Mr. Burns and Bobby

No, I'm not talking about Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.  If you've known me since I've bought my house, you will be familiar with Mr. Burns.  Until he retired recently, he took care of my yard, and of me.  I affectionately referred to him as "my fairy godfather."

He has taken care of my yard since before it was my yard.  Happily, I inherited him from the previous owner.  He is a WWII vet, a strong Christian and a Republican.  And he has cared for me, entertained me, and taught me for the 6 years I've been here.  We've never talked politics nor religion, on which we would never agree, but that has never, ever mattered.  We are both human beings, and believe in friendliness and neighborliness.

My very favorite Mr. Burns story is this:  He used to go to a local Tom Thumb on Saturdays and had a friend who would fix him up with all the "day-old" bakery goods.  He, in turn, took them to his friends (one of whom I was so lucky to be), then to a senior center.  One Saturday, on which I had promised to bake a cake, hadn't gotten to, and was in DEEP TROUBLE, he showed up at my back door in the nick of time.  Do you know what he said when I opened the door?  He said," Do you want chocolate or carrot cake?"  Like he'd known that I was cake-less and in need of one ASAP.  That's why I call him my fairy godfather.

He always showed up when he thought my yard looked overgrown.  He knew I'd pay him when I could (and I did).  Now, after 2 knee surgeries, he's retired.  And so, now there's Bobby.

Bobby is Mr. Burn's 2-doors-down neighbor.  He's a younger man, and it's obvious he's inherited me.  He fixed my water leak when it sprung in my garage.  He cleaned my chimney - finding the dessicated dead squirrel, tennis ball, prayer book, and pencil.  He has, as of today, mowed and cleaned up my lawn twice without payment.

I saw him this morning and said, "Bobby, thanks so much for taking care of me.  And I will pay you when I can."  He said, "I know," and that was that.

I feel like I keep harping on this "gratitude" thing, but it's this constant in my life - that things keep happening for which I am grateful.  I am so very blessed.

If you're reading this, please comment.  I need the encouragement to continue to write and share.  And, if you need a good yard/handy man, let me know.  Bobby can travel.

Blessings.

Happy Birthday, Joe Campbell

Happy Birthday, Joe! You have inspired me through the years to truly follow my bliss, and to really work out what that means for me. The actual quote has to do with following your bliss, but don't expect to make a lot of money! I've followed my bliss for many years now, with success and failure. I've only ever wanted to have an interesting life - so far, so good!

If I'm lucky, the bank will allow me to keep my house. I have a "quality of life" job - $8/hour with evenings and Sundays and Mondays off, and no stress that means anything. I have beloved pets, a comfortable bed, windows that I open on nice days, a front porch that I don't use as often as I should, a gas stove, big back and front yards with trees, a fireplace - I am counting my blessings.

And, oh, my friends. I have so many, many beloved friends. There are those from college. There is my best friend from high school. There are my friends from various jobs and lives- ranging from Dallas to Singapore and all points in between. There are my new friends whom I've met in my spiritual seeking. I am so very blessed!

Back to Joe Campbell, he said that you will be able to look back on your life and it will read like a movie script; that everything will have led to everything else, and it couldn't have been any different, or worked out as perfectly. Through what we think of as good, and what we think of as difficult or bad, it's all the same. It is indeed, "all good."

Again, happy birthday, Joe!