There's Not Much Prettier...

...than magnolias in bloom. 

We wait all year for this and it's finally here:

Sadly it will be gone within a week or so.

Glorious while it lasts, but like so many things in life, don't blink or you'll miss it.

Stunk up the joint with round 2 of my hickory golf season this weekend, but I did manage to get a couple decent pics while imploding.

the ornamental trees are blooming now

And things actually started pretty well; decent drive off the first tee and a 2 putt for bogey, which in my early season world counts as a win on that hole.

This continued for next 3 holes and then the wheels fell off.

The frustrating part is I don't really know why.

water hazard on the 8th hole...no I did not drop one in the drink.  I chose instead to hit it waaayyy over the green.  that's using the ol' kidneys, hey?

It wasn't as bad as my first round, so I suppose that's "progress".

Time for another therapy session...

...with The Guru.

Back in my "collecting" days, I had a thing for radios; some mid century modern, but mostly from the art deco era.

One that I was really hot for was a 1936 Sparton Bluebird, but 1) they're not easy to come by and 2) they're pretty expensive.

So I scratched that itch for a time with a Crosley replica bluebird radio:

Made in the 90's, they were $40 or $50 when I bought the one you see above; they're 3x and 4x that now on ebay.

About 14" wide, they're a statement piece but they take up some room on a counter, so they also sold a "baby bluebird" version that's only 8" wide.

The most common version of the baby bluebird is in silver; the cobalt blue ones are harder to come by.

Karen enjoys listening to the radio in the mornings when she's getting ready for the day, so I bought her a silver one which she has used for years.

This past week I finally found a cobalt blue one:

Cute little bugger, and Karen's quite pleased with it.

And I did eventually find an original 1936 Sparton Bluebird radio as well, which I had repaired so it's in safe working condition:

The Canadian version was always electrically sound, but the American version was nicknamed "curtain burner" because it overheated and could actually cause fires.

A repair guy I knew in Ohio fixed that on mine so it's not just a "shelf queen".

This detour by the Collector's Corner has been brought to you *Free* of charge, meaning, substance and value.

No need to thank us; it's what we do.

And speaking of, it's time we do that 23 Skidoo:

saw this on a replay of a golf shot.  the commentator said he's hoping for a birdie.

our one and only tulip in bloom

Loki posing on the courtyard wall for his picture

Karen's idea of fun...putting 4 more 800 lb pavers in the ground.  digging in the dirt and lifting heavy objects is exactly how I like to spend my free time.

life is better down that old dirt road.  is that a Model T just around the bend?

Ever feel tired and worn out, sick of working and aching for some peace?

You're not alone of course, and there is good news on that score:

Revelation 14:13

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

King James Version (KJV)

later, mcm fans...

Happy Resurrection Day...

..."He is not here: for He is risen, as he said.  

Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

   - Matthew 28:6

I hope you and yours experienced a joyous Easter Sunday.

As the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15, if not for the resurrection of Christ, we of all people would be most miserable.

But because of His sacrifice on the cross, "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Romans 8:37)

Happy Easter, y'all.

Turning to affairs of state:

If you seek a pleasant peninsula...

...you're gonna need a different governor. 

That's normal person and Trump aide Natalie Harpe on the left, and apparently someone with the mental acuity of a 4 year old on the right.

Sorry to say, that's our beloved governor here in Michigan, Wretched Dimwitmer.

You see now the depth of our problems.

It's natural to ask, "what was she thinking?", but that's giving her way too much credit.

No doubt the tangled jumble of neurons misfiring in her brain tapped into her primal fear:

"What if my progressive pals see me kiss the ring of Bad Orange Man?

"I won't be allowed to play with them anymore!"

Thus her knee jerk reaction to hide behind her folder when the White House photogs arrived.

One of the hallmarks of great leaders is the ability to think on their feet and make good decisions.

By way of contrast, what WD did is normal behavior for a half wit.

Obviously incompetent, she shouldn't be allowed anywhere near actual power.

Ah, Springtime!

While a young man's fancy may turn to love, this old man is all in for...

...you guessed it: hickory golf.

And more specifically, pre-1900 hickory golf:

What's a spoon?  A baffy?  A lofting iron?  And where's the golf bag?

All these faskinatin' mysteries and more are sure to be revealed.

Well maybe, if I feel like it and if you're paying attention, neither of which is certain at this point.

For now, let's just dissect my 1st round of the season, shall we?

Ewww...looks like my 1st round of the season, so let's just skim the highlights instead.

That's it; the one and only highlight of today's round, just before I teed off on the 1st hole and ruined the whole thing.

In a previous post, I mentioned if we lived in a perfect world I'd pick up where I left off last year - with nothing but pars and bogeys.

Using that metric, it is safe to say we do not live in a perfect world.

There's plenty to get excited about on the political front, but I say we just fuggedaboudit and 23 Skidoo:

new welcome mat

spring decor

I'm sensing a theme here

if I get tired of being incompetent at golf, I can always switch to being incompetent at bowling

karen and I enjoying a candlelight dinner, sans food and drink, apparently

resurfaced a green this weekend...one more to do this year.

almost tulip time

Easter Peeps - they're not just for breakfast

magnolias are almost ready to pop

We haven't much time here on planet earth.

It seems like we do in our younger years, but then we blink and find ourselves 50 years down the road before we know it.

In the space of that eyeblink, our youth will have fled, we could have married, had kids, welcomed grandkids, worked for five decades and retired.

It's all blue sky until one day when it's not, and then eternity is right around the corner.

"The days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

       - Psalms 90:10

So what will you say when you stand before your Creator and are called to give an account for your life?

If we're wise, we will humbly plead the blood of Jesus Christ, who died on Calvary's cross in our stead, that we could be forgiven and have life eternal with Him.

It is an old saying, but true:

"The Greatest man in history had no servants, yet they called him Master.

"Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher.

"Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer.

"He had no army, won no military battles and committed no crime...

"...yet kings feared Him, He conquered the world and they crucified Him.

"He was buried in a tomb, yet He rose again and lives today.

"His name is Jesus."

Do you know Him?

Happy Easter, mcm fans...

That Thing I Said About Zlata Labut...

...yeah, let's strike that.

Last week I noted this was a Czech drama set in a ritzy department store in 1939 - 

- when the Germans invaded Czechoslovakia, with lots of potential for tense, historical drama.

Please to file my remarks under "unrealized potential", as this so-called "tense historical drama" quickly devolved into little more than a predictable soap opera.

Anyone who was 20 years old in Czechoslovakia in 1945 when the war ended would be 100 years old today...and most likely pushing up daisies.

While that may not be optimal (depending on your relationship to God in heaven) on the plus side it means they're not in a position to be insulted by this milquetoast characterization of the Nazi's in 1939.

According to "The Golden Swan" they were little more than a mildly annoying irritation...

...rather than the totalitarian terror they actually were in real life for the countries they invaded.

In The Golden Swan, they drop in occasionally wearing black hats - no, really, that's how you know they're bad guys - they scowl a bit, uttering vague threats like "you have one chance to tell the truth".

Yet anyone detained by the Gestapo always returns a few days later none the worse for wear.

No bruises or broken bones, no missing teeth or fingers.

You'd think they would have at least given them an indian rub, a noogey, or maybe even mussed up their hair a little bit.

But no; it's almost like they visited a spa for a few days.

I can imagine this Cloroxed version of their Nazi jailers tenderly running a brush through their hair, straightening their lapels for them, then giving them a friendly pat and saying, "There we go, we want you to look your best for your friends, don't we?"

It's so silly it's little more than fluff.

But I will admit it's well done fluff - beautiful, period correct art deco sets -

- with polished actors who could be successful anywhere -

- the usual set of beautiful people who are also obviously talented.

However, they definitely should have chosen a different historical setting.

Whitewashing the 20th century's worst psychopaths is not a winning formula.

In lighter fare, you'll be happy to know this has been "The Greatest Weekend In All Of Sports", according to "some".

Ever wonder who "some" is?

Me too, but in this case I can almost agree with them.

Started in Augusta, Georgia in 1934 by Bobby Jones - the only man to ever win a "Grand Slam" - the 4 major tournaments - all in the same calendar year - The Masters has risen to prominence through the decades as THE golf tournament of the year.

By invitation only, it features the best of the best and putting on that Green Jacket...

Palmer-Nicklaus ceremony, 1963

...is one of sports' highest honors.

As a devotee of hickory golf, I don't watch these tournaments for "tips and tricks"; what they do on the links is about as relevant to me as Formula 1 racing is to a Sunday drive in the country.

No, I watch to marvel at how much the game has changed from its origins and of course to admire today's athletes for their incredible skill.

Congrats to Rory McIlroy...

...who won this year's 89th Master's Championship on the 1st hole of a playoff with Justin Rose.

And speaking of hickory golf -

Hey, if you didn't want to talk about it, why'd you bring it up?

- my first tee time of the year is on Friday...calling for thundershowers at the moment, so we'll see if it works.

In a perfect world, I'd pick up where I left off last year.

As I'm sure you recall, <my last round> was nothing worse than a bogey, a first for me.

I'll let you know what kind of world we're living in next week.

It's been awhile since I've reported on...

...my diet.

We're approaching 40 days now - the Biblical time of testing - I started at 211, so how have I done?

Well...today I weighed in at 197.4 lbs.

But yesterday...well yesterday I was 196.4.

That lousy extra pound that showed up on the scale today was NOT my fault.

How could I have known eating a chocolate bar, some corn chips and a microwaveable burrito would pack on another pound?

But it is what it is, so I soldier on.

One thing I've started within the last couple of weeks is adding weights to my Walk Fit routine.

I strap the ankle weights on and hold the 5 lb or 10 lb weights as I go through my routine, and that seems to be improving my overall fitness.

It has also ramped up my appetite which is making the scale a little less friendly lately.

Mr. Mirror tells me I have another 5 lbs or so to go.

But hey, who died and left him in charge?

More to come.

Ok, line up by hat size for 23 Skidoo...and yes, I am implying big heads mean big brains:

#4 son and fam enjoyed spring break in the southland where it's warm.  the blue heron who's photobombing the pic was a little too aggressive whenever they caught a fish.

one of my grandson's with a topsail catfish; I suggested they call it a shark instead since it sounds more dangerous.

a freeloading relative feasting on a carrot

chippy with his mouth full

Karen baked some zuchini/cheese toast, then layered on lettuce, turkey, chicken, avocado, onion and tomato for a delicious sandwich.  that's some of the best eating I've ever enjoyed.

forsythia bush in bloom

Lady Baysweep doing her fountain thing

gotta love hockey players, some of the toughest athletes out there.  and congrats to WMU, national hockey champs, winners of the Frozen Four.

They claim 'round these parts we average 2" of snow in April; so far we have zero, and I'm hoping that's the way it stays.

Either way we'll forge ahead, always remembering:

later, mcm fans...