yada yada

Some days we walk the razor edge and some days we walk the sidewalk and say to ourselves—not today but other days we say, today is the day!  Soooo what are going to do today?

Solomon’s wisdom in Proverbs offers three first steps that apply to any kind of major decision we need to make. So what are those three steps to get us started?  Before we get anybody else’s perspective on what we’re going to do, we need to go to God’s Word and get his perspective. The Bible says in Proverbs 2:6-7, “It is the LORD who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding. He provides help and protection for those who are righteous and honest.” Second is to get the facts. Proverbs 18:13 says, “What a shame—yes, how stupid!—to decide before knowing the facts.” And third, ask for advice. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without advice plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed.” I think Solomon’s wisdom might prevent a “mayhem moment!” Have any of you every had a “mayhem moment?” How did it feel!

Have you ever blown the lead; had the wheels fall off: just plain blew a situation; really missed an opportunity: like laid an egg, a real big egg? Various studies have shown that very few people have multiple genuine friends, and many don’t have one good friend. Yikes, that’s not good. SlimmySlim says—It seems that not many folks much care to be my friend and I can’t figure it out. I tell Jeanne that she is my best friend, and I will really work hard to keep it that way. I mean it. She is my emphasis; my paramount; she gets a lot of my attention. Why not! It doesn’t’ take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Good friends are worth a fortune. I read recently while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--A good relationship is great for stress reliever.  I really like many of you, but Jeanne gets more attention than you do! Go figure! This is the reason why I’m in Yakima, WA today where apples and hops and grapes are raised and yes, the home of my best friend. And this ain’t no yada yada folks but it's the real deal! But you might think it's a bunch of WA rabbitbrush or WA sagebrush!

British innovators have developed a new type of body armor that’s lightweight and comfortable yet can stop a bullet traveling at the speed of sound. Maybe all of us should get this body armor to protect us from all the crap that gets shot at us; boy there is a lot of it let me tell ya! Recently I purchased a product from a provider on line, paid for it but they never sent me the codes I needed to use the product as they said they would. I sometimes become sorta kinda leery of what folks say they are going to do for me (i.e. in extreme cases, some folks are called iconoclasts). BUT flip the pancake, I can tell you of recent situations that folks have treated me like a king and just over produced; just went way over the top with their effort to please me (i.e. their parents must’ve of raised 'em right). Go figure.

I hear a lot of yada yada which many times it’s just begonia but sometimes it isn’t. How do I know? Some folks think they know everything, and they really don’t. AverageJoe says--Sometimes it’s better to not give your opinion unless asked for it even if we think we know the correct solution and we don’t think they do. SallyTheParent says—That is unless the result of your daughter’s decision will affect us and them in the future (e.g. having a boyfriend who is not a good person, and the odds are 98% curtain that he will be nuttin but problems for your daughter and then you have tooooo deal with the residual effects). Ouchy ouchy! BobTheLoudTrumpet says--In many groups there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians; folks who think they are chiefs anyway but really aren’t.  MissPerfect says—That is our culture we live in where everyone knows everything and think they are in charge (i.e. anyone can google it and have the answer about anything and everything). Well, flip the pancake~GeorgeTheCrook says--Maybe the parents are messed up and their truth isn’t the truth! SusieQ who has been known to get fizzy at times, says-- I just go on social media where everyone knows the answer and I pick the one I like and agree with it; it works for me; I’m always right! Bingo!

Have any of you had your mouth washed out with soap as a kid. I think I did once by my Mom, Anna, but I really don’t remember what I said that was soooo bad; but it must have been bad, but anyway, it must of worked (i.e. probably I didn’t want to have my mouth washed out with soap again)! When I listen to some folks talk, I wonder if they should have their mouth washed out with soap (i.e. they use very bad trash talk I think). Of course that is my opinion. It seems that bad language is very popular in some sectors of society it appears; even females use such language I have been told. It used to be just the drunken sailors used such language, but now pretty girls do tooooo (i.e. maybe part of equality)! If you have had your mouth washed out with Ivory soap, you will remember it; it doesn’t taste very good at all, very bad after taste let me tell ya!

What do you think is/was the biggest opportunity of your lifetime? How about in the last year? I have told you this many times and I want toooooo tell you again. You might think it’s just yada yada but it works for me. It might not be for you, and you might not want it to work for you. I understand, yes, I do.  We always don’t really like opportunities as they are more work and responsibility, and we would rather just sit on the couch and eat chips.  Sometimes our culture is pretty lazy and more specifically I’m talking about one of you in particular, you know who you are. hahaha Ok, here is what I pray for—I pray for opportunities, I pray I can recognize them, and I pray that I have the courage to act on them. I also pray for wisdom as we many times have really no idea what to pray for (i.e. many times maybe we pray for how it best fits our life which makes us feel good) but with wisdom everything seems to work better (i.e. part of the big picture). That is my opinion. You might think this toooooo is a bunch of yada yada! I understand. JoeSixPack says—I prefer a six pack of Bud Light and some chips; it seems to work for me!

I read a lot that it is good to make my live simpler like being the curator of my life. Slowly cut things out until I’m left with what I love, with what's necessary, and with what makes me happy. I developed a new method of driving that I put in place while driving from AZ to CO (i.e. 13 hour drive in one day). When in heavy fast traffic I would go in the left lane and drive as fast as the traffic was going. Usually about 85 but my fastest was 93. Hey, less stress and I made better time (i.e. made my life simple)!

I think the corner has been turned! I’m talking about the difference I have observed a difference in some people:  one young person, one teenager and two adults and one senior person. You believe that. I’m talking about some very positive changes which might be making them into more dynamic folks. Actually, these changes are answered prayers of mine (i.e. or is it just my imagination, could be but I have been praying for them for a long time and I will continue to pray for them). Do you believe in prayer? I’m praying for more folks (i.e. maybe even you) but I haven’t seen any change yet, but I have hope! A visiting minister was attending a men's breakfast in Ohio farm country. He asked one of the impressive older farmers in attendance to say grace that morning. After all were seated, the older farmer began "Lord, I hate buttermilk."  The minister opened one eye and wondered to himself where this was going. Then the farmer loudly proclaimed, "Lord, I hate lard." Now the minister was overly worried. However without missing a beat, the farmer prayed on, "And Lord, you know I don't care much for raw white flour." Just as the minister was ready to stand and stop everything, the farmer continued, "But Lord, when you mix 'em all together and bake 'em up, I do love fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up we don't like, when life gets hard, when we just don't understand what you are sayin' to us, we just need to relax and wait 'till You are done mixin', and probably it will be somethin' even better than biscuits. Amen.”

I know some folks that it appears they think that when they die everything will stop and who think that because of how great they think they are that nobody will go forward.  What are they thinking anyway!  Robert Frost said—In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life and those three words are; life goes on.  Jeanne and I have discussed this a lot. We plan to go forward! Saturday question—Is that an attitude? If soooo, who decides our attitude? Bingo! Soooo suck it up sweetheart and let’s get going!

Well folks, it feels like you have heard enough of my yada yada for today! There is a limit as toooooo what a person can handle! If any of you believe any of this yada yada, I have some swamp land in FL to sell ya, it’s waterfront property and has great fishing!

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—No matter what may be your lot in life, build something on it.

skewed

I believe that every person is skewed; everyone (i.e. that includes you) is influenced by someone and something if they live in this world; I just can’t see how it can be any different. Soooo the question is, skewed from what? Sooooo what is the normal or the ideal or perfect example? ItchieBitchie who sings a pretty song, says--Something skewed is slanted or off-center in some way. Opinions are often skewed, DA: this is another way of saying someone is biased. I wonder that maybe we don’t even know that we are skewed, could be maybe, I don’t know. Could it be that we are propagated maybe at times! Who what me! WildWillie says--Even a stubborn mule responds to gentleness.

I was sitting next to a senior guy the other day. Adam told me that he went to the doctor this week and it cost him $450 for the doctor to tell him that he isn’t normal. Adam said--I didn’t need to pay the doctor $450 for him to tell me that, my family have been telling me that for years! Saturday question--Do you think his doctor was saying that he being not normal was because he gives little things such as smiles and kindness, and does small obligations habitually (i.e. anybody can be normal and do the same things that everyone else is doing). 

MissPerfect, who isn’t perfect but just thinks she is, says—We are the sum of our whole, the sum of all of our pieces! It appears that some folks are skewed more than others (i.e. easy targets) but how do I know, it’s just my opinion based on my thinking (e.g. it appears that some folks think they are entitled because they are told that by certain groups and they buy into it hook, line and sinker).  JoeBlow says--Gratitude begins where our sense of entitlement ends. TomSmart says--You can take that to the bank; that's as good as gold!

WorldClassLarry who definitely has a strong will, says--You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. Is he saying we need to skew our normal life? The story is told that last Christmas, a woman in Texas put up and decorated her Christmas tree. Shortly after, she heard a noise in the branches. Some kind of animal was hiding. Cladding herself in thick gloves, the woman reached into the tree and pulled out an opossum. It’s hard to know who was more shocked, but the creature was soon out of the house! Now that that was a life changer for the opossum! And maybe the lady from TX tooooo! I’m in WA at Jeanne's for some time; my daily life is changing let me tell you (i.e. I'm getting skewed in a good way); what more can I say, I'm enjoying ever minute of it. 

Social media has made it possible for every person to speak his or her truth to the world (i.e. not their opinion but their truth soooo they think). The different social platforms think they have the truth, most religious faiths and some denominations think they have the truth, most political groups think they have the truth, many forms of government think they have the truth, etc. Saturday question—What is the ultimate true truth do you think? Hmmmmm!

Do you remember the Pythagorean theorem from high school geometry class? “The square of the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.” Some mathematicians consider it the most important mathematical formula (i.e. it is always true I think). In many areas of our lives do we find a truth that is of that primary importance. The meaning of skewed in English is not being accurate or exact: Maybe our world view is a little skewed, not as constantly accurate as the Pythagorean theorem!

Skewed data is data that creates an asymmetrical, skewed curve on a graph. In statistics, the graph of a data set with normal distribution is symmetrical and shaped like a bell. However, skewed data has a "tail" on either side of the graph (e.g. it has been said that much data is skewed by political people or parties to make it look like they want it tooo--anybody can skew the data, don't kid yourself). GullibleMary says—Many folks believe anything they are told particularly if they like the skewed source that it comes from which makes them skewed (i.e. it’s not the truth but many do really get on the band wagon, no question about that). Just look around folks, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

Have you ever felt the feeling of being in complete control or in perfect reality but only to find out latter it was an illusion (i.e. now that is a big difference)?  I have! My feeling, when realizing the situation was not accurate, was that I was skewed by something and it was discouraging! One of the certainties of life and work is how uncertain things can be. It was Scottish poet Robert Burns who observed, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” Just when I start thinking I’m in control, circumstances may conspire to prove that I’m not (i.e. reality seems to kick in and the past seems like it was an illusion). My mentor would say to me—erv, things are never as good as they look and never as bad as they look! More recently, a friend said to me—Remember erv, you don’t have to do everything right away; just relax, you are not in a hurry, you don’t have a rushed schedule. Yabut my mind seems to get skewed sometimes! How many columns did you see in the pic? It’s an illusion folks, an illusion!

I’m making and have made decisions that will affect my future, yes I have and am.  I think they are good decisions. I maybe have been skewed by events and experiences, and friends; could be but I don't know!  BUT I think I have and am making good, wise decisions as they will affect me a month from now, a year from not and for the rest of my life. BUT decisions of this sort aren’t always easy to make! AverageJoe says—It’s a lot easier to do everything the same way the next 20 years and get the same results; now that is a lot easier let me tell ya. I think my decisions are great opportunities for me and I’m really looking forward to the future (i.e. I’m excited)! I had my first authentic tamale this week. Holy tamale! It's about time!

I talked to an acquaintance the other day.  I came away thinking—They said one thing, but their actions speak the opposite soooo loudly that I really couldn’t hear what they were saying. I concluded, if in doubt about receiving or following someone, look at the fruit they are producing; the proof is in the pudding! I don’t want to be skewed by their talk! My Daddy, Chester, would say to me—erv, if someone is good, they don’t have to tell folks they are good, folks will know!

Yes, I have been touched but I don’t think skewed! Recently I have had events that have really affected me. Not like winning a lottery (i.e. that won’t happen as I don’t play it) but much more important events and circumstances that really are important to me. One such event was I got all the pictures out of the closet, many (i.e. not any different than yours probably). I went through them and looked at each one. Very touching to me; soooo many memories that just affected me. I can’t really explain my emotions; all good though. I’m moving to WA and have to make a decision what I’m going to do with them. It’s nuttin new, it happens to all generations (i.e. but for most of you, your family will make the decision after you are dead). BUT for me, the pictures reminded me how such a great life I have had a.k.a. blessed and am having as I go forward. It was very humbling.

Stuff, stuff and more stuff! Are you a saver, a collector, a hoarder, or an easy touch (e.g. as you will take anything and everything)? We all seem to have a lot of stuff.  Well, I’m getting rid of most of my stuff.  I asked our son—If I would not be moving and would just die, what would you and Heather do with all my stuff?  He replied—We might keep a couple of things but probably would find some auction company to take all they would and then see if any charity would take the rest and if not, it would go in the dumpster (i.e. he was honest and probably not much different than most of your stuff even though maybe we think it’s worth a lot and our kids really will like it, NOT! I just listened to a book while traveling which was suggested by Jeanne. I think you might enjoy it (i.e. some of you won’t as you don’t want to think about death and all your STUFF!  The book is The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson.  I really learned some good stuff that she suggested. But remember, I’m getting rid of almost all of my stuff. Some of you think I’m probably skewed!!!!  hahaha Or you might think I’m one lucky guy!  hahaha There is a saying that says—Keep it simple stupid!  Saturday question—How many clothes do you need anyway? For me it’s the amount I can get in my duffel bag! But I’m a guy! I realize that you gals think I’m skewed!

As a boy growing up a mile and a quarter south of Roseland, MN, I would have never thought I would be moving to Yakima, WA especially at my age!  I thought I would be in my “take it easy” phase, just about to hang it up and settle down. It’s pretty exciting let me tell ya! Such is life.

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—Living in the past is lots of fun…besides, it’s cheaper.        

jurued

Psst! We are juried by others on a per minute basis, maybe. JoeBlow says--Someone or some group of folks are always jurying us! Don ‘t kid yourself. It might be Amason and you don’t even know it!

What helps is when we can hold our ground? Any builder will say, it’s the foundation; we gotta have a good foundation.  And how do we get a good foundation and what is a good foundation? How do we know what is right or wrong? It appears to me that we gotta hang around with good folks (i.e. if we don’t we are shoeless and clueless); just look around folks; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. AverageJoe says—erv, that’s the plan! You can bet your life on this tip from Tony Dungy, even take it to the bank, but not everybody can be a Tony Dungy—“Be open in receiving counsel. Surround yourself with the best people you can find and give them absolute freedom to disagree with and challenge you. Enjoy the benefit of other peoples’ gifts, skills, and insights. Seek their input, listen to them, decide on the right direction and go forward with confidence.” SimpleSimon says—Yabut we gotta be aggressive in our life but we also need to be careful where we are going to be aggressive (i.e. pick our spots)!

I like to pick your brain! The MI-Wizard, who really knows how to mash the potatoes let me tell ya, says—I like good free advice based on good knowledge from good folks and it’s even better if they do the work for me (i.e. build or help me build my foundation)! Once we have a good foundation, we can hold our ground!  Don’t kid yourself! Confidence is really important! Don’t kid yourself! That is why he is called the MI-Wizard!

I know a guy who disagrees with me. He doesn’t believe there is a God; no God! I believe there is a God. We both have the right and choice to believe what we want now don’t we (i.e. this has been heavily debated for ever). LuckieEddie, who attracts eyeballs, says—I don’t believe everything that my mother-in-law does soooo there! It appears that we both think we are right. Sooooo how will we ever know if there is a God?  I guess we will be juried sometime or maybe there won’t be a jury, but we will never know on this earth now will we. What do you think? That is what I thought. BUT once we die, if there is a God and didn’t think soooo on this earth, ouchy ouchy! I don’t think we can hire the most expensive attorney to get us out of that mess! It won’t make any difference how much money we have or how important we think we are (i.e. that is what is how my mind thinks anyway)!

Maybe the most severe jury of a teen-age girl is her peer group, they are ruthless and mean the way it looks to me (i.e. maybe sometimes those teen-age girls never grow up). Another ruthless jury we have in our lives is ourselves. We jury ourselves all the time. Suggestion: Look at the good stuff in our lives and also in the good we do. There is good stuff in all of us; yes there is.  It is soooo easy to dwell on the bad things. ItchieBitchie, who has a little bit of radical but not toooo much, says—It’s how we look at it! Thepersondownthestreet who is an oldie but a goodie, says—One bad thought takes 10 good thoughts to overcome the bad thought.  You believe that! Encouragement is very useful! CrazyMarvin says—The jury is out on one of you (i.e. you know who you are) if you are a person who builds others up or tears others down! Are you the problem or the solution to the problem. Ouchy ouchy!

I was in Waukee this week to see Charlie sing in her 8th grade choir at her school. Then I went back another night to see Rookie play in his 5th grade school band and sing in the 5th grade choir. These young folks really amaze me. Charlie said--This is my first time wearing heels and it might be my last! As we got out of the booth at the restaurant and walking to the vehicle, Rookie said to Chet--Grandpa isn't very fast (i.e. he was jurying me I think! Hey listen, I'm stiff when I get up and my knees crack!

Do we look for good in ourselves and others or look for bad. Suggestion: Look for good! Are we a vulture or a hummingbird? Do we look for dead stuff or sweet stuff? I think it is right in that if we look for rotten dead stuff, we will find it and if we look for sweet nectar we will find it. It’s sorta kinda what we are looking for maybe! Sooooo then, it is our attitude maybe! We need to jury ourselves maybe! Saturday question--Do we have a person that just drives us nuts? Why do they drive us nuts? It has to ‘cause we think they are full of rotten dead stuff or we are full of rotten dead stuff!

I get to decide!  Maybe only 1% of what I read, hear or see, I use in “It’s Saturday.” The other 99% I don’t write about. I pick the cream and that is purely a feeling (i.e. very speculative).  Isn’t that like all of us, we pick out only a small amount of stuff that we see, hear, or read and apply it to our lives (i.e. purely speculative selection). We deicide.  I did read this that I selected—Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster. Proverbs 10:14. BUT we get to decide what knowledge is! Now that is challenging! AverageJoe says--I seem to be soooo lucky in that I seem to pick the good stuff but my sister-in-law, CarzyBetty, seems to always pick the bad stuff. Go figure! When coming back from AZ I had the opportunity to watch our granddaughter, Erin, perform with her hs color guard team at the state level at Denver U. They just amazed me with their talent and hard work. ANYWAY, we sat behind the three judges who juried the different schools (i.e. somewhat subjective I thought maybe) who decided which ones were the best (i.e. sorta kinda like which calf gets the purple ribbon at the Butler County 4-H fair or who gets juried as the Butler County queen—all judges like different things maybe). Huh, interesting!

WorldClassLarry says--You are juried and the verdict is in! You can change. None of us is the same person we were a year or a decade ago. Our bodies are changing—there’s no denying that. But our minds, hearts, habits, personalities, and relationships are changing too. We just need to make sure we are changing for the better, that we’re being transformed. We recently have seen two gals that have really changed; they changed because guys have come into their lives, and they now have some hope of a different life; boy are they excited. Oh, the change that can happen with hope! I have no idea if a serious relationship will occur but oh, do they have some excitement in their lives let me tell ya. There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great and no tonic soooo powerful as the expectation of something better tomorrow!

The other Warren from Omaha sent me this story--True Story ---- about 100  senior citizens gathered in my church last week to enjoy a nice lunch and listen to a guest speaker on the subject of Alzheimer's Disease.   The speaker never showed --- she forgot.

We make a lot of decisions in our lives, a lot. We make most of those decisions for ourselves. Yes, we do. And as my deceased friend told me—erv, decisions have consequences! I read what Billy Graham wrote and I like it--When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God. Saturday question—How do we come to the end of ourselves? Oh, how hot are we about what we are really hot about? Really!  We might say, I’m not hot about anything that I know about. Suggestion to you then—Be good to people; be hot! We will feel soooo good and soooo will the folks we are hot toooo (i.e. you can bet your boots on that). And how hot should we be? The sky is the limit. BUT you get to decide! Such is life.

I read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--Humility is a choice. Not once in the Bible are we told to pray for God to humble us. Instead, we are told to “humble ourselves before the Lord” (James 4:10 ICB). It’s a choice. Humility is something we do to yourself. Nobody else can do it to us. Other people can humiliate us, but they can’t make us humble. In essence, humility is total dependence on God. It’s not denying our strengths; instead, it’s being honest about our weaknesses. TheLadyDownTheStreet says--Attitudes do not just happen; we choose them--Become so confident in who you are that no one's behavior, opinion, or rejection can affect us. Sooooo as a friend says to me—Soooo buck up erv, you can do it! I think she is jurying me!

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—The great reward of doing is the opportunity to do more.

pros and cons

If you live on a quiet street or a busy street there are pros and cons. Some folks like to watch all the busyness and other don’t; pros and cons. Some folks really like a busy social life and others don’t; pros and cons. Some like to travel and others don’t; pros and cons. Some like to be married and others don’t; pros and cons. The list and examples can go for ever. Everything has pros and cons now don’t they. Many times our decisions are based on which side has the most pros and cons even though neither side is perfect.  It’s seems to be easier to make the decision when there are few cons and a lot of pros!  Oh ya!  MissPerfect who is a shameless hussy says—I always make the right decision, if you don’t believe me just ask me!

Do you really think there are pros in every problem; I mean there is something good in every problem.  Or do you think that is just bologna! When I was a kid, we made our own bologna when we butchered on the farm a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN.  I really liked the bologna we made. A while back I thought I would buy some bologna, but it wasn’t nearly as good; in fact I didn’t like it. Of course, my thinking might have been just bologna maybe!  BUT a lot of things look different and taste different now than when I was a kid. No question about that. When folks get married in their late 70s and both folks have been married for over 50 years to the same person before, it’s different than when they got married at 21; that is for sure. Or folks who have been married 2, 3 or 4 times before maybe things might look different as well. Or maybe it’s just a bunch of bologna!

Soooooo you want be important, right!  Are you sure? I read about some very important folks who were a mess most of the time. They squabbled and missed the point. They were weak misfits, and they struggled with doubts. Those folks were the disciples of Jesus. But Jesus called them anyway. Pretty crazy I think; you would think Jesus would have called high end powerful folks who had it all together, wouldn’t you. Sooooo maybe there is a spot for us to do something important today. Maybe there are pros and cons in being important!

There are some pros and cons but…OneSmartPerson says--Make your message in a code; not very plain but in a code form; let folks make up their own mind what you are saying; let them figure it out with their thought process; make them wonder! It’s sorta kinda a game. Andrew, anybody can be an Andrew says— Living with God is a strange life—strange to a natural person. It’s a life with an extra dimension. You don’t know what this life is like until you know God. Oh boy, Almond Joy! PeterPaul Almond Joy!

I read while eating my oatmeal that most folks don’t like themselves! What! That is what RickyRick said—"Would you be surprised to know most people do not accept themselves? I’ve been in ministry now for over 40 years. I’ve talked to tens of thousands of people, and I’ve found that most people really don’t like themselves. They wish they were different. They wish they looked different. They wish they acted differently.”  I guess we all have pros and cons about ourselves! I also read a possible improvement for humans liking and accepting themselves more--“In order for man to succeed in life, God provided him with two means, education and physical activity. Not separately, one for the soul and the other for the body, but for the two together. With these means, man can attain perfection.” ― Plato’s opinion   Maybe those two ideas are a hard row to hoe for many folks. Saturday question—What is it that you don’t like about yourself? Are you kidding me!

My second cousin twice removed a.k.a. known as the other Warren from Omaha sent me this—"When in High School (Sibley, Iowa) I sang in the High School boys' quartet, and I still remember the words of a favorite song.  Its entitled " Sophomoric Philosophy"   --- the words go like this  " the more you study, the more you know --- the more you know, the more you forget--- the more you forget, the less you know --- so why Study??? --- 2^nd verse  " the less you study, the less you know, the less you know - the less you forget --- the less you forget, the MORE  you know  --- so Why Study ???.” First of all, when we are sophomores in high school, we hopefully thought differently than we do now (i.e. all of us do except for one and you know who you are). Secondly, some folks think they know all the answers but in reality, it appears that they know very little! Thirdly, I know folks that seem to know a lot and are jerks and I know folks who seem to know very little and who aren’t jerks but seem very wise. Go figure. Sooooo, maybe there are pros and cons in knowing a lot or thinking we know a lot!  Could be, maybe, I don’t know! How do I know, I’m just  a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN who spent the winter in AZ where I was just another bozo on the bus!

You are like no one else! I have an acquaintance who is a friend of Jeanne in our 55+ park. During a flag burning program honoring Vietnam vets, we discovered that she was a medic in the military for several tours of duty. We were quite surprised. She is such a giving and caring person. Recently Jeanne was outside our tin hut and she came bye and they talked. Amazing gal but what we were really amazed about was that she told Jeanne that after all these years she had finally found what her passion and purpose of her life was. Is that exciting or what! She said—After 60 years I found my purpose of my life and it is helping people!  Is that a wow or what! Saturday question—What is your passion or purpose of life. Life has pros and cons now doesn’t it. Such is life.

TrickyRicky says—"You weren’t put on earth to live for yourself. You were made for a greater purpose than simply to make money, retire, and die. You were made for a mission, and that mission gives your life meaning. Until you know your life mission, you’re just existing. Life may seem good, but you won’t experience the fulfillment you would if you were living out God’s intentions for you.”

Maybe you have had a manager who said—“Don’t bring me problems but bring me solutions.”  Maybe that is being the pro in problem solving. Saturday question—Are we the problem or the solution to the problem? ItchieBitchie says—Yikes, I hope I’m not the problem and don’t even know it!  ItchieBitchie, being the problem is bad enough but not knowing you are the problem is even worse! Especially when you think you have been a hot shot all your life! Flip the pancake—Then there are “top shelf” humble problem solvers who are really great and don’t even know that they are a hotshot. Such is life.

It appears that anything I do and any decision I make there are pros and cons (i.e. sometimes I don’t even recognize the pros and cons for many different reasons). I try to have more pros than cons in what I do and the decisions I make (i.e. look for the good).  As a friend told me—erv, it’s a no brainer, there are way more pros than cons in a decision you are making soooo do it, get after it. It appears that we maybe hear the cons more than the pros many times which maybe influence our mind more. Saturday question—Is there anything perfect?  I really don’t know BUT I sure like to have overwhelming odds on my side! That seems to make my life better.  What do you think?  That is what I thought. That seems to be a big pro! Da! Maybe, just maybe, everything depends on where we’re looking and if our looking is any good!

I have a friend who has asked me—erv, what is your motive for doing something as if your motive is wrong you will probably not have success in the long run! That is probably true in many things my friend. I have thought about that many times when I do things—What is my motive (i.e. the pros and cons). We all have different motives for whatever reason now don’t we (i.e. maybe some motives are better than others). And we make our decisions probably based on which motive we feed the most!  It ain’t nuttin new, it’s been around forever!

I try to do this; it seems that it makes my life better; try it, you might like it (i.e. there are a lot of pros to it let me tell ya)--The Bible says, “It is wonderful to be grateful and to sing your praises, LORD Most High! It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful You are” (Psalm 92:1-2 CEV). It’s not just a one-time prayer. It’s a lifestyle of gratitude. The psalmist sang God’s praises every morning and every night. It is good for me to jump for joy!

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—Doing what you like is freedom…liking what you do is happiness.

audacity

Have you heard a person described this way---They are soooooo audacious!  Saturday question--Are we audacious? The definition of audacious that I'm trying to write about in this "It's Saturday" is--taking extremely bold or daring risks. 

RickyRick says—"Where do you need to be audacious? Where do you need to trust God? Maybe we need to take the initiative to step out in faith, think big, or take a risk. When you’re following God’s dream, we can know he will honor the big steps we take in faith.” You believe that? Are we audacious or a chicken?

I read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--“The best way to measure how much you've grown is not by inches or the number of laps you can now run around the track, or even your grade point average..... It is what you've done with your time, how you have chosen to spend your days, and whom you have touched this year. That to me is the greatest measure of success.” ~ R. J. Palacio’s opinion! Jeanne and I wrote out some goals we had for our winter in AZ before we departed for AZ last fall.  We recently reviewed how we did, and we feel we did quite well, our opinion! Some very important, interesting, challenging opportunities we did. We are thinking we used our time pretty wisely…but we always can do better. Next year we will “hit those decks a runnin' and spin those guns around….

FredieTheFreeLoader asks—"Are you going to read any books in the next year? Are you going to take any seminars? Are you going to grow? Are you going to develop any skills? Are you going to learn any relationship skills? Or are you just going to be the same 10 years from today as you are right now?” I have learned a lot this past winter in AZ from many sources.  Here are a few ideas I have learned from observing folks:  Some folks are really nice to others and those other folks are really nice back to them. Some folks talk about other folks’ lives and don’t talk soooo much about themselves (i.e. and some never talk about anyone except themselves—ouchy ouchy). Some folks are soooo humble and some quite arrogant. Some folks are great listeners (i.e. give their whole attention) and some are terrible listeners (i.e. when someone else is talking to them they don’t look them in the eye but might fiddle with their phone etc.—ouchy ouchy a.k.a. self-glory seekers, narcissistic, mecentered). And some folks' stories are tooo much in detail and are toooo long (i.e. they go on for ever, very boring)! Saturday question—Which folks do you think are audacious?

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the English poet said--"The light which experience gives is a lantern on the stern, which shines only on the waves behind us." Soooo do we need to look what we have done so we can correct the mistakes and play better in our future? So does our experiences give us reference points from which we can learn and grow? I think soooo, my opinion. BUT do we do it? 

When some of our family was in AZ, we played The Horse Racing Game. We really had a good time, especially our 12-year old grandson, Jimmer. We gave all the players $10 worth of dimes and we played for keeps (i.e. now that makes a big difference). It would even have been more exciting if we all had to play with our own $10. It seems that when we have a horse in the race and we are spending our own money, well, the race is way different ain’t it! When we put the chips back in the box it’s not quite as important, my opinion!

My mentor would say to me—erv, the world measures success in how much money you have but not all folks do. Charles, anybody can be a Charles says—"Curiously, however, few ever address what most folks want (but seldom find) in their pursuit of success: contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, and relief. On the contrary, as the Executives’ Digest once reported, ‘The trouble with success is that the formula is the same as the one for a nervous breakdown.’ And what is that? Work longer hours, push ahead, let nothing hinder your quest—not your marriage or family, not your conscience, not your health or friends. Be aggressive, if necessary mean, as you press toward the top. At the risk of sounding ultra-simplistic, I’d like to offer some counsel that stands 180 degrees in contrast to all the above: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you’ (1 Peter 5:5-7).” LuckieEddie says—As for me and my family, we are going for the money, yes we are; we really like money and what it gives us! Money money and more money is the answer; it says that on TV soooo it must be right!

We had morning coffee with some old friends (i.e. old in more ways than one) this week on their patio overlooking the golf course in their 55+ community this week.. TheMN-Enginner and MaryTheNurse asked Jeanne how we met and then they told us how they met some 60 years ago. MaryTheNurse said he took me into the linen closet in the hospital where I was a student nurse and he was a orderly. She said he was an disorderly orderly!  They are audacious folks alright!

I learned from some audacious friends recently by how they showed their generosity in expressing their happiness for us. They didn’t have to be this way, but they did. We were just amazed and touched. We really shouldn’t have been surprised as they are such good folks with good hearts; our kind of folks but we still were!  I tell you what, we have really been eating good! Thanksamillion. I read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it—"We are to minister to folks by serving them (i.e. many times with menial tasks, unspoked tasks which some would consider unimportant, but we should also serve with big, important tasks and unexpected expressions.” That just might be audacity! “When we do the common things in life in an uncommon way, we will command the attention of the world.” ~ George Washington Carver's opinion.

WorldClassLarry, a regular flame thrower, says—"Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!” The guydownthestreet says--To get into the final four, the rule is simple, win to get in!

We went to a spring training game between the Rockies and the Cubs. A foul ball came our way and came down into Jimmer’s hands. He tried to catch it, but it bounced out of his hands and into the lap of the lady behind him. He was crushed, really crushed. For a 12-year old baseball enthusiast, that was hard to take. Have you ever been crushed? Da! The ball always doesn’t bounce our way now does it. It takes an audacious person to go forward sometimes. Many folks cannot or will not!  Ouchy ouchy! The old lady could have given him the ball, but she decided not tooooo. It was her decision! Saturday question—Have you ever been the old lady? SusieQ who know who she is, says—You make many right decisions, and everyone likes you and then you make one bad decision, and no one does! Life ain’t always easy folks; don’t kid yourself! BUT, maybe the old lady had a good reason why she didn’t give Jimmer the ball, could be! Maybe the old lady taught Jimmer a good lesson in that life isn’t always fair; the only thing that is fair is the Butler County Fair and that’s in June!

Is an audacious person sorta kinda analogous to an anomaly? I don’t know! Sooooo what kind of person are we anyway?

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

erv

MyFriendJean said--It takes as much energy to hold out a helping hand as to point a finger.

quality

“When the Ritz-Carlton Hotels won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the owner of that outstanding organization, Mr. William Johnson, stated that now they would need to work even harder to earn the respect that came with the award. ‘Quality,’ he said, ‘is a race with no finish line.’”

WorldClassLarry says--It's time to start living the life we've imagined. Saturday question—Are we really living the life (i.e. quality life) that we imagine we want to live or are we digging our heels in and not going forward? Pretty deep, huh! Ok, have you been watching the women’s and men’s NCAA March Madness? I have and really enjoy them. If you like college basketball, this is the time alright. The crowds go wild for their teams. I like that support. I find that support is really good for me and I would guess for all people. We need advocates to cheer us on. Saturday question—Are you a advocate for others and cheer them on (i.e. being jumper cables)? They need it and you are the folks who can do that. Sooooo throw those chips away and get your butt off the couch! It will give our lives and someone else's life more quality. It's a  step back and a schwisssh at the Big Dance!

Many scientists question if there is life after death, and most of them say, “We just do not know.” Science deals in formulas and test tubes. But there is a spiritual world science knows nothing about. They seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum I think (i.e. they just don’t mix like water and oil). Saturday question—Which thinking do you think produces a quality life? My opinion is that folks who live in a wonder world, wonder about all the miracles they have in their daily lives, seem to be happier and be more content. That is my opinion and that can’t be measured either!  

Is there a difference in what different folks think is quality in communication? Maybe like a factual response compared to a fun response!  And maybe there is a difference how guys respond than girls; now that could be tooooo and there is maybe a difference why and how they respond (i.e. a factual or a fun response), could be (e.g. gee, you could at least smile is example of a fun response) compared to your dress is beautiful (e.g. very generic and factual response; big smiles compared to you look gorgeous). Or the difference in responds could be because of how folks have been trained by family; could be, maybe probably, I don’t know. JoeBlow says—There has never been any humor in our family; we have always been serious; we don’t even understand humor; we don’t laugh much in our family, never have. SusieQ asks--Is a serious response or a fun response the best? Do you think this is true or syrupy? Schwisssh!

AverageJoe who thinks he is the best thing since spam, says—If you want a quality life, you gotta spend most of your time with quality folks; If we dance with evil eventually we will become evil (i.e. it’s sorta kinda like osmosis). Look around folks, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Good parents are always concerned with who their kids hang around with as they pick up their traits and habits. Humans sorta kinda mimic the folks they are around. And that is why it is good to have a good mentor or mentors. Bingo! Many of you folks are great (e.g. like Gideon’s fab 300), quality folks that have good traits (i.e. that is my opinion anyway). Do you think this is true or wonky? Or another step back and another schwissh!

I just read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it that one good way to solve a problem might be to be silent and wait. Yes, be quiet and wait. I know some of you think that is just bologna. One way I can find silence is hiking in nature; it seems to really work for me.  Of course if you disagree with my method, you can use “ the shoot out at the ok corral method,” that works tooooo! Who ever shots the fastest and most accurate wins!

Most of us at some point stop growing taller. We reach our maximum height. Not so with trees. A new study has found that trees never stop growing during their lifespans. In fact, as they age, their growth accelerates. MissPerfect says—I have a tendency to keep growing in weight even when I don’t try; it seems like it’s just osmosis! Well, wouldn’t it be great if all of us could continue to grow in knowledge, social graces, and love! You know, I think we can with a little effort. What do you think, that is what I thought. BUT what do I know, I'm just a little ol' farm boy from a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN.

This, I think, is a quality thought I had.  I made a mistake by missing a turn while driving the other day. I probably wasn’t paying enough attention. I actually got rather unhappy with myself for doing it. I don’t  like making those type of mistakes. ANYWAY, many mistakes I make I don’t get excited about but treat them more as opportunities,  learning opportunities in that I will never do that again. BUT will I miss another turn and misplace my glasses again, of course I will.

TomSmart asks--Do we want a quality life? I do and try to work toward that goal. I do. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk. Joesixpack says—Ya but TomSmart, talk is cheap but it takes money to buy whisky! Some folks are just quality from top to the bottom; there is no question; those are my kind of folks (i.e. folks with kind hearts—those are you folks except for one of you and you know who you are). Do you think this is true or syrupy?

I heard that 84% of high school students say they have passion but 74% of their passions are in sports, arts and entertainment. The problem with that is only 2% of the jobs are in those areas. Go figure! Sooooo that doesn’t sound very practical or effective (i.e. not practical passions maybe). And we wonder why they can’t get a job to pay back their education costs. Soooo are we practical or live in la la land. The percentages tell us something I’m guessing. Someone just sent me a response that was &$!#%. I had no idea what that meant. It’s probably practical to them but not to me! That response could easily be misinterpreted I guess as I have no idea what it means. I’m maybe impractical and ineffective in the modern world! As a friend tells me--erv, you are analog in a digital world! Maybe, probably, could be, I don’t know! Is this like a double dribble!

A quality golf buddy who is Canadian pulled out his wallet and found a plastic envelope that had a 50 dollar Canadian bill in it. He unfolded it and showed it to me. He said his mother gave it to him many years ago.  After she did, everything went very well for him; it’s has been his lucky bill he said. His mother said that his wife is the best thing that has ever happened to him; she is his angel. I told him that his luck probably doesn’t have the same quality in the U.S. as it used tooooo as the Canadian money now has a conversion rate in the U.S. of about 70%! But 70% of luck is better than no luck at all I guess! Is this icing! 

Here are a couple of quality suggestions for our lives (i.e. my opinion)—Make up your mind to rejoice today. And be humble when you are victorious! It appears to me that quality folks seem to have these qualities. It appears that folks who do just the opposite of those two suggestions, well, they just don’t light up my life. Do they light your life? That is what I thought. HumbleBetty who is very polished, says--Gratitude is my light! Do you think this is true or wonky?

You have to decide if you are going to wilt like a daisy or if you are just going to go forward and live the life you have been granted." ~ Kevin Costner 

Saturday question--What kind of king do we actually want? Do we want a ruler like Pilate (i.e. a truly weak ruler), or are we willing to follow a quality king like Jesus (i.e. the King of kings) who will rule for ever?

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—Ideas are funny little things…they don’t work unless we do.

you decide

Ok, here is a decision right off the bat, are you going to read “It’s Saturday” or not. What is going to help you make that decision anyway? There are many factors that I don’t even know about and maybe you don’t even know about I would guess (i.e. God only knows for sure). ItchieBitche says—The mind is a mystery; do we ever really figure out the mind of someone else? Do we even figure out our own mind? Da! Ding ding! Is there anybody home?

We saw this direction sign while hiking in Sabino Canyon. I guess we had to decide what direction we wanted to go for ourselves. It was up to us I guess. We laughed. We took the down hill trail; way easier and we knew what was at the bottom soooo we couldn’t go wrong! BUT picking our direction isn’t always that easy. Sooooo how do we decide what direction to go anyway?

It is said that during one of Martin Luther’s periods of depression, he found his wife, Katharina, dressed in black. He asked her why she was wearing black, and she responded, “Because I am in mourning.” He asked, “Over what?” She replied, “God has died.” He said, “You know better than that.” And then she said, “I do, and you do too. Why don’t you start living like you believe that God is alive?”

I heard a Sabino Canyon ranger say this about the future of nature—Sometimes human, worldly success is the nemesis to the success of our earth. That is about as deep as the Grand Canyon. Our 12-year grandson, Jimmer from CO, was here in AZ and really wanted to see the Grand Canyon which he calls The Big Crack.  Do you know that many visitors spend as much time or more time in the gift shop than they do looking at the Grand Canyon?  King Solomon, proclaimed as the smartest person in the world, said—For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, the more knowledge, the more grief.  Now that sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it.  BUT the footnote explanation makes sense to me—Humanistic wisdom—wisdom without God—leads to grief and sorrow. That’s deep tooooo but not as deep as The Big Crack! More like the Columbia Gorge! BUT you decide!

I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--"Writing about painful experiences and emotions can improve our mental and physical health. The theory and practice of expressive writing, a technique that involves writing about an upsetting experience for 15 to 20 minutes a day for three or four consecutive days is really beneficial for our mind and soul. Expressive writing has been shown to improve people’s physical and mental health for weeks, months, and even years. As it is put: it is a brief writing technique that helps people understand and deal with emotional upheavals in their lives. It is a little like a self-help therapy without outlandish claims. Its greatest appeal is that it is a method with strong scientific evidence behind it." You decide if it makes sense to you!

ItchieBitchie, who always makes everyone feel like a somebody, says—I try to live my life with integrity, let people see on the outside what’s going on inside. It means, "folks see what they get." Hypocrisy is the great enemy of integrity. We practice hypocrisy when we know the truth and don’t do it. It’s when what we say isn’t the same as what we do. It appears that folks with integrity are the real deal and not a fake. I guess we get to decide how we what to live our lives. GeorgeTheCrook says—I live my life like a chameleon, I change color depending on the situation; I just blend in with the surroundings. They also have a long sticky tongue; and their eyes can be moved independently at each other soooo others have no idea what they are looking at. It seems to work for me.

You ever grunt, I mean when something is hard like opening a pickle jar that you can’t get open. I grunt but it doesn’t seem to help me. How about you. Sooooo why do we grunt? Soooo if we have something that seems hard in our life, why do we grunt and complain then? Why? Does it help? Sighing is a silent scream I have been told. Soooooo maybe a grunt is something like a sigh. You think soooo! I used to feed hogs and they grunted a lot! Is there a similar relationship between my grunts and pigs’ grunts? Think about that next time you open a pickle jar will ya!

We went to a Cubs/Rockies game this week. I sure enjoyed the pitch time clock, The game was over in 2 hours and 15 minutes. We enjoyed the game. BUT, our family took my vehicle and Jeanne and I took her vehicle and we met them there. WELL, when we went to the parking lot we couldn't find our vehicle; we knew exactly where it was and we still couldn't find it. We finally figured it out, we were looking for my black vehicle and not her gray vehicle. How embarrassing can it get! We laughed and grunted really hard!

I saw some folks recently doing an activity. Some of them were really good at this activity. Folks who really become good at something can demonstrate their success in a way which appears to some as over the top by some folks a.k.a. showoffs and others show their success in a very humble way. SusieQ says—Some folks like to act important, and others don’t. Why is that do you think? There has to be a reason. We decide what the reason is. Maybe some of them need a cold shower! I read that many great men and women have died unknown and unsung! Just think how many have! I can only imagine! I heard a super senior lady talking to another senior guy in our park—She said I think someone stole my golf cart—no no, no one here would steal your golf cart—then my golf cart must have got lost or I’m lost!

We went for a bike ride along a canal and also under some power lines. We talked to a friend who she and her husband bike a lot and bike the same paths.  She asked if we got shocked by current under the high-powered power lines. She said that they have at times when the power was stronger. What! Ya, when we touched the medal on our bikes, we could feel the current. Now that is electrifying!  Is that good for a person? I like to be electrified but I don’t know if this type is good for me. BUT I did wonder why Jeanne’s hair stood up on end!

This got my attention!  You get to decide if it gets your attention. I read--"The grass might seem greener on the other side, yet when it comes to fault finding, we’re generous with ourselves but strict with others. Our mind is quick to judge the misbehavior of others when in fact we’re not better at all. We just like to think we are. Let’s be aware of that and improve upon our own weaknesses.” I am going to try to improve on that. You want to join me? It sure sounds like a good deal; it doesn’t cost anything and the return on our investment is huge massive! You decide!

A super senior lady stooped by our place in her golf cart. I told her she was the only lady that I know who matches her outfit to the color of the streak in her hair (i.e. she had a purple shirt on and had a purple streak in her white hair). Do you know that purple is the royal color--yes, I do--you are royal--yes, I am, some folks tell me I'm a royal pain in the...!

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

erv

MyFriendJean said--A good picture stops a moment from running away.