friend the horse.

Once the horse was tied up, we figured these lovely animals belonged to our neighbor across the way. We made a quick call. And yes, they did. It seems his son forgot to lock up the barn, and the horse and donkey had made their escape.

A few minutes later, his son appeared. I said to this young man, "it was fortunate they came to our house instead of traveling out onto the highway," He of course agreed, a little embarrassed, I'm sure of what he did...

I was curious to know the horse and donkey's name, and asked the young man what they were.

Well he said, the horse's name was just horse, and the donkey's name was Elvis.  "ELVIS" I shouted, how can you name a donkey after my favorite singer".    I just couldn't believe it.

As the young man took his animals away, I just stared at him, shaking my head back and forth, not quite believing Elvis was a donkey.

Horse and Donkey will  always remain FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/Valentine Day

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day.  And if you didn't, well there is always next year, right, so don't give up the ship, there's always hope.

For me, my Valentine's day was somewhat unusual. I don't know if it's because I'm married so long, but regardless, no matter how long you've been with your sweetheart,  you are still a woman, and want to feel special, at least on this particular day. And I'm sure you will agree with me...

My day started out fine. It was my husband's pool league night, but he said it was more important to spend time with me.  I was truly honored....So we decided to go out early, you know the old folks going out early and wanting to get home to plop in front of the tv set, ready to watch their favorite show.

But while we were out, my husband's cell phone rings.  Should have told him to keep that darn phone in  the car..

It was someone from his pool league. They told him one guy didn't show up to play pool, and even though he told them, he couldn't make it that night, you know Valentine's Day, they just couldn't do without him.

My wife will understand,  that he had to bail  out the guys...  "Wrong".  Well not entirely, I did understand, in fact, I told him to go to pool league that night, and we'll go out another time, but he insisted taking me out, so I won't paint him as a really bad guy..

So yes, the ever loving and understanding wife, drove him to the pool hall and dropped him off. A little kiss just to tell me that he still loves me...

But imagine going on a date with your husband and then dropping him off at the pool hall, while you're left to drive home all alone on the most romantic day of the year..

Walking into my front door, my two dogs greeted me, then noticed my husband wasn't with me, they ran all over the house looking for him, because when they looked out the window and saw all three vehicles in my driveway, they just didn't understand what happened to their master.  How can I tell the dogs, that my husband chose to play pool over taking his wife home.

Well right to the refrigerator I went, poured myself a nice glass of wine, ate a sandwich, then off to bed. Oh yes, my husband did get a ride home from one of the guys, that's the least they could do for bailing them out.

so for me, Valentines Day will still always be, FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/Abraham Lincoln

Well it's another day, and I thank all you, for tuning into my blog.

"Life has its many ups and downs, and it's up to us to face them or not." My quote for the day.

Now I would like to tell you about someone I admire, Abraham Lincoln. Why him, you might ask.

The other day, I saw an old movie, Mr. Smith goes to Washington, starring James Stewart. A back-woods man, who became a senator. He was honest and naive in the ways of Washington and it's politics,
and on his first day in Washington, Mr. Smith took a bus and saw the monument of Abraham Lincoln.
Mr. Smith, believed in Abraham Lincoln and what he stood for, freedom and peace for all mankind.

So I hope you get a chance to see the film.  I think you'll enjoy it.

Mr Lincoln worked hard. He was a self-educated man, reading everything in site, learning all he could about life and our country. He became a lawyer,  and then went on to become President of the United States.

He fought for his beliefs and dreams for the American people.

He had compassion and love for all mankind.

He wasn't a handsome man, given his tall lanky body, and prominent nose, but he did have character. An outdoorsman for sure with that rugged face to tell all he's been through.  But it wasn't his looks, I cared about, it was the person, and the genuine honesty he portrayed. I guess that's why he was nick named Honest  Abe. He was a man of his word.

I've also overcome many obstacles, and fought my way through them, and I'll keep jumping through life's hoops, and hope to land on my feet each time, and if I don't land the first time or second etc. then I'll pick myself up and try all over again until I get it right.  I'll continue to go after my dreams, and work hard to achieve my goals with the determination that Mr. Lincoln had.

He believed in freedom, and he believed in the people to do what was right, and I also believe
in the goodness of mankind, and like to think, they care deeply about their fellowman.. and I also like to believe that you're never too old to chase your dreams, it's only when you stop, that everything will end.

So, Mr. Abraham Lincoln, you are FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/until next time

There are so many stories I want to share with you and I hope you're laughing at the many I've posted so far. But there will be days when I'll just write something, just to let you know that I'm still alive. Even if it's a paragraph or two.

And this is one of those days. It's Sunday, and I'm feeling a little lazy, and I just don't want to write anything because it probably won't make any sense, maybe it's not suppose to, but since I'm a perfectionist to a fault, it would bother me to write something just for the sake of filling up a page or two..

So until the next time, stay FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/animals (LOOPY AND LOPPY)

Well it's back- tracking into the past again.  Last time I  told you about the rooster, and ended my story by introducing  two goats named Loopy and Loppy..

My husband knew someone, who was getting rid of two goats, and he took pity on them, and that's how we ended up with two goats in my front yard.  We named  they loopy and loppy, because their ears were lopsided and drooped. You just  had to laugh at this picture. And the fact that I still didn't have a shed or a fenced in yard to put them in, was asking for trouble.  But no need to worry, it's not like the rooster, that we brought in from the cold,  it was summer and these goats would definitely not step foot, or hoof in my house..

So as Loopy and Loppy settled in, I'm asking myself, when I said I Do,  did I realize what I was saying..lol..


The next few days were my greatest challenge,  walking outside of my house, without stepping on loopy and loppy's  tiny brown pebbles. They were everywhere.  And every night after work, my husband would rake up the mess. You don't think I would do it.....

Then one day, I walked out of my house, and what do you think happened.  The goats were gone.  I wonder why, could it be they weren't tied up.. but my husband assured me, they would never leave the property..  well try telling the goats that, because they just disappeared.  

Now picture me calling them by their names, "Loopy, Loppy where are you" do you think they knew who they were, and did I know anything about goats, NO. And of course my  husband was at work and the kids at school. So it was up to me to find them..

If my memory serves me right, I heard noise, and ran towards it.  What did I see,  two goats munching on some flowers by the side of the road. Oh,  did  I mention we lived on a dirt road, about a mile off the highway. Thank goodness they didn't go that way.

 I chased them back up to the house with a towel in my hand.  And when my husband came home, I told him what happened, of course he only laughed.

So the next day, he took some long rope and two tires, and tied each goat to one.  He thought that would take care of the problem of them wondering off, WRONG...those two goats managed to drag that tire down the road, and you guessed in, munching on flowers, that were slowly disappearing.

Well finally my husband found a place where loopy and loppy could wander, and eat all the grass and flowers they wanted.  They were given to a good home. And yes, I did miss them, but not the tiny brown pebbles they left behind.

Oh another thing. When my husband pulled up to the gas station, taking our goats to their new home, the gas attendant heard this racket in the back of the truck.   My husband's remark to him, "you just can't get good help today."  So the attendant decided to take a peek, and got the shock of his life. He must have jumped ten feet high.

Oh yes Loopy and Loppy,  will always be FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/Another Lucille moment

Okay did you ever have one of those days when everything went wrong from the moment you woke up and stayed with you the whole day.  I believe many of you can relate to this, and by all means please share your experiences with me.    I have so many stories, that I'll start backwards, and move forward as my blog continues.. Like I said there were many Lucille Ball moments in my life. Maybe I missed my calling as a comedian....lol

But for now, I'll share another one with you, my second, I believe so far.

It was a cloudy summer morning, and there was a threat of rain in the air. My boss had asked me to deliver a package downtown.  That day I wore my brand new blue crepe dress. And of course, I forgot to take my umbrella, which was still sitting at my desk.

As I approached the bus stop, what do you think happened, your right, it started to drizzle, then it began to pour. And I didn't have anything to protect myself. So clutching the envelope close to my chest, I waited patiently for the bus to arrive.

Finally what seemed like hours, the bus pulled up to the stop,  When I climbed the steps, I noticed my dress  had shrunk a little, but didn't give it another thought.

When the bus pulled up to my stop, I made my way up front.  That's when I realized how much my dress had shrunk. It was way, way above my knees.  Imagine walking down the street,  where I was supposed to deliver this very important envelope to a prominent business associate, trying not to draw attention to my mini- dress, which wasn't standard dress code for the office, and also being a Catholic young girl, I was mortified and embarrassed, because not only was my dress too short,  it was clued to my body, along with my long brow hair.  This was a picture of a drown rat with  no place to hide.

When I reached the building, which was a short walk form the bus stop, I tried not to draw attention to myself, and was thankful, not many people were outside. It was an off hour, where everyone was already at work. I walked quickly to the building, and then ran to the nearest elevator. When I opened to door to the associates office, the look on the receptionist face told me everything.

We both laughed.  But again I was so embarrassed, and I didn't want to go back to my office looking like this, because between getting on the elevator and approaching the office,  my dress had resembled a very large shirt just covering enough, if you know what I mean.. I just wanted to crawl under a rock.

The girl took the envelope, and suggested calling my boss. But I couldn't, I was just beside  myself, so the girl told my boss what happened, and yes everyone had a good laugh, The good news,when I left the building the rain had stopped , but it still didn't help my dilemma.

I was thankful, that I didn't have to wait long for the bus to take me home. But this wasn't the end to my Lucille moment. You think I had been through enough.

When I got on the bus, there were NO SEATS. And no one offered me a seat. I guess the men were enjoying the view. And there were two nuns sitting towards the back, just eyeing me up and down, shaking their head back and forth as if too say, "Shame of You".  Didn't they know I was a good Catholic girl. Well looking at me, and given the state of my dress was in,  I guess I had to agreed with them.

I thought that day would never end. And when I got home, I destroyed the dress, and pledged never to buy that type of dress again.

But nowhere on the label did it read,  this dress will shrink in rain... but it did, and I was living proof of that.. What a lesson to learn...

Well that incident will always be a reminder of my youth, and that's why it will always remain FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG

Well another day, another time, and after a long day, I've run out of steam, but I did make a list this morning and there is so much to share with you.....

So Hopefully you'll tune in tomorrow, to  read another story, and hopefully you'll have a laugh or two, on me.. until then.

FOREVER YOUNG/EMILY DICKINSON

Emily Dickinson, a poetess in her own right...

Some years ago,  my husband and I went to Amherst Massachusetts to visit her home. In fact we stayed at a bed and breakfast place, directly across the street from her house.

It was my dream to see where she lived. She was a poet in her own right, but more importantly I wanted to know Emily Dickinson the person...  I did write a poem titled "I'm Not a Poet like Emily Dickinson."which was published and accepted by the Emily Dickinson Society.

When I walked into her house, (which was remodeled and updated, because the original interior had deteriorated), I immediately felt her presence. There was a black and white photo on the wall, which revealed a somber face.  She wasn't a beauty, (even though she had red hair and blue eyes, which we learned from the tour guide), but there was something about her eyes, that drew me towards her. There was a mystery about her, and I wanted to know all about her roots. This place she called home.

After touring the downstairs, (which was mainly a museum), the tour guide took our group upstairs.  When I reached the top of the stairs, there standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at me, was a glass encased cabinet with a white dress inside.  I can just picture Emily,  who was only 5'1" like me, walking through the house in that beautiful white dress.  It was almost spiritual.

As we slowly approached Emily's bedroom, my heart raced with excitement.  This is where she spent all of her time, and wrote most of her poems.

Of course we weren't allowed inside, but looking at the actual room, and the original bed where she slept, and the desk where she wrote her poetry, it felt like time stood still, and I was drawn back to her era.

She was sitting at her desk and writing non-stop.   She turned to me with her somber face, and deep  blue eyes and said, softly, "I write for myself, and what I feel about life's expectations, and then wonder, what are the solutions if any."  Okay this isn't what she actually said, but maybe this is what she wanted to say. One never knows..

Her desk was original, but the chair wasn't. Emily's actual chair was at the Amherst college museum.  Then as I watched the guide walk over to Emily's dresser, she opened one of the drawers and pulled out a stack of papers, which were bundle together and tied with Emily's signature ribbon. These were her poems, written in her own handwriting.  It was the most surreal moment in my life. I was staring at a piece of history.

Emily's poems were sacred, but as we know, they were eventually published, against her wishes.
Her request, that when she died,  her poems be destroyed, but her sister-in-law, after reading them, thought they should be shared with the world. In one way, it's sad that Emily's wishes were not honored, but on the other hand, the world would've been denied the opportunity of knowing Emily, a great poet of her time, and ours.

Therefore, Emily, will always be FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/Animals in my life.

The animals in my life, and I don't just mean the human kind lol...but also the four legged kind..

Now people usually have a, dog, cat and bird, for a pet, and so did I, but I also had my share of the abnormal type animals as well.

You might ask yourself, what does she mean, by abnormal.  Well how's this for a start, a rooster. Don't laugh,  my husband actually brought home a rooster. And of course,  I didn't want a rooster in my house, would anyone.  I also didn't want to be awaken at the crack of dawn, at least not from my living room, that is,  so  needless to say, the rooster remained outside of our house. And no, we didn't live on a farm, where I could put the rooster in a barn. We lived in the mountains, full of rocks and open fields.

Then one night, according to the weather report, the temperature was going to be way below zero, and my husband suggested bringing the rooster into the house. At first I said "absolutely not", but then I felt sorry for the poor rooster and agreed. "But just for the night," I said....

My husband assured me nothing would happen. The rooster would perch itself on the railing, not move, and go to sleep. Well what do you think happened, you guessed it, the first thing it did,  dare I say it, shit on my ceramic tile floor... oh he was right about one thing though, the rooster never moved... And you're right about something else,  I didn't clean the mess either... guess who did!

Just to set the record straight, I don't dislike roosters in general,  their not so bad once you get used to them. I just didn't want to be up close, and personal with them.

Well the rooster remained on our railing for a few more days, until we were able to find a permanent home, on a farm  that is, where I'm sure that rooster lived happily ever after.

Please stay tune for another animal story, but not today, maybe tomorrow or maybe next month, but it will be about two goats, named loopy and loppy....

So I will say to you,  all the animals in my life, past and present have a way of making me feel, FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/ food/shopping

Well,  In my opinion, I think everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, including myself. I had a bad night's sleep, so I had a short fuse, and given my condition, maybe I should have stayed home. But my refrigerator and cabinets begged me to stock them with food. And since my friend needed to go shopping,  I decided to venture out of my safe haven.

But maybe I should have listen to my inner voice. Because while I was driving, the young people were in a hurry to get to their destination, passing everyone on the road, and the older people, maybe had no destination, by the way they were driving,  and I just wanted to get to my destination safely.

Mine you,  I have nothing against older people driving. I just want them to drive the speed limit, and I want the young people to obey the speed limits.  Is that asking for too much??

Finally I'd arrived at my friends place, and it was off to the supermarket. Once I walked into the store, I thought, maybe my day would go better,.... wrong....

I was looking for Hunts Tomato Sauce. Didn't see it. There was this gentlemen stocking items on the shelf, and I asked him if he had some in the back. While talking to him, this woman at the top of her lungs yelled "EXCUSE ME" then proceeded to drive her cart down the aisle, without given another thought to anyone who stood in her way. I almost lost it.  But didn't...  And I hate to say it, but this woman was like a nightmare. It seemed every aisle I went up, she was there. What did I do, to deserve this.

But as time went on,  the rest of my shopping adventure went pretty smoothly, so maybe I was coming out of this horrible state of mind, I was in.

With all of my shopping done, I waited for my friend to finish her shopping. So I sat on the bench by the cash register.

That's when my day really changed, for the better.

There was an attractive older woman, with silver gray hair, who needed help putting her few items into the bags, she brought from home. In fact, my mom lives in the same senior citizen complex.

She couldn't believe that I was helping her, which really wasn't much at all, and then thanked me. When she smiled it lit up her whole face.

When my friend told me she was ninety, I was amazed how independent she was. She was dressed in fashion, and wore a little make-up on her face,  She must have been a very beautiful young woman, because at her age, she still is.

My friend  then told me, as far as she knew,  she is a survivor, of the  Holocaust. she had survived the worst, and she is here today.

Therefore, this gentle and kind woman will always be FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG

 I wish I had my wit about me today, but it seems that my energy level is very very low because I went to my cousin's 60th birthday party, of course had a few glasses of wine, and given my title Forever Young, at least for now, I don't feel that way.   And  the fact that someone said to me," I know you, didn't we meet at a funeral", and I had to think for a moment, who died?  Then checked my brain to see if everyone I knew was still alive... and after accounting for everyone I knew, it dawn on me that we met at my niece's wedding, which garnered a laugh from both of us.. and another strange thing happened,  I felt like my mother sitting at the table, she was my age, and when did that happen.

But I didn't write this blog about being young, or old. It's about memories, about how other's lives affect mine in one way or another, and situations that occurred in their lives, funny or not. And it's about dreams and goals, coming true or not ...I've left the list wide open....

Because life goes on, and with it comes many challenges. I've accomplished many, and still have more to overcome, so this blog might go on forever, no pun intended,  FOREVER YOUNG..

FOREVER YOUNG/ LUCILLE BALL MOMENTS

Well I wonder how many of you can relate to your Lucille Ball moments. Whether you are a guy or girl, I'm sure you've found yourself in  some situations that were just hysterical.

When I was a teenager, I volunteered at the area hospital. My friend and I would deliver juice to the patients.  (Yes they did have volunteers do this.) We didn't know our way around the hospital, not yet anyway.

So  we got the juice cart and started to walk up the hallway.  I was in front, my friend was in back pushing the cart, when suddenly I felt the cart hit the back of my foot, and I lost my balance. The cups which were piled high on the cart spilled onto the floor. and scattered all over, rolling into the patients rooms.  Thank goodness we didn't fill them with juice.

Can you picture this. Take a moment and just visualize the scene. Two teenagers,  a juice cart,  trying not to laugh hysterically and running into all the patients room picking up the cups. It took at least one hour to pick up the cups, and I'm sure we miss some along the way.   Some patients were sound asleep, never aware that I was under their bed, while others just looked at me, as if to say, you silly girl, and others tried to steer me in the right direction, of where the cups landed. Needless to say, my friend and I laughed about this for years.

But that's not the end of our wonderful evening. I did say we didn't know our way around the hospital, right, well we had to take the elevator. We saw an elevator at the end of the hall, it looked different, but we thought, it had to take us to the next floor, right, so we wheeled the juice cart onto the elevator and down we went. Boy we're we wrong.  Instead we wind up at the mortuary. Yes the mortuary, I don't think these people were thirsty, do you.

To top the evening after that episode, we went back to the same elevator, got on, pushed the button to another floor, and when we wheeled the cart onto that floor, there staring in front of us, a sign reading,   operating room.  And you know these patients were not waiting for their juice.

All and all, as time went by, my friend and I finally found our way through the hospital, but my memories of that evening will always be one of my Lucille Ball moments.

I have to tell you, there are many Lucille Ball moments in my life, and I will share another one with you, but not now, I have to get dress and get ready for whatever the day brings.

LUCILLE BALL, you will always be for me, FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/ DO YOU REMEMBER

Sorry to miss yesterday, but sometimes life gets in the way, and I'm sure you can relate to that.

Maybe some of you might wonder, why am I writing this blog, and you know, I've asked myself that question many times. And why the title Forever Young.

Did you ever have a conversation with someone, and a subject matter comes up that reminds you of your youth, and then you start the conversation"When I was young." And then compare your situation to that person.  Or one of your kids, grown or little , does something that triggers an incident which reminded you of something you did  when you were their age etc...

Now mine you, most of the time it's fun going down memory lane, but some things are better left buried.. and forgotten, and I'm sure many of you have a stories that are better left untold. But if you want, please feel free to share in the comment section.  It could be very interesting...

So today, I'm saying, I will always be Forever Young, maybe not in numbers, but in my stories that I will share with you, and will continue to do this as long as someone reads my blog..

I will touch on others life, comparable to mine, and to other's who I feel will always be forever young, at least to me.  Until next time my friends.

FOREVER YOUNG/EVA GABOR

First I want to say, " Zza Zza Gabor, get well, my prayers are with you and your family."

Now let's talk about Eva. She was the youngest daughter of the Gabor sisters, and the first to pass away. Did you know she was buried not too far from her co-star Eddie Albert, who died at the age of ninety-nine.

 I think her best role was Lisa Douglas on Green Acres, which aired on television from 1965-1971. She proved to be a natural comedian.  Who would have thought, growing up, that my life would mimic Lisa Douglas in some way.

Lisa Douglas was a city girl, and moved to a farm because Oliver, a prominent lawyer wanted to get away form the hustle and bustle of city life.

I too was a city girl, worked uptown in an advertising firm. Met the man of my dreams, got married, and then swept off to the mountains, yes the mountains. The house we rented was a two story old country home. There was a running brook in back of the house.  Peaceful to hear, and beautiful to look at. This I didn't mine. It was a change from the air polluted vehicles, and noises of city life.

Lisa had a difficult time adjusting to farm life, and I had a difficult time adjusting to all the quietness of mountain living.  On a farm you had chickens, goats, pigs, but in the mountains you have deer, bear and raccoons. Which would you prefer?

On a farm you ate chicken, eggs and vegetables.  In the mountains you eat venison, fish, and pheasant.  One time, I actually had to pluck a pheasant, and then cook it. Imagine a city girl doing this.

Living in the city you take for granted certain pleasures, for example, like turning on and off you TV whenever you wanted to. Where I lived, you had to pay a guy $5.00. Why, you might ask, because he had the only power line on his property that connected your wires to his. (his house was about fifty feet from ours)

So if it rained, and you were in the middle of watching a great show, snap, snap the wires were disconnected because, he didn't want his power line getting struck by lightening.  And if you didn't pay your bill on time, snap snap, the wires were disconnected until you paid your bill. Was I living in twilight zone, or what. 

As time went on, I adjusted more or less to this new way of living, like Lisa did;  until one day a woman walked onto my property. She asked if I had any dogs, I didn't, but my husband did... She then asked if my neighbor had any dogs.  How was I to know, I still didn't meet anyone that I wasn't intimidated by. The men were big, wore long hair, dressed in plaid shirts and  dirty jeans, and sometimes carried a rifle with them, you know to shoot deer etc. And there were no women to speak of, I never saw one, but I'm sure they were around somewhere. (keep in mind, I was a young bride.)
Then she took out some forms and started to hand them to me. Before I realized it, my husbands dog out of nowhere came running down the road and bit her on the ass.  Well needless to say the woman was upset, yelling at me etc. But may I remind you, she was on my property.   Well the whole thing was a mess, but in the end, she was proven wrong, and that's all that counts.  Welcome to Mountain/Country/ life.
Yes my life was anything but dull..

So Eva, who played Lisa Douglas so well, and never realizing I would find myself in similar circumstances, as your character on Green Acres, you will always be FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/JULIE/JULIA/and ME

Now you might wonder why I'm writing about forever young with Julie/Julia.   It's because Julia Child will  be forever young, even though she's no longer here, I imagine she's sharing her cooking secrets high above, at least I would like to think so, and Julie is still young and is now an accomplished writer.

So I'm writing about them today, because they both shared a love of food, and they both set out to prove something to themselves, to fulfill a need to accomplish something in their life.

And I can't tell you how many times I've watched this film , knowing I can relate to the young Julie and all her struggles of making something out of her life, working at a job that was frustrating and heartbreaking, and knowing her friends had accomplished their goals. But Julie still hadn't found her voice in the world, and wanted desperately to finish something she started.

Also Julia, at the age of  thirty-seven, who no longer wanted to work for someone, who wanted to find something that would be self-fulfilling and loved food so much, decided to learn from the best, and write a book on French Cooking, bringing something new to the American women.  She went on to be a pioneer, having her own cooking show on television, sharing with the world her cooking expertise, and having fun doing it.

The young and old joining forces, in different times, different places, but still achieving their goals. So who says you can't learn from each generation.  And in the end, they didn't do it for anyone else, they did it for THEMSELVES.

So, now I'll share with you a two personal cooking experiences. I was newly married and we lived in a house that had a wall oven. I never saw one, since I lived in the city, and was used to the conventional type stove, you know the one that has a top and bottom,. lol.. but the house I lived in was an old country home..

I wanted to impress my new husband and cook a chicken dinner. I put the oven on the temperature required and dressed up the chicken.  I also got a few potatoes and wanted them to bake at the same time.  My husband came home around 5:00pm.  The timer went off, and I couldn't wait to show him what I cooked.  Okay, picture this. The potatoes were done, the vegetables were done, but to my surprise the chicken was SEMI-RAW.  How could this be? I said to myself, upset that my very first dinner turned out to be an utter failure.  My husband of course laughed, especially when I served the food in stages. He got the potatoes and vegetables first, and an hour and half later the chicken.

Yes this meal will go down in history. So I started cooking my meals on the stove because I didn't want to take a chance of ruining other meals.  And the fact I didn't want my husband to eat something before coming home, (and never told me, but he did).. because he didn't know what condition my food was in.  Who wants to eat dinner in stages, and have the main course at 10:00 pm...

Now it was my husband's birthday. I had invited some friends over for cake and coffee. I was so proud, I baked a cake, yes in the WALL OVEN.  I thought to myself, it's about time, I give it a try, maybe the first time was just a fluke..  So I put all the required ingredients in the cake, mixed it up and poured it into a grease cake pan. The oven was already pre-heated.  Now the wait.  When the timer went off, mind you my company was just about arriving. I took the cake out and again to my dismay the cake was as flat as a pancake.  What to do.  I had no choice but to serve it.  My friends arrived and after eating some light food, it was time to bring out the cake.  I was so embarrassed to present this cake.  Okay, they all laughed at my cake, but what I didn't know is that my friend's husband put the piece of cake in his coat pocket.

A year later when I invited them over for my husband's birthday.  My friends husband wore the same jacket, and when he reached into his pocket to get something, he pulled out out the piece of cake from last year.....He completely forgot he put it there. What a shot to my ego.

Now I I do have a good reason for all the cooking disasters.  It turned out the wall oven's element was not functioning properly.

But do you think my husband and friends explained that, oh no, they told the story over and over about how my chicken and cake were disasters, what fun would it be to tell the real reason of what happened. I was beginning to think I would never be a good cook, but over the years, I must say, I've proven myself wrong.  I might not cook like Julia or Julie but I'm not bad either.

And over the years, I've accomplished many things I've set out to do, not on a big scale, but on a scale that made me feel good, and even at my age, I still am reaching for the stars.

So Julia/Julie you will always be FOREVER YOUNG

FOREVER YOUNG/FRED, GENE, GINGER AND ANN

I always loved tap dancing. When I was a very little girl, I couldn't wait to see  Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, and Ann Miller perform. (Well not exactly in person, of course, but on my television set).  I always felt happy while watching them dance.. And naturally I would try to mimic their steps, even though I didn't know what I was doing.

These dancers were my inspiration.

But the reality was, my mother couldn't afford to buy tap shoes, so instead my sister and had to take ballet lessons, less expensive shoes back then. No offense, but I didn't like ballet, and my sister, who is also my fraternal twin didn't like ballet either.  And I didn't know any famous ballet dancers, so needless to say, after one dance recital, I never ballet again.

When my boys were three years old, and yes they are also twins and identical at that,  I felt it was time to pursue my dream.  I signed up for private lessons at a local dance studio. It was one morning a week, while my boys were in nursery school.,  And wouldn't you know, a man was my teacher. Mr. Mack... At first I felt intimidated, but as I got used to his tone of voice, and my awkwardness of learning the steps, I was in my glory, but I also realized how easy Fred, Gene, Ginger and Ann made it look, when in fact it was a lot of  hard work and discipline. They just make it look effortless.

Well as time went on, I got pregnant again. Had a little girl, this time.  But when my little girl started kindergarden, I enrolled in another local dance studio, this time it would be with women of all ages... and a female teacher.  Sorry to say, I forgot her name. the mind goes first you know.. It was then I performed on a real stage for the first time, even though our dance performance was held at our local high school, it was a place where the High School performed their musicals etc. And what a thrill it was, and so much fun to show everyone what I'd learned, especially my family.  I'll never forget that feeling. What a shot to my ego.

Okay maybe I didn't become a well-known dancer, but I got a small taste of what my favorite dancers must have felt when they performed. And my dream did come true.

Of course, I eventually put those tap dancing shoes away, but I'll always have my memories of performing just like Fred, Gene, Ginger and Ann.  They are dancing in heaven now, bringing great joy to others who never had the opportunity to see them in person, at least that's what I'd like to believe, wouldn't you.

So I will say to you, Fred, Gene, Ginger and Ann, you will always be FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/JACK LA LANNE

 Jack La Lanne, who recently passed away at the tender age of ninety-six, lived life to it's fullest. He was an inspiration to all, because exercising and nutrition was a way of life.  And Jack LaLane lived life to the fullest.

He proved that you're never too old to take care of yourself. And that meant getting off that couch, and doing something about your health.

When I was young, I never exercised, unless you call dancing at weddings, or birthday parties exercise. Well I guess it was a form of exercising, but not  the regimented kind, where you really had to work those muscles. So one day at the age of thirty-nine, I decided to join a gym. After an intense workout, I knew I could handle anything  I felt good about myself, and of course didn't mine how great my body was looking.   Little did I know, a few years later, I would be training others at a gym, helping them to achieve their goals of staying fit and healthy.  It was a fulfilling and rewarding job. But as time went it, life changes, and I left that position to pursue other interest, but I never stopped  exercising, that is, until an accident years later stopped me.  No, I 'm not crippled, thank God for that, I just have a permanent back injury, which prevents me from doing any type of physical workouts.

So I guess that sums it all up, and all I can say, Jack La Lanne, an inspiration to all, and if you can
 hear me up there, you'll always be,  FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/MOM

Now that I've given you one example of Forever Young, I'll give you another.

My mom, who is eighty-seven, still walks to the store everyday, cooks, does the laundry and takes care of my brother, This comes from working hard all her life. She was a waitress for sometime, and for many years worked in a taylor shop, while raising three kids on her own.  She did the best she could for a single parent.

And yes my mom is still pretty feisty, and I'm so lucky to have her here. Though as mother's and daughter's go, we still get into our little cat and dog fights, but the scratches hurt less, and the bark is not so harsh, but of course when I was younger, I felt my world was fallen apart, and I was scarred for life, but scars heal eventually, and the ones that don't disappear, remain a very dull ache.

And now I have a daughter, grown up,  but will always be my little girl, and yes we  do have our little squabbles, but we also have a great relationship.

So I look at my mom and say FOREVER YOUNG.

FOREVER YOUNG/MY UNCLE

You might wonder why I chose the title Forever Young.   It's not  because of Mel Gibson and Jamie Lee Curtis, who starred in the film Forever Young,, or the song by Rod Stewart,  but for the pure joy of saying those two words. FOREVER YOUNG.

Now I know you're probably thinking, is she crazy, or what did she have to drink today?  I'm over fifty, sixty etc. etc. and etc.,

Well let me give you one example or maybe two...or more as I go along...

My uncle, who is eighty-eight years old, impersonated Elvis for many, many years. He had the women swooning over him, with  my aunt on the sideline, watching with pride, enjoying every moment.  Since my aunt's death, he stopped for awhile, mourning the lost of his soul mate. But as time went on, he got out his white sequin suit and wig, knowing she would approve, and started performing again, until he finally retired at the age of eighty-five.

He is also the busy traveler, who has been to so many places, that I've lost count with the latest being, a cruise to Alaska.... and now he has a companion, eighty-four years young, and both love to dance.

So Uncle, I must say you are a fine example to others, and of course to me, that you are never too old to live life to the fullest.

so  I look at my uncle and say he is FOREVER YOUNG.