Laughlin 1st Day Covers and Wooden Nickels Are Available

As promised, I've uploaded photos of the special First Day Covers and the Wooden Nickels especially made for our upcoming Banquet at the Colorado Belle in Laughlin, NV on the 13th and 14th of April.

I decided to made three different designs for the First Day Covers. They will be limited to 25 of each design, no more. This way, they will become a collector's item, and have a chance to appreciate in value over time. They are offered on a first come, first served basis.

Each design will be numbered 1/25, 2/25, up to 25/25. The lower numbers historically have a chance to go up in value more than the higher numbers. The lowest numbers will go to those who order first.

Here's the pricing:

Wooden Nickel


Wooden Nickels are 25 cents each, plus an SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope), or 5 for a $1.00, plus an SASE. There is a mintage of 550 wooden nickels.


First Day Covers are $3.95 each (your choice of Design #1, #2, or #3), plus $1.00 s&h, or a set of all three for $10.00, plus $3.50 s&h. The s&h cost for the set includes insured shipping. If you prefer Priority Mail, add $4.05 to your order. Insured shipping is $1.35 extra.

FDC#1

I'm going to offer these sets over the Internet to several sites I have either a group on or that has interest in wooden nickels and first day covers. This will also be followed up with an article to the weekly numismatic publications of "Coin World" and "Numismatic News".

FDC#2


Money Orders will get next day service. I'll hold your items for about 5 to 7 days for your check to clear, if you prefer to pay that way. Don't get left out. The First Day Covers are likely to sell out quickly!

FDC#3


Send your orders to: Ronald Fern, PO Box 704, Placentia, CA 92871.

See you in Laughlin on the 13th of April!


Ron

After The Oscars

Well, I went 3 for 6 on the predictions I made for who or what was going to win the 79th Edition of the Academy Awards. I guess that's not too bad.

I did think that Eddie Murphy was going to win best supporting actor. I really didn't think Alan Arkin was that good in "Little Miss Sunshine", and again, neither Bonnie or I liked this movie. Little girls are going to want to join the ranks of getting exploited by either their parents or the beauty pageants and the people who get rich off of them....they should be banned!

Here are my misses....

Best picture: "The Departed"

Best Actor: Forrest Whittaker

Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin

I missed the 1st part of the program. We were watching the AMC channel and "Tora, Tora, Tora". We went to bed and I turned on the Oscars after Arkin got his award. Ellen came on stage with her statue carrier strapped to her and made reference to Arkin's trophy.

I guess I'm not surprised that Al got the award for best documentary film, especially with all the actors schmoozing around him and offering up all the kudos on how important he and the film are in making us all aware of global warming......it is really? I'm still not convinced. Yes, we are part of the problem, but I'm more concerned about pollution than warming....how about you?

Tell People What They Mean To You - Now!

We often forget to tell people what they mean to us. For me, this was very important as my mother got older. We never know how long we are here for on this earth. I'm now in my sixties. When I was growing up, and in my twenties, I guess most of us never really think much about passing away.

I had finished high school and was in college. I was a senior. I changed majors, and transferred to a 4 year school, after going to a junior college for 5 semesters. I never thought I'd loose my father so early in his "golden years". He was only about 6 months into retirement, and 67 years old. He went into the hospital and 9 days later, he died. I never got to tell him what he meant to me, or to say goodbye. My mom thought he'd get better, and come home, but I wasn't so optimistic.

Over the years, I've changed. I now tell people how I feel about them. I lost my mom in 2000. She was 92 at the time, and had managed to live on her own from 1967 to 1999. About 6 months before she passed, we had to put her into a rest home. During the 34 years since my father died, I told my mother almost every day I loved her. It was easier for me to let my mom go, because I let her know how much she meant to me when she was alive.

If you think about it, many people "mask" their feelings. After a loved one passes, they feel so guilty, that they spend thousands trying to show the other people around them how much the person meant to them. I'm sure the funeral homes love that, but I don't think the cost of the service really matters to the one who died. It's much better to let them know what they mean to you when they are still here.

So, if you are one of the folks who have managed not to say what you feel to those who are close to you, there is still time. Make an effort, and let them know. For me, I'd rather have a party with family and friends while I'm still alive and here to enjoy it....how about you?

2007 Oscar Winner's - My Predictions

Okay....the 2007 Academy Award winners are just under 24 hours from being presented. I'm going to make predictions for several categories. Bonnie, my wife, and I have been fortunate to see several of the movies during the past few months, so I do have something to base it on. Here goes, my pick for winners are:

Best Movie: "Babel"
This is sort of my best guess. While I didn't see it, I did see the previews....it looked pretty realistic. I don't think "The Departed" will win, but I did think it was a much better than average movie, IO'd rate it an A-. We watched it in the room in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and it was wellworth the $11.95 we paid for it.




Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio ("The Departed")
He's long overdue. Should have won in the past. He's not the favorite here, but my pick.


Best Actress: Helen Mirren ("The Queen") You can't get any better....she nailed the Queen down, even looks like her. Great makeup!

Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy ("Dreamgirls") Eddie is great in this role....who knew he could sing?


Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson ("Dreamgirls")
An outstanding job by a young actress. Surely not her last great performance.













Best Director: Martin Scorsese ("The Departed") Martin is long overdue. The directing in this movie is outstanding! Clint Eastwood has won too many, too often for him to win again. Neither of us saw his movies, but I feel the winner will be Martin.

I personally feel these are the top categories, and I'll not bother to bore you with the rest.

Some other thoughts on the reasons why (or why not) I picked the above....

We saw "Little Miss Sunshine", and both didn't like it. It was sort of an expose on beauty pageants for little girls. I didn't like the language, and I didn't think Alan Arkin is deserving of the supporting actor award based on this performance. As the best movie, "LMS" doesn't even come close. We also saw "Blood Diamond" and "The Departed", as I mentioned above. While both Djimon Hounsou and Mark Walberg had strong efforts in their supporting roles, I think the nod will go to Murphy.

Pets and Seniors

There have been several articles written about the effect of pets on seniors. Most of them have been very positive. It seems that pets actually can improve the health of us "old folk"....guess it just comes down to having something else to care for and love.

I know from experience the pleasure we get from our two cats. Our oldest, Bell, is a classic tabby, about 14 years of age now. She looks after her younger sister, Tiger (she actually looks like a Tiger), who's about 4 months old. Bell was part of two cats my wife adopted.

Bell's twin sister, Missy, passed away about 10 years ago, just after I met my wife, Bonnie. Actually, both Bell and Missy are "He-She's". They were given girl's names, but when they visited the vet to have them fixed, they found out that they were both boys! Bell and Missy grew up as girls, but were boys....talk about confused cats!

Bell grew up for most of her adult life alone. Several years ago, we adopted Midnight, a black and white cat. Unfortunately, Midnight got lost one day, never to be seen again (we actually believe a coyote got her). Midnight liked to play and was always getting into things. One summer it was unusually dry, and a lot of wild animals came out of the surrounding hills to look for food and water. One afternoon, I saw Midnight playing with a possum in the back yard. She didn't know it was a wild animal, probabily thought it was another cat! Well, it bit her and tried to rip her up, just trying to protect itself. I'm sure the possum didn't want to play!

A few months ago, as my wife was leaving for work, she heard a mewing coming from the bushes outside our house. She called for me to come out. I found a small kitten, scarred and cold, huddling in the leaves, under a bush. I promptly picked him up and took it into the house. Bonnie went to work. The kitten cried, and cried. I guess it was both cold and hungry. Well, I fed it, and sure enough, she stopped crying. Tiger had become part of our family. Bell didn't like sharing her parents for awhile. After all, she was the Queen, and had the run of the house, both inside and out.

It took a couple of months before Bell finally accepted Tiger. Even now, at times, Bell still gets fed up with Tiger, and "cuffs" her with her paws....Bell's old now, and I'm sure there are times when she wants to be left alone. Tiger is a kick. She's full of energy and as a kitten, into everything. She likes to sleep on our bed at night, and tries to ride Bell like a cowgirl riding a horse!

I'd encourage any of you seniors to think about getting a cat or dog. Even if you don't have a large space for them, both dogs and cats are relatively easy to care for, and don't require a lot of effort from you. Rather than paying for them through a store, consider saving one through a animal shelter or pet rescue services. There are many around, and I've listed two links that will get you to a directories of pet shelters and rescue sites in California.

Here's the links:http://www.rescuers.com/
http://www.petbond.com/

Please share your experiences with your pets....do you find them fun and do you think they improve your health?

Tracing Your Roots

Time is a precious commodity. It goes all too quickly. For me, it is hard to believe that I'm in my 6th decade....it just seems like only a few years ago I was in high school, and then college. I remember my 21st birthday like it was yesterday, well, maybe not yesterday, but it sure doesn't seem like it was over 40 years ago!

Several years ago, just after I left Boeing (I retired at 58 in 2002), I decided to see if I could trace my family lines. I knew a little about my dad's side of the family, even less about my mom's. I came late in life. My dad was 45 and my mom 36 when I was born.

All but one of my grand parents were dead. Only my father's mother was alive. I was born in California, the state my parents had moved to in the 1920's....can you imagine....they were here before oil was discovered in Signal Hill (a small town within the city of Long Beach).

Signal Hill got it's name from the Indians who made fires and signals by holding blankets over the fire's smoke to communicate to each other before the telegraph, and yes, telephones, or cell phones to the kids.

My dad had moved from Oklahoma to California. I thought he was born there. My research indicated that he was born in Iowa. My mom came to California from Maine. The mid west and the east coast were my origins, or so I thought.

My family was not one to talk too much about our background or history. I'm guessing that's because my dad was working long hours at his job, and my mother was taking care of raising us and seeing to keeping the house in order. Back then, there wasn't a lot of conveniences in the home. My mother did not have a dryer. All the washed clothes were lined dried by the sun. There was no microwave oven. Even though we had a refrigerator when I got older, my parents both still called it an "icebox". We had a black and white TV until I was a senior in high school. No cable. TV reception was by antenna. Lots of "ghosts", or multiple images, poor reception or picture quality. No power tools like a mower, edger, or weed wacker to help with the lawn and garden.

For some reason, I decided to try and find something out about my family and the relatives of my parents. My dad died young, at 68. I was still in college. While I was not an expert on the Internet, I managed to search through the different sites and come up with a lot of "free" information. What I found out was purely through my searches, and contacting people (some who turned out to be unknown relatives) via the email addresses I came across.

Not all my contacts proved to be valid, and some were even unfriendly. Believe it or not, not everyone wants to have the past uncovered. There are "skeletons" in every one's closet. Remember, not until recently have people been willing to discuss a lot of topics. Much of the past remained buried or "swept under the rug" in a lot of families.

I won't bore you here with all the details, but I'll provide you with a few links that you can look at (no cost) and see a little about your ancestors. If you are Internet active and have a little time on your hands, you can perhaps find something out about your history, and some of your relatives who walked this planet many, many years before you. Here are the links:

The oldest and largest FREE genealogy site http://www.rootsweb.com/

FREE genealogy Search Engines http://www.ancestorhunt.com/

As for me, I was able to establish I was not of Indian ancestry on my mother's side, but that we did come from England several centuries ago. Actually I believe that one of my ancestors was on the Mayflower that came from England in the 1620's. I also found out that my mom's dad (my maternal grandfather) had two brothers I did not know of. Both of my grand dad's parents died relatively young within the same year or two (during the 1870's) and all of the children were farmed out to other families. My grand dad was raised by a Handy (my mom's maiden name), but his two brothers went to other families carrying another last name. They sort of got lost in the system, and it wasn't until I started my looking that I uncovered it. I have a great niece (her great grandfather was one of my grand dad's brothers) living in Maine.

On my dad's side, I found he was born in Iowa. I found a census on the Internet that showed my paternal grand mother living close to my dad's father in Dubuque, Iowa with a variation of her maiden name. Further research showed she came from Wisconsin. I uncovered brothers and sisters of my grand parents on my dad's side, and have managed to trace some of them to present times. While I've never met any of my "new" relatives in person, we've made contact via emails and keep in touch, sharing holidays, photos, and special events.

If you have any desire to trace your roots, there is a lot of information available for you to research and digest. I've started a family tree. On my mom's side, I think I can go back to about 900AD! That's over a 1100 years, and many, many generations....just think of it!

Going Native

From the morning TV news, it is suggested that we Californians "go native". What is meant is that the state is facing a water shortage. It's really not a state issue, but rather an issue facing much of our country. We simply have gone beyond our means with the population vs. the demand on water. So, what is the plan? They say we can save over 80% on our water bill by planting (or replanting) shrubs, trees, and grasses native to the area. These do not need water beyond "normal" rainfall.

This should be important to us all. Besides saving on our costs, we'd be protecting our environment. If you spend an average of $50 a month watering the grass, a reduction of 80% would save you $40 a month or almost $500 a year, not an amount to sneeze at for us seniors. They say that within 100 to 200 years (that may not be important to us), that areas populated without sufficient water will become ghost towns. To our grand children or great grand children it will be important. Cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tucson, and Los Angeles , to name a few, will cease to exist!

My brother, a native of southern California for over 70 years, moved to Sierra Vista, AZ, a town about 100 miles southeast of Tuscon. Over the last few years, the population in this town has mushroomed from around 25,000 to over 60,000. The city planners simply did not foresee the growth being that large or that quick for the area. They are out of water (not that there was a lot to begin with). They are now trying desperately to find alternatives.

For any of you who may want to re plan your front and back yards for more efficient water usage, I've provided a link listing some nurseries selling California (and several other states) native plants. http://www.wildscaping.com/resources/nurseries.htm

The lady on the Ch. 4 TV news interview has replanted her entire front yard. She has taken a plan to the city she lives in with the hope that they will follow suit and replace all the plants, trees, and shrubs in front of city hall with ones that are native and take little or no water to maintain. Makes sense to me, how about you? When we move to our final home, Bonnie and I are going to have our front and back yards with "zero maintenance" plants...no gardener for us....we are "Going Native"!!

Pelosi Wants To Fly High (On The Hog)!!

The illustrations shown here are of a Gulfstream GIII aircraft, the type that the government has offered to our new Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Contrary to what was indicated (either by her or her staff), this plane seats 10 people, cruises at 460 knots, and has a range of 3700 nautical miles...it can fly coast to coast!

Even though she denies it, Nancy Pelosi is demanding a USAF 757 for her personal use, according to several news sources. A plane of this size and configuration is used by VP Cheney, but never before has been afforded the use by a Speaker of the House.

Mrs. Pelosi's request is not new for a speaker, who is second-in-line in presidential succession. A defense source said the speaker's regular access to a military plane began after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Rep. J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican, who was speaker at the time, started using U.S. Air Force planes for domestic travel to and from his district for security reasons. Sources said Mrs. Pelosi's request goes beyond what Mr. Hastert received. The speaker's legal counsel is spearheading the talks.

An aide to Mrs. Pelosi, who asked not to be named, confirmed several days ago that discussions are ongoing with the administration. "It would be done for security reasons," said the aide, adding that the speaker has used military aircraft for at least one trip back to San Francisco.

As I stated above, the government has offered her a Gulfstream GIII type commuter jet. Her saying she needs a larger plane to fly coast to coast (Washington D.C. to San Francisco) without stopping, does not hold water. The range for the GIII is 8 to 9 hours of flight time. It can fly the complete trip without refueling.

This corporate jet is regarded as the epitome of luxurious private aircraft, offering passengers a combination of comfort and performance. Refer to the link to the following website : http://www.chartright.com/guide/chartright.swf
for more details.

What are your thoughts on her request? In a time where we are supposed to be thrifty, trying to reduce our costs (and the national debt), should she be seeking a large jet to take her back and forth across the country? Seems like what she's been offered is quite nice, and fits her needs.

Is A Secure Border Important To Seniors?

I'd been listing to a talk radio station this morning as I was making my rounds in the automobile. I had to go to Crestline, where our second home (weekends and vacations) is located. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, Crestline is a small town, around 4,000 or so, located in the San Bernardino mountains, about a half an hour South of Lake Arrowhead. It's a bit lower than Arrowhead, setting at about 4800 ft. Less snow and closer to home. The trip takes about 90 minutes from Placentia, so I was listening to AM 640.

The primary topic this morning (for this hour at least) was whether securing the U.S. Border was important to Americans, the Bush Administration, President Bush, the Democratic Party, etc. Much of the conversation circled around the recent "guilty" verdict of the two U.S. Border Patrol agents who ended up in prison for shooting an illegal drug smuggler in the backside.

The program went on to say that 27% of the prison population is made up of illegal aliens. The two guards sent away were promised a minimum security location with the general population, but that one was sent to a Yazoo, MS, a medium security location. The thinking was that minimum security would not have "violent" inmates and that the Border Patrol agents would be in little danger. Within a day, Ramos was beaten within an inch of his life. From the "WorldNet Daily", it was reported that Ramos was assaulted by five Hispanic men with steel-toed boots – likely illegal aliens – who cussed him out in Spanish.

So, the general feeling is that they are telling the Border Patrol agents not to pull their guns and shoot anyone fleeing in a certain direction. The agents would be better off in a non-active position of drinking coffee and eating doughnuts.

The "drive-by media", mainstream newspapers, and the television channels do not always give us a clear view of what's going on. We have to look deeper on matters that concern us and the welfare of our children and our nation. Here's the link for the WorldNetDaily:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/

How do you feel about a secure U.S. Border....is it important to you? Is the Republican or the Democratic Party concerned? Should they be? Is this one of the areas we really need to think and be sure about when we elect the next President of the United States?

Laughlin Banquet Wooden Nickel and First Day Cover

A 1st day cover with a picture of a paddle wheel boat and a wooden nickel is being planned to commemorate the event held in Laughlin, NV, at the Colorado Belle Casino & Hotel.

There will be a limited number of covers printed. The limit is set at the 50 to 75 range for the covers. Price TBD, but in $3 to $5 range. The cover is presently being designed.

An order has been placed for 500 wooden nickels. They will sell for 25C each plus an SASE.

I'll post pictures once cover is complete and nickels are received.

Golf Event Scheduled For AZ Course Desert Lakes In Bullhead City

I've posted the Flyer I received in my email regarding this years golf event. For the first time, it will be held in AZ at the Desert Lakes course. If you need further information, please contact me. Note the deadline is March 16th to have your money to L.H. Butts.

7th ANNUAL DOUGLOID GOLF OUTING 2007

DATE: SATURDAY APRIL 14, 2007

COURSE: DESERT LAKES, BULLHEAD CITY, AZ

TIME: 8:00 AM NO SHOT GUN AT THIS TIME. EARLY HEADCOUNT IS IMPORTANT

TYPE: LOW GROSS/LOW NET HANDICAPPING: CALLAWAY

FLIGHTS: MEN'S AND LADIES NEED SOME LADIES

COST: $70.00 INCLUDES GOLF, CART AND PRIZE FUND

SIDE GAMES: OPTIONAL CLOSE TO PIN ALL PAR 3'S $4.00 SKINS $10.00

GET YOUR GROUPS TOGETHER AND YOUR CHECKS IN ASAP. LET ME KNOW WHO YOU WILL BE PLAYING WITH. IF YOUR A SINGLE WE WILL PUT YOU WITH SOMEONE.

CHECKS PAYABLE: L. H. BUTTS

MAIL TO: 2987 RAINBOW RIDGE DR.

PRESCOTT, AZ 86303

DEADLINE MARCH 16,2007

Here's a link to a map of the Desert Lakes Golf Course in Bullhead City, AZ.





Map of
5835 S Desert Lakes Dr
Bullhead City, AZ 86426-9106

JetMakers Group On Eons

While surfin' the web, I came across a free site that allows you to join and become a member. It's specifically for folks (like us) 50 years old plus!

The site is called Eons, and they have sections on People, Fun, Money, Body, Life Dreams, Obits, LifeMap and Travel.

Eons link: http://www.eons.com/


The site also allows you to join and/or start a group for people who have similiar interests. With that in mind, I decided to start a group for people interested in commericial aviation. This group allows you to discuss areas around your interest, post photos, etc.

Here's the link: http://community.eons.com/groups/group/jetmakers

You all are invited to join.