PREVIOUS NEWS

** YOUR EDITOR !!

Yes, I’ve FINALLY accomplished my MAIN task this
year and visited with my BEAUTIFUL grandson, Lincoln
(the ‘Linkster’) Edward Murrie !!

I was able to spend a TOTALLY SPLENDID three plus
days with my daughter’s family and was fascinated
with little Lincoln’s progress at just under four
months !!

I AM PLEASENTLY HOUNOURED TO PRESENT MR.
LINCOLN EDWARD MURRIE along with your Editor :

 

PLEASE NOTE : Lincoln is the REALLY CUTE ONE
and I DO NOT have an ‘extra’ head in my armpit,
we just like to colour coordinate !!

** SALE !! SALE !! **

I’ve just finished chatting with Berdell’s nephew
and he has informed me that he’s offering ALL
remaining Belleek in Berdell’s collection according
to the following FANTISTIC sale terms !! This sale
began officially on 15-June, but you should immediately
take a look now so not to miss out on that special
bargain !!

“The Berdell Dickinson Belleek Collection is being
sold by the Dickinson Trust. Beginning on June 15,
2007 all items on the Web Site at

     Berdell Dickinson Auction !!

will be sold at 1/3 off the price listed on the site.
This discount is subject to all other terms stated
on the Web Site. Many wonderful collector items
remain for sale including 4 tea sets and one complete
luncheon set. All items are free of cracks, chips and
other defects unless noted in the description on the
Web Site.

Please browse this collection. You will find many
rare and desirable items at an extraordinary value.
There is provision on the site to forward any
questions you may have regarding any item. Enjoy
shopping for a fine addition to your Belleek
collection.”

These discounts are subject to all other terms
stated on our Web Site.”

REMEMBER, this is a SALE, NOT an Auction !! It will
be STRICKLY ‘first come, first serve’ !! There were
approximately 240 Lots, offering something for
everyone !!

Many items have been SOLD, BUT if you see a Lot
that’s ‘PENDING’ you may still indicate a desire to
purchase it and you will be put on a first-come
offer list for that Lot(s) !!

PLEASE, FORWARD (FWD) this E-mail to ALL your
Belleeker friends and associates so EVERYONE has
an opportunity to participate in this marvelous sale !!
THANKS !!

** 2007 CONVENTION IS OVER, BUT !!

With the coordination and sponsorship of the North
Ireland Chapter and the splendid cooperation of
the Belleek Pottery this was BY FAR the most
spectacular of ALL Conventions I’ve ever been
honoured to attend !!

I can’t possibly go into ALL the wonderful times and
events we were privileged to attend, BUT I will say
that I TRULY believe that the divisional structure
of this convention was the pivotal point of its
organization !! By this I mean, INSTEAD of constant
groups of 200 to 300 enthusiastic Belleekers, we were
‘sectioned’ off into 6 groups of approximately 40
plus persons !! This gave everyone in (each) group
the opportunity to interact with a smaller and
hopefully more exuberant group !!

PERSONALLY, I liked the constant opera of our group
intertwining with the other 5 groups as we might be
on a visit to Enniskillin Castle, another group would
be visiting The Pottery and another on its way up to
Devinish Isle, etc. !!

SO, other than a brief lecture and discussion period
on Saturday morning Followed by a splendid auction
and OF COURSE our GALA Banquet, most of our
Convention periods were spent within our close group
of friends !!

In any case, our 2007 Convention will DEFINITELY be
the MOST memorable to me as the North Ireland Chapter
had precision organization as well as a MOST splendid
welcome from The Pottery with their lavish banner
proudly announcing their 150th anniversary flying
over their entrance way !!

As an interlude, it is ‘rumored’ that our upcoming
2009 Convention will be hosted by the New York
Chapter ?? HOPEFULLY in Ocean, i.e., Atlantic, City ??!!

BUT, not to forget, as we traveled about the Isle,
I could not help but to notice the abundance of
construction of ALL types going on !! I would assume
with the addition of the Republic of Ireland to the
European Union, that the majority of construction in
that area was due to the influx of monies to their
economy, but there was also abundant works in the
North !!

As an avid plant fan, I was impressed with all the
beautiful plantings about all the dwellings as well
as about the towns and OF COURSE in the
round-a-bouts !!

The ONLY negative circumstance was my return visit !!
I arrived AHEAD of schedule on Shannon Airlines out
of Dublin into JFK, BUT upon check-in at JFK, I was
informed of a slight delay due to SPRINKLES ?? It
turned out to be a NINE HOUR PLUS delay BUT on the
positive side, I’ve sent my bar bill to American Airlines !!
GOOD LUCK ??

** I’VE BEEN HERE !!

"You know it's time to do the laundry when you dry
off with a sneaker."
      ~~ Zach Galifianakis

** E-BAY TEAPOT AUCTION !!

There was a WEE BIT of concern and consternation at
our Convention as several of our attending members
were interested in a particular Belleek Tea Pot being
offered on E-Bay !!

BUT, this is another story for another time with
another picture in another dimension !!

** WHILE TRAVELING !!

Due to our Convention and EVERYONE’s travel
here-to-froe I offer :

I received the following from one of our favourite
Society Honorees and poet laureate !! I quote him
directly as follows :

“This could prove useful :

“Hotel plastic key cards and what to do with them
when you check out of your hotel room.  Read the
following and understand what can happen if you make
the wrong decision.

“Please take those plastic key cards home and cut
them up with your scissors. Read the following to
understand why?

“Print this out and keep it in you files for future
stays in hotels :

“MOTEL KEY CARD
Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card ?
Answer :
    a) Customer's name
    b) Customer's partial home address
    c) Hotel room number
    d) Check-in date and out dates
    e) Customer's credit card number and expiration
       date.

“When you turn them in to the front desk your personal
information is there for any employee to access by
simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An
unscrupulous employee can take a hand full of cards
home and using a scanning device, access the
information onto a laptop computer and go shopping
at your expense.

“Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on
these cards until an employee re-issues the card to
the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's
information is electronically ‘overwritten’ on the
card and the previous guest's information is erased
in the overwriting process. But until the card is
rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in
a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION
ON IT !

“The bottom line is : Keep the cards, take them home
with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in
the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them in
to the front desk when you check out of a room. They
will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and
you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable
personal information on it that could be easily
lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.

“For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport
and discover you still have the card key in your
pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket.
Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up,
especially through the electronic information strip !

“Information courtesy of : Pasadena Police Department

“** I personally have a small magnet and pass it
across the magnetic strip several times. Then try
it in the door, it will not work. It erases
everything on the card.”

** FOR ALL OF US !!

This is quite the Site I’ve discouvered on the Interet !!

It’s SPECIALLY designed for ALL of us OVER 50 Years,
or in heart !!

JUST click on the Link below and you’ll see, what I
believe to be, some very interesting material !!

http://eons.com

** A SHORT QUIZ !!

I, for the life of me, couldn’t remember the Link
to the U.K. Group’s Tea Pot Quiz !! It was totally
fantastic and if you Search thru their past couple
of Newsletters which, are ALL On-Line, you will
discouver one VERY comprehensive test of your
knowledge regarding Belleek Tea Pots !! ENJOY !!

On the ‘lighter’ side, I have provided a short quiz
of my own, MUCH simpler than theirs !!

The following small quiz consists of 4 questions. It
tells whether you are qualified to be a professional.
Around 90% of the professionals failed the exam.

Questions (Answers Follow) :

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference,
all the animals attend except one. Which animal
does not attend?

OK, if you did not answer the last three questions
correctly, this one may be your last chance to
testify your qualifications to be a professional.

4. There is a river, which is infested by crocodiles.
How do you manage to cross it?

Answers:

1. The correct answer is open the refrigerator, put
in the giraffe and close the door. This question
tests whether you are doing simple things in a
complicated way.

2. Wrong Answer: Open the refrigerator, put in the
elephant and close the refrigerator. Correct Answer:
Open the refrigerator, take out of the giraffe, put
in the elephant and close the door. This tests your
prudence.

3. Correct Answer: The Elephant!...It's still in
the refrigerator! This tests whether you have
comprehensive thinking.

4. Correct Answer: Simply swim through it. All the
crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting! I hope
you got this one correct at least!

** OLDIE BUT FUNNY !!

The CIA loses track of one of its operatives, and
so calls in one of their top spy hunters.

The CIA boss says, "All I can tell you is that his
name is Murphy and that he's somewhere in Ireland.
If you think you've located him, tell him the code
words, 'The weather forecast calls for mist in the
morning.' If it's really him, he'll answer, 'Yes,
and for mist at noon as well.'"

So the spy hunter goes to Ireland and stops in a bar
in one of the small towns. He says to the bartender,
"Maybe you can help me. I'm looking for a guy named
Murphy."

The bartender replies, "You're going to have to be
more specific because, around here, there are lots
of guys named Murphy. There's Murphy the Baker,
who runs the pastry shop on the next block. There's
Murphy the Banker, who's president of our local
savings bank. There's Murphy the Blacksmith, who
works at the stables. And, as a matter of fact, my
name is Murphy, too."

Hearing this, the spy hunter figures he might as
well try the code words on the bartender, so he
says, "The weather forecast calls for mist in the
morning."

The bartender replies, "Oh, you're looking for Murphy
the Spy. He lives right down the street on the left."

** MY PLANT !!

Speaking of WONDERFUL foliage displays, I would guess
that few of you know that I once was the proprietor
of an indoor plant shop ?? This was back in the 1970’s
when everyone was in experimentation and I was one of
those (I guess) ?? In any case, one day I was out in
the early morning to purchase wholesale stock for my
shop when I happened upon an atrium with one of the
most interesting plants I had ever seen !! I was told
that its origin was African and that the owner of the
horticultural breading establishment would under NO
circumstances part with ANY part of his beauty !!

A couple of years later, said establishment extracted
a pair of cuttings from this ‘mother’ plant and I was
the FORTUNATE owner of one of her babies !!

It later turned out that the BOTH the mother and
other baby had passed on and I was supposedly left
with the remaining entity in Washington State ??

In any case, since that time, I’ve been able to cut and
root TWO children and ONE grandchild from MY
mother plant !! AND, IT’S NOT EASY !!

NOW, THIRTY (PLUS) YEARS later, after acquiring my
mother plant, I was TOTALLY amazed !!

First, you have to understand that these, AND I
don’t even know the proper botanical designation,
do nothing more than sit around for like 9 months
THEN DROP ALL their leaves !! They then sit around
for like another 3 months and then GROW NEW leaves ??
NOTHING ELSE !!??

BUT, FINALLY, this year, I was sitting here at my
Computer typing away and glanced over at my ‘strange’
plants and noticed what I’ll describe as a VERY
sparse broccoli stem ?? Upon further examination,
I discouvered, TO MY GLEE, that this was a spray of
FLOWERS !!

I GUESS THAT’s WHAT 30 YEARS OF LOVE BRINGS ??



                    Mother Plant (center, left)

        I rotated the pot so the outside light does
              NOT interfere with my picture !!



          A semi-close-up of the spray of flowers !!



                        As close as I could get !!
              Notice, the bud is 'curled' upwards and
        opens with it's petals curling completely down !!