This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Our contract ran out with a cell phone service that we have used for about 6 years. Every couple of years we would qualify for another "free" cell phone if we signed up for another 2 years of what we now know was expensive service. We aren't into all the bells and whistles that come with many of the new smart phones…we like some bells and whistles, just not as many as we see in phones like our daughter and son have.
The last time when our contract ran out, we explored a few lower priced, no contract cell phone services. I looked into the TracFone and read reviews by real TracFone customers to learn as much as I could. There is nothing like reading the experiences of others to help you in making your decision. I like the track phone a lot. It has several different pay-as-you-go plans to suit your needs in a range of prices starting as low as $10 for the person who does not use there phone heavily, and on up depending upon your need. There are not contracts or activation fees, and no penalties if you stop your service early. There are so many features with the TraFone…you can get phones that have a QWERTY keyboard for easy texting, an mp3 player, camera, web access, ability to use apps and so much more.
I can't think of anything that would keep a person from trying this phone…you can buy your pay-as-you-go minutes online or at many stores. The only hindrance may be if there isn't coverage in your area, but they do cover a LOT of area, visit the links for information and to see if this is covered in your area.
EXTREME heat is the weather news of the day, and New Jersey is feeling the heat. It’s getting close to 2 pm and my outdoor thermometer is reading 98 degrees…I’m quite sure we’ll hit 100 today, it’s already there in New York. Last night there was no relief during the night to allow turning off the air conditioners, and opening the windows.
I was wondering what I’d do if the power went down, and where the closest New Jersey cooling centers might be. Here are some links that may help you if you are doing the same:
Stay cool, stay safe. Know the warning signs of heat stroke
Drink more than the usual suggested amount of water, avoid strenuous activity, and take frequent breaks in as cool a location as possible if you must be outdoors.
Photo by cesarcabrera used under Creative Commons License.
It makes sense that the Garden State would have it’s share of Botanical Gardens, doesn’t it? Gardens are bursting at the seams (as if gardens can do that) with flowers and greenery thanks to the abundance of snow in the winter and rain in the summer. The flowers are spectacular, I am trying to capture some of them in picture before they are gone until next year, some I am thinning and selling on ebay, but mostly, I’m just enjoying them.
Bumble Bee on Lamb’s Ear Flower in my garden (Copyright 2011)
We happen to live not to far from the botanical garden designated as our State botanical garden, the New Jersey Botanical Gardens (NJBG).
Here are some more botanical gardens and other garden spots and events in New Jersey:
I’ve been trying to get this post started and keep being distracted by the upcoming verdict in the Casey Anthony trial…oh…here it is…hold on again…wow, not guilty to so much…hmmm
Okay, back to the diary. I have had the thought about keeping a journal or diary for a long time now, and have had many false starts, but think I want to give this a go. I wish I’d done this long ago, especially as the memory of past events get jumbled with the years, but I can still start…and as the memories come back, can add them in retrospect.
I’m not going to keep it here, but as uploaded links to RedGage, a place I use to share links to blog posts, share photos, and more. Simple text for now, uploaded to a website at my hosting service that is used for general storage. If you want to follow it, please stop by and visit “happynut”, my user name on RedGage.
I did start the diary on the 4th of July, have to get used to sharing in this way. Please stop by and read if you have time, and if you have trouble accessing it, let me know in a comment.
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I live in a large town with a small town atmosphere, and remember well when Walgreens came to town. The idea took getting used to for most folks because we had a small town style pharmacy that many were loyal too. Still, like many in town, I wanted to give Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products a chance, so walked into our local Walmart. It was new, bright and clean with many of their own brands available. I was looking for a Neti Pot at the time, and there were several to choose from…but bargain shopper that I am, I chose the one that had "Walgreens" on the box because their store brands are as good as name brand products. It came with the Neti Pot plus a great supply of what is need to make the saline solution…I use it regularly in the Springtime to clear pollen from the sinuses, and when I feel a cold coming on. It's been used a LOT his spring season, and because of it, I've been able to avoid allergy medications. It was reassuring to know that if there was anything I didn't like about the product, the guarantee meant that I could return it, it had a 100% money back guarantee.
Please take a moment to check out Walgreens Way to Well Fund™, a program that is helping people take a preventative approach to things like cancer, heart disease and many other common diseases. Plus, Walgreens has a Sweepstakes going on, visit to see what their giveaways are.
Yes, we've all gotten used to having a large Walgreens and our large town hasn't lost it's small town atmosphere.
It wasn’t until today while reading the latest news about Astronaut Mark Kelly and his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, that I discovered that Mark Kelly is originally from West Orange, New Jersey. Most of you reading this are aware of the tragic shooting of Gabrielle Giffords in early January in Tucson. She has recovered remarkably well from a bullet to the head, while others shot the same day were not so fortunate.
Mark Kelly, her devoted husband, commanded the final Endeavour shuttle flight, and is now retiring from NASA and the US Navy to be with his wife…effective in October. They will be writing a book together about their combined experiences, according to one news article that I read.
Video of final launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour, commanded by Astronaut Mark Kelly, husband to Gabrielle Giffords.
As a resident of New Jersey, when I think of Camden, NJ, my thoughts are usually marred with memories of reports about high crime rates and corruption…but there is much in history in Camden, New Jersey, including the Walt Whitman house.
He was born in Long Island, and raised by Quaker parents. His work experience seems very random…from government clerk, to editor and journalist, to being a nurse during the Civil War during which time he wrote “Beat, Beat, Drums”. He held other positions, but his greatest desire in life was to be a poet. His best known work was a controversial one for it’s time due to sexual content, Leaves of Grass. He wrote other works that probably would not have been in line with his Quaker upbringing…but some shared his concern for the conditions during the times in which he lived, politically and otherwise.
Walt Whitman didn’t make his home in New Jersey until toward the end of his life…after he suffered a stroke. The Walt Whitman House can be found on Mickle Street in Camden, New Jersey. The Camden County Library holds events in honor of the poet, Walt Whitman.
I was in my early twenties when Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man” played loudly from the speakers of my car radio. Phoebe Snow was born in New York, but raised in Teaneck, NJ and died Tuesday, April 25, 2011, in Edison, New Jersey. We lived in Edison Township until I was about 14 and I worked and attended a small college in Teaneck in the early 1070′s, so the area is very familiar.
Her personal life touches mine as well…as she sacrificed her singing career to care for a disabled daughter. Watching my mother love and care for my disabled brother gives me a picture of what kind of person she may have been like. According to her Manager in an article I read on northjersey.com, the 31 years spent raising her brain-damaged daughter, Valerie, who apparently pre-deceased her, was her greatest accomplishment. Her daughter was born with hydrocephalus and needed constant care, which Phoebe provided for her rather than putting her into an institution. That says a lot about a person, doesn’t it? There are some things so much greater than fame.
Phoebe died at the age of 60 (wow, that’s how old I’ll be at my next birthday…we do tend to notice things like this as baby boomers, don’t we?) from complications of a hemorrhage to the brain she suffered late in 2010 – it was one of those health situations where one thing just seemed to lead to another from the information I’ve been reading.
One thing about losing a musician, actor, or other celebrity, is the fact that you can still listen to them or watch them after they are gone. So it is with Phoebe Snow, as seen in the following video. This later recording of “Poetry Man” by her in 2009 shows her wonderful personality and that almost 35 years later, she was still a very talented musician and will be missed:
. He wrote 
that probably would not have been in line with his Quaker upbringing…but some shared his concern for the conditions during the times in which he lived, politically and otherwise.
