Home  >> Stories  >> The Tale Spinner #2013-06

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IN THIS ISSUE

• We get letters from Carol Hansen, Irene Harvalias, and Tony Lewis
• Barbara Wear sends a column written by a man who is blind
• Eve Cassidy forwards bloopers from church bulletins
• Zvonko Springer remarks on the differences in diary entries
• Bruce Galway appreciates this research on the effect of doors
• Catherine Green sends a weather report from Newfoundland
• Here is a list of the 10 most-stolen vehicles in Canada last year
• Sites are suggested by Bruce Galway, Carol Shoemaker, Don Henderson, Gerrit deLeeuw, Irene Harvalias, Pat Moore, and Tony Lewis

CORRESPONDENCE

Carol Hansen sends this link on the subject of fliers on car windows leading to carjacking, which was in last week´s Spinner: I thought you might find the following article from snopes.com interesting:

Still, better to be safe than sorry, and it COULD happen.

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Irene Harvalias writes: Last week´s Spinner was the best one yet! I loved the stories about the pond and the penny, and the links ... each was better than the last!

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Tony Lewis writes: I wasn´t stirred until you asked me recently if I might be Irish. And that go me to thinking, as I still sometimes do….

I see a core group of weekly contributors, but do we as avid weekend readers know anything about our counterparts? I dare say none of us know anything about each other, which is okay, too. How big is our group? How many different countries and time-zones away?

Are we mostly senior-seniors, or seniors-in-training? And what is a senior these days?

I don´t wish to make this line of thought my life´s vocation (nor yours), but I do know this: I do so enjoy reading your newsletter each Saturday morning, and as a retired publisher, I know the hours that are spent each week in the assembly process.

Why not tell us something that you know about our group, or let our members tell you (anonymously, if they want) about their background: a wish still not in bloom, or past life highlights. Might be boring, might be not.

As you know the "Irish" are known to stir the odd pot.

ED. NOTE: Many years ago, when the Spinner was new, there were 40 subscribers, and those people wrote about their lives, their wartime experiences, their travels, and their pets, and they forwarded jokes and stories and suggested websites. Many of the original subscribers are with us still, and others have joined us. At one time there were about 190 subscribers, but there are now about 75. As you have probably noticed, I have been known on occasion to nag (uh - encourage) readers to send me their stories, and many have done so. On the other hand, I think that many readers who wrote often in the beginning are now content to let others tell their stories.

But your idea of a roll-call of readers is a good one: This is who I am; this is what I have done; this is what I am doing now; this is where I live; these are those who have shared my journey; these are some of my favourite memories; these are my hopes…. You get the idea - and I hope you will share some of these things with us.

Wear Barbara forwards this article from a man who writes a daily column, Different Views:

MAKE THE BEST OF THIS DAY

For some time now I have been elaborating on what we, the blind, can do. I have stressed the fact that we can do about anything we want, other than to read the printed word and to drive a vehicle. Still, one can read with the use of the computer, and some blind have driven a car, though I know this is not a normal activity.

But I am wondering if maybe some of those just going blind may feel that because they can not do these activities that something is wrong. Maybe they are in the clutch of depression following the news that their eyesight is fading, and all they can think is of what they must give up.

I do not want to paint a too glorious picture of being blind, for being blind can be very depressing and may fill the person with a feeling of helplessness. One day you are on the mountaintop; the whole world is yours. You can go out driving your car and working at your work. You feel independent, with the freedom to come and go as you please. You are respected and treated like any other person. Suddenly you are dumped into the dark valley where those with good eyesight never venture. You try to continue with life, pretend all is fine, but inside you are falling apart.

The doctor´s words, "It is time to stop driving the car," or "I don´t think you should operate any more power equipment," sends you into a completely different world. This can be a lonely world for most folk avoid it, knowing that were they blind, they could not function at any task. Thus they feel that being blind makes a person helpless.

You have two choices:

Either you can mope and make your life, and everyone around you, miserable, or you can face the new you and make yourself go forward, savouring each new day.

Sure, there will be relapses when your life again looks so gloomy, like the time you run into the tree or a corner of a building. It is good to be one who has a hard head. Also the time some well-meaning motorist tells you that you need to be clear off the pavement, even though you already have one foot on the narrow gravel shoulder of the road, can send you back into that dark valley.

You may feel that at last you are one of the group, chatting and enjoying life, only to find out the person you were talking to has moved on and you are talking to the open air.

Again we must go back to the two choices. Although these actions may hurt you, and they may really frustrate, even anger you, still it is up to you, up to me, to either be in a continual state of depression or a state of enjoying life.

Then you grow real brave and you volunteer for some position, whether in a church, club, or any other organization, and you are met with the curt answer, "Well, I don´t know what you can do. I guess you can come, but not sure what you can do." So do you follow your first inclination and prove that you can still be helpful, or do you back away and pull the curtain of depression back over you.

I usually do not let blindness rule my life, but I admit there have been times my family worried as I faltered in some dark hole that some careless person dug for me to fall into. But I only allow the depression to rule so long before kicking it out. That is not to say it never returns, for there are times when being blind really is hard. More people fear blindness than any other disability.

I can name many reasons that being blind is hard but I´d rather dwell on the good times in life. Besides, there is something to be said for proving to the world that we, the blind, can really do a lot of activities, even if the sighted world do not believe it is possible. I love being up some very rugged trail, to have the sighted ask, "How did you get up here?"

"Well," I assure them, "I didn´t fly up here."

So remember, being blind does not mean a person is not capable of doing most activities.

Eve Cassidy claims these sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in services:

CHURCH LADIES WITH TYPEWRITERS

The Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

Ladies, don´t forget the rummage sale. It´s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Don´t let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don´t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be try-outs for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminium cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment, and gracious hostility.

Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 p.m. there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare´s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

Zvonko Springer notices the difference in

HOW MEN AND WOMEN RECORD THINGS IN THEIR DIARIES

Wife´s Diary:

Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it. Conversation wasn´t flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn´t say much.

I asked him what was wrong. He said, "Nothing...." I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said he wasn´t upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it. On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly, and kept driving. I can´t explain his behaviour. I don´t know why he didn´t say, "I love you, too."

When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent. Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed. But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep; I cried. I don´t know what to do. I´m almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.

Husband´s Diary:

A two-foot putt....! Who the hell misses a two-foot putt?

Bruce Galway was not the only one who has noticed the effect of

DOORS

Ever walk into a room with some purpose in mind, only to completely forget what that purpose was?

Turns out, doors themselves are to blame for these strange memory lapses.

Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that passing through a doorway triggers what´s known as an event boundary in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next.

Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale.

It´s not aging - it´s the damn door!

Whew, Whooo! Thank goodness for all those expensive studies.

Catherine Green sends this

WEATHER REPORT

I just got off the phone with a friend who lives in Newfoundland.

She said that since early this morning, the snow has been nearly waist high and is still falling. The temperature is dropping way below zero and the north wind is increasing to near gale force.

Her husband has done nothing but look through the kitchen window and just stares.

She says that if it gets much worse, she may have to let him in.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) released its annual list of the top 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in Canada. This year there is a new, but returning, hot target for thieves - the 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door. In fact, Civics take up the top two places in this year´s list. Civics have always been high on the list. It´s a popular vehicle for young people, and many of them are stolen and chopped for parts.

THE TOP 10 MOST FREQUENTLY STOLEN VEHICLES IN CANADA

2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door

1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer SS 4-door 4WD

2007 Ford F350 SD 4WD PU

2005 Cadillac Escalade 4-door AWD

2006 Ford F350 SD 4WD PU

2002 Cadillac Escalade 4-door 4WD

2005 Ford F350 SD 4WD PU

2004 Ford F350 SD 4WD PU

1999 Acura Integra 2-door

According to IBC, the number of stolen vehicles showing up at the ports is down. The bad news? Stolen vehicles are being re-sold locally, and IBC is urging consumers to use caution when buying used vehicles or parts, especially those on the high end of the market.

IBC also notes that the number of stolen vehicles in Canada is declining, but recovery rates are also declining, which points to the involvement of organized crime.

Whatever type of car you drive, you can do your part to keep it safe. Here are some precautions you can take to avoid becoming a victim of auto crime.

• Never leave your vehicle running unattended.
• Park in well-lit areas.
• Always roll up your car windows, lock the doors, pocket and protect your keys.
• Never leave valuables or packages in full view. Put them in the trunk.
• Park your car in the garage at night.

No matter how careful we are, we can still fall victim to thieves. Practising some of these tips may also help you save on your auto insurance premiums.

SUGGESTED SITES

Bruce Galway sends this link to a video of the erection of a 30-storey hotel in China in 15 days. Notice all of the sections already have electric and plumbing installed and were tested for accuracy, all prior to leaving the factory. It appears that those sections, formed and pre-tested at the factory, fit together like leggo building blocks. And look at the earthquake resistance level.

Eat your heart out, all who are still in the depths of winter! This site shows where Carol Shoemaker went to cavort with the whales of Silver Bank during the mating and calving season:

Don Henderson suggests this funny video of Bob, the hamster. Be sure to watch the entire film - don´t quit when the credits come on because the ending is really after the credits:

Gerrit deLeeuw forwards this link to a video of men pole dancing in a great acrobatic show:

Irene Harvalias and Tony Lewis both suggest this video for a glimpse of our future in medicine, when smartphones will be used to diagnose illness:

Pat Moore sends this link to a video from Austria of a downhill coaster ride with no brakes:

When war between Israel and Iran seemed imminent, Israeli graphic designer Ronny Edry shared a poster on Facebook of himself and his daughter with a bold message: "Iranians ... we [heart] you." Other Israelis quickly created their own posters with the same message - and Iranians responded in kind. The simple act of communication inspired surprising Facebook communities like "Israel loves Iran," "Iran loves Israel," and even "Palestine loves Israel":

Imagine an island so secluded there´s no electricity, there are no paved roads, and in many cases, no plumbing. That island - called Lasqueti - is home to 400 people and less than an hour away from Vancouver.16x9 traveled there to see what it´s like to live off the grid:

To check out the features of the "freedictionary", which changes daily, go to