YouTube Family Video

Turn your speakers on!

Reading Terminal Market officially kicked off the holiday season on Friday, November 25th with its annual Holiday Railroad featuring a 500 square foot model railroad with nearly a third of a mile of track. Now in its eighth year, the display features 17 working train lines that rumble through a multitude of miniature scenery including Center City Philadelphia, a Christmas village, and snow-covered countryside.

The railroad display has become an annual tradition that customers and their families look forward to each year. This year, the railroad was expanded by adding more trains, bridges, interactive buttons, and the inclusion of familiar Philadelphia venues within the display. The following organizations sponsored the railroad display for 2011:

* ARAMARK Tower
* Center for Architecture
* The Gallery at Market East
* Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp.
* Greyhound Bus Company
* Market Street East Improvement Association
* Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
* Parkway Corp.
* Pennsylvania Convention Center

The railroad will be open until Sunday, January 3rd, 10:00am-6:00pm (closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day) and it is located in the Piano Court of the Reading Terminal Market. Check out the video we made when we went to see it!

Jesus Is The Reason For The Season!

Merry Christmas from the Lady (Bug) of the Household...

May God continue to bless you and yours during the holiday season!

Some Food For Thought...

Click on image for a larger view to read.

Thanksgiving Weekend Photos

Thanksgiving Day: Dinner @ my mother's house!























Black Friday: Shopping @ the King of Prussia Mall, then off to
the movies to see Happy Feet 2! After that, more shopping @ Target!

A Day To Give Thanks...

10 Thanksgiving Ideas from About.com

1. A Thanksgiving Story: Set aside a few moments on Thanksgiving Day to sit down and read a Thanksgiving story. You can read it alone or together with your family.

2. A Thanksgiving Poem or Prayer: Take on the family project of writing a Thanksgiving poem or prayer together.

3. A Thanksgiving Bible Verse: Ask each family member to read a favorite Bible verse before the Thanksgiving meal.

4. A Thanksgiving Memory: During Thanksgiving dinner, ask each family member to share a favorite Thanksgiving memory.

5. A Thanksgiving Communion: Plan a time of family Communion on Thanksgiving to give thanks by remembering Christ's life, death and resurrection.

6. A Thanksgiving Blessing: Invite a widow, single person, or someone who is alone to share in your family Thanksgiving meal.

7. A Thanksgiving Day Parade or Play: Put on your own Thanksgiving Day parade or "pilgrim play" with family, friends, and neighbors.

8. A Thanksgiving Offering: Prepare a Thanksgiving offering to give to a needy family or one of your favorite charities.

9. A Thanksgiving Football Game: Plan a neighborhood football game for Thanksgiving weekend.

10. A Thanksgiving Meal for the Homeless: Hosted by your neighborhood church or community center.

No Doubt About It... We Owe You, Joe!

R.I.P. Joseph William Frazier

January 12, 1944 - November 7, 2011

This morning, the life and legacy of Joe Frazier was remembered with elegance and passion in a two-hour ceremony at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA. "Smokin' Joe", as he was affectionately known, died last Monday of liver cancer. He was 67 years old. Even Muhammad Ali, who was his "arch nemesus" in the boxing ring many years ago, was present and paid his final respects to the former heavyweight champion. Fellow boxers Bernard Hopkins, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, and Mike Tyson, among others, were also there.

By all accounts, Joe was a humble, reserved, and God-fearing man, according to those who knew him personally. The white casket was placed in front of the alter, draped in tapestry, and adorned by various bouquets of flowers. The heavyweight tile belt he won by defeating Ali in the 1971 "Fight of the Century" sat on top of the casket. A 100-member choir sang hymns, while the preachers urged the crowd to rise from their seats to their feet in celebration of his life.

Rev. Jesse Jackson addressed those who attended, along with other religious leaders from the Philadelphia area. In his remarks, Rev. Jackson chastised the city for not having a statue of Joe Frazier. He questioned why the city so eagerly celebrated the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa and not Joe Frazier. He went on to say... "Tell them Rocky was not a champion, but Joe Frazier was! Tell them Rocky's fist were frozen in stone, but Joe's fists were smokin'!" He incited a large cheer from the crowd as he demanded a statue of Joe to be erected in Philadelphia.

Ironically or coincidentally (whichever you choose to believe), it was reported on last Friday that Mayor Nutter said the city was "in discussion" with the family regarding a lasting memorial for our former heavyweight champion. Oh? Well, excuse me, Mayor Nutter... but, I seem to remember that it was also reported last year that the city was "in discussion" about a statue for Joe Frazier and then, it appeared the ball was eventually dropped. No more was ever reported or said about it that I can recall. What happened?

I've always admired Joe Frazier and I, too, feel that Philadelphia should be ashamed for not erecting a statue in his honor while he was still alive to see it. We truly failed him in this area and I'll be the first one to admit it. But, I really wish people, including Rev. Jesse Jackson (no disrespect intended), would stop making references to the Rocky statue in order to make this point. The two are completely unrelated and one has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

Contrary to popular opinion, the city of Philadelphia didn't erect a statue in Rocky's honor. The statue, which was a prop specifically created for and used in Rocky III, was actually given to the city as a gift after the movie was completed. By that time, three of the movies were filmed here and since that time, two more were filmed here... Rocky V and Rocky Balboa. Like it or not, the Rocky movies are a part of Philadelphia "film" history and there's nothing wrong with our city being proud of that fact or displaying the statue. The mistake is constantly comparing a (movie prop) statue to the life and legacy of a real man.

So please, let's just acknowledge that we failed to give a true champion his just-due while he was here to appreciate it and work together to fix it. I know it's a lot easier and tempting to blame a lifeless object than acknowledge a gross oversight... but, given the kind of guy Joe Frazier was, I'm sure he forgave us for our unintentional negligence before he left this side of heaven. All we need to do now is stop comparing apples and oranges, forgive ourselves, and get this statue project done... but, for no other reason than we owe it to "Smokin' Joe".

I'm proud to say that I'm old enough to remember every time Frazier and Ali fought. I've also seen every Rocky movie made to date. And, if memory serves me correctly, "Smokin' Joe" actually appeared as himself in Rocky II and was happy to do it... that's just the kind of guy he was. So, for me, all of this kind of talk is pointless. The hearts and minds in the City of Brotherly Love should be big enough to hold the legacy of the man (Frazier) and the memory of the movies (Rocky) without a problem... the important thing is knowing and understanding the difference between the two of them.

Happy Veteran's Day To My Favorite Vet!

My Hubby!
And, ditto to all the other Vets out there... Enjoy your special day!

Calling all Vets & Active Duty Military Personnel!

Don't forget about the "free meal" deals going on at Applebee's today

and Golden Corral is doing the same to show their support on Monday.

Click on text links for details! Thank you for your service and God bless!

To My Father...

R.I.P. Roosevelt Williams 1936-2002
He would have been 75 years old today.

The Circus Is Coming To Town! :)

Spread the word!

Let The Educational Journey Begin...

Grammy is so proud of you!

Have a happy, safe, and wonderful school year.

❤️ Happy Grandparents Day!

Happy Grandparents Day!

This Humana video says it all and I just love it.

Why Would Anyone Do This To A 5 Year Old Child?

Official Movie Website

Release Date: November 24, 2011
Genre: Documentary
About: Human Radiation Lab Experimentation
Narrated By: Dennis Haysbert
Directed By: Brett Leonard
Written By: Wilbert Smith (edited by Ryan Sheffer)
Produced By: Smith Leonard Productions, LLP

Awards: Directors Choice Award for socially relavent subject, International Film Festival of Nashville and currently nominated for Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival of Los Angeles.

Synopsis: Vertus Hardiman hid a shocking secret under a wig and beanie for over 80 years. When he was 5 years old, he was used in a radiation experiment conducted by a county hospital in Indiana during 1927. As a result, he lived his life with a hole in his head. Further, he was one of ten children used in the same radiation experiment. This secret leads two friends (Vertus and Wilbert Smith) on a journey of the heart that speaks to the great resilience of the human spirit, even in the face of terrible suffering caused by the ignorance and hatred of others. The following video clip might be upsetting for some viewers.

Various forms of human experimentation was widely used in the early to mid-twentieth century in the United States. People, especially Blacks, were constantly being used by science to serve as human guinea pigs without their knowledge or consent. In order to shine a light on what happened to Vertus and nine other children living in a small Black Indiana town, he returns to the place where the radiation experiments were conducted. Follow this amazing life-journey of an exceptional human being who in spite of a life-altering calamity allows himself to live life without bitterness.

Please help spread the word about this movie... this is a story that must be told!

Like "Hole In The Head: A Life Revealed" on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/holeinthehead

All About My Birthday!

As of September 4, 2011 at 12:00 AM ET:

* I am 53 years old.
* I am 636 months old.
* I am 2,765 weeks old.
* I am 19,358 days old.
* I am 464,613  hours old.
* I am  27,876,817 minutes old.
* I am 1,672,609,071 seconds old.

Fun Facts & Trivia:

* My date of conception was on or about December 12, 1957.
* I was born on a Thursday under the astrological sign Virgo.
* My opposition sign is Pisces.
* My ruling planet is Mercury.
* The moon's phase on the day of my birth was waning gibbous.
* My birth flower is Aster.
* My birth tree is Weeping Willow.
* My birthstone is Sapphire.
* My lucky day is Wednesday.
* My lucky dates are the 5th, 14th, and 23rd.
* My lucky number is 5.
* My opposition number is 3.
* My Life Path number is 9.
* I'm most compatible with people with the Life Path numbers 3, 6, and 9.
* I'm least compatible with people with the Life Path numbers 4, 8, and 22.
* My age is the equivalent of a dog that is 7.43326810176125 years old.
* My fortune cookie reads: Something you lost will soon turn up.

53 Candles:

The number of candles on my birthday cake produce 53 BTUs or 13,356 calories of heat and that's only 13.3560 food calories! I can boil 6.06 ounces of water with that many candles-LOL!

Celebrities Who Share My Birthday:

Henry Ford II (1917)
Jason David Frank (1973)
Paul Harvey (1918)
Beyonce Knowles (1981)
Dan Miller (1980)
Mike Piazza (1968)
Dr. Drew Pinsky (1958)
Ione Skye (1970)
Tom Watson (1949)
Mitzi Gaynor (1930)
Damon Wayans (1960)
Richard Wright (1908)

Top Songs of 1958:

"At the Hop" by Danny & The Juniors
"It's All In the Game" by Tommy Edwards
"The Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley
"All I Have to Do Is Dream" by The Everly Brothers
"Tequila" by The Champs
"Don't" by Elvis Presley
"Volare" by Domenico
"Modugno Sugartime" by The McGuire Sisters
"He's Got the Whole World In His Hands" by Laurie London
"The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville & The Chipmunks

1958 in the United States:

* The President was Dwight Eisenhower.
* The Vice-President was Richard Nixon.
* It was not a leap year.
* The date of Ash Wednesday was February 19th.
* The date of Passover was Saturday, April 5th.
* The date of Easter was Sunday, April 6th.
* There were approximately 1,667,231 marriages and 385,144 divorces.
* A new person was born approximately every 8 seconds.
* There were approximately 4.0 million births.
* The population was approximately 150,697,361 people.
* One person died approximately every 12 seconds.
* There were approximately 1,452,000 deaths.
* Click here for more information...

"Reach For The Stars" Pre-K Bridging Ceremony

Congratulations to our grandson for crossing this bridge! There will be many other bridges for you to cross, but we know that God will be with you every step of the way! We love you and we're so proud of you! - Grammy & Pop-Pop