*New*
A Most Amazing Day
July 20,
1969
By: Nannie Banannie
nom de plume
As time passes memories fade
and facts unwittingly become distorted. For the last 40 years I have done
everything within my power and beyond to 'memory proof' MY July 20, 1969.
It was a hot summer day, much
like any other Sunday in July when my husband and I took our 4 year old daughter
to Flushing Meadow Park, the sight of the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. In
addition to row boating on the man-made lake we also rented a four-wheeled
surrey bike taking advantage of the many bicycle paths throughout the park.
After enjoying our delicious picnic lunch, we heard about a free show for
children about to start in one of the pavilions. Running as fast as we could,
with a 4 year old in tow, we arrived only to find the arena filled to capacity.
A kind bespectacled door person ushered us to 3 seats in the first row which he
said was reserved for 'the press.'
So there we sat waiting, for
what seemed forever, for the show to begin. At last curtain up, applause, music
and an elaborately costumed cast of clowns appeared. Our daughter's mouth
dropped, her eyes doubled in size as she sat mesmerized by what unfolded less
than 3 feet in front of her. During intermission a CBS television crew appeared
'from nowhere' kneeling in front of us and interviewing my daughter for her
opinion of the show thus far. The television crew also engaged my husband in a
little conversation. When the 'interview' was over, we were informed that this
segment would be on CBS Evening News at 6 PM.
We called everyone we knew to
tune into CBS to watch. My in-laws drove over to our house so we could watch as
a family. (Remember, this was long before VCR's). The CBS anchor said, “A
beautiful Sunday for a picnic and children's magic show at Flushing Meadow
Park.” “Here's the tape of our conversation with a precocious 4 year old girl
and her dad.”
It was the very next moment
that our hearts sank. “We interrupt this program for news about the Apollo Lunar
landing with Walter Cronkite.” There are no
words to describe the disappointment that followed. We were bumped.
That is MY unembellished and
still quite vivid memory of the day Apollo landed on the moon.
My story has become
compelling as shortly after the moon landing preempted my daughter's interview,
my husband, her dad passed away. My daughter, now 44, has, from time to time
verbalized that she would have liked to know what her father's voice sounded
like. (Those were the days of silent 35MM film on home movie cameras).Several
times over the last 40 years, I've tried to track down the footage from CBS
archives for the interview with my daughter and her dad so she could 'hear' his
voice. Need I say where this request ranks on the CBS News priority list.
And that's the way it was for me on July 20, 1969.
*New*
Gribenes Stuffed Matzo Balls
or
Suicide 101 How to Die with a
Smile
By Mrs. Sy Baron
I
have no idea why I decided to make chicken soup on a hot summer day, but make it
I did. The full monty, the whole shebang!
After frying a few pieces of
chicken liver with sauteed onions, I made the
gribenes and stirred it into the liver mixture.
I formed the matzo balls as
usual (box recipe), refrigerated for half hour and then pushed my thumb through
the middle (not all the way down), and filled with the gribenes and liver. Then
closed up the hole and refrigerated for an hour.
Boiled 6 quarts of water,
dropped in the balls which sank. About 20 minutes after they began to float
they were ready to be consumed in the soup.
Needless
to say, they were abso-freakin'-lutely incredibly spectacularly delicious.
Within
an hour, my fallen family took to their beds after massive doses of Pepto and
Milanta. Chest pains followed but we all had a smile on our face.
Had to
make that once in my life. If you've got a strong constitution, give it a try.
Good
Luck & Enjoy!
Gribenes
4
cups chicken fat and skin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or smaller
Kosher salt
Pinch
of pepper
1 cup
onion rings, about 1/8-inch thick
-
Wash fat and skin well in a colander, and pat dry.
-
Place in a heavy skillet, and sprinkle lightly with
salt and pepper.
-
Cook, uncovered, over low heat
-
When the fat starts to melt and get slightly brown,
add onions
-
Continue cooking until onions and cracklings are
golden brown and crunchy.
-
When partially cooled, strain over a bowl to remove
onions and cracklings,
-
Refrigerate them in a covered glass jar until ready to
eat.
*New*
The One Flaw In Women
Submitted by: Helen Wright
By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
--and she will do everything
with only two hands."
The angel was astounded at the requirements.
"Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish."
"But I won't, "the Lord protested.
"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick
AND can work 18-hour days."
The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed "but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel...
The Lord replied,
"Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."
The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak,"
the Lord corrected,
"that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride."
The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."
And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness,
love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors...
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE TINY FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.
PLEASE share with women friends and relatives to remind them just how amazing
they are.
The Marines Want This To Roll Allover....
Submitted by: Helen Wright
This is
my nephew. Please remember him and all those who are serving in your prayers.
This war has finally hit closer to home for me. I would really appreciate
your
prayers for Josh.
Michelle
Martin
My
Joshua is a Marine and he leaves for Afghanistan on July 20th so I am sending
you this so you can help me Pray him home alive and well.
Thank
You all for your prayers for my son.......The Marine
THE
MARINES WANT THIS TO ROLL ALL OVER THE U.S.
Let's
send it around the world.
This is
a poem being sent from a Marine
to his
Dad. For those who take the time
to read
it, you'll see a letter from him to
his dad
at the bottom. It makes you truly
thankful
for not only the Marines, but
ALL
of our Troops.
THE
MARINE
We all
came together,
Both
young and old
To fight
for our freedom,
To stand
and be bold.
In the
midst of all evil,
We stand
our ground,
And we
protect our country
From all
terror around.
Peace
and not war,
Is what
some people say.
But I'll
give my life,
So you
can live the American way
I give
you the right
To talk
of your peace.
To stand
in your groups,
and
protest in our streets.
But
still I fight on,
I don't
fuss, I don't whine.
I'm just
one of the people!
Who is
doing your time.
I'm
harder than nails,
Stronger
than any machine.
I'm the
immortal soldier,
I'm a
U.S. MARINE!
So stand
in my shoes,
And
leave from your home.
Fight
for the people who hate you,
With the
protests they've shown.
Fight
for the stranger,
Fight
for the young.
So they
all may have,
The
greatest freedom you've won
Fight
for the sick,
Fight
for the poor
Fight
for the cripple,
Who
lives next door.
But when
your time comes,
Do what
I've done.
For if
you stand up for freedom,
You'll
stand when the fight's done
By:
Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert, US Marine Corps
USS
SAIPAN, PERSIAN GULF
Hey Dad,
Do me a
favor and label this 'The Marine' and send it to everybody on your email list.
Even leave this letter in it. I want this rolling all over the US; I want every
home reading it. Every eye seeing it. And every heart to feel it. So can you
please send this for me? I would but my email time isn't that long and I don't
have much time anyway.
You know
what Dad? I wondered what it would be like to truly understand what JFK said in
His inaugural speech. 'When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I
do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it.' Well, now I know. And I
do. Dad, I welcome the opportunity to do what I do. Even though I have left
behind a beautiful wife, and I will miss the birth of our first born child, I
would do it 70 times over to fight for the place that God has made for my home.
I love you all and I miss you very much. I wish I could be there when Sandi has
our baby, but tell her that I love her, and Lord willing, I will be coming home
soon. Give Mom a great big hug from me and give one to yourself too.
Aaron
Please
let this marine (and all our military) know we care by passing his poem onto
your friends even if you don't usually take time to forward mail...do it this
time!
Thanks,
Let's
help Aaron's dad spread the word .... FREEDOM isn't FREE Someone pays for you
and me.
God
bless you!
Thank You Sarah Palin
Submitted by:
Mrs. Sy Baron
Thank
you Sarah Palin for dethroning Fran Drescher & Edith Bunker as the most annoying
voice .
Thank
you Sarah Palin for replacing Hillary Clinton type pantsuits with short skirts
showing leg.
Thank
you Sarah Palin for making the Bridge to Nowhere toll free.
Thank
you Sarah Palin for defining a 'gotcha' question, to be
what newspapers do you read.
Thank
you Sarah Palin for breathing new life into Saturday Night Live.
Thank
you Sarah Palin for renewing interest in banned books,making most Alaskan high
school students more literate than you are.
Thank
you Sarah Palin for teaching us a new way to connect with people,
winking.
Thank
you Sarah Palin for confirming that beauty IS only skin deep.
The Sounds of Hypocrisy
Submitted by: Linda K.
Republicans have often bellowed from the rooftops about moral conduct have
really become nothing but hypocrites! They rally around anti-gay laws, and ends
up being participate/caught in a gay liaisons, and the Republicans that wanted
to have Clinton impeached are now caught up in illusive extra marital affairs
themselves.
And what
is this about? Some Republicans are saying that ‘they” are the only ones who
love our country and support our troops. Have they lost their minds? I don’t
know or associate with anyone that does not support our troops or love this
great country of ours, and I have friends with many different political
ideologies!
Ann Margaret....Woman of the
Year story
Submitted by: Frosty
Viet Nam 1966
Richard, (my husband), never
really talked a lot about his time in Viet Nam other than he had been shot by a
sniper. However, he had a rather grainy, 8 x 10 black and white photo he had
taken at a USO show of Ann Margaret with Bob Hope in the background that was one
of his treasures.
A few years ago, Ann Margaret
was doing a book signing at a local bookstore. Richard wanted to see if he
could get her to sign the treasured photo so he arrived at the bookstore at 12
o'clock for the 7:30 signing.
When I got there after work,
the line went all the way a round the bookstore, circled the parking lot and
disappeared behind a parking garage. Before her appearance, bookstore employees
announced that she would sign only her book and no memorabilia would be
permitted.
Richard
was disappointed, but wanted to show her the photo and let her know how much
those shows meant to lonely GI's so far from home. Ann Margaret came out looking
as beautiful as ever and, as second in line, it was soon Richard's turn.
He presented the book for her
signature and then took out the photo. When he did, there were many shouts from
the employees that she would not sign it. Richard said, 'I understand. I just
wanted her to see it.'
She took one look at the
photo, tears welled up in her eyes and she said, 'This is one of my gentlemen
from Viet Nam and I most certainly will sign his photo. I know what these men
did for their country and I always have time for 'my gentlemen.''
With
that, she pulled Richard across the table and planted a big kiss on him. She
then made quite a to-do about the bravery of the young men she met over the
years, how much she admired them, and how much she appreciated them. There
weren't too many dry eyes among those close enough to hear. She then posed for
pictures and acted as if he were the only one there.
Later at dinner, Richard was
very quiet. When I asked if he'd like to talk about it, my big strong husband
broke down in tears. 'That's the first time anyone ever thanked me for my time
in the Army,' he said.
That night was a turning
point for him. He walked a little straighter and, for the first time in years,
was proud to have been a Vet. I'll never forget Ann Margaret for her
graciousness and how much that small act of kindness meant to my husband.
I now make it a point to say
'Thank you' to every person I come across who served in our Armed Forces.
Freedom does not come cheap and I am grateful for all those who have served
their country.
Perhaps this story will help
others to become aware of how important it is to acknowledge the contribution
our service people make.
On
behalf of those who DO appreciate all that you did for us, thank you to each of
you who receive this message who have served or are serving our country in the
armed services or any other service.
IF YOU
DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!
Accused Child
Molester or Global Pop Icon
Mrs. Sy Baron
Are we living in some kind of bizzaro world. Any loss of life is
tragic, but this man was arrested more than once as an accused child molester.
Now a flip of the remote to any channel & every newscaster is singing his
praises. (pun intended). Have we all gone mad. I shall say no more lest you
figure out of whom I speak.
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