Observations and opinions.....mine

You know no matter how old you get, you always learn something new and its not necessarily new technology I'm talking about. About 4 or 5 years ago, my well started to go dry; my water pressure was down to nearly nothing. I called a well-man to see about having another well put in. He was a (self-professed) expert in his field and baffled me with a bunch of BS that I didn't understand. Bottom line though was that I, indeed, needed a new well. However, since the Township in which I live has a water system in place and it does run by my house, I was denied a permit for my own well and had to hook up to community water. I wasn't happy about it (being a farm raised girl and loving that "well" water) but had no choice. This "well-man", while trying to drum up his business, put some sort of filter on my water softener, stating that I would need it. I promptly forgot about it. I noticed no difference in anything since my water pressure was so low at the time anyway.

Well, I hooked up to community water and I must say the water pressure was much improved, although still not what it was supposed to be (unknown to me) and I was happy. Time went on and the pressure decreased. I suffered through years of horrible water pressure and come to find out it was that damn filter that whack job had put on my softener (which was the wrong kind in the first place and, secondly, was not even needed). After it was taking over 20 minutes to fill up my washer and I was beginning to feel suicidal, I called the water department; she suggested I have the water softener checked. I did and the filter was discovered and removed. I am like a kid with a new toy! I have water pressure again. REAL water pressure. I can fill up the washer in record time. I can take showers with an invigorating spray. I feel like I've been living under a rock for being so stupid!!!

On another subject.....I made up a cute little Santa video for my granddaughter through this website. Its totally free and you can personalize it to your liking. You can also send them to adults (however nothing off color is offered). Anyway, when she looked at it she was delighted and the look on her face was worth a million but she then announced to me that most of the kids in her class were saying that there was no such thing as Santa Claus and that only "babies" believed in him. OMG....she's only in SECOND grade! Not remembering the "yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" letter off the top of my head, I did the best I could do, stating that Santa lives on within our hearts. I was appalled even further when she told me more stories about her class and classmates.

There are "cliques" formed already and these little girls are MEAN. My daughter went to the class Christmas party to take some pictures and was told in no uncertain terms by 3 little snobs that my granddaughter could not be included in the picture with the 3 of them because "she's not one of our group". They had the nerve to tell this child's own mother (my daughter) that she was not to be included. My daughter took their picture only so that I could see what they looked like. Oh boy....do they have a serious wake-up call in a few years.....is all I can say. My granddaughter is close friends with a little Japanese girl who is treated much the same way. She is teaching my granddaughter to speak Japanese and they are having a delightful time with it. So who's the winner here!

What have parents done to their children to make them so hateful and especially at such a young age. I figure a lot of it is picked up from older siblings.....but what's wrong with the family units that they condone such behaviors? More than likely they don't even know their children are acting out in such hateful manners. I realize that junior high school is typical for this type of behavior.....but second grade??? I'm proud that my granddaughter is polite and kind and wants to be friends with everyone....no matter what. I hope we can keep those attributes alive and well in her all her life and that society doesn't knock her down and trample her.

She was having some problems in certain subjects at school and my daughter enrolled her in Kumon, which is a licensed tutoring center to help children over problem areas. She thought she was doing something beneficial. My granddaughter has blossomed under their learning program but when the school found out about it, they took umbrage over it and have doubled up on her homework so its nearly impossible for her to do both now. Instead of the teachers realizing that the ultimate goal here is to educate a child, they've taken it as an insult to their teaching abilities. Well, as far as I'm concerned.....there must be some guilty feelings there or they would not be feeling this way. My daughter is seriously considering placing her in a private Christian school beginning next year. She will be researching that. I can fully and completely understand why so many parents home-school their children.

Holidays.....doncha love 'em

Oh boy.....there just aren't enough hours in the day. I can't believe how fast the days go. To have Christmas just around the corner is nearly unbelievable. Thank goodness the shopping is done and I have most of it here. Just a couple more things to be delivered and it will be totally done except for the wrapping.

I have sent the following to a few of my friends via email but then thought I'd post it because I can't think of anything worse than being far away from home on Christmas! Xerox understands this more than most companies and they are doing something again this year that's very heartwarming. So read on and follow the link to send a serviceman or woman a Christmas card. Bless your hearts. I'll try and get back here before Christmas with some brilliant prose. HA! Sorry.....I'm laughing at the brilliant prose part.

XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL

If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq/Afghanistan. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second and no personal info is demanded of you (email, name or address), unless, of course you'd like to include it. Its your choice.

Please take the time to pass it on for others. We can never say ‘thank you' enough. Our soldiers need to know we are behind them.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?

Thanks for taking the time to support our military!

Two Days Late......

and more than a few dollars short, I might add. My family has been sick with ear infections and bronchitis. Not wanting to expose me, we all decided it would be the smart thing to just post-pone Thanksgiving. You can do this with a tiny family like ours. No one is flying in from another state or making long haul drives from miles away. We are all right here.

So tomorrow is the big day for us. Tonight I am baking pies and tomorrow morning I will put two turkey breasts in the oven. Cooking a whole turkey is just wasteful for us as no one likes the dark meat. My family is feeling much better and everyone is looking forward to a good meal.......cooked by yours truly. After dinner we are going to watch "How to train your Dragon" and "Toy Story 3".

This morning I got up early, made a nice cup of coffee and got online in my flannel nightgown to take advantage of Black Friday. It was cold with snow flurries outside.....and the wind was whipping around pretty good too. I can now proudly announce that I have my Christmas shopping done. I found some killer deals and had some great coupons. At one place I saved over $60..... that's with their own coupons, plus promotional coupons I downloaded. I have to admit, though, that a lot of things I wanted to buy were sold out and it was early! Not anything "Barbie" was left at all but I did snag the Rapunzel and Flynn dolls. Also found Tinkerbell and two of her fairy friends. I was thrilled over that as my one granddaughter is really into Tinkerbell right now.

So.....we're late for eating turkey but it will still taste just as good and our feelings of gratitude for what we have.....be it ever so humble, are just as heartfelt as it would have been on Thursday.

Hope everyone's holiday was a good one and a safe one. I'll be back.............. (keep smilin')

Sound off.....

I wasn't going to bore you with this, but then got to thinking.....I'll just bet there are a lot of people out there that feel exactly the same way I do about this. Let's see.

I had noticed a certain toll-free number on my caller I.D. a LOT. Sometimes twice in one day. Yet no message was ever left on my answering machine. A few times I was here but I won't answer toll free calls or unlisted or 'caller unknown' so left it to go into the machine only to hear a "click". Then I became curious. Who in the hell is trying so hard to get ahold of me, yet won't leave a message. I made up my mind to answer it next time I got one.....I knew I wouldn't have to wait long.

A few days ago, I received one. When the phone rang, I nearly killed myself to get to it so I could see who was calling. Yep, there it was, same toll-free number. I answered it on the third ring only to be disconnected. That did not set well with me. The next day I received another one and again could not make it until the third ring and was again disconnected. My curiosity was killing me, I must admit....although I was fairly certain it had to be a solicitor. I wanted to answer it for no other reason than to tell them off. How fast do they think an old lady can move, for cryin' out loud.

Yesterday I received one and this time I was right by the phone and got it on the first ring. The wind was blown out of my sails when she announced that she was from "(I'll hold back the name)" Well, I certainly could not tell her off....not a charity, although a lot of them have overstepped their bounds on some occasions. I did not tell her off but was rather curt. I have never given to this particular charity. Matter of fact, I'll tell you that I do not give to charities unless they are non-profit. I want 100% of the donations to go to the cause; I'm not paying someone's wages. I'm sorry, but that's how I feel. Check out what some of these executives of certain charities obtain in wages and you'll see why.

Anyway, she was quick to say that she wasn't asking for a donation. The scenario here is that they send you 20 informative brochures, donation cards and envelopes. You are supposed to stuff these, put postage on them and then TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR FRIENDSHIPS by sending these to all your friends and neighbors. It further irritated me that she had my name and address. I hate it that we no longer have privacy. They have you in a fail-fail situation here. I would LOVE to know what IDIOT came up with this hair-brained idea. First of all, that's a lot of work. Secondly, when your "friends" receive these, they are ticked off for sure because now they have to send money or look bad in the eyes of the whole neighborhood. They don't even want to get around you for fear you may ask them if they've sent anything in yet (and they haven't). This is a HORRIBLE idea. I was quick to tell her that No, I do not participate in anything like that, thank you very much, have a nice evening.

I get so much more out of buying a winter coat for a child, or being a secret Santa for a family or saving the lives of 20 dogs and cats. How about you?

Faith pays off.....

I went to the mailbox today to find a package from Microsoft. They did it! They sent me the Microsoft Word Program. Exactly like the counterfeit one I had purchased except, of course.....THIS one isn't counterfeit. Boy I sure hope they catch those crooks!

In the meantime I'm soooooo happy to have my Word program back.....I have really felt lost without it....even though Open Office is darn close. I'm just used to using Word after all these years and that's what we use at work.

I have really been neglectful but there hasn't been much going on. My daughter and her whole family got sick with a variation of the flu called "echo virus". I have stayed away from them all this time because I don't want to get exposed to it.....its miserable.

Its 45 here now and raining pretty good. It's supposed to do it all night long. The guy who does my leaves showed up tonight and got them all picked up. He just beat the rain which is a good thing. With 26 trees in my yard, most of them oak, you can just imagine how many leaves there were.....they were mid-calf deep on me.

I have my turkey in the freezer.....actually its two turkey breasts. No one in my family cares for dark meat so buying a whole turkey is wasteful. Making two turkey breasts suits us perfectly and there is no waste. I keep one and give my daughter the other one. They both fit nicely into my large roasting pan. If its stopped raining by tomorrow, I may go and get the rest of the fixings for our dinner. My co-worker is on vacation that week and I will have to work the day before Thanksgiving. I wonder if we will have snow.

Hope everything is ok in your corners of the world. I'll be back in a couple days......in the meantime, keep smilin'.

Around and around we go.....

I called the first number to Microsoft and talked to a man with a slight accent....of what kind I'm not sure. He was either Tad or Ted but he was very nice. He took all the information I had to give, even saying that eBay would work with them in this case. Glad to know. I want this thief caught! Then he gave me another number to call about getting a replacement. He didn't know anything much about that but kept saying I could buy another software package from them.

I had to laugh at Glen's comment about getting "John" from India because that's precisely what happened. Although "John" was super nice....friendly, compassionate and probably knowledgeable, I could only understand about 1/3 of what he was saying. Never have I said "pardon me" so many times. I even had him wait for a minute so I could change to my other phone which has a volume control on it. Why is it that when we have a hard time understanding due to an accent, we think that if we can hear it at a more intense volume, that we will be able to decipher it better? It did not help, by the way. I finally was able to understand where to find the form I needed to fill out in order to report piracy and also to "have a chance" at getting replacement software once I sent them my discs and documentation. So, I will send that off tomorrow or the next day.....insured and certified. Its up to them to decide whether I deserve replacement software and if they decide in my favor, it will take a month to get it. I was referred to yet another number (thank goodness for toll-free).

This was in reference to my Windows XP, which is not what its supposed to be either. About all I was getting out of that is that I can purchase a new set of discs. Forget the fact that this would involve wiping my entire hard drive and starting over from scratch. What happens to all my stuff? Why....for a price, they can store it online for you while you do this. XP is no longer for sale, so I would have to buy Windows 7, which may not be compatible with my existing programs. Yet another number was given to me to find out if my programs would work. This guy also gave me the impression that I was some sort of moron for buying a computer at an auction and also for buying the Word program for $139 when it sells for nearly $500.....and that should have raised some flags. Well, no....it didn't. I was buying software that had already been upgraded to a newer version (2010) and I thought that the older version (2007) would be less money because of that. I decided I wasn't in the mood to be belittled, so I said I would research buying new software and let him go. He was condescending and not very friendly.

So, now I wait. Yes, I have learned a lesson. Buy computers and computer software from well-known establishments, ones that can prove they are authorized Microsoft dealers. Check your PC's and laptops to make sure you have your certificate of authenticity on the side or bottom. If not.....you likely have illegal copies. But of course the certificate of authenticity could be counterfeit (as what happened to me). I think Microsoft needs to come up with a better way.

Sometimes it pays....

to put off cleaning out files. I am so excited. After hours of hunting, I have found my receipt for the Office program I bought. You know....the one I talk about in the previous post....the one that is counterfeit. (leaves a bad taste in my mouth to even type it)

Do you know how exceptional this is? I bought it last December.....and I have found the receipt! Woo hoo. Martha, eat your heart out. Tomorrow I call Microsoft and see what they say. Wish me luck.

And the icing on the cake.....

I open up my Microsoft Word program to write a letter and a sign appears advising that my copy may not be genuine and to "click here". I do so and it routes me to the MS website. Long story shortened.....I contact tech support for some help. They are very prompt at replying. I have to send them my numbers off of the software I have, and he'll get back with me.

I bought that software and installed it about a year ago. I thought I had bought it from a reputable place. When I received it I was even more convinced that I had bought the authentic product; it had all the necessary paperwork and certificate of authenticity as well as a product key. I've been happily using it all this time, blissfully unaware.

I have a counterfeit copy and I'm LIVID. I bought this through eBay. I have no receipts to speak of. Its been long enough I can no longer find the transaction on eBay. I can find where my Paypal account paid them, but I can't find the actual transaction that states what the product was. MS claims they will replace the software if they are convinced I innocently bought it and its a convincing copy (doesn't look like someone whipped it up in 5 minutes). Oh....its that all right. Its an excellent copy....someone took some pains to make sure this looked authentic.

Just one more thing to think about. I will give them what I have and hope for the best. I'm not going to be optimistic. However I do have one major bitch. WHY did they wait so long to let me know it was counterfeit. If it was closer to the purchase date, this thief could have been caught....the listing was up on eBay for a while. They tell you things to look for that would alert you that it was counterfeit...like the hologram being pasted on instead of part of the disc. Well, how in the world are you supposed to view that before you buy it....you absolutely cannot....not even in a store where you personally go. You cannot open the package unless you purchase it. Once again.....bend over.....the consumer gets screwed. And in the meantime, my OFFICE software only functions with the bare bones features, which is not acceptable for what I do with it. Open Office is looking better all the time.

Add coffee and gently mix.....

Ok, this is how I picture myself in the morning. I am definitely not with the program until after I've had my coffee. As soon as my feet apprehensively touch the floor in the morning I am in a fog, doing things on auto-pilot until I get that cup of coffee. Lord help the person who calls me early in the morning and wakes me up. I've been known to carry on a short conversation and not even remember it later. Although its not my nature to be mean, I've been also known to get a bit snippy if you call me during that time. Most of the time though I go through the motions early in the morning, get my cup of coffee and check out the news without being bothered and things turn out well for everyone involved.

This morning, however, it was different and I certainly hope its not an indicator of what the rest of my day is going to be like.

After getting up and taking care of the necessities we all have to do in the bathroom upon rising, I then trudged to the kitchen. I let the dog out and then proceeded to make my cup of coffee. Now I have one of those one-cup brewers, which I love BTW, and I brew a huge mug of coffee (18 oz.). It only takes about a minute and a half to brew this cup and so I get my meds out and take them with juice while waiting. Then I normally fix my coffee with coffee-mate, get some coffee cake or cinnamon bread and sit down to enjoy. This morning, however, I had to open a new container of coffee-mate. I got it out of the pantry and when I opened the pantry door a stack of paper grocery bags I had in there picked this time to fall over and spread across my kitchen floor.....so I had to pick those up, using my feet to push them into a pile and then carefully bending over to get them.....all the while cursing under my breath. Then I went to open the new container of coffee-mate, that boasted NEW CONTAINER all over the front. Now, I don't know if they think that coffee-mate consumers have a hand-span of a Yeti or what.....but I could not open that container. My fingers were not long enough to reach around the lid, which screwed on. By now the coffee is done and sitting on the counter in a mug.....the aroma beckoning to me. I try to get it open with a butter knife....no luck. I try banging it on the counter thinking that maybe it will loosen it up.....no luck. I then go for the bottle opener that's sticking to my fridge door by its built-in magnet. I use the one end that's pointed and used to open canned milk. I'm starting to make headway when the container slips out of my hands and hits the mug of coffee. The mug of coffee tips and falls off the counter, pouring HOT coffee all over the floor and some of it on me. 18 oz of coffee all over the kitchen floor. The mug hit the floor also and I can't believe it didn't break, but it didn't.

I had some folded bath towels sitting on top of the dryer and so I grab one and throw it on the floor. There is no way I can bend over and clean this up at this time. My back won't let me do it right now....I'm still stiff from sleep and my meds haven't taken affect yet. (I have back problems....arthritis) I wipe it up using my feet, cursing out loud now. I get that done, noticing that my mostly white bath towel is now stained with coffee stains but at this point I could care less. I brew another cup of coffee and mangle the coffee-mate container enough so that I can get it open. I then go to let the dog back in and she's gotten herself tangled around the deck steps (AGAIN) because she chases squirrels and I can't get her inside unless I go outside and untangle her. Ain't gonna happen.....at least not right now. Probably no neighbor is looking outside but I'm not going to take the chance. My too short nightshirt with the huge coffee stain in the front, my hair sticking straight up on the left side and my face marked with creases from the wrinkles in my pillow is not a sight for the faint of heart.

I have now had my cup of coffee and my coffee cake. I feel human again. My brain is functioning again and I can't help but wonder if what happened this morning in only 15 minutes after arising is any indication of what the rest of the day is going to be like. If so.......I'm grabbing a book and heading for the couch. In the meantime, I hope you all have a great day and remember to keep smilin'. And.....may all your lids open with no problems. (I'm headed out to the kitchen for another cup of coffee)

I'm back in the game.....

Yes, I have both of my computers back from the repair guy. They seem to be working ok now but this whole ordeal has made me very shaky about the info on my hard drive. I'm going to have to get my pictures organized and put them on a DVD so I can feel secure that I'm not going to lose them.

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. In the mid 70's and nice bright sunshine. The leaves are beginning to turn and some areas around here are getting pretty colorful. I went grocery shopping after work.....one of my favorite things to do. Why, I like it as much as I like to iron! Ahem. Anyway, I was quite surprised that the store was nearly empty and I was able to get in and out in record time. Needless to say, I was glad to finally get home and relax.

Some of the TV programming this fall is really unusual. I've come across a series called Swamp People. Its about several Louisiana families who make a living catching alligators. These people work hard and seem to make a pretty good living doing this. The programs have all been interesting so far. Then there is another Louisiana family who specializes in pest removal....bugs, snakes, skunks, you name it. They are good at what they do but I sure wouldn't want to do it. That's interesting too and gives you the creepy crawlies just looking at it. Then there is Hoarders.....look at an episode and you'll never again feel that your own house is cluttered or dirty.....guaranteed. I've been looking at Project Runway lately and now am hooked on that too. I had no idea how hard it was to be a fashion designer.....not to mention the stress. I used to watch Fringe...it was a favorite of mine but they have made it so confusing that I no longer can follow it and have stopped watching. Same goes for CSI Las Vegas. All my favorite people left and so I quit watching. I seem to be sticking mostly with A&E on cable and cannot find much to hold my interest in the regular stations. I love Adventures of the New Old Christine.....she is a real hoot and I always get a laugh out of her show. We need more good comedies. Have a great weekend....I'll be back as soon as I can find something to talk about that may or may not interest you. My life is just not that exciting........but sometimes that's not bad.

Again, she writes.....

I contributed to Magpie Tales again. Last week I was upset over my computer so I didn't do one. Let me know if you enjoy it or not.

The Bottle (Go here).

In the meantime, keep smilin'.

Happiness is.....

your hard drive dying..........NOT.

I can't believe it. My computer is not that old either. I can't blame it on any particular manufacturer because I have my systems built for me (clones). I've had very good luck doing it this way....but not this time. My hard drive won't even spin and that's a horrible feeling. My computer guy said something about putting it in the freezer if the bearing will work. Sorry....all Greek to me. He will try to save my data but I'm not optimistic this time.

I have become dependent on the computerized lifestyle.....something I always said I would never do. But I now do all my bills and banking online except for a couple who do not participate in online billing. I do back up my system but I've been having problems since June and that's the last time I backed it up. Of course its better than no backup at all....if it actually does work and its not corrupted or something. The troubles I was having with it was not with the hard drive, it was with my internet connection.....which turned out to be my router. My computer guy has car trouble so he can't come and pick it up until this coming Saturday. Right now is the time of the month that I schedule my bills. Thank goodness I did some of them before the frying of the hard drive took place.

So I ordered a laptop. I have to be able to get to the Internet. I guess it will be here in about a week....about the same time my old one goes out the door for repair. I have never used a laptop and something tells me that I'm in for quite an adventure. I searched online for hours and hours looking at different brands with oh-so-many different features. I settled on a Toshiba 17" screen because the reviews on it were awesome and the price was lower than most of the others.

I have a very old computer that the kids use when they are here and that's what I'm using now. Amazing how its still hanging in there........oops....did I say that outloud? Well, its true.....it just seems like the newer things are not built to hold up near as long as the older stuff. Its part of an evil plot to keep us buying new computers once we're addicted and dependent. Well, wish me luck that this old one holds up. It doesn't recognize the keyboard half the time and using the on-screen keyboard is a real pain in the patootie....trust me.

Anyone have any good advice on things I should know using a laptop.....or notebook I guess its called. I'm hoping it will last me for a while....and yes, I did buy insurance on it.

Anger in the air.....

Boy oh boy....I don't know if the planets were lined up just right yesterday or what the reason was -- but it seemed like everyone picked that day to just be ANGRY. I often pay for the person's order who is behind me in the drive-through in the mornings but I do have a limit. This morning the guy behind me had an expensive order and I couldn't do it so the day went downhill from there. I was forewarned.

Everyone had a complaint of one sort or another. My co-worker got sick of it and put in for a half vacation day and left. Since every boss in the building was also gone.....to say I was left to my own devices is an understatement.....you can only sweet talk people for only so long.

I had been yelled at over the phone mostly but a few residents appeared in person. They had rants about various little things but the longer they thought about those little things it made them expand to huge dimensions and they wanted action NOW. By the time 5 o'clock rolled around I was more than ready to escape to my own turf....to lock myself in with some soft music to calm my shattered nerves but first I had things to do. Number one on the list was get gas for the car cause I was riding on fumes, which is something I never do but I had forgotten to get gas earlier in the week. Then I had to quickly visit the grocery store and I was dreading it. Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do.....topped only by ironing. I almost put it off but remembered that it was supposed to rain all day Saturday and that gave me the energy to proceed.

The most important item I had to purchase was a birthday card and cake for my daughter. I was surprised to see that the grocery store was nearly empty. Nearly empty at a little after 5 on a Friday? I simply had to take advantage of it. I ended up getting a few more things than the cake but it was still a quick visit, the anticipation of enjoying my easy chair and a good book in the quiet of my home giving me the impetus I needed to get this task done. At the bakery department I waited at the counter to get "happy birthday" written on the cake. The woman who waited on me had disgust and anger all over her face. She looked like she had experienced the same kind of day as yours truly. She answered my questions with short, sharp retorts and I made up my mind that I was going to put a smile on this woman's face before I left. She took the cake and returned with it a few minutes later with a beautifully written "happy birthday" on it. I smiled and told her it was absolutely beautiful.....actually the best I'd ever seen. (which was really true) You know what.....I honestly saw her icy exterior melt and she smiled and thanked me. I KNOW I made her day.....and it made ME feel better knowing that.

I finally made it home, fixed myself a nice hot cup of coffee and, grabbing an apple fritter that I had just purchased at the store, I headed for my easy chair and book. My son, of course, had to call me later on and put the ending on my day by some unnecessary garbage of his own. I almost felt like I was being tested.....especially when I found out that my ex and his wife had won an all expense paid trip to Paris, France. I'm glad for them.....yes I am. Yes I am. I'll just keep saying that with a smile on my face. It just seemed like I was everyone's punching bag yesterday. Did any of you have a day like that too? You know what?.....even if it IS cold, dark, dreary and raining today.....I am sooooo glad its Saturday and I don't have to go anywhere. I don't even think I'll answer the phone today.....so there! Hope you all have a good one today, no matter where you are or what the weather is like.

Take some time.....

out of your busy day and view this video. Its a little over 6 minutes and its absolutely one of the most beautiful presentations I've ever seen. It truly is Magnificent. Go there and watch, you won't be sorry.

Nothing I could write today could top this. And....thank you, Jackie, for sending it to me. xo