our huggability rating

I was leaving the pickleball court the other morning and met a new friend. I asked her, what’s new?  There was no Tuesday donut talk meeting soooo some neighbors got some donuts and we had our own donut talk. Soooo what did you talk about? Nothing important, just goofy talk.  But free donuts is always the right idea to get folks to join a meeting for goofy talk. Sooooo, folks, this “It’s Saturday” is probably just goofy talk without the donuts!  But remember folks, I’m just another bozo on the bus soooo don't get your expectations toooo high!

During a football game many times they have a noise test seeing how loud the noise is using a decibel meter. The louder the noise many times, the bigger the advantage is for the home team. SusieQ says--It appears that many folks and groups of folks think that the more noise they make about themselves will make them more important and likeable (i.e. it raises their huggability rating). But in reality, it’s a distortion of reality; it usually lessens their huggability rating. Saturday questions—Sooooo what kind of person has a high huggability rating? What actually is a true definition of a huggable person? Are we huggable? Is being huggable an actual physical act or is it a non-tangible reaction to someone?

Social media is a good example that causes a lot of problems especially for folks with low confidence. It appears that the downside of social media can make many folks feel unhuggable. LuckieEddie says—Self-evaluation is very difficult, and most folks are not accurate in their self-evaluation. Some think they are better than they are, and others don’t think they are as good as they are. It appears that it is really hard to be accurate in our self-evaluation (i.e. we have a distorted image of ourselves sometimes). And maybe we can have a distorted purpose of our lives at times. I see Florida has passed a law that outlaws anyone under 14 to set up a Facebook account. A friend says that it should be the responsibility of parents and not the state. BUT not all parents do a very good job doing it.

I wonder if we struggle sometimes in who we want to be. I mean do we want to be a high powered, strong willed, in charge, demanding person or a kind, nice, humble person?  I think I see folks struggling with that. And I think some folks waffle and wobble in who they want to be and who they are. A zillion years ago when I started actually supporting myself, I was a teacher for a few years. I would do sociograms of my classes sometimes.  I would ask the students to fill out a short questionnaire asking questions like who would you like to study with, who is the nicest person in the class, who you would like to be your friend etc. It was always surprising who was the most wanted were. It was not the ones that we would think most of the time. It was many times a person or persons who never thought they were that popular. Huh, interesting. I think that is the same in the adult world most of the time. We soooo often have a distorted idea of what great is

It has been said—While you might spend a lot of time thinking about what other people think of you, the reality is that most people are primarily focused on their own lives and don’t actually give as much thought to your actions or opinions as you might believe. Or a friend says to me—Half of the folks don’t know and the other half don’t care about you. ItchieBitchie says—Most folks are toooo busy thinking about themselves that they really don’t care tooooo much about you. BUT as I read in a novel that I like—The good ones all do it; that is they care about others. Do you know any good ones? Are we good ones? How do we learn to be a good person?

We had the opportunity to be around many like minded folks at Christmas. We really enjoyed them. We also were around some folks who were not like minded and “it was what it was!” It seems like birds of a feather flock together pretty much. Some folks are soooo real, kind and humble which makes them soooo much fun to be around (i.e. very huggable). Did you experience this especially during the Christmas season? BUT we need to cut some folks some slack as Christmas can bring out some bad feelings of all kinds (i.e. some not soooo pretty ‘cause of the past that we have no idea about). Many times folks just show their “social media side” of themselves and not the real side of themselves. Ouchy ouchy!

A rich money tycoon once said—If you think money can buy anything and everything, you never ever never had money! Many folks think if a person has a whole lot of money their problems will be solved. But reality is, money only solves money problems. And sometimes a whole lot of money brings on many problems of its own. Money doesn’t solve every problem but just money problems. AverageJoe says—I will take those problems and the money! Saturday question—Does money make folks better folks? I don’t know, what do you think? Does more money make us more huggable?

Dr. J says—“Jesus: There’s just something about that name! As He is King of kings, so His name is above all names. Jesus is a simple word. Yet somehow His name stirs the deepest passions in humanity. To believers it’s a holy word; to others it’s a curse word.” Playing pickleball the other morning, one of our opponents missed a shot and said loudly, Jesus Christ (i.e. I don’t think he is a priest or a pastor)! Now that is a contradictory thinking probably. I would guess those two types of folks think completely opposite. I know which group of folks I want to be around. No question. I think one group is much more huggable than the other. That’s my opinion.

Are you back being huggable again mothers?  A 2023 survey reported by the American Heart Association noted that out of 1,000 respondents, 63 percent said the Christmas holidays are more stressful than the April tax season. And 51 percent reported that it takes weeks to recover from the holidays, especially for mothers. Hang in their mothers, it’s almost time to start thinking about Christmas 2025!

At Christmas and New Years, we have a tendency to hug more, maybe. Some families and folks are huggers and others not soooo much. Some parents teach their children by example to be huggers and others teach them not to be huggers so much. No question about it. Then there are friends who give us “wet wash rag hugs” and some that hug with great meaning. Such is life.

Are you internally huggable? I mean do we like ourselves or do we have a dog fight going on internally? Are we content or do we have a war going on internally? Do we want more social status, more stuff, more power, are we extremely competitive, or are we really happy in our own skin? A new acquaintance told us he had a minor stroke and can’t do some sport activities like he did before. He is and still is quite competitive, which creates a problem for him. His doctor suggested he learn new hobbies in which are non-competitive, even activities that he never did before which no one expects him to be good at (i.e. has no stress). That might even be a good idea for us as we age. Could be. MissPerfect says—But don’t pick up the hobby of eating!

Robert, anybody can be a Robert, says—"God offers us a new start; through Jesus Christ we can “restart.” And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

It appears that some folks are more huggable than others. Saturday question—Are we like a snotty nose kid? Maybe we need to wipe our snot away soooo we are more huggable!

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said--Praise to a child is as water to a thirsty plant.

I usedacould

An old friend said to me when I told him (i.e. kiddingly) that he knows everything—He said—It’s cause I’m soooo old; I knew most of the stuff before you were even born! But the problem is now no one pays any attention to me! I usedathink I was important!

It has been said that Simon Peter was always putting his foot in his mouth. He was eager for the important things but often acted on impulse. Ouchy ouchy, that sounds like me sometimes. Abraham Lincoln said—It’s better to keep my mouth shut and have folks think I’m a fool instead of opening it and remove all doubt! GeorgeTheCrook says—I usedabe better at keeping my mouth shut but now that I’m old, I seem to think I know more soooo I open it more! But it seems like no one listens to me anyway!

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” ~ William Shakespeare  I know/knew 5 generations of a family and I see similar traits in the folks in all 5 generations. Wow! you say! Dr.J says—"We often hear the expression, “Like father, like son”—and similar expressions: “Like mother, like daughter,” “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and “chip off the old block.” We know the meaning of all these proverbs: The traits and appearance of a mother or father are often replicated in their children. Traits are not perfectly passed on, but seeing parent and child together makes us think, “Oh, I’m not surprised!” AverageJoe says—I usedawanttobe different than my parents but now I'm more like them; why did I change? A company rep many years ago told me—erv, when we are young and not liberal, we have no heart but when we get older and we aren’t conservative we have no brain! Do you think that is true?

Soooo how do we pick good folks to be around? Look at the folks you have decided to be around. Why do you want to be around them; how did you decide? Are we much like our long-time friends? How about our short-term friends? Do the type of folks we hang around with change as we get older? Do we think about the type of folks we want to be around? Are we happier when around certain types of folks? Should we be concerned about the type of folks we spend a lot of time with? ItchieBitchie says—I usedahave different types of friends than I do now but I don’t know why!

No smoke and mirrors! JoeBlow says--I like the concept of being a team in many situations instead of being all about me,me,me (e.g. like it is written in the book--“That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”) It appears that we see a lot of me,me,me in our culture we life in. My Daddy, Chester, would say to me—erv, if you are good, you don’t have to tell anyone, they will know! HotShotMary says—I usedaremember being that way but now I have changed and have a huge massive ego! Wintering in a 55+ community, because of age, we see many HotShotMarys get humbled by illness, accident, and limitations including ageing. WorldClassLarry says-It appears that the general population don’t care much for the HotShotMarys!

I usedanotcare but now I do.  A new acquaintance down here in the Valley of the Sun said to me—I spent 15 minutes doing something that was useless (i.e. his opinion)—Now that is 15 minutes that I can’t get back. I asked what he thought was the 15 minutes that was useless. It was waiting for his wife and another lady looking at purses that were way over priced and soooo they didn’t buy one. But they looked at all of them and touched them all and unzipped them all!

MissPerfect says--I usedahavetoalwayshavetoprovemypoint (i.e. get the last word in) but not soooo much anymore. I usedatoalways have to be right! At times, I still act that way even when I don’t want to act that way. It’s hard to change; I’ve done it for soooo long; I’m used to running the show! I like to be around folks who I can be the alpha dog, no question. BUT the question is MissPerfect, do others like to be around you!

In the Butler County area where I spent much of my life, there was a family that moved from Germany probably in the early 1900s or late 1800s. They had large families and many named their sons John. As a result, there were a lot of Johns with the same last name. Soooo to distinguish which John they were talking about they useda give them nicknames like Creamery John, Railroad John, John T, Potato Nose John etc. Some families still do name their children after some past family members as a memory.  Do any of you have a given name or middle name of a past or current family member? I think that’s pretty neat! I read that the most popular town name in the United Sates is Washington?  It said there are 89 Washingtons. There aren’t any towns called Mellema!

I usedaget all excited about disappointments and all excited about positive situations. Not soooo much anymore.  I take things more now just as they come. Of course I do like positive situations better; who wouldn’t! Our lives are sorta kinda A to Z and we are somewhere in the middle. As we get closer to the Z somethings don’t look soooo important anymore and some things look more important. Da!  I still play pickle ball but every year I can’t play as well. I don’t like it; I admit it! It is rather hard on my ego; I admit it. I’m even more careful when I play so that I don’t fall and get hurt, an injury would limit myself doing other activities (i.e. seniors get hurt playing pb let me tell ya)! Some folks say to me—erv, you still play well for your age! That doesn’t make me feel any better.

A snowbird friend showed some emotion that we never saw before; she is typically stoic. We mentioned this to mutual friends. Their response was--She’s had a lot on her plate lately and before. And our emotions are more on the surface when we get old.

Comedian Milton Berle said, “Laughter is an instant vacation.” We have really enjoyed this past Christmas season; it was good. We had a lot of good laughter because of fun and fellowship. We really did enjoy it. We all probably go through periods of our life that are more fun than others which is probably natural as we all have events and circumstances that are more pleasant than others. We are no different than anyone else. Sooooo was your Christmas season this year a more pleasant one or more unpleasant one?  One to ten, tell me! And tell me why. I’m interested in your life.

“Wisdom doesn’t come from experience. It comes from reflecting on experiences. Between ages 25 and 75, the correlation between age and wisdom is zero. Gaining insight and perspective is not about the number of years we've lived. It's about the number of lessons we've learned.” — Adam Grant  You think that is true? I wonder how many lessons I have learned! It seems like I useda know more! This quote is rather scary to me—“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ~  Oscar Wilde. You think that is true? I’m scratching my head about that!

Have any of you folks gained any weight between Thanksgiving and the New Years?  Here is a suggestion, don't worry so much about the food you ate during the holidays but be more concern what you eat between New Years and Thanksgiving in 2025!

Dr. J says--There’s not a better plan than recording your thoughts in the form of a prayer as the old goes out and the new comes in. Ireallybelievethat!

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said--Laughter is the sunlight of the soul.

I expect it

Shakespeare once wrote, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Well, it appears how we look at things and how we think about things sure makes a difference as we go forward in living our lives.  Saturday question—Who and what makes us think something is good or bad? AverageJoe says—And folks think differently alright! Our neighbors live about 10 feet from us here in AZ. Neighbors on one side think everything is going to … and is selling everything and are just hunkering down coasting on out and the other neighbor on the other side wants to buy a better tin hut as she thinks everything will be better! Go figure! It’s what you ever want to believe!!!!

Here's a post-Christmas jolly that our pastor used last Sunday: There was a traveling salesman from MN who was in the deep deep south selling his product. He went through a town and saw a naivety scene that had Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Shepherds, livestock but no three wise men but instead three firefighters in their garb. He thought that was strange. He stopped on his way out of town at a convenient store to get a Coke and asked the clerk why no wise men but three fire fighters instead. She said, haven't you read the scriptures, it is very plain that there were three wise men who came from a fire!

Looking forward I expect many good things to happen. In fact, I can hardly wait to see what they are. Every night Jeanne and I discuss all the good that has happened to us in that day; it’s just amazing. Sooooo why won’t that continue. We think it will. Of course, we do need to recognize the opportunities when they show up and have the courage to act on them. We have had the opportunity to be around some great folks with great attitudes. And also we are around some folks who don’t have such great attitudes. Coach Wooden said his players have to play the whole game well, not just part of it. Such is life.

At our meeting before volunteering for the homeless and low income, a pastor read this verse:  Matthew 5:16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” And then he said--Many good things will happen in our day today and in our future; isn’t that exciting.” Wow! He told us that he befriended the young man who sold him his ham at the deli at the WinCo and know he has made a big change in his life that looks very positive. Crazy huh! Sooooo what opportunities are you and I going to act on in our future? On the wall of the room that we meet to have our meeting before working there is this sign. What do you think that means to you and me? Will Rogers said--"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today!

Expect it!  Zig Ziglar says—"One of the hardest lessons for most of us to learn is that our points of weakness can become our greatest opportunities to experience God’s strength. Too often, we deny we’re weak and we miss wonderful steps of growth. God seldom demonstrates His amazing power, however, until and unless we admit we are powerless. And even then, He provides exactly what we need—not more and not less.”  A friend years ago said to me—erv, why do we have to get soooo low and feel sooo weak before we get it! Really the reason is really easy, when we have everything and think we know everything we are in charge a.k.a. the king or queen on the hill; we don’t think we need God! When we get kicked in the belly our world changes (i.e. but for most folks who have a huge massive ego they won’t get it probably, maybe, I don't know).

Here is another jolly that our pastor said last Sunday about our ego and God's favor: God’s favor is much like the vain lady who went into the studio of a professional photographer to have her photo taken. The photographer was going to take her picture and she said to him, I hope that you can do justice of me with your picture. He said to her, lady, you don’t need justice you need mercy.

David is one of my heroes.  2 Samuel 23, describes how three of David's mighty warriors risked their lives to fetch water for him. However, David offered the water to God instead of drinking it himself. The lesson taught me that a leader must not only possess wisdom but also embody a servant's heart – serving employees, friends, family, and acquaintances. It appears conducting business and serving others with integrity is a right thing to do. When we see an elderly couple walking down the street holding hands here in our park, we don't know if they love each other or are holding each other up!

When in CO we had lunch at a restaurant in a strip mall. It was a ma and pa place. It was packed for Friday lunch. It was full of cheerful noise and the boss, Bruno, was very engaging with his cliental. When we left, Jeanne told Bruno that we really enjoyed his place; it was a happy place! We think Bruno had something to do with the happy atmosphere. Soooo Saturday we went to Jimmer’s bb game at the high school gym.  Again, we had a pleasant experience as the school had such a positive attuite and a happy atmosphere (i.e. very cheerful).  That was such a good feeling to be in this atmosphere. Da!  They had many positive sayings and descriptions in the building. Babe Ruth’s was just one of many! Soooo how important is a good atmosphere? Da!

A cousin said in his Christmas letter—"I began this year with a bang: I had a ladder accident in my house; falling and breaking five ribs. (I know, I know; so soon old and so late smart)!” A friend told me that she introduced an acquaintance using the wrong last name; she used one of his old girlfriend’s last name but she said he probably didn’t notice as he is a terrible listener: he just talks but doesn’t listen. Those two stories are about the same!!!   hahaha

Have you ever changed your mind?  I have many times. There are some folks that won’t ever change their minds. They are always right and are a pain in the butt to be around, my opinion. Some of the greatest folks I know have and can change their minds. Maybe 2025 might be a good year to change our minds, I don’t know! ItchieBitchie says—Some folks are pretty darn stubborn and extremely obnoxious! But surely none of you; just probably your sister-in-law!

AverageJoe told this story about his sister-in-law, Helen—My sister-in-law loves to bake and share her baked goods with us. Helen made a Christmas cake and we all had a piece. The half-eaten cake was on the counter and Helen could not resist the temptation and she had one little piece when we left  which resulted in her eating the rest of the cake. AverageJoe asked Helen what her husband said about that—he never knew, I made another cake and ate half of it!

In 55+ communities there is an atmosphere where everyone has the opportunity to get to know a lot of folks as that is how it works (i.e. that is if folks want tooooo or they can elect to be an elitist in an elite holy huddle). I read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it this:  “As people age, their perspective on the future changes; their priorities shift, and they tend to focus on socioemotional goals. Those shifting priorities lead many older adults to tighten their social circles until only the closest ties remain.” They say that’s not good! Saturday question—Do we become socioemotional selective as we age?

CrazyMarvin says—It’s all how we respond and react!  2025 will be pretty much what we make of it, maybe!

ItchieBitchie says—Sooooo don’t try to be a faker ‘cause folks will see right through ya; it’s only a matter of time. Abraham Lincoln said—"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”

We wish you the best in 2025.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said--Pick your friends but not to pieces.

t's the season

Saturday question—What are your feelings about Christmas?  We all have feelings about Christmas and they can change as fast as the wind does!  Feelings are fickle to say the least! MissPerfect says—Feelings are not the Truth usually! They are fake and can’t be relied on!  RickyRick says—"There is a strong belief in our culture that influences every one of us, whether we want it to or not: If it feels good, do it. But this kind of thinking allows us to be manipulated by our moods—making us to live according to our feelings.” WorldClassLarry says—Not good!

The MI-Wizard Christmas joke—Did you hear about the man who stole an Advent calendar?------------------------He got 25 days!

Joy says—"The season of Advent  is a time of waiting that Christians first recognized as early as the fourth century. Advent is about intentional waiting; a special time of concentrated anticipation for the celebration of Jesus’s birth. In this season, we are encouraged to slow down, allow the Holy Spirit to move us toward repentance and renewal, and patiently wait for the advent (the coming) of Jesus that we celebrate each Christmas.” I like the description of “intentional waiting.”  There seems to be some magic in it, my opinion, and not just at Christmas time but always in my life.

 This is a quote of one of my heroes, Abraham Lincoln—[From Second Inaugural Address, Washington, March 4, 1852]  “With Malice Toward None. The Almighty has his own purposes…Fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray—that this might scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God will that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop  of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said: ‘the judgements of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether.”’

Will Rogers said—"Good judgement come from experiences and a lot of that come from bad judgment.” Oh, how we learn now don’t we. I just learned something very important from hearing how a person hurt another person by not being a true friend. Ouchy ouchy!  She stung supposedly a friend big time. Truly a great gift is to love a person and that is being true and having a strong relationship (e.g. being loyal). But there are many ways we can love, but one of those ways is to use our resources---whether that’s money, time, or effort—to express love to each other. AverageJoe says—ANYWAY, just do it sincerely with a good heart (i.e. be true and real). SusieQ says--And for heaven’s sake, don’t give a friend some cheesy cheap trinket gift for Christmas (i.e. a throwaway gift); instead give them a true hug and tell them how you feel about them (e.g. how you appreciate them). That is a huge massive gift! LuckieEddie says—It’s never good to stomp on anyone thinking we are some hotshots!

My farmer friends in IA always try to maximize their corn and soybean yields (i.e. to make more money); it’s natural. They start with the best seed that fits their ground. As the saying goes—Good seed does not cost, it pays! We were in WinCo getting grocers and discussing what water we should buy as we don’t care for the water here in Mesa. Jeanne started a conversation with another shopper who was may 35 years old. She gave her a lot of good advice. We thanked her and she said—”I try every day to help some person; it makes me feel soooo much better; it’s like giving them a gift!

We were talking to folks down the street. They told us that they have 9 kids and a huge massive number of grandchildren and a huge massive number of great grandchildren. I said to them—If you give each of them a thousand dollars for Christmas that’s a lot of money!  He said she gives a lot more money to family than I do; I think she gives toooo much but it’s her choice. They didn’t tell us what they give soooooo we don’t know the amounts (i.e. what is a lot to one isn’t a lot to another). I guess giving is a personal choice and not just at Christmas but any time maybe. Saturday questions—Are we more a giver or a taker? Do we think more about ourselves or others? BigShotBetty says—I really like myself a lot let me tell ya!

WorldClassLarry says—"How could anyone have expected Isaiah’s words to come to pass in that particularly miraculous and utterly unprecedented way? Most everyone was caught off guard, a total surprise. How has God surprised you lately? Do you think God might surprise us in our life? How are you longing for God to draw near? How have you seen evidence that Jesus is present, even now, within you? This Advent season, watch for God to show up to you in unexpected ways. Now that is pretty exciting to me, yes it is.  Personally, I expect it! What I’m saying is this: If God tells us to go after Moby Dick in a rowboat, take the tartar sauce with us. We’re going to have a fish fry tonight! 

There are 60 major prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ. In their book Science Speaks, Peter Stoner and Robert Newman calculated the odds of any one man in all of human history fulfilling only 8 of those prophecies to be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. Jesus fulfilled all 60! The odds of that happening are astronomical. I always say that I like the odds in my favor; I like those odds.

It appears that folks really want to know about their future. They do medical tests, have their palms read, read fortune cookies etc. But do we really want to know our future? Many folks are scared to death about their future. If we are believers, we have HOPE in Jesus and that is we will have eternal life through Him as our Savior. Jesus is not a Santa Claus (i.e. a fake). Jesus is not fickle! Jesus is the TRUTH! That is what I believe. You might have other thoughts. I pray that you might at least consider Jesus. We were in CO at our daughter, son-in-law and grandkids last weekend. They took us out for dinner and to the performance by the Denver Orchestra and Chorale. They played and sang two of my most favorite Christmas songs: The Hallelujah chorus and Oh Holy Night. I like the part that says—Fall on your knees oh hear the Angles sing!  I pray that we all can all hear the angels sing this Christmas. Saturday question--What did the angels tell Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds?  Fear not, I am the Lord and I will take care of you! 

I researched reindeer with the Alaska Wildlife Department and found out that both male and female reindeer have antlers. The males lose their antler after breeding season by about December1 while the female reindeer keep their antlers until about March 1. Soooo Dasher, Dancer Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid, Doner, Blitzen and Rudolf had to be girls. Soooo it makes sense as only girls would be nice enough to pull a fat old man around in a red suit all over the world in one night. And it also makes sense that they would not mind making many stops as they don’t mind stopping and asking for directions (i.e. as most girls struggle knowing which direction they are going). Besides, they don’t mind stopping often as they all have to go to the bathroom together anyway! 

And Mary, treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  I like that word “ponder.” I like to ponder. Do you? I have talked to a number of folks who are readers. They seem to like to read science fiction much more than anything about reality. I don’t think they enjoy pondering reality. Maybe they are really tired of reality. Maybe they are tired of being in a fight all the time. I don’t know. What do you think? That is what I thought. Make believe can get us out of reality alright! Saturday question—Do you ever get tired of trying to improve all the time and just want to take a break and forget about reality and read a science fiction book or just deal with Santa Claus or just sit in the quit and ponder? Such is life!

VelvetElvis says—I am also like you because I have a choice. To become bitter, cynical, jaded and hard. Anybody can do that. A lot have. Hatred is a powerful, unifying force. And there is a lot to be repulsed by. Or, like you, I can choose to reclaim my innocence. We can insist that hope is real and that a group of people who love God and others really can change the world. We can commit all the more to being the kinds of people who are learning how to do what Jesus teaches us.

Merry Christmas to all of you from Jeanne and I.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—Joy is not in things it is in us.

winning and losing

The MI-Wizard’s Christmas joke—What did the gingerbread man say when the gingerbread woman asked how she looked--------------------SWEET!

My neighbor told me that his father told him to believe half of what he sees and none of what he hears!  Soooo having said that, let’s get started with this “It’s Saturday.”

This sculpture is top of an art gallery in New Zealand but it is being moved as some folks don’t like it, but others do. I guess the don’tlikeitfolks won. But who knows, it’s just a matter of opinion. A town council person said—"This is either a great day for Wellington or a terrible day for Wellington and there’s not much view in between.” Soooo how will anyone really know who won and who lost! And quite often the folks who make the most noise get their way, but they really aren’t even the majority (i.e. it seems to happen all the time; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out). SusieQ says—Does it really matter! If it doesn’t affect me personally, I don’t care one little iota! But if it affects me personally, well…Kattie bar the door!

Winning and losing in professional sports is very important as there is a lot of money at stake. Sooo the franchises try to buy the best talent they can; the better talent they have, the better their chances of winning (i.e. put the odds in their favor). But someone or some group needs to decide what good talent is. And sometimes the talent they buy doesn’t prove out. That is decided by “the prove-it-time.” The proof is in the pudding! I think if we want to be a winner, being around better folks puts the odds much more in our favor as usually we become much like the folks we are around. LuckyEddie says—I have seen it many times; c’mon, quite kidding yourself!

A new friend told me that when she was a teenager her parents thought she was hanging around with the wrong crowd and they just couldn’t convince her to change. They forced her to go and live with relatives in another city to get away from her current crowd.  I asked her if it worked. Ya, I stopped at the gas station and asked the guy who filled my car up, which way to Spokane (i.e. got a new environment and new start). I can’t help but wonder if she would not have gone! Soooo do you think she won or lost? I don’t know but she thinks she did!

Sooooo here is an idea as to what qualities that folks have that we want to be around. But it’s each our own decision and guess who makes that decision. RickyRick says—“ There is a clear distinction between pride and humility. While pride will tear down your relationships, humility builds them up and strengthens them. But pride is self-deceiving. It can be hard for us to recognize in ourself. Instead, try looking for the symptoms of pride, like criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality. If you see some of those characteristics in ourselves, we might have a problem with pride. Proverbs 16:18 says, ‘Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin.’ I like how the Message paraphrases this verse: ‘First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.’ Pride destroys relationships, but humility is the antidote to pride.” My opinion is that humble folks are winners and proud folks are losers!

We had the opportunity to go to the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras Arizona at the Mesa Arts Center performing Hear The Angel Voices. It was a group of folks from age 4 to seniors. They will take any child and teach them to sing (i.e. no auditions); using Christian Classical music and traditional classical music (i.e. the director said they have been doing this for 18 years; going against the odds of teaching teenagers and using Christian music). This is big time as they perform at major venues. They are dynamic with maybe 500 folks participating; incredible. ANYWAY, what really impressed me was none of them where showboats and they all had the same facial expressions; they were a team and not individually theoretically performers a.k.a. showoffs. They had to be taught that. They appeared to be very humble.  

Sooooo I had to find a medical doctor when moving to Yakima. It was rather difficult I was told as there is a shortage of doctors and most aren’t taking new patients.  Soooo Jeanne and I stopped at the clinic where her doctor is and thought we would just ask around. We went in the wrong door and was basically lost in the maze of the clinic and a nurse asked us if she could help us. I said yes, we seem to be lost and I need a doctor (i.e. we all laughed). I explained my situation and she said all the doctors here are not taking new patients. Well, you can see I really need a doctor (i.e. we all laughed again). Sooo she lead us to the front desk while having a nice conversation about how and why I’m in Yakima). Then she said, what is your name and what’s your number. I will call you and maybe get you a doctor. She was the nurse of one of the best internists in the Valley. She got me in. She was a winner. Like my Butler County buddies say—It’s good to just act dumb sometimes but erv, in your case, you don’t even have to act!

I was coming to my vehicle in the parking lot carrying a bouquet of red roses and the cart guy says to me—I hope it’s preventive and not a make up!  We laughed. Then he came back and said—I have been married for 21 years and have learned to just give flowers and keep my mouth shut; it seems I just mess it up when I open my mouth; it seems to work best for me. We laughed again. I thanked him for his advice. Then he said—You just can’t lose by giving flowers is what I have learned! Such is life. Soooo the other day I was going to get our mail and there was a lady and her dog sitting in a golf cart waiting. This guy who was her husband came waddling toward us and I said—she is still waiting for you—good—she had three invites, but she turned them all down—how drunk were they!  What an idiot! Now that guy will need a big make up bouquet for sure!  What was he thinking anyway! This last week a friend told me she was very offended by a friend who said something about her that was tactless and rude and demeaning; I doubt if my friend will ever forget it even though after a couple of days the gal sorta kinda apologized (i.e. somethings we just can’t take it back once it was said). I will never forget it (i.e. not my kind of folks I care to be around). A guy in our mensgettogether group said--People don't care what you think of them as much as they care how you treat them.

I discovered that different folks process information differently! Da! We hear the same information but comprehend it differently. We were with some friends recently that all of us received the same information but came away understanding it quite differently. Sooooo why is that do you think NiftyHarold?  Well, it could be because of our genes that we received give us different intelligence or it could be we have different education or it could because we have had different past environments or different current environments. I think for me, it’s cause I’m just a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN raised by Chester and Anna.

Here is a story of a winner! A friend here in our 55+ community who is the president of the woodwork shop club. He said he asked for a key to get into the shop 7 years ago and they told him that only the president has a key—well, who’s the president—we don’t have one. Sooo a couple of guys gave him the key and he has been president ever since. BUT this guy is just a great guy. He told us that he observes people (i.e. yes there are females who use the shop) and if he sees someone struggling with something or senses there is something not right with them, he will approach them and try to nip it in the bud before it become a big mess. He is way more than the president of the woodworking club.

I read this in the paper, soooo it must be right, that a person who is trying to help the troubled youth said—"It can be easy to get stuck in the sadness of it all,” (i.e. referring to be around sad people or sad situations). Sometimes it appears that we wonder if we are winning or losing (i.e. if we are really making any difference)! We wonder if it really makes much difference when we continue to throw more money at it but nuttin seems to change? Sometimes it feels like it’s such a temporary fix and we really aren’t fixing the real problem. I was told by a friend recently that if a person doesn’t what to change, we are wasting our time and money! But then again, I know troubled youths who figured it out and did a 360!  Now those are big time successful folks, my opinion. I have asked some of them, how come they changed? It appears there are many reasons and some really don’t know! Isn’t that interesting! Maybe it’s like the old saying—It’s what animal I feed the most that wins! But remember folks, a good teacher can change everything!

Onesmartbusinessperson says—"When employers hire someone, many search for people who have a resume and experience fitting the position they seek to fill. Once they narrow the list of competent people, many select the person they like the best. I think a better approach is to hire for character first. Hiring someone with great competence, but no character, can be a terrible mistake.”  Boy oh boy, can that be true with relationships as well, my opinion. The winners in a great relationship are those who have great character and great competence, but great character is more important, my opinion and my experience. I like this quote that came from the good book--“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” GeorgeTheCrook says—Most folks are an extension of the folks they are around; that sure seems to be true!

VelvetElvis says—Most of the messages we receive are about how to make life easier. The call of Jesus goes the other direction. It’s about making our lives more difficult. It is going out of our way to be more generous and disciplined and loving and free.  It is refusing to escape and become numb to and check out of this broken, fractured world….

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—Kindness is love with its working clothes on.

manage

If you drive a car into a forest and leave it for one hundred years, when you return, you will find it has deteriorated. That is an elementary example of the Second Law of Thermodynamics which says that without inputs of energy in a closed system, entropy (disorder) increases over time. When left alone (no input of care or energy), things get worse, not better, over time. That is how I feel if we don’t manage our lives constantly. That’s my opinion. And you might think my opinion is a legend of the Cascade Mountains or the gospel truth or neither! You can believe what you want! Most of you readers live in America and have that freedom!

We manage our cell phone package, we manage our finances, we manage our kids’ TV time, we manage our car maintenance, we manage our diet, our weight, what we do in our spare time, etc. We manage a lot now don’t we. Some folks are in management soooo they manage others (i.e. and many folks need management as they can’t manage their actions; they need help). Some folks are in upper management where they manage other managers. There are managers who are in top management like the head coach, CEO of a company, head pastor of a church, parents of a family, the chairperson of a board, etc. Even wolves have a leader of the pack (i.e. maybe the strongest male or female)! There are dictators of countries who have complete control and some countries are democracies where the people decide, they are supposed to anyway even though there are differences of opinions about that it appears.

I have repeated what a late friend said to me quite often—Decisions have consequences and guess who gets to make the decisions. Sooooo who is managing our lives? I have a good friend who said to me recently that she wants to change who is managing her life (i.e. she wants to change back to who she was and wants to be). I think to do that it will take some changes. What changes do you think she will have to take? Dr.J says—"Most people today are living lies. They’re trying to be people they’re not. But Moses—because he was a man of integrity—refused to live a lie. Against all kinds of peer pressure, he insisted on being who God made him to be. Here’s my question: Who are we letting determine our identity?”  And who do we let make that decision?

A challenge I have in managing my life is to slow down; I want to slow down in some facets of my life; I’m working on it but it ain’t easy for me. I read this like it’s written just for me by Joy. Joy says—"Often I feel like life is a race; one in which my pursuit, and even capture, of the next “important” thing or accomplishment still leaves me wanting. Technological advances have brought many of us countless personal benefits. However, I believe that continual access to work email, regular text alerts, location tracking, and the expectations that accompany these conveniences may prevent us from slowing down, giving God praise for his daily gifts to us. We might rush through life too fast to take joy in a hug. We may not ever pause to marvel that the barren ground of winter will soon bear our favorite spring flowers. Or we miss the beauty of creation before us because we’re too concerned about getting the best photo of the sunset to share on social media.” The joke is from the MI-Wizard!

Have we had a defining moment in our lives? I mean a moment or a point in our life when we're urged to make a pivotal decision, or when we experience something that fundamentally changes us (e.g. when I met Jeanne). There is quite a spectrum in thinking why that happened (e.g. a coffee buddy thinks everything is random and we think it was a God wink; that is quite a range). Well, that special moment was very important in our lives, no question. Or some might say it just fall in our laps! We really didn’t make it happen; we didn’t manage it but we sorta kinda did! But I always like to be on the lookout for opportunities. A guydownthestreet said to me this week--erv, when an opportunity comes along, seize it; it might not ever come again! Soooo suck it up cupcake and let's get going!

I read what RickyRick wrote while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it—"If we’re honest, the desire for money or position may have a regular stronghold on our decision-making. We may be very concerned about looking good in the neighborhood. If so, the shine of our earthly treasure may blind us to the real blessings of life. If not money, we might live in fear about the “what ifs” around the corner; expending a lot of energy seeking to control situations for what we perceive will be the best possible outcome. Perhaps, and sadly, a deep need to know what’s coming next means missing the chance to be grateful for the blessings right in front of us. Consider our personal focus.” I hope I’m not missing the boat! ItchieBitchie said to me—“erv, the time is now. Stop hitting the snooze button on your life.” Yikes!  Folks often ask me if they are ItchieBitchie. The pic is of ItchieBitchie. If the pic looks like you, then you are ItchieBitchie!  hahaha

SusieQ says--It is soooo hard to stay strong, especially going through what I’m going through. It’s tough let me tell ya; you have no idea! I agree SusieQ! Tough times are not easy; they never are. We somehow need to manage them; some how! I recently was around a couple of new acquaintances who told me about their tough times that they are going through (i.e. not much different then what we are going through or have gone through). ANYWAY, I learned from them that to express ourselves and talk about struggles seems to do folks good, it seems to help; It’s great to be around good folks. Oh ya!

Do we ever wonder if we are going in the right direction with our lives?  CadillacJack says—It all depends on who you ask; there is always a yes and a no by someone or some group! I was told by a someone—erv, we don’t think like you! Even my GPS navigational system in my vehicle tells me there are different ways to get where I want to go and even sometimes it is wrong or it doesn’t give me the best alternative (i.e. it thinks differently than I do). I read that even AI can be wrong soooo don’t always trust it. Soooo then how do we decide? We saw the Sphere lite up at night in Las Vegas when we were there. It’s all done by computer as like many things are. If someone puts in the wrong information, they get the wrong result (i.e. programed wrong). I wonder sometimes if some of my programing is wacko! As a result, I'm lite up wrong! Or maybe other folks are lite up wrong!

VelvetElvis says—These are the kinds of people who change the world. They improvise and adapt and innovate and explore new ways to get things done. They don’t make a lot of noise, and they don’t draw a lot of attention to themselves.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—The best gifts are tied with heart strings.

a lot of questions

I question if very few folks can handle success very well. I also question if the few that can are folks who are humble. Look around folks, it’s not rocket science. When we’re successful, it’s much easier to fall hard than it is to maintain our success. I question if we experience success, if the natural tendency is to get proud, it’s soooo human. And I can waffle in being humble and proud, but I know when I’m at my best! No question about it. And it ain’t when I’m proud! Perhaps the challenge of properly handling success is why Albert Einstein once said, “Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” But the question is, I question if he knew what he is talking about!

I read recently that joy and happiness are created by many things. Da! Research says that Arts and Hobbies, Socializing, and Sports and Games are the top tier. A lower tier is Reading, Studying and Thinking. And the lowest tier is Listening to music, Rest and Napping, and Eating. And the bottom of bottom is Watching TV. You might question that research. I personally question if they have missed the number one area of joy and happiness. That is to love and being loved. You can’t buy that at Costco no matter how large their shopping carts are!

Do we question if our lives change when we are affluent, gifted, and strong? I question if nations change when they are affluent, gifted and strong? The comparison would be to when we are not affluent, not gifted and not strong a.k.a. weak. I read in The Seattle Times (i.e. Seattle is on the west side of the Cascade Mountains) which Is much more liberal than the east side of the Cascades they tell me; (i.e. sorta kinda splits the state); the paper is entertaining to me. I question if the paper is skewed since its a Seattle paper mainly to be read by the Seattle folks. The news I read in the paper is that it seems like everyone is unhappy, everyone! Saturday question—Who are the most joyful and happy folks we know? FlipThePancake, who are the most unjoyful and unhappy folks we know?

Comedic actor W. C. Fields said when asked why he was reading the Bible. He confessed, “I’m looking for a loophole.” Saturday question—Do we look for good or for bad all the time?

LuckieEddie asks--Do we ever need to recalibrate our priorities and refocus on things that are really important to us. Soooo first of all, I have to decide what my priorities are and then evaluate if I’m spending time focusing on them and not on the trivial stuff that is unimportant. Do we ever miss judge people and situations? I sure do! I met a player at ping pong. She was maybe 70, stocky built, and had both knees wrapped.  She didn’t look like a table tennis player more than the man in the moon. Boy, could she play!  And another gal that really fooled me. She was 97 and the World Champion in her age group (i.e. 95-100). What an amazing lady. We played together and I’m glad we didn’t keep score as I think she would have kicked my butt!!! She invited Jeanne and I to her home for conversation and brownies. Very delightful lady with a lot of wisdom (i.e. great attitude). We picked her mind. Sharp as a tack!

Pigweed says—I have a lot of questions about my life. Maybe we all do. Life can be hard to figure out sometimes. Jon Wooden said—"Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.” It appears that folks who always think they are right (i.e. never have any doubt that they could be wrong) probably aren’t much fun to be around. We went to the movie, Conclave, and a statement in it was—“Give us a pope that will doubt.” It appears to me that the statement was saying, when we doubt we learn and become better people (i.e. we question). If we have preconceived decisions/ideas without studying other possibilities, we will never know if we are for sure right (i.e. I do doubt sometimes and it seems to be really beneficial, I try to have an open mind). ItchieBitchie says--It appears to me that some folks have very closed minds and if others disagree with them, they label them bigoted, racist, sexist, or whatever the latest label is for wrong.

If you are a football fan of a favorite team, do you ever question the coach on their decision? I do! They get paid millions and I question if their decisions are very good at times! I think they stink sometimes. I’m an IA Hawkeye fan and a couple of weeks ago I turned the channel as I was soooo unhappy with the coach’s coaching; I had enough; He finally saw the light and made the change that almost every IA fan could see for weeks (i.e. the coach didn’t really see the light but was forced to because of an injury). And It worked (i.e. sometimes something that seems bad ends up being really good). What was he thinking! My opinion, the new QB is a better OB and the team spirit is much better; it seems to be quite obvious!  And I don’t even get paid to see that! I can’t imagine a.k.a. question how smart I would be if I got paid millions!!!! I can only imagine!

But there is always hope—There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and not tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow. 

Dr.J says—"It is not surprising that a culture obsessed with self-promotion and self-interest would view a life commitment to others as a low priority. Studies also reveal that for those who have made the nuclear family a high priority nothing is more fulfilling (i.e. where latitude and longitude meet).”   Saturday question—What is a nuclear family? Soooo is youth sports about the old adage—It’s not if you win or lose but how you play the game?  Or is it about the winner gets the trophy and the glory? A lot of questions for sure. Can we legislate nuclear families? Another question—I was told that the traditional nuclear family is different than the many new cultural nuclear families of our current culture; soooo what does the new cultural nuclear family look like to you?

On our way to AZ we visited one of Jeanne's daughters and son-in-laws who live in Las Vegas for a few days. We visited the Valley of Fire that is in the area. It has been sorta kinda on my bucket list for years. It was beautiful and we hiked some beautiful trails. I would recommend it if you are in Las Vegas. As a hiker from Australia said to us--It was a proper experience! We also hiked in the Red Rock Canyon which is also really great. As a hiker from South Africa said to us--It was a proper adventure!

A lot of questions. We are in the Valley of the Sun a.k.a. AZ for the winter living in our little, small tin hut (i.e. we can’t collect a lot of stuff soooo we collect a lot of memories). One of our goals this winter is to work out at the work out center on a regular basis (i.e. pump some iron). We might change into muscled specimens (i.e. I doubt it)! Soooo if there are three frogs sitting on a log and one decides to jump in the water, how many are still sitting on the log?  The answer is three, just because one frog decides to jump into the water doesn’t mean that they will; that one frog only decided. That is just like us, if we decide to work out doesn’t mean we will; we just decided.

VelvetElvis says—Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor and our neighbor can be anyone.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFrindJean said--Today should always be our most wonderful day.