The holiday, it is a coming, like it or not….

Dear Diary Page 41…

Hello Diary….
Have recuperated from surgery and moving on….got the “fixing’s” out for turkey day to make sure I have it all, will prepare Wednesday….

While doing that, reminded me of history’s past when I was a child growing up on the farm and there would be a family gathering at Thanksgiving and Christmas, each year someone would have it at their home, changing every year…was quite a quite daunting for us kids, and when it came time to eat, the adults would put us kids at one table and they another (I wonder why they did that??… 😀 ) .. reminded me of the following song;

Won’t be anything like that this year… 😀 …. But I suspect more thoughts of history’s past as time passes on…..that being said, continued in the kitchen to make preparations for the meal when I heard a bark and a noise… the following poem says it best, a take off the poem written by Clement Clarke Moore; A Visit From Saint Nicholas (Twas The Night Before Christmas)….

Twas two days before Thanksgiving
When all through the house,
Everyone was stirring
Including the Christmas mouse!

I was working on the turkey
When there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the kitchen
To see what was the matter.

I ventured to the living room
And there, to my surprise, I did see,
Standing nose to nose, beak to beak
Was the Christmas mouse and Bree.

With spatula in hand, ENOUGH, I yelled
With a voice loud and clear,
So that the Christmas mouse and Bree
Scattered, they did, in fear.

It was back to the kitchen and the turkey
No thoughts of sugar plums, dancing in my head,
But thoughts of a Thanksgiving TV dinner
Cooking in the microwave instead……… 😀

( Larry Woller, 11-23-2015)

No blows, no foul and we will have turkey and all the trimmings hopefully…cards mailed, tree and house are decorated, so ready for the holidays on the path least traveled…Bree is already wondering what Santa is going to leave…

So everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holidays and I will return again one day to leave some thoughts about the journey on the path least traveled and all its adventures, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise… will close with some holiday music by Mannheim Steamroller….

A hawk, some holiday spirit and a “selfie” on the path least traveled…

Dear Diary Page 40…

Hello Diary….
Will be a hectic week next week, not sure when I shall return so thought I would post a few thoughts….almost finished with what decorating I am going to do, will finish up in a couple of days along with any other tasks needed doing … decided to take a break and venture into town, visit with Mom, run some errands and by Wednesday, should be ready for turkey day and surgery and some down time in activities after surgery..

Fed the outdoor folk this morning before leaving and the little sparrows were there by the flock, but the neighborhood hawk decided to crash the party and apparently the sparrows don’t like party crashers…

Must be a lonely job being a hawk but I guess someone has to do it… 😀

Decided to get the holiday cards out and the rest of the supplies and start preparing them to mail..

A couple of pictures of decorations, concentrating on garland, flowers, etc and less on lights.. I mean, how did the people decorate before Thomas Edison was born??… 😀

A bit more..

And thought I would finish my thoughts with a “selfie” video, not easy to do, especially with a little Jack Russell…. 😀

That being said, will venture on down the path least traveled and return one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise.. in the meantime have a….

Gales, Day 3 and it’s beginning to look a little like Christmas on the path least travele..

Dear Diary Page 39…

Hello Diary….
Because it were a fast moving front, the atmosphere here was dry, etc, the storms did not have time to form like they did to the west, so basically a very windy day yesterday with some rain… a windy, cool day today, a good day to stay indoors and reminisce about the yesterdays and ponder the tomorrows…

That being said, yesterday, after doing chores, making sure the hatches were battened and everything secure outdoors, Santa’s helper and I started in on day 3, to finish the tree… although Santa’s helper would have preferred to be outdoors chasing anything that moved, and with the wind, there were a lot of movement.. 😀

Had to 25 gallon storage tubs of ornaments, one with the globes, about 50…

Which had several old ornaments, one of which was about 85 years old and had blades inside and if you put it over a bulb, the blades would move

While putting the ornaments on one at a time carefully, Santa’s helper decided she needed a break and go for a walk, and after my ignoring her for a time, she finally had a sit down protest at my feet..

Ventured out for a time and upon returning, started on the second tub which had 100 Hallmark ornaments and 100 glass icicles…

Needless to say, not all the Hallmark’s got on the tree, 😀 , but got quite a few on.. no interruptions this time so managed to finish…the icicles the last to put up

The key is to put the icicle near a bulb (there is not a twinkle light on the tree)…once done, the tree was ready for Christmas and the end result;

Will turn on the lights Thanksgiving morning…and after a long day of multi-tasking, Santa’s helper decided to take a short nap before supper… 😀

So went day 3 on the path least traveled and will spend today going over the “yet to do list” before the 19th, have some thoughts about the past, present and future as we venture on down the path least traveled… will leave with a holiday song to help get one into the spirit of the season, as it is not all about the presents… 😀

Life is an adventure on the path least traveled when….

A bit of fall, a bit of Christmas, stormy skies and a peaceful Yanni on the path least traveled…

Dear Diary Page 38…

Hello Diary….

Thought I would pop in briefly and share some thoughts.. may be a stormy day tomorrow, so indoors I shall be… getting a great deal done before surgery next week and winters arrives in earnest.. once finished, then I can relax and just be annoying… :D..

That being said, house done for now, weather instruments ready so just the leaves left.. have gotten most up but have one “windrow” of leaves left, hopefully a kind wind will dispense of them tomorrow… (clever, eh?).. 😀

Have the compost bin filled, will add veggie scraps and paper on occasion

The leaves will start to decompose, the worms will swallow the decomposing leaves, eating the micro-organisms that decompose the leaves, passing the leaf on out in the form of “worm poop” or another word for it, compost… I then use the compost as dirt for my plants, etc.. It is called “recycle”

Didn’t get much help from Bree with the leave gathering but did help on day 1 and the start of putting up the tree…she had a difficult time deciding on where to put the ornaments

Helped some on day 2, Sunday, but she is not really into putting on the lights.. takes a better part of a day..

And with the weather forecast for tomorrow, have established tomorrow as day 3 and hopefully will finish the tree and have that taken care of (and perhaps more decorating) before surgery, then on Thanksgiving morning, can “officially” turn on the lights… Bree is not really into putting on ornaments either but the following poem will say it better perhaps…. 😀

Bree

He’s just my dog ( in Bree’s case; she)….

He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds;
my other ears that hear above the winds.
He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea.
He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being;
by the way he rests against my leg;
by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile;
by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him
(I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along
to care for me).
When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive.
When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile.
When I am happy, he is joy unbounded.
When I am a fool, he ignores it.
When I succeed, he brags.
Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful.
He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion.
With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace.
He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant.
His head on my knee can heal my human hurts.
His presence by my side is protection against my fears
of dark and unknown things.
He has promised to wait for me… whenever… wherever, in case I need him. And I expect I will – as I always have.
He is just my dog.
(by Gene Hill)

Well, better mosey on down the path least traveled, life is calling and better see lies ahead, who or what is waiting along the way…. with a stormy day outdoors, will have Yanni to calm the air indoors…

Dear Diary Page 37…

Hello Diary….
Thought I would pop in briefly as another busy week to behold and not sure when I’ll return, but taking time to mention events the coming week…

Tuesday is the 10th and the Marine Corps birthday so taking time to say Happy Birthday to all the Marines out there!!

November 11th is Veterans Day, of course, so leaving a poem and wishing everyone a safe and Happy Veterans day!!

In Remembrance……

We were volunteers, one and all
So Noble.. Proud.. and Brave,
Did not know the reasons for war
Just a people from tyranny to save!

Glasses held high, we made an toast
Surely that Victory would rule the day!
While back at home, the voices of unrest
Not a kind word for us did they say.

Some could not vote, children were we
Some could not drink, but still our battle cry,
Even with all that we could not do
For us children, it was to do or die!

Vietnam was a hostile, violent land
The dangers, the horrors of war abound,
Whether the paddies of Vietnam or the fields of home,
Seemed for us, not a friend could be found.

But we proudly gave it our all, lads
Faced our destiny, with a hint of fear of tomorrow
Some to return to a mother’s joy
Some to return to a mother’s sorrow.

So should you be looking on today, lads
One more toast, hold your glasses high,
To PEACE, HOPE and LOVE, may they long endure
CHEERS, LADDIES!!!.. And SEMPER FI

(penned on May 30, 2009 by; Sgt, Larry “Dutch” Woller
12th Marine Regiment
Vietnam, 1965–1966…)

And Friday the 13th is not only my birthday, but the birthday of my friend Cara Benson and it will be a “lucky” Friday the 13th… 😀 taking this moment to say Happy Birthday, Cara and may all your presents be filled with happiness!..

With that being said..
On down the path we shall venture,
Leaving no stone unturned
As life is an adventure.

Living and loving life on the path least traveled…..

Dear Diary Page 36
Hello Diary,
Thought I would pop in so you would know that I am still around, very busy on the path least traveled…but believe the outdoors is mostly ready for winter.. 😀 now will be getting ready for the holidays and surgery…

Had a brief scare yesterday, I pulled up to the stop sign at the intersection, a state trooper came to the intersection opposite me and we both were turning in the same direction, and for some reason I started to wonder if the state had sent me a sticker application for the plates… didn’t recall getting any and my sticker expires 10-31-2015, never did get a form… he was some distance away so I turned off onto a country road to let him go one, got out to look and, horrors, I was driving on expired plates!!!… fortunately I went to a local bank, which happen to be open that early in the morning, in a neighboring town and got a new sticker..

Anyway, decided to do a bit of cooking before getting on with the day, Bree decided to sleep in, just cannot get good help these days… 😀

Had some hamburger that needed cooking so made some homemade veggie soup, will put in individual servings and freeze..

The grocery had some thick steak marked down, needed to be cooked or froze so purchased a package and cut into beef tips and broiled in the toaster oven, will have some this weekend with buttered noodles, mashed potatoes and broccoli…

Also started a pork roast and will slow cook the weekend for pulled pork, was going to cook in BBQ sauce but decided to have it on the side..

After getting all that done started preparing for putting up decorations.. will have them up early, inside none outside this year, and most done before surgery and then on Thanksgiving morning, will turn on the lights as usual…

Met a individual I knew in the store the other morning, a staunch N.R.A. member and the conversation subject matter ended up about guns… as I was leaving he started to make a “ridiculing” type remark when I promptly said “my guns ( I don’t have any) won’t get anyone’s child killed and neither will my vote”… that was the end of the conversation… 😀

Well, better close and mosey on down the path least traveled with eyes to the horizon.. Will leave some words by President Obama in closing and return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise….

“Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. it’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere. – Barack Obama

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)