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      Newsletter
      March 23, 2004
      Published by Steve Klusmeyer
      Distributed by hundred-acre-woods.com
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      In This Issue

      • By Steve: Going My Way
      • Quotes to Remember: by Fran Lebowitz, Jack London, Mark Twain, and Unknown Author
      • By Someone Else:
        • The Lunch Bag by Robert Fulghum
        • Mom Advice by Debbie Farmer
        • Excuse Notes for Students
        • Technology for Country Folk
      • From the Bible: James 1:23
      • Useful Information: Credits, Subscribe/Unsubscribe, etc

      If you haven't read the Useful Information at the end of this newsletter or if it's been a while, please take a few minutes to check it out.

      If you enjoy Blessed2Bless, you might also like another newsletter that I publish. Subscribe to Ponder This.


      By Steve

      image of Red Sports Car - Graphic provided by Animation Factory Going My Way
      -by Steve Klusmeyer - 3/23/2004

      Bike Ride

      Did you hear about the Arizona man who decided to ride his 10-speed bike from Phoenix to Flagstaff? He got as far as Black Canyon City before the mountains became too much and he was forced to stop. He decided to hitchhike the rest of the way. But after 3 hours, not a single person had even slowed down.

      Finally, a guy in a sports car pulled over and offered him a ride. Since the bike wouldn't fit in the car, the owner of the car found a piece of rope and tied one end to his bumper and the other end to the bike. He told the man that if he began going too fast, to honk the horn on his bike and he would slow down.

      Everything was fine for about 30 miles. Suddenly, another car flew past. Not willing to be shown up, the driver of the sports car took off after the other car. A few miles down the road, the two cars blew through a speed trap.

      The police officer noted the speeds from his radar gun and radioed to the other officer that he had two cars headed his way at 120 mph. He then added, "and you're not going to believe this, but there's a guy on a 10-speed bike honking to pass."

      Out of Control

      Have you been on that bike . . . speeding down the road of life with an out-of-control feeling and no way to put on the brakes? Well, you're not alone. We've all had days like that . . . some that turn into weeks and months. But we don't have to stay on the bike. There is a way to get off. Learn more

      Read more writings by Steve.

      Go to the link above to read previous Writings by Steve. Photos are included with many of the writings. Follow other links in this newsletter to read additional Writings by Others, Quotes to Remember, and Pictures with a Story.


        A Word From Our Sponsors - Why?

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        Please stop by our affiliates and malls. Most are Christian, and they are all good products and companies.

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      Quotes to Remember:

      Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he is buying.
      -Fran Lebowitz (1950-Present) USA Journalist

      A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.
      -Jack London and (1876-1916) USA Novelist & Short Story Writer

      When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.
      -Mark Twain (1835-1910) USA Writer

      Life can be marvelous. Try not to miss it!
      -Unknown

      Read more Quotes to Remember.


      By Someone Else:

      The Lunch Bag
      -A true story of Robert Fulghum and his 7-year-old daughter Molly

      It was Molly's job to hand her father his brown paper lunch bag each morning before he headed off to work. One morning, in addition to his usual lunch bag, Molly handed him a second paper bag. This one was worn and held together with duct tape, staples, and paper clips.

      "Why two bags" Fulghum asked.

      "The other is something else," Molly answered.

      "What's in it?"

      "Just some stuff. Take it with you."

      Not wanting to hold court over the matter, Fulghum stuffed both sacks into his briefcase, kissed Molly and rushed off. At midday, while hurriedly scarfing down his real lunch, he tore open Molly's bag and shook out the contents: two hair ribbons, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a pencil stub, a tiny sea shell, two animal crackers, a marble, a used lipstick, a small doll, two chocolate kisses, and 13 pennies.

      Fulghum smiled, finished eating, and swept the desk clean - into the wastebasket - leftover lunch, Molly's junk and all.

      That evening, Molly ran up behind him as he read the paper.

      "Where's my bag?"

      "What bag?"

      "You know, the one I gave you this morning."

      "I left it at the office. Why?"

      "I forgot to put this note in it," she said. "And, besides, those are my things in the sack, Daddy, the ones I really like - I thought you might like to play with them, but now I want them back. You didn't lose the bag, did you, Daddy?"

      "Oh, no," he said, lying. "I just forgot to bring it home. I'll bring it tomorrow."

      While Molly hugged her father's neck, he unfolded the note that had not made it into the sack: "I love you, Daddy."

      Molly had given him her treasures. All that a 7-year-old held dear. Love in a paper sack, and he missed it - not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket. So back he went to the office. Just ahead of the night janitor, he picked up the wastebasket and poured the contents on his desk.

      After washing the mustard off the dinosaurs and spraying the whole thing with breath-freshener to kill the smell of onions, he carefully smoothed out the wadded ball of brown paper, put the treasures inside and carried it home gingerly, like and injured kitten. The bag didn't look so good, but the stuff was all there and that's what counted.

      After dinner, he asked Molly to tell him about the stuff in the sack. It took a long time to tell. Everything had a story or a memory or was attached to dreams and imaginary friends. Fairies had brought some of the things. He had given her the chocolate kisses, and she had kept them for when she needed them.

      "Sometimes I think of all the times in this sweet life," Fulghum concludes the story, "when I must have missed the affection I was being given. A friend calls this 'standing knee deep in the river and dying of thirst.'"

      We should all remember that it's not the destination that counts in life it's the journey.

      The little girl smiles, the dinosaurs and chocolate kisses wrapped in old paper bags that we sometimes throw away too thoughtlessly, each day, each a tiny treasure.

      The journey with the people we love is all that really matters. Such a simple truth so easily forgotten.

      -Found circulating around the Internet

      Read more writings by Others.


        A Word From Our Sponsors - Why?

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      By Someone Else:

      Mom Advice
      by Debbie Farmer

      Shocking as this seems the other day, in the middle of the afternoon, a fantasy of mine came true. Oh, I don't mean the passionate running-away-to-live-with-Fabio-in-a-cottage-by-the-sea type fantasy. Although there's nothing wrong with that, mind you. But I'm talking about the other kind: revenge. I mean, there I was at the park, leisurely watching my children climbing up the slide and eating sand, and here comes a young mother with a new baby dozing in the stroller. A new baby!

      And let me just say that, as a mother of a five and eight-year-old, there is nothing I like more in the world than finding someone who knows less about raising children than me.

      Call me strange, but I couldn't wait to walk right up to her and start saying things like, "I think the baby is hungry" or "what do you mean she's not eating bowls of cereal yet?" And, "why isn't the baby wearing a hat? It's still mid April, you know."

      Of course I wasn't always this way. But there's something about being the recipient of several years worth of unsolicited advice that somehow changes you in inexplicable, mysterious ways.

      Face it, when you venture out of the house with a baby, people who normally wouldn't dare speak to you, can't wait to point out ways you can improve yourself as a parent. It's as if they instinctively know you can't program the VCR or balance the checkbook so, therefore, can't be trusted to take care of a child all by yourself.

      And let me just say that no place is safe. Once you have a child, no matter where you go, little old ladies will coming flying out of the woodwork to give you pointers on all sorts of things like how to cure gas and avoid constipation. Like the time my three-year-old daughter had a tantrum in the grocery store because I wouldn't let her out of the cart so she could pick out all of the food herself.

      "Why don't you just give her what she wants?" said a sweet, little old lady standing behind us.

      Much to my credit, I didn't yell. I mean, you can't just go around raising your voice to sweet little old ladies. Instead I smiled politely, and wondered what she would say if she knew that what my daughter really wanted was a chance to hurl all off the canned corn off shelves, squeeze the bananas, eat a blue Popsicle from the freezer section, and catapult her Gymnastic Barbie from the seat of the cart into the produce scale.

      I must admit, a part of me was tempted to throw my arms out to my sides and say, "You know, you're absolutely right!" Then whip out adoption papers from my purse and transfer my daughter into her cart. But I'm not that mean.

      Then there was the time I ventured to the mall with my five-month-old son and was stopped by complete stranger. "That baby is bored," she announced. "He needs something to play with." So, like a good mother, I took out his educational activity wheel from the diaper bag and put it on the tray in the stroller. Then five minutes later I was stopped by a different woman who announced that my baby was being "over stimulated." So I tossed the wheel back into my purse and took out a frozen teething rattle. I thought that would be the end of it until yet another woman approached, shook her finger accusingly at me, and said, "He'll poke his eye out with that thing and THEN you'll be sorry."

      So, you probably understand, then, why I could hardly contain myself when I saw a mother with a new baby at the park. Let's face it, I couldn't wait to set her straight by telling her all about the danger of hatless babies, the magic affect of clothes dryers on colic, places to store extra binkies, my conclusion to the cloth versus disposable debate, and how to wind up a swing without waking the baby.

      But truth be told, when I looked down at the baby all that came out of my mouth was: "Gee, what beautiful blue eyes he has."

      Granted, it wasn't a very helpful or especially insightful thing to say but, you know, some day she'll thank me for it.

      -from Family Daze
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      By Someone Else:

      image of School House and School Bell Excuse Notes for Students
      -presumably by real parents (including original spelling)

      • My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.
      • Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.
      • Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.
      • Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating.
      • Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.
      • John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.
      • Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.
      • Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.
      • Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.
      • Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.
      • Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak.
      • Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.
      • Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.
      • I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear.
      • Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.
      • Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.

      -from Doc's Daily Chuckle
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        A Word From Our Sponsors - Why?

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      By Someone Else:

      Technology for Country Folk

      image of Technology for Country Folk cartoons


      Found circulating around the Internet
      -If you know who the orginal author/artist is, let me know so that I can give credit where credit is due.

      Read more writings by Others.


      Life's F.A.Qs.

      Many are asking tough questions in today's world. Maybe you have been asking a few of the same ones. Learn more about answers to some of life's tough questions.


      From the Bible:

      For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.
      James 1:23 (NLT)


      What is Blessed2Bless?

      Blessed2Bless contains an article that I have written using simple everyday events to illustrate qualities and ideals sought after by many in the world today. Also included are writings from other sources that I have come across (usually by e-mail or a book I am reading). I try not to send everything that comes along; but I do send those that I think would be a blessing to you . . . or at least make you think for a moment and/or bring a smile to your face for just a little while.

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      The End! Thanks for Reading.

      Give a nice day! -Acts 20:35
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      Copyright Š 2002 ... to infinity, and beyond — Steve Klusmeyer. All rights reserved.


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