Fran's Blog

Fran's Friday Forum...Reasons For Thanks Giving...!!!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:14:33 -0600

Thanksgiving isn't a holiday that is celebrated once a year...it must be a mindset that is practiced daily...!!!

If we reflect on our lives and see nothing to be thankful for, we have somewhere in life made a 'wrong turn'...!!!

But that does not mean it is too late, or we can't find our way on life's journey, or we should lose hope...The fact that we're reading this is cause for hope and giving thanks...!!!

I recently had a conversation with one of my sons, Justin, my 13 year old, about how magnificent The Lord has made our bodies...Justin was diagnosed with a mild case of tendinitis in his pitching arm...I related to him how The Lord made our bodies to 'default' to HEALING, and how, if we cooperate with that default MO by 'helping' our bodies by additional rest, proper treatment, and proper exercise, our bodies will heal more quickly...!!! We are fearfully, wonderfully made...A reason for giving thanks...!!!

I apologize for my neglect to posting frequently on this blog, but my busyness with my kids athletic endeavors (football, fall baseball, softball, and now basketball) and my recently acquired passion for getting the entire family enthused about setting up and creating a MODEL RAILROAD display for the coming holidays and beyond, has displaced my passion for blogging...WELL...

It hasn't really displaced my passion for blogging as much as it has preempted my time for blogging...Another thing for which to be THANKFUL...TIME...!!!

In any case, I still enjoy talking to all my blogging subscribers and frequent readers, and reading their helpful comments and ideas on my posts!

This weekend, give some thought to truly GIVING THANKS for all the precious gifts we have, especially the GIFT of LIFE for ourselves and our loved ones and friends...!!!

And have a great family weekend...and God Bless America...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Approaching Year End...Following The Spirit...!!!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:53:47 -0600

If you're not satisfied with how your year has gone it's almost too late to do anything about it...

In fact, if you are really displeased with 2009, you probably should be planning how to organize for 2010...

There will be the usual amount of finger pointing and blame assigning to explain a dismal production year, but I'm still convinced that we control our own destiny...Of course,

Those who pray and are led by the Spirit, and are still having a less than satisfying year, need only to keep doing so and working hard to listen and comply with the Spirit's leading...

Remember, it is The Spirit who leads us, not the other way around...

Have we given the Spirit much to work with...???

I see a society around me that has become too relaxed, too complacent, too eager to give up or give in...too lazy, in fact...

But this is NOT the American Way...

The American Way is to keep on keepin on...persevering...hopeful (hope full)...

I have three major events left before year's end...Thanksgiving...My annual Spiritual retreat...and Christmas...

I do not consider these events as merely a time to celebrate the past and commemorate some past event by sharing and exchanging gifts and material things...

These remaining events are opportunities for future growth...opportunities to listen more closely to the Spirit...opportunities to develop into the person we are capable of being...by enhancing our family relationships, honing our skills of friendship and business associations, and plowing new ground...

So...join me in looking toward the end of this year 2009 in hope, faith, and trust...not so much in ourselves, but in the Holy Spirit of God Who leads us...!!!

Have a great weekend...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Are We Capable Of Considering Consumers Capable...!!!

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:48:52 -0600

Does everyone in a position of authority consider the consumer stupid...???

It certainly seems so, and it may be the single-most underlying cause of our social and economic problems today...!!!

I look at Congress and I see a reluctance to allow the consumer to see bills which they will be voting on...before they vote...I guess if you're in Congress, and you don't read the bills you yourself are voting on, why let anyone else see it, right!!! That sure sounds like a functioning democratic republic alright...!!!

Even closer to home, and pertinent to our beloved real estate industry, the new HUD1 form to be implemented very shortly (perhaps before years end) is anything BUT a consumer friendly document...in fact, it presumes the consumer knows nothing about the home buying process, and lumps important fees together rather than a complete and total itemization of charges as under the old HUD1 system...

Am I simply rebelling against CHANGE...refusing to adapt to improved and better ways to accomplish the American Dream...??? Heck no...!!! I welcome new, inventive, and improved ways to SIMPLIFY the system...That is what knowledge and wisdom and experience are supposed to provide...It's called PROGRESS...

But what we're seeing on practically every front nowadays is anything but PROGRESS...

It is POWER GONE SOUR.......

We're regressing faster than a 5 year old still in diapers...

Is the popularity of 'Dummy Books' evidence that many, if not most, consider consumers stupid...??? Do the terms 'smart shopper' and 'informed buyer' carry any weight with people in power? Or have people in power reached the conclusion that 'I'm stupid, therefore everyone else must be'...!!!

Why can't we acknowledge that we are ALL CONSUMERS...each and every one of us...??? And anything that benefits the consumer, benefits us...!!!

If there is something the consumer needs to know, educate him/her...don't assume that WE can't or won't get it...

Or is that the mentality that defines a Congress that votes on bills they've never read...???

Patience as a virtue is almost extinct from our leaders...and Prudence is equally missing...!!!

C'mon people...let's get to work on SOLVING problems, not creating new ones...!!!

Have a great and productive weekend...!!!

Phillies Need Eagles Wings To Soar To Victory...!!!

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:54:20 -0600

It was a successful weekend for many Philly sports teams...all except the one that counted the most...The Phillies in World Series game 4 against the Yankees...

After an exciting 8th inning solo home run by Pedro Felize to tie the game at 4 to 4, the Phillies only saw their hopes dashed in the top of the 9th when the Yankees took a commanding 7 to 4 lead which resulted in another Yankee victory bringing the series to a 3 to 1 Yankee lead!!!

Now, the Phils, whose MO is winning on the road and against all odds, must settle back into that role if they hold any hopes of repeating as World Champions...

It's really as simple as that...take each game as it comes, go out and play like you did in the regular season, don't lose heart or give up before the final out, and BELIEVE...!!!

In any case, thanks for some great baseball this year...It's November and my team is still playing baseball...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Football And Head Injuries...!!!

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:51:35 -0500

I know this post is grossly 'off topic', but something this important needs to be dealt with expeditiously...

Having been around football, especially youth football, for a goodly number of years, I was able to observe many things which affect the safety of the participants...

The most critical of which is the 'HELMET' or headgear...

Make no mistake about it, the helmets that are used and certified today, are designed for maximum protection for the wearer, and especially the wearer's head...

The problem is...in designing headgear protecting the wearer, little attention was paid to the amount of damage that could be caused by someone coming in contact with the helmet in a typical football maneuver...

In other words, the very saving grace for the wearer has become a potential injury hazard to the opposing player, or, in fact, even to any other player on the same team who happens to come into contact with the helmet...it is a virtual weapon...!!!

Simply stated, the outside shell of the helmet needs to be redesigned with some 'give' in the part of the helmet contacting other players...as currently manufactured, the helmets are simply 'too rigid'...

I hope this post will raise awareness of this problem and cause an initiative to redesign a suitable helmet that will afford maximum protection to all users and players.

In an age where head injuries and concussions seem to be on a drastic incline in football as well as several other contact sports, it would seem prudent and beneficial for some University to adopt this concern as a research project that can save many lives and/or serious injuries...!!!

Have a great weekend...!!!

Conventional Wisdom...Inspired Vision...Common Sense...!!!

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:07:13 -0500

I love to listen to people talk...truly listen...!!!

You can learn more by listening than by talking...

And in our English languge, the art of listening is even more compounded by the nuances we place on our English words...

Take the words in this title above...phrases we hear tossed around while presuming that everyone understands and knows the true meaning of those terms...

In fact, at first glance, the terms in the title seem very related and synoptic, but on closer observation and study, there can be chasms of difference in their actual meanings...

SO...do the words mean what the speaker thinks and intends or rather do they mean what the hearer hears...

In my experience the answer, more than not, lies somewhere in between...

And so we have debates, misunderstandings, arguments, disagreements, and confusion...much of which is a result of language moreso than knowledge...

If this post sounds convoluted or distorted it is probably because you weren't listening...!!! LOL...!!!

Just some food for thought on a typical Monday morning...!!!

Take the time to listen and develop the art to perfection...all will benefit and we will all have a lot more fun...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Flu Flying Fast And Freely...!!!

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:13:02 -0500

Not only has the weather provided challenges to fall sports schedules in our home, but now the flu and its close cousins have invaded our home, our schools, and our work places.

I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to get the true scoop on all this flu stuff...you have the regular flu, the swine flu, some doctors advocating for vaccination, but others opposing inoculations, some news media over sensationalizing the negatives, but failing to report the important and documented facts about all this flu stuff.

Then you have the usual conspiracy theorists who now have email to propagate their theories at lightning fast speeds...theories of government controlled disease releases, enemy countries releasing contagious substances, and other scifi like plots abound..!!!

Why, this morning I even listened to a renown atheist on the radio, Doctor Richard Dawkins, I believe, who disavowed any notion of God, prayer, miracles, or supernatural healings...his rhetoric was somewhat convincing, and thankfully he has not lost his faith in atheism...however,

I prefer to fall back on the wisdom of my God fearing and God loving Grandmother...drink plenty of water, eat well, apply vinegar and warm water towels to feverish foreheads, sip hot lemon to sooth that sore throat, gargle often with salt water...

OH...and don't forget your prayer time...!!!

Have a great and flu free weekend...!!!

Monday Mailbox Message...!!!

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:08:49 -0500

Well, it's Monday...The weekend was exciting, but full of foul weather...SO...

There was plenty of time provided by the weather conditions for reviewing problems and opportunities, establishing priorities, and planning the week ahead...

Of course, with the Phillies knee deep into the NLCS playoffs...all scheduling resolves around that particular sporting event...!!!

But one task which I have been putting off for months was the need to replace our mailbox at work...

Just to bring those of you who don't follow this blog up to date.......

We moved into our present offices about 7 years ago...the premises had been a very nice stone front rancher on about an acre and a half of beautifully landscaped plantings and used exclusively for residential purposes...in fact, the previous residents can trace their ownership back to William Penn...

Over the years, and due to expansion in the area, new road accesses, and unprecedented development, the property found itself lying in a spot which had become zoned for Office/Light Industrial use...

And so, although the property fit all of our needs commercially, I had resolved to keep the 'residential and homey look' as much as practicable through the many renovations that were completed to the property before we moved in...

One such 'residential touch' to the property was its mailbox...obviously custom hand made and not mass produced and barely serving our commercial needs regarding size and functionality, the mailbox we resolved not to touch has undergone several other 'attacks' since moving in...not the least of which was being attacked and 'drilled' by a local woodpecker looking to upgrade his residence, a local red cardinal seeking similar privileges I suppose, and numerous threats to its structural integrity caused by weather and aging...

So before our mailbox looks like the picture above and misrepresents who we are and what we appreciate...We will be searching for and installing a suitable replacement...one probably which I found on Ace Hardware's website...!!!

I will keep you all 'POSTED' (humor intended)...!!!

Busier Than A Bee...But Having Fun...!!!

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:48:32 -0500

My regular blogging schedule has been seriously impacted for over a month and a half now...!!!

Not only have I missed my blogging, but my commenting on other blogs as well has suffered...

It all started with the onset of the midget football season...which concurrently competed for my attention with fall baseball schedules for three of my other children...

Now, knee deep in the throes of all these sporting activities, comes the Major League October Classics...Baseball playoffs and World Series preliminaries...

I make no excuses, however, but I do recall when there was plenty of liesure time for book reading, crossword puzzles, sudokus, cryptograms, TV watching, etc...

But that was before my World Champion Phillies Playoff hopes and HDTV...

It doesn't get any better than this...!!!

October Baseball...As Good As It Gets...!!!

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:09:43 -0500

Please don't read this unless you're addicted to baseball...!!! I mean it's not considered Americas favorite pastime for nothing...!!!

And so, let the games begin...

Of course, I'm hoping my Phillies repeat as World Champions, but in this age of 'buying' a class contender, one has to wonder if the sport hasn't gone out of the game in favor of the business aspect...

Go into any major league city and you'll notice that the dollar wins the day...I mean these 'palaces' costing close to a billion dollars to erect aren't being built as 'tax deductions'...

The action goes on between innings..as millions are spent on food, parking, concessions, wearables, souvenirs, etc...

It just so happens that there is a baseball game going on in the midst of all this hyper spending...!!!

Nevertheless, it's October baseball, so let the games begin...!!!

I'll be watching on my new Hi Def...!!!

Flips In Short Sales...???

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:56:57 -0500

We have been struggling for months closing short sale transactions...

Talk about 'heavy maintenance' and 'luck'...A lot of both are experienced trying to close these transactions, and a great many never survive to closing...at great out of pocket expense to us, by the way...

Recently, an inquiry was made to us about handling a 'flip' subsequent (read concurrent) to a short sale...!!!

Legal or no, ethical or no, I'm just old enough and tired enough and frustrated enough to say no to such transactions...

What comes after your brain is fried after having 'worked' a successful short sale through closing...???

As for me and my company, we don't wish to find out...!!!

Have a great week...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Garbage Disposers and Real Estate...!!!

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:25:46 -0500

First off, let me apologize to all, that I have been so busy that my blogging has dropped off...Not because I hate blogging...the opposite is quite true...I have loved blogging, and still do...!!!

It's just that family responsibilities have been tremendous, particularly with 5 children all involved in sports activities...Hopefully, once football is over and Thanksgiving approaches, our schedules will ease up a bit, and I will be able to resume my regular and consistent blogging duties...!!!

Thanks for bearing with me...!!!

NOW.......with regard to the title of this forum post...

We live in a cute cape cod style home on 2 acres of land that has its own septic system on site...That's right...we have no public sewer, and even our water is supplied by an on site well...

With five children, two adults and a dog, there are plenty of clothes, towels, and other essentials being washed constantly...and in order to keep our septic system operating at peak efficiency, there are certain recommendations we must take to achieve that goal...

***We use as little water as possible when washing clothes

***We have water savers on all faucets and in all showers

***Our toilets are the energy and water conserving type

***We are careful about what we flush down our drains and toilets...and we have the septic system pumped occasionally

***AND, we have no garbage disposal...at least the kind you're familiar with that runs on electricity and is mounted beneath the kitchen sink

***We do, however, have a 'garbage disposer'...it (she) even has a name...DAISY...and she consumes anything, edible and otherwise, that falls to the floor or is left within reach of her 'retriever' mouth...including over 10 remote controls, several pairs of socks, a few sneakers, and an occasional article of clothing...

We're debating whether we can use her as a deduction on our income tax as an 'energy compliant' appliance...!!!

Stay busy, enjoy the autumn weather, and have a great weekend...!!!

Quality And Good Packaging Pays Big Dividends...!!!

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:07:21 -0500

My wife and I recently succumbed to the pressure from the 5 kids and the rest of society to purchase our first Hi Def TV...

While shopping for box springs for the two girls new mattresses, the outlet store gave us a deal we couldn't refuse on a brand new Sony Bravia big screen TV...a 52 incher...!!!

All I needed extra was the bracket to mount the unit onto the wall...!!!

This is where the theme for this title was born. The actual TV purchase paled in amazement to the product we purchased to mount the beauty on our family room wall...!!!

We shopped around and received 4 prices for the wall mount ranging between $79 dollars to $180 dollars...

Of course we opted for the least expensive one on the say so of the store clerk who 'has been selling this product successfully for years'...!!!

With our fingers crossed that we weren't buying a cheap substandard knock off version of a big screen TV wall mount to hold our weighty most recently purchased prized possession, we were pleasantly surprised...!!!

This product, made by Peerless Industries, was so wonderfully packaged and organized, that assembly and installation went amazingly quick and efficiently...

Not only were the instructions very clear and concise, and all the hardware neatly labelled and nested in individual plastic nests, but all the tools required for assembly were included in the box...a level, drill bit, tape measure, allen wrench, stud finder with batteries...and even a pencil (unsharpened) was included...!!!

I would highly recommend this company, its products, and the work ethic of its employees to anyone needing similar equipment...!!!

'Peerless' certainly stands for what the word means...without equal, a cut above...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...My Birthday And Racism...!!!

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:10:26 -0500

I was looking for a mild non offensive topic to write about on my 66th birthday for this Fran's Friday Forum but that 'hot topic', racism, kept popping back into my mind...!!!

Right off the bat, RACISM is probably at the root of what ails America today...!!!

Sometime last week I posted about 'Reconciling Racism', and tried to deal very delicately and ethically with this 'hot topic'...Judging by the responses of people that clicked to view the post, I can tell it is a 'hot topic'...and rightly so...

So I would like to offer some further thoughts on the issue of RACISM...

***Racism is widespread...just like sin...!!!

***Racism is neverseldom the right practice (racial profiling is permissible if looking for a particular suspect of known race or when science is attempting to find a cure for a disease prevalent among members of a specific race or nationality)...!!!

***Using race as a factor in virtually any decision making process is never advisable...and rarely ethical...!!!

***Racism is prevalent among blacks and whites alike...!!!

***Racism is not a Christian virtue to be practiced...!!!

***Racism demeans...

***Racism is not dignified...

***Racism is abhorrent...

***Racism should be owned up to and eradicated...

***Racism is a political weapon...

***Racism inhibits growth...

***Racism sucks...!!!

On this birthday of mine, my wish is that America come together without regard to race to build a society where all men are treated as equals, and every man, woman, and child is given the opportunity to reach their highest potential in a society that is truly free and cherishes all life from conception to natural death...!!!

Have a great weekend...!!!

Good News Travels Fast...Great News Travels Faster...!!!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:20:58 -0500

The word 'Gospel' literally means 'Good News'...and rightly so...for what better news is there than 'God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.'

The fact that 'mortal' humans are given the opportunity to share in 'eternal life'...is great news...!!!

That kind of news should be shouted from the rooftops everywhere on Earth...!!!

That is more than 'good news'...that is great news...the greatest news possible...!!!

And so, when we got the news from our accountant that we would get a sizable refund in federal taxes, we were elated to the point of tears! We needed good news and we got better news...!!!

Oh, be sure, we will celebrate (after we receive our tax refund check), but the greatest news for us immortals who follow an immortal God...is still immortality and Eternal Life with Him...!!!

Jesus Christ be praised...!!!

The End Of Summer...A Time For Despair Or A Time For Hope...!!!

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:18:02 -0500

Today is the last official day of Summer 2009...

We can now choose to either celebrate Autumn 2009 with anticipation or we can choose to rue the closing of Summer 2009 by falling into despair and disappointment...!!!

Life is all about choices...!!!

We learn to make right choices by prudently forming our consciences so as to enable us to make right decisions...right choices...!!!

In order to accomplish this task, we need some standard of morality upon which to rely...!!!

This should be a reason for rejoicing...for having hope...no matter what your religious or economic situation...!!!

If you are a Christian, you're fortunate enough to have the Bible and Sacred Tradition as a moral compass...If you are a Jew, you have The Torah and Old Testament Scriptures upon which to be guided...if you are an atheist or agnostic, you have the Natural Law that God our Creator has instilled in every human being...!!!

So, no matter who you are, enjoy the magnificent display of the fall colors these next few weeks...and remember...

What is going on right now in nature is necessary to produce everything we enjoy and anticipate about the Spring...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Even Smart People Can Do Dumb Things...!!!

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:05:45 -0500

Please don't consider me egotistical if I refer to myself as smart...!!!

I was consistently at the top of my class, scored high in the Sat's, and have a rather high IQ...!!!

But throw all that out of the window...as of Friday morning...

Let me explain...

Here is my regular morning routine...before leaving for work...

Pick up my keys from the kitchen counter, grab my briefcase, immediately upon entering the garage I press the garage door opener, get a bottle of spring water from the garage fridge, start my very used Dodge Dakota pickup truck and back out to the waiting outside world...

This morning, however, I made a crucial error...my routine was flawed...after starting the car I accidentally hit the remote garage door button which then closed the garage door behind me, and since I put the truck in reverse gear guess what I ran into...

Right...the garage door...

As of this moment I'm extremely frustrated, angry with myself for being so stupidnegligent, and anxiously awaiting the cost to repair the door...!!! See...even smartintelligent people can do dumb things...

Have a great weekend, and praise the Lord as a family...!!!

Reconciling Racism...It's All In The Cards...!!!

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:48:30 -0500

If you're a Pinochle player, you know that the game goes smoothly as long as each player has cards of each suit, but once any player gets down to a 3 suited or less hand, trump cards will appear, and the game reaches its exciting and sometimes cutthroat climax...

But that is Pinochle...an entertaining card game...but just a game...!!!

In real life, my sister and I were raised hearing stories of the Great Depression, being encouraged to 'save for a rainy day', and made aware of prejudice towards those of us of Italian descent...

We lived in a black and white world then...

And color television had not yet been invented...!!!

When a group of people walked toward you on the sidewalk it was very difficult to tell a Jew from a Catholic, an Italian boy from an Irish boy, an immigrant from a native born citizen...

However, when one person in the group was black, it was evident that there was a difference...at least judging by color...

Even before reality TV shows came on the scene and certainly before the advent of color TV...racism, prejudice, biases, favoritism, excessive nationalism, and the like, were all real occurrences experienced by all real people...!!!

At the same time in our childhood when all these aforementioned things were evident all around us, my sister and I were being given a genuine and authentic Catholic education...which included an awareness of the reality of sin, the certainty of God's love for all men and women, and the need to preach the Gospel, the Good News, to all mankind...

Peace and justice, and prayers to bring about such realities in a world lacking both, were espoused and taught as paramount necessities...!!!

Such were the memories of my early childhood days...

Now, I find myself politically and fundamentally opposed to the beliefs and ideologies of the first black American President...I would never vote for someone solely because they were Italian, Catholic, white or black, Democrat or Republican...!!!

I carefully seek the Wisdom of My Lord before I vote...and I always vote my conscience...!!!

I find myself diametrically opposed to the values of my President, and for those opinions I express, many will deal the 'trump' card, the race card, and make accusations of racism and prejudice...

It is still my contention that the majority of Americans have a belief in The Judeo Christian God, who abhors racism, prejudice, and the like...and in order to follow faithfully our God, we also must abhor these things, and be reconciled to God by turning away from such practices and espousing TRUTH...

Racism is evident wherever the race card is played...!!!

Until the Lord returns we must seek His forgiveness, His reconciliation, and His Truth, Peace, and Wisdom...

And 'play' the 'game' of life fairly and reverently and lovingly...!!!

P.S. For homework and extra credit read Matthew Chapter 15 verse 19...!!!

Wordless Wednesday...Tee Shirt Contest...!!!

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:13:04 -0500

Pass This On...And Receive Good Luck In Four Days...!!!

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:01:05 -0500

You've received those e-mails, I'm sure...you know...the ones promising good luck or good fortune if you pass their 'Chinese proverb' on to twenty of your friends within a specified time...!!!

Many of these wasteful chain letters carry with them a warning or curse if you don't comply with their directions...!!!

Guess what...???

Please don't send me those type of e-mails...!!!

Remember this...ALL CHAIN LETTERS SENT TO ME, END WITH ME...!!!

My faith is based in the Lord, not good luck, good fortune, or hocus pocus...

Oh, if the chain letter is disguised as a 'holy' one, bringing about peace or healing or some other good intention, I will keep that intention in my prayers to be sure, but I will not PASS ON CHAIN LETTERS...!!!

The peace of the Lord surpasses all understanding...!!!

Last Weekend...A Tale Of Two Ditties...!!!

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:17:56 -0500

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

The first half of the weekend was replete with sporting event cancellations, reschedulings, postponements, torrential downpours, and foul weather activities such as fine tuning of garage cleaning, i.e. workbench reorganization, garage sink scouring, replacing of tools in their proper nesting places for quick future access, etc...

The second half of the weekend saw beautiful bright blue skies, an afternoon softball game, fallball game, an Eagles opening day victory, sandwiched between two classic Phillies wins over the Mets...

My youngest son, Jared, combined with two other teammates to pitch a no hitter in which he doubled, closed, stole 5 bases including home twice, while his sister, Emily, drove home the only run in a crosstown softball game...!!!

All in all, a productive and enjoyable weekend...

All's well that ends well...!!!

Have a great week...!!!

Fran's Friday Forum...Rain...Rain...Go Away...!!!

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:03:53 -0500

Remember the old kids refrain, "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day, little _ _ _ _ _ wants to play"...???

As we got older we realized how valuable and important RAIN is to living...!!!

It's not accidental that in our English language 'rain' plays such a role in the meaning of such important words as...brain...drain...grain...train...all important concepts in the growth of society...

In fact we talk about 'brain drain', 'rain drain', and 'grain train'...equally important concepts in our historic development...

Just in our area of Southeastern Pennsylvania, we have experienced an unusually heavy rain year in 2009...causing everything to grow much faster...wheat, weeds, and wildflowers...and things like thistles, thorns, and thunders to be more abundant...!!!

If we are a patient people, we will appreciate the values of rain and also tolerate its inconveniences without complaining...

Of course, always remembering what the Church has taught for centuries...All Things In Moderation...!!!

Have a great family weekend...and refrain from strain...!!!

P.T.A....OR...P.T.B....???

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:18:12 -0500

Anyone who has children has belonged at one time or another to the PTA, Parent Teachers Association...

In our household, we also subscribe to the PTB...Parents Too Busy to breathe association...

We don't hold meetings...too busy...

There are no committees or subcommittees...not enough volunteers...

And there are no dues or fees or fund raisers...but the job is priceless...

Even those of us who didn't vote for change experience it in the PTB...

It is exciting living your life worrying about what event or which kid you may have forgotten at any given time...

Oh well...thank God I have a blog on which to rant...!!!

Wordless Wednesday...Celebrate Life...!!!

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:42:02 -0500

SEPTEMBER...The Month For New Beginnings...???

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:09:24 -0500

New years resolutions are usually reserved for January first of each new year, many fiscal years begin in July, and the traditional school year commences after Labor Day with some regional variations...BUT...

September is an ideal time for NEW BEGINNINGS...!!!

September is when nature itself chooses to begin preparation for its Spring spectacular...falling leaves, colorful vegetation displays, cooling temperatures...all signal a hint that nature's beginning to do something different...!!!

So, if you're tired of your life the way you know it, if your business needs a shot in the arm, or if you'd just like to chart a new course...

NOW IS THE TIME...!!!

Jesus was big on 'new beginnings'...second chances...and was often heard telling people to 'reform' their lives, forget about the mistakes of the past, set aside stale and worthless traditions, not harbor grudges, take the road less traveled...

So...in these few days following Labor Day, why don't we take advantage of NEW BEGINNINGS...

Let us resolve to examine our lives, our businesses, our personal commitments...and take this time to tweak...!!!

SEPTEMBER...a great season for TWEAKING...!!!