Mike Martin

Posted on: Mar 25, 2019 at 9:36 AM

From PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla - "It's not 100's, you're talking 1,000 of these little baby frogs," said resident Carollyn Rice. Jenni Quasha, a resident in the neighborhood, contacted her homeowner's association, but says she was told it is her responsibility to handle the problem. Quasha said her daughter is scared to walk outside. "There's no swimming in the pool and no playing outside and enjoying the outdoors. Just hoping we can figure this out so we can put an end to it," Quasha said.
Meanwhile, in BUZI, Mozambique —In the week since Cyclone Idai triggered unprecedented flooding in central Mozambique, there have been speculative death tolls in the thousands, but barely any bodies recovered. The newly homeless are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, across dozens of towns and villages, but there are no camps yet to house them. The United Nations elevated its emergency level here to be on par with Yemen and the Central African Republic, both in grinding and brutal civil wars. Key relief teams have just begun to mobilize.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C. - Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are not satisfied with Attorney General Bill Barr’s summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. “Attorney General Barr’s letter raises as many questions as it answers,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement on Sunday, a few hours after Barr’s letter was released.
Get Together
The Youngbloods

Love is but a song we sing
Fears the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the dove is on the wing
And you need not know why
Come on people let's smile on your brother hey
Let's get together and love one another now
Come on people let's love one another right now

THE YOUNGBLOODS Let´s get together 1967 Chet Powers’ song performed at Woodstock (Watch for Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix [USAF vet], Mama Cass, and other dead people in the crowd shots):
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lets+get+together&docid=607993232671965517&mid=313103893117A8F1CDFF313103893117A8F1CDFF&view=detail&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dcome%2bon%2bpeople%2bnow%2blyrics%26qs%3dAS%26pq%3dcome%2bon%2bpeople%26sk%3dAS1%26sc%3d8-14%26cvid%3d204C240031C34AE3930DD344989AD2CE%26FORM%3dQBLH%26sp%3d2
“Getting old didn’t take as long as I thought it would.”
-   Mike Martin 2019

Posted on: Jan 13, 2019 at 2:59 PM

Sandra, I managed to delete your message, which isn't a positive endorsement of my mechanical ability, but I could give you a heads-up next time we visit Sunset Harbour and I could drop by and take a look at your grandfather clock? Of course, there wouldn't be a charge for an old school chum.

Posted on: Jan 12, 2019 at 8:06 AM

Susan's announcement about the wonderful Barber Park Event Center & Ruth Wicker Tribute to Women opening reminds me of a very special person here in the Tryon, NC area. I repair vintage and antique clocks in NC/SC and I received a call from a Ms. Deaver, who is living at a retirement community there. Ms. Deaver will be 100 years old on March 26th of 2019.

My daughter Sarah and I arrived and found that Ms. Deaver's clock was an inexpensive battery powered clock that she had owned for years. She had bought batteries but the clock was too high on the wall for her to reach, or she would have changed the batteries herself and been done with it. I replaced the batteries and then I mulled over what would be the right charge for making the house call, changing her clock's batteries and correcting a few mechanical issues in the clock, and 'spiffing it up' a bit. I call my service policy "The Golden Rule Service Policy" and I do try to treat each of my customers as I would want to be treated, were I the customer. I said "Ms. Deaver, the charge for the service today is $8.00." Ms. Deaver paused from completing the check she was writing to me and said: "Mr. Martin, you're never going to get rich if you don't charge more than that for making a service call, especially this far from where you live." I was floored! And then I laughed and laughed. This lady was wise beyond her 99 years! But I stuck to my guns, and Ms. Deaver completed the check for $8.00. I also lowered the clock's position on the wall so she can reach the hands to change the time when necessary. And change the battery next time it runs down. I promised to call her on her birthday and sing 'Happy Birthday' to her.

We chatted a bit - Sarah was enthralled with the old books and magazines laying about Ms. Deaver's home and the pictures on the walls. Ms. Deaver was a retired physical therapist who worked with soldiers who had been wounded and had been sent to her hospital in New York to recover. She shared photos of her time in New York City in the 1940s with us. By the time we left, I felt like I should have paid Ms. Deaver for sharing her experiences with us. It was certainly an opportunity that Sarah will not soon forget and that I cherish. And on March 26th, I will call Ms. Deaver and sing Happy Birthday to her!

Posted on: Dec 23, 2018 at 8:09 AM

Ahem! I would like to share my favourite seasonal joke:

Why did Santa Claus plant a garden?








So he could ho ho ho!



The end

Posted on: Nov 06, 2018 at 9:17 AM

Is it just me or is it HOT in here?