Ann

The Tablecloth The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in urban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc. and on Dec. 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On Dec 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sunk when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 6 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, hand-made, ivory colored, crochet table cloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc. to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "Where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crochet into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike? He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a concentration camp. He never saw his wife or his home again for all the 35 years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine. True Story- as told by Pastor Rob Reid

So very happy to hear this good news! Time for you to relax!!!

So good to hear from you!!! I will certainly say prayers for both Gary and your cousin's husband. It sounds as if Gary's last test results were very good and that's certainly something to celebrate! I know that your cousin will gain a lot of strength and insight from you. she is very lucky to have you on her support team. I hope she decides to visit the board. Please keep us updated on Gary's progress.

((((((Kim)))))) Try and remember that your dear mom now keeps her forehead pressed agianst yours all the time! She'll always be right there with you. I know that doesn't seem like much comfort right now. I know how much you want to talk to her and put your arms around her. There are a few things I learned to do that seemed to help a lot when I lost Dennis. The one thing that seemed to help the most was writing down what I was feeling in the form of letters to him. I always felt as if he knew just what I was writing. I kept all of these letters in a journal and I still go back and read them from time to time. Those letters help me to realize how far I've come and how much I have healed. There are days that I still pull out those journals and write in them. It just seems to be a good way to pour out my soul to him. I'm saying a prayer that your days will get brighter.

Thanks for the info! I will let all the gals know. sounds like they're planning on doing some heavy ordering.

I'm so very sorry for your loss. I know how painful it must be for you to lose two special people in such a short time. Please know that you and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

I voted this morning before coming to work. Unfortunately, it's going to be raining most of the day here in Florida and I hope that doesn't keep people from going to the polls today. There are a lot of important offices being filled and I hope people get out and vote. Like I have always said...don't vote....don't complain!!!!

DAMNITOL Take 2 and the rest of the world can go to hell for up to 8 full hours. EMPTYNESTROGEN Suppository that eliminates melancholy and loneliness by reminding you of how awful they were as teenagers and how you couldn't wait till they moved out. ST. MOMMA'S WORT Plant extract that treats mom's depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to two days. PEPTOBIMBO Liquid silicone drink for single women. Two full cups swallowed before an evening out increases breast size, decreases intelligence, and prevents conception. DUMBEROL When taken with Peptobimbo, can cause dangerously low IQ, resulting in enjoyment of country music and pickup trucks. FLIPITOR Increases life expectancy of commuters by controlling road rage and the urge to flip off other drivers. MENICILLIN Potent anti-boy-otic for older women. Increases resistance to such lethal lines as, "You make me want to be a better person. " BUYAGRA Injectable stimulant taken prior to shopping Increases potency, duration, and credit limit of spending spree. JACKASSPIRIN Relieves headache caused by a man who can't remember your birthday, anniversary, phone number, or to lift the toilet seat. ANTI-TALKSIDENT A spray carried in a purse or wallet to be used on anyone too eager to share their life stories with total strangers in elevators. NAGAMENT When administered to a boyfriend or husband, provides the same irritation level as nagging him.

Any word yet on when we should have the cookbooks in and ready to order? I have some gals on other MB's that helped by donating recipes that can't wait to buy cookbooks for gifts. I promised to let them know when they can order. BTY....you did a marvelous job of coordinating this project!!!!

Ed Did Nothing Yet O B H L

Are you going out to vote today? If not, have you already voted either by early voting or abseentee ballot?

Do you remember when Cindi was considering moving to Hawaii???? Maybe that's her surprise????

Lisa...I'm so very sorry for your loss. I know how hard this must be for you. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank koolade made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because . WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs, no surround-sound, Cd's or Ipods, no cell phones!, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms....... WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them . CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?! The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: "With hurricanes, tornado's, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks,"Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance

There are so many things going on in my life right now that would have been so wonderful to share with Dennis. Our youngest son, who is the spitting image of his father, will be getting married on Saturday. I know Dennis would have been beaming with pride and so enjoying all of the festivities that have been going on. I am so glad that God allowed Dennis to meet our lovely new daughter-in-law two times before his death. Also, our oldest son and his wife are expecting our first grandchild. The baby is due November 16th. Dennis used to talk about how great it would be to have a grandchild. He said he would take the little one for rides in his truck and teach him or her how to do all the fun things in life...especially fishing. My heart is aching for Dennis. These are very happy days for our family but we all feel the emptiness and the longing for the way things should have been. My soon to be DIL is having a beautiful floral arrangement made, in memory of Dennis. I know he will be there in our hearts. I pray God will somehow allow him to feel the love that we have in our hearts for him!!! I can't believe that December 15th will mark four years without this wonderful, caring man by my side. Although life goes on, my heart will always belong to Dennis!!!

So true, Don....so very true!!!

Way to go Maryanne!!! I love ya, gal!

Cindi....I don't think this crowd at the pub can be controlled any longer!!!! Do you realize what you have done? Please....give us some news!!! These people are frantic!!!!

I love this.....hope you enjoy it too...... In the Land of Sandra Dee Long ago and far away, In a land that time forgot, Before the days of Dylan Or the dawn of Camelot.. There lived a race of innocents, And they were you and me, Long ago and far away, In the Land of Sandra Dee. Oh, there was truth and goodness in that land where we were born, Where navels were for oranges, And Peyton Place was **Word not allowed**. For Ike was in the White House, and Hoss was on TV, And God was in his heaven, In the Land of Sandra Dee. We learned to gut a muffler, We washed our hair at dawn, We spread our crinolines to dry In circles on the lawn. And they could hear us coming all the way to Tennessee, All starched and sprayed and rumbling, In the Land of Sandra Dee. We longed for love and romance, and waited for the prince. And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one's seen him since. We danced to "Little Darlin'," And Sang to "Stagger Lee" And cried for Buddy Holly, In the Land of Sandra Lee. Only girls wore earrings then, and three was one too many. And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney. And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see A boy named George with Lipstick In the Land of Sandra Dee. We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice And when they made a movie, They never made it twice. We didn't have a Star Trek Five, Or Psycho Two and Three, Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty In the Land of Sandra Dee. Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp. And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp. We had a Mr. Wizard, But not a Mr. T, and Oprah couldn't talk yet In the Land of Sandra Dee. We had our share of heroes, we never thought they'd go, At least not Bobby Darin, Or Marilyn Monroe. For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be, And Elvis was forever, In the Land of Sandra Dee. We'd never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead, And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson, And Zeppelins weren't Led. And Beatles lived in gardens then, And Monkeys in a tree, Madonna was a virgin, In the Land of Sandra Dee. We'd never heard of Microwaves, or telephones in cars. And babies might be bottle-fed, but they weren't grown in jars. And pumping iron got wrinkles out, And "gay" meant fancy-free, And dorms were never coed, In the Land of Sandra Dee. We hadn't seen enough of jets to talk about the lag. And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag. And Hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea, And rocket ships were fiction, In the Land of Sandra Dee. Buicks came with portholes, And the side show came with freaks, And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks. And Coke came just in bottles, And skirts came to the knee, And Castro came to power In the Land of Sandra Dee. We had no Crest with Fluoride, We had no Hill Street Blues, We all wore superstructure bras designed by Howard Hughes. We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea, or prime-time ads for condoms, In the Land of Sandra Dee. There were no golden arches, no Perrier's to chill. And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill. And middle-aged was thirty-five, and old was forty-three, and an cient was our parents, In the Land of Sandra Dee. But all things have a season, or so we've heard them say, And now instead of Maybeline, we swear by Retin-A. And they send us invitations to join AARP, We've come a long way, baby, From the Land of Sandra Dee. So now we face a brave new world In slightly larger jeans, And wonder why they're using Smaller print in magazines. And we tell our children's children of the way it used to be, Long ago and far away In the Land of Sandra Dee.

My best childhood friend, Linda, was always so bubbly and alive. She was full of enthusiasm and quite the prankster. She was creative and always thinking one step ahead of everyone else. My best friend now, Sue, is so much like Linda. She has that same wit, charm and fast thinking brain. She always has the perfect come back for anything.

T H I L This Heart Is Loving S T S G

So very sorry you're having such a rought time right now. We all understand what you are going through. I found that it helps a lot to have someone to talk to about your feelings. That person can be a professional but a good friend can also be beneficial. Talking to someone that's a really good listner somehow helps to get it all out. I also found that writing helped me a lot. I would actually write long letters to Dennis and keep them in a journal. The writing was just another way of setting me inner feelings free. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

So very sorry.

Losing a loved one can be so painful and make us feel so alone. It's something that we can't begin to understand until we've actually been through it. It's been almost four years since I lost Dennis and there are still times that I feel like nothing more than a shell. I pray that today is a better day for you. Just remember that your mom will always be with you. She will always live in your heart and be right there with you.

I am so very sorry to read of her passing. She and I had emailed several times. She was always so very worried about her grandson, as he had already lost his mom. She fought a very tough battle! My prayers are with her family and her precious grandson, Zack.