Keeping Up

Thought I'd write something while it is still 2014.  Hope it was a good year for you.  I can't complain.
We've been thinking that maybe it's time for us to take the foot off the gas a bit.  We are always so go, go, go, we aren't smelling the roses enough. I know when I just let things come to me I'm more in tune with my environment...more at peace. There is a word for this balance in the Navaho language. I think it is called horzo.

I did buy a used Food Saver over the holidays. I had seen a youtube video on using one to cure pot.  The guy said it can cut the curing time in half.  The machines have many uses other than that, especially if you are a Prepper.  My brother-in-law said they use them to store the game they kill.  Can you imagine cutting up a Caribou into small chunks that will fit into quart sized bags?  I get interested in something like this and have to follow it to it's conclusion. If you stop by for lunch some day there will be many left overs that will be very fresh.

May you walk in beauty in 2015.

 

Tough Winter

Hi...just keeping in touch.  If you aren't aware of it, this was one of the worst winters ever.  In Michigan we have had such a long period of below freezing temperatures that snow is a couple of feet high.  I used my snow blower for about the sixth time this season...normally two or three uses will get one through the winter.  This doesn't count the times that someone else has done my walks for me. The Great Lakes froze over for only the fifth time. I know I'm whining, that's why I have a blog.

A squirrel was hanging from our kitchen window last week!  Did he want food?  Heat? A conversation?  Later he was nose to nose through the window with our cat Zeke!

My daughter said she was hearing sounds in the bedroom walls.  I also heard some.  Just last week my wife saw signs that mice were chewing things up in the window seat in the bathroom and later in some kitchen drawers.  We cleaned things up and I put out D-con.  Zeke caught two mice on successive days.  None since.  Mice have consumed a lot of bait but today I noticed a slow down. We also had some car problems.  

I'm wondering when the locusts are coming.  

The temperature is finally rising a bit and we will have some melting and rain later this week.  Soon we will run away from it all for a week.  We are visiting my son in Orlando and my brother in Vero Beach for a week.  Then we'll come back for the rest of this winter season.  Much of the country has had to suffer through this also, so welcome to the club.  Don't feel like the lone ranger. Keep a stiff upper lip and cheerio mate. Good times are coming!


 

Deep Relaxation

About a month ago I received a recording of a transcript which when listened to, and followed, would lead the listener into a very deep state of relaxation.  I uploaded it to my Drop box.  There it lay undisturbed until yesterday.

I had been shoveling snow and when I came in I noticed my heart was beating fast and this was continuing on longer than I wanted.  The heart beat did slow and as I rested I decided to listen to that recording.  My reaction surprised me. I had listened to this once before and had read the written text.  This time was different.  I don't want to say too much because I might affect your experience when you listen to it. 

Here is what I would like to do.  If you are willing to do this for me(and yourself) I propose the following.  Three groups of "guinea pigs" would be designated.  Group I will listen to the audio file one time only.  They will send me an email describing their reactions to listening to the file.  
Group II will listen to the file for 5 consecutive days..Monday-Friday.  Then they send in their report.  
Group III does the same thing for a second week.  After five consecutive days, take the week-end off and do 5 more days. Then send in your report.

I will report the results to each of you. I'll put it in a blog, too.  E-mail me ( kenlamson@hotmail.com ) and I'll send you the link.  Also indicate which group you want to be in.  The recording takes about 30-40 minutes of undisturbed time to listen to with your eyes closed.

Looking forward to your emails...This should be an international sample.

Holiday Season

Christmas is less than a week away and we're in pretty good shape for the season.  It has been very cold here in Michigan but we have had a few milder days lately.  God provided us with that break so we could get the Christmas tree up.  

We lost a good friend, our dog Luke, about a week ago.  He just suddenly died.  There was no lingering illness or prolonged treatment.  I swear the dog was programed to not cause any problem for his human handlers. For example if he had to "go to the bathroom" all we had to do was let him out the back door.  He wouldn't run away.  He used the facility (our yard) and returned to the back door. There, he would wait to be let in.  He wouldn't bark or scratch to get in.  One night we forgot about him and he almost froze out there.  For the record, Luke was a cross between a Husky and a Border Collie.  

Our family car had a breakdown last week, just short of 200,000 miles.  Vek's garage repaired it and it is back on the road.  After the holidays we will have an eye out for a suitable replacement.  We replace cars about as often as we replace dogs.  No brag just fact. The minivan style of car suits our needs.  We will have 3 grand kids at times.  Brooke likes to drive her "girlfriends" to various functions and sales.  We also need the room to load up on coupon bargains.  I'd like to see what the stow and go seats are like.

On the social front, we attended a couple of functions.  We went to a farewell party for Matt and Karen Langdon.  They are moving to Matt's home country of Australia. Karen has a teaching job there starting in January.  It sounds like quite an adventure.  The party was nice and Brooke and I enjoyed seeing this group of friends from my son's camping days.   The other event we attended together was a dinner at the Noble's house.  They live on a small lake nearby.  They are completely redoing their house.  It is really a great, comfortable place.  We had a pleasant evening there and I overate.

Now, to the exciting news.  Uh there isn't any.  Checking out Youtube I was on the Gibson guitar channel and a guitarist was showing his firebird x.  This guitar tunes itself and has built in effects.  If I ever learn to play guitar, that looks like a cool one to have.  

I hope everyone is happy out there especially for the holidays.

California!

Hello to all of our new friends in California and Nevada.  It was great to meet so many friendly (at least on the surface) people.  I wanted to write something because some of you indicated you had read this blog and enjoyed it very much...I made up that last part.  

We had a wonderful, jam-packed two weeks in the San Francisco area, staying with my son Gandolf (not his real name) and his lovely bride Brunhilda.
They live on the happy little island of Alameda.  The island is a terrible place to live.  The crime rate is high, drugs prevalent, prostitution rampant, indications of rats, skateboarding out-of-control etc. Just my kind of place.  We're thinking of buying a place there and opening a Bed and Breakfast. Special rates for all of our friends.

After seeing the Island we saw some of the sights of San Francisco.  Instead of driving over, we took the ferry.  This was a beautiful way to approach SF.  You pass right under the Bay Bridge, have a great view of Alcatraz and the other surrounding land forms around the Bay.  The view of the City is breathtaking...and not in the Seinfeld kind-a-way.
 Unlike most, to me the tourist attractions and souvenir shops are less interesting.  I like the buildings and infra-structure; The people and what they do and how they live. I have a Minor in Sociology.  I'm kind of a combination of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mr. Rogers.  The one store that appeals to me is Frank's Hardware.  It has models of ships and other nautical items as well as clothes and fishing supplies. Get down there and see it Kevin and Jordan.  

We met our son's co-workers as we toured the lab in which he works; Adam, Kelly, Jordan, Ophelia and Chen Yi Moon.  It was a pleasure to meet you. The Lab is fantastic!  What a place to work.  Hey, as I write this- it is "Meat Day". I hope you all are involved in some great science and discoveries.  

I'm not going to cover everything.  We did go to Lake Tahoe and Reno.  The motel was very nice and the hot springs invigorating.  We saw a black bear...I think they go number 2 in the woods, trees, rocks, clouds and sky.  Many images have been stored away.  

One thing Brooke and I have in common is "Junking."  Any thrift store, garage sale or estate sale will do.  We brought back a few treasures.  The coolest of which is an old Variflex skate board. Second coolest is an action figure of Sigmund Freud. When we got home it was very late and our old mini-van was waiting for us with a flat tire. Thanks for the wonderful vacation.
 

Reunion at Camp Duck Lake

Last week the reunion people got together at "The banker's" cabin at Duck Lake.  I'm going to assign a moniker to each member of the group later.  We generally had a nice time going to restaurants, visiting "the Intellect", shopping, playing tennis, fishing and more. Of course there was a lot of laughter and reminiscing.  There was a modest amount of alcohol consumed.  

One of the group, "T" (from Texas) told me he checked my blog out occasionally.  That's why I'm writing this today.  Hope you are well, T.  

Since we are all entering our eighth decade on Earth, there is a lot of talk about health.  Also, the Banker just had a heart valve repaired.  That was 3 months ago and he is well.  From my own experience, I think he will look back on this time and realize he was biting off too much.  Maybe not admit it - he is kinda bull-headed.  The doctors tell you not to make any big decisions for at least six months and better after a year.

My C.W. (current wife) had made several loaves of zucchini bread and I took those over as well as a bouquet of garden flowers.  Both were a hit, especially the bread. It was the end of the season for the cabin.  So the annual fish boil was part of the happenings.  This is a Pot dish. That is it is a combination of foods cooked together in layers. It was interesting to see the preparation and meet some of the Lake people.  A modicum of alcohol was consumed.  I think that was the night we watched a movie involving space aliens and Transformers. 
As we were cleaning up from the cook, I claimed the job of final inspection.  My buddy John "The Historian" proceeded to perform a perfect impression of an inspector that I had met while working for GM.

There were many more conversations and incidents that are now a part of our shared history. Hope you are all well.    

Sailing

The new sail for my Man-o-war fits the mast so tightly, that I am thinking it was made too small.  It is very difficult to pull the sail down over the mast.  I thought maybe it would loosen up with the sails getting softer.  They are so stiff they behave like paper rather than fabric. The boat has sat for two days in the front yard with the sail raised.  We haven't had too much wind to soften the sail but the boat looks good to me with the new white sail about 12 feet in the sky.

When the wind does blow you can hear the material rattling and rustling and crackling.  The sound of wind in the sails could be added to homedics sounds along with waves, crickets, rain and waterfall.  

To go sailing in a small boat is like going swimming.  Chances are good you will end up in the lake.  Anything you don't want wet, goes into the "dry box".  Anything you don't want on the bottom of the lake, must float or be tied to something that does.  I know I am not prepared to sail in my boat because the centerboard isn't secured.  To have a boat that only uses wind for propulsion appeals to me. Is it because I'm looking for a free ride?  I think it is being in sync with nature.  People will stop to look at a sail boat but probably not a pontoon boat.

The boat is sitting in my driveway, waiting.