Yes, I know it is only 4 am when I write this little ditty. But you see, the day started out quite a bit earlier. I put in a movie last night because there was not anything good on the Dish. Well, I will admit I have seen this movie at least once or twice before. It is one I like. I watch it as a favorite until it will no longer play at all. Just because I know all of the dialogue doesn’t mean I have watched it too much. It makes a great sleeping pill. I watch it to see what I missed the last time I tried to watch it. Just because the conversation lasted less than two minutes and the apple changed three times keeps me interested. When they pick up a quiver full of at least seven arrows, then they shoot five and still have six arrows left almost confuses me. So, I watch it even more to see what else I missed the first 17 times. The problem starts when my eyelids close just a little. All of a sudden, the clock and the dvd player goes real fast without me knowing it. The movie just started and now it is ending. What in heck is going on? I see the clock indicates it is ten at night. I get out of my chair and get the house set for a nice evening nap. It is almost midnight and I am fully awake. I have a self-imposed rule I cannot get out of bed until at least two am. Being a member of the almost old generation, the body requires only six hours of sleep. There is nothing in the rule books that states when the six hours begin. This day is a great example of why I really should live alone. Four am, house is all lit up, coffee is almost gone and Pandora is just a blasting. If you should happen to be standing outside my house, you could see me dancing to the Bee Gees, The Carpenters, Momma and the Pappas and so on. When a non-dancing song comes on, I do housework. But you can’t see in very well because I have had to put that sun block on my windows. Its not because I am afraid you will be standing out there waiting for me to dance. If you should happen to be out there, then let me know, I will save one cup of coffee for you. Actually, I would know you are there because I have one of those fancy doorbells. When it sees movement out there, the speakers play a fancy tone. The darkening of the windows is for the doves. If they see me moving around, they fly away. Ahh Patsy Cline is playing.

With 2020 coming to an end and winter is indeed here, I compare last year vs this year. Are things better or worse for me? I am still here, and I still have humor. My house is warm, and I haven’t had to burn any furniture to stay comfy. There is plenty of coffee, canned goods and cereal on the shelves. There have been times when the shelves were bare this time of year. I have at least ten dollars in my wallet and plenty of quarters and coins in my jugs. I even splurged and bought a brand spanking new shirt and jacket. Now that is a first. This is the process of becoming retired. I would not buy a new shirt to just hang in the closet. I also would not think of wearing a new shirt to crawl under someone’s camp. I guess you could call this my way of forced retirement.

I don’t know how many of you city folks or flatlanders have known cold and hungry. No wood in the shed. Shelves are totally bare and a fresh twenty inches of snow on the lawn. Yule Gibbons wrote one could eat pinecones and such, but I was never that hungry. This type of life instills inside you a never-ending gratefulness of what you have now. Even if there are only two cans of beans on the shelf. There are four sticks of wood next to the stove. The house is a comfy temperature. You haven’t had to burn any of those special sticks being saved for a project. This is peace and contentedness one cannot describe. When asked what I want for Christmas, the answer is nothing. I have what I need, so give to others who have less than I. Giving and expressing joy should not be once a year thing. Help those who have less and raise all up to this level of peace. My year has been a great year, meeting awesome folks and no stress of being around narrow people.

Peace and love to you folks. Ken White a country mountain man.

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