Pottery Chatroom Board | jhill2d11 | Activity http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/members/jhill2d11/activity/ Activity feed for jhill2d11. Tue, 10 Feb 2026 23:08:08 -0500 https://buddypress.org/?v=11.3.1 en-US 30 hourly 2 91d8f24521c65f9f0dfdb6ff3a94d3b4 jhill2d11 posted an update: BOB The ships that were lined up along the Hudson River […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/11429/ Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:39:37 -0400 BOB The ships that were lined up along the Hudson River may well have been "inactive reserve", but since it was 1950 when I saw them there, chances are good that at least some of them were - as you said - refitted, and used again during the Korean War.

]]> eb7c0edbdd0f46ec7402f9364a80e04e jhill2d11 posted an update: On the Glass Board, Carl is talking about "leftover" Army […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/11419/ Mon, 16 Jul 2012 21:48:15 -0400 On the Glass Board, Carl is talking about "leftover" Army trucks, etc. When I first moved to this area in 1950, we drove over to West Point one day and I was amazed to see ships lined up for probably at least a mile along the west side of the Hudson River. I was told that these were ships that the navy didn't need any more, and they were either up for sale, or used for spare parts. Over time the ships disappeared, either sold, or used for other purposes. Must have been at least 50 of them when I first saw them.

Now they could put them on Ebay or Craig's List, I suppose.

]]> ec892f7db5e6d01121a9a86380e549ca jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY "A 2x will make them look like a 6". Now […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/11403/ Sat, 14 Jul 2012 18:18:25 -0400 NANCY "A 2x will make them look like a 6". Now there's a style I would pay top dollar for! Where can I get it?

]]> 929871bea89c8b2a7a2f96207e48f5d3 jhill2d11 posted an update: MIM You said on another board that you are having a lot of […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/11393/ Fri, 13 Jul 2012 02:58:36 -0400 MIM You said on another board that you are having a lot of pain from gout. Please try eliminating chocolate, seafood and tomatoes from your diet. My doctor recommended that, along with the Allopurinol pills, and it seems to have helped a lot. I'm sorry to hear that you are having pain, maybe this will help, if you haven't already tried it.

]]> a6fb63fe6f48d91f1baca7584adaaa33 jhill2d11 posted an update: Clearing out that basement sounds like one tremendous […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/11392/ Fri, 13 Jul 2012 02:48:10 -0400 Clearing out that basement sounds like one tremendous project, don't envy you one bit. Since I was first married, over sixty years ago, I have moved fourteen times, plus three different houses in Florida. At least all those moves discouraged me from saving a lot of "maybe I'll need it later" type things. And yet it seems that every time I try to clean out a closet or cabinet, I find odds and ends that we don't use, don't need, and I pack up another box for Good will. Now the SPCA has opened a thrift store near us, at least it will be easier to donate those "extras" there and I might eventually get ahead of the game.

]]> deb5e897c907076a7c5ec069125466a9 jhill2d11 posted an update: Hi IRENE That flag cake sounds so nice. Think I saw a […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/11342/ Tue, 03 Jul 2012 02:05:35 -0400 Hi IRENE That flag cake sounds so nice. Think I saw a picture of one similar in one of the magazines recently. Made the stripes with strawberries like you said. Happy birthday to your grandson and hope you have a nice day for the party.
Our market had my favorite blueberries on sale this morning, so I got two big boxes, one for the freezer and the other to gobble up right away. They won't last long here.

]]> a7e7d06d2535ba72b436abb5960a46be jhill2d11 posted an update: Thanks, IRENE. We went out to the market this morning and […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/11340/ Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:24:43 -0400 Thanks, IRENE. We went out to the market this morning and were both exhausted by the time we dragged everything home and put it away. Not awfully hot compared to what some folks are having, but up in the 80s with a lot of humidity. Last night there was a storm watch on the TV, but nothing came of it right here. Fine with me, but we could use some rain. Jack has discovered crossword puzzles on the internet, so he's relaxing with that. Good hobby for this hot weather.

]]> f4008197c7ec4647be00eb867ce3be57 jhill2d11 posted an update: Even when Jack was growing fresh vegetables in pots on our […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7624/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:21:01 -0500 Even when Jack was growing fresh vegetables in pots on our deck, I thoroughly washed the vegetables, and the blackberries that grow wild on our backyard fence before we ate them. But I washed them with our well water, which has to be chlorinated and go through some sort of ultra-violet light thing because of contamination here. Birds fly over our deck, squirrels run across the fence, and all sorts of other critters can pass through when neither of us is aware of it.
So I peel some of the fruits and veg that we eat, and wash the rest, and hope for the best. There are so many contaminating factors in the air, the water, our food, and everything we touch through the day, that I don't see how they can be completely avoided. For example, I have read that if you never allow a child to get dirty, their immune system won't develop properly. I don't know if that's right, but Jack has made it to 84, and I am 80, so we must be doing something right.

]]> bc3fea16b0761f8f7c371330b32374ce jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and the […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7615/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:01:59 -0500 NANCY I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and the cutest little boy was there with his mother. He could have been about three, walking and talking, but not entirely clear with his words. His mother gave him a granola bar and he had quite a time saying "granola". Mother had just had a scan and had a picture of the new baby, and was showing him the eyes and nose, she was quite entranced with the picture herself. Another woman came in and sat across from them and said "Hello" to the little boy and he spoke to her briefly, then turned to his mother, patted her stomach and said loud and clear for the whole waiting room "BABY HERE". I think we all laughed, while the mother blushed a little, but the little boy seemed very pleased about the whole thing.
I hope he will still be as pleased when Baby arrives and he has some competition for Mommie's attention. Cute kid, though.

]]> 0d5734972703934695f91510299364bc jhill2d11 posted an update: SUSAN At one time we had seven cats, all rescues from one […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7569/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:56:48 -0500 SUSAN At one time we had seven cats, all rescues from one situation or another. I believe you can tell a lot about the animals background from the way they react to you. Our Susie is the last survivor, she and her brother were taken from their mother by a neighbor who let them run loose in our development, and I would guess that he rarely showed them much affection. They came to us when he moved away, about 2 years old then. Susie's brother died a few years ago, but Susie loves to be petted and brushed. She has no desire to go outside, will go into the garage, sniff around a bit and come straight back to the house door to come in again. Very fond of Jack, cries for him to take her on his lap, sleeps with him almost every night.
Sam, one of our other cats, was very intelligent, but I think had been abused, because he was very defensive when we first got him. He walked up to our door from the woods in back of the house and he bit me twice when I tried to move him from a comfortable position. As he got more used to us, he was more affectionate, but if he heard the sound of a baby crying on TV, he would get very agitated, so I think he came from a home with children, who may have been rough with him.
Our other cats had other stories. one was found eating out of trash cans, and even when she came to us would eat anything and everything, beans, lasagna, you name it. Always seemed fearful there wouldn't be anything more.
Only the last one who came to us as an adult cat, and had been abandoned by his previous owner, seemed to never understand that he had a good home or show any affection. He tried to run away and stayed outside for several weeks before I trapped him and got him back in the house, and still was never happy or friendly.
Every one had a different personality, but we loved them all and tried to give them a good home. Most of them responded.

]]> 9d3f3f6fbf8a676569a45248d5f4df89 jhill2d11 posted an update: IRENE What a nice family. You can be very proud. I'm […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7522/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:53:46 -0500 IRENE What a nice family. You can be very proud. I'm happy to be living in the outskirts of a small town these days. Close enough to the services we need, market, doctors, dentist, etc, but away from the problems of a city. I don't think the "Occupy Poughkeepsie" people really did any harm, but at our age, they make us nervous.

NANCY My first husband's family had a contracting business here for many years, built houses during the warmer months and during the winter they would buy an older house and fix it up, then either re-sell or rent it. Nowadays what they call "flipping". As a result, they had several properties that they rented, but as time passed the laws here changed also, and the renter seemed to have the upper hand. When I took over the family business after my FIL and my husband died, I got rid of the last properties and was glad to see them go. If I had held on up to 2008, I probably could have got a lot more for them, but the aggravation wasn't worth it. I would never advise anyone to become a landlord unless they were good at fixing all sorts of things themselves, and had a lot of tolerance for midnight phone calls from tenants.

]]> af83668353bb13df32aa4282d4367423 jhill2d11 posted an update: IRENE I haven't heard of any such things here, but […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7515/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:32:09 -0500 IRENE I haven't heard of any such things here, but Poughkeepsie certainly has an old section with houses that have been abandoned for one reason or another. Even the "historic" section with some lovely old Victorian houses, has an empty one here and there. With old houses built so close together it could easily cause a catastrophe in the downtown area. Or probably anywhere.
That fire two weeks ago where the three college kids were killed, is an example. The houses on each side were also badly damaged, but the fire crews got there quickly.
Drugs could easily be a factor, or squatters, homeless people with no shelter breaking into vacant houses. Or it could be intentional, someone whose property is "underwater" and thinks the insurance may save the day.
In any case, six incidents in one town is really scary. You stay safe.

]]> 2f43dc4b05263000820d6b384f62fbe7 jhill2d11 posted an update: CHAR We once had something like that, but it was a series […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7486/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:46:14 -0500 CHAR We once had something like that, but it was a series of phone calls. The woman insisted that her daughter had given her our phone number, that she was going to be at our house. Since my sons have long since gone out on their own, there was obviously no teen age party here. I thought the daughter probably had deliberately given Mommie the wrong phone number, but never found out who or what was involved.

NANCY My friend who worked for the sheriff's department here, said about the same thing. "The scariest thing in the world is a nervous woman with a shotgun, because it's so hard to miss whatever you're shooting at."

BOB I understand there are sites on the internet that tell you how to make those bombs at home. Seems pretty stupid to me, to advertise such a thing with all the dumb kids and lunatics running around loose.

]]> de8c60edb4ef95112c2f30132021542a jhill2d11 posted an update: IRENE I suppose when we were kids, we might have thought […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7478/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:56:54 -0500 IRENE I suppose when we were kids, we might have thought that some of these pranks were funny, too. I know the two boys who I saw running away after ringing our doorbells, were not from this immediate area, the little boy next door is the only child other than two younger girls at the corner house. But the lady two houses from us lives alone, and I hope they weren't ringing her doorbell, too.
My next question was; What were two boys 12 years old or so doing out at 11:00 at night? Even in summer it gets dark here about 9:00. When I was a girl, I was supposed to be at least in my own yard when the street lights came on and I still think that's a good rule.
Jo Anne

]]> 4afc9d1d2338ed188acf8a81013132b4 jhill2d11 posted an update: IRENE Around Thanksgiving we were waked up several nights […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7474/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:56:47 -0500 IRENE Around Thanksgiving we were waked up several nights by someone ringing our doorbell around 10:30 - 11:00. I am usually still awake at that time, but Jack goes to sleep earlier. I got up and looked out the window, saw no one, but the second time it happened I got up right away and watched for a few minutes. It was two boys, about 12 or so. They rang the bell then ran and hid between our house and the one next door. A few minutes later they ran out across the street and rang the doorbell of the elderly lady there and ran off again. Both she and her husband use wheelchairs, and it's not funny to be disturbing them, so I phoned and told her it was just a couple of kids, and I was going to call the local police. She said she would do the same, since her husband was upset over it. Hopefully the cops put the fear of something or other into them, because they didn't show up again.
Kids think these things are funny, don't realize that in a world where you hear of houses being broken into every day, it's scary for old people. And if one of those old people has a shotgun, there could be serious damage done.

]]> e9e17e37750c08caa4a1884fc98129e4 jhill2d11 posted an update: IRENE Sometimes people can be very nice, and it helps to […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7400/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:18:30 -0500 IRENE Sometimes people can be very nice, and it helps to make up for the other kind.
My son is a cancer specialist and works in a small city where there are a lot of German people. He speaks the language pretty well, and some of them appreciate discussing their problems in their native language. As a result, some of the elderly ladies try to give him little gifts, since they know he's not married, it's often some German coffee cake or home-made goodies. One lady crocheted a lovely "doily" type of thing with his name on it, then had it framed for him.
A while back one lady mentioned that she used to live in NY, and said she missed a certain product that's not available out there. Jim asked me if I could find it and send it to him for her. I actually got a lovely letter from the lady, thanking me and saying what a wonderful doctor he is. (Of course I knew that already, but it's nice to hear).

]]> 71792f593aedf47d53a52d75945b68bf jhill2d11 posted an update: SUSAN Interesting that your restaurants seem to be doing […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7332/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:00:31 -0500 SUSAN Interesting that your restaurants seem to be doing so well. Our favorite diner here has been quite a bit slower than usual, noticeably slower since before Christmas. I'm hoping none of our favorite waitresses get laid off, but yesterday morning some of them were standing around with little or nothing to do, and Sunday morning is usually quite busy. Maybe just an after-the-holidays glitch, but I'm surprised, since the diner is usually pretty busy.

]]> 8980a9e10ec19eb43a934d99326852fa jhill2d11 posted an update: Isn't USAA an insurance company with some relationship to […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7296/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:49:10 -0500 Isn't USAA an insurance company with some relationship to veterans' organizations? I see their ads on TV. My first husband was a WWII veteran, but that was a long time ago.

]]> e56dd1bd717055fabd954591cbc4610d jhill2d11 posted an update: BOB All of our cats would jump when they were startled, […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7279/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:46:50 -0500 BOB All of our cats would jump when they were startled, and dug their claws in to get a running start. Our vet suggested trimming their claws, but if you have tried it once, you probably will take your chances with the scratches and never try it again. Only one of our seven would allow us to trim her claws, and then she was reluctant.
Right at the moment, I have a small scratch on one knee, and Jack usually has several. Susie loves his lap, but the doorbell, the phone, or any high pitched noise on the TV will send her flying.

]]> d0107ca24cd73fc960e551d74a2356ac jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY & SUSAN All our cats were rescues. We live in a […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/7260/ Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:35:32 -0500 NANCY & SUSAN All our cats were rescues. We live in a small town with the SPCA just down the road, and it seemed like when the SPCA was full, people would just dump their pets down our road and leave them. One Thanksgiving morning a neighbor found two kittens dumped in the parking lot. One had frozen to death but the other became our Lucy, who lived with us for almost 15 years.
For several years we had seven cats, almost all of them came to us that way, and they all were happy enough to become indoor cats, except for one who always liked to sneak out and visit the neighbor's cats for a while. He knew when it was supper time, though, and would stand outside the back door and let us know "Honey, I'm home!!"

]]> 2a0c20cac6c9ff1d2c4cffb33526b1aa jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY Wow!! A bathtub job! That little guy must be […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/6389/ Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:04:11 -0500 NANCY Wow!! A bathtub job! That little guy must be really awesome. But it's true enough, another year or so, and it will just be something to tease him about when he is older.
I can't say I miss the diapers - and my kids were before the time of disposable ones. But I sometimes miss the pitter-patter of little feet, usually running to get into something they weren't supposed to touch.

]]> dfd23f1d5acdf47550bd9546fa29d3b6 jhill2d11 posted an update: SHELLY Yes, indeed, "life is an adventure" A heck of […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/6388/ Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:56:27 -0500 SHELLY Yes, indeed, "life is an adventure" A heck of a lot more adventure than we bargained for sometimes!
Years ago my father-in-law, who was usually a very sharp businessman, got talked into a "free" dinner with one of those sales pitches. He and MIL and another couple enjoyed the dinner - with plenty of drinks - and then were informed that they would be taking a short trip by HELICOPTER to Naples, Florida to look at some land. Poor FIL did not enjoy the trip, supposedly told the salesman that he would buy anything, just let him get out of the **** thing and go home. In the end he bought five acres of land, my son Jim inherited it, lots of messy paperwork, but finally make a few bucks on the deal. At one time there were a lot of these "big deals" in Florida, but I think the best land has been bought up and built up over the years.
The time share deals were similar. Had a friend who bought a couple with the idea that if he didn't want to go to Florida during his "time", he could sub-let to someone else. Trouble was that there wasn't always somebody who wanted to sub-let at that particular time. And since he wasn't there to keep an eye on things, there was also some damage done.

]]> 8f4db26e23e292c73d8d120975b450fe jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY After my husband died, I wanted to sell our Florida […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/6130/ Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:22:41 -0500 NANCY After my husband died, I wanted to sell our Florida town house, and traveled alone from NY to Daytona. I was familiar with the roads since we had gone back and forth for several years, but there are stretches in the Carolinas where I-95 doesn't go through any towns for quite some distance, so it was a bit nerve-wracking. No cell phones back then either. I had the car checked over before I left, and had no real problems, thank God.
When I arrived though, an old friend from here told me that I should not stay alone at my house once I had listed the sale in the newspaper. She invited me to stay with her and her husband while I was there, and she came to the house with me every day. She said that people would know that I got cash for the furniture, etc that I was selling, and I would be an easy target for a robbery. I had never thought of that, but decided she was right, and stayed with her for the week or so that it took to get rid of most of the stuff. Funny that I was more concerned about driving that far alone, and never thought anything of staying in the house alone. Maybe because I thought of it as "home". Eventually sold it and later bought another place in Florida after I married Jack.

]]> a87433e35d1d39a2f25988dc11ab037d jhill2d11 posted an update: MARTY I lived with my paternal grandparents until I was […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/6077/ Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:25:38 -0500 MARTY I lived with my paternal grandparents until I was about 12, so I heard a lot of stories about their families and the "old country". Both grandparents had been brought over when they were children, so they spoke good English, although my grandmother and her sisters also spoke German at times.
Later, when I had the chance to go to Germany with my husband and my son, I wanted to see the little town she came from, and it was quite charming. Too bad I can't seem to get a couple of the pictures on here.

]]> fa575c08a3c02aa84cd44bf78a667209 jhill2d11 posted an update: SHELLEY Only a quarter German here, my mother's family […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/6075/ Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:33:05 -0500 SHELLEY Only a quarter German here, my mother's family was almost all Irish, Kelly, Christie, Keating, and way back, a French Bouvier. Sadly I doubt that the Bouvier ancestors were related to Jackie O, but it would have been fun if they had been.
I think I have a picture of the house in Germany where my grandmother was born, it's a sort of B &B/coffeehouse now. Or at least it was when we were there in 1983. They build houses to last in Germany. When we visited some of my husband's family, they were remodeling a house and you could see the beams. They looked to be about 12 inches by 12. Good and sturdy!
Now let's see if I can get a picture on here.

No luck, I click on "upload" and get an ad for Verizon Fios. Maybe some other time.

]]> 3ebfaa9575eaac96fcf7565faf75c05a jhill2d11 posted an update: GORDON Yes indeed the memories are wonderful, and the […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/6044/ Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:06:47 -0500 GORDON Yes indeed the memories are wonderful, and the pictures, too. We live in an area that was dominated by IBM for many years, and the running joke was that IBM stood for "I've been moved". Some of our friends had been transferred several times, and my sons' school friends had lived in various countries wherever IBM had a presence. I admit to being jealous of some who had lived in Germany, France, England and Japan, but in later years I got to see those countries too. (Not Japan, though). For a girl who grew up during the Great Depression, it was really wonderful.

]]> 08ea8a55a1a0220f72f14a11adc21ace jhill2d11 posted an update: GORDON So much to see, so much to do. You're […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/6035/ Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:48:53 -0500 GORDON So much to see, so much to do. You're absolutely right to do as much as you can "while you're still young enough". The years go by very quickly and I'm so glad that I was able to travel and see some of the world when I was younger. I never imagined that I would go scuba diving in the Caribbean, or tour the Tower of London, but I'm so glad that I have those memories.

]]> f99757f5f4342721ecb2f8e9851d9b43 jhill2d11 posted an update: Speaking of "inside" and "outside" clothes, last summer […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5925/ Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:23:57 -0500 Speaking of "inside" and "outside" clothes, last summer I was at the drug store when a woman came in with two youngsters who both looked as though they had just come out of a swimming pool. The boy, maybe about 10 or so was wearing swimming trunks and the 12 or 13 year old girl was wearing a bikini.

]]> 7f2b363b87b7c7c84c5706352276a91e jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY I hear you. I worked for one of the social services […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5806/ Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:19:02 -0500 NANCY I hear you. I worked for one of the social services programs that New York State had for handicapped people for about eight years. Some of them were glad to get a chance to go to school, have their tuition paid and get a living allowance, but others were convinced that they should get more and do less. This was at the same time that we were paying every cent of Jim's college and medical school expenses, no freebies for the middle class, and there were times it was very frustrating.
Interesting, though, over time I worked in the Unemployment Insurance department and Vocational Rehabilitation for NYS, then after retirement, I volunteered at a soup kitchen in Poughkeepsie for several years. Guess what?? Some of the same people who had been collecting unemployment, and getting free education or job training, were also getting free meals at the soup kitchen. Talk about working the system! And those of us who worked were paying for it all.

]]> 0cf33ecc1a1fb5b1a19d1d0bdb90f0f9 jhill2d11 posted an update: My mistake, the re-constructed mastodon is on display in […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5758/ Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:44:37 -0500 My mistake, the re-constructed mastodon is on display in Ithaca, New York.

]]> b6900799c8aa37bc68749fcab9ba38a0 jhill2d11 posted an update: LWBobF I guess you could find artifacts almost anywhere […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5755/ Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:36:45 -0500 LWBobF I guess you could find artifacts almost anywhere if you dig down far enough. A lot of areas, even in big cities are landfill, so there could be almost anything there. Lower Manhattan is mostly landfill - with those huge buildings on it - and every time they tear something down and rebuild, they find stuff.
Big storms wash all kinds of stuff up, too, but sometimes people don't recognize that it's valuable or historic, and just throw it away.
Down the road from us, the university crews eventually found enough bones to re-construct the mastodon, and it's on display in Albany, I think. Not sure, will have to google it.

]]> 602d480063fe24c532ee2b187605f4a4 jhill2d11 posted an update: GORDON It's quite remarkable what can be found almost […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5727/ Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:06:47 -0500 GORDON It's quite remarkable what can be found almost anywhere if you dig in the right places. Just down the road from us a few years ago, some neighbors were digging out a low area in their yard to put in a swimming pool, and found mastodon bones. A crew came from one of the universities and verified the find. The young daughter of the family was quite a star at school that year for "Show and Tell".

]]> 25b59e8e2c07b25b6bc0f3b99ce870d2 jhill2d11 posted an update: GAYLE Sorry to hear about your troubles with the credit […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5642/ Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:55:59 -0500 GAYLE Sorry to hear about your troubles with the credit card. No matter how careful we try to be, there's always somebody out there trying to make a buck off somebody else. Hope he/she gets caught quickly.

]]> 92d180053021353c326578c6c4eae0bb jhill2d11 posted an update: My paternal grandfather was born in Wales. His father was a […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5613/ Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:11:46 -0500 My paternal grandfather was born in Wales. His father was a police constable who died when Grandpa was about 10 and his younger brother about five. Their mother had to go to work as a housemaid for a family in Swansea, so the two boys went to live with their grandparents, who had a dairy farm. Then their mother re-married to a man who did not want the responsibility of the two young boys, so when their grandparents left the farm to their sons and emigrated to the US, they brought the boys with them. (See all the good stuff you can learn by doing genealogy?) Since my grandfather came here at about ten years of age, I never noticed that he had any accent.
My paternal grandmother was brought here from Germany at about age three, and she also didn't have much accent, although she could speak some German.
My in-laws however, came here when they were in their twenties, and never lost their strong German accents.
So I guess part of it is the age at which you learn a new language, and probably also has to do with your associates. My FIL was in business and spoke English at work, MIL stayed home and most of her friends were German ladies who spoke German by preference.
I also have my grandfather's American citizenship document, where it says that he "RENOUNCES the Queen of England". Grandpa became an American citizen in 1891, as soon as he hit age 21, which I guess was then the earliest age allowed. But of course a lot of people come here with the intention of getting whatever they can, and then going back in glory to "the old country".

]]> 4d54410db0136e140ee77ec69cdea1dc jhill2d11 posted an update: I have to say that care-giving depends a lot on the […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5548/ Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:36:55 -0500 I have to say that care-giving depends a lot on the situation of the care-giver and the person needing care. I have very little personal experience with Alzheimers, but at one time I had my alcoholic MIL, my uncle who had several strokes, and my husband who had cancer, all in my care at one time, all living in the same house. Granted that until the last few months, all three of them were up and around, and capable of feeding and dressing themselves. And my uncle had to go into a nursing home about a year after my husband became ill. But the first four months and the last five months of my husband's illness were very stressful, since he was either in the hospital or at home with nurses coming in a few days a week. At other times he was in the hospital in either Albany or Manhattan, 80 miles or so either way.
I feel for anyone who is in the situation of being a care-giver, and I have made sure that a Health Care Proxy with an alternate is in my lawyer's files. Jack has done the same, and I think we know each others wishes and Jim does, too. We both realize what the future holds, and have tried to make it as easy as possible, but it will still be a difficult time.
I don't consider this preparation to be terribly depressing, just sensible and necessary.

]]> 91375c258bd355948d79d2e34bb372eb jhill2d11 posted an update: GORDON Interesting video of the dogs at Brown's Falls. […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5523/ Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:36:54 -0500 GORDON Interesting video of the dogs at Brown's Falls. But I think I would wait in the car. I have not one adventurous bone in my whole body, especially not these days. I do have a picture of my sons, age about 8 and perhaps 10, hanging over the railing at Niagara Falls. Snapped by their father, just before we each grabbed one of them and dragged them away. What is it about boys, they don't seem to recognize when something's dangerous, no matter how many times Mom tells them to "be careful"!

Alzheimers and dementia; My dearest friend is in the early stages of Alzheimers, and I wonder what her family will do. None of them seems to be the type to take care of her as she will need, even though she has spent her whole adult life taking care of their every need and desire. Just doesn't seem fair.
I am so lucky to have Jack, who is kind hearted and thoughtful, and helps with so many things I can't do any more.

]]> eba2d4311b75d36a9782e7443a1bda46 jhill2d11 posted an update: CHAR Back when I was volunteering for the local soup […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5413/ Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:33:45 -0500 CHAR Back when I was volunteering for the local soup kitchen, the agency that supported it would sometimes ask if one of us ladies would be willing to help out in a situation like you described. I remember going to an apartment where a very shy little girl met me, with her little sister and two brothers also. The mother was there, but an absentee father. The girl was supposed to appear in a piano recital, and needed something to wear. I ended up with a dress, underclothes, shoes and socks not only for her, but for her sister, too. Then was sorry I hadn't looked close enough to guess what size the boys were. Never heard the full story, but it couldn't have been a happy one. Like you say, it certainly wasn't the kids' fault.

]]> 274efadc949fdd02d5c08f6caf34fe21 jhill2d11 posted an update: BOB Up here in NY we don't have as many swimming pools as […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5367/ Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:11:11 -0500 BOB Up here in NY we don't have as many swimming pools as in Florida, but there is also a local ordnance that you have to have it fenced. Not sure about state law, since the only time we had one was when my boys were teen-agers and we lived out in the country. (And had a German Shepherd dog) Had more problems with hunters coming on our posted property, than with any of the boys' friends using the pool.

GORDON Too bad your holiday plans didn't work out, but at least the dividend check was nice. Hope it was a little more than those Ebay checks last week.

]]> 7882ef800c5980db3a1e7daeff67ab3a jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY I remember the "attractive nuisance" from business […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5353/ Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:24:48 -0500 NANCY I remember the "attractive nuisance" from business school. When my FIL and my husband were building houses, we worried about that a lot. Lots of kids in the houses that were finished in the development, and tools, supplies, machinery for building, etc. that was hard to lock up. Nowadays I read about people getting into empty houses and stealing copper pipe, etc, and remember a couple of the older kids helping themselves to lumber to build a tree house. No great harm done at the time, but I wonder if one of those kids had got hurt nowadays, (fifty years later) would we have been sued?

]]> 929fe83caf43609a3ca7bba96a622da1 jhill2d11 posted an update: Dan Sorry to be a kill-joy, but if it were me, I think I […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5325/ Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:02:24 -0500 Dan Sorry to be a kill-joy, but if it were me, I think I would lay low for a while. Your idea is a good one, but personally I would save it for a bit later, maybe after Easter . Your supervisor might not be in a really good mood to hear suggestions right now.

Just a personal opinion

]]> 7940caa7ef2c8d124d69408ec80b54cd jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY If you end up with too much Cool Whip, just send it […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5242/ Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:04:00 -0500 NANCY If you end up with too much Cool Whip, just send it on to my cat Susie. She loves the stuff.

]]> 448c58193d32d6e7823e8ef22ffad05c jhill2d11 posted an update: Bravo NANCY. A standing ovation to you for your post. http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5219/ Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:38:49 -0500 Bravo NANCY. A standing ovation to you for your post.

]]> 3a2925f757370eaf0a44b6bfef8ebb99 jhill2d11 posted an update: Sad to think that a poster could spout religious quotes, […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/5194/ Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:14:00 -0500 Sad to think that a poster could spout religious quotes, telling the rest of us how to behave, and then do such a heartless thing to someone else. If there wasn't any concern for Dan, how could someone ignore that he's responsible for his little grand-children? But, there is still Karma.

]]> 85ea801338ba1985bdc425f2d475116d jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY Jack's first wife died between Christmas and New […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/4797/ Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:27:08 -0500 NANCY Jack's first wife died between Christmas and New Years 1985, and my husband died just three weeks later, so I know what you mean about holidays. It's hard to lose people you love at any time, but the holidays seem to make it harder.

]]> 82a9b5a47c0b3187fa3002aaf4ebc7c5 jhill2d11 posted an update: MARTY Some really bad drivers down in Florida. When we […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/4729/ Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:21:49 -0500 MARTY Some really bad drivers down in Florida. When we had the winter place in Daytona/Ormond, our next door neighbor was about the age I am now and had more dings on the car than you could count. She was a widow and didn't want to give up her husband's big Caddy, but she had a bit of trouble parking the thing. Might have had more luck with a Volkswagen.

]]> ac58633d9717a4bf4a9bb38cacc6972c jhill2d11 posted an update: SHELLY When we had the town house in Florida it seemed as […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/4632/ Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:58:53 -0500 SHELLY When we had the town house in Florida it seemed as though every guest we had, wanted to go to Disney first. We probably went at least once a year, sometimes more, for the 15 years or so we spent the winter there. Even Disney can get boring after a while.

]]> e08c4be918f08540f28745dc7ab050cc jhill2d11 posted an update: SHELLY Like you, I didn't get the best teeth. Odd […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/4561/ Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:28:40 -0500 SHELLY Like you, I didn't get the best teeth. Odd because my bones are strong, and I guess bones and teeth are similar. When I was a kid in grade school, we got a free annual check-up at the Eastman Dental School - part of the University of Rochester. Even back then, they found cavities, and it didn't get better for a long time. Now I go three times a year for a cleaning and haven't had anything major for a few years. Oh, yes, and AFTER I had paid for enough crowns for all the royalty in Europe, my medical insurance finally decided to include dental coverage.

]]> de3647a139017d04c80df9b44d85d2f5 jhill2d11 posted an update: Lucky me, I have a very nice dentist, been going there for […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/4555/ Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:52:40 -0500 Lucky me, I have a very nice dentist, been going there for about 20 years. Pleasant staff, all friendly women, and his wife is a dentist too, so they share offices. When I started going there, his sons were babies, now they are in college. I tease him that all my dental work has paid their tuitions, and it's almost true. And he's a good looking fellow, too, which doesn't hurt, either.

]]> 84a79e16b1a47458d15f1f31bef7e4b8 jhill2d11 posted an update: NANCY I just got a note from one of my cousins who […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/4534/ Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:48:24 -0500 NANCY I just got a note from one of my cousins who retired recently. I think she has 11 grandchildren, 9 of them live near her, and she told me about her baby-sitting schedule. You ladies who take on that job have my admiration and respect. I don't know if I could have handled little ones again after my own kids grew up.

]]> 0356fd7efee23aa747747c2a7ea109b6 jhill2d11 posted an update: KATIE AND SHELLY Jack's first ancestor here had 14 […] http://pottery.chatroomboard.com/activity/p/4467/ Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:17:44 -0500 KATIE AND SHELLY Jack's first ancestor here had 14 children by two wives. (And I don't envy the wives) Eleven of the children survived to adulthood and almost all had fairly big families, too. The book I have of the Peabody family history was published about 1900 and listed almost 2000 male descendants at that time. Add in the descendants of the daughters, and you can see why so many of us on these boards are "cousins".

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