Motorcycle

I started to write this blog about days gone by, but I decided to think about the future. The days ahead, if all goes as expected, includes a big ol' Harley Davidson. This time around a motorcycle will NOT be a means for transportation. It will be for pleasure, pure pleasure! I have plans for Spring mornings on the Trace, at Land between the Lakes, early Summer evenings tooling around the big city of Paris, and romps around Henry county in the fall. I remember the feeling of exhilaration, the crisp feeling of fall, the feeling of speed and power between your legs. The freedom, the excitement, the oneness you feel with your motorcycle is indescribable. It is a feeling I want to recapture, and recapture before I get much older!

Labor

This weeks word evokes strong memories and powerful thoughts race through my mind. Being a Journeyman Wireman in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, for thirty one years now, after serving a four year apprenticeship, I have learned the value of labor. Labor organizations have played a huge role in the United States even having a middle class. Collective bargaining agreements have given voice to the men & women who labor. Standards of living have continued to rise.

Our forefathers fought long and hard for the eight hour workday, for the forty hour work week. They bargained for good health insurance, a decent retirement plan, a safe jobsite, a clean place to have lunch, and dignity and respect on the job and in the community. My debt of gratitude for the men & women of labor cannot be overstated. The sacrifices made so that I may enjoy this American way of life astounds me. I want to do my part to continue this tradition.

Teacup

Well, I have been stumped! For over a year now I have expressed my thoughts on 'the word of the week'. This weeks word is teacup, and for the life of me, I am speechless. Had the word been coffee cup I might have had a thought. The expression 'cup of tea' invokes some thoughts. Teacup gives me no inspiration at all!

Maybe this week we could hear from others. Maybe travelers from around the United States, or from around the world might write of their teacup collection. Maybe people used to using their teacups during their tea time could tell us about it. Me, I just draw a blank!

Spelunker

Spelunker is a word hidden deeply in my vocabulary, but one I cannot remember the last time I used. When I was a kid, maybe 8 or 9, F.M. Dixon had a series of books called The Hardy Boys. In those books, Frank & Joe Hardy were mystery solvers and crime fighters and one of their stories involved caves. Spelunkers explore caves so that word was used extensively in their story. Were it not for those books, I probably would have no idea what spelunker meant.

I was a pretty adventurous young man, but caves never interested me at all. They always seemed too dangerous, a lot of work, and would have many cramped locations. Spelunking has its own set of rules, and a second chance just might not come your way. I guess another reason might be because I grew up a loner. A spelunker needs a buddy to watch out for you while you watch out for him. From the early 70's to the mid 80's I thought nothing of hiking up in to the woods 7 or 8 miles setting up camp and doing the same thing the next day. Being by myself was the way to go, so that would have been a very bad fit, spelunking.

Boys

The word boys has, in my mind, several connotations. 'Good morning, boys!' is the way I greet my crew members at work each morning. 'Boys will be boys', an explanation for not so nice behavior, is an axiom I have heard all my life. 'The boys against the girls', the way all games of Rook or Spades seem to wind up. The 'boys of summer', referring to professional baseball players, back in my day.

I enjoy, to this day, watching boys play baseball. I think the most fun I have is watching five and six year old boys learning to play T-ball. I admire the coaches. The only place some boys learn discipline and teamwork is on the baseball field, so the pressure is really on the manager to teach these boys the right way to do things. When I was a boy I think the most important thing taught to me was “it does not matter if you win or lose, it is how you play the game!” I believe the boys, on every team, everywhere, would profit in life, if they were taught that truism.

Spray

The word this week is spray and it brings to mind all the cleaners, degreasers, pesticides, cooking sprays, paint, WD40, & hair sprays we use on a daily basis. It is amazing to me that at any given time the Owens family, Jean & I, will have 15 different spray cans in our cabinet under the kitchen sink, and under the bathroom sink.

We are trying to go “green” & that means all the aerosol sprays, with their fluorocarbons were the first to go. The propellants used today in all kinds of sprays seem to work just fine & do not hurt the ozone layer. That is very important as we strive to be better stewards of this great land.

Bonanza

Ben Cartwright always knew the right thing to do. I never liked Adam Cartwright, but I liked the way he looked. I related to Hoss Cartwright the most, that bear of a man, that always knew how to laugh at himself. I liked Little Joe the best. He, forever, was getting himself into trouble, but if he didn't get out of it himself, his ol' man, or his two brothers would help! Hop Sing sure kept the house looking good, and kept the meals on the table.

I don't know for sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the kids of today have no clue who the men mentioned in the above paragraph are. The Cartwright family was the subject of a television show, back in the sixties, called Bonanza. Set outside Carson City, Nevada, the Cartwrights owned a big cattle ranch in the 1880s and were always going through the trials and tribulations that make you a stronger person when you meet them head on, and work your way through them. As I near 55 years of age I realize success does not come near as easily nor near as often as it did on Bonanza. I also realize what a good influence shows like Bonanza, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffeth Show, even The Lawrence Welk Show(oh, how I hated that show) had on my upbringing.

I have often said 'if everyone lived their life exactly as I live mine, oh what a dull world we would live in'. That being said, I will say that if everyone had the same values I have, believed in the God I believe in, had the attributes of self esteem, courteousness, willingness to help our neighbors, my what a better world we would have!

I would not say that that I learned all of these things by watching shows like Bonanza. I learned many, many good things from having great parents. Back in those days lessons were taught on television, and Bonanza taught me many!

Mirror

Mirror......what strange thoughts this word brings to mind. Strange because of the thought processes this mind of mine has gone through because of the word mirror!

The chain of events went like this: Mirror>mirror image>duplicate>businesses>franchises> success. Why? I haven't got a clue, unless it is because success, in my mind, derives from having duplicability, and duplicability comes from using the mirror image of a successful business plan. A McDonalds in Los Angeles is like a McDonalds in Washington, D.C., is like a McDonalds in Paris, Tennessee. The reason being is that one store is the mirror image of another. There are successful people all around us. There are successful ventures all around us.

Having a mirror image of a successful business does not guarantee success. Look in the mirror.....you may not be doing something right! Then, again, the timing just may not be right for your venture.

Anyway you look at it......a simple word like mirror got this mind to working......and that is the important thing!
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Texture

The texture of something, the “feel” of something reminds me of the blessings of sight and touch. While being confident that I could continue on in life, should I lose any of my five senses, I do hope to never find out. The texture of a piece of art, whether it be a painting, or a piece of pottery defines its character. The consistency of cake batter or cookie dough determines the texture of Jean's sweets. Spackle troweled on sheet rock ceilings allows bold textures to shine forth. Texture is one of those words we take for granted, yet is so missed when it is taken from us. I have learned that, in this world, to take nothing for granted!

Creek

My earliest remembrances of creeks dates back to around '62 or '63. My oldest brothers graduated from E.W. Grove high school in 1960 & 1961, and enrolled in UT. With my parents I would go to Knoxville to visit them & off to the Great Smokies we would head. I would have to say that, as a child, seeing bears had to be my most memorable experience, but wading into an ice cold mountain stream in the heat of late August also has a special spot in my memories of that time.

After high school I revisited the Smoky Mountain National Park & had the pure pleasure of going to sleep beside the rushing waters of a mountain creek. My buddies had found a place to camp which they had named the “Fields of Ambrosia” in the Nantahala National Forest, & it was a little bit of Heaven in North Carolina!

As I write this blog, I should mention that I am in the Smokies, again. We have seen some creeks this week. Yesterday, as we were riding in the mountains, we followed a stream that was about 30 feet wide and running mighty quickly. I can really tell I am getting older. As a kid I just had to go swimming. As a young adult, I had to wash my face, & sometimes take a bath in fast running creeks. At 54 years of age, I am very content to pull up beside a creek and just watch it.

Feather

I cannot think of the word feather without thinking of goose down. I own a down sleeping bag, a pair of booties, a goose down vest, and a goose down coat. Whenever a quill sticks out of the nylon shell, I know that feathers were used instead of down. Ounce for ounce, down is the warmest material I have ever known.

Several years ago I got the bright idea of starting a goose farm. I figured I could get all the feathers I needed, all the down I would ever need, and make some extra money at the same time. I didn't get very deep into this business plan before it was pointed out to me that, here in Henry County, we have much too mild of a climate. If I wanted to produce good down, I would have to move somewhere like upper Minnesota. My thoughts of having a feather farm went away that very evening!

Courageous

The people that are courageous in my eyes are the little ones who have cancer or some other terminal disease, who are fighting with all they have. Life has dealt them a crushing blow, yet through sheer willpower, they are determined to live their life to the fullest. Compared to these 'chillins, there is nothing in my life that can ever resemble the pain, the heartache, the frustration, that these courageous kids go through! I salute them, their courageous parents and grandparents, their caregivers, and their doctors!

China

This week's word, China, as in 'made in China', brings up special thoughts. We, as the United States of America, have lost what made us great to begin with. Born in 1955, my parents wanted the best for me, but they didn't make me earn it. Had the people of my generation had the strength, the fortitude, the moral compass of my Dad & Mom's era, things would be different in the good ol' USA, today.

Instead, 'made in China' or 'made in wherever' is very prevalent today. I was one of the last people I know to give in, my union heritage being the reason, but, none the less, I did give in. It started slowly. If I got Christmas presents from my family, made in China, they would be thrown away. If Jean would buy me a coat or a dress shirt, not made in the USA, they would hang in the closet, never to be worn. My actions finally made Jean start looking at all the labels. It would have been nice, 20 years ago, if she had never had to start.

Automobiles were the first foreign items I can remember noticing. Nearly forty years ago I wanted a Volkswagen Beetle real bad, and my Dad said 'no way'. I didn't understand the whys and wherefores for several years, but I understand perfectly now. With the demise of the United States electronics industry, and the onslaught of the 'computer age' almost all “gadgets” were made offshore. Almost all cameras came next. Then the textile industry went south, and there was no stopping the flood of manufacturers heading toward cheap labor.

What once made America great, our manufacturing expertise, has now gone the way of our many manufacturing skills. I fear that it will never return. We used to be able to design anything. Now, we look to China. Even the making of some of the defense systems has been relegated to foreign companies. How safe is that? Instead of a “nuts & bolts" country, we are now a “service” country.

I feel real sorry for the generations after mine. The men & women of the United States proved their mettle during WW1 & WW2. The countries that wanted to defeat us could not because we were too mighty. Now, my generation & those after mine are just handing our country over to the powers that be. We have record deficits with China, in the BILLIONS of dollars. We have borrowed against our children & grandchildren's future until they will have no future. The demise of the United States of America is next. In one thousand years our country will be known as another civilization whose prosperity was their downfall.

Diamond

I cannot hear the word diamond without thinking of the song “Diamond in the Rough”. It is an old John Prine tune that has meant a lot to me over the years. The gist of the song reminds me that we are just a work in progress, and as we go through life's experiences we are polished a little more, then a little more.

Some people reach a certain stage of their life and it seems they start coasting. Many, many are way too young, but through drugs, or a lost love, or through a perceived slight, they just quit trying. Others, after going through too many trials & tribulations just hunker down and stay in “protection” mode. Still others, having reached a plateau where they are content, are happy to stay where they are.

In this game we call life, I believe we should never quit. We must always strive to master new things. We must challenge ourselves to reach to new heights. We must always polish on that ol' diamond!

Camp

Camp is another word that brings back extraordinary memories. Some of my camping excursions could be likened to staying at the Ritz-Carlton, without the roof over our heads, or the plush carpet under our feet! I think my buddies & I kept trying to one up each other, so our camp kept getting nicer & nicer. We had a kitchen area that was nicer than many homes of the day. Our camp cuisine was just hamburgers & hot dogs, with an occaisonal chop thrown in, but we would have all the condiments & all the side dishes to make the meals very tasty. We had nice, roomy, tents, with goose down sleeping bags, with Therma-Rest mattresses under them, & candle lanterns. Our fire pit & fire were always the nicest around, and there was always an endless supply of beverages. I had a hammock I would carry with me that was big enough for two, & I had a rain fly mounted above it. When the temperature got the least bit cool, the goose down vests, coats, & booties would come out. We camped year round, but when it got down right cold, there was a cabin in LBL that we would go to. It didn't have any glass in the windows, but we would build a roaring fire in the fire place and stay warm as toast!

Tourist

With Memorial day being tomorrow this is a very fitting time to think about the word tourist. Paris, Henry County, & the lake area really benefit from tourism and the tourists who enjoy the relaxation and the recreation that Henry County affords.

Strategically located, Kentucky Lake is really coming in to its own as a vacation destination. Whether fishing, swimming, water skiing, camping, antiquing, genealogy, shopping around an old court square (just like you did when you were a kid), or golfing, Paris & Henry County has it covered!

I am mighty proud of our “community”. I am glad to see the many people working together for the common good. I believe Paris & Henry County are weathering the bad economic climate as well as anyone, and am real excited about our future.

Cradle

The thought I have on the word cradle is the Harry Chapin song entitled “Cats in the Cradle,” from the seventies. That song has so much truth to it. When you are a kid, it seems your Pa' is never doing things with you, is never at your ball games, is never there to take you fishing, is never there at your important events.

Your Dad is the reason you have a roof over your head, food on the table, and clothes on your back, and he is busy earning the money that makes those things happen. If he is lucky enough to make his living where he gets to spend the night where you are, you are mighty fortunate. There are many, many Dads who cannot. The song tells of the Dad making excuses as to why he can't play with his boy right now.

Then the boy grows up, has his own son in the cradle, is busy working to provide for his family. And has no time for his Dad. It is all kind of sad, but it is a story that plays out countless times. I guess it is just the way life is. Maybe it is even the way life is supposed to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etundhQa724&feature=related

Color

As I think of the word color, many things go through my mind. Color me gone, a saying in the seventies. The Color of Money, a movie in the nineties. A coat of many colors, a story in the Bible of one of young Joseph's prized possessions......also a song made famous by Dolly Parton. People of color, referring to the Negro race. These colors don't run, talking about the American flag and the American people, right after September 11, 2001. An off color joke, one that is not told in mixed company. The colors of a rainbow. I think I will write about my main thoughts of color from the ages of 13 through 17, then write of my thoughts from age 35 to the present.

When I was a kid of thirteen my Pa bought me a used Yamaha 100, and boy, would it scream. Color me gone was a favorite saying of mine. I had four motorcycles and a very fast car, so it is no small wonder that 'color me gone' didn't translate into 'color me dead', or 'color me all broken up', but it didn't.

I still get excited, to this day, at the sight of a rainbow. The colors are just outstanding, and the promises given to us in Genesis 9 are very encouraging. The most awesome colors I have ever seen occurred four or five years ago, on Bucy Lane. There were two rainbows visible in the sky at the same time. Both were going from north to south, with one in the west and one in the east! Talk about colors....seeing two rainbows at once was just incredible!

Gentle

I have never thought of myself as being very gentle. Rude, crude, and uncouth are more like my ways, at least more like my former ways. Back in the late fall I was called a gentle soul. Sure do not know if that fits me or not, but my bus driver, on a refinery I was working on, really called me that once! She had read one of my blogs, asked if she could put it in her church bulletin, wrote a little preface to my blog, and called me a gentle soul. Man, I smiled for a week over that one. I do not recall ever being called gentle, but there it was, in print, no less!

I need to be more gentle in my dealings with people. Especially my family, friends, and co-workers. I spent many years basically by myself, and while I would never intentionally hurt anyone's feelings, I realize I could be more understanding, more courteous, more gentle, particularly toward the ones I love and the ones that love me.

Being gentle is not just an action to take, but a mindset, a lifestyle, if you will. I would like to be known, the rest of my days, as truly a gentle soul.

Recipes

Anyone that takes a look at me, understands that I have eaten many, many new dishes made from wonderful recipes. With the internet, now, our choices for new dishes seem limitless. I guess trying new cookie recipes is my favorite, but lately appetizers, with bacon, has been our mainstay.

We tried a new recipe last night at a friend's birthday celebration. You wrap a date around a pecan, then wrap a half strip of bacon around that, and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. To borrow some slang from a Helping Hand auctioneer, “that appetizer was 'larrapin good”. Another one of my favorite recipes is stuffed jalapenos. They are made by stuffing a jalapeno with a mixture of sausage and cream cheese, then wrapping ½ strip of bacon around it and baking for 30 minutes. Another excellent choice is bacon wrapped water chestnuts. Jean & I just love our bacon wrapped concoctions!

A lot of chefs around here cook by taste, or by appearance & the dish never comes out, for us, like the one we tried to copy. Recipes have such a great role in family dinners, but Aunt Sue's dumplings, or Aunt Irenes's fresh apple pie sure needs to have all the ingredients, with all their measurements, with correct preparation instructions, and cooking temperatures! That may be the only thing we chefs of today have over our Mothers. Bon Appetit!

Fishing

This week's word sure brings back lots of very good memories. My Ma was the fisherman in our family, and try as she might, she just couldn't instill her love of fishing in me. Oh, I like to fish, I just couldn't sit on that river bank for hours, like she could. I think she didn't really HAVE to catch anything.....I think just sitting there with the sun beating down, and God's creation all around her was joy enough. Add 50 or 60 or 100 crappie to that equation, and Mama really would smile!

I sure do miss my Ma, and with the days getting warmer, with The World's Biggest Fish Fry just concluding, with stringers of slab crappie in the news often, the thoughts of the days spent with her fishing are good thoughts indeed. I know I did not enjoy the quietness then as I enjoy it now, and I know I ruined some of my Ma's quietness, but fishing brought that peace & contentment to me and I am real glad it did.

Homemade

The word 'homemade' conjures up probably a different thought to me, than it would for most. My Dad owned his own electrical construction business for 44 years, and I do not have the time nor the space to list all his tools that were homemade.

Robert Owens needed the capability to pull up to a job and start bending conduit, so he devised a “bending” trailer that would allow him to do just that. The first one he built looked quite a bit homemade, but the last one looked pretty professional. He had the need to haul 25 foot service poles with his pickup, so he started thinking homemade, again. He came up with a trailer that he secured one end of the pole to, and the other end was fastened to the truck. It mattered not how long the pole was, he could trailer it!

One job we had was installing high bay lights in a couple of factories. This would be no problem today, but around 1974, extending, drivable, boom lifts, were not a common contractor tool. Robert made his own tool for the job. He bought a 1959 two ton truck from the Coca-Cola company, shortened it six feet, built a frame around the truck that would accommodate a thirty foot scaffold, added an electric skate conveyor, and a generator, and we were ready to go. Alan Harris, my brother Dale & I hung many a light off that 'ol truck, in two factories. Republic Steel in McKenzie, and Tecumseh Products here in Paris. What a homemade contraption that was, but it did what Dad designed it to do, and it did it safely.

Another time, in the energy management business, we had the need to find out how long several pieces of equipment ran during a 24 hour period. A company tried to sell us a piece of equipment for between 4 & 5 hundred dollars that would do just that. Robert went to Uncle Lee's and bought 18 alarm clocks for not much more than 20 dollars, cut the end off the cord, wired them into the run side of the equipment, and 'voila, time clocks that would measure run time on 18 pieces of equipment. Homemade?.....definitely......genius at work?.....again, most definitely!

Much of my life, today revolves around homemade ingenuity. That is because during my formative years I was around a man that could invent whatever he needed, whenever he needed it. Learning to think outside the box sure has helped me as this world gets more complicated each day. I am glad I was so close to an inventor that was proud of his homemade "tools"!

Conservation

I knew it would finally happen....I knew it couldn't last forever....I knew I would get busted sooner or later!

Truth of the matter is “I have never been a conservative individual, hence, I do not conserve very much.” I eat at a friend's house fairly regularly, and she uses very few paper towels, while cooking, and uses cloth napkins! I think it could be said that at her house, Conservation is next to Godliness!!

I also have several friends and relatives who recycle. Mostly they do newspapers, but some recycle cans, motor oil, paint, & appliances. I realize that everything we can keep out of the landfill, the better off we will be, in the future, but of the above items, only old newspapers get recycled by me. Of course I don't change my own oil, nor do I do much painting. Never do I buy an appliance without getting the old one hauled off by the people that sold me the new one. That leaves tin cans, so maybe that ain't SO bad. Then again, I don't have a clue what the appliance stores do with the wore out appliances or what the oil changers do with the used oil, but maybe they dispose of everything properly.

Many, many people drive very small automobiles, and get many more miles to the gallon than I do. That is another area that I just cannot seem to be very conservative. Even these beautiful 70 degree days we have had this spring, has not made me open the windows, instead of using the air conditioner.

I think I am incorrigible . I think I am a derelict. Sometimes I think I am not a good citizen. It is time I practice conservation in all areas of my life.

Birds

What a wonderful word to think about and to write about this time of year. We have had so many Yellow Finches, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Titmice, Bluebirds, and Doves. We also will have five or six Hummingbirds a little later. It is really no wonder we have lots of birds as we have fresh water and many feeders full of food. The birds that flock around the Owens' yard are well taken care of! We have three Hummingbird feeders, six feeders full of Black Oil Sunflower seeds, four socks full of Thistle seed for the Finches, and one block of Woodpecker seed and one block of Suet, and something new, meal worms for the Bluebirds. We also have three bluebird houses located away from the house.

Beautiful redheaded woodpecker.

We set out four new feeders Thursday. Two are especially nice. One has a large capacity and a huge opening for the refilling of the sunflower seeds, and the other we mounted right in front of the living room window. It will not be long till we will be photographing beautiful birds from three feet away!

Bird watching, bird feeding, and taking pictures of birds are hobbies we are very glad we discovered. We have seen a few special birds in our yard, over the years. Most memorable have been a white Pigeon, a Sharp Shinned Hawk, Red Headed Woodpeckers(how dignified in their tuxedos), and right now we have two Muscovy ducks that decided they needed adopting. We love our birds and decided long ago we would feed them year round. That is a decision we are glad we made!

Kite

This weeks word is another that has brought up memories that I figure were gone forever. It is amazing the effect some of these remembrances have had on me, and also on Jean. Having never been a real talkative guy, these stories I have written has changed both of us and has made our relationship much, much stronger.

Well, enough of that, and on to this weeks word which is kite. Flying a kite brings back two memories. The first one, as a kid of 10 or 11, trying my best to get a kite up in the air, and having no success. I would run with that kite, playing out a little line at a time and be so disappointed when it came crashing to the ground. I never did get that kite to fly, and only later did I learn that the tail was all wrong.

When I was 14 or 15, I would go by Watson's pharmacy, pay my 89 cents, and get a kite with 3 five hundred foot rolls of string. I would then make a tail out of an old sheet by tearing it into thin strips, and attach it to the kite that I had just put together. Then I would head to the front yard of Rhea school, which had just recently been built, and there was not a tree in sight. It was an extremely easy matter to get my kite up in the air! All I had to do was to play out the string while riding my motorcycle up the road in front of the school. Usually it only took one trip, and the kite was in the air. After getting the kite up 500 feet, then the second roll of string was tied on, and after 1000 feet then the third roll was attached. I can tell you this.....fifteen hundred feet away a piece of material 2 feet by 3 feet looks mighty small.

Somewhere around 38 or 39 years ago, about this time of year, I had an absolute ball flying kites. It was good, cheap, clean fun, and a time of my life that I am glad I re-remembered!

Horizon

Horizon is a word that I enjoy thinking of. For the first thirty years of my life one of my favorite things to do was to watch a sunset. And I really saw some beautiful ones. Many hours of my time in California were spent watching the sun dip down in to the horizon. The last twenty-four years my favorite horizon memories consist of watching the sun rise out of the east. First the sky lightens a little, then a bright orange glow shows itself, then fifteen minutes later, the sky is ablaze in orange as the full sun appears.

Another aspect of horizons is 'broadening my horizons'. I have done that often in my lifetime. From learning new facets of electric work to learning life's little secrets, my horizons continually expand. Even writing these blogs have broadened my horizons, and for that I am extremely grateful. My writing skills and my computer skills have increased and even my verbal skills have risen to new horizons!

Stalactite

Stalactite is a word that does not come to mind very often. As a kid I can remember seeing stalactites at Lost Sea near Chattanooga, and much more recently, at Mammoth Cave near Bardstown, Kentucky. We saw many beautiful formations when we went down in to Mammoth Cave. Many stalactites, formed by the dripping of mineral laden water, hanging from the ceiling, and many stalagmites rising from the floor of the cave. The stalagmite must form by the excess water dripping from the stalactite, so eventually they will join together forming what is called a column. These formations are churned out over thousands of years, and are quite beautiful to look at. There are many amazing systems at work in this world. Sometimes it helps me to think how small and really insignificant I am in the grand scheme of things. It does me good to be put in my place.

Warm

Warm is a wonderful word. A word that tells me that Spring is not very far off. I really have spent a pretty warm winter this year. Unusual for me but very welcome. As a construction electrician I have spent many, many days outside in very cold weather. I guess I could still do it, but I won't, cuz' I like to be warm. Nights that are a little chilly with days on the warm side are my 'cup of tea'. I really should go south in the winter, and north in the summer, but to do the opposite usually pays better. It seems like everyone and their brother like to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so a long time to get a job is the norm.

Paris, Tennessee is my home, and has four distinct seasons. When it gets too cold I usually come indoors. When it gets too warm I usually come indoors. Spring and fall with its warm days are a special bonus for living here. A bonus I collect at least part of every year.

Spatula

This week's word, spatula, reminds me of an electrician that I haven't seen in over twenty-five years. Mike was his name, and he was quite the cook! We tramped together in 'Vegas & Los Angeles, and I ate many a fine meal with my feet under his table.

We had a deal. He told me that if I would clean up the kitchen, he would get the groceries, then cook the meal. There were some days that I would have to wash every dish in the house, but man did I ever eat!! Mike had spent 3 or 4 years around Baton Rouge, and grown up in Tennessee, so his cuisine was Country Cajun, and it was really good.

I washed a lot of spatulas in 1983. I washed a lot of everything, but it was worth every minute and worth having dishpan hands. We had many a good time in L.A. I met some mighty fine people, ate some mighty fine vittles, and saw some great sites. They call California the 'Land of Fruits and Nuts', & in my fifteen months there, I came to know why!!

Soft

What comes to mind, whenever I think of the word soft, is white, billowy clouds. The soft, white clouds against a back drop of deep blue sky is a beautiful sight and one I like to see. Those clouds look so soft, it appears you could just lay on top of them and get a good rest!

President

Whenever I think about the word president, I smile and think "I personally know the lady that millions call 'Madame President'”. Cherry Jones is that lady and I have known her since 1972. We weren't close friends back then, not even casual acquaintances, but I watched her perform in two or three plays and can honestly say I have known her from the beginning.

I wouldn't wish that job on anyone, but from what I have seen on “24”, Ms. Jones would make a pretty good president. As good a president as we have had since JFK, anyway.

We just need the President, the Senators, and the members of the House of Representatives to put politics, personal gain, and pride aside and work for the good of the United States of America. We have the best, the safest, the most prosperous country in history, but I feel we are in danger of losing it. I haven't any answers......I just wish we could get good people, working together for the common good!

Cupid

I have always thought that the idea behind Cupid was pretty neat. I mean a little fella' flying around, with a diaper on, shooting arrows at people, who if hit by one is automatically smitten. I don't know if Cupid was some greeting card company's idea to sell more cards or not, but I think it was a great idea.

To have a real life Cupid sure would save a lot of money. There would be no courtship, no dating, no buying of presents, no feeling that you always had to impress the opposite sex. I have also heard that in other parts of the world, the parents pick out their children's mate. Cupid would sure put an end to such foolishness right away.

With February the 14th right around the corner, I am glad I have my Valentine. I love her very much and there is no doubt that she loves me. To everyone out there that has a mate, congratulations. To everyone out there that is still looking, don't give up, Cupid will help!!

Health

Health is a mighty important topic now that I am 54 and hurt all over. When I was a kid and was not the least bit concerned about growing old, I really pulled some stupid tricks. Now I get to remember all the foolishness, while trying to accomplish very simple tasks in pain.

When I was fifteen I was certain I would never see twenty one. At twenty one, thirty seemed an impossibility. I was thirty three when I met the love of my life, and I wanted to live to be a hundred. That may not be possible, but I want to give it my best shot. My main objective is to live life pain free, and to never be a burden on Jean. Lately, that has been a huge problem and it has not been solved yet.

I believe attitude has much to do with well being. It is hard to keep a right spirit when everything else is falling apart, but it is a must. I believe a person can go around with a 'woe is me' attitude and bad things will happen. Conversely, I believe a man can will himself to feel better. Not sure how that works.....but it has been done in my life. I just need to find the right mixture. The right foods, combined with the right amount of exercise, combined with the right amount of rest is THE recipe for health. I hope it is not too late for me.

Chest of Drawers

I guess almost everyone would have special memories of a favorite chest of drawers. My memory comes from the bottom drawer of my Ma's chest of drawers. That drawer was chock full of photographs. Photos of my Ma and her folks. Photos of my Dad, many with his Dad and Mom, and many with his nine brothers and sisters. Photographs of our family from baby pictures, to graduation pictures, to anniversary pictures, to my brothers and sister with their families. I used to love looking through that drawer. I couldn't wish for those days back, for I am very content with my life, but it was a peaceful time. It was a time I shall never forget!

Experiment

This week's word unraveled a mystery for me. Around forty-two years ago, give or take a year, I wanted to be a scientist, or a biologist, or an astronaut. My Ma always told me I could be any thing I wanted, so a ten to twelve year old kid had to experiment a lot, to try and find his life's work. My folks had given me a chemistry set for Christmas, and one January day I was trying to get the chlorophyl out of a leaf that soon would have no color.

I really don't know what happened next but suddenly I had a blazing fire on the area rug in my bedroom. I went tearing through the house hollerin' for Ma, cuz' I KNEW she'd know what to do. Sure enough she folded the rug up against itself and the fire smothered itself right out! My days of using my chemistry set for experiments in the house were no more.

I decided pretty soon after that that I didn't want to be a chemist after all. I wanted to be a fireman!

Perseverance

Perseverance has not always been my strong suit, but it seems that my stick-to-it-ive-ness gets better and better as I age. Used to be when the going got tough....I would find somewhere else to play. Now, when adversity rears its ugly head, perseverance kicks in, the problem gets solved, and I grow stronger.

Stronger in my ability because the next time I am faced with the same or a similar problem, I will know what to do. Stronger mentally because I have thought through a problem and solved it.

Perseverance does not guarantee success. Sometimes you may put all your resources into solving a problem and still not succeed. When that happens to me I have to step back, away from the problem, clear my head, focus on something else for a short while, and usually I can come back to the problem and work it out. I am a much happier person now that, through perseverance, problems are solved.

Stars

This weeks word has me bringing back more memories of my childhood. Growing up in the country allowed me to see lots of stars! Groups like the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper were easy sights to see most nights. I can remember laying in the cool, itchy grass and seeing a whole sky full of stars. Man, would that make my mind wander! I don't think there is another situation whereby a boy of eight or nine feels like he is at peace with the world! Sometimes I wish for those days back.