Have you ever given any thought to the place where people were born and what influence their background might have had on their life?

When I was a young girl growing up in Fairhaven, Mass., I was influenced by my activities that consisted of boating, swimming, riding my bike, school, church, and playing with my friends.

We were gathered with some friends for an impromptu buffet. Every family brought a dish to share and chipped in a couple of dollars for a large delicious spiral cut ham. Everyone knew even before the dinner that the meal would be excellent. Joe was the one responsible for procuring the meat for the thrown together feast.

There was a time, not too long ago, when we could tell some of the days of the week just by walking down the street. Monday was washday and lines would be filled with the laundry, letting the sun and wind freshen and dry the clothes.  Sounds easy but if laundry is not taken care of regularly it will build up quickly.

When my mother-in-law was alive and our children were young, they would look forward to our visits to see grandma and grandpa in West Hartford, Conn. My father-in-law was an accountant just like my father. They were both good with numbers and always looked for good investments.

A friend of mine knocked on our door and without waiting for an answer she opened the door and walked into the living room. Gayle had her Ihone in her hand and was laughing heartily. It was not surprising to see the phone because it is always with her.

Wow! What a ride!  If you go to see the movie Gravity I hope you enjoy it as much as my husband, Jim, and I did. The special effects team certainly outdid themselves with creative ways to fool the eye and mind into thinking that the scenes were in fact real.

Wow! What a ride!  If you go to see the movie Gravity I hope you enjoy it as much as my husband, Jim, and I did. The special effects team certainly outdid themselves with creative ways to fool the eye and mind into thinking that the scenes were in fact real.

Some readers are going to smile when they hear what I am about to say. Not because it is humorous, but because either they have been in the same situation or they know someone else who has been there. The thought never really entered my mind until a recent visit to see my sister in North Carolina.

We were driving along the highway and started a discussion about the road maintenance signs. They are all over and advertise the local group that has volunteered to clean up along the highways as a community service project.

Many years ago, my father was in the Army and one remembrance that I had of his service was the amount of time he spent waiting in lines. When he was drafted, all of the men who were drafted at the same time shared in one equal complaint, they all had to line up and wait for almost everything.