Thursday, November 10, 2016

Happy 241st Birthday to the United States Marine Corps


"On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress commissioned Samuel Nicholas to raise two Battalions of Marines. That very day, Nicholas set up shop in Tun Tavern (in Philadelphia). He appointed Robert Mullan, then the proprietor of the tavern, to the job of chief Marine Recruiter -- serving, of course, from his place of business at Tun Tavern. Prospective recruits flocked to the tavern, lured by (1) cold beer and (2) the opportunity to serve in the new Corps of Marines." 
Source: http://www.usmcpress.com/heritage/usmc_heritage.htm

Since those earliest days when the "Continental Marines" fought for our country's independence at sea and on shore, the United States Marine Corps has responded to conflicts around the world, participating in combat operations and humanitarian relief efforts by air, land, and sea. Mandated by Congress to be our county's rapid response force, the United State Marine Corps has proudly served our country for 241 years. From the shores of Tripoli to Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, Korea, the jungles of Vietnam, the mountains of Afghanistan, the Iraqi desert, and all the operations in-between, Marines from all walks of life have defended our nation.

Each year on November 10th, Marines around the world live up to the motto "Semper Fidelis" (Always Faithful) as they celebrate the birth of the Corps. Whether attending a formal Marine Corps Ball or a small informal gathering, or even with just a phone call or a handshake, those who share the bond of being one of "The Few. The Proud." proudly honor the values, traditions, and history of the Corps on this day.


For many years Bob Parsons, entrepreneur, philanthropist, Marine, and Founder and former CEO of GoDaddy has shared a special video honoring the United States Marine Corps.

As part of this annual birthday tribute, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, with support from GoDaddy, is partnering with the Semper Fi Fund (https://semperfifund.org/) to raise money to help critically ill and injured members of all of the United States Armed Forces and their families. This matching campaign, Double Down for Veterans, has the potential to raise $20 million for wounded, critically ill and injured veterans. It is one of the largest matching campaigns in the history of veteran nonprofits. Through December 31, 2016, up to $10 million in donations will be matched, dollar-for-dollar.

This year's video salute to "Mother Green" can be found at the following sites:
YOUTUBE 

On a personal note...

Love and thanks to my husband and his Marine Corps brothers for their dedication and service, and heartfelt thanks to all who have served or are currently serving.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF BOB "HEAVY" PETRELLA

Today and always we remember with deep love and affection our dear friend, Bob "Heavy" Petrella, who was a USMC Captain during the Vietnam War and was a recipient of 2 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for Valor.

SEMPER FI!

Friday, October 21, 2016

SCCL HEALTHSHARE

http://scclhs.com/
A new health care self-advocacy website called HealthShare has been created by the Nurses Interest Group at Sun City Carolina Lakes.  This wonderful site offers valuable information covering many topics under the following categories: 


  • Education
  • Emergency
  • Medical/legal
  • Oral Health
  • Prevention 
  • Terminology
  • Uncategorized

The HealthShare website/blog is in its pre-launch stage and is currently "under development," but already has wonderful information posted!

Congratulations to Jane Gregor and all who have helped to create this exceptional site! 

For links to this and many other great websites, please click HERE or go to the LINKS page above.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Hurricane Matthew Information Links

As news of the pending arrival of Hurricane Matthew along the coast continues to come in, I'd like to share some important information links.  Please be sure to follow the directions given by local and state officials and the National Weather Service, and stay-tuned to your local news for updates from Governor Haley and her team.  Any changes in the course of the storm can make a huge difference.  
Be smart and be safe!

Friday, September 2, 2016

Bad Habits That May Ruin a Home

 Article courtesy of National Association of REALTORS®

Certain home owner habits could actually be harming the home, and can lead to major home improvement projects later on. This Old House recently featured a list of several bad home owner habits to avoid, including:

  • Slamming the front door
  • Never lifting up outdoor rugs
  • Failing to clean the gutters
  • Flushing “flushable wipes”
  • Closing vents
  • Using too much drain cleaner
For the complete article with details on how to remedy these issues click HERE.

Source: “Break These Bad Home Owner Habits,” This Old House (September 2016)     


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Forbes: 10 Cities Americans Are Moving To Right Now


Source:  Forbes
Article by Karsten Strauss
Link to complete article:  FORBES

"Whether for professional or personal reasons, people sometimes pick up and move. In the United States, folks have been migrating to urban areas in recent generations, but these days the places they wind up are not necessarily the major hubs we might expect.

Real estate information platform, Realtor.com, combined its internal data with U.S. Census Bureau information and discovered where Americans are moving these days. The results might surprise you."

Here is the list...
  1. Tampa, FL
  2. Jacksonville, FL
  3. Charlotte, NC
  4. San Antonio, TX
  5. Austin, TX
  6. Las Vegas, NV
  7. Orlando, FL
  8. Nashville, TN
  9. Raleigh, NC
  10. Portland, OR



Sunday, May 29, 2016

MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE

I have always found it strange to wish someone a Happy Memorial Day and I can never bring myself to say those words.  Yes, we all look forward to the first long weekend that marks the unofficial beginning of summer and the first barbecue of the season, picnic, trip to the lake... or the Indy 500.  But, while all of those things make Memorial Day weekend a fun time, we need to remember the real meaning of Memorial Day.  As we enjoy time with family and friends, let us be sure to take time to honor the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms we cherish.  
 


As we remember those who died in service to our country, let us give thanks to those who are serving now and to all our Veterans for their past service to our country.

Support Our Troops's photo. 




Thursday, May 12, 2016

Rental Costs Eat Up 70% of Your Income in These Locations

Source:  National Association of REALTORS®
REALTORMag
Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, May 12, 2016  


Here are 10 popular cities ranked from highest to lowest in terms of the percentage of starting monthly income that goes towards rent:
  1. San Francisco: 79%
  2. New York City: 77%
  3. Los Angeles: 61%
  4. Boston: 56%
  5. Seattle: 51%
  6. Chicago: 47%
  7. Orlando: 44%
  8. Atlanta: 36%
  9. Austin: 36%
  10. Houston: 29%

Read the entire article HERE.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Cell Phones for Seniors

While on Facebook today I saw an ad for cell phones for seniors... curiosity got the best of me and I clicked on it.  It is a site called "Social Choice" and in this article they present a questionnaire about your cell phone usage that would lead you to the best choice for your particular needs.  Of course there were ads embedded in the article for various phones and services, but, if you overlook those and just read the article and answer the questions, you get to the information that you really want.  I was told to check out the "Jitterbug."  That won't be happening anytime soon, as I love my iPhone and am quite happy with my Verizon service.  But, for those who have less demanding needs than I do, the Jitterbug might be a good choice.  I must confess that I didn't retake the questionnaire, so I don't know what other options they suggest, but, if you're a senior with minimal cell phone needs, I'd recommend answering the questions and seeing what is suggested for you.

I would also recommend that, no matter what service your are currently using, you call your provider and see what they can recommend for you.  Their offerings change and what worked for you 6 months ago might not the best for you now.  I recently changed my Verizon plan to something called "Small Plan" which includes unlimited talk and text, 1 gig of data, and "hot spot" availability (allowing me to use my phone as wi-fi connection for my computer).  For security reasons, I try not to use public wi-fi (especially in airports and hotels), so the "hot spot" allows me to have my own personal wi-fi.  Doing so uses up phone data, but it hasn't been an issue for me.  Anyway, the plan is relatively inexpensive (under $80) and includes my husband's phone (a flip phone which he says he's never getting rid of).

http://socialchoice.com/g/seniorphoneplans/?ss=best%20cell%20phones&c=8776&nr=3&pagetitle=Top%203%20Senior%20Cell%20Phone%20Plans&adsource=3&fref=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29t&yc=2203b_fc7

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Update on RedStone Development in Indian Land

Source: Charlotte Observer
Today the Charlotte Observer reported that the following businesses will be opening at the new RedStone Shopping Center (on U.S. 521 near S.C. 160, across from Lowe's and Edgewater) in the summer of 2017.
  • Portofino’s
  • Red Rocks Café
  • Sharonview Federal Credit Union
  • Lee Spa Nails
  • Moe’s Southwest Grill
Other future tenants at the center will likely be a salon and day spa, as well as coffee, sandwich and yogurt shops, said Keely Hines, the MPV leasing agent for the project.

The development will be anchored by a 14-screen movie theater. Construction on phase 1 of the project, which includes 54,900 square feet of retail space for shops and restaurants, kicked off in February. 



Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/whats-in-store/article72584702.html#storylink=cpy
RedStone is a 310,000-square-foot development by MPV Properties.


Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/whats-in-store/article72584702.html#storylink=cpy
For the complete article, click HERE.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Lancaster Animal Shelter Supply Drive

Sun City Residents Helping the Animals 
of Lancaster County
Lancaster County has an over population of homeless dogs. There is limited space at the Animal Shelter and very few foster homes. Our mission is to help support the Animal Shelter. We will focus on obtaining donations (see list of items below) for Lancaster County Animal Shelter; providing donations for low cost spay and neuter programs to Lancaster County Animal Shelter. 
- LASS (Lancaster Animal Shelter Supporters)

 Stuff the Rolls Royce Supply Drive
March 15, 2016
LASS (Lancaster Animal Shelter Supporters) would appreciate any donations of Purina puppy chow or cat food, Purina kitten chow,  Friskies wet cat food, cat litter, blankets, towels, Dawn-original blue, bleach, paper towels, laundry detergent, rubbing alcohol, small squeeze bottles, dog leashes, puppy pads and collars etc. Special needs include Nitenpyram(capstar) for dogs and cats of all sizes, KMR powder for kittens and cats, Nutrical for cats; Capstar and Frontline Plus. Donations may be given to Janine Gross, Diane Rashall or Sue White.  Checks can be made out to Lancaster County Animal Shelter or Lancaster Animal Shelter Supporters.

UPDATE
LASS President, Janine Gross
Thanks to the generosity of Sun City Carolina Lakes residents, the supply drive was a huge success!  While "Stuff the Rolls" was the theme, donations were transferred to other vehicles for transport to the animal shelter.  There were 5 full loads delivered by one pick-up truck and four SUVs!  We are truly blessed to live in such a caring community!







The need for donations continues!
If you would like to make a donation to LASS for the support of the Lancaster County Animal Shelter, please contact me