Sophie's Story

   I was watching CBS Sunday Morning when they played the radio announcement of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. For a minute I stopped sniffling into tissue number three. (It was Charles Osgood's last show.) The voice making the announcement sounded familiar. I knew that voice. It was John Charles Daly who worked as a reporter for CBS at the time that was broadcast. I knew him as the genial and urbane panel moderator of the game show "What's My Line"   A quick foray into You Tube proved that I was correct. I patted myself on the back for the next few hours.   For some reason my mind gloms onto strange things. For instance, I remember voices much better than faces. A few months ago when the pharmacy was robbed, I had a lot of trouble remembering what the thief looked like. I didn't know what the colour of his clothing except that it was dark, I didn't know if he wore gloves or boots. I didn't know if he had a hat on or a hoodie. I could tell you that he ha...

   The only TV show I watch on a regular basis anymore is CBS Sunday Morning. I used to like watching TV, but once they cancelled "The Education of Max Bickford" in order to make room for the new show "Survivor", I quit watching so much TV. I sometimes watch football games and a few episodes of "A Football Life" I'm able to record.  I can't remember when I started watching Sunday Morning. I know Charles Kuralt was the host at that time. I would come to visit my parents and help them take care of my grandfather who was living with them. On those weekends when I wasn't visiting, I would watch the show alone.  On Saturday I would go to a local bakery and buy some pasty, donuts or muffins to eat while I watched. I would brew a pot of tea and set it on my coffee table. I had a couple of tea warmers to use so my pot would not get cold.   That show was an hour and a half of downtime for me. I would not do anything except watch th...

  For several months C and I had been seeing  posts on Facebook and hearing from others about how good mashed cauliflower is. We both like cauliflower raw and lightly steamed. We were also looking for an alternative to potatoes, not because we are believe that potatoes are a dangerous vegetable that should never be consumed, but because we wanted a little variety. We finally had it last night. To be fair we did add two Russet potatoes into the mix. The result was pretty good. There were lumps, but that was all right with me. I prefer a bit of texture to my food.   It got me thinking about other strange foods that I like to eat.   I like tuna, but when I make it I use cottage cheese and a little mayonnaise. I don't like mayo. It's too slimy for me. I put in a little onion and garlic power as well. The original recipe came from a cookbook I like. My favourite way to eat it is with Triscuits. When I do this the cats tend to like spending time around me trying to get...

  A few weeks ago I read an article about a high school student who is deaf. The article talked about how his backpack was stolen and his possessions were dumped into a toilet. He had been bullied all his life because of his hearing impairment. This was the final straw. He and his mother decided that it was best that he transfer out of that school as he did not feel safe there.   A Go Fund Me page raised enough money to buy supplies to replace those that had been damaged. There have been a lot of people that have written letters of support to him.   I can understand where he coming from. I was bullied from fourth grade through high school. I was in special education classes which to many made me "a retard" and fair game. Below is the letter of support I would have written.   Dear Alex,    I read about what happened to you and wanted to write. I'm glad that you were able to transfer to a school where you feel you would be safe.   I was also bulli...

  Hi This is Scamp. Sophie has been working a lot this week so I thought I'd give her a break and write for her today.   There is lots of information out there about how to choose the perfect companion animal. (I find the word "pet" to be demeaning. I am a working cat.) There is no information, at least that I could find, about how to choose a human. Maybe that's because most companion animals are not internet savvy and many shelters do not have internet access.   I would like to tell you how Colby and I chose our humans.   My mother was a cat to Carrie's boyfriend. (They broke up a long time ago.) I lived very happily with my mother and siblings on a porch. I enjoyed tussling with my siblings, but knew the time would come when I would have to leave home and live with other humans. I thought long and hard about what I wanted. I knew I did not want to be an only cat. I like having someone to play with and to admire my outrageous good looks. It had to be someon...

   It is well known that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have many customs that differ from other Christian faiths. The LDS have Home teachers and Visiting teachers.   Men in the ward (congregation) are home teachers. They are assigned two or three families in the ward that they are to visit once a month. It is the job of the home teacher to watch over the families he is assigned to. He teaches the family, encourages them and also helps them when needed or helps them to find needed resources. This isn't a complete job description I know, any LDS out there who wishes to correct me on this are welcome to do so.   Women are not left out of this. Women are assigned to visit other women once a month. The job is the same to help, teach, encourage and to assist in finding resources if a woman seems to be struggling.   I've always liked this custom. I was heavily influenced by my mother's family of Italian heritage. The family members take care...