I recently received a letter from a friend of mine, in which he dedicated a brief section to my recent wood cutting episode.

I told him that the load of wood, after everything was said and done, had cost me $125. That's for a short bed pickup load of this and that.

At that kind of price, I should be getting the best stuff known to mankind. Actually, I could probably buy those little ready-made fire logs wrapped in shrink-wrap for that price.

You can't win them all; indeed, sometimes it feels like you can't win any of them.

But I have had enough of bad luck for a little while. It is time for good fortune to come flooding back into my life.

All I need to do is just lean back and let the good times roll. I have kerosene in my tank, wood in my stove and a big smile on my face. Well, I smile most of the time. Or is it once in a while?

Who cares what the wood cost me, it isn't that important. This is all part of my new and improved attitude that is supposed to make life better for me.

All I have to do is not get so caught up in the little stuff. You know, in life there is little stuff and big stuff. There isn't much big stuff out there to be seen. Almost all of the stuff is little stuff, I have learned.

When equating big stuff and little stuff, I used to think of expensive items versus inexpensive items. If I waste all my money on candy bars, I won't be able to afford land.

So I didn't buy any candy bars and I still couldn't afford to buy what I wanted. Perhaps I need to rethink my philosophies.

Either that, or just want for less. That usually solves most of the problem in itself.

I remember one of my mother's favorite sayings. "You are old enough to where your wants won't hurt you."

I don't know what that means, but every time I heard it I didn't get anything I wanted.

I think that can be translated to "We don't have any money, so don't even ask or I will hurt you and your wants won't have to."

But money is only a small part of life, at least until you acquire too much of it. Once you get too much money, then you start thinking that you have to get more.

I like not having too much, because when I get to a certain point I fix it. I just buy something else I don't need. If I had several million dollars I would just have lots more stuff I don't need. A body can get by with about half of what they usually have, so I imagine rich folks are just over burdened with expensive stuff that they are afraid to use. That doesn't sound all that wonderful to me. I prefer having less valuable things that I can do more with.

No, I don't particularly want to win the lottery or rob a bank. I would rather have just enough money. Like the fellow who had three wishes and used one of them to ask for exactly enough money in his pocket to pay for anything he wanted to buy at any given time.

Now there is a well thought-out wish if I ever heard one. No one could rob you and take what you had.

Of course, he used his other two wishes on a chick with long legs and a board stretcher. I think he ended up with an ostrich and a chainsaw.

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