Thursday, February 28, 2008

An Alternate Reality

Since the local paper did not have time/space to run my column this week I've decided that I own it again-- so here it is. It should run in the print edition next week.

Foster care need is great in Danvers
By Laura Hinds
GETTING PERSONAL
Carla King of Danvers has worked as a foster care recruiter for many years. She has worked countless hours to find good foster homes for hundreds of children. On her own time, she finds way to raise funds to help these families give more to the children, including events where foster families can get together for a day of fun. I recently was in touch with her about the need for foster homes in Danvers. Carla sent me the following information, and I do feel it is important to get it in the public eye so that perhaps more families who are able to provide a stable home environment might consider becoming a foster family. I was really surprised and shocked that there are only two families in Danvers providing foster care on a steady basis. Danvers is very much a family oriented town. People have the resources here, but perhaps have never considered the idea of giving back by helping children in need.
From Carla King:
"We need more homes in Danvers and every town. Today, out of the Salem office there are 385 children in care. We have only 40 foster homes. Many children are in programs (which take care of more children at once), so they are not over crowded in the 40 homes. There are days when we don't have a place to put a 3-year-old girl or a 6-year-old boy. There have even been times when we had trouble placing a newborn. Then there are adolescents. They have a bad rap and are hard to place, while many of these teens thrive in a nurturing foster home and just want a safe place to stay so they can finish school.
“The Garvin family of North Street has provided a foster home for about a year. This is one of only two foster homes in Danvers, and the other has had only one placement, which resulted in adoption and, therefore, that family has not taken any more placements. We have some family members providing foster care in Danvers, but the Garvin family is the only Danvers family currently providing ongoing foster care.”
King provided some facts:
You don't have to own your own home to be a foster parent.
You have to have an income, but there is no minimal income so long as you can provide for a child in foster care.
You can be single, any age (over 18) and any nationality.
We welcome same sex couples.
There is a daily stipend for foster children.
To become a foster parent, one needs to first call Carla King in the Salem office, 978-825-3862. After an application and a home visit, the family can attend the training. There is no cost for the training. Once training is completed, references are done as well as a home study (which is an assessment of the people in the home) and, if approved, the home is given a license.
“There is a great deal of support from the Salem office, from get-togethers to meet other foster families, to support groups,” said King. “A social worker is assigned to each family to provide one-on-one support. There is a 24-hour hotline for foster parents as well as for the department.”
Please take the time, take stock of your situation and think about it. You, too, could help children and give them a chance at a better life in our lovely town of Danvers. Thank you,” said King.
Now, on to another subject, aquatic therapy, a topic I first wrote about in my Feb. 14 column. For the sake of clarification and to educate people that there are actually other facilities around, you can find aquatic therapy in Salem at the YMCA and there is a facility in Ipswich called Aquatic Therapy of New England. Check with your physician and insurance company for referrals. The main difference is that these pools are kept at a much cooler temperature, up to 10 degrees cooler, as I understand it. Speaking for myself and for some friends with whom I was in aquatic therapy, the heat makes all the difference. It is up to the individual: what works for some may not work for others.
Laura Hinds lives with her husband, Michael, on Burly Street.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

A Whole Box of Fun




Sophie is very busy today, on patrol for Silly Squirrels.

Mike's parents have Class!!!! Aren't they something?


Who knew? Oswald might have talked to Ruby about killing JFK?? Who knew?

DALLAS (Reuters) - A batch of old documents linked to the slaying of President John F. Kennedy has reportedly been unearthed, including a highly suspect transcript of a conversation between assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and Oswald's killer Jack Ruby, the Dallas Morning News said on Sunday.

The newspaper said the Dallas County district attorney's office, which uncovered the documents, would display its discovery at a news conference on Monday morning.

The Morning News said the items found in an old safe in a Dallas courthouse included personal letters from former District Attorney Henry Wade, the prosecutor in the Ruby trial. Ruby shot Oswald two days after the president's death.

Also found were official records from Ruby's trial, a gun holster and clothing that probably belonged to Ruby and Oswald, District Attorney Craig Watkins told the newspaper.

But one potentially controversial item is a transcript of an exchange between Oswald and Ruby in which they discuss killing Kennedy to halt the mafia-busting agenda of his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy.

The Morning News said one theory about the transcript was that it was part of a movie script Wade was working on with producers, for a film that was never made.

The transcript resembles one published by the Warren Commission, which investigated Kennedy's assassination and concluded Oswald acted alone. The FBI had determined the conversation between Oswald and Ruby -- this time about killing Texas Gov. John Connally -- was definitely fake, the newspaper said.

Connally was riding in the car with Kennedy and was wounded in the attack.

The documents may be a Presidents' Day gift to conspiracy theorists who have long questioned the official U.S. government version that Oswald acted alone when he shot Kennedy on November 22, 1963, as the president's motorcade swept past the Texas School Book Depository in downtown Dallas.

Laura
The More Books the Better
ps the Danvers Witch trials would have made great TV!

Nightclub owner Ruby subsequently shot Oswald dead at point-blank range as police were escorting their prime suspect. Ruby died a few years later from cancer.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Mutts

Some Monday Morning Fun

It's Monday already! No, I didn't watch the Big Giant Hollywood Awards Show last night! I haven't seen one of the movies and figured "Why bother?". We both quietly read our books, and then guiltily indulged in watching the very inane, yet somehow funny "Scott Baio is 46 and Pregnant" followed by "My Fair Brady, Maybe Baby" and then sleep. I tried to listen to Coast to Coast at 1, but didn't wake up until 2:20 AM when I heard that something they were going to talk about sounded interesting, but natch, I fell asleep and missed it. This is a good thing though, as sleep doesn't come easily to me.

Today is book editing day, newspaper article writing day for next week, final copy of this weeks article (the boring part of doing it) and hoping to get my neighbor in her 80's out to the library while it's a nice day! After reading my library article in the paper last week, she decided she wants her first library card and has asked me to take her one day soon! Maybe today if she's up to it!

Ok- some fun links!

Longmire Does Romance Novels
Killer Fiction
Mouse Songs

The funniest is definitely the Romance Novels site-- altered covers with crazy titles. Killer Fiction is great for your inner writer. My favorite though, is Mouse Songs! Go listen!
Laura
The More Books the Better

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Most Interesting Animals

The following pictures and description came to me in an email that is going around--thought I'd share it with my friends without sending multiple emails. Enjoy!



The odds of seeing an albino moose are astronomical and to see this in the upper peninsula of

Michigan, near Wisconsin , is even greater than astronomical. To see two of them together is

nearly impossible.

We wanted to share these photos with as many people as possible because you will probably

never have a chance to see this rare sight again. This is a really special treat, so enjoy the

shot of a life time.

Man walking Dog, Cat and Rat

My dear friend Azanna's new doggie, Frizzle. Frizzle has multiple names, but mostly answers to Frizzle!


Cheryl and Helen's doggie, Rufus:


One of Carolyn's horses, Lad:

Carolyn's most recent adoptee, Sam

This one speaks for itself!


Happy Sunday to All!

Laura
The More Books the Better!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Comcast Fails Me Again & Baby Ray

Well this morning I went to log in to my Comcast email, which is the one I use for my work at the newspaper. Guess what? My email account was deactivated and they have no idea why and asked me if I had moved and had I ever lived on Cook St. Never even heard of Cook St and I've lived in my present home for 15 years. So, since there are NO SUPERVISORS there on weekends, they are trying to tell me it can't be fixed until next week. I threatened heads rolling and legal action and now my request is supposed to be expedited for someone to call me later. Yeah, right, I went through this when I got someone else's voice mail and they got mine. No one ever called back and I ended up going back to Verizon for phone service.


The following came from Coast To Coast AM website Coast To Coast


Smilin' Baby Ray
Visitors to a British aquarium have likened the baby thornback ray (pictured) to a character featured on Doctor Who. In the sci-fi series, the 'Last Human' has become merely a translucent sheet of skin with eyes and a mouth.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Daffodils

It's going to snow again today. About 9 inches they say. I hate snow. I am sick of winter. It is the winter of my discontent.

Yet it doesn't matter. Because Mike brought me daffodils. They remind me that spring will come and the daffodils will come up in my garden again. Yet today, while the woodstove is burning to keep us warm, a touch of spring sits on my table.

Mike brought me daffodils!

On this snowy day I am reading a romantic mystery set in CT. I think it holds wide appeal and most women (some men) would enjoy it a lot. Here's a link.



Enjoy your Friday and Happy Weekend!

Laura
The More Books the Better

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Actor David Groh- dead at 68



Variety.com is reporting the death of actor David Groh, best known for playing the husband on the TV sitcom "Rhoda" during the 1970's. He is said to have died from kidney cancer on Tuesday at the age of 68.

This is the second death of a former GH actor or actress in recent weeks. On February 1st, Shell Kepler (Amy Vining) died of renal failure at age 49.

The following details are his direct obituary as reported by Variety:

Groh later had recurring roles on such prime-time series as "Police Story" and on daytime TV as D.L. Brock on "General Hospital."

Born May 21, 1939, in New York, Groh was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art on a Fulbright scholarship.

After a stint in the Army, he studied at the Actors Studio and appeared in theater productions "so far off Broadway, my parents would take subways and buses and taxis to try to find me," he later said.

After he left "Rhoda" in 1977, Groh appeared on Broadway in Neil Simon's "Chapter Two" and in "Twilight of the Golds" in 1993. He also had film roles in "Two-Minute Warning" (1976) and "A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich" (1978), among others.

Survivors include his wife, actress Kristin Andersen; a son, Spencer, from a previous marriage; his mother, Mildred; and a sister, Marilyn Mamann. Services are pending. His family suggests donations to the Actors Studio, 8341 De Longpre Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069.

Laura
The More Books the Better

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Wet Wet Wednesday


Image from FoxTV.com


Hi! Happy Day Before Valentine's Day! Have you bought a gift for your honey yet? Don't forget or you'll be in trouble! Don't forget your Mom if she's still around too-- Mom's love Valentine's from their kids, even when the kids are grown and out of the nest.

Here in the Boston area we are having tons of fun weather! Snow overnight, which changed to ice, to sleet, to rain, rain and more rain. The good news is that it is washing the snow away so many of us don't have to shovel.

Is everyone happy that the writer's strike is over? Have you been watching reruns of your favorite shows, or finding something else to watch or do? My husband's been happy to not have "Desperate Housewives" or "Grey's Anatomy" or "House" on. We have very different tastes in TV. Now truth be told, I don't miss them at all now that it's been reruns! Mike's had complete control of the TV remote and I haven't had to go to another room to watch anything. So, our TV has been tuned to such channels as the Food Network, whatever channel Spongebob is on, I guess Nik1 or Nik 2 or both. Comedy Central is also a favorite, as are The History Channel DIY Network, and something called RFD network. I leave the room for the last, because I think all he seems to watch is tractor pulls or some such thing? As for myself, my nose is in a book. No big surprise there, it is anyway. Yes, I watch TV and read at the same time. Adult Onset ADD? Or just too much to do?

Karen's got some good new GH scoops up at WUBS

I'm working on my book and listening to the soundtrack from Juno. I just love The Moldy Peaches! Oh and of course I'm reading three books at once when I get up from the computer! Doing the housewife routine of washing scatter rugs and vacuuming regular carpet and figuring out what's for supper. I do like writing the book and listening to music much more than housework--but I can't abide a mess either...so it's good that I can MultiTask...I like that better than Adult Onset ADD!

Stay well
Laura
The More Books the Better

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Weird Tuesday

What is up with all the Internet cables being cut undersea in Egypt and India? There are 5-8 confirmed now. Gotta be sabotage, but who is doing it and WHY?

The Boston Globe is reporting that there may soon be skeletal remains of the Loch Ness Monster found...there has been no motion on sonar since the 1980's, so now the hunt is on for remains. Now that's a job I want next-- I want to be a Cryptozoologist!

Happy Tuesday! Vote if it's your states turn!

Laura
The More Books the Better

Monday, February 11, 2008

Are you a Baby Boomer?

If you are you MUST check out this link- it is too darn funny for words! Thanks Eva for sending it to me!

BabyBoomers

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Writer's Strike

Well it sure seems like the writer's strike is about over and they may be back to work as soon as Wednesday. The question remains how many shows will return this season and how many will be delayed until fall. What will they do with reality shows, such as Big Brother 9 which is already slated to take up quite a bit of time each week.

How will the work of the so called scabs have affected the soaps? Will the writer's be able to change things or just ignore inconsistancy?

The Grammy's are tonight. I won't be watching--I already learned that Rush didn't win for the Best Rock Instrumental category and that's all I cared about. I'll get my books out and read and get some much needed beauty sleep instead!

The way things are looking I may either have 3 jobs by this time next week, or be facing another surgical procedure on my poor back. Wow- the fates are really throwing me some curves these days!

Hope you are all well and warm and have some good books! I have plenty of Amazon links for you to look for some goodies!

Laura
The More Books the Better

Jessica Alba Spooked



I found this story on the CoasttoCoastam.com website....very interesting!

February 6, 2008 - 2:23PM

Jessica Alba says she was attacked by a ghost when she was 17.

The star of The Eye claims she was visited by an otherworldly being, and was so terrified afterwards she refused to stay in her house.

Alba, 26, recalled: "I had no idea what it was. I felt this pressure and I couldn't get up, I couldn't scream, I couldn't talk, I couldn't do anything.

"Something definitely took the covers off me and I definitely couldn't get off the bed, and then, once I did, I screamed, ran to my parents' room and I don't think I spent many nights in that house ever again!

"There was definitely something in my parents' old house - I don't know what it was. I can't really explain it. But they got it blessed and they burned sage and stuff since then."

Alba - who is expecting her first child with fiance Cash Warren - also revealed the pregnancy has been playing havoc with her hormones.

"I think I've already thrown Cash out of the house twice since I've been pregnant," she said.

"He's like, 'Are you just pregnant? I hope you're just pregnant and acting crazy,' and I'm like, 'It has nothing to do with that!'

"And then we cry and we hug and he's like, 'You're pregnant, what do you want?' Little things get me so mad. You get so emotional when you're pregnant, and so irrational. It's totally dumb."

BANG Showbiz

Friday, February 8, 2008

Save the Quartermaines

Save the Quartermaines. They are the heart and soul of GH!
Here's a link. Just DO IT!

Save the Quartermaines