NOVEMBER 10, 2020 – How would you like to open your back door and find a 3 1/2 – 4 foot Iguana sunbathing on your dock? It happened to a friend Lee Anne’s brother Jeff in Florida recently. Talk about ‘fright night’!! The Iguana has been nicknamed, “Iggy” so he must be around a bit. I think I would call him “Issy” so when I look out at my dock, I could say, “Issy here? (Pardon my dry sense of humour)
Thanks so much Lee Anne for sharing this amazing photo with us.
In July I wrote an article about how hard it was to say goodbye to someone who has loved you all your life and whom you also loved. Now recently another wonderful brother has left us, Ed Herrington. It was a shock and I still can’t really believe both brothers are gone. Ed was a great guy, intelligent, fun, loving and caring.
Some of my fondest memories of him were many years ago when I sometimes visited him and his beloved wife Mary and their 4 small children. If one of the little tots was fussing or crying, he would pick them up in his arms, gently rock them and sing the very rhythmic song, “Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen.” The child would snuggle to his chest and it was always wonderful to see the child’s expression as it changed to awe, so happy to be nestled and snug in their Dad’s loving arms.
We will miss him so much but now he is in a happier place. ‘Till we meet again Ed.
A friend sent me some interesting phrase origins. Here is one of them:
In George Washington’s days, there were no cameras. One’s image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are “limbs’, therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, “Okay, but it will cost you an arm and a leg.” (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.)
Child Haven International is a non-profit organization. It was founded in 1985 by Dr. Nat Shah and Fred and Bonnie Cappuccino to help orphaned and destitute children and women in need of food, clothing, health care, education, moral and emotional support. There are ten Homes in four countries: Tibet in China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. They also provide aid and shelter for some senior destitute women and provide education for children not living in one of their ten Homes and have other projects as well.
The latest newsletter states that the Homes have been spared outbreaks of the COVID virus. It was relief to know that all the homes are safe and the staff and children are well. One article about the Chittagong Home in Bangladesh states that the staff became aware that many of their neighbours were struggling without enough food to eat. Millions of people had been laid off from their jobs in garment factories and elsewhere. People who had survived from pay check to pay check were now in a desperate situation.
The staff members of the Home each donated 10% of their salaries and with the help of the children, packed bags full of rice, lentils and vegetables and distributed them to local needy families. Many of the families apparently send their children at a nominal tuition to the Home’s school. After hearing about this effort to help the families with food, Child Haven has taken over the funding of these distributions as needed.
In another article in the newsletter, the Women’s Tailoring programs in Ghaziabad, Utter Pradesh, and in the Rahon Village in the Punjab, states that the programs are helping their communities making face masks for people who otherwise couldn’t afford to buy them. They also made a novel community awareness poster with a catchy slogan to help with guidelines to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus:
Avoid MEN: M-mouth, E-eyes, N-Nose.
Instead follow WOMEN: W-wash/sanitize your hands, O-obey social distancing, Mask up, E-exercise and eat well, N-No necessary travelling.
A quote by Mahatma Gandhi states: ” Where there is love there is life”. It seems we are seeing even more wonderful examples of LOVE in the Child Haven organization.
For information on Child Haven International or to make a donation visit their web site at www.childhaven.ca, or email : fred@childhaven.ca or call the Maxville office at 613-527-2829.
The newsletter always ends with an inspiring quote from Rabindranath Tagore:
“Let me light my lamp, says the star,
And never debate if it will dispel the dark.”
Here is little Gabriella, great granddaughter of Bob Katz, all dressed up for Halloween in her cute Elmo costume to go’ trick or treating’ to her grandmother’s house. What a little sweetie. It would be a treat just to see her.
Some fun lines from a friend:
Stock Market Report:
1)Helium was up. Feathers were down. Paper was stationary.
2) Fluorescent tubing was dimmed in light trading. Knives were up sharply. Pencils lost a few points.
3) Hiking equipment was trailing. Elevators rose, while escalators continued their slow decline. Weights were up in heavy trading.
3) Mining equipment hit rock bottom. Diapers remained unchanged.
4) The market for raisins dried up. Balloon prices were inflated. And toilet paper touched a new bottom.
Have a good week , Dawn