E.F. LINEKIN 

83 Years...6 months...6 days....

Quite a lifetime.. and so much in it.
A childhood in Maine. That was so
packed full, I had no clue to that
part of his life. Until recently
in the past couple years when he
decided to write some passages of
that time.

I had only known the time I was
around him off and on over the years.
I remember as a child, he was so strict.
So strict that when my parents left my
brother and I in their care, he had us
Saying “yes, ma’am, yes, sir” “thank
you, ma’am and thank you sir”, "may
I please"by the time we return home
several days later. He and I laugh
about it over my adult years.

He was my hero, they came to visit,
our folks were gone somewhere.
And there was a large rat in our yard.
He picked up a pitch folk and threw it.
Like a spear, and killed that rat. I never
seen anything like it before, or since.

Over the years, he kept his own children
in line, and myself included. While some
of that was out of fear, fear of disappointing
him, a lot of it, out of respect.

He serve in the United States Navy, and
was so very proud of his time there. 26
years worth, if I recall right. Answered
to the name of Chief by his fellow shipmates.
Served on many ships over the years, served
in Vietnam. Taught on the base in San Diego.

This was a very proud man. He was definitely
Head of the house. (when his wife let him, lol)
He loved his wife more than the stars in the sky.
He had 5 children he was very proud of. And 7
grandchildren, and several great grandchildren.

Quite a legend in our time. We all have our
stories of our times with him. And now he
has left us. To be buried at sea. Just like
he requested. Our lives will have an empty
space to be filled by no other.

We will miss him so very much, each
in our own way. You see I was one of
the lucky ones that was gathered in to
the fold. He addressed his letter to me,
Oldest Daughter, which he wrote
just about every Tuesday to us all.
And I, the procrastinator, who wrote
too few. I will miss those letters, as
we talked about politics, the weather,
how the families were doing, and any
thing else. I don’t know what I will do
with the stamps, I save in the jar, to
send to him. As he was a stamp collector.

So good night sweet Prince, good
night Uncle Tiny, good night….
Dad
E.F. LINEKIN
1922-2005

Visiting Dinners

Visiting.... visiting dinners....

What ever happen to Friday or
Saturday night visiting... or sharing
a dinner and visiting.

Remember when we were kids, our
parents use to go to a friend's house.
The kids would head to the kid's bedroom
or basement. In those days, the
playroom was down there. And the
adults played cards, or games.
Or they just visited, drinking
coffee. Then about 9 or so, you
headed for home.?

Or you went for dinner and the
same? Some times it was
just the couple, most of the
time it was the whole family.
Most of the time the family
you visited was a relative.
An uncle or aunt. And the
kids were your cousins.

Guess that is something
that has gone to the way
side. This came to mind,
as we did two of these
dinners this past weekend.

One was friends who are
getting ready to leave
for the winter. The other
just invited us. It was
really nice, both times.

Seems to be a lost art. I
can't remember the last
one I did before this past
weekend. Years and years
ago. Definitely when my kids
were little.

Even getting in the car
on a Saturday afternoon,
or Sunday afternoon, and
go visit someone. Does
any one do that anymore?
I know I haven't. I wonder
why it all stopped.

Maybe people are like me,
I like staying home and
relaxing on the weekend
nights.

Happy Halloween Day

Halloween 1990

HAPPY HALLOWEEN....

This picture is of 1990. I
had the King drive me to
my work place. But he
refused to take me, if I
wore the head. He dropped
me off a block away so
no one would see me
put the head on. In that
short walk, I had more
people waving and beeping
their horns, and laughing.

I had cut the pumpkin
from the bottom instead
of the top. This took
quite a bit of thinking,
because I had to have
a pumpkin big enough
not only to fit my head.
But also big enough
I could cut the hole
in the bottom for my
head to fit thru. I have
a large head. And not
have the pumpkin break.

The rest of it was fairly easy
after I got it cleaned out,
as it was just like dealing
with any other pumpkin.
Except I had to remember
the mouth went near
where the hole was.
And the eyes near the
other end.

I had borrowed the King's
gloves, boots and his
Carharts coveralls.

It was so cool.Almost no one
knew who I was.. I danced
down the halls, waving to
everyone one. But twice
I was guessed. One was
a resident, who called me
by the name she called me
all the time...Helen. I must
have reminder her of a Helen.
The aides who were
near by, they couldn't figure
out who Helen was.

The other was my boss,Nani.
She didn't catch on until I laugh.
She said that was a dead give away.

It is weird the different takes
on Halloween. Some think it
is a great time for the kids. I
do. Love their costumes, when
they come to the door.

Others think of Satan, and
all evil things. Which brings
to me the stories I had learn
as a teen. I don't recall
who told me it, was it my
Pastor? But anyway, it
was a celebration. It was
started in Europe when they
would go to the cemetery
on that night, and bring
treats to eat as they visited
the deceased relatives. And
this would ward off the evil
spirits. So I was taught it
was a festive thing. A
celebration. Not the horrible
evils, that some like.
But I don't know how the
costumes came to be with
that. To ward off the evil
spirits maybe?

Anyway,
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
everyone

Halloween is Coming

Monday is Halloween... Trick or Treat
I have been thinking about it lately
because, of course we have to get
candy for the 6 to 11 kids that show up.
We try to buy candy we don't like, so
we don't eat it before the day comes.
But this year, I bought the kind we like,
and so far we have been pretty good.


We are lucky our neighborhood isn't
prime area, so the kids go to town
to the areas that have lots of candy.

We were talking about the costumes
that we used as kids. And for the life
of me, I don't recall one. I am sure
Mom must have made costumes
for us. She was very creative and
she was a master seamstress.

All I can recall of Halloween is
the grange. We use to go to
the grange and play games
like musical chairs, and bob
for apples. And being I loved
to swim, bobbing for apples
was easy for me, as I really
like swimming underwater.

I can barely remember my
brother going the door to door
route. He is 4 years younger
than I am. But can remember
him bringing home, what I
think was a pillow case
full of candy. And Mom eating
some of it. Dad too.

By that time I was into basement
parties at friends.
We didn't get to do the fun
things that our country
friends did. Turn over the
outhouse. We didn't have
them in our town. Or chase
the cows to the far end field.
Farmers got so they barn
their livestock during that time.

I am amazed at the teens,
older teens that show up at
our door. And more parents
are showing up with their
kids now. I am glad.

We always greet the callers,
as we love seeing the different
costumes. The little ones
are the most fun. But even if
it is a teen, who is dressed up
we are glad to see them.
It is the lazy ones who just show
up with the "just give me the candy
attitude" we don't like to see.

Will be looking forward to seeing
the bloggers post their little ones
in their costume on their blogs.

By the way, it use to be that the
Christmas stuff would be coming
out after Halloween, and as we
all know, it is already out. But
when I was at Wally World
yesterday, I saw........ a shirt
with a Shamrock on it...yes,
Happy St. Patrick's Day...
I could not believe it. It even
skipped Valentine's Day, surely
it must have been one of the clerks
April Fool's jokes... you know these
holidays are getting out of hand.

Spam E-mail

I am use to getting spam messages,
and a lot of them in the form of male
enhancement, with my email address
starting with a male name. It just happens..

But now I am down right insulted...
I got one on Wednesday for, get this!!!
Diaper Supply. I can get a years
worth of diapers today!!....

Now I am way pass having kids....
and I am sorry, but I am not to the
other end of the diaper stage yet either.

Now my delemnia.. do I email back
and tell these young punks, that I
don't use diapers... how dare they
presume I do... And therefore letting
them know I am a live address so
they can spam the crap out of me...
or do I delete it...ticked off..
.
I think I will tell the King it was for
him... after all it is his name that
leads our email address... lol.....
let him get ticked off... lol... But
knowing him, he will just tell me
it is my hobby, not his, so he takes
no responsibility here.Meaning
working on the computer.

My server has spam block so why
don't they catch these spams?
I notice that at the bottom they will
say that you asked for it... but I
don't sign on for any of that stuff.
If I order something, I make sure
I off click those check marks on
everything.

Oh, well, it takes a second to
delete and block. But that
one blew me away.

Doctor Appointment Notice

As I look at the notice for a future
appointment for the doctor to be
made, I think about my childhood
and how different it was as oppose
to this notice...

You see, the notice of a need for an
appointment, wasn't for the King
or I. It was for Rokon, our cat.

Many years ago, our farm had
many animals pass thru its gates.
We had dogs, cats, chickens,
guinea pigs, geese, and horses.
We were mainly a horse farm.
Show horses. My mother's hobby
of her life.

The vet came into play with mainly
the horses. Dr. Ball. He and Mom
had a good relationship going, and
as in a lot of cases, the owner called
with the symptoms and the Vet told
what to do. The owner did it. If it was
meds, then the owner went to the
Vet's office and got them. My mother
could give her own animals shots.
So taking the animal to the Vets
was not a normal thing.

The cats, chickens, guinea pigs,
geese were low on the Vet chain.
Our cats were 99% barn cats.
I think only 4 cats made it in the
house over the 50 some years.
So when any of them got sick,
well.. they just died.

The dogs were different. We
started out with Boston Terriers
from my birth time, and switched
to Dalmatians about when I was 5
or 6. Buddy, who lived forever, or
at least it seem to be. And the routine
was, as each dog got to be 10, a puppy
was bought to take over after the
other died a natural death. Mom could
never bring herself to putting a dog
down. She did breed the dogs for a
couple of years, but quit when prices
went down. The dogs were treated by
Mom with Dr. Ball's advisory. These
dogs were the privilege. They lived
inside the house. They were allowed
outside, but mostly when she was
with them.

The horses over the years where
the ones who actually saw the Vet.
And the Vet made house calls. She
ran the gamut of American Saddle
Bred, 5 Gaited Saddle horses, to
Jumpers. And in their senior years,
Hackney ponies and one Hackney
horse that they drove/showed in their
buggies. Showing horses up in to
their 60's. They have always had
anywhere from 3 to 20 horses.

When my mother got cancer, they
were down to 7. It was my job with
my brother and father, and Cy Allen's
(the Vet) to put down 6 of them.
While my mother was in the hospital.
All in one day. Something I hope
I never have to go thru again.

But what a change in animals lives.
Now they have to go to the doctor on
a regular basis. As I read in one blog,
where the bloggers dog had higher
prescription bill than they did.

While losing a pet never is easy.
But it seems the older we get,
the more endearing them become
in our lives.

Media of our Time

"Oh, Cisco…..Oh, Poncho….".
"Hi Ho Silver, (who is that
mask man)"
"Happy Trails to you….
Until we meet again…".
"Back in the Saddle again ,
back where I came from"

The sound of machine guns,
from Gangbusters and G-men,
Boston Blacky (don’t know if that
was on the west coast as well)
Buck Rogers…Sgt. Preston of the
Yukon, Tom Mix, Lone Ranger,
and other westerns…All sounds of
our childhood…While some of these
made it to television…most of these
were from the main source of the
media as we knew it.. Newspapers
were for the adults…. But this media
was for young and old alike….

RADIO…..I can remember being
upstairs in bed,as my folks listened
to the radio. Scared out of my wits with ….
Inner Sanctum EEEEEEEEEEEE
(as the door creaked open ."Who knows
what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The
Shadow knows...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"...
The Green Hornet…Orson Wells …
End of the World, was before my time,
but that sure scared a lot of people.

Laughed with Bob Hope and Eddie Cantor…
Jack Benny, Grace Allen & George Burns,
Amos and Andy, Baby Snooks, Our Miss
Brooks, Bergen & McCarthy, Arthur
Godfrey's Talent Scouts, Fibber McGee
& Molly and Ozzie & Harriet with David
and Ricky.

And all was well, when Kate Smith sang,
When the moon comes over the Mountain,
and tears bring to your eyes, as she sang…
God Bless America…

And for the baby boomers...which was
on at the beginning of T.V. What time is it?…
It is Howdy Doody Time, it is Howdy Doody
Time,with Buffalo Bob, Clarabelle, and
Princess, Summerfall, WinterSpring, &
Phineas T. Bluster.

What brought all this on? The crossword puzzle
question, "What was Cisco Kid's horse's name...
Diablo ..of course...

Oh, you kids really did miss out…
nothing adds to the imagination like radio did….

Trouble in Blogspot Land

Well, good morning again...

You may or may not see my posting
below. You may or may not see
it posted twice... different titles.

I posted it early this morning when
I couldn't sleep. Then I hit publish,
and that is where the trouble started.

It came up that it disappeared but,
I could hit recovery and it would
continue to publish. It didn't.
So I republished it, giving it a new
name. Luckily, I had saved it in
my word folder where I was working
on it.

It published and came to new
window. To my horror, there
were two entries. So I went back
and hit delete for one of them.
It went thru the deal for that,
and then gave me the new
window. To see that I still
had two entries. I go back
to the dashboard, and back
to edit... and it tells me I only
have one entry.

Turn everything off... started
all over again... says I have
only one entry... go check
it out. TWO!. So gave it up,
and went back to bed.

This morning, I looked at it.
Still two. So I went back in and
deleted the other one, with
the idea that I would delete
the other one as well, and start
over.

So there I am.. with two deletes,
that didn't work. I am here now
just explaining I am not nuts,
that Blogspot is. And for now
I give up.

I will check back to see if they
correct it. If not, just skip the
second one and have a nice day.
And if the one called Media of my
Time is gone... well, I just may
wait until tomorrow to post it.
after all this is long now.
After all maybe this one isn't
here... who knows...

Stormy clouds at sunset