New Year's Eve

Tomorrow morning can be the dawn of a new life if I'm completely willing and fully committed. (At My Best, 31 December)

As we look back over the year, it has been a good year. It is good to the extent that we have put good efforts, good words, and good thoughts into it. None needs be wasted. Both the good and the bad experiences can be profitable. We humbly thank God for the year that has passed. We can resolve that we will do better in the year to come, enriched by what has passed. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 31 December)

• During the year I've followed a daily reading program. Each day I read one page in fifteen books that I kept on a table beside the bed. This morning I finished reading the last page in all fifteen books. I shared many items that caught my attention either in my Arrow Prayers or Mr. Dickie's Blog. The entries from Mr. Dickie's Blog also posted to my Facebook during the later part of the year. If you've read any of the entries in either of the blogs or on Facebook I hope you found something useful or thought provoking.

Mr. Dickie

Can You?

Can you stop doing all the things you do that keep you from doing the one thing you want to do? (Iyanla Vanzant, Acts of Faith, 30 November)

Do not be afraid to get rid of things which distract your attention - everything material, everything which can be seen or can be felt. The more you purify the spiritual core of your faith, the firmer your faith will be. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 26 July)

There is a difference between telling the truth and telling everything you know. (Mother of Kathryn Carpenter in Meditations For Parents Who Do Too Much, by Jonathon and Wendy Lazear, 22 December)

If you are planning to get something done this year you'd better get busy. Mr. Dickie

Music Players

Wealth reminds me of manure in the field. When it is in a big pile it makes a bad smell. But when it is distributed everywhere across the field, it makes the soil fertile. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 31 July)

If you are waiting for something to happen before you begin what you want to do, it will never happen. (Iyanla Vanzant, Acts of Faith, 30 November)

I'm still learning about MP3 players. This weekend I decided I wanted to try using the MS Media Player to convert a couple of CDs to Microsoft WMA file format. I discovered that the Media Player creates a new folder for each CD. I converted a Maura O'Connell CD and a Wayne Taylor CD to the WMA format. Then I copied those files to the new Oasis MP3 player. This player can play several different music file types. While I was working on the project the internal battery on the MP3 player ran down. I used the AC adapter that came with the player to bring the battery to a full charge. Having completed this learning process I now know that I don't need a program to convert to MP3 format. I can just use version 9 of the MS Media Player which runs on my laptop to convert any music I'd like to listen to on the Oasis player. Once I copied the two albums to the player I had 87 songs loaded. I probably have at least 200 files in formats that I can load directly onto the player. I wonder how many songs the player can hold. The bubble pack says up to 1000 songs (64 hours) of WMA files and up to 500 songs (32 hours) in the MP3 format. This is probably why it's a good idea to use the WMA format rather than the MP3 format, unless one has a personal preference for the MP3 format. I think it would be pretty cool to have 1000 songs loaded on my personal walk-around jukebox. No wonder the young folks love these toys.

Mr. Dickie

Thinking

A person dies as he lives his spiritual life, alone. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 11 August)

All you have to do to receive your divine inheritance is change your old way of thinking. (John Randolph Price in Acts of Faith by Iyanla Vanzant, 16 December)

Changing our whole way of thinking is a monumental task, not to be taken lightly. (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 16 December)

Cyndi was able to replace the Craig MP3 player that broke with a 2GB Oasis player that she brought when she came to visit at Christmas time. Yesterday I started loading some of my MP3 files on the device. Today I loaded more. So far I have 63 songs on the device, including several that came with it. I really enjoy being able to take part of my music collection along when I go out for my frequent walks. I'm now ready to try using the device in our minivan. I think I wrote earlier that the MP3 players can be plugged into a cassette tape adapter and played in the car.

One of the neighbors, Bruce, called last night to see if I could recommend someone to put new shingles on his shed. I recommended our neighbor, George. This morning I went to ask George if he wanted the job. Later I saw him at Bruce's house. I assume they made the arrangements for the job.

Mr. Dickie

Bad Example

Nothing is more harmful than a bad example set by others. They bring into our life notions which never would have occurred to us without an example. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 14 December)

[You have plenty!] Talk plenty. Think plenty. Give plenty Thanks. (Rev Joe Hill in Acts of Faith by Iyanla Vanzant, 14 December)

Last night the three of use visited the new National Harbor development near the Wilson Bridge across the Potomac. We went into the Gaylord Hotel to see the decorations in the atrium and to watch the water fountain show. We also spent a few minutes looking at the outdoor tree near the river. Then we went to a two-piano bar and listened to live music. Cyndi returned to her apartment this morning. We enjoyed the Christmas visit.

Mr. Dickie

The Day After

The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs. (Joan Didion in Meditations For Parents Who Do Too Much by Jonathon and Wendy Lazear, 30 November)


Growing up is a good life's work. By attending to the health of my own spirit, I'm doing the best I can for everyone whose life touches mine. (Family Feelings, Vanceburg and Silverman, 1 December)


There is no way goodness, abundance and success can come to you if your affairs are not in order. (Acts of Faith, Iyanla Vanzant, 1 December)

• Thanks to everyone who sent Christmas cards, letters, Emails and photos. We appreciate the time and effort. If you didn't get a copy of our Christmas letter and want one let me know. You might have been missed this year because of Address file issues.
• This morning I had trouble getting my laptop started again. After about thrity minutes the problem went away as it has before. One of these days my luck is going to run out. I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with a new computer running the Vista operating system. Maybe the computer gremlins will force the issue.
• Melva and I are enjoying our visit with Cyndi. I wasn't disappointed when they didn't invite me to go shopping this morning.
  

Mr. Dickie

A Toast to Family at Christmas

Outside snowflakes are falling,
There's winter in the air,
But in our house it's cozy
all because we are here.
Let's have a Merry Christmas
and the most wonderful New Year,
as we continue on through life,
with family we hold dear.
(Noreen Braman)

A Christmas Wish

I wish you the joy of Christmas,

The Season's sweet repose.

I wish you the peace of Christmas

To mark the old year's close.

I wish you the hope of Christmas

To cheer you on your way.

And a heart of faith and gladness

To greet each coming day.

(Author unknown)

Good Television

[When] ... I am calm, I have a clear understanding of what is mine to do and the best way to go about doing it. (Collen Zuck, et al., Daily Word For Healing, p. 331)

If I am not walking the walk, there is little point in talking the talk. (Courage to Change, 9 December)

There is one time when procrastination is helpful, when you decide to worry about something tomorrow. (Mr. Dickie, after Instant Health and Happiness Boosters by M.J. Ryan, 14 December 2008)

Life is what happens while you are making other plans. (John Lennon, Family Feelings, Vanceburg and Silverman, 13 December)

We are enjoying the fact that the Internet makes it possible for family and friends in Panama, Canada, Italy and all over this country to keep in touch during this holiday season. It's Mr. Dickie's opinion that Christmas communications are much more personal now than they used to be. He embraces the use of the technology. Our thanks to everyone who took the time to write some year-end news.

Last night I watched a very interesting interview of Bill Gates conducted by Charlie Rose. It reminded me of how good television can be. They discussed the work of the Gates Foundation, its progress and Bill Gates vision for the future of the foundation. Once I discovered the program I watched until the end.

Mr. Dickie

Christmas Mail

The words of affirmation that are often saved for a funeral should be delivered during a lifetime. (Carol Kuykendall, Daily Guideposts, 8 Dec 2007)

The greatest challenges in life seem to bring out extraordinary courage in ordinary people. (Colleen Zuck, et al., Daily Word For Healing, p. 332)

You are a farmer. Your thoughts are the seeds you plant; they are the cause of every condition in your life. (Iyanla Vanzant, Acts of Faith, 11 December)

******

We are enjoying all of the Christmas letters, both snail mail and Email, that we are receiving. It's nice to hear from folks once in a while.

Mr. Dickie

Passing the Buck

Serenity is the direct result of the way I live my life today - the values I honor, the principles I practice, the choices I make, the actions I take. (A Time to Be Free, 17 December)

[There] ... is a question whether or not our subconscious minds ever become entirely free from irrational ideas as long as we live. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 1 December)

******

Have you noticed that our leaders have brought new meaning to the phrases "passing the buck" and "the buck stops here"?

Mr. Dickie

The Inevitable

I bow to the inevitable, and take my hat off to it. (Mr. Dickie, after Meditations For Parents Who Do Too Much, Jonathon and Wendy Lazear, 3 December)

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. (Aldous Huxley in Body, Mind, and Spirit, 5 December)

Our lives and our closets have a lot in common. Both are cluttered with things we could easily do without. (Meditations For Parents Who Do Too Much, Jonathon and Wendy Lazear, 7 December)

I am on my own special path in life, and my journey, not my arrival is what is important. (Colleen Zuck, Daily Word, Day 319)

Holiday Activity

Speculating on other people's attitudes and motives is a waste of time and effort. To search out the reasons for my own is a voyage of discovery. (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 3 December)

It's fine to plan for what you want from a holiday celebration, but be willing to be happy with what actually happens. (M.J. Ryan, Instant Health and Happiness Boosters, 16 December)

I'm ready to start the final step in the Christmas greeting project, sending out snail mail. This is the most time consuming part.

Mr. Dickie

Life Is Not The Problem

Life is not a problem. If we live, we live; if we die, we die; if we suffer, we suffer; it appears that we are the problem. (Alan Watts in Acts of Faith by Iyanla Vanzant, 4 December)

A good life is given only to those who make efforts to achieve it. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 27 June)

One irony of growing up and becoming mature is it's not quite as easy as we thought it would be. (Body, Mind, and Spirit, 8 December)

******

We are thankful for the Internet, Email, cellphones, satellites and phone cards. These new technologies have made such a profound difference in how we stay in touch with friends and loved ones.

Yesterday I finished our Christmas Email letter for 2008. This time I included a nativity image which I surrounded with holly leaves and berries. I also included a link to the song "Christmas Eve in Washington" written and sung by Maura Sullivan. At the end of the message I put in links to my four Google blogs. There's always some disappointed after sending the letter because some of the Email addresses no longer work.

Christmas Eve In Washington Maura Sullivan Original Recording

In the last week I added three new friends to my Facebook account. My AOL friend, Betty Hogan, was the one who encouraged me to create an account. It's been a lot of fun learning how social networking works. It's always a pleasant surprise when someone finds me and sends a request to be included.

Mr. Dickie

This I Know

This I know without being told, 'Tis time to live as I grow old. 'Tis time short pleasures now to take, of little life the best to make and manage wisely the last stake. (Abraham Cowley in Family Feelings by Vanceburg and Silverman, 3 December)

There can be only one way to fight the general evil of life: it is in the moral, religious, and spiritual perfection of our own life. (A Calendar of Wisdom, by Leo Tolstoy, 16 January)

Acceptance may be one of the most difficult things to learn, for it means we must give up the desire to control our life and its outcome. (Body, Mind, and Spirit, 3 December)

• Yesterday and today I've been working on my AOL Address Book. I'm trying to get ready to send out some Christmas greetings. Months ago, when my laptop computer quit working I lost access to the address file I maintained on the computer. Now I'm looking for a quick and easy way to recover. This morning I discovered that I should use the Control Key if I want to select only a few address records to work with. The AOL Help file wasn't any help in understanding how this works. I tested to see if I could print Avery address labels. That worked.

• Every time I go up in the attic I try to bring down something that Melva and I can review for possible elimination. I think I see progress in clearing some of the clutter. Yesterday I brought down several photographs that we'd forgotten about. It probably wasn't a very good idea to store them up there where it gets so hot.

Mr. Dickie

Things I Do Not Have To Do

Photo: The Print Shop

There are ... many things I do not have to do:

• I don't have to understand everything. Some things are not my business, and others will simply never make sense to me.
  
• I don't have to be reluctant to show my feelings. When I'm happy, I can give in to it! When I'm not, I can turn to my ... friends who help me to grow through the tough times.
  
• I don't have to feel threatened by the future. I can take life one day at a time.
  
• I don't have to feel guilty about the past. With the help of ... [my program], ... I can make amends and learn from the mistakes I have made.
  
• I don't have to feel alone. ... there is always somebody to reach out to ...
  
• I don't have to take responsibility for other people's choices. They have their own Higher Power to help them make their decisions.
  
• I don't have to give up on my hopes and dreams -- my Higher Power is not limited by my lack of imagination.
  (Courage to Change, December 16)

For several days I haven't thought of anything I wanted to write about in my blog.

One of Melva's nephews posted some photos on Facebook who took during a weekend visit to Volcan. We enjoyed seeing the Christmas decorations and his daughter and her great aunt.

I'm working on our Christmas message. This year we will send most people the message via Email. We enjoy all of the Christmas cards and letters we receive from family and friends.

Mr. Dickie

Think About It

The only possible way to improve the conditions of one's life is to improve one's emotional condition. (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 29 November)

Peace of mind depends on recognizing our own shortcomings. An honest personal inventroy helps us recognize our strengths and weaknesses. (Courage to Change, 2 December)

When you make an effort not to blame other people, your life becomes much easier, but very few people make this small effort. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 14 June)

Some Thoughts

Almost every effort of the human mind is directed, not toward lightening the work of the laborer, but toward making more pleasant the idleness of the leisured. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 9 June)

Doesn't it often seem as though those who most clearly understand the dangers that face us are the ones who ... [yield the least power to affect change.] (Mr. Dickie after The Promise of a New Day, 6 August)

... a stupid person pretends that he is bored with life and that he can find something more interesting. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 31 May)

War

Only during a period of war does it become obvious how millions of people can be manipulated. People, millions of people, are filled with pride while doing things which those same people actually consider stupid, evil, dangerous, painful, and criminal, and they strongly criticize these things - but continue doing them. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 17 June)

War

The misfortunes of war and preparations for war bear little relation to the reasons given to explain war: the real reasons are usually so insignificant that they are not even worth discussion, and they are completely unknown to those who die. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 17 June)

The reasons which governments give for wars are always screens behind which lie completely different reasons and motives. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Widsom, 17 June)

The Christmas Pledge

Photo: Melva and Dick Henthorn, Newport News, VA, June 1967)

Believing in the beauty and simplicity of Christmas, I commit to the following:

1. To remember those people who truly need my gifts.


2. To express my love for family and friends in more direct ways than presents.


3. To rededicate myself to the spiritual growth of my family.


4. To examine my holiday activities in light of the true spirit of Christmas.


5. To initiate one act of peacemaking within my circle of family and friends.

(From Unplug the Christmas Machine found in Instant Health and Happiness Boosters by M.J. Ryan, 11 December)

Next Year

Photo: Drawing of ship in the Miraflores lock of the Panama Canal Zone - Juan Rodriguez.

• ... I'm not zeroing in on one particular problem but rather participating in a whole host of solutions that can lead to emotional, physical, and spiritual health. (Courage to Change, 19 November)
• Today I will be conscious of my actions. I know they will be more powerful than anything I might say. (Soul Searching, p. 327)
• Try to avoid making judgments about yourself, especially by comparing yourself to others. Compare yourself only to perfection. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 8 May)
• [Has anyone told you lately, "You're coming unplugged."? Maybe it's something to consider. What if you ran out of batteries and the electricity went off?] Let yourself experience a day without [computers, printers,] faxes, phones, cellphones, e-mail, television, radio, and [CD and MP3 players]. [Imagine] ... the effect ... on your sense of rhythm, your mood, your sense of self-worth, your relationship to others. (Mr. Dickie after M.J. Ryan in Instant Health and Happiness Boosters, 10 December)

I'm thinking about shutting down my two remaining genealogy blogs 'News" and "Obits" at the end of the year. I think my interest in making genealogy information available on the Internet has run its course. It's possible to just leave what I have posted already for folks to read, but that seems to miss the point. If I'm not going to add new information from time to time there's no reason for anyone to keep checking the blogs.

Mr. Dickie

Yard Work

Photo: Corel

Spiritual effort and the joy that comes from understanding life go hand in hand like physical exertion and rest. Without physical exertion, there is no joy in rest; without spiritual effort, there can be no joyful understanding of life. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 2 April)

We cannot hope to obtain any sort of perfection in a society which is divided into two parts: rich people who rule the world and poor people who obey their orders. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 14 April)

This morning we both worked in the yard for several hours. Melva spread the last two bags of mulch. We bagged all of the plant debris we'd cut down earlier. Then I set the mower blade as low as I could and mowed the yard. Afterwards I tied down the throttle on the mower and burned off the rest of the gas. I don't plan to use the mower again until next spring. We put out about twenty bags of debris for pickup tomorrow. Now we are ready for winter. We tried to hire one neighbor to help with the project. When we didn't have any luck we decided to do the job ourselves just like we usually do.

I decided to include a photo in today's blog entry. At some point the easy way of doing this broke. I have no idea what happened. Stuff just happens!

Mr. Dickie

Daily Life

I must reevaluate my daily life to see whether my habits are overshadowing my needs. (Jonathon and Wendy Lazear, Meditations for Parents Who Do Too Much, 20 November)

When you clash with other people, remember the law of reciprocity. You should do to others those things which you want done to you. This should become your way of life. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 19 May)

But it is dangerous to think that you are more clever than the majority of religious mankind. (Henri Amiel in A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy, 16 May)

What's Next?

• When you are in company, do not forget what you have found out when you were thinking in solitude; and when you are meditating in solitude, think about what you found out by communicating with other people. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 28 March)
• It defies the laws of nature for a child to rule an adult, or a fool to guide a wise man. Likewise, it is against the law of nature that a small group of people should be overindulged when a huge, hungry crowd's most basic needs aren't met. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 9 June)
• Take the time to compare your troubles with your joys. Put it all into perspective. (A Time to Be Free, 20 November)

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Last night when I looked at the laptop computer before going to bed I noticed a blue screen with a message about "Kernel Error" that I'd never seen before. Blue screens are never good. This morning I got lucky. I was able to get the computer running again on the first attempt. I have enough experience with computers to know that this kind of problem never goes away, it just gets worse. I've gone through computer malfunctions so many times I've lost count. I'm not certain what I'll do when I can no longer use this computer to access the Internet. The last time it happened I think I let eighteen months pass before I got the laptop computer running. Because of the recent changes made by AOL which reduced their service markedly I'm somewhat inclined to say, "It's time to discontinue paying them for Internet access." Do we really need these machines in our lives?

Last night we got some snow. We could see it on the grass for several hours.

Mr. Dickie

Gift of Life

• The gift of life is similar [to a birthday present]. It constantly unwraps itself and we experience what's inside. When we have expectations about our lives, we are usually disappointed by the way things turn out. When we are open to whatever happens, we are rewarded. (Soul Searching, p. 315)

• You should live your life as if you are ready to say good-bye to it at any moment, as if the time left you is some pleasant surprise. (Marcus Aurelius in A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy, 12 May)
  

Bailout!

The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation. (George Washington)


The life-affirming thoughts I think and the choices I make are the tools I use in shaping a life of meaning and purpose. (Collee Zuck, et al., Daily Word for Healing, p. 290)


Your attitude about who you are and what you have is a very little thing that makes a very big difference. (Theodore Roosevelt in Acts of Faith by Iyanla Vanzant, 24 November)


I know not when my own harvest will come, but I must prepare for it by tending my seed and nuturing my plant along the way. (Soul Searching, p. 345)

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• Yesterday I didn't post to my blog. I had an accident. I typed what I wanted to post and lost it. I'm not sure what happened. Needless to say I wasn't too happy. I wasn't up to attempting to type the same thing a second time.

• Did you know you can play an MP3 player through your car radio. Here's how I did it. Our minivan has a tape cassette player. I plugged in the tape adapter and then plugged that into the MP3 player. That's all there is to it.

• Have you ever thought about how many Buicks Tiger Woods has helped to sell with the television commercials he made? General Motors paid him $7 million dollars a year until this month for those commercials. Maybe one of the reasons the auto makers are in trouble is because of the bad business decisions they've been making.

• On December 4, 2008 The Washington Post ran an front page article announcing that the local bank, where we do our banking business, is going to be purchased by a leading credit card company, Capitol One. Notice they didn't call Capitol One a bank. Capitol One was originally part of the Signet bank of Richmond, VA and was spun off. How did this bank purchase come about? Capitol One, which apparently is in trouble, recently got a $3.56 billion bailout from the Treasury Department. Apparently Capitol One will use $520 million of that bailout money to buy Chevy Chase Bank. Chevy Chase holds $490 million in non-performing assets, the result of risky adjustable-rate mortgages. With that much bad debt why would Capitol One want to buy this regional bank? Here's why, Chevy Chase has $11 billion in deposits. Now I don't know much about economics or money management. But there's one thing I know something about. When a fish smells bad I know it. This fish stinks to high heaven.

Mr. Dickie

Library of Congress Visit

The life-affirming thoughts I think and the choices I make are the tools I use in shaping a life of meaning and purpose. (Colleen Zuck, et al., Daily Word for Healing, p. 290)

If you are living with another person, make an agreement that as soon as either of you starts to blame the other, you will end the argument. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 27 April)

I know not when my own harvest will come, but I must prepare for it by tending my seed and nuturing my plant along the way. (Soul Searching, p. 345)

---

Yesterday I spent the day at The Library of Congress (LOC). I hadn't visited in many months. We still have accounts at the Credit Union. I made the trip because I wanted to make certain the accounts were set up to our advantage. They weren't. One of the staff spent quite a bit of time making the necessary changes.

After I finished the bank business I went downstairs to visit with former co-workers in ITS. More than half of the cubicles are now occuplied by new folks. Quite a few of the people who still work there weren't at their desks. There were plenty of people around to visit. I enjoyed talking with everyone. I talked to my two Facebook friends and looked at all of the photos in Carole's photo album. By 4:00 p.m. I couldn't find anyone else to bore with my life story, so I left. I had a great time.

Melva is working on an eighteen block lap quilt. In the evening she laid all the blocks on the floor to see how they look together. It's going to be very nice.

Mr. Dickie

Ignorance

Everybody is ignorant, only on difference subjects. (Will Rogers in Family Feelings by Vanceburg and Silverman, 24 November)

For the ignorant, old age is as winter; for the learned, it is a harvest. (Jewish Proverb in Soul Searching, p. 346)

Some people don't know how badly they need a new way of life until disaster overtakes them. (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 21 November)

Mr. Dickie

Electronics Phobia

Do you want to limit the scope of the problems you have to deal with? Stop taking inventory of the problems of everyone you meet. Instead, take your own inventory. Then focus on trying to improve yourself. (Mr. Dickie after Courage to Change, 24 Nov 2008)

I'm willing to accept that something is not right. (Iyanla Vanzant, Faith in the Valley, p. 346)

When you let go of what is not working, you will make room for what is going to work. (Iyanla Vanzant, Faith in the Valley, p. 355)

---

• My electronics phobia is working full time. I left the computer on all night because I didn't want to deal with the possibility that the thing wouldn't boot up this morning. That worked. I woke up in the middle of the night. I read from the books I read daily and listened to the new Sansa MP3 player. At one point it shut itself off. For several minutes I thought I wasn't going to be able to get it to come back on. I wonder what that's all about. It would be pretty funny if it stops working since I went to the trouble of printing out the twenty-six page manual and reading it yesterday.
• Strange isn't it, the more cars, toys and appliances we own the more problems we bring into our lives. They are fun while they work and a pain in the neck when they don't.

Mr. Dickie