Some of the good old days were not just made up, they really were good old days!

Hello friends and neighbors, it is Tuesday, December 7, 2010 and I'm glad you stopped by today. Draw up a chair, sit a spell, and we'll have a good time of shooting the breeze and enjoying each others company. You can't believe that people used to do that sort of thing? Just drop by? When my wife and I first started out we lived in a rural community and we had a number of friends who would do that very thing. They never thought anything about it and neither did we. Make another pot of coffee. See if you can find a snack. Put down whatever it is that seems so important to you and just visit for a while. That kind of stuff today would melt down people's Daytimers! Might not be such a bad idea. How was it possible to accommodate folks that did this? You adjusted on the fly and enjoyed them being there or if it wasn't possible you just told them and they understood and we postponed it until the next time. By the way, just for the record, I know many of you are very astute and you do notice when I have a misplaced or missing keystroke here and there. I had a few in yesterday's edition but they have been corrected on the official copy. Just so you know, they bother me more than they do anyone else. When I worked for the big company all those years I was somewhat obsessive about the correctness of all the reports and memos we produced. I could be pretty tough on someone who sent something out with an error in it. Hello? That made me a target and I had to be really careful with my own stuff, and it still aggravates me today. To err is human but it still causes me grief.

At the hospital Sunday I talked some to the receptionist about her college studies. She was busy reading and studying and told me she was dreading a government studies final coming up this week. I asked her why that particular subject bothered her so much. She said because it isn't something she is interested in and she doesn't see it as being all that relevant to her life. She is not alone. Most younger adults pretty much have decided that politics is mostly in a category like drive by shootings, bad news, and they would rather not hear about it at all. I told her the reality of the situation ends up impacting her life in many different ways from taxes to all kinds of laws that she will have to deal with. She gave me a look that said: I know what you are saying older dude but talking to you isn't going to help me pass this test. This type of apathy has become the norm and many actually go out of their way to make sure they never hear about anything that is happening within the government. You can see this if you look at some of the demographics of those who regularly pay attention to shows that offer coverage of our government at work, political matters, and other related programming. Folks paying attention are typically in their mid fifties and above. That leaves a huge segment who are out of the loop as it relates to life changing decisions being made by elected officials. I know there are exceptions. All three of my boys stay pretty much tuned into what is going on and let's hope and pray that others will not wait until they get to be much older before they become involved. Now is the time for everyone to become informed!

Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of the day that my wife's brother, our dear Bro. Milton, was struck down by a severe heart attack.  He was working with his son to rebuild our home after Hurricane Ike and many of you will recall the long period of hospitalization and recovery he endured. I've never mentioned much about how all of this impacted my wife. She was the one who transported him to the hospital and he suffered the major attack in route. She essentially made a road where there had not been one previously. She was devastated by this event and throughout his recovery she did double and triple duty in working at her job, and in trying to see after him and his family, while also trying to keep a partially restored place livable for us all. It was quite a challenge and we can only thank God for His provisions. Bro. Milton has never recovered 100% of his mental faculties in terms of memory but he is able to be up and about, and recently has been on an extended trip visiting different family members. As for my wife, I obviously was able to grab hold of a good one back in this very month in 1964. Our story is not one for a fairy tale book and we've had our fair share of troubles, but if I knew back when I was trying to ask her dad for her hand in marriage what I know now, I wouldn't have stumbled around, I would have grabbed hold of him and demanded that he let me marry this girl! That refining stuff where the metal gains its strength and beauty through the fire, well, it can be quite stressful but the end result is a crown jewel and I'm thankful that God gave her to me. She is a one of a kind and if you want to know more about her, there is a passage in the Bible found in the Proverbs where her character is described: Chapter 31, Verses 10-31. Is this a great country or what? Am I blessed or what? Uh oh, she's caught the Mrs. Claus bug again and can't wait to get her outfit for next season. I saw her on Saturday and she glowed as she saw those little ones sitting in my lap. It's contagious. My advice: Go get some of that Christmas spirit and wear yourself a big smile because He really is the Reason for the Season. Amen.         .....More later.