HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 Being thankful for what we have....I get it.  It is the simple things in life we should never overlook.

Ralphy Fun

Gourd-eous

MJ has this new thing for gourds....I know...what's that about?  Anyway I took a picture of her gourd family and did a little photo shop to get this picture.  Say it....."jim you must be out of your gourd".

 As I have said before.....if you think this picture is interesting and you really want a better view...take the mouse into the photo and click for a larger view.   See ya.

Favorite and Simple

Just click on the photo and you can view it better.  These are just plain and simple photos I have taken.   The forest  was taken in the northern lower peninsula Michigan...Burt Lake.  The Gerber Daisy is really stunning in color and as you can see was on its last legs as it shows the wear and tear of the late summer and early fall.  The burning bush is so rich in red color in the fall and it happens to be something I look forward seeing when October rolls in.  We live in a world of wonder and beauty...all we have to do is look around..........you will find it.






















Burning Bush

Invisible

Maybe it's just the times we live in, blitzed every which way by internet, television and news.  In our busy lives it is nearly impossible to view the ideas of others because we are entrenched in our own world of problems.  What happens, is we as individuals become invisible to everyone in a sense.  I was on FaceBook  the other day and was reading the tiny tidbits of news in other peoples lives and realized most of what is read is ignored.  Everyone seemed to have their own agenda and I could picture others reading and kindly ignoring what was being said.  It is not that we don't care about other persons personal goals and challenges are, but because the internet allows anyone and everyone the opportunity, the information just becomes too much.  Truthfully there are very few of us able to break the "ignore barrier".  I don't include myself as an often listened to individual.  I have come to realize what I care about  and am most passionate about is not what a lot of others find remotely interesting.  I have come to realize it isn't a reason to give up on what you like and what makes you happy.  So in a kind sort of way, I am invisible, but for the few that may read what I have to say, I thank you.

Flower Fun

Just goofing around with some of my favorite pics and turning them into something different. 

Parking Structure Colors

Even the side of a parking structure in the Fall can be quite beautiful.  Click on the photo for a better view.  It's really quite nice.

Recipies from the Past

Have you ever been surprised at the different thoughts that pop into your head for no known reason?  Well, the other day I was working, and the words Jubilee Jumbles just appeared in my thoughts.  Strange.  Jubilee Jumbles are a type of cookie and it was one of my favorites when I was just a boy.  My Mother and Sister made them and I just couldn't get enough of them.  Since thoughts can disappear just as fast as they appear, and since I was near a computer, I quick Googled Jubilee Jumbles and found the recipe from a 1960's Betty Crocker book.  I haven't had this cookie in over 30 years and am anxious to try it out to see if they really were that good.  I bet they are.  Anyway, would somebody please make them and let me know what you think.  By the way my Mother colored the frosting glaze green and she put a small walnut on top of the cookie, glued by the glaze.  It doesn't have that in the recipe, but you have to make them that way.  OK ?   In case you didn't know, all you have to do is click on the recipe and it will be easy to view. 

October Beauty

just brittney

Here is the Brit with a few more pics.

GiGi...a little piece of Love

It isn't a coincidence GiGi is brought up in many a conversation at family gatherings.  Though she has been gone now for more than 20 years, my family memories of her are wonderful and loving.  GiGi truly was a remarkable individual and her life gave my family something special.  She was loyal and obedient and with her playful energy instilled the joy of her life with ours.  The saying about ...you don't know what you had until you lost it...holds so true to all of us as human beings.  It is a trait we all share...a trait I wish I knew how to get rid of.  I do try and appreciate what I have today and who I have as family and friends, but it is difficult...life is difficult.  In the 1970's I was away at college while GiGi stayed at home being as wonderful as she always was.  Too young to miss her...I wish I did.  Too young to appreciate what she brought to my life...I wish I did.  Even when I would be home, I didn't realize how old she was and how precariously near she was to the end of her life's story...I wish I did.   As I was looking at her photos of her last birthday, I welled up with tears of sadness for a long lost, but not forgotten friend.  I just wanted to reach out and hold her one last time to tell her how I loved her and how truly special she was.  Too sentimental...for a dog....?   Twenty, thirty years ago I would answer yes, but today I am grateful to be a bit smarter.  So sentimental?  No, not at all.  GiGi was special and made her mark in life.  She impacted my family with loving thoughts and memories and her life meant something.  GiGi will never be forgotten as long as I am breathing.

Brittney

Brittney came into our lives quite a few years ago and I found this picture buried with all sorts of family photos.  I want her to be part of this blog because she deserves to be known.  Unfortunately, I didn't see the "light" when it came to rearing dogs back then and after a couple years, we ended up giving Brittney to a wonderful family that had other basset hounds.  At the time it was definitely better for her because she was finally getting the attention she deserved.  I regret not loving her the way I should have, and seeing her photo made me feel good and bad at the same time.  Ralphy has shown me how special Brittney was.  I will not forget Brittney......lesson to be learned.  
jim

Unbeaten in 19 races, Zenyatta has - 11.01.10 - SI Vault

Unbeaten in 19 races, Zenyatta has - 11.01.10 - SI Vault the video is below, but read the article first to appreciate what you see

Autumn

These  photos were taken about  a block off of Michigan Ave in Dearborn.  So even if you cannot go up north to see the Fall colors, you really don't have to.  Take a walk thru the neighborhood and you will see plenty of Autumn all around you.  The last photo is a Ginkgo tree in my backyard.  The leaves will end up turning into a brilliant yellow, plus the shape of the leave is really beautiful.            jim

Can't forget about Ralphy

Let Ralphy make you smile today.  Starting a day off with some good "stuff" will usually translate into a day that will be fun and enjoyable.  Don't frown.............let Ralphy make you realize how wonderful your life is.

Happy Halloween..............jim

Autumn in Michigan 2010

Here are just a few more pics showing off the Michigan autumn at its best.  Hope you like them.

Zenyatta working

I just read the article in Sports Illustrated about this incredible horse, Zenyatta.  If you get a chance read it, and then watch the video clip.  It's really pretty neat.               jim

nature...at its best

Hi guys,
Hope I can get you to smile today.  It takes hardly any energy...and it feels good.

luv...............ralphy

• You might have noticed, I enjoy sunflowers.  Hope you like the pic.             jim

...Mums the word

Autumn Magic

Living in Michigan is a pretty cool thing as long as you enjoy the changing of the seasons.  I do.  Like anything, too much of one thing can get dull and boring, so when the heat of summer dissipates for the cool crisp weather of fall, it is a welcome sight.  The color of the leaves is spectacular even if you live in the city, because there are always trees around to watch the magical artistry of nature at work.  Even bushes like the burning bush, turns a beautiful rich red color.  Flowers like mums are just sprouting and showing off their richness in color.  The air is not only crisp and fresh, but the scent of autumn leaves is a smell that jolts childhood memories of leaf piles that were taller than yourself and playing hide and seek beneath them.  Some say that it is a sad season, where many living things die, but it is only the circle of life that is playing out and not to be saddened by but embraced with a sense of joy and comfort.  I know winter is on its way and as I get older, dealing with ice and snow is not an easy task.  I guess I don't mind too much, because when the first flake is spotted falling from the wintry sky, it is a pure thing of beauty and certainly brings out the child in me.  Live in Michigan................love your seasons!


see ya.............jim

...present comfort

Not only is Ralphy a handsome fellow, but he is quite adorable.   I think he knows it and that is ok with me because he really is wonderful.  He makes me smile every time I see him and I never ever seem to get tired of him.  These photos really bring out his soul and his ability to comfort me when needed.  I am thankful every day for him.  Obsessed?  Maybe, but only in a good way.  There is no better time to feel loved than the present, because the future doesn't promise what is now.  Hope anyone seeing these pictures enjoys them.    jim

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN !!!

...it is that time of year when for some crazy reason, we find it enjoyable to engage in the "creepy stuff" of Hallowe'en.  We love the bats, spiders, and graveyards so as long as we really aren't around them.  I suppose it is a morbid fantasy we somehow share, because if you haven't noticed, Hallowe'en has become a day where more and more people decorate and have parties.  Ha....maybe we just want an excuse to have some fun and it nothing more than just that.  Humans have imaginations and fantasies and I guess that is just who we are.  Nothing too bad about that.   Have some fun !!

Some of my most favorite people

I am a lucky person to be able to have friends.  These people below are some of my most favorites....more importantly, they are my friends and for that I am grateful.  When you are able to feel comfortable and share your conversations with them, you know you have a special bond, and to me this is a very good thing.   I know I am not always the easiest to be around, but I think they understand me well enough to know how I feel about them.  The best thing of course, is I will have them as my friends for my lifetime.  Can't complain about that.  Thanks...Stacey, Laura, Salgal Sally, Linda.......and of course Ralphy !

pavel datsyuk dangling

Datsyuk robs Jagar and humiliates Kolzig

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS   !!!!

DO YOU REMEMBER DRAWING THIS PICTURE?

ANYWAY I HOPE YOU HAVE A SUPER GREAT
B-DAY  !!!!


LOVE ...DAD

...SOMEONE TO REMEMBER...someone to never to forget

Yesterday I took Ralphy on his usual walk.  We like to go around the neighborhood, and occasionally we go along the cemetery fence.   This day we decided to take the cemetery route.  For me and Ralphy this is our time to just relax and get some exercise and fresh air.  I noticed an older gentleman getting out of his car inside the cemetery property and then slowly get out.  He was very old, probably over 80, had a pair of baggy jeans that were too long for him (so they were cuffed), a light blue long sleeve shirt, and walked in some old looking high top black shoes.  Ralphy usually doesn't pay attention to people in the cemetery, because he instinctively knows the fence is a barrier which takes away any threat to him.  But this time he just stopped and kept staring as this old man slowly (very slowly) walked on the stone and dirt road toward a hill.  It was a wondrous early evening...the air was cool but not cold, the sun was still up but was starting to say goodbye for the day, the trees all around were starting to change colors as they should in October, and I was with my friend Ralphy.  Who could ask for a more perfect evening.  It was obvious the man came to visit a loved one and so I tried not to stare and give the man his privacy.  I tugged at Ralphy's leash and urged him to move on.  Ralphy would walk a few feet, then he would stop and turn around to stare at the man who was still heading toward the hill.  Ralphy started to whimper in a quiet soft voice.  I bent over and petted him and asked him if he was OK.  No, Ralphy didn't answer, but I could sense his persistence, ( when it came to watching this man ) was out of character for him.  Why was he acting like that?  Well, he kept at this for several minutes.  Ralphy would start walking, then stop, turn around and stare.  By now the old man with the brightest of white hair, was treading up the hill at an even slower pace, but he kept going onward.  Ralphy continued his behavior and my curiosity concerning the man began to grow.  I decided to just stop in my tracks and watch the man, hoping he wouldn't turn around and see me "spying" on him.  All of a sudden I realized everything seemed so quiet.  On one side of me was a relatively busy road, people coming home from work, the sound of cars whooshing by, planes flying in to the airport, horns honking, and me and Ralphy in between the fence of the cemetery and road (about 15 feet or so wide), and of course on the other side of the fence the quiet of the "graveyard"...soft grass, tall trees and hundreds of grave stones marking the places of rest for many since 1893.  So in spite of the noise of traffic, my brain settled into a quiet mode and I continued to watch the man who was now at the top of the hill, staring down at a relatively large head stone.  I forgot  to mention the man wore an old baseball style hat with no markings, and it was really too small, because his white hair could be seen on the back and sides. I remember my grandfather who has been gone now for sometime, used to have a similar type hat.  The man brought back memories of my grandpa.  Anyway I mentioned the hat for that reason, but also because when he was standing by this particular head stone, the man had his hat off obviously showing respect to whom he was visiting.  Ralphy was now resting down on the grass peacefully, close to the fence and still intently watching the man.  I sensed the man was lonely and longing for his companion of many years, or that is what I imagined.  I could hear him talking though I couldn't tell what he was saying and when he was talking he leaned onto the grave stone with both of his hands softly grabbing the top of the silver white granite monument.  In life, we all want people to remember us, and all the things about who we were and what kind of person we became.  If we don't like visiting the cemetery then maybe we should occasionally sit down and remember someone in our life that has passed away...and by remembering them, they will not be forgotten.  Who knows what Raphy was thinking...after all I always tell people that Ralphy really isn't a dog, and if that is the case, maybe he was just paying respects.  Maybe he sensed the hurt and loneliness in the old man.  Maybe he just wanted to rest on the grass.  I will never know, but I prefer that Ralphy senses a lot of feelings that we as humans think dogs incapable of.  I do know that he taught me a valuable lesson of showing the respect and admiration of those that have gone before us.  The sun was just about hidden from sight, the man slowly headed down the hill, and Ralphy stood up, looked at me and telling me it was time to go.  We headed for home...it was a memorable day.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1175416/index.htm

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1175416/index.htm

THE MICK.....BY JANE LEAVY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED OCTOBER 2010

GOOD ARTICLE TO READ

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1174416/index.htm

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1174416/index.htm

THE AMAZING RACE

....love your life

Appreciating what we have  is such a difficult thing to do.  Yet if we look around us at the simplest of things, like a  sunrise disguising itself behind the morning  fog...we see the magnificent beauty of life.  When I was younger it felt like I would live forever, but now a bit smarter...and older, I know my sunset is not in the far distant future.  It is a lesson for the young to ponder and the old to take advantage of.  Look at your life in a new positive perspective and view what is about you as something to be in awe of....whether it be a sunrise, a flower, a cool fresh wind blowing or some person you care about.  All these things and more make up what is life, and to live it to it's fullest is an accomplishment.   Don't look back in regret, but push  forward with a determined conviction to live the rest of your life to its fullest.  One of my favorite singer-songwriters is James Taylor and the song "The Secret of Life", would seem appropriate for this particular blog.  So without further adieu here it is.

 The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time

Any fool can do it

There ain't nothing to it

Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill

But since we're on our way down

We might as well enjoy the ride

The secret of love is opening up your heart

It's okay to feel afraid

But don't let it stand in your way

Cause anyone knows that love is the only road

And since we're only here for awhile

Might as well show some style and give us a smile 

Isn't it a lovely ride

Sliding down...Gliding down

Try not to try too hard...it's just a lovely ride

Now the thing about time is that time

Isn't really real

It's just your point of view

How does it feel for you

Einstein said he could never understand it all

Planets spinning through space

The smile upon your face

Welcome to the human race

Some kind of lovely ride

I'll be sliding down...I'll be gliding down

Try not to try too hard...It's just a lovely ride

Isn't it a lovely ride...Sliding down...Gliding down

Try not to try too hard...It's just a lovely ride

Now the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.......

Hope you enjoyed today's blog...........jim