Motivation

Motivation, or lack thereof, was the theme for this day. After spending time on the computer this morning, breaking to watch my soaps and back on the computer this evening, I am still looking for something that I can say motivated me today.

It was cold outside, so I stayed in. It was cloudy outside so there was really no reason to look out my window in hopes of seeing something. This has been a hum drum day with nothing exciting happening.

Have been eagerly awaiting the news that my tenth grand, a boy, has made his appearance. My nephew and his wife are expecting and the little guy is taking his sweet time - as first ones so often do. From what I have been reading he is giving his mother a fit and his dad is "losing" patience with him already. He will come when he is ready and on his own terms. This one is going to be a strong willed individual that will carve out his own path in this world. I wish them well and look forward to meeting him later on this year when I am in California for a visit.

My next exciting thing that I did today was make sure that Publishing Clearing House is well aware of the fact that I am ready to become a millionaire. Wishful thinking I know, but would it ever be nice. After taking my entourage (lawyer, accountant etc.) with me to claim my prize I would sit down and try to decide what I would do with that kind of money.

Help my son is high on my list as is helping others that are less fortunate. Then I would put all my prized possessions in storage and after paying off my current mortgage, I would bull doze the current abode. I would build a bigger and better one on the very same ground I have now. It would still be a rancher, but bigger rooms laid out better and the addition of a 2 or 3 car garage. My dream home.

This is how my day went - exciting isn't it? Some tell me this is what retirement is for - being lazy, wearing pajamas all day long if so inclined and vegging out and doing nonsensical things that do not require much thought or effort.

Year 2011

The year 2011 has begun. It is brand new and just waiting for me to fill it up with all sorts of things. I have a trip planned for the summer time - a family reunion in California. I am also looking forward to it being warm and being able to watch my animal friends take on their daily duties.

I got a preview of the spring today when I woke up. I looked out my window and saw a woodpecker doing his thing. He was rat-tat-tatting away with serious abandon - I hope that his efforts were fruitful and he had a good meal. I would have one serious headache if I had to hit a solid object as often as he did - I admire his tenacity and am amazed by God's handiwork.

The last big winter weather incident that dumped snow along the Eastern Seaboard missed my house altogether. There were flurries in the air all day, but nothing stuck. Ocean City had snow on the boardwalk, but we were out and about with nary a flake on the ground. I was glad that it passed me by - I was not in the mood for being "landlocked" by white stuff. I know that winter is not over so there is a chance of us getting cold and white looming in the future - will hibernate then.

I hope to continue my lunch/dinner outings with my friends and hope to meet with my sister-in-law once in awhile. All of these meetings provide many hours of sheer enjoyment and give me something to look forward to.

I will continue to read, write, watch t.v. and do the daily mundane chores that need to be done. I will also continue to keep in touch with all of my FB friends and family. All of these things kept me busy last year and hopefully will keep me even more busy this year.

There is but one regret that I have regarding 2011 - it is one year closer to the end for me. I am now officially one of the millions of baby boomers that will be draining Social Security of its resources. Of course, it will not be official until August, but it is coming ever closer.

I can remember reading George Orwell's book 1984 back in the early 60s and being a little bit leery of the coming of 1984, never dreaming that one day I would be entering the year 2011. It (1984) came and went and bore no resemblance to the book - now I am just living one year at a time and hoping for the best. I am on the downhill side and my life and have no idea whatsoever what the future holds for me in the long run. I am living each day as it comes and hoping for the best.

Christmas Season 2010

This is the extent of holiday decorations on the outside of my house. There was a time when the house would have been covered with lights from top to bottom, but for some reason when we moved to Carroll County in 1986 that tradition stayed with the old house. I was a little sad to see this tradition fade away, but things change as we each get older and over the years we put up fewer and fewer decorations. We still celebrate the season though, with as much gusto as we have ever done.

They (the weathermen of the area) were originally calling for snow on the 25th, but I do believe that has changed. Our little "mole hill" mountains (The Appalachians) are doing their job and so far the worst of the weather has gone either to the north or south of us. I used to "dis" those little "mole hill" mountains, but have learned over the years to greatly appreciate the job that they do.

I learned not long ago, that my friend in New Zealand has been reading my blog - hooray, someone else other than my nieces have read my writings. I enjoy what little writing that I do and am always glad to get feedback. Thank you my friend.

To anyone who may read this I want to wish a Happy Holiday Season (Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza etc. - don't want to leave anyone out) and my the new year bring the best of everything to you.

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda

I woke up this morning with "shoulda, woulda, coulda" running through my brain. I came up with all sorts of scenarios. I "should have" done this, which "would have" led to this, so that I "could have" done that. I think that we all suffer from this malady every now and then. Especially when confronted with questions from old friends that you don't know how to answer.

I was sent the line "roses are red, violets are blue" for me to complete. I really did not know how to react to this. I am not really the poetic type - even on such an elementary level as this. I know that this person is looking for a certain response, but I am not really sure that I am going come through as expected. I am going to have to cogitate on this dilemma for awhile.

Unusual Frost by Dory Schreuder

These are photographs taken by my cousin Dory at his home in Bozman, Montana, on Dec. 5, 2010, and if you click on them and open you can see all the detail and the sparkle. Mother Nature outdid herself when she created this wonder.

My cousins words: "We had a very heavy fog/frost at about 0 degrees. I took some photos this morning at about 10 degrees. The frost had grown crystals which stood vertically on most surfaces. The crystals were quite large.....big enough to photograph. When the sun shown on them, they were like thousands of mirrors reflecting light from everywhere. The photos only hint of the spectacle because the camera captured just the brightest."

I told my niece that I would tell her the story of how I met my cousin. So here goes.....

I was at work one day and taking dictation from a co-worker. We stopped for awhile so that he could gather his thought and I could rest my hand (that's right it was dictation done the old fashioned way with a pen, a steno notebook and Mr. Gregg's shorthand). We started talking about our families. He mentioned that he was from Montana and I told him that I had a great-uncle living in Billings. He asked me his name. "Harry Winfrey" I replied and that is when I found out that he was a great-nephew of Harry. (My Grandmother Hemping and Harry were siblings. I just realized that great-uncle Harry may have been my dad's namesake.)

As we talked more I realized that we had met many years before when my family had taken a trip to Montana when I was five years old. I remember him a little bit, but only because I knew him as the cousin that had been "stomped" by a horse. It only goes to show just how small the world was even back then. It is even smaller today.

Since then we have kept in touch. I moved back to Maryland and he moved to Washington State for awhile, eventually ending up back in Montana - his home state. He built his house himself. It sits on a a mountain top overlooking the town. He has sent some really nice pictures over the years and one day I hope to visit him there. Of course, it is going to have to be when the weather is warm as I am not a "cold weather" person.

Things happen in strange ways when they are meant to happen. Dory and I were destined to be reunited in San Diego, California, all those years later (approximately 25 by my count) and we have kept in touch ever since. This is not much of my dad's family left and I am grateful to having Dory in my life.