tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78327115419233932122024-02-07T09:04:35.666-08:00K-Log or K-K-K-Katrastophe LogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-87163009106667051832014-05-22T23:54:00.000-07:002014-05-22T23:54:46.607-07:00THE LAST CHAPTER<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It has been over three months now.
The last chapter of my love story is harder to write than the first but
I must tell this so I can move on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A family member will ask: "Grandma, why do you put such personal feelings
out on the internet, why do you put your tears out where people can see them?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I answer: Because I write. That is who and what I am. Words are my
breathing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Here is my story of love and love continuing after his body no longer keeps
me warm, after his nibbles on my ear no longer bring my giggles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It happened a couple of weeks after they had taken his worn out body
away. There came a loud clap from the
bedroom, the kind of clap that Ed used when he wanted my attention, when he
decided I had done enough talking and it was time for his say-so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I went to the bedroom in a hurry, surprised, looking to find what had
happened. Oh, just a shelf from the
little bookcase had fallen. My little
three shelf bookcase, not Ed’s, sitting on my dresser, with a messed up array
of knick knacks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I walked over to find that the shelf had landed on one of Ed's
handkerchiefs, crumbled as though he had just pulled it from his pocket. All of his clothes had been given away and I
was puzzled as why this lay on my shelf, how had we missed it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Picking it up and something fell. His keys! His house keys which he had not
used in two years. He had wanted them when we made his last trip from the house
over eight months ago for a flu shot. There was no need for them, I had my
keys, but he wanted the feel of them in his hands and I searched
diligently. Pants pockets, dresser
drawers, under the chairs but with no success.
"We're late honey, let's go. They will turn up."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">And now they have turned up in one of his good handkerchiefs, the soft
cotton with the drawn border around it, a monogram of curlicues, probably one
of the expensive handkerchiefs he had brought home from John's estate. John, his brother-in-law, his good friend,
his buddy in humor and the quick quirp.
His buddy who was waiting to welcome him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQKc9QQQ4y2xeB1Fu_qgJ1PY6tmQrLfPR1r8l0osXug2AGzTFoOa031Xp4PxhjjM-2a6VYJ8q0QOoVb7YquAxWZqRD3mLt0v7AbImrLwE_88UF4Yb9GqLW8BKsUYbofQWBviUcxhgVdI/s1600/butterfly-2755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQKc9QQQ4y2xeB1Fu_qgJ1PY6tmQrLfPR1r8l0osXug2AGzTFoOa031Xp4PxhjjM-2a6VYJ8q0QOoVb7YquAxWZqRD3mLt0v7AbImrLwE_88UF4Yb9GqLW8BKsUYbofQWBviUcxhgVdI/s1600/butterfly-2755.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I hold the handkerchief because his warmth is on it. Something else falls out. A butterfly.
A butterfly encased in silver. A
butterfly, the green of the sea, with a wave of light coming on to a sandy
shore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">How did this get here? The necklaces
that I create are all in the other room.
They are never stored in the bedroom.
But look again, Mariam, this butterfly was not purchased by you. Later I
would search through my color print-outs that I keep of all of the stones I buy
from around the world and this butterfly is not among them. It has come from the sea of space. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Later I would check with others and they could not tell me the name of this
stone. Later I would make a necklace of
cat's eye and stylized silver and a bit of China jade and I would buy a couple
of green blouses to put in my closet of blue blouses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I can wear it with my tiger eye bracelet which I had made for Ed and he wore
constantly, even in the shower, and it still has his feel.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyFLU-OJYo9cxTbLVGeEquwsPVIUORqoBDMHQlGuiEbXnWd7AM3ymm5WW12IVY9gc4IJNDtXI3WLaIXh-FtA0AMLwruPSsoDJsJLOcKO4LG2XOV013FPNYGgRDGq-rvr8p8Q38PklqEo/s1600/PILLOW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyFLU-OJYo9cxTbLVGeEquwsPVIUORqoBDMHQlGuiEbXnWd7AM3ymm5WW12IVY9gc4IJNDtXI3WLaIXh-FtA0AMLwruPSsoDJsJLOcKO4LG2XOV013FPNYGgRDGq-rvr8p8Q38PklqEo/s1600/PILLOW.jpg" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">At this time Ed is still with me. His
arm surrounds me when I wake up with the morning sunshine on my bed. I can hear his answers when I ask my
questions, asked so many time before, "Ed, where did I put such &
such?" I can even feel his worry
when I cross the street, double checking traffic both ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Then came the night of the 8th. I
won't remember the month, but the date will stay with me, along with the 18th
when Ed left. I was watching an evening
TV show, rocks spread out around me, finding the right pieces to fit for a
necklace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A loud crash came from the patio. It
might have been one of Ed's claps, only much louder. I dumped my rocks in a heap and rushed
out. There on the concrete floor of the
patio lay my case of earring supplies.
It had fallen from my work table, silver hooks and sparkle stones lay
all around. Durn it, what happened. I was putting together special earrings that
would be for the ears that Ed had bought when his 86 year old mate said she
wanted her ears pierced. There had been
great reluctance on his part. He didn't
want any holes in the ears he nibbled. I
explained I wanted to be pretty for him.
He thought about it overnight.
The next morning he handed me the bills for the procedure. “Go for it,
kid.” The next week he would help me
pick out butterfly earrings that would be his gift for me. The butterfly earrings he paid for arrived
broken and now my earring supplies were all over the place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It took me a minute and then I called out to the dark sky, "Ed, are
you telling me something? Ed, is this a
message?" No answer, the sky
remained black, no moon appeared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I picked up as many of the supplies as I could see in the dark, went inside,
turned off the TV, put away the necklace I had been working on, and went to
bed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It was that period just before sleep, not awake, not quite asleep, when I
heard very clear, in Ed's voice," Mariam, I am telling you I love
you."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">His usual words when talking to me were "love" or
"sweetie-pie." This was a
serious address when saying "Mariam" and now he was firmly answering
my question, “Mariam, I am telling you I love you."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">And he left me again. There have
been no further arms around me in the morning, no further tickles to my
ears. I still ask when I can't find
something, "Ed, where is . . . ?" and I hold the tiger eye bracelet
that will forever have his warmth, and wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Ed wanted to believe when I said “We will be together again. We will come back and have more time together
next time. We will come back and have
six kids, all as special as Fred, and we will learn to dance and we will travel
to see all the places we saw but not together.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">He said he believed, but I could see just that little bit of hesitation. He wanted me to be happy. The thirteen years we had together were so
special that I know we could have a special lifetime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">He left me telling me he loved me.
He didn't say he would see me again.
I can only wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">This is my story. It is a love story telling you that love continues even
after the worn-out body has left. And I
write because these words are my breathing and my wishes and my dreams. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh288LtnAfStkVzV49kszFz_G6ViIogF_gpOdPaHlIK2viOPtczVr0Lthw9_JfORcJ3XH4P8kODLhcQSsad3EcJWf76h_hQWXNupbbIBwPYo3Apl_ZStpNPMt0BEtVL3qH-edDd3ouotyI/s1600/butterfly-2750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh288LtnAfStkVzV49kszFz_G6ViIogF_gpOdPaHlIK2viOPtczVr0Lthw9_JfORcJ3XH4P8kODLhcQSsad3EcJWf76h_hQWXNupbbIBwPYo3Apl_ZStpNPMt0BEtVL3qH-edDd3ouotyI/s1600/butterfly-2750.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-2475251068181109492014-04-02T13:49:00.001-07:002014-04-02T13:49:58.258-07:00BUCKET UPDATE - Is This Futility?<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
MOMMA <o:p></o:p></b></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>April 02, 1905 –
July 24, 2001<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBn556LUk7KRByWH8KP4dT_dPC4lBv8KVKgWMWc1FiltUzFviIf7d0VWPSmhKZKm4KUTikV8imdrOZ3sbOexO8-hsd2D-xzrTpxidH7rh-0ny1F92djddkwNdf7EX3hwlvyspgiRvkOM/s1600/1907+Lillian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBn556LUk7KRByWH8KP4dT_dPC4lBv8KVKgWMWc1FiltUzFviIf7d0VWPSmhKZKm4KUTikV8imdrOZ3sbOexO8-hsd2D-xzrTpxidH7rh-0ny1F92djddkwNdf7EX3hwlvyspgiRvkOM/s1600/1907+Lillian.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></b></span></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In case you’ve
missed<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">The latest bucket
list</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">This is for you</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>News Flash
about Old lady with holes in ears </u><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Special Alice is
Fashion<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Removed starter
crystals without mashin’</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">And put in pretty
pearls</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMuAdhH1_LEGdSv1zJbuj_ilJbp3ETIG25X0gu-00RvY0HUCdYOXA4I4cmnYOZE71dmnXJWn-9bkT24zgp9zbSshKm1n1BuYsjB89fGkrM4iyHVSAfYw4b9dNfKNmY6DUP2cDm8XB-FY/s1600/earring+-++2x3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMuAdhH1_LEGdSv1zJbuj_ilJbp3ETIG25X0gu-00RvY0HUCdYOXA4I4cmnYOZE71dmnXJWn-9bkT24zgp9zbSshKm1n1BuYsjB89fGkrM4iyHVSAfYw4b9dNfKNmY6DUP2cDm8XB-FY/s1600/earring+-++2x3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>But old lady
wasn’t as sharp<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">She couldn’t
change without warp</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Now right ear
bigger and curls</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0uMesLYjP_Ro4ZTu8DTTFeMClk4wiXtIQVBOOELyDny7n-OXEvBtJMwNZhuAauV5eetZmnJzE7sBcQcDmhZAadQX2L84YKaPoMD2Rdybtk9J13V7HFlFSKjOvUDC0DaI60Vyu3yuRqs/s1600/earring+-+2416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></b></a></div>
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<u style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Flash – Flash
-- on Kreating Earrings</b></span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Amanda’s
Kreativity<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Is very
Splendifity</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><b style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">And now she is
teaching me how</b></b></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><b style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">To make gemstones
dangle</b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><b style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">From my ears they
now jangle</b></b></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">To match my
necklaces – Wow!</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Travel Writing
Class<o:p></o:p></b></span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I’ve been a little
bit baffled</b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">About places I’ve
traveled</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">For writing a
story I need a sign</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSafe-SbRUzNBqMK6Ctu1G_6VU9QiWEx2Sa3V1bXttGV866GT8ig1w5RMFOJfV8gXeR4XAdTEwbysdEwOVpmbvwScqp-1YmB3qPt2ZbvyL0PwlYFrTMjQ5AlTn7OGFiiOTJMVTcZVewYw/s1600/travel-rama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSafe-SbRUzNBqMK6Ctu1G_6VU9QiWEx2Sa3V1bXttGV866GT8ig1w5RMFOJfV8gXeR4XAdTEwbysdEwOVpmbvwScqp-1YmB3qPt2ZbvyL0PwlYFrTMjQ5AlTn7OGFiiOTJMVTcZVewYw/s1600/travel-rama.jpg" height="200" width="158" /></a></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I wrote to neat
instructor Dan<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> about ways</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Maybe Travel
agenting<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> in the olden days</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>He said it would
be fine for this </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>story line<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Bathroom
upgrades<o:p></o:p></b></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Still packed and
waiting<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Still pacing and
hating</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">What’s the
change-over date</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">When can I move
and uncrate</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Or need I cry
again???</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Searching<o:p></o:p></b></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Trying to find my
way<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Find a goal for
every day</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Several churches
are among my Searches</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Although I know - God
is on my patio.</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Sending to Ed<o:p></o:p></b></span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In the morning I’m
no longer crying<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">I’m trying,
sweetheart, I’m trying</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">But I miss you so
hurtfully much.</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Futility?<o:p></o:p></b></span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Is anyone out
there?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Reading my stuff</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Writing for space</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Is much too tuff.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>If my words are
meant to be<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Send a comment so
I can see</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A word from you
and I’ll continue to try<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Just comment
- maybe:
Hi – or Sigh – or My My</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"When
everything seems to be going against you, <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">remember that the
airplane takes off against the </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">wind, not with it. "</b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">–Henry Ford</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7hbeAP7pfzBnXKjw2YXazoNeaqaHj09BSwF9ozufk-kI2glpXD5KDhvqOGydCI3BhIlL9SNAcS7Ff2T9XYk3aWCKgPPD4l41kXQFTE_CQ8ePGGevqNaGT8581IEOZVGEAGd6Lik-TN4/s1600/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7hbeAP7pfzBnXKjw2YXazoNeaqaHj09BSwF9ozufk-kI2glpXD5KDhvqOGydCI3BhIlL9SNAcS7Ff2T9XYk3aWCKgPPD4l41kXQFTE_CQ8ePGGevqNaGT8581IEOZVGEAGd6Lik-TN4/s1600/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" /></span></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aOXlRH2tHZ_gQ1dSjtzlxzjFJe9u4lAAZT9SOucsDQQPgnIkFGIzXTACR-pho6cLmGAUBYJinEkfCyW5uJmpZ6pkM4VVkP46J-Sd4kb3dSFye5vNuVCcVFECxFomdPuN0yoa1TjHOVc/s1600/selfie+&+friend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aOXlRH2tHZ_gQ1dSjtzlxzjFJe9u4lAAZT9SOucsDQQPgnIkFGIzXTACR-pho6cLmGAUBYJinEkfCyW5uJmpZ6pkM4VVkP46J-Sd4kb3dSFye5vNuVCcVFECxFomdPuN0yoa1TjHOVc/s1600/selfie+&+friend.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a></div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">My
father’s voice would come strong across the supper table, “Tell me, what is the
worst sin of all?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">We
all knew the answer but we had to wait for his rant to work itself out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">“Do
you know? Tell me!” he demanded, “The
very worst of all?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">He
had a family surrounding him, a wife and children who had heard this
before. We realized that something in
his day had brought a disagreeable situation.
As a child, as a teen-ager, as a grown woman I have listened to his
routine and let it slide from me without bothering to understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Well,
Daddy, 50-60 years later, I have to tell you I’m guilty of your sin. I’m guilty of the very worst. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Today
the response comes in an old lady’s voice.
Sometimes 86 is considered
ancient but it is the child giving the required answer. “No, Daddy, tell us the worst sin of all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">The
worst sin of all?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Here
are my father’s booming words. “Don’t
bother feeling sorry for yourself. That
won’t fix whatever is out there hurting you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Today
I hear and I vent my hurt to a stuffed sympathetic gorilla. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">“Oh,
Sunny Boy,” I tell my sympathetic gorilla, “Just look at my hair. It’s straight out. Why can’t I ever get it to wave and curl like
my friend Urssy’s hair?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Sunny
Boy gives me that look that tells me I’m kidding myself, curly hair isn’t the
problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">O.K.,
O.K., Blows have been coming at me straight and strong. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">My love
left me a month ago today. Even as I
type the forbidden tears break away and come to fill my eyes. He left me so
peacefully, carrying my heart with him, gliding away in the light of the full
moon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">The
hollow he left will never be filled but I try as he wanted me to. I will turn our apartment into a cozy cave
for one. I will be accepted back into
the world of friends and family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">This
doesn’t call for depression. I have a
strange sort of comfort because his love remains warm surrounding me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">However,
using my father’s words, the fickle finger of fate points and chuckles
maliciously. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">When
I finish my tale even my father would say that I had the right to enjoy the dark
seeds of sorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">I
live in HUD housing. This helps with
finances but also imposes restrictions.
As a low income resident I can accept those restrictions or go find
someplace else to place my bed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">All
residents were advised that bathroom plumbing in every apartment would be
replaced. This inconvenience would be
handled by furnishing the resident with another apartment for the time of
repair. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">On
March 5th I received notice that my “stack” (one apt stacked on top on each
floor) would be next. My bed & TV
would be moved on March 10th. The
resident packs up anything else wanted and takes it over. Everything must be removed from bathroom so
pipe men can tear up the plumbing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">To
add another complication my sister Nancy had planned their visit from Texas at
this time. Let’s see what is now on my
plate. (1) Rearrange my apartment,
dispose of older furniture, obtain a smaller set. (2)
Visit with sister and meet her new boyfriend. (3) and now – pow – plan on stopping all
household projects, pack away all that might get in the way and move to an
unknown apartment for probably four
weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">The
only lemonade I can make out of these lemons:
My visitors can help their ancient decrepit sister move. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">M-Day. Moving day.
Boxes are stacked and bathroom has been cleared. Early on Monday morning, I head for the
office to ask for new apartment number.
I sit in chair at the desk of assistant manager. She says:
“There has been a postponement until we move you. The plumbers haven’t finished up on another
project yet.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuF0kZu9dphyphenhyphenDAEDZUoy2tKpat4aPU29fbeCngK67fcot57pI883j7RinjZqz4c1d03cZihhS95_ii3uecm3CFDiuWM7Hr7tHoNSmld0FgXh5DGASW84IzSZi8PqJ8eQwx_Ro92eBUt4/s1600/arrangements+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuF0kZu9dphyphenhyphenDAEDZUoy2tKpat4aPU29fbeCngK67fcot57pI883j7RinjZqz4c1d03cZihhS95_ii3uecm3CFDiuWM7Hr7tHoNSmld0FgXh5DGASW84IzSZi8PqJ8eQwx_Ro92eBUt4/s1600/arrangements+-+2.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">There
was only one avenue open. There was only
one thing that a red-blooded old lady could do.
I did it. I began bawling. These weren’t lady-like tears rolling gently
down silken cheeks. My howls of anguish
were heard around the lobby. An old lady
had been jabbed one too many times and there was no way to protest
quietly. The world was out to get
me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Sorry,
Daddy, I was full of self-pity and I let the world know about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">My
sister came to the rescue. She entered the
front door just as I let out my first howl, handed me tissues to wipe my nose
and gently removed me from the office to outdoors. Ah, sunshine, I need you. We walked, me still sobbing, only now more
gently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Gradually
I came to realize the futility of my outburst.
As we covered the blocks, I talked some sense into my head and the tears
disappeared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">I
wanted to talk to Ed, my sweetheart, my sturdy bear, my love. Only he wasn’t here. He was sitting someplace up on a cloud, and
laughing, saying “Aren’t you glad I missed this.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Yes,
my special sweetie pie, you wouldn’t have been able to live in this upset world
that has been handed to me and I am glad you left before these ridiculous weeks
take place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Packed
boxes remain waiting to trip me, waiting to find out where and when they are
going someplace. I am backing away from
the greatest sin of all – feeling sorry for myself – and will write my stories
and exercise and try not to overeat in compensation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Stay
tuned for my Living in Hud Apartment Adventures. There will be more. I will try not to be too painful about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Daddy
was right. Feeling sorry for yourself
isn’t the answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
</h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-71152737044971639322014-03-12T13:55:00.001-07:002014-03-12T22:02:55.590-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkO8pepx8vb7m-4Y2Mzr7c9Z8Lm3VQMcvnDTXL6Zssy2ioMa70-TZ0DqJV5FPF3lnOB7HRB4zBZuGH_bnPjvCfrzEnDkm9ELz1hU1jJ70CuNAsVQ5qTgpqxhjtOk9JEZnXzb49Wx6jtSs/s1600/Selfie+and+Friend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkO8pepx8vb7m-4Y2Mzr7c9Z8Lm3VQMcvnDTXL6Zssy2ioMa70-TZ0DqJV5FPF3lnOB7HRB4zBZuGH_bnPjvCfrzEnDkm9ELz1hU1jJ70CuNAsVQ5qTgpqxhjtOk9JEZnXzb49Wx6jtSs/s1600/Selfie+and+Friend.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Selfie and Sunny</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>The Adventures of
an Old Lady</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next Chapter: The Worst Sin </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">or Why my father would be
ashamed of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sign up is over to
the right </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">if you are not yet on this e-mail list.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-6534972749310990382014-02-19T17:58:00.000-08:002014-02-20T08:35:40.044-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="" /></a></div>
<br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">MY LOVE STORY - Ed and Mariam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">It has been a long 2 years, 1 month, 3 weeks,
3 days and 5 hours, it has been a short 2 years, 1 month, 3 weeks, 3 days and 5
hours since the up and down road began.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Christmas 2011. My sweetheart had to give up his “yob.” He considered washing dishes to be his part
of the kitchen work and he handled the cleaning with more efficiency and joy
than I ever did. On Christmas Day his
feet would no longer hold him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">With his power chair, and he took pride in
turning it in an almost staying in the spot swivel, we still went to the
in-house lunchroom. For a while. Gradually the getting ready, dressed with the
neatness that he required, took its toll and we applied for home delivered
meals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">He no longer left the apartment, only once in
over a year, for a flu shot. He joined
the society of Hospice, another story of great people. We had our Activities,
our Events. Ballgames made the number one
hit list. With DVR we taped Nova, the
History, Travel and this turned into a good life for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Breathing became more difficult and gradually
his mode of travel was our steno chair from bed to living-room Lazy Boy. Then the day came when he could not lift
himself to the bedside commode. The
urinal waited for such a day and Ed fought it.
“Let me get up,” came in angry tones.
“Please, you can’t, you’ll fall.”
Fall he did, a tangle of tubing, legs and potty chair. I made calls to our wonderful Fire Department
and Hospice with lots of help coming quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The next couple of days turned out to be an
experiment in finding out what I could do and what I couldn’t do. Despite his pleas, I continued to explain
“Sweet man, I can not lift you.” His
anger said, “Then I will do it by myself.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">His talking became one word that I had to decipher. Two exceptions, both at his side after a
short nap. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Don’t take me too soon” and “Give me an
hour.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">By Tuesday morning, I knew that I had to have help. I called son Fred and made arrangements for
Fred and my special daughter-in-law Magaly, to come. I called Cornerstone Hospice and made
arrangement for our wonderful Service Coordinator Theresa to come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Theresa put her skills to work and found a very good nursing home with an available bed. Hospice would take care of all expense for a
few days then he would go for long term care, using as much money as Ed had,
then to a different plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">All settled.
The transport would pick Ed and Mariam up between seven and eight in the
evening, Fred and Magaly would meet us there to take me back to their home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I got all necessary to take with me for both
Ed and Mariam. I put on clean clothes
wearing Ed’s favorite blouse. We had an
hour left. I laid on the bed with our
heads together, our arms together, our hands together. Ed’s words were mumblings and I could not
understand. Our bond was still strong, I
knew what he was saying. I talked some
and we played hand teasing games some and I rubbed his neck some. We were home on our bed with each other. For this moment, we wanted nothing more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Mix-up came about on the transportation. The man showed up with a wheelchair instead
of a gurney. I took him in to Ed’s bed
and explained that a gurney would be necessary.
Ed acknowledged the man’s greeting, appeared to be aware of what was
going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">A little more confusion and I had to call the
Fire Department in order to move Ed downstairs.
As the firemen were coming down the hall I went back into the
bedroom. Ed had just left.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">My sweet man had fooled us all. He planned on dying at home and his timing
was perfect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I know and my sister Nancy knows that my
brother-in-law John waited for Ed. They
had the same delightful low key humor and now together they enjoy the trick
that Ed had pulled. He wasn’t going to a
nursing home, he wasn’t going to spend his hard-saved dollars on what he
considered unnecessary care. He had used
his last hour in the kind of happiness he wanted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">One last blessing. After all the necessary people and equipment
had left, I went out on the porch to talk to God. There have been many such talks in the years
since we have been in this apartment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I said,
“Thank you, God. Thank you for
letting him leave from his home. Thank
you for letting him go with so much peacefulness. Thank you for answering my pleas.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">As I stood there, the full moon, the full
moon that Ed put up there for me every month, came out from behind the
clouds. I knew that Ed was on his way in
peace and carrying my love with him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This is for you, Ed, my sweetie pie, my sweet
man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Wednesday February 19, 2014 6:00 pm</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbhaOXvw0blx3CXhrthI3BvBTFjm4oKY1R6z0Hg1R4bjS4iJBfWChlwTeQpLkzB_OvsJ-WUSz77oSEbeK8SGfJWA7MWw10w8xCM-7WjvNT2_k23Zr8a6qKbGlMWJP0AAxJXdLS_3eopE/s1600/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbhaOXvw0blx3CXhrthI3BvBTFjm4oKY1R6z0Hg1R4bjS4iJBfWChlwTeQpLkzB_OvsJ-WUSz77oSEbeK8SGfJWA7MWw10w8xCM-7WjvNT2_k23Zr8a6qKbGlMWJP0AAxJXdLS_3eopE/s1600/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-73721817008045074552014-02-15T09:28:00.000-08:002014-02-15T09:28:14.779-08:00You are not alone - Bucket List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiCEAyRmCgvMRrfXW1u2-kMdoErnHX1IeuDjq0BSyq_TCMDl1WF-mMsLp5QzEASUHeqQlfrv2rW9vAe8Ht_E8h3bSti0P-L28B1kn7nJi00KWovDyTx7aHe6NikhVFQiNji7OcVwXikk/s1600/myrt-ty-mar-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiCEAyRmCgvMRrfXW1u2-kMdoErnHX1IeuDjq0BSyq_TCMDl1WF-mMsLp5QzEASUHeqQlfrv2rW9vAe8Ht_E8h3bSti0P-L28B1kn7nJi00KWovDyTx7aHe6NikhVFQiNji7OcVwXikk/s1600/myrt-ty-mar-photo.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">REPORT
ON BUCKET LIST+<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">#1
- Pierce Ears - Ears doing fine. My sweetie pie, after initial dislike for
anyone punching holes in me, slept on the idea, then handed me a chunk of money
and said “Go for it.” Now that I am
looking at purty sparkly ear rocks, which aren’t cheap, he realizes that he will
have an investment in my ears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">#2
– With Encouragement & Information from Christina, Fred and Urssy – I am
now enrolled in college once again. Yes,
the Lifelong Learning Institute, for 55 plus, downtown ASU, class will be maybe
3/4’s a mile from my front door, easy walking distance. The class:
INTRODUCTION TO TRAVEL WRITING, not first choice but the only available
with action. The purpose: to find a circle with people who have my
interests. Starts March 21, four weeks,
an hour and a half on Friday. I hope to
do usual morning routine early, Ed settled comfortably and all should be OK for
a couple of hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">#3
– Bite the bullet and get it over with. Join
with the big kids. Don’t be such a
scairdy cat! OK, I told the very nice
Joel at Consular Cellular – Sign me up.
Goodbye faithful companion land phone.
Hello, nice little cellphone. Well, it may be little but it is the
largest that I could find. A couple of
days and I will be asking anyone around of the younger generation – What do I
do next. My phone number will be the
same but I do not have unlimited mileage, only (gasp) 500 minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">#4
– Web set-up. Slow. Trying to decide which 4 or 5 stories from
long ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">#5
– Myrt-Ty-Ly-Ky. Here is her picture. She still has a lot of writing to do before
her book will be ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sigh. Bucket lists are tough sometimes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-29006805910119151792014-02-06T15:53:00.000-08:002014-02-06T15:53:37.410-08:00Bucket List #2 writing class in downtown Phoenix<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Bucket
List: </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">#1
- Pierce Ears</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Monday
morning – cross Pierce Ears off of Bucket List.
The cute young gal at Clare’s assured me that the age of 86 was not too
old to have pierced ears. So now I twist
my little sparkle every hour to keep an active hole in my ear lobe. It will be 60 days before I can replace
sparkle with fancier earrings and already I am looking at brighter and dangles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
special young granddaughter Tia is suggesting we have matching tattoos
next. Her father and my husband will go thru the
roof.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>#2
- Class in downtown Phoenix with real live people who write stories and sell
them.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thursday
afternoon – A chilly windy gray day and I almost talk myself into taking a nap
instead of walking over to ASU downtown, the home of Walter Cronkite School of
Journalism and Mass Communication, home of 7,000 students, to ask about a
writing class and possibly a marketing class for my published book. The goal is to find some action and discuss,
talk, learn with other people about writing and selling books. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
trudged (yes, trudged by this time) along the little avenue where students sit
outside when it is sunny and I ventured into several up-date beautiful buildings, talked to
several cute young receptionists, ended up in the School of Writing which is
stuck in the basement of the old postoffice.
I learned (unofficially) that enrollment costs about $4500 and there are
no writing classes at ASU downtown, the home of Walter Cronkite School of
Journalism and Mass Communication. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
trudged home and will take my nap after posting this to relieve my aggravation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
can’t believe there is no place for an old lady to go and find real live people
who are writing and/or publishing and/or selling fiction books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sigh.
Bucket lists are tough sometimes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">WANTED
– SEARCHING – LOOKING FOR real live writing and or marketing class with real
live people in downtown Phoeix.
#writingclass #marketingclass #downtownPhoenix #seniorcitizen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-77526615448761658152014-01-20T22:37:00.001-08:002014-01-20T22:37:49.544-08:00K-Log or K-K-K-Katrastophe Log: Changing Horses in Mid-stream<a href="http://taswos511.blogspot.com/2014/01/changing-horses-in-mid-stream.html?spref=bl">K-Log or K-K-K-Katrastophe Log: Changing Horses in Mid-stream</a>: A middle of the night decision became reality in the daylight. I pondered today and decided: I am cutting my loses and jumping o...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-48436234115935120682014-01-20T22:34:00.000-08:002014-01-20T22:34:50.314-08:00Changing Horses in Mid-stream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7hbeAP7pfzBnXKjw2YXazoNeaqaHj09BSwF9ozufk-kI2glpXD5KDhvqOGydCI3BhIlL9SNAcS7Ff2T9XYk3aWCKgPPD4l41kXQFTE_CQ8ePGGevqNaGT8581IEOZVGEAGd6Lik-TN4/s1600/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7hbeAP7pfzBnXKjw2YXazoNeaqaHj09BSwF9ozufk-kI2glpXD5KDhvqOGydCI3BhIlL9SNAcS7Ff2T9XYk3aWCKgPPD4l41kXQFTE_CQ8ePGGevqNaGT8581IEOZVGEAGd6Lik-TN4/s1600/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">A
middle of the night decision<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">became
reality in the daylight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
pondered today and decided: I am cutting
my loses and jumping off of a horse in midstream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Goodbye
Blogging, it’s been a fun love affair but you are not giving back to me as much
as I am giving to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Another
love has appeared. Myrt-Ty-Ky-Ly, the
fierce dragoness, kept putting her soft snout in my hand, and soon she became
part of my dreaming hours. Soon she
became so familiar to me that I would have recognized her in a herd of
dragons. Oh my goodness, Myrt-Ty-Ky-Ly
is me, we have fought the same battles, given away our heart in a like manner,
have the same wounds and rewards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Dragons
were around for a purpose. The pale
humans needed challenges in order to toughen them up. My tribe of dragon did its job and then
disappeared. Or did they?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Myrt-Ty
tells me in soft bits of flame that the time has come to recognize and
concentrate on one priority – her battles, her loves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
thus disappear from Blogging, from Google Plus, from Circle, from Twitter. Nobody paid any attention to me anyway. I had a very few encouragements (you know who
you are and thank you so very much). But
for the most part I was swept away, unseen, by the flow of words that ignored
me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">A
kind friend gave me a website. <a href="http://thealternatesafeworldofsanctuary.com/">http://thealternatesafeworldofsanctuary.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
am hoping to find someone to put my Blogs ( Kindly-Kross-roads, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://taswos511.blogspot.com/">http://taswos511.blogspot.com/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Dreams,
Druthers and Dragons </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://rainbowanddreams511.blogspot.com/">http://rainbowanddreams511.blogspot.com/</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">) and a few long-ago
published stories in a neat format on this webpage TASWOS. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">My
writing is good, I feel that it should not be buried. My book is good (the alternate safe World of
Sanctuary </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C6MG8BK">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C6MG8BK</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">), available on Kindle,
Amazon and bookstores, and I will not abandon Evangeline and TASWOS either,
only postpone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
midnight hour is here and if anyone misses me - I am heading off to assure
Myrt-Ty that we are cutting the distractions, we will start filling the pages. Adios, Aloha, Farewell for now. Mariam <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-1943681881762910272014-01-12T18:41:00.000-08:002014-01-12T18:41:31.157-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGR2_DuwU25gHRbZLIp9XpQh1sZpJWePvLg7al9Xye1eSv6-hn-qbUsOgh6LBAeoxGNusTuDEnwvl6BPQajDDo123xLKqYC58AoEPM18PCMFjxOZ8LLu6WzomxOBzu-iyyL81UxzedgQ/s1600/Alice+Cooper+saves+Westward+Ho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGR2_DuwU25gHRbZLIp9XpQh1sZpJWePvLg7al9Xye1eSv6-hn-qbUsOgh6LBAeoxGNusTuDEnwvl6BPQajDDo123xLKqYC58AoEPM18PCMFjxOZ8LLu6WzomxOBzu-iyyL81UxzedgQ/s400/Alice+Cooper+saves+Westward+Ho.jpg" width="273" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>THE WESTWARD HO IS SAVED!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>ALICE COOPER IS THE HERO</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>ALICE COOPER DEFEATS KING KONG</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#AliceCooperHero</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#KINGKONGdefeated</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#WESTWARDHOsaved</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#MyHomeTownPhoenix</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#KindlyKross-roads</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#walkingthemile</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-81986769487305797372014-01-12T16:28:00.001-08:002014-01-12T16:28:59.748-08:00KING KONG ATTACKS - Can anyone save the Westward Ho?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPKPCOc5ES4EMuaxL0DffRJFHjW_HVvNNN2R8Oy_l073O70TTPszw7oBf-xCVVF0xLeaUyGJAMGo7zYr76qycnpFaVIY-sqc_GN4YeiYbHNnOQ020MvoUJs8aPF7VpdGolxVwCsJIBbY/s1600/King+Kong+attacking+Westward+Ho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPKPCOc5ES4EMuaxL0DffRJFHjW_HVvNNN2R8Oy_l073O70TTPszw7oBf-xCVVF0xLeaUyGJAMGo7zYr76qycnpFaVIY-sqc_GN4YeiYbHNnOQ020MvoUJs8aPF7VpdGolxVwCsJIBbY/s320/King+Kong+attacking+Westward+Ho.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">KING KONG ATTACKS THE WESTWARD HO</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A HERO IS NEEDED!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHO WILL THE HERO BE TO SAVE THIS </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAMOUS OLD HOTEL?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>HERO, COME HELP!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>#MyHomeTownPhoenix</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>#walkingthemile</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>#believeindragons</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>#kindlyKross-roads</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>+Mariam</b></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-68469936135675306792014-01-12T15:35:00.000-08:002014-01-12T15:47:24.667-08:00MY HOME TOWN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOCtBMqMm_mU_2V9wHlZw2Mz0tYmiKDZmjZT7znDnqELXGZIPFTe4XEvrETkDBJ3hQAqb_YqH_LJVxMz9gm83Uz3F9z1AspQWRLIbWJPtXSLUnFa5aKH9ijTTiDs1EVuTVWeCPlfhylg/s1600/My+Home+Town.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOCtBMqMm_mU_2V9wHlZw2Mz0tYmiKDZmjZT7znDnqELXGZIPFTe4XEvrETkDBJ3hQAqb_YqH_LJVxMz9gm83Uz3F9z1AspQWRLIbWJPtXSLUnFa5aKH9ijTTiDs1EVuTVWeCPlfhylg/s640/My+Home+Town.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Wandering around</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>my home town</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Seeing with different eyes</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#myhometownPhoenix</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#walkingthemile</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#believeindragons</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#kindlykross-roads</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>+Mariam</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-8038227397090192792014-01-03T22:10:00.000-08:002014-01-03T22:29:58.189-08:00COMING OF AGE<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>He
did not consider himself old despite the fact that he walked the five-mile run instead
of racing through it, despite the gray hair and achy bones on rainy days. Not until the day his father died and he
realized he was the top generation. He
had a duty to tell the story.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>The
night was clear, the stars sparkled within touching distance. Horace waited in front of his 30 year old
comfortable home. Spaceship511 came in
silently, green lights blinking and slowed down as Horace held out two sheets
of computer typed paper. With a swoosh
Spaceship511 disappeared and “Coming of Age”
now joins the legends of the Kindly Kross-roads.</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Mead Bold'; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolKuDEr5U_oIw8qDLhTtWCcXO8_U6isjnk5BBNCjh3TjlACX7t-nF14tINxWNZXer4OGQaygH4GKabe1AHstJGQ_3eyZRTUQZMQvjxS5ljUFgoNA4s3IGfYsvUaAY5BkE_gs9T3cbQSc/s1600/spaceship51-s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolKuDEr5U_oIw8qDLhTtWCcXO8_U6isjnk5BBNCjh3TjlACX7t-nF14tINxWNZXer4OGQaygH4GKabe1AHstJGQ_3eyZRTUQZMQvjxS5ljUFgoNA4s3IGfYsvUaAY5BkE_gs9T3cbQSc/s200/spaceship51-s.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1Ja0fuB_64QCxeWhKYofJkcWIL3HT6LujPum-rSmvRnXEgCEzYeWihk8NMY-AbIF5SCRCdPKy7M_AJwnNFTRXyM1ztdd4FpV-3nZVpPDmYKE3dCxpiu1xu5X5yDs1t0aE_zKGoWkvwQ/s1600/car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1Ja0fuB_64QCxeWhKYofJkcWIL3HT6LujPum-rSmvRnXEgCEzYeWihk8NMY-AbIF5SCRCdPKy7M_AJwnNFTRXyM1ztdd4FpV-3nZVpPDmYKE3dCxpiu1xu5X5yDs1t0aE_zKGoWkvwQ/s320/car.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>COMING
OF AGE<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>By
Horace Ryder<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>June
1958, Indianapolis, Indiana. It was stacked
up to be a good summer. One year under
my belt at Purdue, mostly because Mom wouldn’t have it any other way. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Quite
a few of my high school class were still around for a few months anyway. We had all been in kindergarten together and
we planned a good interlude of hanging out, checking on the girls and passing
time until we would be heading for the military. My best friend Chuck kept talking about
driving to California and spending the summer on the beach but I was a little
unsure about that.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>My
dad knew some people over at the Indiana State Police and he got me a summer
job with them. They told me it would be
rough work, which turned out to mean being outdoors, holding the measuring
lines for the surveyors. I had fallen
into cream.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>My
dad was of the old school, the real old school, like his father and grandfather
and probably back to the cavemen. This
meant that whatever he said was the rule.
Even though he had a great reputation as a trial lawyer, there wasn’t
much justice around our house. Clean
your plates, telephone calls limited to five minutes, be in the house by ten
and in bed by eleven. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Being
the easy going type, I didn’t let it give me too much grief, just worked around
his obstacles mostly by keeping my mouth shut.
<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Dad
didn’t throw any dollar bills my way to help with tuition and books. He had worked his way through school and
considered it my right to do the same.
My older brother had skipped out and joined the army, and my sister left
for a marriage license when she was 17 but I stayed around because of Mom and
her longing for one of her children to get that college certificate.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>The
week in June that I’m talking about, summer thunderstorms had moved into the
area. My crew stayed in the office,
catching up on paperwork. This meant
they had me cleaning the equipment, filing the paperwork, going out in the rain
for donuts, keeping me busy while they sat around and shot the bull. It was all
part of the internship. By this time I
found I liked the surveying and casually considered turning my college credits
toward a degree someplace in engineering.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>My
room was at the back of the house and I could read long past that eleven
o’clock curfew. However, this night the
sound of the steady falling rain put me to sleep early.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>It
was two o’clock in the morning when the sound of the front doorbell woke up
everyone in the house. Something had
happened. My dad got to the door first,
pulled it open and I could hear Chuck as I came closer.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>My
father bellowed in his best courtroom manner, “What are you doing here in the
middle of the night.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>It
was a tired voice that answered: “I need
to see Horry. My car broke down and I
want to borrow his.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>There
was no hesitation in my father’s reply, “You can’t have his car. He’s in bed and he’s going to stay there.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>By
that time I had reached the door. “Chuck,
what’s the matter? Come in out of the
rain.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>My
father moved between us. He had a lot of
weight on him and he blocked my going further.
I shoved at him, something I never would have dared to do without the
anger building up in me. “Chuck,” I
shouted around him, “I’ll get the keys and be there in a minute.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>“No
you won’t young man. You are going back
to bed and stay there.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>“Dad,
that is my car and it may be an old junker but I paid for it and I can do
whatever I want to with it.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>“You
live in my house and you go by my rules.
You are not leaving here.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>By
that time my mother had arrived in her old blue checked bathrobe and tears on
her face. “Leave him alone, dear. You know that is his car to do with as he
wants to.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>“He
can do what he wants to when he pays the
bills.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>I
headed back up the stairs to my room on a run.
Dad locked the door and herded Mom back toward their bedroom. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>I
moved as fast as I have ever moved, I didn’t want to leave Chuck standing in
the rain and I couldn’t believe my father had acted so rude. He might be a big shot down around the court
house but that didn’t give him any right to be so impolite.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>I
picked up my old plastic raincoat, slipped on loafers and grabbed the keys from
my pants pockets. Despite my speed I
didn’t make it. My father was standing
in front of the closed door with no intention of moving. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>“I’m
going out, Dad.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>“If
you go out, don’t come back.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Mom
returned. “Ned, come to bed and we’ll
talk about this in the morning.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>“Only
when this young man has returned to bed.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>She
turned to me. “Horace, please do as he
says.”<br />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>My
arm went around her shoulders for the quickest of hugs, trying to give her
reassurance. “I can’t, Mom. Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Mom
was really bawling by now. Dad gave
in. “I will move to let you out because I love your
mother. But the door will be locked when
you leave.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>My
folks were not the demonstrative type, not even holding hands or kissing,
except for the little peck when he left for the office in the morning. His declaration of love for Mom stopped me for a footstep since this wasn’t
his style. But I kept going. I opened that front door and rushed out in
the pouring rain, wearing my pajamas,
loafers and the old plastic raincoat thrown around me. I hollered for Chuck, kept calling for him. I walked the surrounding blocks for probably
three hours, hunting for Chuck, not finding him, not expecting to find him
after the first ten minutes. The rain
turned from a downpour to a drizzle. I
walked familiar neighborhood blocks sorting out my relationships in my father’s
house. By the time dawn had started to
show up on the horizon I had grown from a carefree teenager to a young man with
a mission. I would not ever be in a
position again to be dictated to.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>When
I finally returned to my home, I tried the front door. It was locked. I went around the path to the back. That door stood slightly ajar, waiting. I never asked who unlocked it. It could have been either Mom or Dad but it
didn’t matter.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>I
continued to live at home for the summer until returning to school in the
fall. It was all politeness between my
father and me. “Good morning, sir.” “Good morning to you. Work hard today.” “Yes sir, I will.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>That
I did, more so than the previous beginning days. I recognized an opportunity to get a head
start on highway engineering and I took every opportunity offered to me.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Did
my father and I ever become friends?
Yes, but it was not until after I married, had two children of my own,
and was established in my architectural business.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Dad
came in the office one day and handed me a book, “Here’s one you might like
son.” Our mutual joy in reading brought
us back together and by the time he died we had a sincere friendship and
respect for each other.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>The
day after the rain Chuck apologized – he had been drinking underage beer and
didn’t want to get caught driving. We
have been friends for over fifty years now and can laugh over the stupidity of
teenagers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>When
my son reached his deciding years, I wondered if I would have the courage to
forbid him to go out in a storm in a car that blew blue smoke when it clunkered
enough to run. But dad and I never
discussed that rainy night. Maybe I
should have thanked him for pushing me out of kidhood but we let it go at that.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-77251786579360738682013-12-09T20:23:00.000-08:002013-12-09T20:23:33.106-08:00DRAGONS, DRUTHERS and DREAMS<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the Shadows - Can you find them?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dragons, Druthers and Dreams </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How many Dragons at: </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://rainbowanddreams511.blogspot.com/">http://rainbowanddreams511.blogspot.com/</a> ?????</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-15801933371950805962013-11-21T14:42:00.003-08:002013-12-11T20:51:02.714-08:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: left; float: left; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;left:0;
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">A
GREEN LIGHT SIGNAL<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;">It’s a clear night, even
the city lights can’t dim completely the array of stars overhead, A
blurb flashes on and off at the sixth floor apartment window. Spaceship511 catches the signal and coasts
slowly by. No, nothing calling here.
The flashes are only solar battery Christmas tree lights. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6XgWm_LiVuYuPKwQ-RJJDUJcePbV4iqElEHXgmWISu_pQV8-R2mfrBl3ij604y6vWv1Y257wBajxb_Dz2t9XSx55tWJQf91SBlJ4ZK08tKx_TRi-Aj-8H_i3dG0HP3Jl6ytdAG8iDyg/s1600/spaceship51-s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: 120%; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6XgWm_LiVuYuPKwQ-RJJDUJcePbV4iqElEHXgmWISu_pQV8-R2mfrBl3ij604y6vWv1Y257wBajxb_Dz2t9XSx55tWJQf91SBlJ4ZK08tKx_TRi-Aj-8H_i3dG0HP3Jl6ytdAG8iDyg/s1600/spaceship51-s.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="height: 120px; left: 0px; margin-left: 320px; margin-top: 119px; mso-ignore: vglayout; position: absolute; width: 181px; z-index: 251659264;"></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">A white owl, also powered by the Arizona sun, perches on the wall of the patio. Suddenly a dazzling sparkle arrow darts from
the eyes of the owl and points to the inside of the window. There is only an instant available for
insight. That’s sufficient to catch the
Kross-road stories. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_K2jxmdHwMAnLnXI3IeSePuUJkxivr4GurCoLB6veaWXYSGD361N8ZqwVRYqKQTcXBVktU054cJ1SRT_SxYVWXKOWr7veUCrSnawk-gdlykhlYK3c2tDfmmvKrs_JOKWdlQXi5QNiVg/s1600/spaceship51-s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_K2jxmdHwMAnLnXI3IeSePuUJkxivr4GurCoLB6veaWXYSGD361N8ZqwVRYqKQTcXBVktU054cJ1SRT_SxYVWXKOWr7veUCrSnawk-gdlykhlYK3c2tDfmmvKrs_JOKWdlQXi5QNiVg/s1600/spaceship51-s.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">An old lady is humped over the computer
keyboard. Her back hurts. She has spent the hours of the afternoon
struggling with the computer layout, pushing unknown html around to form a
Descriptive Archives. Her efforts
haven’t been productive. Three possible formats and none worked. The entire K-Log might have been
destroyed. She will find out when the
next K-Log is added. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The old woman’s computer has a file
with the title of “K-Logs in progress.”
These stories have come to her so that she might edit and return to the
world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">An hour remains before she must push
the keyboard away and prepare supper, returning to her evening duties, The computer screen shows the unfinished
K-Logs and she looks quickly to decide which one to finish telling the
story. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Maybe “Coming of age,” a teenager
becomes a young man. No, not yet, the
story awaits the ending, on its way from Indiana.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">“The Report on the Mexican.” This story will hurt to get on paper. Too much blood, too much heartache to
continue with this now.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">A photo of Senator Ted Kennedy shows up
under the papers by her keyboard and the old lady smiles as she remembers that
afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The phone rings, the wrinkles crease on
her face even further. A Kross-roads
hasn’t shown up yet for grandson, medical help is needed and the old
woman wants his ills handled, wants to hear hope.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is one more picture laying on her
desk that might be a mystery and might be an answer. June 1976.
She knew the man, a methodical person, and he had set up his Canon on a
tripod to take a series of pictures at an Indiana State Park. The day celebrated a 50<sup>th</sup> wedding
anniversary, complete with speeches, good picnic food, beautiful warm June
weather and happiness covering it all.
The camera caught the mood and the photographer produced lovely scenes
of trees bordering the rippling water.
He used these scenes to make calling cards and gave them out for both
business and social purposes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EYrlUwHX-RsJB4AYPsZRkpz5v3AdbZ_6U_TxQANtnJmAPkl0CdywqovGfH8z4LvH0j26DA-2oDov2nXspzEnT-IM_aGvN_z6_LzZAKuSKPvrUTc5TY07ytvjt7janAkEPSrf5LLqwHU/s1600/park-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EYrlUwHX-RsJB4AYPsZRkpz5v3AdbZ_6U_TxQANtnJmAPkl0CdywqovGfH8z4LvH0j26DA-2oDov2nXspzEnT-IM_aGvN_z6_LzZAKuSKPvrUTc5TY07ytvjt7janAkEPSrf5LLqwHU/s320/park-2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thirty years later, 2006, the
photographer died. He had told his wife
and a few close friends that he would try to find a way to contact from “the
other side.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">2013, seven years have passed. Two of his calling</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> cards show up unexpectedly, within a couple of days of each other, and from two
different places. One came in the mail from
a friend of a friend of a friend in New York state. The other showed up in a box of paperwork to
be thrown away.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The widow doesn’t doubt that her
husband is telling her that all is well with him. But what else? This comes at a time when she has a decision
to make. Is her husband telling her that
he accepts that she might love someone
else? Or is he reminding her of
pleasurable days they had together, that the time has not yet come to find
another love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Kross-roads awaits in her life and she
believes that a message has come from her love of forty-five years and he is telling
her the path to take. She cannot read the
signposts. She awaits, she wants further
signals. Slightly exasperated with her
message from ‘the other side,” she calls out, “Dear, be more clear and specific.” Many a time she has told him those very words
and many a time he has told her, “I am clear and specific, you are not
listening to me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Spaceship511 backs away from this scene.
The window, the apartment, the owl are bookmarked. Kross-roads are waiting here. The old lady will return to her keyboard
tomorrow and maybe the stories in this household will be ready for telling.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
#Krossroads #crossroads #spaceship #bookmark #stories #signposts #Mariam<br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: right; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">November 21, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-58464748349040422662013-11-06T18:36:00.000-08:002013-11-06T17:36:19.405-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLBj4mrPYiKlwrRWO3F1V7fCFowp9KrW7OsWNZ3RglkxTha4m9UCzI3Yqr8QIEZoZcNVWhZiGNQ2jrnD6V_UQjo7_B3Th0NG_WcdvXmmeNDSGICgi9S6vNZLxbEMAT7G4VtZjBlPE-EQI/s1600/a_rainbow.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLBj4mrPYiKlwrRWO3F1V7fCFowp9KrW7OsWNZ3RglkxTha4m9UCzI3Yqr8QIEZoZcNVWhZiGNQ2jrnD6V_UQjo7_B3Th0NG_WcdvXmmeNDSGICgi9S6vNZLxbEMAT7G4VtZjBlPE-EQI/s400/a_rainbow.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoB3T1SwG5vx09tPuQebMsUdmPd_P5DsPxsI39Tiem9duilMDcb-5bLupceXUxXPpLaEODmL2SiMf963yeQqCVFgVwNdYd-s_hntfdrScKOoLObhuViryb3Tbius8UTi_W23AB-Jx2mQo/s1600/k-k-kat.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoB3T1SwG5vx09tPuQebMsUdmPd_P5DsPxsI39Tiem9duilMDcb-5bLupceXUxXPpLaEODmL2SiMf963yeQqCVFgVwNdYd-s_hntfdrScKOoLObhuViryb3Tbius8UTi_W23AB-Jx2mQo/s400/k-k-kat.PNG" width="400" zsa="true" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Katastrophes, . . . Krashes . . . <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One-Step-Forward & Two-Back . . . sometimes even Failure, it won’t work at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Life is all about spreading your wings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Take the effort or sit in the rocking chair and rock, rock, rock . . . <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Blank pages await.</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words will fall on them and show Dreams and Rainbows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Add your<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>name so that these stories will come to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Follow along for the ride, add a thought, a comment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks for stopping by,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mariam</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-85075771428828334382013-11-06T18:35:00.000-08:002013-11-06T17:35:50.736-08:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: .5in;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">Introduction
to:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">The Kindly Kross-roads<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">Series<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">Spaceship
511 lands on the grassy sweet smelling landscape. A story of Kross-roads decision hides in the
mansion.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqig8dmmkOawHwVdBXKsJTNHCk3HA7HrMdSklxTWiqHYTCT7M1PUz1wEj1juT51Zrw8fQ_tUhJ-cu6M2FbGQApsnuRN_vaS43sg56SNwrgreQbfRB4dt1kIY9ZjvXlZRDtjeJ_R6v05YE/s1600/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqig8dmmkOawHwVdBXKsJTNHCk3HA7HrMdSklxTWiqHYTCT7M1PUz1wEj1juT51Zrw8fQ_tUhJ-cu6M2FbGQApsnuRN_vaS43sg56SNwrgreQbfRB4dt1kIY9ZjvXlZRDtjeJ_R6v05YE/s200/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-gqqA7mxMGU9xoy1MQ_WzeKl7-wh8J8PlzWO9KxiYmGwXesKuhsHsgXfY8Fv6q9GERKYUaAFzBjzlU-5f0KBZ-sZBxsIpPHwd1KlvjiJv3x70tSIyyf6uXRCyLVSDgRGs1k2QzUgM2I/s1600/Mariam&Ed.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-gqqA7mxMGU9xoy1MQ_WzeKl7-wh8J8PlzWO9KxiYmGwXesKuhsHsgXfY8Fv6q9GERKYUaAFzBjzlU-5f0KBZ-sZBxsIpPHwd1KlvjiJv3x70tSIyyf6uXRCyLVSDgRGs1k2QzUgM2I/s200/Mariam&Ed.jpg.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">You
might have seen the young man clipping the oleander bush, keeping the punchy limbs
in front of him, determined that Mrs. Nosey would pass on by. She glanced in his direction, headed his
way. He put his clippers in his tool
sack, taking two steps on his way. He
stopped. This time he would not let her anger him into shouting. That police
incident was over, he would stand his ground. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">She
was talking before she reached his part of the sidewalk. Her gleeful smirk
traveled the street telling the catastrophe of Mr. Big Shot’s daughter’s
wedding ruined because the orchestra had cancelled. Tim didn’t bother saying good-bye or changing
his sweat soaked shirt. He and his
struggling Five Spot group were on the way to a gig that started his career. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">Spaceship
511 swoops down again. That kid wearing
raggedy jeans, torn sweatshirt, has been “riding the rails,” running from home
for a week. The freight cars slowed
down for the small town, the engineer not stopping here. The kid licked his mouth, his water bottle
had been empty all night. The speed
began picking up, too fast, now or not. He jumped.
This jump, a Kross-roads decision, would lead to a Life and Love in the
small town. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">Maybe
the Kross-roads decision isn’t obvious.
A choice happens because of a newspaper article, a radio announcer
talking your subject, a high school teacher’s encouragement years back that led
you down your special road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">When
we look back, the Kross-roads stand out in solid red and black. How could we have done otherwise? At the time we sweated over a decision. Or it was as casual and offhand as “Sure, I’ll
call in sick and we’ll go to the ballgame.
Can’t let your free tickets go to waste.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 120%;">Where
were your Kross-roads? What were the
choices you made that led to an unexpected, unexplored part of your life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 120%;">Spaceship
511 will land in many backyards, reporting the stories of choices.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 120%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-59111492989818494392013-11-06T18:30:00.000-08:002013-11-06T17:34:11.492-08:00<h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spaceship 511 lands on the grassy sweet smelling landscape.</span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">
A story of a Kross-roads decision hides in the old 1927 historical hotel. </div>
</span></h3>
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<h3>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Another Chapter:</u></span><br /><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Kindly Kross-roads <br />A Series</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7hbeAP7pfzBnXKjw2YXazoNeaqaHj09BSwF9ozufk-kI2glpXD5KDhvqOGydCI3BhIlL9SNAcS7Ff2T9XYk3aWCKgPPD4l41kXQFTE_CQ8ePGGevqNaGT8581IEOZVGEAGd6Lik-TN4/s1600/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7hbeAP7pfzBnXKjw2YXazoNeaqaHj09BSwF9ozufk-kI2glpXD5KDhvqOGydCI3BhIlL9SNAcS7Ff2T9XYk3aWCKgPPD4l41kXQFTE_CQ8ePGGevqNaGT8581IEOZVGEAGd6Lik-TN4/s320/spaceship511.jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7832711541923393212" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span black="" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i><span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: 00088;">
BOB HOPE AND DEBBIE REYNOLDS COULDN'T SHOW ME THE WAY </span></span></i></b></span></span></center>
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I am a wanderer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span black="" style="font-family: Arial;">When I was much younger - over 70 years ago on the calendar - I slipped out the back door of the home of my father and his wife and headed for the railroad tracks about a mile away. Many a time I had done a fast pedal on my bike over that way and watched kids as young as me climb into them. They'd stick a pipe right in the middle where the door slides and use that for a lever to pull up. <br />
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The war was going on then, the W W two one. When my dad was home, he called me wirey but I knew I could take on any other guy out there. I had a couple dollars hidden in the watch pocket of those baggy brown pants that had been handed down from my father's wife's sisters kids, The money had come honest. My father's wife would hand me the big glass pitcher and fifty cents. When the bar tender didn't cheat me out of it, there was a tip left for me. <br />
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The train headed west. I didn't care which direction, I was on the move, I was going out, I knew there was something out there someplace for me. <br />
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Hobos, living on the road, would let me hang around the campfire and they'd fill my tin cup with whatever they had if I didn't pester them any. Nobody asked me how old I was and nobody cared. <br />
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Nobody cared at the circus either. When I dropped off someplace around Salt Lake there was the big tent and I made a bee line for it. I was pretty sure I could find a home with folk that traveled so many places, I knew that was what I was meant to do.<br />
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A kid about my age showed me the ropes to the glamour life under the big top. The big tubs, first for washing the stacks of dishes, then rinse, then drying & stacking again. At the start of the show, the Grand Entry, I pulled on a "Joseph" robe, it had all the colors, and walked a camel around the ring. <br />
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One night after things were shut down and we had seen all the acts, Larry and I decided to go to movie in town. We fell asleep and the circus moved on without us. The circus people didn't care, there would be other kids to wash the dishes and walk the camel.</span></div>
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I continued hitchhiking. When the police stopped me, I always had a story ready for them. I was going to grandma's house, up the road a ways. She runs a laundry so I know she's still there. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />When a policeman didn't believe me, he threw me in a jail. I wouldn't give my name, I told them, "Just call me Jake." One time my father showed up to pay the bail and my wings were clipped. It was back to school. I liked the history and geography parts, spent a lot of time at the school libraries, but my father's wife packed school lunch of goose grease on stale bread and that didn't compare to hobo stew.</span></div>
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In the coming years, I saw the insides of a lot of jails. Since they couldn't prove I had done anything wrong they had to let me go. I had the fiddle faddle foot, gotta see what was on down the road. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />I got on the fruit and veggie circuit. South to North. Apples and pears up around Medford, Oregon. Then there were pole beans about 4 foot high, bush beans about knee high off the ground. Berries, all kinds were on the circuit. California and Oregon with peaches. Last thing is apples in November. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />I couldn't make any money at any of it. The Mexicans had whole families and they did all right. Sometimes there would be a regular camp with kitchen and two meals a day. It wasn't gourmet, big plate of pork chops, ham, chicken, beans but we paid for it.<br /><br />
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">You could sing for your supper at the missions. There's where you learn a world of what's going on where, what's a bad place to go to. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />
Or stand around in employment center, hear guys talking. "Got a good hot tip but no way of getting there." Someone asked, "Where's that?" He gave the name of a casino over in Nevada. I had a couple dollars, had just come out of apples. I called that casino and asked for the chef. He had been advertising for a dishwater but couldn't get one way out there. I asked him, "If I hitchhike 90 miles to Windover would I have a job?" and so I got the job washing dishes. This wasn't bad, warm inside in winter time and I stayed there quite a while. <br /><br />
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">I learned a lot of different skills by keeping my ears open and showing up ready to work. Dynamiting in the mountains of Colorado. Construction work in railroads and bridges and buildings in all of the western states. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">From the first dishwashing job in the circus, I went the route of bus boy to waiter to maître d' to manager. Some places I moved with the upper crust, the money. Debbie Reynolds, a nice lady, gave fifty dollar tips for good service. Jack Benny's wife would order toast at fifty cents, give the required 15 percent and Jack would scratch it out and replace it. Someplace around on one of the hotel billboards could be a photo of Bob Hope and Sammy Davis with ol' Jake here in the middle, all doing the ol' soft shoe. There were some great people, and some rotten people too, but I was always ready to move on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Jobs lasted for a few weeks or a few months. Some were for a season and return the next season. Roots were never dug deep enough that they couldn't be pulled with no regrets, always looking forward to what would be ahead. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />The years mounted up to retirement time, finally ready for social security and Medicare. I had an offer for a part-time job that was right up my alley. I would be in charge of the small used-furniture store, have a helper for the work hours and I would take care of the management duties. This would probably be my last job and I could settle with it.</span></div>
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Walking around, thinking it over, wondering what made me uneasy. The years of wandering had to be over, I had seen a lot, done a lot, it must be time to settle. Tomorrow I'd tell the owner I'd take the job. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />As I walked by a large old-fashioned hotel, a busload of people drove up. I moved over to one side, watching them get off, some dragging, some whooping. It got obvious that the trip to the casino for these senior citizens had been a fun trip for most of them. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />The back of the bus came out and I started to move away. I waited while the two last persons walked slowly to the door. She was a little bit of a thing and he wasn't much bigger. Her pink dress was from better days, his jeans had been through many washings. The conversation took place in front of me.</span></div>
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She said sharply, "Shorty, it's OK, we're OK."</span></div>
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He answered, "But, Rose, I know better, I shouldn't have gone, we're on beans now and that's not fair to you."</span></div>
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She was not quite as sharp now. "So we're on beans. We're together, as long as we're together we're OK."</span></div>
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His voice was low but I could hear him. "Yes, we're together and we're home together." His hand took hers as they went inside. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />I started to move away to go make the telephone call. I could hear him again. "We're home together."</span></div>
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There had been many crossroads through the years and it hadn't been difficult to make decisions. Either way, either road, would work for the wanderer. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />Could it be time for the wanderer to plant roots? Home. There was a home through the door in front of me. To the left, walk the sidewalk back to the room at the Y and make a telephone call, keep my care-free life. To the right, through the door built in 1927, two years before I was born. Shorty called it home. </span></div>
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<span black="" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br />I hesitated, started to the left. Shorty's words wouldn't leave me. Quickly, not wanting to change my mind, I followed Rose and Shorty through the half-opened door. I followed two people who would be my friends, who would lead me to my wife, who were taking me to my home.<br /><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span black="" style="font-family: Arial;">Jake Skylark </span><span black="" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Spaceship 511 will land in many backyards, reporting the stories of choices.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832711541923393212.post-54910301885130505112013-11-06T17:18:00.001-08:002013-11-06T17:32:24.204-08:00<b><i></i></b><br />
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SPACESHIP TIMELINE - FROM IBM TO BLOG </span></span>
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My ship is sailing toward another new world. Blogspot is on the horizon. Blogsville is just around the corner. <br /><br />
There was a time when my stomping ground was secure, the corners bound tight and I recognized the boundaries. In other words, I had some idea of what I was doing when I sat down to a keyboard. <br /><br />
Then one day my son showed up with bigtime news. He carried a couple of monster machines into my intersanctum. “The IBM has got to go, you will like this much better, it has fabulous features.” My teacher son also had a partnership in a computer store. <br /><br />
“Here are the floppies and you put this one here and this one there and watch your screen for the commands.” <br /><br />
Is there anyone around who remembers the olden days of DOS, before the World Wide Web, even before color? <br /><br />
The main difference, as far as I could tell, was that I didn’t have to use the “white stuff” to make corrections. The clock stood at 1986 and I had become the modern woman, the one keeping up with scientific technology and all that jazz. <br /><br />
The sword of progress began coming at me fast. In 1993, only seven short years later, I wrote a letter to my sister: “Go get a modem installed. The wonders of Bitnet and Telnet and (treasure of treasures) INTERNET await! Access to the galaxy! MIND-BOGGLING.” <br /><br />
What is Mind Boggling is that was only twenty years ago. <br /><br />
I had parted with tears from my faithful IBM. I cried harder when the time came to part with DOS and Q&A. My life worked fine without Windows and a stupid mouse, thank you. I did manage to skip Windows 3 but finally had to succumb to modernization. That new Dell computer, with Windows 95 and the dreaded mouse awaited on the living room floor. I approached, sat crosslegged and stared at it. Instructions were clear, take off the cover, remove thisnthat, put in thisnthat and ready to go. With mouse. Go away world, leave me alone, I’ll figure this out with my Dummy book. <br /><br />
Eventually I adjusted and Windows X-P didn’t hurt quite as much. But that’s enough! I’ve reached the Pinnacle. No more. I will let all new gadgets pass me by. <br /><br />
Have you given up your desk computer yet? Do you still have a land line telephone or is it all cell? In ten years it appears that we have phased out what it took me twenty years to learn. My next generations have bitty machines surgically attached to their pockets.<br /><br />
Grandma, get on Facebook. You will find what you are looking for on Deaddog. Catch the latest Madonna on u-tube. <br /><br />
Grandma, we are texting now. Here, I’ll show you, just hit the “a” three times for “c”. <br /><br />
When it became obvious that my shaky fingers didn’t hit anything three times, it was either one (maybe) or five, the kids gave up. My only win was their promise to not text and drive. <br /><br />
No facebook, no i-phone, no u-tube, no texting, no Apple. I don’t want to touch my screen, it will get it dirty. But don’t take my mouse away from me and I couldn’t live without google. When a word in my lexicon disappears I can go to this day & nite library for a clue. Google is as good as the “white stuff.” <br /><br />
The great grandkids are waiting with bated breath (sure they are) for grandma to tackle a blog. OK kids, the keyboard likes me, we go together. I typed a book didn’t I? It's published, isn't it? It's going to be a best seller, isn't it?</span><center>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> the alternate safe world of SANCTUARY <br />
http://goo.gl/DvCsp </span></center>
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Blogging it will by my style. I can tell you about what is,what was and what will be. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just watch me. </span></center>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14505647446901122788noreply@blogger.com0