Daily Archives: January 4, 2013

Chapter 10

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Cline at WSM studios in Nashville, Tenn. in 1963

Henry pulled into the bowling alley parking lot. He had been here a few times. Went bowling with friends, but bowled so bad he never went back. When he walked inside it was pretty quiet.

He could smell coffee coming from the little cafe on the side. He head a few pins being knocked down. As he looked out over the lanes, he saw one family sharing some time together. He thought, that could be me and my kid some day.

Other than the family of bowlers he didn’t see anyone else. He walked over to the cafe and grabbed a cup of coffee and put his dime in the money cup. He took it over to the red table and sat down. Wonder who runs this place. They on vacation?

A bald man came out of the back office. He had a big gut and the bottom button was left undone. Probably too fat to get it buttoned. The guy noticed Henry sitting there and walked up to him.

“Can I help you kid”? Henry stood up and extended his left arm out. Shaking hands Henry said, ” I  heard you are looking for a set-up man. I came right over when I heard about it. Are you still looking for someone”?

Carl, the owner said, “Ya, I am still looking, who’s interested”?

“I am. I need some more money. Got a kid coming on the way and I need more hours. I work over part-time at the grocery store bagging groceries. It is an ok job, but won’t do enough for me”, Henry said.

“You got your girl knocked up huh kid. Pretty stupid thing to do if you ask me, but who’s asking? This job pays every week. It is a late-nite job. You come in around 7 and you work until we close at midnite. It pays sixty cents an hour. You interested”?

“I sure am sir. When can I start”?

“How about tonight? My name is Carl but you can call me boss”. Henry reached out his hand and shook on  the deal with Carl and putting his hat back on he turned and left, yelling back at the guy, “See ya tonight and thanks”.

Henry was smiling and whistling his way to his car. He had done it. He had landed himself another part-time job. With these two jobs he now had a full-time job. Wait til I tell Jane and the guys.

He got in his car and took off a little faster than he should. Dirt scattered in the parking lot. He saw a cop sitting on the next corner but he must have been eating his donut as he didn’t do a thing.

He went over to Jane’s house and jumped out of the car and raced to the house. Banging on the door, it wasn’t long before it opened, with Jane standing there. Henry grabbed her by the waist and picked her up and swung her around. She started giggling and telling him,” put me down Henry. Right now”. Henry ignored her as he continued to swing her.

“I got another job doll. I am going to be working over at the bowling alley. Going to be a night job. I am going to bag groceries through the day and then go set-up pins at night”. Jane’s face went from giggles to frowns.

“When we going to have time to see each other Henry? If you work day and night when you going to fit me in”? Henry let her down and tried to think of the perfect answer. He didn’t want any fighting to start. He knew what he was doing was the right thing.

“Oh doll, you know I will be with you every minute I can. You know how much I love you. We are going to have to help mom and dad out when we start staying there. We can’t expect them to feed us every meal can we? This way we can have time together alone. We can go to the restaurant and get a burger, then we can go to our special spot and be together”. He winked at her and she recognized that wink. Sex, is that all men ever think about? Isn’t that how I got myself in this position, by having sex?

Jane smiled at him. She knew in her heart that he was right, but she was going to miss him. “So, when you going to start this new job”?

“Tonight at 7. Maybe you can come over and see me on my break. I got to get going doll. I have to be at work in in a few hours and I’m starving”. With this, he reached down and squeezed her real hard placing a hard kiss on her lips. She gasped for air, but when he turned around to wave as he was leaving he saw that smile. Her smile melted his heart every time he saw it. “Remember, next Saturday, you and me, getting hitched”. Jane had no time to respond as he climbed in his car and spinning his tires took off.

He drove home with his radio cranked. Patsy Cline was singing Crazy, and Henry thought to himself, ya crazy, crazy for you doll. He pulled in the drive and went inside. His mom was washing dishes and she smiled at him as he entered the room. As he was getting some ham out of the refrigerator, he said,”I got a job mom. I mean I got another job to go along with my baggers job. You won’t have to worry about me and Jane living here as much now mom. We won’t be any problem. We will try to find our own food to eat so you and dad won’t have to worry about your budget”.

He got the bread out and the ketchup and made himself two sandwiches. He poured himself a tall glass of milk and sat down at the table to eat. Carol remarked,” Honey you aren’t going to be any problem. It’s that girl you are going to have living here. I worry how she and I are going to get along. Does she talk much? You know I have my own routine and I don’t want someone yakking in my ear all day”.

“Ah mom, don’t worry. Jane’s quiet. She will stay out of your way. She will probably sleep a lot being pregnant. You won’t even know she is here”. With that his mom came over and tugged on his ear and smiled down at him. Then she turned and left the kitchen, the dishes being done.

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Blog of the Year 2012

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http://lorischulz.wordpress.com

Lori has nominated me for the Blog of the Year 2012 Award. Whether it is the first or the last, I feel so special being nominated.

Lori is a fairly new follower and she is such an awesome woman. She is very involved within her church. Here is a slice of who she is.

Lori Schulz has a Bachelor of Science in Christian Ministry and Biblical Studies from Grace University where she was given the Delta Epsilon Chi award.  She has been involved in children’s ministry for several years.  Her involvement has included leading children’s worship, leading a Sparks group for AWANA, leading a children’s choir, teaching Sunday school, and leading a Good News Club.  She has been heard speaking at a fundraiser banquet, Good News Club training seminars, Christian elementary school chapels, and on her local Christian talk radio station.  She is also the author of the children’s book, “Papa’s Plan for Buddy Bee.”  Besides ministering to children, Lori enjoys spending time with her family.  She and her husband have three children.

tree 14gods hand n lighteningfwf-gratitudeblog of the yearBlog of the Year Award banner 600

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great poem!

positively second

My Mom shared this with me a little while ago and I’ve been meaning to share it here.

You may have seen this before. If not, I hope you enjoy it 🙂

Fifth Grade Assignment

A fifth grade teacher in a Christian school asked her class to look at TV commercials and see if they could use them in 20 ways to communicate ideas about God. Here are some of the results:

God is like
BAYER ASPIRIN
He works miracles

God is like
A FORD
He’s got a better idea

God is like
COKE
He’s the real thing

God is like
HALLMARK CARDS
He cares enough to send His very best

God is like
TIDE
He gets the stains out others leave behind

God is like
GENERAL ELECTRIC
He brings good things to life

God is like
WAL-MART
He has everything

God is like
ALKA-SELTZER
Try Him, you’ll like Him

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Daily Prompt; Quote Me/ The Daily Post

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http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/daily-prompt-quote/#like-12779

Do you have a favorite quote that you return to again and again? What is it, and why does it move you?

I used to have a favorite saying

I would think on this as I was laying

On my bed so late at night

Waiting for sleep and morning light

I read it somewhere long ago

It was in a book tis all I know

Don’t put off  til tomorrow  what you can do today

These are the words I would always say

Keep the mind sharp and body on the move

Don’t get slow, don’t lose your groove

I have let it slide a bit for now

As I concentrate on learning how

To realize that I have done real good

On taking care of Al and his moods

Slowly I am learning another way

To occupy my time and day

Learning who I am all about

Wanting to sing and give a shout

Hi neighbor, hi friend and hello class

Wearing a smile, as I shrink my __ss

I have made the start I am here to say

Digging up the old me I am on my way

Today is the day  I am going to say

Don’t put off til tomorrow what you can do today.

Terry Shepherd

01/04/13

HOPE

 

 

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Update on Exercise Class and Walking Track

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Year 5~Day 34 +5/365 AND Day 1495: Senior Stru...

Well catching up here with you about my exercise class and walking. I did go, yeah! I went in and paid my dollar for my class. I borrowed a locker key and they held my purse as ransom.lol

I put my coat and boots in the locker and put my clean dry shoes on and walked to the room that the class was to be held at. There was one lady there. She was much older than I. Completely white-haired. I asked her if this was the right room and she said yes. She told me that they usually walk the track for about fifteen minutes, so I went to the track. It isn’t a big track. It takes 19 laps to make one mile. I walked three times around it then saw others were going into the class.

I found two, three pound weights and grabbed those along with a stretch band. Eventually about 9 people were seated. One man, and the rest ladies. The man was white-haired also with a long white beard. He was 85 years old and had, you will never believe this, he had Parkinson’s!

I was the baby of the class. The only one with any color in my hair, of course the secret is hair dye! I looked around and felt a little uncomfortable being so much younger, but stayed. A hottie guy came in. He was somewhere in his twenties. He was the teacher. He spent about ten minutes chatting about New Years and such. Then we got down to the hard work.

I had worn my spandex pants with a spandex top and a T-shirt over it. I was ready to sweat it out, but it never happened. We mainly sat on straight chairs and did stretches. We used the weights maybe twice. We used the stretch bands about five minutes. There was no music and it was very quiet in the room.

I asked why there was no music and he asked,”Why should there be”? I explained that when I was in Florida I belonged to a senior fitness group. We did mat exercises and foot movements and light aerobics to some hip hop music. It was up beat and really got us all going. He said, “oh, isn’t my voice enough”? I didn’t say anything more.

Inside I was thinking,this isn’t going to work. This class is not for me. They don’t do enough because I am not even breaking a sweat. You get what you pay for, a dollar for class, a dollar’s worth of stretches. I think I expected more.

When the class was about over he had us walk three more laps. All together I walked six laps, so what is that? Six out of nineteen makes a mile. Maybe I walked a third mile? After class I spoke to the director about a harder class. The next class level up was 30.00 more, so I would have to pay 50 a month and I just can’t afford that.

I left the building wondering if I should go back next Tuesday. This class is on Tues and Thurs. I stopped at the pharmacy and got my medications and then came home. After I was home about an hour, I thought, I wonder if the little bit I did helped my sugar numbers at all. What the heck, I will check them anyways.

I have been fighting with my sugars ever since Al has been placed. They were constantly in the two hundreds. It isn’t outrageously high, but too high, and high enough to be on insulin. I was shocked, totally buggy eyed. My sugars were 98. 98 in the middle of the day! Wow! I didn’t sweat but my body responded to the work that I had done and the few laps I took of walking. So I am going back. For now, as long as the mild exercise works I will  pay the dollar. If I get to the point that my body becomes plateau, I can continue the walking as much as I like. I do better in a class situation with other people though, so I hate to give the class up. Exercising here at home alone never works. I make it about three days then I quit.

So all in all, I was very happy. I didn’t sweat, I wasn’t in  pain, and yet my sugars were way down. I did it!!!

 

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FWF Free Write Friday; Time & Place Scenario

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http://kellieelmore.com/2013/01/04/fwf-free-write-friday-time-place-scenario-3/

You are in the woods and you stumble across a tin box sticking up out of the ground. You dig it up to find…fwf-badge-pink

It was early May. It had been raining for several days. My father and I had decided it was the perfect time to go mushroom hunting.

We slipped on our slickers and grabbed our Wal-Mart plastic bags and our mud boots. Off we went to the  woods near our home.

We had been walking for a short distance when I heard my dad yell out to me,” I found some”. I was instantly thinking,he always finds them first. He has the eye of an eagle. I didn’t say anything back to his call but kept looking.

The only reason I went with him on this power hunt was to spend time with him. My dad is color blind and I will never figure out how he even found one, let alone the bushels he sometimes discovered. I usually went home empty-handed, but filled with more love as the two of us had spent some quality time together.

It was getting close to noon and my stomach was beginning to let me feel its roar. I was just getting ready to go hunt dad down, when a bright object was sparked by the sun. I looked closer to whatever it was that caught my eye and saw that it was a box, a tin box.

I had some work gloves in my pocket and I slipped them on so I wouldn’t come up against any slimy worms. It didn’t want to come out very easily. I had to do some light digging and used my boot to wiggle it out of the buried ground.

I  picked it up and carefully wiped the dirt off of it. It was dull in color but the more I cleaned it the brighter it got. I shook it a little and heard some jingles coming from within. The design on the outer tin were related to holidays. A picture of Christmas cookies. Words wishing Merry Christmas were imprinted.

I tried to lift the lid off but it was like glue and was going to have to be pried. I took it and put it in my empty mushroom sack and took off to find my dad. When I did find him, he just

Mushroom hunting

smiled at me. He already knew that he had hit the jackpot and I had not. Dad always liked to rub it in when he made his golden finds.

I said, “Ya dad, go ahead and smile. I didn’t find a one”.

He said, ” You probably stepped on them like you usually do”. We both laughed. It was alright. Let him have his royal moment. I had found a tin box. I took it out of the bag and showed it to him. I explained that I had just dug it up a little ways back on our path.

He asked, “What’s in it”?

I said, ” I don’t know. I tried to open it but couldn’t. The lid is on pretty tight”. He took it and tried to open it but he had no luck. He led me to one of our favorite tree branches and we both sat down. He took his pocket knife out of his pocket and started lifting the edges. When it was almost ready for the lid to pop he handed it back to me. “Here, you open it. You found it”. I took it from him and shook it one more time. Trying to guess the prize before seeing it.

With no answers I slowly lifted the lid. My dad and I looked at each other in awe. There sitting in the can were several silver dollars, a bank note  and a small black box. There was a rolled note with a string attached to it.

I had to open the box first. I recognized those boxes and was wishing. Dad said,” come on, open it. What are you waiting for”? I was like a kid in a candy store. I was savoring the moment, but listened to dad and opened the box.

To our surprise there sat the biggest diamond I had ever seen. The flawless cuts cast highlights against the tree leaves. I lifted it out and looked closer at it. It was so beautiful. I tried it on and oh my gosh, it fit! It fit like it was made for me.

I didn’t take it off but watched dad’s eyes as he was reading the bank-note. He thought that it was real and that from what it said there was validation of this in the city bank downtown.

I untied  the piece of yellow yarn from the scroll and it said this. If you find this, consider it your lucky day. Please take this and the note to the Main bank on Center Street.

Dad and I looked at each other and I don’t know about him, but my insides were beginning to rumble like a science project. Excitement was rearing its head and I could not wait to get to the bank.

“Let’s go dad, let’s get back to the house and get cleaned up and get to the bank”. I didn’t have to twist his arm. I think he was just as curious as I was. We headed back to the house and the count of mushrooms had been laid aside. We got cleaned up and took off for town.

Once we got to the bank, we each became nervous. I was thinking, what are they going to think of me? Here I am carrying some old tin box in and professing it may have value. Maybe they will call the police and say there is some nut here.

My curiosity got the best of me and we got out of the car and took it in. Dad stayed behind letting me deal with my find. I walked up to the teller and said, ” I know this sounds crazy, but believe me I am not. I was out walking this morning with my dad and I came across this box”.

She put her finger up to her lips to show me silence. She said,” We have been waiting for you. We knew that one day someone would come across this box and now the day has come. Please follow me to that office across the hall”.

I looked at dad and he motioned to me it was alright, go ahead, follow her. I did as the two instructed and in a daze sat down in a comfy black chair. The bank teller  had been replaced by the Vice President of the bank. He sat across from me and studied me over the gold-rimmed glasses he was wearing.

He motioned for the box and I nervously handed it to him. He took the lid off and then I saw moisture fall upon the lid. I looked at this important man and was surprised that he could feel. He looked so stiff in his blue pin striped business suit with his red tie showing power in his name.

I asked,” Are you alright sir”? He nodded his head and sat in silence for a moment. He then licked his lips and wiped his eyes with his white hankie. He said, ” I have not seen this tin for some time. This belonged to my father. A few years before he died, he discovered his wife had cheated on him. From that moment on his heart quit feeling emotion. It seemed like his soul had died”.

My heart fell as I listened to the softness of this man speak about his father. I told him how sorry I was and then retained my silence. The VP stood up and told me, “I will be back in a few moments. Will you be alright here while I am gone? Would you like a cup of coffee”?

I shook my head no to the coffee and said, ” I will be alright. Please do what you need to do”. He left me sitting there to ponder on what he may be doing. I looked around the bank and gazed over the artificial flowers sitting in various spots. The son came back and sat.

He took out another piece of paper that he had taken out of his father’s vault. He said that he would like me to hear what had been written on this single page. I sat still giving him permission without speaking to continue.

He read, ” To whom ever finds this tin box, I wish you good health as I once had. I wish for you good wealth as I was fortunate enough to enjoy. I leave for you these gifts. Ten silver dollars represents how many years I was married to my lovely wife. The ten carat diamond ring represents the sparkle that my wife had once brought me. The bank-note, I leave you is for ten million dollars, which represents the money that I made while I was married. My life is coming to its final days and I want to pay if forward. Now it is your turn to enjoy”.

I looked at the broken man sitting across from me. Tears were streaming down his face from the love he carried for his father. His father’s heart had been broken but he had left a piece of it with his son and now I also carried a slice of this within my own heart.

I stood up and walked over to him and gave him a big hug and told him how sorry I was for his loss of his father. He hung his head and motioned for me to pick up what now belonged to me. I said nothing but did as he requested. I made my way back to where my father was waiting and he looked at my tearful eyes, and I said,” I love you dad. I never tell you enough, and you need to hear it from me more often”. I put my arm around him and we walked out of the bank together.

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