With only a few hours left...

   2013 is winding down quickly. There are just a few days left and I thought it might be a good idea to look back at the year just passed. Isn't that what all good newspaper and news people do, that is, "the year in review.” 2013 may not have been the best year for some ( Bet Anthony Weiner is glad the years is over), but it was also not the worst, although there are some that might disagree. Anything that involves  the number '13' can't be all bad. So let's move on....

   Like most others, the year 2013 began on January 1 for me. It was a Tuesday and if not mistaken, it may have even snowed. I didn't do much that day, if I recall. I got up my usual time, just before 6:30 AM, took Lucky out for an early morning walk and turned on the coffee pot. Being several days after the shortest day of the year (Dec. 20) there were about 2 additional minutes of daylight already in the sky and that extra early morning light woke me up a bit earlier! (Now there is wishful thinking.)

   The next day was January 2, not unusual as in most places around the world the 2^nd of the month often follows the 1^st. Not much happened this day either. It probably snowed again and.....if I don't fast forward this review, my rather uneventful year in review will take forever and you may become quite bored... if not already.

   If you really want to find out the important (??) events that happened during 2013, I suggest you turn to one of the hundreds of news broadcast this week. They cover everything from the most popular movies, to the politics in our nation's capitol and everything in between, including our Governor in Maine.

   My personal 'year in review' is not nearly as interesting, but, I was pretty pleased with the way the flower gardens turned out this year, the trip several weeks ago to Williamsburg with my daughter and her family and some of the antiques I was able to purchase at the auctions this year.

   I did pick up a part time job for a few months and met some very interesting people as I traveled around the state and to several other locations a bit south of here, NYC and Philadelphia to be more specific. In the process I learned a great deal about energy consumption and the amount we waste each year. Even at my age, one is never be too old to continue to learn.

   Most of the year was pretty routine and that is just fine for me. I hope it continues into the new year and I remain healthy and wise. Should a good opportunity of some type present itself, who knows what I might do. Never know what is lurking out there behind those trees!

  With the new year well within reach now, (just hours away now) I had considered making a list of some New Year's resolutions for 2014, but if this year were to be anything like the past, I don't think I'll waste the time. Too often there is a brief commitment to a list of resolutions  and then they are forgotten within days, maybe even hours. Losing weight and exercising, reading more, keeping the weeds out of the garden... those, hopefully, will all happen without needing  New Year's resolutions. Staying in touch with friends and family, taking in a Red Sox game every now and then should be automatic too. 
   Oh... I suppose I could put a sticky note on the dashboard of the car reminding me to buckle up before I pull out of the driveway or show a bit more patience in the checkout line at the store, especially when I am in a hurry.

   I probably could try to stay a bit closer to the '500 word limit' I set for myself for  my writing of this blog, but there are times, I have found, when I just have too much to say and need to use all the words I can !!

   But most important going into 2014, I want to wish you all a  healthy and Happy New Year and thank you for taking a few minutes  out of your busy schedules to spend some time with me each week at.... www.500wordsallthetime.com.
   Be safe!!

The next time Santa asks you if you have a been a good little boy or girl.........

   The young boy sat on Santa's lap, maybe at a mall somewhere. It was a television commercial for an automobile company. Santa, dressed in his traditional bright red suit, was asking the boy what he wanted for Christmas. No toys! "A real car," was the response. Santa seemed surprised by the request. (Remember, this was a TV commercial!)"That's a pretty big gift", he said. "Were you a 'good' boy this year?" Looking Santa squarely in the eyes and with all seriousness in his tone of voice, the 'precocious'  lad said to Santa...”define good!” 
   Santa stammered and stuttered to find an answer as  the boy jumped off his lap. Although this was a "staged" television  commercial, it does raise an interesting question.'What is the meaning of the word 'good' and why does it only seem to mean so much more this time of the year. Perhaps because some believe it will get you more presents? That's not good!

   A quick look at Webster's Dictionary reveals the word 'good' has many different meanings, depending upon the context in which the word is used. For example, often it is linked to a person's character as in..”a good and honorable person' or in a much different example... a four wheel drive vehicle is 'good' for driving in snow. But in the case of the boy sitting on his lap, Santa was  probing to see if he had been well behaved the past year.    Historically, bad behavior often meant lumps of coal from Santa on Christmas Eve, or at least that's how the story goes and nobody wants lumps of coal. But looking around, there may be many who should be receiving lots of coal this year. But... I won't mention any names.

   In an unofficial and unscientific survey conducted by me, I asked people what the word 'good' really means. Some of the responses I am not able to print because of the 'content' and 'context'. Gutter minds, you know! But in most cases, the responses were ones I had expected.

   From the younger generation (under the age of 8) ... nice, pleasant, respectful, being polite to your mom and dad, cleaning up your toys, and going to bed on time... were at the top of the list. Doing homework, brushing your teeth each day, keeping a promise and feeding the dog also made the 'being good' list

   For the adults, defining the word was a bit more challenging. Perhaps with the passing of time and the loss of childhood innocence, the word has lost some of its original intent and meaning. (Note..Buried deeply within the definition in Webster's dictionary is the reference that the word 'good' originally was derived from the word God.)

   Several spoke of 'good food' or a 'good movie', good times or a good game. When asked to use a scale of 1 to 10 to rate  'good', the most common response was  '7'. But goodness gracious! Am I beginning to see a pattern here. Does being 'good' only mean being just... OK?

   What was interesting was that the kids were seeing 'good' as a “people" quality or characteristic while the adults saw it was more as a judgment or value of something, not a personal quality. So when does a shift take place in a child's mind and why?

  We try to teach our children to be 'good', to be nice to their friend, to share toys and be polite to others, the more traditional understanding of the word 'good'. But as they grow older they see, in real life and on television, something very different and by the time they are adults, being 'good' has lost its importance because generally we don't judge people with the traditional meaning of 'good' any more. Is a person good and honorable or are they no different than being a 4-wheel vehicle being driven in snow?

   I am not sure, as I look back this year, if asked the age old question about 'being good or bad' this past year, what my answer would be. I hope I could, in good conscious, say 'good'. But others will be the judge of that. Isn't that right Santa?

   And that young boy who looked Santa in the eye in the commercial? My bet is he grows up to be a lawyer!  :)

It's time to get ready...

   It's time to get ready... for the next big snow storm. Winter seems to have arrived a bit early this year as a number of  storms have been traveling across the country like fast moving freight trains. Those of us who live in Maine, that is north of the Kittery Bridge, come to expect the 'expected' and the 'unexpected' when it's winter weather related and this year appears to be no exception.

   Fortunately, most of the storms to date have worked their way across the country to the east coast, turned north and before crossing into Maine, have made a sharp right turn out to sea. I have enjoyed watching the news reports and pictures of snarled traffic in Washington D.C. or the thousands of people stranded in the airport in Atlanta.

   There has been a bit of snow to date, but it appears that other parts of the country have been “harder hit”. I love that description...”hard hit”. I suppose that implies there can be a “soft hit?” But I am sure that before long we will have our share of severe wintery weather. In fact, the weather forecasters on the local television stations are predicting a storm this weekend ...so I guess it's time to get ready.

   I have already started up the snow blower once this Fall and it seems to run fine. It has been around for a few years, but as they say...”nothing runs like a Deer.” I know that at some time I will need to get a newer model, but this one works fine for now, so...”if it ain't broke, don't fix it!”

   The snow shovels are now by the front and back door, ready to cut a small, but narrow path for the dog to take his early morning or evening walk to the nearest tree. While it appears he doesn't mind the snow, a bit of a path helps him get moving the the right direction.

   In the garage are two bags of snow and ice remover. Over the years, I have used everything from rock salt to sand, depending upon what was available at the time in the store, but now, with the dog, something 'pet friendly' is probably in order.

   It is amazing just how expensive it is to melt snow and ice. I know that you can use kitty litter on ice to keep from slipping, but then, what do you do with it after the ice is gone? Pray there are no cats in the neighborhood I guess.

   Often the electric power will go out during a major storm. No power, no lights, no heat. In the past I have used a wood stove to supply supplemental and backup heat, but have converted to two pellet stoves and they do need some type of electricity to keep operating. Perhaps one of these years I will invest in, along with a new snow blower, a generator. That way, I will be able to keep the pellet stoves operating and... check my Facebook page every once and a while to see all the funny pictures people are posting.

   There are fresh batteries in the flashlights, oil for the oil lamps, lots of blankets and some snacks, just in case I get a bit hungry.

   Each vehicle has a blanket, a flashlight, several pairs of gloves, an extra hat and a snow brush/ ice scraper combo. In the past, I have found these to be quite useful, not only for snow and ice removal, but to wave at the passing cars on the highway, hoping someone will see me and stop to help push me out of the snow bank.

   I also try to keep at least a half a tank of gas in each car and some dry gas on hand, although with all this new modern engine technology, I have heard it may not a good idea to add it to your gas tank. Fouls up what they used to call the carburetor.

   And yes, this year I have new “all weather tires,” able to run on hot steamy roads in summer or cold snowy roads in winter. Sounds like I am ready for anything!

   Well almost. I have one more stop to make and I need to be sure there are some extra ice cubes in the freezer too. It could be a long storm!
   
   PS. It's 6: AM at this posting on Sunday and the snow is already about 4". And it is sooooo quiet!

The Christmas tree is up and decorated...finally!

   With Christmas music playing in the background on the IPOD and the chorus of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” coming from the wireless speakers, the final ornament is placed on the tree. The last ornament is the pickle, hung in a place that requires a bit of searching, hidden among the other brightly colored ornaments.

   When the kids were young, they would race down the stairs on Christmas morning and the first to find it would be the first to open a present, It provided a bit a 'law and order' to the early morning Christmas frenzy.

   These days, the search for the pickle usually happens, not on Christmas morning, but at the end of the season when it is time for the tree to be put away for another year, because I sometimes forget where I hung  it. But that may be good thing. Being the last in the box means it usually ends up on top of the other ornaments, ready for next year.

   Before I go on any further, I need to confess  the tree in our home is no longer a freshly cut fir or spruce, but one of the 'artificial' type, and while I actually considered going 'natural' this year, I decided to stick with the artificial one. At least I won't be spilling water on the floor as I try to fill the tree stand with water and... it is an attractive tree, despite being made of some mysterious man-made materials.

   It takes several days to prepare the house for Christmas. Over the years the collection of decorations has grown and there are now at least five to six large plastic containers filled with ornaments and decorations of every type, stored safely in the garage. (Plastic containers tend to keep the squirrels out!) Not all are hung on the Christmas tree, of course, but it takes a day or two to get organized and ...what's the rush? I have plenty of time. It's how many days until Christmas?

   Why the large number of decorations? There was a time it was not uncommon to have four or five fully decorated trees, freshly cut, each in a different room, and each tree with a different theme. These days the number is down to just two, in part because the house is smaller, not as many rooms.

   But having four or five trees required lots of ornaments and over the years more and more ornaments were added and unless one broke or the dog got hold of it, it was just too difficult to throw any of them away. There were, and still are, many ornaments with family memories of Christmas's past and now, each year, these are the ones that get placed on the tree.

   There are a few ornaments of Christmas before kids, when money was pretty scarce. There are still many with the kids' names and dates written on the back and some with pictures from grade school projects when Christmas could still be spoken about in school.

   The homemade ornaments are the most memorable but many, after 30+ years, are to worn, tattered or frayed to be hung on the tree. But I am just not able to throw them away. So... they remain in the plastic container, year after year, carefully wrapped in paper in hopes that someday some grandchild or great grandchild may find them and wonder...wonder what Christmas was like back in the 'old days'.

   There are ornaments purchase from different gift shops while on vacations and we can not forget the ones bought at the local antique auctions. Some of those are really old and I am sure carry their own set of family memories too.

   It now takes me about two days to finish decorating the trees, in part because I don't move quite as fast as I used to and I need to give my hands a chance to heal after being scratched and stuck by the the plastic pine needles. But with the hanging of the pickle and a flip of the switch, the Christmas season is officially underway at our house and if I may say so myself, I did another magnificent job this year, even if it is an artificial tree. Maybe next year I''ll opt for a real one. I do miss the smell of freshly cut pine.
   So, to my readers, family and friends, from our home to yours, Donna, Lucky, and I wish  you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Note: Just a quick add-on. I know there is a great debate this year as to whether it is a 'Holiday Tree' or a 'Christmas Tree'. For me, the tree at Rockefeller Center will always be a Christmas Tree as well as the trees in my home. If someone wants to have a holiday tree, that is their choice. After all, it is a free country and it is what makes our country unique. But sometimes traditions need to remain just that, traditions. Come on folks!

A Thanksgiving Story for 2013.....

   Stories can come from many different places with many unique twists and turns. This year, at our family Thanksgiving gathering, each one there, both young and old, helped to create this family Thanksgiving story and maybe a new tradition. We hope you enjoy it.

                                        A Thanksgiving Story ( 2013)

   The turkeys had been very restless the week before Thanksgiving. They had been watching the news and were well aware of the upcoming storm. Tom, the senior and largest bird of the group had done everything he possibly could to calm the others but with the constant warnings and broadcasts on the television, the others worried that this was not going to be a Happy Thanksgiving for most of them this year. Unsure of their future and what fate might hold, they constantly fought and argued among themselves and in some cases even refused to gobble down their food.

   As Thanksgiving Day got closer, the kids on the farm ran around yelling and shouting...“munch, munch, munch, we're going to have turkey for lunch, lunch, lunch.” Their feverish excitement furthered the concern of the gaggle. Tom knew he needed to do something about this and do it soon (Pete)

   So they decided to go into their emergency underground cave. They thought they would be able miss Thanksgiving by being in the cave, and to keep busy they decorated it for Christmas. They hung greenery and ornaments, working very hard until their feathers fell off. (Ashley)

   They thought they would be safe in the cave, until all of a sudden they heard the farm owner moving about in the leaves. If one of them left, surely he would become food on the farmer's plate. That would be terrible! (Erin)

   So one brave turkey went to the farmer and said, “Please don't make us your Thanksgiving dinner because we want to stay alive.” The farmer thought about it for a minute and finally said... “OK.” (Ava)

   “But”....the farmer added, “You must help me find something else to put on my plate for the Thanksgiving dinner. I had planned on delicious turkey but now I will need to find something else to feed to my family. Great Aunt Clara is especially finicky about what is on her plate.” (Amity)

   At that moment Great Aunt Clara arrived. “Moo,” said her little calves as they followed her inside.”We are hungry. What's for dinner. (Grandma)

The farmer didn't know what to say. He quickly looked around the room. What could he serve for Thanksgiving dinner?

   Just then a familiar sound roared into the driveway. Julian, the local pizza delivery boy was driving his beat-up Chevy truck toward the front door. (Anna)

   As it turned out, Great Aunt Clara had the foresight to realize that it was no fair to eat Tom for dinner since he had been such a good turkey. She had used her cell phone and had placed an order for two pepperoni and one cheese pizza, saving Tom, the turkey. from the kitchen oven. (Chris)

   Yes... Tom would live to see another day. And the pizzas that had been delivered by Julian in his beat-up Chevy truck, they were all made in the shape of a turkey with a note written on the box top. Happy Thanksgiving from your pal Tom.

   Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.!!!!

Just because it's called the Pine Tree State.....

   People often make assumptions that are not necessarily true. For example, Michigan is known as the 'Mitten State'. Does that mean everyone wears mittens instead of gloves? New Jersey is called the 'Garden State', but I'll bet there are a number of people who have never planted a garden in their life. Or Idaho...the 'Spud State'. (There is one you want to make sure not to misspell. Can you imagine being called the “Stud State'?)

   Maine is called the “Pine Tree State' and people from away often ask me if we have a lot of pine trees in Maine?? And if we do, it must make it easy to find the “perfect” Christmas tree. "Where do I find the “perfect” Christmas tree?" they ask.

   We recently returned from a trip 'south of the bridge in Kittery' and although still several weeks away from Thanksgiving and the official start of the holiday season, I was surprised at the number of trucks loaded with freshly cut trees that were heading South to far off places like NYC, Pittsburgh, maybe even Miami, locations where Christmas trees don't grow. Who wants to cut down a palm tree, stick it in a tree stand, bring it inside and decorate it with colored lights and shiny ornaments? Bet you won't see too many of those in “Country Living Journal".”

   I will admit that over the years I have spent a great deal of time in search of the 'perfect' tree. Like the U.S. postal service...through rain or snow, sleet or hail, my mission to find the 'perfect' tree, I can not fail. Often I would spend hours, well maybe just a few minutes, wandering in the woods or at the local Christmas tree farm looking for the 'right' tree. It had to be about 7 ft. tall, straight as an arrow, plenty of branches and a nice top on which to place the angel.

   Some years it was a Scotch Pine, very pretty but difficult to decorate because of the sharp needles. Other years, it has been the more traditional fir tree. One year we decided to go with a Blue Spruce, and I ended up needing to get a loan to pay for it. (This one came from a tree farm.. Not too many Blue Spruce grow wild in the Maine woods)

   There were a few years when several families would get together and make it a social event, Armed with chain saws and a cooler or two, the dads were off into the woods, the older kids tagging along, and the younger ones at home with the moms in the kitchen baking cookies.

   After a short ride into the “backwoods” the search would begin. Soon there would be the roar of the chain saw, the shout out of “timber” and the crashing sound of a 30-40 ft pine. That 7 ft top looked perfect from ground level, but now I wasn't so sure! “Well maybe there is a better one over there.”

   By the end of the afternoon the truck was loaded with trees, some extra greens for decorating and if we were lucky it might even start to snow a bit, just for the romantic touch. The house was filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies, the hot chocolate was on the stove and after taking a second look at what we had managed to bring home, the afternoon was deemed a success.

   Families grow and move on, traditions change and the search for the 'perfect' tree takes on new form and life. It's no longer walks through the woods or the tree farm armed with a saw. It is now looking for a parking place within a reasonable walking distance to the store, armed not with a chain saw but a credit card. Once inside, the selection of artificial trees is endless....and expensive. Every type and style of tree is on display, with or without lights and in some cases they even come with scent  packets  you can hang  on the tree branches to make it smell almost real.

   The buy of the day? A Blue Spruce, 10 ft tall, with lights and a stand, marked down from $499 to $429. What a deal!

   After visiting several more stores and finding similar results, it was time to put 'plan B' into action, after all.... this is Maine, the Pine Tree State. Tomorrow, I'll  gas up the chain saw, put on my LL Bean boots and..........

Sometimes it only takes a bridge...

   The three men had traveled together for many days. They had been through storms, climbed over mountains, been attacked by wild  animals, robbed by gangs and had gone for days at a time without food or water. But now they stood on the banks of the river, looking across the cold and choppy water, trying to decide how they get to the other side and hoping this would be their last big challenge.
   After a few minutes and being in somewhat of a hurry, the first young man took off his shoes and socks, waded out into the water and began to swim toward the other shore, occasionally  looking back at the others and waving to them to join him. About half way across the river the current became much  stronger and being very tired, he stopped swimming for a moment. Suddenly he dropped beneath the water's surfaces and within minutes  was carried away by the muddy waters, too far from the others on shore to save him.
   He had been the 'risk taker' of the three. Free spirited, he had been the one who, when times were difficult, had kept the group together, either with his seemingly endless energy or his "wicked" sense of humor. A romantic at heart, he often forgot there was a practical and sometimes  harsh  side of life and in the end, he gave in to his youthful exuberance.
   After some time had passed, the second man decided he would build a boat. Not strong enough to even attempt to swim, he thought that "surely a boat would get them across the river  to the other side" and one step closer to completing the journey.
   Collecting what materials were available in the area, he was able to build something that resembled a boat. He was the 'creative one' of the group. They both laughed at its appearance and after naming it "The Ugly Duckling", it was ready for it's maiden voyage. Being the caution one too, he suggested that he "go out alone" not wanting to put too much weight in the untested boat and if he was successful, he would return for the third man. Both agreed that was probably a good plan since they had already lost one member of the trio to the turbulent waters. He would set out in the morning, but this night they would sit and talk, remembering their friend and their experiences.
   The morning air was clear and fresh as the sun peaked out from behind the mountain tops. There was little, if any, wind and the waters appeared calm. Carefully launching the boat into the water so as to not damage its weak and shaky structure, he was ready to set sail.
   Standing on shore, the remaining traveler could hear the his friend singing old shanty sea songs as he navigated his way from shore toward the other side.
   Within only a minutes from the other shoreline, strong winds broke the calm and peaceful setting, flipping the boat upside down and sending the sailor into the  water and like the other man, he too was quickly pulled below the surface. Feeling helpless, the third man could only stand and watch as his friend was carried downstream by the muddy and murky waters. Now alone, the third man sat and pondered what to do. Alone, did he want to continue the journey or turn around  and return to where they had come from?
   As he thought about his next steps a new group of three, on a  journey of their own, joined him. He briefly explained what had taken place as they attempted to comfort him. Their goal, too, was to cross the river, but based upon the story told, they decided that to swim or build a boat would not work. After several minutes one of group members suggested..."Lets build a bridge". The task seemed daunting, but there were now four of them and perhaps the extra hands might make it possible.
   They searched the area for items that could be used to build the bridge and found a place downstream where the span across the water was a bit narrower. As they worked, others passing by joined them and within several months they had built a bridge that spanned the river, was strong enough to support the weight of those who would  cross it and sturdy enough to withstand the rains and storms and turbulent waters below.
    It was now time for the first traveler to continue his journey and as he stepped onto the bridge he had helped create, he turned and waved to his new friends, thanking them for their help and within minutes after reaching the other side,  he was out of sight.
   Over time, the bridge became well known as a popular place for people to cross back and forth from one side of the river to the other.Within a few years, others would come and  rebuild the structure, making it bigger and stronger. What had once been a place where many were forced to end their journeys had been transformed into a place to gather and set out on new adventures into sometimes uncharted territories.
   Many of us will go through life and face challenges and obstacles we did not expect. We learn that life is not always as simple and easy to navigate as we had hoped and we learn that sometimes, when we reach what seems to be the end, with  help from old friends and new ones and a willingness to try new things and to trust others, we are able to move forward. Building bridges  and  trusting others  can take someone a  along way!
  
  
  

It can be a fine line between a good day and a bad one....

   Humans are a creature of habit. We tend to follow the same routines each day and if something causes that to change, even the slightest bit, it can ruin a day and in some cases maybe longer. There can be, without a doubt,  serious or major events in a person's life that can cause someone to have some difficult and challenging days, the death of a family member, being diagnosed with a serious illness or some catastrophic event.  But most often if someone is having just a 'normal run of the mill' bad day there is only a 'fine line' between making it a 'good' one  or a 'bad' one and it can begin even before the alarm clock goes off in the morning... if you remembered to set the alarm at all.

   With a sudden start you jump up and put your feet on the floor, only to realize that there is no electric power, the alarm did not go off and, at best, you are at least an hour behind your normal routine. With no electricity, there is no hot water for a shower and worse, no way to brew a fresh pot of coffee. With no power and no lights you stumble your way across the room to the closet in search of something to put on. Although the sun rises a bit earlier in the morning now because there is no daylight saving time, it is still pretty dark and by mistake, your foot becomes firmly planted on the dog's tail. Well... that will surely wake up the rest of the family.

   Within a few minutes, the power is restored, the coffee is made and the shower is complete, with hot water and all, as you attempt to get back into your 'normal' routine. 

   Late for work, but only by a few minutes, you realized that almost everyone else is a bit behind schedule too. And the day goes on, but it was a fine line between making it a good day and a bad one, Fortunately it turned out to be a good day. (Note to self...be sure to check the alarm clock.)

   I reached into my pocket to get my wallet to pay the bill at the local coffee shop. Fear griped my body as I realized that my wallet was not in its usual place, my back pants pocket. The line behind me was getting longer and people were becoming impatient. Come on.....come on! This could turn out to be a really bad day, no wallet and part of the world mad at me.

   Being a 'creature of habit', I always put my wallet on my dresser before putting the jeans in the laundry basket. But this time I just forgot to put it back in my pocket. I think you may know the feeling! (For those who are curious, I don't carry much money in my wallet, just a couple of credit cards and my driver's license. My money is usually in my front pants pocket. It's just a bit more difficult for pickpockets to get at it, a trick I learned in a big city many years ago. But I forgot that money too.)

   At that moment, the manager approached me, asking if there was a problem. I explained what had happened and being a regular, he told me that I could 'pay up' later. Again another 'fine line' between the angry people behind me and a manager who obviously had experienced this type of situation before. What could have turned out to be an ugly scene was transformed into a good day, both for me and those who stood behind me in line because of the understanding nature of the shop owner.

   The notion of a 'fine line' implies that there are two choices, one good and one not so good, in other words... bad. There have even been songs written about the “fine line'. Check out some of  the Beatles' songs.

   Breaking a shoe lace on one of your favorite shoes, losing a button on the only clean white shirt in your closet, or having a flat tire on your car could all be the little signs, the 'fine line'  for a day that could turn out good or bad. But regardless of what the event, the decision on which side of the line to come down on is really  the result of 'attitude'. If you want to have a bad day, then go ahead. You don't really need to have an excuse other than you want to make yourself feel miserable and probably do the same to those around you.

   But you do have a choice. With our daily routines of life, for many of us there is very little that is “really' that important to make the rest of the world suffer because things went a bit a wry . So, the 'fine line' between your good day and bad day... it is what you make it!

Things you just don't see much anymore........

    I moved up and down the aisles of the auction, doing my Friday morning preview. Tucked under and neatly lined up in a row on the floor beneath a table were nine early glass milk bottles. Since milk now comes in either plastic or cardboard containers, glass bottles have become a collector's item. ( I know milk still comes from cows. That hasn't changed... yet!)  As I turned to move on, the toe of my shoe hit one of the bottles, tipping  it over and most of the others too. No broken glass or chips, but it did attract a bit of attention from the others in the room. Being sure there was no damage, I lined them up and  moved away quickly to avoid another scene. But the milk bottles got me thinking.
   There are many things you  just don't see anymore. I can still remember the days when the milkman delivered milk to our home every other day, in glass bottles and placed them in a …..milk box!  Becker's Dairy in Roseland, New Jersey. You may also not remember the bottles that had the cream at the top. Today that would probably be considered a health hazard.
   No more home deliveries and it's too bad. There were some great one-liners about the milk man and why little Johnny looked 'different' than the rest of the kids in the family. You know, the old milkman thing, delivering more that just milk!!
   In addition to milk deliveries, there was also the bread truck. Wonder Bread! Today  we wonder if it was really bread at all, all gummy and chewy, but back then there was nothing better than Wonder Bread with peanut butter and jelly. There was always a special treat from the driver, if you had been especially good that week. He would pass out those packages of little chocolate donuts that tasted like freshly melted wax. You can still buy them in a store today  and they taste exactly the same, like melted wax.
   A younger generation may not recognize steam irons for pressing shirts and skirts or tire chains for snowy days. The old black Royal typewriters, fountain pens, dictionaries and the encyclopedia have been replaced by computers and cell phones that can do almost anything.
   Rotary telephones, black and white televisions, record players and 8 track tapes have also joined the lists of has-beens.
   Fewer and fewer newspapers and magazines are published as the Internet has taken over the way we get our  news and information and if you are not sure about the gathering information piece, you may want to contact the NSA about that..I have heard  they are very good at it.
   In addition to the home deliveries of milk and bread, there are other services that are no longer part of our  life. What ever happened to the gas station attendant who not only pumped your gas, but also washed your windshield and checked the air pressure in your tires, or the doctor who would make home visits if you were too sick to come into the office. Interesting though, in New Jersey you can not pump your own gas. There are still attendants on duty. I think it's called job creation. But do they wash windows?
   As towns look to cut cost, curb side garbage pickup has been reduced to fewer days per week or maybe even eliminated altogether.There are some places where you can pay to have your trash hauled away, but why pay when you can go to the 'dump' and not only get rid of your garbage but also hear the latest town gossip. Who knows? It could be about 'you'. And by the way, a few years ago they had been  called sanitary land fills.  I am still trying to figure out what is 'sanitary' about a  land fill. Today they are called transfer stations.The meaning behind a 'transfer' station. Transfer to where?
   Going on a trip? You won't see the cigarette smoked-filled passenger terminals, or smoking sections on planes for that matter, or those those heavy and cumbersome suitcases without wheels. Moving the suitcase  has become easier, but I am not sure that air travel has. (The ban on smoking?...That's been  a good change.)
   There is talk of doing away with Saturday mail delivery. That might not be so bad if it means less junk mail, although even junk mail is changing as it  now appears as spam on my computer screen instead of my mail box. Where is that spam control setting on my computer?.
   What about customer service in general. There was a time when you made a call and you actually spoke with a real person rather than a machine. Push '1' for option '1' and  if you don't like that option, push '2' for more options.
   Sometimes I feel sorry for the younger generations. There are so many thing we grew up with that they will never have the opportunity to experience. As Bob Dylan once sang... ”the times, they are a' changin'” and he was right.  It will be interesting to see what changes are in store for the next generation. Could it be...beam me up, Scottie?
   Bob Dylan! Who's Bob Dylan?

Maybe it's time to revisit the "revisit"......

   Earlier this summer I wrote a post about the Fenway Faithful and this year's Red Sox team. It was early in the season and to soon to make any predictions, other than this was going to be a 'fun' year.
   As they made their way into the playoffs, I wrote a very short post, Fenway Faithful Revisited,  about how well they had done...a fantastic reward for those fans that have followed the team through the good times and the not so good and it seems appropriate that they will be returning to Fenway for the final out of this season, win or lose. .  
   Now with the series tied at 2-2, could you ask for anything more? Well...  being World Series Champs would be great. But there seems to more to this team than just crazing looking beards and David Ortiz may have shown what that is last night in the dugout.
   There is a lesson here, whether they win it all or not. The lesson is quite simple. "See what great things can happen when people work together for the common good!" It's baseball. It may only be a game. But it is through the game that we can learn some valuable lessons.
    For now, it may be called 'Boston Strong.' I hope the' team' in Washington D.C. is watching this.series. There may be some lessons that can be learned  here. Perhaps in the future we can call it ."A Nation Strong!'
   Great job Red Sox!

Fall is more than just brightly colored leaves...

   The weather forecast for the next several days predicted cloudy skies and much cooler temperatures so I decided to finally put the gardens 'to bed', cut the lawn for what I hoped would be the final time this year and rake up the last few remaining leaves that had fallen in the recent breezes. Like the 'rites of Spring', there are also some 'must does in the Fall'.

   Fall 2013 is a real gem. While  Spring and Summer were pretty rainy and wet, Fall blossomed into a beautiful couple of months. Much out of character for this area, the days were warm and sunny and the nights were mild. Usually by this time of the year we have been hit by several hard frosts or possibly even an early snow storm. But this year has been different. Even the frogs in the pond have stuck around a bit longer that usual and Lucky still has his little friends to play with.

   The birds and squirrels have had a few extra weeks to prepare for the coming winter, although time has never seemed to bother the squirrels in the past. Those little critters are really 'nuts'!

   But this year the results of the fantastic weather saw flowers still blooming in the gardens late into October, brightly colored leaves, many still on the trees well into the latter part of the month and crystal clear nighttime skies. Did anyone notice the full moon last week? It seemed to light up the sky for hours.

   Armed with a rake, some clippers and a wheelbarrow, I was ready to cut back the plants and shrubs and clean up what had finally succumbed to the longer season. One  thing I have discovered is that the more care taken in the Fall with the cleanup often means less work in the Spring. That applies to the gardens, the lawn, the leaves and the pine needles. We don't have many trees that have leaves, but we do have pine trees with lots and lots of needles and don't let anyone tell you  differently.... they are equally as difficult to rake up as any leaf. They do make a great ground cover under the blueberry bushes though.

   A quick spin around the yard with the lawn mower, a neat pile of leaves and garden trimmings ready to take deep into the woods, and I was done, in less than 2 hours this year. I've got this down to a science!

   Each season has it's own look. Winter offers a covering of snow, blanketing and sometimes hiding what lies beneath. Springtime is a time of new growth,. young plants breaking through what had been recently frozen ground in search of the warmth and sunlight of a new season . Summer is a time to actively enjoy, watching things grow, listening to the tree toads at night and planning the next trip to the beach. There are flowers to pick, vegetables to be eaten and lawns to be mowed and trimmed. And then there is the Fall.

   Traditionally a time to 'clean up' and put the garden tools away until next year, with a bit of luck one might be able to squeeze out a few remaining days of what summer brought, that last purple petunia hiding beneath the hosta leaf or the cucumber that managed to be missed at the last picking. And after the final 'clean up' for the season, with the smell of the freshly mowed grass and the gardens cut back for what winter might bring, there is a look, a smell and feeling that is uniquely Fall. Yes, there are the brightly colored trees and the neatly raked yards. But there is also a feeling of …..peace! And for  several short weeks it's nice to sit back and enjoy, knowing that within just a couple of months the cycle begins again.

   But there is also something special about this year too, a special treat for “the Fenway faithful.”. It may be the end of October, but the the Red Sox are still playing baseball and while St Louis has taken at 2-1 lead in games at this writing, it's exciting to watch the “boys of summer” turn into the "boys of fall," giving  local fans a few more days of summer fun, even it the temps are only 40 degrees at game time.

Fit to be tied...

   Those of you following  my recent blogs may be seeing somewhat of a trend over the past several weeks. It's clean up and clean out time. Nothing is off limits. The tool shed, the garage, some area of the basement and even the storage compartments in the cars have been subject to the cleanup.

   At the bottom of the stairs to the basement is an old cedar trunk, somewhat of a family heirloom, and there was more piled on top of the trunk rather than stored inside. But with the top now free from clutter, why not take a peek inside? Maybe if the trunk were empty, it too could go to the auction.

   Looking inside, the trunk was almost empty. There were a few old drawings done by the kids when they were in school, some wedding and birth announcements from friends and family and.....a whole bunch of neckties, maybe 20 if not more!

   Most jobs and positions I held throughout my working career required that I wear a sport coat or a suit along with a necktie. Now you have to remember that I am coming from a different generation, where the dress for work was a bit more formal, where the dress code requirements were spelled out very precisely and were strictly enforced. By whom...you may ask? The dress code police, of course.

   For example, there was a position where the dress code requirement was very simple...dark suit, a starched or neatly ironed white shirt and a 'conservative looking' necktie, nothing flashy with outlandish patterns or colors that could serve as a distraction. Muted stripes were always the ties of choice.

   Over the years it just became very natural to “dress up” each day and many of our generation continued the practice of a more formal work attire even though the dress code expectations became a bit more relaxed. Dress down Fridays! What a great idea. But, for those needing to wear neckties, what great and easy gift ideas for birthdays, Father's Day, Christmas or just because 'it was an on sale gift.'

   Now I am sure that somewhere out there in  “google land” there is a history of the necktie, where it originated, how it came to be, or who was it's inventor. But right now I was focused more on what was in the bottom of the trunk. I had not seen some of these ties for years. The colors and designs, the widths and the fabric revealed the numerous trends and styles changes over at least three decades. From floral prints to stripes, holiday designs to company logos, there was quite a variety. When laid out side by side on the floor, it offered a rainbow of vivid color and textures.

   As I examined each with the care as if I were meeting a long lost friend, I tried to remember...”who in their right mind would buy something of that color, let alone wear it in public.” But then I remembered. It was a different time and a different generation and men's neckties, like the length of women's skirts, reflect what's popular in the fashion world.

   I carefully folded them and placed them back in the bottom of the trunk. I now understood why, at the auctions and yard sales across this great nation, boxes and trunks are stuffed with old ties, scarfs and other neck wear. No one really knows how to get rid of them or what to do with them should someone have difficulty parting with them. After all, many were gifts from your children and they were so proud when they gave it to you on your birthday.

   So. what to do with old, seemingly useless neckties? I have seen them woven together, used to replace worn out seats in chairs and benches or used to tie up tomato plants in the garden. I have even seen them used in place of a broken leather belt to hold up a pair of jeans, just before they fell below the top of the butt crack. I suppose someone could open up an”Old Tie Museum” in some town, desperate for a local attraction.

   I closed the top of the cedar chest and went upstairs. But here is where it gets really scary! I slid open the door of my bedroom closet and hanging neatly on several tie racks was the next generation of neckties, ready to join the others in the trunk and there had to be at least the same number as already in the trunk if not more. But ...they would not be joining the others this day!

   I wonder if I still remember how to tie one of those Windsor knots? Let's see..it's left over right, then....

So what's tucked away in your garage...besides your car?

   Just because it's  in the garage doesn't mean it's a car. There's lots of “stuff” in my garage, things I have collected over time.  There are pieces of furniture  I need to keep because of the antique business, but  some of the other stuff...maybe I intended to throw away and some... I just didn't know what to do with it.

   As I turned into the driveway and opened the garage door and looked inside, I decides that it was to clean out and straighten up before winter sets in. The garage had been neat and tidy  with plenty of storage space. There are hooks and shelves on the wall and an overhead area for who knows what....possibly a home for squirrels? But things have gotten a bit messy over the past few months and if I don't  take action soon, the cars would soon be parked in the driveway instead of in the garage and be covered with snow after the first storm. 
   And then there are the comments from  my oldest daughter when she comes to visit.. Dad, it's time to clean this up a bit.  I tell her..."there may be some 'rare finds' in here for you someday!" And she just walks away shaking her head. 

   I pulled my trailer close to the door for the larger items and placed boxes on the floor, each one with its own label; 'throw away', 'auction', 'antique booth' and one that says..'I don't have a clue.' 
   After a few minutes of frenzied chaos, I decided I needed a system. Why not start at one end and move out from there. I always considered myself to be rather concrete and sequential, but the older I get I find that I am becoming more random.

   Now there are some great treasures in my garage, much like my junk drawer and it is going to be difficult to get rid of some of these treasures. This project was going to be more difficult than I thought.

    I still have a number of tools that belonged to my father. Too sentimental to throw away or sell... but who needs seven hammers and every size C clamp ever made.

   There were some boxes of dishes from an auction at least 6 months ago that I had never opened. Dollar signs danced before my eyes.

   Books are everywhere. I can't throw away books. No matter how old or new, books should not be thrown away. Perhaps under the cover of darkness of night I will drop them off on the library steps or at a local shelter where someone might pick up one or two. Shouldn't everyone  read “The Oxford History of the American People.”

   An hour into the task and I was exhausted. I needed a break. Coffee would be good. I'll use one of the coffee cups from the 'throw away box'. 
   It was at that moment that I made a pledge to myself to never let this get out of hand again. In the future I would decide, before putting something into the garage, whether I would keep it, sell it or just throw it away..

   As I sipped my coffee I looked around. From the outside with the door closed the garage looks like any other garage. What's inside may be quite different. My garage is 'like people' I thought. Just because they look one way on the outside doesn't mean that's what they look like on the inside. If someone looks old on the outside it doesn't mean they have no value inside. Just because someone goes to church each Sunday doesn't necessarily mean they respect and care about other people. If someone smiles sweetly, does it  mean they are friendly?

   What appears on the outside isn't always what's on the inside. Stored in my garage is more than just my car. Stored in my garage is a collection of things I have collected over time. But I needed to ask myself "why?' This revelation might  be the beginning of a "life's little lesson" here too . Like the 'stuff ' in my garage and deciding what to keep or throw away, we often make  similar assumptions about people, deciding who we want as friends and who we do not, and then just move on.  

  But I digress! I am suppose to be cleaning out my garage. OK...time to get back to work.

Stepping outside my back door...

   The summer of 2013 is past. The warm days of summer and mild evenings have given way to cooler days and now chilly nights, ones that require a sweater or  that new fleece jacket . Stepping outside, there is now the smell of wood smoke wafting through the air as the neighbors fire up their wood stoves and a stillness grips the air. Every once and a while a breeze will rustle the remaining leaves on the trees and the wind chimes play its repeated melody. And then it happens!!

   For those who don't know, our back yard is heavy with trees, mostly pines and aside from a small area of grass that requires a lawn mower every so often and two hand dug ponds, the yard boarders on a wooded area filled with various forms of animal wildlife.

   During the late spring and summer the ponds are filled with frogs and toads, when there is enough water, and this year, Lucky “enjoyed” getting to know the frogs 'up front and personal'. He learned quickly that if he moved very quietly and slowly he could sneak up on them and attempt to hit them with his paw. Without exception, they were quicker then he and they would leap back into the water with a splash, surprising him and sometimes even me. Those little guys are fast and can really swim.

   One of the many things we are trying to teach him is to 'sit' before racing out the door and he does quite well, thanks to Stephani, his trainer. This allows us to be sure we have treats in our pockets and the chance to take a quick scan of the yard to see what might be out there. (Often the neighbor's cat will be sitting near the pond, it too watching the frogs and hoping to catch one and take it home to it's owner. “Look what I caught Mom!'

   It is important that Lucky not race out the door as we often have deer in the yard, a wild turkey or two, or a wayward duck swimming in the pond and we certainly don't want him to scare them off. Now the squirrels, that's a different story.

   If “squirrely “ behavior is any indication of the upcoming winter, this one may be a winner. Brazen enough to even sit on the window sills of the sun room looking inside for treats, the yard seems to be full of them this year, scurrying around, racing up and down the trees, leaping from branch to branch and, when Lucky is outside, chattering and scolding him for invading their territory. If Lucky ever figures out how to climb a tree, they could be in big trouble. But like the frogs, they are able to move with great speed and Lucky can only sit at the base of the tree, look up, and dream. 'Some day!!'

   And then there is the other evening. Lucky's last trip outside for the night is usually around 9:00 PM, one last chance to stake his claim to a 'spot 'on the property. “Sit. Good boy.” With the door now open, the command is “OK” and he walks slowly out the door, after all, it's dark out there now. Much to our surprise, within three feet of the door sits this big old skunk!! This unexpected visitor is too much for Lucky to handle and he runs towards it.

   The next few minutes were almost chaos. The skunk was in not hurry, It didn't need to be and within a minutes or two the area smelled like...let me tell you, it wasn't wood smoke.

   The skunk continued on its merry pace, off into the darkness of the woods and by now, Lucky had figured out that something terrible had happened. He opted not to follow the skunk into the woods but instead found the nearest area of grass and began to roll around like a crazy dog. And then from inside the house...”Jan, what's that smell?

  Now, as I have said, we live in the country and you would have thought that after all these years experience would have taught us to be prepared for such occasions. But NO!

   So it was first to the computer for a quick search of “skunk” and then to the tub.

After a few minutes we did all that we could do with limited resources this night. Lucky spent the night in a somewhat secluded area of the house. I lit any kind of air scent freshener we had and by morning the smell outside in the backyard was almost gone. It sticks around forever. Where is the wind when you need it.

   It was an very early morning visit to the local Farmers' Union pet department and by noon, things were pretty well back to normal. And yes, I did stock up on some supplies for any future encounters.

   The lessons here...Check out the yard a bit more carefully, especially at night and be prepared for those unwanted visitors. That may not be the neighbor's cat out there!! Here kitty kitty.

With the holidays just around the corner...

    It's hard to believe that it is October 1st already. Fall is in full swing. The leaves are painting the countryside with various shades red, orange and gold. The garden has born its last few vegetables for this year. The pesty little squirrels are scurrying about for nuts and other bits and pieces to stockpile for the winter, hopefully not in my garage again this year, though.
   Car and truck  trailers that hauled boats and other water craft just a few weeks ago have given way to snow blowers and arctic cats. Canoe and kayak carriers on roof racks are slowly being replaced by one to hold skis and snow boards.
   From the beginning of October to the end of December, the weeks are filled with holidays and special days. I can still picture Christopher Columbus on October 12th, anchored off the coast of somewhere, waiting to get permission from the harbor master to moor the fleet  so he can beginning his Christmas shopping at Kohl's.It's 30% you know!
   By the middle of the month, the Halloween candy is already on sale. Halloween. What a strange holiday. It's that one time of the year we can dress up and look frightful. Looked at yourself in the mirror lately? That may not be a costume you see. It's least a great time to stock up on candy for next few months.
   Not yet an official holiday, there is the season of 'deer camp', when razors are put aside, the refrigerator is stocked with beer and young boys listen to the exploits and tales of the elders, you know, about that big old buck that got away. ( The Red Sox have gotten into beard thing but I don't think it's for deer hunting!)
   Veteran's Day, November 11th, remains a day that our nation remembers those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy as a society today. Unfortunately, each year more names are added to lists of those killed or injured. Will the world ever become a place where people stop seeking reasons to destroy each other? (That may apply to the two party system in the U.S. as well!)
    By now many stores have replaced the 'summer sale items' with a mixture of fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The aisles are filled with the reds and greens of the  holiday decor.
   There are many accepted explanations of the origin of the red and the green for the Christmas season. The simple version, taken from the stories of Christianity, is that green represented eternal life while red was the symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate on Christmas. Remember that?
   A sure sign of the holiday season is the content of my mailbox, filled daily with catalogs and fliers. The most recent catalogs announce the pre-Christmas pre-sales. I assume we can anticipate a 'Christmas Sale and a post- Christmas Sale too. (And don't forget the free shipping, if ordered by December 23.)
   One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong. I have always enjoyed Christmas, especially as a child. That enjoyment continues as I watch the  children and  grandchildren each Christmas morning. I guess Christmas really is about children.
   But, Thanksgiving has a much different message. For the turkey, I'm not sure the message is all that memorable, but for me, it really is an opportunity for reflection. Now, I know there is the “Let us give thanks” theme or “Do we really have to invite Uncle Harry? He is such a slob!” concern. It does seem to be the one holiday within 'the season' where there is not the fury of opening presents or the hubbub of rushing to the mall for the last minute gift, although those Christmas sales start earlier and earlier each year.. So what if the turkey isn't  quite done on time? Maybe we just need to sit back and enjoy the fellowship.
   Before long, the ground will be covered in a blanket of fresh white snow, Thanksgiving and Christmas 2013 will be a memory and before we know it, the seed catalogs will be in the mail.
   Ah...sweet Spring.

I'll have to get back to you on that...

   Monday was a terrible day. It was a day I should not have gone to work, maybe stayed home to read a good book or hit my thumb with a hammer a few times. Yes, the moon was almost full and people were generally not very friendly. I am sure it had nothing to do with me or what I was doing, but after hearing the word 'no' for who knows how many times, I decided to call it a day. I turned the car around and headed home. I don't generally give up that easily, but I was just tired and frustrated.

   One of the things I have discovered over the past several months is that there are many different ways to say 'no'. Some are quite clever and as you walk back to the car, it takes a minute or two to realize what just happened. Others are just mean and nasty. The clever ones have you walking away feeling somewhat satisfied that you did the best you could. The others? You want to hit them between the eyes with a 2 x 4. Who were your parents? I want to tell them how rude you are.

   We learn the meaning of the word 'no' at a very early age and looking back, I think it was sometimes said to protect us from danger or maybe from our self. “No”. Stop playing with that sharp knife.” But as we got older the word took on different meanings and intentions. “Can I use the car this Saturday night to go to the game? “NO!”

   I have found that a person's status, or where they think they are on the status scale, plays a major role in the way they say 'no'. For example, if a person feels they have an important job. they may show it off  with the use of the word 'no'. ( “No! Because I said so, that's why.”)  I have found this to be a common response from property managers.( They actually forget they do not own the building.)

   But those who truly understand their roles and responsibilities possibly got to that level because they learned different and more tactful ways to say 'no'. They learned to say 'no' with a bit of class. “I'm too busy” just doesn't cut it with me. We are all busy. Jerk!

   I am not naïve enough to believe that everyone is going to say 'yes' each and every time and there are times when saying 'no' is the correct response. But in our ever changing society where civility and respect appear to be a thing of the past, there are ways to deliver the message of 'no' and do it with respect.

Here are a few 'no's' that I have run across recently that do not reflect respect:

                            “What don't you understand about the word 'no'? “

                            “There is the door. Leave!” Now!

                             “Nope. No way. Not going to happen.

                             “Are you still here?”

There is an art to saying 'no' and not leave the person with the feeling of  rejection. It takes practice and skill and it helps if the person delivering the message has been subjected to 'no' of the uncivilized. Here are a couple of examples:

                         “I am sorry. It is a busy time. Can you come back again later ?”

                        “ I am not in a position to make that decision. I will need to check

                     with my supervisor.”

                        “ I understand how important what you are doing can be, but right

                     now is not a good time for us.”

                        “I would really love to, but......”

   And there are situations when sometimes 'no' actually means 'yes'. I call it the 'teaser'. It offers you a bargaining tool. “No, I can't see you today but if you come back in a few days...I might ....” The skillful listener will know when 'no' might mean 'yes' and if not a definite 'yes,' it might be at least a 'maybe'.

   One thing that I have come to appreciate the past several months....it's a challenge to do surveys, especially if they are coming from the government.. It really tests your personal skills to get someone to do something they may not really want to do. The same thing can apply to someone asking for cash or donations to an important cause. Asking complete strangers for money can be tough.

  So the next time someone knocks on my door...  what will I say to them? “I'll have to get back to you on that.”(I like that one the best!)

Fenway Faithful... revisited.

   Several months ago a wrote a column about the Fenway Faithful. At the time, the season was young, but looking good. It was too early to go out on a limb and make any predictions. But... if you haven't noticed, the Red Sox have rewarded their loyal fans with a division championship and a shot at becoming the World Series Champs.

  See what happens when you work hard, play as a team and most important...BELIEVE!

  Thanks for a great season and it's not over yet.

  Good Luck! Go Sox!

Signs of the time....

   I recently had the opportunity to spend a week in New Jersey. Jersey is not new territory for me. I lived there in my early years, graduated from high school at one of the area schools and after attending college out-of-state, moved about a bit until finally settling down in Maine. But every once and a while I find myself navigating the roads and highways of the Garden State. Each time becomes just a bit more challenging and sometimes exciting.

   ( I want to add here that the recent fire at the Jersey shore was a terrible event and I feel very sorry for the people there. I have fond memories of walking the boardwalk, playing the games and eating the seashore food delights. It truly has been a difficult year for the area, first the hurricane and now the fire.)

   There are two things that I noticed this trip. The trees seemed extra tall compared to what I remember. More significant was the amount of traffic on the roads, in some cases almost always bumper to bumper. Many of the locations I had to visit were only a few miles from where I was staying, but drivers in Jersey don't base travel on miles, they use a measure of time and often it can take nearly an hour to travel just 15 miles. Life in New Jersey seem to be dictated by the amount of traffic someone faces each time they get into the car. I can not imagine going to work each day, knowing I might spend an hour in the car before I get to the office.

   To assist people in their travel, the highway department has installed road signs, hundred of them. Some are the standard metal ones, common to most of us who drive, no matter where we live. A newer version are the electronic ones that flash warnings and alerts that can change at a second's notice with the flip of a switch at some DOT office some where. What caught my attention this trip where the message on the signs and how no one really cares. Metal or electronic, here are a few of my favorites.

   YIELD. Whether it is the old fashion yellow sign stuck in the ground or the flashing electronic one, I am not sure drivers have a clue as to what it means. From my driver ed class days, I thought I remember that it was to mean Yield Right of Way. But therein is the dilemma...who has the right of way? The answer is simple. Me! (I yield to... no one!) Perhaps the Yield sign has outlived its understanding.

   MERGE AHEAD. This one scares me a bit. Traveling at 75-80 mph and coming up on a Merge sign doesn't leave a great deal of time to plan. Merge left or right? Maybe the police car that just passed me with lights flashing and siren blaring will be able to tell me in a couple of minutes.

   SLOW TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. This one is probably one of my favorites. Often paired with MOVE OVER, IT'S THE LAW! I think the intention here is to provide some space where someone can travel at a more reasonable rate of speed. A highway with eight lanes, four in each direction does not offer a slow lane and if you happen to be stuck in lane three and want to move to the 'right'...well good luck. You can try to use your blinker to signal your intention to those behind you, but it might be safer to stay where you are, close your eyes and just go with the flow. (There goes that police car again.)

   MAINTAIN CURRENT SPEED. (This one usually flashes on one of the electronic sign boards.) Truthfully, I have no idea what the intended message is here. Three drivers, one traveling at 55 mph, one at 65 mph and the third at 80. And maintaining your current speed is suppose to do what, create less traffic problems?

    EXIT RAMP LEFT. Aren't all exit ramps suppose to be on the right, especially when you have just maneuvered you way into the right lane for the last three miles, assuming you would be exiting to the right! Thank goodness to the GPS system in the car.”Recalculating.” I am waiting for the directions to say...”Turn around and go home!”

   Speaking of turning...NO U TURN. It's Rt. 4, almost rush hour. I can not believe the driver in the blue BMW just did a U-TURN at that stop light which is clearly marked NO TURNS. Wonder what his car insurance bills look like?

   STOP. Regardless of whether it is a busy intersection or a back country road, the word 'stop' is gradually working its way out of the English language. We just don't have time to 'stop' anymore, and this doesn't always apply to just driving either. We are a nation that feels  it has to be on the move. If we are not moving, then something must be wrong. Right?

   The trip to New Jersey was a success, seeing friends and family and completing a bit of work along the way. But it also reminded me that sometimes the road signs along the highway apply to more than just our driving, they might apply to life too. 

Better than sliced bread?

   I first learned about it almost 45 years ago. Since then it has become a mainstay of my tool box and work bench. There probably has never been anything invented that has had such an impact upon the lives of millions of people. Yes! You guessed it...Duct tape!

   My first encounter with duct tape was in the summer of 1965. It was a summer job and I was working at a local mechanical services shop that installed air conditioning and duct work. Imagine that. At one point in its history, duct tape was used to seal the seams of heating and cooling duct work. After inserting one end of the duct work into another, it was screwed together and then wrapped with duct tape to prevent cool air from escaping at the seams.

   Over the years, like many others, I found numerous other uses for duct tape.

   For example, I have used it to secure  pieces of trim that had come loose on the driver side door of my car.

    I recently noticed the owner of a car parked next to me in a local parking lot had a similar idea and was using duct tape to keep the passenger side door closed. Not sure how smart that was! But it seemed to be working.

   Many use duct tape to secure a broken pane of glass until it can be fixed. It may be so effective that the glass never gets replaced.

   Often an extra pair of hands can come in handy to help temporarily hold something in place. No vice or clamps available, a piece of duct tape comes in very “handy”.

   I know there have been people who have made dresses and other clothing from duct tape. Prom dresses seem to be popular. I actually find that to be a bit tacky, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I will admit that on occasion I have used a small piece of duct tape hold a pant cuff in place until it can be restitched, but an entire pair of pants? Not for me.

   Now sometimes I think duct tape gets a bad wrap. As useful and helpful as it can be, it has also been used in many practical jokes, like taping the teacher's desk drawer shut or wrapping a co-worker's mid morning snack in enough duct tape so that they will never get it out of the bag.

   A trip to the local auction reveals its role in keeping well used, well worn tools from falling apart in hopes that someone will purchase them. But duct tape used to keep a wheel from falling off a lawn mower? I'm not sure about that one.

   While there are many funny and humorous uses of duct tape, there have been some serious tragedies too. Adults have been known to duct tape a child to a chair or tape a child’s hands behind their back for hours and hours causing severe injury and maybe even death. I don't believe that was the intention of the inventor, but there is an evil side to society and unfortunately things will get used in ways they are not intended. (Wasn't that a social worker who duct taped a foster child to a chair a few years ago? )

   Duct tape is a member of the 'tape' family, others being scotch, masking and electrical. One of the actors they makes duct tape so useful, though is it's strength. Ever try to tear a piece off the roll and not use your teeth or scissors to assist? And sometimes there will be that last remaining strand of string that runs along the edge.....If you have ever had this happen to you, you know what I am talking about.

   I hope that's not a piece of duct tape wrapped around the wing if the airplane I am about to board. I know the tape is strong, but...My mistake. The maintenance person is using it to keep his pant legs from flapping in the breeze. That's a relief.

   Often I will take a piece of duct tape and as I remove nuts and screws from a piece of furniture, I will stick them to the tape so I won't lose them. I am sure no one else has ever thought of doing that. Now if I can just remember where I put that little strip of tape so I can put this table back together.

   The best use of duct tape however, may have been discovered by our Governor. Admitting that he often has a problem keeping his mouth shut, he has told his staff that he now has a role of duct tape in his desk drawer and “from now until election day, when I want to say something off color, I am going to tape my mouth shut.” 

   Sorry Gov. Not sure there is enough tape this side of the Mississippi River for that! 

And who are you waiting for?

   I recently overheard a conversation in the store the other day. It was obvious that one person was having a difficult time making a decision about something. The other , trying to move along said..."What are you doing, waiting for Godot to help you decide?" Godot?
    In the late 1940's Samuel Beckett wrote a play, “Waiting for Godot” in which two men wait endlessly for a character named Godot. The play was first performed in 1953 and its uniqueness has prompted numerous interpretations over the years. It certainly was not a musical.
   With vague memory, I remember tackling the play in a  foreign language class in high school. At that time and age, most of us probably missed the meaning of the play as we were more interested in sports, dating and fast cars. We were  waiting for no one!
   In a brief summary, Vladimir and Estragon meet near a tree and share with each other that each is waiting for a man named Godot. While waiting, they are joined by two others who act, sing and dance, but then disappear.
   Later a young boy arrives and says that he has a message from Godot. The boy tells the two that Godot will not be joining them this evening, but that he will be there tomorrow. The two  continue their discussion and the scene ends.
   The next night (Act II) the men meet again at the tree. They are joined by the other two men from the previous night, but this time the others are very old and do not remember ever meeting Vladimir and Estragon. They depart as they did the night before, leaving Vladimir and Estragon silently waiting for the arrival of Godot.
   The young boy again arrives and announces that Godot will not be coming. When questioned why after being told the night before Godot would be there, the boy insists that he had not spoken to them  before and did not know who they were.The play ends.
   Over the years the play has been analyzed, interpreted and analyzed again in an attempt to discover Beckett's  meaning and purpose. Some have suggested its political overtones while others its religious and spiritual meaning. When it appeared in the theaters in the 1950's and 60's it was seen as an 'existential masterpiece', written, in part, to encourage people to extend beyond the boundaries of everyday life.Today that is called 'thinking outside the box.' The search for its meaning still goes on  today as characters act out the roles and emotions on the stages in the small off-beat theaters  across the country.
   It has been a long time since I read the play back in high school. I didn't really understand its meaning then and not sure I do today. Perhaps it might be worth my time and curiosity to read it again, now that I am older and wiser.
   Instead of asking the simple question...”what's this all about?..I might understand that the play is a reflection of people looking to understand life. Perhaps I would understand that most of us go through life waiting for something to happen 'to us', like winning the lottery or having the perfect job offered to us rather than going out and taking personal responsibility to make something happen, being proactive. Perhaps I would better understand the difference between 'waiting' and 'doing'.
   Viewing the play again might help me understand why people  appear to go through life aimlessly, walking up and down the shopping aisles of a store or sitting on the front steps of a building watching life pass by, still hoping to meet someone who will change life for them. In reality the only people most  meet are much like themselves, people looking, waiting and hoping.
   There have been times that I have 'waited for Godot', waited for someone to walk up to me with  the hopes and promises  that  might change my life, But as in the play, Godot never arrives. Like the little boy who keeps coming back time after time with the promise that Godot would arrive tomorrow, it turns out to be nothing more than time spent waiting.

The early lessons of life are learned in............

   With the start of school just around the corner, I am reminded of a story I heard not too long ago.
   The young child returned home from his first day of school and approached his father.
    “How can I become smarter?” he asked.
   Somewhat perplexed by the question, the father thought for a moment. His initial response was to tell the child to ask his mother, but decided against that, not because he doubted what his wife's answer would be, but more that the son might think mom was smarter than he was.
   “Why do you ask?” the father asked.
   “Because the kids in school say I am stupid and .(sniff,sniff)..I want to be smart like them.”
   The dad reassured his son that he was not stupid and if he attended school every day, worked hard and did what the teachers said, he would be just as smart and maybe even smarter than the other kids. Satisfied with that answer for now, the boy raced off to his room to play.
   The question got the father thinking. What had the other kids said to his son? Did they really think he was stupid or were they just teasing him. Was it because of the clothes he wore or the house he lived in?
   The lessons of kindergarten can be  really  hard. His son was very smart but the family did not have a great deal of money to buy nice clothes or live in a really nice house or drive a fancy car. Was this the beginning of a very unsuccessful school experience or was it the  first steps of growing up.
  Many years ago a book hit the literary market, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”, by Robert Fulghum. Once and awhile, I pull the book off the shelf and thumb through the pages as a gentle reminder how important those early years are in school and how they often set a pattern for life. Most of what we need to survive in life is not that complicated and we generally learn those survival skills at a very early age.
   For some strange reason, even at my age, I can still remember some of the days in kindergarten. Perhaps what I remember most are the days that taught me the greatest lessons and it wasn't always math or reading..    For example, I can remember sitting in the corner for what seemed like forever because I would not share some of the toys.(Back in those days, kindergarten was more social and play than academics and homework as it is today.) I can remember being sent to the office because I hit my best friend Billy. But... he deserved it! And to top it off, the principal even made me tell him I was sorry, which I really wasn't at the time.
   I can remember 'staying after school as a class' to help clean up the room because we had made such a mess. ( In those days, you got punished as an entire class, even if you didn't do anything. Yeah, right! We all did something, with the exception of the little blond girl.) This particular day we had a substitute teacher and the principal had come into the room several times because of all the noise. We were told that if we didn't get the room cleaned up in a hurry, we would miss the bus. Miss the bus!! That was worse than death.
   But there were some good times too. Snack time at mid morning seemed to make the time go by faster. We learned to walk instead of run, always line up to go to the bathroom and stay together on field trips.We always had to hold hands. Ugh! (Except if you were next to the little blond girl. All the guys wanted to be next to her.)
    And then there was nap time. Nobody every really slept, with the exception of Ralphie. He always slept, even when we were not suppose to... .like during science.
   I miss those nap times. But wait, I am retired now. I can nap any time I want!