take a deep breath

Here is a fun story of Yogi Berra, the famous catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was playing for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and the famously talkative Yogi chattered nonstop, intending to pep up his teammates and rattle the Milwaukee batters.  As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi, trying to distract him said, “Henry, you’re holding the bat wrong. You’re supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark.” Aaron responded by smacking the next pitch into the left-field bleachers.  After rounding the bases and touching home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi and said, “I didn’t come up here to read.”

A friend taught me a great lesson.  Actually, many friends do that to me.  But sometimes I don’t recognize the lessons or don’t adhere to them right away.  I just don’t get them.  I admit that.  This particular friend taught me to just enjoy the people in a group as they are (i.e. appreciate them and their way instead of trying to change them—become part of them to enjoy—just accept them for who they are.  That could be a social group, neighbors, family, business associates, church folks, etc. Now I don’t have to agree with them and surely, I don’t have to behave like them and don’t have to accept their lifestyles.  Oh no!  But I don’t have to fight them either.  Does this make any sense to you?  GeorgeTheCrook, who has a lot of vim and vigor, says—erv, I need to take a deep breath and think about that! 

BUT flip the pancake! The next train is coming down the track. I read what Tony Dungy says as I was eating my oatmeal with a half a banana on it—"The familiar line from Hamlet is an important reminder: ‘To thine own self be true.’ Not only will that advice protect us against negative peer pressure, it will also put us in position to affect others through positive peer pressure.  We can help others make better decisions simply by making decisions that are true to our own convictions. To do that, you have to know who you are.  You need to have a strong sense of your identity and your purpose.  When you do, you become an influence on others for good.” SusieQ says—There is always someone who wants to be like you, but which part do they want to be like. That is the question.  Now that will make a person want to take a deep breath!

RocketManCowboy says--“To become aware of the possibility of the search is to be onto something.” Saturday question—Do you like to search and enjoy the process?  Or are you more like the old Hosteen cow that comes in the barn and goes to the same place and does the same thing every day (i.e. not very adventurous but is very dependable)? If you are a routine person, maybe a spontaneous person could make you nervous.  Or maybe if you are an adventurous person, a routine person might be boring to you. 

I read that when a traveler took his assigned seat on an airplane, he realized he was seated next to a well-known celebrity. “I never expected to find you here,” the traveler said. “Well,” the celebrity replied, “everybody has to be somewhere!”  I might not recognize famous folks but maybe would rather sit by a JoeCommon and hear their story.  But some well-known folks are interesting toooo. Sooooo I got some postcards from CVS Drug Store recently and JaneTheClerk checked me out (i.e. she had a name tag that said that she was Jane).  I said—Jane, I see the lottery is 22 million—Jane said they say if you don’t play you can’t win—do you play it—very little—what would you do if you won 22 million—I would first buy a lift for my grandson who has a disability, then I would give a big gift to the church that made our home handicap accessible and then I would take a trip to England to see my son—you have a good heart—I try.  I just found that very interesting.  Sooooo I went to the grocery store to get a few groceries.  A lady in a big white pickup a.k.a. one big rig asked me if I wanted some grapefruit (i.e. she had all kinds of stuff in the back of her pickup).  I asked her what she is doing with all that stuff—I collect it and give to folks who have a need for stuff and have no ability to get it--you have a good heart--I try.

I question myself as to why I do things.  I think I do things for different reasons. MANY! JoeBlow says—I just did something to prove a point (i.e. the point is how great I think I am). Soooo what is my motive to do all the things I’m doing, have done or going to do?  Yes, at different times I have different motives and at different times in my life I am motivated differently but there seems to be certain motive trends that I have.  I think many of them are selfish in nature (i.e. all about me). Ouchy ouchy! MissPerfect says—erv erv, everyone wants to be seen and heard! C’mon, it’s human nature, it makes us feel important! TomSmart says--Take a deep breath MissPerfect, as sometimes we aren’t as great as we think we are.

When seeing my family in CO, I had the opportunity to go with the grandkids to their piano lessons.  They were in a strip mall in a musical studio.  I guess different teachers rent space and to teach their lessons of different instruments.  It was in the evening and when they were getting their lesson and we sat in a little room to wait.  I started looking around in the studio and looked at all the musical displays from many years of different musical tastes of different folks it appeared. In this old glass case was different musical parahelia and on the bottom was this sign.  It wasn’t on top and not showy, but it made a statement by someone at some time.  It did make a point.  Do you ever do that?  Make a point as to who you are in a sorta kinda non conspicuous way?  Some of you do I know as I know you and have seen it.  Pretty impressive. 

Oh fudge! You ever say, Woe is me?  That humorous statement says basically I think, I feel sorry for myself; everything goes wrong for me.  Poor me!   RickyRick says—"Think of the greatest dream for your life, and God will top it. He can beat your dream with one that’s bigger than you could ever think up! But he doesn’t give you your dream by pushing you around. In fact, he draws you to him and works in you with great gentleness and care.” Take a deep breath and think through that folks.  Such is life.

WildWilly a.k.a. easy money says--Folks who have imagination seem to see things that others do not.  They just do. You might be right WildWilly; I know I'm right! I might say—Where in the world did they come up with that idea?  They are very creative. JoeExcitement, who we might seem to be way out in right field, stretches his world to increase his imagination by traveling and reading (i.e. anything to see the world differently).  Of course, I can get bored quit easily at times and others just love to do the same things for ever.  Do we think we imagine ourselves differently than others see us?  Do we ever imagine ourselves way better than the way others see us?  Could be!  Flip the pancake, maybe others imagine us way better than we imagine ourselves.  Could be.  Take a deep breath and think through that.

“Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.” William Shakespeare WorldClassLarry says--Don’t be offended by the actions a.k.a. sins of others. You can’t say, “Go clean up your life, and then I will accept you.” No—mercy is unconditional! If you’re going to show mercy to people, you can’t be offended by them. You can’t minister to people if you’re looking down on them. WhoWhatMe! I have learned from a friend recently that some things are engrained into people by their childhood (i.e. past environment) and they are very hard to get un-grained.  Saturday question—What good or bad things are engrained in you?  Really!

Number of you on a given week say that “lt’s Saturday” didn’t come (i.e. where is it at?).  Well, I have been known to screw up (i.e. erv’s error). Some of you have your security set more sensitive and Gmail won’t accept it.  I have toooooo then send the failures by iCloud server and then it works.  It’s for your protection (i.e. and some of you need protection haha). BUT you should try to reboot your device first.  Also, you can bookmark the link and use that method or just goggle erv mellema blog and it can be found that way tooooo.  Mass Bcc mailings have challenges for me.  Soooo far with the help of some “geniuses and wizards” I have been able to fool Microsoft! Sometimes I need to take a deep breath as they change the method maybe twice a year (i.e. again for your protection—they don’t want me to corrupt you).

One of the last nights I was at our park, in AZ I went on my nightly visit to the pool/hot tub about 8 or soooo. I met a guy on the patio who I play pickleball and ping pong with.  erv, where have you been, I haven’t seen you much lately—oh I have been doing other hobbies I guess; I have many hobbies—we miss you; come and join us—well, I have been working on my life being alone as my wife died a couple of years ago and I’m still adjusting—I don’t know what that is exactly like but I was divorced 4 years ago soooo I have some idea; next year I encourage you to get more active—I probably will.  What is interesting about this is that I now have a way different attitude about him.  Way better. I thought he was arrogant and indifferent to me. I think he seems to care about me. Such is life.

Soooooo in the hot tub another guy starts talking to me.  He was a retired North American Baptist minister from BC.  He was retired for 4 days.  He asked me a lot of questions about adjusting to retirement.  We really got along great.  He told me that the church he retired from worshiped about 500 before the virus and now about 360.  One of the things his wife suggested they do was to call on all the seniors during the virus.  She made a list of 167 and called them if he could stop by their house and talk to them by standing outside through their door six feet away.  He said almost all agreed and majority invited him in.  They were very eager to visit.  It was a great opportunity for the church.  Huh, interesting (i.e. innovative and creative). Beats sitting on the couch eating chips and complaining. I was told by medical personnel the other day that the information of getting the virus from touching something was not accurate.  They also told me that it appears that the low-quality masks we wore were about useless.  Is that true? How in the world does ervie know what to believe? Did we miss the boat but took the boat to China? Take a deep breath folks!

I like this little story related to the pastor and his wife above.  I think it is soooo applicable.  It’s my opinion of course.  For Henry Ford, developing the first car wasn’t accomplished without challenges, not least of which was convincing people they needed it.  It wasn’t in their wildest imaginations.  As Henry Ford was heard to have said, “If I’d asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” Now Henry was being proactive and creative, I guess I would say. SatisfiedJoe says--It appears most folks would rather kick the same can down the same street and call it good (i.e. play it safe)! Surely it’s the easiest way! Unless if they can make more money, which changes everything! The world is all about the money it seems a.k.a. a great motivator. I read it in the paper soooo it must be right! LuckieEddie says--Remember folks, it's just a game!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said—There are some things you learn best in calm and some in storm.

special

I was at some friends’ place in AZ and I said to her—Your "live-in friend" (i.e. who is my friend) is special.  She said—He’s special alright, like a special needs person. She made me LOL!

Disclaimer: This “It’s Saturday” could be more like a tall tale of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.  Soooo take that into consideration if you will.  Did you know that the statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox is acclaimed to be the second most photographed American statue? They are really special just like the tall tales about them.  Soooo much fun.  As a kid, I loved to read those tall tales.  On my way home from AZ, I spent the night with our Waukee grandkids, Charlie and Rookie and their new puppy, Judy. I asked them if they ever heard of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. One did but neither one heard of the tall tales soooo I told them some.  Everyone should know those tall tales of America folk lore. But they know all the tall tales of Star Wars! Times change for sure. But puppies don't!!!!

Last week I asked how you prayed for your grandkids etc.  Here is a response I got from a special person--My prayer for my grandkids: please God help my grandchildren to stay on the path you have planned for them. God, if one of them is doubtful today, send your Holy Spirit to work extra hard on their heart..

I had the opportunity to go to the Easter sunrise service at the Red Rock Amphitheater in CO with our daughter and our granddaughter (i.e. special folks).  It was a great, beautiful opportunity/experience even thought it was brezzy brezzy along with 10,000 other folks of all ages. It was pretty exciting.  The message was about peace on earth and how each one of us can do that by being humble and helping others and not being all about us.  Makes sense to me. The Rev. Dr. John J. Yu suggested that we communicate with others and give them encouragement.  Sooooo, how many of the approximately 10,000 folks do you think contacted Mr. J. Yu and told him he did a good job, which he really did in my opinion?  

It appears to me that the special folks take time to be quiet and think.  My Daddy, Chester, would say to me—erv, most folks don’t think enough.  A friend said to me—I went toooooo fast at first in trying to do tooooo much after my husband died.  She said she had a lot to learn and much to accomplish and is still working on it but am learning. I think she is and will do very well for herself.  

I think the folks that are the most special are the ones who are themselves (i.e. not fakers but are just real).  They are who they are.  I also discovered that some gals and maybe some guys have been lied to in the past and are skeptical of the opposite sex (i.e. lost their trust).  I can understand that.  Have you ever been lied to?  Or maybe we have been disillusioned.  Now that could be.  Or maybe we read a lot more into something than what it was.  Now that could be.

I have met some very neat and special folks and reconnected with others this winter (i.e. you know who you are). You have influenced me, and I really appreciate it.  Thanksamillion. 

A female acquaintance/friend (i.e. I enjoy talking to gals as they think differently than guys) told me that gals maybe appreciate compliments from other gals more than they do from guys. What? Why do you think that? Just ask gals and I think they would all say the same thing.  They want to be accepted by their peer group.  Gals are very suspicious of guys’ compliments as they think guys have an agenda. Sooo should I compliment gals or not?  I’m confused. But I get confused easily.  Help me here. WildBill says—I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t! I asked Heather and James about this and they both agreed.  Sooooo there!

I have had a lot of road hours to think of my winter driving back to IA a.k.a. decompressing. Here’s a sneak peak of some stuff that I might have learned! Many single seniors who are divorced or lost their spouse seem to be wondering as they wander. It appears that divorced gals are not always sooooo sweet as they have been hurt and are scared (i.e. makes sense).  It appears that maybe many single seniors (i.e. both men and women) want a companion more than a romantic partner but if a romance happens, great).  Many male/female relationships are platonic relationships by design. Another factor in this relationship thinking is that if a widow or widower went through a partner’s tough disease or death, they wonder if they want or can go through that again or have another person taking care of them. Also, it doesn’t make it easy many times when folks get married to figure out the money and family situations. But many work through all those potential problems and get married, live together or just become companions. And for some, the right person comes along and BINGO! AllAloneWilma says—It’s a couples’ world. I don’t like being alone. BUT it appears that there are about 15 senior women for each senior man.  That’s not good odds for women (i.e. that is why they have line dancing). Does any of this make any sense to you?  That is what I thought. Life isn’t fair; the only thing that’s fair is the Butler County fair and that is in June.  My winter was humbling but a great experience. I didn’t get married, am not living with a gal nor do I have a companion. Such is life. On April 1 I sent a text to my big sister (i.e. only in age) and my kid sister and told them I got married yesterday.  Boy they got excited. They were happy when I texted them “April fool” later in the day. They care about me. They want the best for me. 

AVeryInteresingGal (i.e. senior lady divorced twice and says she really isn’t interested in a romantic relationship with a guy—unless…). She taught me some great lessons just be accident.  She is special in that she is happy and is content, she says.  She has quite a life; maybe pretty normal but full of hard work and disappointments and accomplishments). She taught me much about a lot of stuff but maybe the most important thing is how to be content in life. But she also taught me how women think and act in our culture today.  Some of the stuff would hurt your feelings gals and guys, soooo I will not tell you.  haha  Why she told me all this stuff, I have no idea!  Maybe she thought I needed it (i.e. maybe she thinks I’m naïve and a rookie and vulnerable). Could be. Happenstance, na, I don’t think soooooo. She is a very interesting gal. She said it would take a special guy to marry her as she has a strong personality, and many men would have a hard time with that. But I bet she was a great employee. Actually, she did very well.  A very interesting person. I have met a lot of them. Oh, I said to her--I was sorry for your two ugly divorces—she said—they were ugly but not as ugly as the two ugly marriages!

Most folks I have been in contact with are just normal folks a.k.a. CommonJoesandJosies who will go out of their way to be nice to everyone.  Some of these normal folks are very talented, some very financially rich, some very generous, some are extremely positive, but they basically are all just normal folks; real folks with good hearts who are my kind of folks. How about this.  I met a person who I enjoyed being around (i.e. I liked my first impression of them).  After I got to know this person better, they were even nicer than my first impression.  Wow!

WorldClassLarry says—erv, for the rest of your life, you’ll try to determine the right timing for many decisions you have to make. It may be deciding about a moving change, a thinking change, or a change in a relationship. The Bible tells us, “There is a right time and a right way to do everything, but we know so little! None of us knows what is going to happen, and there is no one to tell us” (Ecclesiastes 8:6-7 GNT). Hey, there will be another pickup for sale tomorrow (i.e. it’s not special) or the farm next to you only comes up for sale once. It’s special. TomSmart says—That is discernment. I have said soooo many times that I have had many many good things happen to me and it seems they just fall in my lap! Not all of you agree with me, you think we all have something to do with making some of the good stuff happen (i.e. it’s not all predestined or is it ).  And you might be right no matter what you think. Scotty Scheffler, the winner of the Master's, said this in his post tournament press conference—My stomach was very upset this morning and I was a mess.  My wife, Meredith asked what was wrong. I told her I don’t think it’s my time to win the Master’s.  She said to him—Scotty, you don’t have the ultimate choice if you are going to win or not soooo you really don’t have toooo worry about it, do your best, and just have peace and enjoy the day.  And life will be good if you win it or not.

Have a FUN day my friends unless you don’t have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said--Missionaries are people who are beyond their abilities.

survey the scene

A friend got hearing aids (i.e. finally)!  The audiologist told him this story—A 97-year old guy couldn’t hear squat and really didn’t care if he heard what others said but he sorta kinda wanted to hear what his priest said.  Sooooo he got the best on the market.  After a month he came in for a checkup and the audiologist asked him how he was doing with the new hearing aids.  He said—I don’t like what the priest says either!  Sooooo maybe you might not like what I say either!  Such is life.

RickyRick says—"Every time you make a decision based on what other people will think, you sow seeds for failure in your life. You may not realize it but fearing the disapproval of others causes more problems in your life than almost anything else. When you worry about what other people think, you tend to do the popular thing, even if you know it’s wrong. This is a recipe for failure.” You believe what RickyRick says?  Are we good at surveying the scene and making good decisions? Or are we just “great big suckers?” JoeInvestor says—Just do what everyone else is not doing, just the opposite and you will be way better. JoeSmuck says—I wish I would have bought some of that good Butler County farm ground a few years ago for $1,000 an acre when everyone said it was tooooo high as it is now worth of about $18,000 an acre. I have no idea how rich some of my friends and acquaintances are. I sure missed that one! I have contacted some of my friends who are smart folks and asked them what the stock market is going to do.  All those smart folks told me the same thing—I don’t know! LuckieEddie says—The earthly future is very hard to predict.  I even know some folks that think they have it all figured out what eternity will be.  I think they are in for a 

big surprise in a lot of ways (i.e. my opinion).  I think it will be way better than they expect (i.e. no one can comprehend that). That is my opinion.  At least for some and for others maybe not soooo good but then I’m not the judge nor do I know! Myneighbordownthestreetsays—Death is the great equalizer; money and fame have no part of it (i.e. nonnegotiable). 

Encouragement is soooo important for all of to receive and to give (i.e. my opinion). It feels oh soooo good receiving and giving.  And there are soooooo many ways we can be givers of encouragement. ItchieBitchie says--BUT if your motive is to self-glorifying yourself, you have the wrong motive.  Giving encouragement is a part of being “you are blessed to be a blessing.” Of course that is my opinion as how I survey the situation and yours might be different.  Here is something I did recently that made me smile and also this gal.  I have a rock yard in AZ.  Weeds do come up and a voluntary board representing the owners of the park who are all us who own property in the park, goes around and inspects all the yards to make sure folks are keeping their property neat and clean (i.e. they get after them if they don’t like what they see, they spray their unit and bill them).  ANYWAY, I go to Wal Mart and was looking at all the products and a gal asks me if she could help me—yes, I need a product to kill the weeds in my yard which is rock—this is the product I suggest ‘cause it seems to be the best according to my customers—if you say it's what you would buy, I will take it.  Thanksamillion for your advice. She smiled as I think that made her feel good as I accepted her advice. Soooo folks, I encourage you to be strong and courageous; you can do it.  Tony Dungy says—Encouragement is powerful, it has the potential to change people's attitudes, which can change how they react to situations, which can change the course of their days, their weeks and even their years. Saturday questions—Has encouragement every changed you? Have you ever encouraged someone and changed their life?

A friend told me that one of his buddies told his wife that she could redo the house and she could spend any amount she wanted.  He said she still went over budget!  Another friend told me that their financial adviser told them that they have enough money that they will never have to worry about running out in their lifetime.  Now those folks have a lot of options.  I wonder as they survey their lives, what they worry about? Aristotle Onesies and MyMentor both said—"After a certain point money is meaningless.  It ceases to be the goal. The game is what counts.”  MoneyCounterMike, who has a golf swing as smooth as silk, askes—When is that point? Do you spend a lot of time thinking about money? A guy told a friend—Between my new wife and me, we are going to have more money than God.

Sometimes we survey the information incorrectly and get pretty cocky.  MyFavoriteBillOfAllTime told us this story on the golf course—He use to be a competitive ski jumper when he was a young man.  He would travel the upper Midwest on weekends jumping.  He was in Montana and sitting in the shack waiting for his buddies to come just thinking how great he was going to jump on this day.  A beautiful gal came in with all her nice ski carb on and caught his attention.  Wow! She caught his attention too. Wow! She started walking toward him. Wow! She sat next to him. Wow!  She started whispering in his ear. Wow!  She said to him--You have your ski boats on the wrong feet! She was a ski instructor and then told him that a lot of little, beginner kids do that!

MyFriendTheNurse and I were talking about CPR a.k.a. cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and she told me the first step I would need to do is “survey the scene.”  What?  She explained—“Survey the scene to make sure it's safe.  The person providing CPR/first aid won't be effective if they are putting themselves at risk. Such as downed power lines, someone with a weapon, environmental situation.” And she also said—“A person needs to continue the chest compressions until exhausted or if someone else can take over or the person is pronounced dead by a medical personnel or when the person says—Will you please quit pushing on my chest, it hurts!”

Merriam-Webster definition of a Christian is one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ. For a Christian, Easter is what Christianity is all about: Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins and arose from the dead and ascended into heaven and whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. I believe that. Sooooo let’s see how Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome surveyed the scene on Easter morning.  They got to Jesus’ tomb early with spices for Jesus’ body and noticed the stone was rolled away from the entrance. When they entered the tomb, they saw angels who said—Don’t be alarmed, Jesus has arose, see the place where they laid him. Go tell his disciples. Go into Galilee and there you will see him. The women were trembling and bewildered and fled from the tomb. They were afraid.  He arose! And the world will never be the same.

I found this interesting. I was part of a lecture and the professor stated that Christianity is about dead in Europe and anywhere where there is prosperity.  There are more Christians in China than in the U.S. Folks in Africa are more excited about it than in the U.S. Why is that do you think?  I do know that when I am hungry or haven’t had something I like for some time, it tastes a lot better.  Even something simple like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or meatloaf.

Fredrick Buechner writes this about doctrine (i.e. sent to me by MyFriendRocky)—No matter how fancy and metaphysical a doctrine sounds, it was a human experience first. The doctrine of the divinity of Christ, for instance. The place it began was not in the word processor of some fourth-century Greek theologian, but in the experience of basically untheological people who had known Jesus of Nazareth and found something happening to their lives that had never happened before. Unless you can somehow participate yourself in the experience that lies behind a doctrine, simply to subscribe to it doesn't mean much (i.e. other than it being a religion). Sometimes, however, simply to subscribe to a doctrine is the first step toward experiencing the reality that lies behind it.  John Hope Franklin who was a historian, said, “We must get beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths…and tell the world the glories of our journey.” Huh, interesting. JoeBlow says—It seems like it’s quite meaningful when you tell your own story (e.g. I can’t really understand it but it really affected me; I will never be the same, a 180 degree turn—no one can argue that—that is different than preaching). Hiking in ‘em ‘er mountains, a friend said to me—The best way to do mission work is by how you live your life (i.e. I guess she was pretty direct).  When we got done hiking, we had breakfast at Micky Ds.  I was waiting in line to pay while talking to this guy ahead of me who was maybe 40 with a pregnant wife and three small kids.  He said to me, I what to pay for your breakfast.  My friend said to him--I have never had this happen to me before, never.

I’m in Morrison, CO, home of our daughter, Heather, son-in-law, James and grandkids to celebrate Easter and then will be heading back to Butler Co. after watching Jimmer play some baseball.  I asked if they would make me meatloaf. It sounds soooo good! I surveyed my grandkids, Buggy and Jimmer.  I surveyed the scene and it showed that they are growing up and some things they seem to think are different than what I think but their parents don't always think like me either. haha I pray for them but not that they be like me.  I surely don’t want them to be totally like you either. Okay, like part of you! You all have good in you but sorry to say, you all have some stuff that is not soooo good also.  Ouchy ouchy! Soooo when you pray for your family or for others or yourself, what do you pray for? Really! Do you think you know all the answers?

A buddy on the golf course recently told me that he had the opportunity to entertain his granddaughter and husband who are 25 and who are artists (i.e. she is pretty big time he said).  He told me that she rebelled against her mother’s religious beliefs that she was taught by her, his daughter..  She doesn’t want anything to do with her mother’s thinking and wants to think for herself. He said it was a very interesting and enjoyable time they had talking. He said he will stop and visit with his daughter on the way home to MI from AZ which will be interesting and enjoyable as well.  Here is another interesting tid-bit.  His son-in-law’s day job is a underwater welder on nuclear submarines in Hawaii.  An artist and an underwater welder are an interesting combination it seems. But some of you guys are pretty interesting toooooo! For sure! Saturday question--Do you guys all think like your parents?

I have friends who has given me much good advice during my transition (i.e. you know who you are--thanksamillion).  One piece of that advice was not to get in a hurry in making major decisions.  Just relax and take some time to figure your life out. As I have mentioned several times, this winter has been a time that I have surveyed my life (i.e. surveyed the scene).  It was sorta kinda a self-evaluation.  It has been interesting to me and actually quite enjoyable. I have a bead on a few things. Maybe! It is really nuttin really new. It has been done by folks forever.  You guys do it all the time but maybe not in such a concentrated effort. You might even do it daily.  Soooo what do you think about yourself? Not many folks like to look at themselves in front of the mirror in the buff! As my mentor use to say to me—We all have warts, but we cover them up every which way we can!

One of you guys sent me this. I think it's very good. My opinion. What is your opinion?

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said—You never diminish yourself when you praise another.

play pretend

There is a great scene in “Alice in Wonderland” where Alice asks the Cheshire Cat, “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”  The cat replies, “That depends a good deal on where you want to go from here?”

Warning! This “It’s Saturday” might be a lot of hoopla! We are constantly bombarded with a lot of thoughts and dreams that end up in our hearts and heads. SusieQ says—That is why I’m who I am. For sure! Folks are constantly messing with my subconscious!  And I don’t even know it.

During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic it appeared folks felt helpless, and many turned to panic buying. That maybe seems a long time ago, but it wasn’t.  Why did you folks do that anyway?  Aren’t we something else.  We for sure were going to have enough toilet paper.  By constantly talking about it, the news media made the scarcity of some items even worse a.k.a. play pretend. Humans are very easily manipulated. C’mon, that’s funny isn’t it. What will be the next thing?  Oh, it will happen I bet. Something as crazy as holla hops maybe!

My time in The Valley of the Sun has been very interesting for me in many ways.  It has.  Ellen Hopkins, whose novels are particularly popular with teenagers and young adults, said, “For short-term relaxation, I take a hot tub.  It’s my best way to unblock writers’ block, too.  For a bit longer relaxation, I enjoy camping.  Just being in the wilderness, with no phones or computers or anything I have to do really refreshes my spirit."  I didn’t have to play pretend as my winter was the real deal for me.  I made many conclusions.

What do you believe and stand for?  Are you a mugrumper (i.e. sit on the fence with your mug on one side and your rump on the other and whichever way the wind blows, that is what you stand for).  Now that is play pretending alright.  Some folks are really good at it.  Oh ya!  Abraham Lincoln said—"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” I needed some muscle and had to have a friend come over who has the muscle I was looking for to take the gun off my yard hose.  I couldn’t get it and another friend couldn’t either (i.e. neither could his wife).  MyMuscleFriend, who has Popeye arms, really had to work at it also but did get it.  I thanked him and he said—Life is about family and friends (i.e. and he is smart toooo and also has a good heart—my kind of person). I was told by another smart person that the reason why it was soooo tight is that the water is hard and the corrosion is almost welded by the heat of the AZ sun.

When I was a kid growing up a mile and a fourth south of Roseland, MN, my big sister, only in age, would make my play school and house. She even dressed me up like a girl.  That didn’t last tooooo long let me tell ya.  Then I got my kid sister to play “win the world series” with me, play cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians and that toooo didn’t last long either.  It was play pretending at its best.  What good memories.

AvergeJosie says--My dream was to be a Miss America but then I woke up! We play pretend to be a lot of stuff, but reality is we are not.  Some things are pretty much impossible (e.g. I will be the star running back of the Super Bowl Champs, The MN Vikings--now that is double play pretend.  It ain’t going ta happen).  A friend was telling me that he was part of a leadership team of a large dynamic church.  The team fall apart as most of the folks had problems of their past that were never addressed (i.e. they were play pretenders).  They looked pretty but weren’t the real deal (e.g. one person always looked like a big shot but reality was he was way over extended financially and eventually his world crashed—wore a big cowboy hat but owned no cattle—just play pretending). He was a regular DuaneTheWorm a.k.a. one big fake who did most everything to self-glorify himself: a real phony.  Some call that play pretending or acting or fooling folks. Flip the pancake. There are folks that are the big time show but no one knows it and those folks don’t want them to know it. Don’t need to be in the spotlight.

Several friends recently told me that they had friends who were powerful for the Lord.  Then one day, they just made a 180 degree turn and denounced God and everything that they have been living their life for (i.e. went in the dark).  They said it seemed that some ruined their lives it seemed. Why I asked. They had no idea.  I don’t understand that.  I asked if they returned to their thinking.  Some they lost touch with and didn’t know, and others just became a mess. Soooo were they just play pretending and now aren’t or are they just play pretending now.  Maybe 30 years ago, a friend lost their daughter. He seemed to be a strong believer but after her death, he just fell apart to a point of claiming he didn’t believe in God.  I don’t know if he did or didn’t.  That always amazed me. Maybe folks become mentally ill, or something happens. Could be.

Flip the pancake! What is your “Red Sea experience” when something happened to you (i.e. possibly a miracle) that just turned your life to the positive.  Something that is just amazing (i.e. totally unexplainable).  Something beyond believe; something that was seemingly impossible. Made your life way different. Soooo great and crazy that you are almost scared to tell anyone about it; feels like play pretend. 

Our friend TheMI-Engineer is in our golf foursome.  We kid him constantly that for $10 he could have been a scratch golfer and he didn’t do it.  Ya, when with GM, they had a hypnotist come in and hypnotized engineers to make them more productive.  It worked.  As an extra bounce the hypnotist would offer for $10 other help.  One was to quit smoking.  He tried to quit smoking but never could get it done soooo he paid his $10 and bingo, he had no urge to smoke any more.  For another $10 the hypnotist said he could make him a scratch golfer.  He didn’t do it; he was tooooo cheap! Now he is never happy with his golf game, 50 years of misery. Sooooo now he has sciatic nerve problems and went to a massage therapist for a treatment for $40 (i.e. it’s inflation).  God only knows what that consists of! We really didn’t ask!  

CoachB says—"There is a constant war, a constant battle for your mind, for your spirit and even for your money. If you don’t understand the tactics of war you will lose to the enemy every time.” Soooo from your experience or from watching others, what are the tactics of war that are just powerful and successful that wins the war in our minds?  There is an old story that I really like and try to use in my life—there is a white dog and a black dog in my heart; the one that wins is the one I feed the most. My application is, I got to get around good folks, read good stuff and listen to good stuff.  That is my opinion folks, yours might be different. You want whine with your cheese? Suck it up cupcake and let’s get going! 

William Hazlitt claimed that when great thoughts are reduced to practice, they become great acts.  I have been in groups that study what we should do and talk about what we should do but never do anything.  Then another time we talk about it again and again and again never do anything.  Have you been such groups in many different settings? Well folks, here is an application that I suggest you do.  Send a note or postcard to 5 folks who would not ever expect getting something from you.  Sooooo out of the blue they get a note from you that says—I’m praying for you or I’m thinking of you or I care about you.  Pretty powerful and it just takes such little effort (i.e. quit talking and do something). I got a text from an acquaintance recently who explained their situation and the end asked for me to pray for them.  I texted them back and asked I could meet with them on their deck for a little while.  They accepted and we had a great talk.  It took courage by that person to do that.  I’m guessing that this person is a great person.

Are we instable folks (i.e. like how we think Russia is in that it has a malevolent personality)? Do folks play pretend?  I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it written by Chris, anyone can be a Chris—“We live under an illusion that our lives are at the mercy of others—the people we are indebted to, those who govern us, the bureaucracies and massive institutions, and more. You can’t fight city hall, and you can’t buck the status quo. When powerful people tell us what to do, we must either do it or come up with the funds to go to court. Since that isn’t an option for most of us, we’re left to swim downstream with the rest of the world. We feel bound by its ways.” Chris goes on to say—"We are not obligated to fit ourselves into the value system of money and power if we believe in God and his spiritual world of eternal life which is forever.”  Now that can be hard to comprehend and believe.  Most folks who are educated in “the world facts” can’t do it because they have to believe and have faith, and those folks can’t do that. I have said many times that I wish I was smarter but now I don’t know about that (i.e. maybe those folks aren’t smarter; they are just play pretending). ScienceProfessorWally says—erv, go fly a kite; I’m smart and that stuff is just hog wash thinking; you have no proof! ScienceProfessorWally believes he will die just like a pig.  Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control/These three along lead life to sovereign power.”

If someone asked you to do a public promo of yourself, would you do it or not?  Why do folks do public promos of themselves (i.e. what is their purpose)? What do they say about themselves? You know all the answers, c’mon, you know, and you know what you would say about yourself if you would do one.  You do.  Some of you would brag about yourself and some of you would use it as an opportunity to sell something (i.e. many different things) and some of you would promote someone else and some of you would say very little about yourself (i.e. treat it as an opportunity).  C’mon, PeggySue, you know what you would say.  You sure do. You know yourself better than anyone. WorldClassLarry says—What’s down in the well will come up in the bucket.

Do you believe in make believe like in fairies?  Do you believe in angles?  Sooooo if we don’t believe in fairies then why do some parents read fairy tales to their kids (i.e. play pretend)?  Are they teaching them to play pretend?  An acquaintance recently told me about their spouse who was dying.  He saw angles by his side before he died to take him to heaven.  Soooo you believe that?  I personally have not seen an angel although maybe I have in human form; I’m not certain about that.  Folks call some folks angles. I asked my neighbor about this.  She said—I don’t believe in fairies but I believe that I have a Guardian Angel with me all the time. Soooo I saw this yard ornament while walking in our park.  It made me smile.  I didn’t know how to interpret it. How do you interpret it?  ItchieBitchie says—We all like soft landings. Sooooo I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it—Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.

I like this guy as he agrees with my thinking (i.e. we always like folks who agree with us). haha ANYWAY, this is what Robert J. Tamasy says--A song from years ago complained, “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.” These days, we could make a similar observation that if it wasn’t for bad news, we wouldn’t have any news at all…The old news mantra, “If it bleeds, it leads,” has taken center stage…The temptation is great to plunge into great despair, with the constant barrage of bad news causing us to believe that all hope is gone. But this temptation offers no positive outcome. So, how can we avoid it? Leadership consultant Tim Knight says, “If you dwell on the negative, you simply feed your frustration or fear, which leads to bad decisions, which causes you to be even more anxious, angry, or afraid. It is a ‘doom loop.’ Press pause and interrupt the doom loop. Redirect your focus from the negative to the productive.” Now that is his opinion. Yours might be different. You might think it’s better to wallow in the muck.

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said—A life without a cause is a life without effect.

PS  “It is more fitting for a [hu]man to laugh at life than to lament over it.” – Seneca     Is that a bit tooooo stoic for some of you?

even though

Tyron Edwards, who was a 19^th-century theologian, wrote—“Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.” You believe that? That is what I thought.  LuckieEddie says--It’s more than I can take; I just like to fumble through life and see what happens.  But I’m LuckieEddie!

SusieQ, who everyone knows is just a little out there, says--It is possible to be alone, yet not lonely; and lonely even though when not alone (i.e. that is anyone’s guess I guess). That sure seems to be a true statement now doesn’t it.   A friend, in sorta kinda a strange way, was sitting on her deck and called me over as I was walking by.  She wanted my advice about a business situation that was bothering her (i.e. she didn’t like to see a jerk hurt her neighbor).  ANYWAY, I asked her when leaving how her and boyfriend are doing. She said, I like to alone at times and like him around sometimes; I have become pretty independent being alone for sooo long. It sounds like she likes the best of both worlds. SusieQ says—I wonder if not everyone’s mind wanders! Go figure!

ItchieBitchie can act soooooo humble and nice until the pressure is put on and then, Katie bar the door.  That pressure is the litmus test.  JoeBlow, who is soooo quick to the ball, says—Anyone can be a great person when they are winning but see how they act with they are losing, when the pressure is on (i.e. even though they pretend, their inner feelings can show right through).  The great ones have the inner strength to be great when the pressure is on.  TomSmart says—Gals are always prettier when they are happy; there is no question about that (i.e. most gals under pressure or who can’t handle pressure aren’t as pretty). It ain’t no rocket science folks. BettyLou says—It’s nuttin that a new pair of shoes can’t fix. 100pairshoegirlRitta or was it 100newtopsgirlLois (i.e. I can’t tell them apart) says--I hate that when things are said sooo direct. This mythology is call "retail therapy" and can be very effective and is always the answer!

I was getting my mail the other evening and a guy was walking away from our mail boxes with me looking through his mail—I said—all dividend checks—I wish it was; looks like we’ll need a pile of money to keep afloat; it sure is a crazy world; I wonder if I will have enough to live as everything keeps going up; I think the government wants that to happen; maybe prophesy is being fulfilled. I didn’t say anything ‘cause I don’t know! He sounded discouraged. Ouchy ouchy! I sat down and watched the girls (i.e. ok, senor ladies) wiggle and giggle in the pool; it was a beautiful evening and sunset was gorgeous.  A guy came and sat at the table with me.  He was from MN and told me that he sold his place here in the park and will not return.  He said he has been coming down here for 30 years and is 90 years old--I had a very good run.  I will miss it but it’s time.  He got up and said he is going to play, what’s that highbrow card game—maybe bridge—that’s it; that is why I’m not coming back.

I was talking with several folks who were going to entertain friends here in The Valley. They kicked around different suggestions.  Then one person said—I planned all these great things for us to do but all they wanted to do was sit in the sun by the pool.  What I thought wasn’t what they thought even though I though my ideas were really great!  Soooo the conclusion I got from listening to them is that what I think isn’t the same as others think.  What I think is fun and exciting isn’t toooo others. Maybe think of this, I play some pickleball. Compared to all the folks in the park or even in the world, it’s a very small percentage that play. Very small. Sooooo in reality, it’s not very important at all.  If I play or who I play with or how well I play is of very little importance. Very little! Yet some folks don’t think like me. Soooo in my thinking here during my Sabbatical in The Valley of the Sun, I think about what I think is really important in my life. I have enjoyed thinking about this stuff even though it has been challenging. Such is life.

I met a gal who I found very interesting even though I don’t really know her, but we had a nice conversation.  She seems, according to our conversation, to be very intergenic and very involved. Seems to have a very good attitude and seems to like people very much.  I got from our conversation that she seems very happy with her life and current lifestyle.  Maybe, just maybe, she is very comfortable being alone. I have no idea as I don’t really know this gal or her past.  But I sorta kinda got this impression.  BUT, my impression could be way wrong.  Sherlock Homes once said, “You mentioned your name as if I should recognize it, but beyond the obvious facts that you are a bachelor, a solicitor, a Freemason and an asthmatic, I know nothing whatever about you.”

I listened to a preacher’s sermon Sunday who was teaching humility in a world of arrogance! WOW! That’s an uphill battle a.k.a. radical. Holy smokes! What is this person’s chance of success? The news surely doesn’t spread this mentality, oh no! My opinion—I think it can and will happen ‘cause it’s beyond us.  Way beyond us. Maybe in most cases it’s how we want to be even though we seem to act arrogant a lot. Especially me! I have been humbled this winter here in the Valley; oh yes!  I have been dinged in the head.  That is quite a learning experience, oh ya! Am I smarter?  I really don’t know. As the song goes—we are stiff neck stubborn ornery people (i.e. a friend use to say that a lot; I always wondered if he was directing that at just me)!

You talk about Holy smokes.  I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it—"The largest and most powerful particle accelerator on earth is buried beneath the border of Switzerland and France. It’s the CERN Large Hadron Collider—a 17-mile-long circle nearly 600 feet below ground. Particles fly around the tunnel at velocities approaching the speed of light, and when they collide, the heat produced can be more than 100,000 times hotter than the center of the sun.” I had a hard time believing that soooo I ran it by Valedictorian and TheMI-Engineer and they said it was for real soooooo now I believe it.  That sounds like “over cookin’” it a little. That would be hard not to burn the bacon! His understating I cannot fathom!

I had lunch this week with cousins, these folks are my kind of folks let me tell ya.  What a great time we had. Part of our conversation was how fast time and our lives are going.  Way fast we concluded.  James tells us our life is like a vapor. David agrees: “Each man’s life is but a breath.". In the grand, eternal scheme of things, we are a small point on the timeline. By the time we learn what we need to know and are equipped to serve, we have but a moment left. Soooo folks, enjoy life and help others to enjoy their lives (i.e. my opinion) even though sometimes that is hard to do. I bought 5 post cards at the Mercantile store at Goldfield.  They were 5 for a dollar soooo I gave the clerk a dollar. She said—I need some cents—some folks say I don’t have any cents—give me that other dollar in your hand and I will give you some cents back.  We had a good laugh. What fun!

Two of the guys I played pickleball with on Wednesdays are Canucks. At our break I asked them how the price of acholic compares here in the U.S. to Canada.  Whiskey is a third of the cost in US as it is in Canada. They told us that is the reason why they are smarter when here for the winter. Saturday question--Is that a form of artificial intelligence? But remember folks--The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. So, that means lefties are the only ones in their right mind! I was sitting in the hot tub and had conversations with Mr. and Mrs. Canuck on a recent evening.  Very nice folks.  I have known him for maybe 10-12 years.  ANYWAY, I asked questions and learned that about 90% of Canada’s population is within 150 miles of the U.S. border.  I didn’t know that. And it seems like a lot of them are in the southern part of the U.S. in the winter.

I gave this tee shirt to my buddy, Joethehike, as he is always complaining about the Minnesota Vikings and especially Cousins even though he is a big fan or maybe just a fan (i.e. I really don’t know about him sometimes haha).  Soooo I went to play golf with my buddies at their park. Going through their gate, the security guy asked me where I was going—golf course; you play golf—not anymore; it was toooo frustrating for me; toooo much cussing and swearing; my dad was a club pro and did a lot of cussing and sweating soooo he quit and went into selling concrete; no more cussing and swearing and he has made millions.  My golf buddies and I really have a good time, no cussing and swearing but mostly joking and givin’ each other a hard time (i.e. our scores are not the primary reason we play even though we want to play well according to our ability).  These are good guys with good hearts, my kind of folks—I really enjoy these guys. Related to that—I had lunch with a friend from birth who grew up 2 and half miles north of Roseland, MN the other day along with his wife.  He plays a lot of pickleball and is good.  He told me even though he plays with different levels of players, he seems to think that the better folks get, the less fun they have (i.e. his opinion); at least they don’t laugh as much.  Crazy huh! Did he figure that out from his experiences?  Ok, the theory that some pb players have is that some of the better players become elitists (i.e. not AverageJoes anymore) and think they have to act a certain way (i.e. live up to their image). Saturday question--What is your experience dealing with some folks who think they are elitists in your church, community or family based on your experiences? That is what I thought. Flip the pancake! I have played with some very good players recently who are very nice and are very good folks even though they are very good.  Sooooo there ya go!. PickleballPete says—God, it’s hard to be humble when you are as good as I think I am. SweetCaroline says--PickleballPete, I can smell you coming a mile away and you really don’t smell that good! MyAllTimeFavoriteBill said playing golf on a recent Tuesday after hitting one of his very few bad shots—I’m 85% Irish and that Irish luck is BS (i.e. he doesn’t seem to realize it but it appears he gets all the breaks)!

My mentor use to say to me—erv, things are never as bad as they look or as good as they look. The visibility rule is--Never let the visible rule. Our victories yesterday do not decide our status today. Neither do our failures. We need God desperately every day equally, regardless of how threatened—or how successful—things look. I need to be humble for sure with my successes and remain strong with my failures.  I need to put stuff in proper perspective.  That is my opinion folks. BUT can I do it even though I know it? I don’t know. I try! A gal from back home runs for UNI and just won the 800m Missouri Valley indoor crown.  She is a great gal and has a great humble attitude.  She said at the close of her interview that was in the paper—“No matter what, no matter who I am racing against, I am going to put myself in it. I am not going to back down…I think anyone can expect me to be tough, be gritty.” She is one neat gal, a good gal with a good heart, my kind of gal. She also said, “Cancel all the noise, control what you can control and give 100-percent toward that.”

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said—People are not problems to be solved, but mysteries to be encountered.

PS  A friend from Grundy County IA  always says--The people make going south fun....you can sit at home and watch TV ANYWHERE.