There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So, as she was getting her things “in order,” she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
“There’s one more thing,” she said excitedly.
“What’s that?” came the Pastor’s reply.
“This is very important,” the young woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”
The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.
That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the young woman asked.
“Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the Pastor.
The young woman explained. “My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming…..like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!
So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, “What’s with the fork?” Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork, the best is yet to come.”
The Pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the
of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral, people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Repeatedly the Pastor heard the question, “What’s with the fork?” And over and over, he smiled.
During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.
Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to “Keep their fork.”
Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share … being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them all a cow.
THE CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don’t we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it’s worked for over 200 years and we’re not using it anymore.
TEN COMMANDMENTS
The real reason that we can’t have the Ten Commandments in a courthouse……..
You cannot post “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” and “Thou Shall Not Lie” in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians — it creates a hostile work environment.
A blonde woman was having financial troubles so she decided to kidnap a child and demand a ransom. She went to a local park, grabbed a little boy, took him behind a tree and wrote a note. “I have kidnapped your child. I am sorry to do this but I need the money. Leave $10,000 in a plain brown bag behind the big oak tree in the park at 7AM.” Signed, “The Blonde.”
She pinned the note inside the little boy’s jacket and told him to go straight home. The next morning, she returned to the park to find the $10,000 in a brown bag behind the big oak tree, just as she had instructed. Inside the bag with the cash was the following note. “Here is your money. I cannot believe that one blonde would do this to another.”
This is just too funny not to share. Excerpted from an article which appeared in the Dublin Times about a bank robbery on March 2.
Once inside the bank shortly after midnight, their efforts at disabling the security system got underway immediately. The robbers, who expected to find one or two large safes filled with cash & valuables, were surprised to see hundreds of smaller safes throughout the bank.
The robbers cracked the first safe’s combination, and inside they found only a small bowl of vanilla pudding.
As recorded on the bank’s audio tape system, one robber said, ‘At least we’ll have a bit to eat.’
The robbers opened up a second safe, and it also contained nothing but vanilla pudding. The process continued until all s safes were opened.
They did not find one pound sterling, a diamond , or an ounce of gold. Instead, all the safes contained covered bowls of pudding. Disappointed, the robbers made a quiet exit, each leaving with nothing more than a queasy, uncomfortably full stomach. The newspaper headline read:
IRELAND’S LARGEST SPERM BANK ROBBED EARLY THIS MORNING…
A wealthy man was having an affair with an Italian woman for several years. One night, during one of their rendezvous, she confided in him that she was pregnant. Not wanting to ruin his reputation or his marriage, he paid her a large sum of money, if she would go to Italy to secretly have the child. If she stayed in Italy to raise the child, he would also provide child support until the child turned 18. She agreed, but asked how he would know when the baby was born. To keep it discrete, he told her to simply mail him a post card and write “Spaghetti” on the back. He would then arrange for child support payments to begin.
One day, about 9 months later, he came home to his confused wife. “Honey,” she said. “You received a very strange post card today.”
“Oh, just give it to me and I’ll explain it,” he said.
The wife obeyed and watched as her husband read the card, turned white and fainted.
On the card was written: “Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Two with meatballs, one without.
Does not seem possible that I’m so blessed to still have my mother, who will turn a wondrous 95 years of age April 5th
((I’m writing this . 10 days before . It’s the 27th of March 1 am))
I could not be more blessed than I am right now.
I love her more than she has any idea . And I know she loves more more than I have any idea …
But we are always there for each other…. even in times of disagreements… we are together always.
LOOKING AHEAD . – – . A celebration of her LIFE –
Not her Birthday – (don’t celebrate) But acknowledge her LIFE.
I know that there is no family here, she’s stuck with just me… but perhaps you’d like to show a bit of love to her.!.
READ & YOU’LL UNDERSTAND.
My Mother:
Forever my Mother is a beautiful lady, who was also a sister, a wife, a mother & even an aunt & taken too soon, the title of a grandmother… and a loyal friend.
A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push.
“Not a chance,” says the husband, “it is three o’clock in the morning!” He slams the door and returns to bed.
“Who was that?” asked his wife.
“Just some drunk guy asking for a push,” he answers.
“Did you help him?” she asks.
“No, I did not, it is three in the morning and it is pouring outside!”
“Well, you have a short memory,” says his wife. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!”
The man does as he’s told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pouring rain. He calls out into the dark, “Hello, are you still there?”
“Yes,” comes back the answer.
“Do you still need a push?” calls out the husband.
George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi was going up to bed when his wife told him that he’d left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.
George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.
He phoned the police, who asked “Is someone in your house?” and he said “no”. Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available.
George said, “Ok,” hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.
“Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don’t have to worry about them now cause I’ve just shot them all.” Then he hung up.
Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips residence and caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the Policemen said to George: “I thought you said that you’d shot them!”
George said, “I thought you said there was nobody available!
A store that sells new husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:
You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights.
The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!
So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads:
Floor 1 – These men Have Jobs. She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads:
Floor 2 – These men Have Jobs and Love Kids. “That’s nice”, she thinks, “but I want more.” So she continues upward. The third floor sign reads:
Floor 3 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, and are Extremely Good Looking. “Wow,” she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:
Floor 4 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop Dead Good Looking and Help With Housework. “Oh, mercy me!” she exclaims, “I can hardly stand it! “Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads:
Floor 5 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop Dead Gorgeous, Help with Housework, and Have a Strong Romantic Streak. She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads:
Floor 6 – You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.
PLEASE NOTE:
To avoid gender bias charges, the store’s owner opened a
New Wives store just across the street.
The first floor has wives that love sex.
The second floor has wives that love sex and have money.
The third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors have never been visited.
It has been quite some time since I’ve put anything on ‘paper’ but I’m going to give this a try, once again.
So much has changed in these last few years, where to begin.
My DADDY began having issues and neither Mother nor myself recognized what was happening, after all he was up in years! So no need to worry, right? Wrong. Daddy was in the stages of Alzheimer’s. The later stage I guess you’d call it. That began in 2013 when we really noticed, but little did we know it has been approaching for some time.
The SIGNS of this horrible disease, was and still is too little. The signs were there, if only we had known. Times when Mother would have to remember ow they drove to a place so she could help daddy get them back out. That was a sign. But just old age… NOT. It was a subtle sign. Ignored. Not knowing how to write a check or making sure the numbers were correct. I remember vividly one afternoon. Daddy always cut his yard and mine (I live across the street) and loved doing it, as it kept him active & as a young man and Daddy, he had done ‘a many a one’ to help support his family, so he knew how to cut yards & keep them up etc. This one day, I called mom and asked he if Daddy felt OK… why she asked… because he’s cutting the yard (backyard which is very small) all wrong. He’s cutting & throwing the grass into the flower beds that has just been mulched. She say, no… not that she knew of, so we both just figured it was an ‘Off’ day, once again, due to ‘age’. That’s when we began paying a little more and closer attention to the actions and saw that something was definitely wrong. Perhaps he had cancer again, or his heart needed attention again.
In Apr.il of 2013 we tricked daddy going for a ride and took him to the ER
….Back to writing this ….
That was the beginning of a discovery we knew nothing about and still there is little known things to alert the loved ones.
What’s ahead is devastating. For everyone, including the loved one your watching go down hill with no way to stop it, no way to tell them and understand that you’ll be there for them and you’ll love them forever and always.
Alzheimer’s Disease……
DADDY. Back to our story of Daddy….
WELL, I suppose this will have to wait until another time .yet again. but for now, perhaps someone, if only me will read and understand the trial and tribulations that have occurred over the last several years .. and that does not begin to touch the surface of my mother and I dealing with that and the other issues that tagged along and others that arose!
This is the last day of my life with the age of 70!
It’s been a tumble few years, but all in all, grateful for the times I’ve had and shared
with my Mother who will turn 95 in April. She is a true tough cookie, as the old saying goes! She and I together we’ve tried to conquer the hurdles that have come our way.
So this last day of being 70 … I’m so grateful for this time. Tomorrow is not promised, but praying that the dayand weeks and months ahead will shine light on mother and I!
While in the car headed out to meet with two friends for lunch at The Corner Bistro. It was a GREAT lunch, with the Friends who were also with me when the Over the HILL 40th Birthday rolled around .. 22 years ago. { February 7th }
Late Yesterday (Thursday) I received a birthday card from my cousin in NC… a Phone call last night from TWO Aunts .. who then both sang “Happy Birthday” to me …
Then an e-mail this morning {Friday} from a (special) cousin in NC who said something like this “that on this day God had created a beautiful baby . and to enjoy my day” (something like that) {so I think I did OK}.. and then the lunch … arrive home…
Came home, (after checking in on Mom and Dad) & another phone call from my aunt with wishes again…. went back to Mom & Dad’s … and cake … (daddy now sleeping) SO mom and I watched the opening of the Sochi 2014 Olympics … and that was wonderful to share with my mother. (the cake was good too) …
A couple more ‘messages’ from two cousins….
So turning my age – is not bad …
I look forward to what the year has in store for me, & when things get tough as they sometimes do, I’ll have friends who will listen, give support, give hope, share LOVE…
Twenty-Two Years ago .. I was celebrating my 40th Birthday with friends…. and today, I will celebrate with two of those friends with an afternoon lunch.
Life has had its ups and downs, but that is what happens when life marches
on no matter what occurs and how hard we try and stop it or even wish the wheels could turn back.
But life, it is what we make it. I’ve done OK … not the best at times, but I’m proud of who I am as a person. And with that, that is the most important gift I can give myself… not just today, but any given day.
Be proud, Walk tall, Cry when needed, Laugh as often as you can, Love with your heart, Pray, Share the Joys and Sorrows…. GROW within ones self, so others can also grow with you.
Josh Krajcik’s Performance May Have Won Him The Competition
Josh Krajcik
Josh Krajcik gave the best performance of the season on ‘The X Factor’ Nov. 22.(well tonight cannot be forgotten 12.14.2011). He may have just become this year’s winner!
As you open your pockets for the next natural disaster, please keep these facts in mind:
· The American Red Cross
President and CEO Marsha J. Evans salary for the year was $651,957 plus expenses
· The United Way
President Brian Gallagher receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits.
· UNICEF
CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,200,000 per year (100k per month) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE . Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause.
GO “GREEN” INSTEAD AND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO SOME GOOD:
· The Salvation Army’s Commissioner
Todd Bassett receives a small salary of only $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization. 96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause.
· The American Legion National
Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
· The Veterans of Foreign Wars
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
· The Disabled American Veterans
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
· The Military Order of Purple Hearts
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
· The Vietnam Veterans Association
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
With the Memorial years in the making – lets show our way of celebrating their lives for us.
What would be nice to do for the upcoming (just around the corner) for the Ten (10) Years that changed all of our lives in some way or another …. It is something that I will never forget … and I know that there are so many more that will not forget either. AND that does not include any of the family members and their friends of those lost.
That was a Day of BLACK! September 11, 2001
I would like to start something … to show that all of those within the Social Media and beyond come together to let the families know we will NEVER Forget.
While these are a ‘new’ thing to me – I guess I’ve seen them & NOT know what they were – Until now…….Who Knew? There are certainly some that do it ‘OK’ while others should NEVER do it again. Some might need a little practice or just give up …. some seem to be natural at it!
** This is a site that I do NOT remember how I found it – but I have found it to be the best I’ve seen and love it. (better than local!)
If you click on the center of the map … it will enlarge.
I hope you find it useful and may all in Irene’s path stay safe.
I have family in both NC & VA and friends from the social networks all over I’m sure so my thoughts are with all those in the path. When Irene started it was headed within a direct path of us – Jacksonville, Florida!
“One of British Columbia’s most notorious gangsters is dead after he was shot during a brazen daylight attack outside a casino.
Jonathan Bacon and five other victims were rushed to Kelowna General Hospital around 3 p.m. Sunday after at least one gunman opened fire on a vehicle in the parking lot of the Delta Grand Hotel in Kelowna, B.C.
One of the injured men is Larry Amero, a full-patch Hell’s Angels member…”
The Chinese media has reported on an extraordinary account of a mother bear saving her cub from a life of torture by strangling it and then killing itself.
The bears were kept in a farm located in a remote area in the North-West of China. The bears on the farm had their gall bladders milked daily for ‘bear bile,’ which is used as a remedy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
It was reported that the bears are kept in tiny cages known as ‘crush cages’, as the bears have no room to manoeuvre and are literally crushed.
The bile is harvested by making a permanent hole or fistula in the bears’ abdomen and gall bladder.
As the hole is never closed, the animals are suspect to various infections and diseases including tumours, cancers and death from peritonitis.
The bears are fitted with an iron vest, as they often try to kill themselves by hitting their stomach as they are unable to bear the pain.
A person who was on the farm in place of a friend witnessed the procedures and told Reminbao.com that they were inhumane.
The witness also claimed that a mother bear broke out its cage when it heard its cub howl in fear before a worker punctured its stomach to milk the bile.
The workers ran away in fear when they saw the mother bear rushing to its cub’s side.
Unable to free the cub from its restraints, the mother hugged the cub and eventually strangled it.
It then dropped the cub and ran head-first into a wall, killing itself.
Many TCM practitioners have denounced the use of bear bile in their treatment as there are cheaper herbs and synthetics that can be used in its place.
Bear bile is traditionally used to remove ‘heat’ from the body as well as treat high fever, liver ailments and sore eyes.
A very successful attorney parked his brand new Lexus in front of his office, ready to show it off to his colleagues. As he was getting out, a truck came along too closely and completely tore off the driver’s door.
Fortunately, a cop in a police car was close enough to see the accident and pulled up behind the Lexus with his lights flashing.
Before the cop had a chance to ask any questions, the attorney started screaming hysterically about how his Lexus, which he had just purchased the day before, was completely ruined and would never be the same, no matter how any car body shop tried to make it new again.
After the lawyer finally wound down from his rant, the cop shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe how materialistic you lawyers are,” he said. “You are so focused on your possessions that you neglect the most import ant things in life.”
“How can you say such a thing?” asked the lawyer.
The cop replied, “Don’t you even realize that your left arm is missing? It was severed when the truck hit you!”
Microsoft-cofounder Paul Allen’s 414-foot, blue-and-white megayacht, built for $200 million (and with an estimated annual operating budget of $20 million), is seriously tricked out. The behemoth is equipped with a recording studio, jet-ski dock, full-size basketball court, seven boats, a 63-foot tender, room for a crew of 60, two helipads (each with its own helicopter), and two submarines—one remote-control operated for studying the ocean’s floor, the other with the capacity to sleep eight guests and spend up to two weeks underwater.
THE GERMAN ARTISTS ARE AT IT AGAIN…
Here are 7 pictures of European trucks whose trailers are decorated to look like the sides are missing and the products they are hauling are painted on the sides and back. The first one is of a bottle of beer and looks so real, like it is coming out the side of the trailer..
The third is of Pepsi cases and they are all stacked on the ceiling, and the bottom of the trailer is empty.
The fourth is of another truck with the windshield facing the back and there has been a driver painted in the driver’s seat looking back over his shoulder to appear like he is driving backwards. (Now this one is just plain scary, even when the German reads ‘On the wrong way?’)
The fifth one is of an aquarium with fish swimming in it.
The sixth one is of a bookshelf with books lined up in it and a post-it-note with an advertisement on it, probably for the company that sells the books.
The last one is for Pringles-Hot & Spicy. The ‘inside’ of the trailer has the appearance of having been through a fire.
Chinese Proverb:
‘When someone shares something of value with you, and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.
Double Jeopardy does not apply if they file federal charges against her for violating the civil rights of her child. She can receive a life sentence if convicted. Anyone who waits a month to report their child missing has violated their civil rights!! Everyone needs to contact the feds, state atty and atty general in FL and get them to prosecute the crap out of her that way!!!!. Contact Lawson Lamar, State Atty Florida.NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
Lawson Lamar, State Attorney
415 North Orange Avenue Orlando, Florida 32801
(407) 836-2400
A man was sunbathing naked at the beach.
For the sake of civility, and to keep it from
getting sunburned, he had a hat over his private parts.
A woman walks past and says, snickering,
“If you were a gentleman you’d lift your hat.”
He raised an eyebrow and replied,
“If you were better looking it would lift itself.”
IF by chance you have been following me on Twitter – I made a booboo! –
They – Twitter – should learn something from WordPress. Because I by mistake deactivated my Twitter account! After doing this I would have thought that as popular as they are & certainly I’ve had the ‘bug bite’ …they would verify that it was ME who had deleted the account – and NOT a spammer as does WordPress! But NO!
All my followers – All those who I had come to follow – the little things I had re-tweeted and FAV’D – GONE! Shame on Twitter for not making sure that YOU are the one who has ‘ordered’ this … and to be honest — Facebook should do the same! —- With so many hackers – spammers out there – this is one way to make sure that YOU are the owner of the site! Now when I made the mistake – I can now NO LONGER use M Y e-mail that I and all that know me use!!! I have to use another that I do not use! But YET – Twitter still has and shows that MY e-mail and MY name are already in use (taken) DUH!!!! YES – Now why does TWITTER not get this straight?
Why has Twitter & Facebook Not taken and learned from WordPress that misstakes can and are made & it would be better to ask & be wrong than not to ask at all!
PS…Don’t you think that ‘like ‘WordPress’ Facebook & Twitter should have ONE Main Log-in Page!!!!!!!!! One that also shows & tells the Features that that service provides & WHAT to look for??
…. The photo above in this post – I’ve not seen before!
My house was broken into last night by two robbers who locked me in the bathroom, and proceeded to steal all they could carry. My watchdog, “Sunshine”, did not alert me, and for this reason I am giving him away. I no longer want a dog – I’m installing an electric fence and detection devices with alarms. They’re cheaper and more reliable. For those interested in adopting the dog please send an e-mail urgently.
A Blog About Writing, Creative Ideas, And Making A Difference In The World. I'm A Writer Who Helps Other Writers And Creative Individuals Find Their Passion And Share It With The World.