Icewind's Ramblings

I have lost several loved ones over the last several months, and had the privilege of officiating the funerals for my aunt and uncle, so the concepts of death and life have been weighing heavily on my mind.  All were men and women of great integrity, humility, and character, who exhibited the work ethic made famous by that “Greatest Generation”.  They all loved their families and were active in their churches.  In working to create an overarching narrative that encapsulates each person’s life, I began to wrestle with these questions: How do you measure a life?  What is the measure of a life well-lived? In grappling with these questions, in light of the men and women who served as heroes and role models for me, I came to this conclusion: The measure of a man is not marked by the wealth he acquires, the possessions he accumulates, or the positions he attains.  Indeed, these are very faulty measures, measures that, in the end, leave only br...

This morning I awoke to brisk temperatures in the upper thirties with a sky that had high clouds that were going through the ever changing color palette seen most mornings if one chooses to awake to experience it.  The changes from darkness to light have always been a major part of my day as it sets the tone for what is to come.  The gradual tones from dark to gray looking through the trees or the faint glow of light on the seashore as first light takes hold of the night and forces it away can be both awe inspiring and mood setting if one chooses to participate in this daily ritual.  Even cloudy, rainy, or snowy mornings can have an impact to attitudes if one is in tune or conscious of this phenomenon. The few high clouds changing from the gray to a soft pink then to a fiery red hue at the blueness of the morning sky took hold let me know it would be an interesting day for me and Placido Flamingo.  Today we would be on the road traveling to see my mama who...

The sun will rise and set today . . . regardless of what is going on in your life. You will go on today . . . regardless of what is happening to you, for you or around you. These are trying times of late with more family illness to deal with, please keep us in your prayers. You can go through your day on autopilot or you can choose to appreciate your life experience. What will you choose today? Today I'm choosing to be grateful . . . for every moment and every person in my life. Everyday we have the opportunity to make this “Now” moment in our lives the best possible time as it is always fleeting and we can never get it back again. I'm blessed because you are here with me my friends . . . on my journey. We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and continue . . . we are Southern strong! Ice

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to sit down and write since I have had problems with my laptop the last couple of months. Long story I had to totally reformat everything back to the factory setting which meant losing my Microsoft Office Suite and I had no disk to reload it back on. I’ve loaded another program until I have the disc so hopefully there will be no formatting issues. Another winter day has come and gone away in Helen I know so I decided to take a break and hike a longtime old favorite trail. It was a beautiful day with temperatures at freezing this morning but warmed into the sixties by afternoon. This beautiful rock outcropping in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains near Helen Georgia was a long ago hang out of mine in the seventies. I had the pleasure of flying a hang glider off the rocky overlook several times in my youth and have several fond memories of hiking and camping there. Mount Yonah today still is the gateway guardian into Hele...

Life Observation # 180 . . . Opposing viewpoints This year, 2016 is finally winding down and for many of us cannot wait for this one to come to a final close. It has been for many of us a trying, painful, and sad year with so many things happening to us and our families, friends and people all over the world who saw mainly the tragedies this year.  There were not many positive stories or things happening for everyone to feel good about.  The hope for better things in our lives used to be something everyone believed in and looked forward to but it seems many have given up on those attitudes and ideals.  Hopefully the New Year will bring back that feeling of renewed Hope, Abundance, and Gratefulness so lacking right now. The election is finally over . . . the outcome only time will tell where our country will go from here . . . hopefully to a stronger nation once again.  I have friends on all sides of the political spectrum and it was an interesting exer...

Life Observation # 179 . . . Experiencing difficulties in Life This has been a tough year for our family but we are Southern strong and look forward to a positive year in 2017.  When you are experiencing difficulties in life and we all do from time to time I am reminded of this quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt: “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” May your holidays be filled with laughter; family; friends, and a positive attitude for all!  God Bless. Ice

Pacific Coast Highway Revisited “And as time goes by Oh it's funny how time can make you realize We're running out of it” – Zac Brown Band It’s been nine months since I left Alaska and started the “recalculation” of my life and what I thought about it at that time.  With any change it starts a process of evaluation in one’s self and in the things within your universe surrounding yourself. Mt. Hood Oregon As time has passed by, so have things, people, mental orientations, passions and moments.   Some have devolved and then evolved into something greater.  Originally, I started this blog, “Where’s the Flamingo” to share the experiences as I traveled and also bring with it a slightly humorous effect with Placido Flamingo and his experiences along the road, my road sometimes called Life’s Highway.  Mt. Washington, British Columbia But, as I have traveled, a more fulfilling purpose has evolved.  So now it isn’t just the experiences I h...

Life Observation # 178 . . .  “Time heals all wounds” Loss is a process which has to be dealt with and no two people experience it the same way.  It is a unique experience for each of us as we look at things through various lenses and frames of mind.  The loss of someone is often painful and probably for most people more so that we may imagine.  People who say that “time heals all wounds” don’t know what they are talking about.  Time lessens the sting of loss, but the pain never completely goes away.  That doesn’t mean you won’t experience joy and happiness again; you will.  In time, you will begin enjoying the present instead of dwelling on the past. Ice

Since I have been on the road and didn’t have my external drive I have gotten out of sequence in my numbering of my Life Observations but now am back on track. This expresses my thoughts exactly . . .  Life Observation # 177 . . . Attitude “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.  It will make or break a company... a church.... a home.   The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our att...

“As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” Happy Thanksgiving everyone, as I hope it is a great day for you! Times have been a little depressing lately for many people in the country so I thought it would be great to give you a couple of laughs today.  It will only take a few minutes of your time . . . about the time it takes to have a cup of coffee so take a break and give yourself a little smile and for me every time I hear or see this it gives me a good belly laugh. There aren't as many classic Thanksgiving episodes of TV shows as there are classic Christmas episodes.  But there are several we remember fondly, including this one.  It's the "Turkeys Away" episode of  WKRP in Cincinnati  that originally aired on October 30, 1978.  Station Manager Carlson tries to come up with a special promotion for the station and, well, you'll see what happens. WKRP in Cincinnati was a sitcom by Hugh Wilson who was in sales and pa...

Thanks to our military personnel both overseas and at home as there is danger and sacrifice on both fronts.  Thanks to you and your families . . . to those in support of our men and women all over the world. Take a few moments and remember what principles founded this country . . . “In God We Trust” We seemed to have moved away from those principles and slowly we are losing focus on what has kept us a great Nation. I am super proud of being an American, but we fail our veterans every day.   Veterans are a symbol of what makes our nation great, and we must never forget all they have done to ensure our freedom. A remembrance from a little known (American public) time in my life . . . Operation Lam Son 719 "The operation was conceived in doubt and assailed by skepticism, preceded in confusion." Dr. Henry Kissinger speaking on Operation Lam Son 719  The following excerpt from Newsweek, 15 March 1971, was more objective than most at the tim...