Frances Ellen Speaks!

Archive for the ‘Diary’ Category

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I swept in and out of Memphis, TN with two friends for a three day weekend last month. We packed in a lot of sightseeing and activities, but we didn’t have time to visit the King’s house–Elvis, that is.

I happened to mention that fact to one of my younger co-workers shortly after I returned. And she said to me, “You call that guy who died on his toilet from a drug overdose a king?”

Not exactly what I wanted to hear after a truly great weekend adventure. I tried to explain to her what it had been like seeing Elvis for the very first time on the Ed Sullivan Show.

What I found out was, it is impossible to define the “Phenomenon of Elvis” to young people who cannot comprehend a time when there were NO Super Stars.

Then came Elvis.

So, here was my dilemma. How could I possibly explain about the young Elvis that the world fell in love with? How could I tell her what a fresh faced boy he was back then, when all she is familiar with is the unfortunate last act of his life. In a way, it broke my heart, because I grew up with Elvis and I know that, although it appeared he had “everything”– money, fame, adulation– he also had a really rough ride. He was literally trapped in his compound at Graceland. He agonized and begged to be able to make movies that would allow him to act, but the studios insisted he star in movies that they believed his public craved, and maybe we did. His music was the only freedom he was afforded.

Of all the movies he starred in, he liked only one–Jailhouse Rock

To top that off, Elvis had no idea what it meant to be an internationally known Super Star. Why? Because he was the first. He was “it.” How does a kid who grew up in a small country town handle that? Who can instruct him? There were no footsteps to follow.

Superstar! We have plenty of them today, but none– repeat none–come even close to the King’s popularity. He was known throughout the world. Here is a statue of him in Jerusalem.

January 8th was Elvis Presley’s birthday. People all over the world remembered him especially on this day. Following is a comment posted on a blog that originates in Ireland

Elvis Presley was remembered here in Ireland as our national radio service RTE1 played his beautiful music on his birthday.

Did ever a vocalist’s voice reach right around the globe like Elvis’s did? and light up millions of peoples, lives like no other, before or since.

They loved him in Germany then and now

In the quaint little town of Bad Nauheim, it was “big love big heartache” every day when young ladies back in the 50s wrote their phone numbers with lipstick on the typical German garden fence outside the king’s villa. Aging German locals report that every night the wooden fence would be cleaned to make room for more love notes.

“He still preoccupies us, he’s well-known across the generations, and he brought about a sexual, musical and social revolution,” said the head of a German museum that hosted a recent Elvis exhibition.

Unlike any other performer before him, he spawned an industry.

Elvis Impersonators

He met Presidents and Heads of State. Crazed crowds of people clamored to see him at every airport.

And when he passed on to the stardom in the sky, many countries outside the U.S. built monuments for him like this one in Germany.

So, “To answer your original question, dear, Elvis remains The King, in spite of his final curtain. I doubt there will ever be another like him.”

PHOTO FROM

It doesn’t happen that often, but when it’s time for me to buy a new car, I cringe. Last Saturday, I thought I had myself talked into visiting some car dealerships to test drive a few cars. But when Saturday rolled around, I couldn’t make myself go. My insides seized up, my head began to pound and I think I actually had a panic attack. I couldn’t leave the house.

By Monday, after giving it some serious thought over the weekend, I decided there must be a better way. Maybe if I didn’t have to deal face to face with a salesman, I might be able to hold on to my sanity. I decided to try out internet shopping. Did you know almost all car dealers now have an internet management group?

Don’t be thinking it’s all peachy keen, though. In some cases, you still have to put up with salesmen who prefer to give you information that they want to give you, instead of information you ask for. And there are still a few holdouts who won’t divulge their out-the-door price. (That is the bottom line that includes price of car, taxes, dealership fees, option costs, rebates, etc.). Fortunately, when you are working with this type of salesmen via email, you can just “delete” them and erase them forever from your life. It feels heavenly.

But for the most part, internet salesmen are happy to answer all your questions; to let you know what cars are in stock and, best of all, dickering over price is much more time efficient. Instead of sitting in the showroom waiting for the sales manager to bestow his reluctant blessing on each and every price reduction, you are sitting at home checking your email whenever it’s convenient for you.

Forays into the land of the hard sell are kept to a minimum, because it’s a lot more difficult for a salesman to pressure you via email, and those that did make feeble attempts to push, I was able to weed out the first day. Finally, I decided to concentrate on getting the best deal I could get on a Toyota Corolla.

There are three Toyota Dealers in my town and I spent three days corresponding with each of them. In the end, I decided to do business with Andy. He works out of a dealership named Courtesy Toyota; their name says it all.

Courtesy Toyota

Although price was my major concern, finding a likeable saleman also enteres into my equation. As the days wore on, it was Andy who patiently answered all my questions, made suggestions, made concessions. When we finally talked on the phone, he worked out a few more minor issues that were troubling me, such as, how could I get two cars to my home since I wasn’t planning on trading in my old car. His solution: two individuals from the dealership would follow me home.

All in all, my car buying experience was painless. I never thought I’d ever say that in this lifetime.

So, here you have it. Yet another reason why you should learn to make your computer work for you. Blogging and writing memoirs are a plus, but when the computer can save you time and money, it’s time to get on the bandwagon and make 2008 the year you’ll learn to utilize your computer to its fullest.

photo from

Recently, I’ve seen coming attractions on TV about a new movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman called The Bucket List. From the few snipets I’ve caught, it appears their list contains things they’ve both dreamt about doing before they kick the bucket.

I have a list like that, too, although I never thought to name mine the bucket list. And happily, my list spawned a Done That List. Some things on my “done” list include:

See Paris (a lifelong dream)
Ride in a helicopter
Go parasailing
Snow Ski
Ride a motorcycle, not just any cycle, a “Harley”
Learn how to blog, even when I thought I was “too old” to learn

Then there’s my tattoo. I sport a tiny bluebird of happiness on the inside of one of my ankles. I love birds.

So, I’ve fulfilled some of my dreams, but there are still plenty of challenges left on my Bucket List. Here are a few:

Ride in a Hot Air Balloon
Find out if I really can’t sink in the Salt Lake
Publish a Book
See Redwood Trees-This item, at first glance, might seem somewhat plebian. The fact is, these trees are disappearing quickly, and some people are pretty passionate about keeping them around.

What’s Your Tree is a program inspired by the story and message of Julia Butterfly Hill.

Julia Butterfly Hill gained international notoriety when she climbed 200 feet up into an ancient redwood tree named Luna that was slated to be cut down by Pacific Lumber/Maxaam Corporation. She refused to come down until Luna was permanently protected. Withstanding death threats and gale force El Nino winds, Julia lived on a tiny platform in Luna’s branches for 738 days. Julia and her team had successfully negotiated to save Luna and a 3 acre buffer zone around the tree into perpetuity.
(see the rest of the story)

Learn to Paint (don’t have to be good, just have to try)
Hang Glide (parasailing was wonderful, so hang gliding must be spectacular)
See Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument

The No Guts List – I have one of them, too. These are things I know I could never muster up the courage to do:

Sky Diving
High Diving
Scuba Diving
Bungee Jumping

Bungee jumping in Normandy, France in Viaduc de la Souleuvre.

Can you even imagine doing this?

Because so many things occur in the month of December, dreaming up something to write about is as easy as 1-2-3. I’m here to spur you on with some writing ideas because I know how important your memories are, even if you don’t realize it yet yourself.

The obvious choices are Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. Maybe you remember one that remains a true highlight in your mind. It should be shared. Write it down now. Your family and friends will someday be thankful to relive it with you through your written words.

Speaking of words; maybe you’re thinking that you can’t write. The truth is, writers wouldn’t want you to know this, but journaling is simple because all you do is write the same way you talk. Write as if you were telling the story to your grandchild or to your next door neighbor. If you can talk, you can write.

Getting back to the holidays, maybe you can’t think of one that stands out as being special. Well, this year is another year. Write something about this year’s holiday.

Maybe you hate holidays. Some people do, you know. There are numerous other things you can write about this month.

• On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks sat down in a bus and almost single-handedly started the Civil Rights Movement. Her day is commemorated each year on December 1st, Rosa Parks Day. What were you doing in 1955? Want to refresh your memory about the Rosa Parks. Go to her website http://rosaparks.org/index.html
• What do you remember about the Women’s Movement? The First Susan B. Anthony Dollar appreared on December 6, 1978.
• Where were you when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941?
• Maybe you’re more interested in science. Write about the Winter Solstice, when the earth moves closest to the sun. It happens this year on December 22nd. If you want to learn more, go to http://www.candlegrove.com/solstice.html
• On a lighter note, write about the swell times you had looking at the Howdy Doody Show. It premiered on December 27, 1947. If you were lucky enough to have a television, you were probably watching Clarabelle and the rest of the gang. If you didn’t have a television, write about that–living without TV.

Trust me, writing about yourself is easy as pie. And if you still can’t bring yourself to share a memory, share a pie recipe.

I’ve already mentioned the importance of taking the time to journal once in awhile so that a small part of your history will remain alive forever on a written page. It’s important, and I’ll keep saying it.

But sometimes, it’s important to have fun with words, too. With that in mind, I’d like to introduce you to a contest that the Washington Post conducts annually. It’s call the Annual Neologism Contest. Readers are encouraged to begin with a common word, but give it a new meaning. For example:

Coffee – The person upon whom one coughs.

Balderdash – A rapidly receding hairline.

Flabbergasted – Appalled over how much weight you have gained.

 Another portion of the contest, and my favorite, invites readers to again start with a common word, but this time add one letter, or take away one letter, or change one letter. Then supply a new definition. Some examples:

Giraffiti – Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

Karmageddon – It’s like when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.

Decafalon – The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

If you’d like to see the entire list, go to Washington Post Annual Neologism Contest Winners. Enjoy.

And don’t forget, think seriously about writing something down, any little thing will do just fine. It doesn’t have to be clever, it just has to be about YOU.

I think I’ll write about something that is not a part of my personal experience. These days, that’s somewhat of a rarity, however, this actually happened before I was born. It’s something my mother and her girlfriends did during WW II.

First, it’s important to know that up until the New York World’s Fair of 1940, women still wore silk stockings with a seam running up the back of the leg. That year at the Fair, though, a new material was exhibited by the DuPont Company. Since this was its first introduction to the public, DuPont named it nylon, the “ny” stood for New York.

According to Mark Falco’s Hiistory of Nylons

…after the New York World Fair when the new miracle fiber in the form of nylon stockings hit the market on May 14th 1940. Women rushed out to buy them, not in their thousands, but in their millions!

Two years later the production of nylon stockings went on something of a hold as nylon was enrolled in helping the war effort, being used in such things as parachute and tent production.

My mother told me during the time when stockings became scarce, she and her friends became quite adept at mimicking seam lines. First they applied pancake makeup to the back of their legs. Then they drew seam lines on each others’ legs with eyebrow pencil. It took a steady hand, although my mother admitted that when she was in a hurry, she drew some pretty crooked lines. That wasn’t a terribly bad thing because the seams on nylon stockings very often became crooked after they were worn for several hours. So, unless the lines were really squiggly, they were deemed acceptable.

Since I’m composing this post from a chaise lounge, by the pool, on a ship headed for Cozumel, Mexico, my next post will be about travel.. My cruise includes stops in Belize, Freeport and Roatan, Honduras.