I Think I May Have Lost It Again...

It seems to me that I lose more and more stuff now days than I used to. I really don't know why, but I do. If things are not really lost but merely misplaced, then I guess I will find them again if I am meant to!

Do you by any chance remember the names of some of the games we used to play at parties? I'm talking about the games we played before the booze games or those including sex. You know, games like "Spin The Bottle", "Post Office", and "Secret"...I think some actually called that game "Gossip" as well. Good harmless fun, and if memory serves, they were good for a lot of laughs as well.

Another thing I remember, especially for this time of year, was "Bobbing For Apples". Ever done that? Maybe you've played the cousin of bobbing where the apple is hung from a string and then one at a time, the participants try and take a bite from the apple without using the hands. Watching that one was always good for a chuckle or two...

I guess that thinking back on these games and the fun we had back then keeps us from thinking too much about the upcoming events, like TEOTWAWKI (End Of The World As We Know It) and WTSHTF (When The S**t Hits The Fan) ! I have a feeling that it won't be nearly as much fun to watch these events and the games that come from them are not going to be put into a category of party games.

By then parties will probably be a thing of the past as well, except for things like hunting parties, raiding parties and the like. Makes you wonder what kind of warm memories our grand kids will be sitting around discussing many years from now, doesn't it?

The only comfort I get from these thoughts is the knowledge that I will probably be gone when that time comes, having moved on to the next Grand Adventure!

But until those times come, I think we should enjoy some fresh coffee on the patio...and revel in the slightly cooler weather we are having. Want to join me...?

No Major Post Today...

Sorry guys and gals...I'm not feeling well today. Actually, I have been under the weather for a couple of days now but today it seems to be worse. So I'm taking the day off, so to speak. I have put a little cat video on today for those that are interested. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope to be back on track tomorrow, OK? OK...

For A Little Peace Of Mind...

The National elections are not that far off, so I thought that I would pass on to you some information I recently recieved. It probably won't do anything to change your mind as to who you vote for, but that's alright because in my opinion the results of the elections have already been decided by the Powers Behind The Throne, so to speak.

I mean, I guess that many people are still under the impression that the individual voters in this great country of ours actually have a measure of control over who gets elected. I wish that I still did. I also wish that I still believed in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the possibility of world peace.

Now, as I reach the latter part of my life, I struggle to hang on to the fact that there are a few good types around, and that should bring a little comfort to us all. Here are a few facts that you should know, regardless of how you plan to vote. If nothing else, they are interesting...


Question:
What is America 's first line of missile interceptor defense that protects the entire United States ?
Answer:
49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard.

Question:
What is the ONLY National Guard unit on permanent active duty?
Answer:
49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard

Question:
Who is the Commander in Chief of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard?
Answer:
Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska

Question:
What U.S. governor is routinely briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counter terrorism?
Answer:
Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska

Question:
What U.S. governor has a higher classified security rating than either candidate of the Democrat Party?
Answer:
Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska

According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used to keeping secrets. She can be entrusted with our national security, because she already is!

Now I don't know if this does anything to ease your mind about some of the participants in the upcoming Political side show or not...but hopefully it will help!

Now, let's go get some fresh coffee...

Please Do Me A Favor...

I'm going to take a break from the usual stuff I write to call your attention to a couple of blogs I started following lately. I follow these guys because I like the way they they write, although they have totally different topics they write about. Both have a message to share and I think that each is a message we should at the very least take a look at.

Now I have to warn you, neither of these blogs have a thing to do with the mindless business opportunities that I normally get into. You know the ones...where you only have to invest the mere sum of $50 to obtain a mind boggling return of between $10 to $20 in total?( that, of course, does not include the original investment). Now days we seem to be happy if we can invest in a program and only lose a small amount (say, 50%) instead of losing it all!

No, these guys both offer the rare and useful treasure we call information! Not on how to market your latest money losing business opps to other Internet marketers that spend their days trying to market the very same money losing propositions to you, but real and useful information! I want you to do me a favor. I know that I shouldn't even ask, but for both our sakes please take a few precious moments out of your day and visit both of these sites, give them a fair reading and see if you don't come away with a little better outlook on things than you had before you went in, OK?

The first site I want you to go to is the site written by David J. Pollay. His link is on the left side of this blog and I read his blog on a daily basis simply because he can put into better words some of the things I talk about. Mr. Pollay, as you may know, is the author of "The Law of The Garbage Truck" which is a message we all should read and follow. He travels all over and is responsible for bringing a message of how to make your daily life a little better with some very simple to follow actions. He is easy to read and well worth the visit.

Next, I want you to go over to a site with a totally different style of writing, but is just as entertaining and informative. I just recently discovered this site and I like it for the simple fact that he has already done exactly what I have been planning to do for a long time. The blog is called BisonSurvivalBlog and is another very good read, even if you don't totally agree with his message. The author's name is James M. Dakin, and his style of writing is a fresh change for those of us caught up in the daily rat race of trying to make a small profit while working on the Internet.

Let me point out to everyone that I am not an affiliate of, or associated with these two sites in anyway, shape, or form other than being a devoted follower and reader. I do feel that is my duty to share ANY site I find that can be of some genuine use in our lives. These two sites fall into that category, and I would consider it a personal favor if you would at least take the time to go by and check out these two men and their writings.

OK...now I have done my good deed for the day by showing you a couple of new places to visit and learn from. Hopefully, you will drop by and look them over. In the meantime, I suggest we have another cup of coffee...and just maybe a cookie or two, OK?

It's Coming...Like It Or Not...!

You know, as the holidays get closer I am wondering why we don't make and give many of our gifts anymore. Used to be, most all of the gifts at Christmas were handmade. Not only were they really nice gifts, but the receiver knew that a lot of time and effort went into the gift.

Now days we just go out and fight the crowds we don't want to fight, going to stores we don't really want to go to, only to buy gifts we really don't want to buy for money we really don't want to spend. We then give these second choice gifts to people we really don't like, while forcing ourselves to pretend we are enjoying the get-together we really didn't want to attend in the first place. Yeah, I can see why we call it the joyful season!

As long as we continue to treat the holiday season as strictly a way to impress and please those not worth the time and to better our position at work or in the organization of choice, the very holidays meant to be joyous and happy will be hollow and without meaning.

Maybe we should spend a little time and effort in getting our priorities straight! Quit trying to further our own cause by the shallow actions we are so accustomed to taking. At the very least, we should try and be honest with ourselves and rethink the entire way that we so called "celebrate"!

How about this for starters? Embrace your family and family traditions. Learn to respect your co-workers or employees. If you go shopping in the over crowed stores, smile at the people you pass. They probably need it, and it doesn't cost a dime to share it! Think about making some of your gifts, or maybe giving someone a family heirloom that they will appreciate a lot more than some piece of junk you bought just to make the numbers of gifts you needed come out right.

Do everything in your power to stay positive this time of the year. Smile a lot and keep pleasant thoughts in your head and heart. Treat others in the same fashion that you want to be treated! (the Golden Rule again!) The main way to do this is to keep in mind that timeless saying," There is a reason for the season! "

OK...that's enough preaching for today! If you don't know all this by now, it's probably too late to get you to change. If I don't do anything else but offer up a reminder, then I've done my duty.
Now, what do you say that we start this day off with a fresh cup of coffee?

Costume Ideas For The Roomies...

With Halloween just around the corner, the roomies and I have been trying to decide what kind of costume they should wear. I think we have solved that problem.

C.B. (top picture) has decided he wants to go as a genuine Halloween Cat! I tried to explain to him that normally Halloween cats are depicted as black cats and that Siamese coloring isn't exactly in keeping with tradition. He has assured me that with practise, he can arch his back just right and that he has been practising his fence walking every day, so we decided that the color isn't that big a problem. I'll just go down to the local hardware store and get a can or two of black matte spray paint and PRESTO! Instant black cat!

I'm not sure if he realises what all is entailed in removing the color after Halloween, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It should be a lot of fun, so I'm taking volunteers for cat cleaning detail now. To get on the list, just email me and please be sure to enclose a hand written note showing that I won't be held responsible for any injuries incurred during the clean-up process, OK?

Smoky (bottom picture) has decided that he wants to dress up as a hood ornament! As you can see, he hasn't quite got the location part right as of yet but he is working on it! I tried to explain to him that most ornaments don't move a lot, and they definitely do NOT wash certain parts of their anatomy while sitting on the hood of a car in public! I don't know if the message got through or not. Maybe if I pick up some spray starch while I'm at the hardware store, I can spray him down with enough to hold him in place for a while.

He will be added to the list of "cats to be cleaned up" in case any previous volunteers want to change their minds. If you decide that you are brave enough to stay on the volunteer list, just follow the procedure in the section above.

I think if I were going to dress up in a costume, I would simply put on a suit and tie, and then slip into some dress shoes (complete with socks, of course). By adding a watch, which I removed the day I retired, I would be so far removed from my normal appearance that no one would ever recognise me! Trust me on this...it's the truth!

Well, that's all that I had for now! I think we should all go get some fresh coffee...don't you? And if you sign up for the clean up, I'll even throw in a cookie!

Saturday Morning Cartoons Are Back...

I know, I know ! I should be amazing you with all the figures of how much money I'ver made through the week. I should be begging and pleading with you to join me as my affiliate in some program or another. I should be either ranting against something or someone, or singing the praises and profits to be made by one or two of the newest programs or games going on.

But it is Saturday and the weekend, and I need to work on the book I'm putting together for Christmas. So I'm gonna cheat a little bit by starting the day off with a cartoon. Just like the old days when we were kids! In fact, this particular cartoon was made in 1952...a long time ago.

Help yourself to the coffee...and I may be back with an update if anything important comes up, OK? OK!

The Golden Rule...!

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but I used to work for Wal-Mart. I want share a few of the inner workings of this completely out of control mega-corporation with you, things you may already know but should if you don't. Now don't get me wrong...I still shop at Wal-Mart simply because they have such a large selection of the items that I need so I don't have to spend the extra gasoline to visit more than one place. Sort of a backhanded trade off, buying imported items in order to save on imported gasoline (actually only the oil is imported and then the gasoline is made, but you already knew that, right?). Some trade off, huh?

First of all, did you know that the average markup on nearly all merchandise at WallyWorld is 33%? That's the average that they shoot for. Not a bad profit margin, is it? Do the wages match the profits? No! It's true that they do award raises to people that stay for a while and that perform in an acceptable and professional manner. However, the quickest way to find yourself out of work in this world wide barn of bargains is to succumb to the one thing none of us can escape ...becoming older.

I can't tell you how many fellow employees I knew that had a spotless record suddenly were dismissed for various reasons, although age was never listed as a reason. Funny though how so many of those long term employees were close to the same age. That meant that health might become an issue and retirement benefits were just around the corner and that is not an acceptable option for the people in charge of watching the bottom line.

However, the other side of this coin is that there are plenty of out of work young folks ready to take over for the missing "old guys"! Trouble is, when the long time people are lost, so is the knowledge that was gained over years and years of working with the merchandise and the operations. Lost also is the art of customer service that used to be the trademark of Wal-Mart.

I have to admit that working for a large and profitable company, you can learn a great deal . If you can work yourself into a department manager's position, you can learn all sorts of things about how to control people. For instance, when the department manager leaves for the day he is supposed to leave a list of duties for the employees to complete before closing time. The secret is to always leave more on the list than they can possibly get finished. That way, if you ever need to get rid of them, you just have to produce the list of incomplete work assignments to show that the employee in question is not following the directions of his immediate boss. Instant dismissal! There are many, many others, but you get the idea.

I learned some things that turned out to be quite useful, in all honesty. Did you know that at any given time, there is only 3 days worth of food on the store shelves? Why do you think that you always see the trucks unloading at the stockroom docks? Why do you think Wal-Mart owns their own transportation company and fleet of trucks? What do you think is going to happen when the gasoline shortage starts to affect the transportation industry in general? Wars are won and lost on the principle of destroying the supply line and not the troops.

The point I'm trying to make is that every experience in life, whether good or bad, is full of lessons to be learned. Some are useful and others are useless. It's up to the individual to make the most of whatever they learn, and to decide for themselves how to apply this knowledge.

Remember that the most important rule to follow in your life is The Golden Rule...and also remember that "what goes around, comes around" so try and act accordingly.

Now I think it's time for a fresh cup of coffee...don't you?

Want To Know A Secret...?

Want to know a little secret? I finally figured out that I let the little things in life, things I have absolutely no control over, piss me off! Over the course of the past few months I have done all in my power to remain level headed and somewhat positive about nearly everything.

The truth is that a normal person, including me, cannot be completely positive all the time...unless he/she is a saint. And folks, Saints We Ain't !! It would be nice if we could all manage to withhold our own true feelings in order to make someone else feel better about their day, I know. But the fact is, we all have bad days! Once in a while, we all need to rant a little. On a rare occasion, we feel the need to lash out at someone or something, real or imagined! That's human nature. Always has been, always will be.

That's one of the beauties of being a writer, even if it's only a writer of a blog like this. When things build up, we have the choice of taking it out on the keyboard. We can get it out of our system by merely writing about it and not sitting there just thinking about it, letting it fester and expand in our heads until we finally go ballistic like a wronged postal worker!

I spent the better part of my life trying to always be what someone else thought I should be, doing what someone else said I should do, acting like others told me I should act and in short, being everything but myself. I have worried too much about what others thought and said about me. I spent way too many years in jobs I didn't like, living in places I didn't want to live in, dressing in a manner different than what I really wanted.

After years of getting the right haircut, drinking the right wine or beer, buying the right car, eating the right foods, reading the right books, watching the right television shows, casting the right vote, making the right plans for the future, and following the right rules I finally said ENOUGH!!

See, this is the reason that you have to have really good friends, at least one or two! When you get to the point to where you say STOP THIS INSANITY...you need someone that understands or at the very least tries to understand what you are saying. Luckily, I do have a couple of friends just like that! And let me say for the record "God Bless 'Em" for just being there for the times when I need them to be.

So from now on, I am going to do and say exactly what I want, not what someone else says is best. I'm reminded of a verse in a song from long ago that said it best. "They can't even run their own life, I'll be damned if they'll run mine!"

I refuse to write only what is considered "politically correct". I refuse to only say what the present big-shots allow me to say. As of today, I refuse to sell my soul to any Devil at any price! All choices from now on, for good or for bad, will be mine and mine alone. That's the way it should have been from the start, but due to a lack of backbone never was. At least there will hopefully come a time when I can sit on my porch in my rocker and say "well, it's been a long and bumpy road, but Man...it was worth it!"

Now, I don't know about you, but I feel the need for some fresh coffee. Want to join me?

What The Heck Happened...?

This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it's releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain... let's take a look at New Orleans ... It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number... what does it mean?

A. Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.

B. Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or... if you are a family of four... your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington , D. C ...HELLO! Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago... and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt... We had the largest middle class in the world... and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

And I still have to press '1' for English !

Man, this is too much like work! I think that I'm ready for a fresh cup of coffee...want to join me?

Candy Bowl Or Candy Jar...?

Sitting on my desk, just to the right of my computer, I have a candy bowl. It's really more of a jar than a bowl, but everyone in my family has always called the container for candy sitting on the counter a "candy bowl"...I have no idea why.

With Halloween coming up pretty soon, I thought it would be a good idea shop early for the " passing out" candy for the kids that may call. I have no idea what kind of candy the kids like now days, but I figure that since they are getting it for free, it wouldn't matter.

This candy in the picture is NOT the kind of candy I was looking for, but the kind I would save for my personal candy jar. Kids don't like fancy, but seem to go for the small candy bars and bags of M&Ms and jaw breakers and candy kisses...you know what I mean?

The problem is that when I go out and buy candy early for a holiday, it never seems to find it's way to the "passing out "bowl. Somehow it gets sidetracked and ends up in my personal candy jar. If it does end up in the "passing out" bowl, the level of candy seems to drop in proportion to how many trips I make passed the "passing out" bowl. Wonder why that is?

Thinking back to when I was a kid, we had special treats. Most of them were home made treats like popcorn balls, fudge, cookies in a small bag, that sort of thing. Once in a while, someone would give out oranges or apples...that was really special! When my sisters and I got home after going "trick or treating" we would sit down and see if we wanted to swap anything. We all had our favorites and if you were lucky, you could trade for your favorite with someone else, providing you had something they wanted. Boy, talk about wheeling and dealing!!

Some of the timeless candy designs are still around today, like candy corn and small sugar pumpkins. However, many of the old favorites like the bubble gum cigarettes and cigars have long since faded away. I did see some big wax lips in the store the other day made from chewy wax, but I can't find any liquid filled wax coke bottles! Seems to me I can vaguely remember even seeing a candy whistle, but maybe that's just a figment of my imagination.

Anyway, I'm going to try and control myself and save some store bought candy for the little children that show up in costume. If I run across any vintage or home made treats...I'm afraid that those will end up on my desk, just to the right of my computer, in my personal Candy Jar.

Now...how about some fresh coffee, my friend?

Nature's Nasty Side...

One thing about living in the south is that we have a very large selection of Mother Nature's creatures, some pleasing to look at and some not so pleasant. In fact, some of them are nearly impossible to see even if you are looking right at them! These two pictures to the right (yes, there are two...) show what I'm talking about.

Behold the Copperhead! This is a common snake here in Texas, especially around eastern and south Texas where it is very wooded in spots. If you cover the right picture (the dividing line is right down the middle) and concentrate only on the left side picture, you'll notice that it is really hard to see the snake in among the leaves. Now cover the left side and look only at the right. The outline of the snake has been outlined so the snake is clearly seen. These pictures are the same, except for the outline. If you think this is scary, imagine walking through the woods and stepping on this bad boy. My friends, you never knew just how fast you were until you set a new world's record getting to another location!

If there is a moral to this post, it is fairly simple. Even if you think you know where you are going, always keep your eyes opened. Some surprises can be rather unpleasant, at best.

The same is true when doing business on the Internet. Don't just take for granted that a program is completely safe just because it looks good. On the other hand, don't think it's unsafe just because it does not have a fancy website or design. The responsibility for all your actions is yours, whether you want it or not.

Do your homework, study the terms and conditions, visit the forums and listen to people you trust that have done a thorough research of the program in question and the administrators . Ask appropriate questions if you have them. In the end, the decision to join or play is yours and yours alone.

I can suggest a couple of very knowlegeable and experienced people to trust when reserching a program Both are fellow bloggers, and have been around for quite a while. I follow them both and pay attention to what they say. I don't always join or agree, but I do get a good idea about the program just by trusting the research they have already done. They are, of course, my friend Blondie with her blog here...and then John, whose blog can be found here. Both would be more than happy to answer any question you may have, if they can. They might suggest who else to ask if they don't have an answer.

Now, let's go to the patio and have a good cup of coffee...Oh, and watch your step, just in case. Better safe than sorry, right?

Sunday Duldrums Got Me Today...Plus An Update !

Guess I'm feeling my age today. I am old enough to remember well when this song came out, and to me the message sounds just as fresh today as it did then. I thought I would put it on today just for fun and I hope you enjoy it.

P.S....I've added another song that carries a message even more in tune with today's situation than when it was written. I know a lot of you will remember it!! It's just past Sonny and Cher!

Don't forget there is coffee and donuts in the back. See ya later, OK?

Saturday Is Once Again Upon Us...

Time to review the past week and see if anyone made some money. I, for one, have enjoyed a nice little bunch of cycling from my positions that are locked in as high priority at 10DW. Of course I am buying new positions as soon as I get another $10 in my balance. This way I can get the remainder of my positions that are not locked in as high priority upgraded. Each new one purchased upgrades two old, and each repurchase upgrades one old. I think it's a win-win situation.

The daily profit sharing sites that I am with are still showing a daily profit share, even though it has slowed way down. They still remains an excellent place to advertise. I'm talking about DRW, ETXAds, and E-tradexchange. They are sister sites and each showing it's own profit and advertising venue. Like I said, I'm still earning, although not as fast as I'd like.

The newest program for me is paying a nice 5% daily, which is pretty good for a surf site. This , of course, is Surf2Sawa. Strange name but a nice place to advertise and make a little money. You only have to surf 15 sites to make your daily pay. I like it.

That's all for now...gotta go and have some fresh coffee. You are welcome to join me if you want, but you know that...right?

Precious Metals And Such...

Since we are always working to make a little money, I thought I would take today to throw a little trivia information your way about minerals and metals. Precious metals, of course! I think you will enjoy this...

A diamond will not dissolve in acid. The only thing that can destroy it is intense heat.

A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court.

Absolutely pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with the hands.

An ounce of gold can be stretched into a wire 50 miles long.

Colored diamonds are caused by impurities such as nitrogen (yellow), boron (blue). With red diamonds being due to deformities in the structure of the stone, and green ones being the result of irradiation.

Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance, and is also one of the most valuable natural substances. Diamonds are crystals formed almost entirely of carbon. Because of its hardness, the diamond is the most enduring of all gemstones. They are among the most costly jewels in the world, partly because they are rare, Only four important diamond fields have been found - in Africa, South America, India, and the Soviet Union.

Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.

The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered. Found in 1905, the original 3,100 carats were cut to make jewels for the British Crown Jewels and the British Royal family's collection.

The largest gold nugget ever found weighed 172 lbs., 13 oz.

The United States government keeps its supply of silver at the US Military Academy at West Point, NY.

The largest hailstone ever recorded was 17.5 inches in diameter - bigger than a basketball.

The most abundant metal in the Earth's crust is aluminum.

The Chinese were using aluminum to make things as early as 300 AD. Western civilization didn't rediscover aluminum until 1827.

The only rock that floats in water is pumice.

The three most common elements in the universe are 1) hydrogen; 2) helium; 3) oxygen.

Well...now that I've filled your head with all this totally useless information, how about some nice fresh coffee? That's almost as good as gold, right?

A More Serious Moment...

One of the saddest things I can imagine is for a parent to lose a child. Even more painful is the fact that many families lose a baby because the child is premature or is miscarried.

Many hospitals allow for the parents to see the child, even to hold it, allowing the family to have a small measure of closure in the passing of the child. Some of the families were already in the hospital, others are often walk-ins. In nearly all cases, the families are not prepared for the passing.

Because of the unexpected nature of this unfortunate happening. many times there are no appropriate articles of clothing or correct size blankets available for the infants. The hospitals do what they can with available gowns and clothing, but many times the small infants are simply too small and are all but lost in the overly large garments. How sad to have the parents see their tiny baby for the last time dressed in such a manner.

Enter the volunteers! Across the country there are groups of people, mostly women, who donate their time and talents to making small articles to fill this need and donate them to hospitals at no charge. They do this because they felt this was a need they could do something about and not for any recognition. They do it out of the kindness of their heart, and because they wanted to do whatever they could to help ease the pain felt by families suffering these devastating losses.

I'm proud to say that my Mother is one of these wonderful volunteers! Along with some of her friends, they create some really nice pieces to donate to the maternity wards at local hospitals. The pictures that you see above are just a few of these creations. There are small kimonos, burial gowns, tiny hats (not shown)and beautiful little receiving blankets. One of the other things they make are small memory envelopes to hold items like birth certificates, locks of hair, and any other items that might be wanted by the family. These pouches are very pretty and serve as a nice place to hold precious little mementos. The dollar bill was placed there only to show the size of these items.

I wanted to take the time to recognise these wonderful volunteers for what they do. We often are surrounded by people who work quietly in the background to try and make life more pleasant and to offer comfort to those in need. These are very special people indeed, and lends credence to the believe that there are Angels among us...if we only take the time to look.

Now, how about a fresh cup of coffee, my friend ?

The Beauty Overlooked...

Sometimes we overlook some of the most beautiful sights in nature except on those rare occasions when we are blessed by Lady Luck.

Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea thousands of Golden Rays are seen here fleeing the oncoming storm of Hurricane Ike off the coast of Mexico . The spectacular scene was captured as the magnificent creatures move toward more more agreeable waters.

Gliding silently beneath the waves they turned vast areas of blue water to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. Sandra Critelli, a scientist with NOAA encountered them.

She said: 'It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind. ' It's hard to say exactly how many there were, but in the range of a few thousand.

'We were surrounded by them, without seeing the edge of the school, and we could see many under the water surface too. I feel very fortunate I was there in the right place at the right time to experience nature at his best.'

Measuring up to 7 ft (2.1 meters) from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden Rays are also more prosaically known as Cow Nose Rays. They have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in front of their high-domed heads and give them a cow-like appearance.

Despite having poisonous stingers, they are known to be shy and non-threatening when in large schools. The population in the Gulf of Mexico is estimated to be as many as 10,000, they are swimming clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan .

Now I am ready for a fresh cup of coffee...another one of nature's beautiful things. How about you?

For All My Cat Lover Friends...

Since I know that several of you are cat lovers, including myself, I thought it would be interesting to have a little cat trivia on here. So here it is...enjoy!

Cats in History

The first true cats were found 12 million years ago, at the start of the Pliocene Period.

The first tamed cats were used for pest control, probably around 3,000 BC in ancient Egypt.

The oldest known fossilized record that has a similarity to today's cats has been aged as 12 million years old.

The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wild Cat, which still exists today.

In ancient Egypt, entire families would shave their eyebrows as a sign of mourning when the family cat died.

The Ancient Egyptian word for cat was mau, which means "to see."

In ancient Egypt, cats were mummified; and embalmed mice were placed with them in their tombs.

Morris, the 9-Lives cat, was discovered at an animal shelter in New England.

Ailurophobia is the fear of cats. Julius Caesar, Henry II, Charles XI, and Napoleon all suffered from this and would nearly faint in the presence of a cat.

Nostradamus the French Astrologer, 1503-1566, had a cat named Grimalkin.

Domestic Cat Trivia

A group of cats is called a clowder of cats.

A group of kittens is called a kindle of kittens.

Cats sleep about fourteen hours a day.

There are about 100 breeds of cats.

There is no mention of cats or rats in the Bible.

Cats respond better to women than men. One reason this might be is that women have higher pitched voices than men.

Black cat superstitions originated in America. In Asia and England, a black cat is considered lucky.

Now I don't know about you, but I am ready for some fresh coffee. Want to join me...?

Some Really Silly Questions...

Have you ever noticed that there are some questions people ask that make no sense at all? There are so many I could never list them all, but I have gathered just a few of the most aggravating and listed them here so you will know what I'm talking about. Just think about it for a minute...

You've lost your car keys or something else that you really need and when you enlist some one's help to find them the first question they ask is "Where did you lose them?" I mean, if you knew where you lost them they wouldn't be lost, would they?

Suppose you find what you were looking for. Some one comes up and says "where did you find them?" You say " they were in the last place I looked...!" Of course they were! If you found them in a place, then you would stop looking and that would mean that where you found them would naturally be the last place you looked, right?

How about this one...you are building something and you hit your thumb with a hammer. A friend says "Did it hurt?". Excuse me, but I just hit my thumb with a 16 ounce hammer and you want to know if it hurt? Of course it hurt!! What a dumb question!

Imagine you are trimming the branches in the top of a tree when suddenly you slip and fall to the ground 15 feet below. Your arm is obviously broken, the breath is knocked out of you, blood is gushing out of the nasty wound on your scalp and your friend rushes up with 2 of the most amazingly stupid questions you can possibly envision...." Dude, are you OK?" and "What happened, did you fall?". No, dummy! I jumped!!

OK...how about this? You are home alone, watching a scary movie with the sound turned way down . Suddenly the lights go out and everything goes dark. You make your way back to the couch and cuddle up in a ball in the corner, when suddenly you hear a loud BANG! No one else is there, but you still ask the question out loud "What was that?". Do you really want to know?

You are asleep in bed when a sudden noise wakes you up! You lay there in the dark for a minute trying to decide if it were just a dream when you hear the noise again. So what is the first question you asked "Who's there?".

You have been watching a kid eating a big bowl of ice cream and he looks up at you with a great big smile on his face, ice cream smeared from ear to ear, and you ask "Is that good?".

I could go on and on with this, but you get the idea, right? I mean, you could think of a lot of them yourself. We all use them, or some of them from time to time. But the real question you have to ask is why? Why would we ask a question, when the answer is so obvious in most cases.

Just another one to add to the list of life's little mysteries, I guess. However, there is one question that I ask and I already know the answer to. I ask it nearly everyday and I don't even expect you to answer. It's really more an invitation than a question, you know? But it's always the same..."How about a fresh cup of coffee?".

Don't Be So Serious...!

Do you know why I put cartoons on my blog from time to time? Sure, it's entertaining to some (I enjoy them myself), but the real reason is that I just want to remind us all to NOT take ourselves too seriously.

Sometimes we get so carried away with talking business, trying to make a little extra money, building up our affiliates following, and all the other madness that seems to go with having a home based business...that we forget to find the time to have a little fun.

That's it! That's the reason! It's all for fun, nothing else. So why not just take a little break, sit back for about 5 minutes or so and have a little fun. Enjoy the cartoon and remember that there is coffee and donuts in the back for anyone that's interested...OK? OK!

How Important Are Your Friends...?

When My roomies came in and jumped up into my arms for their nightly hug, I remembered this story that a friend sent me. I wanted to share it, although I'm sure many of you have seen it before.

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.

'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.' The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveller asked. 'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. 'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.' 'How about my friend here?' the traveller gestured to the dog. 'There should be a bowl by the pump.' was the answer.

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveller filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveller asked. 'This is Heaven,' he answered. 'Well, that's confusing,' the traveller said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

The moral of the story? Simple...at least to me! My friends are more important to me than nearly anything. We have our differences, we often head in different directions, we sometimes see things in different ways, but one thing I know for sure.

When it comes to the important things, we would never leave our friends behind! After all, that's what friendship is really all about, right?

Now, let's go get some fresh coffee...OK?

Ever Hear Of Stingy Jack...??

There is an old Irish folk tale that I want to pass on to you this morning. It's the story about an old Irish drunk named Stingy Jack. Now Jack loved to play tricks on everyone...his few friends, his fellow villagers, his family, even his own mother!

One night on his way home from the local pub, Stingy Jack ran into the Devil Himself. The Devil told Jack that it was time to die and he had come to personally escort Jack to Hell. However, Jack managed to trick the Devil into climbing up in an apple tree (no one knows how) and while the Devil was up in the tree, Jack hurried to nail a cross to the base of the tree. This prevented the Devil from getting down from the tree and he was forced to make a deal with Stingy Jack.

All Jack wanted was the promise from the Devil that when he died, the Devil would not take him to Hell. Also, Jack didn't want to die right away, but wanted some more time to drink and party. Reluctantly, Old Nick agreed to the deal and Jack let him down from the tree.

A few weeks later, Stingy Jack died. He walked up to the Pearly Gates of Heaven, but God didn't want to let a person as stingy, mean and as morally corrupt as Jack into Heaven, so Stingy Jack was turned away. With no other choice, Jack made his way down to the gates of Hell. The Devil, however, remembered his promise and refused Stingy Jack entry into Hell as well.

"Where can I go?" Jack said. "Go back to where you came from!" said the Devil. "But it's so dark, how can I find my way?" asked Jack. Jokingly, the Devil threw Stingy Jack an ember from the flames of Hell to use as a light. Stingy Jack took a turnip, his favorite food, out of his pocket and hollowed it out. He then put the ember inside and used the turnip as a lantern to light his way.

From that time on, Stingy Jack was known as Jack of the Lantern...which later became Jack o'lantern. That's right, my friends, the original jack o'lantern was not a pumpkin, but was a turnip or potato or whatever else was available.

When the Irish brought the folktale to America, they found that pumpkins made a good replacement for turnips and were much more plentiful and easier to carve out. Thus was born the modern jack o'lantern as we know it.

Now, my friends, I think I'm ready for some fresh coffee. How about you...?

Thinking A Little Too Much...

Don't really know what brought it on today, but I started thinking about the mistakes I've made along the pathway of my life...well, at least some of them. I don't think that we could ever remember all of our mistakes for one simple reason. I don't think we could continue in a sane manner if we did.

Listen, we all make some mistakes. That's just part of the human experience, and the best we can do is to learn from them, correct them if possible and move on. The important thing is to try and not repeat the same mistake again. We should not dwell on the mistakes but focus instead on the experience as a learning one. We should always try and make something positive out of anything negative that happens.

I feel it's important to live your life the way that you feel is the right way for you. Make your own path, dance to the music that you hear, follow your own star, and be the captain of your own ship. Take responsibility for your own actions through all your life. Sure, there will be a few regrets...but there again that's part of the human experience.

You know, life is too short to not live it according to your own vision. If you do the best you can, listen to your own counsel, and follow your own heart then you will find that in the end, you will have smiled more than you frowned. You will have laughed more than you cried and you will have spread more joy than sorrow.

Come to think of it, that might be a fitting epitaph for most of us! I know that if I can be fondly remembered by just one other person, for me that's enough. Now, what do you say to some fresh coffee, my friend!

Important Days In October...

Here are some very important days to remember in October, brought to you right from the pages of The Farmers Almanac. I think you'll find them interesting.

October 9 — Leif Eriksson Day

When the Vikings, a group of seafarers from what is now Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, ventured far out into the Atlantic Ocean under the leadership of the Norwegian Erik the Red, they found a new land and named it Greenland. When Erik’s son, Leif, sailed west from Greenland shortly thereafter, he landed somewhere in the vicinity of what is now Newfoundland. Although Eriksson is not officially credited with discovering America, Congress has declared October 9 Leif Eriksson Day.


October 16 — Noah Webster’s Birthday

Noah Webster, America’s first lexicographer, was born on October 16, 1758. We remember Webster as the author of the first American dictionary, but he was also the first authority to advocate American English. His American Spelling Book, published in 1783 (and later known as Webster’s Elementary Spelling Book), was the first to Americanize the spelling of English words such as colour and labour by dropping the u.


October 18 — St. Luke’s Little Summer

St. Luke’s Little Summer is a period of summerlike days that occurs around October 18, named to honor the saint’s feast day. In olden days, St. Luke’s Day did not receive as much attention in the secular world as St. John’s Day (June 24) and Michaelmas (September 29), so to keep from being forgotten, St. Luke presented us with some golden days to cherish before the coming of winter — or so the story goes. Some folks call this Indian summer, but that officially occurs between November 11 and November 20.

October 18 — Alaska Day

Alaska Day marks the anniversary of the formal transfer of the Alaska Territory from Russia and the raising of the U.S. flag at Sitka in 1867. For pictures of modern-day Sitka, located in southeastern Alaska on Baranof Island, visit Sitka Pictures.

Don't you just love it when the Hermit brings you all these wondrous little bits of trivia? I only do it so that you'll have something to read while we share a nice cup of coffee...want a fresh cup?

Already Tuesday...

I have to tell you about this program again called WorkFor3Dollars. It's a 3x15 matrix and it really is only $3.00. Normally I don't get involved in this type of program, but this time I decided to give it a shot. Folks, the spillover from this program is amazing. I personally have received 14 referrals from spillover alone. That's pretty good for the amount of time that I have been in this program. For $3 I think that you should consider joining...or at least take a look at it. Believe me...it is very, very active!

Now a plug for my other favorite program and you all know by now that it's DRW. The payout on this one has been very good for me so far, as the daily profit share adds up and if you continue to use that to purchase a new share or two then before you know it you will have a good income coming in. DRW has a couple of sister sites as well...they are ETXads and E-Tradexchange.

In all profit sharing programs, the most effective way to get ahead is to be patient and to reinvest as you can. That can help not only to keep the programs alive and furnish you with a great avenue for advertising, but can greatly help in adding some extra to your income.

One more program that just keeps on hanging in there and that is 10DollarsWonder. Since they have gone to the High Priority system it has continued to build up momentum. And they buy one position and move 4 more to high priority is still on until October 12 so now is the time to either join, or increase your positions while you can maximize them.

That's all for today as far as talking business...you know I really don't like doing that too much, but I don't want to see you miss out on a good thing. Now that we are through with all this business stuff, I say that it's time for some fresh coffee, Want to join me...?

From The Birds Point Of View...

Did you ever wake up just knowing somehow that it was going to be a day filled with surprises? Sure you have...we all have! I should have seen yesterday that I was overdue for a day of surprises, some good and some bad, but I didn't.

I feel a little like the two birds in the picture. Some days the feeling that you are being ganged up on is overwhelming. It seems like a total surprise, but the warning signs were all there for us to see. Take the problem I'm having with my truck right now!

I should have known from the small tell-tale drop of fluid on the ground underneath that I had a problem about to happen, but I didn't.

I should have been on a more regular schedule of preventative maintenance, but I wasn't. Pretty dumb. huh?

I should have taken into account the fact that my truck is 17 years old and long overdue for something to wear out because of it's age ( kinda like me), but I didn't.

And the most important thing of all...I should have had a plan in place for the time that something did go wrong, but I didn't. So now I have to deal with repairs that I hope aren't going to be too hard on the bank account and on the truck.

It's like an old friend, ya know...? I am accustomed to having it around. I know all the groans and bumps and squeaks it makes as a part of just getting around. I know when the gas gauge is off a bit and when it isn't. I like the way that the seat is fitted just right to my backside and leans back just the right amount without having to adjust it. I know just how hard I have to slam the door to get it to close all the way. I know that most of the time, when I put the key in the ignition the truck is going to start right up.

But one of the best things about my old friend the Truck is that it is paid for! A long time paid for...and considering that the price of new cars now days, that's another big reason to like my old friend the Truck. I mean, I could almost buy a small country with the price they want for some...but I don't need a small country, I just need a good running Truck!

Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble on like this...sorry! But there is a valuable lesson to be learned from this photo. Instead of the birds, take a look at the cats. They are all lined up, ready to work as a team. They know that as a team they will have more success in their endeavors. They are all focused on the same objective. So what is the main lesson to be learned here?

Don't wander too close to an opened window filled with a team of focused cats unless you are ready for some unpleasant surprises!

Now if you would like to join me, ...I'm gonna have another cup of coffee before I start trying to find a good shop for my old friend.

Pleasantly Tired...

Ever notice how, after a really busy day, you are tired but it's a good tired. The soreness starts to settle in, but not so much that you can't still move around. However, if you sit down for more than just a couple of minutes at a time it gets harder and harder to get up from the chair.

I got very lucky yesterday because two friends came over while I was carrying fence sections to the front. I wasn't expecting to see them, but man...was I glad they showed up! Hard work always seems to go faster when you have someone to talk to and to help.

One thing I thought about today is the fact that most guys that work outside don't seem to mind getting a little dirty or in doing something that draws a little blood...like on the knuckles or elbows. Sweat marks on the shirt, skinned knuckles, bloody scratches or small tears in the clothing all seem to be sort of a badge of accomplishment. After the job is done, you sit back and not only feel tired but good...but you feel that others can tell just by looking that you indeed have been actually doing honorable work. The sense of accomplishment is hard to explain, but you might have noticed it in the quiet, pleased expression of yard guys, farmers, ranchers, anyone who has put in a good days work outside.

You see these guys at the end of each day, often sharing a quiet conversation as they sit around taking a well deserved rest. The satisfaction of a good day's work translates into a good night's sleep and the dreams that come, if any, are usually pleasantly accepted by minds made clear of clutter from the toils of the day.

I plan to do only pleasant things today...talk to some friends, work a bit on the Internet, make some plans for the coming holidays ( you do know that they are not that far off, right?) and maybe cook a little BBQ.

I do want to say a special "Happy Birthday" to my sister B... her special day was really yesterday, but I'll say "Happy Birthday" today instead. So Sis, I hope you had a very special day and have another one today! Know that I love ya, OK?

Now , my friends, let's sit and have a nice cup of coffee and share some special thoughts. Who knows, we may even get a visit from a hummingbird or two. What a way to start the day!

Busy Saturday Morning...

Well, sorry I am so late getting here today, but it has been a crazy night and crazy morning...I have to get on the roof today and trim some tree limbs with a power saw. Then I need to check out what the piece is that feel off my truck yesterday and was just sitting under the hood on top of the engine. I have no idea what it is...don't remember ever seeing it before and don't see where it goes or where it came from. But I do have a puddle of fluid under my truck...but it's just a small puddle. I haven't figured out if it's tranny fluid or what. I just know that it shouldn't be there.

After I finish that, I need to take down the sections of fence that are totally wrapped with wysteria vines. That means I am going to have to cut the 2x4 braces , remove the fence, and then carry them to the curb for the clean-up crews. All in all...it looks like a busy day.

But to go with your coffee, I'm showing the Saturday morning cartoon at the patio theatre...so enjoy! I'll catch up later, ok?

It's All About The Lists...

The other day a good friend of mine said to me that I was on the top of her list. It sounded good to me, until I got to wondering which list I was on. Was it a good list? I certainly hope so...don't think I have done anything lately to get on her bad list.

The way I see it is that there are just too many list in the world! Everyone is always telling us to make a list. Seems like we have a list for just about everything.

List seem to come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and uses. There are list that we always forget, like the shopping list. There are list that we only wish we could forget, like the "to do" list. We have list to remind us of the people we don't like and list that remind us of people that we do like. Why keep a list to remind us about people we don't like...why not lose that list altogether! We might find that if we do, those people eventually might find their way onto the list of people we like.

Some people tell us that to get rid of a problem, just make a list of our problems, look at it, then throw it away. That seems a little silly to me...if I am going to go to the trouble to make a list why throw it away? Why not just put it with the grocery list, because we are going to forget that list anyway!

My personal opinion is that we spend way too much time worrying with list. We are either trying to get on a list, get off a list, upgrading our list, downsizing our list, hunting our lost list so we don't have to make a new one, or going back and checking our list to make sure that we got it right the first time!

Heck, even Santa Clause spends a vast amount of time making a list and then, he checks it! Not once, but twice...! But in Santa's case, I think we can make an exception, don't you? After all, he has to find out who's been naughty or nice, doesn't he?

In my younger years, I spent my fair share of time dealing with lists. I bought lists, sold lists, made new lists, shared lists, copied lists, tried to shorten some of my lists or add to some other lists I had.

But now, I do things mostly without a list. That can make life more of an adventure ! Even trips to the grocery store become fun outings if you have no idea what you are going to end up with when you get home.

As far as the really important things go, I really don't need a list! Some things are better left to memory anyway. Memories can often help to do away with our bad list or can at least, serve to soften them a bit...and that's a good thing.

And when it comes to my friends, the only list that I keep is not on paper and not even in my head. That list is so special that I keep it in my heart! There it will never get lost, forgotten or downsized. The heart never forgets...!

Oh, and by the way, if you really want to know where all those lost lists are...I can tell you that they are in the very same place as all the single socks that get lost in the clothes dryer, OK?

Now, how about a fresh cup of coffee, my friend ?

The Picture Says It All...!

Take a close look at this picture. It was originally listed as the Obamamobile, but I think that it could be listed as the official 2008 campaigne automobile for both parties!

Just try and get a straight answer from either one of them on things like the energy crisis, illegal wars in other countries, bail outs of multi-billionaire companies and the leaders that put them in trouble, poor families that can't afford health care, reasonable efforts being expended capturing real criminals instead of going after the politicians that are continually raping the land and robbing the general working man only to dish out a slap on the wrist, promising honest reform while carrying on business as usual. It just gets harder and harder to take either one serious.

The really sad part is that these two candidates represent the best that we have to offer. The really scary part is that one of them is going to be voted into office by us, the american tax payer. We can't seem to win for losing!

So do me a small favor and look at the picture again. When you figure out which way the car is going, please let me know! I'll be sitting right here at my patio table having a fresh cup of coffee!

Very Short Update For Today...

I just wanted to tell you about a new program I joined. Following the lead of a couple of top bloggers that I follow, I joined WorkFor3Dollars. This is a 3x15 matrix, and as you may know I normally don't involve myself with any matrix. This one is a bit different for one main reason...it's cheap to play! A one time entry fee of $3 and you are in for the life of the program. They only take AlertPay, so be forewarned...

Looks like there will be a lot of spill over in this one, so if you want to play I suggest you get in now! Here is my link...http://workfor3dollars.com/?r=hermitjim. Come join us if you like, OK?

That's it for now...I'll get back later with the rest of the updates. In the meantime, let's have some fresh coffee and get started on a nice day !