Happy Halloween!

In October 1975, I had one of my best Halloween experiences ever. Thanks to the connections of my High School drama teacher (meaning her 'boy friend'), I spent a few hours in the hands of the local mortician (yes. kinda creepy) receiving 'make up' and 'augmentation' in order to be a corpse for the school haunted house.

I scared quite a few school kids that year, and enjoyed every minute of it. The event was such a success that my ghoulish photo appeared in the yearbook that year (see above), but it just doens't seem to do justice to the memory...yes, that IS a real coffin I'm in.

Happy Halloween!

Yesterday at The Office

A Moment of Clarity

Today I called my mom. I sat in my car outside 'the' Wendy's (down south we always refer to places and things as 'the' - the Walmarts, the Facebook, etc.) eating a quick dinner before making an evening event. We spoke about several urgent family matters including her brother's recent cancer reappearance. We shared openly about our feelings and our efforts to remain positive, hopeful - there is good reason for hope, after all.

We then turned our conversation to the customary checklist of each member of my immediate family - their health, jobs, recent sightings, etc. Mom always wants to know the report on the kids and spouse. After hearing my report, she concluded that all was well for this household. It means a great deal to her.

As we brought our conversation to a close, I told her I enjoyed talking with her and that I loved her. She said to me, "I love you, son." I hung up the phone and sat quietly for a moment in the car. One truth was clear to me. A man never gets too old to hear his mother tell him "I love you."

Singularly Tattooed

 In the world of body art, I stand among the minority.  I am told that there are fewer people on this planet with 1 tattoo than there are people with none and multiples.

I have just the one, and one day - if you are really lucky - I'll tell you my "the day I got my tattoo" story... maybe.

Do you have a tattoo? Tattoos?

Quoting

Sometimes people are layered like that. There's something totally different underneath than what's on the surface. But sometimes, there's a third, even deeper level, and that one is the same as the top surface one. Like with pie.

  - Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jed Whedon

Feeling Safe

Feel Safe

i just want to feel

safe

not from crime

or hate

i just want to feel

safe

not from war

or alarm

i just want to feel

safe

not from winter

or disease

i just want to feel

safe

from me, with you.

Announcing Triad Moms on Main!

A NEW BLOG!! For those of you who have not heard the news, Katie, Rachel and Allison (formerly of Triad Smarty Pants) have joined together to launch a brand new site for moms in the Triad! They are called Triad Moms on Main and are here to bring you EVERYTHING you want and need to know about being a mom, raising a family, finding great deals and taking care of yourself.

Drop over and visit them. Please tell them I said hello - because they need to know that this dad promotes moms!?

Go on now, click over...

We Feel Fine - Really!? Honestly?!

Want to "see" what is being felt around the world last year, or even in your city today? This is an amazing tool and worth a few minutes to explore.

Drop over to "We Feel Fine" and take a look at the feeling of others... maybe even yourself.

Declaration of Independence Wordle via Rick Klau

A recent visit over to Rick Klau's blog uncovered an interesting info graphic. A wordle is a visual representation of text or topic content. The idea is that the more common and important topics/words are seen in greater emphasis than the lesser themes.

Rick ran a Wordle on the Declaration of Independence. Click the photo to see.

Quoting!

@Lucy_Cat: Mom's new book released today! WHO MOVED MY MOUSE? A SELF-HELP BOOK FOR CATS (WHO DON'T NEED ANY HELP). http://ow.ly/2VbvZ

Question Everything - Always

Seek simplicity, and distrust it.  - Alfred North Whitehead

Nuff Said

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this statue certainly speaks for itself. The title is "Man Carving His Destiny."  No comment beyond that is needed. 

God Is A Flirt

There is  always more. In each combination, a savoring nuance blended from that moments ingredients.  And, did you hear that,  that unknown laugh? It makes me smile. Who is that? Even in the mundane, methodical rhythm of walking we stumble on the euphoria of an additional mile, an amalgamation of chemical euphoria and spiritual caresses - as if we should have been here all along.  There seems to be more, always. More to know, feel, grasp, share...

God is such a flirt.

Kim Might be a Redneck...

I am pretty sure I qualify for one of Jeff Foxworthy's "You might be a redneck if...."

Hang on, here goes. It is mostly accurate...I can't keep up with all the details.

My mother was married at 16 and had her first child, a daughter at 17.
Her daughter, my sister, had her first child, a daughter, at 16.
Her daughter, my niece, had her first child, a daughter, at 18.
Her daughter, my grand-niece, had her first child, a daughter, at 16.
Her daughter, my great-grand niece, had her first child, a son, at 19.

Frankly, we are a bit relieved. We were beginning to think she would never have children (tongue inserted firmly in cheek).

So, you vote. Does this make me a candidate for redneckness?

Bob The Squirrel

In case you have missed it, I'm a big Bob the Squirrel fan. You should be, too.

Wicked Thing... Wicked

Prednisone is a wicked drug.

I'm not sure how safe it is for me to be posting anything about anything right now. This stuff is wonderful for what is fixes, but WOW it affects me strangely....

Emotive.
Reactionary.
Intense.


You've been warned.

Testing SMS posting 1

You know you're getting old when...

It seems I'm having more and more conversations lately that begin with "I remember when...."

The latest vivid memory is of Major Matt Mason - Man in Space. I spent hours upon hours playing in the back yard with these toys, imagining space aliens, explosions and victories over evil monsters. Even with the occasional interruption to "wash-up for dinner," my days were all the time all the way Major Matt Mason!

Dream Maker

Sight yields beauty
Thought - ideas
Sound - awareness
Touch -

Ah, now there is the maker of dreams!

Local Bloggers Discovering Twitter

If you are a blogger and can be in Winston-Salem, NC in October 28th, you might want to join us for a Blogger Meet and Tweet.

See details below. If you would like to come, email Laura (lauraw at rmhwinstonsalem.org).

Meeting Famous Tweeple

I'm presenting at ConvergeSouth this weekend. One of the benefits of these gatherings is that you get to meet many people - in real life - that you only know virtually. Case in point: Meet Elyse Porterfield. You don't know WHO Elyse is? Well let me help you out. Click here.