Turkey day ramblings

This is Tyler and a friend playing dress up as Marines. I think this was for Halloween two years ago.



Not really. This is Tyler's graduation from Boot Camp at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. We went down to watch the ceremony and to meet some of his friends. This is his Drill Instructor, whose name escapes me now. This was a fun, whirlwind trip for us. Tyler is now on a boat listening to Arabic, the language the Marines have spent two and a half years teaching him.



This is the tribe minus Kim, Zach's wife, and Carsten and Addison, Zach's two children. I think Kim was taking the picture, so, of course, it would be difficult to have her in the picture with us. I think we had Carsten and Addie tied up in a closet while we took the picture and had a short birthday party for Zach. They didn't seem to mind too much, only crying for a short time after we let them out and kicking me in the shin periodically through the rest of the evening as they walked by. I guess they don't take to captivity too well.

We are preparing for our annual great feast. Mikki is working in the kitchen, peeling potatoes, mashing them, whipping filling for the pies, preparing crusts for the fillings, making rolls, setting up relish dishes, cooking turkey, making gravy, etc. And I am supervising. Or at least I was for a short time. Apparentely, women don't like supervison when they are feast fixing. Go figure! I can't print how she explained for me to leave the kitchen, since using that sort of language on here would probably get me expelled from the blog fraternity, and or, arrested. Mikki says I'm already arrested, mentally at least. I'm not sure what she means by that, but I'm sure it is some sort of female endearment. She does so love me.

I've just been informed that if I don't want to wear this computer, I'd better get off my - well, we'll leave that to your imagination - and start helping to set up chairs and tables. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from the Martins!!!

A Night At The Opera

No, this isn’t a Marx Brothers show, its my account of a night watching and listening to The Gondoliers, a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. I’m assuming its called an operetta, though, one would think that an operetta would be shorter than an opera. You know, like a baby opera, a short little show with about 5 songs and we are all out of there in thirty minutes. Oh noooooo, one would be wrong thinking that. Very, very wrong. Three hours later, we were let loose. So, I’m assuming it is called and operetta because they speak during the play, unlike an opera which only has singing. At least, with an operetta, one is able to follow the story without the help of a outline of the libretto and a penlight. I mean, how many of us have sat, hunched over with our coats covering our heads trying to read the libretto by the glow of our cell phones, muttering, "what the heck is going on?" under our breaths?

Actually, I’m being facetious. I really did like the show and especially Katie’s performance. She was super! She and her friend, Amy, hammed it up in every scene, stealing the show away from the leads and giving the audience something to watch and enjoy while the lead characters sang. Some of the acting was abysmal at best, very wooden and tight, but, for the most part the music and singing was enjoyable. The orchestra was excellent and very professional sounding. Some of the highlights of the show were the unexpected involvement of the orchestra in the plot. I haven’t seen that before in a show and I found it refreshing. At one point, the characters made a negative comment about bands which elicited a chorus of complaints from the pit. In another section, two of the characters on stage were soliciting funds from another character and the orchestra had their hands and or instruments held up asking for handouts. The Idaho Falls Opera Theater and the Hillcrest Musical Theater class can be very proud of their work.
I always enjoy watching Katie sing and act. She has developed into a very accomplished actress and her singing has matured to the point she could probably make a living singing if she wanted to. She doesn’t, but she could. If it weren’t for Katie’s involvement in the arts, and Jake’s playing football, Mikki and I would have nothing to do. Or, at least, we’d have to spend a lot of time searching out things to occupy our spare time. It is exciting to watch them mature in each of their various endeavors and to cheer them on.

Even more satisfying to us as parents, is their dedication and hard work. Jake spent a good part of his summer running, lifting weights and generally preparing for football this fall. Katie has given up uncounted hours in rehearsals for the operetta, missing many school events, including having to give up swimming, which she loves. I admire both of them for their level of commitment.

I must apologize for the brevity of this post and for the seriousness of its content. I guess I fell back into my journal mode and didn’t put much thought into writing as I usually do, just sort of coasted, so to speak. I’ll try harder on the next post.

As a post script, I'll try to upload some photos of Katie in her costume when I can. I will have to upload them from the camera first, and that usually takes a few months to get to, so , be patient, young Patawan.

No pumpkins for Hillcrest

Hillcrest Football has returned from the the big bash without turning into pumpkins! They, in the stretch of a few months have turned from an 'ugly stepsister' football team that every other school scheduled them for their homecoming game so that they would have a sure win, to a State Championship Team that every team hated to play. The Hillcrest Knights won the State Championship Friday night defeating a quality team from Jerome, and in doing so, set and equaled many state records as well. It was a night to remember. A true Cinderella story.

If anyone were to pitch this story to Hollywood, they would be laughed out of town. This story is too unbelievable even for fiction. A team, winless in two seasons; a team that couldn't manage to score more points than the girl's soccer team last season; a team that was completely demoralized and beaten; that team, in one season, turned everything around, lost only one game and managed to win the State Championship! What an unbelievable accomplishment. They are the first varsity football team in the history of Hillcrest to ever win a state championship. Hats off to the young men on that team. They now have established a winning tradition for Hillcrest Football that will live on for many years. I mentioned in a previous post that the Freshman team were undefeated this season, so Hillcrest should dominate for the next few years.

I won't go into details of the game, other than to say Jerome came out in their spread offense, passing nearly every down, and established a good sized lead early on. But, Hillcrest showed heart and determination and fought back to a 12 to 12 point tie at half time. But, in the third quarter, Hillcrest found an answer to Jerome's passing game and were able to shut them down a couple of times, just enough leverage for the powerhouse Hillcrest running game to take over the game. Jerome couldn't find an answer to Hillcrest's double wing offense and Hillcrest just kept grinding out the yards, finding huge holes in the Jerome defense and scoring continually the second half. The final score was 55 to 35, as I remember. Hillcrest threw one pass for an interception. Passing just isn't what Hillcrest is about. They just run opposing teams into the ground. It was an awesome sight to see. What a game!!!

Ok, so much for the sports news, now on to the cultural side of the family. Katie finishes her run in the Gondoliers tonight. We will be attending the gala affair tonight, joining the other patrons of the arts at the Center for Performing Arts at Hillcrest. Katie's Musical Theater class was volunteered to be the chorus in the play, much to the chagrin of the students as the rehearsals have been many and long, keeping them from a variety of school activities such as the Championship game, dances, and home work. The latter not missed as much as the former.

We look forward to watching Katie, as well as the play, which has many favorite songs such as "Oars on The Water", Gondoliers Wear Funny Shirts", the ever popular sea shanty, "You Vomit on My Shoes?" , and of course, "Tassels Away". Who hasn't whistled these popular tunes, or had the words run through their heads, over and over again? Even if the songs are in Italian and one hasn't the slightest of ideas what the heck is going on, the theater goer can still sit back and bask in the ambiance of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, knowing they are soaking up culture with every note. And who doesn't want to soak up culture? I'm a culture sponge. Culture flies at me from every corner, sometimes hitting me square in the eyes or ears, leaving bloody scars as it inculcates into my soul. I'm blinded by its brilliance, deafened by its cacophony. So, I'll attend tonight's performance somewhat blind and deaf, but tuned in and excited!!!

Friday Ramblings

I just read an article about newsletters and blogs indicating that if one is to write either, they must make them interesting or informative - DRAT!!!! I’ve missed on both. Off to a flying stop! A failure before I even get started. What the heck!?



I’ve been wracking my brain -(some think I’ve been wrecking my brain for years, but that is another story for another time) for something interesting to write about, or something informative. Unfortunately, I know very little, and those random facts I do know, would be of little interest to anyone else, at least those with non-wrecked brains. And interesting? Yeah, right. Beyond aggressive worm farming and extensive study of New Guinea Aboriginal face mutation, I really don’t have any interests. So, I guess I’ll have to write about those two subjects. I have to say, I did warn you.


I could write about fly tying, it seems to be very popular around here, or these parts, as the locals often say, but it escapes me how one can even catch them alive, much less tie them. The flies, not the locals. Is it like calf roping only on a smaller scale? I guess you could fashion a small snare out of dental floss and bait it with cheese or something then wait until an unsuspecting fly wanders by and WHAM you have him. After catching the fly, then what? My guess is you take the dental floss and quickly wrap it around the fly’s legs, loop it around into a half hitch and throw your hands into the air. Time - 14 seconds!!! Is the fly then let loose like the calf, to be hunted yet again? Or, does one just smash the bugger and put us all out of misery? So many questions. Such as , is there a difference between domestic flies versus wild ones. I suspect the domestic flies would be harder to catch, being more wiley and wise to our cunning ways. The wild ones don’t have a clue and would be much easier to catch and tie. I presume we’ll have to find someone who ties flies and ask them. But, back to my interests.


Worm Farming, to the uninitiate, may seem rather tame and very uninteresting. But, no, my friend, you would be wrong to assume that. The manly art of worm husbandry dates back to the years of early man, who found himself low on food because of famine, pestilence, or yet again, another stock market crash. It is uncertain who the first man was to actually eat a worm, certainly driven by starvation and despair, but one thing is certain, that worm was eaten and probably enjoyed. Enjoyed enough to arrive at a scheme to have an abundance of worms hanging around for any given meal. And thus, Worm Farming was born.


I hesitate to go into much more of the history of Worm Farming as I don’t want to bore the reader. Yet, I should mention, briefly, one modern hero of worm husbandry, Carlos Hectrios (pronounced Hees-lame -o). Carlos, a native of Cuba and a patriot, found himself in the midst of a revolution in the late 50's between Castro’s liberation forces and the armies of Baptista the Hungry Puppet. Not wanting to take sides or get shot, Carlos planned an escape from Cuba to the freedom of Southern Florida. Leaving in the middle of the night under the light of a full moon, traveling in a rebuilt 1950 Chevy, Carlos headed for the balmy beaches of Florida. As you would expect, he didn’t get far, as the Chevy didn’t float worth beans. After pulling what was left of his worm huts and saving his queen worm from the pounding surf, Carlos sat staring out into the black, wondering now what would be his fate. As luck would have it, eight men emerged from the surrounding jungle, caring a six man raft. They saw Carlos sitting on the beach and, thinking he was a federalis, they ran back into the cover of the dark jungle. Carlos yelled after them to come back out. After they had come to the realization that Carlos wasn’t a threat, they reemerge and after some haggling, agreed to take Carlos with them to Florida. All nine of them jumped into the six man raft, making room for the worm huts, which aren’t very large, and headed out into the surf.


As the days drug on, Carlos learned that the men weren’t leaving Cuba because of the rebellion or because of oppression. They were just heading to Miami for spring break. That, of course, explained the 25 cases of beer that were dragging behind the raft. After some dangerous near mutinies that involved Carlos having to lay across his worm huts for several sleepless nights to keep his ravenous ship mates from eating the worms, they eventually, arrived at their destination. All were extremely exhausted, dehydrated and sunburned, but alive and, with the exception of Carlos, were ready to party. Unfortunately, they had arrived at the end of May, missing spring break by several weeks. Discouraged, the nine launched the raft back in the ocean and headed back to Cuba. Carlos stayed and after some very strange nights in Miami, he was able to establish the first worm farm in the South of Florida.


Years later, Carlos’s son, Schmict, would write the definitive book on worm husbandry that would define worm farming for years. It was my discovery of that book that brought me to the exciting and challenging world of worming. Schmict Hectrios is my hero, the man who gave me my passion, my fire, my riason d’etra, as the French say. Sure, you chortle, and snicker, but don’t mock what you don’t understand. Worm Farming can be extremely exciting. As time is waning, I’ll not go into the intricacies of this amazing past time at this time. I’ll save it for another post.



Perhaps next post, I’ll write about my other passion, my extensive study of New Guinea Aboriginal face mutation.



Until the next time, adieu.

Wow, no negative feed back

Well, I seemed to have survived unscathed from any criticism of my voting record. How could that be? Could it be that the only person reading this is the writer? Could it be that the afore mentioned writer is deluding himself in thinking anyone would want to read this drivel? Could it be that he is an idiot? Could it be that he is stupid, mis-informed and delusional? Could it be he is a babbling maniac with a healthy dose of megalomania thrown in? YES, YES, YESSSSSS to all of these.

And how sad it is, too. To think he was once a promising talent, a young man on one of the middle rungs on the ladder of success, a rising star, well liked by his peers and adversaries alike. And, it has come to this - writing a blog in the obscurities. He sits at the keyboard, head hung in shame and disgrace, a single tear splashes off his Timex.

But wait. Something stirs within his bosom. A swelling of something bigger than himself - a realization. He is writing about himself in the third person, something he hates with a passion!
Sorry, I fell off the beaten path there for awhile. I apologize. I must have inadvertently disabled the purple prose filter on my computer. Normally, the previous paragraphs would have been eliminated by that filter and we wouldn’t have had to be subjected to that nonsense. I’ll try to keep from letting that happen again.

Just recently, I read a friend’s blog where she described an ideal day. It caused me to think, something I try to avoid, but find I am often forced into it. What would my ideal day consist of? I commented on her blog that my ideal day would have to involve a beach, a four to six foot swell breaking on the reef, and a nice, soft, off shore breeze holding the waves up and producing some gnarly tubes. I, of course, said all this with tongue in cheek since, as she so profoundly pointed out, there is a shortage of beaches in these har parts. Especially ones with waves, reefs and off shore breezes. So, what would my ideal day look like given the absence of beaches? The short answer is that I haven’t had an ideal day since leaving the beach. But, that wouldn’t be entirely true. I have spent many an ideal day with a fishing pole, rifle, marshmellow stick, or canoe oar in hand. But, beyond that, past the obvious fun things, an ideal day is spent with those I love. Without them, no day is ideal. It may be fun, exciting, relaxing, and just about any other adjective you can come up with, but not ideal. So, my ideal day is a day with loved ones doing anything, or nothing.

One last thought for today. I didn’t know what true happiness was until I got married.....then it was too late!
If there is no post tomorrow, you’ll know my wife read this one.

My vote

Ok, reader, here is the promised revelation - who I voted for and why. I know I said I wasn't going to pontificate about weighty subjects in this blog, but I just can't help myself. It's a tendency toward self destruction that compels me into the breach, so to speak, and I have to answer the death wish. So, who did he vote for, you ask.



After years of soul searching, arduous hours spent in libraries across the nation, endless months of in-depth interviews with political pundits from all areas of this great country, un-numbered sleepless nights, four and a half gallons of ulcer medication, a pre-lobotomy, I was able to cast my vote for........(insert drum roll here)........Obama!



And now, why - why vote for Obama? Because I once had a small terrier named Obama and I liked him, so I figured I'd like Senator Obama too. Well, there you have it, the truth at last. I feel better now, not having to live a life of deceit and lies, covering up my latent liberalism. At last, I'm out of the closet!!!!



Well, not really. Because, I don't really subscribe to the liberal idea of bigger government or of voting ourselves onto the dole. I would prefer effective government - not bigger or smaller - and I think everyone should be willing to work and stand on his or her own feet. At the same time, we should be willing to help those who are unable to fend for themselves, for whatever reason. Social programs are essential to a civilized society. The extent of those programs are what separate the Democrats from the Republicans. I also believe that capitalism is the best system for helping everyone who is willing to work and elevate themselves. Having said all that, and there is plenty more that can be said, but time and inclination limit me, so, just let me say, for the most part, I am sympathetic to the Republicans, but, and this is a big but, I vote more for the candidate rather than the party.



And, the biggest factor that determines who will receive my vote, is the character and temperament of the candidate. I've determined through the years that every candidate says things that he thinks will get him elected. Perhaps he does really believe he'll accomplish those things he promised, or maybe he doesn't - the reality is that he probably won't be able to regardless. He has a congress to sway, reality to confront, and when dealing with other people, one just can't always get what he wants. Given that, I have decided to just vote for the man, or woman, who I think will be a good president. Who will represent the will of the American people; who will embody the qualities of a true leader and American; who will represent the American people to the rest of the world as we would wish to be represented; who will stand strong against tyranny and brutish dictatorships and those who would impose their wills upon other, weaker nations; who will, at the same time, be willing to negotiate when there is a chance for a peaceful resolution before rushing to judgement and war. I saw Senator Obama as that man. I also saw Governor Romney as that man, but I didn't get a chance to vote for him. Had Romney been nominated as the Repulican candidate, I would have had an easier time of making my selection. But, in my opinion, Senator McCain was too close to Bush and his doctrine and would have been at least four more years of the same rhetoric.

I think by electing Senator Obama, America sent a message to the rest of the world that we didn't want to be represented as sword rattling, loud talking, inarticulate bullies. That we, the American People, did not care for the policies of the Bush administration, nor did we care for the way he handled himself in public and in dealing with the rest of the world. I think that message had to be sent in order to preserve our standing in the world as the greatest nation to have ever been established.



So, there you are, dear reader, that small piece of reason amid the clutter of an addled brain that you've stuck around for all these many days. I hope it was worth the wait.



I'll try to keep my next post to a lighter hue, such as Hefner or Jackman. (yes, I know that's not the way you spell Hugh, but the hominim had some humor, don't you think?)

One last bit of wisdom. A young father was teaching his five year old son the story of Lot and his wife. He explained, "The Lord told Lot to take his wife and flee from the city of Soddom. As they were leaving, Lot's wife turned to look back, and was turned to a pillar of salt." The son looked at his dad and asked, "what happened to the flea?"

I'll leave you to ponder that philosophical question - What happened to the flea?

See ya in the ether.

Friends

Last night I had the pleasure of talking with a good friend, Richard. Friends come in different faces, if you will, bringing different talents, strengths, weaknesses, backgrounds to the table. Some we enjoy for their sense of fun and adventure, others for their trustworthiness and constancy, yet others just love us regardless of our imperfections and are always there for us. Many transverse these definitions, perhaps combining several definitions. In rare cases, one friend will encompass all definitions, that complete friend. I value many friendships that entail a variety of these and other characteristics.

In Richard, I find a friend who has the unique ability to listen, non judgmentally, then render his opinion knowing it will be taken exactly in the same way. His ideas are always well thought out, articulately expressed with an intellectual understanding that is a refreshing change from the emotionally charged rhetoric we often hear. I value his friendship and the few times we have to discuss a variety of ideas, including politics, religion, business and general philosophy. Last night we talked about a variety of things ranging from Proposition 8 to who we voted for in the recent election and why. Richard and I don't always agree, but we disagree agreeably.

Now, since I have a blog, and Richard doesn't, I get the final word. That is, unless Richard has comments to this entry, then I guess he'll get the last word. But, then I'll re-post, thus grabbing the high ground and declaring victory!!! :)

After further thought, I've decided not to sully this, otherwise perfect post, with further discussion of a political nature. I'll save that for the next post where I'll explain why I voted the way I did. Of course, generally speaking, it is a moot subject at this juncture to talk about who I voted for since all fates have been sealed and the President Elect is Obama, and how I, or anyone else for that matter, voted is of little concern now. Save it for 2012. But, since I have a blog and feel compelled to write something on it, I just can't help myself. So, dear reader, you'll have to wait until next time to find out who I voted for and why.

I'll finish this post by continuing what I started - friends. I'm grateful for good friends that I know I can talk to, express my feelings and thoughts, and know they won't judge, criticize or condemn just because we don't agree. In addition, it is good to hear other's ideas, to learn from and to inculcate them into our thinking. Richard gave me a lot to think about, especially in the area of what are rights under the Constitution and what aren't. I'm not sure I've completely changed my mind, but I do have additional food for thought, something to ponder a bit more, and a different perspective. Friends are a great blessing in our lives. Thanks, Richard.

Later that day.....

Just some more ramblings to wonder about, or wander about. I'll be trying new things on this blog, such as pictures, videos, excerpts from some of the books I've written and some basic calisthenics to keep us all in tip top shape. If anyone would like to check out our facebook page, here is the link.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1377219339&ref=name

I'm going to assume that the link gets on the page and that it is serviceable from a blog. If not, well what can I say? . At any rate, I haven't figured out what Facebook is supposed to do, or be, or whatever. I guess it is a glorified email that everyone can check out pictures and Little pithy sayings we come up with. But, isn't that what a blog is supposed to be? So, then am I being redundant by writing here and posting pictures, etc as well as doing the same on Facebook and through email? Am I repeating my self? Doing it twice for no reason? Just an endless round of thoughtless chatter? Of course! Why not? I mean, if no one is reading it anyway, why not repeat yourself? And should that last question/statement have a question mark or a period? I mean, it is a statement and a question, isn't it? Wow, there's another one! Now I'm really doing it, aren't I? Aaagh, another one!!!!

Ok, I've taken control and will no longer use statement/questions that makes it difficult to find an appropriate ending. There, that was better. I fell more settled now. Where were we? Probably just about no where. Now you may be getting a sense of the title of this page. If there is a point, I'll be sure to obscure it in obtuse prose and dull it into oblivion until the readers throw their reading hands in the air and cry foul!!

I hesitate to talk about real subjects here because I don't want to offend anyone who should wander by and read this. Besides, any opinions I may have certainly won't have any impact on anything of worth and I very much doubt anyone would like to hear what I have to say about anything. Perhaps I'll relegate this process to mundane things such as Katie and Jake's schedule of upcoming events, personal gripes about the abysmal school system in this area, politics, religion, proposition 8 (I don't believe I've been propositioned eight times, but that is beside the point), international affairs, (see previous parentheses), and other sundry subjects. I'll stay away from the major subjects. Hands off for this kid!!!

I'm sure that's about all anyone can take for one day, that's it.

Monday Morning

Hillcrest survives!!! That amazing Cinderella story that is Hillcrest Football continues. Coach Owens, the miracle worker and new coach, has taken a team that was 0 and 22 through two seasons, and has, with the exception of a loss at his initial outing, captained them to a near perfect season. Last Friday, the Knights defeated, what seemed like, a superior team in all aspects and did it soundly. Mountain Home came in looking every bit like a junior college team with size and speed and a well disciplined offense that looked to dominate the poor Knights. But, at the end, the Knights stood victorious. They never gave up, even when it would seem their defense was powerless against the Mountain Home offense, which could pass and run with immunity. Or, so it would seem. But, the defense held when it needed to and the offense did its thing and scored a bunch of points and sent the Mountain Home team home with a defeat.

Going from two winless seasons under Coach Williams to a shot at the State Championship next Friday against Jerome under a new coach, coach Owens, is like a dream season from a formulaic, trite, hackneyed B movie. If the Knights go on to win the State Championship, it will have the same ending that one would expect from such a movie. Dare we hope for that kind of an ending? Sure, why not.

Since this is a personal blog and, might I add, one that no one reads except me, I'll add some extra football information. Jake's team, the freshman football team, had a perfect, undefeated season. The question now is, will Coach Owens stay long enough for Jake and his team mates to be coached by him? If they can continue their winning traditions, Hillcrest may have a winning program for several years to come. The big question is Coach Owens. He has a reputation for turning around failing programs. And, one could argue that Hillcrest has been turned around. I'm sure this is much faster than the coach expected. Let's hope he decides to stay around and coach the freshman team that has such great potential. Time will tell.

And now, on to the National News....... yeah, right. I have no opinions worth writing about anything national. Actually, since I'm the only one reading this, there really isn't any reason to write anything about the national stage. In fact, since I'm the only one reading this, why am I writing anything???? Because, he said, answering his own question, I can. Perhaps, on some distant day, a lone traveler on the road of cyberspace might wander upon this blog and find some solace in its musings. Perhaps, a lonely soul will happen upon this philosophical mumbo jumbo and feel a kinship that will brighten his or her day. Perhaps, these wandering words will lift someone who finds themselves adrift in the sea of despair. Perhaps...... But, probably not!More likely, these words will fade into obscurity. Actually, they would have to fade out of obscurity, since they are there already, in obscurity, I mean. If I'm the only reader, I would have to say that is as close to obscurity one can get. The only thing farther into obscurity is if even I didn't read this tripe. And may I say, I'm dangerously close to that now! Ta Ta, for now.

It Begins

Well, here we are, starting the blog; I as the blogger, you as the bloggee. Or should that be bloggets? Since this is a maiden voyage in the endless sea of blogs, I will take some safety precautions, write slow and deliberate and hope for the best. Already, I long for the instant spell check capabilities of WordPerfect, that welcome crutch that keeps me confident and correct. It won't take long, in fact, you may have already arrived there, for all to understand the title of this blog, Dee Rambling Blog. As you can ascertain, I tend to ramble, often to unfathomable depths and lost places, leaving the unsuspecting reader bewildered, and dare I say, betrayed? No, not betrayed, but certainly wondering what the heck I'm writing about. Well, that is probably two of us. Half the time I don't know what I'm writing, it just wanders out and falls on the page. I write novels the same way. But the fun of that is that I never know how things will turn out. Thus, I have as much fun writing the stories as the reader has reading them.

I will try not to pontificate nor preach in this blog. This will just be a flow of crazy, non sequitors, totally unrelated to most anything pertaining to actual thought or conscious reason. I will enjoy any positive comments, those with negative or opposing views can keep them to their selves! Not really. If you have something negative to say, certainly you can voice that opinion - just not here. No, I'm kidding again. All comments are welcome. Just make them positive and agreeable with my opinions. There in lies the challenge. If you don't agree with what I say here, turn on the creative forces and write an opinion that sounds like you do. How hard can that be?

And now, as I sit here in my stuffed chair by the fireplace, the soft aroma of cinnamon wafting itself up from the hot cider sitting next to me, I bid adieu for now until the next post. Actually, I lied about the stuffed chair......and the fireplace.....and the hot cider. But I am chewing cinnamon gum. Well, maybe I lied about the gum too. But, I am sitting.