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| How sad! YouTube influencer Benny Johnson was at the Kamala Haris rally here in Tampa. There were only about 200 people there, but they were so embarrassed they had him tossed out even though he talked to nobody and did nothing but use his phone to take pictures like everyone else. https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1852734318180753571 |
| It wasn’t a rally, it was the headquarters of the Hillsborough County Hispanic Caucus in Tampa. |
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| I expected visits from my children and grandchildren this past weekend, but they all canceled to attend company dinners, dances, and karate tournaments. It was so sad I couldn't even go watch, as they allotted limited tickets to the event. And I was too late in the asking. In my depressed state, I thought I would write an Ode to express my dismay at my somewhat bruised heart. But then I remembered, I already added voice to the plights of an ole' granddad. The Phases of Man Extracted from the Unknown, a cycle begins anew, A baby, dependent, in a world vast and blue. Grows into a child with laughter and cries, Under watchful eyes, beneath the wide skies. An adolescent next, with dreams and fears, Rebelling, seeking, through the formative years. A son, who looks up, then eye to eye, Sees the hero in his father under the same sky. A husband emerges in the dance of fate, He finds love, holds it close, and steps through that gate. Then a father, with a burden, heavy and grand, Time slipping like countless grains of sand. A grandfather, wisdom in his gaze, Sees the circle of life through the haze. The chance to imprint on the morrow's wake, Legacy and love, for his progeny's sake. Forgotten but not gone, in the grandson's eyes, The cycle continues under the same skies. Returned to the Unknown, where it all began, Each phase, each step, in the life of a man. |
| Well, Helene has brought more than wind and water to my house ... My two sisters-in-law will stay at our house until their houses can be repaired. Normally, this is not a bad thing, but then, as the only male in the house, I am reminded of certain things. I think this sums up the mood of my house for the coming future... |
| And you might think you have troubles. I have a house in Bartow, one in St. Pete Beach (a few blocks from the Don Cesar Hotel)… and one in North Carolina in Otto, just south of Franklin. Bartow had only a few limbs to clean up. We can't get to the mountain house because there are no open roads in the area—the Beach house had four feet of saltwater. Everything inside is a loss but insured. But we just found out that our flood insurance covers nothing outside, so the new AC, Lawn sprinkler system, pool pumps, fences, two electric-powered awnings, and a dozen pieces of missing patio furnishings (some less than two months old) will be out of pocket replacements. Despite that, I am extremely lucky. We could have been two blocks over where the sand got deeper. |
Ẃeβ࿚ẂỉԎḈĥ  - Flood insurance is separate from homeowners. Homeowners don't cover water damage, the flood doesn't cover wind or other storm damage, and FEMA doesn't help until your insurance company has turned you down and has denied your claim(s). It's not even the cost—it's the fact that it will take a year or more to get things repaired. With 160 billion in damages across six states... building supplies and contractors will have a severe shortage. |
Joey' Falling for the Season  - That is so true, Joey. It's happened where I live (snow bird) in Florida. I was very lucky as far as damages, but many were not. They lost carports, docks, porches, etc. It took over a year at least for all the insurance turn downs and awaiting Fema to kick-in. Many times, the damage is caused by spin-off tornadoes.  |
I know the Season's calendar denotation is yet 22 days to come. But Lilli 🧿 ☕  Asked the question in "Question of the Day!"  How about you ... do ya have a nickel's worthy of opinion? Autumn Around our hearths and homes, our neighbors decorate their yards and porches. How fun to stroll these avenues and their displays of this last year's bounty. Rectangle bales of cut Bermuda and straw, intermixed are pumpkins, riffs of dried corn stalk, and bunched cobs, lay nestled within the displays. Raggedy Ann, her happy mate Andy, and sometimes their little ones, all crafted from bamboo spines, swatches of plaid cloth, and more dried stalks. Their small, white-gloved hands wave at each passerby, drawing attention to their gleeful smiles, inviting us in. Enthralled by the season's palettes, I paint, channeling the autumn hues onto my canvas. Each stroke is a desperate attempt to capture the transient beauty of the season. Among the vibrancy are small boys chasing each other, tossing armloads of once-raked leaves. Angus, their black Labrador, nipping and tugging playfully at pant cuffs. Oh, how magnificent the laughs and Ah-ha cheers echo through the wide yard. They are a solid remembrance of those same days seventy years ago. Between wipes of my cheeks are images of another grandfather, his eyes locked lovingly upon me. The dog, Prince, a Border Collie, was never far from our sides, my brothers and me. Come afternoon, the wife joins my strolls beside Lake Mary Holland. There, we meet more neighbors and share stories of their joys while offering solace in their sorrows. Each interaction of pictures saved on phones and tablets is a testament to the human spirit and life's richness that went beyond the mere clock's ticking ... Oh, what do you say? |
| "Harkin Yee-ole Purveyors of Mirth, Mischief, and Tears." For once more, I extend a shaky, grubby tendril toward the brass ring. Your perusal and disclaimed candor are not only welcomed ... but heartily desired..! Behold my 882-word short for "The Writer's Cramp" 8/18/24
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| For the love of all the sweet summer sweat, I forgot to mention the wife, our neighbors, Susan, Loy, and their granddaughter, all braved the heat of, Lake Placid Florida, two weekends ago for the Annual Caladium Festival https://www.caladiumfestival.org/ I bought four dozen new caladium bulbs. Why, I am not sure. Finding a place to plant them is getting harder in my yard. |
| That's a lot of planting, weeding, and cultivating! More power to you. I wouldn't have the energy, even in my cooler climate. (But I would love driving by your place just to look and enjoy.) |
Pumpkin Harvest  - Few weeds for me. I do mostly container gardening… lots of flowers, a few peppers, and usually about 10 to 12 tomato plants, all different varieties. My yard is a little over point 0.6 acres with a 350-year-old live oak in the backyard, draped in Spanish moss, (I hope to reduce some of this heavy air plant this fall.) Over the tree's top and twisted around its 16-foot diameter trunk are fifty eight-inch vines… most of which are "Flame Vine." In the spring, the tree looks like it's wearing a giant crown of orange… I hope to get pictures this spring. I am also excited to see how the Golden Trumpet tree in my front side yard does this coming year. I have been going all out on its care this year, maxing out its food and water. It has almost doubled in size and foliage, hopefully making for an extremely productive flowering come late February. I know this posting about flowers and gardens sounds wimpy, but my wife and I bought this place two years ago. I am only now getting caught up enough to enjoy the property. We had never lived in town before, always on acreage. I come from a farming/ranching family. We grew strawberries, cabbage, corn, beans, melons, and livestock (1600 to 2000 hooves or more at a time.) And, of course, horses! As a kid, I spent as much time in a saddle as I did in my bed… sometimes I did the one while in the other … In my high school class of 32 students (equally split between boys and girls,) almost all drove pickups to school. I am about as Florida Cracker as a fellow could be, less the effects of exposure to the world's taint outside our church and community while I was out in the US Navy (1974 to 1980), and then traveling around the country for work. So, finding this 100-year-old Florida Craftsman in the middle of a country based small-town was indeed a blessing from our Maker. Now, I need to figure out how to stay alive long enough to get it on the cover of "Better Homes and Gardens," my new goal in life … as I have passed the mantel of saving the world to my children… and grandsons. |
| Well, the only thing good about the cubic climate of central Florida, in August, is my garden continues to yield colors galore for my wife's busy desk and dining room table. And I get to start all my favorite fall offerings, carnations, mums, more African marigolds, and my dahlias will start blooming anew. |
| So, You step out your back door, and immediately go blind in a fog… What is the most likely cause? 1. The AC thermostat is set lower than your wallet… because your wife is an Eskimo with a fever. 2. You live in a cubed environment like Florida where on August 1st it is 96 degrees, with 96% humidity, 96% of the day. 3. You can't decide if the gray glaze over your eyes is triggered by not being able to remember where you left your keys or what the wife sent you to pick up at the store. Normally this malady lasts but seconds, but then I normally remember what store, which triggers the what bags do I take? Along with which one. vehicle the car or truck … oh does one need gas? 4. Oh look, the women's gymnastics are on the porch 60 inch. I just watch this until I remember or Sherry comes out asking where I put her apples and chips. |
| I've added a new entry to my book, ""Oh, Really, Joey, you can't say that!"" : "A Nation Divided: Attempted Assassination of a President" Hey, I am practicing my News Blurb skills. If you have time, drop a note to let me know how this entry might compare to others in the media you read. |
| I should have known not to touch the WdC third rail... I did not intend to anger anyone enough to block me and my supporters. Can't even try to apologize for the misunderstanding my piece prompted, as she has blocked me and will not see my new postings. I started a tiff between two very active, well-known yellow case members. Resulting in blocked access to their posts and emails. For this, I apologize. My writing is not what I think … If it can be easily misinterpreted. A long-standing member who has interacted with me, giving me countless reviews and encouragement for years, is not available to me. This is truly sad. So the question to everyone----, is my above post out of line for WdC? If so, I will remove it post haste. |
I've just edited an item in my portfolio:
I might add some commentary for those lacking understanding. |
| It’s well written and has it’s own internal logic. As you say in a way that a grade schooler can understand. I myself, would not want a group of sixth graders deciding the meaning of our complex fabric of laws and government. |
| Trump was impeached twice. His shenanigans with women were before becoming 'immune' and were hardly 'official' conduct unless he's a king with the 'right of kings'. His call to Georgia was during his presidency but he didn't do it to preserve the constitution as court have found no election fraud. The conduct of his sycophants was both immoral and criminal. His action/inaction on January 6th lead to the Capital being stormed for the first time since 1814. Hardly 'presidential'. But as Sotomayor and many others have stated, "He is NOT above the Law". A large minority of Americans want a strongman/king. We'll see whether the courts allow that to happen. As for what you wrote: it's readable and in common language. And that's needed. Suggestion: next tackle "Project 2025" ... because my friends just shrug with eyes glazed over. |
I've just edited an item in my portfolio:
It is a redo of an old bar room repose, but I thought it was worth the rewrite. What ya think? |
I've added a new entry to my book, ""Oh, Really, Joey, you can't say that!"" :  "The Publishing Lottery..." |
Okay, I finished and entered my third attempt at Sci-Fi in yesterday's "Writer's Cramp." To my surprise, it won. I had a ton of fun researching and writing this short, so it begs the question: Does it make for a good chapter one? Is it hooky enough for a reader to ask for more? I had dozens of ideas that just would not fit into the word count. Is the premise good enough to expand this into a novel or novellet?
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So sorry for your losses. And, yes, it could have been much worse. 
Yes, it's been a very long week. 
