Thankful for Life Long Friends

Traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to visit my best friend from high school and her family yesterday. Although the time together was short, it was great to see Anita, Houston and their son, Garrett. Anita's parents, Frank & Carol Wocher were also there! They live in NC so we did not mind driving 2 hours versus the 14 hours it would normally take us to get to their home.

Thanksgiving in Florida

Every year, I try to escpape the holiday "Thanksgiving". It is not because I am not thankful for many things...it is because the meal itself is nothing I like. I am not fond of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and the like. I do not cook (I can - I just choose not to) and if there were a pill I could pop that would nurish my body and keep my tummy from a growling, I would choose that option. I am not a food lover. I do not get worked up about flavors and aromas. I take the easy way out when it comes to food. The simplier and faster the better.

This year, TJ and I spent the week in Florida. (Todd stayed home to hunt - his preferred way to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday). We had a fabulous time. TJ & I stayed up late, slept in, spent hours in the pool, looked for shells on the beach, spent a day at Busch Gardens and played more than a lifetime of minature golf. Did you know there are 9 putt putt courses in southern Florida?

Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving! Love, Hef

Helmsin Family

Emma

Evan & April

Had the pleasure today to meet my soon-to-be Godson, Evan. TJ's Godmother, April and her family arrived in Indy today for a quick visit before they continued down to Columbus for the Holiday. Little Emma is beautiful and Evan is a future linebacker (for the Colts of course).

One Hundred Years of Progress

The year is 1908. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1908:

The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

Proud to be an American

One of my favorites. I photographed this flag on our trip to Hawaii while visiting Pearl Harbor.

COLTS WIN COLTS WIN

Another on the edge of your seat win. They make me nervous. TJ and I attended the game. I tried a new parking spot today. It was a hike but only $10. Still searching for that perfect location. Following the game, we attended the CKS chess club pizza party. TJ received a nice medal and certificate of participation. Hope everyone has a great week. Hef

Hunting Season

It has officially started. Todd has spent the past several weekends scouting the woods, checking the photos and video on his field cameras and has spent every evening this past week gathering up his hunting equipment and clothes (washing them in detergent so they smell like dirt). I sit back every year and wonder how on earth someone can get so excited about dressing in such drab colors to sit in a tree for hour upon hour with nothing to do but wait. Secretly, I know this is when he catches up on all the sleep he has missed the past 11 months. Anyway, Todd and Aaron are "hunting deer" this weekend. Aaron was in charge of food and cleaning supplies for the camper. Todd was in charge of mice traps and the entertainment. Which I hope does not involve the traps! I heard Todd leave about 4 a.m. as the rain was pouring down. Some women are golf widows.........

Quote for the Week

The happiest people do not necessarily have the best
of everything. They just make the best of everything!

Best Buds

TJ & Lea

Sand and Stone

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument; and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face".They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath the one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life ". The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?" The friend replied, “when someone hurts us we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it." Have a great Day! Hef

Chess Team CYO Tournament

Per Coach Parker: "What a way to end the season!!!!! CKS won two trophies this year!!!!!! I am so proud of the team, they played great and performed well under pressure!!!!! The kids played five rounds and the winner was determined based on points! The following is a list of schools that participated: Central Catholic, Christ the King, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Christopher, St. Malachy, St. Pius X, St. Rose of Lima and St. Simon

6th Grade and Under ~ Queen Division
1st Place ~ Christ the King (Jonathan, Thomas, Nick, Trevor)

3rd Grade and Under ~ Bishop Division
1st Place ~ St. Christopher

2nd Place ~ Christ the King1 (TJ, Zachary, Lindy, Elliana)

TJ played very well. He won three matches and finished the other two in a stalemate. Following his chess tourney, he took a power nap before his IBA basketball game. They won 36-30! TJ was on his game with rebound after rebound and 4 points. Yep - he inherited his athletic ability from me as well as his smarts :) Hef

Fall

I love Fall. However, my allergies have a mind of their own. I am home today with a headache and upset stomach which I have been fighting all week. This morning my head hurt so badly that I crawled back into bed with wet hair. Now 4 hours later, I am a scary sight! It is the weather. 70 degrees mid-day and 40 at night. My sinuses rebel. But the sun is shining, the leaves are turning colors and falling from the sky. The air smells crisp and as clean as it can for the city! I love Fall. Hef

COLTS WIN

It was a great day yesterday. The October weather was fabulous! I spent the day with some of the BFFBs (Best Friends Forever B*tches) shopping then we all met (five of us) for dinner at Binkleys to celebrate Melissa's birthday. Then she and I attended the Colts game to watch them outplay the Patriots. It was a nail bite'r til the end. GO COLTS!

Trick-R-Treat

Ninja Sam, Clone Trooper Alex Demon of War TJ, and Will the Skeleton

Todd, Mark and Chris

TJ and three friends went door to door this year in their costumes followed by thier dads dragging a wagon full of beer to keep themselves hydrated for the miles (blocks) ahead. The boys waited til dark passing the time with a game of basketball in the backyard while I built a fire so the moms could keep warm and they could roast marsh mellows upon their return. After what seemed like 10 minutes, they returned with bags of candy and an empty cooler with bottles they "collected" along the way for the recycling tub. It was a beautiful night with a sighting or two of shooting stars.... The parents finally called it a night around 11 p.m. with hopes that the sugar buzz had worn off those under 10 years old. The next day, TJ sorted his loot and ended up keeping only 6 items - with his dislike for candy and especially chocolate, I truely wonder if I overdosed him with Milky Ways and M&Ms while I was pregnant. Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. Hef

The Beaver Family

The Birthday Boy: Jacob

Our dear friends, Kim & Jamie Beaver have four boys that are very special to us with the youngest being our Godson (Jonathan). Todd met Jamie while in the National Guard and I had the pleasure to meet them when thier oldest was just 18 months old. We have watched the boys grow up and Kim babysat TJ from the time he was an infant until he went to school! He still loves to spend some time each summer at "Camp Beaver"!

But oh how we look forward to their high school graduations! Once they are all out of the house, we have a date to get together with Kim & Jamie for a night out since plans to do so before then have been impossible to schedule!

Today, Jacob (their 3rd oldest son) celebrated his 8th birthday. Over the years, we have attended most of the Beaver Boys' birthday celebrations. TJ loves them like siblings!