Year-end thoughts & Day 27 & Christmas

Year-end Thoughts---

 

 

As I watched a flag unfurled today, I contemplated

the meaning of our beloved Red, White and Blue

leading to a book-idea: The U. S. flag waving proud-

protector over the citizenry with a syncopated cadence

for Truth! Justice! and the American-way through a

reverence for Independence  through Liberty to Freedom!

 

If you correctly think that is a mouthful, try assimilating it mentally!?

 

Anyway, hopefully, from that manager will flow a new title.

We shall see!?

 

 

 

 

Day 27

 

“Snow-globe effect”---Watching big snowflakes falling

outside in the lighted floodlights at the corners of the

house while sitting by a roaring fire with no lights on

 

Oh! How I do love a fire! Just give me a match and I’ll set the world ablaze!

Almost not too much of an exaggeration. Almost?!

I love snow! Can’t wait for the blizzard to begin! “That” sentiment makes all others angry!

We had a perpetual fire in the fireplace, or, later, in the wood burning stove; Warm! Comfort.

Since Candy designed our houses and I managed to nail them tight together; we planned our settings to take advantage of the natural habitat surrounding our abode and the various seasons.

Large glass windows adorned each and every exterior wall along with huge glass-panel doors.

I once quipped that “I’d build them out of ‘glass’ boxes, if I could!” And, I meant it!

The last one we designed and built had “forty-six” windows in it, including the door panels.

I hope to get to perform that activity again---one day…Soon! I love “creative-construction”!

 But, about the “fire-bug” in me!? Umm! Hmm! (That is another story---several other stories!)

Once, I decided to burn-off a hillside next to our house. Yeah! I know! It was windy, but, there was “no” adult supervision on site; Candy let me run wild and she was the only mature adult in the area at the time. Oh! Somebody! Just give me a match! Please! Anybody!?

Well, I began a “manageable” blaze---uh! Er!...Small fire. Before a minute, that demon flared into an eternal conflagration! No one was more surprised than---“Simple! Humble! Me!

God! I love a roaring fire! What I mean to confess to here is: The darn thing got completely out of control! Who knew! Certainly, not I! (We did get to meet the village firemen that day---and…in the dozen years we lived on that farm…several more times!) Hey! I’m a congenial guy!

That fire scorched Lady Candy’s bangs and her eyebrows as she bravely fought the atrocity with a shovel before we called the Fire Department to save us. The next day was the first day of the school year and she was not happy; but, she never scolded my ambition toward becoming an arsonist and to this day, quite some years after the fact, she tells that story with relish. (It might have been nice if she had brought relish to the hot dog roast, that day!) Ha! Ha!

I waited a few years before I set the “granddaddy” of all hell-on-earth bon-fire conflagrations!

I had actually bought the property as a “deer-hunting” sanctuary. The fence rows along the western boundary were getting choked with weed, thistle and all manner of aggravation, so, one fine day in the month of ice-cold January, I went to work setting the dry vegetation ablaze. Yep! We got to meet the village firemen---again! But, this time, they couldn’t spoil my “fun”. That fire was right at the edge of the bluff standing sentinel above the Mississippi River and access to the very remote area was was challenging and, for the most part, non-existent! It burned for over three weeks! We took nighttime rides along “Ole Man River” on the levy to watch its progress!

Uh! Oh! Boy!  “Baby! It’s cold outside!”---Feels like time for…a nice, warm fire!

Got a match? “Anyone know that old 911 emergency number!? Amen!

 

Ah! "Hot!" Cookie Jar Sweet Memories!

 

Plus:

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas-2016

 

In lieu of the “traditional” Christmas play, we offer the following:

 

Any clues to this gift are contained in the rhyme

Surely you’ll get it ’cause it’s magic Santa-time

 

 

Here we go: Riding rainbows! Flittering flutter-bys! Unique unicorn!

Ole “Santa” never amounted to much; has a family to keep him warm

 

And, in all my myriad days---

 

(read Christmas letter…after special gift is opened.)



 

 

 

 

Christmas Thoughts-2016

 

Merry Christmas! Boys and girls! Ole “Santa” has some---Thoughts!...Ho! Ho! Ho!

Umm! Anna Marie! Feel perfectly free to “ad lib” at any time! Everyone else, too!

Just look at all of you---Absolute-Perfection! No wonder I have Christmas…everyday!

And, I have done not one solitary thing to be so blessed; He simply offered, and I accepted.

All my life, from earliest memories, and, even, pre-history of memory: Exceedingly Blessed!

Each of them Perfect! In my wide-eyed wonderment. Mom, Dad, sister, brother, Grandparents, Great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, family-friends, strangers. Wow!

Then one fine day while chopping a tree in my Grandma’s garden---a lightning bolt…Candy!

The “raving beauty” of our fine town, and, of many across this land! Amen! To that.

And, Surprise! Surprise! Little ole insignificant me---took notice…and decided to do something about it. And, now, just look at what that commitment resulted---a Miracle…You All!

Each of you extremely intelligent! With exceptional “Good looks!” Generous! Moral! Ethical!

(Anybody have any idea how “simple-humble” I am so privileged to be among this group?)

Somebody, maybe, should have locked the door from the inside!?---Hmmm!...Thanks!

I have been blessed with each of you! Thank You! Lord! You all are my precious Treasure-measure! I Thank each of you, also. I once got into a world of trouble when I opined that I know many more “Good” people, than “evil” ones. The challenge burst out, “You don’t know everybody!” True enough! On the face of it, I suppose I must confess; but, true for those I do know. It’s a lengthy list beginning with each of you and the ancestors I previously mentioned.

Love! Is that most precious gift of God to His people. It is infinitely eternal in its universality. There is no limit on Love! The more you give, the more you have to give. A sacred enigma!

And, the saintly-angels just keep coming: Graig, Alexander and lovely Nurse Miss Jen.

Grandpa Ted and Grandma Em were saints I came to know along with Gentleman-Herr Rupert and his lovely Lady Oma-Herta, Uncle Freddie and Aunt Lil, Uncle Randell, Gentleman Uncle Craig and Lady Aunt Angie, Leo and Virginia, Uncle Dennis of Cleveland-way, Aunt Kay and Uncle Lee with Lovely Lady Grace, nearly all of the angelic nuns I knew and several of the holy priests, Bobby Holden, Michael Bradley, Jerry and some exceptional young ladies, Miss Lisa Straub and cutie-pie, Little Miss Lydia, among others. And, so many more, too numerous to mention. Even, quite a few Strangers! Perhaps, in the flesh; but not in the spirit! Amen!

I was fortuitous with saintly-angels on both sides; Lady Candice’s Hoffman-family is as full of true Love as are the Schulers and the Farrells. Miss Jen’s lovely family is certainly part of that sacred Communion! And, each of you all, personally deserve respectful- reverence through Love

My sometimes inspiration, Elvis, queried, “Why can’t every day be like Christmas!?”

It is, Elvis, my friend. I pray that you now know the truth of all of it. Amen!

I’m not much in the overall scheme of things, never was, never aspired to be. But, I love you!

Hopefully, in seven decades, I’ve learned a thing, or two. Like---

Live! Love! Laugh! Focus contemplate!

Vigilant be! No one’s future is ever late!

And…

Faith! Family! Freedom! Might just be all there really---Is!

In one eternal instant the only mercy-blessing will be…His!

Amen!

Merry Christmas! Santa & Mrs. Claus