THE SWINGIN MEDALLIONS

I ran across this record this week and gave it a listen. Their big hit and their only hit was "Double Shot"(Of My baby's Love. A garage band song from the 60's. So i wondered if these guys are still around and I am surprised that they are. Still performing though they have gone through many personnel changes over the years,I think there is one original member still carrying the torch.

What is it that drives a guy to carry on with one song that made it big back in the 60's? I would think he would be pretty sick of the song by now, I know after playing it a couple of times I'm happy to put it back on the shelf for a few years before I want to listen to it again.

I was in a band back in the 70's called Pierson Lake. It was an 8 piece band that was patterned after BS&T and Chicago. We cut a couple records and one did make it to the #1 spot on the local/state radio and every once in awhile I'll pull out the 45 and give it a listen. I realize that was then and this is now. Would I like to keep on doing that song the rest of my life? Nope. Life is too short to dwell on just one song.

VACATION TIME

Yep,it's that time of year again. Vacation or as I refer to it as a time you work your butt off doing things you wouldn't normally do but you do it at your own pace. Vacations can end up to being less restful than intended. I call it a practice for retirement. I know that by the time my vacation time ends and I'm not "ready" to go back to school (I'm a teacher), then I'm getting very close to retirement. So far, that hasn't happened.

I do have a goal to retire in the next few years but I'm not putting a date on it. So I will continue with my vacation/ pre-retirement time.

Oh yes, vacation. Yeah, I will take a couple real vacations, mainly get out of town for a few days and leave the comforts and routine of homelife for awhile and visit another part of our country. Kickback, read a few books and sleep as well as a few other activities that don't involve work.

Now, if I can only figure out a way to get there and back in a blink of an eye or a wiggle of a nose. Samantha where are you??

THE POWER OF PRAYER

I have gone through all of my life as a believer in God, but that has been about how far it has gone , till now. Yes I can say I believe in God and know Jesus Christ is my Savior now.......... Before? I always kept God at arms length. Today I don't.

I bring God and the love of Jesus into my heart everyday. I know now that he is with me constantly. A hard concept for a lot of people including me. He is with everyone of us 24/7. I realized that God is in you whether you want him or not and that you can only experience him if you open your heart and mind and soul and let him.

So many peole only pray to God when they need something or if they are mad at God saying "Why Me?". I was one like that. I am a very private person and even writing this now for anyone to see goes against me but I feel I need to put these words down for no other reason. I woke up with these thoughts in my head.

I have seen prayer work in my own life of which I can write a book and maybe someday I will. I know that for a fact if it weren't for the Grace of God I would not be sitting here today and it isn't because I did a lot of praying. It's because of those people who prayed for me, cause remember...I kept God at arms length. Without those prayers I know I wouldn't be here today.

So let this little message be a prayer for you. I pray that you may find an inner peace and that you will be able to let God into your life as an active participant and not as an observer. The power of prayer is awesome, not only for the person praying but for the person receiving that prayer. Try it, you'll like it.

THE WINTER THAT WASN'T

A lot has happened since my last post and needless to say I'm not going to get into all of the things that have happened the past few weeks. Contrary to what I have said, things do happen in my life.

The NE has been spared a winter this year thanks to a couple of things, global warming and El Nino. Whereas the midwest has suffered from what seems to be unending winter storms. By the time they get to the NE they have nothing left. We have had about 7" of snow so far this year whereas we should be around 35".

Now I bring this up cause if the weather keeps doing what it's doing within the next few years the NE will be rivaling the west coast for beach front property. Imagine, being able to go for a swim in January. Well actually some people do go swimming in January already and they are the members of the local Polar Bear Club.

I'm just a little wary what the summer months are going to bring us. Extreme cold and lots of rain? Let's hope not. There goes my beachfront idea.

HAPPY ANOTHER NEW YEAR

WOW! Where is this year going? Better yet, where did last year go. Time just keeps on slipping by. Before I know it will be 2008.
Did you make any resolutions for the new year? I didn't, never do and never will. Why say you are going to do something that you know you have no intention of ever doing it anyhow. So why bother. I figure, just keep on the even keel. Continue living the way I do and maybe moderate some things, but otherwise keep it the same. I know, boring.
But at least I'm happy, fairly healthy and always wise. Wouldn't do me any good to be stupid.
It is already Martin Luther King's birthday which means a day off of work for me as schools are closed and I'm a teacher, so I go with the flow. I've spent the past couple of weeks talking to the kids about MLK and what he did for us. I came to realize that kids may know somethings about MLK but they don't realize what he really did. I'm sure as they grow older they will have a better understanding of the man. At least I hope they do.
So Happy Birthday MLK and Happy Another New Year.

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

My darling wife just asked me if I was in the "Christmas Spirit" and I said yes without giving it a second thought. Now thinking about I still have to say yes. It's not that I've been playing Christmas music since the beginning of November but I have and that doesn't have much to do with my spirit of Christmas. I am finding this year a more joyous time to me as I am grateful for the life I am living. It may not be glamorous or outstanding but it is satisfying in many respects. I have have a wonderful and loving family and probably the best job I've ever had as a teacher. I have my health which is not the best but far from being the worst and I have my God who is with me 24/7. With these in place I can truthfully say I am in the "Christmas Spirit" in the sense that I try to ignore the commercialism of the season and concentrate on the real reason of the season. Jesus, family and friends.

SALVATION WHAT?

It's been a long time since I've posted and since the last time I posted was Labor Day and today is Columbus Day. I figured why not. I have the day off from work and this weekend has been a kind of catch-up weeken of things to be done.

A lot of has happened since my last blog with the biggest thing being the marriage of my stepdaughter to Chris. This happened on Sept 16 and I must say it was a gorgeous day. We were a bit worried though as this was an outdoor/garden wedding and it rained buckets three days before right up to the night of the rehearsal dinner. Needles to say we were all quite nervous about the weather. As I said it was a gorgeous day and the wedding came off without a hitch and the newly married couple are now back from the honeymoon and back to work.

We recently purchased a new double recliner to replace our hardly used sofa sleeper. The sofa sleeper is in pretty good condition (we thought) so instead of trying to sell it through the want ads we decided to donate it to the Salvation Army. We are just that kind of people. Anyhow the Salvation Army truck came to pick it up and wouldn't take it. Said it has wear (duh) and that it had cat fur on it. Now I'm not a rocket scientist yet but I thought the Salvation Army was for collecting items/money to give to the poor. This couch showed wear on one corner of the cording and there was a little car fur by and area I happened to miss as I had brushed the entire (except that spot) couch down.

Evidently I have no idea what the Salvation Army is anymore or even what the poor and needy are like anymore. I remember especially in my younger years when I didn't have two nickels to rub together I would have been overjoyed with a sleeper sofa like this. Believe me, we had furniture is much worse shape than this then and we were happy with it. Go figure.

So Salvation Army, when you have your Santa Clause Kettle Ringers out in a few weeks. I will now walk by without guilt of donating to your cause and you had your chance. My not accepting my generous gift you also told me you don't want my donations either. Don't bite of the hand that feeds the face.