Monthly Archives: January 2026

BLOG 8/52

30 Friday Jan 2026

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THE GHOST SHIP 

When old seadogs remember their life over a beer

With others like themselves that they hold dear

Stories are told with shining eyes and held breath

About perils at sea with ghost ships and near-death.

They were always blurry and not clear to see, but just

As they were starting to board and take over their ship

Their wives would wake them up with a sharp slap on the hip.

Stop yelling and fighting, you old fool, they would always say

So much for adventures at sea, that is all for today 

Everyone pays for their beer, and shakes hands 

And walks away, but it is ok 

There’s more adventure

Another day.

JUST HANDLE IT

When changes in my world disrupted my normal routine, over which I had little to no control, I became irritable and didn’t like where I was in my life. I try hard not to let that happen. It is controlled by my attitude and acceptance of what is happening in my life at the time.

My father told me that life will get harder, but it’s just a matter of handling it. Handling it is hard because you must decide between what you want and what you need. Often, they conflict with each other, and you must choose between them.

Most of my life, want has been my guide. I find that what I need starts taking over as I continue down my path and slow down. When need becomes your guide, you may find yourself doing things that you don’t want to do but have no choice. They say that growing old is not for sissies, but getting old will make you one. We can’t stop growing old, but we can work hard not to get old and become a sissy. Keep moving forward. Be aware that slowing down is much better than stopping.

BLOG 7/52

24 Saturday Jan 2026

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NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN

The Shaman    

The world is moving more slowly now, and so am I, but that’s okay.

The fields are still being plowed, and my cows are being fed.

I’m 92 years old, and it isn’t easy, but I’m grateful I’m not dead.

So much around me I never noticed before, too busy, I guess.

          There’s so much to learn; I knew about heat, but nothing about snow.

I know about jungles, but nothing about beaches made of sand.

I read and study all the time now; it gives me something to do.

When you are through learning, it means you are really through.

GRATITUDE

Gratitude is a positive emotion that is almost impossible to have too much of. It involves being thankful for someone or something. One of the things that nurtures happiness is being grateful for what you have, rather than feeling sad or wishing for things you don’t have. If you want something to happen, work toward it; wishing alone doesn’t make it so.

Think of the people who have influenced your life and taught you lessons. Some of them you may have never met, but they helped you in some way. Thank them in your heart, even if they are no longer with us; who knows, they might hear you. Even if they don’t, you will feel better. 

I know several people who go through a list every night before bed of things they are grateful for that happened that day. I must admit I am one of them. The good stuff always outweighs the bad, and I sleep better.

BLOG 6/52

17 Saturday Jan 2026

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 NEVER TOO YOUNG TO LEARN

 When we are born, our brain wakes up.

There is very little, if anything, in it 

It is empty now, but will fill up.

Like a sponge, it absorbs information.

It starts to form who I am

 A cute woman or a macho man.

This self-image will control and direct my life

I want to be the very best of what I am

It depends on what I see, hear, and 

Experience as I grow up

I will do my best to be

Who am I?

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JUST FOR FUN

When there is nothing special to write about, and you are a writer, you must create something.  A writer must keep writing; that is who and what we are. It is a great self-image, but a hard one to keep. I will be sharing some of my idle times with you every so often, so you can see how hard it is.

Practicing the English language

Why is it that we can only see the stars when they are out, but can’t see much of anything when the lights are out?

I did a bad thing and wanted to make amend, but you can’t; you must make amends. So, I did a few more bad things so I could.

I wanted to take the longest zip line in the world. One person said, “Fat chance.” A second person said, “Slim chance.” I didn’t know which one to believe. I didn’t know if they were wise men or just wise guys.

I had a friend who called me in a panic and said, “My house is on fire and is burning up.” I knew he was distraught and meant his house was burning down.

Why do you have to fill in a form when they ask you to fill it out?

I spent time looking for the boxing ring at the gym before someone told me it was the square thing in the corner.

A friend told me I had a lot of odds and ends in my house, but he didn’t tell me which were the odds, and which were the ends.

These are just a few examples that demonstrate the creativity of the human mind. I don’t think the right hand was talking to the left hand when they created the language. I didn’t even know the hands spoke to each other.

I just found out that cows killed more people than sharks. I was amazed. I didn’t even know that cows killed sharks.

BLOG 5/52

10 Saturday Jan 2026

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The First Tide Pool

This is neat

The water was all around my feet.

It comes in and goes out.

It climbs up my legs

Then goes away

It never stays.

 It is cold, making me scream

My limbs go numb and feel like pegs

But it is Ok, I know they are still my legs.

Adventure 552 ADD

We use the word adventure very loosely. It’s like many other words that can mean different things to different people and create a different image in the listener’s mind than you might have intended.

I believe that anything that pushes a person beyond their comfort level is an adventure. I love the phrase, “If you’re not walking on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.” The question then is, how do you know if you are on the edge or not?

If you become uncomfortable doing anything and question your ability to do it…, you are close to the edge. It might be sewing the hem on a dress or riding a bucking bronco. If you’re doubting your ability to do it, you’re on the edge. If you are successful, you have increased your world and feel proud of yourself. If you’re in trouble, that’s also beneficial; you’ve learned something.

I had a good friend who took many trips with me, who said, “Every time I take a trip with you, it’s a near-death experience.” I was having a good trip; he was having an adventure.

 We evaluate the things around us based on our own experience. It is essential to be aware that there is always someone better, so we won’t be shocked when they beat us. Walk on the edge as much as you can. Every time you do, you learn something that keeps you moving forward.

Learning something new is taking a step forward on an adventure. It doesn’t matter how inconsequential it is; it is a forward movement in your life, and that is the right direction. Be proud of it.

The only way for me to answer my own questions of what, why, and how was to become a marine biologist, so I did. Life as a scientist is, at its core, a life of wonder, because we never find the final answer to anything. Every new thing we learn or discover just creates more questions.

I didn’t realize that every time I learned something, I became dumber. Each new thing I learn creates many more questions I don’t know. I want to know everything about the latest development: how it works, where it came from, and so much I don’t understand about it. I am trying in life to get as dumb as possible.

The quest for knowledge never ends; it just expands. It has been an exciting and fulfilling life for me. I have come to realize that, like Sergeant Schultz of the old TV series Hogan’s Heroes, I “I know nothing,” but I have had an exciting and fun time trying to learn everything for over 91 years.

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