December 31

We're not superstitious so to speak, but if there is a way to walk around a ladder instead of under it, we do it. Tho they have no rational basis we wouldn't want to intentionally defy any superstition. You never know!

Like the ladder thing, consider the shape of an open ladder; a triangle that signifies life to some. When you walk though the triangle, you are tempting the fates. You may also awaken spirits that live within the triangle (including evil spirits who may not be happy with the disturbance).

That, 'you never know', is why we pay attention the the following:

The first visitor at your house on New Year's Day must be a male or you'll have bad luck.

Don't do laundry before 6 p.m. on New Year's Day or you'll wash someone out of your life.

You must eat black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day. Black-eyed peas for luck, collard greens for money.

On New Year's Day, put an egg and a dollar in a bag, throw it out the window of a moving car, but don't look back. This will bring good luck.

I can't remember what the Pickled Herring does or prevents for you but I'd say eating a bite can't hurt.

I'm not sure how Glenda and I will stay awake until midnight so our plans are to ring in the new year watching the New York bash on TV. We can do that at 9:00 our time then go to bed.

I imagine I'll be in a pretty weakened state come Friday or Saturday and probably should stay close to the house. I plan to eat two or three cans of collard greens myself and I'm positive the results of that will flush me out pretty good but we really could use a little money!
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It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions. -Thomas Henry Huxley

December 30

Not much else going on around here. The most pleasurable and exciting thing that has happened so far today is watching the sun come up. Did you ever notice how quick that happens. First you see a tiny bit edge up over the trees across the way then wamo bamo it's all up staring at you like an evil eye. If you look away when it first starts it's move, you can miss the whole thing. It changes the whole world in a blink.

To me, when the sun gets up, a new day has officially begun. When it's cloudy and the sun is obscured, it's a free day. One of the days where you read or such stuff. They are so nice you don't even care about an official start.

In case you're thinking, because I find so much pleasure and excitement in the raising sun, that maybe I ought to get a life.........shame on you! I have one! That is the main reason I find so much excitement and pleasure in seeing the sun rise another time.

Dory has plans for a haircut today. She also for me to drive her there then around to a few stores. Boy it sure feels good to be wanted. When I get a haircut I have work done on both ends the second being when I pull my wallet out of my back pocket to pay. It doesn't work that way with Dory, I guess its safe to say carrying a purse can kinda save wear and tear on your rear.

NOTHING TO SAY STOPS ME ONCE IN AWHILE BUT NOT EVERYTIME!
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Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, it is only time we have. -Art Buchwald

December 29

A good looking day beginning here. The cold has left us alone for now, thankfully giving me another 'who cares' line to type.

I think the mile walk around the horn may be in store for me again some time today.

Going to town isn't a given today but the probability of Glenda going and draging me along is pretty high.

I always thought one liners were supposed to be funny. Failing that here, I went ahead and added a few more so the funny wouldn't need to be.
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It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.~Edward de Bono

December 27

Well, let me think. Yesterday I took Glenda for the free buffet in Boonville as to be her Christmas present from me to her, and because I went along from her to me. Of course I gave the most!

Doing it this way we prevented our giving from being a burden or sadness maker for the other. Giving a person a gift places a burden on the receiver to try and find a gift for the giver in return. That or ending up being deeply saddened that you didn't have a gift to retaliate with.

You know what is said, "give and ye shall receive", isn't always the case. For me tho, it was true yesterday when I hit the four duces on a duces wild nickle machine twice for $50 each. Then after the free buffet where they finally ended up paying us to eat, I hit a Royal Flush on another nickle machine that paid $200.

A nice warm 70's day that turned out even better than warm as I was kinda hot at the machines!

At 5:16 here this morning it was 63 degrees which could be another good day if it wasn't for the nasty storms in the forecast that includes a tornado watch.
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The curse which lies upon marriage is that too often the individuals are joined in their weakness rather than in their strength -- each asking from the other instead of finding pleasure in giving.-Simone de Beauvoir

December 24

40 degrees here, apparently the nasty weather is going to miss us again. So if we don't get to Jeff City tomorrow it won't be the weather's fault but because of Glenda's cold or flue that she can't seem to shake.

This little home made wish may take awhile to load then you may need to play it more than once to get the music in place. The sound might need to be pretty high too. Sorry about that.

Click or double click on this http://webpages.charter.net/wymers2/christmas08/default.htm Or you may need to copy this and paste it in your browser then click go...........


Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Glenda and Larry

December 23

My tired old head has a semblance of a memory within or at least that is my understanding. I can't imagine how it does all it does, storing things without a conscious thought and then years later finding it in the blink of an eye among all the millions there and immediately putting it up front when you think for it.

Like anything else a fault can develop that might be only temporary or it can lose a stored memory forever. Also pulling one up several times over the years it is possible to sweeten it up just a little each time till a bad memory can turn out to be pretty good.

When I started this I only wanted to say that my memory is something like a cracked record or maybe it is a cracked record. Anyway, I thought about all through the years trying to find if I've ever been happy to see a 31 degree temperature but the old memory wasn't able to put one forth. Leaves me unable to say for sure that I haven't but I was damn glad to see it here this morning.

It doesn't take that teen, sub-teen or subzero crap to stick a useless large wish foremost in your mind. So large that it could disrupt and interfere with a lot of other things you might want to give attention to. Tho I have noticed that a freer mind hasn't helped much with the note.

Hum, looks like I have again successfully typed up a fair sized pile of nothing.
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"If at first you don't succeed; you are running about average." - M. H. Alderson

December 22

A nice but cold day we were having yesterday when dusk began infiltrating, preparing our little nook of the world for darkness which messed with our day pretty much as it does most days about that time. It seems like the lessening of natural light allows some of the enthusiasm for the day to evaporate. As it leaves it somehow mellows a person which turns grins into yawns and strong thoughts of a fully reclined position begins to dominate. It usually doesn't take long for it to become strong enough to put your body to bed.

I've noticed as I've aged that my eyesight can be tricked into passing the message to the decider that it is dark when it may not be. This can cause the decider to have me in bed quite a bit before real time dark and it happens more often than I want to admit. This problem does allow me to wake fairly early which is my most favorite time of the day, followed closely by going to bed.

Also yesterday Glenda finally decided that she didn't feel all that good and was coming down with something. She has been saying maybe for a couple days but she is more positive now. I can't see too much wrong with her but how she might feel is a different matter. Not that I can't slip in a feel after she goes to sleep but that darn Mikey begins to growl when I do which wakes her before I can get a true feel of things. He never voices any concern when I scratch an itch on my body so how does he know that I'm not trying to scratch an itch on Glenda? I'm thinking the change in my breathing might be his clue.

These missives that I refer to as a n-o-t-e might only be an acronym as in, No Opinion Truthfully Expressed or maybe, Nothing Obviously To Envy. I don't know! Just trying to write something using my sick and unbalanced mind as my guide. I don't care how wild the ride the sick thing takes me on, I want to hold on and stay mounted for as long as I can. Yeah, I know there are those who might think that I was bucked off a long time ago but I'd rather think it's because everyone's ride is not necessarily the same.
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"Folks ride to and fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount. And with age the old tigers begin getting hungry." -Annon

December 21

Ooh, it is really cold here this morning, 8 degrees with a stiff breeze making for a sub-zero wind-chill factor. Inside looking out a window it doesn't look all that bad with that big old sun shining giving us a nice bright day. It is a big surprise to walk out into that nice sunray filled weather to find it so very cold. Very cold can cause strange things to happen.

It has been fairly cold for a while now so with that naturally comes a huge pot of chili. Chili has got to have a lot of beans, onions and a few other gas producing contents that can greatly increase one's carbon footprint. I'm not too embarrassed to tell you, I'm one of the one's. Sure glad there isn't a workable plan to tax for it yet!

Anyway, I was out in the cold earlier and encouraged by the gas producing chili that I had eaten, I allowed a bit of flatus to escape from my body. You know, once in awhile an escapee may be a little wet and this one was. Wow! It teamed up with the extreme cold and flash froze my cheeks together. Good thing I wasn't too far from the house because of the tiny little steps I had to take to get back inside, any longer the frost could have bitten my butt.

Boy, Missouri is a great place to survive!
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"Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training."-Anna Freud

December 18

Gonna drive out spin around in a white like cotton, gonna drive out spin around till they holler hey. Nah, we did go to Osage Beach and our road to the main road was covered and slick then the main road was still partly covered but a problem we did not have.

It is said that it may mostly melt today or then it could just add more ice. Depends on this or depends on that, all this might or might not kinda makes you want to wet your Depend! ----- If you happen to be wearing one.

Isn't the computer one of the greatest way to communicate? Even if you have nothing worthwhile to say you can still say something without any interruptions like what happens on the phone or when face to face. Then too, if you don't like what someone is saying you can simply delete it without the senders knowledge thereby completely eliminating any possible animosity occurrence.

I've been trying to do this daily for about five years but the daily has been steadily slipping. I began a useless blog in 2004, it lists 1040 notes. Even at only 1040 notes, that is a lot of time wasted on nothing. A further complication is the fact that I hand pick each recipient everyday from our address book of over 270. I guess its just to say you're still in our minds and in our memories and a convenient way to force ourselves into yours. 'A forgotten man is a sad man indeed'.~Annon

No, I've never received a request to be added to the list, but I have had a few requests to be removed. Can you believe that in this day and age there are still some folks without enough computer savvy to know how to use the delete button. Of course it is impossible for folks to dictate what is sent them so THAT can absolutly be the only reason for a remove request.
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"Some memories are realities, and are better than anything that can ever happen to one again."-Willa Cather

December 17

What a nice restful few days. Sitting in a warm house surrounded by a lot of cold, accented by the color white provided by the moisture laden atmosphere. Who would want to give this peace up by attempting a trip to town?

Tho, I think the guys salted the hill, it's slicker than snot from here to there. Ice covered with sleet and some snow makes for some pretty nasty traction. Ice- four wheel drive and what do you do, spin all four tires instead of two.

The weather has added a couple pounds to my weight and some to Glenda's due to her using all this nice at home time to bake a heck of a bunch of cookies along with some peanut brittle candy. Sure is good stuff.

Now the answer to, "Who would want to give this peace up by attempting a trip to town?", Glenda does! Said she was so sick of being in the kitchen which I stupidly responded with, guess you could clean the bathrooms. Anyway, to make a long story short, I'm going to take her to town even if I have to call a wrecker to get us up off our road.

After my suggestion following her tired of the kitchen remark, do you know what she told me I could end up eating for my meals in the future? Whoa down there honey child.
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Food that tastes like crap will not diminish the possibility of overeating when one is hungry.~Anno

December 15

A great day weather wise was yesterday. We did have a very strong wind it was fairly tolerable because the temperature got up to 62 degrees. It did go down to 60 at 4:00 pm. Sometime later things changed. I'd say our weather went to hell which may not sound right but it sure does seem correct. The temperature was down to 18 at 1:00 am. At 5:00 this morning it was only 14 and has lost another degree since. A general cover of ice then to pretty it up some mother covered that with a nice and pretty to view, white sleet. Better be careful walking on that white trap.

Reminds me of some words in one of Claude Kings songs, "I sat down on a bear trap just this morning, it was camouflaged so I had no warning, I couldn't bear the pain when I ran out of chain, I sat down on a bear trap just this morning." May not be a 100% correct recollection but it's close. As far as that goes, who's to challenge me on it? I've not talked to anyone who has even heard of Claude King.

One thing about the weather, with a wind chill below zero, I won't get overheated when I'm out there scraping around. Good old Missouri sounds exciting doesn't it?

Yeah, I know there are some that have it a lot worse but I'm not going to feel sorry for them nor for us because we're all pretty well where we've chosen to be.

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"We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision." -Gary Collins

December 14

A trip to Jefferson city is in the works for today. Need to take some stuff to Lena and then drive her to the grocery store to stock up a few vittles to feed off during the nasty weather that may or may not come. If we only half believe the forecast then we need to go today or else. What is said about tonight through Wednesday night, makes us believe that a not so very good driving experience would result.

The hard wind is pretty much out of the south right now so a better miles per gallon could result with it pushing us. If we stay until the next front comes in we might get a push back but I'm thinking it will come too late to wait for. Guess we'll end up losing our, 'drive in savings' while driving back against that said saver.

54 now but the man suggested that sometime during the night we would probably see a 35 degree drop in an hour or less time. Brrrr mother!
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"Often in winter the end of the day is like the final metaphor in a poem celebrating death: there is no way out." - Agustin Gomez-Arcos

December 12

Looks like we're going to Eldon for our usual Friday afternoon waste of $7.50. Where we try to roll a ball down a lane with a huge gaping gutter on either side. This setup along with a lack of talent is very conducive to a lot of unmentionable bad words. Personally, I allow very few to escape my lips but I can hardly control the quantity that pop into my head. Do you think it's necessary to ask God for forgiveness for bad words that come up in your mind if none of them include God's name.

24 years ago today was on a Wednesday and I didn't spend much more than $7.50 then but man, the happening of that day certainly created a tremendous daily cost ever since. I'm happy to say all the incurred costs have paid off. Sorry to say that the 24 years we've been rolling down our chosen lane even without the gaping gutters my lips have allowed some of those bowling alley words to escape but still not all that I've thought. My asking for forgiveness everyday has become a habit but along with that I include a heavy and meaningful thanks for all the blessings allocated to us.

Funny thing but I thought the man was telling us what he was going to say and what was expected of us and it wasn't until he said, "I now pronounce you man and wife", that I realized my error and the smile fell off my face. Wowee, we had been into the serious stuff!
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Don’t take yourself too seriously. If you can develop ability to laugh at yourself, you will be much more relaxed when given or giving criticism… Blessed is he who can enjoy his blunders. -John C. Maxwell

December 11

I don't know how we can afford it but Glenda says to save in the long run we must bite the bullet and have the oil and filter changed in the car. Further, she has assigned that costly boring task to me for today.

Meanwhile she'll be sitting across from different persons as they, without the music, play musical chairs and studiously engage in their games of bridge.

After I have accomplished the lowly but necessary task I'll return home to our waiting 11 pound Tomi and 28 pound Mikey. We three pets will sit around and await the return of our master which most usually is somewhere around 3:00.

I may crowd in a walk of the four dogs, the two at the end of my legs, Mikey and the neighbors old dog Buddy. May get some reading in too but you can pretty well bet there won't be anymore typing! You're welcome.

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Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men--the other 999 follow women. -Groucho Marx

December 10

A lot of shaking going on here! 27* with a nasty wind that is shaking anything outside real good. Doing it's best to shake any remaining leaves off the tree limbs and during my trip out it blew me to shaking and seemed to be attempting to shake everything off my limbs. Wouldn't that be a sight? An old man walking up the road naked with his old hide chill bump covered making him look like a walking blob of sandpaper. When that thought crossed my mind I returned to the house.

Going to make a 65 mile trip today so I can feed my bride a nice and tasty pre-anniversary buffet. Our 24th anniversary is on Friday but she wouldn't exchange the bowling for the buffet. And so that's the way it is from here.
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Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

December 9

Got up at 4:50 this morning just full of perky and the temperature reading was at 52*. It is now down to 47* and we're told it won't stop till it gets at or near 25*. I've noticed a personal perky evaporation that seems to be closely related to the downward movement of the needle on the outdoor heat/cold indicator. Heck, at this rate if it does get near 25* I won't be able to get out of my chair!

I suppose I may need to go back drinking caffeined coffee again. I have been pretty well without for quite a few days, drinking a couple three cups of hot tea instead. And with coffee you just stick your empty cup under the fill hole and push then walla, a cup of coffee. Sitting around for five minutes waiting for the hot water to make something drinkable out of the floating tea bag is a huge aggravation for no more than you get out of it.

I did think a little bit about just having a cup of hot water but decided rather than that I might as well quit so now I'm thinking probably coffee will be the get up beverage in the morning. If I can force myself out of this chair I may go make some now.
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"The world isn't interested in the storms you encountered, but whether or not you brought in the ship." - Raul Armesto

December 8

We've put it off for about as long as we could so an agreement has finally been attested to. We are taking the two little reason we can never go anywhere, (Mikey and Tomi), to Eldon to have them shot. Their once a year trip to the vet where they'll each get a rabies shot and whatever else the vet can think up to futher increase her huge income.

I think the rabies shot is a lot like the shingles shot that my doctor suggested I get. It's a shot to cover something that may not ever happen in my lifetime........................But, what if it does? Goodness sakes, shoot me shoot me!

Another great day here in Missouri! The great is not daunted at all by the clouds covering the sun and not letting even a tiny ray to peek thru. The great is not lessened any by the forecast of rain with the possibility of snow thrown into the mix either. Great is a mind over matter thing and I think we, as well as most every one else, have the power to make of a day what we want. We want our days to be great here!

Keeping ones mind on great never seems to work when I begin my note typing and maybe at a few other things as well but life is still swell and given enough of it I might be able to practice my notes into something better. Does that read a little like a plea? Gimme and I'll give....... Maybe my belief is just too weak.

Whatever.......I'm giving up on this one.
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The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.~Frank Lloyd Wright

December 6

If all male offspring's are called sons then Mikey, Tomi and I are the only ones visible around here this morning no matter how you spell it. It is not too cold here at this time but I think it could be a lot better if that big old heat producing sun would show itself too.

Those so knowledgeable folks on the TV keep hinting that by Monday night some cold and nasty could be upon us big time. From past experiences I know these hints to mean that we may or may not get some nasty and the 'may not' is the heavier of the two on the scales.

As far as our blowing, err sorry, our bowling activity went yesterday, it only resulted in a bit of nothing new hot air and a pride subduing score on all three games. The only things positive were the exercise and the McDonalds double cheese sandwich. The 19 cent price increase in what used to be nice dollar sandwich deal makes it a poor positive but I kind of like them so I listed it.

I do think I could get more exercise walking to the mail box and the pride that I still can would swell my chest. However, that swelling could only be the result of my lungs expanding to their limits as they gulp in the extra oxygen that my body is screaming for. The mailbox is only a little over a quarter mile away but that last half is one mean hill!

Well anyway, I could save the cost of the $3.75 bowling and the $1.19 plus tax for the double cheese burger and still get some needed exercise.

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"It's a fine thing to rise above pride, but you must have pride in order to do so." - Georges Bernanos

December 5

A terrible thing! Somehow outside influencers of the negative mode have moved in and have taken possession of my mind and I can't seem to evict them. A what to do question is riding pretty heavy on my shoulders right now and so far I haven't been able to buck it off in spite of the combing of my mind including some recesses that hadn't been visited for a long time. The combing was a mistake because a couple of the visited places were of some memories that had been scrunched up and out of mind for good reason. Looking at them again only turbo charged the negatives that I am trying to shake.

Today is the old folks bowling/gossip session at the Eldon bowling alley and the memory of how I've been bowling is so strong it is close to un-committing me to the venture. Oh, I'll probably go anyway!

Sitting here seems to serve no enlightening purpose so I'm off to take Mikey and the neighbor's dog Buddy for a walk as I again count all of our blessings..............Good is overwhelmingly the largest mass so how can a tiny little bad weight so much as to tip the scales their direction?

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"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways." - Buddha (Including bad thoughts)

December 4

Not a whole lot of shaking on around here despite the breeze trying to turn itself into a full fledged wind. I do think it may have already succeeded. It's darn cold and with that wind it isn't good at all outside. It's one of those 'freeze the mucus in your nostrils' kind of day.

Glenda is going to brave it to the old folks bridge game while I plan to brave it to the dock for one fish. I try to keep a fresh fish cut up in small pieces fish for Tomi of which I give him two a day.

Glenda has told me before that I never seem to be at a loss for words but it does seem like when I sit down here...............swish.......they're not there. Could it be most of my words are like blowing it out the rear? If I could type standing would that let the words flow freely. I wonder if that wouldn't only result in another crappy message from yours truly? I'm not going to do it. What few words I've been able to eek out so far are crappy enough.

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When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. ~John Muir

December 2

Went to Jeff City yesterday to take Momma Lena to the eye doctor for a quick checkup. At least it would have been quick if the doctor hadn't encountered a problem with an earlier patient. As it turned out Mikey and I sat in the car for two hours waiting. Then a trip to Wal-Mart with Mikey and I waiting some more. All in all, after six hours sitting in the car with a short break for lunch we only covered 103 miles. I might could have been classified as a camper but as far as happy goes, it decidedly escaped the car not long after the first hour!

Today we /////l\\\\.. I may put up a few outside Christmas lights. It is pretty cold and windy but we do live in Missouri. Pretty cold? I guess cold can be pretty but most would find it as such only by viewing it through the window of a warm room with the flickering flames from the fireplace making pretty as well as adding some additional warmth. That doesn't sound like a bad plan to me.
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A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner, so if one's life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself. -Louis L'Amour