a dreary day in NE Oklahoma, as seen from our back yard. 

Marley's a duck for Halloween 

question for you

I've been doing all the work here, so now it's your turn. Answer this question: What book are you reading now? You're not reading any? Turn off the tv and get a book immediately. How can you learn anything without reading? You don't even have to get off the computer. You can read books on line. Click here.
Now, click on comments and tell me a book you're reading now or a book you've read before that made a huge impact on you.

here is my library 

Yours truly.......38yrs ago.  

Quote of the Day:

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
Harriet Beecher Stowe

fog

This morning, I had to drive through fog on my way to work. Wouldn't you know it someone came up behind me and began to "ride" my bumper. These Oklahoma highways are narrow and winding and it's beyond me why drivers don't see the need to slow down and exercise caution. When I found a wide place in the road I pulled over and let him go by. I halfway expected to see him flipped over in the ditch somewhere down the road. (Ok, I admit it. I was hoping he was flipped over in a ditch.) I think God takes special care of fools..
Speaking of driving, I used to commute the Los Angeles freeways years ago. I would white knuckle it all the way to work and all the way home. One day on my way home, I was frantically jockeying for position between the two fast lanes when I had an epiphany. (That's right an epiphany, look it up in the dictionary) I changed lanes whenever one lane came to a halt and an opening appeared in the other. Then I noticed a litte red Toyota in the slow lane that seemed to be keeping apace with me without much effort or frustration. I pulled over into the slow lane too and found that I could keep a more even speed and attain a modicum of progress without the high blood pressure or adrenalin spike. That's where I've been ever since. Not only on the freeway but in all aspects of my life, I try to stop and smell the roses, be aware of things happening around me. It's a good life in the slow lane. I highly recommend it.

possible new stamp? 

Quote of the Day:

I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.
Harry S. Truman

another absurdity

As I said in an earlier post, I have a low threshold for absurdity. Another thing I find strange is the excessive use of cell phones. Don't get me wrong, I think they're handy little gadgets. In this weird world we're living in it's good to have some form of communication at the ready in case of an emergency, but good grief, everywhere you look someone has a cell phone pressed to their head. A lot of people don't seem to be able to drive without talking on the phone. Remember when cordless phones became popular? I'd be driving down the street and people would be out in their front yard talking on the phone. Why did they answer the phone in the house and then walk into the yard to talk? Because they could? Maybe they just wanted me to see that they had a cordless phone. I wasn't impressed.
The safety experts tell us that a lot of accidents are caused by dividing one's attention between the phone and driving. If you suddenly remembered something you wanted to discuss with someone and you happen to be driving, pull over, have your conversation, then resume your trip. Drive safely. The life you save may be mine.
Let me add this: If plastic surgeons started offering a procedure to permanently implant cell phones to the side of the head, there would be a long line of people signing up for it.
This is an absurd world we live in.

highway sign 

Quote of the Day:

The way to fight a woman is with your hat. Grab it and run.
John Barrymore

Quote of the Day:

The life that conquers is the life that moves with a steady resolution and persistence toward a predetermined goal. Those who succeed are those who have thoroughly learned the immense importance of plan in life, and the tragic brevity of time. -- -- W.J. Davison

huh?

Here's a disconcerting note from a book I'm reading, The Working Poor, by David K. Shipler: Some 37 percent of American adults cannot figure a 10 percent discount on a price, even using a calculator. The same percentage cannot read a bus schedule or write a letter about a credit card error. .......14 percent cannot total a deposit slip, locate an intersection on a map, understand an appliance warranty, or determine the correct dosage of a medicine.

good grief!

a serious note

Let's get serious for a moment, shall we? I have a low threshold for absurdity, and the most absurd thing I've heard lately is the news story from Tulsa about a six year old boy who was attacked by a pit bull and was not allowed into the house by the dog owner because the child was bleeding. He remained outside and was attacked two more times until the police arrived and put down the dog, then took the boy to the hospital where he was treated for bites (1,000 stitches), broken facial bones, and the loss of part of an ear.
Why do people own these dogs? I've delivered mail for 20 years and can speak from personal experience about the nature of dogs. (and dog owners). I've been told that pit bulls are gentle and loving dogs. My reply is: When you decided to buy a gentle, loving dog for your kids, a pit bull was the first breed to come to your mind? I don't believe it. People want pit bulls for their aggressive nature. People assure me that their dog is different. It won't bite. It's docile. I ask them what they've done to overcome generation after generation of breeding for the aggressive traits for which they're known. Dog owners usually cannot answer that question, because they do nothing to train the dog. I've never seen a dog owner who was capable of gaining control of his dog once an attack has started.
Here are some reasons not to own a pit bull:

1. The likelihood of a tragedy. Do you really want to risk injury to another person (especially a child)? Do a Google search on pit bulls if you think that attacks are only rare occurrences.
2. Financial liability. If your dog injures someone you are responsible. A trip to the emergency room will cost $1,000.00+; a lawsuit hundreds of thousands of dollars. Your homeowners insurance will not cover an aggressive breed of dog. (ask your agent)

Well, that's my opinion for the day. If you disagree, feel free to click on the comment link and express your opinion. It will be promptly deleted, unread.

Quote of the Day:

What is Life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass
and loses itself in the sunset.
~ Crowfoot (Blackfoot warrior and orater - 1890)

round the mountain

In that song, "She'll be coming 'round the Mountain", who is she?

Owl

This morning I was up before dawn and could hear the hoot of an owl in the tree outside my window. It reminded me of this poem I wrote a few years ago:


Insomnia
On winter nights I lie awake while the
Moon shines through the window
And the hoot owl beckons me
To join him.
I consider it,
Then pull the covers tight
Against the cold.
In spring I'm tempted
To join the Whippoorwill
In the meadow on his
All night vigil.
Then I hear the coyotes'
Howl echo from the hollow
Where the creek runs cold,
And reconsider.
I listen to the
Metallic whine of the cicadas
On hot summer nights
And watch as the night breeze
Billows the curtains back and forth
Above my head while
The leak stains on the ceiling
Metamorphose into shapes and animations.
In autumn, close toHalloweeen, the wind blows
Brittle leaves upon my window;
A premonition of the
Winter chill.
And as the house creaks
Against the wind's coercion
I wonder if sleep will ever come again.
Copywrite. 9-26-00

Quote of the Day:

It is just the little touches after the average man would quit that make the master's fame. -- Orison Swett Marden

sign along the highway 

Quote of the Day:

What a man is contributes much more to his happiness than what he has, or how he is regarded by others. -- -- Arthur Schopenhauer

carving pumpkins for more
photos click on link

list of things to do upon retirement

1. play with grandkids
2. sit on the porch and watch the cars go by
3. learn to play the piano
4. learn to play the saxophone
5. paint landscapes and still life
6. grow a vegetable garden
7. landscape the yard
8. remodel (only to the extent that it remains fun)
9. write short stories
10. travel
11. wander aimlessly along Peacheater Creek
12. think
13. contemplate my navel (just checking to see if you'd read down this far)

I've known people who retired and before you know it they're working again. They told me they couldn't stand the boredom; just needed something to do. I've balked against the harness of work for too long. Once I retire and overcome the sadness of years of subordinating all that matters to all that doesn't, I'm going to revel in idleness as long as it satisfies. For those of you who scoff at this idea I say: Don't underestimate my capacity for sloth!

Marley spent the night, her face still painted from Parents Night Out. 

cousins

This weekend I attended a funeral for my Aunt Jean Blue. I visitied with cousins that I only see every 7-10 years. These cousins grew up in the Shawnee, Ok. area and I in Southern California. It would have been good to have grown up together. I think we would have had some great times.

comments

I've had several people say they would like to post a comment on this blog but it seemed too difficult. Simply click on comment, then on post a comment, then select anonymous. Just identify yourself in your post.

Quote of the Day:

For you to be successful, sacrifices must be made. It's better that they are made by others but failing that, you'll have to make them yourself. -- Rita Mae Brown

cousins of the Blue family 

no complaints

After 38 years of marriage, Dorothy has finally trained me to make the bed in the morning before I go to work.
She says I do it wrong, but she's not going to complain.
She says I don't stretch the sheet tight, but she's not complaining, mind you.
She says I don't tuck the covers in right, but she's just not going to complain about it.
I glad she doesn't complain about the way I make the bed.

Quote of the Day:

If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way. -- Buddha

Yes, this is the place!

I just changed the format a bit to make it easier for you to read and to give me more room to write this drivel.

Quote of the Day:

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)

the difference between Rod Stuart and Me

I noticed Rod Stewart has a new cd out. It's the third in a series of old standards and love songs. Women sure are attracted to him, and why? He sounds like he has congenital laryngitis, and has he ever combed his hair in his life? I'm better looking than he is, and I have a better singing voice. But I'll have to admit: no women have ever been so moved by my singing that they threw their panties in my direction.

Here is a Halloween Tree. Decorated with skulls and jack'o'lanterns. What an idea! Let's all get one.

Quote of the Day:

The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. -- Harriet Beecher Stowe

are you going to wear that?

The other day I overheard a conversation between my daughter, Kelly and Dorothy. ( I wasn't eavesdropping. I "overheard". Really) Kelly was saying that Burk had put on some clothes and she asked him, "You're not going out wearing that are you?" I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard those words. We went to a funeral the other day and I put on a pair of khakis, a dark blue shirt, and a brown corduroy sports coat. When Dorothy saw it we had this conversation:

Dorothy: You're not going to wear that are you?
Me: Why? What's wrong with it?
Dorothy: It doesn't match. That brown coat doesn't match those Khakis.
Me: Yes it does. I'm an artist and I know my colors.
This brown makes a tasteful transition between the khaki and the blue shirt.
Dorothy: Go put on your black leather coat.

So I put on the black leather coat. I have to admit I looked rather snazzy in it, so I wore it to the funeral. Now we have another funeral to attend and yesterday Dorothy bought me something to wear to it. I think she's trying to assure that she won't be embarrassed to be seen with me. She might even sit next to me.

Grand daughter Samantha is escorted by her date to the Homecoming Dance. 

Quote of the Day:

The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional take a little longer.
Henry Kissinger

Back to Work

Well its back to work today after a week off. I didn't get anywhere near the amount of work done that I had planned. While I was off I had the flu, Dorothy's Aunt Susie passed away, then yesterday my Aunt Jean died. I've had better vacations.

Quote of the Day:

After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood.
Fred Thompson

Quote of the Day:

The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking......The solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker.
Albert Einstein

This is me walking up 2nd St. in Hermosa Beach, California. The year was 1960.

This is 2nd St. Today. Thanks to classmate Sandie (Haskell) Freeman for the photo. 

Quote of the Day:

If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be any war.

Pentagon official on why the U.S. military censored graphic footage from the Gulf War.

advice to young husbands

I've been married for 38 years and I think that qualifies me to lend a hand to the younger men and guide them down a smoother road of marital relationships. In this first of a series of tips I want to discuss remodeling.
When your wife first brings up the subject of remodeling, and she will many times over the years, agree to it, but don't jump into the project too quickly because she will change her mind several times about how she wants things . To avoid frustration on your part, wait until she has made up her mind (this may never happen).
When you go to Lowe's, the first place your wife will stop is the paint section. She will spend hours perusing the paint sample cards. Now, this is where it gets tricky. She's going to ask your opinion. Play dumb (this should not be too difficult). Try to find out what she likes and choose that color. If you select something that appeals to you, she will refuse it. Women think that men have no taste for home decorating. Over the years Dorothy has rejected many of my selections such as orange or chartreuse, but I thought they would have been a nice complement to our decor. Why do women ask our opinion in the first place? I don't know. It's one of the mysteries of life.
By the way, don't tell Dorothy I wrote this.

where did we park that car?

Tonight, after shopping at Walmart, Dorothy and I couldn't find our car. We walked one aisle over and it wasn't there. We found it two aisles over in the opposite direction. She said she was just following me. I was just following her. We're in trouble.

now that's good pumpkin bread

My daughter Kelly made some pumpkin bread. When four year old Marley Kate had a piece she said "Mom, that's so good I could eat a gallon of it."

recovered

I'm feeling much better this morning. It's amazing how sick you can be one day and be almost completely well the next. I'd better not tell Dorothy how well I feel or she'll find something for me to do.
It's been a sad week. Dorothy's Aunt Susie passed away and my Aunt Jean Blue had a stroke. It's no wonder I got sick what with all of the stress. So we have a funeral to go to today and then off to Rogers, AR. to check on Aunt Jean. We'll be seeing a lot of friends and relatives that we only see at weddings or funerals. That's one of the negative aspects of this modern life we live; it takes a tragic event to bring us all together.

Quote of the Day:

Be happy. Talk happiness. Happiness calls out responsive gladness in others. There is enough sadness in the world without yours...never doubt the excellence and permanence of what is yet to be. Join the great company of those who make the barren places of life fruitful with kindness. Your success and happiness lie in you...the great enduring realities are love and service...resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

Helen Keller

I'm sick

I woke up this morning sick. I've laid around all day with a fever, aches and pains and having to frequent the facilities more often than I would like. So I posted the quote and this note and that's it. Maybe I'll get back to it this evening.

Quote of the Day:

If all the rich people in the world divided up their money among themselves there wouldn't be enough to go around.
(1903 - 1983), House of All Nations (1938) "Credo"

the remodeling continues

I've started a new phase in remodeling. I'm replacing our front door with a new steel insulated one and the window you see in the photo will be replaced also.

Sometimes I get to this point in a project and wonder what to do next. 

wrong analogy

vicissitudes
I woke up this morning at 3:00 a.m. realizing I had used the wrong analogy of parallel universes. According to the latest scientific theory there may be many parallel universes where peoples lives and histories are very similar to ours. Scientists must have lots of time to day dream. Just think, there may be another you somewhere in the cosmos having a life similar to yours. Maybe the other me has hair and is rich.

Quote of the Day:

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. -- Edgar Allan Poe, 'Eleanora,' 1842

parallel universes

I just finished watching the final presidential debate. I'm glad it's the final one.
During those debates my blood pressure rose and I found myself talking to the screen. That's not good. (Don't tell anyone.) Do you think we're straddling parallel universes? The reality portrayed by one candidate is diametrically opposed to the reality described by the other. As a radical middle of the roader I think we need to find someone other than these two politicians. That's the problem. A man who could lead the nation effectively would not be a politician. And someone who is not a politician could not possibly be elected within our electoral process. Pity.

the end of an era

After six years of hard work and dedication Dorothy and Rita turn the reins of the Sweet Shop Cafe over to someone else. They took an old empty building and turned it into a popular eatery and meeting place. Not only have they provided a great country breakfast over the years, but they have decorated wedding cakes, catered meals for individuals and organizations, and supported the community with their time and treasure. They will be missed.

a good place for friends to meet and eat 

God is on our side!.........Isn't he?

vicissitudes
O Lord, our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sport of the sunflames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it--for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the source of love, and Who is the ever faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
Mark Twain

Quote of the Day:

The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. The trite subjects of human efforts, possessions, outward success, luxury have always seemed to me contemptible.
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

Marley Kate wanted her picture on the blog so here it is. 

Quote of the Day:

If winter is slumber and spring is birth, and summer is life, then autumn rounds out to be reflection. It's a time of year when the leaves are down and the harvest is in and the perennials are gone. Mother Earth just closed up the drapes on another year and it's time to reflect on what's come before.

Mitchell Burgess, Northern Exposure, Thanksgiving, 1992

twenty things you probably don't know about me

• I’m socially inept (except around friends and family)
  
• I paint (landscapes and still lifes)
  
• I think we can improve the world if we just learn to take care of each other.
  
• I like to work with wood (a fair carpenter)
  
• If it’s broken I can usually fix it (with the proper tools)
  
• I have an insatiable curiosity. When I’m into a new subject I can talk about it for hours (much to the dismay of listeners)
  
• I am amazed at the practicality of computers.
  
• I may work for the Postal Service, but my real job is to be Dorothy’s husband, Rachel and Kelly’s dad, and Tara, Sami, Marley Kate, and Hunter’s grandpa.
  
• In spite of today’s youth culture, I have no desire to be young again. I’m enjoying each phase of life and it just keeps getting better. (although I have given the kids permission to shoot me instead of putting me in a nursing home) I may not be young anymore but Dorothy tells me I’ll always be immature.
  
• I’m physically uncoordinated.
  
• I can play the guitar.
  
• I write poetry
  
• Dorothy’s smile melts my heart.
  
• I can cook
  
• I worry too much (99 percent of the things we worry about never come to pass)
  
• I’m healthy (need to lose a few pounds…..ok more than a few)
  
• Dorothy is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.(when we’re out in public I suspect that people wonder what that young woman is doing with that old geezer)
  
• I’m a geek (that’s hard to admit)
  
• I have the most beautiful, and talented kids and grandkids. (I know you think yours is, but you just haven’t met mine.)
  
• I lack self confidence.
  
  
  Now email me and tell me twenty things I don’t know about you.
  

My grand daughter Sami tries on her dress for the prom. 

Quote of the Day:

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950), Man and Superman, Epistle Dedicatory

Quote of the Day:

Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.

-- Bertolt Brecht, The Mother, 1932

Look at these beautiful children. They take after their grandpa.
Photo by Main Street Street Studio, Siloam Springs, Ar.

a good place to eat 

Bill and Karon Dunaway have breakfast at the Sweet Shop 

a sad day

Today I'll have to lay the humor aside. Dorothy's Aunt Susie lays in her bed at the nursing home with probably a few hours left of her life. She and her husband Uncle Chester (who passed away a few years ago) lived their entire lives on a dirt road 10 miles from town. They lived an uncomplicated life amid a very complicated world. One day Dorothy and I went to help them cut fire wood. Uncle Chester got out his chain saw which was twice the size of mine and those two elderly people outworked us. It was not unusual for Aunt Susie to kill Copperhead snakes with a hatchet. Uncle Chester would complain that she was dulling the edge on his axe. I wonder about the future of our country as these strong minded people leave us. Our grand children are being deprived of models for strength of character, resilience, and determination. Yes, Aunt Susie, even your stubbornness taught the rest of us the value of standing our ground and never giving up. And we thank you for that.

Quote of the Day:

You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.

-- Woodrow Wilson

the dog that lives at our house

Last night Dorothy decided to give the dog a (long overdue) bath. She made the mistake of letting Lizzie see her run the bath water. When I opened the door to go outside Lizzie made her escape and we couldn't get her back in for the rest of the evening. She was behind the house laughing at us. I thought dogs were supposed to be our pets and not the other way around. Aren't they supposed to be thrilled to do their master's will? As I write this I can hear her snoring in my recliner. Lizzie's on the verge of being fired.

we're in trouble

I read in USA Today that federal economic experts are warning that to avoid an economic disaster we must immediately double all federal taxes and cut Social Security and Medicare benefits in half. I wonder which candidate is going to include that in his platform?

Quote of the Day:

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Man! I better go to bed

vicissitudes
Good Grief! It's after eleven o'clock and I've been working on installing a tagboard for hours. My daughter Kelly told me she couldn't post a message so I added the board. Feel free to make comments. I'm going to bed. We have company coming in tomorrow from California, I've got bills to pay, and other things to do. But I'm on vacation until the 18th. Yippee!!

Quote of the Day:

It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. -- Agnes Repplier

This is Lizzie in her "innocent" pose. Don't let her fool you, she's a mean and spiteful dog. She likes to pretend that she needs to go outside; then when I get up to open the door she runs and jumps into my chair. 

Quote of the Day:

That only which we have within, can we see without. If we meet no Gods, it is because we harbor none. If there is a grandeur in you, you will find grandeur in porters and sweeps. -- -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

dog with mental problems

Our Cocker Spaniel, Lizzie, has mental problems. Is there an asylum for dogs we can send her to? Last night she woke us up barking. First Dorothy got up, opened the door, then nothing but silence. Halfway back to bed the barking resumed. Back to the door, open it, silence. Back to bed, barking. I finally took a flashlight outside and discovered a cat she had cornered. The cat ran away and Lizzie finally came in. She does these things purposely just to annoy me.

Quote of the Day:

Negative feelings, such as violence, are damaging to life, whether we act upon them ourselves, or cause or condone them in others.They are born of greed, anger, or delusion, and may be slight, moderate, or intense. Their fruit is endless ignorance and suffering.To remember this is to cultivate the opposite.-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:34

interesting bit of information

Some 4.8 million Mexicans are thought to be living as undocumented immigrants in the United States, immigration officials estimate, and about 52 percent of the country's farmworkers are here without permission, the General Accounting Office figures. They send more than $9 billion a year to Mexico to help their families with food, clothing, medicine, and housing; the flood of cash exceeds the government budgets of some Mexican localities.
David K. Shipler The Working Poor - invisible in America

sudden realization

What am I doing writing a blog?! If I keep writing every day I'll bare my soul. People will know who I am at my core. Do I want that? And there's the danger that the things I think of as words of wisdom, astute observations, and amusing anecdotes may be perceived by my readers as just mental belly-button lint. I guess time will tell.

Back to Work

Here it is Monday morning, and I'm dreading going back to work. I received an email from my friend, Pat Emery, whose husband is a cognitive therapist and she reminded me to raise the level of my state of mind and then the level of my thoughts will rise also. Thanks for the tip, Pat. Her husband's website is www.rapidcognitivetherapy.com. Actually, it's not the circumstances in life that are the problem (there's always plenty of circumstances to deal with) it's how we think about them. Besides, I only have 10 months and 27 days do deal with work.

Quote of the Day

I am thankful for small mercies. I compared notes with one of my friends who expects everything from the universe, and is disappointed when anything is less than the best, and I found that I begin at the other extreme, expecting nothing, and am always full of thanks for moderate goods.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quotations

I'm a quotation addict. I keep searching for that elusive quote that will give me a life altering flash of insight. Every once in awhile I find one that makes me say "aha!", but with most of them I just stop and think "hmm". There's one I saw on a sign in front of a Super 8 motel that says: "Change your thoughts and you change your world." (source unknown) I believe that. In the bible it says "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." and the first words in the Bhudda's Dhammapada states that "All that we are is the result of what we have thought". For the past few years I have been practicing meditation and tried to develop a more positive attitude and I have succeeded in lowering my blood pressure without medication and improving my day to day life at work. It's an ongoing process.

Quote of the Day:

One can never consent to creep when one has an impulse to soar.

--Helen Keller

Here is a picture of my grand daughter, Tara. She's almost 17. She and her sister Samantha will be starring soon in an episode of MTV's "High School Stories". 

fall begins in earnest

vicissitudes

We woke to a true fall morning. So chilly we had to have our heater on. It's a beautiful cloudless day. We're on our way to church to serve in the extended session taking care of toddlers while their parents attend services. We're hoping there will be no little ones there so we'll be able to play hooky.

7:11 pm

Dorothy and I ate at the New China restaurant tonight and this message was in my fortune cookie: "Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace." Hmm.
We saw a lot of motorcycles on the highway today. They're all on their way to Fayetteville, Arkansas for the annual "Bikes, Blues, and Barbecue". I told Dorothy we need to buy a Harley. I can wear a do rag, and she a skimpy halter top, and maybe get a tattoo of a dragon on her back. We would look tuff cruising down the highway. She was less than enthusiastic.

Quote of the Day: There is a certain relief in change, even if it be from bad to worse; as I have found in traveling in a stage coach, that it is often a comfort to shifts one's position and be bruised in a new place.
Washington Irving

I caught this picture last night of a storm approaching us from the northwest 

The Beginning

Oct 2, 2004

Today marks the beginning of a new project. With the proliferation of web logs on the net today, I thought I would join the fray and add my two cents worth.