EXSENO

THE POEM

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:36:00 +0000

UNTITLED

Memory came today
And called for me by name

I stayed silent as he spoke.
Oh how he haunts me.

Darkness came today,
And called for me by name,

I answered with my tears,
each drop tasting bitter.

Death came today,
And called for me by name.

I raised my hand, told my name,
And said my silent prayer before I let go.

"I'm not real,
I don't exist,"
As I fell into,
The dark abyss,

And embraced it.

Author: My Grandson

LIFE HAS MANY TWISTS AND TURNS

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:01:00 +0000

I met my new daughter-in-laws Mother before the wedding and ran into her coming and going a couple of more time after that.
She always looked so nice, very well kept. Her hair always perfect, lovely cloths, but if you said, 'Hi how are you', you would be much better off saying just 'Hi', because she never felt very well and was sure to tell you that. This hurt, that hurt, her back hurt all of the time I think?

My daughter-in-law thought her Mother was a hypochondriac.

Finally an answer was found to at least a part of her Mother's problems.
A doctor told her she needed her lower disk removed, that was what a big part of her problem was, and if she didn't get it removed it would eventually make her leg paralyzed.

The Doctor also told her that there was a very good hospital in Jackson Mississippi and the staff there was very familiar with that kind of surgery.

So they scheduled the surgery for last Monday and off they went across the state line and way down to Jackson. Just Mom and daughter.

The surgery went well. The Disk was removed and the doctor was just finishing sewing up her back and God intervened, and lowered the boom. Before anyone realized that something was wrong, -- something went wrong. She died.

Her blood pressure dropped and she bled out internally, her veins collapsed, so they couldn't even find a vein to try to pump some blood into her.

What would they say to her daughter? The surgery was a success but the patient died?
How could they explain this. Was the Anesthetist negligent? Isn't he suppose to keep his eyes on that blood pressure machine all through the surgery, so that he can catch something like that?

It was a shock to all, the Doctor, the Anesthetist and of course devastating to my poor daughter-in-law.
She had taken her Mother there all by herself. She had been told that the surgery would be done in the morning and by late evening she would be able to go home to recuperate.

My son got the dreaded phone call and he left and you can bet he burned rubber all the way there. Of course he did, wouldn't you?
To be there for her as fast as he could, to hold her, console her and bring her home where she could grieve in familiar surroundings with people who love her.

The funeral was yesterday.

I have no words of wisdom, I wish I did. And I don't know why things happen the way they do. But I do know one thing for sure.

God gives us life and many gifts along the way -- He also give us trials.
And no matter where you are or what you are doing, when it's your time to go,
God is there for you and He is going to take you 'Home'.

HALLOWEEN IS DEAD

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:51:00 +0000

Last night was Halloween and my new step-granddaughter and her friend came by a little early to show me their costumes and make sure they got their goodies. Oh they knew they would get something good because my step-granddaughter made sure that she told me they wanted candy bars/ chocolate not any of that old hard candy. So I made sure that's what I had. They got their goodies and left to wait for the darkness and the fun of trick or treating.

Shortly after that my daughter-in -law came over to ask me to come over and see what my son had done to his four wheel drive. Well since they live right next to me it was a short walk and she seemed so excited, so I went with her to see what she was so excited about.

Much to my surprise he had decided to take the girls trick or treating along with his new wife and he had decorated the back of his old four wheel drive. He had strung a big high circle of lights over the bed of the truck, filled up the back of the truck bed with hay and had a huge cauldron with a big Crooked stir stick in it.
It was adorable but frankly I was surprise at his enthusiasm. He never did anything like this in his first marriage, I guess the second time around is the charmer because he certainly seemed happy to do it. All that was left now was to wait for the darkness which came soon and off they all went, and as they past my house on their way down the road, I yelled don't forget to go down Cherry Street, they always have good things there.

It wasn't long before I heard the familiar sound of that noisy truck coming back up the road. All I could think of was, Wow, the girls must have filled up their goody bags awfully fast. But in a few minutes the girls were at my door to share with me how broken their little hearts were and their disappointment that no one was giving out candy. They only found one lady that would open her door and she only gave them one tiny piece of hard candy. All the other houses had lights out and doors bolted and no one was answering to their knocks on the doors and their calls of trick or treat.
So I gave them some more of my candy and they went back next door.

In just a short while my grandson and I heard a loud noise, a huge noise.
It sounded like an explosion and we ran out the door to see if everything was alright next door. But it wasn't an explosion at all.

My son had built a big fire and he was setting off fireworks.

In addition to my daughter in laws nine year old girl, she also has a grown son and daughter who are both married and each have a child of their own.
They were both there with their families. In fact the back yard was full of people.

Adults and children, friends and neighbors from up and down our road were all gathered together in my sons back yard. Laughing and talking and making bets on how fast my son could run every time he put more firework into the fire.
The fireworks were absolutely beautiful shooting high up in the sky as though they had been shot out of a cannon then bursting into their vibrant shades of blues and reds and yellows.

What started out to be a sad Halloween turned out to be a wonderful night of fun and friendship for all. It was wonderful to see such camaraderie.

My son turned a very sad evening into a happy occasion.

So you see -- Halloween is not dead, it's just different.

I have a feeling that from now on Halloween is going to be a back yard party, maybe even with food and goodies for the kids, for sure, there will be lots of fireworks!

SURPRISE -- I'M BACK

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:26:00 +0000

I fooled you didn't I? You thought you'd gotten rid of me didn't you?
No such luck my friends, I'm just like a bad penny, I'm always going to turn up.
The truth is I never intended to be gone this long.
In fact I never intended to be gone at all, a couple of weeks at the most.

I hope that no one thought that I was ill because I was not. The truth is I'm very healthy and if my outer looks were as good looking as my inside feels, I'd be a good looking twenty year old. But no such luck.

Ah but I'm grateful for any small favors that the good Lord chooses to send my way, I can live with a few (a few to many) wrinkles for what feels like a young healthy feeling body any day. But let me tell you why I haven't been blogging.

It all started like this, I have this huge yard almost two acres and all the way around it, it is lined with trees and bushes. Every winter Mother Nature sends us winds and storms and she reeks havoc with my trees and bushes breaking limbs and damaging bushes all over the place.
So when spring came and the weather got so lovely I started to clean up my yard. My son and grandson did a huge part of the work but there was still plenty for me and anyone else in the family, with the exception of one. My daughter.
I think she has glue on her derriere because when she is home she never gets up from the chair in front of the computer. It doesn't seem to bother her at all to sit there for almost twenty-four hours. She even eats setting at the computer.
And God forbid someone else might need to get on. If she gets up at all, she will stand by your shoulder and repeat every five minutes, are you done yet, are you done yet.
Well sure I'm done because I can't think with the constant echo of 'Are you done yet' ringing in my ears.

The longer I stayed away the harder it was for me to come back. I felt so lost, so out of the loop, so brain dead. Where would I find the words. I have missed all of you so very much.
Little did I realize that all I had to do was say 'Hello'.

I love this place that I like to call Blogsville. And I love my blogger friends, each and every one of you is like a part of my extended family. If I should never hear from you again you will always be with me, for each one of you has their own little place deep within my heart.

Ah yes, it feel so good to be back.

EMERGENCY

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:56:00 +0000

A couple of weeks before school was out I received a phone call from the school asking me to pick up my grandson and take him home. He was sick. But when I got to the school I found him not just sick but in excruciating pain. He was half cramped over, moaning, pale and clammy.
I asked where it hurt and he said here in my side. He put his hand on his right side.

I signed him out as fast as I could he had already gone to the car but he couldn't make it to get in and was waiting for me hanging on to the door handle with one hand and his side with the other. I knew he was in deep trouble.

This is one tough kid and he never complains even when he's very sick.

A few years ago a picture frame in his bedroom fell of the wall the glass had already been cracked and a piece of glass broke into a long sharp point and stabbed him in the back.
He had a huge deep whole in his back shoulder and he just came walking out of the bedroom into the kitchen and calmly said grandma the picture with the crack in it fell off the wall and cut me. He was so calm, so contained.

I walked over thinking it was just a little cut, but when I walked behind him to look at the cut on his shoulder I had to pretend to be calm. But believe me I was not calm.
He had a very deep wound, it was gaped open and about two and a half inches in length and blood was pouring out of it.
Wouldn't you know it was a day when I didn't have the car.

I tried to hold the wound closed with one hand while I dialed the phone with my other hand to call a friend to get him to the hospital. I made the call but the blood was pouring out around my hand.

She arrived within minutes and I grabbed a towel and off we went.
Using the towel to apply pressure didn't work so I tried to hold it closed all the way to the hospital but the blood was still escaping some between my fingers all I could do was hold it the best I could with one hand and use the towel to collect what was seeping through my fingers so that the blood wouldn't get on my friends car.

When we got to the hospital he had to have several stitches. He took it all like a man. Maybe better them some. My little hero, not a whimper, not a complaint.

So when he was whimpering at the school I knew he was in trouble. I rushed out of the school and found him bent over in pain by the car. We got in the car and started to leave the school and he was moaning terribly. We were only about a couple of blocks from the school and he started vomiting and he couldn't stop. I hit the gas like I was Mario Andretti determined to win the race. He vomited all the way home.

When I hit the long driveway that leads to my front door I started honking the horn like a crazy maniac to get the attention of my daughter. She didn't come to the door right away so I threw open the car door jumped out and yelled get your shoes on we have to get you son to the hospital. She came, we left. She did the driving to the hospital and I kept an eye on him. He vomited most of the way to the hospital.
I kept thinking it could only be one of two things a kidney stone or appendicitis.
But if it was his appendix it should be hurting more towards the front. It had to be kidney stones, but what had me fooled was the constant vomiting.

We got him to the ER. He had a kidney stone.
They couldn't do much for him except give him pain medicine and run a IV and try to flush fluids through him so that maybe he would pass the kidney stone that night.
We were there for hours but it didn't happen.
He didn't pass the stone, but the pain medicine made him very happy. Happy enough to keep teasing the nurses.
At one point he said he felt the stone move so he wasn't in any pain but still no luck getting him to pass it.
The next morning we were home and he still wasn't in any pain.

The day after that we were back at the hospital for the Urologist to evaluate what he wanted to do. He decided not do anything just yet except prescribe some more pain pills just in case and give my grandson four to eight weeks to see if he would pass it.

If he passes it were in good shape, if he doesn't pass it we have to think about surgery.

I am praying for the passing of the stone as though it is a religious ceremony.
A-men.

UPDATE:
School has been out for the summer, it's been much more then eight weeks and he still hasn't passed the kidney stone. The good news is that it is still lodged it's self in some way that he is still not in any pain.

My biggest concern now is where will he be when it hits again. I worry every time he gos somewhere alone.

BEHOLD WHAT I SEE

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:21:00 +0000

The things some never think about,
are what's important to me.

The things that so many never see,
stand out in my memory.

The retarded child with happiness,
and sweet and innocent love.

The courage of the wheel chair bound,
and how they have overcome.

The blind who seem to see with their soul,
so much more than we.

All of these things I view with love,
for all humanity.

IT WAS LOVELY !

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:38:00 +0000

The wedding came the wedding went. It is over! Done! They finally got married and I officially have a new daughter-in- law. Hooray!

It was a beautiful outdoors wedding and it took place in her Aunts back yard. Her back yard starts at the top of a hill and works it way down to a lake. At the bottom of the hill over looking the lake and a boat dock, the family had set up tables and chairs and the bride and groom stood in front of the boat dock to say their vows with a backdrop of the lake. It was really a beautiful scene.

I noticed that a lot of children ranging in sizes had walked up just to the left of them during the ceremony and when the preacher asked who gives this woman to this man, to my surprise, in unison all of her relatives children yelled, "We do"! I was so tickled I could hardly contain myself.

It was suppose to rain that day, but her aunt was fully prepared. She had umbrellas on her porch for all, just in case.

During the ceremony a drop of rain here or there dropped, but not enough to even make anyone take notice.

After the vows were said and done all walked back up the hill and
there awaited food and drink for all.

Everyone stood still and watched the bride and groom feed each other that first piece of cake, but no one suspected, not even me, that the groom would mash that piece of cake all over her face.
Bless her little heart, she ran into the house to clean up. When she came back out he apologized and leaned over to kiss her, she turn her head up to accept his kiss then -- wham! She smacked him across the side of his head with, yes, cake. He was digging cake out of his ear for the rest afternoon.

He, he, he. He has met his match! Little but mighty, just like her Mother-in Law.

With the exception of the cake episode, it was probably one of the nicest weddings that I have ever attended and I'm not saying that because it was my sons. It is because it was also a time for people to gather that hadn't seen each other for a long time. Old friends were reunited and caught up on old times.
And the good Lord held back the rain until it was time to go. How can you beat that gift.

When my daughter and I left, we found a little liquor store and bought a bottle of wine and a couple of wine glasses and snuck them in the bride and grooms home so that they could have a private toast and unwind.

On our way home it began to rain in sheets. It' rained so hard neither one of us could barely see anything out of the windows.

We were thankful that we made it home safely and we ended the evening with our own unwinding, with the bottle of wine that we bought for us. Oh yes we did.

Do you really think that a Greek person is going to walk into a liquor store and walk out without a bottle of wine of their own? Impossible.

ASK HER, HER NAME

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:25:00 +0000

BE AFRAID -- BE VERY AFRAID

WE DON'T KNOW WHO SHE IS?

We don't know where she comes from and we don't know where she go's. She comes into our house at night reeking havoc with all in sight. She's mean and rude and evil. She uses vial words. But if you don't address her, she remains quietly unheard. So please don't say a word or she'll start a terrible fight. There is no way to win with her, in the dark-- in the night.

I have never met her she comes when I'm asleep, but I hear she's a holy terror, if you dare to speak.

She makes my daughter angry, my grandson terrified, of the women who curses threats to them, in the dark--in the night.

I fear one day she'll hurt someone, someone that I love. And yet she bothers no one if they just leave her alone.

She walks about my house at night and even eats my food, then she go's away, only to return once more in the dark --in the night.

My grandson is much older now and much braver too, so he has tried to confront her and he asks her who she is, but every time he asks her she gives the same reply. "You know who I am", she gruffly says with an evil look in her eyes.

Then one day my grandson said that she had been back and her name was Maria. I asked if she told him that and he said no that is what I call her. A few nights later she returned and he told her that he knew who she was and he called her Maria, she abruptly told him that wasn't her name that was the name he gave her, but she never offered to tell him what her name was.

How can I make her go away this someone I've never met, who comes into my home at night and terrorizes the ones I love.

And yet I know that I am the only one who stands a chance of making her leave, for you see I'm the only one who knows who she really is.

With my eye wide open I am very convincing that I am awake but,

I WALK

I EAT----------------------------I TALK

IN MY SLEEP

She is me. She is the other side of me. The side of me that I don't use or show in my daily life.

She is the 'Dark Side' of me and we don't know what she is capable of--in the dark--in the night.

BE AFRAID -- BE VERY AFRAID

WE STILL DON'T KNOW HER NAME?

I'M NOT LAZY, I'M JUST TIRED

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:31:00 +0000

OK, I admit it, I've been a lazy blogger lately. But I have been busy, with my son getting married soon there has been a lot of things that needed to be overseen.
They bought a new trailer to replace the old one and since they both work they needed someone to help them out. So I was the designated someone.

Little did I realize just how much needed to be taken care of. Calling everyone to get the utilities cut off was a simple task, but when the new trailer was moved in, that was all together a different story.
Arrangements had to be made appointments for different things on different days and I had to make all of the arrangements and be there to oversee that everything was done by their specifications.

It was not as easy as I thought it would be. They needed things done immediately because they needed to get moved in as soon as possible. At this point none of these companies seemed to be as accommodating as they where at turning things off. After all it was a bit more complicated now.
New wiring had to be hooked up to the new trailer home. Water pipes had to be laid, television cables needed to be put in and I had to be there the whole time.

Through all of this my phone kept ringing off the wall, some days every few minutes. Here is a small part of some of the phone conversations. Him, Mom do this for me. Her will you please do that for me. Him, ten minutes after his last call, did you get it done? Me, yes. Her, did you get in touch with them? Me, Yes.
Him, will they be there tomorrow? Me, No not until Monday. Him, why not. Me, because they have other appointments first. And so it went on all day.

When each crew arrived on their designated day,I had to be there to make sure that everything was done right and that nothing in the trailer was damaged and that any holes that need to be drilled were drilled where they wanted them, not where the workers might have wanted to put them.

So to make a long story a little shorter. I ended up being, Secretary, Appointment Maker, Trouble Shooter and even Crew Boss and I might add a darn good one too.

Thank God it's done and all done to their specifications and they are now moved in
and stressful as it was, I was glad that I was able to help.

I went over there the other night to give them my sons bills so that they could start budgeting, his, hers and theirs together.

As I was about to leave, I was sweetly and properly thanked for all of my help and told how much I was loved and appreciated. Of course that made it all worth it.

I told them you're welcome, I'll send you the bill for my services in the morning. lol

Farmers

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Farmers come in all sizes with the keenest eye, the largest heart and the strongest back.

The farmer's eyes see the crack of dawn and the first stars that come out
at night. He sees in his mind's eye the harvesting before the planting even begins.
He sees rain before a cloud appears. His eyes are everywhere, yet they hold the
largest smile that covers many acres yet remain where they began.

A farmer's heart shows kindness to all creatures, understanding, compassion,
tolerance and has the patience of a saint.

A farmer's back carries many burdens.

He feeds America.
He is a farmer!

________________________________________________________________

A FARMER'S LAST WILL

I Leave:
To my Wife, my overdraft at the bank, maybe she can explain it.

To my banker, my soul ----- he has the mortgage on it anyway.

To my neighbor, my clown suit. He'll need it if he continues to farm as he has in the past.

To the ASCA, my grain bin. I was planning to let them take it away next year anyway.

To my county agent, 50 bushels of corn to see if he can hit the market ---- I never could.

To the junk man, all my machinery. He's had his eye on it for years.

To my undertaker, a special request: I want six implement and
fertilizer dealers for my pall bearers.
They're all used to carrying me.

To the weatherman, rain, sleet and snow for the funeral,
please ----- no sense having good weather now.

To the grave digger ---- don't bother, the hole I'm in should be big enough.

FRIENDS FOREVER

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:30:00 +0000

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.
I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy,to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4
AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes
of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging
body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers,or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

I like being old. It has set me free.
I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever,but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART
FOREVER AND EVER! FRIENDS FOREVER!

Received this in an e-mail from a very dear friend.
I'm passing it on to you, all of my Blogger friends, that I hold so near and dear to my heart. You have all become my friends and I hold your friendship in the highest regard.
Thank You, for bringing such joy into my life.

WEDDING BELLS ARE RINGING

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:26:00 +0000

I know what you're thinking and the answer is ------ NO, it's not me.

My son is getting married in the near future. I knew it was coming, I just didn't think it was going to happen so soon. It doesn't seem like they have been seeing each other but just a few months, then again to quote an old saying, '
"You never really know someone until you marry them."

The date is set for April 18Th. I know no details so I don't know if it's going to be a wedding with guests or if they are just going to go get married? No one offered so, I didn't ask. I figure they will tell me sooner or later.

They have both been married before and they are both in their early forties. My son has a son who is grown and he has a son of his own. My daughter-in-law to be, has three children of her own, ages nineteen, seventeen and nine and the seventeen year old just had a baby this year.

I wondered about my son. He's been living alone for a long time and I know he's been lonely, but how is he going to like a house with kids in it again.
Then I realized, he's going to love it.
He loves kids and babies and they usually love him too.
I really think this is just what he needs, a family to come home to will make him feel complete.

Now about my daughter-in-law to be. What do I think about her. I think she's great.
She's pretty, has a great personality, seems to be responsible and made it very clear to me shortly after I met her that she was crazy about my son and was going to love him forever.

Forever. What more could any parent ask for. I think I love her. I'm happy for them.

Did I mention that my son is my next door neighbor. Shortly after my husband past away, my son moved next door to me, for which I am eternally grateful.
He has been a blessing in so many ways. But soon there will be a new wife and family moving here.
They live kind of far from here so I'm assuming the little girl will have to leave her school before the end of the school year and what about the wife's job and what about the adjustments.
I'm not worried about my son and his new family adjusting, I'm sure they will be just fine. I'm worried about me. I have issues.

I have very mixed emotions. SELFISH EMOTIONS. Shame on me. I'm a terrible person.

I've been wondering how is all of this going to effect me.
Although I am ecstatically happy for them, I can't help wondering how this might change my life. My son and I knew we were always there for each other if needed but other than that we left each other alone.

After years of working I decided to take an early retirement. I became used to living alone, I enjoyed it, in fact I loved it. I liked the quiet serenity of being by myself. I began to read books, something I never seemed to have time for in the past. I learned to relax, a real luxury.

My property is very large and very private and I enjoy sitting in my back yard with a cup of coffee in the morning and a good book in the evening and sometimes I just love to sit outside and enjoy looking at the beauty of Mother Nature.

So what happens now. Am I still going to be able to enjoy my out of doors quiet time or am I going to have a little girl calling me granny and following me around?

Oh my, my grandson is finally almost all grown and here comes a little girl in the family.

But wait --- this could be fun.

We could have tea party's and I'll let her wear my high heal shoes and play dress up. Little girls love to do things like that.

A little girl, YES! I can't wait to spoil her rotten.

Wait a minute, my grandson did that too. lol

OLD FOLKS

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:24:00 +0000

Remember, old folks are worth a fortune, with the SILVER in their hair, Gold in their teeth, and STONES in their kidneys, LEAD in their feet, and GAS in their stomachs.

I have become a little older since I saw you last, and a few changes have come into my life since then.

Frankly, I have become quite a frivolous old gal.
I am seeing FIVE gentlemen every day.

As soon as I wake up WILL POWER helps me get out of the bed. Then I go to see JOHN. Then CHARLIE HORSE comes along, and when he is here he takes up a lot of my time and attention.
When he leaves ARTHUR RITIS shows up and stays the rest of the day. He doesn't like to stay in one place too long, so he takes me from joint to joint.

After such a busy day I'm really tired and glad to go to bed with BEN GAY. WHAT A LIFE !!!!

P.S.
The preacher came to call the other day. He said at my age I should be thinking about the hereafter. I told him, ' OH, I DO, all the time. No matter where I am, in the parlor, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement.
I ASK MYSELF, NOW,
"WHAT AM I HERE AFTER?" '

Author Unknown

HELLO AGAIN

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:18:00 +0000

It's a new day, a new dawn and a brand 'New Year'.
So what are you going to do with yours?

Are you one of those people that sit down and makes out your resolutions for the new year?
Do you accomplish any of them?

For myself, I stopped making a list of resolutions years ago when I realized I never stuck to my list so I never accomplished any of them.

But this year I did have a thought and for myself it is a great idea.

Instead of making a list of unattainable 'New Years' resolutions, I would give myself this little reminder.
Something I don't think of very often, but I certainly need to remember.
So I wrote it down and put it on my desk so that I would always be reminded of it.

It's a little prayer and I would like to share it with you. It's very short but very profound. I love it but tend to forget about it and it's something that I for one need to remember on a daily basis. It go's like this;

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference. "

Wonderful words to live by aren't they.

Courage; Not a problem.

Wisdom; Sometimes I get lucky.

Acceptance; My downfall!

What is your favorite resolution or reminder for the 'New Year'?
Tell me the one that is most important to you?
Have you set a new goal to attain?
Do you usually stick to your resolutions?
If you do you certainly have more willpower than I do.

HO, HO, HO !

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:08:00 +0000

Thought that I had better post this today just in case we have a blast of weather bad enough to put our power out.
Today as I walk across my kitchen floor in my stocking feet, it feels like I am walking on ice . With my central heat on all the way and a small electric heater it is still very cold .
Shivers are not fun.

It is suppose to get down to 19 degrees tonight, for us that means, must remember to drip the faucets so hopefully our water won't freeze even if we do.

My dear blogger friend ' Shannon ' who lives in NH , has had no power for a while now, but thank God she does have heat. (Little plug for Shannon she has a lovely blog.)

Unfortunately I am all electric so when our power gos out we will be in big trouble.

So we hope it doesn't .

To all my blogger friends, hope your weather is better then ours and Shannon's

Love to you all , "Merry Christmas !"

DID YOU SEE THAT FULL MOON

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:14:00 +0000

It had turned into night but still, it was very early in the evening. I remembered that there was going to be a full moon and I wanted to see it.

I went to the door and opened it and looked up
into the sky. The sky was a dark, dark lovely shade of blue.
A few stars here and there but I didn't see any moon at all, let alone a full moon.

I leaned out the door a little and looked to my left
and there it was to my left. It appeared to be so close, almost like it wasn't up in the sky at all, but like a 3-D movie, with the sky for a back drop.

I was shocked. The glow coming from it was so bright that it hurt my eyes to look at it, but I couldn't stop it was amazing. I've never seen a moon that big or hanging so low.
I looked all over the net to find an exact picture of what I had seen, but I couldn't find one so I settled for this one because of it's brightness.

The moon that I viewed in addition to being blindingly bright, had three rings around it. No, not like Jupiter. The three rings were not through the middle they were around the outer perimeter of the moon. The rings had a slight haze to them but the moon it's self was perfectly clear.

The more I gazed at this moon the more connected I felt to it, drawn to it, even mesmerized by it. I felt soothed and calm and a warmth from within. I didn't even realize that it was cold out anymore. Which makes me wonder.
Was it the moon? Was the moon giving me a gift? Was it soothing my inner soul or energizing my body or maybe Thanking me for coming out to see him in his full glory.

Why not. If the moon can effect the 'Ocean Tides' , Why then can't the moon have an effect on humans as well?

Brrrrr ! WINTER IS HERE, LUCKY ME

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Last year we had the dreaded high winds, hail and tons of rain and flooding. So I was hoping for a better winter this year.

I suppose I should count my blessing prior to last year we had several years of really mild winters. I guess it made us all a little spoiled. But I fear that this year is going to be a real booger to get through.

Winter hit hard this year. October and November were so mild that we thought we had it made. Boy were we wrong. Yesterday we had such a down pour that it flooded us in. The good new is that my grandson still could get home from school by riding the school bus to the main highway and walking home through the back way thereby by-passing the bridge. The only problem with that is getting home through the back way can only be accomplished on foot. I walked through the back way to meet him with an umbrella so that his books wouldn't get all went.
Fat lot of good that did me.
The bus driver let him off the bus at a different spot thinking she was doing him a favor but by the time I got to him, he and his books were pretty wet anyway there was a big ditch that was filled with water and he had to jump across it to get to me. He was in such a hurry that instead of waited for me to get to him he threw his book bag across the ditch to make it easier for him to make it across. I could see him I just wasn't close enough to where he was so that I could catch the bag for him. The little stubborn stinker wouldn't wait.

The walk to get back home the back way wasn't much pleasure either as our path was so flooded we were walking in muddy water up to our ankles.
But we made it I guess that's all that matters.

I dread these kinds of winters because it is such a chore to get my grandson to and from school. It would have been a perfect holiday if the weather could have waited until Christmas vacation. Mother Nature has such bad timing. Drats
The good news is before everything flooded I was able to get to the store for some badly need supplies, I was drenched in the rain just getting from the car and into the store but at least for that couple of hours the streets were bearable.

Today it is only '37' digress and the weather prediction is that it will be getting lower not higher today.and snow is predicted.

Oh happy day.

I wish I had grown up in a state that always had freezing winters then maybe it wouldn't bother my so much, but I grew up in California. So all I can say is Brrrr.

Hope your weather is better the mine.

OH MY, IT'S A DISASTER !!!!

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:02:00 +0000

It was a lovely quiet morning. My grandson at school and my daughter at work. What a perfect time to check my mail and talk to my blogger friends.
I checked my mail and went on the net and almost immediately I got a blue screen error report that read 'There is a problem and windows is shutting down to protect your computer from damage'. At that moment I didn't panic, but I thought perhaps it would be best to turn off the computer and check back later, so that's what I did.

But later when I tried to turn the computer back on, now that is when panic set in. The computer wouldn't turn back on. I tried again, nothing. When my daughter came home she tried to turn the computer on too, to no avail.

Sadly the computer had died. There seemed to be nothing we could do.

We rushed the computer to the 'Computer Hospital' as quickly as possible where the expert 'Technical Surgeon' was waiting for us. He took a look and said he needed to do surgery. So we left the computer with him and prayed for the best.

With his loving skillful hands he did heart surgery and gave our computer a heart transplant.
Yes, he was able to bring our computer back to life.

Recovery was swift and we were able to take our computer home within a couple of days.

It is so good to see our beloved computer up and running and
smiling again.

FROM MY FRIEND CAPT. C.

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:42:00 +0000

HOW MANY ZEROS IN A BILLION

This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the
word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the 'politicians' spending
YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it's releases.

A.
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D.
A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E.
A billion dollars ago was only
8 hours and 20 minutes,
at the rate our government
is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain...
let's take a look at New Orleans ..
It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator,
Mary Landrieu (D)
is presently asking Congress for
250 BILLION DOLLARS
to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number...
what does it mean?

A.
Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans
(every man, woman, and child)
you each get $516,528.

B.
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in
New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C.
Or... if you are a family of four...
your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D. C

<HELLO>
Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax <>Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt...
We had the largest middle class in the world...
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?
Can you spell 'politicians!'

And I still have to
press '1'
for English.

I hope this goes around the
USA
at least 100 times

What the heck happened?????

'LIFE' THOUGHTS BY 'DUCKY'

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:27:00 +0000


	How come we choose from just two people to run for president and over fifty for Miss America ?
Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.
	I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!
When I was young we used to go 'skinny dipping,' now I just 'chunky dunk.'
	Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.
Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over? AMEN, AMEN !!
	Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?
Wouldn't you know it.... Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells live forever.
	Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed outside?
Bumper sticker of the year: 'If you can read this, thank a teacher -and, since it's in English, thank a soldier'

'LIFE' THOUGHTS BY 'DUCKY'

And remember: life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
Ya just might want to pass this along....

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ?

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 14:34:00 +0000

Elephant-shaped Ganesh growth cured my ills, Queens man says

BY NICHOLAS HIRSHON
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Wednesday, October 22nd 2008, 3:52 PM
Sam Lal, in his Jamaica, Queens yard with unusual amaranth plant that resembles Hindu god Ganesh.

Lal says arrival of the plant that's not native to area has cured his back ailments.

Separated at birth? The mysterious blossom and the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh (below)

To most people, the purple flower that sprouted between two concrete slabs in a Queens backyard would be just a hardy vestige of summer.

Sam Lal sees something more.

The Jamaica man is convinced the mysterious blossom is an incarnation of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh - and neighbors and friends are flocking to see it.

The nearly 4-foot-tall flower grew in June and began to resemble an elephant's head and trunk in August. Lal said that the ailments that had plagued him for months disappeared.

"This formation came to heal my illness," the 60-year-old Hindu man said of his relief from pain due to a bone spur near his spine and bulging discs in his neck.

"They say God comes in many forms. I figure this has taken the form of a plant to come into my yard to bless me," said Lal, who immigrated from Guyana three decades ago.

Experts at the Queens Botanical Garden identified the plant as a member of the amaranth family, which is native to Africa, India and southern Central America but not the U.S. Horticulturalists at the garden have never seen an amaranth take an elephant-like shape, garden spokesman Tim Heimerle said.

"For it to have that long trunk like this is not a natural thing," he said.

Lal believes the flower's position - growing through concrete, facing a garage he converted to a prayer space - is evidence of a connection to Ganesh, revered as the Remover of Obstacles.

A manager at a Manhattan uniform company, Lal hurt his back lifting a box and was in pain for 3-1/2 months - but no more.

"I felt that healing power that came with it," he said. "I've lived a religious life all my life. I feel my prayers have been answered through the deities."

Friends and neighbors have already streamed to his 90th Ave. home to see the flower, and Lal said he'd welcome pilgrimages by Hindu faithful.

He knows some people will be skeptical and insisted he did nothing to sculpt the flower.

Heimerle said that wouldn't be possible anyway, because the plant is too fragile.

"Nature is a strange thing, and it's possible it may have just done that spontaneously, but who's to say," Heimerle said.

With the fall chill in the air, Lal fears the flower may die like other amaranths, which are usually killed by winter frost.

"It's a little upsetting," said Lal, who covers the flower with plastic at night to protect it from cold. "It hurts me to know I'll lose it."

Do you have an incredible plant? An amazing animal? Share your photos with us HERE and we may feature your picture in the Daily News.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Here is my opinion.
Whether the plant cured Sam's ills, we'll never know will we. I think what is important here is , that Sam believes that the plant cured him.

Mind over matter, wishing or believing call it what you will, he is not hurting anymore. I think this kind of mental attitude alone can cause miracles.

Do you believe?

I'm a firm believer, in believing.

IT'S TIME TO SAY---

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:07:00 +0000

Good Morning Mr. President.

By now we all know that Barack Obama is our new President of these United States America and people are celebrating everywhere.

Not just in the United States but people are celebrating around the world as well.
This morning I saw a video of our US soldiers in Afghanistan cheering for Obama when they got the news.
They are celebrating in Kenya, and if I had not been a blogger I would not have known that some of my blogger friends in India were also hoping that Obama would win.

Now, we all know that he has won.
Let us all pray that we have made the right decision and that he will make us proud.

Yet at the same time let us not expect miracles from a human being. He can not walk on water and he has a hard road ahead to deal with.

There has been many mistakes made in the past and many fences to mend.

Frankly even if I were smart enough to run for president, I wouldn't want to step into taking over during some of the worse times that I have seen in my life time.

LAST DAY TO VOTE

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:17:00 +0000

I believe it was my Father who used to say on voting day, ' Well tomorrow we will know who the biggest crook in America is'.
Yet he would always vote.

So in memory of my Dad, I would like pick up the tradition.

Tomorrow who do you think will be the biggest crook in America?

Come on lighten up, a little levity here.

FROM MY GOOD FRIEND CAPT. C

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:24:00 +0000

He talks about changes for the better in Iraq and he attributes at least some of it to McCain's idea for the power surge. I thought it befitting and fair to post this for those of you who are McCain fans. In all honesty there are things that I do like about McCain I regard him very highly, yet I made the decision to not vote for him for several reasons one being Palin. However I do believe in giving credit where credit is do and I agree with my friend the Power Surge was a good idea.
__________________________

Posted on September 9, 2008 by my dear friend Capt.C

When To Celebrate
A dictionary defines celebration as “a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event... any joyous diversion.”

Who defines “joyful” or “joyous”? Is it up to each individual? I believe that I tend to celebrate more than others. I clap and say “Yeah!” after I finish a delicious meal that my wonderful wife has made for me. I celebrate with my precious children all the time. Children will celebrate anything. If you have small children, then you understand what I am saying. A child will clap for joy when they put a toy in a pail. A child will laugh with excitement when they see a puppy. A child knows how to celebrate.

As we get older, for some reason we don’t find the joy of putting toys in a pail. We don’t see the wonders of life when a puppy wags its tail. We become so desensitized of the miracles of life. We have lost the joyful purpose of celebration....

I know you are thinking, “Where are you going with this?” I do have a point. I want you to take a deep breath, open your mind and just allow me to explain something to you that you will NEVER see on the news.

When I was deployed to Iraq in 2006, things were a little different. Hardly a day would go by when somebody wasn’t trying to kill me. This is especially true for the first few months that I was there. I know that some will argue that having a random mortar fired towards you is not “really trying to kill you.” Okay, but if you haven’t had a random mortar fired toward you, then what do you really know? And if you have had a random mortar fired at you, then you know that they are trying to kill you. So, I will argue the point.

Anyway, during my six and a half month tour, I did anesthesia for over 280 cases. For those of you that don’t understand case numbers, that is a lot of cases. Of those cases, I am willing to say that nearly 240 of those cases where trauma (or trauma related) cases. I did very little elective cases. I can not even begin to tell you how many units of blood and blood products that I pumped into those patients. I can not remember how many deaths I saw. I can tell you this, I pumped in more blood and blood products in that six and a half months than most civilians will pump in a lifetime. I probably saw more death than any of you will ever see (unless you have been here or you are a mortician). Slightly off the subject - I went to an anesthesia conference a year or so ago. I was attending a course that was being taught by a man that was at “the number one trauma center in the USA”. It sounds impressive doesn’t it? Well, when he told us about the most units of blood that has ever been given to an individual at their facility, I just had to smile. I was thinking, “Really? That’s it?? I have beaten that number on more than one occasion.” For the record, I gave over 120 blood products to a single patient in under four hours. You do the math - that’s kicking.

Now lets fast forward 18 months. I have once again arrived in Iraq. Grant it, I am still in the early stages of my deployment. I have been here for almost two months. But, let me tell you that things have changed. Things have changed in ways that I would not have dreamed.

First lets start with the random mortars. I can’t remember the last one. They are so few and far in between. Second are the cases. I have done a total of 23 cases since I have been here. Of those 23 cases, only four have been trauma. All the others have been elective cases.

Now for the real news, something that you will be hard pressed to see or hear about in the media. There are new schools, new hospitals, new training centers, new communities that HAVE BEEN BUILT. Not by the Americans either, but by the Iraqi people. There are almost as many Iraqi Army Soldiers as there are US Soldiers here. The number of Iraqi Soldiers is growing by the day. There is another HUGE piece of the pie. The Iraqi people are seeing and “understanding” the difference that is being made. Something I thought could never happen. I was wrong. That’s right - I admit that I was wrong. The Iraqi population understands that if they inform the authorities, not only will the bad guys get caught, they will also be protected. So, now the communities are stepping up to the plate. The bad guys may be able to threaten one person, but they can’t threaten them all. So, they are learning to stand up against them.

So, what does this mean? Well, it means that there is decrease in life being lost - on both sides. There is an exponential number of bad guys being caught and killed. The bad guys are getting desperate. Now, here is where I will have to stop giving details. But, I can say that they are truly getting desperate and it shows.

So, why have you not heard about this? Well, it is because that would mean that the media would be responsible for informing the public of the truth, not just its’ agenda. It would mean that the media would HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THE SURGE WORKED!!! Not only did it work, it has changed the community. The media doesn’t want you to know this. They want you to be ignorant of the facts. They want to push a certain person into the Presidential seat so they can have even more power and more money (yea, don’t full yourself - it’s all about power and money).

So, I have to ask. If a country that was full of blood shed just 18 months ago, is now relatively a peaceful country - is that something to celebrate??? I know the children are celebrating.........

WHO WILL IT BE

noreply@blogger.com (EXSENO) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:38:00 +0000

Unless there is some miraculous new discovery I think that we all have heard pretty much all that these two candidates for President have to say and most of us have probably decided on who we are going to vote for. Some of you may have already voted, if that is available in your state.

We do have early voting in the state that I live in, so I will probably sachet my little self to the courthouse a little early and cast my big vote. Then I'm going to go home and pray that I have made the right decision.

I wouldn't dream of putting any of you on the spot by asking you who you are/or have voted for.

But here is what I think.

Frankly in spite of the polls that have been taken, I think it's a toss up.

Until the votes have all been counted,(if they are all counted), I don't think that we, the people can be sure of anything.

So I pose this question to you. When it's all said and done, who do you think we will be calling 'Mr. President'? I know who I will vote for but who will win,

I haven't a clue.