April 17, 2022 - Msg 117783:
Good morning, porch! He is risen! Hallelujah! Because of who He is, and what He did, we who trust and believe will also rise. Death will be defeated. What a glorious thought! Keep looking up!! --Romeena
April 17, 2022 - Msg 117784:
Easter Blessings to all of the Porch!
************
poaaum u.a.r.
April 17, 2022 - Msg 117785:
possum,sorry for the typo.
April 17, 2022 - Msg 117786:
RO--thanks for cleaning the porch for Easter!
It looks nice, real nice! :)
Hey JM, that site was really cool to see how one
street in the backlot could be changed so dramatically
for so many shows. It sure kept the painters and other
workers busy! Thanks for posting it.
Easter Blessings to all. Jesus is risen indeed!
MDC
April 19, 2022 - Msg 117787:
Yoohoooo! Where is everyone?
I'm about 1/4 of the way through that link to the movie set backlot. I'm enjoying it very much, so much information there, and memories as well. A lot of work went into that, and a lot of time. Thanks for sharing it, John Masters!
Blessings, friends! Keep looking up! --Romeena
April 19, 2022 - Msg 117788:
Hey Porch!
Pretty cool, eh, MDC! I love that "backstage" stuff. Some don't like it because it gives things away and ruins the imagination. I have always loved it because it fascinates me how we see something without maybe knowing we've seen it before.
Question....In "Opie's Ill Gotten Gain", why did Andy slam his car door to go in the house after he and Barney arrived with the new bicycle only to jump on Barney when he slammed HIS car door when they got the bike out of the car? Couldn't Opie have been alerted to their presence just as easy when Andy slammed his first?
Ponder that! LOL!
John Masters
April 19, 2022 - Msg 117789:
Yeah, Romeena. That's awesome stuff. Too bad it's all gone.
JM
April 19, 2022 - Msg 117790:
Hello Porchsters! I hope everyone had a nice Easter.
We did! :) It was a low-key one this year, only a few family members
over for dinner. With everyone grown up now and spread out, the
days of Easter egg hunts here at the house are long behind us.
But all went well. We are actually shaking hands again and being pretty normal. :)
RO-a while back you asked about the 'cracker shortage' here. I called the 800 number
for Nabisco, and they told me that due to a worker shortage their
plants are not at full capacity, so they are sending product on a
'spot' basis, so you may indeed be out
at some point. Just sayin'.
But I also wanted to tell you of an Easter miracle of sorts.
On Easter morning, on our rose bush that has always had just yellow roses,
three RED roses appeared on a separate branch. We have never done any kind of
'cross-breeding,' so we are not sure how this occurred. I will email a photo of
the bush to you!
ASA and GF... have either of you ever watched those woodworking shows on PBS?
It is amazing what these guys can make! I remember way back when Norm Abram had such
a show. Of course, having all the right tools, like a 'bisket router' helps!
Oh ASA, I heard recently that April 17, 1970 is when Apollo 13 splashed down safely after
its ill-fated mission.
JM--yes, cool stuff. I'd have to see that car scene to comment; but on other shows like
Perry Mason and Adam 12, I have noticed that people will slam a car door, but the sound is purposely
'dubbed out' to make it seem silent in a 'sneak-up' scene! Hollywood! Haha.
Hang in there folks. BOO and others check in when ya can.
MDC
April 20, 2022 - Msg 117791:
Hello Folks. Easter this year was nothing special for us. But it brought back some memories for me. When I was a Boy Scout, we were asked to "distribute" Easter egg candy for the little kids in our neighborhood. we picked up the supplies at a building in the center of our local park. Then we scouts would spread out into the park dropping the egg candy in various places out in the open. We were told not to hide them because the little kids often could not find them. But there was one problem. Park employees were supposed to keep the kids near the building until we had dropped all of the candy. But the kids were let loose way too early and would follow right behind us scouts as we dropped the egg candy.
MDC, when I lived in the USA, I used to watch The Woodwright's Shop on PBS. Roy Underhill is a unique kind of carpenter because all of his projects are made using only hand tools; no power tools and no electricity. Search for it over at YouTube.
from Poor Horatio
April 20, 2022 - Msg 117792:
Oh yes, PH, I used to watch that all the time;
but it is not on our local PBS anymore. Not sure why tho. But it was amazing what craftsmen made with just 'foot powered' tools, a lathe for example.
And to think that all the beautiful 18th century furniture was made that way
is pretty incredible.
mdc :)
April 20, 2022 - Msg 117793:
I had to catch up by reading the last recent version of The Front Porch in the archives.
Romeena, in your Msg 117766 posting, you stated "Retirement is a gift from God!". That made me sad. My father was just a high school graduate and worked for a salary that was barely able to sustain our family. By the time my sister and I graduated from a parochial high school, he not only worked a full-time, but also two part-time jobs. My sister and I worked part-time jobs but did not make enough to pay for college. So my father was able to accomplish that at the cost of not spending enough quality time with his family except for a once a year family vacation. My father had dreams about retiring. He had it all planned out. We would spend two years traveling the USA. Then he would purchase a farm to fulfill a goal of his. But that was not God's will. My father passed away at 59. He worked soooo hard to provide for us. He deserved to enjoy retirement here on earth. So if retirement is a gift from God as you posted, why did God deny him? Sorry but this is a very sore point for me that I will never understand.
Also Romeena, regarding your computer problems, I have some free suggestions for you. Download the free Glary Utilities and CCleaner software programs. Glary Utilities, and not Gary Utilities, has a Disk Cleaner that I use about every second day to erase a lot of unneeded files. It takes only about two minutes to run. It also includes scanning to look for hidden problems but this may take between five and ten minutes. As for CCleaner, it has a Custom Clean and Registry Clean feature that I also use frequently. They can take about five minutes each to run.
Romeena, one final comment. My deepest sympathies on the passing of your friend LaRue.
from Poor Horatio
April 20, 2022 - Msg 117794:
Yes MDC I watch those shows too. I also liked Roy Underhill too like PH said he did it the Old Fashioned way.
But I have to admit I also watch guys on YouTube Work their Moxie, especially the lathe work...Some amazing projects and ideas are shown, they are a sight to behold ....That is one thing I do not have in my arsenal of tools...Bet Asa has one tho...Am I Right or am I Right Asa?...Lol
There’s talk of 80 degrees here in Ohio by the weekend, but I’m not OVEREXPECTING we had ❄️ yesterday!
G-F
April 20, 2022 - Msg 117795:
Good morning, porch! Gray and gloomy here today, and a bit chilly,as well. My plan is to stay in the house, keep warm, cuddle Trinket a lot, try to make a bigger dent in the Sunday dinner leftovers and basically just be lazy. Yep, that's my plan.
Poor Horatio, your memories of your father's life touched my heart. I can well understand your feelings, and your questions. As in most things, we are not given the answers, but as the old hymn said, "We'll understand it all, by and by." That's where faith comes in. I don't know why my beloved husband was taken from me so abruptly, when he was only 58, but I know where he is, and I know he is happy beyond any earthly understanding and I know I will join him there someday. I do look around me now, and see the plight of some women whose husbands are still with them, confused and sickly, some actually led by the hand by their wives, one pushed in his wheelchair by his fragile little wife, and I know what my husband and I were spared. Why, I don't know. As for my retirement comment, there's a lot behind that. At age 40, I had stage 3b cancer, with a statistical life expectancy of about 2 years. I didn't know that at the time, Dale and I just had faith that I would survive, and we battled it together for a year of chemo and radiation. I'll never forget the day that I just refused to go for treatment #18 of 24. I told Dale I wasn't going to go let them make me sick and miserable again, I was through. He said, quite emphatically, "Oh yes, you're going! You can walk in under your own power, or I can throw you over my shoulder and carry you in, cave-man style, but you're going." I went, and walked in. Believe me, he would have done it. And that little two-year interlude in my life is the reason that I consider retirement a gift from God. I say two years, because after treatment there was another year of physical therapy to regain full use of my right arm. For whatever reason, He chose to leave me here, alive and basically quite healthy, to age 82, so far. He must have had a reason, though I can't imagine what it was, but whatever, I'm grateful for it and consider it a gift. The road after the cancer years has not been smooth, there have been hurts and fears and disappointments and losses, but I'm still here, and whatever God's reason was, apparently it's still important to Him, and I'm just hoping that I'm doing whatever it was that He wanted me to stay here and do. Life goes on.
Tillie (my car, for those who might not know) is on the puny list. Something is wrong in the ignition assembly. Sometimes the key won't turn at all, like it's jammed, and sometimes it will. I'm just dreading the time when it won't, no matter how much I fiddle with it. Richie will get it next week, when I can spare the car, and it will be fixed.
Well, guess I'll go scare up a little lunch. Out of all the leftovers in there, that should be easy. Blessings, friends! Keep looking up! --Romeena
April 20, 2022 - Msg 117796:
Me again....I wish I could speak "bird", or maybe I'm glad I don't! There is a big squabble going on in my back yard at the moment. There are about eight loudmouthed bluejays out there in a crape myrtle tree and elsewhere, screaming at each other. There's also a mated pair of cardinals, they've been around for a couple of weeks and have a nest in a young cherry laurel tree. They're yelling at the bluejays too (I didn't know cardinals could or would yell, but they can!) and it's quite a sight. I never heard such a racket! I have no idea what the argument is all about, but as heated as it is, I'm thinking maybe it's some political disagreement in the bird world! Too funny!!! --Romeena
April 22, 2022 - Msg 117797:
RO--sounds like a real 'knock down drag out' of the bird world. :)
I was just thinking, maybe in heaven we will be able to understand
all the animal talk! That'd be pretty cool.
Tonight on Me-tv was the last two black and white episodes, the
Carnival and the one with Jerry VanDyke as a deputy. Interesting that
Barney was not in either of these episodes.
All is well here, weather keeps going up and down right now.
90s one day and 70s the next.
Prayers,
MDC
April 22, 2022 - Msg 117798:
Romeena, maybe those Blue Jays and Red Cardinals are arguing about politics. Notice their colors represent the colors of the Republicans and Democrats.
MDC, I never cared for Jerry Van Dyke during his early performances including TAGS. But I loved him later on in COACH.
from Poor Horatio
April 22, 2022 - Msg 117799:
Asa...Don’t ya just love after a long winter & you get your mowing machine out & she fires up on the first crank?
With that last little bit of fuel with the “Stable” fuel stabilizer in it. The exhaust....Smells Like....VICTORY!...🙌🏻 Amen?
Not bad for a 24 yr. old moving machine...👍
G.F.
April 23, 2022 - Msg 117800:
Good morning, porch! It's cloudy, windy and just 72° here on my end of the porch today. It's about noon now, and I had hoped the sun would come out by now, to bring out more blooms on the irises and other things blooming in the yard, but guess not. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.
Yesterday was LaRue's funeral, at the church. The sanctuary was full, and I was able to spend a little time with folks I hadn't seen in a long time. She knew everyone on earth, seems like, and was well-loved. Our Sunday School class had teamed up and cooked, and we managed to provide a lunch following the service, fed about 65 people. Her family was large, she had four children, and 13 grandchildren, many of whom are married and there are a number of great-grands. Her husband had passed about fifteen years ago. He was the one who came to our house when I was still in Fredericksburg, burying my beloved Dale there. With all that happened, I had been there for about nine days, and when I got home, my yard looked perfect. LaRue's husband, Henry, had brought his mower and edger over and manicured our lawn! A very typical thing for him to do. He was a great guy, a retired airline pilot, and everybody loved him. It makes me happy to think that he and LaRue are together again, in the most wonderful place I can imagine! God is good.
Poor Horatio, that points me back to the question that is troubling you. Try to imagine what your father might have escaped in his early exit from this life. Yes, he missed retirement, as did my Dale, but we will never know what miseries they may have been spared. That's when gratitude overshadows resentment in my heart.
Well, the wind is getting stronger, I think I'd better go put some stakes around some of the taller irises. Some of them are nearly 4 ft tall! I hate to see them blown over and broken! Yesterday, I cut about eight of them, and two roses, a Gerbera daisy, two big amaryllis blooms, and some red berry clumps from a nandina. I had a big glass vase, and they fit nicely into it, making a really pretty bouquet, which I took by LaRue's house and left it with her family. I love to do that! I wish I had taken a picture of it, as it really was pretty. Oh well.
Blessings, and keep looking up! --Romeena
April 23, 2022 - Msg 117801:
Romeena, I appreciate you trying to comfort me by mentioning a positive reason about dying early. But my father's passing had its share of miseries. For the final 1.5 years of his life, he suffered with terminal cancer. One day while sitting in a living room chair, he could not get up. He was admitted to the hospital for exploratory surgery where he almost died because of a blood clot. His doctor informed us the results of the surgery; terminal cancer. Our family decided not to tell him that result. I'm not sure if that was a smart decision. But he seemed to sense that he was living on borrowed time. He did not want to return to the hospital for any more treatment. He begged us to let him die at home. We honored that wish. Then I overheard him make telephone calls to his brothers and sister basically to say goodbye. My mother took great care of dad. And my sister, who was in nursing school at that time, also helped as best as she could, primarily by stealing medical supplies from the hospitals. Unfortunately, I was on active duty in the Navy at that time so there was little I could do. If my ship was in port and I did not have the duty on a weekend, I would fly home Friday evening and stay until Sunday evening to give my mother and sister a break. I would sleep on the floor next to my father's bed to help him roll over whenever he would complain about any pain or discomfort. I would try to feed fattening soft food to him to help him regain some weight as he wasted away but he had no appetite even though he was loosing weight. Then during the final two months of his life when he could no longer speak, I would call home and just have a one way conversation with him.
I would not wish this experience on anyone knowing how much my dear father suffered. So not only was he cheated out of a retirement, he left this world in misery.
But thanks for trying to help.
from Poor Horatio
April 24, 2022 - Msg 117802:
Hello all, Good Sabbath to you!
Well, I have held off telling you all this, but now that Easter has
passed, and I am over my initial emotions, I will relate it to you.
One year ago, a good friend that I have known since high school,
contracted an aggressive form of ALS. He started falling down for 'no apparent reason,' so he went to his doctor, and after several tests, etc, and as more motor skills began to be affected,
he was diagnosed with ALS. A month later, he sold his home here (he was a bachelor all his life), and the local ALS society got him a
power wheelchair, and he moved into a group home. My wife and I visited him every two weeks for the past year, and watched this devastating disease take its tool on him.. He died on Good Friday.
But he never once complained, or blamed God, or felt sorry for himself.
Even the priest (who spoke at his funeral) who had taken him Communion every week, told us that Tom, yes, his name was Tom, inspired HIM! He told us how
Tom's joyful spirit was amazing. Tom is now in heaven. We were room mates in college, we got together with him and other friends every New Year's Eve for
at least 15 years, we hiked down the Grand Canyon three times together,
and partied together for birthdays and other special occasions.
We are given an average of 80 years on this earth, and as my own mortality
looks me closer in the eye these days, I see that we can choose to impact
our world for good or for bad. I hope we have all chosen "for good" because
our world sure needs it now more than ever. :) I smile at people more these days,
open doors for strangers, volunteer when I can, and try to live 'more abundantly.' :)
OK, to some tags... PH, I agree about Jerry Van Dyke...his hem hawing around
could sure get on ones nerves. Ha. Also, in the final scene of an earlier
episode with the return of the fun girls, Helen and Andy are sitting in the patrol
car, and Helen is being a real twit. Boy, I want to slap her face every time I see
that scene. :)
All else is well here. I will still see an occasional person, in a closed up car, wearing a mask, and chuckle, but all in all, life is good. Love you all! Peace,
MDC :)
April 24, 2022 - Msg 117803:
Good Sabbath all.
MDC, So sorry to read of Tom's illness. He sounds like he was a good man to the end, and valiant now in heaven. I am glad you and your Wife were able to visit him the last year. I agree with your thoughts of living joyfully as much as we can. But they say, discipleship ain't a spectator sport. lol
I didn't mind Jerry Van Dyke, although if he had been selected to replace Barney full time, his mannerisms may have gotten as old as Warren's huh, huh, huh. Jerry was also Frankie Hecks father in the middle and was very good in that role.
GF, It is always nice to hear the mower fire up in the spring. With the stuff they call gasoline these days, you just never are sure what will happen. That's a good long life your mower has had. You have no doubt taken very good care of it.
Romeena, you mentioned you were having igniton issues with Tillie . Just a thought, it may not be Tillie, but rather the key you use has worn down some. I had the same problem with my work truck a few years ago. I thought I had a bad ignition key switch, but it turned out just to be the key was worn down. So just something to think about.
Poor Debbie had to have an emergency root canal done last week. She thought she developed a sinus infection but her Dentist found an abscessed tooth. She had a pretty rough go with it. But it is finally feeling better she said.
Well we are supposed to get some warmer weather this week, more spring like. I guess I better get my a/c system cleaned and ready. Rinse out the condenser coils good and make sure everything is tight and happy. My umit is 22 years old this year and although I have had to do some repairs to the indoor unit, the outdoor unit has never had any issues. Not even a bad cap. GF, can you believe that? lol I probably just jinxed myself bragging on it.
Prayers for all for a great day and week.
Asa
April 24, 2022 - Msg 117804:
Good morning, porch! Gray and gloomy outside, but my back yard (and the front as well) are just bursting with fresh new life! There are things coming up and blooming, that I had forgotten I had planted! Spring is such an amazing time!
Asa, I'm sorry that Debbie had to go through such an ordeal with that abscessed tooth. That can be real misery, and just not something that she deserved. Many times, as we pass through this life, we are met with situations that seem unfair, and often there just seems to be no reason for it. I would imagine the people in Ukraine, and the thousands trying to get out of it, are wondering why they have been chosen to suffer so. I don't know. Why was I chosen to survive a stage 3b cancer when I was 40, with children to finish raising? I don't know that either. My doctor finally told me, at the ten-year survival mark, that he truly had not expected me to live more than a year or two after my diagnosis and surgery. Yet, there I was, at ten years, with no sign of recurrence, and there has been none now in 42 years. I can't explain it, and I don't try. I just thank our Lord. As I've quoted before, from an old beloved hymn - "We'll understand it all, by and by."
Asa, that's a good suggestion regarding Tillie's current problem. Actually, that had occurred to me as well. I have three sets of keys to that car, and I've tried them all. Unfortunately, it didn't work. It just works when everything is aligned perfectly, and does not work when it isn't. I'll be taking it to Richie on Tuesday, and hoping it isn't too expensive to fix. Richie habitually discounts my bill by 10% (he's a believer, makes no secret of it, and I've seen him do the little discount thing for others, not just me.) Also, he loves Trinket, and she loves him. When we walk into the office at the shop, she strains at the leash and if she can manage it, she runs around the desk into the inner office, looking for Richie! Dogs know good people!
PH, I cannot offer any explanation for the events of your father's life, and his passing. Some things are not given to us to understand. All I can say is, God is in control, He has his reasons and motivations, and all we can really do is accept it, bear it, and trust Him. I struggled for years, trying to understand why my beloved life-mate was taken when he was only 58, leaving me to muddle through life, feeling so alone. Finally God basically pushed me into writing that little book, trying to help others cope with the few little insights I could offer. What I found was, I was the one who was helped! As I tried to offer comfort to others, I realized that the things I was relating to others through the book applied first of all to me! I've gotten some positive feedback from some who have read it, and that's gratifying, but the big win for me was when I realized that God wasn't punishing me, He was there all the time, offering me comfort, and I finally accepted it. That's when healing began.
Well, better get off this keyboard and get dressed, and head for church! There is no place I'd rather be this morning. God is good.
Blessings, friends. Keep looking up! --Romeena
April 24, 2022 - Msg 117805:
Asa....Yep, you probably Henry Bennett’d yourself, about your A/C so I won’t even mention mine..lol....G-F
April 26, 2022 - Msg 117806:
Ha, GF, the maintenance mans motto, If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The apprentice motto, If it ain't broke, fix it until it is. lol
PH, I would hope that you are reading and prayerfully pondering the things that Romeena is sharing with you. She is a very profound woman and speaks words of wisdom, at least I believe so. She expresses herself so much better than can I.
MDC, you all ready for the summer heat wave? We are under such dire water restrictions this year that I know my lawn will die. Oh well, I guess I won't have to mow much this summer.
Romeena, hopefully Tillie's repairs will not be to excessive. And they can get the parts she needs. That is becoming more and more problematic in eveything.
Well off to do some yard work.
Prayers for all.
Asa
April 26, 2022 - Msg 117807:
Good afternoon, porch! I'm sitting here at my keyboard, looking out my beloved big old window, at the whole back yard! Eddie just finished and left, and it looks so pretty back there. Irises, sundrops, amaryllis, windflowers - all blooming nicely. Eddie does such a nice job, everything is so tidy and looks so clean. He has worked for me for 25 years, and has become such a good friend. He moves a little more slowly than he used to, but then, so do I. I'll stick with him, as long as he feels up to the job.
I took Tillie to Richie this morning, and just spoke with him. He hasn't gotten a report from the mechanic that's working on it yet - still no diagnosis. He expects it to be the whole ignition assembly, which includes all sorts of things that have nothing to do with actually starting the car. The big question will be whether they can find that particular "part", which is actually a bunch of little components housed together. Eeek!
When I got home from leaving the car off (one of Richie's guys brought me home,) I found I couldn't get in the house! I have an entry box next to the garage door, and I just enter my code and the door goes up, except it didn't! So, the guy was still here in the car, to make sure I got in okay, and he tried the remote that rides on the visor. It didn't work. I don't even carry a key (I should) because I always enter through the garage. Then I remembered that there's a lockbox on my front door, a remnant from a life-alert bracelet I wore for a while to satisfy one of my kids. I checked the lockbox, my all-purpose code worked and opened it, and there was a key! Yay! Someone asked me once why I don't keep a housekey on my car keyring. Well, I figure if my purse is ever stolen, not only would they have my car keys, they would have my house key as well. I think not.
Asa, you are too kind. I appreciate your thoughtful comments, and would add that you should not sell yourself short. I've heard some gems of wisdom from you!
I guess I wasn't aware that you're under such strict water restrictions. Do you keep buckets in your shower, to capture water there and then haul it out to water outdoor plants and such? Probably couldn't do much for the lawn with buckets, but plants are another story. We're allowed to water on two assigned days a week, and only between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and between 8 p.m. and midnight. I'm so grateful for a sprinkler system, so I don't have to stand out there at nearly midnight with a hose in my hand! I have 12 zones in this quarter-acre yard, and they all get equal attention.
Well, gotta figure how to get to the church tonight, for the quarterly Women's Dinner. There are several people I could call to pick me up and bring me home, but I won't. They're all around my age, and I hate to impose on them. One doesn't like to drive at night, one thinks she does well but would scare me half to death (I've seen her drive), and on it goes. Most of them I've picked up many times, and I know they would be glad to come get me, but I'm a little off the beaten path to the church and I hate to ask them to go out of their way. I think I'll just call Uber or Lyft. They're reasonable enough (cheaper than a cab) and I've used them several times. In fact, I've got a doctor appointment tomorrow morning, and even if Tillie wasn't on the puny list, I would call a car. It's in Dallas, and I do not take Tillie into downtown Dallas. Those people drive like maniacs, parking places are about the size of a postage stamp, and the $250 deductible on Tillie would pay for a lot of Uber rides!
Well, guess that's all. See you tomorrow! Blessings, and keep looking up! --Romeena
April 26, 2022 - Msg 117808:
RO--Question: If your car problem is the ignition,
how did you "take Tillie to Richie's this morning?"
Ha, ya didn't think anyone would catch that, huh? :)
I sure hope they can get her fixed up tho.
ASA- Yup, all ready, in fact it is to be 99 today!
But, May is still usually in the low 90s,
so I expect things to go down a bit before the 110s kick in.
Well, have we completely "talked out" TAGS? ha. :)
Me-TV is starting over with season one. I wish they would just
continue with the color eps, but maybe they only contracted
for the B/W ones.
Sooo... on a similar note, last night on PM, I saw Mayor Stoner,
the pick pocket Guest of Honor, and one more but can't remember! ha
Have any of you ever seen the movie "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison"?
It was made in the late 50s, starring Robert Mitchum.
I saw it a long time ago. Anyway, our church is showing it this Thursday.
Please keep our whole world in your prayers. These are very trying
times with all that is happening around the globe.
APB FOR BOO, POSSUM, SPOT, JM, BILLY RAE, BIG MAUDE, AND ALL!
PRAYERS,
mdc
April 27, 2022 - Msg 117809:
MDC...I agree, even tho the color episode are not as popular they still have a place in the Mayberry world.
Yes, Barney is gone, and Warren is annoying, but there are still some good episodes. Listening to some of the writers speak at Mayberry events over the years they kinda wrote in a “team style” throwing ideas out and everyone adding their two cents. I suppose it’s like Andy said of Aunt Bee’s pickles 🥒
I guess we just need to learn to love them too!....lol
Don’t know of any of y’all watch a program on MeTV called “Collectors Call” But THIS Sunday they are featuring a Guy’s Mayberry Collection. The theme of the show is showcasing people’s collections and at the end attempt to make a trade with them on a item...
Mike plays Sgt. Carter as a tribute artist and he was also in the Mayberry Man Movie...I think our Big Maude knows him also. He also has been the Trivia Champion at M/D’s too..
He told me about getting on the show at the Meet-Up last year, sad part was they had to do it via Zoom because of COVID.
Anyhow it comes on MeTV @ 6:30 ET But stay tuned they are showing Return to Mayberry and some episodes too!...
Only one word for it.....BIG......G.F.
April 27, 2022 - Msg 117810:
I forgot 🤦🏼♂️Here’s the link.... https://youtu.be/gJPeqW3iOVM
April 27, 2022 - Msg 117811:
Good morning, porch. A beautiful, chilly but sunny day here in the Dallas area. Just 57°, but heading for a high of 78°. Flowers popping up everywhere in my yard and around town. So pretty!
MDC, you are very sharp, to catch the fact that I was able to take Tillie to the shop, with a problem with the ignition! The answer is, the problem only asserts itself at the most inconvenient times. Actually, most of the time, there's no problem at all, but just let me be late for an appointment, or on a parking lot somewhere, far from assistance, and it just locks up. The key won't turn, lights don't work, etc. Anything that is routed through that ignition housing just sits there, and won't do a thing. Finally, so far, with about ten minutes of jiggling and working with the key, it will suddenly engage, the engine starts, and all is well. I have three sets of keys for the car, have tried them all, and still it happens. Reminds me of when Cousin Virgil polished the keys so well they wouldn't open the cell door anymore, but in this case it's not the fault of the keys. So, to answer your very astute question, I just drove Tillie over to Richie's shop, she was running fine. I just talked to Richie, the part was located and ordered, and I may have her back by the end of the day, or tomorrow for sure. I'm taking a Lyft car into Dallas this morning for a doctor appointment. I wouldn't be taking Tillie if she was sitting in the garage!
Yes, I've seen and remember "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" very well. Good movie! I wish they would make more like it these days. Some of the trash that passes for entertainment now is enough to make you swear off movies forever. Most of it is just designed to indoctrinate youngsters (and everyone else) into the aberrant, bohemian lifestyles that are so popular. I've got better places to spend my money.
MDC, I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. It hurts, I know. I went to the dinner at church last night, and my friend LaRue wasn't there, and it felt so strange. Friends are so important in our lives. I arrived in a Lyft car, and a fairly new friend, a lovely gal, saw me getting out of it, and asked me why the Lyft car. I told her, and she proceeded to inform me that if I ever, EVER, did that again and didn't call her to pick me up instead, she would be very offended! She meant it, too! She's a fairly recent widow, just three years, and has hit the ground running. She is involved in everything around the church, has organized our WinGS group (Widows in God's Service) and finding ways we can serve, and is just a bright spot wherever she goes! She's a gem!
Well, better get showered and dressed, and on my way to the doctor. I'm hoping he'll have an acceptable answer for my problem. The scoliosis in my back had morphed into kyphoscoliosis, with a forward bent as well as the lateral curving that has been present for so long. It has never been a particular problem, but this new thing is. It aches constantly, and is really pretty uncomfortable. I'm afraid he's going to want me to wear a brace, and I'm just not ready for that. We will have to talk! Prayers, please!
Blessings, friends. Keep looking up! --Romeena
April 27, 2022 - Msg 117812:
Hi, porch. I'm home from the back surgeon visit, and it went better than I expected. No, he had no magic formulas for relief. He took some xrays, said there is "minor" progression since the last visit, about four months ago or so. He said there is a surgery for it, but he won't do it, as it is rarely successful, and often makes things worse. (You have to trust a doctor who will tell you the truth like that.) He knows I can't/don't take ANY opioid meds. If over the counter meds don't help, I'm out of luck. Fortunately, they do, at least a little bit. I asked about muscle relaxers, and he vetoed them as well. He said the muscles are aching because they're under strain, trying to do their job. Hit them with a relaxer, they quit trying to support my neck, and the condition gets worse. He mentioned a soft collar, and I vetoed that. I've tried it, and it makes me crazy. He agreed, said he can't wear one either, he has a little bit of claustrophobia, and so do I. He has already sent me to PT, which did no good at all, and he really didn't expect that it would, but was worth a try. So, basically, he said go home, go about your business, and get in your recliner whenever you can. Well, fortunately, "whenever" is pretty much anytime I want to, so I guess that's the answer. When I'm in that recliner, with the back lowered, I'm quite comfortable. When I have to be up (cooking or yard stuff or whatever) I just take an extra-strength Tylenol, or an Aleve or whatever, it dulls the ache somewhat, and I go about my business. I don't miss very many occasions, I go to lunch with friends, and I thank God every day that I can at least do what I can do. Trinket loves lap time, and so do I, so it all works out. God is good!
Richie hasn't called, so guess Tillie isn't off the puny list yet. No problem, I have nowhere that I have to go, and nothing that must be done. Recliner, here I come! Blessings, friends, and keep looking up! --Romeena
April 27, 2022 - Msg 117813:
Here is a figure used in TAGS. Anyone wanna guess what it is about?
$3,478.00
April 27, 2022 - Msg 117814:
What Barney lost on his real estate 🏡 commissions....G-F
April 28, 2022 - Msg 117815:
Or maybe its the amount that Miss Mendelbright almost lost to the swindler?
But I think GF got it. Message 117813--who are you if i may ask? thx.
RO--let's hope that no news is good news with Tillie.
Also, with my occasional back miseries, I use a lanocane patch
or a salonpas patch. Just a thought.
And I agree about surgery, a few friends who tried it, only
ended up worse than before the operation.
Oh, here's the 'trailer' I found to that movie...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVsxx2TlKrc
OK, a little tags trivia/blooper. Tonight on Me-TV was the ep about the
fuedin' Wakefields and Carters. If you watch closely, after Andy
'checks both guns,' (actually taking out the cartridges) he hands
the wrong guns back to the two guys. It is hard to catch if yer
not a trained noticer tho. Ha. Actually, I heard about it on a Mayberry
facebook page, but didnt look for it until tonight.
I really like that bearded actor Arthur Hunnicutt. I've seen him on Perry Mason,
The Rifleman, Twilight Zone and others. He was a good character actor
like Allen Melvin.
And yes, GF, that Collectors Call is a good show, hosted by 'Blair' no less! ha
I will be sure to watch this week.
God's peace be with you all in these times,
MDC
April 28, 2022 - Msg 117816:
Sorry folks, I forgot to sign my name on the post above. Goober Fife did indeed have the correct answer to the quiz. Wat to go Goob.
MDC, I have noticed that Andy did mix up the returning of the guns. lol I just love finding those little bloopers like that. You would have figured both fellers would have noticed right away they had the wrong gun, unless they were identical which seems unlikely. BTW, I enjoy the scene in that episode when Andy and Mr. Wakefield are sitting on the porch talking, and that beagle is sitting on the table behind them, panting away.
MDC, I have been watching some old Dallas shows and am amazed at all the TAGS folks that are in those. Rance Howard, Parley Bear, Jennie Boon, George Kennedy, Barbara Eden, Moran Brittany, Harv Smithfield who played the Ewings lawyer for almost the entire series, was on two TAGS episodes (I forget his name at the moment). I know there are more but my mind is drawing a blank. Also I noticed several episodes were directed by Bill Bison, who directed a number of TAGS episodes. Mayberry is everywhere.
Well off to do some work.
Asa
April 28, 2022 - Msg 117817:
Romeena, regarding your intermittent problem with Tillie, check out https://www.cadillacforums.com/threads/intermittent-starting-problem.201446/
from Poor Horatio
April 28, 2022 - Msg 117818:
I've been reading with interest Romeena's car problems, and I can safely say, "It's the carburetor!"
Billy Ray the Crack Auto Mechanic
April 29, 2022 - Msg 117819:
Good morning, porch! It's cloudy, and chilly this morning, just like it was yesterday. It looked like it was going to throw a gully-washer at us all day yesterday, until about 6:30, when suddenly the clouds disappeared and the sun was a golden canopy over the area - just beautiful! Now this morning looks the same, gray, overcast, you can almost smell the rain, but none is falling. Sure do wish it would!
Tillie is home, starts instantly and runs like a fine watch. Total cost $377, which included having a locksmith come to the shop and make the ignition system match my keys, rather than the other way around. I think for an 18 year old car, that was cheap enough, and beats the socks off a pay-every-month car payment. Add to that, my experience with the Lyft cars I rode in on Wednesday. They were nice new cars, mostly imports, the drivers were nice and competent, but the cars nearly beat me to death! Noisy, rattly, bumpy, rough rides, all three of them, all different makers. I'll take my big old, paid-for, land yacht any day! So happy to have her home!
PH, I checked out the link you provided. Actually, I didn't find anything there that matched up with my situation. I Richie was right, when he said he thought the best and cheapest way to go was to just replace the ignition unit, rather than trying to fix it. There are too many systems that are routed somehow through that ignition housing. Obviously, I don't know much about what I'm trying to discuss, but I do trust Richie. He proved his honesty when he discouraged me from trying to fix a very small oil leak, only leaks when the car is running. He said they could fix it for about $6-700, and it would be leaking again in a few months. Said even the Cadillac houses discourage trying to fix it, because it doesn't stay fixed. So, he suggested putting something beneath the car to catch the little bit of oil that would go to the floor after the car has been running, then whenever the car tells me to check the oil, bring it to him and he'll top it off, no charge. We do that about every 4 to 6 months, it takes just a little, and the car runs fine. He could have scammed me for a big repair, then another later on, etc., but he didn't.
PH, thanks for the link, but none of the situations described there matched what was happening. In Tillie's case, it was like the key was stuck. It wouldn't turn at all, just locked in place. Enough fiddling and jiggling with it, and it would finally engage and the engine would crank right up. My initial description, when this first started, was misleading. I had met the problem, and when I got home that evening I just left the key in place, in the magic spot that would let the key engage. I didn't know that would run the battery down, but it did. The next morning, the car was just dead. Nothing, no response at all. No lights, nothing. We started it with a hotbox, and the alternator (which was just two months old) recharged the battery when I drove it to the store and back. OK, I won't do that again. From that point on, it was just a matter of never knowing when the key was going to refuse to engage. Yes, I tried different keys - I have three. I had to fiddle with it on three different occasions, and it started (finally) but Richie was worried. He even gave me his home number in case I got stranded somewhere. As he said, "yes, you can fool with it long enough and finally find the right spot and it will start. Until it doesn't. I don't want to have to try to get a tow truck in to rescue you from a 4th level parking garage one of these days. Let's just fix it."
Billy Ray, it wasn't the carburetor! All you know about a car is speed, speed, speed! :)
Well, better get dressed. There will be a technician from ADT here in a little while. The fourth one. I do hope and pray that they fix the problem this time, they've been trying for two months now. I'm very patient, but this is getting ridiculous. I have two alarm control panels, one at the door into the garage and one in my bedroom. The one by the garage door just needs to be replaced. They have fiddled and diddled with both of them, it appears to be fixed, and works for a few days, then once again, I cannot set the alarm from the garage door. It will arm the system from the bedroom panel, but then I have to scamper like a bunny to get across the whole house to the garage and out that door, before I set off the motion sensors, which can see the whole interior of the house. Grrr. I'm old and move a bit slowly, the house is big, and sometimes I don't quite make it. I can close my bedroom doors and block the sensors at night, so I can get up if I need to. (If? Ha!) So, when it's in one of its little fits, I just have to leave the house unprotected when I leave. Not acceptable. I want it fixed, and will very pleasantly make that quite plain to the tech who comes today. Problem is, they work on it, and it appears to be fixed. Then it fails again a few days later. Grrrr again! Oh well, it's not a value of life. We'll figure it out. I think I'm going to insist that they replace that particular box, instead of trying to force it to perform properly.
Blessings, friends! Keep looking up! --Romeena