No Woods Walking today. For a person with wanderlust, the ice has brought a change. Christmas assimilates us. We become immersed in the season. There are Christmas movies to watch. Christmas places to go. Christmas people to see. Then comes now. January Ice Storm. A change that will not last. Change is the theme of life.

Have you a special place you visit? A special food or drink? A friend you confide in? Do you have trouble remembering when you stopped eating the special food or drinking the special drink? Do you recall when you and your special friend took divergent paths?

Adjustment is the key to success. Flexibility is important.

The path was lovely, sunny, dark, and stormy as Billy B walked along. He sang and danced in the Sun. He hid from the night. In the storm, Billy B sought shelter. The mountaintop had a spectacular view…the valley had long shadows.

So we feel the pains and fears of change. Many are buffeted by all of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune we experience yet have no one who has their back. There is no quick turnaround from being hungry and ill-clad against the cold.

‘Here is your cot,’ Kind Lady said. ’30 people are sleeping in this room so be careful if you have to get up during the night,’ KL continued. ‘You must be out by 8:00 a.m.,’ she said.

Horace remembered when he had a nice home. He was warm and well-fed. Horace worked at University. There was little change…until there was. Budget cuts took his job. Horace could not find another. His wife left him and took their daughter with her. Horace enjoyed a drink or three after work but had always been able to control his thirst…until dramatic change pushed him from his sense of place. No longer was he a manager. No one seemed to know his name. Soon he became one of the faceless voiceless unseen on the cold streets of Chicago.

Miriam held Anna close and wrapped the old blanket around her tightly. The ice kept falling. The awning provided some shelter against the frigid rain. Broadway Theatergoers walked along the boulevard with cashmere overcoats and waterboots. ‘This weather is terrible Rodger… I would have preferred another night to see the premier,’ Daphene said with a frown. ‘You know how I hate to get my hair wet,’ Daphene continued. ‘I hope our seats are front row,’ Daphene sighed.

Winter in our neck of the woods is often mild and cloudy. Thirty to forty degrees with a dip into the twenties at night. More talk about snow than snow. When a little snow falls we get excited. The sleds come out and meager weight-reduced snowmen appear. Times are hard for snowmen in Southern Illinois. Once in a winter, we get some single-digit temperatures…we talk about them for the rest of the year.

Tonight we wait for the coming of the Ice Queen. Santa just left us and did not leave a forwarding address. The Christmas Cookie plate had crumbs but has now been washed. As MJ said if the power goes out we can watch movies we have recorded… I had a brilliant Ice Queen event thought…we will brew extra coffee and heat it up in the microwave…

Winter 1978 we had a blizzard. I had a lovely lady that I wanted to impress as I hiked the snow drifts over to her house to shovel her Ford Maverick out of the snow. It was cold, and the snow was deep. As I shoveled I knew she must be as impressed as I was at my accomplishments.

Steve and I drove to Zeigler Coal Companies offices in Johnston City. The snow was a white sheet in front of the car’s windshield. Marooned in the ditch. When we extricated ourselves we turned around for home. The road was indistinguishable from the fields surrounding it.

1979 marked another snowstorm. Having just begun at Southern Illinois University I was reluctant to not report for work amid the storm. Faye had heard on the radio that SIU was closed except for essential staff. I wondered if I was Essential? Again, the drive was akin to driving through an open field for fifteen miles. As I bumpily pulled into the little driveway in front of the Building Services Office I noticed no other cars no lights on except for a little light bulb burning next to the window. Elbert pulled in and jumped out of his car. ‘Are we open Brooks Bradley he asked’? Elbert walked boldly to the front door and knocked loudly saying, ‘Brooks Bradley and Elbert Covington reporting for duty.’ Upon being satisfied that we would not gain access he asked me to come over for hot chocolate with MJ. I thanked him and noted if I arrived home safely I would not be venturing out.

Long dry spells happen between visits from The Ice Queen.

I took some pride in my negotiation with the fearful ice. I fell the first winter of being the Superintendent of Building Services. I had my suit on and a cashmere overcoat feeling pretty…pretty…pretty good that I had made it to the top. I was a Serious Man. I was humbled and honored by the confidence administration had placed in me. Suddenly I was on my back looking up at the trees. The pomp and circumstance were knocked out of me in one ice slip.

So, confused we are as we age. Kids in old folks’ bodies.

‘Oh, the silent majesty of a winter’s morn…the clean, cool chill of the holiday air…and an asshole in his bathrobe emptying a chemical toilet into my sewer.’ Clark Griswold

‘The Shitter is full,’ Cousin Eddie shouted to Clark…

Winter Storm Warning for Sunday. Danger of fallen power lines and outages. Serious business for we who moderate winter folk. During times like these, I wish I had purchased a generator. The optimum time to buy a generator is probably in the summer.

So many perils are coming down the track. We take the Winter Storm Warning seriously. There are other imminent dangers, not so much.

When we find reality onerous or heinous we create an alternative that suits our disposition. Science may inform us of danger while our guru or wiseman tells us as the famous philosopher from Mad Magazine often said, ‘What Me Worry.’

Politicians gain office by the votes of hard-working people and subsequently forget how they got the job. Their eyes are glazed with the possibilities of their newfound fame. They stand on the obscure principles that make up the alternate reality in which they live. Hell Bent the new leaders of the people are to have it their way. The accolades of a strident few ring in their ears as millions suffer for lack of voice.

Free Speech is precious…as long as it is speech we like. Freedom of Assembly is vital…as long as it is our Assembly.

The Woman stood against her peers. She was a leader of quick ascendancy. Her name was well known. She was respected until she stood for the rights of all people. Many laugh in dark corners.
They mock and gesticulate. They wonder about the hair…they wonder about the man… The crowd said to the Woman…’ Go get them…you are what we need…you are our voice…we are scared…you are fearless.’

Ice is treacherous. You can not see it…you feel it…when you fall.

Our year is New but we are not. Dear departed President Carter knew that leadership is nuanced. If we are a country for all people we must include those unlike us. History is not explained by self-serving analogies to Biblical figures to make a square peg fit in a round hole.

Those leaders in love with their mirror image govern in the direction that brings them praise. Those who care about the humanity of their fellow humans tread lightly and with quiet consideration.

It is January 2nd. We can still say Happy New Year. We have just heard the starter pistol and lifted our feet to run the 2025 race. We are headed toward the deep midwinter. ‘Water like a stone’. The forecast is for some of that stone water this Sunday. We are looking for the answer to life’s persistent questions.

Stand we do before an Open Door. Change we want…change we can have…we have to be the Change.

A new/old government is coming. Some are happy others are not. Certainly, our personal life will remain static unless we shake it up. No one will do it for us. The power of weight loss is in our hands… Putting down the fork will help…

Movement increases momentum. The action breaks the wall of depression. Good thoughts come from good deeds.

We walk through the ‘slough of despond’ seeking someone to be our advocate. Speaking up can be a bit scary but a freeing experience. Nothing simply falls on us from above. Jesus suffered in the Garden…it was not an amusement ride.

Most deteriorating institutions can be recovered by hard-working people. New ideas help.

Perspiration is essential combined with inspiration and imagination. If you can see it you can be it.

Humility is a hidden virtue. The show horse is applauded admired and emulated. The workhorse often continues in obscurity doing the work of real change without fanfare or praise.

We have arrived. We heard it was coming. 2025 is here. MJ is making chicken soup. The only carrots I could find were in a five-pound bag. Do you like carrots? What will the New Year bring?

Tragedy has struck in New Orleans. A sad reminder of our troubled world. People happy celebrating the New Year…were mowed down by a terrorist. We have been to Bourbon Street a place of party and fun. Death and destruction did not enter our minds.

So it goes as we negotiate our path in our New Year. The road we travel together is well-lit at times and dark and murky at other times. Our resolve is clear until we hit a hidden brick wall. It is the recovery from the Wall that takes supreme effort and faith.

We walk toward Light. Darkness is around us…before us and behind us. How we react to the darkness is our challenge. Do we hide our heads in the sand like our friend the ostrich? Shall we become bitter insular and hide with the doors bared in our homes? Will we fear the homeless…those different than we are? Or will we follow the message of Christ?

‘This is the year of friendship,’ Jane said triumphantly! ‘I am going to make a new friend every week, Jane continued. ‘I will seek those who are lonely,’ Jane reflected.

‘I love One Eye whose name is Abigail,’ Neva J said with a smile. ‘The townspeople make fun of her for her one eye and strange clothing,’ Neva J continued. ‘She has been the light of my life since I met her…she was in Vaudeville in the 20s, ” Neva J said.

‘Tommy L is an interesting chap,’ Chet said. ‘He is a brilliant mathematician, Chet continued. ‘His dad is a professor at MIT,’ Chet noted. ‘He is shunned due to his disability…he has forgotten more than those who shun him and yet has the grace to not inform them of his brilliance,’ Chet noted somberly.

Some are partying…some are in front of their television. What began with a promise has fulfilled its commitments. Now we see how the year flies by. It will seem to start slow and cold but will increase speed like a locomotive. As we return to work the holidays will be on our minds…for a while. We will hear the bells on Christmas Day, and their old familiar songs play…peace on Earth good will toward men. Then a winter budget cut will present its ugly head. Someone will leave due to illness and the remaining work must be shared. More months than money was my experience many times and the cold mid-winter only magnified the problem. Pizza on payday and tuna at the end of the month.

So we know what to expect. We must look through a glass darkly to see the light of the New Year. January is as special as December. Life is a magnificent gift each day we live it.

Becoming good at a task requires practice. Focus is the key to fulfillment. Nothing happens unless we put our shoulder to the wheel. God will compensate for our natural shortfalls if we work as hard as possible.

Baby Jesus was just born a few days ago…anew in our lives. His message of humility peace…love is new every day.

Gifts are always welcome. The joy in the eyes of our fellow humans when we do something special and unexpected for them is palpable. It is Christmas all over again.

‘Billy B we are glad to have you aboard,’ Harold said with a smile. ‘If you want to succeed in Building Services come to work early and work hard,’ Harold continued. ‘You will soon gain a good name that will follow you throughout the department,’ Harold winked.

‘I have not seen Thalman Hall look so clean in many years,’ the Associate Director said to Billy B. ‘Your work is as important as any work that transpires in our department,’ AD continued. ‘When your work is well done we can do our work without impediment,’ AD noted.

‘I want you to take the Superintendent assignment if you are willing,’ Harry W said to Billy B. ‘The department is in trouble, the Vice Chancellor and I believe you are the person to fix it,’ Harry W. said.

‘This guy fights for Building Services…if I cut one student worker he gives me hell,’ President Glenn P said. ‘He has helped me many times and I value his counsel,’ President GP said.

‘I tried to treat people like I want to be treated,’ Billy B said. ‘I scrubbed toilets and cleaned carpets on my hands and knees and felt like the luckiest guy in the world,’ Billy B said with tears in his eyes. ‘I had nothing and SIUC gave me so much more than I could give back,’ Billy B whispered…

Our coming New Year sounds futuristic. We are a quarter of the way to the next century. How could this be I thought as I reminisced about President Carter. An exemplary ex-president. A man who demonstrated each day of his life that it is not what you say but what you do as a Christian.

The Christmas Tree came down today. The Santa Claus and Nativity Scenes were stored for next Christmas. Cold weather is in the forecast although you could not tell it today as I walked in the woods. Soon we will be shivering.

2024 has his walking stick. He is heading for the exit. 2025 is but a babe. He is at the door ready to emerge onto the stage. He has big ideas and bigger plans. 2025 is much like us. The sky is the limit. Reality bites. A year can play ‘Bitey’ with us at times. ‘The best-laid plans of mice and men suddenly come arye.’

Life is a game of chance. From the moment that the doctor slapped our butt…we are risk takers. School and then more school…then the School Of Hard Knocks… There is a reason we old people have white hair or no hair at all. We have seen a lot…

The minister sets his cap to help people. His heart is full of faith and often a calling. Yet the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune slow his pace. People misunderstand and mistake his motives. The call to the Gospel is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Yet the faithful carrier of Christ’s teachings trudges on to deliver the Good Word.

So it goes with our lives…we seek to make a difference. We 2025 to be better than 2024. Helping those less fortunate than we are is our creed. Heal the earth. Heal the broken…feed the hungry.

Months fly by quickly. Soon we will hear the bells again. Christ came to deliver peace, build homes for the homeless, and live a life that inspires those watching to want what you have.

As I walked through Kroger Market this morning on the Sunday before New Year I noticed the fading gleam in the eyes of the shoppers. Last Sunday had been Christmas Sunday. Santa had not come yet. Advent was still underway. The gifts were wrapped neatly under the Christmas Tree. Today brought the knowledge that the Christmas Tree comes down tomorrow. Santa Claus in various derivations goes back into the closet. I found the last two Peppermint Creamers…leftovers from Christmas and snatched them greedily. But the thrill was gone…

As I approached the checkout person they greeted me with a happy you came in and introduced me to the person doing the bagging. How nice I thought. Proceeding to the door another Kroger person invited me to take a Poinsetta for Free by the exit. Suddenly Christmas was alive! It is time to think of next year. It will be grandeur…better…the best!

‘Jimmy…come look at your Christmas presents,’ Little Peanut said. ‘We have Turkey and Dressing,’ LP said with joy. ‘Mama told me she saw you through her binoculars as you walked over the hill,’ LP laughed.

‘You know I feel strong…better than I have in years,’ Jimmy said with a big grin… ‘The last few days have been tough but now seem like distant memories,’ Jimmy noted. ‘Remember we start building New Year’s Day,’ LP winked.

‘Everything everywhere all at once,’ LP said. ‘All seems the same yet strangely different…as if in Technicolor with no Tears,’ LP said…

On The Second Day Of Christmas…I met Jonathon for coffee and record shopping. Did you know that the 12 Days Of Christmas is after Christmas? We often stop when the gifts are unwrapped but the message of Christ’s birth is for every day of the year.

Do you listen to Christmas music throughout the year…I do. If there is a Christmas Shop Around The Corner…I visit. A kind woman in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee thanked me for keeping the spirit of Christmas alive all year long.

2025 is knocking at our door. This year my New Year’s Resolution is to write a monthly story along with my daily blogging. I wrote one about my brother and I visiting Maine not long ago. I enjoyed it.

The mystery is mysterious. What will happen next? Who will we meet…what will we see…where will we go? We are bound by our own mental shackles. No one is holding us back…the world is our oyster.

‘Come quickly Mom and see what Billy B is doing now,’ Little Girl said with glee! ‘He is writing on his Writing Porch about Records and Coffee after Christmas,’ Little Girl laughed. ‘He is a Pip…so much fun to watch especially when he has two Dirty Martinis, Little Girl laughed.

‘I have been watching Chet as he plays with his Daniel Boone Action Figure,’ Little Boy said. ‘He is focused and sees little of what is happening around him,’ LB continued. ‘Chet is sad about the passing of his Dad…he cried himself to bed last night…the night after Christmas,’ LB observed with hurting eyes.

‘Who wants a glass of Merlot,’ Neva J asked with a big grin. ‘I have put the Christmas Tree in its box for next year,’ Neva J said with satisfaction. ‘Was not the Christmas Coffee Cake excellent this year,’ Neva J asked with a wink?

‘Spray…Spray…Spray’…went the bottle of Windex as MaMa wiped the glass. ‘Now you will be able to see your tiny friends better,’ MaMa said with a smile on her lips. ‘They are so cute after Christmas…but do not shake the Snow Globe…it scares the tiny ones….’ MaMa said…

Christmas Day it rained hard. Today it is 54 degrees. After all of the build-up to Christmas now it is over. The memories remain. Oh, what wonderful memories…

Now what? Old Man 2024 is packing his bags for a trip to the beach…Baby 2025 is preparing his entrance. We are a quarterway through this century. Time flies. ‘What thou doest, do quickly.

I admire my niece Tara. She has a good heart. I have known her almost her entire life. She helps others. I am a fan.

What will the New Year bring? Much of it depends on us. Will we harken to the Angels of our better nature or submit to our narcissistic self-interest? The clock keeps ticking.

The Story Of Life intrigues me. Yesterday at a wonderful Christmas celebration at Ira Kaye and Rons I ruminated on the fazes of life. The chapters blow by so quickly in the wind of time. We set out on Life’s Journey with excitement… zeal…trepidation, and hope. Suddenly we look up to find we are middle-aged. Another snore and rubbing of sleepy eyes…we are old.

The great philosopher Forest Gump told us that life is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you are going to get.

The little Babe lay in the manger. Shepherds knew they were witnessing a change in history. Mary and Joseph did not understand their role…but they would. Pontius Pilate said I find no fault in the man.

Riches or prosperity was not the answer. Boldness for boldness sake was not the solution. The quiet counsel of Christ speaks softly to the heart of humanity.