Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the East Wing.
Got an email the other day from a fellow asking me if I was the same BobbyRay who went to the first grade at Weeksbury KY. Well the answer is/was yes. Unlike the Tiptop Public School System where I got much of my elementary education, the Weeksbury School was brand spanking new when I was a student.
All washed up and dressed in brand new bibbed overalls, my Mama pushed me out the front door along with my two older sisters so I could go get my education in the new School House, built up there on the hill. And so off I went to school for the very first time.
Now the school at Weeksbury was built with donated funds from the coal miners themselves. Even though they, as a group, were poorly educated people they recognized the need to educate their children, and I’m glad they did, ‘cause I’m one of ‘em . So the two storey brick building was constructed high on a hill, way away from an threat of a flood.
‘Cause one of the things ya gota watch for in the mountains is the threat of a flood. All too often raging flash floods destroy life and limb before people can even get away from the water. Whole towns have been swept away in the dark of night and no one even knew it was coming. So putting the Weeksbury School high on the mountain was those miners way of saying “my babies will never be washed away in the school house during a flood”. It had happened before there in Kentucky, babies washed away in the school house during a flood.
To tell ya the truth, the feller that sent me the email, well, I just didn’t remember ‘em, but I acted like I did. Told him I thought I still had his picture from the first grade. Now some of you may well have pictures from the first grade, and some may even remember the names. But you’re thinking I had the same type pictures you had. I didn’t have that kind.
The kind where they lined everybody up in rows or sat everybody on seats in rows and took a photograph. That wasn’t exactly the way we done it at Weeksbury. We sorta done our own pictures in the first grade there at the Weeksbury School, way up there on the mountain.
There were 18 kids in that class and the school supplies and resources available were rather limited. I remember when the school year started out, the class had a new box of Crayolas, one of those 8 packs, eight little colors all in a row in that yellow and green box with the lid that ya had to remember to tuck back in place else your colors would all fall out when ya moved the box. Cost a nickel back then, 5₵ a box and worth every penny.
With 18 kids and just 8 crayons for the whole class, ya kinda see the problem developing here don’t ya. And so we shared those black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, violet and yellow crayons. We ran out of crayons before it was time to draw those Thanksgiving Turkeys, the kind ya spread out your hand and draw the outline and color it all in.
That Thanksgiving Turkey ya took home so proud to your mama, that kind. Well we done that first Thanksgiving Turkey at the Weeksbury School in pencil. One good thing ‘bout going to school at Weeksbury, they had a backup plan and the backup plan was the pencil, else I’d never have learned the ole Thanksgiving Hand Turkey Technique.
I still remember how proud I was to take my first Thanksgiving Hand Turkey to my Mama, and how excited she seemed to be to get it. I was just as excited years later when my kids brought home their Thanksgiving Hand Turkeys. There’s something ‘bout Thanksgiving Hand Turkeys, they just make everybody feel better. I think it’s that part of ‘em that makes ya sleep or something like that.
But now getting back to the first grade class picture there at the Weeksbury School, way up there on the mountain. The teacher, Miss Merrymay, said we could each draw a picture of the classmate sitting next to us and color it in.
There was a big fat girl setting next to me and I didn’t want to waste a lot of the crayons filling in her picture, so I just drew a stick man with my pencil. I don’t think everybody was as concerned ‘bout saving the crayons as me, else they’d been enough when it was time for the Hand Turkeys.
My dad got a job with the Federal Department of the Interior doing safety inspections inside coal mines in eastern Kentucky and we moved away from Weeksbury before I finished the first grade. By the time I went to a new first grade school they’d already made their Thanksgiving Hand Turkeys.
They too had run out of Crayons for the year and were reduced to using pencils for everything. Thank God for enough pencils for everything, else I’d not only have not learned to color, I’d have not learned to write. ‘Course come folks think I still can’t write, but oh well it sure beats just thinking ‘bout it.
The neat thing I remember ‘bout crayons is when I started the third grade at the Tiptop School, well, I marched up that hill to the Tiptop School House that morning in the bright sunshine, that day after Labor Day, carrying a brand new box of Crayolas, to be used for my excusive coloring experiences in the third grade. All eight of ‘em, lined up there in that green and yellow box, just waiting for me to tell ‘em what to color.
I had already wrote my name on the inside of that little lid that holds the colors inside the box. Wrote “BobbyRay” in cursive ‘cause during that summer my sister Barbara had taught me to write in cursive and I was so proud to be able to write in cursive, didn’t have any cousins at Tiptop that could write in cursive, and I had lot of cousins at Tiptop.
They were all mine, those 8 sticks of color magic as I went to the third grade in Tiptop, but before the day was over I’d decided I’d share with my cousin Pino, his real name was Pilipino but we all called him Pino. He was one of my 12 cousins living at Tiptop and they didn’t all have their own crayons like I had. So me and Pino, we shared. That year our colors lasted well past the Thanksgiving Hand Turkey Season and we almost made it to Christmas but the brown ran out before it was time to color Rudolf, and besides the red was gone too. So we made snow men using pencil on white paper for Christmas, me and Pino.
As the reports of polls for the upcoming midterm elections continue to paint a picture of gloom and doom for the democratic party, Sophia the Republican Cat is in her glory. She spends much of her days now working the phones for various candidates, both local as well as statewide and national. Sophia taped a phone interview with Glen Beck the other day and ya’d think she’d talked to God himself, ‘course Glen Beck seems to think he can walk on water. I take that back Glen Beck doesn’t think he can walk on water, but he does think he can wade really high.
The 2girldogs are so fed up with Sophia asking them if they’re liking that change he was talking ‘bout. They’ve started singing “We Shall Overcome”. The Pup Baby even asked me if there is such a thing as political discrimination. When I said no. She asked if I thought Sophia was a racist for always picking on the 2girldogs. Told her I didn’t know, she needs to ask Al Sharpton. Can you imagine the Rev. Al and Sophia The Republican Cat. WOW ! A match made in both heaven and hell. And I don’t rightly know who comes from where. Damn Republican Cat.
Did ya see the full moon on the night of the 23rd ? WOW ! such a pretty. The Harvest Moon of September, always one of the very best of full moons. I think my two favorite full moons are the Harvest Moon of September and the cold Wolf Moon of January.
I don’t know if I ever told ya ‘bout all the names of the full moons. Oh well if I ever did here we go again. January, the Wolf Moon / February, the Snow Moon / March, the Worm Moon / April, the Pink Moon / May, the Flower Moon / June, the Strawberry Moon / July, the Buck Moon / August, the Sturgeon Moon / October, the Hunter’s Moon / November, the Beaver Moon / and finally for December, the Cold Moon.
Always thought the moon names are kinda cool. Some seem to make since and some, I don’t have a clue where the name came from. It’s kinda like that stuff we’re talking ‘bout a while back. That naming stuff and all. It would have been kinda cool to have named the full moons. If I’d named ‘em we wouldn’t have a Flower Moon, but we’d for sure have a BobbyRay Moon.
Did ya ever hear of a root cellar? Oh sure, it’s a place to put your roots, but more specific long before we had refrigeration it was a place to store food stuff that needed to be kept at a lower temperature than the outside air. The root cellar was named in part for its location dug under the ground and also because it was used to store root type crops such as potatoes, carrots, turnips, and such. One really important item often stored in root cellars were apples, lots and lots of apples.
When I was a kid having a root cellar was a status symbol of doing well in life. If ya had enough stuff to put into a root cellar, then weren’t going hungry. Dug into the ground 8 to 10’ deep and lined with either stone or wood, depending on the water level of the location meant the bottom temperature of the root cellar would forever remain below the outside air.
The ideal temperature to store apples and other stuff in the root cellar is 8° above freezing, or 40°F. As many of you know the one wife owns and operates Pioneer Florist in North Judson. She has an old antique walk in icebox converted into a florist flower cooler, which she uses to store her cut flowers and fresh green stuff and guess what, it’s just like a root cellar, must be, ‘cause she keeps the temperature set at 40°F.
It’s kinda neat to go into the Pioneer Florist Root Cellar. Go in the summer and it feels great. In the winter if ya come in directly from being outside for a long time and go inside the Florist Root Cellar, it feels great. Root Cellars are like that, yeah they are.
Stay safe in Afghanistan
From the East Wing, Crayolas At Weeksbury, Tiptop & Thanksgiving Hand Turkeys, Sophia & Glen Beck, Full Moons & Root Cellars
I wish you well,
BobbyRay
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
From the East Wing with Joel Osteen, Ember Days, Night King, Bagels & Lox, Gefilte Fish, Chicken & Dumplings
Greetings to all, and welcome new friends to the East Wing.
We, me and the she, had a night on the town a while back. Along with my son, John, we went to Indianapolis and attended a Joel Osteen program at the home of the Indiana Pacers, right there in Conseco Fieldhouse. Downtown Indianapolis, ‘bout as downtown as ya can get in Indianapolis, that Conseco Fieldhouse.
Now Regina’s a big fan of Joel Osteen and she loved the program. John and I equally enjoyed the program. It was an inspiring evening for sure.
Crowds in excess of 18,000 came right there, to Conseco Fieldhouse, to hear a fellow who simply said, believe in yourself, think only good thoughts about yourself as well as others. Make it a purpose in your life to do good deeds. Help your neighbor, help your friend, help a stranger, help yourself to a better life.
A simple message, packaged much the same as a rock concert. Laser lights, high volume music, but that’s where the comparison stopped. No wild unruly audience, no cigarette lighter flicking in the darkness, no drugs, no smoke, no puking on the floor, just people taking in the message. And the message was simple, do good things in your life, and you’ll be rewarded.
By now most of ya kinda know my views on TV Preachers. Lord knows I’ve ripped into ‘em from time to time. And I’ve yet to take back a single word I’ve ever said ‘bout TV Preachers. Joel Osteen doesn’t fit the TV Preacher mold. He doesn’t spend 26 of his 30 minutes TV time begging for money. He doesn’t line up 25 people with illnesses, all of which have to do with hearing, and then proceed to heal each and everyone, to demonstrate his direct communication with God.
No, Joel Osteen doesn’t heal sickness and afflictions on TV. He talks ‘bout life and how one can change their life by the way they think, do, and pray. A simple message, a single message from Joel Osteen.
I’d read and heard of Joel Osteen for some time, never really thought too much one way or the other, the she is a big fan and watches him every Sunday evening. After attending the Indianapolis program and listening to his message, I’m taken back by some of the comments I’ve received ‘bout Joel Osteen.
Last Sunday I had an occasion to be in the company of some people I’d not seen or talked to for some time. We were just in the process of visiting, enjoying each other’s company, when he says “what ya been up to lately Bob” I tell him that me and the she went to Indianapolis to see Joel Osteen. That as far as I got when my friend interrupted said “Oh, he’s anti-catholic” I said “oh, really” and he said “yes and anti-Jewish too”
Now I’d just listened to this fellow talk for two hours, two days ago, have read two of his many books and had not seen or heard a single word ‘bout either Catholic or Jewish. So I just changed the subject and my friend and I continued to enjoy each other’s company. But it perked my curiosity, why did this friend say such things ‘bout somebody he admitted he never seen or listened to on TV or read any of his writings. Yet make such damning statements against a person he didn’t know. I decided to find out why.
The quest for answers started with my Mama. I said “Mama ya ever hear a fellow named Joel Osteen?”. Mama says “oh, sure”. I say “whata ya think?” Mama says “I’m glad ya asked, ‘cause Joel Osteen’s biggest problem is he never tells the bad stuff”. I say “what bad stuff Mama?” She says “all that part ‘bout doing right and doing good is fine and dandy, but ya need to also know what’s gona happen to ya if ya don’t do all that good stuff”. I said “Mama ya sound like ya want the man to preach Hellfire and Brimstone”. Mama says “A little Hellfire and Brimstone never hurt anybody, it taught you right from wrong”. And so it had. My Mama, right again.
Not content that everybody shared my Mama’s views I chose to explore further into Joel Osteen matter. The occasion presented itself just two days later, in my office walks a Minister of the Gospel. I ask him pretty much the same questions as my Mama. His answer surprised me. “All he does is beg for money and his preaching’s not based on the bible”. Wow, I once again changed the subject from Joel Osteen.
Outside my Mama’s assessment of Joel Osteen, I can’t help but wonder is there may be some professional jealousy involved here. Seems ya either love or hate this guy, and if ya don’t love him then ya have to find some reason to hate him. He’s anti-catholic, he’s anti-Jew, all he does is beg for money, his words are not bible based.
If ya want to hate a person, it’s surprisingly easy it is to find all the bad reasons in the world to support that hate. If ya want to love ‘em it’s just as easy to find the reasons why ya do love ‘em. Joe Osteen, an inspiring evening to remember. A simple message, packaged in a Christian Rock Concert that played to a different crowd. Ya would have loved it. The music was loud, the message was clear. Now the fellow’s not Charlton Heston, but then again neither was Moses.
Do ya know ‘bout Ember Days? Supposed to be able to tell the weather for the next three months by the weather on each of the three Ember Days. This year those days are Sep. 15th 17th 18th The first tells the weather for October, the second day tells the weather for November and the third for December. With that being said, we now know that Sep 15th was a beautiful weather day, so that mean October will be absolutely perfect fall weather, I can hardly wait. The 17th was most sunny with some clouds and that means that November will also have overall nice weather. Saturday was a warm day and sunny so December is gona be a lot warmer than normal, but a big snow’s in there somewhere come Christmas Time. Remember the heavy rain last Saturday. We’ll see.
Seen that big bright star in the night sky? it’s Jupiter, sometimes called the “Night King” ‘cause when it’s in our night sky, it’s the brightest star of the lot, and there’re a lot. It’s kinda interesting this time by, ‘cause Jupiter is the closest it’s been to earth since 1963. It takes twelve Earth years for Jupiter to go ‘round the sun, and from where we stand looking into the night sky, Jupiter spends one month every year visiting a different zodiacal constellation.
Just as a rule of thumb, look toward the southern sky and pick out the brightest start, it’s probably Jupiter. This year Jupiter is gona hang ‘round for a while, in fact, Jupiter will be in our night sky the rest of this year. I like to look at Jupiter in the telescope, it’s an easy and fun planet to look at in the late summer, early fall night sky.
Jupiter has some interesting facts, like 63 moons, and if ya could stand somewhere way, way out in space and look at Jupiter as it passed by, well, you’d see something like a trail from a jet flying overhead. Jupiter is 11 times larger than Earth, and has over 300 times more mass, (just pain stuff) and the mass of Jupiter is only one quarter the density of Earth. So I guess if ya walked on Jupiter it’s kinda like walking knee deep in jello.
I almost forgot, if ya weight 100 lbs on Earth, well it’s 240 lbs on Jupiter. Now if ya weigh more than a 100 lb, just do the math, your weight times 2.4 oh my! ‘Course that don’t count the weight of your coat, ‘cause if you’re there it’s cold. Real cold, it’s a negative 234°. That the kind with the little - in front of the numbers like -234°. So it don’t matter how cold you’ve been, you’ve not been that cold.
I got an old thermometer at the East Wing, one of those round things with a spring that moves by the temperature of the air, in turn it moves the little dial we look at. Well that old thermometer only goes to -60°. I’ve never seen it colder than -32° only one time in my life since I’ve lived at the East Wing.
Now my real weather station is all digital and as such I don’t know how low it will go…. I sure hope I don’t find out this coming winter. But if I do, you’ll hear ‘bout it.
Sure had an interesting and most enjoyable series of email conversations this past week with some Jewish friends of the East Wing. Even got invited to go to New York City and east Jewish Food. I declined. We hillbilly boys don’t stray too far from pinto beans and cornbread. The offering were of the most traditional of Jewish foods.
Bagels and Lox. Is there anybody who doesn't know what a bagel is? A bagel is a donut-shaped piece of bread that is boiled before it is baked. They are often topped with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, or flavored with other ingredients. The bagel has been a part of Jewish cuisine for at least 400 years.
There are references to bagels as far back in Poland as 1610. For the Jews here in America, bagels are served with cream cheese and lox (smoked salmon) or other fish spreads like herring, whitefish. The paragraph below is a direct quote from parts of my conversation on Jewish foods with some folks out east.
“Those chewy hockey pucks that you find in your grocer's freezer bear little resemblance to a real bagel. A real bagel is soft, warm and spongy inside, lightly crispy outside. A fresh bagel does not need to be toasted, and should not be. Toasting is a sorry attempt to compensate for a sub-standard bagel.”
One of the things I fully believe in is to try and learn something new every day of your life, and that day it was how ya compensate for a sub-standard bagel. Now granted, it wasn’t the most stunning revelation I’ve ever encountered, but it was something, never the less. The sun did not set that day without me learning something.
After reading ‘bout gefilte fish, I concluded its kinda like Jewish Scrapple. If ya wanta eat it, do, but don’t get too personal about its heritage. I’ve eaten the Scrapple of Pennsylvania, but this gefilte fish thing, well, I’m gona let that ole gefilte fish just swim on by.
Another favorite of my Jewish friends is matzah ball soup. Without getting too technical into Jewish cooking, matzah ball are made similar to a more recognized American dish, dumplings, as in chicken and… Using eggs and Matzah flour and a special secret ingredient of Jewish Grandma special love for family, Matzah ball are produced. Hand shaped and cooked in a very thin chicken broth, eaten either ping-pong size or a single large Matzah ball in your soup.
And guess what, they even have both floaters and sinkers. Yah, floaters and sinkers in Matzah balls. The more I’m thinking ‘bout this whole deal, Why these Jewish people have stolen the secret hillbilly formula of Chicken and Dumplings and smuggled it out of the country. Right under our noses they’ve stolen the Chicken and Dumplings Recipe and renamed it. And they thought we’d never find out. Yah, Right!
A recipe we’ve had for a long, long time, that Chicken and Dumplings . And they say the Matzah Ball Soup is served at the Passover, and that’s only been here since the National Football League started.
Chicken and Dumplings and Matzah Ball Soup, floaters and sinkers with common ground, is that a pair to draw to or what? The food fit for Gods. I’ve tried ‘em both and liked ‘em both. Does that make me a little Jewish or the Jews a little hillbilly? Don’t know, but I did know a Jewish kid when I lived in Kentucky. He ate Chicken and Dumplings. I think the reason was it’ so hard to get good Matzah at Tiptop, maybe a big city like Salyersville, but not at Tiptop.
Stay safe in Afghanistan
From the East Wing with Joel Osteen, Ember Days, Night King, Bagels & Lox, Gefilte Fish, Chicken & Dumplings
I wish you well,
BobbyRay
We, me and the she, had a night on the town a while back. Along with my son, John, we went to Indianapolis and attended a Joel Osteen program at the home of the Indiana Pacers, right there in Conseco Fieldhouse. Downtown Indianapolis, ‘bout as downtown as ya can get in Indianapolis, that Conseco Fieldhouse.
Now Regina’s a big fan of Joel Osteen and she loved the program. John and I equally enjoyed the program. It was an inspiring evening for sure.
Crowds in excess of 18,000 came right there, to Conseco Fieldhouse, to hear a fellow who simply said, believe in yourself, think only good thoughts about yourself as well as others. Make it a purpose in your life to do good deeds. Help your neighbor, help your friend, help a stranger, help yourself to a better life.
A simple message, packaged much the same as a rock concert. Laser lights, high volume music, but that’s where the comparison stopped. No wild unruly audience, no cigarette lighter flicking in the darkness, no drugs, no smoke, no puking on the floor, just people taking in the message. And the message was simple, do good things in your life, and you’ll be rewarded.
By now most of ya kinda know my views on TV Preachers. Lord knows I’ve ripped into ‘em from time to time. And I’ve yet to take back a single word I’ve ever said ‘bout TV Preachers. Joel Osteen doesn’t fit the TV Preacher mold. He doesn’t spend 26 of his 30 minutes TV time begging for money. He doesn’t line up 25 people with illnesses, all of which have to do with hearing, and then proceed to heal each and everyone, to demonstrate his direct communication with God.
No, Joel Osteen doesn’t heal sickness and afflictions on TV. He talks ‘bout life and how one can change their life by the way they think, do, and pray. A simple message, a single message from Joel Osteen.
I’d read and heard of Joel Osteen for some time, never really thought too much one way or the other, the she is a big fan and watches him every Sunday evening. After attending the Indianapolis program and listening to his message, I’m taken back by some of the comments I’ve received ‘bout Joel Osteen.
Last Sunday I had an occasion to be in the company of some people I’d not seen or talked to for some time. We were just in the process of visiting, enjoying each other’s company, when he says “what ya been up to lately Bob” I tell him that me and the she went to Indianapolis to see Joel Osteen. That as far as I got when my friend interrupted said “Oh, he’s anti-catholic” I said “oh, really” and he said “yes and anti-Jewish too”
Now I’d just listened to this fellow talk for two hours, two days ago, have read two of his many books and had not seen or heard a single word ‘bout either Catholic or Jewish. So I just changed the subject and my friend and I continued to enjoy each other’s company. But it perked my curiosity, why did this friend say such things ‘bout somebody he admitted he never seen or listened to on TV or read any of his writings. Yet make such damning statements against a person he didn’t know. I decided to find out why.
The quest for answers started with my Mama. I said “Mama ya ever hear a fellow named Joel Osteen?”. Mama says “oh, sure”. I say “whata ya think?” Mama says “I’m glad ya asked, ‘cause Joel Osteen’s biggest problem is he never tells the bad stuff”. I say “what bad stuff Mama?” She says “all that part ‘bout doing right and doing good is fine and dandy, but ya need to also know what’s gona happen to ya if ya don’t do all that good stuff”. I said “Mama ya sound like ya want the man to preach Hellfire and Brimstone”. Mama says “A little Hellfire and Brimstone never hurt anybody, it taught you right from wrong”. And so it had. My Mama, right again.
Not content that everybody shared my Mama’s views I chose to explore further into Joel Osteen matter. The occasion presented itself just two days later, in my office walks a Minister of the Gospel. I ask him pretty much the same questions as my Mama. His answer surprised me. “All he does is beg for money and his preaching’s not based on the bible”. Wow, I once again changed the subject from Joel Osteen.
Outside my Mama’s assessment of Joel Osteen, I can’t help but wonder is there may be some professional jealousy involved here. Seems ya either love or hate this guy, and if ya don’t love him then ya have to find some reason to hate him. He’s anti-catholic, he’s anti-Jew, all he does is beg for money, his words are not bible based.
If ya want to hate a person, it’s surprisingly easy it is to find all the bad reasons in the world to support that hate. If ya want to love ‘em it’s just as easy to find the reasons why ya do love ‘em. Joe Osteen, an inspiring evening to remember. A simple message, packaged in a Christian Rock Concert that played to a different crowd. Ya would have loved it. The music was loud, the message was clear. Now the fellow’s not Charlton Heston, but then again neither was Moses.
Do ya know ‘bout Ember Days? Supposed to be able to tell the weather for the next three months by the weather on each of the three Ember Days. This year those days are Sep. 15th 17th 18th The first tells the weather for October, the second day tells the weather for November and the third for December. With that being said, we now know that Sep 15th was a beautiful weather day, so that mean October will be absolutely perfect fall weather, I can hardly wait. The 17th was most sunny with some clouds and that means that November will also have overall nice weather. Saturday was a warm day and sunny so December is gona be a lot warmer than normal, but a big snow’s in there somewhere come Christmas Time. Remember the heavy rain last Saturday. We’ll see.
Seen that big bright star in the night sky? it’s Jupiter, sometimes called the “Night King” ‘cause when it’s in our night sky, it’s the brightest star of the lot, and there’re a lot. It’s kinda interesting this time by, ‘cause Jupiter is the closest it’s been to earth since 1963. It takes twelve Earth years for Jupiter to go ‘round the sun, and from where we stand looking into the night sky, Jupiter spends one month every year visiting a different zodiacal constellation.
Just as a rule of thumb, look toward the southern sky and pick out the brightest start, it’s probably Jupiter. This year Jupiter is gona hang ‘round for a while, in fact, Jupiter will be in our night sky the rest of this year. I like to look at Jupiter in the telescope, it’s an easy and fun planet to look at in the late summer, early fall night sky.
Jupiter has some interesting facts, like 63 moons, and if ya could stand somewhere way, way out in space and look at Jupiter as it passed by, well, you’d see something like a trail from a jet flying overhead. Jupiter is 11 times larger than Earth, and has over 300 times more mass, (just pain stuff) and the mass of Jupiter is only one quarter the density of Earth. So I guess if ya walked on Jupiter it’s kinda like walking knee deep in jello.
I almost forgot, if ya weight 100 lbs on Earth, well it’s 240 lbs on Jupiter. Now if ya weigh more than a 100 lb, just do the math, your weight times 2.4 oh my! ‘Course that don’t count the weight of your coat, ‘cause if you’re there it’s cold. Real cold, it’s a negative 234°. That the kind with the little - in front of the numbers like -234°. So it don’t matter how cold you’ve been, you’ve not been that cold.
I got an old thermometer at the East Wing, one of those round things with a spring that moves by the temperature of the air, in turn it moves the little dial we look at. Well that old thermometer only goes to -60°. I’ve never seen it colder than -32° only one time in my life since I’ve lived at the East Wing.
Now my real weather station is all digital and as such I don’t know how low it will go…. I sure hope I don’t find out this coming winter. But if I do, you’ll hear ‘bout it.
Sure had an interesting and most enjoyable series of email conversations this past week with some Jewish friends of the East Wing. Even got invited to go to New York City and east Jewish Food. I declined. We hillbilly boys don’t stray too far from pinto beans and cornbread. The offering were of the most traditional of Jewish foods.
Bagels and Lox. Is there anybody who doesn't know what a bagel is? A bagel is a donut-shaped piece of bread that is boiled before it is baked. They are often topped with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, or flavored with other ingredients. The bagel has been a part of Jewish cuisine for at least 400 years.
There are references to bagels as far back in Poland as 1610. For the Jews here in America, bagels are served with cream cheese and lox (smoked salmon) or other fish spreads like herring, whitefish. The paragraph below is a direct quote from parts of my conversation on Jewish foods with some folks out east.
“Those chewy hockey pucks that you find in your grocer's freezer bear little resemblance to a real bagel. A real bagel is soft, warm and spongy inside, lightly crispy outside. A fresh bagel does not need to be toasted, and should not be. Toasting is a sorry attempt to compensate for a sub-standard bagel.”
One of the things I fully believe in is to try and learn something new every day of your life, and that day it was how ya compensate for a sub-standard bagel. Now granted, it wasn’t the most stunning revelation I’ve ever encountered, but it was something, never the less. The sun did not set that day without me learning something.
After reading ‘bout gefilte fish, I concluded its kinda like Jewish Scrapple. If ya wanta eat it, do, but don’t get too personal about its heritage. I’ve eaten the Scrapple of Pennsylvania, but this gefilte fish thing, well, I’m gona let that ole gefilte fish just swim on by.
Another favorite of my Jewish friends is matzah ball soup. Without getting too technical into Jewish cooking, matzah ball are made similar to a more recognized American dish, dumplings, as in chicken and… Using eggs and Matzah flour and a special secret ingredient of Jewish Grandma special love for family, Matzah ball are produced. Hand shaped and cooked in a very thin chicken broth, eaten either ping-pong size or a single large Matzah ball in your soup.
And guess what, they even have both floaters and sinkers. Yah, floaters and sinkers in Matzah balls. The more I’m thinking ‘bout this whole deal, Why these Jewish people have stolen the secret hillbilly formula of Chicken and Dumplings and smuggled it out of the country. Right under our noses they’ve stolen the Chicken and Dumplings Recipe and renamed it. And they thought we’d never find out. Yah, Right!
A recipe we’ve had for a long, long time, that Chicken and Dumplings . And they say the Matzah Ball Soup is served at the Passover, and that’s only been here since the National Football League started.
Chicken and Dumplings and Matzah Ball Soup, floaters and sinkers with common ground, is that a pair to draw to or what? The food fit for Gods. I’ve tried ‘em both and liked ‘em both. Does that make me a little Jewish or the Jews a little hillbilly? Don’t know, but I did know a Jewish kid when I lived in Kentucky. He ate Chicken and Dumplings. I think the reason was it’ so hard to get good Matzah at Tiptop, maybe a big city like Salyersville, but not at Tiptop.
Stay safe in Afghanistan
From the East Wing with Joel Osteen, Ember Days, Night King, Bagels & Lox, Gefilte Fish, Chicken & Dumplings
I wish you well,
BobbyRay
Sunday, September 12, 2010
From the East Wing, with Pup Baby Turning the Page, The Cat & The Polls, Newton’s Fig, Wayne & Apple, Eggs with a B, Sophia’s “F” Word, Idiot of The W
Greetings to all, and welcome new friends to the East Wing.
Seems Sophia’s taken a page from the President himself, Just after he spoke the other night on national TV ‘bout the war in Iraq, the Pup Baby started to tell me her side of the story as to things that went wrong while I was away.
Mustina hadn't much more than started when Sophia interrupted and grabbed a line direct from the President when he was describing President Bush’s contribution to the war effort in Iraq, the President said “Enough said, it time to turn the page” Sophia in her most authoritative voice interrupted the Pup Baby said “Enough sid, it’s time to turn the page”. And Mustina said, “NO! it’s my turn to tell all the bad stuff ya did while he's away”.
Sophia was so dumbfounded to think Mustina wouldn’t “turn the page”. She proposed to clear the air amongst the East Wing family by using a third party arbiter to settle all disputes, now and forever in the future. Where upon the 2girldogs agreed. Sophia proposed a disinterested third party to be the arbiter, a disinterested third party person who could bring unencumbered partiality to the process. The Pup Baby jumped on it and said “that’s what we need, fairness”.
And when Sophia proposed Sara Palin be the arbiter, Did ya ever see 2girldogs gone wild? Ya think there’s problems in other parts of the world, try dealing with Sophia the Republican Calico Cat, 2girldogs gone wild, and then throw in Spike.
The next day after the arbiter deal is soundly rejected, Sophia’s in high cotton, it seems the political winds are blowing toward a likely republican land slide come November. She stuck that in our face for three days in a row. But Mustina, being the faithful democrat, said “ya can’t believe the polls” as Sophia smiled.
Did ya ever notice how when polling data is in opposition to your personal point of view, ya tend to downgrade the validity of the poll. I remember having a class over at The Ohio State University, that’s a little school ‘bout in the middle of Ohio that plays football from time to time when the weather cools off toward the fall time of the year.
When they do play football it’s in a little stadium shaped like a horseshoe and guess what, it’s called the Horseshoe. Yah, the Horseshoe, and sometimes over 100,000 people come to that little Horseshoe to watch ‘em play football. Call themselves Buckeyes, can ya imagine that, calling themselves Buckeyes, it just don’t seem right, calling yourself Buckeyes and all, and playing not even in a real stadium, playing in a Horseshoe, but they do win from time to time, those Buckeyes in that Horseshoe, over there in the middle of Ohio.
The class was called Statists. We learned how to analyze polling data, but just as importantly, we learned how to construct the polls to achieve a desired outcome.
To have faith in poll data ya gotta know a lot more than just the end result. At the very least ya gotta know the actual wording of the question and the total number of people answering the question. A simple example being, if ya asked a yes or no only question to 3 people and a majority said yes. You can make an absolutely truthful statement that 67% of those responding supported the position. Ya can’t look at the results, ya gotta see the guts of the poll construction. Most polls are constructed in such a way to achieve the desired outcome before the first question is ever asked.
The polling of political opinions have become quite accurate over the years, that combined with exit polling on election days tend to take some of the excitement away from the end of election day. I like to watch national election coverage on TV after the vote. What I don’t like is when the network calls an election 2 minutes after the election both closes. I hate when that happens.
Does the name Stephen Hawking ring a bell, if not it will pretty soon. Stephen Hawking is a British physicist and mathematician who until his retirement last year held the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University for ‘bout 30 years. The Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University is generally considered the single most important Chair of Mathematics in all the academic world. After all, this position was once held by Isaacs Newton, himself.
Now if the name Isaacs Newton doesn’t sound familiar, well he has a few things going for him. Like he invented the Fig Newton for one, and he’s related to Wayne for two. Also one day Isaacs saw an apple falling from a tree, and from that simple sighting developed a basic law of physics which pretty much says “don’t stand under the apple tree if ya don’t want to be hit on the head with falling apples.”
‘Course I’m paraphrasing the physical law Newton stated a bit in order not to get deep into scientific terminology, but ya get the jest of that apple deal. Isaacs Newton was, and still is considered to be one of the greatest scientific minds ever to walk this earth. His contribution to mankind's knowledge is immeasurable. I think ya can now buy Apple Newton’s too. Isaacs Newton contributed a lot.
But getting back to Stephen Hawking, in a book he has written and soon to be published, he said that the universe did not need God as the creator. That the laws of physics will justify the existence of the universe without any God being around to kick start the process.
I’m a little surprised that such an uproar over Hawking’s position, ‘cause over much of his writings throughout his lifetime one can only get the impression that he’s never had faith in God, has had faith only in the mind of Stephen Hawking. Yet I’m sure this new book will create a great public debate on the issue. Sure seems to me a great way to sell more books, it’s like plugging the watermelon, take a look inside before ya open the prize. If its red (read) ya can hardly wait to get inside. Oh sure, you’ll pay.
Have ya noticed how the corn in the fields appears ready to harvest? I happened to notice that right at the end of August, thinking that’s an example of genetic engineering at work if there ever was one. We talk ‘bout cloning people as being an infringement on God’s handy work.
DUH! What ‘bout the plant world, we’ve altered the genetic makeup of damn near everything on this planet in one way or the other. We either changed the genes or sprayed enough chemicals that the plant was forced to change it’s self. For sure most all the things we eat or things we make other animals eat has been changed to suite our lifestyle and convenience.
Gotta stop saying stuff like the above paragraph, else people will think I a tree hugger or something like that, or even worse, I'm not, just think it interesting to look at all the artificial changes we’ve effected in nature. Then along comes Salmonella in eggs, 1200 people get sick in the whole nation of some 320 million people, and we throw away a half billion eggs. Ya know how much a half billion of any thing is? Me neither, so I decided to do the math. It’s a lot.
A half billion is written as 500,000,000.00 One thousand is written as 1,000.00 In this country we use 90,000,000,000.00 eggs per year, that’s 90 billion eggs. Another way to look at that many eggs, well it’s 7,500,000,000.00 dozen eggs. I’m sure ya can visualize that many dozen eggs much better than just plain 90 billion eggs. Yah right, just close your eyes and ya can see all those little white egg cartons, all stacked up all 7,500,000,000.00 of ‘em. I don’t care who ya are, that's a lot of eggs cartons.
There’s always such interesting ways to illustrate large numbers of anything, like the eggs above, in those little white cartons, laid end to end, them eggs, they’d go from New York to California over 475 times. If ya wanted to stretch those little white boxes of eggs to the moon, why they’d go there over 5 ½ times. Lots of eggs boxes there.
If we took those same 90,000,000,000.00 eggs and turned 'em into dollars and applied those dollars toward the National Debt, it wouldn’t start to make a dent in the debt. We accumulate National Debt much, much faster than we accumulate eggs. Too bad we can’t pay off our National Debt in eggs.
Did ya know that China holds more of the US Treasury Notes than anybody else in the whole world? Even more than US citizens. Kinda scary if ya ask me. Whatta we gona do if they want their money back? I say give 'em eggs. It’d be our luck that if we paid ‘em in eggs they’d turn right ‘round and raise the price of egg drop soup. With our own eggs even! Damn Chinese Republicans!
Sophia sure is pleased with the outpouring of love and affection she received from her support base after last week’s attack from the 2girldogs and Spike. Seems Sophia somehow feels that I sited with her position on the whole issue of her behavior while I was away. The fact that she had to apologize to the 2girldogs and Spike didn’t seem to phase her, when asked why not, said she’d crossed her paws so it didn’t even count, and besides they are still picking or her anyway.
I'll mention here that Sophia told me the only “F” word she knows is Fur. And that she doesn’t ever answer any email that contain “F” words other than Fur. I’ll give the cat credit, a mean political point of view when it comes to some topics, from time to time, but she's never fallen into the trap of expressing her opinion with words any stronger than what my mama will accept. Sophia's always aware that no matter what she says, Grandma Ruth is gona read it, and nobody says bad words ‘round Grandma Ruth and lives to tell ‘bout it. Mainly ‘cause mama’s a democrat and we democrats don't say dirty words, 'cept Damn Republican Cat.
My mama was, and still is the biggest of Bill Clinton fans in all of Indiana. One time a few years ago, mama said “ One of the only sad things in my life is not being able to vote for Bill Clinton again to be my President.” I said, “Mamma what did Bill Clinton ever do for ya”. Mama said “Everything”. My mama likes President Clinton. Mama has expressed some concerns ‘bout President Obama and his ability to do his job, while she still longs for Bill Clinton. My Mama's a Clinton girl forever.
Did ya remember that September 9th is Rosh Hashanah? it was the beginning of the Jewish New Year and the beginning of ten Days of Penitence. Rosh Hashanah is a celebration of the creation of the world in the Jewish tradition. Calah dipped in honey brings a new year of sweetness according to the Jewish tradition. Never cared too much for Jewish food, too Kosher for me.
Now if ya wanta get some dope 'bout that Kosher stuff then ya need to read the Bible, more specifically the Book Leviticus in the Old Testament. Leviticus is kinda like God is working out the details of how things are gona work out between him and the Israelites. It's sort of laying out the detail for all that stuff earlier in the Bible, that Genesis and Exodus stuff.
My impression of Leviticus is lots or rules, rules on most everything. Rules for social relationships, behavior, community activity. I think Leviticus is the chapter in the Bible that requires a special type surgical procedure on new born baby boys. OUCH! I'm sure glad hillbillies aren't Levites.
There are lots of other stuff in Leviticus, good stuff like the Great Commandment of "Love one's neighbor as oneself". But there's a whole lot 'bout abominations there in Leviticus, them abominations, there're mostly 'bout food and sexual restrictions. Maybe that's why some still debate the number one and number two rankings. The good thing 'bout all that stuff in Leviticus is it's directed almost exclusively to the Israelites. I suppose that's why some of us Catholics think, glad it's their problem and not mine. While us hillbillies just thank God very day we weren’t born an Isreaelite.
Ya just gota think it's important, 'cause Leviticus shows up in both the Hebrew Bible and it makes the third of five books of the Torah.
Yesterday September 11th , such a sad day. Then some idiot in Florida wants to burn the holy book of the nuts of the world, and everybody gets more and more, just more and more polarized. I firmly believe the only thing that needs to be polarized in this life is bears.
From the East Wing, with Pup Baby Turning the Page, The Cat & The Polls, Newton’s Fig, Wayne & Apple, Eggs with a B, Sophia’s “F” Word, Idiot of The World, Polarized Bears.
I wish you well,
BobbyRay
Seems Sophia’s taken a page from the President himself, Just after he spoke the other night on national TV ‘bout the war in Iraq, the Pup Baby started to tell me her side of the story as to things that went wrong while I was away.
Mustina hadn't much more than started when Sophia interrupted and grabbed a line direct from the President when he was describing President Bush’s contribution to the war effort in Iraq, the President said “Enough said, it time to turn the page” Sophia in her most authoritative voice interrupted the Pup Baby said “Enough sid, it’s time to turn the page”. And Mustina said, “NO! it’s my turn to tell all the bad stuff ya did while he's away”.
Sophia was so dumbfounded to think Mustina wouldn’t “turn the page”. She proposed to clear the air amongst the East Wing family by using a third party arbiter to settle all disputes, now and forever in the future. Where upon the 2girldogs agreed. Sophia proposed a disinterested third party to be the arbiter, a disinterested third party person who could bring unencumbered partiality to the process. The Pup Baby jumped on it and said “that’s what we need, fairness”.
And when Sophia proposed Sara Palin be the arbiter, Did ya ever see 2girldogs gone wild? Ya think there’s problems in other parts of the world, try dealing with Sophia the Republican Calico Cat, 2girldogs gone wild, and then throw in Spike.
The next day after the arbiter deal is soundly rejected, Sophia’s in high cotton, it seems the political winds are blowing toward a likely republican land slide come November. She stuck that in our face for three days in a row. But Mustina, being the faithful democrat, said “ya can’t believe the polls” as Sophia smiled.
Did ya ever notice how when polling data is in opposition to your personal point of view, ya tend to downgrade the validity of the poll. I remember having a class over at The Ohio State University, that’s a little school ‘bout in the middle of Ohio that plays football from time to time when the weather cools off toward the fall time of the year.
When they do play football it’s in a little stadium shaped like a horseshoe and guess what, it’s called the Horseshoe. Yah, the Horseshoe, and sometimes over 100,000 people come to that little Horseshoe to watch ‘em play football. Call themselves Buckeyes, can ya imagine that, calling themselves Buckeyes, it just don’t seem right, calling yourself Buckeyes and all, and playing not even in a real stadium, playing in a Horseshoe, but they do win from time to time, those Buckeyes in that Horseshoe, over there in the middle of Ohio.
The class was called Statists. We learned how to analyze polling data, but just as importantly, we learned how to construct the polls to achieve a desired outcome.
To have faith in poll data ya gotta know a lot more than just the end result. At the very least ya gotta know the actual wording of the question and the total number of people answering the question. A simple example being, if ya asked a yes or no only question to 3 people and a majority said yes. You can make an absolutely truthful statement that 67% of those responding supported the position. Ya can’t look at the results, ya gotta see the guts of the poll construction. Most polls are constructed in such a way to achieve the desired outcome before the first question is ever asked.
The polling of political opinions have become quite accurate over the years, that combined with exit polling on election days tend to take some of the excitement away from the end of election day. I like to watch national election coverage on TV after the vote. What I don’t like is when the network calls an election 2 minutes after the election both closes. I hate when that happens.
Does the name Stephen Hawking ring a bell, if not it will pretty soon. Stephen Hawking is a British physicist and mathematician who until his retirement last year held the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University for ‘bout 30 years. The Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University is generally considered the single most important Chair of Mathematics in all the academic world. After all, this position was once held by Isaacs Newton, himself.
Now if the name Isaacs Newton doesn’t sound familiar, well he has a few things going for him. Like he invented the Fig Newton for one, and he’s related to Wayne for two. Also one day Isaacs saw an apple falling from a tree, and from that simple sighting developed a basic law of physics which pretty much says “don’t stand under the apple tree if ya don’t want to be hit on the head with falling apples.”
‘Course I’m paraphrasing the physical law Newton stated a bit in order not to get deep into scientific terminology, but ya get the jest of that apple deal. Isaacs Newton was, and still is considered to be one of the greatest scientific minds ever to walk this earth. His contribution to mankind's knowledge is immeasurable. I think ya can now buy Apple Newton’s too. Isaacs Newton contributed a lot.
But getting back to Stephen Hawking, in a book he has written and soon to be published, he said that the universe did not need God as the creator. That the laws of physics will justify the existence of the universe without any God being around to kick start the process.
I’m a little surprised that such an uproar over Hawking’s position, ‘cause over much of his writings throughout his lifetime one can only get the impression that he’s never had faith in God, has had faith only in the mind of Stephen Hawking. Yet I’m sure this new book will create a great public debate on the issue. Sure seems to me a great way to sell more books, it’s like plugging the watermelon, take a look inside before ya open the prize. If its red (read) ya can hardly wait to get inside. Oh sure, you’ll pay.
Have ya noticed how the corn in the fields appears ready to harvest? I happened to notice that right at the end of August, thinking that’s an example of genetic engineering at work if there ever was one. We talk ‘bout cloning people as being an infringement on God’s handy work.
DUH! What ‘bout the plant world, we’ve altered the genetic makeup of damn near everything on this planet in one way or the other. We either changed the genes or sprayed enough chemicals that the plant was forced to change it’s self. For sure most all the things we eat or things we make other animals eat has been changed to suite our lifestyle and convenience.
Gotta stop saying stuff like the above paragraph, else people will think I a tree hugger or something like that, or even worse, I'm not, just think it interesting to look at all the artificial changes we’ve effected in nature. Then along comes Salmonella in eggs, 1200 people get sick in the whole nation of some 320 million people, and we throw away a half billion eggs. Ya know how much a half billion of any thing is? Me neither, so I decided to do the math. It’s a lot.
A half billion is written as 500,000,000.00 One thousand is written as 1,000.00 In this country we use 90,000,000,000.00 eggs per year, that’s 90 billion eggs. Another way to look at that many eggs, well it’s 7,500,000,000.00 dozen eggs. I’m sure ya can visualize that many dozen eggs much better than just plain 90 billion eggs. Yah right, just close your eyes and ya can see all those little white egg cartons, all stacked up all 7,500,000,000.00 of ‘em. I don’t care who ya are, that's a lot of eggs cartons.
There’s always such interesting ways to illustrate large numbers of anything, like the eggs above, in those little white cartons, laid end to end, them eggs, they’d go from New York to California over 475 times. If ya wanted to stretch those little white boxes of eggs to the moon, why they’d go there over 5 ½ times. Lots of eggs boxes there.
If we took those same 90,000,000,000.00 eggs and turned 'em into dollars and applied those dollars toward the National Debt, it wouldn’t start to make a dent in the debt. We accumulate National Debt much, much faster than we accumulate eggs. Too bad we can’t pay off our National Debt in eggs.
Did ya know that China holds more of the US Treasury Notes than anybody else in the whole world? Even more than US citizens. Kinda scary if ya ask me. Whatta we gona do if they want their money back? I say give 'em eggs. It’d be our luck that if we paid ‘em in eggs they’d turn right ‘round and raise the price of egg drop soup. With our own eggs even! Damn Chinese Republicans!
Sophia sure is pleased with the outpouring of love and affection she received from her support base after last week’s attack from the 2girldogs and Spike. Seems Sophia somehow feels that I sited with her position on the whole issue of her behavior while I was away. The fact that she had to apologize to the 2girldogs and Spike didn’t seem to phase her, when asked why not, said she’d crossed her paws so it didn’t even count, and besides they are still picking or her anyway.
I'll mention here that Sophia told me the only “F” word she knows is Fur. And that she doesn’t ever answer any email that contain “F” words other than Fur. I’ll give the cat credit, a mean political point of view when it comes to some topics, from time to time, but she's never fallen into the trap of expressing her opinion with words any stronger than what my mama will accept. Sophia's always aware that no matter what she says, Grandma Ruth is gona read it, and nobody says bad words ‘round Grandma Ruth and lives to tell ‘bout it. Mainly ‘cause mama’s a democrat and we democrats don't say dirty words, 'cept Damn Republican Cat.
My mama was, and still is the biggest of Bill Clinton fans in all of Indiana. One time a few years ago, mama said “ One of the only sad things in my life is not being able to vote for Bill Clinton again to be my President.” I said, “Mamma what did Bill Clinton ever do for ya”. Mama said “Everything”. My mama likes President Clinton. Mama has expressed some concerns ‘bout President Obama and his ability to do his job, while she still longs for Bill Clinton. My Mama's a Clinton girl forever.
Did ya remember that September 9th is Rosh Hashanah? it was the beginning of the Jewish New Year and the beginning of ten Days of Penitence. Rosh Hashanah is a celebration of the creation of the world in the Jewish tradition. Calah dipped in honey brings a new year of sweetness according to the Jewish tradition. Never cared too much for Jewish food, too Kosher for me.
Now if ya wanta get some dope 'bout that Kosher stuff then ya need to read the Bible, more specifically the Book Leviticus in the Old Testament. Leviticus is kinda like God is working out the details of how things are gona work out between him and the Israelites. It's sort of laying out the detail for all that stuff earlier in the Bible, that Genesis and Exodus stuff.
My impression of Leviticus is lots or rules, rules on most everything. Rules for social relationships, behavior, community activity. I think Leviticus is the chapter in the Bible that requires a special type surgical procedure on new born baby boys. OUCH! I'm sure glad hillbillies aren't Levites.
There are lots of other stuff in Leviticus, good stuff like the Great Commandment of "Love one's neighbor as oneself". But there's a whole lot 'bout abominations there in Leviticus, them abominations, there're mostly 'bout food and sexual restrictions. Maybe that's why some still debate the number one and number two rankings. The good thing 'bout all that stuff in Leviticus is it's directed almost exclusively to the Israelites. I suppose that's why some of us Catholics think, glad it's their problem and not mine. While us hillbillies just thank God very day we weren’t born an Isreaelite.
Ya just gota think it's important, 'cause Leviticus shows up in both the Hebrew Bible and it makes the third of five books of the Torah.
Yesterday September 11th , such a sad day. Then some idiot in Florida wants to burn the holy book of the nuts of the world, and everybody gets more and more, just more and more polarized. I firmly believe the only thing that needs to be polarized in this life is bears.
From the East Wing, with Pup Baby Turning the Page, The Cat & The Polls, Newton’s Fig, Wayne & Apple, Eggs with a B, Sophia’s “F” Word, Idiot of The World, Polarized Bears.
I wish you well,
BobbyRay
Sunday, September 5, 2010
From the East Wing, With Sophia On The Hot Seat, The Space Station, Blood Red Moon, Come September, Bud Lite or Miller, The 200 lb Goose of Southfork
Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the East Wing.
And I thought the she missed me till Sophia found out I was home. That little girl cat came over, hopped up on my lap curled up and licked my hand. After ‘bout 5 minutes of purrs and smiles, jumped down ran to the cat house and came back with a list of all the things that ran amuck while I was away.
Not to my surprise, Spike headed the list. Sophia said Spike had been bad, had not listened to her and had even told the 2girldogs that she’s a democrat spy tying to infiltrate the republican partly by using her position as National Spokescat for the CCCA, as well as her other spokescat positions across the country. Spike had even threatened to deface her autographed picture of Herbert Hoover by peeing on it. She was so afraid that Spike would do damage to her stuff and to my stuff she had stayed awake most every hour I’d been gone. The 2girldogs were no help at all and had even helped Spike in some of the bad things he’d done. And she had a separate list of bad things the 2girldogs had done while I was away.
And then came Spike. Jumping up and down, so excited and mad he’s ‘bout to pee his pants, saying he didn’t do nothing wrong ever. It’s all Sophia’s fault. She’s been really bad. She tried to boss everybody around all the time I was gone. She wouldn’t take turns of being in charge like I said to do before I left. That he didn’t ever get to be in charge one time and Sophia bossed him around even when he didn’t need any bossing around by anybody ‘cause he was being a good boy cat. And Sophia drank from the big water bowl and not one time did she drink from the little water bowl like she’s supposed to. And Sophia bossed the 2girldogs around all the time too. And she even told the 2girldogs that if they didn’t do what she said, she’d scratch ‘em. And Sophia drank his half & half every time he got some from Regina. And Sophia sat in my chair even though I had said for nobody to sit in my chair. And Sophia had not used her computer one time while I was gone, she had used my computer every day and not hers. And Sophia had read all my email, and some of the email she had answered and signed my name.
I did notice that as Spike made his point by point case, Sophia got quitter and quitter. Just when I thought Sophia was going to say something more, Gray Lady James spoke up and said.
“Spike only knows ‘bout half the stuff Sophia’s done. Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that you said not to give Mustina a turn of being in charge, and Sophia was to take her turn. Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that Mustina was the only one you said to wash the water bowls every day. Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that you said Sophia could have all of Mustina’s treats for being such a good girl. Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that you said for Sophia to sleep on Mustina’s couch while you were gone.”
Things were not looking good for the cat as I turned toward Sophia. Gray Lady continued “Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that the new rules she made up was that change that President Obama had been promising a couple summers ago. I turned toward the cat.
“WHAT!!” She said. “Are you gona believe ‘em?” “The 2girldogs and Spike, they’re democrats. They’re all the same, that bunch, them, them democrats. They’re the same ones who told ya the stimulus would work and everybody would go back to work, and world would be better. The health care law would reduce health care cost, they’re the same bunch of democrats that hired a group of tax cheats to run the IRS and the rest of the government and they’re the ones who’ve appointed more czars than are in Russia on this very day. They’re the same ones who told ya change ya could believe in and look at what we got.”
“The 2girldogs and Spike, they’re part of that Washington crap that even Joe Donnelly don’t want to be associate with, and ya know Joe Donnelly’s a democrat, even when he don’t’ want to tell anybody in Indiana he is one , and you’re gona believe ‘en” “Ya gotta joking but remember that if ya believe the 2girldogs and Spike on this thing, then you’re by association, believing Charlie Rangel and that other Congress Woman from California that said she didn’t do nothing wrong either.” “Ya know them democrats, they got a track record on this sorta thing” “They try to kill the messenger when they can’t make the argument, Theses are the same ones who talk green and the only green they know is the green pond scum they slither in, those, those, those democrats ” said the cat as her green eyes twinkled, and oh, such a smile, that Sophia smile. Damn Republican Cat!
Did ya ever look at the Space Station at night? Yes, ya can see it from time to time. Go to the nasa.gov website, click on the shuttle / space station icon on the upper right side and follow the directions to input your precise data location. In the USA a zip is all ya need, but it’ll work anywhere in the world. It’s kinda cool to watch it go by. It goes too fast to put the telescope on it, but ya can catch it with binoculars if ya want. The really cool part is when the space station rises high enough in the sky to catch the light from the moon. It’s like Motel 6 leaving the light on for ya.
Had an email the other day from a fellow stargazer wanting to know if I used any mnemonic devices (little things that help ya remember stuff) to help me in remembering the names of celestial objects. Well DUH! How do ya think I remember all this stargazing stuff, what little I do know, without help of some kind, and the Lord knows I need all the help I can get. One of the best known astronomy mnemonics is "Arc to Arcturus, then drive a spike to Spica."
This is an easy one that most everybody can do. First begin by finding the Big Dipper, one of the sky’s most prominent asterisms (star patterns). Just ‘bout everybody can find the Big Dipper in the sky. Now if ya extend the arc formed by the Dipper’s handle, you'll soon find yourself at the bright star Arcturus, in the constellation Boötes.
From there, it’s a straight line to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. And just that easy ya became a stargazer. Did ya see the color difference between yellowish Arcturus and blue-white Spica? Some people can actually see the difference just by looking, I never could, weak eyes I guess. Now looking through my telescope, well, that’s a star of a different color so to speak. My telescope brings a whole new meaning to “I saw the light”.
A few days ago I was asked if I’d ever seen a blood red moon? I’ve not, and would probably crap my pants if I did. That blood red moon things been ‘round for a long time. Remember hearing ‘bout that when I was a kid, I know there’s a quotation in the bible, actually it’s from Revelation (6:12-13): "And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind."
This is the only creditable reference to a blood red moon that I’m aware of to , but seems like I’ve read of some reference to a reddish hue in the center of the moon during a total eclipse. I’ve seen several total eclipses of the moon, and none of ‘em looked even the least bit reddish to me.
That Revelation stuff’s something else, and I don’t have a clue what any of it means. I some times read parts of Revelation and think somebody’s smoking and writing at the same time. Guess ya can tell by my writing, I'm not smoking the same stuff.
But now those TV Preachers, they sure want ya to believe they know all the answers to all the questions posed by the Book of Revelation. They don’t. They too are a joke, kinda like Bill Clinton trying to explain to we the people what “is” is. But I think Wild Bill has mellowed out somewhat ‘cause now he just tries to explain what “is” was.
WOW ! Labor Day Tomorrow, and there went summer in the minds of some folks. Not the case here in the East Wing, it’s summer till it’s fall, and if it gets hot, then it’s like summer. Talk ‘bout weather seasons, I got an email from a friend in Mississippi thanking me for telling the whole world ‘bout the beautiful change of seasons in Mississippi.
For someone who my have missed that, I said Mississippi seasons consist of “Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer, Christmas. I was reminded that Christmas is the shortest season in Mississippi, and the other three seasons share the other 364 days equally. It was hot when I’s in Mississippi. Think I was there when it was Still Summer.
Such neat things happen in September, Labor Day, cooler weather, the official start of fall. This year it’s 9-22-2010 at 11:09PM, yah fall starts in the nighttime this year, that’s kinda cool. Now if ya ever wondered how come every four years we have an extra day in February, well a simple explanation is next year the start of fall is 9-23-11 at 5:15 AM, a difference of some 6 hours. Now if ya pick up say 6 hours ever year, after ‘bout 4 years ya have an extra day, ‘cause 6 times 4 equal 24 new hours and that’s how we stick February 29th in there every once in a while.
Another holiday that used to be a real biggie, we’re talking bigger than big, almost as big as Christmas is today. The forgotten holiday of the ages is Michaelmas.
The feast day of St. Michael, the archangel and overcomer of the Devil, is a Christian celebration based on the ancient Celtic calendar. Again like many church holidays, this too is rooted in pre-Christian activity. Its main importance in people's lives was that of a seasonal signpost in the year. In the British Isles, a long, long time ago crops were harvested and the surplus sold by late September, so this became the time when farmers would pay their yearly rents to landowners.
Everyone ate goose at Michaelmas to bring prosperity, and many farmers included "a goose fit for the lord's dinner" with their rent payments. Great market fairs occurred just before the feast day, and the large crowds these attracted made it convenient to hold elections at this time. They even had Republican Calico Cats back then too.
Michaelmas was also a "Quarter Day." These ancient Celtic people would divide the year into four major sections, or quarters, and then divided each of these in half to make an eight-part year that reflected the natural progression of the seasons. Foods traditional for Michaelmas include new wine; goose; cakes of oats, barley, and rye; and carrots. “bout the only ones who still retain any semblance to this old holiday are the Pennsylvania Dutch, out east, they’ve kept Michaelmas, or "Harvest Home," traditions alive amongst themselves.
Guess if ya really want to keep good holidays around for a long time, it needs to somehow be associated with Bud Lite or Miller, ‘cause they’ll supply free banners for the party. New wine, goose, oat cakes and carrots just don’t make it any more.
Maybe that’s what they’re talking ‘bout when somebody says “life was simple and easy back then”. I’m not sure if new wine and oat cakes beat Bud Lite or Miller, but I’m sure it don’t beat Makers Mark with a straw.
That reminds me that I only ate a goose one time. The only goose contact I ever had was on Southfork . Now Lou had several geese at Southfork, and one ole boy goose, well he just decided he was going to show me who was boss. That goose chased me all over the yard, damn near scared me to death, being six years old and being chased by what I’d swear was a 200 lb goose. I barely escaped with my life and made it inside the back door to safety of the kitchen, a mere half step in front of that renegade goose.
When Lou found out ‘bout that goose chasing me ‘round the yard, she promptly marched outside to confront my attacker. We had baked goose that night for supper and it wasn’t even a holiday or anything, we just had baked goose for supper. Now Lou and me, we never talked bout why she killed that goose, but I guess Lou just decided she couldn’t rehabilitate a goose gone wild.
Kinda funny that the ole goose never chased anybody ‘cept me, but what he didn’t know was that Lou was my Mother Goose. She looked out for me. And it was such stuff like that why Lou and I got along. Such a great Grandmother, I never once called her grandma, I called her Lou.
Stay safe in Afghanistan
From the East Wing, With Sophia On The Hot Seat, The Space Station, Blood Red Moon, Come September, Bud Lite or Miller, The 200 lb Goose of Southfork
I wish you well,
BobbyRay
And I thought the she missed me till Sophia found out I was home. That little girl cat came over, hopped up on my lap curled up and licked my hand. After ‘bout 5 minutes of purrs and smiles, jumped down ran to the cat house and came back with a list of all the things that ran amuck while I was away.
Not to my surprise, Spike headed the list. Sophia said Spike had been bad, had not listened to her and had even told the 2girldogs that she’s a democrat spy tying to infiltrate the republican partly by using her position as National Spokescat for the CCCA, as well as her other spokescat positions across the country. Spike had even threatened to deface her autographed picture of Herbert Hoover by peeing on it. She was so afraid that Spike would do damage to her stuff and to my stuff she had stayed awake most every hour I’d been gone. The 2girldogs were no help at all and had even helped Spike in some of the bad things he’d done. And she had a separate list of bad things the 2girldogs had done while I was away.
And then came Spike. Jumping up and down, so excited and mad he’s ‘bout to pee his pants, saying he didn’t do nothing wrong ever. It’s all Sophia’s fault. She’s been really bad. She tried to boss everybody around all the time I was gone. She wouldn’t take turns of being in charge like I said to do before I left. That he didn’t ever get to be in charge one time and Sophia bossed him around even when he didn’t need any bossing around by anybody ‘cause he was being a good boy cat. And Sophia drank from the big water bowl and not one time did she drink from the little water bowl like she’s supposed to. And Sophia bossed the 2girldogs around all the time too. And she even told the 2girldogs that if they didn’t do what she said, she’d scratch ‘em. And Sophia drank his half & half every time he got some from Regina. And Sophia sat in my chair even though I had said for nobody to sit in my chair. And Sophia had not used her computer one time while I was gone, she had used my computer every day and not hers. And Sophia had read all my email, and some of the email she had answered and signed my name.
I did notice that as Spike made his point by point case, Sophia got quitter and quitter. Just when I thought Sophia was going to say something more, Gray Lady James spoke up and said.
“Spike only knows ‘bout half the stuff Sophia’s done. Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that you said not to give Mustina a turn of being in charge, and Sophia was to take her turn. Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that Mustina was the only one you said to wash the water bowls every day. Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that you said Sophia could have all of Mustina’s treats for being such a good girl. Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that you said for Sophia to sleep on Mustina’s couch while you were gone.”
Things were not looking good for the cat as I turned toward Sophia. Gray Lady continued “Spike don’t know ‘bout Sophia telling Mustina that the new rules she made up was that change that President Obama had been promising a couple summers ago. I turned toward the cat.
“WHAT!!” She said. “Are you gona believe ‘em?” “The 2girldogs and Spike, they’re democrats. They’re all the same, that bunch, them, them democrats. They’re the same ones who told ya the stimulus would work and everybody would go back to work, and world would be better. The health care law would reduce health care cost, they’re the same bunch of democrats that hired a group of tax cheats to run the IRS and the rest of the government and they’re the ones who’ve appointed more czars than are in Russia on this very day. They’re the same ones who told ya change ya could believe in and look at what we got.”
“The 2girldogs and Spike, they’re part of that Washington crap that even Joe Donnelly don’t want to be associate with, and ya know Joe Donnelly’s a democrat, even when he don’t’ want to tell anybody in Indiana he is one , and you’re gona believe ‘en” “Ya gotta joking but remember that if ya believe the 2girldogs and Spike on this thing, then you’re by association, believing Charlie Rangel and that other Congress Woman from California that said she didn’t do nothing wrong either.” “Ya know them democrats, they got a track record on this sorta thing” “They try to kill the messenger when they can’t make the argument, Theses are the same ones who talk green and the only green they know is the green pond scum they slither in, those, those, those democrats ” said the cat as her green eyes twinkled, and oh, such a smile, that Sophia smile. Damn Republican Cat!
Did ya ever look at the Space Station at night? Yes, ya can see it from time to time. Go to the nasa.gov website, click on the shuttle / space station icon on the upper right side and follow the directions to input your precise data location. In the USA a zip is all ya need, but it’ll work anywhere in the world. It’s kinda cool to watch it go by. It goes too fast to put the telescope on it, but ya can catch it with binoculars if ya want. The really cool part is when the space station rises high enough in the sky to catch the light from the moon. It’s like Motel 6 leaving the light on for ya.
Had an email the other day from a fellow stargazer wanting to know if I used any mnemonic devices (little things that help ya remember stuff) to help me in remembering the names of celestial objects. Well DUH! How do ya think I remember all this stargazing stuff, what little I do know, without help of some kind, and the Lord knows I need all the help I can get. One of the best known astronomy mnemonics is "Arc to Arcturus, then drive a spike to Spica."
This is an easy one that most everybody can do. First begin by finding the Big Dipper, one of the sky’s most prominent asterisms (star patterns). Just ‘bout everybody can find the Big Dipper in the sky. Now if ya extend the arc formed by the Dipper’s handle, you'll soon find yourself at the bright star Arcturus, in the constellation Boötes.
From there, it’s a straight line to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. And just that easy ya became a stargazer. Did ya see the color difference between yellowish Arcturus and blue-white Spica? Some people can actually see the difference just by looking, I never could, weak eyes I guess. Now looking through my telescope, well, that’s a star of a different color so to speak. My telescope brings a whole new meaning to “I saw the light”.
A few days ago I was asked if I’d ever seen a blood red moon? I’ve not, and would probably crap my pants if I did. That blood red moon things been ‘round for a long time. Remember hearing ‘bout that when I was a kid, I know there’s a quotation in the bible, actually it’s from Revelation (6:12-13): "And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind."
This is the only creditable reference to a blood red moon that I’m aware of to , but seems like I’ve read of some reference to a reddish hue in the center of the moon during a total eclipse. I’ve seen several total eclipses of the moon, and none of ‘em looked even the least bit reddish to me.
That Revelation stuff’s something else, and I don’t have a clue what any of it means. I some times read parts of Revelation and think somebody’s smoking and writing at the same time. Guess ya can tell by my writing, I'm not smoking the same stuff.
But now those TV Preachers, they sure want ya to believe they know all the answers to all the questions posed by the Book of Revelation. They don’t. They too are a joke, kinda like Bill Clinton trying to explain to we the people what “is” is. But I think Wild Bill has mellowed out somewhat ‘cause now he just tries to explain what “is” was.
WOW ! Labor Day Tomorrow, and there went summer in the minds of some folks. Not the case here in the East Wing, it’s summer till it’s fall, and if it gets hot, then it’s like summer. Talk ‘bout weather seasons, I got an email from a friend in Mississippi thanking me for telling the whole world ‘bout the beautiful change of seasons in Mississippi.
For someone who my have missed that, I said Mississippi seasons consist of “Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer, Christmas. I was reminded that Christmas is the shortest season in Mississippi, and the other three seasons share the other 364 days equally. It was hot when I’s in Mississippi. Think I was there when it was Still Summer.
Such neat things happen in September, Labor Day, cooler weather, the official start of fall. This year it’s 9-22-2010 at 11:09PM, yah fall starts in the nighttime this year, that’s kinda cool. Now if ya ever wondered how come every four years we have an extra day in February, well a simple explanation is next year the start of fall is 9-23-11 at 5:15 AM, a difference of some 6 hours. Now if ya pick up say 6 hours ever year, after ‘bout 4 years ya have an extra day, ‘cause 6 times 4 equal 24 new hours and that’s how we stick February 29th in there every once in a while.
Another holiday that used to be a real biggie, we’re talking bigger than big, almost as big as Christmas is today. The forgotten holiday of the ages is Michaelmas.
The feast day of St. Michael, the archangel and overcomer of the Devil, is a Christian celebration based on the ancient Celtic calendar. Again like many church holidays, this too is rooted in pre-Christian activity. Its main importance in people's lives was that of a seasonal signpost in the year. In the British Isles, a long, long time ago crops were harvested and the surplus sold by late September, so this became the time when farmers would pay their yearly rents to landowners.
Everyone ate goose at Michaelmas to bring prosperity, and many farmers included "a goose fit for the lord's dinner" with their rent payments. Great market fairs occurred just before the feast day, and the large crowds these attracted made it convenient to hold elections at this time. They even had Republican Calico Cats back then too.
Michaelmas was also a "Quarter Day." These ancient Celtic people would divide the year into four major sections, or quarters, and then divided each of these in half to make an eight-part year that reflected the natural progression of the seasons. Foods traditional for Michaelmas include new wine; goose; cakes of oats, barley, and rye; and carrots. “bout the only ones who still retain any semblance to this old holiday are the Pennsylvania Dutch, out east, they’ve kept Michaelmas, or "Harvest Home," traditions alive amongst themselves.
Guess if ya really want to keep good holidays around for a long time, it needs to somehow be associated with Bud Lite or Miller, ‘cause they’ll supply free banners for the party. New wine, goose, oat cakes and carrots just don’t make it any more.
Maybe that’s what they’re talking ‘bout when somebody says “life was simple and easy back then”. I’m not sure if new wine and oat cakes beat Bud Lite or Miller, but I’m sure it don’t beat Makers Mark with a straw.
That reminds me that I only ate a goose one time. The only goose contact I ever had was on Southfork . Now Lou had several geese at Southfork, and one ole boy goose, well he just decided he was going to show me who was boss. That goose chased me all over the yard, damn near scared me to death, being six years old and being chased by what I’d swear was a 200 lb goose. I barely escaped with my life and made it inside the back door to safety of the kitchen, a mere half step in front of that renegade goose.
When Lou found out ‘bout that goose chasing me ‘round the yard, she promptly marched outside to confront my attacker. We had baked goose that night for supper and it wasn’t even a holiday or anything, we just had baked goose for supper. Now Lou and me, we never talked bout why she killed that goose, but I guess Lou just decided she couldn’t rehabilitate a goose gone wild.
Kinda funny that the ole goose never chased anybody ‘cept me, but what he didn’t know was that Lou was my Mother Goose. She looked out for me. And it was such stuff like that why Lou and I got along. Such a great Grandmother, I never once called her grandma, I called her Lou.
Stay safe in Afghanistan
From the East Wing, With Sophia On The Hot Seat, The Space Station, Blood Red Moon, Come September, Bud Lite or Miller, The 200 lb Goose of Southfork
I wish you well,
BobbyRay
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