The idea you keep to discussion, not war

Good morning,

How far are you willing to go to defend your life style or it it your home? If a man came 2000 miles to blow up a building to defend their life style then they live someplace other than our democracy. All we can defend is our home, our country is defended my the United States Department of Defense. I can assume that you can defend your wife or son/daughter but not an idea you think is wrong. The idea you keep to discussion, not war.
***
When we ended the draft the United States Department of Defense decided only to accept the very best men and women in physical ability and aptitude. They provide grants to universities to create games that would teach children to fly, operate tanks and be extremely dexterous with joy sticks, knobs and buttons.
In the year 2000 the military's dream had come true. the army had the most intelligent pilots, tank operators and drone operators who could run a mile and not lose any ability to perform well.
Well the war in Iraq pretty well left all those brilliant minds dead or without limb. So please do not ask me not to say that when you elect an idiot .......
March 2003:
Has our mother asked us to change our minds?
Our rug was pulled out from under us September 11, 2001.
We were so angry that we let the Attorney General of the United States have a full run at the terrorists.
We provided him with an arsenal of weapons that wiped out our civil freedoms for a time.
We have let him poke into our affairs just to catch the evil that destroyed our families September 11, 2001.
Now the Attorney General of the United States wants more power.
The President of the United States wants more power.
Are the Supreme Court and Congress going to give them that power?
Where is the voice of the people of the United States?
I am afraid to ask that question?
We have isolated ourselves; we have placed ourselves in the middle of an island.
We have yelled at all our friends.
We have rode our "devil may care" attitude into town like John Wayne and told the world to go to hell.
Has our mother asked us to change our minds?
***
Our nation has gone to sleep. 

Like sleeping beauty we have bitten the apple and laid down like 

Rip Van Winkle.
***
One young man who learned to kill went on a rampage and killed anyone he could see in a grammar school a few weeks ago.
On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, age 20, fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members and wounded two at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Connecticut.

1300
The kitten is fast asleep on the couch near her blanket. She spent the morning outside playing with ice crystals, snow banks and chasing small birds at the ground feeder mom put out last night.

Good morning, 

It was 14 when mom went to work this morning it is now 18 degrees. I am listening to Latin jazz on my TV.

Mom said there was no snow to speak of at work, ours is melting but as heavy as it was it still is sparkling and white here in town.

I feel good and today I am  washing some linen/clothes and maybe I will clean the kitchen floor. I have asked the cats to do the floor as they are so clean but they just do not understand. I wanted to remove the Christmas Tree right after the new Year but mom wants me to wait until Easter Sunday. 

My friend in Auburn, California is having some problems with her health. I want to wish her good health and I am thinking of her and letting her know that I love her.

The photo above is what is sliding and melting off our roof this morning.

Before 1980:

When I worked at Lock and Dam 50, the towboat crews would have to split their tows in two so as to fit through the 600 foot lock. Most Mates (Crew Leaders) treated their deckhands very well and when they came through the lock they were quick and efficient, the crews were a team that worked well with each other because they were taught well by their Mate. The steel company mates kept their new employees by their side day and night for their first month at work on the towboat so when the month ended the new employee would know and work as well as the Mate.  The steel company boats were well organized.

I once saw a mate from another company treating his men rather harshly and I asked him why he did so and his answer was, "The barge company was the boss and their cargo was the most important object on the job and if the employee did not want to work he could go down to main street and pick up another man that needed a job anytime he wanted to."

The difference was very distinct as the steel boat locked very quickly and safely and the other towboat company you would never know how they locked through, sometimes good and sometimes very dangerously.

2012 

In today's work place it is more like the second example where you do not know what is going to happen, some work fine and others are very bad.

***

The Federal military and the Federal government are very consistent in their work environment and treat their employees very well (Congress is not a good example of an average federal employee so please do not use them as an example).
***
1995 at Smithland Locks and Dam:
I once met a Port Captain, (you know the old towboat captain who had been through hell and knew all the answers and who go out and handle any situation at a moments notice) and asked on what boats he had worked on, you know maybe I had locked him through the lock and he said to me, " I have never worked on a towboat I am an accountant."
 

Good Morning,

It is early and still dark, everything outside is quiet, dark and cold. Everything inside this home is warm, cosy and candle lit (Christmas Lights).

I feel good this morning even though I have had no coffee of yet. I just drank a little coffee from my mug.

The snow fall here is not much and it is above freezing, 34 is above freezing and I stepped on the stoop and everything was thawing so I went out to the deck to see if the shinny wood was black ice and it was just wet wood. 

Mom goes to work this morning so the only problem she will have is, wanting to stay home, leaving her parking space, stepping through slush and overpasses.

0900

I taped via my DirecTV some music videos. Using the technology in my home, home stereo with 4 speakers, our Sony TV with two expanded speakers and our DirecTV satellite DVR. With this technology I am able to listen to and blow our home out with good loud rock music. I use my stereo for the bass and mid-tones and the Sony TV for the high frequencies. There is plenty of separation as my stereos 4 speakers are on each side of the room. The Sony TV has a surround fool you expansion which move the music around the walls. Laurel finds it annoying but I am a stoner without drugs and am able to rock out at my old age of 71.

We always need to be reminded about those other being

Good Morning,

The ground in front of our home is covered with snow; we expect another 2 or 3 inches tonight.

Laurel just asked me, "Where is the kitten?" I said I did not know, she was in when I got up this morning. Last night I opened our cat door/flap, it was closed because the male cats in the neighborhood had learned about it and stunk up our home plus George decided to be a bully and piss on everyone so we kicked him out and told him to stay out. It has been closed for over a year.

With the temperature falling into the teens and our kitten wanting out, we decided to open the door/flap again until someone starts marking their territory.

I feel good this morning. It is rare for me to feel bad mentally but if I do I know it will pass in a few moments, I have too much faith in my being on the planet earth with all you religious  and non religious folk.

***

Good Morning,

I seemed to have missed the children this Christmas and the 25th of December is gone. We have other days to celebrate before the cold and snow is gone. There were plenty of pictures and good feeling and indeed there was cinnamon in the smells this Christmas. 

Do we really understand what happens every cold season and what being shut in means. The planet earth celebrates in every conceivable way to ward off the dangers of loneliness and depression. We drag in every candle, save every trinket, shine every pot, collect red berries and evergreens, drop coffee beans in barrels, steam cinnamon and celebrate the birth of babies born in winter, we decorate the ice and snow, build huge fires and hug the tar out of anyone in sight.

I have trained my mind to understand the simple, view and celebrate what is available; I know how to sit and see god, the white cat in the window, the colors of Christmas and the warmth of the day.

Good Morning,

I awoke last night about midnight with sleet hitting the windows. I moved to the back slider to view the deck and saw that the sleet was on the deck but not on the wires. This morning at 0430 when I got out of bed there was 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground, I let the kitten out to play in her first snow and she stayed out until her paws got a little too cold and she came in about 0500. She is now sleeping on mom's lap. Laurel and Allison were up all  night chatting. The snow is still blowing sideways at the moment; no big flakes as of yet.

I am sitting in the dark with colorful lights from the window and tree as my holy day mood.

Good Morning,

It is very early on the 25th of December. Old Saint Nick has been to our home. The grandchildren are home sick but I am very sure that Santa did stop on Sunny Lane as well West Elm. I am sure that the Star of David is shinning in this Morning Sky. It is very quiet here on West Elm. The kitten did wake me at 4:30 am with look in the face which meant I have to go outside and go poop!

 I feel good this morning. Sometimes there is a point of view which is not a state of mind but with eyes that see in an early morning view. It is a quiet seeing with a green tree with colorful lights, sounds of water falling and cats taking baths. A good reflection of mankind with all our electronic doodads in our quiet peace.

Have a Great Holiday Season, Christmas Season, Festivity for King David, Solstices,

Good Morning,

Laurel Rose is off work today, I am retired and never miss a beat to lounge about, the kitten is fast asleep on the couch, music is playing quiet music which is very nice for the occasion. 

Mom is 70 and I am 71, she acts as if she is 50 and I act as if I was 71. Our brains are very good, hers is smart and my is clear as in empty.

Today is the day before Christmas as in Christmas Eve:

 T'was the night before Christmas,
    when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, --not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
    In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
 

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
 

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
 

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
 

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
 

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT."



Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863) wrote 
Twas the night before Christmas also called 
A Visit from St. Nicholas
 in 1822.

Traditional Festive Mood

My Mother Disappeared When I was Three

Good Morning,

I have an ability to piss people off with my attitude and I think my dad was the same way but our difference is that he owed everyone in the state money. I came to find out that the barber we visited every Saturday was a bookie and I know that he (dad) came to our home in Kentucky with one paper bag/sack and asked us not to  tell anyone where he was. After he left our home and moved to Berea we got a call from someone saying he was my godfather at my baptism and he wanted to know where my dad was. I told him that the last I heard from my dad he was in California somewhere after his divorce from my step mom Gladys.

When I was young and living in Alhambra, on occasion we visited his brother Ralph who operated a Barber Shop in San Gabriel on Mission Drive. I can now assume that was to borrow money from Ralph. I tried on occasion to be friends with Ralph's daughter but it seems that I am now the Black Sheep of the family.

Yes I do have a callus attitude and it has never helped me.

My daughter Allison has a heart of gold and my wife Laurel Rose has a love of animals and a sense of humor that is contagious. My son has a smile and a quiet attitude but he does have a sarcastic voice (like mine) from time to time. My heart has been hardened by my life. I cried every night wondering who I was when I lived on Date and Third Streets in Alhambra in the 1950's and I got no answers until I dropped out in 1967.

The Sisters of Mercy help me see who I was.

straight as an arrow

I have a history. Two weeks ago we were in San Gabriel at the Mission San Gabriel which is very prominent in my past.

When I lived on North Third Street in Alhambra, California My father taught me to straight edge our lawn with a Single Edge Razor Blade shown at left in 1949-50. Laurel thinks that it is cruel and unusual to make me work that hard. Anyway while at the San Gabriel Mission two weeks ago I noticed that the lawn edges were cut the same way (looked the same) as when I did it in Alhambra in 1949-50. Seeing that I can assume that my grandfather Pablo Diaz taught his boys to trim the grass (lawn) in that way and I can also assume that that is how they did it at the Huntington Library where Grandpa Pablo Diaz worked (Alpha male). I do not know how they cut it before the advantage of the single edge razor blade or how they do it today but as I saw it (the lawn) two weeks ago the results were the same as when I did it at home in Alhambra on North Third Street.

Good Morning,

There is always something going on in my mind but nothing is ever accomplished. 

I bought some honey from SAM's Club and then I went online to see if that honey was tainted and there is a complete article of tainted bootleg Chinese Honey that the US shippers import and no one has any clue as to where it comes from? It could be  ,.... ?    It may be  ,...? NAW !!!!

Anyway I am using that honey and it seems that something is wrong with me or the honey.

I will stop using it and see if things change.

 ***

The kitten

 The Kitten climbed the tree on Laurel and she screamed at the kitten, nothing happened; this morning the kitten climbed the tree and she got spanked and she stays away from the tree now. 

She is playing hard indoors and outdoors. 

She is quite muscular because I do let her outside to get cat exorcise.
I accidentally rock on her (the kitten) as I was leaning forward on the recliner this morning. She moved away from me sat in one spot, moved again and sat; she finally slept in mom's chair. At noon I let her out and she played well and acted normally.

Good morning,

I am drinking Red Tea, it is my favorite. I let i steeped for 10 minutes to make it as strong as coffee.
That bush is where the tea comes from. The name of the bush is Rooibos.
 I did not let the kitten out in the rain and she is pestering the crap out of me. She is full of piss and vinegar. When the rain lets up I will let her out.

Winters on the planet earth have always been difficult to deal with; emotionally there are devastating, there is never a good supply of food to eat or what you have stored is running thin, the weather chills you when the wind blows through the walls of your abode, it is cloudy and wet, foggy and bone chilling.
Someone some time ago decide to light up their day with brighter camp fires, syrups and hot soups, bright berries and candles. Singing to the gods, singing to the stars, singing to the babies, singing to he winter beginning, singing to winters end, anything to brighten up the old farts mood.Colorful clothing, red hats, green hats , stories of faeries, stories of plum puddings, hot winter heated grog.
Are you getting the picture.
We have quite assortment of festivals and celebrations to cheer us up.
So go buy that Red Santa hat and wear it everywhere.

What are? Who are the images of winter. I have said them many times, I have repeated our historical images, we have thanked God on several occasions, viewed the heavens and counted as the last days of the calendar cease to exist.

     

Wal mart and why my wife only works 8 hour weeks?

Good Morning,

It is Tuesday the 18th in the year 2012, it is cool 47 degrees outside and I feel fine, a whopping big bit of "over-weight-ness" but mentally fine.

I think mom goes to work today. She does not get much of a job because of an over abundance of ..???     Yeah what ever word you put in there you have to remember the Deep South and there love of the Star of David. They love you but,,,,,,?????   Yeah what ever word you put there.

This has been going on for 40 years and we know how to deal with it.

Merry Christmas

We do have a family that loves us or mom. I think it is mostly mom, my sister and my daughter. I have a body and face that you should not trust.

But I do understand the planet very well and I know you teach your children wild video games and shoot the planet to hell and wonder why,,,??? Yeah what ever word you put there.

I have an extraordinary ego that overcomes all prejudice. I have some great stories that are all true but no one believe me. I wrote them all down but still no one believes me.

HEH !!  you can place prejudice in all those blank places.

Good Afternoon,
George Washington was our Commander in Chief of our Militia and our First President.

If there was a threat to our nation then each state Militia could handle the problem, being well regulated we could move swiftly to protect the nation either from the English or from a twenty year old with a Tommy Gun.
Congress gave the Commander in Chief (the President) the power to regulate the State Militia's.

Good morning, I moved my computer into the other room and I sure miss it.

I feel good mentally but my back is a pain in the @#$. No big deal.
We still have some shopping to do for the Holidays but mostly finished. 

Today I fill up the air mattress (I had to wait 24 hours) to see if the patch I placed on it yesterday did the job of stopping a slow leak. 10 am is the 24 hour time limit.

I read Trish's Christmas letter and it is very colorful which shows a great deal of change since her last letter. 

It is 55 degrees here in town, very warm for this area of the country in the middle of December. Normally the frosty stars and snowflakes are dancing on the windows.

It is good morning as well as my mood and health and our state of being here at our home. But our nation is distraught over the break in and shooting of children at our Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.
***

Laurel and I spent the day decorating our home in a Holiday (Holy Days) Festive mode/mood yesterday. It is raining outside so stringing lights outside may be dangerous to hook up.

Piece of Pie

I moved my computer and just now got on line. It is early 0530 and a little strange doing my texting in a different place. The one thing I miss the most is the open area where I can see the deck, dining area, the cars driving by and the living room. The cats are in those areas but not allowed in this room since there is no real protection on the floor (no carpet, no wood floor, just cheep cheap throw rugs from Walmart on the sub floor (particleboard) to keep the splinters away.

Particleboard is a good surface for painting on, as an art supply.

Good morning,

My computer does not seem as fast as my smart phone. I guess this computer is big and clunky. Or maybe my DSL supplier does not make any money fooling around with the Internet. They are more into collecting money from smart phone data plans.

Laurel felt better after her visit to the doctor, she got two shots and a prescription for the next few days. While off we got our Christmas Shopping done.

I feel good but my overall ability to travel any distance by foot is limited by the nerves in my back. I can make a couple of trips around a department store before my right thigh gets hot and my ankles decide to ache. The heat in the thigh is my disk in my back telling my mind that my leg hurts like hell. If I ignore it , it gets very serious and does require back surgery. So I just rest or get a cart to sit in.

At the zoo we rented some carts to travel the zoo area and that worked OK for Laurel and I. Being 70 and 71 does require some help.

Laurel just got up and getting busy. Today we clean and move my computer into my sons room and dig up/out the Christmas Tree and place it up, string lights and wish you a Merry Christmas.

 

Good Morning,
I was working on a project (website photos) and I got overwhelmed.
10 AM
Doctors appointment.
11 AM
We went Holiday shopping and just got home at 6 PM Laurel feels so much better now.

Good Morning,
I want to thank Aprilyn and Thomas E. for the great trip west to San Diego. We too a lot of photos and I am weeding out all the fuzzy pictures I took. Laurel Rose never made a mistake with hers but mine were somewhat of a disaster.
Here is a photo taken on our way North to Las Vegas.

Aprilyn is such a good human being and compliments our son which makes him a better human being. They make a nice couple, a nice family and good friends.

In Las Vegas at Karen's

Bowser back in SanDiego 

Getting ready to go up over the pass into Nevada

Good Morning,

We got back Saturday from a week in San Diego and Las Vegas. The days we spent in Las Vegas were with my wife's sister whose husband had passed away this past year. My son and wife had some time to their own on the strip viewing and visiting the sights and sounds of Las Vegas. We traveled south on Monday to San Gabriel, Alhambra, Pasadena and the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA (that was a whirlwind day on our way to San Diego).

The trip was a Christmas gift from our son and daughter in law. It was well appreciated.

While there we got word that our aunt Kay had passed away.

In San Gabriel we found my sisters grave at the San Gabriel Mission, the place where we were baptized at the Mission, the Museum where my grandfather and his son's were pictured and Pablo's home. 

Our son and daughter in law kept us busy for the entire week.

 Sandy in the mid 1940's on grandpa's bridge.

 The Same area in December of 2012

Natalia and Pablo Diaz

Fashion Valley Mall

We spent the day yesterday at breakfast, a haircut for grandpa , a show (Lincoln), grocery shopping and a trip around the Fashion Valley Mall

The San Gabriel Mission

 

Gil and Jenny

 After my brother Gil was baptized at this baptismal fountain

 at the San Gabriel Mission.

The photos above and below show where Gil was baptized, Pablo's Home and the driveway where the beer truck backed into to unload 30 cases of beer for the party.

 Dad and Grandpa had a party (celebration) at Pablo's home in San Gabriel.  The party was held around back of the home in the garden and veranda. There was a latin band simalar to a Salsa Band today playing music all day and night back there. All the young cousins stood behind a counter/table with bottle openers and opened cold bottles of beer for whoever wanted one from the washtubs of ice cold beer and soda pop. There at the corner at the end of the drive is where the young punks in the family stood with one foot against the wall while holding a beer with the other hand looking at the older folks dancing under the veranda.

It was a traditional great celebration for the folks in San Gabriel.