Columnists

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

Two days and it’s all over. Another political season will have come and gone. And not a day too soon for me, and I’m sure, not a day too soon for you too. Indiana airways have been somewhat blessed by not being overwhelmed with the political carp of “Let’s kill the other guy”, but that’s not the case in some of the states. For those people, I feel sorry. However you may think about the election, Come Tuesday, if ya don’t vote, then don’t bitch ‘bout the outcome. I’m glad the long campaign is over. But I’ll for sure to vote just in case I need to ……..

As I promised many of you some time back that I’d retell the story about the time I ran for the President of the Student Body at the Tip Top Elementary School. That time has now come. This story was first told on November 2, 2008. Just days before Obama was elected President of these United States. It was Hope and Change that got him there:

Sure hope everyone is ready to vote. I’m almost. One way or the other we will give ourselves a new president. I remember the time I ran for president. It was the third grade, Tip Top Elementary School System, Tip Top, KY. Tip Top was a company town way up in the mountains of southeastern KY. Springtime was in the mountains and the Red Buds were in bloom. Such pretty hills up there at Tip Top, at the top of the mountains.

The educational facilities at Tip Top in 1953 were somewhat more sparse than what we are accustom to seeing now days in public education. The Federal Government was not involved in the local decision making process of education. It was a two room building, grades 1 – 7 in the larger room, grade 8 in the other room. A single source heating system, pot belly stoves, they were. Two rooms, two stoves. Air Conditioning System, windows that sled up and down, if the wind blew your way, got cooled off ya did, if it didn’t, ya didn’t. Plumbing was outside, both sanitation and water(outhouse and well). Federal Financial Assistance was $00.00. It was Company Town, Company School, Company Funded. It was the springtime in the mountains, right near the end of the current school year, and Magoffin County was awash in a hotly contested primary election, it was from that background that I stepped into the political arena.

The teacher, Miss Higgins, thought it a good idea to get us little Kentucky Kids become involved in politics early, after all, our parents were shooting each other left and right over political differences and both sides were buying votes at every possible opportunity. She explained that it would prepare us to take our places in society in the future if we understood how politics really worked. Miss Higgins said she would select two candidates and they would campaign for the votes of the students and after the campaigning was all done we would vote. Then there would be a president of the student body for next school year.

Now when the teacher said she would select the candidates, we all knew she would select Tucker Bailey, cause Tucker Bailey was the teacher’s pet. When ya go to a school with two rooms and a total enrollment of 22 students and 1 teacher, it don’t ya take long to figure out who’s the teacher’s pet. Later in life I could never quite figure out the fact that Tucker Bailey’s Dad owned the coal mine and the whole town plus he hired Miss Higgins, if that had anything with Tucker Bailey getting to be the teacher’s pet, or she if just liked him better than me. I could never figure it out for sure.

Miss Higgins said we needed candidates who could be president of the student body the next school year, a person with leadership qualities, a person who we all could admire, (at the time I didn’t know what that admire word even meant) a person who could get all us students working for the common good of the Tip Top Community.

The teacher pointed out that the newly elected president would not take office until next school year so that meant the current eight graders could not qualify for office, but they would get to vote. Just like everybody in that school house knew she would, Miss Higgins said “My first candidate from the fifth grade is Tucker Bailey”. We were all about as surprised as when the sun came over the mountain that morning. It was Miss Higgins’s next statement that changed my life forever when she said “and running against Tucker is from the third grade Bobby Ray Howard”.

Well I damn near fell off my seat, twice. Having no political experience and a great deal of resentment for Tucker Bailey, he had the nicest house in Tip Top, his yard had grass, his house was painted, he had shoes year round, he wore church paints to school, he didn’t have to carry water, he had his own dog, while I had to share my dog with seven cousins, and the list went on and on. I was just pain jealous of Tucker Bailey. I thought he had all the things that made people rich. He had all the stuff I didn’t have and I wanted all of ‘um.

Miss Higgins told me and Tucker Bailey that the next day we were to give a speech to the whole school and then we would vote for the best one. I was so afraid I didn’t want to go to school the next day but I did, ‘cause that morning my Mama said “BobbyRay you’re not sick, you go on to school today”.

Tucker Bailey came to school that morning wearing a new white shirt and a neck tie, yah, a neck tie, I’m tellin’ ya, Tucker Bailey wore a neck tie to school. I wore the same overalls from yesterday. Tucker Bailey wore shoes,,, shoes, Tucker Bailey was the only person besides Miss Higgins wearing shoes in that schoolhouse that day.

Tucker Bailey spoke first, he said what a great privilege it was going to be to be president of the school. He talked about making us all better citizens of Magoffin County. Tucker Bailey laid out his plan to organize next year’s 7th and 8th graders to remove all the rocks from the playground so the little kids would not get hurt from falling on the rocks. (we go more hurt from throwing than falling) Seeing if he could get his dad to paint the school building which would allow us to take more pride in our school ( I think Tucker Bailey’s mother must’ve wrote that little speech, cause he’s wasn’t that smart to use a big word like privilege) When he finished Miss Higgins lead the applause and congratulated Tucker Bailey on such a fine campaign speech.

Miss Higgins then turned to me and with a somewhat snicker said “Now Bobby Ray are you ready?” Boy was I ever not ready. Somehow I just never thought I’d really have to do this thing. With no thought in my mind what so ever I walked to the front of the room, I turned to face the electorate and said “If you’ll vote for me I’ll give you a RC Cola and a Moon Pie”

The school went wild. Everyone jumped to their feet clapping and yelling and stomping the floor. Miss Higgins had to ring the bell to get the school back under control. With fire in her eyes and I would swear a split tongue of the devil, Miss Higgins looked into the very depths of my soul and said “Bobby Ray how you going to pay for those RC Colas and Moon Pies?” I said “I don’t know” She said “Bobby Ray where you going to get those RC Colas and Moon Pies?” I said “I don’t know”

Then with her best smile for the teacher’s little pet she said “ Tucker, honey you get to speak again”. I looked at Tucker Bailey and for the first time in my life felt sorry for him, he was about to cry and said “I don’t want to talk no more” Miss Higgins then asked me if I wanted to say anything else.

For the second time in my campaign I stood before the voters and said “If you’ll vote for me I’ll give you a RC Cola and a Moon Pie”. This time the bell ringing didn’t work for three full minutes. After Miss Higgins gained control of the school once again, we voted.

Two girls from the 8th grade counted the votes. Final Vote: Tucker Bailey 1, Bobby Ray 21

I voted for Tucker Bailey that day. He voted for me, not because he wanted to but afraid he’d be the only one voting for Tucker Bailey. I looked that little boy in the eye that day and saw superciliousness turn to fear. At that point Tucker Bailey needed a friend more than anybody in the schoolhouse. I was the closest one to him so it was just my job. I became his friend right then and there. I was to take office the start of the new school year in September.

My family and I moved to Indiana that summer, 1953. Come September I started school in the North Judson Elementary School System, not as the president, just as a 4th grader with political experience.

I never delivered on my campaign promise of RC Colas and Moon Pies to the Tip Top School System. I wonder if they remembered. I bet Tucker Bailey did.

As I set in the East Wing still trying to make a decision on how to vote this 2008 presidential election, I have this empty feeling that I’ve been offered a RC Cola and a Moon Pie as Hope and Change.

It’s now been four years since I first told the Tip top Presidential Election Campaign story. I’m once again setting in the EastWing, this Sunday evening, two days before the presidential election. An RC Cola and a Moon Pie are once again being offered.

Just today I read an interesting article about Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, he had no military experience whatsoever before his daddy made him a four-star general in the military. This is a snot-nose twerp who has never accomplished anything in his life that would even come close to military leadership. He hasn’t even so much as led a Cub Scout troop, coached a sports team or commanded a military platoon. So guess what, they make him the “Beloved Leader” of the country. Shewwww.

Oh, crap! I’m sorry. I just remembered that we did kinda the same thing here in our country . We took an arrogant community organizer who has never worn a uniform and made him Commander-in-Chief. A guy who has never had a real job, worked from a budget, or led anything more important than an ACORN demonstration, and made him Commander-In-Chief. Oh Shewwww, I’m sorry I brought this up. Never mind.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From The EastWing, Election Time At Last, Retelling The Tip Top Presidential Campaign, Another Round With RC Cola And A Moon Pie, Commanders-In-Chiefs & Community Organizers.

I Wish You Well,

BobbyRay

Bookmark It

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

I love a rainy day. I’ve always loved a rainy day. Now I don’t care for a bunch of ‘em strung together, but when they come every once in a while, I love a rainy day. October 13, 2012 was just such a rainy day. Just cool enough to require more clothes than a t-shirt and shorts that Saturday rainy day morning, but not cold enough for “long handles” I love a rainy day.

A day when the EastWing Pets think twice before venturing outside. Mr. Bentley, even though he’s the Pit Bull in charge of Home Land Security, tiptoes into the rainy day, pees and returns to the friendly confines of the EastWing to receive his Drying Off Towel. Bentley too loves the Rainy Day, and most importantly, the Rainy Day Drying Off Towel. The Gray Lady, well, the Gray Lady takes one look outside and says “I’ll go pee later” The wisdom of the old bird dog, not to challenge the early morning rain. She too loves the Rainy Day.

Both Sophia, The Calico Conservative Republican Cat, as well as Spike, The-Man-Cat, choose to avail themselves of the feline indoor plumbing system that Rainy Day Morning. I love a Rainy Day, an October Rainy Day, when the sun never shines for the whole day. It just gets daylight, but never sunshine, and then it again gets dark. Just cold enough to let ya know it’s really no longer the summer time. Just cold enough to make ya not really want to be outside unless you’re at a football game in the rain. And then ya wonder if you’re dumb for being at a football game in the rain.

With only one appointment at Robert Howard Co. for the Rainy Day Saturday Morning, the prospect of being in the EastWing before kickoff was high. One appointment turned into two, and then two into three when I made the first mistake and answered the telephone in person rather than letting the automatic answering service take the call.

Now I’m just joking ‘bout that answering stuff, ‘cause when I’m in my office, there’s only one reason I don’t pick up the telephone. I’m talking to somebody in person. Not being able to hear on the telephone without it being on “speaker” I only pick up when I’m not engaged in conversation. When I’m not, I answer. I always do. All my clients know, that when it’s my normal business hours and I don’t say hello, I’m talking to somebody and I’ll call ‘em back.

Of all the years I’ve been in business, and Lord knows it been a while, there has never been one time in which I’ve interrupted a conversation in my office when the telephone rang and I said “just a second, I gotta get the phone.” I’ve never received an unknown phone call more important than the conversation that the ringing telephone interrupted.

On the way home from the office I stopped at the local Dollar General Store. Why of course I shop at the local Dollar General Store, just like you do. All my cat food, all my dog food, all my Q-tips, and whatever else the She tells me to buy at that store, including such diverse items as self-rising flour and salsa. Yeah, guess ya can say I’m a big Dollar General customer.

Q-Tips? Well it has to do with not being able to hear without assistance. Without my hearing aids, I’m deaf. So Q-Tips come into play. Every day after my shower, I dry the inside of my ears with Q-Tips. It’s a 2 Q-Tips a day at the EastWing to start every day, and then I can hear the world as it goes by my ears. Me and Q-Tips, we’re buds for life when it comes to hearing and drying inside my ears.

It was right there between the Dollar General Store and the CVS Pharmacy where the girls from the Baptist Church Ladies Society sat with a Saturday Morning Bake Sale. Under the awning they were, yet still outside on a rainy day. I’d never seen a more sad bunch of ladies at a bake sale in my life. They needed relief from the misery of a rainy day bake sale.

I walked up and bought everything they had for sale. I’m sure, I made friends for life. To make friends was not the reason, it was simply because those ladies, they just needed help on a Rainy Day Saturday Morning coming down. I love the things ya do on a Rainy Day and then ya get to go home and watch Notre Dame play football. I love a Rainy Day, And so it was, that October 13th 2012, by the time it was ready for the kickoff at Notre Dame, I was home in my warm and dry EastWing, still loving that Rainy Day.

I don’t know ‘bout you, but I for one, am glad the debates and the this election cycle is drawing to an end. I’d rater tell stories of wooly worms, stargazing, and mushroom hunting than politics. But politics continues dominate the news, and everywhere I look for inspiration of original thought, I see politics dominating the landscape, the roadways, the airways, TV screens, and the internet. Much of such politics slanted with a liberal flavor.

I say politics slanted with a liberal flavor, not from the position of a liberal or conservative, but from a position of fact, from direct observation. And example being, when the president’s wife appeared on the TV talk show “The View” she was asked if the president is a good lover. She was asked does she ever have a chance to fix the president a late night snack.

When the other candidate’s wife appeared on “The View” she was asked to defend her husband’s position on right to life in relationship to his belief in the Mormon Faith, and how those topics impacted his decision making process when he was an elected official. I don’t care who ya are, if you don’t think that’s not a slanted liberal point of view, you may want to rethink reality in your own life, and the way you deal with people on an everyday basis.

Of all the bizarre things to become involved in a political campaign, Big Bird. Can you believe that, Big Bird. Yep, the republican guy said he would not borrow money from places like China to provide funding for PBS, and then Big Bird is introduced into the campaign by the democrat guy.

Yes, Big Bird was used in a political ad by the Obama Campaign. Bad mouthing the Romney Camp he was. Big Bird was bad mouthing, for suggesting to defund PBS if that funding had to be done by borrowing money by the Federal Government.

It’s important to know a few additional facts ‘bout Big Bird. Seems the copy right to Big Bird is a part of the Sesame Street Project. By their own tax filings for 2011, Sesame Street, has a net worth of over $400,000,000.00, that’s 400 million, and that’s a lot. The Federal Government provides Six Million Dollars to the Sesame Street Project. That’s about 0.4% of the total net worth of the Sesame Street Project. It’s estimated that the Big Bird merchandise sales is over a billion dollars worldwide. That’s a million dollars, a thousand times, and that’s a lot more.

With that amount of sales, do you really think the Federal Government should borrow these dollars and donate it to Big Bird? Another way to look at the government involvement with Big Bird is, all the Big Bird sales profits are tax exempt. It appears Big Bird is not paying his fair share as the President wants us all to do. Damn Big Bird, for not paying his fair share. Big Bird is not using a level playing field, he’s un-patriotic, he’s un-American.

Sophia laughs out loud on the back of my chair, she whispered into my ear, “Big Bird’s just came out of the closet, he’s a Big Yellow Republican Bird. Not paying his fair share and all.” Damn Republican Cat, picking on poor ole Big Bird.

Now, are you ready for this, most all the Big Bird Merchandise sold worldwide is made in China. Most all the money the USA puts into PBS, aka, Big Bird is borrowed money from, yap, ya got that right, China. Now do ya wanta guess who makes out the most from Big Bird. It’s for sure not Burt & Ernie, or even Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy, or even the Cookie Monster, no way, its China hands down. When you look at the facts of a political campaign statement, sometimes, just sometimes, it presents a different picture than the one painted by an opposing campaign.

A most interesting thing in this whole Big Bird story is the demand by the Sesame Street people to withdraw the Big Bird political ad by the Obama Campaign. In a statement issued that same day the Obama Campaign ran the Big Bird ad, the official statement by the Sesame Street camp says they are apolitical and did not authorize the Obama Campaign to use Big Bird in their political ads.

Then within a week after Big Bird was used without Sesame Street permission, the NBC Nightly News has Big Bird planning to engage in a political march in Washington DC in support of not cutting funding for Sesame Street. Think about that for a second, that may not be most astute thing to do from a political point of view. If Big Bird marches for the Obama cause after the official statement by the Sesame Street people saying they are an apolitical organization, and now Big Bird marches for one of the political contestants.

Should that bird march, and the Romney / Ryan Ticket win the election, well, at that point, then Big Bird may just as well bend over and kiss his big yellow ass goodbye.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the EastWing, Lovin’ A Rainy Day, Buying A Bake Sale, Notre Dame In The Rain, Romney & PBS, Marching Big Birds & Kissing Yellow Asses.

I Wish You Well,

Bobby

Bookmark It

Ashley Haugh

Ashley Haug is one of those rare individuals who always has a smile on her face. That feature serves her well as a Pediatric-Occupational Therapist at IU Health Starke Hospital. Much of the work she does is marked by minuscule degrees of improvement in her patients. But whatever the day brings Ashley still has that radiant smile.

Ashley works with children who have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Aspergers Syndrome, Genetic Disorders, and Autism. One of the children she has been working with recently put a nose on a shaving cream face that was placed on a flat surface. Ashley put the eyes, mouth, and ears on the face, and the little boy realized the nose was missing.

“That was amazing,” said Ashley, “he actually realized the nose wasn’t there.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark It

I received the following note from Marty Lucas the other day about a composer of music with connections to Starke County. He said, “Just learned a tidbit of Starke Co. history I’d never heard before. And it’s pretty cool, in my opinion…it requires some explanation, so bear with me..”.

You’re no doubt familiar with the American Songbook classic “Georgia On My Mind”. Everybody knows Ray Charles’ 1960 rendition, and probably lots of people assume he wrote the song. But no, the music was composed by Hoagy Carmichael (who also wrote Stardust, Buttermilk Sky, Heart and Soul, the list goes on), well suffice it to say he was one of America’s greatest songwriters of the first half of the 20th century.

Carmichael was a native of Bloomington, received his undergraduate degree from IU in 1925 and his law degree there too, in 1926. At a party in Bloomington in 1930, Carmichael came up with a melody, and then stayed up all night with his friend Stuart Gorrell, working on it.

Stuart ended up writing the lyrics for the song, which became ‘Georgia on My Mind’. Here’s the local connection. According to Wikipedia, Stuart Gorrell was born in Knox, Indiana, in 1901. [Ed Hasnerl says that Stuart's father, Samuel M. Gorrell was the publisher of North Judson and Knox newspapers. The Knox paper was later sold to Henry F. Schricker.] He (Stuart Gorrell) went on to become a banker and never wrote another song lyric.

Stuart said the lyric was about Hoagy’s sister, Georgia Carmichael. Nevertheless, it’s the Georgia state song.

Actually, the song was a mostly forgotten oldie when Ray Charles recorded it. I’ve heard his producer didn’t want to do some tired old song from 30 years earlier, but Ray Charles generally did what he wanted to do. And he did it well.”
________

Some of you may not have heard of the song writer, Leo Friedman. He was born in Elgin, Illinois in 1869 and died in Chicago in 1927. I would say that his and your age difference would be a reason for not knowing him. However, you might have heard of some of his songs. He is best remembered for composing and publishing the sentimental waltz, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”, with lyrics by Beth Slater Whitson in 1910. Another one of his popular compositions was “Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland.”

The local connection of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”, is where is was composed. It was composed on the east side of Bass Lake at the Center View Hotel, (see the attachment) which is now the home of Bill and Nancy Sonnemaker, and they are proud to tell the story about Leo Friedman.
_________

Another song writer that I am sure you haven’t heard about is Alice Prettyman Shilling. Prettyman Street in Knox is named after her father. She wrote the words to “Yellow River” with music by Leo Friedman. Yes, it is our Yellow River in Starke County. And yes, it is the same Leo Friedman. And yes, she was my great aunt. You can access this song by clicking on our website — http://www.scpl.lib.in.us/historical/yellow_river/yellow_river.pdf

If you know of other Starke County composers, let me know.

Jim Shilling
Starke County Historical Society

Bookmark It

Greeting to all and welcome to new friends to the EastWing.

The last rambling from the EastWing raised many an ire, and a very much larger “Here, Here” when it was read. For those who took offence, ya missed satire and irony of the whole sorry mess this country is experiencing right now. We just are, like it or not, we’ve had four years of stagnation and loss of growth in our country. Blame it on Bush, blame it on the lack of direction from Obama, I don’t care which you choose. The last four years just has not worked well for most of us. It just hasn’t, that’s for sure. If it’s worked well for you, either you’ve been damn lucky or maybe live in a cave.

I write one of the most fun stories I’ve ever done, get paid to write it to boot. Only the third time in my life I get paid to write and then send it out on the Sunday Night Pipeline and get 25 people who tell me “your rant and raving has turned me off to the EastWing forever. Take me off your mailing list.”And I do so. During that same day, continuing to read the email, I get 152 people who tell me “I’ve received your EastWing Stories for the first time, please put me on the mailing list for the future. I agree with what you’re saying, you state my thought so well”.

Both these groups missed the mark. The point is, I was hired to write a short article as blatantly far right as Chris Matthews is blatantly far left. And so I wrote. Those who asked me to write, well, those folks loved my work. At one point in our email exchanges, I was asked did the article which I had delivered for their publication display my political point of view. Told ‘em they’d have to pay extra for that information. They sent me back that little happy face smiling thing, but no extra money. I didn’t tell ‘em.

It’s hard to know which is more exciting, when ya cut the grass, the first time in the spring, or the last time in the fall. The first time brings all the summer ahead and all the fun of summer. The last time brings all the excitement of autumn and all the fun of winter to come.

Many things in my life bring such excitement. Every year for many years, I’ve looked forward to the start of the income tax filing season. Come somewhere ‘round the first of April, I look forward to the end of the income tax filing season. It’s almost like too much of a good thing.

Many times I’ve spoken of my excitement for the change of seasons. Such excitement has never diminished. If anything, as I get older, not much older, just a little older, the excitement grows. And so it does to this day. Last Thursday morning as I went off to work, I found a tree trimming crew from the local utility cutting all trees below the electric lines along 800 South. Stopped and had a visit with these fellers and requested they not cut down my Lilac Bushes across the road from my house. They assured me that my Lilac Bushes would be saved from the angry blades of their chain saws. And so they were.

I came home that same afternoon to a new view looking south from the EastWing. The Lilacs were there, but all other growth above the grass line had been removed. That, along with the removal last week of the giant pine tree that covered light of the front garden, it’s a new world when I look south from the EastWing. So now it’s much more than a change of season, it’s also a change of view from the south windows of the EastWing. And at night, now at night, the south gardens are bathed in the rays of the sodium vapor bulbs excited by electricity delivered uninterrupted, for the most part, by our friends at NIPSCO.

For the rest of the world that stands for Northern Indiana Public Service Company. NIPSCO, they sell electricity and natural gas. Those folks can only sell me electricity, but that’s another story as to why not gas from NIPSCO. The EastWing is forever doomed into the world of propane. And guess that’s why I’m such a fan of Hank Hill. After all, he sells propane and propane accessories.

One of those times of excitement that is much more difficult to identify is the first and last snow fall of the season. The first snow fall is easy to see. You either see the magic fall from the sky or wake up to a winter wonder land of white. Either way, that first snow, ya feel it in your bones, ya see it, the special feeling of something special happin’, ya just know it is. It’s that second part, the end part, that last snow fall that’s hard to see, and it’s hard to feel. Ya just don’t know for sure if what ya see is what ya’ve got. Ya think it is, but maybe not so. And so ya wonder if it is or not.

It’s that last snow fall of the season that makes you appreciate it well after its past. It’s when winter’s gone and springtime has truly come back to the valley that I realize, once again, I’ve missed the occasion of the last snow fall of the season, and I’ve welcomed spring with open arms. And once again, it’s springtime on my pillow that’s made me happy, it’s truly the springtime and for one more occasion in my life, that pretty little springtime friend of mine, that pretty little dandelion, has come back to the EastWing Gardens. Then the little yellow pops up in the grass. That along with the little girl birds, my humming birds of summer. I love the change of seasons. Even though I most always miss the last snow fall of the season, I love the last snow fall of the springtime, but almost always after it’s gone. The last snow fall melts fast in the springtime.

The first lighting bugs of summer, well, that’s also a fun thing, not as exciting as the hummingbirds or the dandelions, but lighting bugs are for sure pretty cool in their own right. Ya never see just one lighting bug, ‘cause all the lighting bugs ya see light up their tail, well, they’re the boy bugs just showing off for the little ladies. Girl lighting bugs, they don’t light their tails up. Guess they don’t have to, ‘cause when ya got something the little boys want, they’ll find ya even in the dark. Shewwww. Little Lighting Bugs, just doing the night thing, after hours.

The Darkhorse Squad is part of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Division. They’re now fighting in Afghanistan. A few weeks ago, Darkhorse lost 12 marines in 4 days. We don’t hear ‘bout those kinda of things on the Nightly News anymore. It’s somehow no longer considered, by the people in charge of such things, to be important national news. It’s not an Obama thing to report the military death to the nation. It’s just not. This policy changed when the Obama administration too office.

The Nightly News is now reserved for much more important stuff like what the President of The United States would order should he go to Texas and eat at a Mexican Restaurant. Or even more important stuff like, has the Republican Presidential Candidate maybe, just maybe, cheated on his tax return? Is he trying to hide something from our prying eyes? And equally important as that, why won’t this President of the United States release his collage transcripts? Did he flunk government? Did he even graduate from college? Is he also trying to hide something from our prying eyes? Why can’t we trust these people and get straight answers for our most important questions?

Freedom’s just another word till a life is given for its protection. Then freedom becomes life itself. It’s life and death, for those willing to sacrifice. The Darkhorse Squad, 12 Marines in 4 days die defending my freedom to live in the EastWing without fear for my life.

It allows me to bloviate, should I choose to, about anything and everything and never a fear for my life. And all the while the Nightly News feeds me an endless supply of marshmallow fluff and calls it “The News Of The Day”. It should be called “Smores”, as they ask the man who occupies the White House, what Mexican Food he would eat in Texas, should he visit that State. Who gives a damn? Not me. Do you?

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the EastWing, Got Ya, Cuttin’ Grass The First & Last, NIPSCO And Propane And Propane Accessories, The Night Lights, The Dark Hose Squad, Mexican Food and The President, Smores and News of The Day

I wish you well,

BobbyRay

Bookmark It

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

Just the other day I was afforded an opportunity to hone my writing skills by being asked to write an article on the recently completed Democratic Convention from a Republican point of view. Told ‘em I couldn’t do that, I’m a registered democrat and would never do anything like that. And then they offered me money to put words on screens for people I’ve never seen. Three or four paragraphs they said. Just a short summary they said. We’ll make it worth your while they said. And their offer was worth my while I said, and so I wrote:

“Did ya miss the Democratic Convention a few days ago? Not to worry, I’ll just sum it up real quick, like in a few hundred words or less. So hang on now here we go.”

“America is the land of the unjust. The Republicans made it that way. The system is rigged. Opportunity no longer exist in America. The President was right, you didn’t build that. We did it all for you. I deserve more than I’m getting from my country. I’m not getting my fair share. I’m being cheated out of my rightful share by the Republicans. Damn Republicans, that don’t pay their fair share, anyway.”

“The Republicans hate old people, young people, women, gays and illegal immigrants, and even hate legal immigrants, and blacks, they hate all blacks and Latinos too. It doesn’t matter, they just hate ‘em all. They’re trying to take away your right to food, housing, education, contraception, health care, your eligibility to qualify for free cell phone and texting service, but most important, your right to vote for the candidate of your choice.”

“A candidate that supports you and your values in your life. A candidate that fights to make sure all your constructional freedoms are protected. Especially those constructional freedoms pertaining to housing, food, contraception, transportation, health care, education, cell phone and texting service and voting, making sure those rights are protected from the nasty republicans who want to take away all your constructional freedoms. A candidate who will protect you against republicans that want to not only make you have to carry a photo ID just to vote, but also want to make you take a drug test just because you’re entitled to and need food, housing, contraception, cell phone & texting service, transportation, and health care. ”

“Republicans don’t pay their fair share, and that’s just part of why they’re un-American. While President Barack Obama lights candles of hope throughout our society, Mitt Romney spreads darkness and despair across our great land. The GOP is not only wrong, they’re immoral, they’re evil people personified. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Where’s mine, DAMNIT?!! Why am I not getting my fair share? It’s the republicans fault. It’s George Bush’s fault that I’ve not gotten my fair share. I hate republicans.”

“George Bush left the country in such bad shape it is impossible to fix in four years, even as hard as President Obama has tried. And Lord knows he’s worked day and night, he couldn’t fix it in four years. Bill Clinton, himself, said even he couldn’t fix it in four years. When Bill Clinton cannot fix anything in four years, it cannot be fixed in four years. But Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive. Forward. Don’t agree with that? Then you’re not playing on a level field and you’re not patriotic. You’re just an un-American Republican.”

So there ya have it, the Democratic Convention in summary. I may have paraphrased here and there, but the jest of the convention is captured by the words put to screen. And better yet, they paid me to say that. Now if those statements make me a prostitute to the written words on the screen just for the love of money, oh well, are you familiar with the phrase “an offer ya can’t refuse”? It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Yet there was another point of view in Charlotte NC during those three days and nights of character assassinations of Mitt Romney. A decent man, not a saint in the mold of Mother Theresa, but surly a decent man according to the guidelines of our society. That, along with more demands for more government handouts. The only proposal for job creation being hire 100,000 more teachers, police and firefighters.

Saying we do or do not need these positions, that’s not a matter of debate, the fact that all of these new positions can only be supported by a single equation, additional taxes revenue. These are jobs paid for by public taxation. These proposed jobs are not self supporting, they are funded only by the private sector, that means more taxes to pay the wages of 100,000 teachers, police and firefighters. These are not self supporting jobs in our society. They’re just not, one can never make a case that these positions are self supporting in our system commerce. The issue of need is not in the discussion, it’s a discussion of the need to create jobs in our society that are of a sustaining nature. Jobs that pay for themselves in our system of commerce. Teachers, Police and Fireman do not meet the test. The question of need aside, funding of such jobs is the question. The use of the term “investment” by the President means only one thing, spending additional taxpayer dollars which we don’t have available to spend. In the eyes of many, the use of the term “investment” by the President means a proposal to borrow additional money from places like China.

Not a single proposal was made at the Democratic Convention that would create jobs which would be self supporting. The only jobs that are considered self supporting are those in the manufacturing and consumer service processes. That is to say, production, that calls for private sector consumption of product requiring more production. It is with that process that makes the system hum, that keeps our economy moving. Government “investment” is government borrowing money to add to the future debt of our nation, that slows the process, that slows the hum, that stalls us all into doldrums of uncertainty. Just look around ya, it’s everywhere right now.

Three days of National Convention with hardly a mention of a single accomplishment in the last four years of the Obama Administration. When a record does not support a continuation of office, a campaign on fear of the unknown must be waged in order to stay in a position of influence. And so it is in this election cycle.

It was then candidate Obama who said in 2008, when you can’t run on your record, you must make your opponent the one to run away from. And so it is to this day. Kill the messenger whenever you’re unable to make the argument on the issue, it’s an old political technique going well back into the Johnson era of the 1960’s. Kill the messenger it’s old school Chicago style politics of the original Mayor Daily, back in the day. Kill the messenger was alive and well at Charlotte NC this year. It was Mayor Daily who once said on national TV “We stole that election fair and square”.

It took three voice votes in order to return the words “God” and “Jerusalem” to the Democratic Platform. A voice vote officially recorded as 2/3 EYE by the Chairman of the Democratic Convention, when everyone who heard the voice vote had bet money the Na’s won the voice vote, they just had it won. With that effort to include God in the Platform, in Charlotte it seemed the party demonstrated a religious fanaticism for its leader. “We believe in Barack Obama,” Sen. John Kerry bellowed, to thunderous applause. John Kerry’s remarks made me shiver. It smelled of mass hysteria. It just made me shiver.

I’m not sure what it is, but there’s something terribly, terribly wrong in our great nation. Something shocking is happening to the Democratic Party, and I’m a democrat but it scares me a lot. The committed adherents are whipping themselves into a frenzy of grievance that justifies seeing their fellow Americans as both evil and a free-cash cow money machine all at the same time.

Are we, as a Democratic Party, approaching the “Dear Leader territory”? Other nations have done that, and some continue to embrace that ideology to this day.

The wild, outlandish claims that America is corrupt, Republicans are super-villains and Obama is a super-hero were made by every speaker over three nights. A president, a first lady, a former president, a sitting vice president, top members of Congress, labor leaders, celebrities, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, blacks, whites, Latinos, all stayed on the scorched-earth message softened only by inspirational homilies to Obama. The Dear Leader?

Obama did not singlehandedly create this mad cow orgy machine. But he struck the match, that lit the fire, that shows the way, that illuminates the cow. On this, he is a true leader, a transformative one. His invocation of FDR is not unwarranted, even as his channeling of Lincoln’s pain smacked of cheesy self-reverence.

Shewwww, give me a break here. Obama’s reference to Lincoln is akin to me channeling H W Longfellow. Now I can mimic the writings of Dr. Seuss. I can channel Lincoln ‘bout the same degree as President Obama can channel Dr. Seuss.

When he says voters “will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation,” he understates the fact. The two paths are a twain that shall never meet.

His rhetorical skills, uncompromising ambition and 1,000-watt smile, were on full display at this convention, unfortunately in service to a vision that will most surely bankrupt the United State of America.

Instead of a guarantee of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, our culture would be reshaped by a growing collectivist power, vested in the Federal Government, that would command ever more resources and control. The claim of “leveling the playing field” is, in reality, a plan to control the outcome, the end game.

As famously promised, the financial crisis has not been wasted. The recession lingers for many families. Unemployment remains stuck at a destructive level. The deficit soars, as we borrow nearly $3 billion a day, $20 billion a week, $1 trillion a year. Seems the numbers mean nothing, too many zeros to comprehend. A trillion dollars is written as the number 1 and 12 zeros before the decimal Pont.

Expressed as: $1,000,000,000,000.00. That’s a trillion dollars, way, way, too many zeros to comprehend, at least for those growing up in downtown Toto Indiana, and having received part of our primary education in the Tip Top Elementary School Corporation, and finishing off the top side at The Ohio State University Graduate School. It’s just too damn many zeros for this hillbilly boy to handle at one setting. When ya get more zeros in the number than ya got fingers, it’s a big number, a hard number to comprehend, that’s for sure. Because it’s so large we ignore it, and think of other things, smaller numbers for one.

These are serious problems to most of us, but to the President, these are rich opportunities to expand the reach of Washington. The soaring debt is not soaring enough, so more treasure must be thrown into the bonfire of his vanities. It’s a fire consuming the future of this republic under the guise of fairness, and fair share.

This is not mere class warfare. That’s just a tactic. The goal, as it always has been for his kind throughout history, is to accumulate power that the elite can wield without accountability or checks and balances.

Give this man his due. We have not seen his like in our times. His charisma and political skills are unmatched. If only they were admirably used. Obama promised to unite the country and, now his lie exposed, is determined to win re-election by any means necessary. He may succeed. The wraps have come off.

Obama is unbound and the delegates in the convention hall went home in full revolutionary spirit. They don’t want to unite America. They want to conquer it. And Yes, Barack Obama did build that.

It is also important to keep in mind that the President, himself penned the words “I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an angry direction” on page 261 of his autobiography titled “Audacity of Hope” If ya didn’t read that book, then ya should.

Ya can’t help but wonder, with the killing of Americans in Libya, have these winds shifted, or has the policy of the current administration failed? Ya can’t help but wonder if they have or have not. In light of the fact that the President described the killing of the Americans in Libya as “a bump in the road”.

“A bump in the road”, it’s a White House coined phrase, even after the CIA told ‘em it was an al Qaeda attack on 9-11-2012. Blame it all on a 14 minute video and call it a spontaneous action of a mob that creates a bump in the road. A bump in the road that killed Americans unprotected by our government. I can’t help but wonder if the President will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an angry direction? Said he would, on page 261 of his autobiography, just wondering if he was telling the truth then or now..……..

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the EastWing, Writing Like A Republican, The Other Side Of The View, A Bump in The Road While Standing In Political Winds.

I wish you well.

BobbyRay

Bookmark It

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

My dad was born in 1904. He passed away in 1976. It was in those ensuing 72 years he lived, died, and had a full life of many adventures. A logger of part of the virgin forest of Eastern Kentucky. A moonshiner, a coal miner, a federal coal mine safety inspector, a welder of metal, a maker of boxcars, a preacher of the gospel according to the ways of the Free Will Baptist Faith. I always called him dad, but never preacher, ‘cause he was a father to me. Born just one year after the historic flight at Kitty Hawk, he cried with joy as he watched Neil Armstrong step upon the surface of the moon.

My dad was twice married. His first wife died when their only child was just ten years old, my oldest sister Thelma. He married my Mama and had five more babies. Me and my Sisters Three, along with a brother, James Arthur, who died with pneumonia before I was born, a brother I never knew. And so it was to be that I ended up with four sisters, a gang of five babies, me and Sisters Four. We were my dad’s babies, and he loves us all.

A special treat for this gang of five, there were three sets of Grandma & Grandpas. Grandma Viney and Grandpa Bob, from my dad. Lou and Grandpa Harlan, from my mom, and Grandma Emmy & Grandpa Riley, again from my dad’s first marriage. Actually Grandma Emmy and Grandpa Riley only belonged to my Sister Thelma, from my dad’s first marriage. But that didn’t matter any at all for the gang of five. We all had three sets of Grandmas and Grandpas and we loved ‘em and they loved us. We all had three, and loved it. Every minute of having three sets of Grandmas & Grandpas, we loved it.

Grandpa Riley was a Cherokee Indian, from the Cherokee Nation in Tennessee. He didn’t talk as much as my Grandma Emmy. They were both little people, Grandpa Riley and Grandma Emmy, just barely above 5 ft. if any, their children were also short people. They were the parents of my Uncle Millard, whom I’ve spoken of many times. Ya gotta remember my Uncle Millard, he was the feller at Tip Top KY who sold Cow Tracks for $375.00, but that’s another story for another day.

One of the most memorable stories from my childhood came from my Grandpa Riley of the Cherokee Nation.

An old Cherokee Chieftain told his grandson “My son, there’s a battle between two wolvers inside all of us. One is Evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.”

The young brave thought about what he’d just heard and asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

The old Chieftain , as he looked into the eyes of what he knew in his heart, to be the future hope of the Cherokee Nation, quietly reply, “The one you feed”.

The wisdom of Grandpa Riley, Wow! Is that a message or what? Grandpa Riley, an old Cherokee Indian Grandpa of mine. I was taller than Grandpa Riley when I was in the 5th grade, not smarter, just taller.

Grandpa Riley and Grandma Emmy gave really good trick or treat stuff at Halloween. They gave Milky Ways. And so we went to their house twice, early and late. It was years later that I started to think maybe, just maybe, they knew we came back and trick or treated a second time. I think they knew, but they never let on that they knew. They just gave us another Milky Way and acted like it was the first time we were there. Grandpa Riley and Grandma Emmy, not rally mine, but oh yes, they were so much Grandparents of mine.

And all the while Grandpa Riley would say “If you don’t know what’s right, then it’s wrong” Such words of wisdom from my third Grandpa Riley of the Cherokee Nation. Right and Wrong, it’s worth knowing about. It was the life code of the Cherokee Nation. And it’s served me well in this life, so far. I think it’ll work forever. After all, it’s worked for the Cherokees, so far.

Ya know how things, groups of like things, have names for the group. Names like a flock of birds, or a gaggle of geese, a pack of wolves, a school of fish, a parliament of owls, a pride of cats. Names like that. Sophia reminds me of that “pride of cats” often. In fact, Sophia considers herself a “Pride of One” I’m not gona say too much about that anymore. “Cause I don’t know if one can be a pride. But she does consider herself a pride of one. And I’m not gona fight a pride of one about it one way or the other, ‘cause I just don’t know.

Are ya ready for this? I’m telling ya this is the truth and I’m not making it up just to tell a good story. A small group of baboons is call a troop, and a large group of baboons is called a congress. Now that does explain a great deal, especially in Washington D.C. With that being typed to the screen, Sophia damn near fell off the back of my chair laughing. She agrees, she so agrees. A pride of one, agrees on a congress of baboons.

Few things the cat and I agree on. That, plus the fact that even a broken clock has the correct time twice a day. A group of baboons called a congress, damn, now that’s funny stuff, I don’t care who ya are, that just funny stuff. Some things just make ya laugh. When Sophia and I agree, I laugh, along with the cat. Me and Sophia, we’re almost friends, even though we may have different political points of view, we get along, me and the cat. Sophia, a cat that considers herself a pride on one.

Now if you watched the presidential debates last Wednesday Evening, you know why Sophia’s strutting around the EastWing like there’s no tomorrow. When the President got blown away in the debate on Wednesday Evening, the cat says “We’ve just begun to debate. Bring ‘em on!” Damn Republican Cat.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the EastWing, A Gang of Five, Three Grandmas & Grandpas, Cherokee Grandpa & Cherokee Nation, Sophia & The Baboons, A Pride of One, Sophia & A Presidential Debate

I Wish You Well,

BobbyRay

Bookmark It

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

I love the way in which one of my favorite authors describes this time of the year, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote: The morrow was a bright September morn; The earth was beautiful as if new-born;
There was that nameless splendor everywhere That wild exhilaration in the air.

I can write like Dr Seuss, I can only read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and so I do. Perhaps the only thing prettier than a September morn is the sight of the September Full Moon rising. Did ya see the September full moon last night? Pretty site to look at, pretty site indeed. Don’t think I’ll ever tire of seeing the full moon bathing the countryside in that golden light.

Last night I observed the full moon at Bowling Green KY on my way home from the final sad, sad trip to Roswell Georgia. My sister, my son and I made our final trip to Georgia to say the final goodbye. Another story yet to be written, but it’s time will come, and then I’ll tell the story.

The light that only comes when the moon is full and the sky is clear is the most spectacular full moon of all. That’s the January Full Moon. If it is clear on the January Full Moon, you will see moonlight like no other, and cold, cold night air, so brittle it breaks when ya walk thru it. It’s the most spectacular moon light of all. It’s called the Wolf Moon. Come January I’m sure that I will go outside, break the brittle cold air, and look at that January Wolf Moon.

A good thing about living here in the EastWing is that when it gets dark, it’s really dark, no lights to interfere with the stargazing. I can control the amount of light in my nighttime world in the EastWing. In case ya missed the full moon of September, not to worry, the October full moon is equally pretty to look at, I’ll let ya know when to look into the skies for the full moon of October.

One of my favorite holidays is the September Holiday, Labor Day. Is also one of the few holidays not moved to a Monday so ya can have a three day weekend. Good thing its always been on the first Monday in September to start with or else somebody would get a bright idea and ZAP ! another three day holiday.

All the time I went to school, we started the new school year the day after Labor Day. That was not the reason I considered it one of my favorite holidays. The reason was on that day, my dad bought everyone ice cream of their choice, I always chose vanilla, always have, and would do so tomorrow, if given another chance. Now days it seems that kids start school in the middle summer and every other week are out of school for something. The one thing I hated in school was coloring. Just hated coloring, to this day I hate coloring.

One time in early college I needed a fill in class just to occupy a time slot till my next class ‘cause I lived too far to go home and back for the next class, a consular suggested an art class. All I could think about was coloring, I said no, I don’t want to color, the guy laughed. I took comparative religion just so I would not run the risk of having to color and ended up taking a total of 6 full semesters of comparative religion. At least in comparative religion not one time did anybody hand out a stupid black and white picture and say “color”

And so as September ends today, we all Fall directly into Autumn. Tomorrow it’s hello Fall, I’m glad you’re here. Show me your beautiful colors. Once again we’ll be treated to God’s Coloring Book. Ya don’t have to color, just enjoy. I love Fall.

Did ya ever wish ya were around when they named things? Not the technical names and scientific names but just everyday stuff. Anything and everything that had to be named, who named all this stuff? Now don’t go getting crazy on me and telling me God named all this stuff, ‘cause he didn’t, he just didn’t. ‘Cause God had more important things to do than naming little stuff. He let other people handle that.

God named the big stuff like the Earth and the Moon and the Stars and Adam and Eve and stuff like that. Then he left the little stuff to other people to name. Just think how much fun it would’ve been if ya were there when it came time to name stuff like “dirt”. Now wouldn’t ya like to know who choose that name for dirt. In our time it can mean soil, grime, gossip, filth, lowdown, smut, or even dirt.

Well it seems that a simple word like dirt has lots of meaning. What would ya have named it. It’s fun to think such thoughts, but I think most everything has been named and about the only thing left for average people like me and you to name are babies.

That may be why babies don’t come already named, it gives ya something to name. Maybe that’s why some people have so many babies, they just like naming things. They could be liking other reasons too.

Many of the words we both speak and write have different meanings, some recognized throughout society and others tend to be local , regional, or ethnic in recognition. My best experience with ethnic recognition of the language had to do with me meeting a Cajun family ‘bout a 100 miles or so south of New Orleans. I was introduced to this family as “this is my Coon Ass from Indiana, BobbyRay Howard” It turned out that the term “Coon Ass” is truly a term of endearment for the Cajuns. In Cajun Country there is no higher honor than being referred to as Coon Ass of a Cajun. And so it is to this day, for my Cajun friends in south Louisiana, I’m damn proud to be their Coon Ass from Indiana.

That was not the case when I lived in Downtown Toto, Coon Ass would’ve been fighting words for sure. As a matter of fact I’ve seen many a fight over something much less important than being called a Coon Ass. I once saw two little hillbilly boys fight over who could put the most marshmallows in their mouth at one time.

Actually, the fight was over who would do the counting of the marshmallows, not the count itself. The count never took place ‘cause by the time they got done fighting over who was going to count, they were too tired to stuff their faces with marshmallows. So we just built a fire and roasted ‘em. The marshmallows, not the little fighters.

Now with everything already named and many of the names having several different meanings depending where ya happen to be, it’s a wonder we can even understand each other to the extent we do. A large part of why we can communicate so well is the single most recognized word of all. Uh Oh !

“Uh Oh” isn’t something somebody named . “Uh Oh” has no meaning except in the ears of the hearer, and guess what, it’s universal understating every time ya hear it. Just stop and think for a second, did ya ever hear someone say “Uh Oh” and ya didn’t know exactly what they’re talking ‘bout? Of course ya knew, you always understand the meaning of “Uh Oh”. That’s the power of “Uh Oh”. Now “Uh Oh” isn’t even in the dictionary, it doesn’t have to be. Total understandability throughout the known universe, renders all dictionaries listings useless to “Oh Uh”

After due diligence in the research into the origin and the true meaning of ”Uh Oh”, I’ve finally concluded that “Uh Oh” came directly from God Himself.

I’m not gona bore ya with all the details about the creation and how Adam and Eve got here and how God told ‘em that they pretty much had the run of the place except for that one special tree, ‘cause if ya mess with the stuff on that tree it’ll do ya dirty. Now God went on about his business and so did Adam and Eve. Well ya know the rest of the story ‘bout the apple, the snake, and the bite, and all that stuff.

Now ya gotta remember that not every word that was ever spoken back then was recorded like it is today. Nobody texted or twittered, there was no FaceBook, or internet, nothing, just God, Adam and Eve. After talking to those two ‘bout the law, when God comes back to the garden a little while later, far off on the other side of the garden he saw Adam and Eve. So God starts walking over and as he gets about half way ‘cross the garden, he sees those fig leaves then God said “Uh Oh”.

Years ago when the space program was young and we had, for the first time, the ability to propel an object into space and escape the gravitational pull of the Earth. One of the plans was to send a message into space in the hope the message would sometime in the distant future encounter intelligent life forms. A difficult part of the mission, for a rocket called Pioneer 10, was how to phrase the message. Astronomer, Carl Sagan headed the team which came up with the final product. We ended up with a complex set of lines, circles, letters, mathematical equations, and nude human forms on a golden plate. The drawing kinda reminded ya that we’re the third rock from the sun.

We’d have been just as well off if someone had taken a magic marker on that same little gold plate and wrote “Uh Oh”. ‘Cause there is no doubt that if this thing is ever found by intelligent life forms, they will take one look at our little frail attempt to communicate with them, at their level of understanding, they’ll smile and say “Uh Oh”. ‘Cause if they’re there, then God made ‘em too. And if God made’ too, they’ll understand “Uh Oh” just like you and I understand today. Uh Oh.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the EastWing, Full Moons & Brittle Air, Hello Autumn, Welcome Fall, Naming Stuff, Adam & Eve & Oh Uh

I wish you well

BobbyRay

Bookmark It

: undisclosed-recipients:;

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

When it’s close to the change of seasons I always get email wanting to know the exact date and precise time. So to simplify things, I’m listing everything for the rest of this year and all of next year. Knowing full well, I’ll be asked ‘bout it again come the winter time. Never the less, here goes. I’ll explain a little bit ‘bout the terminology after the listing of dates and times. This is not rocket science, these dates are all taken right out of the Old Farmer’s Almanac© :

FALL EQUINOX SEPTEMBER 22, 2012 @ 9:49 A.M. CDT

WINTER SOLSTICE DECEMBER 21, 2012 @ 6:12 A.M. CST

FOR THE TOTAL YEAR OF 2013

SPRING EQUINOX MARCH 20, 2013 @ 6:02 A.M. CDT

SUMMER SOLSTICE JUNE 21, 2013 @ 1:04 A.M. CDT

FALL EQUINOX SEPTEMBER 22, 4:44 P.M. CDT

WINTER SOLSTICE DECEMBER 21, 12:11 P.M. CST

The word EQUINOX simply means the annual crossings of the equator by the Sun, once in each direction, (north or south) when the length of day and night are approximately equal everywhere on Earth. The equinoxes always occurs close to March 21 and September 23. On these dates, the amount of daylight and night are the same.

The word SOLSTICE is just the time when the Sun is farthest from the equator,( north or south) on or about June 21(north)(the longest daylight day) and December 21(south)(the shortest daylight day). The summer solstice falls in June in the northern hemisphere but in December in the southern hemisphere, and vice versa for the winter solstice.

Knowing full well that most of my EastWing friends are not stargazers, I’ll still bore ya with a little bit more stuff ‘bout the stars and the seasons as we see them develop from our vantage point here on this planet Earth. As you know we see the sun move in our sky from the south in the winter to north as spring and summer comes on, then back toward the south as the season change. All that Equinox, Solstice stuff is just a way of tracking the movement of the sun in our sky as our Earth revolves around the sun, while we spin on our own axis. And because everything we know is moving at the same speed, we’d swear up and down that everything’s standing still. It’s not. We’re spinning, really spinning, both fast and forward.

Another interesting fact. The sun is the farthest away from the Earth in the Summer time. And if so, why is it so hot, you may ask. It has to do with the angle of the sun in relationship to the angle of the earth in its orbit.

Notice that as the summer winds down and days cool off, it takes longer in the new day for the sun rays to again warm the Earth. Same thing, it’s the angle of the sun in relationship to the Earth.

Geometry, bet you’re like me, never thought you’d use that crap when ya were 17. Then wondered why you were even wasting your valuable time studying such stupid stuff like geometry. Stuff that didn’t even make sense. But study I did, and so, today I not only gaze at the stars, I know ‘bout the angle of the sun and stuff like that. And it turns out that life got a whole lot better after I learned how to read, up there at the Tip Top Elementary School System, high up in the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky.

Talking ‘bout the Tip Top Elementary School System reminds me of the second grade teacher. A feller, who’s name I’ve long since forgotten. He came from the Northeast somewhere, ya could tell by the way he talked, kinda quare.

I say he talked quare, ‘cause one day, at recess, we were all outside just throwing rocks at each other, and having fun. The teacher comes running outside yelling “Children, Children stop slinging stones!! We didn’t even know we were slinging stones, just thought we’re throwing rocks at each other. And so we learned something new that day, even at recess from the new teacher who talked kinda quare.

He came to the Tip Top Elementary School System to educate us little hillbillies up there in the mountains. Part of the teachers annual compensation included “room and board”. That room & board to be provided by the families of the coal miners sending their babies to the Tip Top Elementary School System, and also able to afford to contribute to the room and board for the teacher. Not all families could afford. For many just being able to provide for their own family was a struggle. There were lots of babies there at Tip Top. And everybody knew who could afford to help with the room & board for the teacher.

It turned out that at Tip Top there were different levels of “dirt poor” The babies in our house were me and three sisters. We were a small family, by Tip Top standards, we were at the top level of the “dirt poor” and as such could afford to “put up the teacher one night per month”. And so we did. The food was always extra good when the teacher came to spend the night. The first time I tasted Spam was when the teacher came for supper. Our meal was so good! I thought, teachers must eat like kings. Spam every night. I still love Spam. Every time I eat Spam, to this day, I think of that teacher and slinging stone, and talking quare.

It had not yet come our time to “put up the teacher” when the word got out at school, from those kids who had already had the teacher stay at their house, that the teacher slept with his white shirt and tie on at night. And then the teacher came home with me to spend the night.

Now when ya live in a family of girls and the teacher comes to stay the night, and ya don’t have any extra bed for the teacher to sleep, well guess who gets to sleep with the teacher. Yeah, Right! BobbyRay.

At Tip Top, where the miners lived, the houses were 4 rooms. Two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen dining room combination. And so it was at our Tip Top home. Mama and my Dad slept in one bedroom, my Sisters Three slept in the other bedroom and I slept on the floor in the living room. When the teacher came to stay the night, things changed for the better.

Me and the teacher got to sleep in the bedroom used by my Sisters Three, and the girls got to sleep on the floor in my place in the front room.

Electrical wiring in our house had been added after the house was built. And as such, the idea of putting the wires inside the wall was a thought for the future. Drop cords they were called, usually hung from the center ceiling of the room with a light bulb at the end of the cord. A chain hung from just above the light bulb to turn the light on or off. Because the chain was short, it was not uncommon to see a piece of string tied to the chain, to allow short people to turn on or off the light. Not long after electricity gained wide use in our society, a new phrase crept into use. A put down phrase it was. “Who pulled your chain?”

Both my older sisters and I’d heard all the rumors at school, ‘bout the teacher sleeping with his necktie and white shirt on. When I realized the teacher was gona sleep with me, I was determined to find out if the rumor was true or false. Then only I could lend validly to the rumor.

When the time came to go to bed, me and the teacher retired to our bedroom. I jumped into bed and watched like a hawk as the teacher took off his pants, folded them, placed them on a chair, then without removing any other clothing, he walked to the center of the room, pulled the chain, then got into bed.

The more I laid there in the darkness, the greater the challenge grew in my mind. Did he or didn’t he, that’s the question. Necktie on or necktie off, that’s the question. On or off that’s the only question in the whole world at this moment. Sleep would never come in the darkness until such time the mystery was solved.

Only I could answer this question for the benefit of the whole student body of the Tip Top Elementary School System, and so it was up to me to solve the mystery which had dominated the playground conversations for the last three weeks. Sleep with or without white shirt and necktie. The pressure upon me to act was irresistible and so I did what had to be done.

It was in the darkness of the night, that my right hand reached over and touched the answer.

A Mystery was solved. A rumor became fact. I went to sleep within minutes, just maybe, with a little smirk on my face, knowing what I knew at that moment. To describe the courage to reach into the unknown darkness of that Tip Top Night is beyond my ability to paint a picture in your mind using simple words created from my brain to my fingers to my keyboard to my screen, to the internet to your screen to your brain. Just knowing I’d touched the answer, it made me smile in the darkness, as peaceful sleep surrounded me with happiness, there on the side of the mountain in the darkness of that Tip Top night. I’d answered the call from the playground. I’d done the job.

The real fun was the next morning on the way to school. Now to get to school at Tip Top, my sisters and I had to walk down the mountain to the creek and then up to the school house on a different mountain. It was on the way to school that the sisters wanted to know what happened after the lights went out.

It turned out that after the teacher and I had retired to our bedroom, my sisters had to go to the outhouse. They didn’t really need to go, just had to get outside and look into the window of my bedroom with the teacher, to see if they could solve the rumor of the white shirt and tie, and before they could, he pulled the chain.

That day at the Tip Top School, I was the king of the playground. I’d touched the answer in the darkness. Tip Top Memories, how the linger, how they ever flood my soul.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the EastWing, Equinox & Solstice, Geometry, Tip Top Elementary School System and Neckties In The Darkness

I wish you well,

BobbyRay

Bookmark It

Rosie Heise is Vice President of Finance at IU Health- Starke Hospital. This Knox High School and Purdue University graduate is married to Fred Heise, Jr. and has three children. Her in-laws own one of the few drive-in movie theaters in the state of Indiana.

In interviewing Rosie, I found out she has always been interested in the subjects that make her a valued member of the staff at Starke.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark It

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

Now that both the Republican and Democrat Conventions are history, it’s up to us. We the people will make up our minds and select a President come November. Between now and Election Day, we’ll be subjected to every bad word and thought that can be conjured up about these two men.

Some words will be true, most will be false, and a vast majority will be downright lies. Lies skillfully designed and presented in such a way to turn us away from the truth. Few things in our society can corrupt more than political power. You’d have to put the pursuit of political power in the same trick box of corruption.

The Republicans will try to convince us that we’re going to hell in a hand basket. The Democrats will try to convince us that they’re trying their damnest to fix that hand basket before we get burnt in the fires of hell.

The Republicans will make sure we all know that no other president in the history of this nation has ever spent four years blaming the previous president. The Democrats will make sure we know that no other president followed George W Bush.

The Democrats will make sure we understand that the change in their platform was not due to the Republican criticism but rather a clarification of the language. The Republicans will make sure we all know that a floor fight at the convention was necessary to include the words God and Israel along with Jerusalem into the Democratic Platform. And on three called voice votes, at least 50% voted no for God and Jerusalem on the Democratic Convention Floor in 2012, and the chairman labeled it a 2/3 majority on the voice vote.

The Democrats will make sure we all know that the Republican Candidate paid a smaller percentage of tax than those of middle class tax payers. The Republicans will make sure we all know that the top 10% of the taxpayers pay 80% of the federal income collected by the government. While the bottom 50% of the taxpayers, pay no federal income tax at all.

The Democrats will insist that the Republicans hate women, old people, young people, babies, and gays. The Republicans will insist that the Democrats are using scare tactics, hate and fear tactics and playing the race card to stay in office, and trying to divide the voting public by fear.

The Democrats will insist that it’s our God Given Right, as a people, for the government to provide our food, medical care, dental care, housing, transportation, education and contraception. The Republicans will contend that this nation was founded on the basic principle of limited government, on a principle of self reliance, not government reliance. And when that principle of self reliance ceases to exist in our society, we become slaves of government.

The Democrats will insist that allowing the Catholics a longer time period to comply with the provisions of the Affordable Health Care Act, requiring birth control assistance, is reasonable. The Republicans will insist that the very fabric of this nation, the separation of church and state, forbids the Federal Government from interfering with the faith of the Catholic Church, or any church.

The Democrats will continue to insist that the policies of the administration have not worked due to the lack of cooperation of congress and the left over mess from President Bush. The Republicans will insist the policies failed on their own weight of more government involvement in our commerce, and many other aspects of our lives that sunk the ship of state.

The Democrats will point to the fact of 48 months of job growth as a good sign. The Republicans will point out that this job growth referred to by the Democrats does not keep up with the population growth of the nation, so even with job growth, the unemployed continues to rise. And fewer people now hold jobs than 4 years ago.

The Democrats will point to the fact that the American automobile industry is alive and well. The Republicans will point to the fact that in order for GM to be able to post a 2nd quarter profit, over 60% of GM sales were purchased by the federal government in federal fleet replacement, 1 year earlier than normal. And it was the first time in the history of federal procurement of automobiles, only one car maker got the total order. That automobile manufacture, GM.

The Democrats will insist that the Republicans hate women, old people, young people, babies and gays, and will destroy Medicare and Social Security. The Republicans will say, “There ya go again”.

Sophia, fresh back on Charolette NC, laughed all the way to the bank. Sophia says “The Cat House was the hit of Charolette Convention. They came, they saw what was offered, they bought into the offerings program of the Cat House.”

Sophia says she now understands the mindset of the Democrats at Charolette N.C. She says “Quickie is the key, they like quickies”. I’m not sure what she’s talking ‘bout, but I never know ‘bout Sophia. Quickies? It must have something to do with the running of the convention. It may be something to do with that 3 effort voice vote to put the word God back in their platform.

Sophia did say she got an autograph from Bill Clinton. Not your average kinda autograph, Bubba gave Sophia a cigar when he came to the Cat House.

Did ya know that September 1st is the start of fall? Yeah, I’m telling ya the truth. It’s Sep, Oct Nov for Autumn, Dec, Jan Feb for Winter, Mar Apr May for Spring and Jun Jul Aug for Summer. Just look at those dates. They fit so well. They just do. Actually we have two way of measuring the seasons the one most people are familiar with and the one used by those who gaze at stars.

As many of you know, I stargaze. I used to stargaze a lot. I’ve not stargazed very much after the loss of brother-in-law Ed. I’ve made it a point in the last few months to get back into stargazing. Ed would’ve wanted me to continue to look where no man has gazed before. And so I turn the telescope up into the darkness.

The computer controlled telescope is much like the GPS in your car. Put in the address, and let the computer do sky searching. The big difference is stargazing doesn’t have zip codes. Would for sure be easier if it did. But it does have references that are almost like zip codes. Every point in the sky has an address. It’s just a matter of learning how to read the address book in the sky. Kinda like a phone book, but a lot more completed set of numbers. But stargazing does kinda have an area code system. That helps, it’s kinda like making sure you’re not looking at China when all ya wanted to do was look at Alabama.

Don’t remember if I ever told ya ‘bout Google Sky. Now most people don’t know about Google Sky. It’s not nearly as popular as Google Earth, but it’s just as exciting. Especially if you’re a stargazer. There’s a button up at the top of the page, just click and go from Earth to Sky.

Google Sky contains photos from the Hubble Telescope. Needless to say, better view than my scope from the EastWing. One of the neat things ‘bout Google Sky is ya can stargaze and not have to go outside into the winter night. The bad thing ‘bout Google Sky is ya don’t get to go outside in the winter night.

Did ya know we still have troops on the ground in Iraq?. Yes, we still have a large presence in Iraq. Contrary to what makes the national news, we still have a large number of our troops in Iraq. It doesn’t make the news when they die in Iraq, ‘cause “we’ve left Iraq, and brought the troops home” then our soldiers die in silence in the Iraq desert sands. One such soldier died last week, and it didn’t even make the TV News. How’d I know? An email from the desert brought the sad news to the EastWing.

Where have all the flowers gone? Everything I hear from both Iraq and Afghanistan makes me want to cry or fight, I’m still trying to decide which. It just makes me damn mad. Who makes these decisions in our government? Men or mice?

Have ya ever looked at FaceBook? If not ya should. It’s one of the more honest expressions of “We the People” you’ll ever find. Love and Hate, side by side. Fact and Fiction. Peace and War. There has never been a more perfect union. Those that can, can, those that can’t, can’t, and are damn mad that they can’t. While those who can rub it into the faces of those who can’t, much the same as the Star Bellied Sneeches of Dr. Seuss. It’s what makes America, America. We the people, are still, we the people, and that, boys and girls is just a small sampling of what makes it all work.

I believe it was Albert Einstein who said “We are all geniuses, just about different things. If you measure the intellect of a fish by its ability to climb a ladder, it will forever be labeled an idiot. On the other hand, measured by its ability to swim, the fish is a genius. And so it is with FaceBook. Idiot or genius, it’s your call, you establish the unit of measure for FaceBook. Is FaceBook, a fish ladder for people? Maybe, maybe not.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From The EastWing, Democrats and Republicans, Sophia & Charolette, Autumn & Sept 1st , Decisions By Men or Mice, FaceBook & A More Perfect Union, Einstein and Fish

I wish you well,

BobbyRay

Bookmark It

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

A week ago I was in Cumming GA. At a hospital there to support my Sister Barbara. I’ve since returned home but may go back to Georgia on short notice. That short notice is just anytime my Sister Barbara wants another hug from her baby brother. When that hug need occurs, I’m on the road again.

For all my EastWing friends who’ve expressed love and prayers for my sister and for my whole family this past week, thank you. It’s when people deal with such things as a major illness that the importance of friends in their lives bubble up. Walking in the company of friends, makes the journey a bit more easy.

-0-

Sophia’s not kept still two minutes for the last three days. She started out first thing Friday morning meowing to the top of her voice “It’s Labor Day Weekend, It’s Labor Day Weekend!” And I thought she was excited when they announced Paul Ryan as VP. I was wrong, the cat’s almost too excited for words when it comes to Labor Day Weekend and the this campaign really kicking into gear. Sophia says “let’s get this done”.

The Gray Lady, being the lifelong democrat that she is, pointed out the fact that President Obama had made every effort to correct the massive mistakes of the Bush administration when he inherited the worst economy in the last 50 years the day he took office.

Sophia laughed and asked “Did Ronald Regan spend his first four years blaming Jimmy Carter for everything under the sun?” “Or did he go to work solving the problems left over from Carter?” “Has President Obama ever had a job that was not funded by public taxation?” “Has there ever been a president that blamed the former president the way Obama has blamed Bush”?

“Why did President Obama say he went to church for 20 years with Reverend Wright and not think the “God Damn America” statement is anti-American?” Sophia then asked “Is this Chicago politics from the old school at City Hall?”

Now when Sophia starts talking ‘bout “Chicago Politics” I know she’s on a roll. She knows ‘bout that stuff, ‘cause she’s a South Side Calico Republican Cat from the neighborhood of LeRoy Brown. When she starts that, I just set back and watch the show.

WOW! The cat’s in the cradle! Damn Republican Cat.

One of the fun things ‘bout writing from the EastWing is folks are always telling me what I should, or should not say. Seems no matter what I put on your computer screen, some’ll be happy and some’ll be mad, and some’ll be disappointed, and some’ll be disillusioned and some, well, some’ll be downright Fightin’ Mad.

I’ve learned to live with that. That wide range of human emotion all the way from total happy to “Fightin’ Mad”. It did take a little getting used to in the early years when I wrote. Back in the day, before I realized that it’s my brain to fingers to screen to internet to your screen to brain that said the words that you reacted to, and not vice-versa.

Sometimes, by my email, you’d think what comes from the EastWing is of major importance in the grand scheme of things. It’s not. But it is, only if ya let be so. Then why let it be so? Like most everything else in life, some folks can and some folks can’t, and some folks wish they could. And so, if ya can dance, oh well, so let it be. Forever and ever, amen.

Boy! Did the Sophia Fan Club ever come to life when they heard about her organizing that republican parade to kick off the VP Campaign. Offers to join in the next parade came from cost to cost, and all points in-between. A girl in New Hampshire, who produces authentic New Hampshire Maple Syrup, offered to supply as much of her Maple Syrup as needed should Sophia decide to have a Republican Campaign Pancake Breakfast here in Indiana. While Sophia’s friend, The Cowboy, from out by the West Texas town of El Paso, offered to come back to the EastWing, just to pull a float in Sophia’s next Republican Campaign Parade.

Sophia left this morning for her trip to Charolette NC to supervise her workers for the community organizing project. Said she’s gotta set up the Cat Houses in Charolette while the Democrats are in town. Says “business is business, in these hard Obama Times, ya gotta make money any way ya can”. “A Cat House is as close as it gets to money in the bank”.

Then Sophia reminded me of a few years back when the Federal Government seized an ongoing business for failure to pay taxes. The business was a legal brothel in the state of Nevada. By federal law, the government is required to operate the business for a period of time before they are allowed to offer the business for sale. By the time that operational period had expired the business was bankrupt due to poor management. There were no buyers interested.

Sophia took particular delight in saying, “now keep in mind an organization that can’t make a profit operating a whore house and selling whisky, and it’s the same organization we’ve put in charge of the national health care system. I don’t care who ya are, you gotta see, we’ve got a problem from the top down to the bottom on this deal”. Then she laid out that Calico Conservative Republican Cat Smile. I hate that smile. It’s a smile of “you don’t have a leg to stand on for this argument” kinda smile. Damn Republican Cat. Sophia when she smiles.

I’ve received several emails asking if I still have the story of the Cowboy coming from Texas to see Sophia. I do. And yes I’ll resend it someday, ‘cause it’s just a feel good true story, ‘bout a Cowboy who likes a cat, and made new friends in Indiana. That along with the time I ran for the presidency of the student body of the Tip Top Elementary School System. I’m still getting inquires ‘bout that one too. And yes, I’m gona resend that one again soon, ‘cause it’s about time to elect a new president.

Guess it’s time to talk ‘bout stories past, ‘cause just this morning I got an email asking about the Toto Trick-&-Treat story. Well, yeah! Of course I still have that one. Ya don’t walk thru the shadow of the valley of death in downtown Toto and not keep the story near and dear to your heart. Yes, come Halloween, I’ll once again share the joys and fears in the darkness while Toto Trick-or-Treating, when life was simple and easy back then. And also yes, for those who continue to inquire about the “Pop Bottle Wars of Toto”
that too will be resent again someday. Seems few things are more satisfying than when the weekly email brings requests for stories past. It makes ya feel like you have said something to somebody.

Ya wanta have a warm fuzzy feeling, then put out a hummingbird feeder and watch the little people enjoy a meal. When that ole Blue Jay killed my early hummingbirds this spring, I thought I’d never see another hummingbird this year. Then along comes the new little lady and her feller to visit the EastWing in late summer. They stay at the feeder most of the day light hours. It’s my pleasure to host these new guest to the south garden as this summer starts getting ready to fall into autumn. For these pretty birds, what’s lacking in size, is made up by beauty and grace. To my eyes, it’s a magic show just outside the window.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the EastWing, A Thank You Note, Labor Day Politics Chicago Style, To Tell & Not To Tell, Sophia’s Fan Club, Cowboys & Presidents & Pop Bottle Wars, New Hummingbirds of Summer

I wish you well,

BobbyRay

Bookmark It

Greetings to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

It’s my third day at the North Side Hospital in Cummings GA having left the EastWing Thursday evening last, to come and be with my Sister Barbara during the most trying time in her life. I travel with my Sister Sharolette and Brother-In-Law Dexter.

As I pray:

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.

Amen.

From the EastWing At A Distance, Cumming GA, Sister Barbara, Hail Mary Full of Grace

I wish you well,

BobbyRay

pray:

Bookmark It

Greetings to all and welcome new friends to the EastWing.

When it was announced last week that Congressman Paul Ryan would be the Vice President on the Republican Ticket, Sophia, The Calico Conservative Republican Cat, immediately went into campaign mode. Within a matter of hours she’d arranged a political parade consisting of herself, along with Spike the Man Cat, Mr. Bentley, The Gray Lady James, and all the cats from Kitty City.

They all marched thru the EastWing to the music of John Phillips Susa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” Blaring from Sophia’s MP3’s aux. speakers. Du-du-du-ta-du-du-ta-du, as the band march by. And all the while the cat’s holding high her autographed picture of Herbert Hoover. What amazes me about Sophia’s parade, they’re all democrats ‘cept for her, yet they marched. I think she must’ve offered ‘em something for nothing, else why would they march for nothing? They always line up when it’s something for nothing. Democrats, ya just gotta wonder.

Floats, I’m telling ya, Sophia even had floats in her parade. I don’t have a clue how the cat was able to get floats for her Republican Parade in such short order. Maybe they just keep floats around somewhere , just in case a quick parade is needed, ya never know about republicans. And in Sophia’s case, it was needed. She had floats for her parade.

Sophia’s big on the Labor Day Holiday. Especially every two years, Labor Day. ‘Cause then it’s election time, and Lord knows the cat big on campaigning. She even started early this year. Now Sophia doesn’t take her position as the Official Spokes Cat for The American Society of Conservative Calico Cats lightly. In fact, it’s one of her most cherished honors. That, and having the private cell phone number for Sarah Palin.

Why, just the other day, while using my fax machine here at the EastWing, (Sophia is out of toner on her own fax machine in the cat house) Sophia told me how humbled she felt to even have been afforded the opportunity to speak on behalf of all those untold thousands of generations of physically abused cats who had been plucked up from their African family roots, there in that land of Egypt, and brought to these shores. Then forced into “domestic house cat servitude” A blight on humankind. A disgrace to this otherwise great nation, according to Sophia. Who now says she’s exploring the prospect of recompense as a manner of lessening such pain and suffering from the past. Recompense?

Now ya gotta keep in mind, in ancient Egypt, cats were worshiped as Gods. Sophia’s not forgotten that fact. It shows in her demeanor. And so, not only does Sophia walk with the swagger from the south side of Chicago, born into the alley cats in the land of LeRoy Brown, she also prowls from the jungle, the mighty jungle, as the lion walks the night. Sophia, an alley cat, and a direct descendent of the Egyptian Cat God. I can only surmise what she’ll unleash on her opponents after the election campaigning really gets underway, come Labor Day. I, for one, would not want to be on the wrong side of her rope, but we’ll see, come September.

Did ya like the Olympics? I’m not the biggest sports fan ever. I’ve just never been too blessed with an over abundance of athletic skills in my life, but I always watch the Olympics. I’ve always watched the Olympics on TV for as long as I can remember watching TV, and that goes back a ways. Do ya remember black and white, and Howdy Doody, and when TV screens were round? Yeah, it was, back in that day. But in defense of my limited athletic skills, I gotta say, I was damn good at marbles. I could shoot your eye out.

My bffl and brother-in-law, Ed, knew that I always liked to watch the Olympics, so in 1984 when the Summer Games were in Los Angeles, Ed sent me the 1984 Olympic Coin Set. Now if you’ve never seen this , it’s a three coin set. 1 oz gold, 1 oz silver, 1 oz bronze. Every Olympics since 1984, when the Summer Games come around, I display the set in the EastWing. Then back to the vault. Me and Ed, we just got along. We were so glad that we were almost brothers. Brother-In-Laws, well that was close enough for me and Ed, ‘cause we got along. And nobody else in the world knew it as much as me and Ed. We just loved the fact that we were family, ‘cause in our minds, we were brothers, and so we were, me and Ed. To this day, it’s hard to think of Ed and not cry.

When I wrote about how cats were revered as Gods in ancient Egypt and how Sophia had not forgotten the fact. Maybe I’d have been better off to not have brought that subject to the EastWing. Today I found the following stuck to the computer screen in the EastWing.

The Ten Catmandments of Egypt

1. I am the lord of thy house.

2. Thou shalt have no other pets before me.

3. Thou shalt not ever ignore me.

4. I shall ignore thou when I feel like it.

5. Thou shalt be grateful that I even give thou the time of day.

6. Remember thy food dish and keep it full

7. Thou shalt spend most of thy money on toys and gifts for me.

8. Thou shalt always have thy lap ready for me to curl up in.

9. Thou shalt shower me with love and attention upon demand.

10. Above all, thou shalt do anything it takes to keep me happy.

It took a while just to figure out how to respond to the Ten Catmandments of Egypt. Figured the first thing to do was to ask what did the list represent. That was when Sophia gave me that Conservative Calico Cat smile thing, and said “What part don’t you understand?”

I then realized Sophia had stuck this list up here for my benefit. She asked if I’d ever heard a feller by the name of Martin Luther, which I had. Said that she’d gotten the idea of posting on my computer screen from a little deal Martin Luther had with the Catholic Church a while back, and thought that posting on my computer screen would get my attention. After all, Martin Luther had gotten the attention of the Pope by his posting, thought hers would get mine.

Sophia, knowing that I’m Catholic, just figured that I’d put 2 & 2 together and know the symbolism. I didn’t have a clue about the connection to Martin Luther and his posting on the church door. I knew the facts, just never connected the dots. Either I’m a bad Catholic or the cat’s so far ahead of me it not funny. Either way, Damn Calico Republican Egyptian Cat God. I hate when that happens. But, Sophia, ya gotta love her, bitch ass Cat God.

The drought of 2012 has for sure put the damper on playing with lighting bugs in the summer night. There’s a few out there, but very few. I love lighting bugs, used to play with those little fellers from early June till late August. At night we’d squeeze off the light and stick it on our skin. Make buttons for shirts, we didn’t have on. Then chains around our wrists. Even headbands and belts. For the girls, earrings, bracelets and lockets. I used to decorate up my baby sister ‘cause she was afraid to squeeze ‘em, I squeezed ‘em for her, and made her bracelets, necklace and earrings. To this day, I miss my baby sister, given the chance, I’d squeeze ‘em again for her, and once again make my baby sister more bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

After the Blue Jay Massacre of the EastWing Humming Bird this early summer, all hope for Hummingbird watching this summer was lost. I was reluctant to take down the feeder, with its bright red nectar shining in the sun, almost saying, please somebody, anybody, come to my hummingbird table. I watched as the ultra violet rays of the sun slowly dissolved the red color from the nectar, turning it into a solution more akin to simply sugar and water.

With little pangs of disappointment, I decided to take down the feeder, clean it out, put it away for the year and hope somebody would come back to visit the EastWing come next springtime in the valley. That day, that very same very day, not 30 minutes after I’d made the decision to take down the feeder, while setting at the computer, I looked out the south window of the EastWing. There at the feeder, a new hummingbird!

I was so excited! Went right out here and got the feeder. Brought it inside, empted out the old solution of faded out nectar, washed everything and scrubbed it all good as new. Made a whole batch of new stuff. Rushed it all outside and hung it up for my new found little buddy.

By the time I got back to the EastWing and once again looked out the window, there were the new little lady and her fine little feller dining in the south EastWing Garden. Life always goes on. God intended it to work that way. And so it does.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the EastWing, Sophia Can’t Wait, Me & Ed, The Cat God & Catholics, Lighting Bugs & Sister Kay, Hummingbirds Always Coming Home

I Wish You well,

BobbyRay

Bookmark It