For my Dad

A Dad moment!

I haven't mentioned him much but it doesn't mean I don't love him. The "him" I'm talking about is my dad. He was my hero. My "Knight in Shining Armor", and then I grew up. I saw what he tried to hide from me and now that I am older I understand why he did what he did. He taught me so much and yet I pushed him away. And although he doesn't show it very well, I know he loves his children. So this one is for you Dad... I love you.

Promise Yourself by Christian D. Larson

Love is a hard feeling to truly express, at least for me. I'm never quite sure if those I love really know how much they are loved... how much they mean to me.

I'm posting this poem again because I neglected to mention the person who gave it to me... my mom.

When I was in my late teens she gave me a little book called, "Keep Your Face to the Sunshine, A Collection of Creeds". There were a couple of poems she had placed a star next to and this was one of them.

Promise Yourself...

Promise yourself to be so strong

that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity

to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything

and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best

and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others

as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and

press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and

give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry,

too noble for anger,

too strong for fear and

too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

~Christian D. Larson

I love you, mom

Bohemian Acid

Finally! Something to make me smile. A cool, new rendition of the classic "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Needless to say he reminds me of my son. Enjoy the fun!

It's still difficult to put my thoughts into words but I found my horoscope for this week rather interesting.

GEMINI
" 'I do not wish to hear about the moon from someone who has not been there,' wrote 19th-century wit Mark Twain. That's an extreme statement of how important it is to formulate conclusions based on first-hand knowledge rather than on hearsay and random opinions. In the coming weeks, this principle will be even more crucial to your mental health than it usually is. In my astrological opinion, you need to significantly increase the proportion of information you acquire through your direct perceptions, as well as from people who've had intimate contact with the things you're curious about." - Rob Brezny's Free Will Astrology (Week of August 9)

Check out your own horoscope at Rob Brezny's Free Will Astrology

I will miss you, Michael...

"Evening Cross" by woodsy

The world lost another beautiful soul on July 14th, 2007. I can't seem to find the words to describe how much he touched my heart so for now I'm leaving it up to one of his favorite bands, Guns N' Roses.

My dearest Michael, thank you for sharing your kind and sweet heart with me. I will always cherish my memories of you and hold you near and dear in my heart forever.

I dedicate the following Guns n Roses song, "Don't Cry" to my friend Michael...

 

  

If change is supposed to be a good thing ...

If change is supposed to be a good thing,

would it please slow down so I can catch up?
~ Meesharie

I guess I should be grateful that I'm not Britney or Paris... but my heart goes out to them. The world is changing much too fast and if it doesn't slow down, that brick wall we're heading for might just hurt more than we had planned.

Just a thought....

The "F" word - Hank Williams Jr. & Kid Rock

Happy Birthday, Mom!
This is for my mom. It's her birthday today, July 5th, and I have never, ever heard her say the "F" word! (unlike her daughter who can swear like a sailor!)
I love you, Mom... more than words, or a song, can say.
Forever and always!

Tribute to Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash and his music was the one thing my family never argued about.  We listened to a lot of country music growing up and I still love it.  Especially when I see the smile on my mom's face when his music plays. This is a tribute to a man who now lays to rest with the best.

Happy Birthday to U.S. ("us")

In freedom we trust

So, celebrate we must.

Happy Birthday to U.S!

~ Meesharie

CYCLISTS' APOCRYPHA

In the beginning God created the bicycle, saw that it was good, then went for a nice Sunday ride on the bike lanes He'd made the day before, and they were good, too, because they were new and He had the angels keep them clear of debris. Later, of course, God would get cross and have the flood wash them all away.

And God said to Himself, Let us create man, because cycling is too much fun to keep to Myself, and so He created man, him did He create, create did He him do. And God put man in paradise, and commanded him, Glideth upon the earth anywhere thou wisheth, except for that big hill over there. For on the day thou goeth down that hill, thou shalt surely die.

And God said, Man needs a companion to keep him from spending too much money on new bicycles. So God caused man to fall into a deep sleep by asking him if he wanted to go clothes shopping at the mall, then took a rib from him. Then God said to Himself, Who am I kidding, I'll never hear the end of it when she finds out she was just a rib, so He created woman from frankincense and myrrh and a certain je ne sais quoi.

And God said, Let man have dominion over lathe drills and Philips head screwdrivers, and let woman have dominion over everything else, and as long as thou art naked and unashamed, thou might as well be fruitful and multiply.

Lastly, God created the chicken and the egg, in that order, which should clear up that matter.

Now the serpent, he was a wily one, and he said to woman, Yea, hath God said you may cycle anywhere but down that hill? And the woman said unto the serpent, That's about the size of it: go downhill and die. And the serpent said, Ye shall not surely die, you probably won't even fall off. For God doth know that on the day you go downhill, you will not need to pedal for a long time. Go on, give it a try.

And the woman saw that the hill was good, she did not need to pedal for a long time. She told the man about it, and he also went downhill. Their eyes were opened, they saw they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves into padded cycling shorts because sometimes it got bumpy going downhill.

And they heard the voice of God as He was offroad, fully suspended of course, and they hid their bicycles at the bottom of the hill and started whistling nervously. And God called unto the man, and said, Where art thou? And the man said, We art down here. And God said, Hast thou cycled downhill, whereoff I commanded thee that thou shouldest not? And man said, It was her idea.

And God said unto the woman, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow whilst climbing hills; in pain shalt thou perch upon thy saddle.

And God said unto the man, Because thou hast harkened unto the voice of thy wife, cursed is regular bike maintenance. The inner workings of the hub gear will be beyond thou to repair. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou service thy freewheel.

And God said, Behold, the man doesn't listen very well, so he kicked him out of paradise and guarded the entrance with a sign of a picture of a bicycle in the middle of a red circle. And He had a Cherubim with a flaming sword stop by a few times a week for good measure.

This is the book of the generations. The first bicycle was a single speed, Godspeed, but after that it got complicated. Sprockets begat sprockets and cables begat kinks. Celerifere begat Draisienne begat Macmillan begat Michaux begat Ariel begat Bayliss Thomas begat Lawson begat Rover begat Boneshaker begat Ordinary begat Raleigh.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth in a critical mass, God saw that the wickedness of man was great and he did not like to give way to anyone on the road even his mother, so He directed Noah to build an ark made out of renewable resources. There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark every type of bicycle: one to ride and one for spare parts. And Noah gathered two touring bikes and two mountain bikes; two recumbents and two tandems; two road racing bikes and two cross bikes; also four unicycles, just in case there was a misunderstanding, and a brace of Bromptons, as their folded countenance pleasethed Him. And God said there might be Some strong winds in the Southeast. And it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, then drizzled for another fortnight.

And God remembered Noah and asswaged the waters, and Noah opened a door on the ark and set loose Japheth on a unicycle, and God said This is a covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature: that a man on a unicycle is a hilarious sight. The waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

A bit later, God spake unto Moses, saying, Here are a few ground rules, I hath numbered them for thou for easy reference:

1. Thou shalt hold no other races above the Tour de France.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee helmets which cost more than £100.
3. Thou shalt not take My name in vain everytime thou gettest a flat tyre.
4. Remember to oil thy chain, to keep it rolling.
5. Honour the Zebra Crossing and those walking upon the face of it.
6. Thou shalt not ignore other road users, nor cycle recklessly upon the pavement.
7. Thou shalt not steal bicycles.
8. Thou shalt not kill, except bicycle thieves.
9. Thou shalt not hang onto moving cars.
10. Thou shalt not covet they neighbour's new Cannondale, nor his groupset, nor his £3000 mtb, nor even his stylish shades.
    

Forget not the Titanium Rule: Signal unto others as thou wouldst have others signal unto thou.

And moving right along, there came four horsemen of the Apocalypse, and they were the Taxicab Driver, and the Motorcycle Messenger, and the White Van Man, and the Man Opening a Car Door Without Looking.

Amen

Cycling Plus, January 2001

To Johnny Cash... my belated "Thank You"

A long overdue "Thank You"

The following is a letter I wrote to Johnny Cash to thank him for the picture I have of him and and his wife with my son. Unfortunately, the day I finished and was going to mail the letter, he died.  My mom told me to mail it anyways, but I didn't. I felt so sad and so bad that I didn't send it sooner... way sooner. Lesson learned.
I sent a copy of the letter and picture to Roseanne Cash and she gave me permission to post it. (Thank you, Roseanne!) So, here is my long overdue "Thank You" to a man I will NEVER forget.

September 1, 2003

Dear Mr. Cash,

I have waited much too long to write you this "Thank you" letter. I'm not one to write letters and I am very sorry it took me so long to write this one. It's hard to put into words what I have to say, but I know it's more important to say something than to have said nothing at all.

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for graciously accepting my request for a picture of you and your wife at the Salt Lake City Airport Thanksgiving weekend of 1989. The picture has been on my family's piano ever since. My 18 month old son was upset and crying from a long plane ride and I was scared and surprised when you kindly responded to my request for your picture by saying, "With the baby, of course!" Nervously, I placed him in your lap and immediately he calmed down. Wow! Thank you for that, as well! My son Cody, is now 16 years old and continues to amaze me with his wholesome, admirable character and calm spirituality.

My condolences go out to you and your family for the loss of your beautiful wife. I can only imagine how much you miss her. If it's of any help, I remember the day my close friend, Candy, passed away and what she said to my son, who was only five years old at the time. She said to him, "Please don't be sad. Soon I will have my wings and I will be with you always, watching over you forever."

Mr. Cash, I can not tell you how much your music has carried me through life. I feel honored and blessed for having met you and your wife. Thank you for giving me a memory I will cherish forever.

My Birthday

Today my mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said, "to be younger". Getting older isn't as easy as they say it is... at least not for me, but today, on my pre-birthday, I feel better than ever!

To start with my son called and wants to take me to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" tomorrow, on my birthday, and then out to dinner. My son, who is 19 years old, wants to take his mom out to a movie and to dinner on one of the rare nights he has off from work or school. Forget about the getting old crap, I have a wonderful son who always finds the time in his busy schedule for his mom on the important days like Mother's Day (he gave me the most wonderful smelling oil burner), Valentine's Day (2 DVDs with Johnny Depp, "Benny And Joon" and "Chocolat" - he knows who I love!), and my birthday (a movie and dinner). How old am I? Funny, I seem to have forgotten!

Then, my sister came by with some flowers and a birthday card for me. She apologized for not getting me freesias (my favorite flower, the white ones are really fragrant!) but brought me the most beautiful off-white, light pink-tipped Dahlia/Mum-type flowers I have never seen! I cut them too short for the vase but both my mom and sister reassured me that they looked perfect. When she left I felt badly because all I seemed to do was interrupt her stories with my own so I called her to apologize. She told me it was ok... I probably don't have many people to talk with and she understood. If you knew my sister you would know how much of a compliment that was coming from her. She's not easy with her words and I have always admired her for that. If she says something she means it even if it's not what I want to hear. That's a sister... that's MY sister and I love her soooo much!

Happy Birthday to me! Thanks to my family!

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting video

Ok, I know a lot of people don't care for the guy, but I love Kid Rock! I don't know what it is about him, but if Johnny Cash liked him that says a lot.

I found this video of Kid Rock live at the Kennedy Honors performing Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting". Non other than Elton John himself is in the audience along with other notable celebrities, including Jack Nicholson, who you can see dancing near the end of the video. Everyone seems to approve of Kid's performance, even Sir Elton himself.

Funny how the guy that nobody wants to like is sure getting a lot of people to dance!

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

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Biopoem from Darcy

The following is a Biopoem a friend wrote about me. I was surprised at how much she noticed. The funny, little things I didn't think anyone paid attention to, but she did. It meant a lot when she first gave it to me some ten years ago, and it means even more today.

Energetic, Bright, Talkative, Generous

Lover of... love, beads, Dreamsicles
Who feels the need to... send & receive lots of mail
Who needs... freesias, dancing, honesty
Who fears... betrayal, a new career, ignorance
Who would like to see... her rarely seen selfish side, more good people in the world, all the money people owe her
Resident of... a happy, hopeful home

No more Dew for you!

My friend had a cat that looked just like the one in the picture. His name was Jax. Unfortunately, the she lost him to the coyotes so this is my tribute to Jax.  Bless you, Jackie... long live your memory!
P.S.   I love Mountain Dew :)

Never Mind Me...

.. I'll be fine after listening to some music

 

"Don't remind me I'm not crazy. Don't rewind me then replay me. I'm just fine."
~ Big and Rich

American Indian Proverb

"Only when the last tree has been cut down;
Only when the last river has been poisoned;
Only when the last fish has been caught;
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."
~ American Indian Proverb

 

Otters holding hands

This has got to be the most touching video I have EVER seen. These otters aren't just holding hands, one actually reaches out for the other one after they get separated!

Time for an Escape!

I've used visualization before. I believe it's what helped me get my Camry. Yes, I visualized myself owning a Toyota Camry and the next thing I knew I had a Toyota Camry!

I've been without a car for the first time in my legal driving life for over two years now. My last car was declared "totalled" after it was hit while parked in front of my home.
Believing in the philosophy that "everything happens for a reason," I have learned to appreciate alternative means of transportation and it couldn't have come at a better time with the rising gas prices and all. But even so, having your own vehicle does allow you a certain freedom. A freedom I once took for granted and now highly appreciate...

... going where I want to go when I want to go there!
And what better way to get there than in my own Ford Escape!

Is it coincidental or can you actually acquire anything, even materialistic things, through visualization?

If we create what we desire, and our desires are of good intention, then I believe it works with all things.

So... here is a picture of my new titanium green, metallic Ford Escape. (the windows are tinted, but I'm the one in the driver's seat!)

Just feel better...

Music is full of emotion... I am full of emotion.

Music can be loud... I can be loud.

Music can make you happy... I like to be happy.

Music can make you cry... I feel better after I cry.