Thirteen Thursday: 2007 Style
1. This is a great quote by John F. Kennedy (re-discovered via Rick) to begin the New Year with: “We must face the fact that the United States is neither omnipotent or omniscient — that we are only 6 percent of the world’s population; that we cannot impose our will upon the other 94 percent of mankind; that we cannot right every wrong or reverse each adversity; and therefore there cannot be an American solution to every world problem.”
2. I’d like to thank all my readers for their holiday wishes, for reading and commenting, and for their continued support. Go HERE and click play to hear the rest (link provided by blog friend Pearl).
3. The above last sentence reminded me of a short poem called “Homonym” I wrote when I first met my husband Joe that went something like this: The difference between you touching my breast … and my mostly weaned child touching my breast … is like hear and here …sounds the same …but means something completely different.
4. It’s so cold that I’m keeping my left hand in my bathrobe pocket, while my other hand uses the mouse and wishes I’d put on a glove.
5. I didn’t get the ergonomic mouse hand rest that I wanted for Christmas. My husband, Joe, saved us a lot of money by giving me a soft sock to rest my mouse hand on.
6. Joe always filled my sons stocking for Christmas. Even though they are grown now, he still likes to do it, adding his special touch, buffalo jerky, lottery tickets and such. When my son Dylan and his wife Alexis came to visit Christmas day, Alexis’s 6 year old daughter looked at the hanging socks Joe had put up and said incredulously, “but those are real socks.” 
7. Over the holiday someone lent my son the movie Talladega Nights. When I noticed that Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) was driving a race car with the number 13 on the side, I shouted out LOOK 13!” I wanted to get a picture of it for this 13 Thursday, but the movie was so bad that I soon left the room and forgot all about it.
8. I’m not one to cry easily, but I’ve already cried more than once in 2007, and we’re only a few days into it. The first time was watching a PBS New Hour segment on how families of those who have died in Iraq have been coping. I even cried watching President Ford’s funeral services. And *THIS* made me cry.
9. My sister Sherry told me a great Christmas story about our brother John, the black sheep character of our family who lives in Minnesota. John gave a 5 dollar tip to a woman who he gets his morning coffee from for Christmas. The next day when he saw the woman she went directly up to him and gave him a big hug and proceeded to tell him that on the same day he gave her the tip her car was towed. She was wondering what to do because she didn’t have the money to get it. She ended up buying a scratch ticket with the $5 John gave her and won enough to get her car out of hock and have some left over!
10. When I hit the computer for a second time after breakfast, I like to shout out, “Phase two in which Doris gets her oats!”
11. “When I’m with you I think of other men,” I recently said to my husband. “Wait! Let me finish,” I quickly added because he looked surprised and I couldn’t bear to think what he was thinking.” “I think of the young man you were when I met you and the man you are now,” I added. He smiled, relieved.
12. The first time I had to write the new date, January 2007, was on January 2nd when I was filling out a bank deposit slip for Museletter subscriptions. Of course I initially wrote 2006 and had to cross it out.
13. How many more times is that going to happen?
Thursday headquarters is here. My other 13’s are here. View more 13 Thursday’s here.
January 4th, 2007 9:37 am
It always takes me a long time to get used to writing the new year’s date!
Love the Kennedy quote. And I cried a bit, too, during Mr. Ford’s funeral. Hard not to, in seeing the grieving family, and in thinking how much things have changed. And in thinking about how much has stayed the same.
January 4th, 2007 9:43 am
Oh how I would like to tatoo that quote on some people’s forheads! I had an amazing experience while flying on ATA this holiday season, I was listening to xm satelite radio and heard an interview live with women in Iraq fighting to keep their radio station on the air. As the interview was happeing there were bombings. It was very intense and made this madness very real for me. The comment about your husband was very interesting. I have noticed a shift in my dh lately. He is growing into something new. We have only been married 4 years but it is neat to be part of someone elses transformations. Have a great day!
January 4th, 2007 9:53 am
My son insisted that the cat have a stocking. So we put one up for her. Santa gave her tuna for Christmas. She loved it.
January 4th, 2007 10:12 am
We too saw that Taledega nights movie. 🙂
I cried watching the Ford funeral.
Happy New Year to you!
January 4th, 2007 10:56 am
Love your stockings! They’re so “authentic.”
And loved your story about your brother, John. I love all of those “paying it forward” stories. Just makes me realize even more what a great journey we’re all on.
January 4th, 2007 10:57 am
I think filling the socks for Xmas is a nice tradition. Thansk for the heads up on Talladaga nights being a stink bomb. I had mixed feelings about seeing the movie…the trailer made the movie look funny, but stupid too.
Thanks for visiting my 13.
January 4th, 2007 11:05 am
My mother always filled out stockings, so imagine my surprise when I got up Christmas morning to find them filled…DAD had done it! That just amazes me 🙂
Oh, wasn’t that movie bad? It was kind of funny, but then it just went on and on and on…
I watched President Ford’s funeral too…his wife just looked…so lost, you know?
That’s AWESOME about your brother and the waitress!!!
I can hear John Lennon’s accent, even now, rolling the “R” in Doris 😉
Sorry to be so long LOL
January 4th, 2007 11:32 am
Great list!
I am sorry for the sad moments and tears. God does not give us more than we can handle.
Your brother is a neigbor state from me. I am in North Dakota…
Have a wonderful Thursday
My TT is posted
January 4th, 2007 12:02 pm
So much good stuff here. I absolutely loved the quote by JFK. After all these years, I still feel saddened at his death and at what the world lost with his passing.
January 4th, 2007 12:17 pm
Tears are good, even the ones early in the year. Sometimes I wish I cried more. But sometimes I cry too much and wish I cried less. I think, though, I must cry the right amount for me for the situation, and I just need to remember that. Hope you will too.
January 4th, 2007 1:02 pm
I still fill our son’s stocking. And Easter basket. He’s 17.
The Ford funeral and services, all three, left me in tears. Betty Ford such a strong woman, groundbreaking. Frail and grieving now. Her 4 children are quite a compliment to their parents.
January 4th, 2007 5:14 pm
I DO love that Kennedy quote. The current President ought to have to study it and pass a test about it!
I cried watching Ford’s funeral also. His children were so sad to watch.
January 4th, 2007 6:06 pm
#8 HERE….is a real tear jerker, but the I laughed at “Phase Two in which Doris get her oats”!!! Remember when we used to dance and dance to that song.
I miss you Colleen…..Love Sherry xo
January 4th, 2007 9:26 pm
That’s a great story about your brother giving the coffee lady $5! Coulda won big!
And that story that made you cry was indeed a tender one.
January 4th, 2007 10:39 pm
Now I can tell you aren’t a true Southerner yet Colleen, I thought Talledega Nights was one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. But I keep up with Nascar and I bet you’d rather stick a hot poker in your eye! lol.
Amen to number one. Amen.
Your thank you thingy is so cute I will have to show it to Isabelle. She loves things like that.
January 5th, 2007 1:48 am
Colleen, your Thursday Thirteen’s are always so rich with wonderful places to visit and learn from, and funny things you think about and wonderful lovely things you have written…I LOVE your TT’s, dear Colleen and thank you for sharing your talent and your heart and your sense of humor, too!
January 5th, 2007 9:38 am
I love the “million thank yous!” Classic!
The JFK quote is one I had forgotten about, thanks for reminding me, he had a wealth of insight, although that particular thought appears to fall into the “common sense” category.
I don’t cry easily either – not at all in ’06, and so far not in ’07 either – although I expect that will not hold for at least one upcoming event.
… Michele sends her best.
Mike
January 5th, 2007 10:28 am
That quote is awesome.
Your brother must have been so happy about that 5 dollars. Little thing can make all the diffence.
I think we both need typing gloves.
My fingers are freezing!
January 5th, 2007 1:03 pm
Hi! I just discovered your blog. I’m from the area too–C’burg. I enjoyed this post especially. Great idea! I think I might try it. Hope you’re having a good new year so far.
January 5th, 2007 1:29 pm
11, 6, 3, 1 are gems to me and glad you liked the flash movie. 🙂
January 5th, 2007 5:05 pm
I laughed at #10. Love your Thursdays.
~S 🙂
January 5th, 2007 8:06 pm
#1. I can agree with some of that, but we can’t be isolationists either. I do know that the rest of the world expects us to do a lot of the heavy lifting and dirty work around the world and that they are perfectly happy to sit back and let us deal with terrorists, foot tsunami bills, etc. I definitely want a government that looks after our interests first. Regarding sacrifices we should make during this trying time, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”.
January 6th, 2007 12:36 am
I’ve cried every day this year . . . not a good sign.
January 6th, 2007 12:47 pm
“But those are real socks.”
Priceless!!!
Happy Year of Newness!
-TL
January 6th, 2007 9:53 pm
Writing the new year is so awkward for a month and then before you know it, the year is gone and you have to retrain your hand again.
January 9th, 2007 12:34 am
Love that story about your brother John.
February 1st, 2012 11:54 pm
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