Thankful Thursday: Happy Birthday, dear husband

Today is Thankful Thursday, and I've been holding gratitude in my heart for many things.

First, today is my husband's birthday.  I appreciate the joy, the learning and growth that comes from striving to live with loving hearts in spite of life's challenges.  Ours is a blended family.  He married me 20 years ago.  I had four children at the time of our marriage, we had one more together, and he has loved us all. It has not been easy for any of us, but the quote in our living room expresses it well.  It says, "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all."  Happy Birthday, Shawn!

Next, there have been some death's of loved ones.  My girlfriend's mother just passed away on my parent's (now deceased) wedding anniversary, March 29.  Emma was over 90 and had a loving, giving heart. She knitted or crocheted many, many items for humanitarian uses and kept giving of herself, although she felt the effects of age.  I'm thankful for her example and I feel compassion and sorrow for her family during their time of loss. I know how it feels when a mother dies.  I'm grateful to know there will be reunion in heaven.

Also, a dear friend unexpectedly passed away at the age of 53.  I am grateful for the reminder to actively pursue health and strength and to live by principles that prolong life.  I'm also grateful for countless memories of his kindhearted, gentle service to our family--and especially his friendship with my husband.

May you enjoy your own Thankful Thursday.  

Kind regards,

Carolyn

Ready. Set. GROW.

Memory Lane Monday (on Tuesday): Sweets

Memory Lane Monday is posted on Tuesday this week because I was having router problems yesterday and could not post my comments.  Sorry.  Nevertheless, I'm committed to moving forward with a few of my personal history memories this year, therefore, I'm posting today.

 Here is my Memory Lane Monday memory:

As I turn back the hands of time, I was always intrigued by the various candies at Halloween with their different sizes and shapes when I was a child.  Sugar Babies and Sugar Daddies were my favorite.  (There seemed to be more variety then.)  I remember eating a 3 Musketeers candy bar after school for quite some time when I was a teenager.  (My favorite is now Snickers.)  I also loved “Cup ‘o Gold”. I’ve never outgrown my love for Root Beer Floats, so they are still a favorite choice of mine for dessert today, along with Klondike Bars, Dryers or Bryers Ice Cream, and I love Drumsticks.  Oh My!

On another note:

I was pleased to discover The Old Time Candy Company.  Click the banner below to take a further walk down Memory Lane while remembering candies from days gone by.  I find these candies to be a unique gift for birthdays and holidays for that person who “has everything” or is difficult to buy for.  I try to gather ideas so that my gift-giving can also be along family-heritage lines.  There’s just nothing like happy memories to gladden the heart!

Check out the entire blog prompt and a great (new) book on the market:

To use this week’s ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ challenge for your own personal history records, view the entire description by using my Examiner.com, Phoenix Genealogy Examiner link.  Clickhere.  Click subscribe (at the top) if you’d like to get my articles automatically delivered to your inbox, or click the RSS icon to read my posts via a feed reader.

This week's Examiner article also features a book launch party announcement about my friend's new memoir release, Lolly's Yarn by Anna Arnett (who is fun and spunky and happens to remind me of my own grandmother!)


The ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ series is authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog.  These prompts are hosted on the GeneaBloggers Website.  Thank you Amy and Thomas.

Note from Family Tree Gal, Carolyn:  Have you joined the Family Tree Quest at www.familytreequest.com ?  I also invite you to join me on Facebook  and Twitter.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation from Amy Coffin or GeneaBloggers.com for writing this post. I am listed on the GeneaBloggers Blog Roll because I find it to be a valuable, shared community resource. I am an affiliate of The Old Time Candy Company as well as Amazon.com.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Memory Lane Monday: Movies

As a youth in Long Beach, CA, I often went to the Towne and Crest Theaters.  When the Crest was no longer in existence, it was a shock.  Somehow movie theaters become quite a landmark in cities, I think.  They are a gathering place for family and friends, where lots of lasting memories are made at all stages of life—childhood, youth, young adult and adult.

When our children were younger, we went out to the movies quite often.  The dollar movie theaters in Mesa were great for the family budget, but some of them no longer exist and others are no longer well maintained. (That’s my nice way of saying they’re dirty, and no longer appealing.)

At the present time, my husband and I occasionally enjoy bringing DVDs home on Friday nights and enjoying a “date night” at home (now that our children are all grown and out of the house).  It’s difficult for me to go to the movies since the lingering effects of car accidents have negatively impacted my physical ability to sit very long unless I use a special chair.  I have been known to take my reclining chair or wheelchair to the movies, however.

One of my favorite memories was having several family members together (with grandchildren) to see Kung Fu Panda.  Everyone loved the film, we took pictures next to the life-sized statues in the lobby and for weeks on end, we watched our grandchildren take themselves so seriously as they performed Kung Fu in our living room.  We also enjoyed seeing Ratatouille together.

Some of my favorite movies include:  Field of Dreams, Rudy, Man of La Mancha, Iron Will and Somewhere in Time.  I love almost all musicals (especially old ones), and I’m very fond of most children’s movies by Disney and Don Bluth.  I also love uplifting theme songs, like the theme song from Balto (Reach for the Light by Steve Winwood) which I had no idea was from a children’s movie when I first heard it.

There’s my Memory Lane Monday post.

To use this week’s ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ challenge for your own personal history records, view the entire description by using my Examiner.com, Phoenix Genealogy Examiner link.  Click here.  Click subscribe (at the top) if you’d like to get my articles automatically delivered to your inbox, or click the RSS icon to read my posts via a feed reader.

The ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ series is authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog.  These prompts are hosted on the GeneaBloggers website.

Looking for UNIQUE, heritage-based GIFT IDEAS?  Click here. 

Note from Family Tree Gal, Carolyn:  Have you joined the Family Tree Quest at www.familytreequest.com ?  I also invite you to join me on Facebook   and Twitter.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation from Amy Coffin or GeneaBloggers.com for writing this post. I am listed on the GeneaBloggers Blog Roll because I find it to be a valuable, shared community resource. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Memory Lane Monday: Illness and Injury

When I was in elementary school, I was so excited to have the only friend who was like a sister to me, spend about a week at my house.  Her parents (my parent’s best friends) were going out-of-town, and I couldn’t have been happier.  My friend was about two years younger than I was, and we had plans for having lots of fun.  

Unexpectedly, I got the chicken pox, and I began to be miserable.  Instead of going to school together, I stayed home and my mom took my friend to school.  When she began to complain of not feeling well, my mother thought she just wanted to stay home with me.  Guess what?  She actually had the chicken pox, too.

In spite of our misery, there were memories galore!  My mom put us both in the living room.  One of us laid on the couch and one on a bed made on a cot.  Mom took great care of us.  We watched so much TV that we got sick of it.  On Saturdays, there were no shows we liked, but we watched old westerns and learned to love them.

I’m sure my friend was really happy to see her parents when they returned because it’s no fun being sick without your parents (especially your mom) around, but I relish the memories until this day with my friend and having the chicken pox.

To use this week’s ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ challenge for your own personal history records, view the entire description by using my Examiner.com, Phoenix Genealogy Examiner link.  Click here.  Click subscribe (at the top) if you’d like to get my articles automatically delivered to your inbox, or click the RSS icon to read my posts via a feed reader.

The ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ series is authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog.  These prompts are hosted on the GeneaBloggers website.

Looking for UNIQUE, heritage-based GIFT IDEAS?  Click here. 

Note from Family Tree Gal, Carolyn:  Have you joined the Family Tree Quest at www.familytreequest.com ?  I also invite you to join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/familytreegal and Twitter. www.twitter.com/familytreegal

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation from Amy Coffin or GeneaBloggers.com for writing this post. I am listed on the GeneaBloggers Blog Roll because I find it to be a valuable, shared community resource. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Resource Wednesday: Shop Irish

Since my mind is turning to my Irish heritage with St. Patrick’s day coming this month, AND I’m all about giving heritage-based gifts for holidays and special occasions, I thought I’d post a link to SHOP IRISH on this RESOURCE WEDNESDAY.

If you want a real treat, visit SHOP IRISH--the premier store on the web for Irish themed jewelry, apparel, unique gifts and many more items.

Claddagh rings, Celtic crosses, shamrock sweaters, and many more exciting Irish themed items. Using the Gift Finder on SHOPRIRISH (listed under the Site Helpers category), find the perfect gift for any occasion.

SHOP IRISH is the proud recipient of various awards for its customer service and performance.  I’ve been amazed with their high quality products and have ordered from them on more than one occasion.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I am happy to be an affiliate of ShopIrish.com

Memory Lane Monday: Disasters

I was fortunate to have escaped the biggest earthquakes in California during the forty years I lived there.  We were quite used to tremors and sometimes quakes in the 3.0-4.0 range.  It was always interesting to hear where the epicenter was and to notice any aftershocks.  In my life, when I felt an earthquake, it was surprising at first to feel the ground roll, but then my logic would say to me, “Oh, it’s just an earthquake”, and I’d move on with life as normal.  There were a couple disasterous earthquakes in CA during my lifetime, but I was away at college or in some other state when they happened. 

I do remember having earthquake drills in elementary school.  We’d practice getting under our desks to avoid falling objects, yet, never once, did we use it for more than a drill.  (See note at end of this post for “new” standards for earthquake preparedness.)

When I married and had children, I became involved in making sure my children’s schools had good earthquake preparedness policies and procedures securely in place-- in case my children were away from me if a disaster should occur.  We talked about having some food resources stored at the school and about clarifying re-uniting and pick-up policies for the parents of children.  This is because, for years, we heard that the “BIG ONE”, meaning a 20 point earthquake was bound to occur on the San Andreas fault line.

I now reside in Arizona.  There are monsoons and flash floods in the state (along with lots of forest fires in the summer).  I have been in plenty of monsoons, but have seen the flash floods and fires on my television screen only.

To read about my mother-in-laws experience with the tornado in her hometown, CLICK HERE to read my Examiner article for this week.  Let me know you were there by clicking "like".  You may choose to subscribe or get my RSS feed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NOTE:  As mentioned above, I became aware through an email which was sent to me several years ago, that there are safer ways to respond personally in an earthquake than I was originally taught in school.  I do not know the man who wrote the article, so claim no responsibility for the accuracy of its content.  I found it intriguing.  Decide for yourself.

Where to be during an earthquake - New Information

Remember that stuff about hiding under a table or standing in a doorway??  Well, this guy has a completely reverse opinion.   This is very interesting, different from what we have been taught or thought.

Please read this and pass the info along to your family members; it could save their lives someday!

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of
life'. The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa,
next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden
buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment offrequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse laterwhen overloaded by fleeing people.They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushedcars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to becorrect. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle of life' survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled
through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions , relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.


Ronald D Smith
ron.smith@lacity.org
213-922-7736
City of L.A. - Info Technology Agency
CHE 13th floor, MS232
200 N. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

The ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ series is authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog.  These prompts are hosted on the GeneaBloggers website.

Looking for UNIQUE, heritage-based GIFT IDEAS?  Click here. 

Note from Family Tree Gal, Carolyn:  Have you joined the Family Tree Quest at www.familytreequest.com ?  I also invite you to join me on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation from Amy Coffin or GeneaBloggers.com for writing this post. I am listed on the GeneaBloggers Blog Roll because I find it to be a valuable, shared community resource. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”