This Side of Heaven... where angels love to tread!

• You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.

• You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.

• You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

• You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (Admit it!)

• You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island .

• You had either a 'bowl cut' or 'pixie', not to mention the 'Dorothy Hamill'. People sometimes thought you were a boy.
  

• You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.

• You owned 'Klick-Klacks' and smacked yourself in the face more than once !

• Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.

• You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers.

• You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.

• You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits, or the sunshine family.

• You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.

• You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color. (Oh yeah!)

• You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle). You also had a pair of salt-water sandals.

• You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture and you despised Nellie Olson!

• You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink!

• PONG! ('video tennis' )was the most remarkable futuristic game you've ever heard of !

• Your hairstyle was described as having 'wings' or 'feathers' and you kept it 'pretty' with the comb you kept in your back pocket. When you walked, the 'wings' flapped up and down, looked like you were gonna 'take off'.
  

• You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos inside some were glass inside and broke the first time you dropped them.
  

• You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend.

• YOU had Star Wars action figures, too!

• It was a big event in your household each year when the 'Wizard of Oz' would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

• You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: 'Who will I marry? Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy?'

• You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album.

• You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom.

• You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens ! on your t-shirts!

• You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker.

• You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

• You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books. (Are you there God, It's me, Margaret.)

• You thought Olivia Newton John's song 'Physical' was about aerobics. (?? Its not??)

• You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or r a i n b o w designs.

• You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.

• You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft - which was the first 'real' perfume you ever owned.

• You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lip-gloss till it almost dripped off.

Thanks to Hanneli for sharing.

I discovered Ellie Crystal's website in 1995. That was also the time when our office finally converted to PCs and work has never been the same. Working as a switchboard operator during that time, the way to pass the time in between calls was either read a book or do other stuff that can while away the boredom.

The PC was heaven sent especially to me and I really learned a lot. Crystalinks was one of the sites that blew me away. For one, Ellie talked about things that interest me most: metaphysics, the occult, spirituality, etc... Her site contains a wealth of information drawn not only from her rich knowledge but most of all from her personal experiences. Her story is so fascinating that I was drawn to it and since she adds new content to her site everyday I made it a point to visit so that I could learn more of what she has to impart. Her site opened doors for me and helped enhanced my growing interest. She would also direct her readers to other notable websites that is worth spending your time with. Through her blog, my awareness of the world that I know of and the hidden world has expanded and I have reached new levels of understanding due to her empowering teachings.

Now, Ellie will be seen on the History channel's latest offering called "Lost Book of Nostradamus". This 2-hour television event will premier on Sunday, October 28th. Ellie will be one of the resource persons that the show invited to share their expertise. Although, Ellie has had other shows before (see her bio for more info) and though she gets millions of hits on her site everyday, this show will make her more visible and reach millions.

Here is another article I found on Crystalinks website entitled "Full Moon in Taurus" (Thursday, October 25th 2007). This is such a beautiful and enlightening piece of writing since the writer has captured the essence of what Taurus innate character and desire is. Being a Taurus myself, the writer hit the right spot and showed how intuitive she is. To better understand what I am talking about you can read the full article here.







Hey diddle, diddle
the cat and the fiddle
the cow jump over the moon.
The little dog laugh to see such sport
and the dish ran away with the spoon...

This photoshop photos was emailed to me by our good friend, Anish, who is out in Novato, California and has no one to share the passion for the Red Sox out there. Poor Nishi, hope he finds a bar in Chico, CA which will show the game on TV.








Meanwhile, here's a site from my favorite daily blog, Crystalinks, of a Boston Red Sox fan who lives in New York city and gets to blog about his favorite team. If you want to know Ellie's prediction on who will win the 2007 world series, click here.

An elderly gentleman...

Had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100% . The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, 'Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.' The gentleman replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'

****

Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says:

'Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?'

Slim says, 'I feel just like a newborn baby.'

'Really? Like a new born baby?'

'Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.'


****



An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, 'Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.' The other man said, 'What is the name of the restaurant?'

The first man thought and thought and finally said, 'What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know... The one that's red and has thorns.' 'Do you mean a rose?' 'Yes, that's the one,' replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, 'Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?'


****

Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital!. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him. 'I don't know,' he said. 'She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown.'

****

Couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. During a checkup, the doctor tells them that they're physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember.

Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair.

'Want anything while I'm in the kitchen?' he asks. 'Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?'

'Sure.'

'Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?' she asks.

'No, I can remember it.' 'Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so's not to forget it?'

He says, 'I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.'

'I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, write it down?' she asks. Irritated, he says, 'I don't need to write it down,

I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for goodness sake!' Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment. 'Where's my toast?'

****

A senior citizen said to his eighty-year old buddy:

'So I hear you're getting married?'

'Yep!'

'Do I know her?'

'Nope!'

'This woman, is she good looking?'

'Not really.'

'Is she a good cook?'

'Naw, she can't cook too well.'

'Does she have lots of money?'

'Nope! Poor as a church mouse.'

'Well, then, is she good in bed?'

'I don't know.'

'Why in the world do you want to marry her then?'

'Because she can still drive!'


****

Three old guys are out walking.

First one says, 'Windy, isn't it?'

Second one says, 'No, it's Thursday!'

Third one says, 'So am I. Let's go get a beer.'


****

A man was telling his neighbor, 'I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art. It's perfect.' 'Really,' answered the neighbor . 'What kind is it?' 'Twelve thirty.'

****

Morris, an 82 year-old man, went to the doctor to get a physical.

A few days later, the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. A couple of days later, the doctor spoke to Morris and said, 'You're really doing great, aren't you?'

Morris replied, 'Just doing what you said, Doc: 'Get a hot mamma and be

cheerful.''

The doctor said, 'I didn't say that. I said, 'You've got a heart murmur; be careful.'


****

One more. . .!

A little old man shuffled slowly into an ice cream parlor and pulled himself slowly, painfully, up onto a stool. After catching his breath, he ordered a banana split. The waitress asked kindly, 'Crushed nuts?' 'No,' he replied, 'Arthritis.'




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*Sent by Patty

**Senility Prayer from Suddenly Senior

*** Retire seniors photo from Bo-Peep

A woman was in town on a shopping trip. She began her day finding the most perfect shoes in the first shop and a beautiful dress on sale in the second. In the third everything had just been reduced to a fiver when her mobile phone rang. It was a female doctor notifying her that her husband had just been in a terrible accident and was in critical condition and in the ICU. The woman told the doctor to inform her husband where she was and that she'd be there as soon as possible.

As she hung up she realized she was leaving what was shaping up to be her best day ever in the shops. She decided to get in a couple of more shops before heading to the hospital.

She ended up shopping the rest of the morning, finishing her trip with a cup of coffee and a beautiful coffee slice complimentary from the last shop.

She was jubilant. Then she remembered her husband. Feeling guilty, she dashed to the hospital. She saw the doctor in the corridor and asked about her husband's condition. The lady doctor glared at her and shouted, 'You went ahead and finished your shopping trip didn't you! I hope you're proud of yourself! While you were out for the past four hours enjoying yourself in town, your husband has been languishing in the Intensive Care Unit! It's just as well you went ahead and finished, because it will be more than likely the last shopping trip you ever take! For the rest of his life he will require round the clock care. And you'll now be his care-giver!'



The woman was feeling so guilty she broke down and sobbed.


The doctor then chuckled and said, 'I'm just pulling your leg. He's dead. What'd you buy?'






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*Joke from Merlin

**Photo from Land Air Furniture

***Photo from Fiscal Agents

I first heard of Randy Pausch one morning in September. He was featured in "Good Morning America" as a professor who gave what is perceived to be his final talk/lecture since Randy is "dying" of pancreatic cancer. The talk that he gave cause a great buzz in the world of media and most of all in the consciousness of humanity.

I was not able to listen to the full lecture the first time, but now that I did, it is indeed, a lecture worth listening to. I won't add more to this since I believe that he is an eloquent speaker himself. You will never regret listening to his story...



Video from Google

Our family doesn't usually frequent French restaurants. I don't know... maybe it has something to do with French restaurants being so hoity-toity or too classy for our taste, the hard to pronounce menu and the price.

We were at Rhinebeck, NY last Oct. 4th and after our visit at Omega Institute, my husband, mother and I were ready for a satisfying dinner before we go back to our bed and breakfast place.

Although, we were driving around the town of Rhinebeck without any clear idea of where we were going, we were serendipitously directed to Market St. where we were able to find public parking and walked over to where we can find a decent place to eat.

After a few minutes of walking, we happen to pass by a bakery called "Bread Alone" and we bought several slices of pound cakes and a bag of cookies to bring back with us just in case we got hungry during the night.

When we came out of the bakery, I saw on the opposite side of the street, the sign for "Le Petit Bistro". I immediately recognize the name since I have been searching the web for places to eat at Rhinebeck a month before this trip. However, as always, I forgot to print out the places that I have found since I got so busy days before. Fortunately, I still remembered the name of the restaurant since I remember reading that the chef was a graduate of the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) which is located at Hyde Park, NY which is next to Rhinebeck. Now, this is something worth going to since most reviews I found only have great words for the food. And besides, this is an opportunity to try food prepared by a CIA chef and see if they really stand up to the hype.

We were the first customers of the evening and we were seated in a nice area near the window. The rustic ambiance in the restaurant made it more cozy and intimate. Very clean and white linen grace the tables with sparkling plates, glasses and dinnerware.

After one of the wait staff gave us our menu and got our order for drinks, we had the opportunity to review the dinner menu. As expected, it was in French but it had English descriptions. In the midst of this, we were approach by the restaurant manager, who also gave us the 'specials for the night". True to one review that I read, they have to use the blackboard to read the specials since there were at least 12 of them... What a lot of specials!!! Other dining places could only offer you at least 3. Though they have an extensive offering of wine, we didn't try some since we didn't want to get too tizzy after dinner.

My husband and mother ordered the specials: Entrec�te Grill�e ou au Poivre (Sirloin Steak Grilled or with crushed Peppercorn Cream Sauce) and Sole Anglaise Meuni�re or Grenobloise (English Dover Sole) respectively. I opted for the Coquilles St. Jacques au Poivre (Sea Scallops with Crushed Black Peppercorns in a Cream Sauce). For appetizers, my husband chose the Prince Edward Island Mussels.

At first, I thought that the mussels my husband ordered might not be the right choice but I was proven wrong. We started with freshly made bread which was so good and it reminded me of Bertucci's bread.... so good even just with butter. Even though the bread given to us was not brought in a basket (the wait staff would serve us a piece on our plates) but they would immediately replenish you after you finished.

The mussels was, I believed. sauteed in butter and wine and was so soft that it could almost melt in your mouth. I'm glad that my hubby picked this one.

The fresh leafy salad was drizzled with their salad dressing that was just right to the palate and does not clash with the bread, the mussels and our drinks.

The entrees was worth the wait. My scallops were so good that I wanted to cry (hahaha! it really made me feel that the chef made it especially for me and only me alone). The scallops were grilled and that it didn't come out chewy but soft and gets sweeter the more you chew. It had a mushroom sauce that completed the grilled scallops to perfection. The dish came with rice which was cooked like we would cook our rice and the green beans was also done nicely.

My husband's grilled steak was so good even though it was done "rare". We seldom eat beef which is done rare but I was surprised that my husband agreed to have his steak done this way. However, another pleasant surprise was how the steak didn't give you that aftertaste that you get when eating half-cooked meat. I guess that the sauce that came with it must have perfectly hidden that offensive flavor. The fries was done perfectly: not fried but I think baked so nothing was hard or oil.

The sole fish that my mother ordered was equally delicious.

We also ordered dessert which was Raspberry Tart. The raspberries which were just the right sweetness despite the late season were spread on top of creamy custard (I think!) and was encased on their own made wafer (I think!). I love eating the tart as much as the wafer since it's just like our Filipino "barquillos".

Noticeably, the servings are usually small compared to gigantic dishes that you get when you dine in other places (e.g. Italian, American, Chinese, etc...) However, this does not necessarily mean that the food was not satisfying nor filling. In fact, we were filled up by the time we were done eating and definitely satisfied. We didn't have to carry back with us any leftovers, which would taste yucky anyway the next day.

All in all, the ambiance, the food, and the service were impeccable. I am so glad we had a dining experience to remember. Now I know why graduates of the Culinary Institute of America are held to a high-esteem.

If ever you find yourself in Rhinebeck look for Le Petit Bistro at 8 East Market Street Rhinebeck, NY, 12572.