Boxing Day

Note to Don: December 26th is Boxing Day, commemorating when boxes of food were given to the poor in England and Ireland. Apparently you have confused this with "Boxer's Days". Having been treated to several pairs of Christmas boxers, we are all hoping that you do not own a "Happy New Year" pair of boxers.

Conversion Units (Courtest of Pat R.)



Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi



2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton



1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope



Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement = 1 bananosecond



Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram



Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knotfurlong



16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone = 1 Rod Serling



Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon



1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz



Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoa rsepower



Shortest distance between two jokes = A straight line



453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake



1 million- microphones = 1 megaphone



2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles



365.25 days = 1 unicycle



2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds



52 cards = 1 decacards



1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 Fig Newton



1000 milliliters of wet socks = 1 literhosen



1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche



1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin



10 rations = 1 decoration



100 rations = 1 C-ration



2 monograms = 1 diagram



4 nickels = 1 paradigm



2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital = 1 IV League

Cheer for Charlie

Charlie is getting his strength and balance back after a nasty fall. He is receiving PT and dialysis at the Randallstown Center off of Liberty Road. A group of us went to sing carols to him. We were so bad he nearly bolted from the room, but we did make him laugh. Visitors and phone calls are welcome (he has his cell phone with him). Patty and his family threw him a delicious holiday party last Sunday, heard he enjoyed the homemade food. Through everything, Charlie keeps his sense of humor and remembers the holiday season. In fact, when he saw us enter his room jingling bells, his first words were, "Jesus Christ!"

Pat, Jack and Gladys with Charlie

Jean, Paul, Sue and Harold with Charlie

Holiday Pictures

Watch out, Santa Don sits on YOUR lap!

The Gang spreads joy (and cream cheese) to all

A Christmas Miracle: Don's stocking moves ever closer to Laura's

Doug treats his son, Scott, to breakfast. Must be Christmas!

Bill and Jean get a "Christmass" surprise.

Andrea tells Santa Don her wish. (However, he came back the next day)

Merry Christmas

John and Don spread Christmas cheer

For those of you who missed it, here is Pat Richardson's original poem. Enjoy!

With Apologies to Willie Shakespeare

With gloomy clouds and darkened sky,
The Winter Solstice doth arrive.
The snow hath dropped,
The wind doth blow,
We hear the bells and Ho, Ho, Ho.

A hearty few will brave the weather,
Embarking on another endeavor.
The bagels beckon, toasty, warm,
They draw us out into the storm.

Eating, drinking, with fervered glee,
We keep each other company.
We know who’s pregnant and who is not,
Our news is current and on the spot.

Some do not hold us so dear,
But we wish you all a happy new year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Cheers

Here ye, esteemed patrons of Sam's (Samians? Samites? Samsters?): whether you celebrate the birth of Jesus, the miracle of the channuka minorah, the solstice signaling brighter days to come, or simply that Don usually starts wearing long pants in January, may the glow within each of our hearts reach far beyond the breakfast table and kindle the best in one another this holiday season.

Going Wireless

Shhh, we are now able to blog live thanks to someone nearby providing an excellent wireless signal in Sam's. We will enjoy it as long as it lasts! Alicia was able to prove her point today by looking up a website.

Welcome back, Don! He reported that the Gulf was boring, too shallow to swim in, and just good for sitting in while reading the paper. His daughters and grandchildren joined them for a hectic three-day visit between very late and very early flights. Don recalled one past Thanksgiving when he threw a roll the length of the table, hitting his sister-in-law in the head. Don's excuse was that she had asked for a roll! However, she left and never came back! Don credited his mother with enforcing a standard of family behavior, noting she she did not tolerate bad behavior and that it was dealt with immediately. He lamented that his wife's family has no enforcer in charge, so dysfunctional behavior occurs. Laura commented that every family has some degree of dysfunction to it.

This discussion left Alicia grateful for her functional family. Alicia put up her first Christmas tree this weekend. She recalled one gathering where all 75 of her extended family were celebrating the day after Thanksgiving. Apparently they were so noisy that their neighbor, Steven Tyler of the rock band Aerosmith, called the police for diturbing the peace. Luckily, Alicia's cousin was on the local police force. So the family just put on an Aerosmith CD and cranked the volume up even higher!

Mike came in with his Dad and confided in Doug that Andrea was his girlfriend. Here is a photo of you two together, Mike, plus a nice photo of you, your Dad, and Doug in black jackets.

Dr. Mike asked us what was our most extravagent purchase. Gladys said it was her grandfather clock. She had wanted one for a long time and even created a needlepoint to hang in its spot. It creates reverence for the past, and something the family associates with visiting Grandma and Grandpa. Dr. Mike said it was his classical guitar; he needed an excellent guitar because he said he didn't play that well! The rest of us are hoping to splurge in the future. Sue would like to bubble under the stars in a Jacuzzi someday.

Jean shared some jokes she heard on the radio.
What do the Ravens and Billy Graham have in common?

They both can make 70,000 people in a stadium stand up and yell "Jesus"!


What do you call 53 men sitting around the TV?


The Ravens watching the Super Bowl.



How do you keep ravens out of your yard?

Put up a goal post.


And on that note, may everyone enjoy the Ravens on Monday night football tomorrow!

Sam's Bagels in Real Time!

Charlie's back! We were so glad to see him drive and make it into Sam's for a bagel. Andrea told him he was still the sexiest man she knows!

Dr. Mike is taking his son snow boarding in West Virginia. Doug went to Lake Placid for his first skiing adventure, and became hooked. Dr. Mike recommends skiing in the west, where the peaks can be 10,000 feet and runs can last a half hour.

Operation Welcome Home 4-6pm Thursday

Submitted from Glenn :)

UPDATE – NEW TIME FOR TOMORROW…As sometimes happens, the time of tomorrow’s flight has been moved back by a couple hours. We are now looking at an arrival between 4:00-6:00 pm. Please arrive no later than 3:30 pm. The volunteer leaders for tomorrow’s flight are Bob and Arlise Cianelli, so please let them know if you will be attending just in case the flight time moves again. Let them know the best number to call you on. Also, if you have not already purchased a food/bottled water donation for tomorrow, don't worry about it. We have enough supplies for tomorrow, b ut will take items if you already purchas ed something that you planned on bringing. We don't want to turn away donations, but we also don't want you to make a trip to the store when we are already covered for tomorrow. Thanks again!

NEXT EVENT…Wednesday, December 5th with arrival by troops in the early afternoon – time to be disclosed closer to day of event

FREE TICKETS THIS WEEKEND...We have been given 20 free tickets to the Ft. Meade Officers' Wives Annual Tour of Homes this Sunday. Tours of about 12 officers homes decorated for Christmas occur between 3:00-7:00 pm. Normally, tickets are $10 each, but the Officers' Wives Club is so grateful for the work of Operation Welcome Home that they have given us these free tickets. They learned about us in the news. We still have some tickets left. If you can attend, please let John Flynn know by responding to this e-mail. Let him know how many tickets you need. Tickets are first-come, first-serve. For those interested, there is also a Craft Fair occurring from 10:00am-5:00pm at the same location. Thanks for all you do to support our troops!


OPERATION WELCOME HOME (MARYLAND)

Date: Thursday, November 29th

Time: Report by 3:30pm (troops are scheduled to arrive between 4:00-6:00pm – times are always subject to change) - Please let us know if you plan to attend so we can make you aware of any other updates on the time; please provide Bob and Arlise Cianelli with your cell phone number (or land line) as they will use the old-fashioned phone tree should there be any changes. Their contact information is below.

Parking: You have three options: (1) park in the hourly parking lot (cost is free for first ½ hour and $2 every ½ hour after that); (2) park in a private lot
($6.85 for daily parking with coupon at http://www.econoparkexpress.com/ or $6.90 for daily parking at http://www.airportfastpark.com/main/baltimore.aspx)
or (3) perhaps the easiest way is to drop off your guests at the airport (if you are carpooling) and park at the free parking lot for the light rail and ride it
to the airport - it drops you off right at the international terminal where our event is ($3.20 roundtrip or $1.10 roundtrip for seniors – more info and light
rail schedule at http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/lightrail/schedule/lightrail.pdf). If there are any developments on free parking, we wi ll let you know.

Gate: Come to BWI - International Flights/Lower Level at Customs

What to Bring: Wear something patriotic and feel free to bring handmade
signs welcoming our troops home and thanking them for their service. Please also keep bringing those thank you cards from children. Do not worry about bringing any food/bottled water donations for the goodie bags tomorrow.&a mp;n bsp; We have plenty of supplies for the bags. If you have already purchased items for the goodie bags, feel free to bring them. If you have not yet gotten anything, do not worry about it. We have a good supply on hand for the troops for tomorrow.

Call Bob and Arlise Cianelli: Feel free to e-mail Bob and Arlise at bobcianelli@comcast.net or if you are coming at the last minute, call them on their cell phone at (410) 299-0886. Again, please let them know if you intend to go and provide them with your cell phone number (or land line). They will be sure
to keep you looped in on any updates, but they cannot do that if they don't know you're coming.

Sincerely,

John Flynn and Kathy Thorp
Co-Chairs

Shopping Penguin

This is a nice contrast to the shopping frenzy Scott witnessed on Black Friday!

There's always a way out

Check out this video courtesy of our friend, Don. He's baaaaack!!

Bigger Pictures!

Well, blogging is a new experience and I am learning as I go. Found out that if you double-click on a photo posted here, it will enlarge to a full-screen picture. (It doesn't work on the sidebar "Who's Who" pictures). You can really see the ink stains on Doug's pants with this method! Enlarge Dana and Jeff below.

After Thanksgiving

Dana and Jeff

Hope everyone had a relaxing holiday! We were very grateful to be together and enjoyed seeing Katelyn, in from Columbia College of Chicago. Devoured my Mom's specialties including oyster stuffing, creme-de-menthe parfaits, and peanut soup in addition to the traditional favorites. We played a hilarious game of Balderdash where one makes up definitions for real words. What is your definition for "funting"? "Wikicup"?

Scott was in on Black Friday after his first (and last) experience with 6 am bargain-hunting. He realized he was way too late to carry out a new TV when a woman elbowed him in the back and yelled at him to get out of the way. He was happy to make it out alive with a new drill as a consolation prize. He also reported that his sweet potatoes were excellent and shared his recipe.

Lois and Gene finally had their construction project completed. See Pat, it may be possible that your project may soon be completed too!

Gladys and Jacks's tiny great-grand-daughter, Ava, said the last word of each line of the Thanksgiving blessing, ending with "We give thanks for everything"!

Jean came in limping after the holiday. She thinks she may have injured it while performing her lively version of the Soul-ja Boy dance for her guests. Sorry I don't have video documentation of this.

Doug reported eating three meals, ending up at Jeff's, his neighbor. He rode his bike on Thanksgiving morning in preparation for all those calories.

Laura's oil light turned on and she bought 3 quarts of oil on Thanksgiving. However, the gas station attendant said he couldn't put the oil in for her. So she drove to the Catonsville Fire Station and asked for Scott and Dana. Upon learning that they were transferred to another station, she persuaded some helpful men in blue to put the oil in for her. Our Laura is resourceful!

On Saturday, one of Sam's customers (who usually takes a table of 6 for himself) left immediately after his two small tables were pulled apart and another couple sat next to him. He did leave his newspaper for the couple. However, he didn't come back today to read his paper. I was wondering if this was just a coincidence or whether his sense of privacy had been violated. Although he has never joined our group or even smiled at us, he always sat facing us and was a fixture at Sam's. If he comes back, I decided it is time to strike up a conversation and at least find out his name.

Count your blessings as the holiday season commences!

Sam's open on Thanksgiving

Sam's will be open on Thanksgiving from 7 am to 2 pm.

Design by Alicia and Dr. Mike

Paul and Jean brought in some of their unique Deodar Cedar pinecones on Saturday and Sunday and shared them with the gang. One of their trees is recognized as the champion deodar cedar tree in Maryland and sports a plaque with that proclamation. As you can see from the photo, the pine cones resemble wooden roses. When glue is added, the cones can last as decorations for many years. Dr. Mike, Pat R. , Pat F. and Bill took cones home - bring in your crafty, creative efforts made with the cones and/or photograph them for the blog. Share your talents, and the talents of your loved ones!

Sue, Bill, Paul and Jack distribute cones on Sunday

Christmas music already?

Topping this morning’s conversation was the super gigantic fish – the bona fide whopper – that Doug caught. Its massive bulk was awesome. Its scales were heavier than roof shingles. It dragged his boat for forty-five minutes before he wrestled and reeled the beast in by sheer will and force.

Doug has a photo of himself holding aloft this magnificent creature but hasn’t shared it with his blog-mates because it’s from last year (or he doesn’t know how). He’ll post a shot of his next catch instead (via Mike if he can’t figure out how). We must ponder the precise prodigious proportions of last year’s prize pescado ourselves, but considering Doug’s modesty, my bet is it was two to three times whatever size he described.

Speaking of prizes, we at Sam’s are justifiably proud of the three dazzling examples of the majestic "champion" evergreen species presiding over the front of Paul’s and Jean’s beautiful home. Each autumn, their boughs issue a myriad of rose-like cones as delicate as Faberge Eggs. Stay tuned, folks, for this week’s Bagel Art, which I understand from good sources, will feature several of these special cones prominently.

Hello Ladies:

Pat, thanks for summoning Dr. Mike back, and may your cement settle and air be clear of sawdust soon.

Sue, I hope you made it through today well and derive some consolation from hearing you look mahvellous in black sequins.

Alicia, Yay – the sun and breeze cooperated this afternoon!

Farewell to Don

Bye Bye Don

Bye Bye Happiness

Hello Loneliness

I think I'm gonna die

Bye Bye our Don goodbye!

Our loss is Florida's (temporary) gain!

Hugs for Doug

Doug attempts to protect himself from Jeff's and Don's unwanted advances

Doug showed up on Thursday morning with blue ink all over the crotch of his khaki pants. Strangely, his hands were devoid of ink. Glenn posed with a blue cereal bowl on his head to commemorate this strange blue event.

Friday Morning at Sam's

Dimitri bids a fond farewell to his favorite customer

Safe jouney to Don who left for 10 days in Florida . We should have two quiet weekends as a result.

Happy 50th Anniversary greetings go out to Bill White.

He will be celebrating on Saturday night at the Candlelight Inn.

Where is Dr. Mike?

WHERE IS DR. MIKE? WE MISS HIM. HAVE NOT SEEN HIS BICYCLE FOR A FEW WEEKS. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT A YEAR SINCE HE BECAME A REGULAR. MAYBE HE JUST COULD NOT TAKE ANY MORE. THERE IS NOTHING IN HIS MEDICAL BOOKS TO EXPLAIN US. WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE BICYCLE NEXT WEEKEND.

From Pat

Charlie's Back!

This morning's group was happily surprised from a visit by Charlie and Patty. Charlie is navigating around with a walker and even got a few zingers off at Don. Everyone was zinging Don this morning, probably because he is headed off to Florida next week and we won't have that pleasure for awhile.

I think I need to start digital recordings to capture the conversation at Sam's. I can't quite get the ebb and flow of the witticisms with the little memory I have left. Anyway, Alicia stated that she felt better after her coffee this morning, and Pat pointed out that laughter is great for the immune system. So thanks for my immunity boost everyone!

Monday Night is Pizza Night

Hi everyone,
If you purchase pizza at the Route 40 Pizza Hut this Monday (November 12th), a portion of the proceeds will benefit Jeff's son's Boy Scout Troop.

Also on Monday, Golden Corral is offering a free buffet dinner to any veteran from 5 to 9 pm. There is a Golden Corral at Arundel Mills adjacent to the mall.

Happy Veteran's Day to all!

Don S. is Looking for this Mirror

Don wants help finding this mirror. Does anyone know which Home Depot sells it?

Good News

Jim at Altuan Ha

Hi everyone,

I am very happy to report that Charlie is back home after stays at St. Agnes and Union Memorial Hospitals. He would enjoy visitors, just call ahead and make sure that it is a good time to stop by. I tried to visit him at Johns Hopkins, but he wasn't there! The fluid on his lung appears to be cardiac-related. They put stents in his artery (arteries?) to increase blood flow.....let's hope this is does the trick! Continue to feel better, Charlie, and come back to Sam's soon. Everyone has missed you.

My dear friend Jim came through his surgery at Hopkins beautifully. He had a tumor and two lobes of his right lung removed on Tuesday. He is already well enough to be walking, eating meals, and be "tubeless". He will probably come home tomorrow, and that seems like a miracle to me! Thanks for all of your prayers, I am positive they helped ! Jim has done an excellent job of using a blog to keep friends and family informed of his progress. You can check it out at http://notbymyself.blogspot.com/.

-

Treats for Troops

With the holiday season approaching, Pat R. sent information about a safe way to send gifts to our troops. She has used the site personally.

Treats for Troops was founded in early 2003 by Denver business woman Deborah Crane, who was determined to make it safe and simple for every American to send packages and messages of support to our men and women in uniform year round.
Since the Treats for Troops Gift Shops opened in June of 2003, friends, family members, groups, organizations and individual sponsors have sent over twenty tons of treats to American soldiers through Treats for Troops.

Visit the website at http://www.treatsfortroops.com

Fire Rainbow

Pat R. sent this awesome photo to inspire us. Here is what I learned about this rare spectacle.

June 19, 2006 It looks like a rainbow that's been set on fire, but this phenomenon is as cold as ice. Known in the weather world as a circumhorizontal arc, this rare sight was caught on film on June 3 as it hung over northern Idaho near the Washington State border .The arc isn't a rainbow in the traditional sense—it is caused by light passing through wispy, high-altitude cirrus clouds. The sight occurs only when the sun is very high in the sky (more than 58° above the horizon). What's more, the hexagonal ice crystals that make up cirrus clouds must be shaped like thick plates with their faces parallel to the ground.
When light enters through a vertical side face of such an ice crystal and leaves from the bottom face, it refracts, or bends, in the same way that light passes through a prism. If a cirrus's crystals are aligned just right, the whole cloud lights up in a spectrum of colors. This particular arc spanned several hundred square miles of sky and lasted for about an hour, according to the London Daily Mail.
—Victoria Gilman

5 Oaks Pool Yard Sale (from Don)

The yard sale for 27 October was cancelled due to weather. The new date and time are as follows:

Date: 3 November 8-12PM
Where: Five Oaks parking lot.
Cost: $20/space. Table space money will help fund a new playground for the pool.
Contact: Barbara at bbates@bcps.org
Dianne Bettick at dbettick@gmail.com .

Additional info: No tables will be provided by the pool.

Peanut Pumpkin

Check out this new type of pumpkin, the peanut pumpkin. I broke my best serrated knife trying to carve it. The flesh of the pumpkin was 4 inches thick, a cross between pumpkin and melon flesh. Oh, one more thing, don't bring it inside.....it really stinks!

Happy Halloween Home Haunts!

My neighbors Donna, Matt, Ryan, Nick and Katrina on our porch

Bill said several of Sam's crowd came by his haunted abode this evening.

Leatherface was very scary emerging from the fog.....

Happy Halloween!

Guess who? Bill W. didn't sit at his regular table because he

didn't recognize this gorgeous creature this morning.

Operation Welcome Home

Subject: http://www.operationwelcomehomemd.org/

Please take a minute to look at the above web site. If you have never gone to see the troops return home at BWI, it is worth the trip. Glenn

Also, check out the pictures/slide show, the 10th one is Max helping hold the US Postal Service banner. Later on toward the end, Zack and friend Gabe can be seen (OCT 27 pics).

Public Service Announcement from Pat R.

You might want to post this as a public service announcement. Ron Smith has a column on his website called "Will We Heed the Warning?" David Walker, head of Government Accounting Office for 9 years will speak at UMBC on Mon. Oct. 29 in the Engineering Building, Lecture Hall #5 at 5:00 p.m. He will address the financial crisis he sees looming. He is concerned enough to travel around the country to get people's attention on this. THANK YOU......Pat

Anyone else wishing to post birthday greetings, announcements, favorite photos, etc. can email me at shockaglow@gmail.com. That's my Google account for blog information.

Thanks, Pat,
Sue

Get Well Wishes for Charlie

Charlie has been in St. Agnes Hospital over the past week. He has been feeling very weak and has been losing weight. He is also undergoing dialysis three times per week. The hospital team has been looking for the source of a possible infection, but has not found one yet. Charlie will be transferred to Hopkins as soon as they find a bed for him. Keep Patty in your prayers too, she has been working and running to the hospital and needs to keep herself healthy. Get well wishes can be mailed to his home at:

Mr. Charles Lanham

112 Delrey Avenue

Catonsville, MD 21228

More Halloween Hauntings

Bill is also famous in his neighborhood for creating a Haunted House for Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween night. He sent me these photos from previous Halloweens at his home at 116 Sanford Avenue. I think I will be driving by to see what new horrors he will come up with this year on All Hallow's Eve!

Halloween Haunting

Bill Tucker as Leatherface

Bill will be helping out at tonight through Sunday, Oct. 28th, at The Haunted Pool. The haunting is a fund-raiser for the Crosby Crossing Swim Club. (located in the neighborhood behind the Double TT Diner). You can be scared for only $5 per person between 6:30 to 9:30 pm. For directions and more information, check out the pool's website at http://www.crosbycrossingswimclub.com/.

Happy Birthday to Jean

Sarah and Jean in Washington DC viewing the cherry blossoms

Jean celebrated her birthday on October 25th by watching some Hollywood folks film a horror movie on the corner of her street at Bishops Lane and Frederick Road. They spent the day filming a Jeep drive past the (fake) disemboweled carcass of a dog, and filming the Jeep driving into the car bays at Ridgeway Auto. Sarah reported that the film business was boring, that the day consisted of "Action", followed minutes later by "Cut", followed by hours of waiting in the rain. That's life, kid......it's what happens in the small moments while you think you are waiting for something more.

Anyway, Happy Birthday to a wonderful Mom and Grandmom!

Halloween is Coming....

These Sam's regulars were celebrating Halloween early this weekend at a party. Can you believe they worked for NSA before retirement?

Guess who brought in this sign to Sam's to express his political views? Did you guess Glenn?

Halloween Pumpkin Masterpieces

Can't take credit for carving this one personally, and it is probably a bad image for a bagel shop blog, but it made me laugh. Must have been inspired by Doug's Taylor Pork Roll sandwich.

The Men's Club

Rumor has it that some of the guys decided that it was time to meet beyond the breakfast hours. The First Annual (?) Meeting of the Sam's Bagels Men's Club was held this week at Shipp's Cafe. I can't report any more as I wasn't there of course......perhaps one of the attendees can share their eye witness account. Given the attendees, I feel it would be a safe bet that something humorous or noteworthy happened!

Happy Birthday to Paul!

I am blessed with one of the best Dads in the world! He has always taught by example to be kind to everyone, helpful, generous, calm, hard-working and fair. While we don't always live up to his high standards, they give us a mark to strive for. He also has one of the best laughs, the kind that makes other people laugh without even knowing what is funny. We celebrated his birthday tonight with a family party and had a great time. Here he is pictured with two of his grandchildren, Paul and Sarah.

Here's to many more happy birthday celebrations!

This puzzle is called Lateral Thinking . .

Pat Richardson emailed me this puzzle to post. She obviously thinks we need to improve our brain power, based on the level of conversation she has observed at Sam's. (The answers are under the comments for this post)


Think like a wizard . .



man

------------
board




Ans. = man overboard



Okay, let's see if you've got the hang of it.



stand

------------
I




ans: I understand



OK . .

Got the drift ?


Let's try a few now and see

how you fare ?



/r/e/a/d/i/n/g/


r
road
a
d



Not having a good day now, are you ?


Redeem yourself.



cycle
cycle
cycle



Easy to figure out, ha!



0

------------
M.D.
Ph.D.



C'mon give it a little thought ! !


knee

------------
light


I'm sure you'll have not problem getting this one.


ground
---------------
feet feet feet feet feet feet


Good One, try this!!



he's X himself



Here's an easy one!!



ecnalg



Not even close ?!!?



death ..... life



Okay last chance ................



THINK



And the last one is very fun- - -




ababaaabbbbaaaabbbbababaabbaaabbbb...

Photo of the day

Well, this morning Bill W. told this story of the origin of the bagel. (Who knew such creativity lurked within?) Back in ancient Greece, there was an apothecary named Bagelus. A customer came to Bagelus' shop seeking treatment for gout of the big toe. Bagelus had the idea of wrapping the affected toe in soft dough, and then having his patient sit in the warm sun. The dough baked in the sunshine, and though a cure for gout was not found, a tasty breakfast food was discovered. As Bill would say, alas, the rest is history.

Photo of the Day

This photograph is from Dr. Mike's travels in the deep dark jungles of Belize. The woodcut depicts the ancient Mayan Bagel Goddess, highly revered for centuries throughout Pre-colonial Central America. Legend has it her crusts were always firm, her centers always soft, and her holes always symmetric.

In this image she lifts the top of the bagel, and its underside emits a splendor of holy light which bathes the congregation of her Temple (not shown here). Note the absence of cream cheese or other topping which might dilute the bagel’s purity.

Fall Photo

This is one of my favorite fall photos. It was taken at twilight last year in a stand of very tall trees in Patapsco Park. The moon was starting to appear, it was very quiet, just magical! Please send me some of your photos, or I will just continue to bore you with mine.........

Email your post to shockaglow@gmail.com

I am still having technical difficulties with having others post news and photos to the blog, even though the permissions seem set correctly. Since this makes the blog interactive and fun, let's try this; email your stories, photos (must be as attachments), poems and jokes to me at shockaglow@gmail.com. I welcome photos of vacations, family, scenery, etc. I will then be happy to post them. The title of your email will be the title of your posted story. Somebody out there, email me a story and an attached photo and let's see if this will work!

Where in the world is Dimitri?

If you were curious about where you were spending so many mornings, check out this image and see if you can identify Sam's. If you haven't played with Google Earth yet, I highly recommend it. It is a free download at http://earth.google.com/. You can type in an address or famous landmark anywhere in the world, as well as view fantastic images from space. Try it!

Viewing/ Funeral Information for Patty's Mom

Hi everyone,

Many of you have asked about Patty and Charlie. The viewing for Mary Walter, Patty's Mom, will be held tomorrow, October 3rd. The viewing will be at Loudon Park Funeral Home, 3620 Wilkens Avenue, from 4 to 8 pm. The Prayer Service will be Thursday, October 4th, at 11 am with interment following at Loudon Park Cemetary.

The Last Day of September

Don was back in town and the topics of conversation were, well, crazy! Don told a story of being the first person to jump off Five Oaks Pool high dive when it was replaced years ago. He said he jumped in the nude, heard two distinct splashes, and that his poor daughter had held his clothes for him. He also talked about swimming nude at the YMCA early one morning with his friends on a snow day. They thought it would be a good idea to go out in the foot deep snow and make snow angels. The pool door began to close and they narrowly missed being locked outside in the snow....at 5 am.....naked. Does anyone else see a theme here? (I wanted to poke out my mind's eye).

Has anyone else noticed that the Ravens ' bagels have gradually changed in color from lilac to deep purple? Rumor has it that the reason is that Laura can't tell how many times her bagel has been toasted when it is purple, and won't send it back!

Speaking of Laura, I dreamt that she had been kidnapped and some of the Sam's crew were at her condo helping with the investigation. Don said he always wanted to go through Laura's drawers. Laura said he could come over anytime provided she wasn't home and if he cleaned!

Laura told a story of waking up one morning only to discover that she had gone out to buy popcorn sometime during the night. She didn't recall driving, but woke up to find the popcorn next to the bed. She called this "sleep-eating". Later when she said that a worker with her condo key had apparently made off with her liquor supply, Don suggested that this might simply be a case of sleep-drinking!

Pat recalled that when she went to McNabb's to make arrangements for her husband, Carl, George McNabb said that he knew Carl from Five Oaks Pool . George said he had spent "many hours underwater with Carl" but did not elaborate. This was the cause of much speculation since there seem to be a limited number of underwater activities.

Welcome to Marty, Pat's good friend. Hopefully she will decide to come back and join us again, although I have my doubts after today's coversations.

There is some sad news to report this week.......

Doug's good friend, Frank, lost his battle with cancer this week. Doug and other friends had been helping with the house and yardwork and were faithful visitors. Frank will be laid to rest tomorrow. Our thoughts are with you, Doug.

I just spoke with Charlie and learned that Patty's mother, Mary Frances Walter, died early this morning. Charlie said she was a fighter until the very end. The arrangements will be made shortly. Patty and Charlie, please know that you are in our prayers.

Send Photos as ATTACHED FILES only

 

Hi everyone,

    DO NOT embed photos in the body of your emails, they did not publish on the blog due to formatting difficulties. You must send them as an attachment.  Try sending only one photo attachment per email. You can write the caption for your photo in  the email message.

 

Here is a photo of Sammy and Lucy bird-watching at my house

 

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