Pictures of the WEEK

Some pictures from last week. Starting with me on the scooter in the blockathon hang on till the end to see me.



Now some other pictures.










































































@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and rumors run races– Tomorrow Pastor Joan Castle will preach and the congregation will vote to see if she becomes the next Pastor of Last Lutheran. The big rumor running the town is that Pastor Castle is pregnant. This would mean that soon after she starts they would have to give her paid maternity leave and they would probably get Pastor Moe back during that period. Then they would have the worst of all worlds , a woman Pastor and Pastor Moe. It boggles the mind. Somebody else told Nancy that he heard from a reliable source that Pastor Castle stutters. Nancy has also heard that the people in her present parish petitioned the Bishop to get her a new call. In a small town rumors move very fast. Nancy says she wouldn’t be surprised if somebody said that Pastor Joan had two heads and wasn’t their kind of people.
Edward Alamis , went last Sunday to the parish where Pastor Castle is now the Pastor. He says she is one great preacher, the people there love her, and nobody wants her to leave. In fact some people there are angry with the Bishop for even offering her this call. Truth is often so much different from rumor.
******

Today's Link-Synaptic Disunion- Today he looks at the responsiblity of the rich to the arts. Leave a poor Dr. John in the comment.
I had a nice day. I worked in the basement in the morning. I took a nap after lunch. Then I worked in the basement again. Pennie took the dog in for grooming. Then they( Pennie and Betty) put up the new pool. A little smaller than the last one ( 12 foot diameter , 36 inches deep). It should be warm enough to use by tomorrow. The wood that was bought for the p;d pool is being used to make basement shelves and train tables.Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Win or Lose it's Friday

Saying for the day: Its not if you win or lose but what's behind the door that counts.


It is another “win or lose” Friday. It is time to see who gets this week’s priceless prize. Everyone who left comments on the past week’s blog entries or on the link’s for the day has a chance. In fact they have as many chances as comments made up to a total of fourteen. Today’s priceless prize is this beautiful mantle cross. If you don’t have a mantle it will look nice on a dresser or even an end table. If you already have one then there are the doors. Door one and door two. What is behind the doors? Nobody know. It might be six rubber bands. It could be a wind chime set. It might be a Christmas train. Every week it is different.
The suspense here in the computer room is high as we wait for Betty to come and draw a winner. It could be you…..

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and the music comes to an end.– Last night Herman Perriwinkle got to play in the recital held by his music teacher for all her students. His parents were there, the parents of the other students, Tommy UK and Herman’s Aunt Annie. His first number went very well. There were no mistakes and he even played with a bit of a flourish.( Practice pays) . The second number had a few mistakes but they were minor and didn’t call attention to themselves. Herman’s parents were beginning to think all of their suffering while he practiced was worth while. Then Herman started his third number, “On Top of Old Smokey”, which was going well until he got to the middle. That’s when it happened. As he pulled out and without warning the bellows on the accordion came apart. There he was with half of an accordion on each arm. It was the high point of an otherwise dull recital. There he sat with two accordion pieces hanging down , not knowing what to do. His music teacher said she had never seen an accordion come apart like that before. In fact she had never seen an accordion come apart period. Herman said over and over “ I didn’t mean to pull it apart”. But it seems that’s just what he did. A close examination of the accordion showed there was no cut or tear line. The bellows seemed solid. It had literally been pulled apart. Herman was , apparently too strong for the accordion. Herman’s parents decided that this could happen again and so they wouldn’t get the bellows fixed or buy another accordion. Also on the plus side they wouldn’t have to listen to Herman practicing. Herman seemed sad at the news. Tommy UK went away smiling and clutching his special rock.
********

Today's Link-Rantings of a Looney- Just in case you have plumbing problems at 2:00 in the morning you should read this. Leave a Dr. John in the comment.

Well Betty is up.

The Name is drawn.

The Winner is








Quilly- For the second week in a row. Now we just need her to either accept the prize or pick a door.
So Quilly accepted our priceless prize because its not very heavy.
I had a good day. We continue to make progress in the basement. In about a week I should be able to start laying some track. Betty, Pennie and I went grocery shopping. ( See it doesn't take much to make me happy)Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

It's All About Me

This is the day I write about me. It’s all about me. I invite your questions . You can leave them in a comment.
Last week Margaret asked . Tell us your testimony. When did you come to know the Lord?
Starting in May 0f 2006 I wrote of my journey from atheist to believer to pastor. So I reprint one of those entries below.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
From atheist to disgustingly religious

Saying for the Day: Its's not what you know but who that really counts.

Its back to the artifact box and here we find one of those little books people sign at the end of camp. It is there to remind me of the end of my time as an atheist and the beginning of the journey that would bring me into the ministry.

The summer after I got confirmed one of my friends from confirmation talked me into going to Bible Camp.
His name was Karl Rundman .
He was not religious and the reason he felt we should go to Bible camp was because there were five girls there for every boy.
Those are great odds. I figured I could put up with the religious nonsense for a chance for romance. The way Karl described it we would swim with the girls, sit with them at evening campfires, and take evening walks to the baseball field.

So I went. The program was about as dull as I expected it to be.

But there was a Pastor.
An old Pastor who was different.

He didn’t talk about God as an idea.

He didn’t try to prove God.

He shared with us a God that was and had been for years a personal friend. This God was as real to him as the campers. I marveled at that.

There was a joy and a peace the guy had I had never seen in anybody.

I wanted what he had.

I told myself over and over that it was silly.
There is no God and so God can’t be his friend.
He can’t know what isn’t there.

But he did. He honestly loved God.

Then something happened which I can not explain. At some point during that week I stepped over the line and went from being an atheist to being disgustingly religious.

I didn’t want it to happen.
I did everything I could to keep it from happening .

I have no idea why it happened. (Boy I wish I did)
Lots of kids left that camp just the way they came but I didn’t.

Karl Rundman did . He ran into God later in his journey.

Suddenly there was a joy and a peace in my life beyond anything I had ever known. God was real and He loved me.

I still had no answer to Robert’s death.
But I did know that God had entered into our suffering and shared it with us.

Everything changed. I came home a different person.

My mother was horrified.
She hoped it would wear off.

But God was no longer an idea to be accepted or rejected.
God was a being that loved me and the journey to the pulpit had begun.
******

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where trains still run, dragons fly, and the Liar’s Club summer contest continues.-Yesterday Herman Manty, from Painsville , got his turn to tell his story and here it is:
You may have read the article by some leading astrophysicists that said
"If you define the black hole as some place where you can lose objects, then there is no such thing because the black hole evaporates before anything is seen to fall in," . If they are right all those wonderful space stories that have black holes and worm holes are wrong. I am here to tell you today they are wrong.
How do I know they are wrong ? Because I have a friend who has gone through a black hole to get from his universe to ours. What bothered the scientists is that if all information about the collapsing matter is lost, it defies the laws of quantum physics. That is if something goes into a black hole and never comes out everything we know about matter would be put in doubt.
My friend says they don’t have to worry. What goes in one side of the black hole is expelled on the other side. Our best instruments can’t see that because it is lost among the exploding suns and other strange phenomena.
But my friend and his spacecraft got here through a black hole. So he and I know they exist. The problem is they work only one way. That is you can’t go back through them. So he is stuck in our universe . The only life he has found is on this planet and he says w are very backward. Our science is almost primitive in his eyes. Aside from that he says we are very boring. But he is stuck here.
He says the only good thing is the pasty which you can’t get anywhere else in the universe. If he figures out how to leave he is taking a large supply with him.
Now if you don’t believe me I can take you to my farm and introduce you to him. He is busy trying to find a reverse black hole in our universe. Until he does I have him and his space ship hidden in my cow barn. I am keeping him supplied with pasties.
Herman got a 9.2 average which ties him with Allan Heyydan for first place.
*****

Today's Link-Murray Family Blog-A family with three babies and they survive. Today a survival skill. Leave a Dr. John and get an extra chance at tomorrow's stupendous drawing.
A fairly good day today. Did some more sorting of train stuff in the basement . Watched my soaps. Went shopping with Betty. And I visited most of my links. I was surprised to discover that several of the new links have been discontinued. They come and go fast now. I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Fast Forward from Ralph 21

Every Wednesday I share with you a message that was forwarded to me by my friend Ralph. Here is today’s sharing.-

A precious little girl walks into a pet shop and asks, in the sweetest
little lisp, between two missing teeth,

Excuthe me, mithter, do you keep widdle wabbits?

As the shopkeeper's heart melts, he gets
down on his knees so that he's on her level and asks,

Do you want a widdle white wabbit, or a thoft and
fuwwy bwack wabbit, or maybe one like that cute
widdle bwown wabbit over there?

She, in turn, blushes, rocks on her heels, puts her
hands on her knees, leans forward and says, in a tiny
quiet voice,

I don't think my python weally gives a thit.

@@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and travel is important– Next week the Andersens leave for Finland. Once they get there they will leave the group and spend the three weeks with her relatives who live near Helsinki. They are busy packing and deciding what they should take with them. Anna has put together picture albums of her kids and grandkids as well as some other American relatives. Hap says why do that when you can send them all those pictures in E-mail. But she says “ real” pictures are better. She has been trying to remember all the Finnish her mother taught her. Hap has been picking up some phrases from the internet.
Yesterday he learned “Vaalea tukkasi on niin kaunis.”. She told him that if he says that to any woman in Finland other than her little cousins she will smack him aside the head.
Last Sunday Pigeon Falls celebrated St. John’s Day with the traditional burning of the Christmas trees. This is an old Scandinavian custom. All the real Christmas trees were saved and then piled in one huge pile in the clearing back of Last Lutheran Church. They had a fire truck on hand, just in case it threw a spark where sparks shouldn’t go. If there had been any wind they would have called it off. But the day was perfect so when it began to get dark they lit the pile. Then they sang old church hymns accompanied by one of those portable organs. AS in all celebrations in Pigeon Falls there was a little beer drinking and then a little more. Just as the fire reached its highest point our friendly local dragon made an appearance. Some of the participants threw beer cans at it. They didn’t hit it , of course. But it seemed a mean thing to do since it was the dragon that saved them from “ The Dream”. Even Mrs. Trumble is no longer sure the dragon is evil. But people will be people and people with beer will be even more people. .
******

Today's Link-Funeral Girl- This is one of Catch's favorite blogs. She shares her experience with a bad boss. Leave a DR. John in the comment.
I had another one of those great days today. In the morning I began to unpack my trains. Just holding them was wonderful. They probably won't be running until September. I watched my soaps. My sister Dawn called and told me my other sister is getting married again. I called the other sister and congratulated her. Then back to the basement and unpacking trains. Then Betty's sister and her husband stopped in on the way to his big family reunion. It was a very good visit and we ended up going out for dinner. So I had no time left to visit blogs but I will tomorrow . Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Finland Page 5

Tervetuloa tiistaiselle suomi-sivullemme

Welcome to Our Tuesday Finland Page

Another Video of Finland





The phrase of the day

Vaalea tukkasi on niin kaunis.

Your blond hair is so beautiful.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and the music goes on.-Herman Periwinkle met with Tommy UK yesterday. Herman reminded Tommy UK that the recital was Thursday and that he needed to be there. Herman said the plan was going well but he had practiced so much it was getting harder and harder to make really glaring mistakes. Tommy UK assured him that after the recital the practice would be over. Now he needed to practice three hours a day until then. He should tell his parents that some of his friends were coming to the recital and he wanted to be extra good. Tommy UK said he would bring little Eino ( no relationship to big Eino) and Wolf Johnson with him to the recital. It would go perfectly.
Petrovich is translating another dribblet. He says that this one is about an event that already happened so he has to translate faster, But he will have it up and on his website by Friday. It concerns a man of snow in the city of the birds. He says you have to read it to believe it.
The poltergeist is back. Nancy came in this morning to find her tea cups floating in mid air. Then one by one they went back to their proper place on the shelf. She noticed that they were cleaner than they had ever been. Maybe having a poltergeist isn’t all bad. When people came in and asked for tea a cup would fly to her hand. It was like having an extra worker that you didn’t have to pay. She just hopes it won’t scare away any customers.
Hap Andersen and his wife are going to Finland with that Carl guy from the Marquette television station. Mrs. Anderson has relatives that live near Helsinki and she has never met any of them. She has corresponded with them by mail and now by E-mail so they are looking forward to her visit. Hap is of old Norwegian stock so he will have to wait for another time to visit the old country. They will be going sometime in July.
*****

Today's Link-chrome3d- A Finnish blog in English by a graphic artist. Scroll down to the last couple of entries and learn a little bit about Finland.Somewhere on the blog leave a Dr. John in the comment.
A rather ordinary day. the plumber came and finished the walk in tub renovation.l Betty and I worked at going through boxes in the basement. We have piles and piles of albums we have put together over the years. They all need to be stored. Then we intend to scan all the pictures and identify them. We think , perhaps, one album a week. Now I need a breathing treatmemnt.
GBYA

Leave a comment Monday

Saying for the Day: A comment given is a comment treasured.

Here it is “Leave a Comment Monday” and I have run out of wonderful old sayings to bring into the internet age. I can’t think of a single new saying to fill this entry either. I am sure you don’t want to read anymore of my begging and pleading for comments. By this point you know I am a comment addict and need a Monday fix. So what should I do.
Well I though since its all about comments I might comment on some blogs I read last week, two blogs in particular. In each case the blog writers had observed Sea Gulls and gave us stories with a moral based on the birds.
The first one I read was in Kaleidoscope and was called the Sea Gull’s Sermon . If you want to read it you can go to Kaleidscope and scroll down( unless I figured out how to pop you right there.) to the Monday June 8 entry.
The second was in Patterns of Ink and was entitled “ Take in Life”. You can read it by going to Patterns of Ink and scrolling down to his Tuesday June 19 entry.
These two blogs together reminded me of when I worked on the ore boats. Deckhands hated Sea Gulls because of the mess they made on the deck which we had to clean up. We would always complain while eating. So the cook decided to fix it for us. He began feeding the Gulls little pieces of bread. He threw them in the air and they would catch them. This went on for a long time. Then he took and soaked the bread in the hottest sauce he could find. When the Gull grabbed that it shot directly to the water. Now if there is a moral to this story it’s “ Don’t poop on my deck or you’ll be sorry”.
It is “leave a comment Monday” so leave those beautiful comments. That includes you quick reads from Blog Explosion.
HAPPY COMMENTING.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, the dragons fly, and music hurts.-Mrs. Periwinkle, Herman’s Mother, was in to Nancy’s coffee shop and said that her son’s practicing is driving her nuts. He is now practicing two hours a day and he plays more wrong notes that right ones. Worse he keeps coming up to her and his father and playing one of the songs from the upcoming recital and asking what they think. Well in reality all but one of the songs are really bad. He keeps saying he is going to make them so proud at the recital. The Periwinkle’s can’t ask him to quit since he seems to love his accordion so much but they really can’t take much more of this. Why can’t he be like other boys and just do his hour and then run off and play. Last night he went two and one half hours. Of bad notes there I no end.
Nancy suggested that they might consider some other instrument but Mrs. Periwinkle said that the accordion was what his grandfather played and they want him to follow in grandpa’s footsteps. Their only hope is that with all that practice he is bound to get better.
Old Bobsled Maki is reveling in his new found glory. Rodeo Today ( the magazine) sent a reporter to interview him. He showed them his practice barrel and they took pictures. One suspects that would be bull riders across the country will be buying barrels. He is the number one rider after all. If this is how he got his start it has to work Bobsled is getting fifty free copies to give to friends and relatives. His picture is on the cover sitting on the barrel. He is so proud.
The members of Last Lutheran stopping in to Nancy’s this morning were all afraid of next Sunday’s meeting with Pastor Joan. They just don’t like the idea of a woman Pastor. The only dissident voice came from Stanely Ash who felt they needed to accept whoever God sends them. They survived Pastor Moe and they can survive Pastor Castle. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement but it is a voice of reason.
Will Old Bobsled survive his fame ? Will Herman survive his recital. Will Pastor Joan survive next Sunday’s encounter with Last Lutheran? And is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid?
*****

Today's Link-The Creative Spirit- A meditation for St. John's Day ( a day by any other name is still the same)- Leave a DR. John in the comment.
The deck is on and looks good. I will try to have a picture on Saturday. The plumber failed to show so there is still a little work to be done on the walk in tub but we can use it and have. It's great. Did some work in the basement but there is so much left to be done. Both my sister and Betty's sister called today. Betty's sister and husband are coming to visit on Wednesday. I got the bad news that the a good friend of mine died in his sleep last night. I had a note from my Bishop in my e-mail. There were five of us from my high school youth group that got ordained and now I am the only one left. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

One Last time at Being Right

Saying for the Day-If the dictionary doesn't spell like me then it's wrong.

For one last Sunday I am looking at the problems that come with being right. Today I want to call attention to the fact that our rightness often cuts us off from other people and from learning from other people. If , for example, I have the right answer on Global warming then I don’t have to listen to what you believe or the science behind what you believe.
A log time ago now a Jehovah’s Witness came to my home. He wanted to tell me why I should quit being Lutheran and he had Bible verses to back himself up. I offered him a deal. I would give him a half an hour to tell me why he believed what he believed. To tell me how he became a Jehovah’s Witness. He could tell me all about his faith without attacking mine and I would listen. Then I wanted him to listen to me for a half an hour. I would tell him how I became a Christian. I would not attack his faith. He turned me down because “ I don’t need to know about your faith.” At that point I said he would have to leave. There was no point in our throwing Bible verses at each other. He asked if he could leave some copies of his literature. I offered another deal. I would take his literature and promise to read it if he would take some of mine and promise to read it. Again he refused because he had no need to read my lies. So we learned nothing.
If what we believe to be right needs to be protected then ,perhaps, we aren’t really sure it’s right. Truth can protect itself.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and records are broken.-This morning members of Last Lutheran came to church to find an announcement in the bulletin that next Sunday Pastor Joan Castle would preach at both services. There would be lunch afterwards in the fellowship hall ( basement).
Yesterday Bobsled Maki got to ride his bull. In bull riding the object is to hold on with one hand, not fall off, and never touch yourself or the bull with the other hand. Points are given for the time, the style, and how active the bull is. The best you can get is 100 points and before yesterday onlyy one person had ever gotten that.
Old Bobsled sat on the back of his bull waiting for he gates to open. He looked a bit on the pale side. Then the gates opened and the bull charged out. Never had they seen a bull like this. It leaped and ran and leaped and bucked. All the while Bobsled held on with the one hand and the other hand was straight out. He looked like a statue. Then he bounced up into the air still holding and still not touching. He came back down on the bulls back while the crowd cheered. People seemed to understand something special was happening. The thirty seconds went by and the bull looked like it wasn’t going to slow down. They tried to get a rider to lift him off but the bull was having none of it . Suddenly Bobsled seemed to fly off the back of the bull and land on his feet running. But at that point the bull quieted down. They had never seen anyone get off a bull like that. The judges gave Bobsled 100 points.
The Rodeo people wanted to hire him on the spot to go with them on the tour . Bobsled, however, said that this was his last ride. He just wanted to prove he could do it.
Later to friends Bobsled confided that it was like some force held him on the bull and at the end lifted him off. He thinks it might have been Nancy’s poltergeist. In any case, he had his ride.
*****

Today's Link-Step One.Com- An adventure in Chuck E. Cheese. (Funny) - Leave a Dr. John in the comment.
I had one of those really great days. Went to Church in the morning Heard that the Confirmation class served meals last week at the shelter. The youth group is building picnic tables for Habitat for Humanity, and we did a blockathon for the servant group. We raised $720. It was fun. In this church you learn young that your Baptism into Christ empowers you to serve others. In the afternoon my Son Peter and I built the first of three tables for the new train layout. Together we went to Menards and got the supplies. I designed the table and for the most part Peter built it. It was just one great day. If everything goes right there will be a movie from the blockathon in next Saturday's pictures of the week. I know my daughter took some and I wait to see them.
But now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Pictures of the WEEK

Saying for the Day: One picture is worth a thousand words.

Here are a few pictures from our week.














































































































@@@@News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and the rodeo starts today– This afternoon at 3:30 or4 close to it old Bobsled Maki gets to ride a bull. He has signed all the legal papers that say that he won’t hold the rodeo responsible if he gets broken into a zillion pieces ( that should have been enough to get him to quit right there). He purchased some insurance good only for that one ride and lied through his teeth about his previous experience ( riding a barrel in the barn doesn’t count). In fact he has done such a good job that they have assigned him one of the worst bulls in the bunch. Of course he has until this afternoon to back out.
Bobsled Maki, however, is not the topic of today’s gossip down at Nancy’s café. No the topic today is women preachers and to be more exact Pastor Joan Castle. For the most part what they are saying I not very nice. The kindest remark was by some guy who felt that it would be nice to have somebody good to look at in the pulpit for a change. Over and over Nancy has heard that women should keep silence in the church. God doesn’t want a woman preacher. After listening to all the gossip Nancy is rather glad that she isn’t Pastor Castle. In fact she would give her no chance of being called if it wern’t for the Moe factor. It seems that the monster in the building might be worse than the monster coming. People know they can’t stand Moe and Pastor Joan is an unknown quantity. If she does well at the interview and trial sermon. She just might get called despite the “ theological” objections. But if she is called she has to survive Last Lutheran.
Will Bobsled survive the bull? Will Pastor Joan survive Last Lutheran? Will Pigeon Falls survive Petrovich and his dribblets? And of course is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid?
*******

Today's Link-Step by Step- This blog informs of a 40 year old marrying a sixteen year old and asking your opinion. Leave an opinion and throw in a Dr. John.
There were three things I wanted to do today. I did none of them. My wife ( she who controls my oxygen) decided we should go through the stuff we brought from Pennie's side of the Duplex. Most of it got thrown away. But it took a long time. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GNYA

Win or Lose its Friday

Its Friday and time to play my blog game. Sometime this morning Betty will draw one name from the names of all the people who commented on this blog and on the links during the week. there is one chance for each day on this blog and one chance for each comment on the LINK. so one could have fourteen chances. One , of course , is enpough to win f you are lucky.

We offer as the priceless prize of the day the same thingy we offered last week. Margaret turned it down and got what was behind the last door. But I still think it would be helpful for somebody. It will light your grill or your fireworks and keep your hand away from the fire.

If you win and don't want it there are the doors. You never know what's behind them. It could be six rubber bands and two pencils, or a bicycle reflector and three Christmas pop ups, or it could be a Christmas train, or wind chimes. You take a chance and see waht you get.

This week I have changed the doors. I seem to have trouble with colors so I got rid of those doors and we have two doors with numbers. If you win and want a door just leave the number in the comment.

We will draw sometime his morning. Good luck.

@@@@- News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and Last Lutheran might be getting a new Pastor-The council of Last Lutheran met with the Bishop last night who gave them the name of Joan Castle. Pastor Castle has been serving in a multiple parish which was her first call. The Bishop thinks she would be a good match for Last Lutheran. She is conservative theologically . She cares very much about people. She is married but her husband has a job that takes him all over the UP and so they can live anywhere .
Some members of the Council expressed reservations about calling a woman Pastor. Last Lutheran has never had a woman Pastor was said several times. Somebody said that the Bible says woman should be silent in the church. At times the discussion got very heated. That’s when the Bishop played his trump card. If they turned down Pastor Castle it would be at least six months before he found another candidate. That would be okay because Pastor Moe would be glad to stay another six months or more. On that note the council voted unanimously to consider Pastor Castle.
Pastor Castle would now be invited to preach a sermon and meet the members of Last Lutheran at a luncheon.
*****

Today's Link-Unwoven-Some thoughts on what it means to be somebody's " The One". Leave a Dr. John in the comments.



















.......


Quilly- I have a feeling she doesn't need one of thingys because she is moving. But Quilly you can always choose a door. Leave your choice in the comments.
The morning was quiet. In the afternoon we went grocery shopping and mailed out the prizes to Kat and Margaret. We took my new scooter for the first time ( pictures next week). We discovered there was no way we could get it into the van using the ramp I bought for it. So we took it apart and loaded the three pieces in. It wasn't easy. Then we went to the grocery store where we took it out and put it together. It worked fine. I enjoyed grocery shopping. Afterward a nice lady stopped and helped us put it back in the van , again in three pieces. It is going to give me considerable freedom. There is a basket in the front where I can put my oxygen bottle. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

It's All About Me

Saying for the Day: Information is better than misinformation.

Thursday’s blog is all about me. If you have questions about Dr. John leave them in the comment and I will try to answer them in the weeks to come.

Today I thought I would share with you all the jobs I ever had in my working days.

Counselor Bay Cliff Health Camp– Two Summers

Deckhand on Great Lakes Ore Boat– Two summers

Santa Claus for Montgomery Wards –One Christmas Season

College Math Teacher – one year

Private Academy Math Teacher – One Semester

Dishwasher in Seminary Kitchen– Two years

Pastor – 40 years

Debate Coach– Fifteen Years

And that’s all about me for today.

@@@@New From Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and the White Star Rises– Mayor Trumble met with Eino yesterday to talk about the people who bought the old McGregor place. That’s the place at the very end of Darkwood Road. It’s so far out in the woods you almost have to get lost to find it. It was bought by some group that call themselves The White Star Rising. Eino thinks it might be a cult.
In any case they seem to have lots of money. They have built huge new buildings. Brought in a rather large heard of cows and plowed two of the fields. It wasn’t that much a farm when old man McGregor owned it. Eino has one of their brochures were they claim to be a place where a person can get back to nature and shake whatever addiction controls them. In the process they can meet the one true God above all other Gods.
They don’t come into Pigeon Falls accept to pick up supplies from the train station. They all wear these black undertaker outfits that make you nervous. The rumor is that they are working at setting up their own private airfield and soon won’t need the town at all. They are also , supposedly, working with Dr. Fortress to get a railroad siding so their supplies can come directly to the camp.
There is now a big chain metal fence around the property and people from the outside are not welcome.
Eino is afraid that it might be a camp for one of those militant or racist groups.
Mrs. Trumble said that they just have to wait and see.
*****

Today's Link-Pursuance of Truth- A bit of art a bit of poetry- The poor girl gets no comments. Leave a Dr. John in the comment.
I worked in the garage this morning. The man came and finished the walk in tub so I get to take a bath tonight. Peter and family arrived . They just came back from Disney World . They had all kinds of pictures to show us. They will take their dog home with them. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Fast Forward from Ralph 20

Saying for the Day: An idea shared is never lost.

It’s Wednesday and I share with you one of the E-mails that my friend Ralph forwarded to me.

Ralph Valine wrote:
Just some cool tricks...Hope they work?
USEFUL INFORMATION

A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then
Be resealed. (hmmmmmm...)
============ ========= ========= ========= =====
Use empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what
Appliance it belongs to.
============ ========= ========= ========= =====
For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: Get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it
All over the steps. They won't refreeze.
============ ========= ========= ========= =====
To remove old wax from a glass candle holder - Put it in the freezer
For a few hours. Then take the candle
Holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.
============ ========= ========= ========= =====
Crayon marks on walls? This works wonderfully! Use a damp rag ,

Dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease, that is!).
============ ========= ========= ========= =====
Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) - Put rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Whenever you purchase a box of S.O.S *Steel wool pads, immediately take a p air of scissors and cut each pad into half.
It is more economical. A box of S.O.S pads will last indefinitely! In
Fact, the scissors get "sharpened'' that way!
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a
Little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off
Every drop of blood. Works every time! (Now, where to put the body?)
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. Then you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a
Sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the
Light is turned on.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come.
You can also do this with towels and linen.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at
Least 3 hours prior to burning.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt
Will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop
Or two of dish soap and enough water to
Cover bottom of pan. Bring to a boil on stove top.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Spray your TUPPERWARE with
Nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces. No stains.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it
Will keep for weeks .
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out
The corn's natural sweetness.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on
Your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes
For future use in casseroles and sauces...... ...
Left over wine? What's that? :)
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the
Area and you will experience instant relief.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Ants, ants, ants everywhere Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Use air-freshener to clean mirrors It does
A good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle Simply put the scotch
Tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer..... ...
Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China.
============ ==== ============ ========= ========
Clean a vase.
To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with
Water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Polish jewelry.
Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Clean a thermos bottle.
Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let
soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Unclog a drain.
Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down
the drain followed by a cup of White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes and then run the hot water.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Burn your fingers?
Pour soy sauce over it and the burning sensation will immediately stop (and you have a good chance of not blistering, too.) I don't know why, but it just works.
============ ========= ========= ========= ======
Do your friends a favor. Pass this timely information on to a friend! I just did.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and the Liar’s Club summer contest goes on-Yesterday the latest contestant for the summer’s Liar’s Club contest read his story from the gazebo. His name was Allan Heyydan and he is from Cicero Illinois. Here is his story:
I am sure you have all heard the nonsense poem that begins “ Last night upon the stair I met a man who wasn’t there”. Until last night I thought it was a nonsense poem. But last night I met the man upon the stair. I’m staying out at my Uncle Harold’s place on 2 1/2 mile road. Well he is really my Uncle-in-law as his wife is my dad’s sister. Anyway I was on my way up to bed. When I stay at Uncle Harold’s I sleep on the second floor. I started up the steps to my bedroom when this little man suddenly appeared on the top step. He said “ I want some beer”. I screamed but just as Uncle Harold came to the foot of the stairs he blinked out. Uncle Harold though I was crazy. In all the years he has lived there there has never been a man upon the stairs that blinks out. You can ask him. So I went to bed but I didn’t sleep well. I had very bad dreams about a gorilla chasing me for a beer. In the morning my Aunt Bernice brought me a big glass of orange juice in her very favorite glass. It has some Green Bay Packer player on it. I’m a Bear’s fan myself. So I drank the orange juice, dressed and started downstairs. I just put my foot on the step when the little guy blinked in on the middle of the stairs. Again he asked for a beer. He so startled me I dropped the glass and it broke into an awful lot of pieces. Now I had ruined Aunt Bernice’s favorite glass. The little man looked at me waved his hand and the glass came back together. Just then Aunt Bernice came to see what the noise was. Again just before she got there he blinked out. Now I understand the rest of the poem, “ He was there again today. I wish! I wish! He’d stay away”. Now you might doubt this story but I brought the glass and if you look at it very closely you can see what look like tiny scratch marks. That’s where the glass was broken and put back together not with glue but with magic. I know I will never look at stairs the same way again. I hope the little guy gets his beer.
Allan got 10s from all the tourist judges but not so good from the locals. He ended up with a 9.2 which is now the score to beat.
*****

Today's Link- Covered with Love--A mixture of family and knitting. Leave a DR. John in the comment.
Another ordinary day. I worked in the garage a bit in the morning and the afternoon. The man came and put the tile in the bathroom. We are hoping the pool will dry up so we can box it and bring it back. It is like a bad dream. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Finland Page 4

Tervetuloa tiistaiselle suomi-sivullemme

Welcome to Our Tuesday Finland Page

Today's Finnish Video Brings us a little Finnish humor.

Then the phrase of the day.

What is that thing sticking out of your ear?

Mikä tuo korvastasi pilkottava juttu on?

@@@@News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and Last Lutheran may be getting a new Pastor– Eino got a call from the Bishop yesterday. The Bishop reminded him that Pastor Moe was only an interim pastor and as good as he is it’s time for the congregation to call their next pastor. Eino told the Bishop that he understands and that though the congregation might be a little upset at losing Pastor Moe it is time to bring in their own pastor. The Bishop asked Eino to arrange a council meeting for Thursday night and he would have a name of a candidate for them.
Eino who is chairman of the call committee called the chairman of the council to tell him the bad news. The chairman put down the Moe must go sign he was making and said to Eino, over and over “ God does answer prayers”. He then called all the other council members. Every member will be at the meeting.
In a small town like Pigeon Falls news spreads fast. People kept stopping in to Nancy’s for coffee and to talk about Pastor Moe leaving. Nancy reminds them that the congregation might reject the candidate the Bishop is offering and then they are still stuck with Moe until the Bishop finds a candidate they can accept.
Nancy wonders if the Bishop didn’t send Pastor Moe to be as bad as possible so the congregation would accept any candidate the Bishop offered. Then she thought that Bishop’s would never do a thing like that.
******

Today's Link-Adventures in Finland-A student in Finland gives you pictures of Estonia. Leave a Dr. John in the Comments.
I worked in the garage this morning> The pool man came and finished leveling the lawn. Then he went to put the pool up only to discover there were two pinholes in the bottom. I am now pulling out all my hair. This is the worst thing I have done. We will try to take it back and get another one. In the afternoon I went to the clinic and they took blood. I won't get the results until tomorrow.The tile man came he will work on the walk in tub tomorrow. If all goes well it will be done by Friday. Now I need a breathing treatment,
GBYA

Another Monday

Saying for the day- Little acts of kindness go a long way.

It’s leave a comment Monday. The day on which all across the internet people leave comments on every blog they visit. I have ended my work of bringing old sayings into the internet age.
Before I begin a new activity let me beg you to leave a comment.
Now I am offering some new sayings that in time could become old sayings.

1. A blog is not a blog without comments

2. A commentless blog is like a dead frog.
3. A good comment makes a mother proud.
4. Winners leave comments-losers read and run

5. Comments count.

I confess I am a comment addict. I need comments.
You can make me happy.
If you’re here from Blog Explosion don’t just wait your time leave a comment.
The only way a blog writer can know you read what was written is by a good comment or even a bad comment.

Every Monday I put aside my dignity and get down on one knee and beg for comments. I am so ashamed.

I will, however, not steal comments from other blogs. I draw the line there.

Please leave a comment.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and people mutter– Everyone stopping in to Nancy’s café this morning wanted to talk about Pastor Moe’s sermon. Members of Last Lutheran were upset. In general they didn’t feel that they were as bad as he made them out to be. One little old lady asks if all the quilts they made didn’t count for something. All those Fridays, all that sewing, and they didn’t even rate a thank you. Others asked about the money they raised for World Hunger and felt that they should get credit for that. Still others said they weren’t going back to church until Pastor Moe left. The Methodists that stopped for coffee seemed almost happy. They made comments like “ That Pastor really gave to the Lutherans. I wish I had been there to hear that.”
Bobsled Maki is limping around this morning. It seems in his latest attempt to ride the barrel he fell off and missed the hay. He seems to have pulled a muscle. Eino says that he hope that means Bobsled has given up his dream to ride a bull in this week’s rodeo. But Bobsled said it will take more than a pulled muscle to stop him.
******

Today's Link-Letting Me Be ...random wondering and philosophy- The modern city dweller looks at the wonder of camping. Leave a nature loving Dr. John in the comment for an extra chance in Friday's drawing.
The grandsons are gone. The house is quiet. I worked in the garage in the morning. The pool man is back but he won't finish today. The walk in bath tub is still not done. So much activity on the weekend that I took a long nap this afternoon. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

I'm Still Right

Saying for the Day-Sometimes, if after you've listened and heard and tried to understand, don't you need to throw the money lenders from the temple?

Last week we started on the problem of being right. I suggested that it is our belief in our own rightness that separates people and leads to acts of hatred. Because we are right we can bomb, beat, torture, segregate , insult, or demean. Those that are not right like us don’t deserve any better.
This lead to the question above which implies that sometimes we are right and we need to act on it.
The problem with the proper throwing out of the moneylenders is that we have to identify them first. Who are they in this age?

Are they illegal aliens?
Are they other religions?
Are they other races?
Are they those that don’t read the bible in the same way we do?

There are those that believe that the money changers are TV evangelists taking money from Old Women on Social Security who hardly have enough to live on. While the evangelist has a mansion, drives a big car, and flies all around the world. Others of course would disagree.

A long time ago I discovered that “ we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;”
Now I rely on the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I try not to judge. I let God take care of the money changers.

@@@@@News from Pigeon Falls-the little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and Pastor Moe still preaches – Pastor Moe had a stewardship sermon this morning. He said that most members of Last Lutheran were poor givers. Last Lutheran was last in Synod on giving per member. It was last in Synod on giving to Synod. It was one of the worst congregations on paying their pastor. It was just a failure as a congregation. Now it was time to shape up. He passed out pledge cards and said he wanted them back by next Sunday and he wanted to see a significant increase in giving. He even slammed his fist on the pulpit to emphasize that this was important. Tom Vehanen, who was sleeping, woke up at that point with such a start he almost fell out of the pew.
Everyone from Last Lutheran seemed to have gone home angry. The truth sometimes hurts and even angers.
*****

Today's Link-Zanymuse- She has a new camera and a great picture to show for it. Leave a Dr. John in the comment .
I had a great day. Betty, Pennie and I went to Church in the morning. It was a great service with the Vacation Bible School kids singing. Then we went out with Pat , Curtis and the boys to Tumbleweed.The boys, Patrick . Curtis and Pennie then went to Air World. Betty and I came home. In the afternoon Pat brought some plywood to the basement for me. Then Pat, Curtis, Alex and I played canasta until late in the evening. Curtis and I won both games. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Pictures of the WEEK

@@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– the little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and Vernon Maki wants to make history– Old Vernon Bobsled Maki told Eino , this morning, that he intends to make Pigeon Falls history and be the first man from Pigeon Falls to ride a bull in the rodeo. Bobsled , you remember, got his name by trying out for the Olympic Bobsled team. He might have made it too if he hadn’t lost control on that last curve and shot out of the run and in to that tree. By the time he could walk again without crutches the Olympic tryouts were long over. Now he is going to ride a bull.
To get ready he has been riding a barrel stretched between four ropes. His son, Pavo, and friends have been pulling the ropes and trying to spill him while he practices holding on to the rope with one hand and not touching himself or the bull( barrel) with the other. He has been dumped into the hay a number of times but he thinks now he is ready. He wanted to try one of those mechanical bulls but the Fly Inn doesn’t have one and he couldn’t find a place near Pigeon Falls that did. The Fly Inn said that it doesn’t have the room and if it did it would be afraid to put one in for fear of a lawsuit if somebody gets hurt.
Eino reminded Bobsled of the two broken legs that he suffered when he last tried to get into the record books but Bobsled this time he is sure he can do it.
******

Today's Link--A Wayward Soul- She shares with us the start of a new garden- Leave a Dr. John bulb in the comment for another Friday chance.
In the morning Betty, Pennie, Patrick, Curtis and the boys went off to a place for the boys to play. I worked in the garage. They came back and got me to go to the movie Fantastic Four. It was the last screen in a theater with fourteen screens and it was a long walk. I used up a good part of a small oxygen tank getting there. In the middle of the picture I had to go to the bathroom which was on the other end of the theater. I made it to the bathroom but there was no way I could get back to the screen. That's when the ticket lady said I could bring in my scooter. So Pennie and Betty got the scooter and pushed it in , putting it in neutral. I got on but when I turned the key we got beeps and no go. So they pushed me back to the screen. The picture was not that great. Afterward I came home. The scooter wouldn't run because they left it in neutral . When we got home it worked fine.Poor Curtis lost his wallet. I took a nap. Some man called and found Curtis's wallet so Pennie and Curtis went to get it. What a day!Then they moved us from one side of the duplex to the other. Now I am going to take a bath and have a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Win or Lose it's Friday

Saying for the day-Some days you lose and some days you lose.Winning is not allowed.

It is time for that contest which is shaking up the internet.

Where we give away a priceless prize every week.

Where all you have to do to enter is leave comments.

One a day on this blog and one a day on the link.

For ever comment you get a chance.,

This week hasa many more entries than last week.

The priceless prize today is one of those thingies that you use to light your grill.
Or you could use it to light off fireworks ( if its legal in your state).

Now if you don't need one of those there are two doors. One orange and one blue.

Behind those doors - who knows. It could be six rubber bands and a paper clip. It could be a DVD about Stalin. It could be a Christmas train or six left over Christmas finger puppets. The one thing for sure is it will be different every week. You pick your door and you take your chance.

But first you have to be drawn.

The drawing will happen when Betty gets up and I finish adding in yesterday's comments.

One other thing, as Margaret and Stacy can tell you , don't expect fast delievery of the prize as I procrastinate a lot.

Good luck.

@@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life goes on as normal.– Next weekend the rodeo is coming to Pigeon Falls. It will be held at the old fair grounds where the stands are fairly solid. Most of the time it’s just used for racing old cars but once a year the rodeo comes. People are looking forward to it. It brings a little change into otherwise boring lives. The normal everyday things like washing clothes, fishing, snf taking saunas get tiring after a bit. The rodeo offers a little change of pace. Not that any of the local people have ever taken part in the actual rodeo events. Eino keeps saying he is going to ride a bull but he never does. No! The rodeo is just for viewing not doing. But it is coming and people can hardly wait.
Nancy and Tommy TW are now looking to be married in early September. For a short time they toyed with the idea of being married on Pigeon Falls Day. Then they could ride in an open car in the parade with a sign that said “Just Married”. It was such a romantic idea. Pastor Moe pointed out that to make the parade they would have to get married at 7:00 in the morning. So they gave up on that idea. Instead they will ride in the parade with a sign that says “ Soon to be Married”. They could of course change their minds again before the parade.
*****

Today's Link-What a Life-AY! Que Vida!- Find out what you can learn from a dog. Then leave a housebroken Dr. John in the comment for a chance at next week's drawing.

One small change. we had my grandson Elijah do the drawing.

And....























Margaret

Congratulations Margaret. All those comments on the link of the day are paying off. Now let us know if you want the prize or to take a chance on the door.
So Margaret has picked door number three and passed up a lovely fireplace mantle cross. ( I see number two as orange while others seem to see it as red.
Behind the door she picked a wonderful DVD on Gardening. I will mail it out first thing after I mail out Kat's prize from last week.
It was a fairly good day. The grandkids got a lot done in the basement. Then they played with the dogs and on the computers. I took a nap. I finished the day playing canasta, Alex and I against Pennie and Betty . Alex and I won. Now it's late and I still need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Its All About Me

Saying for the Day- I would love to just be able to get a raft and float around my pool all day. Catch

It’s Thursday and this blog is “ All About Me”. Every Thursday I will share something that is happening in my life, or some part of my history , or something about me.
Today I want to do some crying. Or you could call it whining. I have a problem that started last Saturday and is all Catch’s fault. Now you wouldn’t think that Catch who lives far away, I have never met, and is such a nice and sweet person could cause me a problem. But believe me Bob she has. Because of her I am ready to jump up and down and scream. I am ready to bang my head against the wall until it stops hurting.
You may wonder what did Catch do. I will tell you what she did. She kept telling us how wonderful her pool was. She kept describing the joy she got from it. After reading all of that I decided I needed a pool. I no longer wanted one. I needed one and it was all Catch’s fault.
So last Saturday I( sent my son out to buy( on my card) a four foot deep, eighteen foot in diameter pool. It came with all the pumps and filters and other do dads that you need to be a pool owner.
He took it out of the box and went to set it up when we discovered that the back yard which looked level from the patio doors was not level. In fact it had a nasty slope . There was no way we could set that pool up on that lawn. That gave us three alternatives. We could put it back in the box and return it, we could build and level a platform to put it on, or we could dig down and level the space.
Because I needed that pool we rejected taking it back. My son said building a platform would be a snap. So off he went to Menards with my credit card. He came back with piles of plywood and two by fours. He put them together to make a platform. It looked great. Then we tried to level it. It bent in the middle. The frame needed to be redesigned . Every screw had to come out. My son quit and went back to Madison.
Now I have a back yard with no pool and a great big plywood platform.
Monday morning I put the oldest grandson to work removing the screws and stacking the plywood. By the end of the day we were back to square one.
So the next day I called our handyman whose name is Pete ( but is not my son). He said building a platform was a bad idea because of the weight of a pool that size. We had to dig it out but it would be no problem. He would come Wednesday and do the digging.
Wednesday he stacked out the area. Then decided it was a bigger job than he though and he would need some special tools which he had to rent. He would have them by Thursday. ( And a piece of our picket fence has to come out)
So here I sit waiting for him to come. I still have no pool. This is all Catch’s fault.
I have to quit writing while I bang my head against the wall to stop the pain.
But the pool will be wonderful.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and Herman Periwinkle plots.– Poor Herman Periwinkle is stuck taking accordion lessons because his father wants him to. It seems his grandfather played the accordion in some kind of band called Periwinkle’s Bandits and Herman’s father thinks Herman should have the same talent. But Herman hates it so he has obtained help from his good friend Tommy UK. Together they have devised a way to set Herman free. First Herman has to practice harder and louder. Every twenty minutes or so he needs to go to one parent or the other and ask how this song sounds. Then he need to play the song with lots of mistakes. Then every day until the recital he needs to increase his practice time until its up to two hours. At the same time he needs to tell his parents how much fun he is having and that he is thinking he needs to practice even more. He also is to remind them that the recital is coming and he wants them to be the proudest parents there. He will dedicate every number to them. The rest Tommy UK says he will take care of at the recital.
Eino , who always tries to make sense out of everything has been doing a follow up to The Dream. He has the remains of the box from Petrovich’s renter . But it is so badly burned and the parts seem to have exploded that there is very little there to help. The renter is gone. He used a fake name and paid Petrovich in cash. The fire destroyed any fingerprints. No matter where he turns Eino hits a stone wall.
Fred And Alex are home from Mayo’s Clinic. They both look great. They have set some kind of record for just sleeping. Alex says he had some great dreams but Fred isn’t talking he’s just glad to be home.
Will we ever know anything about the box? Will they ever find Petrovich’s renter? Will Eino keep trying to make sense out of this? Will Herman’s plan work or will he be stuck practicing three hours a day forever? And ,of course, is Tommy the Undertaker’s Kid really the undertaker’s kid?
******
Today’s Link-Gentle Retreat- Your chance to go to a Rose Tea and get some recipes even better than my baloney and jam sandwich. Leave a tasty Dr. John in the comment.
Another good and bad day. The plumber came that was a good thing. Again he didn't finish that was a bad thing. The man who is digging out the pool space can't come until Monday that's a bad thing. We got started early in the basement that was a good thing but the plumber threw us out because he needed to use an open flame and I had oxygen that was a bad thing. We got a lot of sorting done in the garage which was a good thing. Took the boys to Cullver’s for lunch. I had a banana split which was the worst banana split I have ever had. But they were well behaved which was a good thing. Then we went shopping and they bought junk with the money I gave them for helping me which they though was a good thing and I thought was a bad thing. Now they have all gone with Maggie to doggie kindergarten which is a good thing. But they left me to dog sit Spanky which is not such a good thing. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Fast Forward from Ralph 19

Saying for the Day: Words from a friend are always welcome.

It’s Wednesday and I share with you one of the E-mails that my friend Ralph forwarded to me.

This time:

Story with a Moral

! In 1923, Who Was:

1. President of the largest steel company?

2. President of the largest gas company?

3. President of the New York Stock Exchange?

4. Greatest wheat speculator?

5. President of the Bank of International Settlement?

6. Great Bear of Wall Street?


These men
Were considered some of the worlds most successful
Of their days.

Now,
80 years later,
The history book asks us,
If we know
What ultimately became of them.

The Answers:

1. The president of the largest steel company.
Charles Schwab,
Died a pauper.

2. The president of the largest gas company,
Edward Hopson,
Went insane.

3. The president of the NYSE,
Richard Whitney,
Was released from prison
To die at home.

4. The greatest wheat speculator,
Arthur Cooger,
Died abroad, penniless.

5. The president of
The Bank of International Settlement,
Shot himself.

6. The Great Bear of Wall Street,
Cosabee Livermore,
Also committed suicide.

However:
In that same year,
1923,
The PGA Champion
And
The winner of
The
Most important golf tournament,
The US Open,
Was
Gene Sarazen.
What became of him?

He played golf until he was 92,
Died in 1999 at the age of 95.
He was financially secure
At the time of his death.

The Moral:

Screw work.
Play golf.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, and kids still take music lessons.– Herman Periwinkle , son of the Periwinkle that runs Pigeon Falls only gas station, is taking accordion lessons. It’s not something he wants to do but something his father said he had to do. Herman wanted to learn to play the guitar but for some reason the elder Periwinkle frowns on guitar playing ( he frowns on a lot of other things too). So every night for an entire hour poor Herman has to practice. While he practices he dreams of fishing or climbing trees or even guitar playing. He hates the accordion . He has begged his mother to talk to his father but she says if he works hard and does a good job his father might let him take guitar lessons. Besides everything he is learning about music will transfer to the guitar. So he tries. But he has a problem. He can’t get his right hand and his left hand to play together. One hand plays keys and the other hand plays buttons. His hand on the buttons keeps getting lost. His teacher, Jack’s wife ( who is also the organist at Last Lutheran) is trying to get him ready for a recital in three weeks. So far all he can play is “ Home Sweet Home” and that doesn’t sound to sweet. Sometimes you can almost see the relief on her face when his half hour lesson is over. But Mr. Periwinkle thinks he is doing great. Herman’s grandfather, Percival Periwinkle played the accordion so the talent must run in the family. Herman keeps wondering if he could turn his father in to Social Services because making him practice constitutes child abuse. Instead he has gone to his good friend Tommy UK and together they have hatched a plan to end the lessons once and for all.
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Today's link-Twaddle Every Day Rubbish- A mother's tribute to one of her sons with pictures. If you can make it to the end leave a tribute from Dr. John in the comment.
It was not the best of days or the worst of days. Mylongs were about as good as they get so I only needed one small bottle of oxygen so that was good. We got another shelf up so that was good, We went through six more boxes so that was good. The plumber said he could do it all today but he couldn't that was bad. The man doing the digging for the pool decided he needed a different tool so that was bad. The grass cutter wouldn't start so that was bad. The weed whacker malfunctioned and wouldn't whack weeds so that was bad. Pennie took Betty and the boys to the movies that was good. I stayed home and dog sat and Pete's dog barked and I mean barked the entire time the boys were gone. That was bad. I redid my link list and added three new links. That was good. So now I need a breathing treatment ( neither good nor bad just necessary.)
God Bless You All