Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday Colleen where ever you are!

Another month come and gone and I still can’t walk without crutches. However, today I am supposed to try holding onto a counter and hobbling a bit with my cane. I don’t think I am ready but my best effort will be forthcoming. My knee is still at minus twelve degrees from straight  which is discouraging.

Sammy met me outside after my rehab Tuesday. It tickled he and I both when we saw each other. He’s my buddy. He and Mason will dress up in costumes Friday evening and go trick-or-treating.

Haven’t fallen any more although I am having a recurrence of shingles. Just one spot on my neck but it itches, is sore, and burns at the same time. It also hurts deep down in my flesh. Always something, it seems.
I’ll get a head start and remind y’all to set your clocks back an hour this Saturday night. It’ll be dark early for the cold months.

Can’t wait until Thanksgiving. Hope we can have a good meal on that day.

Winter winds

Lyrics for Four Strong Winds

Catching up a bit. Last Friday I managed to fall off the bottom step of the porch and onto concrete walk, gravel, and Smiling Buddha. My head hit Buddha and the rest of me hit on my left side and away from the new knee. Buddha is fine and still smiling; I have a knot and small cut on my forehead where my hairline used to be. I was on my way to rehab and they took it easy on me after I told my story. The therapist made up for it Tuesday; I had appointment with knee surgeon for a checkup and rehab had me come into their clutches 30 minutes beforehand to make sure the leg was as straight as possible. After the surgeon visit, I went back to rehab for another hour and one-half of hard work. When I was allowed to escape, I felt terrible; sore and weary. Prior to this, I always felt better after exercises than I did before. I don’t go back until next Tuesday.

The boys have been over the past two Sundays and they are growing and learning so fast. Sammy can talk some but would rather jabber in Sammy-speak. Mason is starting to fight Sammy when he is bothering him; going to be some fine rumbles pretty soon.

We had a freeze last night and tonight is supposed to be our first hard freeze if last night wasn’t already one. I went to doctor for checkup and could not wait to get back home to my warm house.

Living on these crutches is very bothersome; it wasn’t terribly bad before surgery when i was resigned to using them for a long time but now that I can foresee a future without them makes me want to throw them down and walk like a man.

For anyone interested in rock n’ roll history, Amazon Prime has a documentary movie titled Sound City “Directed by Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), SOUND CITY tells the story of rock n’ roll’s greatest recording studio, and the musical magic it continues to inspire.”
I recommend it as a must see for all true rockers. I could not find it on Netflix but outtakes can be found on Youtube.

Wish you were here ...

Did humans create music or did music create humanity?

I hope your days are filled with the joyous music of living.

Happy Birthday, Alice

The first time I saw Alice was in December, 1973 when I went to work on maintenance at the local Texas Instruments plant in Johnson City. I quit a good job as construction electrician in Rome, Ga. to be a part of a new plant which was involved in producing electronic and electromechanical devices. Working close to home was the big draw for me. I met Alice’s husband Fred about a month before she and I were formally introduced. Come to find out that both Fred and Alice were from Morehead,  Kentucky which is only a few hours drive from Johnson City. However, they transferred to J.C. from another T.I. plant in Austin, Tx.; they were homesick for the hills too, I suppose. Alice and Fred soon bought a house in J.C. and began raising their little girl, Vanessa, in a new environment.

Unhappily, Fred died in 1980 and I thought Alice would move back to Morehead where most of her close kin lived but she decided J.C. was her future and the city and community are fortunate she stayed.
I have known Alice for forty years and she has been a blessing in mine and my family’s lives. Happy Birthday, Alice. I hope we are friends for forty more of them.

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

My favorite pic of Jeremy and made by Courtney

I have so many great memories of my grandson Jeremy that it would be difficult to write them. I definitely remember the first time I saw him when he was only a few days old. So small he was and no one could keep their eyes from watching his every move. When he was older, I remember him running and playing with new Christmas toys outside Dot’s house, one weapon of which was a plastic ball bat which he swung with authority. Later in school he played basketball, football, and baseball. He was a very good baseball player and won his league’s Golden Glove award once or twice. When he was playing third base, not many grounders or hoppers got by him. Then came high school and his interest in girls and other things which teen boys like replaced his love for playing baseball. Now he is grown and in his early thirties and doing his thing his way. He not only talks the talk but backs it up by walking the walk. From all of us back in the hills which I know you love as well as do I, granny and me wish you a very happy birthday and we want you to know we will be forever proud of you.

We love You,
Granny and Paw

The hills are alive

Not much going on here in the hills. Leaves are slowly losing green pigment and their true colors are showing. Between the fifteenth and twenty-fifth should be the best time for color at mid-elevations in the mountains. Damn, I wish I could walk!

Do every day Americans really pay any attention to what is going on in our elected government unless it directly affects them in some astute way?

The Senate is holding hearings on Social Security disability fraud. Some law firms are alleged to be nothing more than disability factories who buy doctors and federal judges whom will approve every case sent to them. Some doctors even come to lawyer’s offices and do a ten-minute evaluation on people whom claim to be physically or mentally unable to work. One firm in W. Va. is under fire at present in the hearing along with the local Social Security claims office which seems to be corrupt. I imagine the investigation is nationwide and that the fallout will be big. S.S. fraud is costing the taxpayers hundreds of millions each year.

Is Bernie Sanders the only decent Senator In Washington, D.C.?

Some birthdays this month and I hope I don’t forget the particular days. Jeremy, Alice, and JJ are celebrating; hope I haven’t forgotten anyone.

Have a great weekend, my friends!