Notice the similiarity?

I Did Not Know This...Interesting

 The True Story of Rudolph

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter, Barbara, sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer. Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.

Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed  to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938. Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one...a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the character? What was the story all about?

The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there. The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer' and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946, Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph.

 That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book. In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to B ob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter.

But the story doesn't end there either. Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas." The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend, Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad.

 In fact, being diff erent can be a blessing.

 MERRY CHRISTMAS

Another year, another Santa Breakfast

This is the infamous "Christmas Letter/List". 

Yep, right up there on the top is the request for

"Super Powers".

A smile for my birthday

This is the Christmas Tree.  A new to us tree, a gift from Aunt Mation who stated it was just too big for her to handle by herself!  Well, it was not too big for Sarah to handle with a tiny bit of help from me.  I was so weak from the illness, I was of little or no help.  She put our white lights on it, was not satisfied with the effect and went out and shopped until she brought back five strings of 200 lights each and put them methodically on the tree.  Each section of the artificial tree has it's own lights, so dismantling the tree means we don't have to remove the lights.  The lights go all the way inward on the branches to the trunk.  Kelsey and Daniel completely decorated it on Saturday with all the toys, garlands, bulbs and icicles.  I think is it absolutely beautiful! 

 Sarah said "I want it when you're done with it Mom"!  It is a beauty!

Some nice news for a change

A 98-year-old hospice patient took a lap around the arena on horseback Friday as her family applauded her spunk.

Gladys McLarnon, of Laurel, a plucky great-great-grandmother, sat proudly in the saddle. She made the brief loop with one helper leading the horse, another gripping a belt around her waist as he walked beside her and a third with his arm beside her opposite leg.

"I practically lived on a horse until I got into high school," said McLarnon, who grew up on a homestead north of Terry.

Before she took to the saddle Friday, she hadn't been on a horse in 15 years.

She made her way determinedly from the car to a mounting block with the aid of a walker. Beneath a vest and parka, she wore a beaded necklace around her bright red turtleneck. McLarnon regularly navigates a flight of stairs at her home in Laurel and has always kept physically active, said her daughter, Marilee Wold.

"She thought she could still do it, so we went for it," Marilee Wold said. "Mother was always game for pretty near anything."

A social worker at Rocky Mountain Hospice heard that McLarnon was eager to ride from McLarnon's granddaughter and live-in caregiver, Renee Wold.

The social worker contacted Jonnie Jonckowski, who runs Angel Horses, a program that provides therapy for youths and seniors with horses rescued from slaughter. Jonckowski has no indoor arena but organized the ride at her friend's arena, the Rimrock Equestrian Center on Shorey Road.

On Friday, Jonckowski trailered her 29-year-old Arabian, Jesse James, to the arena. Jesse, a steadfast rescue horse, is more of a trooper than an outlaw and "loves to be loved on," she said.
Over the years, Jonckowski has fielded other requests from old-timers who want to swing into the saddle once more.
"It's pretty hard to say no," Jonckowski said. "I hope somebody tries it for me when I'm old."

An old cowboy will sometimes ride 50 yards, then sit and reminisce for hours, she said.
"Just the view from the saddle and looking between those ears, it's a pretty precious moment for them," she said. Jonckowski once saw a cowgirl who had turned 100 get on a horse. The woman climbed into the saddle from a pickup truck's tailgate. "We've had people with dementia get back on horseback and you'd be amazed. They give the horse the right cues to get 'em going," she said.

Jonckowski regularly handles requests from nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to bring groups of seniors to her arena just to hang out with the horses, sing campfire songs and toast marshmallows.
When McLarnon's ride ended, the family's matriarch sat in the saddle as she posed for photos with several generations of her family. "Have you done your Christmas cards yet? Because this would be perfect for them," Megan Tenney, a dressage instructor at the arena, shouted out as relatives snapped photos.
McLarnon has nine grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
She often went on trail rides with her husband, Paul, who was a longtime member of the Sheriff's Posse Cowboy Polo team.
The couple, who were married in 1935, also enjoyed bowling. Gladys picked up her first bowling ball in 1948 and went on to compete in 50 state tournaments. For more than 10 years they both bowled in the Senior Sports and Arts Festival. Gladys also competed as a golfer.
Her husband, who had retired from the railroad, died on Christmas Eve in 2005 at the age of 95.
After Friday's ride around the arena, McLarnon registered some discomfort during her assisted dismount.
"I'm just so old and stiff that it isn't any fun like it was when I was younger," she said afterward.
Asked if she would be sore in the morning, she smiled before she answered.

"I won't be sore," she said, "I'll just be lame."

The Phone

Yesterday morning proved me right.  There was no phone delivered by USPS or anybody for that matter.
I don't give a rat's behind at this point whether I have a cell phone or not.  But, it is the number posted on the electronic sign in the middle of Brunswick busy four corner intersection, and it has been published in the newspapers as well.  Help Ring the Bell, call 330-760-1623 Red Kettle.  It doesn't ring, it doesn't churp, it doesn't burp.  It does nothing!

Back to the AT&T store in Medina.  Head scratching, finally they dialed the number for customer service.
I spoke with "Jenny".  "Peggy" of Capitol One's TV commercial's sister.  Could not understand her.  Did not care to understand her, just went through the motions of the call.  Then she wanted a phone number at which she could contact me.  1, 2, 3, 4, 5,,,,,,,,All to no avail. (Jenny, Peggy's sister said I should have it by Tuesday the 20th)  There is no service center near Medina, so I  could not drive somewhere and pick up a phone.  Sigh!

Wait a minute.  Leslie, the gal that was helping me this time said "there is a service center on Mayfield Road".  They opened up a magical drawer and pulled a paper with the address on it, out of said drawer.

I programed the address into my GPS  started out and said to myself "I just don't care anymore, I feel like crap and I am going home to lie down".  I stopped at our mail box and voila, there it was.  Turned around and went back to the store.  Leslie transferred all the data, phone stuff and photos.  Only, the photos would not transfer.  Not the first time, not the second time, not the third time. 

Thanks Leslie, give me the damn phone and I'm out of here.

P.S.  the battery that was in the old phone looks like it has water damage.

Ya' think!

The Christmas Card List!

Just finished addressing the Christmas Card/Letter Envelopes.  It is amazing how many names are marked "Deceased" in the book.

That is just wrong, wrong, wrong!

Seriously?

...So a sick woman walks into an AT&T phone store to report that her cell phone is out of order.  It does not ring.

She was greeted by a thirteen year old clerk with natural red hair (I just had to mention this fact as there are so few of them out there in the world today).  "May I help you" says the clerk.
"Yes", says the woman "my phone doesn't ring".

"Let me take a look" says the clerk.  She starts fingering the face pad with both thumbs, moving them  in unison like the director of a hristmas choir.  The touch screen is unresponsive to her wishes.  "I did that" says the lady.  "Hmmm"says the clerk, again moving her thumbs across the touch screen faster this time.  "I did that" says the lady.  The clerk looks up and says "It doesn't ring"!  I did not reach across the counter and grab her by the throat.  Obviously the clerk did not notice the dark circles and dishelved hair on the sick lady.  "Yes, I said,  it doesn't ring". (didn't I say that already?)

"Let me pull your account up on the screen".  ??? Why, I wondered.
"Do you know how long you've had this phone?" says she
"No, can't you look on the computer screen and find that out?" says I.

"Well, we are going to have to send you out a new phone".  "You should have it in 2 to 5 days".
"Then what?" says the sick, sick lady.
"Then come back and we will change out all of your data and info for you". says she.

"What is your work schedule for the rest of the week?" says the sick lady.

GRRRRRRR!

They Sold Trigger!

Saturday mornings growing up in Cleveland found me in front of the Black and White TV watching Western Seriels.  Sunday afternoons found me at the local movie theater watching Cowboy Movies.  I longed for the chance to own a horse.  Trigger was my favorrite movie horse of all time!

THE END OF AN ERA....
The Roy Rogers Museum in Branson, MO has closed its doors forever.
The contents of the museum were sold at a public auction.
Roy Rogers told his son, if the museum ever operates at a loss, close it

and sell the contents. He complied.
One of many pairs of Roy 's boots sold for $21,250.

Trigger sold for $266,500.

In the 1938 movie The Adventures of Robinhood, with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland; Olivia rode Trigger in that film.

Trigger was bred on a farm co-owned by Bing Crosby. Roy bought Trigger on a time payment plan for $2,500. Roy and Trigger made 188 movies together.
Trigger even outdid Bob Hope by winning an Oscar in the movie Son of Paleface in 1953.
It is extremely sad to see this era lost forever. These were the great heroes of our childhood, and they did teach us right from wrong, and how to have and to show respect for each other and the animals we share this earth with.
You and I were able to grow up with these great people even if we never met them. In their own ways they taught us patriotism and honor. We learned that lying and cheating were bad, and that sex wasn't as important as love. We learned how to suffer through disappointment and failure and work through them. Our lives were drug free.
So it's good-bye to Roy and Dale, Gene and Hoppy, The Lone Ranger and Tonto. Farewell to Sky King and Superman and Sgt. Friday. Thanks to Capt.. Kangaroo,
Mr. Rogers and Buffalo Bob, and all those people whose lives touched ours, and made them better.
It was a great ride through childhood.
HAPPY TRAILS, MY FRIENDS

Fixed...all better now!

"Hello Armstrong, I would like to speak to customer service".

Takes awhile to get through and they finally called back at 10:15 this morning.

"We can be there around 11:00 a.m. if that would be okay".  "You bet it will be okay"!

And at 11:00 they (two trucks, two technicians, one of which was supervisor arrived on the dot!)

"Oh my" said the supervisor.  "We will fix this problem ma'm".  And they did.

They took every inch of cable down, went up in the attic (multiple times) and I now
have no cables showing, no ugly mess, no, no, no and...they are sending an electrician
out tomorrow to find my electrical problem!

"We will deal with the technician when we get back to the office".  "Don't fire him" I said.

"No, but we don't do installation like that". 

Merry Christmas to all And to all a goodnight!

A Quiz: What's wrong with this picture?

Hmmm. a professional technician installation of cable wire today.

NOT!