Tree of memories on the path least traveled….

Dear Diary Page 35
Hello Diary,
Taking a break from all the activities.. thought I would pen a few thoughts, mainly about the up and coming holiday season…. won’t be long and trimming the tree will be needed.. of course the tree is not like most trees, not put up in a hurry, just for Christmas day… not about lights and glitter…

It is a tree of memories, you see…takes about 2-3 days to put it up, to do it right… don’t have the train set when I was a child growing up but have one underneath the tree with a little village… reminds me of when I was young, my brother and I slept on the second floor of a farm house, directly over Mom and Dad’s bedroom.. We had train track all over the floor and spent Christmas eve sending messages back and forth (we were suppose to be asleep, don’t you see).. Mrs. Santa Claus had enough and finally came upstairs to put a stop to the messaging… 😀

Exif-JPEG-422

Just put enough lights on to reflect off the ornaments, for the ornaments were the spirit of the tree.. Ornaments from before Kathy and I first met…ornaments from our first Christmas, stationed at Camp Lejuene, N.C. will be 51 years ago… didn’t have much money, no such thing as credit cards, purchased a large chicken and had half of it for Thanksgiving and the other for Christmas…had a little 3 foot tall tree…

Ornaments of when the kids were young, pre-school, and they couldn’t reach very high so they put them all in one spot, they got a well done, and then during the night, one of Santa’s elves would arrive and scatter the ornaments around the tree… 😀
While decorating there would be Bree and Miss Daisy who would try to help (Miss Daisy was Kathy’s precious friend and companion from the time she was a pup, she passed away in 2014 in Mother’s day, age 16), and hopefully to prevent a fight, they would both get the “same” Christmas present but in spite of that, they would always want what the other had and in time would switch….

Exif-JPEG-422

Each ornament, lights a memory and there are many memories on the tree, that is carefully put together and when done properly, becomes the spirit of the tree and the tree becomes alive…it is put on a rotating base and near the large window so all passing by can see it also… 😀

IM000979.JPG

Well, Diary, I had better go, have things to do and need to check the Christmas lights so at the ready… for one day soon, Christmas will come to the path least traveled….

It’s twelve days till Christmas
And as I look around,
Checked every package under the tree
No toys for me were found.

But I’m not one bit worried
The sadness it won’t last,
Because I have some memories
Of many of Christmas past.

One Christmas eve in particular
For the night my brother and I retired,
It wasn’t long into the night
The imagination was fired.

We had train track all over the floor
Much to Mom’s dismay,
All night long messages back and forth
Wondering about Christmas day.

But in a blink of an eye
All got quiet real quick,
There was a shadow in our door
And it definitely wasn’t ST. Nick!

It’s Christmas morning….wait there’s a honk
And I looked out the window to see,
It was just my neighbor in his car
Bringing me back to reality.

But that’s ok, I haven’t grown old
And I’m not even gonna start,
I’ll be forever young, don’t you see
With Christmas in my heart.

So to all.. and to all
As I get into my sleigh,
WAIT, I can’t say goodnight
It’s the middle of the day!

(Penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller 12/12/2007 )

When the time is right on the path least traveled…

Dear Diary Page 35
Hello Diary,
Had not planned on being back here so soon, but will make one more post before moving on down the path least traveled…what got me back here was I heard the phrase “when the time is right” which immediately got my inquisitive mind working.. 😀

As a mortal ponders the phrase, knowing full well that, like all mortals, the time clock is winding down (hopefully it is a slow clock and don’t wind down too fast!!.. 😀 )… “when the time is right”…. does one wait, only to find that one has missed it??.. does one wait, only to be too old when it comes and it doesn’t matter?? is it automatic and just happens or does one have to look for it??… is the right time different for each or the same for all??.. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

When Is The Right Time….
To climb a mountain
To fly a plane,
To hug a friend
To run naked in the rain.

To stand up tall
To make your thoughts known,
To blend with a crowd
To go it alone.

To till the field
To go to war,
To pen a poem of love
To write a musical score.

To take this path
To maybe take the other,
To open ones heart
To share it with another.
(penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller 10-23-2015).

I could go on and on but then I might miss “when the time is right”…. 😀
Or, as Doris Day would say….

And so it goes, on the path least traveled…until we meet again..

We’ll meet again on the path least traveled….

Dear Diary Page 34

Hello Diary,
Going to take a vacation from blogging and Facebook for awhile, have some things I wish to do and devote more of my time to them… also preparing for the minor surgery as the surgery itself is minor but I will not be able to do much for a time afterwards while the surgery heals but even then, have plans to enjoy the day and life… so that being said, as I, and Bree, venture down the path least traveled, I will be back again one day, don’t know where, don’t know when…. Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise… 😀

Getting Ready For Winter….

I set here with my coffee
And watch the leaves a fallin’
It’s becoming clear that one day soon
Jack Frost will come a callin’

Most of my bird friends have went south
In the southern warmth they’ll stay
But I’ll not shed a tear in sorrow
For they’ll be back again some day

All us creatures that are staying behind
To deal with the cold and snow
Are getting our house in order
And waiting for winter’s blow

The squirrels are gathering leaves and such
To insulate their winters nest
The possum is checking every nook and cranny
To find a place for his winters rest

The bee’s are picking up the pace
Gathering nectar with the morning sun
Storing winter food for the hive
Before their work on earth is done

A spider spinning it’s web of silk
I watched as it grew and grew
Soon to become natures work of art
With tomorrow’s early morning dew

This poem could go on and on and on
But alas, I have things to do
For, like it or not, don’t you see
I need to get ready for winter too.
(Larry “Dutch” Woller 10/14/2007)

Until then, from me and Bree..

Chicken Noodle Soup and some thoughts to finish the weekend on the path least traveled…

Dear Diary Page 33…
Hello Diary,
Back sooner than I thought I would, but had to post a picture of the finished soup, in answer to my blog page Dear Diary Page 32 with the recipe for making hearty noodle soup… after two days wait, the finished product… they say a picture is worth a “thousand words” so I need not say any more… 😀

Leaving with a couple of thoughts to end the weekend and start a new week and is it on down the path least traveled we go….

“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.
I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.” Thomas Paine (A Founding Father of America and sometimes referred to as “the Father of the American Revolution”).

“Any piece of knowledge I acquire today has a value at this moment exactly proportioned to my skill to deal with it. Tomorrow, when I know more, I will recall that piece of knowledge and use it better.” Mark van Doren (American Poet)

Noodles and dreamcatching on the path least traveled…

Dear Diary Page 32…
Hello Diary,
Thought I would pop in briefly and share cyber space my receipe for hearty noodle soup should anyone wish to try… 😀

I used 5 skinless, chicken thighs ( so I do not have to worry about small bones), a medium onion, a couple of sticks (NOT stalks, 😀 ) of celery, three medium carrots.. I use salt, pepper and bouillon cubes to taste… while there may be other types, the only noodles I have found that will work are these (anything else will turn to mush before ready);

The day before I wish to eat, I clean as much fat off the thighs as I can, put them in a 4 1/2 quart crockpot along with the onion, a dash of rosemary (dried leaves) and about a teaspoon of parsely and 4 chicken bouillon cubes;

I will put the crockpot on Low for about 7 hours, turn off, and using a FF strainer;

Remove as much meat and bone as possible and put on a plate.. after cooling a bit, will remove the meat from the bone, put the bone back in the crockpot, clean the meat of any gristle, etc, chop up and return to the crockpot…

Then the next day will start the crockpot around 8 AM on Low, around Noon or so will add the veggies (this time I also added a small potato diced up);

and then about a hour before eating, remove the bones and add the noodles…no set amount, just how many noodles I wish to have, usually around 2 1/2 cups… may need to add more water and if so, perhaps another bouillon cube if needed, depending on taste… cook until the noodles are tender, you are ready to eat soup, turn off crockpot and remove liner from the base (will stay warm for quite some time and not overcook the noodles) and serve from liner (it will make a lot of soup and any left over soup I put in small, individual portions in a zip-lock back and freeze…)

BON APPETIT!!!!

Now, for some dream catching…. bye till whenever… 😀

Feeling goovy on the path least traveled

Dear Diary Page 31…
Hello Diary,
Time to bring a busy week to a close and active it has been, keeping it brief (is that cheering I hear?.)….have a good deal ready for winter ( a taste of it this weekend… 😀 ) outdoors, the inside more or less ready and, now, will spend a casual weekend making plans for winter and preparations to be ready for minor surgery next month…
But for the most part enjoying the weekend, slowing down and feeling groovy..

What do these ingredients have in common, one may ask?

Wait for it ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Dutch’s Hearty Chicken Noodle soup… 😀 (going to have that Sunday with cheesy, garlic, bagel with ham toasted in the oven…)

That being said, will close (not sure when I shall return) with some words of thought…
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

And, in keeping with the groovy mood, finish with a song performed by Andre Rieu (with lyrics ) called; The Red Rose Café… a good song to sing at the local pub, especially the chorus and the folks in the video are a happy lot.. 😀
And, so it goes, on the path least traveled…..

The Red Rose Café….

They come from the farms and the factories too
They all soon forget who they are
The cares of today, well, they’re soon washed away
As they sit at a stool by the bar

The girl with green eyes in the Rolling Stones shirt
Doesn’t look like she works on the land
And the man at the end, he’s a very good friend
Of a man who sells cars second hand

Chorus…
Down at the Red Rose Cafe in the harbor
There by the port just outside Amsterdam
Everyone shares in the songs and the laughter
Everyone there is so happy to be there

Well, the salesmen relax with a few pints of beer
They try not to talk about trade
The poet won’t write any verses tonight
But he may sing a sweet serenade

So pull up a chair and forget about life
It’s a good thing to do now and then
And if you like it here then I have an idea
Tomorrow let’s all meet again

Chorus…
Down at the Red Rose Cafe in the harbor
There by the port just outside Amsterdam
Everyone shares in the songs and the laughter
Everyone there is so happy to be there

More thoughts on being “different” and a bit of winter on the path least traveled

Dear Diary Page 30…

Hello Diary,

Taking a break before getting on with the day, a busy week ahead…
Reflecting back, have been told by a number of people that I have more conviction, compassion, passion, etc than most.. ( perhaps a bit of femininity in me?.. 😀 ).. the main reason being I am not shackled, restrained, caged by social ideologies and thinking… just being ME.. 😀

I treat life as an adventure, a free spirit;
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover, acquire new friends and gain knowledge of yourself and the world.” Mark Twain…

Most create a bubble for themselves, I do not (and sometimes it gets me into trouble, 😀 );
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Helen Keller

Love is a bond between two creatures that knows no bounds, time or distance, not born by the criteria of others as to how love is suppose to be;
“Love is the expansion of two natures in such fashion that each include the other, each is enriched by the other” Felix Adler

And on the path least traveled, one does not judge by the cover or image, but look upon and accept others, for good or ill, based on their inner thoughts and words;
“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.” Dali Lama

All of the above in a single word; I’m “different”… 😀

Changing the subject, getting a bit long winded today, Diary…much to do before winter doldrums set in…were scratching my head debating where to start (while listening to the washing machine, NOT Yanni.. 😦 ) when some encouraging words came to mind from Frank Sinatra.

And speaking of winter, that means Christmas in not far away, reminded me of one of two poems I wrote…

Christmas Is Coming, White Or Not…….

Tis rain and fog, not a snowflake in sight
Looks more like Christmas in Hawaii, and this I fear,
With the weather forecast in hand
May not be a white Christmas this year!

The tree is trimmed, not as many lights this year
The presents are fewer, but tis the thought that counts,
Maybe not as plentiful, but food being prepared
As Christmas draws near and excitement mounts!

The spirit is in the air, the weather not to matter
And I am caught up in the spirit, I must confess,
So white or no, Merry Christmas to ALL!
And may all your presents be filled…. with love and happiness!!
(penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller, 12-23-2009)

Well, Diary, the washing machine has stopped so it is HI HO HI HO, off to work I go… and with some thoughts about the world with all its difficulties, conflicts, anger and mortals trying to impose their will and ideology on others, another of Frank’s songs came to mind….

Ahhhhhhhhh, those were the days, my friend…..

Dear Diary Page 30…

Hello Diary,

A relaxing day today, while contemplating the future with an occasional venture into histories past… had a luncheon with some former classmates (Class of 1962) yesterday, sharing thoughts about the past, everyone’s dreams and the changes that have taken place over the years…
About movies that were worth seeing with wonderful music that would stir the hearts of poets, lovers and dreamers..

A Invitation..

I received a invitation one day
Oh, not your regular kind,
The words not spoken or written
But were in the heart and mind.

To share a love and happiness
A love, that is precious and true,
A happiness that is eternal
That only lovers and dreamers knew.

The invite did not come the regular way
No cards, no letters, no phone.. you see,
It just appeared one day
In the depths, the spirit and heart of me.

The invite came from an unknown
A unknown too great for me to behold,
But it was to be a precious beginning,
Of a story, one day to be told.

(penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller 2-4-2001)

A time when hero’s were born..

Instead of today’s movies with no plot or ending but who can blow up who, merely entertainment for those of like minds…and the music stirring nothing…

Use to have dances where everyone enjoyed themselves (HORRORS, what would the right wing faithful of today think about girls dancing together.. 😀 )

Instead of today’s loud music with people simply jumping up and down screaming… but to each their own I guess… 😀

A time when man dreamed of leaving safe harbors and exploring, seeking adventure by going where no man has been..

today we have Larry, the cable guy……. 😦

A time of poets, dreamers, lovers and of men and women exploring, leaving no stone un-turned….Those were the days, my friend, and they still exist here on the path least traveled..

Send in the clowns…..

Dear Diary Page 29…

Hello Diary,
Going to take a brief break from venturing on the path least traveled, to share some thoughts with you, Diary…. have been thinking of all the issues and problems in this world, while watching, over the course of a few days, the Republicans of America’s attempt to govern… appears to be a bunch of self-centered, narrow minded individuals (exercising the wishes of their like thinking voters, male and female) who make up a circus act that only P.T. Barnum would love… maybe one day they will make a movie of it all starring the Keystone cops and the Three Stooges… will leave a parting song that I believe will fit the occasion… 😀

“When a party is in opposition, it opposes. That’s its job. But when it comes to power, it must govern. Easy rhetoric is over, the press of reality becomes irresistible. By necessity, it adopts some of the policies it had once denounced. And a new national consensus is born.”
Charles Krauthammer

Moving on down the path least traveled, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise.. will return again, don’t know where, don’t know when…

Busy, busy, busy on the path least traveled…..

Dear Diary Page 28…

Hello Diary,
Busy, busy, busy on the path least traveled!!!…

Take your time and see if you can read each line without a mistake!
1. This is this cat.
2. This is is cat.
3. This is how cat.
4. This is to cat.
5. This is keep cat.
6. This is an cat.
7. This is old cat.
8. This is person cat.
9. This is busy cat.
10. This is for cat.
11. This is forty cat.
12. This is seconds cat.
Now go back and read the third word in each line from the top
down…. 😀

“”Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011), Stanford Commencement Adress, 2005””

“May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!”

Yanni and Andre not near fast enough this week, perhaps the weekend when settled in with a spot of tea and watching the world go ‘round…. 😀
Play it James Last…..