Snow Flurries

New Jersey Style

Look Up

With only a few droplets of water I cup in my hands not to spill

I'm grateful of what little I do have and not dwell of what I don't

I look up to see beyond the sky of what might come

For the future will bring things that bless us all

If it doesn't, I will bear with what is delivered and carry on

Merry Christmas

May this day of Giving and Love

Encourage you to slow down and enjoy the simple things

May this wonderful day touch your heart in a special way

Wishing you much Peace, Love and Joy

That spreads out into the New Year and throughout your Life

Have a very Merry Christmas to All

And a Blessed New Year

Damaged Angel

We are all Faulty with Imperfections

This is what makes us all Beautiful

Good vs Evil

So, in the month of December the Devil has been trying to sabotage me.  He cut the lines in my pick up's transmission the first week, leaving me to stall out in the middle of busy intersections.  He snapped my break lines the second week, running me off the road as it was the only way for me to stop.  Then, the Devil decided on the third week to jack up my front end Ball Joints trying to break my axle and tear my wheels off, attempting to force me to a collision.

After the Devil sucked large amounts of money out of my wallet getting it all repaired, on the fourth week the he decided to blow out my front tire because he didn't succeed the first three weeks.

Where there is Good, there is always Evil

You cannot have one without the other

When Evil tried ever so desperately to overtake control of my Battered and Beat Up Forsakenly Departed pick up, Good prevailed.  The Angels were always by my side, guiding and protecting me.  One has to think of something good that comes out of all this.

There's one week left...  Keep the Faith!

Pray for Berlin

Love & Prayers

To all those effected by yesterdays Berlin incident!

May Peace always be with you.

Christmas Memories

Moving the calendar back approximately 65 years ago as I'm getting into the Christmas spirit.  This photograph taken by my late Grandfather or Grandmother of my Great Aunt Emma and Uncle Al on Christmas morning in the late 1940's early 1950's.  My Great Aunt is looking stunning as she always does.  She was notorious for easily sweet talking a Police Officer out of writing her a parking ticket.

My Great Uncle just past away last year at the ripe age of 94 who was the President of the Empire Can Corporation in New York.  I'll never forget the night of my Brother's wedding when he let me drive his brand new Lincoln Continental Town Car.  That Beast was longer than the Queen Mary and  drove as if I was floating on air.  Talk about having white knuckles while gripping the steering wheel.

It's these memories that I treasure so much and puts in perspective what life is all about.  Family and Friends and the fond memories that go along with them,

Peace!

Ghost Train

The morning rain gently falls upon the Autumn leaves and the pitter-patter sound of the delicate drops emanates along the westbound tracks leading no where.  The heavy grey clouds block the rising sun, stifling the bright colors Mother Nature provides and an abandoned train car sits motionless on an otherwise out of operation railroad.

I walk along these lonely tracks that echo the sounds of colossal Locomotives of the past.  Ghost Trains loom before me as I imagine two hundred tons of steel forcefully Barrel-Assing by with a rumble so defining that it shakes the Earth.

The smell of rotting wet leaves and coal burning infuses the air, ventilating through my nostrils, filling my lungs.  I gasp and cough briefly before exhaling the fumes as it all dissipates into thin air.  In a blink of an eye, the Ghost train vanishes without a trace leaving only a memory of how great it once was.

She Weeps in Sorrow

In the early morning of the Night

When the Moon is still shining Bright

She appears descending down the Stairs

In hopes that her family will be There

They went away many years Ago

And somehow she will never let Go

The family mansion where they all Dwell

A tragic fate no one dares to Tell

She weeps in sorrow forever Now

Never knowing who, what where or How

No understanding that she left Too

All the reason she's still feeling Blue

In the early evening of the Day

When the Sun is about set Away

She disappears assending up the Stairs

Knowing that her family is never There

Off-Roading

A ride in the forest can lead you nowhere

But that same ride can make to be the best Adventure ever

Climb in and enjoy the ride

Boat in the Woods

How far would a Boat Row

If a Boat could Row

No one would Know

How far a Boat could Row

It would be quite a Show

To see a Boat Row

Then we would Know

That a Boat could Row

One thing we Know

It would be very Slow

To see a Boat Row

If a Boat could Row

But we all Know

That a Boat cannot Row

No matter how Slow

It just won't Go

Devils are Angels

If you believe in Angels

Then for sure you believe in the Devil

The Devil is as real as an Angel

For once the Devil was one of God's favorites

The Devil does not have horns

The Devil is not fiery red as illustrated

The Devil can be beautiful

As beautiful as an Angel

The Devil is an Angel that has fallen

The Devil is around us as the Angels are

Beware the Devil

For you might mistake it as being an Angel

Skating with Angels

Don't weep at my Grave

For I am not There

I am skating with the Angels

Skating in Mid-Air

Skating in the Sunshine

So Playfully

Skating with Angels

So Wild and Free

Angels are our Friends

Forever we Skate

Come skate with Us

Here we will Wait

Don't weep at my Grave

For I am not There

I am skating with the Angels

Hoping I'm in your Prayer

Lock it Up

Every once in a While

We lose our Religion

Taking it out on Those

Who don't deserve It

Now take all your Anger

And stash it in a Locker

Spin the Combination

So no one can crack It

Release all your Hatred

Go hide it in a Catacomb

Deep within the Tunnel

So no one can find It

I know when you find Peace

You will feel so much Better

I know when you find Peace

You'll write "I Love You" in a Letter

Go out into the big World

And share all the love you Have

Passing it all Around

So everyone can feel It

Share it with your Brother

Share it with your Sister

And hug all your Friends

Let them all embrace It

Every once in a While

When we lose our Religion

We still carry the Love

Though we may not show it

I know that you found Peace

You now feel so much Better

I know that you found Peace

Writing "I Love You" in a Letter

Diner Capitol of the World

Welcome to the Garden State of New Jersey

The Diner Capitol of the World

Stand Tall

We Stand Tall

Among the Angels

We Stand Tall

Without Standing on Someone

We Stand Tall

When Kneeling to Aide a Friend

We Stand Tall

Being a Victor

We Stand Tall

Without having Victims

Stand Tall

Spineless Soul

In the cupboard you hide as you dismantle the World around you

For when you are out, your spineless soul is too meek to express your true colors

Yet, your hidden fury rages only when you are not seen

Show yourself, face the World and endure what is coming

Vertigo

Vertigo

You're feeling the sensation of the World whirling around you as the floor is shifting, tilting and being pulled out from underneath you causing you to lose balance.  When standing it feels as if a Ghost is deliberately shoving you causing you to have to grab onto things to keep from falling.  Looking up makes the ceiling spin like a fan and looking down looks as if the floor is sloped and you're sliding down.

Nauseousness kicks in making you feel the need to vomit.  The mere sight or thought of food is so torturous that it heightens the nausea.  As your World rapidly spins faster and faster, Tinnitus happens, making your ears ring with defining sounds while your eyes twitch swiftly for a moment giving you Double Vision before it stops.

So after to increase the discomfort you are already going through is a Migraine headache that elaborate the dizziness and nausea.  Your body starts to shiver as you break out into a cold sweat and your gag reflexes trigger making you feel like vomiting again.  Your lose of coordination from being off balance makes you feel like you're sliding downward causing you to drop things.

These are all the symptoms of Vertigo that fortunately I never experienced.  However, my Wife is going through this as I type this and it appears to be hereditary as her Mother suffers as well as her late Grandmother.

I am the wall that keeps her from falling!

Painted Smile

And when I see you, there is always a smile on your face.  Though, it hides how you really feel deep inside.  Filled with pain and despair yet, wanting the World to know that everything is just fine.

Daydreaming

Been Daydreaming

My apologies for not posting the past week or so for there has been much to do with trials and tribulations in life as of late.  Not to worry, all is fine and I'll be back in the swing of things before too long.

Tis the Season when it all happens and we try to get it all done at once or perhaps it's when everything happens at once.  Who knows...  Hell, I don't even know what day it is anymore.  He He!  Just have to stop and daydream now and then to ease the rush of life!

Peeling Paint

It's Paint

It's Peeling

Rust Underneath

Is Revealing

It's Paint

It's Peeling

All the way Up

To the Ceiling

It's Paint

It's Peeling

No signs of

It Healing

It's Paint

It's Peeling

Right now that's how

I'm Feeling

Tried & Tested ~ Shattered & Scarred

The life we live is tested by those who think are superior attempting to break us down and make us weak.  Distressed by viral acts of fire burning our hearts into cinders, scarring it for life.

But he knows the way I take; and when I'm tried, I shall overcome.  Shatter me not as I will come forth as gold.

Where My Journey Lies

I lay down on my back abed a soft cushion of dried leaves intaking Mother Nature beauty.  The soft breeze caresses my chilled face as the long Pine Needles gently fall upon my brow.  The clear blue sky welcomes a passing cloud giving the tall trees the illusion as if they were tip toeing away.  A moment of silence and solitude is interrupted by the screech of a Red-Tailed Hawk who soars like a fighter jet through the trees...  And in an instant it's gone.

It's these serene and tranquil moments when I ponder where I have been in life and where I will go.  Then I come to the realization that I haven't been anywhere and have yet to leave my mark here on Earth.  My mission and purpose here, I most likely will never know.  One thing I do know, it has yet to be completed as I will be hanging out here for just a little while longer until I know where my journey lies.

House on the Hill

A road I pass by quite frequently and today decided to venture down it.  Signs littered stating it's private property as only residents are allowed to enter.  We're not residents and still we traveled to see where this narrow road will take me.

Slowly climbing upward, my pickup chugs as we come across this house up on a hill all boarded up.  Just as we passed this inviting looking house looking for a place to park, we came across an archway with a camera mounted and angled to catch any vehicle passing through.  Lucky for us we didn't have to drive through it.

What once looked to be a beautiful house now sits there deteriorating through time.  It was unfortunate that we were unable to go inside due to everything boarded and locked up, so we just took a few snapshots and went on our way.

It turns out that this was a lake community that wanted us outsiders away.  However, as I always say, there's something to strike up anyone's interest down those lonely roads that you pass by every day.  You just need to turn onto them sometimes to find those hidden treasures!

Picture Frames for Rent

So...

I was in a major department store today and overheard an Sales Associate helping an elderly woman with high end picture frames that were tapping the hundred dollar mark.  She proceeded to take one out of a box, tearing the tissue paper off as she started to critique the imperfections.  "The gold looks discolored."  The very nice Sales Associate asked if she would like to look at another frame while questioning if this was a gift.  The elderly woman responded that it wasn't a gift and asking about the return policy.

"The reason I'm asking."  The woman continued, "My Brother-In-Law just died and I want to put his picture in this frame during his viewing and the funeral services.  I will be returning it by the end of the week."

I commend the elderly lady for her honesty and certainly the Sales Associate for not bursting out laughing!  Because I had to walk away for I was uncontrollably laughing!

Super Moon

As the Sun sets in the West as the Moon rises, casting long shadows among the headstones in God's Acre.  It's brightest it has ever been in nearly 70 years.  Long prominent shadows casted from the Moon for it's so close to the Earth that you could practically reach out and touch it.

The black sky makes the Moon appear brighter and larger than you have ever seen it in your life.   Take a moment and see the Moon's Magnificent Splendor and Shining Glory as it lights up the night sky.  It only comes around once in a lifetime!

Gloria in Excelsis Deo

From Hence Forth

Yea Saith the Spirit

For they Rest from Their

Labors and their Works

Do Follow Them

Veterans Day

A brief moment after a meal the Crew ventures on deck to share a smoke and a laugh or two as the red sky shines brightly in the distance.  Red sky at night is the Sailors delight as they converse with smiles upon their faces.  Those smiles are short, but much needed to keep moral within the Crew.  The ones who smile for a short brief time doesn't mean they aren't scared.  They smile to ease the pain with conflict of the one and only purpose of being where they are, Freedom.  They go with courage and without question not knowing if they ever will return.

Thank you to all Veterans past and present for your courage and without question defending our Freedom so others can Live the Dream of being Free.  God Bless you all!

An old photograph of my Father with a brief smile aboard the USS Rooks DD-804 Fletcher Class Destroyer.

Bridges

There are many Bridges in life that we must Cross

We must cross high, low, long and even short Bridges

Deciding which Bridge to cross can be a Challenge

For those wrong Bridges we may cross one Day

We mustn't spend the time and energy to burn Them

We may have to cross those Bridges again in the Future

NJ Transit 1700

"All Aboard!" 

A string of old NJ Transit railroad Commuter cars sit on a remote track tucked away and hidden from the World.   Graffitied up on the outside and ripped apart on the inside, these once heavily used cars were the main source of commuting to and from work.  Who knows how long these cars have been sitting here idle.

Possibly ready for the scrap yard as I've seen so many heading, or maybe with a slight chance they are hidden away so that they can be restored.  Any one of these cars would make the perfect Railroad Car Diner with a little Imagination and Creativity!

Election Day

Oh Lord!

Hang on tight, it's going to be a hell of a Ride!

At least I Exorcized my Right to Vote!

White-Tail Deer

Nice Rack!

I was leaving the house to go to work, I ran into this handsome Stag (White-Tail Deer) hanging out noshing on some Autumn Treats while they still last.  He stopped, froze like a majestic statue and stared me straight in the eye.  It was a stand off as if we were in an old time Western to see who was going to crack first.

Me with my camera lens looking like a Minion with one eye in the center of my head.  I Snapped once, then twice and zoom like a bolt of lightning her jetted into the forest without a trace that he was even there.

It's those spontaneous Snapshots in Time like this one that makes it all worth while!

Into the Future

I opt not to set my Clocks back an hour this Autumn.

I want to live in the future for the next six months!

Reflections

Sit and Relax while you Reflect on what used to be!

Angels are Near

Angels

Don't have to Speak to be Heard

Angels

Don't have to be Visible to be Seen

Angels

Don't have to be Present to be Felt

Believe in Angels

As they will always be Near

Being Watched

Are you being watched?

It's been proven study after study, time and time again that the Human behavior changes when we know we are being watched.

"Oh no, Mom's coming!"

"The Teacher keeps staring at us!"

"My Boss is observing every move I make!"

"There's a Police Patrol Car following us."

Waiting to pounce so to reprimand, correct and give feedback to what so called negative behavior we conducted.  Our defense mechanism kicks in and we're looking pathetically uneasy trying to act natural.  Already thinking of an alibi to defend ourselves for what we possibly did wrong.

Yes, we are being watched in more ways than you could ever imagine.  But is it because we are doing something wrong or is it our imagination taking over making us paranoid?  The fear of the consequences are racing through our mind giving a verdict with a Death Sentence that we haven't been tried on yet.

It is us that fear the unknown which kills us and fear is usually 99% lying to us!

Happy Hour

Happy Hour has been not so happy since the early 90's here at a small Restaurant/Bar.  The glassware hangs over the bar waiting to be filled with cheer.  All that they are filled with is dust accumulating through time.

Alcohol bottles filled, sit behind the bar ready to be poured and kegs longing to be tapped.  Belly up to the bar Mates, you'll be waiting quite some time to be served.

Perhaps, serve yourself!

As I Sing About Those Times

As I sing about those Good Times

And the times that made us both Smile

I sing about those Funny Times

And the times we Laughed all the While

As I sing about those Sad Times

And the times that made us both Cry

I sing about those Mournful Times

And the times we both said Good Bye

As I sing about those Desperate Times

And the times we had no Money

I sing about all those Dark Days

And the times that weren't so Sunny

As I sing about those Frozen Times

And the Dead Crops we couldn't Reap

I sing about all those Bitter Nights

And the times so Frigid to Sleep

As I sing about all those Times

And all the times we both have Bared

I sing about Good and Bad Times

And all the times that we both Shared

As I sing about all those Times

And all the times how much we Grew

I sing about each single Time

And all the times I spent with You