Thirty Years

It seems like only twenty years, but we've been married for thirty years now.  I also want to get credit for the four years we knew each other before we wed.  Those four were probably the best.  Just a little humor there.  She's gonna kill me when she reads this.  I would think that any couple being together for three decades have had a roller coaster ride at times.  We went out to Brick Street in Grand Blanc for a quiet dinner.  I hadn't been there.
It's a nice place, not too posh, but posh enough to be special.  The food was good and we shared a piece of carrot cake because, for one thing they were out of carrot cake cheese cake and secondly, our wedding cake was a carrot cake.
They didn't tell us that they were out of the cheese cake beforehand. they just hope you will order something they still have. That reminds me of a place in Flint we went to years ago called Merlin's Retreat.  It was in the north end of Flint and run by a young hippieish woman.  It was unpretentious. The paintings on the wall were painted on the wall and I only wished I could live my life that way. Wood floors and tables and chairs that didn't match but still went together.  She had a menu but when you were seated the menu was irrelevant.  "We only have quiche and salad."  "Okay, that sounds good."  It simplified things.  "What to drink?"  "Iced tea, water or hot tea." "We'll have the Iced tea please."  I wish that place was still there, or maybe I wish I could go back.
Last night we drove over in the VW convertible and on the way back, I noticed her knees were close to the dashboard.  I said, "The seat will go back," and released the lever.  The seat did go back, and off. We couldn't get it back on the track so Brooke rode home in the back seat.  I guess those little cars are not for us anymore.

Vacation

We went up to Traverse City for two nights and three days.  The weather was nice.  Sunny and windy and not too hot.  We climbed the dune at Sleeping Bear and enjoyed Gabe's excitement at going up with grandma and grandpa and running down with mom and dad.  His enjoyment shows in his feet.  He skips along or even dances as he goes.

We swam, played in the waves had pizza at South Bar lake and played on the playground.  That was a nice way to top off Summer 2010.  They have a hops farm at Empire now.  Everyone is getting into the beer scene.  The hops growing on our house are as healthy as those growing up there.  Looks like it is their first year too.

Although things have changed over the years up at Empire, enough hasn't changed to bring back pleasant memories of vacations past. Going to the Lions rummage sales and auctions, riding bicycles, staying at various rented abodes and playing tennis.
It is still a great place to spend a few hours or weeks.  Tiffany's is still open under new management.  The old man who owned it for a long time passed away a while back.  When you have good memories of a place, a short vacation gets magnified into a long one.

PS  I left out the train ride we took at the park in T.C.  If you don't know about it, there is a small gauge track that winds around a park there that is right on the shore of Grand Traverse Bay.  The train is composed of a steam engine and three colored cars that the passengers ride in.  The cars are about three feet across but it is a fun little ride for kids or even adults who want to do something a little different. The steam locomotive was made in the 1940s and is the first of eight made by some guy. It is the only one of the eight that is still running. 

Placebo

I just watched an episode of Wire In the Blood that dealt with witchcraft, voodoo, suggestion.  Also NLP (neuro-linguistic-programming) which I have seen demonstrated but am not very familiar with.  I think one plants a suggestion indirectly by using words in different sentences, but the subject's subconcious picks them up and is influenced by them.  At any rate, I found the show very interesting.  Some of how hypnotism works is called the placebo effect.  The expectation for an outcome becomes reality.  That is one of the "Rules of the Mind,"  ie. "What is expected tends to be realized."

I wanted to report that I put an ad in the local paper to get some volunteer practice partners for hypnosis.  The ad will run Sunday only.  I also created a second blog which has more detailed information about the fantastic opportunity I am offering.  I thought I'd make the readers here aware of it also, just in case you wanted to be a practice partner.  Basically this would be a chat group that would come over and talk hypnosis and give me feedback on my plans and techniques for my practice.  We would also do suggestion work in any area they might like.  

I'm looking forward to the results.  I invite you to join in, or if you just want to try individually, at no cost- except I might ask for some feed-back, please call or email.  Search the blog if you need the email address.

The new blog is http://hometownhypnotist.blogspot.com/. 

So far that is just to give information regarding the ad but may develop into something more later.
Pleasant dreams and high expectations.  Ken

My NBF

Hey everybody.  I'll stop with the text message references as of now.  If anyone out there wants me to refer to them with a "blog name" just let me know via email. kenlamson@hotmail.com So far Jman and Buck-naked are taken.  Just kidding (if it is not obvious).  Please keep the name short.  I don't like to type.

I friended a hypnotist in Austrailia, and she accepted me, sight unseen,  maybe that's why.  I think I'm searching for someone to give me the boost I need to get off the couch and start seeing some clients.  I remember an experiment we read about in Psychology class that involved cats, electric shock and food.  The point was when the motivation for food (hunger) was strong enough, the cat will overcome it's dislike of electric shock and go get the food.  My motivation is still not quite there yet.  The doubts are more about me than the field of hypnosis. Every day I see on Face book and in blogs, everywhere, people have problems that are regularly solved with hypnosis.  Anger issues, stress, money problems, sports improvement, breast enhancement... Did he say breast enhancement?

I should use it on myself. Not for the breast thing.

I was making a tomato sandwich yesterday.  To deal with the tomato, I used a paring knife to cut out the stem area, a slicing knife, to slice the tomato(needs to be sharp) and just as I was going for a dinner knife, to spread Miracle Whip Lite, I remembered a knife I had that could, at least, do the slicing and the spreading.  It is a beautiful Case knife with a rounded end and serrated blade.  This was one of those nice garage sale finds.  I wanted to use this introduction to the point that if you ever wanted to start eating a little healthier, this is the time to do it in Michigan.  I love tomatoes from here.  The corn is great and other fruits and vegetables as well.  

I'm wasting too much time here, in the sidebedroom. Hope everone of you is happy and motivated to do the things you want/need to do.

Beer

OMG have you heard that beer is good for you?  My brother-in-law, Buck, was right after all.  He used to say beer was like a liquid sandwich.  I heard about some study that was released touting the benefits of beer.  I've gotta say I feel better about my beer drinking now.  I'm in the ball park on the limit per day too.  I'm sure if you skip a day it's a good idea to double up on the following day.

I watched a very informative television program on beer last night.  The origins of beer,  early ingredients,  development, the whole story.  Lagers were developed in Germany(don't quote me) they use cold temperature yeast.  The beer is lighter and smoother.  Ales use warmer temperature yeast and have more taste and bite.  They're more popular in England and are darker.  They didn't mention Estonia in the program for some reason.  I've heard they have some awesome micro brew there.  Well, if the program is going to be aired in your area, I give it a thumbs-up.  Brewing is on the rise, big time, in the United States.  Hops are in!

Take a decision

That always sounds funny to me.  In the USA we usually say make a decision.  G. Gordon points out it is not proper use of the Queen's english.  There are several choices and you take one.  No big deal how you say it but important to consider options and choose the ones that will be best for you.  Life is to live.  We have our lives and if we want to be sky-divers we can do it and I say do it.  If you don't mind being overweight, eat drink and be merry.  There may be health consequences so be aware and do what makes you happy.

My brother-in-law (I think I mentioned him in a previous blog) enjoyed smoking.  He was in great shape.  He got cancer and died within 6 months.  If we could go back in time and know the result, I wonder if he would have taken a non-smoking path.  Just staying alive for the sake of being alive seems a bit empty to me.  But he had golf!  He also loved fishing and hunting.  He had his share of the good life.  I just noticed, by way of a typo) that if you take the f out of life it spells lie.  Now I know what's missing from my life. 

The weather here has been too hot for much work to be accomplished.  This morning was different.  It was cool when I awoke, so after a while I came down and laid on the couch with a quilt and my novel.  It was pleasant lying there except for the cat issues.  That's how I would have it most every day;
cool in the morning, warming up to no more than 75 F.  Partly cloudy and every third or fourth day, rain. 
Good bye for now, and remember, IF you have decided this, YOU ARE A NON-SMOKER AND WILL REMAIN A NON-SMOKER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

Jman difference

Things are different when Jman is here.  Friday he and Helene went to a friends wedding and when we woke up the next morning a significant contingent of the wedding party were sleeping in our living room and camper van.  You just don't know what will happen next.  It's fun and we are flattered that they feel comfortable in crashing here. I heard the basic reception pattern of behavior was behave-behave-behave-drunk.

I even heard of a leprechaun sighting.  He was said to be sleeping under a tree, wearing kilts! 


There also must be at least one campfire.  I regret that I didn't shake off being too tired to attend.
Next time, we'll have a good time,
I know we'll have a good time then.

How is Summer going?

Summer used to be the best part of the year.  The school break, the warm weather and family vacations.  It changes when you get older and you may be working through the Summer months.  But the weather is nice and you will probably take a vacation.  I always hated it when, even in early July stores would start advertising for back to school.  There's still a lot of Summer left.  I have  been trying to get some of the fun feeling back but so far my success has been limited.  I find myself thinking about what needs to be done before the colder weather gets here.  In September football season begins and that's something I look forward to. 

There is a full month of Summer left and I'm going to use it.  I'll go somewhere where there are boats.  I may rent a boat.  I think I'll get into some nice cool water.  Lake Michigan always does the trick.  Maybe I'll go down to the local bar and listen to the people talk about their Summer adventures.

I know many of you have already traveled this year and are thinking about Fall.  Well I say enjoy August.