Sunday, July 29, 2007

Some Things You Keep.

Post 271 - - - - Sunday, 29th July, 2007.

Hello Everyone ~~ It was a drizzly rainy day here today and was cold
this morning, but fortunately I was able to stay indoors and catch up
on some reading - of blogs and newspapers. Did much the same
yesterday as well as making more dinners, a lovely chicken roll from
Cole's delicatessen. They are so tasty and tender and cook quickly.
Mike called in for his share today, but apart from that it has been a
quiet day. I hope you have all enjoyed the weekend or what's left
of it I took some photos around the place so will get to them.



These are my 4 children as young adults- Julie, John with no beard,
Geoff with more hair (and mo) than he has now, and Kathy. As a
kid, Kathy always hated to be "and Kathy" on ends of Cards & letters.

A picture from the paper of a chihuahua with a heart on his back !

Sorry this isn't very clear - it shows the world's tallest horse, 2 metres and
he is a Belgian Draft horse. Under him, is the smallest, Thumbelina, a
miniature sorrell brown mare just 51 cms. (Appros 1 ft 8ins.)



There are a few flowers on my biggest rhodendrom and tons of buds.
My eyesight is poor at the best of times, so the vase isn't upright, but
you can still see the flower on the sink !!


This is an article by that prolific writer - - Author Unknown. Enjoy !!

Some things you keep; like good teeth, warm coats and bald husbands.
They're good for you, reliable and practical and so sublime that to throw them away would make the garbage man a thief. So you hang on, because something old is sometimes better than something new, and what you know is often better than a stranger.

These are my thoughts. They make me sound old; old and tame and dull at a time when everyone else is risky and racy and flashing all that's new and improved in their lives. New spouses, new careers, new thighs, new lips.

The world is dizzy with trade-ins. I could keep track, but I don't think I want to. I grew up in the fifties with practical parents - a mother, God bless her who washed aluminium foil after she cooked in it, then re-used it and still does. A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones.

They weren't poor, my parents, they were just satisfied. Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away.

I can see them now; fifties couples in Bermuda shorts and Banlon sweaters, lawn mower in one hand, tools in the other. The tools were for fixing things -- a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem of a dress. Things you keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing re=heating, re-newing. I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant there'd always be more.

But then my father died, and on that clear autumn night, in the chill of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any "more". Sometimes what you care about most gets all used up and goes away, never to return.

So, while you have it, it's best to love it and care for it and fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. That's true for marriage and old cars and children with bad report cards and dogs with bad hips.

You keep them because they're worth it, because you're worth it.

Some things you keep.
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Now for a few jokes - - -

Mummy, Mummy. Where are you? cried the little boy on the promenade
at Bournemouth.

"You poor little boy," said an elderly lady. "Come with me and I'll get you an icecream and then we will go look for your mother and if we still can't find her, I'll take you to the nice policeman to help find your Mummy."

"I know where your mother is," said a small girl. "She's . . . ."

"Shush," whispered the little boy. "I know where she is too, but this way I've already had two free iccecreams this morning from other people before we found my mother --don't be mean and stop me gettin a third !!"
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A young lad started as an apprentice at a large factory and after a time, was put on a machine making small parts. One day the foreman asked him how the work was turning out, and the lad answered, "Oh, near enough."

The foreman then and there gave abrief lecture on performing a job so that the work was 'dead right' ; 'near enough' was not good enough.

A few days later he saw the lad again and said, " How are things turning out now?"
"Dead right;" replied the boy.
"Good," said the foreman. "That's near enough !!"
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A society hostess was giving a cocktail party and to her great surprise,
in the midst of proceedings, her young son and daughter, completely naked entered the room, passed among the guests and then left.

Of course the guests pretended not to notice them, but as soon as she
could excuse herself, the mother hurried upstairs to the children and
said, " My dears, whatever did you think you were doing just now?"

"Oh, Mummy, " they replied, " we went into your room and found a
tube with "Vanishing Cream" on it. So we smeared ourselves all over
and went downstairs, and no-one could see us !!"
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Harry's wife heard the car drive up and looking through her bedroom
window saw him carry three large bottles of beer into the house.
She heard him come upstairs but when she looked out, she couldn't
see him on the landing. Pushing the bathroom door open, she saw him pouring the three bottles of beer into the loo.

When she asked about the incident, he said it would save him getting
up during the night.
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After going into Hazel Wood with his girlfriend, a disappointed Fred
came out and wrote under the sign which said "Hazel Wood" the
word : "but Janice wouldn't !!"
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Some quotes from sportsmen and women and others- - -

Ninety per cent of my game is mental. It's my concentration that
has gotten me this far. - - - Chris Evert.

Every time, all the time, I'm a perfectionist. I feel I should
never lose. - - - Chris Evert.

Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in old clothes.
- - - -Don Marquis

If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong
golf ball. - - - Jack Lemmon.

You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things -- to compete.
You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach
challenging goals. - - - Sir Edmund Hillary.

The Income Tax has made more liars out of Americans than golf.
- - - - Will Rogers.

Well, that's it for tonight my friends. See you next time.
Enjoy your lives and be kind to each other.
Love and Best Wishes to you all. Cheerio, Merle.

Post 171 - - - - Sunday, 29th July, 2007.
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12 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

As always...great blogging Merle.
Love the photos. And I can understand Kathy's feelings...I was the youngest too.

The one about Hazel Wood was hilarious.

Happy day to you.

JunieRose2005 said...

Hi Merle,

I enjoyed the post as I always do.

Loved seeing your children's pictures!


Junie

Christina said...

Greta pics, love the horses. Good article about keeping things.

LOL @ Hazel Wood but Janice wouldn't.

Puss-in-Boots said...

Grrrr @#$%^! blogger...it ate my first comment.

What a lovely way to display the photos of your children, Merle, very pretty.

The story about keeping old things was interesting. I was taught to make all my own clothes and it was instilled into me to mend and repair clothes. I felt so guilty when I bought my first ready made dress (I was in my late 30s).

Funny though, the guilt didn't last and I buy all my clothes now, but still replace buttons and zips, etc especially if it's an old favourite that still fits!

Hugs xoxo

Vickie said...

yes there are just some things we keep---as always it was a treat visiting here.

Thanks for the smiles.

Hope you have a good week and enjoy life.

Carole Burant said...

Dearest Merle,

Hello my friend:-) Love the frame you have with your children's pictures! I just recently saw a picture of that little dog with the heart shape on his back in a magazine I bought...he's so adorable!! And wow, look at the sizes of those two horses...God makes them all beautiful, though, big or small:-) Love the colour of your rhodendrom!!

I enjoyed reading "Some Things You Keep"...wonderful article. Loved the jokes and quotes also:-)

Take care dear friend! xoxo

Jim said...

Merle, you're the best. I like your balance, a little journal, a little meme, some classic jokes and remarks, then a nice goodbye.
It doesn't get better than you make it.

I agree, some old things need nursing along. Among them, marriage, old cars, children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips.
My friend, Bill, and I were working on the old car, a 1934 Ford coupe racing car, when his wife came out of the house with her suitcase.
I thought she must be traveling, but no. She told my friend, "you love that old car more than you love me!"
That wasn't all bad at all, she got a divorce and he remarried, to a really nice girl who loved Bill and his old cars.

You family picture means a lot doesn't it? You have nice family, they seem to tend after you pretty good. And now Mike is helping too.
..

Lee said...

Ahhhh...rainy days and Sundays never get me down. Both have a wonderfully relaxed cosy feeling about them. No guilt and no excuses...stay inside and read or catch up on a movie! ;)

audrey` said...

Dearest Merle

The pic of your lovely children is the best =)

Joy Des Jardins said...

It's always great to see pics of your kids Merle...younger or older. And of course, you know I love those flowers. Happy day sweet friend...much love to you....

Peter said...

Hi Merle, did you notice that Christina said "Greta pics" if only she knew that that typo had a real meaning to us.

Jeanette said...

Dear Merle,Nice photo's of the family love the frame there in.
and theres a lot of truth in "Old Things' I laughed at the little lost boy getting his icecreams.I still have a cough but not as bad as it was, I finally feel im getting over it.take care Dear Merle, love Jan