Indulgences - Magnum Bars - Submitted things tonight

In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, an indulgence is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins".^[1] It may reduce the "temporal punishment for sin" after death (as opposed to the eternal punishment merited by mortal sin), in the state or process of purification called Purgatory.

 I go up and bike after eating this Magnum Bar. Terrible name. America is all about Food and Guns.

 Hard to see but I turned on my Christmas lights tonight. Lovely glow in the house.

Submitted two items to Twisted Sister. My one-act play Daddypops Diner and my rejected Starlings piece I retitled Did Hitchcock Arrange This?

Was looking for a short story of mine called Estelle - have no idea where it is - but I found this fantastic true blog. Read the sad sad story here.



While riding my bike, I listen to the late Dr Wayne Dyer.

"Don't die with your music still in you."

These are quotes from his Indian guru. 

Dormant forces come alive when you're in spirit. When you are creating, everything is working.

In my world, nothing ever goes wrong.



Went to the Terminal Diner for breakfast.

Hot coffee.

Two eggs over easy atop hash

Hashed browns w onions

DELICIOUS

As I set out for the Terminal, I went back in the house for

My car keys
My backpack
Book for the backpack



They use LACAS coffee.  Ellen was my waitress. The place was mobbed.

I may have to go to bed now w/o working on my Pope short story. Am really scared to work on it.

Food Food Food and that includes coffee and dessert - Poem: November is leaving us today - Request for money

LACAS COFFEE. Read about it here.  Since 1921.

Read the unusual ingredients.

Went to Mom and Ellen's for one purpose: So they could make me a cuppa delicious coffee. Of course I have my own, but there's nuffin like someone making it for you.

Went to Scott's afterward and was able to sleep through much of the news after that.

Now, I'm just twiddling my thumbs before watching The Dick Powell Theatre on YouTube. Cost of Netflix rose about $1 but the choice of films or TV series is strikingly awful!!!

Godless got rave reviews

OMG, does that look terrible!!!

Oh no! Just found this online!

Click here about Daniel Day-Lewis retiring.



I will definitely read this later.

Listen, should I eat something now? Ellen had made a delicious pumpkin pie sans crust - recipe on the Libby pumpkin can - and we ate it with vanilla ice cream.

NOVEMBER IS LEAVING US TODAY

Rejoice for autumn is still here.
At Pennypack Trust, the lake
is frozen. Shadows of skittering
clouds and low-lying trees reflect
the renewal of nature.

Tiny bubbles show a secret world
under the water. Turtles, toads,
and seaweed recline like in the
belly of the whale, awaiting
redemption in the spring.

Can you smell my turkey soup?
That skinny shiny neck I left
in the compost heap for the critters.
The hot soup I sip on while reflecting
upon many things.

People die. A friend of Scott's was
buried last week. Cancer. We don't expect
that to happen, do we?

My face is reflected in the turkey soup,
whose fat skims the surface. How do I look?
Big brown eyes like I had as a kid. What
about my hair? All white like the moon
shining in my upstairs window and the
bark of that damn dog, they're too
lazy to walk.

I added raisins for flavor.

This lovely white bowl I bought at an estate sale around the corner.

Presenting AWESOME PHOTOS

Will the sender of this postcard PLEASE STAND UP? For you youngsters, that's a line from the old TV show To Tell the Truth.

Look, everyone's asking for money!

Okay, so the above individual spent SIXTEEN DAYS in Italy.

Once I went to Italy. Check it out here. Not exactly Italy but close enuf.



MORE AWESOME CARDS BELOW...

Look! She adopted my postcard style. See the staples? Wait'll you see the other side, a real relic that her mom had.

How I stare and stare at this!

What's so good about it? I will ponder this question. If YOU can think of an answer, please send it along.

Just posted our donation request on Facebook. I asked several folks if it was COOL to do it.

New Directions Support Group of Abington and Willow Grove, PA

Hi everyone,

Cyber Monday turns out to be the biggest shopping event of the year.

What a perfect time to donate to your favorite support group, New Directions, which I founded in 1986, after a horrific - and I do mean horrific - battle with Bipolar Disorder One, where you zoom out of reality.

I remember saying to people, you could pay me a billion dollars and I'd never go through that experience again.

That feeling has propelled me to continue running ND and helping as many people as possible.

Today, two new people called our ND line. One woman I'll call Dee is in the depths of depression. She is paralyzed by an inability to "move." Her current psychiatrist answers phone calls during their sessions, types up his progress notes and refused to stop, per her request.

I emailed Dee a long list of excellent psychiatrists and nursing prescribers with hopes she can find someone to help her.

When I ask you to donate, you can do it through PayPal, which you'll find on our website below, through United Way, or by sending a check to PO Box 181, Hatboro, PA 19040.

What an honor it is to have so many folks helping to "run the show" at ND.

Seven days a week we have our phone greeters, whose voices are the first ones people hear. "Hope" starts right there. Thanks to Harriet, Nick, Janis, Greg, Miss Toni, and others.

Our group leaders are wonderful - Greg and Carole Hodges, leaders of our caring "Loved Ones Group" - Ada Moss Fleisher of the Depression Group, Helen Kirschner of our Thursday Daytime Group at the Giant, who spends extra time with members.

Our offerings include Top Psychiatrist List, Immediate return of phone call or emails if someone is in crisis, brainstorming on the best thing to do when in crisis, home visits, and morale boosters like the YES I CAN card we send to several people a week.

Tips on diet. Ever looked at all the junk in the carts at the grocery store? We can't live a full healthy life if we don't eat right. Make an appt with Mary Ann Moylen at the Giant Supermarket. Some people simply never learned to eat right. Mary Ann will be your guide.

And, of course, exercise is vital. No need to pay a fortune at the gym, though that's fine if you want to.

A quick walk around the block is invigorating and if you have a stationery bike at home, a treadmill or elliptical machine, those are great. Get those endorphins moving.

Depression makes a person want to isolate. Get thee to a coffee shop to schmooze with other people, or a library or book group.

Ed Quinn swears by meditating, which he does at Pennypack Trust in Huntingdon Valley. Recently he was in terrible shape and wrote me a note, quoted with his permission:

"Ruth, I'll never forget your invaluable help. You got me out of the worst days of my life. I've got my old self back, and am productive and feeling well."

It was a question of his new meds kicking in and someone to "hold his hand" over the phone. Victory!

Another thing we do is send you fascinating articles to help on your journey of wellness. The Happiness Article by Tara Parker-Pope was something many of you absolutely loved.

As did I.

It's still early in the evening. 9:12 pm. Step outside on the front porch. Look at the glittering Christmas decorations on your street and the three-quarter moon hanging like a

lantern in the sky.

We have so much to be thankful for! My left-over turkey meat is in the slo-cooker, smelling great.

Please show your appreciation by donating to New Directions Support Group. Click for our website.

Cheers!

Ruth Z Deming, MGPGP

Founder/Director

215 659 2142

View our meeting schedule below....

New Directions Support Group

and DON'T FORGET TO DONATE!

How many film noirs can a person watch? Poems: Film Noir Sunday on Turner Classic Films - Bed Bath and Beyond

Yes, Scott, I said, when he came over this morning.

I'm coming over to watch Edwin Mueller and his Sunday film noir. First, I gotta eat my breakfast and then write a poem for Facebook.

FILM NOIR SUNDAY
ON TURNER CLASSIC
FILMS

The whole country
it seems is in
film noir mode
the president our country
coughed up from the
depths makes the
morning news
every day. That face!
That grin! That
orangutan hair!

His clueless missus
he accidentally
insults - wink wink -
so what's there to do?

I listen to Vivaldi on
YouTube and give thanks
that we all were
together at Mom's yesterday.

A feast awaited. Chocolate
truffles the baby swung in
her tiny hands, then,
face aglow clapped clapped
as Mom paddy-caked her
and thanked us all for
visiting.

Driving home in the dark
down backbending side roads
a white-tailed deer was camouflaged
against the leaves. Was this
Willow Grove or was it
the Afghan?

Another sip of organic
green tea, please!

***

The first film was quite good. Scott slept thru it but I woke him up at the suspenseful end.

  Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN.

A couple of scenes take place at an amusement park in CT, I believe. Very frightening! Reader, does thou know other films where the locale is at an amusement park.

     I just in a Cuban frame of mind, senorita.

After STRANGERS, I went home to prepare sub-lunch, and returned for the second film of the day. It was introduced by Ben Mankiewicz and one of the TCM Fans. The woman liked an early Wm Powell film, where he was romantically linked with Kay Francis.

Read this 1932 review.



Could this be the reason I bought a hot dog when I got gas at the Giant. Scott had $1.79 off so he said I saved $9 on gas.

Then we walked at the Pennypack. Hadn't been there for ages. It's been   c cold outside!

TWO POEMS FROM MY FAMOUS VOLUME:  "Facebook Poem of the Day"

BREAKFAST OF
MY DREAMS

The coffee is
hot! Rum Coffee
from a Caribbean
Cruise I took with
the kids in February.

Me back always hurts
in the morning. While
stepping into a
pair of pants, I put
both feet in a single
leg, fell to the floor
and thought, This CANNOT
have happened to me.

While reading in bed
earlier this morn,
I decided on my breakfast.
Coffee du jour
and the remains of
the Pumpkin Pie with
Ice Cream on top.

Later today the family
will gather at Mom's. Shall
I dress for the baby?
Nay! I shall dress for me.

In the bottom of one of
Aunt Ethels's drawers
I have found a warm
grey sweater made by
GEORGE.

Must everything end in tragedy?
George was the clothing company
sold by JFK Junior - remember his
darling salute? - before his
plane upside-downed and drowned
all aboard.

The pie was delicious. Ate it
on the front porch. A warm day
here in the suburbs of Phila-
del-PHI-ay, where my grandson
Max ran outside and said,
Bubby! Look up! Look up!
There's the crescent moon.


YES, CINDERELLA, THERE
ARE MICE AT MAR-A-LAGO

The Trump Family of
Presidential Mice
listen in to all
the conversations
unbeknownst to
his majesty, the
45th president
of the United States.

We can't help appreciating
the man. We dine on the
rich crumbs dropped beneath
the table, and love to tickle
those bare skinny legs of
that Miss Universe wife of his.

Topics were predictable.
His bare-chested hero
Vladimir the Great, Barry
Manilow, coming out as
gay, and Malia's new
boyfriend at Harvard.
Miscegenation!

Once, at night, two of us
snuck by moonlight into
his bedroom, where he
slept with hairnet
and rollers, slobbering
onto his silken pillow.

All we could do was look
at one another and stare,
leaving a little gift
on his PJs that resembled
a caraway seed.

***

Yesterday morning, it was time to upload the December schedule for New Directions. I could not remember how to do it!

I put on my thinking cap

   and thought and thought and thought.

YES! I remembered how to do it.

And printed it out.

See December schedule here.

Earlier today Scott and I drove to Bed Bath and Beyond. Since 1971. He wanted to get a couple of things. The store was wall-to-wall HOT and wall-to-wall BODIES.  I'd like to write a poem about it now.

Gimme a few minutes, please!

  Looks like the start of a horror movie where (1) the entire store will levitate and be sucked up onto a distant planet or (2) Aliens from Outer Space will capture several children and make them disappear. Actually, this could already be on Netflix.

BEWARE OF BED BATH AND BEYOND

Perched upon five parking lot layers
Go slow, lest you collide with other
shoppers' cars. Your leg muscles will
stretch as you climb what amounts to be
a small hill good for skiing in the winter.

The B and B door will whoosh open. Such
a heat breeze will shock you! First it will
feel good like stepping into a sauna,
then you'll feel like Calling Adam-12
and riding to the ER.

The store is made up of 865 different cubbyholes.
Five folk can fit inside each one. Be careful
or her hair will catch upon your pocket book
or you'll knock over a tall drinking glass
from the metal shelf.

I weigh myself on a gorgeous modern
scale. 147.4 sways the numerales.  There's
not one single item I'd wanna buy.
Towels, sheets, caramel corn, ice holders.

I have everything: a cheese grater that's
32 years old, mirrors and dressers going
on 75, paintings from Dante's Beatriz, sort of,
and two swinging mobiles dans le living.

You've made it into Bed Bath and now you've
gotta go Beyond. Outside, once again. But
the shoppers are gathered in a final sale room
before the exit.

They ooh and they aah and they touch everything
in sight.

I scamper like a hop-toad, come up for air, and
ski down the hill to our car.

Family portrait of Matt, Jade, and Baby Girl - Two Meals for Me - Poem: Happy Thanksgiving

Family portrait of sister Lynn and ex-hubby Warren Greene, Matt and Jade, daughter Kaia Rose, and Miles Greene, home from Columbia Law School.

At 1:30 pm, I was alseep upstairs in my bed, when someone tapped me on the leg.

Hate to wake you up, said Scott, but the turkey's ready!

He simply followed instructions and it was outstanding.

See the thingee in the upper left corner. When it pops out, you know it's done.

Yukon Gold mashed taters w loads of butter and the skins on, and his fave veggie asparagus.

We are not afraid of butter.

 Eating in Scott's new million-dollar kitchen. Wore this pink shirt I bought in Paris a couple of years ago. Used to be afraid to wear it - stains - but then I said, To the hell with it. What if I die tomorrow?

 Scott was very impressed with the Sara Lee Pumpkin Pie I bought at Giant. I stood there comparing all the pies, such as Mrs Smith, looking for the one with the least sugar.

Scott, who does not eat desserts - he has no sweet tooth - said this was really delicious and not too sweet.

I also bought two very tiny containers of Haagen Dazc Vanilla ice cream.

Then drove to Dan n Nicole's for my second dinner.

Drove over the FIXED Edgehill Road Bridge.

They'd finished dinner when I got there, but I ate things Scott and I didn't have. Gravy for their mashed potatoes. Cranberry Sauce.

First thing I ate when I came home about an hour ago was this turkey leg. Delicious spices!

I emailed Dan my Thanksgiving poem and told him I would read it, which I did.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

The bird bath is iced over
but the sky's a crisp blue
Our huge dining table is all set
My two mommies - Bernice and Gramma Lili
worked hard on the bird, roasting in the oven.
Save me the crusty thighs.

Great to see you, Dad, thanks for coming round
after 37 years. How we hated to see you go.

And David, only 27, quite a thud you made
when you decided you'd had enough. We've
got Tropicana for you and a new purple camera
for your family album.

Wampanoag Indians are heading this way from
Plymouth Rock, bearing ducks, geese and swans.
They'll sure be surprised by our homeless
warriors, our homeless children, as Black Friday
beckons. Hmmm, what should I buy? Some new
diabetic socks w/o holes in the toes?

One year, Aunt Ethel got us a color TV and we
watched the Macy's Day Parade. Will my Sarah Lynn
be watching the Pillsbury Doughboy? The Trumball
High school Marching Band?

Forty-five minutes to go! Stay warm, stay healthy,
kiss the ones you love and those you don't, look
into the heavens and say a prayer for the lonely
Almighty who's settled into the last remaining
maple in my back yard.

***

Grace, 7, Dan, Mom-Mom and I played a card game called JUST DESSERTS.



I asked Grace to play all my hands b'c I couldn't figure it out.

Brought my cookies over. Snickerdoodles, Choc Chip and Peanut Butter. Yes, they were burnt on the bottom. Grace got a kick out of that!

***
What should I do now?  I sure don't feel like riding me bike, but ....

Dyou believe it's only 8:30 pm now?  Pitch-black outside with glimmering stars.

Drove with my driving glasses with only one earpiece on it.

***
I asked everyone where they would like to visit.

Dan said Japan. To that, I replied my favorite news in NHK of Japan. Click here.

Nicole said she wanted to go back to Italy. Can't blame her.

Well, then, said Dan, I won't be going to Japan.

Interesting how we don't know our kids.