I’d better get this post live before my internet goes out.

Greetings, readers. Yes, tomorrow, perhaps the next day, my internet, cable and phone will be shut off for a while. It’s been a tough month financially as unexpected expenditures occurred. Now, I’m behind the 8-ball. Payday is Friday at midnight, but almost all of it will immediately be used to get things turned back on again, or to start to pay the vet’s bill. 

I know I’m not the only person in America who has the problem. I hear stories all the time. What’s worse, I live alone! If I had a wife and kids to help support, I would be tougher…, I think. Perhaps the support of my spouse and her income would ease the burden. Of course, there’d be other difficulties with a family. There would be bills for home repair, children’s doctor’s appointments if I were younger and other things of that nature. Every situation in life has its pluses and minuses. 

Speaking of nature, Mother Nature is set to give some of us a punch tomorrow. I’ve heard everything from 10 inches of snow to just rain. It’s going to depend on the temperature and how far inland the storm comes. Personally, I hope that it’s not bad enough for the cafe to close, because I need the money. 

Yes, readers, I’ve much on my mind right now, but fear not, I hope to either have my internet back on, or be at a place that has internet so I can write Wednesday’s blog entry. I’ll either write it from home, or from Panera. 😉 

Until then, stay safe, love one another, do an act of kindness, be well, and as always, happy reading. 

Tribute to a friend, brother and long-time BSC camper, Bobby S.

[As per the family’s request, last name withheld for privacy reasons] Greetings, readers. This is a tough one for me. When I got the news from Bobby’s sister that he had passed away, I literally had to sit down and I cried. I had known Bear Spring Camps regular, Bobby S. since I was a little boy. His whole family is dear to me and now that’s three of the clan who has gone to that big cabin in the sky. 

I know that I call a lot of non-family members family, but it is how I feel. Dave Trost is my brother, Cy Greco was my uncle and Bobby, and his family were and are my family. That’s all there is to it. 

Bobby did not go to camp every year. When he was in his teens, jobs etc. took up his time. Every so often though, when the family would enter the office or when they appeared at mom’s cabin to say hello, if Bobby was among them, I’d jump up and give him a huge hug. He looked like his dad and sounded like his mom. 

With me now 58 and a half years old, his passing has made me think about my own mortality. Nobody lives forever, even though I wish I could sometimes. Life for the most part is fun. I’ve always made it a general rule to be a big kid in a man’s body. One day though, all of us campers will join him and the other dearly departed BSCers in the eternal camp in heaven. 

Bobby, my man, I love you, I’m going to miss you, and in about 20 years or so, oh boy are we all going to have one hell of a porch party! Until then, my man…….. 

Until Friday, take good care, love each other, give a family member a hug, and as always, happy reading. 

From the writing book: What TV show, past or present, do you wish your life was like?

Greetings, readers. Oh boy! This is a tough one. I can only choose one show? Well now, I’ve watched hundreds and hundreds of shows over my 56+ years, ranging from football games to sit-coms to crime dramas. Now I must choose one show that I wish my life was like. Ok… here we go.

After thinking about it carefully, I’ve selected The Waltons. Yes, I know that they grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. However, how joyous it would have been to have loved all those siblings, especially at holiday times. Now yes, technically I am an only child, yet I call a select group of close friends, my brothers, sisters, Aunts and Uncles.

A huge part of being in the life setting would have been living in that large farmhouse. We’d wake up to the rooster, have our meals on a long, picnic table, and be taught proper life values and lessons. Even though my mom and dad provided for me and loved me, they…, and I fell short on getting ready for real life.

Readers, you might be asking yourself, why would you want to grow up during that era? The answer is that going through hardships makes one appreciate what one has much more than if it is simply handed to them. That was my big problem. Anything I needed or wanted…, I usually got. 😦 I feel guilty saying that, but it was the truth. I wish that I’d have gotten a job at 15 years old and learned to save and handle money.

I just know I’ll be hearing that old theme song from The Waltons in my head all day now. Lol. I can handle it. Until Thursday, have a great day, pray for peace, love one another, and as always, happy reading.

From the idea book: ‘What is your idea of the perfect summer?’

Greetings, readers. I have bounced back in my mood and my energy level and feel like writing the answer to the second writing book idea. This entry should be fairly easy for me to write, for a lot of very happy memories come from my childhood. So…, let’s talk perfection.

My perfect summer would begin on the last day school. That final bell would ring, and hundreds of happy kids would pour out of the school building. I would hop into my mom’s old Chrysler, and off to Burger King we’d go for a milkshake. That was an end of school tradition. Next it was home to change into my older clothes and wait for friend David to come and toss the football around or play Wiffle Ball.

As a child, I usually stayed close to home with family and friends. I was a shy kid and thought I might say something goofy and be laughed at. I had my records and tapes to keep me occupied inside and Dave to play with outside. Every great once in a while, the whole family would pack the car and go for a long weekend at the Altoona Sheraton hotel. [now defunct] I couldn’t wait to get there and splash into the big, indoor pool. I’m smiling right this second just thinking about that old place. 🙂

There would be many days filled with bike rides, ball games, record listening sessions and laughter. Evenings, my favorite time of summer would be spent looking for fireflies, hearing crickets and wishing we had lights in the circle at which we lived. Yes, we called it Willard Circle Stadium. It was perfect for baseball with two trees where 1st and 3rd base were, and driveways to mark the homeruns!

Then, of course, August came around and it was time to go to Bear Spring Camps. Central Maine is probably my favorite spot in all the country to vacation at. In August, warm days and cool evening are the norm, but…, when there’s a heatwave going on, you swelter on top of the bed. Even window fans don’t seem to do much for me. I just lie there and gasp for oxygen.

Most times though days in Maine are filled with boating, fishing and get-togethers. Evenings come alive with bonfires, storytelling and songs. Then, before you can say, “Hop-a-long Kockelmans”, it’s bedtime. Time for a good rest so that we can all get up next morning and do it again.

Vivid memories of childhood summers are engraved in my brain. Too many to relate here. I’ll throw you all a tidbit every now and again. Until Monday, do take good care, bless all, think peace, not war, and as always, happy reading.

Please stay safe and healthy!

Greetings, readers. In these uncertain times, with the Coronavirus running rampant, I am hoping that everybody is staying inside and adhering to social distancing. I had to make a very quick run to the Target store down the street. In and out in 20 minutes; a new record!

I just wanted to let family, friends and regular readers know that I am okay and staying in my cave…, I mean, apartment. 🙂 I spoke to Rebecca the other day and she and her family are also alright, thank God.

Okay, I’ll be back in touch with updates soon. Until then, PLEASE stay healthy, check on one another by phone or email, and spread love all around. Oh…, and as always…, happy reading. 😉

 

From Rebecca: Joe’s surgery was today

Hi, Joe’s readers. Joe had surgery on his shoulder today. I haven’t talked to him directly, but I got a message from one of his friends telling me that his procedure went well. I could hear his voice in the background and he sounded good. I don’t know how long it will take for him to have use of his right arm again, but I hope it is soon. Joe will probably tell you everything about it himself next week in a blog entry.

I missed having work time with Joe, but I did have a good day otherwise. I got the chance to see my stepfather and sister for the first time in months, and had fun. It was a spur of the moment meeting, which I usually have trouble saying yes to, but everything fell into place so smoothly that I easily agreed to do it. I would not have been able to see them today if Joe and I had been working as usual, so it seemed like fate that I could be there. I’m sorry Joe had to have surgery, but I am glad I got to see two members of the family that I don’t see every week.

Well, that is all the news I’ve got. Joe will be back next Wednesday with a new blog entry. Until then, as he would write, have a good week, take care, and happy reading.

It’s holiday time again :-)

Greetings, readers. In just a few hours one of my favorite days will begin. I love Thanksgiving because it has a number of traditions I took part in as a kid and I continue to do to this day.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day. I’ll get up fairly early, have my morning coffee and take my meds, and get ready to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Then, a relatively new tradition, if I’m at home, I’m invited out to dinner with Traci and her family. Some years I’m invited to my best friend, David’s, house to take part in their celebration. That is always enjoyable, because I either go by Zipcar or Megabus and make a weekend of it.

After I get back from Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, I will watch what is left of any football games, and take a nap. After I wake up, I will turn on Spotify music and play my hand-selected Christmas Trax. I’d have to say of all the songs I have on that playlist, Earth Kitt’s Santa Baby is my favorite. I performed that at my last show; it was a hit. Please, if you have Spotify, find me, follow me, and subscribe to that playlist, or any playlists of mine you wish.

To me, the Christmas season, even though it might start earlier or later for other people, was always from Thanksgiving morning until the day after New Year’s. At home as a child, I would watch my parents put up the tree, most years a live tree, decorate it and plug the lights in; it was so much fun to watch it come alive, as I used to say. There are holiday parades and bowl games during this part of the year, the town is decorated with pretty lights and lit wreaths and a big Christmas tree, and yes, even those first snow storms are pretty. Once the car tires get into it and turn the snow black, well you can have it. Black snow might be the ugliest sight in the world.

I always get a tiny bit depressed on January 2nd. Some people in my building will already be taking down their holiday decorations and the season will be over. What’s left is three months of trees with no leaves, grass that does not look green, snow, cold, and wind. Oh joy, oh bliss. And yes, readers, I am being sarcastic.

With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I will let you know what I am thankful for. I am thankful to have a roof over my head and that it is downtown close to many places I need to go, such as shopping and bus stops. I’m also thankful for my many friends and people I call family. I am especially thankful for Rebecca who has been my trusted friend, typist and editor for all these years. In the last year or two she has actually graduated to a title of personal assistant.

I am most thankful for Tasha, my former co-worker at my fast-food job, and her mother for providing me with a wonderful kitty cat. Princess Josie has become most affectionate and loving. We are really getting to know each other’s habits, and believe me she knows that when I wake up, it is time for her breakfast. She’ll make a mad dash for the kitchen. So again, thank you Tasha and mom.

If anyone would like to, please leave in the comments below or on Facebook what you are thankful for. I would love to compare notes. As always, I wish everyone a safe holiday if traveling, give your family members plenty of hugs, and as always, happy reading.

Top ten list of things I would have liked to do in life

Greetings, readers. This is not a list to bash my self-esteem, but it might just serve to open my eyes and let me see some of the jobs or occupations I dreamed about having when I was younger. So here we go, and as always this is not in any particular order, except for #1.

#10. Be a writer with a lot of books and screenplays under my belt. [Over the last fifteen years or so, I’ve had many good starts on writing projects but they all seem to fizzle out quickly. Sometimes it is a problem with the story line, other times people beat me to the good idea, and a lot of times it is my body not cooperating.]

#9. Own my own vehicle again. [After my 2008 crash and other issues I won’t get into, my monetary situation is such that owning a vehicle is impossible. It’s too much money for maintenance, repairs, gas, parking, etc.]

#8. Play sports. [At age 52 and a half, my days of playing a pick-up game of football or softball are long behind me. My legs and knees are stiff and sometimes it is a chore just to jog across the street.]

#7. Have a son to carry on my name. [My plan to have a family young, in my 20s or 30s. is long gone. For me to be a father, I would either have to adopt a child or marry someone young enough to have a child. Most women in the age bracket of 20s or 30s would find it creepy to marry someone in their 50s.]

#6. Be a professional entertainer. [For years I was so shy, I lip-synced in all my musical performances that I did for family, friends, and, later, for my pals in my apartment building. Now that I’ve learned to drop my shields and actually sing, I’ve found out that I am not all that bad. Another chance wasted. I could have been the next member of KISS. Lol.]

#5. Own a house. [Yes, good old pride of ownership. I know it comes with its costs. I’d have to pay property taxes, mow the lawn, and fix the pipes. But I would have loved every minute of it. When I go to visit Dave and family in their house, I feel like I’m home. Here, it just feels like I’m in my apartment.]

#4. Be a TV sports broadcaster. [When I was a child, I loved watching Curt Gowdy call NFL football games. He had a style all his own. Later, there were the teams of Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy, and of course, Dick Enburg and Merlin Olsen. My favorite sportscaster though was the incomparable Howard Cosell. He knew his job inside and out, was incredibly intelligent, and covered every event from football to boxing with style and dignity.]

#3. Be a truck driver. [For a while when I was younger I had the notion of being a truck driver. I would have been able to see the country and do something I love to do; drive. Health reasons killed that idea.]

#2. Be a talk show host or D.J. [When I was a little boy, I had an old-fashioned tape recorder and I would pretend I was a D.J. I would announce the songs and then play them on my record player. It was so much fun. I also loved Johnny Carson of the Tonight Show. I had a fantasy that one day maybe I would have my own talk show or take over for him when he retired.]

#1. Be a pilot [I’ve always been fascinated by aircraft and my dream as an early teen was to be a commercial airline pilot. My health issues at age 16 ended that dream promptly.]

Well, there it is. Again, I’m not trying to throw myself a pity party. I’m just showing you, my readers, and me, my missed opportunities. I’m starting to find my niche in life and it could very well be that I write plays and either adapt them to a novel or give it to someone else to do it. Dialog just seems to be my thing.

Until tomorrow, have a great day, take care, and happy reading.

From Rebecca: Happy Thanksgiving Day 2017

Greetings, Joe’s readers. I hope you are all having a good holiday. In the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving Day with food, family, football, and, for some of us, a nap. For those of you not celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope you are also having a day of good food, family gatherings, and maybe a nap. May all of us feel blessed.

Joe will be back with new entries next week. Until then, take care, have a great weekend, and happy reading.

From Rebecca: The day before Thanksgiving

Darren and I are going to have his mother over for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, and we have a few things to do to get ready. The main thing today is to deep clean the apartment, something we do about every two months. We know we should do it more often, but we just don’t. We keep things clean in general all the time – we do the dishes every day, put things back where they belong so that clutter doesn’t accumulate, and take the trash and recycling out at least once a week. Today, though, we will be cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, and running the vacuum. It takes us about 45 minutes to get through it, and having his mother over tomorrow is a good push to do our deep clean.

Joe got on a bus this morning, traveling to visit his buddy-brother David and the family for a long holiday weekend. He has been so excited about seeing family members he only sees a few times a year. Many of them he last saw in August at Bear Spring Camps, but a few of them weren’t there this year, I think. Anyway, I expect he will have a lot of fun and fellowship.

Darren will cook the dinner tomorrow, while I get his mom. We don’t cook a whole turkey, but instead he will bake sliced turkey breast under gravy, and make some mashed potatoes and carrots to go with it. It will be a small family gathering but a good one. I am one of the lucky people in this world to get along with a mother-in-law. I love Mom a lot and she loves me back.

I am grateful for so much in my life; my family, my friends, my books and shows and other entertainments, as much health as I do have, my physical comforts, having a car (Joe’s life would be easier at times owning a car, so I see first-hand what a blessing it is), and my dear husband. I appreciate Thanksgiving day for the yearly reminder to count our blessings and say thanks. It is so easy to focus on what we don’t have, what we wish we had, and how we wish life was different. It is a good thing to be in gratitude.

That is it for today. Tomorrow I will post a quick greeting, then next week Joe will be back, probably with a top ten list. Take care, have a great day, and happy reading.