Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Editor's Corner

 

By Mary E. Adair

February 2023

“While it is February, one can taste the full joys of anticipation.
Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch.”

– Patience Strong


January has entered the history files and now we wait with bated breath to see what February will foist upon us. Hopefully not too much snow although the forecast is threatening that to occur. In fact many locations in the USA and the rest of the world are already beset with blizzards. And what better reason to stay indoors and cuddle, for this is the month that lauds Valentine's Day and many of our authors have bravely expounded on the subject of love. First there is the poem "Love" by Harmony and "Love Stanzas" from Lseeker's many poems by him several years ago.


Because of the romantic season the poem "Courting" by your author's maternal grandmother, Carrie E. Joslin, is shown as well as your author's poem "Tiny Band of Gold" composed when her first engagement ring was received. Bud Lemire shares his poems whch include "Heavenly Valentine's Day," "In Sickness and Health," and "The New Year Has Begun." Walt Perryman's poems are "What I Take for Granted," "Self-communication," and "Memories of Yesterday, Little House." Bruce Clifford adds "Romantic Things" and "I Can't Believe."


Danielle Cote Serar's "A Mother's Lessons" shares the lesson from her mother's brave fight against cancer. Judith Kroll, speaks of "Youth and Elderly" in her column "On Trek."


"Introspective" by Thomas O'Neill, discusses the significance of the Chinese Year of the Rabbit.   "Irish Eyes" by Mattie Lennon offers two discussions for our edification, and includes the YouTube link to a lovely presentation, narrated by him, of the Wicklow area in Ireland.


"Sifoddling Along," by Marilyn Carnell, discloses one of her most romantic theatre trips. "Woo Woo," by Pauline Evanosky, gives an example of her conversations when she is "Talking with Spirit."


"Cooking with Rod” Roderich Cohenour's column features a recipe titled M's Christmas Enchilada Casserole" explaining it got its name from the red and green sauces used, not limiting it to that December season. Melinda Cohenour has included a former "Armchair Genealogy" column of counting the "Treasures" discovered in delving into family genealogy.


Walt Perryman is also the author of the continuing tale that reveals the compositions titled "Honey Dog Tales." Chapter Six is in this issue for our readers to enjoy!


We continue to thank our co-founder and webmaster, Mike Craner, whose knowlege and expertise keeps Pencil Stubs Online actually online. He does it well as we are now begining our 26th year with this issue. Happy Valentine's Day, Susie and Mike!


Look for us in March 2023.


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Armchair Genealogy


By Melinda Cohenour

Recent efforts in researching my everlasting FIVE BRICK WALLS brought about such a level of frustration I found myself wondering why I continue. Of course, I am a Genealogy addict and the very idea of NOT continuing to research culminates in its own form of withdrawal. As a respite from such a painful alternative, my thoughts turned to a review of the most fulfilling "finds" encountered through the years. What a great idea for a column! But wait.


As I began exploring that pathway, the stepping stones began to look overly familiar. Ahhh, yes. I wrote that column ... Some time ago. And, like magic, here it is.


Treasures. Serendipitous discoveries that have made all those hours and hours of hard research worthwhile. For this month's column, I offer up a column published as an ode to Thanks-Giving genealogy. My treasures. The jewels of discovery encountered through the years.

Thankfulness: Treasures in Research


    As we prepare this column, the Thanksgiving Holiday inspired a review of blessings. One of my greatest blessings is the opportunity to get to “know” my ancestors – the folks whose genes became part of ME. And that opportunity has been delivered, in my own circumstance, by the ability to “travel” the world via the Internet. The title of this column is directly tied to the technology that has made Armchair Genealogy research possible.


    Just this month, my annual subscription to Ancestry rolled around. It is no small figure for a senior budget, but in my mind, it is well worth the expense. This is my primary access to the world of genealogy, with literally millions of documents scanned in providing the opportunity to view records often written by or dictated by long-buried ancestors whose lives were filled with the trivial and the critical. Through the miracle of modern technology and with a bit of time and strategic thinking, I am enabled to unlock the secrets of those who came before me, those who helped make me who I am.


    In the process of research, many surprises have come my way. Glimpses into the lives of these folks often elicited unexpected tears, or smiles, or even gasps as I found a connection to some famous (or infamous, Heaven help us) personages. This column was triggered by your author’s reflection on the things for which to give Thanks. In the process of recounting the love of family, good food prepared well, decent health (give or take a few annoying issues), friends who have enriched our lives, the fundamentals of personal security (shelter, warmth, utilities), my thoughts centered on the non-essential things which bring joy. Primary on this list was my love of genealogy.


    My family history research has also resulted in making the acquaintance of so many like-minded researchers. Many are family members who generously share their own research. Often the researcher became friend as a result of an inquiry arising from viewing one of my columns or finding a common ancestor on my family tree. Amazingly, in reviewing my records many with whom information has been shared have written back and forth for decades! Also, sadly, many who contributed greatly to my research have gone on to join our ancestors in Heaven.


    Talking about those surprise connections, my most recent “gift” was the discovery that Garth Brooks is a 6th cousin, once removed! Now, my husband and I have been HUGE fans of Garth since hearing his first recording nearly forty years ago. He and his connection to our family is now documented in my tree. This find was not mine but came about through my membership in a family Facebook page devoted to our Creek family lineage. My great-grandmother Flutie Creek (later Alexander, then Kendrick) was the daughter of Absolom Creek whose parents were Jacob Haudenschildt Creek and wife, Virginia Lee Younger Creek. Through this line arises our relationship to both the Younger boys whose exploits after the Civil War became infamous, and their cousins, the Dalton boys. One of my columns was devoted to the string of infamous relatives found through researching these guys, entitled Oh! Those Shady Characters! It was one of my more enjoyable bits of writing for pure fun. Shady Characters


    Researching the Dalton boys, one of those intriguing “coincidences” surfaced. My column back in 2014 explored this unusual find. Titled: My Strange Relationship with Julia Ann Johnson Whiteturkey Gilstrap Lewis Dalton Johnson, the column highlights one of the more interesting ladies to appear in our family. My Strange Relationship.


    Another find came in the course of research into one of my most disappointing brick walls (records documenting the birth in New Jersey of one William “P. R.” Joslin or Joslyn seem to have been burned during the Revolutionary War). My DNA test ties to many other Joslin descendants whose documented trees include the Col. William (of Deerfield) Joslin. An intriguing line in one of the histories of the family regarding the Colonel William Joslin read as follows: "He left Fairfield Township about 1730 and purchased land at the Indian Fields (East Bridgeton). At this place, he married Christiana Garrison, daughter of Jacob Garrison, Jr (1676-1751) who lived nearby. "


    Being the good little clue follower a researcher must become, I began research into the Garrison line. (By the way, DNA also links me to other Garrison descendants, the combination virtually assuring that we descend from this Joslin ancestor.) In that research, I found the parents of Jacob Garrison, Jr. to be Jacob “Old Jacob” Garritsen de Haas (anglicized to Garrison) and wife Christina Cresson and that brought about the connection to my 7th Great-Grandfather (may be 8th if we find P. R.’s father was not the Colonel but one of the Colonel’s sons) Pierre “La Jardiniere” Cresson. Pierre Cresson warrants a column of his own as his contribution to the New World rivaled that of almost any other for the impact felt through the centuries. (Stay tuned, readers, for this is proposed to be my first 2020 column subject!) Pierre acquired his nom de plume “le Jardiniere” by virtue of the breathtaking gardens he designed and executed for the Prince of Orange of Flanders, the Netherlands. (William II, Prince of Orange, was the son of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, and Amalia of Solms-Braunfels. On 2 May 1641, William married Mary, Princess Royal, who was the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, in the Chapel Royal of Whitehall Palace in London. William was fifteen, while Mary was just nine at that time.) Through this ancestor, it appears there are connections to the Post family and another to the DeMarest family. Research must ensue.


    Pierre and family were part of the Huguenot migration to the New World. Likewise, another ancestor, Bartholomew duPuy, was a French Huguenot who made his mark on the New World. His story is one of romance and intrigue and was reported in an Armchair Genealogy column previously. Another jewel of a find! Bartholomew was the head of the personal guards protecting the life of one King Louis XIV of France. Bartholomew duPuy


    One of the most famous of our relatives was Napa Charley Hopper, whose story first inspired my interest in family history. His exploits as the hunter/guide for the Bartleson-Bidwell Party on its trek from Missouri to California triggered historical references in not less than four states! An early contribution to PencilStubs, before I actually committed to do a monthly column: Charles “Napa Charley” Hopper - The Ancestor whose Adventures Sparked my Interest in Genealogy Charles “Napa Charley” Hopper


    No list of treasures in our family tree would be complete without listing both Hugues dePayens (DuPuy) and Charlemagne. These two are without doubt THE most famous of all our ancestors. A tribute to Hugues dePayens was contained in the October 2019 column entitled: An Incredible Lineage: My 23rd Great Grandfather, Hugues dePayenes (DuPuy) Hugues dePayenes (DuPuy). Thus far, no column has been devoted to the connection to Charlemagne; however, that was one discovered decades ago through the inherited research of my grandmother, Carrie Joslin, who was a pen pal of the best-known Joslin family researcher, Edith Wessler. Her treatise on the Joslin (all spellings) family was self-published in 1962 after lengthy correspondence with all known Joslin family historians in that day and age. One of her constant correspondents was my grandmother. Following Mrs. Wessler’s death, her daughter, Carol Wessler Treadway, worked tirelessly to update the many handwritten journals in which Edith Wessler maintained her painstaking records. Carol and I became fast friends, emailing one another frequently through the years until Carol’s untimely death a few years ago. One day the Charlemagne connection must become a column.


    Thus, my love of genealogy has become one of my most treasured blessings. I urge each of you to take the time to talk to your elderly relatives NOW and make notes, take pics, video their remembrances before those stories are lost. There is a wealth of knowledge, family lore, grins, tears, and jubilance to be discovered. And don’t forget to avail yourself of the trove of valuable information to be found on the Internet. Best travels are often taken in the quest for Armchair Genealogy!


Click on author's byline for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.


Cooking with Rod


By Rod Cohenour

Mexican food is universal. The tantalizing flavors of beans, rice, and corn have combined to complement one another for centuries. Ancient Native Americans planted corn, beans, and squash (pumpkins commonly) together and referred to them as the Three Sisters. Rice, however, usually replaced the squash in the tasty dishes that graced their tables.

My sweet wife has created a dish using our favorite Southwest ingredients that tickles all our taste buds! Delicious, nutritious, and easy to prep. Why Christmas? It combines both Red and Green Chile Enchilada sauces for a New Mexico Christmas delight.

Try it. You'll like it!

Bon appetit ~!

Ms Southwest Christmas Enchilada Casserole

For Southwest Rice Base:

  • Butter flavored pan spray
  • Aluminum foil
  • 2 cups instant white rice
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (15 oz.) can Red Enchilada sauce
  • 1 (15 oz ) can of whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lg. Green Bell Pepper, diced fine
  • 1 lg. Red Bell Pepper, diced fine
  • 1 (7 oz.) can of Green Chiles, diced plus liquid

For Quick Enchilada Topping:

  • 2 pkgs DelMex Frozen White Meat Chicken Corn Taquitos
  • 2 cups Fiesta Blend shredded cheese

For Queso:

  • 1 can (28 oz) Los Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) Rotel tomatoes with green Chiles (include liquid)
  • 1 can (4 oz) chopped green Chiles (include liquid)
  • 1 brick Velveeta (32 oz) brick
  • 1 pkg. 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

For Garnish:

  • 2 cups Pico de Gallo (fresh diced tomatoes, onion, deseeded minced jalapeno, diced fine bell pepper, cilantro, squeeze of lime)
  • Sour cream
  • Green onions, tops, and bulb sliced in small pieces
  • Cilantro leaves (remove large stems) chopped

Instructions:

    1. Spray a large roasting pan (like that used for roasting a turkey, this recipe serves 8) with butter-flavored spray. Spray liberally on all sides and bottom to prevent the casserole from sticking. Preheat oven to 350°.
    2. In a large bowl mix together instant rice, broth, and all ingredients listed for the Southwest Rice Base. Stir well and pour into the roasting pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until rice is softened but not mushy.
    3. When the rice base is done, arrange Taquitos on top, fitting so as to fill the pan evenly. Top with shredded Fiesta Blend cheese. Cover again with aluminum foil and return to oven. Bake another 16 to 18 minutes.
    4. While taquitos bake, melt the Velveeta cheese. Then whisk together green chile enchilada sauce, Rotel, green Chiles, and cream cheese. Whisk to blend well. Add to the melted Velveeta and heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. This is your Green Chile Queso.
    5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Top with Green Chile Queso and return to oven for about 5 minutes. Let heat while the queso heats through and blends with the taquito-cheese layer nicely.
    6. Plate the casserole by spooning rice base plus taquito queso layers on each serving dish. Garnish with Pico de Gallo, sour cream, cilantro, and green onions.


Serve with a crisp salad and Tostitos, warm corn or flour tortillas, sweet butter, iced tea, or lemonade.


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Woo Woo

 


By Pauline Evanosky

Talking to Another Dead Guy

(Guide Speak and Folk in Spirit Speak are all in Bold Italics font. My part is in a regular font.)


I want to preface this article for those readers who have not read my articles or know anything about me by saying I am a psychic channel. In 1993 I started talking to invisible people who called themselves spiritual teachers, at least my guide, Seth, who was the first entity I talked to, was like that. That first year I pretty much only talked to him. When you learn how to channel, you get in the way of yourself a whole lot, and much of what you hear is distorted, twisted, and just incredibly fanciful. In fact, when I teach people to channel, I tell them to only talk to their own guide that first year and please, oh please, don’t tell anybody else what they are saying. It’s just too strange, or it was in my case.


After that first year passed, I began gradually talking to other folk in Spirit, as I like to call them. These are my own relatives who had passed on and other people outside of my own family who had died. That’s what this article is about. This is me talking to another dead guy thirty years after I first started channeling.

Hello.
Hi there. Jack? (I was thinking of Jack LaLanne.)
No. Johnny.
Oh, great. How have you been doing? (Weissmuller…think Tarzan)
Fine. You know how it is with us dead guys.
Sorry about that. (There was a mysterious technological computer thing going on. It wouldn’t stop beeping..)
Sort of like you talking with dead guys.
Yes, but I got used to that. So, do you still do things like swimming? I loved watching you in those underwater scenes when you were swimming fast to save Jane or Boy or when you wrestled with crocodiles.
That brings back memories. The thing is with remembering things you’ve done in other incarnations, it is easier to remember once you are dead than try to do it while you are alive.
Yeah, I’ve only gotten bits and pieces when I do past life regressions. I remember in one regression seeing my son running through the wheat, looking up at my soul or whatever he thought he saw, crying for me. I’d only just died. It was in Nebraska. I think it was the 1880s. Maybe that’s why I was drawn to write about that time period.
Yes, that one was poignant, and I would agree with your assessment.
So, what kinds of other lifetimes have you had? Ah, I just caught money.
There was money. New York City mid-1800s. Life was tough for many people. Compared to your now.
Did you shine shoes or something?
You caught the handlebar mustache?
Yes. I think I’m easing into the channeling now. That took me a while. I guess I’m trying extra hard to be polite.
You do not need to worry about that. Just concentrate on what I am saying. Just like you are a stenographer.
Okay. This stuff chokes me up sometimes.
It is like intimacy. You must let go of the strings that hold you down, like one of the balloons at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Well, there’s an image. You know what I like when I’m talking to you?
What is that?
It is two days after we started this article, and I’ve only just come back to it. I was sort of stymied, but as soon as I sat down, it was like we’d never left off.
This happens with apple pie too.
Ha. That’s funny. People will think I’ve been drinking. Actually, apple pie sounds good.
I have some advice for you and any readers who happen down this trail. Remind yourselves to live more in the moment. Relish the little things. Try not to take anything for granted. If you can think of five things to be grateful for in the morning, it can sometimes put a good spin on your day. Be more in touch with your physical body, even if that means gazing at your reflection just to remind yourself of yourself.
Wow. That was nice. Thank you.
Yes, you are welcome.
I just had a thought. You could be the Ghost Guest.
Except, I am not a ghost.
I guess it’s sort of like I say I’m a psychic when I’m just as ordinary as anyone else.


And that, folks, is what life is like in the WooWoo.


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Introspective

 


By Thomas F. O'Neill

The Chinese New Year was ushered in on January 22nd -- the year of the rabbit. In Chinese culture, the rabbit is one of the luckiest of the twelve animals in the zodiac. The year of the rabbit represents the washing away of bad luck and bringing in good luck. For those of you who believe in luck, this year will bring about a year of prosperity for all those who show initiative in all their endeavors.


This year will further be classified as one of two sides of the yin-yang symbol. This year is considered yin, and compared to its light, a more active counterpart, emphasizing the importance of rest and the cultivation of a peaceful heart. The rabbit is also a symbol of intellect and cautiousness but, most importantly, conscientiousness.


I witnessed my first Chinese New Year Celebration here in China in 2010. Many foreigners like me living in Suzhou, China, enjoy the experience of going to Shiquan Street. It is due to the many western bars and restaurants there. I spent a portion of the Chinese New Year in 2010 at an extremely popular place on that street. It was called Jane's Pub Bar, which is no longer there due to the COVID pandemic, which closed many businesses.


I wasn't aware then that a huge firework display was going to be set off in front of Jane's Pub Bar to usher in the new year. I got more enjoyment, though, from watching how excited the locals got when setting off those fireworks in the night sky. I quickly pulled out my smartphone to capture part of the moment in a video.


In America, we rely heavily on public safety, so it was quite amusing seeing the fireworks going off while the street was still open for traffic. No one seemed to mind, though, and we really enjoyed watching the night sky light up with booming bursts of exploding energy.


When the show ended and the smoke cleared, a very attractive Chinese woman ran up and gave me a big kiss, and yelled, "Happy new year, Tom." That was exhilarating, too, and since then, I've become a huge fan of the Chinese New Year. YouTube-Suzhou, China in front of Jane's Pub Bar in 2014.


Me (Thomas F O'Neill) celebrating the Chinese New Year in Suzhou, China in front of Jane's Pub Bar in 2014, link to www.youtube,com above.

    Always with love from Suzhou, China
    Thomas F O’Neill
    Email: introspective7@hotmail.com
    WeChat: Thomas_F_ONeill
    U.S. Voice mail: (800) 272-6464
    China Mobile 011 (86) 13405757231
    Skype: thomas_f_oneill
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Thomas_F_ONeill
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-f-o-neill-6226b018/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomas_f_oneill/
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/thomasf.oneill.3/


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Sifoddling Along

 


By Marilyn Carnell

A Romantic Weekend

Valentine’s Day isn’t the only opportunity to celebrate romance with a special occasion. My most memorable event was the weekend of my thirtieth birthday in July 1970. Our 7-year-old son was spending the weekend with friends Up North and for the first time in years, we had a time with no other responsibilities.


We arranged to have dinner with another couple at the lush, white tablecloth restaurant called the Stillwater Inn on a warm Friday night. Social mores were changing rapidly in the era of hippies and the Vietnam War. Pants suits and mini skirts were the new fashion statement. I bought a white pantsuit with a vaguely nautical style and felt I was dressed to the nines.


When we arrived at the restaurant, the Hostess said crisply that I could not enter the dining room as I was wearing pants. My attire was too casual for their standards and refused to listen to my protests about fashion. I then asked to be excused, went to the Ladies’ Room, removed my pants, tucked them into my large purse, and emerged wearing a white mini-dress with white tights. This time I was admitted although I am sure the hostess gritted her teeth.


The dinner was lovely with several courses. As I recall my entrée was a filet mignon, after dessert, I was asked what I would like to do to continue this grand event. That was easy.


“I would like to see the play, “Hair,” I said. I had read about this controversial story (at the time) about those same hippies and the Vietnam War.


A chorus of “We would love to, but it isn’t playing in the Twin Cities.” and “We don’t even have toothbrushes.” ensued.


I was ready, “It’s playing in Chicago, let’s go there tonight. We can buy what we need and see the play tomorrow.” Stirred to action my little group set to work to make it happen.


A phone call to a friend insured we had a place to stay and off we went to the airport.


We arrived in Chicago in the wee hours of the morning, went to the friend’s apartment, and crashed. The next day, we went to several places of interest and obtained our precious tickets to the matinée.


The play was wonderful and delivered what I expected – even the scandalous nude scene. We went quickly to the airport and got back to the Twin Cities in the early evening. After collecting the car from the airport parking lot, we had a total of about 75 cents among the four of us. Needless to say, my white pantsuit was a little grubby.


I think we were all a little shocked at our impetuous behavior, but it made a birthday celebration one I will never forget.


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Irish Eyes

 

By Mattie Lennon

Things Not Worth Doing and Highly Intelligent, Sigle, Women

This is a list of “Twenty Things Not Worth Doing,” that I picked up in January. You may not agree with some, or all, of them but I believe the list is worth passing on. 

 

    Drugs - You pay a far bigger price than money to use Drugs.
    Joining a Career for Money - No amount of money will be able to justify 40+ years of doing something you don’t fully enjoy.
    Waiting - In 99% of the cases you just need to go and do it. It will not get better with time. Ask that person out. Start on your dream. Begin the habit. Do it now!
    Flaking on your boundaries - Loose Boundaries = Personal Hell. Keep the boundaries you set; it’s the best way to succeed.
    Travel - All that self-finding you think you’ll do you will push away. You can find yourself anywhere; you do not need to travel for it.
    Reading too much - A book every now and again is great to learn, but if you do not apply what you learn you are just wasting time.
    Arguing over Beliefs - A belief is a belief. Just like an opinion, it’s personal, based on experiences and points of view. It matters to the person, is not always factual, but gives them something positive. Do not waste your time intensely arguing about these.
    Keeping Toxic Relationships - Just drop them. They will not change the way you want them to.
    The News - News is just another business trying to drive in traffic with emotional, over-the-top content. It’s purposefully made more extreme and gives a wrong view of the world.
    Wasting Time in Negative Situations - If the movie sucks, stand up and leave. If the family event is awful, save yourself some heartache and go. Count your losses instead of prolonging them; you already wasted enough time.
    Taking a Passive Role in Life - This is your life and your responsibility. Good things will not come and find you unless you go and look for them.
    Regrets - If you regret something then deal with it as soon as you can or let it go. Purely regretting something serves no purpose.
    Settling in anything - You do not have to settle for a job, relationship, or hobby. Find ways to always improve.
    A Degree - If that degree does not serve a purpose then it is worthless. Why do you need it? Why do you want it? What will it do for you?
    Giving up Joy for Productivity - High-Performers swear to this until they become so sad and apathetic that they cannot even do a 10-hour work week. To be your best you need to feel your best! Remember that.
    Video Games - If you spend more than 2 hours a day on video games without it being your job, you are spending too much time on them. You are addicted.
    Brand Items - Clothes, Cars, or anything else that has a brand is just a way for you to gain status. The question is why do you need to gain this status? Is it really worth paying up to 20% more for the same product?
    Comparing - There is always someone better and worse than you at everything. But you have led completely different lives. Stop comparing apples to bananas based on how curvy they are.
    Not Accepting yourself - You are you and you spend 24 hours a day with yourself. Become your own best friend, not your worst enemy.
    Giving 100% - This is your life. You are alive Now. Why would you give any situation less than you are capable of? That just leads to an unfulfilled life. Play hard. Work hard. Relax hard. Love hard. Laugh hard.

* * * * *

Why are women of superior intelligence single?


On more than one occasion I was almost savaged for making the following statement or a variation thereof; “Of all the married heterosexual couples that I’ve met during my lifetime in most cases the male appeared to have the highest IQ.” I was beginning to doubt the accuracy of my observations until I saw a clip of an interview with a woman of superior intellect. She threw out a couple of interesting statistics. She pointed out that for every sixteen points that a woman goes up over 100, she has a 40% less chance of getting married and for every 16 points that a man goes over 100 he is 35% more likely to get married. Does this mean that every highly intelligent man is likely to be married while every woman of a similar IQ is likely to be single?


Margaret Cook tells us; “Men don't choose wives on the basis of their high IQs. We're starting to learn why. In spite of emancipation, the feminist movement, gender equality, and staunch efforts to avoid gender stereotyping, men still prefer to marry women who are not too brainy.”


She goes on to say; “Unfortunately for us women, it is uni-directional, for if we get too bright it can be a turn-off. Thus, in Love Actually, Hugh Grant's suave prime minister finds a soulmate in Martine McCutcheon's comely tea-lady, while Colin Firth plays a writer who falls for a Portuguese woman. Knowing no English she cannot answer back.”


This is Macy Grey’s take on why most highly intelligent women are single; “For intelligent women, Relationship is a partnership. They believe in learning and growing, not everyone is down for this. Here are a few reasons they are single :

    They crave mind to mind connection.
    They want someone from whom they can learn.
    They want an open-minded person.
    They prefer honesty.
    They want a highly intelligent individual.
    They want a person who will add value in their life and not feel like an extra person in their life.
    They want someone with unique mind-set
    They want someone who will make relationship look intimidating.
    They want someone who respects everyone.
    Meeting a person with all this quality is nearly impossible; this is why they choose to stay single


And are men attracted to highly intelligent women?

    Raymond James Ritchie of Sydney University appears to have a simple explanation, “Being smart easily translates into fear of you and fear quickly turns to hatred. If you are smart you have to be very careful to avoid being feared.”


I hadn’t ever heard of a sapiosexual (or a sapiophile) until I began researching for this article when I learned that it is an individual who finds high levels of intelligence the most sexually attractive attribute in a person. Now that I know what one is I’m wondering are they mostly male or female.


So, dear reader, will you please do something for me? Take a look at your circle of heterosexual couples and let me know if there is any validity in my observations.


Feedback will be appreciated.


My DVD “Sunrise on the Wicklow Hills” is still available. See clip. Details from; mattielennon@gmail.com

Sunrise On The Wicklow Hills - YouTube Click to Download VIDEO-2022-10-15-17-09-46.mp4 0 bytes


See you in March.


 

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On Trek


 By Judith Kroll

Youth and Elderly

When I was young, I wanted to get older
I wanted the freedom that older folks had
I wanted a car, make money, have fun
fall in love with that special one.

Sandcastles were mine, my dreams were many
hot dogs and amusement parks aplenty
When I got my job my time was not mine,
my shoulders were sinking over time

I am older now, and when I look back,
I see my mistakes, that's a fact.
As I age day by day, I find life another way
Live the the present, the now, today!!

So, I enjoy my coffee, my pets and my friends
my laughter now echo's from coming deep within.
I talk to the trees, flowers and birds,
and enjoy every breath I take

My time is mine, I do what I love, living the moment, living the now
finding the sparkles that each moment brings, sparkles of life that live in the now!!
©1/26 2023 Judith Kroll


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A Mother's Lessons


By Danielle Cote Serar

Coming up on February 4 is World Cancer Day. It follows on the heels of the sixth anniversary of my mother’s passing from metastatic breast cancer. I’d like to say that is the only way cancer has affected my life but it’s not. I’m the only member of my mother’s family that has not personally had cancer of some form or another. I have had my personal experience with family and friends with not only breast cancer but skin, prostate, uterine, blood, colon, kidney, brain, leukemia, thyroid, bone, and pediatric cancers. To say that my feelings toward cancer are rather scathing would be an understatement. Personally, my sentiments begin and end with F*ck Cancer. But that doesn’t mean I have not learned from it or that there weren't ways in which I have been used to help others as a result of those experiences.


I will never really be over the fact that cancer stole my mother from me. But I can look back and see the lessons that came from it. First and second, always do your exams and trust your gut. My mother’s first round of breast cancer was discovered when she had a gut feeling she should do a self-breast exam after having not done one for months. That gut feeling saves her life but having done monthly exams would have caught it earlier.


Third, live each day like you might never see that person again. My mother’s first round with cancer, I was young still, in high school, and my father had passed away not long before. I already knew how fleeting and how short life could be. But when faced with losing my last parent and the one I was closest to, made me realize how important every day is. It made me realize that even in the mundane, you are living and loving that person and how truly precious that is.



This is from her first round of cancer.


Friendships can run deeper than blood… a lesson I saw so profoundly in the last months of my mom’s life. My family has always been close, something I’m truly grateful for but I saw the depth of true friendship in my mom’s sisters of the heart as they took flights or long drives multiple times to be with her.


The last lesson it taught me was even in our worst and darkest moments, light can be found. I’ll watch as complete strangers embraced my mom as their own, above and beyond their jobs. I saw moments of pure joy as I had never seen before in those last months. I watched people stretch rules to give my mom one last Christmas at home. I saw her bonus grandkids rally around her and love on her. And I saw so many examples of different types of love in its full depth and richness and got to experience it in ways that I never would have otherwise.



This is Mom and me having lunch at Disneyland during her second round of cancer.


I still always feel like cancer is a plague I would not wish even on my worst enemy. And my emotions run strong with respect to its effects on my life. But I can’t deny that as a result of the same effects, that good can also be found.


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Honey Dog Tales - 6

 By Walt Perryman

Honey Dog Tales - Six

By Honey Dog

Honey speaks about family reunions.

Well my canine friends it has been an experience, a family reunion in Luckenbach, I have never witnessed anything like it. Tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, and old and new ones. If they could only see their selves like us dogs see them from the ground, HE!! HE!!! What a sight, People throwing horseshoes at each other. After a case or two of beer the horseshoes were going everywhere, in the trees, in the street. I stayed under the pick-up while they had these battles. You ought to hear some of the conservations, man o man!! I never heard such bragging and lying.


There was some good food though. Family reunions are pushovers for a dog like me. Wow, I must have gained a few pounds. And my master the jerk, probably gained 5 lbs. He was on his best behavior I think because of his Aunts. I wish they could see him like I see him the rest of the time, except when there is a reunion. The bailing wire, duct tape, fat poet. Yep, the goody, goody, two-bit jerk plays the part. Well that is the last reunion for a while, thank goodness. My master is not up to another one and I am not either. Take care my canine friends, can you all imagine a dog reunion, I wonder how many kin we have? Arf!! Arf!!!

Honey Dog Memoirs for all canines

Well! Here we go again; my not so bright Master has come up with another brilliant idea. We were out at Luckenbach the other day, when Einstein here, sees a little skinny poodle in a carrying pouch around some one’s neck. My fellow dogs, he went berserk. Now, he has gone and got one for me, yep, for 26 pound me. I know it said on the pouch Max 18lbs. We just spent the last 30 minutes with Einstein, here trying to stuff my fat dog rear end into that little pouch.


Mercy, all because of that skinny little cute, probably 6-pound little hussy peeking her cute little head out of that woman’s bosom. I know if he ever stuffs me in there, he will have to take me to, “Luckenbach” to show off, that is if he can walk with me around his neck, which I doubt. Well, my fellow canines wish the best for me it is not going to be pretty. Hopefully, he will give up on the idea, I doubt it though. Dag, Dog piece of taste like bacon Luckenbach moron of a story telling, beer drinking, duct tape Master. Arf!! Arf!!


(To Be Continued. See Me Next Issue.)
©2010 Honey Dog
with Secretarial Assistant and Master Walt Perryman


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Tiny Band of Gold

 By Mary E. Adair

(Valentine's Day Encore)

Turning it this way

Turning it that

Holding it up

Holding it flat

Looking for the telltale

Spark or glint

Peering closely

With a slight squint

Smiling modestly

When someone else sees

Feeling as tall

As the lofty trees

Knowing his love

Is bigger than the stone

Hugging both to heart

When once more alone

This golden ring

With tiny diamond bright

Was only given

To me last night

But the world of promise

The hopes I hold

Weigh far more than the carats

In this slim band of gold

©2001 Mary E. Adair


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Heavenly Valentine's Day

 

By Bud Lemire

This Valentines Day, Heaven is where you'll find my love
Dancing among the spirits, on a cloud above
I'll be joining with her soul, wrapped around mine
In a spiritual embrace, that'll be so divine

We'll fly away, into the Astral Stream
When I wake up, it'll be like a dream
Yet I'll know, it was as real as it can be
The love of my life, was loving me

Inside the human, that she left here
Is a happy spirit, now living without fear
Her journey continues, as a soul filled with love
On this Valentine's Day, it's her I'm thinking of

In spirit we'll dance, in a tight loving embrace
Two beings of light and energy, in a special place
We'll dance together, while my body will sleep
It's an experience I'll enjoy, one I'll always keep

Our love never died, and it will never end
She'll always be my lover, and my best friend
It's the greatest feeling, this love in this way
I'm enjoying her love, on a Heavenly Valentines Day

©Jan 6, 2023 Bud Lemire

                      Author Note:

Thank you so very much, Vicki, for sharing your love
with me. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful
soul looking over me and guiding me as I continue
this journey on Earth. I shall continue to value the
things we both loved here on Earth, and make every
day count.


 

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Memories of Yesterday, Little House

 By Walt Perryman

I didn’t know the little shotgun house we lived in was small.
We had no phone, TV, or Air conditioner as far as I can recall.

I remember in the cold wintertime lying in my warm bed,
And going to the restroom was something I would dread.

I would stay in my bed until I could not stand it anymore,
Then make a mad dash across the cold wooden floor.

But that was happy times in my young life as I recall,
Back when I had no idea our home was so very small.

©January 2023 Walt Perryman



The only house still standing in Grandfalls that I grew up in, is at the Pecos River bridge!


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Courting

 By Carrie E. Joslin

(Valentine's Day Encore)

Linnie Jane is very happy—She has a brand new boy friend.
       But of the things she knows about him, it seems there is no end,
For she talks of him at breakfast, she talks of him at tea
       And if her girlfriends are not there, she talks of him to me.

She tells me that he is so handsome! He has such a precious grin
       But, the things she likes most about him, is the dimple in his chin.
She tells me how he combs his hair, how he wrinkles up his nose!
       Just how clever are his jokes, and how he wears his clothes.

She tells me of his beautiful eyes, wherein the mischief lurks –
       Then tells me what I already know, that his name is Junior Burks.
Then one night he came to see her – and the rain came down in torrents!
       She told him he must stay all night, and go to school with her tomorrow.

His Daddy has a big grocery truck, and in it they take a ride.
       Oh! She feels so proud and happy, seated by his side!
And when the ride is over--she says, upon the ground he stands,
       And lifts her from the grocery truck with his strong steady hands!

As she talks on and on of his matchless strength, of all the things he has done and can!!!
       I shudder as I wonder,--o'er and o'er, can he be Superman???
Then one day she tells me that she loves him, as no other woman ever loved a man;
       And she reckons they'll get married, Junior thinks they can.

One Sunday when she stood to say her vows, Oh! How her sweet face shown;
       Junior Burks stood by her side, and she took him for her own.
And she promised to love and obey him what ever might betide,
       That through joys and through sorrows, she'd walk faithfully by his side.

©circa 1942/43 Carrie E. Joslin


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Love

By Harmony Kieding

Of all the strangeness in Love's Lands,
That I should wither at your hands

My flowers die, and my gardens fade
In all the hours of love we made...

In all the hours we had in bed,
That I should view those times with dread

Those acts of Love you would not do
Oh, perish the thought of me and you!

When all that's left is the bliss of long ago
In another's arms, then now is Woe

And far removed from his vast Delight
I think of him in the dead of Night.

©1999 Harmony F. Kieding


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In Sickness And In Health

 By Bud Lemire

When two people marry, it's for a love that they share
To honor, to value, and forever to care
Yet life throws a curve ball, and one will get sick
Too much pressure to handle, and one will leave quick

I've been hearing a lot, about someone leaving
While the one that is sick, stays and is grieving
She never asked to be sick, her companion was gone
She battles this illness alone, from dusk until dawn

In sickness and in health, is what was said
On the day they came together, when they were wed
He thought it would be too hard, couldn't handle it all
It's even tougher when alone, he sure had his gall

A real man or woman, will stick by their spouse
Through the worst of times, and not be a mouse
For if it was truly love, you got it all wrong
A weak spouse who left, isn't considered strong

I for one would stand by, the one that I love
Because it's the right thing, it's all I think of
For she gave me her all, and I'll stand by her side
And help her through it, because she was my bride

Until death do we part, I'll always be there
And help her through, all the suffering she'll bear
When it's someone you love, it's the right right thing to do
Together, forever, helping each other through

©Dec 29, 2022 Bud Lemire

                          Author Note:

When you love someone, you stand by each other's side.
You help each other through the best of times and the
worst of times. You don't leave them. What kind of person
are you? Love empowers you to always do the right
thing. If not, it was never love at all.


 

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I Can't Believe

By Bruce Clifford

I can’t believe all you have been through.
It’s so hard to conceive how you fell out of the blue.
I can’t believe there was ever a me-and-you.

 I can’t reconcile how anyone could do.
All those hurtful things that have happened to you.
Your casual smile is a memory I’ve always kept.

Within the blink of an eye, the years left me with a love I can’t forget.
I can’t believe how anyone could cause you pain.
It’s like make-believe in the chaos of thunder and rain.

I can’t believe all you have been through
It’s so hard to see how anyone could do this to you.
I can’t believe what my heart is telling me to do.

I’ve often wondered about what could have been.
Have you ever thought about how life would have happened
If we had found a place to begin?

I can’t believe all the hurt you have been through.
It’s too hard to see how you came to this platitude.
I can’t believe there was never a time I haven’t thought of you.

  ©12/29/2022 Bruce Clifford


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What I Take for Granted

 By Walt Perryman

I have taken so much for granted in my life every day,
Now I feel so helpless and sad when one goes away.

I once watched Sunrises and sunsets just for fun,
But the last few years I thank God for each one.

If I never knew what love is, how can I love?
Until I learned that true love comes from above.

As I age there is less and less, that I can do,
And the ones that I still can, I need Gods help too.

God is helping me to replace the bad with good,
Only God knows when I believe the way I should,

I will probably have physical pains until I my last day,
But I believe the pain will be less by living God’s way.

So, several times a day I need to take the time to pray,
And thank God for what I take for granted every day.

©2022 Walt Perryman


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Love Stanzas

 By Lseeker

(Encore for Valentine's Day)

Let the words flow, dear soul. To me,
I know you awaken in me a passion to be.
And strive to make wrong right
and take all upon some magical flight.
To the clouds above the heavenly sky,
so that we might play and hide.
There, over there, in that poufy form,
like some college dorm,
rolling by our play ground.
Where the wind is our only sound.
And the stars are even closer to touch,
and the moon but a tear drop's blush.
And I'll jump through the poufs of cloud,
and the thunder claps loud.
Sending us all in a hurry frenzy,
of childish glee...

Stanza II

I've dreamed you so many times untold.
Like some type of magical dream quest to unfold.
But always I'm left so cold. To wake again alone,
in some type of world that is known.
Wanting not to sleep again,
until my heart has its mend.
But when I'm there with you I know, I never want to wake.
And feel this low, or have my heart ache.
Perhaps we will meet again tonight,
as I put my head down and slowly lose sight.

Stanza III

I'm no wizard, nor a magical beast.
I'm no knight or kings feast.
I'm no vampire drawing blood.
Or hero stopping a flood.
I'm no spinner of tales,
or traveler of dales.
I'm no ranger of forest,
or the river's running course.
I'm no rain dancer,
nor do I know the searching answer.
But I do know, in my heart's beat
I have mastered a magical feat,
And can make anything happen, with you by me
As we fall laughing into our hearts magical sea.

Stanza IV

And until you answer my prayers I will sit here lonely.
Loving and caring for you only.
And as the whispering wind drifts by,
I'll sit here and whisper a peaceful sigh
Then close my eyes and dream of the only pictures I have.
And maybe I'll laugh.
So as the sparks of my campfire ignite the nights, in brilliant light.
I'll picture you, the most wondrous sight.
And smile deeply,
until the moon catches me sleeping.

Stanza V

Oh I know what they say dear,
and I tremble with fear.
For they whisper to me,
so silently, so harshly.
"Don't live the past man,
but the future and its land"
And I bow my head, not wanting to hear,
because you aren't there taking away my fear.
Just a past dream long ago, haunting me forever untold.
But I'll sit here waiting silently seeking.
You in my heart weeping.
{{ Sets another log in the fire}}
And as I toss away another log of my faith,
I'm lost to my unforetold fate.
Wondering how long more I must wait.
Aye, for my heart bleeds every night and day.
To only hear your enchanting voice of blissful sway...

Stanza VI

I don't know where I would start, or begin.
Without the hope I know within.
And the fate of my prayers unheard.
And the ache as my heart yearns.
But ironically,
I truly don't know what the morning would be.
If I had you with me.
Only a dream only a hope.
Only a thought I keep a float.
You're so far away, yet so close to me.
But what would I do
with you.
What would I know,
this old soul.
How would I dance,
in some dream of a romance.
To take that chance,
to travel that distance.
I don't care anymore,
I'd fall to my knees a hundred times more.
If only I could be yours...

©2001 Lseeker


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The New Year Has Begun

 By Bud Lemire

The bells rang
The Angels sang
The New Year has begun

The people came
It's not the same
This New Year will be different

Like every year before
Some will bring you more
Yet each will be special

So do your best
And take a rest
You will make it through

Like in every year
There will be a tear
But also joy included

Don't look too hard
You hold the card
The ticket to your future

So have no fear
Happy New Year
Make this one the best

Happy New Year!

©Dec 26, 2022 Bud Lemire


 

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Self-communication

By Walt Perryman

My ears have never got me into any major trouble,
But my mouth has caused my troubles to double.

Sometimes my mouth talks without my brains, ok!
My mouth says stuff my brain did not want to say.

My mouth communicating with brain, is what I lack.
Because my mouth cannot suck its own words back.

I’ll try connecting my mouth to my brain and heart,
I may have to talk slowly, but at least it's a good start.

©August 2022 Walt Perryman


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Romantic Things

By Bruce Clifford

Do you still dream of romantic things?
Do you still fly between diamonds and rings?
With your feet on the ground all the troubles and fears.
Are you safe and sound without any more tears.

  Do you still dream of remarkable things?
Do you soar above the voices who sing?
With your dreams in the sky of lost transit and space.
In the blink of an eye all your dreams were erased.

  You wanted to paint the world.
You wanted to paint the setting sun.
You wanted to believe in romantic things.
I never wanted us to be done.

  Do you still believe in romantic things?
Do you still aspire to be almost anything?
With your toes in the sand while you forgot all your plans.
I hope in your heart you can understand.

  Do you still hope for the most special things.
Do you lift above the moments of regrettable wings.
With your head in the clouds all your dreams could be true.
All I have ever wanted was for there to be a me-and-you.

  You wanted to paint the world.
You wanted to paint the setting sun.
You wanted to believe in romantic things.
I never wanted us to be done.

  ©1/4/2023 Bruce Clifford


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