NEW AND IMPROVED......or..........JUST LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE
How many times have you heard or seen the phrase "New and Improved" written or said about some product that you use daily? So many times I hear a company use that phrase, only to find out I liked the old version better. Just once......I mean just one time, I want to hear a company spokesperson say..... Well we tried to make it better but through our research, we found it better to just,,,,,,, are you ready for this........"To just leave well enough alone." Coca Cola tried what they called "New Coke" a few years back and found they were wrong when no one liked the "New Coke", and then they told us they were going back to the old recipe. Old recipe ?????? I say "Hog Wash". I tell you the Coke you buy today doesn't taste like Coke did when I was a kid. They should have just left "well enough alone" in the first place. Coke talks about their secret formula that is hidden away somewhere in a bank vault and only one or two people have access to this secret formula to which once again I say "Hog Wash". It's a good story but they haven't used that secret formula in years so it makes me wonder if anyone knows in what bank the vault is located.
And before you jump on me for picking on Coca Cola, let me assure you that I love the Coca Cola Company. I started collecting Coke memorabilia when I was a teenager. I guess I'm just tired of us trying to improve everything, just to find out later, we had it right to start with. Do you remember drinking an Orange Crush Soda in those dark brown bottles. When they went to clear bottles, it never tasted the same. I always wondered if there was a secret ingredient hidden from eyesight in those dark brown bottles that was removed from Orange Crush when they went to clear bottles. And Chocolate milk..... Remember how sweet and thick in was when it came in those little glass bottles. Then it was decided to "New and Improved" it and put in plastic jugs and those wax covered paper cartons and chocolate milk has never tasted the same since. Or how about Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I think they must have changed the brand of peanut butter they use. I know they still have some of the old peanut butter on hand because they use it in the Reese's Eggs at Easter. I can taste the difference so I buy extras and freeze them to eat later. I could go on and on about the "New and Improved" foods. Like Burger King French Fries. I use to never want anything else to eat but those fries. Even the Varsity has gone to "New and Improved" and I lust for an old timey Glorified Hamburger. I'm sure they are different today. They don't taste the same.
And it's not just the food. We've improved our landmarks and parks until we've ruined them. I liked Stone Mountain much more when it was just a big rock in the middle of the woods. Back then our entertainment was just climbing the big rock and sharing time with our friends. Then the State decided to "New and Improve" the big rock... And I remember going to Piedmont Park to play a round of golf or touch football with friends and later on to listen to free concerts by The Almond Brothers Band. Then the city improved it by having Big Events and Festivals...... I don't know...... I just liked it better when we didn't depend on others for our entertainment..... We entertained ourselves.
And how about our "New and Improved" transportation. When I was a kid we had Street Cars or Trolley Buses everywhere. Then it was decided they weren't a good form of transportation so they removed all the overhead electric lines and paved over or dug up the tracks and now years later we have spent millions to replace a streetcar line that goes just over two and a half miles. Back in my days we didn't have Marta. We had Atlanta Transit Company which was first owned by Georgia Power and Later by a group of Atlanta businessmen. You could ride anywhere in Atlanta for 5 cents then, but the big difference between Marta (which is Government operated) and the Atlanta Transit Company (which was owned by the private segment) is that Atlanta Transit made money. Hmmmmm "New and Improved"...... Again "Hog Wash". As I was thinking back I went all the way back to I believe second grade at Kirkwood Grammar School. I believe my teachers name was Mrs Milligan (correct me if I'm Wrong) and we went on what has always been my favorite school field trip. We boarded the famous train, "The Nancy Hanks", and took a ride to Griffin Ga. Oh what a thrill that was. Others tried "New and Improved" field trips but that train ride has remained the best ever for me.
We have tried to improve revivals by moving them from tents to inside gigantic coliseums and we tried to improve the circus by doing the same. We tried to replace the cane pole with an electric reel on a fiberglass rod and some people think video games are an improvement over hide and seek at dusk and catching lightning bugs in a fruit jar.
And what about government????? Is it also "New and Improved"? I remember when our Constitution meant something. When our elected officials served their constituents instead of their party. I remember when a new law was passed because it was the right thing to do and not because it would raise more in taxes. I remember when prayer was in schools and the teachers were respected by the students and the parents.
I remember when you would receive a hand written thank you note for a gift and not an E-mail. And when you wanted to talk to someone you would call them on the phone or better yet go over to their house for a visit. And what is all this computer dating and speed dating stuff? What ever happened to a movie and a burger or just riding around and getting to know each other?? And we wonder why the divorce rate is up. "NEW and IMPROVED"...........................I think not.................
I like some of these new fangled things we have today but "New and Improved????
I'm not so sure......... Sometimes I believe it's better to ...."Just leave well enough alone"......................................
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
THE NEW OLD DESK
It's Saturday morning. I sit here on the couch and the TV is blaring but I hear nothing. The picture is bright with lights and changing colors and people are running around but me,,,,, I see nothing. All the sounds I hear and all the pictures I see are in my mind. Oh me I think to myself. My brain has no discipline. It goes where ever it wants to go. I try my darndest to change the channel of my mind but my brain is cross wired I'm sure. The story it is telling seems to have no plot. In actuality it is kind of boring. I ask myself, "Why are we going here??? What's the point??? I finally succumb. It has taken a lifetime, but I have learned the hard way, that I can't overpower my brain no matter how hard I try. "OK ALREADY " I tell myself. "Go ahead and tell your ol' story. Go ahead and feed whatever it is that is hungry inside of you. I'll just sit back and be bored"............. And so the story begins:
It was about 35 or so years ago and we were in need of a desk. You know. Just a common desk. Not too big. Just something functional. Something to sit and pay bills at. Somewhere to store a few records. It was probably a Saturday morning much like today. As we headed out, we stopped by the in-laws house. I have no idea why. Maybe the drop the Girls off for a short visit while we were shopping. As we walked in the door the girls were excited to see Granny and PaPa and we explained where we were headed. My mother in-law listened intently as we told her we were going to buy a desk. She told us she had an older desk that they no longer used that we were welcome to.
It was a very simple desk. Made of clear maple wood. It was small but had several drawers. By no means was it a show piece but would easily fit into a corner of a room. She said they had bought it many years ago and it had served its purpose in their household. We were welcome to it if we wanted it. My first thoughts were, "This will work great!!!!! And the price is right!!!! and, and, and, I won't have to go shopping!!!!!" This was what I call a WIN WIN WIN situation. We loaded it up and home we went with our brand new old desk.
When we arrived back home and unload our new desk, I took my first hard look at it. It was a good piece of furniture, had very good bones as they say, but it did have a blemish or ten and more that a few scratches. As I had seen when first loading it up, it wasn't beautiful but beauty wasn't what I was after anyways. I was more interested in usefulness. The more I looked the more I decided that all the desk needed was some TLC...... you know tender loving care. I soon made a decision....Time to refinish the desk. Awwwww....... "Blemish Be Gone"......That must come in a can I thought so off to the hardware store I went. At the hardware store, I was introduced to a can of what is called "Kutzit. The label said it was a "miracle product." Just brush it on and it does all the work. Of course the directions did tell me to wear rubber gloves and I always follow directions ( I think you call that a sarcastic statement. I am a man after all)...... These same directions also told me to use it in a well ventilated area. I decided that the driveway was as well ventilated as you can get so to the driveway I went. Me and our new old desk. As the directions told me to do, I got me a paint brush, a putty knife, paper towels, of course my rubber gloves. The directions also said I needed safety goggles but since I didn't have any I just wore my sun glasses. You of course understand how important it is to look cool when you are doing manly things like refinishing furniture using some ungodly dangerous toxic chemicals. This Kutzit turned out to be all it was advertised. Just brush on a very generous coat, then you wait, and as Peggy will attest to, I'm very good at waiting, and then scrap it off with your putty knife. The more I scraped off this combination of wax build up, old varnish and toxic Kutzit solution, the bigger mess I had. I was just thankful I had followed the directions and gone outside to my well ventilated driveway because I knew all I would have to do when our new old desk was stripped was move the desk out of harms way pick up the dirty paper towels and hose down the driveway. I was not yet halfway through with the new old desk make over and I could already feel my head and chest swelling up with this thing we call pride. I couldn't wait until I was finished to show off to Peggy so I called out to her to come look at how good of a job I was doing. As she came out she oohed and awwwed at the progress I was making and my chest and head swelled more and more. Peggy, being the supporting wife she is decided she would sit and watch her manly husband performing this manly deed with these toxic chemicals. Now here is where the problem started. I think she was at fault but she said it was all my fault. First off, I had read and followed all the directions. On the other hand she had not read the directions. Secondly the directions said nothing about wearing rubber pants if you intended to sit down on the driveway in a well ventilated area. Thirdly, I didn't ask her to sit down, on the driveway and watch her husband perform the macho procedure on our new old desk. Therefore, it had to be her fault she had a big blister of her sittin' down part...... Not mine.
Well, we finally got over the blame game and all I had to do was award her a purple heart for the collateral damage she received while serving in hazardous duty as a supportive wife. Meanwhile after getting the old new desk stripped of what we later started to refer to as shrapnel, we sealed and sanded the desk and we sealed and sanded the desk and we sealed and sanded the desk again. We then applied three coats varnished and had a finished product. We had our very own new old desk. Our youngest daughter Vicki now has that desk and when I walk into her house, a smile comes to my face and a humbleness comes to my heart. A smile because of the refinishing experience and a humbleness because that desk is just like you and me. You see, all God wants is for us to give ourselves to Him. Sure we have a blemish or ten just like the new old desk. W have numerous scratches too, just like the desk. He doesn't care how pretty we are or how big and grand we are. He sees us a useful and functional, and He loves us, just as Peggy and I saw and loved that desk. He will take you and strip you of all our imperfections. He will sand you and "Seal You" and put a clear coat on you just I we put one on that old new desk. Will you be prettier than you were before? Not to the world but you will be beautiful to God, and you will be dressed in a new glow like you never had before.
Yes, it is just an old desk. It is small. It is plain. But oh the stories it can tell. It was a much better story than was on TV on this Saturday morning. It was something to think about on this Saturday morning............................
It's Saturday morning. I sit here on the couch and the TV is blaring but I hear nothing. The picture is bright with lights and changing colors and people are running around but me,,,,, I see nothing. All the sounds I hear and all the pictures I see are in my mind. Oh me I think to myself. My brain has no discipline. It goes where ever it wants to go. I try my darndest to change the channel of my mind but my brain is cross wired I'm sure. The story it is telling seems to have no plot. In actuality it is kind of boring. I ask myself, "Why are we going here??? What's the point??? I finally succumb. It has taken a lifetime, but I have learned the hard way, that I can't overpower my brain no matter how hard I try. "OK ALREADY " I tell myself. "Go ahead and tell your ol' story. Go ahead and feed whatever it is that is hungry inside of you. I'll just sit back and be bored"............. And so the story begins:
It was about 35 or so years ago and we were in need of a desk. You know. Just a common desk. Not too big. Just something functional. Something to sit and pay bills at. Somewhere to store a few records. It was probably a Saturday morning much like today. As we headed out, we stopped by the in-laws house. I have no idea why. Maybe the drop the Girls off for a short visit while we were shopping. As we walked in the door the girls were excited to see Granny and PaPa and we explained where we were headed. My mother in-law listened intently as we told her we were going to buy a desk. She told us she had an older desk that they no longer used that we were welcome to.
It was a very simple desk. Made of clear maple wood. It was small but had several drawers. By no means was it a show piece but would easily fit into a corner of a room. She said they had bought it many years ago and it had served its purpose in their household. We were welcome to it if we wanted it. My first thoughts were, "This will work great!!!!! And the price is right!!!! and, and, and, I won't have to go shopping!!!!!" This was what I call a WIN WIN WIN situation. We loaded it up and home we went with our brand new old desk.
When we arrived back home and unload our new desk, I took my first hard look at it. It was a good piece of furniture, had very good bones as they say, but it did have a blemish or ten and more that a few scratches. As I had seen when first loading it up, it wasn't beautiful but beauty wasn't what I was after anyways. I was more interested in usefulness. The more I looked the more I decided that all the desk needed was some TLC...... you know tender loving care. I soon made a decision....Time to refinish the desk. Awwwww....... "Blemish Be Gone"......That must come in a can I thought so off to the hardware store I went. At the hardware store, I was introduced to a can of what is called "Kutzit. The label said it was a "miracle product." Just brush it on and it does all the work. Of course the directions did tell me to wear rubber gloves and I always follow directions ( I think you call that a sarcastic statement. I am a man after all)...... These same directions also told me to use it in a well ventilated area. I decided that the driveway was as well ventilated as you can get so to the driveway I went. Me and our new old desk. As the directions told me to do, I got me a paint brush, a putty knife, paper towels, of course my rubber gloves. The directions also said I needed safety goggles but since I didn't have any I just wore my sun glasses. You of course understand how important it is to look cool when you are doing manly things like refinishing furniture using some ungodly dangerous toxic chemicals. This Kutzit turned out to be all it was advertised. Just brush on a very generous coat, then you wait, and as Peggy will attest to, I'm very good at waiting, and then scrap it off with your putty knife. The more I scraped off this combination of wax build up, old varnish and toxic Kutzit solution, the bigger mess I had. I was just thankful I had followed the directions and gone outside to my well ventilated driveway because I knew all I would have to do when our new old desk was stripped was move the desk out of harms way pick up the dirty paper towels and hose down the driveway. I was not yet halfway through with the new old desk make over and I could already feel my head and chest swelling up with this thing we call pride. I couldn't wait until I was finished to show off to Peggy so I called out to her to come look at how good of a job I was doing. As she came out she oohed and awwwed at the progress I was making and my chest and head swelled more and more. Peggy, being the supporting wife she is decided she would sit and watch her manly husband performing this manly deed with these toxic chemicals. Now here is where the problem started. I think she was at fault but she said it was all my fault. First off, I had read and followed all the directions. On the other hand she had not read the directions. Secondly the directions said nothing about wearing rubber pants if you intended to sit down on the driveway in a well ventilated area. Thirdly, I didn't ask her to sit down, on the driveway and watch her husband perform the macho procedure on our new old desk. Therefore, it had to be her fault she had a big blister of her sittin' down part...... Not mine.
Well, we finally got over the blame game and all I had to do was award her a purple heart for the collateral damage she received while serving in hazardous duty as a supportive wife. Meanwhile after getting the old new desk stripped of what we later started to refer to as shrapnel, we sealed and sanded the desk and we sealed and sanded the desk and we sealed and sanded the desk again. We then applied three coats varnished and had a finished product. We had our very own new old desk. Our youngest daughter Vicki now has that desk and when I walk into her house, a smile comes to my face and a humbleness comes to my heart. A smile because of the refinishing experience and a humbleness because that desk is just like you and me. You see, all God wants is for us to give ourselves to Him. Sure we have a blemish or ten just like the new old desk. W have numerous scratches too, just like the desk. He doesn't care how pretty we are or how big and grand we are. He sees us a useful and functional, and He loves us, just as Peggy and I saw and loved that desk. He will take you and strip you of all our imperfections. He will sand you and "Seal You" and put a clear coat on you just I we put one on that old new desk. Will you be prettier than you were before? Not to the world but you will be beautiful to God, and you will be dressed in a new glow like you never had before.
Yes, it is just an old desk. It is small. It is plain. But oh the stories it can tell. It was a much better story than was on TV on this Saturday morning. It was something to think about on this Saturday morning............................
Saturday, July 5, 2014
IN MEMORY OF MY SISTER (DICY)
It seems everything I've seen and everything I've read for the last few weeks in someway has made me think of, or brought a memory of Dianne to my mind. Like the other day I read a piece where someone was talking about life. They said "Life is uncertain, life is very fragile, life can end at anytime, in the blink of an eye it can be gone. Then he went on to say "Therefore we should always eat desserts first." I have not only heard Dicy say this, I have seen her put this into practice. She loved her "sweets". Even when we were children I can remember her telling Dad, she needed some money so she could go to the little store at the corner of Leland Terr. and College Ave. to buy herself something that was a little sweet. I also remember not long ago, Dicy, Julian, Peggy and myself were out doing whatever for a day and we stopped at Pasta Bella for lunch. Dicy ordered a piece of cake for dessert and they brought out the biggest piece of cake I've ever seen. It was at least a 1/4 of a cake. Of course the first thing that came to Dianne's mind and the first words that came to her lips were...."Y'all help me eat this"..... To Dicy life was sweet....Life was a dessert....and life and it's sweetness was something that had to be shared. It had to be shared and share it she did. If you needed something you didn't have to ask. She wasn't one to say..."If I can help just let me know." She was one that if she could help you, she just "did". A more caring person I've never known.
Another thing I read a while back that made me think of Dicy was a poem by David Harkins. It's called "She Is Gone" and was shared at the memorial of a good friend of mine. It fit Dianne's life and what I know would be her wishes for us as well.
We love you Dicy
May God bless us all.............................................
It seems everything I've seen and everything I've read for the last few weeks in someway has made me think of, or brought a memory of Dianne to my mind. Like the other day I read a piece where someone was talking about life. They said "Life is uncertain, life is very fragile, life can end at anytime, in the blink of an eye it can be gone. Then he went on to say "Therefore we should always eat desserts first." I have not only heard Dicy say this, I have seen her put this into practice. She loved her "sweets". Even when we were children I can remember her telling Dad, she needed some money so she could go to the little store at the corner of Leland Terr. and College Ave. to buy herself something that was a little sweet. I also remember not long ago, Dicy, Julian, Peggy and myself were out doing whatever for a day and we stopped at Pasta Bella for lunch. Dicy ordered a piece of cake for dessert and they brought out the biggest piece of cake I've ever seen. It was at least a 1/4 of a cake. Of course the first thing that came to Dianne's mind and the first words that came to her lips were...."Y'all help me eat this"..... To Dicy life was sweet....Life was a dessert....and life and it's sweetness was something that had to be shared. It had to be shared and share it she did. If you needed something you didn't have to ask. She wasn't one to say..."If I can help just let me know." She was one that if she could help you, she just "did". A more caring person I've never known.
Another thing I read a while back that made me think of Dicy was a poem by David Harkins. It's called "She Is Gone" and was shared at the memorial of a good friend of mine. It fit Dianne's life and what I know would be her wishes for us as well.
You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she's gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she would want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
That's what Dicy would want....For us to smile as we continue our walk through life....For us to open our eyes to the beauty and wonders God has given us in this place we call earth ........ She would want us to love one another, to enjoy one another and to share openly, not so much material things but things of our heart......and last she would want us to go on living life to the fullest.....To make sure we enjoy the "Desserts" of life.
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she's gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she would want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
That's what Dicy would want....For us to smile as we continue our walk through life....For us to open our eyes to the beauty and wonders God has given us in this place we call earth ........ She would want us to love one another, to enjoy one another and to share openly, not so much material things but things of our heart......and last she would want us to go on living life to the fullest.....To make sure we enjoy the "Desserts" of life.
The other day My nephew, Johnny Holders' mother, was sharing some pictures with me at hospice. They were pictures Johnny and Jill had taken on a recent trip to California to see their new grandson. It's strange what we sometimes see in photographs. Sometimes we see things or people that aren't even there. One particular picture was of Johnny and his four year old granddaughter on the beach walking toward the ocean. All you could see were their backs, the sand and this vast ocean that layed berfore them and that goes on for ever and ever. Johnny had the hand of his granddaughter and she had the hand of her grandfather. That's all the picture showed, but I saw so much more. I could see a love in those hands clasped together so tightly. It wasn't one hand holding the others hand. It was both holding each others hand. One hand offered protection and guidance. It offered assurance ......The other hand offered trust and confidence......Both hands offered a love that I do not have the words to explain but the photo someway showed that love. The photo showed a man and a child....a man and a child standing on what I like to refer to as the "Edge of Eternity". The sand being the edge of this life and the great ocean being the eternity. We know not exactly what is out there in our own eternity. We know not exactly what is out there in Dianne's eternity, but we do know it is beautiful. We do know that we will share it with loved ones. We do know it goes on for ever and ever. We know....we have assurance....we have confidence that our Father, our God has prepared a wonderful place for us. He has prepared a dessert bigger and sweeter than our minds can comprehend and one day we will walk in that place hand in hand.
1 Peter 1:3-5Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
We love you Dicy
May God bless us all.............................................
Thursday, May 29, 2014
IT'S "JUST STUFF"
I'm not one to share personal or family issues on social media outlets. I believe if it's personal or family, in most cases, the situation should be kept private. That being said, I also believe sometimes, very seldom but sometimes, you are left with no other choice but to go to your friends and extended family for help or advice. I have decided this is one of those times.
I hope you will not think bad of me or the family as you read this and after you have heard the complete story, I feel certain you will understand how these things could happen. As I sit here thinking about this situation, I can truthfully say understand how it could happen to anyone, even to you. In fact, it may have already infiltrated one of your family members or a loved ones lives. Maybe it has even entered your own life. I just hope I can depend on you, for your help and support after you read my story. For you to totally understand this predicament we have gotten ourselves into, I need to go back to the very beginning, so pour your sweet self a cup of coffee, sit down and lean back, and let me try to explain.
It all started years ago. It started innocently enough. We, Peggy and I, were just out to have a little fun. Good family time if you will. It was just something we could do and enjoy together. To start with, we would just stay in our own neighborhood. At first it was "JUST the little STUFF" we would buy. You know, a dish here or a trinket there. We would just ride around and look for hand printed signs and it seemed everyone was selling this "STUFF". They were selling this "STUFF" they had accumulated from only God knows where and people were actually paying good money for this "STUFF". They called it Yard Selling or Garage Selling. I'm sure you've seen them. Shoot...... You may have even had one or gone to one of these sales yourself. Let me warn you...... Be careful ......BE VERY CAREFUL. In the beginning, it's just the little "STUFF ".... but it can turn into an addiction. Well, back to our story. From the safety of our own little neighborhood we started to branch out. You see, when we first started as I said it was just little "STUFF" but on occasion you would find some really cool and unusual "STUFF." You know what I mean. Antique "STUFF" or vintage "STUFF". We thought to ourselves if you can find this "STUFF" in our little area of town, there has to be better "STUFF" out there somewhere. So we ventured farther out. First it was just to surrounding towns and cities. Then we went to other states. The need and desire to find bigger and better "STUFF" was what compelled us to go on. Yard sales and garage sales turned into estate sales and estate sales turned into auctions and....well, you get the picture.. We became consumed with the desire to find and buy the best and most unique an unusual "STUFF" we could. And now, because of a TV show, at times we are even called "PICKERS" whatever a picker is. My Mama use to fuss at me for being a picker so the word doesn't bring back pleasant memories. I didn't like to hear my Mama fussin'.
Well, all this "STUFF" buying brings us to here. We've decided we can't stop buying so we must get rid of some of our "STUFF", other wise we are afraid we may become, lord forbid, one of those dreaded people called "HOARDERS." This is where "you" come in. We've opened an Antique & Stuff Booth here in Douglasville and if you need or want to buy some "STUFF", there's a good chance we've got it, and we want you come by and look. We want to save you the time and expense, (you have noticed gas has gone up haven't you? I remember when it was 26 cents a gallon. There I go, living in the past again but darn it's fun. Oh yeah....I've got to get back to my story.....Where was I?)
Oh yeah, We want to save you the time and expense of riding all over creation looking for that special piece of "STUFF" to improve your "decor". I like that word "DECOR"....That's short for decoration for your house. Anyway, We are located in Booth 64 at BEN'S FURNITURE AND ANTIQUES, 9579 Hwy 5, Dougalville Ga, in the old Kmart Shopping Center or if you want to be kind of "high falutin", you can tell all your friends that you're going to "THE ARBOR SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER". We have an assortment of antiques, vintage items, repurposed items, custom made primitive reproductions and........you know........ "JUST STUFF"....
We also have a facebook page and it's called.....you guessed it... "JUST STUFF ANTIQUES" and we want you to like us on our page. We don't just want you to, we need you to "Like" us on facebook and we need you to share our page with all your family and friends and your preachers and school teachers and you mail carriers and the cashier at the corner store and the PTA...well you get the idea. We need to get the word out there. And since we can't stop buying, it's only natural that we will have different "STUFF" in our booth every time you come in. We really need to sell some "STUFF". If you're a chicken rancher like me, you know the price of laying mash and cracked corn has gone up and Peggy thinks she has to feed all the birds in middle Georgia and the price of bird seed has gone out of site. Peggy also doesn't want her birds taking a bath in a creek or a mud puddle, (She's afraid the water may may be polluted) so she has placed bird baths through out the yard to insure "God's creatures of the air" have a proper place to get clean and the water bill is soaring at "Peggy's spa for the feathered masses". Plus, We don't want to be known as the dreaded those "HOARDERS" we're starting to hear about. Being known as a "HOARDER" is not my idea of making it bigtime in TV land.
So as you can see. The need is great. We need your help. Come on in, look around and........ "remember when your Mama had one of those",,,,, and Please Please Please like and share our page.
As they say at Hardy Chevrolet......WE LOVE AND WE NEED YOU.....
I'm not one to share personal or family issues on social media outlets. I believe if it's personal or family, in most cases, the situation should be kept private. That being said, I also believe sometimes, very seldom but sometimes, you are left with no other choice but to go to your friends and extended family for help or advice. I have decided this is one of those times.
I hope you will not think bad of me or the family as you read this and after you have heard the complete story, I feel certain you will understand how these things could happen. As I sit here thinking about this situation, I can truthfully say understand how it could happen to anyone, even to you. In fact, it may have already infiltrated one of your family members or a loved ones lives. Maybe it has even entered your own life. I just hope I can depend on you, for your help and support after you read my story. For you to totally understand this predicament we have gotten ourselves into, I need to go back to the very beginning, so pour your sweet self a cup of coffee, sit down and lean back, and let me try to explain.
It all started years ago. It started innocently enough. We, Peggy and I, were just out to have a little fun. Good family time if you will. It was just something we could do and enjoy together. To start with, we would just stay in our own neighborhood. At first it was "JUST the little STUFF" we would buy. You know, a dish here or a trinket there. We would just ride around and look for hand printed signs and it seemed everyone was selling this "STUFF". They were selling this "STUFF" they had accumulated from only God knows where and people were actually paying good money for this "STUFF". They called it Yard Selling or Garage Selling. I'm sure you've seen them. Shoot...... You may have even had one or gone to one of these sales yourself. Let me warn you...... Be careful ......BE VERY CAREFUL. In the beginning, it's just the little "STUFF ".... but it can turn into an addiction. Well, back to our story. From the safety of our own little neighborhood we started to branch out. You see, when we first started as I said it was just little "STUFF" but on occasion you would find some really cool and unusual "STUFF." You know what I mean. Antique "STUFF" or vintage "STUFF". We thought to ourselves if you can find this "STUFF" in our little area of town, there has to be better "STUFF" out there somewhere. So we ventured farther out. First it was just to surrounding towns and cities. Then we went to other states. The need and desire to find bigger and better "STUFF" was what compelled us to go on. Yard sales and garage sales turned into estate sales and estate sales turned into auctions and....well, you get the picture.. We became consumed with the desire to find and buy the best and most unique an unusual "STUFF" we could. And now, because of a TV show, at times we are even called "PICKERS" whatever a picker is. My Mama use to fuss at me for being a picker so the word doesn't bring back pleasant memories. I didn't like to hear my Mama fussin'.
Well, all this "STUFF" buying brings us to here. We've decided we can't stop buying so we must get rid of some of our "STUFF", other wise we are afraid we may become, lord forbid, one of those dreaded people called "HOARDERS." This is where "you" come in. We've opened an Antique & Stuff Booth here in Douglasville and if you need or want to buy some "STUFF", there's a good chance we've got it, and we want you come by and look. We want to save you the time and expense, (you have noticed gas has gone up haven't you? I remember when it was 26 cents a gallon. There I go, living in the past again but darn it's fun. Oh yeah....I've got to get back to my story.....Where was I?)
Oh yeah, We want to save you the time and expense of riding all over creation looking for that special piece of "STUFF" to improve your "decor". I like that word "DECOR"....That's short for decoration for your house. Anyway, We are located in Booth 64 at BEN'S FURNITURE AND ANTIQUES, 9579 Hwy 5, Dougalville Ga, in the old Kmart Shopping Center or if you want to be kind of "high falutin", you can tell all your friends that you're going to "THE ARBOR SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER". We have an assortment of antiques, vintage items, repurposed items, custom made primitive reproductions and........you know........ "JUST STUFF"....
We also have a facebook page and it's called.....you guessed it... "JUST STUFF ANTIQUES" and we want you to like us on our page. We don't just want you to, we need you to "Like" us on facebook and we need you to share our page with all your family and friends and your preachers and school teachers and you mail carriers and the cashier at the corner store and the PTA...well you get the idea. We need to get the word out there. And since we can't stop buying, it's only natural that we will have different "STUFF" in our booth every time you come in. We really need to sell some "STUFF". If you're a chicken rancher like me, you know the price of laying mash and cracked corn has gone up and Peggy thinks she has to feed all the birds in middle Georgia and the price of bird seed has gone out of site. Peggy also doesn't want her birds taking a bath in a creek or a mud puddle, (She's afraid the water may may be polluted) so she has placed bird baths through out the yard to insure "God's creatures of the air" have a proper place to get clean and the water bill is soaring at "Peggy's spa for the feathered masses". Plus, We don't want to be known as the dreaded those "HOARDERS" we're starting to hear about. Being known as a "HOARDER" is not my idea of making it bigtime in TV land.
So as you can see. The need is great. We need your help. Come on in, look around and........ "remember when your Mama had one of those",,,,, and Please Please Please like and share our page.
As they say at Hardy Chevrolet......WE LOVE AND WE NEED YOU.....
Sunday, May 4, 2014
A SIMPLE SQUARE OF WHITE CLOTH.........
I'm sure a lot of people would say I spend to much of my time living in the past. As I've gotten older, it doesn't make much of a difference what people think or say about me anymore. You see, I've found I enjoy reminiscing about times and people and time spent with people and in my later years I've set the goal to enjoy things and be happy. Now, I don't mean to brag, but I've been pretty successful at being happy the last few years. I've also found that many times as I reminisce, I find a lesson to learn that may have escaped my mind at an earlier time, but I have also found we are never to old to learn. At times, I've probable even reminisced about times I've spent with many of you, and I'm thankful for those times because it is those time, that have made me who I am.
Most times it doesn't take a lot to get my mind going. Sometimes, something will just appear and make me think of things in my past. You know, things we thought were so great and things we wondered how we ever got along with out, and now we don't have them or use them or they have been improved so much that we never think about the old models anymore. You know the things I'm talking about. Things like fax machines and the old beepers that just beeped and you had to find a pay phone to call the office to see who wanted you. How long has it been since you used a pay phone, or how long since you have even seen one? And do you remember the first cell phones that weighed 6 pounds and cost a thousand dollars and 50 cents a minute to use. Or do you remember when gas cost 26 cents a gallon and 50 cents worth would get you to school and back home all week. Of course I remember that sometimes it was hard to come up with that 50 cents. I remember cutting the neighbors grass with a reel type lawn mower for a quarter and with that quarter I could go to the movies on Saturday and buy a coke and a box of popcorn.
I could go on and on with other thing I remember as I'm sure you could, but it was something much more simple than a movie or cell phone that got my mind to going Saturday morning. No it wasn't the cost gasoline or even my first used bicycle. I got up early as I do most mornings, took my shower, and as I was getting dressed, for some reason I looked in my top dresser drawer. Now as most men do, I have a top dresser drawer that I hardly ever look in. It's full of things I seldom use. Things like gloves for cold weather, a knee brace, rings and watches I never wear and old pocket knives I never carry. But yesterday as I opened that drawer the first thing I saw just jumped out at me. It was a "white handkerchief".......That's right....just a simple "white cotton handkerchief." I picked it up, sat down on the bed and stared at this simple one foot square piece of white cloth. I've never had a habit of carrying a handkerchief. I have no idea where the handkerchief came from but I couldn't take my eyes off of it for a few minutes. I wonder how many men carry a handkerchief in their pockets now days? I don't mean for decoration, but to use. I would bet very few.
As I stared at this handkerchief, it took me back to a time in my life when I was invincible. Oh sure, I could get hurt. I could fall and skin my knee or I could even get hit in the nose with a baseball and get a bloody nose. I could stick my finger with a fish hook. I could eat a fudge cycle and have it melt all over my face and hands and sometime I would even shed a tear and need my eyes wiped and need to blow my nose. The one constant was my dad was always there with his handkerchief to clean me up and make me feel better. I knew I was protected..... I knew I was safe.... When dad got dressed it was as natural for him to put his handkerchief in his pocket as it was for him to put his socks on. No matter what was wiped away with that handkerchief, seems it never had any bad germs on it, because I never got any infections from it. It would be very easy to say that my Dad's handkerchief had supernatural powers, but I don't think that's what it was. I think maybe he had the super powers.
As I closed my dresser drawer I stood up, folded the handkerchief and put it into my back pocket. You see, my four year old grandson Hunter was coming over for the day and with a little boy, you never know when you might need a simple white cotton handkerchief.....................
Most times it doesn't take a lot to get my mind going. Sometimes, something will just appear and make me think of things in my past. You know, things we thought were so great and things we wondered how we ever got along with out, and now we don't have them or use them or they have been improved so much that we never think about the old models anymore. You know the things I'm talking about. Things like fax machines and the old beepers that just beeped and you had to find a pay phone to call the office to see who wanted you. How long has it been since you used a pay phone, or how long since you have even seen one? And do you remember the first cell phones that weighed 6 pounds and cost a thousand dollars and 50 cents a minute to use. Or do you remember when gas cost 26 cents a gallon and 50 cents worth would get you to school and back home all week. Of course I remember that sometimes it was hard to come up with that 50 cents. I remember cutting the neighbors grass with a reel type lawn mower for a quarter and with that quarter I could go to the movies on Saturday and buy a coke and a box of popcorn.
I could go on and on with other thing I remember as I'm sure you could, but it was something much more simple than a movie or cell phone that got my mind to going Saturday morning. No it wasn't the cost gasoline or even my first used bicycle. I got up early as I do most mornings, took my shower, and as I was getting dressed, for some reason I looked in my top dresser drawer. Now as most men do, I have a top dresser drawer that I hardly ever look in. It's full of things I seldom use. Things like gloves for cold weather, a knee brace, rings and watches I never wear and old pocket knives I never carry. But yesterday as I opened that drawer the first thing I saw just jumped out at me. It was a "white handkerchief".......That's right....just a simple "white cotton handkerchief." I picked it up, sat down on the bed and stared at this simple one foot square piece of white cloth. I've never had a habit of carrying a handkerchief. I have no idea where the handkerchief came from but I couldn't take my eyes off of it for a few minutes. I wonder how many men carry a handkerchief in their pockets now days? I don't mean for decoration, but to use. I would bet very few.
As I stared at this handkerchief, it took me back to a time in my life when I was invincible. Oh sure, I could get hurt. I could fall and skin my knee or I could even get hit in the nose with a baseball and get a bloody nose. I could stick my finger with a fish hook. I could eat a fudge cycle and have it melt all over my face and hands and sometime I would even shed a tear and need my eyes wiped and need to blow my nose. The one constant was my dad was always there with his handkerchief to clean me up and make me feel better. I knew I was protected..... I knew I was safe.... When dad got dressed it was as natural for him to put his handkerchief in his pocket as it was for him to put his socks on. No matter what was wiped away with that handkerchief, seems it never had any bad germs on it, because I never got any infections from it. It would be very easy to say that my Dad's handkerchief had supernatural powers, but I don't think that's what it was. I think maybe he had the super powers.
As I closed my dresser drawer I stood up, folded the handkerchief and put it into my back pocket. You see, my four year old grandson Hunter was coming over for the day and with a little boy, you never know when you might need a simple white cotton handkerchief.....................
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
ON BEING THANKFUL FOR BLESSINGS LARGE AND SMALL
I just saw an article on the home where John and Jacqueline Kennedy spent part of their honeymoon. The house is now for lease at $600,000 per month – or, for the big spenders, for sale at $115 million in case you are interested and happen to have an extra few million you don't know what to do with. The 50,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion includes 29 bedrooms, 40 bathrooms, two guest houses and a separate apartment. As I was reading about the house, I was giving thanks that I didn't have to clean all those bathrooms. Or can you imagine having to vacuum all those bedrooms. And how about all the other rooms. The dusting and the mopping and the waxing. Do you realize how big 50,000 square feet is? That's bigger than a football field. So on this day, I am thankful I don't live in this house.
So often we wish for bigger things. A bigger house or a bigger car. A bigger paycheck and a bigger bank account or a bigger shop in our bigger back yard. We are always searching for the bigger or the best or the most powerful. As I was thinking about all this I began to wonder why? Why do we always want something bigger? When Peggy and I got married she still lived in the same house she lived in when she was born. Her father had bought that house when he got out of the army after WW II.
He told me he paid $1800.00 for the house and his payments were $13.00 a month. He often talked about lying awake at night wondering how in the world he would ever pay for that house. He was afraid he had bought more house than he could ever pay for. My father-in-law was a very successful man. He started his steel company in his back yard and when he sold it and retired at 53 years old he employed around 70 people and his shop must have been around 70 feet X 175 feet. At that time he still lived in the same house. I once asked him why didn't he buy a bigger house. He said he had thought about it, but as he was pondering what to do he asked himself what he would want in his dream house. He said he would want a house that would keep him warm in the winter. A house that would keep him cool in the summer. A house that would keep him dry when it rained and a house that wouldn't rule his life by keeping him deep in debt. He said the more he thought about it the more he realized he had everything he wanted in his dream house in that little house in Socktown, so why would he want to move. Once again as I was thinking about all this another thing my father-in-law would often say popped into my mind. Someone once asked him why he always wore overalls. Didn't he think people would be more impressed if he wore different clothes to work. His response was that there was no one that he needed to impress.
I've said all of this to explain my thoughts as we come to this, my 66th Thanksgiving.
I've learned that bigger is not always better and I'm thankful for this knowledge. I've learned that there is nothing on this earth more important than family. I've learned that no matter how big my house is, how pretty my car is, how much money I have or don't have, I am loved by my family and for this I am thankful. As I look back over my life I am thankful for things I seldom think about. I am thankful my Dad taught me how to bait a fish hook and to take the fish off when I was lucky enough to catch one. I'm thankful that he also taught me how to shake hands with another man and also with a lady. I'm thankful that he also taught me that there are some words you don't say in the presence of a lady. He explained there was no reason that you didn't say these words, you just didn't. I'm thankful my dad wasn't ashamed or embarrassed to tell me he loved me in front of others. I'm thankful my Mom was always there when I got home from school. I'm thankful she always had a meal on the table to eat and that she taught me to always tell the cook I enjoyed what I had just eaten. I am thankful that at a young age I was taught to say please and thank you, excuse me and yes sir and yes ma'am and no sir and no ma'am. I am also thankful that neither of my parents ever told me I couldn't accomplish anything but were always there to encourage and support me.
I am thankful that I have a wonderful loving wife that has been and continues to be the backbone of our family. I am thankful that she is a great cook and not just on thanksgiving but everyday. I am thankful for the three children she has raised with me, as she has done a great job. I could have never done it without her. I am thankful when I write a blog and she always tells me how good it is when I know it wasn't one of my best. I am thankful when the phone rings and the caller ID says it's one of my children and not a salesperson. I am thankful that my children live close by. I am thankful when I feel the arms of my grandchildren wrap around my neck and I hear a little voice say..."I love you PaPa."
I am thankful when I walk out in the back yard each morning and my chickens come running toward me. I am thankful when I open the cupboard and see fruit jars filled with the bounty from last years garden. I am thankful for new buds on the trees and the first flowers of spring. For the smell of a spring rain and the fragrance of a freshly mowed lawn. I'm thankful for the song of the birds and the playfulness of the squirrels as they dance from tree to tree. I'm thankful for the beautiful web of a writing spider and the wonderful masterpiece that God paints in the sky each day.
I am thankful that in the last few years I have found that I love to write and I am thankful that each day when I read the Atlanta Journal, that I find their writers and proof readers spell worse and know less about punctuation than I do so I don't feel so bad about those shortcomings.. I am thankful for the teachers that taught me to read and write. For the ones that worked so hard to make sure I learned things that I had no interest in learning because they knew that later in life I would be glad they had beaten these things into my hard head. I am thankful for the coaches I had that taught me about winning with humbleness and losing with dignity. About goals and character. about pride and determination. I am thankful for the friends I had years ago. The ones that along with me didn't let school get in the way of our education. Also the ones that kept a safe distance from me and my crew but kept us close enough that now, in our later years we are closer that back then.
I am of course thankful for my God and my Savior. I am thankful that I now have a better understanding from where all blessing flow. I am thankful that although I still make mistakes, He is quick to forgive me. I am thankful that He does provide my daily bread and that in time of need He comforts me.
I could go on and on. I could write page after page and still I would leave someone or something out for which I am thankful . For you see, today I am thankful for the good times and the bad. For the bountiful times and the times of drought. For good friends and yes...even for my enemies. I am thankful because these things and these people are what and who my God has used to create me. And He is not through. I am still a work in progress. Makes no difference if I have known you for 65 years or 1 month, God is using you in my life. He is using you to make me a finished product. And you know what? He is using me to help complete you. What a wonder God is. So you see, I don't need the football size house in Beverly Hills. I don't need the big car and the giant bank account. I am rich beyond measure. For as the old song says:
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
The wealth in every mine;
He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,
The sun and stars that shine.
Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell -
He is my Father so they're mine as well;
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills -
I know that He will care for me.
Yes my friend I am a rich. I have no need to impress any man. And for this....I am very thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving, God bless you and your family and as Mama would say, "Don't forget to say thank you."
I just saw an article on the home where John and Jacqueline Kennedy spent part of their honeymoon. The house is now for lease at $600,000 per month – or, for the big spenders, for sale at $115 million in case you are interested and happen to have an extra few million you don't know what to do with. The 50,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion includes 29 bedrooms, 40 bathrooms, two guest houses and a separate apartment. As I was reading about the house, I was giving thanks that I didn't have to clean all those bathrooms. Or can you imagine having to vacuum all those bedrooms. And how about all the other rooms. The dusting and the mopping and the waxing. Do you realize how big 50,000 square feet is? That's bigger than a football field. So on this day, I am thankful I don't live in this house.
So often we wish for bigger things. A bigger house or a bigger car. A bigger paycheck and a bigger bank account or a bigger shop in our bigger back yard. We are always searching for the bigger or the best or the most powerful. As I was thinking about all this I began to wonder why? Why do we always want something bigger? When Peggy and I got married she still lived in the same house she lived in when she was born. Her father had bought that house when he got out of the army after WW II.
He told me he paid $1800.00 for the house and his payments were $13.00 a month. He often talked about lying awake at night wondering how in the world he would ever pay for that house. He was afraid he had bought more house than he could ever pay for. My father-in-law was a very successful man. He started his steel company in his back yard and when he sold it and retired at 53 years old he employed around 70 people and his shop must have been around 70 feet X 175 feet. At that time he still lived in the same house. I once asked him why didn't he buy a bigger house. He said he had thought about it, but as he was pondering what to do he asked himself what he would want in his dream house. He said he would want a house that would keep him warm in the winter. A house that would keep him cool in the summer. A house that would keep him dry when it rained and a house that wouldn't rule his life by keeping him deep in debt. He said the more he thought about it the more he realized he had everything he wanted in his dream house in that little house in Socktown, so why would he want to move. Once again as I was thinking about all this another thing my father-in-law would often say popped into my mind. Someone once asked him why he always wore overalls. Didn't he think people would be more impressed if he wore different clothes to work. His response was that there was no one that he needed to impress.
I've said all of this to explain my thoughts as we come to this, my 66th Thanksgiving.
I've learned that bigger is not always better and I'm thankful for this knowledge. I've learned that there is nothing on this earth more important than family. I've learned that no matter how big my house is, how pretty my car is, how much money I have or don't have, I am loved by my family and for this I am thankful. As I look back over my life I am thankful for things I seldom think about. I am thankful my Dad taught me how to bait a fish hook and to take the fish off when I was lucky enough to catch one. I'm thankful that he also taught me how to shake hands with another man and also with a lady. I'm thankful that he also taught me that there are some words you don't say in the presence of a lady. He explained there was no reason that you didn't say these words, you just didn't. I'm thankful my dad wasn't ashamed or embarrassed to tell me he loved me in front of others. I'm thankful my Mom was always there when I got home from school. I'm thankful she always had a meal on the table to eat and that she taught me to always tell the cook I enjoyed what I had just eaten. I am thankful that at a young age I was taught to say please and thank you, excuse me and yes sir and yes ma'am and no sir and no ma'am. I am also thankful that neither of my parents ever told me I couldn't accomplish anything but were always there to encourage and support me.
I am thankful that I have a wonderful loving wife that has been and continues to be the backbone of our family. I am thankful that she is a great cook and not just on thanksgiving but everyday. I am thankful for the three children she has raised with me, as she has done a great job. I could have never done it without her. I am thankful when I write a blog and she always tells me how good it is when I know it wasn't one of my best. I am thankful when the phone rings and the caller ID says it's one of my children and not a salesperson. I am thankful that my children live close by. I am thankful when I feel the arms of my grandchildren wrap around my neck and I hear a little voice say..."I love you PaPa."
I am thankful when I walk out in the back yard each morning and my chickens come running toward me. I am thankful when I open the cupboard and see fruit jars filled with the bounty from last years garden. I am thankful for new buds on the trees and the first flowers of spring. For the smell of a spring rain and the fragrance of a freshly mowed lawn. I'm thankful for the song of the birds and the playfulness of the squirrels as they dance from tree to tree. I'm thankful for the beautiful web of a writing spider and the wonderful masterpiece that God paints in the sky each day.
I am thankful that in the last few years I have found that I love to write and I am thankful that each day when I read the Atlanta Journal, that I find their writers and proof readers spell worse and know less about punctuation than I do so I don't feel so bad about those shortcomings.. I am thankful for the teachers that taught me to read and write. For the ones that worked so hard to make sure I learned things that I had no interest in learning because they knew that later in life I would be glad they had beaten these things into my hard head. I am thankful for the coaches I had that taught me about winning with humbleness and losing with dignity. About goals and character. about pride and determination. I am thankful for the friends I had years ago. The ones that along with me didn't let school get in the way of our education. Also the ones that kept a safe distance from me and my crew but kept us close enough that now, in our later years we are closer that back then.
I am of course thankful for my God and my Savior. I am thankful that I now have a better understanding from where all blessing flow. I am thankful that although I still make mistakes, He is quick to forgive me. I am thankful that He does provide my daily bread and that in time of need He comforts me.
I could go on and on. I could write page after page and still I would leave someone or something out for which I am thankful . For you see, today I am thankful for the good times and the bad. For the bountiful times and the times of drought. For good friends and yes...even for my enemies. I am thankful because these things and these people are what and who my God has used to create me. And He is not through. I am still a work in progress. Makes no difference if I have known you for 65 years or 1 month, God is using you in my life. He is using you to make me a finished product. And you know what? He is using me to help complete you. What a wonder God is. So you see, I don't need the football size house in Beverly Hills. I don't need the big car and the giant bank account. I am rich beyond measure. For as the old song says:
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
The wealth in every mine;
He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,
The sun and stars that shine.
Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell -
He is my Father so they're mine as well;
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills -
I know that He will care for me.
Yes my friend I am a rich. I have no need to impress any man. And for this....I am very thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving, God bless you and your family and as Mama would say, "Don't forget to say thank you."
Thursday, November 14, 2013
YOU MAY BE RIGHT....I MAY BE CRAZY......
"You may be right....I may be crazy....But it just may be a lunatic you're lookin for".......Once again comes the morning and once again I find myself up early, searching the web and reading facebook and once again I find that this feeble mind of mine starts to move. Yes, it is official, this mind still moves but sometimes I think that I, along with many others, have become the subject of the line above made famous in a song by Billy Joel. "We may all be crazy."
This morning I was reading a link that my beautiful niece, Briana Caldwell, and before you ask, I'm not crazy about this, she is beautiful, posted to her facebook page. This article was about the Braves moving to Cobb County. Well, I for one don't care where the Braves move or if they move or not. Oh sure, I like the Braves, and I watch them on TV all the time unless I have something more important to do like put highlights in my hair or go outside, sit in a chase lounge, and watch the chickens look for bugs to eat. Have you ever wondered how many bugs a chicken eats in a day or if the kind of bugs they eat has anything to do with how the egg taste? Oh well, back to the Braves. In the article it said the Braves were going to move and build this new stadium because that the old antiquated stadium they play in now, "The Ted," needs updating. UPDATING I SAY? The Ted is 16 years old for God's sake !!!!!!!! I have underware 16 years old.....I guess this means I need to go through my sock drawer and look for holes and do some purging. Then I thought to myself, "Be patient Wes. Hear them out....They may have a point," so I read on. The Brave officials noted that if they stayed at the "TED" they would have to change the lights and replace the seats...... WHAT ??????????? CHANGE THE LIGHTS AND REPLACE THE SEATS? Half the time no one even sits in those seats and they only have the lights on about 3 or 4 hours at a time, 81 nights a year and it seems to me for what a hotdog and a coke cost, they could afford some new light bulbs.
By their reasoning I should have moved out of the old house years ago. I can just hear me explaining my move now. "Well yeah, we decided it was time to move, the hall and pantry light bulb needed changing and the couch was dirty so we felt it was time to move on. Did we sell the old house you ask? Oh nooooo...It was 16 years old and had outlived it's usefulness so we just bulldozed it. Where are we moving you ask? We bought a new house one county over. How much did we pay for the new digs you want to know? Oh it was much more than we could afford but the neighbors are going to foot a very large part of the bill. One of the neighbors said they would just forgo patching that big hole in their driveway, and another said that their septic tank lines could wait another few years as the smell was only bad if the wind was blowing toward their house and the folks across the street were real nice. They offered dip into their kids college fund to help us out so we only had to pay about 10% of the cost.
We have become a throw away people. First there were throw away lighters, then throw away razors and throw away bottles. I can remember saving mayonaise jars for Mom and even Peggy to can vegetables in but now mayonaise comes in plastic jars so we just throw them away too. We have throw away paint brushes and if you think about it some people pretty much have throw away wifes and husbands and kids. Of course to make us feel better we have changed the name from "throw away to disposable." Even our money that we earn on our jobs we have separated into groups. We have money we pay bills with and money we buy grocerys with and then we have "Disposable Income" which I assume is money we just throw away...............
And so now, the trend continues. We now have throw away stadiums. And who pays for these stadiums? Do the owners of these teams buy a piece of land with their own money and build the stadium with their own money and then put a good product on the field so the cutomers will pay for their great product or service? Of course not....the owners go to the local government and say "Build me a new house. You know what I want. A mansion of a house that I can throw away in fifteen or twenty years. After all, we all now that by then I will need a new stadium and we also know that the government has an unlimited supply of "Disposable Money."
I'm sure I could write another paragraph or two and incorperate Obamacare into the mix but I guess it's time to end this rant. You see,,,, today is thursday which is trash day. I must roll the garbage can down to the street so the trashman can carry away the perfectly good trash bags that I payed good money for. So I will just say to you that you have been given this day. It is not recyclable and can only be used once so make it count. Some things we don't get a second chance at and some things just aren't disposable.
Have a good one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You may be right ...... I may be crazy....But it may just be a lunatic you're lookin for.......................................................
"You may be right....I may be crazy....But it just may be a lunatic you're lookin for".......Once again comes the morning and once again I find myself up early, searching the web and reading facebook and once again I find that this feeble mind of mine starts to move. Yes, it is official, this mind still moves but sometimes I think that I, along with many others, have become the subject of the line above made famous in a song by Billy Joel. "We may all be crazy."
This morning I was reading a link that my beautiful niece, Briana Caldwell, and before you ask, I'm not crazy about this, she is beautiful, posted to her facebook page. This article was about the Braves moving to Cobb County. Well, I for one don't care where the Braves move or if they move or not. Oh sure, I like the Braves, and I watch them on TV all the time unless I have something more important to do like put highlights in my hair or go outside, sit in a chase lounge, and watch the chickens look for bugs to eat. Have you ever wondered how many bugs a chicken eats in a day or if the kind of bugs they eat has anything to do with how the egg taste? Oh well, back to the Braves. In the article it said the Braves were going to move and build this new stadium because that the old antiquated stadium they play in now, "The Ted," needs updating. UPDATING I SAY? The Ted is 16 years old for God's sake !!!!!!!! I have underware 16 years old.....I guess this means I need to go through my sock drawer and look for holes and do some purging. Then I thought to myself, "Be patient Wes. Hear them out....They may have a point," so I read on. The Brave officials noted that if they stayed at the "TED" they would have to change the lights and replace the seats...... WHAT ??????????? CHANGE THE LIGHTS AND REPLACE THE SEATS? Half the time no one even sits in those seats and they only have the lights on about 3 or 4 hours at a time, 81 nights a year and it seems to me for what a hotdog and a coke cost, they could afford some new light bulbs.
By their reasoning I should have moved out of the old house years ago. I can just hear me explaining my move now. "Well yeah, we decided it was time to move, the hall and pantry light bulb needed changing and the couch was dirty so we felt it was time to move on. Did we sell the old house you ask? Oh nooooo...It was 16 years old and had outlived it's usefulness so we just bulldozed it. Where are we moving you ask? We bought a new house one county over. How much did we pay for the new digs you want to know? Oh it was much more than we could afford but the neighbors are going to foot a very large part of the bill. One of the neighbors said they would just forgo patching that big hole in their driveway, and another said that their septic tank lines could wait another few years as the smell was only bad if the wind was blowing toward their house and the folks across the street were real nice. They offered dip into their kids college fund to help us out so we only had to pay about 10% of the cost.
We have become a throw away people. First there were throw away lighters, then throw away razors and throw away bottles. I can remember saving mayonaise jars for Mom and even Peggy to can vegetables in but now mayonaise comes in plastic jars so we just throw them away too. We have throw away paint brushes and if you think about it some people pretty much have throw away wifes and husbands and kids. Of course to make us feel better we have changed the name from "throw away to disposable." Even our money that we earn on our jobs we have separated into groups. We have money we pay bills with and money we buy grocerys with and then we have "Disposable Income" which I assume is money we just throw away...............
And so now, the trend continues. We now have throw away stadiums. And who pays for these stadiums? Do the owners of these teams buy a piece of land with their own money and build the stadium with their own money and then put a good product on the field so the cutomers will pay for their great product or service? Of course not....the owners go to the local government and say "Build me a new house. You know what I want. A mansion of a house that I can throw away in fifteen or twenty years. After all, we all now that by then I will need a new stadium and we also know that the government has an unlimited supply of "Disposable Money."
I'm sure I could write another paragraph or two and incorperate Obamacare into the mix but I guess it's time to end this rant. You see,,,, today is thursday which is trash day. I must roll the garbage can down to the street so the trashman can carry away the perfectly good trash bags that I payed good money for. So I will just say to you that you have been given this day. It is not recyclable and can only be used once so make it count. Some things we don't get a second chance at and some things just aren't disposable.
Have a good one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You may be right ...... I may be crazy....But it may just be a lunatic you're lookin for.......................................................
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