🦃🦃 November 2023 FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

 "Be who you are and say what you feel.  Those who mind don’t matter, and those that matter, don’t mind.”  Dr. Seuss

This is so true. I remember when I was a kid there was a saying:  “Be what you is, because if you ain’t what you is, you isn’t what you ain’t.”  In my life I’ve seen many people trying to be what they aren’t, confirming that they aren’t what they are and have lost sight of who they should be---themselves.  So much energy is spent trying to be something you aren’t, and it all comes out sooner or later.  Unfortunately, the deception makes you look really bad to those who care about you; and to those who don’t care about you----yeesh, it gives them more ammo to say nasty things or confirms what they’ve thought all along.  So, be who you is, not who you isn’t, because if you ain’t what you is, you isn’t what you ain’t.

"One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest." (Maya Angelou) 

The old farmer says:   *Yer fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.  *A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.  *Words that soak into yer ears are whispered...not yelled.  *Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.  *Forgive yer enemies.  It messes up their heads.  *Do not corner something that ya know is meaner ‘n you.  *It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.  *You cain’t unsay a cruel word.  *Every path has a few puddles.  *When ya wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty and smelly.  *Don’t judge folks by their relatives.  *Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.  *Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin’ you none.  *Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier ‘n puttin’ it back in.  *If ya get to thinkin’ yer a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.  *Make sure yer on the upside of the tree yer tryin’ to fall.  *When you barrey from yer neighbor take back twice the amount ya barryed.  *God gives ya jest as much daylight as He does the feller down the road.  *Don’t think ya can outrun a mad bull or mad sow.  *If the corn crib’s empty, so’s gonna be yer belly.  *Pay attention to yer barkin’ dogs.  *The quiet dog on the porch doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t bite.  *When yer think yer too good to say “I’m sorry”, yer not good enough.  *The fruits of yer labor depend on how many jars ya canned.  *There’s more in a smile than what is on yer face.  *Not every crowing rooster has somethin’ to crow about.  *The best ride is the one home.  

An OXYMORON is a figure of speech in which two words with opposing meanings are used together for effect.  Interestingly, the word OXYMORON is a compound of two words: (oxús, “sharp, keen, pointed”) and (mōrós, “dull, stupid, folly”). Translated literally, you get “sharp-dull”, "keen-stupid," or "pointed folly." In other words, "oxymoron" is itself an oxymoron. The common plural form is "oxymorons, but the actual plural is "oxymora."  Here are examples: jumbo shrimp; pretty ugly; random order; dry shampoo; civil war; silent scream; old news; bitter sweet; plastic silverware; working vacation; stupidly stubborn; deafening silence; deceptively honest; freezer burn; good grief; larger half; plastic glasses; small crowd; unbiased opinion; etc.  I’m sure you can think or have heard others.

A new liquor store was established in a town.  Its name was “Boo’s”. 

Speaking of liquor, I have a friend, Charlotte, who enjoys wine every day.  She sometimes enjoys it a bit too much.  This particular evening, she’d had a lot of “enjoyment”.  The hostess was gathering the empty glasses and came to Charlotte’s.  The hostess asked if she wanted anymore.  Charlotte replied, “I’ll have a splash more.”  The hostess had never heard of that “measurement” and asked how much that was.  Charlotte replied, “A splash more is when you know you’ve had a bit too much, but you like it so much you want to have just a splash more.  It’s just enough to make a small splash in the carafe.”

My friend was traveling though the deep South.  She wasn’t familiar with the area and stopped at a gas station for directions.  She approached the old cashier and asked where a certain place was.  He said, “Well, it’s two sees down yonder.”  She didn’t have a clue about where he was talking and humbly asked, “What is ‘two sees’ and ‘down yonder’?”  He explained, “Look out the window.  Look as far as you can and tell me what you see.”  She did and told him she saw two silver silos.  He said, “Alrighty.  That’s one see.  Now go to that and look as far as you can and that’s the second see, and there you’ll be.”  She asked what “down yonder” was.  He chuckled and said, “That’s the straight away you’ll travel to your two sees. ‘Yonder’ is referring to something in the distance. ‘Down’ is the direction indicated.  So, ‘down yonder’ means something off in the distance in the direction indicated. It’s off in the distance in the direction you’re a-going.”  When she returned, she asked me to help her with some of the terminology said there since I’d lived in Atlanta years ago.   I told her I’d gladly help her.  Then she asked about the foods.  I told her she’d have to buy two cast iron skillets preferably at a thrift store and make sure they are used and old.  She asked why.  I told her to just buy the skillets and I’d explain when she got them.  She didn’t know I’d be in my glory with all that.

While driving down some country roads to a little town, my daughter, Della, was with me.  The scenery was lovely as I watched it go by as I drove.  She mentioned I needed to pay attention to my driving and quit looking around.  I assured her I was doing just that.  “Oh right,” she muttered.  The air conditioner was on, and I noticed she had her arms crossed.  I asked her if she was cold.  She said, “No, Mummy.  I’m just hanging on for dear life.”

“Patience is not just the ability to wait; it’s the courage to endure the waiting without losing hope.”

As I walked up the stone sidewalk to Aint Daisy’s house, a mutual friend of ours was leaving.  I noticed his steps were a little heavy and his head wasn’t held as high as it usually was.  I knew he’d had some rough times, recently.   I greeted him with a smile and words of, “It’s nice to see you.  Have a good day.”  He faintly smiled with a nod of his head and walked on.  I knocked on her door and she invited me in.  “Good morning, Aint Daisy.  How are you, today?”  I asked.  “Oh chile, it’s good to see ye.  Come on in and set down.  ‘Want some sweet tea?  Get ye some, ifn ye do,” she softly said.  I did, then sat down on the overstuffed, flowered couch.  “I notice, Mike came for a visit.  How is he really doing, Aint Daisy?  He’s had some rough times, recently,” I asked.  “Chile, bless his heart, he confides in me, and I try to give him the best advice I have based on my experiences.  He told me, ‘Thank ye for always being there for me and for always believing in me.  You are one of the very few who do, and a lot of days that keeps me going.’  My oh my, I sat here a-trying not to have tears, but that was a bit difficult as I know what all he’s a-been through, which he didn’t deserve.  I told him, ‘At the times of challenge, it is difficult to believe the ‘trial’ will work out and to believe in yerself.  Barrey my belief in ye ‘til ye can find yers, again.  Tough times do not last, I know this fer sure.’”  Such grace, kindness, and wisdom comes from our Lady of the Holler.

One of our past presidents was briefed on the drought which was occurring in a large area of our country.  He said, “I believe rain is needed to end the drought.”  Ya think??  In the 1988 Georgia legislature was a bill presented to the governor which sat on his desk for a while.  All it required was his signature.  From what I read, the governor was not expedient on signing the bill which would ban nude dancing on the governor’s desk.  I guess he couldn’t make up his mind. 

Peace and kind thoughts for this month.  Trudy J