ok

Is ok good enough for you?  Do you go to a motel that the reviews are ok or do you go to the place that the reviews are excellent? Do you want an ok heart surgeon? Can a team win with an ok QB? Do you want a friend who has an ok attitude? You get the idea folks. But a friend when asked, what motel does he stay in when he goes to the ocean, responded—When I go by myself with the dog, I get the cheapest one, but I have paid for it sometimes tooooo!

Have you done job performance evaluations on employees or had employers do them on you? Maybe you said or they said to you—you are ok; not excellent but just ok.  Now that is a big difference. Or if your spouse is ok or is greaaaat! Now that is a big difference. If we are just ok, maybe we better start looking for a different job or pick it up a notch as a spouse! Do we want to be a rainbow or a cloud in someone else’s life?

“When we start taking care of ourselves, we start feeling better, we start looking better, and we start to attract better. It all starts with us.” ~ BettyUnknown  Now ain’t that the truth, my opinion. That is taking care of ourselves both physically and emotionally, and spiritually, my opinion. Ok, let’s do it. I have noticed with me that if I just do a little it really helps. Just a little bit! It gets me out of a rut maybe and I think differently. BUT sometimes I have to force myself and myself always doesn’t like to do it; my myself can be pretty stubborn and stiff-necked sometimes.! I’m not always a FastFreddie! Such is life.

I went to a high school volleyball game by invite of a family who has a dog in the fight. I enjoyed it, it was a good experience to observe and sit with the family. Their daughter didn’t get to play; they were disappointed as was the whole family. It’s part of sports a.k.a. disappointments. Dr.J says—"Awards and rewards are presented in all segments of society: sports, business, government, military, entertainment, in churches and more. And it starts at an early age—what child doesn’t delight in receiving a candy bar or a gold star for a job well done (i.e. treats seem to be a great motivator)? Almost all human awards have one thing in common: They focus on past behavior or achievements.” Awards can be great motivators, I guess. Maybe overdone some, I guess! I seem to think it’s more important that somethings just get done than who gets the credit. But, I guess most don’t agree with me. It’s called competition; winners get the reward. SusieQ says—In my real life the winners get the reward (e.g. make the most money). Life isn’t always fair; the only thing that’s fair is the Butler County Fair and that’s in June. ShirleyFromTheLowerYakimaValley says--Many great men and women have died unknown and unsung!

Have you ever been under a lot of pressure? You know when the heat is on. Of course, all of us have and will again; it ain’t nuttin new. My mentor would say to me—erv, it’s never as good as it looks and it’s never as bad as it looks! I read once again that some folks handle pressure much better than others and it’s usually because they have more confidence in themselves (i.e. they handle challenging situations better than others). Soooo why is that do you think? Some say, ok, let’s get after it and figure it out and go forward and others just cry and fall apart. Some are proactive and some are reactive. Like my Daddy, Chester, told me—erv, we all have problems, it’s just that some people handle them differently. LuckieEddie says--Don’t sweat the small stuff. Such is life. Soooo LuckieEddie asks—How do folks become confident?

Theguydownthestreet tells me that 97% of the stuff we worry about won’t happen soooo only worry about the 3%. Now many are worrying about what the 3% is! Folks love to worry now don’t we. I think relationships are very important in our lives, but they take a lot of effort to maintain them. Sometimes it appears that it is easier to let them slide and eventually disappear. Saturday question—Are we just complacent or even indifferent to our relationships?  If soooo, it’s time to get after it. It will make us and our friends feel way better. I just read again that thinking of others makes us feel oh soooo much better but if we think about ourselves all the time, it ain’t good (i.e. we become grumpy, egotistical folks)!  But that is up to each one of us I guess. Such is life.

Ok, I’m testing a theory about a general observation about people. I don’t know if I’m right, but I think I might be. I will continue to observe and test it some more. There sure seems to be a trend. And maybe it has been proven already but maybe I haven’t read the hypothesis. Or maybe it’s toooo speculative to measure or maybe folks don’t want to measure it for many different reasons. Maybe! Soooo far it looks quite obvious but it’s only a theory at this point. And it ain’t what the preacher talked about Sunday, that being how we buckle under pressure and revert back to our old ways just like the Israelites did when Moses didn’t come down from the mountain soon enough sooo they went back to idol worshiping like the Egyptians taught them. That sounds like all humanity doesn’t it. When the going gets a little tough, it’s hard to stay the course for many. Isn’t the mind interesting! I think our mind is fascinating!

To make a point (i.e. maybe prove a theory)!  Or case in point! A pickleball player and I were sitting out and she told me that she did medical care for people in city and county jails. If they were incarcerated for up to 2 years, they could stay in jails and anything longer than that, they went to prison. ANYWAY, she got to know her patients quite well as some were there for a long time. When they were about to be released, she said to them that she hopes to see them at the fair instead of in jail. Some said they didn’t mind being in jail; it was a safe environment, had food to eat and were protected from their friends and their additions. She said, I guess you need a mom. And they said, I guess I do. Seeeee, we all need a mommy! I have to admit, I had a great Mom; she was a good one! 

I read recently that some folks think that we are at an “inflection point” in history—a time of change, a turning point. This is one of the reasons that many people are anxious today. Sooo do folks think, if this is true, that this inflection point is good or bad. We can have this inflection point in our personal life as well. Probably many of us have had it or are having it. Is this inflection point good or bad for us? Ok, now what! Where are we going from here. ItchieBitchie said--Suck it up baby and let’s get going! Yogi Berra said—“When you come to the fork in the road, take it!”

When at church recently there was a mother and her two teenage kids sitting ahead of me. A daughter on one side of maybe 16 and a son on the other maybe 18 on the other. It was obvious that her son was having a problem in his life (i.e. something very disturbing as his mom was trying to encourage him and show him attention as he was very distant). It appeared she wanted in the worst way for him to get his life figured out. Will he or won’t he that is the question. He might struggle the rest of his life or get it figured out and have a great rewarding life. This has and is going on in many families. It ain’t nuttin new! Some moms have kids who are 50 who they are still very concerned about.

I enjoy the group I play pickle ball with. They seem to know each other well and have been friends and have associated together for a long time (i.e. I’m sorta kinda the odd ball). I’m happy to have been invited to play with them. Soooo the other day a guy, Joe, who hasn’t been around for some time was there  and they gave him a hard time in a very fun way. Sooo Joe, how was your trip—not very good, it rained every day—where were you—Europe—where in Europe—oh, we saw some small towns, if you saw one you saw them all. Ok! Usually folks always say their trip was great even though it wasn’t (i.e. I get that feeling sometimes a.k.a. the social media effect) but not this guy, Joe! What a hoot! Ok, I read in The Seattle Times that Australia is proposing a law to band social media for children under 16. Why do you think they are doing that?

VelvetElivs says—“For Jesus, everything is upside down. The best and greatest and most important are the ones who humble themselves, set their needs and desires aside, and selflessly serve others.”

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—Some people can not be worked with, they have to be worked around.

serentiy

Webster defines serenity as a state of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude.

I got up the other morning while it was still dark. I made my usual coffee and sat and watched the sun produce some light and then rise over the hills in the east. I really enjoyed it. It gave me a feeling of serenity. I thought about a million great things; It was inspiring. After a while I started to read my devotions and CoachB’s devotion was about serenity—Very simple but it seemed like it was just directed to me!  It said—It’s just a blessing just to have peace. Peace, what is it worth?

28 years ago I got this letter from a friend which I have kept. What you see is part of his letter. It’s called the Serenity Prayer, which many of you know. I have two friends who are recovering alcoholics and have been sober for many years. They both invited me to go with them to their AA meetings (i.e. what sincere expressions I heard). This prayer is used in that organization as being very powerful in beating alcoholic addiction.  I’m really proud of both of these guys, very much; they are great guys and great friends.

Vance says—"Sometimes medicine bottles have on them, “SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING.” This is what God has to do with some people…. Shake them well before they are ever usable.” WildWille says—It worked for me and then the serenity started for me!  

I read The Measure of a Mountain, Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier by Bruce Barcott. Barcott said this—"For many the point of hiking is to escape the company of other people.”  I really enjoy the radical silence when hiking my favorite local trail to the bottom of Naches Canyon.  It gives me a form of serenity. But I understand that some of you don’t like radical silence. MissPerfect says—I have TV on the minute I wake up to the last minute before I go to bed; I like noise.

Now this is philosophical. I heard it during a baseball playoff game soooo it must be right: “I can make my own practice plan schedule; it’s up to me.” There is soooo much stimuli that can distract us. I guess we all need self-discipline. I think that is pretty true. What do you think? That is what I thought!  Oh, my Daddy, Chester, told me—erv, self-discipline is the best discipline. Did you know that one definition of philosophical is “Being calm and patient in the face of difficulties or disappointments?”  “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”  ~   Socrates

JoeBlow asks--What is perfect peace and where do I get it? I mean peace like a river.  I want it! Don’t we all JoeBlow, don’t we all!

I read this that made me think--It has been ruled by Canaanites, Egyptians, Jebusites, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, and British. It has been destroyed at least 2 times, besieged 23 times, captured 44 times, and attacked 52 times. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and is holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It remains the most contested piece of real estate in the world—Jerusalem—the so-called “City of Peace.”

I read this in the Seattle Times, soooo it must be right that a ski area in the Cascades can’t handle all the folks who want to ski, especially on ideal days. It’s just wild and crazy with all the activity (i.e. the skiing experience is supposed to be serine). It’s a huge massive problem. We must be an affluent population to pay big money to experience this. They are basically solving the problem by charging more money; they think this will slow down the numbers a little they are thinking. I don’t know from my observations; it appears that there is a lot of money in the Seattle area. But it might slow down the folks with marginal budgets. It’s all about the money! I also read in the Seattle Times that Seattle ranks no.1 for couples with pet, no kids. That tells ya something!

I think, my opinion, that folks who have peace in their minds are much happier folks. AND gals who have peace in their minds are happier, which makes them prettier and nicer and sweeter. Constant turmoil is not good for our minds. AverageJoe says—It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Just look around. It’s very obvious. BigShowRalph who always thinks he’s a Big Rig, says--That’s a no brainer!

I golfed with a couple of folks recently that made me putt out two foot putts. They said we miss those sometimes soooo you might too; we keep score. Ok, I putted them! But on the next hole one of the those gals kicked their ball out of the ruff and told me that they don’t like to hit out of the ruff.  I could care less what they do.  It’s all about fun; their score means nuttin to me. One hole one just picked up her ball; she had enough! And on another hole one whiffed a couple of times (i.e. I think they count them as practice swings). I just had to laugh. Sooooo I wonder if I whiff sometimes when I have the opportunity in my life to find peace. I wonder in my mind.  Well, shimmy shimmy shake! Most golf scores are only numbers that are just made up! And do they really make much difference?

I talked to a friend who is president of a club in our 55+ community.  I asked her how it’s going—very good; I am not confrontational anymore; I delegate responsibility and let others do it the way they want to even if I might disagree. Besides erv, some of that stuff is not even important to me and in some cases, others are better at it than I am. It has made my life much more peaceful; I spend more of my time and thoughts on things that are personally important to me. Huh, interesting.

Saturday questions—Is world peace a possibility do you think? Is complete peace possible in our own minds?  It seems to me that as long as folks can think for themselves there will be differences of opinions and that usually produces strive, contention and wars. It has always been that way. Maybe someday we will all have implants with AI and we will all think alike (i.e. programed and no one will know any different or have opinions, just all programed the same). Could be! I don’t know. Soooo who would do the programing do you think?

I bought a shirt on line recently. I don’t buy from this company as I think they are too expensive, but I really do like their products. They had 70% off on this shirt for a couple of days. I think they had a “lead in” to get folks to buy this product in hopes we will buy more. They probably know what they are doing. While watching football, KFC had an advertisement called Return Back Meal for $5. I assume that is the same mentality. It seems that everyone wants “a peace” of everyone’s money! JoeBlow says—The problem for me is that I don’t have enough money to give everyone a piece!

On a recent hike in the Cowiche Canyon I was approached by a maybe 70-year-old long time serious, female hiker. She talked about her hiking experiences, etc. She told me that her hiking is becoming limited as her husband has dementia. Her daughter is here for a month to give her a respite; she is taking a trip to hike the Grand Canyon later in the week. I told her about Arlene’s dementia, and we talked about the disease. I told her that folks with dementia get worse and then they die and asked her if she is aware of that. She was and is preparing for both. I asked her if she was a believer—yes, we are; I pray that he may die as soon as possible soooo he can have eternal peace.

Saturday question—What is the stuff that agitates us today? The stuff that takes away our peace? Soooo what are we doing about it?

ValvetElvis says—God uses people to bless other people.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—There aren’t enough crutches in the world for all the lame excuses.

oh ya

Now remember folks, a gal who is in our coffee group said to me—erv, I only believe about 10% of what you say! Soooo take that into consideration when reading this “It’s Saturday.” And this gal seems to be one of the sharper knives in the drawer! Oh ya!

Most of us do just the opposite; maybe we don’t get it! I’m talking about when things go bad, we pray for God to fix it and now! Even folks who claim they don’t believe in God, subconsciously do it (i.e.my opinion). But David, a hero of mine, he did just the opposite, he would first tell God he doesn’t understand Him, and then he would always end his conversation with God by saying you are my great God and gave God praise.  Another guy who did about the same was Daniel. When Daniel faced a deadly threat, he didn’t complain. He didn’t plead for divine intervention. He gave thanks. Crazy huh! Oh ya!  Here is a suggestion that can be amazing: go into your bedroom, close the door soooo no one sees you, go next to your bed, heel down next to it, and give thanks to God (i.e. give appreciation). It’s very humbling and feels soooo good! ANYWAY, it works for me! Oh ya! Try it, you might like it! No one will know! Folks have tried many other things in trying to figure life out! Oh ya!

WildWillie says--Maybe some of you remember this example: I remember when my sixth-grade teacher heated a metal gas can. Once it was very hot, he put the lid on securely, making it airtight, and set the can on his desk. The whole class watched as it began cracking and pop-ping. Then, right in front of our eyes, the can was crushed without anyone touching it! That is amazing! My opinion is that I have had many amazing things happen to me in my lifetime that are just unexplainable, and I expect I will have more; you have tooooo I bet; no question. Pretty amazing wouldn’t you say.

WorldClassLarry says--Try making every deed a seed, like a little mustard seed. When growing up on the farm a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN we had a weed on the farm that was the mustard. It was a problem and hard to get rid of. The reason was it produced many many little little black seeds and those little seeds grew up into quite large plants. We didn’t have the chemicals back then that we have now so they were hard to get rid of. Soooo, I encourage all of us to be good mustard seeds (i.e. little black mustard seeds with our good deeds)! The old saying goes like this: We judge a trapper by his furs!

What do you think are the current strong cultural forces? Are we thinking a lot about ourselves, greed, recreation, the great discrepancy between the elite rich and the middle class, lawlessness, material possessions, technology (e,g, AI) etc.? What cultural forces do you think are decreasing?  I wonder if family, values, morals, etc. are getting less and less. I read that Christians have less cultural force (i.e. it sure appears that way). Soooo do we ever think where this is all going?  Or maybe we really don’t care. Or we really are happy the way it is going. Or maybe it is unstoppable, completely out of control! Maybe like a big snowball going down Mt Rainer that is getting bigger and bigger and the only way it will stop is when it hits the bottom and completely falls apart!  I wonder as I wander! What do you think? That is what I thought!

 John Maxwell, world-renowned author and leadership authority, once said, “If you think you’re a leader and you don’t have anyone following you, you’re just taking a walk.” Will Rogers said it this way— “If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.” AverageJoe says—There are folks who think they are leaders because they have a position but aren’t really leaders and there are folks who are leaders who don’t know they are leaders. I guess we all know both kinds now don’t we.

One of the folks I play pickleball with is about 70 and is a retired professional person. She said to me--I have a thousand things going on in my head and I’m trying to play pickleball. Later at a break, she said—Since I’ve been here, I have had 35 text and email messages.  I said--I’m glad I’m not in your head! I think she has been a leader and still is. Oh ya!

I have been here in Yakima for more than a month now. I enjoy it, it has gone well, no surprises. I enjoy the beautiful shrub-steppe, the arid landscape which is made up of sagebrush and basalt cliffs. Yakima is in a valley with hills all around it. It’s reclaimed desert; their average annual rain fall is about 8 inches. Everything is irrigated from the snow melt of Mt. Rainer, Mt. Adams and other mountains that flows into the Yakima River and the Columbia River and reservoirs and then through many canals which irrigates the Valley. Pretty interesting to me.

This is a pic of Yakima that is at my new dentist’s office. It’s an overview of Yakima with Mt. Adams in the background. I think some folks see the overview a.k.a. concept of life much better than those who just see only a fraction they are living right now. Just like when living on their street but not seeing the big picture of the Yakima Valley (i.e. there is a big difference). This concept is a big concept to understand. A buddy in our coffee group told me the story of his 3-year-old great granddaughter. Her parents give her money when she does chores around the house to put in her piggy bank along with birthday money etc. She wanted a big person bike, but her parents told her she couldn’t have one until she saved enough money to buy one. Her mother noticed on Prime specials that the bike she wanted was half price soooo they counted her money and bought the bike. She is soooo proud of the bike she bought. Now that is an example of learning the big concept. Oh ya! Jeanne has hiked Mt. Adams 8 times. Now you know why I’m always behind her when hiking! Oh ya! That is understanding the big concept!!!

I have learned a lot of new and different stuff in my short time in Yakima, oh ya! RickyRick says—"Success in life is tied to learning. If you want to succeed in a certain area of your life, then you must become a student in that area. You must always be learning something new. As you study, it’s crucial to understand the difference between wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge is information gained from education or experience. The more you know, the better equipped you are to handle life’s challenges. But wisdom comes from a different source!” My opinion is that it is good to pray for wisdom. Oh ya! The Valedictorian says--In learning to get dressed, I learned that if I start with the wrong button at the bottom of the shirt, then things will not be right at the top of the shirt. I still rediscover that lesson in my life!  Oh ya!” In an article, Jonas shares some thoughts about a phenomenon I assume we’re all familiar with: We learn new things but fail to apply them. In his own words: “We’re like lions in the classroom, and sheep in the outside world. We learn great things but don’t use them. . . Don’t be satisfied with mere learning. We must apply what we learn. Become a lion outside the classroom – that’s where it matters.” Remember the old saying: It’s better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense though it’s better to have both. Abraham Lincoln said—“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.”

Do I know what I want? If I could have anything, what would I ask for? The smartest person in the world asked for wisdom! That might be a good idea, I think. If I would have wisdom then I would have many good options. I like good options. I think that is what I would ask for. Oh ya! An antonym for smart is stupid. Soooo what do you think a stupid person would ask for?

ValvetElvis says—I am learning that churches and individuals are best when they give themselves away. We are to be used to bless other people. The point is that people serving others make their lives better.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—When we forgive, we are released from bondage to past hurts.

spooky

This guy is spooky! And it is in our back yard here in Yakima. It scares me every morning when I go to the patio with my morning coffee. And I don’t scare easily!  But it’s a beast! It’s an Alaskan Weeping Cedar. The other two types of spooky trees here in Yakima are the Green Arrow Alaskan Cedar and the Weeping Sequoia which all have the same nickname, Spooky!

This “It’s Saturday” could be like most books, maybe toooo long and maybe fails to find an audience! I’m just amazed why you read “It’s Saturdays.” I think it’s ‘cause I write about what you folks say; you are very interesting alright (i.e. some of you are really characters like right out of the comic books, some even spooky)! I have no idea if your stories are true! But I just write what you say!

ItchieBitche says”—I like “It’s Saturdays” ‘cause you don’t write grit-lits, you know the stuff that is all alike like my beer’s hot, my girl’s cold, my dog’s dead, my truck won’t start, I need a job but I’d rather drink, mama’s on pills, daddy’s in prison, etc. That gets pretty boring after a while (i.e. like IA football)! But did you know ItchieBitche that romantic trash books are the best-selling books? I have been told that they are about all the same, but the authors just change the characters a little and where it’s at, but they are all pretty much about smut and sex. And women can’t get enough of them. I talked to a volunteer librarian at our 55+ community a.k.a. Jeanne where we winter in AZ and she said—Yes, even old ladies like them! Spooky huh!

The fight is never fair when one side has the power and the money it seems. Spooky but probably as real as those spooky trees.

RickyRick says—"It’s rare to find someone who’s earnest about seeking God. Most of us want just enough of God to bless us, but not to change us.” Is that spooky or what! Robert, anyone can be a Robert, says—"We must be good news before we can share the good news.” In other words, we have little or no positive impact with what we say, regardless of how true we are if we don’t live our life that way.” Zig Zigler says—“The psalmist Asaph was so angry he couldn’t see straight! He felt that he had been given a bum deal: Evil people were flourishing, but he had followed God and was struggling. It wasn’t fair! He lashed out at God, and he sulked in self-pity. He doesn’t tell us exactly what he said to God, but we can be sure that it wasn’t pretty because he described himself as ‘a beast.’” But later Asaph figures it out.  If you are interested, read Psalm 73:16-17. Easy way is to just Goggle it or ask Siri to find it for you! 

Have you ever done stupid things?  Maybe some were even pretty spooky! It appears that no matter how smart we are, how much money we have, how much education we have, how old we are, what kind of vehicle we have, etc., we seem to all have done stupid stuff!  How about, did we do anything stupid yesterday? hahaha Little kids can do stupid stuff when they have their Halloween costume on as no one knows who they are!  But what are we going to do; we have no Halloween costumes! Saturday question—Have any of you folks done something stupid that you wish you would not have done? Ouchy ouchy! I have a pretty long list! FlipThePancake! All of us have done some really good stuff also. Don’t forget those!

We were waiting at Costco to get our flu and COVID shots. A guy walked up and asked if we were in line. I said, no no, we are just in the line to get shot up!  He then went on to tell us that he had surgery for cancer, and they opened him up and he was full of cancer (i.e. metastatic cancer). The doctors said that they could treat him for a year, but it will be really hard and brutal and if we are successful you might live another month. He decided not to do it and just live his life out. We said—You seem to have a very good attitude—I do, I enjoy life and have accepted my situation. His wife who was a nurse came by and was also very positive (i.e. we wondered why). Is that spooky to any of you? We talked about what we would do if we were in his situation. We really didn’t decide.

An old codger in our coffee group who is a great raconteur said that he has been soooo lucky in his life. But the luckiest thing I did was to marry my wife. If I wouldn’t of, I probably would have fallen off a bar stool and killed myself. Another senior said this about her husband to Jeanne—He can remember all the details of a basketball game he played in high school, but I send him to the grocery store to get bananas and apples and he comes home with peaches and pears.  Another senior lady in our group told me that she believes only about 10% of what I say! We hang around with some spooky folks alright. What a hoot!

We borrowed Jeanne's sisters and brother-in-law’s e-bikes and rode them on the bike trail along the Yakima River. We have never ridden e-bikes before soooo it was a new experience. Something that we noticed was that there were homeless folks who were camping along the bike trail. Jeanne said that the trial has been a great addition to the Valley, but it has also produced some problems (i.e. such as crime) that have caused many folks not to use it. Spooky, huh! We were told that two popular injury activities for seniors are pickleball and riding e-bikes. Yikes!

We are uniquely different now aren’t we. Some of us might even think that others seem spooky as they aren’t like us. Crazy huh! CoachB says —If we do what they do, we will get what they got. The question is—Do we want to be like them and get what they got! Saturday question—Who do we want to be like? It appears that many times we don’t want to put in the work it takes to be like them; we would rather take the easy way out and will accept getting the same results that we are getting now and have been getting. Spooky! SusieQ says—We will either have the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.  Such is life.

I read this in one of my early morning devotions that made me think—"Saul is one of the saddest examples of what happens to a great person because of self-orientation rather than God-orientation” according to Kent, anybody can be a Kent. I really made me think of which orientations run my life. I think I have many and yes one is self-orientation. Saul was obsessed with self-orientation, and it ruined his life. I think all of us need to be aware of self-orientation sooo it doesn’t become a self-destruction of our lives.  I read in a novel recently that the folks were just talking past each other (i.e. only just thinking of themselves when talking to each other). Now that is a good example of self-orientation, my opinion. Sounds rather spooky!

A spooky quote:  “Of all the virtues we can learn no trait is more useful, more essential for survival, and more likely to improve the quality of life than the ability to transform adversity into an enjoyable challenge.” ―Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

VelvetElvis says—Many messages from the past deal with possessions and meals and generosity. They display that people are rarely persuaded by arguments, but more often by experiences.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—One joy shatters a hundred griefs.

apocryphal

Some of you might think that this “It’s Saturday” is a lot of apocryphal stories but it might not be. We all think differently now don’t we. Sooooo read with an open mind. It might be hard to know who or what is authentic or mythical, fabulous or true! Politicians think if they say anything enough times the general public will think it’s the truth!  And it seems many do! And many know it anin’t the truth as it takes very little common sense to know it’s not (i.e. it’s just campaign propaganda—telling folks what they want to hear to get elected—it ain’t nuttin new)!

The great Albert Einstein was traveling on a train from Princeton, New Jersey. When the conductor came through collecting tickets, Einstein grew frantic because he couldn’t find his ticket. The conductor reassured him. “Dr. Einstein, I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry, I know who you are.” Einstein replied, “Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going!”

You might think this is spurious! LegendaryLuckieEddie says--Don’t give others a piece of your mind, most of us need all our mind, trust me! Zig Ziglar is the writer of these thoughts. “People have always been fascinated with death. The mysteries of what happens once we have taken our last breath on earth have always been intriguing. We want to know what happens when someone breathes his or her last, and we want some assurance that death is not the end.”  Well, I think there is life after death on this earth, but some folks don’t; they think when they die, they will die like a pig (i.e. some folks think the Bible is apocryphal). Or some think that God will just let everyone have heaven ‘cause He’s is a loving God. I don’t know but I will question that thinking. But what do I know, I’m not the judge, I’m just a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and a quarter south of Roseland, MN. I guess we will all find out, every last one of us!

A buddy over coffee told us that when he got married, he continued to act like he was single in that he would spend a lot of time at the bar, hunt, fish, play ball and then come home for dinner. His wife asked him one day if he liked marriage—I sure do, what is there not to like about it.  She said—Well, if you like it, you need to change or there won’t be a marriage! He changed! Oh yeah! He is a smart man! And that story ain’t no tale!

Experts say--Make adjustments and adaptations in life, maybe especially in a relationship like in a marriage; it seems necessary. If folks don’t, well, it will probably not be a fun marriage or it will end in a divorce. MissPerfect says--I know marriages where one is a radical Republican and the other is a radical Democrat and other relationships where one is a believer, and the other one isn’t. Some of those marriages seem to work and others don’t seem to work very well. I was walking in our neighborhood the night of the prudential debate and met a couple who I met before but don’t know very well. They said, I see you aren’t watching the debate either. He said that he has a brother who is a radical liberal and his wife is a radical conservative. I asked how that works—my brother can’t make toooo much noise as she makes most of the money in the house! Ouchy ouchy!

This is a true story, although probably apocryphal to some of you. But it’s factual, I think!  At a time, the Roman Empire was the largest and strongest empire ever. What happened to it, it’s gone. How did it destruct?  Babylon was the most culturally advanced city and the richest city in the world at a time. Where is it? Gone, completely gone. What happened to it. They are interesting stories to me. When we met the hikers on the PCT, we asked them what their most memorable experiences were. One hiker said the scariest experience was a hailstorm in Oregon in which we thought we were going to die which reminded us that God is in charge, and we aren’t. The best experience we had was the many great folks we met!

This is not an apocryphal story ‘cause our neighbor lady told us. She told us they were at Dairy Queen for lunch when Jeanne called her. I asked her if Dairy Queen was their favorite place for lunch—Not really, but we have coupons so we go there on Mondays, we go to Taco Bell on Tuesdays as it's taco Tuesday, Wednesdays we go to  Burger King which is not our favorite place either but we have coupons and the Whopper isn’t too bad, Thursdays we go to West Side Pizza as we have coupons for Thursdays, and Fridays we go back to DQ, where a fan is treated like a big Dilly!  On Saturdays and Sundays, we go to Mc Donald’s for breakfast. Hey, seniors are on a fixed income!  But the bad part is that they have be there by 11:30 to get the early bird specials! But seniors have time and aren’t on a schedule. They make it work before getting home for Judge Judy! Our neighbors love Judge Judy!

Who do you really trust? Who do you really trust in telling your most private secret? I’m talking about a human here.  It appears that we have to have someone who we really trust to share our most private secret. Soooo who is that?  Do we have a most private secret that we never told anyone? Jeanne is now my best friend, and we share. It’s really a neat experience. I hope you have such a friend! SusieQ says—I’m loaded and can buy a lot of stuff, but I just can’t buy a trusted friend!

LYOL stands for Live Your Own Life! We are all unique, yes we are. I just read a book called Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford that was recommended by a Rachel, not anyone can be a Rachel like this Rachel, this Rachel is really special. It was about the thru-hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It appears to me that all of the thru-hikers have somewhat of a different agenda for being a thru-hiker. They have an acronym, HYOH, meaning Hike Your Own Hike. Yes, we are all unique folks. And that ain’t apocryphal! When we were created, the mold was broken. There is only one of you in the whole world. We are the only one on earth who has our individual fingerprints and our exact eyes. Isn’t that incredible? We are uniquely who we are. Unbelievable!

A friend described himself as being “half hermit.” He said he has family and couple of friends and that is enough; I sorta kinda like to be alone. A neighbor stopped when we were outside. He said he doesn’t like folks and doesn’t like to talk to people. But you are talking to us—but you are different! We have no idea what he meant by that! And there are others who have all kinds of friends. A friend says his son has thousands of friends all over the world. Sooo I guess we are unique alright! A guydownthestree told me—I just like to sit in our TV room by myself and watch football and I’m very content! And I don’t have a cell phone either and I don’t want one .

VelvetElvis says—It is trusting that I am loved. That I always have been. That I always will be. I don’t have to do anything. I don’t have to prove anything or achieve anything or accomplish one more thing. I’m accepted exactly as I am; I am totally accepted.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—Attitude defies limitation and exceeds expectation.

PS   Attitude is the little thing that makes a big difference. – Winston Churchill

a different world

A friend had lunch with a friend, and told me that this friend lives in a different world. Soooo how did you interpret that statement? What kind of world do you think they live in? What kind of world do you live in? I think some of you folks live in a different world than I do!  Or I live in a different world than you do (e.g. I had a conversation with some artists recently; it appears that their world is different than mine)! That is not good or bad, but we just seem to live in different worlds to some degree it seems. It appears to me that different worlds could be many different things.

You’ve got to be kidding! I’m not folks! When two folks are polar opposites, they have a hard time understanding each other. Those poles can have many different, opposite thinkings. I was reminded recently that folks can have different kinds of humor, and some seem to have no humor at all. We just don’t understand each other at times. Now that is funny. hahaha We can be in way different worlds. And my opinion, that difference sometimes can be hard to reconcile; we just won’t get each other if the difference is radical. ItchieBitchie says--Some folks are really funny funny to me but not to themselves (i.e. they are just funny folks)! We seem to be in different worlds.  ItchieBitchie, I’m a funny funny person tooooo many folks; they think I’m in a different world than them!  And I probably am. Such is life.

They are in a different world. I read this soooo it must be right-- “It appears that top-level adult experts practice at the highest possible level that can be sustained for extended periods without burnout or injury. Hence, it may be extremely difficult to consistently practice harder and improve faster than these individuals do.” In the study of expert violinists, the top two groups averaged five hours more of sleep per week than the lowest performing group, mostly by taking more time for afternoon naps. Sooooo there, as I get older, I’m getting better at part of that equation (i.e. the nap part)! Practicing harder, not soooo much! hahaha

I asked a couple of the guys who I drink coffee with if they have any minority race friends. One said that half my work colleagues were minority and the other said—I have many friends who are minority; I grew up in the Los Angelos area and I was the only white kid in my class.  Wow! That is a lot different than my life. I have a goal to make a Hispanic friend. The Yakima Valley is about 60% Hispanic. We are looking for a church and have visited several. Some churches seem to have a lot of old white folks and are struggling. The one we like the best soooo far is a church that has a lot of diversity in many ways and is really hopping (i.e. many kids and the folks are joyful)! The difference seems to be a different world! But flip the pancake, many Hispanic folks like to have their own churches as well that only speak Spanish! Many are Catholic as that is the way many were raised through generations in Mexico (i.e. that is where they came from). I grew up in rural Kandiyohi County MN and lived most of my life in Butler County IA. I grew up in a way different world than they did!

I got a response from an old friend who I imitate and sent him an example of how I copy him in how he encourages his family. He sent me this remark—"Yes, I still do it, however, my responses have dwindled somewhat, but I continue to do it anyway.” He was referring to what he does to encourage his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren but they don’t respond near as much as they used tooooo. I guess he is saying that their worlds have changed.  ANYWAY, I like how he responds to their actions (i.e. he doesn’t get discouraged or say, I’m done encouraging them even though they don’t respond). Some older folks will just give up with their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren sometimes! But flip the pancake, many times children, grandchildren and great grandchildren don’t pay much attention to their older parents or grandparents. Such is life.

I read what King Soloman, who was reported as the wisest man that ever lived) said (i.e. of course that was in a different world he lived in as he didn’t have a smart phone soooo you might not believe him)—He said--"I know there is nothing better than for folks to be happy and do good while they live.” SusieQ says—I don’t know if he knows what he is talking about as in my world the saying is—The folks with the most toys win; it has nuttin to do with happiness or doing good! But did you know that King Solomon sorta kinda went bad the last part of his life? He got in a different world. He didn’t finish in the same world that he lived most of his life. Why? I have no idea! Some nicknamed him the Half-Hearted Guy!

Remember I told you I played golf at the little city course, par three for $8 green fees. Now that is a different world than at a country club that might cost more than $100 to play. But it’s a why different type of course and environment a.k.a. different world. Of course! At the church that we attend some, it is a way different world than not being in church. I really like the feeling I get at this church. It’s very good for me. Maybe you wouldn’t get the same feeling, but it sure works for me (i.e. it is unarguable). I like it! My world might be different than your world. I understand that. Nineteenth-century British politician John Dalberg-Acton is credited with the maxim, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I was really humbled last Sunday at church; it’s a way different world as I understood once again that God is God and I am erv! I really enjoy being around humble folks! Arrogant folks, well, not soooo much! It’s like what a businessman told me—What changes low markets is low markets and what changes high markets is high markets!  RickyRick says--God gives many promises in the Bible to those who seek him:  “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face . . .  then I will hear from heaven” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

YakimaAlice says--A couple here in Washington look like they are from Iowa.  Soooo what do folks from Iowa look like to you? They must have a stereotype look (i.e. they must be from a different world maybe). Soooo what do folks from Washington look like to you (i.e. pic is of YakimaAlice at the grocery market hahaha)? Really! I was invited to play pickleball with a group of folks here in Yakima. One of the group sent me this text later in the day—" Thanks Erv for coming to pb. That’s the most I’ve played this summer. It is a group I think you’ll enjoy. Laid back, a little sassy. And a lot of laughter.”  Is there a difference in pickleball groups? Maybe! IowaHawkeye says--Of course there is! BigWashingtonWow says—There is even a difference in the climate of folks from the east side of the Cascades compared to the folks from the west side of the Cascades right here in Washington! A flight attendant told me that folks from different geographic areas have different cultural personalities. How could folks be different do you think? Jeanne noticed that folks from IA use some verbs differently than folks from the Pacific Northwest!

CoachB says—We most often have a defining moment at some point in our life. It’s like a turning point. Sometimes we don’t even know what it was or when it happened and sometimes we don’t know until we look in the rear view mirror. It changes our world. We could even have many or several defining moments. I think I might have had one the other night. I’m not sure but it feels that way. Or maybe it was those beans that I ate for dinner! Time will tell! A guy that I spent some time with recently told me that he likes Abraham Lincoln as well and he would quote him often in his business presentations. Here is one of Abe’s quotes that if taken to heart could be a defining moment (i.e. just maybe)—"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

VelvetElvis says—The problem is that the image of God is deeply scarred in each of us, and we lose trust in God's version of our story. It seems too good to be true. And so we go searching for identity. We achieve and we push and we perform and we shop and we work out and we accomplish great things, longing to repair the image. Longing to find an identity that feels right

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

erv

MyFriendJean said--Sports don't build character--they reveal it.

PS The-MI-Engineer a.k.a. TheGreatShedlowsky as Mike calls him says-- As I've grown older, I’ve learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.

a over-up job

You might think that this “It’s Saturday” is just a lot of whacky yak from Yakima a.k.a. a cover-up job; if soooo just delete and go clean the bathroom. It’s your decision. Such is life.

Vicki, anybody can be a Vicki, says—How old folks can take charge! #4 Find a (diverse) friend—The older we get the more marginalized we become in this society. Having diverse friends help us to be better allies in the fight against ageism, racism and sexism.”  I have a friend who says we age out at some point (i.e. we just can’t do it anymore). A friend told me—I was ok until I turned 80 and it all fell apart. Maybe he’s ageing out! I do think if we have an open mind, it can really help in having a more quality life.  That is part of having a good attitude, that is my opinion. MulishBetty says--It’s not good when we become a stubborn old…! Now that condition is hard to cover up!

I have an open mind in my thinking, I think anyway. I rode my Yamaha XT 250 over to the Cowiche Recreation Area and hiked down to the bottom of the canyon. On the way I drove through neighborhoods of very nice houses overlooking the Yakima Valley (i.e. both just beautiful). As I hiked, I thought maybe one of you would give me 10 million dollars: I would buy one of those houses for us. BigWashingtonWow says--Are you crazy erv, no one is going to give you 10 million. Hey, I dreamt when hiking in AZ a few years ago that I would find a wife that would fit me perfectly, and I got it!  BUT there is one caveat that I didn’t tell you, I also prayed (i.e. that is a big difference).  This time I didn’t pray as we are very happy with our lifestyle, very! Hey, I think I'm a reasonable guy, I will compromise with you, how about 5 million!

I saw a sticker on the tailgate of a pickup that said—This sticker is a cover up of a scratch I put on my pickup. It was an inexpensive, easy fix compared to maybe a $1,000 repair, just cover it up, no one knows.  Saturday question—Are we content with our life, or do we just put a cover up on it? Who what me! My Mother, Anna, always would say to me—erv, always do what is right then you don’t have to cover anything up! SlimySlick says— Yabut erv, I am pretty slick in covering things up let me tell ya! And no one ever knows! WorldClassLarry says—That is what SlimySlick thinks! Folks know!

There is a sign in Las Vegas that reads—Trust me, you can sing! Signed Alcohol Our inner superhero changes because of many forces. ItchieBitchie says--When we are intoxicated by anything including alcohol or drugs, we aren’t usually our normal self; it’s a cover-up. Saturday question--What else can change our inner superhero that we might be intoxicated by; the toxicant is a cover up of who we really are many times I have been told. Here are some possible other toxicants: money, power, fame, egos, appearance, arrogance, education, position, intelligence, pecking order, gambling, shopping, eating,… FoxyAlice says—It’s a good thing I don’t have any of them! Ya right, FoxyAlice! FoxyAlice, you have one huge massive inner superhero (i.e. the worst kind) and you don’t even know it!

While hiking on the western side of the Cascade Mountains where it is much wetter, we saw a slug (i.e. it could be my first slug I ever saw (i.e. of the bug type anyway). Slugs aren’t very pretty I don’t think, and they move slow soooo maybe that is why we say sometimes that we are sluggish!  I don’t know. I do know some folks who are slugs and some who seem to be sluggish (i.e. for a lot of reasons probably). The Cascade Mountains, I have been told, splits the state pretty much with being wet and being desert, and also politically, urban to more rural, heavy traffic to less traffic etc. You probably get it. It seems that the folks of the two sides don’t always agree with issues, but the western side always wins (i.e. they tell me) as that is where the majority of the population lives (i.e. my Canadian friends say the same thing about Canada). A person on the eastern side of the mountains said to me—We don’t really count in WA! Saturday question—Have you ever felt that you don’t really count? Folks tell us we do but it feels like a cover-up; it feels like we really don’t count at times! Ouchy ouchy! Such is life!

Women quite often put on a cover up when they get out of the pool and ride the elevator to their room, many times there is a cover up when a crime is done, politicians many times try to do a cover up, and probably there are cover ups that we have no idea what they are. A friend told me that many folks who feel unconfident become arrogant to cover up their deficiency (e.g. little folks talk about themselves, big folks ask questions of others).  Big folks can laugh at themselves, and little folks can’t! Why is that do you think? Some folks can complement others and others can’t. Why is that? It could be a cover up!

WorldClassLarry says--In my mind, our path to our success is not as fixed and inflexible as we think. First of all, CharlieBrown, we have to decide what success is; success for sure is different things to different folks. The world might have a different definition than what we have internally (i.e. that sure appears it’s that way to me). Most of you are gems; just plain great folks internally but we struggle with who you want to be by the world’s standards. We are really torn in deciding. I think in my mind, we have to determine what our goal is; then how we can make our gem really shine. If we don’t know where we are going and what we are trying to accomplish it just ain’t going to work very well. I suggest that we all work to be a shining gem with our life. Shine it up!

Does a cover up job usually work very well? Externally it might work for a little while but from the get go, it really doesn’t work very well internally for most folks (i.e. it doesn’t make good folks feel good on the inside). And besides, Abe Lincoln said—You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of time. Especially since we can’t fool ourselves! King David in the Bible committed adultery and then covered it up by having Bathsheba’s husband murdered. How did that go for David? I think first of all David said to himself—What was I thinking; how dumb can a guy get! Those darn emotions!

It's hard to go against the grain. What I mean is if I have done something a certain way for a long time or if I have a certain personality trait that is well established and then I try to change it, it’s tough to do. That is hard. I tried to do things differently the other morning as I was home alone and wanted to slow down. It didn’t go well! I had to fight it. Yikes! The old bird is hard to change. Sooooo maybe I should not expect others to change; they probably aren’t going to change. They are engrained pretty deeply in their ways just like I am. hahaha If something is taught to someone from birth, what is their chance of changing?  Or if someone genetically inherits some personality trait, what is their chance of changing. Or if someone is brainwashed for years, what is their chance of changing? We might cover it up but to change, that is another story! Don’t kid yourself, it might be possible but it ain’t easy! I was told a story by a friend who had a relative who had Asperger’s syndrome probably because of his genetics. He never did change in his life my friend said. I would guess that all of us are somewhere on the spectrum! Like I have said many times--We are all mentally ill but just to different degrees! 

A friend and I have talked several times what it takes for me or anyone to change (i.e. and not all can). We think it takes a special certain event to happen in our lives. We think it is pretty much certain and that this special certain event is up to most folks; it’s our decision (i.e. but not always). But most times it appears it’s up to us. And when folks make that decision, it is quite noticeable to others and many times folks ask what is different about you; folks act differently. I have seen this in folks and have asked them; the answer is always the same.

VelvetElvis says—I realize this is not groundbreaking news, but when we get desperate and realize we cannot keep living this way, then we have to change. We have no other option, which is why we only change when we hit the abyss. Anything else is like window shopping: we may look for a moment or even try it on, but we aren’t taking anything home with us.

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it.

PS The-MI-Engineer a.k.a. TheGreatShedlowsky as Mike calls him says--There is no such thing as a grouchy old person.  The truth is that once you get old, you stop being polite and start being honest.

it sure seems that way to me

Bill’s Place in Yakima has a sign outside their business that reads—Bill’s Place; we know our stuff! I won’t go soooo far as saying that what everyone says in this “It’s Saturday” is that they know their stuff. In fact I question if any of us really know our stuff, maybe we just think we do! Soooooo I suggest you read with an open mind and take it for what’s it’s worth. And remember, you get what you pay for!

A newbie friend here in Yakima told us about his son who is married, divorced and now they just live together.  We asked, what’s that all about. Well, he was a penny pincher, and she was a big-time spender, and it just didn’t work; KnowItAllRuben says--I could have told them that. My newbie friend’s wife said—I think they still like stuff about each other, but now each have their own checkbooks! Hey, if it works it works; it sure seems that way to me!

I heard by the apple vine that the apple producers are having a difficult time this fall; the prices are low.  This information came from the apple vine when Jeanne talked to an older lady at the dermatologist’s office waiting room. She said she heard it at coffee at church last Sunday from a lady that knows everything in the lower Yakima Valley. Soooo it must be right! Soooo there you go!

It sure seems that way to me! That is when I change my scene to something green it affects my mind, body and spirit. When I get in the middle of nature it sure affects me for the better (i.e. nature for many produces silence which can produce awe). Nature is really appreciated in WA and one of the activities that is very popular is hiking. It seems that a high percentage of folks do it (i.e. of all ages and abilities) which can produce many opportunities to get stimulated. Nature is like the mean green machine but ya gotta get off the couch! Nature can be as simple as me drinking my morning coffee on the patio overlooking the trees, flowers and the hills (i.e. oh, the quietness of early morning). SusieQ says—I like the green affect tooooo, but I prefer the green backs version at the mall!

Soooo I wanted to watch NFL on Thursday night on Prime. I just couldn’t get it come on. I fiddled and fiddled with it soooo I asked Jeanne to help me, and she couldn’t find it either. What! Some folks came over to our house and I asked them for help. They told me that it’s Monday night and not Thursday and Monday night football is on ESPN. Da! erv’s error as our kids say! All I could do was laugh at myself! Or as a grandson said to me once—Grandpa, you’re funny and you don’t even know it!

Tooooo much, just a little tooo much maybe! It sure seems that way to me!  It appears that some folks are not real but very showy (i.e. way over the top showy). It appear to me that there are big fakers who are not the real deal. But flip the pancake, there are many of you who are very real (i.e. my kind of folks, you have good hearts). Steve, anybody can be a Steve, says--The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel. I played golf with a new friend on a par three city course. The course was attractive, fun, and very relaxing. We played on Monday, senior day, for $8. Everyone walked and folks were not there to be champion golfers but just to enjoy life. They wore their favorite hats, their favorite tee shirts, and most had old clubs or maybe only three clubs. I doubt if any of them kept score. They were as real as real could be (i.e. I didn’t see any of them pretending to be hot shots). I really enjoyed the atmosphere, a walk in the park. I also enjoyed my new friend (i.e. he’s a real guy). As the guy in the insurance ad on TV says—I over did it, like a showboat, I over did it! MissPerfect says—I know a gal who acts that way constantly, and she needs nothing short of a miracle for her to change! When a person is original, there is only one!

CoachB says—A good way to learn is to find a successful person in an area that we want to learn about and ask questions and listen. Jeanne lined up a conversation with a third-generation apple grower who she knows for us to visit with as I wanted to learn about apple production. He has been very successful and a very delightful person as well. He gave us much information and answered our questions. It was a very good experience. Here are  just a few facts: The apple business is big business and has large input costs which can make good money and also has bad years—the most money is made in the marketing—migrant workers are a must for the labor who are from Mexico; very large percentage of them are legal; the same family has worked for him maybe 50 years; most whites won’t do it anymore; he provides housing and helps them in other ways; he has helped 20 of them become citizens; the labor bureaucracy is unbelievable and is a huge problem for growers—automation is the future to lessen the problem. I don’t want to be an apple grower; man is it a lot of work and a lot of management even though it seems that they make a lot of money! HazelFromTheOtherSideOfTheMountains says—I just ask my brother-in-law Bobby if I have questions about anything; he knows everything, he thinks; it sure seems that way to me! That is maybe one of your problems Hazel, you got to find a person who is successful and knowledgeable and then listen to them!

On our way to hike on White pass we had breakfast at Elk Ridge Lodge which is owned by some old friends of Jeanne. They were right in the middle of a recent wildfire up ‘er in ‘em mountains that destroyed many acres. Their business did not burn but the fire was 15 feet from it (i.e. many fire fighters and a lucky change of wind direction really helped). They had to close for 7 weeks and lost all their food in their cooling units—A huge massive loss! Here is what we felt—When things like this happen to others we say, that is too bad and then we go on with our lives.  If it happens to us, it’s one big event. Aren’t we something else!  That sure seems that way to us! They vented with us for some time and we listened—They told us they are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It has been a big event for them!

We seem to think a lot alike! It sure seems that way to me! That is that Jeanne can read my mind, and I can read her mind (i.e. somewhat but there are some surprises, hahaha). Jeanne has a friend who has an Icelandic horse and rides it bareback. Her friend is probably in her early 70s soooo don’t think you are toooo old. She rides her horse using the liberty method which is by commands, body language, and reading each other’s minds. She showed us how she does it. It’s quite amazing. I guess if we are around each other long enough we understand each other (e.g. we know exactly what others are going to say or do before they do it)!  Or is it because we train each other! Crazy huh! Saturday question—How do we train a person without breaking their spirit? Or is it better to train a person by breaking their spirit? Or maybe it’s just better to train a person by using the hocus pokus method! Did you know that Moses and Aaron were in their 80s when they lead the Israelites out of Egypt? 

A super senior, in more ways than one, who I drink weekly coffee with said—I can act as senile as I have tooooo at times and get by with it! He thinks he gets selected for jury duty way tooooo often. The last time he was selected he was asked if he knew the person that was being tried and he said--yes I do and he is a jerk; I don’t know what he did but he’s guilty of it. He didn’t get selected! He said--That is one time when being over the top acting senile and opiniated benefited me; I hogged the spotlight for a long time!

We had our first visitors from IA (i.e. some old friends who are real and have good hearts, our kind of folks). We sure enjoyed them. As an old friend from IA who moved to WA said to me--I think they came to see what is happening to you erv!

ValvetElvis says—Success doesn’t fix anything. We have the same problems and compulsions and addictions, only now we have more stress and more problems and more pressure.

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

erv

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