I notice whether their clothes are clean. Someone who is working (my Dad’s a rancher so I understand a dirty job) should have “new dirt” - they shouldn’t be wearing jeans that would stand up in the corner by themselves. I also notice if their clothes are appropriate for the occasion, but that sometimes seems like a generational thing. I couldn’t wear flip flops to a funeral or to church, but I’ve seen lots of younger ladies wearing them.

Maizie - you should read “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire. He has a different take on the Wizard of Oz story and you may change your mind about the Wicked Witch of the West. Seriously, I agree with you - we should leave life and death decisions to God.

JMK - I loved your story. I’m surprised that you feel intimidated by the Wowers. You’re one of my favorites here at Wow - I think your comments are always well-written, thoughtful and sage.

When my nephew died of cystic fibrosis, several of my family members talked about getting a tattoo as a memorial - probably the yin/yang sign - but so far we haven’t. I still intend to, but my MD says to wait because I have an autoimmune illness.

Sheila, thank you for this moving story. And thanks to all of the other people on this thread who shared their stories with us. I think tonight I’ll write a letter to my Aunt Barbara, who died at the age of four, long before I was born. There are no pictures of her, but the family always said that I looked just like her when I was young, so I feel a connection. Time to tell her about me.

I think Spanish should be mandatory in California schools and it should start early. I grew up in California and have always regretted that I didn’t learn to speak better Spanish. I always had friends who spoke Spanish in their homes, but I guess I didn’t start trying to speak it early enough. Even though my family did not come from Mexico, I consider Mexico a part of my culture because California was once part of Mexico. We have beautiful Spanish names for our mountain ranges, many of our cities and roads. Even the name California is Spanish. It just makes sense to learn Spanish when you live here.

Elaine and beth - nice job working out that misunderstanding! You’ve set a good example for the rest of us.

Maurine - a speak easy during prohibition. I love that! For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, I live in the same area as Maurine and her description of the air is dead-on. I live in a mobile home park for seniors and it’s like living in a ghost town. People aren’t even coming outside to pick up thier mail or water their yards. Usually we’re all out in the evenings, watering or taking a walk - not for the past two weeks. I’d feel sorry for myself, but I think the folks in Paradise and Magala and other towns have it a lot worse. At least we’re not in the way of the fire, just the smoke.

I may be in the minority here, but I always hope the best for any marriage. Divorce is not fun for anyone and Madonna and Guy have children. I hope they work it out. As for A-Rod, I never heard of him until this story hit the news.

Jane, I absolutely love this story. Thank you for giving us a thread that is friendly and full of love. I needed that.

Mugsy, I’m so sorry to hear about your kitty. When one of my “kitty daughters” died, someone told me that when pets die they cross a rainbow bridge and wait there for us to die, so we’ll be together again. Thinking about that rainbow bridge brought me comfort, I hope the image comforts you.

Lt General Dunwoody - Thanks for all your years of service and thanks for showing the world what an American woman can do when she’s given a chance.

Alias - I take Infla-Guard (by Douglas Labs) for my fibromyalgia. It contains Boswellian, Turmeric and Devil’s Claw. I like it better than Celebrex which always upset my stomach.

My first bottle of perfume was Blue Waltz from the dime store. In high school I wore my mother’s Windsong until I saved up enough to buy my own bottle. In the sixities I wore “hippie oils” or Avon Hawaiin White Ginger. Later I used Jontue until I developed asthma. Now I just shower with lavendar or citrus scented shower gels.

In high school I was 5’8” tall and didn’t weigh 100 pounds even if I was soaking wet. I was called “bean pole” and “olive oyl”, but the one that hurt the most was my uncle calling me “chicken legs”. Then one day in my early twenties I was waiting for a bus and an elderly man and woman approached me to tell me that I had beautiful legs just like Marlene Dietrich. I felt like a million bucks and I never looked at being thin the same way again! PS These days I’d love for someone to call me olive oyl.