05.31.08
Posted in Photo essay at 8:58 pm by Administrator
My grandson, Patrick, and his mother watch a baby giraffe at Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island.
The Black African Crowned Crane at the zoo is quite interested in Patrick’s finger. Good thing there is a plexiglas shield between them!
Patrick had the largest sand box of any kid around, on that day in the Lakes Region, New Hampshire. The kid “gets around.”
“Sterling,” the German Shepherd shown here, is related to “Emma,” Patrick’s dog. Here he is giving the pet a hug at Mormor’s house.
Footprints in the sand in New Hampshire. “I am so little, and the lake is so big.”
We enjoy Patrick so much. He’s our first and only grandchild and he’s special. Hope you enjoyed seeing these recent pictures. Every now and then, I have to share a few photos. He’s growing so fast!
Photos courtesy of Rebecca and James Gorham.
Grandmother Cummings
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05.28.08
Posted in Anecdotes at 11:34 pm by Administrator
My mother has been dead for three years, yet today, in my mailbox, there was a notice sent to her. Since I was her Durable Power of Attorney, in life, I took the chance of opening it without fear of breaking the federal mandate not to tamper with someone else’s mail.
On her behalf, I learned that the bank, once again, is changing its name. I also found out that they are going to (try to) continue to treat their customers well and enhance the overall banking experience. The letter was signed by the president of the bank, someone whose name I could not say … or spell … if my life depended on it.
This piece of mail left me with an odd feeling and I could not help but ponder the fact that when one is six feet under, stocks, mutual funds, and bank accounts matter little. Money will not buy a person even one more minute more than what has been pre-determined in the Book of Life.
I poignantly recall the fact that when Mother had her heart attack, she had all of $16.00 left in a checking account, her only money, and had gone through all of her other assets, without anyone knowing. She had also run up a credit card bill of thousands of dollars, just to buy simple things like food and medication.
While she was in and out of hospitals and nursing homes, I sat here, like a dummy, explaining over and over again to paid collection agency officials that the credit card bill would be paid immediately, as soon as her farm sold. The creditor had to wait awhile, but the day of the “closing” was the same day their pay-off check went into the mail. In the meantime, I was badgered. I said, “Hey! I pay my bills!” Nobody was listening.
You see, that is the trouble. No one at all is listening. You can tell your woes to an answering machine until the cows come home. Perhaps a cow is the animal getting the message, and not making sense of it. Don’t get me going!
There is a lot wrong with corporate America, including the fact that J.C. Penney, whom I mentioned last month, is still under the impression that I have an account there. I do not. I never will. Last Saturday, I received a form to fill out for their investigation> into why I don’t think I should pay the charges. Simply put, I said, “This card is NOT mine.” Are they dense?
This is too much. Letters to dead people. Bills that I didn’t run up on accounts that I don’t own. We won’t even dwell on the number of Paypal scam letters I receive per week, and I DO report every one of them. One can’t even die to get away from junk mail. My Dad received an advertisement for life insurance twenty years after he’d been gone. I should have framed it! Can you top that?
Patricia Cummings
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05.27.08
Posted in Photo essay at 10:28 pm by Administrator
Yesterday was a family day in Rhode Island, that is, we chose to spend Memorial Day with my son and his wife, and our little grandson, Patrick. The day was very warm, but there was a strong breeze blowing, making the air a comfortable temperature. Our first stop was the park playground for youngsters, where Patrick enjoyed sliding.
“Here we go!” Sliding at Roger Williams’ Park Playground
That area was becoming very crowded so we went over to the zoo. The grounds are enormous and 156 different species are protected there. There is an amazing array of creatures. I just love zoos!
Kangaroos, resting on a hot day
Snow leopard, on a cliff perch
This Moon Bear was elusive to photograph as he kept going in and out of a high den. The Asian bear is so named for the crescent-like white spot, on its chest.
These two American bald eagles had injured wings that were cosmetically-repaired, but now they cannot fly. They seem to enjoy their habitat at the zoo.
A miniature donkey whose ancestor carried the Virgin Mary.
James holding Patrick who is pointing at a new and unusual creature … to him!
Penguins of different kinds inhabit this watery space.
My favorite animals of the days were the giraffes, the red panda, the red-headed cranes. The Bison lazily grazed. They are a seemingly docile animal, until provoked! There were camels, elephants, emus, seals and so many more species. We plan to go back another day to see more of the zoo animals. This zoo is touted as one of the ten finest zoos in the country, and I’m sure that when all the improvements are made, it make even go higher in ranking.
Hope you enjoyed this little photo tour. Thanks to Jim Cummings for always having a ready camera!
Patricia Cummings
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