The Path Not Chosen

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I will admit it – no denial. Today’s post is a rant! I look around and see things that worry me. I care about our country, our people, and, yes, about myself and my loved ones. I see a divided country and media stars and celebrities who benefit by encouraging this divisiveness. I would like to change this and maybe this post can help. You don’t need to agree, but try to give it some thought.  

I’m not sure this is true for everyone, but as I have become older, I look back at decisions I have made in the past and wonder how things might have changed had I taken a different path. Some of these choices were made in my youth and some as an adult. Yet choices, whenever made, always have an impact because there are always multiple options with multiple results.

I say that some choices were made in my youth and when I look back at those, I think that perhaps I should not have needed to make an important choice. Our childhood, and even our teens, should be a time for learning and even experimenting. We should not need to make choices or decisions that cannot be reversed as we age. At the same time, we should have this time to try different ideas and learn from the results. Unfortunately, it seems that today’s youth, even those in their very early years, are expected to make choices with no opportunity to change as they age. And we, the supposed adults, continue to push our children to make important choices at earlier ages. Have we taken away childhood in our efforts to control the future? And are our children forced into choices not based on their thoughts or beliefs but instead imitating those of their parents?

Things have changed, for both better and worse, since my youth. Those of my generation faced war in Viet Nam, the increasing prevalence of drugs, changes in culture as power moved from WW II veterans to the Baby Boomers. Those who believed like their parents were often ridiculed while the counterculture did not offer a strong strategy for the future. We faced the draft and associated choices to avoid the risks associated with war. We demanded, and were given, an earlier voting age. Yet we were not willing to take out choices seriously. Still our country survived and moved forward. Can we say this today? Or is the divisiveness we face today our fate? No one can say for sure, but we probably cannot go back to the past.

Our youth of today, and even those who are a bit older, no longer have the need to think. They can get all the information they need from their electronic devices, from unreliable sources, and from political pundits and media stars who are more interested in an attention-grabbing sound bite than the truth. People with multimillion contracts and eighth grade educations who claim to be “working class Americans”. People who, over a month after the recent elections, are still whining at every opportunity and suggesting they know more than the majority of American voters. And politicians who refuse to accept any blame for their losses and not recognize that their candidate had never received a single vote before the election.

For our future, when us old folks are no longer around, one must hope that the path chosen is the best. That it is chosen carefully, not because someone told us it was “cool” or “woke” or “progressive”. And not because it was “the way we have always done things” or because it is “convenient” or driven by “politics” or “money”. We can’t all be rich or superstars or have those million-dollar contracts. Nor can we all be losers. There should be a balance. And there should be opportunities. Let’s not force decisions on our successors but instead let’s teach them how to make good decisions. And then, let them make those decisions. We have been successful doing this in the past and can do so in the future.

“The Evening Before Christmas”

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This is a work of fiction reflecting my thoughts and opinions. All rights are reserved. It was inspired by the work of Clement Clarke Moore (or perhaps that of Henry Livingston, Jr.) and his “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. I salute him for the long-lasting impact of his work which is as important today as when it was originally published anonymously in 1823. There have been many changes since that time and will be many more in the days to come. Please read and enjoy.

‘Twas the evening ‘fore Christmas at Mom and Pop’s home,

None were about to jump, play, or roam,

The dog and the cats all snuggled in bed,

So much earlier cuddled, watered and fed,

The children all gone with lives of their own,

Even the grandchildren all older and grown,

Mom and Pop in the bedroom looking out at the tree,

While watching holiday movies playing on the tv,

Slowly sipping some wine and enjoying a snack,

They wondered if time could ever go back,

Thinking of holidays long, long ago,

When family gathered wishing for Christmas with a cover of snow,

Children dreamed of dolls, games, and toys,

And having much fun with other girls and boys,

But days and years have passed by so fast,

That it may be too hard to regain the past,

Families are scattered so far and wide,

Do we no longer want to be side by side?

Texting is easy but can we still talk?

And computers are good, but I’d like to go for a walk,

While with my words you may not agree,

My fond hope is that your holidays are happy!

“My Three Dogs, Love will find a way home” By W. Bruce Cameron (A Book Review)

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If you are an animal lover, no matter what type, this is a book that will find a way into your heart. It is extremely difficult to assign a genre – it could be an adventure, a pet story, a love story, or any of several other types. It could even be reclassified from a novel to a non-fiction book with a few minor changes and a disclaimer or two. After much thought, I think it best falls into the realm of a love story or, actually, several love stories in one.

There are many types of love included, sometimes only briefly while others throughout the book. There is brotherly love. There is also the more common love between a man and a woman. We see love between people and animals. And we see love between the animal members of the pack as well as the human members. There is also love from Teme at the animal shelter, Georgia, a police officer, and Ron, a man who seems to love and feed homeless dogs on the street. Each of type of love is faced with challenges. Can love survive or will the challenges be too great?

The story focuses on the dog pack of Riggs, Luna, and the newest member, Archie along with their human pack members, Liam and Sabrina. While Liam and Sabrina seem to be in love, their relationship is challenged because Liam seems to sometimes forget to include Sabrina in life changing decisions. As a result, Sabrina decides to take a break, move in with her sister and decide if their relationship can continue. When she moves, she must leave the dogs with Liam because her sister is a “cat person”.

Liam is unhappy but struggles to keep going and take care of the dogs. This works well until an unfortunate accident makes it impossible for Liam to continue. Brad, Liam’s brother, steps in to help which he has done since they were both teens and lost their parents. Since Brad does not like Sabrina, his only solution is to take the dogs to an animal shelter, not a no-kill shelter. The ideal solution would be for all to have a new home together, but this does not happen.

The book follows the adoption of all three dogs and the efforts of Riggs to bring the pack, both animal and human, back together. Along the way Riggs and the other dogs meet new friends, and enemies.

Read the book to find the answers. But be prepared to shed a few tears along the way and question whether we, the two-legged members of many packs, have done the best we can for our non-human family members. Have we earned the unconditional love that they give us and do we do all we can to protect them, especially if something unexpected happens?

The Holiday Season – Adopting a New Family Member

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The Holiday Season is here, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, or some other holiday, this is often a time for adopting a new family member, one with four legs. This always seems like a fun thing to do. A way to share our love. Possibly a way to teach other family members responsibility. But before we share our love, it is a time to think about whether we are ready for the new family member and what this involves.

The most common new family members are dogs and cats. Before we welcome them into our lives, we need to think carefully about what this means. Along with all the good things like unconditional love, someone to greet us at the door, someone new for companionship and play, there are also new responsibilities and new costs. Who will be responsibility for walks, both morning and evening, and possibly the associated training? Who will clean up if accidents occur? Who will take care of food and drink for the new family member? Many of the same questions we would need to ask if we were welcoming a new human family member.

This new four-legged family member may soon conclude that he or she now owns the home and we, with only two legs, are there because they welcome us. Can we accept that? Where will the new family member live and what rules will be in place? And who will enforce the rules and how? Violence and abuse are not acceptable answers. If we already have other pets, will there be peace at the arrival of the new stranger or will there be war, or at least minor battles? We should ask, and honestly answer, these questions and many others before the adoption occurs.

Why? Because, unfortunately, many of these adoptions result in the returning the new family member, often the day after their arrival, or, even worse, their abandonment or death,

Later today, or possibly tomorrow, I will be writing a review of a book I recently read, W. Bruce Cameron’s “My Three Dogs”. While the book is fiction, it could as easily have been true with only a few changes including the common disclaimer, “Names have been changed to protect the innocent (or guilty).” If you or anyone you know is considering an adoption over the holidays, I would strongly recommend that you read this book first.

If you have asked yourself these questions, and still believe that you can accept a new member to your family I welcome you to the world of pet-owned people. I hope you have a wonderful life with your new “boss” and enjoy all the time you have together with him or her.

Happy Holidays!

Hopes and Fears for Christmas Yet to Come

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As I lay in bed this morning, wide awake far to early, I was visited not be the ghost of Jacob Marley nor of one of Dickens’ spirits but instead by one of our cats. Usually, he lies beside me in the bed, my wife says from love while I say to keep warm. In this case, I was snuggled next to my wife and he decided to lay on top of me and stare at the two of us. Could he be jealous or can cats even have such human feelings. After a short time, he left to do other more important things like using his litter box, having a drink, and making sure his food bowl was empty. One wonders what goes on in the mind of a small, furry creature like this and why they can become such an important part of our lives.

As you my have noticed, I again borrowed a part of the name of a Dickens’ spirit again today. I thought this appropriate since Dickens inspired both this and the previous two posts. When I think about Christmas, I feel the need to look at it not just from the way it is today, or even when I was a child or when Dickens published “A Christmas Carol” just over two hundred years ago, but also what Christmas in the future. The present and the past seem easy to consider but the days yet to come present a much greater challenge. There are hopes for things good and fears of things that may be bad. While I may be here for part of the future, it goes far beyond that time and many changes can and will occur.

When we think about the meaning of Christmas, we must recognize that it is a religious holiday. While it serves the Christian faith, does not have the same meaning to others who also have religious or cultural observances like Hannukah and Kwanza. Yet even these others, even those who profess no faith, often celebrate Christmas with us.

Family – As families and friends, Christmas has served draw us together and make us closer. A time of celebration and a time to put differences aside. Yet today, there are those – editors, opinion columnists, broadcast media, celebrities, and others – who would like to use Christmas as a time to drive wedges between us. They do this not for the benefit of anyone other than themselves; to create an elite class which uses others only to serve them and comply with the views and beliefs. If we allow these “elite” to succeed, then the need for the familial unit will disappear. As suggested by some of these “elites” we should cancel holidays because they allow or even encourage sharing amongst those with differing views. This is a great fear for me.

At the same time, I have great hope for Christmas Yet to Come. Why do I say this? It is very simple. If one looks at history, something seemingly unimportant today, efforts to drive wedges between people, friends and families, have occurred many times in the past. Often these efforts have led to battles and wars. No one should say that war is good, but at the end of war, or even the end of arguments, we humans seem to be able to put aside our differences and the world moves forward. This can even be seen in the lives of the very young where schoolyard arguments seem so important but are often forgotten within a few minutes. So, hope should exist. Those who attempt to drive wedges, as an “elite” or with their support, should be shunned and pushed aside. Let us have hope for the days yet to come.

Santa and His Helpers – Santa and his helpers are, perhaps, a fantasy. They exist in the world of children. Children who should not, at an early age, need to be faced with all the challenges of adults. While Santa’s origins may be clouded in mystery but there seems to be at least two common threads. First, is the celebration of Saint Nicholas. This is a day celebrated more in Europe than elsewhere which honors the work of St. Nicholas. If one reads more about this day, one can find things that have resulted in our Santa of today. The giving and the sharing, the need to be good, and even Santa’s name. Second is a poem published anonymously in 1823 titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. This poem, later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, is what we now refer to as “The Night Before Christmas”. It provided us with the little old man, so lively and quick, along with the description of his mode of transport (the sleigh), and the names of his eight tiny reindeer. Santa still deserves a place in our lives today and should be there for times yet to come. This is hope. The fear is that the “book banners” and the “realists” will eliminate fantasy from the world, much as they have eliminated parts of history that are “inconvenient” or might “insult” those who have differing views. This is the fear.

Trees – I really have no understanding of how or why the tree has become an important part of Christmas. I can only hope that it remains important in the future. I recognize, however, that the tree faces much controversy. The biggest threat to the Christmas tree is the survival of families and friendship. If these things do not survive, then the need for a Christmas tree will no longer exist. Such as loss would be devastating. The second threat to the Christmas tree is a more subtle change to society. As we move toward environmental awareness, we face challenges in how we retain tradition. On a small scale, almost insignificant in my view, the use of Christmas trees threatens our environment. To use live trees, we take away their ability to provide the benefits of trees left to grow. If we use artificial trees, we waste resources in their creation and create trash to be dealt with when the trees are no longer needed.

The Christmas tree really presents both hope and fear. Hopefully, we as humans can face and resolve the need to balance this challenge.

Gifts or Presents – Much like Christmas trees, gifts and presents in the times yet to come present challenges. Sometimes I think that my generation has failed our children. We did not create the world, but we seem to have changed it in a way that has caused irreversible problems. How did we do this? We created the world of entitlement. A world where there were no winners or losers, ignoring the fact that to have a winner you must also have a loser. A world where a person deserves something simply because another has it. A world where can live in a castle, travel without financial cares, and be unlimited in their desires. Such a world seems wonderful, almost Eden-like. But is it realistic?

This has led to a world where the value of a gift is no longer judged by the love or caring it represents but instead by the cost. I am realistic enough to recognize that we cannot return to the time that a gift of a few pieces of candy was treasured as much as one of a pricy toy. At the same time, I hope that we can return to a time where it is recognized that we cannot always have what we want. If this means that gifts are a fear, so be it.

Trains – I suspect that the time of trains at Christmas has come and gone. Much of the romanticism of trains which was common in my youth no longer exists. My hope here is that our future can replace the trains of the past with something as valuable to our future. While it may seem strange, as someone who worked for many years in the technology field, I do not believe our electronics can fill this role. My hope is that we can replace trains with something which contributes to the days yet to come. Perhaps a replacement might be to plant a sapling and helping it grow or sharing our heritage and emphasizing the positive rather than concentrating on things gone wrong. There is hope but there is also the fear that the time and opportunity for this to happen has passed us by.

Parades – There will always be a place in my heart for parades. Much like Santa, they provide us a moment of fantasy. Could the things on that float ever become real? Could I ever play music like that band? What other fantasies do parades offer others?

In my childhood, I could not imagine a time where there were no parades. Yet today and in the future, parades face many challenges – cost, time, convenience, safety, the list goes on. Parades are not limited to Christmas time. I recently read where a large city was cancelling there Fourth of July parade next year; a parade that has been held in one form or another since the late 1800’s. Will the same fate await the Christmas parade. I hope not, but I fear so. Not because of the reasons above but instead because of political correctness. Because of things that may have happened over 200 years ago and not even in this city It is a shame. Something that will probably never be returned if it is lost.

Snow – Snow is the one thing that we cannot control. My hope is that climate change will never stop the snow. I hope we can always wish for a white Christmas. I fear that here, the environmentalists may be right. Let us hope not.

As I end this short series of posts, I want to thank Charles Dickens for his inspiration. I thank Ebenezer Scrooge, at least after his enlightenment, and Jacob Marley. I thank Dickens’ spirits. And I thank my wife and those around me. I thank our two cats, whether they are trying to show their independence or their love. I hope that you, too, will think about your Christmases – past, present, and yet to come. And, I hope that they will be merry both now and in the future.

Views of Christmas Present

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This is the second of three posts regarding the Christmas season. As stated in yesterday’s post, “Thoughts of Christmas Past”, these posts were inspired by the visits of ghosts in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol’ which was originally published in1843. In his novella, Dickens told of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come. My titles vary slightly as do the thoughts, memories, and opinions. Perhaps yesterday’s post could have been titled “Memories of …” instead of “Thoughts of …” because it was based on memories of my childhood.

Whether right or wrong, I decided to title today’s post “Views of …” to reflect that these are not memories nor opinions but are more at how I look at the world outside my door today. It is a bit harder to write because yesterday’s blog was based on my youth in a very small town – a place where I have not lived since the 1970’s. Instead, this is what I see daily in the large city, not my home but near enough that it affects my daily life. I hope you can forgive this and will think about the differences as they might affect both you and others. I have attempted to retain the same sub-themes for consistency may not always be successful.

Family – The family, as a unit, has undergone many changes since my childhood. Perhaps, these changes began before my birth as soldiers returned from WW II and found the country different from what they had left only a short time before. While this may be true in large cities as well, it became more apparent in rural America. Mechanization and other advances led to the demise of many small farms and the businesses that supported them. Many were forced to flee to cities for jobs. This all in the face of the “baby boom” – larger families, a need for better economic opportunity, and the ability to provide housing for families.

The result could have been predicted. As physical separation of families grew more common, the ability for large family gatherings on Christmas and other holidays decreased. At the same time, views of the world around us became more diverse.

These changes are continuing today. Demands for time have become greater. While it was simple to have a weekend gathering of family in the past, it is much more difficult today.  Family activities, work, friends, and other things all challenge us to balance where we can be, when, and for how long.

Recently, a new challenge has faced families – political realm. This can involve things like political correctness where things that were taken for granted in the past now have become a basis for judgement. This seems most prevalent when comparing the views of progressives, or the so-called “woke”, with those of the more conservative. Even more significant is the hatred or mistrust, instilled by or encouraged by the media, based on voting for or against a candidate or an issue. Things have deteriorated to the point where some families have cancelled holiday gatherings because they believe political arguments may degrade the gathering into fights, either intellectual or physical. These views have been encouraged by the media through such proposals as “cancelling Thanksgiving” which will probably happen to Christmas as well and refusing to “break bread” with anyone who votes differently. I have yet to see any media suggestion that the Christmas season should be a time to come together rather than time to pull apart.

So where does this leave the family? Today, it is far from anything I saw as a child. Can the family unit even survive? Survival is dependent on recognizing that these things are not as important as those around us, our families and our friends. Perhaps it is time to take a break and step back, yet the media and its self-proclaimed experts on life cannot or will not allow this to happen.

Santa and His Helpers – I seldom see “Santa” today. He sometimes appears in a parade or possibly in a store, but he really seems to have disappeared or has at least elected to be elsewhere. This, too, I blame on our seemingly endless more toward political correctness. Never should anything exist or occur which might hurt someone’s feelings, whether justified or not.

I wonder if today’s children have heard the simple poem that we know as “The Night Before Christmas.” Although the poem was first published over 200 years ago, it is suddenly something bad. Why? It must be evil because it tells a story of an imaginary person or event. Or maybe it is because it tells of an event that could only have occurred in the home of a wealthy family. Or, hopefully, I am worrying too much and our children still get to hear or read this quaint poem written in a far different time with little or no editing for “correctness”. The same could be said for many of the works of Charles Dickens. After all, “A Christmas Carol” focuses on a man who was an evil miser and only changed his ways after visits from three ghosts.

Trees – Trees seem to be one of the few things that have changed very little. There are still those who love a live tree, or even a tree that can be replanted after Christmas. And there are those who enjoy having a green or white artificial tree, often with lights that do not need to be removed each year. There are apparently still a few who like the older “aluminum” trees, at least enough to justify advertising these trees online. At the same time, there are also those who want your tree to go away. People who say the trees contribute to the decline of our environment, or that the trees add to pollution because of electrical demand, or even that the trees discriminate because they are not fair to those who do not celebrate Christmas.

Gifts or Presents – I wonder if the entire concept of gifts at Christmas has lost its meaning. When I was young, gifts were given not of obligation, but instead as a way of showing love or friendship to another. Gifts were often small, but they still had meaning to both the giver and the recipient. Today gifts are given more from obligation. If we give gifts to two family peers, for example a son and a daughter, then we carefully take steps to ensure that the cost is the same. We worry when we do not provide a costly gift as opposed to a family heirloom. And, when asked for a gift suggestion or when we ask someone, “What might you like?”, we are often told of an item that is far outside what we are able to provide. Yet we will do everything we can to offer this gift even if we really feel it is not appropriate.  

Trains – I don’t believe that trains mean as much to our children today as they did in the past. This may be because trains today are far different from those of the past. Their role, other than in places like the northeast corridor have moved from a mixture of freight and passenger service to a role of freight only. In may places, passenger service has been gone for many years, replaced by better roads and automobiles. Even the romanticized little red caboose is rarely, if ever, seen other than in a museum. As a result, there is little to draw the attention of children. Electronics have also played a role; cell phones and games have become an integral part of day-to-day life for today’s children. So, what is there to draw them to trains.

Parades – Parades, much like trees, remain a part of traditional Christmas events. Yet these too have changed. While small town parades may have seen little of this change, the larger parades have become even more complex. I sometimes watch these larger parades and wonder how much more they will change. It seems that those in large cities have become more entertainment “events” catering to the broadcast media rather than parades catering to attendees? Also, since the parades are often held in downtown areas, has safety for attendees been considered?

Snow – Even today I suspect that children hope for a white Christmas. At the same time, I suspect that the adults often wish for the opposite.

So, as I close this post on Christmas present, I wish anyone who reads a happy holiday season no matter how you celebrate and for those of us who celebrate Christmas, a very merry one.

Thoughts of Christmas Past

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Perhaps I am not being politically correct, or woke, by using the words “Christmas Past” as opposed to saying, “Holidays Past.” If this is correct, I apologize to those who may be offended. No, I don’t offer apologies. My past is full of celebrations of Christmas. We recognized that some religions celebrate in different ways and respect that. But, for me and my family, we celebrated Christmas. Holidays had many meanings with Christmas, birthdays, and several other days being recognized as holidays for most Americans.

My thoughts here focus mainly on days, events, activities, and more which mostly occurred when I was a young child although some also occurred in my teen years. Things then were different than today. Life seems as though it may have been much simpler, but when I say this, it may be because it was viewed through a child’s eyes. Your memories may be different because each of us had unique lives. I was raised in a small town in rural Arkansas where the focus was agriculture. Many events that we enjoyed were in a small city a few miles away. I suspect the lives of children in large cities were vastly different from mine. The memories here may change over time but reflect what is important to me today.

Family – Family was important at Christmas. Early on Christmas morning, we arose and opened presents in our living room where the Christmas tree was located. This was followed by a trip to my maternal grandmother’s home. While some of my uncles lived far away and could not be there each year, those who lived locally were always there. We typically had a large, pot-luck dinner and then opened presents near the Christmas tree. We returned home late in the afternoon. I don’t remember visiting my paternal grandparent’s the same way. Perhaps this was because they lived next door. Or maybe it was because my paternal grandmother passed away when I was ten years old followed by my grandfather when was fourteen. Still, we tried to see them and my uncle’s family who lived just down the street on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Christmas was one of the few holidays that we could be sure my father would be with the family. He never had work on Christmas Day. Other holidays, which might fall during the busy agriculture season might require him to work but never Christmas. This made it even more special.

Santa’s Helpers – Like almost every child of my age, I was taught about Santa Claus from my earliest years. He was this nice gentleman with a white beard, a red suit, who came down your chimney each year to leave presents for good little girls and boys. He had innumerable elves who worked for him creating the presents and he travelled by a flying sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer. It never occurred to us that many of these things were illogical. How could he visit everyone on a single night? What would happen if your home did not have a chimney? And, if his sleigh could fly, why did he need those reindeer?

Each year, our town had a community Christmas gathering that was held in the high school gymnasium. Adults had the opportunity for social interaction and the children went home with gifts from Santa. Yes, Santa was there each year – red suit, white beard, and all. But we never saw the sleigh.

This event made me realize that to do all the things he was credited with Santa must have needed helpers. Helpers who dressed like him and brought presents to good boys and girls. I was only about four or five at the time. What caused this realization? My parents were driving us to the celebration and running a few minutes late. As we entered the parking lot, we saw a neighbor’s pickup truck just ahead of us. And who should get out of the truck? No less that Santa. And I recognized the truck and told my parents that it could not be Santa driving that truck. How could that be? I give my mother credit for quick thinking since she explained to me that Santa could not be everywhere at one time so he had helpers that took his place delivering gifts and they borrowed trucks or cars from older families with grown children so they would not need sleighs. This didn’t answer the many other questions about Santa but for a young child it was enough. I was simply happy enough to go inside, meet Santa’s helper, and get my gift. But even today, I wonder how Santa, or one of his helpers could get into a house with no chimney.

Trees – The first Christmas trees I remember were live trees. I don’t remember if they were purchased at a local store or farmer’s market or if they were cut from a local forest.  While my memory is not clear about this, they were small, probably no more than four or five feet tall. The number of ornaments was probably not large but there were many lights and lots of tinsel. The first artificial tree was quite different. It was about the same height but had branches made from wood and thin pieces of something like aluminum foil very similar to tinsel although a bit larger. There was no green to be seen. While the ornaments were still used but the electric lights were now a fire hazard and stayed in their boxes. For light, a spinning wheel of four colors was used with a spotlight behind it. This was placed on the floor near the tree and shined up into the tree. When I looked today, I still saw trees like this available online. I don’t remember ever having another live tree although the first artificial tree was replaced with an artificial green tree and lights were purchased that could be used.

Gifts or Presents – Presents were never large but were selected and given with love and with care. When I was very young, they were often toys but as I aged the toys were commonly replaced by clothes or things more useful. Some of my favorite toys were tractors and attachments from the local John Deere dealer where my father worked. These toys were sturdy, or maybe a better word is rugged, and spent many hours being played with both indoors and in the outdoor sandbox. Similar toys can still be purchased today in almost any large department store, but the quality is not the same. Oh, how I wish I had kept those toy tractors given the prices that toys of that vintage command today.

Trains – Like many young boys, and maybe some young girls, I loved trains. A railroad ran through our town, and I was always happy to watch the trains as they passed by. Just like real trains, toy trains were always fun whether pull toys, wind-up toys, or electric trains. Even trains in books. Do you remember “The Little Engine That Could”? In the nearby city, the Firestone tire dealership sold Lionel trains (yes, Lionel has been around that long). Each year for a few weeks before Christmas they installed a Lionel layout at the front of the store. It was simple, just a loop of track, or maybe two, on a table. In the center of the loop, there were a few shelves for displaying individual train cars or accessories. But the exciting part were the trains that ran around the circle. After what seems to be years of wishing, I got my first train set. It was simple – an “diesel locomotive, a couple of cars, and a caboose along with a loop of track. Rather than an actual railroad name, the cars were labelled as “Lionel Lines”. I played with it for years until it finally wore out from use.

Parades – Our town was so small that we did not have a Christmas parade. Instead, we went to the nearby city to see their parade. It probably wasn’t a huge parade although it seemed that way to a small child. A few high school bands marched in the parade along with the band from the local college. There were also a few floats and some other marching units. While all was enjoyable, the thing I remember most is the ROTC Drill Team from the college. They had brightly polished helmets and carried military rifles. They twirled their rifles and did other drill moves that fascinated those watching them.

Snow – I can only remember once or twice in my childhood when we had a white Christmas. It really wasn’t expected but always wished for. There was nothing unique about this. It was true across much of the south. If we had snow, it usually came late in January or even later. I can, however, remember one Christmas that was white. It was not necessarily because of the snow itself but because of a family visiting some friends. Their kids were about the same age as I was, and they had never seen snow. Of course, that should have been expected because they had lived in Florida their entire lives.

“The Cat Who Saved Books” By Sosuke Natsukawa (A Book Review)

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I read for enjoyment. Sometimes I start a book and then stop because I am not enjoying the read although this does not happen often. More commonly I tend to take the time to savor what I am reading. This may include reading a short passage, a page or two or even a chapter, then taking a break to ponder what I have read. Occasionally I start a book and read it quickly then return to read selected passages that I found more interesting than others. But rarely do I find a book that it is very difficult to put down.

“The Cat Who Saved Books” was one of those rare treasures. The story was captivating. The translation by Louise Heal Kawai was excellent. The cover artwork by Yuko Shimizu was beautiful. I find it hard to say anything bad about this novel other than it was far too short.

I was visiting our local Barnes & Noble a few days ago browsing for a new book. Something that could be read for pure pleasure. I slowly cruised the “new releases” aisles in this quest. Initially I was having difficulty finding what I desired. During my first pass, I couldn’t seem to find what I wanted although Shimizu’s cover caught my eye. Even during a second trip around this area, there was no strong draw other than the same cover. As a cat lover, my thought was that the draw was the cat on the cover. But as I started a third trip through the “new arrivals,” I decided to pick up the book and read the synopsis. When I did, I found something there that told me I had to read this book. I am so glad that I did.

Back at home, I put the book on my nightstand for later reading. There it sat for a few hours. Then I began reading. Little did I expect that I would not put the book down, except for a few very short breaks, until it was finished.

The book opens with a young man, Rintaro, standing sadly at the funeral of his grandfather. The grandfather owned a used bookstore. A store with only a single aisle where books were shelved floor to ceiling, seemingly in no order at all. Yet his grandfather seemed to have known every book there and where it could be found. He had passed much of this knowledge to his grandson. Now, the grandson was expected to give up the bookstore to live with his aunt until he became an adult.

Little did anyone know that this was not to happen nor why. And they probably would not have believed it had they been told.

After the funeral, the boy returned to the bookstore to contemplate what had happened and what his future would be. As he sat, the bell outside the door rang. When he answered, no one was there, nor had anyone entered. Then he heard a deep voice talking to him. He looked for a person but instead saw only a cat. Could it be? A talking cat? Surely not, yet it was. The cat told the young man that it needed his help. There were books to be saved and only the young man and the cat could do it.

Once the cat convinced the young man to join him, the solid wood wall at the back of the bookstore opened and the adventure began. Through the book, the cat, Rintaro, and at least one other go to four labyrinths to save books. Each labyrinth is more challenging than the previous.

Will Rintaro and the cat succeed? How will this affect Rintaro’s future? Will the bookstore survive? Is this really a prediction of the end of books? To answer all these questions, you must read this book. As you read, be sure to watch for the words of wisdom, sometimes offered by the late grandfather and at others offered by Rintaro as his knowledge grows. I think you, too, will find the story enchanting and hard to put down. And you may find it exceptional as I did.

A Clean Slate

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On Saturday, November 30, we had our first snowfall of the season. While it was originally forecast as only a dusting, we had about three inches at our home. Looking out our window it made me think of having a clean slate. It covered things in our yard that were not how we might like them. Leaves gone unraked, bare spots with no grass, cleaning that had gone undone. This was an opportunity for a new beginning, wiping the slate clean and starting anew. Others may have viewed it as no more than hiding the bad things that were soon to resurface. While I may not agree, I can respect their views. That is one of the great things about our past, the right to disagree yet move forward. I wonder if our country, and its current political climate, and have a clean slate and move forward.

The holiday season has begun. The elections have come and gone. There are some who are happy with the results and those who are dissatisfied with the results. For whatever reason, this year seems to be filled with more hatred than any election year I have lived through. There have been those who suggested cancelling Thanksgiving (I hope jokingly, but I’m not sure) and those who have cancelled family gatherings to avoid political discussions.

The blame game is continuous. People who voted one way blame those who voted another. The minority blames the majority. One group blames another. Even within a party, everyone seems to be looking for someone else to blame for something. Candidates are still asking for money although the election has been over for nearly a month. The name calling continues without end, especially by many media stars. It all seems mindless.

The only time I can remember something even close to this is elementary school name calling, like we see today, shared in print, broadcast, and social media, is when we were children on the playground. But there, the hatred was missing. We could be mad and call someone a “bad name” one minute yet be playing with them a few minutes later as though the words were never spoken.

Perhaps, it is time for us to put aside the hatred, the discontent, the constant blathering, and live together as Americans. Maybe we can respect the differing views of our fellow Americans and stop trying to force everyone into a common mold. Something the Communists have tried for years and still seem unable to make work. I wonder if we, particularly the press and the Hollywood celebrities, can put aside our differences and respect each other for even a few days and enjoy the holiday season. Or should we cancel Christmas or whatever holiday you may celebrate at this time of year? I haven’t seen this promoted by the opinion writers, or movie stars at celebrations in a country other than the U.S. but I can see it coming.

My view of all of this is, “Get real. There are more important things in life than an election. Your parents and your teachers knew this and taught you this when you were young. Have we forgotten everything we learned?”

Another Day in the Lives of Cats

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Here I sit, a snowy morning two days after Thanksgiving. The elections are over, there was no need to cancel Thanksgiving as some had suggested. The world, and hopefully most families survived. The holiday season has begun. As we look forward to Christmas, or other holidays that you may celebrate, I thought I would take a look at the past few months and the lives of our cats since my last post about them.

In the earlier post, I reflected on a day in the lives of Joe and Leo, our two cats. At that time they were just over one year old and had lived with us for about a year. Today, they are nearing their second birthday, but otherwise much is the same.

The added year of their lives is not readily apparent although they each continue to develop distinct personalities. As littermates one might expect them to be quite similar but instead each is unique. Leo is the explorer and very rambunctious. Seeming to have little fear, he is ready to jump to or from great heights. One of his favorite “games” is to run out of our bedroom any time I open the door, then lay on the floor, expecting me to rub his tummy, pick him up, and return him to our room. He will zoom about the room with his brother or alone if no one wants to run with him. Joe is the more cautious of the two. While he enjoys many of the same things as his brother, he contemplates them before joining in. He loves to watch television, especially shows with other cats or dogs. We often wonder if he actually sees the shows or is simply responding to the sounds or the changing light. Joe is also a bit skeptical, often shying away when one tries to pet or cuddle him. Joe is, however, the most curious. He wants to explore and, often, toss to the floor things on our nightstands.

Oddly, neither of the two is highly loveable. They will often share our bed, but that does not include petting in the evening. They pick their space and we must adapt to that, otherwise they will leave. Yet they will return later, hoping to be unbothered by their humans.

As they continue to grow it will be interesting to see how they will change or stay the same. According to some charts they are now in the equivalent of a human teenager. In many respects this can be seen in their personalities – loveable yet sometimes disobedient; daring but cautious; sleepy but always ready to get up and zoom. Such are days in the lives of our cats.