Hi All, I've been so busy. I made cookies and stuff all night after work and then I answered some email. I wasn't going to write anything tonight because I'm tired. I was ready to go to bed but I realized it may be awhile until I can post again. So I want to tell the story I promised before. 11 years ago in August, Gary's brother, Joe, died helping a motorist who's car had been hit on a major highway. He got struck by a motorcycle that was speeding and then a car driven by a drunk driver. It was as you can imagine was quite an awful time. We as a family decided to donate all of Joe's organs. We felt that he died trying to help someone and it is what he would of wanted. Thanksgiving with Gary's family wasn't the best that year of course. Christmas as far as I could see wasn't going to be much better. On Christmas morning Gary and I got up. He was watching tv, and I was reading the newspaper. I started to read the letter to the editor part of the paper. There was letter from a woman from NJ writing to thank the family who made the decision to donate the organs of the man who had died on the highway. At that point, I just started to whell up with tears and Gary of course couldn't figure out why the paper would make me cry. I tried to read out loud to him, but I couldn't get it out and by that time I was bawling. The woman's brother had received Joe's heart, and surely would of died. It was a wonderful thing she did sending that letter. We were very sad, but we were also very happy to know that people were alive because of him. It made a tough Christmas bearable. So the best gift we ever got cost no more than the time it took her to write a letter and the stamp to mail it. (As a side note,Gary's parents eventually found out about all the people(info without names) he helped. And they did meet the man who got his lungs and became friends with him. They also are active members in UNYTS, the local organ donor group. Also the next year Gary's sister had a baby, the first grandchild. There's nothing like a baby to help lift people's spirits.) Ok, I've got to go to bed. Tomorrow is a long day at work, and then I've got to visit my baby brother and his family in the evening. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Remy

Toni & willsgram....I loved the Mimslyn Inn!! Here's a great story for you. I worked there in the late 80's. One weekend I had to do a cocktail party for 250 people, for an art show there. The artist was P. Buckley Moss-a famous artist who does alot of PA Dutch children in her paintings as well as alot of seascape scenes. (I have 2 of her prints of Sanibel Island.) Anyhow, she kept coming into the kitchen to sneak some of my dried beef rollups..tee hee-she said they'd be gone every time the waiter came around to her! When I moved down here to Largo back in 1998, I went down to her studio & apartment right on the Bay in downtown St Pete. She was doing signings that day, if you bought anything from her gallery, you could go upstairs into her studio to have her sign it. I did & as I walked up to her I said "Hi Pat..long time no see." She said 'I know that voice' to which I said "I really doubt you'd remember me as it was 10 yrs ago I met you when I did your art show at the Mimslyn in Luray." She lit up & blurted out..."OH-those dried beef rollups!" Thought I'd die laughing that she'd recall them. Needless to say-she personally signed my 2 Sanibel prints, to me. ANYWAY..she told me her SON bought the place back in '89. If he still owns it-I bet alot of her artwork is hanging all over the place! If you stop in Toni..(you can go up & just see the awesome lobby, as well as the 2nd floor atrium-gorgeous!!...If it's still used as an atrium). If you see any of her paintings there? Then he still owns it. 5 years ago my DD from NC-came for a visit & I took her down to the Pat's gallery. She was in the rear of the place & came rushing up to me & said "Mom-come here-you have to see this". I went back & there was a painting of...The Mimslyn Inn & PA Dutch children sledding & frolicing in the lawns! My daughter surprised me that Xmas with the signed, framed painting..she said-not only did you work there, but you fed the artist there! One of my treasure pieces.

Rosesstink, I just returned from Lake Placid and found it very sedate. We were at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, (which is a 30 minute drive), and only saw six other cars in the parking lot while we were there. Not too zoo-like. Their major sporting event, IronMan, isn’t until the end of the month and aside from horse show events off and on, for the majority, most crowd drawing activities are scheduled for late July and August. The OP was talking about 4th of July week. I was up there last year for 4th of July week and did not find it crowded then, either. There is plenty to do, and see, in the immediate area, as well as within a 30-45 minute drive. We offer all the water, mountain, hiking and nature features that Old Forge does, (minus the Enchanted Forest Water Safari), yet have more of it and more extensive private and public accommodations.www.lakeplacid.com/events And we, too are only 45 minutes away from the wonderful Adirondack Museum - a joy to visit!

IMO, smaller stores aren't going anywhere, tho I understand some businesses won't survive. It's those ginormous big box stores that seem to be downsizing or going belly up. In many areas, it seems there isn't much advantage in dealing with mountains of inventory and the staff needed to take take care of it, along with huge buildings and the costs of upkeep/maintenance. Trader Joe's is doing great, so is Aldi. both have smaller stores and limited, well curated inventory, and you have to shop early at the ones here, because a lot of stuff is gone by the end of the day. They're always busy. I think discount resellers can also stay afloat because their inventory is not as big a part of operating costs. We just had a huge Whole Foods-type store (Lucky's Market) close down here after barely 2 years. It was announced this past week, and it's already almost empty. Kroger even halted construction of 3 other planned stores in our state. Reportedly, the ROI was not satisfactory.