Okay . . . this is kinda fun . . .

South Park Pole Sitter Extraordinaire

Another first for us . . . a fake Christmas tree. Yup, I really need to put up a tree this year. Not sure why; I thought I could forego a tree but I can't so I ordered one from Amazon and P&D's Pop put it together today and then I spread out the branches. Not too bad looking; it's only five feet tall but we've put it on my Moosup window bench and it's just the right height. Not sure I'll decorate soon as it's way too early according to my upbringing,  When I was a kid we only put the tree up the night before Christmas and when we had kids it went up the week before Christmas. I imagine because it arrived today and has been assembled,  this year it might be decorated by the end of the first week in December. I am looking forward to seeing it lit up. I like Christmas even though we don't do gifts except for the special egg decorations for the little ones in our lives. Not sure how I'll manage to get that fresh tree smell because I don't like candles so I may have to pretend it smells like a blue spruce even though it's an Oncor Black Forest. Anyhoo . . . I'm excited about it even though we'll just be three adults and a puppy for Christmas dinner! We've found a super place to get excellent meats cut to order so I'm sure that whatever chicken or turkey we get will be excellent. At the cardiologist's today I was told to eat white meat, chicken, turkey and fish - no seafood which is okay by me. I will try to wean myself from the beef except tonight because we bought two seasoned ribeye steaks to try out David's Specialty Meats in Denham Springs. Then we'll try to be good although I will use lean ground beef for meatloaf and hamburgers from time to time.

I'm also pleased with the wonderful flower arrangement I bought for Thanksgiving. I just took it apart today, refreshed the water and cleaned out the dead parts and it is back to gorgeous.  I may have to go back to the Gift & Flower
Shop near Bass Pro for Christmas too!

Quote:  The worth of a state, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it.   ___J. S. Mill

How can it be . . .

Northern Mockingbird

Not sure how this came about but I've gotten to the point that I enjoy going to James' Grill in Denham Springs proper. It is the tackiest place I've ever been: the tables are all mismatched from painted wood slabs, to Formica, to card tables with torn plastic covers and the chairs are in the same shape, probably picked up after hours from the old folding chairs people left for the garbage men the night before pick up day. The room is surrounded by LSU and Mike the Tiger paraphernalia going back in time to at least the 1950's. There is always a Santa to greet you at the door and now that it is close to Thanksgiving the blow up Crèche and the blow up Snowmen and other Christmas characters are filling the far corner of the wide open floor that used to be a drugstore back in the olden times - maybe in the 50's! The table decor is pretty typical: a big napkin holder, salt and pepper shakers, hot sauces, generic jellies, generic margarine, all beat to hell sugar jars and powdered creamer in cardboard containers. But . . . the coffee is Community Coffee so they can get away with anything. Breakfast only costs us about $15, tip included. The cooks and servers are all a minimum of 45 years old dressed in whatever they found to wear when they fell out of bed that morning. Most of the customers are rough and tumble policemen, firefighters, retired old men and a few old women along with the best scruffy looking but not derelict looking men starting their workday off with a round of political talk and fun. Honestly - I can't help liking James' because of the incongruous yet truly lively and warm atmosphere where it's all about living and letting live - freedom reigns.

Okay now that I've got that out of my mind I'll just mention that yesterday morning at 7am I had a left heart catheterization at the Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Zachary, LA. I was pretty close to petrified because of past experiences and I had worked myself into a frenzy but all went well. Dr. Deepak Thekkoott told P&D's Pop that I should just keep on what I'm doing and even more exercise! Holy merdeski - I already get in about five miles of steps a day but I will try to walk them faster and see if that keeps the old heart muscle squeezing good. So all's well that ends well and I did sleep like a baby last night. Will need Grampa to help me make my apple pie for Thanksgiving and to get the roasting chicken in the oven because I'm not supposed to lift more than five pounds or do any heavy work because they did the heart check through my left wrist and I still haven't removed the bandage. I will do that later today and just use a band aid. Getting tired of these bouts with the medical profession!

Quote:  No man can lift up his head with manly calmness and peace who is the slave of other men's judgments.    ____J. W. Alexander

Pretty crude but he's got some valid points

https://www.facebook.com/matthew.costa.73?pnref=friends.search

Being Libertarian video

Windows open on November 12th . . . nice . . .

Sunset from the front porch

It's so odd to have the house wide open in November - must be Autumn in Louisiana. There's a nice breeze, the neighbor's tomatoes are going to ripen soon, his garden is beautiful and the other neighbor's chickens are giving her 5 eggs a day. Pretty neat stuff for a subdivision neighborhood. We even have horses at the end of the street that had to be rescued from the flood waters of August. But they're back now and looking great. And to top if off the gentleman across the street is getting ready to plant corn!  So . . . there are two planting seasons in Louisiana - Spring and Fall!

Not too many words to write concerning the election of Donald Trump as our next president. He was without doubt the best of the two candidates and perhaps the best of all candidates that had been in the running. I'm hoping that I was thinking clearly when I figured he was smart enough to get the right people to help him out. Doubtful he can make matters worse than the present schmuck but if the democrats and republicans don't help him out I'll be ticked and if he gets too egotistical instead of practical I'll be double ticked which won't help this poor country get back into a less progressive mode and into a conservative, healthy, forgiving mode. So I'll wait and see what we the people have wrought.

Came back from school Friday with two homework projects! Yikes - it's all about Thanksgiving. Can't believe that we're already so close to this wonderful holiday. We've so much to be thankful for. Really, as I ponder that statement we are thankful for all that has happened to us and our families over the years - we both had strong ancestors, good family upbringing, hard working, intelligent parents and tough siblings who are the virtual salt of the earth. So, thank you, Lord, for all of our blessings.

Quote:  One of the strongest characteristics of genius is the power of lighting itsd own fire.   ____John Foster

Thoughts . . .

It is my firm belief that senators and congressmen should be relegated to do the people's work in DC in the month of July with no air conditioning. They should not be paid; they should have jobs and go home on August 1 to those jobs and their families. We the people can pay for their room and board in a college dorm, on the first floor because it also will not be air conditioned. I also firmly believe that the same conditions should apply to our state senators and representatives - no pay all volunteer. Let them do their jobs and get the heck out of the way so we the people can live free of government interference.

Messages from Dr.'s offices scare me . . .

Waiting for the rain.

I know it sounds strange, even to me, but whenever I get a message to call a Doctor, after I've just been given a clean bill of health the week before, I get really anxious. Well the anxiety is for nought, no matter what and this was no exception. Not sure why the message couldn't have said, " Your urologist says all tests were fine!" rather than " Call Dr. Smither." In any case I've been going around the house saying, "Yeah!" forty thousand hundred million times. Good thing that the message was left after we were already on the road to Arkansas Friday and I didn't get it until last night.

I've been feeling so good lately; I think that the amount of walking I've been doing and the calorie counting has been helpful. We had a great weekend at the flying contest and although P&D's Pop didn't place in the three events he flew in, his scores are improving. He did come in fourth in two of the events. The flyers here in the South are much better than the northern flyers. I suppose it makes sense as they can be out practicing almost all year round. I had to help launch the planes which I don't like to do at contests because I'm a Nervous Nelly and am fearful of making some horrible mistake but his usual helper, John, was flying on a different field so I was the go to guy! It worked out fine and a man even came over and told me how much the men like to see women helping their husbands out. That was pretty cool. If I didn't know better I'd think that P&D's Pop put him up to it! We came home with lots of good raffle stuff that should keep my Yankee Flyer busy during the rainy season, if it ever gets here!

We'll be having a guest in the house for a few weeks - Puppy will stay with us as his folks, Big Kiddo and his wife, will be off for work and family obligations through Thanksgiving. That'll be great as we've already decided on our Thanksgiving dinner - roast chicken and stuffing, turnip, mashed potatoes, homemade bread, Caesar salad, apple pie and perhaps a nice Riesling and a bit of Harvey's Bristol Cream. The time is just flying by. We'll have moved to Louisiana a year ago in December. Wow!

Quote:  Speaking much is a sign of vanity; for he that is lavish in words, is a niggard in deed.   ___Sir W. Raleigh