Be You

There is a moment in your life when you realize that you got this...I am almost 60 years old and I have discovered that even the most confident people on the face of the earth deal with lack of self confidence.
This week Darrin and I have been working on laying down the plans for two car shows to be held  this year.  I have seen the reports from Darrin on how he has accomplished this and that. He has always been my rock and my better half.   Darrin happen to make a phone call to a possible venue for an event.  He sounded lost as he tried to ask questions and I thought to myself that it sounded like me on the phone.

In just that moment I realized something I wish I had know when I was in my early 20's.  What would have been different in my life.  Then I think why would I think that changing the past would matter.  How will I use this to change my future?  What will I go for that I have been uneasy about because I want to stay in my comfort zone.
I have the opportunity to make the choices that direct my life everyday.  I am the only one that is holding me back.
Jesus said that with Him all things are possible.  He didn't day you will have 100 percent confidence so all things are possible.  Trust Him and you got this.

New Years Traditions

This year New Years was eventful.  It followed a very fun Christmas so expectations were very low.  No going out with friends to ring in the new year. No big dinner with family.  We were both good with that.
My plans for the day included putting the rest of the Christmas decorations away and doing some house work.
The Rose Bowl Parade and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are two of my favorite parades to watch on TV and are both on my bucket list to attend in person.  I turned the TV on early to watch as I waited for the parade to start.
My attention was drawn to a talk show as I took ornaments off the tree and placed them in the boxes.  It was not long that the talk show had grabbed my total attention.  The group of four young men and women began to talk about superstitions.
The first one they talked about is the foods you must eat to bring good fortune for the upcoming year.  Things like black eyed peas and cabbage.  All this talk made me think of my trip to Japan at the New Year many years ago.  Families made long hikes to temples to buy their fortune for the year and pay their respect to their gods.
The show attracted my attention again as a young man explained that his mother would call him every New Year morning to make sure he was not washing clothes.  Every year he would explain to his mother he was not washing clothes.  After several years he decided to ask his mother why she would do this.  Her response was that if you washed clothed on New Years Day that you would wash a family member out of you life.
I immediatelyTV thought to myself.  "Oh No!,  I am on my second load of laundry"

All in a Rainbow

Almost everyday for the last week I have seen a rainbow on my way to work.  The rainbow comes after the storm before the storm is to far off in the distance.  This is how my life seems to be these days.  A storm, big or little doesn't matter, comes through and all I can see the the upset, the havoc.
The most recent storm is with my job.  I have had many jobs through out my life that have been dream jobs, this one included.  The job started off as a struggle.  I had to figure out what it was and how I was going to accomplish the tasks I was charged with.  I quickly figured out who would help me with that and made friends with those people. I had obstacles that made my job hard and some personalities that I needed to learn after all they were the family and owner of the company I worked for.
It took about a year to get to the point where my boss didn't make me cry but his wife took up the torch for him.  I quickly learned to let her say her hurtful things and ignore what she said.  But after years of being treated poorly by the family I had enough.  No more.  You can have my towel.  Uncle!
Job searching in Mobile is a joke.  You have to know someone to get a job.
Anyway that storm is over and the promise of a new beginning a new hope is on the horizon.  With only

What did you see on your walk?

I was up early for a Sunday.  The sun had risen and the morning fog was moist in the air.  Late August in the south can be so humid you can't hardly be outside but today the coolness was as welcome as Christmas.  I walked without the fast tempo that I normally walk on weekday mornings.  Today was not about the exercise.  Today was about the venture.



 I wanted to see what I could see on my walk and take note of it.  To often we get in such a big hurry we fail to take note of  all the beauty that surrounds us. Late summer produces so many flowers and so many animals that are on the move.






I live on Dog River and every morning the views are so fantastic.  Mostly enjoyed before the sun arrives.

Several animals greeted me on my walk.  A turtle that had just crossed the road, a crab headed back into the swamp
a crab that was just as curious about me as I was about him.

I felt like I needed to take the time to smell the roses again because the news of Scott'c cancer returning just shakes you to the core.  His reprieve from the cancer was so short lived. Cancer and it's treatments are to hard on the body.  The miricle drug could have worked for 6 months of 6 years. The Dr's not knowing that answer.  We found out the answer this week.

Praying for the family and for Scott is all we can do now, so the Sunday morning walk was very important.

Plight of a new phone

When you are fed up you knee jerk to something new.  Phone providers are not doing what they should.  15 years means nothing to them. That doesn't  feel good.  New phones and new tablet along with new internet.  It is a real struggle. Not fun at first....but it will get to be just fine.  Just want to go back to the simplicity of years gone by.  My aunt talks of the time 75 years ago when their phone number was two shorts and a long and shortly after the Shrout phone number was 6327.  Oh when life was simple.talkking across the country was for the few and cost you some serious money.  I guess I should be so happy that I can snap, Instagram and Facebook from my kitchen on a device that fits in the palm of my hand.

Historic Moments

There have been so many Historic Moments in my life.  Today was another one. President Trump's summit with Kim jo Moon. North Korea in talks with the United States America. Wow... 
I was called from my teen fun to sit with my parents to watch TV as President Nixon stepped down from office over the Watergate Scandle.  This was a big deal to America but to us in Massachusetts it was a told you so moment.  We were the only state that voted for McGovern. 
I remember sitting on edge as Apollo 13 was at risk with all the problem that rounded the explosion during a routine propultion blast to keep the space craft on track.

Celebrating the end and an era

Darrin and I made the trip to Nashville to celebrate his mother's birthday.  The celebration was going to be held at their home.  We gather up Barrett and took him along. Barrett is 5 1/2 now and is all about cars and hot rods. He really travels well.  On the way Barrett announces that he needs to go to the bathroom.  We were thankful that we were coming up on a rest stop.
We all headed into the building then took a bit of time to stretch our legs.  We loaded back into the truck and started back to get on the interstate.  All the sudden we here Barrett proclaim. " PaPa we we're not allowed to stop here to go pee.  The sign says no Pee.  We laughed.

 We arrived in Nashville as expected and quickly learned that Barrett just wanted to be in the pool. It was a constant eye that had to be kept on him.  We helped as much as we could with the preparation for the party.

As the day arrived many of the out of town guest arrived and many of them were family. 

Some things we did not expect and some were just as always had been.  Randy, Cheryl, Cory and Sherry Berry had a new twist that just seamed to fit in.  

The lunch provided by Fred and Camille's friend Danny was amazing including the meatballs.  Then dinner came during the party and  it just was above anything that I could have imagined.  

Even though it was very hot the entire event was not to be missed.  

7 hours to arrive and 7 hours home with a little 5 year old boy was so worth every thing.