Steve Haarman

Blame is a terrible game

Martin Luther King said there is enough to go around

The bloom comes off the rose bush

The thorn stays

Next year there will be blossoms

No need to uproot the plant

The fig tree did not produce

A few years went by

Some wanted to cut the tree down

Others fertilized the tree and cultivated around it

The tree produced a record crop

Christ’s cross was made out of dead wood

He provided eternal life through His sacrifice of death

We are all doomed to fall

It is human nature

What we do is get up and begin again

We have faith in what we have been taught

There is no excuse for complete failure

People everywhere offer help

Advice is not always something we want to receive

Our own methods have worked as far as we are concerned

One day we find ourselves alone

Then we take an inventory

Foolishness is something we can count over and over

It is not something we want to acknowledge

Resolving to make a change is paramount

What we thought impossible begins to transpire

We begin to bloom and look at life in a different way

People appear to glow when we encounter them

We have learned the art of cultivation

Faith is deep rooted

We have been moved

Life is a precious gift

Stanski

May 16, 2023, ^

We know truth and

have our emotions.

Many times

the two are in conflict,

not always to be discerned.

We feel right, regardless

and later, when the obvious

dispels the myth of this

we must face up

to what was missed.

So hard to do,

so difficult.

Pride is not an ally.

Condition changes.

We may sense improvement.

Will we acquiesce to truth,

or remain buried in emotion?

The story of mankind.

Do we ever learn?

The world keeps turning.

STANSKI

May 15, 2023,^

I read the obituaries every

So often, and like most am

Saddened when I come across

The write-up of one I know or

Did know at one time. It stops

Me and I dwell on our relationship.

Very seldom do I recall any

Animosity that might have

Existed between us. I regret

That time did not exist to have

A better relationship between us.

Work, although, in my case, was

Enjoyable, but got in the way of

Spending time with the person,

That you would have liked. Family

Responsibilities on both parties

Also had an effect. The reflection

On what was, was usually good.

There are always regrets which

Causes the heart to hang heavy.

I think of all the people I know or

Knew over my lifetime and my

Experience with them. I taught and

I learned. I was settled, and then

Moved, losing contact with them

I unwittingly offended some along

The way and am sorry for that. I

Never intentionally tried to abuse

Anyone with words, but it happens.

I forgive all who have offended me

Knowingly or unknowingly. I will

Say prayers for the sacred soul of

The one who passed and also pray

For the deceased family. I have faith

That an eternal reward awaits those

Who lived according to the precepts

Given to us by the Good Shepherd

Be at peace, my friend, and stake out

A claim for me.

Stanski

May 14, 2023, ^

Sunlight filters through

The trees. Four cormorants

flying close to the water

fly by. One could wonder

about their destination

and instincts. No other birds

are pm the water at this

time. It is early with little

activity. The Hummingbirds

will soon be looking for

their sugar water. Mother’s

Day is the day to begin

according to the natives.

It is a good time of the

Year. Everything new and

Beginning again. It could

be warmer, but we have

no control. according to

El Nino, there will be severe

Storms this year. Just what

We need to distract us from

All the chaos going on about

Us in this world. We continue to

Look at the bright side of

Life. If we didn’t we would

Go crazy. Trust in the Lord

Should be our motto. Many

People are in trouble with

Addictions, abuse, and hunger

Whet will anything matter

Once it is all over? Our efforts

To help will count, but do

Little good because the

Problem is bigger than we

Know and those who have

Influence have been silent,

And everything wrong has

Been stigmatized. You can’t

blow your horn dealing with

these things that no one is

concerned with unless it affects

them personally. Meanwhile,

let’s keep the Hummingbirds happy.

Stanski

May 13, 2023, ^

The weather wasn’t pleasant

It was gray and cold

No precipitation and no wind

The sun was nowhere to be found

This can’t be it was the cry

We have had enough, but

Are not willing to trade our

Souls for a streak of great weather

So we waited and thought

What can we do? The answer came

Look for beauty amongst the gloom

It is there but it takes some time to

Locate. What will make us feel good

Cars and trucks are buzzing by on

The well-kept highway. We wonder

Where are they heading and what

Their attitude is about life in this

Dismal state of being. Some may be

Angry because of the traffic, but

Others are full of love, joy, peace,

Patience, kindness, generosity,

faithfulness, gratitude, gentleness

and self-control. They keep their

peevishness hidden id it existed

at all. The disgruntled looked at

each other with solemnity. They

knew their attitudes had been changed

and were going to make them

better people. The wound up praising

the sleet and gray clouds. They knew

the sun would eventually show.

Stanski

May 12, 2023, ^

It is noon

 sunlight strobes on the

  ripples of the inland sea

   causing excitement and

    lifting my late fall spirits

The road running

  parallel to the shore is

   dark, almost dreary, as

    tall dense trees block

     these same rays

Here and there the

 sun breaks through

  cheering my heart

I think of life

 Its ups and downs

  the good, the bad

The variances

  so much to love

    plenty to dislike

Work to do, while

  thankful for all

   that has been done

Light on the lake

darkness on the road, only

  four hundred feet away

No sense to this, but

 this is the way of truth

   an opportunity for denial

     a chance to make false claims

Some may believe

   secure spirits have no doubt

     remain open to new projects

       refuse to be bogged down by

        contingencies holding no water

Strobes are like truth

  some look away

   not willing to accept and then

    lean toward misery

Others find joy

  look for new possibilities

Condition can be improved

 new ways are shown

Good ideas are born as

 positivity strikes down

  the  negative

STANSKI

May 11, 2023, ^

It was to be an outdoor

Wedding with nature being

An attraction and felt to be

A good way to start off a life

Together. A small reception

Was planned, and then

The departure of the guests and

A private weekend in a cabana

On the lake shores. Everything

Was perfect except the weather

Did not cooperate with the plans

The event took place on the board-

Walk hurriedly and then

A quick walk to the reception.

The guests quickly forgot about the

Windy cold weather and warmed

Themselves up with champagne and

Mixed drinks. The number was

Limited as the guests said good luck

And farewell. When the last of them

Left the bride and groom were alone

With each other for the first time as

Man and wife. It was a different feeling

As they had made a commitment to

Each other which they intended to keep.

There was no additional honeymoon as

Both worked and a lot of money was

Needed for them to find a place to

Settle down and make a home. In the

Late afternoon the sun showed through

The clouds and this was taken as a good

Sign. The new week in a way was a respite

And life would fall into place as it does

For everyone. Happiness is a state of mind

And attitude and respect are related.

The adventure was over and also just beginning.

Stanski

May 11, 2023, ^

The days go by, and there

Is nothing new to report.

The left, now the National

Socialist Party, formerly

known as the Democratic

Party and backed by the

Media, the Soros group,

Big Tech, the leftist courts

Are making gains in many

States, using every tactic

Legal or illegal to advance

Their cause is to turn

Our country into a Socialist

Welfare Country where the

Average citizen is controlled

By the State, and there are

No more civil liberties. It

Sounds grim, but it is going

On right before our eyes.

History has many stories like

This nightmare we are living

Through and still, we do not

Learn from history, where

Governments were destroyed

And religion abolished as

Churches were destroyed.

thousands of people were

destroyed during each cycle of

change. Groups divided and

fought each other until one

prevailed, and later the

surviving group split until

one could control. There was

no hope and people were

enslaved until they were able

to come together and rise to

form a new ruling class where

control was not the objective.

Action is required. God help us.

Stanski

May 10, 2023, ^

Looking out the window

You are startled because

It is sunny and bright

Compared to all the gray

Weather this is quite the

Sight. A third of the way

Through May and maybe

We are in for a run of nice

Weather. It would only be

Fair, since we have only had

Rain and gray for months and

Now a turn for the better.

We are excited as the garden

Needs work to bring it up to

Its full glory. It is great to

Begin and gather new ideas

As you progress. We make things

More important then they really

Are, but that is just human nature

Some could care less about these

Things while others engage in

Unannounced competition.

Tree trimming will be a big part of

Our agenda this year. One big tree

Blew over last year. A different

Direction of wind and we could

Have suffered extensive damage.

We escaped it though and felt lucky

Today the water is calm, and we

Feel good.

Stanski

May 9, 2023, ^

Every now and then we

Come across someone

Who in his own mind is

Just a little better than us

He may have been a doctor

Or a minister but at any

Rate feels superior and his

Opinions are the only ones

That hold authority. The

Best thing is to leave at once

Just to prevent any conflict

And hard feelings. However, I

Am an instigator and don’t let

False proclamations pass by.

I give another viewpoint and

Back it up with facts as

Opposed to the media and

Presidential who know nothing  

But lies and divert the normal

People away from the truth.

These erudite make a habit of

Mocking others who are living

Life to the fullest and expect

Them to meet their every need.

I heard one ask the waitress what

Beer he was drinking last Tuesday

Night. I don’t know if he expected

Her to pull out a notebook or just

Recall on her own. She mentioned

A few possibilities and our friend

Settled on one but later claimed it

Was not the same as if anyone

Really cared. I thought we were

Having a beer before a poetry

Reading and when the reading was

Mentioned it was too late except for

The last few readings. I fell in love with

One of the poets but I could not get

To her to convey that message. It upset

me but I wasn’t going to get on a soapbox.

the erudite put his imprimatur on the

Event, so everything turned out well. i

tried his beer on the way back and thought

it was lousy.

Stanski

May 8, 2023, ^