Always Let Your Conscious Be Your Guide

When my granddaughter was little, we were at the beach one summer evening, settling in after a day outside. We asked how grandchildren (two of them at the time), what would they like to watch.  My granddaughter chimed in, Tickanoyo.  She hadn't learned how to say Pinocchio yet and Tickanoyo was what came out.  I call it that to this day.

Here is a photo from my oldest granddaughter.

Hey there...

It has been a while hasn't it? So, how are you doing? Wonderful I hope. As you can see, the Fall has been pretty busy for me; that is if the lack of posts is any indication. But, it has been. Work is still rather busy, I am finishing up a commitment on one non-profit Board of Directors and in the beginning months of another Board commitment. This new one is on the board of a theater company I help to start some years ago. Oh, and look, there are 99 people regularly following this blog. Wow.

I am taking an art course. Well, it is an art course in that I do draw. But it is really so much more than just drawing.

Yes, I have been busy and I'll stay that way.

Something that also keeps me busy, is dreaming. I am a dreamer and I have no difficulty in admitting as much. Chalk it up to a constant state of wanderlust. I always look ahead to what may be the next thing. It isn't that I lack contentment with where I am at, but more, that I know that there is always something new to experience around the next corner. Taking a course is part of that. Looking at travel sites is another. I am always curious to know, or to dream about, what is next. Having had many adventures, I wish for more.

This photograph, taken from the Impressions de France film, somewhat speaks to this. When I see this couple walking beside the Channel, I like to think that perhaps this is my wife and I in some distant year. We will have grown old together, but still find the joy in seeking out new adventures and... holding hands.

Wishful Wednesday

You may recall that I hope to take each of my grandchildren to Walt Disney World sometime while they are 9-years-old. I mentioned a few days ago about taking a trip with my dad; just my dad and me. It's special to have just that one-on-one time. I have enjoyed that with my children and now I hope to enjoy it with my grandchildren.

For my granddaughter Shelby, that trip was this past April. To say that I spoiled her is an understatement. I did. I admit it. She enjoyed the full treatment at the Bippity Boppity Boutique and had breakfast in the castle with Cinderella. She got to hug her favorite princess, Ariel and the two talked for a short while. She then made her wish on her Wishing Star. She was living her dream. At one point, she looked across the table at me and said, "Papa, this is the best time of my whole life."

Okay, I got a little choked with that. Then, and now.

But you know, as wonderful as all that was, this is what it is all about...

Smiles.

Laughter.

There are few joys that compare, or are greater than seeing a child smile or hearing them laugh. Whether it is in Walt Disney World or over a bowl of cereal in the kitchen, it doesn't get much better than this.

This is what it is all about.

Something On A Sunday

There used to be passenger train service in Nashville.

The Timetable

Union Station 02.20.11

Yes, there used to be passenger train service in Nashville. The photograph above is a timetable during the golden age of rail travel. As the years progressed and cars became the standard method of moving from one place to another, the services declined and some markets phased out entirely. Nashville was one of those markets.

But before the end my dad and I took a trip aboard The Floridian from Nashville to Palm Beach. What a great trip and a what great memories. At the time (the early 70's) Union Station was a home for pigeons. Thousands of pigeons. Amtrak had a small office and passenger waiting room in a corner of the lobby and to get from the front door to the waiting room you'd have to, in some places, walk on planks; the only walkway across gaping holes in the lobby floor. Flash forward - you'd never know that was the state of the building. Now it is a magnificent lobby for the Union Station Hotel.

Of the trip, I remember spending hours in the domed club car, one time staying up late playing nickel ante poker with some college students. My dad asked "How much did you lose?" "Well dad, I don't know how much I lost, but I won a little over $5.00." He was impressed. We visited the house we lived in when I was in the 3rd grade, spent a little time window shopping on Worth Avenue. Went to a greyhound track and saw my first game of Jai Alai. We drove along South Ocean Blvd. and I was amazed at the size of the houses some people lived in. Still am for that matter.

I could go on.

I wish passenger trains would return to Nashville. I would take as many train trips as time allowed. We have a few train trips noted in The Dream Book. Perhaps someday. On a train, the journey really is the point.

Forwarding Email

I am not a big fan of forwarding email. Most people who know me know that. Consequently, my inbox is not littered with subject lines that begin "Fwd:" And this is a good thing. More often than not when I see something has been forwarded I'll delete it without reading it. However there are some occasions that I will open a forwarded email.

These times are when the email comes from family or one or two very close friends. Knowing that they know my aversion, yet still forwarding something, I'll usually take a look.

No long ago my daughter-in-law sent something. It was a PowerPoint show that someone had put together about aging. It had a nice Windham Hill-esque soundtrack and a variety of outdoor images; epic grandeur. Each slide featured a bit of wisdom as to growing old. So, being one who is growing old I thought I'd take the few minutes to watch the presentation.

I must say, I was struck by what I read. In fact, some of what I read that day brought about some changes in how I live life today. If I may, in the spirit of departing from the Disney theme for a moment, I'd like so share these small pieces of wisdom with you.

1. Throw out nonessential numbers: age, weight, height.
2. Keep only cheerful friends - the grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning: learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain be idle.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: if it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where guilt is.
10. Tell people that you love them at every opportunity.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

I don't know who to credit the PowerPoint to, or to whom these bits of wisdom came from. But I thank them. I also thank my daughter-in-law for going against the grain and sending these along to me. I find some of them quite profound and inspiring. And in my desire for a simpler life I have found them helpful.

Perhaps you will too.

Wishful Wednesday

This weeks Wishful Wednesday photograph is of my Little Princess making a wish at Cinderella's Wishing Well.

It was beautiful Friday morning following our breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table. She had just met Cinderella, Belle, Aurora and her favorite, Ariel. We paused for a wish while on our way to visit with Rapunzel.

It was one of those perfect days!

The Princess

There will be more on the Bippity Boppity Boutique experience later, but for the present time, I simply want to share a photograph of my princess.

I'm Going To Need A Minute Here - Part Two

The avid reader of this blog will recall a similar title on February 25th. Well, here we are again, a month and a few days, and I am on my way back to Walt Disney World. Oh, but this trip is different. This trip is the Shelby and Papa Trip! I am trying to begin a tradition by which I take each of my grandchildren to the World sometime while they are 9-years-old. In October 2009 it was my oldest grandson Devon's time. This is Shelby's time. And what a time it will be!

This afternoon she will be paying a visit to the Bippity Boppity Boutique in the castle. She'll go in as Shelby and come out as Ariel. Then on Friday morning we will having breakfast with Cinderella and a few of her friends at her Royal Table. And along the way I will get another education from my grandchildren on how to slow down and enjoy the experience of standing in line for character photographs. I will also have the experience of leaky eyes again as I see a beautiful child make memories that I hope will last a lifetime.

I will, from time to time, share our adventure via Twitter and Facebook. And a big thank you to friends on the Disney Obsession Facebook group for suggestions on character interactions and shows. It has helped me to remember things I have done ages ago but have passed by in recent years with the absence of young children by my side. I am really looking forward to seeing the Beauty and the Beast stage show again.

Is my granddaughter spoiled? You bet she is!

Something On A Sunday

Nashville 05.05.07

There are few things in life that can compare to spending time with my grandchildren! It is also such a joy to have three of them living just across the street from me. So getting together, playing, watching Disney movies, and just plain goofing off, is something that happens on a regular basis.

I love being a grandparent!

Something for the New Year

As I look back over 2010, I can look at those seven ideas that I sat out as goals and feel good about some and not so good about others. I did manage to post to this blog a good deal more than I have in recent years. In fact, with 199 blogs entries this year, I exceeded my total number of posts for ’07, ’08 and ’09 combined. True, as I said at the start of this year, it wasn’t all Disney all the time, and many of them were photographs with little or no commentary. Still, it is a goal that I made and met.

I have made some progress on the Everyman’s Library “Essential 100”. Not as much I would have liked, but some. I found myself pausing from time to time to read about Peter and the Starcatchers or of Finn and the other Kingdom Keepers. I also bowered a book from a friend entitled Waking Walt. Interesting read. And there have been other Disney related books here and there. But, the “Essential 100” is a multi-year project and I am working through it. Currently I am involved in A Tale of Two Cities.

Let’s see, the “not so good about others”. I didn’t make it to the Gulf Coast and I didn’t lose 28 pounds. We won’t go into that subject other than to say I am working on it again. Though I made multiple trips to Walt Disney World, I was unable to meet up with my friend Ryan on any of them. But we were able to meet for dinner in Waynesville, North Carolina one evening last year. It was nice for Mrs. Doc and myself to share a nice meal with Ryan and his wife. I will say that I had a great few days in the parks with my good friends from England, Dave and Susan Steer and their two sons Ben and Jake.

Photography? I am still working at it, and will continue to do so. In fact, I hope to work at it with more fervor this year than last.

And as for the Number 1 resolution for 2010, well, it is the same this year. I feel I am a good husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, in-law, and friend. But, we can all do better in all our relationships and that is my intent.

But let’s look at this year. The object, the goal, for this year is downsizing and simplifying. I have been having thoughts along this line for a good part of this past fall, but as 2010 drew to a close I became aware of just how complex my life had become, how cluttered it was. Not just the physical clutter of having many years of accumulating around me, but mental clutter – the clutter of having too much going on. I found myself running so that I was unable to do the things I enjoy doing most, or working towards creative goals and projects that I sat for myself. Example: I love to draw, but I never have the time and could never seem to make the time.

So, as I move forward in 2011, simplicity is key. I hope that when this year closes and we visit this theme again in 2012, that I can tell you that life is slower and more creatively fulfilling. I’ll keep reading. I will continue to visit Walt Disney World. And yes, I’ll keep blogging. Hopefully I’ll post an article that will be of some interest to you and, I hope that from time to time a really nice photograph will catch your eye.

Here’s to 2011! I hope your year provides you with many fulfilled dreams!

A Note from Mrs. Doc - The Disney Dream

My wife enjoys writing. From time to time she will add things to a site called List My 5. This is a site where people can contribute lists of five things, such as, Top 5 this or Top 5 that. Every so often she will add a list that has something to do with Disney. I suppose in our home, you can't go too long without admitting there is a strong Disney influence in our little piece of the world.

As an ongoing feature of The Disney Obsession, I will add articles from my bride that have some connection to that influence Disney has here. To start, she recently wrote about the new Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Dream, and outlined five characteristics unique to the Dream.

_______________

"Disney's newest ship, the Disney Dream is scheduled to leave from Port Canaveral for its Maiden Voyage on January 26, 2011. No matter what age, Disney fan or not, you will love all the unique offerings of the Disney Dream.

"AquaDuck
This is very first water coaster at sea ever! It's not for the faint at heart though as this coaster travels 765 feet and features an exciting ride down and around 4 decks. Part of the ride slides guests over the sea with nothing below but water. As the Disney folk say, "it’s splashtactular!"

"Magical Portholes
Guests whose quarters do not include a direct ocean view will still have a "room with a view." Those staying in the Inside Staterooms will see the exact same thing as those in Oceanside Staterooms thanks to Magical Portholes. Each Inside Stateroom has a real-time view of the sea. As an added surprise for those with Magical Portholes, guests will be able to see some of Mickey's animated friends stop and wave as they swim by their porthole from time to time.

"Sky Line
Adults have 9 clubs to choose from where they can get away for an adult beverage aboard the Disney Dream. The Sky Line boasts a digital fireplace, which is the only one of its kind in Disney's cruise ships. But the most unique offering of this club is the breathtaking, ever changing backdrop to the bar. Tall "windows" (7 LCD big screens) line a wall that offer a life-like view of some of the world's most beautiful skylines in the world. It is said to appear as if one is looking down from atop a high rise.

"Enchanted Art
Virtual art pieces can be found throughout the Disney Dream ship and are referred to as Enchanted Art. Each piece suddenly comes to life whenever someone walks up to them. Some will interact with the person in front of them and others will interact with another piece of art. These amazing Enchanted art pieces can be found in various art forms. Some will be photographs, some animated posters, oil paintings or paper models.

"It's Biggest Yet!
The Disney Dream is the largest of Disney's current cruise ships. She is 47,000 tons larger, 2 decks taller, 151 feet longer, and its beam is 15 ft wider than the other two Disney ships. The Disney Dream can hold 4,000 passengers and has 555 more crewmembers than the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.

"Final Thoughts
There are several perks being married to someone who is, what I lovingly refer to as, a "Disney Geek." We are going on the Disney Dream in about 7 weeks. I am so excited!"

_______________

Looking at the calendar, we have 49 days until we sail! I am sure we'll have a bit more to say before we set out on this adventure, and afterwards.

Oh, and if you take a notion, here is a link; please drop by my wife's article and leave a comment. You can also comment here if you'd like.

Something On A Sunday

Balloon Ride 06.20.10

One of the items that sat high up on my wife's bucket list was to take a balloon ride. This summer, she and three of her girlfriends took a ride over Williamson County to celebrate her birthday. She had a wonderful experience!

Something On A Sunday

Ketchikan, Alaska 05.28.09

A Pirates Life For Us... or maybe not

It is beginning to be an exciting time around Doc's house. We are approaching Christmas and the decorations are making their way, although slowly, into the decor. But another exciting aspect of this holiday season is an upcoming trip with my granddaughter to Walt Disney World the day following Christmas. And thinking of all the fun we will have has me reminiscing about the fun my grandson and I had last October. With that, I thought I'd share another Character Connection with Devon. I learned a lot from Devon during that trip.

I always look forward to what I learn from my grandchildren. I have lived a few years on this earth and I am amazed at how little I know at times. I am amazed that the people who I think move faster than anyone in my family, my grandchildren, are the ones who teach me to slow down. I am looking forward to learning something from Shelby - to know that it isn't about the rides or attractions, it isn't about the all the photographs. No, it is about the experience of sharing an extended moment in life with one of the most precious individuals in my life. It is about not seeing things through my eyes, but through theirs. Now, I have the opportunity to schooled a bit more; or to borrow a thought from the film Hook, how not to become a pirate but to stay a Lost Boy.

And now that I think about it, isn't that what Walt Disney World is? Isn't it a place where we can become lost? Lost in a time and place where the real world is a place for grown-ups; not for us.

Thanks kids. I appreciate the lessons.

A Sign Its Saturday

I thought I'd offer just a bit of a twist on A Sign Its Saturday this morning. We'll visit The Land with two people I am big fan's of...

Father (my son)

Son (my grandson)

I suppose the desire and willingness to mug for the camera is a family trait.

(Note to self: I need a photograph of myself mugging for the camera in front of The Land sign.)

Something On A Sunday

Sitka, Alaska 05.27.09

As I have mentioned before, my wife and I took an Alaskan cruise in May '09, thus fulfilling a Bucket List item. And as I have also said before, I would do this again without hesitation. Our 49th state has so much to be seen and we saw just a small portion of it. We could return several times and still not experience everything this magnificent land has to offer.

The photograph above was taken during a shore excursion in Sitka. This totem is found in the Sitka National Historical Park.

Something On A Sunday

Arrington Vineyard 05.30.10

Editor's Note: Arrington Vineyard is located 25 miles south of Nashville among the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee. It was founded by Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn. Throughout the year "Music in the Vines" concerts are held on the patio. On 05.30 my wife, daughter and son-in-law packed a picnic lunch and headed south to enjoy the afternoon, the company and a little jazz by a local group, Art for Sale. The photograph... was taken while waiting for the music to begin.

The Wall

For those of you who visit here often or follow me on Facebook, you will know that I recently took a trip to St. Louis with my son. The event that prompted the trip was the Roger Waters Wall Tour 2010. But what was so much more important to me was the ability to spend a good deal of uninterrupted time with my son. You see, the last time we were able to be together for any length of time without family, work commitments, war, and so forth, was 1994. It was his graduation trip to Walt Disney World in June of that year. A great time, despite it raining every day. Which isn't so bad in and of itself, but we were camping at Fort Wilderness - Spanish Moss Trail.

I wanted to post this particular photograph from show because it summed up so many things from those 48 hours and why they are special to my memories.

My son served in Iraq. He served in other places too - places he can not or will not talk about. But, he came home! You see, preceding this images were stills and video projected on The Wall of families being reunited when the warrior comes home. My son reach over, clutched my hand, and said, "Dad, we had that moment didn't we."

It took me a moment, but I said, "Yes, we did son."

I was crying.

I am very proud of my son!

And I am so very thankful that God brought my boy back home!

List My 5

My wife loves to write! I have a blog and have been doing a fairly decent job of putting content up more regularly, but I must admit, my wife is the real writer in the family. She is the published one. She writes daily and she is constantly looking for new sources and new things to write.

But while she awaits the next big project she ties herself over with writing "how-to" articles for a site called eHow (I mentioned this back on 09.28.09) and now with a new site that she found called List My 5. It is a site dedicated to Top Five lists and she has offered up a few that I thought may be of interest to the readers of The Disney Obsession. One that she wrote outlines the Top Five Most Popular Disney and Disney Pixar Animated Films. Not a bad first effort. Another has to do with her thoughts about her Top Five Disney Blog Sites. It was touch and go there for a bit, but this blog made the cut. If it hadn't, chances are you wouldn't be hearing about List My 5 from me.

Why the Disney stuff? Well, in our household it is hard to go a day without 5-10 good Disney mentions. Being married to a Disney geek meant she had to write something about it I suppose.

Now, here is where you come in. Do me a favor and click on the links above and visit my wife's List My 5 articles. She would love to have you comment and rate her articles. And if you do, tell her that her husband sent you.

Thanks. And,

More to follow...

Flashback Friday

Editors Note: Last week I posted an article including some old Adventurer's Club photographs. I called the post A Blast from the Past. I crave your indulgence as I change the name of what will become that series. Now I think I'd prefer to title these little walks down memory lane, Flashback Friday. Having said that, let's move on.

Whenever I am approaching a trip to Walt Disney World I look forward to when I am close enough that I enter what I call the "this time next week" mode. It is when I think about my trip plan, what I'll be doing seven days from that day. The sad thing about this is that it is accompanied by the "this time last week" mode which is rather depressing. But today, I am in the "this time next week" mode. No, it isn't a trip to Walt Disney World (though it has been since July that I've been there and I am missing it very much). The trip is to St. Louis.

Now let me say, I love St. Louis! I have a lot of great memories visiting my paternal grandparents who lived there. Though it isn't so much where I am going this time as it is about who I am going with.

This is a father and son road trip weekend!

I have not had one of these with my son in ages. His being a father of three and having a job that takes him away from home frequently, makes these types of trips difficult. When he is home he needs to be with his children instead of out looking for adventure with his father.

But "this time next week" my son and I are on the road north! On Friday evening he and I will be two of the many thousands who will file into the Scottrade Center to enjoy the Roger Waters "The Wall" Concert (if you follow me on Facebook, that will explain the frequent reference to "Wall" lyrics these past few weeks). Then on Saturday we'll visit the St. Louis Zoo together for the first time since he was child and then run over to the Missouri Botanical Garden. While we're in Forest Park, we'll also visit the St. Louis Art Museum to view the Van Gogh's, the Picassos, the Warhols and the Lichtensteins. And I am sure there will be a meal or two thrown in; perhaps somewhere in Laclede's Landing.

The main thing though is the opportunity to spend over 48 hours of uninterrupted time with my son! That is the main thing and the best part of "this time next week". Long conversations, recalling old memories and making new ones, laughing and singing, dreaming. Yes, "this time next week" we'll make up for a lot of lost time.

As for Flashback Friday, well, here is a photograph taken way back when Disney's Hollywood Studios went by another name and my son and I endeavored to have our photographs taken with as many Kodak Picture Stop signs as possible.

More to follow...