Walingford and Meriden YOUR STORIES November 2008

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Wallingford Viking's D-Squad Cheerleaders – Some Words From The Coaches

My name is Kasey Cocchiaro and I am the head coach for the Wallingford Viking's D-Squad Cheerleaders. This is my first year coaching and I am enjoying every minute of it. I am a proud mom of 4 living children. The holiday season is hard for me since December 2006 is when we lost our unborn daughter (38 wks), however, this year although unhappy memories come up and the smallest things make me cry - I have something else to look forward to and that is my new found family within the Vikings. The Vikings as a whole is one of the most friendliest and child orientated leagues I have had the fortune of being a part of. My 6 girls have given me so much young life back, they practice hard, make me laugh, share their lives with me, ask me for advice and make me so very proud. Because of their hard work they competed at the Local Competitions on October 25th and placed 2nd in their age and division bracket. Now that they have accomplished this, they move on to Regionals in Rhode Island same as the C-Squad.

I am so very thankful for having the opportunity to coach such a fine group of young ladies, to be able to become another mentor for them, someone they can ALWAYS turn to if they need me. Plus, I have found such wonderful knew friends with all of their parents. So much so that at times they have become a sounding board for me, s omeone to just talk to, and sometimes to bounce ideas off of. I am thankful they trust me enough to coach their daughters, to pick them up when they are at work, and to sometimes bring them home to feed them. As a family, we all do what we can to help each other out - you know that old saying about it taking a village to raise a child - well with the Vikings we are all willing to do our part to help encourage, praise, direct, and mentor the youth in our town.

Lastly, I am thankful for my own family for supporting me in my efforts with the Wallingford Vikings. I have a daughter, Savannah, who is a cheerleader and is on the Mitey Mites (who did an awesome job on their exhibition at the competitions); my son Vincent who is too young to participate; my youngest Dayton who is just walking; my oldest Nick who is in year one of college; my husband Ian who has stayed home numerous nights taking care of all the kids so I could concentrate on the cheer squad; and last but not least my in-laws who on numerous occasions came to our home to help out.

Without all these villagers, my children wouldn't have gotten the care they so deserve; I wouldn't have had the opportunity to coach the squad; and the girls wouldn't have had the experience of cheering and going to competition. Thank you to everyone for all your hard work, determination, and support. Happy Holidays.

would include a picture of all the girls holding their trophy, but they were all so excited that they ran to their parents after the competition and well, that's how it goes. Maybe I can get one once they place 1st or 2nd at Regionals. Sincerely, Coach Kasey Cocchiaro My name is Judy Greco and I am the head coach for the Wallingford Viking C-Squad Cheerleaders. I have been coaching for four years now. My daughter McKenzie's passion for the sport is what has inspired me to s tart c oaching. I now share in her passion. I am thankful for all the girls on my squad that share in this drive. Their commitment and success can not be expressed to you in words. On October 25th, 2008 our squad took 1st place in the Locals Competition in Waterbury. I could not be more proud of them. By placing first in this competition, they now advance to Regional Competition in Providence, Rhode Island on November 29th, 2008.

If the girls place 1st or 2nd in this competition, they will be headed for National Competition on December 12th, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. Please wish them luck! They have worked so hard to get here.

I am thankful to the league, my staff of coaches and the cheerleaders parents because without them, we would not be so sincerely grateful for what we have accomplished and what we have yet to learn and be successful for. I am especially thankful to all 10 of my girls and my coaching staff for working very hard while I was away tending to my oldest son Ricky who had major surgery during our 1st competition. My son Ricky's surgery was a success and I am thankful to say he is doing well. Thank you girls and staff for being there for me when I needed you the most!
Sincerely, Coach Judy Greco

Crystal Bed Therapy
by Lisa Zola
I recently had the opportunity to go to Brasil to see a Healer by the name of John of God, or Medium Joao, as he is known as in Brasil. What was supposed to be a 3 week visit, ended up turning into 3 months…the things I saw happening there were just utterly amazing. In Truth, the things I saw happening there were no less than Miracles.

One of the things Medium Joao would prescribe for many people who came to see him, was a Crystal Bed treatment. Often times this was done to help prepare a person for an “Intervention” since it was considered to be instrumental in the cleansing of someone’s energy or help to re-balance a person’s energy field.

During my stay in Abadiania I experienced several Crystal Bed treatments for myself. It was such an incredible feeling that I began to think about having a Crystal Bed in my Practice for other people to experience. With the Blessings of Medium Joao, I am now privileged and honored to have a Crystal Bed in my Nutrition Center.

Crystal bed therapy is a safe, non-invasive healing modality that helps to cleanse, open, balance, and recharge the seven major chakra energy centers of the body. The use of quartz crystals to enhance physical, mental and spiritual healing is based on the premise that crystals possess powerful energy that can positively affect imbalances in the human energy field and thus promote health and well being. A person lies fully clothed on a massage table with his/her eyes covered as seven colored lights pulsate through quartz crystals which are directed at the chakras. Energy is channeled through the crystals to each of the chakras, cleansing and re-balancing them during a session.

Having a crystal bed session serves to act as a catalyst to jump start one's own natural healing potential and desire to achieve a state of equanimity. Each experience is unique and specific to an individual's own condition, needs and level of self awareness. Some of the results people have expressed include:

An increased sense of serenity, inner peace and harmony
A feeling of more energy, sense of health and well being
An increase in mental clarity
A greater insight into their circumstances and life path
A deeper spiritual understanding of themselves
An emotional release
A reduction of stress and pain
A greater understanding of the causes of their illnesses or dis-ease

In order to have a better understanding of how and why Crystal Therapy works it is important to know a little more about what the chakras are. Chakras are spinning vortexes of energy in our body that transform universal life energy into various frequencies our subtle energy system uses to keep us healthy. The body has seven major chakras which are aligned in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Each chakra is connected with a specific color as well as to specific organs and glands and is thought to vitalize the energy fields of the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies.

Chakra System
1 ~ Red ~ Root
Security and stability, survival, courage, self confidence, physical body support, ability to provide for life's necessities
2 ~ Orange ~ Sacrum
Creativity, sexuality, emotion, power and control
3 ~ Yellow ~ Solar Plexus
Self power and esteem, energy, assimilation and digestion
4 ~ Green ~ Heart
Forgiveness, compassion, equilibrium and well-being, hope, love
5 ~ Blue ~ Throat
Truth, honesty, communication and growth, ability to choose, strength of will
6 ~ Indigo ~ Third Eye
Intuition, openness to self-evaluation, emotional intelligence, new ideas
7 ~ Violet ~ Crown
Master Chakra, seat of consciousness, divine connection "I Am" Spirit, ability to trust life, ethics and courage

About Quartz Crystals

Quartz crystals are known for their healing effects. Experiments have been conducted in order to examine their healing properties and have shown that a precisely cut quartz crystal produces a constant vibration equal to the same frequency as water in its purest state. In addition, moving water will pick up the vibration from the crystal through resonant interaction and this transferred charge will restructure the water. Furthermore, the molecular patterns of water can be modified with the immersion of quartz crystals.

Since the human body is composed of approximately 70% water, this may help to explain the healing capacity of quartz crystals. The well organized vibration resonating from the crystals helps to organize the water in our tissues and cells producing a healthy state.

A quartz crystal is known as the "Stone of Power" and is frequently referred to as the "Master Healer." It is the most versatile healing stone among the crystals and is said to help amplify energy or intention, protect against negativity, attune to your higher Self,
and relieve pain.

Come try a Crystal Bed session and feel for yourself how amazing it is!

Crystal Bed Therapy
30 minute session…………$25
60 minute session…………$50

For more information please contact Lisa at (203) 269-2TLC (2852) or visit
http://www.tlclisazola.com/
Crystal Bed Therapy is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment.


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Bobbie’s Bevy of Beauties

Unless there’s a change in plans this will be my last article until next spring. And I hope it arrives quick, quick and very QUICK. Still have to remove the Impatien plants from under the park bench and prepare my bed there for my hibernation. Usually don’t go into a deep sleep for a couple of days. Since we have a few tomatoes left I will make up some of those great sandwiches and take them along with me. After consuming this favorite of mine I should be ready for my deep slumber. And I also love Turkey Hill Coffee ice cream. Guess I’ll have to wait until next year for that tasty treat. We’ll be leaving the house chores, snow shoveling and cat care to Jimmy and LitlBit. Good luck to them both.

The few gardening chores I have left to do are: remove whatever annuals remain, put peat moss around the roses, dig up the dahlia bulbs and cut back the chrysanthemums. These beautiful orchid plants finally came into bloom. Gave away about twelve big bouquets of them. And remember to leave your butterfly bushes alone until next March or April. The same goes for the grass plant.

A special thanks to all of you who read and enjoy my articles and have told me so. It’s a great feeling to hear that. And I also hope some of my hints have helped with your gardening. So until 2009.
Flowercerly yours, Bobbie G. Vosgien

P.S. Since I will be in hibernation – I want to include two very special early P.S.’s.

The first to our oldest daughter Jaime who lives in New Hampshire and will turn 50 on December 4th. Happy Birthday! Love always, Mom and Dad.

The second to our son in laws parents Joan and Fred Schmidt whose 50th wedding anniversary is on December 6th. Love and best wishes, Bobbie and Jimmy

And a big thank you to our dear friend Jeff’s grandmother Helen who lives in Mass. For the delicious desserts that she sends down to us.

Also including the lates photo of our long-haired dachshund LitlBit.
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Thanksgiving
By Nancy Freyberg

Every year I am always asked this one question by a first time reporter to the holiday community dinners, “Why do you give up your holidays to do this?” For 27 years I have given the same answer. “Look around. Pull up a chair. Stay awhile. Then ask me again.” They never do. On Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, I get to enjoy the world exactly the way I think God intended it to be. We come together in friendship to be with, and to serve one another. We have created a huge family that loves to come home year after year. That is the goal of the dinners, to make people feel like they are coming “home.”

Twenty-seven years ago I was out for a walk. I heard a voice say, “find a place and cook. No one should be alone for the holidays”. I don’t want you to worry that I often hear voices, but that one was pretty clear! We started at the Advent Christian church on Whittlesey Avenue. About 35 people attended that first dinner. We added Christmas the next year and began serving Easter Dinner about 15 years ago. As the dinners grew and needed more space, we moved to St. Paul’s Episcopal church for many wonderful years and now enjoy a tremendous partnership with the First Congregational Church. People from every church in town and every walk of life support the community dinners, which have grown in every direction.

Although Thanksgiving is the largest dinner, with 250 – 400 people eating in the fellowship hall, Christmas and Easter are close behind. We also send about 250 meals and visits out to the home bound each holiday, and provide food for two other communities so that they might enjoy the holidays too. Baskets with turkeys and all the trimmings are given to families at Thanksgiving who want to cook at home, and we “adopt” individuals and families at Christmas, providing them with food baskets, gifts, and whatever is needed. The Christmas Adopt – A – Family Program has extended to a school supplies program in the Fall that sends many kids back to school well equipped with clothes, back packs, lunch boxes, note books, pens, pencils, and so much of what they need to be successful in school.

As the dinners and everything attached to them has grown, we have affectionately renamed it “God’s Dinner”. It really takes a miracle of faith and spirit to bring it all together. This is all done with volunteers who share their time, talent, energy, and great kindness to make these holidays wonderful for so many. The food is all donated. Even though the dinners are so large, all the food is home made, hand made, heart made and healthy! We want every participant to feel like they are coming home for the holidays. Individuals bring in pies and other home made desserts while Brownies, CCD and high school cooking classes bring over pans of the best cookies ever! Dennis Bonito brings his guitar and keyboards and plays and sings all afternoon. It is simply amazing and heart warming to be part of this effort.

Every one who works on the “dinners” is blessed by it. It is the best example I have ever seen of people joining together to make our world a little safer, softer, and with such kindness. I give up nothing and gain everything to be part of this! The blessings are too many to name.

Here is what I need as we move in to this wonderful season. There is a place for everyone who wants to help. We need volunteers on the actual holidays to help set up, serve, deliver meals to the home bound, and clean up. We need help ahead of time in the kitchen doing prep work and cooking turkeys. We also need donations of time, talent, food and money. Anyone who wants to volunteer, make a financial contribution, or donation of food should call the office at 203-284-8299. We are happy to tell you what we need.

Dinner is served noon – 2pm Thanksgiving and Christmas day. The meal is free and transportation will be provided as needed. The meal is for anyone who wants to spend the day with others and have a great time.

One of the thanks I received after Christmas last year was from a 91-year-old woman who had received a meal and visit. Her note simply said, “In 25 years, you have never forgotten me. Thank you.”
My thanks to all of you who never forget to share yourselves with others. It makes us all better.

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Cold Weather Safety for Seniors
Submitted by Carol Carbutti - Comfort Keepers of Wallingford

Not all seniors are lucky enough to spend their long cold winters in sunny locals such as Florida or Arizona. If you’re part of the group who is spending this winter at home, and home is in an area that’s prone to harsh winters, you might find that getting through the cold is a bit more challenging than it used to be. If so, then you’ll appreciate these tips for staying happy and healthy until the first flowers of spring emerge.

Safety First

Independent living doesn’t mean that you have to “go at it alone” so don’t be afraid to ask children, relatives and neighbors for help. Most will be more than willing to lend a hand and you should arrange for someone to look in on you often.

If you find that lifting bags of salt or shovelfuls of snow is something you’re struggling with, don’t attempt it. Keeping your sidewalks free of snow and ice is hard work and can be dangerous. If you can’t find anyone who can help, make sure to take your time on these tasks to avoid overexerting your heart.
Or hire someone. Start asking neighborhood teen-agers if they’re looking to make some extra money and you’ll likely find a few takers. If not, look in the classified sections of local papers and on bulletin boards around town for the names of people you can hire. Or consider a home companion.

Keeping warm

By now you’re probably well aware that dressing in layers offers protection from the harsh climate. Just be sure to cover all exposed skin including the head, face, earlobes, hands and feet, to limit your time outdoors, and to keep dry. Water repellant outer layers and boots will help. .

Even better would be to stay inside all winter long. But that’s neither practical nor healthy. When inside, take extra care when using fireplaces, wood stoves, candles, and space heaters as they can cause fires and fill interiors with smoke or carbon monoxide. It’s a good idea to place fresh batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at the onset of cold weather.

You can conserve interior heat by keeping windows and doors to rooms you aren’t using closed. You can also cover windows with draperies, place towels along cracks at bottom of doors. And always have plenty of dry wood inside in case you can’t get out.

Eating Right

It’s tempting to load up on high-carb foods, but with a bit of planning and effort, you can keep eating right throughout winter. Vegetable-laden stews and soups made with reduced sodium broths and warm sweetened beverages can warm you on a cold day and provide your body with beneficial nutrients. Limit alcohol, caffeine and cigarette smoking as they decrease the body’s ability to conserve heat.

Staying active

You probably won’t be doing many outdoor activities during this time of year but it is important to try and maintain some social contact. As often as possible, continue going to church, volunteering, and getting together with friends and family. Also consider signing up for any of the activities that interest you that you see posted at community centers, health centers, the YMCA and other locations offering senior services

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A Musing
By Ernie Larsen

As I’m sitting here, trying to figure out my new laptop, a signal tone goes off and a pop-up proclaims there is a news bulletin coming in. I just yesterday figured out how to set the computer to signal me when my homepage news provider, MSNBC, publishes a piece in which I have indicated an interest; in this instance, a bulletin from the entertainment world, the passing of the actor and philanthropist and as I knew him, the race car driver, P.L. Newman or Paul Newman as he was most widely known. Not that we were on a first name basis by any means, my acquaintance with him was through a friend and fellow driver of his on the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) circuit. In fact I think P.L. was friendlier with my buddy’s father than anyone, there were somewhat closer in age…..he preferred to be called P.L. at the race course and the name painted on the door of his race car reflected that, P.L. Newman in silver lettering.

I first met P.L. when I was ‘pitting’ (helping him get ready for the race, sort of a glorified ‘gofer’) for my friend who drove in the Formula Ford division of the SCCA, it was at Thompson Raceway, in Northeastern Connecticut; the car was an open wheel model, with a 1600cc Ford Pinto engine We were sitting around, after prepping the race car and in drives this Chevy Suburban trailing a Datsun 510. The fellow driving was P.L.’s crew, sort of what I was to my friend, however I did find out he was a mechanical engineer and could take apart an engine with his eyes closed, so to speak. He and Art, my buddy, exchanged pleasantries and we pitched in to get the race car off the trailer. I had no idea whose car it was, everyone helped everyone else in the garage area – it wasn’t until they got onto the track that it was every man to himself.

About a half hour later in drives Paul Newman – there was a definite murmuring from those outside the pits which my friend told me happened every time he showed up. There were a bunch of women who regularly came to the track with the express purpose to see P.L. The cameras were out and clicking. Newman walked over, exchanged pleasantries and sat down with Art’s father and had a bit of a conversation while his guy prepped his car. All this while the gaggle of fans took what must have been hundreds of photos. He then got up and spoke with Art and myself while the film ran through the cameras…he said all these people will get their photos back next week and wonder who the other guys are hanging with Paul Newman….so the races began and neither P.L. or my driver Art placed, i.e. Finishing in the first 3 positions in their respective divisions. As they both remarked there was always next week.

Well, the next time I was in P.L.’s company was three weeks later at Lime Rock race track in Sharon, CT – in the Northwest corner of the state – P.L.’s back yard, well a lot closer to his home than Thompson. Which meant a lot more fans – many whom had purchased passes giving them access to the pits. Again, it was a banner day for Kodak, the film was burning up the cameras and once again my buddy, his father and Newman were in lots of photos. In fact a few people had brought prints for Newman to sign which he willingly did until he had to prep for the race. He remembered me from Thompson and later that season I was in his company a couple of more times. He spoke very quietly, never seemed to get flustered and had a good word for everyone in his presence. I thought then that his real love was auto racing and this turned out to be true, he bought into an Indy team and also raced in the CanAm series which was somewhat similar to SCCA on a much more sophisticated level. Whatever he did in racing he certainly immersed himself with all genres of the sport and teaming up with Carl Haas produced more Indy league champions that he ever thought was possible.

Along with his racing, which was a very lucrative financially, plus the monies he earned during his Oscar winning acting career Newman decided to share his wealth with the less fortunate and focused his philanthropy on children. He founded the Hole in the Wall Camp for seriously ill children. The first camp was located in Ashford, CT and since its inception in 1988 12 more camps have sprung up all over the US and in several foreign locations. In that time over 140,000 children have taken part in the camps which children with illnesses which would normally restrict them from a summer camp type atmosphere. P.L. was extremely proud of this accomplishment and visited the camps regularly.

And then there was Newman’s Own. A line of food products he and his daughter Nell originated and from which all the profits are donated to charity; as most entrepreneurial enterprises he started out small with a line of salad dressings, which he touted as being made with natural materials, organic, over the years the sales of Newman’s Own Organics have generated enough profit for the company to donate over $180,000,000 (one hundred eighty million dollars) to charity. Newman was that type of guy – one to share his monetary and mental wealth with others, he often counseled young drivers and gave invaluable tips on the finite details of the sport and as a founder of the Westport Playhouse provided a platform for young thespians to fine tune their craft. And to continue his philanthropy he took it upon himself to provide for children of all ages contributing to many charities with his Hole in the Wall Gang taking a leading role in his generosity.

With his passing, Paul Newman leaves a legacy that will not be duplicated in our lifetime – the unselfish generosity of a true gentleman who was approachable, genuine and a regular guy. I’ll never forget my ‘knowing’ him as I did.

The theme of this issue was to talk about what we are thankful for this time of year - I think we all should be thankful for the unselfish largesse of Paul P.L. Newman – so long P.L you were one of a kind.

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Prologue to the Present

My heritage is an ever-burning flame
in a chalice in which the fuel is not
multiple homes, high finances,
high academic achievement or high positions.

My heritage is alive
with the courage and loneliness
of a German grandfather who left his family behind
and came to America for a new beginning.
It is alive with the courage of his pregnant wife
who, with three children under age four,
came to America after a home was found for them.

My heritage is alive
with the austerity of their raising seven children
on a factory worker’s pay.
It is alive with my father giving his father
money he earned from delivering newspapers.

My heritage is alive
with my father’s conviction that his children, two sons,
would have the college education he never had.
It is alive with the courage and loneliness of my mother
who, after losing her mother at age seven,
was placed in a sometimes unloving orphanage.

My heritage is alive
with the love my brother and I received from our parents.
It is an ever-burning flame within my spirit.

Alfred W. Mueller
Wallingford

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Just a line to say I’m living,
That I’m not among the dead,
Though I’m getting more forgetful,
And more mixed up in the head.
For, sometimes I can’t remember,
When I stand at the foot of stairs,
If I must go up for something,
Or I’ve just come down from there.
And before the frig. so often,
My poor mind is filled with doubt,
Have I just put food away or,
Have I come to take some out?
And there’s times when it is dark out,
With my night cap on my head,
I don’t know if I’m retiring,
Or just getting out of bed.
So, if it’s my turn to write you,
There’s no need in getting sore,
I may think that I have written,
And don’t want to be a bore
So remember ---- I do love you,
And I wish that you were here,
But now, it’s nearly mail time
So I must say “good-bye”, dear.
There I stood beside the mail box,
With a face so very red,
Instead of mailing you my letter,
I had opened it instead.

Submitted by Donna Salvato, Written by Myron Zillman of Meriden at age 99, who has since passed away.


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IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY LOVING DAD
Robert “Bob”Davis
November 30, 194- to October 21, 2005
The Gift
Eyes fearful, paws worn
A sorrowful sight
So forlorn
Love they said would be the cure
For the suffering
You had endured
Slowly, gently the bond it grew
Faithful, loyal
Loving, true
Looking back it’s so un-clear
How we get by
Without you here
Trusted companion
Devoted father, grandfather and friend
You give and give
It never ends
They said we’re a gift to you
But now we know
Who rescued who

We miss you so very much. You’re always in our hearts, you’re with us always and forever. You were the greatest Dad, Grandfather (PAPA), husband and friend to all. Keep your handsome and loving smile always so we know you’re shining down on us to be with us always. Love your favorite daughter, Kim

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Thankful Thoughts on Our World of Nature
By Dorothy Gonick

Do we often play the game of “Animal, Vegetable, Mineral” without thinking?

God has created and filled the Earth with all things needful for our existence and pleasure. He has given man a mind to use for transforming these into the food, shelter, clothing, and other useful items for our daily life. To our discredit we have disrupted nature’s inherent growth and goodness in our quest for a ‘bigger and better’ lifestyle, leaving a staggering amount of refuse to mar the earth’s beauty. We are presently thankful that we’ve become aware of the past misuse of these treasures of the earth and are beginning to halt and reverse the damage done to nature’s bounty. What a joy to see the rebirth of nature’s beauty.

One of the very many daily pleasures we enjoy is our wide variety of food. We’re thankful for those who have planted, cared for, and harvested this abundance. We’re also thankful for those who have prepared and served the meals that nourish us. As we thoughtfully live each day, it is easy to be aware of the many facets of our life that are made possible by the thoughtfulness of others—and to offer our thanks.

We take so many things for granted. I’ll use chocolate as an example.

Long ago the natives of South America took cacao bean pods and discovered their hidden qualities and chocolate became known. Today cacao and chocolate have become a source of that country’s livelihood, and of our enjoyment because we consume chocolate in various yummy ways and glad for it.

I’ve written a poem about Chocolate from the beans’ viewpoint as it traces its life and undergoes transformation.


Chocolate

In the quiet of the afternoon,
I heard a vague chatter
Coming from the shopping bag
On the kitchen counter.

‘Hey, gang, what’s next?
Did you hear her say
We were just right for the party.
What’s a party?

‘We’ve been through a lot,
What more can they do?
I’ll make a scrapbook
Of all we’ve been through.

‘My delicate blossom
Withered and dropped,
Then surprise of surprises,
Became golden pod.

‘Was hacked from my tree
And broken in two.
My many small beans
Into baskets were scooped.

‘Then miserable days
Piled under leaves of banana.
Sweated, fermented,
I thought we would rot.

‘Then spread out to dry
Under hot rays of the sun.
Basked in the freedom
From cramped quarters-‘twas fun.

‘Men came again-
With shovels and bags
Scooped all of us up
And bagged us up tight.

‘Bag upon bag
We were packed in a truck
Sent on our way
With hopes for good luck.

‘Dumped into a bin
Tumbled till clean.
Hot fire roasted
To inch of our lives.

‘Lost our thick hulls
And put in a grinder.
Broken and crushed
Torn apart, not kinder.

‘Grinding and grinding
Till we became liquid.
Then cooled to a paste
And sent off again.

‘Dumped into a vat
With sugar and such
Melted and stirred
Sweet smells sent aloft.

‘Squeezed from a tube
Drop by drop, row by row.
Looking like marchers
With nowhere to go.

‘Bright shiny wrappers
Wrapped snuggly around us
My how we glimmered
Admiring the new ‘us’.

‘We rested awhile on a grocery shelf.
Now we’re featured along with
Balloons, presents and ribbons,
Happy to be part of birthday party.

‘Fingers have grabbed me,
Ripped off my gown,
Held me aloft to face a wide smile.
Close to the mouth and menacing teeth-

‘Oh no! Oooowww!!!!’

October 8, 2008
Dorothy Gonick

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Thanksgiving
By Anna SampsonIt seems to me that we’re reminded of blessings every day, but too often we choose to ignore them. Sure, we are thankful that we have a wonderful son, but how often do we reflect on that as we are rushing to get to work each morning? Granted, we have a full refrigerator, but what am I going to fix for dinner tonight?

Americans use the Thanksgiving holiday as a yearly reminder to take stock in all that we are thankful for, but too often it is a time to double check our groceries, fuss about cooking, and worry about who we should invite to the celebration.

I propose that we take a more aggressive approach to our good fortune by using a technique my mother taught me when I was very young. Although our family was not big on church and prayer, we had a firm belief in God. In holding true to that belief, my mother told me to take time to think of all the things that I had, both material and not, as I went to bed each night. This was not a prayer, but a silent way of taking stock of the benefits I reaped each day as a member of a loving, middle class family in the United States. (And, as I found out later with my own kids, a great way to calm them down for sleep.) I must admit there were the nights when I would brood. “All I want is a new kitten; “ I would internally lament. “I never get anything.” But then, it’s easy to be complacent when you are absolutely sure there will be something for breakfast in the morning, and you will always get a cake for your birthday. This is why the exercise seemed futile at times. When crisis hit, reverting to the technique always seemed to comfort a depressed mind. Yes, I am in the hospital. The stress level is high and I feel like crap, but my husband loves me, I got flowers from my friends and when I get home I am sure to be hugged by at least three wonderful children.

This year, forget about the turkey. Or at the very least, give it less importance than you did last year. Worry not about the relative taste value of the meal, but marvel at the fact that you have all this food available and at your disposal in the nearest supermarket. There are many, many people who do not. In the same vein, if a hardship comes about, look at it as a loss that will eventually bring about a gain. The worldruns on cycles. People are part of the world and our lives will have hills and valleys. But we go on. Every day. Until we don’t. That is good enough for me. The rest, said my mom, is just gravy.Happy Thanksgiving!

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Nature as a Mirror By Dorothy Gonick

TURKEYS
Proud strutting turkey
Soon to grace Thanksgiving table
Feast of brotherly love.

Crisp November days bring the symbol for Thanksgiving, since the first Thanksgiving, when the Pilgrims and Indians shared a feast of turkey and deer with gratefulness for the harvest and the friendship they enjoyed. Thanksgiving connects us to our beginnings as a nation and through the years as we have grown into a land of plenty. There are numerous instances of the openhearted sharing of our good fortune in this bountiful land. Today we share the feast with family, friends, community and those less fortunate, as a way of commemorating the bounty and gratefulness of life’s blessings. During World War II, a tradition of serving our troops with turkey and trimmings on each Thanksgiving Day was begun. This gave a sense of unity with those far from home, giving some comfort and connection with the families on the home front.

Benjamin Franklin suggested the humble turkey for our national symbol of democracy, but the Bald Eagle was chosen because of its majesty, keen eyesight, and protective demeanor as symbolic of our high ideals and defender of freedom. Yet, the turkey has long been ridiculed as having less admirable traits. It is not an aggressive or cunning bird and, therefore, rather easily caught, which benefited the struggling pilgrims. It is not a great flier, just a rather mundane bird that sticks to the task of finding food and caring for its brood of offspring. I became very aware of the idiosyncrasies and charm of turkeys we raised on our farm. Their fear of sudden, loud noises often led them into danger when they ran into fences or piled up in suffocating heaps. Their innate sense of curiosity was a rather charming trait, but also frustrating for us as we tried to keep them penned. There was no shortage of Indian headdress feathers for all the young visitors, which led to wild playtime for both boys and girls. The turkey is a useful, beneficial bird; a real benefactor of mankind who gives its all for our Thanksgiving feast.

There are other birds that fill the air with songs and color. They, too, are fulfilling their purpose in being. They consume a myriad of insects and weed seeds while adding cheerfulness to our world. Likewise, we can appreciate and relish the companions in our lives who journey with us and share our joys and sorrows. God, in His wisdom, did not make us carbon copies of one another. We respect the wisdom of our elders and trust their leading, also the “common” man whose goals are to further the well-being and growth of the community. Yet those who are considered unlearned often speak true wisdom and must also be acknowledged as worthy. Children’s observations quite often surprise us with a depth of truth that may cause us to become more compassionate and thoughtful of others. The hearts and minds of all of us have worth regardless of age or station in life. Each of us has our own unique value and place of importance.

As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving, may our thoughts and prayers be for all mankind, acknowledging our commonalities and the unity that will bring peace and brotherhood to all. We can also pray there will be no more need to ship turkeys and trimmings overseas to armed forces, that they will no longer be necessary to police any nation.
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What I'm Thankful For
Rosanne P. Ford

I am thankful for waking each day, for my health, for my wonderful husband, Darren and for my family, and friends. Lately there have been so many reminders of how fleeting life is and how unpredictable it is: Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the “present”. Live as if each day were your last…

I am thankful that I am in good health and for my positive outlook on life in general - and hope to stay that way for a long time…

My husband is the most supportive person in my life, and always can make me smile if I’ve had a tough day. I am thankful that we’ve known each other since high school and have grown together and have been there for each other in good times and bad…

My family and friends, immediate and extended are important. While we all have our quirks, I am so thankful that we are close and get together with each other on a regular basis. Life is too short to hold a grudge or not speak to someone. Live, Laugh, Love.


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The Scentibal Choice
By Paula Zepke

Ah, candles. The luxury item we love to have, even if it means giving up food for a week to afford a three-wick pumpkin-scented candle purchase. Being the experienced aromatic wax buyer that I am, I have decided to share some tips and candle wisdom. When looking for the best candle, make sure right away that you’re buying those that are scented all the way through. Some are only coated with scent and color; once burned they turn white underneath and the scent disappears, so your living room ends up looking and smelling like church.Candles that smell “kind of nice” when you whiff them in the store, usually end up spreading a repulsive, 25-cent bathroom spray odor throughout the house. Only purchase candles that are irresistible to the nose, and you won’t regret it. Just based on the aforementioned criteria, you’re looking at buying some higher-end candles. So forego that parking spot at Big Lots and head up Route 5 to Pier 1. As a longtime consumer of Pier 1 (and former employee), I say forget the mortgage payment, and stock up on some candles there. Why? Well, they have the best scents, for one. The arrival of their Harvest Spice candles is an annual event that I mark on my calendar. Their candles are solid, not coated with scent. The wicks burn right. And if you need an explanation on that one, get a candle from a certain department store up on the hill behind the mall. Notice how much you need to monitor the direction that the wick is bent. I was once a sucker for their very reasonably priced candles, until the day that the wick bent enough to melt a hole in the side of the candle, causing wax to pour down the side and ruin my copy of Raising Arizona on videotape. (Fortunately, I had just bought it on DVD, thus lessening the blow.)

Wick maintenance is of highest importance. Before every use of the candle, make sure you trim the wick down to 1/4 inch. (Yes, take the plastic wrap off the candle first! Jeez!) When you blow out the candle, reposition the wick so it stands straight. (In the case of those hilltop department store candles, you will be doing this every 15 minutes.) Don’t burn a candle for more than an hour without checking on it. If the flame is big enough to tempt you to bust out the marshmallows and make smores, the wick is probably in need of realignment and a trim.

Placement of your candles should be done using diligence and common sense. The bookcase is okay for displaying them, but not burning, unless you want a big black circle to form underneath the shelf above. Putting the candle on the top shelf of said bookcase isn’t necessarily a solution to the black spot syndrome, unless you don’t mind having a sooty ceiling. The choice, of course, is yours.

Finally, it is good practice to “hug” your candles. Once the wick is out, gently push in the soft wax at the top of the candle towards the wick. The next time you burn it, that wax will melt and the candle burns more evenly, as opposed to the wick burning straight down a tunnel in the center of the candle. Remember to push the wax gently; otherwise you may find chunks of it breaking off into the candle and splashing hot wax all over your fingers and coffee table. Of course, I don’t speak from personal experience.

Candles are beautiful things. They create atmosphere, add to decor, and cover up the smell of that chicken you burned. Recently, when my basement flooded and the house smelled like a swamp, the lovely smell of sandalwood candles helped disguise the odor nicely. Candles can also play an important role in the practice of feng shui (a topic for another article). Go out and get some, kick back in your slippers and enjoy your surroundings. Oh, and don’t forget to blow them out!
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A NEW TRADITION......
by Ernie Larsen

Every year my wife and I host our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. We don’t have any special traditions as such; except for the family gathering together which is tradition itself, always good to see each other and reminisce. For the holiday meal we look forward to everyone’s contribution of a different food item to complement the traditional turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables etc. And speaking of tradition, this year I may skip the creamed onions and am thinking of roasted Brussels sprouts, possibly just as not popular as the onions, but hey, if they can’t take a joke, oh well. I’ve also thought of doing a home made bread selection. But from now until Thanksgiving Day, I’ll be changing my contribution to the menu a few times and as they say, time will tell.

While thinking about traditions, I reckoned a new one might be in order; I put on my thinking cap and came up with the idea to have everyone bring recent photos they had taken during the year and maybe some classics from the past - usually these end up in albums, more likely just in the envelopes they came in from the processing lab. And sadly, no one really gets to see photos others have recently taken. I know this year – owing to our sons wedding - there are a lot more photos to be shared so it is a good time year to start what hopefully will become something that the family will look forward to in the future. A new tradition for sure, I’m looking forward to the holiday.

Now, getting back to the food of the aspect of the holiday – my granddaughter and I have a little scenario that we play out when we do some baking/cooking together. She actually coined the two of us ‘Big Chef and Little Chef”; this year I told her that we will make a special dessert for Thanksgiving. She is pretty adept in the kitchen and already has attended two cooking seminars and her mother being a ‘foodie’ herself has given Riley a good grasp of kitchen basics; all this and she is all of five and a half years old.
This year we are going to prepare what I call Rustic Apple Pie; it is a variation of a recipe I saved from a KRAFT® Food & Family magazine. There are a minimal amount of ingredients, six to be exact; making it a very simple recipe to organize. Great for children, they can do most of the prep work.
Rustic Apple Tart
Ingredients
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced (3 cups or so)
1 Tbs flour
½ cup sugar, more or less to taste
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 9” refrigerated pie crust, half of a package
4 oz cream cheese, ½ of a brick - softened to room temperature

Method

Preheat oven to 450F
1. Place pie crust in 9” pie plate and spread the softened cream cheese in a 6” circle on the crust.
2. Mix apples with sugar, cinnamon and flour
3. Pour apples onto crust, mound up
4. Pull up crust around and over the apples, center will not be covered by crust
5. Bake @450F for 30 minutes, for the last 10 minutes cover with a sheet of foil to avoid burning crust
6. Let cool on wire rack for 30 minutes, serve warm with ice cream or in the traditional New England style with a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese!
Enjoy! And please let your children help in the kitchen it’s lots of fun and may become a tradition itself, you never know.

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A Thanksgiving I won’t forget.
By Dick Seaberg

I’m not sure, but I think it was about 10 years ago that we had a power blackout in Wallingford on Thanksgiving Day. We were to have our families at our house for the big dinner. All was going well with the bird in the oven when we got a phone call from my wife’s side of the family. Our expectations - and food preparations - were cut back from 18 people for dinner to 11. There had been a “disagreement” of some kind, and it led to that side of the family dropping out.
Shortly after that, the lights suddenly went off. Of course, so did our electric heat and, more importantly, our electric range. A call to the power company brought little encouragement because the cause of the failure was unknown. I ran downstairs and started a fire in our woodstove. Meant to just warm up the house, we went ahead and put the just-started-cooking turkey on top of the wood stove. Our thought was that it would stay warm until the power returned.

After a couple of hours passed, we had to call our children to give them options so they could plan their day and not have it ruined because of our inability to get things cooking. Our son decided he’d stay home with us. Other dropouts left us with only four people for dinner, including ourselves.

The other person who would join us was my mother, who lived in New Haven, and who now had no way to get here, so I drove there to pick her up.

The highlight of the day came six hours later when electricity suddenly reappeared. This was after our turkey sat on the woodstove all day. My wife did some fast cooking, including microwave type, and the four of us sat down to feast on - I’m not kidding – the best turkey I’ve ever tasted!

But the bad luck wasn’t done for the day. After dinner was over, I drove my mother home. We’d eaten so late; it was now after 11:00 p.m. Coming home, my gasoline warning light popped on. I remembered that the Merit gas station on State Street was always open, so I headed there where I promptly slammed the car door shut with the keys in the ignition and the doors locked. I was now outdoors with only a shirt on, and the temperature had slid into the 40s. And I had to pee, and they have no public rest room.

Nobody had cell phones then, so I asked the station clerk if I could come in to call home where my spare keys and other car was. The clerk could only slide a receiver under the glass, so I called, woke my son, and “chilled out” while he got dressed and drove down with my other keys.

To cap the day off, I was stopped by a North Haven policeman on the way home for “traveling too fast.” After I told him about my day, he shook his head, and only gave me a warning.
I only wish we could repeat the woodstove turkey part of that day. I’ve yet to taste another as delectable.


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The First Thanksgiving on a Quarter Shell
By C.S. Purcell

What we know of the first Thanksgiving is one-quarter first-hand fact and three-quarters creative non-fiction. The one-quarter fact comes from a letter written by Edward Winslow in December of 1621. The other three-quarters comes from research, both historical and anthropological, speculation based on what we know of the Puritans and 17th century New England, and imagination. Together, the four parts create the whole that forms our image of the First Thanksgiving.

In 1620, the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean to experience religious freedom. Travel was unfriendly and so was the experience of establishing a new settlement. The winter of 1620-1621 was harsh, and the wheat the Pilgrims had brought with them to plant did not fare well in the rocky soil. Amidst hardship and desperation, the Pilgrims prayed to God for mercy. Their prayers were answered in the form of Native Americans named Squanto and Samoset.
Much to the Pilgrims’ surprise, these dark-skinned natives spoke English. Squanto, who was originally from the village of Patuxet, had traveled to England with the English explorer John Weymouth. On his travels, Squanto learned to speak English. In England, Squanto met Samoset, another Native American who had traveled with an explorer. Both returned to Patuxet in 1620, which was then the settlement location of the Pilgrims.

Although surprised to see the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Squanto and Samoset were not startled as much as cautious. After observing the white settlers for some days, they decided to approach the settlement and introduce themselves.

Squanto and Samoset found the Pilgrims in poor health from a shortage of food. They were living in dirt-covered shelters, and their numbers had suffered from a great loss during the winter. Kind-hearted and willing to help the settlers, Squanto remained with the Pilgrims for a few months to teach them how to plant food and make clothing and shelter from the resources in the new world. He brought them maize and taught them how to cultivate it and how to grow other native vegetables. He explained how to dig and cook clams, how to get sap from the maple trees, and use fish for fertilizer.

The following fall, the Pilgrims were growing stronger and so were their crops. With a large yield and strong wigwam-style houses, the Pilgrims were ready for winter.

To give thanks, the Pilgrims called a gathering for a thanksgiving celebration. Although the Pilgrims, being strict Calvinists, observed thanksgivings as religious holidays focused around prayer, not fanfare, the Thanksgiving of 1621 was a more secular celebration than a religious observance.

Acknowledging that the Pilgrims owed their good fortune to the generous help of Squanto, the leader of the Pilgrims, Captain Miles Standish, invited him, Samoset, the leader of their tribe, Massasoit, and all their immediate family members to join them in their feast. The Pilgrims had no idea, however, that their guests would be 90 strong. The Pilgrims were not prepared to feed their entire guest list, so Squanto and Samoset and others from the tribe supplied the majority of the food, including five deer, many wild turkeys, fish, beans, squash, corn soup, corn bread, and berries.



It's time for the thermostat wars.

Murphy's Law of Marriage states that spouses shall have opposite internal thermostats. Nobody ever tells you this before you tie the knot, but ask all the married couples you know and I'll bet most of them will confess to having more than a few temperature-related arguments.
In our house, I'm the one who's always too hot and my husband too cold. Somehow this isn't a major issue even on the hottest summer days when we blast the air conditioning. But in the winter months one of us is always uncomfortable.

I'll concede that my feet tend to get and stay cold, which makes me cranky. But if my tootsies are toasty, I'm happy to pad around in a 65-degree house in January wearing lightweight sweatpants and a short-sleeve T-shirt. My 3-year-old son, Ryan, seems wired pretty much the same way. So we function happily in our admittedly cool conditions all day. Then my husband arrives home.

David is perpetually freezing. Most winter nights he heads for the thermostat within 10 minutes of entering the house and ratchets it up a few notches. Pretty soon I am sweltering. For a while I attributed this to either (a) the extra heat in the kitchen at that hour due to the oven or stovetop running; (b) pregnancy; (c) the fact that late in the day I'm usually tired and steamed, so to speak, over minor irritations such as whiny children or the loss of my favorite spatula to the toy chest; or (d) a combination of the above.

But eventually my beloved hubby and I came to realize that our internal thermostats are simply and permanently set about 15 degrees apart. For me, a heat wave is any day over 80 degrees, but I'm willing to hit the ski slopes when the wind chill is at 20 below. David isn't wild about summer's most oppressive heat, but he tolerates that much better than, say, our family room in February. He doesn't like to bundle up indoors, however, so rather than putting on a warm sweater, he cranks up the furnace.Now, I won't blame all of this misery on David and I hope he wouldn't blame it on me. A contributing factor is our unbelievably persnickety thermostat. It's nearly impossible to nail the perfect temperature, regardless of who's messing with the thing. With the gizmo set at 69 degrees, I wilt. At 68 there are arctic pockets all over the house. So the correct setting, for me anyway, is exactly 68.5.

Which, unfortunately, is still about 10 degrees too chilly for my spouse. But he, too, finds that a single degree in either direction makes the difference between lounging in front of the TV in balmy comfort or actually breaking down and putting on another layer of clothing.
If our conflicting couple thermodynamics make daytime tricky, that's nothing compared to our nights. We sneak around behind each other's backs, tweaking the thermostat when the other's not looking. David bumps up the heat while I'm brushing my teeth; I turn it way down again when our infant wakes me in the middle of the night to nurse. Nearly every night one of us gains consciousness at some godforsaken hour to gripe about the climate.

David (pulling the flannel sheets and comforter completely off me at 2:30 a.m.): "I'm freezing! You've got all the covers!"

Maura (racing for the bathroom an hour later, desperate for a drink of water): "Jeez Louise, it's like the Sahara in here!"

It does not help that the vent in our room is directly over my side of the bed. (Please don't suggest switching sides or rearranging the furniture. That would not only make too much sense but rob us of the pleasure of bickering about temperature.) I frequently awaken to an arid 80-degree wind in my face, making my skin itch, my brain ache and my sinuses congest. It's like trying to sleep with a blow dryer aimed at your head.

So, naturally, I hit the thermostat. And when David gets out of bed in the morning, he's a giant blue goosebump, making a desperate shivering dash for the hot shower to thaw the icicles hanging from his goatee. When I'm feeding the kiddies breakfast, he turns the heat up, then leaves for work. When I return from errands at lunchtime, it's the Sahara again. Down goes the thermostat. Up it goes again when David gets home. Some day we'll find the stupid plastic thing melted and the furnace room littered with shot sprockets and gears. How much wear-and-tear can a tiny tangle of dials and sensors take?

At least we haven't resorted to anything that could potentially damage the house.

The home I grew up in was more than 60 years old. Despite its heavy, clanking metal steam radiators, it was an igloo all winter. So my parents installed a wood-burning stove in the den, just off the kitchen. It was where we spent most of our time, so we stayed relatively cozy until 11 p.m. Then we'd make mad sprints up the stairs to our frigid bedrooms to dive under the covers before the heat of the stove had seeped from our bones. To this day my brother prefers sleeping under heavy down comforters in a room heated to about 40 degrees.

The people who bought that house from my family - in July, mind you - immediately removed the stove from the den. My brothers and I wonder at the magnitude of the leak the den's flat roof must have developed once that enormous stovepipe was yanked out. But that should have been easy to anticipate. We get a bigger laugh over what a chilly surprise the new owners must have received come the first frost that year, when they stepped from a 50-degree October evening into a kitchen and den that probably hit, at best, about 48.

Hmmm… maybe I should have asked that family to give the wood stove back to me. It would benefit us all. David could sit on it to watch TV, warming his cheeks pretty good. And when he's done, I could put out the fire, let the stove cool, drag it into the kitchen and throw some raw meat in there. It's big and metal and would make a dang good icebox.

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Thankful for Animals
Lori Peck, Dedicated Volunteer

First and foremost, I am thankful for my family, friends and the People's Press who let us share our wonderful stories with all of you. I am also extremely thankful for the unconditional love of animals and how they have helped me through some difficult times.

I've always been an animal lover, having grown up with dogs, rabbits, fish, turtles and gerbils. When I was younger, having animals also meant learning responsibility. Feeding, grooming and cleaning up after them was part of our everyday routine. Although at times it seemed like a lot of work, in turn we were rewarded with love and affection from our wonderful pets.

As I've gotten older and raised my own family, animals have been an even bigger part of our lives. We have always adopted from the Meriden Humane Society or Animal Control, except for the few strays we've taken in, but had never thought of volunteering before.

It was after a back and neck injury almost three years ago that brought me to the M.H.S. I wasn't getting around very well, on lots of medicine and started to get depressed. My daughter Chelsea had wanted to start volunteering with the animals. I took her there one day and we haven't stopped going since. We were escorted to the main cat room, where we were surrounded by felines of all personalities. I couldn't believe it! So many of them and they were so happy to just be pet or talked to. I seemed to have forgotten about all my aches and pains, for a little while anyway. So, I figured while my daughter started volunteering, I would go with her and sit with the cats. I can't guarantee it will take all your aches and pains away, but it sure makes you feel better when you know that you've helped the animals feel better.

So, at Thanksgiving I give thanks to all of you who have supported us, volunteered with us and helped to keep our homeless pets safe and fed. Remember, we can't do it without your support. We are solely run on public donations of food and money. The next time your shopping, won't you please pick up a few cans of dog/cat food or a bag of Cat Chow or Pedigree. There are many, many little mouths that would be very thankful for it. As always, thank you so much to the woman who donates $5.00 a week to us. It all makes a difference! God Bless and hope to see you at the shelter.



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THANKFUL
By Carol Carbutti

Thankful and happy for the wonders in life that have come my way
As an insider subjectively looking at my picture, I see success
Successful in marriage, co-habitating with my mate for 43 years
Successful in bringing up four wonderful, productive and loving sons
Successful in relating to my beautiful grandchildren who live near me
Successful in a career of education and advocacy for children
Successful in pursuing knowledge and implementing what I learn
Successful in deciding to take control of my health through difficult surgery
Successful in finding and developing a new avocation in my senior years
Successful in persistent planning of good times and promoting them
Successful in recognizing and spreading my good fortune
Successful in living the life of a cockeyed optimist
Who will always search for the good that will come out of the bad

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Everytime a Bell Rings!
By Andy Reynolds

I am not ashamed to admit that I love “It’s A Wonderful Life”. The Capra classic starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed always makes me realize how lucky we all are to be alive. I’m also not ashamed to admit that I watch it at least once a month. Call it my “therapy session” if you will, but George Bailey is better than any medication I can think of.

Many people think it’s a Christmas movie, sure it is, but I look at it more as a Thanksgiving movie. George was shown what a difference he made in so many people’s lives, even by his most insignificant actions. He did not have everything - he lived in an old home in need of repair, worked in a position that he never wanted, and never traveled the way he had always dreamed of. However, as many of us know it comes down to one statement, “No person is a failure, who has friends.”

Every moment of your life - you make a difference! A smile for a friend, a gift for an enemy, a word of wisdom for a child, an ear for wisdom from an elder, these are the things that matter most. As Thanksgiving approaches and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season take hold, make sure you do something. Take a few hours with your family, a friend, or as I often do alone, (because all my friends and family are so sick of watching it) watch “It’s A Wonderful Life”.

Let it remind you that nothing is overwhelming and even if life is dreadful at times - you, being here means something. Sitting down at Thanksgiving dinner this year, take a look at the table around you and the friends and family gathered by your side. Look how lucky you are.

How about a toast: “Here’s to (fill in your name), the richest person in town!”



“Only One of Ten” Recognizing Meriden’s Own

Recently, Mark Benigni was named one of the nation’s Top Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA Award) by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, at a black-tie affair in San Diego, California. The recipient class of 2008, includes scientists, medical doctors, military personnel, Miss America, and other talented adults, all under the age of forty. Erin Gruwell, the author of the national best seller, Freedom Writers, was also a 2008 TOYA award winner. This prestigious honor has been given out every year since 1938. Past TOYA award winners includes; Presidents Kennedy, Clinton and Ford, Vice Presidents Cheney and Gore, and music legend Elvis Pressley. Our former mayor joins an elite group of young Americans who have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

As both Mayor of the City of Meiden and now Principal of Cromwell High School, Mark Benigni, 36 has blended the two biggest interests in his life: education and government. He has used his influence in both of his offices to institute creative new policies and programs.

As Assistant Principal, Benigni helped launch a mentoring program, in-school suspension program, and work-study initiatives. As Mayor, Benigni created a Mayor’s Youth Summit, established the “Mayor’s Corner,” (a local television program) and created a “Councilor for a Night” program where children participated in mock council meetings. These programs aimed to help children and young adults appreciate local politics and news. He also led the charge to make Meiden the first community in the state to pass a resolution supporting healthcare for all. Additionally Benigni has instituted three creative policing programs: The Crime Suppression Unit, Neighborhood Initiatives and the School Resource Officers. Each of these programs helps to reduce crime and efficiently distribute police officers.

The TOYA selection process begins in the spring of each year. Following the submission deadline, all nominations are forwarded to a panel of screening judges who, working independently, select and rank their top twenty choices. From here the finalists are submitted to another panel of judges who decide the final winners-an arduous process.

The awards night was spectacular. All winners were introduced by a three minute video who each followed with a five minute speech to the 350 people in attendance. Benigni’s speech focused on the “real joys of life,” highlighted by this quote;

“As a young American, this is what I have come to know; where there is great need, there is considerable opportunity; when there are difficult challenges, we find abundant resources; where there is sometimes “great want,” there is always consistent loving support. And thank God, we live in a country where we are free…..to make independent choices, where enthusiastic effort is encouraged, and where achievement is recognized and celebrated.”

Mark proudly represented the city of Meiden, the state of CT, and all of New England. He was one of only ten across this whole great nation to be so honored. We too are proud of his accomplishment and extend an entire region’s worth of congratulations!



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Dear Housewives - Central Connecticuts Know It All Gals
Dear Readers,
Do you have a question regarding family life, budgeting, customer service issues, DVD or book reviews, or home organization? We will give you our candid advise from a family perspective. Contact The Peoples Press by e-mail or phone with your confidential question and we will answer it in the next issue.
Let's remember what we are thankful for! June and Flora

Dear Housewives,
I am a big thank you note writer. How do you send proper baby thank you's? I know I can write it for him but I feel that is so impersonal. How can I make it more like from baby? Polite mom in Meriden

JUNE: Dear Polite, I am happy to hear your question because not enough people make their kids write thank you notes anymore. I do but I can't tell you how many parties we have been to where we don't ever get a thank you from the child. Shameful.

You can print out a nice card or write one out but include a picture of the baby enjoying the gift or just a nice smiling picture. If the child can hold crayons you can have them "scribble" a little something on the card. It shows you gave it an effort to get the child interested. Keep up the good work.

FLORA: Writing thank you notes is a lost art in some circles. Starting when your child as a baby is brilliant! I encourage you to keep up the tradition until your child can write them. You may receive many gifts over the years from people who took the time to select something special for your child; taking the time to thank them is the right thing to do. But....to answer your question. I really like the idea of a photo of your child enjoying the gift along with a brief note thanking them. If it is a monetary gift, you can write the note. Thank you for being Thankful!

JUNE: I like the photo idea Flora. I make my own on the computer many times and one year I had my son hold up a sign that was written in crayon that said thank you. He had all his toys around him. Since we didn't open them when people were there it was a great way for all to see what he had gotten.

Dear Housewives,
I need to have your perspective on people who buy doggie strollers for their dogs.
Perplexed, completely perplexed.

FLORA: There is no good reason I can think of why a responsible dog owner would not exercise their dog and parade them in a foo-foo stroller. It seems to be 'all about the owner' and not about the dog. Stick with the leash people.

JUNE: I know someone who does this with their cat. I agree (surprise!) with Flora, there is no reason an animal (who people domesticated) should not feel the ground and the grass on their feet. Animals are not people, they are made with tough paws and fur. They can withstand hot and cold temps and can walk on rough terrain. Get a grip. Don't get a pet if you want to be that dainty get a picture of a pet.


Dear Housewives,
I was having a conversation, a serious one at that, with someone in their 20's and twice she checked her cell phone. It did not ring, but a signal must have went off letting her know there was a text message. It was quick but quite rude. What do my Dear Housewives think of this common behavior?
PS I think you both are fabulous. You should put a book together of all your columns and have a book signing. I would like to meet you both!
Signed A Big Fan in Meriden

JUNE: First let me say thanks for the kudos. Not sure everyone would like to meet us but you never say never. A book would be nice, right Flora?

Now, the cell phone generation is one of the rudest generations of our times. People use them to check times, get messages, take pictures and text. When having a conversation with someone or checking out in line at the store, put the phone down. People lived for thousands of years without being in touch every second of every day. People put the phone down, you will be okay.

FLORA: Thank you so much for being a fan. We enjoy the questions we receive each month; we never know what to expect!! A compilation of Dear Housewives Letters in book form would be a fun project.

As for the cell phone issue, I think unless there is an emergency, (and that would be mentioned before hand) keep the cell phone tucked away. Stop looking at the time, stop texting and do not answer during time together with someone.

Cell phones and the computer seem to be habit forming. But, if no one brings it to their attention, they think nothing of it. It reminds me of the telephone: "Can you hold on? I have someone on the other line..." but that is another question for another column.

*A note to drivers: Driving around with a cell phone to your ear when you have children in the car is neglectful. Engage in meaningful conversation with your children. Toddlers in need of dialogue are strapped in their car seat staring out the window while the driver is yapping on the phone. Kids will communicate better, read better and treat others better when they have a good head start. Thanks!*

Book Nook/Movie Corner

FLORA: I am so backed-up with my reading. I am currently catching up on some magazine piles (Oprah and Kiplinger's) and reading my Bible. I just finished making a large quilt that was appliquéd, embroidered, done by hand and some machine work. Making that was fun! I plan on starting a new one next week. June, I still need to come by and look at you quilts!

JUNE: Flora and her Bible studies. Aren't you done with that book yet? What in the world is Kiplinger's? I just read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. This was a quick read and a nice little book about a professor facing the end of his life with cancer. Very sad subject so I am following it up with Barbara Walters' book Audition. I will let you know how it is as I have just finished about half so far.

FLORA: Kiplinger's in a personal finance magazine. I read The Last Lecture in bits and pieces in the deli line over a few weeks.
I plan on seeing the 1980 movie Airplane this week. June must be thinking: Shirley, she can't be serious...

JUNE: Ahh, Airplane? What century are you from Flora? Oh, hey, I have a great movie for you it is called The Wizard of Oz. You probably haven't heard of it yet. After that maybe a little ditty about a man named George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life. Flora, you need to get with the program.

JUNE: Attention people. Here is an idea for something different to do with your husband or family. I took Mr. June and two out of three little Junes' on a helicopter ride a couple of weeks ago. The foliage was beautiful and it was really fun. I am afraid of heights badly but managed to go and do it. It started as an anniversary gift for my husband but turned into an adventure for him, our kids and me. The pilot was very good and we had a great experience. There is a heliport right in Wallingford. Check it out--your men would love it.

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"I've fallen and I can't get up!"
by Barbara Sherburne
barndt49@yahoo.com

Remember that ad from 1989 with Mrs. Fletcher? I do. We all thought it was kind of funny when it came out on TV. Lots of people made fun of Mrs. Fletcher, and we all laughed. The phrase stuck around for years in various permutations. It was on lots of TV shows.

We are now approaching yet another Thanksgiving Day in November, November 27th actually. I think many of us, I'll include myself here, think we have fallen and are having a rather hard time getting up. It is not a laughing matter at this point. I am only 58 (59 in another month), so I am fortunate that I did not experience the time of the Great Depression, as my mother did. I have a great deal to be thankful for, but some days are tough. We all have them, and some worse than others, to be sure.

I think I have gone through the roughest times people go through, losing my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and close friends. Thankfully, I have never lost a child. That is a travesty. I thank God I did not go through that. I have lost a lot of pets I cared for dearly, and all the animal lovers who are reading this will understand what a tremendous loss a pet's life can be. I have experienced this kind of sorrow many times.

I may not have used these precise words, "I've fallen and I can't get up," but I have used similar phrases. I have said things like, "I don't know how I can go on." "I don't know why I am here." "I don't know what the purpose of life is anymore."

Life is tough, and there is no getting around that. But life is also good. Where would I be if I were not here in the United States of America, a country I hold dearly to my heart? I am very grateful to be a citizen here, and I played no part in it. My forefathers did, thankfully. They came from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania, and I am extremely grateful for that. God knows where I would be if they had not come to this great land!

The irony of this phrase that was used in a commercial almost 20 years ago is that we can get up. We can stand up and do wonderful things. We have so much to be thankful for in this country, and we oftentimes take it for granted. We worry about things like the price at the gas pump, and yet Europe was ahead of our gas prices years and years ago. How much, really, has a gallon of milk gone up in 30 years compared to a gallon of gasoline? Not much. Not really. What about the price of a dozen eggs? Not much. Not really.

I am thankful for Thanksgiving, which began in 1621 with the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians in Massachusetts. It was celebrated many times over the ensuing years, but it was not until 1941 when President Roosevelt signed a bill on the 26th of November (my birthday) that it became an official yearly celebration on the fourth Thursday of November.
We need to put a positive spin on this phrase "I've fallen and I can't get up," and instead say something like, "I may have fallen, but I will get up, and I will be better for it.” I am thankful for this country and this land. On this Thanksgiving Day I will say a prayer to God and express my thanks for the gift of living here. There is no better place on earth. There is no place like home.


Wallingford Middle School Students Win Statewide Connecticut Veterans Day Parade Essay Contest Special Ceremony at Conn. State Capitol on Monday, October 27 at 4 p.m.
First Place Student Essay Contest
Why Should We Honor Veterans?
Lexie Farkash, 8th grade
Holy Trinity School CCD
Dag Hammarskjold Middle School
Wallingford, Conn.

“Nooo!” “Bam!” “Boom!” The moans of the dying and shrieks of snipers pollutes the air. Thousands, nay, millions have given up their lives, or perhaps their families, houses, and sometimes their sanity. We, as a country, have those men & women to thank for the free country we live in today.

So very many people have given up everything. They don’t have their comfy, soft beds from Sleepy’s® the privilege of being able to get up in the night to check on their sleeping newborn, or go & stop at McDonalds on the way home from work. These people are so selfless that they would willingly give up their lives in order for the rest of the USA to live our lives.

Vietnam, WW II, the Civil War, etc. If we didn’t have men & women willing to sacrifice their lives for us, where would our country, maybe even the rest of the world, be today? WW I, the Revolutionary War, Iraq. All of these have been terrible, bloody & devastating. All the people who have died in these deserve to be mentioned. Their lives, family, sanity. Shouldn’t we give one day, ONE day out of 365 to them? A day honoring them isn’t much compared to the crippling pain – physical, mental, or both – that all these millions of men & women went through?

Why should we honor veterans on Veterans’ Day? Perhaps the fact that we owe our lives to them will convince you.


Runner Up Student Essay Contest
“Why Should We Honor Veterans?”
Cora Mandy, 8th grade
Holy Trinity School CCD
Dag Hammarskjold Middle School
Wallingford, Conn.

“Extra, extra! Read all about it! Seventeen killed and fifteen wounded in a street bombing!” Everyday we hear stories similar to this on the news. Who are these people? They are veterans of war.

Every day as Americans, we take for granted rights that were given to us; rights that veterans have fought for. How brave and unselfish are those who risk their lives to keep millions of others free? I know I would not be able to commit to such an honorable act. These veterans lose their lives for me, for you, and for everyone in this room. On top of all that, they do it willingly.

Many veterans left the country for months or years at a time to fight. Most were only able to communicate to family members through letters. Some veterans couldn’t even tell their families where they were stationed. Can you imagine that? What if you couldn’t see your mom, dad, son or daughter and not know if they were ok?

Veterans of war often have a price to pay. Whether it be a scar or a lost arm, it is something they have to live with for the rest of their lives. However, they are the ones who brought honor and peace to this country.

America has a lot to be thankful for. These veterans have fought tirelessly to ‘let freedom ring.’ They have risked their lives for you and for me which is more than I’ll ever be able to do. They left their homes; their families to go abroad and fight. These veterans have risked so much for our country. The absolute least we could do is give them the honor and gratification they deserve. For these reasons and many more, our veterans should forever be honored.


Children First Awards Children’s Champions

On September 24, more than 100 people joined in celebrating this year’s Meriden Children First ‘Children’s Champions. A Champion is one who goes ‘above and beyond’ to make a difference in the lives of young children.

This year’s Champs are Cliff Comerford and the memory of Frank Olschefski.

Cliff is a lawyer in the Waterbury area and lives in Newtown. He has been volunteering three nights a week at the Beat the Street Community Center for seven years and has traveled with the program’s boxing team throughout New England.

He started by bringing a young man named Terry to train in boxing. Terry wanted to learn how to box. Cliff committed himself to be his trainer at the center. But he didn’t just train Terry in boxing. He gave Terry life skills that have carried him into being a fine young man. When Cliff helped Terry become Western New England Golden Glove Champ in 2000, he fought and beat Jay don Carrington – a finalist on the recent network TV show the “Contender”.

Cliff also helped get Terry into college where he received a degree in culinary arts. Terry joined the US Army and became a Sergeant in the Military Police.

Cliff has even volunteered to represent members in court cases to help them get back on the right track. Cliff has turned around many lives at Beat the Street.

The other Children’s Champion award was given to his family in memory of Frank Olschefski. Mr. Olschefski passed away before his time earlier this year.

Frank, in the words of John Malek, Cub Scout Pack 22 leader at Hanover School:
‘was a big, burly man with a soft and kind heart. He always offered a helping hand, wanted to contribute during every activity and thought of others first. And he always tried to instill these ideals in the Scouts of his den. This man rarely missed a committee meeting; he always wanted to give our Scouts something. He attended fundraising events, parades, hikes and sporting events all in support of the Scouts in the program. He was proud to wear his uniform and knew what it meant to be a Scouting Leader. He was wholeheartedly dedicated to his family, friends and Scouts.

Others noted about Frank that, “You never saw him without his family by his side, they were always together. He was a very proud and involved parent.” And another: “He made each child feel important and cared for.”

Children First applauds the many 1000s of us who make a difference in the lives of children every day. And for those like Cliff and Frank who give a little more, we are honored to call you this year’s Children’s Champions.

Children First is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Meriden children become ready, willing and able to succeed. For more information about Children First, contact 630-3566 or visit http://www.meridenchildrenfirst.org/


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"Thanks, Mom"
by George Arndt

Some days are sunny, and some days are even sunnier because of the happiness they create.Thanksgiving Day is one of those sunnier days. A day when we will gather around the dinner table, and share and enjoy, a delicious meal with our family.

Mom, of course, will be everyone’s hero on this special day of family get-togethers. She begins her day with a smile. A song on her lips can be heard by just watching her as she dices up the vegetables that will be part of the stuffing. Hubbies, like me, will be there to help Mom out. We will point out things that she has to do, and things that need to be done in a certain order. Inevitably, she will gently say,

“Take your help into the living room and watch TV.

Outside there may be a chilling frost in the air, but inside there will be an enticing aroma of baking and cooking emanating from the warm, cheerful kitchen. Aromas that will fill the atmosphere---tingling the senses of many happy folks in homes across this great country of ours on this day of giving thanks.

Soon the table will be overflowing with tureens of plump green beans, savory cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes simmering in buttery-brown sugar, hot buttermilk biscuits---still steaming from the oven, tempting ears of corn piled high---their glistening yellow kernels awaiting the crunching bites from all, fluffy white mashed potatoes sitting next to the gravy bowl filled with Mom’s special turkey gravy…and of course, the golden-browned turkey resting on its bejeweled decorative platter. Grace is said…and then…

“Dad, I want a drumstick,” resounds from the four corners of the dinning room table. Each accepting the fact that they will have to settle for a portion of a leg, and then move on to the other items of culinary specialties set before them---which had been prepared ever so lovingly by Mom.

The hmmms and ahhhhs will echo from the table, and resonate through the cozy little home, as mothers and fathers; sisters and brothers; grandchildren and even some great-grandchildren overstuff their tummies. And all will be ever so grateful for the offerings that God has provided us with to share and to be thankful for.
George Arndt


Desperately Seeking Susan… or At Least People Like Her!
By: Heather L. Stilson

In a time when our economy is faltering, our 401K’s are plummeting, and our brains are continuously being battered by political smear campaigns, it seems that everyone we encounter is feeling some sort of strain. I have noticed an increase in short tempers, poor manners and rude conduct virtually everywhere I go. It’s enough to make one want to hibernate in their own homes until we rise above this difficult time in our history. Unfortunately for most, this is not an option. And, why miss out on all of the good things happening in this world?

My grandmother’s primary goal for her children and grandchildren was always, “Be a good person.” That’s it. Simple, right? Well, okay, let’s admit it; this isn’t always easy, but I try to take it day by day.

I woke up this morning and as usual set a personal goal for myself. Today, I was going to recognize one person willing to rise above the now seemingly acceptable standards of society, and let them know I appreciated them. Sounds hokey, I know, but as I grow older, I realize that some of the hokiest things make life fun. Admittedly, though, I dragged myself out of bed with an “Eeyore” type outlook, believing that my goal for the day may be somewhat overly-optimistic.

I rushed my children off to school and prepared for a hasty trip to the bank. Ugh. This task is no where near the top of my list of things I consider “fun”. I bit the bullet and made my way to the TD Banknorth located at 7 North Turnpike Road in Wallingford. Rushing into the bank, I was met by the branch manager, welcoming me with a smile. Huh? Not my usual experience in any public establishment, I can assure you! I was promptly called to the teller’s window with – you guessed it – another friendly bank employee. I finished my transaction, and was calmly interrupted in the middle of my whirlwind retreat by the bank manager. She explained that she had just made a pot of coffee and would be more than happy to get me a fresh cup for my ride to work. Again, HUH???? I felt like I had been transported back to Mayberry, USA. (Admit it folks, wouldn’t that be great, at least for a little while?) I thanked her and dazedly, made my way to my car.

If anyone has ever tried to pull into traffic, heading northbound from the parking lot of this bank, you know how impossible it is to cross into two lanes of traffic. I waited patiently for the morning rush hour traffic, feeling fortified by my pleasant bank experience, when not one – but TWO drivers attempted to let me out of the parking lot so that I could merge with traffic. I know this sounds silly, and frankly a little pathetic that I would take notice of such small acts, but how many of us are affected by drivers we will probably never see again? I don’t know who these people were, but if you are reading this, kudos to you for taking the time to be thoughtful!

I drove northbound and just before I got to work, I passed a vehicle in a passing zone. It should be noted that I wasn’t following too closely to her; I just wanted to pass her as she turned into the gas station. As I drove by, I realized that she was graciously giving me the single-finger salute. I brushed it off – I wasn’t going to let something so small ruin my day. If this person might be you, I hope your day got better!

Once I got to work, I called TD Banknorth to speak to the manager, who identified herself as Susan Dommu. Susan has worked for TD Banknorth for 5 years and has been at this branch for a little over a year and a half. I wanted to let Susan know how much I appreciated her Customer Service earlier that morning. It didn’t take long before we struck up a conversation, Susan being forthcoming with her philosophy on Customer Service and her goals for this particular bank branch. She chuckled good-naturedly when I told her how much her offer of coffee meant to me, saying “Well, Heather, my goal is to provide that level of customer interaction to everyone, everyday.” Now, I can tell you that I tend to be a little cynical, but I assure you that Susan’s approach is not something she learned in a management seminar and it is obviously sincere. She commented further to say that the key to a successful business team is in the hiring. “You can teach the job to anyone, but you just can’t teach niceness,” states Susan. I ended the conversation by telling her that I wanted to put the spotlight on people who make a difference in this world by simply being respectful, good-natured and NICE.

So, I’m writing this article in hopes that everyone who reads it will know that you can make a difference in this world. No, offering a cup of coffee to someone or allowing someone to merge into traffic in front of you won’t cure cancer or solve the oil crisis. In the end, though, what matters most is that we all aspire to my Grandmother’s advice: Be a Good Person. My new goal in life is to do my best to recognize all of the good people out there. If you are one of them, know that you are appreciated even if your kindness is not always formally recognized.

As I write this, I am amazed that my goal for the day was so quickly and easily realized. I’ve been in a pleasant mood ever since – and maybe just a bit less cynical! I am going to continue looking for my everyday heroes and doing my best to recognize them. Until next month, then…Be Good.



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The True Meaning of Thanks Giving
By: Maggie Griffin - for all Adults and Kids to read.

To begin, I want to wish Andy and Dawn the happiest of Thanks Giving and for years to come. They have made a difference to our community by publishing Good News, Advertising Businesses in the paper that is also viewed online as well. Through their work, they encourage people to reach out and make a difference.

Setting an example is the best way of being thankful. Let's look back on how Thanks Giving became established.

The history of Thanks Giving started with the harvest celebration of the pilgrims and the Indians. It took place in the autumn of 1621. Although they did have a three-day feast in celebration, and the local Indians did participate, this "first Thanksgiving" was not a holiday, simply a gathering.This simple gathering led directly to our modern Thanksgiving Day holiday. Thanksgiving can, however, be traced back to 1863 when Pres. Lincoln became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day. The holiday has been a fixture of late November ever since.

Prior to that, however, the Pilgrims and Indians did not get along. Like in our era of today, one bullied the other, fought over what should have been shared and the Indians did not welcome the Pilgrims to their land.

But it took generosity, care and sincerity to make both realize what was happening. They wanted their friction to end by celebrating their peace making.

In today's society, it is unfortunate that kids get bullied, adults get mocked, people fight and families hold grudges. But stop and think for one moment about this. Where does this anger get you? Then ask yourself why the holidays don't feel the same as they did in the past.

I see so much happening both in the business world, schools and in families. But, as Isaac Newton once discovered, for every action there is a reaction, think about what you do today, good or bad, does effect the life of someone else.

Coming from a family of 6 children, I am thankful to my siblings. I have a sister who recently had a heart attack. This is the sister I mentioned in my Summer Memories Article about the Barbie dolls and how I would cut the hair off all her Barbie dolls when we were kids. Here is the good news in all of this. To make up for what I did, I started a collection, searching for Barbie Dolls from the era of the 60's and 70's. I finally collected enough to give to her as a surprise. She was more then surprised, but then I though to myself, "did she have a heart attack because I gave her Barbie Dolls from our era when we grew up?" Something she never expected.

The truth is, no, she did not have a heart attacked being shocked over receiving a collection of Barbie's from me. But, as she is my sister, I am thankful she made it to the Emergency Room in time to save her. Then surgery took place two days following and she is still recovering.

Then there is this girl, a Junior in a school who is against drugs and drinking. She became an advocate to stop kids her age from doing the worse. In speaking to her, she told me she found two Freshman girls in the bathroom smoking the bad stuff. She approached them, asked their names and told them to give what they are smoking to her. From there, she reported it to the school authorities. Now these two girls may not like this junior, however, later on in life I feel confident that they will be thankful she did that for them. A lesson was taught and this junior did the right thing for the two freshman girls. She saved their lives, even though these freshman's may not see that now, but they will see it later. They should be thankful.

Then there is a boy in middle school, he takes the blame for what other kids do so he can keep his friends. It's sad, I know. These "friends" also tease him and know they can provoke him with knowledge that this boy will not tell and will take the blame to protect them so he can keep peace. yet the other kids provoke him because they know it hurts his feelings and make him react out of this hurt. How much hurt can this boy take? And he still will take the blame for another students actions, even if they provoked him first by teasing him, pushing him, poking him, etc. The School, they don't listen, yet they know that this boy takes the blame for others. All I can say is, kids, be honest with yourself, don't do this to a fellow student so you can stay out of trouble. Most of all, rather then protecting your friends and yourself so you don't get suspended, why do you think it is ok for you to do this to a fellow student and let this fellow student take the blame for your actions and continue to provoke this student, after the fact, who thinks you are his friend? How would you feel if a fellow student did that to you. This is called Bullying and it must stop. I'll tell you why.

In future years to come, this child who takes the blame to protect you, you may need him in your adult life to help you in a serious situation. You see, there is no such thing as "popularity", I learned that the hard way when I walked up to receive my diploma for High School over 20 years ago. I teased my fellow students, but today, I called on a few for help in things like Cancer treatments, legal help, and it just so happens one of those kids I teased back in my day took care of my Father prior to his passing away.

I know this young lady in her 20's that I have help when she first became a mother when she was a teenager. I have not seen this person in over 3 years. The last time I saw her was at my Dad's funeral. She keeps her two kids from seeing their grand mother and great-grand mother. How shameful is that? What she does not realize, and maybe won't realize it until 10 years from now, she is actually hurting her children by using them as a tool against her mother (their grand mother). All I can say is patience is a virtue when raising kids and I think she is starting to realize that now since she is a mother of 2 now. But, she is pure selfish, unforgiving, hurtful and was quick to have her hand out to take. Unfortunately, when I said life is a circle, and a cycle, what you do today and how you act will repeat the circle of the cycle and done onto you later in life. When you teach your kids the "no talking method", ask yourself when they grow up and have kids of their own why they don't talk to you. I don't want to be there to witness when her children grow up and not want to talk to her. Take my advice, young lady, make peace with your mother and let her see her grand children, I am telling you this for reasons and the reasons is several.

We all know how to get up in the morning, get ready for work or school, go about our days in our jobs, education and back home to who we live with. But, ask yourself this one question, if you know how to do a daily routine, even if it means you like what you do and who you are with, but do you really like yourself when you live a selfish way? The most valuable thing everyone has is a soul. Close your eyes, plug your ears and listen only with your heart. Your heart gives you the right answer.

Believe me, I am not preaching, I am just teaching. And I am just go to say it because it's my story and it is factual.

Funny - I always tease my husband by telling my kids Daddy was on the Mayflower. But the truth is, think of the Pilgrims and the Indians and their reason to hold a Feast of Celebration in late Fall, a Feast that lasted three days.

It became known as the Feast of Peace, giving thanks to each other with sincerity because both, in history, realized, they cannot live on the same land and fight, bully, steel, take and hurt, most of all, what was most important to them was Family and Friends and turning right where it was wrong.

Peace Making is the Best Thankful Gift to celebrate on This Thanks Giving Day and Thanks Giving years to come.

Be kind to your fellow student, think about how you would feel if you were teased, picked on or bullied. Children, talk to your parents and don't use your children as tools against them because some day, you will be the Grand Parent waiting and hoping your child visits and lets you see your grand children. The cycle will repeat itself when your kids are older, whether you want to believe that or not, if you do not change. And don't drink or do drugs, it will and can hurt you in more ways then one, whether you realize it or not. Damaging your bodies is not "being cool".

And adults, just be thankful you have friends and family. Drivers on the road, I have to tell you, flipping the finger at me, I am honored you tell me I am #1. But I have to admit, Road Safety rather then Road Rage will prevent an accident and a possible fatality, so. if you are behind me, still expect me to go the speed limit, wear my seat belt and not talk on my cell phone, this too sets an example to my kids when they get their driver's license. Kids, follow the new licensing laws. Those laws are enforced to save your life when you are behind the wheel and the lives of others. Be thankful our State Government changed the licensing laws to protect you. At your age, driving is a privilege. Then there is always the city bus stop if you keep complaining. Follow the rules and the laws.

It takes one person and others to see what they see, feel what they feel and more to make a difference. I am one of many who see these things, all of them and more I am writing in this special article.

On Thanks Giving Day, don't ask who took the bacon off the Turkey, just be Thankful your Dog didn't eat the Turkey before it was cut.

Happy Thanks Giving to Everyone. Remember, we only have one life to live, you cannot change someone, you can only change yourself. Think of the Pilgrims and Indians. If it wasn't for them to set examples, Thanks Giving would have not continued for 100's of years, we wouldn't be having the Holiday of Thanks Giving at all. As a Realtor, I always say to everyone "Home Is Where The Heart Is", remember that no matter where you are.
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“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by
Gregory M. Simpson

I am at the stage in life where I read obituaries. Was it Mark Twain who said that he was just checking to make sure that his name was not there?

One learns a great deal from reading obituaries, most notably how rich a life can be whether one lives to be 13, 33, or 103.

The loved ones left behind are sad, of course, including the companion animals. Many obituaries show just how loved and cherished a member of the family a companion animal can be. In some cases, one can inadvertently sacrifice his or her own life while trying to save a companion animal.

Recently an obituary described a 42-year-old woman who died off a California beach attempting to rescue her beloved old dog who was swept away by extreme surf. Donations in her memory were for two charities, one of which was a dog rescue group, undoubtedly in honor of her dog and the love she had for him.

In a memorial to note the anniversary of the death of one man, another inscription read, “We can’t believe it’s been one year since we lost you. It still feels like yesterday, we miss you so much. Your 20 feline babies are fine and really miss you also, but show us in many ways, your love and presence. You will be in our hearts forever.”

The above two memorials reflect what the French writer, Colette, had in mind when she wrote, “Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” For as Anatole France wrote, “Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”

Echoing those sentiments, here is a tale that came by e-mail with author unknown:

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he had died.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"
"This is Heaven, sir”, the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.
"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."
The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
"Can my friend”, gesturing toward his dog, “come in, too?" the traveler asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it never closed. There was no fence.
As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."
"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump,” the man offered.
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, and then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven,” he answered.
"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad that they use your name like that?"
"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

For the animals,

Gregory M. Simpson

Gregory Simpson’s animal welfare involvement spans over 25 years, having provided leadership for several Connecticut organizations, as well as having served as state advisor to the national Friends of Animals. Currently a Board member of Protectors of Animals, Inc., he was chosen by CAT FANCY magazine as one of the ultimate cat lovers in the U.S. He is also a member of the Cat Writers’ Association.





_______________________________________________________________________
An Autumn Stroll
By George Arndt

Come walk with me in reverie
On waves of gold and amber,
Spread o?er the realm of early fall,
And shades of late September.

Ah, per chance, to meet old friends
Wrapped in beauty, as before;
That tinge our senses with patterns,
Of idyllic backwoods lore.

Let us be awed by the colors
Of the maple and the aster;
With mingling sounds, renders
A pictorial essay of nature.

Thus evoking clusters of lively,
Dream-like cadence and rhythmic
Heartbeats of autumn?s aura of love;
That embody us with its magic.


____________________________________________________________________
Local Youth Athletes Seeking Area Assistance
October 2008
Dear Friends,

Every year the Wallingford Vikings Football and Cheer works towards helping the youth of Wallingford and by being a part of the American Youth Football (AYF) league we are compelled to do so. The main mission of the AYF is a commitment to helping others, community service, and volunteerism – which is the foundation of the AYF, the largest football and cheer organization in the country. From the many local volunteers who give selfless hours of their time, to the youth who give back to their community via AYF projects, the dedication to enrich the lives of others is our mission. When we see these traits in individuals who share in our vision, gives cause for us to fight to make it possible for them to succeed and continue to grow. But the fight is only made possible by the generous support of people like you and / or your business.

Every year, the Wallingford Vikings Football and Cheer League have grown stronger. Even with other fall sports becoming more or just as popular, we continue to grow. We have purchased new uniforms for both the football and cheer squads in the past and have even sent some of the players onto competitions. With the continued success of our program we hope to continue to help raise these local children by providing a safe harbor to teach leadership, teamwork, trust, and to be their best at something they enjoy; while instilling that hard work and determination make your dreams an endless possibility. Due to the increasing costs and the talent that has grown within these children we find ourselves with the possibility of having multiply squads move onto Regional competitions and possibly National competitions. In the past we were able to not have to extend the airfare, hotel, travel expenses to the families but during these times, we fear that this will not be the case this year. This year, we hope to be able to send any and all squads that qualify for any competition to that competition without causing any undue hardships to the families.

We’re asking you, today, to take a stand and assist us in making these children’s dreams come true by making a simple donation. Your donation will help pay for any expenses that any of our squads will incur this year and in the upcoming years. Each individual or business will receive a special thank you, an update during our competitions, and your name posted on our web site showing that you have helped our worthy cause up till next season. To send your generous donation, please make checks payable to the Wallingford Junior Football League (WJFL), PO Box 4173, Wallingford, CT 06492. Should you have any questions please feel free to email our Cheer Coordinator at dianewjflcheer@comcast.net.
The Wallingford Vikings Football and Cheer League thanks you for your time and generosity.

Sincerely,
John Calatayud Diane ChaddertonWJFL President WJFL Cheer Coordinator