• Thanksgiving 2017

Thanksgiving is a special time of year. The heat of the Summer is past (well, it's supposed to be past ☺), the days are shorter, indoor activities take precedence, family traditions and foods circle back.

I put out a call to the people of Wildomar to participate in this blog. Many thanks to those that participated.

I'll post them in the order I received them...

I am thankful for this wonderful town of Wildomar and all of the opportunities, friendships, life lessons and love it has shown me.
— Lisa Kimura Ballard

I am thankful for my Mom and Husband. They are always there to support me and make me feel loved no matter what.

—Katie Boothby

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, smart, funny, adorable, amazing kids and this awesome community we live in. 
—Vitalia Gonzalo

I am thankful for my great hubby, for my fabulous family and friends. I am also very thankful for my good health. 

—City Councilmember Marsha Swanson

I'm thankful we chose Wildomar to move to in 1988. Thankful for my family, including my Wildomar family and my fur babies. 

—Gloria Allred

I'm thankful for my liver transplant, [which came] with Wildomar [community] support.

—Scott Rux, newly appointed member of the Measure Z Commission.

I am thankful to live in a wonderful community, where neighbors spread kindness and lend a helping hand.

—Mary Haire

We are so thankful to live here on The Farm with lots of great friends. There are so many events for everyone including the children. We also enjoy our delicious fruits from the many orchards. Most of all the we love the beautiful scenery that we wake up to every morning.
—Bob and Barbara Noble

I'm grateful for small miracles. I don't believe in the big miracles, but the small ones keep adding up.

—John Garrett, Temecula Valley Astronomers

Thankful for my husband and kids, my family, my community and all the positive friends and people that I get to encounter. Thank you God and bless the city of Wildomar!

—Rose Mary Napoli-Verso

I'm thankful to be raising my son in The Farm, which is such a close knit community, full of friendly and kind neighbors that quickly become friends.

— Brittney O'Sullivan

I am thankful for technology! 23 years ago I married a marine, on our 1 month wedding anniversary he was deployed to Japan. We spent a fortune on quick phone calls. My daughter is now stationed in TX with the US Air Force, we FaceTime, call, or text daily. My son plays on the Elsinore HS water-polo team, my husband's schedule rarely allows for him to make his games, we are lucky to have some really great parents who record the games and take 100’s of photos then post them on social media for him to watch. While many people may feel that technology is ruining our generation, my family uses it to keep close and I couldn’t be more thankful!

—Michele Thomas, Wildomar Planning Commissioner

I am thankful for my husband. He takes such good care of me and our home, he works so hard every day and doesn't really complain. I thank God every day for him.
— Melissa Barnett

I'm always thankful for the love of my crazy family and friends, my dog, and of a man who for some strange reason loves me. I'm thankful for fun times, great memories, rock n' roll music, champagne brunches, red roses, mouse traps, clouds, happy hours, Netflix & Hulu, my youth being stolen in the late 60s, whipped cream and strawberries, photoshop, green vegetables, eye makeup, my photography teachers, hair dye, live music, trees, antiques, shorts and flip flops.  

But what I think I'm most thankful is my faith and strength that has seen me through the good times and carried me over the rough times.

—Kat Ellis, Host of Chords and Vines Radio Show

I'm thankful for my husband, Stewart, and son, Jake, and the rest of our family! I'm thankful to live in a community that has so much heart and where we feel safe to live.

—City Councilmember Bridgette Moore 

I am thankful for the opportunity to learn from the past. This year my husband and I traveled to Plymouth, Massachusetts to see the National Monument to the Forefathers and also The Pilgrim Hall Museum.  The museum displays artifacts: William Bradford’s Bible, the only portrait of a Pilgrim (Edward Winslow) painted from life, the cradle of New England’s first–born, Peregrine White, the great chair of William Brewster, and the earliest sampler made in America, embroidered by Myles Standish’s daughter. 

This glimpse into the back stories of individuals and families taking a stand for truth is a reminder of how blessed we are as a nation. It is a reminder to consider what issues we stand firm upon - those that are worth risking all to uphold. It helps to know that today I can worship God and speak freely of Him in our society, and that my family has chosen to follow Jesus Christ. We continue to give thanks to Almighty God for all His blessings. (pilgrimhall.org)

—Veronica Langworthy, Wildomar Planning Commissioner

I'm grateful that my grandparents made sure I know GOD AND THAT HIS SON GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ME. I'm grateful that the Hurley family took me in and treated me like I was blood so I would have a family growing up. Thank you GOD for giving me 3 decent kids and a wife that puts up with me.
—David Masters

I’m thankful Zac is gone and WR has replaced him.

— Doug Aames

I am thankful to be employed. I was unemployed for two months this summer for the first time in ten years. Being over 50 I think cost me a few opportunities but I am working and looking forward to advancing up in my new career.
—Tom Ebel

I am thankful for my beautiful wife and three daughters. They are literally the reason behind almost everything I do.  Every vote on council that I make, they are on my mind.  They support me and my busy schedule, are loving, caring, and kind.  I really couldn’t be more thankful for them.

I am thankful for all of my family and friends.  Again each one is supportive in their own way, ALL are loving, and each allow me to vent to them and more importantly, keep it to themselves haha. 

I am thankful for our City, our staff, and OUR RESIDENTS, who, have placed their trust in me to represent them.  I am humbled still, by that fact and am truly grateful and thankful for the opportunity. I am thankful for our Marines, service members, veterans, and especially our military members that are forward deployed in dangerous parts of the world, so we can enjoy our way of life and pursue our versions of the American dream, in peace.

—City Councilmember Dustin Nigg

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When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. 
—Tecumseh  (1768–1813)

Wildomar Rap is thankful for all the local wonders that we've experienced since becoming willing to look outside of ourselves.

• Thanksgiving At The Elks Lodge 2015

Yesterday the Elks Lodge held it's 37th annual Thanksgiving dinner for seniors. 

They had two meal times. The first around noon and the second at about 2:00pm. I came to take pictures and do a write up about it, and wasn't expecting to be invited to eat; good thing I happened to come hungry, because the food was delicious and I ate up every bite... even the veggies.

Before the meal there was the citing of the pledge of allegiance and a prayer of thanks.

I was seated near a pair of brothers, the Alexanders. The older brother has lived in Wildomar for 45 years, is a member of the VFW and it was a treat to hear stories about the area when the 15 Fwy was just a two lane road called the 395. 

Across from me was a delightful couple, and the volunteer that was refilling coffee asked the woman if she had been a famous movie star in the past. She smiled and said no, but did reveal that she had been born in 1926.

I asked her how she had heard about the Elks dinner, and she remarked that they'd been coming for years, and that a friend of theirs brought them the first time. 

The meal included turkey, mashed potatoes , stuffing, a vegetable medley, cranberry sauce, a roll, gravy and followed up by pumpkin pie and coffee.

In attendance were the younger members of boy scout troop 332. They were on hand to refill beverages,  take away plates, and otherwise be helpful to the guests. There were also many adult volunteers on hand to cook, serve and clean up the meal.

The table I was at was served by ten year old boy scout Matthew. Everyone at my table remarked how well mannered he was, and how much they enjoyed seeing his eagerness to help out.

Between the two seatings, it was estimated that they had 300 guests, and they'd love to see the number rise for next year. They prepared enough food for 400, and though all the volunteers (about 50 in total) ate, they'd love to find themselves in a position of running out of food next year. ☺

The meal was free, but they did have a donation box that you could leave a donation in at one of the exits. It was known as a purple pig,  though this one had been charred by two past fires, so they named it Flamboyant. The money goes to the Elks charity work.

It was a great opportunity to meet more people from Wildomar, enjoy a fine meal and be thankful to live in such a great, generous and giving country.

•      •      • 

“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”

― Erma Bombeck

Wildomar Rap would like to express a heartfelt thanks to the Elks Lodge for hosting such a terrific event, and allowing me to partake in it too. Happy Thanksgiving Wildomar! ☺

• A Tree Fell, Did You Hear It?

I think it went "crash" but it might have gone "boom."  What does the tree say?

Neither Did I... until a friend sent me a link.

Let me start with a hearty:

Happy Thanksgiving week...

but that ointment sure likes flies in it... so here's the rundown.

_________________________________________________________________________________

I started Wildomar Rap after a conversation with Gil Rasmussen, of Wildomar Magazine fame (or is that 'infamy' —you be the judge of that one). He and I had gone a few rounds over at The Patch, before I retired from that cesspool, and then accepted his invitation to meet at Starbucks and had coffee. He's a personable enough guy, and the time wasn't a waste. He encouraged me to write a blog. He said he thought I was funny (my Aspie senses always tingle when I hear such things).

Ummm.... it's one of those "Be careful what you wish for" moments, if ever there was one.

First, I don't get the point of leading with the rusty edge of a dull fish scaler when writing, but people do what they are capable of. If you are into that kind of "humor" (cough), then he's your man and bless you both.

The cutting edge that is W-Mag.

So, Gil went from giving me props, to being ashamed of me in the blink of an eye. I've been waiting for this from day one. Look Gil, I like you and have no issues with you, but let me heartily thank you for withdrawing your support. It was about a half a step above having the likes of Lake Ellie's Resident be a blogs biggest booster.

I'm not who they think I am. 

I'm a 12 year resident of Wildomar, not a 12 year old boy, have always paid basic attention to things, but only recently started paying closer attention to issues in our city. I have no axes to grind, and I'm not interested in taking up the causes of Wildomar's self stylized "activists".

Too bad his blog-blast won't even make my Top 100 Crack-Back List of written jabs that I've endured over the many years I've spent at YouTube and Yahoo News. I've heard it all, and there is no combination of intelligible words that can phase me.

However there are two bits of   mental kryptonite  that can short circuit my dome in a hurry. I find it difficult to suffer fools, or those that lead with a disingenuous veneer. If you want to watch my eyes fog over, lead with one of those.

So the wheels came off over my previous blog: "Killing Paper".

Where I juxtaposed two memes. 

It must have taken special effort to miss my obvious point, and then to think I was promoting the mistreatment of women is truly laugh out loud funny. Almost as funny as those that take the W-Mag as some sort of gospel.

In short, BOTH -quote unquote- "solutions" are wrongo-bongo in the above memes.

Yet that clear point was missed by my esteemed friend... yowsers!

 (Earth calling frontal lobe, check in frontal lobe.) 

I enjoy making friends with the locals, and that includes those that many others in the city DO NOT LIKE, based on years worth of their actions. Actions, that no matter how noble they may claim them to be, have been nothing but harmful to our community.

Key word here:

"OUR"

I'm not interesting in sandbagging our local elected officials in a blog. If that was my aim, I'd have named this blog Wildomar Hatchet Job: replete with parody and satire. I'll let the bottom feeders gorge themselves on such fare... if that's your bag, you know where to look for it.

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I didn't envision Wildomar Rap to be a he-said she-said, nanny goat, gotcha back, I'm rubber you're glue blah, blah, blechhh! type of endeavor. I don't see that I'll be using this blog as such a vehicle —who would want to read such dreck? But, when I'm called out, and by a person that gave me free unsolicited pub, I feel compelled to respond. It's not like I could respond at his blog, where comments are verboten.

Like in the movie The Ten Commandments where the Pharaoh declared that all references of Moses be stricken from the record. I feel in such good company.

shall it be written shall it be done

Basically, all references of Wildomar Rap have been expunged from Wildomar Mag.

Oh Darn!

Click this link to read the blog in full.... that is, assuming it likewise hasn't been purged.

http://wildomarmagazine.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/a-bloggers-lack-of-judgment/

In the end, when I see Gil, I'm sure we'll shake hands and exchange the normal niceties.

People can have differing political view points and still get along... right?