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… 🙂

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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…

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;

Santa’s on a mission and there is hope 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 🙂 ).

“Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.” B. R. Ambedkar

“The greatest challenge in life is to be our own person and accept that being different is a blessing and not a curse”.. Kilroy Oldster

“Never be bullied into silence, never allow yourself to be made a victim, accept no one’s definition of your life, define yourself”… Robert Frost

Hello Diary,

Well, it is a cloudy, dreary Friday outdoors..

But at least it is not snowing… 🙂 there is a possibility of severe thunderstorms tomorrow so thought I would take a break from the holiday activities and share a few thoughts before the weekend… ole Santa here on the path least traveled decided on having a stress free, quiet, relaxing Christmas day, so put the sleigh in high gear, hired more reindeer and got into action… got the cards ready to mail, some bearing gifts… 🙂

Got the presents wrapped and under the tree…

I wonder what Santa got for me this year… 🙂 I have been good for the most part… also got Christmas day dinner prepared and in the freezer…

No cooking, no clean up, just pop in the microwave, clever eh?.. 🙂 also spread a little holiday cheer among some charities in hopes of helping someone’s day a bit brighter…

The local Tree of Hope were needing a bit of help…

So sent some cheer their way and some of my friends in the UK were needing a bit of help also…

Soooooooooo, Santa got deliveries made, a Christmas feast ready so the ole sleigh were put away for another year and the reindeer got the rest of the holiday off doing whatever it is that reindeer do… 🙂

“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” Stephen Grellet

The holidays are about music… “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Plato

And music comes in many forms… “To me there is no picture so beautiful as smiling, bright-eyed, happy children; no music so sweet as their clear and ringing laughter.” P. T. Barnum

And the holiday is about the dreams of the children .. “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird, that cannot fly.” Langston Hughes

And us big kids also… “Remember, growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional” 🙂

As they dream about the holiday and their future in today’s world… “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” ― Roy T. Bennett

It is also a time of hope for all when life may not seem the best at times… “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all.” Emily Dickinson

For hope is the last to die…

HOPE IS

Hope is a feather floating in a bright blue sky
Hope is that sparkle that shines in your eyes.
Hope is a butterfly fluttering on the wind
Hope is good times spent with family and friends.

Hope is a newborn baby’s cry
Hope is a Mother’s lullaby.
Hope is the rainbow after a rain
Hope is the harvest of golden grain.

Hope is the light that keeps darkness at bay
Hope is the breeze on a hot summer day.
Hope is ever present and free of cost
Hope is the last thing ever lost.

Hope is staying positive when the going gets tough
Hope is seeking help when you feel you’ve had enough.
Hope is recovery from simmering sorrow
Hope is believing in a brighter tomorrow.
(Linda Hotger)

Hope is where the heart is…

Look to love and you may dream,
And if it should leave then give it wings.
But if such a love is meant to be;
Hope is home, and the heart is free.
Hope is home, and the heart is free.
(Enya)

Well, I had better close, get on with the day and venture on down the path least traveled.. Have some dreams, hope, and adventures… not worried about the storms tomorrow.. “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” Louisa May Alcott…. sooooooooooo, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise, I shall return again one day…

There is a place out there somewhere for us dreamers so “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
 

Chorus; Someday
Somewhere
We’ll find a new way of living
We’ll find a way of forgiving
Somewhere

There’s a place for us
Somewhere a place for us
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us somewhere

There’s a time for us
Someday there’ll be a time for us
Time together with time to spare
Time to learn
Time to care

Chorus;

There’s a place for us
A time and a place for us
Hold my hand and we’re half way there
Hold my hand and I’ll take you there
Somehow
Someday
Somewhere

The Christmas mouse and a pigeon named Commander 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 🙂 ).

I saw a mouse over the weekend and the incident brought a memory of when Bree were still here..

And Bree encountered a mouse while I were preparing a small turkey to put in the crock pot… I penned a few thoughts about the incident… 🙂

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, paw to paw
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 “Dutch” Woller )

Hello Diary,

Well, it is a Tuesday morning, definitely a wintry morning…

Ole Man Winter is here with an attitude… 🙂 will putter around today, get holiday cards ready to be mailed as I spent the weekend sorting, etc… thought I would take a break in the activities and share a few thoughts… were feeding the outdoor creatures and the birds and a memory occurred about a abandoned baby pigeon that I found while I were living on the farm…

School were out for the summer and I were checking out the barnyard, etc making sure all were in order… I ventured to the corncrib and on the floor of the building I saw a baby pigeon… I obtained the picture from the internet..

It had fallen from the nest, abandoned and obviously would not survive on its own… I took it to the house and use a small box to build a nest at put the nest in the large entry way to the house.. I did not know what to feed it, regular seed would not work so I took a slice of white bread and soaked it in warm milk… it were difficult to feed the little bird at first but over time it fell in love with the bread and ate heartily… it grew up to be a adult pigeon looking much like the one in the photo, again I obtained a picture from the internet…

I named the pigeon Commander and turned him loose to be free… well, Commander stayed around the barnyard, using the cupola on top of the corncrib as his home… I would leave a slice of bread in a safe location in the crib and Commander would also eat with the chickens… the chickens would peck at his head while eating and in time Commander didn’t have a feather on his head… 🙂 one day Dad and I were working in his shop getting plow shears ready for cultivating, etc and Dad decided to venture to the house to get a sandwich…

Well, Commander was on the cupola keeping a watchful eye out when Dad came out of the house with sandwich in hand… Commander seen the white bread and swooped down on Dad like a jet fighter, landed on his shoulder, started flapping his wings and screeching and while Dad were trying to shoo him away Dad dropped his sandwich, Commander dropped to the ground, grabbed a slice of bread and took off like he was shot out of a cannon… now I know that Dad would not hurt Commander but if looks could kill… 🙂

For a few days after the incident, I would continue to take bread out to the corncrib but I noticed that the bread had not been touched, nor have I seen Commander around the barnyard, did not know what happened to him… about a week after the incident, our neighbor, Mr. Uden, came over to have Dad work on his plow shears… while watching us work on his shears he spoke and said “ the strangest thing happened today as I were getting the shears ready to bring over… I went into the house to get a sandwich and when I came outside I was attacked by a bald headed pigeon who stole part of my sandwich and took off!”… Dad started laughing and told Mr. Uden about his experience with a bald headed pigeon… 🙂

I guess Commander decided it were time to move on, leave safe harbor and explore his domain.. Every once in awhile one would hear a story from someone about a bald headed pigeon who would practically take food from ones mouth, as long as it were white bread… I never did hear what eventually happened to Commander and like all else he soon became a memory… 🙂

I learned a lot about life while growing up on the farm… ever day were an adventure and I explored it, mainly left to my own devices and with sometimes strange results… perhaps the time I accidentally blew up Dad’s outhouse, or when Wee Willie ( the Shetland pony) chased a neighbor, or the time Dad almost broke his leg in the haymow while getting too close to the fort I had built… but those are another story to perhaps be told one day..:)

“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

But, like Commander, I lived life and in 1963 I left the farm and followed a dream “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

Had the same idea as Jimmy Buffet..

Oh, the yesterdays are over my shoulder
So I can’t look back for too long
There’s just too much to see waiting in front of me
And I know that I just can’t go wrong
(Jimmy Buffet)

Well, I had better close… have cards to prepare, dreams to follow, memories to make and believe there may even be a rainbow out there somewhere….busy, busy, busy… 🙂 but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

Diary, do you suppose this could happen to Santa in today’s society… 🙂

‘Twas the night before Christmas and I’d gone to bed late
Lord only knows how much fruitcake I ate…

Chorus; Christmas Eve I dreamed that Santa was arrested
Well they handcuffed him and they hauled him off to jail
Christmas Eve I dreamed that Santa was arrested
For crimes so bad they held him without bail

“Cruelty to Reindeer” was the first charge that they read
“We got there just in time your Honor
He had nine of them hitched to a heavy sleigh
And abuse is indicated ones got a nose that’s awfully red
And the prosecution had only just begun
OSHA closed his workshop down for safety violations
And there product liability claims for every toy built since creation
We found out he hires only Elf’s and of course that’s discrimination
He’ll be put away for life before we’re done
That sled is not air worthy
The FAA won’t certify
He’s over sixty with corrected vision therefore he should not fly”
Why this could be the trail of the century
There’s over ten billion instances of unlawful entry

Chorus

“Why just look at him there your honor
He doesn’t shave or cut his hair
And he grossly overweight and he only works one day a year
Now we all know he smokes tobacca
And they’s fur on that suit he wears
We must protect our kids from men like this”

“Order, or, order in the court” said the judge
“I’ve heard enough about his crimes
And clearly this is a man who’s out of step with modern times
But one of those houses he so often entered unlawfully was mine
And therefore all charges are dismissed!”

Oh, I woke up to the sound of Ho, Ho, Hoin’ (ho ho ho ho ho ho…)
Reindeer hoofs upon my roof and it was snowing
And as I watch him fly away it was good knowing
That some things that are politically incorrect can still be right
So Merry Christmas to all and to all A Merry Christmas Eve goodnight
It must have been the Maraschino cherries