Monday, March 30, 2020

After Covid19 -What to Do

Okay let's talk about what to do after Covid19. This too will pass eventually. Leave a comment with your thoughts on what to do when this pandemic has ended.

I'm sure there will be many people going out to eat at their favorite restaurants, or attending a concert or sporting event when they resume. There will be lots of hugging of family and friends.

Here's a few suggestion:

  • Support your local small businesses. The big box stores and chains have corporate support but our local small businesses have taken a big hit. So shop local.
  • Take a trip and visit a family run bed and breakfast. There are many charming bed and breakfast to stay at everywhere. The owners are always nice and friendly then of course, as the name implies, there is that wonderful home cooked breakfast. Visit http://bnbexperiences.blogspot.com 
  • Get together with your friends and family and have a cookout.
Be sure to leave a comment with your ideas. Stay safe and practice social distancing until this thing is over.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Covid-19

Okay I just have one question...if this new virus is called Covid-19 how come we never heard anything about Covid 1-18???

Pandemic, epidemic, social distancing, isolation, quarantine these are now common terms we hear used daily.

This is really scary stuff. Everything is closing down and we have to practice social distancing. Of course as usual, the media is feeding the frenzy and causing more of a panic.

Maybe even more scary than the virus is the fact that now families are forced to into isolation together. How is that going to work out? Will the kids be bored and drive each other and the parents crazy? Will spouses get along being together all the time?

It would be interesting to hear everyone's thoughts of how they plan to make the best of this isolation. Please take a moment to reply to this post and share your ideas.

Good luck and hang in there...this too shall pass.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Is Valentine's Day a Made Up Holilday?

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! There are those that say Valentine's Day is a made up holiday to get people to buy greeting cards, candies and flowers, etc. It's also traditional to take your Valentine out to a nice dinner...and guess what...most of the restaurants have a special Valentine's Day menu (with jacked-up prices)!  Here's a little hint: it's better to go to dinner the night before or the night after. You won't have such a hard time getting reservations and you will have the regular menu not the inflated holiday menu. Tell me what you think; is Valentine's Day a legitimate holiday or a made up one?

There was an ancient pagan festival held in mid February called Lupercalia and celebrated in Rome. This was a sexually-charged ceremony and involved animal sacrifices, and match making in hopes of warding off evil spirits. Often these couples would stay together a whole year till the next festival and many times ended in marriage.

Legend also has it that in ancient Rome a man named Valentine was executed for secretly performing marriage ceremonies for Christians and trying to convert Emperor Claudius II to Christianity.The Emperor had him beheaded.

Later the Catholic Church proclaimed Valentine a saint and Roman Martyrology lists him as being martyred on February 14th. That's where Saint Valentine came from.

What ever you believe about Valentine's Day I hope you enjoy it and celebrate it anyway you choose. Please leave your comments.

Monday, December 31, 2018

Happy New Year 2019

Hard to believe another year has come and gone already! May 2019 be a Happy and Blessed New Year for you.

Everyone seems to make New Year Resolutions that they never keep. If you are going to make resolutions be sure to set obtainable goals...for example instead of saying, " I'm going to lose 20-25 lbs in 2019." Try breaking it down a little, "My goal is to lose 2 lbs a month in 2019." This makes your goal more reasonable and easier to reach.

Whatever your goals or resolutions are for the New Year...make it a point to enjoy each day and appreciate the little things in life. Have a great year!

Monday, September 24, 2018

Rain, Rain Go Away

Rain, Rain Go Away; Come Again Another Day.

This has really been a weird summer as far as weather is concerned. Very hot and dry and then periods of heavy rain and at the end of the summer the climax was Hurricane Florence!

Record amounts of rainfall here in North Carolina along with high, damaging winds. We were lucky and only had one large tree limb fall. Of course it did minor damage to our storage shed and took down the main power line to our house. Two days with no electricity! However, that is nothing compared to what happened closer to the coast in North Carolina. Major storm damage from winds and flooding in those areas.

Our garden this year was a flop due to weather. Usually we have more tomatoes then we know what to do with. This year only a small crop of cherry tomatoes. We did have some lettuce, cucumbers, peppers and potatoes but nothing like the usual abundance of veggies. Very disappointing this year thanks to mother nature! Here's hoping next year will be better.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

I'm originally from Connecticut but have been living here in North Carolina since 1980. It always amazes me when it snows here or for that matter even if there is a rumor of snow flurries. There is a mad rush on the grocery stores and the bread and milk aisles are completed wiped out!





Schools are closed, businesses are shut down and traffic becomes a nightmare! All this for maybe 1/2" of snow. Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying I miss the 3 feet of snow and having to shovel your car out from after the snow plow comes by and buries it with heavy, packed down snow and ice which was recently scraped from the road. Sometimes it was so cold the locks on car door would be frozen! Of course we still had to drive to work in this mess and school was still in session. It could snow from October through April; no I don't miss that at all.

I just think it is comical the way that everyone panics around here whenever there is even the slight chance of snow!


Friday, January 12, 2018

Oprah for President



If Oprah decides to run for President would you vote for her? Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Oprah already has a huge fan base so she would probably get a lot of votes. She also has lots of money. So does this make her a good candidate for President? With all the talk about women's empowerment I'm sure Oprah will have that demographic covered.

Trump has lots of money and had a big fan base also did that make him a good President? Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Keep Christ in Christmas

Nothing upsets me more than receiving Christmas cards that say Merry Xmas! It's not Xmas people...it is Christmas. Let's keep the Christ in Christmas. He is the reason for the season!

Sure it's great to get presents and enjoy time with your family as you exchange gifts. But the greatest gift of all was God's gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Born on Christmas day.

So please remember to keep Christ in Christmas and don't send those Merry Xmas Cards.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a Blessed New Year.


Thursday, October 04, 2012

New Blog

I haven't used this blog for several years now; however, I continue to blog at webdesign4him.com/ramblings . Please check it out when you get a chance. I would like to thank all my faithful readers who have followed my blog for several years now and I hope that you will read and comment on my new Ramblings and Rhetoric blog. 

Monday, June 08, 2009

To Those of Us Born 1930 - 1979

To Those of Us Born 1930 - 1979

Here is an email I received. It's so true I just had to share this.

No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us, WE ARE AWESOME !!!! OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF !!!!

At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don'tread anything else, please read what he said. Very well stated, Mr. Leno.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn'tget tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no boosterseats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.

We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.

We weren't overweight. WHY? Because we were always outside playing...that's why! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.. No one was able to reach us all day, and, we were OKAY.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no videogames, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internetand no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We would get spankings with wooden spoons, yard sticks, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, share it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, andwith the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Friday, June 05, 2009

Rest in Peace "Grasshopper"

Rest in Peace "Grasshopper"

One of my all time favorite TV shows was "Kung Fu", I think I probably saw every single episode ever made! I was shocked to learn that David Carradine was found dead on Thursday, June 4th.


The 72-year-old actor was discovered hanging naked in a luxury hotel in Bangkok. There are many stories going around about the cause of his death and an autopsy was performed today. Some say he died from autoerotic asphyxiation, which involves intentionally cutting off oxygen supply for strong sexual arousal, others say suicide or murder. It will take a while before the cause of death is determined.


Carradine was the star of the 70s TV series, "Kung Fu" and also starred in the "Kill Bill" movies. He was in Bangkok filming a new movie, "Stretch".


I prefer to remember David Carradine as the soft-spoken,bare-foot, Shaolin Monk he played in "Kung Fu". You will be missed, may you rest in peace "Grasshopper".

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Runaway Teens

Runaway Teens

Our 16 year old granddaughter ran away from home in Missouri a couple of days ago. She is not alone.

  • One in seven children between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away.
  • Some will return within a few days; others remain on the streets never to return.
  • An estimated 1.3 million youth are on the streets each day.
  • Assaults, illness or suicide will take the lives of 5,000 runaway youth each year.
  • The median age for the cycle of running is 14 years old.
  • Most runaway youths remain away from home between one month and one year.
  • Females tend to return home sooner than males.

We were very lucky. Some of our granddaughter's friends were willing to help and through text messages were able to keep track of her and let her parents know where she was and where she was headed. This enabled us to contact the authorities and our granddaughter was picked up by the state police in New York two days after running away from home in Missouri.

Now the issue is how do we get her back home to Missouri and how will her parents be able to keep her there?

I found an organization that will help out with a FREE bus ticket. It's called the Home Free Program . 1.800.RUNAWAY. There are many other organizations out there that will help in various ways, I am in the process of getting a list together and putting up a website to help people in similar situations.

If you know of any groups or organizations that help runaways or families of runaways please leave a comment or contact me directly at cmmdtp@gmail.com .

A couple of valuable lessons learned here are:

  • Know your children's friends and how to contact them.
  • Have a recent picture of your child handy for authorities.
  • Know where to go for help if something like this should happen

Much more coming soon on this subject as it is near and dear to my heart. If you have helpful info on runaways and resources please let me know.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Susan Boyle - 2nd Place is Okay - She's a Winner

Susan Boyle - 2nd Place is Okay - She's a Winner

Congratulations to Diversity, the street dancers who won "Britian's got Talent". They were good, but street dancers and singers are two different things. Diversity had some training and good choreography but Susan did it all on her own!

In a competition like this it's not necessarially the first place winner that gets the best deal. Look at Clay Aiken from American Idol for example. Anyone who gets in the top 10 is going to be recognized for their talent and I'm sure they all get tons of letters and phone calls with amazing offers.









Boyle, 48 years old, was quoted in The London Times April 20th, 2009 saying, "Maybe I'll consider a makeover later on; for now I'm happy the way I am — short and plump. I would not go in for Botox or anything like that. I'm content with the way I look. What's wrong with looking like Susan Boyle? What's the matter with that?"

So big congrats to Susan Boyle, a lady with a great voice and lots of self confidence. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of her! You go Girl!!!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Dulcimer, Harmonica and Guitar on YouTube

Check out my new YouTube Channel

I am trying to build up a list of subscribers on my new YouTube channel. Please check it out and see me play the 3 string mountain dulcimer, chromatic harmonica and guitar. If you like what you see and hear please subscribe to my channel.

Feel free to comment on my music.


Saturday, May 09, 2009

The Swine Flu

The Swine Flu

The World Health Organization said that there may be as many as two billion cases worldwide by the time the swine flu virus runs its course! That's worse then the 1918 outbreak of the Spanish Flu where an *estimated 50 to 100 million worldwide died from the disease!

So far the most cases of swine flu have been reported in Mexico, with the United States coming in 2nd. Vaccines against the new strain are being developed and could be ready as early as June 2009.

Meanwhile, frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public can help to prevent infection. Social distancing may also be necessary if there is an outbreak of the epidemic in your area. This means staying at home or staying away from other people who might be infected and can include avoiding large gatherings.


(*source Wikipedia.com).

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Another Adventure at VA Hospital

Another Adventure at VA Hospital

For the last month I had a bad cough and now I had been having some bad chest pains for a few days so I went to the VA Hospital, which is always an adventure! After an hour's drive we arrived at 8:30 pm. We had never been there at night before and the parking lot was closed. It took us 5 minutes to find the night time parking garage and entrance. Upon entering the hospital we arrived at a set of elevators and had no idea where to go due to no signs. I picked up emergancy phone and got directions. We had to walk about a quarter of a mile through the hospital corridors to get to the emergancy room; this took another 10 minutes.

Then we checked in and we were seen by a triage nurse who asked me some questions then sent me for xrays. After that we were told to wait in the emergancy room lobby. We waited for 3 hours and were finally seen by the doctor. We were lucky, we were called before some of the other patients because I checked in with chest pains. Some people we talked to had already been waiting 6-7 hours to be seen!!!

I appreciate what the VA does for us but they need to improve their system! There were only 5 other people in the emergancy room when we got there, it should not have taken us 3 hours. Even though I checked in with chest pains I was not given an EKG. The doctor said the xrays were fine and told me that pain was due to blood pressure medicine I have been taken. It can cause a chronic cough and chest pains. She told me to stop taking that medicine and she would talk to my regular doctor on Monday to prescribe a new medicine for BP.

Your comments are welcome.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Great Chicken Recipe

Great Chicken Recipe

I didn't know what to blog about today so I figured I share a special recipe that I made last night for dinner. Actually, I never measure anything or use an actual recipe; I cook the way my Italian Grandmother taught me. When I would ask her how she made something she would always reply. "I add a pinch of this, a dash of that and a whole lot of love!"

Chicken Marinated in Greek or Italian Vinergerette Dressing

You can use any type of salad dressing you like. Just pour some dressing in a big bowl and soak chicken breasts or thighs in it, place in refrigerator covered for 2-4 hours and let it marinate. Before you put the chicken in poke some holes in each piece using a fork so the marinate will soak in.

After 2-4 hours place chicken in baking dish and pour the marinate over it so the bottom of dish has a little in it and make sure chicken is thouroughly covered with marinate. Sprinkle some spices on chicken, I always use parsely, basil, garlic salt, thyme and dill weed. Bake in oven at 350 degress 45-60 minutes. Make sure you turn chicken over at least once during the baking. It will come out nice and moist and simply delicious.

I usually make baked potatoes and a vegetable to go with this. Instead of butter on potatoes I pour a little of the marinate over the potatoes after they are baked. HHHHMMMM GOOD!

Let me know if you try this and how you liked it. Please leave a comment.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Why do Redheads change their hair color?

Why Do Redheads Change Their Hair Color?

I do not understand why many redheads change their hair color? I think redheads are so beautiful! I happen to be married to a beautiful redhead and she has never dyed her hair to another color.

Take Nicole Kidman for example. I just saw the movie Australia, which was a great movie; however, she is a blond in the movie which does not do her justice. Nicole is a sexy redhead...why mess with perfection? Look at the photo below and tell me she isn't a beautiful redhead!


I just fail to see why so many redheads insist on changing their hair color. Could somebody please explain this to me?

Leave your comments...especially if you are a redhead girl that has changed her hair color.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Make Money with Link Bee

Make Money with Link Bee

Here's a new way I discovered to earn a little extra money. It's called Link Bee. Just go to their site and create a link your url will be shortened like this http://linkbee.com/LN7C and you will get paid for clicks. There are different types of links available. The above link will take you to my web design website. This link Linkbee.com will take you to the Link Bee website.

Check out this site, you won't get rich quick but it is a way to add to your income stream. You can put links on your blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Please leave a comment.

Monday, March 23, 2009

The prodigal son returns

The prodigal son returns

This weekend our 37 year old son moved back in with us. We are happy to help him out as he makes a transition in his life. It will be good to have him around as we didn't get to see him too often the last several years.

Just curious how many other parents have revolving doors on their homes. We have had the following family members living with us from time to time over the years.

My daughter, my wife's daughter and two children, my wife's son, my brother-in-law, my wife's son and his wife and son. We love family and are happy to help out...just wish we had a bigger house.

Please leave a comment.