"The 3C’s in Life: Choice, Chance, Change. You must make the choice, to take the chance, if you want anything in life to change." ~ copied

Time. It marches on even when we tend to stumble our way behind it. It is Tuesday, the last day, June 30, 2020. I can remember as a kid struggling to keep up with the months and how many days each had. It was a good day when I learned this little ditty. ~ Days in a Month Rhyme: Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, And that has twenty-eight days clear, and twenty-nine in each leap year. ~ I seem to remember some who did something with their fists to count off the knuckles and the in-between spaces. I'm pretty sure I no longer remember the rhyme mostly because you reach a point where knowing how many days in the month is not that big of a deal. Opinions run the gamut regarding all things pertaining to COVID. I read a boasting post from a dad of a young child who said even if his child were one of the 1 percent who has died he would still not support what he called the idiotic containment measures. The good news for him is he is not in the 1 percent, but, I'm not convinced losing a child to this disease wouldn't change his opinions. Here is a posting from yesterday by a young pastor who is a friend of mine: "Our member with COVID has gone from thinking he had some sinus irritation last Sunday to being intubated today. His sweet wife, who lost her mom just a month ago, is also positive, but asymptomatic so far. For all of my pastor friends who continually post about how this is all a hoax, how masks are stupid and how you will go whichever way you want in the grocery store, I hope you never have to add to the pain of being unable to care for your members the guilt of knowing your ignorance and gullibility for conspiracy theories could have helped cause it. Look at the actual scientific research, there are 8 peer-reviewed studies that show if we all wore masks in public, it would prevent transmission. Jesus would wear a mask. Your minor inconvenience is not worth risking someone else’s life if you are walking in love. No comments, because I will not be able to control my tongue right now when I reply to you. Just stay home. If you must go out: follow the guidelines the CDC, the governor, and the county have all given. Wash your hands. Look at your ”mask free” posts and knock it off."

The wife pointed out to me that I am more and more moving from one thought to another without changing paragraphs. Whoa! I am so pleased she noticed and her analysis led to a discussion about the current status of my blogging activity. I proferred how randomness has always been a part of the design of my blogs, along with a discombobulated flavor thrown in for good measure. I also told her I am pretty sure I ran out of material some time ago but I've continued on in my continuation. She said she thought maybe they could be a wee bit shorter. Or, she thought I could consider going to every other day instead of five days a week. Her point of reference was yesterday's edition as an example. She mentioned in the first paragraph I went from talking about the rain to a time when it was really dry to a story about the motorcycle guy to questions about the relationship between COVID and the recent protest movement to a desire to see the stats of all the injuries and damages associated with the protests, all in the first paragraph. My response was simple, "Your point?" I immediately thought of that scene from the movie, 'The Last Samurai' where the Tom Cruise character who is a captive has been forced to meet face to face with the chieftain, Samurai Katsumoto who ends with this statement, "I have introduced myself. You have introduced yourself. This is a very good conversation." And, therein lies the problem.  

All joking aside, I greatly appreciate her input. Always. As you might imagine, constructive criticism doesn't bother me at all, bother me at all, bother me at all. Sorry, my neck was whiplashing a little on me. It's one of those involuntary response kinds of things. I also thought about the famous lyric from the 1963 hit song: "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to." Most of my meanings are subliminal, therefore, I even miss a lot of them. I am just messing around here. Like Hercule Poirot, the Agatha Christie invented character, the most famous Belgium detective, I find the process each day does keep the little gray cells actively engaged. I also would be remiss not to mention how I obviously get some sense of accomplishment when I finish and publish them. Speaking of pet peeves, me forgetting a really good anecdote really hacks me off. I get these flashes. Not hot flashes. Just flashes of thoughts, recollections, ideas, or a memory pops up. I immediately think it will make for a good item for my word smorgasbord, but, when I sit down to play a tune on the laptop keyboard, also the flashing has become fleeting. In fact, it fleeted itself right into the Bermuda Triangle. If you don't get that reference, look it up. I had enough trouble remembering what it was called. Until next time, stay calm, cool, and collected, and I will do my best to spend some time figuring out exactly what that means. May God bless. Amen. .....More later. 

“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton

Welcome back, and, thank you for showing up today on this Monday, June 29, 2020. We did get a great rain last week. Maybe a total of 5 - 6 inches. It was a wonderful reprieve. We've been blessed to live in this house for the past 36 years. We have seen some dry spells during our time here. The first photo was from a severe drought time in June of 2011. We were on water restrictions and had to limit our usage. The other photo was taken this past Saturday and the yellow-brown stripes out near the asphalt are gone. For now. At any rate, we left last week with a thankful heart for the rain. I saw an interesting illustration of faith or just blind ignorance on my way home from our early service at our local congregation. An older teen and his girlfriend were on one of those motorcycle speed bikes. It was one of those where you have to lay about half down to stay on it. This fellow was trying to demonstrate to everyone his bike was fast. He was weaving in and out of traffic, going up between cars on the stripe, and sometimes he seemed to make his cut over into the lane as close to the nearest car that he could. The young lady hung on. Like I say, she either had a lot of faith in his ability or was stupid to let him risk her life while risking his. The other thing I've seen very little on is the background information for this latest spike in Covid-19 confirmed cases. I did see one fellow who wondered out loud about the connection of the protest movement to the new spike in cases. That would be good information to know, however, in today's climate I doubt seriously any credible news outlet would be brave enough to find out. And, while they are at it, let us know the exact numbers regarding the people assaulted, killed, and the property destroyed during this season of unrest. 

Most of you know I am a Bible teacher. For nearly 50 years. I know truth peaching when I hear it. Our local fellowship, Mims Baptist, Conroe, Texas, is privileged to have one of the finest expositors of God's Word that I have ever heard. He consistently brings God's message to his audiences. I mean exactly that. He brings the message God has led him to deliver. I am blessed to have many preacher acquaintances as part of my regular social media contact pool. I keep up with them. Some are young preachers and they are making a mark because they present from the Word of God the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. One young man is doing a great job in the pulpit and in serving his congregation. He pastors a congregation of just over 200 folks. Because of the virus cloud, he has done his best to use every technology available to get The Word out. He is a very bright young man and has a good handle on using all the latest stuff. However, sometimes the quality is a little off or maybe the broadcast doesn't function like it should. The other day one of his members posted a note to him on Facebook about his technology woes. The member said they had found this to be one of his frequent laments, "This never happens to Dr. Adrian Rogers." The late Dr. Rogers pastored a congregation of more than 25,000 and was one of the most heard and seen preachers on radio and TV. He too never faltered in his commitment to 'rightly divide the word of truth...' Yesterday's sermon at our local fellowship covered the famous text from the Prophet Isaiah's writing, Chapter 6. I thought it was one of the finest on this text I've ever heard. Here is the link to service and our Sr. Pastor, Dr. Jerry Chaddick in his presentation of this passage: 

https://www.facebook.com/MimsBaptist/videos/297681618084606/?v=297681618084606

We bought a new refrigerator last week. It reminds us all that things do wear out. We didn't buy a very expensive one but it does have the ice maker and it is a side by side model. The wife has gotten to where she says things like, "Not to worry, it will probably last longer than we will." She even said that about Mr. Bentley when he arrived on the scene at 8 weeks young. It's as if she has found our use-by date or timestamp. Maybe she has noticed me doing my Tim Conway old-man walking when I first get up in the morning. I used to work with a fellow who often commented he just couldn't fit the wife and me into the older category. He said he knew folks, even in his own family, that acted old, some younger than us. Oh well, that was a nice thought. Now we are into the phase of what will we out last. Or not. I kid about it but we all know that ultimately our time here will end and according to the Scriptures, that's when our eternal existence continues. We are alive now but we will be even more alive in the presence of our Lord and Savior when we leave this life for our real forever life. We have His word on it. That's a promise to live by whether you are still young, middle-aged, or, in that soon to expire phase. It's a joke. Go ahead and laugh. May God bless each one and don't forget to thank Him for the time-release arthritis pain relief pills. Amen. ....More later. 

“I like to watch people. Sometimes I ride the subway all day and look at them and listen to them. I just want to figure out who they are and what they want and where they're going.” ― Ray Bradbury

Good morning one and all. I bring you greetings from our imposed semi-quarantined world. That's by our personal choice, not one that has been mandated by the state. At least, not for now. It is Friday, June 26, 2020, and I believe this stay-at-home policy has eroded my source for stories to write about each day. Think about it. I've become more and more a facsimile of a recluse and that means I am not out and about that much which doesn't give me access to observing the most interesting of all of God's creatures, other human beings. That's where most of my stories come from. I started out my blogging using the famous quote from that paragon of the obvious, Yogi Berra, who said, "You can observe a lot just by watching." I do see some folks walking on the street as Mr. Bentley and I sit outside. If it is the mom and kids walking to the pool and they are on their way there, she has to do all she can to keep them from running. If I happen to catch them on the way back, the children are barely able to walk and they are begging for her to carry them. As they used to say back home, those kids will not have to be rocked to sleep at bedtime. Mom obviously knew that too. The postal carrier lady saw me out in the yard yesterday. As she neared our box she leaned out her door window and yelled out, "No bills today!" She then promptly skipped our box altogether and put mail into our neighbors. I waved back. One couple comes by with their interesting looking dog. I think the dog is a Whippet that favors a Greyhound. Mr. Bentley obviously thinks Mr. Whippet looks odd and responds by acting like he wants to go a few rounds. That in turn, causes Mr. Whippet to try and answer the challenge. They end up straining to hold their dog back and I end up doing the same. Sorry, but this is how life unfolds when you don't get out much.

"Houston, we have a problem."

My throwback comes from 13 years ago on this very date and here is an extract from a 10 paragraph essay. June 26, 2007 'Always Be a Problem Solver!' ~ One of the great challenges for anyone is to come to realize what problems they can solve. It would be ludicrous for me to tackle a mechanical project knowing I have little or no aptitude for it. Unfortunately, there are literally millions who are mismatched in their jobs today. I’m not talking about a dream world here. My youngest son used to say he would like to be an evangelist for the Lord specializing in reaching people on the golf courses of America. I’m not talking about this type of what would you rather be doing kind of issue. I’m talking about taking the time to know the types of problems you can solve because of your bent, your orientation, and your skills. So many today can only see problems, talk about problems, and report problems but with little or no abilities to solve them. Some say training is the answer and I would agree that’s one answer. However, you could train me on something mechanical until the cows come home and I would still not be able to be effective in that arena. But turn me loose on a project that involves research, interviews, analysis, conclusions, and recommendations, and I’m your guy. Over the years I’ve discovered this is my bent, this is where I function best, and while I’ve had to do many other things along the way, it is within this sphere that I have accomplished the best of what I have to offer. ~

I just looked again to be sure. It's still Friday and as I finish today's edition, it is fast approaching the 6 a.m. mark. The wife is still asleep in our room. Mr. Bentley is coiled up on the couch and is snoozing also. When I sat down to come up with today's edition I not only stared at a blank electronic page but I also felt as if I was copying stuff from the blank page in my head. Some days are like that. And, you get to thrash through it with me. I haven't spoken much about the political landscape lately. I'll save you the effort. It's still a huge mess. As new restrictions are being implemented in nearby Harris County, I thought it interesting how our county judge, (Montgomery), chose to respond. He said he is not going to implement any mandatory mask-wearing and he would not be wearing one himself. I can see the choice of not going with a mandatory order, but, to tell the truth, the bravado stuff doesn't impress me in the least. I know those types of things play really well in Redneck Land, but, not as well with those wrestling with a tube down their throats as they struggle to survive. Maybe that was a wee bit of heaviness to close out our week but that's what bubbled to the top. Enjoy. Be blessed. And, recognize the source of all we have and give Him the thanks due Him. Amen. ....More later. 

"What we've got here…is failure to communicate." ~ from the movie, 'Cool Hand Luke'

Solomon was right. There really is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Or, my often-used saying, "The more things change it is the more they stay the same." I had that in mind when I consider the fact that I am hurriedly closing in on 3,400 blogs. It is Thursday, June 25, 2020, and I do hope all is well on your home front. The word rehash didn't come along until a long time after Solomon, (1820 to be precise) but it came to mean presenting something similar in a slightly different form. There's also the rewording, rewriting, and perhaps even repackaging along with repeating. It's okay for you to see it that way because outside of our Savior and Lord who once walked among men, there never lived a man who had more wisdom than Solomon. Yet, even with God-given talent and ability, Solomon had his own set of issues. But that's a story for another day. There are times when I feel like telling myself, "Stop me if you have heard this before." I resist because I would likely be stopping a lot. To be honest, there's a certain level of it all running together over time. One thing is pretty clear. I write today pretty much like I wrote a long time ago. I still have some correspondence, reports, and other writings and they correspond fairly close to my work in the present tense. I would hope I am a little better in some areas of tightening up my text, but, that too is a question hard to answer. I still get notes from people who read what I write and my wife often gives me her thoughts. Sometimes even about my blogs. Joking only.

I've mentioned before about how, over the years, I've made contact with people in my birth dad's family, especially those connected to my dad's twin brother, Uncle Walter. As with most family trees over the past 65 years, his lineage experienced many branches and lots of changes. Occasionally, I hear from a new person on the scene like a grandchild doing ancestor research. Since I've been there and done that, at least as far as I could go, they typically want information and photos I might have regarding people in their family. As we all know, families can be very complicated. I received a request the other day for photos of my dad and his twin brother. The request was from the step-grandson of my dad's twin. He explained how that Uncle Walter's son, David, his step-dad, was the real dad in his life and he wanted to know as much as I could share. See what I mean? He actually is not even blood kin but he is family. I sent him side by side photos of dad and his twin brother along with a photo of their mom. He had tried to get information while David was still alive but he said it just wasn't forthcoming. I think the word on all sides of our family has been 'tightlipped'. So many of the folks I talked to over the years knew something but really had no interest in talking about it. It wasn't as if I intended to write a tell-all book. But, I was very familiar with that sentiment and as my mom used to tell me, "Son, why dig for stuff from so long ago, just let sleeping dogs lie."

Don't get me wrong, I know enough from hints, insinuations, and even some weird connecting of the some of the dots to write a pretty interesting account. However, that was never my intention. I would believe learning surprising information would be the case in most families if the whole story was known. I could keep some of those history detectives busy for a while chasing down this, that, and the other. Some in our family wanted to know because of different medical propensities that have shown up over time. Others wanted to know about their grands and great grands. For instance, my dad fought in WWII and his twin brother did also. Their dad fought in WWI which I would not have known had I not found his enlistment records. That's an example of the kinds of things people are interested in. Sure, I have found a large number of relatives we have that we previously didn't know anything about. A number of years ago one of my cousins sent me a request on Facebook and it asked that I not forget her and their family as they dealt with a serious tragedy. It had not been very long that I even knew we had a connection. Family. Like I say, there's a reason people mark 'it's complicated' in their relationship status. It's been that way since the fall of Adam but we do have hope in the power of Almighty God to help us along the way. Amen. ....More later.

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing -- that's why we recommend it daily." ~ Zig Ziglar

Hello again, and welcome to another reality check coming to you from my world to yours. Today's visit encompasses the day we have before us, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. I accompanied the wife to a doctor's visit yesterday morning. That was our first time to be back at the medical facility together since the big shutdown. We went through the screening checkpoint where they ask Covid-related questions and they used one of those instruments to check our temperatures. Once we cleared that, we were allowed to go to the reception area. They did have the chairs spaced out. The wife was there to see her orthopedic about a continuing shoulder issue. She got checked in and they soon called her back. I sat out in the waiting area and fiddled with my phone while I observed the goings-on around me. A couple came in and they had to be somewhere near our same age. It didn't take long to find out she was hard of hearing. The lady would tell the clerk something but when the clerk responded the man shouted what she had said back to his wife and to the rest of their audience. We all had our masks on. The hard of hearing lady told the clerk the mask made her hearing problem worse. She said it was something about it impacting her facial muscles. Sounded odd to me. When they sat down he continued to talk to her in a loud voice. I suppose this was their norm. I found out quite a lot about this couple including how he had three shirts exactly like the orange-colored shirt the fellow near them was wearing. Yep. That would be yours truly. Suddenly, they made me a part of their program. I thought you might want to know how things are going in the waiting room world.

We also enjoyed a visit from our granddaughter Stefani and her daughter, our great-grand, Bella. The little ones do love playing with their living plush toy, Mr. Bentley. And, did they ever play! I ended up calling it Bella and Bentley's playdate. Bella is about 18 months and so is Mr. Bentley. They had a good time together. I am very impressed with Mr. Bentley's ability to allow children to treat him pretty roughly but he never retaliates. It was so good for us to spend time with these two. Sadly, we've done far fewer family visits since COVID invaded our world. When it came time to help Bella into her car seat she was ready for a ride and a nap. Not long after, I spotted our Mr. Bentley laid out on the recliner with the wife and he was snoring up a storm. 

Mr. Bentley, "You can stick a fork in me because I'm done!"

I did wake up this morning to a steady hard rain. The flash flood warning from yesterday seems to have arrived. No mowing today. We might need a hay baler when we can mow again. Or, if it is too high, I might just get out on the road and flag down one of the dozens of the lawn mowing trucks that go forth and back each day. I know exactly what some of you are thinking. Wasn't I just lamenting over the brownout on the yard because of needing rain? Yep. That would be me. In all fairness, given the throwdown sample of what a drought might look like, I'll take the rain along with what comes with it. Oh yeah, I don't really have a choice, do I? This past Sunday, the wife and I made the decision to participate in our Church services via streaming onto our large TV screen. I had previously attended all the in-person services but with the increase in virus exposure and the continued lack of restraint in making contact during worship, well, it just seemed like a prudent thing to do. However, we both felt a little tinge of guilt because we knew many of our brothers and sisters were there. Our Governor has said this week that if people do not do a better job of helping to contain the spread, he fears we will have to go back to a more restricted approach. Decisions, decisions, they are the fabric of life. May God lead, guide, and direct us all as we try to continue our journey here. Amen. .....More later.

"Young men, trust God, and make the future bright with blessing. Old men, trust God, and magnify him for all the mercies of the past." ~ Charles Spurgeon

Good morning and welcome. We will be working on and dealing with everything associated with today, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. We enjoy parched peanuts but a parched lawn this early in the summer, not so much. I heard one of the local weather people say he had really hoped for no rain on Sunday for Father's Day. Really? We've been pouring out water on ours already so much so the lid cover of the meter is rattling. (Exaggeration Alert.) And yet, the grass next to the asphalt road is already a yellowish-brown. Yes. I am aware there are bigger problems in the world and even in our world than trying to keep the grass green. We are thankful we did receive a brief late afternoon shower this past Sunday. And, we did receive just short of a gully washer yesterday, praise the Lord! We do not typically obsess over the weather predictions. I know that is a stereotype of older folks, but, we do pay attention when we are looking for a shower or two. Yes. I am aware of how the Houston forecast covers a huge geographic area and one segment may be inundated while others may get very little. What I am saying is we need some rain, if for no other reason than to give the water meter a time out, and this forecast looks promising. You may remember Jesus talking about weather predicting. Matthew 16: 1)Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2) He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3) and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4) A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

Last Saturday, June 20, our eldest, Chris, and his wife, Sherrie, celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary. We are thankful for them and glad they were able to celebrate by taking a trip to the Grand Canyon. While this milestone is an opportunity for thanking God, it also points to the wife and me becoming high mileage vehicles. Happy Anniversary and may God continue to bless. Amen. Our love, mom, and dad.

I did have a tremendous Father's Day. I received a lot of greetings and while we couldn't gather everyone together during 'these days', the wife did all she could to make my day very special. We watched our Sunday School lesson at 7 a.m. on the feed from our local Church. The wife then made me a big breakfast. Beef sausage, grits, eggs, and homemade biscuits, ice-cold orange juice, and as always, hot, black, strong Community Coffee. Here's how I handled this situation. I busted open one of those cat head biscuits, put butter in it, and then crammed one of those beef sausages in. (People would still actually go to I-HOP if they knew how to cook breakfast like my wife.) We then watched the live stream of our worship service. About mid-afternoon, the wife began her intense effort to prepare me a special meal. She worked very hard for over 2 hours. Here is my posting from Facebook, along with the photo above: "Eat at any restaurant you like, I'll take the wife's home cooking every time. Father's Day Menu: Smothered steak and gravy on mashed potatoes; fresh okra fried with fresh field peas; fried green tomatoes; baked fresh corn on the cobb; fresh sliced tomatoes; pepper sauce and made from scratch cornbread, and a tall glass of iced tea. Apple pie for later. Note to self: Do not check blood sugar in the morning. Huge thank you to my bride of 55 plus years." It sounds like I'm boasting but the truth is I feel blessed and I do thank God. Amen. .....More later.

“Don’t look at the calendar. Just keep celebrating every day.” ~ Advice from Ruth, 100 years young.

Welcome back. Today is Monday, June 22, 2020, and our race continues. That's how the Bible describes the life we have as a believer. As in, we are to run the race set before us. (Hebrews 12:1-3) Part of our race is to encourage others. I feel compelled to encourage by giving advice as I learn things in the phase of life where I currently dwell. As one grows older it is best not to carry two different objects in your hands at one time. Trust me on this. You can easily put the used coffee individual serve container in the drawer with the potholders and find the potholder being put in the trash can. I will not explain how I know these things and I am not going to hide behind the one you so often see on Facebook: Asking for a friend. I just thought it best to share this practical tidbit to help you along the way. Another thing. If you are going to answer any question put forth by your mate, make sure you know the question first. Guessing may be better than nothing but it can have serious consequences. An example might be, She asks, "Do you think my new hairstyle looks okay? Since you missed the gist of what was said, a wrong answer might be, "I was almost certain I took the trash out this morning." I've tried the two most likely guesses, Yes Mam, and No Mam, but, they are fraught with peril. I can hear you. Why not just pay attention and you won't have to worry about trying to guess. I would recommend thinking of that before, not after. Hopefully, I've been able to help someone out there as they deal with the reality of life. 

I think it was four years ago that I made my last excursion on the Saturday before Father's Day to honor my step-dad. I always carried him a container full of grilled meat with all the trimmings. That was my habit and while I miss doing it I can look back and remember our special times together. The fellow in the photo on the left is my dad. He left for his eternal home when I was seven years old. Our son, Chris, and his wife have been up at the Grand Canyon for the last few days celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary (last Saturday). They did the train experience and really enjoyed it. My dad worked for the railroad company, Kansas City Southern. When he died we moved into the house with my mom's parents, Granny and Paw Paw Mac. The railroad folks issued us a rail pass and I used it the most. The folks on the trains I rode all knew my dad. They told me how exceptional he was. They most likely exaggerated this for my sake but it did make a difference in my life. The fellow in the middle is my Grandfather, Paw Paw Mac. He was the father figure that impacted me the most growing up. My wife's dad, the Preacher man, Bro. Rawles also greatly influenced my life. The last photo is of my step-dad for 40 years although we just called him 'dad'. He stood by me and the rest of our huge blended clan regardless of the situation. Regardless! My point? I count my blessings for His provision of these dads in my life. Amen and Amen. 

A lady in our neighborhood posted how she had seen a fox crossing the road with a small animal in its mouth. She couldn't make out the animal and thought it might be a small kitten or small puppy. She was warning people to keep up with their pets. Someone else responded and said they too had seen the fox and the animal was a small squirrel. The other morning I looked down the street at around 5 a.m. and I saw the silhouette of a coyote about two blocks away. He was likely on his way back to his den. You might recall the late-night rendezvous Mr. Bentley and I had when we were charged by two adolescent armadilloes. On our Sunday morning ride around, Mr. Bentley and I spotted a large red hawk and it had something pinned in the grass near the wooded area in the back of our sub-division. Our middle son recently killed a mature copperhead out near the trash containers just outside our garage. We are not living in the wilderness but we do have several wooded lots very nearby. This is why I am always on the alert especially at night or just before the dawning of a new day. Oh yeah, I didn't even mention those nesting owls. I don't know exactly how large they are but they can stir up a tree and make a lot of wind noises with their wings. Mr. Bentley is currently right at the 20-pound mark and that works in his favor but I still want to protect him as much as I can. This wasn't even on my radar screen 18 months ago. It is now! Have a great day and may God bless. Amen. .....More later.

"It’s important to always look where you’re headed rather than where you were!" ~ from the Lion King Movie

Hello, again, and we open up today's edition and discover it's Friday, June 19, 2020. We've had the same behind our house neighbor for twenty plus years. She is a bonified animal lover and cats in particular. She has nearly a dozen and takes care of them like they are her children because, in essence, they are. She has one large fluffy cat who she took in as a stray. His name is Shadow and when she got him a couple of years ago he was as wild as they come. He had all kinds of problems that required veterinarian care over a long period of time. He believes himself to be Mufasa, king of our neighborhood. He roams all around or more to the point, he prances all around. He loves to torment Mr. Bentley. Mr. Bentley lays by the sliding glass door and Shadow likes to parade forth and back and watch Mr. Bentley have conniptions. I don't know how much territory he rules over but I see him at various times in different parts of our subdivision. He expects cars to yield him the right of way. I was out with Mr. Bentley the other day and I saw Shadow down the street about a block and a half away. He was doing his regular marching around when he encountered a couple of mocking birds who obviously had missed his coronation. He decided to cross the street and they were making him as unwelcome as they could. They were taking turns diving and pecking at him. He acted like he was trying to ignore them. After all, he still eats birds. Who do they think they are? However, they were courageous and tenacious. They kept at it and he finally had to turn his proud walk into a trot and get out of Dodge. They obviously had a nest nearby and crown or no crown they saw him as a threat. Shadow the intimidator became Shadow the intimidated. I'm not sure Mr. Bently could tell exactly what was going on but he may have thought it was nothing less than well earned poetic justice.

Here are some excerpted thoughts from a blog I wrote on June 19, 2007. ~ It Doesn't Take Much! Wonder how life would go for us if we went about our daily activities with a desire to recognize, encourage, and reward people instead of our usual approach which dares anyone to cross us? As the old saying goes, our attitude really does impact our altitude. Let me say clearly this is not a repackaging of the “positive thinking psychobabble”. It’s essentially seeing people for who they really are,  made in the image of God”. And, more or less living out the tried and true golden rule where we give out what we would really like to receive. If you really think about it you will conclude that you can either help or hurt, and it doesn't take much. I know a few years ago the rage was all about the mantra of ‘What would Jesus do?’. While I was pleased people paused to consider this question, I don’t think too many were really puzzled in trying to decide what He would do. The issue then, and now, is what He would have us to do and that’s the challenge we face. This is particularly true as it relates to our view and treatment of others! Here’s a good suggestion. Let’s all agree as we go about our busy lives to do our best to try to make it a good day for at least one person. How about TODAY? Hey, this is pretty good stuff. I might want to write a blog about it, someday. ~

I now come to the end of this week's visits and I do hope you and yours are well. We did have one individual who attended one of our recent public services in our local meeting place to be confirmed as having the Covid-19 Virus. That was news. The confirmed cases are continuing to grow in our county and for most of our state. I think there are four or five counties with no cases. One wonders how that could happen, but, we haven't had any thoughts of moving to one of those. Joking only. The question remains as to what posture we older folks should take. Regardless of how you look at the numbers, those 65 and older have been the most impacted in terms of terminal outcomes, at a near 80% clip. Oh well, we all have to make the best decisions we can using the best information we can get along with God's input and His provision. With that, I bid you a wonderful farewell for now, and may we all find ourselves counting our blessings each day. Amen. .....More later.

"One day at a time sweet Jesus that's all I'm asking from you...."

Today. Thursday, June 18, 2020. That's what I will be dealing with at this time. You too! As Dr. Seuss put it, "Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" It is a good reminder. In fact, the popular 1974 song, "One Day at a Time" has a similar theme. It was written by Maryjohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson. That song became a worldwide hit as it has been recorded by over 200 different artists. Here are the lyrics as recorded by the late-great Merle Haggard:

One Day at a Time

I'm only human I'm just a man

Help me to believe in what I could be and all that I am

Show me the stairway that I have to climb

Lord for my sake teach me to take one day at a time

One day at a time sweet Jesus that's all I'm asking from you

Give me the strength to do everyday what I have to do

Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine

So for my sake teach me to take one day at a time

Do you remember when you walked among men

Well Jesus you know if you're looking below it's worse now than then

Pushing and shoving crowding my mind

So for my sake teach me to take one day at a time

One day at a time sweet Jesus that's all I'm asking from you

Give me the strength to do everyday what I have to do

Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine

Yes just for my sake teach me to take one day at a time

An interesting side note. Though Kris Kristofferson is credited as a co-writer, he claims he didn't write the gospel-influenced song. Kristoffersen admitted in the book '1000 UK #1 Hits': "I never sing the song because I didn't write it. Marijohn Wilkin was the first publisher I worked for and she published 'For The Good Times' and 'Darby's Castle.' She was a good songwriter herself and I was in the room when she was writing 'One Day At A Time' and I might have given her a line or two. If I studied the lyrics, I might find a phrase of mine but I think she wrote the whole song and I remember her singing it to me. Marijohn was paying me back for some of the songs I had written for her - it was her way of saying 'Thank you.' I've done it myself. I've given a lot of people who've never written a word a piece of one of my songs." My thought: I would imagine he did keep his share of the royalties.

My point? Our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. An interesting passage from the letter of James points out this truth, from Chapter 4: "13 Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.' 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." God knows it all. We don't. Therefore, we live with His provision, one day at a time. This doesn't mean we shouldn't plan or work for our future, but, it does mean we live out our plan under His direction, one day at a time. Hebrews 3:13 shows us where our focus should be: "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called 'Today',...." There is a sense in which we are faced with knowing if we are to accomplish anything we need to get on with it, one day at a time, today!

Today's message was targeted towards the well-known trio, Me, Myself, and I. If any of it helps you as well, I say Amen for that. I'm not sure this has anything to do with today's sermonette but I did have this dream the other night. I dreamed I was called on, without notice, to speak to a large gathering of believers. I had a few minutes to prepare. Maybe the stuff I shared today would have been my texts. The wife and I went for a walk to pray and regroup. As we walked she kept stopping to buy things. I told her we had to get back or we would be late. The rest of the dream was about all the obstacles we had to overcome in trying to get back to the service. That's it. I do add this disclaimer. No counselor including Dr. Phil was injured in any way in the writing of today's edition. I mention that as a joke but also to head off any unsolicited interpretations of my dream. Still kidding. Okay. That's all I have for today. I'll close now and go and do me some talking to that trio I mentioned. May God bless each one. Amen. ......More later.

Something good for us older folks to know. If someone asks if you just fell, tell them you didn't. Instead, tell them you were just checking to see if gravity still works.

Okay. It's Wednesday, June 17, 2020, and I do bid each and everyone a warm welcome. That's not hard to do as we deal with this early onset heatwave. I have now joined a Facebook page devoted to those who deal with sleep issues by utilizing a CPAP unit. There are 1600 members and thus far I am finding myself in good company as many of them are dealing with similar issues. Duh! The good news is that early on in my usage I am doing mostly pretty good. I never realized how many different vendor products there are and the available huge variety of parts and pieces. Some semi-funny stuff already. Those who have pacemakers and CPAP machines talk about potential interference via the wifi connection. One lady said her pacemaker sends up information to something called a cloud and so does her CPAP machine, causing her to wonder what the two of them are telling each other. I am doing my best to train myself to become a nose breather after being a mouth breather for as long as I have been around. I do okay when I first fall asleep but when you wake up with your mouth feeling as dry as the West Texas wind, (literally), well, you know that during your sleep cycle your mouth came open. I do not want to use a chin strap. They do make other types of things to try. At any rate, I may try out, at some time in the future, the whole face mask which covers nose and mouth. My numbers are pretty good and they are holding fairly steady. One lady sent me a note and said she had many inquiries from people with beards who struggle to get a good fit. I sent her the information on the one I am using. I couldn't do much more than that since I still don't have too much of a handle on what I am doing. 

While I was at the dentist the other day I received a text from the company I worked for most recently. (Twelve years.) They needed some information on how I coordinated particular projects where independent third party testing was required. I have a fairly decent memory, but, not on stuff like that. I began to think about thinking about what they were asking. I looked up some information via the internet. I mentioned to the wife what I was doing and she said she had no doubt I could come up with what they needed. She did. I'm glad she believes in me more than I believe in myself. I looked and looked and I guess that archived file decided to show itself out on the radar screen. I called and told the fellow at the company I thought I could help him. Here's the funny part. Having come up with the consulting firm we used I gave him this input. "When you call them be sure and tell them you have an account with them. There was some type of initiation fee but once it is paid it doesn't have to be paid again. Also, be aware of the principals I dealt with are retired and no longer an active part of the firm. I then went on to explain how and what they will do and how they will coordinate the entire project. I also reminded him to add the cost to the bid they are making to our primary customer. When I finished I told the wife it was funny how quickly it all came back to me along with all the ownership pronouns that came flooding back. 

What he will learn very quickly is building everything to those specifications and getting all the approvals done before you can ship your constructed unit, well, it is a pain. This particular unit must meet the specifications in New Jersey. Up there, they seem to enjoy making life difficult for folks in Texas who try to build and ship units into their state. I do have a theory about all of this. There are fees that must be paid to the state receiving the unit. I think you know where this is going. Texas, meanwhile, has always been more open in terms of business flexibility, BUT, they too see the opportunity to cash in on this type of fee collection. I'm sure they would say they are only looking to assure a safe product. I coordinated enough of these types of certifications to at least have my opinion. Having resurrected my recollections, I did remember how I enjoyed working with the people at the consulting firm. We had a friendly and productive relationship. Dealing with state agencies. Not so much. And, I now shut that file and have no plans to be looking for it again anytime soon. Things like that make me realize I could still get the job done if that was something I needed to do. Sometimes, you do wonder about stuff like that. Or, at least I do. Have a good rest of the day and remember to thank God for His provisions. Amen. .....More later.

“Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day.” – Helen Steiner Rice

We continue to continue our pursuit of what's up around the bend, maybe it will be Moon River, or some such thing as that, as I bring you greetings from my place to yours on this Tuesday, June 15, 2020. I did get my dental checkup although there are advisories saying not to do it unless it is a necessity. In other words, if you are not having any problems, maybe postponing maintenance-related procedures might be prudent. They did add a $15 fee to help them cover their personal protective gear and their increased sanitizing activities. Given their prices, I thought that was a little much, but, maybe next time I will find a coupon they will take. You do know I am just joking. The technician who cleaned my teeth did a good job. The dentist fellow said I still needed to take care of the one tooth on the upper right in the back that will likely need to come out. I told them I would not be doing anything that significant until this virus thing is behind us. They said that sounded reasonable to them. The technician lady did not say my teeth were doing good but I did notice it did not take her long at all to de-plaque them. I put the next visit out in the middle of next January. I am not sure we will have a Santa season for this year. I see many of the professional Santas posting how they are typically beginning to be fully booked by now and they have almost nothing so far. I'm okay with that. The wife and I could do something different for a change especially after being pretty well tied down for the past 10 Christmas seasons. That is part of what may or may not be up around the bend. 

Christmas green screen background example.

I have been super impressed with a number of the Santas who make a large portion of their living doing Christmas related events. These fellows have jumped on the technology bandwagon like nobody's business. They are getting ready to offer all kinds of electronic-based Santa Claus options. They are using green screen technology to do webcam with backgrounds that are simply amazing. I'm talking backgrounds with motion, working fireplaces, and other goodies. The idea will be to visit children in their homes or to do personal appearances for groups via one of the teleconferencing utilities. Fees will be charged for the type of service provided including the option to record and keep the Santa visit. I do admire these ardent entrepreneurial types. Webcam visits have been around a while, but, with these interactive backgrounds have really kicked it up a notch. My guess is, going forward, we will see these types of electronic-based offerings becoming more and more the norm. I just don't know if I am wanting to get myself into a mode to do this type of thing. My biggest hurdle would be the use of the technology itself which I could probably master but not without a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see robotic Santa Clauses coming to a department store near you. Oh, I forgot, there won't be any malls or department stores in the future. Oh well, maybe we will take a Christmas vacation this year.

You just never know. Or, at least that has been my appreciation for how it goes during my time here on the planet. I had not done a lot of outdoor grilling prior to the onset of the pandemic. It became more of an option as we sought ways to add variety to our menu choices. Because of this, I've done more grilling over the past few months than I have in maybe the last five years. In the past, we had pretty much reserved grilling for our big family get-togethers and the occasional steak cookout. During this quarantine time, I have grilled pork and beef ribs, pork and beef sausage, beef steaks, hamburgers, hot dog wieners, pork chops, and chicken. I had forgotten how much the wife really enjoys grilled meat. At the same time, I have tried not to overdo the grilling because then you have the problem of sameness. You know. The one I was trying to solve, to begin with. The restaurants are open in our area. That sounded so good to us. We were glad. We went to Olive Garden. Twice. This past Sunday, I asked the wife where she wanted to go after Church. She couldn't think of anything. I couldn't think of anything. We named some places but we came up with reasons not to go. We missed them so much while they were closed, but, I suppose it was not as much as we thought. See what I mean? You just never know. Take care and may God add His blessings. Amen. .....More later. 

“In order to write about life first you must live it.”– Ernest Hemingway

Welcome back, it's good to catch back up with everyone on this Monday, June 15, 2020. I think I've come up with a way to describe the current state of health advisory in our nation. It's called consensus of confusion. The coronavirus is still spreading and expanding. We may have to advise some additional measures to try and deal with it. Crowds are still a major concern as seen in the spike of confirmed cases after Memorial Day. States that have been aggressive in reopening may have to scale back. The second wave could present different problems that have not been faced before. And, finally, the real kicker here. We are not that concerned about the spread of the virus within the protests going on. We consider those gatherings to be public health necessities. We would prefer some type of social distancing at these events but we understand the nature of the gatherings does not tend to provide this opportunity. Meanwhile, Churches may need to rethink their opening strategies. As one nearby county judge put it, things are beginning to be out of hand but not severely out of hand yet. With those kinds of insights and recommendations, I suppose we now have all we need to make informed decisions. At any moment, I look for a call to have any and all non-African American individuals who have the last name 'Black' to immediately change their names. That may sound way over the top but it is not even close to being that far fetched given some of the stuff we are already seeing. Meanwhile, we just have to trust God and do the best we can. Amen. 

I have a dental appointment for a checkup and cleaning this morning. It will be my first time back since all of this quarantine business started. I am not looking forward to my visit. It will be fine if they will do the checkup and cleaning and be done with it. But, that's not how they operate. They will detect some issue and they will want to schedule a follow-up to deal with it. Their detections typically start at a minimum of $1,000 and go up from there. I suppose it's because they have better x-ray and other examination means today. That's being nice. They have their overhead to cover and they are in a nice location. They have two long rows of divided dental stalls and they typically do their best to have someone being worked on in every stall. I've mentioned before how the experience itself these days resemble gong in for an auto repair. They always come out with their clipboard and tell you that while fixing the problem they discovered something new that needs to be repaired. Always. I would guess they will be taking my temperature this morning. It makes me wonder if I should figure out how to have myself a wee bit of fever when I get there. You do know I am kidding, but, the thought did cross my mind. 

I recently watched some very old TV sketches done by Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. They did a 90-minute live version of slapstick comedy that was hilarious to me back in the early 1950s. I can remember seeing some of those shows when I was a kid. They would make me roll on the floor. Seeing them now does not have the same impact. They seem very moronic these days. What happened? Are they no longer funny even though they were thought to be the work of genius back then? Or, have we all changed so much we no longer can be made to laugh unless something fits our enlightened sense of humor? It most likely is more the latter than anything else. We, as individuals and collectively as a people, have lost our innocence and replaced it with an attention span so short we have trouble even processing what we are seeing,  without any hope of finding any humor in it. We have also recently watched some of the Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, and cast in the old Honeymooners program. Thankfully, some of those still make me laugh. Out loud, to use the modern catchphrase. Maybe there's still hope. Of course, many of the old programs are being put off-limits by the thought police who find them to be sexist and racially insensitive. I always thought we were to learn from history, not to purge it if we don't like it. I guess I better quit and go study for my dental exam. See you next time. Lord willing. Amen. ....More later.

“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man.” ~ Mark Twain

I am not completely sure why but this week has pretty much passed quickly, almost like listening to an old vinyl record being played on the fast speed. It is Friday, June 12, 2020, and I do send out greetings to one and all. Mr. Bentley and I just came in from sitting out in the yard. He, in my lap, while I drank my first cup of Community for the day. At 65 degrees, it's not a bad start to the day. I am on one of the Shi Tzu breed Facebook pages where folks share photos and information about their pups. The group has around 10,500 members from all over the world. There are some remarkable Shi Tzu's out there, and, Mr. Bentley is one of them. This will sound like a parental kind of brag but it's not intended to be that at all. It's nothing more than a statement of fact. Mr. Bentley is a hit on that page. Big time. Folks love him. Photos like the one above always generate a huge response including many comments. I typically share one photo a week with a caption where Mr. Bentley is doing the talking. This is the caption that was on the above photo: Mr. Bentley, "Would you please tell that lady that walks by, my name is not Frisky and I am not her precious baby. I don't even know where she lives." The way I see it, I might as well share him because he pretty much consumes a good portion of my waking hours. This gives me the opportunity to say again, I didn't have a clue and still don't but I do know he has been a wonderful intrusion into our lives.

Thirteen years ago I wrote nine, count them, paragraphs on my experiences as a supervisor and manager in dealing with people making excuses for why they couldn't come to work. When I read stuff like that I am taken aback by the level of detail I went into. I was new to blogging and it took me a couple of years to figure out the best format. For me and for my readers. Here is one of my several concluding paragraphs shared on June 11, 2007. ~ You Better Have A Good Excuse! After a good long run, I left the big company having missed very few days during my sojourn there. A major reason for that was the fact that I had been super blessed with good health. Some were not that fortunate and had no choice but to deal with serious health issues. But for the most part, we all understood what it meant to take our jobs seriously. While leadership models are all over the page today, I preferred doing what I did by example. People knew where I stood and I reinforced where I stood the best I knew how in the way in which I demonstrated it every single day. ~

For those who may be wondering, I do not see a new career for me in writing dialogue for dogs. I thought I might need to make that clear. I was talking to my eldest son about some things that I am finally beginning to begin to realize. I am a retiree now. I did my best to not wear that title for as long as I could but there's no denying it now. I remember the wife and I had to chuckle at some of the things we observed when we visited with mom and dad. I am fast becoming the stereotypical joke myself. The clothes I wear look like those of a retiree. The fact that I no longer keep up with my days is another good sign. I also hear this from the wife, "Are you wearing that to Church?" I mentioned the wobbling the other day. For years and years, I did the Tim Conway-old man walk as a joke. I do it now without trying. I'm beginning to have as much hair in my ears as I do on the top of my head. I can't even remember the last thing I forgot but I do know it was very recently. The wife dozes off and when she awakes she demands who the killer was. That is met with a troubled long pause. Some of the things I hear myself saying, don't even go there! Oh well, it is life as we know it. In the midst of it all, no need to worry, I read where a fellow, aged 102, had a book he had written accepted and published. It was only 10 pages. That's a joke. I made it up. Just the part about the 10 pages the other part was true. Thanks for hanging in there with me this week. May God bless. Sunday is our designated meeting day at the place where we gather to worship. Lord willing, that's where we will be. Take care. See you next time. Amen. .....More later.

"I just realized that 'Let me check my calendar' is the adult version of 'Let me ask my mom.'" ~ Noelle Chatham

We are continuing to continue the journey we've been blessed to pursue. This segment is brought to you by Thursday, June 11, 2020. Like a whole lot of folks, we still continue to use discretion in our goings. Based on everything I am seeing this virus thing is not over and it is not going away. This means we continue to spend 99% of our time here at the home location. As a result, we end up watching much more TV than normal and I ordered up the BritBox feed so we can watch hundreds of different programs and series from across the pond. (The United Kingdom) We catch the local news from time to time on the regular broadcast channels and we check occasionally to see if anything worth watching has shown up on Netflix. This means more than 80% of our viewing is now on paid-for premium feeds. When we do watch the regular stuff we are reminded again at just how many commercials there are. It's clear the model we have followed through much of the pandemic has changed our preferences in a significant way. The reason I mention this is because I know we are not the trailblazers here, therefore, coming out of this quarantine mode these changed viewing habits has to impact the entire broadcast community. Fewer eyes viewing any feed will lead to consequences. I suppose, on the overall level, it could change the way we operate. I know. It's always a little iffy when I tackle issues way above my pay grade. That doesn't seem to keep me from at least sharing my opinion. I know. You are well aware of that.

The problem doesn't end with the entertainment feeds. Trying to use a variety of news and commentary web sources can also be challenging. Some of those feeds are fee-based. I don't have any that is. However, I do check a number of sources in trying to keep up with what's going on in the world and in particular, our nation. They furnish the information at no charge. EXCEPT for the paid advertising, (think commercials), that often dominate their web offerings. Their job is to keep you on the site long enough to get a pop-up ad in front of you. At times, the pop-up is hard to get rid of. And, you might just miss the kill it and suddenly you are transported to the world of the products being pitched in the ad. People will soon require a desktop computer capable of controlling the space shuttle just to deal with the avalanche of ads. I know folks have gone crazy with conspiracy theories regarding nearly everything under the sun.  Here's one that has no conspiratorial undertow. It is based on absolute fact. The other day I searched for but found out the red baseball style caps I purchased a few years ago have been discontinued. No problem, I'll find some somewhere else. That proved more difficult than you might think. I finally settled on purchasing something similar from a new to me vendor. The order should arrive around the middle of the month. Here's what happened as a result of my making this search and subsequent purchase. Facebook suddenly started inundating my page with ads for caps. Yahoo Mail did the same. Even Drudge showed me cap options. On my phone. On my computer. I'll leave us all to ponder this one: How did they all know?

We use the laptop to stream the shows onto our large screen TV. Since I listen to old time radio programs via the internet, I can now play them through the hookup through the laptop. I am well aware you don't need a large screen TV to listen to radio from yesteryear. I am always sensitive to the programs preserved from the time near the death of my dad in January of 1954. Since, back then, we didn't have a TV, I vaguely remember hearing programs playing on the radio. I don't remember much at all about our last Christmas with dad. He was very ill. He was a sketch scribbler and even at 7 years old I was into drawing. I believe they or Santa gave me some drawing materials for that Christmas. It's all pretty muddy due to the impact of his passing. I do enjoy thinking about him and mom and the six of us kids in the context of what I have discovered was going on at that time. While it may sound like an obsession, it really isn't. I haven't thought about it in a long while until I recently listened to an old Fibber MaGee and Molly episode. The particular episode was about welcoming home our soldiers after the end of WWII. Some of the cast of the program were actually deployed and they were returning to the show after having served their time. It reminded me of my dad who also returned home after the war. Just for the fun of it, the wife and I then watched some TV programs from 1953. I know. It sounds like I am hurting from a lack of something to do. Enjoy. Cherish your loved ones. Remember to thank God. I'll do my best to do the same. Amen. .....More later.

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." ~ Thomas Jefferson

FAKE NEWS!

Good morning friends and neighbors and welcome to where I am coming to you live and in-person on this Wednesday, June 10, 2020. To the best of my recollection, I was alive and in person when I was sitting at the tablet typing this memo to whom it may concern. Here's a truth for any and all who are 65 and older. You might as well give up on any item that claims to be easy open. This is why we keep scissors, pliers, and other tools readily available. We do this to shortcut our frustration when trying to twist and shout the easy-open package, lid, or bottle. I can see the person on the assembly packaging line. They are responsible for using the machine that puts the lid on. They end up having a bad day and they crank their machine up as high as it will go. Olives, dill pickles, and other assorted bottles and jars end up in our kitchen. We have one of those plastic gripping devices but it is no match. Don't get me started on medicine bottles. We are almost 100% on generic and they use the bottles that come with a glued-on cap. Finally busting one open and seeing 180 pills fly all over the kitchen, yeah, that will make your day. Yes. We do ask for the old people caps, but, it is most likely the fact they use the cheapest they can find. I've had them between my legs, with channel-lock pliers, and beating them with the big end of a buttle knife. I try not to use my mouth anymore. I did that many times when I was younger but it finally dawned on me that I should do my best to keep the teeth I have for as long as I can. Also, those easy peel off packaging for sausages, who was the genius who came up with that? There's no tab to pull. It would be easy if you could separate the end and get it started. "Forget about it, please hand me those scissors before I have myself one of those old people fits." 

I am sorry about that first paragraph if you have any trouble reading it. My little grammar program lost its mind marking up all kinds of things. I didn't agree and so I ignored its suggested fixes. It didn't agree with me ignoring and continues to flag. Maybe I should recommend they add a 'we agree to disagree' choice. My trouble stems from the way I structure my sentences. I again apologize but it does seem to be a problem that will be with me as I continue my journey. It comes down to how it sounds to me. If it doesn't sound right I'll not make the change. Never think I don't care because I do. However, since I am the originator of the text I claim as a privilege to put it out there in a way that reflects me and my style. I have a history of being overly wordy. I know that. I, at times, do try to deal with it, but, generally speaking, I suppose I write wordy stuff because I am, at heart, a wordy person. I've been through some classes where you take away any and all words that are not 100% necessary to communicate your thought. When I was in business it was said I should do it out of respect for other people's time. I think my style of writing is called conversational. I finished a huge consulting project once and I wrote the final report to a great extent like I write my blogs each day. One of the senior officers of the company came by my desk one day and told me in all his years of being in business he had never read anything exactly like my report. He said it clearly conveyed the findings but was also refreshing. I took that as a compliment, especially since I had never written a final report for a consulting engagement. My point? Bear with me, I am, after all, a work in progress. 

One thing is certain. You can never make everyone happy no matter what. Yesterday, I was out mowing early, around 7:45 a.m. The grass was thick and still had a heavy dew on it. Most of the folks around us are up and going by that time. However, there are a couple of young families nearby and I'm sure they love the sound of our Honda mower parading forth and back. See what I mean? A Blue Jay and a Mocking Bird were keeping a close eye on my progress. I would do my long strips and they would occasionally dive down into the grass and grab whatever bug or worm that caught their eye. They come up for a look-see because they are curious about the vibrations made by the mower. The birds are very pleased with this development. The families of the bugs and worms, not so much. See what I mean? And, before you put me in for a wildlife award be aware I am using a gasoline-powered mower. That rules out any consideration by many groups. See what I mean? Just remember, you can never make everyone happy no matter what. May God bless each one. Amen. .....More later.

"When I was a child my mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk, you’ll be the Pope.’ Instead I became a painter and wound up as Picasso." ~ Pablo Picasso

Happy Tuesday to one and all on this June 9, 2020. I continue to see information being put out there depicting how this Coronavirus is not going away. In fact, some are talking about another round of mitigation actions. These would be similar but not the same as during the worst of the pandemic. I heard someone say the hot weather would rid us once and for all of this modern-day plague. (I looked up the official stance on the influence of hot and humid weather on the virus and the current thinking is there's not enough information to know yet.) That means they are waiting to find out just like the rest of us. I do know it has been really hot around here the last several days. So hot, when outside we had to take turns catching our breath. And, if history is any indication there's more heat on the way. One thing we all have been reminded of throughout this ordeal is how weak we are. It's easy to be lulled to sleep in thinking our brilliance, our technological prowess, and our scientific acumen can solve every threat. We saw all of those wilt in the face of this threat. Some are still trusting these same disciplines to save us. I think we all would do well to look to our only hope and that is our Creator God. Psalm 20:7 "Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of Yahweh our God." (from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, HCSB)

Talking yesterday about stamina and the lack thereof, I see those young kids down on the ball field going ninety to nothing in the scorching hot sun. No shade. I can't help but wonder if that is actually good for them but then I am reminded how I did just that when I was a kid. Some days I played multiple games and practiced some too. I didn't even think about it back then. I can see them from the backyard of our place about a block away. Some of them have their little faces on fire just like mine used to be. I remember we had a container of water to drink from, but, I don't remember anyone ever mentioning anything to us about us staying hydrated. We would drink when we felt like we needed a drink. Now everyone has their bottled water and specialty sports drinks. Today, I may mow for 20 minutes and take a break. I tell myself it's because I'm in no hurray but the truth is I need to sit, catch my breath, and drink some water. My helpmeet does often offer to relieve me for a few minutes, but, that only makes me want to get up and get back at it. She may be a year younger but when she volunteers to take my place that uncorks the reserve energy and gets me back on my feet. She typically responds, "Stubborn man!" Maybe that would be classified as a preexisting condition.

One of the things I've noticed is how much more debris we get thrown into our yard during the summer months from folks going from and to the subdivision swimming pool. We are very much on one of the main access routes. Why folks would throw their water bottles, candy wrappers, and other junk in our yard, well, it just goes to show you. People can be irritating. I was likely pretty irritating at times as a teenager. I say that here, but, I will not cover the fact that I'm a wee bit ticked off when they use our yard for their trash disposal. Did I ever do anything like that? Or worse? That was way back then. This is now! We probably thought of ourselves back in the day as just out having a good time. The people we irritated may have had a different opinion of our shenanigans. Closer to home, I pick up the stuff and put it in the trash can but I most likely see them as just short of hooligan status. That includes their parents and I'm sure, 60 plus years ago mine was called into question as well. I do know one difference. I'm not sure what the parents of these litterbugs would say today, but, I have no doubt whatsoever as to what my mom would have done. She would have forced me to go and apologize which as bad and embarrassing as that sounds, that would have been easy compared to her applying the board of knowledge to the seat of my education. In her case, it would have been a thick plum tree switch but I can tell you it would have hurt like ole billy heck. Her justice was swift and intense. I love her for wanting me to conduct myself decently. I'm not saying I always did, but, it wasn't for her lack of effort. Amen. .....More later.

"History is a set of lies agreed upon." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

When I am able to sit down, collect myself, and put together a few thoughts, there are times when I just have to pause and express thanks to God. When we think about how our lives are in His hands, well, and we consider who He is, it does call for a response of recognition and praise. It is Monday, June 8, 2020, and I do bring you greetings from my world to your world. Part of the challenge for us all is to get past the knee jerk of "How are you?" Fine, thanks for asking." habit we develop early on. I sometimes excuse that response by saying I know of others with much greater issues, challenges, and problems than I have. And, we ride that one for as long as we can. Truth is, for me, I am a very private person. We come from folks who for the most part have never shared our innermost feelings, our skeletons, or, even the troubles we are currently dealing with. I was in a session one time and the leader of the group asked a probing question and a lady responded and when she did she let it all out. Most of us were sitting there with our jaws dropped. She had very legitimate challenges in her life and she was willing to put them out there. I wanted to be excused. The purpose of our time together was to help each other in dealing with troubles, but, it was as if we all were expecting something a whole lot safer than the stuff she put on the table. I think for me I've spent way too much time making sure I never have to divulge anything except for those generic trial balloons we all have, like aches and pains, scheduling issues, or too much stress. The Bible tells us, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed......." That's from the King James Version. The overwhelming majority of the other translations uses the word sins in the place of faults. That makes it sting even more. Right? What say you?

Don't worry, I'm not planning on gushing forth with a whole lot of revelations any time soon. I will tell you something I notice about getting older. (I have a really good story about an unusual experience I had recently but the wife has this idea, "There's not one thing funny about it.", therefore, I will hold onto it until the use-by date expires.) I will, Lord providing, hit the 74 mark in August of this year. I notice that when I first hit the floor in the wee hours of the morning I am a wee bit wobbly on my feet. I've never been a wobbly person. I for years had to deal with a bad ankle that might throw me on the ground with no notice but outside of that one particular liability I've never been unsteady on my feet. Blood flow, blood pressure, and age obviously cooperate together to create this issue. (I know. The experts say I should consult my primary care physician, and, that I will do when I see him in July for my annual physical. That is, if I remember it by then.) The wobbliness does not last very long but it is an unusual happening.and I expect there's more from where it came from. I will tell you this about that. It was not always that way. Yesterday, Mr. Bentley and I were sitting outside in the heat. He dragged me out there. For what good reason? He just wanted to chill. In the 110 feels like. While we were out there I saw these kids riding their skateboards, bicycles, or just loping from and to the subdivision pool. One fellow was on that skateboard for a long time. I thought about standing up and hollering, "Hey, I used to do stuff like that too!"

I was reminded again yesterday why, if a person can, they should attend services with other believers. I know some are unable and I see the live stream to be a wonderful technology blessing for any and all who are shut-in. However, when we meet together something different happens. Yesterday, they live-streamed both the 8:30 a.m. and the 10:30 a.m. services. We watched some of the 8:30 before we left the house. We sang along to the music and we heard the preacher. However, when we showed up for the 10:30 something was different. The fellowship, the music, the preaching, the sense of God's being in the house was electrifying. God made us. He knows what is best for us. We are made in His image. There's just something about when God's people come together He is there with them in a special way. "....not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25) I've been blessed watching the services online. Very blessed. But, what a day it was when we were all together in the meeting place and God came down to meet with us! Amen. .....More later.