We Wept

Stiofain Gael MacGeough popped in and shared a great story with us ...

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn’t stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.

I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”

Apparently, I’m still lost… It’s a man thing.

My friend posted this and I loved it and had to share it. 

New Math

           Please post the answer in the comment box below and please show your work.

Dad in a Tube

Some Dad's will do anything to delight their Son. After a long day of work here is Zachary and Joshua at play.

Michihiro (Michi) Matsuda's Guitar Shop

Michi is an amazing guitar maker in Oakland, CA. This was hanging on the door to his finish room. He is a Japanese transplant and I love the blimp in the lower left corner. 

Speaking of Books

So I heard about this book during an interview with the author. The interviewer was quite taken by the book and the author George Saunders, seemed a most extraordinary gentleman. I downloaded a sample and read it and couldn't get the story out of my head. I thought about buying the book for my Kindle, but thought I might purchase a hard copy of it so I could lend it to friends. I stopped by Barnes and Noble. The guy at the greeting desk greeted me and asked if he could help me. I said I was looking for a book called Tenth of December, he shrugged and looked confused. I noticed the book displayed right behind him and picked up a copy, noticed the pages looked rough and went back for another copy. The sales girl noticed the hardcover was crunched and went and got another copy. She rang it up and at 30% off the total was 19 some odd dollars. I said to the sales girl, "How much"? I thought I heard her wrong. She repeated what she said and I asked, "How much was the book originally"? She said 26 dollars. It was a small book, not a huge book. So I decided to go home and download it for $12.99. It is a small wonder that the bookstores are closing, right and left. The sales girl agreed, but said, "we help people". Of course my mind flew back to the guy at the greeting desk, who was clueless, but I didn't say anything. It is a shame that the large bookstores came along, putting the small shops out of business and now they are pricing the books so high, that they are bound to go out of business too. One day we will be passing our books down to our children as antique rarities. The Book is GREAT! I love it so far, each story is written brilliantly and different from anything I have read before.

Thinking of Jennifer

Jennifer was my sister. She loved to read. In the weeks prior to her death, as she knew it was coming, she read the Diary of Anais Nin. She told me not to save any books to read later, like saving a treat for a rainy day. Read it now! When I found this quote by Anais Nin I immediately remembered that Jennifer's motto was: As a thing is viewed, so it appears. Now I understand why she chose to read that book. I am still in awe of her.

Kicking Back

      There is nothing like eating tangerines and watching cartoons, surrounded by toys, to make your day.

Life is not Fiction

Just Joking Around

A guy walks into a bar and tells the bartender to line up five shots of his best whiskey.
The bartender does as the guy asks and watches the guy gulp each shot one right after the other.
The bartender asks the guy, "why are you drinking like that"?
The guy says, "You'd drink like that too if you had what I have".
The bartender feels bad and says, "Wow, what do you have"?
And the guy replies, "Fifty Cents".
Thank you all for your good thoughts, Court couldn't have gone better!

Honesty Please!

We have court tomorrow on Joshua's behalf. Please keep us in your thoughts and send us good energy to help guide us on our path. Please send us clarity, compassion, and good judgement. Please let our honesty and integrity shine through so all can see that our only wish is to provide love and protection to a child. And when it is through, I will think of something funny for you. But, this is more important and weighs on me too heavily for levity.

Don't Forget What We Did!

 It started with these. 

 It looked like this.

 They lived like this. 

These people were American Citizens. These people were neighbors and friends of ours. 

These people were rounded up and sent to camps. These people were people just like you and me. Let's not forget what we were capable of and NEVER let our selves sink this low again. 

There was absolutely NOTHING funny about it. 

This Is Just Cruel

Om

Happy Valentines Day

Roses are Red

Daffodils are yellow

I am lucky 

I found a nice fellow.

If you have a Valentine, Kiss them, and let them know how special they are. 

If you don't, get on it. 

I guess some are stranger than others.

I have heard this about dogs, because showing your teeth can be interpreted as a treat. But in the Subway? What is the world coming to? I will smile if I want to, anywhere, anytime, most of the time.

Who gets the Rose?

Happy New Year!

                                                        The Year of the Snake!
                                     Gong Hey Fat Choy

Oh Whoops.

Imagine Jesus was eating bread and wine and snacks with his disciples one day and he was just eating with his hands because he didn't have utensils and his friend said, Jesus were you born in a barn? and Jesus just.... 

reddit credit (cleaned up)

Spot On

This is Spot. As you can see he is important to Joshua, a favorite among his friends. Well Joshua took him with him to his Mom's and that was the last we saw of Spot. After the third Toy Shop we found Spot again. Joshua said, "Spot is so soft". Maybe he knew Spot was new, maybe not, it is not important, it is only important that his friend is there when Joshua wants to hold him when he sleeps. You have to love all the stuffed friends that have comforted little people.

Ah Youth!

My Wonderful friend's daughter sent me these tonight. It feels like yesterday that I was this girl. Isn't that so funny?

We Need This Sign

Audio

           One time I was listening to an Audio Book, Tara Road, while driving up to Oregon. I was on the last chapter when my turnoff from High 5 came up. I wanted to hear the end of the story, but I didn't want to sit out in front of my good friends house, possibly making them feel that the ending to a book was more important than they were, so I just kept driving to the next town and then doubled back. We all must do what we must do. 

Don't Forget the Grocery List!

                This very important grocery list was found in the supermarket parking lot.
reddit credit

Yeah Football!

I don't care about football.

I don't care at all.

A bunch of guys,

chasing a ball. 

They kick it,

they throw it and

dance a little jig. 

The ball is made, 

from the skin of a pig?

You're all so excited, 

good for you.

I'm glad you enjoy it, 

That is good too. 

While you are watching,

Your big screen TV's.

The roadways are empty

Shopping a breeze.

The restaurants are quiet,

The beaches are free. 

So keep up the spirit,

For Superbowl Sunday is, 

So pleasant for me. 

Stupid

I am very lucky in my life, I have lots of people I can be stupid with. It's a good thing too, as I often am stupid. 

Of Course!

After asking my husband if he still had my car keys. After searching all over the house and dumping my purse. After using my spare set to go to class, coming home and looking all over and under everything. It dawned on me that I remembered that my grandson had been playing with the Toucan flashlight near the pantry. It only took me a couple of days to find them. Oh the joys of having toddlers around, I had almost forgotten.