The Curious Story of Professor Donald Morton

This is a strange story, not because of the actions of Professor Donald R. Morton, because he acted like most of us would in his situation. The story is strange because Professor Donald Morton is the Director of the Graduate Program in Crime and Justice Studies at Suffolk University and you would think that he would be smart enough to figure out a simple crime.

To start the story off, I had an old laptop that I received several months ago. It came with tons of other stuff and I only bought the lot for one of the items. I, being the super smart guy that I am, decided to liquidate the other things by selling them on craigslist. The old laptop did not come with a power supply so I was selling it for cheap money.

I received a call from Don and he said he was interested in buying the computer. He said he lives in Boston and I live a good 20 miles away. He kept pushing me to drive to Boston and telling me that he would probably buy it. Now, I am a greedy kind of guy but there is no way that I am going to make a 40 mile round trip for pretty close to no money. Our talking went back and forth for several days and we could never find a place that was closer to me to do the deal so I just pretty much wrote off selling him the machine.

This morning I received one of the strangest emails from Professor Donald Morton, he claimed I went to his place, told his partner that I was thirsty and then dashed out with his computer while his partner went for the water. I felt sorry for the guy because that would really stink, being robbed like that. I explained that I was not the guy but I would be happy to help him if there was anything I could do.

He sent me a few more emails accusing me of being the guy so I sent him information from Craigslist that showed I listed the laptop 7 days BEFORE the day he claimed that his was stolen. This is where it becomes curious to me, Professor Donald Morton still did not believe what even Craigslist had to say so he said that he would meet me, he claimed that I am a black, male in my 30's and his partner would easily ID me. I chose the Marblehead police station and thought that would prove that I was not the guy..... mysteriously it was at the time I offered to meet him at the police station that he decided to stop talking with me.

I did take quite abit of offense over his description of me. I mean come on, I am in my 40s and would hate to think that I was still an immature 30ish year old. The "accusation" of being black was not that big of a deal because Michael Jackson later in life was about my skin color but even he did not have blue eyes. I do have to concede though that he is right about me being a male and I am proud to have picked being a male when I was born.

I honestly would assume that Director of the Graduate Program in Crime and Justice Studies at Suffolk University would have figured out that a white, guy who had the computer for sell a week before his was stolen by a black guy was probably not the man he was looking for.

After all of his threats, accusations, phone calls and emails I thought I would lay out the case and let the reader figure out if he is just off in this one situation or am I a time traveler that turns into a younger black guy when I go to the future to steal inexpensive items.


Ohhhhh, one more question. What could possibly be on a persons hard drive if their computer was stolen, they have a perfect description of the person who took it and the person was at their place while their partner was there....... yet they did not call the police to file a report? Mmmmmm, it does make a person wonder what they are trying to hide. It is also interesting that after offering to meet at the local police station Professor Donald R. Morton stopped talking with me.

Is Tim Allen an Antichrist?

Lets be frank here, I live in a household of women. I have the most wonderful of all wives, I have three of the most spectacular daughters ever created by God, our best friend is a woman that also has 4 daughters and they all live next door, and even our two female cats are great pets. I have to say though that I am the lone person around that is a true guy and that is sometimes an odd thing.

Tim Allen.... the question to me becomes is he going to be the voice of guys like me. Are we going to finally have a show were a guy actually has testosterone but does not hate the women in his life. Are guys like me finally going to be able to have a show about the oddities that happen to a real guy living with with wonderful and strong women or are we once again going to be shown a "savior" that is false, an antichrist so to speak.

I love Tim's earlier work and have great hope for his new show..... I guess I will have to wait till it is shown but since I am a guy I have no problem saying that it is the best show on TV, I am sure all real men will love it and any woman that loves a guy will at the very least like it.... Guys are like that, we have no problem telling you about things that we have no idea if it is true..... but I am sure that I am right.

Marriage Will Change a Guy

It is quite well known that women from the first moment of history will find a guy and then work for the rest of their life to try and change him into something other then what he actually is. I have found myself changed in several ways, by Judy, that actually surprised me. I figure these changes just crept up because I am not sure when the actual moment of change happened.

This is a short list out of many things that I now do different then when Judy first started her project.

1) I go barefoot outside all the time.... Judy never does but I do.

2) I actually like seafood now. This probably has to do with eating seafood the same day it was caught. Eat at Red Lobster? Never again.

3) I have learned to not eat stuff that you found on the ground.

4) I now take the trash out before things start growing in it.

5) Watching sports is fun and can even be a hobby but it is not a way of life.

6) A good movie does not have to have explosions in it. I still do think that it can even help a chick flick if there are enough car chases, explosions or cool things in the movie though.

7) Muscles (the food) should not need to be stomped on, hammered or thrown against a wall to get them open after they have been steamed.... I ate one and was pleasantly surprised (sarcasm) that a few hours later I could see again everything I had eaten the previous week.

8) Being a Yankee is not a disease but actually there are many benefits to it.

9) Duct tape does NOT fix everything.

10) Having your best friend be your mate for life is the most wondrous thing.... Ok, some of these are not actual changes but they are things I have learned.

Birthday Gift fom an Irish Girl, Potatos?

This last week was my birthday and I have to say I received a very strange gift.

I have no problems naming names on this one so the young lady is Ari. On my birthday she gave me two packages, one was actually a very normal but nice gift and I thanked her because I was appreciative. The second one was a bag of two potatoes that were wrapped in paper as well.

I honestly could not figure it out. I know that she teases me for being Scandinavian and I tease her about being Irish so I assumed it had to do with some funky Irish custom that I had never heard of before. Maybe it had to do with the great potato famine but I was pretty sure that millions of starving people would not be something she would make a joke about.

I stood there after opening the gift trying to look more grateful then puzzled. I looked at Judy and then Ari's sister, Heather, hoping to find a bit of support but they both just looked at me with pleased smiles. I held the small bag of potatoes nervously trying to figure out what to do with them till I decided that a small bag of potatoes must be a weapon. You know, kind of like how the mob uses a bag of oranges to beat people and not leave a mark, I decided that a bag of potatoes must be what the Irish mob would use so I started swinging it around hoping that I got the whole idea right.

I swung the sack of potatoes around for what seemed like an eternity while all 3 young ladies just smiled pleasantly making me feel more unsure about my stupid action more and more as each second passed. Finally Heather stopped me and asked me to open here gift. I put down the sack with a sense of relief and took her gift.

I opened the wrapper slowly hoping above all hope that it was not going to be some kind of bizarre Irish gift that I would not understand. The gift slowly emerged and what I saw finally made sense .... I was given a fantastic potato gun and now I even had ammo for it.

This blog is honestly a warning to my neighbors, if I knock on your door and have a sneaky smile on my face and a hand behind my back you might want to act like you are not home ..... of course I could go coon hunting and shoo the critters away from our trash cans with my new weapon but the stubbornness of those beasts they would probably just think that I was shooting food at them and they would set up house in my backyard.

I am the Pied Piper of Children and Crabs

I love Marblehead, the people, the town, the history, well just everything. The simple truth is that while I may be an Okie, born and bred, I still fit in with at least a few of the people here.

A simple story to show what I mean

Judy and I both of a deep love for the ocean and we go to the beach every time that we have an opportunity. She always looks her glamorous self when we head off to the beach while I look like every kid with a plastic pail and shovel. Now I want to make it clear that I am a grown up so I leave the cheap Dollar Tree pail at home and bring my fancy stuff with me.

We both comb the beach and water for interesting rocks and shells but while she has every guy from the age of 13 to 93 watching her I end up with this rag tag group of kids following me. I never really thought much about it until Judy pointed it out to me today.

There is actually a simple reason for this entourage of kids and it comes down to the fact that when I am at the beach I turn into a big 10 year old boy. While Judy is looking for the delicate shells and slivers of sea glass I tend to become more interested in flipping over big rocks to see what I can find underneath. Many times there are 10-20 small crabs under the rocks and they all go scurrying off to find new shelter.

Having the inquisitive mind of a 10 year old but being able to flip large rocks means that I am a real popular guy for other small urchin that love the idea of getting a bit dirty catching critters that make you scream "ouch" when they pinch you.

I do love my life here and could never imagine living anywhere else.

Internet Friends, Real Friendships or Not?

We all have talked to people on the internet and made what we consider real friends but the question has to be.... can people become real friends if all they have are notes, chats and comments over the internet.

I have found a couple of things to be true, at least for myself. The first thing is that I have found my greatest enemies over the internet, people who would never have come after me if we had no other connection except the internet. Since I can safely say that I have people who hate me because of the internet I should also be able to say that I have found true friends.

I have met people who I truly care about, ones that I am concerned when they have something bad in their life and able to rejoice when something good happens. These are the exact same feelings that I have for real life friends.

I moved to Marblehead because of a person I originally met on Facebook, we became friends, then best friends and now husband and wife. Now that I am in a different state and many of my Internet friends that lived here are real life friends my old friends of become my internet friends.

I will give an example, Thomas is a real life friends who I have known since my school days. He is an important part of my psyche and considering I have not seen the guy for almost two years we have stayed in contact via the internet...... but he is still as real to me via the internet as he was when we would go to lunch together.

The simple answer to the question..... Yes, real friends can be "just" internet friends.

Old Love

I am sure we all have looked back to our earlier selves and wondered what if? What if I had done something different, what if I had not said those words, what if those clams I had last night where caught off the coast of Japan, these are the kind of questions that has haunted humanity from the beginning of time.

Judy and I were at Castle Rock near our home and we ran into a strange little couple. They were strange not because he was a dentist with really bad teeth but because the two of them had done something that few people ever will.

The two ancient people (he was 96 and she was much younger at 94) came up to us and started talking. I am one to always show respect to my elders but this seemed odd to me. How could they know Judy and I were not some evil couple that had decided to take over the work of Dr. Kevorkian? They seemed geniuanly interested in talking to us.

I started to wonder if they were into some kind of cult and they wanted to save our souls or the souls of our cats but they never mentioned anything of the sort. Instead they went on about how lovely of a couple we were and how we looked like we truly were in love. They went on and on about how they travel the world and meet thousands of people but that there are only a few that they have met in their life time that looked like they actually loved each other by the way they moved, spoke and acted.

This couple held hands, and spoke to each other with wonder in their eyes as they looked at each other. The seemed quite wealthy and spoke of their grand kids who were getting ready to retire but said something I shall remember for the rest of my life..... "We have lots of money and our kids are all successful in business and long marriages but our children see our success in how much we have and we see our success with who we have (each other)."

He said that he was glad to see that there where young people (hey, the dude is 96 so I am young) that understood that no matter what happens in the world to be successful at 96 you have to have that woman who you have loved for years loving you back stronger then ever before.

Sappy enough blog for you? If you know my goal in life then you will understand why I found this couple so endearing.......

Evil Comes in Many Colors

I must be a real lucky guy, I seem to get into battles with evil beings of every stripe and color. This is actually good news for me because I love the idea of going to war for really no good reason. I guess this makes me some kind of warmongering evil person myself but I will simply claim that I was born this way so you HAVE to accept me as I am.

Last summer I had the wonderful time of going toe to toe with a ground hog, I am not sure that I actually won the war but it eventually gave up and went home, or most probably just found another home that did not have a raving lunatic as a neighbor. This summer I am facing not one but a whole herd of critters that have set out to conquer my yard and set me fuming over their every action.

Raccoons, the size of a medium dog, have invaded the neighborhood. These creatures are not eating the garden yet but have this wonderful ability to tip over trash cans, strew the nastiest parts of it and then leave the rancid garbage for the seagulls to further make a mess. The simple solution would be to lock the cans up but I suppose that would take the fun away.

I am plotting and planning my revenge on this motley crew with a few neighbors. We have even thought that if it comes down to a life and death situation that we would be able to supply the meat for a neighborhood block party. I guess what I should do now is ask my southern friends for a good recipe for BBQ coon ribs.

I will keep you posted as the battles unfold.

Rootabagga's Rambling's - The rambling's of a single mother raising special needs children.

 

 

Kate is a real life friend, yes I do have friends in real life..........

 

Rootabagga's Rambling's

The rambling's of a single mother raising special needs children. A birds eye view into mental illness in loved ones and how it effects those around them. "I can do all thing's through Christ who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

       Everyone knows what it feels like when you have to sneeze, right? You can feel it coming before you actually sneeze. You feel the proverbial tickle in the back of your nose. You sometimes get that "I'm gonna sneeze" look like in the picture above. I have even felt and looked this way for up to a minute before the sneeze actually builds up enough to be a successful sneeze.
       Does a sneeze actually have a purpose? Yes, it most certainly does. It is your body's way of reacting to a foreign object in your system. When it senses that there is something in your airways that doesn't belong there, like pollen, a common reason for sneezing. Your body needs to expel that" invader" in a quick manner. Sneezing is your bodies way to do just this.
       You may have a second or two before you sneeze that you feel "it coming on" and sometimes you have a minute or two. Regardless of the amount of time you have, you don't try to stop it because you know it is going to come eventually, right? I mean we all know what purpose a sneeze is doing so why stop a good thing.
        Like a sneeze, where there is a "force" that is built up and then escapes the body with such force, your whole body usually reacts to it happening, that same thing can be said about bp rages. The individual with bp can "feel" things being built up inside prior to a "rage", yet they have no means to prevent it from coming to pass. There were years I believed I could change their behavior by positive reinforcement with no luck. I didn't understand how they could not control their actions, I mean even when I was mad as all heck, I still have a choice to act or not act.
       That mechanism is not as easy to activate when you have MI as it is when you have no MI. I have stated before how we all have a build it gauge that tells you to run and to stand your ground in certain situations. When you have MI, you can see the signs that things are getting hot. The steam flows from your mouth usually in forms of vulgarity and threats. You can see the "water almost at a boil" by the hands clenching or someone hitting a wall or throwing things.
       When the gauge is broken, there is no "off button" or "easy button", no way to "turn it off" even though you can see it coming to a head. This is one of the many reasons why people with MI have such a hard time with it. They can see it coming but there is nothing they can do to stop it. This however does not mean it has to continue. There are ways to "control" it to a point. Medication slows down the thought process of that is needed to make the upward climb to rage.
      If you can slow down that process so it takes an hour to reach the "melting point" rather then seconds, there is time in which those around them can see the signs and change the outcome. It gives you the ability to get PRN meds into the individual to prevent rages or you can utilize coping mechanisms to lessen the chance of a blow up. We may not be able to totally stop it but we can lessen the blow and effect of it. 

 

 

 

Stop by her blog and check it out....

Rootabagga's Rambling's

 

Cyberbully, A Kids Opinion

Nicole is a well read author, even at her young age. She wrote about cyberbullying on her blog and I felt as though it would help give us old folk a bit of insight into what is going on in the world of young people today. I call her a "kid" but the fact is that she is more mature in her thoughts in many ways then I or most adults.

I cut and past so please understand that the following may not be formatted right.... blame me and not Nicole.

Please make sure that you click the link at the bottom to visit her website and her blog.....

Cyberbullying, Part One

Back then, we just had to worry about bullying.
Now?
Now it’s cyberbullying.
Since I spend a good deal of my time on the Internet, I’ve seen quite a bit of cyberbullying, so I know about what I’m talking. I’ve seen it, stopped it, been victimized by it, and even caused it unintentionally.
So here’s part one of my Cyberbullying Special.
How do you know when someone is being cyerbullied?
Most of the symptoms are the same for actual bullying—like being depressed, angry, and withdrawn and not talking to friends or family. Similarly, the bullied victim may have a drop in grades—I know I would—and will likely refuse to go to school, especially if the cyberbullies are people they know from school.
A big one is pretending to be sick. Granted, the person might just want to skip school. But if the victim always claims s/he is ill, there’s a chance s/he is being bullied.
And, of course, there’s the cyber part.
The victim probably becomes upset, enraged, or simply depressed while surfing the Internet or talking on a cell phone. Or maybe even afterwards. Either way, the person has mood swings that correspond to cyber-use.
Take it from me.

Cyberbullying, Part Two

Being on the Internet makes you feel stronger. More powerful. Because you’re anonymous. They can’t touch you. Ever.

So someone uploaded a video to YouTube complaining about that great movie you loved. That doesn’t mean you have to post a comment saying that the uploader of the video is a “retard” and “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” It’s better not to put anything at all. Yet, you cannot say that you have never done something of the like. Maybe you unfriended someone on Facebook or disliked a video. Perhaps you made a sarcastic remark, not realizing who might see it. It is within the bounds of imagination that you even wrote a kind comment that others might identify as sarcasm.

And yet there is another, worse way of cyberbullying.

You see on a website that someone has posted an insensitive, rude comment, and you think to yourself how much of a bully that person is; however, you do nothing, merely go on to the next page. As with real bullying, bystanders often wield more power than the bullies themselves.

So how can we stop cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is real, and it will be around for as long as we have technology. It can cause depression. It can cause suicide.

Think before you write. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Realize that nothing on the Internet can ever be private. If you’re just sharing a joke between friends, it could very well turn into a nasty conversation that hurts everyone. Be mindful. Use the “report” button wisely—if you see an inappropriate comment, report it. Keep track of the behavior of your friends and family. Never hesitate to ask. Don’t forward “funny” emails and text messages without thinking. Don’t dislike something for no reason. And never, ever be a bystander. Write something nice.

Remember.

It’s up to you and me to stop cyberbullying.

What are you doing about it?


http://authornicoleizmaylov.blogspot.com/


http://nicoleizmaylov.com/

Marblehead - The Semi-true Story of it's Founding

This blog is about my personal life and my day to day experiences and I have been greatly remiss in not even talking about my new home, Marblehead Massachusetts. Let me start off by saying that it took me a simple trip of almost 5,000 miles to get here but that is a story to itself. When I first planted my feet in this burg I realized that I had found home, a place filled with preppys that also had a very strange streak of individualism and arts that runs deeply through it.

There are a few things noted about this fantastic little town, one is that it is the birth place of the US Navy another is that it is the yacht capital of the US and that it got its name from the cliffs over looking the ocean. When the people were sailing in they thought that the cliffs were made of marble but after they named the site they did a little closer inspection and realized that it was just seagull poop on the rocks.

My secret theory about how Marblehead became populated has to do with the town next door, Salem.... yes, that Salem, the one with the witch trials. My theory goes along the idea that when all of the wackos in Salem decided to go after women that were too pretty and accuse them of witchcraft then even kill them that all of the beautiful women anywhere in the New England area became concerned for their lives. The concern was felt as well among fathers, uncles, mothers .... well, anyone that had a beautiful female in their family.

These elite few realized that the only way to protect the beautiful women of New England from the evil witch hunters was to band together, in which they did. They all congregated in Marblehead and started their own town. Today Marblehead still benefits from those first courageous founders with the wonderful bounty of beautiful women and guys like me that found one that even liked him back.

I love my new home and would never think about leaving Marblehead Mass. until I die because I am pretty sure that heaven is the only place that could even come close to giving it a run for the money.

Monkey Meat Dinner

This is one of those blogs where you might get the story and find it mildly amusing or you might just assume that I have gone completely nuts and you will probably be closer to right if you fall within the later group.

Lets start off the short story by explaining that I, just like everyone else in the world, I have a person who is the proverbial monkey on my back. It kind of helps to understand that they act a bit like a wild beast and even their own kids claim they look like a monkey. (Please note, this is NOT some kind of slight racist inside joke).

This last Tuesday Ari had her birthday party.... ok Parties, they just kept coming in waves that day. We went to the Cheese Cake Factory with a few friends and a ton of family. I set between two of my favorite people. On my left sat the most beautiful woman in the world, the love of my life, Judy and on the other side sat a great friend who is in his mid 70's.

It is a well known fact that Judy has a problem with choosing something on a menu that has more then 2 dishes listed. This little quirk really is not a problem to me but it did cause some interesting conversation because of her trying to figure out what to order. Judy was dutifully perusing the menu for a good 15 minutes when she jabbed me in the side and said that "they have monkey steak". Now anybody that knows me or Judy will fully understand that she is capable of reading and that was not what caused the comment. I had to see what she was talking about and she pointed to a steak named with the same name as the monkey on my back.

Her comment was mildly amusing but the gentleman next to me only got the part about a "monkey steak" He immediately wanted to know where the steak was listed, he thought he might actually try it. I am looking at him with my mouth open realizing that I would probably have done the same thing if I thought there was a monkey steak available but he is an absolute gentleman. He kept prodding me about where it was listed and I kept him guessing till not one but TWO ladies at the table both announced that they have consumed monkey in the past.

This just floored me because both ladies are exactly that... LADIES. The strange part is that they told how, when and where and the stories where both true. So I am sitting there looking around the table and it hit me, 2 true ladies had eaten monkey meat and a man I highly admired wanted to give it a shot.

Then it hit me big time...... I finally understood....... I really do fit in with New England Yankees..... they will try anything at least once.

Return of the Stalker 2011

I hate to keep even recognizing a stalker but enough is enough. Becky, I will not run from you. You are just an old lady with to much time on your hands.

This is the way it is going to work from now on. Every time you raise your head and try to trash me I will release a little of the whole story, I will show the emails, photos and posts that you have left and my responses.

Your daughter blew it and while she is still upset with her actions she has at least slinked away into the gutters of the internet and left me alone (with just a few exceptions). Your last post was totally uncalled for but I left it up for all to see. I do not run from a withered old woman who is angry that her daughter trashed her reputation with that porn thing. All I did was direct you to the evidence after you asked me to.

Now is the time to move on with your life and simply leave me alone..... is it a deal?

Judy, the girls and I are all very happy and we really do not need you and your family to keep popping up and trying to rehash why I broke up with your daughter so long ago (remember the porn stuff?). I have dated other women in my life and the vast majority I am still friends with but there is something really strange with your whole family.

Now leave me alone please.

Women and the NBA

I am a sports fan, anything that requires talent, skill and athleticism I am going to try and watch. Now there is one major exception and that is NBA basketball I find watching a great NBA game to be about as exciting as watching the girlie men play soccer. Now before you go nuts about me making fun about soccer please remember that in the US it is pretty much the only sport that moms are happy about putting there daughters on the same teams as boys. There are actual soccer leagues for children that do not even bother to keep score.

Back to the topic of women and the NBA. I have tried off and on to get into watching the NBA for many years but it just is to boring for me. Several years ago Oklahoma City brought in an NBA team and I knew that I had to give it one more shot or all of my friends would think there was something deeply wrong with me.

My Mother, out of the blue, decided that she was going to be a fan of the OKC Thunder. I watched a few games with her and found that I still did not like the game but I did enjoy watching my mom go nuts over all of the intricacies of the game. It got to the point that I would try and make time every time a game was on so I could watch my mom go nuts. Nothing like having some good parental time with your mom while watching the NBA.

Long story short, or at least shorter, I moved to the Boston area and Judy (my wife) turns out to be as big of a fan of the Celtics as my mother. I have to say, she goes just as batty over the game as my mom does. This has led me to believe that the NBA, just as soccer, must be a sport for women. I have now gotten into the habit of watching all of the games with Judy and actually am beginning to enjoy it.

I am not sure that since I am starting to get into watching the NBA if that means I am becoming more tame or just becoming a sissy but I really do not care..... it is the NBA and they will have at least one guy watching the playoffs this year.

Osama bin Laden is Dead But Who Cares?

Maybe this should have been placed in one of my political blogs but it is more of a personal story then a political one.

Last night I was doing what I always do late at night, creeping through the house and trying to sneak up behind the cat to scare her. I had already heard that Osama was dead and while I reveled that they got the guy I also realized that in the grand scale of things it really did not mean much. There will still be bad guys and killing just one of the big ones really will not do much. I was glad the guy was dead but at the same time thought that there was now more things to worry about.

Ari, was down stairs watching the news of his death when I came traipsing through the living room and she was crying. I have to tell you that guys hate it when women cry but we really hate it when a woman is crying that we care about. I immediately stopped and asked her what was wrong and response was one of those moments when if I listen I can learn something true and real.

Ari, explained to me that 9-11 happened when she was 11, young enough to know the horror that occurred but too young to understand all of the details. This created a fear of unspeakable proportions, going to bed at night and not knowing if she would be bombed at night. Fearing that her world was coming to an end and it was this mans fault. She had lived half her life with Osama as the ultimate bad guy.

I realized that not only had we finally brought justice to a really bad guy but those Navy Seals (heroes for sure) had brought a sense of finality to millions of people that lived with fear because of one whacked out individual. He had become the Hitler of modern times.... I now wonder if when the far left or far right go nuts and start demonizing those they disagree with if instead of saying "You are worse then Hitler" if they can now say "You are worse then Osama".

I am glad the guy is dead but I am also glad that Ari helped me understand why last night so many of the people who gathered around the country to celebrate where college aged kids.... thanks Ari, even an old dog can learn new tricks with a little patience.



Ari turns 21 this month and is in college to become a teacher. Judy and I are both very proud of her and Heather, her sister.

Light People Documentation ...... Proof?

I was sent these photos with an explanation of when, where and how they were taken.  I am once again going to rewrite the story so as to protect the person. I am now at a complete loss at what to even think about the whole thing and I could really use some help at solving the puzzle. It is now at the point that I am willing to listen to anything no matter how far fetched it seems. Please feel free to inbox or email me if you do not want your name attached to this in public.



The bottom picture is from photos taken by NASA but when I saw it while surfing the internet it looked closer to anything that I have seen in the "real" world as to what I see when the "light people" visit me. I think if you look at the other pictures you will see what I mean. The only thing the camera did not pick up was the color red. I also found it interesting that in the photos the lights seem to take up much of the room but to me they only took up a small section on the LCD screen.

This is how and when I took the photos. I had already pointed out that when they show up I can expect a couple of more visits from them over the next week or so before they leave. My wife, one of the few people I have told the complete story to, told me to keep our camera by the bed so that when they show up again I can try and take a picture of them. I honestly did not think that a camera would capture anything because I seem to be the only person who can physically see them but I decided to give it a go and see what would happen.

Thursday night, shortly after 2 am, I saw the glow coming from beneath the door. Please remember that I always sleep with the door shut because of these creatures bothering me since childhood. I grabbed the camera and opened the door, once again I could see that they were headed down stairs but this time I was not hesitant and I rushed down following them.

As I entered the living room I saw two of them standing at the other end, this time they glowed softly, different then normal. I honestly could not tell you what exactly was different about them but they just did not look quite normal. The room was pitch black with the exception of the DVD light and these two light people.

I shot off a few photos knowing that in my heart there was probably no chance of catching their image but I was going to at least give it a try. The photos I sent you are the results of this experience. The light does seem to take up much more space then what I saw with my own eyes.



I was asked to have them checked out to verify that they are real, not Photoshopped or anything else.... I can attest that they do seem real with no alterations at all. Since this story has started it has really become almost an obsession with me to try and figure this out. PLEASE, if you have any idea at all please email, inbox comment .... something..... I would like to solve this puzzle.

Ghost, Alien, Time Traveler, Angel?

 I got permission to post an email to me, I did "fix" it a little to help protect the innocent.... well if you knew him like I did you might not call him innocent. I rewrote this trying to make it clean of identifications and also take out some of the personal stuff. It is also more streamlined so sorry in advance if I messed it up to much to be read.

If you have any ideas what these are please feel free to post and answer, email me or inbox me on FB.




I always sleep with the doors shut to keep them out. When I was younger the 5 they would come to the door of my bedroom and totally freak me out. I would scream for them to go away and my older brother would start yelling back at me that there was nothing there. My father would finally get up and come to our bedroom and they would just walk back a little to let him in.

They have followed me all of my life but only seem to show up maybe once or twice a year (with few exceptions) but during their initial visit I can usually expect them two or three more times over a couple of weeks.

When my father died, I was in the hospital standing in a hallway and all of a sudden there where 10-20 who came walking into the hallway out of different rooms. At that point we had not been told he had died but it occurred the exact moment of his death. (Did , I mention that they do not walk through walls or anything like that, they have to come through an open door)

Monday night I had a strange physical problem. I was working on a computer when all of a sudden I felt like I was going to vomit. My wife was in the bathroom brushing her teeth so I stood up to tell her to get out quickly so I would not vomit on the floor. I immediately fell to the floor and had to crawl to the door and pushed my way in.

I then curled up by the toilet stool in a fetal position sweating like a pig. My shirt was soaked with sweat dripping off of my face all in about 2 minutes time. This of course scared my wife but it was over with in 5 minutes of starting and I felt 10x better but still felt like I had ran a marathon and went to bed.

At 2:12am I was awakened with the glow of colors coming from under the door. I always sleep with the door shut so this is the way I know that they have arrived. I decided that I would do something I have never done and confront the "creatures". I slipped out of bed and opened the door. I could see the glow against the wall as if they were headed down the stairs. I followed them to the stairs and saw at least two of them as they headed off into the living room. I waited just a second and went down stairs to see where they went but the house was completely void of anything that should not be there.

I wondered if my illness caused me to see them that night but it was not the first time to see these creatures. I convinced myself that it was nothing and decided that I would ask my wife if she could check with the kids to see if anything woke them the night before at around 2:12.

Now, I have to be honest, my wife is the only person that I have told this story to since being an adult (I guess you make number 2). She looked at me strange but said she would ask the kids. Later in the day she told me that nothing woke any of the girls up but the starting about 2:30-3:00 she was wakened by what sounded like the cat wanting in the bedroom. The door kept jiggling so she got up to let the cat in. The cat was in the hallway but nowhere near the door. She tried to get the cat in so it would let her go to sleep and leave the door alone.

The door kept my wife up till around 4 so she got up again to use the restroom. When she came out she was looking at the door and it kept moving so she decided that it was wind. She put a towel and a table against the door to keep any wind from moving it but the door kept shaking.

The interesting thing was she could also hear the "talking", she checked the hall a couple of times but there was nobody there. She wanted to wake me but knew I had been sick so decided she would not.

My wife is the only person who has heard them besides me. The interesting thing is that they have never touched a physical item to move it in the 40 years that I have known about them. She told me about all of this before I told her why I wanted to know.

I am not scared of them but it is freaky to feel like I am in a zoo sometimes. They seem interested in just watching me but never really interacting with me or anything till Monday night.

My wife heard them but did not see anything strange so as far as I know I am the only person who has seen these "light" people. I do not feel like they are "spirits" of any kind but I am at a complete loss as to what they are. Why do they watch me, why do they show up at major events in my life and why do they not act like I can see them.

Strange enough for you..... :-)

These creatures seem to range between 5-6 feet in size, None seem to be fat, they are of both sexes at least according to body shape. They look like fully detail humans with the exception that you can not see any fine facial details. They glow different colors and the light can be seen reflecting off of walls, the floor and other objects. The actually walk and do not float or move strangely. Everything seems to be human except the glow and the fact that other people seem not to be able to see or hear them.




So...... readers, what do you think they are?

Passover and the Crazy Jew

Yesterday there was an event that was one of those moments that I will always remember. I guess that part of the reason is that I grew up in Oklahoma where there frankly are not that many Jewish people. Since I have moved to the great waste land of the North Shore area of Boston Metro I have had the privilege of not only meeting many Jewish people but becoming close friends with some as well.

Now I have to make this clear, my neighbor is crazy, not in the scary Barny Frank way but crazy in the willing to try anything way. I personally have found that those are the kind of people I like to hang out with because it is always funner then hanging out with "normal" people.

Judy and I have been invited to her house to celebrate Passover this evening and I look forward to it. One of the things she had to do was Tovel her new kitchen wares, knives, pots, pans, etc. She asked me if I could help her out and being a guy who is willing to try anything I said sure. I headed over to her house to Tovel (not sure of exactly what that meant but I was pretty sure it was at least legal). She had me help load up her car with boxes of kitchen items and off we went.

We drove around to all of the beaches in the area and considering the ocean is on three sides of our small town there are tons of beaches. We found the perfect place to Tovel but could not find parking. I realized that toveling was important to her so I asked a lady if we could park in her drive way so we could do some Jewish thing. The lady said "no problem" so we parked and I became the pack mule toting everything down to the ocean.

I then memorized a prayer that was texted to my neighbor in case she could not remember it when we started this ritual called Tovel. My neighbor headed off into the water, I suddenly realized why she wore rubber boots and rubber gloves. I rolled up my pants and waded into the 41 degree water with her while I was carrying several of the kitchen items.

She said her prayer and I started handing her one item at a time which she then dunked into the water, letting go of it and then catching it before it hit the bottom. She would hand me the Tovelled item and I would shake out the seaweed and then shlep back up to the box lay out the wet item and pick up another for her to Tovel (not sure but I think shlep maybe a Jewish word).

This probably went on for 20 minutes but it honestly felt like hours because of the frigid water. I was starting to wonder if my neighbor had any clue how cold my legs and feet were till I realized that not only had the water hit me almost waist high but the tops of her boots where well under the water. When the practice was over we walked back up to the car and at the moment I realized I was WAY luckier then her. While I might have been barefooted and my shorts were wet from the water her poor feet where stuck in those rubber boots that carried the cold water well after my feet were dry.

I have to say that I loved being asked to participate in the Tovelling and look forward to doing it again but I honestly hope that next time it will be in summer.

Not a Normal Ghost Story

This is a strange blog entry, it has to do with helping a friend out with a strange question. I have to say that the story I am going to relate may not be believable by most people but I totally believe the friend who told me the story. He asked for me to see if anyone else has an experience like his or if anyone can come up with an explanation for the events that have occurred in his life. You can leave a comment or you can email me to keep your privacy private.

He told me about some odd creatures that have "visited" him for almost his whole life (starting from earliest memory, age 3), no, they are not ghost, aliens or anything that you would normally read about. These creatures are "light men", they have the shape of men (and women) but glow a green, red or a blue. They have a defined human shape and appear solid but they do not have distinct facial features but instead just a glow. They seem to only show up when something big has happened, is happening or is about to happen both good and bad.

They seem to show up normally at night but they do not always wait till sun down. He had a death in his family and they showed up in the middle of the day. Now, I know this sounds like some kind of angel type thing but let me explain what he said about their actions.... it does not seem to make any sense (like the any of the rest of this story makes sense)

These people glow in the dark and come as a single person or as a small group. They talk amongst themselves, he says that you can sometimes hear them talk but you cannot make out the actual words being said. They seem interested in him but while they may talk with each other they never actually talk to him.

He explained that it was almost like they seemed that they were not quite here yet they would look at him or even stare at times......


Not a regular ghost story, I know. I would like to know if anyone else has ever had an experience with "light people" or at least have an idea what this poor chap has been experiencing. Please email me, post here or inbox me if you would like to keep it private.

Is Michael R Henson a Narcissist?

There have been several studies recently that seem to show that all people are narcissist but that some of us are further down the hole then others. I always find it funny when studies like these come out because the truth is that we can all find ourselves in the mess as least a little.

This brings me to the question.... is Michael R Henson a Narcissist?

From Wikipedia.... followed by my answers

An obvious self-focus in interpersonal exchanges ( as long as the conversation is about me I really do not care what we talk about)
   
Problems in sustaining satisfying relationships (I have been friends or more with Judy for several years now but hey, I just might be a little slow in this department)

Difficulty with empathy ( Sorry that your dog died but can I have him, I hear that dogs make good fertilizer)

Hypersensitivity to any sleights or imagined insults ( I am very thinned skin, anytime anyone says something bad about me it makes me cry like a baby)

Vulnerability to shame rather than guilt (I have neither shame or guilt so there! )

Haughty body language ( I do have a perfect body and I just know everyone else is jealous)   
   
Detesting those who do not admire him or her (Yep, just make one bad comment about me and I will unfriend you, delete you and try to make you go away.... ok, I am actually to lazy to do any of that but I do think about it)

Using other people without considering the cost to them of his or her doing so (as long as it is about me why should I care?)

Pretending to be more important than he or she is (Just read this wonderfully written, important to the world blog and you too will understand how important I am)

Bragging (subtly but persistently) and exaggerating his or her achievements ( I am king of the world so there is no reason to brag, everyone already knows it)

Claiming to be an "expert" at most things ( I am NOT an expert on everything, there is that one thing I am not an expert on but I never can remember what it is)

Denial of remorse and gratitude ( I honestly do believe that remorse is a negative feeling to dwell on. If you have done wrong then "man up" say sorry, do what you can to change it and then move on. Gratitude can never be over done)

I shortened the list a little simply because I am so great (and too lazy to comment after all of them) that I figured they were not that important.

People who know will get some of the humor, others will see very little but I do not care what you think because I am the greatest!!!

Is Michael R Henson a Narcissist...... I believe it is a positively and absolutely a YES

The truth is we all have some of these bad traits and we should all work on them.

Remembering My Brother

This is a personal entry for my blog. Today is my older brothers birthday who died when I was 14 years old. I have to be honest and tell you that unlike many people just because a person dies it does not mean that all of a sudden their memory turns into the perfect person. I have great memories of him but also remember some of the sibling fights we had.

The thing I remember the most about him was that he was a great big brother, while he did get bossy and order my younger brother and I around he would also take on the whole football team to protect me after I did another one of my "funny" little practical jokes on them. Today I really miss him and wish that I could just give the guy a call and tell him about Alexis, Judy, Ari and Heather just so I could hear him tell me how lucky I am. I know what he would tell me but you know, it is not the same thing as actually hearing it from him.

It has been almost 30 years since he has passed but in someways it hurts more today then it ever has. I guess when you start to wonder what would he have become, what children he would have had and what kind of advice he would give it really starts to hurt. The nice thing though is even when I was a snotty nosed, stinky, fighting and mean kid the kids at school where better with me then even most adults. I think back to some of those kids back in the day and am thankful for them just being nice.

Not much more to write but just thankful that I did have an older brother.... and I still miss the guy.

Pixie Dust Does Not Exist

Sometimes I write a blog knowing full well that there will be someone who hates it so much that they will unfriend me, send me a nasty email or a variety of other mean things. This blog is one of those, most people will understand what I am saying but there is always one of those nuts out there.

My Parents are getting ready to celebrate their 50th anniversary and in my opinion it has nothing to do with luck but instead it has to do with choices that they have made everyday for the past five decades. I was there for some of those years and while growing up I saw times when I knew they were not happy with each other but instead of fighting they talked it out. I never heard them yell at each other, EVER. I never went to bed wondering if my parents would get a divorce because I knew they loved each other.

Sure, there are going to be people who say that "times are different" but I would like to point out that we adults laugh at teenagers who say this because, well, we said it when we were their ages and now looking back we know that adults laughed at us as well. Things do change but people do not, what we value should never change.

Back to my Parents, I grew up in a house hold full of boys, my mother was the only female in our house and she managed quite well not to go insane. My father was not just a great instructor to us boys by teaching us the basics of life and how to treat a wife but he also showed us everyday by example. He had us boys even as tykes opening the door for my mother. My Father then would explain that it had nothing to do with my Mother being weak but instead it was showing her respect for who she was. I of course knew my mother was not a weak person because she could spank me with the best of them.

This brings me to my last point.... My father used to tell me something that never made much sense to me till I grew up. When one of us boys would try to rat out my mother for making us clean up our room or some other nasty activity my Father would look me straight in the eyes and say "Michael, I love you and I always will. I would die for you if it was needed BUT one day you are going to grow up and leave me but your Mother never will. She is with me till the end of time". I really never understood that till I married Judy, I can look in her eyes and know that she will be with me till the end of time, thanks to my Father.

The magic of their marriage did not come from Pixie Dust but the magic was there and still is.

Thanks Mom and Dad, the greatest gifts you have or ever could have given me were not things you bought, places we went or even my name..... they are the things you showed me by the way you lived.

Mexican Smoke

 

Ok, first things first. The picture is not smoke nor does it have anything to do with Mexico but it does look cool. It is supposed to be a picture of a ghost from some old cemetery north of Boston but who knows. I do not buy into monsters and such but I like the photo and it is from my media stock photos that I keep on file that I have taken in the past. 

This blog is about Mexican smoke so off we go.

I never really had allergies of any kind till I grew to be an old man at the age of 30. Something happened and every spring and fall I would get these splitting headaches based somewhere in my sinuses. I know, I am just a wimp to even gripe about them but my wimpishness is not even up for debate.

I always assumed that my "problem" was caused by pollen or some other evil creation but after a few doctor visits I had a profound announcement given to me.... I sat nervously waiting for the doctor or even a  nurse to come in to tell me the results of my tests as I sat in the little room at the doctors. I was beginning to get antsy to the point that I was trying to figure out how many of the little rubber gloves I could steal before the doctor would notice that something was askew. Finally the door opened and with out any Pomp and Circumstance I was told that my head throbbing was caused by "Mexican Smoke".

Now, I am not a pot smoker nor do I even care for the idea of altering my reality because quite frankly my real reality is strange enough that I do not need any kind of help in that department. I suggested that the Doctor do a blood test or even bring me his deepest chamber pot so I could prove that my belief on the (non) success of Americas drug war had nothing to do with me using drugs.

The Doctor laughed and explained that it had nothing to do with drugs but instead had to do with winds picking up smoke from Mexico and blowing it my way. The farmers clear burn their fields before planting and that is why I was getting the headaches at specific times of the year. 

I solved all my problems by falling in love with a woman who lived about as far from Mexico as you can get. Now as long as the French Canadians do not start burning stuff then I am going to be ok. But, all of this does make me wonder how many other people have strange allergies.....

Green Meat

I never understood the fascination with St. Patrick's day, why would anyone want to be Irish even for a day. This is not knocking the red headed, green wearing, beer drinking (ok, not all drink beer but I cannot understand how tv can be wrong) Irish folk but I am quite happy being of the linage of people that raided, pillaged and wore cool hats and have no desire to go out and look for four leaf clovers.

This introduction brings me to what I am doing now. My existence currently is in the Boston area and from what I can tell there are at least one or two Irish folk in the area. The parades are actually on St. Patrick's day and not on the closest weekend, wearing orange would be as smart as Michael Moore speaking at a Tea Party Rally and people actually make special dinners to honor the day.

Judy, the love of my life, is down stairs cooking my families special St. Patrick Days dinner. There is going to be soda bread, cabbage and "gray" corned beef". I know that she is the best cook ever but I am a little worried about any kind of meat that starts off gray before cooking it. People who know me might find it strange that I would be reluctant to eat any kind of meat but a piece of cow that starts off looking bad before you do anything to eat does make me a bit worried.

Judy has never tried to kill me in the past and actually has helped me out after I consumed things I picked up off the ground that I probably should not have ingested. I am not too worried about living through the ordeal but I am curious about why the Irish would even think about making beef the color of spoiled spam before even cooking it.

I guess the big question for me on this holiday is why not make green corned beef instead of gray. Neither sound to good but if you are going to be eating spoiled meat then at least make it the color of the day.

Spring has Sprung

A year ago I was headed to  the great city of Florence Oregon with full intentions of being there for many years but life is kind of funny in the idea that no matter how much you plan, things do not go along with what you expect. Instead I am sitting in the beautiful New England coastal town of Marblehead.

I am still in the media/publishing business but I am also involved with theater, no not the kind you pay $10 for a barrel of popcorn but the kind where actors get up on a stage and make true magic. This morning I was on a conference call with a project, I am involved with, for a series of movies and documentaries involving geo-political ideas with a heavy dose of religion to boot.

To say the least, when I look back a year ago and  remember what I thought I would be doing today, I was completely wrong. I am happily married to a beautiful woman, my daughter is doing fantastic as always and I am working in a field that is highly creative while I have no creative ability what soever.

This blog is nothing special accept an opportunity to let people know what I am doing. I will get back to 2-3 blogs a week explaining in details how you should never eat a yard clam, my personal war against the beast under the shed and my further rantings about how great I think I am (sarcasm, I do not need my stalkers to make comments about this).


TWITTER

@MichaelRHenson

 

Smurfs, Pixies, Bigfoot and Other Creatures I Have Met

 

 

I have one of those secrets that I do not tell many people about, it has seemed to me to be one of those guilty pleasures that I should not go around telling everyone about. Now before you start judging me badly you might want to think about some of those deep dark secrets that you have in your closet.

One of the things I do and have done now for several years now is own a company that produces books and videos of the strange and bizarre. I have always found it beneficial to keep a lid on that part of my life because most sane people claim to not believe in little blue people, big footed hairy people or even gray guys from outer space. I am honestly one of those people who is more then skeptical and is pretty sure that none of that exists in the real world.

The reason I am even writing this blog has to do with the fact that recently I have talked with several powerful, educated and SANE people that claim with no doubt that they have had some odd run ins with some odd creatures. I have met tons of people that claim to have a pixie that lives in their attic or a ghost in their underwear drawer but recently it has been normal people that seem to be coming forward with their stories about "light people", "blue people" and "forest creatures".

I have seen "bigfoot", "ghost:", "UFO" and other strangeness but all of those things could have other explanations then a mysterious creature living in the real world. I am curious if you have had an experience that seems off kilter from reality. I am not looking to publish anything but I am more interested in talking to sane people that have seen such a thing.

You can email me at fmcd2010@gmail.com and can even use a throw away email account if you wish to keep your identity hidden........ I am honestly curious.


http://twitter.com/MichaelRHenson

The Colors of Music

Let me be honest and pull no punches on this matter, I am an old geek and many years ago in my salad days (salad days is a term only old geeks use) I was a young geek. As I have grown older there has been one constant that has run through my life and that is the love of music. I have always listened to music that I liked and assumed that since I liked it others would appreciate it as well but the truth is that very few people have the same tastes as I do.

The way I have viewed music is that it is the magic that brings color into ones life. There are the dark and foreboding colors of music, the bright and airy ones, the wondrous and vibrant colors, the deep colors and even the psychedelic colors for hippies and other assorted strange people. I maybe the whitest man on earth, well, ever since Michael Jackson died, but I love for my music to be colored all shades and hues available.

This brings me to my original idea for this blog. I have always wondered about the few people I know that actually have an ear for popular music. I wonder if they can see the colors a bit more truer then I can or if they are some how more attuned to what is pleasing to most people. I am not talking about the folks who jump on the band wagon early of what ever pop sensation is emerging but instead the ones who can gleam the beautiful colors early and see the magic before other people. I am sadly not in this group but instead I seem to see colors in music that others are blind too.

I was sent a link to an article written by a friend of mine that proves that while I may not be hep and cool at least I know people who are. I would suggest that you check this young lady's writings if you want to know what today what will be hot tomorrow.  I am not advertising Michelle but instead I am bragging that I am following her before she becomes a New York Times top 10 best selling author.

Turning Up the Bass With Jazz

 Check out the date that it was written

If you wonder who I would pick as the next big thing in music you can check him out here...

Brolle

 

 

Naked People On Facebook

I am to the point of realizing I am a complete prude or there are many people who just do not get it. Considering that since the news broke about Rep. Chris Lee and the despicable case of him sending a photo without a shirt on to a woman on Craigs List I have found it strange that us "normal" people have not figured out that it is not smart to go around sending pictures to one another that should not be seen. Nothing is wrong with a guy being shirtless or women at the beach but it is getting to the point that many people use that type of photo to attract attention to themselves and it is not the good kind of attention.

One story I know on this subject is a woman who sent compromising photos to several people and then blamed others for making her doing it. She is a woman in her mid 40's and should by now know that it just ain't a smart to do something like that.

Then there is the guy that sent pix of his wife to several friends and was shocked to find out that his friends sent them to other friends who sent them to other friends...... and on and on. What kind of nut would send nude photos of his wife to his friends in the first place is scary enough but what kind of friends a guy like that must have is even scarier.

The Mom that trashed a guy who alerted her to porn of her daughter on the internet who did not even say sorry when she was shown proof..... instead she blamed the person who proved it to her.

The mother who uses "cute" photos on her facebook page to attract guys to friend her........


Let us, the normal people, just make sure that we tell those around us to knock it off.... They will still be stupid but at least we will know we tried to warn them.

This blog is nothing but a rant but HEY, it is my blog. :-)

The Hardcore Truth

Many people know me and some of the different things that I have done in my life. There are many good things and many bad things and honestly some strange things as well. This is nothing different then what every normal person experiences throughout their life but I do have one thing that separates me from at least 95% of the rest of the world, I have found a woman who is truly glorious who actually loves me.

Judy and I started out as just people who agreed on an issue of rights. We talked a little back and forth and got to like each other. Now, to be honest I did check out her pictures on FB from the start and thought she was a beautiful woman but that is not what interested me. We became friends and started talking quite a bit about our different aspects of life, both the good and the bad.

To make this long story much shorter over about 12 months she became my best friend and the rest is history.

I just want to take this time to let people know what Judy means to me....

Judy is my best friend, I have been able to count on her when the chips were down.
Judy has the artistic flair that I so desire but I never had exist within myself
Judy has the mind to not only equal me but to far surpass anything that my poor brain could conceive.
Judy is the one I want to talk to first when something great or terrible occurs.
Judy is the one that I want to sit with quietly and just hold hands.
Judy is the one that see beauty in things that I never knew existed
Judy is NOT my better half but instead she is the one who makes me who I am. She is my totality to life.

Today is Judy Henson's birthday and I want to let her know that I love her and on August 3, 2050 you will be the key to make my life goal complete.

Syrupy blog? you bet but I do love Judy.

Sweet and Savvy: Budgeting Valentine’s

If you’re a college student, changes are that reservations at glitzy five-star restaurants, elegant truffles in glittering gift boxes and glistening diamonds aren’t quite in your budget. Regardless, Valentine’s Day too often becomes an expensive holiday defined by a sacred code in which the more you spend, the more you love your special someone. Remember, though, that February 14^th is about celebrating love and treasuring the times you share with your beloved. Showing someone you care doesn’t have to blow your budget, and these ideas will help you focus on the real meaning of the holiday without needing to buy love.

Homemade Hamper

Baskets brimming with favorite goodies make wonderful gifts, but picking a beautiful one in a store can leave you with more than sentimental charm. Center on the meaningful and not the expensive this holiday by customizing a gourmet gift basket. A wicker or wire basket decorated with ribbon or other frills can both be sweet and practically serve as a useful organizational container. Customize the interior based on your Valentine’s interests. For example, bath products, body lotions and scented candles form an elegant theme with a romantic touch. Is he or she passionate about movies and music? Choose a DVD or CD from a favorite genre. Is reading a favorite hobby? Slip in a poetry book. Add a special touch by scattering wrapped chocolates throughout your basket and folding colorful tissue paper among your gifts.

Dinner Dilemma?

Worried about blowing big bucks on a ritual Valentine’s feast? You don’t have to go to an impressive restaurant to have a meaningful February 14^th. Instead, create a special dinner together. You can have a full course meal complete with “red” treats like pasta and tomato sauce and hit the sweet highlights by baking and decorating cookies or a cake. You can even share a bowl of succulent strawberries as you cuddle together on a comfy couch while watching your favorite flick. Enjoying a meal and a film is also great if you’re single and just kicking back with your friends. It’s all in the name of food and love, so you can’t go wrong!

Traditional is Timeless

If exams have you crunched for time and memorizing biology facts leaves your mind little room for the creative and crafty, you can always resort to the simple traditions of Valentine’s gift-giving. Flowers and candy don’t have to be expensive, though. A small yet elegantly presented box of chocolates wrapped in tissue paper can be made into a special treasure with a personal letter, and your Valentine will always appreciate a simple bouquet of roses picked up from your local supermarket instead of from a florist specializing in extravagant yet expensive floral designs.

By Michelle Izmaylov