Outlook

Hello, hello, Good Morning or Evening or whatever time you folks may be scanning the Richland Beacon News.  I do hope this finds everyone in good health and able to sit up and take nourishment when needed.
We are now progressing right along into the month of June which is my second most favorite month of the year.   (It has to be special for me because my birthday comes along toward the end of June and I won’t say how many; but, there have been quite a few and I am proud of every one of them (birthdays, I mean, of course.)
     The month of June seems to be getting along more quickly than I had expected.  This will be my third column to write for this month and there should be two more after this week.  Remember, I do have a kind of fascination with the calendar and  how the days and weeks fall.  Oh, well, I suppose there is not much danger in that because I know that I am not going to forget to eat when i get hungry.   No, no, I like my food for sure....
     So, let me just settle down for a bit and think about the present for a minute or two.  We will soon be half- way through this year of 2015 and I am still enjoying each and every day as much as I possibly can.  I hardly ever get bored since I always have my little pooch, “Cookie” for my faithful companion.  She and I still take our late afternoon walk around our large block of homes.  Cookie struts along on her leash like a little queen (which she really is) and I follow her.  The neighbors’ children greet both of us when they are outside their homes as we go by.
CHUCKLE #1 - The instructor of the adult Bible class opened his book and announced, “Today I shall talk on liars.  How many of you have read the twenty-seventh chapter of our textbook?”  Almost everyone present  raised a hand.      “Obviously, this is the group to whom I should address myself,” declared the instructor.  “This book has only twenty-five chapters, ladies and gentlemen.”  ???
 I am still waiting for an answer from my recent letter to my longtime friend, Irma.  Oh, the many sweet memories that I have of our growing-up years together.  You young folks just can’t imagine what  it was like to have your brothers (three in my case) all in the U.S. Army during World War II.  They all served overseas - two in France and Germany and one in the Philipine Islands.  None of them received any wounds in combat.  I recall my oldest brother saying that he cut his finger while opening a can of C-rations and they wanted to give him a medal of honor; but, he refused to accept it........  
So, what am I doing these days?  Well, it seems that each day just takes care of itself.  I get up and have my  breakfast meal and usually read the daily newspaper at that time.  Sometimes, I work the puzzles and other days I don’t.  I still love to read and can lose myself in a good book..  And, there are certain programs which I enjoy watching on TV.  So, the day goes by and the night comes and eventually, bedtime when Cookie and I retire.  She is such a little clown and I never know where she is going to decide to sleep.  For many  years Cookie was content to sleep on the opposite side of the bed from me; but, recently she has chosen to sleep in various other spots in the bedroom.  So, I have some padded covering which I place under her where-ever she decides to lie down.  And, that seems to be working out pretty well.  I am kind of goofy about my sleep patterns also and that makes two of us with problems.  I think we can handle that problem o.k. with love and patience.
CHUCKLE #2 - The instructor of the adult Bible class opened his book and announced, “Today I shall talk on liars.  How many of you have read the twenty-seventh chapter of our textbook?”  Almost everyone raised their hand.
 “Obviously, this is the group to whom I should address myself,” declared the instructor.  “The book has only twenty-five chapters, ladies and gentlemen.”  ???
 The older I get, the more I am content to let the younger folks handle things concerning the celebration of holidays and/or birthdays as they come along.  Oh, yes, I still enjoy those events; but, I just leave the planning and carrying out to the younger folks.  They have more “vim and vigor” than I do now; but I can still enjoy attending and taking part in the activity.  Oh, yes.......
 I am also still in the process of trying to locate some friends from bygone years. I haven’t made much progress on that effort; but, I will report on that later on.  As I have said before, I do have a fascination about the past and I love to go back in memory as far as I can.  And, that would be when I about two or three years old.  I recall once when I somehow got fastened up in the garden behind our home and I could not get the gate opened.  Of course, I began crying and screaming and my mother hurried back to rescue me.  Oh, yes, those were the days.....
Now, I am the only survivor of our immediate family.  My two older brothers never had any children; but, the third brother did have two children and they are still living somewhere over in Texas.  I think my son, Kirby is keeping in touch with my brother’s son and I hope to  hear some news of my nephew and his family in that way.
 For many years, I went on vacation every summer with my family.  We found a special place up in northern Arkansas and our family took our summer vacation up there for many years.  But, I no longer have any desire to travel anywhere.  I am just a “home-body” now and there is no place I had rather be than in my own home, especially when the sun goes down and night soon follows.  Oh, yes, that suits me just fine......
Folks are still having birthdays and I will list a few that are soon coming up for area folks and they are as follows:  Barbara Dulaney on 6/19; Kay C. Goodman on 6/20; Ralph Odom and Paige Williams on 6/21; Jennifer M. Hernandez and Wayne Smart on 6/22; Dr. Ernest Winburn on 6/23 and for Darren Davis on 6/24.  May all of these birthday folks enjoy a special celebration of their natal day and we wish them many, many more in the future.  Oh, yes indeed.......
And, that will just about bring another Outlook effort to a close.  I do hope that you found something of interest along the way and I shall look forward to meeting all of you again next week in the same way, time and etc......Oh, yes, indeed..........
PARTING THOUGHT: Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?  Forbid it, Lord.  I know not what course others may take; but, as for me, give me liberty or give me death! (Patrick Henry)