The Italian Elbow

An Italian grandmother is giving directions
to her grown grandson
who is coming to visit with his wife.
"You comma to de front door of the apartmenta.
I am inna apartmenta 301
There issa bigga panel at the front door.
With you elbow, pusha button 301.
I will buzza you in. Come inside,
the elevator is on the right. Get in,
and with you elbow, pusha 3.
When you get out, I'mma on the left.
With you elbow, hit my doorbell."
"Grandma, that sounds easy,
but, why am I hitting all these
buttons with my elbow?

"What . . . .. .. You coming empty handed?"

contributed by BD

Suggested Reading: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

This is an amazing book.  It is not a historical novel but it will enlighten you about the heart-wrenching act that took place in Nazi-occupied Paris on July, 16, 1942. I wasn't even aware of the role the French played in the heinous act until reading this book. Four thousand French Jewish children were murdered during the Vel’ d’ Hiv roundup, along with thousands of adults. You will definitely shed tears. The Holocaust can NEVER be forgotten.

Jersey Shore

Today was a great beach day.  It was sunny with no chance of rain. (it rained a lot this week). The water was a light green and relatively warm for this time of the year.  The waves were powerful and kept most people close to the shore line. Our cousin spent the day with us and she and I had loads of fun in the ocean.  I laughed my head off with a bunch of other people when she popped up from being tossed around from a crashing wave. It took her a few seconds to realize she was standing there with her bathing suit top below her breast!

Who is afraid of thunder?

Jackson may be a tough looking dog but when it comes to thunder he turns into a scared kitty,  He figured out how to open the shower doors to hide in the bath tub.

Quote from Washington Irving

The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced.  Every other wound we seek to heal, every other affliction to forget, but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open, this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude.

Today, Tuesday, July 5, I experienced a “first” at the beach.  I have been swimming in the Atlantic Ocean since I was eleven.  I have been tossed around by the strongest of large waves; lost a bathing suit top when I was fourteen; cut my foot on shells numerous times; and got stung by a Portuguese Man O War (you never forget the pain from that creature!)..I can now add to the list my latest experience getting tossed and tangled.  I truly thought I was going to drown!  I couldn’t release myself and get to the surface.  It felt like I was struggling to free myself for a long time but I know it wasn’t as long as it felt.  I kept telling myself not to panic and at the same time fighting to get my head above water. I couldn’t imagine what was holding me down. Finally, I was freed and I popped my head up immediately only to find that I was intertwined with another human!