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.