MOUNTAIN MORNING The grass has been Gently kissed By morning’s early Rising mist. The sparkling dew Shines like a crown Atop each blade Upon the ground. The morning sun With piercing rays Reflects the light, Blue mountain haze. In the air, Sweet smells of Spring Another beautiful Mountain morning.
Win the Day Cancer comes at you fast! One day, you are living your normal life with all the attendant schedules, conflicts and daily requirements of work and play. The next day, and without warning, Cancer (that’s with a big “C”) bullies its way in and invades every nook and cranny of that normal schedule we call life. Along with that disruptive diagnosis comes an overwhelming whirlwind of new doctors, appointments, and tests, invasively poking into your body, all to put together a team that will develop a course of treatment suitable to battle your specific cancer. Modesty becomes a memory, and you gear up to go to war. The dedicated experts at all levels of Both Piedmont and Northside Hospitals are the exact army you need to go to war with cancer. They are consummate professionals. Both of those organizations have been exemplary in their levels of respect and kindness toward me as a patient. Our community is well served by having them so near to us! My wife Kay shared the concept of “Win the Day” with me, and I liked it so much that I immediately modified it and made it my own. Briefly stated, I cannot win yesterday’s battles, they only exist in the past. I cannot today win all the future battles that consist of my ordinary life plus daily treatments of Chemo and Radiation for an unknowable time. The battle I must win is the one in front of me, and that is my goal. Win the day, this day! Cindy DeMaio, my much beloved and incredibly gifted daughter, surprised me by using my “Win the Day” motto to design a beautiful tee shirt. That design appears to have become quite popular, and many friends and associates have lifted my spirits by sending pics of them wearing the shirts or holding up “Win the Day” signs (including the entire Rotary Club of Jasper) in support. I continue to take chemo and radiation treatments Monday through Friday, five days a week. Radiation treatments are scheduled to end after 28 treatment days. As of today, I have 8 more radiation treatments remaining. Chemo will continue for several months after radiation is done, with eventual surgery sometime in early 2024. I do not have adequate words to express to all of you what the gift of your support has meant to our family. Your words, your thoughtful support and your prayers will never be forgotten. We are blessed to live among such loving people in this wonderful community we call home! Thank you all. With your continued support, WE will “Win the Day!”.
A small town is not necessarily a small business. Jasper has a population of 4,000 with projected growth of another 4,000 in 5 years. That means expanding services of water, sewer, garbage, police, fire and planning and development. Throw in equipment, vehicles and do not forget the new people that will be required to deliver these new services and it gets expensive in a hurry. With today’s total city expenditures approaching $12 million annually, it is not unreasonable to project that figure could easily approach $20 million in 5 or 6 years. Even small towns need strong, business oriented leadership. Make your votes count!
You think there will be time in the future. There will not. You believe nothing will change. It will. Time is a wave you ride into tomorrow. Surf with the ones you love.
I count each Spring by the weeping willow that stands by the side of the road. Like an hour glass of green that empties and fills Like a tide that ebbs and flows. All season come and all seasons go, but I only count the Springs. In the cold heart of winter surrounded by snow I long for my green weeping willow.
My first and last term as Mayor began in January, 2020 and ended in January 2024. In June, 2023, I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and chose not to run for a second term. Fighting cancer is both a journey and a distinct process. As circumstances have played out, my decision was the correct one. At this stage, I have completed all radiation and chemo. I am scheduled to have an operation to remove such cancer as remains in mid March off this year. So, what is a recently retired to do? I have always enjoyed writing and since I will have a good six to eight weeks recovery period, the timing seems right. I will write about the experiences of being a small town Mayor in articles to come.
There is nothing more powerful in the universe than a voice and an idea. What else can tunnel through a mountain or go to Mars.
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, way before the beginning of trees or even of man, Tulips wandered the face of the earth. From first growth, each Tulip would start their lonely journey to find the very special place they would call home. This could be a long journey, traveling through storms, over rivers, mountains, and even over the great oceans of the world. No two Tulips could ever go to the same place. Every Tulip knew when they were headed in the right direction because they could feel the pull of their home. They also knew when they were getting closer because they would feel the need to Sing. The closer they came to their new home, the stronger the need to Sing until a moment would arrive when the joy of their Song just burst from their petals. Every day, Tulips would Sing, and from the far corners of the earth, from every mountain, every valley, would come forth their Song. And God, no matter how busy he would be, would stop and listen to His favorite flower. It is sad that Tulips do not live for a long time. Because of this, and because the world is so big, they could not live together. But, Tulips were not too sad, because they could still Sing. And this was the cycle of Tulip life; birth to journey to Song to death. But God, who knows all things, was troubled. He knew that the Tulips were lonely because they could not live together. So God, in his wisdom, made Man. And, all the Tulips were now very, very happy. With Man to carry them, to plant them and care for them, now Tulips could live together and still cover the earth with their Song. This is also a very good thing for Man. When men are happy, Tulips Sing even more and when they are sad, Tulips Sing to cheer them up, But, when they are ill, Tulips will Sing a great call of Prayer to Heaven and God will hear the Tulip Song and cure their illness. This is the story of the Tulip Song.
So, we’ve gathered up our riches And we’ve put them into bags Then we’ve transferred them to boxes And we’ve named them all with tags. For the gift that is a blessingOf the giver to the oneBe it Monther, Sister, Daughter,Be it Father, Brother, Son Comes with joy that such a loved oneHas a life that we can shareComes with love that can’t be measuredBy the many ways we care. As we place our boxed-up treasures‘Round this gaily festive treeLet us pause in quiet reflectionWhile we’re here on bended knee. Let this tree become an altar,One of millions shining brightAs we offer up our prayersOn this special Christmas night. For the Gift that is a BlessingOf the Giver to the oneCame when God, our Holy FatherGave us Jesus as his Son.
