But, first, some advice for my college-going grandson and anyone else who wants it: Few things are more satisfying than setting a goal and achieving it.
– – – 0 – – –
Last week I closed by promising to convince myself I’m on the right side of the sod.
Last week I complained of Mother Nature’s shortage of swimming weather. However, Momma Nature also gives us comfortable temperatures, glorious sunsets and sunrises, autumn colors, materials to make all those beautiful landscapes in so many yards and power.
We’re provided with music for every taste. Sunday morning polkas where I get my weekly lift with ‘Just Because,? a cassette of Ray Stevens? ‘Misty,? country, jazz, arias, big bands, Dixie, instrumentals and vocals.
And we can get humor almost anytime. Radio’s 1940s shows, television’s comedy hours for likes of all ages via current shows or recordings and skits of Lucy and Skelton, sitcoms like ‘Everybody Loves Raymond? and later with Leno and Letterman.
I love to laugh. John Patrell loaned me 18 Dean Martin Shows from the 1970s. Guests like Dom DeLuise, Jonathon Winters and Bob Newhart break me up. It feels good to have to reach for a tissue.
Another warming, glad-to-be-alive feeling comes with the grandkids. The 5-year-old twins are mischievously funny, the 8-year-old is refreshing in her changing ways, the 16-year-old delights me with her efforts to convince me I’m wrong about everything and the 19-year-old is showing maturity that I’m sure will make the family proud.
There are so many ‘good? things that happen every day. The morning paper is a must for me. Sure it has numerous negative headlines of killings, crashes, crime and politics, but one doesn’t have to linger on them.
There are columnists for various likes and viewpoints, sports, fashion, arts, things to fill this slow reader’s cup of coffee time before he tackles a crossword puzzle. I got into those when daughter Luan told me it would help keep my mind from deteriorating. I’m not sure it works.
Must be I enjoy playing golf because I play it four times a week. But what gives me as much or more enjoyment is sitting in the bar afterward sipping a beer with friends. Fellowship and relationships are perhaps the greatest things we have on this side of the sod.
They may be on the other side of the sod, too, but we should all make the best of what we have here just in case.
We have our churches with various beliefs to follow, an assortment of schools, a society that offers opportunity and a government that lets us participate in it with our vote.
Let’s not forget our pets. Kids and their gerbils, cats for everyone, dogs for hunting and companionship and snakes, turtles, rodents, fishies, bunnies, etc. that bring us entertainment, satisfaction and what we like to think of as love.
Of course we have our toys, whether they be fancy sewing machines or snowmobiles, computers or tractors, and grills, tools, hobbyists collections, power boats, skis, etc. Name a toy and somewhere there’s a happy owner.
Personally, I like lawn and garden activity. I have four mowers. An old Toro 3-reeler, an even older hand pusher, a John Deere rotary cutter, and my favorite, a Ransomes 3-reeler. And, two power weed whips, a roto-tiller, an aerator and three fertilizer spreaders, and that does not include my friends Sals and Patrell.
When I’m in my yard I know I’m on the right side of the sod.