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

Every person gives what they can, when they can, to whoever they can.  It is important to have low expectations of your acquaintances (and certainly your friends).

Thus, you can never be disappointed and when one comes through and gives you something unexpectedly (and let us not forget the gift of their time probably the most precious commodity a person possesses), you simply can be grateful and consider it serendipity.

One can not live inside another and know what goes on, what pressures and concerns that person is facing.  It is hard enough when you live with someone so you can imagine how difficult it is with someone else.

When another person reaches out to you, you ought to be grateful and accept the gift.  Others give what they can, when they can.  That does not mean you should not try to reach out to others around you.

Just be aware others often do not acknowledge your efforts and certainly do not always return the “favor” to put it one way.  You need to love others particularly your neighbors (and even strangers) unconditionally.

A relationship may blossom when you least expect it to.  And that is how it usually goes.

Tags: accept the gift, acquaintances, be grateful, blossom, gift of your time, give what you can, give when you can, hard to know what others are facing, love strangers, love unconditionally, love your neighbors, precious commodity, reach out to others, relationships, return the favor, serendipity, your efforts, your friends
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I want to thank the people who are in my life.  I know most people will never read this and I will leave out people and I realize Thanksgiving has passed but it is never too late to do this.  All these people take the “extra step” and I do not want to take any of them for granted.

First the medical team

(1) Dr. Hume for your kindness and helpfulness

(2) Dr. Cornelius for your patience

(3) Dr. Blake for her thoroughness

(4) Dr. Mital for your ability to listen

Then,  P & R and Bob and his team who takes care of our cars and keeps them running smoothly, I thank you for your honesty and competence and for standing up to your work even when it costs you and most of all for always giving me the time of day when I have a question about my vehicle

For both of my sisters Fran and Marilyn who are always there when I need them

For Tony for your support:  you know who you are

For Sara, who I have known for over fifteen years and is one of the reasons I still write for her encouragement never abated

For the audience at the local coffeehouse who laughed at my material encouraging me to continue to find the humorous in everyday situations

For Elizabeth Yon wherever you are and the years you spent moderating our writing group

My two kids who years ago I thought I never would have but they came and have blessed me immeasurably

All the many people who God put in my life including those from my small church who have blessed me with their presence

To Sonya who welcomes everyone at the local post office and gives me one more reason why I want to stay in my small town and Perry county

And most of all for my wife who inspires me and still makes me laugh after all these years and came into my life when I was not looking, who thinks she is better than me at Scrabble (she did lose the first ten games she played against me).  As an editor she has no equal.  My website and blog would never have come into being if it was not for her (she is the webmaster).  I “pop” out my bed each morning because of her.  And she bakes a pretty “mean” apple pie.  She gives me a reason to cook.  And that is no small thing.  And after six years she still wants to sleep in our bed.  I call her “serendipity” although she can really be stubborn (for that matter so can I); nevertheless, I thank the Lord every day for her.  I did nothing to deserve her.

Tags: apple pie, audience, blessed, blog, car mechanic, cars, church, coffeehouse, competence, cooking, doctor, editor, encouragement, find the humor, friends, God, honesty, inspires me, makes me laugh, my kids, my wife, post office, Scrabble, serendipity, sisters, small town, stubborn, take for granted, take the extra step, thank people, thank the Lord every day, thank-you, thanksgiving, the Lord, those who serve, webmaster, website, writer, writers group, writing
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I don’t want to squander the seventy degree day in the middle of November.  I checked the ten day forecast–still warm for this time of year.  Today it is going to hit seventy.  It is very unusual to have a day this warm this late in Autumn.

I want to do something unusual this day before the daylight runs out.  I have about five hours left before it gets dark.  Perhaps I will go fishing somewhere I have never been.  It can’t be too far away but I don’t want to waste this unexpected mild weather.

Weather is all by grace.  People complain about the weather all the time.  I just want to accept whatever comes my way.  The weather is always by grace.  I know cold weather will come.  This day is by serendipity.  I will just take advantage of it.

Tags: autumn, by grace, cold weather, daylight, go fishing, God, mild weather, November, seasons, serendipity, seventy degrees, ten day forecast, the weather
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The best discoveries are always when you least expect them.  Today I was walking my dog and I picked something off the middle of the road.  It was a two inch diameter bird nest.  It had to have been built by a ruby-throat hummingbird:  it was so small.  Somehow it fell off the tree.  I had never seen such a small nest before.

Later on in the day, I was driving home after making my daily trek to the post office and a turkey hen and her nine babies passed in front of me to my amazement.  I stopped my car, mouth open, and let the baby turkeys pass.

I do not even know what turkey babies are called.  What was even more interesting to me was at least half of the babies were a different size:  she must have hatched half of her brood at a different time.  I had never seen baby wild turkeys before in my life.  You never know when the next discovery will come.  It is all serendipity.

Tags: baby wild turkey, beauty, bird nest, birds, discovery, dogs, God, pets, post office, ruby-throated hummingbird, serendipity, turkey hen, turkey hen and nine babies, walking my dog
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I love garage sales.  I had the grand total of four dollars in my pocket.  I bought a large print Bible for two dollars.  I was thrilled.  I also bought another Scrabble game for a dollar.  Scrabble is my favorite game and I was not going to turn down the purchase for one dollar.  She claimed all the pieces were there and they were.

I also bought a box of four puzzles–the kind you put together.  It even had the solutions if you wanted to cheat.  I knew my wife would love the puzzles.

I actually was short one dollar but I promised the lady (who is also a waitress at the nearby diner) I would give her the missing dollar another day and she agreed.

Garage sales are like serendipity.  You never know what you are going to find.  You end up buying “treasures” sometimes because you never ever would have paid the full price for that item.  There are always surprises.

Tags: garage sales, God, large print Bible, my wife, Scrabble, serendipity, surprises, treasures, wooden puzzle
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I was lying in bed and thinking as I was trying to fall asleep.  I must thank the Lord for everything–even this comfortable bed and pillows I am resting my head on.

Everything Is by grace.  There is no way around that.  You can think otherwise but it is futile.  You can rail how unfair life is but that is futile, too.

Less is always more.  And God does not owe us anything and everything we have is by the grace of God.  Life is never fair:  some people have more and some people have less.  The poor are always among us.  The war on poverty–a campaign by Lyndon Johnson, the president of the United States, in the late sixties was a failure.

It is true each person has to help the other in any way you can but the poor will always be among us.  Blessed are the poor in spirit.  Being poor sometimes forces us to rely on God for our provisions.  Money can insulate us from God.

There is the illusion we can provide for ourselves when we have enough money but that is only an illusion.  We need one another.  No man is an island, the famous words of John Donne.

It is far easier to lead your life with thankfulness.  Gratitude is a blessing and each person needs to reach out to others in any way they can.  In fact, in the Bible it say that if it is in your power to help someone and do not you have committed a sin.

I have to count my blessings each day.  My wife is only here by serendipity.  My attitude of thankfulness for the provisions of the Almighty gives me grace that I can not earn.  And everything is by grace.

Tags: attitude of thankfulness, bed and pillows, Bible, blessed, blessed are the poor in spirit, count my blessings, everything-is-by-grace, God, God does not owe us anything, God's Word, grace of God, gratitude, help others, John Donne, less is more, life is not fair, life-is-unfair, Lyndon Johnson, money, my wife, no man is an island, poor, poverty, president, provisions, reach out to others, rely on God, serendipity, sin, sleep, thank the Lord, thank the Lord for everything, thankful, The Almighty, the Lord, the poor always among us, war on poverty
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I call my wife serendipity.  I know I did nothing to deserve her.  I, also, know she is still her.  If I changed her, it is only by love and in ways I could not anticipate.

She certainly is a gift–a New Yorker in spirit.  I grew up in that area.  My editor and a fine graphic artist.  She maintains this site.  I know she complements me.  She is the reason I hop out of bed eager to face the next day.

Every night she sleeps along aside me.  And I know that is no small thing.

When I least expected it, she came along.  I had known her for several years.  She always makes me laugh.  And again that is no small thing.

She encourages me in different ways.  She makes me want to be better, to strive for the stars.  There is so much I can say about her.  These are only a few things in passing.  I am a very lucky man.

Love,
Yours
Siggy

Tags: did nothing to deserve her, eager to face the next day, editor, encourages me, graphic artist, love, lucky man, makes me laugh, makes me want to be better, my editor, my wife, serendipity, she complements me, she is a gift, Siggy, sleeps along aside me, strive for the stars
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To some extent, choosing a good wife (or does she choose you?) is by serendipity.  Certainly a quarrelsome wife can drive you crazy.  There is no doubt some fits are better than others but commitment is the most important factor in the success of a marriage.  It is the glue that keeps it together.  It enables you to ride out bad times and each marriage has their share of rough moments.  The next is, maybe, good communication between both partners.  It is the ability to talk out everything.  A good marriage reduces your stress at home.  God knows you get enough outside the home.  Mutual respect goes a long way.  Working out difficult issues keeps you together.  Proverbs says a good wife is worth their weight in gold.  I have no doubt of this truth so value a good woman.  And do not let her go.

Tags: a good marriage, a good wife, Bible, commitment, communication, glue that keeps you together, God, good wife worth weight in gold, love, marriage, mutual respect, Proverbs, quarrelsome wife, relationships, ride out bad times, serendipity, stress, talk out everything
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Less is always more.  One of the ten commandments is, ‘Thou shall not covet.’  I did not realize for awhile I was breaking that commandment all the time or even it was one of the commandments.  Things are always distributed unequally in this world.  Some people have more.  Some less.  That is reality.  The trick is to be happy with what you have.  I do not like game shows and lotteries because both pander to greed.  God gives to each of us abundantly.  He only promises food and shelter.  Everything else is given to you by serendipity.  The poor will always exist in this world.  We are commanded to help the less fortunate.  In fact, if it is in your power to perform a good deed and you don’t it is a sin.  Thank God for all your blessings all the time and help the less fortunate.  Again, I will quote Mother Teresa:  ‘Do small things with great love.’  Never forget your blessings.  And always pray to God with thanksgiving.

Tags: 'do small things with great love', balance, be happy with what you have, Bible, blessings, covet, God, God gives abundantly, God's grace, greed, help the less fortunate, less is more, Mother Teresa, pray to God with thanksgiving, serendipity, ten commandments, thank God, thank God for all your blessings, thanksgiving, thou shall not covet
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