Dear Folks, This afternoon I was in the parking lot heading for the door to the small grocery store in our village of Youngstown when someone called out my name. I turned around and it was Pat Lloyd whom I've known for years but haven't seen in probably a year or more. We were pleased to see each other and Pat told me that she was reading about me every day. I didn't have a clue what she meant until she told me that she's a subscriber to our NYNIAGAR-FOLKS list. Even that didn't sink in until she offered to open the door for me "because I knew you would appreciate it!" When it really sunk in that she reads about everthing in my life on a daily basis (including my carrot soup recipe!), I was almost embarrassed. I had forgotten that she was a listmember who lives in Youngstown and knows more about me than my niece Deb does. I had to backpedal in my mind to try and remember if I had ever written anything negative about the Lloyd family who were one of the first settlers around here. Of course, I wouldn't have but you never know about me. Pat assured me that I never had (thank goodness! :-)). It was then that I realized that all of you know more about me than anyone else in the world. In fact, if the FBI or CIA would be interested in investigating me, all they would have to do is to check our archives! My life is all there all the way back to the mid 1930s when I was a kid. Yes, you know almost everything there is to know about me--with the exception of the VERY personal stuff. Now if the FBI/CIA wanted to know the personal stuff, they'd have to show up on my doorstep and ask me questions. That doesn't mean that I'd tell them EVERYTHING but at least I could give them a hint. OK, while I'm in the mood to confess a bit of crime in my life, if they would ask me if I ever stole anything, I'd have to admit that I did. When? About 1942 when I was ten years old. My cousin Jackie made me do it, really she did! We were in the 5 & 10 and there was a counter with a jumble of small pins depicting the emblems of all the military services. She picked up one and I picked up one. Jackie persuaded me to just put it in my pocket and nobody would know. I didn't want to but I did anyway. I had the pin for a number of years and I felt guilty every time I saw it. I eventually threw it out because I didn't wanted to be reminded of my Grand Theft when I was ten years old. So there you have it. Now my criminal history is out in the open and I feel better for the confession. vee

Vee you said - "So there you have it. Now my criminal history is out in the open and I feel better for the confession." vee Maybe it was a child thing, that of being a one time theft, as I, too, stole something from our small local grocery store. For me it was a small piece of candy which I put in my pocket. When mom found out about it (don't moms know all these things), I had to go down to the store and apologize for my action. Don't remember whether I paid for the candy or not for I'm sure the candy (or at least most of it) was already in my tummy. My BIG memory was going back to the store with my dad and telling them what I had done and that I was sorry. It was embarassing THOUGH valuable lesson for this child. Evelyn in cool Maine where we're experiencing a Nor-easter (as they are called)