tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30638020420449422472024-03-19T05:22:37.823-07:0052 Weeks of Personal HistoryFor 2011, Amy Coffin of The We Tree Genealogy blog, created a weekly series of writing prompts for those wanting to blog about their personal memories. These are my stories. They are dated according to the original prompts, although not necessarily written in that order!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02521713742642286287noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3063802042044942247.post-69457032492598490372011-10-08T02:00:00.000-07:002011-10-11T16:09:35.907-07:00Memorable Teachers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbYOgiFru3J3CmVb2OpGFTPUDzAzH6L_eQwHRU0u3t5pFFfAiMuy23sehZORF4PnL_1IbJ-NOZcf0i-R5_E6IDglHQHvWiGf2GbKqUVIi0pHgCbzpc3xVHIWaBlh0Sd8GqqaZmZCIcHE5/s1600/1backtoschoolteacher-graphicsfairy008bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbYOgiFru3J3CmVb2OpGFTPUDzAzH6L_eQwHRU0u3t5pFFfAiMuy23sehZORF4PnL_1IbJ-NOZcf0i-R5_E6IDglHQHvWiGf2GbKqUVIi0pHgCbzpc3xVHIWaBlh0Sd8GqqaZmZCIcHE5/s200/1backtoschoolteacher-graphicsfairy008bw.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>
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Several teachers made a lasting impression on me—although not always a positive one!<br /> <br />Physical education was <b>not </b>my favorite class! But in my junior year, my PE teacher <b>was </b>my favorite teacher. I remember there were several students who called her “mom.” I don’t remember why...likely it was because we felt she cared about us, not just as students but as young women. <br /><br />
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I wasn’t particularly interested in American
history, but my 8<sup>th</sup> grade teacher tried to make it as palatable as possible. He would start each class by reading a passage from <i>It All Started with Columbus</i> by Richard
Armour. If you are not familiar with Armour’s works, this passage will give you
an idea of how much fun this added to our history class:</div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">In
an attempt to take</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Baltimore</span>, the</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">British</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">attacked</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Fort McHenry</span>, which protected the harbor. Bombs were soon
bursting in air, rockets were glaring, and all in all it was a moment of great
historical interest. During the bombardment, a young lawyer named</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Francis "Off" Key</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">wrote</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">The
Star-Spangled Banner</span></span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">, and
when, by the dawn's early light, the British heard it sung, they fled in
terror!</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Another
8<sup>th</sup> teacher is memorable for his irreverent description of </span></span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Forest</span></span></st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Lawn</span></span></st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Memorial Park</span></span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> as the “Disneyland of
Death.” He seemed to be obsessed with the dark side. The one story that I remember reading for his literature class
was “An Occurrence at </span></span><st1:place><st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Owl</span></span></st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Creek</span></span></st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Bridge</span></span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">” by Ambrose Bierce.</span></span></div>
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And finally, my 9<sup>th</sup> grade geometry teacher. I was
good at math and I was also precocious enough to correct my elders! On a couple
of occasions, I dared to point out (probably not too diplomatically) that he
had missed steps in solving a problem. Then I “aced” an exam. It came back with
the notation “Do you want to be the teacher?” For many years, I
would not venture a comment in any class that I felt was contradictory to the
instructor’s view. </div>
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Teachers impact their students in ways they probably never imagine!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">© 2011 Denise Spurlock</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02521713742642286287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3063802042044942247.post-59042698176474190292011-08-14T09:10:00.000-07:002011-10-25T19:55:41.662-07:00A Rose by Any Other NameI was a short baby; only 18 inches long at birth. Appropriately, at least in my family's mind, I was called "Shorty." It didn't last long! From what I was told, at about 4 years old, I politely (perhaps precociously is a better word) informed someone (not sure who it was) that my name was not Shorty, it was Denise! And that was the end of it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pgQo3W73fkXL46GiQKvboBDpmr3zFDqO6B09AcNGLK8-3OypWeK4Iex9sGqr5EExsWuSC4DZ_4-n2-j6IZjbY16Q0oaEP_hhNFFACK5cV5bBZ1wcEipHVxZLq7kLdOWGOJkyXxhwXGGV/s1600/Godward-Choris_-_A_Summer_Rose-1902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pgQo3W73fkXL46GiQKvboBDpmr3zFDqO6B09AcNGLK8-3OypWeK4Iex9sGqr5EExsWuSC4DZ_4-n2-j6IZjbY16Q0oaEP_hhNFFACK5cV5bBZ1wcEipHVxZLq7kLdOWGOJkyXxhwXGGV/s320/Godward-Choris_-_A_Summer_Rose-1902.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John William Godward [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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© 2011 Denise SpurlockAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02521713742642286287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3063802042044942247.post-70588340735647564212011-06-25T21:00:00.000-07:002011-10-10T14:15:56.820-07:00#1 Songs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Music has always been important to me. Here is a list of the #1 songs at milestones in my life. If you want to hear the song, click on the title to go to a YouTube video!<br />
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Birth - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbhKSRqL2qg">Wanted</a> - Perry Como<br />
Age 13 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc_QzU6Njdc">The Happening</a> - The Supremes<br />
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Age 16 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkqfpkTTy2w">American Woman</a> - Guess Who<br />
Age 18 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knh9pV4EB3k">The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face</a> - Roberta Flack<br />
My son's birthday -<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPHmsEoLsL0"> Love's Theme</a> - Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra<br />
Age 21 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9_gV4fV5r8">He Don't Love You Like I Love You</a> - Tony Orlando & Dawn<br />
Age 30 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ILDFp5DGA">Hello</a> - Lionel Ritchie<br />
My grandson's birthday - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQsTdmA6yiU">If Wishes Came True</a> - Sweet Sensation<br />
My granddaughter's birthday - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMXuuYnoRdI">Baby, Baby</a> - Amy Grant<br />
Age 40 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAXxkNaRkp8">Bump N Grind</a> - R Kelley<br />
Age 50 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSPhCS-15eE">Yeah</a> - Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris<br />
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I didn't know the first song or the last four! Lionel Ritchie is one of my favorite artists so <i>Hello </i>would be at the top of my all-time favorites list. I wonder what the #1 song will be when I turn 60?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtTebk8qJ4HAUoEmfm0X_G8wPN-JR2HjAf7v_DNPm2wzX8xEpDFRfmdZ4AfHJmXNrVRU6DAtZgX8rFWxWrv7Rfjft6QOya3k2N3vUlnrkqSHCQn0pnTF9KRSN3xKRAH58KF8c11nvM4MK/s1600/BannerRecords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtTebk8qJ4HAUoEmfm0X_G8wPN-JR2HjAf7v_DNPm2wzX8xEpDFRfmdZ4AfHJmXNrVRU6DAtZgX8rFWxWrv7Rfjft6QOya3k2N3vUlnrkqSHCQn0pnTF9KRSN3xKRAH58KF8c11nvM4MK/s320/BannerRecords.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
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© 2011 Denise Spurlock<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02521713742642286287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3063802042044942247.post-31627412713053420242011-01-15T22:08:00.000-08:002011-10-10T11:14:37.124-07:00Mustangs Rock!<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">My first car was a 1966 Ford Mustang coupe with a V-8 engine and
automatic transmission. It was an aquamarine color, and if I remember
correctly, had a gray interior. My first husband and I purchased it in 1973
at a used car lot on </span></span><st1:street><st1:address><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Holt
Boulevard</span></span></st1:address></st1:street><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"> in </span></span><st1:place><st1:city><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Montclair</span></span></st1:city><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">, </span></span><st1:state><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">California</span></span></st1:state></st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">. The total
price was about $1,000; my parents gave me $200 for the down payment and we
financed the rest with monthly payments of $54. Although I put up the money to buy it, I didn't have a driver's license so couldn't drive it for almost a year after we bought it. </span></span>The license plate frame advertised the Walker Buerge dealership so I think that is where it was first sold. <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">I still remember the license
plate number—</span></span><st1:stockticker><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">SUP</span></span></st1:stockticker><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"> 874! To this day when I see one of these classic cars, I
check the license plate to see if it was the one I once owned!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYsVk5CE11i2mzHd3lOepLLfGBW07SyTNad7am6DgYjQyu0wctDWxRFbxY38rbiMjeCk06Jau-30tR04m8gp7W4313qRNIJn-eV2yJ1y6nQen1vaycnoQg4c6V0opp7Iytw-oyNW5Z38W/s1600/%252766_Ford_Mustang_Coupe_%2528%252710_A%2526W_St._L%25C3%25A9onard%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYsVk5CE11i2mzHd3lOepLLfGBW07SyTNad7am6DgYjQyu0wctDWxRFbxY38rbiMjeCk06Jau-30tR04m8gp7W4313qRNIJn-eV2yJ1y6nQen1vaycnoQg4c6V0opp7Iytw-oyNW5Z38W/s400/%252766_Ford_Mustang_Coupe_%2528%252710_A%2526W_St._L%25C3%25A9onard%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1966 Ford Mustang Coupe.<br />
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">© 2011 Denise Spurlock</span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02521713742642286287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3063802042044942247.post-17280507609885447162011-01-08T22:09:00.000-08:002011-11-08T22:07:46.370-08:00Winter in Alaska<br />
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<span class="apple-style-span">For several years during my childhood, our family lived in
Fairbanks, Alaska. According to <a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USAK0083">weather.com</a>, the average high temperature in
January (the coldest month) is 3</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span></span><span class="apple-style-span">F and the average low temperature is -11</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span></span><span class="apple-style-span">. The lowest
recorded temperature of -61</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"> occurred in 1961. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span">Going outside in the winter meant bundling up in many layers of
clothing—boots, warm pants, parkas, hats, mittens or gloves. Outdoor activities
were somewhat restricted, but we still went outside to play and for recess. My
recollection is that we could go outside for recess unless the mercury dropped
below -20</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span></span><span class="apple-style-span">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuyScVEqX2RWUFzangGvZRo68wWmlRz_9KohHj_mbQy71RVaLJVINfwUhpMn3NLUedey9vc9H146jYUepzwpn6fevNtda-ecR6wiWuQn8ezPBwVbyBxQU8dFNdcZSWs5ZppP1mVbQfoZu/s1600/SCAN0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuyScVEqX2RWUFzangGvZRo68wWmlRz_9KohHj_mbQy71RVaLJVINfwUhpMn3NLUedey9vc9H146jYUepzwpn6fevNtda-ecR6wiWuQn8ezPBwVbyBxQU8dFNdcZSWs5ZppP1mVbQfoZu/s200/SCAN0039.JPG" width="173" /></a></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span">Ice skating was a favorite activity; the photo at left shows me and my friend Becky ready for some skating. Look at the snow piled up on the car behind us! Although there were skis available at school, I never learned to ski. I
also remember building ice houses from sheets of ice that we would break off
the top of snow banks! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span">Living so far north also meant limited daylight hours during the
winter. I can remember walking to and from school in the dark. I don’t remember
ever seeing the aurora borealis—the “northern lights.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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When we moved back to California in 1964, I remember thinking how
silly it was that we could not go out for recess in the rain!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">© 2011 Denise Spurlock</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02521713742642286287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3063802042044942247.post-58047500204345361852011-01-01T22:10:00.000-08:002011-10-10T11:14:14.989-07:00New Year's MemoriesNew Year's celebrations are not something I recall happening in our family. In years past, I did my fair share of partying in celebration of the dawn of a new year, but now I would just as soon be at home and out of the way of crazies!<br />
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One "tradition" I do remember is having black-eyed peas as part of our New Year's Day meal. Neither my sister nor I cared for them, but Daddy insisted that we eat a spoonful for good luck throughout the year!<br />
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The year after Daddy passed away, my sister and I were visiting Mama in Oklahoma. Our nieces and nephews were going to parties and invited us to join them. I don't remember what my sister did, but I wasn't keen on going to parties and leaving Mama home alone. We ended up running around town trying to find mix to make piña coladas (remember the song?) and stayed home and played dominoes with the "old folks"!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-96uUWJSCrCgCU9vpE0W43_cz4pdJSZXCIt38uNxF0uuD2jTmeHKRj0328DYRBGHi47PSEjy_W_RLAYOZKlAieD4FGpB8VviOPY0YKaj2428k56tarjh_zR5iIxymOpR6sl986I7qKsS0/s1600/1aaaaanewyear009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-96uUWJSCrCgCU9vpE0W43_cz4pdJSZXCIt38uNxF0uuD2jTmeHKRj0328DYRBGHi47PSEjy_W_RLAYOZKlAieD4FGpB8VviOPY0YKaj2428k56tarjh_zR5iIxymOpR6sl986I7qKsS0/s320/1aaaaanewyear009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">© 2011 Denise Spurlock</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02521713742642286287noreply@blogger.com0