Christmas 2010

No Matter How Hard I Try, This Christmas Is Just Not The Same. This Is My First Christmas Without My Sister Brenda.
Today I Would Have Gotten A Call From Her. Wishing Me A Merry Christmas Just Like All The Christmas's Before. I Have Glanced Over At The Answering Machine A Couple Times, But Nothing.
This Is Her First Christmas With Jesus. Her Biological Mother And Sister Are Reunited Once Again In Heaven. One Day We Will Join Her In Everlasting Love And Peace.
When I Was A Young Boy Growing Up I Befriended An Old Woman Who I Came To Realize Had Nobody Who Visited Her. After Getting To Know "Grandma" Clifton Who Was Well Into Her Eighty's, Was Weak And Unable To Do Things For Herself. A Neighbor Lady Would Go To The Grocery Store, But Otherwise Her World Was Empty. This Past October I Read In The Newspaper Where Grandma Clifton's Son Passed Away At The Ripe Old Age Of 95. He Outlived Her In Years, Yet I Had No Sorrow In My Heart Of His Passing. I Never Met The Man.
It Was Christmas 1967, 43 Years Ago. I Got Up Extra Early That Day So I Could Fire Up Grandma Clifton's Furnace With Coal. I Told Her I Would Be Back Later That Afternoon. I Returned With Christmas Dinner In Hand. I Had The Biggest Smile On My Face When I Wished Her A Merry Christmas. I Handed Her A Small Gift And Sat Beside Her As She Opened It. I Told Her It Wasn't Much. She Looked Up At Me With Tears Rolling Down Her Face. It Was A Small Bottle Of Perfume, But For Her It Was The Best Gift Ever. That Day Is Etched In My Memory For Ever.
So Why Did I Choose Two Different People For My Christmas Blog? Both Of These Wonderful Women Made An Impact On My Life. Unforgettable Memories I Hold Close To My Heart. They Are Responsible For The Person I Am Today. I'm Not Sure Who I Would Be Today Without These Influential Ladies Of My Past.
My Memory Of Them Will Always Remind Me Of Who I Am And What Christmas Is All About.

Euchre Triple Crown

I Really Don't Like Tooting My Own Horn But This May Be My Only Opportunity To Enjoy The Triple Crown In Euchre. I Play Euchre Three Times A Week. Sundays, Monday, & Wednesday. I Have To Take Euchre Seriously Because I Am Playing The Best In The Business. Yes We Keep Track Of Our Wins And Losses.
Yesterday I Had Realized I Was Fortunate To Come Out With The Most Wins In All Euchre Sessions For 2010. Of Course I Could Not Have Done It Without All My Skillful Partners.
Chris, Brian & Tuck Are Great Players Of The Game. We Were Paired Up With Opponents Of More Than 58 Years Of Euchre Playing Experience. I Was Raised To Play Your Best. If You Won You Knew You Deserved It.
Just A Short Example Of What I Mean By This. My Father Taught His Children How To Play Ping Pong. We Played Ping Pong A Lot. I Was 22 Years Old Before I Finally Beat My Dad. I Can Remember The Day As If It Were Yesterday. I Called Him Up At The Fire Station To See If He Wanted To Play Ping Pong. We Set Up The Time To Play. We Played A Few Games That Day. I Remember Winning Two Of Those Games.
My Reason For Remembering That Day Is Because I Knew I Really Earned My Win. I Knew He Played His Best. I Knew If I Won, I Earned It.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

I Can Remember Many Moons Ago When I First Heard That Song. I Can Also Remember My Mother Whistling Along. Of Course When I First Heard The Song I Still Believed In Santa. Why Would My Mother Like A Song Like This? That Was Very Disrespectful To My Father.
Years Later When Tuck Let The Cat Out Of The Bag That There Was No Santa, My Heart Was Crushed. I Can Remember Sitting In My Up Stair Window To See If I Could Catch A Glimpse Of Santa And His Sleigh. That Is When Tuck Broke The News.
After That The Song Never Bothered Me Because Now I Know Who Santa Really Is.

Sick......Sucks!

Last Saturday I Inherited A Cold From The Mrs. Apparently She Enjoys Sharing.
I Had To Cancel Three Euchre Sessions And One Bowling Event. Now That May Not Seem Much To Anyone Other Than A Fellow Euchre Player Or Bowler.
I Am On My Third Roll Of Toilet Paper. I Have Tried Three Different Cold Medicines.
I Am Feeling A Little Better Today But To Me That Doesn't Mean Anything. For Some Reason I Just Can't Seem To Shake This. It's Always A Head Cold With Me. A Runny Nose Is The Pits. I'm Almost Afraid To Blow My Nose Because I Get Nose Bleeds.
I Am Really Hoping I Feel Better Tomorrow Because Another Bowling Day Is Forthcoming. This League I Have Perfect Attendance For More Than Five Years. I Just Love Perfect Attendance. Anyway, Ti's The Season To Be Jolly, Fa, La,La, La, La, La, La, La, La...

Keith & Santa Tuck

This Photo Speaks For Itself. The Reason I Say This Is Because Keith And Tuck Are Constantly Picking On Each Other.
I Bowl With Keith On Thursday's, On The Old Folks League. Keith Is One Class Act.
This Is Santa Tuck On One Of His Missions. Tuck Has Played Santa For Quite A Few Years Now. Tuck Is Danville's Christmas Parade Santa. He Attends Private Christmas Parties And Appears At Downtown Danville's Christmas Functions. He Plans To Go To Champaign And Visit With Children Who May Be In The Hospital On Christmas Day. Santa Tuck Knows There Are People Who Don't Like Santa. For Some, Santa Distracts From The True Reason For The Season. Tuck, Being A Christian Man Represents Happiness And The Joy Of Giving.
These Pictures Represent Friendship For A Christmas Moment.

Attending School Back In The 60's Was Kind Of Cool. Actually The 60's Was A Cool Decade. A Lot Of History Was Crammed Into One Decade.
Ok, This Blog Has Nothing To Do With History. I Will Try That Another Time.
This Blog Is Yet Another About Weather. Why Is That? Weather Seems To Dominate Most Conversations When You Have Very Little To Contribute. I'm Always Coming Up With New Topics For My Blog.
Tonight As I Watch Television, Illinois Is Experiencing A Blizzard Outside. School Closings Are Coming Across The Bottom Of The Screen.
I Can Remember As A Child With My Fingers Crossed That District 118 Would Be Closed Due To Snow. All Of The Small Towns Around Us Are Closing With The Exception Of Danville. I Can Remember Growing Up Not Liking Mr Radcliff. He Was The Superintendent And The One Who Made The Decision If We Went To School Or Not.
Even Though I Lived Across The Street From The School I Often Thought About My Classmates Who Had To Walk A Long Distance. I Did Live A Good Distance From Our Junior High School And We Depended On A Bus To Get Us There And Back.
Snow Could Be Waist High Or Even Tits High In Most Cases Before They Closed Down Danville Schools, But Of Course We Were Shorter Then. If Only I Knew Where The Superintendent Lived, I Could Have Gotten Up Very Early And Shovel Snow Up To His Windows.
So As I Am Watching All These School Closing Danville Is Still Not Listed. We Are Experiencing Winds Around 40 MPH And Snow Is Blowing All Over The Place.
I'm Pretty Certain Schools In Danville Will Be Closed Tomorrow. Actually, Since I No Longer Attend School, I Could Care Less.

One Less Snowman

It's Not Even Winter Yet According To The Calendar. We Have Already Had A Large Snow Fall More Than A Week Ago.
It's Been Raining Most Part Of The Day Today. Temperatures At The Time Of This Writing Are Beginning To Fall. This Rain Will Be Turning Into Snow After Midnight Tonight. The States To The Northwest Of Us Are Experiencing What Is Predicted Here Tomorrow. The Last Storm We Received Was Predicted 2-3 Inches. The Amount Of Snow We Actually Received Was Twice That Amount.
To Be Honest About It I Really Don't Rely On Forecasters Anymore. They Are Not Accurate Whether It Be Winter Or Summer.
Tomorrow's Prediction Is 2-3 Inches Of Snow. Winds Anywhere From 30-50 MPH. Snow Plow Drivers Were Reporting White Out Conditions And Visibility Almost Zero.
It Appears Forecasters May Be Correct In Their Prediction Of About The Same For Danville Tomorrow. Blizzard Like Conditions.
It's Not Even Christmas Yet! As Stated I Don't Rely On Forecaster's Anymore. It Has Been Forecasted That This Part Of Illinois Will Be Experiencing Warmer Than Normal Temperatures With Above Normal Precipitation.
My Interpretation Of This Is Coat And Glove Dressing While Building Lots Of Snowmen.
So For The Record, Temperatures Have Been Bitterly Cold With A Months Amount Of Snowfall In Just A Matter Of Days Apart. So Actually The Forecasters Have Been Half Right. Now As We Await The Above Normal Temperatures, We Must Endure Chilling Weather With Lows In Single Digits. Highs Are Expected In The Low 20's For All Of Next Week.
I Think I Will Blog More About The Weather. A Good Friend Of Mine Is Blessed With Reading Entries In Diaries Of His Grandparents And Parents. They Made Reference To The Weather A lot. I'm A Little Envious Of This.
Even Though It's Not Even Winter Yet I Anticipate Lots Of Snow. That Being Said, The Highlight Of My Days Will Be Watching All The Snowmen Melt Away. Good Riddance.
I Hate Winter!
My Kind Of Blizzard....

Sometimes Bragging Can Bite You In The Butt. Yet On The Other Hand It Allows You To Feel Good About An Accomplishment.
As Most Of My Readers Are Aware I Have A Love For Bowling. Old News, Last April I Entered In My First Tournament. Three Games Were To Be Bowled At A Different Bowling Establishment Here In Danville On Saturday. The Conclusion(3 Games) Would Be In The House I Bowl Twice A Week. It Had Been A Couple Decades Since I Bowled In The First Establishment. I Finished Well That First Day Coming In First Place Going Into The Second Day Of The Tournament. Sunday Became A Very Big Disappointment When I Bowled Horrible. So Horrible I Didn't Even Cash. I Did However Stick Around To Congratulate The First And Second Place Winners Who Both Bowl In The Thursday League I Bowl In.
Last Month Both My Parents, My Brother And Myself Entered In A Seniors Tournament Being Held In Decatur Illinois. It Was A Two Day Event. The First Day We Bowled Singles. The Following Day We Bowled Doubles. My First Day Went Well For Me. Before Departing The Bowling Center I Checked The Most Current Standing That Was Posted. If My Figures Were Correct I Was In Second Place Overall In The State. Excitement Was An Understatement, Yet I Knew There Were More To Bowl And My Score Was Not Secure.
The Next Day Were Partners. Both My Parents Paired Up To Bowl Under Mixed Doubles. My Brother Tuck And I Paired Up To Bowl Under Men's Doubles.
Other Than Possibly Knowing The Results Of My Singles Placement, I Had No Clue What The Final Standing Were When It Came To Doubles. Today The Results Came In.
I Maintained My Position For Second Place In The State. Tuck And I Finished In Fourth Place In Men's Doubles While My Parents Finished In Second Place In Mixed Doubles. Our Bowling Paid Off That Weekend And It Will Be A Life Long Memory For Me.
Now, Remember My First Sentence Of This Blog? Sometimes Bragging Can Bite You In The Butt. This Past Week I Returned To That Establishment I Bowled So Well In That Tournament In April. It Was Open Bowling And A Friend Of Mine Had Been Wanting The Two Of Us To Get Together And Roll A Few Balls. Once Again I Bowled Up A Storm. I Had One Game I Had All Strikes In With The Exception Of One Frame. All The Other Games I Bowled Were Over 200. The First Thing I Did Was Call My Brother And Share My Excitement. I Then Called My Mother And Again Shared My Good Bowling With Her.
So The Page Turns And The Following Day Our Team Bowls. Now Keep In Mind My Brother And Mother Bowl On The Same Team. I Bowled A 158 Average That Day Which Is 11 Pins Below My League Average. My Horrible Bowling Cost My Team Two Points. I Anchor That Team Because They Can Depend On My Ability To Get The Job Done. This Is Not My First Failure Being Anchor. Of Course I have Some Success Stories But They Don't Stand Out As Well As My Failures.
So All In All I Have Decided From This Point On I Will Be Humbling In My Accomplishments. When I Do Well I Can Feel Good Inside, But I Will Keep It There.
I Have Found Once You Begin To Brag On Your Accomplishments You Must Live Up To Them. I Consider Myself An Average Bowler. If I Bowl Above Average I Can Be Happy For Myself But Bowl More And TALK LESS!
Everything Has It's Good And It's Bad. I Will Always Remember That.

Not Just A Buckeye

Years Ago I Was Once Told That If I Would Carry A Buckeye In My Left Pocket I Would Never Go Broke. I Thought What The Heck, What Do I Have To Lose?
So For Many Years I Carried A Buckeye In My Left Pocket. I Guess Since That Time I Never Actually Been Broke. However I Have Come Close To It On Many Occasions. It's Never Got Me Rich But Of Course That Was Never Promised.
With Christmas In The Air You Can't Help From Being Overwhelmed With Memories Of Years Past. This Brings Me Back To The Buckeye.
My Sister Brenda Who Passed Away On The 4Th Of July Was Well Known For Her Buckeye Candies. It Was A Chocolate Ball Filled With Peanut Butter. Being A Big Fan Of Both Ingredients, They Were The Greatest!
I Can't Bring Myself To Ever Eat Another Buckeye. In My Mind Her Buckeye's Are Heavenly, And No Other Could Ever Measure Up.
I No Longer Carry A Buckeye. Instead I Carry A Memory Stone In My Pocket. The Memory Stone Was Given To Me In Remembrance Of My Sister Brenda. I Won't Leave Home Without It.
Thank You Brenda For The Everlasting Christmas Memory I Will Hold Dear To My Heart.

I Realize It Has Not Been That Long Since I Wrote My Latest Blog. However I Am Concerned With My Readership. I Thought I Had Some Followers Because I Would Get A Comment Or Two Every Once In Awhile About A Topic I Had Written About. Not One Call, Not Even A Raised Eye Brow.
In My Latest Post Before This One I Wanted To Be Sure I Didn't Alarm Anyone To The Point They Would Come Knocking On My Door. I Did However Expect Someone, Anyone To Question The Validity Of The Blog.
Yes I Will Admit The Blog "Gonna Gump It" Was A Fraudulent Entry.
My Reason For Doing This Was Because Of The New Television Program "What Would You Do?" It's Apparent It Was Not A Success. Nobody Contacted Me. I Even Mentioned Something To The Mrs About What I Was Writing In Case Somebody Became Concerned And Contacted Her To Check If I Was Experiencing A Mid Life Crisis. Nothing.
The New Television Show Places Just Ordinary People Into Awkward Circumstances Just To See How They Would React To The Situation. My Gump Post Was As Close As I Could Get To See How People Would React To What I Had Written Without Giving It Away That It Was Actually Not Real. So In Reality, I'm Not Going Anywhere.
I Have Come To This Conclusion. I Have A Very Low Readership On My Blogs. People That Did Read It Was Not Concerned About What I Do With My Life.
In A Nutshell, I Will Continue To Write For Myself. This Particular Blog Was Written Because I Wanted To Know What You Would Do After Reading A Disturbing Entry On My Blog. I Even Put The Initials(WWYD) As A Tip, But Nobody Took The Bait. Did Anyone Care?
So Much For My Test. Now Back To Writing My Blogs About What I Want To Write About.
Have A Wonderful Day.

Gonna Gump It

As A Child Growing Up I Found Myself Starved For Adventure. I Was Seeking A Part Of Life On The Other Side Of The Rainbow. I Always Wanted To Know What Was There.
I Ran Away As A Young Child Because I Craved Adventure. It Wasn't Because I Was Unhappy With My Family.
There Have Been Days When I Would Day Dream Of Jumping On A Freight Train And Ride It For Miles. Wherever It Took Me Would Be Where I Ended Up.
I Have Reached A Moment In My Life Where I Want To Know What Life Is Like In Other Places. It Feels Like I Have Been Smothering Myself Not Knowing What Life Has To Offer Me. I Only Know What Life I Have Lived For The Past 55 Years. I'm Not So Sure I Want To Continue Down The Same Path.
What I Do Know Is I Intend To Make Some Changes In My Life. Every Day I Can Read It In The Newspaper Or Watch On Television Where People My Age Have Passed On And Maybe I Will Read About 3-4 Inch Obituary Of A Full Life Of Events Or Happenings. On The Flip Side You Have A Middle Aged Man Who Has Years Of Accomplishments And Are Living Life To The Fullest. Well Educated, Wealthy And Socially Accepted Pillar Of The Community.(WWYD)
I'm Lost And I Need To Find Myself. I Have Given This Much Thought And Have Come To A Decision. I Have Reached That Fork In The Road. This Fork Offers Me An Opportunity To Take A Different Road.
I Intend In The Beginning Of The New Year To Begin Walking. I Will Walk Until I Quit Walking. Maybe Someday I Will Find What I Have Been Searching For. If Not, I Will Be Able To Say I Took That Step. Sometimes People Fear The Unknown. Not Me.
With Not A Care In The World I Will Walk. Life Will Take Me Where I Am Suppose To Be. At This Point In Time I Have No Idea Where That Is.
I Promises At Least One More Blog Before I Walk. Don't Be Sad For Me. This Is A Time For You To Be Happy That I Have Found The Courage To Find Myself.
Some People Ignore Their Urge To Find Their Self Worth. I'm Content. Excitement For My Journey.

My Blogs Are My Blogs...

Apparently My Blog Followers Are A Much Larger Group Than I Realized. I Have Never Received A Negative Response To Any Of My Topics. I Believe The Reason For This Is Because I Try To Maintain A Positive Look At The Things I Blog About.
Let Me Make One Thing Perfectly Clear. If You Don't Read Your Name In My Blog It's Not That I Don't Love You. It's Not That I'm Not Thinking About You. It's Probably Because I Just Haven't Gotten Around To You Yet.
If You Go Through My Blogs You Will See Dates Trigger Topics Of My Blogs. If It's December 25th I Would Most Likely Write About A Memorable Christmas In Years Past.
If It's February 14th Most Likely I Would Write About A Valentines Day That I Expierenced One Day. If It's The Day Before Valentines Day I May Be Saying Happy Birthday To My Beautiful Grand Daughter.
This Blog Space Belongs To Me. I Write About Things That Are On My Mind At That Moment. If You Don't See Your Name Mentioned In My Blog Maybe That's A Good Thing. Well...Not Really, Because I Think Most Of My Readers Know I Try To Stay Upbeat In What I Write. It Would Be Considered Rare If You Read Something In My Blog That Would Be Chewing Somebody Out About Something. Maybe I Should Change My Ways And Start Griping About What's Going On In This World. Maybe One Of The Reasons I Don't Is Because If That's What You Are Looking For Then All You Have To Do Is Buy A Newspaper.
So In A Nutshell, If You Don't Like What I Blog About I Suggest You Not Read What I Write.
I'm Not Into The Gossip Stuff, So Most Likely You Won't Read Any Of That Here. I'm Sure There Are Blogs That Offer Back Yard Gossip. When You Finish Reading Mine I Would Like To See You Smile. Ok, I Am Finished.
Now You Can Smile....

Trip To The 60's

Hot Dr Pepper? I Knew It Was Popular, But Hot?
It Must Be An Age Thing, But The 1960's Were The Best Years Of My Life.
Recently A Friend Of Mine Sent Me Some Photo's I Did Not Even Know Existed. Now If You Are One Of Those People Who Squirms When Someone Get's The Old Photo Album Out To Show You Their Trip To Buskirk, This Blog May Not Be Too Interesting For You.

Since These Photo's Are Not Dated I Will Try To Guess This Photo Was Taken When I Was Either 11 Or 12 Years Old. So In 60's Terms That Would Make It Either 1966 Or 1967.

Now I Believe This Photo Was Taken In 1968 Or 69. From Left To Right Is Clyde Weaver, Tuck Miller, Yours Truly, And Lastly Robin Miller.

My Sister Channa. Must Think She's A Ballerina. I Bet This Is The First Time She Knew This Photo Existed.

Now This Is What A 60's Mom Looked Like. Yours Truly, My Mother Shirley Ann, But Friends Call Her Sam.

Ahh Ha! Me Again In Another Photo I Never Knew Existed.
I Love Old Photo's Of People I Know. The Only Photo's In This Era Of My Life Was When I Played Baseball. Now If I Am Wrong My Mother(Sam) Would Be The First To Tell Me.
I Think It's Called The Family Plan, But My Mother(Sam) Tried To Stay As Current As She Could With The Olan Mills Photo Studio. My Mother(Sam) Likes To Recall The Day Of Or The Day Before A Family Photo Was Booked. My Sister Channa Tried To Trim Her Bangs And They Ended Up Too Short. With Her Hand Covering Her Forehead She Asks Mom(Sam) How Long It Takes Hair To Grow. The Very Same Day I Decided To Get A Crew Cut. I Guess Just To Be Different. Yes I Know It Took Me A Few Years To Find My Place In Society. Hehe!!
Long Story Short. When Was The Last Time You Got Those Old Photo's Out? Corresponding With This Friend Who Was So Kind To Share These Photo's With Me, Agreed When I Told Him How Disappointing It Is When The Photographer Is Missing From The Photo's. People Need To Take More Interest When It Comes To Capturing Kodak Moments.

What Are You Waiting For? Go Fishing For Those Old Photo's And Reminisce From The Good Ol Days. For Me? It Was The 60's. For You?

Happy Thanksgiving

This Photo Came To Me Through A Friend. His Father Was An Amateur Photographer. He Has Been Going Through Negatives Of Photo's Taken Back In The 1960's.
I Chose This Photo To Be On My Thanksgiving Blog Because My Sister Who Passed Away In July Was Always Wishing The Ones She Loved A Happy Anything. Whether It's Your Birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving Or Whatever, You Were Almost Always Guaranteed A Call Wishing You The Very Best.
I Find It Difficult Wishing Someone A Happy Anything If They Lost Someone Special This Year. I Do Find Comfort In Knowing My Sister Brenda Is In A Place Where She No Longer Experiences Pain. For This Alone I Give Thanks.

Project S.W.A.N.

Friday November 26th(Black Friday) The Robin Hood Foundation Of Danville Will Be Conducting It's Second Annual Blanket Drive. This Years Location Will Be In K Mart Parking Lot.
We Encourage People To Donate New Or Gently Used Blankets To Be Distributed To Low Income Families In Danville.
We Feel Every Bed Should Have A Blanket. By Doing So Allows You To Lower Down The Thermostat At Night Saving You Money While You Sleep.
A Couple Weeks Back I Received A Telephone Call From A Teacher At Liberty Elementary.
She Asked Me For Permission To Copy The Flyer's I Had Printed Up By The Commercial News. She Wanted Her Children To Take Them Home To Their Parents.
I Was Delighted With Her Idea And Told Her Yes By All Means Have Them Copied. After Giving That Some More Thought I Decided To Call Her Back And Informed Her She Could Share This With Other Classrooms If She Desired.
This Year Being The Second I Had Learned A Few Things I Lacked As Far As Advertisement And Added A Little More This Year To Get The Word Out To The Community. I'm Sure Next Year I Will Add Even More Idea's That I Didn't Think Of This Year Or Last. Let's Get Beyond This One First.
In This Mornings Commercial News An Article Was Written About This Third Grade Class Who Created Three Blankets Together As A Group. Their Teacher Wanted To Involve Them In A Community Project That Would Benefit Others Who Are Less Fortunate.
Words Below Are Words From The Article In Today's Commercial News.

Liberty Elementary School students have spent the past week preparing a big, warm hug.

Two classrooms recently completed homemade blankets that will be donated to an area blanket drive and the whole school has collected more than 600 canned goods that will go into Thanksgiving baskets for needy residents.

“I wanted to help people be warm,” said third-grader Hailey Krynski. “People should have blankets when it gets cold outside.”

Teacher Susie Willard came up with the class project after learning about Friday’s blanket collection, which is called Project Swan — Stay Warm at Night Project and is hosted by the Robin Hood Foundation of Danville.
Collection organizers are asking for new or “gently used” blankets and will host a drop-off event beginning at 6 a.m. Friday in the Kmart parking lot, 2721 N. Vermilion St.

“In social studies, they’re learning about what makes a community,” Willard said. “I asked them and they wanted to volunteer their time to make something that could be enjoyed by others.”

The class enlisted the help of Nikki Boyer’s third-grade class and within a week the two had created two new blankets to donate.

“It’s very simple to make,” said Willard, “and they had a good time doing it. They were excited that they were able to make it themselves.”

The blankets are comprised of two pieces of material placed on top of one another. They are “stitched” together by students with cloth “ties.”

Fourth-grade teacher Cheri Duensing said the blanket project, and the collection effort, have been teaching opportunities as well.

“It teaches them about cooperation and it teaches them the importance of giving back,” she said. “It shows them, ‘Your world is bigger than just you,’ and that every little bit helps.”
Third-grader Alonzo Chavira said the Thanksgiving projects led him to think more about others’ needs.

“It’s sad that some people can’t afford a blanket or get out of their apartment to buy one,” he said. “I’m glad we helped them.

Ok, This Is Me Again. After Reading This Wonderful Article I Just Had To Respond To These Youngsters. Today Was The Last Day Of School Before Thanksgiving. I Called Susie Willard The Teacher I Initially Spoke With And Asked Her If I Could Thank The Children Personally. She Was Delighted With The Idea And Invited Me To Come Right After Lunch.
I Thanked Each Child For Their Participation In This Project. I Reminded Them That Every Bed Should Have A Blanket On It. Staying Warm At Night Can Save You Money By Turning The Heat Down While You Were Sleeping. I Reminded Them They Together Worked As A Group To Help Others Who Could Not Afford To Go Out And Buy Blankets For Their Bed.
Their Beautiful Smiles Warmed My Heart Today. I Left That School Today Knowing Our Future Will Be Ok As Long As We Have People In It Like Those Teachers and The Students At Liberty Elementary School.
Friday's Forecast Will Be A Cold One In Temperatures But In Spite Of It All The Cause And The Mission Is Worth It.
It Will Be An Event I Will Look Forward To Every Single Black Friday. Let It Be A Tradition Of Giving And Warmth And Love.

Chance Meetings

Call It Fate Or Chance Meetings. Whatever You Call It, It Became Responsible To Change The Course Of History. A Train Delay Could Be The Difference In Whether You Are Involved In That Horrible Collision A Mile Up The Road. You Missed That Flight Out Of Chicago And Have To Wait An Additional Four Hours For The Next Flight Out. Only To Find Out That Plane Had Crashed, Had You Been On Board.
Tune It To A More Positive Chance Meetings Or Fate. Most Of Us Would Not Be Who We Are If It Were Not For Fate.
I Have Mentioned It Before That My Father Had Met My Mother In A Restaurant He Ordinarily Did Not Patronize. I Met My Wife In Sunday School When We Were Only 12. Her Cousin Attended Our Church Every Sunday And She Invited Her Cousin That Special Sunday Giving Me That "Chance Meeting". Otherwise We May Have Never Met, Fell In Love And Have Children.
I'm Sure Many Of You Can Recall Many Fate Happenings In Your Lives. If It Weren't For This Or That, Things May Not Be As They Are Today.
Think About It....

I Hate Meeces To Pieces

Yep, It's Fall And Getting Cold Outside. The Little Critters Who Crave Warmth Are Searching For It. We Were Prepared For This So We Set Out De Con To Rid Ourselves Of Any Mice That Would Want To Enter Our Residence.
In Years Past We Got A Different Brand That Would Kill The Mouse But Would Dry Up The Mouse Which Would Eliminate The Smell Of The Decaying Varmant.
Why Is It When Mice Choose Their Final Resting Place They End Up In A Place You Cannot Find Them? You Can Smell Them But Can't Reach Them To Remove The Carcass. It Seems To Me The Refrigerator Is A Popular Location. Mrs Mac And I Tipped The Fridge Back So I Could Find It. No Luck. We Tipped It Forward With No Luck. We Managed To Vacuum It Thoroughly But Still Failed To Remove It.
Finally We Gave Up And Decided To Buy One Of Those Oder Fresheners To Cover Up The Smell.
From Now On I Think The Old Fashioned Contraption Called A Mouse Trap Will Be Best Suited For Us.

I Know Who Santa Is

Don't You Just Love This Photo?
Some Kids Melt Into The Lap Of Santa. Other's However Are Terrified By Just The Mere Sight Of The Man In The Red Suit.
Danville's Christmas Parade Is Approaching And My Brother Tuck Is The Santa. Being Santa Is A Tradition With Him. He Does Parties Where Parents Want Him To Make An Appearance For Their Children.
He Begins Growing His Beard Out In August Allowing It To Grow Long Enough For The Little Ones To Tug On To Make Sure It's For Real.
However, Not To Confuse Anyone About The Real Reason For The Season Of Christ Birth, Tuck Manages To Remind Those Who May Forget.
Santa, Mac Has Been A Very Good Boy This Year....Hint.?..

*Take As Directed*

Possible Side Effect: Side Effects That May Occur While Taking This Medicine Include Constipation; Gas; Headache: Increased Appetite; Nausea; Stomach Upset; Taste Changes; Or Vomiting. If They Continue Or Are Bothersome,Check With Your Doctor. CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY If You Experience Behavior Changes; Chest Pain;Fast, Slow, Or Irregular Heartbeat; Fainting; Hallucinations; Memory Loss; New Or Worsening Mental Or Mood Problems; Agitation; Aggression, Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Nervousness, Thoughts of Hurting Other People; Red, Swollen, Blistered, Or Peeling Skin; Seizures; Severe Or Persistent Nausea; Suicidal Thoughts Or Actions; Trouble Sleeping; Vision Changes: Or Vivid, Strange, Or Unusual Dreams. AN ALLERGIC REACTION To This Medicine Is Unlikely, But Seek Immediate Medical Attention If It Occurs. Symptoms Of An Allergic Reaction Include Rash, Hives,Itching, Difficulty Breathing; Tightness In The Chest; Swelling Of The Mouth, Face, Lips, Or Tongue; Unusual Hoarseness.
This Is Not A Complete List Of All Side Effects That May Occur.
If You Have Any Questions About Side Effects, Contact Your Health Care Provider. Call Your Doctor For Medical Advice About Side Effects.

Readers; This Is Only Half A Page Of Side Effects. The Other Half Gives A Little More Information But Alot Of The Same Is Repeated.
Digest What You Just Read. My Wife Was Given This Prescription Just A Few Days Ago. Even Thought The Side Effects Are Scary She Intends To Begin Taking It Soon.
This Drug Is Called Chantix. Billie Is Attempting To Quit Smoking. This Has Helped Others Quit Smoking.
As You Can Tell This Risk May Out Weigh The Benefit. However If The Benefit Is Achieved Once And For All She Has Accomplished What She Has Attempted So Many Times Before.
I Wish Her The Best Of Luck Because I Would Like To Keep Her Around A Little More Longer. Besides I Really Believe She Would Enjoy A Life Without Smoke Filled Rooms.
Addiction Is Tough To Kick. My Hat Is Off To Anyone Who Can Quit Smoking.


If you are angry that so many things have been added to the cigarettes you enjoy so much, you should be. Many of these chemicals were added to make you better able to tolerate toxic amounts of cigarette smoke. They were added without regard to your health and with the intent to keep you addicted. As the tobacco industry saying goes, "An addicted customer is a customer for life, no matter how short that life is."

Make sure that you have the last laugh. Regardless of the countless chemicals in your cigarettes, quitting is always your option.

Perhaps this list of ingredients that are found in cigarettes is enough to make you want to quit smoking for good!

There are more than 4,000 ingredients in a cigarette other than tobacco. Common additives include yeast, wine, caffeine, beeswax and chocolate. Here are some other ingredients:

Ammonia: Household cleaner
Angelica root extract: Known to cause cancer in animals
Arsenic: Used in rat poisons
Benzene: Used in making dyes, synthetic rubber
Butane: Gas; used in lighter fluid
Carbon monoxide: Poisonous gas
Cadmium: Used in batteries
Cyanide: Deadly poison
DDT: A banned insecticide
Ethyl Furoate: Causes liver damage in animals
Lead: Poisonous in high doses
Formaldehiyde: Used to preserve dead specimens
Methoprene: Insecticide
Megastigmatrienone: Chemical naturally found in grapefruit juice
Maltitol: Sweetener for diabetics
Napthalene: Ingredient in mothballs
Methyl isocyanate: Its accidental release killed 2000 people in Bhopal, India in 1984
Polonium: Cancer-causing radioactive element.

Happy Vetinary Day !

Nanny( Mrs Mac) Told Our Grandson It Was 9:00 And Time To Take A Shower For School Tomorrow. He Said There Is No School Tomorrow Because Of Vetinary's Day.
Ofcourse We Shared Our Laughs And Immediatly Thought That Kids Can Say The Darndest Things.
In All Seriousness, Thank A Vet Tomorrow For Serving In The Military. If It Were Not For The Veteran's We Would Not Have The Freedoms We Have Today.
Happy Veteran's Day!

Leave Your Legacy Behind

In Our Everyday Walk Of Life We See People As We See Them. I Guess Maybe I Should Explain That Statement So You Can Understand The Direction This Blog Is Taking You.
Ok, Let's Take Miss McDuffey For Example. Her Legacy To Me Was She Was A Teacher Who Treated Her Pupils To A Picnic At The Conclusion Of That School Year. To Me That Was Her Legacy. To Her I Would Imagine She Would Want Something Other Than A Picnic For People To Remember Her For. She Boasted Of How Many Years She Had Taught At Franklin Grade School. She Even Claimed To Have Taught Dick Van Dyke As A Youngster Attending Franklin. For Example She Was Known For Sprinkling Salt On Your Tongue If You Had The Hiccups. At The Conclusion Of That School Year We As A Class Reflected On Events Of That Year. I Boasted Not Once Was I Doused With Salt That Year. Guess What? Yep You Guessed It. She Ordered Me Up To The Front Of The Class So Her Mission Was Complete That Year.
I Just Used Miss McDuffey As An Example. I Have Others. How About That Snot Nosed Kid Brother Of One Of Your Friends Growing Up? How About That Shortstop Who Played On Black Hardware "A" League In 1967?
Just A Couple Of My Own Examples Of The Impression Or Legacy We Leave Behind. Unfortunately We May Always Be Considered The Paperboy Who Delivered On Franklin Street.
Even Though Most Of Us Consider Ourselves Ordinary Average People, I'm Sure There Is A Little Bit In Us Who Want To Be Remembered For Something Positive. Whether It Be An Accomplishment Of Some Sort Or A Donation Given For A Good Cause.
On The Other Side Of The Coin However, Men Like Jesse James, Al Capone Left Their Legacy As Robbers And Thugs. We Will Never Know The Good Side Of Either Of Them. I'm Sure They Had A Good Side Sometime Throughout Their Life But Chose The Road Of Crime To Be Remembered For.
So If You Died Tonight, What Would Be Your Legacy? Will They Say You Were A Nice Guy Who Enjoyed Life By Telling Jokes? How About Being A Good Bowler? The Best Fisherman In Vermilion County. The Man Who Rode His Bicycle With A Milk Crate Attached To It.
After My Departure I Would Hope I Would Be Known For The Good Things I Did With My Life. As Most Of My Readers Know I Was Given A Second Chance At Life. God Granted Me A Longer Stay For A Reason. It's Up To Him How Best I Serve Him For My Remaining Years On Earth.
I Expect To Pass Through Life But Once.
If, Therefore, There Be Any Kindness I Can Show,
Or Any Good Thing I Can Do For Any Fellow Being,
Let Me Do It Now... As I Shall Not Pass This Way Again.
So, What Will Your Legacy Be?

PS. Just Read This On Facebook. Since It Relates To My Blog I Will Include It As Written. Care To Guess What Mr Unger's Legacy Is?

November 5, 2010; John Unger
Story about my father. He was the prosecutor in my home town - Danville. A Young man robbed the IGA, stealing a ham, bread and milk two days before Thanksgiving. Police called dad and wanted to know what to do with him. Turned out he had lost his job, was married and had four kids. Dad put him on work detail at the jail, invited him to dinner Thanksgiving with us and then dismissed the charges. Dad's justice.

I Baptize You In The Name Of The Father, The Son, And WARMER TEMPERATURES!

During Our Weekly Euchre Lesson Today I Learned Yet Another Tidbit Of Information About The Grandfather I Had Never Met. As Mentioned In A Previous Blog My Father's Father Passed Away Before I Was Born. I Asked My Father To Someday Sit Down And Write About The Grandfather I Never Had The Pleasure To Meet.
I Had Mentioned To My Brother Tuck Today That Maybe He Could Mention To His Pastor That The River That Runs Through Ellsworth Park Would Be An Ideal Place To Perform Baptism. This Is When My Father Spoke Up And Said His Dad Baptized Even In The Winter Months.
They Would Actually Break Into The Ice And Clear Enough Of It Away To Baptize In The Winter Months. For Those Who Love The Lord And Don't Want To Wait Till Spring Rev Miller Would Baptize You.
As For Me, I Would Have A Very Long Prayer Session With God. I'm Sure("May")He Would Understand.

He's Been Here A Year

One Year Ago Today My Brother Tuck Arrived Back In Danville After 25 Year Plus In Southern California. Bringing Back With Him His Wife Evelyn And Their Boston Barney.
It Really Doesn't Seem Like It Has Been A Year But The Calendar Does Not Lie. I Must Say It's Great To Have Him Back After All These Years.
Most Who Know Him Know He Has Been Battling Weight For Many Years. Since Moving Back He Joined TOPS. Take Off Pounds Sensibly. I Believe He Has Lost Close To 40 Pounds Since The First Of The Year. I Am Very Proud Of Him. He Knows The Extra Baggage Is Not Healthy For His Heart. Has Has Had A Heart Attack A Few Years Back. I Am Happy Too See Him Making An Attempt To Live A Healthy Life. You May See Him Strolling Through Town Taking Pictures Or Listening To His IPod.
I Enjoy Bowling And Playing Euchre With Him. My Mission Is To Make Him The Second Best Euchre Player In The World. Hehehe...
Welcome Home Tuck. Danville Missed You!

Body & Soul

A Community That Cares. Those Words Describe What The People Of Danville Illinois Feel For Their Fellow Man. We Have So Many Families Who Are Living In Poverty. It's Always A Good Thing To Watch God's Plan Become Action.
Tonight Was A Premiere Of Good Things To Come.
Body & Soul Is A Meal Served By Those Who Care. Sponsored By First Assembly Of God Church, Reaching Out To Show The Community Their Pledge Of A Monthly Mission To Help Ease Hunger. I Wanted To Participate. I Wanted To Roll Up My Sleeves And Do Whatever Is Asked Of Me. I Met Alot Of People With The Same Thought In Mind. That Gave Me Comfort Because I Knew Then This Would Be The Start Of Many Good Things To Come.
As The Old Saying Goes, Build It, They Will Come. Once The Word Gets Out, This Crusade Will Be A Mission Accomplished.
I Offered My Assistance For Future Meals Or Anything That Can Help With Any Poverty Related Projects. Even Though I Don't Believe My Services Will Be Needed. That's A Good Thing. It Gives Me Comfort To Know We Have Community Leaders Who Loves Their Neighbor.
I Was Given The Opportunity To Plug Our Upcoming Blanket Drive. You Can't Have Too Many Projects That Help The Poor.
Thank You First Assembly! You Are A True Example Of God's Love.

I Love To Bowl

I Am Presently Having The Time Of My Life. I Bowl On Two Different Leagues. If I Could Afford More Leagues I Would Bowl More. I'm Serious!
My Brother Bowls Along Side Me On Both Leagues. Right Now We Are Tied For First On Our Tuesday Night League. We Are Only One Half Game Out Of First Place On Our Thursday Afternoon League.
I Love The Competition Bowling Has To Offer For A Middle Aged Person Like Myself. I Would Most Likely Enjoy The Game Of Golf If My Schedule Would Allow It. My Summer Gig Pretty Much Takes Every Day Of My Week. My Evenings Can Be Exchanged For Indoor Play Such As Bowling. It's Also A Sport I Can Compete In For Many Years To Come. My Ultimate Goal Is To Bowl A 300 Game.
In The Meantime I Will Continue To Bowl With Not Only My Brother But My Father And Mother As Well. How Many People Can Brag About That Accomplishment? Being This Bowling League Is For Senior Citizens.
I'm Thrilled To Have Things In Common With My Parents And Siblings. We Also Play Euchre A Couple Times A Week. I Know Someday I Will Be Looking Back At These Moments In Time Wishing It Will Last Forever. Sadly To Know It Won't. Enjoy Each Day As If It Will Be Your Last Together. It May Be.

10-10-10

Yep, That's Today's Date, October 10th 2010. I Guess That Would Be A Memorable Day To Be Born On. Not A Bad Date To Go Out On As Well. It's An Easy Number To Remember.
Numbers Are Kind Of Cool Once You See Them In A Meaningful Perspective.
Take 666 For Example. Of Course It's Considered A Wicked Number In The Bible. Not Only That, My Brother Had A Heart Attack On That Date. June 6th 2006 Was A Date All His Family Here In Danville Prayed For His Well Being. Our Prayers Were Answered.
I Was Mad At My Mother For Years Because She Gave Birth To Me Two Weeks Before A Memorable Date Of 5-5-55. Instead I Was Born On 4-21-55. Now Which Date Is The Easiest To Remember?
My Son Was Born On 7-13-81. My Childhood Address And His Was 713. Yesterday's Newspaper Had An Article About A Boy Who Would Be Turning 10 Today.
So It Was Fives For Me But It Would Have Been Three's For My Father. Had My Grandmother Waited Two Additional Months He Would Have Been Born On 3-3-33.
I Guess If I Sat Back And Gave This More Thought I Would Most Likely Contribute More Useless Information.
I'm Sorry Folks, I Just Could Not Let This Day Pass Without Recognizing It In Some Way.

"October" What A Funny Month

I Have Often Referred To October As Being A Funny Month. Much Of The Same Can Be Said About April. Today's Temperatures Reached The Upper 80's. Tomorrow Is Predicted To Be A Carbon Copy Of Today's Weather.
I Must Say I Wish For This Weather To Continue. Of Course The Fall Leaves Are Nice To Look At With All Their Beautiful Color. My Reason For Not Liking The Fall Season Is Because Of The Season That Follows. Anybody Who Knows Me Is Quite Aware How I Feel About Winter.
I Guess I should Look At It As Being A Three Month Long Season And Enjoy The Season We Are Presently In. The Harvest Of The Crops As Well As Annual Festivals Give Us Reason To Celebrate One Season At A Time. The Morning Chilly Temperatures Remind Us That We Begin A New Season. The Birds Are Migrating And The Leaves Begin To Fall To The Ground.
What Would Fall Be Like Without A Pumpkin? As My Sister In law Would Say It, The Tree's Will Soon Be Naked, Huh?
Not Looking Forward To Smelling The Odor Of Burning Leaves. To Me The Smell Is Annoying. Anyway, Fall Is Here Whether The Temperatures Reflect It Or Not. It's All A Regional Thing Anyway. It's Warm All Year Long In Places Other Than Illinois. I'm Not Really A Traditionalist When It Comes To What It's Suppose To Be, Weather Or Otherwise.
There Have Been Years I Have Cut My Season Short Due To Colder Temps In The Month Of October. I Have Seen It Snow In October.
For Now I Think I Will Just Soak In The Nice Weather And Hope It Sticks Around For Weeks To Come. Wouldn't That Be Nice?

Second Annual Blanket Drive

This Past Week My Son Bobby And I Taped A Segment On Spotlight 15 For Our Upcoming Blanket Drive In November.
Being The Director Of The Robin Hood Foundation Of Danville I Decided The Best Day To Conduct This Project Would Be On The Busiest Shopping Day Of The Year. Better Known As Black Friday. The Day After Thanksgiving.
It's The Little Things That Make The Biggest Difference In Saving Money. Simply By Placing A Blanket On A Bed At Night Will Allow You To Lower Your Thermostat. Paying Less Money To Your Energy Provider Will Keep A Little Extra In Your Wallet.
Last Year We Conducted Our Drive In The Wal Mart Parking Lot. We Did Ok But We Could Have Done Better. This Year We Have A Much Better Location And It Is Our Hopes To Double The Amount We Took In Last Year.
No Matter How Well We Do, We Know There Will Be Money Saved For Somebody By Placing One Blanket On A Bed At Night.
To Donate, Just Contact Me. Bless You.