A night on the town........

Good Evening everyone, and welcome to another edition of my blog. I seem to settling back in to the routine of posting in the evening, but I know you won't mind that. Step up and tell me what you want to drink and I'll have it for you in a jiffy. I have tea, milk and water. Take your drink and settle in for this edition. So...Sit back and enjoy this, another story in a thus far long and satisfying life, a life which just happens to be the one I've lived.
Let me say before I start this that it is indeed a true story. That said I'll begin. The setting for this story is in Ft. Lauderdale. The date was in or around 1953 at which time I was the ripe old age of four years old. We lived on Davie Blvd. Not too far from State road seven. My Dad, being a builder, was in the process of building a new house for us in front of the house that we lived in. I remember it well. It was a huge house as the neighborhood went. It had four bedrooms and two bathrooms, which may not sound like much today, but in the 1953 neighborhood in which we lived it was a marvel. I can still see it in my minds eye. Ok, enough of the house. When my Dad had the house almost done, ie. Windows and doors in place and locks installed, etc. My two older brothers and a first cousin decided that they wanted to "camp out" in the house one night. Of course I wanted to be a part of that too. The cousin was the oldest, being about nine years old, my oldest brother being about eight, the next oldest brother was about seven. I remember about nine or ten o'clock being taken to the house with bedrolls, pillows and other such things and being told to stay inside till they came to get us the next morning. I then remember all of us talking and giggling about the adventure we were on. The next thing I recall everyone had waked up and was talking. It appeared to be rather light outside so the powers that be concluded that it was daylight. Actually, it was the street lights shining in the windows. The two oldest delegated the seven year old to slip outside, slip up to the house, find out what time it was, then come back and report what he'd found out. So....The seven year old slipped out the door, (the same one we'd been forbidden to leave out of till morning) eased up to the house, looked at the clock through a window, then came back and reported to us that it was indeed about daylight. He said that it was six thirty in the morning. What everyone of the powers that be failed to consider was, the seven year old hadn't yet learned to tell time. He had, it seemed, simply guessed. After careful consideration and much discussion it was decided by the elders of the group that since it was almost time for breakfast we'd take an early morning stroll. We then started out of the door (yep, the same forbidden door) then the elders noticed how dark it still was. Not stopping to consider that a mistake had been made in the intelligence report made by the seven year old they wisely, or not so wisely, as the case may be, decided to take something for protection. So....Back into the house we went, and straight to the tool box that was there. The oldest of the elders decided that he'd take a hachett (just for protection you understand). The second oldest of the elders decided that a crowbar would be good for the same aforementioned protection. The seven year old (the one that brought back the intelligence report) chose for himself a handsaw. I still haven't figured out how a handsaw was going to protect anything or anyone. After deliberating some the elders decided that I was too young to have a weapon for protection. I recall being disappointed but accepting. Having dispensed with the planning formalities we then set out on our 'stroll'. We started out on Davie Blvd. Then headed west toward State road seven. I'm not sure which of the elders was in charge of route planning so I won't spectulate on it. Regardless of the decision making processes we started out and soon was on State road seven, which was a very busy road, being the main artery north and south for Ft. Lauderdale. We had, as I recall, walked about two blocks headed south when a police car drove by headed north. It immediately made a U-turn and started back our way. The oldest of the elders at that point made the statement "They're coming after us", to which the second oldest of the elders said "they are not". The oldest one was right. The police car, with the two policemen came to a stop beside us. I don't recall much about the conversation but it went something like this. Policeman: What are you boys doing out here? One of the elders: Just taking a walk before breakfast. Policeman: You boys know it's only two o'clock in the morning, don't you? One of the elders: No sir. We thought it was six thirty (with a look at the seven year old) Policeman: What are you boys doing with the tools? One of the elders: We just brought them for protection. We wanted to be ready if someone jumped on us. Policeman: Well, now that we're here you won't need them so let me have them. The elders: Yes sir (handing the tools to the policeman). Policeman: (having retrieved the tools) You boys get into the back seat. One of the elders: Yes sir. We all at that point got into the back seat of the police car amid whispers of "I bet they take us to jail", and "I wonder what they're going to do to us". Then one of the policemen ask one of the elders "where do you boys live"? The second oldest elder then replied by telling them what our address was. I remember well the short ride back to our home. The police car drove into our driveway, stopped, then one of them got out, went to the door and knocked. After waiting for what seemed to be several hours my Dad came to the door. The conversation went something like this. Policeman: Sir, do you have some young boys? My Dad: Yes, we do. Policeman: Do you know where they are? My Dad: Yes, they're asleep in that house right there (indicating the house we'd been in). It was at that moment in time that my Dad happened to look at the police car and saw four little heads in the back seat. The policeman waved to his partner and we were told to unload and go to the house we were living in. I remember a sense of dread as I walked toward where my Dad was standing in the doorway. My two brothers went first, and as they walked into the house they were picked up and very soundly spanked. I had hopes that since I was so young that I'd be spared, but alas, it wasn't to be so. As I walked into the house I too was unceremoniously picked up and soundly spanked. The oldest elder, thinking that since he was only a cousin he'd escape the punishment, stood outside and laughed under his breath. As he approached the door though, he too was picked up and very soundly spanked. I've thought since that it was ironic because he also got a spanking from his Dad the next afternoon. There you have the story of the night on the city of Ft. Lauderdale in the year of our Lord Nineteen fifty three. Now, since the story is told, and you've read it and hopefully enjoyed it, I'm off to bed. Goodnight all. ............And so it went.............

The observations of an experienced American.

Good Evening everyone and welcome to another post of this blog. I decided when I started this blog that I would keep politics completely out of it, but have decided to make an exception. I wonder sometime if our form of government is still "of the people, by the people and for the people." It seems to me that 'politics as usual' has eroded the way of life that most Americans remember and used to enjoy. Politicians, it seems as a whole, has completely lost touch with Americans and their values. The very politicians we elect bend over backward to thrust liberal judges on us regardless of what the majority want. Our elected officials do so little as to be totally useless in the capacity in which they're supposed to be serving. To cite a few examples, our borders (especially the southern one) is a raw and open sore that makes the average American nauseous. The laws those politicians pass they refuse to enforce which makes them as useless as the politicians themselves. Another example is loyalty by certain officials to party politics. They seem to be more loyal to their own mind set and personal interests than they are to the welfare and well being of the country to which they owe so very much. To name names I'd have to start with the names of Kerry and Murtha. Two veterans which are a disgrace to the uniforms they wore. I wish it's wasn't known that they had served in the military. They are so intent on their own interests that they are willing to dishonor the President of the United States. To go a bit further, we had a President that was unwilling to serve in the military of which He became commander in chief. A man that openly dodged the draft when so many willingly left the life they knew to serve and are left to live with the scars. That I call cowardice. A man too that disgraced the oval office while the rest of the world laughed at him and us. Ok, I'll hush on the subject after making one observation. If the United States of America were a person it would take decades of therapy to bring a degree of health back to it. I now promise that this will be the one and only post of a political nature on this blog. Please forgive me but I feel strongly that this all needed to be said. We can take heart though. The God which so many are trying so hard to expel completely from our country stands with the ones that stand with and for him. He will never forsake us, so take heart. .........And so it goes...........

The party guy.......

Good morning all and welcome to the world of Mike. Such an exciting world it is too! Today, I was 'the' party guy'. Ellas and Gracie had their birthday party today and I was fortunate and privledged to attend. What a joy to see them and their siblings and most of their young friends enjoying themselves. If one likes to party, one needs watch the single digit people. Those little ones really know how to party. ( :-D ) It's amazing how much fun can be had from balloons. Popping them, blowing them up and then letting them go and watching them fly across the room, throwing them at each other. The list goes on. I had the opportunity to have my face painted by my ten year old granddaughter, Maggie, and my three year old grandson Brody. Maggie is quite the artist and I was very impressed with her work. Brody, on the other hand, was very intense and passionate with his work. He isn't talented in the arts though. ( :-D ) After the party was over we (Kim, Crissy and I) cleaned up then I took Ellas and Gracie to Walmart so they could pick out their birthday presents from me. Gracie chose a "Barbie" set that included a 'cell phone', purse, compact and something else that I don't remember. Ellas chose a star wars character set that included two figures of Darth Vader and three other characters I wasn't familar with. Ok, I'll stop with this story, but it was a very special day from start to the final finish. I know that sounds redundant but I like the way it sounds. ( :-D ) Since it's two in the morning I think I'll end this particular post and retire for the night, or what's left of it. ..............And so it goes...........

Checking in once more after a sabbatical

Good evening all. I'm back on again after taking a time away from blogger. Just wanted to take a break from some things. Blogging was one of them. I don't suppose many missed me, but for those that did, thanks. ( :-D )
I'm going to, in this short post, pose a question for meditation. Just something to think about, and here it is......Which is most important and helpful, to find the correct answers or to find the right questions? Think about it ......... And so it goes.