A Trip To The Vineyard
We had a wonderful visit with Ira Kaye and Ron, yesterday! We made a pilgrimage to two of our local wineries, Von Jakob and Owl Creek. Both were resplendent in welcoming winery mode!
It had been awhile since we had had the opportunity of visit and it was such a joy to spend time with them both!
Ira Kaye brought me a present…a Teddy Bear…which I collect…he and I hit it off immediately!
The older I become, 62 next month, the more that I realize how important family and friends are!
Von Jakob’s has a wonderful Schnitzel. It is to die for! That along with their stellar wine and beer and majestic view…. is an abundance of riches!
There were not many at Von Jakob when we were there, but there was the nicest young couple that offered us a plate of vegetables. They were going to visit several of the wineries and they both had the day off and the husband told us that his mother-in-law was babysitting the kids. I admonished him to stay until closing time…and he agreed!
As we were leaving I was attempting to get our party together for a group photo…when a gentleman asked if we would like for him to take a photo of all of us.
Then it was on to Owl Creek that has a much larger venue than the last time that I visited there in 2011.
Now, Owl Creek not only has delicious wines to choose from but a specialization in cider of many different varieties.
There is a special pleasure in having long standing friendships whereby there is a language that you speak with each other that is not only friendly but understood by all parties.
I must reflect once again on the young couple that we met at Von Jakob. I thought of the many times that Mary Jane and I had taken a day off to enjoy some relaxation time or even just a change of scenery from working hard every day and taking care of the plethora of home duties that ensue with family commitments. I think that we must renew our enjoyment of the joys of retirement and free time and doing what you want to do!
Life is unique…and it is special….and it is short….we must enjoy every day…and diversify our areas of happiness….to drink in all of the abundance that God has given as a gift to us!
The Journey
‘Time is the progression of events from the past into the future.’
‘Time moves only in one direction. It is possible to move forward in time, but not backward.’
‘Scientist believe memory formation is the basis for human perception of time.’ ThoughtCo.
Time has been described as the progression of entropy and the increasing of knowledge.
‘As for backwards time travel, it is possible to find solutions in general relativity that allow for it, but the solutions require conditions that may not be physically possible.’ Wikipedia
Admittedly, time seems a bit ethereal…when you have experienced a lot of it! It seems that it was yesterday that I was beginning my career at Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale and wondering what working at the University had in store for me…and I turned around once or maybe twice…and I have been retired almost nine years!
Yesterday I met the daughter-in-law of my step-father’s brother’s daughter. I pondered how that Bridgett is older than Denise…when I first met her in the 1960’s!
I enjoy visiting with my good friends, Ryan and Elizabeth, and I consider that they are the age that I was when I became the superintendent of Building Services…and I thought that I was old.
There is a bit of a theatrical performance to life. A minister and author from San Antonio, Texas, Rev. Millard Hazelip, said, ‘We are all playing a part on the stage of life…play your part well!’
I walked through the Campus Lake Woods today and considered how short and ephemeral our human lives are.
‘Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.’
Macbeth, William Shakespeare
What if before we were born….we were all family? We all were looking forward to our limited time on Earth…and what we could accomplish and who we could help…and the difference we could make in a segment of God’s creation? But when we were born we discovered…to our complete dismay that we were different colors and we spoke different languages and that we were members of different tribes….and that our flesh and bone and blood bodies were subject to lust and greed and avarice and jealousy….
As we grew into adulthood we could not help but notice that the human family settles their disagreements and disputes through violence and destruction and death!
I watched an extremely interesting documentary on HBO last night utilizing actual film footage of the British and Germans in in World War I. Much of the extraordinary documentary film had been colorized and actors did voice-over work to portray what the actual veterans were saying in the old film.
If any of the political planners of War had to go and fight the war that they were planning….there would be no more war!
If life continues after death….what will be revealed to us and what will we understand more fully…in 100 years?
Beautiful Campus!
As Jonathon and I were walking the campus of Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale I was humbled by the embarrassment of riches that our natural surroundings provide!
Having been affiliated with SIUC for 41 years…I never tire of it’s intricate wonders!
I am so very proud of the work that my friend and former colleague, Elizabeth Cheek, has accomplished to facilitate SIUC being named the highest accredited university arboretum in Illinois!
‘Southern Illinois University Carbondale has long been known for its beautiful campus and its commitment to nurturing forested area and incorporating educational components recently earned national recognition.’ SIU News
‘SIU is the first university in the state to earn Level II Arboretum Accreditation from the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and SIU in now featured in the Morton Register of Arboreta. This is the only global initiative that officially recognizes arboreta for development, capacity and professionalism.’ SIU News
As the years role by I have focused more on what matters…what is enduring? I think that we are, perhaps, renters, of the glories of our planet and its magnificent bounty. I have found Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale to be a peaceful oasis in a world of disruption. In the majesty of Little Egypt there is a way station that all are welcome at. Whatever your nationality or religion…or no religion…you are welcome to drink of the fount of knowledge and to enjoy the unparalleled wonders of nature!
There is an ethereal quality to the SIUC campus that calms the emotions and focuses the mind and spirit. Many who have traveled to Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale…have chosen to never leave…it is difficult to leave Nirvana!
Autumn Mysteries III
An alternate reality mystery!
So, the weirdness of looking like Frankenstein and the Creature from the Black Lagoon…subsided…some! Our classmates still wanted to have their pictures taken with us…especially Polaroids! Our moms and dads did not seem to notice or care, as Carl’s dad, Carol, said…it is just a phase that they are going through. And we got free movie tickets…every Friday night…to the Orpheum Theatre to see the weekly horror movie!
It was a bit more challenging taking a bath, as the poor kids in El Dorado did not have a shower, and the masks felt like real skin! Billy B. and Carl both wondered if they were dreaming or if they had taken a side road into the Twilight Zone.
Carl’s dog, Tramp, did not like the the Frankenstein visage and repeatedly barked at Carl when he was home. Billy B. was a bit of a comedian by nature and attempted to…
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Sleepwalking
‘Sleepwalking, also know as somnambulism or noctambulism, is a phenomenon of combined sleep and wakefulness. It is classified as a sleep disorder belonging to the parsomnia family.’ Wikipedia
‘Although sleepwalking cases generally consist of simple, repeated behaviors, there are occasionally reports of people performing complex behaviors while asleep, although their legitimacy is often disputed.’ Wikipedia
Have you ever driven an often utilized route only to discover that you can not recall if you have been through a town on the route? This often happened to me when I was working the second or third shift at Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale. There is a little town called DeSoto that was almost exactly in the middle between my home in Elkville and my work destination of Carbondale. Many times I would have to peer through the headlights on my way home to identify a landmark to ascertain where on the well driven route…that I was!
Many times we want to accomplish more or something that seems a little bit scary or daunting or we wonder if we are equipped for the challenge. In reality life is all about challenges! Rather than say let, Joe or Pete or Sally of Ann…do it….why not say, ‘here I am Lord…send me?’
When I travel I receive numerous inspirational ideas and motivational thoughts! At times we have to shake up our routine a little. The sameness of life has a somnambulant affect on us. It is easy to get on the train track of work to home…and back again…with little time for vision beyond the survival of the week and the month and the year!
Disappointments that we experience have the tendency of shaping our world view. We all to easily accept that if colleagues or family or, supposed friends, have criticized us we must return to the mediocrity of their flatline expectations and cooperate with others limited view of our potential!
I literally relish…and love…and feel humbled and honored to exceed the expectations that others have set for me!
Photo by RUN 4 FFWPU on Pexels.com
Is there someone in your life that you are not seeing? Is there a colleague or a family member or a friend…or more…that you are not seeing…are you sleepwalking?
You may be surrounded by people that care about you…and you have not awakened?
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Note: Sleepwalking photos are courtesy of Google search.
The Secret to Making Friends
Please enjoy a blog from Jonathon Brooks!
A great thing to become is a good friend. People want loyal, or good, friends. We want others to accept and love us just as we are. We want others to laugh and share joy with. If we are in a mental institution or a prison we want our friends to show up and be there for us. If we are depressed we want somebody who’ll stick by our side or offer an encouraging word. If we are drowning we need a brave soul to jump ship and save our helpless selves. People need one another; people need loyal friends.
Do we know how to be a loyal friend? Is it better to be a good friend or to have another be a good friend to us? There is truly so little I have control over in this world. I do not have the skills to make anyone be my…
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Autumn Mysteries II
Autumn Mysteries II.
‘Why do we still look like we have our masks on, said Billy B. ?”
‘I do not understand what is happening,’ replied Carl as he gathered his monster paraphernalia.’
It seems that the peel of thunder and the lightening that had landed just fifty feet from he actor…was no coincidence!
Photo by Andrey Grushnikov on Pexels.com
The great creator had decided to be liberal with his creation. He decided to not dot every I and cross ever T….but rather to see what he creation desired to experience from the sublime.
Life had already been a baker’s dozen for what was available from the menu! It had been understood that there was a plethora of hijinks that were available from the human condition.
What about alternate realities? How do you square several versions of you that are going about their lives in different dimensions? How do you reconcile that the…
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Apple Laptop Shopping?
My 2013 Macbook is preparing to bite the dust…I think?
I have used it daily since 2014 and I love the convenience of it and the efficiency that it brings to my primary habit of blogging!
So, in October Mary Jane is looking for a new I Pad and I am in the market for a new laptop. What is the type of laptop that you use and why do you like it? I am looking for something that is light in weight and excellent for word processing. We will be in St. Louis for a couple of days and we literally love to go to the Apple store in the Galleria! I recently purchased a new I Phone at the Apple store in the Galleria Mall and I am so pleased with it. The time that the Apple attendants take with customers is wonderful! The ensure that you understand the device that you are interested in or have purchased and their customer service is unparalleled!
Photo by Negative Space on Pexels.com
I had been an intermittent blogger from 2012…until Mary Jane and I took a month long visit to Europe with our dear friends, Margo and Jeff. When we stayed with Margo and Jeff for a week in Nice, France…I observed what a serious author that Margo was. As she showed us her office and spoke of her writing I decided to dedicate myself to a desire that I have had since I was a youngster…writing! Since that visit…I have written virtually every day….for five years!
We had the opportunity to visit a lecture by the renowned author, Patricia Sands, and I absorbed the love and acceptance of the French authors that were present as well as Ms. Sands…who was very welcoming and pleased that we were in attendance.
Nice is a magnificent city! As we toured Nice I reflected on the many writings of Margo and I understood the history of the area…so much better and fuller!
During that month long visit we visited Venice and Florence, Italy. Words can not describe the beauty of Venice! Margo told me of the syndrome that struck some visitors to Florence when they are witness to the preponderance of art and sculptor and paintings and architecture and Renaissance beauty that is Florence! The tourists become a bit overwhelmed and dizzy with the magnificence of what the Medici family have wrought!
During this month long sojourn of 2014…we also lodged in an ancient farmhouse in Tuscany! A portion of the farmhouse was constructed in the 1200’s while the new section was from the 1700’s.
We attended a spa in Montacateni Terme, which was at the foot of the mountain that the ancient farmhouse was on. Jeff told me that we must enjoy a swim and a sauna before the massage that would be administered by experts.
The swim I enjoyed very much. The water was warm and there was a waterfall and I felt refreshed after Jeff and Margo and I had a breathing treatment from steam wafting forth from the mineral springs that fed the spa.
The sauna was an fun time with Jeff bringing me cold water to drink about every five minutes and the feeling that I had never been hotter than at that moment!
The massage experience was unlike anything that I have ever undergone in my life! Margo and Mary Jane went before us. They had taken soothing mineral baths while Jeff and I had chosen the sauna. When the ladies came out to retrieve Jeff and I…the one who was my masseuse proclaimed that she wanted the husband of Mary!
As my massager and I travelled back to the massage room I asked the physical professional…how she was doing? She responded with a glaring stare that let me know that she must have heard or interpreted my comments as something different than I had uttered.
I then commented that she must be working hard…and she noted that I was assuredly doing better than her…as I was on vacation.
When we entered the room…the masseuse instructed me to take off all of my clothes and put on paper biking pants. When I protested that my European friend and assured me that I could leave my shorts on…she insisted….bikini pants…and she illustrated what was the front…and what was the back. She noted that she would leave the room and return shortly. I hurriedly did as I was told!
When the masseuses returned she instructed me to sit in front of a full length mirror and close my eyes. I was glad to close my eyes…as I had a distinct resemblance to Buddah! She then poured oil over my head and it ran down on to my face and chest and shoulders…and she admonished me to….relax!
The patroness of the ancient Tuscany farmhouse made us breakfast one morning and dinner one evening. The food was delicious and she was mercurial! She and her son went to feed their chickens after we had retired to bed. She spoke loudly and passionately and some of us were scared…but I was intrigued!
The Tuscany Matron had little kittens that she alternately kissed and subsequently boxed their ears! We drove down the hairpin path to Montacateni Terme, the first night that we were there to attend a Village Fair. There was Italian beer and cuisine and we sat at a long table and and our host was at one end of the table and I was at the other…and he raised his beer, in a toast to me, and I did the same…and I felt that I was a member of the Village!
The Key of the Kind-Hearted
Another great Jonathon Brooks Blog!
Kindness is a key to unlocking the joy in life. I’ve never regretted offering a kind word to someone who might have needed it at the time. I have absolutely regretted a mean word spoken or an unnecessary gossip that leapt off of my tongue. If a man is mean to others then I guarantee he is also mean to himself. How sad this is! Life isn’t supposed to be gone through with hatred and mean spiritedness. The darkness in our world is real, but light conquers darkness every new day.
As a youth I could not find many people in my life who were truly kind-hearted. So I decided to grow up and become kind-hearted again like I had been as a young boy. I had and continue to have a lot of help from Christ Jesus. I aspire to live my life story on the highway of the…
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Autumn Mysteries
Billy B. and Carl encounter Frankenstein and the Creature from the Black Lagoon!
The first day of Fall this year is on Monday, September 23rd…or 10 days from today!
For Billy Bump the first day of Fall could not come quick enough. He was excited about playing the Creature from the Black Lagoon in his cousin, Gene’s, home movie. Gene was a monster aficionado and an adept researcher of all things horror. He subscribed to Forest J. Ackerman’s Monster Magazines and had collected a room full of professional monster masks. Gene could tell you anything that you wanted to know about the original Dracula movie with Bella Lugosi as it’s star, or spin behind the scenes movie yarns regarding, Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein for hours on end!
Gene knew the co-stars of the monster and horror movies going back to the 1930’s and had a ready knowledge of the production problems that the various movies had undergone and the rationale for why Dracula transformed…
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The Happy Traveler 