Sunday, December 16, 2018

Sunday 12-16-18

Soon Christmas will be here. Remember what Christmas is all about. This will be my last post of the year 2018. With that said I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
As you can see from the pic below, our dog is ready for Christmas with his Christmas bandana...
 

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Saturday 11-24-18

Drifting

Drifting in this zone
Feeling so alone
My searching the clue
Looking everywhere for you

In the morning and night
Beyond the sight
What is it that's real
I don't know how to feel

Lost is what's dear
World quite unclear
Clouded over no sun
I'm coming really undone

Drifting down the road
On automatic mode
If only this way
Gave me just one more day

By Greg 11/24/18

Sunday, November 18, 2018

In Loving Memory

I'd like the memory of me
to be a happy one.
I'd like to leave an afterglow of smiles
when the day is done.

I'd like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways...
Of happy times & laughing times,
and bright and sunny days.

I'd like the tears of those who grieve
to dry before the Sun,
Of happy memories that I leave behind
when the day is done.

Adams Mason

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Saturday 10-27-18

Each day is like the day before. Tomorrow will be like today. That's how it feels to me. So I thought I would post a poem....
Before the Dawn
Quiet are the mornings
Before the light of day
Just the song of the wind
Has something to say
In these silent moments
Thinking of life itself
Lost in time the time lost
A bookend on a shelf
For today my mind cluttered
With memories so many
I wonder where to go
What is left to be

10-27-18 by Greg

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Sunday 10-21-18

It's been quite awhile since I posted a blog. And this blog is one of those that no one really wants to read. Some weeks ago my GF decided she doesn't want to have dialysis treatments anymore. I understand why. It's not an easy thing though. Without the treatments, well you can guess where it will all lead. I've taken leave from work so I can be with her. She's at that point now where she doesn't talk much and has trouble putting thoughts together. For me I just wake every morning saying to myself "Just one more day". 
Life takes its many turns and moves very quickly even when we feel sometimes that time can stand still. So to end this blog, I'm going to add a video of one of her favorite songs....
 

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Sunday 9-16-18

After posting every week for some time now, I missed posting last week. It's been some stressful weeks and I really didn't feel like writing anything even though I do have some stuff I want to post about. So again I'll save those thoughts for another post. My gf isn't doing all that well. Plus the insurance has a problem now. I hope to get it straightened out and have a better week this one around. I do want to share this little thing today. Many times I catch some interesting license plates. Trouble is I don't always remember them when I sit down to write. But this one I do. BEE EMW. Guess what make of car this one was on. 
One day at a time. I found a live video of one of my favorite bands. A 1981 concert footage of them doing their classic song based on one of my favorite poems of all time. Well I was going to post it. Seems it's been disabled to playback on other sites. Which is a weird thing since youtube this site and others are all Google. So I'll just post the link from youtube. Plus the poem it was based on. Have a great week....


 

Kubla Khan


Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
   Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round;
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s flail:
And mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean;
And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!
   The shadow of the dome of pleasure
   Floated midway on the waves;
   Where was heard the mingled measure
   From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

   A damsel with a dulcimer
   In a vision once I saw:
   It was an Abyssinian maid
   And on her dulcimer she played,
   Singing of Mount Abora.
   Could I revive within me
   Her symphony and song,
   To such a deep delight ’twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Sunday 9-2-18

September already?? Time really goes by quickly these days. At least it seems like it. I had some things I was going to write about today but I think I will wait until later to write about them. Maybe I'll sneak in a post tomorrow since it's a holiday for us working people. Well for everyone really. It's viewed as the unofficial end of Summer. In a way it is. Some things close until next Spring. This year's weather sure is no indication. 90's for us around here the rest of the week. So fire up that grill and get something cool to drink and enjoy the holiday!
 Image result for labor day images

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Sunday 8-26-18

It hasn't been too good of week. Just one day at a time. We must always hope for a better day. So I thought I would repost the poem I posted on my mobile plus account. I'm still surprised my mobile plus is still working since Google told me it probably wouldn't by May 2018. Later I'll write about the goofy upgrades Google has made. Most every time an upgrade comes around, it's like going backwards. Anyhoo...One Step Forward...
One step forward
One step back
Moving onward
Off the track
Gone are the days
Real conversation
In mysterious ways
No more destination

8-23-18 Greg 

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Sunday 8-19-18

Not much to say today. One day at a time. For some days now one of those interesting things has come along. For instance the date of this post. As I write it 8-19-18. If you read that in reverse it's 8-19-18. A palindrome with numbers. Kids are headed back to school. Some did this week. More this week. Soon the Summer will be gone. Time moves on...
 

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Sunday 8-12-18

Sometime earlier this year I discovered that going grocery shopping very early Saturday morning is the way to go. Why? Not many people up that early are at the store. The store I go to is maybe a mile away if that. Well this Saturday was different. There was a runners marathon through my neighborhood. It was just getting set up as I went shopping. Getting home was an adventure. When I tried to go the way I had come I along with several other cars were told we couldn't go down the street we wanted. We were made to turn around. The cop said to me when I asked just where are we to go when we needed to use the street to get home. He says well you'll have to wait a few hours until the marathon is over. He then says why don't you go grocery shopping. I said I just did. Anyhoo I turned around and went to the other end of the street which was blocked too but I could turn one way since that was to be the return lane for the runners and at that moment the race was just starting. So needless to say when I got to the intersection of the next main street it was blocked and I had to turn around again. If that cop would have let me cross, I would have been able to go two blocks and get to my street. So now it's a dilemma, where were we to go? So I flipped down a side street knowing there were no real alternatives and came back to the street that was two blocks from home. The cars in front of me were being turned around. So me being last I stopped. The woman who I found out shortly was a city employee. She had crossed the street to where her car was blocking the one of the lanes and cones in the other. I called her over and I tell her I need to get across this street to get home. I'm just two blocks away. I told her what street and guess what? She's not familiar with my neighborhood. Either was the cop. Just how are these people supposed to get you going in the right direction if they don't know where they are? And my city isn't New York, so how easy is it to know the entire city? Long story short this woman wasn't about to let me cross. So I asked her, what do you want me to do, wait here for a couple hours while my groceries melt? Well there weren't a lot of runners going by yet so she decided the right thing and picked up the cones by her car so I could get across the street that I needed to so I could get home. I was home in one minute. On a normal Saturday after shopping I wait for the bank to open then go get some cash. Yes I still use cash. But guess what, now I had to wait because the bank is in that marathon zone. So in essence my neighborhood was held hostage for around 3 hours Saturday August 11, 2018. Yes and next year it will be too. So later when I got to the bank they tell me everyone was late. I imagine the customers that are in walking distance weren't too happy about that. I wonder what all those people in the other cars that got blocked from where they were going ended up?
 

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Sunday 8-5-18

This week I thought I'd post a poem I wrote years ago when I was on the site Multiply. Many years have passed since Multiply closed. Becoming a very distant memory.

One Little Candle

One little candle
Lights the way
From the lost path
Back to today
~~
One little wish
That's spoken
A call to peace
Heal the broken
~~
One little light
You can see
Burns so brightly
For you and me


Copyright 2010 By Greg

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Sunday 7-29-18

Sometimes it's hard to write a post. Especially when each week is another heartbreak or something and you feel you have nothing to say. At least this post will be the last this month. Another time I'll write more about the ups and downs of life. Today I really have nothing to say. Every time I feel this way, I think of the classic Jethro Tull song "Nothing to Say"
 

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Sunday 7-15-18

Another hot Summer day here in Ohio. So last night I was thinking about a 45 my mom had that I listened to as a kid. It was by Doris Day. She is 96 now. Anyhoo I found it on Youtube. Memories of sweet Summer days gone by.....
 

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Sunday 7-8-18

This weekend the weather has turned really pleasant. Cooler, lower humidity. Can't ask for anything better. I pulled out an old cd to listen to the song Travelin' Man. I also pulled out an even older cd to listen to the original cut. Way back in the 70's the southern rock band made a legendary live album. That was Lynyrd Skynyrd. Not very long after in 1977 some of the members of the group were killed in a plane crash while on tour. Including the lead singer. The song Travelin' Man was on their live album and never made it to a studio album. In 1997 the band paid tribute to their lost loves by rerecording Travelin' Man in one special way. By this time the brother of their lost lead singer is the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd. So they put the vocals of Ronnie from that live cut and put them together with Johnny's vocals. It's very good and for us Skynyrd fans brings tears to your eyes. 40 plus years later their legend continues...have a wonderful week...
 

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Thursday 7-5-18

There were plenty of Fireworks on the 4th. About a half a block away there is a home that every year they put on quite a fireworks show. My niece lives a couple homes from them. So I walked down there for her 4th party which was just family. Her Dad, my brother brought some good stuff too. And my nieces brothers were there and of course her kids and, my great niece and great nephew. Her husband had to prepare to go to work unfortunately so he missed all the show. It was kinda like a competition. A neighborhood one lol. Anyhoo I took some pics. After trial and error since I was using my phones camera, I finally set it to multiple pic snaps to be able to get some decent pics. Wish I had a decent camera instead but I will again someday. So here's a few for your enjoyment....










 

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Wednesday 7-4-18




Today we celebrate our Independence here in America. For us and all people of the World..Let Freedom Ring...
 Image result for 4th of july images

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Sunday 7-1-18

It's hard to believe it's July already. Well last week was about the same as the week before. Thankfully no ER visit. The heatwave is on here so we're both enjoying the air conditioning as our friend. 
My other G+ account, the mobile one, seems to be having problems. Sometimes when I log in it's blank. Sometimes if I swipe to scroll it appears. I never got a reply as to what would happen when it didn't work. They said by May 20th, well we're passed that. The model numbers were relatively recent that G+ would not work by the mail I got from them. I'm not about to upgrade to a newer phone just for that lol. Before you say it, yes I logged into my account on my computer. You know what happens then. I get an email from Google that my account was logged into from another device. Duh! If Google is sure certain models will no longer let the plus work, then wouldn't they expect a person would log in from somewhere else? 
Well it's a holiday week, may yours be the best...

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Sunday 6-24-18

It was a long week. Another setback. My gf missed some of her dialysis appointments. On Saturday before she was done she got sick and when she was taken off of the machine her bp was way up. She ended up going to the ER. She didn't get home until 3 a.m. this morning. She is doing fair, I hope she can keep her appointments this week. She gets a ride on the local transportation during the week and I take her for her Saturday appointments. Meanwhile our dog is healing slowly after his ear operation. Dogs are the best. Luckily they don't know what's going on at times so they stay good-natured even in trying times. Hope I didn't bring anyone down that reads this post. Life as I've found out in the past 5 years, takes the unexpected turns. Have a wonderful week ahead. Here's the boy chillin' Saturday...
 

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Saturday 6-16-18

When it rains it pours. Well not really, it's been pretty dry and it's really heated up for the Father's Day weekend. Dog days of Summer are here to stay, that's for sure. Most of this week on my drive home from work I've been playing a cd of Joni Mitchell from that set I got a few years back. Her first 10 studio albums. As soon as you turn one these it's magical. She is awesome and should have gotten more recognition for her beautiful songs. So to carry on, here's one of my favorite songs.....
 

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Sunday 6-10-18

The early morning light rain has made this Sunday a laid back day. Always good to have one of these days on the weekend. Around three years ago my cousin told me about a nice cd collection that was cheap on Amazon. Joni Mitchell's first 10 albums. So I bought it and wow how good it was to hear all these albums again after so many years. About a year after that my cousin passed away. I miss our talks especially about music. Each of us turned the other on to some artists throughout the years. Last night I listened to one of those cds and am going to share a song from it with you. All about one historical music event.....
 

Sunday, June 3, 2018

Sunday 6-3-18

Here we are in June already. Sometimes time moves quickly. Things are slowly getting back to normal around here. That's a good thing! And normal also means once you get up all's fair....have a wonderful week.....
 

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Sunday 5-27-18

It's been a rather warm weekend so far. Temps are in the 80's and they say 90 tomorrow. So far the big storms have passed us by. Just a few times of some spritz. It's all good....
So there it was on the counter
One little bright spot there
Out of place and lighter
I wonder, wonder where
Did it come from this thing
My finger would not fix it
That dot that wasn't a ring
That didn't seem to fit
So what am I to do
As I look beyond this one
Lo and behold I turn my view
From the window, it's a bit of sun.

5/27/18 Greg

 

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Sunday 5-20-18

Things are going well with my gf here at home. Each day she does better. She was away for a long time between being in the hospital and a skilled nursing facility. It looks like Spring is finally here to stay. We've had some 80's day already. The best thing about this time of year is the humidity isn't bad like it gets later in the Summer. So take life as it is, remember to always smile.....



Sunday, May 13, 2018

Sunday 5-13-18

Happy Mother's Day.  It's great having my gf home. Sure was a long time coming. Still it will take some time to be at home again. She had her blanket when she was sitting on the sofa. After she got up and left the blanket there, guess who took over...have a wonderful week....

 

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Sunday 5-6-18

Finally things are going forward. This week my gf will be home. I can't wait. It's been a long rough journey.....and Spring has come finally......

 

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Sunday 4-29-18

Look out any window
In the morning glow
Things brand new
A different shoe
It will come to you
That feeling too
More and more to say
Just to greet another day
It's not a given
One more day livin'
Precious each moment 
Thankful it was sent

4-29-18 by Greg

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Ramble 4-22-18

Time flows
Sometimes quickly
Sometimes slowly
Time goes
Look back and see
Look forward to be
As day moves to night
The loss of the light
Time flows...

Greg 4-22-18

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Ramble 4-15-18

Shades of sleep begin to fade away. Or was there any sleep? The shadows of midnight remain. Did I hear you call? Just wishful thinking in the deep of night. The silence is broken only by the rain tapping on the windows. I make my way to turn the coffee maker on. Another day before dawn. Is it still the weekend or the start of another week? All time runs together. Stuck in this endless loop. Going around and round and round. It all starts the same and ends the same in the shadows of midnight....
 

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Ramble 4-8-18

To give an update. My gf is off the breathing tube. Yesterday she was back on solid food again. Early this morning she was moved to a regular room out of ICU. She still has a very long way to go since she was in ICU so long and a long time on sedation. Thanks for all your positive thoughts and prayers.
The weekend is almost over, they fly away too fast. Here's a song I heard on the radio. On weekends I listen to another station than the one I listen to during the week. They always have something new(at least new to me) that is always interesting.....
 

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Ramble 4-1-18

This past week has been the worst. Wednesday the hospital cleaned out the fistula in my gf's arm. Later they started dialysis and her bp dropped and she became unresponsive. She has a breathing tube and with medicine the hospital was able to get her blood pressure back to normal. Currently she's is stable and is under sedation. This morning they turned that off and are waiting for her to wake so they can get the tube out. Extreme anxiety is why it has taken this long. I doubt she will remember any of us being there when she does awake. It's heartbreaking. Plus she will be starting over getting back to being able to come home. Somehow we carry on...
Happy Easter...
 

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Sunday Ramble 3-25-18

I had thought my gf would be home sometime this week. Not sure all the reasons why it hasn't happened but Saturday is reason enough. She went to her dialysis treatment (The skilled nursing facility has a bus that takes her there). They couldn't do the treatment. It seems there may be some clots in the fistula that's in her arm. It's there because that's where they hook her up to the dialysis machine. It's better than not having it because of the way a person is hooked up without the fistula. Long story short, it's odd that there would be clots since it was cleaned out at the hospital a couple of months ago. So I'm wondering if the fistulas wear out. So the center said they would do something about it Monday which is tomorrow. Needless to say we're both upset about it. I can only guess that the hospital will have to take care of it. And that's stressful for her and me too. I won't know until tomorrow.
A couple days ago it was my birthday. I mention it because like every birthday that comes for me I like to reflect on how things have gone since the last one. I guess that's because I'm getting closer to the retirement age. The last couple of years have been really rough. A lot has happened and at sometime every day it's on my mind. Still I keep a positive attitude for life throws everything at you and you must take each moment as it is. Music always seems to help us make it through the day...till we meet again...

 

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Sunday Ramble

I had a conference with the nurse and social worker and physical therapy at the skilled nursing facility my gf is at. It was quite positive and hopefully she will be coming home very soon. However she will need some help at home, so hopefully we can get that all arranged when she comes home. It will be good.
So another weekend blows by so fast....till we meet again....
 

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Sunday Ramble 3-11-18

An update: My gf is in another skilled nursing facility. They are working with more than the last two to get her back to strength. It seems all these places are slow to respond to their patients help light. Healthcare in this country is not all it's cracked up to be. Sad but true.
On my way Saturday to have our dog groomed I saw it. The sight you don't want to see. I was on the highway going about 60mph. As I was passing the car that was in the right lane I happened to look over. They were going just a little slower than I was. Well the driver was, yes that dreaded sight, looking at their cell phone. Why do people do that? What happened to common sense?? Anyhoo I honked my horn and passed them. As I looked in my rear view mirror the driver had stopped looking at their phone. At least for that moment....scary it is.......
Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Sunday, February 25, 2018

February Ramble

It's been awhile. Not too much to say. Quick update on my gf. She's still in the hospital and is doing pretty good. Probably the next day or so we'll try yet another skilled nursing/rehab facility to get her strong enough to get back home. One day at a time...
Meanwhile the dog and I wait for that day.....
 

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Sunday Ramble..Not So Much..

I don't have much to say today. Things are still progressing slowly for my GF. It's a lazy Sunday, another wintry day of the never ending Winter. Today is the big game, the Superbowl. I have no interest in it this year. It seems it's always the Pats and there goes my interest. So sit back and enjoy the vid and have a great week......
 

Sunday, January 28, 2018

January Ramble

It's been awhile since I posted. To give you an update, my GF still has a long way to go. She's still in a skilled nursing facility. All I can do is take one day at a time. One step at a time. Yesterday she had a bad time of it after dialysis. That happens quite often. Probably happens to a lot of people on dialysis. I guess it depends on your age and the advancement of renal failure.
I have been thinking of lots of things to blog about but I just never seem to write them. This week one of those things is the license plates I saw. Some always catch my eye but by the time I get home I don't remember them. Here's a few I do remember.: DAANNG for one. Another said SULKY1. And the best one I saw on Friday: MZ SUGA
I wish you a wonderful week ahead, here's a blast from the past.....
 

Friday, January 12, 2018

Ramblin' Weather

One thing we talk about most is the weather. The power of Mother Nature can't be beat. So after really cold weeks we finally warmed up. It was almost 60 Thursday and was still 55 this morning, Friday morning. A friend wrote a post about why we live where we do as applies to weather. Such as why someone lives near where there are hurricanes. Why someone lives where it gets really cold and lots of snow. Why someone lives where there are lots of tornadoes. I guess the only answer is it's just where we ended up. There are lots of reasons. For me I guess I live where I grew up because of family. Now I live in the home I grew up in. Over the years I've always thought about moving somewhere. My running joke was moving to Hawaii. My sister and brother-in law beat me there, they now live there. To get back on track, where we live we got to be smart about the dangers of weather. Everyday on the news we see people who aren't. So let's get back to the weather here this week. All week they have been talking about a big storm. It's happening now btw. Thursday was a lot of rain. Well today's mild start was the calm before the storm as the expression goes. We were to get more rain, then freezing rain/sleet, then turning to snow this evening into Saturday morning 4 to 9 inches. It did rain and then around noon as they predicted the freezing stuff started. So far it's not as much as they had thought. Not yet anyway. The temperature has been going down. So along with this forecast you would think employers would be more sensitive to weather reports and close early so employees could safely get home. This doesn't seem to be the case. In my case I work in what is called "The Valley". Why? Because it's just that, a valley. Going down to the valley is much easier down than coming up from the valley in this kind of weather. At least the schools today were smart enough to close in anticipation of this huge storm. It's going to get really bad in the next few hours and traveling will be hard if not impossible once the snow begins. So shouldn't employers be more responsible? How many times have you heard on the news about not traveling during these storms? Makes you wonder. I hate Winter and yet I still live here. I asked the cashier last week at the gas station during the really cold snap "Why do we live here?" referring to Winter. She said something that makes the most sense. "Because of Fall and Spring." Yes the four seasons....well that's all for my rant on the weather for today. Meanwhile the boy doesn't care since he's well taken care of and is chillin'...