Saturday, August 23, 2014

A Doll and a Single White Rose

 

This arrived in my email box and had to share it. The poignant story is probably happening world wide to many young children whose parents are taken from them in one way or another. If only the person responsible for this event related below could take to heart and change their behaviour and those who read who drive in similar conditions, please think for one moment of the legacy of what your actions can leave to those left behind.

 

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I was walking around in a Target store, when I saw the lady in the cashier hand this little boy some money back.

The boy couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old.

The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll.'

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ''Nanny, are you sure I don't have enough money?''

The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''

Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around for a cheaper one. She left quickly

The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.

Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to

'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas.

She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.'

I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mummy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'

His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mummy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.''

My heart nearly stopped.

The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell mummy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the shops.'

Then he showed me a very nice photo of himself. He was laughing. He then told me 'I want mummy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.'

'I love my mummy and I wish she didn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.'

Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!''

'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.

The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!'

Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mummy could give it to my sister . He heard me!''

'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mummy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.''

'My mummy loves white roses.'

As I saw the old lady returning, I left with my basket as to not cause a scene.

I finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind from when I started.

I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local news paper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to remove the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news paper that the young woman had passed away.

I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes before her burial.

She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.

I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.

And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.

 

Author Unknown

Source Unknown

An Eleanore Whitney Moment

 

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Trivia Bits 23 August

 

Tinner's Arms

The name of the Tinner's Arms pub in Zennor, Cornwall (pictured), is derived from the tinners (tin miners), a historic industry in the region and was originally built in 1271 opposite St Senara's Church to house the masons building the church.

Canada Dry ginger ale, introduced in 1904, became a popular mixer during Prohibition, when its flavour helped mask the taste of homemade liquor.

Zagreb, a city with a rich history dating from the Roman times to the present day, is the capital of Croatia.

There are four cardinal points on a compass – North, South, East and West.

Playing Miss Marple in the BBC TV series of the same name is English actress of theatre, film and television Joan Hickson who in the 1940s appeared on-stage in an Agatha Christie play, Appointment with Death, which was seen by Christie who wrote in a note to her, I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple.

In the game of scrabble the letter Q and Z are worth ten points.

State of the Heart was a 1980 hit for Mondo Rock Australian rock band formed in November 1976.

During the Battle of Moscow between October 1941 and January 1942 in World War II the Soviet Union was attacked by Germany.

In 1993, American music executive Tommy Mottola married American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, and philanthropist Mariah Carey but were divorced five years later.

Igneous rocks are formed by the solidification of magna.

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

 

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The United Nations’ (UN) International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is annually observed on August 23 to remind people of the tragedy of the transatlantic slave trade. It gives people a chance to think about the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of slave trade.

 

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Indian Ocean Slave trade

Indian Ocean Slave trade

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Slaves in chains

Slavery Memorial - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Slavery Memorial - Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA

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Slave memorial Zanzibar

And after all these years, slavery in varying forms is still very much a part of today’s world. Today is time to reflect on what we can do to assist in overcoming this godless practice that demeans the very essence of being human, being loved and being accepted for who we are not what we are. The shackles may not be chains but may be ideologies, customs and local practices. Now is the time for these to be changed!

Quotables 23 August

 

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Friday, August 22, 2014

An Eleanor Powell Moment

 

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Trivia Bits 22 August

 

Smithsonian Gardens

The Smithsonian Gardens (pictured), established in 1972, is an outdoor extension of the Smithsonian Institution and has an orchid collection containing over 8,000 plants representing 256 genera.

Australian actor Julian McMahon played Christian Troy in the TV series Nip/Tuck which aired from July 18, 2003 to March 3, 2010 and was focussed on "McNamara/Troy", a cutting-edge, controversial plastic surgery centre.

In 2000, Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist Vanessa Amorosi released her debut album The Power reaching number one on the Australian album charts.

Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield in 1917, the Gibraltar Cross of Sacrifice commemorates the sailors, soldiers and airmen of the Commonwealth of Nations who died in the two World Wars.

Colonel John Bevan's contribution to military deception planning culminating in Operation Bodyguard - the deception plan to cover the D-Day landings in Normandy - during World War II was kept secret until the 1970s.

In Bach's chorale cantata Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott, BWV 139, first performed it on 12 November 1724, the part of a second obbligato instrument for a tenor aria is missing.

Two Toyota 92C-Vs were the only cars in their class (Group C2) to start at the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Most Russian-speakers in the United States are Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

Maraschino Cherries are used to decorate a traditional Black Forest cake which originated in Germany being made from Chocolate cake, cherries, whipped cream and maraschino cherries.

The first country to abolish capital punishment was Austria in 1787.

Cancer Council Daffodil Day 22 August

 

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Every day, around 350 Australians are diagnosed with cancer. But every day there is more reason for hope than ever before. Cancer research is discovering new and better treatments, cancer prevention campaigns are working and support for those affected by cancer is improving all the time. Every item sold and every donation can help Cancer Research take another step closer to the defeat of cancer…

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The daffodil is the international symbol of hope for all touched by cancer.

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For more information on Daffodil Day in Australia CLICK HERE

Quotables 22 August

 

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Thursday, August 21, 2014

An Eleanor Parker Moment

 

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Trivia Bits 21 August

 

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Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action film directed by Richard Donner, starring Mel Gibson (pictured) and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of L.A.P.D. detectives and stars Mitchell Ryan and Gary Busey as their primary adversaries.

Andante in C, K. 1a was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's first composition being notated by the composer's father, Leopold, as Wolfgang was only five years old when he composed it.

There are nine crew members in a rowing eight which comprises eight rowers who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox.

The Black Death reduced the population of Europe by one third in the period from 1347 to 1351.

The Colosseum has long been known as a site of Christian martyrdom. It was converted into a shrine as early as the sixth century and still serves as the venue for the Vatican's Good Friday services. However, there is no evidence that Christian persecutions ever took place in the Colosseum.

The dollar was established as the official currency of the US in 1785 with the first coin minted in the United States was a silver dollar issued on October 15, 1794.

In physics, the letter c is used to denote the speed of light.

The Emperor Caracalla--a tyrant remembered for slaying his brother and building the extravagant Baths of Caracalla--was murdered by his own guards while he was relieving himself. That may be where the phrase "caught with your pants down" comes from.

Dunston Pillar, a land lighthouse south of Lincoln, England, was built by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 1751, to aid navigation across the treacherous eastern heathlands.

To enhance their performances, a "prescored" soundtrack of violent noises and voices was played during the filming of the 1963 film The Haunting to give the actors something to which to react.

Quotables 21 August

 

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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

An Eleanor Boardman Moment

 

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Trivia Bits 20 August

 

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The music of American R&B recording girl group, from Oakland, California, the Pointer Sisters (pictured) combined jazz, scat and be-bop.

Bacon is added to oysters to make Oysters Kilpatrick, a classic English recipe involving oysters, cheese, Worcester sauce and bacon.

Collard greens is both a plant, including cabbage and broccoli, and a recipe, often prepared with other similar green leaf vegetables, such as kale, turnip greens and spinach.

The 1st US Minimum Wage Law was instituted in 1938. The minimum wage was 25 cents per hour.

Church House Westminster is the headquarters building for the Church of England with the foundation stone was laid by Queen Mary on 26 June 1937, and the building was officially opened by King George VI on 10 June 1940.

Russian born American film executive Joseph Schenck was the first chairman of 20th Century Fox in 1935 after he partnered with Darryl F. Zanuck to form the new company after 20th Century Pictures merged with Fox Film Corporation in 1933.

A demisemiquaver is a musical note that is played for 1/32 the duration of a whole note.

Footballers Scott and Martin Sinclair are the first brothers to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in the same year.

D River at 440 feet (130 m) in Lincoln City, Oregon, United States and Roe River in Great Falls, Montana, United States being only 201 feet (61 m), are considered the world’s shortest rivers.

The ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.

Quotables 20 August

 

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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

An Elaine Stritch Moment

 

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Trivia Bits 19 August

 

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The 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption (pictured) in Washington was the first major volcanic eruption to occur in the U.S. since the 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak in California.

People who suffer from anosognosia deny or do not know that they have relatively significant challenges such blindness or paralysis.

A howdah is is a carriage which is positioned on the back of an elephant, or occasionally some other animal such as camels, used most often in the past to carry wealthy people or for use in hunting or warfare.

As at June 2013, South Korean based Hyundai Motor Company owned around 33% of Kia Motors, the second largest car manufacturing company also in South Korea.

William X of Aquitaine (1099 - 1137), father of Eleanor of Aquitaine, was a noted patron of troubadours and also was both a lover of the arts and a warrior.

Albert R. Broccoli, born in the borough of Queens, New York City in 1909, produced Dr. No and remained involved with the James Bond series until his death in 1996.

The 1st US federal penitentiary building was completed at Leavenworth, Kansas in 1906.

Joan of Arc and Mahatma Gandhi were protagonists in Clone High, a Canadian-American adult animated television series that aired for one season (November 2002 – April 2003) on MTV and Teletoon.

The UN founded the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in 1975 and included a timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied territories by 1 June 1977.

The creator of the American television drama series True Blood is Alan Ball, based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in north-western Louisiana and centres on the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic waitress with an otherworldly quality.

Celebrating Aviation Day

 

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National Aviation Day is observed in the United States on August 19 each year to celebrate the history and development of the aviation. It coincides with the birthday of Orville Wright who, together with his brother Wilbur, made significant contributions to powered flight.