Can’t stand it, have to open my mouth once again…..WINK news in So. Florida has an article wherein some of the garbage men are complaining and actually getting hurt by picking up too heavy of a garbage can….they show 3 cans….the middle one is the one from Waste Management…IT IS MADE TO BE PICKED UP BY A TRUCK!!!! NOT A GUY!!!
I have Waste Management in my town…..3 cans, different colors, garbage, green, recycle….all picked up on the same day, maybe even by the same truck!!! Dang!! Novel idea…. C’mon S. Fla….get with the program. There are plenty of palm trees and bush cuttings that will keep the garbage men picking up stuff that can’t be put in the can…..
Most of us just bump along in this life. I’m not saying life is boring…it’s just that we get caught up in the ordinary….I’m as guilty as the next person in that regard. I am doing my best to snap out of it cause there should be no such word as ordinary in this or any other language. Maybe the best word for me is ‘comfortable’, as in happy to be where we are.
Our neighborhood is a wonderful example of ‘comfortable’. I guess it is an old neighborhood, like 25+ years. I remember the day my hubby and I found we could buy this home. It had been $30,000 more than we could afford and we would look at it longingly when we came to visit our friends one street over. One Sunday afternoon our friends called….it seemed the developer wanted to add another section and couldn’t make it happen with the bank, unless he sold the ones he had…..our neighborhood, our house, was now affordable, dropping $30,000 that sunny afternoon and we drove out to buy it.
We watched it being built, still in disbelief, and on a special week in August, we joined total strangers to create a close knit community, called our cul-de-sac.
Families with kiddies of all ages began to unpack and make a house their home. Some came from 100 miles, some just newly retired from 1000 miles, and everything in between. Ages were just as varied.
You know when neighborhoods are first created, it is all by chance. Ours was surely that way and it was magical. The blend was perfect. We all began to ‘spruce up’…..front yards were planted but not the back. No back steps, no patios, no trees, no bushes, just lots of dirt and trust me, loads of weeds. Whoever found a knowledgeable ‘micro climate’ advisor, a mulch company, and especially a concrete guy, became the ‘go to’ person of the hour. We learned quickly this area did not lend itself to the plants we brought from the cooler areas on the California coast. But what we did learn was that our beloved ‘coast’ plants brought snails…and snails and more snails. Dang….and we did it our selves. I must say, however, after 25 years, the snails have gone elsewhere….the climate just being too dry for them to enjoy themselves. (thank goodness)
So these years have flown by….little kids became high school grads, then out of college and on their own. Parents became grandparents and aunts and uncles, but still the cul-de-sac remained ‘comfortable’….Cookouts were common when second or third families moved in. July 4th brought families of families and Halloween brought hot cider for adults and pets dressed up as Godzilla…. And it continued to be ‘comfortable’.
Now, all of a sudden, it is more than 25 years later, and 1/2 of us are still original owners. The ‘newbies’ have either conformed to our ways, or we have to theirs. It is still warm to come home….to see friends/to wave goodbye as they go off on vacation, or when they come back from church. We smile as we remember teens being teens, running out of refrigerator room during the holidays, or even using another’s oven when it became crunch time.
We have had our sad times when those in our circle have moved on, and today my heart is teary as a great family has decided the same. It is and will be good for them. Change is good, even when it makes us stretch our ‘comfortable’ life. It will be a new chapter for the cul-de-sac family as well. They will take their laughter, their Christ led family, their extended family, and our love with them, and all will be well…..in their new neighborhood, where life will, once again, be ‘comfortable’. Miss’in you already…..
I’m going out on a limb here by saying I think there are lots of church goers, non-church goers, and all those in between who question in their hearts, how the ‘church’ is suppose to work. In these next few posts…I’m going to pause, probe, and press for answers to questions that are hundreds, if not thousands of years old.
For those who think these problems are new…read the wonderful world of Paul in Corinthians. This book has warmed my soul because here is a daring guy that leaves no stone unturned, when it comes to creating the best church he can. As I said in my thoughts earlier about Paul, I can see him vividly….gnashing what’s left of his teeth, as he hears, ponders, and writes to his new churches about how they act in his absence.
Flash forward to today and multiply the situation. Churches times a thousand, flocks times ten thousand, and guess what, the problems are almost identical those Paul and his new desciples found in their midst.
One thing for sure, the issues don’t touch any one segment of any one church. That, in itself, should make them easy to identify.
Send a group representative to the local church leadership meeting, discuss the problem, discuss the solutions, come to a vote, take the vote, and run back to the nest with a smile……problem solved.
How many board/vestry meetings have attempted to do just that…how many pastor/parish meetings have grappled with attempts to solve the most petty of church fumbling, and on and on.
Well, I’m here to talk about it….to think out loud..on this paper, in hopes you will do the same. For some it might be ‘been there, done that’; for others, it might be ‘we don’t talk about that’; and yet others might say ‘well, the Bible says’.
Right now I am thinking this will be a discussion of why we do what we do in our church….and why most of us think ours is the best.
We’ll look into boards and vestries…to pastors and priests, to rules of law and rules of church, and to condemnation light. Church or club…..business or belief….is there a definite line..or is it a blur.. we’ll talk later
haven’t written for awhile…..seems like time has been filled by other stuff…..good stuff, but stuff….All the time I’m doing my stuff, however, I’m thinking. Thinking of things to write about, thinking of things to help others dream about, thinking of things to comment on, etc. etc.
Yes, things are bubbling inside…..It is true for me, and maybe just me, that I should sit and write until there are no more words coming out of my head. Since the bubbling is annoying, I think that is a sign I should make time to sit and write.
I’m most upset I do not understand the workings of Word Press as well as others….I’d love to have someone set up my ability to get my postings available to others…..I am very personal on one side and don’t want to bother all the people I know with my rantings, however, I would like to be incognito and be able to send out writing in a better way. I admit I thought and still think that ‘booting up’ is a stupid way of saying open or start.
I also admit that hitting ‘send’ to answer a phone is even more stupid……but who am I…..
I’m in need of a new computer…and it is like pulling teeth to get one…why, because there is no one to help me take the info off this one and put it on the other. I’ll probably have to travel and drag around a bunch of computer stuff from place to place….looking like a beggar..to see if they would help me. Am I in the mood for that…..nu-uh. And so it goes.
I finally found a service to fix the old girl (my computer) whenever she went haywire…..and it is worth every penny. Just make the call, and turn it over……they perk the old girl up, take away all her globs of info that we really didn’t want or ask for….clean her disk or disc…..and send her back for another round of emails and googling.
While we’re (I’m) talking….I am pissed at the TV cable too…I kind of think they are like a rental car company I used one time…they don’t take good care of their cars, until one finally bites the dust. When it is finally drug in off highway 395 in February, it is serviced. Kind of like my TV boxes…they never seem to work well, one downstairs is fine, the others are full of sounds and no satellite reception. We understand half of every sentence from 8 til 11PM but when it comes on at 9AM the next day, it works fine……It’s always fun to call, and be helped by some poor gal who has to have an armed guard in her office to keep the peace…..that speaks well for the cable companies, doesn’t it.
Oh well, TV or Computer, cell phone or IPhone, it is there to amuse me and abuse me….I’m gett’on out the can and the string!!
Well, I’m here to say, there is seems no end to this spring party in the Gulf….One doesn’t hear much, but the beaches are jump’in..yes, even ‘in the air’ jump’in.
Now that the little guys have arrived, their extended family have received their invites. It is time for sprucing up the digs, so many hermit crabs are up sizing. Yes, they do outgrow, their studio type homes, so searches go on constantly. People (nice humans) who visit the Gulf, know they should only take one live shell away from the beach each visit……what a shame they are allowed even that.
(another ‘be that as it may’) So it is proper etiquette to lift gently and peek in to these shell homes first, before plopping them into your bucket. If they have set up housekeeping, it is then necessary to put them back, and apologize for making thier little hearts skip a beat.
As spring progresses, many empty shell bodies are found. The tides give us a new view of what the Gulf has to offer, and the waves gently deposit the new, old, and empty shells of life in it’s beautiful waters. It is a fact of life, life and death, and the Gulf of Mexico shows us how the grand plan was put into place. I still wonder, at almost age 70, why things are the way they are, so don’t feel alone, if you wonder the same, now and then.
Discarded shells from other generations do provide exquisite art that cannot be duplicated. Their color, their shape, and their design are the architecture of God. Each is made to house the life inside…and is done so to perfection. Take note…..and know it is a simple joy to ‘stop’ and look at these treasures….they will move you and replenish your soul.
I spent the evening at low tide, picking and choosing my next gallon of shells….What a wonderful and inexpensive habit I have. The warmth of spring, the waters of the Gulf, a good friend, and a bucket. These are the days to remember. Thank goodness I’ve been allowed to realize these moments. Just take 60 seconds…and stop to look around…then take 70 seconds and then 80. Take in all the gifts God gives us each day..for free!!
Wow….or maybe it should be WOW!! It is party time in SW Florida and the city is not one you regularly party in on Fri. night…well, at least not all the time. IT’S THE GULF OF MEXICO, of course. It is springtime in the Gulf and on the Gulf and the place is jump’in.
Everyone who is anyone in the Gulf Kingdom is coming home to reunite with some and partner up with others. It seems they’ve spent the winter in the deeper waters of the Gulf for safety and warmth, but now the beach waters are 80F and the welcome mat is out.
Mother Nature/God sure set it up right. The breezes are mild, the bugs are few and the snow
birds have gone north. The beaches are relatively quiet as big and little couples come to be a part of the large guest list. As in the order of things, there are some who depend on the lunching of others to keep this arrangement in harmony. I plan to ask Mother Nature/God about this when I visit the other side. If I ever come back, I’ll write about what they say.
Be that as it may, these wonderful creatures come home with great folly. There are schools of little fish…just new babies who stay close to each other or Mom/Dad. Some come from long egg pods that look like snake skeltons…and are they a work of art. Others look like the rubber seals that keep canned peaches tasty.
In the sky, parent and child Osprey glide and squawk during daily lessons. As in our species, many children carry on something terrible when mom quits bringing the daily meal. Goes to prove that leaving the nest is not exciting for everyone.
The skates come to visit for the summer in April/May of each year. They definitely add a ‘shuffle’ to our step when we take our daily walks. You see, they love to nestle in the very shallow waters of the Gulf….looking for tasty morsels. After finding a spot, they wiggle/shiver into the sand and do whatever….maybe take a nap.
However!!
When someone or something comes by unannounced, these tiny darlings become a little startled and whip their tail around to barb whoever is nearby. Well, dang, I can vouch for the fact that THAT HURTS!! Keep in mind, however, I’ve been coming here for 35 years and have only been stung once…and it was my fault….not shuffling in a skate zone. No ticket given, but 45 min of pouring super hot water on the spot to ease the toxins, taught me well.
More later…….your correspondant, from the beach says tootle
Sleeping til 9….hubby and kitty both purring…..
Opening the blinds to an ocean blue sky with cotton clouds…
Ten cups and 3 measures offer up a delightful aroma to begin the day…
Outside the news waits patiently….some good, some not…
And life is good…
Clothes peak out of the hamper, ready for a wash…
Plants lean toward the sun and wait for their faucet drink…
Kitty paws me for his morning treat and then heads to the front porch…
Soaking beans soften up to a ham hock for tonights supper…
And life is good….
A wodpecker looks for his meal in the Florida oak…
Squirrels scamper thru palm and frond, falling in love one moment, and digging up acorns the next…
Herons and gulls correspond as the sun rises further….looking for the baitfish to fattent their bellies…
And life is good…
Neighbors await their grandchildren, coming from the frozen north….
Wagons, sand pails, and cribs come out of storage, as the family comes together…
Snowbirds come and go, feeling lucky they are here to bask in the sun where coconut palms flourish…
And life is good…..
Blessings are acknowledged and health is never taken for granted….
Our 70 years have come so quickly, we sometimes lose count, until we look into the mirror…
Friendships are stronger, deeper, and longer than ever imagined….
A 50th high school reunion puzzles us to this very day…..
And life is good…
We carry on with our day, and smile that we no longer rise to be in the office at 7…
Our kind…..retirees, sift thru life’s memories and rejoice that children are grown and have jobs….
Their paths, beginning to march to the chorus of promises, dreams, sometimes stumbling as they find their way ……
And soon, one morning, they will find themselves, waking at 9, hubby and kitty purring, and the news of the day….. right outside…..
And life is good…..
“You may have a medical problem”……runs shivers up and down your spine. Even in the movies, those words make us tremble. We are all act brave, showing that ‘devil may care’ attitude, but deep inside our gut is churning and the sunny day goes to turbulent winds with the threat of rain.
It is checkup time…..an ultrasound for me and a colonoscopy for him. Been there more than once and yet it still creeps into our daily living, like the fog from the Pacific. Warm winds of serenity touching the cool winds of change…..cause us to become solitary, even though there is no prediction of doom.
So the bootstraps are pulled up…..as we become nonchalant in the face of our inner fearfulness.
We then begin to rationalize, and examine…..what are the odds…I take good care of myself….it doesn’t run in my family, and on and on. We do begin to feel better, and our sleep goes undisturbed.
The day comes for our tests…..and the phone rings for each of us…..”sure, we’ve done everything, we’ll be there, no problem”. The medical facility is warm, and friendly, and we are ushered to our rooms. We look into the eyes of the staff, watching as they take pictures, in hopes of finding reassuring glances that all is well. The procedures are over almost as quickly as they begin and we welcome the lifting of the haze of marking time.
The phones ring the next afternoon….and with certitude, we answer. “Just calling to say your test was negative and all is well”…..”We’ll see you next year”. The phone rings again. “The results of your procedure are negative”. We’ll see you in 5 years”. And the sun shines once more.
I read two papers this AM with 3 cups of coffee…..let me say it again, I READ TWO NEWSPAPERS this morning with 3 cups of coffee. My kids tell me I’m really ‘out of mainline journalism’…..I’m in ‘mail-line journalism…and that is further out. I’m sad if it is the truth….that the days of newspapers are fading. Yes, the word ‘sad’ is appropriate.
The better part of my 68 years I’ve shared with a newspaper…..When I was learning to read….the newspaper was always in my home. Mother and Dad read, and then I read. Sure, at the age of 10 I wasn’t all that interested in the front page, but there were always the ‘funnies’. Kind of like learning to iron…..first you start with the hankies and then you move onward to more difficult pieces of clothing. That’s how the newspaper and I made friends.
Then, in high school, sometimes things in my small brain began to gel….I would read something in the paper and low and behold…we’d talk about it in government or history. Dang!
And now, after all these years, I’m more of an avid reader than ever. I learn every day…whether it is a joke, a piece of history, a sale, a divorce, a birth, a death, and on and on. LIFE is the newspaper and the newspaper is life. It tells me the weather, the high school basketball scores, the time of the July 4th parade, the mass at church, the sale at the local dress shop, the fishing report for the local lake, and the local police beat…often and thank goodness, more humorous than scary.
I would be foolish to say the Internet has not proved to be another great spot for the news….I know we can hear it all on local TV stations as well as CNN and FOX, but that’s not the news I long for….We all live in little areas..they may be inside large cities or on farms, distant from neighbors, however, we all desire to be close to one another….The local newspaper, whether it is weekly, bi weekly, in the morning or in the evening, binds our hearts, our lives, our dreams, and it extends the hand of friendship to all.
When traveling thru Tennessee, I read about the lives of folks in Nashville, Knoxville, and all the little towns in between. I look at their housing, their taxes, as well as their squabbles with local, county and state government. It truly does my heart good to see that we are pretty much the same, regardless of our proximity to one another. Soccer might be hot in So. California, but football is the game in Louisiana. High school football barely makes it in some western states, however, in Indiana, and the Ohio Valley, the homes are empty on Fri. night cause they are at the game. In the assisted care facilities…..everyone is in their room…..not cause they feel bad….but in season….it is basketball and football that keeps the lights on late into the night.
And last but not least…I love the ads…Where am I going to find so easily…..the for rent and for sale section, the used car section, the misc. for sale section, the legal announcement section, the inside ads for carpet, granite, hot dogs. 2 for 1, picking fresh blueberries, and the editorial section, including all the letters to the editor. So much entertainment, so much knowledge, so much life…..and all available in the paper.
So go ahead, read the Internet, learn that Tiger won his 74th, that the Supreme Court did or did not make the right decision, and the high in Las Vegas will be 104…..but for me, I’ll use it as backup only…..cause it is the paper…..I truly love.
Here we are, bumping along. There are ‘up’ days, ‘medium’ days, (normal) and ‘down days’. (Really all three are normal, right) So here we are, bumping along, and then……there we go. Exit bumping. Exit normal days. Exit life..we’re dead!
Now what shall become of us…..woulda, coulda, shoulda thoughts ‘should’a’ occurred prior to the ‘exit’ sign above us, but sometimes our ducks are not just ‘all in a row’, if you know what I mean.
Wait, what about that little card? I had that somewhere…dang where is it, my wallet, my purse, my top left drawer in the bedroom, with my passport, dang!
Well, not to worry now……as in ‘Elvis has exited……”. But, for the sake of this article, you do (or did) have that nice card. This card is way past nice, it is the best of the best, the cat’s meow, the Taj Mahal, lotto, and more. “Why”, you ask? Simple……If you only have one kidney that works, if you are blind, if your liver is shot, if your heart only pumps because of a machine, or heavy medication, this little card will be all the above and more.
You, the one newly exited, offer the gift of life, with this little card. People and organizations world-wide have come together to offer those in need, a new chance at life, and you, my friend, are the integral part. It is you who have, at one time, usually when you renewed your driver’s license, made the choice to donate your useful organs. Of course, at that time, death was at least 10 light years away, so it was not thought about prayerfully, but now!!!!!…….as you move on to the beautiful place you chose….that decision made in life is making life for others possible.
The stuff worked for you while you had it and needed it, but now, it is surplus. For that child needing a new kidney, it is beyond words. For the soldier, blind from serving his country, it is the open door to life and work and family. For these thankful recipients, it is not surplus, it is opportunity………
seriouslyscorpio 