future

Graf # 18

2005-12-18T15:03:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about some of the essays I have written over the last four months. I think if nothing else it has brought up some of my fondest memories. I have lost my Dad, my oldest brother and my best friend not to mention other uncles, aunts and both grandfathers. So the memories have been flowing back to me like crazy lately. In part by having to do these essays. In part do to the time of year. Christmas can be such a happy time of year, but it can also be a sad time of year. It’s all in which way you want to think about or dwell upon it. It truly is a choice each and every one of us has to make. Yes, it is all about choices and the fond memories are the ones I choose to remember. Thank you, Mr. Goldfine for helping me put them down on paper.

Graf # 17

2005-12-18T14:54:00.000-05:00

English 101 what a ride this as been! It has been twenty-nine years since I was in School and believe me things have changed. Or at least from my point of view they have. The first day in class was quite an eye opener. Back when I was in High School, if we were caught swearing we were sent to the office and if it happened again we would be suspended. When I set in that class on the first day I thought man this is going to be some year. Why you say? Well I think Mr. G. wanted to get everyone’s attention, so he read an essay a young lady in his class did a few years ago. Now this essay was very graphic and full of filthy language. So this was truly quite a surprise to me. But I hung on and as the semester continued I realized Mr. G. just wanted everyone to know that they could write about anything they wanted; with in reason of course, no xxx rated stuff.
As time went on I did learn several thing about writing. The different types of essay, how to put yourself into your writing how to start an essay and how to pull it all together in the closing remarks are just a few of the things I learned. Yes, I do believe the time spent in this class has truly been profitable. In fact it may have been so profitable that one of these days I just may walk into Mr. G’s class and call him “BOY”.

Prompt Reaction Week #14

2005-12-07T22:16:00.000-05:00

Jesus Loves Me

When I see or hear these words the first thing that comes to mind is that song that most of us were taught as a child.

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so.

You know I really wonder how many people really stop and think about those three words Jesus loves me.

Jesus: Who was he really? Was he just another man that walked this earth some two thousand years ago? A carpenter by trade or was he a prophet as some others say. Was he just predicting God’s plan or was HE the true Son of God as the scriptures say the Messiah, the Savior of the world?

Love: Do people really understand what love really is? I look around my English class and some of the young people in here think they know what love is and some of them are looking for love in all the wrong places. All you have to do is listen to them sometime and you would know what I mean. Some people do experience love in their life. The kind of love a husband and wife can only experience or maybe the love of a child. But I think the love that is talked about here is a much deeper love than we even know or can imagine. It’s a truly unconditional love.

Me: In this statement it does mean me and only me. Not the guy down the street or across the room or across town, but only me. It’s for the individual that reads it.

Jesus Loves ME
So my hope is that all the readers of this prompt reaction will take the time to truly meditate (think on) those three words.

Freestyle week #14

2005-12-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

WHY DO I WARM MY CAR UP IN THE WINTER?

The other day in English we had an interesting discussion about the effect of warming your car up before you drive out the driveway. Does the oil really need to be warmed up to do the job it was designed for or in today’s world with technology the way it is are we only supporting the oil companies by wasting gas. Now Mr. J. Goldfine thinks we must have stock in some of these companies for doing such a stupid think. Mr. D.M.
thinks he has to warm his car up 20 minutes before he leaves the driveway just for the reason above.
Myself, I have two reasons for warming my car up in the wintertime one is I just don't like the cold. So by warming the car up I have a good amount of heat coming out of the heater before I leave the driveway. But I must tell you the biggest reason I like to warm my car up. You see years ago my best friend was driving home after we were out for an all nighter even though we had drank ourselves sober he felt he had to drive home. Which was about 45 miles away.
Now he drove down the interstate turned out west Broadway toward his home. About 8 miles or so out he did fall asleep and went across the road. Now this wasn't what killed him or maybe it was, but the guy driving to work was a young kid that didn't warm his car up at all and was peaking out a little peep hole so he didn't see the car coming across the road and hit it head on.
So what ever the cost of a little gas and oil it really doesn’t matter to me.

Freestyle Week #13

2005-12-01T07:46:00.000-05:00

Well as hunting season has come and gone for another year I might as well put some of my thoughts down on paper for all of you to read.
This year as several in the past was not a profitable year. That’s right NO BUCK for me.
Now it’s not that I didn’t try I did. I got up three or four maybe five different mornings and tried to get out there at day break but it just didn’t happen. I did make it out one morning really early, but by the time I drove forty minutes to the good spot someone else had gotten there first.
Of course I didn’t have my full week off this year to go hunting since I’m back in school now. We only had two days off for Thanksgiving and that day isn’t worth a lot for hunting. We have to get up and travel to my wife’s parents where the whole family meets for lunch. There are about 20 to 26 people in all.
So my brother-in-law and I usually go riding for an hour or so and then come back for lunch. And we better not be late by the way. One year we took the youngest brother-in-law with us and he got lost for about a hour and a half (on snow mind you) so we got back thru the door about 10 to 15 minutes late and you would of thought we committed harry carry or something.
Any way back to this year’s story. The most excitement was Thursday night traveling over to my mother’s house, we came around a corner about ½ half mile from her house on a snow covered road; what do you think was there? That’s right two deer a big old buck with at least 8 to 10 points on his head and a lamb with it. Now the little one went one way and the buck tried to go the other but he slipped on the snow and went right down on his front legs. I slammed on the breaks as he scrambled to get back on all fours; in a split second he did and jumped the ditch, off into the small field then gone out of sight. After calming down we finished going to my mother’s and then to my brother’s to retell the story again and again. What a night!

Prompt Reaction Week #13

2005-11-29T19:45:00.000-05:00

April Fool Times Thirty

Every time I hear the phrase, April fool, I think of my oldest brother. He was born on April first in 1948. His name was Nelson, but he got the nickname Red because of his fiery red hair. If you took his birth date plus his hair, he had a lot to be teased about. But Red was far from being a fool. He did several things for work as a young lad. For a while he worked on the dairy farm for my grandfather. After that he decided to try working in the woods. He worked in the woods as a lumberjack until misfortune came upon him. A tree fell on him and broke his leg. He was laid up for a long time with that. They even had to replace his knee, but he never gave up. Once Red got back on his feet and bought his own skidder, he started his own business cutting private wood lots. He also went to Eastern Maine Community College to get a trade in carpentry. After that he became a Maine Guide, which I believe he enjoyed most of all. Red truly enjoyed the great outdoors. The fishing, hunting, and last but not least the never-ending games of horseshoes, were just some of his favorite things to do. He could throw a shoe that would hit the stake just about every time.
Yes, he may have been April Fooled thirty times more than most of us, but he definitely was no fool. Even though he only lived to be forty-two years old, I think he enjoyed life and had a passion for it more than most of the people who live to be eighty-two.

Prompt Reaction Week # 12

2005-11-29T19:24:00.000-05:00

Love at First Sight

It was late in the summer when she first caught my eye. The beautiful curves, the magnificent colors flowed together. I thought if only she could be mine.
So I pulled my truck up into the driveway, jumped out and walked right up to the guy standing there and said, “How much you asking for that beauty anyway?”
Well he said, “My wife and I have been thinking it over and we would like to get the material to build us a sailboat. So if you give me what’s on the sign she’s yours.”
So my wife and I looked at each other and said let’s do it! This sixteen-foot open bow Glastron with 130 hp inboard motor is just what we’ve been looking for. We can haul the kids on the water skies and the tube called Big Bertha, go cruising around the lake and just plan old have a ball.
The guy said I have an extra paddle and a couple of cushions down stairs, plus a canvas cover that goes over it too. It’s all part of the deal. Hey, who could ask for more?
As we pulled out with it behind our truck, we just couldn’t wait to try it out.
All we could think of was heading to the lake and there was one on the way home.
Once we unloaded it, which was slick as can be, we hopped in and started up the motor. It just purred like a kitten and ran smooth as could be. My wife just looked at me and smiled, knowing that I was going to have to try it out and see just how fast this beauty would go. Needless to say it really skimmed across the water and was as fantastic as I imagined it would be. Yup, this was it, LOVE at first sight.

Freestyle Week # 12

2005-11-28T08:32:00.000-05:00

The Fawn, The Fox, and The Doe

The other day at a friend’s house the most amazing scene took place. He lived out in the country and owns about 40 acres of land. Approximately half of this land is fields. His house is located on a hillside with a beautiful view in front and a very large field in back of the house.
Over the past 10 years or so that they have lived there, they have seen almost every type of animal we have here in Maine. They have seen red cardinals, woodpeckers of all types, white weasels, ducks, deer, bear, moose and once even a mountain lion. The list could go on but the scene the other day was a rare one and a nice one to remember.
Looking out their back window they caught a movement out in the field. As they watched it came closer and closer down the big field. It was a fox jumping back and forth. It would stop and then look around and lunge again. They immediately got out the binoculars and then they could see that the fox was trying to catch a mouse. About that time a fawn came out on the other side of the field with a doe right behind it. The fawn was jumping and frolicking around without a care, while the doe was eating the clover. The amazing thing was that the deer seemed not to notice the fox and the fox didn’t appear to know they were there either. As they all kept moving toward the center of the field, the unavoidable was about to happen. They finally saw each other. The fawn and doe locked their legs and stood just as still as they could. The fox, did the very same thing, as if to say they don’t see me so I’ll just stand still. Then, all of a sudden they all wheeled in the opposite direction and ran away from each other as fast as they could. They never looked back or stopped in the field.
There is truly something to say for the beautiful nature of Maine. It seems to me that we should all take the time to just stop and watch the amazing scenes that so many take for granted. Just imagine all the wonder that we miss.

Prompt Reaction Week #11

2005-11-17T21:18:00.000-05:00

The pin pricks your skin you feel nothing

The pin pricks your skin and you feel nothing, that’s what the neurologist said. I went to my family doctor for numbness in my hands and sharp pains shooting up my arms. He did some simple tests on me but he wasn’t real sure what was going on. But he did tell me to take three aspirin with each meal and buy some braces for my wrists and to wear them at night. Now have you ever try to sleep with two steel bands strapped to your wrist at night? You bang yourself in the face; you dig your spouse as you reach across the bed. Not to mention not being able to bend your wrists. So after a few weeks of this I go back to my doctor again. This time he says I have set you up with a neuro specialist. So a month later I go see this specialist. She takes all my information and then says lay down on this table and I’m going to prick you with these little pins, but you will not feel a thing. When she stuck me with the first pin I jumped back, when she stuck me with the second pin I jumped back. After the sixth pin I jumped back again. Then she looked me right in the eye and has the gall to say if you stopped jumping I could finish this a lot quicker. So when they say the pin pricks you skin, you feel nothing. Don’t believe it!
And if I ever get the chance to stick her with a pin she better look out!!!

Freestyle Week #11

2005-11-16T19:43:00.000-05:00

The BIG Fish

This is the story of the BIG FISH, it all started many years ago. It was one of those beautiful Maine winter days. The sun was out, the wind wasn’t blowing and the ice was about three and a half feet thick. So my dad, brother, and a couple of other friends and myself of course decided to go down to West Grand Lake ice fishing. We didn’t drive our vehicles down, we decided to snowmobile instead. Now from our camp on Junior Lake that’s quite a ride. My oldest brother had a friend that had an ice-fishing shack down there. We could use that once we arrived. So we packed up the ice auger, live bait, a couple of coolers full of food and drink and off we went. Now as always, my old sled broke down on the way. So Dad stopped and we began working on it. You know change plugs, prime it, change plugs again and finally got it started again. One good thing about this was the others went ahead and had all the holes drilled for us to set up in.
This is where the BIG FISH story really starts. My oldest brother who was walking on crutches due to his broken leg was fishing in the ice-fishing shack, through a hole that had been drilled earlier. He caught something and it was so BIG he couldn’t get it up through the hole. This hole was drilled with an eight-inch diameter auger. So everyone was excited and wondering after twenty minutes of trying to get this fish in just what was it? We have heard of the huge togue that come out of this lake, but never one that you weren’t able to get up through the hole. Wow! Finally Dad came over took my brothers crutch, shoved it down the hole and up again a couple of times. Then he turned to me and said, pull that fish up for your brother. And low and behold I pulled the fish line and pulled the fish line and finally the BIG FISH came up through the hole. Man it was a BIG FISH; the funny thing was when they drilled the hole only the tip of their auger went through the bottom of the ice. So the bait went down through the hole into the lake, but the BIG FISH couldn’t come up.
This story certainly shows that dads can be wiser.

Prompt Reaction Week # 10

2005-11-14T09:05:00.000-05:00

The key is in the lock, but I can’t turn it.

Early one morning my wife and I decided to go hunting. Of course this hunting trip consists of loading up the truck. Our supplies were vital and this is what we took with us. We had a bunch of snacks, a thermos full of coffee; the dog is in the backseat and in front is a 30-30 rifle and my bird gun. With everything ready we head out for a nice day of riding.
After riding for about two hours through the old back roads it was time to make our way back out to the main road. We did this just in time to hit the luncheon special at Raymond’s Variety. So we filled up our stomachs; then pulled the truck up to the pump and filled it up with gas. Feeling quite content with our day we decided to head into our family camp for the afternoon and evening. We knew it would be a nice ride and it would take about one and a half to two hours going slow, through the woods roads.
The ride was a nice one; we saw several partridge and even shot two of them. So this was going to be a bonus along with getting to camp and enjoying the quietness of the lake and there would be no one else around. We could cook up the birds for supper with a couple cans of potatoes that were at camp.
Finally we pulled into the camp driveway and jumped out. Buddy (the dog) was ready to get out too. We quickly headed to the camp door, I put the key in the lock but I couldn’t turn it. I tried and tried, but to no avail. I finally looked at the key and the key ring that it was on. To my surprise I had grabbed the wrong key ring. This one had master keys on it but it was for my office and other things at work, not for camp.
So there we stood with two birds in hand, wondering what we would do. I remembered a pan hanging out in the woodshed that we used on the outdoor fireplace. I went out and grabbed that and looked down at the turkey cooker my nephew left there, along with some cooking oil. So I built a small fire in the fireplace, put the pan on it with a little oil in it and cooked us some supper. Then we washed the pan in the lake hung it back up in the shed and headed back home again.
Even though the key didn’t work, we ended up having a great day anyway.

Freestyle Weeks #9 & #10

2005-11-02T19:35:00.000-05:00

The Hitchhiker

I was getting ready to swing onto the southbound ramp for interstate 95, when I saw a man hitchhiking. He had on blue jeans and a denim coat. His hair was short and he had a short beard on his face. I also noticed he was carrying a backpack over his shoulder. I thought at first he may have been heading to college. It was Monday morning and he may have missed his ride. So, I pulled over to give him a ride. Now I know what you are thinking... That's not a very safe thing to do and it is illegal to hitchhike. I would be encouraging someone to break the law, by giving him a ride. And with that backpack he could have been another terrorist. But I put my imagination on hold, pulled over and said hop in.

Yes, I know it's not safe in this day and age to pick up a stranger. There are a lot of wackos out there. He could of robbed me, or stolen my car, or even raped me. If he had a gun he could have shot me. But he didn't do any of these things.

The law say's its illegal to hitchhike. But I have hitchhiked many times and nothing ever happened to me. And I definitely didn't do anything to them. Anyway who makes these stupid laws?

There are terrorists out there. We all know this, but you know what? There are still some good people out there that just need a helping hand too.

So the moral of this story is whither you agree with hitchhiking or picking up a hitchhiker it really doesn't matter. We all have to make our own decisions. I for one am glad I gave this guy a ride. He needed to get to work and he has a family to take care of. For that one day I made a difference in his life.

Prompt Reaction Week #9

2005-11-01T22:05:00.000-05:00

702.
She read in the dark, her skin glowing underneath the single small reading light.
http://onemillionfootnotes.blogspot.com/

It was a cool November evening when I looked over at the lovely lady laying beside me. She was doing what she loves to do every night before she goes to sleep. Propped up on her pillows reading a nice book. She only has on a low lit lamp so as not to bother me.
But as I watched her read her book, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful her skin was as it was glowing in the light of the moon and the small light from the reading lamp. I must have laid there for 5 or 10 minutes just looking and thinking of how wonderful this lady was to me. After all she has put up with me for over 27 years now, and that is not a small feat.
My memory took me back to when we were young teenagers going to high school together and the times we had going to dances and to fairs in the summer, the winter carnivals, ballgames, snowmobile rides, trips to camp and a lot of the great times together just walking and talking.
Then she must have sensed me looking at her and she turned her head at me and smiled that beautiful smile and said what are you looking at me for? And I looked back at her and said with a soft voice, I’m looking at you because you truly are the love of my life and as I look at your soft glowing skin and those beautiful eyes I can’t help but think of how blessed I am to have you as my wife after all of these years. And as she smiled I stretched up and gave her a little kiss good night and turned over to go to sleep. So she could enjoy her book and think of the love we have between each other.

Graf # 16

2005-11-01T19:48:00.000-05:00

Reaction to Contrast essays

I read three of these essays and the first two I was surprised how open the writers were about their family members. I think they did a good job comparing the two family members and put a good deal of detail into it.
The third one was about the hometown and yes he described how things have changed but it didn’t hold my interest as well as the first two. But the thyme was defiantly there.

Graf # 15

2005-10-31T08:12:00.000-05:00

Research to classification essay

I found this essay to be easier than the others. It may have been the topic I chose since I have had experience with bosses. Also I have been a boss myself. But either way once I got started it seemed to flow quite easily. I also think that as I grow in the knowledge of this class it helps the assignments to go easier.

Intro to classification essay

2005-10-27T21:07:00.000-04:00

Intro to Classification Essay

Bosses

There are many types of bosses out there. There are some that want you to make all the decisions, so they have someone to blame if things go wrong. There are the ones that have to make all the decisions so they can show you who is in charge. Then there’s the ones that encourage you and the ones that discourage you, whether by their remarks or by their actions. I have had all of these types of bosses and believe it or not I have learned something from each of them. Sometimes it’s the things to do or not to do. That is one of the reasons I became a boss myself, to try to make a difference.
Over the last thirty plus years I have had some real good bosses and a couple of very poor ones. And a couple of in between ones.
I remember my first experience working for someone. I was only around thirteen years old and the farmer down the road needed some help getting in his hay. So a couple of us said we would help. Now this was loose hay that we are talking about not the bailed stuff. So we used pitchforks to load the hay onto the truck and as one or two of us threw the hay on the truck two others would throw it ahead and pile it up until we had the old wheeler truck loaded up. With hay chaff down our backs and stuck to our necks down the road to the barn we would go. Now here he used a tractor hooked to a rope and pulley device with a hayfork on the end of it. So the unloading wasn’t as bad as the loading. At lunchtime his wife did feed us a very nice meal with my favorite part, her homemade molasses cookies. She made the best molasses cookies around. They were fat and fluffy and would just felt in your mouth. So now we had our bellies full we had to go back to the hay field for another load.
Well at the end of the day the farmer came to each of us and reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of money. He proceeded to give each of us three one-dollar bills and a thank you. That’s right; you could count them one, two, three. Now I did learn from this boss, to make sure you ask the question first. How much does this job pay?
So the next job I had I did just that. A lady needed her house painted so a friend and I talked with her and we all agreed on a price. Now the nice thing about this boss was at the end of the job not only did she pay us what we had agreed on, but also she gave us some extra money for the good job we did for her. That was a very nice surprise.
Yes, there are good ones, bad ones and even middle of the road ones.
The question here is what kind was I?
One of the best bosses I ever had was in the mid seventies. I had a couple of full time jobs by now, but this one was what you might say was my first real job. You know the one with a descent pay and some nice benefits to go with it. The crew I got put on was a pretty good crew, but what really made it was the boss. He would always be around to give you a hand if you needed it. If something broke down, he would be the first one there to help out. If you personally were having a bad day he would take the time to come talk with you to see if there was anything he could help you with. He always had encouraging words to offer.
On the other hand I had a boss that came in from a different company and he was going to make a name for himself, no matter what. If you know that I mean. He started right out by calling all the management team in and began telling how he had done this and he had accomplish that. So things will be done this way or else. We quickly took this to mean my way or the highway. Now his style of management would have been fine if it had only worked. Sometimes things that work in one place don’t work in another. Especially when there are many variables in the equation. In a mill working with wood you may think it’s all the same. Believe me that is far from the truth. There are many factors to think about when you are working with different species, different temperatures, and working with different glue types. A change in any of these makes al the difference. This new boss didn’t want to hear any thing about this. Just get it done; was the motto. And what about the people skill or the lack of may be a better term. You could go over to the main office almost anytime of the day and as soon as you opened the door you could hear the laughter coming from the back porch, where it seemed most of the meetings were being held. Of course it was with a few of his “imported” managers and one or two of the local kiss ups. If you had a question it was hard to work it in. When you did most of the time it would be a sarcastic answer or his favorite one which was, I’ll get back to you on that, which meant not at all. This type of boss makes it very difficult to do a good job at all.
Then there’s the in between boss. He’s the one that shows up to work but leaves his ambition home. He comes in and does just enough to get by. He never wants to do that little extra and surely doesn’t want you to do any extra. That would make him look bad. So he gives a few orders or maybe there a request and then he walks away. You really don’t know how much you are supposed to do, but you better do something just in case. Because sometimes he will come back from his meeting and you can tell just by his walk that he has been raked over the coals. Then of course you know what rolls down hill. He calls everyone into the office and begins his speech. You know the safety at this plant is terrible and production is down. If things don’t change around here we won’t be here much longer. Now go out there and clean up around your area and then get that machine running and turn it up. WE need more production!
Now I have to tell you about probably the best boss I have ever had. I had worked at this place for about five years. I worked my way up to be a Quality Control Technician. When the Technical Director decided to move to a different location within the company, his position became open and the Plant Manager asked me to fill the slot. Now I must tell you I really wasn’t qualified technically for the slot. We talked about that but he assured me that with my people skills and knowledge of the mill I would do fine. He also said he would get me all the help I needed to learn the technical stuff and he did.
This is one of the reasons I say he was probably the best boss I Have ever had. He followed thru and did what he said he would do. He also would take the time to listen to you and the other employees as well. I believe he truly did care about you and the people that worked at this facility. He tried his hardest to make things happen. He treated people with dignity and expected to be treated the same.
I really don’t know if I measured up to his level of leadership, but by following his example and the example of my other good bosses, I felt as if I did a pretty good job at it. Who knows maybe someday someone will write about me and put me in the good boss category.

Freestyle Week #8

2005-10-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

Well it happened the first storm of the year. The year is 2006 and you would think with all the knowledge and all the expertise that’s available in this day and age, someone could put together a power system that could provide electricity even though a snow storm.
Yes, that’s right the first storm of the year and we were 6 hours with out power. Now I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining but I guess I am. We pay good money every month for this service and that service and this fee and that fee and oh boy don’t forget ALL the taxes. Oh yeah and you better be sure to get your bill paid on time. Just because we have some rain and some wind and then TWO inches of wet nasty snow is it too much to ask that we don’t lose our power? Or perhaps they could give us a refund for every hour that we are with our electricity. I mean really you know how aggravating it is. You go to bed because there is no T.V. to watch, the computer won’t work and it’s even hard to read with a flashlight. So you get into bed and get warm and fall asleep but of course you twist and turn and throw some covers off so you wake up cold, get covered up and fall back to sleep after awhile but when you just get into a good deep sleep guess what happens…Yes, the power comes back on and that one light you forgot to shut off hits you right in the eyes, so awake again and this time you have to get out of bed to shut out the light. While you’re up sort of you go to the bathroom to do what needs to be done and back to bed. By this time your really awake but you try to go to sleep twisting and turning for a couple of hours and because its 3 am who wants to get up at that time of night or should I say morning.
But finally you do fall back to sleep just before the alarm goes off to get you up for the day. Hurry Hurry Hurry.

Prompt Reaction Week #8

2005-10-27T07:56:00.000-04:00

"The things I see as I walk along the street, that's heaven to me...."

Yes, there is a little bit of heaven here on earth and as I walk down the street there are those things that are heaven to me. As I start walking down the street that I live on usually the first things I see is my niece and nephew playing outside in their front yard. Those two kids remind me of my kids when they were young. They would go out and play in the field or down in the woods for hours. They did all the old fun stuff we us to do when we were little. You know the cowboys and Indians and the robbers and cops, capture the flag and at night even play the old game hide and go seek. Of course today these two kids are usually playing on the little four-wheeler they have or sometimes playing basketball on the hot top driveway. I would of liked to have that as a kid. The old gravel driveway with rocks all over the place did make it a little hard to dribble the ball for me anyway.
Then I walk just a few feet more and look to the right and there is my wife’s Grandmother’s house, she is no longer with us but she did live to be 100 years old. Well 3 days before her 100th she past away. I think that’s close enough don’t you? The memories there would take a long time to tell you about but I will give you a few. When I was just a teenager and would come down to Grandma’s house with my girlfriend (my wife now) she would always invite you in and give you cookies or something sweet to eat and trust me you didn’t want to turn them down. I think she could of won any cooking contest she would of entered. As time went on and my wife and I got married we moved in to the old field next to Grandma’s house, which we put a small little trailer to live in. The visits became more regular and I did get to know this sweet old lady even better. You know I don’t think I ever heard her say a bad word about anyone. Then my kids came along and Grandma loved spoiling them. Every time they would go up she would give them cookies. In fact I think my oldest girl developed her love for Oreos up there and my middle girl would take off and go right up though the field across the rock wall to grandmas house just to say hi. But that is not the end of the street. I keep walking up the road and come to an old woods road where I took my son hunting for birds and deer in the fall, oh the memories here is definitely heaven on earth. The snow sled rides up and down this old woods road and hiking up the mountain and back again are just a few more of the things a walk along this street will bring. As I look at the trees and the leaves the brook that crosses the road I hear the birds sing and the wind blowing thought the air and that is heaven here on earth to me.

Two Intros

2005-10-23T21:01:00.000-04:00

Intro to Classification Essay

Bosses

There are many types of bosses out there. There are some that want you to make all the decisions, so they have someone to blame if things go wrong. There are the ones that have to make all the decisions so they can show you who are in charge. Then there’s the ones that encourage you and the ones that discourage you, whether by their remarks or by their actions. I have had all of these types of bosses and believe it or not I have learned something from each of them. Sometimes it’s the things to do or not to do. That is one of the reasons I became a boss myself, to try to make a difference.
Over the last thirty plus years I have had some real good bosses and a couple of very poor ones. There have been some that have been somewhere in between, depending on what day it was.
I remember my first experience working for someone. I was only around thirteen years old and the farmer down the road needed some help getting in his hay. So a couple of us said we would help. Now this was loose hay that we are talking about not the bailed stuff. So we used pitchforks to load the hay onto the truck and as one or two of us threw the hay on the truck two others would throw it ahead and pile it up until we had the old wheeler truck loaded up. With hay chaff down our backs and stuck to our necks down the road to the barn we would go. Now here he used a tractor hooked to a rope and pulley device with a hayfork on the end of it. So the unloading wasn’t as bad as the loading. At lunchtime his wife did feed us a very nice meal with my favorite part, her homemade molasses cookies. She made the best molasses cookies around. They were fat and fluffy and would just felt in your mouth. So now we had our bellies full we had to go back to the hay field for another load.
Well at the end of the day the farmer came to each of us and reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of money. He proceeded to give each of us three one-dollar bills and a thank you. That’s right; you could count them one, two, three. Now I did learn from this boss, to make sure you ask the question first. How much does this job pay?
So the next job I had I did just that. A lady needed her house painted so a friend and I talked with her and we all agreed on a price. Now the nice thing about this boss was at the end of the job not only did she pay us what we had agreed on, but also she gave us some extra money for the good job we did for her. That was a very nice surprise.
Yes, there are good ones, bad ones and even middle of the road ones.
The question here is what kind was I?

Intro #2 - Classification Essay

Bosses

Bosses really have it rough. They are caught in the middle all the time. They have upper management that’s pushing down the demands and all the rules and regulations to follow. They have to be on top of everything from safety regulations to environmental issues. Then there are the production problems and stuff that just had to be taken care of. When it comes to the responsibilities of a boss there is stuff, stuff and more stuff!
So what does the boss have to do? He has to turn to the employees and start dumping all this stuff on them. Follow all the rules, don’t forget the regulations and
quality standards, remember not to violate the environmental laws and by the way we need to increase production by ten percent this week. Yes, with all this pressure you can truly see why some bosses are good, bad or somewhere in between.
But it starts out long before this point is reached. I can remember as a very young person how my first boss treated me and also how the second one did.
I was only around thirteen years old and the farmer down the road needed some help getting in his hay. So a couple of us said we would help. Now this was loose hay that we are talking about not the bailed stuff. So we used pitchforks to load the hay onto the truck and as one or two of us threw the hay on the truck two others would throw it ahead and pile it up until we had the old wheeler truck loaded up. With hay chaff down our backs and stuck to our necks down the road to the barn we would go. Now here he used a tractor hooked to a rope and pulley device with a hayfork on the end of it. So the unloading wasn’t as bad as the loading. At lunchtime his wife did feed us a very nice meal with my favorite part, her homemade molasses cookies. She made the best molasses cookies around.. They were fat and fluffy and would just felt in your mouth. So now we had our bellies full we had to go back to the hay field for another load.
Well at the end of the day the farmer came to each of us and reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of money. He proceeded to give each of us three one-dollar bills and a thank you. That’s right; you could count them one, two, three. Now I did learn from this boss, to make sure you ask the questions first. How much does this job pay?
So the next job I had I did just that. A lady needed her house painted so a friend and I talked with her and we all agreed on a price. Now the nice thing about this boss was at the end of the job not only did she pay us what we had agreed on, but also she gave us some extra money for the good job we did for her. That was a very nice surprise.
Yes, there are good ones, bad ones and even middle of the road ones. The question here is what kind was I?

Freestyle Week #7

2005-10-22T21:56:00.000-04:00

A Beautiful Fall Day

This is one of those beautiful fall days, the sun is up and shining bright, the air is fresh and crisp, the leaves are changing colors, the oranges, the reds, the yellows the evergreen trees; there all blending together to make a beautiful living picture.
I look across the treetops from where I am and the magnificent Mt. Katahdin is standing there as bold as ever, it seem to be saying come on ahead winter bring the wind and snow the freezing rain I can with stand it all I have many times before. But wait its not winter yet its still fall; look at the beauty all around, the pond at the base of the mountain the stream flowing away from it, the sun glittering on the water the stillness in the air. It is quiet and peaceful at this time of day. I think I will just stay here for a while and enjoy it.
Cause it is a beautiful fall day.

Prompt Reaction Week #7

2005-10-22T21:33:00.000-04:00

In the draw is a box which holds objects that are
meaningless to anyone else but sacred, precious, and unforgettable to me.

Some people have a small box in a drawer filled with their mementos of times in the past. There are objects from their children’s plays or photos of the proms, and maybe even clippings from the newspaper. I have one of those also with some small stuff in it. There are birthday cards my own children made for me. Also included in the box is one of the many letters to Santa that touched my heart so I tucked it in there. But I also have a BIG BOX downstairs in my work area. There are things in this box that belonged to my dad. For example there are tools that were used for carpentry, and old vest for hunting, some fishing tackle, then more tools for plumbing, and some more for fixing snowmobiles. But this isn’t all that I have. Off to the side are a couple of trophies from our days of playing in horseshoe tournaments. We loved to play horseshoes and would be gone all day, just doing the guy thing. There are a few small things also like electrical tape, fuses, and some ends for extension cords. All these things have been there for several years now. Sometimes I think I should clean it out, but every time I go down to do so I start checking things out and then decide to just leave it there for another time. In my box there are so many memories of days that can’t be relived. They are meaningless to others, but precious and unforgettable to me.

Graf # 14

2005-10-22T02:02:00.000-04:00

Progress Report on my I-Search

The I-Search is going pretty well. I just finished the second draft of the
Background, the Why and What I Know pages.

Will wait for your comments now.

Graf # 13

2005-10-18T20:35:00.000-04:00

Reaction to classification essay

1. Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.

At first I was a little angry with this girl for the way she was clumping all guys into these categories. She wasn’t looking at us as individuals. But she did recover herself in the last paragraph.

2. The Best Fish to Catch

This was a good story. He kept my interest right until the end. What a great topic.

3. Amanda’s Mountain Springs

This was kind of interesting the way she told about her job and the responses she got from the people she called. I could remember when I was in the insurance business and had to make some of those types of calls. NO FUN AT ALL!

Graf # 12

2005-10-18T20:19:00.000-04:00

Research

My wife and I have been thinking about buying a gas fireplace for several years now. Every time we would go and look for one the answer was the same. They were just too much money.
Until one day my wife was looking at a catalog that came to me in the mail. She flipped a couple of pages and then threw the catalog on the floor. She really didn’t find it that interesting to her. It was a Northern Tool Company catalog. But as fate would have it the catalog flipped open to the last two pages and wouldn’t you know it there they were the gas fireplaces. So here was the research completed at last.

Name LP Gas BTU’S Vent Vent Free Price
Black Stove Shop Yes 25,000 No Yes $749
Bainbridge Yes 22,000 No Yes 500
Zircon Yes No rating ?? ?? 2,133
Freestanding No (natural) 42,000 No Yes 1,000
Firestone Yes 42,000 Yes No 3,778
Zircon Yes 42,000 Yes No 1,530
Northern Tool Yes 44,000 No Yes 600
Monessen Yes 32,000 No Yes 918

By doing this research we found a fireplace that had more BTU output with a blower on it to help circulate the heat for less money. It was a very good investment and we are very satisfied with the fireplace that we purchased.

Prompt Reaction Week #6

2005-10-13T09:25:00.000-04:00

You haven’t been there since you were little
Now you go back…..

When I was young I went to Fenway Park to watch the Boston Red Sox play a game of baseball. I really liked the first baseman at that time his name was George Scott. I played first base for my school and he was my inspiration. I got to go watch them twice as a child. The first time I went was with my parents. The second time was with a good friend, his dad and his uncle. I was able to get some good pictures and souvenirs. I truly enjoyed both of these games and have some unforgettable memories of them.
As time went by I lost my interest in Baseball. I was too busy thinking of girls and some other stuff I won’t mention right now, if you know what I mean.
But as I got older and had my own kids, I decided it was time to take them to see a big game. So my brother-in-law and I packed the car and the kids and headed out for our six-hour drive. The drive down wasn’t as bad as you would expect with a carload of kids. Looking back now I have to really wonder who was more excited, my brother-in-law or the kids. He is a big red sox fan and this was the first time there for the kids.
Now I must be honest and tell you I was excited for the kids but could have cared less if I was there. In fact I would much rather have been at camp fishing.
Wouldn’t you know it we arrived in Boston, after only one wrong turn on the road there. Not bad for a small town boy in a big city.
Finally there and thru the gate, up the stairs we went to find our row and seats. But as we approached our seats I could see we or should I say one of us was going to be sitting right behind a pole. My brother-in-law being the big fan he was wasn’t about to offer to give up his seat. So after thinking quickly about the options. Stick one of the kids behind a pole or sit there myself so the kids would have a good time to remember. I decided to volunteer. Yup here I was in Boston, and I was stuck exactly behind a pole. Terrific, was all I could think. As I remember it, it was cold and windy that day and to top it all off they lost. But the bright spot I think everyone else did have a good time.
The kids talked about it for quite a while on the ride home and although I they never asked to go again, I would have done it all again for the kids.

Freestyle week #6

2005-10-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days.
It actually started the day before. My car broke down so I had to borrow my father-in-laws.
So up and at 'em at 4:30 a.m. off to work with enough time to stop and fix my car. I drive 30 miles to where my car was and started to fix it. Oh ya it now starts to rain but I did get the car fixed. Now down the road I go to work.
At work the day started out ok, but by noon time the big explosion happened. The piece of equipment I was operating had the strapper break down so the boss said shut down the rest of the line. I stopped everything and looked around. While; the unit that was being filled only needed two more pieces to complete it and if I just let it set there the weight of the unit would lower it down on the conveyer so doing what I thought was the right thing I started up the line and put two more pieces in the unit so that it would be full and not have to mess with it later. Because every time you raised the unit back up you would break the edge of the board or have uneven units. And that's when it happen "The big explosion." The BOSS came up yelling at me and telling me that HE said shut down the line and what did I think I was doing. So with the head ache of fixing my old piece of junk in the rain and listening to this guy reaming me out I lost it and yes I started yelling back at him trying to explain why I finish the unit. But neither of us really got very far because we both were yelling quite loud at each other. Thankfully, I didn't get fired over this but it definitely didn't make my day.
Then work was done and off to home I head, about half way home in the rain and dark out what do you thing happens next. On top of the car trouble, the rain down my back, the fight with the boss bam two moose run right out in front of me. A cow moose and a calf moose, I locked up the breaks and skidded sideways to miss the big one and swerve back just in time to miss the little one. Which actually slipped and fell in the middle of the road. I stopped and looked back in my mirror to see him get up and stroll in the field with his mother and just as if nothing had happen to them they just stood there in the moonlight.
Off down the road I go thanking God for my safety and not wrecking my father-in-laws car when about 7 more miles up the road I come in to a little town, looking down at the gas gauge I decided I should stop to put some gas in at this time I let off the gas because I was going down a large hill started to put on my brakes and that is when the BLUE LIGHTS came on Yes the policeman pulled me over and as I told him of my story he just looked and asked me for my license. He went back to his car and shortly there after came back to me with a ticket in hand and not even a smile on his face.
Now off to home I head again (after getting some gas) it's getting late now so when I pull in I get out of the car to go inside when my wife meets me and says I need the car to go up to her grandmother's for something. I of course start telling her my worst day ever story and she says to me something like "Oh that's to bad" in a cynical kind of way trying to be funny. But I wasn't in any mood to be funny at this time. So to top the day off I had a argument with her and threw the key to her or maybe at her and said goodnight. Of course that wasn't good because then I had to go in and get my own supper while she went to her grandmother's. By the time she came back we both had calmed down and even had a laugh over it all.
But I will admit I hope I don't have another day like that one.

Prompt Reaction Week #5

2005-10-06T20:37:00.000-04:00

Everything you thought you knew is wrong,
nothing is what it seems.

There was a time in my life when I thought some people would tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. HA, HA, HA!
Example: I once thought I knew how my life insurance policies worked. But then I found out that I was very wrong or extremely mislead. My agent told me this is a good policy. It will protect you now and pay you cash back in your retirement years. Which of course is not what it doesn’t. Let’s start with “protects you.” That is a myth! It doesn’t protect you; it protects your family if you die. But it certainly doesn’t protect you from a car accident or a tree falling on your heat, etc., etc.
Pays you back was the next thing. Well that is somewhat true. But naturally they just forgot to tell you that you could get four to five to ten times as much money back if you invest that money yourself. How can that be you say? Well I found out that you could buy what they call term life insurance for a fraction of the cost. Which will truly protect your family with three to four times the protection for half the premium cost. The other half you can use for your investment. You could even put it in the bank if you wanted to. At least there it is truly yours. So you see nothing is what it seems.

The Out-tro

2005-10-05T10:12:00.000-04:00

So the moral of this story is weather you agree with hitchhicking or picking up hitchhickers it really doesn't matter because we all have to make our own decessions and I for one am glad I gave this guy a ride he needed to get to work and he has a family to take care of. And for that one day I made a diffrents in his life.

Graf # 10

2005-10-04T19:14:00.000-04:00

Reaction to I-Search

WOW! I must admit WOW was my first reaction to the I-search papers. It looks like a lot of stuff. I guess my almost 30 years out of school is really catching up to me. As I read several of them I did realize there was some very nice stuff in them. So as I took another deep breath and thought for few minutes, I remembered the old saying: If you were to eat an elephant how would you do it?? Of course the answer is ONE BITE AT A TIME. I’m sure that is how we will do our I-search.

Freestyle Week #5

2005-10-04T19:05:00.000-04:00

Monday Morning Again

It’s Monday morning again, so up and at it we go. The hustle and bustle of everyone getting ready to go do his or her own thing is something we all became accustomed too. The normal routine takes place, which may not be normal to a lot of folks. With five people in the house and only one-bathroom things can get pretty chaotic. Of course this Monday morning is not normal in any way. This morning my mother has to go to Eastern Maine Medical Center. She has had heart problems in the past, but things are getting worse. So they are doing more tests to see what is happening. She had open-heart surgery a little over three years a ago. They did a triple bypass on her. She came and lived with us for a while after that and did recuperate quite well. This time she does seem different about what might take place. She is saying a lot of stuff about if it’s my time to go…it’s my time to go, and they told me to bring my living will and, and, and, and, on it goes. Now I do realize that I can’t argue with her because I also believe when it is time to go, we will go. But I don’t think we need to rush it. So off to Bangor we go, where the out come we cannot know. If you stay tuned in the next episode I may let you know the rest of the saga.

Intro #2

2005-10-02T08:37:00.000-04:00

Intro 2
The Hitchhiker

I was getting ready to swing onto the southbound ramp for interstate 95, when I saw a man hitchhiking. He had on blue jeans and a denim coat. His hair was short and he had a short beard on his face. I also noticed he was carrying a backpack over his shoulder. I thought at first he may have been heading to college. It was Monday morning and he may have missed his ride. So, I pulled over to give him a ride. Now I know what you’re thinking. . That’s not a very safe thing to do and it is illegal to hitchhike. I would be encouraging someone to break the law, by giving him a ride. And with that backpack he could have been another terrorist. But I put my imagination on hold, pulled over and said hop in.

Freestyle week #3

2005-10-01T10:15:00.000-04:00

As I awoke this morning and opened my eyes it was a beautiful day starting outside.
The sun was starting to peak thought the trees and the birds were singing and other small
animals were running around outside. Thankfully none inside.
I was going to jump out of bed and head down stair to exercise because you know health is
the name of the game these days. And we all want to be healthy. Don't we?
But as I laid there soaking in the sun I decide to get up, make a cup of coffee, go out on the porch and just relax and enjoy the morning.
After all it is Saturday. So I did this for a short period of time. Never long enough.
Up and off to do the list of things that have to be done. Go to the dump, split some wood and clean the cellar just to list a few.
But this was a nice break to start the day with. I don't know about you but I think by nature I could be very lazy.

Freestyle Week #4

2005-09-29T12:22:00.000-04:00

Well, here we go again! Daughter #2 will be walking down the isle. In the months ahead there will be happy times, nerve racking times, emotionally draining times, financially draining times and yes even confrontational times. But most of all it is exciting times.
She and her fiancé will have so much to look forward to. The first thing is their wedding. The honeymoon, the home, the jobs, the children and also the ups and downs will be a part of their future. Then comes chasing after the kids, the special times and the sad times. But after it is all said and done it all comes back around to the one thing that started it all…..LOVE. It is a grand thing. So all we can do is pray for them, guide them and watch them grow.

Prompt Reaction week #4

2005-09-29T11:51:00.000-04:00

Take a look at a photo of a person.
What do you see?

Gramp McCormack
I looked at a picture of an elderly man. His head was bald and his cheeks hang down some. He was also missing a few side teeth. But his eyes showed so much care in them it was unbelievable. In my minds eye I instantly went back to the times we would sit at his kitchen table and share a meal. Also the Christmas Eves we all sat in his living room talking and laughing as he told us stories of hunting trips, fishing trips, or things that happened on his farm years ago. I looked at his hands. I could see large rough, tough hands that worked hard to make a living for his family. His hands cut wood with an ax and threw it on to a rail car. I remembered the story of the time he told my dad to step aside and I’ll through that wood on for ya. Yes a photo; what do you see? The same hand that reached into his pocket and pulled out some dollar bills and gave each child there one for a Christmas present. Giving, even though he really didn’t have much to spare. That’s just a little of what the photo of my gramp brings to mind.

Intro 1

2005-09-29T11:49:00.000-04:00

The Hitchhiker

I was zooming down the road the other day when up ahead I could see someone standing there. Cars were going by and not slowing down to see what his need was. As I pulled up and got a better look, I could see a neatly groomed man with a backpack over his shoulder and his thumb sticking up in the air. A decision had to be made. Do I stop and give him a ride, do I zoom on by, or do I remember the verse in the Good Book that says, what you do to the least of these you do also unto Me. Do I act or do I not?
I know the stories of what happens to people that pick up strangers. You know the dangers of picking up a hitchhiker right? Oh and what was in the backpack?

Graf #9

2005-09-27T21:48:00.000-04:00

Reaction to five paragraph essays

I read down through several of these five paragraph essays. I must say most of them are quite interesting.
The first one reminded me of my mother when she went to Canada with three or four of her lady friends. She ate so much seafood (mostly lobster) and had an allergic reaction several times worse than the one in the story about the cherry tomato.
The one about the truck also reminded me about one of my best friends as a kid. He would always be working on an old car or pickup truck. But don’t you dare tell him he couldn’t make it work. Cause usually he did make it work, someway somehow. Yes these folks have some talent, which is plain to see.

Graf #8

2005-09-22T19:44:00.000-04:00

Mister Arrogance

Mark was probably the most obnoxious, lowdown; back stabbing, arrogant person I have ever known. It was the summer of ’94 when Mark walked thru the front doors of the plant. Someone in upper management had decided that we needed more highly educated people in our quality control lab. What they didn’t consider was this jerk had a five-year degree in business. Not in manufacturing and not even in statistical process control and more importantly not in the wood industry or testing engineered wood products. No this preppie arrogant @#*&%$ came in thinking he was the financial wizard of the world. We should be grateful that he was going to save us all from disaster. What he didn’t know was in this job you had to actually go out of the office and do some work. He would have to gather samples of the products, do tests on them, and then go do it again. You see this is what is required from a quality control technician. I must admit one of the biggest laughs I’ve ever had was at this jerk’s expense. When I heard Mark call over the radio to the control operator that the unit was 37 inches and 2 little marks, I thought I was going to die laughing. He thought he was so smart but couldn’t even read a tape measure! However this didn’t stop good old Mark from trying to tell everyone else what to do. Top it off with the fact that he was like a little kid running over to the main office telling stories that were either not true or were highly exaggerated. He would do this frequently to make himself look good. Oh the arrogance!! One time he went to the plant manager and told him that I didn’t know this and I didn’t know that. Thankfully by this time they had caught on to his style of management. In spite of him I got the promotion and soon after he was gone. No, I did not fire him, but it was coming down the road. No arrogant Mark went to another company and tried once again to buffalo his way up the chain of command. This actually worked for a while. Eventually it caught up to him again. He told one too many lies and was fired. I can’t help but wonder how Mr. Arrogant liked his pink slip and what he thought when they told the cock of the walk to hike down the road of the unemployed. Pay back is a @#$%&!!

Prompt Reaction Week #3

2005-09-22T10:34:00.000-04:00

ME, Myself, and I

Me, Myself and I were cruising up the interstate the other day. We were going right along pretty nicely, between 70 and 72 miles per hour. Suddenly I had a thought, so I grabbed the notebook and pen. I started flipping thru my notes. “Ah”…I said, “there is that English assignment I need to do”. I really need to write something about a conversation I heard or maybe I had. I started writing something down on paper as the car started drifting to the left. I pulled it back to the right and began writing some more. Just then the car drifted to the right and hit the rumble strip. That was okay. I looked in the mirror and there was a couple of cars coming up behind me but they were still back there a long way. I started writing again, and once more we swerved to the left. Suddenly Me speaks up and says, “What are you trying to do kill us?” About this time Myself jumps right in there and says, “Of course not, I wouldn’t do that” in a sarcastic voice. I just ignored them and started writing again. After all the eighteen wheeler was four or five car lengths ahead of us and the cars behind us were well about three car lengths back now. Once again I started writing, the thoughts were just flowing out of the pen and onto the paper. Naturally I started drifting a little to the left and the car that was in back of me was right beside us. At that very second Me speaks up again and yells, “What are you trying to do kill us?” Naturally, Myself sides right in and says, Oh not all, I has everything in control.” This time I snapped. I pulled the car over across the rumble strip, screeched the car to a stop and I yelled back. “Both of you shut up or get out. I am driving this car and I am writing this paper. Neither of you are helping. This needs to get done and I need to get home. So either shut up or get out”! Well it was still a long way home, so both Me and Myself did shut up. I drove up the interstate and I did write the paper. You know, sometimes the only way to have a good conversation is to talk to yourself!

Graf #7

2005-09-19T20:32:00.000-04:00

My Mini Bike

Some people look at my mini bike as a bike with a motor. Others have the impression that it is just a small motorcycle with a black and white seat made for kids. Of course there are others that see it as a safety hazard. But for me it was a means of transportation and most of all fun, fun, and more fun.
In the summertime I could jump on my mini bike and go to my friends house down the road. (Of course not driving down the road, that was a no no.) Maybe I would take a ride up over the hill to another friends house. Sometimes I would go four miles down to the next town where my other friend lived. He had a mini bike too. We would ride around and around till dark over came us. But as soon as we could the next day we would start all over again. Now I must tell you, I went up hills and down hills, through ditches around and around big hayfields. This mini bike made me feel like Evil Kneivel. I could go anywhere I wanted and do any thing I dared to do. Oh what fun that mini bike brought me. But you know one of my greatest joys was watching my kids ride that old mini bike with the black and white seat around and around out field.

Graf #6

2005-09-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

I was born in a small little town in Aroostook County, Maine. I wasn’t born in a big fancy hospital with lots of nurses and doctors around. No Machines to monitor my mother or me. But there was a nice old country doctor that came around to check on things after the midwife did her part.
I grew up and lived in that same small little town for 18 years. At that time I graduated from East Grand High School, and moved to the capital of our state, Augusta, Maine. I had a few relatives that lived there, but most of all, my grandfather lived there. He had just lost my grandmother a year or two before. I got a job in the textile mill there and he was more than happy to offer me a place to stay for a while. It would help me and it would give him some company. You know I learned several things that winter and spring I stayed in Augusta. I saw my grandfather plant and work with the flowers in his window boxes and around his house. That was new for me to see a man working with flowers. The only green thing we ever worked with was STUFF in a garden. That definitely wasn’t my cup of tea.
I also found out that I didn’t want to work in a textile mill the rest of my life.
Now I must admit I had two reasons not to stay working there. The first one was that on the 3rd or 4th floor of that mill, which is where I worked, was one of the hottest places I had ever been. To be honest the biggest reason not to say was; the love of my life lived way up north. The quick trips home every weekend were getting long and the WEEKS were getting even longer. To top it all off, I got a speeding ticket coming up over Western Avenue. THAT DID IT!!
I put in my notice, told my grandfather goodbye and headed for home.
Because as Dorothy says in the Wizard of Oz, there’s no place like home.

Prompt Reaction #2

2005-09-15T21:03:00.000-04:00

“If This_______Could Talk

Well hi there! Where have you been? It’s been a long time since you slid into my soft comfortable seat. What ya doing? Oh you’re putting in the ___key. Oh yeah fire me up Big Daddy!
Hey do ya remember the time we took that ride down to the brook? You slid me right into the water and man did I make the bubbles flow. How about that other time you had me out on the trail with the big rocks, you scratched my side but that’s okay. It was a lot of fun anyway.
Hey what are we going to try today? Go up the mountain and down the other side or go to the mud hole and watch stuff fly?
It really doesn’t matter to me as long as you’re holding on and steering me. You have the touch that’s plain to see. So make this big Ford roll out of the drive, light ‘em up and watch the kids smile.
Cause I’m your Ford truck and I know you like to ride.

harvey

Freestyle Week #2

2005-09-15T08:24:00.000-04:00

We had a discussion today about the left ring finger; you know that got me thinking about the ring that’s on my left ring finger. For me it is a symbol that represents love, hope, unity, the two becoming one.
Love, the everlasting love that we have for each other and the way it continually grows,
day- by-day, week-by-week, and year-by-year. It has been twenty-seven years now since my wife and I said I do and put those rings on each other’s finger. And, I’m happy to say that we still love spending time together day after day.
Hope, the ring is a sign of hope, as we grow older and go through different stages of our life. As things change as they often do, we still have each other to hang on to.
Unity, is the two becoming one. This is so true as the years go by. We have grown closer together. Yes, we still have the give and take method that you need for a great relationship. But, it seems as though we think more alike than we did years ago. We have goals to strive for together. We have children to watch and see them mature. Hopefully soon, we will have grand babies to love and watch grow. This is why the circle of love cannot be broken. It goes around and around for eternity.

Graf #5

2005-09-15T07:22:00.000-04:00

The person that owns that desktop is definitely not organized. It sounds like

things are scattered all over the place. However, the list does show that the desk may be

shared with someone else also. Perhaps they have been too busy to clean it up, or not. I

don’t know, but it definitely sounds like there is a lot of stuff on it. It should be picked

up and organized to be a more efficient work area.

Graf #4

2005-09-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

Here is an inventory of my computer desktop.

q A computer monitor
q Three glass jars, one with pennies, one with silver coins and one with pencils.
q A message pad
q One screw driver
q Two cup coasters
q One mouse pad, with mouse on it
q Three pens
q One highlighter
q One check register
q One English folder
q A note book for English
q Microsoft word book
q Excel 2003 book
q One electricity and control systems book for HVAC
q Plus one three ring binder for refrigeration class
q A pair of sunglasses
q My wallet
q A business card from Allstate insurance
q Tape dispenser, with tape
q Two speakers for the computer
q Picture of a friend
q Picture of my oldest brother
q A set of ear plugs
q My debit card
q Gas receipt
q Computer disk
q Loose paper
q Packet of photos
q One bullets basketball card
q Two close pins
q Two safety pins
q A free sample of shampoo .34 oz
q A free sample of conditioner .34 oz
q Webster’s dictionary
q Plastic bag with fourteen RoseArt markers
q A book by Linda Dillow, title Calm My Anxious Heart
q The town transfer station guide
q Envolope covered with TO DO LISTS
q A box of white envelopes
q 10 diskettes in a box
q Onetouch scanner
q A blue lamp with a flexible head
q One empty cd case
q A small box holding several things
o Two computer games
o Several bills
o A couple of letters
o One telephone connecting line
o Three music disks
o A memory jogger (pocket guide
o Another photo book
o Some greeting cards (5)
o Three packets of stickers, 4 sheets in each
Not bad for a 30”X54” desktop. Just imagine what’s on the 5 shelves and in 1 cupboard on top of this desktop. (Which of course is on top of the desktop).

harvey

Freestyle Week #1

2005-09-12T20:43:00.000-04:00

The Day Adventure

We got up early one morning to take a trip, we packed the cooler with ice and drinks and meats and cheese. We took a bag with bread and chips and treats. You would of thought we were going to have a feast. Maybe we were in our own little way, after all isn’t it all in the eyes of the beholder.

We took the cooler and went down to the boat. We all jumped in as I pushed her off. Across the lake to a special place we headed, a small little isle where we had been before. We unloaded the boat and unrolled the blanket, laid on our backs watching the clouds float away. Oh what a beautiful day.

We ate our lunch played a few games. Then suddenly the wind came up so we had to head for home again. But oh what a beautiful day we had.
Family, fun, relaxation just can’t wait to do it again.

Harvey

Prompt Reaction #1

2005-09-12T08:12:00.000-04:00

Alone in a quiet room. Listen. What do you hear?

Listen; relax and listen in that quiet room, what do you really hear? Is it the still quiet voice inside you or is it the little noises around you? I like to sit alone in my own quiet place; there I can listen to that quiet voice deep inside me. It is that telling me to do this or to do that. Is it guiding me down the right path or the wrong path? Only time will tell. Does it remind me of times of old or make me think of times to come? What do we really hear in that quiet room?
When I was very young I remember being alone in a quiet room, but I was scared most of the time. Of course that was because I had three older brothers and one of them would love to sneak up in back of me and scare me. Ha, ha it was lots of fun for them. It definitely was not so much fun for me.
Later when I was older and would be alone in a quiet room, I would start to think how much I wanted to be like my dad. He could build the best set of cupboards in town. He had the talent to make wood look beautiful.
Then as I grew even older, I still would go to that quiet room. It is a place without all the distractions of the outside world. I began to think of what I wanted in my life, career, my wife, children, where I would live and many other things.
As you can see, what you hear in that quiet room may not be the noises around you. You may be quiet and listen to that still little voice inside you. There are many different things to hear.
May I add, that it is very nice sometimes just to go into that quiet room and truly just relax and hear nothing? It is refreshing to just let all your cares float away and rest in that quiet place.
My favorite quiet place is not a room, but it is at our family camp on the lake. It is so quiet there that you can hear the humming birds fly by the window. I can sit on the beach and listen to the loons sing, as I admire God’s great creation; as I withdraw to that great quiet place.

harvey

Graf #3

2005-09-11T21:37:00.000-04:00

Eye of the Storm

This blog was informative about this man's and others in the southern fishing business.
The terrible disaster that happen do to hurricane Katrina.
It makes me grateful for where we live. We may fight black flies, mosquitos and very cold weather sometimes but nothing like that hurricane.

The South needs savin’ too

I enjoyed reading the blog, she made me smile as I read about her superheroes of the south. Chiggerboy, Redneck Sue and even Mr. Walton himself. Slashing those prices.

Graf #2

2005-09-11T13:33:00.000-04:00

My Worst Teacher

My worst teacher had to have been.....well yes it certainly was my Algebra teacher, during my sophomore year. Now I'm not really saying it was all his fault. I know I was probably not the

best student he had ever had either.

You see we didn't hit it off right from the start. We started the class that year and I was right

where I wanted to be, beside my lovely girlfriend, whom by the way was not only beautiful but

smart also. As you probably know, the first thing this teacher wanted to do, that's right, set

up a seating plan. As if we didn't know where we wanted to sit. So he started calling out the names and everyone started moving to their assigned seat except of course when it came to me. Not only did I not move but I had to vocalize my opinion on this wonderful new seating plan of his. I'm sure with out telling you, this didn't go over very well. After a short but intense discussion I moved to another seat and the class began.

Only a few weeks had gone by and the chess club had started. We were playing off to see who was the best in the class. This was taking place right after school and episode number two took place now. One of my best friends was in the running but his grandmother had come to pick him up that afternoon so he had to leave right then. We went to see the teacher to try to move

the match to a different day. Of course the answer was no, once again the teacher and I had

a loud and interesting discussion. But once again the teacher got his way. Now you can look at this as if he should of had his way, but I look at it as if he could have cooperated with the student body just a little bit better. It was one thing not to grant my wishes, but not to be flexible with other's also just doesn't seem fair. At least at that time I didn't think it was fair and part of it still doesn't seem right. I mean what was the big deal postponing one game of chess for one or two nights it wasn't as if we were going to other schools and competing with them. This was just at our school. This was only the first two episodes of our nice discussions through out the year. Some even came from the point that he wouldn't teach us anything in class but would just say go home and read page x to x and do the review questions at the end, then by the end of the week he would pop a quiz on us. So I would have to say my algebra teacher was my worst teacher.

But I must add this. I once had a person try to teach me how to operate a program on the computer and he was a close second as far as bad teaching goes. He would tell me something so fast that I couldn't even write it down in order or completely. So after several days of trying to learn this program and rereading my notes I finally had to tell him just because you know each and every move to make and every key to punch and you can zip though this in only seconds, unless you slow down and explain it to me I will not get it. And at that time he realized he knew this program so well that it was just second nature to him, so he did slow down so that I could write down the proper directions and then we both were successful. I truly hope I can always remember to take my time and show someone the right way to do something to make it easy

for them to learn.

harvey

Graf #1

2005-09-08T11:12:00.000-04:00

9-8-05

Hands

My hands are very useful hands. In fact they are extremely useful. I can eat finger food with them, I can write with them, or I can hold a baby with them and I can hold my wife with them. One interesting thing about my hands is the older I get the more they look like my dad's hands. Which is nice because from time to time it reminds me of him, since he has passed away several years ago.

My hands also have a couple interesting scars on them. One in on my left index finger; it is from a pinch I got from a machine I was operating. (Don't put your fingers where they don't belong.) The second is on my right hand. It is a hook type scar from an operation I needed done.

Well now if you find me run over in the road, at least you can identify my hands.

Harvey