Now that your unpacked and got to test drive the area for a bit, encountered some locals and yokels, and hopefully some actual people that moved to the area from your home town or state its time to list the likes you have of your new or semi-new, or heck if the area is your native home than by all means and ways list what you like! Y'all got it? Well here goes!
Weather! You like or not!
Year round flowers!
Long springs!
Longer Autumns!
Shorts year round! For the hearty ones that is.
Variety of sub divisions to chose from!
Snow is a neat event versus a ho-hum not again event!
No rust on older cars! Amazing if your from the Northeast!
Can fish year round without cutting holes in the water (ice) for us North Easterners!
Pretty country side is usually only 5 minutes or less from where you live anywhere in the triangle.
People R People. No matter what they say!
Day trip to Mountains!
Day trip to Ocean!
And in a lot cases no trip at all to the many lakes, ponds, river, and streams that spot the area!
Good food can be had by all and more is always welcome irregardless if they are called viddles or pickins!
Out away from the city lights the sky at night explodes with the many stars that fill the emptiness of space with the occasional flying star to catch a dream or two on!
Groceries can be cheaper but we all have to eat!
Sure it takes time to get use to this place, remember the place you came from was called home and that is never a easy place to replace! But give it time, explore the area and get involved and this place too will be your new home not only in name but in feeling!
May the triangle, RDU, RTP, Crossroads, the Quay, Wake Forest, Knightdale, Apex, Raleigh, Durham, Zebulon, Oxford, Mossisville, Franklinton, Youngsville, Chapel Hill, Henderson, ...seems like I am forgetting somewhere.
...????......Oh yea! and Cary, be with you!
Oh Tarheels! I forgot to number the above as I did say I would count thy ways!
Weather! You like or not!
Year round flowers!
Long springs!
Longer Autumns!
Shorts year round! For the hearty ones that is.
Variety of sub divisions to chose from!
Snow is a neat event versus a ho-hum not again event!
No rust on older cars! Amazing if your from the Northeast!
Can fish year round without cutting holes in the water (ice) for us North Easterners!
Pretty country side is usually only 5 minutes or less from where you live anywhere in the triangle.
People R People. No matter what they say!
Day trip to Mountains!
Day trip to Ocean!
And in a lot cases no trip at all to the many lakes, ponds, river, and streams that spot the area!
Good food can be had by all and more is always welcome irregardless if they are called viddles or pickins!
Out away from the city lights the sky at night explodes with the many stars that fill the emptiness of space with the occasional flying star to catch a dream or two on!
Groceries can be cheaper but we all have to eat!
Sure it takes time to get use to this place, remember the place you came from was called home and that is never a easy place to replace! But give it time, explore the area and get involved and this place too will be your new home not only in name but in feeling!
May the triangle, RDU, RTP, Crossroads, the Quay, Wake Forest, Knightdale, Apex, Raleigh, Durham, Zebulon, Oxford, Mossisville, Franklinton, Youngsville, Chapel Hill, Henderson, ...seems like I am forgetting somewhere.
...????......Oh yea! and Cary, be with you! Oh Tarheels! I forgot to number the above as I did say I would count thy ways!
Wake Forest, Gosh its a pretty nive place to live!
Posted 03-09-2009 at 08:59 PM by dansdrive
Wake Forest, NC. located in Wake County NC. Some call it Wake's Forest of the Triangle....Ok maybe that's just me. But if you come from the North East, Wake Forest seems to fit. It has some rolling hills and many farming areas.
It has a small town feel but close to Raleigh, you could be down town Raleigh, depending on time of day in about 15 to 30 minutes. You can be at the Virginia border in less than an hour.
It has old Historical homes and some new subdivisions. It certainly worth a look see if your looking and seeing the area. It has transplants from New Jersey, New York, and many other NE State and Mid West and California and....well you get the idea people from all over this great country now calls Wake Forest home!
C'mon down, over, left, or right and check it out you may just like what you see.
It has a small town feel but close to Raleigh, you could be down town Raleigh, depending on time of day in about 15 to 30 minutes. You can be at the Virginia border in less than an hour.
It has old Historical homes and some new subdivisions. It certainly worth a look see if your looking and seeing the area. It has transplants from New Jersey, New York, and many other NE State and Mid West and California and....well you get the idea people from all over this great country now calls Wake Forest home!
C'mon down, over, left, or right and check it out you may just like what you see.
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Friday May 25, 2012 and its 63.3 degrees outside heading on up to 88 degrees. Nice! Its the Memorial Day weekend. Nicer!! Weather forecast is changing and may dampen the weekend days but should not dampen our reason for celebrating the weekend and remembering the outstanding American service men and women that were taken from us all to soon while bestowing the greatest honor a countryman or women is called to do. Give up their life so we can be a free people. WOW!
So during the hamburg flipping and hot dog rolling and between the alcohol and alka Seltzer take a moment to remember those that wore the uniforms of our great nation and are no longer with us in body but their spirit and sacrifices will live on for a millennium. Only two words I can possibly say to show my gratitude to them, 'Thank You'. The rest of the time I shall remain silent.
Song of the weekend: Trace Adkins - Arlington - YouTubePosted 05-25-2012 at 05:23 AM by dansdrive
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Tuesday May 29, 2012 and its 73.1 degrees outside heading on up to 86 degrees. Another Memorial Day weekend is in the books. It has come and gone. It was a beautiful weekend with sun, clouds, showers, and fun and laughter mixed in. It was a time to reflect on the ones that gave so very much so we could have the fun in the sun. So before it truly ticks by till next year I must say to all that served and are serving this great nation of ours.....THANKS FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
Now that we are in the home stretch of May things are really being to heat up. I sweat like an NBA player in O.T. I increased the size of the garden and added green beans, Brussels Sprouts, and a row of marigolds. Can't eat the marigolds but they sure look nice lining the garden! No bonfires although it would of been nice to have one, just to hot to sit by one. Rest of the garden is growing nicely. We had some the sweet basil from the garden. It is so very good mixed with garlic and olive oil and spread on Italian bread both heated in the oven or just as is. Oh man that is some good eats!!! Some would say they love it but we really can't love food.
Speaking of love, I got reminded of what it is this weekend watching a parent take care of their disabled child. This was a middle aged father taking care of his young adult disabled daughter who was in her wheel chair unable to move voluntarily, speak or as it appeared understand. She was dressed like any other girl her age. The dad sat by her running his hands through her hair and massaging her arm and talking to her ever so quietly. If that is not love than I am incapable of understand what love is.
We all like feedback and responses to our out pouring of affection and caring. Yet here is someone giving his all to his off spring without any feedback doing it hour after hour, day after day, and week after week. That is love at a whole different level. This father was just one example of this unwavering love, there are so many more out there. For Sons and Daughters, Husbands, and Dad's that came back from the wars severely injured. We can learn so much about life by watching these care takers or a better word Hero's that tend to their loved ones or sometimes perfect strangers. WOW. Today's fast paced world we forget to take the time to be compassionate to our fellow man let alone our loved ones.......
Quote of the day from Benny Mardones:
"If I could fly I would pick you up and take you into the night and show you our love like you have never seen."
Happy Tuesday and Thank-You Lord for the reminder of what love is.............Have a blessed day!
Song of the day: Into The Night-Benny Mardones - YouTubePosted 05-29-2012 at 05:32 AM by dansdrive
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Wednesday May 30, 2012 and its a wet 72.2 degrees slipping its way up to a high of 78 degrees. Earl the Beryl is winding its way east of us today. The bulk of the rain will fall mainly on the coast and leave us in the western plains mainly light to lessen our pains, sort of speak!
End of May already. As a kid this was the wind down of the school year. We typically got out of school the second week of June. Needless to say our minds was not on our school work it was on the sights and sounds of the outside. It was staying dark until past 8:30PM and it gave us much more time to play outside. The trees were back to being green and growing which typically meant time to build or fix up last years tree house. We would build it in the old abandoned park by us. Which sat on a hillside and overlooked the town and any height in a tree in that park and one had a birds eye view of town or at least a section of it. Reflecting back on those tree houses makes me think how lucky we were to not fall out of them and get hurt. Needless to say our carpentry skills were not so good. Nails we could muster from our parents basements, wood from crates and anywhere else we could find it. The early tree houses consisted of mainly a floor no walls. Just somewhere to go I suppose and chew the fat with friends. Chewing the fat typically consisted of Bazooka Joe chewing gum. Penny a piece from the local corner store. Sometime if we had a Dime to spend we got a pack of baseball cards and the prize piece of gum inside. Sweet!! We traded baseball cards, played flip games with baseball cards, and with Mom's clothespins we placed them in our bicycle spokes to sound like we were riding a Harley! Vrrrooom! Sometime we had to defend our tree house fort from other neighborhood kids. But mostly they would leave us alone. Sometimes they would destroy our tree house when we were not there. Having to rebuild it did two things for us, one it gave us something to do, and two, we got to talk about something or someone as well. Unfortunately the talk was never good!
Quote of the day from Abraham Lincoln:
" Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."
Happy Wednesday and old honest Abe was onto something here. What are you waiting for?
Posted 05-30-2012 at 08:27 AM by dansdrive
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Thursday May 31, 2012 and its 64.8 outside and the sun will be heralding high above us raising our temperature to 88 degrees and the humidity will be someone other than here today! Nice! Sweet! Sweat-free even! So here we are at the end of May on the door stop of June. Can you believe it? Well it is. Now that I am over that fact its time to switch gears and think about summer.
Summer, in three words. Fun, Relaxing, and Busy! I bet you thought I was going to say Hot, Hazy and Humid! You did now didn't you? Well it will be that too but that is focusing on reality and when dreaming one wants to dream about non reality! Reality faces us everyday. In getting up for work, getting up for school, getting up to do nothing at all. So with the approach of summer upon us, its the perfect time to dream and set a goal. Set a goal to do something this summer you have never done before or have not done in years and always wanted to do it again. What a perfect year to go do! If one has any curiosity of the Maya calendar you know that this is the summer to get something done! I personally do not believe that anyone will know the end of time but our Father in heaven and he's not talking. I for one am OK with that btw!
The possibilities are limit-less when one thinks of the things one can so this summer. That is without even thinking about world travel, or driving a race car, singing in a concert hall, bungee jumping, sky diving, climbing Mount Washington, and any other wild thing one can think of. Some of the most fun can be had by just being with a loved one, visiting a sick relative or friend, saying hello to someone down and out, giving a buck to a guy or gal on a street corner for no reason other than they are our brothers and sisters. Running in a sprinkler with you child or grandchild. Reading you child, grandchild, or neighbors kids a story book on your front porch swing. Baking a cake and taking it to the soup kitchen and help pass it out! Opening up that Bible in your home or Hotel room while on vacation and reading a passage or two and saying thanks to the one above. WOW! Now that is only a few examples to make summer special this year. We feed our bodies everyday but do we take the time to feed our souls?
Quote of the day from John 14:6.(KJV)
" Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me"
Happy Thursday and wishing all a cheerful and thoughtful day.........Posted 05-31-2012 at 06:12 AM by dansdrive
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Friday June 1, 2012 and its 70.0 degrees outside heading on up to a rock N roll 86 degrees. The rockin and rollin will be thunderstorms to start this June out. But they say the rest of the weekend should be storm free and humidity free and Oh So Nice!
On the to-do list for the weekend. Erect a shed. Yes Fathers day came early in the form of a metal shed. Finally getting a shed for all those yard items and garage incidentals is sweet but what puts the sweetness over the top is the shed has large letters on the box that clearly and succinctly states, 'MADE IN USA'. Fan-national-tasic!
So I went out and got the lumber for the deck I will build it upon and good thing I decide to cover it all in plastic last evening or it would be all wet today. Which is what I will be as I work on it. Sweat equity!
Quote of the day from Theodore Roosevelt:
"Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity, and hardihood--the virtues that
made America. The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the low of soft living and the and the get-rich-quick theory of life."
Happy Friday and Happy Made in the U.S.A. and Happy weekend!Posted 06-01-2012 at 06:07 AM by dansdrive
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Monday June 4, 2012 and its cloudy 68.8 degrees clearing to a partly cloudy 82 degrees. Nice and with the few clouds around its only slightly less nice than the weekend weather which was spectacular. Speaking of spectacular, that is my Made in the U.S. of A. shed that was assembled in the U.S. of A. by this U.S. of A. guy and his Son.
For those that ever assembled a Steel Shed my hats, gloves, wrenches, sockets, sheet metal and machine screws are off to you. My model was a 8 foot x 10 foot. But it is up and looks great! In all about 27 hours of the weekend was spent getting 'er done! Friday in between the downpours we were able to get the post holes dug along with building the floors frame and all the post concreted into the ground.
Saturday morning, bright and early before my help in the form of my Son got up I was able to finish the wood deck. Than the erector set for Men was put into motion. The motion did not always go as planned nor as the directions stated. Some was trial and error and some was taken down and reversed. But by Saturday evening the Shed was on the wood deck with all side up and done and the main roof beam attached. By that hour the shed was sturdier than I so I knew it was time to get showered and conk out on the couch pretending to be watching the TV. I did take some time to read ahead in the instruction manual and think about the coarse of action for the next days shed assault.
Sunday morning brought beautiful weather and Church services a bite to eat and out into the yard to wind up this slightly at times Rube Goldberg contraption they call a shed. So with a step ladder or two, a charged cordless drill battery, a marked up instruction book directions, it was onto the other roof beams and than the sheets of roof. One after the other they went on, screw and screw, like a well oiled 'tin man' we got the roof on and turned our attention to the details of the trim.
Once all the trim was on it was time to screw the shed into the wood deck, in the event of a wind storm I would not want a shed that looked more like a tumble weed than a shed! YIKES! All that is left is to caulk around some joints and screws to keep the weather out. Along with around the base of the shed. Oh yea, and the very last thing for the shed project........to fill it man!
Quote of the day Calvin Coolidge:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press on' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race."
Happy Monday and my hope is you are not as sore as I am today............ Ben-Gay, Icee-Hot, mere child's play for my aches and pains.......mine are rooted in purely age. Posted 06-04-2012 at 05:25 AM by dansdrive
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Wednesday June 6, 2012 and its 57.7 sprinkling degrees outside heading on up to 75 degrees. Yesterday I went BLog-less as my internet service was down and out. Amazing how dependent we become on technology. No internet service and life seems to stop as we have become to know it.
No reading the news headlines, no viral videos, no emails, no messaging, no business <YIKES>, and last but not least no Daily Scripture Verse to pop up on the screen! So all that I seemed to have missed reminded me all that I have and tend to forget or at least not pay the attention it deserves.
What are some of those things, family members albeit in person or via a telephone call or two. A walk in nature. A book to read especially the greatest book of all, the Bible. A bright burning bonfire to just sit silently beside in peace and calm. Time to spend with oneself or with family and friends to reflect on the hectic day that it was and to thank the one above for all the blessing bestowed on us. To take the time to think that even with no internet in our modern life we still have the gift of communication with everyone in ear shot of us. That my friends is more powerful than any internet or gadget that man could ever create. That is rooted deep in our DNA of why we are who we are and why we are where we are at. There is a real purpose for each and every one of us and sometimes we just have to take the time to listen to what that this............Silence is more than golden its everything sometimes.
Quote of the day from Sarah Dessen:
“Silence is so freaking loud”
Happy Wednesday, Happy belated Tuesday, Happy...........<silence>Posted 06-06-2012 at 07:27 AM by dansdrive
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Thursday June 7, 2012 and its a beautiful 55.5 degrees outside and two scooping its way up to 79 degrees! Two scoops you may wonder....well that is my morning routine. A bowl of raisin bran every morning. Of coarse not the real raisin bran the knock off brand. You know the generic look alike brand for a whole lot less money. The bran flakes look the same and the raisins look the same and the money in my pocket feels..well better than the same!
I can't help but think back on these early days of June in school when we were in real end of year mode. We had reviews of the past years knowledge we had gained. This was before no 'child left behind'. Education is job one. Free and/or reduced breakfast and lunch programs. After school child care programs. Sometimes I just wonder how we ever managed to learn and be successful at taking test....without the proper nutrition. Maybe it was the obligation we felt to do well for our parents and teachers. Maybe it was our competitiveness to not only compete but to win. Maybe it was our lack of distractions regarding cell phones, iPads, Laptops, game systems. iPods....come to think of it we lacked the 'i' anything. It was about 'we' friends and family that goes us through things.
So the world is a different place today. We seem to have more programs to help our youth today than actual days they spend in school learning math and science.
Oh we did have a few distractions that kids still have today, which were girls, cards, and a triangular shaped football made from our school paper. We played countless end of school year games on our school desk just passing the minutes and hours away until as Alice Cooper put it.......'Schools out for ever!'
Quote of the day from Henry Ford:
" Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
Happy Thursday and what will you learn new today?
Posted 06-07-2012 at 05:39 AM by dansdrive
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Friday June 8, 2012 and its a sunny shiny 58.2 degrees heading on up to 82 degrees. Sweet! Double sweetness because its Friday! Hot-digitty-dogitty! Or Sam-Sungity-Salute! Or Uncle-Ulysis-Umbrella-less! Any one of those would suffice to compliments today's weather!
No immediate plans for the weekend. Couple of minor finishing touches on last weekends shed project to finish up. A bonfire or two possibly. Cut the grass, tie up the tomato plants and....and....well there will be other things that will pop up I am sure of that.
Quote of the day from Robert Kennedy:
"There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"
Happy Friday and always dream much bigger than reality......
Posted 06-08-2012 at 07:01 AM by dansdrive
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Monday June 11, 2012 and its a mostly cloudy 73.1 degrees outside heading on up to a high of 79 degrees. Luckily on the way in this morning I seen the bright sun through my rear view mirror in the opening within the mostly cloudy skies! I also got to experience someone in a great rush to go somewhere early this morning day. On a two lane road with a clearly and brightly marked double yellow line, which on every state I ever drove in and on several countries I visited / drove means 'NO PASSING'. Well this person this morning came up upon me at a high rate of closure. They stayed behind me for a few seconds and than proceeded to put on their left blinker and fly by me like I was stopped at a red light. That left turn signal made all the difference. That seemed to have been the approval light to commit a unsafe driving maneuver. I suppose I would of really been scared if they passed me without using their left turn signal....NOT!
Now I was traveling 50MPH in a 45MPH zone. But this person was clearly going for the land speed record of North Carolina on this early June morning. But as this person sped past me and quickly out of sight I did say a prayer for this person and all the people they would pass on this early June morning. Got Tickets???
Well the weekend has come and gone, quicker than my speed racer person I spoke about above. But it was here long enough to enjoy the finer points of gardening, mowing the lawn, finishing touches to the shed, and a Bonfire Friday night. Listening to my Son back home from his first year in college. Stories abounded some funny, some sad, and some shocking. College life has sure changed. I just would not classify the changes as positive to my generational thinking but that is what age and wisdom does to one I suppose. All in all it was a very informative evening spent around the bonfire.
Quote of the day from Socrates:
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Happy Monday and Socrates as most great philosophers are timeless. What do you know today?Posted 06-11-2012 at 05:25 AM by dansdrive
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Tuesday June 12, 2012 and its a cloudy 71.1 degrees out the window today with temps heading on up to 82 degrees. Nice rain fell yesterday afternoon and evening, just what the lawn and garden needed. More in the works for today too! Sweet! Well maybe a better choice of a word would be 'wet!'
Speaking of being all wet, that is a way of explaining these A&P prices on June 11, 1937. Many of us remember the A&P stores, the Red & White logo signs. The Ann Page breads and signature goods A&P sold. Well here are the prices way back in 1937:
"A&P Food Store has large stewing hens for 21 cents a pound; beet sugar, 51 cents for a 10-pound cloth bag; and coffee, 53 cents for a two-pound can."
Not only are the prices crazy low but how about the names of some of the items. Stewing hens.....beet sugar, 51 cent for 10-pound bag! Oh man. Hard to buy an ounce of anything today for 51 cents. Which btw was way before my time and all I have to go on are accounts by my parents and grandparents of what life was like back then. History books and internet sites gives a historical record of these low prices. But I bet people complained about the prices of things back in 1937 as they do in 2012. Somethings are just relative.
But luckily for us there are constants such as faith in a better tomorrow and love in the one above to act as our beacon to make the right decisions in our lives.
Quote of the day from Gail Devers:
"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and believe in yourself, hard word, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe."
Happy Tuesday and are you believing today and everyday??Posted 06-12-2012 at 06:32 AM by dansdrive
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Wednesday June 13, 2012 and its 71.1 degrees outside ray-ing its way up to 86 degrees. Just a fine mid June day on tap. This typically was the date that we got to exit the schools up in Pa as kids. Almost all saying goodbye to the school year we just completed and hello to the summer off! Oh man! For for some it meant hello summer school! Drat! And for yet other Hello to the same grade that had to repeat it again with a whole new set of classmates. I was fortunate enough or may better put knew better that summer school and staying back a year was never an option for me. I was not the hardest working student in grade school but I was not the slacker either. Education was important to my parents which made it important to me. My Mom nor Dad every finished High School. They had a mission for my sisters and me to finish High School and be good students. So that is what I did and what they told me stuck like peanut butter to the roof of ones mouth. I actually did well in school throughout. Wasn't always easy but was worth the effort.
But this day of June 13 I will always remember as the last day of school for the year! Amen! Alleulia! See you next year and the door never hit our rear ends on the way out on the last day of school!
We raced down the hills to get to our homes, the day was usually a half day. It was home, quick change, a fly by of the refrigerator, down a drink or two, swipe a cookie or two out of the cookie jar, hop on our bikes and head over to our friends house or where the gang usually hung out. Talked about the last day of school and just chill for awhile. None of us had a clue what we would do over the summer other than endless baseball games from wiffle ball to hard ball. We would head to a local pool that was several blocks from our homes. This pool is long gone and actually a parking lot now but the sounds of the laughter and screams of the pool are fresh in my mind. A 50 cents patch got you in all summer long. Mom would have to sew it our bathing suits. The walk there was uphill and a lot of steps for us kids. So the time we got there we were hot and sweating and ready to dive in the pool....
But there was an obstacle to our plunge into the pool. That was a cold shower awaiting us that everyone had to take before jumping in the pool. Gracious me that was cold water too...but actually it was not that bad except we were all sweaty from the walk to the pool. But after the shower it was home free for that dive into the pool. On occasion there was the whistle blowing life guard telling us to walk not run.....right!
So mid June will always have a special meaning to me as the completion of another step in life's wondrous journey.
Quote of the day from Thomas A. Edison:
" Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing."
Happy Wednesday and Thomas knew a little about accomplishment....darkness became light with his! Accomplish something today albeit little or great....that is up to you!
Posted 06-13-2012 at 06:53 AM by dansdrive
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Flag Day June 14, 2012 and its a crystal clear blue Carolina sky 58.6 degrees outside flapping on up to 79 degrees. Let me say it again in case you missed the first two words of my post, FLAG DAY. Not any flag, not a Red flag, or a Blue flag or a white flag for that matter. The flag of Red, White, and Blue which represents each and everyone of us in this great nation. Its a flag that represents who we are as a people, what OUR values and virtues stand for.
I find it ironic that on Flag Day Google has the vanilla search screen up. No fancy flag draped Google letters, no simple small picture of a flag. Nothing. Yes most any other holiday or day commemorating seemingly anything and Google makes reference to it.......Sad my friends.
But we can fix that today, we ALL can display our flags outside on our porches, on the sides of our houses, or anywhere else we can honor our flag and what it represents. People say its just colored material with a bunch of stars on it. Tell that to the 18 year old experiencing combat for the first time. Tell that to the World War II Veteran that still feels the pains of War. Tell that to the Vietnam Veteran that fought the good fight even when they knew the folks back home were not on their side. Tell that to the countless hero's that laid their life down over our 236 year history....its only a flag. NOT!
It represents honor, courage, victory against all odds, deep rooted values in respect, kindness, love of our fellow man, women, and child. It is folded with the utmost care and compassion and handed to a fall-in soldiers family at their funeral. It is lifted high in the air to honor the accomplishments of our Olympic winners. It is flown over all our government building and embassies around the world to provide hope and encouragement to those that strive to come to America.
No, don't tell me its just colored material and some stars. To me its America. Red for the blood shed to keep our liberties and freedoms in tact, white for the peace and love this country was built upon, Blue for the blue skies that adorn this great county from Sea to shinning Sea and lest not forget the 50 White Stars representing the states. Those 50 separate States, with their own governing bodies living together for a common cause, for better or worse, one for all and all for one when our great nation is in pearl.
Go raise that flag, if you don't have one go buy one. Without honor to the flag what are we really?
Quote of the day from Henry Cuyler Bunner:
"Off with your hat, as the flag goes by!
And let the heart have its say;
you're man enough for a tear in your eye
that you will not wipe away."
Happy Flag day, Happy to those that love this great country of ours enough to wave the flag today, Happy to those that still get chocked up when the flag goes by, Happy Flag Day!
Song of the day...enjoy! Aaron Tippin - Where The Stars And Stripes And Eagles Fly - YouTube
P.S. All adults this is for you. Get the cobwebs out of your memories and recite the Pledge of Allegiance with your children and / or grandchildren. Our future depends on it.Posted 06-14-2012 at 05:23 AM by dansdrive
Updated 06-14-2012 at 06:04 AM by dansdrive -
Friday June 15, 2012 and its 63.3 degrees outside heading on up to 81 degrees. One word forecast for the day 'Clear'. Nice and just imagine a day in ones life categorized by one word. 'Clear' would not be the one that came to mind would it. 'Hectic', 'Crazy', 'Unpredictable', 'Why?'. And one could easy add 'Me' to the end of each of those words. But that would say that the world is all about 'US' and there is nothing further from the true than that. The quicker we realize the world is not all about us the better we will be. Than all the one words would be more like, 'Calm', 'Peaceful', 'Orderly', 'Thankful'. In reality our days fall in between these two extremes. The amplitude of those two extremes is really up to us.............
So here we are mid June already. Where is June going? Good gracious I know a day is 24 hours, learned that at a young age. But at a young age 24 hours was more like a month. A month was more like a year and a year was forever! And I remember my parents and Aunts and Uncles talking about how time is flying by and I never understood that until I reached their age at the time they said it. Time is flying by!! 24 hours today seems like 24 minutes. When we are young there is so much time and so little to do seemingly. As we age we quickly find out there is so little time and so very much to do. When does that flip? It flips sometimes after we graduate from school, it flips after we start our career, it flips after we marry, it accelerates after the birth of our first child.
From that point on we are always anticipating the future. Our child's first steps, words, preschool, kindergarten, middle school, high school, college....oh my!
Slow down!!! So on this Mid June day it is time to step back or out and just take it all in. If but for a few seconds or minutes just relax and enjoy and get ready for the weekend!!!!!
Quote of the day by James Carroll:
"We spend most of our time and energy in a kind of horizontal thinking. We move along the surface of things [but] there are times when we stop. We sit still. We lose ourselves in a pile of leaves or its memory. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper."
Happy Friday and can you hear it?? I suppose not as you are not sitting and listening. Try it!Posted 06-15-2012 at 06:48 AM by dansdrive
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Monday June 18, 2012 and its 63.9 degrees outside heading on up to 83 degrees with a chance of thunder showers. But that is A-Okay after this past weekend weather. It was about perfect weather wise and many other ways. Got some things done around the house and even got to work on the vehicle for awhile.
One of the items around the house was our one garden hose re-tractor. It was the one on the garage side of the house. When we left for church Sunday morning the re-tractor was laying on the ground! Gee-gads! The plastic mounts that held it to the house had finally gave way sometime during the night. Now to give some perspective on the age of this re-tractor, it has the name on it from Ames Department Store. Those of us that are of a certain age can remembers Ames which was a casualty of the Big Box Mart coming to the towns near you. But that is another story and I 'detracted'....pun intended.
After church I went out to survey the damages. The screws holding the hose re-tractor up was still in tact and did not pull from the house. All that happened is the plastic mounts broke off. Ka-put! Shot! Done! Detached! So I had two choices. One buy a new one. Don't like that option. To cheap! Two, fix this broken one. That's my option! I get to design, create, and install the fix and I save money. Cha-ching!
So I looked over the design and what had broken and decided to replace the upper plastic cross member with wooden piece which allowed me to screw on a solid piece of wood that would bolt to the house. Well after some measuring, sawing, scratching of ones head, screwing and no gluing it was done and installed. Nice! It was now better than new and I even got the 'Good Wife's' seal of approval!
But that was Sunday's success, Saturday was a day of success and failures of sorts. I decide it was time to change the spark plugs on my old SUV. And anyone that a has changed their plugs on this particular type of SUV knows that it is not a easy task. They also get to practice their swearing vocabulary in the comforts of their garage and driveways. But really they were not to bad this time. Their is one spark plug on the drivers side that the manual says in order to replace you need to disassemble the steering column shaft. Well I found a way not to do that. I got the old on out and the new one in without touching the steering wheel column. Now the vehicle if running purrrrr-fectly! The failure I still have no air conditioning in that old vehicle. The clutch in the compressor is not getting power. Still a work in progress and with the 95+ temperature degrees coming it will be a Hot Hot Hot week of driving home from work.
Got to watch some of the U.S. Open. I have never golfed on a golf coarse. My golfing expertise lies in the miniature arena. But I occasionally like to watch the Pro's do it but more than that, I enjoy watching the human emotions or the Pro's both doing well and not so well. I had heard Tiger was back so I wanted to see that and for two and a half rounds he was back! But the last one and half rounds he was not. So I guess that puts him almost back.
The weekend ended as it began in front of the bonfire. Burning up some old wood from the pile and some new limbs and branches that came down during the last storms. It was a calm night, the smoke went straight up between the overhung tree branches. It raised up into the nights air along with the words of our conversations. What a wonderful way to close out Father's day.
Quote of the day from Jim Valvano:
"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."
Happy Monday and belated Father's Day.
Song of the day: Lord, I Need You - Chris Tomlin - with Lyrics - YouTubePosted 06-18-2012 at 05:58 AM by dansdrive
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Tuesday June 19, 2012 and its 67.7 degrees outside heading on up to 90 degrees. The heat is on! I heard that somewhere before. Chance of thunderstorms today. There was a chance yesterday too but did not see any in our neck of the woods, in fact it was a very pleasant evening sitting outside. Other than the occasional mosquito bite it was a super nice evening.
It was relaxing just watching nature. Through an opening in the tree cover above us we seen a hummingbird hovering in the opening like a helicopter hovering over an area. It darted left and right, it just stood there until a small bat decided that the area was his too. Once the bat came out the hummingbird seemed to know it was time to move on. It was gone in a flash. The bat worked that open area like fisherman works his nets. Weaving in and out of the tree limbs and open area. There were a few squirrels that were foraging near by rustling up the leaves as they hoped along the ground. Making enough noise as to catch the ire of our lab, who watched them intently as she laid down by us. Eventually she got bored with watching them and went back to sleep! Above all this action on the ground was a passing hawk or two. Majestically catching the air currents and just gliding through the air with an ever watchful eye on the ground below. We also had a variety of other birds that frequent the back yard. From the yellow finches to the blue bird to the red cardinals and black birds. What a wonderful peaceful evening it was. The stress and hustle of the day just melted away.........nice!
Quote of the day from Mahatma Gandhi:
"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people."
Happy Tuesday and where do you think our nations heart and soul is? Remember every nations is a reflection of the collection of its peoples......Are we all doing enough to right this great country of ours?Posted 06-19-2012 at 06:33 AM by dansdrive
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Wednesday June 20, 2012 and its officially summer so currently its 74.5 heading on up to 94 degrees today. Oh boy! Its a great Wednesday too! Not because I know something about what today will bring, not because it is the first day of summer. Nope. It is because the sun is up and it is a new day. From sun up to sun down we get to fill in the blank sheet of this new day. The opportunity is there to help a fellow person out today with something as simple as a 'hello' or as complicated as telling them how to get from here all the way over to there. Eureka! Its a day to drop a coin or two in a needy persons cup. Its a day to talk to your child or grandchild about life. Its a day to look into eyes of the one you love and know that you are together for a purpose. Your walk in life was not by chance but by destiny. It was not to merely experience life but to live it. It is a day to gain an understanding of your faith and by genuflecting to give thanks and praise to the one above for this day. Its a day to take a deep breath and as they say smell the roses. They are in full bloom unless you have not taken the time to see and smell them.
Oh, the first day of summer. Can you feel it? Can you sense it? Can you welcome it? Can you say THANKS for it?
Quote of the from Ecclesiastes 11:9
"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment"
Happy Wednesday, Happy summers day, and Happiness to your heart today!Posted 06-20-2012 at 06:44 AM by dansdrive
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Thursday June 21, 2012 and its a warm71 sunny degrees outside heading up to a sweltering 99 degrees. As the saying goes, 'When it hot, its hot!' Its going to be hot after all it is summer. The sun was was just beautiful this morning, bright yellow with some hazy in front of it. Really cool.
Speaking of cool or lack there of. I remember these first days of summer vacation. Mom always had some projects around the yard to be done before we headed out to play. They typically were weed the garden, clean the shed, and once a year we would have to white wash the stones that circled the flower beds. Nothing like a fresh coat of white wash! Mom always had a statue of the Blessed Mother in the yard and once a year she got a fresh coat of paint. Royal Blue was her vestments. We would mix up the color for her face and hands. Ah yes, than we knew it was summer.
One thing we never worried about as kids was sun burn. We would literally spend hours upon hours in the sun and never put on sun tan lotion. The only time we would put on lotion is if we went to the Jersey Shore on vacation. And that was maybe once a year. Of coarse on days like today where the temperature would reach near the century mark and they were far and in-between in the Northeast we would find a shady shop to shoot the bull.
Sometimes it was up on the corner we use to hang out, sometimes it was at the park where we took a break from baseball, sometimes it was up in the old abandoned park by us, where we could sit below a tree or up in it and talk about such things as baseball, what we were going to do on summer vacation, as we got older the topic switched more to girls, and sometimes it was just comparing notes on our home life. Some say they your childhood days are the carefree days of life and to some extent I believe that. But they were also the days that had a lot to do with that our life would become. We learned so much on those lazy, hazy, hot summers days.........so very much!
Quote of the day from James Dent:
"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. "
Happy Thursday, Happy Summer day, Happy are the free in spirit, Happy to be Happy.....enjoy the below song and feet tapping, head bobbing, and hips groovin is encouraged!
Song of the day: CHIC - GOOD TIMES (LIVE) - 1996 - YouTubePosted 06-21-2012 at 05:05 AM by dansdrive
Updated 06-21-2012 at 05:13 AM by dansdrive -
Friday June 22, 2012 and its 73.3 heading on up to 93 degrees. The sun is brightly shining through the window for the start of this weekend. Sweet! Yes another week has slipped by and for some of us quietly and without notice. For others it was with anxiety and depredation as life pitched you a many a curve and knuckle balls.
But today the weekend is upon us. A perfect weekend to get that job done around the house that you have been putting off. A perfect weekend to to see, call, or help a family member that you have been putting off. A perfect weekend to do something you have never done before. A perfect weekend to have that conversation with your teen about the important life issues. Like respect, charity, and love. Those three things are best taught by you the parent. Not the schools, not the YMCA, not the after school programs. Those life lessons would of gone a long, long way in avoiding the situation we all now seen play out on that Rochester New York school bus. Use that as a learning tool to show your kids and grand kids how not to act in public and how not to talk to a elder person, heck how not to talk to anyone including their friends and peers.
Sad....
Quote of the day from Steve Maroboli:
“How would your life be different if…You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter? Let today be the day…You look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.”
Happy Friday, Happy are the respected, Happy are the respectful, Happy to be peaceful!Posted 06-22-2012 at 06:14 AM by dansdrive
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Monday June 25, 2012 and our 73.7 will be traded for 93 degrees as the day goes sailing by. Which is exactly what a Dodge Charger did this morning as it passed on by me. If its speedometer was not at triple digits it was certainly approaching it. Like Grant took Richmond. Like the Roadrunner passing the Coyote. One that has to travel that fast that early is in for a roaring day indeed.
Well, like I was to the Charger that passed me by, so has the weekend. Gone on by. Zoom! Weather was hot and beautiful. Worked in the garden. Been harvesting cucumbers and Swiss chard. Have a lot of tomatoes and maybe some will be red by 4th of July. Up north it was always cool to have red tomatoes by the 4th of July. Down here in the south that is just a ho-hum! I did get to transplant the corn into the ground from the pots I had started them from. I had to do that as every time I would plant the corn seeds in the ground the squirrels would dig them up and eat them. This is the first year I ever had that problem. Squirrel y....nuts...acorn y even!
Yesterday as we sat outside and talked we decided to stain the front part of the fence that boarders some of our yard. Now the total fence boarders over an acre of our property and yours truly is not going to stain that amount of fence. So the front that faces the street got stained. Fortunately for us stainer s the fence has a lot of tree cover so the sun only beat down on us in spots. Thank goodness! Used a broom to sweep off the fence from loose limbs and mostly spider webs. I can't tell you how many different species of spiders called that fence home. Both big and small and mostly ugly!! Yowsers!
Well they got their pad painted and I am sure they are all back on the fence today! Still have the second coat to apply and to do the inside of the fence toward the yard. The five gallon can should be just enough to complete the front of the fence.
I was very fortunate yesterday as I was clearing the smaller trees that had spouted along the fence line along with removing the years of leaves that had built up along the fence to somehow not get attacked by the bees in a nest I disturbed. In fact I did not even know I did it until my better half said look at all those bees. Buzzing insects! Buzzing I tell you!!! My goodness how the heck was I able to cut the trees over that in-ground nest and not even see any bees. We left that part of the fence unpainted as one of our painting party was stung. Ouch!
By the way the fence came out great. Anyone interested in what stain we used just ask. We will see how it holds up but we were very pleased with the initial results. There was a 'buzz' about the stain job....sorry I just had to get that in!!!
All and all a wonderful weekend indeed. The first full weekend of summer. Nice!
Quote of the day from Thomas Watson:
" Hope is like the cork to the net, which keeps the soul from sinking in despair; and fear, like the lead to the net, which keeps it from floating in presumption."
Happy Monday and fear not for you are loved by the one above who's love is eternal.
Song of the day, enjoy: Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky (Lyrics) - YouTubePosted 06-25-2012 at 06:07 AM by dansdrive
