A Moonshooters Diary

I was sitting and thinking about all the things in this Universe that I KNOW about, when another thought popped into my head. Knowing ABOUT does not mean UNDERSTANDING. For example, one couple that I know fairly well has an autistic child. I've seen how supportive and nurturing they are...and how this child has grown because of it. But I didn't understand how 'work and love' go hand-in-hand until I saw this educational video. I still don't know the 'everything'...but I'm one step closer. With all the things that are happening around the world and to many people, it's impossible for me to do the knowing/understanding part of it with any accuracy. I only have 24 hrs. to work with...and have a life to live, so it's a lot ezier to 'assume' knowledge that I don't have and become a 'label maker'. I went to YouTube and found a video that helps me to 'understand' a little more. And I thought it was good a great piece to s...

When I was talking to my friend John about ‘ cancer ’ one day, he said something I thought ‘hit the nail on the head’. He said, “Many people become frightened as soon as they hear the 'word' cancer enter the conversation, than they are of the disease itself. If they would change the word to something else, even if it were a nonsensical word, much of the fear would go away and understanding 'it' would make significant progress." There are many forms of cancer , many forms of treatment available, and many,many survivors and resources available for support. And yet they are all grouped together in one box labeled...CANCER. POLIO was another word that a long time ago had the same effect. One of my earliest memories I brought with me from childhood was in the early part of the 40's. I'm not an expert on anything having to do with that particular one, but I remember the fear on my parents face when the doctor told them I might never walk again, that my le...

Little did John and Stella know, when they met at that dance at Slovenian Home in 1936, that they were going to create a Zumba nut that would write about the ‘polka’ 72 years later. They’re the one’s that got the ball rolling and I’m just the ‘result’. My history in the making. Memory Lane’s gotta start somewhere,and Polka Alley’s is as good a place as any to begin. This morning while I was reading through the newspaper, I noticed that Jimmy Sturr, the Polka King was going to appear here in Waterbury,CT on Oct. 30. That got my toes to tapping and stirred up my imagination quicker than a spoon. At this point it’s pretty EZ for me to do with all the practice I’ve had. I got to thinking about my folks and how dancing was just about the funnest thing they loved to do with their free time...that didn’t cost a lot of money. Maybe that explains why they were so good at it? So I’m living proof that the nut doesn’t fall far from the ‘buckeye’ tree. Did I just say that? Ohio is known as t...

I've been watching more TV lately than I normally used to. Which isn't saying a whole bunch 'cause I'm not a 'glued to the tube couch potato' kinda guy. But there's an new one on this season that I really like. It's called No Ordinary Family . It grabbed my attention because I like to write. Plus I'm a fan of the idea that people can become more than who they are. This story starts as a result of a bright idea! Then to move it along... an 'accident'. And, boy, they sure had a lollapalooza. (Why didn't I think of it?...oh, well). In order to 'spend more quality time together, it was decided that they go on a family outing. A picnic? Nah, too easy. So they all hopped on a plane and headed for 'adventure'. A storm came up, the plane went down and they got plopped in the middle of a river in the jungle. The foursome survived but their real adventure didn't began until after they got home again. Each family member had develop...

Songs and movies have produced a mega-bunch of seeds that are plopped in my ‘Garden of Thought. A lot of ‘em must’ve gotten planted ‘somewhere’, because NOW instead of single flowers, I’m getting them by the bouquet. Like fer instance, I really dug the movie ‘Auntie Mame' . Rosalind Russell proclaimed in her proundly 'Mame way' ,“Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death.” I had a bag of popcorn so I wasn’t hungry at the time...but later I remembered. Then along came Ricky Nelson singing ‘Garden Party’ . A song I could dance to. The part where he sings, “But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well. You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself “ didn’t sink in while I was busy a rockin’ and a rollin'. But later... more seeds. ‘I Gotta Be Me’ , sung by Sammy Davis Jr . didn’t have a clicker in my mind... until I realized it was MySong. I was busy doing ‘my thing’ at the time. “ I can't be right for som...

Some pictures speak a thousand sentiments... As I sat looking at the trunk that sits to my right, my thoughts spoke to me about 'sentimental value'. This is what they told me... "Look at me closely. Look at my foundation. I'm the Trunk that belonged to Sleeping Beauty's mother. I traveled thousands of miles, back and forth across the ocean, to Italy, where your mother-in-law was born. But my journey didn't stop there. I was part of your home for the past 30 years. I traveled with you,more thousands of miles, as you moved back and forth across the United States. Now I rest beside your desk." It's contents told another story. "We are the Quilts and Curtains that Sylvia used to magically transform any house you lived in, into a 'home'. We are waiting to see if you remember the love and care that were given to us as we were carefully placed inside 'the foundation'." Covering them all, the Throw spoke up. "I was crocheted b...

There was a time in my life, I didn't like the word ASSUME because I thought it was a donkey word because of the way it was spelled. Ass-u-me. To me it meant that it would make an 'ass' out of either 'you' or me. And that was one word that had a lot of kick. But I changed my mind. Or actually my 'experience' changed it for me. End of that story and the beginning of another one. Once upon a time, (a story has to start somewhere) not too long ago, the mail arrived. In it was my freebie 3-in-1 camera that I got for 'trying something out...no risk involved' jobbie. And, like the 'kid with a new toy' guy that I am, I got excited! Rushing down to the store (where I used to work), I eagerly showed Avni,a co-worker, my new hi-tech camera and asked him how to use it. As young as he is (he calls me grandpa), he knows a bunch about 'new stuff'. Looking at it for a second, he took my picture and did a video of me and erased it and said that tha...

While reading the paper, looking at magazines, and watching TV, I've come to the conclusion that a lot of people worry about maintaining their 'image'. I think 'worry' is about the last thing I do...so I don't. My image was shot to hell long before I came to that conclusion. Under the circumstances, some may imagine that I should be a grieving widower who is mourning the loss of my wife. I retired so that I could mope around the house do little 'house chores' and some 'cutesy' writing in between...and one day maybe I'll write a 'book'. Sheeeesh. That ain't me...and that ain't Sylvia aka Sleeping Beauty either. I'm only 72, and 'we' BOTH had dreams. Like I wrote to her in a poem when we got married, "With both of us dreamers, OUR dreams will come true." I intend to celebrate what we built...together. And they will come true if I don't give up on them. Image? I don't have one...yet. And when I do if...