Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Why is it your own “blood” does not validate you?  My writing growing up was always taken for granted by my immediate family–my mom and dad and two sisters.  In the beginning it was my letter writing.  In the sixties I started keeping a journal.  In the late seventies I wrote poetry.  And now I am going on the fifth year of keeping a web site and blog.  Both of my parents are now dead.  I am not sure if my two sisters ever go on my web sites.  They usually don’t comment on them.  My writing is who I am, what is going on which is important to me.

Gratefully my wife cares about my writing, as well as other friends.  I found out I had a talent for making people laugh at open mikes.  And that is a validation of my writing although humor is not the only type of writing I do.  I keep getting hits on my web sites and that is encouraging.  And occasionally I get a poem published in a literary magazine.  I guess we choose our friends.  We can’t choose our family.  Up till his dying day my father who lived until ninety-two was more impressed with money than anything I wrote.  I was a failure in that area.  That still hurts.  Sometimes you have to go outside of your family for validation.  And that was my case.

Tags: blog, choose our friends, dad, friends, humorous writing, immediate family, impressed with money, keeping a journal, late 1970's, letter writing, literary magazine, make people laugh, Mom, my parents, my wife, open mike, poem, poetry, sisters, taken for granted, validation by parent, we can't choose our family, web site, writing, writing is who I am, your talents and gifts
Posted in art, death, humor, life, money, relationships, time, wisdom, writing, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

What would I care about if I go after my wife?  I can’t take my things with me.  I know from dust I come and from dust I return.  So what do I want to leave someone after I die–not much.  The only thing I care about and hope I can leave in good hands is my journals and poetry.  I would like to think at least a poem or two or three would outlive me.  Money can’t buy happiness.  Bill Gates, at one point, was the richest man in the world.  So what does he do but pour billions in a foundation so, maybe, he can make a difference.  Each person wonders if he/she will leave any kind of legacy.  And there are multiple ways of doing that.  It could be the memories your children have of you who in turn impact others.  Memories of you may not die so quickly.  Sometimes anyway.  Many people when they approach the end of their life wonder about the legacy they will leave behind.  At least I do.

Tags: Bill Gates, billions, can't take things with you, death, end of life, foundation, from dust to dust, journals, make a difference, money can't buy happiness, my wife, poem, poetry, rich, your children's memories of you, your legacy
Posted in children, death, God, life, love, money, relationships, time, wisdom, writing, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

I have been depressed for awhile.  I know my depression is an indicator.  I know my age has something to do with it:  I will not live another 64 years.  I wonder what I will leave behind.  I certainly can’t take my things with me–my music, my journals, my poems.  I can’t take anything with me.  So what is there?  What is my purpose of living?  It is not the accumulation of my things.  From dust you come and from dust you shall return.  I do hope I leave the world a better place, that some people might mourn me.  And have good memories of me.  The thing about the world it goes on.  Every day someone dies, someone is born.  I am trying to figure out my purpose in the time I have left.  Not that my death is imminent but who knows?  No one can really help me on my journey.  Somehow I have to figure out what I have to do which will give me meaning so I can climb out of my depression.  There is (???are) no easy answers.

Tags: accumulation of things, can't take it with you, climbing out of my depression, death, dust-to-dust, give me meaning, journals, learn about my depression, music, my depression is no accident, no easy answers, poems, purpose in life, purpose of living
Posted in balance, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

I read a Christian organization was sending ten golden retrievers to the Connecticut school where twenty children were gunned down.  The dogs will love the children and comfort them in a way humans couldn’t.  I know.  I have a golden retriever.  They are extreme tactile.  They love to be touched and hugged.  What a wonderful idea–to send those dogs to that school.

Tags: children, comfort, Connecticut school, dogs, dogs love the children, golden retriever, touched and hugged
Posted in animals, children, death, life, nature, pets, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Thanksgiving is not about turkey dinners and all the trimmings.  It is about families getting together and displaying gratitude for all your blessings.  I know it is a hard time for those especially in NY and NJ who got hit hard by the storm “Sandy”.  It created havoc in those states particularly.  The original Thanksgiving celebration was about the pilgrims praising the Lord for food and shelter.  Not everyone made it through the winter.  Thanksgiving is just that, thanking God for all your blessings and everyone has some reason to be thankful.

Tags: all your blessings, families getting together, food and shelter, God, gratitude, NJ, NY, pilgrims, praising the Lord, reason to be thankful, storm "Sandy", thanking God, thanksgiving, turkey dinner
Posted in balance, beauty, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

My wife said Pax, our Rottweiler mix, was lying in the same spot for at least three hours. I tried to get a rise out of him but he would not move: his eyes just followed me. We did not understand it. We thought that, maybe, he had a stroke. I feared for his life.

He had a biscuit that lay right next to his mouth untouched. I was afraid I would wake up next morning and he would still be in the same spot dead. In the middle of the night I awoke and noted he had moved. I cheered. He was still alive. He was now walking very gingerly on one rear leg.

He has arthritis and is twelve years old. I thought he just got “old” all of a sudden. I remembered the vet once told me he could be given aspirin for pain. I called the vet’s office and they said for a dog his size (he weighed ninety pounds) I could give him an aspirin and an half twice a day.

He responded to the aspirin right away. He perked up almost immediately. Now he would run into the kitchen for the dogs’ nightly biscuit. He once ran into the furthest reaches of the yard to bark at someone from his favorite spot. His recovery was remarkable. Both of us were thrilled.

I have known Pax my whole marriage–over nine years. He is one intimidating dog. I remember in the beginning he once followed me into the bathroom and I asked my fiancee, “What is he doing now?”

I realized now he is only on loan to me and I needed to appreciate him more now. No dog lives forever.

Tags: appreciate him more now, arthritis, aspirin, big dog, called the vet, dogs, dogs' nightly biscuit, he is only on loan to me, my wife, Pax, pets, rottweiler mix
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My wife said our dog was in the same spot for the last three hours. I approached him and he hardly moved. His eyes followed me so I knew he was still alive. I was afraid I would wake up the next morning and he would be dead. I found out in the middle of the night he was no longer there. I was thrilled: that was a good sign. Even the biscuit that had been lying untouched by his mouth was gone. He is twelve years old and still manages (despite his arthritic knees) to run to the other side of the yard. He may have gotten old all of a sudden. He was in the yard today not in a prone position but slightly sitting up. It is summer and our four dogs are not that perky. I love Pax but no pet lives forever. I would really miss him.

Tags: arthritic knees, dog biscuit, dogs, four dogs, God, my wife, no pet lives forever, old dog, Pax, pets, summer
Posted in death, God, local, pets, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

The two does stared at me for a long second or two and then vanished into the woods. One had crossed the road ten feet away and the other was on my right five feet in the woods. They had come from the direction of the neighboring farm.

What was unusual was the spot I saw them in: in nine years this was only the third deer I had seen in this large tract of woods (several acres) adjacent to my property.

I was glad I wasn’t driving too fast. I live on the edge of country. Further down a big black bird was in the middle of the road. It turned out to be the common turkey vulture. They feast on all the roadkill along with the crows and the other scavengers.

Tags: big black bird, birds, crows, deer, edge of country, farm, turkey vulture, two does, wildlife, woods
Posted in animals, birds, death, local, nature, time | No Comments »

There were two baby rabbit in a nest in our tall grass.  Someone was cutting the grass and discovered the two baby rabbits.  We wanted to give them a fighting chance and relocate them out side our enclosed yard but the dogs found one first and of course they killed it.  Every time Sweetie, the golden retriever and her two kids went out into the yard they were tracking their scent.  Pax, our fourth dog, wasn’t interested at all in the rabbits.  Now I know why I spotted a cottontail once slipping into our yard at night.  She had a brood to take care of.

Tags: baby rabbits, cottontail, dogs, golden retriever, mother rabbit, our yard, Pax, pets, rabbits, Sweetie, tall grass
Posted in animals, children, death, local, nature, time | No Comments »

John Dye played the role of his life as the angel of death in Touched By An Angel series–as Andrew.  I watch the series sometimes and always was amazed at the humanity he brought to that role.  Hell was never mentioned directly.  He always spoke how much God wanted you to turn to Him.  It was your choice.  Death is such a taboo in our society.  I am not sure why but it is.  John in his role spoke about death all the time.  He never used that word.  It was always come to the Light, how much God loved you and it was always your choice.  I never tired of listening to him in the series.  None of us is going to make out of this world alive.  Andrew emphasized how much it pained God to have an human separated from him.  Turn toward Him and His love Andrew said over and over.  His acting was totally convincing.  John died at the early age of forty-seven.  I would have liked to have met him.

Tags: "Touched By An Angel", Andrew, angel of death, come to the Light, death a taboo in society, eulogy for John Dye, God, God loves you, hell, humans separated from God, it is your choice, John Dye, turn toward Him and His love
Posted in death, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Tomorrow I will see my sister and her husband.  It will only be over a quick meal.  What is unusual about it is it will be in New Orleans–a place neither of us have been before.  It is plain serendipity.  We will meet in New Orleans proper.  For an hour and half at the most.  Then my friend will take me to the airport at Gulfport.  An hour and half is only a kernel of sand in this vast universe yet it is our time.  And time can be so fleeting.  Last year it was Easton, Pa we met for a few hours and that visit included my other sister and my wife.  You never know for sure when it will be the last time.  Each moment has to be savored and treasured.

Tags: family, family visit, Gulfport, my friend, my sisters, my wife, New Orleans, savor and treasure each moment, time can be so fleeting, vast universe
Posted in death, God, life, love, marriage, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Old friends are to be treasured.  I am visiting one in New Orleans.  He still makes me laugh after all these years.  I have known him since I was a kid.  There was a span of thirty years we lost contact.  Then I tracked him down.  We started going on a yearly camping/fishing trip.  I found out there was a reason we were friends back then.  There is still that connection between us.  There was a reason we were friends back then.  We have a history together.  I still love his dry sense of humor.  He continues to make me laugh.  Such friends are to be treasured.  Most people if they are lucky only have one or two such friends in their lifetime.

Tags: camping/fishing trip, dry sense of humor, friends, have a connection between us, have a history, known him since I was a kid, makes me laugh, New Orleans, old friends, treasure old friends
Posted in balance, death, life, love, nature, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »