Today is November 27th, 2010 and the new Christmas Shopping Season has been in full swing now for almost two weeks.Hard to believe right, what ever happened to waiting until December for this to happen. The stores are all decorated and lite and the sales began in earnest it seems, do these retailers really believe the American People will spend more money is you have more sales over longer period of time?  If so they may find themselves sin for a rude awaking this year. The unemployment numbers are not changing much and jobs are hard to find, money is tight and the American dollar does not go as far as before. Wake up folks the average American is now in greater debt then ever in history and the American dollar is at the lowest point it has ever been at or worth. Ah no one listens anyway anymore, it is no longer a we against the world attitude in the U.S.A. it is now the me, me, me generation sadly.

Ah it is like I told one car dealer and repair shop. you consolidated your three dealerships into one and now it takes three days to get fixed what used to take just one and it costs us more too why?  Its the American solution to everything shrink it down and combine it and it will save us money as a business right but not the consumer that’s for sure.

Ah, that’s life I guess. As time flies by I have come to realize I am now getting older and feeling it more. My body aches in places it would never have before and old injuries slow me down. New injuries pop up as do illnesses that stop me from doing what I want. But most of all  changes do happen more often then not it seems.  But I rant about injuries, Veteran’s Benefits or lack there of and more on a daily basis but few listen to me, I am the little guy on the totem pole so to say.

Interestingly, recently I had a conversation with a friend about the Obama Presidency that disturbs me. I asked a simple question, how can the American people elect a President and give him two years to correct a mess it took his predecessor eight years to create? It won’t happen folks, and never could. I said this before and I shall say it again, President William J. Clinton left office and we were billions in the black and healthy, President Bush took over and 8 years later we are now trillions in debt instead of billions in the black, and you all want Obama to solve this mess in 24 months, no way. Wake up America!

As Thanksgiving came to an end last night, I sat back and smiled at the fine meal we served up and the company we kept. Family is everything on holidays amd those were who we had around. We ate like kings demolishing the food the best we could, and stopped for a bit and took a break playing video games on Kinnect for X-Box360. We all looked silly doing it but had a ball at it too. We Table Tennised and Bowled and River Rafted and more for hours. Stopping now and then for desert and drinks and laughing at each other as we played away the day.

Now with Thanksgiving behind us we prepare for Christmas next. Scheduling the shopping as the stores start popping with people buying for those not crying will be fun I am sure. Not everyone will get what they want for the holiday come Christmas Time, but at least when done they will all know they were on our mind.before you sit back and complain, remember Christmas is the joy of giving more then recieving so give what ya can is all I say.

Holidays will come and they will go, but it is family and friends who stay that count. Let The Holidays begin is what I say!.

Thanksgiving has arrived for 2010. The birds chirp lower now, the chill has arrived in the air, the leaves all fallen in colors once so bright and not too soon will come Santa’s night.  This is the time of the year the holidays all start, it is filled with food, cooking, family and heart. It’s a time to gather and relax, be your self and enjoy family and friends. Be Thankful for the life you have, be thankful for family and friends and beginings and ends. Be Thankful for the ones who love, be thankful for once having the ones who are now above, but most of all be thankful to give for it is a way for all who live.

The politicians all roar, the crimes seem to soar, money is tight, yet we all manage to do our holidays all right. Fot those who can’t or don’t have I hope the things we share will make them glad. In a country so full of material, and wealth, it is a shame we have homeless people and those hungry out there. As a nation we stand tall helping all other nations after all, but shouldn’t we now stop helping so many others and start helping our own. We ship food and water and materials every where, everyday, yet our own people and country suffers I say. Lets stop paying to defend others countries, lets stop spending funds we do not have, let bring it all home and help our own and no I am not mad. If we backed out of the wars we fight for others and just protect our own country the billions we would save would be enough to feed every American and house them too here at home.

Seems America’s economy may recover but will take longer then all thought. The economic advisers and politicians and more are all holding their breath and waiting like the rest of the world. Can the USA come back one more time like it did after the Depression in the 1940’s? Yes we can folks, if we are willing to make some sacrifices. Turn down you furnances a few degrees, drive a little less, buy a little less and help get your country off of its knees. America can’t keep spending what it does not have, we need to budget it and cut costs!. Everyone wants to blame President Obama for the economic mess we are in and they wanted him to turn it all around in two years, well not possible folks!. You can’t dig a hole for eight years under a Republican President and then elect a Democrat and say fix it in not even a quarter of the time!.  Again I state,  it took President Clinton 8 years to put us in the black and billions ahead, then it took eight years under President Bush to destroy what Clinton did and bury us in trillions of dollars of debit. Now how the hell do you think President Obama will turn it around in two, he can’t no one can in that short of time. Get off of his back and give him a chance!

The day before Thanksgiving has arrived, the day of rushing about and making sure all is bought for the big meal and  good  times. It is to be a day of celebration of being thankful for all one has, and enjoying the time with family and friends. Sometimes we all, assume others will be with us and take them for granted, yet find out at the last minute they are no longer with us. To those families who have that sudden loss, time shall heal all wounds including these.  So, enjoy the holiday with the ones you have and be thankful for being alive.

As to me, I survive as do my loved ones in many places, even my ex-loved ones. I do my daily bit when possible and make the best of what I can. I have my own little projects daily like any man or woman and take my time to do them right. My latest project was making a wooden deck walkway to the basement apartment in my home. The land here is sloping in two ways and I had to dig out the  area and level it, that took time in and of itself. Then there was the building of the frame to fit the space it went into and of course it has weird angles on each end. Nothing is easy around here. Anyway once the frame was  together and in place the top decking boards had to be screwed on. The walkway is now functioning perfectly and looking good.

The runs to the stores never end it seems around this time of year, first is the Thanksgiving foods and drinks and the decorations too. Then after you clean up from Thanksgiving and run your dishwasher like crazy, you face the next Holiday Season to come, Christmas.  Now not everyone celbrates Christmas others call it different names of course but it is a time of family, love and giving and sharing that makes all smile no matter age,race, color or anything else. The stores put up the ads and sales and away we go buying for one another and giving, Some budget amounts for each person, others just buy, but on the holidays morning, we all share a smile, a laugh, a hug, a kiss, and most of all a feeling of not having missed the loved ones we still have alive.  That is what is important, not what you get or give, the materials are nothing, the family and loved ones are all.

So as the Holiday Season starts in full swing this 2010 year, lets all send thanks and high hopes to all for whom we care. Smile and share and live without fear, for you can only have it once a year. Don’t drink and drive or do drugs, cut back if you smoke so you don’t choke, and smile more my friends. For one day as we all know, we all must up and go, so while here have fun and enjoy and live life to the fullest.

Passing On

“ Ahhhhhhh…….. , the long road of life has been so nice, but the bumps along the way, they push one through each day!” said, I to my youngest grandson.

Sitting back in my rocker on my porch in the warm spring air I realize it is really me, and how fast life does pass by. The sun glows this spring morning as the dew slowly slips from the trees and flowers. I stare out at a world that has been good to me but, bad to me too and wonder how I got this far, so soon.

The struggles one has to go through to survive and be alive can be unbelievable for some and for others no struggles really exist. Maybe it is just the luck of the draw to have rich parents and get everything for free? The better half of the equation may be to have poor parents and to grow up with less so you learn how to get what you want and need? The thought rests in my mind as I take a breath of the morning air and look down at the youngest grandson. Wonder, what do I have to pass to you little one. What is the most important thing a grandfather can leave to his grandchild? Is it money, is it materials, is it writings and books, old photographs maybe. I think not as I watch him play in the morning sunlight, the sun bouncing off his golden blonde hair. I think the best is to teach you to share! Share who you are with the world little one, and they will share what they are with you.

Leaning back in my rocker, I watch the little one play with his trucks and cars, dreaming in his way of reaching for the stars. I can remember when that was me so many years ago. Now I watch him playing, and hope for his own good he takes it slow. Enjoy life little one, take your time and have fun. Make the most from each moment you are here, but always remember to care and share.

My grandson looks up at me and asks, Grandpa, “What makes the world go round?” Laughing I rock back in my chair and tell him” Son, the world goes round due to forces of nature and science, but what really causes it to spin?” Well, that comes from all of us deep within.”” Without the lives we live and without the interacting of take and give, the world might stop”, take it from your old Grand Pop!

Back to play , cars zooming across the porch, his smile bright as a ray of sunshine, yes grandson keep having fun! I watch and think back and know, he already has had it better than me, or my children had it too.

Teaching a child how to play or do something is vital to their life, and you pass on what you know and did to your grandkid. We all do it sooner or later I think to myself, leaning back in my chair, as I hold my pipe by its bowl and strike a match.

Lighting up slowly I inhale the taste of cherry tobacco and relax again. The smoke wafts across the porch over my grandsons head, bringing a smell of cherry tinge to the air. Ah yes I think, little one you have to be taught to share, to care and most of all for you to be there for family.

He rolls his truck over the boards and stops suddenly and grabs the next little car and catches it up and then the next, lining them all up in a row. Yes little one that’s how life shall go, line it all up in a row. Iif something falls out of line, make it up and carry on for all time. If pain shall come as it does for all, stand up and be counted and stand tall. A little pain will make you stronger little one, it did my father, and it did me and even my son you see. Each of us suffers in some ways I think to myself puffing on my pipe and watching him play. Yes, a little suffering happens to everyone, someday, you will have to be prepared for that too.

Smoking my pipe I hear the birds chirp around me and feel the air growing warmer now in the spring. Birds start to sing and it warms a bit, the flowers are out now and the leaves all green.

Ah, looking at my grandson, I know what you need to be taught, that life is not always what it seems. Knowing he will learn as I did too, that not all kinds of good things just keep happening to you. There will be times you will have to do without little one, you will have times when you have to fight and run, and there will be times when you fear all or no one. These things happen to all of us, I think to myself, I hope your prepared for them little one.

Puffing on my pipe, I smile as he keeps his line of cars and trucks all in line and drives them like he has a lot of time. It makes me think he will have to learn that time stops for no one and the world keeps on turning too. Taking, another puff I think on this one, how do you tell a child so young that someday his time shall also come? Do you tell him about life and death or comings and goings? Do you tell him how people you love disappear suddenly and don’t return, how do you tell one so young that which he must learn?

I stop and think of all the lessons I learned as a child, but I can’t pass those on, The world has changed and they will have to be passed on in a new way. Rocking slowly back and forth I watch the little guy play, he hums and laughs and smiles so bright, and makes me as his grandpa feel so right. I want only good for him and his cousins and all the family. I hope the lessons he learns will be good for him, instead of the bad ones like I had learned.

I stop and stare, ah the bad ones, yes more than one for sure. Thinking back I think of my first vivid memory of my mother, her slapping me across the room at five, for not holding still for her to dress me for school. Ah no he won’t get that I am sure, or how my father told me, he would shoot me and bury me in the ground and not care one bit, no I know he won’t get that for sure.

My mind wanders back as I watch him play, I hope you get taught and brought up a better way. You don’t need your feet burnt on a stove to learn not to steal cookies; I pray you never get woken at night and beat senseless without any reason why! I pray you will have it better my grandson, for I worked all these years trying to stop the cycle of violence, so my grandkids would never see it or feel it.

Rocking slowly I think about how the holidays were never holidays but fights, how the silverware flew and the Christmas trees too, I close my eyes, the smoke slowly releasing from my lungs, and pray, Dear God Protect him, for they do not know.

Looking at the littlest guy he’s the youngest, he plays and laughs and giggles and then makes roaring sounds for his truck. I pray he will have siblings who share and who care and watch him closely too. Unlike the siblings I had, who never gave a damn about me or you. Off they ran doing their own things, and leaving me behind, I hope and pray for his young sake, his siblings will be closer and better than mine.

Rocking back and forth slowly I chuckle at his play and happiness and hope he will always be that way. I know it can’t always stay that way, as I learned. Will he be ok when he finds his first love as I was, or will he have trouble? I won’t know I am sure, but I am hoping he will have friends and siblings to discuss it all with. Will he know what love really is and lose it; will he have what he needs?

All I can do is rock and remember my first love and what she meant to me. I hope his will be gentle and kind and have those quiet talks and loving times, when the sweet caresses that are shared are innocent and pure, and two young people find their way, to share a blessed moment one night.

Will his first kiss be a memorable one, like the one I had, way back in time? Will he kiss his first girl and know it is right, will he be patient and do it all right? I don’t know for I may not be here, but what is it that I must share?

Do I tell him what my father said to me, be ready, save and watch for anything that can happen. The warnings my father taught me to watch for the money flow that slows, the wife that pulls away, the car that can break down almost any day. Will he know and be taught to save his money and be ready for a season, like the bears who store honey? I know not for I am growing old, but I do know even now, he will always be bold.

Rocking slowly now, I smoke my pipe; ah I do hope you do have a better life.

A door swings open and out they come now all seven grandkids start, to run. They spread across the yard yelling and screaming to one another, ah they are sister and brother.

My daughters have done a better job then I and my wife at the time, did, for these are children, who enjoy being a kid. They laugh, they play and they love, you can see as I stand here on my porch watching them from above.

What a pleasure it is to be so young, all that energy and nothing to really get done. I do remember those days myself, as I watch the littlest one join them all like an elf. He chases ,he runs , he laughs and smiles, but watching them all, I see each kid has their own style, They dress all a little different yet the same, and but never once do they leave anyone out of their game. They all play together in happiness and joy; I wish it were that way for me, when I was a boy.

Back to my rocker I go to sit, lighting my pipe as I feel the pain from my hip. Leaning back I watch as they all play, my breathing getting slower in a way. Relaxing and smiling at all I can see, when suddenly a feeling of contentment overcomes me. I smile and eye each child in turn, and hope that each one will grow and learn. I lean back in my rocker now, and feel it all inside. With a sigh and a smile, I drop my pipe to the porch, and lean back breathing harder. My time has come and I must go, but I hope as I do, that each grandchild knows, I love them so.

My lungs hurt so and the pressure in my chest gets worse and I sigh out loud, slumping in my rocker. Opening my eyes in pain, I see the little guy, looking up at me as he starts to yell and scream. Suddenly I see him no more, I can hear his cries, and want to wipe his eyes. but my body doesn’t respond, my breath is ragged and the pain severe.

My daughters, I can hear them screaming, but it is all I hear, I think well at least now I know they care. My body aches now and I can’t move all I can do is hear the screams and crying.

The last thing I hear is my oldest daughter, her cries seem loudest to me, but I can’t reply, but I can hear the fear in her voice, as she says, Daddy goodbye!

Time has passed I awaken in a hospital bed. There surrounding me are my daughters and their children. Unable to talk, I look around the stroke has taken my voice away.

Looking once more, I see the littlest one, his eyes red and full of tears. He is crying, then suddenly he turns to his brother and hugs him close and I can hear him, he whispers to his brother, “it will be ok, grandpa is fine’.

I turn as a nurse comes in and I see and hear her say “it is time for more tests”. I look back as they wheel me down the hallway and there is the little guy, comforting his siblings and yes even his mother! I am rushed down the corridor and all flies by in a blur, I think I did it right he shares and cares and shows it. I did pass on what I wanted to most! The sharing and caring for his family and being there is all intact. I drift off to sleep in the operating room, as the mask is put over my face.

The next day, I awoke in pain but alive. Waiting for me as I did, were my daughters, and my youngest grandson. I manage a smile and wave hello, thinking to myself, I did pass on the caring and sharing and the sense of family, it worked. And I didn’t have to pass on in another way Thank God.

Thursdays are garbage and recycables days here at home. Many times you go thru it once every week, but don’t let your garbage man go on strike, what a mess that one will make.

That done and said, it brings me to the sorry state of The MInnesota Vikings this season in the NFL. This team was 12-4 last year and one game from a Super Bowl berth and look at them today, sadly their record is reversed from then. What changed on the Vikings and why can’t they win anymore? I think MInnesota needs some changes made up there. First bench and retire Brett Favre his days are now numbered and he looks it on a football field on Sunday. 2) The Vikings need a secondary that can stop passes not allow them to disect their defense the way most teams are today. 3) IT is looking like Brad Childress has lost control of the Vikings as a team and they are not caring what he says or does. So a new coach who has a sense of better discipline may be in order!.

Thanksgiving is now one week away folks!. It’s not how much you eat that counts, it’s what your thankful for that is. Be thankful you have a home, be thankful you have family, be thankful you have food and are alive. DOn’t take people for granted, they may not be there when you wake up the next day. Life is too short to treat people wrong be good to all I say.

This am woke at 6 am and started the day with coffee, as sitting here I realized Turkey Day is a week away. Need to get the Turkey and all the Trimmings soon and get ready. Ah this year gonna keep it small and have 6 adults is all, so a 12lb to 15 lb bird shall do. Thanksgiving is a day for being thankfull for all we have and the family we have that remains and the time to think back on those who have left us too. So as we prepare for the holidays and look back and give Thanks, as we do, we should slow down and think of all of those out here who can’t have a meal or Holiday. We try to help every year by donating to others, so it helps.

Funny in my opinion how the United States ends up starting the holiday season way back  before Thanksgiving now a days. Why I have no idea and to me it takes the pleasure away from holidays. Too much of a good thing folks is just as bad as never having enough. Advertisers and stores need to realize something else too, your expanding your budgets to advertise more and not selling as much as you used to, the American Economy is bad, wake up and stop and think. If you just stay with the same shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays but lower the prices you may sell more if people can find the money. But the way jobs are disappearing  at an alarming rate and not coming back, this country will not have a Christmas boom in sales this year. People are having trouble paying bills and feeding themselves and their families too, so wake up retailers. money is tight.

Final word for the day, the Internet and Dating sites of all kinds. MIllions,  upon millions of people end up online searching for mates or dates or both or more. Why? The American society has switched over from the old fashioned ask for a date process to the new fangled do it online process. The dangers in this should be clear to all. 1) How do you know for sure who you are talking to?  2) How do you figure and examine and evaluate a stranger online your talking to and not know your  talking to a stalker or worse? 3) Anyone can post false information on themselves including pictiures online and not be who you think they are, be careful folks.

Tuesday began at 5 am, up and at em once again!. Get the coffee, feed the cat, make the wife her  sandwhich  for work, then get ready to hit the road myself for Doctor’s.

The traffic on the highways in Connecticut is getting worse each and everyday and time I go out. Accidents on I—84 and Route 8 and even up on Route 34.  Crazy people rushing here and there and everywhere. The roads get wet people slide, they get icey  people die. Be careful  folks, it isn’t worth the rush and speed if you don’t get where your going in one piece.

Off to the Veteran’s Hospital I went, another MRI on my spine, neck and lower back. Still the same but the arthritis is building up in the neck and causing pain and discomfort. Have to live with some pain to avoid operations and being cut on, but they are getting quicker and better at all they do for us veterans that’s for sure at least in the hospital.

Yesterday, came home from hospital after physical therapy and became sick to my stomach sadly, it was from bad food me thinks but who know, cause today I am fine I think. Never know what is next it seems for me.

My project of building a walkway is underway at least, the wood needed to build it was delivered yesterday, and I posted and strung out the area needed to be dug. I am paying a friend to do it for me, he is good at things like this.

Anyway, life goes on, and on, until  it suddenly stops they say, well for me I just I die in my sleep so I don’t feel any pain. I also hope once I am gone and have passed away, those family and friends I leave behind and thos ethat know and knew me, will think of me as kindly and a good person.

Monday Mornings to me are always slow starting, it’s like why did I get up again? Mondays bring those feelings of do I really want to go out there and meet the world today? I think most Americans get up feeling this way on Mondays, the feeling is a hesitation to get interacting with others. We all need our space as we know, but overcoming is also a thing we do well.

NFL Games over the weekend, only one shocked and awed me. The 1-7, now 2 and 7 Dallas Cowboys beating the 6-2 now 6 and 3 Giants as bad as they did. The Cowboys hit the Giants with 33 points and the Giants defense didn’t have one clue how to stop them. Amazing if you ask me, but like they say, any team can beat another on any day. The coaching change from Wade Phillips to Jason Garret paid off for Jerry Jones.

As the week and morning starts thought go through ones head about what each new day and week shall bring. As we all think of that we also think of the past too at times and they intermingle past thoughts with daily thoughts and objectives. It’s funny how that happens. But what are we other than, accumulations of past experiences that we use each day to judge what we will do next. We all do it, we stop and think of what we did in the past and the end results to make sure we control the results today in the here and now.

Politically the American people spoke in the mid-term election pretty clearly. I just believe in my mind firmly they reacted too quickly against President Obama and the Democrats. Time shall tell us for sure if I am right, but how can you ask a President to dig us out of an economical hole that took the prior President 8 years to dig, in only two years? You can’t America, so in my opinion you screwed up giving the House to the Republicans.

Ah well I am raving again, but that is one of my purposes for this blog !  Good day to all!.

Already it is November 14th, 2010, and it seems like just yesterday it was 2009. As I get older it seems the days move by that much faster and I have to jump back and realize just how far along in my life I am.  It’s easier when your younger to bot realize that time is slipping by, but as you age in your fifties, you seem to start to sense it more. You try to pack more into each day than you use to do and have half the energy to get through. Just a fact of life I would say.

Opened today’s Sunday paper and there began the Thanksgiving and Christmas sales ads already. the advertising starts earlier each year it seems, it’s like lets start earlier and we can get a jump on all the others. Little do they know people don’t have money so it will probably be a slow shopping season again this year. The economy is bed and the number of people out of work is crazy. I firmly believe we need  a New Deal again. It doesn’t matter if your Republican or Democrat someone needs to find a way to inject and create some jobs soon, or we shall slip over the edge into depression and it is not far away.

Onward then next subject, video game systems. I have seen all of them at Game Stop and the other stores, they range from PlayStation3, Xbox360, to the Wii by Nintendo. Each is now coming out with their own wireless playing operation system. The best of these hands free, wireless system in my opinion is Microsoft’s KInnect.  The Kinnect hooks up to the X-box360 and a wall socket and then comes on when you turn on X-box360. It scans your body movements up to 8 feet away and follows everything you do. It is fun, and exercising for all and has family games for it. I plan on using it for Thanksgiving when company comes over, it should go over big.

A closing thought for today, on November 11th, 2010 Veteran’s Day, I a disabled veteran myself, noticed few Veteran’s out there in public. The reason if anyone wants to guess or think about it is simple, most Veteran’s do not want to talk about their service years or what they did. But America owes them for the time they served, and the Veterans in this country did things no one else would do to keep us all free. So, this year when you settle in with your families for Thanksgiving and then Christmas or Hanukah, or what ever you wish to call your Holiday Season, stop and remember over seas somewhere doing a duty no one wants to do to keep you free are the men and women of the U. S. Military!