Ode to an old friend

There was this old lady across the street when I was 11-14 years old.
And for some reason, with her, I was always doing what I was told.

She was a spritey old lady, but an old lady, nonetheless;
I'd say she was in her 60s or 70s, I guess.

Don't recall exactly how the relationship began,
but I was mowing her lawn and taking out the garbage can.

She paid pretty good ...I could never complain.
She made lemonade and sandwiches for me, even when it would rain.

Yet, it wasn't the money after a while for me.
It was what I gained in keeping her company.

I learned the attitude of respect and why manners were important;
Not that my mom didn't teach me, but this was different.

Honesty and trust are pillars in success,
while kindness and understanding should never take rest.

I would never question her motives, even when she scolded me,
because it always made sense ...especially when it came to safety.

My mom loved her -- brother, sister and dad, too.
Mrs. Lorraine Aarnegard, thank you.

Do I have to eat that?

Was discussing with a friend today 'another thing thats wrong with the world today.'

I'm 36 years old, and I remember as a child, spending much of my adolescent and teen years living on a farm, and the 'things' and lifestyle of farm life.
Yes, I know, it was the eighties and not like the OLD days, but, nonetheless, I have an experience from life that taught me and has engraved in me some extremely important aspects that ...

How many of the presently adolescent and teen generation know anything about survival without convenience stores, department stores, cell phones ...I remember using a party line in MN when I was a kid. The CB was the 'cell phone' of the day. Ham radio was the 'internet.'

If the proverbial dung was to hit the fan, but it didn't splatter everywhere -- one could still survive off the land -- how many could milk a cow, pluck a chicken, slaughter/butcher a deer or cow, filet a fish, bail hay; pick corn, cucumbers, carrots, peas, potatoes; dig a field; plant a tree; herd cattle; plant and harvest; cook?

Local communities were dramatically distant from modern atmospheres also, coinciding with the farm atmosphere of my generation and generations before me. People actually gave a shit about their neighbors ...community by definition. What has happened? Is it a democratic or republican problem? Can things get better, or returned to sanity?

A generational comparison? 2009, 1999, 1989, 1979, 1969, 1959 ...

The economy is fucked up because the 'community' is fucked up!

Such a slacker

I know, i haven't been keeping up with the blogging. I could say i've been really really busy, but that would be a lie. I could find time to do this since I'm constantly thinking of things to put in here with all my interests (especially given the times we now live in), yet i don't. It's not like anyone has been reading these posts anyway ...lol.



There have actually been quite a few things going on in my life.

**ok, so i walked away from the computer to go make dinner, and a friend of mine closed the windows and put on youtube, and messed me up ...now i don't even remember what all i was gonna put in here**

Work has been really really slow. As i've posted before, i'm a glazier, and the construction progress has been all but halted, i believe due to the economic stresses our nation has been under. I haven't made even close to 40 hrs/wk in the past month. But, we're still going. I love this career enough to stick this out with this company. It's a very good group of people i work with.

At home, we've taken in a friend of ours from a 'domestic issue' to help him get on his feet. It has taught me a few things also, like, wow i'm not doing this again for a while.

Still waiting for that winning lotto ticket.

My daughter turns 11 this month. I'm making her a glass dollhouse. Hope she likes it.

Hmmm, what else? well, another time then.

J