Tag Archives: Safety

Back In Time

Posted on by
17

These past few days of cooler weather cause my mind to wander back to earlier times. Trick-or-treating. Mom never bought us those pricey costumes. She would make us up in what ever she had around the house at the time. One time I was a scarecrow.scarecrow

Another year I can remember she made me go in a white sheet. She just cut out the eyes and used magic markers to blacken the eyes. No one was going to recognize me right? Wrong, all my family members did, probably because Mom was standing in the background.ghost 1

When I got to be a teenager I did things I should have not done. I tasted my first wine one Halloween night.

Boone Farm Strawberry Wine. Boy did I think I was big stuff. Maybe for that paragraph in time I was, but that was it.

Now that I am an adult I still like to decorate. One year when I lived where there were plenty of little ones knocking at my door I dressed up as a witch and passed out treats. The kiddies were a little frightened but I calmed them down by taking off my mask for them. Those were good times.witch

Part of the reason for decorating is to enjoy the looks and words of people who really enjoy this time of the year.

I never looked at it as a real demon day. It was all in fun, an opportunity to bring my childhood memories back to life for one evening.

But now there are no trick-or-treaters where I live. Al could care less if I decorate or not. He doesn’t get excited about any of it.

I usually put up some purple lights inside the house. I put up an electric Pumpkin in the window. I play some eerie sounds.

For one eve I have some fun. I let loose and go back in time where life was good. Time was forever. The word worry was unheard of.

http://youtu.be/2ffX7CSZW2M             green hands                                                pumpkin

book4

Related articles

I Felt Your Presence

Posted on by
29

There are times we all feel alone. We can be amongst others and feel alone.  I am one of those too, but last night was different. I knew I was not by myself.

It has done nothing here in my part of Indiana this week but rain. Not nice gentle rains that you want to sleep to. Instead we have had big thunders and plenty of lightning. Heavy rains.

Because I am not strong enough with my fingers I lost the portable gazebo in my yard. It has metal piping with those silver buttons that you push in on them to lower or stand it tall and keep it in place.

Because of my Diabetic Neuropathy in my hands I can not push hard enough to lower the gazebo down. My son scolded me telling me to lower the buttons. I explained that I can not do it. He told me he wasn’t running to me every time I needed help, so I lost the whole thing.

This was more than a gazebo to me. I purchased it last Spring when it was Al‘s birthday. I used it as a safe haven for him to be able to be out in the fresh air and free from flies and mosquitoes. I was so planning on being able to sit him out there this year in his wheel chair, but not now.

As I sat inside my safe haven, I was alone physically, but not actually. To those who think I am seeing things or may be a little crazy in my mind at 59, I want to assure you I am not. I prayed and asked God to stay with me during this storm. I prayed for his mercy.

Unfortunately where I live there are no storm shelter. There was when I moved in last year but the owner of the mobile home park has locked it up and swallowed the key, so to speak.

I was in a tornado once when I was at church camp. I was, I believe 10 or 11 years old. The girls dorm was completely wiped a way while I and many others sat safely in the tabernacle. So when severe thunderstorms and tornado watches arise here, I still feel a bit of fear.

When Al was here last year and we had storms I sort of forgot about the damages a storm can do. My thoughts instead went to Al wanting to keep him safe. Now, this year, I knew he was safe behind the brick walls. It was me who was frightened.

As I sat at my window with a candle near me and the police scanner on my Tablet playing I prayed. Take what you want Lord. None of it means anything to me. But please keep our home safe and me too. I need this home because my brother is coming home within weeks. Amen

The winds were bad and the lightning so bright. Thunders rolled through the skies. This wasn’t a baby storm either. Yet it was nothing like Oklahoma, but it still did damages here. I heard on the scanner that one car was actually under water to the hood here. The driver was able to escape.

Many trees and power lines were down all over town. As I watched the skies light up I have to admit I felt a bit of fear. It is amazing to me that I was not running for my life, getting in my car and driving to no where. I had a heavy blanket and a candle and my purse all in the bathroom waiting for the scanner to announce run for your life. We were also under a tornado watch.

This storm lasted from midnite to 4:30 in the morning. God answered my prayers. He kept me safe and my home safe, but he took the gazebo and branches. Our lights went off three times but I made it through with God’s existence within my house.

I finally was able to fall asleep and woke up at 10am. I saw sunshine immediately and was able to open windows again. But God wants me to remember that he is here with me always. His example for me is the sun is gone and it is clouding up again and becoming windy. We are in for more rains, but thankfully I am not alone.

IMG_0199

Related articles

Daily Prompt;Dear Leader/The Daily Post

Posted on by
14

If your government (local or national) accomplishes one thing in 2013, what would barrett-banner-839x350you like that to be?

The Daily Post/The Daily Prompt

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/

Being this close to the day the babies got shot, the utmost thing in my mind to change is the gun laws. Why is it so easy to get a gun in anyone’s hands? Why isn’t the strict of strictest background being practiced

In my eyes there are certain humans that should be allowed to have and own guns. Hunters and law officers. Hunters who live off of the land should be entitled to carry a weapon.

Remember the show called Little House on the Prairie? This is a prime example of the type of hunter I am talking about. They follow the rules of God. Loving their God first, their family and their land. They ate from the land, killing their own meat. Because I am partial to the show and have watched it so many times, I wonder if I would even by-pass a permit for this type of hunter, but yet equality needs to be done for all.

Law officers, anyone watching over another human being should be allowed to carry a gun. Policeman, and guards are just a couple of types that are here to protect us.There are guards that watch over our President. There are others who should be sitting in front of our public schools. All should still require to have a very strict background and drug test.

The ones we least suspect today are sometimes the culprit. My mom always told me when I was a little girl that policeman were our friends. I won’t go into any finger-pointing, but I could name a few times when the officer did not represent who he truly was.

If each human asking for permission to own a firearm had to go through extensive training, answer so many questions, bring proof of stability from a chosen doctor, would we need guards sitting in front of our schools?

Maybe, it would depend I guess on the area of the school, but does that really make a difference? Does an inner city versus a small town school make a difference? Can you see that to a person that is mentally ill,or carrying large amounts of anger, they are not thinking of where the school is located?

How are you affected by the school shootings? I mean setting aside the tears and pain, what are your after effects of these random shootings? Do you hesitate to go to the movies or maybe shop at the big shopping malls? Did it enter your head at all, the idea that there could be a person carrying a vengeance shopping less than five feet a way from where you are with your own cart?

Should we dig deeper to the degree of trying to scope out the reasons for brutal murders? Does it really matter now that this latest shooter and his mama are dead to know the motive? Will it bring the children back? How will knowing the background and motive prepare us for this kind of nonsense to not happen again?

Do we think that an ill person has a certain look? Would we recognize him or her if they were walking across the street? Does it have anything to do with their upbringing or maybe the rules that were or were not instilled in their minds? Maybe.

It all boils down in my simple mind back to the purchase of guns. Make the purchase tough. Get that extensive background check. Choose a doctor that is  impartial, that can not be bought to give a statement and physical form to show the person’s mind-set.

What about a chip locator? Chips are placed into every electronic we purchase, could this be of any help if one was placed in a newly made gun or weapon? Maybe we should go so far as to ask the government, that if there are gun owners, they be mandated to have a drug and physical test every six months. It is a high honor to be able to carry a weapon. We want to feel safe in our supermarkets, our schools and local businesses. Do you think this would benefit us?

Hiring guards for schools, making physical assessments and thorough background checks is expensive. Can we the people find the funding for these extras? Compare this extra cost to the life of a child who was just killed by someone who was able to get a hold of a gun so easily. What do you think now of the added cost?

We come together to live in our communities whether in a small country town or a large inner city to live safely fearing no harm, We want to be able to go to our job places, our churches, go on vacations and go shopping without fear of who is standing near us. Please government offices and officers, put aside who is making more money or what tax cuts or increases everyone is getting. Change the laws. Keep America standing proud and tall. Help keep us all safe.

Need A Laugh On A Sunday Morning?

Posted on by
46

Trained attack dog Samo leaps forward toward a...

Do you want a little humor for your Sunday morning review?

Do you want to read a comic that happened in reality, instead of a newspaper column?

Well, I have one for you, and it came out of the blue, not planned, or rehearsed.

I climbed out of my warm bed, because I heard the cries of Polly, letting me know she had to go potty. I slipped on my pink, fuzzy, warm house robe, and my fluffy slippers, and walked over in my new routine to open her crate door, bend down, letting the blood surge to my front of my head, reminding me that I do have sinus cavities, and picked the little two-pound fur ball up.

She doesn’t walk to the front door yet, nor does she walk up or down the four steps that lead to the yard. I walked out to the living room and grabbed  my first cigarette for the morning, lit it and she and I headed for the door.

Believe me, I can do this routine in my sleep now, I am now accustomed to being woke up out of a dead sleep! I unlock the front door, open the door and the storm door, walk down the four steps, grab the end of the leash string, because now that she is nine weeks old, and starting to show her personality, I have found by pure accident and a chase around the yard, that she will wander off exploring the yard.

So, I have the leash attached to her and I put her down on the ground so she can go explore a perfect spot where she can do her elimination. I am smoking my smoke and looking up at the skies, noticing how blue it is and how I am a bit chilled, and I glance back down at her, and she has just tinkled.

Good dog, but I know you have one more process to handle before we can go back inside to the warmth of the house. She is sniffing and snooping and the beginning of the squat process is in play.

I see something out of the corner of my eye, and to my amazement it is a loose dog, not just any dog, a big dog, racing it hind legs as fast as they can travel to get to my Polly. With the size of that dog and the size of Polly, I think maybe that big old dog thought this was going to be a nice twig to chew on.

I threw my cigarette down and in my slippers, I raced, without thinking to grab Polly up to the safety of my arms, ready to defend her with my life, and the dog is getting closer and closer. Having her safely in my arms, I turn to run, yes run, first thing in the morning, back to the steps and I fall.

Oh yes, I fell, and my hands ended up in a nice pile of crap. Polly jumps out of my arms from shock from  a  mommy who was losing it, and she heads for the stairs all by herself, but she starts whimpering for help, as she can’t climb the first step.

The dog is here, and he and I have an eye to eye conversation, he looking for a snack, and my eyes telling him no way, Jose, you are not getting my baby. I take the only thing I have as far as a weapon, and that was my poop infested hand and I flipped it at the dog.

He backs up a little, as he could realize it was fresh and he wanted no part of that, but he didn’t remain back long enough, the taste of Polly was too tempting for him and so he came back again towards me. I snatched Polly back up in my arms, and two steps a way from me was the old rotten broom that I use for sweeping the porch.

With one hand holding Polly, and the other holding the broom, I got in to the pirate position and with my sword, I plunged at the dog, threatening his life with my weapon. He snarled, and I attacked, he snarled and I popped him with the bristles of my broom, my sword.

I could not aim very well with holding  Polly, so I ended up swishing the bristles right across his buttocks. He jumped and whimpered, and with his tail between his legs, he took off like a bat out of hell.

I raced up the four steps and opened the door and we went in safely. I fell into my computer chair, with Polly in my arms, explaining how I had saved her life, and then setting her down, I stood back up and inspected my own self for damages. The only thing I saw was dirty hands, so I went and washed them good.

By this time, my coffee was ready to drink, so I grabbed a cup and put my cream in it and came over here and sat down, waiting for my heart to calm back down. Wow, I need another cigarette now, and this nice cup of hot coffee. I look around and there is innocent Polly, relaxing, chewing on her toys.

 

Related articles

From Here To There

Posted on by
16

Mystery vine 2

A life has closed one door

Never to look back anymore

Another door has opened wide

The width of this is oh so wide

Mysteries held for all to seek

For those who are sick and very weak

More help is coming for him today

I only have to stand out-of-the-way

The love I have will carry all through

But I can’t help feeling a little blue

I release him into your hands of care

For his care I will open and I will share

Remember he is only on loan

It is always with me that he has grown

He may be six feet tall today

But he’s my baby brother all the way

Take good care of him as I walk out of his door

Don’t let me come back to find him  no more.

I love you my brother you have filled my days

But now I realize there are many more ways

To keep you safe and free from harm

I have walked you to the door and let go of your arm.

Terry Shepherd

Nov 06,2012

Related articles

Memories of Trick or Treating

Posted on by
16

Frosty nights, feel the bite

Photo of a Halloween trick-or-treater, Redford...

Autumn leaves falling down

Dropping so softly to the ground.

Time for planning trick or treats

Getting candies all in a row

Ghosts and goblins now do show.

Lights and sounds and eerie noise

Under the street lights children go

Holding bags out and costumes that glow.

As we open up the door

We go back in time and remember when

We were the ones trick or treating then.

Looking past the mask they wear

Wondering if we know them and get our bowl

They take the treats, and off they go.

Life has passed us quickly by

Childhood is gone and now we stand

In the door, giving treats with our loving  hands.

Terry Shepherd

Oct.14th 2012

 

Related articles