The Muse is Loose

Mr brother-in-law in Arkansas sent me a string of old color commercials featuring cigarettes and smoking. Any one my age would know most every ad, whether you ever smoked or not. We did not have TV but all the magazines, newspapers, billboards, etc. featured these familiar commercials, each with their clever "catch words". (LSMFT; Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco).

Popular stars, and persons of prominence, were especially sought. One ad said: "More doctors smoke.......than any other cigarette.". Wonder how they ever took that poll? There is a handsome picture of movie star, Ronald Reagan, promoting his brand. Another features John Wayne and his cigarette of choice. Who saw these advertisements? Everyone! When I was in the service and on maneuvers we would receive a canned pack of food and necessities. There was always a small pack of cigarettes in there. It was usually Camels or Lucky Strike. Cigarettes could be bought at the PX for fifteen cents a pack. They were probably given by the companies for the publicity. It is interesting that although that product has paid through the nose, and now has to make written statements of the dangers, it is still around and even seems that more folks are smoking again. I wonder what those doctors would say today? Cough! Cough!

Car ads are humorous to me. I am not selling one right now. I have had two bought from my yard. One did not even have a "for sale" sign on it. The buyer was heading for Mexico. He had cash. He also had a "lemon" when he left.(Not off my tree) The sale wasn't my idea!

When you run an ad words are at a premium. The cost is based on the number of words so some folks really get conservative with words. Here are "real" words from "real" ads in today's Caller Times: 1 owner, loaded, a/c, runs good, new brakes, super clean, sunroof, automatic, must see, 3rd row, obo, low mileage, take over payments, no rust, cruise, power windows,4WD, warranty, wife's car, tow pkg, like new, super sporty, Bose, V6, navigation, leather seats, we finance.(These were from several ads)

What might a "totally" honest car ad look like? Maybe something like this. FOR SALE: NEARLY WORN- OUT CAR I HAVE DRIVEN HARD. ALL KINDS OF THINGS DON'T WORK ANYMORE. WOULDN'T STOP HARDLY AT ALL SO HAD TO GET NEW BRAKES TO GET INSPECTION STICKER; VACUUMED THOROUGHLY AFTER HAULING FERTILIZER IN BACK SEAT, SHIFTS ITSELF BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN; THIRD ROW SEATING WITH FOLDING CHAIRS; TAKE MOST ANY OFFER. 23,000 MILES SECOND TIME AROUND, RUST DOES NOT SHOW UNDER DIRT, WARRANTY EXPIRED YEARS AGO. ROPE IN TRUNK FOR TOWING, WIFE'S CAR TILL SHE WRECKED IT, GARAGE SALE BOSE RADIO IN SEAT, NEARLY NEW MAP IN SIDE DOOR, V6 (was v 8), LEATHER SEATS UNDER SEAT COVERS. MIGHT BUY YOU GAS TO DRIVE IT OFF.

How honest are we in telling all the facts in other areas of our lives? The Lord only knows.

Our grandson, Calvin Duprie, who is four' was excited to tell me that from their Christmas trip to Australia and the East he had brought us a present. I asked, "What is it Calvin?". He answered with a laugh in his little voice, "A Komodo dragon!". "Oh no!", I replied. " I will keep him in the back yard!" Calvin's quick response was, "No! In the house!". We haven't seen the dragon yet. I am hopeful it is one we can keep in the house.

The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world. They can get to be nine feet in length. They are flesh eaters and, on occasions, that has been humans. They live on some Asian islands and can chase down small deer that live there. They are fearsome creatures.

The "Year of The Dragon" in the Chinese New Year has a more mythical creature played out with paper ones for their street parades. Some may be fifty or more feet in length. This year is supposed to be a "good" year under the dragon. Comic books and movies are filled with dragons.

Did you know the Bible has it's dragon? It is not a mythical creature but one very real, and extremely dangerous. He is alive and he is here among us.

"and there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him." (Revelation 12:7-9)

"woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you.! He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short."

You will remember his appearance in the Garden of Eden. You also will recall his visit with Jesus as the Lord prepared for his public ministry. The Dragon pulled out every temptation possible that might bring the downfall of a hungry Man in the wilderness.

This is "the year of the dragon" for Believers. Every year is. He is a furious enemy because He knows his time is running out. He wants to be, not in our backyard, but in our den and workplace and car. He is as real as the ones who pad about Komodo Island, but far more dangerous. They can only destroy a body. This Dragon is after both body and soul.

You have heard it said many times in various news interviews that we live in a Country where anyone who sets his/her mind to it can become President of The United States. That is really exciting! Think of those wonderful children/grandchildren in your family who can aspire to the most powerful position in the world. "anyone can grow up to be President" is an aspiring statement.

There are major flaws, however, in that claim. There are age and citizenship requirements. There are legal requirements. There are FINANCIAL requirements that are staggering.

To even get through the primary elections in today's political environment one must come up with FIFTY to ONE HUNDRED MILLION dollars! That is more money than many of us will make in several hundred years! So, there has to be wealthy contributors willing to help finance the campaign..... a lot of them. What do they want in return? Some, simply a person who will stand by his/her promises in speeches and writings. Others want political appointments such as Ambassadors to various world countries. Still others want favoritism in their businesses and personal lives. A visit to the White House would be nice.

We have just mentioned getting through the primaries. Now the big "run" is on. Here our government through taxpayers chip in. On your IRS return you can check giving $3.00 to aid in the election. It is doled out in the finals in matching funds. Now, a person could need $75 million more. Or more!

As ideal as it sounds, it just isn't so: Running for President is available only to a select few persons. They must have a thick billfold and a thicker skin. They must accept the spotlight of attention to sweep across their lives, exposing any and every mistake they ever made!

I saw on the back of a leather jacket worn by a Bandido Motorcycle club member, "God forgives. Bandidos never do". The same is true in a political race.

This is as political as I will get.

"All right, boys and girls, sit up straight and listen. I have a new word for you today. It is not an easy word to say....PARA-PROS-DOKIANS. What does it mean? Let me tell you......"

"A figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation."

My friend from High School days in Fort Smith, Gene Oneal, sent this to me. Thought I might brighten this dismal Friday just a bit. Here are some paraprosdokians for you.

Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it is still on my list.

I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.

A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need one to skydive twice.

You're never too old to learn something stupid.

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Change is inevitable except from a vending machine.

I used to be indecisive. Now I am not so sure.

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

Thanks Gene. I needed those.

What kids do during summer vacation these days is mind-boggling. They go everywhere from Disneyland, to Paris to Rome. I have a much different remembrance of my summer vacation. I do recall a summer when we traveled from Cavanaugh, Arkansas, to Liberty Hill, Oklahoma.That was about thirty-five miles. My parents left me and two older sisters there at my grandmother's house. She was a widow, and one of her daughters and her family lived across the road.They were Charlie and Flora Buttress and their four children. Uncle Charlie was a truck farmer. He had some acres and a team of mules. He raised potatoes and watermelons mainly. Our arrival for "summer vacation" was timed with the big event of "pickin' up taters". We were the pickers up. It meant we would take a metal basket and get in the rows plowed up by the team, and pick up the potatoes that had been uncovered.We did this by simply crawling along on our knees behind the mules. The dirt would be cool and the potatoes were easily found in the red, sandy-like soil. Once a basket was full it would be carried to a shed where there was a machine that graded them by size. Those of the right size were put in a tow sack and sewed up at the top. They were ready to sell. I would get a cardboard "token" for each basket I brought in. Those tokens were like money. At the end of the pickin' we turned in our tokens and would be paid. I imagine it would be .25 to.50 cents for me. I was about ten or eleven.

That was summer vacation. I didn't mind it at all. We didn't work all day. Afternoon meant the boys would go to the swimming hole up behind the Baptist Church, where they baptized. It was a nice deep hole and a real treat after crawling through dirt all morning. My cousin, Oren Ray, would be with me. Some other boys I didn't know would also go to the swimming hole.

I have recalled this today because my cousin, Oren Ray Buttress, passed away yesterday in Oklahoma. I haven't seen him since those long-ago days. Distance and interests never brought us back together. We didn't do much of families getting together. It wasn't really very easy to do it. My father worked five and a half days a week at the glass plant and Sundays were for church. I don't even know what Oren Ray did for a living. I don't think it was truck farming like his dad. I do recall fondly, riding in the back of the wagon as we went in to Cameron, the nearest town. We were bare-footed, of course, and when the wagon crossed a creek we dragged our feet and legs in the cool water of cedar creek. That was a summer vacation memory for me. The only souvenir I brought home was an arrowhead I found one day. It is gone, like those days, and most of the memories.

It is called a mega ship in a mega industry producing mega bucks. The Costa Concordia is 1000 feet long, and loaded with a half-million gallons of fuel. More importantly, it had over 4,000 passengers on board! Less than five years old, it had all the sophisticated equipment to aid in traveling the seas of the world in safety. So what happened? All fingers point at the captain who made what the ship's owner called, "an unapproved, unauthorized maneuver", diverting the ship from the programmed course.

Would you travel on a liner after this disaster? I would in a minute. I made my first trip last year and it was wonderful. I felt safe all the way. Perhaps that was a false sense of security. These giants ships have one big fault, potentially. It can be the captain. He can over-rule good judgement and charted waters and reports of dangerous seas. He has supreme control of his ship. It has always been that way on the high seas. This captain in Italy apparently diverted from the course tried and true to "do his own thing", and disaster struck.

Who is at the helm as you sail the seas of life? There has to be a captain. Are you piloting your own ship? Do you allow anyone or any thing to chart the course? Is he/she capable enough for you to place your very life in his/her trust? Does he know the destination and how to get there through all circumstances? These are things worth thinking about.

This old gospel song comes to mind:

Sometimes when my faith would falter
and no sunlight I can see.
I just lift my eyes to Jesus
And I whisper, "Pilot me.".

"Fear thou not, for I am with thee,
I will still thy Pilot be."
Never mind the tossing billows,
Take My Hand, and trust in Me."

It is wise to check to see who is at the helm of your life.

everywhere I looked there were little gold nuggets! I stopped counting after a hundred-twenty. I had never seen so much gold......in these little flyers. Goldfinches! These are called American Goldfinch. There are others called Lesser Goldfinch, and still another named Lawrence's Goldfinch.

American Goldfinch comes in December, usually. They have not developed their full colors of summer. In summer American Goldfinch male will be mostly yellow, with black wings and topknot. People have sometimes called them canaries which they are not. Lesser Goldfinch, which can be seen in the Hill Country in summer, will have black backs and head, with a few white stripes in the wings.Their breast will be yellow to the tail. Both of these are stunning birds.
They are not loners, running in small flocks.

Our American Goldfinches hang on bags eating tiny thistle seeds they pluck through a bag. They also love the black sunflower seeds. I could easily estimate their numbers yesterday for I had scattered the sunflower seed under a feeder and they were wing to wing devouring that much-needed nourishment. Water was close by. They alternated between drinking and bathing, in the same water!

A neighborhood cat came over the fence, uninvited, and plucked a hapless goldfinch before I knew it. Everyone has to eat. I imagine some hawk probably buzzed through while we were at church to get his Sunday dinner. It is an unrelenting danger for birds.

The problem we experience in Rockport is that the American Goldfinch leaves just as he gets his full array of summer color. I wish some would stay but they never do. They move on to another haunt to eat thistle and other seeds and be enjoyed by the folks there. Such is the birding experience. Oh yes, they shared those sunflower seeds with white-winged and mourning dove, cardinals, titmice, and the house sparrow!

Our yard right now is full of birds. Food and water is of a short supply so they drop in to feed and drink. American Goldfinch; White-winged and Mourning dove; Field Sparrows; Titmice; Cardinals, and others come in numbers; not to overlook the pesty English Sparrow. They are all fun to see and study. It doesn't take much to scare them to nearby trees. We also have frequent hawk visitors. A large shadow overhead will quickly scatter the little birds. Yesterday a shadow was from a Turkey Vulture. It made no difference to the birds. They fled for cover! A Turkey Vulture would only be interested in a dead bird.

But all birds do not fly at warning.A few will simply "freeze" where they are, hoping they might not be seen by the sharp-eyed hawk. Who has the better chance of survival....freezer or flyer? I don't really know. There seems to be safety in numbers, for the hawk is only interested in catching a single bird. He is very capable when it comes to that.

We all deal with similar issues in life. Have you been in the "flow of traffic" (nice way of saying group speeders) and suddenly come upon a police car or motorcycle with the radar gun pointed at you? Are you safest by speeding ahead or slowing down? I guess it depends on the operator. It looks at times like the slower vehicle is nailed.

What about an impending storm? Is it safer to flee or take cover? You make the call. I have heard horror stories of folks caught in miles of jammed freeway traffic while trying to escape a storm.
What about the sound of a rattlesnake close to your feet in grass or weeds and you cannot see it? Freeze or run? You make the call. Helppp!!!!

You see we human birds have our own confrontations with impending dangers and have to decide what to do or not do. Solution? When possible, avoid getting INTO a situation where there is danger. Leave early before a storm. Maintain a legal speed. Check where you are walking. O yes, and when necessary cry.....Heelllllllllpppp!!!!

If you are suffering from this rare ailment,( I dare not try to spell again,) do not worry further. It will be gone at midnight. Yes, there is such a word that means "fear of Friday the thirteenth". Today being that fateful day, I mention it to you in case you are under undue stress about it. You are not alone. It is estimated 17-21 million persons in our country also are stressed and worried over Friday the thirteenth. How ancient is this superstition? It is only 150 or so years old! Friday being an unlucky day goes much further back. In "Canterbury Tales" of the fourteenth century Friday is mentioned as an unlucky day. If you live or go to a Spanish-speaking country the unlucky day is Tuesday!

What is an "unlucky" day? What is a "this is my lucky" day? I guess it is what you make it. We have to look closely at the word "luck". One definition is "The things that seem to happen to a person by chance, good or bad"; "lucky"....having a good result by chance.

We need a little more help. What is meant "by chance?". Definition: "Chance - the way things turn out;happening of events by accident" Well, explain for me "by accident"? I guess that is whether one is speaking of being lucky or unlucky!

Does any of this make sense? You know it really doesn't. Obviously, things appear to happen by accident from time to time. In our eyes it may appear as "chance" or "luck". Let's bring another One into this discussion. That would be God. Is there chance in regards to God? None. Is God ever surprised or have a lucky day? Never! Should we, then, ever give in to seeing our life events as good luck or bad luck? Not to my thinking. Many events will leave us wondering and in question. I think that is okay. Attributing life events to luck, good or bad, seems a bit out of touch with God being in charge. Why do bad things happen to good people if God is in charge? That is a question of the ages. Job asked it and all who have followed. It has no simple answer, except to say that God is perfect but none of us are. We cause bad things to happen at times. We are also victims of others causing them to happen. This is an imperfect world. Sin has taken away it's perfection since that time when God saw it and said, "That's good". In fact, things got so bad that the Lord Almighty gave the world a good bath and scrubbing, leaving only Noah and his family to make a new start. If this isn't a lucky or unlucky day, what kind is it?"........ That's an easy one. "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."