Believe/Achieve

Coca Cola The real Thing

2011-04-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Bernarda and I set out this morning to have some currency exchanged and pick up a few more things from the grocery at San Diego plaza. We made the very enjoyable 24 floor ride down the elevator, walked over to the parking garage. Then op three levels to the street entrance. Walked out the security gate and flagged down a taxi. 6000 Peso to take us to the mall, approximately four dollars. We walked through the grocery store looking for applesauce, for my breakfast muffins --all we could find were large size baby food jars of
Compota de manzana---applesauce.We picked up the applesauce and headed up the stairs to the upper level where we found a Western Union, they exchange currency. After accomplishing that feat,window shopping was in order, so we walked through the mall . One Hermosa bathing suit for Hermosa Bernarda,later and we were in a cab again for the ride back up the mountain to the condo. I put my recent pictures on my face book,then suddenly realized it was lunch time and we were famished. We debated going back out then Bernarda pulled some tilapia out of the refrigerator and said aquí - usted cocina---Here -You cook. Lol We fired up the rice cooker, I cut up some unions, pimento red peppers, and a little garlic and with some olive oil in the skillet, we ended up with a pretty good lunch.
While I’m on a roll, let me tell you about Coca Cola. My friend Armondo who had a Mexican restaurant in St Joseph Missouri told me once that the Coke in Mexico was by far superior to the Coke we buy. He made a point to offer Mexican sixteen ounce glass bottles of Coke in his restaurant for his patrons. While we were at the grocery here we picked up a couple of 2.5 liter bottles of Coke(you get a free glass that way) and the Coke is so much Cokier lol I just invented a word, than what we have in the US. It tastes like the coke you used to get out of the machines when they had the small glass bottles.
It was rather funny, as last night while we were watching television, the small motorcycles, they have here by the thousands were screaming up the winding mountain below us. Since the weather here is spring like year round we of course had the windows open to the sixty five degree evening air. The sound of the motorcycles coming up the winding road prompted me to ask Bernarda if there was a motorcycle motor cross track below us because that is exactly what it sounded like. The noise died down as the evening started to thin the traffic of all kind down to almost non existent.

Just a little Colombian side trip

2011-04-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Bernarda had called the night before to make the accommodations and arrangements. I had checked the long range weather forecast and it called for rain all week in Medellin. We were going to a place called ECO PARQUE EL GAITERO ,in Santa Fe de Antioquia. About fifty miles from downtown Medellin. In my visits to Colombia this was going to be my first opportunity to get out of town, and see some countryside.
We took a taxi from the condo to the metro Poblado terminal, there we met the bus that would take us to the park. The bus was the large van type that was very similar to the bus we rode in at the Methodist mission in Costa Rica. Ten passengers plus the driver, who looked to be in his early twentys,pulled out and started our journey , it was sprinkling rain. We wound out of the city and at last we were driving through the mountainous countryside.Approxamately twenty miles out we came to a tunnel. I have been through many tunnels in the US but never one three and a half miles long. They could hold a 5k race in the tunnel and the runners would never see the light of day. We stopped at a small restaurant fuel stop in the town of Saint Jeronimo called the Bomba Texaco. We had some hot chocolate and some very tasty made on site rolls Called almojabana pandequesos
.Everyone loaded back up in the bus ,It was still sprinkling off and on, we resumed our journey. Roughly twenty more miles and we turned of the paved road onto a gravel narrow road that would take us around and down the mountain to our destination. Some beautiful sites but with the rain on the windows of the bus it did not make for good picture taking. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot the rain stopped and the sun came out ;beautiful. We headed for the restaurant and had a cup of coffee, then walked down to the lake and picked up a couple cane poles and some bait .We walked to a spot that looked good and tried our luck. These poles had a couple pegs that the line wound around and If you were an expert like Bernarda you could make that cane pole act very similar to a fly rod and cast with it.Bernarda said just one moment, and walked back to the pavilion coming back with a bucket for the fish we were going to catch---optimist. We fished for awhile watching others reel in fish after fish but for us it was looking like we were only to be fish feeders and not fish catchers. After awhile we picked up our gear and headed to one of the other lakes as this one had become extremely crowded. We walked back the growing lake where the smaller ones were protected and no fishing was allowed, A worker was manually removing algae that was floating on the lake as we walked by. Approaching the next lake we saw an area that looked like it would suit us fine .No other people close and a nice shade tree. We soon found out why no-one else has captured our spot as the journey traversing around to it, was very slippery and treacherous. We soon claimed our spot and began fishing .I had my bait stolen a couple of times and then I had one, It looked like what we call a brim. Soon Bernarda had a fish on her line and It was a small mouth bass. I caught another ,then Bernarda caught a really nice Talapia.We fished for a while longer but it had warmed up and I think the fish that we were fishing for all went to the bottom in the middle of the lake. We were visited by five long eared Brahma crossed cows that were curious to see what we were doing but as I talked to them and approached they scattered and wanted no part in us. We took our fish to the fishing pavilion and they gutted them and weighed them and we paid 9100 pesos for our fish.(about $4.00)
It was time for lunch so we headed to the restaurant and had some very good chicken and rice with salad and beans. With a citrus mango drink. After we ate Bernarda checked on a guided horseback tour of part of the park and we had a half hour to kill so we walked and watched people, always an entertaining thing to do.
It was time for our horse back tour so we walked on over to the stables. I was reminded of my cousin Allen who lived on my home farm (where I was raised).Allen had several Arabian horses all beautiful and some more spirited than others. The first time Allen talked me into riding ,he had a young gelding named Riaad An Arabic name not sure of the spelling. Allen Saddled him up and then told me that he would ride him across the dike and back to get him calmed down a bit then I could ride him. As soon as Allen cleared the saddle Riaad took off like he was chasing the wind. They galloped to the other side of the dike ,Allen turned him and they blistered back across the dike, and up the hill skidding to a stop as Allen jumped off and said ok Your turn. Allen and I grew up together and he knew that I was one half fool hardy and the other half crazy, So of course he knew that I would hop right on. With Riaads eyes doing a little dance going around in circles, I hoisted my leg almost halfway over the saddle when he took off at a full gallop. My legs never did get in the stirrups so I just wrapped them around his neck and held on. We soon were at the other end of the dike, Riaad whirled around and without missing hardly a beat we were once again at a full gallop across the dike, up the hill ,past Allen, as I was pulling back on the reins yelling whoa---whoa across the yard ,across the driveway and under the clothes; line. Needless to say we both did not fit .
With those thoughts in my head we walked to the stables. The wrangler brought a horse around for Bernarda and held the horse while Bernarda effortlessly sprang into the saddle. He then brought My horse around and I eyed it suspiciously. He held it I threw my leg over the saddle no problem, We eased out of the stables and started down the trail It was plain that my horse liked to be in the lead so I just gave it rein and let it pick its own way through the rocks and down the trail . I came to the conclusion that the horse knew where to go so I let it. As it turned out we had a wonderful ride ,lots of fun and many pictures. We got back to the stables and Bernarda got off her horse and jokingly said ouch
Ouch lol.
We walked from the stables to the main area and headed for the changing rooms to put on swimming suits. After a nice leisurely time in the pool it was time for us to get our things together and load up in the bus.
I did get some pictures coming back out as we climbed and rewound around the mountain but the road was so rough it was tough to get clear ones. When we got to the main road A Young guy came up to the bus, obviously knowing the driver, he asked for the driver to pick up two ladies in Saint Jeronimo and the driver said ok. We headed back and when we arrived in Saint Jeronimo. We pulled off the side of the road and called. He then received directions and we drove through the little town passing many people carrying small crosses. We drove through town stopped and asked directions once ---turned around --sat outside a house and honked the horn. We started back into town ,the phone rang and the driver turned the bus around again drove back to where we had turned around--and there were the ladies now waiting alongside the road. We picked them up the started back into town but only got to the edge when all traffic was stopped. The priest carrying a long staff, with all his parishioners and a small band were parading through the main street of town from the Church to ?. It began sprinkling rain as we crept along behind the precession , they turned and once again we were on our way. A short stop at the Bomba Texaco and the rain started falling heavily. It was dark now and the rain and darkness made visibility poor. We came around a corner and just in time the driver hit the brakes and we then moved slowly through mud and rocks from a mudslide. We traveled along where once the water was actually running across the road ,and a couple places where rocks the size of a large grapefruit were strewn across the highway. Once we arrived at the tunnel and went thru the weather improved and the rain slowed. We arrived in the outskirts of Medellin when a large bus the size of a Greyhound bus pulled into the road in front of us and forced us to stop. I had been extremely proud of our driver up to this point.
Our driver decided that he would make known to the driver of the large bus his displeasure so at the first opportunity he sped in front of the bus and then hit his brakes. Apparently the driver of the large bus not to be outdone then when we were beside started moving over until our driver had to hit his brakes to avoid hitting the bus or the inside curb. We were now on a four lane road ,Our driver sped around the bus --got in front and then at the next light waited until it turned green and just sat there. We then drove on the large bus turned off and the excitement was over. Like something out of an action movie--ha--only in Colombia. We were dropped of at metro terminal then took the metro to Poblado terminal, caught a cab to the apartment, Put the fish in the freezer, turned on the TV, and Chilled.

An Imagination is a terrible thing to waste

2010-08-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up on the farm, I had two sisters .Linda and Luan.Since Sisters did not always see the true greatness in their brothers Ideas most of the time, I was left to my own amusement quite a bit.
We had a large dairy barn, built by my Uncle Estile Baker and his brother who together owned Baker lumber company. In this barn I found adventure mystery and constant strife as I fought off Indian attacks in the hay mow, while hiding from roving bands of outlaws, As it seems they were always just on the other side of the wall, Looking for a hideout after their latest bank job.
The hay in the haymow, when strategically stacked and moved around formed tunnels that I hid in as I fought the Nazis on my hit and run missions with the Farm country underground.
Off to the west of the barn just past the open field of Brome grass lay a small wooded area, just crammed full of Rabbits squirrels, and Sioux who would chaise me as I ran down the cow paths to safety. If you went out of the woods to the double ponds, there was a culvert that ran clear under the dyke, under the gravel road to a ravine, this culvert was my escape tunnel, from the concentration camp as long as I kept quiet and made sure I was unseen. Luck have it there happened to be a mulberry tree right there along the escape route to provide sustenance for someone like myself who had been let to starve in the camp. The ravine led to other woods which if you followed the cattle trails down, and down and down you ended up at Jenkins creek, And you know there were river pirates, that came right off the Mississippi up bear creak to Jenkins creek, and that is where they hid the treasure. In addition, along the waters edge some of the rocks and gravel looked suspiciously like gold and silver, probably what was left of the Army Payroll taken by the James gang, and then given to the local people to help them through the hard times after the war?
Along the creek was a rock wall that in the winter would form huge Icesicles some 30 ft tall, My Dad would caution us to not get too close as if one broke off it would crush you. However ---If you looked real close you could see hidden passageways behind the ice that led to countless hidden rooms and hideouts for all the notorious gangsters that were coming down from Chicago.
We had one Farm actually between the river and the levee; we called the river farm, on the river farm an old cabin stood, undoubtedly one of the hideouts for Jesse and Frank James. When the corn was high in the summer, no one would ever find them. Bear creek made a horseshoe right there at the cabin, and along the banks was a cherry tree, knowing how The James family loved Cherry pie, it only made sense they would hide out here.
Fifty years pass, The Barn was sold to a company in Louisiana that dismantled it, moved it down close to the red river and re constructed it using it as an upscale antique store. The Cabin was burned down years ago, they never really found out who set it on fire, Speculation was vagrants building a campfire on the wood floor and just burning the whole place to the ground. But in the back of my mind---Someone was covering up, and did away with the evidence LOL

Tracy’s 120MPH Beauty Scar

2010-08-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

My mother and father in law enjoyed coming out to our farm with friends and camping around our man made two and a half acre lake. Karen and her Mom had made supper, Fresh green beans cooked over the campfire in a big ole pot held over the fire by a tri pod This particular summer evening as we all lazed around after supper, The girls were all playing down at the campsite and Their uncle Rickie was hitting stone with an old axe handle into the lake. The Dogs Buffy and Sissy were both watching and trying to run and fetch the rocks only to stop at the edge of the lake as they were batted in. I was up at the house carrying something or other down the hill to the campsite, When I saw the turn of events unfold as though in slow motion.
I saw Uncle Rickie throw a rock into the air,---at the same time Tracy, my three year old ran up to him from behind. I yelled out but it was too late as the axe handle swung with terrific force into my little girls face. I ran down the hill and swooped Tracy into my arms, and ran with her up to the house. She was bleeding badly, and Karen applied pressure with some clean towels, It was determined that we would make an emergency run to the Hospital. My Dad had just bought a new Buick 225, and instead of trading his old 225 in, he had given it to us. I helped Karen who was holding Tracy in her lap, into the back seat ,and I fired the Buick up and backed around ,and headed down the driveway throwing gravel all the way out to the main road. The hospital was approximately Thirty miles away and we made it in fifteen minutes. I had always been notorious as a teenager for my fast cars and fast driving, what I can say is that night, all the fast driving experience paid off. When we pulled into the hospital they were waiting as my Mother in Law had called ahead, so they met us with stretchers just like on Mash. Of coarse, I would not leave Karen or my little girl’s side, and It tore my heart apart when the doctor was stitching her face up and she kept crying out for her Daddy.
Her Mom passed away when she was eight; it was a real journey as all three girls grew up to be fine young women. Therefore, even though it has been very difficult at times, I have always tried to be there for her and her sisters during the roughest times.
Today Tracy is the Mom of Three Boys who definitely had their share of cuts, bruises and broken bones. I am still involved somewhat in each of the three girls lives, Sometimes not as much as I would have hoped, and sometimes a little too close for comfort ,As life goes on. Ironically Tracy now works for an orthopedic surgeon, scheduling surgeries for her boss. I hope that so Dads do not have to make 120+ MPH runs to the emergency room.

To Not Forgive

2009-09-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

To Not Forgive“Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” (Anne Lamott) This little quote from our pastor, Wes Olds, at Grace Church in Cape Coral Florida, would make a huge impact on my life.I had been the unwilling partner in a divorce, (after nineteen years of marriage), that was all of six months old. By listening to my little voice inside, probably put there in part, by my parents, and completed by my Baptist upbringing, I knew that I needed some spiritual guidance. I also needed to surround myself with people, other than the "good time Charlies", and the party girls you see out there at the dance halls and bars on Sat nights. The old Tammy Wynette perfect woman vision of, "Stand By Your Man", and Charlie Pride's, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning and Love Her Like the Devil When You Get Back Home”, was all the roadmap I needed to show me exactly what I wanted and needed.....music is poetry you know.I had been using a dating site called Tagged, after exhausting Myspace and the local Meetup groups....searching for that potential “Angel” that would qualify for me to even want to "kiss them in the morning", much less the rest of the song.I had pretty much refined my search to the exact size, shape, and proximity, as well as the age of this “Angel”.......little did I know all this careful, scientific, "exacta mongo" planning, was a total waste of time!Out of no-where, it seems, I get a message from a girl in, of all places.....Arkansas! I had placed the quote I had heard Pastor Wes say, “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die”, as the theme for my profile on Tagged. Who would have thought--(or thunk it, as they say in Arkansas lingo), that a very lonely, pretty, intelligent, and sweet girl born, in Texas and living in Van Buren Arkansas, would read it and think that I "must be", a kind, compassionate, caring, and sensitive person.....just because of that quote on my Tagged profile!Welllllll I’m not saying I am, or was, or even ever wanted to be any, or all of those things, but....it sure did make for an interesting concept!As I looked at her profile to determine if I wanted to respond to her "Blaintly Foreward" behavior (like responding back to me).....several issues immediately came to my attention and ringing the "gong bell"....*Number one---- the proximity to Southwest Florida...not in the model I had in mind.*Number two-----she was within two months of the same age as me, again, not in the model.*Number three-----her hair was short and spiky.....WHOA, definitely NOT in the model!However, as I talked to her on the phone, I knew I could listen to "that voice" forever.The more we talked, the more we found more and more parallels that we shared. One funny thing.....we both are pretty conservative and when we were talking one day, I said, "Well it sure looks like in religion and politics we are parallel", she misunderstood and said in a shocked voice, “so does that mean you are really voting for Obama then?” I had to explain to her that "parallel" means agreeing....going the same direction....maybe that is when I fell in love with her?!It seems pretty fitting that the preacher who quoted the phrase that brought us together, Pastor Wes, was the one who married us. We have been through a lot of "ups and downs" with the transition of our marraige and making a new life together....the packing and moving....then the unpacking and setting up house.....families.....grandkids.....the process of learning and adjusting to each other's ways.....but it's all been worth it. And now I have a new quote......one which I heard in Costa Rica while I was on a mission trip....a "Tico Pastor" (a Costa Rican), at a little Methodist church, quoted Martin Luther.....he said,"I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess. The older I get, the more I am finding these words to be so very true.

The Dentist Office

2009-05-26T17:27:00.001-07:00

When I was fourteen years old I volunteered to ride along with my Mom one evening, to go to the High school and pick up my older sister from GAA volleyball practice. At first this really doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with the dentist, but hang on the story really takes a turn.
We picked up my sister and one of her friends who lived in Ursa, Illinois. It was drizzling rain, and the windshield wipers of our 1961 Olds eighty eight, seemed to be tapping out a beat, and the radio was on WLS, A.M. in Chicago.....we were not aware of the life changing events that were just about to take place.
On our way home we watched the oncoming headlights approaching in the drizzling rain. In an instantaneous moment we saw the approaching headlights suddenly go from straight ahead, to shooting straight up in the air, almost as if the vehicle was doing a wheelie. Then suddenly a car shot out from behind the seemingly “star seeking” headlights, and came directly into our path.
There was a tremendous crash….I heard my Mom cry out in pain….I was hurled forward into the dashboard and then the windshield.....silence.....then groans…..I struggled to adjust and tried to focus on where I was and what had just happened......we had been involved in a terrible four car accident!
I checked on Mom to see if she was alright.......her leg was badly hurt.....my sisters were okay. I struggled to crawl out the window so I could flag down an oncoming car. I then ran back behind our car where I saw a pickup truck......the one who's headlights had shot up into the air just before our crash. To my horror I saw that it was embedded in the front end of a Corvair that contained three girls from our high school. I was to later find out that only one of the girls would survive. One of the girls that died was my sister Linda's best friend. The other was a cheerleader at our school......she and I always flirted with each other.....their necks were broken.
I had flagged down the first car that came upon the scene and blurted out the obvious (that there had been an accident)....it was unknown to me at the time, but I was completely covered with blood, having a broken arm, and my four upper front teeth knocked completely out, and my bottom jaw was broken, and one tooth was sticking out through a hole in my chin. I then ran back from the Corvair and pickup, to our car so I could check on my Mom again.
One of our neighbors recognized our car and called my Dad at home.....he beat the ambulance there.......I was confided in later, when I asked my Dad how fast he was driving his Buick Electra (since he got there so quick).....he said that he wasn’t really sure how fast he was driving, that he hadn’t even looked......he only knew that he was driving the car as fast as it would go.....and that was pretty fast!!
We were taken to Blessing hospital by ambulance, where it was found My Mom had a crushed kneecap. My Older sister Linda had a broken nose, and I of course, was missing my upper four front teeth, and my lower four teeth were laying flat in my mouth, because of my broken jaw. They didn't realize until the next morning, when my arm started swelling and hurting so bad, that I also had a broken arm.
That morning will always stand out in my memory for many reasons......that was the day President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.....I can still remember the nurses crying when his assassination was announced on the radio. Soooooo, I'll always remember where I was on the day President Kennedy was assassinated.
That was just the beginning of many, many Dentist appointments for me. One dentist I was very thankful for was Dr. Quad, in Quincy, Ill. I was told, many years later, that Dr. Quad had done an outstanding job on my teeth. He made a mold and a partial plate for my missing upper teeth. Of course this all took a long time, because we had to wait for swelling to go down. It was a long time after Christmas before I got my partial plate.
I remember flirting with girls at basketball games and not having any front teeth.....of course I also remember I didn´t have much luck with the girls either! Later, when I played football at Heidelberg college, I would wear my mouthpiece upside down, revealing a large gap where my teeth used to be......I called it my air scoop. My teammates started calling me "Happy Tooth", because as I was always smiling.....toothless or not!
The dentist did root canals on my four bottom teeth, and he inserted silver pins. He told me at that time, that later in life, these four teeth would eventually turn black......and quite a few years ago, they did.
Through the years I’ve had a varity of dentist….even a couple who were a little strange….like the dentist in New Knoxville, Ohio. He would have me all stretched out in the chair, half upside down, and put his knee on my chest, then he would holler, “steady as she goes”! Some time after my appointment with him, I found out that he later underwent some highly supervised clinical counciling……I may have been one of his patients which pushed him over the edge…..I don’t know…..hummm?
Jackie had been doing her research and found Costa Rica doctors to be very educated, and many interned at Baylor...which for Jackie spells “Texas”, which then of course spells, “the best”! Well, anyway the credentials were there, and the price was about one third of what It would cost in Florida…..Hey, Costa Rica, here we come!
So here I am in Escazu, Costa Rica….at the dentist office…. in the waiting room….waiting…….just waiting for Jackie to get her two root canals. I’ve already had five extractions and one root canal, and Im still smiling ---go figure. I’ll leave Costa Rica with my upper and lower teeth replaced permanently---FINANLLY---AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!!!

Costa Rica Mission Journal

2009-05-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

David’s Journal in Costa Rica Saturday, April

We arrived in Costa Rica…Warm sunshine…Nice breeze. Javier, our driver for our stay, picked us up at the airport, along with Ray Zerkle, the missionary we came to help. We stopped at a restaurant and the food was excellent!
On through the city, through the teaming traffic….the cars and trucks in Costa Rica must surely have awesome brakes, as they speed right next to one another and fly up to stop signs---never a squeal of tires though.

After settling in at the seminary we went along with Javier on the bus to an open-air shopping site, kind of like our flea markets…..Picked out some nice bargains for Jackie which took me about half an hour. ---then just settled in to watch and enjoy the local color.
As we were in the middle of the city Saturday it was very busy—people bustling—lots of busses weaving around parked vehicles and speeding up and down the streets….As I mentioned before, not a squeal of tires, horn honking, or accidents----REMARKABLE!!

After shopping everyone was ready for some chill time. Javier brought us back to the seminary and we straightened up and finished unpacking before going across the street for a delicious spaghetti dinner.
Back to the seminary…most everyone worked on completing the Bible School hand out packages that we are going to give the children with all the crafts for our lessons we are to present at Bible School.

I of course, having procrastinated on my “Prepare Your Heart” lesson…. book, worked on studying it until completed.----except for the journal part, which I will do each day. Of course Brian had to get a picture of my studious behavior (which is SO UNCHARACTERISTIC!!).

Ray had explained the operation of the heated shower…..however I don’t think the method will catch on at home!! An electrical heating element at the shower head….common sense tells me that 110 volts at the shower head doesn’t sound like a good plan, however, it’s either run the risk of a quick electrocution, or endure a cold shower----I elected to take a chance, but the water was only luke-warm…Oh well, at least I didn’t fry!!! Bedtime…..I slept like a log (as usual).

SUNDAY…….

Sunday morning up at 5:30…the sun was up….made coffee…everyone started rousting.
While waiting for breakfast at 8:30, we all gathered in the common area and sang several songs from the mission songbook that Clarence had put together.

Breakfast was great! It consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, “All Inclusive Cereal”, black beans and rice (my staple when I was single and I still like it), orange juice and coffee.
Back to the seminary…..while we waited for Javier to pick us up for church we sang more songs. When Javier arrived, we all loaded up in the church van and headed to the southwestern part of San Jose to a small Methodist Church which is part of Ray Zirkel’s church team.

. The church was packed and had standing room only in the back---which lots of people were doing---standing. There were SO MANY kids there!! The praise and worship was awesome! There was a guitar, a keyboard, a drummer, three girls singing, and the song leader…WOW!! The energy that was created---NOW THAT WAS CHURCH!

People started dancing…Karen, Cathy, Becky, and Donna, all went to the front of the church and soon they were dancing with the children. The atmosphere was electric…I wished my Jackie were here so she could experience it with me.

The pastor preached the sermon in Spanish and Ray Zirkel, standing next to him, interpreted it in English for our team. The sermon was based on Ps. 45 and the growth of the church.

We visited after church for a while, and then we all went to an Oriental restaurant to eat. The food was very good. After we ate we loaded up with Javier and Ray came along and acted as our tour guide and our guest. We headed for the construction site for the returning members to see the progress made and for us first timers to get a glimpse of what we had in store for us Monday morning.

The ride took us up to a suburb of San Jose (Coronado)….very nice area---more affluent than most of the city of San Jose that I had experienced thus far. For me it was a welcome breath of fresh air to get out of the city and to see cattle, rolling hills and green grass. I looked down the road as far as I could see to the first curve and wondered what lay down the road….five miles, ten miles, twenty, and even thirty----guess I’ll just have to wait until Jackie and I are here next month. Maybe we’ll just rent a Harley and explore. However, with Jackie I think we could explore for years.

Standing on the site, we were almost at cloud level. I took some pictures of the volcano (mountain) that was to the north of us, and of the next-door neighbor’s strawberry patch. Rainy season is due to start any time, but as for now the construction site is very dusty.
The construction site is approximately 5200 feet above sea level. The temperature was between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit---you almost needed a jacket when you were out in the wind. Ray says at that altitude you don’t need an air conditioner and a fire place is needed only to take the morning chill off.

Ray was talking about the orphanage and Clarence brought up the fact that most orphans would have it better right there in the orphanage than outside the orphanage if they were adopted. Ray then committed on the Methodist High School (which he is the director of) and the fact that the college has a 100% college attendee rate. He is hoping to be able to offer scholarships for some of the orphans to go to the Methodist High School. I think this sounds like a goal Jackie and I would like to work and prosper to help fulfill.

After walking around the site for a while, we drove back to the seminary and changed into relaxing clothes and kicked back and relaxed for a while.

MONDAY MORNING

We ate breakfast and then headed out to the work site. When we arrived we did some stretching exercises and then teamed up for a couple of different jobs…..one job Donna, and I (Karen, part time) sanded and spackled in the orphanage building. The other crew worked on cementing a ditch for rain water control.

We broke for lunch, which consisted of spaghetti, salad, and watermelon. We were hungry and the food was outstanding! We worked until 2:30 and then loaded up and headed for a church on the south side of San Jose. This church was in the poor section of town, surrounded by tin shanties, packed together on the side of a hill, reported to be a haven for gangs. We met the minister who was extremely personable and friendly…he and his family made us feel at home. When they introduced us to a gathering of over eighty children, the children began cheering and made us feel like celebrities.

Ray made us aware of the fact that the pastor and his church feed all the children of the surrounding neighborhood two meals a day, Monday through Friday. On Saturday, because of the fact that some parents would not allow their children to come to church, they feel them at another site. This could possibly be the only good meal the children get all week long.

The experience of the Bible School with the children was priceless. They swarmed us, asking questions (in Spanish), wanted their pictures taken, and pronouncing our names off our nametags…to find favor with us. We sang and danced with the children. We then started our program…we sang songs to them in Spanish, and then presented five different Bible stories to them, in the form of a puppet show.
Then we set down in small groups of about ten and worked with them on the crafts. We attempted to have a couple of games---however with the number of children, it was almost impossible---we had a good time!

When the minister told them to line up to get their piece of candy. Once again, order was restored and they formed their lines to receive their candy as they made their way out the door.

After a long day, we headed home. Supper was waiting for us at the seminary. We had lasagna, avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, and mangos. After we ate we went back to our compound and worked on tomorrow’s crafts---get to bed early---what a great day, I MISS JACKIE!!!

TUESDAY

Tuesday morning I woke up to a beautiful morning. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. I had set up a plan with Clarence the night before. I would prepare the coffee and have it ready for him to turn on when he got up at 5:00 am…..GOOD PLAN…when I woke up at 5:30 the coffee was ready hot and waiting for me to drink and to help me come to life…Great way to start a Tico day!
.

Will had translated our breakfast prayer song we had been singing every morning as our breakfast prayer into Spanish for us so This Morning we sang Gracious Cristo (Thank You Jesus).
Breakfast was good as usual, eggs, bacon, all inclusive cereal, and orange juice for me.
We headed on out to the job site right from breakfast as we had decided the day before that in order to save time and help insure an early start we would load the van before we ate. When we pulled into the job site we immediately unloaded and lined up for stretching exercises, much to the amusement of the Costa Rican (Tico) workers there. After feeling a little foolish the first morning, the second day, It became clear that the stretching led by Becky was surely a pain prevention exercise and I got right in the groove of things.After our stretching we went right to work, I started out sanding and spackling inside, then taped door frames and did some painting. After lunch we then worked at digging out the rest of the soon to be Concrete water drainage ditch.
When work day was done, we headed for the same church in which Sunday we had been blessed with attending services. On the way as we were weaving through traffic at a seemingly high rate of speed, Motorcycles passing us on the white line, between traffic, and on our outside, I commented to Clarence that sometimes I felt like grabbing the handhold on the seat in front of me with my left hand, putting my right hand in the air and shouting OK OPEN THE GATE--- Rodeo style. Javier is indeed a skillful driver.
When we pulled into the Church I saw the Pastor outside visiting with Ray. Now was my chance to ask him to repeat something he had said the proceeding Sunday. It seems that in his sermon, he had referenced a Quote from Martin Luther, I remembered that it really hit home and that it was good, but I needed to hear it again to burn the exact words into my memory. Martin Luther said” I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess. Martin Luther
Bible School was great, we had about thirty kids, enough for a couple groups for crafts. This gave the photographers in the group (According to John) the opportunity for a good photo shoot, and video opportunity.
Yerlon (an intern who works at the seminary) also a real sweetheart, helped us tonight, and what a help she was. We all felt so blessed to have Will and Yerlon helping us. They both bridged the language barrier for us, explaining in Spanish to the Children what the crafts were all about, telling the bible stories behind our puppet skits, and above all singing and leading the children in songs and worship. They were great.
After bible school we headed back to the Hacienda, had supper, Pork chops, carrots and green beans, pineapple and lemonade---good as usual.
After supper we all settled in for some relax time with no Dyramas to fold everything all prepared for the next day done— just share time tonight---Probably a short one I’m tired. I have devotions tomorrow,hmmmmmmm. I wanted to call Jackie tonight but thought maybe Just wait one more day. My devotions are going to be on Psalms 37 1-4 I guess it goes with what we are experiencing here and goes with the Martin Luther quote pretty well.
Wed Morning
I led devotions using the Martin Luther Quote and Psalms 37 1-4. We talked about how it not only means material things but also relationships children etc.
We ate breakfast, then out to the work site for the roughest physically demanding day of our mission thus far. John Brian and I wheeled wheelbarrows full of concrete from the mixer approx 100 yards to a formed up storm drain box they were building. Loaded we were going downhill, and were digging in our heals to keep the wheelbarrow fro becoming a runaway. then the return trip empty was up the hill. It seemed to get longer and steeper every trip. We were also supplying Clarence and Jose with concrete for the concrete water drainage ditch, the opposite direction of the storm drain. As they progressed the distance to haul the concrete increased. Their job was no piece of cake by any means. virtually on their knees all day, standing on their heads trawling smooth the concrete to transfer a dumped pile of concrete into a smooth on three side drainage ditch. The work was nonstop.
The work place was constant all day long and by 2:30 we were all sore and dragging.
We loaded into the van and Javier drove us to the top of a mountain to a church for bible school. On the drive up the mountain we drove past Dairy farms, a couple ranches that had Brahma cattle, and as we reached the top of the mountain a giant cross, that we could see from the orphanage site. The scenery was beautiful, nothing like we had experiences thus far.
The Church was a very small church, but the kids made up for the smallness in size by their enthusiasm. The pastor was very nice and served us up some fresh ground Costa Rican coffee and some sweet pancakes. I had never had sweet pancakes before, kind of tasted like my Moms strawberry shortcake cake .Since it reminded me of my Moms Cooking I don’t need to tell you, it was good!
We went through our songs and our puppet skits, then Will and Yerlon spoke to the Children in Spanish, describing all about the crafts and how to do them, did I mention how in valuable those two were to our mission effort? Once again the bible school with the kids completely revitalized us from somewhere, only God could be in charge. A rousing game of Duck Goose, and Brian getting the boys to Huuu Huuu made the night just one more Costa Rican bible school an unforgettable experience.
We arrived back at the seminary about twenty minutes later than planned, after dropping the pastor and his son off close to their home in San Marcus. At 9:30 after supper we had sharing time , and Karen was awarded the orange towel award for throwing her body in front of a spraying water hose to save John and Brian from certain Wet. A good laugh was enjoyed by all. My bed really looked good after a long day. Good night.
Thursday
Our last workday, we were up ate breakfast, and headed out to the job site. When we left yesterday afternoon we only lacked about 100ft from completing the drainage ditch about two mixer loads. We had all figured that as our project for the morning. Father Abraham (The construction foreman) had other plans.
At the rear of the property lies a deep ravine with a small stream running along its border. To keep squatters from crossing the creek and erecting a tin shack on orphanage property, it was necessary to build a fence. In Costa Rica when they build a fence they use Concrete posts and concrete them into the ground. (Ours is not to teach—but to serve)
That was our job for our last morning at the job site. So armed with shovels,(No post hole diggers)even though they had one, again we were not there to teach we were there to serve. We carried (John and Brian) two one hundred pound bags of Cement down the almost straight up and down ravine, the sand and gravel were already down, we would use the water in the stream to mix up concrete.
Jose made a trail with his machete through the bamboo along the stream, and marked the post sites, that I was elected to dig. I had made the mistake of telling Clarence my credentials. I went to College at Heidelberg college mainly to play football*** Well anyway after my first year I Joined the Marine Corps and went to Viet Nam. Someone asked me why I would do a stupid thing like that and I told them that at College they told me if I would stick with it I could earn a PHD. Well—I grew up on a farm and I knew that stood for Post Hole Digger And I had enough of that growing up I didn’t want anything to do with that so I just Joined The Marine Corps.
So I ended up with a PhD anyway.
John Brian and Clarence worked at getting the cement all mixed up using water from the stream, carried up in buckets. Costa Rica style cement mixing---shovel sand and gravel in a pile then add cement , hollow out a hole in the middle then fill the hole full of water and mix with a shovel. It works pretty well. Good enough for us for sure because we got the Job done.
After digging all the post holes we started setting posts, Clarence while traversing through the strand of Bamboo, grabbed an old concrete post from the old fence and It gave way .Just like the Viet Cong Punji stick, a piece of bamboo entered his arm like a needle. I watched as he pulled it out over an inch .Un daunted Clarence just went right back to work. A prime example of Gods healing power at work.
Jose pointed out two concrete posts a part of the old fence and told me to go dig them out so that we could use them at the very bottom, next to the stream. I ended up getting into a little barbed wire getting the posts out, got a little bloody ,but no worse than I’m used too, good thing it was mandated we have Tetanus shots before leaving home.
We got all the post in and Cemented then headed up the hill for dinner. The hill was quite a climb, carrying all our equipment we used and I for one was extremely winded when we got to the top. We were at over five thousand feet; the air is a little thinner than at sea level back home in Florida. I am sure glad I run on a regular basis. After dinner I was feeling pretty sore and stiff and generally used up and looking after crawling around in the bamboo swamp all morning. I figured we would call it an early day as I knew we were suppose to go to the Methodist High school to tour it that afternoon. Father Abraham had other Ideas, as we had an unfinished concrete ditch on our immediate agenda.
We brought out the wheelbarrows, water hose, extension cords for the mixer, and four bags of cement, and started mixing concrete once more.Karen,Kathy,Becky and Donna started filling the bucket brigade up with 6-4-2 Six buckets gravel, four buckets of sand and two bags of cement. Javier began mixing more cement and we lined up the wheelbarrow to haul it to the end of the ditch. We made two batches, wheel barrowed those about fifty yards, then dumped them in the ditch. Clarence Brian and Jose would then use their trowels to form a nice u shaped concrete ditch out of the dirt ditch we had dug a couple days earlier this week. When the ditch was completed, I believe everyone was dragging .We cleaned and put all the tools away then said our goodbyes to the workers we had worked beside and become friends with this week.
We pulled out of the parking lot of the orphanage tired and a little sad for leaving newly found friends but also a feeling of satisfaction for jobs completed, a job well done.
Ray led the way and Javier followed as we made our way to the Methodist High School.
We were all pleased at what an impressive facility it is. The grounds were impeccable and between classrooms they even had caged parakeets.
The school is THE SCHOOL for the future Doctors, lawyers and Political leaders of Costa Rica. It was an impressive afternoon to put it mildly.
FRIDAY

Friday…Wow…Where did the week go?! I can’t say I miss going to work this morning. We had a trip planned to view a volcano, so after breakfast we loaded up in the van. Javier’s wife, Shirley, and his brother-in-law, as our special guest, joined us on our “FUN DAY”!
We drove out of the city and in to the country past some dairy farms. A few of the dairy farms had Jersey milk cows, which caused me to reminiscing about my Jersey Dairy farm that I had in Missouri.
We passed several strawberry farms, which they call, “Fresa”, and quite a few onion farms, with workers out in the fields harvesting.
As we got closer to the top of the mountain, the clouds closed in, making it almost a rainy fog…the temperature was dropping and I believe when we got to the top it was close to 60 degrees—and rainy.
We walked to the edge of the volcanic crater and the wind was strong, fog was thick and visibility was nil.
In the gift store Karen met a girl from another group who volunteered to do a little interpreting for us with Javier. We then decided to leave the volcano and visit a couple historic Costa Rica churches on our way to the canopy tour.
The large Catholic Church which was the Costa Rica National Church was busy with a funeral….but we walked in anyway. The entrance was huge arches so we walked right in. The service was going on and no-one even noticed us as we did the tourist thing just glanced around and moved on. We went outside and found a fountain which was supposed to be holy healing water. People were putting it in Jugs, drinking it---So I stooped down and got a little to rub on my sore tooth. I guess that and some Ibuprofen kept my tooth from hurting the rest of the day. We loaded up and drove by the original church which was destroyed by earthquakes several times.
We then proceeded to the Canopy tour restaurant and had lunch. It was pretty much a consensus we wouldn’t be making that mistake again. The food was a disappointment and the service was slow.
Time for our canopy tour. ---We loaded up in a vintage four wheel drive Chevrolet Suburban. A real testimonial for Chevy builds tough trucks commercial. We headed up the mountain on a very skinny dirt road. It turned into a very skinny rough concrete washboard for awhile then back to dirt. The suburban just roared onward and upward at a seemingly high rate of speed ----of course it just felt that way as we were twisting and churning almost straight up the mountain. We went across a very narrow bridge and scraped a tree on the other side to make the turn. We finally got to the end of our motorized trek up the mountain I was only glad I wasn’t going to go back down in that ride.
We all grabbed our gear and started walking up a dirt path. After awhile we came upon a couple Tico’s with two pack horses, they were using to haul concrete up the mountain to build steps making it easier for the gringo’s to climb the mountain. I had forgotten again about the thinner air as we got higher and higher I was huffing and puffing like a steam locomotive climbing a grade by the time we reached the top platform. When the entire team made it to the top the guides (Three in all plus a photographer) started harnessing everyone up. The Five (old timers) had zip lined last year and were eager to go. Brian, Donna, and I had never Zip lined and even though I am ok with Altitudes, and have always liked speed, and was always considered a risk taker I’ll have to admit I was a little apprehensive ---that is until I took off the first time---then WOW What a blast. I don’t know how fast we were going but I do know we were covering some territory quickly.
I imagine how the neighboring Nicaraguan freedom fighters might have used the zip lines to move men and supplies from mountain to the valley below in minutes where otherwise it would take days.
Our only close call was on the last platform landing area. Karen came to the end and something happened with the brake and Karen ended up taking a blow to the head her right shin and her arm. She was a little bruised and sore but otherwise visually ok.
We finished by repelling about 40 feet to the ground and then walking down to the Restaurant where the photographer had already made a CD of our ride down the Mountain. We bought a copy of the cd and once home will copy it and send it to all the team. After the canopy tour we headed back to the seminary for a short thirty minute freshen up then in the van to Ray’s house for a cookout.
Ray and Lidia welcomed us with a BBQ supper and combination birthday party for Abel (Javier’s son) second birthday. We had a nice time visiting and learning, and getting motivated for a return trip next year.
I know Jackie and I want to be here next year. Just waiting for what God has for us as a determining factor of whether we will be here or not.
I do know that the prayers of my friends and family praying for me while here, protected me, gave me strength, and gave me focus. I also know that I have been given a whole new perspective. We leave in the morning---I will be so glad to see Jackie’s face.
Home Now

What did I learn---What did I see.
I saw a church that feed the children in it’s poverty stricken community five days a week two meals a day
I saw a church where the holy spirit is so alive that his children dance in worship.
I saw a school that teaches the love of the lord and ministers to the future leaders of Costa Rica.
I worked with a group of people who humble me,and make me want to walk closer with the holy spirit, So that my life will shine.
I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess. Martin Luther

Cowboy Real Estate the Squeeze Chute

2008-09-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

When working cattle one of my jobs was usually running the squeeze chute. You pen the cattle first then usually(If the pens were built right, )You worked the cattle counter clock wise around in to smaller and smaller pens until you are at an alley way leading to bright sunlight for the cow ---but really they have to get through the squeeze chute first. The reason they see all this light like at the end of a tunnel is that you have the squeeze chute gate open for them to look through. Once they have their horns through you have to slam the gate shut quick or they will bust right on through. You can’t be day dreaming if you are running the chute. If a cow would bust through the chute it doesn’t get worked --as to say we wouldn’t be able to give it the preventative medicines and fly control we give them for their own good and health. So actually even though the cow doesn’t understand --Getting caught up in the chute is a good thing for the cow.
I was watching the commercial expired list right before the forth of July and saw a ten thousand sq. ft. warehouse listed for 1.1mil had expired. A lady in my office had told me that she had a buyer for exactly that so I sent the owners of record a letter.
The July fourth weekend came around and I went up to Rainbow River and floated the river with my kids and just kicked back. Bright and early on Monday morning I drove over to the warehouse to walk around it and see where in the world it sat. That is to say where it sat in relation to the world outside .Just something I do on land Was Taught that years ago .
I saw a sign on the front door saying where the prior occupants had moved and low and behold it was the same name as the owning company, so I headed on over to their new location to see what I could find out.
I walked into the showroom counter sales area and stood patiently in line and when the person behind the counter asked me if he could help me, I responded that yes I was going to be easy ,Who do I need to talk to concerning your old warehouse, I am in Commercial Real Estate. He told me the asst manager would be the one who could help me, and walked me over to an office door. The asst manager was on the phone so I stood outside the door and waited for him to hang up. I introduced myself and told him why I was there and asked him for a contact name and phone number at the main office of the decision maker. He gladly obliged and commented that It was over priced and that the owner of the building they were in presently had made an offer considerably less than the listing price. I thanked him gave him my card and asked him to pass it along to anyone he cared about that might need some real Estate help, and headed home.
When I got home I called the number and got a recording, so I left my number and said I would be calling again before the day was through. I called again later in the afternoon and got a lady who was not sure if the property had been relisted but promised to find out and call me back.
The next morning I called and left a message .Later in the morning a gentleman from that company called me and said “I know we have spoken before and I thought you were sending a listing proposal to me” I not thinking said Oh no I don’t believe we have spoken before but I would be glad to send you a listing proposal. He then told me that they were listing it with one of my competitors(MY Guess the company that apparently was day dreaming). I thanked him and then said By the way what price are you listing it at? He told me and it was 325thousand less than what it was listed at before I thanked him and hung up.Immediately redialing and getting the receptionist “What is your fax number?” I wrote up a listing agreement, at the price it was lowered to and faxed it off. I guess you could say I slammed shut the chute.-------I am showing it Monday morning at 10:00.---

You can call me Cap'n

2008-09-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

In the movie Lonesome Dove A scene involving Cap’n Call the trail boss and retired Texas Ranger played by Tommy Lee Jones, His Son Newt, Played by Rickey Schroeder, and a US Calvary unit, captured my imagination the first time I saw it and continued to make an impression, there after.
In the scene the army officer confronts one of the cowboys at the livery stable in town, and wants to requisition his horse. The cowboy tells the army officer the horse isn’t for sale and the officer, wanting to show his authority, infers that to refuse the army that particular horse would be treason, and proceeded to try to take the horse by force. When the cowboy is knocked down “Newt” grabs the reins and reiterates that the horse is not for sale. The Army scout at that time begins flogging Newt with his crop as the “Cap’n” is walking out of the store down the street. The Cap’n drops the sacks of corn meal he was carrying as he see’s his Son being flogged by the Army scout, jumps on his horse and at full gallope down the street and crashes into the Army scouts horse throwing the scout to the ground. What followed was one of the most intense and brutal exibititions of pure rage I had ever seen as the Cap’n first beat the scout with a branding iron then ran him head first into an Anvil. He then picked up a pair if tongs with deadly intent only to be roped by his friend Gus and after some rather fast talking and a lot of yelling to bring the Cap’n back to earth so to speak, the capt’n settled down checked Newt and everyone on his crew to make sure they were all right ,Mounted his horse and then calmly said to the startled onlookers” I hate rude behavior in a man,--------- I won’t tolerate it”.

So I was a Marine .Well shouldn’t say was you know once a Marine always a Marine anyway,when I came home from “ITR”(Infantry Training Regiment) for my leave right before going over To Viet Nam. My sister picked me up from the airport with a stranger in tow ,whom she introduced as her Fiancé. She proudly and innocently added that Rich was also in the service. If you know anything about Marines you know that they scorn all the other branches of the service and especially loath the lax, undisciplined, anybody can be one Air Force.
So I took one look at her brand new fiancé’s and said whats he in the Air Force ? She very apologetically said Yeeeeees. So we drive home and as soon as we walk in the house this new guy calls my Dad Dad. My blood boiled.
Keep in mind that I grew up on a farm where I was the only son. I had worked side by side with my Dad ever since I was six years old. I had weeded beans, in the hot August sun in the gumbo river bottoms, I had plowed and disced the fields from early morning till after dark, I had paid the price, over and over, for years, Where was this guy coming from where He thought that he had any right to call MY DAD Dad.
Years after that, I relayed the story to my daughters and apparently that story made an impression because at my oldest daughter Tracy’s wedding after my new Son In Law had kissed the bride and I offered my hand to shake he said well Dad and my daughter said -real hush hush, -Oh No you don’t want to call him that So he looked at me and said “well what do you want me to call you?” I looked him straight in the eyes and said You can call me cap’n.
The story doesn’t stop there, Fourteen years later, I am at my daughter and Son In Laws house and my middle daughter brings her new boy friend over to meet the family. In the course of the evening, while playing darts Kristy’s boyfriend calls me Cap’n.I guess when my Son in-law picked him up and threw him on top of the bicycles on the other side of the garage He found out the hard way that he hadn’t earned the right. Hmmm I guess my Son in law felt the same way I did all those years ago, and I understood. Of course that guy that happened to make that innocent mistake---well he never came around anymore go figure.

Dead Skunk in the middle of the road

2007-12-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

It had to have been in the 1950's when my confusion really started.
You see our family was a very close family where my aunts and uncles,cousins,grandparents would all get together on a regular basis. In the summertime these get together if at my uncle Russ's involve home made ice cream, and if at our house you could count on watermelon. My Dads side of the family consisted of Grandpa and grandma ,one uncle, and three aunts. We farmed with my uncle in partnerships, one aunt lived in Massachusetts, one about one hundred miles away and the other in the neighboring town where her husband owned a lumber company. My dad always liked to take everyone down into the river bottoms to show the crops to everyone, so he bought an old retired school bus, took most of the seats out so he could haul fuel in the back, but left a few rows of seats for out crop tours . Usually on a Sunday afternoon, after Sunday Dinner and Watermelon we would climb into the old Reo School bus and go for a tour of the crops.
We went to church one Sunday morning in August, close to my birthday, had a couple watermelons in the old milk cooler, and company coming for dinner. We got home from church, and my aunt and uncle from town came out my uncle Russ, and Grandpa and Grandma and all my cousins all over for fried chicken and Watermelon. That afternoon before everyone went home my Dad brought the old school bus around we all climbed in and went down into the river bottom to look at how well the crops looked. On the way back I was sitting next to my Dad and as we were almost to our house my dad saw the cause of a faint odor we had been putting up with all day, a dead skunk laying next to the road. My Dad told me that when we got home I should come back and get rid of it.
I had watched my dad on numerous occasion get rid of things like that, so I just followed in his footsteps. Sometime in the past I had been with my Dad in the old Reo School bus on a fuel run down into the bottoms and there would be road kill of one persuasion or another ,and my Dad would take a piece of baling twine, make a loop and loop it around the dead critters foot. He would then tie the baling twine on the back bumper of the old Reo School bus and when we got down to the fields in the bottoms, after about six miles of gravel road, the critter would mysteriously be gone.
I went over to the barn and got a piece of baling twine, by that time it was getting dark, I made my way to where the stinking skunk was and looped a loop around one of its legs. The school bus was sitting in the barnyard no that won't work.
That night my Dad got a call from my uncle thanking him for the present, It seems that when I tied it to the back bumper of their car, it turned out to be a pretty tough ole skunk, cause it was still there when they pulled into their garage.

Saddled with other peoples limitations

2007-11-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Saddled With Other Peoples Limitations

I have a girl in Texas I think the world of .I told her quite a while back that I felt with her by my side we could conquer the world,because with her I find my mind and spirit attaining a higher plane of conciousness,with no limitations.
On the flip side of this is the opposite result,you have to be careful with.
Back when I started selling Real Estate,I began not selling houses like most people , but selling farms. Agricultural land was selling for around Three Thousand dollars an acre at that time in that place ,So a two hundred fifty acre farm would bring roughly $750,000. Dollars and at a 10% commission you were looking at $75,000 .I Was comfortable with these numbers and didn’t really think about it when one day a girl remarked that she had always sold residential, and couldn’t even fathom the big numbers that I dealt with every day. She had set limitations on herself.
A lot of people in sales make just about the same amount every year because they have set limitations in their mind . I made eighty thousand a year for three years in a row, and didn’t realize what I was subconsciously doing,untill I sat down with my accountant one day and he asked me why. Then the light bulb came on, I had subconsciously set a comfort zone at eighty thousand and wouldn’t let myself go over it.
A good friend of mine told me to “be careful who you date, who you associate with, who you pick as friends and life partners, don’t saddle yourself with their limitations“. It is very easy to fall into other peoples limitations. Lets face it the guy in the office that is the epitome of positively is the target for all the negative losers. People want to cure you and bring you down to their comfort level where they feel you will be safe. The person you date, your spouse will bring you to their comfort level, so be careful who you date and if you are already married be aware ,and try to bring your spouse to your level and keep them on the same wave length.
When computers first entered the workplace ,some refused to accept the change and their own set ways and self limitations put them out of a job. Today Internet marketing is the present, It was the future a few years ago. Since I was raised on a farm and grew up running tracters,combines,hay balers and any other equipment I could hit a start button or turn a key in, Computers are just another piece of machinery. And like always I set out to be proficient with it . This is where internet marketing training comes in. I listen to training webinars Three or four nights a week, because I refuse to lose, and I will not accept other peoples limitations. You can sign up for some free Marketing training at http://secret.believeachieve.info

The Light In The Window

2007-10-30T04:20:00.000-07:00

When I was in my twenties, I owned a one hundred acre farm. I had three small girls, A wife I loved very much and life was good. I had a full time job working in a factory and farmed on the side.The house was a nice ranch style with a full basement, and a family room with a fireplace on the back of the house overlooking a two and one half acre lake. Our fields rose gently from the pond into rolling acres.

I was disking the fields one late afternoon and as the sun started setting, and darkness began creeping on me, The lights in the house came on .I instantly realized that those lights represented everything good in my life. Although It was in the fall and the darkness also brought icy cold. The warmth security and love that surrounded me, were brought to consciousness with the burning of some simple light bulbs. Because I knew that in that house with the lights on, were the family, I loved and who loved me.

I am now at A point in my life where children are all off and married. Building lives of their own. So many things have changed,. Farms sold, loved ones have died, And love that you hoped to replace love lost, leave you for no good reason.I hope to find love and happiness again,I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to see that light in the windows .Will I ever see it again?Yes I think I will, And I am Looking foreward to it.

When You're Hot You Are Visionary

2007-10-30T04:07:00.000-07:00

WHEN YOU'RE HOT
I read somewhere that "opportunities are present for all of us however only a few recognise them and even fewer act on them."This being said ;what do we need to do ,to recognise these vast opportunities,and take advantage of them ? I will tell you a little story of what happened to me once upon a time.

I was working for A. R .C. realty now defunct in South Ft. Myers. The whole office consisted of renegades from Remax that wanted a true 100% office so they hired a secretary and everyone paid office fees their own telephone and we had one guy Wayne Kelly who was Broker of record. Most everyone in the office was Cyprus Lake alumni' everyone had gone to school together and known each other forever except me. Ole Harvey Younquest made everything work as he had inventory So I was on fire,selling metro at a dollar a square ft.Well Harvey had sold most of Youngquest Road off I think I sold eight sites.I Was down there one day, when a pickup stopped me and the guy driving asked who owned a particular piece as they were doing work on old 41 and needed a place to get rid of a bunch of busted up concrete didn't know at the time but I got his number and told him I would find out. It turns out Harvey still owned it and had used it to procure the fill for the roads . I asked him about the zoning and he said Hey its all light industrial,you want to buy it? Harv said it would take to much fill to make it worthwhile for him so, he would sell me that two and a half acre piece for twenty thousand.

I told him I would let him know by five o'clock and got on the phone. How much concrete do you have and what kind of deal are you willing to make? Lets meet back down there. He assured me that he would if given the OK remove the soil fill to building spec.bring a dozer in and level everything and put top soil back on top ---I told him, I would call him at five o'clock. I then drove around the corner stopped in on one of my clients,whom I had sold light industrial lots to in the past and said hop in I want to show you something. We drove to the site and I said; How about If I fill this two and one half acre site to speck bring a dozer in and level it and cover it with top soil so that you can build two 10,000sq. ft. warehouses what would you give me He said a dollar a square ft. I said lets write it up.

I put it under contract with Harv, we closed simultaneously at a title company down town,everyone was happy and I was given a check after closing costs of over eighty thousand dollars.

Keep in mind That I disclosed everything to the person I bought it from,and to my client.Harvey got rid of a junk property, the construction co. saved thousands on trucking of the concrete,and my buyer made a couple hundred thousand on the buildings he had built on the lots and sold.Timing was everything and I didn't have to ask permission.Just did it.

That happened a long time ago, I went on to become a land buyer for Flag development,and now I am back in Ft Myers where I started. I do know that attitude and visualization of your end goals will make you HOT.And like Jerry Reid says" when your'e hot YOUR HOT."

Everything in perspective

2007-10-30T03:57:00.000-07:00

I guess the greatest sales trainer I have had the opportunity to learn from was Tom Hopkins .He has certain things that he feels are super important and in his seminars you are required to memorize them one such Idea is -”-I will do the most constructive thing possible at every given moment.” Now that is powerful but how could anyone possibly do that?
The most productive thing for you, would not necessarily be the most productive for me, in fact I would almost bet on it .being productive doesn’t necessarily mean knocking on doors or cold calling ,It can be some much needed rest and recuperation too. I know when the wolf is at the door it is almost a given you are going to working twice the hours, at a frantic pace whoa just a minute :the most constructive thing you may be needing to do, you could be overlooking. Remember your family; Could be a little chill time, could be in order, this summer. A weekend camping trip a couple days at a quiet bed and breakfast, Just enough to get your mind back on perspective and you back in the game .A little fresh air nice surroundings can help you realize what you’ve got, that is really special, can’t be duplicated, and you really wouldn’t want to miss out on. Then when you get back,; unleash the tiger
Dave Shriver.

Gratitude Rocks

2007-10-30T03:53:00.000-07:00

Gratitude Rocks
Even in trying times try to be a source of good things. Try to cultivate the attitude of thankfulness in your everyday life.
Make a list of things from large to small that you are thankful for every day from the beautiful sunrise, the green light on the way to work, the smile of a co worker, the gifts of your senses sight,smell,touch.Tune in on the beautiful, the fragrant, the pleasant touch, your cats fur,the leather upholstery in your car.
Overwhelm yourself with reasons to be thankful, and then share that feeling by giving. Giving a smile, a phone call to a friend you haven’t talked to in too long, random acts of kindness ,do remarkable things to our attitudes, and it is contagious,it effects people around us and brings out smiles which beget more smiles. I always carry a small flat stone in my left pocket . It is my gratitude rock, whenever I reach in my pocket for my keys I touch it and it reminds me of what it is there for .Gratitude will brighten your day as well as the people around you. It will help you receive the good things in life that you deserve.Gratitude really rocks!

Cow Boy Real Estate

2007-10-30T03:50:00.000-07:00

I always liked working with cattle So I will call this cowboy Real Estate.
For a few years I had the opportunity to take care of some registered Romagnola cattle for a Doctor friend of mine who lives in Brooksville Florida.Romagnolas are a breed of cattle from Italy, which are white, but have dark pigmented skin, are able to thrive in a tropical climate as well as the cold are double muscled fine looking cattle that have all the attributes of the Brahma but are gentle ,really gentle. I taught A bull calf and a heifer calf to be halter broke so that we could take them to Houston Texas for the Houston livestock show. Whenever we were to work cattle Dr Bounds would line up some help and ask me what time I was going to pin the cattle ,so the help would be there ,Well after the first Rodeo that we had I learned to tell him a half hour later than when I was actually going to start. When they showed up all the cows would already be all penned up.
What I had learned was that you could get a bunch of guys to come in there with horses and hoop and holler and chase the cattle around and pen them in two hours, and have the cattle totally stressed out; or I could go out with a bucket with a few rocks in it to make noise and I could lead the cattle into the pens in fifteen minutes. And when everyone showed up they would all be calmly munching on hay in the pens.
Working with your people helping them find the home that is just right for them, Is the same, as penning cattle. All the fast talking,tamborine shaking, drum pounding high pressure antics, will make them run in circles not sure where to go afraid at every step, and totally stressed to the max.What they need is ---Soft quiet reassurance, leading them to make the decision they want to make,---that Is what they are desperately crying out for. Lead with self confidence and they will follow you anywhere.
David Shriver http://davidshriver.net

Competence in Your life

2007-10-30T03:48:00.001-07:00

Competence
Something almost naturalistic happens whenever the Real-Estate market takes a correction move. It really gets down to the survival of the fittest, or should I say survival of the competent. I feel that I was greatly advantaged to have started out in my Real Estate career on a steady market( of course I was selling Farms and raw land) . My point being ,I was never exposed to the easy money ,the order taking, the I will put you on the waiting list for a Pool home ,that we had only a few years ago. No I didn’t have to walk two miles to school and back in the snow both ways uphill ---But I did have to learn the basics to survive I had to learn to list, I had to learn to handle objections, And yes I had to learn to close. I was also blessed to have a broker who took me under his wing and became my mentor. He stressed sales training and got us involved with training seminars, and had motivational sales meetings once a week. He told me one day” don’t worry about making money selling Real Estate You will never make any money selling ;Real Estate .Where you will make your money and lots and lots of it is in Helping People. Let me repeat You will make your money Helping People. That’s why we are here, that’s the whole Idea, Help people, and you never have to worry about the money. The thing I love about Real Estate is that unlike the automotive industry, Motor homes insurance,mortgage,you name it No other field give us, as great an opportunity to honestly help people become financially secure by leading them with competence.
David Shriver

Choices

2007-10-30T03:32:00.000-07:00

My youngest Daughter (When she was 15 years old)was complemented once by a friends father,( Who also happened to be an attorney) as he said “for her age he was amazed at the number of times she had come to an event in her life where her direction would be directly determined by the choice she made and she always made the right choice“.
I have ran into old friends who look at me and say that they can’t believe how I look . I realize that Not all the time, but some of the time ,They could have looked just as good, Just as healthy. If they would have made a different choice. They would not be in their situation were it not for the choices made. I can look at some one with compassion, and empathy ,however I have a real rough time feeling sorry for someone who has brought grief, poverty and loneliness on themselves because of choices. You can chose to live the bar scene year after year ,Party it up with drugs, however you have to know the toll it will play on your health. It is a choice. Every person has an equal opportunity every day to be pleasant. It is a choice.
I raced Sprint Cars all over the South when the girls were in High School, So we ended up spending more time together than most families have the opportunity . We had lost their Mother when the youngest was four ,So I though it the right thing to do. It was by choice. I told people that I was retiring in my thirties to spend my retirement doing fun things, and then when retirement was over I would go back to work. An Interesting concept. I do hope to retire again some day but It was a choice then ,that I wouldn’t change in a million years. Retiring to sell Real Estate and work my internet marketing business would be I suppose like having your cake and eating it too. Not such a bad thing, Makes me wonder If maybe I had a little to do with all those good choices my Daughter has made.

Late Night At The Cemetery

2007-10-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

When I was fourteen years old, my cousin Allen was seventeen. Because of the fact we only lived a mile and a half from each other, and the fact that we were only sons, surrounded by sisters, we grew up with the bond of brothers. I was included in a lot of things with Allen’s friends, that no other fourteen year old around had the chance to do.
We were Baptists, and went to the Calvary Baptist Church in Quincy Illinois. On Wed nights, during the summer they would have youth fellowship at one of the members homes this particular Wednesday night was youth fellowship at My uncle Russ’s so I got to go.
Baptist at that time or should I say Baptist that went to our church, frowned upon a lot of things ,and picked up some kind of evil conitation,from things that other people, didn’t see apparently or just didn’t let bother them. Going to movies, dancing, public displays of affection(that means what Pam Hess and I were doing in the back of the church bus)So as any conscientious farm kids would do we found ways to circumvent, and get around all the restrictions and still have a good time.
I remember one of the older kids name was Dean Jinks. He had a big 1957 Plymouth Fury with loud pipes and was always fun to be around. Dean and my cousin Allen started daring some of the girls to come along down to the cemetery . They explained that at the cemetery, was a mausoleum and inside the mausoleum was a casket with a glass top in it so you could see that skeleton. We scurried around, came up with several flashlights, and I think we had fifteen kids in that Plymouth .Off to the cemetery we went, all laughing and looking foreword to scaring the girls.
We parked in the back of the cemetery and walked single file down to the mousoleum. When we got to the front of it you could see that it had an ,old.wooden door that was barely on its hinges. Everyone crowded around the door and Allen said ok I’m going to Yank it open get ready with the flashlights.
The door was opened,and Dean jumped to the front of everyone crowded around the doorway trying to look inside. Dean pointed his high beam flashlight into the pitch blackness of the mousolesm,and everyone saw someone standing inside there looking back at them. Dean let out a horrible scream, the girls all started screaming,It was pure terror, everyone was running tripping over each other trying to get away and back to the car.
A couple days before My cousin Allen had found a floor length mirror, that someone had thrown away and thought of the perfect place to put it. http://thesecret.believeachieve.info

"Mountain Dreamer" A higher Plane

2007-10-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

There is a dimension (not the twilight zone) Where we as humans are elevated beyond our normal selves. Napolian Hill called it “a higher Plane”
I have been there, when your hot your hot, you are also on a higher level of consciousness, or on a higher plane.
You have heard of the guy who picks the car up to free someone trapped, and the woman who runs for help at Olympic record speed. Feats that under normal circumstances would have been impossible.
If someone could remain on that plane of thought for any extended period of time, the things you could do. There are certain things that trigger this higher consciousness. Fear,anger,and love. Love being I believe the strongest.
I took some time off one summer and decided that I wanted to learn how to sell cars.
I got a job at A Ford dealership and along with four other newbees we were trained. I was muddling along not having a very good close, ratio ,I really had Issues with the arrogant,rude,condescending asst. sales manager, to the point where one morning I walked in with the attitude that this wasn’t a Job this was a joke. I had decided the first degrading remark out of the asst. sales managers mouth I was going to knock him into next week, pick up my things and go home. A funny thing happened, Since I completely lost all caring I also lost all nervousness. The first people that came in I went up and talked to them as if I had known them all my life. They bought. The next the same until at the end of the day the asst. manager had all the sales people standing at the windows watching me.” do my majic”He started using me as a training tool for the others. I was on a higher plane of thought.
In Real Estate, The pure satisfaction of knowing you are helping people, along with a pureness of heart, can lift you up into a higher plane. Find someone that you can establish as a kindred spirit, where your mind and theirs work together as one . This is real power.
I was on a social site and received the following quote, and was asked if it inspired me .
This is what lifts us up.

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

by
Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Plow The Field

2007-09-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

When my youngest grandson was just a baby, I bought him his first tractor. Understood that I came from a long line of farmers ,to check profession down my family tree it was a straight limb ,of agriculture. This particular tractor was not just any run of the mill generic type ,Oh no. John Deere of course, with a very unique feature, in that it had a button that when pushed a very authoritative voice (Which I thought sounded like my Dad ) said “plow the field“. When I say it sounded authoritative like my Dad, understand that my Dad was an Air Force Captain in WW11 When my dad said to do something there was no mistake, no question and definitely no hesitation. I didn’t even have to ask how high I already knew the answer.
I guess even at a young age and maybe especially at a young age we need to teach A positive mental attitude.To plow the field meant lets get the job done.
To me, that tractor stood for the fundamental keys to my parents successes ,work ethic, and spirit, handed down from their parents ,and down the line. The guiding force that helped settled the west, Made farms and ranches out of the endless prarie,And kept families together throughout the hard times which were many.
The weak turn back and the faithful plow in. Nothing states the intention of going ahead better than plowing .The initial preparation of the ground for the planting of the seed. Plowing was the initial tillage in the preparation of the seedbed. To plant a crop you had to prepare the seedbed so that it was ready for the seed Any thought of quitting, any thought of turning back, was completely squelched as soon as you plowed the field.
Indecision, and hesitation are stopped cold with the affirmation “Plow the field”
What good advice for anyone who has lost there way “Plow the field”
What do you do when times get rough “Plow the field”
From marriage counseling to how to win a football game. To making it through rough times in Real Estate.Stop everything, put everything in perspective, and start at the beginning with the basics . Lets not sit around lets get busy and“ Plow the field”David Shriver

Class reunion/ Power of laws of attraction

2007-09-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

As an econ of American rural American life we go to high School class reunions. It may be a little red neckey but that’s ok with me If the shoe fits don’t put it on E/Bay. Actually I had maintained an aloof attitude all these years as this Big 40 was the first I had attended.
Maybe it was the guilt of missing the tenth as Billy succumbed toHodgenkins before the 15th,Maybe it was a haunting feeling of aloneness going through a divorce for the first and hopefully last time. Or maybe It was just Paul calling me out of the blue, Saying Hey Shrive why don’t we meet out at Stroh’s, stop in at the reunion, and If it gets boring we will split and head over to St Marys look up some old friends ,go to a bar and have some cold ones.
How could you say no to an invitation to guaranteed fun like that . I told him it was a plan I’d be there.
I ended up seeing my arrive time a day early so making my phone calls found out the town fall festival was going on that weekend Called Paul meet you Sat --Ok
I pulled into my Brother in laws around three --My Sister in law whirls out of the house --nice to see ya, the 566 is over there by the barn ---Run it over and pick up the full hay wagon in the field. Dennys bailing seeYa Bye.
I (having just finished showering shaving and making preparations for some serious having a good time attitude)went obediently over to a pretty rough looking Farmall Tractor figured out how to start it and where the gears were and headed over to the hay field to pick up Hay wagons.
I got over thereto the hay field, visited with Denny for just a little, hooked up the wagon and headed back over toward the barn. I caught A glimpse of Paul in the drive way, Beer in hand holding down the fort.
I Brought the wagon over to the barn (surprised my self and backed it first time right next to the elevator That they use to get the bails up into the barn)Talked with Paul for a brief Hello gotta go ( I had not seen him for at least thirty years) Jumped on the tractor and retrieved the last hay wagon from the field .Parked it and the tractor next to the barn And settled down on Paul’s pickup’s, tailgate; much deserving beer in hand.
The plan ---Fall festival party at the park, One of our friends Scott was playing in the band ,Pick up more beer head for the park. What a deal! I always could come up with some great plans.
The band was playing Really good early southern rock, a little Segar, really good music, I was walking around seeing old friends and playing guess who this is, really having a good time, Standing ther talking to Titus and his wife,When a pretty girl comes up to me and says I bet you don’t remember me. I said I bet I do ,As I had Dated her older sister right before I left for Viet Nam U.S.M.C.( If there was any doubt.)So I say you are Janie what’s you’re Sister doing ? She says well she is divorced and living in Tampa ,I said no way!.
I’m gonna have to get her number from you I say. But she was too Quick for me, as she dialed the number on her cell phone and then handed it to me. I said hello, she said who is this ? I said Dave Shriver, She told me later that she almost feinted. So we talked and I called her again, and again and again . She is picking me up in Tampa as soon as I can get down there ,taking a few days off work, and we are going to get reacquainted. Her Name Is Gail, Its funny I never did meet Samantha, Some things are just made, or not made to be. An awful lot of coincidences, or was it just the laws of attraction at work moving the world to put things in proper alignment for my happiness.
What A ride . Dave Shriver Marketing

Home Based Business

2007-08-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up ,my Dad was always looking for the perfect home business. The first enterprise he became involved with was a peanut,,cashew, and m&m route.My Dad had bought the machines, and set out placing them in gas stations, beauty shops, any where people would have time on their hands .Some locations did well some poorly ,and he would move them ,and some would be habitually broken in to .I remember sacks of nickels and lots and lots of stale peanuts and cashews. My mom actually came up with a pecan type pie made out of stale cashews that tasted pretty good. After a while my Dad found a buyer for his route and moved on to something else . I remember a garage full of soap cleaning supplies and misc. I guess my Dad sold some but I know forty years later I still have some concentrate on the shelf in my garage.(Us kids were use to getting at least a case every Christmas.)On to the wood stove made by the same family who developed the Gatling gun one hundred years ago .Long time between Ideas I guess. Finishing out with a little trampoline, that the sales pitch stated,” exercised every muscle in your body with out stress to the bone structure.” My Dad explained to me that I could train for cross country by instead of running just bouncing on my toes on the trampoline. I didn’t buy that. Because every thing that I knew at that point involving conditioning ,and endurance training said that presumption was false. Who knows I could have been an Olympic champion ,but I doubt it.
All these years later I find myself working a home based business. This one doe’s not involve filling and emptying nut machines, warehousing cleaning supplies or bouncing in someone’s living room. What I am involved with makes sense. An Internet business selling soft ware that teaches and promotes Internet marketing This works whether you want to develop yourself to become an aspiring eBay marketing King, or an Internet Real Estate Marketing Professional. You actually use the products you are selling and no warehousing no shipping,(Buyers simply download) And the best Two fold things ,One the most aggressive and consistent training program I have ever seen and two (one Hundred percent Commission)You can even listen in on the training free To give yourself an Idea of whether It is down your alley or not. I have all the links on my main blog page
http://davidshriver.net Or E/Mail me at dssprint@earthlink.net

STAY AT HOME MOM

2007-08-15T02:59:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up I had a stay at home mom. Of course, my moms Idea of Home business was keeping the household finances in order. We always had a huge garden with sweet corn, tomatoes, green beans and about, about any other vegetable you could think of. We had a pretty big patch of strawberrys,and two rows of raspberries. My mom and my aunt canned all we didn’t eat, and also froze a lot of fruits. My dad would buy a five gallon can of Michigan cherries every year and my mom would freeze and can them. We also had a chicken house, which provided fresh eggs every day and chicken dinners on Sunday. My mom sewed most of my two sisters clothes, made them dresses and skirts and blouses, and taught each of them to sew. My mom even found time to volunteer as a 4h club leader where she taught other girls to cook and sew. Sometimes the ways of the past are better, we had a loving nurturing childhood and my mom was always there for me.
In today’s world Because of the financial pressure most moms are forced to seek employment outside the home. Single mothers have an even rougher, row to hoe, as they have to try to balance time at work, to provide for their children, and time with the children, to teach and nurture. Daycare and after school programs can eat up a large percentage of the pay check. Although huge gains have been made ,the pay equality of women still is not usually on par with wages of a man. Some opportunities have been made aware to me, in the field of internet marketing. For a very small investment, a mom can have her own home business which pays 100% commissions,and allow her to do for and care for her children as she wants too. A mom can really be a stay at home with her own career. If you would like to have more information on stepping up and being free, go to http://fortune.davidshriver.net

Corn,Beans,and the Housing Market

2007-08-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

When I living on the farm one of the perilous aspects of the profession was, The whipsaw fluctuation of crop prices. Crop prices fluctuated with the weather for sure, but just as much maybe more by the crop forcasters.Every time a crop forecaster would make an announcement---“This years corn crop expected to be a record breaker, The soy bean planting are up 15% so expecting larger than normal harvest.” Announcements like these of course drove the prices down and by the time harvest time came around, It mattered little if the forecasts were nothing than a smell in the wind, as” harvest conditions effect crop” so the forecaster is always right he just changes his story. I know these things although detrimental to the farmer, make wall street people, a lot of money on the futures market .Good or bad that’s one of the reasons young people are not staying in agriculture, which in my way of thinking is a shame. Anyway the reason I point all this out is.
I guess I want some one to tell me Who started the housing market challenge we are now experiencing? Is there someone who took a booming economy, low unemployment, controlled inflation, and a very friendly lending atmosphere, and turned it into a housing slump? I realize oil prices, cut consumer spending, But is that the end-all answer? When is someone going to say” Look, we have an ever growing population, Baby boomers reaching retirement age, and the lowest interest rates in years! OOOPS-----So anybody have a handle on where this whole thing started? leave me a comment---Thanks David Shriver http://flippin.davidshriver.net

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS

2007-08-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Your conscious is only between about 10% of your mind, the rest of it is what is known as your subconscious. I know that would not surprise my teachers I had in school, I think there would probably be some debate of whether I used my entire 10%of my conscious mind at any time during my schooling years..

Your subconscious is the most powerful thing you own, and the most dangerous one. When you hear of people having anxiety attacks this is totally the subconscious mind taking complete control. Throwing an individual into a complete panic for no reason apparent, to anyone ,but that persons subconscious mind.

If you know how to make it work properly, it will do things for you and help you achieve your goals and dreams. The laws of attraction.

If you do not work it properly, it will fight against you on any thing you want to achieve - including being happy. You also will be using the laws of attraction ,but instead of attracting the goodness into your life ,you will be attracting the bad.

Your subconscious has no personal preference for what is happening on the "outside" it only cares how you are dealing with things .(problems,obstacles,challenges).

If you are dealing with them incorrectly, your mind will "quit" on you, and you will lead a miserable life where everything is a struggle and there is little or no hope at all. Where every problem has no answer, all obstacles are insurmountable, and you end up turning from every challenge.
The subconscious mind can be programmed (basically the secret)By dwelling on the good,----seeing the beauty,----and expecting good .We attract ,what our subconscious mind see‘s.. laws of attraction.

Laws of attraction are real

2007-08-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Whether you realize it or not, the Law of Attraction is already working actively in your life right at this moment. The events, opportunities and experiences you are experiencing today were set into motion by the thoughts and actions you‘ve taken previously.

The secret to the Law of Attraction is really about realizing that this law is already active in your life and deciding that you want to deliberately attract things into your life consciously rather than leaving it to the vagaries of your subconscious. This is going to take some effort on your part and if you are trapped in a negative spiral, it is probably going to take a great deal of work to change the patterns of your thinking. You’ll need to monitor your emotions in particular, because it is your emotional state that gives you the clues to the kinds of things your thoughts are attracting to you. With practice, this monitoring will become more routine and you’ll be able to let the negative thoughts go lightly while you move your focus onto the positive.

One of the main differences between the writers of the early 20th century and those who write about the Law of Attraction today is the emphasis on just how much work you need to put into consciously working with it. Many of the new breed of writers suggest that it is easy and that merely thinking about what you want for 20 minutes a day and putting together a vision board or two will get you on the road to prosperity and abundance.

The early New Thought writers such as Wallace Wattles, on the other hand, suggest that you need to do a lot of work and must deliberately take charge of what you are attracting into your life throughout your every waking moment. In the words of Wallace Wattles, echoing a common phrase in Christian,teaching you need to "pray without ceasing". In my opinion, this the correct course to take. And as Napoleon Hill taught; pursue it with a burning desire.Put a lot of work into the Law of Attraction and reap the large rewards. Or put a little work into it and watch the rewards trickle into your life. It's your decision. Reap what you sow.

Resourcefulness

2007-08-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

I guess I was twelve years old when I received my initial lesson on resourcefulness. Now this wasn’t a lesson that was in a book, It wasn’t handed down by my older cousin ;no this lesson was one I had to figure out all by myself.
You see back then all the farm kids rode the school bus to school, I won’t go into this too far but I can remember my oldest daughter explain to me that If she couldn’t get a ride to school, she just wasn’t going. Well I jumped all over that and forced her to ride the bus,untill the pain I ended up enduring became too great then she rode with a friend, Oh well, Anyway when I rode the bus there was a pecking order in as the older high school boys owned the back of the bus. After being picked up and thrown to the front of the bus I understood this. On our bus route were a family named Vonburg,Of which there were four brothers. Three of the brothers were older and in High School the youngest,Mikey was a year younger than me. A really old way of describing them would be to label them as ruffians which is what they were; bullies.
The older ones started egging on the little brother, saying they didn’t think he could whoop me, and Mikey of course rose to the challenge of his older brothers, and started slapping me around. I had been taught not to fight ,and especially never hit a girl or someone younger so I retreated to the seat next to the bus driver.
I was really in a dilemma shrugged it off and when I got home I asked my Dad what I should do; expecting to hear him tell me to stand up for myself under the circumstances. However that was not his reaction at all just the contrary. My Dad went into a tirade about his son becoming a bully, and gangs and violence, now remember this was rural Illinois in the fiftys,So he over reacted some what,and told me that if he ever heard of me getting in a fight I wouldn’t get a drivers license until I was twenty one years old and undoubtedly would end up in prison. This was not the helpful advise I was looking for, and was no where close to the world I was living in.
Every day the bus ride to school and back became increasingly intolerable as Mikeys brothers saw I wouldn’t fight back and cheered him on.
Then one day I was sitting with my friend who lived in the bottoms, we were talking about my going down to his house and boxing with boxing gloves.Mikey sitting in the seat behind us was listening and spouted off that he aught to come down and beat us both up .It was like I could see divine grace showering around me as I said that would be a great idea ,he could finally beat me up. So we set it up for that night after school.
We all met at my friend house and went into the barn ,had an area all set up with old horse harness making a make shift ring, Of course Mikey wanted to waste no time so I put the boxing gloves on and my friend was going to referee. Ding,Ding,I don’t think ole Mikey ever got a blow in as I tore him up, We ended up being somewhat friends as Mikey had a whole new outlook on things. After that his brothers even treated me with respect.
I wouldn’t and couldn’t disobey my father, or dishonor his wishes as well as I could not go on being constantly challenged, belittled and, goaded.
The recourse a pair of boxing gloves, some old horse harness, and a little bully that needed taught a lesson.
Problem solved What a wonderful world we live in may we all strive for a clarity of purpose, and resourcefulness

Ornery and vinegar

2007-08-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

When I was only four or five years old, I was over at my Grandma and grandpa’s house and while playing outside I stubbed my toe on the sidewalk in front of their house. Of course I was crying and carrying on so my grandma came out and said she would go get something to make it better .After a while She came back outside with a pan half full of vinegar and held my foot down in it.
Now this was in the early fifties, and apparently people back then didn’t know what we know now of chemical makeup of different things so apparently my grandma didn’t know that she was submersing my bloodied toe in acid. And she must not have known that acid on an open wound would be unbearably painful. Unbearable pain at an early age ,or I guess any age, is an unforgettable experience. Well as I recall my Dad thought the whole thing rather humorous, or so I remembered.
When I was a little older, one day, my dad, while mowing the grass hit a clothes hanger with the mower and a piece of the hanger hit him in the leg. My mom had put wire clothes hangers ,stuck in the ground around her flower garden to keep the dogs out of her flowers. And my dad not seeing one hit it with the mower. Well my mom doctored it and it seemed like it just wouldn’t get better. Then one morning my dad woke up and a blue line was going up his leg, Blood poisoning ;off to the doctor for tetanus ,and penicillin shots. My dad was going to be ok but was suppose to stay in bed for a few days. So my dad was in the bedroom my mom was in the kitchen and I said” Daddy says he wants you to put some vinegar on his leg”
My mom poured some vinegar in a little dish and got some sterile cloth and headed for the bedroom as I headed for the back door .I heard my dad yell HEY WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME KILL ME, I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK!--- as I ran for the barn.

Sprint cars

2007-07-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

Sprint Cars

The first time I ever saw one I was 14 years old.

I grew up on a farm along the Mississippi river just north of Hannibal Mo; Of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn fame.We lived on the Illinois side farmed in the bottoms and raised cattle up on the bluff. My Dad had been fighting poor crop prices;unpredictable weather, and the possibility of a flood every year.

Having a degree in agriculture from Western Illinois U he put some feelers out for prospective opportunities;and one came along.My Dad was Hired by a research laboratory in Ohio,to become Assistant to the president--He later became pres.While well and good for the rest of my family I was looking at a total change in my life not the least was the school in Ohio didn't have football,Something as important to me as breathing,but I didn't get a vote so off to Ohio we went.Well this lab my Dad went to work for had a research farm so upon my arrival I rode my bike out to see if they needed any help bailing hay.This started my Hay Bailing years.I ended up working summers for an alfalfa mill bailing hay for them (all of this to stay in shape for hopefully college football)Herein is where the story has its beginnings.

We had a hay field right next to the Race track at New Bremen (an asphalt track)Well we were working out there on a Saturday afternoon and the promoter A mr Cook, came on out to the field with tickets for the USAC Sprint car race on Sunday.So Sunday after church I hopped on my bike and rode it 6 miles to the race track.Now this was 1965 I saw AJ Foyt,Larry Dickson,Waldo Andretti--Marios brother, Eddie Sacks-Later was killed in the Indy 500 that year.It was wonderful sounds ,the smell,and the cars were soooo beautiful tryed to go to The speedway whenever they had a USAC race then one day someone told me of another track not to much farther away .--By this time I had my Drivers licence The race tracks name was Eldora .1/2 mile dirt track.A life changing event the first time I went. I remember A car from Dayton Flipping all the way down the back stretch with the drivers arms stretched out over his head from inertia It was the most violent horrendous thing I had ever witnessed just knew the guys that drove those things had to be crazy ;It wasn't too long after that I knew I had to drive one.

I started out in Hobby stocks then late models It Wasn't until I was In my 30's that I finally got A Sprint car . We raced the Sprint Cars for 6 wonderful years mostly Florida With the Tampa Bay Area Racing Assoc.Then with American Winged Outlaws,we raced Florida Georga,North and South Carolina's,Tennessee,andAlabama All through my Girls Jr High and High School Years we Raced.Had the only all Girl pit crew I must say definitely the happiest days of my life ----SO FAR

Lessons from the bean field

2007-07-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

When I read John Grishoms The Painted House I saw so much similarity between my growing up in the River bottoms of Illinois and his in Arkansas.His of course took place before I was born but the river is timeless. Grishams family grew cotten Ours grew soybeans;and thats where our story begins.

My dad said that a farmer is judged by the straightness of his planted rows and the cleanliness of his bean field.Well his rows were always straight as an arrow and you didn't see a weed in our bean fields thanks in no small part to me starting when I was about 6 years old .Every summer my Dad would get some old broom handles and bolt a sickle blade to the end; and that would be your weeding stick for the summer.My Dad would roust me out of bed and down to the bottoms we would go 'weeding four rows at a time and our fiels were a half mile long most of the time you would get to the end turn around and get back to the truck by noon then eat the lunch my mom had made us; then one more round and it would be dark. Time to go home sleep and again tomorrow.We would listen to the St Louis Cardinals on the truck radio on the way home In fact I saw my first world series of many on the radio.My Dad didn't talk about the war much but every once in awhile When it was just him and me He would start talking as we worked cutting them dern weeds.I heard about flying fighter planes in North Africa All about p51 Mustangs,british spitfires,P38 called the flying tigers My dad flew all of them. He told me of flying to see my mom one sunday afternoon from st Louis The whole town came out to see him off;and when he took off he circled around and buzzed the airport just a few feet off the ground He laughed and said you should of seen them run.He got lost in the fog in Italy kept losing altitude pulled the stick back still dropping untill he dropped out of the clouds in a valley he was upside down and didn't know it ;He just rolled it over and followed the valley. He said God was definately his copilot .

I always had a great dislike for weeding beans,the sweat in your eyes.had to go barefoot because the black gumbo would stick to shoes and made you ten foot high So I didn't wear shoes much in the sommer (I didn't mind that much) Bugs that would bite and sting and the hotter and madder you got the more they would bite and sting Fighting through weeds a lot taller than me facing it seemed like unsurmountable challenges every day all day

But i'd give almost anything to spend a day in the bean field with my Dad

An Indian and A Short Rope

2007-07-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Growing up on a farm ,I didn’t really get into the ball and stick games the kids in town played ;other than football and track the only sports I really cared about involved the internal combustion engine .When other kids my age were reading Inside Baseball I was devouring Hot Rod, Motor Trend, and Motors manuals, Learning what makes cars and motorcycles run. One of my friends grandpa restored old cars as a hobby ;and noticed my interest so one afternoon he pulled an old buck rake( Abuckrake was a model A Ford that they had taken the body off of ,and made it into kind of a tractor)into my parents driveway and said if it was alright with them he would just give it to me to tinker with since it had just been sitting out in a pasture for years and didn’t run he thought it would give me some good experience. Well when my friends parents came over to pick them up that evening they found us out in the pasture sitting on buckets on that ole buck rake just flying back and forth across the pasture. I had got it running and we were just trying it out. Needless to say Gramps came over the next morning and the buck rake was gone. So that’s how things got started, I had the reputation that I could get anything running And so enters Nicky Hovie;
Nickie hovie had a real nice sixty three chevelle convertible Yellow,Black interior 327 4 spd ,nice car .Well he drove in and said he was given an old motorcycle and the motor was froze up and wondered if I thought I might want to try to get it running for him. I said sure thing ,so the next day he brought it over and we put it in my parents garage. Some one had painted it White with household interior paint and it really looked bad but It was an Indian Motorcycle. I pulled out the spark plugs and filled the cylinders with diesel fuel and let it set. In a couple of days I put it in gear and with the sparkplugs still out I rocked it backward and the engine broke loose. Now I could use the kick starter and I checked to se if I could get spark and I could so I had new spark plugs and put them in and with fresh gas I tried and tried but could only get it to pop.
The next Saturday Nickie came over to see how I was coming and I jumped on the kick starter and It popped and Nickie got all excited .”lets pull it with my car” he said So I proceeded to get a rope, tied my end to the bumper hitch of Nickies Chevelle and handed the other end to Nickie.Well we got all straight so that I could pull him straight down the street and we were ready .----These old Indians were a lot like the old Harley 74 In that they had what people called a suicide clutch as the clutch was down at your foot and the shifter was next to the tank But on the opposite side than that of a Harley for some unknown reason.
---So I eased out on the clutch of the Chevelle,the rope became taunt, and down the street we went. As we gained speed Nickie stomped on the clutch on the ole Indian and I heard bap---bap-bap-varoom as Nickie roared past with a huge smile on his face. Un be known to me Nickie had foolishly tied the rope onto the handlebars of the motorcycle. As you can guess when Nickie came to the end of his rope things progressively got worse. Dave Shriver

My cousin and the movies

2007-07-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

When I was about seven years old my cousin Allen was 10.Being much older than myself he of course was allowed to do a lot more than me; and one of the things he got to do, was go to the movies with his friends. This worked out pretty well, as the next week at some point ,I would get a complete rundown and vivid description of what went on in which ever movie he happened to go to that week. Well actually I guess he kind of acted out certain scenes for realism sake Not saying he got to go to a movie every week;, no we were just farm kids ,maybe once a month if he was lucky. I think the first movie I remember hearing about was Robin Hood .Allen was really impressed by the scene where Robin Hood fought Friar Tuck on the log with poles Kind of like pugal sticks. Well Allen had to show me so we found a couple of good sized pugal sticks in the woods and started battling. It didn’t take long for me to be losing big time and when I went home with mashed fingers and a knot on the back of my head ;My mom wouldn’t let me play with him for a week.
The next movie as I recall was Ben Hur ;Of course everyone knows about the chariot race well seems we had a John Deere grain drill with a wood platform on the back intended for use to stand on while filling the drill from sacks of grain. But also it was a cool place to ride for a couple of farm kids. Well Allen has a great idea ;lets get some gypsum weeds, and we can have the battle of the grain drill while my Uncle is pulling it across the field. Gypsum weeds are these weeds that grow in the Mississippi river bottom with big ole thorny balls on them the size of golf balls. Needless to say it didn’t take one trip across the field to produce a bloody mess in the loser of the battle, and when I went home my mom was ticked I wasn’t allowed to play with my cousin for two weeks.
Then Allen and his friends went to see Tarzan I should have stayed away. Over at Allen’s house he had a barn with two hay mows; one on each side ,with an area in the middle large enough to park tractors and equipment .There were two ropes hanging from the center beam So Allen has this great Idea , we could each grab a rope, One get in one hay mow the other in the other hay mow swing over to the other side with one little addition. We would try to knock the other one off on our way across. As my older cousin out weighed me by probably 80 lbs You can only guess the outcome .But I survived that and High School football, College football, and Viet Nam I guess all the preparation for life’s hard knocks paid off. Today my cousin Allen is the pastor of a church in Missoula Montana Still helping people make preparations for life however I don’t thing he goes to many movies anymore Thank God.
David Shriver

Route 66 and how I got into real estate

2007-07-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

Back in the late 50,s early 60,s two young good looking guys made a lasting impression an a young farm boy from Illinois as they gypsy across America in a brand new Corvette. The television show of course was entitled Route 66 ;every week these two guys would drive into a different town, find work, couple of good looking girls(always) and stumble in and out of one adventure after another. As well as probably selling more Corvettes for Chevrolet than all the add campaigns combined ;That hour long TV show every week captured the imagination of countless boys and girls across America, I know that I had A dream of My cousin Allen and I Following exactly in their footsteps. By the way I was going to be Buzz. Of course Viet nam came along ,Then Allen met a girl from San Diego and got married then I met a Midwestern girl; who’s dad worked at Ford Motor Co. I went to welding school, got married ,and got on at Ford then made it into skilled trades as a welder. It seemed my life was pretty much laid out for me .Of course you never know
My young bride Karen and I started out buying a nice older house in town, I used the gi bill and things were going along pretty smoothly farm came up for sale that my dad said would be a good investment so--We sold our home and bought 100 acres, we were off to the races The farm had a real nice ranch style home with full finished basement .I bought some farm equipment at farm auctions and worked at ford night shift we were really doing great our first daughter was born then a second ,I made a camp ground atmosphere around the pond and our in-laws and friends would all camp and cookout down by the pond life was pretty good .I was getting a little restless and a little disenchanted with the factory life, and started looking for some more land The reasoning was to eventually have enough land that I could farm fulltime and leave the factory. I found 80 acres for one thousand dollars an acre and bought it .I moved to third shift midnight to 8 in the morning this allowed me to get more farm work done.
All this time I had been racing a stock car on the local dirt tracks ,I had an ingrained need for speed, And this satisfied it .I had raced my Mustang stock car at Findley on Sunday night and got into an altercation resulting in my rear differential being torn loose and my rear axle being askew a wrecker lifted the car on the trailer and I brought it home. Bright and early Monday morning I went out got the tractor and was standing beside the race car trying to figure out how I was going to get it off the trailer when a car drove in Did I say a car? --well it wasn’t just a car it was yes a brand new corvette.
A guy got out of the vette not much older than me and said If you were a little more careful loading that car and weren’t so rough with it pulling it on there It would be a lot easier to unload What a smart ass I thought. Well he introduced himself seems his name was Ron Spencer and he sold Real Estate.

I call her Reno but her name is really Samantha

2007-07-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

I know it may surprise many of you but I do read quite a bit. One of my latter readings was a Jimmy Buffet masterpiece entitled a pirate looks at forty .well seeuns as I’m looking at 58 So maybe im a little slow ---anyway I of course found some profound truths and life directional beacons within those text one such profound idea is ----Jimmy said: when he dies his only wish is that people will be able to say that he lead an interesting life.---How profound; and as I look at my own life in retrospect ;always a dangerous thing I might add ,I see Things and events that would lead me to believe that some how I must have done something right Most never have the opportunity to see what I have seen. Although I have never ridden in a Jet fighter I have been in the skies of Viet Nam In a helicopter .I have been a Marine in combat. I have been shot at ,mortars and rockets I know what it is like to have someone try personally to kill you and I know what it feels like to win. I know what it’s like to fall in love the first time and I know what it’s like to lose her to cancer. I know what it’s like to love my three girls for two as a makeup for them losing their mom. I remarried and there were some good times ;not all ups and downs maybe more downs than anyone needed or deserved but If life was fair the fox would never catch the rabbit so it go’s on, one day at a time I played college football and have watched my grandsons play pop Warner football. Brady score a hockey goal my granddaughters swimming in the pool ,laughing and just having a good time isn’t that what it’s all about? I raced The Sprint car for five years and had an all girl pit crew Margie and the girls ,and I’ve watched Kyler race go cart. I know if I had stayed working in a factory I would have missed out on .a lot of life so I never regret going out on my own and taking a chance.
So my wife is leaving to cut down on the stress in her life, Don’t laugh, So anyway there is this girl I’ve never met but we talk on the phone every day and I feel myself becoming infatuated with her, so we are going to meet, next month---Interesting ---I call her Reno but her name is really Samantha.

A time to change course in my direction

2007-07-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

When I see defeat upon the horizon showing its ugly head My response that I have made a part of my physic Is to not quit, not retreat but change course in my direction all ways gravitating toward my goal.I was listening to Bob Seger last night and caught the significance of his song "running against the wind"To apply toward what has been going on with my life .It seems as though I have been running against the wind all my life It is just as we get older,It is a lot tougher.Some real guidelines for focusing on the prise I have found.
1. Defeat your fears with actions toward doing more of what you love.
2. Seek out a support network of people who will honor your integrity and who will believe in you.
3. Take a stand about something you believe in.
4. Create your own work around your passions.
5. Don’t let external views get in the way.
6. Get creative about how to make a living doing what you love.
7. Downscale where possible to make the journey smoother.
8. Do something small in your passions each day.
9. Live with the intention that you will create work for yourself that is both fulfilling and meaningful.
10. Smile a lot, laugh a lot and be grateful for the life you have now.

Boating bliss

2007-07-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

I know that people always say the two happiest days of A boaters life are the first day he owns a boat and the day he sells it.Well I must take exception to that nasty bit of sour grapes undoubtedly made by a land lubber extraordinaire for an example of my strong belief of boating pleasure:let me just recap my 4th of july 2007.
Plans had been made to meet some friends on buckshot Island (about 5 miles east of the old 41 bridge on the caloosahatchee river Ftmyers Fl.)Even though we are on the water ---I don't have a boat lift ,so our 18 ft seaswirl spends most of her time on a trailer under an oak tree in our side yard.
The night before I had charged the batteries, poured in some octane booster as I knew the gas was kinda old,cleaned all the leaves out and pretty much got her ready for a cruise up the river Oh yes I did put the drain plugs in--.Fourth morning ---we loaded up coolers,dry clothes food,and off to the boat ramp;and to our surprise it wasn't crowded maybe because the fourth fell on A wed this year.We backed the boat in she fired right up and we cast off;heading up river. Now because of the Manatees you have a no wake zone that seems like it go's on forever so we idled along,the motor surging a little prob that old gas .When we arrived at the buoys that allowed us full speed,We could only go a little faster than the snails pace we had been on.Bad gas --I thought to bring another fuel filter so no problem I'll just put it on .As I was diligently undertaking my rendition of a NASCAR pit stop It was brought to my attention that some ominous black clouds were approaching from the North.I succeeded in getting the fuel filter on and as I attempted to restart the boat it started to rain. We had just gone under a bridge about a quarter of a mile back so I headed back for the bridge .Just about the time the boat started to plane It sputtered and quit dead in the water .We could see the bridge but shelter was not to be ours this day.A real squall blew up (later we heard that several water spouts were sighted,Not that we could see We couldn't even see the condos on the rivers edge it was raining so hard.About that time my wife began explaining to me Something about my intelligence level and some thing about my heritage and the fact that she was never going to go out in that boat again, I didn't catch hardly any of it -------------------because--------------As I sat there with the rain just drenching me the lightning flashing,the wind howling I thought how lucky,fortunate and blessed I was to be right there right then.How many people on the forth of july sit in Appts in citys with no air conditioning,sweltering,the smell of the city,the noise.
I had my cell phone and contacted the Ft myers police Seems like they have a brand new Donzi A really nice officer brought it out and towed us back to the boat ramp no charge I do love Florida.I do have a happy ending'Took the boat home changed into some dry clothes and our friend Charley met us at the boat ramp and brought us out to the island where we had a great time.So where some people might have mistaken the storm,the bad gas, the challenges of the morning as bad I found so much good and attracted more .Laws of attraction

Making the best of a bad situation

2007-07-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

When you come home for the 4th of July weekend and your wife of 20 years has decided that her life and yours are going in different directions and feels we should sell the house so that she can get her half and go our separate ways : It almost could ruin your weekend until you think about it in a positive way.
Other than the huge hit you are going to experience on the house thing think about the opportunity's for free expression, the creativity you will be able to make a part of your life,once again.Purity of purpose wow what a concept.No one telling you your ideas are foolish ,no more ridicule over your positive attitude in all things.almost a new life awaiting.
I get excited about new ideas, new opportunities,and belief in a happy ending ,if your thoughts are such that attract those things
Some one told me years ago : the best thing that could happen to a person would be for them to lose everything before they reached thirty. That way they could go on with the rest of their life being fearless.I guess really a person doesn't have to lose everything ,It's all about not thinking about loss:but instead thinking about gain and being grateful for all good things in your life. Reality begins anew every day it is only what we think, only how we perceive things, every day that make it real.

High School Cross Country

2007-06-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Where Barbara Mandrel was country when country wasn't cool :I was a runner when running was yet to be cool.I played football my freshman year of high school but the summer between my freshman and sophomore years my family moved to a town that didn't have football.With the Idea of playing football in college I decided that bailing hay in the summers and track in the spring would be my training plan .I did ok at track,had the school record in the 440yd but my junior year they came out with cross country and compared to flat out for a quarter mile It seemed almost easy.
My junior year I ran pretty much 2nd or 3rd on our team although we didn't do to well as a team,first year and all. I had a close friend(Iwas dating his sister) Jim Preston--Built like a runner about 6ft 2inches and a long stride:We started training together---Every morning at six I,d get up put my weights on my ankles,Pair of cutoffs and run up to the school,where I would meet jim--And we would run two miles crawl in the school basement window take a shower,go home and get ready for school.Then after school back on with the weights and another two miles .The only time I ran without weights was at a meet.And I started getting better I was beating Jim and soon beating the Senior that had dominated up to that point.By my senior year I had my training down pat Jim had graduated but when cross country time came around said you ready Ill meet you in the morning. So we ran: me with my weights jim right along with me.I won the first meet of the year ,then the second third fourth,I developed a trade mark kick at the last 50yds that was pretty close to a 50 yd sprint It was very demoralizing to the guys I would blow by to go on for the win.I ended up undefeated for the entire year up until the last meet. It was with Coldwater and coach told me their best runner ran 2nd at state last year.When we walked up to the start he came over to wish me luck;I was totally unprepared as his n6ft 6 frame said good luck son to my 5ft 8inch halfback looking self.He totally physiqued me out.Would you believe I finished third---Because I fell into the trap of thinking I couldn't beat him.In reality If I had run my normal time I would have beaten him but I didn't.The only reason I excelled was the fact that
I had a goal--To play college football---
I trained 120%
I never quit
I didn't know a short guy couldn't excel at cross country.
The year was 1967 I went on to play football at Heidleburg college as a walk on and un like Rudy I played
My cross country school record time still stands today after 40 years

Thunder and lightning

2007-06-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

On my site on myspace I have a line from a song written by John Prine ;If dreams were thunder --lightning was desire This old house would have burned down a long time ago. These words hit home to me and have a place in my being .It wasn't until last week A friend commented on it and I realized that he had totally lost the meaning and symbolism that make the words so special to me.So here is my interpretation or actually how I see the words.
I see a married couple ;who have struggled through life and have little to show for their efforts other than A deep love for each other.But if dreams were thunder---Oh the dreams they each had through the years,---Lightning was desire--the desire to succeed,the desire to travel the desire to raise their children right,the desire to be there for each other as they both grew old,Yes if these desires had been lightning the intensity would have surely burned the house down .And through out their lives everything comes full circle and they have the answer to their dreams and the fruits of their desire in each other. Dreams and desire are beginnings of what builds relationships and fortune's.I have had the dream of finally ridding myself and my wife of the worry and stress of daily money issues: I coupled this with a burning desire :and have found the answer for me.

Bean Field ramblings

2007-06-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

I grew up along the Mississippi River just outside Ursa Illinois.our family had farmed for three generations that I was aware of and continues upon the tradition.I started working out in the field running a tractor(A John Deere Model A)When I was six years old . My dad had to slide a pipe down the clutch handle to give me leverage enough to engage and disengage it.The running of machinery came second nature to me and I enjoyed the command of power however one job that I did not care for and had little to do with any mechanization,was weeding soybeans.
Around middle june into the heat of August my Dad would roust me up with A (up and Ad am my Merrie lads rise and shine) For one thing I felt anything but Merrie at 5:30 in the morning;For another the term lads always gave me visions of frenchies in tights and was anything but what a farm boy was interested in. We would set off before light down into the bottoms( The Mississippi river bottoms was called simply the bottoms)My dad had taken some old broom handles and bolted a blade from a sycle on the end and these served as the best weed cutters you could find ;Alot lighter than a hoe and alot sharper.Well the early morning dew as well as any moisture from rains totally eliminated shoes as the gumbo would cake on your bare feet forget about shoes.Our rows were about one half mile long so weeding four rows would take you to the end and back for lunch then end and back go home do the chores (feed the animals) eat supper go to bed so you could do it again in the morning.
My Dad would tell me stories of his flying p51 mustangs in Europe during ww11 The only time he spoke of those things.so-- The job I dreaded the most the hardest hottest and most tiring,Ended up being my sweetest memories .