Spring is Coming : Spring Fling Carnival

We should have a carnival. It has been a long time since we did. Please share your ideas and if you are willing to host it, let me know. We can also host it on this blog, too.

Valentine's Day Gifts

What to give to someone you love on Valentine's Day? Well, flowers and chocolates come to mind. Plants, jewelry, gift certificates, spa visits . . .

What if you do not have any money? When I was going to school, I had zero money to spend on necessities, not to mention gifts. What did I do?

I baked a heart shaped cake that said I Love You and I made coupons that entitled the bearer to services. Services like:

• manicure;
• breakfast in bed;
• event I would attend no matter what, whether it be truck pulls, rodeos, basketball game;
• get out of trouble free card for when the other person had been an ass but knew it;
• back massage;
• foot massage;
• bubble bath with champagne;
• whatever you wish.

You get the idea, but do not give a coupon for something that you are not willing to do. You can get real creative by using colored paper, paper lace and ribbons to make a very pretty card in which to place the coupons. These coupons were a real hit and they did not cost a cent. Give of yourself this Valentine's Day.

Post originally published here.

Tags: valentines day, valentines day gift, gift of yourself

A Homeless Man's Funeral

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral director had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.

I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.


The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played my heart and soul out for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."

Apparently I'm still lost.... it's a man thing.