“Texas…was evidently the only place in the known universe, including Louisiana, that actually got hotter after the sun went down.” ― Kathleen Kent, from her book, 'The Dime'

Good morning, you have caught up with me just I am seriously looking forward to maybe a rain shower or two over the next two days. Wait just a minute. Wasn't it just three weeks ago when folks were complaining about how the rain was interfering with their leisure plans? You betcha! That's pretty much how we all roll, however, regardless of how fickle and what was said earlier, we do need the rain. We really do. If nothing else, just to cool things off a little. This is Tuesday, the last day of July, the 31st, here in this year that has whizzed by, that being 2018. I think all the local weather people have just about run out of their funny little heat-related cartoons to illustrate the temps we've been experiencing. Insufferably hot. I'm not altogether sure what that means but I wanted to use the word 'insufferably', so there you have it. I will give you a hint. I'm pretty sure it has to do with something that is intolerable and/or unbearable. That may be a wee bit of an overreach, however, combine the heat with that dust floating in from Africa, and you end up closing in on that word. We happen to live in the most air-conditioned section of our nation. The heat can be a killer. I was working in Chicago on a consulting project back in the summer of 1995 when that area experienced an extended run of extremely hot weather. Some 739 people died as a result. They had to bring in refrigerated trailers to store bodies. Many of those who died were elderly who lived without air-conditioning. They would go to bed at night and die in their sleep. The other day I sent a thank you email to the technician who installed our new A/C and Heating system. He said it would do the job. It has. He said it would lower our utility costs. It has. He is a young fellow who has a good testimony for the Lord. We thank God for him and the system that has helped us through these seriously hot days. Amen.

I have my set routine in getting ready to get ready each day. Last week while the wife was away I put the lights on and more or less noisily crashed my typical routine. That's right. Usually, I do my best to be as quiet as I can while she is sleeping and only wake her up long enough to give her a kiss, tell her I love her, and that I will see her later, Lord willing. I enjoyed not having to be so careful while she was away. HOWEVER, I will be glad to tip-toe around until the cows come home compared to her being gone. One of the captions I shared on my Facebook page said this, "The world is back on its axis because the wife has come home." I slept well while she was gone. I slept much better after she returned. At the local fellowship where we attend, we are acquainted with many who are up in years but they now go about each day as a widow or widower. Many of these folks remain committed to their spouses who have gone on to their reward. They speak lovingly of their wives or husbands. They can get up each morning and sing as loudly as they want to. They can kick the covers back and turn all the lights on. Yet, they do look forward to that day when they will be reunited with their dearly beloved. One routine versus another routine. One based on freedom and the other based on love. My point? That we would be thankful for the routine of love that God has given to us through the companion He has provided. Amen.

That's my story and since it is the truth as I know it, I think I will stick with it. You might remember the other day when she was away I had this to say in my blog, "I thank God for her, even if she, at times, drives me up the wall." Last Sunday, our new pastor was talking about his love for his wife. He said that she could make him madder than anyone else but he still wants to be around her. See? I'm not the only one. I don't have to guess if she has her own thoughts regarding some of my ways. In spite of this, we remain committed. To each other. Or, perhaps we should be committed. You know. To an institution. It's a joke. Don't get all bothered. Speaking of our new pastor, he preaches up a storm. He really does. That's not a metaphor. God's power indwells the message he brings because the message comes from God. When the man of God follows that as a pattern, God shows up. God speaks. God moves. The result? Hearts and lives are changed. Homes are put back together or strengthened. People's hopes are restored. And, some find for the first time what it means to be a child of the living God. While the feelings may be great, and the tears may be real, it is the testimony of changed lives that reflect upon how God is working. With that, I bring this day's visit to a close, this month's visits to a close, and I do so with a prayer for us all. May God help us to be faithful to Him in seeking to live out the life He has given to us in a way that is pleasing to Him. Amen. ....More later.

“God’s in His heaven — All’s right with the world!” ~ Robert Browning. My version would be like this: "God's in His heaven, the wife has returned home, All's right with the world." Thank you very much.

It's Monday and here I am to greet the day along with those tuning in to today's episode. This one gets a label stuck on it that says it is July 30, 2018. That went by really fast. I'm talking about the so-called weekend. It's actually made up of the last day of last week (Saturday) and the first day of this brand new week (Sunday), however, people persist in calling it the weekend, therefore, I will acquiesce but still contend it really went by fast. How fast was it? Here is a little story to help quantify how fast. "These boys were boasting in the schoolyard. Each was bragging about how great their fathers are. The first one said: 'Well, my father runs the fastest. He can fire an arrow, and start to run, I tell you, he gets there before the arrow!' The second one said: 'Ha! You think that’s fast! My father is a hunter. He can shoot his gun and be there before the bullet!' The last one listened to the other two boys and shook his head. He then said: 'Sorry, dudes… but MY DAD is the fastest. He works for the government. He stops working at 4:30… and he’s home by 3:45!'" I found that one on the internet. It was unattributed. Be sure and know I am not making fun of government employees. I used to be one. And, as best I remember, we did not, for the most part, operate our business in the stereotypical fashion that has become synonymous with laziness. My point? It went by way too fast, but, the good news is the wife returned on Saturday and now our daily functioning, unlike Humpty Dumpty, has been put back together again.

Last Thursday afternoon I came in from work and prepared myself to mow the yard. It was either that or call in the hay baling people. The feels like was around 100 so I decided to wait until some shade was available. Our yard is the wife's domain. She takes care of it, period, end of story. So much so, I had never even seen closeup the lawnmower she bought last year. On top of that, I had never been on the riding mower she's been using for several years. I had to get our middle son Jimmy to help me figure out how to operate her equipment. I waited until around 6 p.m. to get started. It was still hot. I thought I would use the lawnmower only since I more or less knew how to operate it. It didn't take many trips forth and back for me to decide to get the riding mower out. Never try to train an old person by telling them how simple it is to operate. I did get the hang of it and felt pretty good about the fact that I only ran into a few things. Literally. One of those was the mailbox out next to the roadway. It's a little wobbly now but Jimmy was good enough to brace it some. It took me a good 90 minutes to do what I did. I didn't do the weed eating, edging, or blowing everything off. I would not want to deprive her of things that she enjoys so much. You most likely did not know I was such a considerate person, but, as my grandfather used to say, "You learn something new every day." One more thing, I don't think I will be needing that treadmill heart test after all.

Speaking of daily functioning, I have a question. Which one is it? Do we have a genuine need to be going crazy all the time trying to get everything done every day or have we become enslaved to a system that requires this of us? It's as if we feel unproductive if we are not busily chasing our tails. We don't measure up if our schedule of appointments and projects doesn't compare favorably with our peers and friends. There's a Greek and Hebrew word for that. It can be transliterated: HOGWASH! Let me ask it another way. What came first? The actual need for doing many of the things we find ourselves doing or we do them because we have the means and they deem themselves to be important? I'm not longing here to be totally off the grid, but, when we get caught up in the merry-go-round of being busy for busy sake, the only call we hear is of the urgent with little regard for the truly important things in life. Yep. I hear what some are saying. "Just step off the merry-go-round." Sounds simple enough, however, it's harder to do than one might think. We go to bed thinking about all the things we must get done tomorrow. We get up and make sure we get everything done including filling up our schedule for the next day. What is that old definition of insanity? It's doing the same things over and over thinking you will get a different result. Oh well, I need to get back to my scheduling since that seems to be what we mostly do these days. Just thinking out loud. I know. I need to turn the volume down and go back to sleep. Not a bad thought. Enjoy and may God bless each one. Amen. ...More later.

"Horace Rumpole: [in a conciliatory manner] I brought you a geranium. I hope you like it. Hilda Rumpole: Looks as though it's seen better days. Horace Rumpole: Well, you could say that about all of us, couldn't you?" ~ Rumpole of the Bailey - 1987

Today we send out birthday wishes to our daughter-in-law Sherrie. She's been a part of the Abbott Clan for over 32 years. We thank God for her, the calling He has on her life as a wife to our Chris, and as a mom, grandmother, and servant of the Living God. May He continue to bless is our prayer. Our love, Mom, and Dad

I know many of you thought that I would have trouble getting to this day. (Cue up the music to Sleeping Single in a Double Bed.) I appreciate those who considered putting out one of those Silver Alert missing elderly notifications for my wife. But, it is Friday, and I am still able to bid each one a hearty hello on this July 27, 2018. I couldn't go along with the silver alert because she has been in a disclosed location and I don't think they would have accepted it anyway since we do not have one of those full-size Ford Crown Victoria cars. You know the one I'm talking about. It looks like a large boat mounted on wheels floating down the highway. I mention that because on most of those silver alert signs they almost always are driving one of these types of cars. I'm only kidding. If you have one of those cars, well, God bless you. The wife, who was once known as She Who Must Be Obeyed, (SWMBO), will be sleeping in her own bed tomorrow night, Lord willing, and all their connections work out. The SWMBO comes from a British comedy series, 'Rumpole of the Bailey', about a barrister who called his wife by that name, under his breath, of course. His wife's daddy had been the head of chambers so she was always pushing Rumpole to climb the ladder. He was a larger than life curmudgeonly fellow who truly cared more about truth and justice than playing office politics. We watched those programs for several years and so did our across the driveway neighbor, our dearly beloved, Ruth, who has gone on to her reward. She and the wife threatened on more than one occasion to order them t-shirts emblazoned with SWMBO. No wonder people look at me and shake their heads. Maybe I should consider a silver alert for myself.

For my new segment, Flashback Friday, here's one of my favorites that I wrote about 10 years ago. ~ "A famous Houston lawyer got into politics and eventually was elected governor of our state. (The Honorable Mark White.) He would occasionally eat lunch with his associates at the Houston Club where I often ate as well. This guy really thought he knew me. I’m not just saying he was always greeting me but it was different. I don’t know if he thought we went to school together or what, but he always made a big deal out of it when he saw me at the club. This, of course, made quite an impression on the people who were with me. It was uncanny. I would tell my family about how he treated me like I was his long-lost brother and they would give me that, "okay, sure dad", condescending, "you are most likely exaggerating again" look. Then it happened. We were on our way as a family to a reunion or something out of town and were in a multi-car caravan. About sixty miles outside the metroplex we all stopped for dinner. It was a catfish restaurant. We got situated with two or three tables pushed together. Guess who walks in? None other than my long lost friend, the now ex-governor, and he spots me across the room. He immediately came to our table and nearly embraced me as he also recognized my family, and talked about how wonderful it was to see us all and then excused himself. Everyone sat there dazed. I didn’t have to say I told you so because on that day the authenticity of my storytelling was raised to a whole new level." ~

Some of you would like to know how much I need to get done before the wife parks her car in our garage once again. I will not go into any details here, but, suffice it to say, my Saturday morning is more than occupied. Does anyone know if it is permissible to use a rake inside the house? Wait a minute. I meant that to be a blower, not a rake. That's okay. I'll figure it out. What was that? Listen, I already know that using a water hose inside the house is not a good idea. Some of you must think I don't have a clue. I'm not quite as bad as the fellow who said his idea of doing housework was lifting his leg to let her vacuum. I can identify with the sentiment I heard, "I had to do something about that sticky floor in the kitchen so I finally broke down and put on some slippers." The late comedian Phyllis Diller confessed she had buried a lot of the ironing in the backyard. One last quip that sums up my attitude pretty well, "My idea of housework is to sweep the entire room with a glance." My wife used to think my mother used white gloves to check up on how well she was cleaning. I never agreed with that, but, I do give her permission to use black gloves to check up on my cleaning. See how flexible I am? Thanks for hanging in there with me this week. I do hope you have a great Saturday and don't forget it's called Lord's Day Sunday for a reason. (I knew some of you would wonder. It's because it belongs to Him!) Take care, and, remember to be thankful for all that God has provided. Amen. .....More later.

“First of all you must believe in yourself!” ~ Santa Claus’ psychologist.

It's Thursday, July 26, 2018, and I'm trying to make sense of it all as the day unfolds. I am a card-carrying member of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS). This is a paid membership organization that attempts to foster fellowship among the Santa community as we seek to enhance the Christmas spirit. Our organization had a big vote recently. The board of directors recommended the organization become expanded and more inclusive by allowing any and all Christmas performers to become members. We already allow Mrs. Clauses but this would have expanded the program to include all kinds of folks involved in professional Christmas entertainment. One of the biggest of the proposals debated for weeks leading up to the vote was whether we should allow fake bearded Santas to join. (Some of those beards cost as much as $3,000 or more.) Many of the 'real bearded dudes' had a huge problem with that one. They couldn't reconcile a fake beard with the very name of the organization. At any rate, the vote was in the affirmative at 61%, however, that did not meet the threshold set forth in the by-laws, therefore, we remain as we were. I voted to support the expansion because I really didn't care one way or the other. The board was elected. It was their recommendation to expand the reach of our organization. I think we have over 3,000 real bearded members at this time not counting the Mrs. Clauses that might have a few whiskers here and there. I suppose it's best that it worked out the way it did. I would not want the potential new fake bearded guys to be known as RBSINO, (Real Bearded Santa In Name Only).

I do apologize to those who do not have such exciting happenings in their sojourn here on the planet. Interestingly enough, but not surprising, many of those who opposed the proposed changes protested their opposition in comments that were not at all in keeping with the Christmas spirit. This lack of civility in tone and spirit was well pointed out by those who were offended by the harshness of some of the responses. Forth and back, back and forth. I only caught bits and pieces but it was interesting to observe the fervency of those holding such strong opinions. They get to have all of this fun for a $25 per year membership. The reason I continue to be a member is my learning from some of the information that other Santas pass on in the way of tips and some of their experiences. One thing I've noticed. Those who book Santas better keep their commitments and make sure that Santa is paid. If they don't it will be broadcast for all to see. And, sadly, Santa not getting paid for services rendered is a major issue. Really? It is. That's one reason we do our own booking and work with clients that we can trust. I am actively recruited by booking agents for Santa and Mrs. Claus appearances. Some of these are outside of our territory where they promise travel expenses and lodging. My response is always the same: "Why should we consider anything other than what we are doing? We have plenty of appearances and we work with some of the most wonderful people in the world." And, we don't have to pay a booking fee to an agent. In my opinion, even a fake bearded Santa could figure this one out.

I know much of the information about my Santa activities is not that interesting to most of those who read my blog each day. While I am aware of this situation, I still wanted everyone to know that being Santa is not just a tiptoe through the tinsel. I have agreed to volunteer our services for a school fundraiser. I figured maybe 3 hours at most. Hello? They are so happy we are willing to donate our time and their schedule for taking photos will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Do what? We did a similar deal last year for a school for half a day and we were overrun with kiddos. Elementary schools are like small cities these days. Does anyone know if the 5-Hour Energy comes in an IV offering? I did learn something. Find out the schedule before you agree to donate your time. It's for a good cause and I'm sure we will work in some rest breaks. Hopefully. I also thought about many of my Santa brothers who are engaged in Christmas in July activities. Many of them do outdoor festivals and things of that sort. Oh, my! Our nephew is a secret service agent and has most recently been involved in protecting some very high up folks in our government. His son, Jason, was recently visiting his grandparents, my brother Victor and his wife Maria, in the Houston area. He made a pancake to look like Santa and Maria told him she was going to send it to Santa. I received it and sent back a photo and a message telling him that I loved his portrayal of Santa. He then sent me the most precious video where he excitedly said, "I love you Santa!" I sent a message back telling them I was going to keep that video and play it for the encouragement it brings on those long hard days ahead. Thanks, Jason, you made Santa's day! I ask one more time, "Is this a great country, or what?" May God bless everyone and until we meet again, "Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!" ("A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clark Moore, (first published in 1823)) Amen.    .....More later.

“Solitude is fine but you need someone to tell that solitude is fine.” ~ Honoré de Balzac

One thing becomes very clear, when husbands are left alone they see things quite differently than their wives. This is being proven out each day as I continue to await her return here on this Wednesday, July 25, 2018.  I have straightened the bed a couple of times but only out of guilt. First of all, I'm the only one sleeping in it, and secondly, it is just a matter of a handful of hours before I get back into it. Lastly, it tends not to be cooperative in giving me any assistance at 3 a.m. As for the kitchen, I know she will not go to bed until everything is cleared and it is clean. I admire that discipline. However, when I see the sink I notice it is several inches deep, therefore, I consider its purpose as a good staging utility until it becomes filled. This makes a lot of sense to me. Effective utilization. I watered her plants the other evening. I sent her a note. "Why and when did you add an additional 100 plants?" She ignored my inquiry but sent a response advising me not to over water her plants. Given their parched brown look, I don't think that one is a problem. I am joking. I threw that in because she does read my blogs. As far as food goes, I've been saving electricity by not operating the stove. I went through the drive-through at KFC on my way home from Church this past Sunday. I have no idea why I did that. I ordered their three-piece barbecue chicken tender dinner. Something was bad wrong at KFC. It wasn't just the food. I waited for 20 minutes in line. It was 100 degrees and my old truck started panting like it was going into a spasm or something. I brought the food home. I don't know how they could call what they gave to me barbecue. It was some kind of crusty stuff painted are glued on that I ended up trying to get off so I could eat the chicken. This little episode reminded me why I had not been to that place in years. You what? You love KFC? We do have a prayer list and I will be glad to add you to it.

I am able to communicate with her while she is away. On Monday evening we got onto FB messenger and connected where we could see each other. I told her she looked tired. She said that was because she was tired. She said my beard looked gnarled up. I said that's because it's gnarled up. We have the most stimulating telecasting conversations. Where she is in upstate New York, they have been in the mid 70's for highs while we have been doing our best to set heat records by exploding our temperature gauges here in our area. The other thing I noticed about the lady groups from the other evening was how they all had their smartphones going while they were talking. Some of these ladies were in their 80's and I would bet they never envisioned themselves visiting with their friends while checking for messages on their phones. Typically, there will always be someone in the group who has assumed the status of a technical expert. That's the one who says, "Here, hand me your phone and I'll show you how to do that." That's scary. For me, I could see grandma's 500 photos erased as the self-appointed guru messes with the phone. I've thought about getting me one of those boxes that controls everything at the house. You talk to it. It talks to you. Early on, they had problems with some of them saying ugly words. My luck would be when it wouldn't talk to me at all. But, I can have that without paying for a box. (Just a little joke, honey, as you can tell, you need to come home soon!)

I can't be sure why but I like to eat that stuff they call imitation crab salad. I can buy a one pound carton for about $9. That salad with lemon on it, some crispy wheat crackers, and some black olives on the side, well, that makes for a pretty good meal. To me. I picked up a carton last Thursday and finally finished it Monday evening. I got three meals out of it. Not bad. If only it came with imitation heartburn. That's a joke. I couldn't resist. The stuff I get is chunks of some kind of white fish that's cut into pieces that are supposed to resemble crab leg meat. It is marinated in some spices that supposedly make it taste like crab. In addition, the stuff I get has some of those tiny little shrimp along with mayonnaise and some type of relish included. I do love real crab meat. I can't tell you the imitation stuff tastes like real crab meat because I just happen to like the imitation stuff too. It does smell a little funky, but, I don't mind eating it with a clothespin on my nose. Not really. The smell doesn't bother me, but, I've noticed it does bother others. As in, "Get that gross stuff away from me." At least I was willing to share. I do hope you find something about life that will bring you a smile. I remind us all that smiling is contagious. Maybe we could start an epidemic or at the very least be a carrier. May God bless each one is my prayer. Amen. ....More later. 

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~ Abraham Lincoln

Hello and welcome. It's Tuesday, July 24, 2018, and I bid you greetings from my steno chair to wherever you happen to be. That's right. A steno chair. For typing. I realize touch typing is not on many front burners anymore, but, I still use it and that's how the electronic text gets built each day. I've used the typing skills I learned in high school throughout my career. Career is a way overblown term for me. My working background is a better way to put it. I can remember when I was an administrative assistant in the public affairs office at Fort Polk, Louisiana, back in the late 1960's, I had an Underwood upright typewriter. Everything for the government had to be in multiple copies. Yep. Carbon paper. Make a mistake and corrections had to be made on the original and all the copies. Do that without the carbon paper smudging and you had accomplished something. The Seargent Major was in charge of the admin function. He and I were a two-person team. He couldn't type although he did, occasionally, attempt to use one finger to type out some forms and maybe do a simple report. That meant the majority of the typing landed on me. We reported to a Colonel, or a Major, depending who was occupying the Chief Information Officer slot at any given time. Some of them were very persnickety when it came to the information we produced. If they didn't like the way something turned out, they would put a big X on it and send it back. Nowadays, I can let my fingers do the walking on the keyboard and the computer program (blogging utility) captures the keystrokes. And, I only have to worry about getting my work approved by me, myself and I. Sure, the Grammar Program has its say as well, however, it spends most of its time sulking in the corner because I hit the ignore button so often. I am aware that kids today can text almost as fast as I can type and many of them can do so without even looking at the keys on their phone. Me? I'm always wishing for a bigger keyboard for my phone. Many of you know exactly what I am talking about.

We had a southern Gospel group at our local fellowship this past Sunday evening. We had a large number of folks who showed up to be blessed by these professional singers. Many times there are groups that attend these events. Groups of ladies. Often, older ladies. The pew where I was sitting had a group of ladies in the pew in front of me and a group of ladies in the pew behind me. Just so you know, I was not in my regular spot even though I got to the Church one hour before the concert was scheduled to begin. A person I did not recognize was actually sitting in my spot. He appeared to be well pleased with the location of his view. The nerve! What he didn't realize is how many people actually key off of me being in my regular seat. In fact, I once ran late from my Sunday morning Bible study and someone did the same thing. They were in my seat. Two of the fellows who always sit near me looked around, found me, and came to where I was sitting. They said, "This will not do. You have to get back to your seat." For some reason, the lady moved to another seat and I jumped up and ran down and got into my seat. Out of breath, I looked around and both of my pew buddies were giving me a thumbs up. Ministry, folks. That's what having my own pew is all about. Ministry.

Back to my story about the lady groups. One lady in the group in front of me was a walking encyclopedia on the singing group that was to perform. She knew their backgrounds, their families, and the latest this, that, and the other. Pity the lady sitting next to her because she confessed that it was her first time to see them. I thought the know-everything lady was going to fall out of her seat. "You have never gone to see these fellows sing?" I think we might have discovered at least one of the unpardonable sins. The know-everything lady kept flipping her hair she was so disturbed by this most distressing confession. Behind me, these other ladies were catching up on all the news that pertained to their families, their health, and anything else they could come up with. One older lady seemed very proud of herself because she knew how to Google. She obviously liked that word. She used it about twenty times. "I will have to remember to Google that. When I get home I'm going to see about it. I will Google it. I will. I really will." The other lady was playing a guessing game. "Guess who else was in town today singing?" No one knew. I'm 100% certain I didn't. The shame of it? "They were singing at their old Church and no one let them know about it." "Missed them, we did, we missed them." "Can you believe it?" "At our old Church!" Several people stopped by to comment on the fact that I was all alone. They asked about my wife. When I told them she had left me again, they didn't seem surprised. They don't know me well enough yet to not be surprised. What I have to put up with. No wonder I'm in the shape I am in. Please don't write and ask was I referring to the pear shape. I can only handle so much. Enjoy the rest of your day and if you can't figure out what to do next, just Google it. May God bless. Amen. ....More later.

"Hotter than a pepper sprout." ~ Johnny and June Carter Cash

Good morning and welcome to another work-week on this Monday, another day in the neighborhood, and the only day we can do much with, this one on July 23, 2018. Each day when I sit down to come up with another episode I have to tackle the challenge of the 'blank page'. Those who write professionally have much to say regarding ways to deal with this challenge. What do I write about? How do I say what I want to say? And, perhaps the hardest of all, how do I make it interesting? I will be the first to say that I do not spend too much time dealing with those kinds of questions. I mostly just share. Thoughts. Ideas. Opinions. Observations. I get feedback sometimes about how random and disconnected my thoughts seem to be on some days. Okay. So be it. I guess that is my contribution to the box of chocolate approach to sharing. You never know, and, believe it or not, I don't always know either. When all else fails one can talk about the weather. Man, has it been hot, or what? I saw someone posting the temperature at 9 p.m. in one of the Houston suburbs, 93 degrees. I've been getting emails this month from our electrical provider asking us to do what we can to avoid the huge peak load demands associated with this current heatwave. I read that Texas has set an all-time record for electricity consumption this month. The bottom line, it is hot. I think the feels like have been over 105 and that makes it hard to breathe. The outlook for our area says no appreciable rain is expected before the end of the month. Now folks are seeking ways to stay cool. When I get in my truck at 4 p.m. to go home, it's so hot it literally takes my breath away. Literally. I cannot begin to fathom how it would be for a child left in a vehicle in these temperatures.

I would talk about the state of our political discourse in our country but for most, myself included, I would, at this point and time, just not want to hear any more about it. I figured out that so many people who have earbuds may not be listening to music, they are just trying to block out the incessant noise of hate and incrimination that is filling the airwaves, 24x7. Tuning it out will not make it go away. We are all aware of that. However, I do think it's time for those of us who are God-fearing citizens to have us a 'safe place' where we can go and be protected from so much meanness. Just joking. When I was in my formative years growing up, we had Communism as a major threat to our way of life. We actually studied Communism versus Americanism in high school. Today, we have folks who are given a major voice in our political world who call themselves democratic socialists. They want to see capitalism replaced and all wealth to be distributed to the masses. We used to study how those kinds of ideas are anathema to our free enterprise democratic republic, now we have folks who are running campaigns based on these anti-American principles. We do. I find that to be not only hard to imagine, but, it is rather bewildering when you think of our history written with the blood of those who died for our freedoms. America, where are you? Please come back home.

My wife is something else. A couple of weeks ago she came home from the first day of Vacation Bible School and said a teenage girl she didn't know had pretty much taken up with her. Really? How many times have I heard that story from Church camps, field trips, and youth sleep-ins? She is now on her mission trip. She first drove over to her sister's and someone in the community there had passed away. She accompanied her sister to the viewing. Next thing I'm told is that she is a part of the trio doing the special music at the funeral Friday morning before they left Friday afternoon for Buffalo, NY. Does that surprise anyone? She did her best to feed me every evening before she left for her trip. I appreciate her doing so. On Wednesday evening she had made some pinto beans with beef sausage cooked together. She served that on rice with a pone of freshly made cornbread. That was so good I almost got down on the floor. (Not literally.) We both were reminded of the days in the mid-1960's when I took a federal civil service job in Alexandria, Louisiana. The pay wasn't great and we were pretty much just getting by. However, we had plenty of jars of pinto beans canned by her mom. The wife would fix those, rice, and homemade biscuits. Some weeks we probably had that menu 3 or 4 times. We didn't have sausage for our beans back then, but, we both agreed those were so pretty wonderful times and God was good to have given them to us, together. I'm sure I will hear stories of new Yankee friends made as a result of her trip. At the end of the day, I thank God for her, even if she, at times, drives me up the wall. (Not literally.) Have a great rest of the day, Monday, and I will do my best to keep on keeping on. May God bless. Amen. ....More later.

“Learn to see what you are looking at.” ~ Christopher Paolini, Author

Good morning and welcome to this day, Friday, where we will be making the best of it on this July 20, 2018. I had one thing to add to my police story. I now have been stopped twice by the police over the past three years. Could it be that Santa Claus is now a part of the profiling problem? I've not yet resorted to a Santa Claus Lives Matter t-shirt, but, if they keep up this pattern, I may have to take to the streets. Okay. Settle down. Hear me out. The first one was for a tail light that wasn't working. And, the most recent for changing lanes without signaling. Those sound just a bit fishy to me. What say you? With the wife gone, I have myself set up for some really good things to do this weekend. Yep. Early Saturday morning, Men's Prayer Breakfast. Sunday morning, I teach my class. Sunday evening, a gospel concert at our local fellowship. If nothing else, those should keep me occupied. I did see the suitcase she had packed to go on her trip. She borrowed it. We have some large ones, but, this one is mega-sized. I'm not sure it could be pulled if it had wheels on the bottom. I think maybe a good sized motor with a steering wheel might do the trick. When she checks her baggage they may tell her she will have to charter a plane for her luggage. I just wanted everyone to know that I do notice things.

Here's a little story I wrote eleven years ago today about our next door neighbors. "The year was 1971 and we signed up for a brand new 1,300 square foot mansion (to us) with 3 bedrooms and 1-1/2 baths for the alarmingly high price of $16,999.99. I think our notes were $168 per month and we wondered how in the world we would be able to meet them. The neighborhood was made up of mostly younger marrieds with small children. We worked hard and had a decent yard but next door we had one of those one-of-a-kind fanatics who was of German descent. His name was Paul and he was the dedicated “tool guy” before Lowe’s and Home Depot became the rage. Paul set out to build his yard into a showcase. He worked and worked and worked some more. For some reason, he couldn’t get grass to grow in the front yard. They planted, re-planted, and used every kind of method known but the grass would eventually die. He was a decent fellow but very off-putting in his perfect garage where every tool had its place with an outline to match. He even had a tennis ball on a string so his wife would park the car in the same place every time. He was the consummate do it yourself and usually, it turned out really well. I think I’ve repented of taking some enjoyment out of the time he used a paint sprayer on the outside of his house and painted several cars in the neighborhood. The fact was, the house didn’t need to be painted and most of the men thought he was doing it just to make us all look bad. We didn’t do our yard on the same schedule as he did and sometimes because I worked many overtime hours our grass would get pretty high. They had a toddler who played with our boys and sometimes when he came over to get her he would comment that she might be hiding in some of our brush. We laughed but to tell you the truth I didn’t appreciate the insinuation. About two years into his escapades in trying to grow grass in his front yard he dug down deep enough to discover that there was a huge amount of paint cans buried there. I think maybe the builder paid some but he ended up having a backhoe come in to dig it all up, have it treated, and then start over. Sad for the rest of us men on the cul-de-sac because he did eventually get grass started."

Another work week has come and gone. As you have come to understand, just because things that happen to me are no big deal, it doesn't mean that I don't make a big deal out of them. I think they call what I do observational humor. For instance, most ladies no longer have to dig around in their purses to find their checkbook in the checkout line, therefore, things are so much better for us all. However, instead of holding folks up in the checkout line, they now drive 50 MPH on the freeway where the speed limit is 65 but everyone drives 75. That was intended to be an example. For literary purposes only. If anyone complains I may have to flash my Santa Claus Lives Matter t-shirt. At any rate, that is all I have for this week. I do hope you have a great Saturday and that Lord's Day Sunday will find us all meeting up with other believers to worship our Great God. Take care and I will do my best, Lord willing, to catch back up with everyone, come next Monday. Amen. ....More later.

"Feelings are like chemicals, the more you analyze them the worse they smell." ~ Charles Kingsley

Good morning. I welcome you to another day and another edition, this one, tagged with this identifier, Thursday, July 19, 2018. It happened again. Yep. I ended up playing myself in a live and in person, (whatever that means), in another episode of Live PD. That's right. Wednesday morning I was doing my thing, driving down the road, on my way to work. A patrol car pulled up behind me. I thought the officer might need to get somewhere, therefore, I moved from the outside to the middle lane. He followed me. Then it was lights on. He pulled me over. Officer: "Good morning sir. I assume you are on your way to work." Me: "That would be correct." Officer: "I thought so since this looks like a work truck and might I say it appears to be in excellent shape for its age." Me: "It's not a work truck but it is how I get to work and that is where I am headed." Officer: "The reason I pulled you over was because you failed to signal when you changed lanes." Me: "Sorry. I thought you might have needed to be somewhere and that's why I was getting out of your way." Officer: "Thanks for your courtesy. If I can check your license and insurance, I'll let you get back on your way with a warning." Me: "Thanks." Officer: "Okay. Everything is good. You can get back on your way now and please drive carefully." Me: "Thanks, here's my card for you to have as a souvenir." Officer: "Wow! That is so neat and it says, the_realsanta@yahoo.com." Me: "That is correct. We did the Blue Elf toy program last year for your department." Officer: "Really? Take care and have a good day."

That officer was very nice, however, I wasn't happy that he added 15-20 minutes to my commute. It's one thing to be up on the wheel watching for live reenactments of the Mutual of Omaha wildlife series, but, being pulled over at 4 a.m. is a little much if you ask me. In fact, I have enough on my mind already. Today, the wife leaves me, again. And, I stay somewhat perplexed when I see a deer on the side of the road and they are looking longingly at whatever it is they see on the other side of the road. This happened to me twice this week. Once with a pretty good sized buck and the other was a doe. They just stand there. Transfixed. It makes me want to shout out, "What in the world are you looking at?" These are the things that plague my thoughts. Along with, "Thanks for your courtesy and oh, by the way, you have a nice old truck, but, while I'm here I might as well check to see if you are a serial killer." As you can tell, these little incidents rarely bother me at all. The wife says I have developed a noticeable twitching of my head. I ask you, given all the delays and dilemmas I face, isn't it a wonder I'm not being sent to the funny farm? (Don't write to me. Funny Farm at one time was a euphemism for a mental hospital.) The police encounter incident reminded me of that country song by Brandy Clark, "Stripes". The person in the song didn't commit the crime because the lyrics say, "I hate stripes and orange ain't my color."

Maybe that police stop helped me to avoid a problem further down the road. Could be. You know. The person misses the plane because of traffic only to find out the plane crashed. They were so angry but that soon turned to euphoric joy. I will tell you this. Those police vehicle lights are really bright. They actually hurt my eyes. What's up with that? Yes. I agree. I am thankful he didn't turn the siren on. There were a few people that passed by. Well, at least I gave them something to talk about. "Look, that old dude, he probably doesn't even know where he is going." ~ "At least they are getting the drunks off the road, even early in the morning." ~ "He probably stole that truck. I bet that beard is all matted up." ~ "Who does that fellow think he is? Santa Claus? ~ I suppose when it's all said and done, I'm just a walking public service provider. I hope everyone knows that I'm just having a little fun today. Hopefully, at my own expense. If I had gotten a ticket I most likely would have had a whole different story to tell. The unfairness of it all. And, just to be clear, while I didn't signal a lane change, doesn't it make sense to get out of the way quickly of a police vehicle riding on your bumper? I thought I would share that one just in case I have to tell it to the judge. Enjoy the rest of your day. Say a prayer for the wife and the team traveling on a mission trip. Say a prayer for those left behind. Namely, me! May God bless us all is my prayer. Amen. ...More later.

We can count on it. The song is true, He does have the whole world in His hands!

Welcome one and all as we celebrate the day the Lord has given to us. We wake up to this one, Wednesday, July 18, 2018. What we do with it remains to be seen. I try to always start each day by recognizing our Sovereign Lord and giving Him the thanks and praise He deserves. This is a good way to embrace each day, especially in these 'the sky is falling' times we are living in. We rely upon God and His promises:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

'For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39, New King James Version)

Recognizing this truth is a good thing. Making it a reality in how we live out each day is an entirely different matter. To do so reflects living by faith as opposed to living by sight. (2nd Corinthians 5:7) Something for us all to think about. Amen.

These girls, (Dot and Lil Bit) used to play 'church' out in the yard when they were little. They took turns using the doorsteps as a piano, leading the singing, and doing the preaching. I think they may have baptized a few pets along the way. That training paid off as they continue their lifetime of serving their Lord. These two will be a part of the East Leesville Baptist Mission Trip to Olean, NY (near Buffalo), 21-28 July 2018. They will be conducting Backyard Bible Schools and Community Outreach in partnership with Central Baptist Church. Pray for Dorothy and Marilyn, (twins born 18 months apart), and the rest of their team who will be flying up there this coming Friday. Their mission is to see lives changed by the Gospel. (Pray for me as I do my best to make it on my own. I need to find the lyrics to that Barbara Mandrell song: Sleeping Single in a Double Bed.)

Based on past experience, there's really not much hope of me getting a lot of sympathy for my plight. Therefore, it's best to just soldier on. And, the Good Lord knows, I've had a lot of experience in this particular area. I told my class last week that her leaving me for this, that, or the other reason has been going on for so long that people thought the 'Home Alone' movies must have had something to do with me. I must admit, it has given me a lot of material over the years. (That's supposed to be me on the see-saw, all by myself. In case you didn't catch it, that makes it hard to function.) Everyone knows by now that she is the wife of my youth for these nearly 54 years. (Proverbs 5:18) One gets used to the routine this implies. And, as self-sufficient and independent as everyone thinks I am, I actually need all the help I can get and as the old King James puts it, "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." (Genesis 2:18) There you have it. God said it's not good for me to be alone. And, there you were, all along thinking I was just being selfish and focused on me, myself, and I. I don't need Charleton Heston to do a voice over to make the point. God said it and that settles it. Meanwhile, I will look forward to when she returns. I will also try to keep things going while she is away. We have a dear friend who we served alongside for many years in Church ministry who used to always ask me this pregnant question, "Are you being have?" (Bro. Jim Gaut) As a diabetic, that would likely be a good question for me to ponder over the next 10 days. Enjoy the rest of your day and may God bless us all is my prayer. Amen. ...More later. 

"People are bewitched into believing that time slips away, and this belief is the basis of time actually slipping away." ~ Raoul Vaneigem

Good morning and welcome to where the rubber meets the road, but, given the usage, a new set of tires may be needed soon. It's Tuesday, July 17, 2018, I believe this is day 198 of our present year which means we only have 167 days left before we welcome 2019. I suppose that means I need to get the stuff off of my to-do list and get them on to the done list. That means as Snuffy Smith used to say in the comic strip, "Time's a wastin!" I know that is a dated reference to many who might read my blog, however, it harkens back to the day when we used to read the daily comics in the newspaper, and especially so on Sundays when they would be printed in color. But we were not allowed to read the comics on Sundays until after we attended services that morning. House rules. The TV might be on, tuned to Gospel music or preaching, however, when the coast was clear I may have switched it to wrestling. It may have been black and white, but, we knew blood when we saw it. If I heard the bathroom door open I switched it back to the preacher. And, watching that could be pretty entertaining. Take, for instance, we watched a young Oral Roberts when they filmed his tent meetings and then showed them on Sunday mornings. We enjoyed that healing line because he would grab hold of their ears and holler loud or slap folks around pretty good. It may not have been as good as watching Ray Gunkel do battle with Mr. Motto in a professional wrestling match, but, after all, we were getting ready to go to the House of the Lord.

Since dad passed away in 1954, one of the only memories I can call up is of seeing him at the table in our tiny kitchen listening to a baseball game on the radio. As I recall, he was very excited and vocal as he listened to his team play. We didn't have a TV, but, mom and dad had some friends who did. We would, occasionally, load up and go over to their house to watch their TV.  I seem to remember a program we watched over there one evening. It had something to do with the devil and I recall that it caused me some distress for some time afterward. Probably nightmares. What's that? Maybe that's it? You think that might account for me learning to sing "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen"? Thanks for the suggestion because most folks are looking for that one thing that happened to them to blame the rest of their life on. Let me assure you, as messed up as I am, it would have taken more than one program about the devil to account for all of this. In fact, other than the spontaneous unexpected bouts of derangement and disillusionment, I really don't have that much to concern myself with. Just joking and I am not making fun of those who do have hurtful things in their past. I feel blessed because, in spite of all that has happened to our family and to me personally, I come away thankful to God for His provision in bringing me to where I am today. While I am quite certain I'm not in Kansas anymore, I need only to figure out where where is and then I think I will be okay. As in, I'm okay, you're okay. Right? Or, something like that.

Just for the record, I do not do my blogs while on the therapist couch. I thought I needed to clear that one up. I perused a list of 500 questions that might help to prompt personal narrative. In case you missed it, that's what I mostly do here each day, personal narrative. I used the word peruse because I got tired early on in reading all of those questions. And, no, they did not have a question about reading the questions. But, I suppose me looking at them helped come up with something. I just wrote a few sentences about it. Good. It wasn't a complete loss. I'm always looking for help anywhere I can find it, however, for now, I will continue to make it up as I go. I do like to find a good way to close out each episode. Here is the way George Orwell ended the classic 'Animal Farm': "The creatures outside looked from pig to man; and from man to pig; and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which." I chose that one because it is highly regarded as one of literature's greatest closing paragraphs. You are right. It would likely require reading the book to get the full impact of that closing. As far as my wrap up for today, I leave you with an opening sentence that made the list of the greatest of all time. It certainly surprised me they would put it on the list but I do know it is great: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Enjoy the rest of your day and get as many of those to-do items moved to the done list. I'll work on that one myself. Until next time, may God bless each one is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.

Article Title, 'Chicago Sun Times': "Warning: Too many warnings dilute the value of being warned."

Welcome back. We turn the page to today's chapter and find it designated as Monday, July 16, 2018. Facebook has brought new meaning to the sharing of warnings that may be real, imagined, or just hoaxes. These include something blatant, like: MISSLE INBOUND, Take Cover Immediately!; to all kinds of alerts regarding food products, soaps, and other items that if not responded to will shorten your lifespan. I know many folks share these out of concern. However, it would always be a good practice to check them out before they are posted. I read one the other day posted by a caring person warning people not to use shampoo while taking a shower. It appears that shampoo running down your body can do some kind of major damage. (I am aware of the debate about the chemicals contained in shampoo products, but, these dire warnings seem over the top. To me.) Add to these all the weather-related bulletins, the endless postings warning about web-based viruses and threats posed by hackers, the latest plagues being experienced throughout the land, and a host of other warnings concerning maladies of all kinds, and, is it any wonder folks stay uptight all the time? As I said, so often things are posted, reposted, and shared because the posting person involved is a respected friend. I will say this about it all. How did we ever make it back when we had almost none of these 24x7 warnings? Perhaps an even more surprising outcome, how did we live to be able to even talk about it?

I listened to some of the BBC's news coverage of President Trump's visit to the United Kingdom. They paraded out a number of former high up muckety mucks to talk about this event. My hearing of what was being said made it almost into a Monty Python sketch or at best, a comedic parody. It seems that what we have is this very sophisticated, complex, and nuanced world where one must have the requisite diplomatic skills to navigate, coordinate, and facilitate the multilateral interests that exist on this, our shared terrestrial ball. The point of all their high sounding nonsensical explanations was to portray President Trump as lacking in these sophisticated skills. As they were talking, I was thinking of the wonderful world of peace and tranquility these skilled commentators had brought to us by the use of their superior diplomacy. NOT! The embedded so-called deep state often referred to as 'the swamp' doesn't just exist here in our own governmental process, but, it is a worldwide phenomenon. They have their own language. This self-sustaining charade seeks to eliminate all threats, especially, from any and all who would speak truth to power. You know? These self-appointed emperors have no clothes, and it makes one wonder, why do we continue to fawn over their pronouncements? I will admit that at times I cringe at how President Trump interacts with other world leaders, HOWEVER, I'll take his non-political laying out of reality any day over the utopian mumbo-jumbo that seems to dominate world affairs. Just me. It's called an opinion. Mine. If the American people wanted someone to continue operating in that rarified air of meaningless platitudes, well, they should have voted for the other candidate. I remind us all of how the sophisticated and nuanced world was aghast at President Reagan's calling Soviet Russia the Evil Empire. But, the Wall came down! Things for us all to ponder.

If you are not familiar with my blog because I do get hits from across the globe as unsuspecting folks land on it from time to time, I want to share what I am all about and how this all got started.

~ May 9, 2007

Well, it took me over sixty years to get here and as Yogi Berra reportedly said, "You sure can observe a lot just by watching". That observation stuff, however, can be both good and bad especially if you are determined not to revise any of it, that is, if that's possible since reflections and memories over time tend to take on a life of their own as they all become fused together. Some days it's "Wow, I can't believe the life I have enjoyed!", while another day might be, "Hey, I'm not sure I can make one more day!". This is how it works in the so-called real world and we have trouble because the roller coaster ride can start without notice at anytime even right smack in the middle of one of those really great days and suddenly you find your heart pounding and breath interrupted by the crashing ride. Okay, maybe not quite that dramatic but with age, maturity, family, more family, relationships, issues, challenges, and chaos all around, it can be quite daunting.

However, I call this blog The View From Here because when it's all said and done, it's the way I see it. You most likely see it differently but that's what blogging is all about. We can speak from our viewpoint, our way of interpreting all the things we have to deal with, and in general, the viewfinder through which we see the world, and especially our world.

One final thought in this opening monologue: I know that without God as the foundation of my life through my identity with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, there would be little hope in all the ups and downs encountered in this journey called life.~

Okay. That's my box of chocolates for today. Enjoy. Be thankful. Talk to God. See you next time and may God watch over us all. Amen. ....More later.

What next?

Yeah. Take a deep breath and bear with us, it will only be Friday, the 13th until 12 midnight, and then we can all go back to our regular doings of this, that, or the other. For 2018, this is the second and last Friday the 13th, the other one fell this past April. While we are not inclined to pay attention to the superstitions that surround this date, others seem to take it seriously. Every day is in God's hands. Period. End of story. I have seen several of the FIFA World Cup matches. That's right. I am an American and I do watch soccer. In fact, last Saturday's match between Russia and Croatia was one of the tensest and most well-contested competitions I've seen. The actual championship is coming up on Sunday, between France and Croatia. FIFA actually stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association with the English translation as International Federation of Association Football. It defines itself as the international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer. I mention this because they are not immune from the political correctness that is sweeping our world. Just this week, they put out an official request to the broadcast media asking them to refrain from showing so many beautiful women in the stands. Perhaps banning cheerleaders will be next. And, those commercials that run during their matches, what about censoring some of them? They could probably spend a lot more of their time investigating all the billions of dollars that seem to always be disappearing. That would be my throw-down recommendation.

I've always done my best to include encouragement for those who read what I write. I do so by sharing the truth as I know it. Here are some excerpts from a blog I wrote eleven years ago on July 13, 2007: "We really don’t know what each new day may bring. Some believe the Book of Job was preserved to help us deal with the sudden unexpected trials that come in life that literally take our breath away. Others believe it to be a fictional account written for instructive purposes but I actually believe it to be a real account of a real man facing real tragedies. I don’t think Job’s text was preserved primarily for us to compare our sufferings to his, and to somehow draw consolation from his being greater. I think there’s much more to Job’s great poem. Part of living in this sin-cursed world is its unpredictability. While having resources enough for food and clothing may distinguish us from those who starve to death each day, wealth, fame, and unlimited resources do not make anyone immune from hearing the doctor’s alarming report or receiving a fateful telephone call. Sure, resources may make it easier to respond but often the impact is the same especially in the event of a tragedy. We can’t know what each day will bring but we don’t have to wait to know the One who brings each day. Are there unanswered questions concerning tragedies and challenges from my own life? More than you might imagine. But as the lyrics to my granddad’s favorite song put it, 'Many things about tomorrow I can’t seem to understand, But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know who holds my hand'." Still true. Amen.

2018 meeting of NATO.

I watched President Trump's press conference following the meeting of the North American Treaty Organization, NATO. There were hundreds of journalists from all over the world in the room. He answered every question put to him. Unscripted. No teleprompters. In my opinion, agree with him or not, he did acquit himself very well on what was a world stage. I mention this only to bring up this point. He is not the dumbest man to ever walk on the face of the earth. In fact, he is not dumb at all. I thought I would mention this since the mainstream media would have us to believe that he is. He continues to prove he is not a politician in the traditional sense. He doesn't function in the expected ways that professional politicians do. While I did not support him as a candidate, once he achieved the nomination I did vote for him to be our President. With all of his good, bad, and ugly, his opponent made voting for him a no-brainer. I do not, to this day, agree with some of his ways, however, I am not ashamed to explain why I voted for him. His critics including those in the media would like for those who voted for him to be exploding with remorse. Again, given the choices before us, I have no remorse at all. Just so you know where I stand. You see it differently. That's okay. I support your privilege to do that even if I think you are wrong. I do think I've probably mangled enough participles to exceed my weekly quota, therefore, I will say so long for now. Enjoy your Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday, and I will do my best to catch back up with you, come next Monday. May God bless. Amen. ....More later.

"Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind." ~ Mary Ellen Chase

Thanks to Alton Holmes for this photograph made in our home.

Hello and welcome to this day, Wednesday, July 11, 2018. I'm sure something important happened on this day in history but I didn't check to find out what it might have been. Most days do have something like that. I enjoy giving out our Santa and Mrs. Claus souvenir cards. I don't give them out randomly, but, I will tell you that many who receive them are very happy to get them. Here's the way I see it. It's a small gesture but if it helps to bring a smile, then, why not? At the same time, I am not so inclined to be thinking about juggling our schedules to fit in the appearances we typically do each year. I prefer not to begin thinking about thinking about needing to do that until August each year. Well, this year Christmas planning came early to several of the folks we work with each year. I have seven events penciled in and another one in the planning stage. Don't get me wrong. We love doing these appearances and in our own way helping families to make memories. I suppose it's the long hours in The Chair, the coordinating of my work schedule, and the stress involved in rushing home, making the transformation, and then fighting traffic to make it on time. Those parts of it are not as much fun, however, when you see a child's eyes light up and they kiss me on the cheek and tell me how much they love me, well, it is then that I think to my self, "Is this a great country or what?"

It has been our great privilege for many years to work with Mindy Harmon, Woodlands' professional photographer. This is the ad and photo currently running in her email newsletter:

"Santa in JULY??!!!???

It's July, it's hot and most people aren't thinking about Christmas yet! But, lots of our 'planner' type moms are already calling about our Santa schedule! The Art and Magic of Santa will be back again this year with special dates! We have opened up our calendar to our newsletter subscribers first! Grab your Santa appointment before they are announced to the public! Our first date with Santa is Oct 20th so we can get your portraits ready by Thanksgiving Gatherings! Book online at mindyharmon.com or call the studio at 281-296-2067! Ho! Ho! Ho!" ~ And, for those who are wondering, that would be 'yours truly' with those adorable children who are checking to see if their names are on the Nice List. I will be doing new promotional photos with Mindy next month. (August) Maybe it's time for me to look into one of those cooling vests.

We watched the President nominate Brett Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court Justice. My wife was fidgeting because they interrupted Ninja Warrior. I thought it was a very respectful presentation of the man, his credentials, and his tremendous judicial experience. Judge Kavanaugh may not be as conservative as the conservatives would like. However, I heard one person express it this way: He is not the nominee that a President Hillary Clinton would have nominated, and, we all should be thanking God for that. It would appear that to those on the left his confirmation to The Court could end civilization as we know it. I even saw a hit piece attacking his parading of his 'beautiful family' for all to see. They were trying to depict him doing that as part of the packaging campaign. How about this? His family should be there because this is the greatest work-related event in this man's life. He has been nominated to the highest court in the land, to a position that only 113 individuals have served in since 1789 when the court was established. I think what really riles these critics is the portrayal of an intact family that obviously loves each other. They don't like those kinds of families. In their view, the traditional family is an insult to our advanced society. When I saw his wife, who is accomplished in her own right, and those two girls, it made me proud. Proud of him and his family. Proud that he has achieved this distinction, and, the big one, proud to be an American. Others saw it differently. They have that right as well. Enjoy the rest of your day and may God bless each one and may He bless America. Amen. .....More later.

Song: 'Too Many Rules' 1961, by Connie Francis. "Too many rules Too many rules Folks are just fools Making too many rules I pray the stars above I haven't lost your love Coz there are too many rules"

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday, July 10, 2018. I read in one of the British papers where it will soon be a hate crime for someone to whistle at another person. I don't know where the balance is, but, making whistling a hate crime seems somewhat of an overkill. One need only Google 'wolf whistle' to see its role in the history of movies, cartoons, and TV. We recently had the new work rules leaked from a major media company here in our country. The new rules sought to help deal with the sexual harassment issues that tend to dominate today's news cycle. In addition to rules against things like flirting, making any kind of physical contact, and reporting on any employee you see engaged in questionable behavior, they also specified an eye contact rule. No one is allowed to maintain eye contact with another employee for more than 5 seconds. Many experts have criticized these rules since they don't believe they will solve a problem but could lead to even more accusations and misunderstandings. All I can say is that we are living in some very strange times. Wouldn't you agree? Think about it. "Hello, human resources, I need to report a 6.5-second eye contact that occurred in a meeting I attended. That 1.5 seconds over the limit really made me feel weird."

Say hello to our new addition to our family.

I know many of you have been waiting on the edge of your seat for the taste test results from the Community Espresso I ordered in. I do have news on that front. Let me introduce my comments here by telling what happened in our Bible study class last Sunday. Two different people had trouble with their cell phones. One was reading The Scriptures from his phone but accidentally hit the audio button and couldn't figure out how to stop the broadcast. Another lady received an audio message and somehow got it on her speaker and she too couldn't figure out how to turn it off. The fellow who had trouble with his Bible program came up to me at the end of the class and apologized. I told him it was no big deal but it was too bad he didn't have one of his grandchildren available to help him with his technology issues. Old people and technology. Well, here's my story. I ordered in the Espresso, however, instead of ordering K-cups, I somehow inadvertently ordered in something called Espresso capsules. These capsules only fit Espresso machines that use them. I called the Community Coffee company. They couldn't take the capsules back or exchange them. They offered me a discount on my next order. What to do? Here I had in my possession $90 worth of Espresso that I paid $45 for but no way to process them. I didn't consult any of my grandchildren, but, I did order me one of those machines. It had to be done! I found one for $70. I have been using it. The best way to describe the results thus far is with the word: S-T-R-O-N-G. I do like one of the blends a lot but it will put those little bumps on your neck when you take the first sip. A second blend I've tried is really hard to describe. It is amazingly strong. It tastes like burned coffee with a charcoal flavor added. It's not bad, but, it will take some getting used to. (You know it's strong if you feel compelled to walk around when sipping it.) When I talked to my eldest about it, he said it sounded like maybe it was the flavor of licking an ashtray. Not a bad description. Okay. So, I hit the wrong box on the order form. Even I goof up once in a while. I do have two more blends to test. I will keep you posted.

One of the things I hate most is to find mistakes in my daily blogs. Especially, after the fact. I actually spotted the desert instead of dessert error in yesterday's blog but failed to go back and correct it. I do like dessert even if, as a diabetic, I often slip around to enjoy it. But I was talking about Moses and his time spent on the back side of the desert because nowhere does it mention him enjoying a banana pudding dessert. I typically do change the ones I find in the copy of record, however, I may leave that one like it is. That way when someone in a galaxy far far away happens upon the electronic record of my blog, they can say, it's not only boring but the fellow didn't know the difference between sand and an ice cream sandwich. Don't get too excited, I'm only having a little fun at my own expense. Let's think about what we have learned today. Firstly, some of the most absurd would be solutions come from those who are thought to be intelligent. Secondly, old people using technology is like watching reruns of The Carol Burnett Show. Lastly, it pays to know that just because you spell a word correctly it doesn't mean that it is the right word. I actually think the grammar software I use knew that I made that mistake. I detected a smirkiness on its part when I hit the publish button. You see what I have to put up with? Enjoy the rest of your day and may God add His blessings. Amen. ....More later.

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." ~ Proverbs 16:24, as rendered in the New King James Version (NKJV)

Good morning. It's Tuesday, July 10, 2018, and I bid each one a hearty welcome. Yesterday I published my 2,850th blog. Let's not dwell on the substance, but, that, my friend, is a whole lot of words slung onto the electronic page. The famous novel 'War and Peace' has 587,287 words. I typically average close to 1,000 words per episode. This means I've imposed on the blogging world significantly more than 2,000,000 words over the past eleven years. This gives me the opportunity to once again say this about that. Thanks to those who take the few minutes to keep up with my daily musings. I appreciate each one. I am also thankful for those who send me feedback. It is always good to know when a particular story stirs a memory or other thought. Some have asked when I will hang up my blogging adventures. Here's how I see it unfolding. Right now, I can sit down at my keyboard and when I think of something my fingers still respond probably at 60 words per minute. I started to say at 60 miles per hour but I will be the first to admit that I have entered that phase of life where it can be said of me that I am more built for comfort than speed. And, lastly, I still enjoy seeing what I can come up with. I've told you before. I do not lack for material, however, there's much that will forever remain silent. Not so much to protect the innocent, but, likely, better stated as the right to not incriminate me, myself, and I. Mostly joking on that one.

Originality? Good question. Original to me, perhaps. But it was the wise King Solomon who had this to say,

"That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
 has already been in ancient times before us.
There is no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after." (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, New King James Version)

I think maybe packaging one's recollections into a story is where interest can be found. We all are, for the most part, storytellers and our material typically comes from the things we experience or observe in the living out of our lives. I talked to a man a couple of weeks ago who is will soon be 88 years young. He said he well remembers things from when he was one year old. He proceeded to tell me some of his earliest recollections. They were about things in his family on the farm. He went on to say that most people scoff at his telling of these memories. I didn't scoff. In fact, I was very impressed. These recollections belong to him. He believes he was there and can remember what happened. Regardless, they are his stories and I was pleased that he shared them with me.

It's been my privilege to share the teaching responsibility in our Sunday morning Bible study time. I and another fellow have recently been alternating lessons regarding the life and times of the shepherd boy king, David. From the time we meet him, likely no older than a 15-year-old, when the prophet Samuel anointed him as the next king over Israel, until the time when he draws his last breath at age 70, this fellow, David, he lived as much of a jam-packed life as one could imagine. I think it interesting to consider his training. He no doubt knew The Scriptures from the teachings of his dad and his mom. He, most likely at a young age, was also enrolled in Shepherd University. Moses actually spent 40 years training at the University of the Dessert, where, he too was schooled in the life of being a shepherd. This shepherd training was quite remarkable in that it reflected the essence of God and His relationship to His people, His sheep if you will. The first reference to this unique relationship is found in the last words of Jacob, another shepherd, as recorded in Genesis 49, where Joseph is the subject of his prophetic blessing,  "Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),..." Here's a challenge. Do a study in your Bible on the subject of shepherding and the work of a shepherd. It will culminate and point to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, The Great Shepherd! I leave you with probably the most recognizable shepherd passage, inspired through a shepherd boy by the name of David:

1) The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3) He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever. (The 23rd Division of the Psalms NKJV)

Pretty amazing stuff if you ask me. See you next time and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.