From the Desk of Murray Lincoln

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – and my emotions

2012-02-01T06:56:00.001-05:00

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Today’s Blog Post
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – and my emotions

I had read nothing about the movie “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”, before going to see it. Last night was that kind of night. We indulged ourselves on our Date Night together by going to see this powerful movie.

I had noticed that it was one of the movies chosen for Best Film of the year for the Oscar presentations. I had seen the huge posters downtown on the movie theatre walls.

Its title alone kept me guessing as to what the film was about. Was it a horror film? Was it a violence filled film? Was it a sex kind of film with smut woven throughout? Were dirty words sprinkled like candy through the movie? How about a comedy or action filled film with blowing up bombs and impossible action that no human body could ever survive?

Nope – it wasn’t any of these.

Imagine a film without horror, violence, sex, smut, dirty words, comedy, action, bombs, or impossible action… getting a Oscar Nomination. Impossible! It cannot be!

In fact there were no musical scores or background streams of music that plays along as you are whisked from place to place – the way old cowboy movies used to.

And if I would have read the “critic’s” evaluation that was so very low in some cases I would have either dropped the idea of spending any money on this show – or I would have run there to see what kind of idiots they really are.

BTW – most film critics have no idea what I like or don’t like in a movie. Most that say it is good are out to lunch and the other movies they hate – I love. Most movies critics are a jaded, over paid, over ego tripped, Dodo types, that haven’t got a clue what ordinary people like.

How do I describe what happened to me in this movie? Where do I find words to let me tell someone that they should see it for themselves and then think about what they saw and felt?

The movie theatre last night was almost silent throughout the show. No one that I saw left the theatre for a bathroom break. No one moved anywhere throughout the viewing. And then at the end, which did leave me hanging, there was applause from my fellow movie attendees. All around us people were clapping for the film… and then they hardly moved as the credits slowly came on the screen.

The impact of what we had just viewed was settling in slowly. And as we walked out very few people were saying anything to each other. They were all too stunned to open their mouths.

I turned to my wife and said simply, “Wow…” in a hushed voice.

Last week when we watched “Mission Impossible” – I never felt that at all. There was so much and were so many explosions, humanly impossible things happening with the entire filmed jammed full of stuff… you were saying “Wow!” all the time, and at the end you simply needed a fast trip to the washroom. You couldn’t believe a thing you had just seen.

Last night we were all sorting through the huge emotions that we had just experienced.

The young boy “Thomas Horn” that played his part in the movie was simply amazing. The way that he played the part gave me the feeling of the 2001 movie entitled, “A Beautiful Mind”, where the brilliant mathematician acts out his inner driven thoughts and shows everyone a world that doesn’t exist. That was another “Wow…” moment at that movie as well.

I have dealt with youth that are Asperger Syndrome type kids. To see it portrayed the way it was by Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) was amazing. The troubled mind that an Asperger Syndrome kid or adult has is not easy to understand… and can be destructive in many cases when the parents want normal.

Last night however I was able to see the kids that I have dealt with in the past, in a whole different light.

Add to that the movie is about the 9/11 disaster and the day that it all happened. As I watched again all the clips and the horrible things that happened again, I relived that day again. I realized last night that I am not over the happening of 9/11 and likely will never be.

Oscar Schell, the movie’s central figure, lost his dad that day. The fact that his dad called him over and over again leaving messages just before he is about to die, is a powerful part that I have yet to deal with. This happened over and over again to many thousands of real people that called that day to their loved ones at home or in offices across that area… that part of the movie was just too real… shockingly real.

Movie critics can’t take the real life stuff. They need all that other crapola to stimulate their senses.

Now do I sound like I enjoyed the movie? Enjoyed is not the best word to use. Was I deeply moved by it? Yes is the best answer but it must be given an emphatic YES!

Real life and ideas that portray real life does that to me.

And I recommend this one to you – highly – if you are a normal person that is inspired by real people’s stories.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://extremelyloudandincrediblyclose.warnerbros.com/index.html#/home
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremely_Loud_and_Incredibly_Close
http://www.kansan.com/news/2012/jan/31/movie-review/
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/01/examining-extremely-loud-and-incredibly-closes-osc.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/oscars/9038299/Oscars-2012-Extremely-Loud-and-Incredibly-Close-gets-an-unlikely-Oscar-nomination.html

A Beautiful Mind
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268978/

Does Dumb Grow larger in the political world?

2012-01-31T11:52:00.000-05:00

Mohammad, Tooba Yahya, and Hamed Shafia found guilty – maybe something good can come from this

2012-01-30T06:38:00.000-05:00

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This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post
Mohammad, Tooba Yahya, and Hamed Shafia found guilty – maybe something good can come from this

My friends know what I think of the trial of Mohammad, Tooba Yahya, and Hamed Shafia. They also know of my strong feelings of the crime along with the total frustration of this strong cultural base of abuse, coming along with the immigrants coming to Canada, should not be tolerated in any fashion.

Simply put, there is no way that this kind of attitude belongs as part of our society. The people are welcome but the attitude of “supreme honor” of a family being harmed by fellow Canadians should not be tolerated. If you want to be Canadian it means to leave that stuff behind and become Canadian that lives with other Canadians.

Well you likely have heard the news already. Mohammad, Tooba Yahya, and Hamed Shafia were all found guilty of First Degree Murder yesterday in the Kingston, Ontario court. They will now be housed by our Federal Prison system for the next 25 years at least… and maybe longer. The so called Honor Killings have been taken care of by our justice system.

I am guessing at this but from I have surmised, Mohammad and Hamed will likely stay in the Kingston Penitentiary for the next 25 years in a fairly closed off area with little contact with the other population. One good thing is that Hamed will be close enough to look after his father. Tooba Yahya will be heading to the Grand Valley Institution near Kitchener, Ontario.

None of the residences that they will now be living in will look anywhere near the mansion that they intended to build in the Montreal area.

Each new place that they will live in will have a multi-purpose Chapel where they will be able to attend the Islamic services. They will be able to pray as many times a day as they would like or be required to by their Faith Group. They will be accommodated to be as religious as they would desire to and they will be protected in every way possible.

This is a high profile case and they will be looked after in that way.

I am guessing that at this part, but I think that Russell Williams and maybe Paul Bernardo will be just down the hall from the guys. They will have lovely neighbours to connect with – but that will not likely happen too often as they all are fairly restricted in where and when they move anywhere in the prison. That is for a very good reason too. No one inside likes them either.

I have ranted and raved enough now. Leave it alone. Time to move on.

BUT there are some really good things happening now as a result of these charges and convictions of the Shafia family leaders. The community groups that have to look after this kind of thing where the women are being abused, the children are being threatened will find some help. The leadership of family services or all sorts – have a very good but totally bad example of what can and does go wrong when NO ONE LISTENED or SAW THE SIGNS OF ABUSE.

Newspaper reports this AM are making some great revelations of the support systems in different communities.

It is hoped that Islamic women and maybe the children, from some of the extremist groups, will have followed these reports and stories of the trials. And if they are being abused, they will get out of where they are and find help – NOW!

Personally I hope even for the men that perpetuate this kind of thinking will change too.

But it is not just the extreme Islamic religious people that have had this wake up call, it is also all of the extreme, cultural practicing people of all people groups that do not allow the freedom of their women and children when they come to Canada. It is for anyone that wishes to live her or his life free from that horrific abuse.

It is a revelation for some of us that groups that are from the Islamic Faith are stepping up and saying that you cannot do this in Canada. And that is true of other Faith Groups and Cultural Groups as well. People in their circles of influence from very different cultural groups, are taking positive steps to help these sometimes ignorant fathers to change.

As much as I cannot stand what the Shafia family has done… it is good in a certain way. Their actions have helped everyone in Canada to begin addressing these wrongs and somehow make it better for the new Canadians.

Teachers, Principals and School Administrators will now be able to take a stronger stand when they address some of the things they face. Community Groups that will be able to listen will do so and perhaps find a safe place for the ongoing harm that is being offered.

The final words to post… Judge Robert Maranger said in his final comments… quote…
"There is nothing more honourless than the deliberate murder of, in the case of Mohammad Shafia, three of his daughters and his wife, in the case of Tooba Yahya, three of her daughters and a stepmother to all her children, in the case of Hamed Shafia, three sisters and a mother.

"The apparent reason behind these cold-blooded, shameful murders was that the four completely innocent victims offended your twisted notion of honour, a notion of honour that is founded upon the domination and control of women, a sick notion of honour that has absolutely no place in any civilized society."
End quote (Calgary Herald source below)

Something good is coming from this tragedy. I just know it will.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/understanding-the-dynamics-of-a-crime-of-honour/article2319090/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2319090

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/canada-in-afghanistan/Jurors+heard+different+accounts+murder+plots/6071451/story.html

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada-in-afghanistan/There+honour+shameless+murders/6070834/story.html

Marriage (Married or Not.. You should read this.)

2012-01-29T08:06:00.000-05:00

Marriage (Married or Not.. You should read this. ❤)

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes..

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce.
— At least, in the eyes of our son — I’m a loving husband...

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Eating your Donut before you eat your French Fries

2012-01-28T09:06:00.001-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post

Eating your Donut before you eat your French Fries

The weather in our area has been not so good with snow, ice and cold weather. To compensate for this, over the past week, in the afternoon, I have been sitting with my Mom in the Mall for most of the afternoon. We are usually in the Food Court and enjoying a coffee plus a treat. Yesterday it we nibbled at French Fries and a Donut at least my Mom did. It was a celebration day.

I take some of my art work along and material to read during the stay at the Mall.

My mom comes with me. In fact the trip to the Mall is primarily for Mom. She needs to walk and needs also the stimulation of being with and around other people.

Now eating French Fries and the wonderful Tim Horton donuts doesn’t sound like the healthiest diet in the world does it!? Well along with her black coffee and whatever treat she gets herself – SHE LOVES IT! And I nibble on some of it… (holding back just a little on the Fries and no Donut for me!)

As I was reading my book I looked up to see Mom eating her goodies she had picked up. She first ate the Donut and then ate the French Fries… which seemed a bit odd to me at that moment. Usually we eat the main dish first and the dessert afterward.

I sat for a long time thinking about this simple action my Mom was doing and came up with a simple thought… “At 91 does it really matter what she does? At 91 does it really matter if she eats McDonald’s French Fries and Tim Hortons’ donuts – every day of the week?”

The simple answer is “Nope – not at all!” At 91 I think you have earned the right to eat what you want and when you want it.

Yesterday at the Mall was her last day of the 91st year. This morning is the start of her 92nd. It is her 91st Birthday today. She has completed 33,215 days on this earth and she loves her French Fries and if she can get gravy with it – she will.

The other thing she likes to do is sit and watch other people. And the Food Court in any Mall is the best place for that to happen. On top of that people that know us will drop by for a visit or greeting.

This sitting at the Mall is good for me too. I can now see my Mom better. She is much slower now, stooped over somewhat and doesn’t walk as fast as before. She is still interested in people and loves to shop. Often she comes back to the table with something new.

Shouldn’t I be more responsible for what my Mom does or doesn’t do? I suppose I should be with the role reversal that has taken place – where I am the care giver and she is the one that needs much more care each year. Hmmm?

When she brought all of her four kids into this world she helped us, cared for us and made sure we were safe. She was our Mom and that is what Moms do best. I can only imagine that we made her smile from time to time as we ate our food in funny ways and did odd things that kids do from time to time. She laughed about it and enjoyed her time with us.

My world has been a hurried one with life passing me by at the speed of light. For over 40 years I supplied myself to thousands of people that needed help. I was a man in a rush to get it all done. I had little time for anything but what other people needed. That is gone now and I think that I have slowed down considerably.

Now sitting and watching my Mom eat her French Fries after her Donut… is okay with me. I can smile and relax. What does it matter what is first or second at this stage of life.

(BTW – I think there was a good reason for eating the Fries second – they were very hot to start off with!)

As I have aged more each year, separated myself from some of the demands that I have had on me and rid myself of the so very important things that I once thought about myself (– you know “I can solve the whole world’s problems in the next two hours!”) – I can sit and watch people too. I can be in no hurry at all if I choose to do so – or if it just feels good.

It will be 22 more years and four months before I will be sitting in a Mall with someone 22 years younger than me… and maybe then I will eat my Donut before my French Fries too.

Happy Birthday Mom!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Photos taken at the Party - January 28, 2012

The Bank of Dad and Mum

2012-01-27T08:38:00.000-05:00

More Day Brighteners from my Friends

2012-01-26T07:57:00.001-05:00

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

And the Show Goes On at the Kingston Court House

2012-01-25T07:47:00.000-05:00

The Day Brighteners from my Friends

2012-01-24T07:16:00.000-05:00

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The Crocodile and Mental Health problems in the Family

2012-01-23T08:58:00.001-05:00

It appears to be real.

Can you imagine how many things it has eaten over the years of living? I am assuming that it is dead in this photo… yet I can’t even imagine how someone killed it!

The crocodile represents the problems I know about that are in my life and in my friend’s life.

The problems are huge. They gobble up almost my whole life worrying about them. They hide in the deeper waters and swim to the surface whenever they wish to and then “CHOMP”, take my life and the lives of people around me… CHOMP! CHOMP!! Rip and tear!

The problems that I saw yesterday up front and close were the major mental health problem that one member of a family has. This person has denied that there is any problem at all. And yet when the time comes to act out (not just once but ongoing) all hell breaks loose for everyone else.

Yesterday I saw the “crocodile” surface and absolutely rip a family apart. There was no blood in that it was all emotional. As the crocodile ripped through the home and took what it needed, demanded what it would have and destroyed whoever and whatever it wanted – or didn’t even want… lives were damaged for a life time.

Mental Health problems are on the rise. Help is available but often rejected by the ones that need it most. And the worst part is that the family members that are ripped to pieces will likely never recover.

Look at the photo of the crocodile again. Look at the people behind it. I wonder how many lost a loved one to this hungry thing? How many dads and moms lost their life with the crocodile suddenly bursting on the scene? How many kids were destroyed with its ravenous and ripping jaws?

But you know… you can’t kill the crocodile unless you know where it hides. And when you deny that it even exists and refuse help more people are going to die and if not die – be scarred for life.

With your mental health problems… have you considered help? If the family desperately wants you to find help… would you consider it? Or are you going to allow the monstrous crocodile to CHOMP at the lives of your kids and then let them die.

Kids that suffer in the ways that I have witnessed will someday be found in a garage swinging from the rope that they found laying over against the wall. They didn’t have a problem at all. They entered life and had a future… but then Mommy or Daddy went kind of funny… and life changed in a heartbeat… or just after the crocodile surfaced… And the best and only way to cope with the crocodile that they see is to kill yourself!

God help us all!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Timothy John Carl Bath will marry Rebecca Beth Johnson today!

2012-01-22T06:54:00.002-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post
Timothy John Carl Bath will marry Rebecca Beth Johnson today!

Today Tim will marry Rebecca. It is love all the way. Rebecca has two kids and Tim is delighted about getting not only a beautiful new bride – but also getting a beautiful new family.

Tim’s Mom and Dad will be there to celebrate this wonderful day. So will we.

There is so much story behind Tim and Rebecca’s starting their new life together. And Tim’s story is the one that I know best.

Tim was born May 26, 1979 in Lewisport, Newfoundland and that is the first place that I met him – as a little guy.

I first met his Mom, Fern Parker, in Fredericton, New Brunswick. I was the serviceman for her Cash Register at the Department Store she worked in. She was a recent Graduate of the Eastern Pentecostal Bible College. She also helped out at a local church as kind of a “pastor” – or “christian worker”.

I personally wanted absolutely nothing to do with a “pastor” – or “christian worker”! I couldn’t stand Christians of any kind. They were all hypocrites and jerks – based on what I saw as I was growing up.

I was so far from Church the day that I met Fern in that Department Store there are not words to tell you what I thought or was like!

Fern’s machine had problems and I came back a few times to try to fix them.

Fern was very friendly and found out as much about us as she could. When we arrived at her church one day I think she was more shocked than I was finding her there!

That was the start of a lifetime friendship.

Through Fern`s love for Alida and myself I started to change some of my feelings about the idiot Christians in this world.

Alida was pregnant with our daughter Dana. Fern held a shower for Alida. It blew me away.

When Dana arrive we were then attending the small church that Fern worked at. The congregation celebrated with us.

I still had absolutely nothing to do with this Christian Crap and made sure that everyone knew I wasn’t committing to anything along with them. I had a life to live and I could do it very well without the Christian Crap! Thank you very much!!!

Fern and the others kept loving us anyway.

It was later on after we moved to Oakville, Ontario and met a whole lot more people like Fern, that just kept loving us no matter what, that I made a commitment to the Jesus and my new life began. From there I developed further and further – until one day I stepped into the Pastoral Work and became a leader in all this Christian Crap – oops sorry… of dear Christian people.

My commitment didn’t change all the Crap around me… it just gave me a whole new way to deal with it. And in the 35 years following I have witnessed a whole lot of less than lovely Christian attitude – but at the same time I saw more and more people like Fern that made a huge difference.

That is a very short version of my changing completely in every way.

And it was all because Fern loved us and showed us her love.

Fern left Fredericton and eventually ended up in Newfoundland as teacher in the remote parts of that Island province.

Her husband to be was happily married to a wonderful lady. They had a beautiful family and everything was going wonderfully well as Les was a pastor of a solid old church. Les was a powerful pastor and a good leader.

The doctors found that Les’ wife had cancer. She passed away and the whole world turned upside down.

I cannot remember the time when Les met Fern, but he did. I think that Les’ wife actually knew Fern well and suggested that she might make Les a good wife and her children a good mother. (That part of the story is long ago and I don’t remember the details well.)

Fern and Les were married in 1978 I think. We were at Napanee for that wedding too. That was a great joy to say the least. Our good and long time friend that had loved us so much was now about to become a wife and a mother at the same time.

Tim came along in that next year. And I have watched a cute little boy become a man. And I have followed Tim through some difficult years of his wondering what the dickens would happen in his life… marriage?... ministry? What has God planned for me???? That was all of what Tim faced.

On Tim’s Facebook he says it all so well… quote…(warning the words are little over the top and a slight bit religious… ahem)
“Praise The Lord Jesus Christ, I Am About To Marry and Will Be Marrying The "Very Greatest" Woman In The Whole-Wide-World, There Is and Are "NO" Other Like She (Her) "My Precious Beautiful, Gorgeous, Anointed, Take My Breath Away" "Rebecca Beth Johnson". Not Only That But I Am Taking On Two Of The Most Beautiful, Wonderful Loving Well-Behaved Children, That Are Truly A Gift From God Himself, Excellent and Sweet In Every Way Possible It Is Going To Be Awesome!

I Am So, So Grateful and Really Can't Wait To Get Started and Share Every-Day With Them, I Am Seriously "Out Of My Mind" "Lost In Love" With This Wonderful Woman Of God. I Am So Excited and Blessed, That I Can't Hardly Contain Myself. God Has Recently Done Such a Huge Work in My Life and Our Lives Together In General To Even Make This Happen and We Still Need Your Help and Prayers.

I Just Pray That He Continues To Work in Our Lives and Helps Me Be All The Man I Can and Need To Be For Them. I Will Not Accept Anything Less But To Give Them Them The Best Of Me Always "No Turning Back" That I Can With God's Help and Hand On Our Lives and Relationships! I Say Relationships Because It's Not Just About Rebecca and I But About My Relationship With The Children As Well That I Will Need To Work Really, Really Hard To Earn and Prove Myself To Them Each and Every-day! Take Care and God Bless Everyone!

Please I "Humbly" Ask All Of You To Remember Us In Your Prayers Daily, As We Are About To Embark Into A New Chapter and Adventure In Our Lives...I Bible Says That "All Things Work Together For Good To Those Who Love God and Are Called According To His Purpose". I Know Both Rebecca and I Have A Huge Calling On Our Lives For Ministry and With God's Help I Believe With All My Heart That We Will Fulfill "EVERY- LAST-THING" He Wants Us To Do "IN JESUS NAME". Look Out Devil! Because Rebecca and I Are About To "RAZE HELL" For The Kingdom Of God and "TAKE BACK EVERYTHING" He Has Stolen and Robbed From Us In The Mighty Name Of Our RISEN KING and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST........Amen!!!!!!!”
Ends quote.

Does he sound a little excited?

So today, this afternoon, we will be there to celebrate with Fern and Les, Tim and Rebecca! This will be so much fun! I can’t wait! Gotta run – it is a two hour drive…

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The Canadian Welcome Mat for Mohammad Shafia and his Family

2012-01-21T08:36:00.001-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

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Today’s Blog Post
The Canadian Welcome Mat for Mohammad Shafia and his Family

Mohammad Shafia and his son along with his second wife are in court now. They have been since October 20, 2011. And I have been following this trial with great interest, along with many other Canadians.

They claim to be innocent of the crimes they are charged with. They claim that they did not murder Shafia’s first wife and his three daughters. The suggestions by the defense lawyer and his team seem to say that it was a “honour killing” – not murder!

I mean come on Canada get a life! There is a difference between Murder and Honour Killing… specially when your daughters have so disgraced you… as in Shafia’s case.

The daughters were getting to be too much of Canada and not enough of what Daddy wanted them to be. And Daddy being a good Afghanistan, male, person has his rights and privileges that his three daughters did not have. And his first wife had no rights either, she couldn’t have any children so she was as good as useless… except maybe to help raise the three daughters. And if she did that she likely knew their dreams and aspirations and maybe about their very non Afghanistan type boyfriends.

The photos I have seen of the man are strange. He looks at the cameras with disgust or contempt. Hands cuffed and glaring with all the Afghanistan pride he can muster.

From Wikipedia, sources state the following… quote..
“The Shafia family, originally from Afghanistan, lived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for over a decade, where Mohammad Shafia had made a fortune in Dubai real estate. They immigrated into Canada and settled in the Saint-Léonard borough of Montreal.

In 1979 or 1980, Mohammad Shafia married Rona Mohammed, who was infertile and unable to have children. In 1989, he took Tooba Yahya to be his second wife in a polygamous marriage, and she gave birth to seven children, though Rona played a crucial role in their upbringing and raised the children as if they were her own. When the family immigrated to Canada, Rona was presented as an aunt.

According to a family member's interview, Rona was trapped in an abusive, loveless marriage, trying in vain to convince her husband to grant her a divorce. Rona's siblings claimed that she feared for her life during the days leading up to her death. Yahya, the second wife, allegedly said to Rona “You are a slave, you are a servant.” Reportedly, the Shafias held all of Rona’s identity documents, including her passport, so Rona believed she could not flee to another country, where she had relatives.

They also stated that the family's eldest daughter Zainab's relationship with a Pakistani boy was a source of much anger for her father and claimed to have overheard his threats to kill her.

With parents Mohammad Shafia and Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and eldest son Hamed Shafia all in custody during the trial, the remaining Shafia children (two girls and a boy) are being cared for under social services.”
End quote

The dude is rich and can buy his way into Canada, which I am sure that he did. It is easy to get a citizenship and its rights if you can pay the way of other citizens by buying a company, guaranteeing that you will stick to it for 5 to 10 years and hire Canadians.

I am disgusted with the way that our system works. You may be able to tell what I am thinking by what I write. I don’t understand all our system and its every little detail – but if I had money and needed to move my family somewhere that was safer… I would find out the details quickly – just like Shafia did.

This trial is taking a long time. Our system has to be sure that these folks are guilty – and prove that they are guilty of the charges laid.

Can you imagine sitting on that jury?!?

By writing this it doesn’t do much for me or you… except make us aware of what goes on.

I am pretty sure that the two men will be going to Millhaven Prison in a short while. The wife will be heading to Kitchener and the Grand Valley Prison for women.

At Millhaven the men will be processed like the other men are. They will be assessed as to their physical and mental conditions. Then they will have to develop a Correctional Plan that they will have to follow for the next 25 years(that is my guess for their life sentence).

With Mr. Shafia not speaking much English they will either have to use his son as a translator or hire someone that speaks “Dari”.

I can imagine now that the guards at the Prison will be trying to figure out what is happening as well.

There will be no privileges for these men.

Now there is an outside chance that they will simply be moved to the Kingston Penitentiary directly as they may be able to handle the dudes better.

In each place they will be watching these fellows closely so that they will not commit suicide. We want them alive for the next 25 years for sure and will do all that we can to make sure that they are.

I can only imagine that every heritage Afghanistan person that is in Canada wishes that this story would quickly be over. I have a close friend that is from Afghanistan and he is not like Shafia – at all. Yes he is Islamic and yes he practices his faith – but he is not like Shafia.

Now what do you think… Murder? Or honour Killing? Guilty or not so guilty? How about flat out GUILTY?

Now they had seven kids… one son in court with them, three daughters that died in the Rideau Canal, leaving three more kids that are in custody of the a Social Services in Quebec.

I feel so sad with this story. How can anyone be so ignorant and act so foolish? Pride and arrogance are very likely the best answers!

Welcome to Canada!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shafia_family_deaths

http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/facilit/institutprofiles/millhaven-eng.shtml

The Scrapple Breakfast – all the way from The Pennsylvania Dutch

2012-01-20T08:57:00.000-05:00

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield_Quality_Meats

Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation – Thank You!

2012-01-19T07:50:00.001-05:00

The Hunger Games, The Capital and The Internet SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-18T07:39:00.000-05:00

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This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

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Today’s Blog Post
The Hunger Games, The Capital and The Internet SOPA and PIPA

I just completed the third book of Suzanne Collins’ – “Mockingjay”. All I can say is that it is great conclusion to the Trilogy of “The Hunger Games”. The visual images in my head and memory now are absolutely etched so deeply that they will never leave! And I mean NEVER LEAVE!!

For those that have not read this Trilogy I will quickly describe the story for you.

It happens in the future when the place called North America now becomes one big country following mankind’s destruction of his earlier world. The whole area was divided into 13 Districts and a Capital Area. The Capital was in charge of everything and depended on all of the 13 Districts to make it possible for the Capital to live very comfortably.

There was an uprising against the Capital at one point. Most of the Districts took part in this. The revolution was put down after District 13 was completely destroyed and everyone was killed.

The story plays out as the horrific excesses and absolutely terrible attitude of the Capital People deeply affect the ordinary people in each District.

This horrific attitude of the Capital is shown once a year in memory of what the Districts tried to do against it.

Once a year there is a “Reaping Day” where all the Citizens of each District gather in the Square at a specific time. All the children’s names of each District are placed in two draw buckets… girl’s names in one… boy’s names in the other.

The whole process is televised for the whole country to see.

One girl’s name and one boy’s name is drawn from each container… in each District – one after another.

It is a moment that every District Family despises and is more than fearful of – it is the day that the President is reminding every District that the Capital is all powerful and that they should never have revolted against the Capital.

From the 12 Districts there is finally 24 names drawn – 12 girls and 12 boys – from the ages between 12 and 18.

The children are then whisked away to the Capital where they are prepared to enter a Games arena. This special arena is prepared differently each year, with different obstacles for the players that enter it.

The players of course are the 24 children from all the Districts.

In the Games arena the children then have to kill each other off until there is only one is still standing alive. That child is the victor of these games.

Their entire world is shown every detail of how they play the game – and especially of how they die. Every detail!!!

None of the Capital Children are ever entered into these terrible games – only kids from the poor Districts. It is the Capital’s way to continually remind the Districts that you should never have opposed the Capital.

At the 74 year of the games one child is chosen in District 12. Her name is Prim – she is 12. Her sister steps forward and rescues her, by taking her place in the draw. Her name is Katniss Everdeen.

Now I stop my description before I spoil the story for those that might read it.

The story is about what happens when the very powerful Government dictates what happens to ordinary people. It shows what can take place when free thought is no longer allowed. It shows how horrific it can be when your children are forced to kill each other – and you are forced to watch every bloody and gory detail… and how each family suffers afterward – forever.

When I researched the background and the story behind this Trilogy I read about Suzanne Collins on Wikipedia, the online, people’s growing encyclopedia.

Suzanne was watching the Reality TV shows like the Survivor series. Then she would flip channels to the War in Iraq, or the War in Afghanistan… and each time she could see the horrible ways the kids of her country were being killed in a War Games arena… that was not a Game anymore.

The kids she (and all of us) watched killing themselves and others wee usually from poor families across the USA… and they were often killing people from very poor places in far away countries – all in the NAME of PEACE!... and Democracy.

And as both Suzanne and all of us watch… the decisions are all coming from a Capital called Washington – with one man in charge of it all – he is called a “President”.

And one man… by the name of Resident George Bush declared war on Iraq and an evil leader after a very evil man called Osama bin Laden had bombed the great financial Capital and its Twin Towers. That man then ordered the kids of the USA into Afghanistan and the ongoing hunt for Osama bin Laden.

The present President has stopped that War after thousands upon thousands of children (adult and actual children) of families were murdered in front of TV Cameras.

With The Hunger Games Trilogy Suzzane Collins, for me, captured the essence of the last ten years of stupidity in the World today!

I will not forget what she wrote and what the story is really about. Nor will any of the parents of the kids that died.

So why write of this today…?
Today has been declared a 24 hour protest on the Internet by some major players across the world. The SOPA and PIPA stuff going on in the Capital is affecting us in Canada as well!

My favorite Wikipedia is now completely gone. It is blacked out today and you cannot get any info from it.

Tucows is also gone with a blackout as well as a number of other Internet companies that I connect with.

Why?

Well in the Capital called Washington the leaders are pushing through orders that will possibly kill much of what is happening on the Internet. People will never be able to share files, read stories, research stories and information again if the Capital makes and passes this new decision and legislation!

It is generally now known as the SOPA and PIPA problem.

This smells way too much like The Hunger Games – or the beginning of the Hunger Games set up.

Why would I care what the Capital says of does. I live in a faraway place called Canada. We are like a District 12 in The Hunger Games. The Capital could care less what we think – as long as we cooperate with them.

Whoa! Does this ever affect YOU and ME! And it has affected us way more than you can possibly imagine.

Talk to the family two doors down from me that lost a WAR HERO in Afghanistan in 2008. Their Canadian son died along with thousands of other sons and daughters from North America – in order that one President`s appetite for revenge would be satisfied.

Am I for Terrorists? Not at all. But in the same light I hate a Capital that make decisions that affect the whole world and kill their children!

For me… the shutting down of the Internet services in this fashion to show “District’s” displeasure… with Capital decisions… in 2012… is way to fresh in my mind after reading this series.

But the absolutely horrific thought is… my grandkids are growing quickly… and could well be drawn into the next Hunger Games – that may come from whatever stupid and powerful President is elected to the Capital!

Is the thinking that I am experiencing real or unreal? Are the nightmares that I am having now – from a Book or Real Life?

And then about now – one or more of my readers will poo poo what I have written here… and declare Lincoln to have lost it.

Well…. Let me ask you… What was life like before September 9, 2001? Has crossing the Border between Canada and the USA been easier? And why is our Prime Minister(President) so close to the Presidents of the Caiptal.

Yikes… this is way too close to home for me! Who am I in this Book?

Naw… – I am not political at all! But I am related to a former President of that good old USA… and that relative of mine lived in that Capital’s Presidential Palace. That relative of mine was severely allergic to lead poisoning… and when they shot him for what he was doing… it was a real story for all my family. He died!

Read the trilogy of The Hunger Games and then tell me what you think.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/17/f-sopa-canada.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

Happy Birthday Betty White

2012-01-17T07:07:00.001-05:00

“I’m just at one of those good times in one’s life. There’ve been so many of those through those 90 years but, even so, I’m at one of the high spots. I’m healthy enough to enjoy it. I’m surrounded by friends I adore. Isn’t that kind of the best way to sign off?” ~ Betty White

Last evening I watched the tribute and celebration of Betty White’s 90th birthday. That was fun. The things they said about her were great.

Over the years we have watched her many different roles in life. As society changed so did Betty. And I think that is the part of her life example that really does hit home with me.

I need to change as the times and the opportunities change. I cannot pine for what was before. I cannot be miserable for what I didn’t get. I need to simply enjoy what I have – and be very happy!

In recent times I have been discussing with some friends our old relationships that we once had. It became pretty clear that what we escaped in some of the former relationships, it was a good thing. In fact the persons that ended up with the people we once knew have regretted it – BIG TIME.

In some situations I have heard where there are major changes happening for my friends. They are at a place that seems like “Limbo” – stuck in between there and the other place. They are between two goods with no idea when the second good will arrive.

In Betty’s life I imagine that she also has time where she was not employed. There were times when it was real good and then not so good.

Betty first married in 1945 to Dick Barker – but that marriage did last. She was ready to marry another man by the name of Lane Allen by 1947. But that marriage was gone by 1949. Two guys in four years – and that was the 1940s – WOW! Not so good times.

She waited until 1963 to marry again. That was when Allen Ludden came into her life. He passed away in 1981.

In those three relationships there were no children. So Betty’s life is unlike many of the Hollywood folk with a trail of offspring scattered all over the place.

I do admire the woman. Even though she is smart mouthed and a sometime insinuative talking old gal… she has class. She is very funny and has a great compassion.

Perhaps we do not see the angry old person that sometimes shows up when people hit 90 (or even younger).

Today, along with the world around me I say, Happy Birthday Betty White!

After the big show that was broadcast last evening, you likely are sleeping in today.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
Read more about Betty:
http://www.vancouversun.com/Betty+White+rocker+loving/5967704/story.html#ixzz1jiN9DBHk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_White

When Simple Things Were Amazing

2012-01-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

By the time Friendly had run his course and had welcomed 27 years of kids into his castle I had graduated High School, University and Colleges, had married and had two teenagers living in my home – my beautiful daughters Dana and Anda. When Friendly quit welcoming people into his castle I was returning from five years of living in Hong Kong.

By the time “Frendly” packed it in the world was no longer simple and simple was no longer amazing.

To think that a kid would sit in the TV room and spend a whole 15 minutes listening to a really big guy tell what people were doing in the village below, listen to a strange rooster with a raspy voice, named Rusty… was way beyond comprehension. To think they would listen to two Jazz Cats, play music the way that they did… is almost too funny to describe! And Jerome was the Giraffe - the chatty guy said weird things… all adlib.

When my daughters grew up Friendly has been replaced by “Fred Penner’s Place”. And the more popular Mr. Dressup and Sesame Street rocketed into the forefront. My girls loved the rapid action and bright colours of the new shows.

Friendly simply didn’t come out of his Castle anymore. There was no more gold boot and small village to see, no more harp playing in the back ground by a dedicated Harpist that played for the Friendly Giant, Rusty and Jerome. Rusty never brought anymore books out to look at a no more stories were told any longer.

Simple was replaced by multi action and multi plotted, colorful and bouncing personages.

Mr. Dressup wasn’t bouncing but he had the most amazing Tickle Trunk.

But when Oscar the Grouch popped out of a garbage can, Big Bird came strolling by, and Elmo and Miss Piggy showed up… the Big Ole Giant couldn’t compete.

I went to YouTube and found a number of Videos of Friendly and watched the programs again. The harp playing and the melody was so familiar. I was whisked back in time… wow! (The Links are below)

Flash forward to 2012…
This past week I was in a production meeting for Misty Hollow and the Crop Circles new partnership.

Murray Lincoln, creator and owner of Misty Hollow, is now drawing the houses and people that live in Misty Hollow. In some ways it feels and seems like 1958 again. And the most uncool thing that I could ever have done in High School… has now become the coolest thing to ever happen.

I wasn’t sure when this all began… but now I am… Misty Hollow used to have a guy by the name of Friendly living near by… and he used to welcome people and creatures from Misty Hollow into his Big Castle.

Why is Misty Hollow beginning to be so popular now? Well most of the customers used to sit in the little chair, or the rocking chair, or the other little bigger chair for two to curl up in… and then the big open hand said goodbye at the end…

That was way back when simple things were amazing.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
The Friendly Giant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Friendly_Giant

Intro to the program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vm2-JUldNw

A Sample of the programs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDigdsYNA1E

The Beginning and Ending
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV2P6P4p6Hg&feature=related

Charlie Angus Look Up – Look away up – here is one for you!

2012-01-15T09:25:00.001-05:00

Charlie Angus Look Up – Look away up – here is one for you!

Charlie Angus, an NDP politician in our Federal Government is also/always looking into issues. In his opposition mode in our Government, where he opposes most everything that even smells or could smell like a Conservative Agenda(which is anything and everything evil in the pure eyes of an NDP), he will pick it up and run with it.

This morning I think he is running with or against a Mine Agreement somewhere in the boonies of Ontario. He has been the main voice about some of the Aboriginal Problems in Northern Ontario. When no one was looking Charlie is there and doing Charlie things that Charlie does so well.

Charlie is one of my Facebook Friends and posts about as often as I breath. He even out does the folk on my Facebook inbox area that want Hay for their Farmville or Jewels for a project… or even the Evangelist that keep telling me their favorite Scripture versus in case I have not read the Bible in the last 15 minutes.

Charlie Angus has 4,956 friends and followers on Facebook.

Yep Charlie Angus is the go to guy if you got an issue with stuff happening in your world.

But I have one that Charlie has missed so far. I have one that he must be able to blame on the Conservatives somehow… some way… someday.

That something Charlie needs to be looking into is a 13.5 tonnes of Space Junk that will fall to earth sometime this morning. No kidding it is coming to earth between 11:41 AM and 4:05 PM! And Charlie missed it – so far.

Of that 13.5 tonnes is 11 tonnes of of highly toxic rocket fuel that was to be burned up with the trip to the Mars moon.

Stuff happened and it couldn’t get it right and it is a gonzo… and is coming back to earth today – in a big rush and likely a big splash down somewhere in our pristine waters of the earth oceans.

Good Lord a whale pod could be having a real bad time somewhere in the world this afternoon. OH Lord, save the whales!

But I am reading anything and everything that Charlie posts to Facebook, and I do Charlie… this just has to be a Big Fat Conservative thing. I mean our Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Putin a number of times… didn’t that Silly Conservative Leader of ours address this with Putin??!

This Phobos-Ground, 13.5 tonne piece of space junk is the biggest ever to come back unwanted. It has to be a Conservative agenda to divert the attention of the scoundrel things they have been trying to get away with in Ottawa. That’s it! They have planned this just before going back to acting so undemocratic in Ottawa’s House of Commons.

That Harper is not to be trusted! Imagine he stood by and did nothing when this piece of Russian Space Junk was killing our whales and poisoning our Aboriginal People somewhere in the world.

Good Lord – WHERE ARE YOU CHARLIE ANGUS!!!???????

Now I find a little disconcerting that space junk is about to fall anywhere on earth. But those evil Conservative Agenda scientist have assured me that it will not land on Canada. And they are Conservative because they spend so much money on useless things!! RIGHT?

Oh sorry… maybe the Scientists are not evil Conservatives… they are extreme leftists – way past the evil Conservatives… way, way past them.

Hey now hold that thought… Charlie is NDP and that is not Right – that is LEFT.

Hey Charlie Angus why haven’t you told us about that thing coming down to earth today to possibly kill a whale pod, pollute aboriginal water supplies and do all kinds of nasty things to our world?????

Gee Whiz… I just checked my Facebook again and Charlie just told me that, “The British libel law system provides extraordinary powers to those with deep pockets to squash journalists and others who raise inconvenient truths.”

Thanks Charlie, I needed that – I think. But what about the Space Junk?

I am convinced that I don’t need to know as much as I get to know every day and every hour from my computer.

But I do feel somewhat relieved that Charlie will stand on guard, as a faithful NDP Opposition Member of Parliament for Canada. I can rest assured that I will be safe… I think. And if he has his way that Stephen Harper will never be re-elected again!

But Charlie can I ask one question, when your party becomes the Ruling Party in Canada, who will you blame then?

Here is an answer… as the “Friendly Giant”, (played by Bob Homme) used to say, “Look up, Look away up…” everything will be okay.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
Space Junk
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/SciTech/20120115/russia-mars-satellite-crash-phobos-20120115/
The Friendly Giant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Friendly_Giant

Things to do on a cold day – YouTube It!

2012-01-14T09:43:00.000-05:00

Time is Ticking away – the Fly By Weeks

2012-01-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

The quote states…
Whatever you want to do,
Do it.
There are only so many tomorrows.

I paused for a bit when I read that one. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy… I have to get moving. Now!

I particularly noticed this phenomena in my life this past fall and then into Christmas. As a business owner now and also actively involved in sales that have been moving well… there is not enough time to get it all done.

Last summer I had sold all my stock that had been piling up. I thought that as we moved into early 2011 that the level of production would match or keep up to the sales that we were experiencing. By June it evaporated. It didn’t happen.

September was a hungry month. Everyone wanted more. October followed with more requests… then Christmas buried me. Almost kept up but I lost it and was swamped.

There wasn’t enough time to get it all done.

The weeks have become “Fly Bys” where I just get a glimpse and then have to look into the next two or three… that are fast approaching.

The events that happened during the June to December in our lives made things slower as well. Small crisis in the house and yard caused projects that needed to get done, to stall. A complete basement reno following a leak in the basement foundation, then a couple of weeks to replace the backyard shed – all took valuable time away.

The thundering realization is from my 2011 experience is… there wasn’t enough time to do it all. I am human and I can be buried alive with too many projects that come at one time.

The quote’s thought makes complete sense. Whatever I want to do, I had better do it now… there isn’t a lot of time left to get it all done!

Another good quote I have pasted to the top of my office desk… it says…
“The days I have left are less than the days I have left.”

In any week I can see that happening now. It was just Monday yesterday… Suddenly it is Friday. What happened to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday?

Time is evaporating like the water.

There is one good answer to my dilemma – get up earlier to make more time. Getting rolling earlier as well and cut out some distractions.

BUT – and it is a big BUT – the bed is so warm and cozy at night… I don’t want to leave earlier in the morning. When I crawl in at midnight it is getting harder to crawl out at 5 AM… so 6 or 7 is looking better… but in reality 4 AM would be ideal. Did you ever notice that between 4 AM and 7 AM there are not a lot of other folk out of bed – and no one calls or emails for more help during that time!?!

My wife helped kick start another listed project this week. She pointed to a pile of Teddy Bears that have been selected for the transforming surgery I do. I need to operate on each Teddy Bear, remove their brains, remove their eyes and nose, then carve each one a new face, install the eyes and replace the brain. This pile has to be done by November.

That little reminder also nudged me to another selected pile of Teddy Bears that number about 100 that are also ready to be done – soon.

Another invite happened this week for a May sale… that is added to a late January and mid February special presentation that is coming real fast. But then there is April, May and June’s regular shows that I need to be ready for as well.

So why am I taking time to type all this out… I should be out of her and into the shop… starting the day off right away? You are right. I need to run – now.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The New Hunger Games – Part Two – Separation and Divorce

2012-01-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

The New Hunger Games – Part Two – Separation and Divorce
Yesterday I wrote about the book “The Hunger Games”(the books) – today I will chase around the idea of Separation and Divorce… another kind of Hunger Game.

The thing that prompts my stepping forward is an Email Ad that I received from “WagJag” today.

Explanation: WagJag is a internet connection company that offers me special deals at greatly reduced prices each day. It is a good way to get businesses out there in front of the public that might need their services. It is possible that the public that needs the service just isn’t aware of the services that the company is providing.

Well today here is the deal of the day… A company is offering three hours of divorce mediation for a mere $120 – with the regular price being $300 for the three hours.

The ad reads… quote…
“They say two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts definitely make a right. Know your rights and get your wrongs sorted out with today's WagJag, for three hours of divorce mediation for $120 from A Plus Mediation (a $300 value).

Your voucher lets you figure out what's right for you as you come to an agreement about splitting up and moving on. A Plus Mediation assists couples in the creation of a parenting plan, the division of assets, support payments and any other issues in order to come to an acceptable arrangement for separation. As fully accredited family and child protection mediators, the team at A Plus Mediation provide an alternative to litigation, where two parties engage their own counsel to battle it out in court. Separations do not have to be so stressful - figure out what's best for your family situation with mediation instead. Mediation is fast, private and often costs less than litigation, especially with this WagJag.” End quote (Note – as of this writing there are only 6 days left on this offer.)

Without a doubt this is the most unusual offer they have provided their internet followers. Usually it is a restaurant deal or cruise that is being offered at great deals for a romantic get-a-way!

This kind of sticks it right out there for couples that would like to consider the ultimate fight – the tearing and ripping or all things family.

Who would use this kind of thing? Surely it can’t be that popular that people would rush to get in on this one

Well sadly enough it is not something that many want to talk about… but a number of folk I know are either right up to the ears into the separation and heading for divorce or are just jumping ship into a lonely boat of a life without taking responsibility.

In fact at this moment in time I am watching a number of couples that are walking on the edge. And on top of that I can see a few teetering close to it.

Suddenly we have gone from only one to many situations that are in dire need of help.

No one knew that they were in trouble when they looked at these cases. But sure enough when one person made a stupid choice, suddenly the whole world knows and stands aghast with what took place.

The ad stated… “They say two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts definitely make a right. Know your rights and get your wrongs sorted out with today's WagJag, for three hours of divorce mediation for $120 from A Plus Mediation.”

I liked the quip of two wrongs don’t make a right… Good one! And the “but three lefts definitely make a right.”…is a real good one!

That describes so neatly the fight that these couples have chosen…. At least one in the relationship has chosen to kick it to the curb.

In one situation the wife left for a much older man and has packed off to another city leaving her kids and husband behind. Now she is showing her beautiful ugly side. Mind you she is a super Christian and is continuing to write her Christian thoughts for the whole world to read.

The WahJag deal wouldn’t help her at all. She is smarter than anyone else and doesn’t see what is happening to her kids and everything around her. Nope the $120 bargain will not help these folks.

The second couple is not a direct contact with me, I can’t get the offer to the couple other than through an acquaintance.

But with a long history of indiscretions on the part of this now old man… they wife is going absolutely crazy with rage. She has recently discovered how many she now knows of that he has either been with or tried to be with. She is in shock as her now mature husband is appearing as a “Warren Rabbit” that has been poking and stoking where ever he can – FOR YEARS!

I am not sure but I am pretty sure he is a grandfather to boot… and who knows how many times her has fathered children somewhere with no responsibility for them.

Nope the $120 bargain with three hours mediation will not likely help either of these old folks. But if I carved a good whipping stick for the wife to use, plus constructed a Stock where her husband’s head and arms could be secured… she would buy it in a heartbeat!

From all the reports that I have been given on that one – she is in a terrible state of mind at this time. If she could get away with it, “Murder” might be a consideration. But she likely couldn’t even do it, because his “love life” has destroyed her life. What should be Golden Years together are now nothing but one big nightmare!

In two more situations I have watched the ultimate, selfish and jackass attitude being displayed. In one of these two there is now separation because of jackass attitudes being flaunted. The kids are bewildered to say the least. Now their Christian home is being dissected with daddy packing it in.

The amount of embarrassment is more than can be understood in these two cases. The life that was good two months ago is now shattered by really stupid actions on one person’s part.

The WagJag deal won’t help these folks at all.

I am not knocking WagJag or A Plus Mediation for this deal. I know that it will help some for sure. It brings A Plus Mediation to the place that people can see it and get involved to get help before they lose everything.

And as some of my friends read this they will shake their heads that I dare place some of the situations into print. They know some of these situations all too well.

But me placing these situations into print and pointing to the really stupid actions of one of the partners… is not the crime. What someone did is the crime against their family!

I am sick at what has taken place.

The unfortunate part is that anyone of our families could witness this. No one knows the abuse that took place behind the scene before one partner simply couldn’t take it anymore. Now one knows the abuse that one of the folk underwent before the abuser left.

So… $120 for three hours should be a start. The second set of three hours will be $300 and will come in blocks of $$$$$$.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The Hunger Games Trilogy and My Imagination

2012-01-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

The Hunger Games Trilogy and My Imagination

Two done and one to go! Wow! What a story is unfolding in my mind.

I had mentioned earlier that I had read “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. Well I just added another to my list of Books complete – and that is her second in the Trilogy – “Catching Fire”.

The reaction is powerful inside of me. I am almost over powered by the things she has described with her words.

It is like taking a holiday away from the reality of this life to another world and time… a very unreal world that is too real.

In reading one review of this series a lady stated that after reading the book she could not stop the images in her head. She thought continually of the book and the story – even after completing it!

It is actually more than a story and more than a book – it is real. It is far more than I can handle and yet I want more. And yet it is just a book and a story!

If it sounds like I am recommending the Book as something you should read… you have guessed correctly. YOU NEED TO READ THIS.

As I have been reading it and rolling it over in my mind, I see shades of my present world and also my past world. You know the real earth that we live on with real governments that do really stupid things.

This is a political book that doesn’t really try to be political.

It could be and should possibly be required reading for all students before they graduate from High School. It could and would have a bearing on what they might act like in the community at large.
I can’ tell you more than that or it will spoil your own read of this material. And you need to take time to savour it well.

When my daughter Dana gave this to me as one of my Christmas presents, she said, “Dad you are going to love this. It will soon be out as a Movie… and you need to read the books first!”

Dana, this rates as one of the “bestest” Christmas presents – EVER! WOW!

I am well into the “Mockingjay”, book number three. I missed yesterday’s Blog Post because of the book… and the story and my imagination rolling over and over and over again.

Katniss Everdeen you are something else! So are you Suzanne Collins!!! So are you!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Never Doing Really STUPID things again!

2012-01-09T08:31:00.000-05:00

The Old Trunk at the Foot of the Bed

2012-01-08T08:51:00.001-05:00

“Little is much when God is in it” and June Reuber

2012-01-06T09:57:00.002-05:00

“Little is much when God is in it” and June Reuber

My post today is about a song and an old friend. I have just learned that a very dear friend of ours has passed away. This old friend is June Reuber.

In 1974 when I first stepped into the brand new role of being a Pastor and leader of the small church in Walkerton, Ontario, John and June Reuber were there to support and encourage us. And that encouragement was for me in particular as June was the main musician of the church.

One of the responsibilities as a Pastor was to lead the service. Part of that leading was to lead the Hymns and singing that the congregation did each week.

I loved singing but usually just made a lot of noise. I could hit some of the notes but for the most part I had learned to lip sync.

June Reuber knew immediately that she could help me. As I stood and gave the signal between her and me, she would immediately begin playing the piano with the introduction to the piece. She would then also start the song with her voice. I joined in. And with her hearty playing of the song we were singing, people never heard me.

There were many struggles in those early days with the confidence that I needed to lead a congregation. I am sure that June knew that as well as the rest of the congregation. I was scared silly many times as I looked out over the audience. I would look for two people’s faces in the church, my wife was one and June was the other – then things were okay. Both were encouraging me with a smile.

Often June would sing a special number in our church services.

One Sunday she sang a very old song that touched me deeply. I had been struggling with some real issues of confidence. I was so ready to quit at times… and I think she knew it.

June began to sing “Little is much when God is in it”. I broke when I heard her sing these words. This song and that day was for me.

The congregation in those days averaged about 75 people and on a big weekend when the audience swelled to 100 or more the old church was full. And it was on weekends that we were full that I nearly died of fright. The insecurities were more than anyone could know – but June knew.

After three wonderful years in Walkerton I was invited to become the National Leader of the Children’s Ministry for the Pentecostal Crusaders in Toronto. The new job was to lead about 14,000 children and adult leaders in the national weekly program for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. In this role also I was involved in helping in leadership with the National Youth (Teenagers) program. And then finally I was also involved in the National Sunday School Program as a leader as well. The Youth program in those days reached out to about 40,000 teens and the Sunday School to about 250,000 people.

For many these are just numbers. For me they were about a quarter of a million reasons to be scared skinny!

The last Sunday in Walkerton I asked June to sing that song again just for me. I cried deeply and with joy as I realized the truth of what was being said through the words.

Within about three months I was speaking to audiences that were more than 1500 at a time, still scared but remembering June’s voice and the song that she sung so beautifully.

When we left that task and headed to Hong Kong for the new role of leading the Youth Ministry for that huge population, June’s song was there with me again. Her song was there as we studied the Cantonese language. As we took part in the huge outreaches where more than 25,000 kids and adults attended… her song was there each time.

And today as I am retired now working quietly at the new task of Chaplain to our MPPs in Ontario, June’s song makes even more sense. Each little prayer and each small contact is much when God is in it.

Thanks you June for your ministry to Alida and me. Truly “Little is much when God was in it”.

And God bless the Reuber kids and grand kids as you say Good Bye to mom. I am thinking today that heaven is ringing with that old song again…!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Little Is Much When God Is In It
1. In the harvest field now ripened
There's a work for all to do;
Hark! the voice of God is calling
To the harvest calling you.

2. In the mad rush of the broad way,
In the hurry and the strife,
Tell of Jesus' love and mercy,
Give to them the Word of Life.

3. Does the place you're called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He'll not forget His own.

4. Are you laid aside from service,
Body worn from toil and care?
You can still be in the battle,
In the sacred place of prayer.

5. When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
"Welcome home, My child well done!"

Chorus:
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There's a crown and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus' Name.

Lyrics: Kittie Louise Suffield
Music: Kittie Louise Suffield

Little Is Much When God Is In It
Kittie Louise Suffield (1884–1972)
This hymn was written circa 1924 by Kittie Suffield, wife of Frederick W. Suffield. This couple committed their lives to God at a church in Ottawa, where A. J. Shea was the pastor. The couple later went into evangelism and they sometimes worked with their former pastor’s son, George Beverly Shea.

Resource: http://www.scriptureandmusic.com/Music/Text_Files/Little_Is_Much_When_God_Is_In_It.html

My Thanks to all of You

2012-01-05T08:08:00.001-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

* * * * * * * *
Today’s Blog Post
Special Note: From time to time I have had assistants help publish on this Blog. Today it is Marion’s turn. She didn’t know she was about to become famous. Thanks Marion! BTW Marion has been celebrating in some beautiful places way down south where the germs and evil things all exist because of warmer weather.

She has been sitting in chairs where hundreds of people with bedbugs have sat. Chances are some are coming home with her to cold Ontario. She has had her suitcase open in her hotel room where the huge cockroaches walk around at night when she has been sleeping. And on that last day before they come home the most productive and most sexually active cockroach will climb into her suitcase and come back to Ontario. If they don’t make it the eggs that they laid in her underwear will.

She has also been walking barefoot on beaches of the south. From what I heard this past week on TV there is shot now that we need to get so that we would not be infected by Hepatitis A, B, C or Z. Z is the one that no one thinks about that not only destroys your liver but also your figure adding huge adipose tissue to the mid section, so much so that it is hard to get close to the table. I am pretty sure that Marion forgot to get that shot before she left here.

And as Marion reads this she is to be complimented for having the time to forward the email she sent me. She has had the time and sat close to a highly infected computer keyboard and used a mouse that was used by a half dozen impetigo infected Mexican migrant workers. And as she reads this her nose has been itching more and more.

Thanks Marion. You are a hoot and a help to me this morning!

~ Murray Lincoln ~

The following was forwarded to a few of us in Cold Ontario from Marion, in the warm south….

My Thanks to all of You

MY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU ...As we progress through to the end of 2011, I want to thank you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.

I can no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel, nor let the waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can't sit down on a hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking one's nose.

Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.

I can't touch any woman's handbag for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public toilet.

I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS for the email about rat poo in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.

ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.
I can't have a drink in a bar because I fear I'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidneys gone.

I can't eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers.

I can't use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

THANKS TO YOU
I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN,
I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car, so a serial killer doesn't crawl in my back seat when I'm filling up.

I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven different types of cancer.

AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW
I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face, disfiguring me for life.

I no longer go to the cinema because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS when I sit down.

I no longer go to shopping centers because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

And I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a huge phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , Singapore, and Uzbekistan .

THANKS TO YOU
I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big black snake could be lurking under the seat and cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE
I can't ever pick up a 10 cent coin dropped in the car park because it was probably placed there by a sex molester waiting to grab me as I bend over.

I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the Violin Spider and my hand will fall off.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbour's ex mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's best friend's beautician.

Oh, and by the way..... A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mails with their hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

P. S. I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because I was told by e-mail that water splashes over 6 ft. out of the toilet.

NOW YOU HAVE YOURSELF A VERY GOOD DAY…

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The GROUP – The Pale Octopus, Hairy Chested Yeti Crab, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum

2012-01-04T08:08:00.000-05:00

The GROUP – The Pale Octopus, Hairy Chested Yeti Crab, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum

Like I could care less! Really!!! The Iowa Caucus is all we poor Canadians are being fed lately. That is likely because there is no Tsunami to flood our news lately from Asia or a big rain storm in Newfoundland. But I care about floods and giant waves… just not American Politics.

One guy is a Catholic. The other guy is a Mormon. The other guy is not so religious as the other two and tends to be more angry. And all three guys(plus others) are running for a spot to lead a successful party in the last election… yet they didn’t win the top spot… it was their leader that was defeated so he couldn’t be President of the USA… and the guy that did become President won but his party lost so he has to fight with and in the government of the country and they get nothing done.

Now does that all make sense?

And last night when all things Holy in Canada were taking place in Calgary, the World Junior Hockey Game was being played with Canada facing off with Russia – where Canada nearly got creamed 6 to 1 but instead only lost by ONE POINT in the end… Mitt, Rick and Newt plus the others were all voted on to see which one “Iowa Republicans” wanted for their leader.

Now that sentence and thought is way too long and very confusing to say the least. So is what happened.

Now at the very same time a group of scientists were elated as they announced that way down at the bottom of the sea they had found a Pale Octopus and a Hairy Chested Yeti Crab along with numerous other new creatures. That happened somewhere near Antarctica… a long way from Iowa… and a million miles from Calgary’s hockey rink.

Why would Canadians need to know what the Republicans are doing anywhere? The Republicans could care less what we think in Canada – the same as the Democrats feel about us. But President Barak Obama does have in-laws living in Burlington, Ontario – so he knows something about Canada.

It is like thinking that the USA or any USA-inian would care about an insignificant Conservative or Liberal Candidate would be elected to office in some small town in P.E.I. (– for my American friends… that is Prince Edward Island.) P.E.I. and Iowa are almost the same… lots of farmers, flat land and not a lot of people.

USA-inians wouldn’t care about what happens in P.E.I. – neither do I care about Iowa. (With deep apologies to my Iowa Roots and relatives!)

A Pale Octopus and a Hairy Chested Yeti crab is a lot more interesting.

Instead of watching either the Iowa stuff or the Holy Canadian Hockey I went to an amazing show about a “War Horse” – which was fantastic to say the least.

It was this morning that I caught up on the Pale Octopus, Hairy Chested Yeti Crab along with Mitt, Rick and Newt.

It is a cold January day and we need a break from politics. We love the Ocean stuff in that it gets us away from the political stuff above the surface.

Hang on tight Canadians. The ‘scream and holler folk’ are about to return to Ottawa and our government. Our one party will not listen to the other parties and no one seems to care. The election is all over here… we can now watch Mitt, Rick and Newt.

Is this world upside down or what? Yep. The Pale Octopus and Hairy Chested Yeti Crab win today – absolutely.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/04/new-species-southern-ocean-antarctica?newsfeed=true
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/04/us/politics/iowa-caucus-votes.html

Dear Maria and Jennie I cannot come to vacation in Cancun, Mexico – even though the price is right!

2012-01-03T08:25:00.001-05:00

A Wee FaceBook Problem – Watch out what You Share!

2012-01-02T09:08:00.000-05:00

A Wee FaceBook Problem – Watch out what You Share!

I have a whole bunch of Friends on Facebook. Many of these Friends are fun loving, happy go lucky, and some are sometimes religious people.

Sometimes religious people? What do you mean?

Well you know… some are ministers and others are church goers… they kind of do a lot of churchy stuff. You know the type if you have them on your FaceBook friends list… they send you Bible stuff and all sorts of God stuff to try to get you to like religious stuff.

In that I am retired minister I still have lots of religious friends as well. These religious friends have included me among their Facebook Group. I get lots of religious stuff from this kind. They write little inspiring sayings and drop God Talk all over the place.

I also have lots of not-so-religious friends on my FaceBook friends list as well. And I am sure that they find it as funny as I do sometimes. As they read what my religious friends post on their Wall – we all laugh.

I have a number of “Nothing-to-do-with-Christianity” and “Other-Faith-Group” kind of Friends.

A religious friend of mine loves posting, or I should say reposting which is also called “Share” in Facebook talk, signage that he gets from other folk on his FaceBook list. When the photo is shown it is usually very funny or makes some spunky statement about life in general.

If you click on the photo or image that shows it will enlarge and be easier to see. It also then gives you an opportunity to see the other photos in the file where this photo/image originated.

That is the place where my non-religious friends must split a gut. The religious guys have just shared a file with some of the most lewd posters/images possible.

Whoa! Some of the religious friends of mine need to not Share your stuff. Some of it is not a whole lots religious at all.

This morning I was checking my Facebook for the new posts of the early morning or of last night. One very religious guy clicked on “Share” and the whole world, all his friends and all mine could see the funny image. I clicked on the image and it became larger… with the opportunity to see what else was in this file.

Holy Mackerel! The files was filled with all kinds of “S-E-X” stuff and also the “F” word on what seemed like every second image. My dear religious friend had just let the whole world know that what he shares and what he reads is not very religious after all.

I have a mind to tell him about what he has sent. The image was hilarious – but the related images in that file were not so good to push out to all of us. In fact they were downright offensive to many people that I know.

What can be done about it?
Well one of the best ways to deal with it is… not send it to anyone in the format that you receive it. Oh you can send it but just not in that format.

Here is what you should try. “Right click” on the image that you like and “Save image as” – give it a new name and likely place it in your Download File… or wherever you want to save it… something like “Silly things from FaceBook” file.

The files is then on your computer.

Next you can make your comment in the appropriate line in “What’s on your mind?” box where you update your status. After you type in your comment about the great image that you have, click on “Add Photo/Video”. This is where you can go to your “Silly things from FaceBook” file and select the great image.

Now remember that this photo is added to all the others that you have uploaded in the past on your FaceBook. If you do this often there could be hundreds of photos shown.

Remembering that all your friends on FaceBook can see this stuff is important. They can see your humour and your hidden nature… and also the maybe not so religious stuff that you look at. Hmmm?

My very religious friend(who is a Pastor) that may not want his terribly religious Church Board Friends reading all the “S-E-X” stuff and all the “F” words, needs to rethink this quickly. And remember that all the non-religious friends are laughing their heads off.

Stop and Think before you click on Share!

Having said all that I want my friend that sends out these things to know that I do appreciate what he sends me. He has a very funny sense of humour! I just need him to know that maybe the “S-E-X” stuff isn’t too cool when dear Sister So-and-So gets her computer up and running again… and like as not she is on FaceBook too. She just might have a heart attack with what you shared!!!

Having said all that, I did collect all the funny photo/images that were in my Friend’s suggested series. I skipped all the other stuff. Yep.. I saw it all!

Take care FaceBook friends of mine. My grandkids sometimes look over Grandpa’s friend’s post! Oh Boy!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Powerful Mixed Emotions - The Hunger Games and Deception Point

2012-01-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

Powerful Mixed Emotions - The Hunger Games and Deception Point

First meet Rachel and next meet Katniss. I met them over these past two weeks on my holiday read.

Rachel is the central figure in “Deception Point” by Dan Brown. Dan is the guy that I ‘met’ when I first encountered “The Da Vinci Code” – first as a Movie, then as a book.

Katniss is the central figure in “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. This is my first time to read a book by Suzanne. The other books that she has written I would not likely have read anyway… as I believe they were written for children, a different market than where I normally read.

I am not sure which gal I should point to first. Both are a type of heroine that does amazing things to save her world. Rachel saves and larger world, where Katniss saves her small world but perhaps gives her larger world some hope.

Now that should really confuse you.

When you meet the two heroines you will see they work in completely different worlds.

Rachel works closely with the Whitehouse in Washington, D.C. and the President of the USA. You can’t get much higher up the food chain than that.

Katniss works to scavenge food for her mother and sister while they kind of live in a closed camp society in the far distant future, maybe a hundred to two hundred years from now. Her world fell apart by human stupidity. There was rebellion and terrible things that happened throughout civilization that exists up to that time.
Rachel is older than Katniss – maybe in her mid thirties. Katniss is only 16 years old. Rachel is not yet married but it likely takes place when the book ends.

“Deception Point” is an adult book. “The Hunger Games” is supposedly a ‘children’s book’ – but the subject matter is hardly bedtime reading for the grandkids that I have. The older teenagers maybe… not the little guy however.

Both Brown and Collins have shown their masterful work in holding the suspense factor with their words. At times I couldn’t put the books down. At times I wanted to kill someone in the story being revealed in front of my imagination. I had definite strong feelings about the characters that I followed.

“The Hunger Games” movie is coming in March 2012. I think that “Deception Point” is only dreamed about as a movie ( – there is trailer made for a Movie that was never made). And oh do I ever hope for the Blood and Guts that the book describes!

No one in either book ever has a bowl movement. There is one mention of the colour of the one heroine’s urine… but other than that none of them ever go to the toilet. I guess in the readers of today that idea of realism is far from the plot and suspense. You simply don’t need to go.

Come to think of it… none of the Reality TV folk go to the toilet either.

When reading “The Hunger Games” I was struck that this is a whole lot like the Reality TV Programs of today… mixed with nasty bits and pieces of war that is on TV today was well. For the past years the War in Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated a bit like reality TV as reporters bring us up to date accounts of the killings of young men and women in the arena of death.

Having given all of the above I can report that I experienced very strong emotions both up and down as I read the books. It is kind of like a roller coaster ride from my point of view. And it will be a while before I need the thrill again.

BUT that is the problem. Suzanne Collins wrote this book as the first of a Trilogy. I have the other two books ready to go. January will be a fun month to say the least.

I think I may insert a love story or something mushy with suspense in the center of it all. Something by Kate Morton would be good.

I love books. I read books and I collect books. I need to share books too.

So if you need a great read that will twist and turn you a bit… you will love these two. Maybe not at the same time... unless you like really long roller coaster rides.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

2012 Welcome and Thank You 2011 for all the lessons

2011-12-31T08:05:00.002-05:00

Poker Players Problems

2011-12-30T08:43:00.000-05:00

McNightmare at McDonalds

2011-12-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

McNightmare at McDonalds

“Someone should tell McDonalds what a nightmare this place is!” my said. “Look at the garbage piled up!”

Her statement was right on. This had to be the worst McDonalds we have been in for weeks. This is our New Look McDonalds at its absolute best – or worst!

In our home and life McDonalds Restaurants have been a part of what we do since 1968 or 1969. The first place was Oakville, Ontario… down near the bottom end of Kerr Street, not far from Lake Ontario. Our daughter Dana was just a wee one when we first went in for a treat. She loved their soft ice-cream cones. When her sister Anda came along we made McDonalds a family place to come and get away from the hot apartment during the summer.

I tell you that to explain that we are frequent flyers at McDonald and have been for the past 43 years or so. Now we fly to McDonalds with Grandkids that eat way more than I do.

On Tuesday, December 27, 2011 my wife and I were in Vaughn Mills are for a Hockey Tournament. After the game was over we headed to the McDonalds that we saw on the way in. This McDonalds is right across the street from the Vaughn Mills Mall – one of the super Malls of the Toronto area.

There were no Hockey People in that McDonalds – they were all too smart!

December 27, 2011 was a busy day. Post-Christmas and everyone was out roaming the malls and businesses for bargains. The snow storm was coming that evening and perhaps everyone knew that so they came out of their homes.

This McDonalds was busy as we entered and the lineup was long. But that lineup was mixed with the oddly building crowd that had given their orders and then were standing now in the growing crush in a haphazard way in front of the counter.

Now picture if you can… more people coming through the door and more people ordering… one after another. More people have to back away from the counter to let the ordering people place their orders. But the orders already taken are not being filled.

In front of me is a counter space that is laden with order receipts that are laid out in order to the left of the cash register as I looked on. The young lady kept calling out to the waiting lineup, “Next please, Can I help you?” and another person in line would move through the growing crowd of those waiting for food.

At one point I counted 10 orders not filled and still more were being taken before the others were filled!

People were now getting edgy and restless as their order was not coming and more were being taken. The first thought is, “Maybe crowd control out front would be a good idea?” Maybe a host or hostess could help with the growing line up and possibly chat with the customers that were now uneasy as they jostled each other…?

One young twenty something pushed me hard to the side so that he could place his order. I had to pull back my fist that was growing hard at the end of my hand. I have done self defense and my grandkids don’t need to see their grandpa on top of a young jackass covered with ketchup!

“Maybe we should not come back!” was my main thought at that moment. “What a bloody nightmare this is getting to be!”

BUT – this is not new at McDonalds in recent times. Ever since they reconstructed this “New Look” to house their McCafe presentation, this log jam of people has been a potential problem at every McDonald we have been in. It was on December 27 that I saw just how bad it was.

In our own McDonalds in Peterborough, at the corner of Landsdowne and the Parkway every lunch and dinner is the same. People are hungry and want their food. They seem to get hungry at the same time… and rush into get something. Then the jam up starts at the register and ordering place… and the waiting off to the side place… that is often stacked four deep as the scurry behind the counter takes place.

It almost works… almost. But as I watch it over and over again.. the constant build up takes place and people are unhappy… very unhappy.

The second major blockage that most families don’t see is the Senior and Breakfast Hungry Morning crowd. The Seniors mass around the counter for their orders and for their refills. The refill requires that the dirty cup is discarded and the new refill be ‘ordered’ through the cash register… so that the computer system that sends the information to the girl at the coffee station can fill that order. All you see is the back of her head and body… until the coffee is delivered to you in a snap. She hasn’t time to smile or interact with a customer – she is now a part of the McDonald’s Machinery to get you better service and keep you McHappy.

This McChange took place because Seniors were steeling the creamers and sweetners! – so we were told by staff!!

Back to Vaughn’s McDonalds…
The order finally came for my wife and I. My hungry grandkids were on another tray that my son-in-law was carrying.

First stop is the pop machine and the ketchup dispenser. Good Lord… what a mess. There was no ketchup in either dispenser. But there was ketchup all over the counter.

There were no napkins and only a few lids for the drinks.

There was pop everywhere!

People without napkins were pushing back through this area, through the “waiting for their orders people” and past the “placing their orders people”… to ask staff behind the counter for help and a pile of napkins.

The staff on the other hanf were doing their best to keep up and not make eye contact with the growing unhappy crowd at the order desk.

I gave up on napkins and was happy that the pop machine did its thing… I stepped over garbage on the floor and the sticky pop area where kids had spilled stuff… and walked around the garbage unit that was jammed full and running over on to the floor. The trays on top were teetering as they were piled high.

Was it a long time since things had been cleaned? I don’t know… but with the crowd out front coming in and orders coming in… some people frustrated with what was happening… they were reacting in a way that was not nice.

So you don’t believe me? I probably made it all up – right? Not in this day and age… here is my proof. I took out my camera and shot what ever I could. I should have done it earlier before the ketchup counter was wiped clean by a customer. As I approached that area a young lady was trying to fit in the new ketchup bag that was not doing what it should… or something was broken when the angry customers banged away to get the last drop of ketchup out. I had stepped away when the young guy was hammering it with his fist.

Whoever thought up the pretty ideas and the new designs for the new look.. had no idea what customers need. What a bunch of McBaloney!

McDonalds… McCafe… McNew… McNightmare… and I am McOuttathere!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

How Old Would You Be If You Didn't Know How Old You Are?

2011-12-27T07:58:00.002-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving

This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

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Today’s Blog Post

Today I am copying in a Blog Post from Majorie Pagel. (Sorry – I do not have the Link to her article.)

I couldn’t say it any better.

~ Murray Lincoln

How Old Would You Be If You Didn't Know How Old You Are?

By Marjorie Pagel

Sept. 27, 2009

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to talk to a group of churchwomen in Winona, Minnesota, on the topic "Never Too Old." Typical of most groups of churchwomen, these were mostly in the over-60 age group, and one delightful woman sitting right in front of me proudly admitted to being 95.

I'm not an expert on the subject of aging, but I do know that as long as a person remains reasonably healthy, there's always something she (or he) can do. In preparation for the talk I brainstormed some ideas and searched the internet for some other interesting tidbits.

C.S. Lewis said: "You're never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream." And do you know about Ann Marie Robertson? Her arthritis caused her to give up a career in embroidery when she was in her 70s, so she took up oil painting instead. Almost everybody knows her -- as Grandma Moses.

While some octogenarians compete in sports and one 95-year-old woman got her college degree, the point I made in my talk is to do those things you enjoy, to use your God-given gifts, and to take time to bring some happiness into the lives of others.

The musical entertainment for the morning was reminiscent of Garrison Keillor -- the Sons of Norway singing songs in Norwegian (and one in English.) I was happy to see they now admit women to their ranks, so they should call themselves the Sons and Daughters of Norway. The man who introduced the musical numbers asked the audience the question in my blog title: "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"

I like that . Sometimes in my heart I'm still a girl . Other times I'm maybe 25 or 30. I see that girl, too, in the eyes of Susan Boyle when she sings her heart out about dreams coming true . I've watched her performance on "Britain's Got Talent" at least a dozen times, and I never tire of her. I'll be in line when her first album is released next month -- happy that she didn't consider herself "too old" to launch a musical career.

I'll end here with a wonderful quote by poet Thomas Bailey Aldrich: "To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent -- that is to triumph over old age."

· "Ain't no man can avoid being average, but there ain't no man got to be common."

· "Money and women. They're two of the strongest things in the world. The things you do for a woman you wouldn't do for anything else. Same with money."

Top 5 quotes from Age

· "It is not because angels are holier than men or devils that makes them angels, but because they do not expect holiness from one another, but from God only."

· "Shun praise. Praise leads to self-delusion. Thy body is not Self, thyself is in itself without a body, and either praise or blame affects it not."

· "Angels around us, angels beside us, angels within us. Angels are watching over you when times are good or stressed. Their wings wrap gently around you, whispering you are loved and blessed."

· "You won't be happy with more until you're happy with what you've got."

· "May the sun always shine on your windowpane; May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; May the hand of a friend always be near you; May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you."

~ Murray Lincoln ~

http://www.murraylincoln.com/

My How the World has changed!

2011-12-26T08:47:00.000-05:00

The photo above is taken at the Eaton’s Centre in Toronto a few years back on a Boxing Day Sale. Yikes! Is that place even built to hold and support that many people at one time?

I do remember my Aunt Marg telling me on the day after Christmas, on the Farm, that Boxing Day was the day that we all pack up our boxes and Christmas wrapping paper. Too funny. It was a good way to get kids to help.

The tradition however does go way back and is a real day of celebration. Some of the evidence shows that it was the day that the very wealthy would give a box filled with gifts and perhaps even money to their servants. It seems to be the day that they received their “tip” for all the hard work that they did the day before as their Master and his family over ate and celebrated to excess… while being waited on hand and foot.

My wife is that servant for our family.

Yesterday she rose at 6 AM with me. Together we prepared a 31 pound turkey and began working on the rest of what needed to be done to host 12 people for our Christmas Dinner at 6 PM. The Turkey roasted for 10 hours slowly… Mmm MMm MM! was it ever good. She cleaned up until 12:30 AM (with my help).

Now our own tradition has kicked in… we slept in today. I stayed there for a long time – 7 AM and my wife will get closer to 10 AM (if not maybe 11 AM).

As I look back there are more memories again. Christmas is about our traditions as a family. Each year we have done basically the same and have added small things along the way.

Boxing Day today is one of sifting through the present memories made just yesterday… and being thankful for what we have experienced over all these years together.

Personally, I will not go to a store today… I don’t think. I don’t need any more of anything… I don’t think.

I wish you a great time as you push and shove in a store today. And if you decided to stay home and enjoy the quiet – Bless you richly.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The Heavy Times mixed with Wonderful Memories

2011-12-25T08:34:00.001-05:00

Katie’s Journey – by Evelyn Wilson
(The Following words are from Evelyn Wilson, Katie, Jacqui and John Wilson’s mom. She posted these to her Facebook Page entitled “Katie’s Journey”)

Happy Birthday Jesus! It’s Christmas day and it is just not the same and it will never be. There was no one to wake up her brother and sister at 4am to get the stockings , it is almost 7 am and it is quiet in the house, that has not happened since before kids in this household. John has just gotten up.. well actually he tells me he never even went to bed so he is making us some tea.. There is no one to say ..can we get up and open the presents .. and our normal response was Not before 7 ( when the kids were younger) and the last number of years not before 8.. for those of you with young children.. the day will come where you will have to wake them up for Christmas when they are in highschool.
We had our family dinner ( just Brent and the kids) as we have done on Christmas eve since Christmas day has always been busy with extended family. We had our nice dinner and then our birthday cake for Jesus ( always a dairy queen cake) but the missing piece of the excitement of a birthday party was different. I didn’t get the balloons up or decorations up as I normally decorate for a bday party. It just didn’t happen.
We then went to church for Christmas eve service, we found a time of a 7pm service which worked better for us with supper.. and the second item on the night was someone reading the poem about spending your first Christmas in heaven.. wow that was tough to hear that but again Tears Mean Love but it was a lovely evening despite how numb I think we all felt. We saw lots of friends and cried with some.

It was very different with stockings.. I put out Katie’s just so it was there but when I handed them to Brent ( he always gives them to santa to fill) He said what is this one for .. and it was oh .. just habit grabbing 5.. and we broke into tears. The tree although filled with presents sure looks empty .. it just seems to have something missing .. there just doesn’t seem to be enough presents to go around.. something is just missing. Not sure what the rest of the day will hold, but I am sure there will be many tears today and many thoughts of Katie celebrating in Heaven.
I know that when we are at my parents house with all the cousins, anuts uncles, grandparents that it will be another time of lots of love. Tears mean love. We will enjoy a wonderful dinner with all the fixings and I think back to Katie last year who always loved grandma’s turkey dinner but espescially her mashed potoates.. she would eat a whole plate of them if we let her.. we will then have a few days before we head to Ottawa to celebrate with the Wilson side. As I think of a year ago.. knowing that we had a great Christmas together – we had just got back from the Disney cruise, Katie met Sidney Crosby on Boxing day.. we are remembering fondly our precious Katie and how she loved life and loved Christmas and was ripping and roaring to go so early. I think we will be lucky if I can get Jacqui and Brent moving before 10 am…lol but I don’t think I will let them sleep that long..since we need to eat breakfast before then or we wont have room for moms dinner… Brent has decided to make pancakes.. they were Katie’s favourite and I don’t think he has made them since she passed away ( from scratch not mix) .

As you all celebrate this year with your loved ones, enjoy the time and the excitement espescially from the kids and despite being woken early.. enjoy those moments. For others of you who have lost a loved one and this is your “first” ..know you are thought of today and your loved one is not forgotten as well. Have a great day and a very Merry Christmas and Happy birthday to Jesus. Thank you God for the gift of your son.. so we can have the gift of Life and the HOPE .. I cant wait one day to see Katie who I am sure will give everyone the biggest tour of Heaven. Thank you again for all the comments, notes, emails, Christmas cards and special thoughts for us during this time. We are blessed and we take one day at a time and appreciate the Love . Tears Mean Love

Blessings
Evelyn, Brent, Jacqui and John and our forever angel “Katie”

Christmas Memories – Good and Not So Good

2011-12-24T07:58:00.000-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post

Christmas Memories – Good and Not So Good

I truly believe that all good memories come from my childhood. It wasn’t until I became older that I started to realize that all Christmas Memories are not all good. I could say some were bad or even very bad… but there is always something that comes from the memories even during the dark times – that is good.

In dealing with this thought I made a list. I tried to list 10 of my top, very good Christmas Memories. Then to try the other side of it all… I listed the 10 Memories that were not so good – or even bad. Next I listed the very top 3 of each of these lists. In other words the ones that still stand out after years have passed. With the six now listed I removed the 14 others by shoving them aside.

A simple little exercise for sure but with it I found myself looking at a mixture of emotions that even now stand out sharply in my mind. In fact there was so much emotion mixed with these Christmas Memories that I am having some difficulty dealing with them at times. Memories that hang around that way are my are the basis of my nightmares.

Now I could ask you to do the same exercise before I go further telling you my story.

Have you made your list yet? Good. No? Try it to see what happens.

I found that the not so good memories almost always happened near or at the same time the really good ones took place. Or another way to say it… the bad reminded me of the very good ones that took place.

I will give you an example.

Our family had moved from Canada to Hong Kong in very early 1981. The move started right after Christmas 1980 and ended just at the end of our youngest daughter’s birthday. The day we climbed on the aircraft to fly across the Pacific Ocean and the International Date Line was her birthday. No sooner had the stewardess brought her a birthday cake we crossed over the date line and the birthday was over. Really weird.

That 1980 Christmas in Saskatchewan was very hard. No, not very hard… it was almost impossible to deal with. I had just left a well paying job where I was very well known. I was leaving the National and International Leadership position of a huge group of leaders all over Canada and the World… to become someone that no one knew. I was heading to a country and apart of the world that knew very little of how important I was in my huge world. That Christmas time I was unemployed and down low with emotions on one side. However my new job was waiting for me in Hong Kong with a new salary that was 1/3 the size of the Canadian salary!

I was also leaving our family behind. We knew when we climbed on that airplane that we would not be able to go back home for at least 4 years. That actually turned into 5 years at the end.

During that first six months an uncle that had meant much to me, died. Three other close friends in our lives died suddenly… and then my dad had a massive heart attack that almost took his life. We heard about it by way of a slow letter that came a few weeks later. There was no email then and telephones were not possible on my salary.

The next Christmas, 1981, was very tough as we thought of my dad and mom back in Saskatchewan. I don’t think that I could have been any more homesick than at that time. Uncertain health conditions in your family kind of kill the jovial spirit. We were into the throws of culture shock. The language study was going slowly. The internal politics of the new job and position was affecting a whole lot of people.

These people that I went to work with hated each other’s guts to say the least. They were all older than I was and each tried to pull me their way to begin hating the other. I was in the middle of the worst political and structural hatred I had ever experienced. Two different Canadian factions hated each other and had major power struggles between each other weekly. Two more Chinese factions also hated each other and one of them hated all things Canadian – or I should say “white”.

Now all of these factions were the top Christian Leaders of the Christian Organization that I worked for! Good Lord if that was Christianity at its best – who would want it!!!?????!!!

That 1981 Christmas was very bad. But in the midst of it all… Alida and I with Dana and Anda – our two daughters, had the best Christmas with each other. With next to no salary, as it seemed, we had to make do with much less. Yet we did things and saw things that none of our Canadian friends saw back home. It took us about two months to save for the Christmas dinner that we had and shared with four other lonely Canadians that Christmas morning.

That was so good with so many good memories mixed together with some really ugly ones.

In 1982 my dad had his quadruple bypass surgery and recovered well. By Christmas time he and mom were in Hong Kong with us. Talk about exciting. I can think of no greater time in my family’s life. We were together again. Dad had not died. Mom was doing great and our daughters had the two most important people in their lives with them at Christmas. And their Grandpa and Grandma brought special Canadian Christmas presents! WOW

But I was busy with the new ministry(work load) that I had taken on. I was wanted everywhere… and was becoming way too popular. The two “hating groups” still hated each other. My popularity with the Chinese People that came to us was cutting into their little kingdoms and now I was being hated more and more by these leaders. Oh Crap – this new position was supposed to be fun!

On that very strange Christmas day in 1982 we ate noodles on a boat in the middle of the Hong Kong Harbour.

I had been requested to do a Christmas Baptismal Service in the middle of Harbour onboard floating barge that served as a school and church for a different tribe/group of Chinese people that lived only on boats and seldom came ashore.

On the large barge they had a huge steel tank welded together. I climbed a step ladder to get into the water that had kind of been warmed up before hand. The outside temperature was about 10 degrees C… and there was a cold wind blowing in from the ocean.

As the 30 some people each came into and out of the tank to be immersed in the water for their baptism, each climbed up over the ladder and down to where I stood. Each gave a long testimony to the surrounding crowd before I dunked them.

I was already shivering by the time the 6th person came into the water. I was wet. The water was now lukewarm and I was not enjoying this anymore. By number 30 I was nearly frozen… and was turning from a white man to a blue man.

They helped me out of the tank and I walked stiffly over a gang plank to the next barge where my dry clothes were waiting. The cold ocean water looked up at me from below the gang plank and smiled. I almost fell in!

We ate hot noodles with the happy congregation for the Christmas dinner. I returned home with an already bad cold that eventually turned into pleurisy – taking a huge toll on future breathing.

Boxing Day my dad and I walked through the tunnels and embattlements that the British Soldiers had established in the mountains to defend against a possible Japanese invasion. It was also where hundreds of them died that horrible day when the Japanese invaded Hong Kong.

My dad’s great pleasure was to see the History that he knew so well… and was a wonderful gift to me.

WOW!

The good mixed with the not so good memories have flooded back to me.

Oh you want some more of mine..? Sorry – the Blog is already too long. The rest will likely be in the book that should be written by me… that is kind of getting to the stage of being written.

The Hong Kong chapters could now be written as the angry and horrible old Christians are now all dead.

Some of the rest are yet to die and their chapters will have to wait a little.

A book comes from memories – good and not so good.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The Best Christmas Gift in the Old House on the Farm

2011-12-23T14:20:00.001-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post

The Best Christmas Gift in the Old House on the Farm

The house was crowded with all of us flooding into Grandpa and Grandma’s place in that Old House on the Farm at Christmas time. I was 10 years old. At times it was too much and too many people. It was good to get away from it all. But in a small house it was hard to do that.

My favorite room was what everyone called the West Room. Situated on the West end of the house it held the two couches and a chair which were around the edge of the room. Eventually at the southwest corner of the room the television would be perched for all to see. However when this best Christmas Gift happened to me, TV was at least two years away before it would come to the Farm.

The large oil “Space Heater” was located just to left as you entered the room… that would be on the east wall of the West Room. With the only other main heat being produces by the Kitchen stove, two rooms away, the Space Heater was needed in that West Room.

Sitting on the large couch near the Space Heater was an enchanted place. The sound of the endless winter west wind howling against the old window was mixed with the pop and hiss of the Space Heater. When it went on and off with its flame inside, the metal around the Space Heater expanded and contracted to give off the noses.

Now before you entered the West Room there was the Middle Room that housed Grandma’s sewing machine, the Wall Crank Telephone, and the trap door that let you to descend to the Root Cellar below. There was also door that led to the lean-to where the Cream Separator was housed along the stuff like old clothes and parkas for the out of doors. Grandma made the guys take off their “Barn Clothes” here because of the stink. Some people called it the Mud Room.

The one special thing about the Middle Room was the long storage shelves that had the long doors covering them. In that storage area one place held all the Popular Mechanics and Mechanics illustrated magazines. They were stacked high and available to the grandkids.

I was digging through that area this particular Christmas time, looking for a possible new magazine. Instead of a PM or MI magazine I found a larger magazine that was a mixture of photos and stories. I wish that knew which magazine it was – after all these years.

As I flipped through it one picture caught my attention. There was a huge dragon with its mouth open and below its head was a pile of Gold Treasures. It was a Pirate’s stash for sure. The sub title said something about “my hair turned white overnight….”

I began to read the story slowly and then it had me. I was into it.

I walked into the West Room and found the couch behind the Space Heater, curled up and began to read the amazing story. The hero adventurer was looking for shelter from a huge storm. He rowed his small boat along the ragged cliffs until he found what seemed to be a cleft in the rock face. As he approached the area he realized that the cleft was actually an entrance to a cave. The tide was low and the opening was easy to go through… so he did.

I followed him in the boat, under the dripping rocks, turning this way and that way… with just a little light showing over our shoulders. The hero took out his lantern and lit the wick. I could smell the smoke of the burning wick as the smoke curled up to the cliff ceiling.

The story was masterfully written to say the least. And I followed every word at my own speed. It was so real… and all that the hero did came alive for me.

As his lantern’s light shone from the boat the hero could see the flash of the jewels in the one crown and then another. The Gold chains and goblets glistened in the beam from the lantern. The Treasure was so much and so brilliant that it took my breath away! There was a pile of it!

The hero climbed from his small row boat up the slope to the Gold. Amazing – simply amazing! How could he ever take anything back with him? His boat was far too small. Worse yet the tide that had been out was now coming back in and the cave entrance would be secluded again from view on the outside and inside.

It was at that moment that the hero was considering what he should do next that he heard a noise off to his left… somewhere behind the Gold Treasure… a gold cup or something moved slightly giving a rattling noise. Then another thing moved. The heroes’ footsteps and his disturbing the pile of Golden pieces had caused something to wake up.

The huge dragon’s head appeared from behind the pile and a curious eye looked at the hero. Realizing he was not alone, seeing the man, the dragon came closer and became bigger and bigger. It had found a place to hide away and also to protect the treasure… now someone had come into its lair.

The story continued with the Dragon flashing out at the hero. The hero running and hiding – here and there. At the last moment the hero made a dash to his boat and rowed frantically to the now very small opening of the cave’s entrance. The boat scrapped against the top of the entrance as the waves and water pushed into the cave. And suddenly he was clear to the outside world again. The storm raged and the light was growing dim. His lantern was inside the cave.. but he was safe. The dragon was still inside protecting its treasure from any intruder that might come again.

The hero was taken in by a stranger he met and given a warm bed much later that night. In the morning when he woke he washed his face. It was at that moment that he was shocked and couldn’t speak… his hair had turned perfectly white.

As my eyes followed each word and then came to that last part… the story ended. Nothing more. The hero was safe and his hair was now white. What next? I want more!

I looked up at the window pane that was frosted over on that west wall. I heard nothing but the wind outside and the Space Heater inside. It was still as could be in that room. But just minutes before I was terrified and could feel the water dripping in the cave, see the Gold glistening and here the dragon coming.. I felt the panic as we headed to the cave entrance. WOW! The prairie wind kept blowing forever.

This was the very first story that I read from an adult magazine. It was the first adventure that I took outside of the flat prairie and to another world.

I became a reader of anything after that wonderful experience in the West room.

For 57 years I have wondered about caves with treasures. I have thought about dragons and heroes… and row boats… and adventure. In fact it was at that moment that my imagination was set afire and stirred so deeply that I couldn’t speak for a long while. No one would understand the trip that I had taken that day so long ago.

This week I am finishing the reading a Dan Brown book. I have a Ken Follett book ready to go after that. This will be my 57th Christmas with a good story… and I love it!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The Old House on the Farm – Christmas Memories

2011-12-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

The Old House on the Farm – Christmas Memories

When I was a boy we lived 55 miles from the Farm in my growing up and during my school years. The Farm was at Truax, Saskatchewan and we lived in Regina. Truax was a very small town and the Farm was located 3 miles west of the town. Regina was the Capital City of Saskatchewan – the biggest place I had ever known as a boy.

As this memory comes back from its hiding place of over 57 years or more… Regina is not a big city. I have since lived in cities of over 6 Million people. Regina at its very best now hovers around the 175,000 mark on good days. But in 1954 it was the Centre of My World for me, with Truax really being where the Universe had all started – the very heart of all things. Truax was the centre of everything.

It was the place that we spent all our holidays at. And it was the one special place that we all went back to at Christmas. Year after year we returned to Grandma and Grandpa’s House on the Farm.

From the age that I started to remember until about 10 years old, this Farm House was amazing to say the least. It represented all things that our family represented. And the people that came back into it at different times of their lives each brought part of the Old House’s personality. The Old House held all the memory like a treasure chest for all our family.

The Old House wasn’t big but it had been the epicenter of raising 8 children which included the oldest son who was a quadriplegic. My Grandfather had purchased two older, small houses and then joined them together to make a house for 10. But it is smaller than the home I live in today with three people making this one full!

Now you can imagine as the children started to marry and then bring home their spouses for Christmas and special celebrations, it became more crowded. And when these married ones started having kids of their own… it was very full and very fun at times. I think as the oldest Grandson (second grandchild) my memories are longer and more.

Rather than give a long list of memories in that old house I will simply say there was family that made the memories… sometimes good and sometimes not so good… not bad… just tense at times. But what would you expect in a small, old house with lots of bodies?

I write about the Old House on the Farm as the Centre of my Universe. The City we lived in was the Centre of My World – but the Farm House was where we came from.

Even today if I were able to drive out to the Old Farm and stand where the Old House used to be… I would have flash backs or memories from long ago. When I am able to be in Saskatchewan and Regina, and if we have the time, I will always drive out there to just “be there” and sense again all that took place so long ago.

It is so strange really. The House is long gone. My Uncle that had bought the farm made the decision to get rid of the old building. The raccoons and other vermin were using the old place as a sanctuary… and slowly each season they were tugging the heart out of the old place. One day with a powerful machine he dug a big hole and had his own private ceremony laying the old dead body of the Old House on the Farm to rest.

But when I heard of the Old House’s final demise… it hadn’t changed a thing. The Old House was still there in my memory… vibrant… full… smelling the same… sounding the same… and still the Centre of the Universe for me.

Memories are the Library of the Mind… a wonderful quote.

Where is your Centre of the Universe as you grew up… when your memories were being formed at that early stage of your life? Now what have done with these memories? Do you savor them or do you regret and wish that you could simply get rid of them?

This Christmas I intend to write more of them down… just so my Grandkids and the Great Grandkids will be able to know where they came from… with their roots away back there.. in an Old House on the Prairie… west of Truax and southwest of Regina… a million miles from where they live now.

Memories – a gift from God this Christmas.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

The Best Memories – collected and written down

2011-12-21T07:59:00.000-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post

The Best Memories – collected and written down

“Grandpa, my coach really liked what you wrote!” Clifford said.

Now this isn’t the most exciting opening to my post today… but it may be the most important one for you!

I have been thinking of Memories over this Christmas season. I started by the quote I found a while ago, “Memories are the Library of the Mind”.

I have an idea for you for your personal Christmas Gift this year. It is the best one that you will ever receive. It is also the best one that you will be able to give your family. Are you ready for this?

Write down your memories! How ever you do it – just start doing it. And if you are doing it – keep doing it. Your family will love it when you pour out what you remember from your life.

Likely if you are reading this Blog, you understand the workings of a computer. You need to use the computer to get the thoughts, memories and all that you are into a recorded memory.

It is better to use it that way – than play Farmville or Solitaire for hours on end. If you are doing just that… imagine after you are gone your grandkids will tell their kids that, “Grandpa could play a mean game of Farmville, Solitaire and whatever on the computer… and he sent Greeting Cards to us at Christmas…!” Your grandkids will hear at that pronouncement and ask, “What is Farmville dad?”

When your Grandkids grow up they will not likely have Farmville to try to beat your score. They will want to know who you were.

I can guarantee that the kids will appreciate it. I am absolutely sure that your grandkids will love it – someday.

Now I know that some will gaff at my suggestion and claim that they could never do that kind of thing. And I know that most of my relatives of two or more generations before me believed that too. Either they had no time, or saw no reason for it to ever be done. They passed into memory of some and the rest of us just never knew them. I only know my great grandfather’s names and the little that they did to or with my own grandparents. For the most part they are not in my Memories at all.

Unless I pass on what I know my kids will never know. Unless I place my Memories out there my grandkids will never know what I felt.

Unless you do something about your life and record it somehow – you will also be a distant Memory – or no Memory at all.

Words written down are powerful.

Even pictures drawn are a powerful record of what we saw and how we saw it. Think of the drawings on the walls of caves by Cave Men of long ago!

Last night the value of my words written down came home to me with a powerful force. My words had meant something to my Grandson. WOW!

Today’s illustration…
On Monday night my Grandson Clifford called to speak with me. I was out visiting and came home late after he had gone to bed – so I didn’t call him back right away. His message seemed to be urgent. Last night I called him back.

His voice was excited as he told me of what happened at his “Football Banquet” on Monday night. The boys and their families had joined together to finalize their season with food at the Boston Pizza.

As Clifford spoke to me on the phone I smiled.

The audience was made up of the Players from the Adam Scott Lions football team along with their parents and their coaches.

Some point in the celebration evening Clifford explained, the coach rose to share some words with his team and audience that were gathered.

Clifford told me that the Coach explained he was going to read something that he had found. He explained how much he appreciated the words and the article that he was about to read to them. Then he began reading the article.

As Clifford listened to the Coach read the words he looked up in astonishment. He told me excitedly on the phone, “My coach was reading what you wrote Grandpa. I remembered that you told me that you had written about our team on your Blog!”

There were lots of other words that Clifford told me on the phone last night. And in his own special way through the words he told me how much he and his coach appreciated the words that I had written down and published for the world to read.

The fact that his coach had found something and then read it to the team made it even more important. The coach has established a relationship and respect of his team members that is simply amazing! To have his coach make the statement he did and then he read the words that were printed… was important. But to make the connection that his own Grandpa had written the words was the coolest part of the Banquet.

“Grandpa, my coach really liked what you wrote!” Clifford said over and over again.

I grinned and felt a warmth inside of me that was brand new. My Memories had made a difference. Recording what I saw and felt that tough day of the last football game – had struck a note for the Coach, for the families and the for this amazing football team – the Adam Scott Lions of 2011!

If you would like to read what the coach read for his team... check out http://murraylincoln.blogspot.com/2011/11/football-winning-even-when-you-lose.html

Thanks Coach of the Adam Scott Lions and all the assistant coaches as well. You guys have changed the course of one young man’s life (and all the rest I am sure) with the amazing work that you have done this year.

And by reading this simple Blog Posting at your special night, you encouraged this old man to keep writing. Thanks coach!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Not So Good Memories – Some Christmas Memories and Christmas Times are very hard

2011-12-20T07:22:00.000-05:00

What was Your Best Christmas Gift and Why?

2011-12-19T07:45:00.000-05:00

“Memory is the library of the mind.”

2011-12-18T08:22:00.000-05:00

Me and My Android on board the Galaxy Ace GT5830

2011-12-17T06:21:00.003-05:00

Me and My Android on board the Galaxy Ace GT5830

Okay I think I am ready. I have the “Thing” in my pocket and I am ready to take the next big step.

My pocket now has an Android in it. Who would have ever guessed that I would own one let alone have it in my pocket!?

Actually it is not the kind of Android that was first shown in the Star Wars mode. It is much smaller and thus the reason for being able to pocket it.

The android is the name of the operating system that is on board my new Galaxy Ace GT5830 phone thingie.

It beeps and leaps making weird noises in my pocket. It is almost alive. Yikes!

And this little gadget is nowhere near as fancy as some others are at the store.

It all began when my other old Cell Phone suddenly sprang to life and gave me the Text Message info that we were eligible for an upgrade at a ridiculously low price. What a thing to do for me just days before Christmas. As my wife and I looked over the offer, she said, “Merry Christmas to you…!” and I knew that it was mine! Wahoo!

As I look back now and think of what we have come through to this point in life. Wow!

I remember when we rolled into the farm of my Grandparents. It wasn’t long after we arrived that the big box on the wall would come to life with the sound of the bells inside signally that someone was calling someone on the line. The sound would be in combinations of Rings… i.e. One Long and Two Short Rings, which was different from Two Long and Two Shorts… or from One Long and On Short… and which was very different from the way that my grandma would pick up the receiver and turn the crank rapidly make on very long rings to wake up or call the Central Operator into action. She then would connect the right wires and send grandma’s call to the right person she was trying to get.

Now my new telephone will reach around the world in a heartbeat. I can Text my friend in Korea in a heartbeat… and if they are out of bed they will answer in the next heartbeat.

I can Facebook them, chat with them, Tweet them with Twitter, email them and even let them know exactly which restaurant or business I am in at the very moment I touch one button… and the Android will ask me which person is with me and if I wish to tell others that we are together.

Can’t yet figure out why I would want to let all my 1000+ friends on Facebook that I am in such and such a place at that moment. The ones in Africa or Asia will be in bed when I message them. Duh!?

Another Ap lets me touch the screen and immediately it will ask me where I want to go… it finds it and then shows me how to drive there, down to the very last step of the journey.

This gadget completely destroys the idea that Men will not ask directions or look at the Map to get somewhere quickly.

I can connect to the Internet anywhere, anytime, and at the same heartbeat again. It will do this via the telephone tower located somewhere close or far… or by Wi-Fi the way that it did in McDonalds McCafe this AM… and offered me more Wi-Fi connections of close by businesses.

The Samsung Galaxy GT5830 is a blow your mind telephone and very easy to use.

Oh and by the way – I was worried about not being able to type fast enough… or to tap the right letter on the screen’s keyboard… DUH – I don’t need to do any of that now. I simply slide my finger over the keyboard, rubbing against the glass screen and stopping above the letter I want and then slide over to the next letter – never leaving the glass… and each letter I stop over appears in my text that I am writing.

But if that is too hard I can simply touch the screen and then speak… my words are typed out before my eyes – as fast as I can say them. Holey Mokey – what next!?

Now I have a great need to connect with someone. But most people my age don’t have cell phones or fancy communicators of any kind. They were scared silly when all this came into play. They do well to find the remote and operate the thing to get to their favorite TV channel!

But this cell phone is not nearly the top of the line. It is less expensive and very easy to use. Even my old friends could use this one.

This cell phone comes from a service provider that offers all the bells and whistles. We have been with this service provider for only three years. Funny thing is that the program we signed up for is not offered any longer – it is very much out of date and a new, better, improved one for a little less money was available now.

I am still trying to understand what the heck I have available in my pocket. I have no idea what the pops and snaps are coming from it every once in a while.

I thanked the young lady at the counter of the Koodo cell phone company for taking it very slowly with my wife and me. She was about 24 years old – 1/3 my age… and she spoke slowly to help me catch on. God bless this little lady – what a jewel.

Before bed time tonight I am going to get some more Aps. I think I would like to get the one that has a big smile on the screen – that looks like a great cartoon mouth… and when you speak the cartoon mouth mimics my words and mouth.

I haven’t got a clue why I might need that… except maybe to commit a crime of some sort.

This is way too much fun for a grandpa! Whoa!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_ace_s5830-3724.php

Justin Trudeau’s comical use of words in a tragic time

2011-12-15T07:06:00.000-05:00

Junior Cobb and Me and the Wood Pile

2011-12-14T07:29:00.000-05:00

A Day of Celebration for the “Ontario Provincial Chaplaincy”

2011-12-13T07:26:00.000-05:00

A Police Dog’s Confusion – Where do you bite?

2011-12-12T07:24:00.000-05:00

The Face of a Stranger

2011-12-11T07:19:00.004-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post

The Face of a Stranger

The Friday afternoon we met was cool. But we were inside with the cool wind and the snow falling outside not affecting what we both felt. Even though the meeting was very short neither of us will forget the look on the each other’s face. At least I will not.

A very few seconds but yet a lifetime. A small moment but yet it was life changing for me – forever.

I will call him “Jim” – yet I do not know his real name. The only identifying thing I know about him was the sign that was stuck to the outside of the door, “handcuff behind the back”.

Where did I meet Jim? It was inside Millhaven Penitentiary near Bath Ontario. And at the moment that Jim and I met we were both in the segregation unit of this prison. I was standing outside his small cell. The large steel door was closed but the small window at my eye level was open. The window was about 4 inches wide and 10 inches high and Jim’s face appeared framed in that window as he watched us stand outside his cell.

Our small group was likely the only human contact he had since the last meal time when the food was delivered to his cell.

I stopped outside his cell and looked into his gaze. Our eyes locked on each other. I smiled at him and nodded. He did the same. A big grin came over his face and his eyes acknowledged that I was there.

Jim is in a segregation unit of Millhaven prison. His mental state and his physical reactions/distractions are such that he has been placed in this small white cell to help control him and for his own safety. For some personal reason he cannot cooperate with the system of behavior that Millhaven has and he remains in this cell. His daily time in the cell may be 23 and ½ hours a day but could be longer if he fails to cooperate or acts out in an aggressive way.

It is not only Jim’s personal safety that is a problem here but also the Prison Guard’s that have to deal with Jim.

Visiting Jim’s unit was impacting for me. I have seen some extreme things in different correctional facilities in my lifetime. This particular ward is right up there at the top of impacting me.

It is amazing to see the professional care and control that the Correctional Officers have for these very high risk individuals in this prison.

It is the care and the control mix that comes from another human being for the at risk person that stirs me.

After walking through the unit on Friday afternoon we spent a good portion of time speaking with the correction officer that was in charge of this area at that time.

This corrections officer shared with us how long he is inside each day. The hours can be an 8 hour shift or 12. He is “on” some days and “off” some days. The schedule is not like an ordinary job that I have ever had.

Yet with all of the sounds coming from one of the cells with one man crying out over and over again, the sight of this well-used prison area, the correctional officer smiled and thanked us for coming. He was a strong man with grace.

In the four hours we spent inside Millhaven as part of our training, there were perhaps a hundred different and highly impacting things that I witnessed.

Since Friday afternoon I have been seeing the sights over and over again. The faces of the guards as they looked at our small group parading through their place of work will not be forgotten. The faces of the guys that looked intently at me as we walked by will never be erased from my mind – they are etched deeply forever. And the two that smiled at me and nodded back will not go away – EVER!

Now people from the street or community will not be able to just walk into a Canadian Prison and announce that they wish to see what is going on inside. People from the outside will not enter this prison without direct orders from a Judge and Jury in one of our courts in Canada. And if they enter that way they will be staying for over two years and maybe even a lifetime.

My reason for being there is that I am a CAC Member. I have taken on the role of serving on a Citizen Advisory Committee. In this role I “Observe, Liaise and Advise”. I watch what Correctional Service Canada is doing in its many very different roles that they perform through its Prisons, Prison Guards, Prison Management, Parole Offices and Parole Officers. I watch what the prisoners are doing as well.

When and if there is something that just doesn’t make sense I may ask more questions as to why that something has taken place. If I don’t understand I ask. I am a volunteer with CAC and offer my eyes, ears and mind as well as my body to take me to meetings and places that the outside public does not see.

And as a volunteer there is absolutely no pay for what I do. Through the controls and hoops that I jump through to maintain my separation from the system, together with my willingness to be close to the system, I and many other folk on our CAC work offer “objective witnessing”. Then when called upon we will testify to what we saw happen.

With this posting and reporting of my visit to the Millhaven Institution I am doing just that… testifying/reporting.

Earlier on Friday afternoon before we began our walk through Millhaven a Parole Office Manager shared with us the reason for the program and Millhaven. It is way more than a prison to control bad guys, it is a finely tuned system that handles all Federal Prisoners from day one and on.

It is at Millhaven that assessments are done on every man coming into one of the Ontario Prisons. It is after that assessment is complete that the guys will be transported to their “Mother Place” – which could be a Maximum, Medium or Minimum Prison somewhere in our province.

During this assessment it is determined what educational level each man has achieved in his lifetime. Completing his personal schooling will possibly be one of his opportunities while he is Prison. Also during this initial time in Millhaven his physical and psychological state is assessed as well. The needs for his health care and medication care is prescribed and then treatment is started.

The various levels of Triage that takes place when a man comes into Prison is nothing short of amazing. The care offered to these fellows is very good.

Oh there are complaints about food at times, about the way that they feel they have been treated or mistreated, there are games that some play also to try to break the system. But with all of that there is a very professional and highly trained team of Correctional Officers and Staff that maintain the safety for each and every man that comes into the Prison system of Canada – as well as themselves.

And with all of that there is a local CAC group or individual that is close by to be a link between what is real and what is unreal. They are there helping to make our society a better place to live in.

Am I bragging about what I do as a CAC member? Nope, not at all! It is an honor to serve in this way and no pat on the back will make much difference at all.

I have quit a hundred times in 13 years of doing this… because sometimes it just doesn’t make any sense at all. And yet I have re-enlisted and come back for more a hundred and one times – to help one more time… just because what I have done in a quiet way makes a difference in some very small way.

On Friday I watched and listened to what was presented to me. I was very impressed with the work that the folk do inside of Millhaven.

And for one very short time I looked into the eyes of Jim and we connected. Our smiles were exchanged and I hope that made a difference.

Jim will never read this I am sure of that.

But Jim if you could, I do this stuff for you and your family back home that misses you.

I do it for the victims of your crime that need reassurance that they will be safe and you will never hurt them again.

I do it for the tremendous professional Prison staff at all levels that do so
much and cannot tell anyone what they actually go through each day.

I am the face of a stranger.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Communicatitis- The way that we speak to each other - Sheesh

2011-12-09T07:11:00.001-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post

Communicatitis- The way that we speak to each other - Sheesh

The Following is written by Dan Pallotta. Dan Pallotta is an expert in nonprofit sector innovation and a pioneering social entrepreneur. He is the founder of Pallotta TeamWorks, which invented the multiday AIDSRides and Breast Cancer 3-Days. He is the president of Advertising for Humanity and the author of “Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential.” ( I never wrote the introduction either… all copied from another source. ML)

If you are part of Linkedin.com you might have caught this already.

If you are part of the hbr.org you might have read it also at http://blogs.hbr.org/pallotta/

Dan I am so impressed with what you have said, I want others to see and read it as well. So without your permission I copy it into my Blog today – giving you full credit. Oh by the way – we have never met. I am only a follower or your work.

Dan Pallotta writes…quote
“I'd say that in about half of my business conversations, I have almost no idea what other people are saying to me. The language of internet business models has made the problem even worse. When I was younger, if I didn't understand what people were saying, I thought I was stupid. Now I realize that if it's to people's benefit that I understand them but I don't, then they're the ones who are stupid.

There are at least five strains of this epidemic.

Abstractionitis
We have forgotten how to use the real names of real things. Like doorknobs. Instead, people talk about the idea of doorknobs, without actually using the word "doorknob." So a new idea for a doorknob becomes "an innovation in residential access." Expose yourself repeatedly to the extrapolation of this practice to things more complicated than a doorknob and you really just need to carry Excedrin around with you all day.

Acronymitis
This is a disease of epic proportions in the world of charity. I was at a meeting just two days ago at which several well-meaning staff members of a charity were presenting to their board, and the meat of their discussion revolved around the acronyms SCEA and some other one that began with "R" that I can't recall. In the span of three minutes these acronyms must have been used eight times each. They were central to any understanding of the topic at hand, but they were never defined. So I had not the vaguest idea what the presenters were talking about. None. Could have been talking about how to make a beurre-blanc sauce for all I know.

Valley Girl 2.0
My partner and I were at a restaurant in the San Fernando Valley five years ago, and a real-live Valley girl was sitting in the booth behind us talking on her cell phone. We couldn't stop listening to her. She had a world-class ability to string together half-sentences devoid of any substance whatsoever. And yet you felt as if something important were being discussed! "And she was like, ummm, and I was just like, you know, umm, no way, really, like, yeah, and when she was like that, I was just like..umm...." She could go on in this way for extended periods of time without mentioning any actual people, actions, or thoughts. There's a business version of this illness. It involves the use of words such as "space," "around," "synergy," and "value-add" with a healthy dose of equivocators like "sort of" and "kind of" to ensure that there is no commitment to anything being said: "I'm in the sort of sustainability space around kind of bringing synergistic value-add to other people's work around this kind of space." Oh, OK, that explains it.

Meaningless Expressions
I wrote about the phrase "thinking outside the box" recently and how overused and utterly misunderstood the expression is. There are many more. Another term that has lost its meaning is "Let's exceed the customer's expectations." Employees who hear it just leave the pep rally, inhabit some kind of temporary dazed intensity, and then go back to doing things exactly the way they did before the speech. Customers almost universally never experience their expectations being met, much less exceeded. How can you exceed the customer's expectations if you have no idea what those expectations are? I was at a Hilton a few weeks ago. They had taken this absurdity to its logical end. There was a huge sign in the lobby that said, "Our goal is to exceed the customer's expectation." The best way to start would be to take down that bullshit sign that just reminds me, as a customer, how cosmic the gap is between what businesses say and what they do. My expectation is not to have signs around that tell me you want to exceed my expectations.

Abstract Valley Girl 2.0 Acronymitis Using Meaningless Expressions
This is when you combine the four diseases above. So you get phrases like, "You should meet this guy with the SIO. He's sort of this kind of social entrepreneur thinking outside of the box in the sustainability space and working on these ideas around sort of web-based social media, and he's in a round two capital raise in the VP space with the people at SVNP." How many times have you heard what you now recall to be precisely this sentence?

This would all be funny if it weren't true. People just don't make sense anymore. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble if you internalize this. Observe it, deconstruct it, and appreciate just how ridiculous most business conversation has become.

You will gain tremendous credibility, become much more productive, make those around you much more productive, and experience a great deal more joy in your working life if you look someone in the eye after hearing one of these verbal brain jammers and tell the person, "I don't have any idea what you just said to me."

End Quote – Thanks Dan.

Over the next few days I am attending a conference where almost 100% of the people presenting their material will be speaking in one of these modes. For sure they will be speaking Acronymitis and also with Meaningless Expressions.

By the time Sunday evening arrives I will be speaking Valley Girl 2.0.

Today I am to be in a prison for a meeting. I will be walking with ordinary people… and led by some one that speaks in Acronyms. It ought to be a delightful day when I keep asking and saying, “I didn’t understand any of your words. What did you just say?”

Oh Boy! How honest can you be with the Government?

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

A problem with my HP Pavilion dv6 Lap Top Freezing up – Grrrr!

2011-12-08T07:32:00.000-05:00

My Love affair with Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation

2011-12-07T06:55:00.000-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post

My Love affair with Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation
When I hung up the telephone I shook my head. “Sheesh! What did I say yes to?? Why did I agree to that invitation?” was my inside head response. “You don’t have to be nuts to have said yes… YOU ARE NUTS!” I flat out told myself.

I will have to clean up my workshop now. Hokey Mokey where do I start? Worse yet, when will I start?

It has been a very good month and there are million chips of wood – EVERYWHERE! Added to the chips are stuff that needs to be sorted through, stuff that is piled in a hurry and then left to be dealt with on another day. Then there is stuff that I don’t need any more and stuff that I need to keep. And stuff that I enjoy and want to sit and simply look over.

With this telephone call I realize that I desperately need a “Stuff Manager”. In reality that would be an Inventory Manager. But at this time that is me!

I also need a cleaning crew that will come in after mid-night and clean up the mess that I left after my carving sessions. A Janitorial Manager would be great. But for now that is me.

I also need a Production Manager. There are requests and orders for the new items that I presented at the last three shows. Some of these have deadlines on them. They want the product now! They wanted the product at the show but I had sold out that kind and was able only to take orders and give a possible time line as to when I could ship it out. I am the production Manager.

About three more Craftsmen right now would be fantastic. But I need to train them to do what needs to be done. I need a Human Resources Manager who will be on top of it all the time, knowing just who needs to be hired and when they should come in. This HR person also must be in charge of training and preparation of all new staff members. But for now I am the HR Person for Misty Hollow!

I need to deliver two items this week. But that will require a personal visit and the evening with the person purchasing the new line. There is a possibility to sell a few more things that night and also take another order. Pure and simple that is the Sales Manager’s and the Shipping Manager’s jobs. But again I am the guy that fills the two positions – at the same time.

My Web Site is now getting older. It needs to have the new products that are selling so well published to the Web Site. But that isn’t the only problem. The brand new areas that have suddenly become really important in the Misty Hollow shop and sales need to be shown and presented to the world that is waiting. Calls are already coming from interested customers. They would like to see what is for sale. But at this point I am also the Web Specialist/Master and tech guys for Misty Hollow! When we launched this simple site the first few months were easy to deal with the 150 to 350 people per month that came to visit and interact. Now with the 10,000 or more that come each month leaves me shuddering at times.

The brand new products need to be produced now. There is no particular time line yet. But as was suggested by the company that I am partnering with that January and February could be very big months. In fact they would like a line of the new products done by the end of this month so that they can be presented when the other Web Site goes live.

The Brand New area of Misty Hollow creations is going to be even bigger than the first areas were. I could be looking at another three people to help in production of this line with a possibility of even more people being needed as this new area develops.

From my rough calculations of the people listed here… I should be looking at hiring about dozen people to start with. And that would be now!

So when the phone call came from the “Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation” folk to make a short video about Misty Hollow and the work that I do in my workshop… I should have said no… but rather I agreed. Double Sheesh.. that comes next week at the end of the week.

I am a graduate of the OSEB program. The Ontario Self Employment Business program run by our Provincial Government. The OSEB Program is offered through the “Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation”. I began the program at the beginning of October 2008 and completed it at the end of September 2009.
Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation staff became my mentors through all of this. For that first year they met with me each month. Then in the subsequent years they followed my progress. Through the tough times and the very good times they kept in contact with me.

In June 2008 I had kind of lost all hope. I was in my 64th year of working. I was planning to retire in 10 months’ time when I was given notice of my “early retirement”. I was simply dismissed, let go or fired from the job that I had been doing in many different places for 39 years. The reason was simple. There was not enough money to pay me. The entire staff that I had managed was also let go and temporary staff hired to fill in the gaps.

When I walked out of that place at the end of June I had a sinking feeling inside as I wondered what would come next. I had a lump in my throat as I entered the Employment Insurance Office to file for the E.I. money that I was going to need.

In one office a receptionist asked me. “How can I help you?”.

I gulped and was about to cry. I looked at her and said, “You can give me a little hope…”

She responded, “I think that you need to speak with Pat.” And that was my beginning of a whole new adventure. Pat introduced me to Wendy who worked for the Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation. Wendy helped me to apply for the OSEB program and then became my mentor and coach and my friend.

From there Misty Hollow Carving was launched. And from Misty Hollow Carving and the new things that have happened – Misty Hollow is being developed. Misty Hollow is a bigger and more encompassing description of what is happening. And Misty Hollow has become a place that is real.

The Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation folk are coming do a short feature video on Misty Hollow… and I said ‘Yes’.

How could I say ‘No’ to these folk that have helped me so much?

Enough already… I need to get to the Workshop this morning early. I have my weekly show at the Mall that takes all day. If I start this morning I can get a little bit done. I gotta make this place look like something is happening!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

So What is an Antimacassar?

2011-12-06T07:02:00.000-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

* * * * * * * *
Today’s Blog Post

So What is an Antimacassar?
You can still see them around today. Today they are used on airplanes and trains. They are seldom used on furniture today however my large recliner rocking chair has one.

But they have changed since the 1940s or so. They were needed but did change because other things changed as well. One of the changes was simple. Men took more baths with the advent of indoor plumbing and another way was devised for them.

The name Antimacassar alone gives a hint to what it accomplishes. Anti gives the idea that it is against something. And the Macassar is what it is against or preventing problems with it.

How is that for a basis for a riddle?

The Antimacassar is a head rest cover for the back of seat. It keeps the permanent fabric of the chair or couches from getting dirty or soiled from men’s hair. Men being the culprit here with the hair product they used to give them style and better looks.

Now Macassar was a hair product used by men to give them the sleek and well groomed look.

Wikipedia states, quote, “The fashion for oiled hair became so widespread in the Victorian and the Edwardian period that housewives began to cover the arms and backs of their chairs with washable cloths to preserve the fabric coverings from being soiled. Around 1850, these started to be known as antimacassars. They were also installed in theatres, from 1865.”

Imagine that you are attending a theatre in the 1860s and sitting in a theatre seat you laid your head back against the seat cushion. Whatever was on the last patron’s head would now be part of what you would wear. Yuk!

Placing an Antimacassar on the back of the seat at the place where the head rested would protect the upholstery and the next person sitting there.

Reference was also made to the fact that the large shoulder covering as part of the sailor’s uniform was also called a Antimacassar and performs the same function to catch drips of Macassar oil from the hair. Sailors before that time apparently didn’t have that feature on their uniforms. And even more oddly sailors today still maintain that feature on some rank and file uniforms – even though they shave their heads.

With my Tatted Lace and the presentations that I do, I am often asked the question why Tatting has dropped off the seen.

After the turn of the century from the 1800s to the 1900s Macassar was being used less and less. New hair products were being developed. As well, the movies that became more and more popular suggested that the male style would be changing as well.

However men still didn’t bath often. They were dirty critters up until about the end of the Second World War.

Tatting had been a valuable Antimacassar up to that time. This form of lace made a great Antimacassar. It was durable and easily washable in a pot of boiling water. The hair oil would come free of the Antimacassar quickly and it was ready for reuse.

With the end of the war it seemed that a new era was coming into vogue. More and more modern homes had indoor plumbing and the bathtub was more available than ever. Men took more baths within the city limits. Out in the country a bath a week was still common… but in the city more people were cleaner.

Along with that the different hair styles came along and there was less and less need for the Antimacassar. The only reason that some would keep it and use it regularly was for the style that had been established for the couch. It was not complete unless the Antimacassar was in place.

Add to that Antimacassars were being well made by newer machinery that could produce it much faster than the handmade lace. That change added to less and less time to do such intricate work as Tatting, there was less and less need for it.

I can’t even imagine a person sitting each night to make more and more Antimacassars for their chairs and couch in 2011. There certainly is no need for Tatting in this respect.

Crochet and knitting on the other hand were able to adapt to new uses.

Crocheting could rival some knitting with its usefulness in the production of clothing. Tatting couldn’t do that change over. It would take forever to make a Tatted Sweater. But a crocheted one was quickly done – compared to Tatting

After the period in time about 1947 to 1950 you will find less and less patterns for Tatting. It was not something that people wanted anymore.

Now add to that less and less people used doilies to protect their table tops, tatting simply was not needed any more. The new and better protective surfaces being applied at the furniture factories made less and less need for protection.

As I sit at the presentation/show table each week, demonstrating the tatting that I do, the reactions are very comical at times. They wonder why I would do such a craft – let alone that a man is doing this! Though they admire the work that I do, they cannot understand the fact that I would take time to do something that has passed into history and virtual uselessness.

But what if we found a new way to use tatting? What if it became a part of Christmas – which is our biggest celebration of the year? After all Coca Cola did just that and established what we all think Santa Claus is all about. The Santa we see in 2011, with the pot belly, white beard, twinkle in his eye and the black boots and belt… was a Coca Cola advertisement to sell more Coke at that time of year.

Antimacassars perhaps are almost gone. Tatting for sure has almost gone as well. But the idea, the memory and the purpose will never be gone altogether.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimacassar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macassar_oil

The Freaky and Weird Part about Facebook

2011-12-05T08:28:00.000-05:00

the above photo was selected from her Facebook page...

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Tatting Display at the Lang Pioneer Village’s Christmas by Candlelight 2011

2011-12-04T08:05:00.000-05:00

Tatting Display at the Lang Pioneer Village’s Christmas by Candlelight 2011

Each year Lang Pioneer Village has a special Christmas Presentation entitled “Christmas by Candlelight”. It is a celebration of everything of the past. Without a doubt the families love this presentation and celebration. There are hundreds of them that come for these two nights.

In 2011 – it was held on December 3 and 4th at the Village – from 5 PM till 9 PM.

I have been an guest of the Village and a Volunteer in the Hastie Carpenter Shop for most of the happenings at the Village. But at the Christmas by Candlelight I am a Lace Maker. And with that designation I demonstrate my Tatting and Bobbin Lace making.

It has been great joy to share these very old crafts.

The most exciting thing about the most recent things happening is the brand new interest there is in Lace Making now. As a result of the last few shows I have now lined up a half dozen new students that will begin soon.

My newest Tatting that I have added to the ancient tatted pieces at my display are my Tatted Tea Pots and my Tatted Jewelry (where Tatting is applied to new Pendants). Both of these have attracted much interest.

My Tea Pots are all retired from full time service after chipped, cracked or simply not needed any longer. They have been sadly discarded at different used furniture stores and the like. My wife has found them everywhere.

The Tea Pots have become a new canvass to present the tatted designs. The comments about them are amazing. People love them!

The jewelry that has tatting on it is highly sought after. This is my first showing and I sold some right off the bat. That is a good indicator of what could happen down the road.

Each piece is completely unique and I am not likely able to buy another one of this kind. So the idea of having something that absolutely no one in the world owns places a fairly high value on each one. Yet my price has remained low per unit.

Last evening was very successful. Tonight should be the same. Our weather has been good and the people are excited about Christmas.

I offer the photos at the end of this post to show you what I am doing.

I hope to have my tatting up on my Tatting Blog sometimes this week.

Gotta run. I sold many small things last evening… and I need to tat long and fast today.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://www.langpioneervillage.ca/
http://www.langpioneervillage.ca/specialevents.php?page=specialevents

My Tatting at Lang Pioneer Village

A 20 year old young lady may meet her real father – Wow!

2011-12-03T09:02:00.000-05:00

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

* * * * * * * *
Today’s Blog Post

A 20 year old young lady may meet her real father – Wow!

After 18 years a daughter and her father may be reunited. Wow! Can you imagine what this reunion will possibly be like? (You can read the Toronto Star Link below.)

However it is a reunion that will be one sided at this point in time. If my imagination is correct the young lady who is about 20 years of age now likely has no idea that the story behind this possible reunion is true or not. She likely has a different name which her real mother gave her at an early age, when that real mother fled with her two year old.

The story behind it all is fuzzy at best. The father “lost” his daughter when a nasty custody battle went very bad and the mother ran away with her daughter. That was 18 years ago.

I am imagining things that took place behind the scenes with this story. Was there abuse involved? Was there substance abuse involved? Was the family on the father’s side of it all domineering and impossible to deal with?

My “Was there…?” and “What happened..?” questions are many. And my questions are based on what I have witnessed to date with people I have worked with over these past 35 years and for 49 years of my marriage.

The story is never one sided. There are two stories here for sure.

The one story that I read about now is the mother was arrested by the RCMP in Victoria BC based upon her crime of running away with her daughter – for whatever reason. And for whatever reason she is guilty because of doing something very stupid and illegal. And even if she had done something in her own eyes and thoughts that was for the best of her daughter, she is seen as the guilty one in all of this.

As I watched and listened to the video the father spoke casually of the report that was brought to him about this new turn of events in his life. It was not really the reaction that I would have expected. He had been informed by the police and perhaps by the Toronto Star who saw this as a “good story” to unveil to the world.

But my question is what about the feelings of all that involved? Don’t we have to consider what everyone must feel like?

There are at least one set of grandparents, maybe even two that knew there was a cute little granddaughter 18 years ago and then the little girl disappeared. If they are anything like I am they must have some pretty deep feelings at this point.

Now consider the possibility that the now 20 year old could potentially be a mother herself, there could be new grandkids that a part of the family has never seen. Can you imagine how they are feeling?

This first unanswered question that the RCMP have solved has only brought a million other questions that may not have good answers at all.

Oh I am not completely negative with my reactions – much could be very good and much will be answered for a young lady who has always wondered who her father was… and what he was really like. That one small stack of information will likely be a windfall of answers for her.

Now my TV mindset kicks into gear, did her dad ever remarry? If so, did he have more kids as well? Will these children and his new wife or partner be able to cope with the new revelations that are unfolding now?

Nothing is as simple as the story that the Newspaper writes about! Before everyone celebrates we all need to consider the possibilities of the further long range affects – ON EVERYONE!

I have friends who were adopted out and never knew their parents, specially their mother. In the mind’s eye of the public it would seem good to reunite the whole family. But in reality it may not be such a good idea at all.

I have other friends that have gone through the reuniting after their own parents are gone. The family was somehow “discovered” and the two sides were brought together. The reactions are many. And the answers are sometimes amazing. It is not all that bad.

My wife has gone through this part of the reuniting.

Through the death of her own father and the horrific reactions of part of her father’s siblings (one in particular), her mother made a huge decision to never allow her two daughters to have anything to do with their dad’s side of the family again. Ever!

The very large family was a loving one to say the least… except for one very mean and nasty aunt that brought about a lawsuit against my wife’s mom. The lawsuit stated that my mother-in-law’s cooking was so bad that it had caused the cancer that my father-in-law had died of. The judge tossed it out of court for the nonsense that it was.

But the judge couldn’t remove the hatred and hurt that my mother-in-law had felt at that horrible time in her life. Her husband who she loved had died from cancer, leaving her with her 9 and 7 ½ year old daughters to raise on her own. Her one time trusted sister-in-law tried to rip the girls away from her! Can you imagine the hate and the anger and the confusion and the all things family as they sat with in that final court that day?

There is a huge story behind this. After my mother-in-law passed away my wife and I together with her younger sister have been thrilled as we have met the lost relatives. Of the whole family there was still one Uncle and one Aunt still alive of the original 13 – but lots of cousins and cousins and cousins…

One of my wife’s cousins, a gal that was raised by the angry and lawsuit bearing mother(the aunt) was a classmate of mine in High School… and lives a short drive away from where we live now. We want to go see her and her husband soon.

A year or so before my wife and I married, her mother’s brother, who had stood with his sister that fateful day in court told me all of the story. I in turn told my wife to be. She had never heard that story or knew any part of why she never could see her dad’s parents or the rest of the family. The entire family was lost and no one knew why. At that time she was 20 years old.

So in reading the story today in the Star… thinking about this dad and daughter and the mom that ran with her little girl… there is far more to this story than a Newspaper columnist has caught.

The journey will be long and hard – no doubt. I pray that it will work out well. But I also wonder if this “arrest” is the best way. So many questions that swirl away in my mind… so many!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1096054--18-years-after-fleeing-with-infant-toronto-mom-nabbed-in-bc?bn=1

Escaping the Nutso World

2011-12-02T08:12:00.000-05:00

How babies are made - http://www.wimp.com/babiesmade/

And a Football Game with a crazy ending http://www.wimp.com/bizarreending/

And the hail storm in Arizona http://www.wimp.com/phoenixstorm/

And the Kitten and the Parakeet http://www.wimp.com/kittenparakeet/

And the Monkey stealing the Grape http://www.wimp.com/stealinggrape/

And the RC jet Plane http://www.wimp.com/mphplane/

And one of my favorite ones the Bear and the Deer Hunter http://www.wimp.com/curiousbear/

But here is another favorite as of today’s journey away… the Coolest Guy in the World http://www.wimp.com/coolestback/

Oops I just lost valuable time this morning. But it feels good.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/