What's Up Melton?

Most of our adult lives our commitments consume our time. We don't dislike having to be busy and responsible for others. It's what we do! As we age our obligations and priorities change - that's not always a bad thing! If we live long enough it happens! Once retired, our retirement frees up our personal time, so we can pretty much can do whatever we want. If we have a choice, we can fritter our time away doing nothing , or we can do something !  My interests are all over the place -- seldom am I ever bored. Cartooning, creating caricatures for tourists at popular resorts here in the states and abroad, in the past, and music appreciation, church involvement, sailing, photography, creative writing, cooking and flying my drones, as well as, fooling around with my tractor on our property have been my occupation since retiring in my late fifties. In the days and weeks to come, I want to slow down on my writing to spend more of my time editing and producing my videos for my YouT...

I'm not a fan of sleeping with a fan -- especially, all night long! My wife is, and that's all I'm going to say about that! Best I don't go there, so I am changing the subject! What about dreams? What are they? Why do we have them? Are dreams real? Let's see, here's what I can report about dreams. "In your dreams!" Now, that's funny! When we dream, we get to act out what we probably wouldn't do in reality. That ca n be fun! In the 19th century, Sigmund Freud pioneered the study of dreams. However, in spite of all the advanced research done with science, through the years, and since then, we still don't know everything about dreams or why we have them.  Here's what I have discovered in my research on the subject of dreams : Typically, we spend about two hours each night dreaming. Our dreams can last anywhere from 5-20 minutes each. Sometimes, it seems, I dream all night long. Other times, I may not dream at all. I don't always rememb...

What is Bipolar Express ? Why did I choose to title this message "Bipolar Express?" For those that have symptoms of, or who are already suffering from the disorder known as; being bipolar --  having one's doctor accurately diagnose this medical condition as soon as possible is very important!  I want to help everyone who might be suffering from the extreme highs and lows of these mood swings by providing some direction to reliable resources. Not everyone knows whether they have symptoms of bipolar, or what they should do about them. Hopefully, my information will help someone. 1. Feeling sad, empty or hopeless most of the day. every day can be a symptom of bipolar. 2. Trouble sleeping at night and staying awake all day can be a symptom. 3. Often feeling worthless or guilty all the time is not normal, may be a symptom of bipolar. 4. Work, family and/or social life is suffering. 5. At times, feeling very euphoric, revved up, and/or irritable. Dopamine: Science has shown th...

"We need Life Flight!" Desperate words when lives are in serious danger! It happens, all too often, especially in bad weather, traffic accidents or when a family member suffers a stroke or has seriously injured themselves. Memorial Hermann Life Flight is based in Houston, Texas and provides critical care medical air transport services within 150-mile radius of the Texas Medical Center located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1976 by James "Red" Duke, MD the service operates around the clock - weather permitting - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Life Flight is able to transport up to two patients at a time, with each flight staffed by highly skilled personnel and equipped with advanced emergency equipment and necessary medications. There is so much more to know about Memorial Hermann Life Flight you will enjoy visiting their web page which I provide here. ( My accurate source of this important information and yours.) https://memorialhermann.org/services/specialties/tr...

Someone says: "You sound like a screech owl when you sing!" And then, they follow up with "I'm just kidding!" Or a spouse says, "Maybe you need to stay away from the donuts! I'm just kidding. " Hurtful words spoken, and then followed up with an excuse of they are only joking, can still be very hurtful! Are they really joking, or do they actually intend to insult us by making what they think is a harmless insinuation? How are we to take them? We may not know for sure! Their words can still hurt! I might ask that person: "Do you really mean to hurt me with those words? If so, you have!" Hate speech is NOT always as described:  Hate speech is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as "public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation". Hate speech is "usually thought to include communications of animosity or disparagement of an...

  How can I describe this snapshot of our Texas-Mexico border, taken on a trip we made to our Texas Big Bend country, other than spectacular ! We were driving Texas' state road 170 heading to Presidio from Terlingua. We were a little spooked since we were the only vehicle on the road. Along this section of the road, we didn't pass any other cars or trucks. I must say, this desolate part of Texas is just as rugged as it is beautiful! Every curvy turn of this lonely highway presented yet another picture postcard panorama. It would be hard to believe anyone would risk their life crossing such treacherous terrain, but I imagine some have, at one time or another. In the summer, temperatures go well into the hundreds and the dangers of heat exhaustion and death are very real! Diamond-back rattle snakes and scorpions happily make this desert their home -- we never saw any though. We held our breath while traveling on this deserted, stretch of road, not wanting to think of having any ...

Beginning this Sunday, February 13th thru Tuesday 15th yours truly will be taking a short break from my daily stories. I will be involved in SUPER BOWL fun, carrying over thru VALENTINES! I should be back and writing more material on Wednesday, February 16th.  Have a great weekend and a HAPPY VALENTINES all you sweethearts!

                                                          If you have ever been in Wal-Mart or Lowe's, you have likely seen people driving comfortably through the store, riding one of those little battery-operated scooters. They are great if you are a person who has difficulties standing too long or walking around on hard concrete floors carrying a can of paint and your new cordless drill. Seriously, problems with your knees, back or walking can be a strain (comes with age.) Eventually, you might enjoy taking advantage of these one of these nice conveniences provided by many of the larger retailers.  I used to think my ego wouldn't allow me to get on one of those in public! I'm not that handicapped, I would say to myself! Poo! What is my real handicap, sore knees, or a stymied mental attitude about what other people think?  A year ag...

Maybe you have been on a commercial flight and overheard your flight crew use some kind of weird "code-talk". They do this when they need to communicate with each other without the passengers knowing what they are talking about. Could be harmless chatter among themselves or it could be something a lot more serious. Here are 10 examples of their interesting "secret code-talk". 1. "Deadhead": A crew member who is traveling as a passenger only - not on duty. 2. "Slam-click": When a crew member stays in their hotel room until it's time to fly. 3. "Code-bravo": Flight crew uses this term to distract passengers while they may be attempting to take care of a serious problem. 4. "Air pocket": A nice way of saying hold on to your drinks, bumpy ride coming up! 5. "The sin bin": Coming into Vegas? No, it's the area your plane is holding in while waiting to takeoff. 6. "Blue-Juice": Tropical drink? Nope! It is ...

Actually, I’m glad we’re not familiar with the infamous mammoth man-eating croc of Africa’s wetlands locals have named “Gustave”. Estimated to weigh over 2,000 pounds, and said to be around 40 feet long, the monster crocodile has reportedly killed and eaten over 300 people along the banks of Lake Tanganyika in the state of Barundi in Africa. Gustave is too smart to be captured, although many have tried! Well-known herpetologist Patrice Faye has spent many years tracking and studying this beast. He even built a very large steel trap rigged with a live goat for bait and placed along the water’s edge in the attempt to capture Gustave. Faye’s trap failed, the trap being found wrecked, and the poor goat gone! Again, Gustave proved to be too smart for his captors! Gustave has been estimated to be well over 80 years old! He was last spotted in 2009. Reportedly, he was last seen in 2015 dragging an antelope into the murky water, whether this was really Gustave or not, no one knows. Indeed, hi...

Recently, I searched for a better poached egg. Good grief, Melton, you might say, how hard can it be to poach an egg? I know, simple! Always, in the past, I boiled water, dropped my egg in the water, waited to see my egg turn white and no longer clear, and it was then done right? Not exactly! It was still a very fluid, a runny mess! Done, but not pretty!  Here’s a little secret I discovered! No big deal, just an easy way to help your egg transform perfectly so you can serve your guests a better poached egg! Easy now! Boil your water in a deep boiler (saucepan). I recommend 3-4 inches and brought to a rapid boil. With a large spoon, stir in a tablespoon of white vinegar. Create a strong swirl in the boiling water before dropping your egg into the water. The swirling water helps to keep the egg together. My egg was deliciously, runny, and done in only 4 minutes! Perfecto-mundo! I placed my better poached egg on a buttered, slice of Jewish Rye bread but suit yourself my friend...

The Bible describes God’s character as the lion and the lamb. The lion being ferocious, strong, and like a king. The lamb being more docile, peaceful, and not intimidating. God, being seen as a lion is probably what most people prefer to liken to God’s character. Jesus, on the other hand, is endeared to be more like the peaceful lamb. We often think of God having the distinct character of both, the lion , and the lamb. In the Old Testament, God is a roaring lion calling his people from Assyria and Egypt back to Israel. The blood of lambs was sacrificed for the salvation of the Israelites from the wicked rulers in Egypt. Priests of that time would sacrifice lambs for the sins of Israel. In the New Testament, John the Baptist, profoundly declared: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” We can read more in (John 1:29). God is roaring like a lion in the Old Testament. The lion was a metaphor image of the Jewish Messiah. He would come as the conquering king. Not ...

Here's my story -- brace yourself it's going to get nasty! (A true story) My wife and I were celebrating her birthday. I had chosen a very nice restaurant (not mentioning any name) let's just say it was in Texas to protect the innocent. Reservations were required, well in advance, as this was a very popular eatery! It was crowded that evening, and a long line of hungry patrons waited for their table, each held a little courtesy buzzer that lit up and vibrated when their table was ready. I had reserved a nice table close to a window. We had a great view of the city lights! Our server brought the bottle of wine I had selected for us, it was a nice  before dinner wine -- it was elegant. We were presented our menus' and our choices were difficult as every entree and side-order was so described to entice even the most serious vegan or a less-than-hungry diner. I believe that night, I had chosen Escargots a la Bourguignonne as our appetizer. We both enjoy this very traditi...

"Unlimited data!" Hey, I like the sound of that! Since for some reason, in my "Photos" folder on my phone and laptop, I usually have 8 or 9 photos of the same image for some reason, and I keep getting "You are out of storage space!" messages. It's extremely irritating when I read these annoying announcements! I thought the salesperson at the phone store told me I had unlimited data! Come to find out I don't really have unlimited data. "The cloud! The cloud!" friends keep telling me. They tell me to transfer all my stuff to the cloud ! Yeah. yeah. I know! Well, my cloud tells me I need more storage space and for only $12.99 a month, paid annually, I can have actually own real unlimited storage space! Yeah right! I know, friends, no need to explain the technical realities of actual  unlimited data to me. I'm being a little facetious here. It's just that I hate those notices about...well, you know...that warning! I have decided to ...

                                      Despite unfavorable press regarding our law enforcement and border patrol officers, these dedicated men and women are worthy of our respect. These brave individuals have chosen a mostly thankless occupation, one that is extremely dangerous! They choose to serve us, to help us and to protect us! God bless them because, when we need special assistance, they are there! Here are just a few ways we can show them our simple appreciation and honor them: Show them respect - they deserve it! When close to them, give them a smile and a "thumbs up." Greet them with a "thank you!" Keep in mind they are our defenders and our helpers. Be aware of their personal safety! Our peace officers work in shifts -- they get hungry -- they eat out; buy them a meal. See two or three of them sitting together at a table in a cafe or burger restaurant, anonymously, get their server's...

Typically, when I make chili, it is easy. My ingredients are simple, ground beef, tomatoes, yellow onion, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin and pinto beans. This past week, however, I was looking for more of a smoky taste, not necessarily hot or spicy, from scratch, and knowing "kind-of" what I was going for. I got all my select ingredients together and made a recipe plan. This chili was going to be something different - more like I might expect to order in a more traditional Mexican restaurant. This was my project for my wife was off doing her own thing. My recipe was going to require a lot more of everything! I was going to need more than my usual skillet, stewpot and a wooden spoon. For sure! For this recipe, I was going to need my blender, two black-iron skillets, a cookie pan, some foil, a sharp butcher knife and a variety of tasty spices typically used in cooking Mexican. I wanted the taste of two different roasted peppers (Poblanos and Anjou) and my choice of beef w...

Dixie and I have been together for almost fourteen years – a long time. We got her when she was only eight -weeks old from our local SPCA. My wife and I adopted her and her sister from a litter of six beautiful little pups. Dixie is a mixture of Australian Shepherd and Blue Heeler, two good breeds of dogs known for their herding cattle or sheep skills. These dogs are very intelligent and make wonderful companions. They love the outdoors and enjoy a good romp in the woods with their owners. When my wife and I visited our local SPCA fourteen years ago, to adopt a new puppy to replace our last great dog we had to put down. The kind person at the SPCA put us outside in their yard with six little puppies, all from the same litter. We sat in the grass and got mauled (in a good way) by all these little wannabe foster-companions! “Take me home mommy and daddy!” they all enthusiastically seem to beg. Well, we each picked one, or should I say, these two picked us! We named them Dixie and Chix....

LAMININ. Today, my story is about Laminin, a tiny family of protein cells that is the sticky glue that holds our bodily tissue and microscopic cells all together. God's amazing creation! In our Bible, Colossians 1:17 reads: By Him (Yeshua) all things are held together. I believe it is by no coincidence that under an extremely powerful microscope we can see this little protein cell bears the shape of a cross ! (Graphic representation above.) There's more! I include these links below for my reader's convenience to more explicit information about this little Laminin fact. GOOGLE: "How Great is Our God Laminin Louie Giglio" A video featuring this great work of God! Louie describes our universe, and then, this amazing, tiny protein cell: LAMININ. Truly amazing! You will want to watch this video in its entirety. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+cross+in+our+bodies+by+a+physician+louie+giglio&&view=detail&mid=46E7CD8941087BBD7BA546E7CD8941087BBD7BA5...