Simplicity is the secret

Only a few changes need to be mentioned. Some of us remember the days when the piano was very popular in many homes and the gathering of all the family and even visitors for a sing song was very popular indeed. Common evening family pastimes included the playing of card games such as euchre, five hundred, and crib. Other games such as draughts, chess, dominoes and even snakes and ladders were very popular.In days gone by it was common for the whole family to picnic together, to holiday together, and even go to the movies and concerts together.

Yes times have certainly changed. We now have the most unstable society we have ever had, including ever increasing crime, all kinds of so called marriages, partners threatening to become more common than spouses, more and more people depending upon government benefits for any reason at all, and on a wider front we are readily joining into global warfare besides destroying our civilization in many other ways.

Having viewed the current All Users List of nearly fifty, I am amazed at how few user names are familiar - maybe three or four. Up till maybe a year ago I was always familiar with most of the names listed. Four or five years ago nearly all user names were very familiar. Maybe this is yet another sign of the times, or possibly my memory is failing me much faster than I ever thought possible.

I am presuming of course that no one else is noticing these many unfamiliar user names.

The Lost Bagpiper.... a true story.

As a bagpiper, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man who had no family or friends. The funeral was to be held at a cemetery in the remote countryside near Kincardine and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost and being a typical man, did not stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour too late. I saw the backhoe and the crew who were eating lunch but the hearse was nowhere in sight. I apologized to the workers for my tardiness and stepped to the side of the open grave where I saw the vault lid already in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long but this was the proper thing to do.

The workers gathered around still eating their lunch. I played out my heart and soul. As I played the workers began to weep. I played and I played like I'd never played before, from Going Home and The Lord is My Shepherd to Flowers of the Forest. I closed the lengthy session with Amazing Grace and walked to my car.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat I overheard one of the workers saying to another, "I have never seen nothin' like that before....................sobbing.................and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years!"

Two of many New Zealand native flowers.

Kakabeak

Having just checked local retail prices I now have second thoughts about a change-over to Apple.

The highest local retail prices are:

PC Windows HP - $1700
Apple Mac Pro... - $7200

I'm wondering how few Apple Computers are actually used for blogging here - possibly none - almost a certain bet that none of my visitors have money growing on trees - I may be wrong of course lol.

A Spider Lily.

Another of the same variety.

A college professor asked his class a question. "If Philadelphia is 100 miles from New York and Chicago is 1000 miles from Philadelphia and Los Angles is 2000 miles from Chicago, how old am I?"

One student in the back of the class raised his hand and when called upon said, "Professor you're 44."

The Professor said, "You're absolutely correct, but tell me how did you arrive at the answer so quickly?"

The student said, "You see professor I have a brother, he's 22 and he's only half nuts."

No doubt we all regret lost opportunities of some kind.