Remember when?

Thanks to my sister, Linda, for passing this on. She is six years younger than I am, so I wonder if she remembers the time when . . . 

All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?

 It took five minutes for the TV warm up? 

Nearly everyone’s Mom was at home when the kids got home from school? 

Nobody owned a purebred dog? 

When a quarter was a decent allowance?

You’d reach into a muddy gutter for a penny? 

Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces? 

Read the rest of this entry »

Well, THAT was disappointing, wasn’t it?

I am talking, of course, about Jacksonville’s debut on “American Idol.” Not what I was hoping for. I have heard a few local singers and I know there are some out there who can do better than what we saw Tuesday night. 

The best part of the night was at the end with Ann Marie Boskovich’s amazing voice, and she isn’t even from Jacksonville. I didn’t catch where she is from but I think somewhere in Tennessee.

I didn’t hear anyone who said they were from Jacksonville who was any good. Several Read the rest of this entry »

Stocks hit by news of mounting economic woes

For the week ended January 16, 2009

• Bank of America gets $138B bailout
• Data suggest worsening recession
• U.S. cost of living falls
• Citigroup will split its operations
• JPMorgan’s profits fall 76%
• Central banks in eurozone, Mexico, and Turkey cut rates

Stocks staged a bounce Friday morning after the U.S. government agreed to a $138 billion bailout of Bank of America. However that upbeat news was not enough to reverse the week’s selloff, which was sparked by a steady stream of data signaling and even deeper recession. Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by Barbara:

    I don’t think our kids know what an apron  is. The principal use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. 
     It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
Read the rest of this entry »

24 THINGS ABOUT TO BECOME EXTINCT IN AMERICA

        Submitted by Annette:

24. Yellow Pages — This year will be pivotal for the global Yellow Pages industry. Much like newspapers, print Yellow Pages will continue to bleed dollars to their various digital counterparts, from Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs), to local search engines and combination search/listing services like Reach Local and Yodle Factors like an acceleration of the print ‘fade rate’ and the looming recession will contribute to the onslaught. One research firm predicts the falloff in usage of newspapers and print Yellow Pages could even reach 10 percent this year, much higher than the 2%-3% fade rate seen in past years.

23. Classified Ads — The Internet has made so many things obsolete that newspaper classified ads might sound like just another trivial item on a long list. But this is one of those harbingers of the future that could signal the end of civilization as we know it. The argument is that if newspaper classifieds are replaced by free online listings at sites like Craigslist.org and Google Base, then newspapers are not far behind them. Read the rest of this entry »

In the immortal words of Peter Finch in the movie “Network,” Are you mad as hell and not going to take it any more?

I hope so because I am. My rage has been building for a few weeks now but it is about ready to explode. Especially considering the news that the Securities and Exchange Commission failed to pursue allegations of wrongdoing against good ol’ Bernie Madoff, the financial wizard who has managed to squander an estimated $50 billion (that’s BILLION, folks, with 10 zeroes) of other people’s money in what now appears to be a Ponzi scheme of gigantic magnitude. Read the rest of this entry »

Wendy Hatfield

By Wendy Hatfield

I have a recurring dream that it is Christmas Eve and I have not purchased any gifts the entire Christmas season and  the store  is about to close. This dream is puzzling to me because I am a female and a Mom and I would never do something so crazy as to wait until Christmas Eve to buy gifts. I think this dream is a testament to the type of stress that only comes at Christmas. From the tree to the cookies to the Christmas cards to the red and green articles of clothing purchased for Christmas get togethers to of course the actual buying of the various gifts. That is enough pressure and stress to last you all year. Even so, I do not dislike Christmas. It is  part of Christmas as an adult to sweat the cost and attend to all the activities. Plus, my parents put enough wonderment in the season when I was a child to help override any Christmas negativity. Read the rest of this entry »

You may have seen the big two-story, multi-column antebellum home on Plainfield Avenue that belongs to Kyle and Margaret Abshire. Did you know that the Abshires open their highly decorated home for a night every December to members of the Orange Park Rotary Club for their annual Christmas party? The tradition continued Dec. 10 for the 30th consecutive year and from the looks of it, it will continue for as long as the Abshires are able to host it. Margaret begins the decorating chores at least two months ahead of time. With a deft decorating eye, she carefully places the beautiful holiday ornamentation so that it blends and does not overwhelm the stately home. Poinsettias line a staircase leading to the second floor indoor balcony, a scene straight out of “Gone With the Wind;” seven decorated Christmas trees greet the eye at every turn and holiday cheer emanates from throughout the house — a testament to the good will and hospitality of the Abshires, who only ask that Rotarians bring a $15 gift for both a boy and girl to be donated to the J.P. Hall Children’s Charities for the annual toy giveaway. Thank you, Margaret and Kyle. We appreciate your kindness. (To see more photos, click on the gallery above.)

Hail to the soldiers!

 

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight. Read the rest of this entry »