Lets go Shopping

Saying for the day: A zillion anything is a lot.
Yesterday was Betty’s birthday and we went looking for the prime appliances for our new home. I promised her I would stay out of the way and she could do the choosing . She knew that if I choose I would simply find the thing with the lowest price tag and say get this. She, on the other hand, had studied Consumer Reports and had a little notebook of things she wanted. It was bells and whistles time.
Wee started in the refrigerator section. That was the first shock. As my kids used to say there were zillions of them, They were had freezers on top, on the bottom, and on the side. They were in white ,red, and almost any other color. They had shelves that rolled, folded, and zipped up and down. It wasn’t like that the last time I got a refrigerator ( a zillion years ago). There were more bells and whistles than in a top of the line car. The prices went from high to through the roof. Betty picked one with a freezer on the side, in white, with just an average number of bells and whistles and it only cost $1000. I would have picked the special which was only $499. But then she measured it and it was two inches too tall. She was so disappointed that I suggested we go back to the house and measure the space again. With the measurements she had there were only seven of the zillion that she could choose from. ( For me that was okay because they were all under a thousand)
Then we went to the washer and dryers. There were a zillion of those too. There were front loaders, and top loaders. There were dryers that sat on top of washers. If refrigerators had bells and whistles enough for an ordinary car the bells and whistles here were fit for a Cadillac . I remember the last time we bought a washer and dryer the washer s just washed and the dryers just dried. Now they fluff and do all sorts of magic things. Betty picked a washer and dryer that loaded from the front and had windows. Window in a washer . Whose crazy idea was that. You can sit and watch your clothes wash( Beats what’s on TV and its clean). The pair only cost $1900. I would have picked a pair of top loading that only cost $850. But I promised and it was her birthday.
Then we went to stoves. More zillions. More bells and whistles. You would be surprised what a stove can do. There was even one that had two ovens. A little one for Pizza and TV dinners and a big one for real cooking. The last time we bought a stove ..( we never bought a stove. They came with the house) Betty picked one with the fancy top. You know with no burners but it still cooks. It had a lot but not all the bells and whistles. It only cost $999. The one I would have picked cost $349 and had burners on the top.
WE came home and measured the refrigerator space again. We could just barely get the one she wants in there. So today we go and get all these space age marvels. Our kitchen and laundry room would do the starship Enterprise well. We will have spent $2000 more than we needed to. But Betty will be happy and that is worth a few dollars.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, poltergeists do what poltergeists do, and the Liar’s Club contest ends-
Buddy East, President and High Mucky Muck, of the Liar’s Club reminded the members that the dragon contest ends today. ( See the entries-HERE -Tomorrow the entries will go to the judging committee. They have until Easter to decide on the winner. It will not be easy. There is everything from love sick dragons to dragons that eat kids. How do you choose between them. They have until Easter. Besides the plaque is not back from the factory yet. All the world is made up of procrastinators.
Tommy UK stopped into Nancy’s for a cup of tea. He likes tea. While he was there the saffron buns slowly piled themselves in the shape of a dragon. Tommy UK thought that was neat trick and asked Nancy how she did it. She said that Eino thought it was odd wind currents but she thinks she has a poltergeist. Its not a bad poltergeist, just a playful one. At that point the tea went from the tea pot to the front of the bun dragon so it looked like fire coming out of the mouth of the dragon. Then it went backed to the pot and the buns returned to normal. Tommy clapped. Be careful, Nancy said, or it will follow you out and you really don’t want a personal poltergeist. Nancy doesn’t know Tommy that well. He would be delighted to have a playful poltergeist.
Tommy TW stopped in to Nancy’s for a cup of coffee. There was nobody else in the coffee shop. So he leaned across the table and kissed her. Just then the water picture rose into the air and poured water over the both them. It appears we have a jealous poltergeist as well as playful. Nothing like a jug of water properly applied to cool passion. Tommy TW suggested they get an exorcist to drive the poltergeist out. Nancy is considering the idea.
Who will win the great dragon story contest ? Will Tommy UK ever get a poltergeist of his own? Can an exorcist help? Is the poltergeist in love with Nancy? And of course “ Is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid?
*****

Today's Link- Life is Like an Analogy- Here is some help in picking a graduate school for the right reasons. Even if you don't plan on going this might be good to read. Leave a Dr. John in the comment. Please
We bought a washer, a dryer, a refrigerator, and a stove plus the extended warranties. It was a good morning. They will be delivered just after we get our furniture here from Crystal Falls. Then all my kids gathered here for Betty's birthday. The grandkids played with the dog and spent some time with me. I told them stories. We all went out to super at the Old Country Buffet. Then we came back and spent some more time together. It was another of those wonderful days with just no time for blogging. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Go Read the Poop

Saying for the day- Everything is good for something.
Tree huggers of the world I have good news for you. They have found a way to make paper that doesn’t involve killing trees. Of course, we already recycle old paper to make new paper and save trees that way. But the old paper started as trees. This is paper made from the start without trees but it does involve recycling. What is recycled is a substance nobody wants and that just piles up.
The great scientists of China and Thailand have discovered a way to make paper out of Elephant and Panda poop. Apparently the stuff is just chuck full of the fiber needed to make paper. Now to get the stuff for the paper mill you won’t need an axe but a shovel.
Just think your next book might be written on the droppings of a cute little panda. Your next exciting novel on the out pouring of a mighty elephant. It boggles the mind.
They have even developed a symbol to put on the poop products . It is an elephant or a panda wearing reading glasses and holding a piece of paper.
So as you reach for the toilet paper and see the cute little panda you’ll know it’s a wonderful use for poop.
The only thing that gives me pause is the possibility of seeing the cute panda or mighty elephant on my Kleenex.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls the little town in my garage where the trains still run, dragons fly, poltergeists do what they do, and the Liar’s Club contest is coming to an end.-After last night’s basketball banquet it’s a wonder if those kids don’t have swelled heads. They were told over and over that they were the greatest thing ever to happen to Pigeon Falls . They were heroes. They were special. This was the greatest moment in their lives. It went on and on. Suddenly when the speaker was lifting their praises to the ceiling the punch from the punch bowl flowed up the side and then up into the air and down over the speaker which sort of dampened his enthusiasm. Nobody could figure out what made it do that but nobody really wanted to speak after that. Nancy’s poltergeist strikes again.
The Liar’s Club met thi smorning over breakfast to hear a dragoon story from Alstair:
Jim’s dragon
Jim had a dragon. It wasn’t a big impressive dragon, though it did
fill a fair amount of any room he went into, except the library, which had high
ceilings and lots and lots of space between the rows and rows of old books in
which to park a mythical creature.

Jim’s dragon had been with him for as long as he could remember,
certainly way back into his childhood. It seemed to have grown with him,
because although it had always been bigger than him, it had never been big
enough to make him feel anxious or afraid of it. The dragon never
spoke, growled, or made much noise. It didn’t even breathe fire. It
did belch once and a small flame leapt out of its right nostril, and Jim thought
that he’d heard a mumbled ‘pardon’ but couldn’t be sure.

Jim was sure the dragon was a male dragon, but he wasn’t sure why.
It just looked ‘manly’ in a ‘dragon-esque’ kind of way.

What puzzled Jim was people’s reaction to his Dragon, it was like the
old phrase ‘the elephant in the room’. People seemed to notice Jim’s
Dragon, look it up and down, then ignore it and carry on with whatever they
were doing or saying. It didn’t usually involve any sort of
acknowledgement of Jim or the Dragon, no one seemed to want to note that Jim
existed. Or his Dragon.

One day, in Jim’s favourite corner of the library something
happened. As he stood between the dusty stacks of ancient books a young
woman turned the corner, she looked a Jim, looked at his dragon, and
smiled. It was only then that Jim noticed, standing at the end of the
aisle, another dragon. This dragon had a definite feminine air about
it. Jim’s dragon winked at him, walked towards the other dragon, their
tails entwined, and they disappeared.

Jim was left alone with the young woman. She smiled at him and the
conversation began.

Buddy East reminded the group that the contest ends tomorrow. All entries can be seen by clicking HERE.
******

Today's link-First the Bad News- Just a Sauna in a bottle. Well it makes you sweat.- Leave a DR. John in the comment. Please
WE went looking at appliances today. Tomorrow we buy. Today was Betty's birthday. We celebrate tomorrow and all of the kids and grandkids will be here. I watched my soaps. A firm offer has been made on our UP house and we have accepted. I began making arrangements to have our furniture moved the week after Easter. I called my sister to let her know the good news. All in all not much time for blogging. Now I will have a breathing treatment.
GBYA

A Finnish Klingon Politican

Saying for the Day- A good politician is a contradiction in terms.

I try to keep up with what is happening in Finland because it is a creative little country. In my studies I ran across the fact that in March, incumbent parliamentary candidate Jyrki Kasvi launched the new version of his campaign Web site, written entirely in the Star-Trek language Klingon.
Unlike American politicians Finnish politicians want to reach every minority group. They know that people who speak Klingon vote ( except for those couple of far too smart twelve year olds). The Finnish motto is “ no vote left behind”.
Knowing our American politicians willingness to copy a good thing it won’t be long before we have American campaign web-sites in Klingon . Then the much harder to accomplish but still possible website in Vulcan will follow. Perhaps even a website in Borg. You place your hands on the computer screen and you will be instructed how to vote.( Resistance is futile)
There are so many possibilities now that the Finns have opened the box.
There is a language that no American politician would dare to publish a website in. You can find it in the “Inheritance Series” and in “ The Wheel of Time”. It is called the Old Tongue or the old language. It has magic qualities. The problem with it is that you can not lie in it and any promise you make must be kept.
What could an American politician put in such a website? His or her name and that’s about it. After that the false promises and the lies begin.
If only they were real languages we might require all politicians to have a website in the Old Tongue. It sure would help us poor citizens.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where basketball is king, trains still run, and the Liar’s Club contest will soon close.– Big basketball dinner tonight. They asked Pastor Moe to give the opening prayer he, of course, declined. The Methodist Pastor was more than willing. Pastor Moe has upset those parents that belong to Last Lutheran and have sons on the team. He doesn’t seem to care because he knows he is right and that’s what counts.
The Liars’ Club met yesterday and read Quilldancer’s entry/ Here it is:
I'm a school teacher well respected in my community and not given to flights of fancy, but I swear, my newest student, Jimmy, is a dragon. I saw him change the other day. It was nearing lunchtime. He said he was very, very hungry and he had to eat. He said if he didn't eat, something bad would happen. I reminded him that recess was in 20 minutes, and lunch would be right after. He insisted that he'd never make it. Of course, I thought he was exaggerating.

About 15 minutes later I told the students to finish up their math and get ready for recess. They tidied their desks and lined up at the door. Jimmy was in the back of the line. Tulie, our classroom bully, was right in front of Jimmy. I signaled the student line leader to open the door and told everyone to walk to the playground. As they filed out, the air around Jimmy started to shimmer. In the blink of my eye he transformed into a huge, yellow-bellied, grayish-green dragon. In the next instant, with a glup and a burp, he swallowed Tulie.

Almost immediately Jimmy was Jimmy again and the dragon was gone. Tulie was gone as well. He has never been seen again. There is an amber alert out for Tulie and his picture is being circulated far and wide, yet I predict he will never be found. I would tell the police what I saw, but I am afraid they'd never believe me and my career would suffer. Besides, the classroom is rather pleasant now that Tulie is gone, and I owe Jimmy a good turn for getting rid of him. Of course, to keep Jimmy from eating anyone else, I keep plenty of classroom snacks on hand, and Jimmy gets the dragon's share of them.

The other entries can be read by clicking HERE. Contest ends March 31.
*****

Tpday's Link-Musings of a Maniac- Another look at American Idol with somme very clear opionions. Please leave a very clear Dr. John in the comments.
I started a new book but its not as interesting. I watched my soaps. We went shopping. We bought nothing. I visited most of my links. Thus went another dull day in the life of Linna. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Fast Forward from Ralph 9

Saying for the day: Good advice is seldom taken.

My good friend Ralph forwards things to me. Some are good some are weird. The best I think should be shared with a larger group-. This one makes you stop and think.

Slow Dance

This is a poem written by a teenager with cancer.
This poem was written by a terminally ill young girl in a New York Hospital.
SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids

On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.


@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls- The little town in my garage where trains still run, basketball is king, and the Liar’s Club story contest goes on..– They have a big dinner planned tomorrow at the Masonic Hall for the basketball players. They asked to hold it at Last Lutheran but Pastor Moe said he was having none of that nonsense there.
The Liar’s Club met yesterday to hear this entry from Margaret: This afternoon they meet to hear a story from Quilldancer.
Margaret’s story:
It's that time of the year again. Spring! When a backyards and imaginations awaken with renewed experiences. Where fairy tales tag themselves onto each brand new discovery. Today our story begins at the South Pole. A garden in the far corner of our backyard that Mommy uncovered from the fallen Great Oak leaves that blanketed the area over the winter.

Last weekend a bunch of colorful teacups sprouted up from the ground here. Mommy says they are two lips, and that I'm not supposed to pick them or drink out of them, but to tip toe by. So I did, but not without stepping on a tiny little Santa Claus that was buried under some leaves. Turns out there were seven little Santa's taking naps under there. Of course, Mommy disagreed and insisted that Santa takes his naps at his home at the North Pole and that these little fellows were called Gnomes.
I had to set Mommy straight, for these are baby Santa Clauses and this was their home, here at the tiny South Pole where they can have dance, laugh and have fun like all other children. Just like the baby dragons that live here in the Dragon Bush.

"Dragons!" gasped Mommy, "There aren't any dragons living here that is for sure!"
"Sure they do Mommy, look!" I said as I counted eight tiny dragons playing hide and seek behind the bright pink flowers on her prized Camellia Bush. "See, I told you so!"
Somewhere far, far away in Australia is a giant beanstalk that has grown way up into the clouds. On one of those clouds is where the Mommy and Daddy Dragon live. There aren't any flowers, grass, friends, butterflies or other fun things for their baby dragons to do up there. It isn't safe either, for when they are big enough to practice flying they can fall off!!
Because its such a long fall down their Mommy and Daddy thought it was best to bring them down here, to the South Pole to grow up and play. They can have tea parties and tip toe! The fairies that make the wind chimes jingle when they fly by will teach the little dragons how to fly very fast. The Santa Clauses will show them where secret treasures like marbles and diamonds can be found. Then teach them how to share, travel and sell Geico Auto Insurance Policies.

Mommy then stood up, brushed the grass and dirt from her knees and walked away with the leaf bag. Mumbling something about how I'm watching a little too much television lately. That's okay though, for tomorrow afternoon she plans on working over in the rose garden. That's when I'll warm her up to the truth about Global Warming.

The other stories in the contest can be read by clicking HERE.
*****

Link for today:Random Stuff from Random People- If you think little children say nice things visit this blog. Please leave a Dr. John in the comment.
I finished the book and I feel lost. I need v olume six and I don't have it. It will be some time begfore I get to Barnes and Noble . I did watch my soaps and I watched Law and Order CI. I played with the dog. I visited most of my links. I brought the Pigeon Falls website up to date.
But I still feel lost. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Book Addiction

Saying for the day:The Wheel of Time turns and weaves into it’s fabric another blog.
I am addicted.
I have a book addiction.
These are some of the symptoms of book addiction:
1. You don’t want to put the book down to do those things you know you have to do.
2. You begin to think in the terms of the book.
3. The people around you begin to be seen as characters in the book.
4. You begin to vision yourself as the hero or heroine.
5. When you reach the end of the book you feel lost.
I have all these symptoms. I am reading a series of books called “The Wheel of Time”. If I could I would read all day. I feel with the characters. I have begun to think of time as a wheel which weaves the stories of life. I use terms from the book and Betty looks at me like senility has arrived. I am addicted.
The only good thing about book addiction is I will finish the book. Then I will go through book withdrawal . I will feel lost and empty. But it will pass and I will get caught up in my soaps again. One has to be addicted to something.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– Where the trains still run, dragons fly, and the dragon contest drags on– The Pigeon Falls Liar’s Club met yesterday and read the entry from Wheezie. They will meet again this afternoon to read the entry from Margaret. Here is Wheezie’s entry:
VARISHA AND THE OTHER DRAGON

Vashira was stalking her prey, it was a Freshien walking along minding its own business, and it did not notice a thing. Varisha is a 150-year-old dragon, still young by dragon standards. She was the only one left in the world, her mother dead, father ripped to shreds before her eyes as a hatchling. Now she was the only one left, she was golden reddish so she blends in well with her surroundings since it was fall. Now back to stalking, it has been at least 1 week since Vashira last meal, and boy was she hungry. The Freshien she was stalking was a young one, still fresh and bright green making it easy to spot in the autumn. Varisha’s prey still didn’t know what was going on. This was her chance; she let out a mighty roar and leapt. Varisha caught it right in between her mighty jaws, which could easily have crushed a full-grown hippo.

With a full belly, she flew home. Happy and content Varisha settled down for the night. Fast asleep, at first she didn’t know that she is silently, being watched, watching her while she slept was a pair of green eyes that did not fade. When Varisha first woke up in the morning, she got the absolute surprise of her life. There, sitting right in front of her, was another dragon.
“WH-who are you?” Varisha asked in complete surprise “I thought I was the only one left…” “My name is Glaedr, and I too thought I was the only one left. That I, until I caught a whiff of your scent and I thought, maybe, just maybe, there were two of us, instead of one.” he answered in a calm, deep voice. There was a moment of silence between the two dragons. Varisha got up and studied him, Glaedr eyes, likewise, followed her as she traveled back and forth on the cave floor. As she studied him, Varisha noticed that he was a magnificent black, almost like a beetles shell as she had seen many Goron sized before, which are about two feet in length, and can give a nasty bite. She suddenly, after not seeing another dragon since the death of her father, felt uncomfortable. Glaedr, sensing this came over and snorted into her nostrils (in dragon language, this means, “do not be afraid I will not harm you”.) Varisha’s relaxation after this gesture was most noticeable she immediately started to get comfortable around Glaedr. Then he asked, “Would you like to go for a fly in the sky?” “Why- yes, yes I would.” She answered.
Two months later, they were the proud parents of Larshieka, the female white dragon and Freiska, the boy yellow dragon. Although Varisha and Glaedr had only met a couple of months earlier, their love for each other is still, and always will be, undying forever.
Just a reminder that this and all the entries can be read at the Liar’s Club website by clicking HERE.
*****

Today's Link-Enter the Laughter- Some analogies to help in your writing (negative example). Leave a Dr. John in the comment like a rock falling on a train being dropped by a bird for no good reason.
Another dull day. I spent most of the day reading. I did watch my soaps. I visited most of my links. My sister Dawn called to check on the dog. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Monday so leave a comment

Saying for the Day- A nice comment can lift a sorrowing spirit.

It is “ Leave a comment Monday” and it is time for me to go on with my never ending task of bringing old sayings to the internet age. Here is the next group of twenty.

1. Early to bed early to rise gives a man time to comment
2. Easier said than commented on
3. Eat drink and leave comments
4. End of one's comment

5. Every dog has his comment
6. Failure is the stepping stone to better comments
7. Faint comment never won fair maiden
8. Fair weather comments

9. Falling apart like a cheap comment
10. Feel it in my comments
11. First come, first commented on
12. Fish or make comments

13. Fit as a comment
14. Fly in the comment
15. Fool's names and fool's faces always show up in comments
16. Fools comment in where Angel's fear to tread

17. For commenting out loud
18. For from the madding comment
19. Free as a comment
20. Fresh as a comment

Now leave a comment. Please.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, little boys talk to rocks, basketball is king, and the dragon is back-The basketball team arrived about two o’clock yesterday afternoon. There was a parade down main
street with the boys in a school bus . Suddenly above the bus was our lonely dragon. He escorted the bus to the end of the street and then flew out into the woods. It seemed good to have the dragon back as part of the big celebration. Somebody said there was something different about the dragon. It flew more like a bird then it had before. It was more a feeling than anything else. Tommy UK said that he didn’t see any difference. It could be that the long wait for the dragons return caused people to see things that weren’t there. Mrs. Trumble says that she didn’t have the dragon slayer with her or there would be one less dragon however it flies.
Pastor Moe wasn’t there for the parade but he said that he didn’t believe in dragons and that people must have been drunk. He wanted to see it before making any other comments. He joins with Eino in believing there is some kind of trick.
Nancy says that most of the people who stopped in for coffee where glad the dragon was there as it just seemed right. Her poltergeist seemed to think so too as her tea cups piled themselves up into the shape of a dragon. People coming in marveled at the display. Nancy has gotten used to the strange goings on and ignored the cups. At the end of the day they piled themselves back on the shelf where they belonged. Eino is going to have a hard time explaining this one with air currants. At least the poltergeist doesn’t break anything.
*****

Today's link-Gourmet Knitting Disaster- Which has nothing to do with knitting but disaster that's another thing. Dent the comment with a Dr. John please.
Another dull day. I printed out my December blog entries to send to my sister. Now I am only three months behind. I watched my soaps. I did some reading. I visited my links.
Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

My Church Home

Saying for the Day- As you do unto the least of these my brothers so you do unto me.

Today Betty and I join St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. From our first visit we knew this church was special. You could feel God working in the midst of it.
From my experience there are three kinds of churches.
1. An island for the saved standing against an evil world.
2. A club or organization like the Masons.
3. A servant group called by God to serve.
In a very clear way you can tell which group a church is in by its funeral practices.
1. The island group will bury only its own. If you aren’t an active member then they can not ask God’s blessing on you.
2. The second group has a budget to meet. They have to charge for funerals. If you use the church there is a charge. If you use the pastor there is a charge. They need the money. They are always worried about the budget.
3. The servant church sees people in grief and in need. They reach out to help in any way they can.
Last Wednesday I asked the pastor what the funeral practice was at St. Marks. How much did they charge to use the church. He looked at me as if I didn’t understand. There was no charge for funerals, no charge for the use of the building, no charge for the pastor and they were there for anybody who asked for help. But there was one more thing they provided a free lunch after the funeral. They neither encouraged nor requested any offering to cover the cost. They were a servant church.
This church belongs to almost every serving group in town from Nursing Home ministry to food pantries, from literacy training to help of the mentally impaired. They raised money during Lent for Literacy, for Katrina victims, and for ministry in the Congo. They provide the membership with information on every ministry and asked them to pray for them.
I’m home. This is where God wants me to be.One of the servants of the servants of God.

@@@@News From Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, boys talk to rocks , and basketball is king– The season is over and the New Potatoes have their place in the history of Pigeon Falls. The first team ever to win a state championship. They won by four points in a very well played game by both sides. Sometime this afternoon the bus carrying the team will return as will half the town. There will be a parade down the main street. Then they will go on to the consolidated school where there will be speeches and other nonsense. The team members will be treated like returning heroes. Little kids will ask for their autographs. If worse comes to worse they will begin to believe all the nonsense. But they will discover in a few years that their winning will be of little value to them in the real world.
Pastor Moe preached his second sermon this morning. Again he said that this basketball stuff bordered on idol worship. God was not pleased by the little round ball. Our God wanted no other God’s before him. Further he said the poor kids on the team would be lied to. They would be told this was the greatest moment in their lives and that nothing would ever be better. If that’s true, he said, then they have his pity. There were far greater experiences to come. Like finding your true love, holding your first child, graduating from college, and so many other events. The sermon was long and poorly delivered but it still upset people. Pastor Moe is getting off to a rough start.
Nancy will open the shop this afternoon though she is usually closed on Sunday. She said that those who don’t go to the Fly Inn Bar need someplace to go to to rejoice. She is making some championship coffee and a state championship cake. She is ready to really do some business.
*****

Today's Link-My Knitting Machines and Me- Knit a nice comment with the words Dr. John in it.
Now we belong to St. Marks. It was so nice. So many people came up after the service to welcome us. I know this ia where God wants us now. we came home and spent a quiet afternoon. I caught up on most of my links. I finished the fourth book in the wheel of time series and I played with the dog. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

A Grab it Time

Saying for the day- We must treasure the special moments of life as there are so few.

There are those special moments in life that you would like to put your arms around and hold onto forever. This weekend is one of those moments.
Not that I am any richer or less poor than last weekend. My health is no better. My debts are pretty much the same. I haven’t won the lotto and I’m still retired. In fact everything is pretty much the same as last weekend. But not everything,
My grandchildren Luke and Bree are here for the weekend. There is a puppy in the house, and tomorrow Betty and I will join a very special church. All day today I will play with my grandkids, hold the puppy, and just bask in the wonder of life. Tomorrow we will be welcomed into a family of God that God has helped us find. Life can not be better than this so I wish I could just lock it in place.
I can’t of course. Life has great moments, ordinary moments, and moments you wish would never come at all. If it were not so the great moments wouldn’t be great.
But this is not a time for philosophical thinking. It is a time to enjoy the moment and I shall.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, boys talk to rocks, basketball is king, and the sap is rising.– Pigeon Falls is like a ghost town today. Everybody, well almost everybody has gone downstate to the tournament . This is the championship game. In the entire history of the town, even before the consolidated school, the team has never won a championship. All over town there are signs. “ Go team. “ “ All the way-New Potatoes” , “ We are number one” and a favorite “ Boldly go where no New Potato has ever gone”.
Buddy East announced before he left that Alpha Dude had submitted an alternate ending to his story and it would be treated as a separate entry. It can be seen HERE on the Liar’s club website. The rules committee met and said that the first entry was within the rules for this contest though it would not have been acceptable for the one in the fall. Different contests , different rules. So the new ending will be treated as a separate entry , also permitted by the rules.
The weather is warming and the sap is rising in the maple trees. Farmers are drilling holes and putting buckets on trees . Soon the sap will be boiling and syrup will be made, good , old fashioned maple syrup. Not the imitation maple stuff you buy in the store . That stuff is mostly corn syrup. Its not the same and not nearly as good. The pretend syrup pushes the price of the real stuff down which is too bad because it takes a lot of work to make a bottle of real maple syrup. There is drilling ,gathering, and boiling, lots and lots of boiling. Yet every year some Pigeon Falls farmers and non farmers can hardly wait for the sap to rise.
*****

Today's Link-The Pedalogue-- Into every life a little rain must falls but this is more than a little, Leave a Dr. John in the soggy comments.
Well the day eas all that I expexted and just a bit more. I played with my grandkids and took them to an indoor amusment park. Together we played with the puppy. I lost six games of Mangala to my grandaughter. I don't know how she does what she does. But it isn't luck. Luke and I played some PC games together. Now they have gone home as their father came and got them. Ah the little bit extra. My real estate agent called and we have an offer on the Crystal Falls house. It is on the low side but we will make a counter offer and just possibly we will get it sold. Some days really are special. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GNYA

Maggie

Saying for the day-A good dog lets you think you are in control.

Here are some pictures of Maggie , the new Queen if the Fortress.

























@@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls- The little town in my garage where the trains still run , boys talk to rocks, and the Liar's Club contest goes on-The championship game is tomorrow and by noon today the little town of Pigeon Falls will be almost empty as everybody leaves for downstate.
The Liar's Club met last night and the newest entry in the dragon contest was read. And here it is:

The Last Thing I Remember….
Alpha Dude
March 21, 2007

It was a day just like any other day in our sunny little Southern California town. Oildale is a small town, but my little 8 year old mind was only aware of our small street in our little corner of the world.

It was a warm summer’s morning. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, my puppy Rascal was playing in the yard. The year 1969 was a great time to be alive, and at 8 years old, I didn’t have a care in the world. You could hear the sounds of children laughing and playing around our small piece of the neighborhood.

I saw my best friend Randy, who lived two houses down, and we immediately joined forces and began to enjoy this miraculous day together. Randy and I have been best pals since we were two. We had a great time that morning.

The ice-cream truck came by just as it was starting to get warm. We found a dime on the sidewalk so we both got a popsicle. Randy got a cherry flavored one and mine was grape. The popsicles melted fast in the summer sun and in no time we were both a gooey sticky mess. But, oh man, they sure tasted good!

Someone was washing their car up the street so we took our popsicle sticks and had “boat” races in the gutter. When we got bored with that, we found some sticks and played cops and robbers, then cowboys and Indians, running up and down the yards in front of our houses. We were just your typical little boys having fun and enjoying the day.

After a while, Randy said, “Hey, let’s go play in my back yard!”

We ran to Randy’s house and hopped the fence. Yes, we could have used the gate, but climbing over the tall wooden fence was more fun. I gave Randy a leg up and he climbed over first. I jumped up, grabbed the top and pulled myself over. When I hopped down onto the concrete, I saw Randy just standing there. His eyes were wide and focused straight ahead and the look on his face was of sheer terror. I turned to see what had Randy so frightened and that’s when I saw it.

It was an enormous creature I had never seen before. It looked like a giant lizard, sort of like Godzilla, only with a long snot and huge sharp teeth and a forked tongue (like a snake’s tongue). It had yellow eyes and horns on it’s head and had pointy ears. It was sort of shaped almost like a kangaroo with big legs and small arms, but the hands and feet were claw-like and it’s skin was all scaly like a crocodile and it had small bat-like wings and a long pointy tail. As smoked poured from its nostrils, I noticed something fall from its mouth to the ground. It was Rascal’s collar!

The beast’s mouth opened wide and it let out a deafening ROAR! The smoke poured out even faster and I felt a sudden sensation of heat as I saw flames coming from its mouth and…….

That’s the last thing I remember, Lord. The next thing I know I am standing here on streets of gold taking to You.

You can see the rules for the contest and the other entries, thus far by clicking HERE.

*****
Today's Link-Whiskey's- Shot of the Day- How to handle a kid in Wal Mart-Leave a little childlike Dr. John in the comment.
A good day. Pennie took the day off to be with the dog. Betty and I drove to Green Bay. We did a little shopping ,including stopping at New Hobby . Then we went to Peter's house. I played scrabble with Bree and won. Yhat almost never happens. Pennie came with the puppy and it became the center of attention. I missed my soaps. I did get some reading in while they played with the dog. Then we brought my grandchildren home with us. They will stay until Sunday, I think. I simply had no time for anymore blogging. Now I will have a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Thoughts After a bad Night

Saying for the day- A lost mind is very very hard to find.

We have lost our collective mind or at the very least our individual minds. Betty, Pennie, and I really do need to see a shrink, maybe two shrinks. Our entire world has been turned upside down. The Fortress itself is shaken. Behind it all, of course, stands my sister. In some ways this is all her fault. She is the one who called and said we could get one at $700 below the usual price. She knew my history, and Betty’s history and Pennie’s history as well. The same history as Pete and Pat but they didn’t get a vote. At first I said no. We had promised “ Never again”. We had kept the promise, sort of. But then she said I should at least see what Pennie and Betty thought. So I asked. I very clear mistake. Pennie was determined to go ahead. My objections were ignored. So I called the people and was told they had sold the last one. We were free. It was going to happen. It was over. But the next day they called back. One, intelligent, couple had backed out. There was one left. I said that it was up to Pennie. I stalled. She came home late that night Monday. She wanted to go ahead she called and the deal was cut. Still I stalled I said to the sellers that they should hold until our check cleared just to be sure. This would give me time to look for some other solution. But no they decided to trust us. But still they were way up in the UP and we were almost on the bottom of Wisconsin. There was still time to save us. That’s when my sister, its always my sister, got involved again. She picked it up and yesterday there she was with it at my front door.
So now despite all my efforts have a dog again. A genuine AKC registered English Springer Spaniel. It’s just a puppy.
It cried all night. I didn’t sleep. My mind is anything but clear. But it is cute. My daughter is happy. I will survive. It could be worse. It could be a Bull dog.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where trains still run, boys talk to rocks, and basketball is king– Last night, after school, Tommy UK stopped in to talk to Eino. He said that the state athletic commission should make a rule against using magic in a game. Tommy UK was sure that somebody on the Wizard side was enhancing Brian’s play with magic. Eino said that there was no such thing as magic. Tommy asked how he explained an entire quarter with no score. Eino said that things like that happen. Besides if the Wizard had magic how did the New Potatoes win. Tommy suggested that Nancy’s poltergeist had come along and fought on their side. Eino was still laughing when Tommy left. He had tried to imagine going to the state athletic commission with the story of a poltergeist fighting magic and asking for a rule. At least they would have a good laugh.
Little things continued to happen at Nancy’s . An entire batch of cinnamon roles had flown up and stuck on the ceiling of the shop. She saw Tommy UK going by and asked him to come in. She held the ladder while he scraped them off the ceiling. The strange thing is no frosting was left on the ceiling and they looked as good as if they just came from the oven. They were both sure , however, that Eino would find a rational explanation for this. Tommy UK who got one of the buns as a reward said the experience hadn’t hurt them any they were still very good. Nancy said she was glad Tommy was coming by at just the right time.
Petrovich said he is sure that he saw a driblet that said something about “when that which can’t be is then…” but he can’t remember what follows so now he has to find the driblet again. There are only six thousand three hundred and ten known driblets so that may not be an easy task.
******

Today's link-Tb Tit Bits-If you like cats and who doesn't, here is a great cat picture. Please leave a Dr. John in the comment.
Now I have to go because Queen Maggie, Queen of all English Springer Spaniels, is calling and she doesn't like to be kept waiting.
Well my sister called twice today to check on the dog. The dog , of course, is now runing everything. It is not house broken all the way. We bought these special pads for it to pee on . It really likes them. It tears them up and then pees on the kitchen floor. My grandaughter called to see how the dog was. The dog gets more calls than we do. I did some reading and some blogging when the dog allowed me to. It has sucj cute eyes. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Fast Forward from Ralph 8

Saying for the day: Freedom requires sacrifice.

I have a good friend named Ralph who forwards me items of interest. Some of these need to be shared with a wider audience so every Wednesday I give you " Forward from Ralph".Here is today's forward.

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag! had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Enjoy Your Freedom & God Bless Our Troops

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and Say a prayer for our servicemen.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage . Where the trains still run, boys talk to rocks, and basketball is king.-The quarterfinal game is now history. It will go down in the record books as one of the strangest quarterfinal games ever. Here the country bumpkin New Potatoes met the unbeaten Wizards with their star Brian Ozmire , “The Boy who can’t miss”. Brian is in the record books as having scored more points than any other player in the history of basketball in Michigan. It was rumored that he could close his eyes, shoot from mid court , and the ball would go in. He hadn’t missed a free throw in the entire year. The New Potatoes had no stars, no super players. The wizards expected an easy win. The New Potatoes scored first . Then at midcourt Brian stopped and fired, There was no reason to do it. He could have worked for a better shot but he wanted to show these country kids what real shooting was like. The ball arched toward the basket and then suddenly fell just short. He missed. He missed. That was the cry from the crowd, on both sides. The New Potatoes rebounded , did a fast break and scored. They were four points ahead. Down the court they went. The all went to Brian, his famous spiral shot. One that seemed to be going away from the basket but then turned and went in. But this time it didn’t turn but went into the crowd. The place was in an uproar . He had missed again. The perfect wasn’t perfect. The New Potatoes worked the ball down, and again they scored. Now they were six points ahead. So it went for the rest of the quarter. Brian doing all the shooting for the Wizards. Brian missing shot after shot. The quarter ended with the New Potatoes ahead by fifteen points. In the next quarter Brian settled down and began to hit but the New Potatoes matched him basket for basket. The half ended with the New Potatoes fifteen points ahead.
Then came the weirdest quarter of all. The one that will stand in the record books forever. In the entire quarter neither team scored. It was as if there was a lid on the basket. People fumbled on both teams . They said somebody pulled the ball from their hands but there was nobody there. Players stumbled. They said they were tripped but there was nobody there to trip them. It was the most chaotic game one could imagine with the ball constantly changing hands. When somebody did get a shot off it either fell far short or hit the rim and bounced in the wrong direction. So at the end of the third quarter the New Potatoes were still fifteen points ahead.
In the last quarter things were back to normal. Brian would score and the New Potatoes would score. When the final horn sounded the New Potatoes were ten points ahead . They were in the semifinals. They had defeated the Wizards and Brian.
****

Today's link-My Crazy Life-In Pictures- A Dorito's contest and a suggestion. Please leave a highly flavored Dr. John in the comment.
It was a very good day today. My sister came this morning and got to see thew house. It was good to see her.I watyched my soaps and started on another book. At 5:30 we went to church. It had a very nice soup supper and it was followed by a good service afterward.the only problem is I didn't get to visit manyt of my links. Now I will have a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Too Much Reading

Saying for the Day- A good writer creates a world and invites you in.

I have been doing lots of reading lately and I now have four open stories. That’ s because author’s can’t seem to get their story into just one book and I don’t have the next book, yet.

First there is Harry Potter. I like Harry Potter. He is fighting the battle between good and evil. He seems to be losing. But there is one more book. It won’t be ready until July. Until then I just have to worry about the poor kid.

Then there is Eragon. I have followed the poor guy through two books as he trys to save the world. Things don’t look good for him either. But the last book. The one I really want to read is still in Paolini’s head. There is nothing I can do to shake it loose and Paolini seems to be doing more book signings than writing.

The next story has a whole group of people who are trying to restore water to the people. The second and final book is out and I just have to get to Barnes and Noble to buy it.

Finally there is a wonderful bunch of people fighting against evil. I am on the third book and there are ten . I have to get to Barnes and Noble to get the next two or three .

I am stuck because the characters are like old friends. I need to know how it all turns out. Once I do I am going to quit reading or I am going to check and make sure everything is in the one volume. I hate open stories.

@@@@ News From Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, boys talk to rocks, basketball is king, and Last Lutheran Church has a new pastor– Nancy says that a lot of people from Last Lutheran are muttering about Pastor Moe. His sermon was too long. It was boring. He is not very friendly. He hates basketball. He has no sense of humor. He is a liberal. Pastor Moe has sold a lot of coffee as people have come to the shop to have a cup and complain to Nancy. Not that Nancy can do anything. She doesn’t even go to church every Sunday. But she does listen well and makes good coffee.
Nancy’s poltergeist struck again about 4:30 yesterday. Just after the school bus left the kids off. This time a tea cup floated to the floor but then the tea pot tipped and the cup filled with tea. Not a single drop fell on the floor. You can say one thing about her poltergeist it’s neat. One supposes that Eino will blame an odd air flow again.
Tonight is the quarterfinal game. By noon today half of Pigeon Falls will be on its way downstate to see the New Potatoes play. They are playing a team that hasn’t lost a game . They also have a player who makes unbelievable shots . This may be the New Potatoes last game. But the town doesn’t think so. They fully expect to win. Tommy UK and his father are going.
Petrovich says he is still working on translating the next driblet but it isn’t easy. Coptic is harder than today’s Russian. He needs to get the words right and then he needs to figure out how they apply to today. Now that Cindra has dropped her word list he can’t use that to prove anything. But he assured Nancy that what he is discovering will impact Pigeon Falls and perhaps the nation. He still had to pay for his coffee.
Our dragon hasn’t been seen for a long time , nor has the big White Rabbit. It is possible they died during the winter or that they went back to wherever it is they came from. Eino still maintains there is a rational explanation but then Eino thinks there is a rational explanation for what has been happening at Nancy’s.
*****

Link for Today-Blather-Rinse-Repeat- Here you will find a "genuine" fake poll. Please leave a "genuine" Dr. John in the comment.
The computer is now working fine I have no idea why. My sister is coming to visit tomorrow. Betty and I went to Pet Co and Barnes and Noble this afternoon. I got two of the books I wanted. The other two , of course, we need to wait on. Visited most of the links. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Leave a comment Monday

Saying for the day- Soemtimes the comments come and sometimes they don't but there is always hope.

It’s “Leave a Comment Monday” and I continue my task of bringing old sayings into the internet age.

1. Couldn't carry a comment in a bushel basket
2.. Count your comments, not your visits
3. Courage of your comments
4.. Cut and comment

5. Day late and a comment short
6. Dead men make no comments
7. Comment in the rough
8.. Discretion is the better part of commenting

9. Divide and comment
10. D-liver, D-comment, D-sooner, D-better
11. Comment as I say and not as I comment
12.. Comment or die

13. Comment unto others as you would have them comment unto you
14. Doesn't have a comment to stand on
15. Don't bite off more that you can comment on
16. Don't count your comments before they are given


17. Don't muddy the comments
18.. Don't put all of your comments on one blog
19. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can comment on today
20. Don't sweat the small comments

Now its time for you to thank me for this hard work by leaving a comment.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The Little town in my garage where the trains still run, little boys talk to rocks, and the Liar’s Club contest goes on.– The liars Club of Pigeon Falls met yesterday and they read the latest Dragon Contest entry from Lois on the Web. This is her entry:
The autumn wind hummed through the rustling leaves; what an inspiring day to be in the woods! Buck had been coming to this spot many years for deer hunting.
Here, high on a ridge overlooking the river valley, the wind often sang these songs. It was exhilarating up here, enjoying the splendor of God’s world!
Today, Buck’s son-in-law, Jim, would join him at the end of the afternoon. Someone moving through the woods then might stir up some deer, and get them moving.
The afternoon sun was warm; Buck was so comfortable; he soon dozed off. An eagle flew over, screaming his rasping cry. Buck woke up, then dozed off again.
Awake again … maybe it was because the wind had picked up … it was getting chilly. Clouds pushed in, covering the sun; the woods were getting dark. The low hum of the wind was increasing to a chorus of moans and howls. Trees swayed, branches rose and fell, and leaves swirled through the air and tumbled across the hillside. How exciting!
Buck buttoned up against the wind’s chill. Although the wind was strengthening, it didn’t feel like rain.
So noisy; it would be hard to notice a deer moving. He’d have to pay attention. Jim should be coming up the hill soon.
What in the H***! What was that noise? Maybe Jim’s old truck … coming apart? This noise was like a bird cry … A crescendo ending in a loud “Whoosh”! IMAGINATION? NO! It was like nothing Buck had ever heard, or could even try to explain. “I hope it’s not something serious with Jim’s old truck. That pickup has seen its better days.”
Yelling, “Jim … are you okay?” … Buck waited for an answer … none! Man … there’s that God-awful noise again!
Checking his cell phone, and his gun: loaded, Buck dashed down the hill. He could hear the pounding of his heart!
By his own truck now; no Jim, yet! Panic took over. I’m no hero … I’m leaving! Not even casing his gun, Buck gave a prayer of thanks that the truck started.
Looking over by the rock pile at the river’s edge, Buck’s head began to swim! AN UNBELIEVABLE SIGHT! His first thought was that he was looking at a giant lizard. No lizards around here! This beast was huge! And, looking right at him! A hissing roar, like water on a hot stove … a smoky cloud of fire burst out of the beast’s mouth.
Buck’s truck had never gone so fast down this road before. He punched the 911 number on his cell phone. At the big corner, Buck met Jim driving in and motioned him to follow. Buck kept on his mad dash back toward town.
Later, Buck, still shaking … embarrassed … gave information for the Sheriff and the DNR officer … not really caring what they thought of his story. Would he ever go back to his favorite hunting spot? Not likely … not soon, anyway!
The Liar’s Club awaits more entries.
******

Link for Today-Pen Tundra- When should you wake your wife? This blog has an answer. Leave him a wake up Dr. John.
My computer has been hanging up all day so I am closing up the blog on Betty's computer. I watched my soaps and finished reading " The White Dragon" . I did not have a chance to visit my links. I don't know what I will do in the morning but if there is no new blog then my computer is still down. We are waiting for Pennie to come home . She went right from work to the hospital as she is on call. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Sin Boldly

There is an argument in the Church today over what sin is and what sin is not. Both sides quote scripture. Both sides are sure they are right.
On one side are those who believe that sin is personal, the failure of an individual to keep rules set by God. O the other side are those who believe that sin is understood as an interlocking system of unjust relationships resulting from the disorder created by the Fall. You can find this position argued well on Dr. Kate’s blog.
If you hold the first position then you try to keep the rules. If you hold the second position you try to change the society.
The problem with both positions is that they place man at the center and God becomes either the rule giver or the one who calls us to be loving and thus fight to change society. This takes the central event of Christianity, the Cross, and pushes it into the background. If we are busy rule keeping or society changing then we don’t need the cross. It’s up to us to do it. Jesus is no longer Savior but instead He is at best cheerleader , urging us on to new holiness or to stand against the fallen society.
So on the one hand we have a group of people who alone are going to heaven because they are good rule keepers and on the other those who look down on them as they fight to bring heaven on earth. God isn’t needed and sometimes God isn’t even wanted.
This is Lent. A time when we remember the journey of a man named Jesus to the cross. There he died. But he didn’t stay dead. All of this happened because of sin. Human sin. Sin is a cancer that destroys a person and moves from the person into all of society. But God has acted. Let us never lose sight of the fact that God has acted.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my garage where the trains still run, boys talk to rocks, and basketball is king.– The New Potatoes won yesterday. No nonsense in this game. No strange basketball flights. They did everything well. They won by over twenty points. Now its on to lower Michigan. The first time ever for the consolidated school. The town could not be happier.
Pastor Moe preached his first sermon today. It was twice as long as any sermon Pastor Marvel ever gave. According to one member it was twice as boring . The only part that got people a bit excited was when he said that they needed to put God ahead of the basketball team. Pastor Marvel would never have said anything like that. Just as he left the pulpit , having finished the sermon , his manuscript suddenly blew out of the pulpit and all over the front of the church. It was like a sermon snowstorm. The acolytes, including Tommy UK, really seemed to enjoy that. At least they did until Pastor Moe had them pick them up. Where the wind came from to blow the papers is not at all clear. Nancy said it must be her poltergeist decided to go to church. That‘s as good an explanation as any. After the service, over coffee, Eino suggested to Pastor Moe that he go easy on the basketball stuff/ Pastor Moe said “ Sometime its necessary to speak a hard truth”. Eino said that that might be true but he should wait until people get to know him so they can hear what he is saying.
Tommy TW said that he is going to set his murder in his book on a day when people are coming back from the tournament in Marquette. It will just take a little rewriting and it gives some local color to the work. Nancy says that “ Murder in the Sauna” is going to be a best seller.
****

Today's Link-The World as Observed by Me-This was Ellie's wink yesterday. If you want to read a very sad love story here it is. Leave a Dr. John in the comment.
Went to church this morning.It was great. Then I started reading " The White Dragon" which is harder yo get into than the last two books. My daughter was out on call much of the day. When she was home we played canasta . She won. I visited most of my links. Now I will have a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Things to Do

Saying for the day- A good list saves much time.

Its almost spring so I thought I would make up a to do list. I saw this on Margaret’s blog the other day.
Things I need to get done.
1. Drive to Crystal Falls and pick up some much needed things we left the re.
2. Do our income tax. I bought Turbo Tax. I just haven’t gotten around to using it yet.
3. Go to Menards and get two 4 X 8 pieces of plywood for train layout base.
4. Build the 2’ by 4’ tables the layout will rest on.
5. Get a haircut. Every day Betty says “Get a haircut”. But I can still see.
6. Arrange for April move of furniture from Crystal Falls to Neenah.
7. Move into our own half of the condo.
8. Get the last Harry Potter book. ( Can’t do until July)
9. Finish reading “ The Dragon Reborn”
10. Buy a lottery ticket. ( Can’t win if you don’t buy)
11. Make some saffron buns for Easter.
12. Get birthday gifts for Luke and Caleb
13. Find more blogs to use as “ Today’s Link”
All of these should be done before August. You have to give yourself a little room .

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town where trains still run, boys talk to rocks, and basketball is king.-This afternoon the big game in Marquette. If the New Potatoes win this one they go downstate. Both Tommy UK and Tommy TW plan on going as they did the last one. Tommy UK , of course will take his rock. He goes nowhere without it. The coach has reminded the team that they have to play better than they did in the last game. They can’t depend on a blast of air to save them.
Yesterday was St. Urho’s day and Pigeon Falls celebrated with a big St. Urho’s Day dance. The color of the day was purple. St. Urho was the priest who, according to Finnish legend killed the last dragon. He is celebrated in Pigeon Falls as St. Urho , Dragon Slayer. Of course in other places the revisionists have changed the story to make it look like the story of St. Patrick. All they want to do is drink purple beer one day and green the next. That’s not to say that no purple beer was consumed in Pigeon Falls yesterday but at least they celebrated the real mythical figure. None of this grasshopper nonsense. Mayor Trumble read the epic poem “ St. Urho -Dragonslayer” . She read it with fire. The poem was translated from the original old Finnish manuscripts found in a Finnish farmers back yard and written on goatskin. Mrs. Trumble really likes the part where the dragon dies. She read that twice. There was even a little parade with somebody dressed in flowing purple robes waving and throwing candy. That part was played by good old Eino. The only sad thing was that our local dragon didn’t make an appearance. Eino carried a big stick just in case. There was one odd thing . A beer keg blew open and the beer rose like a fountain and people swear it formed a dragon in the air, a purple beer dragon. But then the beer just fell to the ground. Eino says the people that saw a dragon had been drinking too much purple beer. But Nellie Milonen who is eighty years old and hasn’t had a drink of alcohol in her entire life says she saw it. She thought it was pretty clever what they can do with beer these days.
Nancy says her poltergeist must have left the shop and come to the parade. She didn’t know it was so artistic. She was joking , of course. But in keeping with the day she served a purple tea. It tasted pretty good.
****

Today's Link-Edith's Section- A poem to add to your weekend. Plases leave Dr, John in the comment.
I blogged in the morning. Then I read for most of the day. I finshed "The Dragon Reborn" . Now I have to go and buy the next book in the series. Betty and {ennie went out and did some shopping. My sister called to tell us that Forest Park made it downstate and that an old neighbor died. I finished the day by visiting all the links. Now I'll have a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Odds and Ends off my Desk

Saying for the Day- A clean desk is a sign of great wisdom or that the owner had nothing else to do.

It’s Friday and time to clean off my desk.

Here are a few things I found that I want to share with you.

If you’re a Christian with a computer you will find a psalm for the computer age on Friday's Child's Blog

If you’re a dog owner or if you just like dogs there is a great entry on Catch's Blog.

Do you know what a Dega or A Degu is. There is a picture on Bazza’s blog.


For the many who have asked for information on Finglish ( well for the one of you) here is an Introduction to Finglish.

For those who watch the “ Young and Restless: here is a truly funny website, called “ The Genoa City News”

One last item . If you go to a blog several days in a row and it doesn’t seem to change your computer might be giving you a stored version. To be sure hit the refresh button. This happened to me last week. Every day I went to Catch’s blog and it still had Sunday’s post. Then on Thursday I hit the refresh and she not only had a new entry but a new layout.

Now my desk is clean and ready for the weekend.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, boys talk to rocks, and basketball is king.-Well The New Potatoes won last night. They were behind by one point with ten seconds to go. Bill Koivinen took a desperation shot and it looked like it was going to miss the basket altogether then suddenly the ball turned in mid flight and went straight to the basket. Nobody had ever seen a shot like it. The all state sports net work which was recording the game for later replay has replayed and replayed the shot. It has been on all the local channels. The shot seems to be a clear miss until suddenly as if pushed by an invisible hand it turns and goes to the basket.
A number of “experts” said the shot was impossible. It couldn’t happen . But there it is on tape. Nobody touches it. Nothing hits it but it turns and scores. The best guess is that just as he shot somebody opened a door and a huge currant of air came rushing in and pushed the ball. How fortunate for the New Potatoes that the door got opened at just the right time. The only other explanation is that it was some kind of magic. That makes no sense at all. Bill says he just put the right spin on the ball. But the video doesn’t show the ball spinning. This one will be talked about over at the Fly Inn for a long time.
Pastor Moe didn’t go to the game which he called stuff and nonsense. Pastor Marvel used to go and scream his lungs out for the team. He may be right that basketball has become a God to a lot of people but he is winning no friends in saying so. It’s a good job he’s a pastor because he would never have made it as a diplomat. He is just too honest.
Nancy sold a lot of coffee this morning. People wanted to talk about that shot. Nancy says she has no explanation. Maybe her poltergeist went to the game. If it can make coffee shoot up into the air it can move basketballs. Eino still believes in some kind of odd air movement to explain both happenings. He does not believe in poltergeists .He does believe in hot air.
Is there really a poltergeist? Was it hot air? Was it magic? What in the world is going on? Can Pastor Moe survive? And of course is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid?
*****

Today's Link-Seventh Soujourn- Having trouble sleeping. Check out this blog. Leave a DR. John. Please.
A nice day. I spent mpost of it reading " The Dragon Reborn". It is a slower read than 'Eldest" but it is a good read anyway. I blogged. I visited most of the links. My sister called and her mother -in-law is out of the hospital and home. I will get a breathing treatment.
GBYA

A Guy can Dream

Saying for the Day- Without a dream a man dies.

It is getting warmer. April is coming. I am beginning to dream trains.
When we move into our half of this house Betty is giving me half the garage for a layout. So I have been busy dreaming. I have searched the internet for fastrack plans. I have checked the Lionel website, All around the house are doodles of what the track plan might look like. When I finish we will be able to run five trains at one time. The layout will be sixteen feet long by six feet wide. Trains will run on three levels. I will do all the framework and electrical work but Betty will create the mountains and the village. In the end it will be a work of art. It will be a world unto itself where we can escape from the real world. I will begin taking pictures as soon as the first table is up and will share our progress on this blog.
I have a list of wood I need from Menards , as well as nails and screws. I have a track list that includes four switch tracks. I am still debating if the upper village needs train or a trolley. So many choices need to be made. Now if Betty were really nice she would give me the whole garage. The car can sit outside or in my daughter’s garage.
A guy can dream can’t he.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my Northern garage where the trains still run, there used to be a dragon, and the next big game is tonight.– By three this afternoon Pigeon Falls will be a ghost town. Everybody will have gone to Marquette for the tournament. Dr. Fortress is running a special tournament train. The school is sending a special bus for the kids who want to see the game. Even old man Tyler is going in his electric wheel chair. This is a big game. The first ever quarterfinals for the New Potatoes, It may never happen again. Nancy is closing at three. She is going to Marquette with Tommy TW. The Fly Inn has plugged the radio into the loud speaker system so that the few that stay behind can listen to the game. This is March Madness at its best.
Pastor Moe was invited by several people but he decided not to go. He says that the town is too caught up in sports and that it’s almost a religion. Pastor Marvel never missed a game. You can add that to the ways the two pastors are different.
It got up to 70 in Pigeon Falls yesterday. People couldn’t believe it. Tommy PK talked about going up tp the Lake of the Loon and going swimming. It was not March UP weather. People were talking Global Warming. One wonders if they know that the largest producer of greenhouses gases is not cars but cows. Just eating one less hamburger per year would really help.
Mandy Erickson was all upset about the new Presidential dollar. She says she saw a picture of it and it doesn’t have “ In God we trust” on it. She is going to send a letter to her representative and complain. Pastor Moe said that what is on the money really makes no difference. Its how you use the money that determines if its for God or not. That man really wants to be popular. Eino checked the coin and says that the words “ In God we Trust” are there but they have been moved out to the edge along with the date , the mint mark, and the Latin phrase. He told Mandy to hold her complaint for some real cause. When the government makes these special coins they don’t expect people to use them but to collect them. They only make a limited amount and before long you have to pay extra to get them. Look what a full set of state quarters is going for. The weird thing is that the stamper at one of the two mints hit wrong and produced a few coins without the “In God we Trust” and the date. These are now worth a lot of money. Sometimes government mistakes are valuable. Usually they cost us money.
****

Link for Today-My Crazy Life in Pictures- Your chance to learn about a strange hero. Put a non heroic Dr. John in the comment. Please.
The basketball tournament took away one of my soaps today. I spent most of the day reaqding Eldest. THe book is a good read. In the afternoon I went to my lung specialist. He said I was doing well and set up the next appointment in six months. I finished the book. I visited my links. My sister called her husband's mother is in the hospital. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Fast Forward from Ralph 7

My good friend Ralph Valine wrote:
SOME OF YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER THESE

Sit back, relax, listen, read, & smile. Kind of of reminds you to stop & smell the roses of life, and to give Thanks to God for Life and Memories!!!!


DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN...?

All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?
It took five minutes for the TV warm up?
Nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school?

Nobody owned a purebred dog?
When a quarter was a decent allowance?
You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?
Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?

All your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had
their hair done every day and wore high heels?

You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped,
without asking, all for free, every time?
And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?

Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?
It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner
at a real restaurant with your parents?

They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. . and they did?

When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise,
peel out, lay rubber or watch submarine races, and people went steady?
No one ever asked where the car keys were
because they were always in the car,
in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?
Lying on your back in the grass with your friends
and saying things like, "That cloud looks like a ."
and playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?

Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals
because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?

And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once,
you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace,
and share it with the children of today?

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing
compared to the fate that awaited the student at home?
Basically we were in fear for our lives,
but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc.

Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat!
But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.

Send this on to someone who can still remember
Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Laurel and Hardy,
Howdy Dowdy and the Peanut Gallery,
the Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows,
Nellie Bell, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk.


As well as summers filled with bike rides, baseball games,
Hula Hoops, bowling and visits to the pool,
and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar.
Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that"?



I am sharing this with you today
because it ended with a double dog dare to pass it on.
To remember what a double dog dare is, read on.
And remember that the perfect age is somewhere between
old enough to know better and too young to care.

How many of these do you remember?

Candy cigarettes
Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside
Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
Coffee shops with tableside jukeboxes
Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum
Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
Newsreels before the movie
P.F. Fliers


Telephone numbers with a word prefix...(Raymond 4-601).
Party lines


Peashooters
Howdy Dowdy
45 RPM records
Green Stamps
Hi-Fi's

Metal ice cubes trays with levers
Mimeograph paper
Beanie and Cecil
Roller-skate keys
Cork pop guns
Drive ins
Studebakers


Washtub wringers
The Fuller Brush Man
Reel-To-Reel tape recorders
Tinkertoys
Erector Sets
The Fort Apache Play Set
Lincoln Logs
15 cent McDonald hamburgers


5 cent packs of baseball cards -
with that awful pink slab of bubble gum

Penny candy

35 cent a gallon gasoline
Jiffy Pop popcorn

Do you remember a time when...

Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-moe"?
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "Do Over!"?
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest?
Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening?
It wasn't odd to have two or three "Best Friends"?

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was "cooties"?
Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot?
A foot of snow was a dream come true?

Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action figures?
"Oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense?
Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?

The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team?
War was a card game?
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?
Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin?
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have lived!!!!!!!

Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from
their "grown-up" life . . .I double-dog-dare-ya!

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– the little town in my garage where the trains still run, boys talk to rocks, and life goes on as usual– Nancy’s poltergeist showed up again yesterday. It was a bout four o’clock in the afternoon when the first batch of lighter than air saffron buns came out of the oven. They floated up to the ceiling. Now saffron buns are , in general, anything but light and airy. But these looked liked something out of a Three Musketeer Bar commercial. Nancy tried standing on a chair but she couldn’t reach them. Tommy TW came and offered to help . He went and got a step ladder. He pulled them down one by one and they put them in a closed basket. Then the basket started to rise so she put a heavy coffee pot on top and it stayed put. Eino came and Nancy was going to show him the magic buns but when she opened the basket it contained just ordinary, non floating, saffron buns. Eino said that it must have been some kind of odd air gust. Nancy’s little shop has the world’s weirdest air flow.
The Jacksons have split again. This time there will be no Pastor Marvel to bring them back together. One has to wonder if Pastor Moe is ready to take on this continuing task. While they work this out he is staying with their son and she is living in their house. This has not made the son happy as he has his own problems to deal with and his wife doesn’t really want his dad there. But it is his father so he is stuck.
****

Today's Link-Gen X Misanthrope-If you watch American Idol you can compare notes. If you don't she'll fill you in. Leave a DR. John in the comment . Please
Good day today. I did some blogging in the morning. Then started on the second book in the Ergon series. I'm having trouble putting it down. I did watch my soaps bu I read during the commercial breaks. My sister called and said I should drink coffee out of the cups we got as gifts yeaterday as we are too old to save things. There was some excitment across the street and to the right as a car caught fire. The police were there and a fire truck. All that excitment in my dull neighborhod. I visted all my links. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Things Change

SAying for the Day- The only constant in this world is change.

esterday I was reminded that nothing stays the same.
When I first started working with model trains I found this wonderful place in New York called Trainworld. It was run by an old guy who really loved model trains. When you called to place an order the person who took your call was like an old friend. They would ask about your layout. They might even make a suggestion. They really seemed to care. The service was great. They shipped the day they got the order .It was my favorite place and I placed a lot of orders there.
Yesterday I called there to place an order for some track. I am getting ready to begin building my next layout. Things have changed. First of all I got that annoying message that the call was being recorded for who knows what purpose. Then I got this lady whose tone of voice said “ Do you have to bother me now”. You know the tone. I gave her the item number she gave me a price almost $ 16 above the price in the train magazine ( this month’s) . I called this to her attention and then instead of saying she was sorry but the prices had changed she informed me that Lionel had raised the price to them and they were thus raising the price to me. In that tone which said “ How dare you question our price structure?” I canceled the order, thanked her for her time, and hung up.
My friendly little company has grown up into a business which is like any good company mostly interested in making a profit. They could be selling widgets or wadgets instead of train parts. I suppose it has to happen but it is still sad. The old guy died and with him the soul of the company.
Nothing stays the same . But I have found a great little store in Green Bay with a wonderful lady who greets me when I come in , talks about my layout, makes suggestions and has the world’s greatest smile. Her train parts cost a little more but they are worth it . The place is called New Hobby. Now as long as she stays healthy everything will be fine.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run, boys talk to rocks, and life goes on as usual.-Pastor Norman Moe arrived late yesterday afternoon. He was taller than people expected. He was taller than Pastor Marvel. He was younger than people expected. He was younger than Pastor Marvel. He was definitely not Pastor Marvel.
He stopped in for coffee at Nancy’s . She offered him a saffron bun but he told her he didn’t like saffron ( Pastor Marvel did) . But he did eat one of her fresh cinnamon roles and commented on how good they tasted. He told her he was just going to walk around and get a feel for Pigeon Falls.
Pastor Moe stopped in at Last Lutheran and met the secretary , Angela Meyers. She hasn’t been the secretary very long and isn’t by some accounts the best secretary. There are always mistakes in her bulletin. But Pastor Marvel felt that she needed the job and that God wouldn’t mind a mistake or two in His bulletin. In any case, she welcomed Pastor Moe to Pigeon Falls and Last Lutheran. He seemed a little upset that she didn’t take dictation.
Tommy UK was over to visit Mrs. Trumble, again. He had coffee and choclate chip cookies. One would think she is becoming a second grandmother to Tommy. He does keep her driveway clean and do odd jobs for her. But sometimes one almost gets the feeling they are plotting something.
The Liar’s club is still waiting for entries in the dragon contest with about two and I/3 weeks to go. They thought the entries would pour not trickle in. Liar’s Club members do not tend to be patient people.
****

Today's Link-The Gnostic World of Candy Minx- An art blog. Take a shot at naming the picture. Leave a DR. John in the comment.
Well it was not a bad day. I blogged in the morning. Then I went looking for blogs to be th elink of the day in upcoming days. I watched my soaps during which the mail came. Some nice person sent Betty and I one of Javanagogh's cups for which we are very thankful. They do present us with a problem. Should we put them on the fireplce mantel to admire them as works of art which they are. Or shall we use them for coffee during the day. We have no solution yet. Then we went to Barnes and Nobel and got some books. So if I fail to blog it will be because I have fallen into one of them. I ended by visiting most of my links. Now I will take a breathing treatment.
GBYA