A Christmas Story...as told by George

Wishing you and yours a blessed CHRISTmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!
HE is the REASON FOR THE SEASON......

This is a wonderful story. I think you all will enjoy.

The Filling Station

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve.He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away.He had no decorations, no tree, and no lights. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. There were no children in his life. His wife had gone.He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through. Instead of throwing the man out, George, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the space heater and warm-up."Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy. I'll just go""Not without something hot in your belly," George turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew. Made it myself. When you're done there's coffee and it's fresh."Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said.There in the driveway was an old 53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked."Mister can you help me!" said the driver with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken."George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold; the car was dead. "You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away."But mister, please help...."The door of the office closed behind George as he went in. George went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building and opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting."Here, you can borrow my truck," he said.. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. George turned and walked back inside the office."Glad I loaned em the truck. Their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new tires… "George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The thermos was on the desk, empty with a used coffee cup beside it."Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought. George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator."Well, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on. "Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car.As he was working he heard a shot being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Help me." George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention."Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The laundry company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound."Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease. "Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills."You hang in there. I'm going to get you an ambulance." George said, but the phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your police car."He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio. He went back in to find the policeman sitting up."Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."George sat down beside him. "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked."None for me," said the officer."Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city." Then George added: "Too bad I ain't got no donuts."The officer laughed and winced at the same time. The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun."Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before."That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer."Son, why are you doing this?" asked George. "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!" The cop was reaching for his gun."Put that thing away," George said to the cop. "We got one too many in here now."He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need the money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pee shooter away."George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry."I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job. My rent is due. My car got repossessed last week..."George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Being stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer.""Shut up and drink your coffee." the cop said.George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn."Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer."Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?""GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other. "That guy works here," the wounded cop continued."Yep," George said. "Just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas, boy. And you too, George, and thanks for everything.""Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems." George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box."Here you go. Something for the little woman, I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you.""And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."George reached into the box again. A toy airplane, a racing car and a little metal truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier. "And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that, too. Count it as part of your first week's pay." George said."Now git home to your family."The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good.""Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?""I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?""Well, after my wife passed away I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was getting a little chubby."The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will become a rich man and share his wealth with many people.That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man."Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again." The stranger moved toward the door."If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."George watched as the man's old leather jacket and his torn pants turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room."You see, George, it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."Author Unknown

Clothes Lines........

When I read the email at the end of this post it brought back so many memories of a new bride 50 years age! The experience that Edward and I had is at the beginning...... I hope you enjoy it......


When Edward and I married, we moved to a town a distance away where we had no family....and no family washing machines. We lived in a rental house and had one car, which Edward drove to school where he taught. I washed our clothes in the bath tub.....this included bed linens. It was a chore to squeeze the water out of sheets...I weighed a whopping 89 and 3/4 pounds. We didn't have a clothes line but a kind hearted neighor invited me to use hers.


A few years later we bought our first newly built home and we purchased a washing machine from the high school Home Economic's Department. They were replaced every 2 or 3 years. It was a front loader with scales in the drop down door. I was in high cotton!


When the machine finished the washing cycle, it wouldn't empty the water. My dear husband opened the door and all of a sudden there must have been a hundred gallons of water on the kitchen floor and rushing down the hall. Lesson: NEVER OPEN A FRONT LOADING WASHING MACHINE FILLED WITH WATER!!!!!!!!! The house builders had used the drain as a garbage disposal!


I got a dryer after the birth of our daughter, Amy.....and I did get a clothes line. I was using post hole diggers to dig the holes for the poles which took most of one day. A couple of days later, I couldn't move, laugh, cough and it hurt to breathe. My husband carried me to the doctor and he was sending me to the hospital for tests when I remembered the 'post hole' digging. He canceled the tests and I came home to the heating pad! Needless to say, I don't use post hole diggers to this day......

Our daughter, Mindy's husband, Chip, made a new pair of wooden cross arm clothes line posts several years ago and brought them 160 miles on his truck to me. He laughed and said when he stopped to buy gas the attendant cast questioning glances at him. Guess he thought Chip was going to a 'hanging'.....and not for clothes!


Still, sheets hung out on a sunny, summer day surely do smell mighty fresh when you go to bed...

Some old habits still work just fine....

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Basic Rules for Clotheslines
You have to be a certain age to appreciate this. I can hear my mom now...
THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES: (If you don't know what
clotheslines are, better skip this.)1. You had to wash the clothesline before hanging any clothes. Walk the entire length of each line wiping the line with a damp cloth.2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbours think?4. Wash day on a Monday . . . Never hang clothes on the weekend, certainly not Sunday, for Heaven's sake!5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)6. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather . . . Clothes would "freeze-dry."7. Always gather the clothespins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothespins with the next washed item.9. Clothes had to be off the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.10. IRONED? Well, that's a whole other subject!

POEM
A clothesline was a news forecast To neighbors passing by. There were no secrets you could keep When clothes were hung to dry. It also was a friendly link For neighbors always knew If company had stopped on by To spend a night or two. For then you'd see the "fancy sheets" And towels upon the line; You'd see the "company table cloths" With intricate designs. The line announced a baby's birth From folks who lived inside - As brand new infant clothes were hung, So carefully with pride! The ages of the children could So readily be known By watching how the sizes changed, You'd know how much they'd grown! It also told when illness struck, As extra sheets were hung; Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too, Haphazardly were strung. It also said, "Gone on vacation now" When lines hung limp and bare. It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged With not an inch to spare! New folks in town were scorned upon If wash was dingy and gray, As neighbors carefully raised their brows, And looked the other way . . .. But clotheslines now are of the past, For dryers make work much less. Now what goes on inside a home Is anybody's guess! I really miss that way of life. It was a friendly sign When neighbors knew each other best By what hung on the line!

Children at the Pentagon on 9/11/01

An email sent to me worth passing on:



This is little-known story from the Pentagon on 09/11/2001: During a visit with a fellow chaplain, who happened to be assigned to the Pentagon, I had a chance to hear a first-hand account of an incident that happened right after Flight 77 hit the Pentagon. The chaplain told me what happened at a daycare center near where the impact occurred. This daycare had many children, including infants who were in heavy cribs. The daycare supervisor, looking at all the children they needed to evacuate, was in a panic over what they could do. There were many children, mostly toddlers, as well as the infants that would need to be taken out with the
cribs. There was no time to try to bundle them into carriers and strollers.
Just then a young Marine came running into the center and asked what they needed. After hearing what the center director was trying to do, he ran back
out into the hallway and disappeared. The director thought, 'Well, there we
are - on our own.' About 2 minutes later, that Marine returned with 40 other Marines in tow. Each of them grabbed a crib with a child, and the rest started gathering up toddlers. The director and her staff then helped them take all the children out of the center and down toward the park near the Potomac and the Pentagon. Once they got about 3/4 of a mile outside the building, the Marines stopped in the park, and then did a fabulous thing - they formed a circle with the cribs, which were quite sturdy and heavy, like the covered wagons in the Old West. Inside this circle of cribs, they put the toddlers, to
keep them from wandering off. Outside this circle were the 40 Marines,
forming a perimeter around the children and waiting for instructions. There
they remained until the parents could be notified and come get their children . The chaplain then said, "I don't think any of us saw nor heard of this on any of the news stories of the day. It was an incredible story of our men there. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. The thought of those Marines and what they did and how fast they reacted; could we expect any less from them? It was one of the most touching stories from the Pentagon. Remember Ronald Reagan's great compliment: "Most of us wonder if our lives made any difference. Marines don't have that problem." God Bless the USA , our troops, and you. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." It's the Military, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It's the Military, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech.
It's the Military, not the politicians that ensures our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It's the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and
whose coffin is draped by the flag. If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for the military, please pass this on and pray for our men and women who have served and are currently serving our country and pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

"I expect to pass through this world but once;any good therefore that I can do... let me do it now...for I shall not pass this way again."

Happy Birthday USA!

How blessed we are to live in the United States of America! Please, dear Lord, forgive us for straying away and draw us back into a nearness to you....

From our home to your home.....God Bless.

Happy 21st birthday to our firstborn grandson, Davis, who was born on the 4th of July...

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We Celebrate Our 50th Wedding Anniversary....

On June 19th, 1960, Father's Day Sunday, Edward and I were married after Sunday morning services. Back then, almost all weddings were on Sunday. Earlier in the week, I had been diagnosed with appendicitis. I spent several days in bed and on Sunday morning I didn't know if I would be going to the church or the hospital....I went to church (when I was 44 my appendix were removed during major surgery).

I had just graduated from high school and a few days later Edward had graduated from University of Georgia with a teaching degree.

I had $300.00 to spend on a wedding. About $150.00 went toward wedding dress material, flowers, gifts, etc. My sweet Aunt Gladys made my dress. The remaining money was spent on curtains, bedspreads, etc., things for our home.

Our first meal was Ham with Raisin Gravy and vegetables. On our way to Amelia Island, Florida we got in a National Guard Convoy....we were waved around truck after truck with lots of horn blowing and hats waving. What a way to go! We continue to vacation at Amelia Island with our daughters, their husbands and eight grandchildren. The week of July 4th finds us making many memories.......

Because Father's Day weekend is so busy, our daughters and church family hosted a reception for us on Sunday afternoon, June 13th. Many, many friends came to enjoy the afternoon with us. A basket of cards were given to us and we continue daily to receive more cards.

Our granddaughter, Ellie, played the violin superbly ...our twin granddaughters, Erin and Elisabeth sang 'I'll Be There' beautifully. Erin presented a power point slide show from our births until the present complete with music of our era and captioning. We experienced a wonderful afternoon with family and friends.

Our daughters insisted our wedding attire be displayed.

Granddaughter, Elisabeth, baked the delicious cake and sweet friend, Beth, decorated.

Thank you Mindy, Chip, Davis, Drew, Amy, Chad, Erin, Elisabeth, Wesley, Ellie, John, Alexander, Beth and the sweet ladies of our church family.

Happy 50th Anniversary to Edward.......Love and Prayers....Betty

Have You Come Across Any Blue Roses?

Here is an email someone sent to me, and I thought it was worth sharing!


Having four visiting family members, the wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent, and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly. "Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."

"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.. "You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles, and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"

Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion but I sure love living in God's garden."

She reached out, squeezed my hand, and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest that the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece, or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion!

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Saw these 2 on church signs:

You've "done" everything under the sun; now try doing

everything for the "SON"!

Alexander's trip to the ER.....A Tribute to Mothers....

Our sweet little four year old grandson, Alexander, collided with a table Wednesday and had to make a trip to the ER to have his forehead glued back together...he hasn't missed a beat!

I can't say the same for his Mom, Amy. We, Mama's, know when one of our chicks takes a lick, the livin' daylights are scared out of us....both are doing fine.

Real Moms ** Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it. ** Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox. ** Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids. ** Real Mothers know that dried playdough doesn't come out of shag carpets. ** Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up. ** Real Mothers sometimes ask "why me?" and get their answer when a little voice says, "because I love you best." ** Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade... It is marked by the progression of Mama to Mommy to Mom... Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers...and those who play a mother's role in the lives of all children!

Signs of Spring around our home.....

Roses budding....this is a pink tree rose with the sweetest smelling blooms...can hardly wait....

Beautiful pot that has pansies....

Potting soil to repot many flowers.....

Hanging baskets of red geraniums......

Viburnum blooms....

George Tabor azaleas.....

New patio umbrella.....

New patio cushions.....

What are your spring time projects?

An Easter Prayer For You.....

Nails such as these did not hold the Lord Jesus to the cross on Calvary....

His love for His people held Him there....and then three days later...He arose...As the angel told the women, "He is not here, He is risen as He said He would."

HALLELUJAH! The Lord God omnipotent reigneth!

I pray that you have a blessed Easter....Betty

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow......

On Friday, we lived in a 'winter wonderland' for a few hours...I visited a cousin in the hospital, who later passed away, and then drove to visit my friend, Jackie....as she, Jerry and I sat talking, visiting, the snow began to really become heavy. As I left about an hour later everything was glistening white....absolutely breath taking.....I slowly drove home through the country taking in the beauty. As I approached home our little guest house was so pretty......

Our home......

Our neighbor, Brenda, across the road emailed this picture to us and the one of the guest house.

Our grandchildren next door thoroughly enjoyed the rare snow...their snowman, Fred, lasted almost four days....

It was an ideal situation....snow one afternoon and night and the next day it was gone...but the memories are tucked away to be remembered forever.....

I hope you enjoyed a 'Happy Valentine's Day'......

Sights and Shopping in NYC

A new experience for us was riding in a NYC taxi....three of us shared a cab and rode several blocks to Macy's...when we got there it was lunch time so we headed to the basement...everyone chose their meal and as you can imagine it was packed to the gills. There was a table with one well dressed gentleman seated...we all surrounded him, sat down and began eating. He continued reading his newspaper, never saying a word. When he finished his meal, he stood up, folded his paper and said, "ladies, have a nice day, spend lots of money in Macy's and I'll leave the paper for you to read."

Our driver was very nice, answering our questions...I'm quite certain he had never heard three ladies from the south utter, "Gosh", " yonder", and "oh, my Lord"......

My pictures are all mixed up...I have a new Notebook laptop that is totally unfamiliar to me and it is not co-operating with me...this on Top Of The Rock....very windy.

We look like we're about to fly away.

This looks quite different than the sights we see at home.

Top of the Rock....you can see many famous landmarks from the top including Central Park where we on another day had lunch at Tavern On The Green.

The Empire State Building....wonder if Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are still on the observation deck...one of my favorite movies....

As you enter Top of the Rock there is a gorgeous 14,000 Swaroski crystal chandelier...there are, according to the internet, 300 stores located in this facility.

I agree with this....especially at Christmas...

Well, as I said before, my pictures are mixed up and I couldn't get them to slide....Macy's windows and outside decorations were beautiful. Many, many people were Christmas shopping. We rode the wooden escalator up to the nineth floor and enjoyed seeing all the decorated trees and ornaments galore. I did bring a beautiful Empire State Building ornament home for our tree.

More sights next time.....

The Church White Lie Cake.......

This has been around before but when a friend sent it to me today, it was just as funny as the first time I read it.....True or not, it is hilarious......
>
> THE CHURCH WHITE LIE CAKE

>
> Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this, especially
> all of the ladies who bake for church events:
>
> Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Baptist Church Ladies'

> Group in Tuscaloosa , but forgot to do it until the last minute.

> She remembered it the morning of the bake sale and after

> rummaging through cabinets, found an angel food cake mix &

> quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing, and
> helping her son pack up for Scout camp.
>
> When she took the cake from the oven, the center had dropped
> flat and the cake was horribly disfigured and she exclaimed,

> "Oh dear, there is not time to bake another cake!" This cake

> was important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her

> new church, and in her new community of friends. So, being

> inventive, she looked around the house for something to build

> up the center of The cake. She found it in the bathroom - a roll

> of toilet paper. She plunked it in and then covered it with icing.

> Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect.

> And, before she left the house to drop the cake by the church

> and head for work, Alice woke her daughter and gave her some
> money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the moment it
> opened at 9:30 and to buy the cake and bring it home.

> When the daughter arrived at the sale, she found the attractive,

> perfect cake had already been sold. Amanda grabbed her cell
> phone & called her mom.
>
> Alice was horrified-she was beside herself! Everyone would know!
>
> What would they think? She would be ostracized, talked about,

> ridiculed! All night, Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people
>
> pointing fingers at her and talking about her behind her back.
>
> The next day, Alice promised herself she would try not to think
>
> about the cake and would attend the fancy luncheon/bridal shower
>
> at the home of a fellow church member and try to have a good time.
>
> She did not really want to attend because the hostess was a snob
>
> who more than once had looked down her nose at the fact that Alice
>
> was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa ,
>
> but having already RSVP'd , she couldn't think of a believable excuse
>
> to stay home.
>
> The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old
> south and to Alice 's horror, the cake in question was presented for
>
> dessert! Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake!
>
> She started out of her chair to tell the hostess all about it, but before
> she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "what a beautiful
> cake!"
>
> Alice, still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the
> hostess (who was a prominent church member) say,
>
> "Thank you, I baked it myself.."
>
> Alice smiled and thought to herself, "God is good."
>

---

Dining at Cafe- Un Deux -Trois.......

I digress....on Wednesday evening we had our evening meal at Cafe-Un- Deux Trois ...we were staying in Times Square and many of our planned activities were within walking distance...

The restaurant is a beautiful establishment and the waiters were very helpful and courteous. Gorgeous Christmas decor.....sparkling chandeliers....candlelight...





The above pictures from internet website......My pictures leave a lot to be desired. We were advised not to carry expensive cameras so I carried disposable ones plus an old digital....big mistake.....the ones I later made with my phone were so much better.



Delores, Mickie and Mary Jo....
Mary Jo, Jane and Wanda.....



I enjoyed Potager Du Jour, a delicious soup, Poulet Cordon Bleu, grilled vegetables, herbed rice, bread and for dessert, Raspberry Sorbet and coffee.Another evening we saw the play 'Mama Mia' at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Thursday, after The Today Show, we eagerly made our way to Macy's, etc.....more to come.

Dec. 3rd at THE TODAY SHOW....................

We were up bright and early to get to The Today Show...a sign had been custom printed 'Merry Christmas From Moultrie, Georgia'....although I don't live in this particular town I'm happy to be associated with those who do....our group starts with the smiling lady in the red sweater placing a clear plastic bag with a yellow toss game in the bag. I'm standing next to the sign... I have on a black leather jacket and red sweater and white hair. The gift I am placing in the bag is a yellow and blue box with a race car inside. Next to me is 'cousin Mary Jo'.... I was not aware that we would to to the Today Show until we were already in New York...Today Show provided some gifts...

We met Al Roker, whose wife, Debra Roberts, is from Perry, Georgia....Michael Jackson's brothers came around and shook hands, Matt Lauer did also. Unfortunately the pictures I made of Matt, Al and others didn't turn out very well.

Left to right: lst row: Wanda, Betty, Mary Jo, Jane
2nd row: Joyce, Suzy, Mickie, LaRue
3rd row: David (tour guide), Nancy and unknown fellow

A friendly NBC photographer lady made pictures and later we bought them at the NBC Store. Also, the NBC staff were were very cordial and helpful to make pictures for us.

After our Today 'debut' we had breakfast at Dean & Deluca's. The food was delicious as we sat in the window watching the goings on in Rockefeller Center.

The weather was pleasant but breezy.....it was warmer in New York than down home in the south...

Then on to a day of shopping and seeing more of the 'Big Apple' sights....

To be continued.......

A Wednesday afternoon in New York City...continued

After lunch we boarded our bus again with Dexter and began sightseeing....this fence is where pictures, notes, etc. were hung after 9-11.

We boarded the Staten Island Ferry...

A humongous ferry....


Staten Island.....
The Lady......
Ellis Island.....



After the ferry ride we met our New York City Tour Guide, Kevin....Kevin is very good at what he does...besides a tour guide he is an actor...he's appeared on Law and Order and other programs that have slipped my mind.

Ground Zero....SACRED GROUND.....
Muse Hotel....Lobby...For some reason I can't download a picture of the hotel.....we spent two nights here. The staff was very cordial and helpful....the restrooms near the lobby were something to behold...they were unisex. I don't have pictures of the four but they were fancy-smancy....the hotel is located in the theatre district, Times Square. Everything was within walking distance for the most part.
Very ultra-modern...no, you aren't seeing double....I can't seem to delete the second picture.

The fire place in the lobby....
This isn't our room but very similar with the same colors....This was the view outside our 8th floor window...very comforting.

Next after freshening up we dined at Cafe Un-Deux-Trois.....to be continued.......