Sunday, March 29, 2009

good morning

it is a cool, soggy morn here in new england as the hour approaches eleven and i'm sitting here at the computer reading blogs and commenting here and there. yesterday was much more spring like and i was outside quite a bit. i went up to hopkinton to do some fishing[ no luck though] and just enjoy the sunshine. hopkinton is a quiet little town except in a few weeks when they stage the boston marathon. then it becomes home to thousands of runners and thousands more spectators who line the route to cheer on the runners. its truly a sight as wave after wave begin the long journey to boston. i have never run the thing and i doubt if i could. running long distances has never appealed to me though i was usually active growing up. but yesterday was a good time to pass through hop town on my way to the reservoir. i grew up 5 minutes down the road and it brings back memories as i drive round the old neighborhood. its funny but after not living there for over forty years i can still remember who lived where and what happened one year so long ago. the trek to school down highland street brings back feelings of nostalgia and you find yourself back in 1965, third grade, coming home on the last day of school with a good report card in hand and all the time in the world. of course the images are black and white, just like the television we had as kids. i''ll head up ther again soon. in search of rainbow trout and daydreams of yesteryears....till then world, peace out and have a lovely sunday, jack c

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

food for thought

everyone has a favorite food, something you eat daily.mine is bread. great for breakfast, toasted that is, a sandwich for lunch, maybe some hot rolls for supper. i love all kinds of bread. pumpernickle, rye,wheat, foccia, raisin....the list is long. i guess bread was invented fairly early in the scheme of things. it nourished the first people to walk the earth[if not the first then the second wave were eating some form...]when i was a kid i used to make little cubes out of bread almost like clay and eat them. it gives the bread a nice texture. french toast is always a great way to start the day .a sandwich wouldn't be a sandwich without bread. my father used to make a simple loaf of wheat bread using a can of beer. i like a can of beer with an italian grinder...in homage to my dad. it's one of the earliest foods i remember eating. i know its a big source of carbs and dieters are always warned to limit it or eat weight watchers bread, which tastes like cardboard to me. i'm getting ready to pop a bagel into the toaster to help balance out my second glass of wine so i''ll wrap up my blog about bread and say goodnight. anybody out there in blogville have a fave food? let me know......bye 4 now, crusty old jack...........a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou

Sunday, March 22, 2009

mountain high

i'm thinking of climbing this year. it has been a few years since i threw on the ol' backpack, laced up my well worn boots and headed north to the green mountains. yes vermont, the state where i first climbed in 1979 and returned several times since. the biggest mountain is mt. mansfield, a little over four thousand feet and located in northern vermont about 20 miles east of burlington. its a wonderful place. i've climbed it a half dozen times over the years, the first trip in 1984. i have climbed with friends and alone. its always better to climb with somebody.......just in case. i have done day trips, up and back and stayed overnight in rough cabins that cling to the eastern and western sides. you meet some great people hiking, some doing long stretches and others just out for the day. some folks i have met are heading the entire length of the appalachian trail, which goes from georgia to maine. they're the diehards, people who have the time to do such a trek. i have hiked mostly in 3 or 4 day intervals,carrying my sleeping bag and food stuffs. but as i got older i do the climb, look around and them back to the car routine. a nice soak in a hot tub back a the hotel is greatly appreciated. so is a trip into burlington, a beautiful little city on the shores of lake champlain. it has several colleges and a lively downtown that contribute to the whole experience. i first laid sight on this funky place in 1982 and i thought i was in heaven. besides being the birthplace of ben and jerrys it has a great vibe and is in the middle of some of the most stunning scenery you''ll find anywhere. the hippies who gathered here 40 years ago may be gone but their children and their kids keep the tradition alive. they love the green state and all that it stands for. and i do too!. i have to get back to the mountains, yes i think i will. i hike, therefore i am.....see ya round, jack

Friday, March 20, 2009

ode to spring

spring has sprung eternal, though one would hardly know, judging from the temperture, it feels alot like snow. the days are getting longer, things are slowly turning green, i know we are not there yet, we're sort of inbetween. the remnants of winter lay scattered across the land, the streets look old and crooked and the gutters filled with sand. the creatures of the night sense something in the air as they wander through the darkness still dressed in winter's wear. soon the flowers will explode, a symphony of hues,and i will walk upon the grass, my feet naked, without shoes. yes spring has sprung eternal and we will welcome it at last, like some dear old friend from a not so distant past. so throw your windows open and let out a hearty cheer, somewhere spring is lurking, its very, very near. ............there, i've done my part so don't blame me if we get socked with the white stuff, heehee...jack c alive and well

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

lottery anyone

i play the lottery, i gamble hard earned money in the hopes of ......more money. i don't spend alot. i do spend everyday. the number game, powerball, big this, big that. i like to daydream about what i would do if i ever hit it big. its natural to think about what if? the family would no doubt get some money, friends would benefit too. i'm not greedy. i don't need a dozen houses, cars galore. i've never had alot of money in my life and most people i know are in the same boat. living paycheck to paycheck is not easy. i see the millions that are doled out [stolen] by corporate hucksters and the seemingly endless tax money swallowed up by our ''public'' servants while ballplayers of every stripe hold out unless their demands are not met. and i wonder? how much money is enough? a mr. madoff stole FIFTY BILLION? what was he planning for god's sakes? did he really think he could get away with it? he is going to jail but so what? the moneys gone and NOBODY knows where it went? he's not going to tell. the corporate gouging thats been going on will continue until the next big scandal. real reform, from the top on down will never happen. when the foxes are in charge of the chicken coop nothing good will happen.oh there will be senate hearings and new laws drafted and a heightened awareness of how greed eats away at society but in the end its like rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic, it just doesn't matter. so i''ll spend a few bucks today and tomorrow and continue my daydreaming. it's better than the reality we see out there, take care and i''ll see you around, jc

Monday, March 16, 2009

back to mass

yes i'm back. my trip north went well, for all intents and purposes. saturday i walked along the beach, albeit briefly. toooooo cooooold. not to mention the wind. the beach in winter is a starkly beautiful landscape. it looks the same in winter as in summer, just a bit less crowded. the gulls still angle for anything edible, their cries still haunt the dunes. the tides follow their daily rhythmn, charging forth and then a full retreat in six hour measures. broken shells, bits of wood, glass and the remains of some unfortunate sea creatures dot the sands. in warmer weather it's a treat to doff your shoes and sink your toes deep into soup. the winter pretty much says no to such flights of fancy. i took today off from work. figuring quite rightly that a good nights rest is what i need. tuesday will come soon enough and my work routine, getting up early, to work by 7 will await me as it always does. whenever i do get to the beach i think about what i would do if i didn't have to work. it's mostly just daydreaming but it does help. now it is time to open a bottle of red, sit back with a few newspapers and enjoy the quiet. also time to catch up on some blogs........cheers to all you good folks, jc

Thursday, March 12, 2009

north, again

yes i'm heading north again. up to maine, the pinetree state. maine used to be part of my state, massachusetts, many years ago. it's got a lovely coast line, drawn as if one was shivering to death whilst trying to map it. for good reason. from november to maybe....may it is always winter up there. i go up to see some family members who migrated north in the late eighties, 1980's. known for lobsters and moose [the state, not my family..] maine is a rather large, at least for new england, wilderness. once past augusta, the capital, maine keeps on going and going till iy spills into canada. most of the area is made up of numbered townships, vast sections dominated by trucks hauling lumber and hardy souls exploring the wilderness. i have been a good ways downeast, as the northern coast is called but i never got to the top. i love all the wildlife one encounters if you know where to look. or if your patient. beavers, eagles, the aforementioned moose, bear, deer and an other assorted creatures prowl the woods. i'd love to live up there someday, a small out of the way pond or lake would be preferable. i can hack the cold...well now i can. as i get older i'm sure winter loses its charm. but the idea of going back to nature does hold a certain fascination with me. a place where i can write, observe and quietly blend in with the surroundings. yes, north it shall be.......till then, i''ll be around, jc

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

the daily news

first let me say, i grew up on newspapers. they were an important part of daily life.my father would bring home the record american every evening and we would race to the car to see who would snag the first edition .....and wish father well of course. over the years breakfast wasn't complete if there were no box scores or comic section to smudge with butter or spill juice upon. you can see why the 1st reading was highly prized. information was not a 24 hour loop as is todays musings. older folks watched the 6' oclock news and maybe stayed awake for the late edition but there were no stations that ran tickers along the bottom of your screen or devoted so much talk and analysis to every possible happening in the world. and it's worse or better today, depending on your view.....now you can be in touch with my space, facebook, twitter dee, twitter dumb and a host of ever changing technology sweeping around the globe in maddening speed. the newspaper, as it is presently constituted, is doomed. gone the way of the pony express and everyone's 401k's. i for one am going to miss them. there is something about the printed word, black ink set against a bone white paper that can't be easily replaced. you can call me cranky, outdated, a curmudgeon, you can mock my views and laugh at my futile attempts to hang on to the past. the mere fact that i'm typing away on a computer instead of sending off a sharply written letter to the editor probably brings smiles and knowing looks to the next wave. that's okay. just bring me my paper, early if possible and let me start the day off the way i always did. at a leisurely pace, without all the connections, blurs and beeps of the modern world. happy readings to ya''ll, jc.........

Monday, March 9, 2009

waking up

this whole daylight savings thing can really throw a person for a loop.yesterday, sunday for you avid followers, started out late and then became slowwwwww as the day wore on. i was out till one the previous night, late for a person of my age,[it's always good to beat them to the punch] and when i arrived home it was time to move all the clocks ahead an hour. it sounds simple, doesn't it? lose an hour of sleep but you gain an extra bit of daylight on the back end. why the jetlag that ensues? around 3 o'clock on sunday i felt comatose. sitting on the sofa, watching a bit of telly i suddenly felt like i was preparing to hibernate. everything just slowed to a crawl. is this natural?i hadn't even had a glass of red wine yet. i never really felt that way before. at least i don't remember....[iknow, i know, the mind goes first.....actually i do believe the legs take that prize] anyhoo, i do tend to ramble on these blogs, thats my choice. you can do pretty much what you want to do on these blogs. everybody's is a bit different. mine are just words. maybe i''ll slip some photos into the mix when i can figure it out. i know it's simple but i have no real experience with these things. i do think it's interesting that i can send these words around the world and read other folks comments. that to me is amazing....of course i'm old. and sleepy.......bye 4 now, jc

Saturday, March 7, 2009

weddings

good morning world, it is a beautiful saturday, the sun is shining brightly in my corner of the universe and i'm going to a wedding later today. the groom is the son of a longtime friend, someone i have known close to fifty years. [if you are paying attention thats almost my whole life....] it's funny to know a person for that long. he and his family were already living in the town that i first have memories of when our clan moved in, circa 1959. sometime the following spring i'm sure we met in the large rock strewn stretch of land that seperated our houses. within a few years our families had grown to six kids apiece so peace and quiet in the neighborhood was not an option. we were only neighbors for eight years before we moved, first just down the road abit and then back to the town where i was born. it's not really a far trip, twenty minutes or so but when you are twelve and without automobile it seems like a million miles. we stayed in touch, even sharing an apartment for one years in the late seventies. his future wife and my younger brothers future wife , who were best friends, soon came along and that was the end of our apartment days. i worked for him for a five year period at a package store his folks owned and my brother moved off to the wilds of maine. we don't see each other as much as we did in the days of our youth so today, his son's wedding day will be special. we'll laugh alot about things that happened years ago, things only we know and we''ll wonder where the time has gone, along with our hair. it will be a nice day, a nice way to spend a cool saturday in march....among friends. take care everybody and enjoy this time we have, love and peace, jc

Thursday, March 5, 2009

the river

i grew up near a river. it was on the other side of some railroad tracks that ran parallel to its own course. we played there alot as kids growing up in the early sixties. today's parents would be horrified to see their son tromping off to play in such unchartered waters. we thought nothing of it. the 2nd week of april meant getting up real early and gathering at various bends in the river. we plied the cool waters with our little zebco rod and reels with worms or kernels attached to shiny hooks. every once in awhile i might manage to snag a trout but for the most part i just caught cold. but it was fun and it was ritual for my brothers and friends. being a kid in the sixties is different than today. in a way we seemed to have the last innocent childhood.there were no playdates, xboxes or virtual friends. organization hadn't ground the fun out of sports. imaginations ran wild along with neighbor kids through backyards in summer. you NEVER wanted to be inside on hot summer's eve. we played capture the flag, red light, hide 'n' seek and shot at each other with homemade bows and arrows.and batted rocks, with sticks no less.in winter we sled, all day long. we threw snowballs with abandon and made a few bucks shoveling driveways. yes thats right, we shoveled. its different for kids today. we expect everything to be mapped out , planned to a t right from the start if only you can get into the right preschool then surely harvard and a bright future will follow. the pressure to get good grades, no, great grades starts oh so very young. i think the mad rush to grow up has resulted in unintended consequences. more and more children today are feeling nostalgic for a past that went by in a blur.when they grow up too fast something gets lost along the way. the pure joy of being a child changes and becomes forever lost. and thats a shame......goodnight and sleep tight, jc.....remember, teach your children well

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

i love to laugh

i love to laugh. sometimes i laugh when i'm nervous, sometimes i laugh when i want to cry. there are some laughs you cannot stop. i love the laugh of children. of course i also laugh at politicians and their promises. certain things make you laugh that would appall the next person. i'm not totally politically correct as they say. i find amusement in odd places. i like to make people laugh. its all in the timing but i won't begin to tell you what is funny. everybody is a little different. some folks loved the three stooges, others got their jollies with the marx brothers. there is highbrow humor and gross out stuff, juvenille and sophisticated. i love the simpsons but i also get the family guy. mean isn't bad in the humor world, its just......funny. dictators and presidents have felt the wrath of a sharp pen. doonesbury made nixon and his ilk cringe. alot of people don't think its a funny cartoon anymore, that its lost its zing. i don't think so, perhaps his audience has changed but mr. trudeau still has that edge. so if you wanna be happy, well adjusted and the life of the party, learn to laugh. bye 4 now, jc.......so what do you think is funny? tell me

Monday, March 2, 2009

icecream and baseball

i know icecream and baseball don't exactly go hand in hand, at least not at first glance. however they are usually are enjoyed in warm weather, one good thing to think about as i look out at a fresh batch of new snow building higher and higher. summertime means baseball, six months of homeruns and late inning disasters and sleepless nights and all that goes with it. i've been a fan since the early sixties, when heroes were real and all they had to do was play ball. there are no heroes left today, not in the way we knew them. sports reflect society and today that means.....anything goes. we've discovered ballplayers to be human, flawed and that not good enough. have you ever seen so many unhappy people making sooooooo much money? the owners are getting richer, the player's salaries continue to skyrocket and the fans? we are the only ones poorer for the whole experience. i''ll still watch, from afar. going to any professional sport requires more cash than i carry. i''ll save my money for a black raspberry icecream on a sugar cone. much more satisfying and a whole lot less messy. soon it will be opening day, the flowers will be in bloom, icecream trucks will roll through your neighborhood and all will be right in the world. for now........whats your favorite flavor?.bye 4 now, jc

Sunday, March 1, 2009

whats wrong

whats wrong with this world? it is the year 2009 and most of the world lives in grinding poverty. disease, lack of basic human needs and seemingly endless civil strife continue to plauge us as a people. i live in the united states, universally hated and loved at the same time. but can the world survive with some nations taking a large percentage of the resources and other countries buried in debt and misery. there will never be peace on earth, between jews and moslems, catholic and protestants, and all the hundreds of other ''little'' wars that wrack our planet daily. nobody thinks long term anymore. we desperately grab for oil, gold, water without thinking how this mad rush to use up everything actually hurts the earth. as long as we have ours, forget about everybody else. if you drop a stone into a pond the ripples will reverberate to the other side. if youdrop a bomb in one country something bad usually happens someplace else. you would think we, as a people would have learned something after all theses years we have inhabited earth. that we might have evolved into somebody better, smarter. i wonder.......what just have we become? jc