Pay Attention

Maybe it is just that I'm not paying attention. I haven't heard about any must have toys for this year. In fact I don't remember any for the past few years. The one I remember the most was those cabbage patch kids. People were literally fighting each other over them. Some play stations by Sony caused a rumble or two as well.
I'm not complaining about it,it is a good thing. I thought so then and think so today,that was just crazy stuff.
How or why that ever happened I'll never understand. How a manufacturer ever convinced  people they should get this item at all costs is a mystery. Was it some kind of market voo doo ? Was it a reemergence of subliminal mind control ?
Thinking about that, maybe, that is what black Friday is all about. It is a conspiracy. They have been planting that seed in our minds. Must shop black Friday sales. And those that resist ? Cyber Monday ! That's it. It is a government plot to stimulate the economy. Think about it. The government is constantly borrowing money to pay it's debts. The government is constantly spending more money. They want us to do the same. Borrow and spend. We will spend our way out of debt ! Here is how it works. Keep borrowing money until the first party has nothing left to lend. Then find a second source and borrow money from them to pay the first party. Continue this process, all the while spending as much as possible on frivolous programs,grants and other schemes to pacify the masses.  Do it long enough and everyone winds up broke and presto, you're debt free !
Sounds crazy doesn't it ? Yet,people do that every day. The government is doing it too. I guess I really haven't been paying attention. I have never shopped on black Friday. Refused to put myself in that danger. I'll admit I was checking out some stuff on cyber Monday though. The subliminal bombardment is being to penetrate my mind. Must shop cyber Monday. Oh,it is an insidious plot all right.
But just who is behind this plot ? The question is ,who stands to gain the most ? There are several prime suspects but only one stands in the front line. China. That's it China. Everything is made in China. They must be the ones. Being an ancient culture they probably know all the tricks. And they do have a reputation for being a little sneaky. It is probably they that have started the influx of Hispanic peoples into our country. A diversionary tactic.
I'm starting to sound a little paranoid, delusional even. Maybe so, but they bear keeping an eye on. Take it for what it is worth, " I just sayin"  stranger things have happened.

Disclaimer : this being a written piece I hope the sarcasm was evident. I in no way believe any of what I wrote. "Just sayin' "

A Memory on Time

When I was twelve years old I went to the seventh grade. I left elementary school behind and attended classes at the high school. We didn't call it middle school back then, it was junior high. Not sure when that changed. Or do you attend Jr. high at the middle school ? I remember having a homeroom teacher and changing classes throughout the day. That was a big change, but the biggest was you got to leave the building for lunch. This was long before security was an issue. You were free to come and go. If you left when you weren't supposed to, it was on you. Same with getting back. That was your responsibility. No one watched the doors or anything like that.

The school building was a short distance from downtown. When the bell rang for lunch we would stream out of that building. The closest place to eat was the Marmador. A typical teenage hangout of the time. Booths and a jute box. Further down and on the opposite side of the road was Speed Kings place. Like the Marmador, but no jute box. As a general rule you went to one or the other. The cool kids hung out at the Marmador and the rest of us, Speeds. I can't speak for everyone, but I remained loyal to Speeds throughout high school. Had many a plate of fries and a coke at that joint. Cost a buck. During Jr. High I didn't eat there everyday. Mom gave us fifty cents a day. Had to save up. Felt pretty grown up when you could sit at that counter and order it up.

On the days when you were saving there were other diversions. Tony  Cangalosi had a sporting goods store. Could stop in there and check out the new wood and gloves. Wood, in case you don't know, is a baseball bat. Tony had Louisville sluggers,the best you could get. Had Rawlings gloves too. Made in America. He also had knives,bows,shotguns and all matter of cool stuff to check out. Could spend all lunch hour in there. Tony didn't mind. The 5&10 cent store was just around the corner and Hagedorns music box. The five and dime sold baseball cards and you could check out the latest release at the music box. A 45 cost 90 cents though. You could eat, or get the latest beat. Tough choice.

There was also a certain jewelry store. This store was owned and operated by my Sunday school teacher,Mrs. Fanning. I don't recall how it came to be, but Mrs. Fanning allowed me to buy things on time. I thought I was the only one she did this for, but I know now  that wasn't the case. Still, at the time I felt pretty important. I would pick out the item I wanted and give her my down payment. Most of the time the fifty cents Mom gave me for lunch. Mrs. Fanning would remove it from the display case and place it in a drawer behind the counter. Each day I would stop in with my next installment. I remember getting ear rings for $ 5.00. When the bill was paid in full, I got the item. Man did that feel good. Sometimes Mrs. Fanning would gift wrap it, no charge. I always did this alone. I didn't want the other kids to know I had to pay on time for things. I was afraid of being teased. Mrs. Fanning never let on either.

Those were very good years for me. My first taste of independence. Well, excepting I needed that lunch money from Mom. I would collect bottles for the deposit and sometimes an odd job or two would help. All through school I used this installment plan for my various needs. After Mom, it was the young ladies I bought for. ID bracelets were the rage then, especially engraved ones. Bought a couple of them. To quote a line from a song, " could it be that it was all so simple then ? " Yes, yes it was. I think we all received as much education during lunch as we did in class. 

Risky Business

I was watching the television when this ad comes on. A  man ,about forty or so I'd say,is standing by a roadway. He is looking down a hill and says, " I used to ride my bicycle down this hill without a helmet !  I took some crazy chances back then."  I couldn't help but bust out laughing. Oh man, what a dare devil he must have been. A regular Evil Knievel. He goes on to say he is taking " Prilosic " or some such drug for a heart condition. He must not have heard the rest of the story about the possible side effects. If he thinks it was risky riding that bicycle without a helmet,well he had better think again.
That set me to thinking. I've done the same thing in the past. What other risky behaviors might I unknowingly have engaged in ? I went roller skating without wearing any pads. Fired a gun without hearing protection. I have used all sorts of tools without eye protection. I didn't get flu shots. I didn't even use hand sanitizer ! OMG How have I survived this long ?
 Once,a very long time ago,I was young and reckless and took incredible chances. I didn't know just how risky those behaviors were. Now,thanks to our government, I am aware. The government mandates those warning labels. Just look on any new bicycle and there is a label right there that clearly states," always wear a helmet ." They even have laws about it. Get a cup of coffee and it clearly states," may be hot." I didn't have benefit of all that knowledge and research the government has conducted over the years. I'm just sayin' we didn't know that those plastic dry cleaning bags weren't toys. Sure glad they printed that on there. I'm pretty sure disaster has been averted. Curiously, there is no warning on a toaster about sticking a fork in there. Well maybe the study isn't complete on that one yet. Back in 1985 the government determined metal lunch boxes for children were dangerous. They could be used as weapons ! Production on those were stopped. Only plastic ones are currently manufactured in the United States. Your government in action.
The thing is this. With all this information and warnings it could tend to make you a little paranoid. Make one act a little reserved. I'm starting to get worried about getting carpel tunnel from all this typing. You know what that is,don't you ? My point exactly. You know what PAD is too. AFIB. You know about good cholesterol and bad. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. You can't prevent everything from happening. You could,but you have to be dead ! Whatever happened to just using good common sense.
I've got a bicycle. I'm going to ride it with the grand children. I'm not wearing a helmet ! I think I'll survive. Should I fall and crack my head open you can say," I told you so." that would be fair. Call me a risk taker,a daredevil and a fool ! I'll deal with what life throws at me on my own terms.
Going for that toast now. If it gets stuck in the toaster I won't put a fork in there to retrieve it while it is still on. Common sense. I'll use a plastic one or a wooden skewer. Oh I'm a risk taker all right.

Sitting on the Fence

Growing up you could say I was living on the fence. By that I mean I was neither totally one way or another.
On any given day and for any given occasion I may be on either side of the fence. I never gave it a thought when I was growing up. Looking back I can see it plainly. Was it reality or just a perception ? It was real.
I was born and raised on the proverbial wrong side of the tracks. That is a little funny because I did live " below the bridge " which referred to a section of town below the railroad bridge and was a sort of dividing line. It divided the " upstreeters " from the rest of us.
The rest of us were the blue collar working class. The upstreeters were the businessmen and those considered to be well to do. As a general rule the groups stayed separated. The upstreeters ran the town and we below the bridge complained about it. That is just the way it was. Each group having its' own distinct lifestyle. It is that way in most towns and I'm sure you know what I mean. The blue collar crowd are hard working,hard drinking,tough and practical people. The others are the shrewd businessman that plot to take your money and control everything. There purpose in life is too keep you down.
These were the basic attitudes I grew up with. You were not supposed to associate with people above your station. Know your role ! Know your place ! Don't associate with people below your station either. It was implied that we ( my family) were mid class working people. Proud of our heritage and working class roots. It was also implied that we should stick within our own group. There was no place in local government and certain civic groups for us. We could join the American Legion or The VFW .Not the Lions Club or that ever so elite bunch, The Masons. Those groups were not for us. There was a group called The Ladies Village Improvement Society that was very exclusive, only the cream of the upstreeters could belong to that group. The wives of the doctors,lawyers,judges and the wealthiest of the bunch. To think of entering that circle was ridiculous.
I went from one side to the other. I had a group of friends from both factions. I may be with either group on any given day or time. It wasn't because I had any special talents, it simply was. I just never fully adopted either way of thinking. I was a sort of rebel I guess,although I never thought so. Still don't. I was sitting on the fence. Anyone that truly knows me knows what respect and admiration I had for my Dad. He always said we were as good as anybody and I believed him. I don't think he believed that though. His opinion of people with higher educations and money wasn't usually favorable.
I'm still a middle of the roader. I can embrace issues from either side of an argument. I'm a registered Republican but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll vote that way. I don't vote strict party lines. I'm very much aware of the classes. I just choose to not pay much attention to them. It does feel a little uncomfortable at times but that is a human failure. I choose to associate with whomever I like. I don't feel bound by social conventions. I'm not always accepted. No matter.

Yuletide

It is getting close to the time of year I would be heading into the woods. Forty years ago or so that is. Off into northwest woods to gather the required greens for holiday decorations. We kids went every year to get these items for Mom. The woods are still there but I expect you would get into a bit of trouble now a days with the gathering. Population problem and I hear some of the wood is a park of some kind. Wasn't so forty years ago.
There were several different items required. Most important was the Princess and Running pine. The Princess pine grew close to the dreen down to soak hide. A dreen is a form of drain. It drains the land to make it suitable for farming and such. Soak hide was the name of the place where the dreen emptied into the bay. I lived less than a quarter mile from there.With luck you could find the princess pine with its little brown top intact. Deer love to eat that little brown tassle.
 In the same general area but a little back from the dreen was the Running Pine. Sometimes refered to as rope pine. It grows on long vines running along the ground, Grab an end and start pulling. Lengths of ten to fifteen feet were common. Great stuff for wrapping around poles and handrails. Also great on the mantle.
Of course you had to bring home pine cones. Could find them by the hundreds. All sizes and different shapes too. Look out for spiders though ,they like living in those cones. Trim some branches off a white pine for making wreaths. White pine was plentiful and quite supple. A bit sappy so gloves are a good idea.
Another item,more difficult to come by,was a nice piece of white birch. There weren't that many good stands of birch. A lot of the time the bark isn't as white and free of defects as you would like. So it took a little hunting to find a good one. We would carefully trim a good size branch off for our use. Never cut down the whole tree ! Gonna need that tree next year or the year after. We needed that birch to make the traditional yule log. Made one every year. Normally about a foot long with holes for three candles and smaller branches for feet. Greens,small cones,berries and ribbon all attached. It was burned on Christmas day.
As children we were told the yule log was a tradition from my Grandmother on my Moms side. She came from Sweden. I believed for a long time that this was fact. Later I read about the yule log and it's true meaning. Traditionally a large log made of hard wood, it was burned Christmas Eve in the fireplace. Believed to be a Norse tradition. I loved our tradition of the yule log. Over the years I have been lucky enough to get a piece of white birch every now and again to make my own yule log.
The holidays often make me nostalgic. I think it is that way with most everybody. A longing to go back to your childhood,if only for a few moments. To relive that excitement. It wasn't just the receiving of gifts on Christmas morning. That was a big part,I'll admit that, but most toys are soon forgotten. The time and preparation spent was what I recall more than anything else. Gathering the pines,making the yule log and setting up the tree. We had few outdoor decorations back then. A string of lights around the front window maybe or across the front of the roof line. Most all preparations were indoors. Decorating the mantle of the fireplace and the stairwell. Sprigs of green about the house. The Christmas tablecloth and coasters.
Yes, back then Santa Claus arrived at the end of Macy's parade and signaled the beginning of the Christmas season. You had just about a month to go. The excitement would build. Get out that Sears and Roebuck wish book and start to circling. It was an exciting time at home, in school and at Church.
I do relive those times every year. It is a little tradition I call, " Listening to the Christmas Tree." Turn out all the lights,except for the tree,turn off any televisions or radios, and just sit there. Can you smell the pine ? I can. Do you hear the stories of Christmases past ? What have you learned this year ? Listen closely to the Christmas Tree it has much to tell you.
I have done this every year since I can remember. The time spent doing it has grown a little longer each year. It's a fine tradition and one that takes years to understand and enjoy. Give it a try and you might be surprised by what the tree has to say.

Black Indeed

Black Friday !! I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
Let me begin by saying, " I hate black Friday ! "
I'm not a big fan of shopping on any day but this day especially ruffles my feathers. You entice me out into a crowd of people willing to trample you to save a few bucks ! I don't think so. If you can afford to sell those items at those prices on Friday,you can sell them to me on Saturday. I don't care what kind of rhetoric you try to hand me I'm not buying it. No pun intended. How or why all this nonsense started I can't imagine. It is just a big marketing ploy and a great majority of the population is falling for it. Pitching tents outside the stores, really ! I say the same thing every year," you gotta be kidding me."
Has our society become so jaded that we will stoop to this level in the name of savings ? Do we really need these items so badly we will risk life and limb ? Each year we hear horror stories of people being injured and in a few cases killed over this Black Friday event ! All in the name of savings.
This year they have started in on Thursday as well. No time to be Thankful, gotta shop ! And don't forget about cyber Monday.I can't stand it. Half the country acting like a bunch of damn fools.
 The Christmas season traditionally begins the day after Thanksgiving but that tradition is long gone folks ! Christmas, in case you have lost sight of the fact, is about the birth of Christ ! It is not about buying gifts at a black Friday sale.
The day is properly named. Black. Should be called pitch black, because obviously a whole lotta folks can't see the writing on the wall or their hand in front of their face ! The day is dedicated to taking your money ! Spend ,spend ,spend. Charge it if you don't have it. Make someone happy. Let me tell you this little life lesson, you can't buy friendship ! You can't charge it either. The retail business would have you believe their entire year relys' upon this one day. I don't think so. Still have expenses to pay for the other 364 days in the year. So ,you're trying to tell me that by selling stuff at a loss one day of the year makes my business profitable. Sure it does. If I'm in business I'd do that every day and retire in six months ! Makes about as much sense.
Take care and be careful out there. Oh,did I mention ; I Hate Black Friday !

Never name your dinner

It being Thanksgiving, my mind just naturally gravitated toward food and especially Turkey. A short story was brought to mind. My fathers mother passed away shortly after his birth. His father remarried a lady named Lina. Dad never went to live with his " Aunt Lina " as he was apt to refer to her. She had two sons with my Grandfather and Dad called them his brothers. I guess it was one of those complicated family things. As a child I never questioned any of that. Never gave it a thought to tell you the truth. That is the beauty of childhood you just accept things the way they are . Anyway,she purchased a young turkey one year for the express purpose of raising it for Thanksgiving dinner. A pen was constructed and this bird was aptly named, Tom. Cliche I know but Tom it was. Every year along about November Aunt Lina would survey that bird. Each year she thought maybe he would grow just a little bit more. Every year Tom received a stay of execution. I remember seeing this big old Turkey in his pen. He would just struct about and make a lot of noise if you got too close. In the end Tom died of old age. I learned a lesson from that, never name your dinner !
I was relating this tale to a co-worker when I noticed we sell Turkey Bacon. Not being weight conscious or having cholesterol issues I pay little attention to this stuff. Turkey bacon,really ? Is it turkey or is it bacon ? What sort of mad science is this ? Or is it some form of unnatural coupling ? Then I noticed a another product, scalloped potatoes and bacon. Bacon again. I also saw bacon flavored,key word flavored, dip. What is with all this bacon ? Is the pig trying to replace the turkey ?
Why can't we just leave things alone ? Turkey is turkey and bacon is bacon. It is just not natural I tell you.
Well,whatever you decide on for your Thanksgiving dinner, enjoy. Give thanks for all that you have.
                                                 Happy Thanksgiving 

Giving Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. A day of feasting and family. We all know the stories about the Pilgrims and the Indians. Dang,Native Americans,don't think I 'll ever get used to that. Each family has its' own traditions.Some families gather in reunion strength, and others with just the circle of family in close proximity.
Growing up that was the way it was with us. Almost every year it was the same few family members that were close by. Never a very large gathering. I always assumed that was just a television thing. I figured unless they were wealthy people, that never really happened. It was just an urban legend to us. Mom would remark every year that it was a good thing that we didn't, because it would be a fight.
I have heard of families going out to have Thanksgiving dinner. That concept is totally foreign to me. I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that. The closest I came was when I was in the Navy. And let me tell you it doesn't compare in any way,shape or form ! The turkey is there but that is all ! Very depressing.
The wife and I will be going over to our sons house. He has more room and a bigger table. We will be going over first thing in the morning to help with the preparations. Getting the feast all together and enjoying the company of your family is the best part of the day. The food afterwards is just the bonus round. My son manages the grocery store and has to be there. He will come in about three. It is a shame he has to miss most of the day but somebody has to work.
The grand kids are getting older now and can help with some of the prep. They can start forming some of their own traditions. Miss Morgan is getting to be quite the little homemaker ! I suppose we are not supposed to think in those terms anymore. Call me old fashioned and a chauvinist but a good domestic education is essential for a young lady. Nothing more attractive to a man than a domestic diva ! Good looks and good food ! Soon Mark will have to be instructed in the manly art of carving the turkey. That is tradition. The head of the house carves the bird ! The man is always the head of the house. If his wife allows it. LOL
I'm looking forward to the day. I'm thankful. Thankful for a lot of things. Thankful for the love of family. If you have that,you've got it all. And we all know who we have to thank for that ! Amen, pass the potatoes.

Motivated

Last night I helped make the Turkey cookies for the kids to take to school today. I usually get dragged into these projects. It will start with finding directions on the web or seeing something in a magazine. My wife does the baking,when necessary,and I help with the decorating and transportation.
In this particular instance a fellow blogger had posted this project. The Title of her blog is " A Joyful Chaos " and I thank her for this. Showing the picture to my wife, it was decided. Instead of the usual cupcakes we would make the turkeys.
A couple of trips to the store and we had gathered all the necessary supplies. With the first batch my Granddaughter Morgan was here and was a big help. She was doing the eyes and feet. Soon she had to leave for dance and I was appointed to take over her position. We needed a total of forty five for the two kids. After a bit the total was increased a bit to about sixty. We worked at the kitchen table,assembly line fashion. The whole process went fairly smoothly. A few modifications were made to the original directions and we persevered. It really didn't take all that long.
I think they came out wonderful ! I'm sure the kids at school will get a kick out of them. And they are delicious. Oreo cookies,peanut butter cup,candy corn and icing. All the good junk ! Oh,almost forgot the malted milk ball.
I have to thank my wife for this. Without her " encouragement " I would not get involved. It is that way with a lot of the projects I do. I guess you could say she " motivates " me. After a pep talk from her, I just jump right in there. Get the job done. I'm always pleased when the task is complete. Down right proud of myself on occasion. And it is all due to her inspiration ! I think I'm like a lot of men I need a little nudge now and again. My wife is my life coach and she is doing a wonderful job.
I wonder why it is that some men are slow starters. In my case I may conceive of the plan but am reluctant to begin. That is where the coach comes in. Offering encouragement and motivation to get the job done. Positive reinforcement the professionals call it. Although I admit sometimes it sounds like a threat. I am always assured that it is not. I owe a lot to my coach. She has molded my character and kept me from straying off the beaten path. I admit I am sometimes reluctant to participate in these little projects and would not without her motivation. I am always glad that I did and readily accept the praise and admiration for it ! I like that part most of all.
We make an excellent team. My wife works just as hard as I do. We are equal partners. Each of us have our strengths and weaknesses. Her strength just happens to be " motivational speaking ". And keeping your nose to the grindstone ! Persistent, unfaltering, motivation is how I would describe it.

OK,Turkeys  Line Up !

Thank You, Dear. I love you.

Hunting

The hunting season has begun. I see the camouflaged people everywhere. They believe they can't be seen, but I see them alright. Some have taken to camouflaging their trucks too. I hear them coming though. I work with some of these hunters. Mostly hunting deer and geese. I listen as they tell of great shots and proudly show  pictures of the ones they killed. Usually kneeling down and holding the head up,big smiles on their faces. I am man ! I have killed this animal and will feed my family. Make some deer jerky to get us through the harsh winter.
Such displays of prowess ! I'm impressed.
As you have probably guessed I'm not a hunter. Tried it a time or two and have no interest in doing that again. I'm not against it on any moral basis. As long as you eat whatever you're shooting and it is legal,go for it. I am just amused by it all. I'll never understand why the guys just don't come right out and say, I like shooting things ! Instead I hear about how great the venison tastes. Yeah,right.
I wondered about how much all of this must cost. So I went window shopping at Cabellas. I started with a stocking cap,camo of course 29.99. Figured I needed glasses another 29.99. Camo shirt 114.99,pants 79.99,gloves 34.99 socks 29.99,boots 149.99 a tree stand for 299.99 and I need a gun 1000.00 dollars.
Add it all up and it comes to 1775.91. Sales tax is six percent in Maryland for an additional 106.55 for a grand total of  $1881.00. Oh yeah,plus shipping and handling. I think that would get me the basic kit. Still need a place to hunt and would have to look at rental property for that. Probably need a four wheeler to get in and out of the woods with. Shouldn't be more than four grand or so for a good used one. Need a trailer to carry it on and a truck to pull it. Let's just say $10,000 should cover the whole deal. Crap,forgot to buy ammo ! About ten bucks a box I think. I need a hunting license too,not sure of the cost.
I'm ready now. I can load up the gear on my four wheeler and head for the woods.Climb up the tree and just wait for that venison to come by. Almost forgot to pour that deer scent on myself,at fifteen bucks a bottle,it ought to work. I'm a very lucky guy so one comes into range after just a few hours. Bam,shot that sucker ! Now to drag that carcass out of there. I muscle him onto the front of the four wheeler. Get back to the truck,take the obligatory snapshot and haul it to the deer checking station. After that I can butcher him. I'm betting this buck will dress out at 125 lbs or so. Success.
Their is an alternative way to getting that, oh so delicious venison. Buy it online. With a few key strokes I can have venison steaks delivered to my door. It ain't cheap at $22.00 a pound but with all  that I have invested in guns,gear and transportation I could order 454 lbs of the stuff. I'm just sayin".
I know the guys are doing it for the sport of it. To get that macho feeling. We are all certainly entitled to spend our money anyway we see fit. I'm quite certain there are those that wouldn't understand my subscription to Ancestry.com and think that foolish. The hunters do a service by keeping the population down. So, hunt on you intrepid pioneers ! Tis the season of the macho men !

The Rush

Everybody is saying it. They are rushing the holiday season. I saw the evidence today ! The town has hung the holiday lanterns on the light poles up and down main street. Technically, not the town but the Lyons club. No one puts up the Flag for Veterans day however. A pet peeve of mine and I'm just sayin'.
I was out of town yesterday away to the big city of Baltimore. My sister in law lives there. She would tell you she lives in Brooklyn though. That is Brooklyn Maryland not Brooklyn New York. At any rate these lanterns must have been hung then. It was dark when I got home so I didn't see them. They won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving anyway. A small concession to the big rush driven more by the cost of electricity than out of tradition. Remember when Santa arrived at the end of the Thanksgiving day parade ? Now he hops in with the Easter Bunny !
I, along with everyone else, find all this rush to be an annoyance. I do think it is wrecking the fun for the adults and the children. It is difficult to maintain a high level of anticipation for months at a time. Takes the shine off. It is all just running together. Halloween,Thanksgiving and Christmas. Bam Bam Bam. I liked it better when they were separate events to be enjoyed. As with everything else it all boils down to the dollar. Make as much money off of this season as possible.
I did hear of one store that refuses to decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. BRAVO to them. I like it. Maybe that will catch on and a return to old ways will follow. History does repeat itself. I hope so. I'm already burned out on Christmas and I haven't even thawed out the bird. 

I've earned them

Yesterday morning, as I was leaving for work I reached down and hiked up my pants. These are the same pants I've owned and worn for quite some time. They are the correct size and I was wearing a belt. I wasn't trying to make some hip hop fashion statement, either. I remarked to my wife, I need to get suspenders. Her reply was, you're not that old. Thanking her, I went off to work.
I got to thinking about suspenders and my possible need for them. It hadn't occurred to me that it was an old man thing. The first time I started feeling older was when my barber asked me if I wanted my eyebrows trimmed. If I had a tailor would he recommend suspenders ? I like the look of suspenders, with one exception. They do tend to accentuate a pot belly. I don't have six pack abs !  I continued to think about this most of the morning. The truck had delivered our stock for the grocery store and I was engaged in putting that away. Lifting those cases of product and walking back and forth to put them on the shelves, gives you time to ponder life's great questions.
The cashiers are mostly young ladies. Most under the age of 21. The two that were working yesterday are in their teens. I noticed the customers called them, ma'am. Very nice and polite. I asked them if it every bothered them to be called ma'am ? They both replied no, and why did I ask. I said, because you are younger and  I wondered if it made you feel old. I personally would say, thank you Miss, to either of you.
It was explained to me that only old people call young ladies, Miss. Didn't know that ! This lead to another question. At what age do you go from being a Miss to a Ma'am ? And exactly where does the Ms factor in to all this ? It was determined you go from Miss to Ma'am after giving birth. Age is not the determining factor. Those pregnancy testers should just say, yes " Ma'am " instead of plus or minus. Ms applies when you don't know if they are married or have children. It's a new day, you don't have to be married to have children. But that's another whole discussion.
I  posed another question. At what age do you go from being a single lady to a spinster ? Do we still call them that ? Apparently not,as one young lady hadn't  heard the term before. I don't think society expects every gal to get married anymore. But what if she chooses an alternative lifestyle and gets married ? Would they both be spinsters ? Or is their another name for that ? I know what Dad would have called them. Not sayin'. I suppose that is to be determined.
After all this thought and discussion I finally reached a conclusion on the subject of needing suspenders. It was late into the morning and my back was feeling the strain. My feet were sore from all the walking back and forth. I needed to come out of my sweatshirt as I was beginning to perspire. And then it hit me, It  happened. I've  said it in the past many times. And now it has happened. I finally worked my ass off ! That's why I need suspenders ! Has nothing to do with age. . My wife is right. I'm not that old.
I'm considering buying those suspenders,pot belly and all. I've earned them, after all ! Now to consider the type. Oh man,that's gonna be a hard one. Narrow or wide. Elastic or leather. What type of fasteners ? I'll have to think about this.

Cause and Effect

Cause and effect. What caused it and what was the effect. Two questions and the answers aren't simple. In the matter of the cause, I guess you could say it was my daughter in law. She made plans to go with some friends to see a " Breaking Dawn " marathon. Whatever that is. I'm not up to speed on that. I'm thinking it has something to do with vampires, but maybe I missed the mark on that guess. Anyway, her decision to attend that event caused her children to spend the night at Grandmas and Grandpas. Not a normal thing on a school night. Their Dad had other obligations to fulfill and wasn't able to be home for them. Let me tell you,these kids have busy lives ! I mean my son and daughter and in law.
So the effect was a change in routine for Grandpa. Not an easy thing. As I " mature " I find changes to be a little more difficult to absorb quickly. First their is the matter of homework. I like to see them working on their homework soon after arrival. They have other plans and inevitably a conflict of interest arises. They are interested in Disney shows, and I'm interested in homework. I win the argument but now I wonder if they are putting their best efforts into their assignments. Their is a bit of tension in the air. Nevertheless the assignments are completed. Supper is an easy thing though. Order in Pizza ! Just plain cheese and everyone is happy.
The rest of the evening goes pretty smooth. Each one occupied with their own thing. Mark on the computer for awhile and Morgan knitting on her loom with Grandma. The evening is punctuated occasionally with arguments over the channel to watch but those disputes are quickly settled.
As for me, my evening is one of Disney. Jessie, she used to be on that cruise ship with the twins,has her own show now. Shake it up Chicago,about a pair of dancing teens on a television show. And I don't remember the others but I know we watched several episodes of the aforementioned shows. Although technically only one episode because we watched the same episode several times. Guess when you wander about,dance,tell stories and work on the computer during the show, you then need to watch it over several times to know what happened ! Grandpa isn't annoyed, " Just Sayin' "
I love having the kids over. Always have and always will. I am always amazed at how much stuff they can find and drag out. All my stuff gets moved around too. Papers shuffled and things strewn about. Like mini tornadoes. I thought it would get better when they got older but I was wrong. Now they can move bigger stuff !
We made it through the night alright. Now the morning has come. As I sit at my computer trying to type out this dissertation Guess what is on TV. DISNEY ! I'm beginning to form a negative opinion of Disney. Only about an hour to go and I'm off to work. I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet of the grocery store. Relax and unwind a bit. Gonna be a wonderful day. I'm already looking forward to our next sleepover !

A thought

Just a thought. More of a dream than anything else but a thought nonetheless. I was thinking about the general lack of respect people have for one another. I was thinking about the amount of crime taking place. I was thinking about the general lack of understanding we have with one another. I was thinking, what could be done about this ? Then this thought.
What if we had a sort of community meet and greet ? I mentioned that yesterday in my blog and have been thinking on it ever since.
My town,Greensboro,has a population of just under 2000. I was on ships in the Navy that had as many. Came to know most of them folks. Not on a personal level with each person, but familiar. I've lived here for over twenty years and barely know who lives next door. My fault.
But I was thinking about how many events the town, or civic organizations, hold every year. Most are to raise funds for some cause or benefit.
What if we staged a meeting for all the residents of the town. Let's call it the spring rendezvous. Bring a picnic lunch with you. Bring your guitar if you like. Sing,dance or recite poetry. All entertainment is free and voluntary. No selling of anything allowed. The sole purpose of this event is to foster community. To meet your neighbors,to meet the community. To foster that civic pride. I live in Greensboro ! I am a member of your community. My children play with your children. Your concerns with this town are my concerns. Together we can make it better. I am not, that guy,who's that or who does he think he is, I am Ben and live on Sunset Avenue.
The Police would be there. Preferably not dressed in their combat gear to just say Hello, I'm Officer Whatever and I'm here to serve you. You can talk to me anytime, not just when there is trouble. I am here to help. All the Clergy would be present. Just saying Hello. No preaching or sermonizing,please. Maybe some handouts with the church service times on it. Our businessmen and women could be there. Hello, I own the drug store and I am a pharmacist. My pleasure to serve you.
You get the idea here don't you ?
I do believe that if this were to happen a lot of good  would follow. Crime would decrease. It's a lot harder to hurt people you know. A lot riskier when they know you. It is a lot tougher to show disrespect to someone you know too. Try disrespecting your family and friends and see the result. A lot different than being a wise guy to some stranger isn't it ? By fostering this sense of community a lot could be accomplished.
Call me a dreamer and an idealist. I know that this would never happen. There is no interest in this idea. Still it is a nice thought isn't it ? What do you think ? I get a little hyped up on ideas sometimes and I think this is a good one. Putting a name to a face is powerful stuff. It is a lot easier to just ignore nameless faces and have little or no compassion for them. Stop,talk to that person for just a few moments and it changes. Now,I know them.
Well,it was just a thought. Simple idea. Say hello to your neighbor, you might be surprised to find they ain't all bad. Just sayin'.

The PNN

I've been told by someone that I write too much about the past. My reply was, I can't write about the future,it isn't here yet. And I have a tendency to go on a bit of a rant about current events. Someone said,you can't please all of the people all of the time,and you can't argue with that. I do enjoy sharing my memories with others. Not much fun to just share with yourself,after all, I already know the ending to the story. Well,I suppose there is one story I don't know the ending to, but I don't want to know either. I'll just continue to muddle along writing down these random thoughts and memories of mine.
This morning I was thinking what we really need is the good news network. A news station that only reports the more positive things in life. The evening news is just getting too depressing. Murder,rape,graft,corruption and child abuse. The world economy is failing. Global warming. Save the Whales. And it just goes on and on. I'm willing to bet on the evening news there is less than 5% of good news reported.
I'm not advocating not reporting all this news, but I'm just saying it would be great to have an escape plan. Some mornings when I get up, I just wake up happy. You know,for unknown reasons you just feel great. The morning coffee is smelling great,the birds are singing,and there is a little spring in your step. Click on the tube and " slap " three people have been murdered and a child is missing ! There goes my day. Someone just pi**ed in my Wheaties. Too bad I don't have a good news network ! Click on the tube and hear a heartwarming tale about a puppy and a small child. Ah,that's better. Maybe a story about a family that is uplifting and inspiring. If I could I'd start the PNN. The positive news network. On this network there wouldn't be two hour shows trying to explain things,I'd just have them say, God works in mysterious ways, or another miracle has taken place. Now those are headlines !
Even an Ostrich has to pull his head out of the sand every once in a while. I'm just thinking it would be nice to stick it in the sand once in a while too. Just seems to me that there is way too much bad news being reported. Seems like there is way too much of the down side and not enough of the up. I see way too many fundraisers for those in need and  few gatherings to just say thanks and celebrate being alive. Almost every event now days is associated with someone making a buck, somehow. Either the event is asking for donations or someone is selling something. Think about it. True isn't it ? I realize that it has always been so. There were people selling lemonade at hangings in the old days so it is nothing new. I also recall in my Bible Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple. And what one of us could question his motives ? I don't think so.
I would like to see, one day, a gathering of community just for the purpose of enjoying one another. No preaching,speech making,and no selling anything ! Bring Your Own whatever ! Sort of a community meet and greet. A time to just say hello,I'm your neighbor. Putting a name to a face makes all the difference !
Well now, there is a random thought or two. 

Changes

As some of you may be aware my son,Kevin,ran for and succeeded in getting elected as a Town Commissioner.
Naturally I'm proud of this accomplishment and will gladly accept the credit ! LOL  He had served previously, but as an appointed official, so being elected was an important milestone for him. His term is for four years.
This was particularly satisfying to me because we are " from away." That is to say none of my family was born here. I was born in New York, one of them damn Yankees,and my wife and children were born in Maryland. They were not born on the eastern shore though, so that makes them." from away."
We have lived here in Greensboro for twenty some years. Both boys graduated high school here. Kevin has remained in town and his brother Ken lives in upstate New York. Even having lived here that long we are "from away." We are making inroads however. Kevin in politics and I with joining the historical society. This being " from away " is something I have addressed in the past. It is a constant theme in the background. I have never encountered any open hostility but have sensed the clannishness of locals at gatherings. It is only natural that it should be so.
Kevin can have a direct effect upon the town in general. With only a three person council the responsibility is great and the decisions many and varied. We had a voter turnout of 172. That was the most in nine years. Greensboro,along with a lot of other towns, enjoyed a growth spurt not too long ago. Some people moved into town limits from outlying areas and some were " from away." The commuter bunch. This group still has a presence even though it was diminished somewhat by the economy. It is my thought that this particular group was the swing votes in the election. The newest residents of the town.
I should explain that the town proper is quite small. Point seven square miles to be exact. You must reside within that area to be eligible to vote in the town election. Many of the older citizens live outside this box. I haven't studied the demographics but I'm willing to bet they are more people " from away " inside the box that out.And that made the difference.
In every small town there is the " good ole boys " network. That's just one of those things. The connotation is that it is a bad thing but that isn't necessarily so. Changes are often hard to accept. Ways of doing things and the status quo. The measure of a towns' ability to grow is effected by this. Greensboro is proving to be progressive in its' thinking while maintaining its' core values. In this most difficult of times leadership must be extra vigilant.
Being " from away " I have watched from the sidelines. I watched as that second stop light was added. I watched as new development took place. I heard the murmurs from the old folks about the town going to hell. I heard the newest residents crowing about the improvements and progress they have made. The locals reluctant to make changes.The, If was good enough for my Father it is good enough for me,attitude.I watched as some of us " from away " voted in favor of change. Whether it is good or bad change is inevitable.
It is always the people that are " from away " that make the changes. I'm quite certain the native Americans thought the white man was" from away." The settlers out west were eventually replaced by people from the east. They were" from away."
And so the cycle continues. Perhaps one day in the future you will hear people say," That Kevin is a good leader and pillar of the community. " I'm equally as certain you will hear another say, " he's "from away" you know !

Living with the Past

In the last few months I have been bringing stuff down from the attic and out of hiding. I have had this stuff for years. Relics from the past. Old certificates and photographs. I have begun to display them and finding little niches to put them in. It has finally occurred to me that it does little good to have these items if they are not displayed and enjoyed. Like a spoiled child that doesn't share his toys. Most of these things are not large items and take up little space. Each item has a story that goes along with it. I don't get many visitors,never was much of a socialite, but I tell the grand children about them anyway.
I was thinking about when we were younger. We wanted the newest thing,the latest fad and fashion. Didn't really want or care about that old junk. Yeah,it was alright having some of Mom or Dads' stuff and a few things from your childhood but not sitting right out in the open. People will think you are some kind of geek or something. The new stuff,now that is cool. Best to keep that old stuff hidden away.
Over the years this gradually changes. We keep certain favorite things around. We become less willing to put the past away. It begins with the baby pictures. A treasured few will remain on display for years to come. Soon artwork and school papers are hung on the fridge. Certificates follow. Small gifts that we received and items made for us. These items begin to collect.
And then there is that period of time when you start to store things away again. Unwilling to dispose of these things they are relegated to the attic or basement. Packed away and forgotten. This is a dangerous time for these memories. Many will be lost or destroyed. The ,what was I thinking about, syndrome can hit and you start throwing things away. Piece of junk,you mumble,but later there are regrets. I can't save everything enters the picture. Decisions,decisions.
In our modern world I think we all have a tendency to move a lot more than in past generations. The days of the family home being passed from generation to generation is nearly gone. We got modern. We don't want the old house,we want a new one. Three or more generations living in the same home is a rare thing these days. Along with that a lot of things are lost. The old relics that I refer too. If you haven't seen the item before and no one is there to tell you about it, it might just be junk ! On the other hand it could be something Grandfather made when he was just six years old. A pretty cool piece of junk.
All of this is what I was thinking about when I started to bring my stuff down. Some I have acquired from my parents and some I acquired from just living my own life. Mostly I have decided to display those items from my parents and grandparents. To display more than a few of my own things would be a little boastful in my opinion. So far I am enjoying seeing these items about the house. I think it is adding a certain ambiance to my humble abode.
I do think that I need to do one more thing. I'm thinking I should somehow identify these objects and tell their stories. After all,after I'm gone no one else would know what the deal is. And something I've noticed is an old
object without a story is just something old. Provence the pro calls it. It is what makes it valuable. The value does not have to be in dollars and cents either.
Funny how when we are young all we want is new stuff. When we get old we want our old stuff back. But that was the new stuff, wasn't it ? I hate this new stuff ! 

Venting !

Can charity go too far ? Isn't there a parable about teaching a man to fish ? I was thinking about those very things while at work the other day. As I watched the Little Debbie Snack cakes,potato chips and cookies piling up in a shopping cart. This person with two small children struggling to read her WIC voucher seemed unconcerned or unaware of the cost of the items. She certainly never checked the price and just literally threw them into the cart. I see this all the time and it annoys me ! I don't mind helping out and I wouldn't see any child hungry, but something in that picture needs to change. When those receiving assistance have far more buying power than those of us providing the assistance, something just ain't right ! Could we not at least limit the number of unhealthy choices and perhaps save ourselves additional health care expenses ? No, we can't. Wouldn't want to be accused(or possibly sued) for discrimination. It is a perfectly acceptable practice now to look a gift horse in the mouth ! You can pull his teeth too, if you can gain from that. Just Sayin'.
 A common sense review of the list of approved items is definitely in order here. But there you go, common sense. The government uses little of that ! Certain generic food items are not approved but instead the higher priced name brand item is required. Does that make sense ? The nutritional value is exactly the same and us working folks have to buy generic because we are paying taxes,medical care,rent,childcare and paying for the social programs. Look, I'll give you the butter but you need to spread it yourself !
Almost everything is printed in two languages these days,at a minimum. Spanish being the more common one. The WIC vouchers however are not ! Why not ? I don't know the answer to that one other than to say it is a lack of common sense. Take a look at the statistics and see if there is a need. I haven't checked those numbers but I bet I know the answer. It sure would make things easier at the checkout ! I certainly don't think the store should have to employ or have translators at the registers ! It is almost as though the government wishes to force us into being bilingual ! Guess I'm part of the old school but I'm an American and I speak English ! Deal with it. When I travel to your country I'll bring along my translator app.
Look, I'm just sayin' , these bleeding heart types are going to bleed us to death ! Whatever happened to God helps those who help themselves ? Maybe a little embarrassment or shame would be a motivator. Oh no mustn't damage someones sense of self worth. Just because you entered my country illegally,have no skills,no education,several small children and are dependent upon the generosity of my nation is no reason you shouldn't have everything I have and more !
There ! I said it and I feel better for it. It has always been so and will always be so. The minority alienate the majority. There are always those that manipulate the system and take advantage. It is this group that causes the unrest and tension. There is little to be done about it. It is a catch 22. Still,it makes me mad !

Listening to Home

Recently I was very pleased to be visited by an old high school classmate. We hadn't seen each other in forty years. My class did have a reunion just a bit ago but I was unable to attend. I was disappointed but then my spirits were lifted when I was surprised by this visit. The Lord does work in mysterious ways.
My old friend and classmate, along with his lovely wife,and I spent a few hours catching up. It is true that with old friends you just pick up where you left off. Just as though it were only a few weeks ago, instead of all those years.
We spoke of the old times and how things have changed. We talked of friends and relatives we have in common. The more we talked, the more I appreciated his visit.
The part of the country I come from is known for speaking a certain dialect. Certain phrases and inflections in the manner of speech. I have been told many times that I speak in this fashion. I never noticed. I do recall the older people back home speaking that way. A rather rapid form of speaking often punctuated with the word Bub for emphasis. As in, how's the weather,Bub ? Well, I don't know if I speak that way anymore,or if I ever did,but my classmate sure does. And his wife. I can't tell you what a comfort it was to hear that sound again. It was as good as being there. I can tell you this,it did make me a little homesick.
We all know how a song can transport you back in time. The sound of a particular speech pattern can do the same ! I had never thought about that, but it was stark and clear to me. As we spoke, and told the tales of our youth I was transported there by the sound of his voice. It is an amazing thing. It is a distinctive pattern of speech. I had heard there was an effort to record the " native speakers " of this dialect because there was fear it was being lost. If my friend and his wife are any indication all I can say is, not hardly,Bub ! It is alive and well. Somebody is jumping the gun on that one.
I enjoy Facebook and getting in contact with everyone. I enjoy the written word. Sharing pictures and memories. Nothing can compare to actually talking to the person face to face. A telephone conversation is not the same. A Skype call is not the same. All our modern technology will never replace sitting in the same room,enjoying conversation.
I learned a few things from this visit. We share a common bond and heritage and that can never be broken or replaced. It is the people,not the place,that make home. Hearing a little bit of home is as good as being there. The roots of friendship are deep.
Thank You Curt and Ren'e for stopping by !

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day ! At the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month in the year 1918 Germany signed the Armistice ending WW 1. I did a little reading up on this subject. The official spelling is Veterans ( no apostrophe ) Day. Something to do with correct grammar. Another government study. Traditionally we should all eat Ravioli for dinner.
 Originality it was intended to honor those veterans that lost their lives in WW 1 but later expanded to commemorate all veterans. The traditional wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns begins precisely at 11AM. These are some of the facts. Another lost tradition,other than the Ravioli, is the closing of all businesses at 11am. Was a time when all business closed their doors at 11 to honor the Vets. Over the years profits became more important than memory. A sad thing. I think that was a wonderful gesture. Did you know that only one State requires Veterans to get Veterans day off as a holiday ? Yup,Illinois. All others it''s optional. It is a Federal holiday.
Each of us have a particular person in mind when we think of a veteran.For me, it is my Father. WW 2. The Big one. I have lots of Veterans in my family.Uncles,Grandparents and such. My brother is another. Even me. But I always think of Dad. I'm guessing that is a natural and normal thing. Dad was quite the man. He was a reluctant hero though, didn't enlist, but was drafted into service. Went and served honorably and that is all that matters in my eyes. He didn't try to shirk his responsibility or make excuses. Wound up serving as a flight engineer on B-24 Bombers in the China-Burma theater of operations. Flying through hostile air. Big lumbering aircraft with little in the way of protection. At the age of twenty two having to stare death right in the face. To see your comrades in  arms planes being shot out of the sky around you. The not knowing if you would ever see home again.
Last September I wrote a little story about my father and one article he carried with him during that war. It was called a Blood Chit.( See 1 Sept 2010,A Little History) for the full story on that.) It is still framed and hanging upon my wall. It will remain that way until I'm gone. Above that in a small frame I have mounted his Medals and Decorations. Like the blood chit they were tucked away in the attic for many years. Dad never spoke of them and rarely did I ever see them. The past was just stored away. I don't think he wanted to talk about that time. Most of those Veterans from that war did not. At least not until they were much older.
Veterans Day is the day to remember and talk about these men. These men who went to fight for your country and your way of life. The men that went," over there." And over there was not someplace you wanted to be ! Too many are still there. Buried in foreign soil. May they rest in peace and in the knowledge that they are not forgotten.
Veterans Day is a day for parades and celebration. A day to remember and celebrate our men and women who have served with honor and pride. Especially those that served with quiet dignity and grace. The silent masses that just quietly went to war. The masses that returned home and just continued on in their lives. True heroes in every sense of the word. Most didn't receive the Purple Heart or The Medal of Honor. No heroes parade awaited their arrival in their hometown. No special treatment was given or asked for. They had endured and ,indeed,continue to endure.
I thank them for their service to our Nation and would be proud to go right alongside them to wherever is necessary !

Dads' Medals  WW2

Blood Chit

   

Looking Ahead

Seems like the older I get, the more time I spend looking back. Reliving past glories and regretting opportunities missed. Thinking about how things were better back then and the hardships weren't quite as hard. That can develop into a habit. I need to watch that. It is alright to remember and talk but not to dwell upon. It is that way with most things, lest it become an obsession. Obsession leads to possession and the next thing you know ,you're a ghost obsessed with reliving the past. No peace for you !
So I'm starting to make a more conscience effort to look forward. I'll still be glancing back at the past but more focused on the future. Hopefully learning from the past while moving forward. I've recently been asked to work on a new project and am excited about the possibilities there. The scope of the project is a large one and should prove to be quite a challenge. Looking forward to it ! The project involves gathering the data on all veterans from Greensboro,Md. Think I'll start at the beginning, the War of Revolution,and go from there. So,I can look at the past while moving into the future. What a plan.
Greensboro is in Maryland which is a border state. During the Civil War many families were divided on the issue. I expect I may find a few right here in Greensboro. In an informal poll I took, most here claim to be Rebels. It was unclear if that was by descent or a more modern choice. I'm betting I will get a clearer understanding of that later on. Looking forward to that !
Next year we celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the War of  1812. Fort McHenry is not far from here. I'm sure some veterans from that conflict are local boys or gals. Looking forward to finding out about that. So, I've got a lot of history to look forward too. The best of both worlds !

Excuse Me

Back on Oct 26 I wrote about Senator Currie. His defense was basiclly that he was disorganized and stupid. Guess what ? It worked ! Innocent of all charges. I have to retract my laughter and put incredulous disbelief in its' place. The jury has agreed that he was stupid and disorganized so therefore should face no punishment. IE: The coffee was too hot.
I don't know Senator Currie and have no real interest in his career. Just another politician as far as I am concerned. The infraction he was charged with was bribery. In using his office for personal gain. I'm convinced that most do,in subtle ways, and it was just that he got caught not dotting his " I'S " or crossing his "T".
He was almost caught. Luckily for him he had the money to hire a defense team to get him off the hook.
And what an ingenious defense. His wife even tried to take the blame,saying it was she who failed to file the paperwork. A parade of witnesses all saying what an honest and forthright man he is. Most saying he is indeed an honest man but a little scatterbrained.And to my amazement, it worked !
A new precedent has been set. The, I'm scatterbrained, defense. The "oops " defense or whatever you want to call it. No matter what law I violate I can just say " opps" forgot ! Sorry about that. Innocent !
There are those who wonder why our country is getting into trouble. Real trouble with crime and corruption. When we choose to not enforce the laws and encourage our citizens to employ every possible excuse to avoid responsibly what do think the result will be ? Crime and corruption. I'm not advocating that every punishment be the maximum amount allowed, but acknowledgement that a crime has taken place is certainly appropriate. The verdict should not have been Innocent. By his own admission he failed to file the required(by law) paperwork. And not a one time slip up or a late filing but a pattern of this behavior. Some punishment should follow. Even a fine would have been something.
Will this hurt his political career ? Possibly, but I doubt it. Did Marion Barry snorting coke in a hotel room cost him his political career ? Nope. The voters are fickle people. Ah well,politics in America. Got to love it and I do. You take the good with the bad.
In my previous post about this subject I mentioned I hoped he won. I was joking ,of course. So the old be careful what you ask for adage applies. But it did set the stage for the " I called it " defense. You all know that one. Seinfeld even did an episode about it. It's when one kid wins the argument with the 'I called lt " rule.
The United States of America,land of the free and home of the brave. Soon we will have to add to that. All excuses accepted ! Excusibilty replaces responsibility in all cases ! The wealthier you are, or the size of your legal team is proportionate to your excusibilty.  I'm just sayin'.

Yeah,That'll Work

I saw on the news last evening that the FDA proposes putting graphic pictures on packs of cigarettes. They would depict the possible effects of smoking with pictures including a smoker on the autopsy table. I couldn't help but wonder what the effect of that would be. A federal judge has blocked that move,temporarily at least.
The one liners on the side of the packaging are apparently not enough.
I viewed that story with amusement. As an ex smoker I found it laughable. If I were still enjoying that habit I can assure you pictures would not change my mind. We have been bombarded with those images for years in school and on television. The only thing that gave me enough incentive to quit was the cost. I finally figured if smoking was going to kill me, I wasn't going to go broke doing it. Simple as that.
And so, that being said,it begs the question ? If the FDA imposes that rule on the cigarette companies, what comes next ? Are we going to start posting pictures on everything else that is potentially harmful ? Or even limited to things we know are harmful ? Are we going to put pictures of obese people on snack foods with a warning label ? This is you on snacks ? Pictures of diseased  livers on alcohol bottles. Where do you draw that line ?
I just can't help but wonder. The Federal Drug Administration proposes this hair-brained idea. These are the same people that control prescription medicines in our country. The same bunch that demands years of testing and trials on any new drug. The same bunch that has helped fuel the ever increasing cost of healthcare. I agree that smoking is detrimental to your health. Don't need to be a doctor to figure that out. Many years ago the FDA required those warning statements on the packs. That was 1966 as a matter of fact. Forty five years ago. And now, the best they can come up with is, let's put a picture on them. What is the thought process there ? We can't read ? They must believe us all deaf too. Or is it that you haven't heard about the dangers of smoking ? No matter how you feel about the issue, this proposal is just silly. My Opinion. It may prove to be inconvenient  to the tobacco company and add additional cost to the product but make people quit. I doubt that.
Well,it was good for a laugh or two anyway.
Oh, the proposed changes would have half of the front and back of the package covered with these photos. An additional requirement would be all advertisements must contain a minimum of 20% with these pictures. IE: Billboards,etc. That ought to do it !

Being Archie

For those of you old enough to remember Archie Bunker I had this thought. Why was Archie Bunker so very popular ? The answer is right there and I'm sure you all know it too. Archie was just saying what the majority of us think. Simple as that. Archie could say and do things on that sitcom without fear of reprisal. That was the beauty of it all. Just speak what was on his mind,the way he perceived it to be. We all knew the stereotyping and discriminatory remarks were just wrong, but it was funny to hear someone say them out loud, in a public forum. And you don't get more public than television.
We have all heard our family,close friends and relatives say things in confidence that we know are wrong. We have all had thoughts about a subject that we just keep to ourselves. It is an ever increasing sign of the times. The  necessity to be politically correct at all times. Note I said necessity, because you can be sued for your remarks today where as not so many years back you just may have gotten a fat lip. I think it may have something to do with us becoming a more dependent society ,rather than independent.
A recent case in point is Hank Williams Jr. Look at the trouble he got into. And all he did was make an analogy. He didn't directly call the president anything and made some remarks about the republican leadership playing golf with the man. A big hoopla follows. Imagine what Archie Bunker might have had to say about all of that. You know what it is,admit it, some of you out there have thought it too. But we are becoming too dependent to risk offending anyone. Hank Jr. pulled his song (that's his story) and he could because he sure isn't dependent upon ESPN for a living. I'm just sayin'
Something like an Archie was funny because he was one of only a few saying that stuff out loud. If you have a crowd saying things like that ,it isn't funny. It was true then and it is true now, certain things should not be spoken out loud, unless in confidence with the proper group to receive it. We all say different things depending on the circumstance. The jokes I say to my co workers may or may not be the jokes I share with my wife. Does that make me a bigot ? Of course not. Was Archie a bigot ? No,he was not.
It would be interesting and fun to hear what others are thinking sometimes. When they are standing there before you making their politically correct statements. Repeating the standard response of the day on a number of topics. It would be interesting indeed. If you have known the person for some time you probably wouldn't be too surprised. Most people let their feelings be known in subtle ways,if nothing else.
My father had a name for those that always said the correct thing. Talking out of the other side of their face !
A reference to being two faced or deceitful. He didn't like it much and neither do I. When that situation arises I refer back to what Mom always said, if you don't have anything nice to say,don't say anything at all. Sometimes a difficult ,if not impossible thing to do for a person that loves to run their mouth like me.
I do it,you do it and everyone else does it. We all have thoughts that we just keep to ourselves. It is a good thing and a natural thing. We start out by just repeating what we have heard others say, Like our parents or siblings. As we age and mature we begin to form our own opinions. Some will be at odds with our core knowledge. Sometimes people separate altogether from their original teachings and thoughts. Others will cling to the things they were taught and never abandon that position. The trick lies in becoming comfortable with yourself and your own opinion. To finally decide upon a stand and be comfortable defending that point of view. And by defending, I don't mean shouting or coming to blows over it. That comes with age. And with age comes new labels, old fogey,old fashioned,out of touch and just pain ornery. That's what the kids will say.
And by kids I'm talking about the twenty-somethings or thirty-somethings. But if we hang it there long enough and are fortunate we can become " Archie." I've said it before and I'll say it again, I want to grow to be a very old man for only one reason. A very old man can pretty much say whatever he feels like saying ! Most people will not say anything back to you,as least not where you can hear it,and they won't hit you either. When I was young I delighted in listening to my Great Grandfather tell the other men that they were wrong ! I thought how cool is that. These men were some tough blue collar hard working guys, yet they said little to him. Great Grandfather Lester set them boys straight ! He was just being Archie.

Friendship Revisited

Back in September of this year I wrote about a gate to a farm. Above this gate was the word, Friendship. On the particular day I was there the word showed starkly against the sky. The lighting and background were favorable. I was back at that place today and the conditions had changed. Now the word was barely visible. It wasn't because of an increase in the amount of vines growing upon it. The sky was rather gray and low light was the reason I think.
After my initial writing about the gate and the name friendship it slipped my mind. I had previously speculated about the significance of this. There is a small building there,painted white but bearing little resemblance to a church. I had thought perhaps it was a meeting house for the Amish or Mennonite communities in our area. That has proven to be false. It is a church after all. A Methodist Episcopal church to be exact. There is a small cemetery there as well. I saw someone enter that church today so I can only assume it is still an active church. Not wishing to intrude, I didn't enter the building or question anyone.
Across the paved highway and down about 500 feet or so there are several more tombstones. I hadn't noticed them before. They sit on a small knoll overlooking a field. The area is overgrown and untended. The headstones are quite old and several have toppled over. And so there they sit, alone and all but forgotten.
I walked over to that area to have a look. The tallest two stones once stood side by side upon a pedestal.The one marked " Father " has fallen over and lies face up on the ground. It's mate " Mother " is still standing watch over the fields. The name on these stones is Willis. They were a family and all buried together. The patriarch was Zachariah and died 15 days short of his 84th birthday. He was survived by his wife Mary.
I did a little research and was surprised to find a site on the internet about this Willis family. The graveyard  was "discovered" in 1976. A lot of research was done tracing their descendants. They have all moved on from that place called Friendship. Apparently whoever did all that research is satisfied, or no longer with us as no updates have been added in quite some time. And so for me, it just added to the mystery.
Label me odd or eccentric but seeing a family plot left neglected and forgotten strikes at my heart. These were people. Living breathing people who had hopes and dreams like all of us. Who were proud of their accomplishments and prouder still of their children and grandchildren. They deserve to be remembered.
I can understand their descendant  have moved away. I have no problem with that. We all have to do what we need to do. The thing that bothers me is that no one takes the time to treat this ground with the respect it deserves. Those memorials are on someones property. Some farmer comes within a few feet of them every time he plows or harvests his crops. Surely he/she could take an hour or so every once in a while to trim the grass and pull weeds. Perhaps stand the stones back up. If it were on my property I surely would.

Zachariah 

The family Plot

I read the words inscribed on the stone and it says," Gathered in a good old age to the assembly of the righteous." Rest in Peace Zachariah and your good wife Mary. May you continue to enjoy her and your family in the righteous assembly.

pay no attention to the date on the pictures I don't know how to change that on the camera ! LOL
My orginal post was September !8,2011 if you care to check the archives for it.

What makes you happy ?

Are we becoming a country of crybabies ? Sounds like it to me. All I hear about nowadays is how things aren't fair. Yeah,I know. Life ain't fair. I wish I could play a games for a living and make millions of dollars. Then I could go on strike and complain about that. I'm just sayin'.
I don't have the very best in premium health care coverage. That ain't fair. I don't have a new car. That ain't fair. I can't afford this or that. That ain't fair. I have never heard such whining and complaining about everything in my life. Deal with it ! The rich are getting richer. So what else is new ? Takes money to make money. Oh, I know, that ain't fair.
Have we become so politically and socially sensitive that we can no longer function ? Everything has to be fair. Free everything for everybody. That is what some of these college kids protesting with occupy wall street are proposing. I have to pay for my education. That ain't fair. I have to pay back the money I borrowed. That ain't fair. Let's get real people. Some are suggesting a communist /socialist way of doing business. The government provides everything free to the people. Read a  little about living in a communist/socialist state and see how fair you think that is.
Everything in this world comes at a price. Everything ! We as Americans have developed an international reputation as being spoiled. That isn't far from the truth. We have always been that way. That is because we,as Americans,have always been given the freedom to pursue our own personal goals. The pursuit of Happiness ! We also instituted checks and balances to even the playing field a little. I, for one, do not advocate changing the rules to make it impossible for any one person to succeed on their own merits. Whether their merits are good looks,the ability to play ball,sing,dance or be a movie star. Maybe they have the knack for making money. Maybe they just inherited all those things. Doesn't matter. Is it fair ? I don't know, but it doesn't matter either.
I know one thing for sure. Complaining never got anybody anything. Working does that. How much you want something can be directly measured by the amount of work you are willing to do to get it. There is probably a mathematical formula associated with that. No matter the goal. Whether the object is making money or some other goal it takes effort on your part. Quit being a crybaby ! WAA WAA It ain't fair. Too bad.
And how do you measure success? I measure it balanced against my happiness. If I'm happy, I'm successful. Unhappiness is a result of my own shortcomings. Not the Governments,yours or anybody else. Oh,others can definitely obstruct my path to happiness,throw a few road blocks up, but I can find my way to happiness by hard work and dedication to the goal. If I allow myself to wallow in self pity and crying it ain't fair all the time, I will never achieve happiness. The secret lies in knowing what you want. In knowing what makes you happy.
Sometimes we must adjust our goals,too. Happiness can be achieved. You just have to decide to do it.
Quit complaining and start doing !

Partners in Crime

I have two brothers. Both are older than I. One by four years and the other by six. As a consequence I played with neither very much . My sister is only two years my senior so we hung out a bit more. Living three miles from town on a dirt road with few neighbors it was a necessity. Gotta have someone to play with. I remember making mud pies with her and jumping rope. We rode our bikes. I may have been convinced to play with a doll in my time too, but I'm not admitting to that.
Just down the road from our house was a small country store. Mom and Dad would send us there to pick up small items for them. Mary,the owner of the store,knew us children well and was great friends with our parents. It was a typical little corner grocery for the time. The counter was full of penny candy and those big pretzel sticks stood in a jar on top of the counter. Mary would sell us anything we told her Dad wanted. Cigarettes were purchased there and beer as well. Mary would put them in a brown paper sack and admonish us," don't you let anybody see you with that." We always promised we wouldn't and hurried straight home. We would take the shortcut through the woods so as not to be conspicuous.Fooled'em every time.
Well,there was a time when we went down to the store to get a soda. Parked in front of the store was the Coca-Cola truck. The big roll up doors were open on the one side. We could see the delivery man taking a cart load of cokes into the store and Mary there to greet him. It was a warm day and our thirst was great. All those sodas just sitting there in plain sight unattended. The temptation was too great and while one was the lookout ,the other snatched a whole case of those delicious coca-colas and headed for the woods. Carrying that wooden case with four six packs of soda in it wasn't easy but we managed it on sheer adrenaline alone ! We made it to the safety of the wood.
Stopping  to rest it occurred to us, we can't take this home Mom will know we didn't buy it and how are we going to explain. Oh man,we didn't think this one through. We decided we would just sit right there in those nice shady woods and enjoy our ill gotten gains. Another problem, no bottle opener. This was back in the days before twist off tops. Eventually we figured out a way to get the top off and take a big swallow of that precious nectar,Coca Cola. Ah,oh it is hot. Sitting in the back of that delivery truck that soda was quite warm. Well,nothing to do about that. It isn't that bad once you get used to it.
We sat there in that little patch of woods and each drank several bottles. Quite proud of ourselves for having pulled off the heist. We got clean away and nobody the wiser. We hadn't stole anything from Mary and surely the Coca Cola company would never miss one little case. As we basked in the glory of it all and justified our actions we both began to feel a little ill. Our stomachs began to protest. Too much warm soda on a hot day.
We stashed the remainder of that case away in the bushes and headed home. We came in and tried to act nonchalant. Our faces must have given us away though because Mom asked us if we were alright. We assured her we were fine.
This was probably about 1960 or thereabouts. The exact details are sketchy now. We never tried that trick again. We would make many trips to that store during our childhood and make other memories. We had to pass Aunt Bettys' house on soak hide road to get there. We would often stop to " just say hello" to her and she would give us candy money.
There was one other incident my partner in crime and I pulled off at the 5&10 cent store. I'll save that tale for another time.
Looking back you can't help but wonder why. Why did you do that stuff ? Most kids do I think. It is a sort of right of passage or something. Testing your nerve or wit,I don't know. After we grew older the crime spree ended. My sister was a great partner to have. She never told anybody. We made a great team.

Darn It

While at work the other day one of the young ladies mentioned she had a hole in her knit scarf. I suggested she just darn it . She gave me a quizzical look and said,"what." I repeated that she should just darn it. She smiled and said, but it is one of my favorites. Then I was confused. So,why not fix it then ? Fix it ? I thought you said darn it ! I did. This was turning into an Abbott and Costello routine. Finally I realized this young lady had no clue what darning was. She thought I was being polite or old fashioned in saying ,darn it, meaning another expression. Damn it ! People have probably been saying that for ages when their articles got the hole in them though. So I explained to her what darning was.
I admit I hadn't thought about darning in many years,if at all. It is not like it is something I have done a lot of. But I know the principal behind it and could do it if necessary. I do have a darning needle and wool. I don't have a darning egg, but a light bulb or hard ball would suffice. Wonder what happened to Grandmas darning egg anyway ?
I know about darning mostly from an incident in my childhood. Mom was sick in bed and it was time to go to church. I put on my Sunday go to meetings. A gray wool suit. I came downstairs in that suit and Dad noticed I had a hole in the pant leg. This hole was about the size of a quarter. After being grilled about that,by what seemed like the Spanish Inquisition, it was decided it needed immediate repair. Take them britches off boy and I'll darn them. Dad would often use funny words like britches. I still remember him darning that hole and the patch that was left in its' place. I would say it wasn't the neatest repair but it worked. It was kinda cool I thought. I was very impressed that he knew how to do that. A man that could sew. And he wasn't a bit ashamed of it either. Now there is a pioneer for you. I expect Davy Crockett knew how to sew.
Over the years I saw Mom make a few repairs using that method. I expect they aren't many who do that anymore. In our throw away society there is no need. I'm thinking that is where the image we have of socks with different colored toes came from. The heels and toes always go first so it makes sense that they would be repaired and with whatever color was available. But the truth is you could darn just about anything and repair it. Sweaters,jackets,scarfs,trousers, you name it.
I'm thinking back in the day it must have been pleasant.No television or radio blaring. Just Mom sitting in her rocker darning up the socks and such. Enjoying a little conversation and telling you tales about her childhood. A wicker basket on the floor overflowing with items waiting for her. Wonder if Norman Rockwell ever painted a scene like that ? These kids today don't know what they are missing out on. Why,I remember a time when~~~ 

Pots and Pans

I was helping my grand daughter with her homework last evening. She is in the third grade and I can manage that,sometimes. She was working on a word puzzle of sorts. The word she was trying to find was pan but she had filled in pot. The clue was an object you cook with that is shallow and round. After suggesting to her that pot  was not what she was looking for the question arose. Grandpa, what is the difference between a pot and a pan ? I had never really considered the question before. I answered with,well a pot is deeper than a pan. Then she says, oh ok. She moved on. That's the way kids are. Got her answer and she was satisfied. After she left to go home the question nagged at me. So, I did what most people do now days, I googled it.

The answer I got was a pot normally has two handles and a pan only one. Huh, that had never occurred to me but I could see the truth in it. I also found the answer I had provided was correct. Pots are generally deeper than pans. Naturally there are exceptions and nothing is set in concrete. More reading on the subject only muddies the water. I had to quit. I was getting too involved in all of that. I do that at times. I wound up thinking about pots and pans.
The majority of my pans are cast iron. Frying pans, never frying pots,and a skillet. There are those that will argue a skillet and a frying pan are the same thing but I don't agree. Not many use the term skillet any more. I do have a large cast iron pot. It has only one handle but it does have a lid. If you want to make soup,pot roast or chili that is the pot for the job. Everything tastes better cooked in cast iron ! I have had mine for many years and will continue to use them. A side benefit is the exercise you get from lifting them. You could also hang them in the kitchen as decoration.
Pots and pans. Objects we give little thought too. Yet,we use them everyday. I see ads on television for the new styles and types. Stainless steel, non stick, better handles, copper bottoms and all matter of improvements in heat distribution. Make a chef outta you for sure ! Cast Iron is far more forgiving though should you err and get the heat too high.
Did you know some cast iron pots and pans are collectible ? People will pay a good dollar for certain makes.Griswold is the leader of the pack. If you have any old Griswold stuff don't sell it at your yard sale. It is valuable. Wagner is another but still available today,that's what mine is, so determining which are valuable is difficult. You need a expert in the field. Not me.
One more memory about pots and pans. When I was very small my mom would give me a pot and a wooden spoon. Had many enjoyable times beating on those pots. When the Grand children were small I did the same for them.
Silly thing to write about,pots and pans. I wonder why it is always pots and pans and not pans and pots ? It is even awkward to type it that way. A question for the ages.

I'm Looking

The past week has been a week of discovery. Not really discovery I suppose, but confirmation of past finds.
I have had in my possession for some time a belt and buckle that I believed to be from the Civil War. It was also my belief that it belonged to my second Great Grandfather James B Terry. Turns out I was correct in it being a genuine artifact from the war. I also received further reassurance that it was in most likelihood his possession.
On Friday night last,a civil war historian and expert in early 19th century American history,gave a lecture at our local library. It was part of a program called, Friday Nights in Caroline,part of a continuing education series. Following his presentation I had the chance to show him my belt. I told him nothing of what I thought it to be. A secret test you might say. To my delight he immediately identified what it was. And he described it exactly as I thought. It is indeed a sword belt that would have been worn for ceremonial occasions by a Sargent. That was in keeping with my ancestor. He was a Sargent in the Union Army. I then showed him my picture of my ancestor and a copy of his service record. A brief chat followed. I had been hoping for confirmation on that belt and buckle and finally received it.
I wrote last month about my Great Grandfather being in the Almshouse and eventually dying there. While doing some searching of another website provided by a friend, I stumbled across another web address. This address was for the archives of the Almshouse kept at Riverhead ,New York. I went there and found a contact. I explained what it was I was looking for and further stated there was no way I could travel to the repository. I asked if there was any way I could possibly get some assitance. To my utter surprise I got an e-mail the very next day. In this e-mail I was asked to provide whatever information I had about him. I responded with the known facts. Within the hour I had a copy of his Inmate record ! Truly amazing. I had been trying to get someone to go there for me. I had wondered about what I might find. And in the end all I had to do was ask. This was provided to me at no cost whatsoever. I am truly grateful.
From this document I learned his mother and fathers names. His brother and a daughter. I learned the reason he was there. His occupation. It was also further proof that he was indeed born on the fourth of July but in 1870 not 1871 as I had thought. A treasure trove of information.
It is truly amazing what discoveries can be made if you only look long enough and hard enough. The resources are there. I feel like I can finally lay my Great Grandfather to rest. I know most of his story now. He passed in 1940 from stomach cancer. I don't need to wonder about that belt and buckle anymore either. I am satisfied that it is genuine. I will make a case to display that in.
The last week has been a good one. There are still many discoveries to be made. One ancestor in particular has proven to be quite elusive. I will track her down. Great Great Grandmother Sarah Parker Lester. Where are you ? The big question there is,who were her parents ? I'll be looking.