Wednesday, August 31, 2016

FROM CRONIC PEOPLE PLEASER TO HERMIT LIKE GRUMPY OLD CURSMUDGEON IN 72 YEARS OR LESS

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KELLY WITH DAUGHTER SABRA

(I received an error message in my Open Live Writer program tonight and now my ‘Spell Checker’ is not working so be prepared for spelling mistakes)

All days are not stellar days and although there are those who would of course dispute that little slice of honest reality I am not one of them.  Just as some days we may feel a tad physically under the weather it happens mentally as well.  Tuesday was one of those days I felt reasonably well physically but mentally I just couldn’t quite pull it together.

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A FEW MORE PHOTOS FROM TUESDAY MORNING’S MARSH WALK

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OK SO IT’S EITHER A WASP’S NEST OR AN EGYPTIAN ‘HAPPY FACE’ MUMMY

I opted out of breakfast at the Bayfield Berry Farm with Kelly’s daughter Sabra, husband Derek and their 2 boys Keenan and Langdon along with Sabra & Derrick’s 2 friends from Cambridge and their two children.  Had I gone that would have been 10 people jammed around a table and that’s just way too many people for me.  Instead Pheebs and I headed off to the Hullett Marsh and had ourselves a great walk with a few photos along the way.  Of course I felt guilty for not joining the gang for breakfast and unfortunately I let that guilt set the tone for the rest of my day. 

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AT THE BAYFIELD BERRY FARM TUESDAY MORNING KEENAN AND LANGDON CHECK OUT THEIR MARSHMELLOW TOPPED HOT CHOCOLATES….photo by Kelly

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THIS WAS A MOTHER-DAUGHTER PHOTO BUT MOTHER WASN’T HAPPY WITH HER IMAGE SO I CROPPED THE PHOTO TO ONLY INCLUDE DAUGHTER:)) >>>>>>>>>>>

I have always had a problem with guilt feelings and I suppose that is why I was always such a ‘people person’ years ago.  Couldn’t say ‘no’ to anyone so I basically always went along with everything doing what I was told in order to not hurt anyone’s feelings.  Always wanted to be liked and do the so-called ‘right sociable thing’.  I’m not sure when the welcome change within me began but it was a slow gradual process over the years as I  moved steadily away from being the proverbial people pleaser to the hermit like kinda grumpy old cursmudgeon fella I am today.  I am actually satisfied with that change and the fact I am able to say ‘no’ to people now but that’s where the guilt feelings still plague me and I’ve never been able to sort that out and shake that feeling.  Not wanting to hurt people’s feelings and yet saying ‘no’ to people is a very delicately sharp edged blade which when slipped upon can cause cuts to go deep.

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ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SECTION WERE TAKEN BY KELLY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT THE WINDMILL LAKE & WAKE ECO PARK JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM WHERE WE LIVE

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KEENAN AND LANGDON RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE WAKEBOARD PARK’S OWNER JEN AND THAT’S DADDY DEREK IN THE LIGHT BLUE SHORTS

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ABOUT READY TO GO

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AND HE’S OFF

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IS THAT A VAPOR TRAIL BEHIND THAT JET??

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HOPE SABRA GOT A PICTURE OF THAT ‘SPLASH-DOWN’

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GOT THE BRAKES ON BEFORE HITTING THE DOCK

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OK LANGDON’S TURN

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ON THE WAY BACK

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AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL

The best part of Tuesday was Tuesday mornings Marsh walk and the rest of the day I spent wallowing in and wrestling with my feelings.  Woke up this morning still feeling on the down side and it wasn’t until Sabra, Derek, and the two boys rolled into our driveway that I was able to snap out of myself.  I have a very hard time with self critisizm and too often I listen to myself and assume things.  Assuming things is a bad habit of mine and at times I can get myself into a real dither.  That dither if left to run it’s course can easily turn into a state of depression and the last 24 hours had been a good example of that.   But here’s the up-side, the positive of the negative.  Often in my case it just takes a word of encouragement, a pat on the head, a feeling of understanding a kind word, a favorable comment.  And that is what I felt when Sabra, Derrick, and their boys dropped in this morning for about an hour.  By the time they left I was out of my funk and my re-started day was under way:))DSC_0004

SABRA EXPLAINS HER NEW iPHONE TO HER MOM

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IT IS EASY TO SEE HOW KELLY’S POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND INFLUENCE HAS BEEN PASSED ON TO HER CHILDREN AND CONTINUES IT’S JOURNEY TO HER GRANDCHILDREN

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COULD THERE BE AN iPHONE IN THE BAYFIELD BUNCH’S FUTURE…..Hmmmmmmm

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WHAT A PHEEBS, WHAT A PHEEBS AND DOES SHE NOT REMIND YOU OF CHARLIE BROWN’S ‘SNOOPY’:))

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LANGDON PUTS A BIG HUG ON HIS DAD

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SAY YOU DON’T SUPPOSE KEENAN IS HAVING AN EXCITING GAME OF ‘SNAKES AND LADDERS’ ON THAT iPHONE DO YOU??

I still had some cedar rails left so decided a few days ago to put in a second decorative fence idea.  Not a fence in the true sense of the word such as keeping something in or keeping something out but just a few rails and posts to give one corner of our front yard a bit of depth.

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Sure am liking the 67, 71 and 74 degree temperatures predicted for the next 3 days and especially the Friday and Saturday night lows at 53 and 52 because Kelly, Pheebs and I will be sleeping in the Motorhome.  Yep, more company coming Friday.  Kelly’s son Ben and wife Bri with their two boys will be staying until Sunday and they will be sleeping in our house Friday and Saturday night.  Oh, and our Motorhome goes to Goderich’s ‘Speedy Glass’ Friday morning to have the new passenger side windshield installed.  Our fingers are crossed that it will be done by late Friday afternoon.  If not it looks like Kelly, Pheebs and I will all be sleeping in our driveway……………….

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GROANER’S CORNER:(( According to the Knight Rider News Service, the inscription on the metal bands used by the US Department of the Interior to tag migratory birds has been changed.  The bands used to bear the address of the Washington Biological Survey,abbreviated as "Wash. Biol. Surv."; until the agency received thefollowing letter from an Arkansas camper:
Dear Sirs:  While camping last week I shot one of your birds. I think it was a crow. I followed the cooking instructions on the leg tag and want to tell you it tasted horrible.  The bands are now marked "Fish & Wildlife Service."

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Checking the menu, a restaurant customer ordered a bowl of vegetable soup. After a couple of spoonfuls, he saw a circle of wetness right under the bowl on the table cloth.  He called the waitress over and said, "It's all wet down here. The bowl must be cracked."  The waitress said, "You ordered vegetable soup, didn't you?"  "Yes."  "Well, maybe it has a leek in it!"

9 comments:

  1. Looks like they all had a great time. Too bad that you cannot get out of that funk, you are actually a nice fellow to be around. We have enjoyed your company a few times and really enjoyed it as long as we we did not over do it, we hope. Great memories with you guys.

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  2. Oh, Al...I soooo understand..However, my bad funky attitude is seeming to get better since my nasty parathyroid got removed..Thyroid and Parathyroid can really mess with you in many ways..moods, health, and a gazillion other things. Kelly has a great family and I'm so glad you stopped listening to those "guilty laden" voices in your head..

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  3. Looks like Kelly's got a happy family. But I can relate to your feelings too, always trying to please someone else. If I'm feeling off I tell myself 'You don't have to feel like it, you just have to do it'. By the time I get started 'doing', I end up feeling good too. Nice bit of fence too. Saw our daughter and grandkids off to B.C. today!

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  4. Wow. I don't remember how long it's been, but sure seems like thy have grown a lot!!! all wonderful pictures. I especially appreciate the father/son love shown. Rare in my world to see that love expressed by boys the ages of these!

    We followers wouldn't have our Al change one bit from the way he is! We know that what he perceives as warts are not warts at all, and are WAY outweighed by all the good.

    Nice that Kelly is getting to see so many of her kids/grandkids this simmer.

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    1. Spellcheck did not fix "they" or "summer"!!

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  5. Our son and grandson stayed with us up in Idyllwild Friday night, but then Saturday his sister and cousin and mom came up for a stop and it was TOO MUCH NOISE and confusion! We "urged" them to take the kids home and go swimming and they left (thank goodness!)...We like our peace & quiet.

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  6. Wow, August has sure been a whirlwind of family for you guys. Wonderful that they've all been able to come join you for short visits, and the photos will be loved by all of them. Nice to have them all in small doses, but a group photo would have been fun :-))) Introverts rarely handle non-stop interactions very well so you're break from breakfast was just what you needed I'm sure!! Glad Kelly took the pics in your absence, the boys look like they're having a great time.

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  7. Kelly's daughter is beautiful and the grandson's are so cute:) The Wakeboard Park looks so cool. I've never seen anything like this. Looks like the kids had a blast. Glad no one was bothering Pheebs as she sprawled on her back:)

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  8. I too remember how hard it used to be to say No. Took a long time to understand and accept my boundaries. Besides, that's a whole lot of people in one place. You've had quite a bit more company than usual. Seems it all worked out. I might have wanted to try the wakeboard.

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