VILLAGE PEOPLE

Well, after doing a lot of fun things so far this birthday month (including a not so fun ailment last few days) I decided that the present time just could not hold all the fun, so I went back into the past, to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, just 2 miles from where I live ( and to all my adoring fans.. you both know who you are.. please do not try to find my house from this info).

Greenfield Village, now named The Henry Ford, for reasons I cannot fully fathom, is a village with houses, churches, transportation, schools, and crafts that date back from the puritan days to the early 1900s. The cover photo that greets you is a replica of Independence Hall where some of the greatest minds of our time, started the greatest country ever!!

Other notable highlights are Henry Fords birthplace, The Wright Brothers bicycle shop, which includes a piece of the famous airplane, Edison's workshop, and old covered bridge, a slave plantation complete with tobacco plants (or Cigarette Trees as I like to call em), one of the first cars ever made, and many old time craft shops, and, oh yes, a working farm, complete with men plowing.

In the summer there is old time baseball games complete with Uniforms and rules from the 1880's, and you can ride the Sawanee, an old steam Riverboat. It is very easy to lose yourself in the time and forget that you are in the year 2007. Now occasionally, an airplane or two will fly overhead and you are kind of jolted back to the present, but you are almost instantly whisked back into time, with live demonstrations of crafts like glassblowing and blacksmithing, and a real old time school which you can "attend" beware though of talking in class, the teachers were very strict in those days.

Oh there is too much more to be said about this place other than I had a great time. It is a perfect educational experience, and a fun time to boot. For you modern day travellers, there is an IMAX theater right next door.

And, oh by the way, even though there is an old fashioned General store there the prices unfortunately are modern day, so don't try to con the vendors please.

Now that I am back in the present, it is time for more birthday fun, with a trip to Port Huron, mateys. That will come in 2 weeks, so stay tuned. Ill leave you with this saying from Thomas Edison..

"Those who say they are overworked, are usually working the wrong way"

CIDER TIME!

October in Michigan. With the exception of New England, is there a better place to spend the fall?? I don't think so!! granted, the colors are not out yet this year, due to the hot September and early October, and i regret not showing that, but they should pop up in future posts. hey, my Birthday celebration is not over yet!!

This part was taken at Ruby Farms in Ruby Michigan (how convenient to put it there) just West of Port Huron ,where I am going in 3 weeks. this is a simple little Mill but to me it is one of the best places to go. It is also a Christmas tree farm where you can go and cut down your own trees just like the old days. To have an old fashioned Christmas means having a natural tree!!

The Cider there is first rate, and made fresh in the morning. They are only open weekends, so they can concentrate on producing this luscious potable during the week. nothing beats going for a ride in the Michigan woods with a glass of hot cider! (well actually a plastic cup.. why they call it a "glass" is beyond me, but I digress) in gorgeous 50 degree crisp weather.

They have other things there too like a carousel, fire engine rides, a Christmas store, haunted house (sorry folks, I just barely got over my fear of clowns, you are not going to get me into a haunted house yet!

You can walk along trails to where the quiet is deafening. Of course I have to walk the whole trail, even the spots where i may or may not be able to go. Fortunately they now have signs as to the limits you can walk.

They have a neat little animal cemetery also. I think it is a fictional cemetery, the animals are not really buried there, but the guide tells me these animals actually existed on the farm ,and met their fate just like the tombstone says.

People watching is fun too over there, as it is anywhere, especially the kids. to me they seem to like the Christmas tree farm. And I do not blame them. I mean if i saw hundreds of Christmas trees lined up in a field, I would get giddy for the season too!

It was a great time and I picked up some Cider to take home on these upcoming chilly evenings!

I really would like to thank my Mom and my Dad (rest in peace, Dad) for arraigning that I be born in October! what a month!! And Thanks to all of you readers and posters for coming along with me on this trip!!

OH BTW I hear that even Charlie Brown got his famous Christmas tree here too!

I'd hug you, but I cant afford a Lawyer

I would like to interrupt my birthday celebration (which is going fine, for the most part) , and maybe also because I am feeling a bit cranky today to post this link about the school that has banned hugs, amongst other things.

With education in a sorry state today with our young children being taught the lies that America is bad, and that our brave forefathers were racist scum, you would think they would have better things to do than to ban hugs, tag and most displays of affection. Now what does this teach them about when they grow up, especially the boys. that touching is bad?? That having strong loving dffeelings for the opposite sex is bad?? and if it is good, then showing it must be bad. Look here. Common sense dictates that if you hug someone or touch someone, and they do not return it, or tell you to stop, you stop! Case closed. You do not try to get hugs, or touching banned. Think of what would happen if we banned everything that offended even just one person. If we offend someone, we apologise, and not do it again. Seems that some school officials need to start thinking about things like teaching our kids correct history and science, and stop meddling into the normal activities of children.

Well now that I wrote about it, I may as well confess. When I was six years old, a classmate gave me five cents if I would go and Kiss this one girl I liked. so I kissed her. She kicked me hard in the shins. end of story. I got my nickel, but I did not kiss her anymore. I guess today I would be in jail!

I should count my blessings.

Need a hug today?? I guess we need to have a lawyer handy.

SAIL AWAY!!

With Apologies to David Gray, Yes its time to Sail Away on a birthday voyage that all are invited to. Step aboard the deck of my solid ship of celebration, and lets go on a joyous month long trip to celebrate birth, life, love, and victory!

Why all the fuss?? well that will be explained in a soon to be released post. But for now let me just say I am eagerly anticipating my October and Early November voyages. Fall Colors, Cider Mills, which I will report on which Mill has the worlds BEST Cider! a tour of the past, and a trip down to an old, but quaint Port City where my voyage will come to a rollicking close. No Mutineers allowed, just shipmates.

And for those, more practical swabs, I will say, I am NOT shirking my responsibilities. the burdens and committments of work and home will be more than taken care of. I worked last Saturday with a headcold cleaning the house and making sure all my things were in order. Work first, play second is a great philosophy! And I always work hard and play hard.

Oh and for those of you who are already thinking that I am wierd, here is more ammo for you. I intend to buy myself gifts too!! what?? has he gone loony?? Is he really a few fries short of a happy meal?? and to top it off, I intend to post them all here. so for those of you who read this, and I know theres a few, although SOME of you do not post comments (major hint here) I just want to warn you, theres more to come.

So in conclusion, let me say that the celebration is underway, all are invited. Scuttle all your troubles away, and come aboard with me for a wonderous journey aboard my fancy rowb.....HEY!! WHO MESSED WITH ME BOAT! ARGGGGGGG

With three days left until my long birthday celebration, here's whats on my mind:

Do you realize Captain Kangaroo is neither a Captain, nor a Kangaroo?

If someone says he has a right to respect, what he is saying is that you don't have a right to your opinion.

One of the greatest organizations out there is "true love waits" here are a group of kids who are defying peer pressure and abstaining from sex until they are married. they are the true heroes in my book. What is more romantic and sexy than to know that you are, and always will be, your lovers first and ONLY partner?

Why don't they invent a peanut butter jar that opens on BOTH ends. Thus we do away with that annoying scraping the bottom of the jar with a knife that we hope is long enough to reach.

One of my favorite movie lines: "we never realize the most significant events of our lives while they are happening. Back then I thought: 'Well, there will be other days'.. I did'nt realize that... that was the ONLY day" Field of Dreams

Where was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?? Breeds Hill!

Despite the old saying, it is not really that hard to sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo. they often use it to keep foods from freezing.

They say that flying is the safest way to travel. I dont know how much consideration they have given to walking.

Theres not enough Days in October, my favorite month!

have you ever been reading an article that you absolutely hated, but continued to read it till the end??

I am 53 years old and I just found out 4 years ago there is a big difference between sewing and knitting.

Don't you long for the days when the news shows were only half an hour long and only ran once a day??

Question: If you call a tail a leg, How many legs does a dog have?? Answer: Still four! CALLING a tail a leg, does not MAKE it one. Good lesson to learn next time we start to assume something about someone.

Why does my 85 year old mom who has not driven in 20 years get "safe driving" awards in the mail?

Well thats whats in my brain at the moment. Scary Hmmm?? updates to follow, I'm sure!!!

This place is a Zoo!!

Well its not exactly time for my month long birthday celebration, but I took the opportunity of a great late September Saturday to go to the Toledo Zoo! I like this Zoo more than the Detroit Zoo because the animals here seem to be more active. It is almost like they are saying "here we are, come look at us" whereas the Detroit Zoo animals are like.."you here AGAIN??" we're sleeping!

More to see at this zoo than just animals as these poorly posted pictures will bear out. Forgive me if they are out of whack, I am a newbie here. Anyway the Zoo had an old car show going on, and that was fun, and I enjoyed the train ride into the heart of "Africa". Snack time demanded a Waffle cone and I was only happy to oblige my stomach, while I people watched. Watching people at the zoo is very interesting. look at the entrances and exits, whic hare usually the same. I see people coming in with their kids and they are all happy and the kids are happy and they are fresh and rested. Looking at the exit and the people going out and you will see tired and restless kids, and parents who looked like they just went 12 rounds with the animals they just saw. Someone once said tha tthey wonder if in a zoo the animals are watching us more than we are watching them... If thats true, then the question begs.. "who is more entertained??"

But this is a great zoo, and being fond of exotic animals like I am I always enjoy this trip. I guess I am most fond of the animals I know most about. Snakes, Lions and Elephants. theres more to these animals than names on the Chinese Zodiac will tell you.

Zoos are great family entertainment, and the wise parent will include a trip to the zoo on a nice summer day, and remember, these animals may just be watching you!! Holy Toledo! what a zoo!!

LOVE Part 2

OK, its time to do the impossible and try to define love, as defined in Part one. "A steady desire for the loved ones ultimate good, as far as it can be obtained"

First of all, Love is a desire to ACT. Love is not motionless, it must be busy searching out the loved ones ultimate good. Secondly, it is a desire to act SACRIFICIALLY.. Love must cost us something. And I really do not mean money either. Love someone,.. ANYONE, and it will cost us time, it will cost us comfort, we must get out of our comfort zone and put our hearts right on the line. Yes it may cost us money as well, and in some cases as in the case of our brave soldiers, Love may cost us our lives. Show me a man who is not willing to die for the one he loves and Ill show you not much of a man.

Love also is a desire to act sacrificially FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANOTHER. Now you may say.."wait a minute..If I do all these things, doesn't it follow that it will be beneficial??" Not really. For instance you may "love" your kids so much you do not want to see them hurt, so as a result, you let them do anything they want. Is that for their benefit?? or maybe you have a loved one who is a recovering addict. Do you give him what he craves because you love him and want to see them happy?? of course not. Sometimes we show love in ways that is not beneficial to others, and some times real love is not met with kindness. we must make sure what we are doing is TRULY beneficial for that person whether they like us for it or not. The old phrase "You'll thank me later" fits here.. and you know?? most often they will!

Finally and perhaps the hardest to do is this point. Love is a desire to act Sacrificially for the benefit of another WHETHER THEY DESERVE IT OR NOT!.. Man is this hard. but sometimes we men know that our loved ones are not acting in a way we would like, so we kind of say.. "forget it. They do not deserve my love at the moment". And we guys can be the same way ourselves. But real love shows itself whether the other person deserves it or not. What do you do when a person we love acts a fool?? do we punt?? give up? or love them all the more. That's the challenge of love.

Men (and women) If you have a love like that, treasure it!! And if you happen to be the one GIVING that kind of love, well my hat is off to you, that's the kind of love we need now.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. .