Saturday 12-26-2020

 Christmas has come and gone. The anticipation of getting to Christmas day is wonderful and exciting. Then it is over what seems really quick. But the spirit of it lingers and how great would it be if that would last all year long.

This Christmas was different for me and about everybody. My family and me played it safe. So I didn't get to visit the kids and grandkids. We saw each other in other ways. Also this year was like I remember from my youth. It started snowing on Christmas Eve and continued through Christmas. I remember late at night as a kid on Christmas Eve looking out the window to see if I could spot Santa with the snow whipping around. And going to church on Christmas Eve to here the sermon about the meaning of Christmas. 

So after many years this Christmas was a white Christmas after all something not seen for awhile. Here's a pic from early morning Christmas day the view of my neighborhood street from the taken from the sidewalk in the front of my house...

Sunday 11-22-2020

 Waves rush forward

Only to fall away

To return whence they came

For this is nature

To repeat again

Nothing can be the same

~

Years pass along

One adventure again

Morning, evenings collide

A million gallons

Cover like a garden

Two way, another side

~

Pieces of time

Rising from where

Slip into this soul of mine

For the memory

Will never forget

Always there the sign

~

To rise above

To fall again

A thousand and one tears

From the heart

The ocean wide

Embracing all the years

By Greg

 

 

Tuesday 11-10-2020

 Once again it has been a long time since I posted. Long enough that there have been updates and changes to Blogger. So I'm hoping I can remember how to do what I want to post today. Looks like the options of what you can and cannot do are changed as well. 

Anyhoo for me is my love of music. It's true what they say. We usually still love the music we grew up with. It leaves a big impression on us. I think the 60's had some of the best music you will ever here. So I'm going to post one of them that I don't really recall but the group and several other of their songs I do real well. This one is on one of those collections that kind of covers a groups career on cd. Back when it came out I'm sure it was an am radio played song and spun on the good old turntable as a 45. A lot has changed in our world since those days. Music being one of them. Still the sounds of the 60's music has that good days feel to it. Tmmy James and the Shondells....

Thursday 7-2-2020

It's been a long time since I wrote anything. I guess it's because I feel in limbo. We're all in a "Wait and see what happens" mode. Things have changed a lot since my last post. Mostly the weather going to extremes. From 30's in May to the 90's we're now in. And it's going to be a drought really. 90's from today to next Friday. High 80's all this week and no rain. Then all that is going on in our world. It's gone from bad to worse. And it's not going to get any better anytime soon. So mostly we've had plenty of time to post many posts but I think we're all just waiting. Waiting for better days. One thing that always makes us feel better is music. Remember that because it's all we have to get away from the problems that we face along with the world.....

Sunday 5-31-2020

Another strange week indeed. While we were dealing with the coronavirus crisis, staying at home to protect others, it didn't take long as things opened up around the country to remember the crisis that has still been around for too long. I must say while we were all staying at home time seemed to drag on forever. And yet here we are the last day of May already of 2020. This year will be one to remember for a very long time. 
So now the crisis gets deeper. What we saw this week is utter stupidity. From the death of a man who should have not died at the hands of those who "Serve and Protect."  What the hell? When are people going to realize there is but one race. Just one, the human race. Then the crisis got even bigger. Protests turned into riots and looting. How is that going to help? Worse is that communities are ripped apart and no justice will ever be served by this kind of behavior. Then of course the coronavirus will let loose with round two. Civil War is here, the end of society as we know it. Remember common sense? It left a long time ago. But. Don't let it bring you down......

Friday 5-29-2020

Painting By The Numbers
Stroke to the left
Stroke to the right
Like footprints in the sand

Is there a way
To get back where we were
To once again ride along
Make this a picture

I dreamed I saw
A thousand walking by
No smile, no nothing
Not seeing each one

I felt the brush
Asking questions still
Looking for direction
On what to do to cover this 

Falling down
Isolation dragging at me
North,East,South and West
Four ways to only go

I wish for the days
That I remember well
To smile once again 
With you and the mornings

Two more brushes
Maybe will this complete
Memories of our love
Color this picture today

copyright 5-29-2020 by Greg
 

Sunday 5-24-2020

One day runs into two. then three..on and on it goes. There is a flicker of light. Dreaming away at what the normal? Who will see where, when, why, what and wake? Wait for the feel it is time. Slowly like a butterfly things open. Still not the same and can never be. Where do we go from here? Questions that ask and answer all in the same line. "Nothing is real". Look back. Remember to honor our brave men and women this Memorial Day...

Sunday 5-3-2020

It seems forever since I posted. Time goes by so fast even when standing still. A year ago on this date I worked my last day and retired. Hard to believe a year has come and gone since then. Who would have expected where we are today? Starting on May 1st a few things are opening back up in my state. Doctors and dentist offices. It's good for a slow start, this crisis has been one that has forever changed the world. By the time the world was told there was a problem, the virus was already being spread here in America. I'm pretty sure it was here last November. Doctors didn't know what it was and thought it was probably just a strain of the flu worse than the year before. Until December 31st. Even then as 2020 began our government didn't react and take steps that may have curbed a lot of the outbreak. Glad our Governor took the bull by the horns. We can point as many fingers as we want to the current situation but the fact is now we have to be even smarter with opening up America. As history will tell us a second wave will probably follow and could be much worse if we don't play it smart.
Anyhoo let's take a walk down memory lane....

Tuesday 4-7-2020

Missing you much today...Happy Birthday sweetheart....

Sunday 4-5-2020

As the crisis continues to unfold it seems no end is in sight. Everyday the numbers go up. While the stay at home order is in place except for essential things, it sure seems like the movie Groundhog day. 
The biggest lesson we shall learn is the world is so unprepared for something like this. And then I see this article. I wonder where the priorities are sometime....stay safe, be well and know we will get through this....

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-proceeds-post-impeachment-purge-150611024.html 

Saturday 3-28-2020

And so it continues. Each day new cases of the Coronavirus. America now has the most. America delayed too long before steps were put in place to try to stop and slow down the spread of this virus. And still there is a long way to go before the virus peaks. Meanwhile Congress has passed a stimulus package to slow down economic destruction. 
We live in a funny world. Over the years with so much doomsday talk this virus isn't taken as seriously as it should be. Only time will tell how devastating it is. One thing is certain. The economic impact will be devastating.
So most of us are staying home, only going out for the necessary things we need to survive. Some have gone overboard and have hoarded many items thus denying many of us the things we surely need to get. I say to any of those people who are doing this, may you drown in all the things you have hoarded. 
So early this week was my birthday and someone suggested I should make it a week celebration. That seems to be the thing to do these days. So yes I sort of did. Of course there was nowhere to go or anyone to celebrate with.  But last Sunday I did get to celebrate it with my grand kids before the stay at home became official. We also celebrated our Christmas from last year since we couldn't do that at the time. I can't tell you how awesome that was. Nothing is more precious to us older folks than the grand children. I sure enjoyed myself. 
So this week I listened to some music I hadn't listened to in awhile. Here's one of the songs.....

 

Sunday 3-15-2020

It's gotten really interesting since my last post. Scare and panic has set in around the world for a new strain of a virus. Also stupidity has come around. A lot of things are being closed. Concerts canceled. Even Playhouses are closed. Any place with a large gathering of people. Our schools are closed for an extended Spring break. Who knows maybe until the end of this school year. Most Universities are too but classes will continue online. And of course my age group is considered the most at risk. I think the whole thing is a bit overboard. Common sense tells you what you need to do. Like I've been saying, you can't stop living because of this outbreak. 
Since I'm now retired my risk is kind of minimal anyway. I'm no longer at work where I would no doubt get infected if someone there contracted the virus. There wasn't a lot of people that worked there but anything like a cold or flu would go around very easily there. Even if I was still there I wouldn't stop going to work just because of the fear of getting this virus.
Then you have people like these. Here's an article from Yahoo about the disgusting side of human nature. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/17-700-bottles-hand-sanitizer-155735689.html 

Sunday 3-1-2020

Yes it's the 1st of March already. This year is passing faster than the last. It seems like it anyway. This is the part of the year that around here it seems Winter will never end. It hasn't been the worst of Winters but Winter is Winter. So lately I've been playing my guitar more, shaking off the rustiness from so many years not playing. My brother brought me some music books to learn some new techniques at the art of playing guitar. I'm learning to do finger picking. It's fun and very slow going for me to learn this new technique. Gives me good direction to enjoy what I used to  love for so many years...
While listening to some 60's songs of the Yardbirds, I found this instrumental that I had forgotten about. Some really nice licks from a young Eric Clapton. Enjoy....

 

Tuesday 2-18-2020

Last week was my final session with the grief counselor. I knew the time had come. I'm doing well. Grief is a journey. I can't tell you how great it was to have the guidance of the counselor. Everyone grieves in their own way. I am glad I had a chance to see a counselor. Some people never do. The grief counselor wasn't my only help. Friends and family too helped me through this long process. Some people never recover. The key is looking forward. The life you knew is gone so you must find a new way to be you. I'm lucky, I have found the way to move forward. It doesn't mean I will lose my memories or have some sad days. To live there is a way forward.
A couple of days ago I was listening to some music that I grew up with. One was a collection I made of some of the 45's I had plus some I didn't. The other was a collection of 45's one of my friends put together many years ago. Songs I grew up with. Songs maybe his older siblings listened to since my friend is younger than me. Anyhoo one those songs  is a classic that can get you rockin'...

 

Thursday 1-30-2020

The dog and pony show has continued today. I hope everyone is at least paying some attention to the Senate trial. This is big stuff and will affect this country for years to come. Yesterday's revelations were somewhat disturbing. When White house counsel was asked what date was the money froze to the Ukraine, their answer was they didn't have a date on record. The government doesn't have it on record? That smells of cover up. Second was one of the lawyers for the White House said if the President thinks it's in the country's best he should be re-elected then he is allowed to do anything he wants to get there. Really? Is this really a defense? 
I have to hand it to White House counsel Patrick Philbin. He's used that aged old strategy everyday before he speaks. The buttoning of the suit coat. It's an old legal startegy.
No matter where you are on this trial, ask yourself this question. Will justice be served? My opinion probably not. Before the trial even started Senator Mitch McConnell made it clear that it would end in the house. Already decided not to find a guilty verdict. Also each day new revelations come out. None have been taken seriously by the White House counsel. There should be something more to make this a really fair trial. Let's say the President is removed. It doesn't mean he won't be able to run for the 2020 election. The Senate can actually vote to remove him but not bar him from running in 2020. 
All in all like I said at the beginning of this post, it's a dog and pony show. My best guess is the trial will be over tomorrow. And speaking of the Presidency let's go back in time to an amusing song by Joe Walsh....

 

Thursday 1-23-2020

What a cold week it has been. Finally it's 40 today. Much better than the 10 degrees yesterday morning. Heatwave! That's the way it is around here in the Winter. Yesterday was the first day we hit the freezing mark since last Saturday...
All this week I've had these dreams. Several the love of my life has been in them. It's been over a year now since she's been gone. For awhile my dreams seemed to have stopped. Even our dog has been in the dreams. Monday it will be a year since he passed on. Friends have been in my dreams too. My mom and dad too. When you wake the dream is fresh and slowly disappears. Each day when I wake up I try to remember something from the dream. Little things. Have you ever noticed in your dreams when you're in a familiar place, it doesn't look like it at all. One of the dreams I was at mom and dad's. It didn't look like their home at all. Same with the other places in the dreams. It's a funny thing. So thinking about all these dreams this week I remembered this song....



 

Thursday 1-16-2020-a poem

You feel the sounds coming
Bells ringing in the sunshine
Raise your hand high to toast
With a glass of red wine
~~
Hours slip into days
Watching time tick by
Seems a long time ago
Saying to you goodbye
~
No time to stand still
Wandering around my mind
Dreaming of far away
Stillness has been signed
~
It's just another day
Remembering what tis
Gazing long to the stars
Feeling what it is
~
All I want to say is, I love you
Forever locked in my heart
Day after day, I love you
Captured here in my heart..

Greg
1-16-2020

Wednesday 1-15-2020

Yesterday I had an idea what I was going to write about. Then the Oldtimers hit me and I can't recall what it was. Looking at the calendar, it's mid week and mid month already. Already this year is going fast. The skeptics say "What do you mean? It's only January?" Well it seems it was just New Year's yesterday. Incredible how time slips away and before you know it you're considered a senior citizen. I guess that's why we walk down memory lane....

Well I was unable to post the version I wanted to. The one above is a rough cut from the Beatles Anthology series. After this one is an early version of the song completed. Since I couldn't post it, here is the link:
strawberry fields

A Tribute to Neil Peart 1952-2020 RIP

The Professor on the drum kit...

 

Sunday 1-12-2020

It's been a wild roller coaster ride here with the weather. There was a pretty big storm here yesterday. Actually the storm has taken up much of the eastern part of the country. Well we didn't get all the rain that was predicted but wow the winds were awful Especially overnight. When I woke up today I realized my home had been uprooted and is now in Kansas. Auntie Em was right outside too. Just kidding! We broke a record. 70 degrees yesterday. Early this morning, 35 degrees. Go figure!
I saw some sad news yesterday. The passing of the drummer/percussionist of one of my all time favorite groups, Rush. Neil Peart was 67 and had been battling brain cancer for a number of years. No one knew that until yesterday. He also wrote the lyrics for all of Rush's songs. This morning on Deep Tracks Satellite  radio they were playing a tribute of their songs. This one is one of my favorites that they played....RIP....

 

Monday 1-6-2019

For a long time now I've been using the day and date to title my posts. Like this one. It's not only Monday but it's the first Monday of the year. You know what means? Lots of Mondays to go! Since I retired every day is Saturday. Even today lol. 
My last post was a little of a downer. I guess after Christmas and all that holiday spirit filled with hope reality set in. I hardly watch the news anymore but I can't help but to see what is going on when I get online. My browsers homepage is Yahoo. Plenty of downer stuff on it. Then there's the other nonsense stuff. It seems now all these older celebrities  especially the women are using twitter and other photo posting sites to post their latest pictures wearing just a bikini or not so much of anything to show that at age they are the bomb. Is this what our society has become? I wonder. 
Still the other part of the news is how so many are offended by what someone else says. In my mind if you're offended scroll to the next article. One thing I said in my last post was something like  this, seems our crazy world just gets crazier everyday.....

 

Sunday 1-5-2020

As every new year begins we all hope for a better year. Just a few days into this year and hope has already vanished. Now we are at war with Iran. Though not officially declared, nonetheless we are at war. History repeats itself, humans never learn. The last time an assassination was carried out like this, it lead to World War One. Go figure....
California has had some awful fires but the fires in Australia are 10 times worse. I don't know how they will survive. 
And we still have those who don't believe in Global warming. I guess the big debate is if what humans have done have had an effect on it. Just a few days ago in Australia they recorded a record breaking temperature of 122 degrees. Can you imagine that? 
Still politics have divided our country enough that friends turn on friends. Family turns on family. Wasn't that an old plan of our enemies to make this happen?
Well sorry for such a downer of a post but this crazy world seems to get just a little crazier everyday...