Our 1000th Blog

Saying for the day-Let one thousand flowers bloom

Welcome to my 1000th blog.

Not the same as 1000 flowers
....................It doesn't smell the same,
.....................It doesn't look the same.
.....................It took longer to grow.

But here it is.

It has been a long journey to get this far.
One thousand entries.
Some were almost good.
Some were very bad.
Most hit right on the mediocre line.

Every morning ( well almost every morning) since that first entry on May 8, 2005 I have blogged. The first entry consisted of nine words.

Somewhere along the line , June 30, 2005, to be exact we visited Pigeon Falls after a big windstorm and that strangeness began.

I was going to spend the next week reposting the best of the blogs but then I discovered there weren't any that fit that category.

Let me celebrate by saying it has been fun. I have met wonderful people in a wonderful make believe world. I am thankful for every one of them.

Now its onward to 2000 .

Don't forget to vote for the meaning of burple or birple. After all this blog has to have some reason to exist.

There will be a drawing for a priceless prize today but it will take place tomorrow and the names in the bowl will be the names of everyone who comments today. Just part of the celebration. This beautiful, little cardinal statue is the prize. Or take a door. Life goes on.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Now Mrs. Trumble waits to see wht the ACLU will do next. Certainly it will take them a day or two to get dried off and cleaned up. They can’t go into court in those suits.
Kelly Shaw is walking with crutches and has a leg in a cast. He was putting Christmas lights up on the roof when the ladder slipped and down he came. His leg caught under the ladder and cracked. This Christmas light business can be dangerous and best be left to professionals. Of course Kelly is a professional electrician but what he needed was a professional ladder holder. His wife who was holding the ladder left to answer the phone . It was just her mother who calls five times a day anyway. So at this point Kelly is not talking to Emily ( that’s his wife). This makes meal time a riot. Kelly says to his daughter “tell your mother to pass the potatoes.” His daughter responds “tell her yourself”. Emily simply passes the potatoes. She knows that it will take a while but he will forgive her.
The Bensons and the Palomakis are involved in what amounts to a Christmas feud. Each is trying to outdo the other in decorating the house and yard. Neither house could take another Christmas light. The Bensons have “Peace on Earth” spelled out on theirs and the Palomakis have “ We wish you a Merry Christmas” on theirs. There are two huge manger scenes, two oversized blowup Santas, and two sets of reindeer. The Palomakis have a huge Winne the Pooh Bear and the Bensons have a giant Mickey Mouse in a Santa Suit. There is no room in their yard for anything else. Now its up to a neighborhood committee to decide who wins this years contest.Small towns are such fun.

******

Today's Link-The Malaysia Page- Just another place to shop.
It was a good day today. My breathing was better than usual. Didn't even use one of the little oxygen tanks.In the morning Betty went out and paid bills. I worked in the basement putting together a full G scale train to sell on eBay. In the afternoon we gave away two Christmas trees through Freecycle. The lady seemed happy to get them. We also gave her and old working battery G scale train and plastic track.It had no sales value and it made no sense to keep it on the shelf. Betty and I then tested the G Scale set we were putting on eBay and it worked well. Then everything had to be photographed. After that I published them to eBay.It is cleaning out my old G scale stuff but it sure is using up my time. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

A burple or Birple we will go.

Saying for the day- If you want a job done well then get somebody else to do it.

On the left you will find two polls.
The climax of our word creation efforts.
You are asked to vote for the meaning of the word burple.
And you are asked to vote for its sound alike birple.
Every good English word has a word that sounds like it but is spelled differently and has a different meaning.
The voting will run through next Thursday.
This is the most important step so jump right in.

There will be a drawing tomorrow after all.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The ACLU lawyers waited until eleven o’clock when Mrs. Trumble finally showed up at the Town Hall. She said it was such a nice day that she had gone dragon hunting .
She, however, refused to meet with the lawyers until the town lawyer was present. Fred arrive at around eleven thirty. Said he would have been there earlier but his arthritis was killing him.
Upon his arrival the lawyers placed in the hands of Mrs. Trumble the federal court injunction and told her they expected her to obey it. Mrs. Trumble responded by saying that she and the town were law abiding citizens and would certainly obey any relevant court ruling. At this point Fred handed the lawyers the official response of the town. It read as follows:
In as much as you have been informed on two separate occasions that the town has no holiday tree.
And in as much as the manger scene in question belongs not to the town but to the Methodist and Lutheran Churches .
Therefore
The injunction has no meaning and can not be enforced.
Further for us to attempt to enforce the removal of the manger scene would cause us to breach the wall of separation between church and state which we are not willing to do.
Further still since you have been so informed we will consider any further action against us on your part legal harassment and we will initiate a law suit against you.
It was signed by Mayor Trumble, Fred, and the town council members. A copy has been sent to the Federal Court.
At that point Mrs. Trumble indicated the meeting was over and they should leave.
On their way back to the train station they found themselves floating upside down and being dumped in a snow pile. The all too familiar oil cans then appeared and poured out over their thousand dollar suits. This added to the mud already there.
Is this the last we will see of the ACLU lawyers ? Will they go back to court? Will they sue the poltergeist? Can you sue a poltergeist? And of course is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid?
*****

Today's Link-Poems of the solitary mind- A sad poem of ways of seeing things.
One of those dull days of which my life seems to be made up. In the morning we worked downstairs. I sorted track and Betty worked on the layout. In the afternoon Betty took the dog for a walk. I went back downstairs and tested an engine to put up for sale on eBay. The highlight of the day was testing the old bubble car and discovering it still makes bubbles. We will take the pictures and publish the items to eBay tomorrow. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Onward to Burple

Saying for the Day-Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."-- Rudyard Kipling

The poor littler word purple has no English word to rhyme with it. So on Thanksgiving Lori, Betty, and I ( The official word committee) set out to create a rhyming word. After much scientific research and lots of turkey we settled on Burple. Now we had the word but no definition. So this week we have made it the task of this blog to find a definition for burple.
This is what we have so far”

Burple The act of burping after eating to many grapes

Burple. The color of a bruise as it begins to heal. Slang for abuergine.

Burple. It's the bubbly burp a baby makes when patted on the back.

BURPLE The burning burp associated with heartburn.

Burple sounds like baby spittle

Burple– the act of using material from somebody else’s blog in yours without giving credit and the material used.

Burple. The act of popping bubble wrap.

Burple: The act of wasting time. To dwindle; to trifle; to loiter; to move about aimlessly. To act sluggish or silly. To lack progress or development..

Burple-What is sounds like a person is saying when their tongue is frozen to a pole.

BURPLE n. the crease one accidentally irons into clothing when they are trying to get the wrinkles out!

Burple: The sound one makes when they burp while giggling

Burple:-a one word comment on someone's blog.

Burple: What your computer does to cause you to lose your internet connection.

This is quite a list but there might be more good definitions out there. So we offer you today to suggest them. Tomorrow we will let you vote on which definition you think is best. ( If I can figure out how to do that)

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Pity the ACLU lawyers. They got their injunction yesterday and rented a car to drive back to Pigeon Falls. It was a beautiful sunny day when they began. But then it started to rain. Then the rain froze. At the Dobson Creek Bridge they started to slide and it was as if somebody else was driving the car. They went straight into the creek. There the car got stuck. So they waded to shore and crawled back up to the road. The sign said five miles to Pigeon Falls but it was raining, they were alone, they had to go on. The road was very slippery and they fell more than once. After they had walked for what seemed like forever. They came to a sign that said six miles to Pigeon Falls. If the sign was right they had walked for miles and lost a mile. So there they were wet, cold, and scared. Night was coming on. That’s when old Herman Peabody and his wife Emma drove up in their truck. Peabody being the kind old fellow that he is offered them a ride in the back of the truck. Of course they had to ride with his two pigs Elmer and Gertrude but they would get to town. At this point the lawyers were desperate enough to ride with anything so they climbed in with Elmer and Gertrude . By the time they got to Pigeon Falls their new suits were not only wet but covered with mud. But at last they could serve the injunction. Except it was after five and the town hall was locked up for the day so there was nobody to serve it on.
At that point they decided to get a room at the Fly Inn. But when they got there the manager said they were filled up and besides it wasn’t safe for them to be there as some of the hot heads might decide to go after them. Roy sent them to Jack who might know where they could stay. Jack said that he couldn’t think of anybody in town that would take anybody as disheveled and dirty as they were. But for the right price he would get some pillows and blankets and they could stay in his sauna. At least they would be warm there and they could take a sauna and dry out.
So our high priced lawyers spent the night in Jack’s sauna.
They are waiting this morning at the Town Hall for Mrs. Trumble to arrive.
****

Today's Link- A wish for more- A lonely little poem
It was just a nice day. We worked in the basement in the morning. I got six more items ready for eBay. In the afternoon I wired the street car and that is now working. Betty is still unpacking ceramic houses. Then I photographed the eBay items. I visited half of my links and then posted my six new items to eBay. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Burple on and Burple over

Saying for the Day- "Words are alive. Cut them and they bleed." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We have set as our world changing goal for this week the creation of a word to rhyme with poor , lonely, purple. Lori, Betty, and I settled on Burple.
Now we need to come up with a definition.
Yesterday I shared that task with my word wise readers and these are the possible definitions we have as of today.

Burple The act of burping after eating to many grapes

Burple. The color of a bruise as it begins to heal. Slang for abuergine.

Burple. It's the bubbly burp a baby makes when patted on the back.

BURPLE The burning burp associated with heartburn.

Burple sounds like baby spittle

Now I want you to think outside the burp and come up with other possible definitions. Friday I am suspending the usual contest and we will pick the best definition.

Burple– the act of using material from somebody else’s blog in yours without giving credit and the material used.. As in “Her blog was just one burple after another.”

But I am sure you can do better.
Give it a try.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The two ACLU lawyers were in Federal Court today seeking an injunction to force Pigeon Falls to remove the religious symbols from the town Holiday tree and to remove the manger scene from public property. Of course they had on new suits, not the oil soaked one’s from yesterday. The judge took all of fifteen minutes to grant the injunction. The town of Pigeon Falls is ordered to remove all religious symbols from its tree and to remove the manger scene and to do it immediately. Failure to do so could result in large fines and even jail time for the town officers. This afternoon the lawyers will give the injunction to Mrs. Trumble and await her action. That is if they can get by the poltergeist.
Mrs. Trumble says that she will take no action until the injunction is in hand. Then the town lawyer, Fred Trumpey , has prepared a written response which will be given to the lawyers. Nobody seems to know what that response is.
People that are having coffee at Nancy’s are in no mood to give in. They have survived endless night, endless cold, common dreams, dragons, and poltergeists and they can survive this. Bob Anderson says he will visit Mrs. Trumble every day in jail.
Over at the Fly Inn they are talking about what they should do to the lawyers. Suffice it to say it makes a little oil on the suit seem nice. But then the Fly Inn people are usually all talk and no action.
Pastor Joan is calling for people to obey the law even if they don’t like it. The town can survive without the tree and the manger scene.
Will old Mrs. Trumble end up in jail? Can the lawyers get by the poltergeist to serve the injunction? Will the Fly Inn patrons behave ? Could this be the end of Pigeon Falls? What is in Fred Trumpey’s response? Can an old retired lawyer really handle this situation? And of course is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid?
Some of these questions will be answered tomorrow in News from Pigeon Falls.
****

Today's Link- Silliman's Blog- Because we are thinking about words a blog about poems seemed right.
I worked in the basement this morning and Betty went to Bible study. I brought up six newets of G scale cars to sell on eBay. In the afternoon Betty checked at Pennies but we can't find the skating rink. We photographed all the cars. I visited the blogs I didn't get to yesterday.I placed the cars on eBay. There were six separate entries. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Let's all Burple

Saying for the Day-"A good word costs no more than a bad one."-- (English proverb)

On Thanksgiving Betty, Lori, and I got to talking about the lack of a word to rhyme with purple. We decided something should be done about it. So we invented the word burple.
The problem is we now have to give it some meaning.
Perhaps it could mean “ the act of burping after eating to many grapes”. So one would say “ He ate so many grapes that it caused one burple after another.” or “ His burple after eating the grapes embarrassed him.
But this is probably not the best definition.
So we decided to ask you to suggest definitions for burple.
On Friday we will suspend the usual contest and vote for the best definition.
Friday I will celebrate the creating of my 1000th blog entry. What better way to celebrate than to begin the process of putting a new but needed word into the language.
So join in and give us a helping hand. Suggest your meaning in a comment today or any day this week. Give it lots of deep thought. What is burple as a noun? What could it be as a verb? Be creative.
We might even come up with a burplish prize for the best suggestion.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The legal war began today as two high priced well dressed lawyers showed up and offered Mrs. Trumble one last chance to take down the Manger scene and take the religious ornaments off the tree before they take the town to court. Mrs. Trumble stood her ground and said again that the town of Pigeon Falls doesn’t have a holiday tree. In effect the town of Pigeon Falls is at war with the A.C.L.U. and there isn’t even a driblet to show them a way out.
This afternoon the lawyers will go to federal court to seek an injunction forcing Pigeon Falls to conform to the law. As they were leaving the lawyer closest to Nancy’s coffee shop suddenly found himself lifted into the air and dumped face first into a pile of snow. Then a can of oil flew up the street and dumped all over those beautiful suits. One wonders if you can sue a poltergeist .
Franz Hagel, the self proclaimed town atheist got so upset that he went and bought a manger scene ornament , had his name inscribed on it, and hung it on the tree. He proclaimed “ No outsiders going to tell my town what it can and can’t do. We are Americans and we are free .”
Some of the council are concerned because the town lawyer of record is old Fred Trumpey and he hasn’t been in a court room in the last ten years. But Mrs. Trumble says don’t worry Fred can handle it. If nothing else he can whack them with his cane. The council is not so sure. So a special meeting has been called for Thursday evening. Fred says if the meeting isn’t too late he will be there.
*****

Today's Link-Words of a Poet- A tribute to a father.

I worked in the basement this morning and Betty went shopping. I selected four more G scale cars to sell on eBay and some track. In the afternoon we photographed all of the cars and track. Then we did some more work in the basement. After that I spent time putting the items on eBay and that used up my usual blog visiting time. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Dead Church ?

Saying for the day:Everyone takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the world.Arthur Schopenhauer

Practical Chick had a post that got me to thinking about worship or to be more exact the way in which we worship. On her post she has a video of a very lively Pentecostal service and an invitation. There was a time when I believed that the way God wanted us to worship was the way Lutherans did it. We used a form that had come down through the centuries. It was dignified and it pointed away from us to the Word made flesh.In it we met Christ in the Holy Communion and he lifted us up and took away our sin. How could there be any other way.
But time has passed and God has helped me to see that liturgy , the way we worship, is only a tool. It is a way to help us thank and praise God. It ushers us into his presence.

Over the years I have worshipped in a lot of churches with a lot of different forms. I have found God in Pentecostal worship, Baptist worship, Russian Orthodox worship, Quaker worship, and even in Lutheran worship. What I haven’t found was a dead church. In every one I found people of faith using their form to thank and praise God. God in his wisdom has provided a variety of ways to meet him because people are different. I know people of faith who find Pentecostal worship fails to bring them into God’s presence. They need structure. They need dignity. I know other people who find Lutheran worship unsatisfying of their spiritual needs. They want something more lively.

That’s where the idea that one church is dead and another is alive comes from. If I belonged to a church and it didn’t meet my worship needs. Then I went to another and it did. Then I see my old church as being dead. It couldn’t be me so it must be them.

What is important is that we believe in Jesus. It is faith above form.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Pastor Joan expects a few more people at Last Lutheran this morning. The deer hunters have started to trickle back into town. Some can hardly wait to tell the story of how they got the big buck over coffee after the service. It Is Christ the King Sunday in the liturgical year and Pastor Joan is talking about how human kings sent others to die for them but Christ the King came to die for us. It promises to be a powerful sermon. Why a few people might even forget the deer and talk about the sermon over coffee.
This afternoon people from the Methodist and Lutheran Churches will put up the manger scene in front of the gazebo. They have done it every year for as long as anyone can remember. The statues have been repainted several times but they wouldn’t think of buying new ones. One of the wise men has a foot missing but they always pile a little straw over it. These are treasures being passed from generation to generation.
Last year somebody stole the baby Jesus from the manger and the entire town was upset. It showed up several days later on the altar in the Catholic church. The priest said it just wanted to visit. They never did find out who took it or why. Of course everybody thought it was Tommy UK but he denied it up and down. Said if he did it it would have shown up on a roof somewhere.
*******

Today's Link-It Takes a Church- Some more thoughts about Thanksgiving.
We went to church this morning. Because of the blog I was more aware than usual of the worship itself. I `like the silenc e at the beginning when the bell is rung. You have a moiment to leave everything behind and commune with God. The bell choir was there today and they added to the worship as always. The sermon lifted up Christ as King of our life and called us to live for Him. The fellowship afterward was great. In the afternoon it was back to the basement . We still haven't found the skating rink for the layout. Poor Pennie was on call all weekend and hass a sore foot. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Not that Dr. John

Saying for the Day- If you tell a lie, always rehearse it. If it don't sound good to you, it won't sound good to anybody.Leroy 'Satchel' Paige

I am sitting her wondering who this DR. John I read about on blogs yesterday is. I know it isn’t me. He , the Dr. John on the blogs, is a candidate for Sainthood. While, me, this Dr. John who blogs, is a sinner who asks God for forgiveness every night for the things I did that I shouldn’t have and the things I didn’t do that I should have. You haven’t seen that Dr. John. But that’s ok . I don’t want you to see me as I really am because then you might not love me. In fact you might not even like me. None of us really wants others to see us as we really are.
The nonsense of the week , however, did remind me of one important truth. There is one who has come as close to seeing the real me as anyone can or ever will. The good news is she still loves me.
A long time ago God looked down and said to His angels. “I have a job for that Linna guy but there is no way that he can do it on his own . So I’ll send someone to show him what my love is like. Someone to set an example of real faith. Someone to love him as he is with all his faults and all his sins. “
So he sent Betty. And for all these years she has been my teacher in the faith, my partner in the task. One who knows Dr. John , who is both Saint and sinner. One who has loved me no matter what.
Now if that isn’t a miracle. I don’t know what is.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Kivi&Maki has the big sign in their window that counts down to Christmas. They have also added an extra toy section. Not as good as those big department stores but good for Pigeon Falls. The kids are all excited. Soon they will not only have a week off from the school prison but they will have new junk to play with during the week. Christmas is a win , win situation for them. For Wink’s Woods and Kivi&Maki it is a chance to increase sales. They sell more in the month of December than any other month of the year.Kivi&Maki even expect to sell that horrible talking Moose head. Some lucky fellow will find it under his tree this Christmas.
The start of that count down puts pressure on the Pastors and the Priest. They know they are expected to write the super sermon for Christmas. If somebody only goes to church once a year they have a right to expect that the one time will be super. That expectation puts a lot of pressure on the preacher. So the preachers of Pigeon Falls are getting ready.
Petrovich and his wife are getting ready to travel to Green Bay so that he can worship in the Russian Orthodox church there. He goes every Christmas and every Easter. During the year he sometimes worships with the Lutherans and sometimes with the Catholics but in his heart he will always be a Russian Orthodox as were his parents and their parents. Once he even considered becoming a Russian Orthodox Priest. But then he decided that God had more important work for him to do.
*****

Today's Link-Assistant Blog- A man pays to have a song written for his dead cat.
Today we mailed out four of the items I sold on eBay and Margaret's prize from last week ( nobody ever said I was fast). Betty and I spent most of the day working in the basement. She is sorting houses for the layout and trying to find the skating rink. I am laying track and doing some wiring. Little by little it is coming together. Though it looks like I have to pull one table and shorten the legs ( much easier than making them longer). Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Friday- Win or Lose

Saying for the day-
It's time for the internet contest that requires no postage and handling fee.
The contest that requires no credit card.
The contest that has no cumbersome blanks to fill out.
The contest that is very slow at sending out prizes.
The contest that doesn't even require your correct name.
Every Friday we give away priceless prizes to some lucky person who commented on this blog in the week gone by.

Today's Priceless Prize is this beautiful brown stapler.
But not just the stapler a matching staple remover.
And 1000 ( count them) staples.

THE RULES:( Very important)
To take part in the contest you must
1: Have commented on at least one entry on this blog in the last week.
2: Be willing to supply your mailing address.

For every day that you left a comment we write your name on a slip of paper that is placed in our rose colored drawing bowl. So if you commented every day you could have 7 slips in the bowl.
( The more slips the higher your chance to win)


Next Betty or her designated replacement draws one of those slips and that person wins the Priceless Prize.



If you don't like staples take a chance on a door.
Behind one of our two doors today are the usual priceless prizes.
A genuine rubber band
Two pens and
A unused certified paper clip

Behind the other ...........



#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. It is the day after Thanksgiving and Wink’s Woods and Kivi&Maki had their big day after Thanksgiving sale, Wink’s offered thirty per cent off on all bobble heads, including Petrrovich’s Monk, while supplies last . They opened at 6:00 . Kivi&Maki offered 30 % off on any one item in the store to the first ten customers to check out. They opened at 6:30.
Eleven people showed up at Kivi&Maki . First in line was Paul Peterson who just loves bargains. He rushed into the store and then it hit him. He didn’t know what he wanted. Should he get the most expensive item and save lots of money or should he get something he really needs. He was almost to the cash register with an electric kitchen crumb sweeper when he saw something else he really liked. So he put the crumb sweeper back and picked up a battery run drill . Just as he was going to pay for it he remembered he already had three drills and his wife might not be happy if he brought home a fourth even if it was a bargain. So he put the drill back and considered picking up the crumb sweeper again when he saw the lovely mounted talking moose head. That would look great in his living room and be a great conversation piece. So he picked up the moose head and headed for the cash register. That was when he noticed he was the only customer left in the store. That made him number eleven and only the first ten got the discount. So he put the moose head back and went home. His wife will never know as she complains about how long it takes him to make a decision what his indecision saved her from.
******

Today's Link-Baldy's Blog-The problems with Sling Box. We try to help where we can with these links.

Betty has returned from her early morning day after Thanksgiving shopping.
She has reached into the orange colored bowl.

And the winner is





Dunt Dunt Da DA







Garden Wife



Congratulations Garden Wife. Let us know if you want the priceless prize or what's behind a door and which door.
Betty got up at five this morning and went to WalMart intending to buy a large screen TV but they were all gone by the time she got there. She did get a Christmas gift for my daughter. Coming home I got a breathing treatment and then we went to Menards. It was full . There weren't even any carts. But unlike WalMart they had plenty of their sale items. We got Christmas gifts and items for the layout. The other day we bought a two foot by one foot of 1/2 inch Styrofoam for $5.50 at Hobby Lobby.Today we got six four foot by 14" inch 3/4 pieces for $5.99 at Menards and another equal bundle free. My eBay items all sold but one lady decided I should gift wrap hers for her. Betty says we will so I guess we will but her bid wasn't that great. Being nice all the time can be a bit of a pain. My sister Dawn called to tell me the football team from the town where I was Pastor for thirty five years won the state championship so I called my son Peter and he rejoiced as well. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Thanksgiving

Saying for the Day- If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

It is Thanksgiving and so I thought I would make up a list of that which I am thankful for.

1. I am thankful that God in his grace has given me another day Having been almost dead three times I have learned that life itself is a gift .


2. I am thankful for Betty who is my wife, my nurse, my driver, my inspiration. God saw I needed an angel to guide me as I sought to serve Him so he sent me Betty.



3. I am thankful for my three children Peter, Pat, and Pennie. Over and over as Betty and I have needed them they have been there for us. One could not ask for better children.


4. I am thankful for Lori. I could not have a better daughter in-law.


5. I am thankful for my grandchildren. They bring laughter and joy to an old man.


6. I am thankful for my sister Dawn. Who, despite the fact that I haven’t always been nice to her has always been there for me.

7. I am thankful for Curtis who has become a good friend with many talents.

8. I am thankful for all the people I meet on a regular basis with blog. You let me see and touch a bit of your lives and in the doing continue to grow.

This list is not all that I’m thankful for but contains the most important items.
It is Thanksgiving so make up your list and then give thanks to God.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Mrs. Trumble has put forth a list of things that the people of Pigeon Falls are or should be thankful for.

1. They each have their own dreams instead of the common dream they once had.

2. The temperature is no longer below zero all the time and snow comes and goes.

3. The town is no longer occupied by the Army.

4. There are no new dragons or big White Rabbits to worry about.

5. The town has both light and darkness not ever lasting night.

6. That there are no new driblets from Petrovich.

7. That the train still serves Pigeon Falls.

8. That Pigeon Falls has returned to normal.

Mrs. Trumble wishes all who live in or care about Pigeon Falls a Great Thanksgiving. But then she wishes a Great Thanksgiving to all those who don’t live in or don’t care about Pigeon Falls. Her Thanksgiving wishes don’t discriminate based on where you live or what you like.
So to all from Mrs. Trumble and the people of Pigeon Falls:

Happy Thanksgiving

********

Today's Link-Betty's News- Because Betty wants to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving
WE had a great Thanksgiving. After I blogged and discovered that my birthday had moved from May 21 to November 21 we decided this would be my official birthday and a half. Then we went to Peter's house for thanksgiving. Lori had a great meal assisted slightly by her mother. The dogs were very happy to see each other but their antics caused us some pain. Then we watched the Packers win. After that came the annual canasta game, Betty and I against Lori and Pennie. Pennie and Lori were ahead most of the game but in the end Betty and I won. Now we are back in Neenah and I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

DWEC

Saying for the Day:One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

If you are planning on eating cereal this morning or any morning be sure you do it before you leave the house. If you eat it in the car while driving to work you could be ticketed for DWEC( Driving While Eating Cereal).): Four people were injured in Houston in October when a driver failed to stop for a red light while eating a bowl of oatmeal and collided with a transit bus. (Three passengers were hurt, in addition to the motorist, and witnesses said oatmeal was found all over the inside of the car, and also inside the bus and on the ground
Two weeks earlier, in London, Ontario, a driver accidentally lost control of his car while eating cereal, drove through a grassy median, and hit two oncoming cars (but no serious injuries resulted).
So police are now cracking down on people who eat cereal and drive. The worst offenders, of course, are those who eat cereal and talk on a cell phone while driving. They increase their chance of having an accident and the people they are talking to can’t understand them. Didn’t their mother ever tell them don’t talk with your mouth full.
You have been warned.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. It’s the day before Thanksgiving in Pigeon Falls and everybody is getting ready for the big day. The Methodist and Lutheran Churches will have a combined service tonight at the Methodist Church. It is a smaller church and the small number of worshippers won’t look so small there. For some reason not very many people want to take time from their getting ready for Thanksgiving to give God thanks. There are so many things to do and so little time before the relatives arrive.
Mrs. Trumble received a return receipt requested package from the ACLU this morning. It contained pictures of the community Christmas tree and close ups of the ornaments with manger scenes or angels. The lawyer wanted to know if she still denied that the community holiday tree violated the separation of church and state. She sent them a reply stating that the town doesn’t have a holiday tree and that the Christmas Tree in the picture violates no laws state or federal. She went on to say that she hoped they would have a good Thanksgiving on this day of state directed prayer.
Mrs. Trumble has made the Town Council aware that the ACLU will probably be starting some kind of lawsuit against Pigeon Falls. One of the council members said that the lawyers might spend a little while they are here and help the local economy.
If they are unhappy now wait until they see the manger scene that will be set up in front of the gazebo. That will stand their hair on end. What could possibly be a bigger threat to America than a tree with some religious ornaments and a big plastic manger scene.
Will the ACLU sue Pigeon Falls? Will they win? Does Mrs. Trumble know who she is dealing with ? Doesn’t Petrovich have a driblet with a way out of this one? How dangerous is a tree ornament ? And of course id Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid? All these questions and some we haven’t asked will be answered in a future “News from Pigeon Falls”.
******

Today's Link-Daddy Likee- Now this is just a bit on the weird side.
It was one of those days. In the morning I got the three items I sold on eBay addressed and ready to mail. Betty went and had coffee with a friend from Crystal Falls. In the afternoon we took boxes of things we will never use to Good Will . This is better than letting them sit on shelves in the basement. Then we went to Hobby Lobby and got more plaster cloth and some Styrofoam. We came home the back road because 41 was so busy. Then I visited half of the links.
Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

High, High, Cholersterol

Saying for the Day- Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat. ~Fran Lebowitz

A month or so ago Betty went and had her cholesterol checked.
Let me tell you something about Betty. She is a very careful eater. She avoids fatty foods, doesn’t eat many eggs, eats lots of salads, always reads labels, never uses real butter, and eats health smart cereals. We expected her cholesterol would be low. But it wasn’t . It was very high. So high the Doctor called the day after the test and got her started on some pills.

This also got her started worrying about me. I’m a meat and potatoes man. I love lots of butter on my potatoes ( real butter) and I like my french fries dripping with fat. I eat an egg almost every morning. I use real butter on my toast. I drink a lot of cocoa . I love rich fatty deserts. In other words I am a terrible eater. So when I went to the Doctor she suggested that I should get my cholesterol tested. The Doctor, of course, agreed. I wasn’t so wild about the idea since it requires twelve whole hours without eating but I went along. What Betty wants Betty gets.
So yesterday the results of the test came back. The Doctor’s office sent me a letter. It gave the results of the test and next to the cholesterol numbers was written “ these are great”. I have low cholesterol numbers. I, who eat wrong, have low cholesterol . Wow!
Now Betty should be happy for me but I think she feels that life has cheated. I should have high numbers and she should have low. She ate by the rules and I didn’t.
So why are my numbers so low? Thank you mom and dad. It’s all in the genes. Before the test my sister told me not to worry she always tests low and so will I. It’s our inheritance. She seems to be right.
Again thank you mom and dad and I’ll have a little more butter on those potatoes.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The birthday party for Mabel went very well last night. Last Lutheran was full of relatives and friends. Petrovich was outstanding as master of ceremonies. He had people laughing till they almost fell off their chairs. The highlight of the evening was when grandma Mabel danced with a great grandson. That old lady still has a lot of bounce. She announced at the end that she expects them all back when she reaches one hundred and ten.
The party was all people were talking about at Nancy’s today. All the expected things. Like how good it was to see her children again and how well they looked. There were lots of comments on how cute the great, great grandchild was. There were even a few comments about how surprised people were to discover Petrovich had a sense of humor. They thought of him more as a dark ,scary, person. Like the guy that carries the sign that says “The end is coming!”.
Mabel is getting ready to fly down to her daughter’s in Florida for Thanksgiving. Her son is going with her. They are taking the train to Iron Mountain tomorrow. From there they will fly to Chicago and from there to Miami. Her daughter will pick them up with the van at the airport.
Mabel really wanted the family to stay and have Thanksgiving at the old family home. She promised to cook up a feast. But they persuaded her to go to Florida instead. They wanted to make it easier for her. But with airport security being what it is, and the long lines in the airport, this may be harder on her than cooking for them all would be. The price of safety is inconvenience.
*****
Today's link- A Cat in the Kitchen- Seemed like a good day for a food blog . One with Helsinki in it.
I spent the entire day in the basement. Slowly the new layout is shaping up. The last table is in place .Betty came down in the afternoon and started unpacking the houses for the village. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

I'm Old

Saying for the Day- All would live long, but none would be old. Benjamin Franklin

Ways I know I’ve reached old.

1. All my teeth have left the body.

2. I can’t remember people’s names. ( I couldn’t when I was twenty either but now its because of age.)

3. I take my cute little oxygen bottle every where I go.

4. A big day is visiting all the blogs I link to.

5. I list the same link to visit two days in a row. ( Thanks Quilly for calling it to my attention)

6. Pain in the morning simply means I’m still alive.

7. I am beginning to understand Betty.

8. I let Betty do the driving.

9. I am afraid the dog will knock me over.

10. I shop on a power chair.

11. My ears don’t work well. ( I have a hearing aid)

12. I ride a lift chair to the basement, ( I don’t do steps)

13. My children have reached middle age or advanced youth.

14. I can't find my glasses because I'm wearing them.

15. I can’t remember what it was I decided last night to blog on today.

So you see I have made the steep climb and reached old. ( The alternative is dead)

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. They are having a birthday party for Mabel Stetson tonight at Last Lutheran Church. She will be one hundred years old and she still lives alone in the house her parents built. Her husband Jake died twenty years ago and though her children have invited her to comer and live with them she couldn’t bring herself to leave the old house. She has visited them, of course. She has more airline miles than some business men. But when she visits she soon gets homesick and flies back to Pigeon Falls. Tonight all of her children ( she had fourteen) that are still alive (eight) will be here along with some of her grandchildren, most of her great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild. Her son George, who is in a nursing home will be brought by his children and is looking forward to the event.
Friends from the Church will be there as well. Mabel hasn’t gotten out much lately. She hurt her back chopping wood and has been taking it easy. She hasn’t been to church for a month and that is very unusual for Mabel. Pastor Joan has been bringing her communion and keeping her up to date on what’s happening in the church.
So it will be a really big celebration tonight. Petrovich ( a distant cousin) will be the Master of Ceremonies and has taken time from his driblet study to put together a short history of Mabel. Her parents came from Russia and moved to Pigeon Falls when Mabel was ten. They built their own home in which Mabel now lives. She met Jake when she was sixteen and married him when she was seventeen. For the next fourteen years she had a child every year, not one of which was born in a hospital and only two were delivered by a doctor. The rest of her children were delivered by a midwife. According to Petrovich when the midwife moved away Mabel went through a midwife crisis and decided to have no more children. That decision didn’t hold and she had the last two delivered by a Doctor. During the years she was having and caring for the babies she also planted potatoes, milked the cows, fed the chickens, chopped wood, and made all the clothes for the family.
Tonight she will give her great, great, grandchild a little jump suit she made while her back kept her from doing other things. The only question is whether Last Lutheran can hold all the people that intend to celebrate with her.
*******

Today's Link- A Bee in her Bonnet-Learning from children.
A hard breathing day . I went through two of the little oxygen tanks. In the morning I visited some of the blogs I didn't get to yesterday. In the afternoon Betty and I cut a piece of plywood to fit the "last" table we need for the layout. Then I went downstairs and put the table together. Betty came down and painted or started to paint the mountain side. THen I did some more blogging. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Who to follow?

Saying for the day- "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.” Jesus

In the churches that follow the common lectionary this saying is part of the Gospel for the day.
Every age has seen the rise of those who would be God. They proclaim themselves anointed and gather followers. They would save us from:
Hunger
Global Warming
Evil men
The Church
All evil religions
Crazy conservatives
Wild Liberals
Some of them in this age even have blogs .

Jesus says to watch out and be careful who you follow.

If they teach you to hate – stay away !
If they claim that they and their followers alone are good and pure –Stay away.
If they are busy tearing down other people and religions– Stay away!.
If there is no room for kindness and mercy in their program-Stay away!
If their proclamation is centered in race – Stay away!
If they alone know the truth– Stay away!

Jesus says to watch out and be careful who you follow.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. It is the first Sunday after the Exodus to the Woods at Last Lutheran. There won’t be many people at worship today. The women got back late last night or to be more exact early this morning. Many of them will sleep in. The men. Of course, are still out at the deer camps and if they are doing any praying its for a chance to shoot the biggest buck ever.
But Pastor Joan will still run two services. Her sermon may be a little shorter and she may go home after the last service and sleep for the rest of the day but she will be there. Her sermon is entitled “The Christ Who makes us Uncomfortable“.
She will talk about the God who comes into a world where there are all kinds of reasons to hate and to fear and calls us instead to love. Christ calls us not to tear down but to build up, not to hurt but to heal, not to punish but to redeem. Pastor Joan will see our Baptism as a call to serve . It’s too bad so few people will be there to hear this sermon.
There was a light snowfall in Pigeon Falls last night. That means the hunter’s will have some tracking snow this morning. It also means they will be cold and damp by the end of the day. If they don’t get their buck you can add depressed to the cold and damp. But they will try again tomorrow and tonight a few extra pieces of wood in the big camp stove and they will be as warm as toast.
*******

Today's Link-Big C's Happy Talk- Something to think about.
We had a nice day today. The sermon wasn't bad and the youth choir sang. The kids did a great job. After church we went grocery shopping. Coming home we watched the Packer game. Then we worked in the basement. I worked on the last table we need and Betty worked on the ski lift which now operates very well. At that point the dog got a hold of the cough drops and Pennie was on the phone so she called us up to help. Pennie was on call all weekend. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

My list.

Saying for the day- * Work is for people who don't know how to hunt.

This coming week contains Thanksgiving. That means we are coming close to the end of the year. Back on March 17 I listed in this blog a list of things I wanted to get done this year. Today I will look and see how well I’ve done.
Those in green I finished. Those in red are left to do.

Things I need to get done. 1. Drive to Crystal Falls and pick up some much needed things we left there.
We did that. WE packed Peter‘s van and ours..
2. Do our income tax. I bought Turbo Tax. I just haven’t gotten around to using it yet.
I did that just in time but ended up having to pay the government $2000 .
3. Go to Menards and get two 4 X 8 pieces of plywood for train layout base.
That one sheet of plywood has become four but I got it.
4. Build the 2’ by 4’ tables the layout will rest on.
There is one table let to build but it is 1 1/2 feet by four.
5. Get a haircut. Every day Betty says “Get a haircut”. But I can still see.
Now I can’t see but I still haven’t gotten a haircut.
6. Arrange for April move of furniture from Crystal Falls to Neenah.
We did more than arrange. We moved the furniture. Pat , Curtis, Pennie, and the boys with the help of church people moved it all.
7. Move into our own half of the condo.
We did but now I think it belongs to the dog.
8. Get the last Harry Potter book. ( Can’t do until July)
I got and read the book. No more Harry Potter.
9. Finish reading “ The Dragon Reborn”
I did but then got hooked on the series which may never get finished.
10. Buy a lottery ticket. ( Can’t win if you don’t buy)
I haven’t yet but I am going to.
11. Make some saffron buns for Easter.
I did and they were great.
12. Get birthday gifts for Luke and Caleb
We gave them money and Toys R Us cards.

13. Find more blogs to use as “ Today’s Link”
I have an ever growing list.

AS you can see I have only two and 1/4 items left on the list. That’s pretty good.
Now I need a new list.

News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The woman left for Green Bay ,by train, early this morning. Even Pastor Joan went with them. With the hunters gone and the women gone there aren’t many people left in Pigeon Falls.
The Fly Inn is open. A few men come in from the woods every night and the bar is doing good business. Some of the visiting hunters are staying there. Every night they exchange hunting stories. One fellow shot a ten point buck at the same time as somebody else shot it. They were on different sides of a field. Both bullets hit the deer and the question was who did the deer belong to. The other hunter was bigger and louder and insisted he shot first. So the poor guy was in the Fly Inn telling his story and drowning his sorrows.
Jack’s Sauna is closed since Jack is still hunting and his wife has gone to Green Bay. Anybody that needs a sauna will just have to stay dirty and wait.
Nancy’s is closed but the poltergeist is making pictures of deer in the window with the Christmas lights. It’s too bad there aren’t more people to see it.
While the women were getting on the train this morning a young man got off. He didn’t have a gun but an impressive looking camera. He was seen taking pictures of the community Christmas tree. He seemed very interested in the ornaments and took close up pictures of many of them.
On the town hall there is a list of deer killed, who killed them, how much they weighed, and the points. When deer season is over there will be prizes for the biggest deer and the one with most points. Eino is doing the weighing.
*****

Today's Link-Julie's Journal- See what upsets Julie.
A good day for me. I got the last eBay package mailed out. I went to Menards and got to ride my scooter. We bought wood for another table and some things for the layout. In the afternoon we worked in the basement and got a lot done on the layout. Then I visited half of my links. What a good day. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Friday- Win or Lose

Saying for the day-
It's time for the internet contest that requires no postage and handling fee.
The contest that requires no credit card.
The contest that has no cumbersome blanks to fill out.
The contest that is very slow at sending out prizes.
The contest that doesn't even require your correct name.
Every Friday we give away priceless prizes to some lucky person who commented on this blog in the week gone by.

Today's Priceless Prize is this box of perfumed guest soap.
But not soap but soap that looks like sea shells and smell like a garden.
And as an added bonus it was not made in China but in Turkey.

THE RULES:( Very important)
To take part in the contest you must
1: Have commented on at least one entry on this blog in the last week.
2: Be willing to supply your mailing address.

For every day that you left a comment we write your name on a slip of paper that is placed in our rose colored drawing bowl. So if you commented every day you could have 7 slips in the bowl.
( The more slips the higher your chance to win)


Next Betty or her designated replacement draws one of those slips and that person wins the Priceless Prize.



If you don't like porcelain take a chance on a door.
Behind one of our two doors today is
the usual rubber band, pencil etc.

Behind the other ...........








News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Eino is back at work in the garage. He got a three point buck on the first day of the season. Not the best he has ever done but good enough. He had to get back because he was waiting for more information from his FBI friend. But the information he got this morning only made him more curious. It seems that all the other files on Pertrovich are so highly classified that very few people have the security clearance to see them. Eino wonders what could be that big of a secret about Petrovich.
Roy and Bonnie Mcgregor have decided to have the baby despite their age. Her married daughter has promised to take the child if anything happens to the parents. Now Bonnie is almost looking forward to being a mother again.
The woman in town are getting ready for their big hunting expedition in Green Bay tomorrow. Nancy is closing up the coffee shop and going along. She says that with the men hunting and the wives shopping there is nobody left to drink coffee. Even Mrs. Petrovich is going though her husband doesn’t hunt.
*****

Today's Link-Deer Camp Blog- - A look at the call to hunt.
Betty has returned from walking the dog and she has drawn the winning name.




Today's winner is---




Non other than




Margaret





Congratulations Margaret. Let us know if its the prize or the door.
Well it was a good day. I added a little snow to the Fortress. Betty and I weighed and photographed four more items to put on eBay. Betty went and picked up boxes for the mailings.In the afternoon we worked in the basement. We can't find the skating rink. Betty unpacked the snow items we bought last year . It was like Christmas. Tomorrow we have to go to Menards. Then I listed all four items with eBay. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

A Lesson

Saying for the Day-The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.Eden Phillpotts:






"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand ...


And "lollipop" is the longest word typed with your right hand. (Bet you tried this out mentally, didn't you?)



No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.







"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".? (Are you doubting this?)








The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet. (Now, you KNOW you're going to try this out for accuracy, right?)




The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).


There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.



There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious." (Yes, admit it, you are going to say, a e i o u)


TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard. (All you typists are going to test this out)




The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.




Now you know more than you did before!!


###News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Pigeon Falls is short on men . They have all, or almost all, taken to the woods to hunt deer. It is a test of manhood. One little man with a high powered rifle against a vicious life threatening deer. At any moment the deer may charge and crush the poor guy. One also gets to eat strange food prepared under primitive conditions where both the cook and the food contain large amounts of alcohol.
If you need a plumber or carpenter in the next few days and you live in Pigeon Falls you are out of luck. They are all out in the woods. The hardware store is closed as are several other businesses . Even the school has closed until next week. The teachers and older boys have all gone hunting. Wink’s and Kivi&Maki are still open but being run by women. Jack’s Sauna is open but his wife is in charge as Jack is out to camp. Nancy and the poltergeist are keeping her place open but Nancy’s new husband is at some hunting camp.
Petrovich, however, has chosen to stay home. He says he is too busy translating driblets to indulge in such nonsense. He has nothing against deer though his wife is upset with the one that ate her flowers.
******

Today's Link-Deer Camp Blog-A brave hunter and his prize.
Another dull day. The very nature of my life. I blogged. I packed up the last things I sold on eBay and last week's contest prize and Betty took them to the Post Office. My sister Chris called.I fiddled on the computer. I worked in the basement. Betty went to Bible Study. I brought up some new items to sell on eBay.My sister Dawn called. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Watch out for Exploding Gumballs

Saying for the Day-The greatest danger of bombs is in the explosion of stupidity that they provoke.Mirbeau, Octave

As if you didn’t have enough to worry about with exploding buildings
Three aldermen in Dover, N.J., seem exceptionally apprehensive that the town's gumball machines are easy targets for terrorists to poison their community and have been studying the issue zealously since April. The aldermen have checked all 800 gumball machines in the town of 18,000, gotten rid of the 100 that were unlicensed, and will report to the mayor by Jan. 1 on the town's vulnerability. (The mayor has been mildly supportive of the project, as contrasted with the police chief, who said, "You'd probably win the lottery first" before being victimized by terrorists' gumballs.)
Think of that the next time you go shopping and pass one of those cute machines.

News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Pigeon Falls is ready for its next big community festival which will take place tonight. Today is officially “ The Day of the Exodus”. Hunter’s will be arriving in Pigeon Falls and departing to “ Hunting Camps”. There will be a great big Hunter’s Meal at the Masonic Hall. The best roast beef anywhere. The two variety stores will be selling bullets and maps. The Fly Inn will do record business. They will even have the Liar’s Club 64 piece band play. It will be one fun day.
The festivities will continue on Saturday with the “ Wives Revolt”. Dr. Fortress has scheduled a special train to Green Bay and buses to take them to shopping centers once they are there. They will be hunting but not for deer.
Even Last Lutheran Church is taking part and calling Sunday “ The First Sunday after the Exodus”. That’s one you don’t find in the usual liturgical calendar.
Nancy’s poltergeist has entered into the fun and is spelling out Good Luck with the Christmas lights.
One of the local farmers has sprayed the deer that have been causing him problems with red paint. He is offering a reward to any hunter that kills one of those deer. The DNR won’t let him shoot them outside of hunting season and he can only shoot one during. But he has painted them all.
****

Today's Link-The Bayer Family Blog- Some parent has smart kids.
Well this was another really dull day. I worked on the computer. I visited blogs ( they weren't dull) , I worked a little in the basement, I watched the dog sleep ( now you know it was dull) and I checked my eBay items. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

eBay Just Won't Go Away

Saying for the day-The smaller the sale, the greater the number of sales you have to make.

Ebay is one strange place. I am selling off my old G scale train stuff and I have no idea what people will bid big money on. Things I expect will get lots of bids get very few and some of those I expect to be lucky if I get one bid get many.
The sellers are strange as well ( not including me of course). I am looking at selling some HO EZ track so I thought I would look and see how much was already for sale. I discovered one fellow with three sets of track all with a starting bid of $.01. Now EZ track isn’t cheap so I figured he must have a reserve. That’s where the bidding starts at one price but it doesn’t count until the reserve price which is hidden is reached. When you bid a little sign comes up that says “reserve not met”.
Now I am a curious person by nature. So I checked this man’s offerings every day for two days. Nobody bid on them. They bid on EZ track all around his but not on his. Here were sixteen pieces of track worth at least $20 offered for $.01 and nobody bid.
That was the problem. I couldn’t take it any more so I bid a penny on one of them. There was no reserve. Suddenly I was the high bidder. I had come to sell EZ track and now I was bidding on it. This did not make Betty happy. She still remembers all the trestle I bought on eBay the last time I got carried away. She kept asking “what are you going to do with sixteen more pieces of track.” As if I knew. I kept telling her it was only a penny. That’s when she asked how much the postage was. “Just $8.00” I told her. Which of course made her even more unhappy.
It was a seven day placement. So every day I checked to see if somebody outbid me but coming into the last day they still hadn’t. I checked this morning and some wonderful person had bid $.06. I was off the hook. There were thirteen hours to go. I wonder if it will get up over a dollar?
That $.06 certainly made Betty happy.

News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The big news in Pigeon Falls today is all about Bonnie McGregor. You know Bonnie. She lives just down the road from Mrs. Trumble but on the other side of the road, just beyond the Gorman Oak. She is fifty two years old and has raised three children. Roy has married and lives in Florida. He has two children. Jill has a PHD from Michigan State and teaches at Northern Michigan University. And Tracy who married a local contractor and lives on the other side of Pigeon Falls with her three children.
Well the news is that grandma Bonnie is pregnant. She didn’t think that was possible because she thought she was going through menopause. She had hot flashes, mood swings, change in the duration of her periods, trouble sleeping, all the signs were there. But last week she felt really sick. So she went to the Doctor who sent her to Iron Mountain where they ran all kinds of tests and there is no question but that she is pregnant. The question now is should she have the baby or an abortion. Russel, her husband, says he’s ready for another kid. It will keep them young. Bonnie is not that sure that she wants to be young again. Russel never changed diapers. Russel never got up in the middle of the night to feed the baby. Russel never went to parent teacher meetings . But Bonnie is and always has been against abortion. So she will have to be young even if she doesn’t want to.
Nancy says that’s all people are talking about when they come in for coffee. It’s almost like something out of the bible except Russel almost never goes to Church so he’s no Abraham.
******

Today's Link-Catnabbit- Some thoughts on a fat cat by a blogger that only blogs once a month.
Had a busy day today. We got the last car ordered from eBay ou and a package to my sister. We stopped on the way back and ordered some small boxes. Then I worked in the basement and Betty in the kitchen. I brought up another item to sell. Then I placed four items on sale at eBay.
Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

The Train Show

Saying for the day- Walk on the grass and have fun with life.It's sure better than letting life get you down."
Peace, [Neil Colton]

On Saturday I went to Trainfest in Milwaukee. It was a great experience but I learned some things.
1. It is better to go to a big train show at noon than early in the morning.
We got there about a half hour after the show started and the line was thirty minutes long to the ticket window and the handicapped parking was full.
2. The men’s restroom outside the exhibit hall is locked.
You can’t get into the exhibit without a ticket.( Don’t take lasix before leaving home) The wait for tickets was thirty long , long, long minutes.
3. It is impossible to get good pictures in large crowds.
We brought three cameras and got no pictures.
4. Always charge the battery in your power chair before a big event.
As I started the ride in on my power chair ( ie. glorified scooter) I noticed the arrow indicating the charge was in the middle of the green zone. The show went on it dropped into the yellow zone , and as we were leaving it fell into the red. The last couple of blocks to the car I put it in neutral and the boys pushed me. Just a little extra excitement.
5. There are no real bargains until the second day of a two day show.
All of the O scale models I saw were overpriced. We did buy a lumber mill for the layout.
6. Things are not always as they seem–
I got to see the Coor’s Special Train that so excited me a month or so ago . It was not nearly as nice as it had looked in the little videos. It was a bit of a disappointment.
7. Fudruckers makes good hamburgers.
My kids dragged me there after the train show saying I just had to try their hamburgers. They were good but not that good.
8. . My grandchildren prefer bow and arrows to trains.
The boys seemed to enjoy the show but afterwards when their dad stopped to get Alex the bow and arrow he promised him for his birthday was when they really got excited.
9. For my needs the train show in Green Bay (Titletown Train Show) is a better show.
10. Any of the above not withstanding I am glad I got to go.
We really need that mill.


News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The town has cleaned up after the big craft show. All the tables are back where they are supposed to be, the street has been swept, and the last pasty has been eaten.
Now the planning has begun for next years bigger and better show. People are thinking of what to make and how to exhibit it. There is some talk about buying the old barn on the edge of town and redoing it as an exhibit hall. It is still in good shape but since the farmer, Josh McDougl , died it has stood vacant. The family, which lives in Idaho has rented out the farmhouse and might be willing to sell that corner of the property. It is doubtful it will ever be farmed again. A committee has been formed to look into it.
Petrovich says he has translated some more interesting driblets but none of them pertain to Pigeon Falls. He will be putting some on his website in the days to come. People are just glad they don’t pertain to them.
The community Christmas tree is coming right along. New ornaments are being added every day and people are bringing their visitors down to point out their contribution to the tree. This was a great idea on Mrs. Tumble’s part.
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Today's Links- Lyon Valley Northern- A model train blog. seems right for today.
Well another really dull day comes to an end. I visited all my links and left comments on most of them. I found that a lot of people are sick or in pain. Life can be toughy. I brought up some more cars to post on eBay but didn't get it done. Betty made cup cakes for the community table. The dog got all kinds of burs stuck on her ear. Just your ordinary nothing much happening day. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA