Staying at home this week…

I’ll do a lot of this — this weekend.

Rats! The Geezer and Mrs. G are going off to a place that doesn’t permit dogs. Rats! The picture below tells it all. They’ll both gain fifteen pounds over the weekend!

 

Eat, eat, eat, eat…….that’s what they will be doing.

 

If you go to the Everglades Seafood Festival in Everglades City Florida… That’s Friday, Saturday, or Sunday… Tell them they should have taken their dog with them. Make them feel bad.

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I get to go, I get to go, I get to go!

I love going with the Geezer to meet his friends and fans!

 

I get to go, I get to go, I get to go! The Geezer is doing a lot speaking, meet and greets, and book signings and he and Mrs. G have decided I’m ready to travel with them. Well, honestly, I’m on trial. I have a tendency to get too excited. People don’t understand the only way I’d harm them is to lick them to death. But I’m getting better at controlling my emotions. Hence, I get the opportunity to prove myself.

The Geezer will be taking me to Ft. Myers Beach tomorrow. We’ll visit a very nice lady named Annette and her bookstore. It’s in the Santini Shopping Center on Estero Blvd. On Thursday I get to go on a long trip, this time to Ocala. The Geezer is teaching three classes at Master the Possibilities in the Top of the World facility. That’s on 80th Street. He’s speaking to the Friends of the Library of Boca Raton on Sunday. I can’t go to that. My barker works too much for a quiet area.

For those who’d like to meet me, I like ear scratches, tummy rubs, and pupperoni.

The geezer is excited. The first of his three book mystery series to be published by TouchPoint is through editing. He expects to see cover art and get a release date in the near future. The book is titled “The Grave with Greener Grass.”

I hope to see you out and about. PS I give kisses.

 

I love people!

 

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A Christmas Thought…

Merry Christmas!

 

With very few exceptions, Christmas has been a season when people put aside differences both petty … and not so petty.

We’ve welcomed each other in thought and in presence … we’ve done so without reservations. No identity relationship has mattered, no visible difference, no qualification as to where we live, no reservation based on ideology.

It’s been a time when we all can look at our fellow humans with understanding, kindness, charity, and dare I say it … love?

Isn’t it sad?

There is pressure to put an end to this season of goodwill.

It comes from all around us and inundates us like a tsunami destroying that feeling of happiness and peace that accompanies the magic I associate with a simple phrase … “Merry Christmas.”

What I see on TV, what I read, what I hear … and worse, how I see us treat each other during this season of what I see as a period of truce, convinces me that some wish to steal from us the most valuable thing we have.

Our collective humanity.

Listening to pontificating TV commentators and politicians this morning occasioned a thought.

I refuse to allow others to rob my sense of humanity. I will NOT reject people who differ from me, in any way, based on narrowness of vision and selfish views of life.

Humanity’s laws do not require that we think the same.

Because someone does not agree with my political outlook, social values, or other personal beliefs, does not give me the right to value them any less as a human.

Certainly, the reverse is true.

My personal set of values does not devalue me.

With this thought in mind, I’ve decided not to allow the rhetoric of division and derision to destroy my enjoyment of fellow human beings this Christmas. I hope I have the wisdom to maintain this state of mind far past this season of goodwill.

I will not assign a negative value to a person with whom I disagree most vehemently. I will proudly retain my thoughts, understanding that people will differ. Disagreement with another simply means I have to be tolerant of them. I’ll strive to remember those who see only one point of view … those who resort to labels and vitriol in response to opposing ideas, lack the intelligence to reason and refute. I’ll react to them with the pity and understanding those with such narrow intellectuality require.

I will put the atmosphere of recrimination aside, hope they will, and if not, ignore the “slings and arrows.”

Can I persuade some of you who read this to adopt this thought? Let’s make this a “Merry Christmas!”

 

“On the avenue, Christmas Avenue…

 

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Bringing Joy to little hearts…

Will he ever come? Listen for the bells!

 

One of the nicer traditions I’ve heard that people have concocted for Christmas is one I’d like to relate now. Several years ago, the Geezer and Mrs. G lived in a neighborhood that never saw snow at Christmas. In fact, it never saw snow at all. Oh, maybe in some very unusual condition…never isn’t a good word to use. South central Florida may see a few flakes every so many years, but… It was at a friendly family neighborhood get-together this tradition was born.

Most of its residents gathered for a party at the house of one of its season’s celebrators. Dishes of all kinds of food and treats lined tables. Toddlers and children filled the swimming pool under the watchful eye of three high school girls who volunteered for that purpose. High schoolers played basketball in the driveway. The adults laughed at each other’s jokes as they consumed as much Christmas spirit as they shared. It was midway through the gaiety that one of the seven-year-olds, accompanied by two Santa believers, demanded the answer to a question. To the clink of cocktail glasses he demanded. “Daddy, you always said we couldn’t see Santa, but we would know he came because we could see his reindeer’s tracks in the snow. There isn’t any snow here. How will we know he really came to our house?”

The adults stared at each other. A family concoction to explain Santa’s supply line had developed a flat tire. There were several “ummms” and “ahhhs” until one man said, “That’s simple. Just listen for the bells. Santa has bells on his sleigh and on the deer. Just listen and you’ll hear them when he comes.” A sigh of relief burst from the collection of moms and dads as one prevarication obscured another. The young believers would be sleeping soundly. Every adult would swear he’d heard Santa’s bells during the night. After the placated children returned to splashing in the pool, a concerned mom asked, “That was good Bob, but what if one stays awake to see if you were lying?”

“Oh, I wasn’t. Santa’s sleigh has bells. You just have to believe and listen for them.” All were satisfied.

Mrs. G heard them first. Jing, jing, jing. jing. At first, it was barely audible. The Grandfather clock in our house’s hall intertwined its twelve midnight ‘bongs’ with the jing-a-lings from what were clearly bells. The Geezer and Mrs. G sprang from the bed to see what made the clatter. As the peered out the window, lights went on in other windows as people woke to see what was the matter. The Geezer smiled and pronounced, “Merry Christmas, it’s jogger bells.” As long as we lived in the neighborhood we enjoyed and treasured the tradition. It made children believe. It made adults warm their hearts several degrees.

Even today, 50 years after, Mrs. G listens for the bells and hopes. Let’s all begin to enjoy the season.

 

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Remember…with JOY!

The holidays are on the way – It’s time to those remember those we have loved.

Christmas always awakens memories in us. Of times past. Of friends past. Of friends gone. I browsed through my photo file with this in mind. At first, my reaction was sadness. The sense of loss depressed me. Then I realized how foolish I was being. How fortunate I have been to have had such love in my life! I’d encourage all of you to look back, think of those loved, and lift a joyous glass to have had the privilege of their company. Memories are treasures!

Super Trooper a real lover

 

My friend for 13 years, Oreo.

 

Dan the fan asking DL, “When is your next book coming out!”

 

Chet “Coach on the left, the Geezer in the middle, and Miss Betty right – once in a lifetime friends

 

Missy #1 our loved friend for 23 years.

 

Sister Gracie Walag

 

My beloved Sandy

With profound joy and happiness…A toast to you all. Thank you for some of the finest moments of my life.

 

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Remember! Appreciate! Defend!

Our freedom has been won and preserved at an awesome price.

Tomorrow we celebrate all those who have fought to obtain our freedoms and to preserve them. They put their lives in jeopardy in a gamble that we could live a free life as individuals. Many forfeited them. They lie in rows, asking only two things: we remember their sacrifice…we preserve the freedoms they died for.

There are some who would abandon those freedoms for their totalitarianism that whispers sweet lies about “equity.” The only equality will be the misery ALL live under, but for the very elite and select few that make rules tor thee and not for them. Those who insist there is only one way to think, do so at their peril. Intolerance breeds intolerance. Power shifts. When it does, those that have abused it will suffer. Sometimes harshly. And, the power structure will change! Those that wish to make change must understand that change is never static. Those that do have an SI (Stupidity Index) not an IQ.

Slavery is a great wrong. Whether it is to another human…or to the state! Having the state tell you what you can do, what you can’t, what you may have, what you may not, where you may go, where you can’t, and most basically what you may think and what you can’t, is slavery. Know this! Those that seek this “Eguity of Misery,” know it is for you…not them.

The blood and treasure lavishly spent to make us free will not be forfeit. Those sacrifices make us aware that those freedoms are what have made us a truly great country where others wish desperately to live. If we are so bad, why is that? 

Those that lost their lives did not do so for us to abandon them

Look around you.

Misery for the many is in evidence and growing everywhere. Do not let it win.

The Haunted Dog House!

“OOOOHHHH” A haunted dog house

Chant to the rhythm of the ‘Volga Boatman.’

The haunted dog house!

The haunted dog house!

Yes…there is a haunted dog house.

Eyes shine within it!

Eyes shine within it! 

Cats go in and never leave it.

The dog was vicious!

The dog was vicious!

It ate postman’s legs on golden dishes.

Dog catchers tremble!

Dog catchers tremble!

The ghost chased their truck into ditches.

It buries victims!

It buries victims!

It digs more graves than MacBeth’s witches.

What finally killed it?

What finally killed it?

No one knows, but it exploded.

It looked so terrible!

It looked so horrible!

Click this link if you want to see it!

 

 

What scares me this Halloween? My list…

I think I’ll stay in bed on October 31st. If I crawl under the covers the ghosts and goblins won’t find me.

I asked the Geezer what Halloween was about. I’ve seen ads on TV. As I understand it, Halloween is a holiday that celebrates scaring humans shitless. (Pardon my French) Asking the Geezer was a mistake. He explained the holiday, it’s background, it’s traditions, it’s international connections, the impact on GNP, the effect of candy on children’s teeth, the average number of steps kids make trick or treating, and so on. That’s a mistake I won’t make again. When the speech finished, I knew the same basic: Halloween is the day folks try to terrify each other. One of the things the Geezer did…provide me with a list of things that horrify humans. Decaying Bodies, vampires, chain saw killers, the IRS. Horrible to humans, not to canines! I eat bats, I’m not stupid enough to get close to anyone running a chain saw, and dead bodies have never attacked a dog. The IRS, the FBI, the NKVD, maybe a little. I’ve decided to make my own list of what scares we canines (or at least, me).

Sandspurs completely covering my bathroom area — Ouch!

These weeds are the bane of my existence!

Huge cats stalking our neighborhood!

It haunts my dreams!

Empty dishes!

Hunger, Starvation, oh woe is me!

The Government!

Dog catchers at work! shiver!

I need to add Dr. Fauci to the list. As I just learned from TV, he tortures puppies to death in his medical experiments.

The big green truck! It has a huge mouth and makes strange noises!

Aaarrrgh! Varoom! Beep, beep, beep! Vast amounts of “stuff” disappears inside of it!

I think my list is more terrifying! If you don’t think so, BOOOOO to you!

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Some of you asked about what the Geezer is doing. Go to the right margin of this post, find the link that says, DLHavlin(blog) or DLHavlin –that’s his webpage. He has two new books out, including one anthology featuring the Oak Ridge Boys.

 

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When a disaster hits…Please think of us!

 

This is just a reminder note to all you pet owners. Please, please, please see to all dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and all your other non-human friends safety, when disaster knocks on the door. Aren’t we your buddies? Just because many of us have four legs, not two, doesn’t make us any less loyal. Most of us provide you with unconditional love. Should you do less for your friends? Locking us in a room with a few bowls of food doesn’t get it. Would you do that to Aunt Pamela? Or your neighbor Fred? Take us with you and provide for us. Do you really thing we can survive something like you see below?

Rarely can a pet survive this!

Do you want your friend to end up like the ones below?

A welcome helping hand.

 

Stranded! Be better than __________!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please take care of us when disaster strikes!

Back Home…time to Relax…& Remember

BACK HOME! Is it my imagination or does the world look better upside-down?

I’m home! I believe Dorothy is right. There isn’t anyplace like it. The Geezer family trip to the North Carolina mountains was a blast, but it is good to be back in the familiar places where I’m comfortable.  The Geezer went to Burnsville for a commemorative for his best friend and his best friend’s wife. Loss of the fifty plus year relationship left a gapping hole in the Geezer’s universe. Friends and family gathered to celebrate Chet and Betty’s lives. Our destination, Burnsville, is a mountain town with historic settings and past. It’s people are friendly, the weather pleasant and cool, at least compared to our Florida steam-bath home.

Visiting a world that isn’t flat takes getting used to!

Living on a slanted world took me a little time to adjust. I quickly learned running downhill and uphill are different. Stopping resulted in me doing a barrel roll on my first attempt. However, I mastered what I needed to learn in a day. There are a lot of differences to discover. The trees, grass, dirt, even the light were all new. The Geezer had to adjust his driving skills. The curvy roads and the ups and downs took him longer to reach a car-aiming comfort level, than I did with being a passenger. Some of the bends were sharp! Our Edge’s front tried to tag the rear a time or two; at least it felt that way.

Meeting new friends, human.

 

Making new friends, Golden.

I love making new friends. There were oodles of humans and canines I met that are now buddies. A couple are pictured above. Bo is a friend of the Geezer and Mrs. G and the son of his best friend. Bo is a great guy who gives super ear rubs! I also met Remi, a cousin a few times removed. We had a great time! Play time was all the time. I met lots of humans…Michael, Jessica, Sadie, Samuel, Brandley, Natalia, D3, Carolyn, Brandon, and many more. Among my new canine pals are Mabel, Kimber, Ruger, and Whiskey Girl.

It was a wonderful trip…but there’s no place like home.

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