it is or it isn't

David Letterman quipped, “Traffic signals in New York are just rough guidelines.” You folks are very smart folks; knowledge and wisdom just drips off of you.  Soooooo this “It’s Saturday” maybe produces very minimal rough guidelines for you and its probably just entertainment.  BUT that is ok, knowledge, wisdom and entertainment is a good mix for sure.  JoeSmart says—erv erv, your thinking at times is neanderthal and other times it’s civilized.  Ya, I agree JoeSmart, it all depends how it affects each person if they agree with it or not. Da! CadillacJack says—Soooo much of life is full of contradictions! Mostly erosion more than mudslides!

The old saying seems to be true—It’s my story, your story and the true story!  Sooooo I guess we all have to decide what the true story is which might not be the true story at all.  But how do we do that?  Good question! We are very opinionated folks for sure, we are educated differently, we all have different past and current environments, we all have different emotions, we all have different experiences etc.  Soooo the answer is—maybe we will never believe in the same story which is the right story!  Unless, we have no choice! Like we are not allowed to think for ourselves but told what the true story is and forced to believe it. I wouldn’t like that! Would you? I wouldn’t like to lose my freedom to decide. 

I stayed with the grandkids in Waukee for a couple of days this week as it was spring break for them.  They wanted to go to the park, have a shake and then go to Barnes and Noble soooo of course we did.  They found me and each had a book.  Rookie, age 8, says--Grandpa, will you buy these books for us?  How much?  Mine is $17 and Charlette's is $12.  I don't think sooooo!  He pouted and then finally said--Grandpa, is the reason you won't buy the books for us is because you don't have a credit card?

Soooo the next day we were going down the road and Rookie was riding shotgun.  We stopped again for a shade at McDonald's drive through.  I gave him the container with the shakes in and asked him if he would distribute them--Grandpa, I can't do that, I'm just a little guy--if you are big enough to ride shotgun then you have responsibilities--what does riding shot gun mean?--sooooo I had the opportunity to explain it which was a lot of fun for me--soooo we go down the road and he asks me what time is it--the clock is right there, look--I can't read a clock that doesn't have numbers on it--you are smart, you just need to put numbers on the marks, you can do it; he gave me the time.  Soooo we go down the road and I said, neither one of you said thank you for the shakes; they said thanks Grandpa--In fact neither one of you said thanks for me taking you to Blank Park Zoo; they said thank you--I told them it's very important to learn to say thing you--Rookie says--Grandpa, you need to know that some kids learn slower than others!

A corporate executive tells me that in the corporate world teams of executives talk and talk and say the same stuff and do it again next week but not much always gets done.  It can be boring (i.e. management protecting their back side mostly).  JoeBlow says--As long as we get our big check, we’re good! A friend told me that the most normal place for he and his wife is at the gym. Folks don’t get all bent out of shape (i.e. or do they) but just enjoy each other and work out.  He says—Then we go home and watch cooking shows and home improvement shows where there is no stress or anxiety.  And another friend says he and his wife watch a ton of Netflix.  They really like them. Oh, the new world that folks live in!

Hey folks, don’t be disappointed with your disappointments!  LuckieEddie says—erv, don’t be such a preacher!  Did you know that a good discussion leader speaks about 30% of the time, maximum; if the leader speaks more than that amount then they are preaching (i.e. it’s a lecture—pretty much about themselves). Ok, back to my statement.  We are all going to have disappointments soooo don’t be surprised; that is just the way it is (i.e. it is not if but when).  CoachB says—Most folks have to go through a whole lot of stuff to get where they want to go and sometimes folks don’t even get where they want to go.  Soooo don’t get disappointed.  I talked tooooo two business friends recently and we all agreed that the chase is much more fun than the kill (i.e. it’s fun to be in the hunt).  BUT we always don’t win, that happens a lot.  Sooooo don’t get disappointed when you don’t seem to win and then just don’t sit on the couch and eat chips; we all know what happens when you do that!  Ouchy ouchy! Disappointments are just disappointments which we all will have a lot of.  Suck it up cupcake and let’s get going!

Soooo the other night I dreamt that I was bear hunting with my neighbor; we were hunting bear as he didn't have any money to buy food.  I said to him--Jon, if we shoot a bear we'll have to clean it and then eat it; I don't think I would enjoy either; wouldn't it be a lot easier if I just gave you some money for groceries?  He said--I agree; that's a good idea.

A friend, who we both had a common experience in that our spouses battled dementia and then died, told me that some of her friends and husband’s friends where just super friends during his disease and his death and some didn’t show up.  Ouchy ouchy!  I had the same experience.  Soooooo what kind of friend are we? Some of our friends were there when it was really ugly; when it was easier not to be involved, when it wasn’t pretty at all.  They surely showed their colors.  And some friends wore big cowboy hats but owned no cattle! Another friend told me that the professional staff of the church they attend seem to be more concern about having enough money to pay their wages than anything else during the pandemic.  Ouchy ouchy! ItchieBitchie says--Cut those folks some slack; we all talk and do the opposite at times.  But money gets our attention alright; especially when it’s our money!

What do you think the history of this scoop is? It’s an interesting scoop alright.  Do you think it came from their family’s history? Maybe it’s an inheritance. Maybe it was bought on a garage sale or a farm sale of a family. Maybe it has a great history? What was it used for do you think? Why do they have it?  In rural America, some generations gave the farms to the boys (i.e. or favorite boy) and the girls got the dishes—it’s biblical a friend told me—some parents still do).  Maybe that is what happened and that is why this gal has this scoop.  SusieQ says—My parents own 1,000 acres of Butler County ground that is worth about $10,000 an acre; if my brother got it all and I got the dishes and the scoop I would not be happy (i.e. SusieQ, there are a lot of unhappy girls out there sweetheart). Yikes, I can hear some of ‘em gals grumbling right now!  MissPerfect says—It ain’t fair!  MissPerfect, the only thing that’s fair is the Butler County Fair and that’s in June. Yabut PapaJoe says, it biblical! Yabut that was 2,000 years ago when the culture didn’t treat females the same as males!

I heard a friend say—That wasn’t a problem in splitting up my parents’ wealth; I was the only child and I got it all!  I heard another friend say—If there is a dollar left in our checking account when we die, we messed up somewhere. Another friend did everything possible about being fair to his kids upon the death of he and his wife and when they died, the kids still fought about the money and thought it wasn’t fair.  And another friend just told me recently—We have all our wealth split up in our wills as to who gets what; they might not like it but that is the way we want it (i.e. there probably will be unhappiness).

When Chester and Anna died there was very little to nuttin to split up.  Maybe there was hard feelings, but I don’t know about any if there were.  Many times hard feelings always don’t show up on the surface.  ANYWAY, if there isn’t anything to split up, it eliminates hard feelings (i.e. money usually is the problem).  I call my sisters and I survivors.  We inherited nuttin and all seemed to do ok according to our thinking, I think.  Why that is I really don’t know but I have my believes (i.e. I believe we had good parents and we believe in God). Flip the pancake, I know folks who inherited a ton of money and it didn’t seem to work out very well for them (i.e. they are all mad at each other).  I also have my believes why that didn’t work sooooo well.  GeorgeTheCrook says—erv, you can believe what you want but I’ll take my changes with the ton of money! LuckieEddie says—Money gives folks options and I like options!

Recently our son, wife and grandkids came over for a Saturday to talk and eat Casey’s Pizza.  When Chet told Rookie they were going to granpa’s place he said—Dad, do you know grandpa has a died duck in the basement!  That is how I’m remembered—the grandpa with the dead duck in the basement.  I gave the grandkids some gifts.  When they got home, Charlie sent me the pic.  She offered to trade Rookie her chocolate Easter bunny for his string of lights—he said DEAL. I gave Chet an old ink bottle with a silver dollar, a silver half dollar and an old dime in it.  My Daddy, Chester, gave those to me when I was a kid.  They were in his desk for years and then in my desk for years and now Chet said—They will be in my desk for years.  The ink bottle is worth more than the coins I think but what fun (i.e. my opinion). But it’s not the farm and the scoop! 

You believe in God or you don’t; it’s one or the other; it can’t be both.  You believe Jesus is the truth or Jesus isn’t. Soooo if you are a believer, what are your favorite apologetics? Does money save you? How long is eternity compared to this brief time on this earth?  Dr.J says-- One deadly condition we can eliminate today is fear! Fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7). Live well, pray well, and be well—one day at a time. Oswald Chambers said--The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness. Thepersonnorthoftown, who knows a lot about a lot, says—When our earthly death occurs, money will not make much difference to our soul. YaBut, she can say that as she just inherited $10,000,000 plus the farm and the scoop.  She talks soooo big! But she’s got it all! TheModernDayWorkingLady, who is getting close to the end of the tunnel, says—We no longer live in neanderthal times!  At least most folks don’t! Do you realize that we have a female vice president of our country? WildWilly asks—Is that in a book? GeorgeTheCrook says—Ya, it’s in the book of Clarncemicheal!

MissPerfect, who is a spring upgrade, says—Folks tend to be in one of four categories: those who prefer cats to dogs, those who prefer dogs to cats and those who like or dislike both.  However, few are as funny about it as CrazyMarvin who says—I loathe folks who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven’t got the guts to bite people themselves!

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—With all the things you have to do tomorrow, it’ll be the busiest time of the year.