Thursday, April 19, 2012

Dear Diary.......

Hi Diary.  How are you today?  Sorry, but I know I don't keep up with you the way I should on a regular basis, but, well, you know how things tend to get away from me.  Especially lately.  I guess I've kinda' been mentally absent the last few weeks.  But I know you'll forgive me since you always do.  Ha.

Anyway, a number of things have been on my mind.  One is the bird feeder on our back deck.  Man!---birds of every hue and feather flock around it all day and night.  My deck has become the avian focal point of the neighborhood.  An oasis, if you will, in the sea of east Tennessee's ridges and forests.

I love the birds.  I guess the cardinals are our favorites since they were the first to discover our feeder and begin using it on a regular basis.  But we also have grackles, wrens, sparrows, doves, red-winged blackbirds, blue jays, goldfinches, hairy woodpeckers, cedar waxwings, cowbirds and more.  It is great entertainment to just watch the antics of these creatures.

I will say that it is getting expensive, however---they go thru two feeder's worth a day of mixed seed.  Looks like they could at least show their appreciation by making a mortgage payment or two for me.  Hummmph.

Then there is the drama unfolding with one of Cindy's aunts.  Her husband is divorcing her after 40 something years of marriage (they are in their 70s).  The aunt is ill and the stress of her husband leaving her is overwhelming.  Funny how Cindy never heard from her until this divorce thingy came up....now the woman wants to be friends.  Hummmph.

I got a creative streak over the past two months and have now authored 5 songs---three gospel and two country---that I am in the process of putting to music.  I especially like the gospel ones.

Cindy bought some pecans in the shell that she asked me to crack open.  I went to the garage and began hitting them with a hammer on the cement floor.  All went well until I missed the shell and hit my thumb.  Not good.

Finally got all the pecans shelled, but then noticed that I had not only cracked open my thumb but also had got pecan shell grit inside my fingernails from trying to get the meat out of the shells.  My hands and nails now look like those of a coal miner.  Sigh.

God and I made a deal a short while back---I would trust Him to take off the extra pounds I put on while I followed a mild diet.  Well, I have lost 8 pounds so far---in a month---but none in the last three days.  Now I am questioniong God's sincereity.  Moral:  It doesn't take much at all for us weak humanoids to question God.  I'm ashamed of myself, but this is not the first time this has happened.

Speaking of God, I have been reading 1 and 2 Samuel the past week.  I am always amazed at how the trickery, deception, envy, pride and all that are the same now as when these old books of the bible were written.  Nothing ever changes, does it?  Instead of learning from God's lessons and observing our own mistakes in life, we keep on doing the same sinful stuff over and over.  Hopeless.

Went with Cindy to the park after dinner last night.  We walked around the paved hiking path for thirty minutes and then got off the path because it looked adventuresome.  Ha.  Almost got lost in the woods as nightfall approached.  I got us out of the woods but I must say I was a little worried about bears, which have been seen in the area.  I told Cindy if a bear gets after us I don't have to worry about outrunning it---I only have to worry about outrunning HERsnicker.  Somehow she didn't see the humor it that.

I have kept up my workouts on a daily basis.  I got tired of the treadmill yesterday, however, and opted to instead walk briskly around the shopping center for 45 minutes.  Unfortunately, about 20 minutes into my power walk, I encountered an old geezer from the workout center who was also walking (except he was walking the speed of a turtle), and he stopped me and started telling me about his gall bladder operation and his diet and his medications blah blah blah and I couldn't get away from him for at least 15 minutes and by that time I was pissed off and had to resume my brisk walking for much longer than ordinary and from that time on I would look for him as I walked and if I saw him up ahead of me I would change my direction of walking into the parking lot to avoid him.

Of course then I was reminded of Jesus' words "What you do for the least of these you also do for me", and I was once again ashamed of myself.  Sigh.

Here are a few blog ideas I have for the future:

---Bullying
---Acting Out
---Hosting a Party
---Seeing Someone One More Time
---Regrets
---Unforgettable Characters

Selah.

13 comments:

  1. It was fun to take a glimpse in your diary since I am part of it .,, your life. ;-) Ouch, I did not know you had hit your thumb with the hammer. The pecans in the shell are a bit much to deal with, next time shelled ones.

    A good post, such are the days of our lives ... some good and some better.

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  2. Always enjoy you posts.... such honesty...so good for the soul!! also there is a type of pecan (we found some in AZ) that have thin shells... easy to crack open...your teeth can even do it:))))

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  3. As always I fully enjoyed your posting today...was glad to see that there was an entry....sorry about your thumb ...I'd run faster than you from the bear, yes what would Jesus do, and I admittingly have to hang my head in shame 'cuz I would do different in deed"...family members are wierd critters....who can figure them...again what would Jesus do?? right ??? I would fit right among all those "wrong doers in the book of Samuel's and others...seems I never quite learn the full impact of the lesson being taught at the time being taught....ummm what? so good to hear from Clint ...from the hills ...

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  4. Good to hear from you again and a lot of things happend. One thing I really wish: I would like to hear your songs....so think about filming and bringing it into YouTube.

    Take care my friend and greetings to you and Cindy

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  5. It would be great to hear your songs- maybe you could video yourself (does Cindy sing with you?) and put them here so we can enjoy them, too~

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  6. Hey, don't feel bad. I've been told that I am mentally absent on more than one occasion. :-{

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  7. Hi Clint grand to hear from you.
    Have you been looking at my garden with the bird table? I get all sorts of birds and squirrels come for a feed. It;s a joy to watch.

    Sorry about your family problems.......we all get them, my prodigal son is still being silent.

    Once again good to hear from you.

    Yvonne.

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  8. I agree with Bev about the honesty in your posts, Clint...and like Nova would love to hear one of your songs. I bet Cindy could make a video clip for us....please, please, please.
    Wish we were neighbors so we could sit and contemplate the mysteries of life; like long-lost relatives, the kindness of strangers, and such things. Blessings!

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  9. Clint you're good at writing in your diary, want to write in mine for me now? However may I add my 2 cents here? Well I'm going to cause you're there and I'm here and I like adding my 2 cents every now and again. lol K nuf of that.

    When you said "Instead of learning from God's lessons and observing our own mistakes in life, we keep on doing the same sinful stuff over and over. Hopeless." I would beg to differ, instead of 'hopeless', I would say 'humaness'. I feel without humaness creeping in to our lives every now and again we may not need God, nor His forgiveness. It's my reminder to chat with God and stay humble enough to realize that I'm not in control, even when my ego loves to tell me differently. There done adding my two cents on that matter.

    It's hard to fathom after 40 years of marriage that anybody would want a divorce, and here all I was aiming for was to grow old with somebody whom I could love and who would love me in return. This shows me that there are no guarantees in life, sad but true.

    I hope the finger is healing nicely, Cindy you're a kind lady for suggesting shelled pecans from here on in.

    Thank you for sharing your diary with us... you're much braver than I am! I hope both you and Cindy have a wonderful weekend!

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  10. Wow you have a lot going on there - I don;t know where to start -lol. You have a lot of good ideas for your blog. I didn't know you wrote and sang songs. I feel bad for Cindy's aunt - that is rough. You are doing great on your diet. And I am reading the book of John. Phew hope I remembered everything. sandie

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  11. Sounds like lots of excitement..Well at least life isn't boring. I can't believe people can divorce in their seventies.. I believe in a few months, the hubby will probably be sorry? Sometimes we don't know how good our life is, until it isn't.
    And when I thought of your Old Geezer story I thought, time rushes by, and soon we will be, someone else's old geezer.. makes you think.

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  12. Dad, i wish we could replay "Seven Oaks" again. I pray all is well. I love you.

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