Aunt Angela knelt by the boys' bedside and bowed her head into the comfort of the blankets. "Oh, good and holy Saint Nicholas," she intoned, "you who bring joy to children, and plenty of presents too. It's me again, Angela Cavallo. Look, I know you're busy tonight, but put in my heart the spirit of childhood about which the Gospel speaks. Teach me how to sow happiness around me. Teach Little Dick never ever to touch women again. Teach The Turd to be nice to others, and teach Baby Michael to stop stealing stuff. Even if you must punish each of them with horrible afflictions, that's okay, we'll understand. Amen." "Amen," the boys chimed in together, hoping that tonight, Christmas Eve, would not be the night they broke out with some weird infection. When this mafioso family reunites for a Christmas celebration, things get wacky quickly as headstrong Silvio Cavallo and his unforgettable gay twin brothers become involved in a hilarious hit job gone wrong. Italian Holiday is a comical caper of Italian bluster, dysfunctional family dynamics, and an outlandish tale complete with wine, weapons, and wisecracks. For at least one family, turmoil rather than the serenity of a Norman Rockwell painting may be the real Christmas tradition.
When Hermann Olsen initially left the kidney-bashing back road of Route 226 in the Wasatch range of Utah and limped stiffly into the Mahogany Ridge Club, he was simply looking for a cold beer, some companionship, and a place to escape the omnipresent western dust. He soon makes the acquaintance of the rough ranchers who frequent the town's favorite watering hole, and hours later he becomes the dubiously proud owner of a dilapidated tavern, an out-of-commission ski hill, some ancient chairlifts, and a fat old search-and-rescue dog more renown for her gas than for her work ethic. Hermann's plan is simple: put just enough money into the area in order to revitalize it as "a place for the locals," and then leisurely sit back and watch life go by from the tranquil banks of the teeming trout streams. Good plan. But life is a roller coaster ride with its own ideas of what is in store for us, and despite our best intentions and our worst flaws, we sometimes experience unexplained success. The seriously out-of-the-way hill known as Mount Bellew soon attracts a cult of hardcore skiers and snowboarders who are enamored with its legendary lack of facilities and un-groomed slopes. Mount Bellew explodes beyond the edges of Hermann's dream, and in a very short expanse of time, the ex-hippie finds himself attempting to manage a lively and bustling ski resort. "Desperate times call for desperate solutions," Hermann believes. He soon surrounds himself with the colorful and equally desperate characters that make up his personnel staff. Told through the viewpoint of a simple bus driver who is looking back on his youth, Mount Bellew shows us how all of our heroes are seriously flawed, struggling through individual changes and challenges in their lives, and how every life is a unique season of hope. "Men do change, and the change comes like the wind that ruffles the curtains at dawn, and it comes like the stealthy perfume of wildflowers hidden in the grass." -- John Steinbeck How we handle it all is the measure of the man. How Mount Bellew survives the growing pains is the richly entertaining story to be told . . .
Has anyone ever asked you to live in their world? Has anyone ever demanded that you live in theirs and lose yourself in the process? With his own aging reality steadily turning white and sterile around him, an elderly sea captain who is confined to a dreary nursing home intimidates a young Jamaican artist into bringing color back into his life. "They've made me blind and left me one small window," he confides to the girl. "They've put me into this clean white cell and are tryin' to suck the life out of me." Thundering his defiance he declares, "But I used to be somebody! And I ain't a'sailin' away all that easy for nobody!" "Paint me room," he orders. So begins the story of the final days of Captain Walter B. Roberts, who navigates a thin line on a course set between the facts and fiction of his adventurous life at sea. Using colorful examples from a very questionable past, he belligerently berates all around him. "Can you see the world from where you be sittin' now? Well, stand up! Don't be a coward! Be something, or somebody, and be it well! You've got to live life the best way that you can, with no regrets." Fine, but what if you think you're a three-hundred-year-old pirate? Or is that just plain crazy? About the Author Other books by Ron Dull include Mount Bellew and Go With
In an impoverished world, imprisoned by socially constraining fences with very few gates of opportunity, Joey Joaneda, the son of failed and alcoholic parents, struggles toward maturity in a depression-era fishing village. Nothing much is expected from him or his Wharf Rat friends except to carry on questionable and antiquated traditions. Under the influence of a cast of colorful local characters -- from the powerful Captain Sam Brumos and a wise old woman in a fish house, to a very troublesome monkey -- the boy wrestles with the rewards and consequences of his own actions. He endures the animosity of his peers when he turns his back on simply "coasting around." Inevitably, he confronts the definitive fence which must be climbed to call himself a man, the need to accept accountability for his life choices. But can you ever deny your past? Can you ever run fast enough or far enough to lose who you are? Goaded by the insistent vagrant Holy Joe in a search for truthfulness, Joey Joaneda, "the boy who is always running away," discovers that ultimately, you will forever bump into yourself.
The Finns had a name for it: "tuntaria." It meant a barren land, one which to them was frozen and devoid of life. "Look deeper" the voices of the inutshuks whispered mysteriously, find the way. When two adolescence boys accompany their fathers into the desolate wilderness of the Canadian tundra, they enter the extraordinary land of the native Inuit whose values of life, death, and community define a home much unlike their own. Their lives are molded forever by the rough, no-nonsense men they meet, the beautiful animals they hunt, the proximity of disaster at every turn, and the hypnotic dance of the Northern Lights. We all search for our own destiny. We question our legacy and ironically often find final salvation and our individual God sitting quietly by the side of the road, patiently waiting for us to "Go With" on a journey of personal discovery which is not to be missed.
Perhaps no state rivals Virginia when it comes to early history. Yet, there are many aspects of Virginia's early history that are either unknown or vaguely known by the general public. Over the last thirty years, Larson has written over thirty plays that deal with these aspects and the generally well-known men and women involved in them. These people include such names as Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Patrick Henry, Meriwether Lewis, John Randolph, John Robinson, Nathaniel Bacon, William Berkeley, John Chiswell, Martha Jefferson, Harry Lee, Nancy Randolph, Theodosia Burr and Edmund Pendleton. The name Gabriel Prosser is little known, yet in the summer of 1800 this enslaved blacksmith planned to lead a large slave insurrection in the Richmond area; however information regarding the revolt was leaked prior to its execution and Gabriel's plans were thwarted. Gabriel and twenty-six members of the revolt were hanged. In 2007 Virginia Governor Tim Kaine gave Gabriel and his followers an informal pardon in recognition that his cause, "the end of slavery and the furtherance of equality for all people --- has prevailed in the light of history.
I was continuously amazed by the stupid things that people said to me, the bizarre situations that people got themselves into and the unrealistic perceptions that people had of their rights to sue others. The misperceptions and the inflated expectations of recovery of damages for the imagined wrongs committed against them never failed to astonish me. Hardly a day passed that I didn't hear some preposterous story from a client...a story that if I lived a million years, I would never have expected to hear. I kept a journal of the absurd stories that I heard during the course of my career. I scribbled notes in that book nearly every day until I retired. I can't explain why, but the most outrageous and preposterous incidents occurred on the days after the moon was full. This is a collection of short stories from that journal. You'll laugh out loud!
I've lived a life of fascinating events. Are You Kidding Me? recounts several of the occurrences. Three continents serve as the stage for these true stories--many funny, others stress-filled or embarrassing, some totally unexpected and outright blessings. By the end of the volume, you will be shaking your head and saying, "Are you kidding me?
When Ron Richardson was halfway through second grade, his mother got a call from his teacher. "Have you bought Ron's books yet?" she inquired. When his mother said she certainly had, the teacher said, "I don't think Ronnie understands why he is in school.Though classroom studies offered little to interest him, he was always keenly following the details of life in his small Oklahoma town. Ron comes from a family of storytellers, and preserving the often-hilarious tales of growing up in the 1940s has become his mission. The characters in this collection of stories come to rollicking life, with a small dose of Ron's imagination, to take you back to Hollis, Oklahoma: a place in time.It's been said that Ron Richardson could find something humorous at an old time hanging. This could be true, even though Ron probably never attended a public hanging. He does have the ability to see humor in some of the weirdest places and events."Horny Toads and Cotton Bolls" is a wild and hilarious ride through Ron's childhood set in the 1940's and 1950's in Hollis, Oklahoma still tucked away in Southwest Oklahoma. If you ever asked someone, "how do you get to Hollis, Oklahoma?" The most likely answer was "You can't get there from here." Most of Ron's family secretly might have thought that Ron bordered on the dull normal because of his lack of interest in school. However when you read his stories, one gets the feeling that there might be just a touch of genius in there somewhere. Morris Hart found a buddy for life in the Hollis Elementry School, and only discovered later he and Ron shared a gift for telling stories. These memories are even more precious now, since Morris passed away January 21st 2018.
Includes blues, rock, country and hard rock styles---over 100 licks & riffs for live and studio performance. All licks are shown in standard music notation and TAB. These are scale and fingering patterns every guitarist needs to know. The CD includes all examples and solos.
I believe you will be inspired as you read this detailed account of what Ron went through, from a young age, where he tells how he planted a seed in his life that would eventually come back to haunt him and his health. You will be moved, as he tells about coming down with emphysema, and inspired as you read how God moved time and time again, receiving not one lung, but two. You will not want to lay this book down. Read and see how God blessed Him, after his transplant, giving him a beautiful voice to sing. He mentions in the book how he travels singing and sharing about his addiction, deliverance, and miraculous transplant.
Ron Carlson is a superb, witty storyteller. More importantly, he uses humor to offer telling and vital insight into critical issues of Christian living. You will chuckle about stories in these pages for years to come.
Sharp tools work better! If you've never experienced the pleasure of using a really sharp tool, you're missing one of the real pleasures of woodworking. In The Perfect Edge, the mystery of the elusive sharp edge is solved by the long-time sharpening expert and tool maker Ron Hock. You'll soon find how easy and safe hand tools are to use. This book covers all the different sharpening methods so you can either improve your sharpening techniques using your existing set-up, or determine which one will best suit your needs and budget. Ron shows you the tricks and offers expert advice to sharpen all your woodworking tools, plus a few around-the-house tools that also deserve a perfect edge.
This book is written for everyone. Some of the contents in this work were first presented in Making Sense of the Senseless. These have been rewritten for ease of reading and to add new information gained since 2002. It is my hope that this volume will make it easier to learn about and understand OCS and what can be done about it.
Women. Liquor. Power. Women. Liquor. Power. That is Fanner Marston's mantra--his reason for being--and while he knows a little about the first and a lot about the second, he may well be on the verge of learning everything there is to know about the third. Power. He may, in fact, be about to uncover the key to gaining absolute control over the entire universe. The only problem is, Fanner is certifiably insane.... His starship has crash-landed, and he's the sole survivor, which doesn't matter to him. Driven by greed and lust for power, wracked by thirst, hunger and pain, all he cares about is reaching the ancient city of Parva and making himself at home. Because there lies The Great Secret to universal domination--and what's a little suffering on the road to becoming God? Does Fanner have a prayer? The writing's on the walls of Parva--and you won't believe what it says.... Also includes the science fiction adventures, "The Space Can," in which a decrepit space battleship is a civilian fleet's only defense; "The Beast," the tale of a hunter in the jungles of Venus, chasing an immoral beast; and "The Slaver," in which an alien race has enslaved the human race, but can't repress the power of human love. Blast off on a head-trip you'll never forget as The Great Secret takes you inside the mind of a man who is crazy with lust for power. "Serves as a wonderful introduction to the breadth of Hubbard's output." --Comic Buyers Guide
Ron Lewis has helped more young people answer the Call to ministry than anybody I know. These principles will guide you confidently into the purposes of God." Dr. Rice Broocks, Co-founder, Every Nation, Author of God's Not Dead and Man, Myth, Messiah WHAT IS FULL-TIME MINISTRY? "'Come follow me, ' Jesus said, 'and I will send you out to fish for people.' At once, they left their nets and followed him." Matthew 4:19-20 What do you think of when you hear the phrase, "full-time ministry?" Maybe you think of a man in a collar or flowing robes, a preacher on TV, or a missionary in the bush of Africa, the frozen tundra of Siberia, or the jungles of the Amazon. Perhaps you think of a campus minister who has helped you get to know Jesus in a personal way. To a degree, these can all be examples of full-time ministry. From here on, when I use the phrase "full-time ministry," I am mindful that all ministry--in every sphere of life--is a full-time calling. However, for the sake ofclarity in this book, when I refer to full-time ministry, I am referring to a man or woman whose primary occupation is gospel ministry and all it entails. Full-time ministry is a job, a vocation, and a career, but, as we will see, it is so much more. This subject is often misunderstood and usually brings with it a handful of questions: -Does God want you to go into full-time ministry? (Chapter 2) -What is the real difference between a Christian who works a "secular job" and a full-time minister? (Chapter 3) -Does it please God more if you are a full-time minister? (Chapter 3) -If I go into ministry, where do I begin? (Chapter 5) -What will it cost me to follow Jesus into full-time ministry? (Chapter 7) -How can I be paid for doing Christian ministry? (Chapter 9)
Fanner Marston was raised a slave as a child, became a petty street thief as a teen, and now masters his own craft and crew as a grown man. He's also gone completely mad. Driven by privation, with a vicious greed and slavering lust for power, Marston alone of forty men has survived the perilous trek through a blistering desert to the magical city of Parva, where legend says a secret awaits which will give him absolute control over the Universe. However, Marston finds the key to all power is not at all what he expected. . . .
These stories are full of surprises, jolts, and lightning strikes of recognition. Do yourself a favor and read Ron Carlson." —Stephen King Ron Carlson's stories, sometimes wicked or bittersweet, often zany, are rich with a hard-earned hopefulness frequently absent in contemporary fiction. In this generous gathering from collections no longer available, longtime fans and new readers alike can savor the development of a master of idiosyncrasy. Properly celebrated for his range, Carlson offers us a rural sheriff who's wary of UFOs ("Phenomena"), a lawyer on a mission in remote Alaska ("Blazo"), a baseball player turned killer-by-accident ("Zanduce at Second"), and a nineteen-year-old who experiences an unsettling sexual awakening during an Arizona summer ("Oxygen"). Here also is a man accusing Bigfoot of stealing his wife, followed by Bigfoot's incomparable response. Not least of the treasures is "The H Street Sledding Record," a story perfect for family holiday reading, in which a young father creates the magic of Santa by throwing manure on his roof on Christmas Eve. This book proves Carlson's axiom that "a short story is not a single thing done a single way," and it offers us—finally—a full view of his remarkable talents.
Beyond the Dust Bowl with a Pocket Full of Peanuts is Ron Hugharts next chapter in his continuing saga of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in the great San Joaquin Valley. The child of migrant parents, Ron has previously written about his life in The Place Beyond the Dust Bowl, published in 2002. Now Ron answers many of the questions asked by readers of his first book. From his early fear of minorities to the warm and nurturing parents of his school acquaintances, Ron describes the sometimes harrowing experiences of growing up as a migrant child. Here is a child who never had anything of his own, and was uprooted throughout his childhood, moving from place to place. Beyond the Dust Bowl with a Pocket Full of Peanuts is a must-read for all who remember the tough times after the Depression, and those who are interested in the life of a migrant child. The reader will remember the stereotypes and realities of the era. Ron Hughart and his wife Ann live in Exeter California. He enjoys talking about his experiences and teaching others of life with humility. Ron lectures on the subject to organizations, schools, colleges, and universities.
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