SMILE

                                         SMILE

I have come to the conclusion that a smile is very good therapy both for the one smiling and the one receiving the smile .

When I was a young man (perhaps in my early to mid 20’s) I got my first real job. I had spent four years in the U.S. Air Force. I got a job and I was now gainfully employed and I could go out and make my mark on the world.

I had been employed by a company that sold hospital and laboratory supplies and my job was to take orders on the phone. The lady that called in orders for this customer was one of the most pleasant people I had ever met. She called every Wednesday morning at 8:05 to place her order. I think I even looked forward to her call just to hear the pleasant tone of her voice. Is it possible to have a smile, in your voice?

So what does this have to do with a smile? Well I just bet she had a smile, as we used to say, (A mile wide).

So what is a smile? It is easy to point to someone who is smiling and say, “Now that is a smile.” However how do you explain it and its feeling if you just use words? Maybe the actual smile is just a small part of the explanation and the feelings and emotions involved are just as important as the smile itself.

Have you ever met someone who you have not seen for a long time? If so you do not have to say, "I better smile now," it just happens spontaneously and it gives you a good feeling all over. So is a smile the trigger to making you and those around you feel happy?

 Is a smile just an expression on your face, with the corners of your mouth turned up, your teeth showing and your eyes twinkling? (That is if you can control your eyes.) And if this is the case can it go too far and turn into a sneer, with too many teeth showing and your head cocked to far too one side. I don’t know the answer---just asking?

            I copied this off of the internet the other day. I am not sure what its purpose was but if it was to make me want MORE, it did not work. I actually smiled when I finished reading it and realized how fortunate I really am.

I am sure there are many besides myself that have several friends of acquaintances that seem to always have a smile for everyone (including me) and if you are like me you enjoy talking to them. It seems if you feel “down” they cheer you up and of you are already feeling good they just make it that much better.

             As I sit here pondering I have thought of a couple of “WHAT IF”S”.

What if they had these relatives?? To smile? Would it be a better picture?

            Why when I am at a family gathering, sitting over in my corner smiling, grinning and just watching does someone always come over and ask me “what is wrong?”

            There is nothing like a smile and laugh of a newborn baby, unless it is a mischievous smile of a toddler. Oh yes, I know about those—I have grandkids and greats.

            Does a dog really smile when he has done something wrong, or is just a facial thing to get attention?

            What if a lady, who has just spent three hours getting dressed and painting on her smile—really knew she had lipstick on her teeth??

            I cannot recall who said it but I had a friend (many years ago) who liked to say “no matter how good looking, or how homely you are—you will look better if you smile.”

            IS THE MONA LISA REALLY SMILING? ????

KEEP SMILING EVERYONE

Wally

3-13-2018

PEACE and QUIET

     

      

                                           PEACE and QUIET

       I was sitting there in a typical camping chair with web straps on the seat and back. I was half awake and just a little more than half asleep (is that possible?). My wife Angie was in the trailer trying to get things in order after our arrival a short time ago.
   We had arrived at our favorite camping spot about noon on Tuesday. Years ago we spent many weekends here in this wonderful camping spot. However each year more and more people had found out about it and came on the weekend for a couple of day’s relaxation. Now on the weekend there were so many people here you could hardly find a place to park, or put up a tent, or at times even a place to put up a folding table and chair.
   So we had opted for Tuesday through Friday and it was like a completely different place during those times.
   (But I have got sidetracked here.) As I said we got here on Tuesday, parked the trailer, put up the canopy, and camp tables and chairs. We were ready for some Big Time camping and relaxation. 
   We have been camping here for years and it it is hard to explain the draw that keeps bringing us back to this spot. Of course the scenery of Mother Nature is one of the main attractions. It is hard to explain natural beauty like this, without your actually being there to look at it.
   The high mountain meadows, with aspen leaves, gold coated in the Fall, surrounded by green pines and a myriad colors and kinds of flowers in the Spring. Add a small patch of snow under a group of pine trees with water trickling into a small creek, as it grows larger and larger as it flows downstream. I guess this is a lot of what draws us back?
    I suppose there are all kinds of people? Some are desert rats, and some love the ocean's  and some like snow and some like rain, but my wife and I have always been mountain lovers. Of course we were a lot more active when we were younger and we could hike, but no matter our age or activity level we still love the peaks, streams, lakes and meadows of the mountains. 
    But I have digressed again, --- and this trip was to be a little different. We got our trailer all set up, had a cup of Hot Chocolate and went to bed.
   The next morning (early) we heard a rambunctious noise a short way from our camp site. I looked out the window, and you could imagine my shock , when I saw a young Mom pull up to a spot right below us. There were two kids in the pick-up truck with her. A boy and a girl, who looked to be about 10 or 12 years old. The pick-up was packed to the hilt with a tent, stove, a canopy and what in my younger day I would call a zillion boxes of of assorted sizes and shapes. I almost passed out on the site-- but what really happened was I just sat down on a log with my head in my hands and said,"OH NO! WHY ME.!'    

   What is going to happen to our tranquility? There goes our peace and quiet! One thing was obvious however, and that was it was obvious they had done this before. It was almost like a military set up. As soon as they got out of the pick-up the young Mom yelled, "remember the rules." I never did find out what the rules were. However every one else must have known what they were because she never had to repeat that call to action. As soon as they heard it there was no fuss  or argument. Everyone started unloading the truck and they seemed to put everything in an assigned place near by. It was almost like it was pre-planned, or they had done it so many times they knew exactly what they were doing without thinking about it.        

   When it looked like they were about ready to "pitch the tent", my wife stepped to our trailer door and gave me my first lecture of the week. She had always been a kind outgoing person, and it sounded like this was going to be a typical week (for her). She said, "Dad maybe you should go over and ask if they need any help putting up their tent. I'll bet that young Mom would appreciate it." Of course she almost always got her way with me, just by giving me one of her loving smiles, that she was known for.
   I shuffled over to the "tent pitching" and asked if I could be of any help? The boy immediately answered, "No thank you sir, we have everything under control, but thank you very much for asking." I just about passed out. Nobody had called me sir for a long time , and not to many had said thank you?
   I asked what his name was and he told me it was Robert, but everybody called him Bob. He also told me his Mom was Carley and his sister was Lillian, but she was called Lilly.walked up. She commented that it looked like we were all acquainted and thanked me for being so friendly and coming over to introduce us. Bob made sure I knew they would have to call me Mr. Wally or they would be in trouble when their Dad came, in a day or so. Lilly explained that their Dad made them call any OLD person Mr. or Mrs.. Well I laughed and said,"Well I guess that tells me what category I fit in. Lilly chimed in with, "yup, you do Mr. Wally, but I'll bet you are a nice man, like my Grandpa is. Well. I thought to myself, these kids sure know how to get on my good side in a hurry.
   I went back to the trailer and they went back to work. It took them a while, but it looked like they had everything under control and operational. It was not to long after that, it got real quiet and it looked like they were getting settled in for the night.
   They all went inside the tent, The lantern was turned down low, and I heard the beginning of a low murmuring. I looked at my wife and said, "If I was not so surprised I would think they are saying a prayer." Angie looked at me and said in her smiling way, "You would know for sure they are, if you would turn you hearing aids up?"
   We sat in our chairs under the awning, next to the trailer a short time and then got up to go into the trailer. As we went in Angie said,"aren't we lucky to have a nice young family camp so close to us. I had forgotten how nice it was to have some kids voices around?" Well, Wally was not sure how nice it was going to be but so far it had been just fine. As they went in the trailer, he mumbled, half to himself, "I guess we will know if they start yelling and screaming and running around at 6:00 o'clock in the morning. And Angie just looked at him and said, "Did you say something"--then she just smiled at him.  
   Well you could not imagine my surprise the next morning when I looked out the trailer window. There Angie, Bob and Lilly set at our table, under our awning and playing a board game and drinking hot chocolate, which I an sure Angie had just made for them.
   I got dressed and was tinkering around the trailer when I heard a knock on the door. I went over and there stood Bob. He was standing on one foot and the other and twirling his thumbs while looking at the floor. I asked if he wanted to come in  and he said he "guessed he did." We sat at the table and he got all the preliminaries out of the way--- He asked if I slept well---how blue the sky was--did Angie always get up before I did, was I really an Old Bear when I first got up---  it was obvious he had been coached a little. He explained he had asked Angie something and she said he would have to ask Wally. Then he just blurted out--- "Will you and Mrs. Angie come over and eat dinner with us tonight?"
   Just watching the misery he went through, jut to ask me that, how could I say anything but "of course, we would be happy to, and thanks for inviting us," Then Bob went on to explain that we were going to have brat-wurst, that was made by an old German Man who lived by them and it just had to be the best in the world. He also told us no one liked Sour Kraut so we would have sheepherder fried potatoes with the Brat.        
   Well we did go to dinner that evening with them and indeed it was delicious. It really may have the best Brat-wurst I have ever eaten, and I did not tell them that Angie did not like Brat-wurst!
   The next day we visited off and on. They went fishing and Carley waved at us as they left camp and came back "with a mess of fish" and big smiles on their faces. They spent a lot of tome just riding around in the pick up truck. It reminded both Angie & I that our family used to do that when we were younger. We used to stand in the back of the truck and look for deer. When someone spotted a deer they would pound on the top of the truck, the driver would stop, and we would watch the deer, until he got tired of entertaining us and either strolled or ran off into the trees. We also got some great pictures in those days and I noticed Bob had a camera, so I suppose they did also.  
   We visited Thursday and I took Bob and Lilly to a special little stream, that I used to fish in. However after walking the river banks for an hour or so Bob informed me that they would really rather fish in the lake, because it was not as much work and the fish were bigger.
   All five of us went on a ride in the afternoon. Angie, I and Carley squeezed in the truck seat and Bob and Lilly in the bed of the truck. Bob and Lilly wanted to show us some "beaver houses" and Bob explained to us how the Beavers built their own houses, and all about how they were constructed. He actually did a good job and knew a lot more about them than I thought a kid his age would know.
   Theodore (or Ted, as he asked to be called) pulled into the camp spot about 6:00 PM driving a SUV that looked like it had been rode hard , and put away wet-- Well it would have if it was a horse.
   We all got introduced and Ted invited us all over for dinner. It seems Ted wanted us to be introduced to the Best Brat-Wurst made in the USA. No one said anything about it until we were through eating and Bob said, "well Dad it was good but not as good as Mom cooked last night." Ted got a funny look on his face and then he realized what was going on and we all laughed about it off and on the rest of the evening.     
   We were talking after dinner and I commented that it was nice that he got away from work early so he could get here earlier that expected, to be with his family'
   While we were visiting I asked Ted what kind of work he did. Before he could answer Bob informed me that that his Dad took care of all the stuff where he worked. I looked at Ted and asked if he was the Maintenance Supervisor or what? He answered yes he was something like that, and yes he did take care of the problems so everything kept running smoothly. 
   It was getting late and we were leaving early in the morning so we all went to our portable bedrooms, in the mountains, and called it a day.
   We got up and had breakfast and then tied everything down in the trailer, and got ready to leave. Our new found friends all came by to say good bye, and wish us a safe trip. Ted also told us his last name was Blackstone, and I thought it was strange, after all the time we spent together we had never knew his last name. 
   He also told us that as we came off the mountain there was a mid-size town by the name of VELCOM. He suggested we stop at the gas station/convenience store and try some of their German Pastry as it is without a doubt the best in the United States. He laughed a little and waved goodbye as we left. 
   We did stop at VELCOM and the pastry was delicious, perhaps it was even the best we had ever tasted. I still think it had some kind of liqueur in it? 
   We also found out that indeed Ted was the maintenance man, where he worked, but he was also the President of a very profitable Construction Company. When Ted and Carley got married they had decided the wanted to raise their children in a smaller town. They bought a small struggling Construction Company and built it into a large regional company that was doing exceptionally well. And as Ted and Bob were both correct in Ted's job assignment, Ted and Carley did everything themself until they started to grow.
   And did we ever see them an the camping sight again? yes but only a couple of       times. And we stayed up each time and visited almost all night.
   And who run the Service Station--of course it was Carley's Mom and Dad.
   And who made the best Kraut & Pastry-- of course it was Mom and Dad.
And Angie reminded us every time we got together that the first words out of my mouth when I first saw them was were "OH NO! WHY ME!"

Wally Baldwin
17 February 2018

   

   

Grandpa's Magic Memories

GRANDPA'S MAGIC MEMORIES

Grandpa’s come in various ages, and dispositions,

And Grand Children do the same it seems?

Many times they grow up together,

But Grandpa’s have the most fun it seems.

You can tell a Grandpa is really happy with a Grand Child on his lap.

It is a little harder to tell, when you check his room and he is having a nap?

Many Magic Smiles fill a Grandpa’s happy face,

Because a Grandson just won a Grandpa “hot foot” race.

I know a Grandpa whose Granddaughter came to whisper in his ear,

“Grandpa I really love you, and I am so glad you are here!”

He grabbed his “pocket hankie” and rubbed his nose and eyes,

And said “I must have an allergy”, or at least I do surmise.

Every life has Magic Moments, so grab them and hold on fast,

If you wait too long and don’t act fast, the memory will just fly past.

I have found many moments, that pop up in the night.

Sometimes that happened years ago, but still gives you a fright.

You explain the teacups at Disneyland you would not care to ride.

You explain that the Breakfast you had, You want to stay inside!

All at once your beautiful Granddaughter is standing by a young man,

There by the Altar they have taken Vows, too love each other as best they can.

And even before you know it, amid the strife and trials of life,

The Grand Daughters and sons, have walked the aisle as Man & Wife.

And the circle now starts anew for Grandpa and his GREAT’S,

And it will not be long till Grandpa, has a whole house full of Mates.

16 Jan 2018 WRB

LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

"LITTLE THINGS
   MEAN A LOT"
(Song WRITTEN BY EDITH LlINDEMAN-1953)

I am sure this song has different memories for different people.
__________________________________________________





   My Sister and I do a lot of things together since both of spouses have passed away. She came by my house yesterday an announced her arrival by honking her horn, as usual.
   I grabbed my jacket and hat and went out and jumped crawled into her car. After a few minutes of discussion we decided we were just going on a little ride to get out of the house. We could not decide where to go , so I told her, since she was driving she would have to choose our destination.
   We left my driveway and headed North  and when I asked her where we were going she said,"I don't know, I will tell you when we get there." 
   It was a beautiful Winter day. No Snow, blue sky, a few puffy white clouds and my "Android" informed me it was 54 degrees where we were located. It was a perfect day for a little ride.
   We drove around and looked at a lot of new building that was going on in the business part of the city. Then we drove up and looked at some of the million $ homes where "the other half lives."
   From there we thought it only fair to drive down to the Rio Grand area, where there are a lot of people living and struggling, for many different reasons, just to get by from day to day. 
   From there my Sis says,  Well what now?" I did not know if it was warm enough or not, but I said O.K., lets go get a Milk Shake, and we were off to find an ice cream store, that we were both sure we knew  the location of. Well we did not find it, so we were off to find a different one-- no luck there either. Finally I told her I know for sure where there is one and I KNOW it is open. After all the Iceberg is almost ALWAYS open. We went to the Iceberg (in the winter??) and ordered two of their smallest shakes (which were HUGE.) We pulled the car a little ways from the store and parked close to the bus stop to enjoy our shakes.  
   There was a lady and a little girl about 6 age or so, with 3 or 4 big bags, sanding by the Bus Stop, presumably waiting for the bus.
   My Sister and I laughed, talked about the old days, world conditions, POLITICS, old friends and a lot of other things while we worked on consuming our large shakes.
   We noticed the sun was waning to the west and was starting to disappear and it was also turning cooler. We had been watching the lady and the little girl, and they had been watching their watch.
   My sister looked at me and said, "Do you think we should ask them if the want a ride home." They were both shivering and yes I did think we should ask them.
   She pulled the car up about six or eight feet and rolled the window down and asked her if we could give her a ride home?
   Well the ladies frowning worrying face immediately turned from worry, to a full faced smile, as she sad, "Oh yes, my, Yes that would be absolutely wonderful, thank you, oh thank so much. The little girl was jumping up and down saying, oh can we, can we, of thank you, and I noticed she also had changed her frowning face to a very big Happy Face.
   When they had got their bags, boxes and themselves into the car, we found out they had only lived in Utah a short time. They had come from Florida, when he got a job here. They had only lived here a short time, but he liked the people he worked with and it seemed like everyone was really friendly here.
   We also found out they only lived a short distance from my house so we delivered them right to their door.
   Again as the got out of the car they both thanked us profusely. We really had not done much, and only went a short way farther then we had to go, to get to my home.
   As we drove off my Sister commented that she was really happy that we had decided to ask those people if they wanted a ride. She also commented how gracious they were and that we just came along at the right time.Then she commented,"wasn't it great that by doing a little thing you can make so many people happy?"
     So was it a coincidence we could not find an Ice Cream Shop up town that was open?
     So was it a coincidence that we decided to drink our Shakes by the Bus Stop, instead of going to a park to eat like we usually do?
     So why did it make so many people happy. Not only the ones in need, but the givers also.

I guess' Little Things Really Do Mean A Lot', and usually more than we realize. 

The only thing I regret is when I got home I did not give the little girl one of my special $1.00 bills.
   Maybe that can be another Blog?

W.R. Baldwin 15 January 2018 
   

WHY

Why

Why did you go.

Why did you leave me all alone.

I know you did not want to go, as you had told me,

But it seems like the plan is for all of us.

It seems everyone on this old earth has to go,

And there are so many ways it can happen.

Why

Some are accidents.

Some happen at work or play.

Some will happen tomorrow I hear.

It could even happen yet today, I fear.

It happens to family and friends I know.

Some of us go in misery, sorrow and rage,

And some of us go when we reach a certain age.

Why

Do some go so quick?

Why do some go, not knowing they’r sick?

Why do some lie in bed and suffer and grieve

And why do some whisper I am ready to leave,

As someone sits by their bed and holds their hand,

As they slip off quietly into nether, nether, land.

Why

We as humans

Talk about going or not

We don’t have a choice, to go or not.

If we do our best—the VERY BEST we can,

We will end up in Heaven with the son of Man. 

THE SIX PACK

When I first wrote this "Blog" (picture above-there were five great grands) it was entitled "The Little's" or "The Great Grands". Then in Sept 2017 we had an additional "Great Grand" and now I call them my six-pack.
   Hi, Bella, welcome to the "Great's" AKA "THE SIX PACK".  (Picture Below).

GRANDPA GREAT

Sept 2017

The World Almost Came To An End

              THE WORLD ALMOST CAME TO AN END

   The world almost came to an end today. It started off as just a normal day. I awoke (much later than I used to.) I went through my early morning routine, which I have been doing in one form or another for 70 or 80 years. Yes-- it has changed a little, off and on over the years but not very much.
   Not to digress--- I did the just out of bed thing. (Make the bed) I had been taught by my Mother to never leave a bed unmade. She never explained why you shouldn't, but only that a death in the family or a world catastrophe should supersede  making your bed. 
   On to my morning,---get dressed---turn up the heat on the furnace---have some breakfast---load up my pockets like a pack mule with (wallet, keys, cellphone, house keys in case the garage door does not work, throat lozenges to take care of an old nemesis, 'dry mouth syndrome' and finally a clean pure white handkerchief from the dresser drawer. I opened the drawer and "WHAT?"--NO HANDKERCHIEF! That is impossible! I always have clean white Hankies in my drawer--ALWAYS!
   After my initial panic I get myself back together and remember I always keep a clean "hankie" in the coat I wear to Church on Sunday. I give a sigh of relief and head for the closet. I open the door and reach for the suit coat and almost feel relaxed , until I realize there is no "hankie" in the coat pocket. I actually start to relax as I reach for the other suit coat, but alas, tears almost start to fall from my eyes as I realize there is not a "saving hankie" in that coat either.  
   Woe is me.--- what can I do? I cannot go out without my "hankie", surely the world might come to an end? The apocalypse must be starting? Could I get to a store and buy a "hankie"before it is to late?---of course not, that would mean I would have to go outside without my handkerchief.
   Then a light blinked on in my head---my Gray Matter went into "action mode" and I seemed to hear a voice say---You have a suitcase full of White Clothes  in the back bedroom closet and you know there will be a "clean white handkerchief" there. I hurried to the bedroom and looked and behold there in the suit case was a clean handkerchief laying on top of the clothes. I grabbed it and put it in my pocked and guess what?----- 
   No end of the world today! I went and got in the car and quickly drove to the MacDonald Gourmet Breakfast shop for breakfast.
   I think I had quit sweating and was quite rational by the time I had finished eating. --- I had survived (an almost tragic) end of the world, and vowed I would NEVER let happen again, because of a lack of a "Hankie".

"Touche"
18 December 2017