chemo.

just checking

A CVhristmas Tree Part Two.

Bonnie came through the front door, load3ed down with packages and parcels, she stopped and looked at Icabod. Zachary and I stood still. time stood still. Beads of sweat came upon our head. Would she tell Ichcabod to leave ?. Ichabod stood still.
She looked Ichabod over from stem to stern and branch to branch to branch to branch. Zach and I loked each other over.
She turned from Ichabod to us. her gaze was kind of steely eyed. "I like it " She said "I like it lot "
We breathed a sigh of relief. We wiped the sweat from our brows. Ichabod gave a faint wave of a branch. A pine needle ,gently,fell.
Bonnie pul;led the boxes and boxes of tree 'dressings' close up by Ichabod. Zach and I looked at each other "Where will she put all of that stuff. ? Ichabod cant handle all of that." ?
Well out came the Baubles-the beads-the bulbs- the treasures of the past. She started spreading 'magic' upon Ichabod. Long into the night she toiled. Weaving the 'magic' slowly through Ichabods thin little body. Some lights some snow some afterglow. An Angel to the top and then she came to a stop.
"There " she said "There' He is done.
Ichabod smiled. a bright shinning smile.
"Thank you " I thought --I heard him say-'Thank you' "I will do my best to make your Christmas bright''
The puppy -our Lilly-stood beneath Ichabod looking up 'I will help protect you "she said.
And so the magic of Christmas that once came to 'Whoville' cmre to the Ponderosa last night. Christmas 'Magic' indeed.

A Christmas tree

This was a very 'rushed' get the christmas tree ,at all costs, today. Get it so Bonnie K.Mccullough can start decorating her tree tonite-Friday the seventh of December in the year of 2007. Normally Bonnie puts the tree up the day after labor day. We have not ,yet, closed the swimming pool for the year but she sends me out to buy a 'live' Christmas tree around that time. Sometimes I have to travel very far to find one at that time of year but this is her wishes and so ???.
Once I hd to travel to Minatoiba to get one. It was very cheap ,though, at that time of year. It did fall off the car several times on way back to the States though.
Anyway because son Zach had to run off top College early today and I have deliver Pizzas to Minatoba tonight -this deed had to be done early and quickly. .
I rushed unto the Tree Lot-not in Minatoba-- I picked up four -five trees and gave them a quick look see'. We were already running out of time. I looked at one twice.
I said to it "You are it pal. You are coming with me. You will like it at the Ponderosa. We have puppies and Dogs and a cat who will try to climb you-she trys every year-- we have lot;s of warmth and smiles and birds and fish. You look a little 'skinny' actually like maybe you shopuld eat a few milkshakes now and then but that maybe looks that way because it is so early in the morning and I am in such a 'panic' rush."
He is standing in the corner now. He definitely needs at least five/six milkshakes. There doesn't seem to be much room to put any ornaments on him. If we put a bowtie on him he woulf look like Icabod Crane and then ,even then, he might fall over from all of the 'weight'.
I wouldn't want him to see what I am saying about him but my gosh--. I have tried ,all of my life, to not judge 'people'on how they look but in this case-looks' are everything. Oh sure he might have been a tree that went to 'Lumber school 'branched' out into the world-saw the forest instead of the trees -maybe even helped 'young saplings' along his way. Now he only wants to 'spread' some holiday happimness BUT he has no branches to spresd.
I am fearful that when Young Bonnie k. sees him he might be the first Christmas tree to go out into the garbage three weeks before Christmas.
well I will do what I can to say something in his defense but I am not sure how much 'Beauty is in the 'eye' of the beholder' can be broguth to play here..
The man did give me some branches that he cut off the bottom of the tree . Maybe I could duct tape them to the tree befrore bonnie gets home. Maybe I could run up there and get alot more of discarded Branches and tape them to the tree. Perhaps if I painted the Duct tape green no one would notice-too badly.?
It doesn't look good at this point.

William of Monmouth

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving ?
What do I have to be thankful for as I approach my seventhieth year on Planet Earth.? What do we all have to be thankful for? Sadly some have very little to be thankful for. Even though in their relative position on Planet Earth they are very fortunate-really very fortunate but from their personal point of veiw they have little or nothing.
That is so sad. I truly feel so sad for them. Life is ,afterall, how you feel about your very existance.
Surely there is sadness. sadneess and misfortune and tragic loss--no doubt. BUT-some can not 'weather' all of that and they are 'doomed' to the sorrow-so to speak. Certanly that is so sad.
BUt-as for me and my seventy. Extrodinary-- just extrodinary. Extrodinary with a capitol EEEEEEEE. Such a wonderful and full life. Did I do some things i regret and would change in the 'heartbeat'.? In a 'heartbeat' I would but I cannot. Did I learn from that all.? For certain, sure, I did. i did not perfect my 'human soul' in the travel' but I continued to work on it and still do. I said ,so many years ago, that when I walk down the steps to my tomb I will have hoped to have gotten to know Bill Mccullough as well as possible. I think I have come close.
My thankfulness would fill many pages-too many pages for here and now--much too many.
The people who have come into my life or vice versa have been just blessings on top of more blessings. in this year my son has returned from having supper with the devil himself. Stayed awhile in his 'lair' in fact but now back. Moving ,forcefully forward. It is a true joy to behold. My Daughters both--too many 'wonders' to list. A son on a spiritual journey that would 'boggle' most folks minds-including mine and I do not 'boggle' as easliy as I used to.
Well five children-five enourmous blessings. How proud I am . Friends and family ?. Well my sister--now that is a 'heartache' for sure a 'heartache'. She upped and 'runned oft' .She had to. She had to be with her family in Arizona. Had to be. No choice-no choice. But that is a 'heartbreak' I must live with. But except for that---
A wife that defys what can be reasonably expected from someone. Stands by me at my very worst. Watches me like a hawk. While all else around me have no idea of my daily day and what miserable company I am to keep when physical 'stuff' gets the upper hand- BUT -she--- 'Stands by me'
I try to reverse the roles.-Someone who is 'out of sorts' more often than not ? Could I stand by her? I hope -I like to think I could.
My Doctor once said to me "Bonnie must love you very much"
i said "well yes. I think she does. But why do you say that. ?'
"Well" he said a lot of women would have left you. I know of women who have left their husbands and their husbands had less wrong with them then what you have."
"You are kidding " " He said "No I am NOT kidding. They did not want their lives to be reduced to being a care giver so they just left. I am telling you that --- THAT --- is a fact. You are a very lucky man."

And so says the Good Doctor.
So there the evidance is in. A very lucky man
A very 'thankful' man.
A life filled with wonderful people.
i hope I have earned some 'Feathers from the Wings of Angels'.

Happy Thanksgiving to you.
May your life be as blessed as mine.

The 'End' Run

This was football at it's very best. Into the daylight--around the end-through the maze-around men standing their ground -daring the run to go through them-but around and back into the daylight. More obstascles in front-but around again-wait-surely the forward progress would now be stopped-but a feint to the left and right and around the end and into daylight agin. This 'run ' was not for faint of heart-wait -feint a gain to the left then quick feint to the right-open daylight again. Left and right and forward and back and then left and right again-so far untouched in the open field. 'Goal' now in sight. Head on in. Head on in.
Exhausted but the 'Goal' reached. I actually had to 'steady myself-out of breath and actually slightly faint from all the 'feint'.
Actually true-every word you have just read-actually true.
What you have read is an 'actually true-so true-story-- about me and the football stadium this last Sunday-not back 'in the day' of long ago glorious time-- this Sunday past. Me in the open field-exhibiting running skills of great 'feint' and almost faint.
That was a -' truelife description' of myself and dear friend Dick Piggot running from our parked car-through the parking lot filled with cars and people and outdoor grills and little kids and drunken young men who thought this was thje 'time of their lives--and so that was , maybe, so.
We covered the ground like two very old men- Dick still recovering from 'open Heart' surgery , early in the year, and limping a bit , as well, and me limping a lotta' bit.
We made it. Whew--we made it.
I looked round the stands. Hey I was one of the original Jet fans. yes I was-.Had season tickets right from the start-. I looked to see some of the old 'originals'. Didn't want to be the oldest fan in Jet Town.
In front of me seven seats to my left. I can only describe this way. He looked like someone who had been picked up off the street of 42nd. Long mangled beard-unkempt hair-yes o.k-he looked a wee bit like me. He had some beers to drink. He kept getting up to go to the bathroom.
In front of me was said this "Why did this 'old coot ' even come to the game he has spent the majority of the game in the John" ?
Well that 'old coot' made my day.
In the last quarter of ,perhaps the worst football game I ever seen, Dick clapped his hands-I recognize the signal-Dick has been kind enough to take me to several games over the years-he clapped his hands "lets go" !!!
That meant head for the 'open field' and so we reversed our earlier course of the day.
I went to bed early and slept quite late.
It felt like I had been run over by seventy-make that sixty-make that fifty-- well maybe about forty thousand Jet fans. That is about how many showed up to see the 'contest'. Well it really wasn't a contest' but rather an exhibition' of men running aound pointlessly with no rhyme or reason and giving the fans an opportunity to 'boo' in many differnt tones and languages.
Well I have to say that this was perhaps 'my end run'.
Unless the 'old coot' calls and asks me come and hold his beer cans or something.
Perhaps the 'end' of my run.
Somehow sitting around the T.V. set with my boys around me seems ,now, to be a 'safer' choice.
But Dick --I thank so kindly for the memorys.

Getting Old

What's it like to be 'getting old' ?
There are several ways to 'look' at this question and from time to time I will address this issue from different 'points of view'.

First off , if given a choice, people would not choose the option of 'getting old' they prefer the option of staying young.
'Young' is ,for sure ,more fun.
Well you can do most anything when you are young. You can live forever. You can climb the highest mountain and you can do it after a weekend of 'party hearty' and a wicked hangover..
You can't do that when you are 'old'. Actually you can't do ANY of that. You can't live forever-you can't climb the highest mountain-you can't 'party hearty' and you ,surely , can't do it after a hangover.
But todays point of view is that-one thing you CAN do that you cannot do when you are young is this--
You can sit back and look at a Mountain-not a mountain to climb-but a 'mountain' that you have allready climbed. A mountain of Memory's . A huge massive mountain of Memory's. You can sit on the top of that mountain and look down and see all that you have 'climbed'. The 'view' is really awesome. Yeah-of course there were bears and lions and tigers and sometimes worse. Beasts that attacked your body as well as your soul but somehow you 'shook' them off. Bathed your wounds in the mountain's streams had a little more to eat and drink of the honey of life and climbed higher. Higher to here. Here where you can sit and smile. Journey's not over, for sure-more hilltops ahead but you can sit and enjoy the 'scenery' for a bit. You have earned that 'rank' if you will.
Yes I am telling you that the ' 'view' ' is sometimes--well sometimes it almost takes your breath away.
you can sit on that mountain top any time you choose and let it all unfold before your eyes.
I hope and pray that most folks get to feel that way.
I mean I know that lot's of folks do not get to feel that way. They feel that the 'mountain of their life 'was much too tough to climb. I know that-wish i could change it for them--but I firml;y believe--now I repeat-firmly believe that we DO lead many lifes and what we do here is in preperation for the next journey. So maybe all that pain , for some, has a 'higher purpose'.
Why do I believe that we have many lives ?. Well I have studied the subject for almost fifty years. At first I laughed at the thought but not anymore. Well that brings us back to Edgar Caycee. But that is not the 'point' of todays 'sermon'-hey it is Sunday- the point of today is the 'Mountain' and all of it's glory. The higher you go the more staggering the 'view',
Thanks for listening.

Santa Claus

In my lifetime I have actually played Santa Claus and did a very good job. Made children smile Boy making children smile ?--dont get much better than that. Well since I have grown this beard back in the late days of the fifties and have worn it 'off and on' for all of the best part of fifty years-I cannot tell you how many times I have been called "Santa Claus'
Now ,alas-alas-National Geographic has sent their yearly selection of Christmas and Season Cards to choose.
I am in a 'down spirit mood '. Depressed a bit after looking at these cards of the Season. I cannot help but be saddned by what i see. You see the one with Santa Claus- ? -well he looks a lot younger than me. !!!
I do not invent this sad tale. The picture speaks for itself.
I have no doubt that Santa Claus is now younger than me.
I must try to handle this fact the best I can..
Thank you for your understanding.

Moose and The Mustangs

The 'Moose' ? Well he was as 'gifted' a sports writer as has ever sat on the fifty yard line. He was one of the last who used things like pens and pencils and paper and a broad brimmed hat to reflect the sun's rays. There are some who will read this who will remember him , well , from the old golden days.
He used to write for major periodicals like the Baxter Travenol Bulletin. He covered teams like the B. T. Express which in basketball and softball ,local leagues, featured future Hall Of Famers like the clancy brothers. Al-Jim -Dennis and a few others. Too many to name ,really but he covered them all.
His stories were read where ever there were people who could read the printed the word. In efforts to spread his fame he even traveled to lands where they could not read the 'printed word' and he read his stories 'out loud' for them.
It was this same 'Moose'-who was quite a player in his 'own right', in his own day-well in his own mind anyway-who was called upon to come out of retirement and be carried to his familiar position on the fifty yard line to to write about a a 'young phenom'.
Her was in South jersey for this event. He would cover the Galloway Mustangs. The Mustangs to be a bit brutal honest had not won one single contest this year and this was their last chance.
He adjusted his five magnification Bifocals-had his Kodak Brownie camera at the ready and a small box of smelling salts at his side.
So why call upon such a living ledgend to cover this game ?
Well word round' the town was that there was this young 'phenom' on the Mustangs that was worth a 'look see'. That's football talk.
Number 47-Ethan Gambale-running back for the Mustangs-all of thirteen years old.
Word , beggining to spread that this kid could be something 'special'. He was starting to amass some serious 'yardage'-football talk-and had scored an impressive touchtown the previous week.
"Well lets see what this kid has. Lets see what all of the talk is about."
The 'Moose' had seen many, many 'gone Busts' in his 'storied career. Maybe this kid was not a 'cloud of dust' but rather just another 'gone bust'.
Moose knew the differance. He had seen and written about Jim Thorpe All American so he knew 'cloud of dust' when he saw one.
'Moose' settled into his seat.. As he did he dropped his hat. As he reached down to get it--#47 Ethan Gambale came 'streaking' around the right end and shot in for a 25 yard touchtown.
"Whoa' Moose said "whoa' "what was that"?.
Mustangs 7-other guys nothing.
BUT-- then the 'other guys' came right back down the field and 'Boom'-in a blink-seven to seven in favor of the Mustangs.
Well the Mustangs came right back-'right on back' and from the ten yard line # 47 Ethan Gambale----the Mustangs missed the extra point--football talk and so 13 to 7 Mustangs.
Well here come the 'other guys-- AGAIN. Crucial play-the 'other guys' guy looks like he is heading into the open field for yet another Touchdown
"Whoa'" Moose said-he says that a lot-"Whoa"
From out of nowhere town the 'other guy' is stoped dead in his tracks.
"No touchdown for you says # 47 Ethan Gambale. "I am very sorry to inform you that you have chosen the wrong side of the field to try for a touchdown'
Well the Mustangs got the ball right back and right back down the field the Mustangs galloped-'full tilt' galloppppp. Around the end goes a Mustang. A very fine young Mustang. He is heading for a 'twilight' as they say on football fields
"Whoa" there he said it again
Fumble -fumble --that is a play where a player carrying the ball drops it on the ground. When that happens whoever picks it up gets the ball for his team. The ball is jumping around like a Mexican jumping ball.
Who will get the Mexican jumping Ball ?
Well who else ?--# 47 Ethan Gambale..
Then the ball is handed to another young fine Mustang who races into the 'end zone.
The extra point is missed and now the score reads,on the scoreboard, Mustangs 19 -other fellows 7.
The first half is done for.
In the second half it seems ike the Mustangs are the 'best' and their awful season will end on a positive note.
They will "thump' that's football talk--the 'other guys'
"Whoa' Whoa' Whoa' says Moose.
One of the key Mustang players is injured and will not be able to play any longer this day.
All of the 'load'-football talk -will fall onto the shoulders of young Mr. 47 Ethan Gambale.

Moose reaches down for a 'cold brew'-well actually many years ago the 'cold brew' turned out to be a diet coke-but he was 'reaching down.'
The crowd stands and starts screaming and yelling things.
He looks up-there racing out ,alone, into this fine autumn night-racing long for the end zone is - ? you guessed it exactly-Mr. 47 Ethan Gambale.
Moose reaches for his Brownie. He tries to focus for a shot for the morning papers but Ethan is running too fast to focus.
Moose yells, as loud as he can , for Ethan to slow down. Ethan doesn't really hear him but looks over to see what all of the noise is about and that allows the' other guy's ' team person to tackle him just short of the 'end zone'. If Moose hadn't yelled--what would have happened.?
They do not score on that play. They do not score .
The 'other guys ' DO score and so 19 to 14 is now the score-a very close game indeed.
BUT--here come the Mustangs , Again, and take a guess who takes the ball into the end zone--go ahead take a guess. That's it you got it # 47 Ethan gambale. 26 to 14.
They score again and now the game is 'afoot' --32 to 14.
"I have seen enough' says the young Moose. "Only four minutes left."
The crowd starts to cheer for him as he gets up to leave.. As the word ' enough' falls from his mouth the 'other guy ' team scores a touchtown play-32 to 20.
"Not to worry " says Moose " put this one in the Barn". But as soon as he said 'Barn' the other guys scored again 32 to 26.
He sat down.
The 'others' got the ball again. They were standing on the ten yard line when the 'clock struck 'midnight.
Game set and match-football talk.
The Mustangs ,in jubilation city, raced out on the field, they were all slapping the back of young Mr. 47.
They were telling him what a great fantastic game he had played . Did he ever ? He did. He really did.
When Moose was interviewed on National t.v , at games end , he said and this is a direct quote
"I know a 'Cloud of Dust' when I see one. Tonight I saw one." !!!
When asked why he came out of retirement to write about this game- ? "With a huge broad brimmed smile just like his hat "Well # 47 Ethan Gambale ?
He is my grandson".
Remember that name he said
Wait untill you see his big Brother Luke
Moose was escorted to his car. He signed a few autographs on his way.
"Cloud of Dust" He said as he got in the car
"Cloud of Dust" !!!

First Post-'post Time'.

Goping to satrt one soon. Just seeing if all of this will workp as we hoped.

First Real Post

Hello world.

Test

HI, this is a test! Soon Bill will be posting here!