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It Happens In 3′s

November 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I know it’s an “Old Wives’ Tale” that things seem to happen in threes.  But isn’t it amazing, when we are talking about trials, tests, and tribulations in life that this in fact seems to be the case.

Why can’t this be the case with good things?  Wouldn’t it be great if all of sudden you found yourself one day with a new car, a vacation house in your dream location, and the money to pay for all the taxes and insurances that go along with these gifts? 

Well unless you know something about Santa Claus that I don’t, these things are not going to happen.  However, I can think of three things that always make a big difference in my life; God, family, and friends.  I guess good things do happen in threes after all…

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Survival Tips For Your Live Christmas Tree

November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We get our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and keep it up until the day after Christmas.  You may also be one of those adventurous people who wants to get your live Christmas tree as soon as possible, but instead of throwing caution to the wind, you worry about it drying out prior to the day we celebrate the birth of Christ.

Here are five tips that may help make your tree last just a little longer:

  1. Make sure that your tree has a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree trunk.
  2. Make sure that you place your tree in a stand approved for holding water.
  3. Keep your stand filled with water (some freshly cut trees will need to be watered at least three times a day).
  4. I have found that a gallon of water mixed with a splash of Sprite or 7-Up and a splash of bleach keep the tree branches moist much longer.
  5. Pay the extra money to have the tree sprayed with fire retardant before you leave the tree lot.

Option #2 – Buy a fake tree…

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Weight Gain

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Photo by Peter W.

Is anyone daring enough to step on a scale this morning?  I know I’m not.  However, last year I decided to see just how much weight I would gain in one particular day.  We all know which day I am talking about…Thanksgiving Day!

I weighed myself the morning of Thanksgiving.  As I glanced down at the digital numbers, I thought the reading was fairly respectable given my height and age.  My arrival at my sister’s house began in the same way it does year after year.  It begins with eating snacks, eating the Thanksgiving feast, napping, eating more snacks, then of course I have to finish off the evening eating pumpkin pie…no crust.

The next morning I stepped on the scale…five pounds heavier.  Yes folks it’s true, I ate five pounds worth of food on Thanksgiving Day.  This means I truly ate more than that because those were the remaining results after a night of sleep and digestion.   Why do I do that to myself?  The truth is that I want to do what is right, but every year on this same day…I don’t.   By the way, it took me a month to lose that same five pounds.

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Tryptophan

November 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I don’t know about the rest of society, but I am truly looking forward to spending Thanksgiving Day with family and friends.  We always celebrate the day with prayer before our festive meal and then we each take turns sharing what we are thankful for over the past year.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, salad, rolls, butter, green bean casserole, black olives, green olives…somebody stop me!  As much as I hate to admit it, this holiday for my family is a truly gluttonous event that occurs every year and I look forward to it.

 However, the nap that soon follows the meal is really more of a slumber than sleep. Sprawling out in the center of my sister’s family room floor, slipping into a drooling state of unconsciousness, and then awakening to an inner comfort that has no equal is what I refer to as “my annual state of bliss”.  Is Tryptophan to blame for my unconscious state?  Well that depends on which chemical expert you talk to or read about. 

The point I am attempting to make as a simple meat-eating Neanderthal is…“Tryptophan good…nap great”. 

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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Cyber-Bullying

November 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Photo by Gabriella Fabbri

Cyber-bullying was a non-existent term just a few short years ago.  We are now fully aware that not only does this term exist, but also it is having devastating consequences on people throughout the world…especially our children. The suicide of a 10-year-old girl was reported on the news just this past Friday. It was stated that the reason behind the suicide was three years of being bullied by her classmates and especially the cyber-bullying that had taking place in recent months.

I’m fairly certain that children picking on and bullying each other has been occurring for thousands of years.  I do not know of one person who has not been the victim of mean behavior at some point in time during their childhood, either at school or during some after school activity.  However, something is different today.  Cyber-bullying seems to penetrate deeper into our psyche more than the character attacks of the past.  Allow me to offer my amateur explanation for at least one reason why this may be the case.

A close friend of mine recently told me that people say things in a text message or email that they would not necessarily say face to face.  As I contemplated that statement, I began to realize how powerful e-mails and texting can be.  I wrote a blog back in October of this year about the tongue and how damaging it can be to others if we do not think before we speak.  The written word is just an extension of that fact. 

Now combine the “say whatever you want” attitude over the internet with the group mentality that can be generated in all of us, plus the immaturity of childhood and we have an explosive time bomb on our hands.  Worse yet, I do not see a solution coming down the road any time soon.  So may I offer this unsolicited piece of advice to myself as well as to the rest of the world?  Parents, train-up your children in the way they should go.  If not us…who?

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Dads and Daughters

November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

My grown daughters are now giving me advice…and the really interesting aspect for me is that their advice is sound and just.  As a parent, I must admit, watching them transition from teenagers to adulthood has been quite remarkable.

It seems like it was just yesterday when both the girls looked to me to help solve their issues that only a Dad could solve…at least that is the impression they would leave.  We would talk and work our way through their struggles.  Then I would give them my advice with the hope that it would make things better.  However, the tables have now turned.

I have one daughter who is extremely gifted and wise when it comes to finances and business.  She recently gave me sound investment advice that made perfect sense so I followed it to my advantage.  I have another daughter who is gifted with common sense beyond her years.  She recently offered me some advice that changed the course I was heading down and once again I benefited greatly.  So to all of this I say, “Thank you to my wife for raising two daughters full of wisdom who have become positive contributors to society.”  What more could a Dad want?

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Facebook

November 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

About a year ago a film came out entitled The Social Network.  As most of you know, this film portrays the founding of the social networking phenomenon known as Facebook and the lawsuits that occurred over the website’s creation.  Whether you believe the movie to be factual or not does not negate the fact that this communication tool is off the chart.

 Facebook has been connecting and reconnecting people for years now.  Personally it has brought me back in touch with people as far back as grade school.  Even more impressive is the fact that, while I was in Thailand a few weeks ago, the friends I made over there told me to contact them.  When I asked for their email address they just smiled and said, “I’m on Facebook.”  Sure enough, by the time I had landed back in the U.S. and checked my Facebook, there they were, requesting my friendship.  However, I must admit I do have a hard time following their posts because most of the time their communication is done in the Thai language…another amazing accomplishment by the Facebook people.  All of this to say that I am so impressed with what FB has accomplished that I began to do some research.

 One article I read stated as of today, there are three major types of communications.  Those of you who are 50 years old and older would prefer to communicate by voice such as face to face or by phone.  Those that are 25 to 49 years of age prefer to use the written word but do not like to be limited in their speech so they prefer texting or Facebook.  Finally, those that are under 25 years old prefer Twitter.  So what does all this mean? I’m not certain but I do know that the way we communicate has changed forever and Facebook has truly made the world a smaller place.

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Pumpkin Pie

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Photo by Aaron Woehler

After church last night my wife and I decided to get a bite to eat at a restaurant that is famous for their freshly baked pies.  When we arrived at the door, the first thing to greet us was the perfect picture of a pumpkin pie with steam wafting out of the pie crust crevasses beckoning us to enjoy this slice of heaven. What is it about pumpkin pie that just screams out, “The holidays are here”!  Now that scream can be a jubilant, “I’m glad the holidays are here” scream or it can be the sound of disdain which indicates, “I am so-not looking forward to the holidays”. 

I realize there can be a myriad of issues that could cause the holidays to be a time of sorrow and/or grief.  But allow me to offer this, if the holidays have you down because it means you have to spend money, I understand, I used to be that way as well.  I did not like being that way because it took the true joy out of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  So I decided to do something about it.  I decided to develop a budget.  Twice a month for eleven months I put away money into a savings account for one reason…spend the money on others during the holidays.  By doing this I accomplished three things:

  1. Because I am putting a little away each month it does not seem to hurt my tight-wad style of money management.
  2. By the 11th month, I have plenty of money to spend on others and it does not effect my day to day family operations.
  3. It brought back the joy of the holidays because I am no longer worried what the credit card bill is going to look like come January.

Now for those of you who are thinking, “Cool, Rick Mayhew is giving away money over the holidays.”  Wrong.  I don’t have that kind of money, that’s why we are on a budget.  However, I would like to offer this bit of financial advice.  Set aside enough money to enjoy a piece of pumpkin pie…like it or not…the holidays are here and pumpkin pie is great comfort food :)

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Where’s The Blog?

November 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Today’s blog has been kidnapped.  My publisher invited me to blog on their website today.  She asked if I would talk a little about being a first responder and my book Donovan’s Law. 

If you would like to read today’s blog please visit oaktara.com and click “Bindings”. 

I am looking forward to seeing you back here on Monday.  Have a great weekend :)

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The Right To Vote

November 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday was known as the “United States General Election of 2011”.  Did you vote?  I did not.  I tried to vote.  I could not find anything to vote on in my town.  I love to vote.  I know there are people around the world protesting and receiving great bodily harm attempting to earn the right to vote.  Yet, I could not vote.  I even got on the internet to find out if I missed something.  What did I find…nothing.

I began to think back over the past few weeks.  Did I receive the voter’s guide in the mail like I usually do?    No recall.  Did I receive that little flyer that tells where my polling place is?  Which by the way, those people are saints for holding the polling place in their garage year after year…except this year.  No flyer had arrived.  There was nothing to vote on.

To that I say, “Make something up!  I love to vote.”  I have instilled in my children the importance of voting and they don’t miss an opportunity.  Now I am preaching the same song to my 4 ½ year old grand-daughter…Vote! I’ll tell you what Mr. and Mrs. Government Official, I’ll help you figure out what we can vote on.  How about voting to not allow any house in my neighborhood to be painted pumpkin orange?  I would vote for that…I’d vote for anything.  Just let me vote :)

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