Five Years of Blogging -Remembering 2018

Last week was my five year anniversary of writing this blog. I have now posted 580 times.  I recently shared a few memories or highlights of the first month I blogged in 2018, so I thought I would mention a few of my favorite blog titles and comments from 2018, my first year of blogging.

Recognizing the 54th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America,(February 7th) I ended the blog with the below words. I have Sirius XM radio now and I listen to the Beatles all the time.  I think this was a very good ending to my blogpost although it's probably more accurate to say, "Modern music was born."

My favorite song, "American Pie" by Don McLean talks about, "The Day The Music Died", the awful day that three popular musicians were killed in a plane crash.  A good argument can be made that 54 years ago today, four musicians arrived in New York and it was the day that music was born. I still "believe in yesterday."

Goodbye Gladys-

My wife had her gall bladder removed and named her Gladys.

My mother-in-law told me that the movie "The Lord of the Rings" was played at her assisted living place and she explained the movie with these words and then I explained the movie.  There's more to the movie of course, a lot, lot, lot more.

"there was a village with a lot of kids and a very old man who rode in on a carriage and a guy with a long, white beard." 

"There's this Hobbit who finds this powerful ring that he has to destroy by getting it to a mountain and throwing it into the fire inside.  If he doesn't destroy it, the evil guy will get it and destroy mankind and rule the world." 

Obstacles Exist To Be Overcome

I read a terrific book with one great quote on Ernest Shackleton's failed expedition in Antarctica. I may hang this quote in my car, it's an important message.

We had this minor problem when they built our house. I can't imagine we could have been peeing in a closet.

We were at the house today and they are framing it and it looks good.  One small problem is the hook-up for our toilet.  We're pretty sure the plumber put it in our closet in the master bedroom.

"Go Spoil Your Wife With Kindness"

My friend Gary ended an e-mail with these words. Since then, I've had a number of riders tell me that the world needs more kindness so Gary was right on target.

The title of the country music song which cracked me up-it's a real title.

"I Want To Check Her For Lice"

To buy a TV or not, it is still a question in our house after five years. We have gotten a lot of laughs from people's reactions when they hear we don't have a TV.

It's going to be odd to be in a house without a TV, but right now it looks like we're going to just skip it.  I'm not sure we're going to miss it either, but maybe one day we'll buy a TV for our new house.  Maybe it won't be a new house anymore?

"Your Television Will Be Back With You In A Minute"

These words appeared on my screen while I was watching a show in our condo. It made me wonder where the television went.

The local radio station had a "Loser Line." Women would give out a fake number to a guy and they would call this answering machine and this a real message:

"I didn’t tell you this when we met, but I collect machetes.  I didn’t want you

 think I was weird, but they're pretty cool and they remind me of my mother.  Recently, I found a whole storage unit full of them.  Give me a call back and I’ll tell you what we can do on our first date.”

SALLY THE SALAMANDER: My wife named the salamander that was hanging around the outside of our house and in our garage and I wrote about her.

Below is part of my tribute to my wife on our 35th anniversary and it's still true today.

She makes me happy every day and I am very grateful to have spent these 35 years with her.  Every night when we go to sleep I look into her eyes and see a woman who is more beautiful today than she was on the day we got married, August 28, 1983.

Questions While My Wife Is Away

4.  If you leave your toothbrush out on the counter and there's no one to see it there, is it in the wrong place?

My wife went out to California for eight days to visit her brother and I had 12 questions I was asking in this blog. I just picked one question above. It was a fun blog to write.

I'm Just Like SpongeBob!

My blog was about the history of SpongeBob, which our kids love. I wrote that since I'm now blogging, one day they'll talk about my blogs like they talk about old SpongeBob episodes.  Maybe not, but you never know.

My tribute to the "Mother of Thanksgiving" is one of my favorite stories that almost no one knows.

On Thanksgiving, Give Thanks To Sarah Josepha Hale