Normal ?

Life is slowly returning to what we recognize as normal. The kids and the dogs are driving us crazy. Malcolm has decide to have diarrhea. YUCK ! The kids, well, the ones that are here, are back to their annoying ways. Tammy and I have decided to be ill as well. There must be some stomach thing going around.

I was in class yesterday in London KY. It was a paperwork class to teach me how to do the assessment paperwork for the state so they can adequately assess whether I am doing my job or not. We, collectively, went over several of the sections, and then broke off into smaller groups to address the rest of the sections in 'the box'. There are 21 different sections that have to be addressed. We handled 5 of those in the whole group setting. We were moving along smoothly through most of the sections.

Then, we got to the section concerning Work Based Learning. There was one guy, a principal named Barney, that got all tore up about it. It seems that while he was teaching auto mechanics, he co-op'ed a couple of students, juniors, out to a diesel mechanics business during the summer. This mechanic convinced the kids to quit school and keep their jobs with him (or at least how he saw it or tells it). Now, he is completely soured on the co-op experience. This section is part of the assessment of your program. Without it, the assessment suffers as a whole.

This year, they changed this section to include the words, 'School Based Business'. He was all about that. He likes the idea about basing a business in the school when he can supervise. He likes that he doesn't have to trust his students in the hands of other business owners. The idea, in and of itself, is a good one, but there was a section that said there must be someone else, besides the teacher, assessing the students work and work ethic. This is where the discussion/argument began. For 20 minutes, Barney argued with the guy training us (who had nothing to do with writing the assessment) about this. Finally, at the end of the 20 minutes, the trainer told Barney he would look into it further, so we could go on and finish this class and GO HOME.

About his time, the branch manager, who was teaching one of the other smaller groups, and who was finished, and who had already sent her students home, joined our class (the last remaining class). Barney decided that he needed to rehash the issue with here and spent the next 10 to 15 minutes laying out the same old argument that he did with the first trainer. At the end, nothing was accomplished. Nothing was solved. The issue remained the same. We just wasted 30 plus minutes on something that was a personal issue with only one of the participants. Education and educators are just a wonderful bunch. However, when you get a group of people together that talk for a living, DO NOT think it is going to be a short meeting.

Anyway, it was still a nice drive. Tammy went with me. She found a big yard sale while I was in class. We enjoyed each others company both directions. I love being with her. My EX told her recently that she was good for me. I have to agree.

Day trip

We are off to London, KY, for a day class in KY's program assessment system. It is a class to learn how to do paperwork. Wahooooooo !!

Will be around this evening to recap.

Have a good day.

Dragging

Tammy and I are dragging. The events of the week are finally catching us, I think. It has been a surreal week, for sure. The passing of Lil' G has filled the whole week. It was inescapable.

Tonight, we went to a dinner with an internet group of which I am a board member. We were introducing two new board members and I felt I should be there. We stayed long enough to welcome the new additions and for the introductions to the rest of the group. Then, we bolted.

We are home now and the weight is still bearing down. Each step feels like I am dragging a ball and chain.

It is time to rest.

I will be back to myself soon.

Thanks

Thanks to those that helped during this trying time.

Thanks to the 30 or so that came to the grave side services.

Thanks to Rev. Baker for a good service.

Thanks to Kerr Brothers for donating their services.

Thanks to all the well wishes in email.

Thanks to my friends that were there to hold a hand or whatever else needed to be done.

Thanks to those that just listened.

Thanks to those that supported us from our online family.

Thanks to Angie and Carol for the flowers.

Thanks for those that brought precious gifts to hold the memory.

Thanks for prayers and positive thoughts.

Thanks to those, even tho you felt you didn't do anything, that were just there.

Thanks.

I'll be back 

He is still here

He is still here.

He had powerfully defined features and a strong heart.
He tried so hard to stay
Children, for all their worry and work, are a gift from God.
What else could you call someone
who fills your heart with such great joy?
How else can you define someone
who lifts your day with just a movement?
This gift is for a lifetime.
It lasts as long as it lasts.

"What is your life?
It is even vapor,
that appears for a little time,
and then vanishes away."

We have this gift for as long as we can hold it.
Then it drifts away.

Do not presume to tell me I don't know what I am talking about.
I have walked in those shoes.
I have stood under that cloud.
Look at me.
I am still here.

He is still here.

David Gabriel McArter

Comforted in Heaven

Loved on Earth

Tragedy

Last night, on my way home, I stopped to meet with my middle daughter. Her birthday is coming up, and she wanted, as a birthday present, a tankful of gas. While talking with her after filling her tank and giving her money to fill her hubby's tank, her cell phone rang. It was Tammy trying to reach me. Jordan called her and told her that Sierra was leaking water. Tammy told him to take her directly to the hospital. She was going to meet him there. Tammy was in Nicholasville.

I went on home and when I arrived, there were 6 paramedics, an ambulance, and a firetruck at my house. They were looking for Sierra. While Jordan was at the pay phone, Sierra decided to come downstairs to wait on the porch. She began bleeding. Chris broke my door and got our phone. He called 911. They went to the wrong address. They went to my old address. By the time they arrived, Jordan was en route in his car with Sierra. I told them that he had taken her to the hospital himself.

Sierra's water broke. It doesn't happen commonly, but it does happen. At the hospital, after Tammy's insistence, they did a pelvic exam. She was not dilated. They admitted her for 24 to 48 hours to see if the sack would heal itself and if the pregnancy could be saved. They gave the baby a 10 to 20% chance for survival.

Last night, she and the baby were better. The doctor said the baby was strong. He was a fighter. This was good news.

This morning, based on this good news, Tammy came to work with me. A little before 9, Jordan called from the hospital. They had no heartbeat for the baby. We left work and headed to the hospital. They wanted Sierra to deliver the baby, to avoid any surgery. I called the kids to let them know what was going on. I called dad to have him and mom pray for Tammy and Sierra.

I dropped Tammy off at the hospital. I cant do the long waiting in the waiting room. My back is in a real bad mood today to begin with.

When I got back, Tammy called. Sierra wants a service for David Gabriel McArter. I am calling funeral homes and cemeteries. Sierra is having contractions. She isn't in pain. Well, she isn't in physical pain.

It is not a good day.

More to follow .....

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

There are infinitely important parts of my everyday.

The past is one of those parts, but it is only one part. It does not have an overwhelming role except where it is the path that brought me unto today. It is the place where the footsteps have already been lain. It is the place I cannot change. It is where many of the answers to questions about who I am are answered. The past stopped only a second ago. I cannot dwell extensively on the past. I can, if I choose, learn from it's lessons. I can heed the warnings and advice of the past I have wrought. I cannot reach through the wall of time and change any of my actions or words.

Then there is the future. It is ahead in the mist. It is ever changing. It stretches out in endless possible directions. It in the Yin to the Yang of the past. As stable as the past is, the future is as unsure. Every want or desire finds a path to travel in the future. Every fantasy finds a way to be fulfilled in the tomorrows. Life is filled with exceedingly great and infinite opportunities that frolic in the future.

That leaves me with today. Right now is all I have to work with. I can build on the past and plan for the future, but 'now' is what I have to work with. Today is a turning point. Today is a decision. I can walk in the path I have been traveling, or I can turn in a new direction. Today, I can reinvent myself. I can be brand new.

I am who I am. I have what I have. The changes in what I do not like about myself, can begin 'now'. The weights that I allow to drag me down, I can release 'now'.

One more step, and this 'now' becomes the past. The shimmering sparkling future becomes the 'now'.

Take the strengths of yesterday, the hopes of the future, and the sweat of now, and build the life you want.

4 day weekend ends (insert sad face)

My four day weekend ended this morning when the alarm went off to get me up for work. It was a good weekend.

We went karaoke'ing on Thursday night. Tammy entered the popularity/karaoke contest. She didn't place in the top 5, even though she was one of the top five singers. Several people there got ticked at me because I didn't enter the contest. I explained to them that I sing for fun. I sing because I love to sing. I didn't sing in the contest because it changes all that. When you sing in the contest, you are competing with other singers. You are trying to outdo them. You lose the fun part. Then, after the contest and before the winner is announced, you try to figure out who might have voted for you and who didn't. Afterwards, you try to figure out which of your friends didn't vote for you. It just ain't worth all that. I sang before the contest. I sang after the contest. I didn't worry about who else was singing. I didn't worry about whether my singing was going to be validated by the masses or not.

Friday and Saturday, we ran errands. We stayed in during the evening. We opted for movies, cuddled on the couch, over going out to a loud bar, go figure.

Saturday morning, we went to see the new Batman movie, Batman Begins. It was awesome. It was, by far, my favorite of the Batman movies. It was dark and nearly humorless. Batman is, and always has been, a dark hero. That darkness is an integral part of his character. The earlier Batman movies tried too hard to lighten the character to make him appeal to all audiences. That was a mistake, in my opinion. This Batman, played by Christian Bale, was dark. Bale plays the part with lots of intensity. If you haven't seen his work, look for the movie, Equilibrium. It is a futuristic movie about an emotionless world. We rented it once because there was nothing else in the was 'good'. I had seen the previews and thought it might be a good filler movie. It surprised me.

Saturday night, Russ and Ginger came by for a while. It is always good to see the Russ-miester.

Sunday was a slow day. Tammy woke up not feeling well. We didn't do much. She wanted to fix me breakfast in bed, being as it was Father's Day. I messed that up when I got up 2 hours before her. So, she fixed breakfast for supper. It was great: Scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa. Sausage gravy and biscuit. Bacon. Mmmmmm mmmmmm.

I was reading the news this morning to see what kind of foolishness existed in the world to be raved about. Nothing is more fun to rail on than the stupidity of mankind. Never underestimate the propensity of humanity to sink to the next level of absurdity.

There wasn't much going on. I did see where Tiger Woods got second place in the US Open. I saw where the winner got $1.17 million. I was curious as to how much Tiger's take was for second place. He got $700,000. The entire leader board was available, so I checked it out. I got all the way down to the 9 way tie for 33rd place before I found numbers with relevance. The 9 guys that tied for 33rd place in the US Open made just a little bit more than I will make for this entire year. These guys were 12 shots away from par. As I understand it, par is what a good golfer should be able to shoot the hole. It is the score standard. These 9 guys were 12 shots away from that and they still made more in this one tourney than I will make all year. Sigh.

So, how was your weekend ?

No rest for anyone

Today .. Jeb Bush has called for a probe into the 15 yr old investigation of the collapse and 911 call concerning Terri Schiavo.

GIVE IT REST !!

I am just wondering how many more political causes will weigh in to try to squeeze a few more miles out of this poor dead woman.

It seems that in two interviews, one in 1990 and one in the early 2000's, Michael Schiavo gave two different times as to when he found his wife, collapsed. In one he says 5 am. In another he says 4:30 am. This 911 call came in at 5:40 am.

The incident has been investigated to death. He was cleared of any wrongdoing. If he were tried, and not convicted, he would be under the double jeopardy clause. However, he was not charged, because there was nothing for which to charge him. So, he can be re-investigated as often as anyone with enough political clout decides to call for it. That is just horse-hockey.

Even now, the family is considering legal actions against him. The autopsy report has come back. She was in a persistent vegetative state. The vision centers of her brain were destroyed. She was blind. So much for the families claims that she recognized them when they came into the room. They saw what they wanted to see. They believed what they wanted to believe. Now, even in the face of overwhelming medical evidence, they still refuse to accept the truth.

I pity them.

Let her go in peace.

The American Justice System

This is how it works in a nutshell.

We, the people, pay the police to investigate, determine responsibility, and establish a reasonable measure of guilt in the committal of a crime or criminal act.

Then, we pay the District Attorney and/or his/her representatives to prove that guilt to a sequestered group of individuals within the society in which the crime occurs.

The accused acquires freely or hires representatives knowledgeable of the law to represent his/her side and to create a reason of doubting the work and actions of the representatives of the people.

Only one side can win unequivocally.

That is the way the system works. It is a system of checks and balances. It is a system where both sides are governed by the same set of rules. It is the fairest system around. It does not always convict the guilty. It errs on the side of caution. It stands on the most whimsical foundation - the human mind. It depends on the ability of 12 men and women to weigh evidence and motive in a fair balance. It relies on the human ability to judge fairly whether a burden of proof has or has not been met.

Yes, there are those that flaunt the system. There are those that exploit it's inherent weaknesses. There will always be those that use every legal loophole to further their criminal acts and laugh at the notion of justice. There will ever be those that 'get away with it'.

After hearing the sweeping 'not guilty' verdicts for Michael Jackson, my daughter calmly said, "Oh well, he will burn in Hell."

He and his pricey lawyers thwarted justice. They escaped the arm of the law. One juror stated that it was established that MJ had a history of inappropriate actions with boys, but not with the accuser. They were also swayed by the fact that the boy went to see lawyers before going to deputies. Legal experts will analyze this one for years.

There is a portion of scripture in the book of Psalms. It is written by Asaph. In the portion of his writing, he laments that the wicked prosper. He decries that there seem to be no bonds on them. He sees that they are fat and want of nothing. He goes as far as to say that the knowing of this nearly causes his feet to slip from the path that he travels, but only nearly. He finishes the writing with a stunning rebound. He says that this bothered him, until he went to the House of God, and there, he saw their end.

One day, laughing will cease. Celebrating the washing aside of justice will end. Wickedness will receive it's just recompense of reward.

One day, there will not be a lawyer or a loophole between any one of us and the Judge.

This knowledge helps keep my feet on the path. This knowing makes it easier to do the things that are right.

With that being said, it is another day of right in a world of wrong. It is one more day of white in a world going gray. Fight the good fight.

Reaching Overwhelming And Dangerous Range Anger Generating Emotions

Precursor to Road Rage ?

You hear the horror stories about road rage. Someone, for some unknown reason, snaps and starts offing drivers on the highway. We all shake our heads in collective disbelief and wonder what could push a person so far. We conclude that there must be something mentally wrong with the person consumed with the rage. It can't happen to normal folks. It cant happen to us. More importantly, it can't happen to those driving around us.

So, I was driving to work this morning along one of the three routes that I can take to work.

One is the highway. It is a little longer. It takes about as much time, but uses a little more gas because of the excessive speed required. There isn't lots of traffic out at the time I go to work, so it isn't an unpleasant drive.

Another is Todd's Road. It is a two lane filled with curves and turns. It is quicker from Winchester to Lexington, but loses it time advantage once I arrive inside the Lexington circle. Once there, I have to deal with a myriad of lights, stop signs, turns, and traffic. It is a nice scenic drive and not really all that bad if you are not in much of a hurry. I rarely am in a big hurry.

Then there is old Winchester Rd. It is a pretty straight shot to Winchester. It has less turns and curves than Todd's but more traffic. Some days it is a quick little zip to work. Other days, it is a slower crawl. Either way, it is not unexpected, therefore it doesn't bother me much.

However, there are some days it is a good thing I have a pretty even disposition and no firearms in the truck. Today was one of those mornings. I have to question the driving skills of someone sitting at light of a cross street, who, upon seeing a black Bravada (SUV) approaching the light at about 60 mph, decides at the last minute that he can enter the flow of traffic. At 7:20 this morning, at the Man-O-War interchange, this late model, black, Nissan Frontier XE, pickup truck with a small topper, license number 9205-LA, with a broken brake light on the drivers side, decided just that. While I didn't have to lock up the brakes or anything so drastic, I did have to tap them pretty hard and come down to 20 mph quickly.

There must be a point, just before the road rage takes over, that you have hold of your senses, that the decision to go for the horn or the Uzi is reached. I call this ORTODI (Overwhelming Response To Other Driving Idiots). That was the point I reached this morning. There was traffic in front of him that would have slowed me down eventually. There were 2 or 3 cars behind me that he would have had to wait on, had he chose to use his brains at all this morning.

If you, a reader of my blog, know this individual, tell him to consider himself fortunate this morning. I do not own a firearm. I am not anti-gun, I just don't have a need for one. I do not hunt. I have younger kids and grandkids that don't need to find a gun and experiment.

Anyway, I made it to work in one piece once again, and once again, I didn't kill anyone along the way. I consider this a good drive to work (as if driving to work can ever be considered a good thing).

Chaos has returned

Tammy got back home around 8 am on Saturday.

I carried Grammy in and put her on the couch. She is sweet and funny. She is off meds because the nursing home messed up her Medicaid and couldn't supply them for her time between nursing homes or the trip. Tammy said that she talked nearly non stop on the 1000 mile drive. She said once, at 80 mph, that she had to go, and reached for the door handle. She talked to the sunroof and the window a lot. Tammy figures it is because she could see her reflection in them.

After some serious hugging and kissing and welcoming back home, Tammy laid down for a bit. Grammy was still on the couch and still talking. At one point, she began vomiting. I tried cleaning her off as best I could. That didn't work. Then I was heaving. Dry heaves, gotta hate those.

Tammy was up at 10 to go with me. We returned around 11:30 and she went back to bed.

I got her up around 2 when Chasity, Chris, and Ian stopped by for a visit and dropped off clothes for Sierra. It was a good visit with the kids.

Grammy wanted some water. She had slid down a bit. When I raised her up, I was almost knocked over by the smell. She had messed herself. She also threw up the water. We were worried about her getting dehydrated. She wasn't eating. She wasn't keeping down liquids. We called an ambulance and had her transported to one of the local hospitals ER. They put her on IV and admitted her. We were relieved. She is nearly 92 and doesn't need to be dehydrated. If we cant get her to keep down fluids, then an IV is the only way to go.

We skipped the class on Saturday evening, because of Tammy's tiredness and the situation with Grammy.

We grabbed a bite on our way home from the ER and settled in for the rest of the night.

I don't know what time it was when we turned off the TV and cuddled in the bed. We were kinda cuddled anyway. We were watching TV in the bed. I tried out the violet wand on Tammy's wrist and back. There will be more experimentation. For those unfamiliar with a violet wand, it is an old medical device. It was thought to cure just about anything at one time or other in the 20's and 30's. It uses a Tesla Coil to generate high voltages of electrical energy that is transferred through vacuum tubes. When placed in close proximity to the skin, the charge jumps from the tube to the skin. It was believed to produce positive medical results. I think it might have been a forerunner to the TENS unit.

We finally got up (for good) around 11:15.

It is a beautiful day out. We are off to shop and enjoy the sunshine.

can you see my smile ? My baby is back !!

Friday finally gets here

Yesterday was class in Morehead, KY. It was a long day, but a good one. The class presenters, Ron and Beth Harrison, were great. They were very knowledgeable and very down to earth. I learned a lot. It was a good learn.

I came home tired. I retired early.

Today has been a slow day. Malcolm has been with me. He loves going to work with me. He has a problem with Richard, the carpentry teacher. It is interesting. Every now and then, Malcolm will just instantly dislike someone. I don't know if he gets a vibe off of them or what, but there isn't much you can do to change his mind. He is leery of everyone he meets for the first time, usually. There are some to which he takes an instant liking. I was one of those.

My shop is more crowded now. Mike got some tables in. I had to unload them with the forklift. There was no-one else here that is certified to drive it or willing to drive it. I think it is the unwilling part that got me to drive it. Those that could, wouldn't.

I have been working on designing and drawing the plans for my new classroom.

Tammy is leaving Florida this afternoon. YEAH !!!

Wednesday .. Still alive

yes .. It is true. I am still living.

The house is not a disaster. There haven't been nightly parties. I have not destroyed the kitchen. I have not burned down the house. I have been rather tame. Malcolm has been with me the last two days at school. Cleo has been in the kennel during the day while we are gone. This has not stopped her from crapping in the hallway during the night, but she has not been chewing, destroying everything in sight either.

Tammy cant sleep with the bedroom door open. (some neurosis) I have slept with the door wide open both nights. It doesn't bother me. However, there are certainly a lot of noises that the closed door filters out. Other than adjusting to a few new sounds, it has been ok. I have slept without waking for the last two nights. (Are you poking me in my sleep, honey?)

They are finally clearing out all the unnecessary machinery out of my lab. It look so much bigger now. That is a good thing. The noise that my AC just starting making is not a good thing.

Tomorrow is a class in Morehead. It is about teaching special needs kids. I think it will be an interesting class. I can understand how that might apply at the high school, but most special needs kids (and I am not being prejudicial) really do not need to be in a construction environment. I have a couple students with hyper activity issues. They are special needs enough.

Regardless, any learning is good learning.

The much dreaded Monday has arrived

I am already at work. Tammy is loading up the van most likely as I type. She was rousting chitlins as I left. Chella and Kyle were up. I made her agree to call me every few hours or so to let me know she was OK. She assured me that she would be fine. I told her that she needed to call and make sure that I was fine. She agreed.

We will wear out our cell phones this week. Thanks goodness for unlimited mobile to mobile.

I will pour myself deeper into work. I will probably sleep on the couch a lot. I wont answer the house phone. Everyone that really needs to talk to me knows my cell number. If you don't, you don't really need to talk to me. If ya really need to talk to me and don't know the number, ask !

I will fill my head with work and trivial pursuits. Any that keeps my mind active is a good thing.

Don't worry if I begin to appear to be melancholy, it is normal. Look for more blogging.

Monday looming .. The short term and the long run

Monday is looming over the horizon. I will leave for work as usual. When I return home, home will be emptier than it has been in a long time.

I know Tammy has to make the trip to Florida. She doesn't have to go, according to her divorce agreement, but she thinks it would be unfair otherwise. Even though, he chose to move to Florida. I know she needs to go pick up her grandmother and bring her here where she can care for her. I know she will be gone less than a week. My head knows all these important factors. My head even knows, that in the long run, time away will make us stronger together.

But, in the short term, this place will be be way empty. I will miss the kids while they are gone for 5 weeks. I will miss Tammy terribly much more. My bed will seem larger than it's 7 foot by 6 foot size. It is a large bed and we sleep in a tiny area of it. We are generally tangled. I will miss my tangled mess.

Tonight, we will squeeze time in. Tomorrow, we will be inseparable. Monday is coming.

I am gonna miss her so.

it's later

Refer to lower for earlier reference...

I managed to stay awake ..

I am now OSHA 10 Certified

Sleep ? What's that ?

Trying to get extra sleep at our house is useless.

I always wake up several times during the night. That fact withstanding, I can still get extra sleep by not getting up as early or going to bed earlier. Last night I tried. I did go to bed earlier. Then I was up with the dog (Cleo) tearing stuff up. She went to the kennel. She whined a bit but eventually shut when she realized that no one was coming to release her. Then at 2:30, my phone started to ring. It was in my pants across the room hanging on a portable desk that I made. By the time I got to it, the message had picked up.

I had an interesting conversation with my dad on Monday during the family gather for Memorial Day. He wanted to know what was wrong with my phone that he had troubles trying to reach me at times. I explained that there was nothing wrong with the phone. I just do not allow the phone to be my master. I am the master of the phone. I decide when I want to talk on the phone. I decide when I want to talk to certain people. Just because that thing rings, it doesn't mean that I put my whole life on hold and immediately spring into phone talking mode. Sometimes, I am eating, or drinking, or going to the bathroom, or watching a movie. What I am involved in is not always conducive to chatting. There fore, I am the master of my phone.

That being said, there are times when it is prudent to answer the phone. 2:30 in the morning is one of those times. It might be a family emergency. It might be one of my kids. It might be one of my parents. So, at 2:30 last night I was stumbling through the room in the dark, trying to find my pants, and then find the pocket, and find the phone. When I did finally find it, it displayed "private number". A few seconds later it said I had a message. I told it to read it. It said "Please call 7." What the heck that meant I have no clue.

I guess if it were important, they would have called the other 2 numbers at which we can be reached.

Anyway, it did no good. I was droopy eyed during the morning classes. I figure I will be droopy eyed the rest of the day as well.

More later .....

Toothpicks

I have toothpicks holding my eyes open. I just came out of one of the most boring classes I can remember. I am taking an OSHA 10 class. It is a safety class. The guy teaching is one of those 'love to hear the sound of my own voice' teachers. He drones on and repeats himself and tries to use 13 words to impress us when 1 word would convey the thought or idea. Toward the end, it was all I could do to stay awake.

AND .... I have to go back tomorrow !

I'll have to get plenty of sleep tonight. I don't know if that will help or not. I'll bring extra toothpicks just in case.

Self Portrait

Reama asked that we (readers of her blog) do this self portrait thing. Here's mine:


Self Portrait

Looking past the glassy reflection of my eyes
Never fooled by the projected exterior
Like the whited old southern mansions
Not portraying the turmoil beneath their peaceful pallor
I allow my eyes to wander room to room
There are rooms of passion and rooms of play
There are rooms of utility and rooms of fulfillment
There are rooms for living, lined with memories
All are veiled by the thinnest coat of respectability

Except now, as I look deeply into the mirror
reconciling the contradictions
Knowing the same house can hold all rooms
I can house my pains and my joys
I can hold my weakness and my strength
Each room faithful to the others
accepting the needs of all
Embracing the differences
Just across the friendly smile of the welcome mat

Come for a look sometime

Ron Simpson, Jr.
June 1, 2005

Gonna miss her .. while she is away

Passion’s Masterpiece

Picasso’s brush has never painted so true,

As when I brush across your skin,
The love written is mightier,
Than words by Shakespeare’s pen,
Beethoven’s opus cannot rival,
The crescendo of our love,
Colored more boldly,
Than the rainbow above;

Even the finest poet’s words
Cannot contain,
Cannot explain,
Without refrain,
The passion in our touch.

No melodious composition rivals its sweetness,
No orchestra has played so fine,
No fruit has so tempted the palette,
No grapes have ever yielded a greater wine,

Like the soft warm summer rain,
Your love
Cascades,
Invades,
Pervades,
Completely throughout is your touch.

I am soaked,
to the bone.

Ron Simpson, Jr.
November 26, 2003