A Boy Singing to his little sister.....

I checked this out at Truth or Fiction.com and it's true!

Thank you Cyndi W.

Like any good mother, when  Karen found out that another baby was on the  way, she did what  she could to help her
3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new  sibling.


They found out that the new baby was going be a  girl,
And  day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in  mommy's tummy.


He was building a bond of love with his  little sister
Before  he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed normally for  Karen,
An  active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist  Church in Morristown , Tennessee

In time, the labor pains came.  Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious  complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours  of labor.

Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a  long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very  serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance  rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's  Hospital, Knoxville , Tennessee

The  days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to  tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the  worst.

Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a  burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their  new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a  funeral.

Michael however, kept begging his parents to let  him see his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying.

Week  two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the  week was over.

Michael kept nagging about singing to his  sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to  take Michael whether they liked it or not.

If he didn't see his  sister right then, he may never see her alive.  She dressed him  in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU.  He looked  like a walking laundry basket.

The head nurse recognized him as  a child and bellowed, 'Get  that kid out of here now. No children are allowed!'
  The  mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady  glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm  line. 
  'He  is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated.
Then Karen  towed Michael to his sister's bedside.

He gazed at the tiny  infant losing the battle to live.
After a moment, he began to  sing.

In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael  sang:

'You are my sunshine, my only  sunshine,   You  make me happy when skies are gray.'
  Instantly  the baby girl seemed to respond. The  pulse rate began to calm down and become steady.

'Keep on  singing, Michael,' encouraged Karen with tears in her  eyes.

'You never know, dear, how much I love  you,   Please  don't take my sunshine away.'
  As  Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing  became as smooth as a kitten's purr 'Keep  on singing, sweetheart.'

'The other night, dear, as I lay  sleeping,
I dreamed I held you in my arms'
  Michael's  little sister began to relax as rest, Healing  rest, seemed to sweep over her.

'Keep on singing,  Michael.'   Tears  had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen  glowed.

'You are my sunshine, my only  sunshine.   Please  don't take my sunshine away.'

The next day...the very next  day.   The  little girl was well enough to go home

Woman's Day Magazine  called it
The Miracle of a Brother's Song.

The medical  staff just called it a miracle.

Karen called it a miracle of  God's love.

NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.

LOVE  IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

Life is good.

DADDY - HOW WAS I BORN?

thank you Susan R.

DADDY - HOW WAS I BORN?

A little boy goes to his father and asks 'Daddy, how was I born?'

The father answers, 'Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway!

Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo.

Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe.

We sneaked into a secluded room, and googled each other.

There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive.

As soon as I was ready to upload,

we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall,

and since it was too late to hit the delete button,

nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said:


Scroll down

You'll love this...

















Error! Filename not specified.
YOU GOT MALE!

A 9/11 Survivor shares his experience

Propostion 21 FAQs

How much will it cost?

The initiative establishes an $18 annual surcharge per vehicle registered in the State of California.

2. Is this a tax?

The Attorney General’s summary refers to the $18 as a “surcharge”. 

3. Who pays the surcharge?

Owners of all California vehicles subject to the surcharge.  Vehicles NOT subject to the surcharge:

• Vehicles subject to the Commercial Vehicle Registration Act (Section 4000.6 of the Vehicle code) (generally, vehicles exceeding 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight)
• Trailers subject to Section 5014.1 of the Vehicle Code
• Trailer coaches as defined by Section 635 of the Vehicle Code. 

4. Do visitors driving out-of-state vehicles pay entrance fees?

Yes.

5. When do I pay the surcharge?

On or after January 1, 2011.  The fee will be collected when vehicle registration fees are paid.

6. What happens with vehicle day-use?

Typically, most state parks charge a vehicle day-use fee that covers entry into the park and parking.  Under Proposition 21, all California vehicles subject to the surcharge would have free vehicle admission, parking, and day-use at all units of the state parks system which charge for vehicle access.

7. Which fees would remain?
• Camping fees
• Tour fees (for example Ano Nuevo State Reserve or Hearst Castle tours)
• Swimming pool fees
• Boating fees
• Museum and special event fees (for example, fees charged at the State Railroad Museum)
• Supplemental fees (for example, charges for extra vehicles at campsites)

8. Will there be changes to other existing fees?

The proposition only addresses fees for vehicle day-use access.  

9. Am I guaranteed entrance at any unit of the California State Park System?

No.  Park entrance remains subject to space limitations.  This will vary by park and time of day.  Entrance is usually based on a first-come first-served basis. It is best to check with park staff to learn more.

10. When would I see more services in the state parks? 

The timeline for adding staff and increasing services depends on a number of factors:

·         Receiving approval from the Legislature to expend funds

·         When the funds are received from the Department of Motor Vehicles

·         Time required to recruit, hire and train new staff

11. Who gets the money?
• California State Parks (76%)
• Department of Fish and Game (7%)
• California Ocean Protection Council (4%)
• State conservancies (2%)
• Wildlife Conservation Board (2%)
• Urban River Parkways (4%)
• Locally operated State Parks units (5%)

12. When will the money be available?

The funds will be available when they’re appropriated into Parks’ budget by the Legislature and governor

13. How will State Parks use the additional funds?

Subject to approval by the governor and Legislature, the additional funds could only be spent for purposes contained in the initiative:

·         Operation, maintenance, and repair of facilities, including visitor centers, restrooms, campsites, and ranger stations, in the State Park System.

·         Wildlife conservation and protection of natural resources, including forests, other natural lands, and lands that provide clean water, clean air and protect the health of people and nature.

·         Expanding public access to the State Park System and natural areas through outreach, public education, improved transportation access and providing for the safety and security of park visitors.

·         Development, management and expansion of state park units and facilities as needed to provide and enhance public access and recreational opportunities.

·         Protecting rivers, lakes, streams, coastal waters and marine resources.

·         Grants to local agencies that operate units of the State Park System to offset the loss of day use revenues as provided in this chapter, and to state and local agencies that manager river parkways.

·         Protecting and restoring state park cultural and historical resources.

·         Auditing and oversight of the implementation of this act to ensure that funds are only spent in accordance with the provisions of this act and are not diverted or misspent.

·         Other costs related to the operation and management of the State System.

·         Collection costs for the State Park Access Pass.

14. Who will oversee how the funds are spent?

The initiative requires an annual audit by the State Auditor and the formation of a public oversight committee.  Funds for oversight of administration are limited to 1% of the total funds received.              

15. Where can I find more information?

The entire text can be found on the California Secretary of State website www.sos.ca.gov .   Additional information is available in newspapers and on the web including at www.yesforstateparks.com and www.voteno21.com

The Telephone on the Wall

 Thank you, Cyndi!  This is one of those maybe it's true, maybe not stories that have a message.  I think it's a beautiful story.

When I was a young boy, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood... I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it.

Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct time.

My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy.

I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear.. 
"Information, please" I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.

A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.   "Information."

"I hurt my finger..." I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough
now that I had an audience.

"Isn't your mother home?" came the question.

"Nobody's home but me," I blubbered

.
"Are you bleeding?" the voice asked. 

"No," I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts."
"Can you open the icebox?" she asked.

I said I could.

"Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice... 

After that, I called "Information Please" for everything... I asked her for
help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math.

She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts.

Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called,

Information Please," and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?"

She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, " Wayne , always remember that there are other worlds to sing in."

Somehow I felt better.

Another day I was on the telephone, "Information Please."

"Information," said in the now familiar voice. "How do I spell fix?"
I asked.

All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest . When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston . I missed my friend very much.
"Information Please" belonged in that old wooden box back home and I
somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me..

Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.
A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle.

I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, "Information Please."
Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well..  

"Information." 

I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, 
"Could you please tell me how to spell fix?"

There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your finger must have healed by now." 

I laughed, "So it's really you," I said. "I wonder if you have any
idea how much you meant to me during that time?"

I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your call meant to me. 

I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls."  

I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.

"Please do", she said. "Just ask for Sally."

Three months later I was back in Seattle .  A different voice answered,
"Information."

I asked for Sally. 

"Are you a friend?" she said.

"Yes, a very old friend," I answered. 

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this,"She said. "Sally had been working part time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago."

Before I could hang up, she said, " 
Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne ?" "
 
Yes." I answered.

"Well, Sally left a message for you.  She wrote it down in case you called.  
Let me read it to you."

The note said,
"Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean."

I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.
 
Never underestimate the impression you may make on others..

Whose life have you touched today?

Lifting you on eagle's wings.
May you find the joy and peace you long for.
Life is a journey... NOT a guided tour.


  

FW: SNOPES.COM SAYS THIS IS TRUE!!!!! BE AWARE!

I also checked this out at Truth or Fiction.com in case somehow this Snopes link was fake.  It is real.  I frequently pick up litter and encourage my children to also, stewards of the earth and all that, but from now on, BE CAUTIOUS OF BOTTLES!   - Barbara YIKES!  IT REALLY TICKS ME OFF THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD DO THIS SORT OF THING...(IT ALSO BOTHERS ME THAT THEY GIVE OUT THE FORMULA BELOW) BUT IT'S BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. More scary stuff - it really is true. NOT A JOKE - VERY SERIOUS Pass this on to everybody you know.  Anybody that sees a plastic bottle in their yard would think nothing of picking it up to throw it away. Looks like these things are starting to pop up around the U.S. Check the Snopes web site below, it's pretty scary.   Important warning!  NOT A JOKE!  Pay attention to this. 1.  A plastic bottle with a cap (Like a normal water bottle). 2.  A little Drano. 3.  A little water. 4.  A small piece of foil. 5.  Disturb it by moving it; and BOOM (Less than 30 seconds)!! 6.  No fingers left and other serious effects to your face, eyes, etc. People are finding these bombs in mailboxes and in their yards, just waiting for someone to pick it up intending to put it in the trash. It takes about 30 seconds to blow after you move the thing. See "SNOPES" below....it's true. http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/bottlebomb.asp <http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/bottlebomb.asp> Send it to everyone on your mailing list, I did, and it won't hurt to get it several times.

 

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3111 - Release Date: 09/02/10 23:34:00

now you know

thank you, Eli  


 



and that my friends is why the chicken crossed the road.