Reunions, Heat Wave and Fun

This year is almost half over — Sunday being the halfway mark, and I’m just beginning to fully realize we are already in 2018!  Time just seems to move so quickly lately and I’m wondering if that is because I’m getting (?) old — the question mark is because some days I feel like I’m still in my twenties, and then there’s today!  Today, with our heat index above 100 F., storms in the forecast for the next few days and my bones letting me know with an almost noisy statement that I must be over 100!  The only thing about that is that I know a lady who is 106 and she gets around better than I do and looks 20 years younger than I am today.  She is my hero!  But I try to ignore days like this and remember the other days when the weather is better and I don’t have the “forecaster” joints, some of which I didn’t even know I had, letting me know there’s stormy weather on the way.

Next weekend, July 7 to be exact, about 140 to 150 members of my family will meet at one of our favorite parks for a family reunion, the first in almost 18 years.  We are all looking forward to the reunion, family members are coming from all over the country and we already know we will need name tags to identify each other according to family.  My cousins as well as siblings, come in age groups from the Senior group — my group, to the ones who were born so many years later they are younger than my children.  We keep in loose contact on Facebook, but if I had to point some of them out it could prove very embarrassing for me.  It’s not that my razor sharp mind (lol) is slipping, it’s just that I’ve never met some of them!  

I’ve heard there are 50+ of my first cousins still living out of the huge group of us, and most of them will be attending– I hope!  Kudos to my cousins, Patty, Mark, Janet, Diane and several others who have done the planning for this affair, and sorry I couldn’t mention every one of them, but they have done a wonderful job working to make this happen for all of us.  On the menu is the best barbecue chicken in the world, using the family recipe for the sauce, and all kinds of sides.  I’m not sure about all the menu because the chicken is the star of the party!

Last week one of my brothers took me riding around and one of our stops was the park where the reunion will be.  I said something about wanting to take a photo of the old wagon at the entrance of the park so on our way out he stopped the car and took these photos for me.  Many thanks, bro!  We all grew up in that area and it was almost like going home to visit the area again.  It is one of my favorite places in the area with trails that lead off in every direction around Panther Creek, each trail with its own special memory for me.  I often took Max for walks out there and we explored every one of the trails, with Max continuing to pull at his lead until we were so far out that I think he knew I would have to pick him up and carry him back, at which point he would sit and refuse to budge.  I knew his tactics though, so I had scoped out every rest area on each trail and always made sure to stop at each one so I would not be too tired to stand and wait him out.  I sure miss that little mutt!

This was Max’s favorite place.

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Learning about Life from Ad Slogans… Part 3

Third and last in the series by Manish Malu, and even more great ad slogans with his insight into the meaning behind each slogan. Words to live by, in my humble opinion. Check it out.

changeyourlife

Read part 1

Learning about Life from Ad Slogans… Part 1

Read part 2

Learning about Life from Ad Slogans… Part 2

1. Airtel   : Express Yourself

We must learn to express ourselves. Most of the time we have many things to say, but we fail to express ourselves. This could be because of lack of self – confidence, thinking that what other will say.

Please keep in mind that “ To gain knowledge, we must learn to ask the right questions; and to get answers, we must act, not wait for answers to occur to us.”

 2. LIC: Zindagi ke Saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi

We must live such a life that people remember us during our life as well as after our life got over.

3. Airtel– Kyun ki har ek friend jaruri hota hai

4. Head & Shoulders: You never get a second chance to make a…

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Learning about Life from Ad Slogans… Part 2

This is Part II of the Ad Slogan series of three. I am finding a lot of wisdom in these posts and love sharing them. You can visit the source at http:changeyourlife.wordpress.com.

changeyourlife

Read the part 1 at

Learning about Life from Ad Slogans part 1

Now we move on to part 2 of this. I have brought some more Ad slogans, so that we can learn about life in more details:

1. Zurich – “Because Change Happens”

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

― Albert Einstein

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

― Rumi

 Read more at:

https://changelife387739626.blog/2018/02/24/you-have-to-change/

 2. Idea : An Idea can Change your life:

Yes… you need an idea to change your life completely. Undoubtedly that idea should be followed by action to make that happen in real life.

Watch this wonderful video and bring your idea into action because an idea can change your life:

3. Videocon…

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Learning about Life from Ad Slogans… Part 1

I just found this post and love it! Slogans can be so good and uplifting when well done as the ad slogans in this post show, and then there are the ones that make me want to scream. I probably
will add to this statement at a later date with the ones that are at the top of my hit list of ads that should never be shown.

changeyourlife

When we watch television we normally avoid watching Advertisement. But if you watch the advertisement carefully and listen there slogans, many of the Ads gives us understanding about life. We can apply those little slogan in our life and we can surely improve our life.

Here I have made an attempt to do the same I have collected some old and new Ad and Companies Slogans….. Let’s look at some of them and see what we can learn and apply from these slogans….

1. McDonalds – “I’m Loving’ It”

We should love our life and must feel as well as say that “I am loving it”. And believe me our life will be beautiful. If you will not love your life and yourself, how some when else will.

2. Subway – “Eat Fresh”

To keep ourselves healthy and fit, we should eat healthy and nutritious food. So “Eat fresh; eat…

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Can I Just Say “AAAArrrggghhh!

This looked like a good time to post again, especially since it’s the first time I’ve been on the laptop rather than the Kindle for several days.  Then things began getting wonky again so I’m not sure if there is such a time as a “good” one.

My sweet youngest came over yesterday to install new batteries in my power chair and I was kinda taken aback when he held his right hand up and inadvertently shot me the bird!  He seems to be kinda accident prone these days, and the middle finger of his right hand was encased in a thick bandage, the result of another farm accident where he got his finger caught in some equipment at the corral and ripped it open.  Twenty one stitches later they had it cleaned, bandaged and encased in a metal finger brace.  I’m sure the apparatus has a different name, but it’s late and I can’t think of it now, even though I’m sitting here looking at my own brace, or support thingy.  Now why would he ever want to copy some of my crazy accidents?  His dad always did say he was too much like me in so many ways, even though he looks more like his dad.

Come to think of it, his dad also had some rather spectacular accidents on the farm.  Like the hottest summer day we had been blessed with in so many years, his dad was looking for something to do, noticed that the corn bin needed cleaning, and climbed inside to do the job.  The outside temps were 100+ F. but it just seemed imperative to this dear soul to go inside the metal bin where the temp had to be several degrees hotter, not letting anyone know he was in there as a “just in case” precaution, and begin working.  I think we are all like that at times, but Edd led a charmed life that day.  He made it to the house before collapsing, and for the first time in our lives together told me I should call the doctor.  Didn’t say why, just call him.  I finally managed to get part of the story from him, called the doctor, and was told to give him lots of milk to drink.  That turned out to be the best medical advice we  were ever given, bringing Edd back from the near dead and giving me yet another natural remedy for heat prostration.  It came in handy many times for the rest of our lives together.

The last one I remember was the night we had been in bed for several hours, or so I thought, when I heard the kitchen door open and some shuffling of feet.  Both of the boys were out on dates that night so I thought at first t was one or both of them returning home, but then I heard Edd calling out that he needed help.  It just happened to be the same corn bin that almost did him in again, this time from falling off it onto the concrete pad surrounding it.  He was almost asleep when he heard the rain start, and like the usual method of silly accidents, suddenly couldn’t remember if he had shut the opening at the top of the bin or not.  So, once again without telling anyone, he got up and went out to check, slipped on the wet metal top and fell to the concrete pad below.  Huge sigh!  The boys both got home about this time and they were sent out to check the bin, close the top which actually had been forgotten, and came back inside just in time to help me get their dad to the car for yet another Saturday night trip to the ER.

The doctors and nurses there knew us well by this time, because for several months I was transporting at least one of the guys in every Saturday night.  One of them would become careless while working the cattle, something it seemed like they did every Saturday, usually while I was away doing the grocery shopping.  I would get home with the bags of groceries and follow the trail of blood into the house, always wondering which one of them it was that particular week.  The scene inside was almost a carbon copy each week, the bathroom filled with dirty, blood encrusted towels, the sink with some stains still there, bandage wrappers strewn every place, but not another human in sight to give me any idea at all about which one it was this time.  I still wonder how they all survived these weekends, but at least they didn’t go so far as to dedicate a parking place to one of us at the hospital.

Okay, I just managed to erase a couple of paragraphs, so it must be time for me to shut the computer down and go to bed.  After I put away the Monterrey Spaghetti that sounded so good a few hours ago.  I ate too much and it is beginning to get kinda heavy inside.  Not a good thing to do this late at night, but it sure is good  I might have to do a few exercises before I hit the mattress though..

Another Day In The Life

Actually it’s more like another several days lately.  I began looking for the remotes to everything I have that has a remote, finding to my chagrin that most of my electronics in the audio/video field have them.  As luck usually has it, no two remotes are alike and none of them will operate anything other than the one thing they came with.  One would think they would come out with ONE remote that would take care of all of the little boxes, kinda like the Universal remote I once had for the boxes.  Haven’t found one that works yet, so after trying the five that I found, I still had to go on a scavenger hunt for the main one — the one that turns on the WiFi.  Oh, I could have moved the two feet across the room to do it manually but hey, that would have been too easy.  And to change the channels on the TV requires it’s own remote.

My objective here was to find a way to make my soundbar work with the TV.  I’ve had the soundbar a few days and it worked with my phone, my computer, my Kindle and all the rest of the things I play with.  Haven’t checked to see if it also acts as a barber/baker/house cleaner, but it’s been turning things on at will lately, but I really, really wanted to make it work with the TV because that was the reason for the purchase.  So, today, after realizing the TV probably didn’t work was because it wasn’t plugged in (minor oversight on my part there) I plugged the sucker in after going those two steps to reach the outlet, only to be blasted into semi-deafness by the volume, extremely LOUD, that hadn’t been working because, well that part was already explained.  Fortunately I was able to figure out which remote would control the sound (the one to the soundbar, go figure!)  It seems I had managed to pair the two a few days ago without realizing it.  One of my new found skills is pairing Bluetooth things and then trying to figure out which control will do the most to the many devices.  I won’t even consider the ones that have no remote at all and that require a touch-pad,  another skill I’ll have to learn sooner or later.  But I have now managed to get all of my stuff to work with the soundbar now — I think.  I’m even doing a slideshow of my photos on my TV.   This would be quite an accomplishment if the music would play at the same time, but since I’m not all that sure how to do it I have more experimenting to do.

Speaking of experiments, not to myself:  DON’T EVER EXPERIMENT WITH LAME IDEAS FOR ICE CREAM RECIPES!  My latest bright idea was to make the orange/vanilla dreamsickle kind that I remember from last year when I was a kid.  After churning my concoction for the better part of 2 hours I finally concluded it would not freeze, so I dipped it out of the bucket into individual containers and stuck it in the freezer in a last ditch effort to come up with something that didn’t need a straw or a sippy cup to protect my shirts.  This morning I tried it, found it edible but not something I will be tempted to try again for about 50 more years.

So, now for an attempt to add photos here, because I’m not keen on enclosing my devices so you can see each addition, I’m gonna cross my toenails, hair roots and eyes just to see if that will help my search for the things I want.  Then I think I’ll take some typing lessons — again.  It’s either that or find a way to make my fat fingers go on a diet and exercise program.

So here you have it.  I had to add some orchids, of course, and the large one of my canned goods is here because my darlin’ son, Don asked me if I eat anything but beans, applesauce and soft drinks.  The answer is – once in a while I do, mostly fresh stuff though that doesn’t keep well on the shelf!  Ha Ha!  Kids have no respect after they reach 50 themselves!

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Visiting Angel

The three “angels” in my life — my still lamented Max, always ready to pose when the camera was turned his way, top right, Angel, camera shy and with me at the moment, bottom right, Tessa, my buddy from the 18th floor, celebrating her third birthday today.

I still miss Max, eight years later but almost like he passed this morning.  Angel and Tessa do their best to fill the empty place but they always have to go back home before the day is over.  And while I had a great montage of the three on the screen a few minutes ago, my computer burped and they disappeared, meaning I now have to go back and try to find them again. Wow, success!  Makes me wonder if I should just close this one out now and add a second post later.  Almost lost them again, so later—-

Memory Of A Time

The time is January, 1978.  Pick any day of that month.  The blizzard started in late December and continued off and on thru January and we were snowbound all month!  The farmhouse was old — pre-Civil War, and I always knew which direction the wind was blowing by looking at the curtains moving in the breeze.  The heater didn’t stand a chance of keeping the large rooms warm, so I moved  the kids mattresses into the central room and closed off the side rooms.  Nothing like camping out in the comfort of your own home.

So, picture us on this day, gathered togther in the room with its wall to wall to wall mattresses, soup simmering in the crock pot that is plugged in to the wall near the staircase because the kitchen has also been curtained off for the duration, window and walls covered with the bright quilts I had made thru the years.  The gold painted walls have a warm glow from the lights that are on in a futile effort to dispel the darkness created by the extra covering over the openings and my bookshelves, also painted — this time a warm rusty orange, like my favorite shade of Autumn leaves, are beside my hunter green chair, the floor to ceiling shelves groaning under the weight of the books I had collected over the years.  The children are bundled in extra layers to keep warm during our fored inactivity.

Gina, thirteen years ols and already showing signs of the beautiful woman she has become is sitting on the mattress closest to the fire and wearing one of my flannel nightgowns for added warmth — the only one she hasn’t scorched the tail on, and covered with a green sweatshirt at the top and pink long johns underneath.  She is totally engrossed in her current book — “Anna Karinina” and oblivious to all else.

Don, age 11, and Mike, age 10, are playing checkers on their own mattress, and wonder of wonders aren’t accusing each other of cheating.  Behind them the sofa is shoved against the wall to give extra space for moving around when we had to.

The television is turned off at the moment and also shoved back against another wall next to the bookshelves.  A pot of African violets has been sitting on top of the TV and blooming almost continuously since Edd brought it to me after Gina’s birth.  Thirteen years and still living whie the many philidendrons I had tried to fill the room with, supposedly hardy plants that my Mother assured me even I would be unable to kill were only memories.

On the side table, sharing space with my cranberry colord lamp, is the book I am currently reading aloud to the family — “Willy Wonka And the Chocolate Factory”, plus the glass of tomato juice I need to sip continuously to sooth the throat that is unused to the reading aloud.

On this day the crock pot is filled with beef, potatoes, carrots, onions and celery, all bubbling away toward the stew we will have for supper.  The time is mid-afternoon by my wach, but time stands still in our quilted cavern.  With a small stretch of the imagination we could be in an igloo in Alaska waiting for Edd to bring in the walrus he harpooned for our winter pantry, or travelling thru Siberia with Anna Karinina, heading for the next icey palace.

This is something I wrote many years ago, memory of some days I still think of as the best time in our lives.  About an hour later Edd returned home from the other farm where he had been breaking the ice on the ponds for the cattle, called the boys out to help him do the same on the home farm, and we all settled in for the evening, eating the now finished stew with the biscuits Gina heped me bake, and everyone was ready for story reading time.