This Time of Year!

Vol. 1  Chap 513

          This Time of Year!

      We Really Love This Time of Year!

      The Season’s Filled With So Much Cheer!

      Scents Tell Even Yuletide Rookies

      We’re ‘Bout to Taste Christmas Cookies!

      Sounds Make It Even More Festive!

      Santa’s Bell Tolls That We Should Give

      To Those Less Fortunate Than We!

      And That’s What We Do, Lovingly!

      We Really Love This Time of Year!

      Friends Seldom Seen Are Again Near!

      And Little Ones We Both Adore

      With Fresh Eyes Help Us To Explore!

      Whether the City or the Beach,

      We Let Each Setting Reach and Teach

      There Are Still Miracles Near Us!

      And God’s Own Son Can Still Hear Us!

      We Really Love This Time of Year!

      And All of You Who Join Us Here!

      So Before Our Next Year’s Meetings,

      Let Us Wish You, “Season’s Greetings!”

                  Merry Christmas All!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

Merry Christmas World!

Vol. 1  Chap 512

    Merry Christmas World!

            We Want to Thank Our Reader Friends,

            Like Our Loyal Canadians!

            To Each of You Encased in Ice,

            Merry Christmas Eh?  You’re So Nice!

            Feliz Navidad Amigos,

            To All Readers Where Apropos!

            And a Sincere Feliz Natal

            To Brazil and to Portugal!

            To Our Readers in Germany,

            Fröhliche Weihnachten!   Hope You See

            Joy and Kindnesses Everywhere

            And Where You Don’t, You’ll Bring Some There!

            To All in France, Joyeux Noel!

            Ev’ry Reader on Earth as Well,

            Like You in Ireland or Scotland,

            In Russia or in Our Great Land!

            From the South Pole Up to the North,

            Throughout This World, Let Us Bring Forth

            The Word That Our Savior is Born!

            Let Peace Rule Earth This Christmas Morn’!

                    Merry Christmas to All!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

San Diego's Christmas Parade!

Vol. 1   Chap. 511


                 San Diego's Christmas Parade!

               I Think 'Bout Each Christmas Parade

               When I Was Young and Had It Made!

               I Think I Still Hear the Applause!
               I Think I Still Hear Santa Claus!

               Those Days, They Were a Gentler Time!
               As Sweet as Each Saturday Rhyme!

               The Only Pressure That Persists …

               Staying Off Santa’s Naughty Lists!

               But Now I've Grown!   I'm In the Band!

               Don’t Mean to Brag, But Man Oh Man!

               U. C. Won Best Band In the State!
               We March to Make This Yule Time Great!

               Bella's Here!   And So Too My Mom!
               And Loads of Folks Who I Know From
               My Decade and a Half 'Round Town!
               All To See the Show We Lay Down!

      Love to Think As We March and Play,

               That Standing, Watching, This Fine Day

               Is One Young Girl Who'll See Me And

               Grow Up and Join Our U. C. Band!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

They Broke the Mold!

Vol. 1  Chap. 510

     They Broke the Mold!

              "They Broke the Mold When They Made You!"

              Me, I'm Not Sure … Some Think It’s True!

              I Guess in Some Ways, I’m Unique!

              One of a Kind Me, So to Speak!

              I Know With My Eyes and My Hair

              That Some Folks Find I am Quite Rare!

              Those Two Traits Alone Don’t Warrant

              A Second Look!   What’s Important

              Is How I Treat Those Around Me!

              Who Are the Friends Who Surround Me!

              How Much Time Since My Last Good Deed?

              When’s the Last Time I Conquered Greed?

              If I Can Recall Ev’ry Night

              Some Selfless Deed That I Did Right,

              Far From Eyes ... Quietly ... Untold!

              Then I Could Shape a Worthy Mold!

              I Think Our Old Mold’s Unshattered!

              If It Fell, It Never Splattered!

              "Broke the Mold", They Said ‘Bout Our Mom!

              And Mom’s the Tree We Fruits Grew From!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

The Captain & The Kid!

Vol. 1  Chap. 509

    The Captain & The Kid!

          Subtitle:  My Tryptophan Trip!

On Deck I Stood Up By the Bow,

Held Captain Standish’ Hand for Now!

The Deck Got So Crowded, Ya Know,

Since One Young Sailor Yelled, “Land Ho!”

This Was Our Third Time Spotting Land!

The Tip of This Cape’s Soil Was Sand!

Then Part Way to This Bay We Ran

Into a Hostile Injun Band!

Now This Kind Captain Scoops Me High!

Our Blue Calm Bay Matches the Sky!

He Says, “Bella With Crimson Locks,

“Behold Your Home!”   Love How He Talks!

Ev’ryone’s Crowding Up on Deck!

I’m Glad the Captain’s Got Me!   Heck,

The Adults Leap and Scream and Kiss!

Who Knew Puritans Act Like This?

Now From Far Rock, the Captain Shouts,

“Bella, Come On!”  I Look Abouts!

Not the Mayflower Rocking Me,

Audrey In My Room Waking Me!

       Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!!!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

A Feat of Note!

Vol. 1  Chap. 508



                          A Feat of Note!

    No, I’ve Never Been This Nervous!

    Some in the Stands, They Root For Us!

    After Months We’ve Made It This Far!

    Last Chance to Show How Good We Are!

    Sure We’re Good!   So’s Everyone Here!

    We’ve Made It to the States This Year!

    Let’s Hear It for Our Marching Band!

    Your Spirit Fuels Our Band’s Last Stand!

    The Temps Reached Up To High Ninety!

    The Sun Kept Beating Down on Me!

    And Every Bandmate Leaves Around

    A Gallon of Sweat on the Ground!

    Our Horns Sync Crisp!  Drums Reverb Deep!

    Our Batons Twirl!   Drum Majors Leap!

    We’re University City!

    No One Out~Works the Great U.C!

    Did Our Work Translate to the Field?

    Judge Holds the Envelope, Unsealed!

    After What Seemed an Endless Wait,

    Declares U.C. Best in the State!

        Congratulations Audrey and Bandmates!

     Best in Their Class in All of         California!!!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

Winter Camping!

Vol. 1  Chap. 507

            Winter Camping!

          My Grampa, He’d Camp All Year Round!

          In Summers Heat!   When Snows Came Down!

          In New Hampshire’s Kancamagus,

          He Slept in Igloos!   NOT For Us!

          Us Gingers Prefer Our Comfort!

          Don’t Get Me Wrong, We Still Cavort

          With Nature!   Then We Eat S'mores
          In Mountains or by Ocean’s Roars!

          It’s Just That We Have Standards, See?

          Most Winter Camping’s Not For Me!

          I Won’t Camp Where My Toes Might Freeze!

          Or When the Leaves All Left the Trees!

          In Our Garage, I Spied Our Tent!

          Hadn’t Thought Once Where That Tent Went!

          That Old Tent Gave Me an Idea!

          One I Shared With Good Friend, Leah!

          It’s Time We Tried to Winter Camp!

          Us Girls Eschew the Cold and Damp!

          In Our Tent, Safe as Mother’s Womb,

          We Slept Last Night … In My Playroom!

                 Happy Birthday Andy Campbell!  
          
                         We All Love You!!!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa