wrinkle

A friend said one of his grandmother’s sayings was—We get old soon and smart too late!

This is a fill in the blank exercise.  "WOW." "Thanks," "Help," are pretty good essentials to ________!

CrazyMarvin says--If we are honest, all of us are afraid of something. Maybe bees, health challenges, and losing memory to name a few. Some fears are bigger than others, but all of them might create an intense feeling of helplessness. ItchieBitchie says--Those fears can put a wrinkle in a person’s life let me tell ya! Fear has always been there and will always be there soooo I guess we need to learn how to manage fear.  You got any ideas?  What works for you? MissPerfect says—I buy more shoes; it seems to work for me! Such is life.

Here is a wrinkle that must work. You get an envelope that says you are “pre-selected.” Does that make you feel important and special? Does that make you want to quickly open the envelope to see what the deal is that you have been “pre-selected” for. Many must as advertisers use this method a lot.  Sooooo there!  Here is a hint—everyone and their dog are “pre-selected” sucker! “Fools will believe anything, but the wise think about what they do.” Proverbs 14:15 I have an acquaintance that half of what he says isn’t true and the other half I don’t believe!  Well, be careful folks, the world we live in has a lot of stuff that just ain’t true (i.e. it a sucker punch a.k.a. a wrinkle.  Now that is my opinion and my opinion ain’t worth anything (i.e. you know that, I’m just a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and quarter south or Roseland, MN). This wrinkle is tried on folks in the 55+ parks a lot, don’t kid yourself! They think we old folks are vulnerable!

Many folks in our park which is a 55+ park, have wrinkles. Sooooo some of their wrinkles came from smiling and some from frowning  I would guess. .Forehead lines, or frown or worry lines, are horizontal lines across the forehead and vertical lines between the eyebrows. Stress, worry and frowning can all contribute to how forehead lines form. Smile lines, or marionette lines, usually form on the sides of the mouth and can be related to laughing and smiling.  Saturday question—Sooooo what kind of wrinkles do you have? Really! 

A friend suggested we read this book. The author scientifically proves that spirituality is a major help to cure and prevent depression and other mental illnesses.  Some of you will still think it's all baloney. Well, the psychiatry world also thought that until proved differently. Maybe some still won't believe it!  I suggest you give it a read. Soooo why would parents not help their children to be spiritual and help them with their mind?  Or how about anyone who suffers or have it in their genetics. AverageJoe who is a real Road Runner, says--However much or little you have, "Thank you" is always a more powerful prayer than "I need more." I wonder if that attitude may help a person's mind and is part of spirituality?  What do you think? I don't know. It could be. Maybe. Probably.

David, anybody can be a David penned this in his old age--BUT as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. ~ Psalm 71:14 Hey, we all can do what we want. As a deceased friend would say to me—erv, we all make our own decisions and decisions have consequences, no question. BUT as for me…! Oh, by the way, have you ever noticed that when we are hungry, it changes our perception many times (i.e. now that is a different wrinkle)?  At least it does for me! Saturday question—What are we hungry for? Such is life.

I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--Those who have a best friend are blessed with a relationship of transparency and acceptance. For some, it is a sibling, for others, a non-family member. A friend is a person to whom you can pour out your heart, a person who will not judge you for the feelings you express. Many folks in these 55+ communities develop very good friendships. I hear that some find their best friendships in these communities. Huh interesting. Why is that do you think?  SusieQ  who is quicker than a hiccup, says—Folks are soooo nice here in the park and they make each other feel soooo good. I read in the paper, soooo it must be right, that community and friendship are very good for folks’ mental health.  What do you think? SusieQ goes on to say--Community and friendship couldn’t happen without you! BettyBoop says--Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. Well, Boop-Oop-a-Doop!

Have you noticed how our minds don’t always do what we tell it to do? It seems to play tricks on us; it seems to have its own wrinkles at times. It seems to have a mind of its own! Or maybe we forget to turn on our computer or we don’t know how to program it. Or maybe we have an old computer or not one at all. Or maybe we have a loose wire. All are possibilities let me tell ya! And many folks are opposed to artificial intelligence! Hey, we have to adapt to what we have been given. The shoveler duck has a shovel for a beck, so it swims in a circle swinging its head back and forth while using its shoveled beak as a shovel to catch food. It works for this duck. What choice does it have!  The shoveler is a  bird we saw while birding and it’s also the funniest name of a bird of one of the expert birders we were with.

Clelan, not everyone can be a Clelan, was telling us about the little town in the Cascade Mountains called Leavenworth  that was just disappearing. Some visionary folks decided to make it a Bavarian looking town and the locals bought into it and now it is a striving little town up ‘er in ‘em mountains that is just jammed with folks; a day destination for fun. A new wrinkle it was. Bingo! Soooo what can we learn from that situation?

We watched Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Women Hawkeyes play Indiana the other night. There was a video interview between Caitlin and Coach K that I found interesting. Coach K said--I would have really enjoyed coaching you as you are soooo real. Soooo there you go! I really believe that being real is a good wrinkle. I really like real folks; not soooo much the fakers and phonies!  DuaneTheWorm is not a real person and only cares about himself (i.e. a huge massive self-glorifying person).  Ouchy ouchy! I don’t even think other fakers and phonies like toooo be around him. Yikes! WorldClassLarry says--People who shine from within don't need the spotlight.

A volunteer was telling us that their supervisor is a pain. Someone asked him, what do you mean a pain. He said—She thinks she’s the second coming of the Savior; we just stay away from her, and our lives are much better. Wopsy Daisy! Well, flip the pancake. We were in contact with a volunteer supervisor who was just the opposite; she is soooo well liked; everyone enjoys her. Why is she soooo well liked do you think? Maybe two different wrinkles! Bingo! Saturday question—Which wrinkle do we have?

Here is a wrinkle that irritates me!  Yes, it does. It is folks who say they are open minded but are only open minded in what they think and believe but won’t listen to someone who disagrees with them. How can a person be open-minded but not listen to another point of view that is different or opposite than theirs?  I just don’t get it. To me that is being closed minded. Maybe I’m just not open minded in thinking that way! Could be!

I talked about feeding the wild horses last week. Here is an interesting wrinkle in their feeding. They use to feed the wild horses at three locations at mid-morning, at noon, and mid afternoon soooo folks could come and find them (i.e. big tourist attractions—bus loads).  But now they feed them at three locations but all at dawn. Two reasons—Some of the smarter horses figured it out and ate three times (i.e. made pigs of themselves) but the bigger problem was some of the tourists who became obnoxious, disrespectful, and just plain ugly to the volunteers and the horses (i.e. not tooooo many folks come out at dawn--that seemed to solve that problem).  WildCoyote says--There are always a few that ruin it for everyone else.  Such is life.

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—What’s the use of having an enemy if you can have a friend?

dissension

Disclaimer:  You might not agree with what is in this "It’s Saturday"; hardly anyone agrees with anyone else in this world anymore.  You might think it's looonnnng! Sooooo don’t be surprised. It’s just the way it is. Sooooo, read it as you know better! Just dink it! Soooo I don't expect you to agree with anything in this "It's Saturday."  Why should you!

There can be dissention in political parties, in countries, in churches, in families, in businesses, in teams, in marriages, in partnerships, in our own minds, in clubs, between dogs, on the road, on the pickleball court, at 55+ resorts, in friendships, etc. There is dissention all over the place. Soooo who usually wins?  LuckieEddie says--Usually the side that has the biggest and most guns which is the same as the most money (i.e. most power) wins!  Da! Or do they really! JoeSixPack says—C’mon erv, it’s always about the money! Don’t kid yourself! 

GeorgeTheCrook says--There has been gun fights on main street forever and many wars as well. Folks haven’t agreed forever. It ain’t nuttin new GeorgeTheCrook. The Bible says—There will be wars and rumors of wars forever. Folks just can’t agree. There is always dissention. Folks can’t even agree how much to spend on Christmas presents! MissPerfect says to her husband CrazyMarvin—Your mother was just obnoxious at Christmas; I can’t stand her; next year I might not go and have dinner with your family. And your two ex-wives from TX, what about them, do they really have to come for Christmas dinner? But now your dad, I like him

Just another day in the park! As a friend says--Life goes on, it’s a game.  Yogi Berra says—"If you come to a fork in the road, --- take it".  You come to a decision point in your life, and you must either go right or left.  If you go right, and it turns out the wrong decision, simply go back to the fork in the road, and take the other route. Such is life.

Soooo it appears that there are two sides in America and they disagree (i.e. maybe there is some dissention in these two sides, could be, maybe, possibly, I don’t know). Sooooo each side wants what they want.  If either side got what they want, they would probably have complete control of the other side (i.e. suppress the other side to say uncle or as the terrorists do, kill them, get rid of the opposition if they don’t agree). If either side would win and take control, what would the landscape look like? Both sides say that the other side is destroying America! As a professor, dean, and doctor once said—It’s a lot easier to lead a revolution than being a leader of an existing group (i.e. this person has been around the block a few times let me tell ya, he might be right). My neighbor a.k.a. the desert rat, says--Hey listen, it’s hard to get it just the way I like it. Such is life.

Dave, anybody can be a Dave, said that the Bible says--There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Holy Smokes, I think all of them could cause dissension. What do you think?  That is what I thought. Flip the pancake--I read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it expressed by John, anybody can be a John--Three are  three things we should do in order to get along with people: We should live in harmony with each other, we should not be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people and we should not think that we know it all (i.e. for the most part, it is pride that keeps people from harmony),. Well, jumping cholla!

I quizzed a seemingly very smart, highly educated new acquaintance recently asking him if he is conservative or liberal.  His answer was that he was a businessman and that made him somewhat conservative, but he is very liberal in being a naturalist. He is not a registered voter to either party and votes independently. He went on to say—He believes that there is really not much difference in most folks with their core believes but just on certain pieces of thinking but saying that, maybe, the radicals a.k.a. extremists might be a different looking AZ roof rat (i.e. I think I understood him correctly). Personally, I agree with him.

Have you ever noticed that most folks are happier when they get what they want than when they don’t? AverageJoe says--It’s more fun to win than to lose! Many times, it seems that if folks don’t get what they want, all…breaks lose. They are like little kids who don’t get what they wanted for Christmas!  Ouchy ouchy! And many don’t want to pay for it or work for it, let someone else do that!  AverageJoe asks--Sooooo how does that work anyway? LuckieEddie says--There ain’t nuttin free or is there? LittleJoey tells his mom—Just use your credit card mommy! Soooo I bought something at a convenience store recently and the guy ahead of me bought a pack of Marlboro cigs; it was $9.20.  I asked William, the clerk—Did you overcharge him—no no, all I can say is that it is wild inflation!

Do we ever get to a point of dissention within our self? RickyRick says—"As a pastor for over 40 years, I’ve talked to thousands of people, and I’ve discovered only three things that cause people to change: pain, perspective, and having no other choice. Most people don’t change until we feel the heat. There is no breakthrough until we have the breakdown! We all come to a point where there is a breakdown of our pride, our arrogance, and our self-sufficiency when we realize we can’t do it on our own” A friend and I have talked multiple times that very few folks will change unless they have a spiritual experience; it sure seems that way to us. Just look around, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. What do  you think? That is what I thought. ItchieBitchie says—Look around, most folks don’t change it appears, but some do! Soooo let’s get back to the dissention we might have within ourselves at times.  Where does it come from and how do we get rid of it?  I like this and believe in it (i.e. you might not soooo that makes it my opinion)-- Why, my soul, are you down cast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. ~ Psalm 42:11 CadillacJack says—erv, that is an insane idea; it might sound insanely to you CadillacJack but it works for me! There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.

WorldClassLarry says--Learn to use what you have left! I think WorldClassLarry seems like he is talking directly to me. Soooo what do I have left is the question. Saturday question—What do you have left in the tank? WildWillie says--Some folks get jealous of your slice when they have a half a loaf! Why is that do you think? And some folks are always jealous. And why is that anyway? Does that cause dissension in their head do you think?

We were invited to have a New Year’s Day good luck meal with friends. Have you ever had a good luck meal. I think it’s a Southern tradition maybe.  The different kinds of food were traditional foods of different countries that are perceived to give good luck (i.e. one couple does this every year on New Year’s Day as a tradition—what fun). Man, is 2024 going to be a lucky year for us! No question!  We ate smashed potatoes with sauerkraut on top, black eyed beans, skillet cornbread, and collard greens, and pork with onions.  I tell ya folks, it was really good; a great day in the park was had!

Dissension could be two butt heads butting heads. Antonyms of dissension are peace and harmony. I was thinking that it seems and it appears that when there is love between two folks, they think of each other a whole lot and when that happens folks serve the other person and that creates a feeling of thinking of the other person maybe more than themselves (i.e. no darts are thrown, or stingers are said) and that creates a feeling of peace and harmony).  MissPerfect says—That sounds really simple, but I can’t always do that; you don’t know my friend, Mable, she’s a beast to be around! I was helping a divorced guy here in our park who wants a woman. He told me that he had dated a lot of women and one of them was from TX who loved her horse, Trixie, more than him. She was not for me! JoeBlow said—That was probably a pretty good decision; that might have created some dissention!

JoeBlow says--When we have dissention in our mind, maybe the best way to solve it is to answer our own questions. Therapists talk to folks in hopes that they will answer their own questions.  It seems to work a lot better when we answer our own questions and not being preached tooooo and have someone else make our decisions. I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it which might help the dissent in our minds, big on the maybe--A pandemic of joy is a big cure for a more peaceful, just, sustainable, healthier, and joyful mind.

We had the opportunity to be invited to go see the wild horses in the desert by The Salt River guided by a major level volunteer (i.e. a pickleballer buddy). We learned a lot. They currently have 409 horses and some volunteers know all their names and follow them regularly. The number is regulated by the state. One way is through darting of the maires to prevent pregnancies. All the hay feed, yes, they are feed, is paid by donations (i.e. soooo are they really totally wild horses). The hay has to be the best alfalfa and is also regulated by the state. Each bale cost currently $19. The whole program is in constant dissension. Some want the horses and others don't; a ongoing dissension.

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

erv

MyFriendJean said--Let each day be your masterpiece...even silence has a melody of its own.

PS   Roy, not anybody can be a Roy said-- erv, I didn’t know about National Milk Day. That is udderly amazing!  I think my response will be the cream of the crop!

highly evolved

A friend sent this to me; he also sent it to his business team--Good morning, today is National Milk Day. How many of you knew that? 1%? 2%?  Here are some of his responses he got--Sorry, I didn't read the whole thing...I just skimmed it! I would expect butter of you! I can't churn out dairy jokes all day! I'm in the 0%! Sooooo folks, I would like to hear your responses?

I have been wrong before as you know soooo take that into consideration when reading this “It’s Saturday.”  In fact, I really don’t know if I have ever been right (i.e. maybe once).  Sooooo, don’t take anything I write tooooo seriously.  You folks are highly evolved folks soooooo I’m not trying to influence you but maybe make you think about some stuff as maybe some of you are stiff necked, stubborn and think you know all the answers, everybody knows that!  That is a "maybe" folks, a big maybe! I can't judge if you fit the category for sure! Such is life.

We were hikin’ up ‘er in ‘em mountains and met a senior couple coming down the mountain as we were going up. She was about 30 yards ahead of him and we said hi to her but Nerak, not everybody can be a Nerak, stopped and talked to us. They were highly involved and highly evolved hikers as they have hiked all over the world and all over AZ.  Nerak suggested to us a couple of hiking trails that we have not hiked and some other information. We said—You better get going as your wife is waiting for you about 50 yards down the mountain.  Nerak said—She says that there were many men she could have married, and she had to get a bullshitter! Hey, that's what he said!

Do you know anyone or have you known anyone who was wise beyond their age a.k.a. highly evolved? Soooo what does that being highly evolved mean to you? We probably are all evolve but at different levels and at different times I would guess, hopefully.  LuckieEddie says--Some folks seem to stay stagnant. We went to a dance here in our park the other night.  I was very surprised to see how dancing has evolved; the majority of the dancing was line dancing.  I think that is a big change.  And they loved it!  And by far, most of the line dancers were woman and most of the guys really didn’t care much about it it seemed! 

A friend that I made down here in our 55+ community told us the story that he saved a lot of money in his life by quitting smoking and quitting drinking. BUT the most money he saved was by quitting playing golf! Besides, the most fun I had with golf was when I quit he said! He said about himself—I was given the name of Richard but I have been a Dick all my life.

Another friend told me that he discontinued doing volunteer work using a talent he has (i.e. he is highly talented and trained a.k.a. highly evolved). I asked him if he enjoys it soooo much why did he quit. He said—It seemed like folks didn’t appreciate me or what I did; I became discouraged. This person is a strong and confident person, but it proves that everyone needs encouragement. Soooo let’s not forget that no matter how highly evolved a person is, they still need encouragement. I think, my opinion, is if we love someone, we need to tell them and show them that we do. They need to know it; encourage it. Or else…!

Some older tennis players were telling me that they have “aged out!!  They thought they were good at some age, but they have finally accepted that they are not anymore. BUT it took some years for them to figure that out!  SusieQ says--To accept that is hard for many folks. I will admit that somethings just aren’t as important to me as they were some years ago; I really don’t care soooo much about some things that I did before. BUT there are some things that are much more important to me, and I care a whole lot more about. No question. Bingo! And I think I'm probably happier! Maybe I just finally am evolving! Could be!

Nah, not today!  You ever have that feeling of not wanting to do something today. Some things it seems I want to do and I don’t at the same time.  Some days I just don’t feel like doing something and some days I do. Crazy for sure! I’m not sure why I feel that way but there must be a reason. I’m really something else let me tell ya!  We were walking in our 55+ community recently when we had a fun conversation with an old Iowan friend I made here.  We had a great time. We shared a lot of stuff and laughed a lot together. One thing that he was serious about was he told us that he struggles with his faith in Jesus: he says he sorta kinda waffles on that from day to day.

Vicki, anybody can be a Vicki, who is in our park, has a huge massive motor and she seems to always run it wide open and gets a lot done with her passion of helping mentally challenged folks.  She is really fun to be around to experience all her excitement (i.e. highly evolved and involved). She has done it for14 years I think. She gets emotional about it. She really has her heart in it. I read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--Philosophy is really a way of life, how we choose to act. Oliver Wendell Holmes says--“Some people are so heavenly minded that they are not earthly good.”  Not Vicki! Oh no! A friend told me that it appears that folks bring their same personality here to AZ that they have back home; they really don’t chance.  Now think about that will ya!

We were talking to Leonard from Hutchinson, MN in our park the other day. He told us that he owns an Indian motorcycle that is probably 8 years old and has 108,000 miles on it.  He has driven it all over even to Alaska.  How old are you anyway Leonard—I’m 82. Well, good for you Leonard.  Soooo we go down the street and see an Indian motorcycle parked in a drive. We were looking at it and Julie came home (i.e. her home is in Washington state) and it was her husband’s. She said it is a 2019 and it cost $40,000. What are those little bells hanging from the bottom of the motorcycle—gremlin bells—what are they for—to keep the gremlins away which will give us a safe ride—oh! She invited us to stop at their patio anytime they have a party, everyone is welcome. Such nice folks we get to be around—they are very evolved and involved!

We had the opportunity to go birding with some highly involved and highly evolved and highly renowned birders yesterday. It was a great, new experience let me tell ha! We learned a whole lot and found out that birders are a unique group (i.e. like a fraternity). We were really amazed how much these birders that we were with knew and how they dressed and the equipment they have. But we were also really surprised in that about 130 birds are going to be probably renamed as they are named after people of the Civil War time and now are not politically correct according to some folks! Crazy to us and as well toooooo some birders but not tooooo others. We did feel and see how birding is just a great hobby for sooooo many folks (i.e. really didn't realize that before). Of course the folks we were with were on the extreme high end of the spectrum and we was on the extreme low end of the spectrum!  We really had a great time with some great folks a.k.a. high shelf folks, no question!

We all started out as little babies who cried when we wanted something or someone to change our pants and feed us. We have really evolved now haven’t we. Maybe some folks more than others I would guess. Soooo why is that? Some folks it seems are hardly past being potty trained. It has to be genetics, past environment or current environment. SusieQ says—Some folks seem to get all the breaks by being highly evolved early!

Here is maybe a highly evolved response from a highly evolved friend that I got last week--I appreciated your thoughts on gratitude. I had a friend who put it this way – Just imagine that when you woke up tomorrow the only things you had were the things you thanked God for today.

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—Don’t let your mind become so busy that your heart can’t respond.

attitude of gratitude

AlaskanDave told me that he is very fortunate to be alive; he said he has an attitude of gratitude. Why? I have my own plane and fly all over Alaska, many miles over barren, uninhabited land, over no man's land. One day the motor blew up on my plane and it happened at a place that I could coast in and make a landing. The odds of that happening are very very small. I could have very easily died.

Good stuff --- Glad you made it to Arizona minus the bike ---- reminds me of an incident that happened to my brother Sid.  He had a son, and he planned a one on one weekend with him up in the mtgs of Colorado to explain to him the "facts of life" -just the two of them.  He had a large square Winnebago, and pulled a boat behind it.  They proceeded to head for the mts west of Colorado Springs to a favorite camping spot with a small lake.  Upon arrival at the camp site he found his slot only to find out that the boat was missing from behind the camper.  He immediately headed back down the curvy mountain road and waved the first car he saw to stop and ask them if he happened to see a boat.  The man replied ---- well, yes, about a mile down there is a boat standing right next to the road --- and right next to a 1000 ft drop-off.  All turned out fine, and the "facts of life" weekend with his son was wonderful.  --------

I read what Lisa wrote, anybody can be a Lisa that was transported to me by Patti, and anybody can be a Pati while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it—"In a society that has you counting money, pounds, calories and steps, be a rebel and count your blessings instead.” JoeBlow says—C’mon erv, that’s not American, we gotta have more and I want it now. Maybe they will invent a pill to fix us!  Could be! My mentor would say to me—erv, the world measures success by how much money folks have. A friend suggested I read the novel The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom. It was a challenging, thought-provoking book that really stimulated me in many ways (i.e. I had many thoughts).  Maybe think about giving it a read.

RickyRick said—"Do you need a little refreshment in your life? Are you feeling a little dried up? Do you need some revival? Come back to God.” Many, maybe, could be, probably some of you might say—That ain’t goin’a work, it’s tooooo easy, it doesn’t cost much so it can’t be any good! Soooo the regulator of my shower was stuck pretty tight and didn’t operate right.  Soooo I went to Lowe’s and asked Pete, the plumber guy, what I should do.  He suggested that I first take the front off of it and put some vinegar on it to try to dissolve the slime and crap from the built up of the water that comes from behind Roosevelt Dam; it’s full of chemicals, minerals, etc. which builds up. Then spray it with Blaster which is an oil-based product to dissolve crap build up. I thought, ya right! That ain’t goin’a work; that’s too simple and it doesn’t cost much. But it worked! Man was I impressed. Most things I do aren’t that easy. Man, was I happy! 

CoachB says—"You can’t enjoy life to the fullest by living life routinely and grudgingly doing the Same 0 Same O.  I enjoy life. Hey, it’s up to each one of us.” Suck it up baby and let’s get going; we’re burning day light! If I think that way and you think that way, it must be right; we ain’t that smart to be the only two in world that know that!  CrazyMarvin says—I like my life that’s boring and routine and I like to be grumpy; it really works for me soooo leave me alone will ya. And don’t give me that crap!

An ID friend here in the Valley of the Sun was explaining some different products available which were over my head, of course, but that doesn’t take much!  ANYWAY, he said that some of them are like a shiny, waxed hood (i.e. look soooo good) but when you get under the hood, it's a way different thing (i.e. misconceiving).  Flip the pancake—I know folks who are just ordinary looking hoods but when you open the hood, holy smokes, are they something, dynamite! CadillacJack says—Soooo don’t judge someone by the looks of the outside of their hood!

Have you ever been in a gloomy mood? MissPerfect who is a big idea person a.k.a. a shaker and mover says--A mysterious sadness seems to hover around me sometimes? I ask myself, where did that come from? Why do I feel that way?  And then it dissipates! And why did it leave about as fast as it came? I was playing pickleball the other morning and a person said something to me that was a stinger to me (i.e. I don’t know if she did it intentionally or not, maybe she didn’t even know she said it or had any intent). I didn’t take it toooo seriously as she can do that, but it did affect me some. Then in a few minutes it was gone as another person interacted with me which completely dissipated that feeling because they said something very positive. Bingo! Sooooo tell my how I can understand those feelings I had.

Name three amazing folks in your life (i.e. amazing folks are usually folks who have affected our lives). Have you thanked them lately? If not, why not?  

Sooooo I have a battle going on in me, yes I do. I want to slow down but yet I want to get after it! Crazy huh! ItchieBitchie says--erv, wake up and do something, not just something but do the right something. Sooooo I decided I am going to slow down (i.e. if I can change my mind set that is but still I’m going to get after it in doing the right things) haha.  I can spend a lot of time doing the wrong things, but I need to do the right things!  Ok, but now I need to figure out what are the right things!  How in the world am I going to do that! Such is life.

Plato said—"Lovers are typically blind regarding the one they love. As we, in a sense, love ourselves most of all, we are also most blind with regard to our own faults. The majority of us therefore struggle to attain the self-awareness required to improve our lives.” TomSmart says--Writing down the virtues possessed by a hypothetical wise man or woman, or those we aspire to ourselves, is usually a very beneficial exercise. Marcus Aurelius says—“Encourage yourself to replace the feeling of desire by the feeling of gratitude. Instead of desiring what we don’t have, we should be grateful for what we do have by imagining the loss of what we hold dear.” Sooo I hear a lot of prayers in churches which are “I want, I want, and I want!”  Not near as many prayers I hear that say “thank you, thank you, and thank you.”  Just maybe we should change that. What do you think? That is what I thought! SlimySlime says—C’mon erv, I always want more and I want it now! erv, where do you live anyway!

MyNeighborToTheSouth says--Gratitude makes us happy (i.e. we have happiness growing under our feet and we just don’t talk about it). WorldClassLarry says—Folks who are grateful are always happy, always! We talked to Ben on the street in his electric scooter as he can’t walk very well anymore.  He has almost died several times he told us and is very grateful to be alive and said his little scooter does him well. He was going up to the workout center to workout.

Here is a story of attitude of gratitude! I became friends with a couple here in the park (i.e. great folks with good hearts, my kind of folks). ANYWAY she stopped and talked to me the other day.  I said to her--I hear you are going on a huge massive trip and part of it is going back to the area where you grew up—yes, we are—you will probably run into your old boyfriend—I could but he lives here in the Valley of the Sun, I have not seen him nor do I want tooooo—when were you friends—four years in high school and one year after high school, I am really appreciative that we broke our friendship, he was not a nice person and sorta kinda was abusive to me, I didn’t know any better, I was young, what was I thinking! ANYWAY, besides I really got a gem—You sure did—you were very fortunate, what a break you caught!

I was laying in bed early one morning recently and thinking about what is important to me. Saturday question—What is important to us?  Really! Are we sure what we think is important is really important to us or do we think what is important is important because others tell us it is?  That is what I was thinking to some degree; I maybe, could be, probably am listening toooo much to others.  Am I doing what I really want to do or am I doing stuff because others tell me what I need to do, and not what I like to do or what I should do. Who is making that decision, me or others I asked myself. And what is really important to me anyway? If some things are important to me then why don’t I do them instead of doing what others think is important and tell me what I should do.  Crazy, I thought. Sooooo, I want to go down my trail doing what is important to me and what I enjoy doing, not what the world tells me I should do (e.g. the advertising on TV).  I think I will appreciate life much more and have a much better attitude. That is my opinion. Your opinion might be different. We are all different, just look around folks; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out! AverageJoe says--Remember we are all unique just like everybody else.

For years we get a Christmas letter from friends that is unique. Tom, the father, tells stories through quotes of his family which are just plain funny (i.e. very refreshing to me).  He says this is his last year he is doing this. Soooo here is one about having a attitude of gratitude--At the extended family thanksgiving, we were asked to name something we were thankful for. After 15+ thoughtful answers from family...Katelyn (i.e. daughter): "Well, I'm thankful that I'm the most athletic in the family."  Tom: (To be fair, we weren't asked to be HUMBLE and thankful - just thankful.) 

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

erv

MyFreindJean says—When you are good to others, you are best to yourself.

2024

Will you be taking on any new adventures in 2024 or will your new year pretty much be the same O

same O like kicking the same can down the same street and calling it good a.k.a. just planning on existing another year!

My garbage disposal was leaking in my tin hut soooo I had to replace it. Age will do that, right? A problem it could be, maybe, possibly or an opportunity!  I went to ask a friend if he would help me with the project as he is very handy and full of knowledge about a lot of stuff including garbage disposals I figured.  He is Canadian and his wife told me that in Canada they call them garburators!  What!  We put it in together, he did the work and I watched; it worked well! ANYWAY, later we sat on their deck and talked for about a half an hour, and I learned a lot from them (i.e. great folks with good hearts, my kind of folks). Sorta kinda a problem that turned into a great opportunity! Bingo!

Soooo will you be taking on anything a little risky in 2024 or playing it safe? Of course, if we don’t take on anything risky, we won’t have to suffer any unhappiness with a potential failure and God only knows many folks don’t like to handle failures.  When we were in MO looking for where Jeanne’s past family that are buried up ‘er in ‘em hills in a little cemetery by a little, rural Baptist church we had to drive on narrow, windy roads to get there. They had no guard rails on their bridges and folks better pay attention or else. Only in MO, as other places would have guard rails to protect everyone. I guess those descendants of the moonshiners are used to taking risk! haha We had a good laugh. Soooooo do you need guard rails or are you going to take your chances in 2024?

I ever sooo often get off kilter, out of whack, lose my priority, don’t think right, think I’m more important than I am, get cocky, am not appreciative enough and those are just for starters!  In other words, I can become a mess.  When I see it, I humble myself and recalculate my journey, readjust, fix it, etc. a.k.a. grab the bull by the horns! A big part of this reshaping is to realize that I’m not in control and that I need to slow down, do my life unhurriedly, hold the horses, reanalyze, become less intense, not soooo involved, smell the roses, settle back and see the big picture and just enjoy. In other words, revert back to being myself! Does any of this make any sense to you?  That is what I thought!

Maybe this person is a smart person and maybe not (i.e. you decide) but anyway he says--Reflection is one of the best ways to learn from the past. Considering our experiences, decisions, and behaviors of the past allows us to see what we like and don’t like, what we value, where our strengths and weaknesses lie, what we want to do more of or less of, the people that give us or drain our energy, and much more.

I’m a Viktor Frankl fan and have read his book Man’s Search for Meaning maybe three times; it is an icon book. It’s a good one, my opinion. ANYWAY, I find it many times that it’s not the other person’s fault but mine. I’m the one who is wrong. Now that is humbling!  I admit it, it is.  One of Mr. Frankl’s sayings is this—"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

RickyRick says—”Everyone wants to know the antidote to anxiety because we all experience it…set a pace that is gentle and have a humble heart; that will bring a good life and not a weary life.  Learning how to live like this is a process. You don’t learn it overnight because you didn’t develop your overloaded lifestyle overnight. But no matter how long it takes, you’re going to learn to trust Him…learn how to be gentle and humble. But how is that going to help you? Gentleness and humility don’t seem like the natural cure for being stressed out and tired. Maybe we would expect it to be, ‘learn to have endurance and stamina’… gentleness and humble will overcome aggression and arrogance, the two of the biggest causes of stress and emptiness in life…aggression is when we don’t want to wait for anything, and we get over-committed; it’s the opposite of gentleness.” That is RickyRick's opinion. You can choose your own opinion. BUT a friend would say to me when I was in business--There is no person with endurance like a person who sells insurance! Such is life.

In our 55+ community a.k.a. the Winter Camp for the Experienced as named by a couple from Las Vegas, there are many many opportunities to spend my time. There are hobby groups for pretty much anything anyone wants to do.  And if there isn’t one, they say, start one and folks do. Most of the groups are always soliciting more people to join their groups; and many folks join many groups of activity. Many folks really like this lifestyle. But for many, they have to be selective, they can’t join them all, there isn’t enough time even though they might have an interest. Oh, being selective makes a huge massive difference in what our lives look like. ItchieBitchie says—We have choices, and those choices will affect our life!  I plan to start a new group here in 2024 that I have an interest in. Let’s see what happens! I am going to organize it using personal invites. JoeBlow who can be like a constant nasal drip, says—Are you crazy erv, wonder if no one wants to join; that could really hurt your ego! If I were you, I would take the easy way and do nuttin rather than taking a chance in hurting your ego! CoachB says—There is a constant battle. There is a constant war for our mind, for our spirit and even for your money and if we don’t understand the tactics of war we will lose to the enemy every time! That is what he said; you believe that?  Sooooo do we need to think about maybe being more selective?

My new neighbor and I were getting to know each other some. He told me that he got married for the first time at the age of 47—what! what took you soooo long! He said he had a good job, but the company went broke soooo he had to find another job, he delivered bread for a bakery. The stores wanted the bread to be delivered at 6 in the morning, but he had a very good customer that was a convenient store soooo he would deliver their bread at 5:30 every morning. There was a lady who came in for her coffee each morning at 5:30 and he started to talk to her; it took him a year and a half before he asked her out; the rest is history!  His wife has now passed on from cancer and he is a widower.  He walks around much like I did for several years, like in a funk (i.e. I can relate to that). He should move to Canada where my friend, the garburator installer and his wife live; the complex they live in there is 100 single women to every 10 single men!  Our 55+ community has a lot of single women tooooo!  Maybe that is why he moved here!  Could be! BUT neighbor, the best one is taken buddy!

We make plans and they maybe are good plans but for some reason they always don’t work out. I had just that happen to me and it will happen to me again and again, probably in 2024. It ain’t nuttin new folks. I actually expect it. I’m not surprised. The best plans don’t always work out even though I think they should. They are not like a proven equation of A plus B equals C! There are toooo many variables that I have no control over. I try to be resilient and bounce back. I like the scenario of a basketball (i.e. I like basketball and enjoyed playing and coaching it)—When I bounce the basketball it comes right back to me (i.e. however I bounce it I get the same result back). If I bounce it off my foot, the result isn’t as good! Ouchy ouchy! Sometimes I must adjust my plans!  Such is life.

I sat next to Paul at church recently. He told me he was originally from IA and went to the National Livestock Show in Denver as a young man to look for a cow but instead got a wife!  Soooo he said, I moved to Denver. We had a good, long marriage until she passed on. Then when I was 78, I married my second wife, and we live half the time in Canada as that is her home and the other half in AZ for the winter; I have the best of two worlds.  How old are you Paul—92...we were hoping for 5 good years and holy smokes! His wife had her hand on his hand the whole service. Bliss!

Saturday question—Are you darn tough?  We had a rare rainy morning recently here in the Valley of the Sun and Jeanne and I were sitting on the couch while looking outside watching the rain and sipping our morning coffee. She had her Darn Tough brand wool socks on, and she said to me—erv, we are darn tough just like my socks. We had a very delightful conversation. What do you think we talked about? Huh, interesting!

CoachB says—"What we want is not often what we need, and a wise person focuses on and trains their heart to what they need instead on what lower nature says they want.” Most of us have options in life. We get to choose and make decisions in how we are going to live our lives. We pretty much do. And our decisions have consequences and guess who gets to make those decisions!  You got it! 

Try to think through this and understand it. It’s really toooo big for me to understand, I admit it. 2024 might bring some incredible great things that might happen to us that we just can’t understand or deserve and also some seemingly maybe some terrible things that might happen to us that we just can’t understand either. Could be maybe probably, I don't know! Soooo why?  And do we deserve them; probably we don’t think sooooo, for sure. Why do they happen? And the simple answer is: Because He is God and God is God and He is in charge. He is not human, but He is God! Bingo! Doesn’t human rationale make us wonder. Some things seem to be counterintuitive, at least to me they do.  One of my favorite verses that I really believe is—His understanding I cannot fathom. It makes my life much more enjoyable when I accept that and somewhat understand it. I have received beatitudes in my life a.k.a. supreme blessings! Saturday question—Have you ever received a beatitude?

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

erv

MyFriendJean said--To understand a person you must understand their memories.

Christmas

SusieQ says--Maybe I will try to just be quiet, be in silence, and take in all the wonders of Christmas and not make soooo much noise or try to impress everyone like most of the world seems to try to do; in other words, just be humble. I wonder as I wander; yes, I do. Saturday question—Do you know why bells and cymbals are rug at Christmas?

Christmas surely can be a time of joy, but it also can be a time of sadness too (i.e. for many reasons). I hope we share the joy with others but also are thinking of folks who have sadness a.k.a. tough sledding.  I hope we do!  Steve, anybody can be a Steve, says—"It’s likely someone you know needs encouragement. You’d be amazed how a phone call, listening ear, text, email, or handwritten note could bless someone today. Go for it. Share the love of Jesus with someone who needs it.”

When I was a lad on the farm a mile and a quarter south of Roseland, MN, I was fascinated when I would set up the dominos and then watch them tumble down by hitting each other. Actually, I still do!  I think we see the domino effect in our culture by folks who do bad things, say bad thing, and by folks who say and do good things; this effect is maybe passed on from one generation to another. Soooo is that our genetics, our past environment or our current environment? Will the domino effect always continue? Can the bad chain be broken and the good chain continue? WorldClassLarry says—Somehow, we need to determine what the good and bad is! It doesn’t appear that everyone thinks the same about that! Ouchy ouchy!

Do you ever waffle about a decision?  Of course you do! I do, one minute I think it’s a good idea and the next I don’t think sooo!  I had such a waffling experience about doing something for Christmas. I finally made a decision and then even wondered if I made the right decision (i.e. sorta kinda like buyer remorse). It was about doing something to make others merry and jolly.  It was a battle I had going on inside of me. Guess which dog won?

Do you ever overreact about situations, both good and bad?  Do you ever overreact over Christmas?  It appears that many folks do, my opinion. Do you ever get going toooo fast for our own good? I remember two old friends who are now both deceased, who disliked Christmas immensely, couldn’t wait until it was over.  They told me this several times every year. They both said Christmas was over played and it put way tooooo much pressure on them and their families. It became no fun. That was their opinion. Well, they don’t have to worry about it anymore. I enjoy Christmas, well most of it or at least some of it!!! Hey, someone(s) decorated my tin hut for Christmas! What a hoot! Maybe they thought I need more jolly and merry! haha

Christmas stuff—Kids are wishing for special toys and stuff for Christmas. It’s a lot of fun for many kids.  Adults toooo wish for stuff.  What are you wishing for? Well, most of the stuff we wish for we don’t get if we don’t work for it (i.e. unless it’s a government give away that is).  Reality is most folks wish for much stuff but don’t do much effort to get it except wish.  Yes, I have to admit that I have had a lot stuff fall into my lap it appears. I have no idea why. And much of the stuff was really good stuff!!! Really good!!!! AverageJoe told me that the more he gives the more he receives. You believe that? Or is he way out in left field! O is is right field?

The OtherWarrenFromOmaha sent me this--I was in the local Hi-Vee the other day picking up a few groceries, like lettuce, grapes, and a bunch.of bananas (they do not sell half bananas in Omaha) ,  waiting in the checkout line ( I hate self-checkouts).   I put my items on the moving belt, with a metal bar separating my items from the lady ahead of  me,  when all of a sudden the check out gal removed the bar and began checking out my items  to the lady ahead of me.  I said " stop, stop, those are my items, and not hers".  The checkout gal simply smiled at me and said. "Don't fret about it, she wants to pay for your items.  Wow, what a deal.----Wish I would have picked up some steaks.  Have a good day, unless you have other plans.  w in Omaha

I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it—“Many people think you only get good gifts from God if you are good. But that’s confusing God with Santa Claus! With Santa we say, “You better watch out, you better not cry . . . Santa Claus is comin’ to town.” I read this about Christmas that I believe--God doesn’t keep a naughty list and a nice list when it comes to his blessings. The Bible says in Matthew 5:45, “[God] makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong” (CEV). God doesn’t play favorites with his grace and his goodness. God offers his grace to everyone—even to people who don’t believe he exists. Whether or not you follow him, God gives you his grace every moment of your life. You wouldn’t even draw your next breath if it weren’t for the grace of God. As Psalm 145:9 says, “The LORD is good to everyone” (NLT). This is very different from what the world teaches. The world teaches that you get what you deserve in life (i.e. good things happen to you because of the good things you’ve done in the past, and bad things happen to you because of the bad things you’ve done in the past). But God operates by grace. If you got what you deserved, then you wouldn’t even be here on Earth. If you got what you deserved, then you would have nothing. Did you deserve to be born? Do you deserve to be able to see colors and taste flavors? Do you deserve forgiveness? No. Those are gifts of God. In Luke 2:10, an angel says to the shepherds, “Don’t be afraid! . . . I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone!” (TLB). This is the first public announcement of Jesus’ birth. Who is this announcement for? Everybody. That means people from every race, every religion, every economic status, and every culture around the world. When the angel announced the Good News at Christmas, there were no restrictions or qualifiers or limits. There were no conditions on who got to hear and respond to the Good News. That’s true today too. Christmas is for all people—because God is good to all people.” I believe that! Ring the bells and clap the cymbals!

A friend was walking with her friend and her friend said to her--“…you are sooo ebullient! I am soooo happy for you.”  Maybe it ‘cause she is loved and is loving.  I think that loving stuff is probably the greatest feeling in life.

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

ervtheChristmaself

MyFriendJean said—Service is not spelled “serve us.”

methodology

Pastor John, anybody can be a John, said last Sunday when preparing us for the collection--I read in the AZ Republic this week, soooo it must be right, that in the ranking of states in how folks give, AZ was listed as #50!  The article said in a survey, 50% of the folks in AZ said they were big givers but IRS said only about 5% were givers. John then went on to say--AZ folks just aren't good givers but lyers toooo!

Saturday question--What qualities and abilities do you have that you can use to create some miracles? SusieQ says--Be part of something extraordinary! Throw those chips away and get your butt off the couch!  Quit just pondering!  CoachB says—For the major decisions we need to spend time and focus but on the little stuff we gotta move, we don’t have time to just sit and analysis every little thing about small decisions (i.e. like should I buy the red or yellow wash rags). But on big stuff we need to not only deliberate on them ourselves, but we need to get wise advice from others who have knowledge and experience (i.e. sounds good to me)! We need to do more than just get the advice but to take advice. Yes, but we don’t have time sometimes to just sit and ponder every little decision as we will end up with paralysis from analysis!” That is why I ask many of you folks questions and get your advice a.k.a. it’s my methodology; you folks are soooo smart (i.e. that is all of you except for one of you)!  Such is life.

In our small group back home, there was some discussion about the methodology we use in expressing what we believe and think. I think the conclusion was that a firsthand eyewitness was the best, the real deal; our example by how we act and live is better than what we say.  Anybody can make a lot of noise or wear a big cowboy hat but own no cattle; all show but no go; say a lot but really don’t say anything!  Patty, anybody can be a Patty, says--Don't let people pull you into their storm. Pull them into your peace.

Robert Frost said—The only way around is through. You believe that?

I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it—"While swerving to avoid another car, John Boston struck a utility pole in Columbus, Ohio. A live transformer crashed into his car, sending thousands of volts of electricity into the vehicle. Even touching the car was dangerous. The vehicle burst into flames and began melting all around the pastor. His seatbelt was stuck, and the door wouldn’t open. Suddenly, a stranger walked up, opened the door, pulled the pastor out of the car, and helped him to a safe place just before the car exploded. Then the stranger suddenly said he had to leave, and he was never seen again. Even the emergency responders wondered if the stranger was actually an angel.” I wonder if some of you are angels to me. I do. Are you the methodology in affecting my life?  I really wonder if some of you are angels.  I'm especially thinking of one Brilliant Colored Jewel who I think is an angel in my life. This angel sure has affected me. Saturday question—Do you even believe in angels?

SlimmySlime says--We want it all! Unfortunately, we can’t have it all!  Ouchy ouchy!

Jane, anybody can be a Jane, says—"If we’re honest, we’ll probably have to admit that much of what we listen to or watch does little to sustain us spiritually. In fact, social media and commercial television is designed to make us feel unhappy and dissatisfied with our lives so that we buy whatever the advertisers are trying to sell.” AverageJoe says—C’mon erv, everyone knows that methodology!  AverageJoe, maybe most folks do but maybe subconsciously we don't; the advertisers know exactly what they are doing, and we maybe don’t even know it.  We can be such suckers at times; there seems to somethings that we don’t catch on tooo or get a.k.a. brainwashed a.k.a. caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware." That’s my opinion!

MissPerfect says—When someone does something negative to us, there is a three-step rule we should implement. One is to smile, two is wish them well and the third is leave them immediately. SusieQ says—Negative folks will drag a person down. I had the opportunity to make a friend down here in my 55+ community who is full of wisdom and shared some of it with me. He told me that a professional told him, and he passed it on to me, we need to be self-advocates of ourselves.  What he meant is when something related with another person that is bothering us, we should tell the person or persons what is bothering us; not complain but explain why we feel this way. By doing that, we will enrich our relationship and not kill it. Bingo!  And I didn’t even have to pay for this advice! It’s all in the methodology folks.

Here's a really funny 55+ community story that an acquaintance told me about herself. She called herself the woops person! She went to a dance at our activity center the other night. She, being a recent window of maybe 70ish was alone. When leaving a little early she couldn’t remember where she parked her golf cart and there were many of them seeming to all look alike in the dark. She left the keys in the cup holder and started looking in all the carts and finally found hers. She went home and put on her pajamas and a little later there were a couple of folks looking at her golf cart. She went out there and asked them if she could help them. An old lady told her that she stole her golf cart and got really excited. She took the cart. The guy said he would take her back to the activity center and see if she could find hers. Sooooo she said—I got in his car in my pjs with a guy I never knew before and we found my golf cart that was still parked there with the keys in the cup holder. It was really cold driving back home in my pajamas! Life isn’t always easy for seniors! Zany!

I know another woops person.  I was trying to decide if I should take my road bike along to AZ or not. There were pros and cons but I decided to take it. Soooo I packed my tire pump, my helmet, my gloves and my biking gear; sooo there ya go.  I was in the middle of NE going 81 mph and looked in my rear-view mirror and wondered where's my bike!  I forgot to take it along! Zany!

So I decided to replace the carpet in my utility shed/launder room. A friend gave me a throw rug, but it wasn’t large enough soooo I needed a small piece of carpet to put in front of the dryer. The guy at Lowe’s who happened to live near me when growing up in IA whose name was Jim suggested I go to a certain flooring business that might help me. Alex, about 21, said—Follow me and let’s see if I can help you. Soooo we walked around the building to a large, heavy metal gate that had two heavy chains with two of the largest padlocks that I have ever seen, huge massive. He unlocks them and we go to a big dumpster full of remnants. He jumps on a trailer next to it, then jumps in the dumpster and waves me to come soooo we are now both in the dumpster looking for a good piece. He finds a chunk of carpet and asked if I had a knife as he didn’t, you got one in your car. Soooo I went to my vehicle and got a knife and then crawled back up in the dumpster and we cut a piece of carpet. Sooooo we go in the salesroom and I ask him how much I owe him—nothing, we were just going to throw it away anyway. I gave him some green stuff and told him to buy himself a burger. He just smiled at me. We both had such a great time. He was a great guy. Yes, there are good folks around. What a hoot. Zany!

WorldClassLarry says--Maybe, just maybe, we use different methodology in trying to get what we want and what we will become, could be, maybe, I don’t know, possibly. Our future is not promised but we can do a lot to make it more probable maybe. What do you think?  I think and wonder what we do, what we think, how we act, how we eat, how we treat folks, who we are around, etc. all will make the probability of what our future will be much greater, but it still won’t be promised. It’s putting the odds in our favor for our future to what we want them to be. Think about that, will ya. Zany!

An Canadian told us that the folks of countries that have the best longevity and the best quality of life seem to exercise more, eat better and have better community!  Think about that folks! Zany, no, I don't think soooooo! 55+ communities in the South do a verrrry good job with exercise and community; very conducive! Eating well, not sooooo much!

JoeBlow says--A person just never knows about our methodology now do we! I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--O Little Town of Bethlehem  There is a beautiful story behind this popular carol. Phillips Brooks was one of the most famous preachers in 19th-century America. He was pastor of Trinity Church in Boston for many years and later became the Episcopal bishop of Massachusetts. While Brooks was touring the Holy Land in 1865, he visited Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and stood in the shepherds’ field that overlooked the town, where local tradition said the shepherds were “keeping watch over their flocks” on the night Jesus was born. Three years later Brooks recalled that scene in a simple carol he wrote for his Sunday school’s Christmas service. Neither Phillips Brooks nor his church organist, Lewis Redner, who wrote the tune, thought that “O Little Town of Bethlehem” would ever be sung again after that service. But today it is known and loved throughout the world.

I really like this verse; it makes me feel oh soooo good. How about you?  Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. My opinion folks is that it is powerful but it’s just my opinion, but it seems to work for me is--There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy. Joy to the world…! For some folks all this stuff is probably maybe Zany! But not for me! There are probably some folks who believe more in the stockings hug on the fireplace! Such is life in the Valley of the Sun!

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

erv

MyFriendJean says—Learn to laugh at yourself…you’ll always have something to make you happy.

PS  Last week I used  some improper works in the last paragraph and several of you contacted me and told me. Actually, it was a test. The smart folks caught it. Sooooo, if you caught them, congratulations!