I appreciate you!!

Subject: I appreciate you!!
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:35 AM

At this amazing and good time of year, I want to simply state the honest fact that, after writing my last letter to Jerry Rasmussen, I truly feel the warmth of the season. Especially, I am thankful for the Mudcatters who have made this place a reality and a world of it's own filled with wonderful thinking people---and even a devil or two---to push buttons that maybe/maybe not need to be pushed---if only to keep us honest about ourselves--and to crystalize in us the ways we actually feel -- and why.

Love, and, especially, PEACE to all at this giving and taking time!!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Deckman
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:38 AM

CHEERS to you Art. Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: Lyr Add: AULD LANG SYNE
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:52 AM

                Auld Lang Syne




Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

Chorus
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

Cho

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

Cho

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

Cho

And there's a hand my trusty frein,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

Giok

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:54 AM

Happy Holidays to you too, Art. And PEACE to all.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Amos
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:59 AM

Art:

And to you, an hundred-fold, old friend.

A

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 10:14 AM

Thank you Art - I appreciate you too..........

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Alba
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 10:22 AM

Right back at you Art X by 1,000... You are very much appreciated:>)
You own and share a beautiful Spirit.
May you and Yours find Peace and Joy this Festive Season and may these Gifts spill forth into the coming New Year.
Love and Light and Brightest of Blessings
An appreciative Jude

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: David C. Carter
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 10:29 AM

I only recently came on to Mudcat,so, Hi to everyone.It is like finding a family.I've been looking at all the threads,recent and not so recent and have found some extremely usefull tips/ideas/information,not to mention a lot of love and good feeling.I'm not putting this very well,am I?......anyway,I wish everyone the best of everything,and then some.   
Peace.

David.
Paris,France.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: saulgoldie
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:07 PM

Good sentiments, Art, which I also share. Thanks for posting.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:18 PM

Back at ya, Art! You make this place even better than it would otherwise be!

Nancy

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: open mike
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:21 PM

Good idea!
I never would have guessed that
a web page would become such an
integral part of my life!

Looking forward to spending another
year with the mudcat family in 2006.
(even though we have our disfunctional
side, still the feeling of family runs
through .)

Thanks for the music, the friendship
and the good wishes. Laurel

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Don Firth
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:27 PM

Good on you, Art. Well said.

I've never met you, but I wish I had--could--will, sometime. Always appreciated your posts.

All the best in all things!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:29 PM

You know how I feel about you, buddy! And have a Joyous season, whatever flavor suits you best..

Love,

Jerry

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: kendall
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:38 PM

Art, you really are one of the greatest. Love on you and yours my friend.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: alanabit
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:49 PM

We appreciate you too. One of the wisest heads and sharpest wits on Mudcat. It is good to have you with us.
Merry Christmas!

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: ard mhacha
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:53 PM

A gentleman and a scholar, Solas na Nollag Art. Happy Christmas.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: gnu
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 02:17 PM

Back at ya... and at y'all.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Helen
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 05:37 PM

Aaahh!! I don't know what my life would be like without my Mudcat family! Much drier, and colder, and sparser, that's for sure!

So the mushiest, warmest, fullest season's greetings to all of you, and especially to Art, the creator of one of our most memorable, funny and irreverent threads   

(The dates are jumbled up, but read it anyway, for a laugh.)

Helen

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Wesley S
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 05:41 PM

Thanks Art - and the best of the season to you too. May next year be one of your best.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: bbc
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 06:13 PM

Boy, Art, you never *are* going to live down the condom thread. Love you, dear. Happy Season!

Barbara

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 06:18 PM

What wondrous things thou have wrought, oh Finest of Arts! How fortunate we are to have you amongst us. How incredibly blessed to have you as a friend. You and Carol, both.

Thank you, darlin' and may the coming year bring you all you need and desire. You are a blessing.

luvyakat & Rog

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: jacqui.c
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 06:26 PM

All the best good wishes to you Art and all Mudcatters.

David Carter - you really couldn't have said it better than you did. Welcome to the family.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Once Famous
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 06:27 PM

Too tell you the truth, I don't really appreciate everyone here at all. Not everyone, so why be so phony about it? Some I do and some I don't.

But for the ones I don't appreciate, devils is a lightweight term. For the ones I do, have a nice holiday and a nice life.

this time of the year should be no different than any other time. wish peace on people always but only if you really want them to have it, not just now. Give to charities all year, not just now.

Say it how it is and mean what you say.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: DannyC
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 07:03 PM

Fair play to ya, Art...

God Bless all here!!

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Steve-o
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 07:42 PM

Gee, MG, thanks so much for joining us in this thread and giving us some more of your zero-based philosophy. All of us "un-appreciateds" are just feeling real bad now.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Peace
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 08:32 PM

Back to you, Art.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:04 PM

Hey, Martin: some of us are saying EXACTLY what we mean when we tell someone that we appreciate them and that they've been important in our lives. If I say it, I mean it. Art has been my closest friend for most of my adult life...

Like I mean it when I wish you a joyful season 365 days a year. You don't have to be close friends to wish someone well.

I definitely agree with you that good wishes and actions should know no season.

Jerry

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: jimmyt
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:14 PM

To Art, one of the greats. I have admired you since I have been here for your music and your insight. May you have a joyous holiday season. To all Mudcat, I am honored to be a part of this community. I hope each of you has a wonderful season however you celebrate it....Now back to the thonging board...

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Once Famous
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:34 PM

I don't need or necessarily want to get into a heavy philosophical discussion, Jerry. I wish you well, also and I wish some others here very well, also.

then again there are others who I could give two craps about.

So I will not make a blanket statement that I wish everyone well, when I don't really mean it, just to come on that this is a joyous season for all, because it isn't. Or it isn't anymore joyous then grilling a steak on my patio in the middle of July.

As for you steve-o, as a member of this community whether you like it or not, if you feel bad about what I say, maybe you should go read a comic book to cheer you up.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: GUEST,Bert
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:48 PM

We love you too Art.

Have a great holiday season and a very punny New Year.

Bert, on Rachael's computer

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:57 PM

seasonable greetings Art

sandra

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Once Famous
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 09:58 PM

Art, happy Friday. Tommorow is reserved.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: GUEST,Ary Thieme
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 12:44 AM

What can I say? Thanks for what you've said, but I wasn't looking for compliments. I just felt that way yesterday. Today I still appreciate the positive ones of us---and ignore the rest the best I can. Today has been tempered by ongoing sad current events and by id and ego-driven negativity of some in this forum, and by the sad illness of a friend. But my granddaughters have given me a whole new way to appreciate this Christmas time we've made. It's a dark time o' year and the hues of colored lights do remind us that the "world is always turnin' toward the morning" -- as G. Bok wrote.

So thanks to you all. Even the antics of devil's advocates among us make us look away from them, and toward the morning to see the enlightenment of it even on the foggiest of days.

Art

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: GUEST,kt
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 03:38 AM

Art, I too, appreciate your words here, not only in this thread, but always, on this forum. I'd like to meet you someday.   And I echo those who are wishing the best for everyone here. May we all be the best that we can be. KT

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: skarpi
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 03:48 AM

Dear Art , I hope you will a good christmastime around you and yours
and may God keep you and all the others Mudcatters under his hand.

God bless you all
All the best Skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: kendall
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 08:51 AM

For once I agree with MG. I don't wish everyone well, and although there are three people here that I wish would disappear, I don't wish them bad cess either.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 09:01 AM

Perhaps for those who we don't wish well we can at least wish that they get well, Kendall?

Jerry

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Alba
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 09:25 AM

:>) good point there Jerry!

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 10:22 AM

Well said, Art, very well put.

How 'bout accentuate the positive IGNORE the negative, folks!

Yesterday brought us a pleasant surprise. I'd met my daughter for lunch, brought her 2 year old son with me. Our first lunch with "mommy" since she went to work at the new place four months ago. He had fun going upthe elevator and was even tall enough to push the buttons for "grandma."

We went to a pizza place. Seated nearby us was a man and his son, probably about 10-11 years old. They were quiet, seemed to have good conversation and made eye contact a few times with all three of us. That happens a lot with my grandson as he is gregarious and *cute* (not only grandma thinks so!)

Anyway, as the man and his son got up to leave, he came over to our table, looked me in the eye with a kind of Kris Kringle twinkle to them, reached for our bill and said, "May I?" It took me a moment to respond I was so surprised. I think I said something about "oh, you needn't" and he said he'd like to. So...I said "thank you, very much" as did my daughter and grandson. It was just so unexpected and kind. We all wished each other a Merry Christmas and said goodbye.

My daughter and I sat there in quiet gratitude and amazement. What a kind tihng to do. I've done it a couple of times myself, but never been on the receiving end.

But, it gets better! The waitress then came over and said, "That doesn't happen every day! He also tipped me very well, so just put that away," referring to the generous tip my daughter had put on the table. We both told her it was fine, to please keep it and enjoy the holiday season. And, that felt good, too!

That old "paying it forward" is something I see Mudcatters do all of the time, esp. in stressful times, as with Karen and Spaw. Art, it is Second Nature to you. Thanks, darlin'.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 10:42 AM

Beautiful story, Kat: Thanks for sharing it.

I received an unexpected phone call yesterday. Someone was calling from my hometown newspaper in Janesville, Wisconsin. Each year, they do a section titled 50 People Who Make A Difference. No, they weren't considering me as one of the 50. They called to ask about a man named Don Rummelhoff.

Last summer when my wife and I went home to celebrate my Mother's 98th birthday, the one gift she wanted most was for me to sing and play for her birthday party. I haven't done that for several years because we always seem to have a ton of stuff that we take and bringing a guitar seems to impractical. My Mother was confident that I could rent a guitar out there. When we arrived, I pulled out the Yellow Pages and started calling music stores. None of the music stores rented instruments. My whole family had been asking everyone they could think of who might have a guitar that I could borrow and had come up empty handed. So, I went back to the Yellow Pages for one last shot. There was a man named Don Rummelhoff who was listed under music instruction, so I called him. I explained why I wanted to rent a guitar and how much it would mean to my Mother. I told him that I'd just about given up renting one because no one was in the business. Buy or Cry. That's their motto. Don immediately offered to provide me with a guitar for the weekend. He hadn't even asked my name. When I asked him how much he would charge, he said that he wouldn't accept any money for it. All this, talking to a total stranger on the phone. When I went over to pick up the guitar, I figured that he'd loan me a cheap student guitar, but he had a whole room full of guitars and amps and said I could use any one that I wanted. He ended up showing me a beautiful acoustic/electric guitar which was autographed by Kenny Chesney, George Strait and a couple other equally famous country singers. It was beautiful, had nice, easy action and he matched it up with a beautiful amplifier. When I asked him if I could give him a deposit, or show him some identification, he refused both. I was really overwhelmed with his generosity, and his trust.

Mom's birthday party was a roaring success with almost 100 people there, and it meant everything in the world to have me singing for her. It was an "all request from Mom" program, and it brought back a lot of good memories, as most of the people had heard me and many of the songs related to family members.

When I took the guitar back to Don, Mom came in the car and he came out to talk with her. She told him what a wonderful gift the use of the guitar was. Again, he wouldn't take any money, but expressed an interest in my music, as he is just a couple of years older than me. I had a copy of Handful of Songs with me that I gave him, and he called a few days later to tell me how much he enjoyed the music. He wanted to know if I had any other recordings, and offered to pay for them. I was very happy to give something back to him, and sent him another CD of mine, and The Secret Life Of Jerry Rasmussen, which has not yet been re-issued as a CD by Folk Legacy.

Now, the city is honoring Don as one of the 50 Who Make A Difference.
They asked me to share this story with them, and it will be printed in the local paper.

And guess who I'll be calling next summer when it's my Mom's 99th birthday?

Jerry

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Big Mick
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 10:59 AM

Art, among Mudcatters, you are one of the first that I felt a strong kinship with. Your gift of friendship here has always been one of those that I cherished most. Thanks for being who you are, and thanks for "passin' it on".

Much love, my friend.

Mick

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 11:15 AM

Art...I first met you at the Red Fox Inn, in Bethesda, MD about 1977, and you were already well into a life of making other folks happy by doing something that YOU liked! What better way to operate in this world?
It was a joy to see you show up on Mudcat and to experience more of your wit & wisdom, even when circumstances made you quit travelling. And it is SO great to see you enjoying communication and fun with so many people you have known again....and with other you had never met!

Nice little joint we got here, huh?

(and thank you again for that tape you sent me several years ago...you know the one...*grin*)

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 12:57 PM

Hey Art - Loves across the ocean to you and yours from Elaine and me.Burl.

Subject: RE: I appreciate you!!
From: Severn
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 02:14 PM

Not all names on a thread post are pretty much guaranteed worthwhile reading but you've proved to be one who is as well as a pleasure to talk to.