Life Is What You Make It! Be Happy

August 31, 2017August 31, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

Equine Activities

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it is at your work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” – Earl Nightingale

Henry David Thoreau told us in Walden, “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify! I say let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumbnail.”

Now what an idea. It seems we want our children to participate in every sport there is. I think it is kind of sad that these young people do not really get a chance to really enjoy life going on around them. They don’t have the time to watch a simple sunset or sunrise. Do they ever get the chance to participate in a family meal?

Then there are those who become workaholics and get so wrapped up in their work that they really never learn how fun life can be. They miss out on so much in their family life and all because “they want their children to have it better than they did.” Really? Then start eating together and discussing each other’s day, start taking vacations in the great outdoors. Hug your children and tell them you love them. Most importantly teach them to love themselves and have confidence in themselves.

Photography

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” – Jim Rohn

So many people look at happiness is a thing of the future, after Johnny graduates, when I get the time, when I get some bills paid off, etc.. Ok, when you get up in the morning, if happiness doesn’t exist in your life then I want you to look in the mirror and say, ” Today is going to be filled with happiness and the only way that can change is I HAVE to let someone change it.” There are so many things you can fill your life with to nurture the happiness in your life. I have posted some of those things under my pics.

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Kayaking

Fishing

Cooking

These are a few examples of what I do. Believe in yourself and assign yourself a dream. A dream that will fill your heart, soul and spirit with pure joy. Live for that happiness now and not for 20 years in the future. You are your own boss and you are in charge of your happiness. Surround yourself with people who are genuinely happy and will lift you up and not pull you down. For those of you that suffer from no happiness in your life don’t give up. Find it. Nurture it. Discover the healing power of happiness.

Thanks for reading my blog. It means a lot. To those of you who take the time to make comments, thank you so much for taking the time to do so. Spread the love!

Teach Our Children Well

August 23, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

“Do all the good you can and create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside. It is the inner beauty which matters most.” – Dr Anil Kumar Sinha

We live in a society that places a lot of emphasis on beauty. We become so mesmerized by the beauty on the outside that we fail to see all the ugliness on the inside. Then when that ugliness rears its ugly head we just can’t seem to believe it. We have all heard the stories of the beautiful movie star that was nothing but a witch hidden within a beautiful shell. They did nothing but make the people around them miserable. I think those people are so wrapped up in making the outside, “perfect beauty” that they forget to nurture the spirit within thus depriving themselves of being someone truly beautiful. Now add to this the stress to keep the outside beautiful that manifests itself into anger, depression, anxiety and so on, to the point that now we have a real “Beauty (outer) and the Beast (inner)”.

“Some of us teach ourselves and our children to love the superficial outer; our looks, hair, skin, clothes rather than the greater beauty that resides within whereas it is that inner beauty that really defines you and who you truly are.” – Rassool Jibraeel Snyman

It is time that we throw away the so called “norm” and start teaching our children that true beauty starts within. They need to be taught that beauty starts with a beautiful mind, beautiful heart and a beautiful soul and spirit. We need to emphasize that beauty is created by who they are. Teach them that true beauty comes from looking for the good in others, by being kind and respectful, by helping others, by not spreading negativity, by loving and treating everyone the same and most of all by loving themselves.

I remember watching one of those children beauty pageants one night and I was totally appalled by the disrespect that was shown by the children. They had not been taught that true beauty lies within themselves. It was quite sad actually.

Personally I think children of today are going to be facing some very rough times if we as the teachers don’t change some things. They need to be taught love and respect. They need to be taught how to survive, grow their own food. Hate and racism needs to be removed from their vocabulary. Most of all we need to be setting a better example and we need to start yesterday. I apologize for getting off subject somewhat but what I see happening today makes my heart ache for the children of today.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. It is deeply appreciated. I hope you enjoyed it and walked away with something from it. We don’t live in a perfect world so maybe we need to try to remedy that by teaching our children well.

Leave Negativity Behind

August 21, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

When you look at this picture do you see a storm approaching and run to batten down the hatches or do you drink in all the colors and become mesmerized by the beauty?

“I realized that if my thoughts immediately affect my body, I should be careful about what I think. Now if I get angry, I ask myself why I feel that way. If I can find the source of my anger, I can turn that negative energy into something positive.” – Yoko Ono

I know I have written about negativity before in my blogs however, I don’t think enough has been said about it and the affects it has on peoples’ lives. I see it enslaving so many people in these trying times. It becomes their “master” and drags down their self-esteem and emotionally drains them and leaves them no hope of a life filled with joy. Depression runs rampant in their life and once it takes control the downward spiral begins.

Thunderhead or dragon head?

“Haters never win. I just think that’s true about life, because negative energy always costs in the end.” – Tom Hiddlestone

I am a very negative person, how do I change? First off I am no doctor, counselor or therapist. I am just a “been there done that” kind of guy. My first suggestion would be to sit down and look at all the peeps you hang with. Positive or Negative? Don’t surround yourself with negative people. Keep a journal of your day to day activities and thoughts. At the end of the week, sit down and calculate how much negativity is in your journal. Don’t dwell on the negative things n your life, past and future.

“People tend to dwell more on negative things than on good things. So the mind then becomes obsessed with negative things, with judgments, guilt and anxiety \produced by thoughts about the future and so on” – Eckhart Tolle

Now I know there are those of you sitting there thinking, “I know someone like this. What can I do to help?” Every time they do something good, praise them. Help them to regain their self-esteem. Give them respect, love and something to bring them out of their depression. Be their sounding board. Be patient and don’t push them.

Remember folks that YOU decide what kind of day you are going to have. Nobody is going to PP on your parade unless you let them. You are going to have some tough times and decisions. Once you get negativity under control and replace it with positive energy you will see a big difference in your life.

Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed.

Let Us Not Bury the Past

August 5, 2017August 5, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

In Memory of

Thomas Robert Burnette

January 31, 1915 – November 14, 1992

“Mining is a dangerous profession. There’s no way to make a mine completely safe: These are the words owners have always used to excuse needless deaths and the words miners use to prepare for them.” – Tawni O’Dell

Mr Burnette was a resident of Flat River, MO and he worked in the lead mines. He worked at the St. Joe Lead Number 9 mine in Farmington, MO and at the Pea Ridge Mine. He dug ore for nearly 30 years. When he worked in the mines they didn’t do blood tests to check for lead poisoning. During his time in the mines he cut a finger off and got caught between two ore cars and suffered a broken hip that had to be pinned. After he healed up, back in the mines he went and worked there until he suffered a heart attack and was forced to retire at the age of fifty-eight. His daughter remembered seeing his checks and said he cleared fifty dollars a week. He was married and reared five children. He is just one of many who worked in the mines and his family is just one of many that have all the memories of their families working in the mines.

The Old Lead Belt is located deep within the eastern Ozarks of Missouri. The Southeast Missouri lead district is a major part of the lead belt and has been a major player in Missouri’s economic and social fabric for more than 280 years. In early 1700 a European by the name of Pierre Charles LeSeur led the first mineralogical expedition into the Mississippi Valley. Missouri’s ore deposits have made it the nation’s major source of ore for over 90 years. The abundant ore deposits brought thousands of workers to Missouri, where over the years they created 1,000 miles of abandoned multilevel mine tunnels, 300 miles of underground mainline railroad tracks and a legacy of 108 years of mining operations in the area.

Drum roll……………., I am stepping onto my soap box. Here is my beef. In 1923 St. Joe Lead CO. purchased the Federal Mill No. 3 lead-concentrating complex. They all ready owned nearly 950 acres in Bonne Terre that was bought in 1864. In late 1975 they donated the Federal mine mill complex and its adjoining lands to Missouri for the purpose of creating a state park. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources took possession of the 8,244 acre tract in 1976 and named it St. Joe Park and in 1980 the 25 acre mine mill was designated as Missouri Mines State Historic Site.

I just visited the site along with Mr Burnette’s daughter and step son. I am appalled by the way the state is letting the old mill fall into ruination. I know money is tight but they could do more. This site holds a lot of memories for the miner families in Bonne Terre, Desloge, Park Hills and the surrounding areas. People died in these mines. Why let it die off? This could be an amazing tourist attraction for these towns. This site has so many possibilities. There is so much history here. PLEASE don’t let it fall down and disappear into the past.

The 16,00 square-foot mine-mill powerhouse is being developed into a large museum providing information and the history of the mining business in Missouri with displays and old mining machinery and a huge collection of minerals. It is a start but the site has the potential for so much more.

In 1981 Doug and Cathy Georgens bought the rights to the Bonne Terre Mine and invested their money in the mine and have built it into a diving mecca. They have daily tours also. I have took the tour myself and it is fascinating. The state of Missouri could save the history of mines in St. Joe and should do just that. I urge them to set up a fund that people can give to the mine exclusively. I also urge them to start funding the mine and start rehabbing the buildings. Please for the sake of those that worked in and died in the mines save the mine.

In closing I ask for anyone’s help in saving this mine. Please write your representatives and if you haven’t, take the tour. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Help save the history of Missouri’s mines.

Do You Know Your Neighbor?

August 1, 2017August 1, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

“I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?” – Mother Teresa

I grew up in the 1960s during the Vietnam War, the British invasion of the Beatles, the assassination of John F Kennedy and when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr made his “I Have A Dream” speech, as well as his assassination. I also saw man walk on the moon.

It was also the time when young people began to revolt against conservative norms of the time and removed themselves from mainstream liberalism. A new “counterculture” was born. The participants in this new movement were known as “hippies”.

“To love our neighbor as ourselves is such a truth for regulating human society, that by that alone one might determine all the cases in social morality.” – John Locke

How many of you remember the “Hippie”? Rejected established institutions, criticized the values of the middle class, the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons were a huge “no no”, championed sexual liberation, were often vegetarians, and promoted the use of psychedelic drugs. Peace, love and drugs.

There was a lot of love to go around in this group. Often times living in communes. ridiculed and despised by most of America. Peace! Love! I think for the most part people were afraid of them because they didn’t understand them. This is purely my opinion and I have no facts to back it up. One thing for sure is that today’s society could use some of the love they were trying to spread around.

Love thy neighbor! How can you love your neighbor if you don’t know them? Why don’t we know our neighbors? Are we too busy? We don’t care? Trust issues? I remember when everyone in the neighborhood knew each other and when someone was in need the others were there. Neighbors cared about each other and were like one big family. I can’t remember where it all changed. Maybe it changed so slowly I just missed it but how I wish those days would return. Neighbors looked out for each other and their property.

I hope one day America can return to those days. It is still alive and enjoyed by much of rural America. Hopefully some day it will catch on in urban America and take root in the cities. Personally I think society could benefit from everyone loving their neighbor like they love themselves.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and if you did then please hit the like button. Love thy neighbor, be kind to one another and spread the love.

Is it that we are afraid of them because we don’t understand them

Distance: Just How Far Is It?

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017 / doubledacres / 3 Comments

”Distance is only as far as we let it be” – Wayne White

Living proof that even a blind hog can find an acorn once in a while. This quote came about one day while interacting on Facebook with my friend David Tripp. He was on his way back to Texas after a week of fishing and visiting in Missouri. He was talking about the geographical distance between Missouri and Texas but we didn’t seem that far apart.

With new technology and social media we have, there is no reason that a thousand mile separation has to seem that far away. There are so many tools available to us today that we can change the feeling of being so far away. We can virtually call anywhere in the United States and stay in touch. We can share posts on Facebook, IM each other, use our phones to text one another and use apps like Skype, Linked In, Twitter and so many others to stay in touch.

With all the available tools we have at our disposal there is no reason that a thousand miles has to feel like a long way. We can share our vacation as is happening. We don’t have to come home and get pictures developed or set up the movie camera to share our vacation with friends and family. We can do it as it is happening.

I remember the Bell telephone commercial sometime in the 70s that use to say ” Reach out and touch someone.” and I had no idea what he future had in store for us. I know the verdict is still out as to whether all this new technology is good or bad for us, however it can make us feel like next door neighbors even if we are separated by a thousand miles.

“Technology gives us the facilities that lessen the barriers of time and distance – the telegraph and cable, the telephone and radio, and the rest.” – Emily Greene Balch (Note: Born January 8, 1867 Died January 9, 1961)

Thank you for reading my blog. If you liked it please let me know. Be kind to one another, spread the love and don’t squat with your spurs on.

Life, Are You Living It?

July 15, 2017July 15, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

“Life isn’t about finding yourself

Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

Life can be so complicated and full of twists and turns. Are you living it to the fullest or are you just merely nothing more than a slave. Are you one that runs up your credit cards? Do you live from paycheck to paycheck? Do you suffer from instant gratification? Instead of saving the money to buy something one buys the merchandise on a credit card because they want it now. So you run up your cards and you can’t pay it off. Now you are a slave to the banks/credit cards. Credit cards can become a financial burden that can make it harder to enjoy life.

Are you a workaholic? You just have a need to work. If you are then you need to step back and reevaluate where you are. If you are single then you are only hurting yourself but if you are married, then the whole family suffers. You will begin losing touch with your family. Children need their mother AND father.

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”– Norman Cousins

When we are young it seems we have so many dreams and things we want to accomplish in life and then as we grow older some of those things start to die a slow death. Perhaps it is because we give up too soon or as we grew older we lost interest or in our mind, thought they weren’t attainable. Never give up.

“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

I realize I am no one special, no doctor or shrink but I am going to share what I think one needs to do to live life. Slow down, look around and take a good look at the things in nature that surround you. Maybe my elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top but I take great joy in watching a honey bee work a flower, a spider spin it’s web. I love to hear the birds singing in early dawn as I watch the sun rise. I love sitting on the river and watch the wildlife starting their day in the early morning dawn. At night on the river I listen to the symphony presented by the bull frogs and crickets. The crack of a beaver’s tail warning the others. These things are simple but rejuvenate the spirit. The greatest thing is they cost you absolutely nothing but slowing down and taking the time to enjoy them. That my friends is what I call living life at its fullest.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. If you like please let me know. Be kind to one another, spread the love and don’t squat with your spurs on.

Oh, The Memories

June 13, 2017 / doubledacres / 1 Comment

My grandparents home in Lafe, Arkansas

“Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.” – Bob Dylan

During Memorial Day weekend I headed to Lafe, Arkansas for the yearly family reunion. Driving south on 67 was a real treat. It has been quite a while since I had made that trip. As I traveled down the highway my memory drifted back to when I was a child and we use to make that trip as a family. I could hear my sister saying, “mom Wayne touched me” or “mom Wayne is sitting too close to me”.

After some time I came upon a place in the road that really stirred memories inside of me. My grandpa had got me a pup and helped me get it in the car. I named the pup Penny. We made it about an hour up the road before Penny began to whine. It didn’t sit well with my dad, no siree.

My grandparents lived in this house for as long as I can remember. When I was a yung -un I thought that house was so big. After I became an adult I realized it wasn’t as big as I thought it was. One of the things I remember is that when we had family get togethers my grandma would put the desserts on her bed just outside the kitchen door. We called it the “dessert bed”. We had a well on the porch that we pulled water up in a well bucket. All the kids got together and drilled them a well in 1970. They now had running water. Then in 1973 my uncle and I put an inside bathroom in for them, That summer my grandma refused to use it because in her words it was too pretty to mess up. That winter when the temps dropped and the snow flew grandma decided it wasn’t as pretty as she thought because she began using it.

Grandparents house in Lafe, Arkansas

My grandpa had 3 ponds on the place. I remember one day while fishing with two of my cousins and my cousin Billy Jean hooked my cousin Clois’s eye lid. Man my cousin could scream. My grandma had an old root cellar off the back porch where she kept the food she canned.

Front door to grandparent’s house

As I stood there looking at the front door my mind was drawn back into time remembering all the warm times we enjoyed in their home. The front porch used to be screened in and there was a porch swing on each end. They had a wood stove for heat so we slept in feather beds with so many covers on you, it was almost impossible to turn over. As I stood there I could smell the coffee and bacon like it was real. When I was young these smells woke me up and I would run to the wood stove to try and get warm. Oh the memories. I could go on for ever.

Headstone of Great Grandparents

In closing I would like to mention that my ancestors fought on the side of the South. My great grandfather’s name was Robert E Lee White. That should suffice as to which side my family supported. Since the new mayor of St. Louis is removing a confederate statue I will never spend any money in the city. The mayor can believe that the Civil War was about slavery. I remind her that over 200,000 African Americans fought on the side of the Confederates. I would also like to remind her how racist the American flag is to the Native Americans. It is a symbol of lies, murder and of the people who took their land away from them.

Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Be kind to one another, share the love and don’t squat with your spurs on.