I Confess...I Like Hallmark Movies.

I know it's not considered "manly" by rough, tough, strong dudes, to enjoy Hallmark movies, but it's not my fault. It's my wife's fault! Donna watches them so much they started to grow on me, you know, like kittens can grow on people who don't like cats. 

I really should despise Hallmark movies, due to the fact that there are very few Navy Seal stories, death defying stunts, plane, ship, train, or car crashes, earthquakes, extra terrestrials, wrestlers, baseball players...I could go on and on...like I usually do, but I won't today. (What a relief, huh?)

My style of movies here.

Another reason I should dislike these Hallmark flicks is that they are all so predictable. Pretty much the same basic story every time!

The star is a woman who works at a job where she is successful and loved by all of her co-workers. She has a boyfriend who is okay, but does not pay enough attention to her. 

She gets in a situation where she has to travel somewhere, where she meets another guy who is PERFECT. 

They fall in love with each other, but they don't tell each other, for some strange reason. 

The boyfriend gets suspicious, because his girlfriend hasn't called him for a while, he takes a plane and surprises her. While the boyfriend is hugging her, the perfect guy walks in on the hugging and thinks he has no chance with the girl.

His feelings are hurt...real bad-like!

At the end, the boyfriend gets dumped for the perfect dude...the perfect dude and girl tell each other, "I love you" and music plays. 

That's basically it, except for the Christmas Hallmark movies, where the only difference is the perfect guy hates Christmas, at first, and then falls in love with Christmas AND the girl...The End. 

So now you're wondering why I watch these movies, right?

List Of Why I Watch Hallmark Movies

1. Donna has them on, I'm in the room, I'm too lazy to get up.

2. Happy endings. (Except for the rejected, dejected, dumped boyfriend.)

3.They often star Candace Cameron Bure, who I've been a fan of since "Full House"! 

4. They also star Lacey Chabert, who looks so much like Jennifer Love Hewitt, and I like Jennifer Love Hewitt! 

Tell me which one is which in the comments section.

5. No cussing.

6. Cute animals. Like "Happy" the dog. 

7. Free from politics!

8. No drug use displayed. 

9. Most importantly, something Donna and I can watch together like the little love birds and snuggle bunnies we truly are. 

C'mon guys, go ahead! Feel free to make your snarky comments at the bottom. I'm man enough to take it, even though my feminine side may become a bit verklempt. 

Check out 2:28 on this video.

Did You Know Yesterday (Nov. 28) Was Make Your Own Head Day?

Make Your Own Head Day

Date When Celebrated : Always November 28

Make Your Own Head Day is today. The only rule that we can think of, is that the head must be your own. So get started, so we can see how good of an artist you are!

This is a crafty day. It is very popular in grade schools, and art classes. In class, you can make your own head. Any medium will do. You can use clay, paper mache, draw or sketch your head. You can make a picture with paint, charcoal, or crayon. Be creative and add a hat to your head.

Happy Make Your Own Head Day.

I can't believe I missed it this year! 

It was also Red Planet Day! Just two days after the Mars Insight landing! 

Red Planet Day

Date When Celebrated: Always November 28 
The planet Mars is referred to as the "Red Planet" because it appears red in color. Red Planet Day honors our celestial neighbor, the fourth planet in the solar system.
Red Planet Day commemorates the launch of the Spacecraft Mariner 4 on November 28,1964. The 228 day mission of Mariner 4 brought the spacecraft within 6,118 miles of Mars on July 14, 1965.

Seriously...all of these "special" days make me laugh out loud. 

I think my favorite is Sept. 19. It be "Talk Like A Pirate Day", you scallywag landlubbers! 

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Date When Celebrated : Always September 19 th

Ahoy, Matey! Did you know that today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day? It's a day just for fun, a day to let out the pirate in each of us. We like "just for fun" days and we know you do, too.

Practice up your "pirate-speak" in anticipation of this day. The conversation will be lively, and you don't want to be left behind. Today, everyone will be talking the talk, if not walking the walk. It is not a requirement to dress like a pirate today. Just talk like one. 

(I hope I don't get fined for pirate talking on Nov. 29!)

https://www.instantcheckmate.com/crimewire/post/15-more-bizarre-punishments-handed-down-by-judges/

Speaking of Nov. 29, we're celebrating Square Dance Day today! This is VERY important to me, since I took official Square Dancing lessons as a lad!

Square Dance Day

Date When Celebrated: Always November 29
Here's a chance to get out and "Dosey Do" with your partner. It's Square Dance Day!
English, Irish, and Scottish settlers brought square dancing to the U.S. As it evolved in the U.S., a caller was added, to help dancers stay in step. It remains popular among southern and western rural areas, and with senior citizens

December 6, is a very unique day. If you think Christmas is important, it pales in comparison to this day...

Put on Your Own Shoes Day

Date When Celebrated : Always December 6

Put on Your Own Shoes Day is today.

As we researched this special day, we kept on asking Why, why why?....... why does this day exist? We found no answer.

Well, I guess I can give Jeeves the day off on Dec. 6, and put on MY OWN shoes. 

Okay...here is another favorite...

Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day

Date When Celebrated : Always on February 20 
On this winter day, people go out at noon, wave their hands over their heads and chant "Hoodie-Hoo".
It is a day to chase away winter blahs, and bring in spring. After all, everyone in the northern hemisphere are sick and tired of winter at this point and a little crazy being cooped up inside all winter and not seeing the sun.

Did you know? Hoodie Hoo Day is a copyrighted holiday. It was created and is provided, courtesy of the great folks at  Wellcat.com

I've GOT to mark this on my calendar! It's right up my alley! 

It seems that every day of the year has some "special" significance to someone. If you want to laugh a lot, here is a link to these Daily Holidays...

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/

Don't forget to SQUARE DANCE your butts off today...and comment! A simple HELLO would be marvelous...just marvelous! 

Mars Landing - The REAL Reason

Mars nerds celebrate like Mr. Peabody and Sherman, when they built the WABAC machine! Well, I think it was Mr. Peabody (the doggie) who actually built it.

Link below tells the whole, riveting story of the actual Mars landing...but why click on reality when I have a better story, hmm?

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/world/nasa-insight-mars-landing-today/index.html

Did you ever wonder why these "beaker buddies" get so excited over these mundane Moon, I mean Mars landings?

It can't just simply be that their intricate mathematical calculations and mechanical engineering skills have accomplished something that NO humans have EVER accomplished in history. 

Of course not! The reason has to be more devious, more deceitful, more CONSPIRATORIAL! 

Yes! That's the ticket! It is certainly a DEEP, DARK, DIRTY CONSPIRACY!! 

To be totally truthful and transparent today...I don't REALLY know the REAL reason for the Mars landing, but let me throw out some common sense hypotheses.

1. Gold, diamonds, other precious metals.

Remember, that new Mars contraption is gonna be digging into the surface of Mars! Why? To find GOLD, SILVER, and PRECIOUS METALS!! 

Watching this cartoon is essential to understanding my blog! Just kidding! 

Thar's GOLD in them thar craters! No, wait, that would be the moon. Anyway, you get the point.

2. The "Face On Mars" has beamed signals to NASA, and needs us to save the "underground inhabitants" by drilling through the Mars crust and funneling Red Bull to the dying race. (This blog has no connection to the Red Bull Corporation)

3. The "Military Industrial Complex" wants to use Mars as a base for Trump's new "Space Force", and they are digging the foundation for the B-Wing Starfighters hangars.

4

4. Extra Terrestrial beings have landed on Earth and are invading the innermost recesses of the NASA scientists brains, to force them to explore the "red planet", where they will awaken a gigantic red creature that will terrify and eat all the astronauts that come anywhere near it's deadly jaws!

Maybe YOU would like to venture a guess as to WHY the NASA NERDS have landed that billion dollar buggy on Mars, in the comments section below.

Remembering Drive-In Theatres In The Middle Of A Snowy Day

This theatre, near my boyhood home, boasted the fact that it was "the ONLY 4 screen drive-in theatre in the world"! Not sure about that, but it was very cool!

Did you ever think of warm things to make you feel better on a cold, snowy day? Like a tropical island, the Sahara Desert, and drive-in theatres? 

Me either. Except for today!

It snowed...AGAIN! In November, for heaven's sake! It's also colder than the average temperature in central Illinois, in NOVEMBER, for cryin' out loud!

So, to compensate, I started to imaginate about the sizzling hot summer nights when 8 of us would pack into our 53 Ford Fairlane (with no air conditioning) and  transmigrate ourselves to the drive-in theatre. 

I feel warmer already!

We were extremely fortunate to have 2 (count them), 2 super fantastic drive-in theatres within walking distance from our home! (The walking distance part is important, as you will find out later)

The Airway Drive-In was excellent, because it had a little rollar coaster, a playground and seats in front of the screen for those who wanted to walk in! (Didn't I tell you you would find out later about the WALKING thing?)

Guess how much the admission was? $1.00 a car load! Yes, even if you had 16 people in the car! I'm not making this up, folks! 

The other drive-in theatre was the afore - pictured, St. Ann Drive-In Theatre!

You could watch YOUR movie with sound, and a movie on another screen without sound!  With 4 gigantic screens to view, how could you lose?!

I think the 4 Screen started out at $2.00 a car load and the price went up later, as did the price at the Airway, but....

What am I doing? I'm way off the original theme!

The focus should be on the HOT NIGHTS  we suffered through at the drive-in, to take our minds away from this snowy, wintery day!

St. Louis heat is legendary, as you all know. It's even hot at NIGHT! So, if you're in a steaming hot Ford Fairlane, with 7 other family members, sitting on someone's lap, as a chubby little kid...you just about melt...like the Wicked Witch Of The West.

This is not an actual, real life happening, kids. It's only a movie.

It was not only hotter than a pot bellied pig, on a red hot radiator, in the middle of July (that's the way they might say it in southeast Missouri), but it was STICKY!

What's worse...being hot or sticky? I say BOTH! 

In addition, with the windows open, the mosquitoes were drawn to my sticky little body, and feasted on my highly sugared blood. 

With the heat rising off the blacktop of the drive-in, the hot cars (especially the classic Chevys), the month of July or August, family members radiating heat, no A.C....I'll bet you don't feel quite as cold now. 

Anyway, why not take a couple of minutes to tell your drive-in experiences, if you're old enough to have experienced the unique..uh...experience. 

You'll find the comments section at the bottom. 

It looks kinda like this.

Way To Go Will...Who Clears My Snow

The great, gargantuan, gregarious, Greg and Dan radio show, beloved by Central Illinois folks, has a segment called, "Way To Go Todd", that celebrates the kind deed perpetrated by Todd Walker. (Link to his story below)

Greg and Dan find stories of people who perform kind and loving deeds to others, and share these heartwarming stories with their devoted listeners. 

By the way...here is the link to the Todd Walker story...

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Family/mom-flying-kids-fellow-passenger-comforting-toddler-sweet/story?id=54525759

In addition, here is the link to the AMAZING Greg and Dan Show...

https://whttps://www.1470wmbd.com/shows/greg-dan/

ww.1470wmbd.com/shows/greg-dan/

Now, let's return to MY story, that could be a good subject for Way To Go Todd, but we'll call it Way To Go Will.

Will and his family moved in across the street from us before last winter. 

Will is the Pastor of the Pekin Lighthouse Church here in Pekin, Illinois. Here is another link for ya...https://pekinlighthouse.org/

Anyway, beginning last winter, I would wake up, dreading the experience of shoveling X amounts of snow, but magically and mysteriously, my snow would be ALREADY cleared! My driveway and sidewalks were completely snow free! 

Well, after a while, I got up real early and waited, like a kiddo would wake up early to view Santa, to see what kind soul was shoveling my snow.

It was WILL! I did not even know him very well, but he was giving his valuable time, strength, and time in a warm bed, to help and old codger like me!

Franki and Will

Representation of me..but not actually me.

He must have noticed me walking the dog, bent over with pain from my aching back, or me just looking ancient...I don't know, but what a wonderful, great thing to do! 

He never took credit for doing it, but when I found out it was him, I thanked him profusely, and he was so humble about what he did, kind of like, "It wasn't much"...but it was a beautiful expression of Christian love to my wife and I! 

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Heb. 6:10