I’m 73. Not much for me to try for the first time and I’m not taking up skydiving or eating brains.
Tag Archives: dailyprompt
Right and Wrong
Though I frequently fail, I try to do what is wright and avoid doing that which is wrong. It is almost always that the easier, more desirable is wrong. If I realize I have done something wrong, I try to admit it, first to myself and then to others.
On the other hand, our president seems to have it backward. After doing what he knows is wrong, he refuses to admit, certainly not to himself.
Yard Work
I was keeping up with it till this stupid virus. I got it, got over it and got it again. Took me a long time to build up my strength again. Truth be told, I am still not completely recovered. I don’t know if I ever will.
I managed to keep up with the front, more or less, but the weeds got almost 6 feet high in back. I work on it about an hour a day, as the heat permits. At 73, I just can’t stand up to the heat as I did.
Oddly my electric trimmer does most of the work but I do all the sweating. After an hour, I retreat inside and it takes well over an hour to recover. I huff and puff and drink the ice water.
About one more week, I will have the weeds under control, but there will be no grass till spring. Too late this year. Now, mostly dirt.
It’s the problem with weeds. They don’t care about reasons or excuses. You give them a chance…
Give Away?
Daily writing prompt
If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to?
Really , do I have to give it away?
Well, if I must follow the rules, Union Mission in Memphis. I can’t think of any organization that would put it to better use.
Let’s Take a Quick Look in a Mirror
Daily writing prompt
What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.
In my mind, I changed the title of this post at least half a dozen times. I may yet change it another 6 or 7 times. In theory, the title should tell the reader something about the subject. Yet it should not drive away the readers, which puts me in something of a quandary. I guess, in a way I will have to resort to a little deceit, though I don’t really like doing that. However, I really do want it to get to as many as possible if it will have the very success of The Daily Prompt’s mission to succeed.
More than most times, I feel the encouragement by God to write this. However, don’t get me wrong. I still have no claim to being a prophet, if only I were. I would like to speak on this subject as if I had the authority of God. Yet it is all common sense, or at least the most of us who have a conscience.
A little less than a week ago, I turned the radio on and found out that Hamas has again attacked Israel. How terrible this is, I thought. More senseless killing. However, as time unfolded, I realized that things were worse, much worse. It seems they were killing babies. They were burning them, beheading them, right before their parents.
How horrible, I thought. How can a people do such things to another people? It did not gain them anything in their war effort. It was simply because, well, I won’t go there. As I said before. I don’t know how people can do such things, and yet, if the reports are true, then they are.
Throughout history, people have been killing other people in war. It is a horrible thing and, for sure, I would like to put a stop to it. However, recently things have gotten worse. A socialist, that is the communist bunch out of the Soviet Union and China have killed, seemingly just to kill. Even more, year by year, the Israelites have become more targeted, apparently just because they live. Certainly the Nazis were not the first nor were they the worst
If you want proof of the existence of God, here it is. Why else would the world try to do away with the one people who must remain in order for the prophecies of the final days to be fulfilled? I mean, does the Bible not speak of the Jews in the last book of the Bible. How can these prophecies come true unless there are Jews? So, in order to keep them from being fulfilled, Satan is putting every effort into killing Jews.
Some believe man actually thought of it. Nope. It was Satan. And those trying to kill Jews are doing the will of Satan.
Nonetheless, let me return to the atrocity spoken of recently on the news. You know, where the Hamas men were chopping off the heads of babies. It does sound bad to just almost everyone.
How-some-ever, let me remind one and all. We have people; highly respected people have done and will continue to do this in this very country. And guess what, they get paid for it. The dems call them doctor and have high regard for them and they are highly protected murderers.
They cut and chop babies into little pieces. Needles-to-say, I would like to put a stop to that. It is the one major thing I would like stop right now. I would really like to be assured of my success.
But, alas, I am doomed to failure. People listen not to my cry for the babies, nor to the speeches of others.
You see, it is about money; it is about convenience; it is about power for the dems. Never is it about the baby.
However, before we get so all high and mighty about what the Hamas do, let’s get a mirror and glance at ourselves for a while. They have killed their hundreds. Our so-called healers have killed their millions, and it continues, mostly to black babies.
Painter of Light
That is what Thomas Kinkade got to be known as. If you are not familiar with his work, you might look him up. It’s not difficult. If you don’t remember his name, just enter “Painter of Light.” The reason he was given the title was because he generally painted landscapes with houses at dusk. The houses, the streetlights and even the moon seemed to give off a glow.
I have heard of people who had more copies of his paintings than they had room on the walls to hang them. It forced them to rotate them around from time to time.
He died a few years ago I am sad to say. I do believe he did bring a little light to us all who bought copies of his paintings, or just had the opportunity to see them.
Many did not like the way he did things. While all of his paintings were real, he had talented people make copies of his painting under strict supervision. As a result, there were many copies. Those in the world of established art believed in one copy of each painting and only by the artist, this despite that most of the Sistine Chapel was painted by assistants of De Vinci. The nice thing about the way Kinkade did it, he brought much more beautiful art to many more people. By the way, he also gave many aspiring artist a way to feed themselves while practicing.
I used to draw and paint when I was younger. I even considered painting the covers to my books, or at least a few of them. However, my painting is about like my books, not that good. Would anyone like to offer to do it for me?
Not all art is on canvas. Actors are considered artist too. I have many actors that I have liked over the years- Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Dorthy Kirsten, Gordon MacRae, Doris Day and a few others. However, Topol in “Fiddler on the Roof,” has to be my favorite. I have the DVD and have watched it many times. However, I also saw it on stage at the Orpheum in Memphis, with Topol. It was the last time he toured with the show and I just knew I had to see it.
I managed to get the night off of work. ( I had a very good boss, thankfully ) I went with my wife and we settled into our seats. The lights were lowered and a man stood on the stage. Topol had likely played the part thousands of times before. However, almost instantly, he was playing the part for the first time. Instantly, he was not Topol, but Tevye, a poor dairyman in early 1900s Russia. I wish I had some way of telling the man what a good and convincing performance he gave that night. I have tried.
However, he, his performance, the other actors, and the show brought to my mind something I just simply did not know before. There were tears in my eyes as I realized that as bad as the Russians were on the Jews, they chased the them into places such as east Europe, like Poland, Like Hungry, Austria , and of course, Germany. In truth, the mistreatment of the Israelites did not start in Germany and Poland. It was simply a stop along the way. It started in Ukraine. It went through Europe and it is going on this very day with help of our current occupier of the Oval Office.
And, by the way, did you know our very own Roosevelt (FDR) had a part in it. He refused to let them leave Germany and enter the US, even though they were well under Quota. That’s right, FDR was a viscous racist and he didn’t do much to hide it either.
I used to like to take pictures. I had about 160 slides of Vietnam. I used to look at them from time to time. An older woman I met took pictures too. She had been all over the world. Now SHE was an artist. I could have sat and looked at her slides for hours. It does make me wonder, where are those slides now. I certainly hope whoever inherited them knows what a treasure they have. More likely, no one has looked at them for years, if at all.
I don’t know the woman’s name. I wish I had thought to ask her for copies, but I wouldn’t be able to afford them anyway. It would be a tragedy if they have been lost. To me they would be worth more that anything that Leonardo de Vinci painted.
Sometimes, people underestimate the value of their art. I suspect all the artist I mentioned here didn’t really truly know what treasures they really brought into the world. I know Thomas Kinkade had an idea of it, but he couldn’t have really known. Topol has no idea what he brought into my life that night, and it wasn’t just the art. That woman with her slides. I know she wanted to bring something into everyone’s life. I just wished she had the vehicle for it. There is no doubt in my mind she had the talent and heart for it.
Not a Fan of Crowds
Put me in a crowd and I will head for a corner.
Actually, when I saw the prompt, I had a little laugh. People rarely are interested in anything I want to say. Moreover, much of what I hear in a crowd, I wish I had a way to unhear. (Or un see) Many crowds have folks who are drinking, and I don’t mean tea. I don’t like being around others who are drinking, even one on one.
Very few have any interest in discussing electronics, computers, Christianity or politics. Might I remind that we are cautioned about taking about religion and politics. It somewhat limits my conversation.
As usual, I could talk about the weather. As Mark Twain, said, “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it.”
I guess old Samuel Clemens never felt out of place. He seemed to always have something to say. I sure wish I had his gift of gab. It sure would be nice to have folks listen to me when explaining the plan of salvation. It would be nice if I could command the attention of thousands when I warn against the fallacies of communism.
Well, little as it is, I do what I can, even though I can’t draw a crowd.
Really? Bronze Age?
For what reason would we even want to go back to the typewriter age. Computers have become very important tools for almost all of us. Of course there are some, such as the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Company that still haven’t gotten the knack of it yet.
Still, I hate the idea of pounding out a post on an old typewriter. Moreover, even when done, without the computer, there is no way to publish it.
I don’t like the typewriter age much more than the bronze age. Running water is so much nicer than having to go out to the well and haul the stuff in by bucket. I don’t know but maybe the going green folks would like it. I mean, computers do use a lot more electricity than the old manual typewriters. AND, with the phones we have nowadays, we all use a lot of electricity just to talk to each other, or to play games.
Will You Settle for One
Daily writing prompt
List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter.
Give me the opportunity and the space and I’d love to teach reading. I think I could could teach from 6 to 25 students. If I had the chance, you’d not be able to hold me back.
I guess it would be better to teach adults but I think I could do a good job of teaching children as well.
As I can see it, I would need two hours a day for 15 days, perhaps 20. I believe I could bring them from non-reading to at least 2nd, maybe 3rd grade level.
Although I am not credentialed, I have taught electronics in the military for a total of 7 years. I guess, I could also teach basic electronics for those interested, but that would take quite a bit longer. Also, I’d need to do some prep. I have not taught anything for decades. Also, unlike reading, electronics really involves a lot of math and science.
My guess, Desoto County schools will not let me near any of their students. They could lose their accreditation. Also, they’d likely not have much faith in me or my methods.
Regardless, parents, you need to make sure your kids learn to read if you have to teach them yourself. Make sure they get plenty of practice. Those who go into junior high without being able to read are very much handicapped. Math, science, and history are all very important too. However, it all hinges on being able to learn from the printed page. It is a very important way of communicating. Those who cannot read, will be severely hindered at communications. As they grow older and go up into higher grades, it becomes all the more important.
I Hate Questions Like This
I have, literally close to a hundred albums. Picking one as my favorite is really tough. I guess at any one time, many of them were my favorite. Moreover, it sort of depends. That is to say, I have a favorite album of Christian songs. I really like my recording of the New World Symphony but I still don’t know if I want to call it my favorite.
I really like my album “Love is Blue” by Paul Mauriat. I really like the title song, but there are certainly 4 or 5 others that are great: San Francisco, Don’t Cry for me Argentina, etc.
The thing is, nowadays, many of us simply extract the songs we like and discard the others. In the case of the “Love is Blue album, I think I have extracted 5 or 6 off of it.
I have several John Gary albums and I certainly enjoy almost all his songs, though I can’t remember the names of the albums. I have an Ed Ames Album I just love. I actually think he is a better singer than actor. There are at least half a dozen songs on his album I listen to regularly.
If I may, might I change the question around a little and answer the question, what are my favorite songs. Let’s start with Whispering Hope sung by Gordon MacRae and Jo Stafford. I doubt there are many around that will remember it, but I will play it over and over when I feel really bad. It is what I thought of when I walked guard on rainy nights and saw the sun break through in the morning.
My second favorite is “Romance,” from “The Desert Song.” Most won’t like it because sopranos sing it and it does not have much of a beat. However, it does have some very thoughtful lyrics and once you get use to it, a haunting tune. By the way, that one is old too, written before I was born.
Then, of course there is Sunrise Sunset from “The fiddler on the Roof.” The fact is, I don’t think there are many who dislike that one, especially those of us who have seen our share of sunsets.
Kind of an honorable mention is a song sung by John Gary, Something Simple. I have never heard the song before him nor after. I guess we can say it is not so popular. I can understand why. The song is not just titled something simple but something simple describes it. The tune is simple, the words are simple. But they hide a very deep thought. If you get a chance to hear it, listen to it a few times. The concept it has is that it is the simple things that are so important, even complex, even the song itself.
Okay, as for my favorite album, right now, Paul Mauriat’s “Love is Blue. However, next week, it might be New World Symphony. I do have a tendency to change my mind regularly.
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