Pages

Friday, December 26, 2014

MAN CAVE

                                       
      














                       MAN CAVE
Most guys have a Man Cave or a place with that name.
A place they can go for their emotions to tame.
To some it is just a closed door, and to some it is a sign
That says “do not enter”, which seems so benign.

Some caves say No Trespassing, or Private or just Keep Out,
What happens in here, stays here, “You Shout.”
Young males love a Man Cave, or so it seems,
But Mom comes in and makes a mess as she cleans.

As Males get older their caves seem to evolve
Into a place you can go to read or write or a mystery solve.
It could be a garage or a spare room or a place just for you.
A place to “hang out” and to do just what you want to do.

In a garage you may turn some bolts on an old V-8,
But some people won’t do that because the grease they hate.
The Man Cave could be full of fitness gear, for those not to old.
I wouldn’t know but that’s what I have been told.

Most Man Caves gather collections of “Things” as they grow
Things that in the garbage, you don’t want to throw.
They are a sanctuary of sorts for a male to hang out
With electronics and paper and stuff scattered about.  

In my case if I cannot sleep at night, I toss and turn, and give up the fight.
I crawl out of bed, sneak down the hall, shut the door and turn on the light
In my Man Cave sanctuary, for a few hours or ALL NIGHT.
I wonder what others would think, as I sat in my “unders” would it be a sight?

There is saying now days, “I just want to do my thing.”
Until the cell phone disturbs me with its “bling, bling.”
Then my feet seem to say, “Do we have to stay cold?”
So I turn up the space heater to 80, why not be bold?

My electronics are now ready as I gaze everywhere.
The red lights are blinking, the orange ones just “stare.”
The screen savers keep staring at me, and they seem to say,
Are you going to use us or are you just here to play?

My wife used to tell me, “this place is a disgusting mess.”
“If you don’t take anyone in there, it will be OK I guess”
She seemed to forget she had a craft room you see,
And it was known as “The Junk Room” to the family and me.

I sit in my Man Cave and look out the window to see
The snow is falling and the wind is blowing the leaves from the tree.
I am comfy and warm and my space heater doth glow
And if the blinds were pulled I would not know about the snow.

I do lots of different things in this Man Cave of mine.
What I do is constructive, at least most of the time.
I keep track of my blogs, and my Android keeps beeping,
But most of the time I search for the dead, for my record keeping.

Genealogy is addicting, as I seek out the names to my record I post.
Of the things I do in my Man Cave I cherish genealogy the most.
In the middle of the night or mid-day they call
Come on and find us, please come and find us all.

MY Man Cave was not planned, it seemed just to evolve,
And I spend most of my days there trying mysteries to solve
About dead people, and places and feelings that abound,
Of friends, family, and feelings all around.


W.R. Baldwin 25 Nov 2014

Friday, December 12, 2014

THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Yes, I know it is not the day before Christmas, but then this was penned several years ago but the feelings are still about the same and with my crippled wrist I will not get a new Christmas blog done before Christmas Eve so I decided to resurecte this one.  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE.

     THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS         W.R. BALDWIN 1997
It’s the day before Christmas and all through the house
Not a creature is stirring, I hope not a mouse.
We are retired you see and we may sleep all day.
Or as they used to say, we won’t get out of the hay.

It’s the day before Christmas for young and for old,
But only the young want to go out in the cold.
It did snow some last night and it sparkles so pretty,
But I’ll sit by the fire and read something witty.

It’s the day before Christmas and Mom is still cleaning,
While on the snow shovel I don’t want to be leaning.
The sun will come out, while I wait in my hovel
And all of that snow, I will not have to shovel.

At 10:30 AM that darn phone gives a ring.
Who is calling so early on that blasted thing?
I jump out of my bed and to the kitchen I rush,
I stumble on the vacuum and a present I crush.

I say “gosh darn”, or “goodness” or something like that.
I struggle to get up and I step on the black cat.
That cat gives a screech and heads for the door,
Putting nice little mud paws all over the floor.

And then come the kids and grandkids galore,
All pushing their way in through the back door.
It’s Christmas Time, I say to myself
As I look at the phone, putting it back on the shelf.

It’s the Day before Christmas for one and for all.
We have dinner together, and all have a ball.
Santa comes down the stairs. His bells all a jungle,
And the little ones insides just start to tingle.

And I look at my family and sit in my chair
And say, “what a family”, none can compare.
The cat and the cleaning, and the dog and the phone
Just don’t make a difference when were all at home.

CANTANKEROUS CARL'S -My Memory of broken wrist

YES, I know I do not have pants on!!!!! Have you ever tried to put pants on using only ONE hand???????

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

TYPICAL DAY

                                        TYPICAL DAY?

                                                                            

DO ALL TYPICAL

DAYS START

LIKE THIS ????











I wake up and turn over and pull up the quilt under my chin. I am not sure I want to get up? I think it is too darn cold! However I know a new day has started so I must do my routine. I make sure both feet are set firmly on the floor. I head for the shower, which used to take 15 minutes but now takes a half hour or more. I get dressed-about an hour. I make my bed-20 minutes. I try to decide what to fix for breakfast-20 minutes. I then fix breakfast-it could be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, but usually about one half hour. I eat breakfast- 10 minutes and I am ready to face the day. OR AM I?

I try to remember what my USUAL DAY is like? It usually consists of checking the phone to see if anyone has called. Then I check the computer and the Android to see if have been checked up on? All that done I read the newspaper, but I really did not have to because it is just like yesterdays, with a few names and places changed. (How ever I really have to check and see if there are any "dead people" there that I know?)

Then I take my meds being very careful to be sure and take the one that causes me to go to the bathroom and then I am careful to be sure and take the one that stops me from going to the bathroom?? I think to myself "couldn't I just not take either one of them and that would balance things out"? I suppose not that would be to easy.

Well by now my day is more than half over and I don't feel like I have accomplished much. Should I take a nap or should I let the positive side of my brain take over? I think to myself- My sister may call and want to do lunch where we eat, visit and reminisce. We always enjoy that (In fact the food seems to take a back seat to the visiting.)

Then the thought pops in my head--If I take a nap and do not go out, who will "pay off" the  kids in a restaurant when they get $1.00 for having good manners and being polite? That is a fun thing I started doing several years ago when I was traveling a lot, and I still do it. It is fun to see the big smile that comes on the kids face when they each get $1.00 which is all their own. And the look on the Mom or Dad's face is sometimes more fun to watch than the kids.

If I take a nap now who will smile at the 7-11 workers and tell them Merry Christmas. Who will help the older ladies get their groceries in the trunk of their car and the shopping cart back to it's stand? Who will write my grand kids and give the "sage advice" from an old Grandpa? If I nap all day will someone else do those things? Then I realize some people are depending on the "tender mercies" of life done through people like me?

After this short spurt of thought my mind really gets going and I recall asking a lady at the hospital if it was OK to tell her I liked her dress? She got tears in her eyes and said, "Oh yes, no man has ever told me that before." Now at this point I thought "I could be thought of as a masher" (a Masher is a word from MY generation.)

Now I am thinking of how it is the small everyday things we do that really makes people happy. We do not know their problems and we do not know their trials, but I do know that a smile and a kind word usually gets the same thing in return.

I suppose by now you have figured out I like people and I love my family. People not so much in big bunches but one on one or a few at a times works for me. At least then I can hear what they have to say. Ha Ha--( I wear hearing aids- and others that do, will know what I am talking about.)

After my mind processed all this stuff an amazing thing came to mind. "People depend on me!" It is amazing what a positive attitude will do.

No nap for me today, maybe I can help someone be happy and they can do the same for me. In fact not just today but many, many more days. No nap for me I am going out among the "folks."

I can smile and talk to them as friends and family. I can give them a hug (I am not a masher) I truly love my family and friends and especially this time of year.  From Halloween to New Years Day was my wife's special season and I am glad some of it has rubbed off on me.

I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving, A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

TOUCHE (my signature name for the people I love.)

   

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

(GETTING OLDER)--THE BACK NINE HOLES

I had nothing to do with writing this. It was sent to me by one of my Hiawatha Friends (Max Reaveley). It coincides so much with what I do and say the past year or so that I want to pass it on
WALLY

THE BACK NINE HOLES

I FIRST STARTED READING THIS EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK. READ SLOWLY!


AND THEN IT IS WINTER


You know ... time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.


But, here it is... the back nine of my life and it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?


I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.


But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd become.


Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!


And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though I’m on the back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's over. A new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.


So, if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you’re on the back nine or not!


You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!


"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY ! HAVE A GREAT DAY Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE HAPPY IN 2015!


LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:
~Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect!
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because some people forgot they even knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything like golf.
~The things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore, but you really do care that you aren't as interested.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV 'ON' than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep".
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ???
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear.

~~~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!


Stay well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!!! It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.


TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE, SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS


Thursday, November 20, 2014

WHO AM I

      ? ? ?
                                            WHO AM I
As I contemplated myself and my family today
I thought to myself: Who am I?
Did I come here on earth with a mission in mind
Or just to live and to die?

Was I sent here as a babe for my mother to love
To hold and cuddle when I cry?
Or was I sent to accomplish some wonderful thing?
Someone please tell me; Who am I?

As I grew as a lad, met friends and had fun
Amid the mountains and blue, blue sky,
Did I imagine myself doing some good
Or did I wonder to myself; Who am I?

I sit at my desk amid albums, journals and books
Of my wife, my family and I.
And I thought to myself, heaven forbid,
Does this really record; Who am I?

I grow older it seems and years 40 and 50 go by
But I don’t think of myself as being old.
Year 60 did come and year 70 went by
And I looked in the mirror; Who am I?

We go to reunions, we reminisce and we dream
Of the good old days gone by
And I think to myself as I sit here and write
Does ANYONE really know; Who am I?

What was my role in this life here on earth,
Did my spirit direct me aright?
Did I trod the right path; did I do what is right?
Please help me know; Who am I?

With direction from father, mother and wife,
Did they all help me get through this old life?
Have I done any good? With anguish I cry,
I need an answer from someone; Who am I?

My challenges in life from a babe till old age
Brought a little strife, but also much joy
To the old man I am, from the time I was a boy.
Now I’m beginning to see; Who am I?

As a spirit of God I started, before this life.
Then a boy, a husband and father did rise
And I looked in the mirror with wide open eyes.
And I said Father now I know; Who am I?

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

HUGS


                                    HUGS
   I walked into the room where our family had gathered for what we call one of our family get to gathers. Immediately I started getting the “hugs” from everyone. This was nothing new it has happened as long as I can remember. Of course there are all kinds of “hugs.” Some people like to give you a great big bear hug that feels like they are breaking you in half. Then there are the ones that put their arms on your shoulder so light it feels like a feather just settled on you. But for the most part a hug is just a squeeze and a comment. As I have said this has been going on for years in our family.
   This particular day, when the hugs were all finished, I sat in my “observation chair” to watch and listen what was going on. I started thinking more deeply about “hugs.” (Why do I always have to do that—Ha Ha) Anyway at that point I had decided that “hugs” were a sign of affection or perhaps a feeling that you get when you have not seen a person for a long time and so a hug becomes a sign of a happy reunion. However even though it could be someone you have not seen since your childhood, it also could be someone who is a very good friend and you saw them just last week?
   Hugs are not all the same, there are some people who DO NOT LIKE a “hug”, for whatever reason? Their reaction if they get cornered is usually to turn their head and try to escape--- very uncomfortably I think? They may give you a “Hi” or something like that. Some people do not like a hug when they are in an emotional state, because a hug at that time usually starts the pent-up emotional tears to start to flow. However when they are emotional is exactly the time some people need a big sincere hug” and a comforting comment.
   I am about as far as you can get from being an English Major, but I think that “Hug” has to be an action word. A lot of times a “hug” happens spontaneously but it still takes a reason, feelings and some action for a sincere big hug.
   There are a lot of reasons for a “Hug.”
*Thanks for being there when I needed someone.
*Thanks for coming.
*Thanks for being so good with my kids.
*Thanks for dinner- lunch or breakfast.
*Thanks for just being a friend.
In addition to being an action word a “hug “is almost always connected with thanks in one way or another.
   A “hug” can also be a non-verbal feeling. They can be given without saying a word and both people feel the comfort, consolation or happiness that comes from a sincere “hug.”
   However I also have found out that a hug from a BIG OLDER ADULT to a toddler, in many cases is a scary thing for the toddler. I have seen –and had- a few cases where the Grandpa reaches out to give the Grandchild a hug and they run for MOM as fast as their little legs can carry them. They either hide behind Mom (their protector) or hold on to their leg so tight that Mom cannot move.
   My wife was in a wheelchair for the last few years she was with us and the coming and going ritual of “hugs” was an interesting thing. She loved “hugs” from all of her family and friends. When it was time for a party to break up she would set in her chair and wait to say goodbye to each one. The tall ones would almost bend in half to give her a hug and the little ones would crawl up on the wheelchair for a hug and they knew they would get a ride with grandma before they left.
   I have not taken a survey or anything like that but I personally think most “hugs” happen in a time of stress, a time of happiness, a time of joy or a time of extreme sadness and sometimes a combination of  some of them.
   I think a hug is GOOD THERAPY. I know I like a good sincere hug and I think most people do.
 
W.R. Baldwin

12 Nov 2014


Thursday, November 6, 2014

Cantankerous Carl's Worries?

Today I have been thinking of a truth that Elizabeth Gilbert once said."I don't have much fear of getting older, but I do dread that someday a wicked genie will make me go back and live my 20's all over again."

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

ELECTION DAY

                                                                             
                                    ELECTION DAY
4 November 2014
Well today is (or should be) the big day I have been waiting for. Election Day 2014 is here and the thoughts are running around in my head driving me crazy. I don’t know if it is because of the situations in the county or if I am just more aware or perhaps I just have more time to think about it now that I am older.

I got up early and went and voted at 8:00 AM so I could relax from my “stewing” the rest of the day.

In any case I really am happy that I live in the county where I have a right to exercise my right to vote as I want and then hope I choose the right person and ideas and actually accomplish some good with my vote. I then hope my vote gets counted and that someone who has been PAID or REWARDED to vote does not cancel my vote.

With all the rampant and contradicting things that are being said on TV, the Internet and Newspapers it is hard to sort out the truth from the blatant lies that are floating around. I suppose my answer to all this was to read all I could and listen to those running for office and then pick the ones who SEEM to think the closest to what I do and then go VOTE for them. But then---were they saying what they really feel or were they just pandering to people to get voted into office?

We as a nation are on a slippery slope just as the people in the Book of Mormon and the Bible days and if we do not repent; we will probably meet the same fate they did.

Well I better hurry and post this before I change my mind. I do not do well with politics and I decided when I first started my Blog that politics and religion would both be a small part of it.

               Wally

Saturday, November 1, 2014

WHAT AM I USED FOR?



















The item is made out of glass. It is about one inch thick and three
and one-half inches diameter. It has a pattern of holes in it. Does
anyone know what it is?

Thursday, October 30, 2014

FUNERALS & FRIENDS

   I attended a funeral today for a long time friend and his family. Of course they say that funerals are held for the person that has passed away, and that may be true. However I know they are also held for the family that is left behind. 
   I talked today to his wife of many, many years and to his children who grew up with my children. We reminised about many things we did together over the years and the fun times we have had and friendships we enjoyed.
   Someone once told me the joy is in the journey and not just the beginning and the end. As I get older I realize that is very, very true.
   When I got home I started rummaging through some of my old "stuff"and found the little note here below.
   I think it is still up to date--------

Wally



             FUNERALS & FRIENDS

My wife and I sat in the funeral that day,
And listened to what people had to say.
They talked about friends in the days of yore.
Some were young and some old, who entered the door.

I thought to myself, “What is a friend to me?”
Is that hard to decide, or easy to see.
Some we call friends are from long days past.
Where we made friendships that would forever last.

Sometimes in our youth, our lifetime friends we pick,
Those that will stay with us through thin and thick.
Some friends we pick as older we grow.
Some will always stick by us and some will go.

Whoever they are, these friends that we choose,
It is a comfort to know that we will not loose
Their friendship and comfort as life goes on
Perhaps even after the resurrection’s dawn?

W.R. Baldwin

April 2005

Friday, October 24, 2014

THE SHACK

                                                                          THE SHACK                
   I am pretty sure that all kids who grew up in small towns around the country in the 1940’s and 1950’s had a place they used to like to go just to “hang out”. Some were places in a park, some were old caves they had found, some were special places in a grove of trees but mine was “The Shack”.
   It was without a doubt the place where I spent the most time other than my home. I also usually had friends with me.
   The house we lived in at the time was in a part of town called “string town” and it was right by the railroad tracks. This is where my Dad and I built “The Shack”. It was a building about 10 x 12 feet. (It seemed a lot bigger when I was young.) However the important thing is that it was ALL MINE. It was like a castle to me. It was a hideaway- even if it was just a few feet from our home, when we were in it we felt like we were isolated from the world.
   Dad and I collected and saved used “Dummy Doors” for about a year. It is hard to explain what a “Dummy Door” is without seeing it. They were used in the box-cars on the railroad to block off the sections of the cars, or to block the doors so that when they were opened the coal would not fall out. When the R/R was finished with them they just left them in the empty cars and when they got to Hiawatha they just threw them out. Dad asked if he could have some of them and they told him yes. So we saved them, split them apart, saved the nails and wood and eventually built the shack with them.
   Dad poured a cement slab in the corner of our lot and that is where “The Shack” was located. It had a sliding glass, window, a full sized door, a pitched roof and the whole building was shingled.
   “The Shack” was a place of seclusion, as well as a gathering place for a lot of the kids in the neighborhood. We slept there all summer and even into the fall until it got so cold that we could not stand it.
   We had a “stash” of about 200 comic books in the shack and a lot of kids just dropped by to see if there were any more new additions to the comic book pile. I remember one of our big jokes was to call them our O.C.S. (officer candidate school) reading material.
   The one big disadvantage to “The Shack” was the power. The power came by way of a long black extension cord that was plugged into the porch of our house and my Mom could control when the light went off and on.
   We were good scouts however and we were prepared, with flashlights and even a Coleman lantern. Sometimes after the “official” lights out we would cover the window with a quilt and read or, shoot the bull, well into the night. I am sure the quilt did not cover up all the light, but we really thought we were pulling a fast one on Mom and Dad.
   I guess, like most (not all) teen age boys, our shack would get pretty dirty and we would get an ultimatum from my Mom that it had to be cleaned up OR ELSE---? At that point we would usually get our sisters to clean it up. We usually bargained with them that they could use the place for a night sleep over for girls if they would clean it. They always kept their part of the bargain; however I am not sure we always kept our part?
   My Sister and her friend did play there occasionally but for the most part it was a “Boys Hangout” and no girls were allowed except by special permission!

W.R. Baldwin

24 Oct 2014

Saturday, October 18, 2014

EMERY COUNTY ALKALI

EMERY CO. ALKALI
                                             Emery County Alkali
                                  (Maybe a little bit exaggerated)
   First off I need to establish that I know that anyone acquainted with Emery Co. Alkali will know about it's dangers before reading this blog.
   Before my wife and I were married I spent some time in Emery County, Castle Dale to be more specific. In fact I spent A LOT of time there. There seemed to be a little magnetism that kept pulling me there.
   On one trip while we were there visiting we went out to Feno's field to get something. (I can't remember what it was now.) Anyway, as we were going down the dirt road to the field there was an Alkali patch about ten feet long in the middle of the road.
   I pulled up to it and stopped to see if I could judge how deep it was. I decided it was just a surface patch and we could easily drive through it. Donnie suggested that perhaps we should go up and come in on the other road. I told her I was sure there was no problem as we were in a Mercury with a V-8 engine and if we backed up a little and got a run at it I would be through it before she even knew we had hit it.
   I had heard about Emery Co. alkali before. In fact I had hunted pheasants near Deseret Lake (A ghost town) I was aware it was a ghost town mainly because of Emery Co. alkali. I don't mean to presume that all of Emery Co. is covered with it, but only that I knew it was there and it had a reputation for being real "sticky stuff."
   Well we backed up--- I gunned the motor and even before we got to the Alkali, it seemed to jump out and grab all four wheels of the Mighty Mercury. I don't even remember that happening but it must have because in a matter of seconds we were in the middle of the alkali and it was up to the axles of the car with a firm grip on all four wheels. I gunned the big V-8 engine but nothing happened. In fact I may have heard a "sucking noise" as we went down a little more?
   Well no one had ever told me that the "stuff" could reach out and grab you and pull you in. Also no one had ever told me that it was a cousin to quick sand, which just keeps pulling you in deeper and deeper.
   I finally had to admit that I had made a big mistake. I asked Donnie if she could open her door and get out without the "stuff" grabbing her foot and pulling her in.
   She did get out OK. I got out on the drivers side (a little worried that I might get sucked in, because I could not make the leap from the car to dry ground without stepping once in the alkali.
   We stood and looked at the big powerful Mercury V-8 stuck in a little patch of alkali up to it's axles not knowing whether to laugh or kick it.
   With no other alternatives we started walking toward town to see if Feno had any ideas as to what we could do about our situation. We got to the house and explained our situation. I think the only reaction from Feno was to take his hat off---slap it on the table--and tell one of his sons to get the tractor and take it out to the field.
   We all got in the old Farm Truck and headed for the field and the infamous Emery Co. Alkali patch. I think Feno was mumbling quite a bit all the way to the field, but I only caught a few words, dumb, city slickers and "don't they know about alkali."
   At least the story has a good ending. The tractor pulled the Mercury out and we finally got back home to Salt Lake with no damage except my hurt pride and a memory never to mess with EMERY COUNTY  ALKALI.

W.R. Baldwin
18 Oct 2014
 

Friday, October 17, 2014

The Freedom Factor--A Good Read

               The Freedom Factor       
                          by
                  Gerald Lund
Yes it is found in the Fiction Section for good reason
Yes it leaves you with some what if’s—
     What if the Constitution had not been ratified?
     What if evil men had taken over the government?
     What if, What if, What if?-----
It was not profound but it does make you think.
I liked it—It was a good read.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Cantankerous Carl's Beauty Sleep

Betty White once said,"Get at least eight hours of beauty sleep---- nine if you"re ugly." I have been trying to get at least ten or eleven but it does not seem to do any good?

Thursday, October 9, 2014

UNINVITED VISITOR

                                      UNINVITED VISITOR

   I have been a little reluctant to put this in my blog because it is a little strange. However, hesitant or not I thought if I did maybe someone else in my neighborhood might have had the same experience and between us we might figure out what is really going on?
   I have always been the kind of person whose motto might have been, “A place for everything and everything in place.” However a few months ago things started things started to change and the only thing I have been able to attribute it to is that    someone is coming into my home at night and doing things to harass me.
   I have never found anything missing. (Even if I cannot find it immediately, it seems to eventually always show up.)
   The first time I noticed it was several months ago. I woke and did my morning things and then went into the kitchen and I noticed my garage door was up. I NEVER leave it up. In fact my kids refer to my place as “Fort Knox” because it is always locked up. Since I knew I ALWAYS shut it I thought one of my kids had been here after I went to bed and when they left, they did not close the garage door. But if that was the case why did they not wake me up? Or perhaps it was an uninvited guest, who had come and left. If it was he must have left the door up all night.
   Well I just forgot about that incident until one morning I went to get my “under clothes” to get dressed and there were only two pair in my drawer. I knew I had just washed and folded a LOT MORE than that just the day before. However since I could not find them I just assumed I did not wash that batch and they were still downstairs. I thought I would go down later and do it, so I did not think about it anymore.
   The next day I went to get a clean towel and “low & behold” all of my under clothes were in a neat pile – in the towel closet. I was sure THAT GUY had come and moved them. I tried to figure out why anyone would do that but I just went about my business and forgot about it.
   The next time something happened it really shook me up. I got up--- got dressed and went to get my wallet off the dresser to put in my pants pocket. It was GONE. I thought OH NO--- How could that be. I looked every place I could think of and could not find it. I decided to go to the bank and cancel my credit cards. When I got in the car there was my wallet, starring at me from the little shelf on the consol, between the seats. HE had been there again. But why did he never take anything?
   A few weeks ago I was going to breakfast with some friends. I got dressed and went to get my shoes. I have always kept them beside the bed at night. They were not there. I thought well a few times I have put them in the closet so I must have done that last night. I opened the closet, fully expecting to see them there—they were not. Rather than be late for breakfast I put on another pair. When I got back from breakfast I went to sit in my lounger to read my newspaper. Guess what? There they were sitting neatly as could be at the side of my lounger. I almost yelled, “No HE has been here again!
   That same afternoon I decided to make me a peanut butter and jam sandwich for a snack. I had a big breakfast so I thought I did not need a big lunch. I went to the cupboard to get the peanut butter and there was none. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF—“No not again, not twice in the same day.” And the other times had always been at night, so was he getting bolder? Since I could not find the peanut butter I decided to make a ham and cheese. I went to the “fridge” and get it and guess what? As I opened the door there was the Peanut butter starring at me. Who puts peanut butter in the “fridge?” Well for sure not me. For 60 years I have always put it in the cupboard. So I am sure HE had been there again.
   I talked to one of my daughters and to my sister about this and they just laughed and gave me “THAT LOOK”. I thought they did not think it was very serious and in fact my sister said, “Ya I think he has been here a couple of times also.” Perhaps I should forget about filing the police report that I was going to draw up?
   Well it has not happened lately but in thinking back over the last year I think HE may have been involved in some of these strange happenings--- I intend to keep watching for HIM.
1.     I have a favorite pair of everyday pants. I ALWAYS hang them in the front of my closet. I went to get them a while back and they had been moved into a different closet where I hang my suits.
2.     I got up one morning and went to take my allotment of pills. My toothbrush was lying on the pill box. I never put it on the medicine cabinet. I always hang it on the toothpaste rack. Was HE there?
3.     My last one I will mention could have many answers, but I will mention it because it was probably HIM. I have a shelf of memorabilia of my wife, in my computer room. It has a lot of things on it that are reminders of her. Anyone who knew Donnie will remember her desire for chocolate. So one of the things on the shelf (front & center) is a candy bowl that is always full of candy. One night I stayed up late doing genealogy. I actually stayed up until about 2:00 AM. I finally quit and went to bed because I was very, very tired. Imagine my surprise when I woke up the next day and the candy jar was completely empty? This was before HE had started visiting but now I wonder it perhaps it was HIM.
   Now of course another answer to all of this could be that I am getting a little forgetful but I refuse to accept that “fairy tale.”
   Also some of them could be embellished but I really wonder????

W.R. Baldwin

9 October 2014

Saturday, October 4, 2014

NIGHT and DAY

Sunset at the cabin August 2002
















                    NIGHT & DAY
The sun slowly slips behind the mountain
And the night birds start to sing.
I sit on my deck and wonder
What will the next morning bring?

In the distance I hear a coyote start to wail,
And a deer runs past the cabin woodpile.
And I think to myself what a wonderful tale
I could tell, with a great big smile.

Soon all the light was gone and the sky was black as ink,
With hundreds of stars peeking out above.
And I smiled to myself as I started to think
Our Father created this for us, with his love.

What is out there in the dark, I thought to myself?
The aspens that shimmered are now still.
Is that noise in the dark a bear or a deer?
Is it something to love or something to fear?

I thought to myself what a difference there is
Between the day and the inky black night.
What is out in the dark that we can hear
That causes us to tremble with fright?

So I shut all the doors and turn out the lights
And pull up the covers for another night.
I dream of the beauty that the morning will bring,
And in just a short time the birds start to sing.


And the cycle from evening to morning is over.
I look out the window at bees on the clover,
And see a beautiful hawk sitting there in a tree
Perhaps just to give joy to you and to me.

And the day starts anew and I yawn and I sneeze,
And the wind ruffles the leaves on the aspen trees.
A deer runs on past the cabin woodpile
And I start a new day with a great big old smile.


W.R. Baldwin

While at the cabin in August 2002

WHAT AM I?




















This item is laying on top of a small square table. The table is not part of the item. It was used almost every day by people in the late 1800's and early 1900's. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT IS?



Friday, October 3, 2014

THE CEMETERY

THE CEMETERY








It seems the last month or so I have spent an inordinate amount of time at one cemetery or another. There are a couple of reasons for that. One is because my wife's Birthday is in August and the other is because my youngest grand daughter, Bailey Grace, was born in October and was only with us for two days. She would be six years old this year.

When I go out to visit Donnie I have found a meditation bench with the name SHAW on it. I am sure they do not mind me using it. It is only a few steps from Donnie's grave and it is under a big tree which provides shade in the summer, so I have taken to using it when I visit.

Sometimes I just sit and think, sometimes I take the newspaper and read it and there have been a couple of occasions when I take my lunch and eat while I talk to her and reminisce. Of course the conversation is a one way one and I sure wish it was not.

A couple of times when I have been sitting there I just started watching the people that come and go. It was interesting and it started me to thinking---- Why do people come to visit cemeteries? I am sure that there are many reasons and they are not all the same for all people. The more I sit and meditated the more I wondered.

First almost everyone brings flowers. Some are cut flowers, some are potted flowers and some are silk flowers. I wondered if they do it as a remembrance of the person? Of course there are other decorations left at other times of the year. There are small child toys on children's graves. There are flags (especially on the 4th of July), There are small Christmas Trees, Fall decorations and of course Birthday Flowers with a date on them.

One day as I sit and watched for a hour or so I observed---- An older man and woman drove up and stopped. They struggled to get out of the car. He took her hand and she put her arm around his waist and they walked a few steps to a grave where they just stopped and stood quietly looking for some time. After they left I went and looked at the headstone and it was the grave of a young man 21 years old who had been dead for 38 years. I presume it was their son and they still had a desire to visit him.---A group of four teens (I think) pulled up in a bright blue convertible. They were laughing, smiling and enjoying each others company. They stopped and jumped out, each grabbed a bunch of cut flowers from the back seat and walked to the grave and lay them on the grave. They did not use a vase, they did not try to stand them up, they just lay them side by side in the grave and still smiling and laughing went back to their car and left. I thought to myself, "I'll bet that was their Grandpa and Grandma and very likely they were standing right by their side and enjoying the smiles, vigor and happiness of youth while they were there visiting."--- Not to long after I arrived, a group of four cars arrived at a site nearby and about 20 Polynesian people got out. They brought numerous beautiful flower arrangements  and flowers in planters. They also brought two coolers and water. There were people all over and of all ages. It was obvious they were enjoying a family get to gather. A couple of toddlers ended up sitting on the graves and I could imagine them sitting on their Grandma and Grandpa's lap. I am sure the Grandparents were enjoying it. I wondered if the family picnic thing was a tradition with this family or was it a culture thing for the Polynesian People?

Another interesting thing that happened another day when I was at the cemetery was two cars pulled up and six people got out. It was obvious they had not been there for a long time or they just had a vague idea where the grave was. As soon as they got out they all fanned out and started going up and down the graves trying to find a certain one. After a short time one yelled and waved her arms and the rest swarmed to her like  bees to a hive. They stood by the grave and talked about five minutes and got back in their cars and left. I could not help but wonder if they had come because they felt an obligation. was it a yearly tradition or was there some other reason for getting together at the cemetery?

Of course the main reason I visit the cemetery is because I feel a special relationship with my wife, my eternal companion. I also know that is not her in the grave, but who knows, maybe she is sitting on my meditation bench with me. It also helps that my Mother and Father's graves are just a few steps away.

The other place I visit frequently is my youngest grand daughter, Bailey Grace. She was only with us for two days but I think everyone in the family is drawn to her for one reason or another.

Whenever I visit I leave a child's toy or a flower or some remembrance that I have. Often when I return to the grave they have been stolen. I am certain that people who steal from a child's grave (or any other grave for that matter) will for sure get their REWARD in HEAVEN!

Well enough of this "musing." I just thought it was fun "people watching" at the cemetery. As my family probably knows by now I am a certified "People Watcher."
WALLY