Food for Thought

[Marian]

Donald, we discuss anything and everything here, as well as everything about Matt Monro of course! I hope you will join in in lots of our discussions.
I'm pleased you liked the history lesson!
Marian

[Lena & Harry Smith]

I was toasting a teacake while I was reading that fantastic history lesson Marian hence the song, "Smoke Get's In Your Eyes.

[Marian]

I guess that might have been the origin of Alfred burning the cakes Lena!!

[Gray]

I loved the History lesson too, Marian.

Thanks for posting that.
I don't know if anyone has ever visited
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/index.html
but this is a good site for tracking down the meaning of the things we say.

[Marian]

Hi Gray, Pleased you enjoyed them too.
I've just visited the phrases site and it's very interesting to find out the origins of all our phrases and sayings. Thanks for adding the link.
I've added it to my facebook page so that I can always find it easily

[ROBERT M.]

One day, when I was a freshman in high school,


I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.


His name was Kyle.





It looked like he was carrying all of his books.





I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?





He must really be a nerd.'





I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on..





As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.





They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.





His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him...





He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes





My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.





As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks.'










They really should get lives.





' He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!'





There was a big smile on his face.





It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.





I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.





As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before..





He said he had gone to private school before now.





I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.





We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.





He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.





I asked him if he wanted to play a little football
With my friends





He said yes.





We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.





Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.





I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!





' He just laughed and handed me half the books.





Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends..





When we were seniors we began to think about college.





Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.





I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never




Be a problem.





He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..





Kyle was valedictorian of our class.





I teased him all the time about being a nerd.





He had to prepare a speech for graduation.





I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak





Graduation day, I saw Kyle.





He looked great.





He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.





He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.





He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.





Boy, sometimes I was jealous!




Today was one of those days.





I could see that he was nervous about his speech.





So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!'





He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.





' Thanks,' he said.





As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began





'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.





Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends....





I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.





I am going to tell you a story.'





I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the
first day we met.





He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.





He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.





He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.





'Thankfully, I was saved.





My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable..'





I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.





I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.





Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.





Never underestimate the power of your actions..





With one small gesture you can change a person's life.





For better or for worse.





God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.





Look for God in others......................

[Marian]

I nearly put this under 'Today's Joke' but it isn't!

PARENT: Job Description:
This is hysterical. If it had been presented this way,
I don't believe any one of us would have done it!

POSITION:
Mum, Mummy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Long term, team players needed, for challenging,
permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication
and organizational skills and be willing to work
variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends
and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to
primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and
endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily,
until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a
pack mule
and be able to go from zero to 60 kph in three seconds flat
in case, this time, the screams from
the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges,
such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets
and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and
coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings
for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute,
an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a
half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst
Must assume final, complete accountability for
the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and
janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:

None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years,
without complaining,
constantly retraining and updating your skills,
so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis..

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:

Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because
of the assumption that college will help them
become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that
you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension,
no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and
no stock options are offered;
this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth,
unconditional love,
and free hugs and kisses for life. . .
if you play your cards right.









.......... AND A FOOTNOTE: THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!

[Marian]

THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN COUNTRY!
We Must Stop This Immediately!
Have you noticed that stairs are getting steeper. Groceries are heavier. And, everything is farther away. Yesterday I walked to the corner and I was dumbfounded to discover how long our street had become!
And, you know, people are less considerate now, especially the young ones. They speak in whispers all the time! If you ask them to speak up they just keep repeating themselves, endlessly mouthing the same silent message until they're red in the face! What do they think I am a lip reader?
I also think they are much younger than I was at the same age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran into an old friend the other day and she has aged so much that she didn't even recognise me.
I got to thinking about the poor dear while I was combing my hair this morning, and in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection. Well, REALLY NOW - even mirrors are not made the way they used to be!
Another thing, everyone drives so fast these days! You're risking life and limb if you happen to pull onto the motorway in front of them. All I can say is, their brakes must wear out awfully fast, the way I see them screech and swerve in my rear view mirror.
Clothing manufacturers are less civilized these days. Why else would they suddenly start labelling a size 10 or 12 dress as 18 or 20? Do they think no one notices? The people who make bathroom scales are pulling the same prank. Do they think I actually 'believe' the number I see on that dial? HA! I would never let myself weigh that much! Just who do these people think they're fooling?
I'd like to call up someone in authority to report what's going on -- but the telephone company is in on the conspiracy too: they've printed the phone books in such small type that no one could ever find a number in there!

All I can do is pass along this warning:
WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!

Unless something drastic happens, pretty soon everyone will have to suffer these awful indignities.
!!!!!!

[mariana44]

I wonder why so many of those things are ringing a bell with me !!!

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Yes, it's an absolute disgrace what's happening and we should march with our complaints to No 10 with exstinguishers that come free with a pair of specs from Specsavers.

[ROBERT M.]

Daddy's Poem

Her hair was up in a pony tail,
Her favourite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
And she couldn't wait to go.

But her mummy tried to tell her,
That she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
If she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid;
She knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
Of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried,
For her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
She tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school
Eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
A dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall at the back,
For everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
Anxious in their seats

One by one the teacher called
A student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
As seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name,
Every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
For a man who wasn't there.

'Where's her daddy at?'
She heard a boy call out.
'She probably doesn't have one,'
Another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back,
She heard a daddy say,
'Looks like another deadbeat dad,
Too busy to waste his day.'

The words did not offend her,
As she smiled up at her Mum.
And looked back at her teacher,
Who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back,
Slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
Came words incredibly unique.

'My Daddy couldn't be here,
Because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
Since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
And how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories
He taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
And taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes,
And ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him.
I'm not standing here alone.

'Cause my daddy's always with me,
Even though we are apart
I know because he told me,

He'll forever be in my heart'

With that, her little hand reached up,
And lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
Beneath her favourite dress.

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads,
Her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
Who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love
Of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
Doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down,
Staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
But its message clear and loud.

'I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
But heaven's just too far.

You see he is a Brittish soldier
And died just this past year
When a roadside bomb hit his convoy
And taught Britians to fear.

But sometimes when I close my eyes,
it's like he never went away.
And then she closed her eyes,
And saw him there that day.

And to her mothers amazement,
She witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
All starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them,
Who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
They saw him at her side.

'I know you're with me Daddy,'
To the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
Of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it,
For each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
Was a fragrant long-stemmed rose.



And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,
By the love of her shining star.
And given the gift of believing,
That heaven is never too far.

Send this to the people you'll never forget.



It's a short message to let them know that you'll never forget them.

Lest We Forget.

[ROBERT M.]

Can you circulate this around especially as Xmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail. The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam:

A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number).

DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize .

If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £315 for the phone call.

If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655.

[Marian]

People say there is no difference between COMPLETE & FINISHED....

But there is. When you marry the right one, you are COMPLETE....

And when you marry the wrong one, you are FINISHED.....

And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are...COMPLETELY FINISHED.

[Marian]

Nominated by the UN as the best poem written by an African child.

When I born, I black

When I grow up, I black

When I go in Sun, I black

When I scared, I black

When I sick, I black

And when I die, I still black

And you white fellow

When you born, you pink

When you grow up, you white

When you go in sun, you red

When you cold, you blue

When you scared, you yellow

When you sick, you green

And when you die, you grey

And you calling me coloured?

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Anyone feeling a bit "BROWNED" off with the lousey weather etc. This will make you smile