Good Day to Stay Indoors

So far here in Gig Harbor, Washington we have had rain showers each day of the month. In fact it has rained for eleven days in a row. I heard this is the third longest this winter. Yes the most rainfall during the winter on record. Though we are accustomed to rain I have never seen it rain as hard before.

When the sun comes out it is so refreshing. Monday had a great downpour for several minutes however we had a good afternoon of sun as well in the morning before the rain.

I have been to the Caribbean and Florida where it common to have these kind of downpours but not here. Usually our rainfall is light throughout the day and stays very cloudy so it seems like rains more than it actually does. Our normal rain fall is around 40 inches per year however this year we may have 50 inches. Not really a lot when you find that the Olympic Rain Forest averages 225 inches of rain per year.

A Fork, Washington is the farthest west point town in the continental United States averages about 70 inches of rain per year. When I was twenty-one years old I spent six months living in Forks working at the radio station. Forks was a very small town then and not much to do there either especially for someone who did not grow up in Forks. Most days I was there it rained especially on my day off. Often I came back to Gig Harbor to see family and friends. Though I found Forks being an interesting place for six months I don’t miss it so much. I have gone back for a visit a couple times. It takes about three hours to drive to Forks. Maybe one of these days I will go back to Forks to see the changes that have happened. I am sure Forks is larger town than when I lived there just like Gig Harbor however I am sure still small. When I go though I will take a longer route that allows me to go along the Washington coast; there are so many beautiful places to see along the Washington coast though Oregon coast is even nicer.

Anyway staying in-doors is a good idea or go shopping. I did not go walking on Monday since I knew that a lot of rain showers were coming. Usually I walk in the morning though I could have gone out in the afternoon instead. Have to be real careful because the weather can change so fast.

Gig Harbor though does a lot of nice shops to visit or at least you can spend time in a coffee shop like I do. The thing is Gig Harbor has a lot of choices where every shopping center has at least three coffee shops. I generally go to one because of the friends I have there however once in a while I will visit another one. When it rains I find it real nice to spend time with friends.

We haven’t had a lot of snow in the last five years. I hope next year we will have a nice snow fall. The thing though I am in a real minority where most people are fine without the snow. I am fortunate to live where snow does not affect me to get out of the driveway while many others have that trouble. You see we have a lot of hills around here. I choose not to drive on those hills if I can help it. Not because I can’t drive those hills other drivers have a hard time so best to stay away from them.

So staying inside this time of the year is a real good choice. Last year though we had a really nice March where it was sunny most of the month. In fact last year we had a lot of sun for six months. We were spoiled last year for sure now more toward normal.

Though we do have rain in March it is spotty so you can enjoy a nice vacation if you choose to come. With the kids in school a lot of nice places to go including the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. So I am going back to enjoying the indoors and I wish you a wonderful day.

Stories To Tell

Though the stories have the major characters

The author still has a part to play

It is more than gathering the information

The writer is the heart of the story

Even when he is the key character

The author has interesting characters that go along in the story.

Life is what brings the story alive.

However there has to be the heart for it to be told.

You see God is the author of your life and makes you the interesting character.

It is important that you allow him to have his heart into to it as well.

You may think God has given you a poor hand.

However each time you laugh or love your spouse and children.

There is the heart of God.

Remember today is the new chapter in your life.

Make yourself and God both be proud of the story being told.

 

 

Calm Seas

While I was out walking around the harbor on Saturday it was so quiet on the water. Made me realize how the weather changes one minute to another around here. If not today tomorrow it will rain. This is how things go around here especially in March.

When I was walking south looking toward Mount Rainier the clouds were covering it and then the clouds went away. The mountain is usually so fantastic however the clouds can cover over it. Though most days I am able to see the mountain there are times you can’t see it though you know it is still there.

I remembered to as a child I would take the sail or row boat out with the water being calm and then a few minutes later the winds would come and I had to keep the boat upright. I wanted to be sure that I would not tip over and land in the water. Only once did I land in the water and the reason was my dad said the boat would not go over and he was wrong. So I allowed the boat to lean over much as it could however it still went over.  He was upset with me however I reminded him what he told me. Funny thing though he went over in the same boat the next week. I just smiled at him. Oh how memories like this really work.

Also while I was walking on Saturday I realized this is how our lives work. One moment we are in calm seas than the rough weather comes against us and we fall in. It is important to take the good with the bad. Life always takes us off course and we need to find a way to get back on track. We can be lost and we must find a way to get back where we were. It takes faith to get us back to the calm seas.

If you are in the rough seas right now pray that your life will calm down. Be thankful for all the good and for that matter the bad times too.

Last year my health was in those rough times and now I am in the calm seas. The older I get I know those rough times will come again however I will enjoy these good times right now. It helps when we have good friends and family around us when life takes us off course.  

I pray right now that Jesus Christ will be with us and that he keeps us within himself wherever we are right now. His love will cover us whether in dark times or calm seas. Peace be with you and with us always. Amen!

Pleasing Others

 Almost from the beginning of our lives we want to please others starting with our parents. Like I said previous blog we should look for positive criticism and not negative criticism. Primarily we get positive criticism from our parents and then when we get negative criticism a lot from our classmates in school. All this leads us wanting to be accepted by others.

I believe it is important to be pleased by our parents, family, and close friends however often we go further wanting to by our peers. The whole thing though it is not healthy to be pleased by everyone. We must at some point not everybody is interested in us at all though we want to be liked by everyone we see.

I see now that we should continue to be pleasing to those closest to us however the rest of the people it does not matter as much. Like I have said it is important to find someone who is out for our wellbeing to give us positive criticism. In my opinion we should not throw out all criticism even from strangers however we want to do so without wanting to please everyone. Any change that we want to do in our lives should be for our benefit not for other people except family and friends.

The most important thing in our lives besides family and friends is to love ourselves for the benefit of us. I should be secure in myself that I am not here to please everyone. In the same way I should encourage as many people as I can without putting them into the same place. Other words I should not criticize them without getting their permission. We are all imperfect people who make mistakes.

Sometimes I meet people or those I already know that are odd or strange to me. I figure to enjoy them even though they are not the kind of person I want to spend a lot of time with. There is a strong possibility that I am strange to them at the same time. I have to say not many people are in that category however there are a few I have met on the way. Usually I find that person talks differently than others, they are kind and thoughtful just strange. LOL

So my advice is to please others the way you are and not to change yourself for them. Take their criticism for what it is. If you find that criticism useful than make the changes appropriately and throw out the rest. Love yourself so you can love others.

So Much We Can Learn From Each Other

I know I have written a lot about encouraging each other in so many of my writings however I think it is very important to do so without saying the same thing exactly over and over again.

Here now I believe we can get something from each other. What I mean is we can learn from each person we meet even those we may not care for or have respect. We can learn even from fools or those who know very little.

I have been told on several occasions if we want to know what our weaknesses are is to talk to a close friend that we know and they are not afraid to tell us. The important thing though we must be able to accept criticism. Of course, this is if we want to change and make improvements in our lives. Hopefully we can do the same with a close friend to give them our criticism as well. Going both ways is very important I think. This really helps in trusting close friends even further. The most important is to have a friend that is willing to give criticism however it is not part of their makeup. What I mean is that they do not criticize on a regular basis. In fact their makeup is to encourage everyone who is around them. These friends will be honest with you because they know that you are willing for change and better yourself.

Those who are willing to criticize on a regular basis  may tell you the truth however the chances are greater they won’t give what you are looking for and is possible they don’t take criticism very well themselves. So keep it simple the friend should be humble and not a selfish person.

Besides positive criticism from your close friend it is important to ask them what they think you do well. Most likely you know what you do well however it is always good to hear it from others as well. In fact you could be surprised by what others think you do well too. We may do some things OK however people may tell us we are really good at it.

I have a positive thing I heard from someone last week. It is from some who is a casual friend. Other words I do not know him real well however we get a long great when we see each other. He told me that always like seeing me because no matter how he feels even when not so good I make him feel a lot better. I try to use humor as much of the time I can and it is nice to know that people really appreciate it. Also, I try to smile as often as possible as well. It is not something that comes natural for me so I have to think about it to do so however humor does help me out a lot to put on a smile. You see I am somewhat doing self-criticism here however someone may say it comes naturally for me. We do not know ourselves as our friends do. So have the boldness and ask them for positive criticism. I am sure you will be a better person for it. On that note have yourself a wonderful weekend. Oh yes how it came so fast again. Time goes by so fast. One last thing don’t forget to laugh at yourself too. Enough said!

Happy Birthday Leslie!

 

If you wonder who Leslie is she is my niece. Actually she is the only niece that I have while having five nephews. She has three younger brothers and two cousins. She is the daughter of my brother Jack and my sister Barb has two boys.

Leslie is one of the sweetest girls or I can say now woman who I have ever known. I am probably prejudiced because she is my niece however I believe it is true anyway. She is very kind and gets along with people. She is currently teaches eighth grade English in Virginia very close to where my Jack and his wife Anne live. Sorry guys she is married to a young man Daniel who she met at Harvard University. They got married the same weekend that they graduated from college. Daniel went on to Lutheran seminary after they both taught English for two years in Seoul, Korea at an international high school. While Daniel was in seminary Leslie went to get her doctor’s degree in English Literature at University of Minnesota. While there she also taught at least one college class at the University as well. Right now she is taking a break to complete her doctor’s degree. Daniel graduated from Lutheran seminary which was in Minnesota as well and he currently is looking for a job as a pastor.

 Looking back as a young child she spent most of the time in Minneapolis, Minnesota so she was excited to return there after returning from Korea. Most of her school years before college though were spent in St. Louis, Missouri where she graduated at John Burroughs High School. The school is a very good private school which allowed her and brothers to go on to Harvard University. She was very little with her brother Robby well as father Jack and her mother Anne spent two years living in Germany before going to Minnesota. So you can she Leslie has spent a good amount of time living and traveling in other countries besides the United States.

Though I have not spent as much time with Leslie as I would like I have enjoyed every moment we have spent together. If I had a daughter I would like her to be as much like Leslie as possible. So you can see why she is special to me. I am sure everyone has nephews and nieces that they feel special to as though they are their own. Of course her brothers I love as well however Leslie being the only girl among the group is even more special. So again Leslie Happy birthday I think of you even more often then you realize.

Welcome March

I have to say that March has started out with a bang here in Western Washington. March 1 the weather started out with a lot of rain along with heavy winds throughout the day. Fortunately the electricity has stayed on so far. The weather reminded me a lot of what we usually get in November except the temperatures being a little warmer.

The weather can change any moment and be different depending where you are. Looking out in the sound there were whitecaps and we must be careful driving especially over the bridges. Since I have been driving over the bridges for many years I pretty comfortable in doing so though often on a day like March 1 you have to slow down some especially with large trucks. The experiences that I have had in the past with trucks being run off the road on several occasions I now stay away from them. Either I stay ahead of them or behind them. If I see one coming up while looking in the rearview mirror I speed up or move over in another lane depending if I can or not. I no longer want to get run off the road again. Also, if it raining really hard they will splash more rain on the windshield which makes it more difficult and hard to see that can cause an accident. I am sure many people are accustomed to see this happening driving a lot.

Another thing we have to watch for around here is trees falling when it is really windy. Usually it is only the branches that come down however I have seen whole trees fall on houses before. I remember a friend some time back had a tree land in the middle of his house with his family during the night. They had to move out for a while during the house was being renovated. In another occasion the apartment building I live in a very large tree damaged and took out the apartment room along with the carport next to us. It was fortunate the people living next door were not home at the time and neither were we. No damage occurred to our apartment unit. Often I have heard on the news where people have died in such wind storms.

This winter the temperatures have been above normal mostly in the fifties and sixties along with a lot of rain. The mountains have a lot more snow this year than in the past couple years however the last couple weeks it has been raining too. Thankfully we do not have to worry about a drought like last year.

 

I expect though that March will a lot of rain this year unlike last year when it was sunny most of the month. What makes the weather unusual like I said earlier we can have rain, hail and sun all in the same day. Though the weather can be crazy in March it still is not a bad month to come for a visit. Anyway thank you March for starting out like a bang. We look forward to how things go the rest of the month. Yahoo!

A Day

This is a day we look forward too

A day that life can be like no other

Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not here so we have only today

We learn from yesterday and look forward to tomorrow however today is what we live

We must make every effort to enjoy today since it will be gone soon enough

We know that our days are numbered and not know how many we have

Let those we come across today that they matter to us

Friends, family or someone new does not matter

We give joy to this day

A day that is like no other

When we go to sleep be thankful

When we awake it is a day

Blessed is today like no other

Leap Day

What is there to say about Leap Day when it only comes every four years. It is easy to remember what year because it is the same as the presidential election. By the way I am tired of already what I have heard about the election. Oh Boy!  Why do people have to write about it on social media? I have decided not to respond to any of them because truthfully I don’t like any of the front running candidates so I won’t vote unless something changes which I am sure many will say that I am not a true America. On the other hand I say why vote for anyone you do not want for President. I do hope there is someone I can vote for when November comes around.

Anyway back to the primary topic in Leap Day. I don’t really have much memories of past Leap Day’s the thing though I always want to know those whose birthday is February 29 what do they do on the other three years before the next one comes up. Do they celebrate on the 28^th or just skip the birthday? One thing I am sure they celebrate their birthday like no other.  Say that I am thirty-two years old since I am not born on leap day does that make them eight? Oh so confusing to say the least. I hope you know someone today is their birthday so you can have a great time and ask them all about the questions the rest of us have.

Also, what are you doing for the extra day we are having this month and year? Are you taking this off like it is a holiday or is it just another day at work.  Anyway Happy Leap Day to all and look forward to you again four years.

Music in My Bones

Yesterday I wrote about singing and I realize that I have music in my bones. I don’t really play any instrument other than bongo drums and my singing voice is a little bit more than average however I do enjoy singing a lot along with listening to music.

I have been into music since I was a young child. I believe everyone should have love of music to some degree or another. This is even true of those who can’t play an instrument, carry a tune or a beat.

I am really into most types of music except opera and rap music. Also, there is some country music I don’t care much for either.  I don’t like opera because I don’t understand the words and the meaning of it all. I know opera is putting music to theatre however it just seems so unrealistic to me. If you enjoy opera more power to you. Rap music the beat always seems the same regardless of the words.  I know what those of you who like rap would say I am wrong however that is how I feel. I don’t mind listening to a rap song or a few just not a regular basis. I would say the same with country music that has a twang. I enjoyed watching He Haw show once in a while however it was more for the comedy than the music.

Whatever kinds of music you enjoy do it to the fullest. Let the beat and tune especially be part of you. The words really are not as important. OK  I know what I said about opera so I probably have no excuse so I can add that high pitch and the style of music of opera does not fit me either.

Another thing I enjoy doing is using my mouth like an instrument. Usually I fool around making myself sound like a trumpet and trombone. Also I find it nice to make movement with my body especially the hands and legs. I have done some dancing in the past though I am a bit rusty right now. I recommend whatever you can with music do it. I believe we can all have a great time with freedom of music.  So let music be in your bones and let loose. Yeah!

Singing A Song

I believe there is nothing better for someone to do is sing around the house when no one else is around. The second thing would be to sing in the shower especially if you have a horrible voice.  Even if you have a good voice go find some place in the house where the family is unable to here you.

These days you can listen and sing out to music on your IPad and Smart phone. When I was a kid I sang out with my radio or the record player. My bedroom was small and I did not have a door only a curtain so I had to keep the volume somewhat low except at night when the parents were in their bedroom and my brothers were downstairs in theirs. The other place I was able to listen and sing to music was downstairs in the recreation area that we had a ping pong and pool table as well. Originally it was where our grandparents lived until both of them passed away. When I was home spent a lot of time there listening to the beetles, the rolling stones, and the doors among others. My bedroom I listen to the radio to music along with sports primarily the Seattle Supersonics basketball. I have to say those were really good times. Baseball time of the year listen to the minor league teams of Seattle and Tacoma along with going over my baseball cards.

During the day I spent my childhood in the outdoors playing baseball, basketball, and football when not going to school. My best friend Gary and I would go through both of our baseball cards to see what we could do to trade with each other.  This was right after we played baseball.  

Back to music though when I entered high school my voice was changing so my mother wanted me to join the school choir because I was singing mono tone which drove everyone crazy around the house; she figured the choir director would teach me how to sing correctly which turned out to be true. Also, I joined the church choir shortly after. You have to figure with the last name of Nightingale music and song is in my bones. It should be something we all do in our lives.  I don’t sing a choir now however I do enjoy the worship music at my church. God called us all to worship and music is part of it all. Even if you are not able to carry much of a tune I would still recommend doing some singing even if it is in the shower or your car.

Calling You Friend

We all go through things in our lives that we need to call someone friend. I know that I write a lot about family and friends however I think it something very important that we continue to remember those close to us.

Regardless what happens in our lives we truly call those who will do anything for us as a friend and that can be someone in our family as well. Later today I will be going for a procedure and a friend of mine Art will be driving me to the procedure. Art I consider a friend because he has helped me out in each procedure I have gone through the last couple years. When I ask he does not hesitate to say yes. He is willing to take time off work to help me out. If he was unable to do so he would find someone to take his place. I call him a true friend. I know that there are others who would do the same.

I hope that everyone has a friend like Art who will be there for us when we need them. I know that there are others that will help me out however I can count on Art always. It is not that the others won’t help however Art is close and willing to do so. I try not to take too much of Art though and I will remember this to help him out whenever he needs me.

I want to continue encourage all of us to be family and friend. Whatever we can do for others the better person we will be. I believe being a friend is a strong part of our purpose and destiny in this life. We are all set in a place on this earth to help those around us. There is a perfect reason we may run into someone at any time and place. Look back in your life where situations happened because you were in the right place at the right time. Also, it is possible you missed something to because of the timing. There is a true possibility that you missed an accident because you were not on time. I know I try to be on time as often as I can because that is me however if I am late it could change how the day went or my life.  Often I meet someone who I may not have if I would have been a minute or even a second later; does really show that life for us has a meaning to itself.

Though it is important to make our plans for the day and stay on time we should go with the flow as well. I know I have been upset by circumstances sometime however we should not be so stressful because things are meant to be though we think differently.

Remember to say hello to a family member or a friend today. Also, if possible make a new friend today. I know someone could make my life new today.

 

 

 

Seattle The Emerald City

 The two pictures shown above you can see why Seattle is called the Emerald City. Seattle is the largest city in the state of Washington.  In sports Seattle is considered one of the top fourteen markets in the United States.

Seattle is surrounded around with lots of water. Growing up we usually went a couple times into Seattle every year by sailboat. Now when family visit’s usually take the ferry to Seattle from Bremerton. It is about a two hour trip to Seattle by ferry while by car going north from Tacoma it is a one hour drive depending on traffic however the trip by ferry is worth the extra time.

I really do like taking the ferry it is an easy walk around the waterfront along with going up to Pike Place Market. If you plan come to Seattle it is the place you must see. Of course the Space Needle is another attraction to visit as well. At the top there is beautiful scenery of the whole area. They have a nice restaurant as well however you likely have to make a reservation beforehand most of year. The food is very delicious too. There are many places around the Space Needle you can visit as well.

Like I said earlier Seattle has such a beautiful site at night. I enjoy it so much coming south when coming back from either Vancouver, British Columbia or Bellingham, Washington. I am not sure many cities look as beautiful at night like Seattle.

You can see Mt. Rainier nice and clear to the south and east from Seattle as well. It is so spectacular most of the time depending on the weather.

My nephew Ian and his fiancée Helen moved to Seattle eight months ago after he graduated from Harvard University and now working at Microsoft. They live in Capitol Hill area which is close to downtown. It is a lovely area for them to live. She only works about two blocks from their apartment while he takes a Microsoft shuttle to work. Being in such a good spot they are able to enjoy the night life like a young couple should. Often on the weekends they go hiking in the outlining areas of Seattle. So they are discovering what life is like living in Seattle.

Since I only go to Seattle a few times a year I really enjoy the feeling of a big city since growing up in a small town of Gig Harbor. I enjoy the small town feeling however it is always good to get that big town feeling once in a while. Seattle though has quite a few neighborhoods that still give that small town feeling so to really that feeling I have to be in downtown Seattle.  It is not quite the same feeling as Vancouver, British Columbia which is a lot larger city however Seattle does have the feeling of being international. When going to Vancouver it has the international feeling for sure however both places I feel a little like I am in a different country which I find to be real nice to. Seattle has so many fine restaurants serving food from all kind of places.

So coming to Seattle I recommend enjoying the night life along with going to the Space Needle and Pike Place Market for sure. Mt. Rainier is about a two hour drive so it is a must as well. If you enjoy hiking there are so many places nearby to do so as well.

Seattle you are a wonderful place. I enjoy calling you home away from home. I am  proud to call you my neighbor and friend.