Church

Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church

Five weeks from today until presidential election. Some polls have usually solid Republican Tennessee as a bit wish-washy this time. If so, it could mean a big win for Obama nationwide. On his blog, Mark asked if we were going to watch the debate tomorrow night. I probably will watch at least a bit of it; I need a good laugh. I’m still going to vote for Jill Stein.

Next Monday is Columbus Day and a U.S. holiday.

We’ve had a bunch of rain the past few days.

Have a Tuesday!

Catching up

Jeremy seems to be making inroads with his music; he reported on Facebook that his group is now the Reverb Nation number nine hip-hop band in all of the Marin Valley of California. I also think he is negotiating with  and agent so he can have wider exposure. I wish him well and I know he can do what he sets his mind to doing.

Keegan is back in Japan; he was home on leave for a couple of weeks before finishing up his Pacific duties and shipping out to the Frankfort, Germany area. He will again be home for a few days before going to Europe where he will receive some kind of promotion. We wish him the best, too.

Carolyn, Chris, and Ashley took Sammy to the market yesterday so he could pick out his Halloween pumpkin. They bought the one he liked and the market owner gave him a small, orange gourd with a curved handle on it which he loved and would not put down.

I like my Roku video streaming box and service. It comes with a nice little remote control but instead of using it I use my Logitech 650 universal remote to control the Roku, TV, cable box, and Blu-Ray. The 650 is fairly easy to set up; all you do is download a piece of software from Logitech which will walk you through connecting your remote to the net via usb cable, inputing all your devices makes and models, updating the remote via net, and then testing and if all is ok, using it. Mine replace four remotes.

Carolyn fried some green mater slices yesterday; great with mashed taters and peas.

Have a good week, my friends.

Meandering

Just a reminder to enjoy the warm weather while you may

 Very warm with hazy skies in Telford today. Nice but dry early autumn.

I’ve managed to drain six pounds (2.8kg) of fluid from my old body during the past three days and I feel much better all over. For the first time in more than 12 years, I weigh less than 250lbs (113.4kg).

I wonder if Mitt is sane?

Have a great day!

Lazing

I won’t be on the net often for a few days; I am keeping my feet up to try to rid myself of some swelling which seems to be keeping the wound on my foot from healing. The sore is from the infected blister that I got on my protruding bunion from the new shoes. They will not do the knee implant surgery if there are any infected places on me. I will still keep up with y’all by using the Tab.

Everything else seems to be normal; in other words, a total snafu.

Have a Tuesday and a great autumn week; we had our first frost in the hills Sunday night.

Zoo

Sammy treated his mom, dad, Granny Chris, and Granny Carolyn to a trip to Knoxville Zoo yesterday. They all had a very good time. When they got home last night, they all were worn out … except for Sammy. He played long and hard at our house for a couple more hours before he went home. He found himself a little girl his age at the zoo; I think it must have been love at first sight. Carolyn said all they did was touch each other’s faces. Hope to post a photo or two in a day or so.

Have a great week!

Sweet Carolyn

Happy Birthday to my still young and beautiful Bride

Arghhh!

Today would have been my friend Fred’s 66th birthday.
Fred Gregory 1946 – 1980

Today was Fred’s and Alice’s Wedding Anniversary

Happy Birthday Vanessa
Fred’s and Alice’s daughter

—-

Have great Wednesday!

Random

Raining and a bit chilly and we are also under a flood watch. It is supposed to be nice Saturday when Carolyn takes Sammy et al. to the Knoxville Zoo.

Sixty-something cable channels and still the same old same-old. Never trust a Comcast sales rep. The installer even managed to bend one of the ceiling fan blades in our bedroom … very impressive workmanship.

Are the Roku internet streaming devices worth the money?

Have a Tuesday!

Peace

Thank you world for sending us the people who made America great.
I but hope this generation realizes all the sacrifices made.
I hope original Americans will forgive us.
Peace

Getting there

Cherokee Lake from Clinch Mt.

Yesterday was shot and errand day; we both ate at local Taco Bell and became sick; Carolyn worse than me. Didn’t have a chance to get Sammy.

Hopefully, the Escape is fixed. Parts came yesterday and two hours later JJ had them installed and then test-drove around the block. He said it was ok. It will take a few miles of driving to make sure.

Well, my countdown has finally begun and the big event should happen in November. I am anxious with trepidation; I know it will be a long and painful road but not as long and painful as it has been. Wish me luck.

Have a wild weekend!

Blues & Greens

Some mid-week blues from Hank and is one of a very few cover songs he performed.

Not much happening except flu is going around; Vicki and Ashley both have it and the schools are reporting a lot of sick kids.

I’ll get my shot tomorrow and we hope to pick Sammy up and keep him for a few hours.

A recent nationwide poll has the Green Party’s Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala ticket garnering two-percent of the upcoming ballots. Folks, that doesn’t seem like much but it is enough to decide which of the clone parties gets elected in a close election. Green will be heard this November!

Have a good Thursday!

Sugar sugar

From Jeremy and Courtney; this is their view from their bedroom window in Riverside, Calif.

On Saturday, Carolyn decided she would take some day-old biscuits and make bread pudding like she has done many times before. She began putting ingredients together and realized she was out of nutmeg and cinnamon but not one to be easily thwarted, she continued forward into the culinary unknown. When she asked if I wanted to try some of it, I was more than a bit leery; the color of the pudding wasn’t “right” and all I could smell was vanilla. Being a realist and knowing that if I didn’t at least try the less than tempting dish, she would be unlikely to ever make bread pudding again even if she had the right ingredients and I dearly love her bread pudding. I boldly took a bite and was unexpectedly rewarded; it tasted like my favorite cookies which are sugar cookies. Bless her heart!

Have a Tuesday!

New beginning

Vistula beach

Didn’t do much but sit around this past weekend; listened to the Tennessee Vols football game on radio and watched Peyton Manning and his new team on TV. The Vols are ranked in the top 25 after Saturday’s win but their first real test of the season will come Saturday when the Florida Gators come to town. Tennessee hasn’t beaten Florida in football in a coon’s age.

Beginning to feel much better once again; I had the can’t-help-its for a few weeks.

I ordered parts for the Escape yesterday; not being definite about the problem, I bought the cheapest ones I could find. If coil packs are not the problem, I won’t be out a terrible lot of money. We cannot find a mechanic who can tell us what the problem is but a couple of them hinted that Ford coil packs are often the culprits and internet research seems to agree.

Sammy is coming over today; I hope to get a video or some pics of him but he seems to always be in a hurry to go where the camera ain’t.

Have a great Worshday!

Seasonal blues

Fall is rapidly approaching and I have a case of the blues which is common for me at this time of year. A lack of bird songs along with waning daylight and disturbingly cooler nights intensify the symptoms of melancholy. I love making autumn photos but I doubt I will be getting to do any again this year; my knee is seemingly getting sorer each day and riding in the car for more than a a few minutes makes me uncomfortable. Nothing I shan’t overcome, though.

Sammy was here yesterday; I tried three times to get a video of him walking and playing but each time he managed to scoot away from me just as I began shooting. I will have to find a place to ambush him. It was only a bit more than a month ago that Carolyn said she wished how soon Sammy would be walking … now she spends most of her time chasing him to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble; he explores everything. He had her pots and pans out yesterday making as much noise with them as he could.

Keegan is in from the Air Force for a few weeks; I hope we get to see him before he returns to Japan.

The Escape is still broken and barely drivable at times; it badly needs attention. Just going to get my shot is an adventure.

Mark should be back from visiting his parents in Connecticut; hope he had a good vacation.

Have a great weekend!

Journey

Look for it ... the bright side of the road

What day is it?

Aunt Ivy: Mid-1940's

Holidays keep my entire week messed up; I thought today was Monday.

Labor Day was quiet until along came Sammy running through the house naked; well, he wasn’t running but he was at his fastest walk. I didn’t have time to grab a camera before he was gone. Reminded me of Jeremy streaking through my mom’s house jay-bird naked when he was small.

Happy 84th Birthday to my Aunt Ivy; I was lucky to have three “moms” when I was little: Dot, my birth mother, Mom Phillips, my grandmother, and Ivy, my aunt. Ivy still treats me like one of her own.

Have a Tuesday!

Honor the working people

I darned sure am not going to miss Sun Myung Moon and hopefully many more of the rip-off televangelists around the world soon follow his example. Always preying on the most gullible and the poorest. I hope that Pat Robertson and Billy Graham will soon follow the Korean to whatever heaven is appropriate for such filth.

We must be getting the leftovers from the hurricane which hit Louisiana last week. I have seen but one robin in the past week and other migrators have also thinned out or disappeared. A few trees are shedding early leaves and the photo-sharing sites are already posting autumn color shots. Wrens are cuddling in Carolyn’s Boston ferns but she will bring the greenery in before first frost. The little birds seem always to find another place to winter until she once again hangs the baskets in mid-spring.

Have a good Worshday everyone and a great Labor Day to all the working men and women of the world.

Politick … tick … tick … tick

Democrats are as blind as Republicans. Some of my FB pals are blaming G.W. Bush in entirety for T.A.R.P. bailout of Wall Street. They don’t seem to remember Obama and McCain both making big productions of sacrificing campaign time to rush to Washington, D.C. to vote “YEA” for the giving away of America’s future. These Democrats are more worried about a vote for the Green Party hurting Obama than they are about what is right and what is wrong. If Obama loses, he will have done so on his own merits.

I decided I would vote this year; I was so pissed in 2008 that I pouted and did not do so. This year I am still mad at the political setup and I am still pouting, but I will vote for the Green Party anyway. In Tennessee, it won’t make any difference; whichever Republican runs for president will get the state’s electoral votes. Mine will be a vote of protest against an archaic and failed system.

Have a fine Thursday!

Tuesday

Our wandering kids in front of L.A. skyline

Jeremy and Courtney seem to be doing fine in their California digs. He is having a good time with his music where it is having an impact on the local scene. We love ya, young'uns!

Not much else going on today in the hills; hot outside with rain again possible.

Have a Tuesday!

Rosa Parks we need You

This country needs a new-era Rosa Parks; someone who has enough gumption to lead the non-wealthy from the grimness at the back of the financial bus to a place of equal opportunity for anyone willing to work for it. Americans have for many, many years worked harder and produced more per capita than any other nation in the world and we need someone to stand up and show the public why our so-called ‘Free Trade’ policy has not and will not work unless it encompasses Fair Trade. If free trade should become fair trade, of course prices will rise but so will job availability and wages. We will once again be able as a nation to compete with anyone in the world.

I think Carolyn has given up; she decided she wants more television channels especially after I told her the Republican convention would probably be on all the main local networks this week. She has decided on the most inexpensive cable package with internet and phone; we don’t need the phone but it is the cheapest way to go and after a year she can drop the phone part of the package. We don’t even own a land-line type telephone.

My new shoes are getting the last laugh; I now have an infected blister on my right bunion and am having a heck of a time getting it to heal.

Have a splendiferous Worshday!

Dust in the wind

Sammy was over yesterday to use his swimming pool; he had a lot of fun and Ashley made a few photos of him. Earlier, he made his first visit to the fair and he was not impressed. H paid no attention to the animals and rides and didn’t even like cotton candy.

The passing of Neil Armstrong is being noted and lamented around the world; he was the right man for the time.

A bit of good news on our economic situation; one of Carolyn’s old accounts wants her back. It is only a three evening per week job but right now, every little bit helps. She has only three more payments and her work van will be free and clear. That is another $400 per month we hopefully won’t have to worry about.

Yesterday I downloaded The Lord of the Rings all in one volume. Haven’t read it since high school. A couple of weeks ago I read Ghetto Diary by Janusz Korczak, a beautifully written account set in WW2 of the final sad days of most of the remaining Warsaw Jews in Nazi death camp. This is a heart-breaking story we should all read and understand. I also read The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. It has good lessons for all of us.

Have a good week a-comin’!

Summer's end

One of the bridges which is located in a part of Warsaw’s Łazienki park called ‘Ogród Belwederski’. Jola’s photo.

 

I like making photos in late summer. Weather has usually moderated to where it isn’t too hot to spend some time in the sun and humidity isn’t so oppressive to keep us reaching for a hanky or bandanna to wipe our faces. And then there is the sunlight which speaks of summer’s end. The lower seasonal angle of the sun along with thousands of leaves have softened the bright sunlight and bestowed that peaceful, easy feeling that is the hallmark of warm weather. Lots of open lawn, a whispering stream with hungry ducks, and kids to enjoy it; what could be better for soul-survival of young and old? Thank you Jola for allowing me to use your fine photo.

I bought Sammy his first real book; Shel Silverstein’s A Giraffe and a Half. Now to get him still long enough to read it to him.

Not much planned this weekend; I am have a bit of fluid buildup and do not feel the greatest but it ain’t near as bad as it was when the RA pills were not helping.

Have a great Saturday!

Cool

Saturday Nite Bluegrass

Nights are cooler and days, though still hot, are milder than what they were. It all must mean something.

Sammy has a unique way of hugging me … he does this to no one else. Instead of putting his arms around my neck like he does everyone else, he grabs my hair on each side of my head and pulls me forward to where he can lay his head on mine. I figure the harder he pulls my hair the more lovin’ he is giving me. I call it his “papaw hug”.

Until he was here Wednesday, I had never been able to pick him up from the floor or someone’s lap. RA had me so weak and sore that some days I could not lift a fork to my mouth to feed myself; I basically bent over like a pig at a slop trough and did the best I could. Sammy and I were alone in the office Wednesday and something in the hallway slightly frightened him; it has happened before and he always crawled to me for me to pick him up to protect him and I was never able to do so; I had to call out to Carolyn to help me. He couldn’t understand why I didn’t pick him up and the way he looked up at me with his pleading eyes broke my heart. But this time when he came to me, I easily picked him up and he immediately grabbed my hair and gave me a “papaw hug”. The RA shots are finally working for the most part and I’ve had a pretty good week.

Got my shot yesterday and also my blood work in preparation for my RA doctor checkup next Friday.

 Have a good weekend!

Sammy walks

Floods and flops

Sunday, Carolyn and I revisited the scenes of the Dry Creek flooding. I could have made some pics of the work going on for people to rebuild their lives; I could have made pics of them sitting in front of their tiny, temporary camper homes. I could have made pics of their facial expressions as another idiot with a camera gawked by, I could have tried to capture the strained emotions on their faces, and I could have tried to catch the glimpses of hope as they waved when we drove by. Instead, I kept the camera in my lap and they kept their dignity. Many agencies, both government and private, are helping out in making homes once more liveable or even replacing the ones that could not be fixed. Jerry has applied for assistance in getting his HVAC unit replaced; he has already spent $350 of his own on it just to find out it is not repairable.

Augusta National Golf Club has finally admitted female members. If I were a woman, I would be so pissed at the club I would tell them to fuck-off! Really, who these days cares if some rich old bastards elect some rich old bitches to membership? They never did invite me to join.

Have a Tuesday!

“Back To The Island” … for Brenda and Ken–they lived their dream

Back To The Island lyrics

Now the day is gone and I sit alone and think of you, girl
What can I do without you in my life?
I guess that our guessing game just had to end that way
The hardest one to lose of all the games we played

But the time is past for living in a dream world
Lying to myself can't make that scene
Of wondering if you love me or just making a fool of me
Well I hope you understand I just had to go back to the island

Chorus:

And watch the sun go down (sit and watch the sun go down)
Hear the sea roll in (listen to the sea roll in)
But I'll be thinking of you (yes, and I'll be thinking of you)
And how it might have been (thinking how it might have been)
Hear the night birds cry (listen to the night birds cry)
Watch the sunset die (sit and watch the sunset die)
Well I hope you understand I just had to go back to the island

Well all the fun has died, It's raining in my heart
I know down in my soul I'm really gonna miss you
But it had to end this way with all the games we played
Well I hope you understand I just had to go back to the island

 Have a good Worshday, gentle friends.

Coming down

The annual Appalachian District Fair begins tomorrow; it draws folk from most of northeast Tennessee plus many from western North Carolina, southwest Virginia, and southeast Kentucky. I want to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl; I enjoy that infernal machine. I also like the Ferris wheel (London Eye) but no way will I ride anything that turns me upside down and there is a loud “hell no” to riding a roller coaster. I’d as soon dare ride on an airplane.

Tammy is making soaps for Christmas orders; I highly recommend them.

Will Tampa Bay Bucs football ever be a consistent contender or are they the Detroit Lions of the South?

Less than two weeks until college football officially begins its season. I hope my Rocky Top Vols can make some kind of positive showing this year. If I could walk well, I would attend one of the home games. One-hundred thousand people clad mostly in orange and white and singing Rocky Top as loud as possible is something to behold. I haven’t attended a game in Knoxville since 1983.

Have a good Sunday!

Dixie skies

Watauga Lake

Sullen, gray, foreboding, lowering, threatening, ominous; today’s local sky.

I’ve restarted occasional emailing to some political cronies who live on the west coast. When my friend Dave died last winter, I got out of the habit of commenting on their thoughts and arguments. I did keep up with their goings-on, though. Of course we discuss more than politics; they must have found out that I am from the South and they began a discussion saying the North would have been better off if they had allowed the South to secede in 1860. I realize they were baiting me but they grabbed the wrong bear by the ass this time. I am no history expert, but I have extensively read, studied, and thought on the matters of why the southern states left the Union and why the North–especially Abraham Lincoln– could not allow it to happen for any reason or excuse. Following is part of my reply; I kept it simple because, like I said, they are all west coast men and really very ignorant of the South. They are all well educated but have chosen to believe the southern stereotypes. They are all–less one tea-partier–Obama-crats.
Me: Had the South’s nullification and secession attempt succeeded, it is my opinion as a Southerner that some of the wayward states would soon have reapplied for admission back into the Union. My home state of Tennessee may have been the first to do so; most of the population of the eastern, mountain dominated section of the state were die-hard Unionists. … It is my belief that the Confederacy would never have held together and slavery would have died out as the industrialization of the continent progressed.
>This is part of one of their quotes and my response:
They: ” … we would now be faced with huge numbers of marginally illiterate southerners flooding over our borders … .”
Me: Easy to speculate here but hard to put a handle on in reality; time stands still for no man or nation. The world was changing fast and the South would have been forced to keep up or possibly fall into anarchy or come under heavy influence from outside; they would not have had the money to keep up and I don’t think the North would have allowed too much help for Dixie from outlanders.
I can think of many reasons why the nation had to remain united and these guys have yet to show me why the states should have parted.

Enough of my drivel that no one is interested in anyway; have a great weekend!

“They didn’t want it good, they wanted it Wednesday.” ~Robert A. Heinlein

Sammy was here for a few minutes this morning and then he took Carolyn shopping. He is happy and growing; I hope to spend more time with him Saturday.

Our weather still isn’t settled; rain nearly every day or night or both. Some fair skies are mixed in but it is hard to decide what is going on.

I am very much liking the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 tablet. Typing is still a chore but not a heck of a lot worse than using my PC keyboard with crooked fingers and is much easier than using the Droid X keyboard. Reading books, etc. is much easier than with the Droid  and; I’m not forever tapping for the next page.

The phone company this month raised my internet access bill by thirty dollars; it is now seventy-five bucks per month to have net access. I will not continue to pay it; Americans pay the highest prices in the developed world for only mediocre service. For thirty bucks per month, I can use my wireless phone service as an access point and for a few dollars more than that, I can have net access through the TV cable.

Have a gentle mid-week crisis, my friends.

Worshday political Rant

The tea party express is heading for D.C. this fall and I don’t see much in the way to stop it. Obama cannot stand on his record for it is tainted with Republican idealism and backroom sellouts. Obamacare is just that; a tool for reelection. Without the public option such as Medicare for all, it is more mind-numbing bureaucracy for millions of Americans who need basic healthcare the most. Americans want and insist on easy fixes and the economy is not fixed nor will it ever be unless we strengthen its foundations; Obama has not the moxy to take on the hard jobs nor does the middle-class voters. National infrastructure is four years older and in graver danger of collapse for the most part. Our service people are still dying in Afghanistan, a place completely lost in the middle of the nineteenth century. Its top exports are heroin, terrorists, and foreign causalities of war. Obama nor Romney have no definite plans to withdraw from a place where the Red Army gained sense enough to know they could not win a war, and the USA plows on like victory is just days away. Young lives are cheap when you are the sitting power in Washington, D.C.

Maybe the surprise of the Democratic convention will be when Obama tosses Joe Biden and takes Hillary Clinton as his running mate, to have and to hold.

Phooey.

Did you attend church today?!

Jola's Amsterdam

Lovely day so far in East Tennessee; Carolyn is working and I ain’t. She took off Friday night and is making it up today. I planned to have her haul my butt around for a bit and see if I could find some more quilted barns to shoot for my gallery on Megashot but that project will have to wait.


Carolyn fixed a meal for the family last evening. Chris and Kevin, Ashley, Sam, and Sammy came to eat with us. Jerry was up to his ears trying to get his outbuildings and area cleaned up after the flood damage so he and Tami didn’t come. It was good to have something other than a sandwich for a change.

I am cutting down on my Facebook usage; I’ve never spent a lot of time there but I am becoming bored with some of the stuff I post which is mostly shares about politics or religion; too much of either one is enough. I will still check in on my family and you, my dear friends.

Have a great week a’coming!

“No individual raindrop ever considers itself responsible for the flood”

Quiet and beautiful street in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Thanks to Jola for allowing me to use her photo

What is it with the internet? If it gets any slower it will be going backwards; if so, maybe we can see if Al Gore really did invent the net.

Jerry was over yesterday to get the pressure washer; he has a lot of cleanup to do. Tennessee Emergency Management is doing their thing in Dry Creek where he lives and where the most damage was done and Federal Emergency Management is due at any time. Though no human lives were lost in the flooding, many pets and farm animals died. One family lost twelve miniature horses along with other livestock. Dry Creek has changed its channel in a place or two because of the massive movement of soil by water; a fish pond belonging to Jerry’s father-in-law is gone. Jerry’s worst loss was his heating and cooling system for his house; it quit working soon after the flood water receded.

Dog Days ended yesterday and school is starting. Long, frosty nights and days of little sunshine are just around the corner. I need a long vacation away from this desk; do I hear Florida calling? Not likely, probably just the wind around the shutters teasing me a bit.

Out yesterday getting my shot and running errands. Carolyn had a craving for a fish dinner at Long John Silver’s so off we went—against my better judgement. LJS used to have good food back in the 70′s, but now it is nothing but grease bombs. Carolyn is more tolerant of it than am I, so after eating I became sick at my stomach and she didn’t.

Have a good weekend!

Just Wednesday

Emergency management crews are in the flooded areas, assessing damages to property. Jerry has several thousands of dollars in damages but like nearly everyone else in the United States, he has no flood damage insurance. I don’t know if there will be any government aide for these people, may of whom lost nearly everything. One family lost at least a dozen miniature horses and other livestock. Was all this an act of God or just Nature doing her thing?

Sammy was over yesterday and he is walking. He walks some, crawls some, and as with most toddlers, he prefers to be carried. I hope to get a video of him walking and dancing when he returns.

Have a great Wednesday!

Dry Creek flood

Jerry called us at about nine o’clock last evening saying that they were flooded by the heavy rains. He had no power and water was a few inches below his door. Later he called back and said the flood was receding a little. We drove down to Dry Creek this morning and it is a mess down there. He is very lucky the water didn’t come up another foot. In just a sort time last evening, they had six inches (15cm) of rain fall. This flood was more severe than the one I witnessed in 1980 when many of the bridges washed out on the same stream. They were replaced by better structures and most of them seem to have held. A few houses, mobile homes, and out buildings were washed off their foundations with one house ending up on the main road atop a car. The mayor of Washington County was in the area this morning handing out bottled water and the Red Cross along with other emergency services were in the area. The worst damage to Jerry’s property was muddy water getting inside a couple of his vehicles, including his nice Camaro, and his work and storage shed were also flooded. I got a few pics with the Pentax and 50mm lens but nothing of real importance.

Have a good Worshday!

Blowing my top

Sunlight strikes the retinas of the eyes which instantly message the brain to send excruciating pain signals to the areas of the head just behind the eyebrows, feeling like twin earthquakes rumbling through and a moment later a volcano dead-center between the eyes blows its top. Thus was my day yesterday and once the mess began, I could not control it. I even threatened to get drunk just to ease the pressure. Today is easier but there is room for improvement. Such is life …

Congratulations to Mark for acquiring a beautiful ride. I hope it brings him many years of of carefree driving. I suppose there won’t be any stump-jumping or swamp music for this black truck.

Most of the time it is best for a man to sit with his mouth tightly shut and nodding approval of every inane word his loving bride says to him.

Thank YOU!

Thank each one of you for your many birthday greetings; they are appreciated and I love all of you. Thanks to my Megashot friends, my Flickr friends, my Facebook friends, and especially to my blog friends for making this a joyful day for me … and Sammy. He was with me for a few hours.

Have a great weekend!

Texas tales

I found a new word, at least one I don’t think I’ve run across before—smarmy. Sounds sort of like British origin. Now that I have it I must think of something to do with it. Should be great in politics. Smarmy: smug or sleazy.

In her blog, Courtney is describing her and Jeremy’s pilgrimage from the deep south to L.A. Hooray to Remy for putting her paw down and saying she wasn’t going any farther in one day; they were deep in the heart of Texas.

Have a good Thursday!

Eat this

In a market already saturated with restaurants and fast food outlets, Johnson City has gone gaga over the prospect of a Tupelo Honey Cafe franchise locating in town. Well, the wait is over as the parent company of the restaurant announced they would locate in our fair city. It is to be situated downtown therefore tying its fortunes on the revitalization of a part of the landscape that I think should be leveled and made into a green space dedicated to the futility of urban renewal when, in fact, ol’ Urb don’t want to be renewed.

The Olympics are a few days old now and I’ve yet to catch an event on TV. Every time I try to see what’s happening, all I get is a bunch of talking heads attempting to explain in detail all the things I don’t want to know. Being as they are showing the day’s events in replay, it looks like they could cut-out some of the inane (insane) verbal “expert” garbage and home videos of the participants as small children and get down to the competitors doing their thing.

Mitt Romney tells the Polish press via his spokesman to ” kiss my ass” and to “shove it” while campaigning in Warsaw in an attempt to garner that conservative nation’s much needed Catholic votes. Uh, Mr. Romney; Poland is not one of the voting districts of the USA and there are probably not more than two-or-three tea partiers living within its borders. I suppose you are just passing through on your way to Switzerland to make a deposit in your Christmas Club account at one of that nation's famous banks.

Have a Tuesday!

New pumps

I gotta brand new pair of shoes! First I’ve bought in many years. For ages I bought only New Balance walking shoes because the ones I liked were made in USA. I can no longer find the domestic ones, so I ended up trying a new brand called ProPet which, of course. are Chinese made. I require shoes with Velcro straps because of my unpredictable fingers and wrists. They seem to fit well and feel good but I know it will take a lot of bunion and callous pads to get them comfortable. They were bought from Amazon, but I recommend ShoeBuy instead; their prices are a bit higher but they have very good return policies and delivery times.

Courtney has her first blog posted from her new home in California.

Romney is going to visit Poland; Jola is fortunate to be away at this time.

Have a good Worshday!

Young and old

Sammy was with us both Friday and Saturday for several hours each visit. He don’t nap much anymore; thirty minutes Friday and none yesterday.
Eight weeks back, he could stand under my desk with a little head clearance; now the top of his head is at least an inch (25mm) higher than the bottom of my desktop. Kids do most of their growing in summer, I suppose.

In court Wednesday in a case heard shortly before mine; Discover Card versus and old woman. Not just an old woman, she is ninety years old, suffering from acute dementia and nearly deaf. Her son was with her, explaining the situation to the judge and the prosecuting lawyer. The woman has no recollection of using the card any later than 1987; the judge was nice and told her she needed to have an attorney and reset the hearing date until October. She obviously doesn’t have any money and her son wasn’t dressed in finery either so I don’t know how she can afford legal counsel. Our government has all but shut down free legal aid to poor people, leaving folk like her in a bind.

No matter how desperate our problems seem to get, there is always someone in much more physical, mental, or financial distress than are we and our corporate nation cares not at all. Wake up, America!

Have a good week a’coming.

Mid-week

All went as good as could be expected yesterday. The doctor said I was in very god shape for my ages except for the RA. I came out of court with payments I could barely afford which will likely play into my knee surgery scenario. Ah well, we live moment by moment.

Another thing that has gotten us behind this month is that Carolyn did not receive her Social Security check which was due on the third Wednesday. She called the bureaucracy and they informed her that her check had indeed been sent but said they would send her a replacement. Also, one of her accounts didn’t pay her this month and and all this has put us in a bit of a hole. By month’s end, we should be ok, however. The cosmic karma is about to send the eagle of prosperity to shit on my head.

Got my shot today and tomorrow comes the Man. I desperately need one of his hugs.

Have a good Thursday!

Ride Sally Ride!

Back when I still thought there was a possibility of America having a great future, our first woman astronaut flew aboard the space shuttle, reinforcing my optimism. Sally Ride, who inspired a lot of women around the world with her pioneering journey, died recently.

Carolyn took the Escape to the mechanic yesterday. He found no electrical problems and ended up cleaning the fuel injectors. He said he was getting more and more cars with the same problem and that it was more than likely due to bad gasoline. He said a person should find a station they trust and buy all their fuel there. Knowingly selling bad gasoline is more of America’s moral and economic decay.

This is going to be a crappy week. Tomorrow morning I go to my doctor for annual checkup. In the afternoon I have to appear in court so a creditor can obtain judgement against me. I can tolerate the judgement decree, but I will have to stand on the crutches for an unknown time until my case is heard. These two things should envelope my entire day. Thursday is shot day again and hopefully Friday will be Sammy day; he can quickly cure an entire week full of ills.

Have a Tuesday!

Center stage

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players …
~William Shakespeare

I think W. Shakespeare pretty well realized most of the strengths and frailties of the human spirit. I also believe that most of us live at least a double standard and each of these standards comes with an assortment of faces we show the public, our friends, our enemies, and our families … and sometimes even ourselves. We play our roles as we see fit and as the whims of life tell us to. My own roles have been many and varied, I suppose.
I was thinking; it seems that in the last few years my role–never one of great importance–on life’s stage has become less pertinent as younger faces reciting shiny and important new words written in updated scripts have slowly replaced my time-worn and dog-eared pages. At the same time, I realized that I hardly used a script after I became used to my groove (rut?)in my continuing road of living and I doubt that most people do; life’s mature players simply ad-lib along. That is not to say I am comfortable with my journey; when a person becomes complacent they are asking for an awakening slap across the mouth from the people they most trust, not to mention the pains and sorrows their enemies have planned for them. Ad-libing is much easier than following a script; words and directions written for us, even if they were written by us, become stale and and we end up having to alter facts just to make them fit our view of the times. I am guilty of altering facts at times as I ad-lib them because in simple situations, saying a little white lie to ease me through is much better than having to face a big and complicated truth all at one time. My brain has learned a bit from my worn knees: small steps are less complex or painful to deal with than are huge strides. Older people are never suspected of knowing the truth about much, anyway.
Anyway, live your life on your terms but don’t forget that you really are on a stage and you should try to say or do something either silly or pertinent. One good aside can save a lifelong mediocre performance.

Have a good week.

Yesterday ... and today

Yesterday was rather busy; up early and to doc’s office for my shot and then off to the south end of town for a mechanic to take a look at the Escape. It has redeveloped the engine miss like it had last winter. He was busy so we have to take it back Monday for computer analysis. From there it was back to the west side and the post office where we get our pension checks and then to the bank. From there to on to a quick, take-out breakfast/lunch and off to the north side of town and Home Depot where Carolyn had to buy a few janitorial supplies. It was past two-o’clock when we got back home and I was very tired.

Sammy is coming today; I should be weary again by the time he leaves at around four this afternoon. It will be a good weary, though.

Have a great weekend, y’all!

It's not easy being green

I think I have let it be known that I have all but divorced myself from the Democratic Party and it is very obvious I have never had any relationship other than animosity toward the self-serving Republican party. With Mark’s input, this year I have decided to support the Green Party of the United States. The Greens seem to have most of the things in their platform which I miss from the old “New Deal” Democratic party which was alive and well until the Vietnam fiasco ended Lyndon Johnson’s presidency.

One of the many things that do need changing to help the party to succeed is to find a better name than “Green”. I’m sure none of us have anything against the color green, and in some European countries green parties have had some good (and bad) impact.

In the U.S., the words “politics” and “green” together have been stigmatized into a derisive term, “tree huggers”. Most Americans who will even give it a thought when asked if they know what the Green Party is and who its candidates are will probably answer with their own question, to wit, “Isn’t that the tree huggers” whom they know as environmental extremists and elitist activists.

I applaud the Green Party for is stance and fight against the wanton destruction of the environment of the only world we have; I say for the most part, tree huggers, elitists, and other activists are sorely needed. What I don’t applaud is the name “Green” attached to a party, even a very liberal party that wants to be a player on all stages of reform through politics. “Green” is going to do nothing more than turn off the average Joe and Jane voters because the “tree hugger” stigma will be the first thing that pops into their minds. We need a new name for the party which the American people can positively adhere to. Americans need to know there is much more to the Party; we have good ideas for the economy, infrastructure, political reform, environment, foreign diplomacy, healthcare, education, and stern controls on big finance and businesses that have learned to master most legislation from the local level on to the federal level by using the influence of lots of money and strong-arm power.

Let’s be much more than “those tree-hugger guys”; let’s get the ball rolling to save this country before it is too late. What is your idea for a new name for the party which encompasses what the majority of American people want the country to be?

Have a green Wednesday!

To shower or not to shower ...

Latest member of the Carta family

Tammy has a new friend. I know she is ecstatic to once again have two lories to fuss at her while she works.

I wouldn’t mind being a Wal-Mart greeter for awhile; wouldn’t that make an interesting opening chapter for memoirs?

I am threatening to take a shower and it is not even mid-week yet.

Have a Tuesday!

Two for the ages

Kitty Wells 1919 — 2012

Jon Lord 1941 — 2012

Monday moans

East Tennessee

Jeremy and Courtney are settling in and are living near Los Angeles. Courtney already has a job and Jeremy has some good prospects. Good luck, young’uns.

Sammy was here Friday and again Saturday. He slept a lot of the time; he must be a tomcat at night. He did manage to stay awake long enough on Friday to completely tire-out his old g.grandpaw.

We got enough rain in the past few days to make the grass green again; still rains nearly every night.

Off the net since Friday night; someone hacked my modem. It was mysteriously back in service this morning.
Didn’t sleep well last night. Hope to be back in full swing by tomorrow.

Photo made Thursday morning near where I live.

Have a good Worshday!

Friday rain

Wringers … should’ve saved this for Worshday

Sammy is coming back today; he won’t be here long but I am looking forward to seeing him.

I am officially supporting recommending and supporting the Green Party of the United States and all of it’s candidates for public office. I hope that American readers of this blog will take the time to compare the Green Party with the bought-and-paid-for offerings of the two major parties.

All this rain is certainly welcome but I am now wishing it would spread itself out over a few weeks instead of several days at a time.

Carolyn is teaching herself to text on her new phone. I have never texted and don’t intend to begin and she now thinks she knows something that I don’t know. I cannot convince her not to drive and talk on the phone at the same time and now I have to worry about her texting while driving. I hope she doesn’t kill or maim anyone.

The photo was made with the Droid X phone camera.

Have a great weekend!

Bridge

Cross the bridge but don’t burn it behind you because a friend may be standing on the other end awaiting your return.

No Sammy today, perhaps Friday. He is spending time with his dad.

Afghanistan: Six American soldiers killed defending a scab on the ass of he earth and it is barely reported by our glam-seeking media. The world is going to hell in a hand basket while we capitalists continue to blindly chase another inflated dollar.

Have the Mother of all Wednesdays!

Telstar

By golly, I like my tab computer. I imagine a 10-inch tablet can replace laptops--and even some desktops--for a lot of people. I've already got Netflix and Youtube on board, and the silly thing can even operate as a tv remote control. Pisses-off Carolyn when I am reading my e-book and all of a sudden her tv channel changes or the sound mutes. I can act as innocent as anyone.

Sammy was here yesterday but he slept much of the time; he is supposed to be back for an encore tomorrow.

Finally got a bit of rain and there is thunder to the west of me as I write this. Still need a couple days worth of steady drizzle to soak the ground.

Have a Tuesday!

Carpe Jugulum

Neil Young’s entire Americana album

Sammy is here!

Have a great Worshday!

Days Like This

Jeremy and Courtney are finally settled in California; it was not the easiest move to make but make it they did. I will let them tell of their journey with its trials and tribulations on their own blogs. Anyway, my congratulations to them for persevering in the face of extreme adversity.

Sammy is doing well, according to the doctor. He got two more shots and a finger prick which did not please him. He is to quit using baby formula and begin with whole milk. He has a toothbrush and must use it. He needs to be read to but whomever does that will have to be fast on their feet because he is constantly on the move.

Megashot seems to be moving forward very well with many new talented members from Southeast Asia joining in the past two weeks. There are many more page loads now, and the sites popularity is quickly advancing. As much as I dislike Facebook, I must admit Megashot’s tie-in with the social site has paid mega-dividends both ways. I understand that version 2 of the site is coming along well and I know for a fact that it will be easy to use, very customizable, and even more exciting than at present. At that, the present version is still the best photo site on the web. Megashot.net is the best of everything photographic.

I’ve had a relapse the past couple of days; yesterday I was barely able to get out of bed. I fear the shots are not going to work, either. However, I am going to try to give them another two weeks to do their thing. My hands and fingers were so sore I could not hold my new ebook to read. Today is better but not near as good as was last week.

Have a good summer week, my friends!

Darling Clementine

Happy weekend!

Carolyn has gone to take Sammy for his medical checkup; he is still tugging at his right ear.
Hooray!

• Hooray for Europe following Poland's lead in slapping down ACTA.

• Hooray for France for taxing the richest citizens and companies.

I was planning to have a decent 4th when the doorbell rang and it was a process server with an appearance warrant for me due to an unpaid debt. So, I am getting sued ... again. I've been to the courthouse so much in the past two years that workers there think I am just another employee.

CitiMortgage sold the mortgage on our old house to PennyMac. PennyMac is a company founded in 2008 by the officers of Countrywide Financial which is the one company most responsible for the housing market fall and the mess I am in.

Got my shot yesterday; if the liquid medicine is going to work, it should begin doing so within a couple of weeks; until then, I will struggle on with soreness and feeling of perpetual tiredness on some days days, like the last two have been. Actually, I am much better than what I was two weeks ago.

I will try to answer the comments from the past few days when the fingers decide to work together.

Have a good Friday.

Happy Birthday U.S.A.

Link to photo information

Birthday Buddy

In about three months, Keegan will be home on leave for a while, then off to Germany. Hope he can stay away from Afghanistan.

Perfection! The moment we awaken each morning is perfect; everything is fresh and nothing is required … but only for a moment and then life reasserts itself. If we can but stretch the essence of that fleeting second to last throughout our waking day we shall have found heaven.

I know it is big argumentative, but my pick of the three best musical performers of the late hippie age were Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin. I believe that Janis performing with Big Brother and the Holding Company was the best electric blues ever performed.

 Happy Birthday, Little Buddy!

Have a Tuesday!

Hotel California

Jeremy and Courtney are in Los Angeles, Calif. and are almost to their apartment as of 11:40 this morning.

We had some dandy thunderstorms at around midnight last night. It is only the second time in my life that I’ve seen lightning flashing continuously for more than a few minutes; the show lasted for more than one-half hour before slackening. However, we got only the edge of the storms; about three minutes of hard rain. The grass is still brown.

We are up to our ears in June bugs, they are all over the yard; most I’ve seen since I was a kid.

Sammy had a good birthday party; he mostly held one person’s or another’s hands and walked. There were several small kids there and all he wanted to do was follow them around. Ashley’s dad has him spoiled.

Have a great Worshday!

Weekend update

Sammy reaching for g.grandpa

Friday was Carolyn’s and my 48th wedding anniversary; the day eased by with little to note its passing. Outside temp hit 102°F.

Ashley had Sammy his first birthday party yesterday; he was ill and sleepy at first but finally ate some sugary birthday cake and then he went hyper. He was a joy for all of us. Outside temp hit 103° (39.44°C).

Jeremy and Ashley are about to exit Texas; they stopped for lunch in Dallas yesterday. Courtney tweeted that they were invaded and infested by grasshoppers somewhere in W. Texas. They both agree–”Texas is too damned big and too damned flat”. She also said that Mississippi roads are miserable to ride on. They say they will be on the coast of California tomorrow morning.
Shucks, I thought Georgia was flat.

Have a good Sunday and a great week, my friends.

Second Birth

Slow day … HOT day! I did a rain dance in my head but all I got was a clouded brain.

Got my methotrexate shot this morning; I would cross my fingers and hope for the best but fingers look and feel like sausages. Speaking of sausages, I was probably 10 or 11 years old when I found out that not all sausage came in patties. In fact, a lot of things amazed me when I first went into a super market. They still do, particularly the prices.

Obama’s health care thingy is now law but it may cost him his job. I really believe that he didn’t want it to be declared constitutionally valid so he would not have to defend the unpopular law to voters this year. Without the public option which he gave away to Republicans early on, the health act will further enrichen the richest and make life even harder on the poor.

Jeremy and Courtney are leaving for the Golden State tomorrow; we wish them a safe trip and hope they have a wonderful life in California or where ever they eventually settle.
Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves. ~Robert Neely Bellah

Have a good Thursday, dear ones.

Title

Politician or used car salesman?

Sammy is coming so I must be quick writing this blog.

Not much happening except heat. I can't understand how it can be so hot and humid without a raindrop to be had anywhere. Mark, the Channel 11 weatherman, says we will have only a chance of the much over stated late afternoon and evening thunder showers; no steady rain in sight. My lawn is browning into summer stupor; three weeks ago it was till being mowed twice each week.

Carolyn and Chris bought me an ebook reader; actually a tablet pc. I think it was a combination late-father’s day and early birthday gift along with a get well and get out from underfoot bribe. Not many soon-to-be 68 years-old geeks are as nerdy as I. Nohow, I can read my Kindle ebooks and my Nook ebooks along with about any other format out there. It uses standard Google Android OS as does my Droid X phone which makes it easy for a forgetful old pervert to learn.

Have a good Wednesday!

"While I was musing the fire burned" ~Psalm 39:3

How come it is that only a country singer can take a gentle love song and make it sound like a funeral dirge?

Tammy, send RAIN!

Have a Tuesday!

Memories are made of this ...

Sammy's 1st Birthday studio portrait

Carolyn hounded me for a week about today being the day I’d rescheduled my family doc’s appointment; 8:20am. For some reason it did not sound right; I thought I had put the new date on my PC reminder program but it was not popping up. Well, I didn’t sleep well last night; much shoulder pain. At 7:00am my Droid alarm went off and she had me to the doc’s office on time. The only trouble was that I was there a month too early; the appointment is for July 25. When I got home, I went to bed and caught a few minutes sleep and then came to the computer; yep, there it is on my reminder calendar for July 25. Damn, I took a bath and shaved for nothing! Carolyn’s memory has just about caught up with mine. I used to be the person in the family everyone came to to find out a birthday or an anniversary. I also remembered all my friends and their kids birthdays. In the past two weeks, I wrote a Happy Name Day greeting for Jola and forgot to click the “send” button and a few days later I almost forgot Tammy’s Birthday but I think I did send her a greeting; actually I am afraid to look at my email “drafts” folder. I am afraid my message to her is still unsent. The worst part of aging for me has been the memory loss. Now, it seems to be plaguing my bride as well; don’t be surprised if you find us walking the roads and streets with a blank look on our faces. By the way, a belated Happy Name Day to Jola and Happy Birthday to Tammy and if I missed anyone else, I offer a sincere apology and a Happy Whatever it was.

This Thursday, I will once more begin taking the methotrexate injections and forgo the ten pills once per week. I went from the shots to the pills more than a year ago and had no problems until about two months ago when I felt the RA acting up; just a little at first has now bloomed into a full-blown pain crisis. I have had the disease since childhood and I have had lots of pain and soreness but never as much as I have been enduring the past two weeks. The worst part is that the shots may no longer help me and it probably will be about three-to-six weeks before they alleviate any of this … if they do work. Anyway, I will be blogging less over the waiting period and won’t be on the net much. If you leave comments, be assured I will appreciate them and that I will read them but I may not answer them in a timely manner.

Have a good Worshday!

Wings as eagles

In a few short days, Jeremy—my grandson, my friend, my brother—will be leaving us for new opportunities on the Golden Coast of California. He and Courtney, along with Queen Remy and Prince Bubba, will load up a U-Haul and leave their home in Atlanta to seek their fortune in another part of this vast, wonderful land. His grandparents are going to miss him worse than anyone else; even though we will be as close electronically as we ever were. To Carolyn and I, the crevice between generations will become like a great divide. Age becomes the greatest part of the division; with he and Courtney standing on one side of life’s grand canyon and Carolyn and I standing on the other side.

However, I many times look back at my life and say what if I had emigrated to California during the late 60′s; I passionately craved to do so. I could not take that giant step because I had a wife and children to think of. I ended up staying in my beloved hills which I now realize was the best decision for all concerned. I can never be more than a hillbilly living with the hills beneath my feet.

Jeremy has much of the hills in him, but unlike the red-tailed hawk who spends all his years in one area, Jeremy has the blood of the golden eagle and must move on to new territory, greater heights, and better hunting grounds.

“… they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” ~Isaiah 40:31

Be safe and be well, my grandson; you shall forever be loved.

Time

Westclox "Big Ben"

I began writing this some time ago and today a nudge from a friend brought it back to my memory.

Tick … from the old Westclox Big Ben was one of the few sounds which reached my ears on a hot June afternoon in 1952. Even little boys in the wide-open countryside get bored on wonderful sunny days when there is no else around to play with and the humid air sticks to the skin and fierce sunshine tries to push the shoulders down around my waist. All I wanted was to get in some dryer shade and I moseyed into my grandmother’s living room in the small, clapboard farm-style house a mile from Jonesboro, Tennessee. Tick … Close family all referred to my grandmother as “Mom” and that suited me fine. None of her real given names were hard to pronounce–Julia Ada—but her few friends called her Ade.

Dink … the clock said “dink” every thirty minutes as it tried to get up enough nerve to sound an alarm, or maybe it had plenty of nerve but at its age a puny dink was the best it could do. Anyway, when Mom was sitting in the living room as she was this afternoon, all she had to do was look at the clock one time and thereafter the pathetic dink would advise her of time’s passing without her having to raise her eyes to the top shelf of the mantle where the aged, ivory-colored clock-face ruled over small, framed family photos.

All the windows in the house were open and sometimes a small breeze filtered through rusting screens, carrying sounds of birds and bugs and chickens and pigs as they tried to hunker down from oppressive heat. The old house was cool enough inside, particularly the north facing front where the living room and Mom’s—and mine—bedroom was located; it was the bedroom where I was born on a similar afternoon some seven years earlier. White paint on the wooden sides and a shiny metal roof sent most of the sun’s rays scurrying off to find something else to torment. Even heat from the well used adjacent kitchen dared not trespass north of its own domain.

This is all I have so far but will do some more as I feel up to it.

Swan Song

Things change in one’s life so quickly at times that it is shocking. Having said that and without going into great detail, and until things change for the better, I will be doing this blog only on days I physically feel like it; lately there have been very few of them. I will surely miss each of you on the days I can’t be here. Don’t think you can sneak off and go play somewhere else; I will be lurking about the net, reading your prose and viewing your photos and smiling a lot.

Lyrics for the video are here.

Have a good Worshday, my friends.

Sammy was with us yesterday and is here again today. Right now he is having green beans, mashed taters, and apple sauce which he doesn't care for.

Have a good Sunday!

Thursday tidbits

Blackberries from our back yard

Tammy sent Carolyn and me some more of her handmade soaps and also balm for Sammy when he has diaper rash. She sent along some of her sunflower heads for the birds and squirrels. Sorry birds; you gonna have to be quick if you want a good meal before the tree rats get it. I had fun watching the squirrels try to carry the big seed heads up the trees. I also used some more of the soap and I think I smell damn good. Thanks, Tammy.

I think I may be getting my annual case pneumonia/bronchitis. Started with dry cough but has now loosened into chest congestion. Slept only about two hours last night and I feel like I’ve been anal-probed by a giant octopus.

The first John Grisham book I read was The Pelican Brief and it is still–along with The Firm also by Grisham–one of my top 10 picks in crime fiction novels. I am rereading the book. I just finished reading Ender’s Game by Orson Scott card which is rated by some as the best sci-fi novel ever. For me, it is a decent read but nowhere near the best ever of the genre.

Have a Happy Thursday!

Shhhhh ...

Quiet today … too quiet. Haven’t heard a train since last evening; very unusual for a “normal” day of commerce. Must be a derailment somewhere. A good quietness.

This is the day we normally have Sammy as a guest but he decided to stay home until Friday. His absence is a lonely quietness.

I am eating a raw potato as I write this; Carolyn bought some new potatoes and sweet corn at market yesterday. We will have lima beans, corn on the cob (roast’nears), mashed taters, boiled cabbage, and biscuits for today’s meal … and tomorrow’s and the next day’s …

A good Wednesday to each of you.

Solstice cometh ...

Weekend was normal except that Sammy became very sick with an ear infection; Chris had to take him to hospital emergency Sunday night; he had a temp of 102.7. He got meds and felt a little better yesterday.

Heavy rain and wind last evening I didn’t hear any thunder, though. Typical weather as we get ready for the solstice turn-around in just more than a week.

So far, the smartphone is winning. Carolyn has figured out how to get to the home screen and to check her voice mail and and use her contact list to dial. She just this morning found the touch-screen dialer. I’ve not used her phone to access the net, but everything else on it works much faster than it does on my Droid X.

On this day in history, Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl living in Amsterdam, receives a diary for her 13th birthday. History.com.

Have a Tuesday, everyone.

Happy Birthday, Robin!

Attitude

 Sundays; at my age I just don’t know what to do with them.

Sammy went to the annual Covered Bridge celebration in nearby Elizabethton yesterday with his mama and granny Chris. Carolyn saw him afterward and she said he was ill as a hornet. The image is from Ashley’s FB and seems to confirm Carolyn’s diagnosis.

The Understanding Church
Sermon for Sunday, June 10, 2012 C.E.:
God gave humans a brain high in reasoning power and I suppose he meant for us to use it. Don’t be mislead by the multitudes of false prophets in their bully pulpits and shiny palaces; use your mind to think for yourself. Love.

Have a good week!

451

If you’ve never read the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, you have missed a good book. Bradbury died Tuesday but his many works and words will live for a long time.
Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.
~Ray Bradbury

Why would God allow a bunch of fuck-ups like we humans to ever set a soulish foot in Heaven? If I was the best, the most moral, and the most righteous person on earth, I wouldn’t be making plans for eternity in God’s Heaven; He is smarter than to allow that to happen. The only reason it is Heaven is because people or their residual souls aren’t in it. However, if you are insistent on thinking that you are going to pass through St. Peter’s Golden Gates, all you need do is love God with all your heart and soul and everything else will take care of itself.

Have a good Thursday!

Sammy is coming to my house!

Summer grasses

Have a great Wednesday!

Dark Ages

Atop Roan Mt.

I don’t have place names or even people names for the new story, but otherwise there is some decent stuff. I am glad there is very little historical information about the European Dark Ages because it allows me to keep my tale in this world and be able to lie like a politician. I will use some politics but I will keep religious involvement to a minimum which won’t be easy because as I understand the period, Roman Church suppression of learning, knowledge, and scientific advancement is why they were called the Dark Ages. We will be in the latter part of the long era, just before the Renascence and where war is war and greed is greed and human nature is much like it is today.
The gist of it all is the question of ‘what if one person or one nation controlled the total mass-production of man-made commercial fertilizer for and entire continent and beyond’ and what if that nation had become a near-Eden because of climate changes? What if the Roman Church did not have its golden power-hungry hands heavily involved in the nation’s affairs? Of course, such a nation is doomed because the Church will not rest until it owns the wealth of land and controls the minds of the people.

Yesterday I was soaking in fluid; so much in my joints that I could hardly move without grunting or groaning. A fluid pill knocked most of it out of me and a good night’s sleep–even though I still had to pee a lot–has made me feel better today; at least good enough to agitate y’all with my literary drivel.

As Mark said on his blog, the recall election in Wisconsin will set the future of America; either we continue on the path to a modern Dark Age which Conservative’s have laid out for us or middle-class tax payers will let be known that we want to control our lives and livelihoods and reinstate the sacred Constitution of the United States of America.

Sammy is supposed to honor our house with his smiling presence come tomorrow.

Have a Tuesday!

Bionic

Reasonable weekend, so far. I have a few lines written in the new story which I have tentatively titled “The New Story”.

There is a new crack in the mystic universe … Carolyn bought herself a (drum roll) smartphone! Not any smartphone, a Droid Bionic smartphone. Carolyn is a person who can barely figure out how to call out on any phone that doesn’t have a rotary dial. I can see her and Google now arguing over transferring her contacts info to the Droid; she don’t even remember her email account name or password. I know what they are but I’ll be damned if I tell her because it will open a Pandora’s Box of “Wayne, show me how’ to do this or show me how to do that. She doesn’t have Facebook, she doesn’t have Flickr, she doesn’t have Megashot, she doesn’t read my blog. All she does is blab on the phone for hours at a time; I bet her smartphone dumbs down before she smartens up. She will not use any of that stuff; she hates computers and she nor I have ever used text. Me because my clubby fingers are not conducive to working tiny keys and she because she won’t take time to learn. She should have it traded for a regular cell phone within a week or so. The new Droid will be here mid-week; anyone want to hide me out for the duration? I don’t eat much and I am potty trained but I still have all the regular male bad habits which I will try to suppress.

Have a good Sunday!