December 31, 2016 - Msg 106459: Good morning, porch! Well, Asa, I don't know about the "smart cookie" thing, but I was taught as a child to "listen and learn" - one of my dad's favorite sayings. He didn't just apply it to me, he did it himself as well. He never finished high school, lacked just a few credits but had to go to work to help his family. He worked as a shipping clerk in a cold-storage warehouse in San Antonio for about ten years. That job was considered crucial for the war effort in WWII, so he was deferred from the draft. He tried to enlist and was refused because of that. Later, he and my mother got into a national sales organization and did very well. They advanced in the company and achieved financial security that they never dreamed they'd have.

Then my mom got tired and wanted to retire, and daddy wanted to try something new, so he decided he'd be a home builder. No training, no education in the field, but lots of curiosity and self-confidence. So he spent a few weeks hanging around custom home construction sites, just observing. He was watching the trades, and making notes - who did the best job, who seemed to be dependable and show up on time, who seemed to be in demand by the contractors. Then he bought some drafting tools and a book, and learned to draw plans. He was very creative, and pretty much pioneered the "open-concept" design in this area. The other builders told him that idea wouldn't sell, but he couldn't build them fast enough. My own home is built that way, and I absolutely love it. Anyway, he went on to build nearly 400 homes over the years here in Irving, and his name is still recognized by realtors, though he quit building about 25 years ago. He was respectful of the trades. I've heard him say many time - "I just draw 'em, those guys actually build 'em!" He treated his crews fairly, he paid them on time or in advance if he was leaving town, and he built a good house. Well, anyway. My dad believed you should "listen and learn" and he practiced it himself.

I agree, it's very annoying when someone in management or supervision, who hasn't hit a lick in years, comes along and tells you how to do it. All theory, no action. Believe me, that happens in nursing a lot, and I imagine in pretty much any field you could be in. What's that old term? Armchair quarterback? Pretty much says it all.

Does anybody have a buckeye, and anybody know the incant for a sore foot? Arthritis has settled in my left foot, and I can barely walk. It started last night, and will probably be gone tomorrow (I have the kind of arthritis that moves around, quite quickly) but it sure is painful today. Maybe I'll soak it - soak it a lot. Later, taters. --Romeena
December 31, 2016 - Msg 106460: I don't know what possessed me, to sweep the porch, with my sore foot! What was I thinking? --Romeena
December 31, 2016 - Msg 106461: I was just updating the "archive" page and wow...we have about 17 years of posts archived here on the porch. I wonder if anyone every looks up things from those archives? Happy New Year to all the good folks of Mayberry and The Taylors' Front Porch in particular.
--Floyd
December 31, 2016 - Msg 106462: Hey Ro, It isn't gout your dealing with in your foot, is it? Kinda sounds like it when you say it moves around. Anyway, if it is, Colcrys is what I take for a gout flare and it seems to clean it out pretty quick if I get on it early enough.

I love hearing that story about your Dad. And it demonstrates very well the blessed opportunities that this Country provides to those who are willing to work hard and be decent in their dealings. My parents came here from England in 1951. My Dad had only been a Chauffer in civilian life, and a transport driver for "Her Majesty's Service in WW2. After arriving here, with a bad hip he injured in Dunkirk France.
Anyway, he landed a job delivering gasoline in a tanker truck for a company that owned quite a few Phillips 66 stations. Because that wasn't a full time job, he would work with the owners son doing maintenance work on the service stations. Well when the son took over managing the operation when his Dad retired, they offered him the full time maint. job, which he did for 25 years. He repaired hoists, compressors, rebuilt gasoline dispensers. He also built his own house completely by himself, including the wiring and plumbing. He learned how to do it by watching others, reading books, and a lot of trial runs. He came here to live the American dream, and the dream payed off for him. He had a great love for his native England, but loved what the USA allowed him to do also. And the key was opportunity. That did not exist in England for him.

I hope your foot gets feeling better. As Andy would say, soak it, soak it real good. :)

Asa
December 31, 2016 - Msg 106463: You snuck in on me Floyd. Happy New Year to you. I look back in the archives a lot.
Thank you for this format. It has been a blessing for me anf others I know.

Asa
December 31, 2016 - Msg 106464: Hey Asa, Was That anywhere close to Eckmindyke?...You may be kin to Malcome....
Great story indeed!.The American Dream for sure!. Since most of us came here from " Somewhere's" else also..

Romeena...Listen & Learn... That served me well over the years too!.. Listen to the smart people... Learn to ignore the negative people and you will go far... I had one co-Worker who was very smart about a lot of things but he did not articulate well so it was better to watch and learn from him. I took every opportunity I could to watch him figure things out. He reminded me of one of the guys on "Mythbusters" if you ever watched that....

G-F
December 31, 2016 - Msg 106465: Yep GF. My Dad always taught me "Boy, you've two ears and one mouth. Use them accordingly". lol

Asa
December 31, 2016 - Msg 106466: Yes Floyd, I look up things in the archives on a regular basis..I go back to find out what year/month certain things occurred, and just as a trip down memory lane sometimes..thanks for making that possible.

Been working the last couple of days..easy days but I'm not used to getting up at 4am to get to work by 5:30..way yonder too early for me so I am a zombie.

Hope you all have a safe evening...blessings in the new year!

Love,
Boo
December 31, 2016 - Msg 106467: Good evening, porch. I decided not to go to the party one of my SS class friends gives every New Year's Eve. It's always fun, a big old potluck, and games and stuff, but I'm still hobbling on this silly foot, and just didn't feel like it. I've got a big old turkey dinner to cook tomorrow, and didn't want to wear myself out before tackling that. I'm going to break down and take an Advil tablet in a little bit, and that should help. I never stay late at those parties anyway, I always leave around 10:30 or 11, to get home before the drunks get too busy.

No, Asa, I don't think it's gout in my foot. It's not really in a toe joint, it's in the top of my foot, and I've had it before. It's arthritis, and it'll settle down soon.

Well, I think I'll turn in. It's now midnight on the east coast, another hour until the calendar flips here on my end of the porch. So, Happy New Year, porch friends. Don't know what I'd do without you, all of you. May God bless each one of you and your families in the coming year. Hang on, folks. It may be a bumpy ride! --Romeena
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106468: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Hoping and praying that 2017 will be a good one for us all. But, believe it or not, we lost yet another celebrity...William Christopher of MASH passed today. As I mentioned earlier, it's just that 'time' when the ones WE grew up with are now in their 80s or so. I recall many years ago when my dad was having a hard time with the passing of HIS generation's stars like Dean Mrtin, etc.
Great party at O'Malley's tonight! :) I saw Possum wearing a lamp shade, and Spot kept going out and switching off the breaker box! haha
ROMEEna--they actually DID that at my mom's alz facility when she was still with us in the early 2000s. They carpeted over the terrazzo floors of all 20 rooms with those carpet 'squares' with the idea that if such 'accidents' occurred, they could just replace the squares. Well, after about 6 months, they took up ALL the squares and wnet back to the terazzo! ha
ASA, yes that is a good video and book about Tillman. Every season they dedicate an ASU game to him,
and "Tillman" is on the back of every ASU jersey.
They also do it up good for him at Cards games too.
I dont think i ever knew that your dad was an "Englishster!" Cool. Hope he never got a 'loops sladel' whilst driving for HMS! :)
BOO--Dont work too hard, tho I bet the commute is pretty good at 5 AM!
Well, this is it folks... May the Lord bless you all and keep you, may he make his face shine upon you in 2017 and give you His peace! Love all you fine folks. Happy 2017!!! !!! :)
MDC
PS: Floyd, that includes you my friend, and yes, I do check the archives now and then also. Thanks
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106469: Good New Years to all my porch friends ! I'm back here at work till 6pm...wow 17 years of porch..I think I have been on here for probably 12 or 13..im gona go back and try to find out....well time to boil an egg...gona try to drop about 15 lbs this year...get down to around 190 or so...ok back in just a bit gang SPOT
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106470: Happy New Year Porch.
Yea MDC, That Boo and Possum knows how to party. They sure loves Lawrence Welk. :)

Ro, Don't be so sure to think it's not gout. Of all the gout flares I have had, none have ever been in a toe. In fact the first one was in the top of my foot also. And then it moved around my ankle into my Achilles. Just a thought. You might have your uric acid checked. But mine never goes away on its own. All I know is it comes on fast and furious and hurts like the dickens.

That's sad about Mr. Christopher. He seemed like a decent sort of feller, unusual for hollyweird types of today.

Yep MDC, Both my parents are Englishters. Don't tell Ernest T. please. I like my windows much.

Well with the new year our Preaching time starts later. We share our chapel with two other congregations and so each year we rotate starting times.

Prayers for all for a wonderful new year.

Asa
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106471: Party Animal Possum checking in! Hope Boo made it home all right from that wild bash at O' Malley's!
Lawrence Welk is the cats! Ha ha

Well,Happy 2017 to us all! Wishing everyone a Blessed New Year!

RIP "Padre". I really liked William Christopher-great actor.

Hope your foot gets well soon, Ro. Foot pain is no fun-I hurt my foot recently,so I know how it is to be hobbling and in pain. Get well quick!

Wonder if the Diner is serving Hoppin' John today? Let's meet up for lunch & find out-it's on me!

*****************
possum under a rock
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106472: Good morning, porch! Sorry to hear about William Christopher's passing. He was always one of my favorite characters on that show. That's three now, I hope that's all for a while.

Asa, I suppose it could be gout in my foot - anything is possible - but whatever it is, or was, it's gone now. No pain this morning. I have had uric acid checks in the past, and they've always been normal, but things can and do change sometimes.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy celebration last night. Personally, I was snug in my bed, with Toye Starr alongside, when the fireworks began at midnight. We lay there and listened to it for a while, then drifted off to sleep.

Now, I'm off to cook a turkey! Blessings to each and all, and I hope the new year brings you everything you need, and at least some of what you want. For me, I'm glad God doesn't send me everything I think I want. He has always met my needs, but often withholds my wants, and it always turns out to be for the best. Here's a funny example. Remember when the "pocket pigs" hit the scene? The little pot-belly pigs? Dale and I were at the State Fair when I first saw them and they were cute, cute, cute! About six or seven inches tall, all spotty, with tiny pink snouts and curly tails, and I just had to have one. Dale, who rarely refused me anything, said no. Confident I could wear him down, I kept leading us back around to the pig display, and kept my wheedler tuned up. Finally, he gave in, sort of. He said we wouldn't get one now, but next year, if I still wanted one, I could have my little pig. Oh, I could have gotten one that day if I had wanted to, but we didn't have that kind of relationship. So, I agreed to the compromise. Well, of course you know what happened. I knew two people who did get a "pocket pig" and by the next year, it would have taken a pretty big pocket to hold the 40-lb porker they ended up with, and the city zoning laws didn't allow the pigs to be kept outdoors. If you wanted to live with a pig in your house, you could, but you couldn't put it outside and subject your neighbors to the odors and the squealing. Needless to say, I didn't get a pig, and was eternally grateful.

Again - blessings to each of you. You are part of my extended family, and I'm thankful for this porch and all who dwell here. Happy New Year! --Romeena
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106473: LOL, I love that story Ro. When I first came on the porch I said you reminded me of Mrs. Pumphry and her Trickey woo. Well Mrs. Pumphry also acquired a pet pig and had every intention of keeping him in the house as a pet. I think she had named him Nugent if I remember correct. But Mr. Herriot talked her out of trying to keep him in the house. lol

Glad you survived the party Possum. You were a sight!

Now if we can mix GF one of them "wake up drinks" that Andy made Otis, you know, the one with the raw egg in it, then maybe he will feel better.

Asa
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106474: I will never, in a million years, understand how drinking a raw egg could possibly make anyone feel better. That just doesn't compute. The Mongolian people eat them almost raw, however. They like them about half cooked - raw yolk and very runny white, like you can still see through it, down to the very thin layer of cooked white on the bottom. This is very carefully perched on top of a slice of some kind of meat loaf, and it's all eaten together, with a fork. It's considered a delicacy, and a great honor if your host serves you this dish. Eggs are extremely scarce in that country. The reason is - chickens are even more rare! You see lots of livestock, everything from goats to camels and all hoofed things in between, but I don't recall seeing any chickens at all. The winters are bitterly cold, the people are nomadic and live in gers (yurts) which is a glorified tent, and there's no place to keep chickens. The larger animals just tough it out. Anyway, I passed my egg on to my little translator, and she was thrilled.

Asa, I remember you mentioning Mrs. Pumphrey, and Trickey Woo. That's kind of fun - she was an interesting old gal. She liked her animals, and that certainly describes me.

Well, I smell that turkey, guess I'd better go see what he looks like. Folks will be arriving soon. Blessings, porch! --Romeena
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106475: Asa... I just had a glas of just V8 that's enough all by itself!.. I like it once in awhile..

Sad about Father Mulchay.... He was a calm soul in a crazy time, much as he was in real life I hear... G-F
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106476: Floyd I check the archives some, just randomly, now and then. I have spent a bit more time looking at the first few pages of all 3 incarnations-Frank, Ollie and Floyd-of the porch just to get a feel for the history of the place.

And, cough, cough, since you're asking, I have a little wish if hain't too much trouble. How about a back button to go back just one page, not a whole bunch, just one, instead of having to dig up that archive page? And the rest would go to archives like normal. Digging up that archive page gets me to feeling like I'm snooping into the closets at the Rimshaw place. Anyway, that's been on my mind recently and I thought I'd go ahead and ask.

Billy Ray the History Reading and Favor Asking Postman
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106477: As for them funny aches and pains, I had about a 3 week period where my big toe got so swelled up and painful it was tough to walk. Everyone was telling me it was gout or arthritis or something. I don't even like to take aspirin, and did nothing about it, and it just went away.

Billy Ray the Sore Footed Postman
January 01, 2017 - Msg 106478: Well hello to all. Its been a nice, relaxing New Year's day here. Went to preachin' wearing my dangly earrings and then took mom in law out for a burger at the Dairy Queen (her choice). After I got home, I took a long nap and it was marvelous! I was still tuckered out from getting up so early for work on Friday and Saturday.

Well, the Christmas decorations are all put away and things look pretty bare around here, but I kind of like it that way. I am ready to move forward into a new year and make some positive changes.

I thought of something fun we might try here on the porch..since most of us know a lot about each other and have sometimes heard one another's stories multiple times, I thought it was be fun to tell something about ourselves that might surprise our other porch friends..something interesting or unusual that we have never shared about ourselves...maybe an unusual hobby or interest, or something interesting we may have done in our past, etc. So, put on your thinking caps if you want to participate...this may take some thought. :)

Boo
January 02, 2017 - Msg 106479: BOO--such goings on, such goings on! You just need material for Mayberry After Midnight! haha
My life is pretty boring probably compared to most. Seems like I was always a 'good boy' so to speak. Not claiming any kind of holier than thou attitude, but as Dr. Dobson would say, I was a very 'compliant' child growing up. I guess the most surprising thing to you all would be when I moved from the house to an apt near ASU my jr year and grew long hair AND a beard!! I actually looked like meathead on AITF show! When I came home for Thanksgiving my folks went balistic, so I promptly shaved off the beard and my dad gave me a haircut! I know, pretty tame stuff compared to now, but for 1969, not so much. In fact, I did not do it to protest anything, I was just enjoying a first taste of 'freedom'! ha
BILLY Ray, I think after a page goes to archive, it is the last one in that year's list. Maybe Floyd
knows more what you are after.
Looks like most everyone had a good new years. I bought one of those "fountain" fireworks
and we set it off in the backyard, but that was at about 7 PM, and then we just stepped out the front door at midnight and watched and listened to everyone else! lol
Well, hang in there all!
Prayers,
MDC
January 02, 2017 - Msg 106480: MDC, you talking about setting off the "fountain" of fireworks reminded me of a 4th of July....

Here's a story Boo...

My Dad was the neighborhood pyrotechnic he would have guys come to his station selling fireworks, (usually a box full for a tank of gas was the going rate). Well that night Dad started his show, and customarily the kids had sparklers. Well I thought it may be neat to throw my sparkler into the box of remaining fireworks to see what would happen...
We had a "fountain" alright along with bangs too....It was one of those "Note to Self Moments" to NEVER do that AGAIN!..
I'll just say the fireworks wasn't the only thing that got lit up if you know what I mean!...

I wasn't a bad kid ...Just Curious......G-F
January 02, 2017 - Msg 106481: Sticking with the fireworks stories- We used to put bottle rockets under the collars of our neighbors dogs,Blackie & Brownie & shoot them off! I realize that sounds cruel,but the dogs never got hurt. We also would write notes to the neighbor kids and stick them under their dogs' collars whenever the dogs wandered over to our yard. Usually would be something like "Your mama is fat!",so I hope the kids found the notes and not their mama-ha! Yeah,we were pretty devilish kids at times,that's for sure!

************
possum u.a.r.
January 02, 2017 - Msg 106482: Ha ha Possum. Sending notes by carrier dog. :)

Well here is another fireworks story in keeping with the theme. Back in my younger days our State did not allow the more fancy fireworks to be sold. So it was very common for folks to travel to Evanston Wyoming (just about 80 moles away) and buy illegal fireworks. Well this one summer day my brother in law had to make a trip up to Idaho to pick up a piece of equipment and asked if I wanted to go with. I said sure, and said maybe we could get some fireworks in Idaho to bring back. (We had heard Idaho sold the fancy ones also) So on the way back we stopped at this small convenience store just before reaching the State line. There were 2 little old lady's behind the counter. We asked them about fireworks, telling them we were from Utah, but wanted to buy some bigger displays. They sadly informed us that Idaho's laws were just like Utah's laws and they didn't sell anything we couldn't get in Utah. I guess my disappointment was evident when we went back out to the truck to go home, because one of the old gals comes out to the truck and says come here. So we follow her out back of the store to a small shed. She made us promise to keep quiet about it as she opened the door and we saw it was chuck full of every kind of high power firework known to man. Again they swore us to secrecy as we bought a bunch of stuff. They reminded me of the Morrison sisters only their recipe was gunpowder instead of moonshine. LOL

Asa
January 02, 2017 - Msg 106483: Funny Story Asa... A lot like buying them out of the trunk of a car...;) haha. G-F
January 02, 2017 - Msg 106484: Hehe..good stories.

Possum, you scoundrel! ;) We did crazy stuff like that when we were kids, too. Being raised in a small town, you had to be creative or bored. We shot a lot of bottle rockets in the empty field across the street, but never from a dog's collar...wish we had thought of that. We did a lot of sparklers, that's for sure. Remember writing in the air with them? I know ya'll must have done that. Fun times.

Been doing laundry today and cleaning up. I am waiting for Bruce to go out of town for a bit so I can go through closets and drawers and get rid of stuff before he can stop me. If he could, he would own the same underwear for his entire life. Gross. I love the feeling that comes with simplifying and tossing out what you don't use. Its very freeing and much easier to keep things tidy. I threw out some old underwear the other day and I found them in the laundry basket today. Bruce must have fished them out..crazy man. I threw them away again, though.

Well, guess I will go watch some TAGS. Have a great evening, all.

Boo
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106485: Let's see...the fur fell apart, the watch stopped, and the transistor radio quit, but the fireworks were the cats! (That about it? ha)
BOO--by any chance, do you and Bruce say, "Mornin' honey, mornin' DEAR" today? haha You two beat everthing, you know that! lol
I'm surprised no one commented about my wild 'hippie' three months in 1969!! Ha!
POSSUM---Hint: they are called BOTTLE rockets for a reason! teehee
ALL, I'm not sayin I'm gettin' old, but for new year's eve I slammed down an ice cold Ensure followed by a V-8 chaser and I'm feelin' no pain!. As Pappa Bear would say, "now that's livin'." :) In a silly mood tonite, but not sure why.
MDC
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106486: I forgot to comment about your hippie look, MDC. I can see you doing that..the year was 1969 and there was a lot of long hair, as I recall. Did you listen to rock music and smoke a little weed, too? ;)

I have really trying to think of something to tell about myself that I haven't already shared and I am having a hard time coming up with something. I have a fairly boring past. I will keep trying to think of something.

Ensure with a V-8 chaser...that's funny.

Boo
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106487: Good morning gang I just got to thinking I was in the prime of all phases... lived 8 days in the 50"s...was 17 in 1977 (Saturday night fever) 19 (urban Cowboy) Grease was mixed in there..Then in the 80"s had a jacked up 4 wheel drive and.. played in the mud to much ..Started climbing poles in 81...now at 57 looking at retirememt...well just gona reflect....SPOT
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106488: MDC... I agree with Boo... Ensure with a V8 chaser FUNNY!..Did that include a couple shakes of Tabasco?

I don't know SPOT, I never tried to keep up with "trends" but I did get me some "bell bottom" britches, about the time they were going out of style...I Did go to a Disco with friends a couple of times... Talk about a fish out of water!...But I guess we were just "Stay'in Alive"...lol
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106489: Sorry hit the send button too soon ....G-F
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106490: I forgot to tell TOM... I'm on my 3rd day of being good, hopefully it will be a better 2017?
....One Day at a Time ... https://youtu.be/fzU5jdbKOUk As the song goes.....G-F again
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106491: MDC is definitely better off with Ensure and V8 than the hard stuff Otis prefers, although Barney proved you can get a bit off the rails just drinking milk shakes (or was it cokes? My memory hain't what it used to be).

I had some bell bottoms and this ridiculously patterned blue shirt in my high school days. Half of it was dark blue and silver stripes and the other half was a pattern of blue and silver stars. I wasn't into the disco/nightclub scene but wanted to pretend I was keeping up, anyway.

Billy Ray the Disco Dancing Postman
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106492: Good morning, porch. Things are finally settling down a little at my house, with most of the holiday-ing complete. I still have one more round to go, but it won't happen until Jan. 20, when my younger daughter and her husband and my youngest grandson come for a visit. Her birthday is the 22nd, and she wants to spend it with me. She has always said the mother should be the one to be honored on a child's birthday! Anyway, I'm leaving the tree, the outside lights, all the Christmas stuff up, so little Trip can enjoy it.

Robbi and Richard just left, they came in yesterday evening, brought dinner, David and Brittney and the boys came over and we had a good evening. R&R left this morning, heading for Florida. They're going to the Mecum Car Auction in Kissimmee. I don't know if they've got one for sale in the auction or not, but they'll probably buy at least one, and Richard will flip it for a profit. That's pretty much how he makes a living, and he does very well at it. He has other interests as well, but he spends a lot of time on the cars. They took little Bexar, their chihuahua-terrier mix with them, and left beautiful old Whozit with me. She's a 13-yr old golden retriever, weighs about 75 lbs, and has arthritis. Getting in and out of the SUV is hard on her, and they would have to leave her in the motel room when they're out, which they wouldn't want to do. Bexar goes with them everywhere. Robbi has a little bag thing that Bexar rides in, sometimes with her head sticking out the top, sometimes not. She goes into the car auction, restaurants, anywhere that Robbi goes. She behaves beautifully, and most people never realize she's there.

Well, guess I'll go dig in the leftovers and find some lunch. Come on by, there's plenty! --Romeena

January 03, 2017 - Msg 106493: Happy New year porch, hope everyone one is doing good today.

we had a busy couple weeks on my end of the porch, celebrating Patrick's birthday, Christmas and then New years and Mr. Maude and I celebrated 28 years of marriage on New New Year's Eve. busy, busy, busy.

weather is warm today with drizzling rain but supposed to get COLD ( 17 degrees by the end of the week) and possible snow flurries.

seems like everyone in our house and in the community has been dealing with colds, sinus and/or tummy troubles. Lots of "bugs' flying around for people to catch. everyone at my house had colds for Christmas.

please say a prayer for Mr. Maude. He fell yesterday at a local Chinese restaurant and wrecked his knee. Apparently they had cleaned the
tile floor with some slippery wax cleaner and his foot slipped and he landed on hip and knee. He was limping around this morning but felt he had to go to work. I tried to get him to go see about it but alas he went to work anyway. Hopefully he and his knee will be ok. thanks for your prayers!

better get to busy here at work.
Prayers and blessings to all
Big Maude

January 03, 2017 - Msg 106494: Happy Anniversary Big Maude, and prayers for your hubby that his knee isn't damaged.

Boo, throwing out Bruce's undies behind his back? Oy, that's low girl! Sounds like something my Wife would do though. :)

Ro, sounds like you had a delightful Christmas. I am glad.

Billy Ray, I wasn't into the disco scene either. Not even bell bottoms, but I was more of a Country boy I reckon.

MDC, You got any pics of your "Meathead" days? lol We would love to see them.

GF, Yea buddy, somehow I don't see you doing the disco duck buddy. Well maybe if you had hold of one of them electronic ignitors when it was juiced up. That might make you do some gyrating. lol

Yes Spot, I went through all the same decades. Never did get to caught up in the trends though.

Asa
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106495: HaHa Asa... You got that right!... I did ok on the Father Daughter dance at my daughters wedding reception, I think I only stepped on her toes once...lol

Boo, Asa is right, It's a guy thing!.... Only a guy know the right time to turn them into rags to wax the car... Good thing I do my own laundry!...lol

Hope Mr. Maude is Ok....and Romeena, how is your Son mending? Hope he too is doing well?..

G-F
January 03, 2017 - Msg 106496: Romeena, I am sure I'm not alone in not caring for the take your dog everywhere trend. I don't think it's nearly as cute as the owners seem to think and in my experience, the dogs aren't nearly as well behaved as the owners happen to think. You don't have to agree but I wanted to share my opinion.

Billy Ray the Postman
January 04, 2017 - Msg 106497: Andy two-stepped a bit! ha BIG Maude, prayers for the mister,you bet!
Just a quick hello tonight.
Busy day today as we get ready for our new range on Friday!
Prayers,
MDC "'Dis goes' here and 'dis goes' there..."
January 04, 2017 - Msg 106498: Well, here I am up at 3am. I went to bed earlier but something woke me and now I am bright-eyed. I just took some melatonin so hopefully that will click in.

Ro, sounds like you have been staying busy. I'm glad you have had lots of kids and grandkids (and grand dogs) to spend the holidays with.

Maude, very sorry to hear about your husband's fall...saying a prayer for his knee. Congratulations on 28 years of marriage.

I was never into the disco thing. I remember my sister taking me to see Saturday Night Fever when I was in high school and I thought it was ridiculous. For some reason I never was one to go to dances or want to. I didn't wear bell bottoms, either..just plain old jeans and t-shirts mostly to school. I wore shorts most other times..still do. I did listen to rock music, though..or pop I guess you could call it..you know, the regular top 40, Casey Kasem and all that. Hey, remember American Bandstand? How many of you watched that every Saturday?...or Soul Train? How about the Midnight Special and Saturday Night Live with Chevy Chase, John Bulushi, Jane Curtain, etc?

Well, Bruce and I had to put our foot down about some of the friends Erin has been spending her time with. I found out a couple of her close friends that she had been spending a lot of time with over the Christmas break, have been using drugs. Its a long story but it was not a pleasant scene here tonight. Erin was very upset but we have to stand our ground, of course. She thinks she can save the world and doesn't really understand that we have to protect her. She will get it one day when she is older. She was at one of her friend's homes yesterday and the friend called someone for drugs. Erin said a car pulled up to her house with a couple of guys in it that neither of them knew and her friend got in the car with them and drove away. Erin said she tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen.. I think the girl went off and had s#x with them for drugs. All I could think is that those guys could have pulled Erin in the car and she would have been across the border to Mexico as a s#x slave in a couple of hours. So, needless to say, that relationship cant continue. Erin knows it and had already made that decision after what happened that night but it is still hard on her. Please say a prayer for Erin. I can most certainly see God's hand in all of this.

Think I will try to go back to bed now..I think the melatonin is kicking in.

Boo
January 04, 2017 - Msg 106499: Good morning, porch! It's 35° here this morning, with a wind chill of 28°! That may not seem like much to some of you, but here in Texas, friends, that's COLD! We've got a heavy cloud cover, but the sun pokes its nose out for a minute or two now and then. Doesn't stay out long enough to warm anything up. It's supposed to go down to 27° on Thursday night. I hope it does, and freezes the beaks off all the mosquitoes!

Billy Ray, you are certainly entitled to your opinion, and while I don't agree with you completely, neither do I disagree completely. The trend isn't terribly strong around here, so you don't see too many dogs out with their owners, but there are some. For the most part, they're tiny and in a little carrier and quite often they escape notice. Sometimes they may be larger dogs, but then most of them just lie on the floor quietly and cause no problems. There are exceptions, and I agree, if your dog doesn't behave, leave him at home. Of course, I can't resist mentioning those folks whom you wish had brought their dog and left their insufferable kids at home.

I remember a night long ago, when Dale and I had scrimped and saved, so we could pay a baby-sitter and go to a very nice steak house for our anniversary. We had a great table, by the fireplace. Unfortunately, we were also near a couple with two children, about 4 and 6, that must have just been released from an asylum. The parents ignored them completely, while they ran around the room, crawled under our table twice, raised up under it once, sloshing Dale's coffee, whooped and yelled, got in a fight resulting in the little girl crying and wailing like a banshee, and on it went. Management, incredibly, did nothing. As we were leaving, Dale took a scrap of paper from his wallet, wrote the baby-sitter's phone number on it, and went over and handed it to the children's father. He said, "This is the phone number of an excellent baby-sitter. I would suggest you call her next time you want to dine out, so your children don't ruin the occasion for everyone else, like they did for us. Also, grow a spine and get them under control." The man just looked surprised, but said nothing. The woman looked indignant, sputtered a little and started to say something. Dale just stood there and looked at her, and she kept her mouth shut. Wise choice.

Kids or dogs - well behaved and in control? No problem. Poorly behaved or out of control? Big problem.

Boo, sounds like you caught a threat just in time, and are nipping it in the bud! I'm definitely in favor of bud-nippin'! Boy, raising kids these days is really a challenge, isn't it? And there are still things that scare you, once they're grown. Like a forced landing in an airplane. He's doing fine, thank you for asking. I found out he has 66 stitches! That's a lot. He's terribly sore, especially his ribs, where the seatbelt kept him from dying, but that will subside in time. Oh, I heard that his guardian angel has applied for reassignment. --Romeena
January 04, 2017 - Msg 106500: Thanks Ro. Things are a lot better today. By the end of the evening yesterday, Erin and Bruce ended up crying in each other's arms. She gets it but it is just hard at her age. She went to youth group tonight to hear the new youth minister we hired and he talked about relationships. I think it helped her, too.

66 stitches! Bless his heart. So glad he is ok.

I will jump in on the dogs in public discussion because I had to go to pet smart pet store tonight to get something to cover the cat's claws. While there, I saw an elderly man who appeared to be in bad health. He had pretty bad lymphedema in his legs and had a little trouble getting around. As I approached the check out line where he was standing, I saw him/her...the prettiest blue heeler I had every seen and if there was ever a dog who really smiled, it was this one. You could tell it was a very sociable dog and wanted with every fiber in it's being to say hello to me. It was very well behaved and it took a lot of self control to not run right over there and throw my arms around the dog. I have a healthy respect for animals that are strangers to me, so I just smiled and cooed at it. I have to say, it really made my day just to see that beautiful, sweet animal...and I had a pretty tough day and needed it. I'm really glad Pet Smart allows owners to bring their pets along.

Ro, it has been a gorgeous day here! Absolute perfection..one of those rare coastal days with low humidity, clear blue skies and a temperature of 50-60. It is supposed to get much colder tonight, so we will see. I sure did enjoy it but wish I could have had more time to relax and take it in. Today was one of those busy days. I did manage to get to the store and make some chili, but I forgot to get the ingredients to Asa's chili recipe and had to resort to my own...I'll remember next time.

Think I will grab my knitting and sit in my easy chair for a bit before bed.

Boo

PS- great story about the kids and Dale's solution!
January 04, 2017 - Msg 106501: ASA--I DO have a photo of that brief moment in my life. I could email it to you, as I think I have your address, but forgot your "real" first name to look for the email in my contacts! Is it Duane?
BOO--so glad things are working out with Erin. You may also want to remind her where you work
and how messed up those kids are do to that very thing. And I pray for them all too, BTW! Glad you have the cooler weather too! How goes the job search for Bruce?
Take care all, love ya,
MDC

January 05, 2017 - Msg 106502: Morning Dears!

Well it looks like I am home for a few days mending my back. Was working on a repair on a snow blower at work yesterday morning and threw it out. Got into the Doctor right away and he said my pelvis was way out, so he did his thing on me. I am still walking very crooked this morning. Took me a while to roll out of bed. Oh well, that's life, through and through.

I got your e-mail MDC, and responded. When do you go in for your new hip? Pray it all goes well and then we can call you hip! :)

Boo, Glad you had a fine weather day. We are in a major storm cycle here. Been getting 4 to 6 inches of snow about every other day since Christmas. And it is supposed to continue for a few more days at least. But it is a western flow coming in so it is a warmer flow which means a wet heavy snow. And maybe even rain by the weekend. I like that it doesn't get as cold, but it sure is tougher to deal with moving off the driveway. I wish I could send you some. I am glad you discovered the situation with Erin and nipped it. Very scary world we live in today. Has Bruce gotten his test results back?

Ro, I had no idea your son was that banged up. That's a lot of sewing on him. I'm glad he is ok. I surely agree with the unruly kids story you shared. It befuddles me how parents can be so oblivious to their children's behavior at times. I witnessed two guys almost getting into a fist fight years ago at an Appleby's. It was a younger couple with a couple of kids, one a young boy who was really bothering a middle age couple who were just trying to enjoy a night out. Finally, after several things the boy was doing to this couple, the man had had enough, and he kind of snapped at the kid to stop. Then the boys father got real mad at the older man and started yelling at him to leave his kid alone. Amazing how oblivious the father was to his kids antics, but became aware of someone snapping at his kid. I kind of wished the older guy would have given the father a knuckle sandwich. He was the one who deserved it.

Well I finished the final episode of TAGS last night. I watched A girl for Goober, and the final episode where the Italian family comes to stay with Sam Jones. Mario's sister BTW, well let's just say, va-va-voom! Talk about an Italian dish! :)

Guess I will work my way into the kitchen and rustle up some grub. My sore back hasn't affected my appetite. Starve a cold, feed a sore back! That's my motto.

Asa
January 05, 2017 - Msg 106503: Good Thursday porch! Hope everyone is doing good today.

wanted to update you all on Mr.Maude's knee issue. He saw the orthopedic Doctor yesterday. Apparently he had not done any major damage when he fell other than some bruising and jarring things around so he has a knee brace, take ibuprofen and go back in 3 weeks. that is the good news but he did give him the "award" for having the worse knees of the day in that he has lots of bone spurs and other knee problems that have been going on for some time. I think it is because he has spent 35 years on his feet and legs standing on his job. Apparently knee replacements are inevitable at some point but they are going to try other avenues first. At least no major damage from the fall which is good news.

very cold on my end of the porch, snowy weather expected next few days.

better get to work.
Prayers and blessings to all
Big Maude
January 05, 2017 - Msg 106504: Hey Maude..yep here on the southern end of porch we are getting prepared for about 4in of snow late tomorrow and sat...guess I will be putting long hrs in ...well let me get me some tuna for lunch ..new years diet .. SPOT
January 05, 2017 - Msg 106505: Maude, Good to hear the positive report on Mr. Maude... As Doc Edwards said to Aunt Bee..."We ain't spring chickens no more!".. Right Asa?... Hope that back misery is letting up some Buddy!... Spot you be careful too, you folks down South ain't used to the snow like us folks up North are... Be careful we don't need you ailing too...Speaking of that, I better take my ibuprofen too...🙁

G-F