“Happy Christmas to All and All a Good Night”

The above poem is the first book I recall my mother reading to me when I was small and on her lap.

I watched The Wolf of Wall Street on Netflix. Good story but the movie itself is putrid. Over acted, over directed, and overly long.

In case I’m unable to get back here before Christmas, my wish for all is to have a merry holiday.

Worldly King William

Worldly King William

Where stood my enemies now exist I alone
Vanquished I them not with sword nor with stone

With love and respect and almighty Truth
Past these days unto my youth

Soothing words smote angry beasts
With quill and ink fought I ne’er to appease

At world’s end now I stand
Life’s worst conquered… my holy land

Poem ©2014 Ken Anderson

Tidings of Great Joy

A bit of good news for me. For the past month, I have been trying a new medication (Arava) for rheumatoid arthritis. It took three weeks for it to begin working but I now have a lot less body soreness and much reduced joint swelling than before. For the most part, I feel better than I have for the past four years. The drug has been around for a while and it does carry dangerous side effects such as severe liver damage or failure, increased chance of cancers, and I am more susceptible to tuberculosis and pneumonia. Test yesterday showed my liver function as normal. I still must have blood test once each month. So far, the only side effect I know I am having is losing more of the few hairs I have left on my head.

A Waltz

The waltz presented in this video was composed by actor Anthony Hopkins. Beautiful music by a remarkable man and performed by a remarkable orchestra.

After getting used to all the lively discussion and general bull crap on Facebook, Google+ feels like a funeral parlor when I visit there.

Been under the weather for a couple of weeks but am feeling better today. Didn’t have enough energy to write much or be on Megashot. I hope to have a bit of positive news about my health next week; doctor visit tomorrow.

Must It Forever Be A Dream ...

My thoughts are that America is more divided than it has been since 1960’s. However it isn’t split by racial makeup alone. Since so many of the racial and ethnic killings and beatings by police are being made public via video, people of all races are coming together to protest and decry the brutality by the lawmen whom we expect to protect us. I have vivid memories of newscasts showing devastating riots in many American cities after Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968. His murder and ensuing revolts are the cause for his words and deeds to finally be taken to heart by so much of the public which had previously been blinded by selfish uncaring. The murder of Robert Kennedy also caused rioting in many of the same communities just two months after Dr. King died. Some of these riots were not specifically racist; they were groundswell demands for justice and equality for all. It took great destruction, violence, and many deaths to teach America a painful and long needed lesson. It also took courage stemming from sorrow and despair. Hopefully the present unrest will be assuaged in peace with a new trust in justice for all of us. Martin Luther King’s dream echoes from his grave.

Fees for Free

Remember when you could go to your local bank and many of their services were free of fees? Free check refills, free financial advice, and free of overdraft charges to customers who didn’t make a habit of being over drawn. You could open a savings account and draw decent interest and make unfettered withdrawals whenever you wanted. Now, there is a fee for nearly everything the banks have under their control. You even have to pay them to allow you to use your own savings account funds if you choose to make more than one or two withdrawals per month. In the meantime, they are using your savings to make mortgage and auto loans and raking in several times as much interest as they pay savings account holders. Banks should be federally regulated. Personally, I use a credit union instead of a commercial bank. There, I don’t have to pay a fee each time a teller smiles.

Just ate a bunch of double-dipped chocolate covered peanuts and for some reason I am nauseous. It must be age; I used to eat more than I did today all I got was happiness.

Santa and Cranberry Sauce

My boys loved my Santa hat

Carolyn must be showing her years … she put the bowl of leftover cranberry sauce in the cabinet instead of the refrigerator. She found it two days later. Welcome to my senile world, dear wife.

We had a decent Thanksgiving although it was mostly spent by just the three of us. The boys came over late so their momma could go shopping but Sam decided his place was in the store with her. This is Sammy’s first year believing in Santa and he also has Mason believing. Mason is at the stage where his “I won’t” and “I’m not” is getting his hands smacked and his butt reddened.

I did some online Black Friday buying but it was on Saturday. I bought the latest version of Paintshop Pro for thirty bucks and it included After Shot which is a very good RAW editor for photos and there were also a few filters with the bundle. PsP comes in 64 bit and 32 bit versions. I prefer the 32 bit because I have a bunch of plugins and scripts that won’t work with the 64 bit. I don’t make a lot of photos these days but it is one area where I am still optimistic.

It looks like a lot of Black Friday sales will extend until Christmas. I just don’t understand rampant commercialism. It’s all Santa’s fault.

Happy week, y’all!

Monday is wash day

Stupid weather. Wear a heavy coat in the morning, shirtsleeves in afternoon, and back to coat at night. It is 71°F (21.7°C)  as I write this at noon today but it is supposed to snow Wednesday and Thursday.
Had to buy another new cable modem Saturday. Even with that, the net connection is unusually slow. Comcast needs to do some equipment upgrades.
 
Carolyn has gone to get a problem with the van looked at. I think the starter is bad. Also, she bought two new tires for the rear of the van about two months ago and one of them already has a knot on it.

Most people do not smile on Monday until 11:16 am.

All these degrading TV shows and movies; I would like to know the zombie’s side of the story.

Later

Getting ready for Christmas — Sam and Mason

I will be away from blogging for a while … at least until my health improves. RA is a day-to-day malady so who knows, I may be back tomorrow. Have wonderful days until we meet again, my friends.

Reflections on Elections

Our new friends in Washington seem to be doing what the people elected them to do. I cannot understand why liberals, democrats, and environmentalists are up in arms over fracking of shale being allowed. Voters want fracking and fracking they shall have. Even if the majority of the natural gas produced will be exported to Asian markets, so be it. Voters voted for big money to continue guiding the country down whatever road that leads.

In 2012, voters reelected President Obama, apparently wanting him to take on Congress and see that they do what the people need. Instead, the president went on the defensive and hunkered down for two more years, allowing the latest election to go to hardcore conservatives. Now, after losing his chance to lead, Obama jumps up and starts rhetoric about positive immigration reform and many of the other things he allowed to sit idle for so long. Too late, Mr. President. Go back to bed.

Monday Boys

So this is Monday
What else to say
Boys were here yesterday
I’m pooped today

Rant

Bumble bee on golden rod

Why the hell can I not go on Facebook without seeing Kim Kardashian’s big ass? I don’t even like her face, much less a glorified picture of her naked butt. Facebook is sicker than ever.

Carolyn isn’t having the best of weeks.  Wednesday night she was pulled over by a policeman for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. Yesterday she was in a waiting area while oil was being changed in the van when someone in a car rammed into the wall of the building behind the chair where she was sitting, nearly knocking her to the floor. The car driver left the scene and the proprietor called the sheriff’s office but they were too busy to respond.

Above photo is on my Megashot stream.

Better

Do a spontaneous kindness for someone and you may change their life for the better. Do many good deeds for as may people as you can and you may change the world for the better. Don’t worry; feeling good about doing good is not being selfish. It is just your soul patting you on the back and saying ‘you did what was necessary‘.

Afternoon Wednesday

Golden autumn magic

Used to be I only scratched my head in wonder when the good people of Texas elected some nut case but now the whole country has me pulling out what few hairs I have left.

I suppose I like the above photo as well as any autumn shot I have made.

The awaited comet landing seems to be at least mostly successful. I smile.

Carolyn, with the help of Jaden, lost one of her birthstone earrings I bought her. Now, I must get her a new pair. Shopping Amazon.

Wednesday; the day we finally get past Monday’s hangover.

Veteran's Day 2014

Today we pay homage to our veterans; we would not be here without their sacrifices.

Call me a nerdy geek egghead if you like but I am on pins and needles awaiting tomorrow’s landing of Europe’s space probe on a comet. All things space related have garnered my attention since the Soviets launched their Sputnik satellite in 1957. Even before that, I was an avid science and science fiction reader, always pestering the school librarian to buy new book and magazine releases pertaining to my interests.

Trying to enjoy the last day of autumn, for a while at least. Rain and cold weather coming once again.

"Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life!"

Ah Monday! "Can't trust that day." When one is retired, Monday becomes just another day ... sort of. Tucked away somewhere in the mind is a remembrance of all those aches and pains that used to come on Mondays after weekends of debauchery. The aches and pains are still felt but are from decades of aging and not from recent partying.

This past Saturday's blog post got a bit of recognition; I suppose a "like" from the official Wordpress blog is good. I've never had one from them before so maybe I haven't lost my writing touch after all. Actually, the holiday season with all its excesses and hypocrisies is not difficult to write about.

The boys were here yesterday but they napped for several hours and we didn't get a lot of play-time with them. I'm sure they will more than make up for it next Sunday. Yesterday's highlight was a knock-down-drag-out fight between Sam and Mase.

Only a couple more photos from last Wednesday and I will  go back to videos, etc.

Is it not written that Monday's philosopher has a shady past, a murky present, and a dark future?

Buy Your Cheer Here

“Pretty papers, pretty ribbons of blue …” sings Roy Orbison in his 1963 recording of Willie Nelson’s Pretty Paper. A long shelf brimming with bright, multicolored papers met us yesterday as we neared the front of the store. Beside the many shades of greens, reds, whites, with a few blue rolls of holiday wrappings were bags of assorted and fancy ribbons which may have been even more brilliant and and eye-catching. All this adorned the outdoors walkway of the produce market which just a couple of weeks ago teased our eyes with fresh vegetables and fruits which were just as colorful as the Christmas fripperies. Now, we go inside to shop for produce and outside for our gift wrapping “needs”. It is still almost three weeks until Thanksgiving but stores cannot wait to capture every dime a spontaneous shopper might be willing to give up for Christmas cheer. Maybe they will have some real reindeer poop around the market the next time we visit.

Above is another of my Wednesday cell phone photos.

Breaking Bad redux. In Albuquerque, NM — the city where the popular TV series Breaking Bad was set — a local pastor reported that his church on wheels as stolen. In my mind’s eye, I can see Walt and Jessee out in the desert cooking meth in it. Is it not written that a holy man who casts his lot with a wheeled sanctuary has spewed his seed on the wind?

Waiting for Thanksgiving

Lake View

Cold, dreary day in the hills.  I have to go out for a while  and I dread it; seems like I cannot stay warm enough. Maybe  should try wearing a coat; I hear that they help insulate skin from cold.

Above is another cell phone photo from my little side trip Wednesday. Quality is not very good but I like the scene with the little lake and its fountain plus a mountain top in the background.

Not long until Thanksgiving. Will you prepare a big meal this year? We don’t expect guests so we will not cook a lot. No turkey but maybe a small ham. Of course we will have dressing and cranberry sauce along with green beans, corn of some yet to be determined variety, deviled eggs, mashed taters, and candied sweet potatoes. Sounds like a lot but we will eat left overs for several days and anxiously await Christmas dinner.

Have a good weekend!

Seeking Color

Red Maple

I made another trip to new R.A. doctor yesterday and after we left I asked Carolyn to drive me around a bit to see if I could spot an autumn photo op. I had only my cell phone camera but I found a few decent trees which hadn’t shed all their leaves. Quality is not very good but I am happy just to have made some photos, all of which were shot through the car window. I am posting some of them on my Megashot and on this blog. Leaf color is a lot better this year than I thought it would be. Many of them have fallen but there is still enough to please my eyes.

Get ready for a fine weekend, folks.

Sugarless

What a bland day. If it were any more yucky, it would be unsweetened oatmeal.

Even my imagination is lackadaisical.

Tomorrow may be better because I should get out of the house for a while.

Do or do not. There is no try.
~Yoda

Snow

We had our first — and I hope, only — snow event of this new winter season. Most snow I’ve ever seen this early for these hills. Our climate usually has the grace to await Thanksgiving or later to dump on us. We had 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) of snow at our house but some of the local mountains had twice that much or more. Our electric was out nearly all day Saturday and thousands of more homes were without power. We retrieved the kerosene space heater from the basement and put it in the living room where it kept the house liveable if not completely comfortable. We bought it eight years ago for such an emergency and this was the first time we had to use it. Jerry didn’t get his power back on until late Sunday. To salute this early bestowment of winter, I present the above video of Christmas music.

The two eldest boys were here yesterday and we again managed to survive. They are a supreme blessing but they do wear us down after a few hours. Mason cried for ‘Papaw’ all the way home, Carolyn said.

I am still having much fun on Megashot, mostly just commenting on other member’s photos. I love the “snapshots” of daily life throughout North America and from around the world.

Watched a heck of an exciting college football game Saturday night; a big comeback win for my Tennessee Volunteers over the South Carolin Gamecocks. The Vols won in overtime after an excellent ending to the fourth quarter when they made two quick touchdowns to tie the game.

Happy Birthday, Colleen!

Happy Birthday Colleen wherever you are

Art by Colleen

 

XX

Case XX Mother of Pearl Stainless circa 1977

I feel the chill of winter in my bones and I’m wheedling Carolyn to put the flannel sheets on the bed. She is trying to hold out for new ones but I expect she will give in and use the old ones.

Looks like lower elevation leaves are about to peak in color. Still not a great season for them, though.

Have a wonderful weekend, y’all!

Cantata

This video is for Sandy. I think I like this orchestra version better, though.

After two very warm days it has turned cool and rainy again. We could have snow showers Saturday.

Sammy says he wants to leave and go to Florida and take Granny and Papaw with him. Mason is talking in full sentences now and singing up a storm. Jaden is taking a few steps alone. It is hard to believe that Sammy will be old enough for pre-school next year. Gods help his teacher if he goes.

Decisions

The only wasted vote is the one that isn’t cast. Once again, I support the Green Party and I hope you will consider what they stand for before you visit the polls next month.

I’m having a mid-week crisis. I don’t know if I should continue on or turn around and go back.

I got around to watching the second installment of The Hunger Games and it was hardly worth the time.

Ode to All of Us

When I become saddened and down — as I was much of this past weekend — this music video presents me with an immediate lift of spirits. No, I should say it brings me a swift high as it sets soaring the essence of “I” which is deep within me. The children! Oh my, the children are so joyful at seeing and hearing such inspiring music being created in front of them that they unknowingly become a part of it. Ode to Joy was originally a poem, yet when I listen, words become meaningless as the music speaks directly to my soul. Yes, I know I have placed this video on my blog before more than once but I trust that you can bear with me as I repeat doing so from time to time. I hope it shall bring a bit of joy to you, too

Cream

Mark posted on Facebook that Cream bassist Jack Bruce died. Man, what a blow to the world of real rock music. He has long been acknowledged as the best bass player in rock ‘n’ roll history and the three-man band wasn’t named “Cream” for no reason; they were the cream of the crop musicians in their time. Along with Bruce were insanely great drummer Ginger Baker and “Slow Hand” guitarist Eric Clapton. Jack Bruce was 71 years old when he died.

I went back to new RA doctor yesterday to see what they had in store for my treatment. I should have stayed home. There are medications which should help me immensely but they are not for me; I am cursed with not having the money to pay for them. Sometimes I feel like throwing in the towel and saying to hell with doctors in particular and the world in general. I left the place pissed to the gills and Carolyn was crying. I wish life were kinder to her.

The boys tomorrow.

Shoe-bee-doobee-doo

Wild Azalea # 1 Pen and Ink by Sandy Nuss

I’ve given up on my old walking sneakers. I bought them about twelve years ago and wore them until the soles began breaking off in chunks. I hate to change because the old ones had contoured themselves to fit my bunions. It is like saying goodbye to old friends. The new sneakers are okay but will take some stretching here and there to where I am comfortable wearing them. Tomorrow and Saturday should give them a nice workout.

The latest Hunger Games flick — Catching Fire — is now streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Most people say it is better than the first one of the movie trio. I thought the original was good but not great.

Thanks to Sandy Nuss for allowing me to use her artwork in the blog. This caught my eye as I browsed her photo stream on Flickr.

Ratty movies

If it were not for documentary films on Netflix and PBS, I doubt I would watch much TV. Man, they sure make some bad movies in Hollywood. I don't understand why big-time stars belittle themselves by taking on roles in such poor flicks. Greed for the big payday, I suppose.

I am already sick of cold weather and we haven't had any hard winter as yet. I eagerly await the Easter Bunny and apple blossoms.

Over on Megashot, Maggie is rolling along with her Play Time community. At present, it is dedicated to the harvest season and all which it entails. Lots of very nice photos from some darn good photographers. I am still posting photos from the past, many of which I've never shown before. None are great but it helps keep me grounded in the art and science of photography.

The Mids

Nearly mid-week already but worse, it is past mid-month and nearly time to set clocks back. It’ll seem like dark comes in mid-afternoon.

The more I listen to smooth jazz the more I like it. However laid back I’ve become, I still like Pink Floyd and Neil Young best. Somewhere I have an old Christmas CD that is all slow jazz; I’ll be wanting to find it soon.

Whispers

----

My heart whispers words which my tongue cannot translate …

Autumn; that time of year when each scent is a memory …

I love Friday!

Friday! Today is good even if a ghostly remnant of yesterday nags along behind me. On the horizon, Saturday looks to be inviting me to hurry on over and have some fun.
No rush from me though; I love Friday!

“… after all we’re only ordinary men”

Recently I read that Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album — which was released in 1973 — finally fell off the popularity charts. I wager that music from it is still played by radio stations more than any other single album ever. I think the song Us and Them defines the band’s philosophy toward life more than any other.

Another gloomy and chilly day in the hills. It may not be winter as yet but it sure looks like it on the other side of my window.

Peace

A Greeting for My Longtime Friend ...

Happy Birthday, Alice!

Alice is my friend of 40 years. We have laughed together and we have shed tears together. I am so lucky to have her as part of my life. Happy Birthday, my Friend.

Autumn thoughts

Out back this morning

Heavy winds and rain last night. I don’t think the leaves will be as pretty this year as is usual. Poplar leaves are going yellow and then quickly turning brown. I hope to get to the Wilbur area in a week or two; if colors are vibrant anywhere it will be along the upper Watauga water shed.

Bank of America is finally leaving East Tennessee. First Tennessee bank bought their accounts, including our business account. The transition is not as easy as the banks want us to believe. They have had us preparing for several weeks now but actually we cannot do anything until the 17th when it will all have to be done at once.

- – – – – – – – – – – – -

Brilliant lightning in my head blinding my mind’s eye as thunder rumbles through my skull and dulls my senses, leaving me deaf, unseeing, and mute as to whom or why I am. Thus, winter has come.

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

California Dream

Happy Birthday, Jeremy. I will get you an email as soon as possible.

I don't know what ear worm is worse; Thomas the Train song or The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round. I got a good mix of both yesterday. Actually, either one is better than The Brady Bunch song.

Finally a pretty day here after two weeks of rain. At least so far it is pretty.

Happy Monday, Worshday, and have a great week.

Someone Loves You ...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Tennessee Whiskey

Not much happening so enjoy a bit of George singing about Jack.

Starlight & Roses

Feeling much better today.

Sammy no longer allows himself to be called Sam or Sammy; he is now “Hammer”. All three of those boys are a caution.

Watched The Newton Boys movie t’other night. It was the most boring movie I’ve viewed in a long time. A bank robbing gang should be able to keep a person awake for part of the time but this one failed in a bad way.

Not a lot of really good flicks coming out of Hollywood these days. Not a lot of good actors, either. Most are so wooden in their roles that I wonder why they didn’t make an animated show to begin with. Shrek was a very good animation that seemed more real than do many regular movies.

Good Thursday …

Paper Moon

I’m having a bad day but I hope yours is perfection.

RA

Met with my new RA doctor today. A lot of questions and some blood work took nearly two hours. In two weeks I will find out what his plan of attack is for my lingering malady. After leaving there, it was to the Cottage for take out food and then back home as it began to rain again.

Megashot was off-line for a couple of days and I about went nuts yesterday wanting to get back to work. I don’t have much to do online and the site gives me much needed relief from boredom. I have very few friends on the net and I still don’t care much for Facebook or Google+ so commenting on photos is my thing. Yes, I could do the same on Flickr but that site is just another social network and I am not a very social person. I like a few close friends to interact with but other than that, I am still pretty much a loner.

Have a good day, my friends.

“L.A.’s fine …”

LA from Griffith Observatory

Jeremy at Griffith Observatory

More pics from Jeremy and Courtney. I like this view of  Los Angeles. They still have a smog problem but not as bad as it once was. I have seen older views from the observatory where downtown could not be made out because of the smog. The photo of Jeremy is very good, showing off his dreads and, considering the apparent time of day, I used a warming filter before uploading it. Thank you Jeremy and Courtney. You are becoming very good photographers.

We had our first official frost Sunday morning. Temperature was just at freezing point but the wind was briskly blowing at our house therefore no frost showed. Jerry lives in a sheltered mountain cove and he said it was fairly heavy at his house.

The day here began sunny but it is now raining, one of those cold showers akin to what well-meaning friends drag you into when they want to sober you up or like you do when you are horny and your wife says “hell no!”.

Have a fine week, my friends.

L.A. livin’

Jeremy and Courtney in LA

True

May your flame burn long and bright
May your guiding breezes be fair
May the one you love most be true
May you heart be broken ne’er

♥

Me at med school

Watauga River near Wilbur, Tennessee

Jeremy sent us several photos from California. As soon as possible, I will try to make a slide show and post it on the blog. He and Courtney have been hobnobbing with movie stars. Thank you, Grandson.

Big game tomorrow, an improved Tennessee squad takes on arch rival Florida. Knoxville will be rocking.

Friday is always a special day to most working folk, I suppose. I know it was for me. When I was working construction and tramping the highways, it had grand implications for several reasons. One was it marked the end of another work week and the beginning of a weekend. Another was it was payday. Most important was that I was going home to be with my family for  about forty hours before having to hit the road back to where ever I was working. I am tempted to look back on those days with rose-colored glasses but the reality was that leaving Carolyn and the kids early on Sunday afternoon was sad at best and at times it was heart wrenching. We that traveled like that mostly pined for a day when we could come home to work and be something akin to a normal family. My big break came when I was able to leave a job near Parkersburg, West Virginia and take a job at East Tennessee State University, working for a local contractor. Our purpose was to remodel the old student center into the new medical school. The job lasted only three months but was the best construction job I ever had, being very close to my home plus the excitement of being a part of the new school on a nice university campus. Little did I know that in just three years I would be attending day classes on the same campus.

Enough reminiscing … have a wonderful weekend.

My two-cents worth

Welcoming Father Sun

“Techie” artists spend a lot of time and exert much creativity to do what they love doing and they also have periods of not being inspired. I am not an artist in any shape, fashion, or form but I do know some whom work on canvas and I do know some who work via computers. Notice the word “computers” is plural; they may have more than one working and they may be viewing multiple screens as they try to produce art that is fulfilling to them. Like any true visual artist, they must satisfy themselves before presenting finished work for public criticism. Sometimes all the paint in the world or all the computers in the world provide no inspiration. The ability to create must come from deep within one’s soul and sometimes that elusive genie of genius takes a holiday and the medium remains blank, yet the soul remains and will inspire on another day. Patience, my friend.

Have a fine day …

October's beauty

 

Impatiens heart

Story telling time in Jonesborough. The event is recognized around the world as one of the premiere story telling festivals. Yarn spinners from far and near come to tell their tales as do people travel here to listen to them. A more important festival as far as I am concerned is the Apple Festival in Erwin. It is held in conjunction with the story telling. I expect some delicious apple butter to to be stored in our pantry.

What is it about October that I like so well? As much as I detest the promise of winter and its harsh reality hiding just around the corner, there is something about the tenth month which I love. Maybe the waning day’s sunlight is brighter; it certainly seems so. Maybe the nip in the air is refreshing after the long hot days of summer. Could it be the colors of the leaves changing from soothing green into bright yellows, oranges, and reds? It is most likely all of these things along with a lot more subtle nuances which give me inspiration and hope. Whatever the reasons, October has slowly become my second favorite month of the year, closely following on the heels of June with its first days of full blown summer.

Alice, JJ said to tell you that Gertrude Street said “hello”. He does yard work for her. She made apple butter on her stove and sent us a jar which instantly made her one of my favorite people.

- – – – – -

Sex and Apple Butter

Happy video from my favorite music genre ... snort, hee-hee ...

Do you ever dream about being in public naked?  Being somewhere you cannot readily get to your clothes or anything else to cover yourself? I've dreamed such a couple of times and they were the scariest dreams I've had since I was a kid dreaming of being chased by a giant. The naked dream must be fairly common because I've read about other people experiencing it. I haven't tried to find out what it means and have no intention of wanting to know. However, with a fine bod like mine it isn't the worst thing that could happen in a dream.

There are only two things worth living for: sex and apple butter.

Not much going on today. I hope to see all my readers on Megashot.

"Let your love flow ...

... like a mountain stream"

A rainy wash day in the hills. I won't be surprised if we have our first frost in a week or so. Usually before mid-October when the ice man cometh. I hope the leaf color will be awesome this year.

Last week was a mixed one with a lot of good and enough bad to make me thankful for the good.  Anyway, it was a learning week and I had good teachers. I now hope I can pass the poetry of life test they meted me.

I still do not "get" the American system of politics where we are expected to vote for the lesser of two evils. Let's get the money out of the thing and vote for the better of two goods. I don't expect anyone to be another Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, or Jack Kennedy but I do expect them to be honest and favorable to the American worker. It is up to us to take the government back because the rich are not going to give it up without a fight.

Have a happy, memorable week, my friends.

Yesterday

Yesterday’s blog? Really? I was daydreaming about getting my back scratched.

... i love you ...

Always, Love

… ummmmmmmmmmmm …ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh … ahhhhhhhhhh yes yes yesssss … round and round … yessss like that … lower … ummmmmmmmmmmmahhhh … more … yessss … you know how to please me … don’t stop … ummmmmmmmmmm … i love you …

Sentimental Journey

Not much new going down. I did entice a Flickr member to join Megashot. I have enjoyed her creativity in photography for several years and I look forward to the fine work she will post on our site.

I am working hard on Megashot, trying to comment on each new photo uploaded by members. My fingers are beginning to tell the tale but they will just have to suck it up and stay busy. I don’t have much in the line of new photos of my own so I am working on old ones, a lot which I have never shown before. I have really learned a lot from Cyrus, Maggie, and the rest of the contributing members.

Still learnin' my lesson

String of Bones

A couple of people online have sure taught this old dog some lessons recently. Hope I have sense enough to live by what I’ve learned.

Ah, mid-week and I no longer have my Wednesday blues like I had for a few years. It is good to once again have purpose. I am finding it difficult to come away from Megashot and do the other things which have become part of routine.

I’ve been watching a documentary series on Roku PBS channel about Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and their respective rise to be presidents of the U.S. It is by Ken Burns and he always thoroughly researches his subjects. Being an American history student, I am getting a good education about the two admirable men.

Drifting

Lovely autumn day in the hills. Flatland autumn is nice enough for some but in the hills, Nature seems to fold upon itself giving us much more beauty per area than anywhere else. I suppose everyone cannot be as lucky as me.

Let’s see, Friday last was my friend Fred’s birthday, Alice and his wedding anniversary, and their daughter Vanessa’s birthday. After 34 years since Fred left us, I still miss him as much as ever. If I am not mistaken tomorrow is Alice’s grandson’s birthday. Last Saturday was Carolyn’s birthday but she doesn’t want to talk about it.

Is Google’s G+ doomed to the waste heap of bad ideas? Google has just stopped requiring people to sign up for the social service when they open a Gmail account. Most social site users are on Facebook and Twitter and do not want another service forced upon them. Without the Gmail tie-in, G+ growth will probably fall dramatically and sooner or later will morph into something else like MySpace did or be dropped altogether by Google. I hope they remove the G+ account requirement from Youtube, too. My videos there are what keeps me having a G+ account.

I am still having a great time on Megashot; if you haven’t joined us now is as good a time as any.

Goodbye To You

Sometimes we should say “enough is enough” and move on.

I’m back on Megashot and having a fine time. Even though I have no new photos to share it is great to see and comment on the wonders being posted by old friends and new. Cyrus sent me some screen shots of version-2 which I hope will be ready for public use soon.

Autumn has come with some rain and much cooler temperatures.  However, the clouds over the mountains are very nice, still having some of summer’s fluffiness.

Have a good worsh day and week!

Playing with photos

I am once more active on Megashot, not as much as I need to be but about as much as I can do. I now have the urge to get back to the hills this autumn and do some color shooting. Damn, I miss having the camera against my face, holding my breath while composing the shot, and finally releasing thew shutter. The photos are great to see but the real thrill is in the making.

I downloaded Microsoft’s free Movie Maker and am playing around with it. It is not hard to use but the results so far are unsatisfactory. I tried making a slideshow movie with music and the music is okay but the photos look like poop. Above is my first try. I will let you know if I can get better results.

Have a great weekend!

An Outsider's Insight

Will Scotland vote for independence and self rule?  It seems to me to be a mistake if they do so in this troubled world. Independence today and possibly something like ISIS setting up shop tomorrow and no way to stop it from happening.

Whom else is threatened? Poland and Eastern Europe. Poles have a history of aggression from Russia and if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, and he likely will do so to some degree, Poland and neighbor countries could be next. Even if NATO steps in to try and stop Russia, it will still mean war in these countries with fragile economies.

Can ISIS be stopped? Probably but it is only the next threat in the Mid-East. At least Saddam Hussein was a known constant but now the entire region is in greater flux than it has ever been, all because of the West’s gluttony for oil.

How much of a threat is North Korea? Not much as long as the leadership fears for the life of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. I don’t think he is the actual leader of the government but he is the one the people there fear. I believe the military is in firm control of the country and Jong is but a puppet.

Ebola? Be afraid; be very afraid. Our government isn’t telling us just how fast this disease is spreading. So far, isolation of infected people is the only deterrent from this plague. It knows no borders and is not bigoted.

Wednesday Stuff

I wonder if Apple and the band U2 are pondering what went wrong. Apple forced out the latest U2 music album to more than one-half billion customers. Even though the music is free, a lot of those iPhone and iPad users are plenty pissed. In fact, so much so that Apple had to release a special software tool for the removal of the music from devices of users. Personally, I don't use Apple products and I don't like the U2 band. Apple is just another arrogant big business whom think they can bully their way in the world. U2 comes off to me as being just plain arrogant. I've never liked their music and even though lead man Bono has talked some good deeds, he still turns me off.

I have for sale my Pentax DSLR camera. It is a 2008 model K200D and is in good shape and working order. I also have some K-mount lenses that fit this and just about any Pentax SLR camera ever made. They include an 18-250mm zoom, a 105mm macro, and a 50mm f1.4 prime lens. I also have various filters for these lenses which include polarizers for each of them. If interested, leave a note at volmanken@gmail.com.

Be kind, my friends ...

Sweet Love

The coming cold and gloomy days are Mother Nature’s way of telling us to stay indoors and make sweet love. It is the reason more babies are conceived during winter than any other season. I was conceived in the back seat of a borrowed Buick in November when my father was A.W.O.L. from the army. Let’s do it.

I am finished with deleting photos from Flickr. There are several I’ve kept and made private but most are gone forever. The ones I’ve left are those of family, friends, and a few that have special meaning for me. It took something like this to show me what I’ve always suspected and that is how terrible I was at photography any way.

I am into a nasty comment exchange over on Facebook with some tea partiers.  No one has unfriended me as I write this.

Girls like their COCKS!

Some very pretty University of South Carolina girls like their cocks big and fast. As I watched a football game between S.C. and the University of Georgia Saturday evening, the Carolina cheerleaders kept holding up large “COCKS” signs. Man, if I was young, I wouldn’t hesitate a moment to enroll at that school. Surely even shy I could score amongst girls who like cocks that well.

Sammy and Mason were here for nearly eleven hours yesterday. Sammy climbed on my back, put his legs around my neck, grabbed my ears, and I was transformed into a motorcycle. I must have been a trail bike because the riding was rough and long.

Have a beautiful Worsh Day!

Sunday Morning Coming Down

My favorite Sunday morning song.

Have a great week!

Easy

Cloudy, wintry look outside today even though the world is still green. A day for blues and melancholy. I don’t look forward to winter but I know another lovely spring will follow in its time. There is not much positive about winter except it is a time to stay indoors and make sweet, easy love. Oh, to be once more young.

The boys will be here tomorrow and I will be worn to a frazzle by the time they leave. They both compete for lap time on me because I find things on the PC for them to see. Mason wants “Choo-choos” and Sammy wants latest super-hero toys. Yes, the do fight.

Big football game tonight for my Tennessee Volunteers. The young team has little chance of winning but it will be a learning experience they will need. Their day will come, maybe not this year but soon.

Stay easy, dear friends.

Another Friday

Another Friday. Back when I was working it was the day of the week to look for. When working out of town on construction, Friday was payday and the day to go home for a few short hours. Many of my older co-workers would not make the trip back and forth each weekend, some choosing to stay away for a month or even more. We younger ones, especially we whom were married, could not wait to get away from the work place and on the road toward home. We were often accused of coming home with nothing but a sack of dirty clothes and an erection. Pretty much true, too.

Have a great weekend, dear friends.

Fear

Thirteen years ago today America began to grow old. We spent two and one-quarter centuries in the exuberance of youth and the complacency of middle-age before the unfolding events of 9/11 jerked us out of our snug but mediocre existence and into the realm of fear which the rest of the world lives. However, if we are vigilant we need not fear. The government sure wants us to be remain scared of our own shadows. George Bush was elected president in 2004 when he ran on a platform of fear. We came to find out that he was the biggest threat to our way of life. If we want to do so, we can retake our government from the special interests that now run it. Wake up America; it ts once more time for us to assert the notion of We The People are in control just as the wisdom of our forefathers intended.

Spell on You

Not a lot going on today so I will present a tune and take my leave.

Giving

I heartily believe that Christians should take one-half of one week’s per month monetary offering to their church and give it to a decent charity such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners Hospitals for Children. Both of these organizations depend on donations to care for these suffering kids and neither of them charge anything to the children’s parents for the loving care given. After all, the churches will still exist just fine without the few extra dollars from each member and thousands of affected children and their families around the world will be better off.  “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2nd Corinthians Chapter 9, verse 7.
You may say ‘well, it is easy for Ken to dispense advice because he doesn’t give to any church’. Yes, that is true that I don’t give to a church. None the less, we buy a lot from Amazon online, from groceries to clothing to household stuff to electronics, to children’s needs and wants and for each purchase a portion of the profits go to St. Jude hospital.
Please help make a difference in the lives of these sick kids.

Dancing in the Moonlight

All is good in the hills even though autumn is bearing down on us as if we were deer frozen in its headlights.

The boys were here yesterday and were as always, enjoyable. However, as they are growing bigger, they are becoming more rowdy and are quarrelsome with each other. I don’t know how much longer we can stand to have them stay the day together. Carolyn and I were exhausted when they left us last evening. Maybe we will have to take a Sunday in turn for each of them.

Tonight is a full moon, a harvest moon, and a super moon. I think I may stand on the porch and moon passers-by in celebration. I too can show a super moon.

I have deleted more than one-thousand photos from Flickr and have about that many left there. I am in no hurry to shed them but in the end, they must go.

As much as I detest Facebook, I think it will be my home for socializing on the net. I have friends from Flickr and from Megashot there. I tried Google Plus but it is not for me. I am also trying video chatting and I like it pretty well.

Now and Then

Have you noticed how quickly ‘now’ becomes ‘then’? All our moments are preciously fleeting and should be used to the fullest.

Yep, autumn is surely coming. I haven’t seen a robin in the past week, tulip poplar leaves are yellowing and falling, and it is sinus season.

Since I shaved off my mustache, I’ve been considering doing the same with my chest hair, oiling up, and maybe standing in front of a mirror doing flexes and such. But then I figured my reflection would faint when it saw my sagging boobs. I am glad I am heterosexual or I would probably fall in love with myself.

Good fortune to Sandy’s husband Don as he tries to beat his personal best of a whopping 337 mph in his streamliner at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

I spent a bit of time on Flickr yesterday and this morning deleting photos. I want to have them all gone before I give up my pro account which doesn’t expire until next May. Internet life can be complicated.

Thursday's child

Happy Birthday, Aunt Ivy!

Another week about gone. Thursday is a decent day; I was born on a Thursday. I remember it well, too. Hot, it was. My soon to be mom was with the family, hoeing weeds from the tobacco patch. They had just returned to work after dinner when I decided I had enough of the over-heated swimming pool I had been in for months so i began kicking and screaming to be turned loose into the big world. All work immediately ceased and just after three o’clock I was brought into the light by Dr. Brabson whom had been summoned from Jonesboro by one of my uncles walking the two miles to town I was born a bluish color and the doc couldn’t get me to draw my first breath. After the normal procedures all failed, they tried alternating warm and cold water on me which were of no avail; I was just being stubborn. One of the mid-wives lurking about took me on her lap and began to shake me with her knees. Nothing. The doc then went to my mom and told her that I would not live and just then I squawed, pooped, and came to be. Here I am three score and ten years later and I am still stubborn.

I said my goodbyes on Flickr, fixed my blogs to where they won’t be broadcast around the web, took care of a few more problems, and am now in pretty good surfing shape. One thing I want to do is rid myself of my G+ account but Google–in its heavenly wisdom–forces my Youtube account to be tied to G+. If I remove G+, I can no longer upload my videos like I used to and I do not want to delete the Youtube movies of the boys.

Wasted

I had another near sleepless, wasted night and am shaky today.

Autumn is in the nighttime air; the days are still hot and lazy but the nights are cooling in promise of the coming change. I don’t look forward to winter.

Americans think it is a terrible abomination when one of our citizens is beheaded in Iraq but when our kids are gunned down in our public schools we seem to end up thinking it is alright for every nutcase to arm himself with assault weapons. We are just as much terrorists as are those whom have no respect for any life outside their tiny minds.

Today I make more changes in my net life. I will take a leave of absence from Flickr. I will also stop having this blog showing up on Twitter. As soon as I find how to do it, I will have posts from Blogger stop showing on G+. I don’t want to be everywhere.

Moment

My shaved lip is cold; glad I didn't await winter to shave it.

Shaving my mustache has made the long hairs growing out of my nose look ridiculous. I must take a few hours and give them a good trim. It is good I cannot see my ears for I suspect the wild hairs in and on them are longest ones on my body.

I hate being ignored even if I deserve it. I may just have a snit and pout a bit.

Almost that time of year for my autumn bath in the creek. Now that I am using my cane more I see no reason I cannot make the effort and get into the cold water. Besides, I like being naked in the woods.

Looks like I've lost a few readers. I still remember my first few blogs on old Blog Spot. Alice was my first and most loyal reader and my second posting back in '06 drew a comment which caused me to be hooked on writing the pages ever since. My first commenter was Robin.

I am happy to be writing again. I have finished a story and have another in the cooker.

Shaving the Zombie

I think I made the correct choice. The two night’s of lost sleep I wrote about earlier may have paid off. For two nights I wondered if I should shave my mustache and I concluded to do it. It is a done deed. My crumb and snot catcher for several years is no more. No, I don’t look any better and it not being there doesn’t make me feel any better. What is better is that I am over a wishy-washy period of my life; no more Charlie Brown for me. Now, I look for other places to shave.

… ——— …

I sat down to have a conversation with a zombie and first thing that happened was he stuck out his forefinger to make a point and the damn thing fell off. Awkward. I’d never interacted with a zombie before and all I could do was drop my jaw and stare for a moment while the scene registered in my mind. He looked at the stub on his hand then at me and seemed as incredulous as was I. The digit landed tightly against the side of his shoe as if it were trying to blend in. I quickly turned my head, trying to think of how I should react. When I looked back he was carefully placing the wayward finger in the breast pocket of his soiled suit. He apologized and I nodded and said no harm and that I hoped he could fix it. Anyway, it was good enough reason to end our palaver before it got started. We said our see you later’s and he went on his way and I continued my porch sitting, pondering what I just encountered. I concluded the world is a much different place than what most of us think it is or want it to be and we can either adapt (evolve) or die ignorant. I don’t think I want to be a zombie, though.

Labor Day 2014

Happy Labor Day, America. If you can, take time from summer’s last hurray and remember how this holiday day came about. Many men and women over the years gave their blood, sweat, tears, and even their lives to secure rights for workers and to keep children out of dangerous work places.

For a change, I am happy. I had a tough emotional weekend but two nights of sleeplessness allowed me to come to the conclusion that I should do whatever it takes to make me contented. Hopefully the trend will continue but with a lot more sleep.

Someone made a comment on a friend’s G+ that Sheryl Crow’s cover of the above song was better than the original by Guns N’ Roses. Crow’s rendition is very good but all I can say to the commenter is “Bull Shit”!

Breaking Bad, breaking good

Saturday night we watched the final two episodes of Breaking Bad TV series. After sixty-two shows I am still confused about a few things but I have to admit the overall series was very good if you discount the unneeded fluff of soap opera-like situations. For sure, the producers could not have found a better song to close the show and end the life of Walter White. No matter where you are if you ever have the chance to see this series, I recommend you do so.

I hope Sandy and family are okay after the earthquake near them. It did a lot of damage in and around the Napa Valley. Speaking of Sandy, I wish her a belated but happy birthday.

 I bought Sammy a Spider Man bicycle and helmet last week and posted this photo on Ashley’s Facebook wall. As soon as Sammy saw it he made his mom come to my house and get it.

Latest photo of Jaden

Going back

I think we all need an Island to ‘go back to’ …

Breaking Amore

Another birthday has come and gone and I suppose this is the first time I really feel the years on my body. Carolyn drove me to the Nolichucky river valley and into the mountains Saturday; it was a very good gift to get out of the house and to the trees and creeks where I always long to be. Thank you Alice for the birthday card and thank all who had good wishes for me. Especially thanks to Sammy and Mason whom spent the day with me yesterday.

I finally talked Carolyn in to watching the drama series Breaking Bad on Netflix. She loves it and I can take it or leave it. It began as a good story line but has turned into little more than a soap opera. The writers of the show quickly killed off the most interesting character, Jessee’s girlfriend. I am to the point of watching an episode every now and then.

Dog Days are nearly over and the nights will be cooling soon.

Hear here

The mouse is still winning.

I know I fussed because we had a lack of rain but now we are getting more than we can use. No complaints from me, though.

I finally surrendered after five years of nagging from Carolyn and ordered myself a cheap hearing aid. Now, maybe I can hear audio on TV movies without raising the volume so much and save myself from many of her elbow in-the-rib punches.
Happy is the hearing man; unhappy the speaking man. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

You ever have those days when you don't want to do anything except maybe roll up like a pill bug and await better times? Don't feel like staring at a TV or PC monitor, reading or even porch sitting? Lately, I am having some like that. I'm in a Dog Days slump, I think, but I trust it will soon meld into alertness.

Pillow talk

For most of m life I’ve comfortably slept on a feather pillow but the one I have been using is worn out and cannot be fluffed anymore. In its place I am using a foam pillow which I detest. It sleeps well enough but it cannot be folded or punched or wadded onto submission the way I would like it. Also, the worn feather pillow was probably exacerbated some of my eye allergies which have not been as bad since I stopped using it. Is nothing sacred? Seems like all my past is like the pillow; worn down from much usage and ready to be discarded.

Blues

The boys, especially Sammy, have been very sick for the past week. I haven’t had the heart to blog while they were unwell. Sammy ran a fever of more than 1oo°F (37.78°C) for four days. His face was was swollen and he was covered with red spots, all due to fever. Mason and Jaden both have runny noses.

Carolyn made goulash for supper yesterday and blackberry dumplings for desert. Also, she is once more in a war with a mouse … or mice, spending a small fortune on various traps and such. So far the rodent is winning. I was a casual observer until the critter got into my stash of marshmallows which I keep in a drawer beside the bed so now I am hoping for his exit in whatever form it takes. Don’t fool with my stash, Rat!

I watched a very interesting documentary on Roku PBS channel about the new pope and how and why he got to be the church leader. Seems like the Vatican hierarchy is corrupt to its very core, even to the point that it could go bankrupt or worse. Pope Francis wants to reform the church but has been told by Rome police that if he tries to fix the failed banking system that the mafia may try to kill him. He appears to be a good man and I think he will try to get his house in order even it does kill him.

Johnny Winter died yesterday. He was one of my favorite blues guitarists.

Summer breezes

It rained forty days and forty nights in just one hour early this morning. My world of East Tennessee is once again green.

Sammy had a great birthday party. He didn’t pay much attention to his Batman mug but he very much liked the little picnic table we gave him. He had a doctor checkup Monday and is fine, weighing in at thirty-seven pounds.

When Jaden watches Sammy and Mason romping about, his arms and legs begin flailing and a yearning brightness comes to his eyes. He badly wants to get down and mix it up with them.

July and summer are whizzing by so quickly. Carolyn and I are thinking about taking another short-stay trip to Chattanooga on Labor Day weekend. She desperately needs some down time away from home. I am also thinking about going to West Virginia and revisit some of the power houses where I worked on construction back in the seventies. From there maybe to Morehead, Kentucky  to pay homage at my friend Fred’s grave. I also want to visit some of the Civil War battlefields in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Time.

Trainsience

July 3rd. … first day of Dog Days. It has been too hot and dry for several weeks. Hopefully the hurricane now off the Carolina coast will bring a bit of rain but it is probably too far away. I suppose I should be wary of what I wish for, though.

Is anyone truly surprised by the recent Supreme Court rulings? If the misdeeds of this high court can ever be undone, it will take many, many years.

Medicare for all Americans is a fair and just proposal.

Sammy’s birthday presents from granny and me came via FedEx yesterday. We got him a picnic table and a Batman coffee mug, both made in China. He loves that darned bat!

Tomorrow is Independence Day in America. I find it very difficult to celebrate in this age of corporate ownership of We The People.

Happy Birthday to a Wonderful Young Man

Sammy 1yr. old

Sammy 3yr old

June the last

Last worsh day in June; this month has gone by like a like a hound-chased ‘coon and now it is treed.

Sammy is having his third birthday party at our house Saturday; he said for me to say “y’all come!”.

Sammy finally has me figured out; he told his granny yesterday that “Papaw’s crazy”. Mason is now  growing a bit taller instead of spreading out. Jaden seems like he is about ready to crawl.

Yesterday was my Bride’s and my fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Things

This morning while porch sitting I finally saw a honey bee on the white clovers in the yard. One only but I was very thankful for it to be there.

The boys were here yesterday and are present again today. I don’t get much time for net stuff except what they deem necessary: Batman and Thomas the Train.

We need a good soaking rain. Been hot and dry for weeks. I remember last year how the yards and fields stayed lush and green up until frost. Now they are brown and spotty.

Monday muse

Trying to recuperate from a day with Sammy and Mason. Sammy wasn’t bad but Mason wanted to get into everything and he also wanted to dissect everything. He managed to spill my glass of tea into my lighted keyboard and it no longer functions. I am now using an old one but the keys and letters are small and my eyes are weak.

After they left last evening, Carolyn and I sat on the porch and watched some major thunderstorms just beyond the mountains toward Boone, North Carolina. Didn’t have a camera with me.

Is anyone watching soccer? I don’t know how to play the game nor do I know any of the players which leaves my interest lacking. Shucks, I haven’t watched NBA basketball since Michael Jordan retired.

Seems like Polish politicians are learning the hard way that freedom is not a one-way street. Watch what you say and where you say it, boys.