James Thomas Rook Jr.

That reminds me of the story of the Grasshopper, and the Ant.
Springtime came, and food was abundant.
The Ant spent all summer and fall working industriously digging tunnels and caverns and bringing back food to store there.  He worked all day, everyday ... so that when Winter came, he would not starve, but would have plenty to eat, and filled his underground storehouses with plenty of good food for the Winter.
But all summer long the Grasshopper just sat under a tree, and walked around, playing his violin ... not doing anything to prepare for Winter ... and was warned by the Ant that he better get hoppin' or he would starve to death ... but the Grasshopper ignored him, and continued to play music, and lay about, napping and eating grass.
And then the Snow came, and killed all the grass, and covered the ground .... and the Grasshopper hitchhiked on a Bus to Florida, and someone stepped on the Ant.
.

Someday I will tell the story of when I competed in the Olympics Games in the Russian Roulette competition.

Hello to all my spiritual brothers and sisters! It's been a while since I've posted a topic! I chose the topic "Never Give Up on Jehovah" because three weeks ago my life changed! I was involved in a car wreck! This guy was speeding down his street, I stopped at the stop sign, then I proceeded to go, then he hit me! I hit my chest and couldn't breathe! Someone called 911, the ambulance came, I just suffered some bruises! I'm ok now, thanks to Jehovah, physically,  and not as sore as I was! The police came and wrote down our insurance information! My car had to be towed to the Dallas Police Pound where it's still there! I filed a claim against him, he filed a claim against me!  I'm still waiting to hear from my insurance adjuster! I've had to listen to my meetings over the telephone! But, even though I'm not there, my heart is! They always keep us in their prayers! I attended my meeting Sunday, a week ago! Everyone was so happy to see me! My eyes teared up seeing my spiritual family again! A very sweet sister, picked me up, took me on Saturday, to have a share in our regional convention campaign work! Were in our second week! I would also like to add, when we finished working our street, Jehovah's angels were protecting us, a sister came and told us not to work that street! A mentally ill couple had a baseball bat swinging at Jehovah's Witnesses, because they were mad at us and they hated us!  Our "DONT GIVE UP" regional convention is days away! August 25-27! I'm so excited!  She and I signed up to clean our section were assigned to after each session is over for the day! My very sweet spiritual sister is taking me and her two children, all 3 days!  I haven't worked in two weeks, my son paid my bills, I have one more check this week, it just  goes to pay my rent! Yes, I'm human, I've cried, but mainly,  I pray to Jehovah to give me the strength to cope with my present situation! The blessing Jehovah has bestowed upon me, is some sisters told me Sunday, about a job, being a caregiver for a sister! Today, I found out I got the job! I thanked Jehovah for taking care of not only my spiritual needs, but my physical needs! As of July 29, this year I've been baptized 45 years! I'm so proud to be hi s loyal servant!  I hope you like my topic I chose to write about! I know no matter what I go through I will never give up on Jehovah! He knows what we face in Satan's wicked  world! I hope everyone has a great weekend!  No matter what you are facing,  pray to Jehovah to help you!  Agape love, Shirley! 

Don't drink wart juice?

That reminds me of the story of the Grasshopper, and the Ant.
Springtime came, and food was abundant.
The Ant spent all summer and fall working industriously digging tunnels and caverns and bringing back food to store there.  He worked all day, everyday ... so that when Winter came, he would not starve, but would have plenty to eat, and filled his underground storehouses with plenty of good food for the Winter.
But all summer long the Grasshopper just sat under a tree, and walked around, playing his violin ... not doing anything to prepare for Winter ... and was warned by the Ant that he better get hoppin' or he would starve to death ... but the Grasshopper ignored him, and continued to play music, and lay about, napping and eating grass.
And then the Snow came, and killed all the grass, and covered the ground .... and the Grasshopper hitchhiked on a Bus to Florida, and someone stepped on the Ant.
.

Three years ago I remarried at age 67, and it has been WONDERFUL!
Susan has a Masters Degree in Mathematics Education,
and I LIKE having a gal I can ...*koff* ... count on !

*koff* is a word that you use in the middle of telling a joke, a sound like a single cough to clear your throat .. to give the reader a hint that what you are telling is INTENDED to be a joke.  Usually accompanied by holding your closed fist, thumb and forefinger close to your mouth, so you cough down the hole into the palm of your hand, as a visual clue, also.  Also to show that you are perhaps not being serious, although the stated joke may be somewhat Machiavellian. Sort of like an "Achtung!".
The joke was that I could COUNT on my wife, she being a Math Teacher, which she is.  A "play on words".
Other than the play on words about "Math" and "count", the rest is quite true!
YAY!
( which is short for "Hooray!", or as the English would say "..very good." )
 

TTH:
I also recycle old jokes and material.
I  tell the old jokes to newer generations ( about 40 years ), and they think I am SO CLEVER .. but all I am doing is recycling.  I do not disabuse them of their opinions ... I need all the help I can get.
" "The Ransom of Red Chief" is a 1910 short story by O. Henry first published in The Saturday Evening Post. It follows two men who kidnap and attempt to ransom a wealthy Alabaman's son; eventually, the men are driven crazy by the boy's spoiled and hyperactive behavior, and end up having to pay the boy's father to take him back.
The story and its main idea have become a part of popular culture, with many children's television programs using a version of the story as one of their episodes. The tale is a light-hearted example of the ultimate in "poetic justice" and fortuitous intervention for the public good: the crooks had intended to use the ransom money to fund an even larger and much more elaborate scam that would likely have caused widespread monetary damage to the local populace, and so having their plans "foiled in their infancy" by Red Chief's shrewd father saves countless other honest folks from financial ruin. It has also been often used as a classic example of two ultimate comic ironies—a supposed "hostage" actually liking his abductors and enjoying being captured, and his captors getting their just deserts by having the tables turned on them, and being compelled to pay to be rid of him."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ransom_of_Red_Chief
 
 
 

Three years ago I remarried at age 67, and it has been WONDERFUL!
Susan has a Masters Degree in Mathematics Education,
and I LIKE having a gal I can ...*koff* ... count on !

That's pretty much how I dress every day ... except for meetings, when I dress up like a Penguin, ( see profile photo) except I have old Levis, and a dark blue long sleeve blue shirt, and muddy sports shoes (what is the generic name for those things .... we USED to call them "tennis shoes" ...).
As much as the Society disparages military thinking ... it seems we are headed towards military uniforms ... WITH JW.ORG INSIGNIA.
The Governing Body is constantly experimenting with new ideas for proper dress!

Interesting ... I like the idea that when there are NEW things,
someone runs it up a flagpole to SEE WHO SALUTES IT!
( in this case ... almost EVERYBODY! )
 

Can we see the first 30% of her for free? It'd be like 'proof of life.'

To tell you the truth, he or she or it is so flabby it is hard to tell.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I have kidnapped @The Librarian If you ever want to see her again, (and I know I am taking a risk in saying this) you are going to have to dig down into your pockets and pony up. I figure if each reader pays $1000, that should be enough to secure her release.
There will be no special rates for those in full time service. I'm playing hardball.
Updates periodically.

Oh, I think the Russians are heartier people as a whole than we are here in the West, where political correctness is the new term for what we USED to call cowardice.
ESPECIALLY the Sisters !

I remember that picture,. hahaha  Â Â Thank you  JTR ! 

Then, of course ..... there is the OTHER side of the door  ...
 

You cannot imagine how liberating it is to watch with disinterest as a pontificate piles sticks around your ankles to burn you at the stake, and not be combustible.

Customs and sensibilities vary from time to time ... culture to culture .. and by location.
Today (our weekend meeting is on Saturday ..) we learned in paragraph 17 that a Brother "remembered" that the Book of Daniel was written in Aramaic... who knew?
Let me tell you about Ahab the Arab
The sheik of the burning sand
He had emeralds and rubies just drippin' off 'a him
And a ring on every finger of his hand He wore a big ol' turban wrapped around his head
And a scimitar by his side
And, every evenin', about midnight
He'd jump on his camel named Clyde, and ride Silently through the night to the sultan's tent where he
Would secretly meet up with Fatima of the Seven Veils,
Swingingest grade "A" number one US choice dancer in
The sultan's whole harem, 'cause, heh, him and her had A thing goin', you know, and they'd been carryin' on
For some time now behind the sultan's back and you
Could hear him talk to his camel as he rode out across the
Dunes, his voice would cut through the still night desert Air and he'd say (imitate Arabic speech and finish with "Sold! American)
Which is Arabic for, "Stop, Clyde!" and Clyde'd say, (imitate camel sound),
Which is camel for, "What the heck did he say anyway?"
Well, he brought that camel to a screechin' halt (verbal screeching sound) In the rear of Fatima's tent
Jumped off Clyde, snuck around the corner
And into the tent he went.
There he saw Fatima layin' on a zebra skin rug with... "Rings on her fingers and
Bells on her toes and a bone in her nose ho, ho."   There she was, friends, lyin' there in all her radiant
Beauty, eating on a raisin, grape, apricot, pomegranate,
Bowl of chittlin's, two bananas, three Hershey bars,
Sipping on a RC co-cola listenin' to her transistor, Watchin' the Grand Ole Opry on the tube, readin' a Mad
Magazine while she sung, "Does your chewing gum lose
It's flavor?" Yeah, Ahab walked up to her and he say,   (imitate Arabic speech), which is Arabic for "Let's twist Again like we did last summer, baby.!!" Ha, ha, ha!! You know what I mean! Whew! She looked up at him from off the rug,
Give him one of the sly looks,
She said (suggestive giggles, then outright laughter) "Crazy, crazy, crazy baby!"   Yeah, and that's the story 'bout Ahab the Arab
The sheik of the burnin' sand Ahab the Arab, the swingin' sheik of the burnin' sand   (Songwriter: Ray Stevens)

I understand that for the young, makeup is experimental ...
... that's why I wear a Hockey Mask.
 

I do not have the slightest idea ....

Father and Daughter preaching in KHABAROVSK RUSSIA #JW
???

My "Happy Pants" are Levis  "blue jeans", ( with a dark blue long sleeve button down collar shirt.)
I wear a black suit to the Kingdom Hall,  but I feel like a dislocated Penguin, or an overdressed Paladin.
With 10 million dollars you could buy a good used helicopter and pilot training and fuel and maintenance.   That is as close to heaven as Ah would ever get!  (sigh....)

The  3  last  comments  I  love  so  much...  haha     THANK  YOU  DEAR  SISTER  SUZIQ1513   &  DEAR  BROTHER  JTR !!   You  are  honest  and  funny 

HAHA!   I see in your pic your "penguin" attire BUT your casual wear sounds like prison issuance wear.