Linda Z

Zshot, please pass this on to your mom for me. Thanks for keeping us up to date and here's a hug (((zshot))) for you, too.

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Dear Jeanette:

I'm so sorry for your loss of your beloved Puff. I've been through it many times, so I know it's hard, but I pray that the warm memories will edge out the feelings of sadness more and more with each day ahead.

Please take solace in knowing what a good life you gave Puff and what a difference that made. Also know that you're in our thoughts and prayers.

Linda Zinn

Cleveland, Ohio

Fifty schmifty...no biggie! You still look as cute as ya did at three!!

Hope your big day is filled with music and laughter and love. You deserve them all!

B'day hugs,

Linda Z

PS. OHIO??? Where in Ohio? You mean we might actually have a chance to meet?

We've lost a kind and gentle soul from our midst. Phil was such a great guy.

Sadly,

Linda Z

Ladycat:

Please e-mail me, and I can give you an update. Short answer is they're doing fine. :-)

Linda Z

Thanks for letting us know, ex. That is a tough one for sure. Will pray for them.

Linda

Everyone should have a boss like you. Prayin'.

Linda

Yay! I'm happy for your mom and for her Puff!

Linda

Praying that her surgery and recovery go super well.

Linda

Thanks for the update. Still praying here.

Linda

Great points re: the life lessons versus merely ABCs, Suz.

My son was very small when Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood first aired in S. California. I remember thinking, I'll be your neighbor, Mr. Rogers!" I, as an adult, was amazed at how soothing his gentle manner was to me. He gave so much kindness and heart.

Last night I was watching a PBS special about him and sat here bawling as he sang "I Like You" with a little boy in a wheelchair (who now is in college) For his audience, he also addressed so honestly and sensitively why the boy was unable to walk. Brilliant, loving stuff.

His loss leaves a huge void.

Sadly,

Linda

PS. to Garth: I heard many people, twi and non-twi, poking good-natured fun at Mr. Rogers over the years, but I really never heard any top leadership claim he was a child molester or anything bad.

All I can say about some of these things I read on GS is that I'm glad I didn't live where some of you did while I was in, because this apparently spared me from a lot of the ridiculous BS some of the rest of you heard.

Yesterday was Kit's birthday! I can't believe that of all the birthdays in the world, we missed this one!

Thank you, Kit, for being such a faithful reminder of everyone else's b'days. I hope yours was the happiest yet and that the coming year is filled with God's blessings!!!

Love you,

Linda

Sorry to be a day late for your big day. Hope it was the happiest ever!

XO,

Linda

Your mom and Puff are in my prayers. I know how heartbreaking it is to face the possibility of losing a beloved cat or pooch.

Your mom can take great comfort in knowing that she has given Puff 20 wonderful years of pampering and affection. At least that kind of realization has been a comfort to me when I've faced saying farewell to my four-legged friends.

Linda Z

NIKA, thanks for sharing that sweet story. I really liked Yah. He was always a bright spot of kindness when I saw him around HQ. That's a terrible loss.

Linda

Have a birthday that's as wacky as you want it to be!!

Enjoy,

Linda Z

My cat Molly thinks she's a dog. She totally ignores her cat toys (the ones Emma the Dog hasn't destroyed) and plays with Emma's toys. And usually Emma lets her! She follows Emma around. When she got catnip balls from "Grandma" for Christmas, she immediately went over to Emma and dropped one between them.

Never thought I'd see a cat share! These two are really pals.

The other night they were playing tug o' war with one of Emma's stuffed toys. I was amazed at how gentle Emma was. She's a terrier with realllllly strong head-shakin' action. She coulda had that toy in 5 seconds flat, but the cat would have been splatted against the wall. So instead Emma would pull it ever so slowly in her direction, stop and look at the cat. The cat would pull back. Emma would pull a little farther, but just as gently. Back and foth they went, in slow-mo, until Emma finally had the toy to herself. It was so cute.

Oh, you asked about cats? I believe Molly was a feral cat. She was in and out of the shelter where I got her for a over year. She's the most skittish cat I've ever had. My son was here for 10 days and she hid the entire time. She never (I mean NEVER) comes and sits in my lap. She'll plop down next to me on the couch occasionally, or on weekends (when I don't mind the commotion of two critters in my bed and leave the bedroom door open), she'll come join Emma and me on the bed. But a cuddler and lap sitter she's not.

I love my little furball though. For one thing, she wiped out the mice population that was trying to overrun my house after my former cat died. She never scratches the furniture or curtains (I opted not to declaw her, in case she ever gets out and needs to defend herself--plus it looks downright painful!). She always uses the litter box, and she loves to stand on my desk and rub heads with me while I'm trying to type on the computer.

Linda Z, dog and cat lover!

[This message was edited by Linda Z on February 15, 2003 at 7:48.]

[This message was edited by Linda Z on February 15, 2003 at 7:49.]

insurgent made me laugh with this one!

"When life hands me lemons I grab the salt and the tequila."

Simpleton:

Yes, they went on a jaunt to Scotland when I worked for RFR on staff, not long after twi acquired the Gartmore property but before PoP--I'm thinking it must have been '84 or early

'85.

As for RFR's son, I think we should leave him out of it. Wasn't it enough to have had her for a mother without having his business discussed here because of that unfortunate fact? :)-->

Linda Z

From Larry P

"'God's Spiritual Marines?' Like when TWI entered into the California mission field, of course they came storming onto the beach from the sea, right?"

JT

*happy sighs*

You guys know how to melt and soothe a girl's heart after a tough week at work!! The mere mention of James Taylor's name has a mellowing effect.

I think I told Socks this story once, but I'll tell it here again (close yer eyes, Socksness). Many moons ago I went to a McGovern fundraiser...a concert by JT and Carly Simon (it was soooo long ago, I think it was Carly Simon, but it might have been Carole King!!! She played a piano and sang.) :D-->

The crowd was young and enthusiastic and kinda noisy. Carly (or Carole...am I getting old, or what???) came out first and got very annoyed by the restlessness of the audience and angrily lectured: "If you don't quiet down, I can't play!" People got quiet, but it was an uncomfortable quiet.

Then JT came out. The crowd was twice as excited to see him and so the noise level rose again. He looked warmly at the audience, smiled, and just softly whispered, "shhhhh" and started playing and singing without even waiting to see if it would get quiet. You coulda heard a pin drop.

JT's is the music that heals my ragged, jagged soul when it needs it. His is the music that makes me smile as if I'm sharing a cup of hot chocolate with my oldest and best friend. He's a bright kite floating with fluffy clouds across a crisp, blue sky. He's ocean water, softly, rhythmically lapping at the sand.

I'm gonna go put on a JT album while I wash the dishes. Thanks for the reminder!!

Linda Z

Congrats, SocketCreep!

May you and your family and your new kitty have many happy years together! That's great news.

Linda Z

There was a show on PBS here about a week ago about hot dog stands around the country. One segment was a place famous for its deep-fried hot dogs. There were three kinds. I forget the other names, but the "Rippers" were the ones left in the fat long enough to start splitting.

Anywho, here's the blurb from pbs.org describing the show. You can go there and see if this show will be airing in your area soon.

"From the Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest at Coney Island to a gourmet reindeer-dog vendor at the start of the Iditarod sled dog race, A HOT DOG PROGRAM visits some of the country's coolest hot dog places. The one-hour special is a fun look at some hot dog history, a guide to some of the finest hot dog houses in the country, and an unabashedly friendly look at these finely ground sausages and their fans."

It was pretty entertaining.

Me, I like my hot dogs grilled and then instead of mustard, smeared with peanut butter! (Don't laugh unless you've tried it!)

Linda Z

And :)--> anniversary to you, Ted! I know you put your whole heart into Way Prod, and many others put their whole hearts into the music they wrote and played. The result was that you touched lots of our hearts.

Many thanks to all of you who made us smile or shed a tear with your songs--and your plays and sketches and dances (well, most of the dances). :D-->

Love,

Linda

A la, it's true. Dave Brubeck's daughter (who is a WONderful gal) was in the 7th Corps. I worked on a play with her when she was at Rome City for a block or two.

Alfa, I like Leonard Cohen, too...I've had a few lines of one of his songs taped to my computer stand for about 10 years now:

"Ring the bells that still can ring.

Forget your perfect offering.

There is a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in."

I love that.

Hey Ted, have a safe trip (unless you're already gone, then have a safe trip back!) and give Doug a hug! We'll keep a seat warm for ya.

Love,

Linda

Praying here too! God's watching over you both.

Love,

Linda