Poinsettias

Poinsettia plants are native to Central America, especially an area of southern Mexico known as 'Taxco del Alarcon' where they flower during the winter. The ancient Aztecs called them 'cuetlaxochitl'. The Aztecs had many uses for them including using the flowers (also known as bracts) to make a purple dye for clothes and cosmetics and the milky white sap was made into a medicine to treat fevers. (Today we call the sap latex!)

The poinsettia was made widely known because of a man called Joel Roberts Poinsett (that's why we call them Poinsettia!). He was the first Ambassador from the U.S.A. to Mexico in 1825. Mr. Poinsett also founded the scientific institution in the U.S.A called the Smithsonian Institute. Poinsett had some greenhouses on his plantations in South Carolina, and while visiting the Taco area in 1828, he became very interested in the plants. He immediately sent some of the plants back to South Carolina, where he began growing the plants and sending them to friends and botanical gardens.

One of the friends he sent plants to was John Barroom of Philadelphia, who gave the plant to his friend, Robert Buist, a plantsmans from Pennsylvania. Robert Buist was probably the first person to have sold the poinsettias under their botanical, or latin name, name 'Euphorbia pulcherrima' (it means, 'the most beautiful Euphorbia'). It is thought that it became known as Poinsettia in the mid 1830's when people found out who had first brought it to America from Mexico.

There is an old Mexican legend about how Poinsettia's and Christmas come together, it goes like this.

There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked to the chapel, sadly, her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up.
'Pepita', he said 'I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him will make Jesus Happy.'

Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'.

The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity.

The Poinsettia is also the national emblem of Madagascar.

Christmas At Rock A Way Rest

Twas the night before Christmas at Rock-Away Rest, 
            
and all of us seniors were looking our best. 
            
Our glasses, how sparkly, our wrinkles, how merry; 
            
Our punchbowl held prune juice plus three drops of sherry.
            
    
            
A bedsock was taped to each walker, in hope
          
That Santa would bring us soft candy and soap. 
            
We surely were lucky to be there with friends, 
            
Secure in this residence and in our Depends.
            
    
            
Our grandkids had sent us some Christmasy crafts, 
            
Like angels in snowsuits and penguins on rafts. 
            
The dental assistant had borrowed our teeth, 
            
And from them she'd crafted a holiday wreath. 
            
    
            
The bed pans, so shiny, all stood in a row, 
            
Reflecting our candle's magnificent glow. 
            
Our supper so festive -- the joy wouldn't stop -- 
            
Was creamy warm oatmeal with sprinkles on top.
            
    
            
Our salad was Jell-O, so jiggly and great, 
            
Then puree of fruitcake was spooned on each plate. 
            
The social director then had us play games, 
            
Like "Where Are You Living?" and "What Are Your Names?"
            
    
            
Old Grandfather Looper was feeling his oats, 
            
Proclaiming that reindeer were nothing but goats. 
            
Our resident wand'rer was tied to her chair, 
            
In hopes that at bedtime she still would be there.
            
    
            
Security lights on the new fallen snow 
            
Made outdoors seem noon to the old folks below. 
            
Then out on the porch there arose quite a clatter 
            
(But we are so deaf that it just didn't matter).
            
    
            
A strange little fellow flew in through the door, 
            
Then tripped on the sill and fell flat on the floor. 
            
Twas just our director, all togged out in red. 
            
He jiggled and chuckled and patted each head.
            
    
            
   
We knew from the way that he strutted and jived 
            
Our social- security checks had arrived. 
            
We sang -- how we sang -- in our monotone croak, 
            
Till the clock tinkled out its soft eight-p.m. stroke.
            
    
            
And soon we were snuggling deep in our beds. 
            
While nurses distributed nocturnal meds.

And so ends our Christmas at Rock-Away Rest. 
            
fore long you'll be with us, We wish you the best!Twas the night before Christmas at Rock-Away Rest, 
            
and all of us seniors were looking our best. 
            
Our glasses, how sparkly, our wrinkles, how merry; 
            
Our punchbowl held prune juice plus three drops of sherry.
            
    
            
A bedsock was taped to each walker, in hope
          
That Santa would bring us soft candy and soap. 
            
We surely were lucky to be there with friends, 
            
Secure in this residence and in our Depends.
            
    
            
Our grandkids had sent us some Christmasy crafts, 
            
Like angels in snowsuits and penguins on rafts. 
            
The dental assistant had borrowed our teeth, 
            
And from them she'd crafted a holiday wreath. 
            
    
            
The bed pans, so shiny, all stood in a row, 
            
Reflecting our candle's magnificent glow. 
            
Our supper so festive -- the joy wouldn't stop -- 
            
Was creamy warm oatmeal with sprinkles on top.
            
    
            
Our salad was Jell-O, so jiggly and great, 
            
Then puree of fruitcake was spooned on each plate. 
            
The social director then had us play games, 
            
Like "Where Are You Living?" and "What Are Your Names?"
            
    
            
Old Grandfather Looper was feeling his oats, 
            
Proclaiming that reindeer were nothing but goats. 
            
Our resident wand'rer was tied to her chair, 
            
In hopes that at bedtime she still would be there.
            
    
            
Security lights on the new fallen snow 
            
Made outdoors seem noon to the old folks below. 
            
Then out on the porch there arose quite a clatter 
            
(But we are so deaf that it just didn't matter).
            
    
            
A strange little fellow flew in through the door, 
            
Then tripped on the sill and fell flat on the floor. 
            
Twas just our director, all togged out in red. 
            
He jiggled and chuckled and patted each head.
            
    
            
   
We knew from the way that he strutted and jived 
            
Our social- security checks had arrived. 
            
We sang -- how we sang -- in our monotone croak, 
            
Till the clock tinkled out its soft eight-p.m. stroke.
            
    
            
And soon we were snuggling deep in our beds. 
            
While nurses distributed nocturnal meds.

And so ends our Christmas at Rock-Away Rest. 
            
fore long you'll be with us, We wish you the best!

Fitness By Marilyn http://www.fitnessbymarilyn.com Independent AIM Member - Marilyn Wilson Murray

The Green Thing

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should
bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the
environment.  

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing
back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did
not care enough to save our environment."

He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles
to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and
sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So
they really were recycled.

But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in
every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't
climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.

But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the
throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling
machine - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got
hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new
clothing.

But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room.
And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the
size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by
hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you.
When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up
old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the
lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by
working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that
operate on electricity.

But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or
a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their
writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the
razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just
because the blade got dull.

But they didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to
school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.
They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to
power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to
receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to
find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks
were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?

Taxes Are Hillarious

Taxes Are Hilarious: From Ronald Reagan to Jay Leno 

Published: Wednesday, 13 Apr 2011 | 2:08 PM ET 

   By: Cindy Perman

CNBC.com Staff Writer

Taxes always make your head hurt but in these fiscally-challenging times, they’re a full-on, shut-the-blinds, I’ve-got-to-lie-down migraine. 

You know that expression, “They look at you like you’re a piece of meat” — well today, it’s more like, "They look at you like you’re a bag of money.” 

Case in point: An accountant was recently awarded $4.5 million in the first IRS whistleblower award. The man tipped off the Feds that his employer, a financial-services firm, was cheating on its taxes. The tip netted the IRS a cool $20 million in tax revenue. The IRS mailed the man’s lawyer a check for $3.24 million — that’s $4.5 million minus 28 percent in taxes. 

You couldn’t make this stuff up. 

To help ease the pain, here are a bunch of hilarious quotes about taxes: 

“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”

— Albert Einstein 

“The difference between death and taxes is death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets.”

— Will Rogers 

“The problem is that you keep thinking about it as your money.”

— IRS auditor 

“Worried about an IRS audit? Avoid what's called a red flag. That's something the IRS always looks for. For example, say you have some money left in your bank account after paying taxes. That's a red flag.”

— Jay Leno 

“It's income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta.”

— Dave Barry

”I just filled out my income tax forms. Who says you can't get killed by a blank?”

— Milton Berle 

”I'm spending a year dead for tax reasons.”

— Douglas Adams 

“The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

— Ronald Reagan 

”If you are truly serious about preparing your child for the future, don't teach him to subtract — teach him to deduct.”

— Fran Lebowitz 

“If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don’t get wet you can keep.”

— Will Rogers 

“Taxation with representation ain’t so hot either.”

— Gerald Barzan 

“The taxpayer — that’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take the civil service examination.”

— Ronald Reagan 

“I’m proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money.”

— Arthur Godfrey 

“Did you ever notice when you put the words “THE” and “IRS” together, it spells “THEIRS?!”

— Author unknown 

“People who complain about taxes can be divided into two classes: men and women.”

— Author unknown

”I love America, but I can't spend the whole year here. I can't afford the taxes.”

— Mick Jagger 

“Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is quite as satisfying as an income tax refund.”

— F. J. Raymond 

Shout out to our friend, financial advisor Jerry Lynch, who compiled several of these quotes to help ease his clients’ pain.

Don’t forget: Taxes are due April 18. This year, thanks to a well-timed holiday, taxpayers have an extra three days to get their taxes in. 

Jesus Loves Me ~ Senior Version

"Here for you now is a Senior version of Jesus Loves Me":

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,

Though my hair is white as snow

Though my sight is growing dim,

Still He bids me trust in Him.

(CHORUS)

YES, JESUS LOVES  ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..

YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,

With my hand in His I'll go

On through life, let come what may,

He'll be there to lead the way..

(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and  long,

In my heart He puts a song..

Telling me in words so clear,

"Have no fear, for I am near."

(CHORUS)

When my  work on earth is done,

And life's victories have been won.

He  will take me home above,

Then I'll understand His love.

(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?

Have I ever told Him so?

Jesus loves to hear me say,

That I love Him every day.

(CHORUS) 

Power of Lemons

The surprising benefits of lemon!

This is the latest in medicine, effective for cancer!

Read carefully & you be the judge..

Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.

Why do we not know about that? Because there are laboratories interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits. You can now help a friend in need by letting him/her know that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease. Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. How many people will die while this closely guarded secret is kept, so as not to jeopardize the beneficial multimillionaires large corporations? As you know, the lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes. You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc... It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors. This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer. It is considered also as ananti microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure which is too high and an antidepressant, combats stress and nervous disorders.

The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, says that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that: It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas ... The compounds of this tree showed 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells. And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells.

Institute of Health Sciences, 819 N. L.L.C. Cause Street, Baltimore, MD1201

Wakeup Call for America?

Definitely worth reading.  What if he's right? I hope you find the time to read this with an open mind. It's interesting.  Please read it with the open mind rather than immediately breaking it down into left or right, but rather look at it from the neutral viewpoint of right or wrong.  It's like the line below says, "what if he is right?" Take the three minutes to read this. Maybe he is wrong, but what if he’s right?

David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C. , Albany , New York , and Dakar , Senegal .. He attended Harvard University , graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976.. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.

He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College . He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University . Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.

Dr. David Kaiser

 

History Unfolding:

I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus..

Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?

  

We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.

  

We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy... Why?

  

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

  

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.. It is potentially 1929 x  ten...And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska .. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)

Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why?

I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.

This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.

And that is only the beginning..

As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.

And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course, 

How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and .... . ... change. And the people surely got what they voted for.

If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.

So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to.

Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors.. All with the best of intentions, of course.. The road to Hell is paved with them.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me..

I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.

David Kaiser   

Jamestown , Rhode Island

United States            

   

By passing this along, perhaps it will help to begin the awakening of America as to where we are headed.