Have you seen the many dragonflies that are out and about? Some of them are so big, for a moment, I thought they were hummingbirds.
Customers in the US can print out a mailing label, dump your old LEGOS (all of them; Duplo, small bricks, big bricks, parts of sets) in a box and ship them off for free. LEGO will clean the pieces, make them look brand new and give them to Teach for America, a nonprofit that will donate them to classrooms across the U.S. LEGO is also working to find other materials for their beautiful bricks that is durable as plastic, but that has been a challenge. They have, however, started making Lego trees and bushes out of sugar cane. Their rival, Hasbro, which makes Monopoly and Mr. Potato Head, plan to eliminate plastic use in their packaging by 2022, but also admit that it’s been hard to find materials to replace the plastic in their toys. So, if you have LEGOS in your possession that need a new home, pass them on to others or put in a plastic bag (no sorting necessary), box them up and then print your address label at www.givebackbox.com/lego. They will also provide you with a tax deduction receipt if you’d like. Future generations will thank you.
Nothing on earth is so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night. Steve Almond
Looking for a Halloween movie with some good witches in it? The Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland, The Witches of Eastwick with Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon, Practical Magic with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, Bell, Book and Candle with Kim Novak (my sister was named from this movie…Gillian) and Hocus Pocus with Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker.
You had the power all along, my dear. Glenda The Good Witch
A family in Hawaii has won the Guinness World Record for the world’s heaviest avocado. The average avocado weighs 6 ounces. This celebrated avocado weighed 5.6 pounds and was from a 10-plus-year-old tree that is 20-foot tall and was planted with a seed received from a family member. They celebrated with a big bowl of guacamole.
Richard Huckle was one of Britain’s most evil pedophiles and was serving 22 LIFE sentences after admitting to sexual abuse of as many as 200 children and babies. Children and babies! I say ‘was’ because someone strangled and stabbed him to death in prison, with a makeshift weapon that may have been fashioned from a toothbrush. There is a fellow inmate of interest that has been placed in isolation pending investigation of the murder. Hmmm. Someone should bake that guy a cake.
Lake Jackson City Hall will have Paper Shredding on Saturday November 2, from 8am to 11:30am at 25 Oak Drive., sponsored by Texas Gulf Bank.
Sign of the Time: Movie fans will soon be able to rent and buy films for viewing at home…from movie theater chain AMC Entertainment, the largest multiplex operator in the world. It’s called AMC Theaters on Demand and will offer about 2,000 films for sale or rent after their theatrical runs (about 90 days), just as iTunes, Amazon and other video-on-demand retailers do. Films will cost about $3 to $5.99 to rent and $9.99 to $19.99 to buy.
A Florida man kept calling 911 complaining about his roommate who “stole his $20 worth of weed.” The sheriff’s department finally had to call the man and explain that he had to quit calling 911, then they posted a video of the situation. Oops.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Len Cariou is 80. Sweeney Todd in the original cast, which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Marilyn McCoo is 76. The 5th Dimension. Actor Barry Williams is 65. Greg on The Brady Bunch. He grew up in Santa Monica, after he turned 4 years old, he became one of those annoying kids who were bound and determined to get into show business. He was neighbors with actor Peter Graves, whom he idolized and asked for advice on how to become an actor.
American author, journalist, and film critic Renata Adler is 82. Singer Jeannie C. Riley is 74. Harper Valley PTA. Soul blues gospel singer Sherman Holmes is 80. Composer Mike Post is 75. Theme songs for Law & Order, NYPD Blue, The Rockford Files, L.A. Law, Quantum Leap, Magnum, P.I., and Hill Street Blues. Musician Robert Lamm is 75. Chicago. Olympic silver medal figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is 50.
Retired South African Archbishop and Nobel Peace Laurate Desmond Tutu is 88. Country singer Kieran Kane is 70. Can’t Stop My Heart from Loving You. Recording executive Simon Cowell is 60. Rock musician Charlie Marinkovich is 60. Iron Butterfly. Actress Melinda Dillon is 80. The mother in A Christmas Story, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Harry and the Hendersons. Singer Marie Osmond is 60.
A couple of weeks ago, Ellen DeGeneres was publicly criticized after being spotted sitting next to President George W. and Laura Bush at a football game. She responded with, “Here’s the thing, I’m friends with George Bush,” she said. “In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have. We’re all different, and I think we’ve forgotten that’s okay that we’re different. When I say, ‘Be kind to one another,’ I don’t mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone. Doesn’t matter.” Way to go, Ellen. Thanks for the reminder.
Elton John said, “I admire Ellen for very eloquently standing up and saying what she did. Unfortunately, what our democracy has become now is that it’s not okay to have different opinions than yours and that is not healthy,” John, 72, said. “George Bush has made a lot of mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes. Ellen DeGeneres has made a lot of mistakes. … Yes, there were decisions that he’s made, but that was made by Democratic presidents and Republican presidents. And I admire Ellen for standing up and saying what she did.” John went on to praise Bush, 73, for launching the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a United States governmental initiative that, since its creation in 2003, has saved over 17 million lives and provided more than $80 billion in funding for HIV/AIDs treatment, prevention, and research. “PEPFAR came from the Republicans, people have to remember that,” John said, calling Bush’s program “the most incredible thing a Republican president has done on a philanthropic level.” “People need to come together. They need to respect people’s view on life. Except when it’s heresy, and I don’t think George Bush is that kind of guy.”
Harley-Davidson shares fell after the company halted production of LiveWire, the electric bike that they think will attract a whole new family of Harley enthusiasts and followers.
In Raleigh, NC, three women ran a ‘dementia fight club’ at an assisted living facility, where they encouraged residents to get into physical altercations. One staff member posted video of a fight between two residents with dementia, where no one intervened as one resident was strangled until her face turned red. One of the three employees can be heard in the video saying, “Stop screaming, [expletive].” Another one prompts one of the residents to “punch her in the face.” Another one is concerned that the phone is actually recording the video, so that it could be sent to her later. The three women were charged with misdemeanor assault on an individual with a disability. Sigh. Bet momma is proud.
THANK YOU: To Tri-City Auto who fixed my parking light so I wouldn’t be stopped on my way to the party (or perhaps even worse, being stopped on my way home from the party.) Great guys. To the hard-working neighbors that trimmed the roses at the entrance of our subdivision, then hauled them off. Looks wonderful! To David Novosad and al of Brazosport Tire for putting ‘new booties on my baby’ in record time. If you need new tires, be sure to use Brazosport Tire. They’re the best. Plus, by the time you leave there, David will have personally introduced you to five new friends. Hope you enjoyed the pie.
Halloween: Dark, eerie, full of treats and the scariest night of the year. October 31 can be traced back to an ancient Celtic festival that marked the Celts’ new year on November 1. Halloween came to be known as the end of summer and the start of winter – a season associated with death because of its darkness and frigid weather. It’s said that on the last day of October, the boundary between the living and the dead become blurred, allowing ghosts and spirits to return to Earth and roam about with the humans. Whether you decide to celebrate Halloween by walking your neighborhood with kids, watching a scary movie, reading a spooky story, or spending the night in a haunted house, it’ll be a memorable occasion.
During the day, I don’t believe in ghosts. At night, I’m a little more open-minded. Unknown
October is Breast Cancer Month. Everywhere you look there are pink ribbons…but when YOU spot one, are you really paying attention? I’m here to tell you that they’re all just soft, gentle reminders to those of you that haven’t had your mammogram this year, to get on it and make it happen. I know better than anyone how important that can be. In 2003, I came really close to not going in for my mammogram. It had only been a year and I was young, or so I thought. But the appointment was already scheduled and what the heck, I’ll go. Believe me, no one hated mammograms more than me. Pain, but for just an instant. This year was no different. Then I received the radiologist report. “ABNORMAL: there is a finding on your mammogram that requires further tests for a more thorough evaluation. You should contact your physician as soon as possible, if you have not already done so.” Just typing these words on my computer still makes me feel like someone just scooped out a large portion of my stomach, leaving nothing but a huge gaping hole. Then the requested second mammogram was a month later, a biopsy the next month, then surgery two months after that. Five long horrible months had passed. It was like a runaway train going super slow. I just wanted to get off for a moment but couldn’t. It’s such a lost feeling. Was I weak to have let this bad thing into my body and my life? Your head spins, your thoughts about being a woman are questioned, and your worries about how this will affect your partner is first and foremost on your mind. Will he still love me if I’m not complete? My heart was scared for my 4 and a 7-year-old. What if I die? Then a new reality took hold, shook me and I realized that MY life is far more than a couple of boobs. Or at least it should be. Double mastectomy? Lumpectomy? I barely thought about it. I went for the double because I never wanted to look back and wish that I had done more. I wanted to never be in this situation again. There were babies at my house that I needed to see graduate from high school. I could write this whole column, all 2000 words, for the next month about this subject, but I’ll save it for the book. 😊 Bottom line is that today I’m sitting here and telling you all about it. My life is great! Was it easy? Absolutely not, but real life is pretty messy. That’s why they encourage you to eat dessert first. Call and make your mammogram appointment if you haven’t already done so. Gentlemen, you’re not excused from this conversation. You also have breast tissue, so if you even kinda suspect that something is going on, get your yah-yah in gear and see your doctor. It’s important to understand that most breast lumps are benign but get there quick. A small bump in the road of life is well worth the time if you get to finish the trip.
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Lisa
