A New Year And The Beginning Of A New Ending On The Path Least Traveled…..

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

“A house that is built with patience, understanding and love will withstand the strongest winds of difficulties and conflict , a house built with haste and insincerity will collapse in a mere breeze of discontent.” (Larry “Dutch” Woller )

“I gave all those (all races, gender and religion) from all countries that perished in the Towers a time of thought and remembrance… but now it is time to move on, not live in the shadows of 9/11….. I cannot change the past, but I can help determine the future… I cannot help the dead but I can help the living.. (Larry “Dutch” Woller)

“No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending” Maria Robinson

“Life is complicated and not contained to a few ideologies or beliefs, therefore in order to better understand the universe, and me, I need to leave safe harbor and explore all of the universe, not just parts of it..…” (Larry “Dutch” Woller)

Hello Diary,

I am back for a moment… I have been enjoying the holidays, bringing Christmas to a close and preparing for the new year… it is a cold and gloomy wintry morning at present…

But the home and spirit is warm… 🙂 while dealing with life’s challenges and preparing for the future, took time to contemplate the future and what the future may bring… I penned some thoughts…

The new year is rapidly approaching
As I contemplate the tomorrow,
Leaving some memories filled with happiness
A few memories filled with sorrow.

I peer out my window
At a winter world cold and bleak,
A world of conflict, anger and hate
Mortals are suffering as I speak.

But we have a dream
Martin Luther King and I,
That one day there will be peace
No more mortals will die.

And there will be hope
Of a world filled with love one day,
A wish that could come true
For hope is the last to die…they say.

Not a world of race, color or gender
Nor closed minded ridicule or prejudice…you see,
But a world that respects another’s dream
Of what or who they wish to be.

So I peer out the window
Not with sadness or fear,
But a heart filled with a dream
That everyone has a wonderful new year.
(Larry “Dutch” Woller)

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird, that cannot fly.” Langston Hughes

And some thoughts from history’s past….

It is down the path least traveled I do go
To a rainbow filled horizon I venture,
To seek, to learn, know peace, to enjoy life
A path filled with wonderful adventure.

A place where one is accepted as who they are
A spirit kindled to life, when mortal born,
A being coming from the depths within
And not subject to ridicule and scorn.

A place where I know freedom of thought and being
I am what I am, don’t you see,
Neither this one, neither that one, but all the above
In a mortal world, a free spirit, that’s me.

I do not travel the path alone, you see
There are memories and spirits to behold,
Spirits that share… the joy and sadness
As I gather more memories, down that least traveled road.

So how long will my journey be, one would ask
Will I see the end of the path…ever?
The answer, I believe, lies on the horizon
Somewhere past… the 12th of Never….

So shall bring my ramblings to an end
For there is one fact that I do know,
To reach the horizon, the 12th of Never
It’s down the path least traveled I must go!
(penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller )

“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last chapter.”

Well, I had better close now, Diary… chores to do and dreams to follow.. but I shall return in the new year, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

In spite of the gloom, there is a wonderful world should one wish to look for it… 🙂

I see trees of green,
red roses too,
I see them bloom for me and for you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying, “I love you.”

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Merry Christmas Fate, wherever you are…

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

“I have a greater peace of mind by being straightforward and truthful about myself, with open heart and mind, knowing the outcome being uncertain, rather than to wake up tomorrow morning and have to deal with a falsehood I told yesterday.” (Larry “Dutch” Woller )

“Everyday on the path least traveled brings change, that change presents a new challenge, mentally and physically… as to how to accept it and deal with it, determines what I am to become, generates an excitement about living a second of time and looking forward to what the next second of time brings, a day filled with adventure and mystery.” Larry “Dutch” Woller

“I am what I am, venturing down the path of life, following my dreams, chasing rainbows and leaving safe harbor to boldly go where I have not been before”… (Larry “Dutch” Woller)

I was not a king or president,
No powers did I hold,
I wasn’t a preacher or a pope,
No sermon for the fold.

So tell me , fate
You hold the key,
What is my destiny
Suppose to be?

Can no longer build cities
The back is tired and sore,
I was a soldier once
No longer have the heart for war.

So tell me, fate
You hold the key,
What is my destiny
Suppose to be?

I’ve tilled the soil as a farmer
Fed the world is what they say,
But I see the faces of hunger
Still this very day.

So tell me, fate
You hold the key,
What is my destiny
Suppose to be?

I’ve donated time and money
Ask for nothing in return,
I see nothing has changed
Will they ever learn?

So tell me, fate
You hold the key,
What is my destiny
Suppose to be?

I’ve tilled the fields and went to war
Built cities and bridges and much more,
Has my destiny run it’s course
Fate, is there any more?

So tell me, fate
You hold the key,
What is my destiny
Suppose to be?
(Larry “Dutch” Woller)

We will meet again one day, Fate… until then, Merry Christmas wherever you are….

“No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life, and the heart, does go on, and it will be a better tomorrow…” in the holiday mode on the path least traveled….

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

“Love knows no bounds or time, love is the spirit of the heart, love is the life support of hope, love is the force behind compassion, love is the foundation for true friendships, relationships….without love, life has no meaning”…. (Larry “Dutch” Woller)

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 is 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!!
( Larry “Dutch” Woller, )

Hello Diary,

It is a Friday before Christmas day and it doesn’t look much like a Bing Crosby White Christmas… 🙂

But we will take here on the path… week near finished and before going into full holiday mode, going down the list, checking it twice… 🙂 leaves gathered, check!.. laundry done, check!. errands done, check!.. Christmas morning breakfast ready for the microwave…

Check!… Christmas dinner ready for microwave….

Check!… tree trimmed and presents under…

Check!… decorations finished…

Check!… Received a letter (and Christmas card) from Feed America and Wells Fargo yesterday saying they will triple my donation, so got into the piggy bank again and hopefully a child will have a bright holiday…“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” Helder Camara

Check!… Received a card from the Cunningham Children’s home yesterday with holiday wishes and decided to once again help out with another donation..“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

Check!.. got the weather forms ready and organized for 2019… 🙂

Check!… got holiday romance books (along with Climbing Over Grit and Dog Bone Soup) downloaded on the Kindle for the holiday…

Check!… the forecast for Christmas day is chance of rain and maybe some snow mixed in.. Sooooooooooo to brighten the day and keeping with the holiday theme on the path least traveled, the clothes of choice are..

Check!.. and finally, to add a little color to the holiday and support for cancer research, pink is the color of choice for the nails…

Check!…. The list is complete, can now venture into a full holiday mode, relax, perhaps browse a Christmas past or two, maybe write a poem or two if mood permits and contemplate what the new year may bring… “For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.” T.S. Eliot

“No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending” Maria Robinson

That being said I will close now, Diary.. will enjoy the holiday and think of those that are not as fortunate as I and hope their world will become a better place.. may pop in briefly from time to time but will not return until after Christmas day… I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

Have a wonderful holiday, Diary, may it be all that you wish for it to be and each and every day be filled with love and happiness…“It is not easy to find happiness within ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.” Agnes Repplier

Giving, humor and Santa is watching you on the path least traveled…

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

The Gift of Giving… Frank Sonnenberg

Give out of love, not obligation.
Give when it’s least expected.
Give without strings attached.
Give from your heart.
Give of yourself.
Give to show that you care.
Give help without causing helplessness.
Give something that makes personal sacrifice.
Give to make a difference.
Give without keeping score.
Give for no reason at all.
Give a little if you can’t give a lot.
Give without attracting attention to yourself.
Give without being asked.
Give of your experience.
Give to those who need it most.

Hello Diary,

Well, it is a Monday morning, the holiday continues… a bit cloudy and cold this morning but sun later perhaps… yesterday the sun were out with a bit of fog but pleasant though cool…

I expect there are those who are taking advantage of the pleasant weather to do errands and shopping.. had a relaxing weekend after a busy week, now preparing for the next year… taking a moment from the activities to share a few thoughts… the holiday is also about giving… had a surprise visit from a young couple who lives down the street.. do not know their last name or very little about them but they stopped in over the weekend and gave me a present… a cute small pail and a card.. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Inside was a delicious party mix that they made themselves…

I were caught by surprise so I did not have a card, but I did have a 3 pound canned ham that I purchased a short time back for special occasion and that special occasion arrived… 🙂 I gave them the ham and apologized for not having a card…. while thinking of Santa and the reindeer, a short time back I posted a rare occurrence of a couple of reindeer in the neighborhood…

I am wondering now if they were Santa’s reindeer on a mission… Hmmmmmmmmmm.. 🙂 yes, love, dreams, hope, giving, all part of the holiday… but humor has a place in the holiday season also… I penned these thoughts…

The 4th of July Holiday May Be Easier..

It were a few days before Christmas
With a half decorated tree,
No one were stirring
Not even me…

Still in my pajamas
All snuggled in bed,
With visions of winning the lottery
Dancing in my head…

There were a loud noise
And I awoke with a start,
I shuffled to the windows
The curtains I did part.

Was it 9 tiny reindeer
With a jolly elf dressed in red?
Disappointment in the air
It were the garbage collector instead.

I ventured to the kitchen
For a spot of tea and some toast,
Opened the fridge to find
A turkey and dressing to roast.

Ventured to the room with the tree
The room warmed by the morning sun,
At a glance I realized with a frown
That there’s dusting to be done.

In the corner were the vacuum
Looking so forlorn,
It needs to be run
Some time before Christmas morn.

Presents needing paper, ribbons
Bows and all that matter,
I stand outside with rake in hand
A yard full of leaves to gather.

A present under the tree
Could it be my favorite toy?
Then a thought came to mind
I may be too tired to enjoy… sighhhhh
(Larry “Dutch” Woller)

Well, I had better close.. life is calling and I need to answer the call to see what life wants… plus there are dreams to follow… so Diary, I wish you a Great start for Mon, Love for Tues, Peace for Wed, No worries for Thurs, Fun for Fri, Joy for Sat, Happiness for Sun. Have a wonderful week, and I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

Ray Stevens says you best not be naughty ‘cause Santa is watching you… 🙂

A perfect Christmas on the path least traveled…

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

Hope…

Let me but live my life from year to year,
With forward face and unreluctant soul;
Not hurrying to, nor turning from the goal;
Not mourning for the things that disappear
In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
From what the future veils; but with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To Youth and Age, and travels on with cheer.

So let the way wind up the hill or down,
O’er rough or smooth, the journey will be joy:
Still seeking what I sought when but a boy,
New friendship, high adventure, and a crown,
My heart will keep the courage of the quest,
And hope the road’s last turn will be the best.
(Henry Van Dyke )

Hello Diary,

It is a Friday morning, a gloomy morning outdoors… definitely doesn’t seem like winter holidays, unless one is in the Caribbean.. Took this photo a 7:30 AM this morning…

Nonetheless, the holiday spirit is in the air on the path least traveled… though presents and food is a part of, it is not about the holidays… it is about hope, as Mr. Van Dyke penned it… it is also about dreams.. “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird, that cannot fly.” Langston Hughes … I believe Mr. Raines has some thoughts about dreams…

Dreams..
There’s a place where I go that no one else knows,
Where mysteries abound and excitement grows.
A place out of reach of any man’s hands,
Safely secluded in a far away land

Beyond the grasp of those who may plunder
The wealth of its power and its life changing wonder.
I go alone to my secret place, never leaving a trace
For someone to follow and discover my space

Where I keep my secrets, my fears, and my regrets
Away from the world and all of its threats.
It’s mine and mine alone!
The only place I can call my own.

I treasure the moments spent in this realm
Where anything is possible and I’m at the helm.
This place I describe is all that it seems …
It’s a magical place I call my dreams.
(John Raines)

Dreams are the fuel that guides one to their destiny… “The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.” – Joel Brown

Also did a bit of decorating around the hearth… no lights, just a bit of garland, some flowers and bows and a imagination… 🙂

Santa won’t use the chimney this year, don’t want to get his new suit dirty before the big day.. And because he wanted to spend more time with the little folk, he came by here early and used the backdoor when I were at the post office… 🙂

The holidays are also about love…“The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed.”. Jiddu Krishnamurti … and here on the path holiday (or any day) love is not about decorations, presents, food, etc…
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller

I penned some thoughts in a holiday poem.. 🙂

A Holiday Poem…

As Christmas approaches, my love
One contemplates not the day,
But all the years of memories and thoughts
That one acquired along the way.

Memories filled with sadness, sorrow perhaps
Memories with happiness and joy, my dear
Memories to bring out the laughter
Memories to bring out a tear.

A special day and one to treasure, my love
And not because of the calendar age,
Because a life of memories and thoughts
Will be adding another page!

Even though if a distance and time apart
It will be a day that we will share,
Our love knows no time or distance
Be assured, my love, I will be there!

It will become our memory, and we will share
Christmas day, every day…… forever,
Because of our love eternal
Beyond…………. the 12th of Never!!

Merry Christmas, my love!
(Larry “Dutch” Woller)

Well, I had better close… “hoping” for a wonderful holiday with happiness for everyone, that “dreams” come true and “love” is in the air… but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise….

“Life gives us brief moments with another, but sometimes in those brief moments we get memories that last a lifetime, So live that your memories will be part of your happiness.”

My idea of a perfect Christmas
Is to spend it with you
In a party or dinner for two
Anywhere would do
Celebrating the yuletide season
Always lights up our lives
Simple pleasures are made special too
When they’re shared with you

Looking through some old photographs
Faces and friends we’ll always remember
Watching busy shoppers rushing about
In the cool breeze of December
Sparkling lights all over town
Children’s carols in the air
By the Christmas tree
A shower of stardust on your hair

I can’t think of a better Christmas
Than my wish coming true
And my wish is that you’d let me spend
My whole life with you

Yes, there is a Santa Claus on the path least traveled…

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

Mama’s Christmas Miracle… by Kathy J Parenteau

Mama told me a story a long, long time ago, not like any that I’d ever heard,
all about a little girl mama used to know, how I remember every word.
Seems like a lifetime ago, though I remember it so well.
It was a Christmas Eve I’ll never forget as far as I can tell.

We were sitting at the kitchen table, it was only my mother and me.
I was dreaming of Christmas morning and all the presents under the tree.
Dad wasn’t doing that well and money was scarce that year.
Mama found a way of telling me without me shedding one tear.

She told me a story of a little girl and a Christmas long ago,
who came from far away, a place where it rarely snowed.
Santa was just a dream to her, but she believed so much inside,
that Christmas was going to be special, so she knelt by her bed and she cried.

“Lord, let Santa remember me if not just this one time.
I promise I won’t ask for much, maybe a dolly I can call all mine.”
She closed her prayer and thanked the Lord for all that she received.
She knew that Santa would really come if only she believed.

She wrote a letter to Santa, unfamiliar to most girls and boys.
Though her list was long and full, on it there were no toys.
Only things we take for granted, like new shoes or underpants,
hair bows for her sisters and gloves to warm her brothers’ hands.

At the bottom of her list she asked, if it not be too much,
for a brand new baby doll she could hold and love and touch.
Then Christmas morning came and she looked beneath her tree,
Not a present to be found as far as she could see.

She didn’t give up hope as she heard a knocking sound.
When she opened up her door, a great big box she found.
She called out to her mother and dad, brothers and sisters too,
She said, “My prayers were answered, there’s something in here for all of you.”

Her daddy got brand new boots, her mother new underpants, her sisters got beautiful hair bows, her brothers warm gloves for their hands.
Buried deep beneath the box was a brand new baby doll and a note that said, “Merry Christmas, I love you one and all.”

I’ll never forget that story because much to my surprise,
I saw the true meaning of Christmas shining in my mother’s eyes.
For those of you who are wondering, as if you didn’t know,
The little girl in Mama’s story was my mother long ago.

Hello Diary,

It is a Tuesday morning, not been a pleasant past few days, cold and wintry… woke up to freezing fog yesterday morning…

The temperature were 17 degrees F and visibility of 300 feet… difficult to keep up the holiday spirit but no white flag flying here… 🙂 have some errands to do this morning, get supplies for the holiday for me and my backyard friends… more weather end of the week…

And speaking of the holiday spirit, seems there is a debate about Santa.. put the tree up the day before Christmas day, presents, food and football on Christmas day, tree down the day after Christmas.. Hmmmmmm, no holiday magic there… so sad… there is holiday magic and Santa here on the path least traveled… 🙂

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus… (Francis Pharcellus Church )
“Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exists, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus? It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus? You might as well not believe in fairies! You might as well get your papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders that are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby’s rattle to see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, not even the united strength of all the strongest man that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love and romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

I wonder what is in that large package that Santa left for me under the tree…

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.. 🙂

Well, I had better close for now… get on with the day.. errands to do, stars to gaze, dreams to follow, rainbows to chase.. so it is HO HO HO, off we go…. but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

No doubting Thomas’s, no nay sayers.. just a dreamer with a heart filled with dreams….. and some holiday pudding waiting for me… 🙂

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you.

If your heart is in your dreams
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do.

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

Holiday love and little folks on the path least traveled…

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

Christmas Gift by Maureen…

The gifts I’d leave beneath your tree
Aren’t those that you can touch or see.
Not wrapped in Christmas tissue gay
But gifts to bless you every day.

The gift of friendship warm and true
Is one that I would leave for you,
Good health and happiness and cheer
To keep you smiling through the year.

The gift of peace that comes from God
With prayer to guide each path you trod
And when your heart has lost its song
The gift of hope to cheer you on.

These are the gifts I’d leave for you.
(Maureen)

Hello Diary,

A wintry Saturday morning here… were hoping for a mild holiday but appears that winter may be here to stay… 🙂 woke up Thursday morning with Ole Man Winter making his presence known…

Friday morning appeared to be a pleasant sunny day, from indoors…

But appearances can be deceiving as it were 9F degrees outside… the white on the trees is called hoarfrost, cause by freezing fog as it were foggy outdoors…but back indoors it were a balmy 67 degrees, no fog and a gentle breeze (created by ceiling fans)… just right to re-pot the poinsettia as I knew it would not survive in the pot it were currently in.. so I gathered up supplies….

And managed to put the little poinsettia in a comfy pot without damaging the plant…

So now will do our best to help the little plant.. Now, I am efficient at growing green beans and tomatoes but caring for indoor tropical plants is not my forte… 🙂 I have two Philodendron plants, one is live and the other is artificial, and there is a lively debate at the local pub as to which one I will kill first… 🙂 but press on we shall, for there are no white flags flying on the path least traveled… 🙂

And speaking of flowers, the holidays are about love, not about technology, and nothing is more loving than a holiday bouquet… 🙂

A Christmas Bouquet for you, my love
Each bloom has been chosen in hopes to convey,
To bring in the season of joy this year
With my message of love this day.

With a red Carnation,
To show how my heart aches for you,
Posies of Forget-Me-Nots
To show my love is true.

And fragrant Freesias,
Embracing trust we share,
With Lilies of the Valley
Returning happiness and care.

Lovely daisies to show,
My love is loyal – undivided,
As the Phlox whispers softly
Our spirits are united.

And I’ve added Primrose,
To remind you again,
That I can’t live without you
And with you I’ll remain.

And all about this Christmas bouquet
Are sprigs of Baby’s Breath… sown,
So delicately displayed
With a message of their own.

So with this Christmas bouquet, my love
I shall eternally bestow,
A heartfelt message of love
Even these blooms seem to know.

Merry Christmas….
(Larry “Dutch’ Woller)

And the holidays are about the little folks, their minds and heart open, filled with wonder and dreams..society has not intruded yet… 🙂 I remember one Christmas past (no pc, smart phones, etc)….

The initial objective were to get all the gifts unwrapped as rapidly as possible, adding to the confusion as one gets to the point of trying to decide which gift to check out first… Kim with hands on hips, decisions, decisions… 🙂

“When one suddenly finds oneself in a swamp up to one’s armpits in alligators, it is difficult to remember the objective was to drain the swamp”..

There were another holiday when decorating the tree, Eric and Kim were not in school yet… gave them a few ornaments, about 10 each, to put where they wish to… they were not very tall and Kim followed Eric and they put all the ornaments in one small place.. could have covered all 20 with a small towel.. 🙂 but Santa’s helpers arrived during the night, decorating the rest of the tree, leaving the kids ornaments where they put them… it were the best tree ever… 🙂

Well, I had better close for now… venture on down the path, more memories to gather, dreams to follow, make sure I don’t get on Santa’s “have been bad” list… but I shall return one day, Diary, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise..

Yes, the holidays are about the little folks, and while they may be more attached to Mom (for obvious reasons) “ The love a mother has for her children is legendary, it is said a child is the mother’s heart outside her body.” , with a loving, open heart Dad can be part of the holiday spirit also…. “Life gives us brief moments with another, but sometimes in those brief moments we get memories that last a lifetime, So live that your memories will be part of your happiness.”

Little folks are people too
Very much like me and you
The little things they say and do
They kinda make your day

Foolishness and common sense
Through the eyes of innocence
Skip a rope or jump a fence
Gettin’ in the way

Daddy, why are you so tall?
Daddy, why am I so small?
Daddy, who makes snowflakes fall?
Could it be the Lord?

Chasing puppies, climbin’ trees
Bumping heads and skinnin’ knees
It’s not very hard to see
That kids are God’s reward

Little folks get down and out
The girls will cry and boys will pout
Before you know what it’s about
They’re smiling once again

Colored kites on summer breeze
Jingle Bells and Christmas trees
Too soon they’re only memories
Do you remember when?

Daddy, what makes eagles fly?
What makes clouds float in the sky?
And Daddy, if I really try
Will I grow up someday?

But little folks slip through our hands
Like so many grains of sand
You’d best enjoy them while you can
So soon they fly away…

Perfection, change and pizza on the path least traveled…

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

Winds of Change…

I watched that heavy door begin to close,
all the while the winds above me rose.
The years whisper and whistle back into my ear,
the memories haunted by sorrows and fear.

With a new day it finally dawned on me,
the past needed locking and I had the key.
Leave it behind, leap and fly away free,
let the winds of change blow and carry me.

Feel them lifting my wings now able to soar,
up to an open sky and caged no more.
Flying so fast to where no hurt can find,
a place of peace now inhabits my mind.

This heart full of courage never ceases to beat,
knowing my history is not destined to repeat.
Clear paths now lead me to a new destination,
for my life, my future and the next generation.
(Kelly Deschler )

Hello Diary,

It is the middle of the week, a busy week with December bringing the year to a close so starting to prepare for the new year… sun is out at the moment but the morning started out with winter…

Winter is not officially here till December 21 but it is obvious that Ole Man Winter has his own calendar and it is not compatible with us mortals calendar… 🙂 with the snow and all, the neighbors were getting into the spirit of the season, managed to take a photo last evening…

It has been some time since I decorated outdoors, concentrate on indoors and try to refrain from using lights in a effort to conserve energy… the world observed the holidays long before Thomas Edison were born… 🙂
My daughter were passing through yesterday and stopped overnight because of the weather, continued her journey this morning… decided on a quick meal, so warmed up the pizza..

Using the microwave made a plate of broccoli and cheese…..

And again using the microwave, made bacon and cheese bagels….

While preparing the above food, I roasted some french fries in the toaster oven, the making of the entire meal took 20 minutes… and I had a spot of wine with my pizza… Well, Kim had briefly visited a store before arriving and she saved this little poinsettia…

It were going to be thrown away, in the garbage… why?.. because it were different, it were too small, it were not perfect.. so therefore did not fit in, nobody wanted the little plant… never raised a poinsettia before but will try.. Google it, right Diary?… 🙂

And speaking of perfection, at another site there were a brief discussion about finding the perfect person, and I sent a reply;

“While you’re busy looking for the perfect person, you’ll probably miss the imperfect person who could make you perfectly happy”.

The following were a reply to mine, a general statement I am sure, not directed to me personally… 🙂

‘The Perfect’ doesn’t exist.
To realize that, start with you.
How many times have you lied?
How many times have you given into your selfishness?
And still, with all your imperfections and blunders,
you search for that who is perfect.
You want to be put on a pedestal of glory,
while stripping down others of their shame.
You have to realize, you are as equally imperfect as the next person you criticize,
and that is never shameful.
~This I wrote today.

And the following is my reply to that reply….

“The Perfect doesn’t exist”
I agree.. 🙂

“To realize that, start with you.”
As for me… 🙂

“How many times have you lied?”
I have a greater peace of mind by being straightforward and truthful about myself, with open heart and mind, knowing the outcome being uncertain, rather than to wake up tomorrow morning and have to deal with a falsehood I told yesterday. 🙂

“How many times have you given into your selfishness?”
I accept what life and destiny has provided, nothing more.. “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.” 🙂

“And still, with all your imperfections and blunders”
Yes, I do not stand in front of a mirror and start singing “How Great Thou Art”… 🙂

“you search for that who is perfect.”
Perfection does not exist in nature nor the universe, therefore I do not waste my time looking for something that does not exist… 🙂

“You want to be put on a pedestal of glory,”
I dislike pedestals because they are unstable and I am leery of heights… if I want glory I would not be here on WordPress but on Twitter with Trump and the gang… 🙂

“while stripping down others of their shame.”
The only person I “strip” is me just prior to taking a bath… as for other peoples feelings, they are already aware of how they feel, I don’t waste my time constantly reminding them.. 🙂

“You have to realize, you are as equally imperfect as the next person you criticize,”
I am a born again heathen with long hair, earrings and nails, independent, not into religion and venturing down the path least traveled, quoting Frank Sinatra; “doing it my way”… I know who I am… I do not consider myself knowledgeable enough about the next person to assume I can determine who they are, what they are, how they feel or what they believe… 🙂

I wrote this today and I will write it every day… 🙂

On that I had better close.. Laundry has finished, much to do, dreams to follow and rainbows to chase… but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise… 🙂

Yes, the climate, the world, the universe and the times, they are a changing…..“For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy

Come gather ’round people wherever you roam,
And admit that the waters around you have grown,
And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’

Come writers and critics who prophecize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide,
The chance won’t come again,
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who
That it’s namin’
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’

Come senators, congressmen,
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway,
Don’t block the hall,
For he that’ gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled,
There’s a battle
Outside and it’s ragin’
It’ll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land,
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command,
Your old road is rapidly agin’,
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’

The line it is drawn,
The curse it is cast,
The slow one now will
Later be fast,
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’

Homeless children are people too on the path least traveled…

Diary of the journey on the path least traveled..

( “I do not do, say or write something to been seen or heard… I do, say or write something because it needed to be done, said or written…” , no nominations please, just sharing thoughts while exploring life 🙂 ).

“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” Helder Camara

“It’s so funny you judge me arrogant after I succeeded. You didn’t help me at all when I was so poor and needy.” Toba Beta

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom”. Isaac Asimov

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark, the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Plato

Hello Diary,

A somewhat dreary Sunday morning… Mother Nature cannot yet decide whether to be winter or summer, had some storms near by yesterday.. 🙂

Saturday I prepared and froze next weeks meals…

And being a Sunday, it is a day of meditation and contemplation, whatever the weather… I were gazing about all the holiday festivities, folks planning big dinners, presents Christmas morning for the children, young and old, when it occurred to me, what about those homeless children who have the dreams but may not see presents, family dinners, etc…
Those children who are homeless and suffering because of man’s inhumanity towards man.. those children who are homeless because of health issues and do not meet social standards.. Those homeless children who are “different” in a world where different is ridiculed and looked down on…. I have shared these thoughts with you before, Diary, but believe it needs to be shared again this holiday season..

Maybe No More Children Will Die

I set here looking at the news
The powers wanted peace they say,
And while they spoke, bombs were dropped
20 children died that day!

What’s wrong with this idea?
Why not give PEACE a try,
Let’s give it a go, everyone
Maybe no more children will die

Smiles on their faces, while shaking hands
Arms deals for defense would come into play,
A bomb went off in a crowded market
10 children died that day.

What’s wrong with this idea?
Why not give a world without bombs a try,
Let’s give it a go, everyone
Maybe no more children will die

A war to end all wars, they said
Yet to war they always return,
Death, destruction, suffering and pain
Won’t they every learn?

What’s wrong with this idea?
Let’s give LEARNING a try,
Let’s give it a go, everyone
Maybe no more children will die.

Anger versus anger, hate versus hate
Seeds sown by war at home and away,
Starvation , sickness, a mother in tears
More and more children die every day.

What’s wrong with this idea?
Why not give LOVE a try,
Let’s give it a go, everyone
Maybe no more children will die.
( Larry “Dutch” Woller, 9-17-2008)

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

I keep hearing the religious faithful talk about their God, how he will protect the children.. “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 .. Well, I wonder where he is, because his children could use some help… it is obvious the children cannot depend on a large percentage of the descendants of Adam and Eve.. 🙂

I conjured up a memory of my Dad going to a children’s home in a neighboring city, it were called Cunningham, after the street it sat next to…he would deliver fresh vegetables and other items (donated) from time to time..

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Soooooooo, ole Santa checked the piggy bank one more time, uncovered the sleigh, rounded up as many reindeer as he could (there were grumbling and moaning in the herd but they rose to the occasion.. 🙂 ) and were off…

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” ― Barack Obama

First stop, the Cunningham Childrens home,,

Left some Christmas cheer, hopefully a child will have a pleasant holiday..

And while in the air and thinking about children in other parts of the world, stopped by Unicef…

And dropped off some holiday cheer there also…

It were a small gesture, Santa wishing he could do more but hopefully there is at least a child or two who’s dream may be closer to becoming reality and will have a bright and happy holiday also..

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” -Mother Teresa

Well, Diary, I had better close for now… haven’t covered up the ole sleigh yet and the herd have their cell phones at the ready for a 811 (cannot use 911.. 🙂 )… adventures are waiting for me and dreams to follow… but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise.. “I am what I am, venturing down the path of life, following my dreams, chasing rainbows and leaving safe harbor to boldly go where I have not been before”… (Larry “Dutch” Woller)

Diary, as I set here in the comfort of my home, food in the pantry and refrigerator and presents under the tree, I wonder how many children around the world are singing this song…

I was slowly passing an orphan’s home one day
And stop there for a moment just to watch the children play
Alone a boy was standing and when I asked him why
He turned with eyes that couldn’t see and he began to cry

Chorus; I’m nobody’s child, I’m nobody’s child
Just like a flower I’m growing wild
No mommy’s kisses and no daddy’s smiles
Nobody wants me, I’m nobody’s child

People come for children and take them to their own
But they all seem to pass me by and leave me here alone
I know they’d like to take me but when they see I’m blind
They always take some other child and I am left behind

Chorus;

No mother’s arms to hold me or soothe me when I cry
Sometimes it gets so lonely here I wish that I could die
I’d walk the streets of heaven where all the blind can see
And just like for the other kids there’d be a home for me

Chorus;