Our Front Porch

I've been hearing and reading that Social Security cards would not be considered proof of citizenship.  This does not make sense.  First, non-citizens who have the right to work in the U.S. have a special designation on the cards, whereas those who don't have the right to work cannot obtain the cards;  only actual citizens have cards without special designations.Second, when I initially applied for and received a card, it was specifically for the purpose of proof-of-citizenship- a class in high school was taking a trip to Canada, our teacher said we might be asked for proof at the border, and said it'd be easier to obtain Social Security cards than to haul around our birth certificates.What changed????  

    Most people make resolutions. Most of us break them. However we endeavor to try. What are some you might list for the New Year?   One I try to live always by ......         

   We watched this 87 year old Capra classic last night and we’re still talking about how this movie certainly has withstood the test of time.  Its timeless message still rings true. …..if you haven’t seen it yet, please just give it a chance!

Who or what is going to save us?From what, you say?Income inequalityGlobalized economicsInternational conflictPandemicsGlobal warmingArtificial IntelligenceCrime, and whatever other more personal fears you may have, like loneliness, depression, aging, housing, healthcare.Who or what is going to save us?National government?Some billionaire?Technology?Reliable answers are hard to come by.When I ask this question, I come up with the following:Community—local community—the places where we all live.Why?Local community can offer the following:A place where you know who it is you are communicating with (it’s not AI simulation)You, the citizen, have the opportunity to actually affect the environment you live in (changing laws, organization participation, getting help to age in place, become socially engaged)Have direct impact on how resources are managed (from infrastructure development to expert demonstrations at the public library)Think about it—today—there really is no other way for the ind

the holiday is coming fast. Maybe too fast but our ages kinda distort the clock. Are you all prepared?

Same content, probably easier to read:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gm5mwyhYfM8JIozt2PT8y7h6Decc-EhI/view Same content, probabbly easier to read: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gm5mwyhYfM8JIozt2PT8y7h6Decc-EhI/view 

I wanted to start a forum for those of us living in nursing homes, and the unique challenges that we experience. I am 51 and have chosen to not treat my recurrence of breast cancer. I also have dystonia. So I am living in a nursing home now, which I find to be very difficult, and lonely. I wanted to reach out to others in a similar position. 

 As I’m sitting watching football, one of the commentators mentioned Madden and his famous Turducken.  A duck and chicken stiffed within the other and then within a turkey.  .  I’ve never seen one other than on Thanksgiving football games and it still continues as a nod to Madden.  Anyone make or have been part of the eating of one?  

Anyone know of any group that meets?

Good Morning To Everyone On The Front  Porch On This Cold Thursday Morning  December 17th, 2020! As I'm sitting around our apartment on my cable I've seen some interesting things like beautiful creatures posted on the  internet! It could be a tropical bird, a majestic animal, a waterfall in a remote part of Africa,  a giant tree or the insect I've posted below. I think that the Front Porch followers should be able to come up with several hundred photos by New Years Day! All you need to do is save the photo to your gallery and repost it here to this topic.  ENJOY AND HAVE A HAPPY,  HEALTHY 2021! 

We havecars that run on electricity and can come when beckoned -We have driverless big rigs.  We have ubers and lyfts without drivers.  We have homes that turn on and off lights when one goes into or leaves the roomWe have AI that is suppose to answer almost any question 🥴We have rocket ships that leave earth and then return to their own parking spotsWe have wireless internet But to my dismay - we do not have a trash can that can drive itself to the street, wait for trash pickup and then drive back to the house.  Now when that trip is up a hill almost 250’ or for some, longer - When one gets up in age, this is a feat.  There is no tech anywhere to be found even though a robotic arm truck does pick up the trash, requiring only the truck driver. Consider this a call to action all you geeks out there - Be The 1st to invent it.   

   I’ve been seeing a lot of these through the years. Some sound really fun. Giving gifts of the month.  Beer-of-the-Month, Coffee-of-the-Month, Socks-of-the-Month, etc.   Anyone have a product or company they like, or like giving?  

So Dave has done an excellent job in the “Do You Remember . . . “ pictorial thread and I really love it when we talk about some of these things.   Maybe it would also be fun to talk about things that did happen when we were just kids or how times have changed between then and now.  Like stories from our youth or things that happened - keeping it on the lighter side, of course.  Long or Short - it is the story that counts. I am not gonna start it unless there is interest but if there is interest and participation, I have a bunch - long and short.  

   A friend sent this to me yesterday, and it is just so wonderfully creepy, I had to share it!  I know that it’s not even October yet, but it is the second full day of Autumn. 🥴🎃🍂 ….sending a smile!  

My insurance agent dropped a bombshell on me yesterday stating that they will no longer be carrying Towing Insurnace on insurnace policys that have multiple vehicles ( even though they are all insured through them). This makes me very uncomfortable as I am a widow and no longer have a husband to come rescue me if I was to ever have a breakdown. I called AARP's RA (Roadside Assistance) customer service line but could never get a straight answer on one very important question. Hopefully someone here can help me. I drive a classic car. I have had to have that car towed 3 times in the last 4 years. There is only one towing company, and suprisingly enough also the cheapest one in the area, that knows how to tow and treat a classic vehicle with respect. So that is the one I use. All the rest could care less about how they treat anything they tow. The lady on AARP's RA Customer Service line was just the sweetest thing. But she did not understand my question no matter how many d

I just visited https://www.livingto100.com/ because it was mentioned the AARP magazine. I carefully answered all the questions. In order to get the result, I had to join the site. The result: My life expectancy is one year younger than I actually am; i.e., I'm dead. I wasted my time; you don't have to waste yours.

 I have AARP UHC Plan G. I want to set up my own payments monthly through my bank — not through UHC direct bank withdrawal. But I've called the member number and have received conflicting answers. One said that I cannot set up auto payments with my bank mailing the payments for me. Even though my bank would put my UHC Plan G membership number on each check, UHC will not accept the payment mailed from the bank without the monthly coupon. Is this accurate?I have all my other monthly bills, credit cards, etc., set up through my bank, not through all the different companies. This makes it easier to see everything in one place.

Remaining proud and dignified when you have nothing tangible to prove you aren't just taking up space seems to be getting harder and harder for me as time marches on.  Yes, it's true that I'm not as strong, as fast or able to do all the things I could to the extent I was able to when I was younger...but that doesn't make me obsolete, incapable or useless  ..

If you sent a message requesting a response from someone that you know received your message and, yet, they did not respond on purpose, would you consider that rude, impolite, and discourteous if they were: (1) A Friend(2) A Politician(3) Manager Of A Retail Entity(4) A Low Level Administrative Person In A Membership Organization Like A Church Or Union(5) A Co-Worker Would their status to you affect how you felt about the purposeful ignoring of your concerns?    

Problem #1 - Squirrels drinking from the hummingbird feeders.  I have never seen this before.  They climb up the pole and pull the feeder over to them - tipping it so that the sugar water ends up in their mouth.  Now after the hummingbirds have left this fall, I may spike it with a bit of Jack Daniels.  But now, I do not know what to do.  Need some solution because they seem to be getting a bit chubby from all the sugar water.   Problem #2 - Deer eating my variegated Liriope Muscari which lines my long driveway - I have lived here for 30+ years, and the plants have been here almost from the beginning.  Never have I had deer eat them; didn't even know they liked them . . .  but this year - there they are up and down my drive, having their dinner or early breakfast or lunch.  All does - I have seen no little ones nor any bucks.   Again, I have no idea what will work to keep them away except if I plant them a crop

I opened up the  “1923-1973 Do You Remember... “ post on this board in front of my grand kids and their parents and we make a game of identifying the photos - it was a real hoot hearing some of their guesses and then the amazement of realizing that yes, things were this way before you were born.   And so educational - so eye-opening that from there we got here. Thanks, Dave and others for several hours of great family entertainment.  

A house a car take a cruise wash my new car go shopping then sit on the porch of my new house cause I'm tired and broke

Hawked by bears, a music group called the Quilted Queens, an middle aged grocery Manager, all funny in their own right. Described as cushiony, eco-friendly, leaves you "clean as a whistle" and a multitude of other descriptions. Constructed out of bamboo, recycled material, and "who knows what" in other countries. Named after a brass instrument or a fabric material or a religious icon. Brings us to an all important question.................                  WHAT IS YOUR PREFERENCE IN TOILET PAPER?

With over 176 souls lost in 55 plane crashes in the United States in 2025. Crashes into buildings. Crashes into rivers. Planes flipping over. Planes experiencing mid-air stalls. And now hundreds dead in India. You won't catch me ever again flying the "friendly skies". All of a sudden, they don't seem so friendly.  

,Late one night the air traffic control tower got a mayday call. Help, I am flying at  18,000 ft, doing 200 mph, UPSIDE DOWM. Tower answered and asked, "How do you know how high you are?" caller " by this gauge", Tower " How do you know how fast you are going?", caller "by this gauge," tower that's good but how do you know you are upside down? caller " Because the P from my pants is running down my neck."