Category Archives: joy

Ho Ho Ho for 37 Years!

Posted on by

Back when I was in junior high school in 1971, a group of friends got together to go Christmas caroling in our neighborhood. We would meet at one of our homes to practice each week for many weeks before our caroling adventures. We sure had a lot of fun.

So much fun, we continued to get together for caroling every year since. Yep, that’s right, 37 years now! We got together while we were in college, when members of the group were getting married, having children, working, and going through the events that make a life. I met my partner, built a house, got really active in the community, etc. My friends did the same. Some had large families, some are childless. Some moved away, some — like me — stayed in the area. Some returned to our former “stomping grounds” to buy their home and settle down. Some divorced. Two had spouses die. We have continued to remain in touch through the years, with e-mail making it far easier to do that.

While we don’t rehearse any more for weeks in advance, we still look forward to getting together on the Saturday night before Christmas at the home of one of our group. She bought her parent’s old house, so we still get together in the same neighborhood. My friends bring their spouses, children, and last night, six grandchildren were among the mix. 40 of us were together, 15 from the original group.

Yesterday as I was cooking and baking while my partner was driving to his mother’s to pick her up and bring her back to our home for Christmas, the doorbell rang in the early afternoon. Standing there was a friend who once was in our group, but moved away for college, and settled down on the West Coast. He returned to see his family, and stopped by to say, “hi.” Man, it was great to see him again. We whiled away the afternoon gabbing and catching up, and had dinner together with something I whipped up at home. He went with me to our gathering. Everyone was as pleased to see him as I was.

Instead of terrorizing the old neighborhood by going door-to-door as we once did, we went to three nursing homes and assisted living centers where some of my friend’s parents or grandparents live now. My friends pre-arranged with these facilities for our visit, so we wouldn’t interrupt their mealtime or conflict with another group.

We sang, a bit off-key, a bit out of tempo, but with good cheer and lots and lots of fun. Smiles all-around, laughter, and delight at the children and the grandchildren who sang their hearts out along with us.

After we completed our rounds, we returned to a friend’s house to visit with each other, catch up on our lives, have some food and drink, and talk late into the night. Since my partner wasn’t home and the weather was cooperating (cold, but not raining), I didn’t have to go home early. Though I was tired, I was very energized and stayed quite late — ’til after midnight.

I’m still a little groggy this morning, but I am cherishing memories and fun with a group of friends that have held together for such a long, long, long time. My partner will return with his mother today, so there’s no time to nap. Oh well, I’ll manage. We will enjoy making my M-I-L feel welcome, pampered, and loved.

Life is short: show those you love that you love them! Merry Christmas, and Ho! Ho! Ho!

Gift for Elderly Loved-Ones Who Don’t Need More Stuff

Posted on by

I have a lovely aunt whom I care for, helping her continue to live independently. She is almost 94 years young. At that age, she has every “thing” she could possibly want. The last thing she needs for Christmas is more “stuff.” While it’s nice to give a gift of some sort, the plates, bobbles, coffee mugs, and figurines already overflow. The clothes she has are nice, and she can only use so many new pairs of socks or house slippers. Her pantry is full, her cupboards aren’t bare. There isn’t a thing in the world that she wants or needs.

Being of a certain age, she is quite forgetful. She is not able to get out on her own. She has gotten perturbed with herself when she discovers that she forgot to buy and mail a card to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren for their birthdays.

So my gift to her, which I have been doing since I began the practice for my mother 15 years ago, is to go buy the cards for each person important to my aunt. I write the person’s name and address on the envelope, and put a stamp on it. Then I file the card in a card organizer by date. (Card organizers are available inexpensively from Amazon.) It’s helpful that I keep our large family tree and genealogy, so the birthdates and addresses are already on my computer.

All my aunt has to do (and sometimes with my prompting) is to check the monthly slot in the organizer at the start of each month and pull out the cards for that month, sign them, seal the envelopes, and put them out for the mail carrier to pick up. Simple! Perhaps someone receives a card a week or two early, but that’s far better than not getting a card at all. And they are amazed at how she remembers their birthdays! We won’t reveal our little secret. (LOL!)

Here I am today, while bread for the neighbors is rising and a home-made Manicotti is in the oven, organizing my aunt’s cards into her organizer for this year’s Christmas gift to her. Our buddies, Big Bear, Snowbeary, Katie the Koala, and Guido (on the motorcycle), are helping me (long story about these guys, tell ‘ya later….)

As they say, it’s the thought that counts. This is a way I show my love for someone who loves me very, very much. What a treasure my aunt is in our lives, and what joy we share.

Life is short: show those you love that you love them!

The Lost Art of a Thank-You Note

Posted on by

This smile (actually an old photo but the only one I could find quickly on my computer) reveals my pleasure in receiving over 50 written thank-you notes from the folks who attended our Thanksgiving event.

It truly is a lost art to write a card by hand, express a personal sentiment, write an address on it, put a stamp on it, and put it in the mail. My momma taught me to do that, which is a custom I still follow (along with a card on my elderly friend’s birthdays, anniversaries, or at times of sadness upon the death of a loved-one).

I also want to give a special shout-out to my buddy WearinBoots of Mesa, Arizona. I helped him a little bit by putting together a draft profile that he had imported to hotboots.com. He expressed his thanks by writing a card and sending a gift of really cool boot Christmas tree ornaments. That wasn’t necessary, but was humbly and deeply appreciated. What a thoughtful man.

I am humbled and gratified that some people still remember that a thank-you card is a wonderful gesture. Sure, I appreciate the phone calls, and email, but a card… well, that’s really special. My legion of fun folks that I spend time with as I can — changing a light bulb, replacing a faulty light switch, repairing that sticky door, or even continuing to practice my Italian while playing Bocci — are truly special. I am so richly blessed.

Now that doesn’t mean it’s all love-n-roses. My ever-persistent-keep-the-house-clean partner has been asking, “how long are you going to keep those cards?” … well, “for a while.” I like to read them, sometimes over and over.

Life is short: show those you love that you love them.

Posted in joy

Men Wear Boots!

Posted on by

On Thanksgiving day, among our 106 guests, my partner and I enjoyed the company of a gentleman who owned and operated a western store in Oklahoma, but moved “back East” after he sold the store to live closer to his children, all of whom settled in the sprawling ‘burbs of Maryland. He lives in a retirement community where several of my family members live, and where I visit often. I met him when someone referred him to me when he needed some minor electrical repairs done.

We hit it off great — especially the first time when I walked in his door and he made remark about the boots on my feet. I remember what he said to this day: “Men wear boots!” That is a statement he has made to me each time I have seen him over the past dozen years or so.

It’s unfortunate that my friend’s children and grandchildren, all of whom live within five miles of his home, only go to see him about twice a year. They expected him to drive over to their houses for holidays, birthdays, or other family events. As he aged, he stopped driving at night, and last year, he stopped driving all together. He acknowledged that his reaction times were much slower, and he was afraid of all of the other “kooky drivers” on the road.

Unfortunately, his family’s ignorance persists. They told him that they were going this-way-or-that for Thanksgiving, and that none of them could pick him up or spend any time with him on the holiday. It’s so sad… family so nearby and so callously ignoring their own father.

We were delighted that he joined us for our holiday event. My niece picked him up (along with some others). He walked in the door with the biggest smile on his face. Surreally, the cacophony stilled. He exclaimed, “Men Wear Boots!” and handed me a box.

Inside the box was a pair of black Dan Post Vegas Cut ostrich toe cowboy boots. These are really cool-looking, dressy boots! He said that he noticed that I wore boots like those (in a different color) when I saw him earlier this year. He ordered them from his old store. He said that he thought I would like them. That’s for sure!

In turn, I handed my friend a box that I asked a close friend from Oklahoma to send to me. In the box was real honest-to-goodness mistletoe, which grows parasitically on trees in Oklahoma. He had mentioned that he missed his “Okie-toe,” a nick-name he has called the plant since his childhood. He told me that when his wife was alive, he would hold it over his head and chase her around with it. On Thanksgiving, he shed a tear as he removed the mistletoe from the box, held it over his head, and accepted a kiss from my niece, and a hug from me (a Christmas-time custom: anyone who is under mistletoe is to be kissed.)

There are little things that we learn about each other, build friendships, and extend bonds beyond age, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Thanks, “F”, for your gift. I can see from your eyes that you enjoyed mine.

Life is short: wear your boots, and show those that you love that you love them.

Recovery

Posted on by

Thanksgiving at our house was fantastic, fun, and filled with great people and good cheer. We had 106 guests come over throughout the day, and my wonderful partner, sisters, brother, nieces and nephews helped everyone feel welcome.

And man, did we have the food! Four turkeys were sufficient — in fact, we still have some left over which will make for good turkey soup and other “eats” for the weekend. We did, however, manage to give every guest a full plate to take back with them when they left, so the amount of leftovers is minimal.

Our special guest was very entertaining, and truly enjoyed his visit with our neighbors. He brought a contribution of pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes that he made himself! Our guests brought many varieties of foods, as well. I was good — I just nibbled a little bit throughout the day, but didn’t overdo it.

One of my visitors once owned and operated a western store in Oklahoma, but relocated back here to the east to be closer to his family when he sold the store. He presented me with a new pair of black Dan Post Black Vegas Cut boots — the toe is in ostrich, the rest in leather. Man, they are very dressy and great looking boots! He said that he noticed I wore boots like that when I visited with him this past year, and thought I might like them. In my research, I found that the boots had been discontinued in 2007, but he found a pair at his old store and got them for me. What a terrific present! I’m sure I will enjoy them.

The only challenge I had throughout the day was my back. It went into spasms on Wednesday night — an old problem I deal with from time to time that lingers from my more active skydiving days. I had to take a lot of aspirin throughout the day. I was moving about as slowly as some of my guests.

But that didn’t deter from the fun, joy, and cheer throughout the day. We have great neighbors who helped out, by loaning space in their driveways for extra parking — one of them even went out several times during the day to direct people on where to park. How nice! My niece played the piano for many hours, which we all enjoyed. I have no idea what games were on the TV in the basement media center, since I don’t really follow sports at all. But my partner who knows sports stuff ensured that the “game of the moment” was tuned in.

Today my partner and I will be cleaning up — though my family did the majority of that last night before they left. The inside of our house looks as spotless as it did when we began. Just a trip to the dump with about 15 trash bags of bones and garbage. For my “green concerned” friends, we have 28 boxes of recyclables, so we will put less into the waste stream than we’ve done before.

While today is “black Friday,” with lots of folks going shopping, I am staying home (except for the trip to the dump). My partner, bless him, is out at this minute taking advantage of a sale at a crafts store. He is getting some artificial flowers to put at my Mom’s grave tomorrow. She would have been 91 on November 29 had she been alive. He is always so thoughtful. I’m so glad that they got to be closer before her death ten years ago.

Well, on to returning the house to some semblance of order, and perhaps some well-deserved rest. Thank goodness, too, I have the day off from work, so we don’t have to rush too much to get things done.

I’m glowing with great memories of a wonderful event, and thank my partner, once again, for his help as we prepared, conducted, and recover from this once-a-year extravaganza. I will post pics of those new boots soon!

Life is short: show those that you love that you love them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on by

I’m kinda busy getting ready to entertain about 100 people tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S., so I thought I would share some joy (and a little demonstration of my odd-ball humor) with the following video, produced during a little “down time”. Enjoy!

Most importantly, I extend my very best wishes to my partner, my family, my life-long and newer friends — especially my loyal blog followers. Share your joy with those you love. Remember, life is short: show those you love that you love them, each and every day!


I’ve Been Bloggin’!

Posted on by

I was looking at my “Blogger Dashboard” which lists all of my blog posts. I was amazed to see that this particular post makes #202 for the year, since I began blogging on January 25, 2008.

From observing other personal and political blogs, I figure I’ve been, ahem, “rather enthusiastic” in my frequency of blog posts. Probably over time, the frequency will slow down a pace. But there’s just been so much to share! Daily life in leather, information about boots and boot sightings, transitioning to a new Harley, community events and activities, my wonderful lifemate partner, close friends, my huge and raucous family, caring for my community and neighbors, living in a community that has a casual and mature kind of tolerance, and lots of other stuff. I have refrained from blogging on issues related to politics, as there are many others who do that much better than me.

My blog has served as an extension of my boots-and-leather website. I use this blog to describe current things I am doing, post a photo or two and say what I think about it, or give a glimpse into a life — my life — which is full, active, and for the most part, a heck of a lot of fun. Sure, I have some challenges and some down times, and I’ve had my share of problems and concerns. But I would much rather display that life really can be wonderful if you make it be that way. I try to do that… and share joy, happiness, tolerance, love, and affection for all things good. Yeah, there is the occasional rant about cell-phone-yapping cage drivers or thoughtless people and the ignorant behaviors they have demonstrated, but I don’t dwell on those things. I just pick up the trash, throw it in the garbage, and move on.

One expression that I fondly recall from an official who served the longest ever in an elected position in our state is that he often said in his speeches, “there are some who wake up in the morning and say, ‘Good God, it’s morning.’ Instead, I wake up and say, ‘Good morning, God!’.”

You know, he was absolutely right. I keep his expression top-of-mind each day, and say, “Good morning, God! What a great day You have brought to me and those I love!” I smile while putting on my boots, leather (or work clothes), embrace my Man, and mount my Harley and ride down life’s highway. … and smile some more. (and even sing, too, but you really don’t want to hear me do that.)

I give warm e-hugs to my blog followers, some of whom I know, and others I do not. I see regular visitors from all over the U.S., as well as Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Japan, and China. I send a special “shout-out” to my loyal reader from Justin Brands, Inc., who appears any time I mention Chippewa Boots, Justin Boots, Nocona Boots, or Tony Lama Boots. (She did reveal herself once when I inquired about who was lurking). Best regards as well to fellow kindred spirit bloggers Clint, Maf, Robert, and Roland.

And to my elusive lurking RCN-using local regular follower from Silver Spring — I see you too. I hope you (and everyone) has enjoyed what I’ve been expressing, and perhaps learned something. If not contributing to one’s education, at least learned that life can be — and should be — a wonderful thing to share with people you love.

Below is one of my very favourite recent photos. Umm, umm, umm, a booted cop on a Police Harley. Can’t get enough of that view.

Enjoy the pic, enjoy life, and remember: Life is short — wear your boots!

Woofs to Clay!

Posted on by

Today I’m doing a special shout-out to a very dear friend who lives in Calgary, Alberta. “Calgarymn” Clay is such a wonderful, thoughtful, kind and caring man. He’s also a hunky cowboy Leatherman, too.

I’ll never forget that when I was becoming active on “Boots on Line” (and on-line community of men who like boots and share information about them), I observed that Clay was posting pictures and engaging in dialogue with a lot of guys. I was awe-struck at first, and perhaps a bit infatuated (I admit it), and came to think, “wow, this guy is really cool! He always has something nice to say, and has a great sense of humour.” His quick wit and style endeared me to him.

Then he sent me a message in reply to something I posted. I was flabbergasted. “Who, me? Why would this guy who is such a stud want to have anything to do with this inconsequential guy from Maryland?”

We began to exchange email, and soon thereafter we developed a warm and fast friendship. I got him booted in a pair of Dan Post roughout cowboy boots that he wanted. He looks great wearing them. Besides his striking classic cowboy style, which is cool, he’s also quite good looking in leather, too. A man who shares my passions.

He started creating videos about the same time that I did, but he was always better at it. There’s something about how he displays his passion that sizzles. He and I have shared a lot of vids with each other, and I even kidded him in one of mine for “not” giving me an idea for it. We laugh about that to this day.

Guys who have a deep and sincere heart, who live each day with the best of intentions to enjoy life and help others, and who have abiding personal integrity, tend to gravitate toward one another. As I blogged about before, our mutual friend “AZ” has those qualities. Clay certainly has those qualities as well. He has a richness of character that is far above the norm, and to which I aspire in how I live my life and care for my family and friends.

Today I give a special “shout-out” to my “booted bandito” next brother, Clay. Man, I am so richly blessed. With “AZ” and Clay as my rocks and soul brothers, what more could I ask?

Life is short: wear your boots and leather (though my interests purely are as an avocation ~~~. I think with that one, AZ and Clay have a bridge they can sell you!)

Deciding to Smile

Posted on by

Every day you have choices. A primary choice is if you will have a good day. Of course, everyone prefers to have a good day over a bad one. But I firmly believe, down to the roots of my faith and family, that you can make each day to be good, or as a close buddy says, “grand.”

First thing I do each day is smile. And as bad as I am at it, I often find myself singing, too. Dumb little songs, like the one that I drive my partner crazy with, It’s So Nice To Be With You made famous by a one-hit wonder group “Gallery” back in the ’70s. Or when riding my Harley to the Metro this morning, I caught myself singing, Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’, Oh What a Beautiful Day, a popular song from the musical “Oklahoma!”

While riding on the Metro, looking at all the glum-faced suits, whose appearance seems to be miserable, I just smile and think of my eighth brother, and sing to myself, Thank You For Being a Friend by Andrew Gold, made famous as the title theme from the TV show “The Golden Girls.”

I could have decided to be sad today as I watched the TV news about the ongoing killings both locally and in overseas wars. I could have been very upset when I listened to news reports about the earthquake in the L.A. area yesterday, when people talked about the stupid things they did, like run outside or jump into doorframes. I spent 20+ years attempting to educate people that “drop, cover, and hold on” is the safest earthquake action to take, but despite the best efforts of hundreds of professionals, when the ground shakes, people react with self-protective behavior that actually is more likely to cause them harm than protect them. So yeah, I could have decided to be angry, sad, and miserable today, but I decided not to. The sun still rises, the world still goes ’round. Let’s celebrate life.

Make each day a good day. Smile, sing, be joyful. I have much to be thankful for, and thank God for his good graces smiling on my life, my family, my partner, my friends, and our neighbors. I am happy, calm, and serene, because of the graces in my life of wonderful people, an enjoyable job, financial security with no debt, and the little things in life. Like that little bird outside my window this morning singing his little heart out, or the squirrels playing “catch me if you can” in our back yard.

Life is short. Wear your boots. Love those you love like there’s no tomorrow.

Small town feeling in rambling ‘burbs

Posted on by

I live in a rather densely populated suburban area. I live in a county and there really aren’t that many incorporated cities, towns, or ‘burgs where I live. Thus, I’m just part of the rambling sprawl that typically happens outside the core of any major city anywhere in the world.

I’ve blogged before about having friends who I have met on-line, but I haven’t mentioned the friends I grew up with. You see, even though I live in a sprawling suburban area where anonymity is more the rule than the exception, I still keep in touch with many dozen friends I have known since I was a kid. Many of them settled right here, and now have families of their own. I’ve also maintained close friendships with some people with whom I went to college and served together on campus activities. In adulthood, I expanded my network of friends through all of the community activism that I do, boards on which I serve, people I help out from time to time in a neighboring retirement community, and other activities.

Being one person in a county with almost 1,000,000 residents can seem daunting, distant, and make one feel isolated. However in my case, that really isn’t the story. I know hundreds of people. I see them on the street, in local stores, and while I’m riding my Harley. A friendly wave, a phone call, an email, … they’re there, I’m there, and we’re in this together. I feel that my large sprawling community is much like a small town in many ways with the degree in which we’re connected.

I am truly blessed by having many friends — some for as long as 47 years, and many for as long as 40 years, avg (and I’m “only” 50). Much like friendships that develop in small towns. People you know and remain close to for a long, long time. What a treasure.

Life is short: wear your boots. Love your friends.