January 12, 2011

The following was written to my Aunt Dot. Everyone who knows me knows or knows about my Aunt Dot.

Janet lives in Birmingham and has been my friend since meeting her at work some 50 years ago. She attended my Aunt Dots funeral which made my heart glad. There is nothing like seeing the face of friend at a most unexpected time. Thanks Janet.
June

From: janetgriffin6@aol.comTo: lizabethto@aol.com, junedaab@aol.comSent: 12/30/2010 11:13:53 A.M. Eastern Standard TimeSubj: Farewell Aunt Dot

Dear Aunt Dot,

You should have been there to see and hear. But then I guess you were. So you heard the stories and the tears....and the laughter. But mostly I know you felt the love. And I got to know you even better. I know we never met, but I knew you. You have been June's mentor for most of her life. Oh how she loved her Aunt Dot. I have heard it said we are who we love, not who loves us. That was June. That was you. And I saw who you loved.....and heard who you loved. Love begets love, and that love was there yesterday. You passed it on. There were so many who came up to me saying they would miss you from their lives......who told stories of living with you over the years.....who talked about the influence you had on them........and I saw your influence on June's family. The care and respect those two young women had for their mother....well, you know. It was the same care and respect June had for you. It warmed my heart. Out of all June's travels all over the world...and the many powerful and influential people she met........it always came back to her Aunt Dot. Her time with you meant more than anyone could even imagine. June loves her life......as you loved yours. You passed that on also. The joy......the spice in life......especially the spice. Some of the spice was left out yesterday but that's what makes us, isn't it? Some people don't have it and they don't know what they are missing. But we do. What is the old saying......be yourself, everyone else is taken. I know June admired that in you as it is admired in her. Yes, I know I did not meet you in person, but I met you yesterday.....and you know what, I feel blessed to have been there. You have paid it forward......and you live on in the hearts and lives of those you loved....and the world is a better place because you were in it. Please give a hug to my mother and dad.....and my little sister. Tell them I'll see them in a few years.Janet Griffin"We are what we love, not what loves us." — Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation)DOROTHY WILLIS

Visit Guest Book

WILLIS, DOROTHY age 91, died Dec 20th at her home after an extended illness. Visitation will be December 28th at Elmwood Chapel, 5-7 PM. Services are December 29th at 11 AM Elmwood Chapel. Dr. Jimmy Wilson, Crestwood Baptist Church officiating. She is widow of Jack L. Willis of Doc Transfer and Warehouses.

Dot is member of First Baptist Church, Kennedy, Al; Member of Terry Walker Country Club; an avid golfer winning the 1973 Presidents Cup Tournament plus many more honors. She traveled extensively and was loved by all.

She is survived by sisters Martha Millwood of Blountsville, Al; Elena Burns of Crane Hill, Al; Brother, Van Wayne Waldrop of Satsuma, Fl; and three other siblings now deceased, Charles Waldrop, Woodrow Waldrop and Edna Earle Richards.

Nieces include Norma Langsdale, Ms; Frances Craig, NC; June Daab, Va; Cindy Newbold, Fl; Deanne Sweatt, Al; Teresa Geer, Al; Mary Etherton, Fl, Mary Willingham, Al;

Nephews include Mike Waldrop, Randy Millwood, Mark Millwood, Roger Waldrop, Ronald Waldrop, Joe Waldrop, all of Al; Tommy Richards, Va; and many great Nieces and nephews. She will be missed by all.=

Ancestry

As soon as I uncover not only a reason, but THE REASON one line of ancestry has already been traced to the year 1000, my computer holds me in suspense by not allowing me online.

Finally by moving files, am back~

My Ancestry takes me to France and the year 1066, where Lancelot Lee (Lancelot du Leu) was born.
I couldn't wait to test this information with Sir Lancelot.

My ancestor named Lancelot dies ABT year 1114.

Could it be possible his lifetime would fit into the Legend of King Arthur?
Nothing is more intriguing than to trace and find a potential famous person ~

Such enjoyable reading about King Arthur and his Round Table, Lancelot, his most famous Knight, Queen Guinevere in Camelot.

Much is written but seems no one really knows if this story is only mythology or collection of stories. Nor are they certain which century Kind Arthur lived.
We know for sure, history in those days was passed down in stories and told by professional storytellers known as jongleurs. Therefore, we are left not really knowing.

TO SHARE SOME OF THE READINGS~
King ArthurKing Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain. He is the central character in Arthurian legends (known as the Matter of Britain), although there is disagreement about whether Arthur, or a model for him, ever actually existed and in the earliest mentions and Welsh texts he is never given the title "king".

Early texts refer to him as dux bellorum ("war leader") and High Medieval Welsh texts often call him amerauder ("emperor"). However, a recent translation of newly discovered documents may have referred to him as a king.History of King Arthur.

One school of thought believes Arthur to have lived some time in the late 5th century to early 6th century, to have been of Romano-British origin, and to have fought against the Saxons. His power base was probably in either Wales, Cornwall or the west of what would become England, but controversy over the centre of his power and the extent and kind of power he wielded continues to rage.Some members of this school, most notably Geoffrey Ashe and Fleuriot, have argued for identifying Arthur with one Riothamus, "King of the Brettones", who was active during the reign of the Roman Emperor Anthemius.

Unfortunately, Riothamus is a shadowy figure of whom we know little, and scholars are not certain whether the "Brettones" he led were Britons or Bretons. Other members suggest that Arthur should be identified as one Lucius Artorius Castus, a historical Roman of the 2nd century, whose military exploits in Britain may have been remembered for years afterward.

Many of these appearances portray Arthur as a fierce warrior, and not necessarily as morally impeccable as in later Romances.
The French medieval writer, Chrétien de Troyes, recounted tales from the mythos during the mid-12th century, as did Marie de France in her narrative poems called lais.

In any case, the later stories told by these two writers and by many, many others, appear to be independent of what Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote. In these versions, which gained popularity beginning in the 12th century, Arthur gathered the Knights of the Round Table (Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, and others). At his court, most often held at Camelot in the later prose romances, could sometimes be found the wizard Merlin.
Arthur's knights engaged in fabulous quests, famously including one for the Holy Grail.

Other stories from the Celtic world came to be associated with Arthur, such as the tale of Tristan and Isolde. In the late prose romances the love affair between Arthur's champion, Lancelot, and the Queen, Guinevere, becomes the central reason for the fall of the Arthurian world.

In Robert de Boron's Merlin, later followed by Thomas Malory, Arthur obtained the throne by pulling a sword from a stone and anvil. In this account, this act could not be performed except by "the true king", meaning the divinely appointed king or true heir of Uther Pendragon. This sword was presumably the famous Excalibur and the identity is made explicit in the later so-called Vulgate Merlin Continuation. However in what is sometimes called the Post-Vulgate Merlin Excalibur was taken from a hand rising from a lake and given to Arthur sometime after he began to reign by a sorcerous damsel (confused by post-medieval writers with The Lady of the Lake). In this Post-Vulgate version the sword's blade could slice through anything and its sheath made the wearer invincible

Arthur was a casualty in his last battle, the Battle of Camlann, which he fought against the forces of Mordred.

The Prose Lancelot and the later prose cyclic romances state that Mordred was also a Knight of the Round Table and the child of an incestuous union between Arthur and his sister Morgause. In almost all accounts Arthur was said to be mortally wounded, but after the battle he was taken away to Avalon (sometimes identified with Glastonbury in Somerset, England), where his wounds were healed or his body was buried in a chapel.
Some texts refer to a return of Arthur in the future.

In 1191, monks of Glastonbury Abbey announced that they had found the burial site of Arthur and Guinevere. Their grave was shown to many people, and the reputed remains were moved to a new tomb in 1278. The tomb was destroyed during the Reformation, and the bones lost. The antiquary John Leland reports that he saw the cross found with the remains, and transcribed its inscription as Hic iacet sepvltvs inclytvs rex artvrivs in insvla avalonia —

"Here is buried the famous king Arthur in the Island of Avalon".

If Leland accurately reproduced the script of this inscription, then it can be dated to the 10th century.

Taco Soup Recipe

This is absolutely the best recipe for Taco Soup.
Found it online and made a big pot last week. Left it on the stove to have after snow sledding.
To go with it, the recipe called for a side of cornbread. Of course, when the big black iron skillet of cornbread came out of the oven, everyone smiled. As we sat together and enjoyed this meal, I have to say, it was totally tops as "comfort food."
Hearty and delicious leaving everyone requesting this recipe. No doubt, the hot crunchy crust of the cornbread was perfect food pairing.

I used plain stewed tomatoes, not the Mexican style.

THE BEST TACO SOUP !!

This taco soup freezes very well, however, we have never had leftovers to freeze.

Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes


Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 can pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn ,drained
1 can stewed tomatoes - Mexican style
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix -(opt.)
1 pkg. original hidden valley ranch dressing(dry)
2 1/2 cups water or more, to make soup broth
Preparation:
Brown ground beef and onions in a large pan, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour or so.

When ready, serve in big soup bowls, and have a skillet of hot cornbread to eat, too.

Another Type of Scam

A friend responded to my scam blog ~

Not long ago I bought some Lancome products online from a website in N.Y. saving a good bit of money. All of a sudden a charge appears on my Am. Express for $12.00 from someone calling themselves Shopper Discounts. Well I go to that website to see who they are and they are claiming that for 12.00/month you can receive all kinds of special discounts for various shopping. This had nothing to do with my purchase and I believe it was a pop-up ad that appeared in my transaction. If I had not caught this charge and questioned it they would have continued to charge that 12.00 every month for a year. Am. Express is good about helping in these situations and removed the charge but I'm still waiting to hear if I am truly cleared on this. There was something the other AM on TV about this sort of thing and how these companies are billing monthly because you CLICKED the wrong box. So be careful.

Yes, it doesn't take long to get into trouble here.
Credit Card Insurance is good but then comes the other type of billing.
Automatic billing is so convenient as we move into a non-paper world. The above example of automatic billing can slip by unless you are checking in detail statements each months.

Several email buddies have asked why I responded to such an add.
My defense ~
It was because of the timing.
I had
just enjoyed a long telephone visit with cousin who lives in Phoenix, Az. In the conversation, she detailed her job which is similar to the one advertised online. She is my age and really enjoys having a "project" to work for the past 11 years. That conversation was still in my head when I saw the ad. I was more curious than anything.
Yes, I know...."Curiosity killed the cat."

Fallen for Scam

Until this morning, I have never fallen for a scam. There was a wonderful opportunity online that looked so honest, sincere and I will have to admit, it also looked too good to be true.
With the security of credit card insurance which is all they asked for, I filled in my name, address and phone number. They are going to contact me in 3 business days. When completed the information, I clicked the "next" and got a notice that there was a mistake on my application.
That happened 3 x's. At that point, I went back to start all over and "poof" it was GONE OFF LINE TOTALLY.
Not a trace of the offer was left. Wonder what comes next? Do doubt, nothing good.
So, that's how I started my year.
What about you? Ever fallen for a scam?
June

Happy New Decade

A new "Apple" came down last night to bring in our new decade.
Couldn't believe it is made of Waterford Crystal. HOW NICE.
I love New York ~ perhaps the best part is to show it off to friends who have never been.
In fact~~
I so enjoyed our 2000 decade and am looking forward to yet another. Happy Wishes to all~
After seeing Julia movie, my resolution will be to blog daily and especially complete the China trip. Might be impossible to catch up on the rest of the year.
What happened here ?
Since my blog is my Diary, complete with photos, didn't take long for my printer to throw in the towel. I used that as my excuse...so now back up and running.

Our 2 feet of snow just before Christmas was wonderful. Using my new cross country poles I could easily go with the grown kids and grand ones going over the hills and down the slopes to the best sledding area in the world.
They built a ramp of packed snow at the bottom of a steep run. Coming down the hill and taking the ramp, the sled would come off in the air some 4 feet high before landing in the soft snow bank. The little ones flew nicely, but the heavier grown kids came down almost immediately. Was so much fun to watch that I decided to sled myself. Of course, I bypassed the ramp. I can't tell you how fun that was. Just had to go again. I do live by my philosophy,
"You only go around once, but if you do it right, once is enough."
Have told me children, should I die doing something I enjoy, then always know that I died extremely happy. Right?
Happy New Year to all.

Terracotta Soldiers

A day to never forget being here ~

More photos to come...have about 20 more to add here~

The Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 buried in a field in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province by local farmers drilling a water well. The Terracotta Army is a form of funerary art buried with the First Emperor of Qin in 210-209 BC

The Army is estimated to be some 8000 soldiers are there in the three pits, 100 chariots with 400 horses and 300 cavalry ... The site is still under excavation, however, it is totally amazing to see what is already unearthed at this point. My heart raced at the sight.