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| Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, August 11, 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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3 Mountain View News Saturday, August 11, 2018 WALKING SIERRA MADRE... The Social Side By Deanne Davis Walking Sierra Madre……The Social Side Deanne Davis July 28, 2018 – For August 11 Edition “Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.” “Parents start you off in life, but friends get you through it.” August 5th is National Friendship Day, but somewhere right around now is National Friendship Week. As this week is going to be way too hot for much Walking Sierra Madre, I thought, How about something pleasant to read and think about. Former Sierra Madre resident Dick Witter, who used to be my next door neighbor and made the best Huevos Rancheros and Margaritas we’ve ever tasted, and who had the bad taste to move to Big Bear, sent me a piece written by Andy Rooney. As you’ll recall, Andy Rooney, who is now in heaven, was an award-winning journalist and part of CBS’ Sunday Night 60 Minutes program for many years. Just about everything Andy Rooney had to say was worth hearing, and remembering, but this piece will make you smile and maybe think a little... The picture is of one of my favorite friends, my husband, John, who is now hanging out with Andy Rooney. The other guy is a new friend he found at Costco. I’ve learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I’ve learned.... That when you’re in love, it shows. I’ve learned .... That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’ makes my day. I’ve learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I’ve learned.... That being kind is more important than being right. I’ve learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child. I’ve learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in any other way. I’ve learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. I’ve learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. I’ve learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult. I’ve learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. I’ve learned.... That money doesn’t buy class. I’ve learned.... That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular. I’ve learned... That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved. I’ve learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts. I’ve learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you. I’ve learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds. I’ve learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am. I’ve learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile. I’ve learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them. I’ve learned.... That life is tough, but I’m tougher. I’ve learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss. I’ve learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere. I’ve learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away. I’ve learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them. I’ve learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. I’ve learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, you’re hooked for life. I’ve learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it. I’ve learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while this week and see how they’re doing. You’ll be glad you did! My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis Kindle books of all sorts and hardcover “Tablespoon of Love” are on there, as is “Star of Wonder.” Star of Wonder the CD is now on TuneCore! Take a look! Blog: www.authordeanne.com Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter. com/@playwrightdd KATIE Tse..........This and That AWKWARD.... Awkward moments. We’ve all had them, and can usually look back at them and laugh at our mishaps. But it’s always funnier if it happens to someone else. In this case, my mom was the victim of embarrassment. But you have to understand the back story first. Some people are dog people, other people are cat people. And then there are bird people. Bird people can always tell other bird people because they’re the crazy ones. Over the years my family has had many birds and developed a reputation as the go-to people when others found a baby bird that needed caretakers until being released back into the wild. One of their recent “visitor” birds was a mocking bird that my mom’s friend, Florence, found. (You may remember Florence from her many stories I’ve written when I’ve lacked original material. She’s a riot.) During the two or three weeks the mocking bird, whom my mom named “Baby,” stayed with my parents, my dad often put its cage next to their two parakeets’ cage out on the deck. After Baby was released he continued to come back and sit in a certain spot at the top of the orange tree and call to the parakeets. Baby probably figured his parakeet friends were going to be released soon like he had been. Looking for Baby’s arrival became a daily routine for my parents. If they didn’t see him they worried that something might have happened. It was after a couple days of absence that Baby returned and my mom happily went outside and exclaimed, “Hi Baby!” Imagine her surprise and embarrassment when their neighbor (we’ll call him Jack) answered, “Uh, Hi...?” Flustered, my mom tried to explain over the fence separating them, “I’m sorry, I meant the mocking bird.” “What mocking bird?” From Jack’s angle he couldn’t see Baby perched in the orange tree. My mom pointed toward him “He’s over there. We raised him for a couple weeks and he keeps coming back to that same spot.” Jack smiled and nodded good-naturedly, he’s used to my parents’ quirkiness. “He likes to talk to the parakeets...” my mom trailed off, realizing the more she talked the weirder she sounded. Needless to say we all had a good laugh over it later. Now every time my mom goes outside we remind her, “Say hi to Baby!” Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com | ||||||||||||||||||||
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