A Moonshooters Diary

Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgement of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you're going to do about it. - Kathleen Casey Theisen I found this quotation like I find many of the other things in life, by following the 'white rabbit of intuition'. And I cease to be amazed at how many cool things I find. This is one quotation that really got my attention. Take yesterday for example. Hmmm. My borrowed car was stuck in the snow. I decided that I was going to the store. My son, Johnny, went out and shoveled and came back in and said, "There's no way that car is going to get out." But I was determined to get to the store. Hearing that, I made up my mind that it would so I said, "When I honk three times, it'll mean that the car is out and we can go to the store." Yeah, right. It took some shoveling before I realized he was right. There simply was no place to put all the snow. Sheeesh. Delemma. I wanted to go to the sto...

My first introduction to miracles came to me from my parents. They told me about the happenings on January 13th, 1938. My 20 yr. old mother went into labor with me and my dad rushed her to University Hospital in Cleveland. She had a rough time of it. The Dr. told her there was a serious problem and I would have to be delivered Cesarean section. Also, because of the nature of the problem a choice had to be made. He could save my mom's life...or mine, and even then there were no guarantees. Stella (that's my mom's name) made a choice. She told the doctor to save me. She said she'd already experienced life and wanted me to have the same chance. Well...the delivery was made. I came squalling into this world at 1:38 AM on January 14th, and two weeks later than anticipated. The brat (that's me) survived...but the miracle was that my mom lived until 1980. Hmmm. I guess if I didn't make it, I wouldn't be writing this. Anyhow. From then on my life has been series of...

I was watching TV the other night, and some of the commercials are really enlightening. I found this one and it got me to thinking. Back when I was a 'kid' a couple of years ago, cleaning the floor was harder work than it is today. At least I think it was. At that time I was a good 'watcher'. Today, I use a twistable mop and I have a gadget that 'picks up the crumbs'. The broom is what I use to sweep the back porch. Technology is moving ahead so fast I have a hard time keeping up with it. What I know, I realize is just a drop in the bucket, compared to what's out there. And every day there's a new product and a new 'discovery'. Why on earth would I ever believe in the word 'impossible' when it's entirely possible that I don't know about it...yet. But some 'things' I do. Any how, it's 'my theory' and this is just a little sample of what I'm talking about. It might look like a 'commercial'...but it...

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...