tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95276372024-03-16T02:07:52.816-05:00Writing From the HipCrying? There's no crying in baseball! <i>A League of Their Own.</i>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.comBlogger638125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-14184352240583163872018-03-07T20:47:00.001-06:002018-03-07T20:47:42.634-06:00The Art of Art<h2>
The Art of Art<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">copyright by Paul Nichols 2012 </span></h2>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Who knew that the art of art is such an
in-depth craft?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Who knew that inspiration comes looking
for you? Who knew that inspiration walks along side you, following you around,
never saying a word, but always urging the artist in you to a higher plane? Or
to a greater piece of music? Or to a most beautiful set of end tables? Or to piles
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>books and poetry? Or to a baseball
bat and glove? Or to a perfectly balanced rock stack?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Really. Who knew?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">And why wasn’t I told this when I was
about five years old? It could have saved my parents a lot of confusion and
angst—inspired by me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“What do you wanna be when you grow up,
son?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“I can tell you already I don’t wanna go
to school—and I sure don’t wanna to take no piano lessons! That’s about it, I
guess.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Now son, there are rules. We all have
rules we have to follow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“But, Mom,” I pleaded. “Wait…. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Daaaad</i>,” I yelled to the back yard. “do
I have to…?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Do what your mother tells you, young
man,” Dad snarled back from way out there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I want to know how my dad knew from way
out there what my mom had just said way in here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Guess what. I waddled to school and
rubbed shoulders with kids who turned out to be the most inspirational folks
I ever met. Grades K – 12. They still are. Writers, musicians, teachers,
photographers. Bronco busters with shiny belt buckles. Hunters. On and on. I
love them all. We visit briefly almost daily on Facebook. It’s so inspiring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Guess what else. I reluctantly took
piano lessons. So now I like Mozart and Bach and Tchaikovsky and Beethoven and Roger
Whitacre and Rock ‘n’ Roll and Alan Menken (I love kids) and Neil Diamond and
Queen and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Top Secret Drum Corps</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gabriel’s Oboe</i> and Chubby Checker
playing a piano duet with Jerry Lee Lewis. There are many, many more. Many
more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Shall I mention such electrifying,
stupefying, whirlwinds of art as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Les Misèrables,
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Phantom of the Opera…?</i> You
see what I mean? And there are many more of those, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Inspiration touched each of those
artists one day and said, “Here, let me make you famous.” And they listened.
And they worked at it. And they practiced. They weren’t the only ones. Why,
there are folks who are as old as this earth who led the way. They all sacrificed
and went without. They rarely got paid and they didn’t care. And the world is a
brilliantly wonderful place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I was not so noted. I always suspected that
inspiration was there. I just couldn’t bring myself to follow my heart without
my parents’ or my wife’s permissions. “Get a job and keep it, son.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I started college in1970. (There’s that
school again, only this time I took 2 of my kids with me.) While I was there I
met the lovely and multi-talented Paige Van Horne who sprang right off the
Inspiration Vault. She stuck it, landing right beside me. “Hi,” happily. She
was Inspiration in the flesh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So in my last year (1974), I wrote a
novel, which was a graduation requirement. Along with Paige I included Ansel
Mortgage, Jesse Ford, and Ranza Castillo, Paige’s best friend. I got an A and
finally finished school. I put the novel in a box formerly used for blank
typing paper. Then I went back to work delivering packages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(For the record, I killed Paige’s
parents in the first chapter of the book. In a hydroplaning accident out on
I-35. Suddenly, just before her 18th birthday she became an orphan. And in
about the 13th chapter her friend Jesse had a similar accident on an icy side
road. He lived, but it nearly killed Paige. “Oh, no! Dear God! No! Not again!”
she screamed. She refused to faint. “I have to go to him. He <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">needs</i> me!” Somebody gave her a water
bottle.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">One night, maybe ten years later, while
I was snoozing deep in the night, I heard someone say “Paige Van Horne.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clear as day. I was up and out of bed in a
flash. Only my wife was in the room, sound asleep. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Guess what again. In the morning, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I opened my e-mail and there was a message
from my journalism professor. In the subject line he typed “Paige Van Horne”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I want to know how Mr. Bohrer’s e-mail
from Oregon gave voice to someone in my bedroom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Inspiration? Yes, inspiration.
Inspiration is a living entity and it goes where it wants to go. Does what it
wants to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I use a little corner of a spare room in
our apartment. I call it “my office.” I’ve written and sold books there. I
wrote 51 technical books and many professional papers—all for somebody else. I
wrote articles and letters to friends; I did a blog for awhile and I post on Facebook,
a veritable garden of delightful friends. Sometimes I find inspiration there
just sitting there waiting for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">My office will do for now. I’ve got books
and references of all kinds. I think they are in cahoots with Inspiration, who
has never left me—or at least hasn’t gone very far away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">And every once in awhile, Paige and
Jesse, Ansel and Ranza whisper this to me: “Please come get us, Paul. Don’t you
know that even the very words of God are inspired? “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“We think he wants you to shovel us into
the public,” said Ansel. He’s a genius.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“He’s got your back, too, Bro. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i>
Inspiration.” That’s Ranza. She speaks Spanish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-36263875922676536472014-02-23T07:57:00.003-06:002014-02-23T17:59:19.204-06:00Ka-Flop-Ka-Flap<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s been cold here in the Heart of America this winter.
Especially at 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. So I drive down to the mall and walk for an
hour or so. Exercise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, yesterday seemed no different than other mornings.
Cold, a little icy here and there, a gentle wind. I went so late that I saw the
beginnings of a beautiful sunrise. Once inside the mall, I took off my coat,
gloves and ear muffs; stretched a little and took off walking. Same as other
mornings.</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Along the way, maybe half way, I happened to be talking with
someone about my shoes. They are special shoes; shoes I’ve had since at least
the year 2000. Can anyone say 14 years? “Oh, you should take care of your
feet,” my walking companion said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You
should get new shoes every….” Well, more often than 14 years. I had to explain
that I rarely wear these shoes. I kept them because they are so near and dear
to my heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ever wonder how an old pair of shoes can be near and dear to
your heart?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In 2002, in the apartment building where I lived, a fire
burned up everything we had. In the morning, we left the house. In the evening
we came back to nothing. All that we owned were my pickup, her car and the
clothes we were wearing—including those shoes. So I kept them as a memento. </span></div>
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</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVdDknbJPZalMMcx1vuvndckBVLeUVhL3arU9dOEMuDnzOtw54X8pGitwSgdTixYRZzYTAbz8SjhjbP3HQOUtiLHG-7RSoUFThBER_A_jNRPuMUbTMgmgoEQV0qha1UTcEYHA/s1600/Shoes+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVdDknbJPZalMMcx1vuvndckBVLeUVhL3arU9dOEMuDnzOtw54X8pGitwSgdTixYRZzYTAbz8SjhjbP3HQOUtiLHG-7RSoUFThBER_A_jNRPuMUbTMgmgoEQV0qha1UTcEYHA/s1600/Shoes+002.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, then this happened yesterday morning. When I finished
my walk and headed back to the car I heard, <i>Ka-flop-ka-flap!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka-flop-ka-flap!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ka-flop-ka-flap!</i>” What? But the sound went
away after a few more steps, and away I went back home. Later, in the afternoon,
while I was outside enjoying spring-like weather, I heard that noise again. I
investigated and discovered that my cherished shoes had broken. The sole on one
shoe was <i>Ka-flopping-ka-flapping! </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I got back in the house, I took my walking companion’s
advice and disposed of those shoes. Obviously, it was nothing like a funeral,
but for a minute it felt like it </span></div>
Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-13199753307720430872014-01-29T14:13:00.000-06:002014-02-23T08:03:40.964-06:00Five Crowns<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I once did a Bible word study on the word “Crown.” I have no
idea where I got the idea to do so, but I did. It didn’t take long before I discovered that individual Christians
can receive as many as five crowns. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Listed below are the <b>Five Crowns </b>and their Scripture
references, in order from the Old Testament through the New Testament.</span></span></div>
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Knowledge Crown</b>—Proverbs
14:18. “Prudent” is the key word here. “…having or showing careful good
judgment.” The opposite of foolishness (folly). The more prudence, the more
knowledge will be <b>crowned</b> upon a
person. I’m pretty sure this crown is bestowed during our lifetime on earth. I recommend
that you read the whole 14th chapter where many foolish people and prudent
people are compared and contrasted. Interesting.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Crown of Beauty</b>—Isaiah
61:3. This <b>crown</b> is for those who
minister to the poor, the brokenhearted, mourners, prisoners and people who
grieve for Zion. Again, I recommend reading this whole chapter. It’s a
beautiful song of freedom, honor and a glorious future </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Crown of
Righteousness</b>—2 Tim 4:8. In this letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul was not at all hesitant to
claim this <b>crown</b> for himself. And he
quickly added “…to all who longed for his appearance.” That’s everyone who’s
looking forward to the second coming of Jesus.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Crown of Life</b>—James
1:12. This <b>crown</b> is especially
designed for people who are enduring or have endured abuse, physical torture,
imprisonment and even death because they claim Christianity. In the early days
of Christianity, many Christians were murdered for no other reason. And in this
modern era we can think of several nations with zero tolerance for Christians.
Abuse, torture, imprisonment and death run rampant there. I also firmly believe
that this promise applies to young girls and women who have been enslaved into
sex trafficking—even in the good ol’ USA. Pray for Christians around the
world.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Crown of Glory</b>—1
Peter 5:4. This <b>crown</b> is dedicated
to the elders (ministers, pastors, priests—and missionaries) of local or neighborhood churches. It
will be given as soon as the Lord comes back. It will never fade away (see
Revelation 4:4).</span></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These then are the Five Crowns that I believe await us. You
want one? Or all five?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If I have come up short here and someone wants to add or
correct me, that’s fine; please do so. I could use another crown. Scripture has
many other references to the word crown. But most of them are verbs, not nouns.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I used the New International Version as my lead study Bible.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span>
</div>
Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-72931749833548479472013-12-27T06:16:00.000-06:002013-12-27T06:18:50.554-06:00Angels Watch Over Us<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My friend Jennie Carpenter gave me this idea. It’s all her
brilliance. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>My recap of 2013.</b> </span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At noon on New Year’s Day, my
daughter had been married for about 24 hours.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I began a project: “365 Days of
Gratitude” to post on Facebook.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was 72 degrees here one day in
January. Two days later, it was 10. TEN degrees!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had my first helping of kale in
January.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I fell asleep during the Super Bowl
and never knew who won for three or four days.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I turned 70 for the first time.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I started writing my first full-length
novel. A romance novel, despite my age and gender.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2013 was the Chinese Year of the
Snake. 2014 is the Year of the Horse. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our church baptized 17 people one
Sunday. Lots of praisin’ the Lord, movin’ and shakin’. Know what I mean?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We made a down payment on a house. We
got our money back. Bad house, after all.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our friend, Bob Sewell passed away
in Dallas. (#1) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I make our own Almond Butter. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I always eat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ice Cream for Breakfast</i> on March 20. Please join me. I’ll explain
later.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two sisters-in-law and an aunt came
to visit. No reason. They’re from FL and MS. “Girls Night Out” for four days. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I went way too many days without
writing in my diary. What’s up with that?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have a collection of coffee mugs
from 35 states. Only 15 more states to visit. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A teenager asked for my autograph,
just because I write. I asked for her autograph, just because she wants to
become a writer. I keep it in one of my diary books.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">April is <i>Autism Awareness Month</i>.
Please help us find the missing piece. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like Greek food; Persian
(Iranian) food, Mexican food, Chinese food, American food, Middle Eastern food,
Holy Land food, Japanese food, Thai food, Italian food—just to name a few.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I watched the movie, “The Lone
Ranger,” in a theater (think Johnny Depp).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our great friend Bud passed away in
Arkansas. (#2)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We joined two “fellowship” groups
in our church. One is music only; the other is a book study. Both are fun and
the people are great!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like personal mail. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Personal letters.</i> Haven’t had one in
awhile. Need my address?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I watch “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv6MgODqMZc">The Red Green Show</a>” on PBS
as often as I can.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our neighbor died in her sleep. (#3)
She used to babysit our dog.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The 4tha July is my favorite
holiday.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Everybody should have a fast, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fast</i> car! Or a Harley. Or both. And a
pickup.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love kids. All ages.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My barber, Dave, retired. He let me
be the 3rd from last customer on his retirement day. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Three super friends read (parts of)
my novel manuscript and sent back input and encouragement. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Every 5th Sunday of the month,
teenagers are the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>greeters at our
church. They let me be in charge. I guess I’m just a kid at heart. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marcie and I attended my nephew’s
funeral in Colorado. He died in Afghanistan. (#4)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a two-year absence (not my choice), I started blogging again. Yee-haw!</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hydroplaned off the freeway at 60
mph. I was almost #5. Angels, for sure. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wear colored T-shirts for
underwear. I like red ones best. Or bright yellow. Or orange…</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I got to spend almost an hour with
Angela Hunt, renown Christian author. She’s an angel.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I never missed a writers’ meeting
this year. I missed a couple of critique groups, though.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gloria and I celebrated our 50th
Wedding Anniversary with friends and family. Fun,
food, fellowship, fotos and frolic. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scroll down to the previous post to read all about it. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our grandson lived with us for
three months, then took a gamble and moved to Las Vegas.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I got a Chinese fortune cookie that
says, “You have a charming way with words and should write a book.” I saved
that one and put it my diary book.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yankee Stadium is a special place
and I want to go there. Who’s with me?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mariano Rivera pitched his last
game for the New York Yankees. He is a class act. (I wanted him to be Number 42
here.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Peppermint Ice Cream is a Christmas
tradition at my house. Come on over!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes I wish I was a famous
photographer. And artist. And graphics designer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I dream of walking across the
United States. I want to. It will only take 16 months.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I walked about 450 miles this year.
In the mall during cold weather days; outside, otherwise. Two years ago I walked
over 1200 miles all year. In all kinds of weather.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Church/Mass on Christmas Eve seems
only natural.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At our Christmas Eve service, Miss
Laurel sang the best version of “O Holy Night,” I ever heard in my entire life.
Thrilling and goose-bumpy. Like an angel. I told her so.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We opened gifts at my daughter’s
house this Christmas Eve. Family matters.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I crave <i>In-and-Out Burgers</i>. Or <i>Smashburgers</i>.
Or <i>What-a-Burgers</i>. Even <i>Jack in the Box</i> burgers. Wanna welcome the new year
with me?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m getting set up to do this again
next year. Stay tuned. Wait here for me. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m a jenius. So is Jennie. The only two in the
world.</span></li>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thank you, <a href="http://scribblesandscripts.blogspot.com/">Jennie, for your post. </a>You’re an inspiration. You’re a delightful writer. You’re a special
friend to so many people. Angels watch over <b>you</b>, don’t they?</span></div>
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Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-36639103388703338972013-12-06T20:47:00.000-06:002013-12-26T16:05:05.674-06:00Can You Say Fifty 50 Ways?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a weekend to remember. Not only for us, but for
everyone who came to help us celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary. November
30, 2013. Our Golden Wedding Anniversary.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It actually started on a cool November 15 just 50 years ago
in Columbus GA. Then three perfect kids arrived, Michael, Marcie and Amy. (A
lot of thought went into their names and we believe they are perfectly named.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After that, there were 50 different addresses. We moved a
lot. We both had a restless spirit, I guess. It’s okay. Our kids were flexible
enough to sit in the back seat for miles at a time and still thrive wherever we
landed. The kids soon left home, settled down and refused to move unless it
just had to be. At least we knew where to find them. All three are leaders in
their communities now. Now they have 10 smart kids plunked down in the back of
minivans. A few of those kids drive now. Where did the time go?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But, the Lord is faithfuler than we think. Far more than 50
friends have connected with us in ways only jobs can connect you. We have
friends in just about every state in the country. We have Iranian friends, Chinese
friends, Mexican friends, Muslim friends, Anglo friends—the list goes on. I
know that we can pound on their doors for a meal or a comfortable bed.
Unfortunately, a few of our special friends have passed away. Worse, we’ve lost
track of a couple of couples that were pretty dear to us long ago. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[ I want to go on record and say that some of our friends
are children and infants. We have teenaged friends, too. We have friends who have lived
with life-long handicaps. Whenever I need my spirit boosted, I go find one of
them. ]</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During our marriage and right up till today there were at
least 50 jobs—and I’m still looking. Restless spirits, indeed. If it had to do
with writing, that was my favorite job. If it had to do with selling, that was
Gloria’s favorite job. As a technical writer, which I is, I wrote 50 books. That’s
right, 50. At home, I wrote at least 50 short stories and have given serious
thought to compiling them all into one book and letting each of our 50 friends
buy one. One story I’m really excited about is titled, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why Procrastinate When You Can Wait?</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Funny, I think we must have been members of 50 different
churches, too. Baptist, Methodist, Wesleyan, Pentecostal, No-Name Independents,
Evangelical Free. My favorite denomination, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Four Square Church,</i> was founded by <a href="http://www.foursquare.org/about/aimee_semple_mcpherson">Aimee Semple McPherson</a>, a controversial
evangelist, back during the Depression. What does it mean? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Four Square</i>? The church preaches/teaches that Jesus is our Savior,
our Healer, our Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and our Soon-Coming King. </span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, it was Wednesday night. Everything started then. My
brother’s bride fixed up a really good enchilada casserole dinner. With my
sister there, too, we made funny things happen during the evening. At one
point, my sides ached. Oh, who can forget Thanksgiving Day…er, night? Gloria’s
two sisters and their husbands and one of her brothers came with his bride,
too. It was our Thanksgiving dinner together. Can you guess what we had? We had
tacos—40 of them! Gloria made them with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">turkey</i>
meat. We had Mexican beer while we were at it. For dessert we had pumpkin pie
with whipped cream slathered all over it. Strong coffee followed. It’s just
what B-I-L ordered. Turkey and pumpkin pie, or he wasn’t coming. Friday was
work-eat-work-eat-work-run around in KCMO and stay out late. Fun. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wait! Did I say 40? Must be a typo. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then the big party. Listen, we had the most perfect
weather possible for this part of the country at this Thanksgiving time of the
year. Incredible blue skies in all four directions. Wonderful warmth, daytime
and night time. All those who traveled here commented, “Hey, thanks for the
nice weather. I thought it would be snowing or something.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our church let us use the coffee-fellowship room, and one of
Gloria’s best friends decorated it to no end! Beautiful. She used 50 shades of
blue. And some gold, of course. Friends and relatives, in-laws and outlaws came
from far and near. Some did not come at all (to keep us humble, I’m sure). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wrote a prayer a night or two before and then read it to
begin the affair. I read it because I figured I’d have a hard time to keep from
crying a little. I was right. I have Catholic friends who think reading a
prayer is perfectly fine. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then everybody lined up to ransack that food table. Somehow
or another, we had so much food left over that we gave away about 50 containers
of something or another. Wow! You shoulda been there. Our caterer outdid
herself! The food was deliciouser than just about any party I’ve ever attended.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our son Mike N. was Master of Ceremonies. And a great one he
was, too. Music rocked the party. My niece started it all with a short,
pleasant repertoire. Then Zoe, our great-niece sang a Beatles song,
<i>Do You Want to Know a Secret</i>, A Capella. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Capella!</i>
She marched right up to that microphone and started singing! Right on pitch,
note after note. She’s awesome—and only 12 years old! Everybody should have a great-niece
like Zoe! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A little later, we watched Mike L., our oldest grandson hit the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lowest</i> note on the keyboard. He has an outta-this-world
bass voice. Again, right on pitch! I’m telling you, that kid can sing. We all
sang along to a few tunes. We enjoyed songs from the hymnbook and songs from
Gloria’s youngest brother, who is a semi-professional singer. He entertained us
with Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Ray Charles and some others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition to all the music, there were plenty of jokes (to
honor our sense of humor, I’m sure). Gloria’s second brother stood up and
roasted us, just like they used to do on TV. That skit included 50 wise cracks.
All in fun, I think. He let my own brother join in the fray. Our Master of
Ceremonies even threw in a buncha jokes—about his own parents! Whoever heard of
such a thing?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amy, our Texas daughter, showed a DVD with 50 years of
family photos she’d dug up. Her background music included Anne Murray’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Could I Have This Dance?</i>, so I got up
and asked Gloria could I have that dance. She said, “Yes” again. So we danced.
In church. Suddenly, 50 people jumped up and cameras flashed! It was a real
honest-to-goodness “flash mob.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Cake! Cake! We want cake!”
That was all the grandkids getting restless and rude. Well, they were pretty much right. It
was time to call one of my best friends to the podium and… “Cut the cake! Cut
the cake.” Densel and I don’t see each other all that often, but when we do, we
do. Know what I mean? He’s a preacher with one of the beautifulest families you
ever can know. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He sang “Great is Thy
Faithfulness.” We thanked everyone for coming. He offered a benediction and the
kids yelled, “All right! Let’s go get some cake!” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We got hugged a lot that
afternoon.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What about our future? “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The future is as bright as the promises of
God</i>.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(That’s a quote to honor a
friend we’ve known almost 50 years. Bob Hilderman, who watched our celebration
from heaven.)</span></div>
Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-31277241436516173752013-10-04T14:34:00.002-05:002013-10-04T16:58:22.608-05:00Never Expected This<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As most of you know, I re-started my
blog a few days ago. I am revisiting some of the blogs I’ve missed the past two
years. I opened one of my favorite blogs, one of the brightest and most
positive on the Internet, only to find the stunning news that Husband is
undergoing chemo and all those nasty after effects. He’s hardly 40 years old,
if that much.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the last paragraph on their blog post, written by
Wife. <i> </i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Thank you for praying for [Husband]. You can pray that he will stay strong through treatments, that he won’t lose any more weight, that the treatments will work, that he will recover fully. You can pray that he will be able to keep running!!!! God is good to us every day.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I consider them friends and I think they have taken a liking to me despite the time between our posts/comments. I’m not going to link to their site unless someday, someone
says it’s okay. And at her request, I will pray. Please join me.</span>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-76260879432202331192013-09-30T07:57:00.000-05:002013-12-07T16:00:58.644-06:00Making Forks Sing<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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It feels great to be back in my blogging saddle again. It’s
so comfortable here. Thanks for waiting for me. I think I found a
magical way to begin again. Tell your friends. <br />
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<br /></div>
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If I had included these little incidents in my scintillating
memoirs, it might have been a better book. My niece Debbie reminded me of it
Saturday night; six years too late. That’s okay. Magic never sleeps.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Magic
Forks</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When I
was growing up at 1122-7th Street, our family, six of us, gathered around our evening
dinner table according to Dad’s work schedule. Three or four times a month?
Those were grand meals.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Dad
occasionally said something like, “Here you go, Ruthie (or Neal or Noel or
Paul).” Then he held his fork off to one side of his plate, plucked two of its
tines and said, “Catch!” We all held our breath. Ruthie held her hands out and
Dad tossed the sound across the table to her. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A second
later when Ruthie caught it: “Ping-ing-ing.” It was a pretty sound. A magical
sound. And always fun, even when we knew it’s secret.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Better a meal with
vegetables where there is love, </span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">than a fattened
calf where there is hatred.”</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">—Proverbs 15:17</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Memo from the Advertising Department: </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's getting closer and closer to Christmas. </span>Have you had a chance to read my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Just-Seven-Blocks-Mexican-Border/dp/0982385919/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251033976&sr=8-1">book</a>? Click the word "book," then order a bunch of them. </span></div>
Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-28759671006849219592013-09-27T11:36:00.001-05:002013-12-26T17:35:51.468-06:00I Once Was Lost...I cannot believe I have been set free! Two or three years ago, Blogger told me I couldn't play here anymore. But today I checked, just for the fun of it and...Walla! Walla!...I'm back! I love to blog. I've blogged for a long time--you know that. I'll be back at it here pretty soon and I want you to join me again. Tell your friends, too. <br />
<br />
You know what? This is better than FB. No politics for one thing. The list is endless. <br />
<br />
Thanks for waiting. I'll be checking in on you all, too. This is exciting!<span style="background-color: #ea9999;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-29588619931661712262011-08-30T06:21:00.005-05:002011-09-01T01:23:14.982-05:00It's Amazing, Grace<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Isn’t it <i>amazing</i> how so many of us use the word <i>amazing </i>for so many tidbits of ordinary trivia? <i>Awesome</i>, too.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have you noticed what a high usage spike those words have taken the past few years? <i>Amazing </i>and <i>Awesome</i>. At least that’s the way I see it. I mean, people use <i>amazing </i>and <i>awesome </i>for all kinds of lazy linguistic flotsam and jetsam. I think the Internet has a lot to do with it.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But really, honest, there are only five things that are <i>Amazing </i>or <i>Awesome</i>. <b>Note</b>: only five.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li><b>Jesus </b>was willing to sacrifice himself for you and me. That’s both <i>Amazing </i>and <i>Awesome</i></li>
<li><b>The birth of a baby</b>. One minute you can hardly fathom the child. The next minute you love her/him like you’ve known her/him forever. In just a few minutes you can’t remember when that baby wasn’t there. How can that be? It’s <i>Awesome </i>and <i>Amazing</i>, too.</li>
<li>A busy gazillion-ton <b>aircraft carrier </b>can float serenely in the ocean, while a weightless <b>pebble </b>will fall immediately to the bottom of the sea. Incredible!</li>
<li><b>Freedom </b>is a gift, earned by blood all over the world. </li>
<li>In 1969, <b>men landed on the moon </b>and the <b><i>Amazin' </i>Mets </b>won the World Series. Choose your favorite.</li>
</ol><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>So stop telling me that you just dropped your <i>amazing </i>kids off at school. Your kids are no more <i>amazing</i> than mine—and believe me: my kids are pretty <i>awesome</i>. </li>
<li>Your <i>amazing </i>husband is about equal to the rest of us, which probably means all husbands are <i>amazing</i>. (How does your husband define you, by the way?)</li>
<li>"Our home fellowship group is <i>amazing</i>!" But it’s never noted in the newspaper; not even in the monthly church magazine. </li>
<li>And have you heard? "The city finally installed an <i>amazing </i>new stop sign down at the corner." </li>
<li>And I like this: "We've already been dating for 26 <i>awesome </i>hours. He's so <i>amazing</i>."</li>
<li>“Our team had an <i>amazing </i>meeting yesterday afternoon.”</li>
<li>“Here’s an <i>amazing </i>new BBQ recipe.”</li>
<li>“We’re letting church out early so you won’t miss our <i>amazing </i>“Saints / Rams / Bills / Cardinals / Cowboys / Jags / Vikings / Raiders…” Again, pick your favorite.</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJs1cB13n69c1xbCJx3GhT1rbDuj2KvSNIVxY2bnRbmUSNGbAnYI7-dPOR8dFIg3lnmwBwlAIIHUKj8BhHbUYfHaqHR5LfwrTP2bH0Bd8r5NzEaj-gXKSOBcWY4hyrzZ-g_uPZ/s1600/give+em+a+brake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh wait: here’s something <i>amazing</i>. <b>#6. </b>Out there on the freeway, they’re updating it. Did you notice? They’re widening it to six lanes (but only one lane is available) and rebuilding new overpasses for the next five miles. Of course, we don’t see! We’re too busy texting on our cell phones—at 60-something miles an hour<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (tsk)</span>.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Flagmen and women stand only inches from whizzing traffic (and exhaust) and endure the wrath and fingers of inconvenienced drivers. Dump trucks and cement trucks load and unload their loads. Backhoes hoe, earthmovers move the earth, graders level things, Bobcats scamper around, cranes lift and lower, engineers wander around with clipboards, steel workers cut, weld and place rebar, laborers sweat for you and me, concrete barriers move around in the dark of night, orange cones—<i>I keep saying I should have invested in orange cones! </i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Somehow the old overpasses get removed and new ones go up, all smooth and wide. Somehow new lanes get created despite irritated, ornery multi-tasking drivers. Not very many workers get run over by us. Emergency vehicles somehow get through it all on their way to an emergency somewhere else.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJs1cB13n69c1xbCJx3GhT1rbDuj2KvSNIVxY2bnRbmUSNGbAnYI7-dPOR8dFIg3lnmwBwlAIIHUKj8BhHbUYfHaqHR5LfwrTP2bH0Bd8r5NzEaj-gXKSOBcWY4hyrzZ-g_uPZ/s1600/give+em+a+brake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJs1cB13n69c1xbCJx3GhT1rbDuj2KvSNIVxY2bnRbmUSNGbAnYI7-dPOR8dFIg3lnmwBwlAIIHUKj8BhHbUYfHaqHR5LfwrTP2bH0Bd8r5NzEaj-gXKSOBcWY4hyrzZ-g_uPZ/s1600/give+em+a+brake.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
And then one magical morning about five years later we wake up and "<i>Look! The freeway’s finished! Finally! It took 'em long enough!</i>" The overpasses are architecturally sound and beautiful. The orange cones disappeared. New white stripes define the new permanent lanes—and we fly down that shiny new freeway texting, eating bagels, drinking coffee and screaming at the kids. How nice.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>That’s</i> <i>amazing</i>! But no one says so. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh, wait, I left something off our list.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#7. Chocolate with friends.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#8. People and their pets. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#9. Our English language ebbs and flows, eh? </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Add something yourself.</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-36005851828375234812011-07-28T11:26:00.004-05:002011-08-03T07:57:12.855-05:00Do Not Try This at Home—Bad Resume Stuff<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My great friend—and great publisher—Monique got up on a soapbox recently and let us have it. She gave us a finger-wagging tongue-lashing about horrible resumes. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And rightly so. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I, too, have had a good look at some pretty unimpressive resumes from folks who should know better. From intelligent people. Educated people. Skilled people. And <i>experienced </i>people. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Listen, if you are a serious job-seeker, then you are a serious resume builder first. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I suppose our greatest resume blunder is the typo. How easy is it to type “there” for “their,” or “of” for “if?” Proofreading is the solution here. Yes, even by two or three good readers. Read it out loud, too. One misspelled word may end your opportunity for an interview. So check, check, check. And recheck. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then before sending your resume, really read the advertisement or job description for the position that interests you—and build your resume to fit accordingly. <i>Instructional Design </i>means <i>instructional design</i>; not <i>interior design </i>or <i>industrial design</i>. Unqualified applicants' resumes go straight into the circular file. [Say, “Thank you, Monique.”]</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hiring a service to do your resume? Then your eyes must be doubly alert for all manner of potential disasters—including the <i>correct spelling of your name</i>, your correct address, e-mail address and phone numbers. Hint: don’t pay for a resume until you proofread it first. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Things that fast-track your resume to the shredder are outright gaffes, boo-boos and pompous nonsense. Here are a few examples that you shouldn't try from home. These may tickle your funny bone, but each one detoured someone’s career path. Not yours, I hope.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li><b>Cover Letter</b>: "For more details, Google me.” </li>
<li><b>Cover Letter</b>: "I would love to interview for the position of (insert job title here). If you grant me an interview for (insert job title here), I feel confident you'll see why I'm the right person for the job." [<b>Note</b>: that paragraph was copied from an Internet template and pasted onto the writer’s resume—as is. <i>Do not do this at home</i>!]</li>
<li><b>Cover Letter</b>: "Upon your humble request, I will forward to your personal attention my letters of reference to be attached hereto and made part thereof." </li>
<li><b>Objective</b>: “I aim to work with your organization. You will provide me with challenging tasks to perform in an efficient way and then reach the top and achieve the maximum out of the given opportunities enriching my strengths and beating all my weaknesses.”</li>
<li><b>Professional Development</b>: "Consulted with internal business divisions to determine optimum learning modalities to meet business needs." [Copied from Monique’s FB post.]</li>
<li><b>Professional Development</b>: "Numerous hardware and software certifications. I could wallpaper my entire bathroom with them, but my wife would kick me out if I did. " [<i>Gong</i>!]</li>
<li><b>Thank You Note</b>: "Hi, Ray. If I don't get the job, that would be 'Hi Ray' robbery. OK, yes, this is a bad pun, but I couldn't help but think about someone stealing the above salutation. Hmm, I definitely took a risk there, as jokes that bad should probably be punishable by fines." [<i>Gong! Gong! Gong!</i>]</li>
<li><b>Thank you Note</b>: "Thank you for your consideration. Hope to hear from you shorty! "</li>
</ol><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you e-mail a resume, be careful what you put in the Subject line. Only “Resume” or “Applying for job” will get your e-mail tossed faster than you can read this sentence. But don’t be silly, either. I always put “<i>Paul Nichols’ Resume; [Title of Position]</i>.” Think about how that stands out in a crowded e-mail inbox. Write your cover letter in the body of the e-mail and attach your resume. And then what? Spell-check before sending. Spell-check again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Speaking of cover letters, Monique recommends that if you're applying for a position where writing is an important part of the job, make your cover letter <i>a sample of your own best writing</i>. If your style is too wordy or loaded with important-sounding but empty words, the hiring manager will assume that's how you always write. "Next."<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She also says, if you're applying for a job where graphic design skills are a must, <i>show off your design skills in your resume</i>. Send a well-formatted resume, in an attractive style, with plenty of white space and perhaps some bullet points. With things like that, the HR staff will move you to the head of the line. Hey, you don't even have to be a graphic designer to do this.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Do Not Do This From Home, either</b>: “Hello? Acme HR Department? I just e-mailed you my resume. Did you get it?”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And now, how about some one-liners for your water cooler chit-chat tomorrow? </div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>"Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store."</li>
<li>"My intensity and focus are at inordinately high levels, and my ability to complete projects on time is unspeakable."</li>
<li>"Education: Curses in liberal arts, curses in computer science, curses in accounting."</li>
<li>"Personal: Married, 1992 Chevrolet."</li>
<li>"I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse."</li>
<li>"I am a rabid typist."</li>
<li>"Exposure to German for two years, but many words are not appropriate for business."</li>
<li>"References: None, I’ve left a path of destruction behind me."</li>
<li>"Don’t take the comments of my former employer too seriously, they were unappreciative beggars and slave drivers."</li>
<li>"I procrastinate—especially when the task is unpleasant."</li>
<li>"I am loyal to my employer at all costs. Please feel free to respond to my resume on my office voice-mail."</li>
<li>"Extensive background in accounting. I can also stand on my head!"</li>
<li>"Personal interests: Donating blood. 15 gallons so far."</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[<b>Note</b>: Donating 15 gallons of blood over the years is a remarkable achievement and worthy of high praise. In a resume, however, “Regular blood donor” is sufficient.] </span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your well-organized, well-formatted resume must not have any of the following. </div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>Personal information ["Engaged. Finally after four divorces I found the one."]</li>
<li>Attempts at humor [See #6 and #7 above.]</li>
<li>Incorrect or omitted words ["Organized a militia of employees to form the committees."] Or ["As you can tell, my says it all."]</li>
<li>Extraneous or inappropriate information and awkward phrasing. [See Monique’s #5 above.]</li>
<li>Exclamation points [<i>Never</i><b>!</b> <i>Never</i><b>!</b> <i>Never</i><b>!</b>] </li>
<li>Excessive use of highlights. [If everything is highlighted, what's important?] </li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">In the end, build these three great strengths into your resume: accuracy, truthfulness and clarity. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Oh, and dress appropriately for your interview.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-82093977225248927452011-07-17T07:42:00.003-05:002011-07-18T07:55:17.254-05:00Ten Reasons Why I Don’t Cuss<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One evening, about the time I was a new teenager, my dad asked me to get something for him. “It’s in my cedar box,” he said, referring to the little box on his chest of drawers. He kept little odds 'n' ends in there that he rarely used. So I went raking it through it, examining a little gizmo here and a whatchamacallit there. Pretty soon I came upon a card with the following:</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Ten Reason </b><b>Why </b><b>I Don’t Swear</b></div><ol><li><b>It is my way of honoring God, </b>who said, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who takes his name in vain." ~Ex 20:7</li>
<li><b>It pleases my parents </b>(way back when). “Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise—that it may be well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” ~Eph 6:2 – 3.</li>
<li><b>I want to be an example in front of my children and grandchildren</b>. “Fathers, don’t provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” ~Eph 6:4</li>
<li><b>It is a mark of maturity</b>.</li>
<li><b>It shows that I have self-control</b>.</li>
<li><b>It indicates clarity of mind</b>.</li>
<li><b>It makes my conversation more pleasant to those around me</b>. </li>
<li><b>People know that I have more than an ordinary vocabulary</b>. </li>
<li><b>It is a sign of culture and refinement</b>. </li>
</ol><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and 10. <b>There’s never any reason for it.</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Number 10 </b>has always stuck with me. I think I can count on one hand the times I have cussed since I first saw that list. Thanks, <span style="font-size: small;">Dad<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">—</span>and oh, what was it you wanted me to get outta that box?</span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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Just between us: it won't be long before I get back to posting less serious stuff. Honest, I swear.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-29727692608161641262011-06-15T07:17:00.003-05:002011-06-15T07:25:17.972-05:00If My Camera was a Pencil...<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm telling you: there isn't an artist on earth who can draw a lily like this! Isn't this the orangest flower you've ever seen? It's an Asian Lily; this is it's second year. It's getting oranger and oranger as the days go by. I refuse to touch it. It's just too pretty. My First Wife and I just stand, stare and stun ourselves. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhFNmEVhZ-C04LukFykg_GUXMdQyfkilOyAQtXXQK4pyoQRkXRbP4dBy6djvjJQoxYTEH0CDUrN9jq1Qo3UERyjeJIFGptDFFCgV8Rdr8blR5n9RDhUgczqyjQB0HFUVYg9jD/s1600/IMG_0022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhFNmEVhZ-C04LukFykg_GUXMdQyfkilOyAQtXXQK4pyoQRkXRbP4dBy6djvjJQoxYTEH0CDUrN9jq1Qo3UERyjeJIFGptDFFCgV8Rdr8blR5n9RDhUgczqyjQB0HFUVYg9jD/s400/IMG_0022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>You can click the photos to embiggen. Then you can really see the depth and beauty of Orange.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHxk1RXa2zvGy6O-_iAIlPx0HTq5hQ3v_ZCxtOQtiMurx8_FJ-v1xUIL5YX8Qhr7xsggVxw7EJUhhdBur2bRyPBxksAsz0KgM5bQeFkQJVP88P62H1HMjWyjqZAdoIFEBrXBh/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHxk1RXa2zvGy6O-_iAIlPx0HTq5hQ3v_ZCxtOQtiMurx8_FJ-v1xUIL5YX8Qhr7xsggVxw7EJUhhdBur2bRyPBxksAsz0KgM5bQeFkQJVP88P62H1HMjWyjqZAdoIFEBrXBh/s400/IMG_0021.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This lower photo is of Orange's Pink Protector. This is it's fourth year. We love it, too, and are astounded at the number of blossoms it produced. More than 30.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-7733942263946867832011-05-19T11:18:00.002-05:002011-05-20T08:13:31.848-05:00Spine Poetry<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was in the Library the other day and noticed a good-sized display of “Spine Poetry.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“What’s all that?” I asked. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, we ask folks to pick out some book titles that will tell a little story.” the Librarian told me. “They stack them up and the titles on the spines make a poem. Kinda like Haiku, but free verse. All kinds of people; all ages. It’s very interesting, isn’t it?”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Interesting? That ain’t the word for it! It was great fun reading so many creative “folk” poems. I wanted to play, so I came home and this is what I concocted from our own book shelves.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Life You’ve Always Wanted</i></b><br />
<i>Writing to Learn</i><br />
<i>Writing from Personal Experience</i><br />
<i>Writing Places</i><br />
<i>The Elements of Style</i><br />
<i>On Writing Well </i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You wanna play? Rules are simple: top spine is the title, five lines or less to follow. Try it. This is a great exercise in finding out who I am and what I like. Try different themes. Have fun.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkWk_NLtAOYS3ALS_YdInv7PeiSXNkNZ7y1C34hxWz9p1uuOb0zjC_gXpbNW03aLldn9n-oa3iji5mtCcKOr6V95Y458UQ1RFfpGeYW4M4fAkyAf1zQWojENR3tnsDZI9494G/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkWk_NLtAOYS3ALS_YdInv7PeiSXNkNZ7y1C34hxWz9p1uuOb0zjC_gXpbNW03aLldn9n-oa3iji5mtCcKOr6V95Y458UQ1RFfpGeYW4M4fAkyAf1zQWojENR3tnsDZI9494G/s320/IMG_0033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
You can do something like this, too (I suppose).<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i><b>The Joy of Cooking </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i>Eat This, Not That</i></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i>Fasting</i></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i>Eat This and Live </i></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i> The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our Best Recipes</span></i></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXbHSULqCDnwdJWfGCoAyVE-LugRdNw5RMVC-8_X5HET5UqeFpFKhOrnA5AsqlxOk3eD2zWktFPznEUUOixf6kIdw7Bo26RbDgh8sJxtlJX3cubMjuhb7Nb8k6nZ5ZzVp2amu/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXbHSULqCDnwdJWfGCoAyVE-LugRdNw5RMVC-8_X5HET5UqeFpFKhOrnA5AsqlxOk3eD2zWktFPznEUUOixf6kIdw7Bo26RbDgh8sJxtlJX3cubMjuhb7Nb8k6nZ5ZzVp2amu/s320/IMG_0040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Stay tuned...more to come...?</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-14772921570348723282011-05-16T10:57:00.000-05:002011-05-16T10:57:19.330-05:00Eat More Chocolate--It's a Vegetable<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An elderly man lay dying in his bed, apparently just moments from leaving this world. But suddenly, he smelled his favorite chocolate chip cookies. He painfully made his way out of his bedroom and shuffled to the kitchen. There he learned he wasn't dreaming. There were plates and plates of those delicious cookies. When he reached out for one, he was smacked by a spatula. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Stay out of those!" snarled his wife, "They're for the funeral." </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-22546849849057302352011-05-04T13:41:00.006-05:002011-05-04T14:03:41.584-05:00Avon Calling<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My First Wife and I recently listened to a motivational speaker who sells Avon products. She might be a stand-up comedienne, cuz she sure was a hoot. We have repeated this story of hers several times already.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NT7Et41EDCybzj-_Id2s4YxI_qxxqkEY8ab-q6rldSiBjIi93ZfDmT4B8osPhSz4oefiz6a9FDa0U6gsx7zyYQqs8YkSaO-zf03WzlHKU7FNTYY8yfMwOnDx3dXJg6Qnpgj_/s1600/Avon.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NT7Et41EDCybzj-_Id2s4YxI_qxxqkEY8ab-q6rldSiBjIi93ZfDmT4B8osPhSz4oefiz6a9FDa0U6gsx7zyYQqs8YkSaO-zf03WzlHKU7FNTYY8yfMwOnDx3dXJg6Qnpgj_/s320/Avon.jpeg" width="228" /></a></div>Ms. Speaker told us that she decided to sell Avon. Too late she learned that her little town of 9,000 folks was saturated with Avon representatives. So, she had to figure out ways to make herself known and gather as many customers as possible. Well, sure. She even put a lighted sign on the roof of her car, just like the pizza delivery folks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She named several other gimmicks, then suddenly said, “…and I even ran for State Representative a few times. See, that way, every time I was on TV I got to say that I was an Avon Lady in my district. It worked. I got more and more new customers. </div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, I can’t do that anymore, because the last time I ran—I almost won.”<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-28787975781417294852011-04-29T08:59:00.002-05:002011-04-29T09:01:05.512-05:00Wedding of the Century?<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My Lovely Bride got up real early today and watched some of the Royal Wedding of the Century featuring Prince William and Kate Middleton (in Britain). I was a lot smarter. I stayed asleep and waited for everything to pop up on the Internet. I gotta say that he was a handsome groom; she was a beautiful bride. It looked like a real nice wedding.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now suppose—just suppose—that Prince William and Princess Kate (of Britain) are in the world’s spotlights for the next—oh, say five years. Suppose they entertain us at least once a week by walking from a limousine to a hotel door. Or vice versa.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then suppose—just suppose, remember—the two of them announce that Princess Kate will soon have a royal child, heir/heiress to the throne (of Britain). </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Remember, that’s about five years from now.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then suppose—seriously, just suppose—that somewhere around 30 years later that that child gets married, too. That should put us about 2046 or so. And suppose that that child’s wedding (etc.) is as elegant and beautiful and fanciful as the one just performed (in Britain).</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Questions then: Can that wedding be called the wedding of the century, too? Why or Why not? Or suppose an American President hosts a grand and magnificent wedding for his/her child in the White House about the same time. Yikes? And suppose that that American President is one of my grandchildren? Yee-haw!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m just supposing. I’m dreaming big for the big event. God bless America.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-185733619557991732011-03-06T23:45:00.002-06:002011-03-06T23:53:18.871-06:00One Day More...<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are some evenings that will linger in our minds and lives till the day we die. Little League Championships, graduations, weddings, births. Those sorts of things are only natural, but once in awhile an evening sneaks up on you and lifts you up from the most unlikely places. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like TV.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sunday night, My First Wife and I got caught up in four hours of mighty fine television. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First, we ran across a new show called “Secret Millionaire.” Danny Johnson (Dannie?) was the star of this edition. She’s a self-made millionaire who went back to her roots (homelessness) and shared some of her $$$ with “helping/sharing” services in Knoxville TN. It was touching, uplifting, inspirational and refreshing TV.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOoGwtKnSkBFTWHLPm05BrP_P2SDi5y8AcWa03DJPai9GaGU5s-pJt7WF3uhK0rkOpkSGuskqCCm2AUoo9k3zzThZ_pB_WW7CxYEs1vHSAL19XSIWoFHsHJqdwRu3doAVFI1R/s1600/secret-millionaire-abc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOoGwtKnSkBFTWHLPm05BrP_P2SDi5y8AcWa03DJPai9GaGU5s-pJt7WF3uhK0rkOpkSGuskqCCm2AUoo9k3zzThZ_pB_WW7CxYEs1vHSAL19XSIWoFHsHJqdwRu3doAVFI1R/s200/secret-millionaire-abc.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Right behind that was “Undercover Boss.” The mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio donned a wig and facial hair to visit his city workers undetected. He’s a man who appears to have a heart. It was a heart-warming show this week.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie1Rj5qh4DRMyWiuor75_fdmNPS10AFhOkyk9Sq1dtM97MnCBN3rQxbi3wEfv2FLtTKU28ypDHA0m5byZNvuAliWWLX_uEHkb-EcjxfRNjBgsa-CSLSrJkqRDk0Q1XA_oEoXd/s1600/Undercover-Boss-300x168.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie1Rj5qh4DRMyWiuor75_fdmNPS10AFhOkyk9Sq1dtM97MnCBN3rQxbi3wEfv2FLtTKU28ypDHA0m5byZNvuAliWWLX_uEHkb-EcjxfRNjBgsa-CSLSrJkqRDk0Q1XA_oEoXd/s200/Undercover-Boss-300x168.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then—surprise! “<i>Les Misèrables</i>!” We love “<i>Les Misèrables</i>!” We found it on PBS. It was the 25th Anniversary edition and was it ever great! Did you get to see it? There are things that echo in your mind all through the years. The music of Les Miz is one of those things for me. I could listen to it day after day after day.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YtC_AHqAmKE3qhAlpX8nRyR0pHv5HcIsX5wX7SlKM01moPJAj6ydp-Luhbe3FKLs2l3_WcuF2sDczGc30mrqIYpKBSGOB60p8G5v-agCh7jQl6-J7du7hc4TLCtz3wkphp8e/s1600/Les+Miz..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YtC_AHqAmKE3qhAlpX8nRyR0pHv5HcIsX5wX7SlKM01moPJAj6ydp-Luhbe3FKLs2l3_WcuF2sDczGc30mrqIYpKBSGOB60p8G5v-agCh7jQl6-J7du7hc4TLCtz3wkphp8e/s320/Les+Miz..jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have a feeling that this evening will rank among the most enjoyable we ever spent at home together. Do you think...One Day More? </div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-1551334393577404642011-02-25T08:57:00.000-06:002011-02-25T08:57:39.495-06:00Another February Baby<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is our first GREAT-grandchild, <b>Isabelle Rae</b>. Isn't she a beauty! And doesn't she have a beautiful name. She was born Wednesday afternoon in Statesboro GA.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdw7bRcgyk4pQkyXxO_DTsvHJ92pX5XZlUW61WZNl-WDuOFI9-IuxrJmBup3mR6FCiYWYy2gRYqSNS17PeWC4FQCCvF78lQ4cvXX0_bmUPHbEpJzQErAJLvBY4GGnrrtC3JloX/s1600/Isabelle+Rae+2-23-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdw7bRcgyk4pQkyXxO_DTsvHJ92pX5XZlUW61WZNl-WDuOFI9-IuxrJmBup3mR6FCiYWYy2gRYqSNS17PeWC4FQCCvF78lQ4cvXX0_bmUPHbEpJzQErAJLvBY4GGnrrtC3JloX/s1600/Isabelle+Rae+2-23-11.jpg" /></a></div><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Isabelle is the 7th family member born in February, including one who was born on Valentine's Day. However, she has added a lot of class and beauty to the month, because she is the first cute little girl. We needed her!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-81966693959364286052011-02-17T07:29:00.005-06:002011-02-20T06:55:44.518-06:00Three Roses<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Three Roses</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Paul Nichols</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For Gladys there were too many groceries to choose from. Exactly two weeks ago Lester had that heart attack and suffered for three hours. In that time he was awake only long enough to whisper, “I’ll never leave you alone, Hon.” But before the afternoon was gone, he was gone, too. Gladys <i>was </i>alone. After thirty-five years their marriage ended without warning. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now on this Tuesday morning—her first shopping trip since the funeral—Gladys wandered alone through the grocery aisles wondering how much milk to get. “A quart, I guess. I’ll get a quart.” Then she had to decide about bread. A long loaf or short? “I can’t eat this much celery.” How many cans of soup? Is this too much? Enough? “I don’t like beets like Les does…did, but maybe I’d better keep a can on hand...”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The rows of boxes and the shelves of cans blurred together. The tall end-caps of chips and cereal hovered over her. “Where’s the rice?” She begged. “Where’s the rice?” And then she began to cry. “Oh dear Jesus, please help me.” The tears raced down her lonely cheeks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whenever Lester shopped with Gladys, he always stepped away. “I’m going to look for some coffee,” he’d say. Or “Don’t we need to get a birthday card? I’ll go get it.” Or some silly excuse. The last time, he took off saying, "We don't have any cookies for the grandbabies." And he always came back to Gladys with three yellow roses. Always. And right there in the grocery store Lester leaned down and kissed her cheek. Today in the confusing grocery aisle, Gladys felt an urge to turn and look for him, but quickly gripped her shopping cart and asked about the rice again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ma’am? Ma’am, are you okay?” A soft voice. “Ma’am?”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gladys muscled up what strength she had to say, “I think so.” She opened her purse for a tissue. "Yes, I’m fine."</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Can I help you?” She was a pretty woman, maybe forty. “Here,” the young woman said, and offered Gladys a tissue. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I…I need rice,” Gladys said.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Uh, did you need it for an adult or for a baby, ‘cause we’re in baby food right now.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gladys shook.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Come on,” the young woman said. “I know where it is. My name’s Janice.” </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then with a box of rice in her cart, Gladys smiled a little and said, “Thank you. I’m sure I’m fine now. Thank you so much.” </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, you have a nice day, ma'am." Janice moved away to find her own groceries. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gladys followed Janice to the meat and watched her dig out six packages of steak. “My husband loves his steak,” she said, and dropped them into her cart. But suddenly, she put them back where she found them. “I just can’t get them right now, though. Not at these prices.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Buy the steak,” Gladys told her, surprised at the strength in her voice. “Buy those steaks if he likes them.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Oh, no, I’d better not. They’re just getting too expensive.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I lost my husband just two weeks ago. You buy your husband those steaks. Sing when you cook them. Enjoy the moment you serve them. Cherish your meal time together.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Janice stared at Gladys. Without taking her eyes off Gladys, she gently returned the steak packages to her cart. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry for your loss.” </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Thank you for helping me,” Gladys said and smiled. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, I still have some more things to get,” Janice said. She turned away quickly and vanished among the shelves. Gladys breathed a deep, new breath and chose a steak of her own. She shuffled away toward another aisle. It was an easier task now. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When she approached the check-out stand, Janice was waiting. “Hi again. May I give you these?” She offered a long, light package to Gladys.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gladys peeled back the green tissue to find three long-stem yellow roses. Delicately, she touched her fingertips to them. Tears rushed back, but with a little smile she said, “Oh, thank you.” She pulled the flowers to her breast and closed her eyes. She remembered Lester's last promise: "I'll never leave you alone, Hon.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ma’am, you were such an angel to me today." Janice had a beautiful smile and strong, clear brown eyes. "I really needed to hear what you told me. I wanted you to have these. Really. Thank you.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gladys offered a warm hug. “Thank <i>you</i>, honey,” she said. “I was lonely. Thank you for helping me. You were <i>my </i>angel. God bless you." Once more she touched her flowers. "I love yellow roses. How did you know?” </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Janice smiled and shrugged; then right there in the grocery store leaned forward and kissed Gladys's cheek.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">©Paul Nichols, 2008–2011</span></div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-48598307861981119952011-02-08T16:30:00.002-06:002011-02-09T07:43:43.293-06:00Let’s Talk About Something Disgusting<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Look at me. Do I look “holier-than-thou” to you? Do I look like I just walked out of a confessional? Am I pompous? Do I strut (much)? Look closely. I’m serious.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The recent Super Bowl commercials went way over the top…I mean, way under decency this year. Did you notice, kids? Did your kids notice? How was it in the fellowship room of your church?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Go Daddy dot com</b> has the prettiest race car driver in history to speak for the company. She doesn’t have to get nekkid to sell stuff. Stop it! That’s ridiculous. Did you call your kids in to watch that commercial?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PepsiMax </b>went deep to promote violence among women. The lady in the commercial smashed her man's head into a plate of something, then jammed a bar of soap in his mouth and finally threw a drink can him. She did <i>what</i>? Whew…she missed and bonked another woman. What if it had been the other way around? What if that man had bonked the woman? Where is NOW when you need them?<br />
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Then there was a jerk staring across the table at his date: "I wanna sleep with her!" Repeat, repeat, repeat! Did your teenage kids and their friends get all blushy-cheeked over that one? Did Mom and Dad? Did anyone turn the volume down in your church fellowship room?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What high school sophomores wrote the <b>Doritos </b>ads? Just exactly what were they sniffing? Mark Stevens, who wrote <i>Your Marketing Sucks </i>suggested the ads were written by sick people on “heavy doses of ‘medicine’.” I agree. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Doritos? Pepsi? Hmmm. Is there a connection here? Maybe so, maybe so.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh, and was that Kardashian lady talking sex right in front of your wife and kids? Your husband and kids? I’ll bet nobody noticed. Thank you, <b>Skechers</b>. Your shoes will always be the best I never have.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Sealy Mattress Company </b>sprung to a new all-time low. Couple after couple (under the sheets) seemed so happy to be sighing together on a Sealy mattress. Hey, what is this? Did your kids get to see this one? And Sealy promises to support whatever we do on their product. Why didn’t they also show mom and dad reading to their children? Or just tucking them in? Why couldn’t they show someone kneeling in bedtime prayers. And did you notice any discrimination? There were no elderly couples sighing together. No children were jumping up and down laughing their heads off. No puppies jumping up on the bed, either.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don't mean to be “holier-than-thou,” but where has the church gone? Sold itself? For what? A culture that is defined by the Super Bowl of all things? </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Abominable. Nasty. Uncouth. Tasteless. Disgusting. Vulgar. Raunchy. Garish. Awful</i>. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Not Family Friendly. </b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On a lighter note: the little Darth Vader who faced off with a Volkswagen was a really good commercial. I think I’ll go get me one. And I want a Darth Vader costume, too.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-89515622177766175332011-02-05T08:59:00.005-06:002011-02-05T11:29:11.786-06:00Is There Boogie-Woogie in Heaven?<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m serious. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the most pleasurable and fun activities in the history of earth is the <b>Boogie-Woogie</b>.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Boogie-Woogie makes you smile.</b> You can Boogie-Woogie at home. You can Boogie-Woogie at the prom. You can Boogie-Woogie in the White House. You can Boogie-Woogie on stage. You can Boogie-Woogie in the street. You can Boogie-Woogie in the movies. You can Boogie-Woogie <i>at </i>the movies, too. You can Boogie-Woogie at the big dance. You can Boogie-Woogie with old Aunt Berti and Old Aunt Berti’s grown-up children. You can Boogie-Woogie in tux and gown, cap and gown or in your pajamas. You can Boogie-Woogie with the preacher’s kids and Boogie-Woogie with all your school teachers. You can Boogie-Woogie in Miami—and San Francisco and London and Mexico City and Sydney and Berlin and Hong Kong and every place in between.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And a lot of people have.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Boogie-Woogie gets you into the swing of things.</b> Have you ever Boogie-Woogied at a wedding reception? Have you ever Boogie-Woogied at the lodge? Have you ever Boogie-Woogied in a night club? Have you ever Boogie-Woogied in the city park? Have you ever Boogie-Woogied at a street dance? Have you ever Boogie-Woogied on <i>Cinco De Mayo?</i> Have you ever Boogie-Woogied in competition.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, a lot of people have.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Boogie-Woogie is good healthy exercise.</b> Cowboys Boogie-Woogie with their boots on. Drummers get up and Boogie-Woogie to the beat of different drummers. Plumbers Boogie-Woogie with their pants on the ground. Tight Ends Boogie-Woogie in the end zone. Pharmacists Boogie-Woogie with drugs. Pianists and Technical Writers Boogie-Woogie at the keyboard. DJs Boogie-Woogie all night long. Lawyers Boogie-Woogie—for a fee. <br />
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You can Boogie-Woogie on a piano. You can Boogie-Woogie on a harmonica. You can Boogie-Woogie on a yakkety sax. You can even Boogie-Woogie on your blog.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Boogie-Woogie is inspirational.</b> Fat people Boogie-Woogie. Skinny people Boogie-Woogie. Not so pretty people Boogie-Woogie. Beautiful people Boogie-Woogie. Rich people Boogie-Woogie with poor people. White folks Boogie-Woogie with black folks. Educated people Boogie-Woogie with 8th graders. Politicians Boogie-Woogie with strange bedfellows. The Yankees Boogie-Woogie with black socks and White Sox. Big brothers Boogie-Woogie with their little sisters (<i>gasp!</i>).<br />
<br />
<br />
How 'bout you? Where do you Boogie-Woogie? When do you Boogie-Woogie? Who do you Boogie-Woogie with? Wanna Boogie-Woogie one more time?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Everybody's doing it.</b> My First Wife and I were doing the Boogie-Woogie at 6:30 this morning, but you can do the Boogie-Woogie anytime you want. The clip below is what we were watching. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do—over and over again.<br />
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I sure hope they let us Boogie-Woogie when we all get there, cuz this all sounds like a little bit of heaven to me. Wanna join us? </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1QQzbCmlZM4" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-43067843784916408402011-02-01T08:18:00.003-06:002011-02-01T11:22:28.494-06:00Free Stuff—Just Come and Get it<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Craigslist, it’s that people buy and sell ugly stuff.”</i>—our niece Renee.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My First Wife and I got into a laughing match the other day. We were looking at the free items posted on Craigslist. Well, it was so much fun, I had to pass some of this important rubble on to you. But from now on, you’ll have to do your own search. Trust me: it's fun.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I chose cities randomly—no order, no reason. My comments are in brackets. <b>NOTE:</b> the stuff listed is probably not available anymore. Except the horse manure.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Kansas City—</b></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>Free box of food</li>
<li>Man’s coat [<i>It’s only a jacket</i>.]</li>
<li>Regal rat food</li>
<li>Broken up concrete</li>
<li>Empty baby food jars [<i>100s of them</i>.]</li>
<li>Railroad ties</li>
<li>Free white dog bowl [<i>Don’t call during her son’s concert</i>]</li>
<li>Firewood free if you cut down the tree [<i>That's what it says!</i>]</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Portland OR—</b></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>Free dog food for unemployed owner [<i>Bring proof of unemployment</i>.]</li>
<li>Free concrete pieces</li>
<li>Broken red bricks</li>
<li>Free chlorine bleach</li>
<li>Free pharmacy discount</li>
<li>Free haircut</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LA CA—</b></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>Free dirt</li>
<li>Crocking Gun [<i>I love this: there’s a picture of a caulking gun</i>.]</li>
<li>Free 26 [<i>It’s a TV</i>.]</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>NYC—</b></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>Big collection of climbing magazines</li>
<li>Free Rabbit supplies</li>
<li>Free womens haircuts</li>
<li>Free white Persian cat ***PLEASE HELP***</li>
<li>Free weird old dresser</li>
<li>Free rabbit</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Tucson—</b></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>Horse Manure. [<i>Posted several continuous days</i>.]</li>
<li>Free stand thing. [<i>Oh, the possibilities—especially without a picture</i>.]</li>
<li>Torn Jeans.</li>
<li>Love Seat – covered with dog hair. [<i>Lucky us: no cat hair balls</i>.]</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Denver—</b></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>17 plastic yogurt containers/lids–32 oz. </li>
<li>Leaves to a table [<i>No table, though</i>.]</li>
<li>Free Berber carpet remnants – clean, unused [<i>They’re in the alley.</i>]</li>
</ul><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Miami</b><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">—</b><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Free Palm Trees.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Free manure.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Set of crutches.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Free Fresh Bread from Cuban Bakery</span><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. </b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[<i>Check this out, Ily</i>.]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Guinea pigs / dog to good home.</span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Dallas/Ft. Worth</b><b>—</b><br />
<ul><li>Sacked up leaves for composite. [<i>Your homework: write the word “compost” 100 times!</i>]</li>
<li>Box of jars. </li>
<li>Free wine bottles.</li>
<li>Free bees. [<i>It also says, “Don’t leave a mess when you take them.”</i>]</li>
</ul><br />
And now—on to "People of Walmart."<b><br />
</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Craigslist, it’s that people buy and sell ugly stuff.”</i>—our niece Renee.</span></div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-7711766437419232022011-01-15T07:36:00.003-06:002011-01-15T11:45:36.387-06:00Still Snowbound<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here are four photos I took within 20 seconds this morning about 10:30. I would have taken a few more but it was cold out there, hunny. This is one of my favorite places to walk--<i>So-Ko-Par Trails Park</i> in Kansas. I can walk more than three miles on the trails in this big family park. But not right now, though. The lake is frozen solid (it's about 150 yards long) and the trails are under six inches of snow. But there is hope: see the shadows? Created by sunlight.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The little red sign says, "<i>Unsafe Ice. Keep Off</i>." And that "2"-shaped item in the first three photos is a metal sculpture. I think it represents a playful Loch Ness Monster. Little kids climb on it and it's a popular place for photos.<br />
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You can click each photo to enlargify. Then click your Back button to return.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuhX16cKT3MJ5_S_Nki1AwJ3qD-_61zzZjMBTLgrhZ25PTqwmmBIRIdjN6lmhU8j1_BbgyaVPlV8jSOMrZPbnWd83MyiHt4eJYZC2IO0CazuMNwzGBotrotrjk1IFbewM4ytI/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuhX16cKT3MJ5_S_Nki1AwJ3qD-_61zzZjMBTLgrhZ25PTqwmmBIRIdjN6lmhU8j1_BbgyaVPlV8jSOMrZPbnWd83MyiHt4eJYZC2IO0CazuMNwzGBotrotrjk1IFbewM4ytI/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Just for fun, here's a photo of the same area that I took early last spring. A hint of things to come.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71JL7r2UaBCvH52BnYdZ6CxrzpsSsj8OaeRXrIL53NjR-ul9rZgcMMz6vRC_I8ghB0roVuGm6lJpW865dqBpqRK5bk0YXaMOouhijxQ4DJC-So0Y7TqRn6VaZw3JnHT1_DGI-/s1600/IMG_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71JL7r2UaBCvH52BnYdZ6CxrzpsSsj8OaeRXrIL53NjR-ul9rZgcMMz6vRC_I8ghB0roVuGm6lJpW865dqBpqRK5bk0YXaMOouhijxQ4DJC-So0Y7TqRn6VaZw3JnHT1_DGI-/s400/IMG_0041.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-48916443611255490982011-01-10T20:20:00.001-06:002011-01-11T11:04:08.748-06:00Snowbound<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We got hit pretty good with snow and ice here in the the Heart of America yesterday and today. Apparently more on the way, too. But I guess we should count our blessings. I just got off the phone with my good friend in North Dakota.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He said that since early this morning the snow has been nearly two feet deep and it's still coming down. The temperature is 14 below zero and the north wind is very strong, gusting up to 38 mph. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">His wife has done nothing but stare through the kitchen window all day. He told me that if it gets any worse, he may have to let her come inside with his hunting dog.</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9527637.post-64847482327594893512011-01-02T15:57:00.002-06:002011-01-02T16:40:36.203-06:00A World-Record Hiatus<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My First Wife and I have been busy since my last post. I’m glad I left behind a blog post that featured Jesus, cuz I can tell you: He is faithful. I appreciate that so many of My Faithful Readers have come back and kept coming back to check on us. We’re here; we’re good.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You know me, I’m a list maker. So let me give you a list of things that kept us busy the past three months. </div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>Home</li>
<li>Church activities</li>
<li>Family and Friends</li>
<li>That pesky job</li>
<li>Bad mattresses (more than one)</li>
<li>Bad marriage (not ours)</li>
<li>Crying cuz I couldn’t figure out what to say in my prayers</li>
<li>The season to be jolly</li>
<li>About 7,500 freeway miles </li>
<li>Sixteen- to eighteen-hour days and nights. </li>
<li>Tears</li>
<li>Heavy lifting</li>
<li>Illness and sickness</li>
<li>Several broken hearts</li>
<li>Police reports (Not recommended)</li>
<li>Divorce (Not us) </li>
<li>No walking since the first of August. Yikes!!!</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the plus side of busy-ness there was (think grace and grateful)</div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>The election and the election victories </li>
<li>A fabulous writers’ conference (<i>three days!</i>).</li>
<li>Thanksgiving</li>
<li>New friends</li>
<li>The season to be jolly</li>
<li>Unexpected gifts</li>
<li>Church activities</li>
<li>A couple of pretty full moons</li>
<li> One spectacular sunrise from horizon to horizon</li>
<li>Other church’s cool Care Groups</li>
<li>Family, Friends (and Facebook)</li>
<li>Eating out more than we ever did before</li>
<li>Giving and receiving help</li>
<li>Blogging friends; Friendly bloggers</li>
<li>A 943-page technical manual written, approved and <i>published! </i>(See “That Pesky Job.”)</li>
<li>A blown out tire--just after I left the freeway--in the daytime</li>
<li>American auto insurance (see above)</li>
<li>Edy’s Peppermint Ice Cream :)</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>And here’s the kicker</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">God is faithful. I think we tested Him a couple of times, and sure enough, He was faithful. His promises are true. As exhausted as we were the past 90 days, He lifted us up every day to take care of things. We still have some resting to do, but we’re ready to tackle 2011. I plan to blog more and to walk much more oftener. Stay tuned.</div>Paul Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00098830523732944655noreply@blogger.com14